Boo Just Yelled At Me

Boo came down while I was eating breakfast (taking a break from cuddling) and I thought he wanted to go out but he didn't...just kept walking around and so I stopped paying attention to him. Apparently he was looking for his duck to take outside with him because he went to the door and I didn't notice and so he walked up to me with duck in mouth and barked (loudly considering he had a stuffed duck in his mouth) and then ran to the door. Jeez!

This will have to be relatively short because my computer went crazy and did some "fix" reboot, restart thing so I'm running late.

Not much to talk about anyway. Jim's back on regular shift, just for today. Hopefully he won't have a full day since he's worked so many hours already. We don't have plans tonight (I'm sure he'll be tired) other than having dinner and hanging. Saturday we talked about going down to the Wiedemann brewery. I'm not a Wiedemann fan but looking at their special brews they look pretty yummy. And they have a delicious looking menu. We also want to go to a tile store and look at some tiles. Sunday is the Superbowl but we don't have any plans for that.

School is good. Nothing major happening. Today will be easy. We're finishing up a Great Depression movie in history and then starting a WWII one. In science, since my kids did so "well" on their test (well being a relative term...since no one failed) we'll watch a movie in there as well. And then in LA, kids will be doing a reading comp. I will be writing IEPs all day.

Oh I was checking out FB last night, specifically crazy mother's page to see if she had posted anything lately (yesterday she showed up at school and the principal and resource officer had to bar her from entering) and sure enough, she had. And she named names. I forwarded those to Lisa to pass on. In my opinion, it's game on when she starts spewing lies and then names names. Bitch be crazy!

And that's all I've got. Told you I was boring. Happy Friday! Later!

Pleasant Surprise

Sometimes kids just surprise you. My science kids? Not one of them failed my test yesterday! I guess all the hounding and emails home (nagging) inspired some studying. So happy. I will reward them tomorrow with a Friday movie day. And no, I didn't have that in the plans already! Can I get a woot!?

Jim's still on 2nd shift but tomorrow will get to work 1st. That's good for the weekend but sucks for him tomorrow as he'll work late tonight and then have to get up in the morning. 

Oh, last night Jim sent me a text that said, "Working with Whispers...he got in my face." That may sound weird but I knew right away what he was saying. Whispers is some other painter who's a quiet talker. Jim can never hear what he says. Apparently he thought Jim got him laid off some months back and when Jim arrived on the job yesterday, Whispers got in his face and, as Jim put it, was "this" close to hitting him (Whispers, not Jim). Jim said he remained calm but had no idea what the guy was talking about. Whispers is apparently pretty small too (Jim says he comes up to about his sternum) which makes it kind of funny. Jim called his boss and told him what was going on...he instructed Jim to just stay away from the dude and then his boss called the dude to try and calm the fires. I guess it all went okay since Jim came home as usual around midnight. Jeez. 

My dinner last night was really yummy (Broccoli and Chickpea stir fry). I'm excited to have it for lunch today. I didn't change anything in the recipe but would maybe leave the maple syrup out next time. I used sugar free but it doesn't really need the sweetness. Maybe they call for it due to the heat but I like heat. I would add more broccoli next time too. 

Jeez...there's some dude on MSNBC right now who just can't spit out whatever the f&%k he's trying to say. Drives me crazy. 

Okay - I need to get a move on. Happy Thursday. So happy tomorrow is Friday. Later!

Pillow Partner

Scout decided to get on my pillows last night to sleep. I think it started out as him trying to get to my nightstand to steal my ponytail holders but when I said, "UH UH!" he stopped and acted like he was just making his bed. He ended up there all night and at one point started yipping in his sleep. When my alarm went off and I turned over to turn it off, he ever so gently licked my nose. Good morning sweet boy!

I had a funny dream last night. I dreamt that Jimmy put together a surprise trip for me. We were in PIB and he surprised me with tickets to Shanghai and then Ireland. We would spend 5 days in Shanghai and then fly to Ireland for a week. What a combo, huh? The issue was I needed to call Diane to see if she could stay longer with the dogs but for some reason, I added 19 days to her house/dog sitting stint rather than 12 and she said, "Yeah, no, that's too long!" So then I had to scramble and find someone else to watch the pups. It was very stressful!

I'm giving a test today in science on photosynthesis and I know my kids are all going to fail. We've been going over and over the info and reviewing and I sent them all a Quizlet to use for studying (sent to their parents as well) but if I know my kids and parents, they didn't study. We'll see. And as much as I hate teaching Biology, it's actually making a lot more sense since I've been teaching it. That's good, huh? That I can actually say I'm not totally confused by what I'm trying to teach the kids? Progress! For me at least.

