My Tag

My dear friend Brooke tagged me on her blog like a month ago, and I'm finally getting around to writing my list. I'm not sure how interesting it is, but maybe you'll learn something about me you didn't know. Or be reminded of just how quirky I am. :)


1) I have an unreasonable fear of bowling and have never actually done it. It's really not so much a fear of bowling as a fear of not being good at something and people watching me stink at it. I know, I know, most people aren't good at bowling. But I'm not most people. :)


2) My biggest dream is to be in a Broadway musical. And also that dream would have to include a) being good enough to do it and b) not being completely terrified to be on stage! Details, details...


2a) Considering my number 2, this one shouldn't be a huge surprise and therefore I'm making it 2a instead of 3 -- I love musicals!! Movies or plays, makes no difference to me. I haven't seen nearly as many live shows I would like to but I have seen Phantom of the Opera, On the Town, Miss Saigon, Ragtime... sadly that may be it. Then there are shows that I haven't seen, but know the soundtrack by heart -- Wicked, Les Miserables, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Then there are the movie musicals that I love, both those that were previously broadway shows and those that are just good ol' movie musicals -- Mamma Mia, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Hairspray, Rent, Grease, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Calamity Jane... I'm sure there are others that I'm leaving out, but you get the idea. I love em and quite frankly, I wish my life was a musical. Everything is better/more dramatic/more bearable when music is involved.

3) I am a lesson drop-out. I took dance lessons for about 4 years in elementary school taking tap, jazz, and ballet, but dropped out mostly because I was chubby and felt really insecure in my leotard. Sad, huh? I wasn't outstanding or anything, but I remember being decent (and the tallest girl in my class!). Then in high school I took voice lessons for three years, singing Italian arias and showtunes. I would love to be taking them now that my voice is so much more mature. I miss singing (other than in my car and in the shower...)

4) I am addicted to lotion. I have to put it on right before I got to bed, after I wash my hands, after baths, and any other time I feel my hands getting the slightest bit dry. When I was little, I remember waking up and feeling that my hands were dry and not knowing what else to do, I licked them so they would feel better and then went back to sleep. Now a bottle of lotion by my bed does the trick in these situations.

5) I believe that the reason I work so well with autistic kids is that I'm a touch autistic myself. I have major sensory issues... I don't like certain noises in the car or other closed in places(whistling, loud music, anything shrill). There are certain fabrics that I absolutely cannot stand to touch (yet I do it anyway then shudder). And there are several foods I don't like simply because of their texture (mushrooms and pears come to mind).

6) Speaking of food -- my absolute least favorite food in the world is a food that you might find to be pretty mind, but I absolutely hate it and almost cry if I accidentally get some in my mouth. RAW CELERY. UGH. I hate it with a passion!!!!

7) I would love to have a job as a professional organizer or planner of some sort. Maybe an event planner or event coordinator for a location. Or going in and organizing people's homes. I really enjoy this type of work. I guess that's why I'm getting my masters in administration -- it's the job in education that involves the most of that type of thing.

I'm sure there are more interesting things I could have included, but there you go for now. I'll probably add more to it later as I think of things.

So, I'm supposed to tag 7 people? Hmmm.... who hasn't been tagged? Oh well...

Lee

Heather

Jayme

Jen

Briana

Beth

Dawn

My Thanksgiving Games

In preparation for a gathering of friends over the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I have been asked to develop some sort of game for everyone to participate in. I thought I would share the two I came up with with my blog readers.

Elementary Cafeteria: Along the same lines as Iron Chef... but not. Leftover foods are randomly combined in the same fashion as the gross boys at your elementary school cafeteria table. Milk and ketchup are added at random for extra grossness. Participants are blindfolded and fed the combinations. Each identified ingredient earns a point.

Bachelor Grab: Seeing as there is only one singleton involved in this extravaganza, this game completely revolves around ME. Each participant has 30 minutes to go out in Greensboro and find a bachelor to bring in to be interviewed.

Points are awarded based on the following criteria:
* Creativity of location bachelor was found
* Score on Bible Trivia test (not too low... but not too high...)
* Height (the taller than me, the better)
* Sense of humor (points for his ability to be funny, more points if he thinks I am funny)
* Job (apparently I am a job snob. May as well embrace it)
* Ability to do odd jobs around the house (plumbing, carpentry, car stuff, etc.)
*** Bonus points if Josh Mullins can wear his clothes
*** Bonus points if he can provide substantial proof that is mother isn't a wack-a-doo

Points will be subtracted from the total for the following:
* Owning an inside dog (even more subtracted if said dog would fit in my purse)
* Pleated pants (if coupled with a short sleeve dress shirt, automatic disqualification)
* Cologne (soap or aftershave are acceptable)
* Overall wimpiness (enough said)
* Gum chewing (more points subtracted for spearmint and wintergreen)
* Crippling cheapness (I'm okay with the dollar movie... but not ALL THE TIME!)

*****In case of a tie, a wrestling match will occur. Each bachelor will receive coaching from the Joshes on how to wrestle and not look too... you know. The winner will be whoever comes off looking the least ridiculous and inappropriate, not necessarily who wins the match.

My Big Surprise

A month or more ago, my new friend Brooke mentioned that she would like to start a Bible study with some ladies from school and whoever else wanted to join in. I can't lie -- my gut reaction was an internal groan. Not because I didn't like these people, not because I didn't love the Lord, but because I've basically been trying to hide from Him for a while. It's much harder to do this in a Small Group. Dang accountability always messin' me up.

Anyway -- my desire to get to know Brooke and others better and the urging of the Holy Spirit (again, dang it!) ended up overriding my desire to stay hidden under a bushel (no!) and I agreed to join.

