The State Of My Obsession

The nature of my job requires me to have blocks of really busy time followed by blocks of nothing.  A lot of days I can fill the gaps in my schedule by copying music, making cd’s for students or sending out bills to parents.  However, there are several times during the month in which I have nothing to do.  I sit in my little practice room, at the table and try to keep myself occupied.

The truth is there’s only so much singing I can do in a day until I lose my voice or my mind, and there’s only so much reading I can do sitting in an uncomfortable chair bent over in an uncomfortable position.  So, I’m constantly coming up with ways to pass the time.  Occasionally, I’ll walk the halls at the school (but that’s a little creepy if you do it too often) and sometimes I’ll make phone calls, but unfortunately, my friends are all very important and their jobs or children don’t approve of me calling them just to chat at 10:40 on a Tuesday morning.

So, to occupy my time sometimes I play the state game.  In the state game you have six minutes to list all 50 states.  I know what you’re thinking… ‘Six minutes? Seriously? Give me a challenge’ but, I almost always forget one or two states (or occasionally six).  It’s a lot more difficult than it sounds.  Even though I’m just racing against the clock, the game has become a little bit of an obsession with me.  I HAVE to beat myself at it.

This week the obsession followed me home.  This website makes me feel like I’m in 3rd grade again.  Only dumber.  Last night I literally had to turn off my computer lest I lose my eyesight, mind and pride all in one fell swoop.

Try it.  Join my obsession and I dare you to beat me.

(But if you do beat me then please don’t tell me.  My fragile nerves couldn’t handle the defeat.)

Weekend in Review

Happy Monday morning!

This weekend FLEW by me.  Between working late on Friday afternoon, judging NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) voice competitions all day long on Saturday and daylight savings time still confusing me, there wasn’t a lot of downtime this weekend.

So, all that, combined with the fact that until about 10 minutes before my bedtime I forgot to type up the recital program for my students’ recital this week, I am spent.

Right now, I am longing for summer (Even though I have no idea what this summer will bring).  So, just to tide you all over (and because who doesn’t love a blast from the past?) here’s a little Monday Madness photo:

This photo was taken in my backyard, in our above-ground swimming pool.  Several things here are worth mentioning:

1. Our above-ground pool kind of looks like an infinity pool here.  So, if anybody asks, we were super fancy and had an infinity pool (that, apparently, looked off into the infinity of a pasture).

2. I promise I’m wearing a swimsuit.

3. I actually look, almost, tan in this photo.  This is probably the first and last time I looked tan.  Since then I’ve learned the hard lesson that when you have my skin a tan lasts for a summer but melanoma lasts a lifetime.

4. Neither my brother, nor I have pushed our bangs out of our faces.  I don’t know why, but that cracks me up.  Also, have you ever seen two kids who look less excited to be in a pool?

5. I think I look a lot like my Mom in this picture.

Only a few days till Easter! YAY!

Because I’m Not Above Thievery... And Also, Begat

It’s been a rough month.  I’m becoming convinced that March may  have it out for me.  But, I’m trying not to let it get me down, so I’ve decided to look on the bright side.  Now, to be completely honest, when it comes to thinking up fodder for my blog I am not above stealing.  I will gladly steal any idea that makes my life a little easier.  So, that being said… this is lifted from my sweet friend Katy.

HAPPINESS IS……

Happiness Is Chelsea Wearin’ Hats…

 

Happiness Is Havin’ A Little Chat…

 

Happiness Is Bein’ With Ginger, Who Katy Begat…

 

 

HAPPINESS IS THIS SONG!! 

BUM, BUM, BUM

(And yes, you are welcome for the ‘begat’ line.)

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday

Recently I went to the dollar movies (on a school night- I felt so cool) and I saw that movies are usually $2 (which totally defeats the purpose of calling them the dollar movies) but on Tuesdays they are $1.50.  I got so excited!  Who doesn’t love to save 50 cents?  That’s halfway to a happy hour drink at Sonic.  Well, whenever I went to pay the girl behind the counter charged me $2.  This instantly ticked me off, but there was a line and I hate confrontation so I meekly took my ticket and headed to the theater.  I sat through the whole movie (New Moon- for the second time) and I was ticked.  Every once in a while I would think about it and get really mad but then I would get over it.  After the movie, we were walking out of the theater I told my friend that I was super bummed that I didn’t get the discount and she said “yeah, me too.  Next time we need to be sure to come on a Tuesday.”  On the outside I was all, “yeah, totally” but on the inside I thought ‘it’s NOT Tuesday???’.  Nope.  It was a Wednesday.

The week before this story happened I was out to dinner with my friend Yumi and I ordered the Wednesday special, my cute little waitress said “I’m sorry ma’am, we don’t have that special today”.  I looked at her like she was crazy, ready to harm anyone in the way of my Chicken ‘n’ Dumplings (thank you, Cracker Barrell), and said “why not?”.  She answered “we only serve the Thursday special today”.  I thought ‘well that’s stupid, what kind of world do we live in where you can only get the Thursday special on Wednesday?’.  Then it hit me.  Yep.  Thursday.

So, all this to say: welcome to my blog, I hope you’ll join me along the journey to losing my mind.

Azalea Trail Fake Out

Last week Mom, Dad and I headed out East for a little road trip to visit my brother, Colin.  He lives in east Texas in a town called Nacogdoches or, as we like to call it, Naca-nowhere. 

We started driving on a gorgeous Saturday and I’m here to tell you that I’ve never been more proud to be Texan.  Beautiful weather and incredible scenery! 

