I know, I know...

Sorry. With school and grad school starting this week, I have been busy busy busy. Last weekend Troy and I took care of errands and laid low, all to be bombarded yesterday. I had the first day of school, grad school right after, then a visit to Tony and Joann to see their day-old daughter. I was at home awake for all of two hours yesterday. Poor Troy left work at 6:30 in the evening only to be called in at 10 pm for several hours.
Today I had school again, but no grad school. I came home and walked on the treadmill. Poor Henry has had a lot of alone time. I'm a little angry at him for playing with the sofa cushions nonstop.
I like my students this year. There's an innocence to them that my last group was missing. Funny stories will follow, I'm sure!

Today's Adventure

Today was quite exciting! Jesse Hercules flew in from Mississippi through Gatlinburg last night. We hung out and chatted, then got our sleep. This morning, after Troy and Jesse went to get doughnuts, we went to the Lynchburg airport, hopped in Jesse's plane, and flew to Raleigh. Jesse has a Cherokee that seats four people. Its like a medium sized car with wings. It has a propellor on the front. I was terrified.

However, I sucked it up and went ahead. The flight was really smooth, since Jesse's a good pilot and I had my motion-sickness patch on. It took less than an hour, and we arrived to see Troy's parents. I went shopping for fabric with Becky while the guys tooled around. We had dinner at the grill at Briar Creek country club, then got dropped off at the airport. It was an uneventful flight home, and now we're back at the house.

It was a really small plane. I was really nervous, but now I'm excited that I did that! We had a great time and got to wear noise-cancelling headsets and see our area from the air. Woo hoo!

My Trip, Part 2

Ah, the beach. I love the beach. When we got to the condo, the new carpet was being laid. It looks so pretty! I'm very glad that Jack and Debby are working on the place. Its so nice to see improvements made. It's becoming less of a family place and more of a vacation place to relax. We did a lot of sunbathing, walking, and crafting. I went in the water nearly everyday, until it got too wild. It was a little lonely, since Mom only swam with me once.

We ate so much seafood- I still smell like Old Bay seasoning. Mmmm... Crabs... Its been nice being home, though. I'm starting to get wound up about school starting, so sleeping is getting difficult. I just lay in bed and all these thoughts gush into my mind. However, I'm happy excited about school starting, not scared.

My grad advisor told me that one of my summer school professors informed him that I "carried the seminar class this year." I was a little tickled, until my advisor, who I'll be taking my first class with this semester, told me he expected great things out of me. He's known for being tough. I'm a little anxious about that.

Well, its more needle-punch embroidery for me now. And kisses from Henry.

My Trip, Part 1

Okay, so I don't think I can post all about the trip in one day. My attention span is just not that great. So I'll break it down. I'll post about: grandparents, the beach, and etc. Today will be about grandparents.

I saw Nana and Grandpa when I got in with Kelly and Lauren on Tuesday afternoon. Nana had on a pair of pants, two skirts, two shirts, and nearly every piece of jewelry she owned. She didn't really recognize us, and she kept asking us weird questions. (By the way, I had a lot of fun with Kelly and Lauren- we finally finished Kelly's quilt!) Nana appears to have taken up the habit of wearing too much clothing, as I witnessed, or not enough, as Jack and the girls witnessed. However, Dad and Jack really worked things out. Nana and Grandpa will be moving, and a caretaker will spend four hours a day at their house until they can move. Nana improved over the course of the visit, so I was pleased. By the time we left, she knew us and was acting like her old self.

Meme, on the other hand, was completely wonky. She thought I was Kary's girlfriend and kept trying to cut and eat her napkin. I knew she'd keep deteriorating, but it made me nauseous to see her this time. She knew Mom some of the time, but she didn't make sense a lot. She also got really snappy and threatened to shoot several staff members over her footwear.

However, all my grandparents seem safe for now. I mean, they're old and feeble and sickly, but they are taken care of, which is important to me. Later today or tomorrow I will expound on the beach. Heaven!

