Five on Friday

Good morning, friends!

It's Friday, and since I'm back to semi-regular posting, I thought I'd once again follow along with The Good Life Blog, Hello! Happiness, Carolina Charm, and A. Liz Adventures for a little "Five on Friday."

  

Enjoy the randomness of my life. :)

~~ONE~~

Yesterday, I ran for the first time in nearly three weeks.

You see, I had some major knee issues that had been accompanying me for a couple of weeks, and then I foolishly ran a half marathon at the end of May. Because my knee was (obviously) bothering me after those 13.1 miles, I wizened up and decided to take a much-needed break from running -- and focus on cycling for exercise and to maintain endurance.

So yesterday was my first measly two miles in quite a while. I was fully prepared for the run to suck since it was in super hot and humid weather and since I had not run for a while, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good I felt.

And then shit hit the fan. Endurance-wise, I was great: I could've gone forever. Pain-wise, not so much. I made it nearly a mile around the lake before deciding that I should take a quick break due to the fire poker jabbing the outside of my left knee.

Unfortunately, that was just the beginning. The second mile included much, much more walking, simply because I was in too much pain to run.

And even more unfortunately, the pain did not subside when I stopped running and instead continued through the rest of the day.

My long-distance-running career may be quickly coming to an end.

Soooooo pretty. Also, helloooooo boobs.

~~TWO~~

I know you are all well aware of my obsession with love toward La Croix. Well, have you heard the news?

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Yep: La Croix is feeding my addiction with three new flavors. Since I was at Target this week (and La Croix was three for $9), I succumbed. I picked up a case of mango and a case of apricot (and my tried and true favorite, lime), and both are absolutely delicious: clean, crisp, refreshing.

~~THREE~~

This past month my book club read The Orphan Master's Son.

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This was the first book-club book (out of nine or ten) that I did not read. It was supposed to be absolutely amazing (I mean, it won the Pulitzer Prize), but I just could not get into it; I tried countless times, and each time I tried, it felt like I was just staring at words. I mean, I would make it several pages, but I would have zero idea as to what was happening.

Interestingly, it turns out that most of the other women felt the same way. I think eight of us were at the meeting on Monday, and two of us had finished the book, and one of us was halfway through.

This month we're reading The Interestings, so I'm much more excited about that.

~~FOUR~~

Speaking of books, I decided that since the crazy storms had rendered me without power on Tuesday, I should reorganize all of my books. For most people, this would likely be a small task; I, however, have a lot of books and a little OCD, so this took me all morning.

First, I piled all of the books on my dining room table. Then, I sorted them according to genre: for instance, Latino literature, African-American literature, African literature, Asian literature, general literature, young-adult literature, memoirs, poetry and anthologies, non-fiction, education books, etc. Next, I alphabetized them within their genres. And finally, I put them back on their shelves.

Apparently I ended with more books than with which I started, so...that was another challenge.

While it took me forever, my anal-retentive self is very happy with the end result.

~~FIVE~~

My sister has been begging me for months to head down to her town for trivia at Peace Tree Brewery; unfortunately, I have had bowling league obligations each time she has asked. But, since they're continuing trivia through the summer, I am thankfully able to attend.

On Wednesday, I headed down south, and my sister, brother-in-law, two of their colleagues, and I formed The Kids' Table team.

After the first round (Classic Album Covers), we only had a measly two points. (We knew a lot of the bands and music but did not know the album covers. Ugh.) In the second round (Random Trivia), we killed it with nine out of ten. And then in the third round (June Trivia), we earned another four points, which left us in first place!

I am so ridiculously competitive, so I loved that we won. And, check out the sweet prizes:

We each received a mini growler (I think they're actually called "stumpy growlers") and could have filled it with beer for 10% off that night. Pretty sweet, right?!

It was such a fun evening, and I am so happy that a.) my sister lives close, and b.) that she wants to hang out with me. I already can't wait for July trivia. :)

What's been going on in your life lately?

Have you read any good books? Hook me up with some recommendations, please!

