Well, now that I finally managed to get the photos in my Christmas decorating post to work, I can do today's blog entry!
This was a pretty busy weekend, which is very unusual around here.
Friday nights are always reserved for Chili's take-out and Survivor. I'm really mad at AFN lately because they keep showing 2 hours of Deal or No Deal, and then Survivor doesn't come on until 9. Why not show Survivor at 7 and then Deal or No Deal from 8-10? Who wants to watch 2 hours of Deal or No Deal?? Not me. It's hard to stay up until 10, so we ended up watching Survivor on the re-broadcast later in the weekend.
Saturday morning, I went to running group. It was freeeeeezing! Maybe I shouldn't leave Okinawa. I've been here too long... temps in the 50s seem freezing! I was hoping that nobody else would show up so I could go run on the treadmill, but 2 girls came. Once we got moving, the cold wasn't so bad. We ran 6 miles and then I came home to putz around a while.
But, at about 9:00, a guy from David's office called. They're leaving on Thursday, they didn't get their orders (same thing we're waiting for!) until this past Tuesday, and had one week to get their stuff packed & shipped and house ready for housing inspection. So, they needed some time on Saturday to paint and clean the house. And they have a 3 year old. So they called and asked if "we" would babysit for a while and I couldn't bring myself to say no. Bobby is a sweet boy, but is full of energy! I asked when they wanted to bring him and the answer was "As soon as possible." I told him I needed some time to get showered etc. and he got here about 10. Bobby brought a soccer ball. He stayed until a little after 1. We kicked the soccer ball inside, played outside on Phoebe's trampoline & "park", read books, baked cookies, did puzzles, and when my bag of tricks was just about empty, started watching a movie. Here are some funny things that happened while Bobby was here:
(as his dad was getting ready to leave)
Bobby: "Daddy, I don't want to go. I want to stay here with Miss Uhbecca."
Bobby's dad: "Really, you want to stay here? Well, I don't know..."
Miss Uhbecca: "That sounds like fun. Can Bobby please stay here and play for a while?"
Miss Uhbecca: "Boy oh boy, it would be nice if Mr. Slone would come home soon, wouldn't it, Bobby?"
Bobby: "Yeah, I want to play with Mr. Slone."
Miss Uhbecca: "He's out golfin'"
Bobby: "Yeah, he went to see the dolphin."
(while baking cookies)
Miss Uhbecca: "We need one egg. How many eggs are in the box?"
Bobby: (counts eggs)
Miss Uhbecca: "Good counting, Bobby! You stir and I'll put the egg in the bowl."
Bobby: (picks up egg, taps it on the side of the bowl and uses his hands to crack it)
Miss Uhbecca: "Hmm...okay. Don't stir for a minute. I'm going to take the egg shells out of the bowl first."
(after eating several cookies)
Miss Uhbecca: "Well, how about we take a break from the cookies for a while? We'll have Mr. Slone bring us lunch when he gets home."
Bobby: "BUUURRRP!"
(when Bobby got picked up to go home)
Miss Uhbecca: "We got him a Happy Meal, but he wasn't really interested in anything but the fruit punch...and the cookies we made."
Bobby's dad: "We're really trying to cut back on the amount of sugar he has."
Miss Uhbecca: "Well, I let him scoop the cookies, so they were pretty small."
Saturday evening, David and I decided to go to a basketball game. There's a team here, the Ryukyu Kings...4 Okinawans and 5 Americans I think. We drove down to Naha to find the game, went too far, got stuck in traffic, found the game, drove around looking for a parking place, and decided to try again another day. David was getting cranky. We ended up being in the car for about an hour and a half. I suggested that we try a new-to-us restaurant so the whole evening wouldn't be considered a bust. The restaurant is about 5 minutes away from the house.
On Sunday we went to a baby shower. That means I spent most of Sunday morning finishing the gift I was knitting for the shower. It was a "Jack & Jill" shower because the girl worked at David's office so most of the people she knows at work are guys. David's co-worker's girlfriend was the hostess and had the room decorated really cute, all blue-and-brown. As could be expected, David was really into the baby shower games. He got to make a baby out of play-doh and was disappointed when he couldn't compete in the tie-your-shoes-with-a-balloon-in-your-shirt race because he was wearing Crocs. Oh man! I JUST remembered that I think I left my little treat bag on the table. And there was a mini pack of Turtles in there! Darn it! Anyway, David started off losing the "don't say baby" game with the clothespins. Then he started to play dirty, trying to trick people, by saying, "What does that say?" etc. We both played dirty in Baby Shower Bingo by listing all of the gifts that we bought the baby in a row. I won a $25 Visa gift card! Great prize! David won the clothespin game and the prize was the Clue board game. I love games, so we were happy about it! I bought a little present for the big sister too and "we" were the only ones who thought to do that. We were also the only ones who gave a handmade card and a handmade gift, but they didn't make a big deal about them! I hate that! I spent a lot of time thinking of a theme for my baby gift...originally it was going to just be "feeding time": a knit bib, little baby plates, sippy cups, baby spoons, and a little booster seat thing, but then I saw the cutest little dinosaur pjs and got those instead of the booster seat and used a bib pattern that had a dinosaur on it. But this mom-to-be didn't make a big deal about the presents, we couldn't even really hear her saying who the gifts were from and no little stories or anything. I think I should be a baby shower coach. I was very entertaining at my bridal shower.
