Why Do I Even Bother To Get Out Of Bed In The Morning...

Every year, the school has a fund raiser to benefit the leukemia and lymphoma Society; it is called Pennies For Patients. The students bring in all their spare change, and whichever session raises the most money gets a pizza party. I am in charge of this shin-dig, so I sent out reminder to all the teachers. Except.....I was in a hurry, and I am a bad typer, and the automatic spell check is my archnemesis. So the email read something like this, "Don't forget the Panties For Patients Drive starts tomorrow. Please help pass out flyers at the end of the day." Real professional, Marie, real professional....

Today was very trying and emotionally draining. It makes me not want to be a teacher anymore. It makes me want to come home to my boyfriend, eat some Abner's for dinner, spend a quit evening in front of the TV, and then go to bed early. But none of that will happen because my boyfriend lives an hour away, Abner's has not be introduced in the West, and now I have to go BACK to work for some overtime.

I thought I would share an anecdote from my first year of teaching, before the blog came into my life. There was this one quirky, punk-rock kid, who always brought his guitar to school to jam a little for the ladies before class started. But he wasn't one of those hard-core, bad-ass kids. Imagine Paul from the Wonder Years with some black eye-liner and a wrist cuff. So he is playing his guitar in the student lounge, I call the students to their seats, and amid the hustle and bustle, someone bumps into him while he is playing the guitar. Then we hear this:
"Sorry, Dude."
"Don't apologize to me; apologize to the guitar."
*students and teachers giggle. The other student walks away*
We all assume he is joking until I look over and he is seething. Then he yells across the room, "APOLOGIZE TO THE GUITAR!!! NO ONE DISRESPECTS THE GUITAR!!!" It was just hilarious!!! I hated to send him to the office while I was laughing so hard, but it had to be done. That was enough to send him and his guitar home for the day.

Socially Awkward...

So, apparently, Matt says I have this annoying habit of mouthing the words people are saying when they are talking to me. Or, occasionally, mimicking their facial expressions. Who knew! How long have I been doing this?! I had no idea! And I am just now finding out about it? How embarrassing and socially awkward!!! Has anyone else noticed this about me and just not said anything? If so, you are a horrible, horrible friend!

Drunk Chicken

So today I made my first Beer-Roasted Chicken, basted with an olive oil, lemon, and greek seasoning mixture. I suggest the beer-can roaster to everyone; you will never eat a juicier chicken. And while it did yeild some insainly delicious chicken, the cleaning and touching of the raw chicken was an expierience I vow never to repeat for as long as I live. Have you ever preped any various poultry for cooking?? If you do, then you know what I am talking about. If you don't, I will spare you the revolting details. If I were ever on that show 'Survivor' I would definatly starve to death before they ever got a chance to kick me off the island, because I could never kill and cook a chicken. Never.

The Great Popcorn Revival

This afternoon, I whipped up some Instant Friday with what I like to call, "The Great Popcorn Revival." I don't even remember the last time I had some delicious, buttery microwave popcorn; now I want to eat popcorn every day. I want to make meals out of popcorn.

So, after a long draining day of school, I skipped the gym, came home, slipped into some pajama pants, threw a bag in the micowave, popped open a Cherry Coke, laid on the couch, and watched some OC re-runs. Suddenly, it felt like I was twelve-years-old, and it was Friday. I remember when Friday Nights connoted Popcorn, Rented Movies, and Slumber Parties. Minus the slumber party part, I felt like I was back in 6th grade. Now, I only wish I had another bag of popcorn. (Where are the boyscouts when you need them?)

Bright Eyes

So in the past week, I have discovered the jolt of magnificence that is the band Bright Eyes. And while everyone around me had been singing the praises of Bright Eyes for some time now, I finally stole one of their CDs (I'm Wide Awake It's Morning) from my boyfriend and gave it a whirl on the ole ipod. And let's just say that my feelings can best be described in the following words: "...Holy Wow..." I mean the lyrics alone are captivating not to mention the mellow music and the twangy, old-country undertones of a steel guitar. And just who is that haunting background vocalist? She sounds so 70's and so ....Familiar. Oh, yes my friend, that would be Emmylou Harris. How cool ARE these people?! So I was at the gym the first time I listened to the whole album 3 times straight through. No lie. I was just so mesmerized. Now don't be confused and think that I actually worked-out for that long. No, at one point, I was on the floor doing some crunches, and then I just got wrapped up in "Landlocked Blues" and defiantly laid in the middle of the floor staring at the ceiling for five minutes and fourty-seven seconds...

I greatly recommend this album. Greatly.

Weekend Update

What a wonderfully lazy weekend. In fact, I might have been laying on the floor in front of the TV for so long now, that I am getting bedsores. We had oatmeal cookies, Itallian food, and The Complete First Season of the OC. O, so good! I am almost done; just one more disk left and then on to Season Two. I just watched the Valentine's Day episode where Summer and Seth finally get together. Yay, Cupid!

LOST

All I have to say is: Whoa...This is not your island! Where is Mr. Eko and his Jesus stick when you need him?!