Three Thanks

It's been a while since I've seen y'all. I knew that a couple of you (Mom and MB in particular) would get on me about it, but I didn't realize just how many of you actually read this little blog o' mine.

Ask and you shall receive, friends. I am back today with the regular Three Thanks and will be back (at least semi-regularly) with some new posts.

Please join me (and hopefully Aly) with our link-up, Three Thanks. If you don't have a blog, please jot down what you are especially grateful for in the comments section below.

~~ONE~~

I am grateful for my dad. I am thankful for him for many reasons, but today I am going to mention just one: a week ago today, he drove over from Omaha and attended a swanky fundraiser with me.

He arrived just before the event and left shortly after, so he spent more time in the car than he did in Des Moines. And it meant so much to me that he would drive all that way to and from to spend the evening with me.

I had such a wonderful evening being silly with him, chatting with him, showing him off to all of my friends, and having him all to myself. It was an absolutely awesome father-daughter night. 

He is pretty amazing, and I am 100% certain that I had the best date at the event.

~~TWO~~

I am thankful for Shaw.

Here we are in the middle of a 32-mile bike ride. (Please disregard my massive head in this photo.)

And here we are at one of the Market to Market exchange points.

He and I have spent a lot of time together over the last several months. We obviously coached tennis together so were forced to hang out nearly every evening and then the three days that we were at state, and now that school is out, we have still been getting together nearly every day to go on a bike ride, to watch soccer, to grab patio drinks, etc.

Shaw is one of my best friends in the entire universe. He is one of the people I can be my absolute true self with -- silly jokes, poop talk, and all. And he is one of the people that I can rely on no matter what; I know that he sincerely cares for me and wants the absolute best for me. I can count on him to tell me when potential dudes are being stupid, and I can count on him to tell me that I need to stop over-analyzing things.

I love him so ridiculously much and am indelibly grateful that he's in my life. (And, I'm super stoked for all of the shenanigans we are going to get ourselves into this summer.)

~~THREE~~

I am thankful for the most fabulous friends' night in the history of ever.

On Friday night, Eric, Alicia, Katie, and I went to Malo, a new restaurant downtown, for dinner. We had so much fun just chilling on the patio, catching up.

Then, we hooked up with Shaw, and the five of us headed to Gray's Lake for unWINEd, an event put on by Jasper Winery. Again, we had so much fun just being together.

After we each finished our cocktail, we decided to walk the trail to Confluence, a great brewery about half a mile away. And that, my friends, is when the shenanigans started.

We goofed off like little kids the entire way to the brewery, and then as soon as we got a table inside, we started the most competitive game of UNO that the world has ever seen. I think we sat and played cards for nearly two hours, essentially until the taproom closed and we were kicked out. And then we proceeded to act like fools (again) on the entire trek back to Gray's Lake.

It was the most perfect night and, I think, just what each one of us needed.

I love those goofballs more than I can even express.

What are you especially thankful for this fine Thursday?

Three Thanks

I cannot believe that I missed last week's Three Thanks! You'd think that -- as one of the creators of the link-up -- I'd actually write a post for it.

Ugh.

But, the past is in the past, so let's focus on the here and now and get to this week's Three Thanks now! If you have a blog, please link up with me and my sister-in-law, Aly, with your very own Three Thanks post, and if you don't have a blog, please fill us in on what you're thankful for in the comment section below.

~~ONE~~

I am grateful for painless, injury-free running. Interestingly, I am not currently experiencing said painless, injury-free running, but because of that, I appreciate such running even more.

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During Market to Market, I noticed that my left hip and left knee were hurting quite badly. Interestingly, my left foot was the one with the huge blister. I believe I was over-compensating or adjusting my gait just a smidge -- but enough so that I somehow injured the rest of my leg.

The Monday after Market to Market, I tried to run with See-Us Run Des Moines, but I quickly realized that was a horrible idea since my muscles started hurting almost immediately. So, instead of running with them, I did some cardio conditioning (high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, etc.) and strength conditioning (squats, lunges, etc.). On Tuesday, I played tennis with the girls, but again, my muscles were quite sore. So, I took Wednesday through Friday off and then ran with the kids again on Saturday morning.