I'm making a dinner tonight that I'm excited about: Broccoli stir fry with chickpeas. I loves me some chickpeas and could eat them with every meal. I don't know why. They don't have much taste. Maybe it's their texture.

Jim called last night while at work because the job he was doing that he thought would only take a few hours was bigger than he thought. He was estimating he'd be home around 2:00 AM...poor guy. But guess what? As usual Jim estimated incorrectly and he was home by midnight.

I caught myself talking in my sleep last night. Here's what I said, "I've got a tomato for you and you" sung (or chanted) in the tune from Willy Wonka "Oompa Loompa". I don't know what I was dreaming (it wasn't the China/Ireland dream) but I was recording something for the cops. I'll say it: I'm weird. Or rather my dreams are weird.

Oh, guess what?! The downs syndrome girl I mentioned in yesterday's post? She shit her pants AGAIN yesterday! OMG! WTF!? Poor Jen (the aide).

Okay...on that note...time to finish getting ready. Happy Wednesday...half way there. Later!

2nd Shift Stint

I'm totally on my own this morning and I have to say, it's kind of peaceful. No pups wanting to go outside then right back in only to want right back out...and in! Jim's not here flipping channels and seeing stupid shit that he feels I MUST see so he rewinds and can never land where he needs to be and then fast fowards only to go too far. UGH! Jim's up in bed snoozing and the pups ditched me for cuddling. Not that I blame them...I'd be up there too if I could. Jim started his 2nd shift stint yesterday, which should go about a week and a half. He actually worked for 4 hours in the morning yesterday and then came home, only to go back downtown around 5:00. He got home around midnight. When he's on 2nd shift, 7 hours is considered a full day so that's the plus side of the whole thing. The other plus side is that the pups will have constant company and not need to be caged. This means that when I get home to exercise, they won't be all wound up. Bright side!

Jim being on 2nd shift will take some getting used to in terms of sleeping.  I woke up at midnight, right before he got home and couldn't get back to sleep until he was in bed. That will hopefully go away after a couple nights. The dogs did well, however. Usually when he isn't home, they're really restless and constantly get up to look out the window and growl at nothing. Annoying.

Ooh, my neighbor had a coyote in her front yard the other day. Scary. I knew they were around (I've heard them) but I've never seen them near my house. Freaks me out even with a 6 foot tall privacy fence. I hate letting the boys out when it's dark. And we have two different groups of deer in the area and I wonder if that keeps the coyotes nearby. Hmm...I told Cari - one of my other neighbors - that she needs to have her husband get his gun and hunt that damn thing down. Kill it! Jim said he was going to get a gun and kill it but you know he'd end up shooting himself or me, "accidentally".

School. It's fine. I feel bad for one of our aides. She spends most of her day with a downs syndrome girl who is completely misplaced. She's basically uncommunicative and gets nothing out of where she's currently placed. She's new to our district this year and the paperwork was a bunch of bullshit. It said she was reading on a 4th grade level which is a LAUGH! At most she's at a 1st grade level. And she's stubborn as hell. Well, yesterday she shit her pants and the aide ended up having to clean it all up. Now this pisses me off because in the latest evaluation (done about 2 weeks ago) it said she had independent toileting habits. BULLSHIT! She won't go to the bathroom at school unless she's told to. This isn't the first time she's shit herself. And when she has her period, well, you can imagine the mess and hassle that is. Maybe she can wipe herself (I question how well that even happens) but everything else? She's not independent.

And that's all I've got for today. Happy Tuesday! Later!

The Weekend Recap

Such sad news about Kobe Bryant. Just so stupid! No more to say about that.

My weekend: Well, it started out sucky because I got a flat tire on my way home from school. I was going the back way home and realized at a red light that my TPMS light was on so I looked at my tire gauge and saw that the air pressure was going down quickly in my rear passenger side tire. Literally as I sat at the red light, it went from 25 to 15 psi in a matter of about 2 minutes. I made it the quarter mile to the UDF on 22/3 and filled my tire to 32 psi. And then I heard that air continuing to quickly leak out. Leaning over and looking at the tire, I saw the metal shard embedded in the tire. Shit! I called Jim to get his thoughts: Do I change it and put the spare on or try to drive it another quarter mile up the road to Tire Discounters? He was on his way home and said he would come and change the tire but I said I'd try to do it myself. So I pulled all the tire changing gear out and realized that the jack looks a little more difficult than I wanted to figure out so I got back in my car to wait for Jim. About 5 minutes later, a cop knocks on my window and she says, "Got a flat? Your husband called." JAYSUS! Of course he did. Long story short, the officer was a little unsure about the jack as well so she radioed her fellow officer to come take a look. She got the jack positioned and then when the second officer arrived with an intern, they all got the thing changed no problem. And, I was home within a half hour of my normal time. (I had called Jim and told him to head on home.) I can't tell you how easy the whole thing was and how awesome the officers were. I messaged the township to thank them on Saturday morning. They made what could have been a frustrating and shitty way to kick off the weekend into something that was really no big deal.

