Tired

Not feeling the blog much lately. Sorry. I will come back new and improved.

Peace and chicken grease.

Very Sad Day

Since I have a vacation day today, I decided that I'd go to the gym this morning with Mrs. C. When I got home, I thought I'd listen to Rick and Bubba live, since I can't do that at school anymore. Their home page has posted tragic information. Little Bronner "Cornbread" Burgess died this weekend in a tragic drowning accident. It happened in their family pool. It's SO sad. He was about the same age as The Child. Bubba is on the air trying to help people understand what has happened. He's doing a great job. Be careful, he's talking about Christian beliefs, so some are sure to be offended.

I cannot imagine how horrible things must be for the Burgesses. Rick told Bubba yesterday (I guess there was a funeral?) that he was going to do the hardest thing he'd ever done, but he said that it was well with his soul. Grace is truly given when it is needed most. I cannot imagine having that enormous level of composure.

My prayers are with Rick, his wife Sherri, and their whole family.

I'm in a Slight State of Mourning

Okay, Brett Favre, you went and got my hopes all up that we'd have a SUPER Superbowl. You and Tom Brady, could life get better? UGH. What a bad pass you made in the fourth quarter! Two words: running game. All of those people who had the Pack in as a foregone conclusion (read: me), too bad. Eli did play a pretty good game, and to win 3 playoff games on the road and 10 road games straight is pretty awesome. I just have a sick feeling that Tom "Cardboard Cut-Out" Brady and the Pats will just run away with this allegedly "super" game. I KNOW that the Giants played the Pats close last time, but are you telling me that the Pats aren't going to be MORE prepared this time? Please. Write down 19-0 and let Mercury Morris finish steaming about the perfect season.

A Search for Inspiration

Do you ever feel as if your blog has become a daily diary, a retelling of your schedule for that day or that plus a few more days? I've been feeling very blase lately. It seems stupid to just rewrite the activities of the day. I was searching for an idea, when last night at the concession stand, one came to me.

Snoopy began talking about having cramps in her butt from the running of eight miles. She's in training for a half-marathon. Okay, so she started asking us to massage her butt to get the cramps out (she was kidding, I think). She then started polling everyone and asking what superpower they would want. Fiona said she'd want the ability to heal. We declared that BORRRRRING. World peace, healing, making people tell the truth, etc. BOO. I said, based on the day, that it'd be kind of cool to be able to give people cramps. I suppose along with that should come the ability to stop the cramp. Snoopy said she'd like the ability to levitate people and leave them just hanging in the air if she decided to. But the BEST was suggested by one of our assistant principals, I'll call her Frau, since she just married a guy with a very German sounding name, she came up with this: THE ABILITY TO MAKE SOMEONE LITERALLY EAT SHIT AND DIE.

We declared this AWESOME. Of course it would only be used in very dire circumstances, but how awesome it would be when it was used. Can you tell we have a hostility-type deal going on at our school?

Now for the regularly scheduled part of the blog:

Today's purposed activities:
Relaxing (laying around doing what I want to)
Going to the gym for BodyPump and maybe a hip-hop class
More relaxing
Planning for next week's school
Napping or sleeping

It's going to be a very good day!

Hot Potato, Hot Potato!

This is what I had for supper. It was delicious. I had one tablespoon of full-fat sour cream and one tablespoon of the Smart Balance Omega-3 spread. How about I needed NO SALT! AND I COULD TASTE ALL OF IT. I'm convinced that my tastebuds are now being awakened after years of being overwhelmed and blitzed by sugar. I also had a bowl of Uncle Sam Cereal (toasty and delicious) with rice milk. As Quincy says on Little Einsteins, "I cannot believe it!" It's taken essentially two weeks for my 'buds to come back to a full life of tasting. No wonder I ate and ate, never really feeling full. I couldn't taste anything. I know that some of y'all are out there going, "No joke, Columbo." I knew this, but I didn't KNOW this. Seriously, this almost-veg thing has been very good.

BONUS: The grant thing is crystallizing. I feel LOADS better about it today than I did yesterday. I've got to work on it tonight, so it's off to www.getstuffdone.com (not a site, but a state of mind--Actually, it's probably a site, but I don't know what it is!).

An Asterisk

Well, a bit of good news I have (as Yoda might say). In my second complete week of the health improvement deal, I have managed to stay on track. Yipee! Week 1 resulted in a 9 pound loss and week 2 has given (or taken away) 4 pounds! So, essentially, this means that I've reached my planned loss for January and, actually, exceeded it by a pound. I don't think I'll be resting on my laurels. This week will be wild, with meeting for the grant daily and, I'm afraid, late. I don't like going to work out too late or I can't sleep.