We had four miles on the docket, and I started off feeling great -- so great that I was running ten- and 11-minute miles, which is pretty darn good for me. Pretty much right at mile two, however, the pain really set in with my knee, and I pretty much gimped it (at a 13-minute pace) the rest of the way back. (I was able to run on downhills and flat surfaces because I could put less weight on my left leg, but it was nearly impossible to run that way uphill.)

Then, my knee continued to hurt the entire weekend, despite icing and Ibuprofen-ing.

So, this injury is making me really, really appreciate that I am usually able to run injury- and pain-free (as much as I like to whine about it sometimes).

~~TWO~~

I am thankful for good guys.

It has been so long since I have been excited about a guy. It has been so long since I have been super comfortable in front of a guy. It has been so long since a guy has made me feel special. It has been so long since a guy has tried to impress me. It has been so long since I have felt like a partner in a relationship. It has been so long since a guy has made me feel not crazy.

I know that there are good ones out there -- and that it is possible to find a guy who truly complements me (in all of my goofiness, in all of my nerdiness, in all of my craziness).

~~THREE~~

Let's go with something a little less serious for this one: I am grateful for patio weather.

I mean, just look at the forecast for the next few days. I envision a lot of sundresses, bike rides, and patio-drinking.

Honestly, probably my favorite thing about 70-degree weather is a good patio. I don't think there's much better than enjoying a refreshing drink (a good Moscow Mule, perhaps) in the sun on a patio with some good friends. (How about that for some prepositional phrases? And how about that for being a huge nerd?)

We're supposed to get a bit of rain on Sunday, which is why I cut that screen shot a bit short, but after three glorious days -- and the amazing weather we've had thus far this week -- I can deal with a few storms on Sunday.

Yay, summertime.


What are you most thankful for today?

Five on Friday

Look! Two posts in two days! It's almost like I'm back on track with regular posting. Just you wait: give me a few more days, and I'll be back to two-a-days for y'all. You're welcome. :)

For now, though, since it's Friday, I will follow along with The Good Life Blog, Hello! Happiness, Carolina Charm, and A. Liz Adventures for a little "Five on Friday."

  

Since I'm hooking you up with nothing but randomness today, make sure to hook me up with a little random from your life in the comments.

~~ONE~~

We got some weather last night! I was a smidge nervous about driving to Ottumwa (for a tennis meet) due to the weather we were supposed to be getting in Des Moines. Luckily, we made it back safe and sound, and aside from a few sprinkles right before starting the matches, Ottumwa was a-okay weather-wise.

And, we had some gorgeous views on the way home:

I wish you could've seen it in real life: this photo, even with the filters, does not do it justice.

In addition to the gorgeous views, it was a really fun trip. I absolutely love the girls, and Shaw's okay, too.

~~TWO~~

I'm not going to lie: one of the main reasons I was a bit hesitant about heading two hours away with pending storms was because of my cats.

I know: crazy-cat lady alert.

But, I was nervous for two cat reasons: first, the Today Show mentioned that Des Moines could be expecting tornadoes this evening (it's never a good thing when a national news show says that). And, I was worried that if a tornado hit Des Moines, my cats would be all by themselves, without me to cart their little butts down to the basement.

Second, one of my cats is a little weenie when it comes to storms:

Yep: the little prissy princess who likes to help me with everything cowers under the bed, in the closet, inside the couch -- pretty much wherever she can cram her tiny little body into the smallest space imaginable -- the minute thunder hits.

This one, on the other hand, could care less about storms but is absolutely certain that the vacuum cleaner (even when it's not turned on) is going to kill him:

Thankfully, both cats were fine (albeit one of them being hidden) when I got home.

~~THREE~~

Starting the Thursday before the Lincoln Half Marathon, my Whole30/Paleo plan kind of went down the toilet. (Interestingly, that happened quite literally.)