Fast forward to our first meeting. We're all sitting around discussing what we want to study, who will lead, how often we'll meet, etc. and all of a sudden -- word vomit. (that's a shout out to the movie Mean Girls -- watch it, you won't regret it!) I started contributing ideas!! I felt my InterVarsity training kicking in and suggesting ways that we could approach it. And the next thing I knew, I VOLUNTEERED TO LEAD THE FIRST FEW WEEKS! How's that for hiding?

Now, I could end my post there. That was surprise enough in itself. But then came the first night I actually led. And wouldn't you know it, at least twice as many people showed up to this one as the first one! No pressure. Of course, I felt pretty prepared -- Lee gave me some Bible Study refreshers and helped me talk through some ideas -- but when you lead a Bible Study, especially a new one, there's no telling how it will actually go.

So, we started our meeting a little late -- it's a shame we all like each other so well. :) And then we get going. I'm half expecting to hear the crickets chirping as I ask questions, but low and behold, we had such amazing, uplifting, God-centered conversation that I only got through the first point on my plan before we had to wrap up!

Now, I could end my post there. It was a great night filled with easy conversation and sharing. That was surprise enough in itself. But then came my feelings about it...

If you know me at all, you will really understand why this is another big surprise...

I actually felt good about the way I led, what I shared, AND I REALLY ENJOYED DOING IT! I tend to be so hard on myself and analyze every little thing, but I honestly didn't! When Lee asked how it went, I was actually able to say "really good" instead of my normal answer of "it was okay".

I guess the BIGGEST surprise is that after all this time, I still get surprised when God shows how willing He is to be there for me!

My AIG Kids are Weird...

I have to admit, I was worried that my AIG kids wouldn't be quite as funny as my regular classroom kids. With fewer personalities come fewer funny moments. Or at least that was my fear. However...

I started meeting with kids this week (finally!) and so far so good. We basically just did some get to know you stuff, starting with a true/false quiz about me. I just listed some statements that they had to try to guess if they were true or false. Trying to get them comfortable with the new teacher. Then they had to write some about themselves for me to guess to get to know them better.

Some of my statements were "I don't like salad." (true) "I have three cats." (false) "I grew up on a farm." (true and false... Don't worry Lee, I explained it!) So then they started coming up with their own.

I reminded them to write them as statements, as facts about themselves. Write them as if they are true. I started walking around and looking at their facts and one of my fifth graders has written "Do you think I'm cute?" as one of his statements. Oh my. So I tried not to crack up as I walked over to tell Jayme (we share an office at this school) and then I tred to reiterate the directions -- no questions, write it as a statement, this should tell me something about you. So I see this kid start to erase furiously. Whew. Crisis averted. I didn't want him to share that with the rest of the group! Then I look at his paper a few minutes later and he has written "Ms. M is cool." Well, obviously this is true, but not the point of the assignment. So, again I say something about making sure it tells me something about you. More erasing. Then it comes time to share and I save this kid for last. Finally I get to him and I don't remember any the statements he wrote except for:

I think I'm pretty. True or false.

Wow. Just... wow.

My Fantasy Football Team

Yes, you read correctly. I have a fantasy football team. Is it because I love football? Nope, don't even understand it. Is it because I have a husband or boyfriend (or both...?) who loves football and I want to be more involved in his interests? Nope, though I'd enjoy having that as a reason...

Basically the reason I have a fantasy football team -- well the reasons are threefold really: 1) I get to pick out a name for my team (which shall be revealed in good time). 2) I like math, and the scoring is math-ish (though the computer does all the thinking for me). 3) I get to talk smack to my friends Lee and Gwyn who are also in my league and other girls who I know less well and therefore get less smacky-talk.

So, what is my team name you ask? Up until this week I had stuck with the simple "Team McRary" that espn.com chose for me. But once I hit my two game winning streak (yeah!) I decided that a proper name was in order. So while taking a shower this morning, I began contemplating an animal that I had some sort of connection with. This was difficult, because as many of you know, I'm not an animal person. But then it hit me -- LEMURS! In college an extremely misguided young man named Jason decided that it was a compliment to tell me (and my friend Melissa) that we looked like lemurs. Something about the big eyes... he was a strange little man. Anyway -- no NFL team has the distinction of being named after lemurs, and hence my selection was made. Then I needed an alliterative adjective to go along with it. Lucious? Ick. Leggy? Double ick. And then it came to me, inspired by that freckle-faced, red haired orphan we all love: Annie. Which lemurs would we be? The Leapin' Lemurs! And yes, I included the ! which makes for an even more exciting scoreboard: Bailey vs. Lemurs!

[* For you non-Annie fans out there, she often exclaims "Leapin' lizards!"

So, I am now the proud owner (runner? operator? coach? ) of the Leapin' Lemurs! who are ranked number 2 in our league which will probably end soon... OH! And did I mention that in nature, female lemurs are the dominant ones? I thought this was way appropriate for my super-butch fantasy football team! Woo hoo!

Now our league has done an autodraft for the past two years. But there are times where some changes must be made. In keeping with my hardcore knowledge of football in general, I now present Amanda's two rules for trading, dropping, and adding players:

1) Any players whose hair hangs out of their helmet must be dropped.

2) Efforts should be made to attain players who have alliterative names (i.e. Muhsin Muhammad).

Oh yeah. It's gonna be a good season!

My Insane Realization

I just realized that I have a totally unreasonable number of email addresses right now. Now, I really only use two of them, but still, the fact remains that I have not one, not three, not even five, but EIGHT EMAIL ADDRESSES!!!! How in the world did this happen????

I have my regular yahoo address that I've had since college. Then I have another yahoo address that I can give to my students. Of course I have one for Hickory Public Schools that hasn't been canceled yet because I was using it for my AIG certification classes. My new address for NCCS is now operational. Then I got one for google so I could comment on friend's blogs which then turned into me having my own blog. My MSA cohort started their own blog, but I didn't want them to necessarily read this one, so I got another google address so I could contribute to that blog without giving myself away. Finally, as a student at both ASU and HPU, I have an email account with each of them.