Anyway, we were so stuffed when we got home from the shower and tired even though it was only 5. David was snoozing on the couch close to 8, and I spent the evening reading. We can't handle so much activity in one weekend!
Monday, December 08, 2008
Sunday, December 07, 2008
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
We FINALLY put our tree up today!
I love decorating for Christmas. David was not in the spirit this year, since we should be moving soon and we're not sure when the movers will come to pack us up. We agreed to do "low key", but I was under the impression that "low key" decorating still included a Christmas tree. We usually have four! Finally when I put a pile of wrapped presents where our tree usually goes, David caved in and agreed to get out the big tree.
There was just no way I could NOT put up decorations. Decorations have always been a big part of Christmas for me. My mom always puts out tons of decorations, and they really do get you in the Christmas spirit! I have fond memories of playing with the little Christmas candles and vintage houses at my grandma's house and she always leaves her tree up for my birthday...she promised to leave it up until I get home to see it, even if it's past my birthday this year! So, you see, the need to decorate for Christmas runs in my blood...I got started before Thanksgiving by putting up some little decorations around the house: (I figured that if we would have to take them all down early, I should get to put them up a little early too!)
This picture is actually from last year, we haven't gotten any Christmas cards yet. But I arranged these green & gold decorations just about the same way.
I went to a PartyLite party at my friend's house and didn't feel like I really needed any candles. I did, however, need this sweet Kissing Clauses candle holder! Kissing Clauses and kissing angels have always been a part of my Christmas memories at my mom's house and I didn't have any of my own. But now I do!
My BX nutcrackers. I always gawk over the nutcrackers they get in from Germany at the gift shop here, but since they are usually $125 or more, I'm sticking with the cheapo BX variety. Maybe I'll buy a German nutcracker in Germany sometime. I think it would be easier to justify the $$.
This adorable little Santa is my newest Christmas decor purchase. I love him, don't you? This is Japanese or Okinawan style and I bought it at the gift shop here when I was looking for a present for someone else. I just couldn't help myself. He's so cute! The candle holder was a gift from a student last year.
Actually, these little star tea light holders were purchased at another gift shop where I stopped on my way home from the gift shop where I bought that little Santa. The Thanksgiving cards in the background are from my mom, Aunt Margie & Cyndi They're cute, and I have a huge bag of tea light candles to use up.
We crank up the Christmas music before we begin. (David had to mute the Alabama-Florida game during this time today). While David gets the tree out of the box and puts it all together, I lay out all of the ornaments on the table. Traditions are very important to me, so we must do this the same way every year. All ornaments get laid out and then I take a picture. It's fun to see how our collection has grown. We didn't do this our 1st Christmas here and that makes me sad, because that year we started out with 3 ornaments and 1 of them (a special glass wedding cake one from Aunt Margie) broke. Luckily I have a fairly photographic memory so I'll always remember it anyway. Anyway, we have three ornaments that must go up first, second and third. First on the tree is always the wedding bears from Stacy, Terry & Selena. And I insist that we think of them as we put the ornament up. Next is the Moby & Morgan ornament from my cousin Lisa. And we think of Moby, Morgan AND Lisa. Then the "Our First Christmas" from my old teacher-neighbor Ms. Jones. Then we put up the rest of the ornaments in any order. I always think about who gave the ornament to me or why it is special. I don't think David actually does this, but every once in a while I quiz him and say, "Do you know who gave us this ornament?" Sometimes he does know! So, when all the ornaments are up, the tree looks like this:
Our tree is skinny, and still not full of ornaments, but I love it. I think skinny suits it. Plus it was seven dollars, which I love to brag about. Even though I really do love my tree once all the ornaments are on, I love it the most when it's all lit up and beautiful!
I love decorating for Christmas. David was not in the spirit this year, since we should be moving soon and we're not sure when the movers will come to pack us up. We agreed to do "low key", but I was under the impression that "low key" decorating still included a Christmas tree. We usually have four! Finally when I put a pile of wrapped presents where our tree usually goes, David caved in and agreed to get out the big tree.
There was just no way I could NOT put up decorations. Decorations have always been a big part of Christmas for me. My mom always puts out tons of decorations, and they really do get you in the Christmas spirit! I have fond memories of playing with the little Christmas candles and vintage houses at my grandma's house and she always leaves her tree up for my birthday...she promised to leave it up until I get home to see it, even if it's past my birthday this year! So, you see, the need to decorate for Christmas runs in my blood...I got started before Thanksgiving by putting up some little decorations around the house: (I figured that if we would have to take them all down early, I should get to put them up a little early too!)
This picture is actually from last year, we haven't gotten any Christmas cards yet. But I arranged these green & gold decorations just about the same way.
I went to a PartyLite party at my friend's house and didn't feel like I really needed any candles. I did, however, need this sweet Kissing Clauses candle holder! Kissing Clauses and kissing angels have always been a part of my Christmas memories at my mom's house and I didn't have any of my own. But now I do!
My BX nutcrackers. I always gawk over the nutcrackers they get in from Germany at the gift shop here, but since they are usually $125 or more, I'm sticking with the cheapo BX variety. Maybe I'll buy a German nutcracker in Germany sometime. I think it would be easier to justify the $$.
This adorable little Santa is my newest Christmas decor purchase. I love him, don't you? This is Japanese or Okinawan style and I bought it at the gift shop here when I was looking for a present for someone else. I just couldn't help myself. He's so cute! The candle holder was a gift from a student last year.
