Have you ever had "One of those days..."

I'm actually not. It's been pretty good so far. I taught in El-Ed PE again today. I had a bunch of stations set up and the kids were divided into five groups, 3-4 per group. As they went around, playing at each station, I had the music going. I encouraged them to make up their own activities with the equipment provided at each station. At the end they all said they had fun and I know I had a blast. The next person who taught was doing t-ball and I stayed in the "dugout" as the head cheerleader. They really got into it. I let them choose the team names so we had the POPCORNs and the ARMYs! I cheered equally loud for both teams.... I wonder if I'll still have a voice for my presentation tonight.

I'm working in the computer lab now, just finished my self-eval for today's teaching and my book report which is due tonight. I still need to finalize what I'm going to say in my report tonight...

I'm going to Fargo in a couple of weeks to watch Aya present a speech! Woot! Her mom, her and I will all hang out in Fargo for the weekend, with her brother and sister-in-law. I'm really looking forward to it. Time-away!

I have made my final list of who to invite for my graduation party and there's like 60 people! I know not everyone will come, but it's just amazing how many people/friends I've met/made in only three years. I hope I haven't forgotten anyone... if I have hopefully I'll remember between now and then.

Psst... Renee! I need your address so I can send you one ;)

Has your day been a DRAG?

Mine's gone pretty well. Plus I just found out I don't have to work tomorrow - which means my eleven to eleven day has just been cut to five to eleven = WOOT! I'll actually be able to get some work done.

To Do:

Read some of Monster for YA Lit.
Do book report for YA Lit.
Prepare book talk for YA Lit.
Prepare lesson for PE Methods
Buy Cap & Gown!
Buy & start on invitations for Grad party

Aya ROCKS!
Thanks for getting my pages working and aligned!

/dance
/party
doo doo doo!

Renee is it still doing the weird jumpy thing on macs?

:)

For you Renee...

I've changed my blog format, again! I can't get the archive page to look or work quite right, but I think Aya might be stopping by later today..
/wink

/grrr and comment thingy isn't working... hehe ok it's still buggy

I am really enjoying the Dancing Scooby! He is awesome!

The light at the end of the tunnel...

The time is coming for graduation. I cannot believe I will be finished with the classes part at least - I still take one online during student teaching, but it's not the same. I actually did it. Barring any unfortunate occurances I will have a college degree as of December 1, 2004. EEEP!

I've been chatting online with a friend who lives in the next dorm. He's a hoot!

*grin*
Yes... we went to see Hellboy again... great special affects, funny at the right times, a dash of romance mystery of sorts, and KITTENS!

:)

/love Hellboy & Ron Perlman he's a big teddy bear :) and I mean that in the best possible way. I remember his Beauty & the Beast days and what a cute kitty-beasty-thing... never thought he was that beastly though.

I really enjoyed this movie... I went to it with an uncertain feeling. I had never heard of the comic all I knew was what I saw in the previews and that it had Ron Perlman in it = reason enough for me. I am glad I went to see it. :)

Semi-gross analogy incoming...

I've been lying in bed thinking about grief. It's an odd thing, extremely painful and yet you can't touch it or even point it out. There's no miracle pill to get rid of the pain, no limb to chop off, there's nothing inside of you they can cut out. It's buried deep inside of you, somewhere around the heart-lungs-throat region. In my experience (17 years) it never goes away fully - it's like a chronic scab - it heals over partially, but if it gets bumped hard enough it flows again. An intangible wound. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best I can do at 1:20 am.

/mourn

/weep

Ruh Roh!

We went out to dinner with her mom and a girl from Aya's floor to celebrate Aya's mom's b-day. Then we took her to her sister's house while Aya, the girl from her floor, a girl from my floor, and myself went to the dollar store and then met up with two more friends to see SCOOBY DOO 2: Monsters UNLEASHED I must admit I had some serious doubts about this one. I was afraid they would have tried too hard and messed up Scooby *gasp at the thought* but it was actually pretty darn funny. Proving further that I should not listen to critics -> because we practically never agree.

I'm almost afraid to look at Aya's blog after tonight. I let loose a couple of very memorable quotes... I'm blaming the 1/2 a migrane I've had all evening/night... my brain hurt and that's why things weren't coming out quite right. Honest.

Sleepy time - enjoy your weekend!