I definitely don't check all of these regularly and a couple of them will go away soon (HPU and HPS) but STILL! This is just unreasonable.

Anyone able to beat me???

My AIG Certification is FINISHED!

I turned in my last assignment today for my AIG (academically or intellectually gifted) certification. YIPPEE!!!!! So, four of the six classes I have been taking this summer are over! AND I'm pretty darn close to finishing the other two (for my MSA) as well. Hopefully I'll be super motivated this weekend and get those assignments finished as well so I can just relax until school starts back.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I made As in all four of those?? WOO HOO!

Insanely happy right now. Must go celebrate by watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at CAST in downtown Hickory with Lee and Cecilia (featuring a kid a babysit for).

My Blog is No Longer Private

I started to make the title kinda sketchy, but decided against it in order to maintain my status as a PG rated blog. At least I think it is. I've watched a lot of Scrubs this week and I think the Todd is rubbing off on me. (Oh... and there was another opportunity that I shall let slip on by...)

I periodically do random internet searches to see if my blog is still searchable. And today is the first day that when I typed in my first and last name my blog didn't show up anywhere! In celebration, I am removing the private status off of my blog so I no longer have to invite people to view it.

If you decide to put a link to my blog on your blog, I'm totally okay with that, just make sure you keep my last name off so that if yours becomes searchable, you won't take me down with you! I just don't want nosy students knowing about my life outside of those buildings. It would be way creepy if a nine year old came up to me and quoted things from my NKOTB post. *shudder*

And FYI (because I know you're curious) the fungus is disappearing. Should be gone just in time to start my new job completely fungus free. Whew!

My Fungus Loves Me

Oh you only thought we were finished with fungus posts!

The whole fungus drama (see previous post) began right around my birthday (end of March). My regular doctor said it was a fungus, gave me a cream and sent me on my way. Well, the cream did seem to work -- kept the evil fungus at bay. But just when I thought it was safe to stop applying the cream, it would come back, little by little. I thought maybe I should just use it a little longer. Then I'd stop and it'd creep back in. Never big, but annoying.

So, I called the doctor and asked for a referral to a dermatologist. I got an appointment and she didn't think it looked like a fungus after all and maybe it was just a reaction to the cream I had been using. I was told to stop using that cream and use another one. Big mistake. The next thing I know I have a disgusting two inch EXTREMELY ITCHY place back on my face, WAY bigger than that original fungus patch ever thought of being! So, I called the dermatologist back and told them that it was getting bigger.

PA that I saw is out of town, she'll see me in a week and a half. So, this thing has grown two inches in a week and you are telling me to wait another week? I call back again -- please help me, this is really getting out of control. Come pick up another cream. So I pick up another cream. This cream angers the itchy red patch (which has now grown a small, equally itchy friend.) I am so overwhelmed at my elephantman face that I don't know what to do.

(Jayme, I know you will be shocked that I am posting TWO pictures of my fungus, but what good is a fungus if you don't share? :)

Here is what it looked like back in April. A cute little unassuming fungus.

And here is what it looks like at this point in the story. The reflection off the shiny fungus kinda doesn't show it's true red beauty. And it actually got even a little worse. This was taken a day or two before I finally got some real help for it. Keep reading...

So, Lee offers to call Mary D. in Asheville to see if Duncan would mind seeing me. Duncan swoops in and saves the day! I cried when she told me he would see me that very day. I went up Thursday, cried when told nurse about the whole ordeal. So emotional about hideous face. He scraped my face and said it was indeed STILL a fungus (the first cream wasn't strong enough to kill it for good) and gave me mega medicine to wipe it out from the inside out and from the inside in. This is the second time Duncan has saved my skin's behind. (um... yeah...) He also treated a strange rash back when I lived next to them in the pink house. Had his nurse give me a shot in the biscuit. You can't give your babysitter/neighbor a shot in the biscuit. Too, too weird.

I love that family, whether they save me from my fungus or not. But especially for saving me from the fungus. I think it's working and I hope to be fungus free in a week or two.

And obviously that fungus REALLY loves me far too much to say goodbye.

My Long-overdue SYTYCD Post

For those of you not in the know, SYTYCD is the ridiculously long abbreviation for So You Think You Can Dance?, the BEST SHOW IN THE WORLD!

If you've read Lee's blog lately, you know that I have won her (and Cecilia) over to the world of SYTYCD. Now except for those three and a half years I spent twirling around Tammy Lunsford's School of Dance, I really don't know that much about dancing per se. I wouldn't even say that I was a big dancing fan. My mom and aunts dragged me to a Dancing With the Stars tour a couple years ago, which I have to admit, was pretty entertaining, and I always help my dear friend Jen with Dance Team auditions at school. But I've never been into that show and didn't really watch SYTYCD until this year. Because of the magic that is DVR, I started taping during the auditions and fell in love! And now, it's my favorite subject to talk about!

What do I love about this show? (in no particular order)
1) It makes me want to get up and dance. Not that I do. Usually...
2) It introduces me to new music or reintroduces me to old favorites. Fun times.
3) Tabitha and Napoleon -- two choreographers who do NOT look like hip hop dancers, but their routines are AMAZING!
4) Mandy Moore -- another choreographer, not the pop star (but I like that Mandy Moore too...). She does contemporary and jazz and I just think she's had some really amazing routines this season.