Actually, these little star tea light holders were purchased at another gift shop where I stopped on my way home from the gift shop where I bought that little Santa. The Thanksgiving cards in the background are from my mom, Aunt Margie & Cyndi They're cute, and I have a huge bag of tea light candles to use up.
We crank up the Christmas music before we begin. (David had to mute the Alabama-Florida game during this time today). While David gets the tree out of the box and puts it all together, I lay out all of the ornaments on the table. Traditions are very important to me, so we must do this the same way every year. All ornaments get laid out and then I take a picture. It's fun to see how our collection has grown. We didn't do this our 1st Christmas here and that makes me sad, because that year we started out with 3 ornaments and 1 of them (a special glass wedding cake one from Aunt Margie) broke. Luckily I have a fairly photographic memory so I'll always remember it anyway. Anyway, we have three ornaments that must go up first, second and third. First on the tree is always the wedding bears from Stacy, Terry & Selena. And I insist that we think of them as we put the ornament up. Next is the Moby & Morgan ornament from my cousin Lisa. And we think of Moby, Morgan AND Lisa. Then the "Our First Christmas" from my old teacher-neighbor Ms. Jones. Then we put up the rest of the ornaments in any order. I always think about who gave the ornament to me or why it is special. I don't think David actually does this, but every once in a while I quiz him and say, "Do you know who gave us this ornament?" Sometimes he does know! So, when all the ornaments are up, the tree looks like this:
Our tree is skinny, and still not full of ornaments, but I love it. I think skinny suits it. Plus it was seven dollars, which I love to brag about. Even though I really do love my tree once all the ornaments are on, I love it the most when it's all lit up and beautiful!
Friday, December 05, 2008
15 minutes of fame
When I checked my e-mail yesterday morning, I had one from my cousin Lisa saying that she saw us on TV! Apparently our "hometown holiday greeting" aired. Last year, it only showed once in the Chicagoland area, but several times in Eastern Kentucky. Keep your eye out and maybe you'll see us too! It was on channel 7 last year. Filming the greeting this year was pretty excruciating. Last year it was more private, there was a little waiting room and then one family at a time went out onto the porch where they filmed your message. They are also very particular about what you say in your message... name, location, who/where your message is going. And you have to look at the camera for 5 seconds before you start your message and 5 seconds after. That's the hardest part for David. The military member has to be in uniform.
This year, the greetings were filmed in the middle of the Tee House restaurant. So everyone who was waiting to do the greeting and everyone who was there eating watched. The family ahead of us took about 16 takes. The woman (in uniform) was sweating profusely under all of the lights. The man kept messing up, forgetting something he was going to say or talking to fast or too softly or not waiting long enough afterward before saying "Was it okay that time?" So then the woman decided to give it a try. But holding the baby was making her too hot so they had to switch places. And she messed up just as much as he did. They had a huge message they were trying to send, like "Little Susie, I hope Santa brings you the puppy you've been wanting" and "Uncle Joe, we'll be wishing we were eating some of your fried turkey", etc. And they were sending the message to families living in 2 different places, so they went through all of this twice! David and I decided to keep it very simple. I'm not actually sure I spoke at all, I might have chosen to just stand there looking beautiful.
Anyway, that's only about 15 seconds of fame. But don't worry, there's more!
Yesterday David called me and said, "Have you been blogging about me playing Rock Band 2?" and I said, "I have so many more important things to blog about than that. But I suppose it's possible that I mentioned it. Why do you ask?" And he said that he got an e-mail from his cousin Craig (also in the AF) saying something along the lines of , "Why are you playing Rock Band 2? Shouldn't you be studying for MSgt?" I just told David that he made a pretty good point. And that was the end of that conversation. At least that's the point at which I stopped listening.
So David came home and said that someone else mentioned Rock Band 2 to him, and that struck him as odd so eventually somehow he managed to figure out what in the world was linking him to Rock Band 2 today...
That was in the December 8 issue of the Air Force Times. On page 31. I can't believe it! 1. I can't believe that David is a published author. 2. I can't believe he would submit such a dweeby looking photo (can you tell that he's giving a thumbs-up?) for publication.
I'm not sure if you can see it in the photo here, but in case you actually care what he had to say about the game, here goes:
Tech. Sgt. Charles Slone, Air Force (That's David's alias. Or, now that he's an author, his pen name!)
Kadena Air Base, Japan
What I'm playing: Rock Band 2
The second installment of what will be a long-running series has added multiple features to attract every type of gamer. While the game stayed true to its predecessor with graphics and game play, they have added a ton of features and a wider variety of music to attract everyone from your kids to your grandfather...I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys music.
He was disappointed that they didn't publish the one he did for another game (Gear of War, maybe?) because he thought that he had written a better review for that one. Anyway... (because you know I can't stand David getting all the glory) I was in the paper once too. I was maybe 4 or 5 or 6 and I had to tell the news reporter how to make a hot dog. You put it in a bun and put ketchup on it and eat it. Of course! That must've been before I was introduced to the Chicago Style dog.
This year, the greetings were filmed in the middle of the Tee House restaurant. So everyone who was waiting to do the greeting and everyone who was there eating watched. The family ahead of us took about 16 takes. The woman (in uniform) was sweating profusely under all of the lights. The man kept messing up, forgetting something he was going to say or talking to fast or too softly or not waiting long enough afterward before saying "Was it okay that time?" So then the woman decided to give it a try. But holding the baby was making her too hot so they had to switch places. And she messed up just as much as he did. They had a huge message they were trying to send, like "Little Susie, I hope Santa brings you the puppy you've been wanting" and "Uncle Joe, we'll be wishing we were eating some of your fried turkey", etc. And they were sending the message to families living in 2 different places, so they went through all of this twice! David and I decided to keep it very simple. I'm not actually sure I spoke at all, I might have chosen to just stand there looking beautiful.
