Holy Shitballs!

My God!  I think it's Armageddon out there.  I don't know HOW NYC and the tri-state area there will recover anytime soon.  Queens is burning; a levy or dam broke in NJ...massive transformer explosion...generator gave way at NYU hospital - many evacuees are babies in the NICU. Crazy!

Speaking of crazy!  I'm just happy to be home myself.  It was a quite a crap shoot yesterday on whether we would get off the island or not.  I think we may have caught the last ferry off the island. We caught a 9:30 ferry and they shut down by 11:00 so you gotta figure.  And as you can see from the pic - docking was quite chancy and scary.  The ride itself wasn't bad - we pretty much rode the waves the whole way but that didn't make it any less scary for me.  We would have been stuck until Wednesday had we not made that ferry...ugh!

And that's about all I've got for now.  I need to get a move on here because A) it's snowing which means people are going to drive like bitches and B) who knows what's waiting for me at school having been absent a day and a half. 

K - later!

Jimmy's Actin' Like a B*%CH

Hee hee...I told Jimmy I was going to make my post title "My husband's a bitch" and he said, "Why don't you get a new title?"  He's just being slow and pokey and I'm trying to get things done.  Why, you ask?  Because WE'RE GOING TO PIB TODAY!!!  I'll head to work here in a few but I'm only working a 1/2 day so at 11AM...I'm outta there! Until Tuesday!!!  YAY!!!  Hopefully we'll get up there by 4:30 and catch that ferry...otherwise we'll have to wait an hour.  Jim better not piss me off here!

And that's all we have time for today folks.  I need to crack a whip under Jim's butt cheeks so we can go change the sheets.  He has a lot of work to do and I don't want to give him the opportunity to get back in bed.

K - I'm out...until Monday or Tuesday...Later!

New Gutters

The gutter dude came yesterday and ripped off all our gutters!  YAY!  We've needed new gutters since, well, pretty much since we moved in.  It will be nice not to have drippy, nasty gutters that leak. Jim did some painting (that cut our costs down) and they will repair some of the wood work today and put the new ones on.  Now all we need is a new driveway, new siding, new carpet, new kitchen floor, a redone bathroom (upstairs), new counters and a finished basement!  We're well on our way though...just need to win the lottery!

In other news, I started to pack for PIB yesterday.  I also dreamt of it.  I dreamt I was getting ready to go but Kristyn, Karmen and Eric Kohl were all going with us and each one of them were late!  Typical!  UGH!

In car news, I have a feeling (knock on wood) that my car is about to break down...maybe the starter.  I took Bubba to the vet yesterday and when I got back in the car to leave it did a bit of a wonky thing before turning over.  Is it possible to do a preventative measure here before I actually get stranded?  I told Jim already that we'll be taking his car to the Bay...I'm not willing to break down or have a car that doesn't start 4 hours from home.

My cold is progressing.  Yesterday it turned into a cough.  Today I have a lot of nice crap stuffing up my head and a bit of a cough.  Hopefully by tomorrow, this will all be out of here.  At least I've gotten good sleep though.

And that's about all I've got.  Need to get a move on before my 1/2 day tomorrow...and my day off Monday.  I have my plans together I just need to type them up for the subs.  K - I'm out...later!

Scratch & Tickle

That sounds a bit more exciting than what the subject I'm about to talk of really is...my newly developed cough.  Nothing major...it didn't keep me up or anything but its what my sore throat has turned into.  Oh well, if this is all I get from that, then I'm a happy girl (knock on wood).

Sorry I didn't post yesterday.  I got up, showered and came downstairs to find my husband already up.  That sort of screwed up my normal routine (go figure, he likes to talk to me when he gets up!), plus  I couldn't stay awake for the debates and I had to peruse the Internet to see what was being said.  (I DVRd it and watched yesterday afternoon.)  I also wanted to get a bit of an early start at school since I had my 3 IEPs yesterday.  All went well there and I banged those out in less than an hour!  Normally I reserve about 45 minutes for an IEP but since all three were siblings and the parents have been doing this forever, and much of it is all the same - bing bang boom...DONE!  I know the regular educators appreciated it and my admin (ADHD), who actually showed for all three (one of the kids isn't even his) said I was on fire!

Speaking of the debates - I won't say anything except...I was watching and well into the discussions, I noticed that Romney was starting to sweat.  There was a light sheen on his upper lip and I thought, "Huh, someones starting to get a bit of flop sweat."  Lo and behold, I was watching Chris Matthews last night and he had James Lipton on and that same subject came up.  Funny.

Okay and that's about all I have.  I'm getting very excited for PIB this weekend.  The weather is supposed to  chilly and maybe a little rainy (see below) but in my eyes...perfect...a great weekend for hanging out, watching football, playing with Eva and maybe having a drink or 10...hee hee.

Friday 63° | 46°

Saturday 52° | 39°

Sunday 50° | 37°

K - well I've run out of things to talk about so I guess I'll get a move on...later!

Feeling Better

Yesterday was a rough day for me.  I just didn't feel right - run down, sore throat - so I tried to take it easy (with the exception of a couple beers at Shooters).  I laid on the couch most of the afternoon and watched TV...took medicine...stirred my French dip (more on that later).  Nice hot bath around 7:00 and in bed by 8:00.  Sleep wasn't great but then it never is when I don't feel good, but I did sleep.  And I'm feeling much better.  My head isn't as achy, my throat isn't sore, I still have a scratchiness to it but no biggie.  And thank God because this was one week when I don't have the time to feel ill.

One thing that isn't up to par, however, is my ability to taste.  Jim loved my dinner last night...and to me it tasted fine but it didn't taste like much to me.  And I didn't have an appetite.  Jim said it had a lot of flavor but when I'm sick and taking medicine, my taste buds suffer.  Oh well...at least Jim liked it.

And that's all I have for now...oh - except HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE!!!  Hope it's a great day even though you have to be at work.

K - I'm out...later!

FLEAS!!!

UGH!  Yesterday was a doozie!  So, Jim took Zeke to the vet...originally it was supposed to be Sami's turn but Zeke has been having some major itch problems so we decided to switch them up and get Zeke in.  With three dogs, we have to space their visits out due to the dent they usually take to the old pocket book.  Anyway - while Jim took Zeke I went to the grocery.  As I was unloading, I got a text from Jim that simply said, "FLEAS!!!"  My response was, as you might imagine:  F&%K!!!  So I check Bubba...fleas.  I check Sami - no fleas.  She didn't have one on her.  Bubba only had a few but where's there's one there are sure to be many.  I called Jim and I said, "Get all three of them some dual heart worm/flea control, flea shampoo and when you get home I'll bathe and you head back out to get carpet stuff." Cost:  $700!!!  And no -you didn't misread that...I said (typed) SEVEN HUNDRED FREAKIN' DOLLARS!  Now, that included Zeke's shots, blood test and oh, he has a tape worm so meds for that, a cortisone shot, predinsone.  Jim said he's going to get a job at PetsMart just to pay for our freakin' vet bills. That might be a good idea.  Anyway, yesterday was spent washing dogs moving furniture, treating all the carpets.  I'm sore as hell from lifting and hauling and washing dogs...not to mention I think I'm getting sick (major sore throat).

