Do you think...

that my life is nothing but a bit of randomness?

Hmmm.  Yeah, I can see why you would.

:)

My posts have been nothing if not random, lately.  You would have thought that I would have blogged more on my recent week off of school, but alas, I did not.  In my defense I was sick for all of my vacation.  I still am sick but not as bad as this time last week.  I have the annoying part of the cold now.  You know, the snotty, runny nose.  I have gone through almost three full boxes of Kleenex and let me tell you something...tissues with lotion are ALWAYS the way to go in cases like these.  Don't let those other tissues fool you.  They are like sandpaper.

Anywho.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Despite my original thoughts way back in August, my Thanksgiving turned out to be very nice.  For the last several many years I have spent Thanksgiving with my "other" family...my BFF's family in Ohio.  Well, as we ALL know, she had to go and move.  I know, rude, right?  Well, that meant that I couldn't spend the holiday with them.  I thought I was going to have to spend the holiday by myself but to my surprise, my aunt from up north invited me to spend Thanksgiving with her, her daughter, and her BFF.  Of course I agreed.

miss raven and I made the drive up on Thanksgiving morning.  The traffic was nowhere near as bad as I thought it might be and we made pretty good time.  My aunt has four cats.  miss raven is not a fan of cats.  I was a little worried.  Not to fear.  miss raven occupied the spare room and the cats went about their normal business.  We had the whole shebang for dinner:  turkey, homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, rolls, and sweet potato pie.  Mmmmmmm!  I proud to say that, although I did eat two rolls and two helpings of stuffing, I didn't stuff myself to sickness.  Yea me!

We watched much football and NO I don't want to talk about it.  At all.  Period.

We came home on Friday.  I did not go Black Friday shopping this year.  At first I was a little disappointed about that but now, not so much.  The deals that I normally got weren't the same this year so I don't feel like I missed out on anything.  On Saturday we put up the Christmas tree.  It looks SO good.  You know, in MY house.  I love it!  I am slowly replacing the old lights with the new LED lights and boy, does it make a difference.  The lights at the top of my tree are the LED ones and they are SO much brighter.  I really like them.  I am hoping that, after the holiday, I will be able to find some on clearance so I can get enough for next year that I don't have to use the other ones at all.  Currently I have six strands of lights on the tree.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Six.  What can I say?  I love lights.

Speaking of Christmas, and, weren't we?  I only have 13 more days until break!  I am taking next Friday off so that I can bake.  Remember my cookie list?  It will take me the WHOLE weekend to get that done.  I am thinking that I am going to have drop something off of there, though.  I am thinking about picking up pretzel bark to compensate for any cookie that I may have to drop off.  It is easy to make and doesn't take much time.  We'll see.

I hope that your Monday was fantastic and that your Tuesday is even better!

One of these things is not like the other...

One of these things doesn't belong.

Can you guess which one is not like the others?

By the time I finish this post?

:)

Oh Vacation...

how I LOVE thee!!!

And I would love thee even more if I wasn't sick! :(  I woke up Friday morning with a cold.  Can I tell you how much that sucks?  I mean, seriously.  It started out as a head cold and now has moved into my chest.  Lucky me.

On the bright side, I *am* on vacation and I *am* getting plenty of rest, which I apparently need.  The time at home has been so nice and miss raven is enjoying it, too.  Every once in a while she will get up from her nap to look at me.  She has the "oh, you really are still here" look on her face and then she will sleepily wag her tail.  It is so cute. :)

Also on the bright side, the weather here has been pretty nice lately.  I know it won't last so I am trying to enjoy it is as much as I possibly can.  I actually had to sleep with the fan on last night because it was a little stuffy in my room.

Thursday is Thanksgiving and I am really looking forward to it; more than I thought I would be this year.  I am not spending the holiday with my BFF and her family, which sucks bigtime, but I do have other plans which I am really looking forward to. :)

The other nice thing about vacation is that I can nap whenever I want.  That would include right now.

;)

Sssssshhhhhhhhhhhh...

Have you ever been afraid to say something out loud about something good because you might jinx it?  Yeah, me, too.

My week has been good.  Actually, pretty much really good.

There.  I said it.  I hope I didn't jinx tomorrow, after all...tomorrow is Friday.  Friday just can't act like Monday.  It wouldn't be fair.