Anyway, that's only about 15 seconds of fame. But don't worry, there's more!
Yesterday David called me and said, "Have you been blogging about me playing Rock Band 2?" and I said, "I have so many more important things to blog about than that. But I suppose it's possible that I mentioned it. Why do you ask?" And he said that he got an e-mail from his cousin Craig (also in the AF) saying something along the lines of , "Why are you playing Rock Band 2? Shouldn't you be studying for MSgt?" I just told David that he made a pretty good point. And that was the end of that conversation. At least that's the point at which I stopped listening.
So David came home and said that someone else mentioned Rock Band 2 to him, and that struck him as odd so eventually somehow he managed to figure out what in the world was linking him to Rock Band 2 today...
That was in the December 8 issue of the Air Force Times. On page 31. I can't believe it! 1. I can't believe that David is a published author. 2. I can't believe he would submit such a dweeby looking photo (can you tell that he's giving a thumbs-up?) for publication.
I'm not sure if you can see it in the photo here, but in case you actually care what he had to say about the game, here goes:
Tech. Sgt. Charles Slone, Air Force (That's David's alias. Or, now that he's an author, his pen name!)
Kadena Air Base, Japan
What I'm playing: Rock Band 2
The second installment of what will be a long-running series has added multiple features to attract every type of gamer. While the game stayed true to its predecessor with graphics and game play, they have added a ton of features and a wider variety of music to attract everyone from your kids to your grandfather...I would recommend this game to anyone who enjoys music.
He was disappointed that they didn't publish the one he did for another game (Gear of War, maybe?) because he thought that he had written a better review for that one. Anyway... (because you know I can't stand David getting all the glory) I was in the paper once too. I was maybe 4 or 5 or 6 and I had to tell the news reporter how to make a hot dog. You put it in a bun and put ketchup on it and eat it. Of course! That must've been before I was introduced to the Chicago Style dog.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Friday, already?
What is it about not working that makes the week go by so much faster?
I'm copy-catting another idea for Friday's blog... "Friday Favorites" or "Favorite Things".
Today, my favorite thing is Christmas music! I love all Christmas music! I've got my iTunes library loaded up with Christmas songs. It's hard to choose a favorite song, but there is definitely one voice that I must hear every Christmas.
Nat King Cole was one of my grandpa's favorites, so he has a special place in my heart. I think his voice is just beautiful...Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it.
I'm copy-catting another idea for Friday's blog... "Friday Favorites" or "Favorite Things".
Today, my favorite thing is Christmas music! I love all Christmas music! I've got my iTunes library loaded up with Christmas songs. It's hard to choose a favorite song, but there is definitely one voice that I must hear every Christmas.
Nat King Cole was one of my grandpa's favorites, so he has a special place in my heart. I think his voice is just beautiful...Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without it.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
In honor of my paid vacation/pending resignation
In an effort to blog each day, I'm borrowing a couple of ideas from other bloggers (is it stealing if you don't mention it first? Whatever). The first is from my virtual pal Krista. Krista usually posts a list of some sort on Wednesdays. So I'm going to do it on Thursdays...so I'll know what to post a list about. I've got a few lists saved up, which is a good thing, because Wednesday isn't over yet at Krista's house and she hasn't posted her list.
List of all the jobs I've had-
Teacher- 2nd grade, 1st grade, multi-age 1st/2nd grade @ Kadena Elementary School. Working at KES has been so fantastic! I love my administrators, and school is so laid back. After teaching at Edison and the AmerAsian School (a non-profit organization), seeing the supplies that are available to me was like Christmas morning. Sure we have a limited amount of copies that we're allowed to make each month, but I don't have to buy my own paper clips! And to make the experience truly Okinawan, at Edison I had a few mice in my classroom...at KES I have geckos!
Camp Counselor- CYO Camp Lawrence, Valpo IN- My favorite job of all time. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006. How could you not have a blast at a job where you wear shorts, play kickball, drink Kool-Aid and take naps?
Camp Counselor- Culver Summer Camps, Culver IN. I returned to Culver to give the cabins a try. Still didn't like it much.
Teacher- 1st grade- AmerAsian School of Okinawa, Ginowan City Okinawa. This was my good-deed job. I worked full time for about $800 a month, depending on the Yen rate. It was a sweet school and...I only had 10 students!
Teacher- 3rd grade- Edison Elementary School, Hammond IN. Aaahhh, my first full year of teaching. It was absolutely crazy. If I can do that, I can do anything. Crazy wild kids. But I loved my grade-level partners!
Senior Counselor- Camp Waziyatah, Somewhere in Maine. Lame job. I ended up quitting...I'd worked at 3 camps by that point and knew what camp should be like. But I did meet some new BFFs there!
Nanny- Aviano, Italy. This was one of those jobs where you love what you do but don't love your boss. Well, I loved one of my bosses. Then she went to Iraq and left me with the one I didn't have so much love for.
