Update on the Sickie

So I find myself home on a Saturday night rather than celebrating a coworker's bday in Grapevine because I'm sick. Again. UGH. But we apparently caught this one early, and the antibiotics are starting to kick in. Yay!

So what's been going on with me? School has been great so far this year! Lots going on, and we've got gigs lined up for the fall semester left and right! Fall concert is Oct. 14th, so if you're in the area, stop in for a "Short & Sweet" concert! 30 mins. of music, and then desserts! Yummy.

Coda's cracking me up. My friends comment on the scratches on my arms (which is hilarious because she really doesn't jump on many people anymore, just me), and I tell them that she hits me because she loves me. Which is true. LOL

And you're not going to believe me, but too bad! I'm running in a 5K in about 3 weeks. I know. I said "running". Crazy, no? But some friends talked me into it, so I'm in! The exercise wouldn't hurt, either.

So there's my latest update. Hope those of you reading this at work were able to waste at least a good minute or two reading.

Not-so-ordinary Sunday

What a gorgeous day. I mean really. While DFW missed the hurricane winds and storms, it was dreary and gray all day yesterday. Today? Sunny, cool breeze, windows open, I can sit on the porch and read... Ahhhh... I love days like today. AND it motivated me to get some things done around the apartment! And there was a good sermon today on forgiveness. Seems like a lot of those sermons (because there ARE a lot of them) can just drag on and not relate. Today's hit home. It was good.

I feel good about the day. :)

Heidi Made Me Do It

I got this from Heidi's blog. Though I am curious... why 58 questions? Why not make it 55 or an even 60? Just a thought to ponder. :)

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:15, then 9:00. The bunkhouse is freaking dark all hours of the day/night.

2. Diamonds or Pearls? Diamonds

3. What two things do you always have with you? Some sort of lip balm and my sunglasses.

4. What is your favorite TV show? The Office

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Granola bar or cereal.

6. What is your middle name? Elizabeth

7. What food do you dislike? Octopus

8. What is your favorite CD? Anything Michael Buble. Or Vampire Weekend. I like their sound. Ooo! And Inga Swearingen. I was introduced to her on Prairie Home Companion.

9 . What type of car do you drive? My 2008 Scion tC. I LOVE IT.

10. Favorite sandwich? Salami and swiss

11. What characteristic do you despise? People who believe they are entitled to everything and anything. And close-mindedness.

12. Favorite item of clothing? My zebra heels.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Spain

14. What color is your bathroom? Umm... apt. white paint, and I've got bright dots in there.

15. Favorite brand of clothing? Basically anything that fits right and is affordable.

16. Where would you retire to? I honestly have no idea.

17. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 26 years old. I can't believe I remember it.

18. Furthest place you are sending this? I don't know who reads my blog.

19. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? n/a

20. Person you expect to send it back first? n/a

21. Favorite saying? "Git money, foo!" Andrew Orender

22. When is your birthday? November 26, 1980

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? Late morning.

24. What is your shoe size? 7.5 or 8

25. Pets? CODA! My amazingly sweet and lovable 70 lbs. lap dog! PS: I think she has a breed - Catahoula Cur

26. What did you want to be when you were little? A Care Bear. Then an architect. Never a teacher.

27. How are you today? I am doing wonderfully. Just got back from Possum Kingdom, still have 1 day before heading back to school, and I realize that I am in a really great place in my life.

28. What is your favorite candy? M&Ms or Milky Way Midnight

29. What is your favorite flower? Pretty ones.

30. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Sept. 25th. Next payday.

31. What is the last thing you ate? Leftover Chipotle for dinner.

32. What are you listening to right now? The a/c pumping out cool air.

33. If you were a crayon what color would you be? Purple

34. How is the weather right now? Nice. Warm, but nice breeze.

35. Last person you spoke to on the phone? That was a couple of days ago... um, my aunt Carol.

36. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yep! Heidi's awesome!

37. Favorite soft drink? Coke with grenadine.

38. Favorite restaurant? iFratelli or Joe T. Garcias

39. Hair color? Auburn

40. Siblings? 1 brother, 3 sisters, 2 brothers-in-law

41. Favorite day of the year? I agree with Heids about the days surrounding Christmas. I also really enjoy the last Spring Concert, as it's the last hurrah for my 8th graders. I feel a huge sense of pride in them and get so excited for them to take on high school.