Double Dose

So tonight, you will get a double dose of rantings from me. First topic:

Mondays

I know it is Tuesday, but let's just reflect on the fact that we did not have a Monday this week thanks to Dr. King and his birthday. And let's also reflect on how amazing my week is without that Monday. I mean tomorrow is Hump Day; my week is half over. And there was none of the usual grumpiness and exhaustion that usually accompanies a Monday. So in conclusion, I move that we eliminate the Monday from the work week, entirely. OR, we could just incorporate this lovely contraption to the Monday routine. Either option suits me...

Second Topic:

The Tyra Show

When I get home from work, it is four o'clock, and the Tyra Show is on. Perhaps you have seen it, and you too have experienced the sheer atrocity. It is just....Bad. There is no other word for it. I mean, come on, Tyra-- You are black, you are beautiful, but you are no Oprah. Let's move on...

New Additions...

I figured that since I am a girl, it's high time I tried to grow something. Matt bought me this cute little planter a while back, and I have been neglecting to plant anything in it for quite some time now. I have never had a plant before; I did, however, go through two cacti. I killed them both. How is it even possible to kill a cactus, you ask? I have no idea, but I have done it twice. So this morning after church, I stopped by the nursery, which is convieniently located a block from my apartment. (I figure, this way if I have a plant emergency, help is right around the corner) I had absolutly no idea what I was looking for; my only criteria was "small" and "cute." Of course, there wasn't an employee to be seen for miles, so I was left to my own devices. I think I picked out a primrose. I spent the morning planting my new little flowers in their pots, filling them in with some potting soil, and giving them lots of water, as they seemed to be a little parched at the nursey. And since this was my first try with a potted plant, I read the potting soil directions throughly. Step 6 was to talk to the plant. Seriously. So I intorduced myself and welcomed them to their new home. Lucy, by the way, is enamored with my new flowers. She likes to sniff them and lick them and curl up beside the planter. It is just so cute. So, wish me luck. I will keep you up-to-date with their progress.

It is no secret: I cook when I am bored. So, for dinner I made my first lasagna. It was fabulous! It turned out better than I expected. I tried one of the recipies from the Southern Living Cookbook mom got me for Christmas. Delicious! And for dessert, I am trying yet another new recipie: Oatmeal-Chocolate cookies.

Marley and Me by: John Grogan

Ya'll I can't sing the praises of this book enough! I saw it in the "New Writers" section at Barnes and Nobel, and I was excited to find a way to support up-and-coming authors, so I bought a copy...In hardback.....Which is saying a lot. (My frugal ass always waits for the paperback version.) I have read it in less that a week. (Which is also saying a lot, because I am a very slow and unmotivated reader.) It will make you laugh, make you cry, and make you want, more than anything, to settle down with the love of your life and get a dog and start a family. *sigh* So I defiantly recommend it to any dog lover and to all my newly-wed friends (Natalie, Katie, Caroline, LJ...)

Here is a snippet:

"In a dog's life, some plaster would fall, some cushions would open, some rugs would shred. Like any relationship, this one had its costs. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us. We could have bought a small yacht with what we spent on our dog and all the things he destroyed. Then again, how many yachts wait by the door all day for your return?...Marley had his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now....and accepted him all the more for it."

Coooook-ieeeees....

As you all know, today is Thursday. And Thursday is Italian B.M.T Day at Subway (my personal favorite). So already I am not on the healthiest of options here, what with the Italian cheese bread, the extra salami, mayo, olives, and oil and vinegar. But then I made it a value meal with BBQ ranch chips and a sweet tea (P.S.-Subway is the only place I know of in the West that actually makes sweet tea. I've had better, but what can you do...). Then, I get to the counter and my stomach growls "coooook-ieeeeeeeees!!!" So I throw in three chocolate chip cookies for a buck. And my grand total came out to $6.66. That's right, my friends, 666: the mark of Satan. It was a sign: I mean, I know I need those cookies like I need a hole in my head, but damn, can't you be a little more subtle about it...

What?

Did you hear about the woman in Israel who married a dolphin? I'm not kidding...She married a dolphin. There was a proposal and a ceremony and a honeymoon swim. On article reads:

Sharon kissed Cindy (the dolphin) and whispered "I love you" in his blow hole.

WHAT??!! Are you KIDDING me?!! This dolphin has NO idea what he has gotten himself into! This woman is NUTS! And to add to the utter hilarity of this story, the crazy woman goes on to say:

While she still kept open the option of "marrying human" at some stage, she said for now she was strictly a "one-dolphin woman."

She's hardly the jealous type, though.

"He will still play with all the other girls there," she said, of their prenuptial agreement. "I hope he has a lot of baby dolphins with the other dolphins. The more dolphins the better."

An All Time Low...