Long Term Substitute- 1st grade- The Prairie School, Racine WI. How lucky was I that I did my student teaching with a pregnant teacher and I got to take over the job when she went on maternity leave. For those that don't know, when you student teach you are paying (or your parents are, depending on your tuition arrangements) to work 40+ hours a week. Going from that to $100+ a day as a long-term sub was totally like striking the jackpot! And Prairie is a wonderful school! Great place to work!
Middle School After-School Program- The Prairie School, Racine WI. Remember how I said student teachers make no money? I just stayed at school a little longer than I normally would have each night to make a few extra bucks. Middle Schoolers are awesome!
Division Director- Culver Summer Camps, Culver IN. Didn't really love this job.
After School Babysitter- Kenosha WI. One of the best jobs ever... it came with a Wisconsin family of my very own!
Education Department Office Assistant- Carthage College, Kenosha WI. The perfect job for a teacher's pet.
"Fun-Raiser"-Six Flags Great America, Gurnee IL (I didn't get paid...the cross country team worked a couple of days each season and the money we would have earned went to the team)
Sales girl- Limited Too, Merrillville IN. If you've ever seen my bedroom, you might be surprised to learn that I was the one they wanted to work late on the nights before the District Manager came because I was so darn good at hanging and folding! I also won a Coach wallet for selling the most during the "TooBucks" special promotion.
Babysitter- random families, Northwest IN. I fondly remember the days I used to get paid to babysit... now my confused friends think I'm doing it out of the kindness of my heart.
Piano teacher- my house, Merrillville IN. I had 2 students. I think they can both play Mary Had a Little Lamb and "Mississippi Hot Dog" now.
Office Helper- my dad's office, Hammond IN. Aside from working for no money at Six Flags, this may be the worst job I've ever had. One of my tasks was to sort paper-clips. Bo-ring! And I probably didn't make that much more than I did at Six Flags. And they didn't even let me raid the office supply cabinet like I used to.
Lemonade Stand- grandma's house, Hammond, IN. Free lemonade for the mailman!
List of all the jobs I've had-
Teacher- 2nd grade, 1st grade, multi-age 1st/2nd grade @ Kadena Elementary School. Working at KES has been so fantastic! I love my administrators, and school is so laid back. After teaching at Edison and the AmerAsian School (a non-profit organization), seeing the supplies that are available to me was like Christmas morning. Sure we have a limited amount of copies that we're allowed to make each month, but I don't have to buy my own paper clips! And to make the experience truly Okinawan, at Edison I had a few mice in my classroom...at KES I have geckos!
Camp Counselor- CYO Camp Lawrence, Valpo IN- My favorite job of all time. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006. How could you not have a blast at a job where you wear shorts, play kickball, drink Kool-Aid and take naps?
Camp Counselor- Culver Summer Camps, Culver IN. I returned to Culver to give the cabins a try. Still didn't like it much.
Teacher- 1st grade- AmerAsian School of Okinawa, Ginowan City Okinawa. This was my good-deed job. I worked full time for about $800 a month, depending on the Yen rate. It was a sweet school and...I only had 10 students!
Teacher- 3rd grade- Edison Elementary School, Hammond IN. Aaahhh, my first full year of teaching. It was absolutely crazy. If I can do that, I can do anything. Crazy wild kids. But I loved my grade-level partners!
Senior Counselor- Camp Waziyatah, Somewhere in Maine. Lame job. I ended up quitting...I'd worked at 3 camps by that point and knew what camp should be like. But I did meet some new BFFs there!
Nanny- Aviano, Italy. This was one of those jobs where you love what you do but don't love your boss. Well, I loved one of my bosses. Then she went to Iraq and left me with the one I didn't have so much love for.
Long Term Substitute- 1st grade- The Prairie School, Racine WI. How lucky was I that I did my student teaching with a pregnant teacher and I got to take over the job when she went on maternity leave. For those that don't know, when you student teach you are paying (or your parents are, depending on your tuition arrangements) to work 40+ hours a week. Going from that to $100+ a day as a long-term sub was totally like striking the jackpot! And Prairie is a wonderful school! Great place to work!
Middle School After-School Program- The Prairie School, Racine WI. Remember how I said student teachers make no money? I just stayed at school a little longer than I normally would have each night to make a few extra bucks. Middle Schoolers are awesome!
Division Director- Culver Summer Camps, Culver IN. Didn't really love this job.
After School Babysitter- Kenosha WI. One of the best jobs ever... it came with a Wisconsin family of my very own!
Education Department Office Assistant- Carthage College, Kenosha WI. The perfect job for a teacher's pet.
"Fun-Raiser"-Six Flags Great America, Gurnee IL (I didn't get paid...the cross country team worked a couple of days each season and the money we would have earned went to the team)
Sales girl- Limited Too, Merrillville IN. If you've ever seen my bedroom, you might be surprised to learn that I was the one they wanted to work late on the nights before the District Manager came because I was so darn good at hanging and folding! I also won a Coach wallet for selling the most during the "TooBucks" special promotion.
Babysitter- random families, Northwest IN. I fondly remember the days I used to get paid to babysit... now my confused friends think I'm doing it out of the kindness of my heart.
Piano teacher- my house, Merrillville IN. I had 2 students. I think they can both play Mary Had a Little Lamb and "Mississippi Hot Dog" now.
Office Helper- my dad's office, Hammond IN. Aside from working for no money at Six Flags, this may be the worst job I've ever had. One of my tasks was to sort paper-clips. Bo-ring! And I probably didn't make that much more than I did at Six Flags. And they didn't even let me raid the office supply cabinet like I used to.
