I can't believe it's taken me this long to mention the cowboys of color rodeo!  Not this past weekend, but the weekend before, Vic and I headed out to the COC rodeo at Will Rogers.  I will say this: although, perhaps not as action-packed as the "regular" rodeo, the COC was tons more entertaining for me.  I mean, where else can you find real cowboys and hear Rick James at the same time?  They played "The Humpty Dance" during calf roping competition.  The man selling programs had on a hybrid cowboy boot/ sneaker combination.  The commentators did voice-overs of the internal monologues of the livestock.  Beautiful.  Not only did I love it, but I LVOED it!

This past weekend was eventful as well.  For one, Lauren's wedding shower was Saturday.  It was lovely... and very yellow.  Her hair has grown so long and was so straight... I had to know the secret!  Steve bought her a CHI.  I knew I liked this kid...  Anyway, after all the festivities were over, I tried on my yellow, strapless bridesmaid's dress.  Let's just say that the intense diet of the "lose 30 pounds in 30 days" variety has begun.  And how.  Whoa.  The size on that dress alone was enough to send me to therapy. 

Last night was Open House.  It was pretty light in attendance, as usual.  I did meet some parents that I was curious about, so that shed some light on some of my more interesting case studies...  I'm always so spent the day after Open House.  Wonder why that is?

Anyway... that brings me to now as I'm sitting here, eating my egg whites.  I would take a nap, but as there's a student taking a quiz I'm thinking that might not be the best idea...

Disclaimer: this entry will be negative.  Read at your own risk.

When I first started teaching, the principal approached me about sponsoring the school step team.  "Sure, Mr. A.  I'll do it.  Sounds like fun."  It was 5 years of hard work all by myself.  Sure, several people said, hey-- if you ever need help I'll cover a practice.  But that never happened.  Not even once.  It's amazing who has to take their dog to the groomers right after school when someone tries to call in a favor.  That's what I love about the adult world... we've figured out catch phrases that will get us out of situations.  We don't really have to be true to our word.  We don't really mean what we say and say what we mean any more.  I'm reminded of Jim Carrey's character in Liar, Liar (as he's forced to tell the truth) responding to his son who says "Real beauty is on the inside" and he responds with,"That's just something ugly people say." 

Any how, I really enjoyed my 5 years with the step team but then decided to hand over the post.  Except no one would take it.  So, last year I "came out of retirement" and co-sponsored with a friend and former coach (who has been a fantastic life coach as well... love that lady) so that the kids would have something to do... not fall into lives of crime and gangs, pregnancy, etc.  It was a rocky year, I'll tell you.  I will give props to the coach who, out of everyone who ever said they'd help, actually did show an interest and came to some shows.  That's something. 

This year, these same kids are back but this time with some ANGER issues.  We had our first meeting today and the gossip and back-biting are already out of control.  But I think the worst part of it was after the meeting, someone coming up to me and telling me that they wanted a new sponsor.  Ouch.  That's the thanks I get for 6 years.  Hopefully not everyone feels like that, and hopefully I've touched someone's life in a positive way.  But I think that's the last straw.  I, as the kids would say, am over it.

And on that note, I think I'll go to Chili's tonight.  It's been a while and I deserve it.

Labor Day left me with a bad case of the Monday night blues.  Even though I am so grateful to be back in school I just wasn't feeling it last night or this morning. And I'm due in at the GAP tonight, so that just adds to the anxiety.  Blech.

This morning, however, I did get a nice surprise.  I've been in touch with one of my former students who was one of the kids in my first double-blocked class.  She took the AP exam last year and just got her results back... FIVE!!!! 

I've never heard of such a thing... and ACTUAL FIVE on an AP Language exam (those things are hard as week-old poo)!  I'm SOOO proud of her!!!  That just made my day... and possibly my year.

As I'm sitting here listening to my Collective Soul Greatest Hits CD (thanks, Heather) I'm reminded that I, indeed, have a long way to run... Ali and I (and possibly Mark and Sebastian) are supposed to start marathon training for December, or perhaps now February.  Let's just say I haven't been the most faithful atendee at the gym lately.  On Saturday I went into spin class and there was no seat.  What did I do?  Treadmill? Rowing machine?  Stairmaster?  Nah.  I just left.  20 minutes of driving over, and I just left.  Lame.

