How YOU doin'?

The other night in class, my friend Natalie and were discussing how we no longer have hobbies.  I tried to say that working out is a hobby for me, but let's face it, it's not exactly something I really look forward to (to which I look forward?).  Not to worry though...I have found a hobby!  It turns out that googling pick up lines is quite entertaining.  Might I recommend this site for hours of fun: http://howyoudoin.tumblr.com/
No really, it's worth it.  Trust me; I'm a scientist!

bibliosplosion!

So I had three meetings today that I was unaware of until about 8:00 this morning.  After scrambling to get the paperwork done, I walked upstairs to my classroom (which was used for an inservice yesterday) to discover one of my bookshelves in shambles.  I kid you not when I say it looked like it exploded.  Splinters and boards and books littered the floor.  After doing my best to clean up and teach around the mess, I spent my lunch being trained on how to administer the TAKS test.  And to top it all off, I stayed at work three hours late just so I don't have to repeat this crazy process again tomorrow.  I wouldn't mind, however, repeating the part where I ate about a fourth of a cake all by myself.  Thank you, stress!

Sometimes I am lazy.

As I was closing my blinds this afternoon, (a task I hate for some unknown reason...it's not like tugging on a rope is all that exhausting), I thought of other simple acts that I always put off until it becomes absolutely necessary to perform them.  Here they are in no particular order, and for no good reason:

plugging the charger into my cell phone
changing a light bulb
stopping for gas
scooping out dog food
lining the trash can with a new bag
refilling my water pitcher
using scissors to cut open a food package that doesn't easily pull apart
shutting down my computer...

Faith My Eyes

I recently rediscovered an old Caedmon's Call CD and can't stop listening to it.  Every time I hear this song, something new jumps out at me, but mostly, it reminds me of my high school Bible study.   In no time at all, I'm transported to a packed living room with dimmed lights, listening to the soft strum of an acoustic guitar with the faint squeak of a ceiling fan keeping time in the background.  Ah, when life was simple and I didn't even know it!

As I survey the ground for ants
Looking for a place to sit and read
I'm reminded of the streets of my hometown
How they're much like this concrete that's warm beneath my feet

And how I'm all wrapped up in my mother's face
With a touch of my father just up around the eyes
And the sound of my brother's laugh
But more wrapped up in what binds our ever distant lives

But if I must go
Things I trust will be better off without me
But I don't want to know
Life is better off a mystery

So keep 'em coming these lines on the road
And keep me responsible be it a light or heavy load
And keep me guessing with these blessings in disguise
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes

Hometown weather is on TV
I imagine the lives of the people living there
And I'm curious if they imagine me
Cause they just wanna leave; I wish that I could stay

And to visit places from my past
But only for an hour or so
Which is long enough to smell the air
To tell the tale and find the door

But I get turned around
I mistake some happiness for blessing
But I'm blessed as the poor
Still I judge success by how I'm dressing

So I'll sing a song of my hometown
I'll breathe the air and walk the streets
Maybe find a place to sit and read
And the ants are welcome company

And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.
And I'll walk with grace my feet and faith my eyes.

- Faith My Eyes

  Caedmon's Call

Too Much Fun?

A bike ride followed by some Spring cleaning and two birthday parties...maybe my new favorite way to spend a Saturday!

Good Clean Fun

Mexican Food.  Peanut Butter Brownies.  Living Room Dance Party.
Happy Friday to me!

twenty twenty?

I was informed by a student today that male seahorses become pregnant.  I did a little research on wikipedia (totally legit!), and it turns out, she's right.  Now, is it just me, or does anyone else think that perhaps the explanation for this oddity is that some scientist many years ago misplaced his spectacles on seahorse research day?  Just a thought!

No time for talking!

Today was my first session with a personal trainer, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about this gig.  It's a lot more pressure than boot camp...at least in a group I can get away with cheating a little, and I'm not responsible for keeping the instructor entertained.  How am I supposed to count 20 reps AND tell you about my Valentine's day?!

Questions and Calories

Darn you, Miss Blue Shirt for asking one more question at the end of class and completely throwing off my dietary plan!  I had perfectly timed my last bite of dinner with the professor's last comments, so as not to trick myself into feeling hungry on the ride home, and then you go and make me sit another five minutes without food in front of me!  Now I have no other choice but to eat a bowl of Cheerios before hitting the hay.  I swear, if another rivet flies off my jeans at work tomorrow, I'm holding you responsible!

trippin'

Tonight, when I was walking Layla, a long piece of grass was stuck to her front paw.  When I first saw it and had not yet determined that it was grass, my first thought was, Oh, her shoelace is untied.  Definitely time for bed!

Best. Half. Birthday. Ever.

Truth be told, I never paid attention to my half birthday until my Senior year of high school.  On February 13, 2001, I was asked to prom.  I had prayed for that day since the first day of freshman year, and I was determined to remember it when it happened.  So when a gangly teenage boy shouted out in the middle of a class reading of Othello, "Alas, Leslie, will you go to prom with me?" I immediately racked my brain for some significance to connect with the date.  After a few calculations, I realized that it was my half birthday!