Today will be spent working on stuff for school (I have a TON of shit to do before my IEPs Tuesday and my 1/2 day Friday and day off next Monday).  Jim's going out soon to get lawn treatment for the fleas.  Then I think I'll be needing a beer and some MegaTouch at Shooters.  Who knows if that will happen though with Jim being so pokey right now.

Dinner tonight is going to be goo-oo-ood!  I'm making French dip sandwiches.  Sounds good, huh?  I'll be putting that in the slow cooker here in a bit.  I'll let you know how delicious it is tomorrow.

K - I'm out...better get crackin' on school work...later!  Oh, and feel free to go on on my pay pal account to donate to the Hanke Hound Charity Foundation.  Later!

Random Stuff

I had a dream last night that a kid at school couldn't take a shower at his house because the water got turned off so I was hunting around in my desk drawers looking for shower supplies so he could shower in the locker rooms.  I found shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, Old Spice deodorant, and soap.  Oh and a giant comb. Why the HECK did I have this dream?  And it wasn't even a kid of mine.  It wasn't even a kid I see...maybe once or twice this year I've seen him in the hallway.  What happened in my head while I slept that made me A) think of this kid B) come up with some story that he hadn't showered C) dream about it for what seemed a good 20 minutes and D) where did the giant comb come from?  So weird.

TGIF by the way.  This was a pretty easy week (knock on wood...I still have to get through today).  I've mentioned that it's the last day of the quarter and I'm ready to clear the slate for some of these kids.  One kid in particular...I haven't named him yet.  Kim thought "Baby Byrd" would be good because he's Mark's kid (new guy in the department) but that sounds too cute and this kid IS NOT CUTE!  I think "Hoops" is a better name.  See, he wants to be a professional basketball player (of course he does), and he's oh, about 5 feet tall.  And completely untalented, I'm sure. He tried out for the basketball team at school but "quit".  I think that means he didn't make the team. I know he can jump though!  Every day when he comes in my room, he has to JUMP and touch the ceiling (it's where there's a lower part from the rest...I could stand on tiptoe and touch it).  ANYWAY!  Hoops is on my LAST nerve.  He's such a lazy, pain in my ass.  Pretty sure he's crazy too. He's never really had a good grade in my class but recently, it's dropped to a 60%...1 point from an F.  And everyday...EVERYDAY...I email is mom and say, "Hoops didn't finish his work and has homework...it's in his folder with a post it on it.  In the 20 minutes he had to work on it he got no questions answered and I had to tell him to get to work 15 times."  Then the work comes back and it hasn't been touched.  Mom's useless!  I'm done and poor Mark who has to deal with this kid.

Okay so that's all I've got.  I would have typed more but Jim came down and told me a new ridiculous story about his brother and a conversation they had yesterday.  UGH!  (That's an UGH regarding his brother, not Jim.)  K - I'm out...later!

This Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago!

Let me just say that divorce is a sad thing...when a marriage ends, especially when there are kids you just think, "What went so wrong?  Why couldn't they make it work?"  That being said, HH should have ended his marriage a long freakin' time ago! (Even though she supposedly left him) Why? There are a number of reasons, the best of which is that he's actually HAPPY!  And here's an example:  Yesterday...early release...bell rings for end of day...kids file out...I breathe a sigh of relief (that I made it through one more day)...I buckle down for an hour of working behind my desk...HH comes on the announcements and says, "Teachers...please listen carefully to this and read between the lines...today is a beautiful day and I'm not sure the computers here will be able to keep up with the work you need to be doing so...feel free to do your work at home."  You don't have to tell me twice.  I delivered a couple things to some other teachers, had a chit chat with ADHD admin, shut down my computer and headed out.  So nice to be home by 2:00!  Sami and I enjoyed our walk immensely.


In other news, tomorrow is the end of 1st quarter.  Can you believe that?!  I've made it through 1/4 of the school year!  So glad.

Yesterday, by the way, was incredibly productive for me.  I managed to get almost all of the work done on the IEPs that I have next week.  I have a couple of "tweaks" here and there but nothing I can't complete today and tomorrow.  I also managed to get much of my end of quarter work ready for IEP progress reports!  I could use 4 straight hours of desk work every week!

And that's about all I've got.  Oh, except for a couple pics from Maggie of their trip to the zoo yesterday.  And Maggie...I sure would like some pics of a little girl with her Nana!  Make it happen.

K - I'm out...it's windy and rainy here...later!

Not Sure What Today Will Bring

First of all...the debate.  I'm not tired right now but I probably will be later.  I actually stayed up until nearly 11:00 watching.  Can't believe I did because I felt like I could sleep at 8:00 but I guess I got pumped up.  I'll tell you what, from the minute the debate started, my heart was beating a mile a minute.  I was worried about Obama's performance prior but in my opinion, he killed it.  There were times when, well, he didn't make Romney look ridiculous  - Romney managed that on his own (though not completely) - but he was able to capitalize on some erroneous comments that Romney made and I was loving it.  (The whole woman thing?  To me, and tell me what you think, he sounded like a condescending asshole...although some of the quotes were hilarious...He asked for "whole binders full of women"?  Did you want pictures to go along with those, Mitt? I think you can find that at Office Max.  Like Maggie said on her FB page - and what it seems Romney really meant was, "Can't we find some bitches to do this work!") That being said, I'm not one to rant my political views and throw them in others faces, so I'll end here...BUT...I just don't like that guy...he's so SMARMY!!!

Oh, and funny story.  I keep getting - as I'm sure the whole of the U.S. is - a shitload of political calls.  Last night, the phone rings...and it's a 614 area code (Columbus).  And so I answer it thinking, "Well, it could be Maggie...or Charlie."  Me: "Hello?"  Actual Live Person: "HI!" (very enthusiastic  "I'm wondering, in the last 4 years, how do you think President Obama has done as a president?" Well, I knew where this was going...Me: "GREAT!  I LOVE HIM!!! In fact, I ALREADY voted for him!"  ALP: "Okay...thanks for your time!"  Me: "That's what I thought!"  Jim got a kick out of it.

So today, work will be interesting.  First of all, for seniors, it's "College Visit Day"...which means they won't be at school.  Why?  Because they are giving sophomores and juniors the PSAT (or something like that).  Freshmen are doing something else.  And the teachers? Well, most are assigned to a room for monitoring. Two to a room.  Lisa and I (and FW and new guy), however, weren't.  I don't know what is expected of us and maybe at the last minute I'll be put somewhere but I sure could use that time to work on my 3 IEPs for next week.  Lisa is actually going to do something with "Handy" the Downs kid since he won't be able to do what the freshmen are doing.  I could "help" her but I'm sure it's not really a 2-person job.  Oh well...we'll see.  I feel like turning off the light and working in the dark so no one will come looking for me and see that I'm sitting behind my desk.  But in reality...what are the other teachers really doing?  Sitting on their ass - monitoring the test...at least I can get some work done...although I'm sure they'd argue the same thing. Oh well, I'll just roll with the punches and try to keep my head down.

And that's about it.  Not much else is going on.  It's Trip's birthday today but he doesn't read this...well, regardless HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRIPPY!!!  Hope it's a great day!  K - well, I'm out...later!

Happy Birthday MAGGIE!!!

Happy birthday to Maggie! She is 44 today!  Hope you have a great day with Eva and Mom...wish I were there with you.  Your gift is on its way...shipped today...let me know that it got there!