It has been so bad, in fact, that I have eaten cookies, pasta salad, cinnamon bears, pizza, and more.

And you know what? I feel absolutely awful. I feel like I weigh 400 pounds. I feel like my tummy is no longer flat. I feel like my face is poofy and no longer slim. I just feel gross.

So, on Monday I am going to for real for real start back on a Paleo plan. However, I am going to make a few exceptions with this Paleo plan. I am not going to worry about compliancy for Eric and Alicia's wedding at the end of the month, and I am not going to cut out alcohol 100%, only because I have not been over-indulging anyway. I will mostly stick to a Paleo plan -- and mostly stick to a Whole30 plan.

I just want to get back to feeling good. And good for me means taking control of my nutrition.

My new Costco purchase should help:

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I have wanted this cookbook for a really long time, so when I saw it for relatively cheap at Costco, I bit the bullet and just bought it. I'm pumped to look through it and start meal-planning again.

~~FOUR~~

Ironically (after discussing how Whole30/Paleo is the way for me), I just have to mention my summer drink of choice: 

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Seriously, the Moscow Mule just might be the most refreshing drink in the history of ever. The mix of lime, vodka, and ginger beer is simply heavenly.

I see a lot of these happening in my future.

If anyone would like to buy me a copper mug so that I can make my own, that'd be great. K thanks.

~~FIVE~~

I have a date on Sunday. I cannot even tell y'all how stoked I am about this one. We have exchanged several (thoughtfully-written, correctly-punctuated) emails and have texted back and forth a ridiculous amount in the last few days.

He is super smart and well-educated, he is driven and motivated, he is well-rounded and interesting, and he cracks me up, even just through email and text message. We share tons of similarities, so many, in fact, that it's unbelievable to both of us.

Hopefully he's pretty darn cool in person, too.

I'm trying not to get too excited about it (because, as my mom says, I love jumping into everything head-first), but let's be real: I'm really freaking excited.

Finally, I had to include a freakin' funny picture. I was searching for "first date" images and was bored by everything I saw, until I came across this one:

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It absolutely cracked me up. It's not necessarily true for this date (which part is untrue? I'll leave that up to you), but I literally laughed out loud when I saw it.

So anyway, wish me luck. :)

Tell me about the best/worst date you ever had. I have some doozies -- that I'll have to save for another day. :)

Three Thanks

Good morning!

I apologize for the lack of posting this week, but it's been a pretty busy week, and it's been kind of tough getting back into a routine while recuperating from the Lincoln Half Marathon. However, I thought that today would be a perfect day to get back into the swing of things with Three Thanks.

Please link up with me and Aly at Here Comes Happiness to share the three things for which you are most thankful this week. And, if you don't have a blog, please share at least one piece of gratitude in the comment section below.

Also, please stop over to Aly's blog and send her some positive thoughts. She tripped while running yesterday and fractured her elbow! She is one hurting unit (who is trying to take care of a nearly five-month-old baby with one arm), and I know seeing a lot of happy, healthy, healing thoughts on her blog would make her feel just a smidge better.

~~ONE~~

I am grateful for warm weather. This week has been absolutely gorgeous.

On Tuesday, Shaw and I were outside from 3:00-4:15 for tennis practice, and then we picked up Kate and headed to the boys' soccer game, where we were outside from 5:00-6:30. And then we took advantage of the Teacher Appreciation Day deal at Chiptole (buy-one-get-one-free), and ate outside on the patio.

Yesterday, it was like July weather! The high reached the low 90s, and the humidity felt like it wasn't too far behind. It was the kind of weather where you're in a constant sweaty state. It was awesome.

And as a result of the glorious weather we've been having, I am already rocking a pretty sweet sports bra tan line. I. love. tan lines.

~~TWO~~

I am grateful for the new restaurant that opened in my neighborhood: Eatery A.

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Ingersoll is my favorite neighborhood in Des Moines. Aside from it being the neighborhood in which I live, it is also full of really super-fun restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Until recently, however, the only "classy-ish" place to eat/drink was Star Bar (which, as you know, I love).