Nissan Rocks

So I'm using the internet at the car dealership where they're changing the oil in my car. Not such a bad set up, I guess.

Kelly and Lauren are coming today, and I'm really excited! I really enjoyed having Kelly here last summer, so I'm happy to have both of them. We always have a good time- the girls are hilarious and fun to be around. Kelly and I are hoping to finish the quilt we started last summer, and I'm going to teach Lauren to knit. She mentioned making a quilt, and I worried about the time frame, since we'll only have three days together. Plus, I wanted her to have a different talent. I guess that's left over from my days as Teresa's little sister. I really wanted horseback-riding lessons when Teresa was taking them, but I wasn't allowed. I think it helped my issues with Teresa not to ever compete against her at hobbies and things other than school. You can't help school, since everyone has to do it. At least out of school we had our own interests.

My favorite part of having the girls here? Kelly, at least, loves Mountain Frost Creamery and I think Lauren will too! Mmmm... Ice cream...

Three Years

Troy and I went out tonight to celebrate our third anniversary. Its so hard to believe! Sometimes it seems like just yesterday, sometimes it seems like forever. We had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Isabella's. We highly recommend it. The food is delicious, and they give you free stuff on anniversaries and birthdays. Mmmm... Italian food...

I started getting my new classroom set up today. What a mess. I packed stuff in the wierdest places, but its kinda like Christmas. I'm finding things I forgot I had! So its pitiful that I packed it away two months ago and forgot about it, but that's me. I'll be going back in to do more tomorrow, so hopefully it'll be done soon. Then I can just go in and enjoy it without any kids there. I really like school when there are no students there. Funny, huh?

Our Trip, Part 2

On Monday, we visited the Case knife factory. We got there around nine a.m., and our tour (just Troy and I!) was led by Mary. She's worked at the factory for over ten years. It was... amazing. We saw EVERYTHING. We talked to guys punching out blades, ladies smashing metal under huge smashing machines, guys in crazy shirts buffing out scratches. The whole process takes weeks if you followed a knife through the factory. It was just the coolest thing to see.

Afterwards, we had lunch with Shirley, the Case historian and a friend of Troy's. We went to Beefeaters, a local hotspot. It was neat- the restaurant was near our hotel and a building we'd seen earlier. It used to be the post office- the architecture was really neat. We read the sign and noticed that it was dedicated to a man with the last name of Boser (Shirley's last name). It turned out Shirley's daughter owned the building, and we got to take a tour! Only in a small town could this happen, I guess. The building had secret hallways and lookouts since Bradford used to be the biggest town in the country's richest county. Back when oil was big, there was tons of money going in and out of the post office. And we got the special tour!

We left Bradford around two-thirty yesterday and made it back just after midnight. It was a really neat trip! Pictures should be on Troy's website, somewhere, if you'd like to see them.

I picked Henry up this morning, and he was so glad to see me! Man, I missed him so much. Teresa, just so you know, if something happens to us, you'll be Henry's guardian. Whatever you need to sell to support him is okay with us- we'll give you all our worldly belongings to take care of him. He's so cute.

Our Trip

Well, we are on our way back home, and I'm posting using Troy's Blackberry. We drove to Richmond on Friday morning, and Troy had some meetings there until two. We dropped Henry off before we left at the kennel near his vet. We didn't hear from anyone so we assume he's okay. We frove from Richmond to Lancaster on Friday afternoon and got stuck in wicked traffic on the beltway. We've been playing a sticker version of the state liscense plate game, and we saw Hawaii while in the traffic. It was worth the wait. In Lancaster, we went to an awesome craft fair and saw the downtown area. I really enjoyed the Amish quilt museum. We've picked up some tiles and a new painting for our growing art collection- they make good souvenirs. On Sunday, we drove from Lancaster to Bradford. It took about five hours. We were amazed by the number of rural farming and manufacturing communities. Some of the polaces were quite depressing. I'm going to save Bradford and the Case factory for tomorrow. Hope everyone had a good weekend. I hope Henry remembers me tomorrow!

