So I shared a really stupid joke with my kids the other day on March 4th. I told them it was the only day of the year that is a verbal phrase--March forth! Very lame.
However, it's a suitable battle cry for where I am now. February (also known as the month of No Calories Left Behind) is finally over. Yes, all the celebrations (Justin's b-day, my father-in-law's, my mom's, and our anniversary) are fun, but now they are over. March is finally here.
I'm not religious, but March does take on a rather Lent-ish feel. It's the month where I start to get my focus back. I march forth. Slowly, but surely I work my way to the end of the school year. I'm always pretty exhausted right now, so it's all about incremental accomplishments. Step by step.
Here are my upcoming steps:
1. Turn in my last set of Advocacy lessons for the year (Thank Gawd!)
2. Rescue my poor desk at work from its paper infection (Oh, yes, I totally want to each HONORS English--idiot.)
3. Finish my literature review for my thesis and put an end to research once and for all (I'm sure this is an untrue statement, but it feels good to lie to myself.)
Observant readers will notice no goals for diet or exercise. I will try to exercise (this week was a stunning failure...only an hour for the whole week), but I need to be honest with myself. My thesis is a HUGE time suck, and it's really easy to beat myself up over not exercising enough. That will just have to wait.
So, here we go. One step (however begrudgingly) at a time.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Progress 3
This was my first five-day week in awhile. I wasn't thrilled about that, but I actually got some stuff done, which was good. Not everything I should have, of course.
Thesis: I did okay this week, but not great. In fact, I need to do some serious work this weekend. I tried to work on Sunday, but I felt wiped out, so mostly I just napped. Monday and Wednesday I did well. Thursday and Friday--not so much. Well, I'm planning on getting at least two hours done today and most of tomorrow afternoon. We'll see...
Work: I feel like all I did during my prep was grade and there is still a pile as big as Ripley on my desk. So sad. Also, I need to get my Advocacy lessons done; they're planned, just not printed out. Sigh. The one bright-ish spot is that I'm probably not getting laid off, but there is a distinct possibility that I could have to move schools. I am so fine with that. New=good.
Family: Thursday was our anniversary, but we didn't do much. We're celebrating it tonight. We did have dinner at BJ's, which started out well. The evening ended quickly, however, because Em FREAKED out over a necklace. Nice. My sister and brother in law are coming over later today to watch Em and Justin and I are staying tonight in Sac. He's planned everything, so it should be really nice.
Social Life: Text messaging your friends does not count as a social life.
Health/Exercise: Still didn't learn from the Thursday thing. Exercised Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. Totally not as much as I wanted to, but I re-lost the two pounds I gained last week. March should be better...
See ya next week!
Thesis: I did okay this week, but not great. In fact, I need to do some serious work this weekend. I tried to work on Sunday, but I felt wiped out, so mostly I just napped. Monday and Wednesday I did well. Thursday and Friday--not so much. Well, I'm planning on getting at least two hours done today and most of tomorrow afternoon. We'll see...
Work: I feel like all I did during my prep was grade and there is still a pile as big as Ripley on my desk. So sad. Also, I need to get my Advocacy lessons done; they're planned, just not printed out. Sigh. The one bright-ish spot is that I'm probably not getting laid off, but there is a distinct possibility that I could have to move schools. I am so fine with that. New=good.
Family: Thursday was our anniversary, but we didn't do much. We're celebrating it tonight. We did have dinner at BJ's, which started out well. The evening ended quickly, however, because Em FREAKED out over a necklace. Nice. My sister and brother in law are coming over later today to watch Em and Justin and I are staying tonight in Sac. He's planned everything, so it should be really nice.
Social Life: Text messaging your friends does not count as a social life.
Health/Exercise: Still didn't learn from the Thursday thing. Exercised Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday. Totally not as much as I wanted to, but I re-lost the two pounds I gained last week. March should be better...
See ya next week!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Progress 2
Another week has passed, and I am that much closer to my thesis deadline.
Thesis: Actually got a lot done over the weekend. Organized my research and wrote five pages, bringing my total to 20 pages for chapter two. Met with my professor, who said I'm doing a good job. Have done "nothing" else since.