Lemonade Stand- grandma's house, Hammond, IN. Free lemonade for the mailman!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Last of the Leftovers
In honor of the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers, which will be finished today, I thought I would share this year's Thanksgiving menu:
Turkey- Steve (the turkey) was really stubborn about getting his temperature taken. You know in the sitcoms when a kid wants to stay home from school so his mom gets the thermometer and he holds it up to a lightbulb or something? Well I think Steve must've had an ice pack with him because he was in the oven for over 4 hours and still wasn't hot enough. We ended up eating it anyway and nobody is ill, so I think that proves my turkey-thermometer-tampering theory.
Fried Turkey (made in our back yard by one of our guests) It was so salty that one bite raised your blood pressure at least 3 notches. But still delicious.
Mashed Potatoes- I finally got a potato masher so they were a little bit better than in years past. I used 8 potatoes and 15 cloves of garlic and about half a bottle of Mrs. Dash and they were still pretty bland. I guess that's the nature of a potato, but I wonder why other people's mashed potatoes taste so much better than mine.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples- Made these last year too and they are good! People are happily surprised to taste the apple-y sweet potatoes, even if they are accustomed to the gooey marshmallow goodness.
Sausage Stuffing- This is easy. You brown some sausage and add it to Stovetop. You can still tell it's Stovetop but it tastes so much better. I think anything tastes better with Italian sausage though.
Corn Souffle'- I love it, and everybody who tries it loves it. How could you not love something that contains a whole stick of butter and a half-pint of sour cream?
Green Bean Casserole- One of the guests was just delighted to see that the good ol' green bean casserole was topped with the little crispy onions rather than...Cheez-Its??? Interesting. I'm still in search of THE Green Bean Casserole recipe. This year, I cut down on the Velveeta my recipe called for (because I sent David to the commissary with the grocery list and he didn't know what Velveeta was. It's Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product, for Pete's sake! I will concede that it is difficult to find in the commissary, so it might have thrown him off if he was expecting to see it near the cheese. Whoever designed the commissary decided that cheese and cheese product should not mix.) Anyway, so I had to use the itty-bitty bit of Velveeta I had in the fridge (and cut off the hard crusty part) so I used probably 1/8th of what the recipe called for and you know what? It almost tasted like real GB Casserole! Apparently it was good, because there were no leftovers! And that is one of my favorite leftovers to eat!
Cranberries- I like to do cranberries with mandarin oranges & pecans in them. Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without the jellied kind with the can ridges, so we had those too.
David was in charge of the ham. I do not do ham because I think it looks like the inside of your knee when you take a bad fall off a bike. It makes me gag and I refuse to make it. David was going to make it but Steve was taking so long that he decided not to (or at least that was his excuse).
David was also in charge of the rolls. David is pretty smart. Why didn't I decide to be in charge of something that I could just rip open the bag and set on the counter? Oh yeah, if I were in charge of the rolls, I would have heated them up before serving. And I probably would've put out some butter too. But I wasn't in charge of rolls. That gives me a pretty good idea why I put myself in charge of all other aspects of the meal.
One of our guests brought homemade mac & cheese. I don't remember mac & cheese ever being a part of our Thanksgiving traditions, but this mac & cheese was so good I think I might have to make it one. It was creamy & delicious.
Dessert-
Pumpkin Cake- This is the food that made me like pumpkin. I've been eating it since 7th grade at the home of one of my best friends. Everyone who tastes it loves it, which is really a shame since I absolutely will not share the recipe. We can't have everyone running around making Pumpkin Cake or mine won't be special.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream-broke out the ice cream maker again (and David said we'd never use it!) This was very good, and of course everyone was surprised & impressed that we had homemade ice cream! I didn't tell them that aside from the turkey, this was the easiest thing to make. Mix some stuff in a bowl, pour it in the ice cream maker and turn the dial to "on" for 25 minutes.
The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie -or shall I say The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie Disaster? Oh. My. Ga. (Watch Will & Grace?) Um...not real sure what I did wrong here. I think I shall blame the Okinawa weather. (What will I do when I can no longer blame the Okinawa weather for kitchen failures?) My pie is basically sliced apples floating in red wine that has turned not-quite-clear and covered with crust. That's not what the picture looked like. I had to put it in the pasta drainer before throwing it away. Sad, sad, sad. Especially because we bought 16 apples for the pie. It called for 8, but David put the first batch in the freezer to preserve them. Bwahahahahaha. Another reminder of why I should happily delegate all Thanksgiving responsibilities to myself. If it were up to David, we'd have chicken wings and french fries in the fry-daddy. Gotta love him.
All we still have as leftovers are mashed potatoes (which I considered making potato pancakes with, but it's so much easier just to toss them in the microwave for a quick heat n' eat) and mac & cheese. I know what I'm having for lunch today!
Turkey- Steve (the turkey) was really stubborn about getting his temperature taken. You know in the sitcoms when a kid wants to stay home from school so his mom gets the thermometer and he holds it up to a lightbulb or something? Well I think Steve must've had an ice pack with him because he was in the oven for over 4 hours and still wasn't hot enough. We ended up eating it anyway and nobody is ill, so I think that proves my turkey-thermometer-tampering theory.
Fried Turkey (made in our back yard by one of our guests) It was so salty that one bite raised your blood pressure at least 3 notches. But still delicious.