Almost August

Ah, the bittersweet realization that summer is drawing to an end... However, I have plenty to keep my occupied until school starts again. Two trips, lots of visitors, and the bag project to finish up.

I went in to school today, and I moved some things to my new classroom. I have a lot of work to do to get my room back in order for students. Plus, I'm working with younger children, so I need to decorate differently. Its always fun to get the room in order before the kids come. I like school best when there are no students there. Is that bad?

Heat Wave

Man, its been steamy here! The weather is really obnoxiously hot. I've been trying to remember, when I take Henry out at eight a.m. and its ninety degrees out, how cold I will be in February doing the same thing. It doesn't help much.

I am getting ready for school again, already. Summer seems so short! I know I have several weeks before its time to go back, but I'll be traveling so much. I don't want summer to be over so soon. Oh well. Time flies, right?

I hear that daylight savings time is being changed to May through November. I think that's the silliest thing ever! First of all, the whole savings time thingy is a little screwy to begin with. Second, why should be honestly go through the hassle of changing it?!? Sheesh.

Well, I guess I should be relaxing some. No need getting all worked up on vacation, right?

Dogs

I took Henry to the vet today to get vaccinated against kennel cough so we can board him. While there, I visited with Nell, a nine-year-old pointer looking for a home. She was really sweet, and I think she and Henry could get along. There's a glitch, however. I was petting her and scratching behind her ears. She yawned, but it looked to me like what Katie did when she was getting ready to bite people. I nearly fell over trying to stand up quickly. I realized then and there that I will only be able to bring puppies into my home as pets. I have to have them from itty-bitty so that I can trust them. Nell was a sweetie, but she's not for me. I just don't know how she was raised.

On another topic, Meghan (the school's speech language pathologist) and I started decorating our bags for the "Reader's Tool Kits" that we're making up. We're trying to get literacy activities into homes to encourage reading instruction. I just hate seeing kids end up in my class simply because they can't read. Its not that they aren't smart- they just don't have the same advantages as other children.

Its been a long time.

Sorry to anyone who actually reads this, or tries to.

As I type, there are two very tired puppies in my house. One is Henry. The other is Angel, the corgi from across the alleyway. Henry is absolutely in love with Angel. She comes over to play sometimes. They go wild! Lots of chasing and tumbling and barking. They wear each other out, which is nice.

I watched the shuttle launch today. It was really neat. I remember watching one launch from the deck of a cruise ship in December of 1999. Very cool. What was neat this time, however, was that they broadcast views from a camera that was mounted on the biggest external fuel tank and pointed at the belly of the shuttle. The camera worked all the way into space, and they showed the shuttle disconnecting from the tank and floating away. It was... amazing. I tivoed it to show Troy later.

I am amazed by space. I've done so many projects on astronauts, read books, watched movies... I would love to go into space. However, as Troy knows and tells me, I'll never be an astronaut. I get too motion-sick. Oh well. I can dream.

It is really hot here. Not that I mind- I love my air conditioning.

Man...

I thought summer vacation this year would be laid back and relaxing. This week has been less busy, but no less stressful. I have a specialist's report due Monday about testing I have yet to actually do on a boy whose mother I have yet to get ahold of. Plus, I have a final exam a week from tomorrow!

It'll be okay. The stress has an end in sight.

Crises!

So a dishwasher leaking water all over the floor (my crisis) isn't as bad as your house burning down (Uncle Jack's crisis). However, I did not enjoy having to figure out why huge amounts of suds were foaming over the kitchen floor. Jack and Kelly both seem pretty okay about the house- all lives were saved, including Rascal hiding under a bed. I can just picture that poor firefighter braving the flames to drag out a bassett hound.

I ran 3.3 miles today, but I had an unhealthy-ish dinner- too much cheese, maybe five points over for the day, including my exercise. However, I was under a lot of stress from the leak.

My best friend Meghan is pregnant with baby no. 2. I'm jealous, but its not too bad. She'll let me borrow her kids as often as I need to. Erin, although sweet, is a terrible two, and she can quickly curb the urge.