Work: I am seriously considering taking my class room phone off the hook. The dang thing rings every period and there is always a difficult question to answer on the other line. I really don't know how I have become the answer to people's problems. But there I am. Ugh. Had an important meeting on Friday that could potentially lead to an admin job, so of course my weird skin thing popped up again. AWESOME.
Family: Heading to Concord today for my mom's birthday. Our anniversary is this week. Still no plans. The idea of booking a hotel room simply for napping seems intriguing.
Social Life: I did get to go out with a friend from work for dinner before our basketball duty last night. Does that count?
Health/Exercise: Started out strong on the exercise this week, but then peetered out. Don't think leaving exercise til Thursday is a wise idea. Gained two pounds. I blame the fon-don't from Valentine's. In fact, I blame my face for that too. It's a good scapegoat.
Alright, I need to get going. See ya next week.
Thesis: Actually got a lot done over the weekend. Organized my research and wrote five pages, bringing my total to 20 pages for chapter two. Met with my professor, who said I'm doing a good job. Have done "nothing" else since.
Work: I am seriously considering taking my class room phone off the hook. The dang thing rings every period and there is always a difficult question to answer on the other line. I really don't know how I have become the answer to people's problems. But there I am. Ugh. Had an important meeting on Friday that could potentially lead to an admin job, so of course my weird skin thing popped up again. AWESOME.
Family: Heading to Concord today for my mom's birthday. Our anniversary is this week. Still no plans. The idea of booking a hotel room simply for napping seems intriguing.
Social Life: I did get to go out with a friend from work for dinner before our basketball duty last night. Does that count?
Health/Exercise: Started out strong on the exercise this week, but then peetered out. Don't think leaving exercise til Thursday is a wise idea. Gained two pounds. I blame the fon-don't from Valentine's. In fact, I blame my face for that too. It's a good scapegoat.
Alright, I need to get going. See ya next week.
Monday, February 15, 2010
A Valentines' Haiku
When fondue becomes a fon-don't:
Fondue tonight, yes?
Clumpy, stinky mess, alas
Must take a shower
Fondue tonight, yes?
Clumpy, stinky mess, alas
Must take a shower
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Progress
Since I am now working on my master's thesis (SIGH), I think the blogging will have to be more short and sweet, to the point. (Again, SIGH).
So here's my progress this week:
Thesis: Since Sunday, worked almost 7 hours on it. Wrote a super rough draft of chapter 1 (haven't heard back from advisor...ugh.) Still researching for chapter 2 and have much more to do on that front. The research is actually the fun part.
Work: My student teacher got a sub job at my school. Awesome for her. A bummer for her slacker master teacher. Now I get my freshman back. Fantastic. I have a ton of crap to do at work (grading, Advocacy lessons, etc.) None of it is enjoyable. I am a big baby.
Family: Emerson and Justin are both in full recovery from their illness, and things at home are back to normal. Normal=crazy busy. February is a wacko month with Justin's b-day, his dad's b-day, my mom's b-day, and our anniversary. By the time we finish it, we are fatter and poor.
Social Life: Ha! Check with me in March.
Health/Exercise: I didn't do so awesome on the exercise front this week, but I did lose two pounds. And then I had a chocolate covered strawberry for breakfast. Whoops.
Thanks for listening. See you in a week.
So here's my progress this week:
Thesis: Since Sunday, worked almost 7 hours on it. Wrote a super rough draft of chapter 1 (haven't heard back from advisor...ugh.) Still researching for chapter 2 and have much more to do on that front. The research is actually the fun part.
Work: My student teacher got a sub job at my school. Awesome for her. A bummer for her slacker master teacher. Now I get my freshman back. Fantastic. I have a ton of crap to do at work (grading, Advocacy lessons, etc.) None of it is enjoyable. I am a big baby.
Family: Emerson and Justin are both in full recovery from their illness, and things at home are back to normal. Normal=crazy busy. February is a wacko month with Justin's b-day, his dad's b-day, my mom's b-day, and our anniversary. By the time we finish it, we are fatter and poor.
Social Life: Ha! Check with me in March.
Health/Exercise: I didn't do so awesome on the exercise front this week, but I did lose two pounds. And then I had a chocolate covered strawberry for breakfast. Whoops.
Thanks for listening. See you in a week.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Finally! I Surprised my Husband!