If you know me at all, you know I am nothing if not frugal. I have a mason jar on top of my TV that collects change. It has had many names: "San Francisco Fund," "Ski Trip Fund," "Christmas Fund," "Marie Needs New Shoes Fund," "Jackson or Bust Fund." Currently, it is named the "Matt and Marie desperately Need To Take A Vacation Fund." We have about $15 bucks in change-mostly pennies. (At this rate we will earn ourselves a fancy dinner at IHOP.) Anyway, today I was standing over the garbage can, cleaning the lint out of my pockets, and a quarter fell out. If you think I just let that sucker go, then you would be wrong my friend. My frugalness has drug me to an all-time low; I dug... to the bottom... of the trash... for a quarter......

Marie's Favorite Things...

Okay, so I decided to let you know my top ten favorite things as this very moment. Kinda like on the Oprah show, but you get no free stuff. Sorry.

1. Tucson In The Winter Time: Well, "winter time" is definatly an overstatement because it actually feels like he dead of Spring with highs in the upper 70's/lower 80's and lows in the mid-40's. But what is GREAT is the fact that for the past two months I have not had to turn on the heating or cooling. Which brings my electric bill to a very affordable $31.33 a month, ladies and gentlemen!

2. Gap Sweatpants: They were SO on sale in San Fran and Fiona and I definatly had our way with them. They are comfy and soft and fuzzy and just wonderful in every way.

3. Green Leaf Lettuce: So I have discovered that buying a whole bushel of green leaf lettuce (or romaine or red leaf lettuce) is leaps and bounds cheaper and fresher than any of those prepackaged salad bags. I guess I never thought to buy it because mom never really bought it when we were growing up; we always had the bag 'o salad. So next time you are at the grocery store, opt for the buschel of lettuce; you wont regret it. I believe I just ate one of the best salads of my life tonight!

4. Thursdays: I mean, in genreal I love Thursdays because come Thursday nights, it is practically the weekend. And it is the only night of the week that I feel motivated to do ANYTHING, like clean my apartment, go to the gym, cook a weekday meal, read a good book, dust, do the laundry, watch the late show, take up knitting, write my New York Times Bestseller, or just take over the world in general...

5. The Macintosh: So, if you haven't herad, I got a Mac for Christmas. And it is just great. I don't miss the old wheezing laptop at all. It's just so convienient and fast and non-crashing at the moment that I couldn't be more pleased with it. There is still alot of PC-to-Mac adjustments I have to learn, but I spend some quality time with her each night before bed, and we are really making progress.

6. The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc: This is the current book I am reading by Loraine Despres. Now, a friend of mine and I chose it at random for our next bookclub meeting, so I didnt really know what to expect. But, girlfriend, all I have to say is "Whoa!" And when I say "Whoa", I mean how wonderfully scandalous! It was defainatly one of those books that you thought you knew what it was going to be about and then you hit like page 103 and you are like, "Damn, I didn't see that one coming!" And it just keeps getting crazier...

7. Fake Fendi's: Another great San Francisco steal! So Fiona and I hit up an Asian woman selling fake designer shades on the side of the road. Good stuff, my friend. Trip to San Fran: $450, Fake Fendi's: $10, Protective case: $1.50, Seeing the world in a whole new, but much dimmer light: Priceless.

8. Beauty and the Geek: So, if you havent seen the new reality show created by Ashton Kutcher, you are missing out! It comes on the WB (8pm my time) and it is just great. They are currently running last year's season via marathon, but the new season is starting soon (two weeks maybe?) and you have to check it out...

9. Clean Sheets: maybe I'm just running out of favorite things, but this just goes as a general fav. There is nothing more comforting than the feeling fo crisp, clean, nicely tucked sheets. I love Clean Sheet Day; it might be my favorite day of the week.....

10. Old Navy Longer Length T's: I mean, if you don't own them, I don't know you....

Drama

Some days being a high school teacher is just so frickin exciting! I mean there is just so much gossip and scandal and drama running around, it's amazing--like I live in an episode of the Beverly Hills 90210. So there was some great student drama going down today. If I weren't so much of a professional, I would tell you all about it in this blog. Which is unfortunate for you, because it was good!

All Work And No Carbs Make Marie Grumpy...

So I dont even want to talk about how much I can't stand the No-Carb diet! For my New Years resolution I resolved to loose weight...as I do every year.....which when you think about it, makes it not so much a New Years Resolution as it does a New Years Tradition. So I decided I would do the No-Carb thing for the first two weeks of the new year, just to jump start the weight loss, and motivate me with its fast results. Whatever. That lasted like 48 hours...and I was asleep for the majority of that. It's just that a Carbless lifestyle makes me grumpy. And like what are you supposed to eat for breakfast? Meat? Cheese? Eggs? No, ma'am! I am not a big egg person in the morning (I feel it is more of a mid-day food), much less do I agree with the thought of eating meat and/or cheese at 6 am. (BLEH!) So that's my story....I love carbs.

2006

Long Island Ice Tea, I don't want to see your ugly face again for a looooong time.




Happy New Year, people! Hope your New Year's Eve was a blast! I wish you much joy, health, success, happiness, laughter, and love in 2006--make the most of it!