Rain, Rain Go Away

There are times in your life that you look around and wonder what decisions have led you to this moment. I had one of these moments today. I should start by saying Tyler and I are in Birmingham. We drove up last night to help our two best friends move. When looking at the weather channel on the way here last night I noticed that there was a 100% chance of rain. This should have given me an idea of what was to come. We woke up early this morning and headed over to their current house. There were some very ominous clouds but we decided to persevere. At first it seemed as if everything would go as planned. We packed up mine and Jenny's car and were off to the drop off location. Once we arrived we unloaded both cars and called the husbands for an update. Jenny's husband had reluctantly decided to get a trailer. When we returned back to their current residence her husband and father in law were returning with the trailer. It was then that my moment started. They began the trek up the back hill in a heavy duty 4x4 truck with trailer in tow. The sound I heard next was one in which I never want to hear again. It was the sound of truck tires spinning. Taking beautiful grass and turning into a mud bog that would make any redneck call into work and spend the day on the four wheeler. It was then I realized that we were in for either some high quality entertainment or a big muddy mess. We found ourselves in the latter. We tried plywood which quickly turned into potentially deadly projectiles. Then we had the great idea to all pile in the back of the truck to try to increase traction. It was when I was squatted down in the back of this truck, all my closest friends around me, that I realized that the 8 hour drive was totally worth it. Needless to say it didn't work. We ended up calling AAA and letting them handle the muddy mess while we continued packing and moving. All in all the rest of the day was about the same. Wet and muddy. Now that everything is moved, my stomach is filled with authentic Greek food, Alabama won, and now I am sitting in a quiet house I think about how glad I am to have spent this weekend here. Next time Tyler and I move we will be calling on our friends and a typhoon. I mean it's only fair.

I don't want to grow up...

I now understand why so many blogs come to an untimely in. I have received countless number of e-mails informing me of a new blog I have to check out. It seems that as soon as I add this blog to my favorites list the blogger disappears off the face of the Earth never to be heard from again. I have vowed not to be that blog. However, it often feels like no one is reading. Today though I have heard from 2 people...yes you can count them...2 people that read my blog. So I will blog on. Please try to contain yourselves.
So today was uneventful. Which is a welcome reprieve from recent events. My car has now been returned with fresh spark plugs, transmission service, and oil change. I think I saw my car wink at me on the way in. It is also seems as though Tyler and I are eating dinner later and later each night, and therefore I am staying up a lot later. I feel like such an adult staying up past 9:30. Last night I didn't even put my PJ's on until after 10:00. Well from all these events I have decided at the ripe ole age of 26 I am finally growing up. I am taking care of my car (actually Tyler did most of that), cooking dinner (well Tyler actually did that tonight), staying up past 9:00, and somewhat keeping up with the laundry (actually Tyler does that most of the time). Well maybe it is actually Tyler is the one getting a handle on adulthood. Oh well, my time will come.

It could happen to anyone

So I know all of you were sleepless last night wondering what would become of my car. Would I be selling my body to science to pay for the repairs? Well the answer is no. As it turns out there was some glitch with my gas gauge and I was simply out of gas...pauses for everyone to finish laughing. Now that you have all had your laugh for the day I would just like to say that I still consider this not my fault. I have never run out of gas before and my OCD doesn't let me get my car below 1/4 tank. Last night when I was traveling, my not to be trusted gas gauge was informing me that I had plenty of gas to get home. I have spent the majority of my day sharing this story with others. However, I always like to look at things in a positive light and have come up with 3 things that have come of this that have made my trouble and near death by grizzly bear or 18 wheeler driver all worth it.
1. I now who to call and who not to call while stranded on the side of the road. My first phone call will be to my friend who has a trailer with ramps. Had I known this before the incident I would have called her first. I now have made a full inventory of all friends who have trailers and other equipment that can help me while stranded on the side of the road.