5) The ways these people can make their bodies move -- it's insane. And it's not even CGI.
6) Cat Deeley -- the host. She's gorgeous, tall, British -- and I don't even hate her! She genuinely seems to like her job and like interacting with all the dancers. She really seems to care for them and is proud of what they do. My mom and I have a bit of a heterosexual girl crush on her.
7) The Hot Tamale Train. Yes, Mary Murphy needs to turn down the decibels a little bit, but I admit, I'd like to ride the Hot Tamale Train myself.
8) Mia Michaels -- another choreographer. Sometimes I think she tries a little to hard to be quirky, but I can't help it. I love it. Look up the Mia Michaels routines that Chelsea and Mark and Katee and Joshua did on YouTube. If you don't love them, you have no soul. :)
9) So far, America is getting it right. I haven't disagreed on any of the bottom three so far. None of those "shocking upsets" that plague American Idol.
10) All of the dancers seem to be genuinely nice people in the little intros that they do before each dance. And if they aren't, they are also really good actors.

So, that's why I love it -- but who are my fave couples? I thought you'd never ask! These are kind of in order, but I change my mind regularly.

1) Katee and Joshua. She is a contemporary dancer and he's a popper. (check the link) There is no way they should be able to pull off Hip Hop, Broadway, Samba and Swing the way they have. They are so versatile I think they can dance anything. Seriously. And he is so ridiculously precious!

2) Chelsea and Mark. She's a ballroom dancer and he's... I'm not really sure what he is. Very eclectic. He did this crab-like routine in Las Vegas to get into the top 20 that won me over. They also seem to be able to take on anything. And they are both extremely likable.

3) Twitch and Kherington. He was in Hairspray. She smiles all the time. What more do you need?

4) Will and Jessica. Jessica is from Myrtle Beach. No one is from Myrtle Beach. And Will trained with Debbie Allen. Their "shirt" routine (courtesy of Mandy Moore) this week was crazy awesome hot.

5) Courtney G. and Gev. He's a break dancer and is in love with his partner. It's adorable. And I think their Rhumba was hot. They are my underdogs.

Hmmm... wait a minute. That only leaves one couple. I guess I know who I want to see go this week. And after that -- I'm torn!

Do yourself a favor -- check some of these out on YouTube. Seriously. I'll put a couple links here to whet your appetite. (I'm not smart enough to figure out how to put them in like Lee did...)

Katee and Joshua - Samba

(try to ignore the disturbing news blurbs across the bottom after the dance...)

Jessica and Will - Lyrical Jazz (PG 13!) :)

(and they are dancing to Heart! bonus points!)

My Crazy Class-filled Summer

So far, I'm hanging in there. I've now completed two classes for my AIG certification. For those of you who aren't familiar with the alphabet soup lingo of education, basically it means I'm going to be teaching the smarties -- gifted kids.

Anyway -- two of those classes are finished in lightning speed (2 and a half weeks! Whew!) and I managed to get two As in those guys. Well, to be completely honest, two A+s. Woo hoo for me!! Now I'm about halfway through my two MSA classes (masters of school administration) for the summer and have just started my other two AIG certification classes which are four weeks instead of two and a half, thank goodness.

I'm having a hard time being as motivated lately which is sad since I have three weeks with no babysitting to get tons of work done. I hope my outstanding work ethic returns soon because Thursday evening and yesterday all I accomplished was watching five, yes FIVE movies: A Lot Like Love, Trust the Man, Night at the Museum, Man of the Year, and Made of Honor at the $2 movie. (I had a lot of stuff saved up on my DVR...)

Today I've done some cleaning... and watched some Grey's Anatomy...

MUST...STOP...VEGGING!!!

My "Seriously?!" Experience of the Week

Yesterday Jen and I went to the mall to return a couple of things I had purchased a couple of days earlier. We went to Dillards, returned the first thing, then headed to JCPenney's. I handed the lady the earrings and she did her little magic to return them. Here's how it went down:

Lady: Did you pay for this with a debit card?
Me: Yes.
(Lady clicks around a minute. While I'm waiting, I find a dime on the floor, pick it up, and place it on the counter.)
Lady: Do you have two pennies?
Me: Um, I'm not sure, let me check.
(Start digging in my purse. Jen does the same.)
Me: I don't think I do. Cleaned out the change earlier today.
(Lady starts counting out the change -- $0.98 -- for my refund.)
Me: Oh yuck! $0.98! So close!
Lady: Well, it's your own fault for not having two pennies.
(seriously?)
Me: (laughs uncomfortably, starts putting change in wallet, then am wrestling with all the cash)
Lady: Don't forget your dime! (Picks it up, throws it in my purse which is sitting on the counter.)
(Seriously?!)
Lady: And here, make sure you get all your receipts (folds them up and then, I kid you not, STUFFS THEM INTO MY OPEN PURSE! She literally had her hand IN my purse, stuffing the receipts into it!)

SERIOUSLY!??!?!?!

My Lack of Posting (a long, informative, but not entertaining post)

Well, it has been quite a while since I've posted and with good reason! So much has been going on and I thought I would take a few minutes to catch you guys up.

A lot of you know that I interviewed for a position with Newton Conover Schools to be the AIG Lead teacher. Well, I'm not certified in AIG but the interview went well and I was definitely hopeful. A week or so later I got a phone call from my prospective boss who informed me that I was their choice for the job (yay!) but there was a glitch. The glitch was that the money set aside for this position was specifically from the AIG funds and they could only pay a AIG certified teacher. I was crushed. After some discussion, he explained that if I could get certified by Christmas, he could make the budget work.

So, I set off to find a way to make this happen. After a lot of research, emails, and phone calls, I finally found a program that would get me certified by the end of summer! Hooray! Only one drawback -- it's a private university! So, I had to talk to my mom about it and weigh our (monetary) options and we decided it was worth the extra cost. (Thankfully God gave me a wonderful mom who is supporting me completely -- emotionally and financially!)

THEN I had to decide whether or not to keep going with my MSA cohort. Taking the 12 hours needed for certification plus the 6 hours that were already on the schedule for the MSA (18 hours in a summer! EEK!) seemed like an awful lot of work -- I didn't know if I was up for the challenge. So, I went to the first class of each of my MSA classes, decided that I would give it a try, so here I am a few weeks into my 18 hour summer and so far so good! (It helps that the 12 AIG hours are all online course and they go two at a time (two in June and two in July) so I'm really only taking 12 hours at once, if that makes sense...)