Saturday Jim and I got up, had breakfast and while Jim took the car to Bob Summerall to get the tire fixed ($35.00 later!) I cleaned. We went to Shooters and then came home and chilled. I made a meatless dinner on Saturday that Jim was NOT a fan of. I loved it but I think the sweet potato that was in it wasn't Jim's fave. Oh well, live and learn.

Sunday we went to TJ Maxx, Home Goods and Steinmart to put a basket together for Jim's sister who is going through chemo...just some teas, cozy socks, lotion, and a couple of mugs to keep her spirits up. Afterward, we headed to Shooters again and then home for some chill time. No big deal.

It should be an easy week at school. I don't have any meetings but have three coming up so I'll be getting those written and sent off as drafts to parents. Other than that - nada.

And I better get a move on. Happy Monday! Here's hoping that the week goes by quickly. Later!

Safe Travels

Safe travels to Maggie who is headed to Ft. Lauderdale today to join Charlie for the weekend. Cheers to good weather and fun!

TGIF! I have to say that considering this was a short week, it sure dragged on. Ugh! And of course, each day, I would enter my classroom, make my coffee, sit down to figure out what was what and a headache would kick in. It's that time of year. I actually already have a headache now but will take some ibuprofen and hopefully it will go away quickly.

Those dang boys woke me up at 4:00 AM today. I don't know what their problem was but they kept doing bad things to keep me awake...licking each others ears, trying to lick me, Scout walked on top of me to get to the side table to steal my socks. ARG! Well, at least is should be a relatively easy day. We're on an advisory schedule though which I hate. Such a waste of time. Nothing that bugs me more than wasted time. And the kids hate it too. Stupid.

I made my butternut squash and black bean stew last night and it was YUMMY! I used Brussel sprouts instead of kale or spinach, I added a bit more broth than it called, a 2nd can of black beans and a bit more cayenne. Even Jim liked it. I'll be having it for lunch too. Can't wait.

Tonight I'm making homemade pizzas for dinner. I think I'll do a meaty one for Jim (turkey pepperoni and sausage) and then a caramelized onion and mushroom for me. Plus a salad. Jim should have a short day today so I'll send him to the store for me. I just can't wait for a yummy beer after work (and a workout).

No real plans for the weekend. I'm sure Shooters will be in there at some point but who knows what else. It's not going to be very nice...maybe we should go to a movie. We'll see.

And that's all I've got. Time to get a move on. Happy Friday! YAY!!! Later!

I Got Nothing

I truly have nothing to talk about.

Work is work. Nothing exciting there - just the way I like it.

Jim went out last night with his friend Chris. They ended up going to a place in Kenwood called Hoppin' Vines. It has duckpin bowling, lots of beer on tap (mostly local) and 1000 + bottle wine cellar to chose from. Their menu consists of pizzas they make in a coal fired oven. I haven't been there but Jim seemed to have a good time. Funnily enough, the guy bowling next to him last night was his surgical oncologist - Dr. Sussman who I'm sure had no idea who Jim was.

Tonight's dinner (since I didn't cook last night) will be the black bean, butternut squash soup that I was going to make. Hope it's good. I actually calls for kale or spinach but in the comments, someone mentioned that they added shaved brussel sprouts instead so I might do that. Sounds yummy. Loves me some brussel sprouts.

I started watching a series on HBO last night - The Outsider. It's based on a Stephen King novel and stars Jason Bateman (who I love). Oh, and he directs it as well. It's not scary like much of King's stuff is but it is a thriller and a whodunit. Really enjoyed episode #1. Probably should have waited for Jim but who am I kidding? If I had watched it with him, he would have just fallen asleep.

I also started watching the 2nd season of Sex Education yesterday. Man do I love that show. It's so funny and clever.

And that's all I've got. Time to get a move on. So happy tomorrow is Friday! Happy Thursday! Later!

Jim's Lost His Remote Privileges!

