three on thursday

 

Thing one:  being on vacation is wonderful.  Being with my sister, in Virginia, is wonderful.  Not a lot of side quests this week, mostly lying low and playing our 40-year-old grudge match of spite & malice.

Thing two:  I have already lost track of the date, time, and day of the week.

Thing three:  dogs.  Gus is my first love.  Saphira (I'm not 100% on the spelling) is my niece's dog that we're watching this weekend.  Dogs.  DOGS!

gotta do what I've gotta do

I had high (unrealistic) hopes for my ability to participate in The Gal's Gratitude Challenge.  But the school year ending, a month-long trip to prepare for, and a doozie of a cold, I just can't keep up.  

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  I took myself on a date today: a trip to Central Maine, lunch at the Harvest Moon Deli, a little shopping, and the matinee of Downton Abbey!  The five hours of driving were well worth it.

Thing two:  I finally found a pair of wide-legged jeans that are the right wash:  not too dark, not too faded.

Thing three: I had a sizeable grocery delivery this evening.  I'm getting ready to do some batch cooking to stock the freezer with some easy meals.

ten things tuesday

I thought I would dream about travel destinations because it's January 473 and this month will never end.

1) Ireland.  It really is the home of my heart.  Any place I visited I felt a familiarity and sense of homecoming.  I would love to go again.

2)  Italy. Especially with my sister and her husband who were stationed outside of Venice--they would be the best tour guides for places off the beaten path.

3)  The Greek Islands where Mama Mia was filmed.  They look so luxurious.

4)  Disney.  I have never been.  And it would be fun to experience as an adult, especially with my sisters.  I want a Princess Tea Party.

5) Chicago.  I've always wanted to go--since I read about the Great Chicago Fire supposedly started by Mrs. O'Leary's cow.  (An added bonus would be meeting up with The Gal.)

6) Washington, DC.  I haven't been in over 25 years and so much has changed.  Monuments, museums, oh my!  

7)  A river cruise in Europe--perhaps along the Rhine.

8)  To visit my Pennsylvania sister and her family.  I miss them.  Dearly.

9)  To visit my Virginia sister and her family.  I miss them, too.

10)  A luxurious girlfriend getaway.  Like a real spa experience.

and that's a wrap

School year 23-24 is officially over for me.  This is the first time in my career that school will finish in the single digits of June and I won't even be there for it.  I'll also miss graduation.  But, Kansas City--here I come!

currently

A day late...

I am...

Reading:  All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle (I'm just starting it)

Listening to:  Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (I will finish it tonight)

Loving:  friendships

Thinking:  I am organizing little tasks for the week

Feeling:  relaxed and happy

Celebrating:  this vacation week as a Self-Care Celebration:  after a weekend filled with friendship and laughter, I have self-care appointments all week--a hair appointment today, a massage tomorrow, a manicure Thursday, and more!

Grateful for:   an invitation to go with some girlfriends on a weekend getaway--we stayed at Seal Harbor (which is on Bar Harbor) and had a magnificent time laughing, playing games, eating, and enjoying the beautiful Atlantic Ocean at a distance

Enjoying:  my freshly coiffed hair

Weather:  it is 42° and cloudy

A quote I want to share: 

challenge day 12

Click here for the prompts!

April 12th:  Space Day! If you could travel anywhere in the universe, where would you go?

I have never had a desire for space exploration or travel. Maybe I feel too small or insignificant or something existential.

currently

I am...

Reading:  Maybe This Christmas by Susan Nix

Listening to:  The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

Loving:  a quiet morning with coffee

Thinking: reflecting on the last couple of Christmases

Feeling:  immense gratitude that I have had the help and support of my family in decluttering my home.  My sisters were gracious and kind and the usual shame I feel is gone.  We laughed and had fun, even!

Celebrating:  Christmas

Grateful for:  time to relax

Enjoying:  the anticipation of an upcoming trip--a bucket list item, even, to see Gardens Aglow

Weather:  it is 34° and sunny-ish

A quote I want to share: 

three on thursday

 

 

Thing one:  We are trying something new at school this year--a Festive Friday.  There will be "way out wacky games" in the gym, a movie in the auditorium, and cookie decorating in the cafeteria.  I've been assigned to cookie duty.

Thing two:  To say I am ready for winter break is to understate.

Thing three:  I made hotel reservations for my trip to see Gardens Aglow.

happy day 3

August 3: My bestie and I went to Central Maine school shopping--and along the way, there was a tremendous CLUNK sound as something went wrong with my car.  At 80 mph, I was sort of freaking out but could see no engine lights or tire lights were on.  We pulled over and looked under the car and as I suspected there was a flap kind of wobbling/hanging and dragging.  But along the highway in Northern Maine there is nothing but trees for miles and miles.  So, I pulled onto the shoulder, clicked on my hazards, and drove 15 mph to the next exit which was 14 miles away.  That took about an hour.  Thankfully, Google pointed us in the direction of Stanley's Auto and they reattached the flap with zip ties, charging a whopping $14.

The trip continued.  

But the shopping gods were not in our favor as we found no back-to-school clothes.  We had a delicious lunch and great conversations but no shopping luck.

I am happy that Stanley's Auto was able to fix me up for $14!  And you better believe I left a Google review!

wordless wednesday

 

on the road again...

 Heading to Central Maine for a business trip.  It's been a whirlwind summer!

wordless wednesday

ten things tuesday

Ten things in no particular order. 

