You Are What You Read?

For Christmas, "Stevie Wonder" gave me two books because he drew my name. He's my administrator, not my friend, mind you. It's a cool idea giving a librarian a book for a gift, but it's also highly personal. I finally started reading one of those books last night. It was quite interesting. I can't remember the title, but the main character is from Alabama and was apparently quite the busy young thing initiating all young men in her class into the wonderful world of sex as well as killing a guy. I'm only at the beginning so I'm sure there's a lot more to it than the f words that fly from the narrator's mouth. It's really in my mind, the description and language are more stereotypical guy like than female. It was almost macho, which is very much like "Stevie Wonder." As I read, I had the big cartoon eyes where my eyes were bugging out of my head. It is so not my type of book. I then began to think of other books I've received as gifts. Two years ago, I received from a male friend a book that was soooo weird about a guy who through many weird twists and turns ends up having a sexual thing with his male best friend but according to the character, he's not gay. Guess what? The person who gave me this book as it so turns out has been crossing the same line and insisting he, too, is not gay. Hmmmm, a little lightbulb is starting to form...are we reflected in what we read? I love YA lit, fluffy chick lit and romance...YEP...I am a romantic at heart and I can be immature sometimes (kind of Peter Panish but not)...so maybe my theory is true....you are what you read. It's food for thought. So think about what you're reading and what it might say about you...Or not.

How do you stop a dog from barking?

Okay, so here's my dilemma...my beloved dog Hope is now a barking maniac. Well, not so much a maniac, but when she's looking out the window from upstairs or downstairs and sees: another dog, a person or those two little kittens across the street, she goes crazy! I've taken to closing the blinds which only helps some of the time. I guess I need to ask Anna, my vet's wife, who had been working with me and Hope on walking on a leash and not licking people to death. I think the one she really goes nuts for are those kittens. They seem to relish the fact that she's inside and they like to cross the street and stretch out in my driveway just to tease her. Hope has always loved cats. I had Roscoe when I got Hope but he decided to leave because the house wasn't big enough for he and Hope. Maybe her barking is some unresolved issue over Roscoe's departure.

Go see Indiana Jones if you liked the previous triology. My family and I went today and we were all riveted, except for my mom who said he's gotten a bit long in the tooth. Well, duh mom. Harrison Ford is over 60! I still loved it for what it was...a fun, action packed movie with the similar vibe of the previous ones.

Feeling Better

I HATE, HATE, being sick. I am finally getting better. This is the first day I can actually say that I wasn't sneezing all over the place and my poor nose wasn't bright red. I stayed home and was a bum today. I needed it but at the same time, I feel like I've wasted a whole day by staying home, laying around, sleeping, reading and watching TV. But, in the end, I'm doing better. I just hope Shannon didn't get sick. I stayed at work all week because of book fair. We made just enough to make a VERY small cash profit. It really isn't worth all of the work and fuss. But, it is allowing us to buy the drawstring backpacks that we will sell and use the proceeds from that for an author and book club. We really have big plans for our next school year in the library. Hopefully it will be a cancer free school year next year for Shannon.

I'm still trying to decide if I am going to apply again for special needs. I hope to figure this out by the time school is out. Of course, I will have just a few weeks off because we're visiting my dad's family and I am working summer school in July. I just found out that the teachers get paid more money (like $50 a day) and plus the co-teaching and all that jazz I am expected to do, I also have administrative duties like bus duty, cafeteria duty and walk throughs. Geez louise. Oh well, it's money for my daughter and I don't have to deal with other librarians messing with my library.

Fighting the bug and American Idol

Okay, so here I am watching the finals of American Idol. I REALLY am NOT a fan of David Archuleta. I mean, seriously, I don't think I would want to hear his album on the radio (you heard his version of Chris Brown? one word...Awkward). He's got a great voice but it is so Broadway. He also annoys me because he's like, a little girl with his, "Oh my goodness, you really like me," kind of attitude. It might be genuine but it is so exaggerated that it seems fake. I wish him luck no matter what happens. He is only 17 years old. But, the bottom line for me is that I absolutely love David Cook because I would love to hear his voice and his songs on the radio. Oh well. It's probably best he lose because history has shown that losers do better (i.e. Chris Daughtery). Okay, enough idol chat!