In other news, yesterdays meeting with Lisa and FW (I should really figure out a more apt name for her now that we're "getting along" but I'm still wary) was productive.  We came up with - I hope - an effective "teacher input survey" for teachers of sped kids. Hopefully these teachers will see that it's meant to make their lives easier (using google docs) and they'll all use the basic same form so easy peasy Japanesey!

Today I will be busy, busy, busy.  I'm hoping no student needs help today and I can crank out my 3 IEPs for next Tuesday.  UGH!

Last night I made a DEEEELICIOUS meal.  Jim gave it 4 out of 5 stars but only because it was a tad salty (because the soy sauce I have is regular rather than low sodium and we aren't used to it...I'll never buy regular again!).  Anyway, I've made it before but if you're interested here it is again...btw - I use sugar snap peas instead of snow peas.

And now I need to stop posting this because my computer is driving me crazy and rather than throw it out into the cold wet yard, I'll just close here.  F&%KING COMPUTER!!!

Okay - happy birthday again Maggie!  Have a great day!  Later!

Eva, Pumpkins & Weekends

I do apologize for not posting all weekend...it was busy, busy, busy.  Especially little Miss Eva.  So cute she was.  So what did we do?  Well, Friday after school ended, I headed over to Lynne's house to see Maggie and have a much needed glass of wine.  I only stayed about an hour and didn't get to see Eva because she was sleeping.  I came home, walked Sami and waited for Maggie and Eva to arrive.  That night we had LaRosa's for dinner, Maggie and I tried to watch Project Runway (we both fell asleep) and went to bed pretty early.

Saturday we hung out, took a short walk, Eva napped and then we headed to KY (Trip and Susan's) for a Chili/Pumpkin Extravaganza!  As you can see, we carved many a pumpkin and the all looked really good.

Yesterday Maggie, Eva and I hung out until Mom got here around 10AM.  Maggie and Mom left around 11.  I walked Sami, went to the grocery and hunkered down to watch the Bengals.  Sucks they lost.  Tough week for Cincinnati fans, that's for sure.  Made dinner (shepherd's pie...yum), watched the season finale from Hell on Wheels (from last week)...lots of crazy shit there that I need to talk to Maggie about...then a bath, and a tad bit o' Walking Dead.  I actually only watched the first 15 minutes of that before falling asleep...Jim and I will watch it tonight...preferably NOT during dinner.

And today...I have a 1/2 day professional day, which I will be spending at central office with FW and Lisa working on surveys for the teachers who have students on IEPs.  Long story.

And that's about it.  Need to get a move on because I'll stop by school first, make some coffee and head to central.  Happy Monday.  Later!

Nashville

First of all, let me just say BOO!  So sad for my Reds. Wish they could have gone further but they did great regardless.  This is a TEAM (and I mean that in every sense of the word) with amazing heart and camaraderie and they make me glad I'm from Cincinnati so I can watch them whenever my heart desires   Great season boys and there's always next year!

So, Nashville.  And I mean the show, not the town.  Originally I wasn't going to watch this show because I hate country music.  AND...it looked like it would be entertaining but we all know I watch WAY too much TV as it is and can barely keep up with the shows I'm already addicted to.  Well, it looks like I'll have to add Nashville to that list.  Why?  Well, you can blame Maggie.  She convinced me to give it a try.  (I like that she and I watch many of the same shows because we can discuss).  So last night Jim (under force) and I watched.  Jim kept going "twang twang twang" and being a pain...but he sat and watch the whole thing.  It was really good.  That Hayden Panawhatever is a real BITCH!  I mean she's the perfect bitch you love to hate.  Very convincing.  And the rest of the show...and from what I saw for the seasons preview...looks juicy!  Oh, and later while getting ready for bed, Jim comes in and says, "Sooooo...was it implied that the oldest kid isn't Rayna's?!"  And I said, "What?"  And Jim repeated (although I heard him...I just wanted him to ask again).  So I then said, "What are you asking me about?"  And Jim says, "Trashville!  I want to talk about TRASHVILLE!"  Looks like Jim's hooked now too. Hee hee!

Okay so YAY!  It's Friday!  And!  DOUBLE YAY!!!  Eva and Maggie are headed here this weekend!  I get Eva Friday and Saturday!!!  AND!  I get to see my other neice (Madison) and my nephews!  And Mom and Richard!  AND!!!  Trip and Susan and Anne!!!  AND!!!  I get to carve pumpkins!  Can't wait.  Going to be FUN!

Okay so that's all I've got for now.  Today should be fairly easy at school...quiz in LA (vocab) and a section in my Age of Kings (and Queens) chapter in World History...learning all about Charles V, Catherine the Great, Peter the Great and so on.

K - I'm out...later!

Are The Reds Trying To Kill Me!?

I think so!  Arg!  Had a hard time watching much of the game beyond the 5th inning.  I ended up taking a bath during the game so I could relax a little.  Didn't help.  I kept waking up last night thinking about today's game.  Starts at 1PM so I'll miss most of it because A) I'll be at school and B) I'll be driving or at the grocery.  I'm with them in spirit though and I'm wearing my jersey.  F&%k em at school...the Reds need my support more than I need to look like a professional!  Latos is pitching...crossed fingers and all that. 

Here are some sweet pics of J Bird and Trip at the game Tuesday!  Look like good seats out there in the moon deck.  

And that's about all I've got.  Oh, Bubba went to the vet and was a champ.  Stupid people took his blood when they didn't need to...I should have let him bite them after I heard that.  Dumb asses.  His skin issues are on the mend.  I take him back in two weeks to check thyroid.  Sami goes to the vet for a check up a week from Saturday but that's Jim's deal.  

And that's about it.  As I mentioned, I'll be headed to the grocery after work to shop for Maggie's arrival...really to get Eva stuff but Maggie and I will need some wine to and prosecco for mimosas Saturday morning!  Need to give the house a clean and root on my Reds.  K - happy Thursday and GO REDS!!!  Later!

Guess It'll Have To Be Game 4 UPDATE

Why must the Reds put me on pins and needles?!  UGH!  10 innings of which I watched every minutes...yelled a lot...and I won't be able to watch today.  Although, I'm tempted to make today a lesson on baseball in 6th period.  I'll definitely have the game on in 7th and it's early release so after that - who knows...probably stupid meetings. Maybe I'll get sick right around noon and have to go home...ooh, now that is a plan.

UPDATE:  Game is at 4PM!!!  Now Jim will have to change the vet appointment to 3:30.  Poor Bubba won't be able to be drugged.  Oh well, it'll be quick - BING BANG BOOM!  Done!  GO REDS!!!

In Bubba news - today is his 2 week check to see where his thyroid levels are.  He's been much better, he's stopped losing fur and his itchy, nasty spots are dried up.  He still has some flakiness but I think when I bathe him next that will disappear.  I'll get home today and give him a tranquilizer.  His appointment isn't until 5:15 so that will give him time to get all doped up.  Hopefully the only thing they'll have to do is take a smidgen of blood and weigh him.  I'll be interested to see if he's lost any more.  He was at his lowest weight 2 weeks ago and the doc was worried about him losing too much (wish I was worried about that with me).  Anyway -  crossed finger for a clean (and cheap) bill of health.