42. What was your favorite toy as a child? Ice skates? My Little Pony? A sled?

43. Summer or winter? Fall

44. Hug or kisses? Hugs

45. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate

46. Do you want your friends to email you back? Yes

47. When was the last time you cried? Mom made me do it.

48. What is under your bed? Wrapping supplies, horse pictures, and Coda-hair.

49. Who is the friend you have had the longest? Oh goodness. Renee. But we haven't talked in a loooooong time. So then Matt.

50. Favorite smell? Pine forests.

51. What are you afraid of? Stupid things my students will do. And loss of family.

52. Plain, butter or salted popcorn? Salt and sugar. Kettle corn, baby!

53. How many keys on your key ring? Umm... 3 on my home set, and somewhere around 7 or 8 on my school set.

54. How many years at your current job? Just started my 3rd year!

55. Favorite day of the week? Thursday or Saturday

56. How many towns have you lived in? Springfield and Glen Ellyn, IL; Eagan, MN; Indianapolis, IN; Arlington, Euless, Fort Worth, Frisco, and Irving, TX. So 9. Ouch.

57. Do you make friends easily? Yes

58. How many people will you be sending this to? Whoever reads my blog.

Dancing Queen

A couple weeks ago I went to a friends wedding as a)her friend and b)1 of 3 people representing our school at her event. To make a not-so-long story short, we got ourselves invited to one of her hubby's friends weddings in December (whom we had never met before, by the way) because we were so much fun on the dance floor.

You heard me right. As a student once quoted to me "You rock the socks off my pet llama, Margo. Don't judge her." Apparently the 3 of us brought down the house. Which wasn't too hard to do! I'm used to the wedding receptions/dances where you get out there and only leave to get a drink of water, then you get your butt back out on the dance floor! Their family's were more, 'let's talk and sit here and leave by 9:00.'

So I'll leave you with a couple of photos from the evening, and spare you the one's that show me drenched with sweat after dancing all night on a floor with very little A/C.


We are no longer welcome at the Wal Mart in Tahlequah, OK.


Me, Danae, and Alicia


Danae, Me, and Alicia - a little less formal. ;)

The only thing I've ever really liked her in. I love it!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Leaves... Temps... Nudity

Random note for you all from D/FW. I took Coda out behind my building yesterday and couldn't figure out where I was hearing a scratching noise from. It sounded like a squirrel running around in the tree nearby, but I couldn't see him! These trees are not grand old trees. They're newbies. It's not difficult to see ANY movement from animals in them. I finally realized it wasn't an animal making the noise. Dried leaves from the Living Oaks were falling to the ground, falling past other dried leaves, making the scratching sounds. People, it's August 4th. While I understand that the northern states may be seeing some beautiful foliage or be preparing for that, you can't tell the leaves have turned here. Because most haven't. So the trees I see from my living room window have become a little premature in their quest to get naked. I think this is because it's so freaking hot here.

This past week, and this upcoming week, temperatures are supposed to be 100+. And then you see the little note below the highs listed for the day that says "feels like..." And some of them are over 110 degrees.

I guess the trees are just following my general rule for summers in Texas: Only wear enough so as not to get arrested.

Red Ribbon Ride

My sister Heidi just completed the Red Ribbon Ride in MN. It's a bike ride supporting the cause to fight HIV/Aids. Take a moment to check out her blog. I'm so proud of my sister!

Update?

So it's been awhile since I last posted. I don't really know what to tell you though! Not much is going on here. Coda's crazy. I'm sleeping in when she lets me, and I'm thinking about getting ready for school that starts up in a few weeks. I'm heading out to Albuquerque one more time (next weekend!) to visit the 'rents and am thankful I know people who work for Southwest Airlines. If you're single and work for an airline, please contact me. That alone guarantees you at least 3 dates with me. Yes, I'm single again. And really, that's good! I'm raring to go now for school! Who-hoo! I plan to paint my office a purple-ish grey. Why? Because I can. And because it's time to make it mine. This will be my 3rd year there and I don't plan on leaving anytime in the near future. MY OFFICE SHOULD BE MY OWN! Questions? Didn't think so. =) Alrighty! Until something exciting comes up, or until I feel guilty for not blogging... ciao.