I'm sitting here peacefully eating breakfast. I've got Jim on my left where he always is. We're enjoying our carrot cake waffles, hard boiled egg and fruit. And then I notice that Jim's tuned in to Pee-wee's Playhouse. I don't know what it is about Pee-wee but it's one of those shows that if Jim finds it on TV, he's all in. He also informed me that it's 30 years old! I will say that the one time he was channel surfing and found Pee-wee's Christmas Special, it was one of the best things I had seen in a LONG time! Of course with everything going on in the news this morning, Pee-wee is a lot less ridiculous!

Can I vent for a minute about stupid parents? I sent an email out yesterday to set up an IEP. As I always do, I presented the parent with a window of dates as well as times to choose from. I ended with "look at your calendar, choose a date and time and I'll send you a formal invitation." She emails me back with "The 13th works". JAYSUS! TIME LADY! Cause we're not meeting all day freakin' long! So now I have to do the email back and wait another day for her reply. Annoying.

I made a really good meal yesterday (if I do say so myself): Sour cream pork chops in the instant pot. I've made these before, I'm sure but they were quite scrumptious. Easy too with only 5 ingredients. I substituted beef broth with veggie broth (because I didn't have beef broth) and of course I used fat free sour cream. I served it with roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts. So yummy!

Jim's going out tonight with friends to go bowling. I'm kind of excited. I'll make dinner and then he'll leave and I'm sort of excited for some mommy/puppy time. Not that we don't get plenty of that but you know...the house to myself. On and dinner tonight will be a black bean butternut squash soup...another meatless meal. Hope it's good.

Boo just came downstairs and started barking at me and smacking me in the arm so I would push my chair back and let him sit on my lap. He's so funny.

Okay - time to get a move on. Happy Wednesday (ooh, we're half way through). Later!

New Good Read

Thank you Maggie for the new read...loving it which makes going back to work a little tough today because I want to stay home and read. Which is basically what I did yesterday and it was lovely!

Not much to talk about. As I mentioned yesterday in my post, it was a relaxed day for me and the pups. Other than I quick trip to the store, I lazed around and read most of the day. Dinner was delicious. I made the Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos with Avocado Creama. Jimmy really liked it, as did I. Notes in case you make it:

• Add more water than it calls for in the creama otherwise it's way too thick. 
• When doing the batter for the cauliflower, dump all the cauliflower in to coat and then if you're using a rack over  your parchment, make sure to spray it (I forgot). 
• I got broccoli slaw to serve with and black bean and rice. Delicious!

I'm not sure what I'll make tonight. Originally I was going to do a black bean and butternut squash soup but we have a lot of leftovers and I don't want to add to them until we eat some. Probably some pork chops of some sort...we'll see. 

Work should be easy this week since it's short and I don't have any IEPs. 

And that's all I've got. I need to go finish getting ready and I want to blow my hair dry since it's so cold. Happy Tuesday...later!

What To Do, What To Do?

With the temps the way they are,  (feels like 7) what I really want to do is sit at home in front of the fire and possibly catch up on some shows. What I'll probably do is finish my exercise routine, shower, go to the store (because stupid Kroger had no slaw on the shelves yesterday) and then come home, start a fire, cuddle with the pups and catch up on some shows. Jim's working so it's a perfect day for Muwee to have some alone time. Woot!

As I know you all love hearing about my dreams, here are a couple that have stuck with me lately:

• Trip, Anne and I were at PIB and packing up to leave. I had Boo and Scout with me and it was Trip and Anne's job to make sure they didn't get out while I was packing up some stuff inside. And then, Trip came to me and said, "I need to tell you something but it wasn't my fault because I wasn't there to defend him." (In other words, it was Anne's fault). He went on to tell me that Boo was taken by some giant bird of prey and killed. The thing that I was focused on, however, was that Trip kept calling Boo a "she" which annoyed me and I was also really focused on a set of pencils that were Trip's...I kept asking him if he had seen I'd sharpened them and he needed to make sure not to forget them. 
• My other dream, which I had last night was that I was having Christmas dinner at my house and I forgot to get wine. I had a half bottle to feed the masses (which includes me, Maggie, Becky and dad) and the conundrum was that it was Christmas day so nothing was open. Needless to say, everyone left before dinner. Well, Dad never showed up because he was at the eye doctor getting fitted for contact lenses. I mean, what the f&%k is going on in my mind when I'm dreaming this shit?! 