I hope Jack gets things sorted out as smoothly as possible. I feel really bad for him, and especially Johnny who had to get out of the burning house. That has to suck.

later on the fourth

I am sitting in a big field waiting for the fireworks to start. Technology is truly amazing, as is Troy for letting me play with his BlackBerry. We got a lot of housework taken care of today- laundry, straightening, and mowing. I really didn't want to go to the fireworks tonight, but Troy coerced me. I really think my dislike of fireworks has to do with the wretched displays Oak Ridge always put on. They were really horrible! Hopefully Lynchburg can do better. Henry is still very happy to have us home- no accidents in the house today. The bugs and I say goodnight from our little corner of the Genworth field.

4th of July

We got back last night from Troy's parents' house. It was a good time. Lots of shopping and eating out. We'd left Henry here with a neighbor, our first time really away from him for long, and he was happy to see us. I think he never expected to see us again. We're going to just spend today getting things done around the house. I have school work and house work to catch up on.

Congrats to Teresa and Chris on two years of dating bliss! Troy and I are less than a month away from three years of wedded bliss, and we're starting to talk about how to celebrate. He knows to get me sparklies for anniversaries. I don't mind vacuums and powerwashers and scumbusters for other "special" occasions. However, anniversaries are different.

Pink Eye

Henry's eyes seem to be much better. He still panics when I come towards him with the half-chewed tube of antibiotics, but at least the yellow goop is gone. He enjoyed the chew he had while I ran another 3.3 miles today. 19 miles in one week! (Interuption- Henry is rolling his foodball around the computer room madly trying to get food out and neglecting to realize that there is no food in it.)

19 miles! I'm thinking of finding a map and slowly tracking my progress to somewhere. I'm afraid I'm going stop running and mess the whole thing up. I like my weight okay where it is now, and if I could eat what I'm eating now (mostly healthy with a little ice cream here and there), I'd be very happy.

I had to put Henry's e-collar back on. He's not a happy boy.

Not so good at keeping this up.

Whew. I really do have time on my hands, I'm just using it for other stuff, I guess. I can't believe June is nearly over! I miss work, and I'm afraid I'll get too used to being a lazy bum on vacation.

Henry is getting over his bout of pink eye. I knew something was wrong over the weekend, and he had to go to the vet yesterday. He's doing very well.

I've run 15.35 miles in the last five days. I may become a neurotic runner again. I've always been neurotic- I just needed a treadmill.

I'll post more. Really. I will.

My Day

I had class today from nine a.m. to two p.m. It is fairly painful to sit through four and a half hours of class (we get half an hour for lunch). We are learning a lot about No Child Left Behind and IDEA, all three versions of it.

Upon arriving home, I watched "Calendar Girls." It has lots of really witty dialogue and half naked British women. Older British women, I should add. It was very funny.

I make chicken Kiev and risotto for dinner, followed by a walk and playdate for Henry and Angel. Henry is now sound asleep on the floor after all the excitement.

My day was not very exciting. I kinda like that.

Two Weeks Later...

Ta-Da! My vacation, all week and a half of it, is boring me. But not bored enough to do anything productive. Two days a week I go to grad school, where I learn all about No Child Left Behind and IDEA 2004. Three days a week I tutor a petulant and tiresome child in reading for 45 minutes. I run about two miles everyday and pray that Henry and I catch Angel outside.

Angel is Henry's new best friend. She's a perky little corgi from across the alley, and she has a small fenced in backyard. Several times now Henry and Angel have had playdates where they run, romp, wrestle, and wear each other out. He loves it so much that if we go out at night to use the bathroom, he sits where he can see their backyard and cries for her. Its a little ridiculous, but he takes really long naps after they play.

I have no plans this weekend. Hoorah! I feel like this week I've been lazy because of all the traveling I did in the previous two weeks or so. Maybe after a real weekend, I'll get into stained glass or reading. But watching Judging Amy reruns on the sofa's not so bad, I suppose.