Enter: Eatery A.

I went there for the first time last night with Emmy Jean, and I loved it. Had it not been so busy, I would've taken photos of the beautiful refurbished barn wood, the spacious patio, the eclectic fixtures and decorations, and more. In addition to the ambiance being pretty awesome, the food and drink were great, too. First, there is a killer happy hour from 3-6 p.m. every day -- seven days a week. During happy hour, pizzas, draft beers, and wines are half off. This means that you can get a pizza for $5, a beer for $2.50, and a glass of wine for $3.50. Yes, please.

We opted for the fig and prosciutto pizza (omg), and I had a Moscow Mule (not on happy hour but on my list of cravings). Both were amazing.

I can already tell that this will be a regular hangout for me.

~~THREE~~

I am grateful for the thoughtfulness of students.

Three years ago, I had a student in class with whom I strongly connected -- or, to put it more accurately, who strongly connected with me. She had a lot of issues and, essentially, just needed someone to listen to her. Basically, over the course of the next couple of years, she became like a little sister to me -- one who made me angry and frustrated a whole heck of a lot, but one for whom I cared unconditionally.

In October 2011, when I ran my first half marathon, this particular student surprised me by standing at the finish line. I totally broke down in tears when I saw her. Shortly thereafter, she made me a beautiful gift in art class:

It is a box (obviously), but it's decorated beautifully and so incredibly thoughtfully. The lid and the sides are a mosaic of glass shards and beads, and the top has purple (my favorite color) pieces of glass that form a large E. The side panels of the box have inspirational quotes mod-podged onto them. And the inside lid, as you can see, is absolutely beautiful. "And miles to go before I sleep" is a line from one of my favorite poems, a line that I hope to have tattooed on my foot at some point in the near future.

As you can see, I keep all of my race memorabilia -- aside from my medals -- in this box. It is packed to the brim with race bibs and more.

On Sunday, I texted this student and told her how I loved this box, how I still used it, how I still remembered her standing at the finish line of that first race. She responded such a thoughtful message: "Aww, this is the sweetest text I've ever gotten! You are so nice! :) Just remember I'm always with you during every race cheering you on even when I'm not actually there! I'm so proud of you and I love that you still use that box! Miss you! :)"

It's a good reminder that while teachers are supposed to be making an impact on students' lives, students make such a huge impact on ours.


For what are you especially grateful today?

Five on Friday

Happy Friday!

I am again linking up with The Good Life Blog, Hello! Happiness, Carolina Charm, and A. Liz Adventures for "Five on Friday."

  

It's always fun to string together five totally random thoughts.

~~ONE~~

It is pretty ridiculous how much text messages -- especially those from my sister-in-law -- crack me up. What's likely even more ridiculous is how I look when I read those messages, especially when I'm walking down the hallway at school, alone in the copy room, or in the middle of a silent meeting.

For instance, here is a string of messages that Aly and I sent back and forth on Wednesday:

We also sent a "smile off," but I'll spare you those hot-mess pictures.

Now, if you've never seen Jimmy Fallon and Channing Tatum's "Ew," you probably don't understand why this was cracking me up so much. (And honestly, even if you have seen the skit, you probably still don't understand. For some reason it just kills us. We can recite the entire thing word-for-word -- and often do. I'm giggling just thinking of it now.)

I posted Channing Tatum's Ew before, so I'll post another one that's pretty funny today. You can thank me later.

~~TWO~~

I mentioned about a month ago that I was thrilled to be able to wear one of my favorite pairs of jeans again. The pair that I fit into at that time was a somewhat relaxed fit of Silvers -- and you'd better believe that I've worn the crap out of them in the last few weeks.

Well, this week I tried on yet another pair of my jeans: my super-skinny Express jeans. And, they fit!

Granted, I have a bit of a muffin top with the super-skinnies right now, but I was so thrilled that they slid on smoothly, zipped up with no problem whatsoever, and looked decent that I could've cared less that my silhouette was not super smooth.