Oh, my weekend! I had a great time in Columbus. We went bowling on Saturday and in my first game, I scored 121! I actually beat Charlie! Needless to say, I sucked after that but that's par for the course...I always bowl "well" in the first game and go downhill from there. Other than that, we just chilled and enjoyed each other's company. Yesterday when I arrived home, Jim and I headed to Shooters and then came home and watched football.

I made a delicious meatless meal for dinner last night: Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry.  I served it with some rice with peas and it was scrumptious! I will say that if you decided to make it, don't use the amount of broth it calls for...maybe half or a quarter...there's a ton of liquid already with the coconut milk and tomatoes. I will certainly make that again. Tonight I'm making another meatless dinner: Buffalo cauliflower tacos with avocado creama...YUM! 

K - well, guess I should finish exercising and then get to the store so I can come back home and hang with my pups! Wow, it's only 8:00! Bonus! I have the whole day ahead of me. Later!

Up, Fit & Fed

I'm up and I've exercised, showered, eaten, paid some bills and after I finish here, I'll head up and finish getting ready for my day. And it's only 6:30! I don't have to be at school until 8:00 so was able to get all this done early which always makes me happy.

Weighed myself today...was nervous...felt weighty but I'm where I was before the holidays so YAY! I do want to drop about 5 pounds (as a cushion) but I'm not going nutty about it...just going to do my normal stuff and see what happens.

Jimmy only has a 1/2 day today (like me) so will make it home early for the pups. This is good because after my 1/2 day at school and appointment, I'll head north to spend the weekend with Maggie et al.

I like Joe Scarborough but sometimes he rattles on and on and on and on and I'm pretty sure he's the only one who's listening to what's coming out of his mouth. Thank God for Willie Geist who keeps him in line, really. And Mika, a little bit.

Jim's a fool. We were talking last night about another trip (just dreaming really) and I told him I want to go somewhere that has a direct flight. So knowing that he yells down a couple minutes ago: Hey, what about somewhere like Barbados? Or Martinique? My response was: Hey Jim! How about listening to me for a minute! Those aren't direct flights, fool! Then he said: Fine...why do you have to be such a bitch!? Haha! He was of course just being funny and it made me laugh out loud.

What else? Nothing. My day today will be a 1/2 hour meeting to start my day with the superintendent about the levy then the rest of my morning will be my "Cultural Competency" training (required). I'll get out at around 11:00 and that's my day. YAY!

My weekend will be relaxed, I believe. Tonight we'll go to dinner at a new Mexican restaurant. Saturday will be a movie and then chillin' at the Egberts (Chicken wild rice soup for dinner) and lots of wine and conversation. I'll come home Sunday and still have Monday off. YAY!

K - better go finish my routine. Happy Friday! Later!

My Friday...Sort Of

I have to work tomorrow but it's an in-service and it will be a half day for me. Woot! AND! I don't have to be at work until 8:00 tomorrow so I'll be able to exercise in the morning. Bam!

Did I mention that the 2nd season of Killing Eve was released on Hulu finally! Excited to binge that!

Did I mention my latest obsession? It's the Private Select (Kroger) Sweet Cinnamon Spice Herbal Tea. It's the most amazing tea ever and of course when I went the other day, they didn't have any on the shelves! Pissed. When I go next, I will be stocking up. I usually put a packet of Splenda in my tea but with this it isn't needed. It is sweet all by itself. And it sort of satisfies my sweet tooth - sort of. I still love me some peppermint tea but for now, I'm hooked on this.

Did I mention that I recently went on Old Navy to shop a bit of their clearance? I ended up with 5 pairs of pants, two sweaters and two tops (that' 9 items). All that for under $130! That's pretty good! I was pretty happy with that score! And everything fit really well! Woot!

Did I mention that I want to go back to the Dominican!? Every now and then during my day, I think This time 2 weeks ago I was sitting at the pool or wading in the ocean. Sigh. Plus I'm already losing my tan which makes me sad because it's going to be 5 months before I can get color again!

And that's all I've got. I didn't have much and I apologize but alas, it's January. Not much going on. Happy Thursday! Later!

Late Night = More Coffee

And by late night, I mean I was out at dinner until 8:30, didn't get home until nearly 9:00 and then stayed up  and wound down until 10:00. I feel fine now but I'm sure it will catch up with me later in the day. Regardless though, it was great to see Lisa (my cousin) and catch up with her and everything going on with the McClain side of the family. (Good to see Anne too!)

