Fall

Today is what I call a good fall day. I woke up this morning at 6. That left me with lots of hours of productivity. I went yard saleing with a friend and found some cool buys. I don't love shopping in people's driveways and garages but it is a great time to people watch. There is such a range of people are yard sales. Next we were on a mission to find a Halloween costume for myself and her son. My costume has to be from a book so we were racking our brains for an easy book character. I decided I wanted to be the cat and the fiddle so we stop by a costume store and picked up ears and a tail. We were then in need of a fiddle. We called many stores looking for a fiddle. Well as you guessed a fiddle is not an easy thing to come by. We then stopped by Goodwill and you will never guess it....a fiddle...an iron fiddle just sitting there. So we swooped that up and we were then off to one of my favorite places that I rarely visit...Sam's. I really have no need to buy things in bulk, but I think it is a passion handed down from generation to generation. My dad will be the first person to buy a gallon of sour cream or a case of peppermint Mentos. We then went and picked up my friend's son and friend's daughter and were off to a fall festival. I have been to a lot of fall festivals. This one was not incredibly huge, but I was impressed by the spread of food. Which when you don't have kids of your own what else are you really looking for at a fall festival. Now we are sitting watching Alabama make some huge mistakes. I have had to quarantine myself to the game room because I can watch. But we pulled it out. And who says there is no such thing as miracles.

Homecoming!

This week is an exciting week at our school. Although I do try to convince my students that every week is exciting this week is especially exciting. This week is homecoming week. You know the week where each day has a theme and one gets to dress up with each daily theme. I do love this week. I think it is because when I was in high school I was far to unpopular and embarrassed to dress up with these preposterous themes. I received enough ridicule on a daily basis that I didn't want to add goofy outfits to the mix. Today was cowboy/camo day. I guess that they did both of these things just in case your Wranglers were in the wash. I truly enjoyed watching all my kids walk around in belt buckles and cowboy boots. They truly thought they owned the place. I also didn't even mind the joke "Where is -___________. Oh I didn't see you in your camo" Even though I did hear it at least 100 times today and it is possibly the worst joke ever uttered. Well anyway I am now getting to relive those dress up days and I am loving every moment. I am very thankful for my finally discovered self esteem that lets me walk around with boots on and a handkerchief hanging out of my back pocket without listening for laughter coming from corners. Now if only come Friday morning there was a huge mum with long ribbons this week would be perfect.

California

After finally arriving in LA this morning at 2:00 local time 5:00 eastern time I was shuttled to the hotel where I had a short nap and then it was time to begin exploring. First, we went to Roscoe's were we had fried chicken and waffles for breakfast. Starting your day with such a great combo leaves one with high expectations for the rest of the day. We then took a series of trains and subways to Hollywood. We went to the Chinese theater, the walk of stars, the wax museum, and saw lots of interesting people. We also visited Sunset Blvd. and Chinatown. And now after another confusing progression of trains and subways I am enjoying resting my feet in the hotel for a little while before we tackle Long Beach. Katie is off somewhere with her engineering friends (who I do not have enough intelligence to hang with), but I will be spending the day with her tomorrow. So after a long day of seeing many of California's most famous spots I find myself trying to tackle a blog. I thought that I would share with you a list that I created all day that may be more interesting than me describing famous hot spots. So here it goes:

The Top Ten People I Do Not Want to be in California (if you are one of these I am not saying it is bad, I am just saying it is not for me)

1. A senior citizen screaming at a teenager through the subway station about his missing pot (not the kind you cook with)
2. A person living under the tram overpass
3. A person selling burritos out of a white van
4. A person eating a burrito purchased out of a white van
5. A person wearing thigh high leather boots going to a casting for Gotham something at Universal Studios
6. A person sleeping (or maybe dead) on a pile of trash bags in the subway station
7. Anyone without a metro pass determined to walk the city
8. Someone paying 1 dollar to have my picture made with a 90 year old man in a faded Spiderman outfit
9. A 90 year old man having children pay a dollar to have their picture made with me in a faded Spiderman outfit
10. A tiny woman peddling my house cleaning services on Hollywood Blvd.

All in all it was a very interesting and eventful day. Although I don't know that I appreciated it all because I had already walked 1000 miles before arriving at some of my destinations. Also I am confused why maps are such a rare commodity around this place. It seems with a city this large and so many tourists there would be people peddling maps all over the place. But I guess the house cleaning industry and botox (yes you can get it done in seconds) keeps everyone in business.