I rocked 'em -- and I will continue to do so as I know they'll keep looking better and better and better.

~~THREE~~

The weather in Des Moines this week has been abysmal. First, it has dipped back down into the thirties! Seriously, Iowa, it's May! Second, it has rained every single day that I have been back from Atlanta. 

I know you were dying for a cute kitty picture,
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You know what doesn't go well together? Rain and frigid temperatures and tennis. Last night was brutal.

Luckily, the weather in Lincoln is looking superb for race day: a high of 75 degrees with a 0% chance of precipitation. It doesn't get much better than that, friends.

~~FOUR~~

This is a little late, but I had to share with you a story for National Donate Life month, which just passed us in April.

Please take three minutes and watch this video, as it involves one of the most inspirational stories that I have ever heard. Cindy, one of my greatest graduate school (and even better real-life) friends, and her husband had one heck of a year: Freddie's heart was attacked by a virus and required numerous surgeries and procedures, constant monitoring, and prolonged stays at Mayo Clinic prior to receiving a second chance at life: a heart and kidney transplant three months ago. Through all of their trials and tribulations, Cindy and Freddie (and their wonderful children) never lost hope and remained the most loving, gracious, and beautiful people they are.

Photo courtesy of stolen from Cindy's Facebook page

If you are in the Des Moines area, please consider attending a celebration and silent auction to help the Windsor family on May 17th with some of the financial burden that they have faced (as you can imagine, it is quite extensive). If you would like more information or, if you are not in Central Iowa but would like to donate, please contact me.

And most importantly, please consider organ donation. It truly is the most generous gift one can give.

~~FIVE~~

I wish that May Day was still a thing for grown-ups. I used to love making May Day baskets, sneaking over the the neighbors' houses and "ding-dong-ditching" before they spied us.

And, let's be real, I loved receiving May Day baskets in return.

Although, I'm kind of glad I don't have to deal with them with the whole "Pinterest Age" that we're in. Seriously, look at the ones in this picture:

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And these were the least crafty ones that I found on a quick Google Image search. I'm pretty sure my May Day baskets were styrofoam cups with a name scribbled on in Sharpie and stuffed full with popcorn, Hershey's Kisses, and Pixie Stix.

As much as I love Pinterest, I feel like it probably causes a lot of one-upping (and angst) for a lot of people.

But I digress: I love May Day baskets and want to bring that tradition to the 30-something crowd. But maybe instead of candy and whatever the heck is in the ones above, ours could include vodka and Ibuprofen.

What is your favorite YouTube video? I love me some laughs! What is a childhood tradition that you'd like to bring to adulthood?


Happy Friday!

Five on Friday

Hello from Atlanta!

Like usual, I am linking up with The Good Life Blog, Hello! Happiness, Carolina Charm, and A. Liz Adventures for "Five on Friday."

  

Without any further ado, here is some randomness for y'all!

~~ONE~~

Have I mentioned yet that I'm running a half marathon in nine days? Nine?

Well, I am.

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And while I know I can do it -- I mean, I've done it several times before and can just walk if necessary -- I feel super undertrained, and after my last two not-so-great training runs, I'm a bit panicky.

I'm going to try to get a good 8-10 miles in on Sunday. I just need a good run mentally in order to feel prepared.

~~TWO~~

But, guess who's going to be cheering me on during my race?

Picture stolen from Aly's Instagram.

Only the cutest spectator ever! Oh, and my brother and sister-in-law will be there, too. :)

It'll be really nice to see them on the course, and I know the fact that they're there will definitely help to motivate me.

(But seriously, let's talk for a minute about how cute my nephew is. I mean, right?! I am the luckiest auntie in the world.)

~~THREE~~

Spring has finally sprung, y'all!

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This is totally not a photo I took, as when I left Des Moines on Tuesday, the trees were still not blooming, but the grass was green.

For those of you who live in warmer climates, you have no idea what it's like when the foliage starts greening again: it is just so happy. I remember one time, in fact, when Katie and I were driving to Daytona from Des Moines for spring break, and we were so thankful and so thrilled when we noticed that we were driving through green.