For those of you who are not accustomed to celebrating your half birthday, I highly recommend that you try it out.  It has all the fun of a real birthday without the worry of getting older or the pressure for the day to be perfect.  It just has to be half perfect!  And sometimes, it ends up exceeding those expectations.

For instance, today, I went with my two Galentine's dates to see my favorite movie on the big screen.  And take my word for it, Jake Ryan looks even better when he's bigger than life.  I've said it before (Natalie), and I'll say it again...if you can look good in a sweater vest and rolled up jeans, you are officially hot.

After parting with the Brat Pack and my gal pals, I drove home listening to some good ol' country music and chomping happily on a giant heart-shaped cookie (thank you, Rachel!).  Then, just as I swung into my parking lot, thinking to myself that 28 ½ couldn't get any better, my headlights shone on a scene that proved me wrong.  Next to the dumpster sat a lonely and beautiful turquoise chair.  I mean, come on!  You know how much I love turquoise!  And sitting!  And you're probably not going to believe this (I almost didn't), but upon further inspection, I realized that this wasn't just any turquoise chair.  It was the turquoise chair that I had looked at longingly on many a walk with Layla.  For months I stared at this chair on someone else's porch, and now, here it is in my living room!  Just as beautiful and not at all lonely!

Oh, Happy, Happy, Happy Half Birthday to me!

two thumbs up

for The King's Speech and all the speech that followed at Ginger Man...yea for good friends and fun Friday nights!

stress and chocolate

My Morning:

Wake up

Get ready for work (after checking for school closures out of recently developed habit)

Take a FREEZING walk with Layla

Drive to work

Frantically start typing paperwork that needs to be completed in 20 minutes and am interrupted by student who needs a test read

Read about three questions and am interrupted by parent who has shown up 15 minutes early for the meeting that requires previously mentioned paperwork completion

Simultaneously read test, interject polite "uh huh"s and "oh yeah?"s in one-sided parent conversation, and dominate keyboard as I enter student information

Wipe sweat from brow and literally run upstairs so as not to be tardy to my own class

Midrun, am intercepted by department head who informs me that Roger's mom will be shadowing him in all of his classes today...Delightful.  I love when people come to observe.  Unexpectedly.  On the day after Snow Day when all of the kids are focused and all of the teachers are prepared.  I especially love parents...with easygoing personalities and oh-so-realistic expectations.

My Afternoon:

Eat embarrassing amount of junk food (Thank you, dieting coworker for bringing all of your toxic snacks to the office)

My Evening:

Drive reluctantly to boot camp

Secretly get giddy when the parking lot is empty and the building is locked

Experience feelings of regret and guilt on the drive back home (An entire tin of chocolate-covered popcorn, Leslie?  Really?!)

Bypass my building's lot and drive straight to gym

Break all time constraints on the treadmill until the blue cheese bacon dip and chocolate almond bark are nothing but memories

Blog

Read over blog and question sanity

damaged goods

Thanks to those of you who stared at your nose in an earnest plea for Snow Day number 5!  I spent the morning doing loads and loads and loads of laundry and rewarded myself with a trip to Target.  The drive wasn't bad at all, but apparently I'm better on four wheels than I am on two feet.  Just as I was approaching my car to load some groceries, my feet skated out from under me, and in no time at all I was lying on my back in the middle of the parking lot.  I was okay, but I'm afraid I can't say the same for the busted squash, bruised apples, and broken asparagus that I brought home.  If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of shopping with me, you know how long it takes me to pick out my produce and how I cringe when the cashier carelessly tosses a beautiful Fuji apple into a grocery sack.  I can't bear to think that I did this to myself!

optical confusions

When our classroom weather girl delivered the daily forecast this morning, the room was abuzz with excitement.  Could it be?  Another possible snow day?  I managed to regain their focus long enough to impart some wisdom about character development in literature (don't be too impressed...it definitely involved a robust discussion about Spongebob's finest attributes).  But just when the bell was about to ring, one student of mine, who is quite a character himself, could hold his excitement in no longer.  As he swooped his backpack up off the floor and slung it over his shoulder, he called out, "Hopefully we'll have another snow day tomorrow!  Keep your eyes crossed!"

In Leslie's world...

...there is a Superbowl, but no football.

Sorry, Uncle Mike, if you think this game is stupid.  Guess what?  I feel the same way about a bunch of guys running around in spandex pants and giant shoulder pads.  But I do love a reason to hang out with friends (and their boyfriends' cute single friends*), eat a meal of appetizers and desserts, and polish off some amazing leftovers at work the next day.  Go team!

*Yes, they are friends.  They aren't buddies.  When you call them buddies, a lovely 80s commercial jingle and an image of a freckle-faced doll wearing overalls and an unattractive striped shirt pops into my head.  And then it's only a few more lines of friendly conversation and polite laughter before this Kid Sister is gone!

not too much to ask

Would it be greedy to ask for just one more week of thundersnow?  I finally got comfortable with the routine of waking up at ten, watching all that Netflix has to offer, and falling asleep on the couch in the wee hours of the morning.  If I try to change it up now, it will have all been for naught...and I worked so diligently to perfect it!