And that's about all I've got.  I'm wearing a sweater today that is reminiscent of poop color.  I bought the sweater (Loft) because it was about $10 and just figured I'd deal with the color...I can't decide if I like it or not.  I hope people don't look at me and think "POOP" when they see me today...that would suck.  Well, at least I don't smell like poop.  Although Diane will probably think I do because I used my cinnamon/pumpkin lotion today and she HATES pumpkin...even the smell of it.  She crazy!

K - well, I think I'll go to work now.  Maybe get an IEP or 3 done.  Later and once again GO REDS!!! (Sorry Aunt Kathleen!)

Tuesday...Not Much Of Anything

I don't have much to say.  I have a morning teachers meeting today (7AM) which will eff with my routine but who cares...it's better than having the meeting at 2:30 when I'm ready to split!  I'm sure there isn't much that will be said...mostly crap about the upcoming OGTs.

What else, what else?  Oh, how about some cute pics of a little girl!?

 New raincoat and cupcake hat

A little monkey running around

Not much else is happening.  Diablo was in quite a state yesterday.  I have many a quotes from him in my bag but not the time right now to share.  I get a nice collection going and then post them all in a special "stupid shit students say" blog.

This weekend is going to be fun.  Mom and Richard are coming...staying with Trip and Susan.  Maggie is coming with Eva and staying with me.  Saturday we'll all be at Trip and Susan's for our 2nd annual pumpkin carving contest...which I plan on winning. (It's not really a contest but I'm still going to win).

Speaking of winning GO REDS!!!  I'm wearing red for good luck.

And that's all I have.  I need to eat here, finish my "toilette" and head out.  Later!

9-0!!!

Love my Reds!  Way to go Bronson (I bet he gives himself some killer pedicures.  His butt is so bony though) Anyway - so excited...but I don't want to jinx them...settle down, Muir.  Day off today...travel day...game tomorrow at 5:30...at least I can watch this one.  But maybe I shouldn't!  I haven't been able to watch them these past two days and what if I'm the reason?  A conundrum for sure!  Maybe I shouldn't have watched the Bengals yesterday.  I don't think that would have helped, however.  Andy Dalton couldn't throw a pass or get a 1st down to save his life and the coverage for him was atrocious!  Oh well, next time!

So its back to the grind today.  I'm hoping this week I can get some shit DONE!  I don't have any IEPs but I have three coming up on the 23rd that I should really tackle.  Maybe try and bang one out ever day.  Good intentions but something always comes up.  Today will be a good reading day with TKM...Tom Robinson's trial starts.  This is always my fave part.  Well, that and the end.

And that's about all I've got.  I'm making a new recipe tonight:  Mexican rice casserole.  No biggie.  Happy Monday to all...later!

Sore Again

Before/During

After

If it's the weekend and fall, that must mean I've worked myself to the point of complete body breakdown.  I'm so sore...my neck is killing me and my back feels like it's breaking.  Why, you ask?  Well, it was log splitting day yesterday.  See, our next door neighbors took about 15 trees down in their back yard and had all this wood just lying around.  They said we could take what we wanted.  So...Jim went out yesterday, borrowed another neighbors truck, got a log splitter (shown) and we went to work.  We loaded the truck 3 or 4 times with wood...I think it was just three, drove it to our driveway, dumped and then split.  We started working around 11:00 and finished at about 6:00. You can see, in the stacked picture, the line where the new wood starts...hopefully the old wood won't be buggy and we can use that until the new stuff seasons.  Can't wait!  We should be set for the winter.

Stacked

Other than that - not much is going on.  I was so tired last night that I knew I wouldn't be able to watch the Reds game (and I'm glad I didn't...what a nail biter!) but I did tape it and looked back on some key stuff.  Chapman makes me so crazy!!!  Thankfully the boys won.  Tonight they don't play until 9:30 again...ugh!  Hopefully they pull it off. The Bengals play the Dolphins at 1:00...I'll enjoy watching - I don't think it's blacked out...the website said it was on.  Jim's renting a seeder with a neighbor and they're going to seed the island, the neighbors yard and our yard.  Dinner tonight:  Beef Stroganoff...yum!

Ooh, and Jim and I completed our ballots today and they will go off in the mail tomorrow!  Loves me some early voting!

And that's about all I've got.  I need to walk Sami and then come home and clean.  I didn't get to clean yesterday...oh well.  K - well, I'm out.  Later!

You See The Size Of Them CHICKENS?!

Maggie and Eva went to some festival thingy yesterday in Mt. Vernon, I think and Eva was intrigued by the chickens! I believe in this one (notice the chicken she's looking at) she's thinking, "Hey!  Didn't we meet once when you were a chicken nugget?  You look DELICIOUS!"  Love her!

In weekend news, I just got up!  Slept almost to 8 AM, can you believe it?  I'm a wild woman!  Today will be a day of "jobs".  In need to make my menu, go to the grocery, walk Sami and clean house.  While I'm doing some of that, Jim's going to head out and get a log splitter.  We'll then spend most of the day splitting wood from our neighbors yard - they took down about 10 trees and said we could take what we wanted.  We don't have much wood left from the trees we took down a couple years ago - not enough to get through the winter - so this is awesome and much needed.  The wood has been sitting for over a month now and should season nicely in the next two months and be ready for burning soon!  Can't wait for the first fire...this weekend will get really cold to...I'm tempted!

And other than all that - uh...nothing.  We'll eat dinner out tonight or get takeout...I'm sure we'll be exhausted after all the splitting and hauling and stacking.  A good exhausted though.  A good workout...won't be running today.

K - I'm out...gotta get moving...later!

Tired & In A Hurry

I need to get to school because I need to finish my IEP for tomorrow.  It's at 7:30 AM so I only have a couple opportunities to get it done.  In addition I'm TIRED.  I stayed up to watch the debates...UGH!  I won't discuss because I don't find it couth to talk about my political views here...no point...everyone has their own views and no one needs to hear mine...no matter how RIGHT I am!

And that's all I've got.  Nothing else happening.  Can't wait until tomorrow - Friday   Going to be a big weekend...lots of log splitting.  K - I'm out!

Fuzzy Owl

Lets start this day off right...with a sweet FUZZY OWL!

I mean, fer SHIZZ!!!  Is this not the most adorable pic ever!?!?  (Ignore the slicked down middle part that Maggie allowed her to be photographed with...but even then she's still freakin' cute!)  Obviously this is her Halloween Outfit and she is going to be the talk of the neighborhood!  And since we'll be in PIB over the PIB Halloween celebration - I'll get to see this in person. Am I lucky or what!?  She's definitely going in my suitcase next time I see her and she's MINE!

In other news - I had a dream last night that I was in Kentucky, near Trip's house when I remembered that I had left some chocolate chip cookies in the oven.  A) How bad does it suck that I obviously burnt my dream chocolate chip cookies?  B) Why was I dreaming about chocolate chip cookies?  C) Should I buy some chocolate chip cookies?  D) Is this a sign that I SHOULDN'T buy some chocolate chip cookies because if I DO buy some chocolate chip cookies I'll BURN said chocolate chip cookies?  What a conundrum!

