Still at home...

I just can't seem to find the inspiration to leave...

I've gone through some more boxes of stuff from my childhood and I've given away and thrown away quite a bit... but I'm still hanging on to a lot...

I've got some lesson and unit plans waiting for me in Colorado (incentive enough to stay in TX). But I'm not in a big hurry to go back.

Whilst browsing through Facebook this afternoon I stumbled across a thread posted by a fellow high school classmate... Apparently this season's "The Bachelor" (a show I never watched) is a guy named Jake Pavelka - and apparently he was on "The Bachelorette" (another show I never watch). Maybe I should start, because I went to junior high and high school with him and his dad was my dentist.

Odd. I remember him as being a nice guy, but it's a vague memory - we didn't hang out together at all.

Got snow again 2day - bout an inch. That's twice in one week. Crazy TX weather! Post-poning trip back one day. Hope roads clear up.

White Christmas

Merry Christmas - and a White Christmas at that!

Once-in-a-lifetime event in Texas!

3-4 inches of snow yesterday and it stuck through today!

Great time with both sides of the family, but I'm exhausted.

So....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

The Last Week

Monday was ok.

Tuesday I stayed late, as usual, to help with after school tutoring... so that was a long day.

Wednesday was ROUGH and included an early morning meeting that focused on the budget for the next two year - very dismal. There's a definite chance of people losing jobs - one techie job was just cut. I'll be hoping and praying until March, when they finally tell us who/if/when. That was immediately followed by me telling a kid to "Shut up and get out of my room" because he was yelling at me... yelling... full-on, yelling... while I was trying to talk to another student. Kind of lost my temper a bit... but really? Yelling at a teacher... /sigh The rest of the school day was rough, but it picked up at Trivia. We won and celebrated afterward with a game of pool - which I won... I think my friends were being really nice to me because it was only my 3rd game of pool - ever. That was so much fun we decided to go play shuffleboard... I lost my first game ever and won my second... more proof that they were just being nice.

Thursday/yesterday had its ups and downs. The kids were reallllly ready for the break, but they hung in there for the most part. I got a newer/newish laptop from work - this is my first blog posting with it! And our staff party was last night. That was a lot of fun. I hung out with the adults for most of the night - and the White Elephant Exchange was hilarious. I went downstairs for the last hour and hung out with some of my students/teacher's kids. I rocked out on guitar and singing for Rock Band... Did so-so with Air Hockey... Got *schooled* on my 4th-ever game of pool. I sunk quite a few balls, but when it came to that elusive 8-ball... I choked... course the kids were egging me on! Ah well. It was fun and now they have a story to tell about Ms. E when we go back to school.

Today I'm about to head into Denver for yet another allergy doctor appointment and then tomorrow Kaylee and I are going back to TX to see family.

Happy Holidays to you all!

Bowling and Basketball

Last night was my first night with the new league, in a new town, with new group members.

Turns out I wasn't joining the team of the lady I knew, I was joining a completely different team - a husband and wife team - total strangers. They seem nice. We still need one more guy, but they were happy to have me to fill the open female spot.

I was super nervous to begin with, but everyone was so encouraging. I bowled somewhat close to the average I used to have in league... it has been 2 and a half years since I was on a league and a year and a half since I'd picked up a bowling ball.

It feels good to be bowling again.

The alley is OLD school... hand written scores with Elmo-like projectors to shine the scores up on the wall. There are only 6 lanes and the floor has spots where it has literally been worn through. I'm choosing to see it as "character."

This morning I worked for 5 hours at the Middle School Basketball Tournament. I ran the clock and kept score. I learned a LOT about basketball, got paid, and got a free lunch.

I feel like a stuck pig...

Even though I didn't bleed like one...

I *tried* to give blood today. I went through the entire ordeal - filled out the paperwork - got stuck in the finger - etc.

When I sat down in the chair I warned the guy that my veins are hard to find and he said it wouldn't be a problem.

He stuck me in the left arm and dug around for a while (boy did that feel good). Then he gave up.

He stuck me in the right arm and dug around for a while (that felt good too). Then he gave up entirely.

He apologized profusely and had to send me on my way without taking any blood.

Oink, oink.

Deja Vu

Trivia went really well tonight. In the second round we were in a four-way tie 1st place and I went up to do a tie-breaker. I tied with another team and we did a second tie-breaker and I won! So that was awesome! We won the 2nd and 3rd rounds and overall! Yay!

Also... I've finally found a bowling team to join! My first night is this Friday. I'm kind of nervous... but I did warn them that I'm not very good... so we'll see how it goes.

Trivia team AND Bowling?

Those were my two big social activities back in MN and I LOVED them. They're different here. Different nights. Different people. Different feel. But I still love going to Trivia and hopefully I will love Bowling as well.

It feels good to get back to my familiar/well-loved hobbies.

Wake up!

I woke up this morning with a lick on the ear from Kaylee. Apparently she had to go potty. I guess I prefer that to her barking or that god-awful wine she has. Plus, it was kind of cute.

I stopped by the vet yesterday to get some food for Sheba and I took Kaylee with me. He said she's healing nicely. I'll taker her in on the 14th to get her stitches and staples taken out.

As for the vet bill... I had $78 remaining to pay for her stay at the boarding kennel and they waived that amount. The vet charged me $80, which is RIDICULOUS! I mean seriously! If this were any other place I have lived, an emergency vet visit on a Sunday with stitches and staples would have been a MINIMUM of $500!

Lucky.

I am SO lucky.

Kaylee is so lucky.

It could have been so much worse.

So... the amount the kennel waived pretty much covers the vet bill and I'm not going to make a stink about it.

I'm just happy it's paid and she's going to be ok.

MN has snow. TX had snow this morn. CO, where i live, next to 2 ski resorts... no snow... that's just wrong!