My meeting yesterday was fine. I managed to convince the parents to leave the writing goal out. It was AFTER the meeting that the real shit hit the fan. See, the parents, after their son left, started talking about some issue he was having with one of his friends. They acted like I had an idea of what they were talking about so I made it clear I was clueless. They then revealed that one of their sons friends girlfriends was accusing that friend of rape and that he hits her. UGH! So I, of course, finding out that the admin wasn't aware of this issue, was compelled to tell the admins about this. (I told this to the parents.) So as they left the meeting, I saw one of my principals and I called him in and told him quickly what the parents had told me. Later, seeing my student in the hallway, the admin pulled him aside just to get the last name of the girlfriend. Well apparently that was the WRONG way to go about it because the kid freaked out and started texting his parents. The parents got all pissed off (at my admin) because they didn't want their son to know they had "betrayed" his trust. JAYSUS! Total stupid bullshit that I hate getting involved in. Parents! Be parents and when shit like this comes up, tell your kid that you need to inform the powers that be! The kid was assured his name wouldn't come up. Hopefully this is off my plate today.

Jim's going to be on nights coming up soon. This is a good thing for a couple reasons: A) It will work well with his upcoming scan so he won't miss work B) It will mean that when parent teacher conferences come up soon, I won't have to worry about the dogs and C) he'll actually have to work fewer hours for a full work week. His work is slow right now so any work is good work.

And that's about all I've got. Time to get a move on. Happy Wednesday (thought all day yesterday was Wednesday and so did the kids). Later!

Clear Skin

Jim went to the dermatologist yesterday (his 6-month check up) and all is well. He's good to go for another 6 months. I was a little worried...only because the new meds specifically talk about side effects of skin growths and developing skin cancers (squamous cells etc.) but he was all good.

Had some WEIRD dreams last night and I wasn't even on the melatonin. Ugh! There were some these herds of beasts on the loose (that used to be humans) and the only way to avoid getting eaten by them was to play dead. So I was hunkered in bed with Zeke and Boo (not sure where Scout was or why Zeke was there) and so worried they were going to move or get antsy and it was terrible.

I have an IEP this morning. It will be fine but it's a set of parents that are a bit of a pain in the ass. Their kid is really very smart, on the spectrum and has in the past year had a writing goal (I HATE writing goals). His biggest issue is, he's a lazy ass and completely unorganized and distracted by his phone. This means that rather than do his homework or complete his work I fight with him to get shit done. So the IEP I wrote didn't have a writing goal (because he can write fine in comparison to his peers) and though it's something we'll continue to help him with, it won't be monitored with a goal. I sent a draft home but of course the parents are all, "We think his writing is still an issue." Okay, I didn't say that it wasn't a bit of an issue in fact, I even wrote that it was still a need...we just aren't going to make that the goal. Ugh. So I'll be fighting with them on this for the IEP. I have a goal ready just in case but hopefully I can keep them from adding this. Stupid.

This evening, I'll be going out to dinner with Anne and Lisa (cousin). We'll meet up at Rusty Bucket around 6:15. Yummy!

And that's all I've got. I'd better finish my toilette so I can get ready for my IEP. Happy Tuesday (damn, I though it was Wednesday...although without kids on Friday and taking a 1/2 day, it kind of is my Wednesday). Later!

Lazy Dogs

Jim and I are up and at 'em...just ate breakfast and Jim is folding his work pants and where are the boys? They're back upstairs in bed. They are LAZY! Which I love. I don't blame them either. It was TOUGH getting up this morning. I mean, I was in bed by 8:00 and nodding off by 8:30 so I shouldn't be that tired but I'm struggling.

I don't really have a reason to be this tired either. Our weekend was quite low key. Friday was just a hang out night at home with leftovers. Saturday we went to Shooters for lunch and had hibachi at a nearby Japanese restaurant for dinner (was really yummy). Yesterday was just a quick jaunt to Shooters and then home for some basement clean out (purged a ton of stuff that Jim's been holding onto). Of course in throwing stuff out and having the garage door open, the boys escaped. Boo came back right away (with the help of the neighbor) but Scout was GONE and it took some wrangling to get him back. He didn't go far, just behind us in the woods but he was chasing squirrels so he had eyes and ears only for those little rodents. There wasn't ANY attention paid to his mamma. Until he saw me that is. Once I drove over to another part of the neighborhood and then traipsed through a neighbors yard and Scout spied his mamma, he came running to me, which is good. Scoutie just loves him some squirrels.

I made a really good meal last night - Pinot noir chicken with mushrooms (and if you don't like mushrooms, you can leave them out). Was really easy and tender. It's pinned under my Chicken board.

The week should be pretty easy. I have one IEP tomorrow but we have an in-service on Friday so no kids...YAY! Then! No school next Monday! Woot! Can't wait for that.