I also had a dream that I went in for the IEP meeting that I have today and when I got there and sat down, the mother turned to me and said, "I'm not talking to you."  Is it wrong that I thought, "Hot damn!  This should go quickly!"  Apparently in my dream, the mom was pissed that I sent her son to the office and didn't call her.  In my dream I had actually thought about telling her that it wasn't HER son I sent but another kid.  However, I didn't tell her that because this is a woman who never shuts up and it was easier for me to get through the meeting without a lot of bullshit. In real life, I'll just have to muddle through and let her go on and on and on and just keep saying, "Annnyway...back to the IEP."

And that's about all I have.  Oh, I sent Weirdo/2nd lunch kid to the office again yesterday.  This time he wasn't late but rather disrespectful.  I tried to A) warn him B) ignore him but finally had to boot his ass after he told ME that I needed to stop "smart mouthing him".  It was actually pretty funny.  That kid is going to wear me out.  Poor new guy Mark (Weirdo is on his caseload)...he keeps getting emails and phone calls from me.  When I called him yesterday after the incident, he answered and I said (in a singsong voice), "It's MUIR!!!"  Mark said, "NOT AGAIN!"  UGH!  I swear I'm not such a bitch but these kids...they are just DENSE!

Okay well, with that, I guess I better head out.  Might have to stop at Kroger for some CC Cookies!  I'm having a bit of a craving!

Nothing To Talk About...

...thankfully Maggie sent the requested pics of a sweet girl.

That is some wild and crazy hair!

Loves me bath time...she's so sweet!

So lets see...what's going on?  Well, school is the same.  Kids up to their old tricks...walking in late for class (for the 5th time), failing to follow directions, being complete bozos. The kid who was late for the 5th time?  He walks into LA from lunch...and let me say that it was a good 3-5 minutes after the bell had rung...and I say, "Uh, why are you late, again?"  Kid:  "Huh?  What?"  And I'm all like, "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about! (didn't say that part) Why are you LATE?"  Kid: "I was finishing my lunch."  Turns out - I find out later - he decided to eat TWO lunches...I guess I'd be late too.  Stupid kid.

Oh, my dinner last night?  The crock pot deal?  Nasty.  Don't make it.  Noodles were mush and it looked like VOMIT!  It had a good taste - we picked out the chicken and just ate that - but that will never be made again.  I told Jim that with all the cooking I do and new things I try, I was bound to make a mistake sometime.  My first...what can I say.

And that's about it. I need to get to school to send about a thousand emails and get my IEP all polished and printed for tomorrow.  Happy Tuesday...oh and slept like a baby rock last night...had a dream Maggie was pregnant.  K - I'm out...later!

When We Last Left Muir...

...she was debating whether to run or not.  Well, I had every intention of running.  I headed upstairs to begin my workout but alas, the trip UP the stairs was a rather difficult and painful one.  My ass muscles are still killing me.  I guess I should work a bit on that part of my body - you know, do some squats and lunges but to tell the truth...I hate those exercises.  So the hell with it...I'll just walk around with a flabby ass!  Anyway - I'll run today after school.

And that's about all I have going right now.  My mountain meatball recipe was yummy.  Tonight is a crock pot recipe that looks rather delicious - Crowd Pleaser Chicken...hopefully it tastes as good as it looks.  I actually didn't follow the recipe exactly because it had you cook the noodles before putting them in the pot and that's a recipe for mush if you ask me.  Additionally I didn't think it necessary to cook the chicken prior so all went in at once and will slow cook.

I have my first IEPs this week...one Wednesday and one Friday.  I've completed the Wednesday one so that's good.  And...that's all for now...gotta head out...figure out what I'm doing this week.  Later!

Oh, and I sure would like a picture of a sweet girl from someone's new phone!!!

To Run Or Not To Run

I'm sore as hell and can't decide if I should run or not. I know this sounds lame but my butt and the backs of my thighs are killing me from bathing the dogs.  I had to bend over and squat the whole time and of course life them all in and out of the tub and I'm paying for it today.  I feel like I should just power through and run off the ache but I don't know that I'll get very far.  I should probably just stop talking (typing) about it and do it.

In other news, Jim's a tard.  But you all knew that.  Why, you ask?  Well, I think I mentioned a couple weeks ago that we had some bees nests in the yard...you know the kind that burrow into the ground and pop out when you're mowing.  Jim had destroyed one nest but there was still one other (you're supposed to pour gas on them and light it up at dusk when they're all home and chill).  I was actually going to mow the front yard a couple times but knew the bees were still there so I didn't.  Anyway - yesterday, Jim mows the lawn.  And guess what.  Yup, dumb ass got stung.  He forgot about the bees.  I just don't know how you forget about that.

So that's all I've got.  Sami's walked, breakfast is eaten, laundry is going.  We don't have major plans today...maybe Shooter's around noon, home in time for the game at 4...I'll make my mountain meatballs...that's about it.

K - well, I guess I'll go try to run...later!

Can I Get A HEY HO HEY HOMER!!!

That Homer Bailey!  He's a wunderkind! Loves him and his no hitter!  And against the Bucs, no less!  First no-hitter for the Reds since 1988 (Tom Browning)...nice!

Ah, weekend plans...lets see what am I going to do?  Well, there will be a LOT of dog washing today.  I'm thinking all three pups will be getting an scrub down in the bathtub.  Zeke can barely walk because he goes a step and then stops and has to itch, which isn't easy for him because of his effed up knee.  Sami can't pass the furniture (or wall for that matter) without throwing her self against it.  Bubba is just a flaky mess...I think his skin is getting better but we need to wash off the crap that's there.  Should be a good time.

We will also be giving this house a MAJOR clean.  I've left it up to Jim the last 2 weeks and he just isn't as thorough when unsupervised.  The stinkbugs must have hatched recently too...I came home yesterday and there must have been 10 on the bedroom screen.  Thankfully only one was inside but you know where there's one...there's a dozen.  UGH!  HATE THOSE STUPID BUGS!

I'll also be writing my menu here in a bit and then shopping.  I want to do a couple crock pot meals this week that look really good.  And tomorrow, I'm thinking of doing what you see on the left...Mountain meatballs in chili sauce.  Certainly not a low cal meal but looks pretty freakin' good, don't you think?  Bengals aren't on until 4:05 so it'll be a good, in-front-of-the-TV meal.

I woke up this morning and had a voice text from Charlie...really it was from Eva.  She was giggling.  I'm actually wondering if she texted me herself with out her 'rents knowing (she is that smart).  What really concerned me, however, was the fact that it was after 9PM and she wasn't asleep.  Uh oh.  Her sleeping habits have been way off this week with her cold.  Hope Maggie and Charlie got some shut eye last night.  She is a debil, that Eva.

And that's all I have.  I need to get Sami walked here and then get to the grocery.  Get Jim started on the cleaning and get my day on its way.  I want to get all my jobs done before noon.  K - I'm out...later!

Ah...Friday

I made it.  Some days it's a crapshoot on whether I'll get to the final work day...kids, teachers, kids, meetings, paperwork, kids, stupid teachers...it's a wonder I haven't quit yet.

And can I just say I'm not normally a person who gets bummed out by rainy weather but I sure am glad its stopped raining.  However!  With the rain comes cute pics a sweet little girl...in her ladybug raincoat!  Loves her! (My GOD she's cute!!!  I just love her little button noes and those sweet wips!)

Excited for an uneventful weekend.  I plan on doing a major clean of my house...try and rid it of stinkbugs.  They've begun infiltrating the inside and that just isn't okay with me.  I'll do my weekly shop (based on my menu planning) and certainly watch some football.  Other than that...who knows.