I mean, other than the time I told him I was pregnant. But that surprise was kinda his fault anyways. :)
But this time I surprised him in a totally fun way that will not lead to me being fat and horrible for nine months. And I am quite proud of myself.
My husband and I have been together for nine years, and his birthday has always been an issue between us. First, he always lies and says he doesn't want anything. For the first five years I believed him. I've stopped doing that.
Second, he tells me what he wants for his birthday and he is very specific. He is one of those people who know what they want and have really good taste. I am not, so when he buys me presents, I am always surprised because I would never buy what he gets me for myself. Many times he buys his own present, like this Christmas when he got hiking boots. Sigh.
Third, he can always guess what I am doing. I am going to attribute this to his powers of observation and not my complete lack of guile. Works for me.
This year I decided I would do the following:
1. Not listen to his lies about not wanting to do anything
2. Plan an event, not a present
3. Keep my dang mouth shut
And hey, my plan worked!
A friend of ours had told me about a restaurant in Elk Grove, The Boulevard Bistro. It's a really cute little place that has been converted from a house in old Elk Grove. Justin and I had actually checked out their menu, but we had done it so long ago that I knew it was a safe pick.
I called up the restaurant and explained that my husband really loves food and that I would love to surprise him with a wonderful meal. (I did not explain also that if I tried to make that wonderful meal myself that I would just stress him out.)
I spoke with the chef and he put together a fixed priced menu just for Justin and I. I thought when they first offered the idea that it would just be whatever they had planned for that evening. Nope, it went way beyond that. The chef asked me what Justin liked in the ways of meat, preparation, and wine. Then he developed a menu all around that.
The three intervening weeks were a bit torturous for me. I kept almost letting the cat out of the bag, especially when Justin would goad me. I left red herrings everywhere, so that by the time we got to his birthday, he thought we were going to a steak house in Sac.
Justin's parents came over to watch Em, and Justin's dad dropped us off at the restaurant. It felt a bit like a high school date, but I knew that we would both have a lot of wine. I thought it was a safe bet.
When we got to the restaurant, Justin was very surprised by the menu, and we were very please by it when in started to roll out. The chef came out and introduced himself: he is the chef and owner and takes much pride in the food he prepares.
We begun the meal with champagne and a ravioli appetizer. Then, we had sea bass and asparagus. I think I liked the fish better than Justin, but we were both huge fans of the blood-orange cream sauce. Then we had a salad with micro greens and fried goat cheese. At first, I felt I goofed in not telling the chef that Justin doesn't like goat cheese, but he actually liked the salad.
Then we hit the jack pot--duck two ways: confit and foie gras. It was to die for. I'm still thinking about it. The meal concluded with steak, perfectly cooked, and a delicious chocolate torte and cheesecake. It was quite an experience.
All in all I was very pleased with my endeavor to surprise Justin. February is such a busy month for us that I wanted to make sure he felt special and paid attention to. I think I accomplished my goal. :)
But this time I surprised him in a totally fun way that will not lead to me being fat and horrible for nine months. And I am quite proud of myself.
My husband and I have been together for nine years, and his birthday has always been an issue between us. First, he always lies and says he doesn't want anything. For the first five years I believed him. I've stopped doing that.
Second, he tells me what he wants for his birthday and he is very specific. He is one of those people who know what they want and have really good taste. I am not, so when he buys me presents, I am always surprised because I would never buy what he gets me for myself. Many times he buys his own present, like this Christmas when he got hiking boots. Sigh.
Third, he can always guess what I am doing. I am going to attribute this to his powers of observation and not my complete lack of guile. Works for me.
This year I decided I would do the following:
1. Not listen to his lies about not wanting to do anything
2. Plan an event, not a present
3. Keep my dang mouth shut
And hey, my plan worked!
A friend of ours had told me about a restaurant in Elk Grove, The Boulevard Bistro. It's a really cute little place that has been converted from a house in old Elk Grove. Justin and I had actually checked out their menu, but we had done it so long ago that I knew it was a safe pick.
I called up the restaurant and explained that my husband really loves food and that I would love to surprise him with a wonderful meal. (I did not explain also that if I tried to make that wonderful meal myself that I would just stress him out.)