I am getting sick. I can feel it and I'm trying really hard to ignore it. It's like the beginning of the last time I got really sick that I had walking pneumonia. I am taking garlic, vitamin C, and other stuff. I can't get sick. We're in the middle of book fair (yuck!) and it's going to be crazy busy tomorrow.

I can't believe that next week will be 24 months waiting for Grace. Wow, 2 years. I should have some sort of party. Right now, things are so busy that I don't have time to even think about it. It's going to be another busy summer. That'll be good. Tomorrow is Wednesday and it's one day closer to the weekend. Hip, hip, hooray!

Just Beachy

I am so glad that I was able to get out of town this weekend and go to the beach (Port A). It was so rejuvenating. I went with my friend D and we stayed at Island Retreat which is on the beach. It was so nice. I stayed on the beach from 10 until 4 reading two books! It was what I needed before I start book fair this week. I hate book fair but we need the money so we can buy the backpacks that we are going to sell at sixth grade orientation which will be our main fundraiser so we can get an author. I can't believe the school year is almost over. We'll be taking our trip to visit my dad's family in about a month. My sister is dubbing it the Tour of the Dollar Generals because the last time we went, that's what we mainly saw. I'll be glad to see my Aunt Lucille. She is a character. She added a lovely phrase to my vocabulary, "wompus kitten." I love it.

I think I have decided to reapply for special needs program. I don't know though. I figure it'll happen when it's supposed to happen. I don't know how the Earthquake will also affect the time frame. All I know is that I'm very sad for both China and Mynamar to have suffered great losses. I'm keeping both of these places in my prayers.

Pinched Nerves, Mother's Day & Earthquakes

I have had a pinched nerve for the past week in my neck. It's actually caused my thumb on my right hand to be tingly feeling. I saw the PA on Friday who gave me muscle relaxers so this weekend and today, I've been one mellow girl. I really needed to today because we (Shannon and myself) got the "honor" of checking in textbooks and I had to deal with my favorite administrator, Stevie Wonder (I've nicknamed him this because he's blind to everything...Shannon and I have nicknames for all the administrative team). Anyways, the medicine is helping which is a good thing.

I can't believe yesterday was another Mother's Day that I didn't physically have my Grace. I hope to have her here next Mother's Day. You know, I wasn't sad or bummed this year. Maybe it's because I've somehow accepted the wait. I know when the time is right, she'll be here. I'm content right now to be Hope's doggie mama, even though she has been Miss Bark at Everything lately

Lastly, I am sending my prayers to all those in the area where the earthquake hit. I know that some of our children may come from the Sichuan and Chonqing provinces. How scary for them. I read that some schools have collapsed and many children have been buried alive in a sense. This is so horrible! My agency is putting together a special fund because some of the orphanages that we get referrals from have been affected. So, let's all say a little prayer for all of those people for strength, help and healing.

Doncha just hate it when...

I slept weird on my neck Sunday and had a bit of a crick when I woke up. Part of it was my dog stretching across the bottom of my bed and I think subconsciously I didn't want to kick her. Anyways, the next night I was having stressful nightmares over the reading tournament that I was starting the next day so the stress came out in my neck and I ended up with a pinched nerve that causes pains to shoot down my shoulder and into my arm. I was hoping it would go away but it hasn't. I'm not stressing anymore about my Clash of the Titles tournament. I only have the final round tomorrow during 8th period and it went much more smoothly than I expected. Maybe it'll go away tonight. I have those heating things on my neck and every 6 hours I'm taking motrin. On the bright side I still have neck mobility.

I got my hair cut and colored today. I love what Jennifer does to my hair. It's almost like a blondish joan jett or the chick from Paramour. At least, that's what I've been told.

I can't wait until the weekend. My parents come home from their trip to Canada. They are having such a wonderful time and my dad says that I would totally love the bread. That is a place I really would love to go to. I hear it's beautiful and I do love my Degrassi on the N (yes, I'm such a wannabe tween/teen in some of my TV taste).

American Idol comes on tonight. I hope it's Jason Castro who will go. I so love David Cook. He rocks! Yep, I'm still a reality TV junkie but, I have cut out quite a bit.