Speaking of lame, remember the 80's?  Ahhh... a time when excess was in and fashion had no rules?  Well, it seems as though that's all back.  About 20 kids have created a skate park in the empty parking lot across the street from my classroom with some traffic cones.  (Maybe skate boards were more early 90's?  Whatever.  I remember them from the 80's.)  It's mildly entertaining because they don't have any ramps or anything, but the keep biffing.  Amateurs.  Oh yeah, and yuppie greed IS back, my friends.  One of my students had on plaid bermuda shorts, dark knee socks and white loafers today.  This was a boy.  And he's supposedly cool.  All I know is that kid would have had his head in a toilet during my high school years.

Can I just say that the first week of school is completely exhausting?  There's something magically life-draining about it.  It doesn't help to have to drive over to the mall and hang bras for 4 hours afterwards either.  I think my days at the GAP are limited.  Shame, too.  I really like the discount, and I need the money.  But here's my new thought: what if I went to the instructor search workshop at 24 hour fitness and became a spin instructor?  Huh?  Huh?!?  Free membership, extra money and working out would be my JOB-- I'd HAVE to do it.  And I'd always have a seat in the class.  Of course, I'd have to wear spandex tank tops (nobody'd enjoy that).  And they'd probably give me yoga or pole dancing classes (yes, they really have those) to start out with... something to ponder.  That could lead to a whole new career...  Maybe I'd just better stick to folding underwear.

OK, they are testing the fire alarms in here and it's interfering with my music and concentration.  I'll just go ahead and close by saying that my friend Ali B. (marathon pal) is one of the cleverest, quickest-witted, funniest and best people I know.  She recently posted this on her blog and I thought I'd steal it because I find it silent, ugly-faced laughable.  Not that being modest is funny... but come on, people.  I actually didn't have it as bad as I thought with my modest one-piece at church camp...

http://www.wholesomewear.com/page-4.html

OK, so, I'm back.  I've been itching to write so many things!  But if I don't leave school now, I think I might vomit.  Does that ever happen to anyone?  You just "hit the threshold?" 

Quickly, I will say this: if you were wondering, I actually did have a GAP stalker, of course the Summer was not long enough, I love my new classes and my dog is getting really big.  So there.  We're caught up...

Peace.

One of the things about having snow days during the school year is that they have to be paid for eventually.  This is a life lesson we could extrapolate to bad choices such as consumer debt, pre-marital sex, drug abuse, etc.  But today, it is not a metaphor; it is my reality.  I am sitting at school at 11:00 on a Saturday doing nothing.  Well, now I'm blogging.  But before that, nothing.  Darn snow...

At least (I guess) this gives me a minute to sit back and reflect, since I always feel like I'm running around helter skelter not taking notice of my own life and where I'm headed.  Hmm... OK.  That'll do.  Minute's up.

What's new... what's new... Oh!  Perhaps you'll recall from a while back a story that I shared from the GAP about a strange little man in love with the GAP's underwear poster girl?  Well, I'm almost convinced that I've got a stalker.  He visits me nightly and the other night, he just popped up like that guy from Mr. Deeds.  Never says much... or anything.  I don't think I'd give it a second thought, but the other day my general manager said, "Well, actually, you share a lot of the same features with that girl..."  I laughed about it, but then I got to thinking, well... we're blondes... maybe if you tilt your head and squint really hard... and I lose 90 pounds... But, to a crazy man, I just might be a suitable replacement sacrifice.  "A twenty dollar bill looks pretty good in an empty bank account."  Darn manager.  Thanks a lot, Chi-Hye.

OK-- well, apparently, they've called the faculty meeting.  Better run.  LATER!

I guess my commitment to journaling has been waning a little here lately... It was bound to happen.  But really, truly, it has been a little crazy at the end of school.  I openly admitted to a classroom full of credit recovery students that I am now just "putting in my time" for the next week.  My grades are complete (just have the mechanics of putting them in the system), my finals are written, the reviews have been distributed and we are going over the answers, I have been turning equipment back in to the library and technology people.  Now it's just a matter of going through the motions and doing a bit of light spring cleaning.

Last week was nuts.  We took our last tests and finished up the week with 3 days of food day and two days of soccer-tennis.  Never again.  My two days straight in the sun did get me a jump start on the farmer's tan I've always wanted... Now I've turned a bit leathery-brown.  Most (white) women have to use a bronzer on their faces to even out the tone during the summer because they use sunscreen on their face to protect their skin from aging, and therefore that skin is a little lighter than the neck, chest, shoulders and arms.  Not me.  I have been bronzing up my pasty neck and chest all weekend.  I look RIDICULOUS.  Oh well.  It's not the first time.

Can't. Wait. For. Summer.