AND of course I had to end the year, pack up my classroom, and start my babysitting jobs so -- whew! It's gonna be an interesting summer! I do have to say that so far God has given me a really good work ethic! I know it's from Him, because I am usually a MAJOR procrastinator and so far, so good! Thank you Lord for keeping me from being a lazy bum!!

My Favorite Music Group of All Time!!!

(Now, I know that I will be ridiculed, but I just can't NOT post about this!)

All week, I have been excited about Friday's Today show. Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, I found out that my favorite music group of all time would be performing as a kick off to their reunion tour. Ladies and gentlemen, performing for the first time in 14 years:

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK!!!!

I admit it. I'm not ashamed. I unabashedly love them!!
They are my absolute favorite music group of all time!!

Before you flip, please out take note:

* I did NOT use the word band. We all know they aren't a band. They may play a few instruments, but their thing was singing, dancing and gyrating, not playing.

* They are NOT, I repeat, NOT amazingly talented musicians. Seriously, I get it. I have enough of a musical background to know that this is not groundbreaking or innovative and it's barely mediocre. I honestly don't even remember if they wrote any of their songs, music or lyrics.

So then, why this proclamation of love?
Well...

* When I watched them do the "New Kids Dance"on the Today show, I giggled.
* And then, when Joey McIntyre pulled out the hat with no top, I jumped up and down in my seat a little.
* I still knew every word to "Tonight", down to the last "gir-e-er-e-er-e-er-rls"
* I squealed a little when Joey sang a little "Please Don't Go Girl." And I wasn't about to go anywhere.
* I started feeling a little guilty for abandoning them when they went through the awkward "tough guy" stage after the "Step by Step" album.
* And when it was over, I checked online to see where they are touring.
* And I checked iTunes to see if their new single was there (it was...).
* AND I found myself wondering if I still had any of my NKOTB t-shirts which I could at least wear to bed or to clean in...


So, yeah, I still love them. I do! Watching them takes me back to 5th and 6th grade, a happier, simpler time. They automatically bring this huge smile to my face. Joey is still my favorite, Donnie still acts like the rebel, Jordan is still trying a little too hard to be hetero, Danny is still a little simian-like, and Jon still looks extremely uncomfortable on stage (he actually has pretty severe panic attacks... I don't know how he does it!).

There you have it, NKOTB -- my favorite music group of all time! Let the abuse begin.

My Students Say the Darndest Things (Blast from the Past)

I don't have anything great to blog about and I'm in this real funk lately so I thought I would fill the void with an old story from my kids in Asheville.

On Valentine's day, two of my girls, Brittany and Kelsey (I am not even changing their names. It's been long enough.) were arguing about boys. One had a boyfriend, one didn't and they were just yapping back and forth about it all day long. (Yes, I taught third grade. Ridiculous.) "Your boyfriend is stupid." "Well, at least I have a boyfriend." "Yeah, but he's stupid." "Better than not having one!" "Well, I don't want one!" "Yes you do, you're jealous!" "No I'm not."

Finally after a lot of time went by and they were still going back and forth, I called them over to my chair in the front of the room. I asked what the problem was and they basically repeated everything they had said. I buried my head in my hands and sat in silence for a minute. Then I looked up and said "Girls, this is silly. You are in the third grade. We don't need to be arguing about boys. I don't have a boyfriend, and I don't think you need one either. Just get over it and sit down."

They headed to their seats and another student who had been listening to the conversation came over. His name was Benjamin and he was Ukranian and spoke English well, but it was definitely broken and he definitely had an accent. He smiled this huge grin at me and said:

"Ms. M., their mother's milk is not dry on their lips and they have boyfriends!"

I laughed so hard I cried!! I asked him where he heard this and he told me his mother says it sometimes. I was so impressed that he took the time to translate this pearl of wisdom in to English for us!

My Students Say the Darndest Things (part 3?)

I'm too lazy to make sure that is the right number...

We were watching a video today on animal adaptations in desert animals (made in the 80s, but still very entertaining!) At one point they showed this beetle pushing sand out of a hole over and over.

Javan: Oooh look. He's packing his bags and gettin' outta there.

(Class laughs)

Dashawn: He's sick and tired of his wife cheatin' on him all the time!

(Class laughs, and I lose it as well...)

Oh my...

My Fading Injuries

It sure has been an injury-filled six months for me...

First in November I was helping my mom do some cleaning outside (wearing rubber flip flops... I never claimed to be the smartest girl...) when I stepped on a nail in a board that went about an inch and a half into my foot. This resulted in lots of bright red blood, an x-ray to make sure I hadn't hit bone or shoved a piece of rubber into my foot, a shot in the arm, lots of salt water soaks, and about a week of limping. Now there's not much left there to remind me of that painful day except a very faint scar and a knot in the middle of my foot.

Then came the fungus. I guess this isn't technically an injury, but whatever. I assume it came from my day at the spa (and no, I'm not scared to go back there) and this was a nice spa -- imagine what you could get at the lower-scale ones... Anyway -- it's fading pretty much with the help of a prescription cream but it's still a little red.

Finally the bruised biscuit. You will be happy to know that it is now turning a lovely shade of maroon around the edges and vomit green in the middle. Nice.

With six weeks of babysitting lined up with two different families this summer, I'm scared of what the future may hold...

My Bruised Biscuit

As if a fungus on my face wasn't enough...