And that's about all I have. I'm running a bit late so need to get a move on. Happy Monday! Later!

Made It Through

Made it through the first week of school in 2020! Woot! Not only that but I made it through the work week NOT drinking and that is an accomplishment! There was real concern, after our vacation, that I would go through withdraw but alas, I made it. I can't WAIT to have a beer this afternoon. And a glass (or three) of wine. All that said, however, I'm guessing I won't be able to stay up very late tonight considering the boys decided they wanted to get up at 4:00. I did NOT get out of bed but they were awake and I was awake. I finally got out of bed (cause I was getting smacked in the face by Boo) at 4:30 and considering how fast they ran to the back door, I'm guessing they REALLY had to pee.

My IEP meeting went well yesterday. It's a parent that I've had for both her kids for the past 4 years. After the meeting she said to me, "Did you lose a lot of weight? You look like a totally different person." Of course that's flattering that she noticed and I thanked her but do I really look like a totally DIFFERENT person? Huh!

We got some wind on the way. Apparently it's pretty windy right now but tomorrow they're saying we're going to get gusts up to 60 mph. I still don't like me some wind but it doesn't freak me out as much with the massive tree we got taken down and without the leaves on the trees. The ground isn't too terribly saturated (yet) so hopefully we'll be fine but of course I'll knock on every piece of wood I see until the wind dies down.

Weekend plans: We don't have many plans. Jim wants to go to Taft's on Saturday. I want to go to hibachi Saturday night. Other than that, we'll just do our normal stuff: Clean, hang with the pups, walk the dogs if the weather lets up a bit, watch football, maybe take a trip to Shooters.

And that's it. Guess I'll get to work extra early today and get ready for the day. The kids are really liking The Help, by the way. One of my kids, a freshman, came up to me after the 1st chapter and said, "Mrs. Hanke...I think I'm going to really like this book." I think so too!

K - happy Friday! Have a lovely weekend. Later!

This That & Another IEP

Gonna make this quick so I get to work for my IEP this morning (at 7:15). Not much to talk about plus, by fingers don't seem to be working. I keep messing up my typing which is frustrating because I have a hard time seeing a mistake and moving on and fixing later. I always have to go back right away to fix. I wonder if other people do it another way. Hmm...

I made some a delicious lunch concoction that I'm excited about eating today. It's a southwest chicken wrap! I'm trying really hard to eat smart (not that I haven't but extra smart) which means no leftovers for lunch. So, I've been eating wraps lately that are either meatless or near pointless (in terms of WW). Earlier in the week, I was enjoying black bean and avocado wraps (vegan). I can't wait for lunch.

What else? Nothing. Sorry. My life is boring lately. I told Jim when we were in PC that we needed to find something to look forward to now that our exciting trip was over. I think that event will be the bathroom reno. Lisa at work is currently using a guy that has so far done a GREAT job doing her bathroom and his price was RIGHT! Assuming all goes well with the finishing up, we'll give him a call in the next week or two to give us a quote. That's exciting, right?

Boo has been a little cuddle bunny lately. He's been sleeping with me which he hasn't done for about 3 months. Additionally, Scout has been eating like a champ (for a while there, it was a chore to get him to eat). Since we got back, he's been gobbling up his meals right away. In fact, he barks and howls at me while I'm getting it ready and this morning, he actually beat Boo in speed. YAY!

Okay well, it's time to finish my routine and get to work. Happy Thursday (Oooh!!! Tomorrow is Friday). Later! Good luck with PT today Trippy!

Maybe I Could Go Vegan

That's a joke, really. I use too many animal foods (that are delicious) to go vegan but I did make an amazing meal last night that was totally vegan: Lentil Chili. It also had quinoa in it (which I've never cooked with) and it turned out delicious! I made it in the Instant Pot (pinned on that Board on Pinterest) and it was a dump and cook meal. Plenty of leftovers too...enough to freeze some for another meal, plus lunch for Jim and I. Loves me those kinds of meals. Now I just need to find other GOOD recipes to use the quinoa I now have in the pantry.

Jim's annoying. Have I ever mentioned that? I asked him a question just now and he answered with a mouthful of banana and waffle so that I had NO idea what he was saying. He thinks he's so funny.

Oh, and speaking of Jim - all went well at his doctor. He'll stay on the dosage he's currently on (75% of a full dose) at least until he has his next scan and appointment, which will be on February 4th. I'll probably have to take that day off because I want to know about his test results.