And that's about all I've got...nothing too excited.  It's video day in World History and I need to go see if there's an episode of Little House that has something to do with science (current chapter:  New Science).

K - I'm out...happy Friday to all...later!

I Think My Mom Jinxed Me

My mom posted the other day about the influx of stinkbugs at her house (I typed "stinkbuts first which isn't altogether wrong)...and guess what!?  STINKBUG CITY here at the homestead!  Ridiculous.  For the most part they are outside but I have had a couple of the little effers inside and that STINKS - pun intended!  The only real way to kill them is the vacuum so every time I see one, Zeke has to skedaddle.  ARG!

In Bubba news, the blood tests are in...my boy has a low thyroid. Now we've tested this before and things were fine but I guess things change.  He'll go on thyroid replacement meds today.  The doc said he could lose weight pretty rapidly which is CRAZY.  I mean, Bubba is at his lowest weight as it is - 66 lbs. - and the doc said he doesn't want him much lower (60-62) so we'll have to keep an eye out.  I don't think it will be too hard to convince him to eat a few more bites here and there...I mean, all I really have to do is set a cheese ball in front of him and GULP!!!

And that's about it.  I need to finish up my two IEPs today for the meetings I have next week.  We had a lock down yesterday which helped immensely because I had about a solid hour and some to sit and do paperwork...bonus that it happened during my planning period!  (One kid apparently got busted but that's all I know).

K - well, gotta eat breakfast and finish my regime.  Later!

Life Sure Is Fragile

So about a week ago, I was glancing at my facebook page and saw a status update from an old high school acquaintance.  She had said something along the lines of "Pray for Rick and a healthy artery" - Rick begin her husband.  I thought, "yowza, that sounds way serious" and I've been thinking about her ever since, wondering what happened, I even mentioned it to Maggie.  And let me backtrack here:  I don't use facebook much other than to update pics of Eva and keep in touch mainly with family.  I don't use it as a political bashing realm (although I do bash the NFL refs on occasion but I don't think anyone has a different opinion from me in that); I don't use it to voice every single, little event that happens in my life; I don't post 4,000 pics of myself and my "great" life; and there have been times when I've thought about just dumping the whole thing. (But who am I kidding, I do like to spy on other people's lives a little bit).  And then there's yesterday. I kept getting these FB updates from high school people on my phone (there's less blockage on my Blackberry and every little update comes through) but I never checked it out because I was at school. So I come home and it's a thread from another acquaintance from hs with all the girls from my graduating class tagged (nearly every girl is on FB so that's about 100 girls).  Apparently the girl mentioned at the beginning of this post - her name is Gina - her husband was coaching his son's team a week or so ago and he had a stroke.  A STROKE!  He's about our age from the looks of him.  And I guess with that going on and the three young kids they have, Gina's struggling with the basics, like keeping her house clean.  And finding the time to get her kids a healthy meal.  UGH!  Anyway - we all pitched in to get her a house cleaning service through the end of the year.  And then I thought, "This is why FB is great."  I mean, $40 bucks...big deal. That's nothing compared to what Gina must be going through.  I would hope that if something like that - God forbid - ever happened to me or someone I love, I would hope that there would be that kind of outpouring of kindness.  Life certainly is fragile but there are a lot of people out there who can stand and help you be strong.

K - I'm done being sappy now.  It's Wednesday!  Shortened bells at school - YAY!  Yesterday was a DOOZIE in regard to stupidity.  I thought Lisa had it bad during her science class (she was ready to blow her brains out and I ended up having to put my headphones on so I didn't have to hear them) and then it was equally as bad for me in social studies.  These kids can't follow a simple direction.  Literally.  Like, "Open your binder."  And half of them sit there looking at me with their mouths open and, I think, drool about to drip out of their mouth.  "Take out the fill in the blank pages that we just finished for the past chapter and throw it in the recycling bin. The stuff in the very front of the binder."  More dazed looks.  Then - of course, I get those geniuses that just grab every freaking paper out of their binder and say, "We should throw it all away?!"  Me:  "NO!  JUST THE STUFF IN THE FRONT SECTION!"  Blondie: "What about this map?"  Me: "Did I say: 'throw away the fill in the blank stuff and oh, also the map in the front pocket'?"  Then, I start going over the answers for the test that they took last Friday.  I tell them, make corrections on their paper so you'll have right answers.  And then I start "Number one: Lorenzo de Medici.  Number Two: Savonorola" and then Blondie interrupts me: "Wait what was number one?" Me: "Can someone tell her what number one was?"  Random kid: "Leonardo da Vinci".  Blondie:  "That's what I had!"  Me: "NO! That's what you just WROTE and it's not Leonardo da Vinci.  Did anyone hear what I said for number one?"  Blank looks.  So I say it again, "Lorenzo de Medici" Blondie: Wait - THAT'S what I had."  So I look at her paper and she's correcting something that she didn't even have WRONG!  I'm dealing with a lot of F*%KING MORONS!  I'd cry but these kids leave me SAPPED of energy and crying just takes too much.  Is this year over yet?

Okay - well, it's raining so I'd best head out.  Bubba has a vet appointment today at 9AM.  Thyroid test and he better give us some freaking antibiotics!  K - well...I'm out...later.  Oh, and hope you got some sleep last night, Maggie.

The Skin Saga Continues

All I can say is poor Bubba.  That boys skin issue just isn't getting better.  And at this point, I'm ready to take him to another vet.  I know exactly what this is too...he's got another runaway staph infection on his skin.  It's the same thing he had last year.  The treatment:  Antibiotics.  Did I get those for treatment?  Nope.  So now, Jim's going to have to take some time off today to get Bubba into the vet.  So sick of this.  And poor Bubba...he's got patches of fur missing all over his body, he's still itchy as hell and I just don't understand how after all of this, my vet can't look at him and say, "this is what we dealt with last year".  It's allergy or thyroid issues and I'm happy to have his thyroid tested just FIX MY DOG!!!

Okay - so I need to have a good attitude.  I wasn't in a bad mood yesterday but I was dealing with so much stinking paperwork and inept teachers that it got me grumpy.  The kids didn't notice, I don't think because usually I'm extra nice when I'm in a mood like that because I know I could blow at any minute for something they didn't do and I try really hard to have lots of patience.  Lets hope today is a better day.

Oh, and how about a sweet girl in a new sweater at the ZOO ZOO ZOO!!!  Loves her!  Don't you just love her sweet cheeks and lips!?  Miss her already!

Well, I need to get gas on the way to school (that's likely to piss me off big time) so I better get a move on.  Later

Promised Eva Pics

I'm doing this Sunday night hoping to run in the morning...who knows how that will go.  I've not run in a couple days and I didn't walk at all yesterday.  It's been a LONG time since I did NOTHING on any given day.  I had to leave early on Saturday and didn't have time to walk Sami.  Friday I got lazy and didn't run or bike like I was supposed to so I need to get motivated and run tomorrow...get back on the horse and whip my ass into, well, shape I guess.  What I really feel like I'm doing is preventative exercising...you know, from ballooning up any more than I already have. UGH!

So, as promised, here are some photos of my sweet girl.  Maggie said when I walked out the front door this morning, Eva laid down on the floor and cried.  As sad and pitiful as that is?  It kind of makes me feel good. Sad that I get joy from Eva's sadness.