First of all the hallmark of any good road trip: the Dairy Queen Blizzard.

When we got to Nacogdoches we headed over to my brother’s new job so he could give us a tour.  Directly across from his plant is this:

It’s really difficult to tell from this picture but this is a TON of logs piled up way high (and yes, you are welcome for all the exact details like “a TON of logs” and “piled up way high”.  I’m here to serve).  It really boggled my mind, and was a nice little reminder that we were in East Texas.

Colin is the plant manager for a fertilizer company and this doodad pours the fertilizer out into trucks.

Here is my camera-shy brother at work:

Explaining something I’ll never understand:

Here are some chemicals that go in the fertilizer:

Here is a machine called the whatchamacallit which connects to the doohickey and does very important things that, once again- I do not understand.

It’s never been more clear how different Colin and I are.  He wanted me to climb to the top of the tower and I kept slipping around on my Sperry’s (Note to self: top-siders are not appropriate for ALL occasions.  No matter how badly I want them to be).  I felt really nervous around all the heavy equipment.  Clearly, I belong on a dark room in front of a spotlight.

Here I am, appropriately dressed and accessorized for a plant tour:

The next day we visited the infamous Nacogdoches Azalea Trail.  There were signs all over town advertising the wonders of the trail.  So, we showed up prepared to be awed by the beauty of the azalea, only to find out that none of the azalea’s were in bloom. 

Epic Fail.

But, in the meantime, we got to look at some pretty big trees…

Some gorgeous flowers…

And I got to enjoy these folks:

My Dad has never mastered the art of standing still long enough to take a photo.

Finally, as we were leaving, my Mom got attacked by a tree.  Proving that not only the azalea’s hated us. 

Thanks a lot Nacogdoches.  A great time was had by all.  Except for the azaleas, of course.

Spring Broken

Hey friends!

I apologize for the little un-planned sabbatical I’ve been taking from the blog.  I didn’t expect it anymore than you did.  If I was organized I would have planned ahead, but planning ahead is a tricky, tricky business that requires actual thinking and, you know… the planning.

It’s not because I don’t have plenty to talk about, that’s a promise.  There’s plenty to share from my little Spring Break adventures.  Part of the problem with having a lot to share is that visual aides (i.e. pictures) require a big commitment and it just was too much for me last week.

I’ve got a ton to share this week- including an azalea trail anecdote.  I know, try to contain yourselves.

I’m back and I am very excited.

May The Leprechaun's Be With You

In honor of the many Irish Americans who read my blog here is a list of Irish things that I like, which I am so efficiently calling:

 

List of Irish Things That I Like:

1. Green.  Green is probably my favorite color.  Or, at least, when I can decide on a favorite color it is usually green.  And, although I’ve never been, I hear Ireland is known for its green landscape.

2. The Corrs.  Awesome music.  Thank you Ireland.  Thank you Corrs.  Thank you to the “In Blue” record that I listened to nonstop for a whole month when I was 17.  You’d think that I’d still be burned out on their music even now, but I still listen to it with great affection.  Coincidentally, if you are in the mood for some good instrumental music, check out “Rebel Heart”- next thing you know you’re imagining yourself roaming the green hills of Ireland (or so I’ve heard).

3. Vacation Dreaming.  I’d like to visit Ireland on vacation.  If you’d like to support me in this goal, I’ll gladly take Visa, Mastercard or Discover through my PayPal account.

4. The accent.  Makes me so very happy.

5. Irish Cream Pies.  Once upon a time, in high school, Chelsea and I were partners for a project (this is funny all by itself because Chels and I were strictly forbidden from being partners in almost all of our classes because of all the giggling, but we somehow managed to trick Mrs. Graham into letting us team up) and the project required us to present a holiday and bring a food to class, as a learning tool.  Well, Chelsea and I thought we were being so sneaky in choosing to make an Irish Cream Pie to represent St. Patrick’s Day because Irish Cream Pie includes a little ingredient called Irish Cream.  We hit up the mini-bar at Chelsea’s house and made the pie which included some Bailey’s and nervously brought it to class.  We watched with amazement as our classmates and teacher gobbled down the pie and then, when Mrs. Graham asked for the ingredients, we replied with “chocolate and I don’t know… some kind of cream, maybe?”.

6. The Lord of the Dance.  What is not to love?  Dancing?  Good.  Costumes?  Good.  Pipes and Flutes?  Good.  Dancers’ feet flying about as if disconnected to their bodies?  Good.

7. Celtic Woman.  What would I do without the Celtic Woman performances on PBS?  I love the “choreography” and the fact that the women always seem to be performing in front of some dilapidated castle with a drawbridge.  I will forever love the Celtic Woman because it reminds me of my friends The Clardy’s who share a similar affinity for all things Celtic Woman.

8. U2.  Duh.  Because: A.) I love their music, B.) I am a big fan of people who use their good fortune to do good for others and C.) I truly believe Bono and I could be best friends in real life if we could just meet.

9. Limerick.  Because I enjoy a good limerick from time to time.

10. The Potato.  Ireland has a long and somewhat rocky relationship with the potato, as do I.  Need I mention Ireland’s rough go-of-it after The Potato Famine, or my dark days after the french fry incident of 2007?  It’s a love-hate thing.  But in the end?  So worth it.

There you have it.  10 Irish things that I like.  I’m pretty sure that the Irish Department of Tourism will be calling me any minute now, so I need to go prepare my best Irish accent. 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!