Mashed Potatoes- I finally got a potato masher so they were a little bit better than in years past. I used 8 potatoes and 15 cloves of garlic and about half a bottle of Mrs. Dash and they were still pretty bland. I guess that's the nature of a potato, but I wonder why other people's mashed potatoes taste so much better than mine.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Apples- Made these last year too and they are good! People are happily surprised to taste the apple-y sweet potatoes, even if they are accustomed to the gooey marshmallow goodness.
Sausage Stuffing- This is easy. You brown some sausage and add it to Stovetop. You can still tell it's Stovetop but it tastes so much better. I think anything tastes better with Italian sausage though.
Corn Souffle'- I love it, and everybody who tries it loves it. How could you not love something that contains a whole stick of butter and a half-pint of sour cream?
Green Bean Casserole- One of the guests was just delighted to see that the good ol' green bean casserole was topped with the little crispy onions rather than...Cheez-Its??? Interesting. I'm still in search of THE Green Bean Casserole recipe. This year, I cut down on the Velveeta my recipe called for (because I sent David to the commissary with the grocery list and he didn't know what Velveeta was. It's Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product, for Pete's sake! I will concede that it is difficult to find in the commissary, so it might have thrown him off if he was expecting to see it near the cheese. Whoever designed the commissary decided that cheese and cheese product should not mix.) Anyway, so I had to use the itty-bitty bit of Velveeta I had in the fridge (and cut off the hard crusty part) so I used probably 1/8th of what the recipe called for and you know what? It almost tasted like real GB Casserole! Apparently it was good, because there were no leftovers! And that is one of my favorite leftovers to eat!
Cranberries- I like to do cranberries with mandarin oranges & pecans in them. Thanksgiving wouldn't be complete without the jellied kind with the can ridges, so we had those too.
David was in charge of the ham. I do not do ham because I think it looks like the inside of your knee when you take a bad fall off a bike. It makes me gag and I refuse to make it. David was going to make it but Steve was taking so long that he decided not to (or at least that was his excuse).
David was also in charge of the rolls. David is pretty smart. Why didn't I decide to be in charge of something that I could just rip open the bag and set on the counter? Oh yeah, if I were in charge of the rolls, I would have heated them up before serving. And I probably would've put out some butter too. But I wasn't in charge of rolls. That gives me a pretty good idea why I put myself in charge of all other aspects of the meal.
One of our guests brought homemade mac & cheese. I don't remember mac & cheese ever being a part of our Thanksgiving traditions, but this mac & cheese was so good I think I might have to make it one. It was creamy & delicious.
Dessert-
Pumpkin Cake- This is the food that made me like pumpkin. I've been eating it since 7th grade at the home of one of my best friends. Everyone who tastes it loves it, which is really a shame since I absolutely will not share the recipe. We can't have everyone running around making Pumpkin Cake or mine won't be special.
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream-broke out the ice cream maker again (and David said we'd never use it!) This was very good, and of course everyone was surprised & impressed that we had homemade ice cream! I didn't tell them that aside from the turkey, this was the easiest thing to make. Mix some stuff in a bowl, pour it in the ice cream maker and turn the dial to "on" for 25 minutes.
The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie -or shall I say The Ultimate Caramel Apple Pie Disaster? Oh. My. Ga. (Watch Will & Grace?) Um...not real sure what I did wrong here. I think I shall blame the Okinawa weather. (What will I do when I can no longer blame the Okinawa weather for kitchen failures?) My pie is basically sliced apples floating in red wine that has turned not-quite-clear and covered with crust. That's not what the picture looked like. I had to put it in the pasta drainer before throwing it away. Sad, sad, sad. Especially because we bought 16 apples for the pie. It called for 8, but David put the first batch in the freezer to preserve them. Bwahahahahaha. Another reminder of why I should happily delegate all Thanksgiving responsibilities to myself. If it were up to David, we'd have chicken wings and french fries in the fry-daddy. Gotta love him.
All we still have as leftovers are mashed potatoes (which I considered making potato pancakes with, but it's so much easier just to toss them in the microwave for a quick heat n' eat) and mac & cheese. I know what I'm having for lunch today!
Monday, December 01, 2008
Belated NaBloPoMo
So obviously I didn't participate in NaBloPoMo...when you post to your blog everyday of November. But I'm going to give it a shot for December...at least until the computer gets packed up.
The thing is, I'm not really that exciting, so I'm trying to work out some kind of format/schedule for writing about things that I do. As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I'm perfectly content to sit at home and watch Lifetime movies. Although now my tv will be tuned to ABC Family because I LOVE Christmas movies and they have such cute ones. I can't wait til that Snowglobe one comes on again...that was a great one! But that's not what I mean to write about right now.
Right now, I'm going to talk about what's been going on in my right-brain. The craftsy side of the brain.
Not a whole lot.
The 3 knitting projects I've started since October are--
A sweater for David. It's boring. He's boring. He chose the most boring pattern in the universe in the most boring color in the universe. So I knit about 2 inches of it and decided to start something else. Something for me, which is much more motivating.
Of course, I had to order new yarn because there was nothing suitable in the 4 rubbermaids (not the big ones though!) full I already have. And then when my yarn arrived, I realized I didn't have the proper sized needles for my project, so I had to wait for those too. My project is a super-cute short-sleeved chunky sweater that is on the cover of Debbie Bliss magazine. I love it. I want to finish it by Thursday. I'm less than half-way through the back and still have to do the front and the sleeves and sew it all together. Good thing I just said Thursday, not Thursday December 4. Since I didn't specify a date, I suppose any Thursday will do.