Speaking of sleeping, that is what I should be doing now.

I Am Exhausted!

Okay, this wireless grant thing will be unbelievably AWESOME if we get it. It will bring me a SmartBoard, a classroom computer response system, share in a classroom set of laptop computers, a ceiling-mounted LCD projector, and many other goodies. But doing interdisciplinary assignment/learning opportunities is quite the handle. I stayed up last night/this morning past 3 a.m. looking to both refresh my knowledge and apply physical science concepts to math. ARRRGGHHH!

I thought I was through with electricity, but I was wrong. This is a great process, though. I really haven't done a lot of interdisciplinary work unless I just wanted to take a day off from a class to do something else!

Well, I'm going to go nap prior to getting feedback from the other participants!

I LOVE Me Some Donald!

Okay, it's official. I love the Celebrity Apprentice. Donald Trump isn't my favorite person, but he is EXCELLENT on television. Sometimes I just look at his hair and ponder the time and work that goes into something like that. What is it made of ? What kind of product? What quantity? The expanded "Board Room" is great.

Also, how about Gene Simmons getting after Ivanka? She's one classy chick. He made some comment asking her if she was going to run go tell the girls what the guys had planned. He's hung around bimbos so much (not including Shannon Tweed, his life partner) that he thinks all women are idiots. Speaking of hair, what is the deal with Gene Simmons'? His is Brillo-esque. And the shades 24/7? Huh? At least he did take them off to apologize to Ivanka.

Today was ANOTHER excellent day. I decided to do some cooking, so I skipped the gym. I don't feel badly about it. No, really I don't.

Anyway, one more day and it's weekend!

Should I Feel Bad for This?

Okay, today I waited (procrastinated) until about 9p.m. to go to the gym. Well, there was a part of me that felt like the king of the world with just me, the cardio machines, and that's it. The self-righteous inner voice comes out. I think, "Wow, I'm really impressed with me!" Then some guy came in and hopped on the stair machine and proceeded to BURN IT UP. So, I guess I shouldn't feel bad, I just got a little silent shut-up juice from dude.

Meeting on wireless grant today. This is going to be TOUGH! We've got some good folks to help, but wow, it's a challenge. I've never participated in anything like this before. I'm hopeful and intrigued by the prospects.

Well, I'm sorry that my posts have been short, but I enjoy sleep!

Forgot How Tiring Teaching Can Be!

Wow, it's been two weeks and I'd forgotten how exhausting it can be to walk and stand for HOURS on end. I was going to write 4.5 hours, because that's how long my classes are, but during my planning I know I walked a mile because our copier was broken and I had to go back and forth to the main building to make copies and get books.

It's great. My classes are SO wonderful. And this time, instead of three packed classes, I have one at around 27, one with 21, and one with 14! Yes, 14! The best trig class EVER!

I just got back from the gym. I found after analyzing my data on Buckeye Outdoors Training Site, that 50 minutes on the elliptical is optimal for me. Then Mrs. C. and I did ab work and stretching. AWESOME workout.

Gotta do my trig homework! I'm gonna SCAT!

I Have Worn Myself OUT!

Okay, maybe it's because I ate my allowed hotdog (+ 1 weenie) last night at the concession stand, or maybe it's just because I was tired, but the elliptical almost KILLED me. Then I went to the BodyPump at 2:30.

I came home and hunkered down with some black-eyed peas and brown rice with a side of some sassy collard greens. YUM!

I am tired. I'm going to go rest.

Tomorrow is the first day back with students. I'm excited and annoyed.

Things I Have Learned this Week

Wow, this week has been pretty fun. It's been a little trying, after the big two weeks off, but I'm gonna be okay.

I got up at 7:15 and went to the gym at 8:00. It's nice to get in early on Saturdays, because there's an onslaught at around 10:00. Mrs. C. and I ellipticized. Then we coffeed. Supermom brought The Child to the coffee house.

Then I came home and piddled around doing whatever, mainly getting ready and watching You Are What You Eat on BBC/America (The link is to Gillian's web site because the show site is kinda lame). This show is AWESOME. Gillian is part of the reason I have been making different nutritional choices. (After I wrote this, I found some info online that Gillian has used the "Dr." title somewhat erroneously. This is the article. I still think that the gist of what she says works.)

Okay, for what the title says.