I'm having a hard time today. Grief is a funny process and the nightmares really aren't helping. They're so real and the powerful emotions they evoke don't go away once I wake up. I still feel my heart beating fast, the pre-tearing, clenching feeling in my throat... Result: I start my day in a funky/depressed state. The one last night was pretty bad. I don't know how to stop them, but I need to figure something out before I go crazy or just start balling in a class. It's to the point where I don't function well during the day and I've broken down in tears twice today. UGH! It's so frustrating. Some days I'm fine, almost good as new. I think this is what frustrates me the most. I called my mom this morning and talked to her about it = first breakdown. She said I behaved similarly when my grandmother died. The funny thing is I remember breaking down as soon as my parents told me there had been an accident - before they told me she was hurt - my kiddy senses tingled and I knew it wouldn't end well. I remember crying and crying until I thought I'd never be able to stop. Then at the funeral I was all cried out. I honestly don't remember anything after that... for quite a while. I don't remember how I dealt with it afterwards.. which seems odd to me since I was 8 years old. Maybe I blocked it all out, I have a tendency to block unpleasant memories... don't we all?
This time I cried when mom told me and then I had to pull it together to make it back home. I cried a few tears off and on and then during the funeral I lost it. I had to run outside because I couldn't breath and I just let it all flow. I've cried off and on since then with intermitent days of okness = FRUSTRATION.
I don't know if I'm behaving acceptably according to the grieving process, but it's how I am dealing with it. Maybe if I'm still this way in a couple of months I should go see someone. At this point I think there's a healthy dose of home-sickness contributing to my state.

On a happier note, I found a Cool Link.

And for future/current teachers: For Kids.

Word of the Day: Chapeaugraphy

Careful what you type...

I accidentally typed in: www.aspene.blogpsot.com and boy was that not what I was looking for :)

Minor annoyances:
I'm upset at a certain local "bust"ing video chain who has on their calendar that they would get The Singing Detective yesterday and they didn't have it then. I went back in today to return the ishy CITH and they said they probably won't be getting it :(
/grrrrrr

/sigh

Ugh, just watched The Cat in The Hat and I was not impressed :( sad really, I was hoping it would be good. I went to the video store to find The Singing Detective but got TCITH instead. I don't know much about The Singing Detective, except what I've seen on the website trailer, but I like musicals and this is sort of one, plust it has some great actors in it. Hopefully it'll be better than TCITH.

Word of the Day: Beau Coup - "Chiefly Southern U.S. adj. Many; much: beaucoup money."

HA!

I treated myself yesterday - Aya and I went out to Perkins for a big breakfast and then we went shopping. I bought a GameBoy Advance SP and a few games, then we headed over to see her mom and grandparents for a while. I think I spent pretty much all weekend hanging out with Aya... making up for our non-existent vacation and not really getting to party-harty on her birthday.

Saw a couple of movies on Friday:
Dawn of the Dead - Trippy to see the little girl from Avonlea in a freaky movie, I know she's done other things, but I hadn't seen anyof them.
Taking Lives

Couple of creepy movies... first was Aya's choice and second had looked interesting to me. I still want to see a few others, but I'm guessing I'll have to wait for them to come out on video/dvd.

LOL
I just saw a funny quote. It's kind of bad, but oh well: Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines. I can see a deeper meaning.
Don't get me wrong I love eagles, they're majestic creatures and whenever I see one I stop to bask in their beauty.

Thanks for posting the link about trees Renee. I think it's interesting to see how many "tree cities" there are, whether they do indeed act as such.

Word of the Day: Unkempt

I ordered a ring today... it's my "college ring" though you'd never know it. I opted for buying a beautiful ring instead of a clunky ring with lots of writing which I will wear for a year or two max and then stuff in a jewelry box. And yes... I ordered it from John Christian and the design is named..... Aspen! Ironic, yes?

I watched a good movie last night Good Boy. It was really quite cute and great for dog-lovers, which I am. There was one part when I was laughing so hard I was crying. Loved that!

Off to teach 4th & 5th graders a PE lesson.

LOL I was just called Voluptuous!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYA!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

I love helping people figure out computer problems. When they get what I'm saying or when I figure out how to solve a new problem... It's a good feeling to help someone and for some odd reason I have a knack for computers.

I ran into Renee today /wave Renee. Was good to see her, it had been a LONG time.

Grief-wise, I'm doing a lot better than I was, even since Sunday. It's helped to get back into my daily routine. Plus all my friends have been so supportive and sympathetic. I'm getting better at not being shocked when I realize I'll never get to see my grandfather again.
I decided I'm going to start a journal for him.... a scrapbook of sorts. I can add pictures and stories, things I remember, how he used to call me "Hun" and the monkey face he made that always made me laugh, his goofy sayings like: "It'll feel better when it quits hurtin, I've had worse things than that on my eye and I didn't even blink." When I would ask where we were going he'd reply "All to pieces..." When I would be looking for someone he'd say they were "Up on the housetop flying a kite." He was a character! Yep... I have so many memories of him, much more than I had of my grandma who died when I was 8. I'm really glad I had that extra 17 years with him. I want to remember everything I can about him.