I spoke with the chef and he put together a fixed priced menu just for Justin and I. I thought when they first offered the idea that it would just be whatever they had planned for that evening. Nope, it went way beyond that. The chef asked me what Justin liked in the ways of meat, preparation, and wine. Then he developed a menu all around that.
The three intervening weeks were a bit torturous for me. I kept almost letting the cat out of the bag, especially when Justin would goad me. I left red herrings everywhere, so that by the time we got to his birthday, he thought we were going to a steak house in Sac.
Justin's parents came over to watch Em, and Justin's dad dropped us off at the restaurant. It felt a bit like a high school date, but I knew that we would both have a lot of wine. I thought it was a safe bet.
When we got to the restaurant, Justin was very surprised by the menu, and we were very please by it when in started to roll out. The chef came out and introduced himself: he is the chef and owner and takes much pride in the food he prepares.
We begun the meal with champagne and a ravioli appetizer. Then, we had sea bass and asparagus. I think I liked the fish better than Justin, but we were both huge fans of the blood-orange cream sauce. Then we had a salad with micro greens and fried goat cheese. At first, I felt I goofed in not telling the chef that Justin doesn't like goat cheese, but he actually liked the salad.
Then we hit the jack pot--duck two ways: confit and foie gras. It was to die for. I'm still thinking about it. The meal concluded with steak, perfectly cooked, and a delicious chocolate torte and cheesecake. It was quite an experience.
All in all I was very pleased with my endeavor to surprise Justin. February is such a busy month for us that I wanted to make sure he felt special and paid attention to. I think I accomplished my goal. :)
Friday, January 22, 2010
One Weird, Long Week
Most Fridays I am beyond thrilled that the week is over. This is especially true since I've stopped having classes on Saturdays. But this week takes the cake. It has truly been one of the longest weeks I've experienced this school year.
It started out okay. On Sunday we had family over for a friend's birthday party the night before. Em seemed to not be feeling well, which concerned me, but it seemed like normal kid over excitement. She woke up with a little fever; again, not terribly worrisome because she and I get fevers over nothing. We're hot. :)
We went to breakfast, which was good, but loud and tiring. We came back home and Emerson really didn't seem okay. She took a nap, which is always weird. I wasn't hugely concerned because we had Monday off. I thought that would be plenty of time for her to get over whatever bug she had.
Monday went by and it became very apparent that I was not going to be able to go to work on Tuesday. Emerson's fever never went away and she started to get a terrible cough. So I started in on the preparations for missing a day of work. Called my student teacher, got a sub, and emailed my plans. I also was desperately hoping my desk wasn't a total disaster.
It was a good call to have Em skip day care; she woke up with a 102.5 fever. She spent most of the day watching cartoons, coughing, and being really out of it. I gave Kaiser a call just to be on the safe side, and they set up a phone appointment for the next day because they thought she just had a bad cold.
Tuesday afternoon was a bit hectic. I took Em to school because I had to teach my 8th period. I wasn't sure how much I'd be out this week, and it's important to get a certain number of hours in with my kids. Also, I had to dress up for a board meeting that night. Those of us who finished our admin credential were recognized by the board. It was a nice, positive evening, but it was also a LONG evening. I got home at 8:30 completely wiped out.
I decided to stay home with Emerson again on Wednesday, and in hind sight it might have been better for Justin to do so. He had a rough day. The power went out at his school, his principal dealt with it poorly, and it was so chaotic that Justin ended up with his cell phone stolen. Sigh.
Emerson was getting no better on Wednesday, so I had to become pushy with Kaiser. One nurse I spoke to was particularly condescending; I kept telling her that something seemed wrong, but she kept telling me to wait for my phone appointment with Em's doctor. So I did. As soon as I spoke with the doctor on the phone and explained Em's symptoms, she had me come in.
The actual doctor's visit was quite exhausting for both Em and me. We had to wait for the doctor, go to the x-ray, and come back upstairs for the doctor. Emerson was in the worst mood and really wiped out. I found out why once we went back upstairs. She has pneumonia. Ugh.
I felt vindicated because I was right, but I also felt terrible for my baby girl. I was very hopeful that the antibiotics would help. Of course, a prescription meant one more trip down stairs to the pharmacy. The line there is always super long, and to add insult to injury, I was forced to listen to one of the most inane teenage conversations.