This past Wednesday morning as I walked out to my car, my neighbor (who I haven't talked to since I moved here in December) was walking out to his car at the same time. This never happens -- coming or going -- which is why I haven't talked to him yet. That and I'm weird about talking to strangers. Anyway --

I hit the next to last step and my feet flew out from under me and I landed on the bottom step HARD! (Ice in April???? What in the world??) Of course my whole body was jarred and the part of the step the juts out horizontally really dug into my upper posterior. I exclaimed "OUCH!" (I was proud that something more rude didn't come out) and sat there waiting for neighbor-guy to say "Are you okay?" or "Can I help you?" But instead, what I heard was the sound of him going back into his house and shutting the door!!! He didn't even stick around to see if I was okay!!! I was so humiliated and then I was so ticked that he didn't even check on me! I mean, I am worried that if he hears me screaming he won't come check on me!

So, just hours later I was already feeling it. My upper biscuit was swollen and a bruise formed immediately. By the next day, this bruise was about 7 inches by 4 inches and so dark purple it was basically black. It's been almost a week and I'm still sore (I mean, how much recovery time do you really get on your bottom? I mean, you sit on it!!) but the bruise is just starting to turn green/yellow around the edges. Believe me, I wish it wasn't completely inappropriate to show it everyone because I really would. It's THAT impressive!

I'm still contemplating taking a picture of it just to have for myself.

My Cooties

The day of my birthday spa outing (which I meant to post about... but I haven't gotten the pics from Lee yet with all the baby excitement), I developed what I thought was a zit on my face. By Sunday, it was kinda scary looking so I thought it had just gotten infected. So, I put a bandaid on it with some antibiotic ointment.

On Monday, it was looking more like a blister. I went down the the nurse assistant at my school and showed it to her. Her reaction was "Yuck!" Very reassuring. By this point that I was convinced that a spider had laid its eggs in my face. So, I called and made an appointment for after school and after he checked it out, he said it was an infected or irritated sebaceous gland which developed into a cyst. He gave me an antibiotic for ten days, but a week later... this is what we have.


Like the pained expression? It's fake. :) But I AM very irritated that it is still there and I'm not sure it's going anywhere fast... It's also very itchy lately.

So, I headed back to the doctor today. He scraped my face with a scapel blade (not as scary as it sounds) and checked it out. And the verdict...

I HAVE A FUNGUS ON MY FACE!!!! FUNGUS, PEOPLE! Like athlete's foot on my face!!! FUNGUS!!!!

So, I guess I'll just spray some "tough actin' Tinactin" on my face. And then maybe John Madden will show up at my house. Or at least that guy Josh Simmons likes so much that acts like John Madden all the time...




Or I'll use the prescription. Whatever.

My Jewelry

For the past couple of years I've been making beaded jewelry. I mostly use glass beads (sometimes wooden) and it's become a hobby that I really enjoy. I sell a lot of my stuff, give some as gifts, and of course, keep some for myself! For those of you who might be curious, here are some of my latest and favorites lanyards and necklaces. (I'm realizing that they don't look quite as pretty in the pictures... but I mean, it's my "okay" camera and the background is the futon in my office, so what do you expect, right?)

My Students Say the Darndest Things, Dustin Style

Oh, and here's a gem from Dustin:

Me: Okay, problem number 4. Mario has four rolls of quarters. Each roll of quarters is worth $10 and has 40 quarters in it. Which expression will help you figure out how many quarters Mario has? Now, we have to be careful to look at the question itself here: how many quarters does Mario have, not how much money does he have. (More explanation and discussion about which numbers to focus on, underlining key words, yada, yada, yada...) So, look at your answer choices. They are trying to trick you! One will show how much money, but we need to know the number of quarters. Who thinks they know which is the correct answer choice?

(Many hands go up. Dustin's is the most excited arm, so...)

Me: Dustin?

Dustin: Did you just say Mario of the mushroom kingdom?

Whew. What a day...

My Students Say the Darndest Things (take two)

So, I'm not sure if this tale will translate well on a blog. I'm sure it's way funnier with my impressions of my students, the visuals and the sound effects instead of my description of the action and my brilliant use of onomatopoeia. (And folks, I just have to brag that I spelled that word on my own! I mean, I double checked myself... I'm no fool... but I spelled it correctly!)

But I digress...

Today during our 2:00 bathroom break I had the following exchange with some boys in my class:

Kyle: Ms. M, Dashawn came over to me in the bathroom and called me the C word.

(Ms. M's brain: Oh my Lord! What C word do my fourth graders know??? EW EW EW!)

Ms. M's mouth: Um, Kyle, what C word? I mean, can you spell it or give me a better clue here?

Kyle: He called me a white C word -- you know, the N word for white people. (That would be cracker...)

(Ms. M's brain: OH THANK YOU LORD!)

Ms. M's mouth: Hmm. I'll talk to him.

(Dashawn comes into the hallway.)

Ms. M's mouth: Dashawn, what did you call Kyle?

Dashawn: I didn't call him nuthin'!

(Ms. M's brain: Yeah right.)

Ms. M's mouth: Come on Dashawn. What did you call him?

Dashawn: Nuthin'!

Ms. M's mouth: Think about it really hard. Just be honest.

Dashawn: I didn't!

(Ms. M's brain: I know you kid, and you are lying!)

Ms. M's mouth: So, I guess you were just hanging out in the bathroom talking about cheese and crackers?

Dashawn: What? (Looks very confused.) No. (Look of realization on his face.) Yeah, he threw soap in my face and I said "You eat cheese and crackers."

(Ms. M's brain: Oh my heavens, is he really going to try this???)

Ms. M's mouth: Dashawn... come on! You did not say that to him! That is just crazy and doesn't even make sense!

Dashawn: I did! He kept throwing soap in my face and I said "You eat crackers. You eat cheese and crackers."

(I call the bathroom monitor and Kyle in the hallway.)

Ms. M's mouth: Kyle, were you throwing soap in Dashawn's face?

Kyle: NO!

Dashawn: Yes you did! You were flicking it at my face.

(Ms. M's brain: These are two of the biggest fibbers in my room...what the heck am I going to do?)