To kick off my summer, I found a free concert at the Dallas Museum of Art, if any of you are interested... Erykah Badu is playing on June 15 at 8:00 at Ross Avenue Plaza.  Don't know if any of you are aware of my appreciation for this artist, but she is my hands-down favorite of all female (and probably of any gender) artists from any genre, of all time.  Her music speaks to me, and I love her style.  Simply amazing.  If you are in the mood for some inspiring music and are in the area, you should check it out!

I need some technological help again... I just tried to insert a lovely photo of Ms. Badu and was given the "too many pictures" message from blogdrive.  So, I deleted my Spring Break entry which had a lot of pictures.  Then I tried again with the Erykah Badu pic and I got the same message.  What gives?  There has to be a simple explanation that I'm not getting... I wouldn't put anything past me though, I am teetering on very few brain cells at the moment... Help!

Yesterday was really great.  My brother cooked fajitas on the grill and we had a nice lunch with all of the mothers from my immediate family (mom, sister-in-law, her mom, her aunt).  Good food, good times. 

I will say this about Mother's Day: does it seem like the day is more and more commercialized every year?  I guess the answer is, doesn't it seem like every holiday (religious or not) is more and more commercialized every year?  Like, show your mom how great she is with a $5,000 diamond pendant, or you're a total loser...

I think that little comment (is totally valid, but) springs from  feelings of being a 29 year-old woman still sitting at the proverbial kiddie table.  Let's just say that I'm not really where I thought I would be at this point in my life.  In many ways.

And although I am having severely negative thoughts about my students these days, they do serve as my proxy children.  Yesterday, as I was thinking that Mother's Day is becoming a little Valentine's-ish, I recalled a conversation that I had with one of my students a couple of years ago.  She was (is) a beautiful native-speaker from Mexico named Lizeth, who was quiet, thoughtful and kind.  Our conversation (in Spanish) went something like this:

Lizeth: Did you know that today is the day they celebrate Mother's Day in Mexico?

Me: No.  I wasn't aware of that...

Lizeth: You don't have any children, do you?

Me: No...

Lizeth: You want them, don't you?

Me: Yes-- when the time is right.

Lizeth:  You will be a good mother... Today we'll celebrate 'el día de las mamacitas' (which has an implied meaning of lil' mama in a young, fun way).  Happy Mother's Day.  [Hugs me]

And again, I was reminded why it is that I do what I do. 

Just because they're long overdue, here are some pictures of my sweet baby (who is now a tasmanian devil dog):

Isn't he cute???

I think I have started an entry about 5 times this week and been interrupted or just lost the ganas to finish every single time.  Now that I have a few minutes, I don't really remember my week.  Whoops.

Last night I worked out with my pal Mark at 24 hour.  It was the first time in what seems like forever that I went to just "work out" without attending some sort of scheduled class.  What I had forgotten about those who simply "work out" instead of attending classes (especially if they are of the "free weight" variety) is that fashion rules do not apply while at the gym.  Soon I will have a nice, new picture phone (or, spycam, as I like to call it) and will be able to provide visuals (since it's not really a situation where you can whip out the digital cam and start focusing the lenses-- those people have large muscles, you know).  Mark and I (OK, Mark) had a fun game of, "Look at your ex-boyfriend," every couple of minutes.  My favorite was a large man with a blue and white baseball cap on-- the kind that is not broken-in and has mesh on the back (kind of like a trucker hat, but less cool) that sits high and tall, like the Pope's hat.  On top of the hat were the Oakley sunglasses-- quite necessary for the gym at night.  Then, there was the skin-tight white tank top and the shiny electric blue spandex shorts.  Obscene.  To top off the look, he had a pair of electric blue ankle weights that, I swear, looked just like leg-warmers.  Oh yeah, and he had on white Kaepas.  That's all I'm gonna say.  I feel mean now...  Oh well.  I'm a people watcher.

Speaking of mean people (that's right... catch the smooth transition?) I thought I was going to have to break up a couple of teachers at this meeting I went to the other day.  Some of us took the day off to meet with other teachers from the district and write a new curriculum so that we could align throughout the district.  It wasn't all puppies, kittens and sunshine, folks.  I saw someone physically point her finger at someone else and say, "She's saying I'm a bad teacher!"  I also saw a 50+ year-old woman muttering "you're wrong... that's not how you do it... good for you..." and other such things under her breath.  I wanted to get back to the classroom immediately so I could get away from all the 4 year-olds... that's how bad it was.  Yikes.

Anyhow, the year is coming to an end and I'm going nuts.  It has been crazy trying to figure out how to get the kids where they need to be.  I just want to give a shout-out to all my teacher friends: good luck and God bless you these last couple of weeks!  We're going to make it!!!