Out and About!

Two nights ago I was out with the girls, celebrating my friend's last few weeks as an unmarried woman. We had a GREAT time pre-dinner opening gifts at Hotel ZaZa in Uptown, and then went out to Cuba Libre for some amazing Cuban fare. Unfortunately for me, I had to depart after dinner as I'd made the mistake of booking a bachelorette party that night, and singing a solo for the 2 services at church the next day. 1st service was at 8:30 AM. But I hear they had a great time dancing, and those of us from East can hardly wait for the wedding! Below is a pic of the East girls, and then a link to my solo. Can you tell I had alcohol the night before???



And the solo, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing"... just not another margarita!
It's a little hard to hear. No mike in front of me.

*Had to delete the link as it was going to the newest anthem - some guy singing.*

Proud Mother

I had a 'proud mother' moment for Coda today. We went out behind my building and I let her run around in the electrical field (normal activity for her). The risk here is that a)she feels the need to explore and ignores my commands or b)she spots another dog in the field and runs to them, again, ignoring my commands. Usually we don't have these problems. Today, however, there was a beautiful black lab mix up on the other end of the field and they saw one another. Not wanting to chase her down or go into the overgrown field myself (in flip flops), I called to Coda to come back out of the field. She hesitated... then came running back through the fence to me!!! I didn't even have to pull the 'treat' card! Needless to say we ran back to the apartment where she promptly received 2 treats and LOTS of tug-o-war time! After being rather annoyed with her this morning for not allowing me to sleep, my sour mood has been turned around as my dog LISTENED TO ME and OBEYED! I am so proud of her!!!

Wow. What sort of mother will I be if I have, you know, HUMAN KIDS? Holy cow.

By the way, this picture cracks me up. It's from Albuquerque. The altitude had gotten to her, and her tail's wrapped. LOL.

Happy Tail Syndrome

Yes, it exists. Even the vet said it did. I'd noticed Coda had been losing hair on the tip of her tail, and was worried it was mange... again. But she hadn't been scratching or chewing on it, so all was well! Until New Mexico. We got there, and Coda got so into the local art scene she decided to join in the fun! We were finding blood spatter as high up as some of the picture frames. When we finally identified the problem, Bob was a great sport and (multiple times) bandaged Coda's tail. She looked hilarious, as you can see below. Apparently, Happy Tail Syndrome is when a dog wags their tail SO MUCH and hits it on things SO OFTEN that it damages the hair follicles. This in turns creates very dry skin in that location. So dry, it ends up cracking and bleeding! And because Coda can't stop wagging her tail (she is a VERY happy dog!), she contributed to Mom and Bob's home with her own modern artwork. Don't worry, we cleaned it all up. But still. HAPPY TAIL SYNDROME?!?!?! Thankfully she's no longer a "mangy mutt".

Albuquerque, New Mexico

The trip to Albuquerque was filled with awesome views, food, and conversation! Thanks to Mom and Bob for hosting and joining us on adventures galore! I had a great time, and the pics below to prove it!



Red Rock in New Mexico!


Me and Chad at the Soda Dam.


Mom and Bob at the Soda Dam.


Jemez Falls. Gorgeous!


Almost to the top of the climb at Tent Rocks! Do you see why they're called Tent Rocks?


Bob, Me, Chad, and Mom at the top of the tram on Sandia Peak.


Sunset from Sandia Peak, on La Luz Trail.

Parent's Blog

Mom and Bob have their own blog! Check it out and welcome them to the world of blogging!

Guitar Hero

What a game. Alyse, Jeff and I had some fun the other night when I drove through Austin and played Guitar Hero. It's freaking hilarious. I consider myself a musically inclined person, but unfortunately that doesn't mean I'm a knowledgeable or anywhere-near-talented person about rock. So yeah. Take the classical musician, the former musician, and Jeff-THE-Guitar-Hero and you get a rather interesting game. It reminds me of when I was in Breckenridge with the Orenders and Andrew and I played the generic version of "Dance Dance Revolution". Again, I totally sucked that up. Another one? The same sort of dancing game, but with a "Dancing with the Stars" theme. Katy, you would have died. Bruno actually critiques you! I did have better luck with that one. Could have been the coca cola with the help of my good friend Jack. Together, they make everyone more talented.