Ms. M's mouth: James (bathroom monitor), did you see anything?

James: No, I was trying to keep Kalen from coming in the bathroom.

Ms. M's mouth: Kyle, seriously, did you get soap on him, on purpose or on accident?

Kyle: No! I just washed my hands. He was at the other sink anyway!

(Ms. Ms brain: These sinks are like 6 inches apart. Not a great argument...)

Dashawn: You were slapping your hands together like this (CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!) and soap went all over the place.

Kyle: No I didn't! I just washed my hands.

(Ms. M's brain: I smell the smoke of a liar, liar whose pants are on fire... but which pants?)

Ms. M's mouth: Kyle, is it possible that you weren't being as careful as you could have with the soap?

Dashawn interrupts: Yeah, you were all slapping it around like this (CLAP! CLAP!) and it got on my face.

Kyle: No, I was washing my hands like this (rubs hands together with a couple small claps in between-- rubrubrubclaprubrubclaprubclaprubrub)

(Ms. M's brain: You've got to be kidding me... how is he keeping a straight face?)

Ms. M's mouth: Kyle, why would you clap your hands while you are washing? When I wash my hands I just go (rubrubrubrubrubrubrubrubrub), there are no claps in between. I see no need for clapping while you rub.

Kyle: It was just barely a clap!

Ms. M's mouth: Well, even barely a clap can make a mess and I don't think you want to join Mr. Blair in cleaning up the mirrors in the afternoons, do you?

Kyle: No.

Ms. M's mouth: And Dashawn, even if he did get some soap on you, that is no reason to say he eats cheese and crackers or whatever you said.

Kyle: (looking extremely confused) That's not what he said...he called me the C word...

(Ms. M's brain: Yeah, I know, but you both tell me fibs so what can I do? Hold your hand in the bathroom?)

Ms. M's mouth: No, no, no... doesn't matter. Whatever. Just don't call names and don't clap your hands when you wash them, got it?

(Ms. M's brain: Four years of college and THIS is the kind of conversation I get to have at work? People in "real world jobs" just have no idea...)

My Play Place Experience

Jayme watched Cecilia and Gareth Wednesday, so I met them (plus Annie) at McDonald's for lunch.

This particular McDonald's Play Place isn't exactly toddler friendly. There was no way Gareth would have been able to leave the first little bubble. (Picture it in your mind. You'll know what I mean.) So, Deda to the rescue! We were the only ones out there, so I kicked off my flip flops and climbed on in.

[*Note: This is not the play place that we went to. In fact, I swiped this from some stranger's blog and those are actually her kids. But I felt you needed a visual here! ]

Together, Gareth and I scaled the many twists and turns of the Play Place, each of us with different obstacles to overcome: Gareth was too small to climb most of the way and I was too tall (something I never get to say...) to get through without crawling and twisting and flipping and all sorts of acrobatic moves. Cecilia was in front leading the way, and since she is the perfect size (and intended audience) for the Play Place, she would zip ahead and then turn back and yell "Come on Deda!" or "Hurry up Gareth!"

After a lot of twisting, shocks, and sore knees (me), butt hoists, nose wipes, and excited cries of "eee?!" (Gareth), grunts, huffing and puffing (both of us), we reached the top. Cecilia had waited on us and headed down the slide first. Next went Gareth who started on his bottom, but by the time he reached the bottom he had twisted many different directions. Finally I headed down, having to lean back because, again I'm too tall (hooray!). It was pretty fun to slide down a twisty slide again, but sure don't remember getting shocked this many times as a kid...

I ended up going up with Gareth again after Jayme did (I'm a sucker for that kid...) and I definitely felt like I needed to soak in boiling water for a while afterwards, but it was a blast being in there with them. I highly recommend it, but you should definitely accompany your own kid or borrow a friend's kid... otherwise you just look pathetic and strange.

My Golden Year Closes

I am closing out my 28th year of life. I call this my golden year because on March 28, 2007 I turned 28. Get it? 28 on the 28th? I think it's a yankee thing that this southern gal has adopted. Anyway -- this Friday the 28th comes around again (aka my birthday) and I will be saying goodbye to my golden age of 28.

I think it's time to go back to my original plan...

Many of you will remember that I really didn't like the idea of turning 25. 25 seemed old and like an age I just didn't want to be and an age I didn't want to go beyond. So, on my 25th birthday I decided to stay 24. On my 26th, I went back a year to 23. On my 27th, I decided to be 22. Then I was blinded by that whole golden birthday notion and went ahead and turned 28 as God (and my mother) intended. But now, I think it's time to go back to the original plan.

On this Friday, I will be turning 21 and will hold steady because, even though I don't drink often, I need to have the option...

My Addendum (for the Smug Marrieds Rant)

So I reread the Smug Married Rant post and feel really good about the frustration I expressed and how I expressed it, but then got sad and frustrated all over again...

Yeah, I'm frustrated about that particular situation that inspired that post and I feel sad that God has chosen something else for me right now and yada yada yada. But I think the thing that saddens me most is that none of my MANY married friends have commented on that post at all. I think I only have two singleton friends reading this blog and they were the ones who commented.

So, then I started wondering...

* Are the marrieds not commenting because they think I'm calling them smug? (I don't know of any smug marrieds who are reading this blog... You can be a married without being a smug married. But if you thought I was talking to you, maybe you should do a smug check to be on the safe side...)
* Are they not commenting because they are afraid they'll anger the singleton beast inside me? (I don't think any of you would say anything stupid... and unless you are stupid I will not lash out at you.)
* Why do I want them to comment? (I guess some validation from someone besides the other singletons that I'm dealing with some really clueless married people would be nice.)
* What do I want them to say? (Maybe some words of encouragement? Maybe something to represent the non-smug portion of your population? Maybe to tell me about your single God-lovin' cousin who wants to meet a good girl and settle down? Hee hee!)
* Do I want them to all comment on this post now? (Well, only if they want to. I'm just sharing and spreading awareness. :)

My First American Idol Post!!