Anyway - here are some sweet pics of the cutest girl EVER.

Bath time...so cute!

Come and get me!

Gazing at the green grass

First thing she goes for is my purse
(and the Bonnie Bell lip smacker I keep there)

And then my wallet
(there's nothing in there baby girl) 

Love this pic...and her new "skinny jeans"!

CHEEEEEEEEZE!!!

Out To Lunch With Eva

Eva likes her some Jim Croce!

We had a good time yesterday - although Maggie was HUNG OVER from the night before.  We made it to 3 places before we decided to go eat and then head home so Eva (Maggie) could nap.  I napped too.  Charlie was at the OSU game and got home around 5PM.  We then just hung out, had dinner (Spicy Apple Chicken with Gorganzola Grits - yummy) and went to bed early.

In a minute here, we're headed to the DK Diner (homemade donuts!!!).  I hope to leave around 10 or 11 to be home in time for the game.  YAY!  Go Bengals...it will be a tough game I think but they can do it. 

K - I'll load a few pics to whet your whistle when I get home...later!

Could It Be Any More Clear!?

I mean - holy shizbots!  So I go on the Internet this morning...peruse my usual and on People there's this Article: Tim Tebow Wants a Family with Someone 'Sweet and Kind'!  Why didn't he just say:  Muir - I'm comin' to get you!!!  He also says:  "It's about finding a girl who likes me for me, and not because of what I do, or who I am, or the name."  Well, that's me!  I just want and like you for your body...I don't care who you are!  Seriously though - do you think there's someone out there who wants something different?  "I'd like to start a family with someone shitty and heinous!  Mean and downright NASTY!"  Well, I can be that for Tim too!  Regarding the picture?  I prefer my men to move their tires without pants, too...just sayin'!

In other news - I have got this burn on the top of my middle right finger a few days ago.  I was pulling out the English muffins from the toaster oven and my finger accidentally touched - for about a millisecond - the red hot coil.  It didn't do anything that day but the next day I noticed it blistered, then popped and now it's a scab...but it won't HEAL!  And I keep scraping it...UGH!

Oh, and how cute is my little girl Eva!?  So there I am, sitting on the couch watching the finale of Big Brother.  I had just gotten off the phone with Maggie.  And then - not 60 seconds after I hang up with her - caller ID shows that Maggie is calling  again.  I answer and say, "I'm still watching Big Brother!"  Nothing.  "Um, HELLO!?"  And then I hear, "HAHAHAHAHA!!!"  Eva!  So I start calling her name and she keeps laughing.  I make elephant noises and she keeps laughing.  And I realize that Maggie isn't aware that this is happening so I get my cell and call Maggie's cell.  That silly girl Eva!!!  Sure do loves her!

Okay well - I best head up and finish up.  Later!

This, That & A Whole Lot Of Nothing.

Ah Thursday...the day before Friday.  Thursday always makes me happy and I think every time my alarm goes off on a Thursday morning I think A) Seriously!? and B) Only one more day until I get to sleep in.  If I can make it to Thursday, I can make it through the week.  We'll see if that still holds true next Thursday!

Wednesday review:  Good day yesterday.  Meeting after school wasn't too painful.  Dinner was good although I didn't get to eat with my husband because he worked late.  The season premier of Survivor was good.  There weren't any players that I immediately hated.  I actually liked the Lisa chick from Facts of Life although I keep calling her Blair.  I didn't watch the BB finale but I did see who won...pretty inevitable although it wasn't who I really wanted to win I'm glad the young kid won. Oh, and I started watching the 4th season of True Blood yesterday.  Weird.  Witches on this year (Harry Potter's aunt Petunia plays her).

Had weird dreams about the Zobay's last night (my godparents).  Funny but weird.

So what does today have in store?  Well, it's another day living the dream!  We'll be reading chapter 10 of To Kill A Mockingbird (1/3 of the way through); review in World History of the Renaissance.  I'm making chicken burgers for dinner with Zucchini Chips (new) and probably broccoli unless the asparagus looks good and is cheap today.  Yummy!

And that's all I have to share.  I'm pretty boring today.  My toes are cold too because I'm sitting by the sliding glass door and it's open and it's 45 degrees out...BRRRR!  K - I'm out...later!

Wearing Pants!

It's my first foray with pants this year.  It's always a bit of a celebration/bummer when I put pants on for the first time during the school year (or since spring even).  I LOVE the coming of fall but it's also a bit of a bummer to know that my short(er) skirt and flip-flop days are numbered. Currently the temp is saying 44 degrees...love it!  Taking Sami on her walk yesterday was lovely.  The wind was blowing, the sun kept peeking in and out of white fluffy clouds...I had a mouthful of clean, sparkly white(ish) teeth sans cavities!  YAY!  The doc said my toofs looked "great"!  Thank God!

In other news, the meeting yesterday at school was good.  A lot of throwing our administrators under the bus (for their inability to follow federal law) and I'm sure the mind of new guy in our department was reeling.  I'm sure too he is completely overwhelmed but really, whose fault is that?  FW's!  I mean, really, how shitty was it of her to assign one of the toughest freshman kids onto new guys caseload and top it off with the fact that the IEP for that kid is due in September.  Seriously.  Not that I wanted the kid on my caseload but it should have gone to our other male (I like to call him "Slacks") who doesn't do shit!  UGH!  Well, FW is paying the price for that stupidity, anyway because she's having to help tremendously with the IEP and she's moving this weekend and I'm sure she's got much more on her plate.  Live and learn, I hope.

In other news, I knew this day would come and I'm not happy about it!  Diane won't be at school today!  So get this - she gets a call from Duke energy on Monday.  They tell her that they are going to be in her neighborhood today (Wednesday) to complete some of they work they've been doing switching meters to digital etc.  They then say that if she or someone isn't home to complete this task, their gas will be shut off and they'll have to call and make an appointment to turn it back on.  I find this highly suspect!  (Not that they actually said that but they think they could actually DO that!  No way in hell they could give one day notice for something like that!  Stupid Duke!  Well, regardless, I'll be sad, sad, sad!  First, not to have my friend at school; second, not to have my friend to eat lunch with; and third not to have my friend there to deal with Handy and all the other wack-a-doo kids in World History and Language Arts.  Well, at least it's a short day today.  MISS YOU D!

K - well, I guess I better head out.  One of these days I've got to start writing the IEPs that I've got scheduled in early October...ugh.  K - later!

Getting To Know Me

Normally I wouldn't do this but I read a blog and the woman who writes it set up a list of questions for those that she follows (don't think she reads me as I've never really left a comment to give her my site) so I thought I'd give you all a few basics about myself since none of you know me very well (joke). And hey Mom, for those days you have nothing to talk about - you can copy and paste these questions onto YOUR blog and give us all a little incite as to what makes YOU tick!

Do you eat breakfast regularly? If so, what?
Yes I do. Five mornings a week I make a whole wheat English muffin with Swiss, olive oil, a poached egg, avocado and tomato. On the days I don't do this (Wednesdays and either Saturday or Sunday) I'll have cereal, OJ and a banana.

What was your first car?