When you don't see it for five or so months out of the year, you really, really, really appreciate it when you do.

~~FOUR~~

I need a new suitcase.

The bag that I usually check has been on the verge of breaking down for a couple of years now, and my trip to Boston in November sealed the deal: the little button thing in the handle is broken, so the handle either stays up or stays down, and if you want the handle to move, you have to take everything out of the suitcase and move the button manually. 

Obviously, this makes traveling with a checked bag nearly impossible.

So, for my trip to Atlanta, I decided to cram everything into my carry-on suitcase and my school bag.

Impressed? I know. Just wait until you see the massive amounts of clothes that I got into my carry-on:

Get at me!

I mean, just look at the shoes! Yes, the running shoes are going to be tied to my suitcase, but the other three pairs (plus my Rainbows that are in the front pocket) fit in the bag!

In my "school bag," I carried my iPad, my legal pad portfolio, a book (The Interestings), and a whole crap-ton of food (organic apples, Larabars, fruit snacks, etc.).

I'm kind of a traveling pro.

~~FIVE~~

Sometimes my job is really, really tough, and sometimes I have to work with difficult individuals. Most of the time, however, my job is really, really awesome, and the people with whom I work make me so, so happy.

For instance, this was a note that one of my students wrote me in regard to the unit that we are currently studying:

When students never hesitate to tell you everything they dislike about the book you're teaching, the assignments that you're giving, the activities that you're doing, and everything else about the class, it is so nice to read comments like this: it's just reassurance that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing, that I'm getting through to at least some of the kids.

And I do know -- in my heart of hearts -- that this is the mentality of the vast majority of my students. It's just the two or three that really put a damper on it.


Tell me something random that's on your mind today!

Three Thanks

Happy Thursday, friends!

Welcome to the weekly link-up that I host with my favorite sister-in-law, Aly, over at Here Comes Happiness!

Please join up with us if you have a blog, and if not, please hook us up with your three thanks in the comment section below.

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<a href="http://theswallowflies.blogspot.com" title="The Swallow Flies & Here Comes Happiness Three Thanks"><img src="http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/a538/emmy815/threethanks_zpse0bfc5a3.jpg" alt="The Swallow Flies & Here Comes Happiness Three Thanks" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

With no further ado, here is what I am especially grateful for this week. :)

~~ONE~~

I am grateful for my kitties.

Charlie trying to be thisclose to his sister, and Chloe looking annoyed (per usual).

I know a lot of people probably describe me as a crazy cat lady, but a.) I don't understand why since people with dogs aren't considered psycho, and b.) I don't care. I love my cats.

While I love traveling and visiting new places (like now in Atlanta, for example), I don't like leaving Chloe and Charlie. While I'm pretty sure Chloe manages just fine since she is so independent anyway, I worry that Charlie thinks I've abandoned him forever. (He has some unhealthy attachment issues.)

And, I know that I'll get a lot of kitty-love when I return.

Now stop judging me. :)

~~TWO~~

I am thankful for my running shoes.

I've been running in my Brooks PureCadence 2s for the past several months, and I really, really like them. I was nervous because they are technically a minimalist shoe, and I have a lot of foot issues with over-pronation, so much so that I should be wearing a motion-control shoe.

But, these Brooks have not given me any problems, and I love how lightweight they are. (Oh, and I love the look, too.)

While I have had minimal blistering, it is nothing compared to what my feet looked/felt like with my Asics.

These are definitely keepers in my book. And, better yet, I won them from Meals & Miles!

~~THREE~~

I am grateful to work for a school district that values and celebrates diversity and that sees the importance of educating its faculty on such issues.

I am grateful that my superintendent agreed to send four of us to this conference this week, and I am thankful for the information that I am gleaning from each presenter.

And, I am also thankful for being able to spend time outside of school with my colleagues -- discussing professional (and, I'm sure, plenty of non-professional) matters.


What are you thankful for today?