At. All.

That being said.  I think I failed to mention that the COWBOYS WON ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!  What was that?  I *did* mention it?  Oh.  Sorry.  Well, in my defense, it is such a rare occasion this year that I wanted to make sure you knew. 

I had a thought just now.  I watched the replay of the aforementioned game last night on the NFL network (Dear Verizon, thank you SO much for carrying the NFL network.  Thank you that you are not like my father's cable company that refuses to carry it.  Sincerely, me) last night.  Just in case you were wondering, the outcome was the same.  The COWBOYS WON THE GAME!!!!  My thought was this:  since I watched the game on the replay and they won again, can I count that as TWO victories instead of just one?

Yeah.

Didn't think so.

Miss her much:

Yeah, I thought so.  :)  She is precious beyond words.

You need more proof?  Ok...

Told you so.

:)

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy...

Since many of my posts have been a bit, shall we say, less than uplifting, I felt obligated to let you know when I had a good day.

Today

was

that

day.

I can't really tell you any one thing that made it a *good* day, other than I didn't have a bazillion issues to deal with.  Just the normal every day, run-of-the-mill, comes with the territory, issues.  That kind of stuff I am used to.  No problem.

I even put in for a day off in December.  Now, normally I would be totally against taking an unnecessary day off right before a vacation, however, I need to get some Christmas baking done.  My cookie list is ambitious this year:

Butter cookies (always on the list)

Chocolate chip

Snickerdoodles

Oatmeal/cranberry

Snicker surprises

Pumpkin bars

Brownies

What do you think?  Too much?  It is a lot but I do love to bake.  I will also be making several dozen cupcakes that weekend for the Senior class bake sale.  I only have one minor problem.  The butter cookies take a cookie press.  I have my mom's old cookie press.  The aforementioned cookie press just about gave up the ghost last Christmas so I am not sure what I am going to do this Christmas.  I have a new cookie press but it is plastic and it is NOT my mother's.  If anyone has a metal cookie press that they would like to gift to me, it would be much appreciated.  Or a professional grade Kitchen Aid mixer.  In pink.  Or stainless steel.  Hey, go big or go home.  ;)

And now for some follow-up randomness:

miss raven seems to be over her weekend issues for which I am very thankful.

My brother and his family went to the NASCAR race in Phoenix on Sunday.  A good time was had by all.  Even though Tony Stewart didn't win.

I miss my BFF horribly.

There are only FOUR more days until Thanksgiving break.  I. AM. THRILLED.

The Cowboys won yesterday (finally).  I. AM. ECSTATIC.  Beyond words.  Well, obviously not beyond words, but still...

I love chocolate.  This has nothing to do with anything but I just thought I'd throw it out there.  You're welcome.

Let's hope (and pray) that tomorrow is as good as today.  Perhaps better.

Goodnight. :)

Living with Royalty...

As you know, miss raven is now eating Royal Canine dog food made especially for Chihuahua's. (They also make food for other breeds.)  Royal Canine is *not* cheap, but she is worth it.

I came home last night to find that my royal diva had been sick.  Three times.  In three different spots.  Hmmmm.  I was so hoping that this new food would eliminate the whole "gurgly" tummy thing.  She looked so guilty when I walked in the door.  I know that she was ashamed and there was no way I was going to scold her for something that wasn't her fault.  I cleaned it up and went about my evening.

We slept well last night.  This morning she woke me up desperate to go potty.  On our way down the hallway she had another puky episode.  Not good.  We went outside, she did her thing, and we came back in.  We read through the ads, I drank some coffee, and she needed to go out again.  We went outside, she did her thing, and then had the oddest puke I have ever seen.  She basically threw up a big air bubble.  Interesting.  No more puky since then...knock on wood.

Currently, the diva is resting and barking.  But mostly barking.  Our neighbours have decided to allow their large dog and their medium-size dog outside today, seeing as it is 70 degrees here.  In the middle of November.  NOT that I am complaining.  Me likey the warm. 

Anywho.

They bark, she barks.  and barks.  and barks.  and...well, you get the point.

And now, I must be off to adore the royal....  :)

Ten Things Tuesday...