So Much Going On!

It's a roller coaster ride.

Downer? The biological father called. He's thinking of moving. Looks like he's heading South. Pray for me. Moving on...

Upper? AWESOME weekend with the friends on the river in New Braunfels! Enjoyed the river, the drinks, and the company. Fantastic music in church today. We had an amazing soloist who made the All-State Choir this past year and has an incredibly mature, rich alto sound. She was fantastic today! Our Choir did a great job backing her up. You should listen to it.

Upper again??? Father's Day! Bob is the best dad a girl could have. Can I get a witness, or 3, Heidi, Stacy and Alyse?! How he manages to keep up with 4 daughters I'll never know. And our pets! What a guy! Happy Father's Day, Bob!

My Scion tC

I got a car. And not just any car, a car that met and surpassed everything I wanted in a car. And it's NEW. I've never had a new car! It has that new car smell, look, and feel! Name suggestions? "Camry" has been offered up as a tribute to my first car (MY first car, not the one my parents said, hey! drive this!). She's purple-ish, and I love her. And she's a 5-Speed!!!!! Do you know how much fun I'm having??? OK, I'm done with the unnecessary punctuation. Maybe not just yet... I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT MY CAR!!!!!

Done. With Several Things.

What a week. School is out, and I am ready for summer! But the last couple of days have been a rollercoaster. Thursday morning was the last day with kids, and my AP approached me asking about 3 bins and a set of golf clubs outside the front entrance of East. I was not aware of their existence there, but sure enough, there was my name on one of the bins in handwriting I am quite familiar with. My belongings from elementary school and my clubs are in the entrance of my place of work, for all to see. And for almost 24 hours, seeing as someone wasn't considerate enough to alert ANYone to their being there. Then there's the issue of another box I was contacted about 2 weeks ago. I met up with a mutual friend, delivering a box filled with anything to do with the two of us. But how does it look when I'm receiving emails regarding one box, then 3 and some golf clubs show up at my school??? I can tell you I was wary of picking up the one. But it's done. I have what I think is all of my possessions back IN my possession. Hopefully there are no more surprises.

There's A Light...

8 days of school left! My concert went just fine, and I'm looking forward to next year! My administration is fantastic, my friends are great, and it's time to kick back and enjoy the summer mornings with Coda. So who's ready to play???

Summer's Comin'

Summer is on it's way. My final concert of the year is this Friday, and then it's time to put the room in order for next year. And next year, the 8th graders will be all mine. Meaning I will have had them for the full 3 years they've been at East. The first time I can say I've been the only Choir teacher the graduating kids have had. I am VERY excited about that! Hopefully they can pull themselves together to improve on this year! I'm so proud of my students this year. They have worked so hard to come so far from where their program used to be.

So I am excited to take a break from school, work on Mary Kay, and just enjoy the time away from teaching... until the fall, that is. =) One of my counterparts pointed out that they handed out the registration cards to the kids early this year, making them choose their electives when the performing arts programs were in their worst time of the year - U.I.L. Then they pointed out to the kids that they handed us our contracts at the same time. Let me tell you how many times the thought runs through your head about whether you are really going to sign that document or not. LOL. Of course, after this year, with the team I've got and the family at East that's been formed, I'm not going anywhere.

So I just had to share my enjoyment of the end of the year, and that I actually am looking forward to next fall.

San Antonio!

My choirs took a trip to San Antonio last weekend to compete and then go to Sea World! We did really well in our performance, earning a Superior ranking from all 3 judges, and we came in runner-up in class! West came in first, which was fantastic for them - they sounded so great!

Sea World was a blast - all my kiddos had fun, and I even got to ride the Steel Eel and the Great White. Shamu was awesome, and if you get to see their acrobatic show, Viva, with the Beluga whales and porpoises (porpi?), do it. Shamu's "Believe" is still the number 1 show to see, but Viva was amazing.

So I'm back after a chaotic time getting home (migraine landed me in the ER the morning we were leaving), but all is over and well. Can't wait to start planning next year's trip. I must be crazy. =)