2. Tyler and I, who have never been much for preventive maintenence for our cars have now put my car in for a full tune up, oil change, and whatever else they needto do to insure safe driving conditions for me.

3. Gas gauges are not to be trusted. My car will never again be below a half of a tank.

So anyway I think we have all learned a little something from this.

Cinderella, Breaking Down, Grocery bagging, and Cookbooks

Let's just say that this weekend has been filled with lots of ups and downs and for that matter sideways, but not upside down. I woke up Saturday morning, relatively early for a Saturday, and began my drive to the happiest place on earth, Disneyworld. I was meeting some family that I had not seen in 10 years and was a little nervous and excited at the same time. I arrived found the appropriate transportation and met them in Hollywood Studios, formerly MGM. We spend the day riding rides, and catching up on lost time. It is always great to meet up with the sane side of the family. We really had a great time, and it was weird how much we had in common. We ended the night at Cinderella's castle. It was amazing. The food at the castle left something to be desired, but the atmosphere made up for that. I was like a 5 year old meeting the princess for the first time. I then returned them to their hotel and begin my "2 hour" trek back home to High Springs. I was almost home and my car decided it had had enough, and gave out 5 miles from my exit. Now I might not be the most attractive girl in the world, but I still found myself thinking of some 18 wheeler driver or a grizzly bear having me for their midnight snack. I even picture something or someone coming out of the woods, slicing the top of my car open and dragging me out the top by my ponytail. So as you can imagine I was pretty much freaking out. It was 1:30 in the morning, I had been up all day walking an unthinkable distance around Disney, and I was exhausted. As you can imagine I started freaking out. So immediately I call my husband. Now if you have been keeping up with my blog you might remember the flat tire incident. He again offered no help to my current predicament. I then call my dad. I know I have been married for 5 years and I still called my dad. Trust me I have already received the due criticism for this decision. However, he did have the most rational reasoning. I called FHP and they sent an officer to sit with me until the tow truck and Tyler arrived. After a 148.00 towing and a tongue lashing Tyler and I arrived home around 3. This morning I woke up pretty upset about the princess (my car not Cinderella) and was faced with what to do today. Church was pretty much out by the time I woke up. So I decided we would start working on our family cookbook by preparing some of the recipes and taking pictures. We picked 4. Pecan pie, chocolate decadence, cheese grits and shrimp etoufee. I was off to the store to pick up all the needed supplies and was out the checkout. Now I consider myself to be a great grocery patron. I always try to put my groceries on the belt in a way they can be easily packed without squishing the bread. I neatly put my groceries on the cart by squishiness and category and then you will never believe what happened. The girl starts reaching all around my neatly prepared groceries and throwing cans in with bread, Bisquick in with pie shells, and syrup in with eggs. It was a gruesome scene. Despite my night I managed to not say anything about it. I have now returned home and the recipes have been made, only a few tragedies. The pictures have been taken, and now on our way to what I hope will be a quiet dinner. In the mean time if you are feeling generous and would like to take me to work...just let me know.

Rain

My OCD doesn't allow me to go outside and play in the rain. I just really can't handle wet clothing. However, I really love the idea of standing in the rain. I have always compared true acceptance to running through the rain. There is a point when you are running through the rain that you realize you are going to get soaked. There is no point to run anymore. Your hair has water droplets dripping off the ends soaking the back of your shirt. Your socks are already squishing and your pants are sticking to your legs. It is then you stop running and start walking. Maybe you even splash through a few puddles and reminisce over your childhood. You think back to the time you were walking home from the bus stop and the bottom dropped out. You walked all the way home thinking about the refreshing quality of rain. I have always loved rain. Tonight I will put my pajamas on, curl up on the couch, and relax to the refreshing sound of rain.