The first car I ever drove was co-driven by Maggie and I and it was the best car EVER! It was a Datsun 200 SX...loved it! A stick, a great stereo...FUN! The first car that I drove that I didn't have to share was a Mercury Sable that I called Mable...loved this car too. The first car I paid for with my own money was a Chevy Malibu...a good solid car that was pretty dependable.

How many countries have you been to?
Not many...the U.S. (of course), Canada, Mexico, Denmark, Sweden, Germany...and I think that's it. I need to find me a sugar daddy to take me more places (can anyone say: Tim TEBOW!?)

Do you use a toilet seat cover when using the bathroom in public?
Nope...I'm a hoverer...try not to let these sweet cheeks touch.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?
During the school year I'll have one cup at home and then at least one from my Kuerig at school. During the summer - too many cups to count...it's bad...I LOVES ME SOME COFFEE!

What time do you normally go to bed?
I wish I could say I'm not a loser but alas, I am. During the school year I struggle to stay awake beyond 8PM. On good TV nights I stay up until 9PM. During the summer, I'm a wild woman and can manage 10 or 11 o'clock!

Do you take lots of pictures?
Of Eva...and really only with my Blackberry. I need a good camera...I think then I'd be more likely to snap away.

What was your first job?
Loved my first job! I helped to open the Subway on short Vine in Corryville (for those unfamiliar, this is college town, near the University of Cincinnati). It was a very eclectic place (before it turned ghetto). I was 16. There was a used record store up the street (Wizards) and we used to trade music for subs so we didn't have to listen to shit while working. I think for a LONG time we were stuck on the J. Giles Band, oh and Wings (Paul McCartney)...oh boy...showing my age. We also had a deal with the club across the street to serve subs during concerts and I got to see America for free. I think there were other bands but I can't remember. Good times!

When was the last time you went to Disneyland? (or Disneyworld)
Never and because I have no kids...I don't have a real desire.

Do you bite your nails?
Nope. I did when I was much younger but I should probably start because I feel like I'm constantly trimming them...don't like long nails.

How often do you brush your teeth?
At least 2 times a day...I can never find the time to brush at school. I do floss everyday though. And hey, coincidence? I'm going to the dentist today...crossed fingers for no cavities...these teeth are old, you know.

And that's it. Hope you all learned a TON about me...I know it was fascinating. And I'm out. I have a meeting for 3 hours at central office today and a 3PM toofs appointment. Need to stop at Starbucks on my way in too so I can have a cup of joe at my meeting. Later!

Thank You Cincinnati Teams!

Thank God the Bengals won!  The Browns didn't look too bad either.  Andy Dalton didn't look great (at least in the first half/third quarter) but I guess you can't look a gift horse in the mouth.  The Reds nearly got swept by Miami which was PISSING me off.  They are better than that!  UGH!  Magic number - 5? 

In other news - my Maple Dijon glazed chicken was pretty good.  Not as good as my honey Dijon chicken but still pretty scrumptious.  They said to cook it on low for 8 hours but mine only took about 4.  No biggie. 

This week at school:  Today is a normal day.  Tomorrow, however, I have a meeting at central office from 7:30-10:30...our yearly sped thingy with our sped coordinator.  Thankfully, this won't be like last year where we were thrown a loopy-di-loop regarding the changes in the IEPs.  Probably just a lot of reminders and protocol.  I also have a dentist appointment tomorrow after school - Yippee - NOT!  And that's about it.  Hopefully it will be a good week.

Oh, made some Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip-Cherry Biscotti yesterday...not bad.  I'll take them 1/2 to work and have them for my mid-morning snack.  

And that's all I've got.  Ooh, Survivor starts this week on the same night that Big Brother ends...exciting.  Oh, and Maggie, did you see Bravo has a new series "Life after Top Chef"?  I'm going to be BUSY this fall. 

K - better get a move on.  Later!

My Husband Is Like A Cat

I don't know what it is with Jim but every time I get on the phone, mostly with Maggie, he starts talking to me or reacting to the TV as loudly as possible.  I'll be talking to Maggie and he feels like he has to butt into my conversation (of which he knows only half so most times he saying irrelevant stuff) and then I can't hear.  SO ANNOYING!  And then I'm forced to tell him to shut the F up!  I know it sounds mean but after about the 37th time doing this, it gets a little old.  It's like having a cat that starts meowing and  bugging you when you get on the phone...Boo used to do that.  Of course Boo was much cuter and I didn't bat him across the room  - like I want to do to Jim!  Additionally, Jim LOVES that Meow Mix commercial.  Every time it comes on he has to stop whatever he's doing and laugh.  I told him this morning that he makes the perfect retard.  He didn't seem to take that well...I told him that was a compliment.

Oh, and another thing about Jim?  So he opens the dishwasher to load something and he goes, "Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"  I say: "What's the problem?"  Jim: "I don't want the beer steins going in the dishwasher...I want those hand washed!" (Jim's the only one to drink out of these by the way.)  Me:  "Well, I guess you shouldn't leave them on the counter for hours then, with ice melting in them so that I come along and put them away."  Jim: "Hmm...yeah...that is true."  Douche!

Okay, so, now that I've gotten that out of my system...what's doing today?  Well, I'll be walking Sami here in a bit.  I might try and run if I'm feeling it...I rode on the recumbent yesterday instead of running and I may try to get an extra workout in.  Jim's going to Clifton today for Fritz's "Open House"...I'm not going.  I'm staying home to watch the game.  After that, we'll see.  I'm fixing the Maple glazed Dijon chicken for dinner...I hope it's good.  And that's about it.  Nothing too exciting.

K - I'm out.  Later!

A Productive Saturday

So, I woke up at about 6:30...got up and did the following:

• Texted back and forth with Maggie and played a bit of Fighting words while drinking my morning coffee
• Made a grocery list 
• Grocery shopped
• Walked Sami (2 miles)
• Biked 10 miles (on my recumbent bike)
• Prepared 6 slow cooker meals for the freezer (more about that later)
• Prepared a new meat loaf which Jim and I will be dining on tonight
• Showered
• Ate lunch (all of the above before noon)
• Went to Shooters for a couple beers and some MegaTouch
• Brushed Bubba and clipped his nails - well about 7 of his 20 nails...he doesn't like this done and I have to do a swoop, attack and retreat type nail clipping
• Peeled potatoes for dinner
• And now, here I am blogging. 

So, back to my slow cooker meals.  Yesterday, Kim turned me on to a website that I'd actually been to before (www.sixsistersstuff.com) because they had a bunch of slow cooker meals that are great for the freezer. So, when I did my shop today, I bought the supplies I didn't already have and then prepared the meals.  It took me less then 30 minutes to get it all done.  Here's the site for the recipes.  I made the following:

• BBQ spareribs
• Chicken, Broccoli Alfredo
• French dip sandwiches
• Hearty Beef Stew
• Maple Dijon Glazed Chicken and 
• Pot roast (not on the site...but another recipe of the six sisters that would work well frozen)

They also had a Chicken taco soup thingy that sounded good but I don't want to do that in the freezer...I think I'll try that just on a Sunday.  Anyway - I'll pull these meals out when I'm in a rush or on a day I run after school as a time saver.  I hope they are all delicious.  We'll be trying the Maple Chicken later this week...I'll let you know.

And that's about all I've got for now.  Jim's out in the yard mowing...I'm going to probably read or chill...maybe do some quilting...however it's so beautiful here, it seems a shame to sit inside.

K - I'm out...later!