1) I need to call Expedia about my luggage. I ended up getting charged for the suitcase even though I already had paid for it. 

2)  I fly back to Maine Friday night. But I have a late arrival so I’m staying at a hotel. 

3)  I can’t believe my time has flown by so quickly!  But this is my third week. 

4)  My sister has been knitting a sweater and should be done soon. I’ve knit a pile of dishcloths. My favorite mindless knitting. 

5)  I’m preparing to go to central Maine on Monday for a two day Department of Education workshop to revise the learning results for social studies. It’s a great opportunity to collaborate with other teachers from around the state. 

6)  I have to register my car. (Adding to this post so I don’t forget)

7)  I’m supposed to meet with my Breakfast Club friends Saturday, I hope we can reschedule for Sunday. 

8) I’ve been texting with my Virginia nieces. I need to more often. I miss them. 

9)  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get to Pennsylvania to visit my sister.  But we’ve FaceTime chatted a few times. 

10) 

The daily Gus!

wordless wednesday

ten things tuesday

Ten things about my trip to Virginia. 

1)  My Virginia sister and brother in law are excellent hosts. 

2). Gus (the doggo) loves me. 

3)  We’ve been shopping 🛍️ 

4)  We’ve been to the movies 🍿 (Indiana Jones was great fun)

5)  We’ve had excellent meals and conversations. 

6)  I’ve relaxed. 

7)  We took a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was gorgeous!

8)  

9)  

10) We’re binging Harrison Ford movies. 

wordless wednesday

ten things tuesday

Ten things about my trip:

1)  I consulted a travel agent but discovered cheaper flights on my own.

2)  I have a layover in Charlotte, NC, that lasts as long as the trip my sister and brother-in-law would have to take to pick me up in Charlotte.

3)  I have overpacked.  I can do laundry at my sister's.

4)  I am going to unpack and repack.  I know I do not need two navy blue or two white t-shirts.  

5)  Parking is expensive.

6)  I have taken care of the small details.  

7)  I have also taken care of the Library Board business that I volunteered to work on.

8)  I will be missing the library and my school book group meetings.  

9)  I also had to reschedule some lymphatic massage appointments.  However, I have an appointment with my sister's massage therapist for lymphatic treatment.

10) This is going to be epic!

time in tampa take two

Reading the exams from 8-5 every day was exhausting.  I won't lie.  But I loved every minute of it.  The team was made up of 7 other readers plus a table leader.  From all around the country.  My West Coast friends were battling the time change for the first few days.  We were a variety of ages, genders, and career experiences.  Public schools, private schools, and charter schools.  And we all got along!  The camaraderie and professional discussions were exciting.  Where else do I have an opportunity to discuss best practices with colleagues who teach the same subject I do?

My table leader, Brent, was excellent!  He gave relevant feedback and encouragement.  He was attentive and responsive.  I appreciated how he mentored the new readers.  When we had questions, he was quick to answer or to find the answer.  I bet his students love him.  I know I would be quite interested in taking a class he taught.

I'll admit I spent most evenings hanging out at the hotel.  The evening events weren't as inviting as last year's.  Mostly they were "open forums" that allowed people to gripe about the food at the Convention Center.  That gets old.  Next year I'll go to Ybor and do some exploring.  There was an opportunity to go to an MLB game; I didn't act fast enough to get in on that.  

Next year I will remember to pack lightweight gloves--my hands froze.  I'm not used to being in blasting air-conditioned environments and it was mighty cold.  At least I remembered to wear pants--I didn't even pack shorts or dresses this year.  And I was glad I had layers.  Next year I'll pack a sweat jacket that I can leave at the testing site overnight, then I won't be hauling clothing.  Because it was hot and humid outdoors!  In the upper 80s and low 90s daily.

To be continued...

time in tampa

It's been tough to get back in the swing of things after my week in Tampa.  Mostly because my head is spinning from experience.  What I enjoyed the most was making friends and sharing best practices.  But scoring the exams was also eye-opening.

The opportunity is kind of a big deal.  It is prestigious for a district to send someone to read and score the exams.  I didn't realize that receiving an invitation on the first day is a thing.  But some others talked about it like being drafted in the first round.  I kept it to myself that I received my invitation the morning that they were sent out.  Does that make me a first first draft? 

The flights were smooth.  Except I need to remember that I want window seats next year.  Sitting on the aisle meant the drink cart bumped into me and people staggered by me.  

My biggest stressor was having a roommate.  A stranger.  As in Stranger Danger!  However, I picked up a little icebreaker gift of some silicone earplugs in a cute little gift bag and gave them to Marie.  She turned out to be a great roommate for me.  She's mid-thirties, sociable, and fearless.  And she thought the icebreaker was hilarious, so we started out on the right foot.  For the record, my snoring is "not bad" according to my bestie.  Marie also snores.  But even better than that--she YELLS in her sleep.  The first night she yelled, "I hate this fucking school!" and we had a good laugh about it in the morning.

The food at the convention center was fairly typical cafeteria fare.  It wasn't bad and there were always several options for gluten or vegan diets that included more than "just salad."  I usually had a big breakfast and lighter meals after that.

I am a fan of hotels.  There's something that feels luxurious about staying somewhere with housekeeping.  I missed having a bureau and we ended up living out of suitcases.  But the comfortable bed more than made up for it.  And the view was quite nice from the 26th floor.  I got a nice stash of hotel goodies--I always give them to the school nurse's office.  

To be continued...