I opened my eyes
And looked up at the rain,
And it dripped in my head
And flowed into my brain,
And all that I hear as I lie in my bed
Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.
I step very softly,
I walk very slow,
I can't do a handstand--I might overflow,
So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--
I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

Shel Silverstein

road rage

Okay I have been known to think a few dirty thoughts about other drivers when trying to negotiate my way through downtown Gainesville. I have even been known to give an ugly look to someone passing me when I am already going 10 miles over the speed limit on a two lane road. But what I heard today really takes the cake on road rage. My friend was driving to Bell. So if any of you know where Bell, Florida is you might rank it on the bottom of the list for possible road rage cases. I mean it is almost a daily occurrence to get stuck behind a tractor or some other type of farm equipment. Well back to the story...my friend pulled out in front of a car while crossing an intersection. It was a complete accident, but I guess the guy she pulled out in front of did not see this as an accident. So this person instead of brushing it off with an ugly look or a few curse words decided that my friend and her two innocent children needed to hear about it. He turned around and began following my friend. He then sped past her and stopped in the middle of the road. Then this 30ish year old man started yelling at my friend out of the window profanities. Well if you know Bell you also know cell phone service is a rare commodity. So my friend desperately trying to call 911 can not get a call through. While she is frantically trying to call 911 he is still yelling, parked in the middle of the road, and won't let my friend go past. Inside of her car my friend's children are crying hysterically. Finally when this idiot realizes that my friend has sobbing children in the car and is trying to call 911 lets her pass. So crazy man in the white car if you are reading this I hope you realize the trauma you put two innocent children and one innocent woman through. What did you gain? What did you accomplish? All I can say is I hope you were late for work.

Boredom

Boredom is such a weird emotion. One I rarely find myself having to deal with. Between ESE consults, lesson plans, grading papers, team leadership, flat tires, and my loving husband I can pretty much avoid boredom. However, last night I found myself wrestling with this emotion. As you already know if you have been keeping up with the blog my television satellite was out (fixed today though). And I had executively decided not to bring any school work home with me, and therefore eliminated much of my nightly to do list. I figured with the flat tire situation and cooking a home cooked meal I could manage to fill at least a few hours until 9:30 at which time I would go to bed. Well at about 8:30 I discovered all was done. The dishes from the home cooked chicken pot pie were securely in the dishwasher and the flat tire situation all cleared up, thanks to my husband. It was at this time I decided that Tyler and I would play a board game. We all piled into the game room (my husband, our two dogs, and I) and settled in for a board game. I then realized that most of the board games which we would both be interested in playing (lots of our games are off limits due to the fact that my husband has made me cry while we were playing them) were games that would take at least an hour or more to complete. I then found myself playing self created dice games with my husband. At no point in my life did I think I would be bored enough to sit for 20 minutes throwing dice across the table at my husband trying to knock over a tower of dice he had built. When one finds them self in this position on must take stock of one's life. I looked around and began to worry about my mental state. I began to think of friend's lost that I might be spending time with. I thought of Alabama, and what we would be doing if we stilled lived there in our tiny apartment. It was then I realized that I love my life. I have everything I need. A loving husband who despite half read books he would like to finish and almost completed writings is willing to sit and throw dice at me for 20 minutes. Two dogs who are occasionally a bit disobedient. A house where I feel at home, a family a mere 8 hours away who loves me for who I am, and a best friend who would do anything for me. So even though I don't like to be bored, I am glad I had the opportunity to appreciate what I have.