Wally World

When you live in a small town you learn to live without certain luxuries. One of which is Wal-Mart. The town I grew up in is not so small now but when I was growing up was by most considered small. We however were blessed with a Wal-Mart, but it wasn't a super. I remember when a super Wal-Mart opened 30 miles north of us and we all piled into the car to go see the bright lights of this new Wal-Mart. I remember my astonishment to find groceries, and wondering how my sister could possibly be asleep in the cart during this eye opening experience. Well I now live in a small town. Much smaller than the town I grew up in, and we are without Wal-Mart. When first moving to this town it was hard times. What was I going to do without this modern day staple. I would have to drive 22 miles to the nearest blue paradise. But as time dragged on I learned to live without it and in the process finding myself saving money. Today after dropping Tyler off at the airport I was faced with the decision of what to do by myself for the afternoon. There were many great choices...homework, grading papers, cleaning...but then I saw it. It was the beautiful green (formally blue) heaven of Wal-Mart. I thought to myself...self...what would it hurt to browse a few aisles? I needed to get a few items for my secret pal at work and I thought she might be tired of my Dollar General finds so I decided to stop in. I found a front row parking place so I knew it was meant to be. I walked in and there was the familiar smell that had welcomed me so many times before. I shopped and shopped. I walked up and down all the aisles. I love my husband but I do have to admit it was nice to wander the store throwing things in the cart knowing he wouldn't be home to stare down my purchases. I was enjoying my time there and was headed to the check out when I realized that I had found nothing for my secret pal. I returned to the sea of merchandise on a mission. It was then when I remembered why I don't go to Wal-Mart anymore. I can save much more money by not surrounding myself with "discount" merchandise. So I have my fix now. I will cling tight to my unnecessary purchases until another day when I am feeling weak and I once again must feed my addiction....maybe a support group is in order.

In other news Blake is safely in Vegas with Tyler soon to follow.

So tomorrow is the day. The day that Tyler has been waiting for this day for 3 years. No it is not the birth of our first child or paying off our house. It is his trip to Vegas. But more importantly it is his trip to Vegas with his best friend. Tyler and I had already booked a trip to Vegas before we found out we were moving to Florida. Then when we found out we were moving here we had to cancel. Ever since Tyler has been dreaming of the day he could see the bright lights of Vegas. Now of course there is a little jealously that he is going to live it up in Vegas without me. I love bright lights as much as the next girl, but I am trying to look on the bright side of this trip (after giving my husband grief for a couple of months). I figure that by him going to Vegas with his best friend that I then become entitled to an elaborate trip with my best friend. I am thinking an all inclusive resort with daily trips to the spa will do the trip. Luckily my best friend is married to Tyler's best friend so she is therefore also entitled to an elaborate trip. So eventhough I will be somewhat lonely for the next four days I am looking forward to the time in which I can enjoy a girls only getaway.

Travel

I know that many people who keep up with me on facebook think that I am always traveling. This is to some extent an accurate judgement. I often go on day or weekend trips to see family or to explore this beautiful state. However, I am now preparing for my first cross country trip/flight. I am looking for any advice on how to survive a 8 hour plane ride. That is an entire workday spent in a confined space with people you have never met before, and let's not even begin to discuss the bathroom situation. Not only will I be traveling cross country for the first time, but I will be traveling alone. Tyler will already be in Las Vegas and will be meeting me in California. Yes, you got it. My husband is going to Las Vegas without me. He will be meeting his best friend in Vegas for 3 days of bromancing (is that even a word). Him and his best friend have frequently turned their noses up at the word bromance. But they will be going to the wedding capital of the world together. Well anyway if you know me you know that I am a worrier. If you have any advice about traveling such long distances I will be very willing to accept.

Fall

It is getting dark earlier, the weather is growing cooler (by Florida standards), football is on every Saturday, and my fall decorations are out and filled with candy (well they were until I started eating it). Fall is finally upon us. It is my favorite season of the year. For some reason cooler weather makes me feel less stressed even though the list of things to do keeps getting longer.
Speaking of to do lists, I often find myself making list of things to do. I love lists. They make me feel more organized than I really am. When you see a person checking something off a list you really think...that girl has really got it pulled together. Lists seem to make my OCD settle down for a while, and allow me to tackle only one things at a time. So my new goal is wake up every morning and make a list of the items that need to be done that day while also keeping a list of things that need to be done in the month. This will accomplish one of two possible things. 1. I will become completely obsessed with list making and crossing things off my list. Kinda like My Name is Earl, but with a lot less of doing things for Karma. or 2. Drive me completely insane. I will be taking bets on what you think will happen.