Ten Things I hate:

1.  Brussel Sprouts...blech!

2.  Being sick...as I was this weekend with my first (and hopefully only) ever case of food poisoning.

3.  Winter...must I explain this?

4.  People who constantly complain about how busy they are but you never actually see them working.

5.  Not being able to talk to my mom.

6.  Parents who think their children are perfect. 

Ok.  So I can only think of 6.  That's good, right?

And just so you don't think I am big complainer:

Ten Things I Love (in no particular order, except number one):

1.  miss raven...duh!

2.  Coffee.

3.  Summer.

4.  Chocolate.

5.  My BFF and her family...whom I miss horribly!!!

6.  My family...duh, again!

7.   My house.

8.  Indoor plumbing and a working heater.

9.  Snuggling with miss raven.  ;)

10.  A day off in the middle of the week. :)

The end!

Senseless Thursday randomness...

1.  Why do women think it is acceptable to wear a black bra with a white shirt?  Seriously.  To all the gentlemen out there, I apologize.

2.  Speaking of female undergarments...in the Victoria's Secret catalogue I got today I saw something remarkable.  They are selling a bra that costs two MILLION dollars.  I'll take two.

3.  It rained all day.  Welcome back little pond in front of my house.  Home Depot, get ready.  I'm coming back for more rocks.

4.  It's cold.  I hate winter.

5.  I have eaten vegetarian meals for the last two nights.  Not because I am changing my dietary habits.  No...I am too lazy to cook.  Annnnnnnnnndddddd...I'm tired of chicken.

6.  I got my school pictures back today.  Hmmmmm......maybe I should change my dietary habits.

7.  I love coffee.  Hot or cold.  But especially hot this time of year.

8.  Tomorrow is Friday and it is dress down day at school.  A-men.

9.  miss raven is still chowing on the Royal Canine.  Two weeks with no gurgly tummy.  I think we have a winner.

10.  I have three orders for crochet hats/scarves.  Look at me and my bad crafty self.

11.  Goodnight.

:)

wordless wednesday...

 

Interesting...

you think you know people but then....well, their true colors show through.

Now, to be honest, I know this already, but I guess I still have a more positive outlook about people and really want to believe that they are who they say they are.

WRONG.

Anywho.

Tonight went kind of how I expected it.  The main concern was what I pretty much knew it would be and what I have been telling the powers that be for the last year or so.  I am still concerned that I am going to end up being the scapegoat for all of this, especially after some things I overheard today from someone who has told me in the past that they have my back.  Uh-huh.  Right.

note to self:  LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE

We'll see what happens.  I am hoping for the best, truly, but, honestly...I am planning for the worst.  I am scared about what may happen in the next few weeks but I am trying hard to not let it consume me.  I truly believe that God has not foresaken me, that I am on the side of truth, and that, although it might not happen the way I would like it to or when I would like it to, the truth WILL come out and those that are working against the truth WILL be exposed.

I have to believe that.

I have to.

I am determined...

to not let this get to me (too much) anymore (mostly). 

Seriously.

I have been under so much stress lately and I have been letting it get the better of me.  I have felt and acted so defeated and so depressed that it was affecting me physically.

Enough.

Is.

Enough.

No more.  I can't promise that every day will bring happiness, sunshine, rainbows, and bunnies, but I can be determined that, no matter what, I will not let it get the better of me.  That I will not let it keep me feeling defeated, depressed, and down. 

They can yell, scream, backbite, and backstab, but I will not let it bring me down.  I have too much to be thankful for, too much to be happy about, and too much to live for to let this stress kill me.

So there.

I know I will need to read this post over and over again in the next few weeks.  And this doesn't mean that I'm not concerned about what may happen in the days and weeks to come but I am going to start applying a lesson I learned when I was still in the classroom:  The naughty children act up because they want attention.  The good kids often suffer because so much of my attention was devoted to the naughty ones.  I always felt bad because I saw that the good kids were getting overlooked.  I started focusing more on the good kids and less on the naughty ones.  They deserved to not be overlooked.    So now?  Now I will focus on the cooperative parents.  The ones who work with me and who want us to keep on with what we are doing.  The ones that are supportive, helpful, and just plain nice.  Because you know what?  There are WAY more of those kind of parents than there are of the other kind.

So.

There.

: oP