1. Eating almost-veg is not nearly as difficult or crazy-making as you would think.
2. Exercising six days a week will not kill you.
3. Something in all the fat- and sugar-laden foods I was eating was making me sleepy, very, very sleepy.
4. You can be nicer when you aren't abusing your body with not-as-nutritional foods.
5. I really like the eating fruit until noon. The first day I was REALLY hungry, but the next day I just added an extra piece of fruit.
6. A smoothie of frozen mixed berries, blueberries, and banana with 1/2 cup of orange juice for the blending is DELICIOUS.
7. A person can go to a pizza buffet and NOT eat four pieces of pizza.

Did I mention that the exercise/nutrition plan I've been following this week has helped me lose nine pounds?!? Yep, that's right. I know that's really a lot, but considering the drastic change and the level of my working out, I think it's appropriate. I feel GREAT.

Shock to the System

Well, yesterday and today I have been quite busy. Going back to school was quite an ARRGGGH! The whole day was spent waiting for the server to be repaired (or restored or whatever) followed by meetings and meetings and meetings. Some were helpful, others not so much. Today was pretty much working on syllabi for my classes. I am very exited that I will be teaching a Math Money Management, Gifted Trigonometry & Advanced Algebra, and Geometry. I will also be working with a graduation test group. This will be a challenge, but I am looking forward to it!

Okay, the resolution scene is going well. I've not been spending an inordinate amount of time at school. Of course it's been two days, with no students there. Still, there have been many teacher workdays on which I've been at school until LATE, LATE. I am also pleased with my week of nutrition and exercise. I have exercised everyday this week with the exception of New Year's Day. It was a scheduled day off, so it's not a problem for me.

I didn't go to the gym today, but did my new DVD, The Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt. It was very good. Mind you, there are three levels of weight work that you can choose to add to the workout and I'm on level one. The stretch at the end is VERY good.

Well, there are basketball games tomorrow, so that'll be fun!

Make your weekend GREAT!

I Am a Little Scared, But I'm Posting my Weight-Loss Targets for the Year

Okay, I've done some mulling over this and I've decided to post this. I'm a little nervous, but here goes.




January - 12 pounds
February - 10 pounds (total of 22 pounds)
March - 8 pounds (total of 30 pounds)
April - 8 pounds (total of 38 pounds)
May - 8 pounds (total of 46 pounds)
June - 5 pounds (total of 51 pounds)
July - 5 pounds (total of 56 pounds)
August - 4 pounds (total of 60 pounds)
September 4 pounds (total of 64 pounds)
October - 4 pounds (total of 68 pounds)
November - 4 pounds (total of 72 pounds)
December - 4 pounds (total of 76 pounds)

I feel that these are goals that are very realistic for me. I am hoping that the 100-mile thing that Mrs. C. and I are doing is going to be a good help in this. (At the risk of being redundant, we are going 100 miles on any cardio equipment in two months. The elliptical machine is our favorite because it provides less stress on the knees. We started on December 27th.) I've also started putting in the nutritional component.

I would appreciate any encouragement y'all can provide with this. Long term, baby, long term!

And the Resolutions Are Here!

Well, the tabulations have been done. I've read website after website (lifehacker, suite101, studyhacks, HealthMatters are among the best.).

I've decided on just a small number that will make the biggest impact on my life. I've even defined some within themselves, so hold on.

1. Health Department

I will monitor my eating. I'm going to eat fewer meat products. I am going to eat more fruits and veggies. I will eat fewer meals (especially breakfast) from fast-food (DEATH) establishments.

I will exercise on a regular basis. I'm working with Mrs. C. to go 100 miles (any cardio method) in eight weeks. We started on the 27th, to try to cut some of the holiday-added gut. I think we've both gotten in our thirteen plus miles for the first week. If we keep up this pace and add a BodyPump here and there, we should be good.

I would like these endeavors to help me lose a total of 76 pounds this year.

2. Work Department

I am going to stay at school late only on Mondays and Wednesdays. Other days, with the exception of concession stand days(Tuesdays and Fridays, potentially, during basketball season), I will stay no later than 4:15. There will be times during the spring that I'll stay forever to watch some baseball games (Baseball is my favorite sport to watch.) and tennis matches. But, I've got to get back in balance with school-time and life-time.

In conjunction with this, I am going to make sure that papers get graded within a two business- day time frame. In order to do this, I will have to make much better use of my planning block. I've got an hour-and-a-half. I need to use it more appropriately.

3. Fun/Brain Department

I am going to read the equivalent of two books a month. I should really read one every week, but I want to leave a little wiggle room. Goodreads is a good way to keep track of what you want to read.

Do well with your endeavors for the new year!