Surgeon General's Warnings

There are many things in life that people may find themselves addicted to. There are the common addictions such as caffeine and nicotine. However, the other addictions which are typically not chemically addictive provide much more of a threat to the average person. These include things such as: Qtips, clean sheets, fresh towels, chocolate chip cookies, fast cars, and shopping. These addictions are not sold behind the counter, and do not carry the Surgeon General's warning. By the time you realize you are addicted it's too late. You have already spent too much money, gained 50lbs, or had several speeding tickets. Now granted most do not read warning labels. I mean who really needs to know not use their iron in the bath tub. Who doesn't already know that paint should not be ingested. I have fallen into the trap of one of the not so obvious addictions: Blogging. Yesterday when I innocently started this blog I had no idea of the unshakable addiction I was beginning. I know that I am addicted to blogging because as soon as my eyes popped open this morning I began looking around my life and turning every mundane event into a potential blog. I looked around at my ordinary morning. Showering, eating breakfast, checking my e-mail, and gathering the necessary supplies to survive another day in first grade. After completing all these activities I was beginning to find myself in some what of a depressed state. Thinking to myself what will I post when I get home. Thinking that no person in their right mind would want to read about my addiction to blogging and how it has made me realize that my life is nothing to write about. Thinking that today's blog would simply be a quick complaint about how my life is nothing to blog about. But then just as I was resigning myself to blogging only about my lack of blogging material it happened. A flat tire. Now to the average non blogging person this would simply be a hassle to endure first thing on a Monday morning. But to me, a blogger, it was something out of the ordinary to write about. Well the first thing I did was call my loving husband, who as usual offered no help to my immediate crisis which was how do I get to work. I then called a friend I work with who lives only a short 5 minute drive away and she was on her way to pick me up. She delivered me to school only a few minutes late. The day was uneventful after that. I spent the rest of the day thinking about how I could break the news to all 2 of my blog readers about the flat tire. So, you may be thinking what is the point. Why has this blog gone on for what seems like 10 pages. I say all this to say that when initiating a blog there should be a pop up that says: Warning, blogging may cause one to spend many hours studying the day's happenings and pondering how they could be creatively typed in a way that would maintain a person's interest for 8 or more paragraphs.

No Television and Fresh Chicken

There comes a time in everyone's life when the unthinkable happens, the cable goes out. It is at this time one's true patience is tested. Not only is your patience tested by being required to find alternative activities to watching television, but also and maybe more so the call you must make to the cable provider. Well this time for me was this weekend. Not only had the cable gone out but my husband had gone away for the weekend. Luckily most of my Saturday was filled with waffle making and Gator football, but aside from that I had no plans for the weekend. I then decided that it was time to begin throwing myself on any friends that had a glimmer of plans. This is where the fresh chicken makes its appearance. Sunday morning I woke up and decided that I should throw myself into a friend's plans. I woke up and drove over to her house which in shall we say a more agricultural area of this beautiful state. I pull up in the yard and her son runs over with nothing else then a freshly murdered chicken. Being from the city I had never seen a chicken so recently slaughtered. I thought chicken came already processed, no feathers, and in plastic wrap. I proceeded to the chicken butchering area (the tailgate of a white ford pick up) only to see all the parts of the chicken I believe are usually pickled and only served at gas stations with poor lighting. After seeing the lifeless chicken we knew we had to get out of there. So where does one go after witnessing such a trauma....Wal-Mart. Once arriving at Wal-Mart, getting groceries, and accidentally causing a 4 wheel chair pileup we proceed back to the house for some home smoked chicken. Despite the complete horror of witnessing chickens I had seen raised from cute little fluffy chicks get their necks snapped it did make for a delicious dinner.

A Blog About Blogging

I have read many blogs in my time, and have often toyed with the idea of starting one. However, each time I have thought about beginning a blog I have asked myself a few simple questions which in turn have prevented me from starting one. 1. Who would care enough to read and potentially comment on a blog about my life? 2. After a day of teaching first graders (who at times can be very critical) am I up for the potential criticism I may find on my blog? and 3. What would I write about? But yet I find myself reading blogs from others whose lives I find much more mundane and uninteresting than I consider mine.
So here I am writing a blog.
When one begins a blog there is a certain pressure that comes. The pressure to entertain the reader is one I have never been good at. This pressure is only tripled for the first blog. When I read blogs the first entry has to be one of intrigue. I mean how many chances should a blogger get to be added to the favorites list and to be checked on daily. I by no means expect my blog to be found on Time's list of the top 25 blogs of 2009. However, I do wish to create somewhat of a modern day journal which at some point I can look back on and see what at a time I thought was important enough to sit down at my computer and blog about.