Thursday Justin stayed with Emerson and I made an appearance at work. Luckily, I have really good kids and a great student teacher, so they had been fine without me. The day was filled with both professional disappointment and potential. I got a letter from Lodi Unified saying that I did not get an interview for an assistant principal position. But at the same time, I had heard a few weeks back about a potential position at a local high school. It was (and is a remote) possibility, but I jumped on the opportunity and cold emailed the principal. Luckily, my gamble worked and the opportunity is becoming more solid. Again, it's not a sure bet, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction.
Today I am home with Em. We slept in, which was greatly needed by both of us. I think she's pretty bored, but I'm running out of ideas of how to entertain a kid who shouldn't be running around. I put her down for a nap. I need to clean up the house a bit. Oh, and maybe change out of my PJ's. Just maybe...
It started out okay. On Sunday we had family over for a friend's birthday party the night before. Em seemed to not be feeling well, which concerned me, but it seemed like normal kid over excitement. She woke up with a little fever; again, not terribly worrisome because she and I get fevers over nothing. We're hot. :)
We went to breakfast, which was good, but loud and tiring. We came back home and Emerson really didn't seem okay. She took a nap, which is always weird. I wasn't hugely concerned because we had Monday off. I thought that would be plenty of time for her to get over whatever bug she had.
Monday went by and it became very apparent that I was not going to be able to go to work on Tuesday. Emerson's fever never went away and she started to get a terrible cough. So I started in on the preparations for missing a day of work. Called my student teacher, got a sub, and emailed my plans. I also was desperately hoping my desk wasn't a total disaster.
It was a good call to have Em skip day care; she woke up with a 102.5 fever. She spent most of the day watching cartoons, coughing, and being really out of it. I gave Kaiser a call just to be on the safe side, and they set up a phone appointment for the next day because they thought she just had a bad cold.
Tuesday afternoon was a bit hectic. I took Em to school because I had to teach my 8th period. I wasn't sure how much I'd be out this week, and it's important to get a certain number of hours in with my kids. Also, I had to dress up for a board meeting that night. Those of us who finished our admin credential were recognized by the board. It was a nice, positive evening, but it was also a LONG evening. I got home at 8:30 completely wiped out.
I decided to stay home with Emerson again on Wednesday, and in hind sight it might have been better for Justin to do so. He had a rough day. The power went out at his school, his principal dealt with it poorly, and it was so chaotic that Justin ended up with his cell phone stolen. Sigh.
Emerson was getting no better on Wednesday, so I had to become pushy with Kaiser. One nurse I spoke to was particularly condescending; I kept telling her that something seemed wrong, but she kept telling me to wait for my phone appointment with Em's doctor. So I did. As soon as I spoke with the doctor on the phone and explained Em's symptoms, she had me come in.
The actual doctor's visit was quite exhausting for both Em and me. We had to wait for the doctor, go to the x-ray, and come back upstairs for the doctor. Emerson was in the worst mood and really wiped out. I found out why once we went back upstairs. She has pneumonia. Ugh.
I felt vindicated because I was right, but I also felt terrible for my baby girl. I was very hopeful that the antibiotics would help. Of course, a prescription meant one more trip down stairs to the pharmacy. The line there is always super long, and to add insult to injury, I was forced to listen to one of the most inane teenage conversations.
Thursday Justin stayed with Emerson and I made an appearance at work. Luckily, I have really good kids and a great student teacher, so they had been fine without me. The day was filled with both professional disappointment and potential. I got a letter from Lodi Unified saying that I did not get an interview for an assistant principal position. But at the same time, I had heard a few weeks back about a potential position at a local high school. It was (and is a remote) possibility, but I jumped on the opportunity and cold emailed the principal. Luckily, my gamble worked and the opportunity is becoming more solid. Again, it's not a sure bet, but I feel like I'm moving in the right direction.
Today I am home with Em. We slept in, which was greatly needed by both of us. I think she's pretty bored, but I'm running out of ideas of how to entertain a kid who shouldn't be running around. I put her down for a nap. I need to clean up the house a bit. Oh, and maybe change out of my PJ's. Just maybe...
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