My love affair with American Idol has been renewed! I think there it's because there are more Kelly Clarksons, Carrie Underwoods, and Chris Daughtrys in this group as opposed to Taylor Hicks, Reuben Studdards, and Katherine McPhees...
(In other words, TALENTED people who have a chance at REAL SUCCESS.)

My top three:

Number 3 - Brooke White

Okay, when I first saw her audition, I thought she was way too cutesy and smiley. She has a lot of teeth (a la Nancy Kerrigan) and has never seen a R rated movie. She gushes about her job as a nanny for twin girls. There are a million reasons that I, of all people, should hate her.

BUT I DON'T! I think she's 100% genuinely nice and sweet! If I ever find out otherwise, I'll be crushed. AND she's really talented. Plays piano, guitar, and a beautiful folksy kinda voice. (And her husband has adoreable curly hair...)

Number 2 - Carly SmithsonI have loved this chick from day one! I love her accent (she's Irish if you're not in the know), I think she's cute as a button (yes, you can be cute with tattoos), and it endeared her to me even more when she talked about how her husband was embarassed to be on TV during the auditions because his face is tattooed. Oh yeah, and this girl CAN SING! She has this amazing powerhouse voice that I just adore.

Number One - DAVID COOK!I don't remember him standing out that much for me in the audition phase. I thought his hair was weird and he sang okay. But since the "Hello" week where not only he sang the stuff out of that tired ol' Lionel Richie song, but I have to admit, he seduced me with those come hither eyes. (And I hate to tell all you bee-yotches, he WAS looking at ME.)

Hello, it is David I'm looking for.

My Exposure

Okay, so how in the heck did Jonathan find me???? I didn't realize that if someone has your email address they can track down your blog. TECHNOLOGY IS SCARY!!! I haven't even given Lee and Gwyn my blog address and Jonathan has already read it, commented, and linked it to HIS blog!

I'm exposed!

Update: I'm an idiot. If you click on the comment I leave behind on a blog, it lists my blogs on my profile thingy! DUH! Not hard to find huh? Jonathan isn't such a genius after all. :)

My Question

If you have a blog, but no one has the address, is it really a blog?

My Rant Against Smug Marrieds

Yes, I blatantly borrowed the phrase from Bridget Jones, and although she is a fictional character, I know she would be thrilled, honored even, that I borrowed that phrase from her because I know she would definitely understand where I'm coming from.

Note to all Smug Marrieds out there (you know who you are): Could you please do all us singletons a favor and THINK before you speak? When the pretty single lady who already feels like an outsider in your little group talks about how busy she is lately because she works like 60 hours a week and goes to grad school, don't say "I don't want to hear it. You don't have two kids and that (points to husband) to deal with!"

I don't have kids? Really? And no husband? Why, I hadn't even noticed that I was the only single person in the room above the age of 20! And I didn't realize that I'm eight years older than the newlyweds who just walked in (oh, and surprise! They are pregnant!) And I certainly didn't know that you aren't allowed to be busy until you have a husband and kids.

And while we're at it, could all you smug married ladies PLEASE stop with the bitching and moaning your husbands? First of all, you have no idea how it ticks the singletons off. Oh how we would love to have a husband to argue with, snuggle with, raise children with, serve with, and just live life with!

And secondly, I have a pretty good feeling that your belittling doesn't fulfill that whole biblical picture of what marriage is supposed to be: "Wives, submit to your husbands, but only if they never make mistakes. When they do screw up, please berate them in public and constantly make them feel like ignorant simpletons. For I am the Lord your God."

Nuh uh. Pretty sure that's NOT what it says.

But what do I know? I'm single.

My Observation

Note to self: I think every post title will begin with "My" in honor of Scrubs, one of the funniest TV shows known to man.

My Students Say the Darndest Things

This entire blog could easily consist of the insanely funny things that my students say and do on a daily basis. Heck, I could fill a blog with just the things that Dustin* says! So, sit back and enjoy installment number one of My Students Say the Darndest Things: Dustin edition.
[Note: These stories are even more effective when told in my "Dustin voice". He's got a pretty distinctive voice, and I'm pretty good at it. :)]
* Names have been changed to protect the autistic...

Me: Dustin, where have you been? It shouldn't have taken you that long in the restroom.
Dustin: Well, Ms. M, I had to put some more poop in the toilet.

Me: Dustin, you moved your clip too many times today. You were rude to Ms. Walker, you spoke out in class, and you didn't listen in art. I can't give you your privleges slip today.
Dustin: Well, then I QUIT!
Me: Quit what?
Dustin: I quit the fourth grade!
Other Student: You can't quit the fourth grade. You won't get a job.
Dustin: I don't need a job. I live with my mom and dad.
Me: Dustin, you can't quit the fourth grade just because you are mad. And besides, who would stay with you while your mom and dad are working?
Dustin: I'd pay Ms. Walker to be my babysitter.
Me: Dustin, she can't do that. She works here!
Dustin: Well, just take me to Mrs. Jolly so she can expel me.

Me: Paige, if you're moving to another school, I need your mom to write me a note about when your last day will be. I need her to give me a date.
Dustin: BAH! Ms. M! You can't date her mom, she's a GIRL!

My First Post

In eighth grade I had this wonderful Reading, English, and Social Studies teacher named Tracy Smith. I remember whenever we would get completely stuck on a writing assignment she would tell us to "overcome the power of the white". Basically this meant ending the intimidation of the blank sheet of paper by writing something, anything, on it. This could even be something as simple as putting a big X across the paper.

So, here it is. This is me overcoming the power of the white (or pink in this case) -- my first post on a blog that no one yet knows exists.

I wonder how long it will be before I post something real...