Jim got bad news yesterday when he was driving home from work: His sister Emily has cancer. Apparently (and she didn't give Jim a lot of understandable details) she has stage 3 carcinoma. (?) She starts chemotherapy soon to treat. I don't know a lot about this cancer or what her prognosis is and she's not great at giving details and then trying to riddle out what she told Jim (and then how Jim tells me) is a bit of a puzzle. Fingers crossed, however, that she powers through this.

Trip did well with his surgery yesterday. He went in at 8:30 and was home around 2:30. I know that he had some pain at first but once they drugged him up, it was manageable. Now will be the tough part of getting back to normal. Fingers crossed that it happens speedily!

I got an email from our resort yesterday (one that they send everyone after their stay) that said, "We Miss You!" And then it had all these deals for another vacation and I started clicking on the links thinking, Maybe... and then I had to quickly get the hell out of there so I didn't torture myself and spontaneously just buy another package! I miss them too, by the way!

And that's all I've got. I need to get a move on since I have a 7:15 IEP. Happy Wednesday! Later!

1 Under The Belt

Yesterday was fine at school. Getting back into the swing of things always takes a day or so for me. I don't like to start the school year or new semester right away with the kids so yesterday was pretty easy (returned exams, gave them new chapters for history and Bio and then previewed the book for LA). Today, we'll start reading (excited for that) and begin new chapters in my other classes. Back to reality.

Ooh...before I forget: GOOD LUCK TRIPPY! He's having knee surgery today to fix his bum knee and I'm so happy for him to feel better. Hopefully surgery will go well and recovery will be quick and as pain free as possible! Let me know if you need anything and let me know how it goes!

Jim has a doctor's appointment today. It's really just to get a blood draw and check to see how he's doing with meds. Since he's only been BACK on his meds for about 4 days, I don't think there's much to "see" there. Obviously I won't be going with him but I will go for the appointment after his next scan, which will be in February.

Apparently the flu is going around like crazy! From my understanding it's a terrible strain and people who've gotten the flu shot are still getting it. Ugh! I'm hoping that it doesn't hit the Hanke household.

What else? Not much. Boo came up in the middle of the night and spooned with me. He hasn't done that in a couple months. I think he had a nightmare or something because he couldn't get close enough to me and then kept twitching and sort of moaning in his sleep. I love that boy! He's such a good cuddler.

And that's all I've got. I thought I had an IEP this morning but it's tomorrow (and Thursday).

K - happy Tuesday! Later!

Here We Go 2020!

It's been a while! I've been busy! Sorry...Punta Cana had me distracted.

Recap of our trip: It was amazing! I want to go back! The Dominican people are the BEST! I don't know that I'd ever want to do anything but an all-inclusive but we'll see. My days consisted of:
6:30 wake up with coffee and fruit delivery.
7:00 work out (while I did this, Jim went and found our lounge chairs for the day at the pool)
8:00 Shower and mimosas
9:00 Breakfast
10:00 - 4:00 Pool side (with cocktail in hand most minutes)
4:00 - 6:00 - Resting up and showering for dinner
6:00 Pre-dinner cocktails
7:00ish dinner (mostly a different place every night)
9:00 Asleep!

The food was pretty good. Breakfast was my main meal of the day but they also had a red bean and rice dish at the buffet that I had for lunch pretty much every day. I loved the fruit and chowed on that at most every meal. I was not a fan of the steak house (or red meat in general) but the Japanese restaurant was really good. They had a taco truck that we both loved and their bakery was our last stop every night (we'd take some sweets back to the room and enjoy them before bed).

We did not venture off the resort and I'm not sorry for it. My plan was total rest and relaxation and that's what I got. I would go back in a heartbeat and hope to someday.

Other than that, here we are, starting a new semester off today. I have three IEPs coming up (two this week, one next) but they are all written and everything for this first couple weeks has been prepped so I'm in a good spot. We'll start reading The Help in LA which I'm excited for. And that's about it.

I've discovered that melatonin gives me nightmares. I was talking about using it with my hair dresser and she mentioned that she can't take it because of what it does to her dreams and I thought Huh...I wonder!?So I've tracked it the last two times I've used it and, yep, nightmares. Last night I was a handmaid and had just had a baby and was having to give her up and someone got shot and they came to me to hide them but I wouldn't because I couldn't risk it for my baby. I woke up with my adrenalin coursing through my veins...ugh! So, no more melatonin for me!

Okay well, I guess I should get a move on. Happy Monday! Happy New Year. Here's to a great week, a great rest-of-the-school-year and a great year in general! Later!