The third project I started is a pair of "Snugs". You know the Ugg boots? Snugs, or Snuggs as I like to spell them, are big cozy slippers that look a bit like Uggs. I only started those because they are easy meeting knitting. And, I discovered, also easy field trip knitting because I can knit in the round in a dark theater for 2 hours without messing up.
While I waited for my yarn to arrive, I worked on some Thrummed Mittens that I started a while ago. These things are CRAZY. Let's see if I have a picture...
You know the song My Favorite Things? (If you don't you seriously need to go watch The Sound of Music immediately). I think these may be the "warm woolen mittens" Julie Andrews is singing about. All that fluffy stuff...that's animal hair! And when the mitten gets closed up at the top, all that fluffy stuff will be inside making my fingers all warm and cozy. Apparently it will get all matted together due to the fact that my hands will be pouring out sweat and the fluffy stuff will turn into a kind of fleecy lining.
When I first started thinking about getting the yarn and the "roving"/fluffy stuff for this project, I asked David if he wanted some too. He said no. Then he saw mine and now he wants some. At least they're smaller than a sweater.
Because in my mind I am a super-fast knitter who never wastes time on the internet and loves knitting for others more than knitting for herself, I also have a long list of gifts to knit. I won't talk extensively about them here so that way 1-if anyone who is getting one of the gifts reads this the surprise won't be ruined and 2-if I never actually start or finish the gifts, the would-be recipients will be none the wiser. I learned the importance of that through David's sweater. He keeps asking how it's going. I told him there is some mistake in the pattern and it's going to take me a while to work it out. Like at least as long as it takes me to finish my sweater, my mittens, my Snuggs, and those other smaller and less boring gifts for other people.
As for non-yarny hobbies, I did make a few cards while I was not blogging. I also brought home a little mini-file cabinet that my friend Katie gave me (it's for holding the large index card size things) that I had been using to hold stickers and certificates in my classroom. I decided will be nice for holding finished cards. I punched little tabs using my Stampin' Up! tab punch and labeled them Christmas, birthday, etc. I'm hoping it will be easier to manage than my current card storage system which is comprised of 2 snorkel mask boxes. We only used the stinkin' snorkel masks twice, but at least the boxes have come in handy for quite a while.
So how's that for my 2nd blog post of December?!? I'm 2 for 2!
The thing is, I'm not really that exciting, so I'm trying to work out some kind of format/schedule for writing about things that I do. As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I'm perfectly content to sit at home and watch Lifetime movies. Although now my tv will be tuned to ABC Family because I LOVE Christmas movies and they have such cute ones. I can't wait til that Snowglobe one comes on again...that was a great one! But that's not what I mean to write about right now.
Right now, I'm going to talk about what's been going on in my right-brain. The craftsy side of the brain.
Not a whole lot.
The 3 knitting projects I've started since October are--
A sweater for David. It's boring. He's boring. He chose the most boring pattern in the universe in the most boring color in the universe. So I knit about 2 inches of it and decided to start something else. Something for me, which is much more motivating.
Of course, I had to order new yarn because there was nothing suitable in the 4 rubbermaids (not the big ones though!) full I already have. And then when my yarn arrived, I realized I didn't have the proper sized needles for my project, so I had to wait for those too. My project is a super-cute short-sleeved chunky sweater that is on the cover of Debbie Bliss magazine. I love it. I want to finish it by Thursday. I'm less than half-way through the back and still have to do the front and the sleeves and sew it all together. Good thing I just said Thursday, not Thursday December 4. Since I didn't specify a date, I suppose any Thursday will do.
The third project I started is a pair of "Snugs". You know the Ugg boots? Snugs, or Snuggs as I like to spell them, are big cozy slippers that look a bit like Uggs. I only started those because they are easy meeting knitting. And, I discovered, also easy field trip knitting because I can knit in the round in a dark theater for 2 hours without messing up.
While I waited for my yarn to arrive, I worked on some Thrummed Mittens that I started a while ago. These things are CRAZY. Let's see if I have a picture...
You know the song My Favorite Things? (If you don't you seriously need to go watch The Sound of Music immediately). I think these may be the "warm woolen mittens" Julie Andrews is singing about. All that fluffy stuff...that's animal hair! And when the mitten gets closed up at the top, all that fluffy stuff will be inside making my fingers all warm and cozy. Apparently it will get all matted together due to the fact that my hands will be pouring out sweat and the fluffy stuff will turn into a kind of fleecy lining.
When I first started thinking about getting the yarn and the "roving"/fluffy stuff for this project, I asked David if he wanted some too. He said no. Then he saw mine and now he wants some. At least they're smaller than a sweater.
Because in my mind I am a super-fast knitter who never wastes time on the internet and loves knitting for others more than knitting for herself, I also have a long list of gifts to knit. I won't talk extensively about them here so that way 1-if anyone who is getting one of the gifts reads this the surprise won't be ruined and 2-if I never actually start or finish the gifts, the would-be recipients will be none the wiser. I learned the importance of that through David's sweater. He keeps asking how it's going. I told him there is some mistake in the pattern and it's going to take me a while to work it out. Like at least as long as it takes me to finish my sweater, my mittens, my Snuggs, and those other smaller and less boring gifts for other people.
As for non-yarny hobbies, I did make a few cards while I was not blogging. I also brought home a little mini-file cabinet that my friend Katie gave me (it's for holding the large index card size things) that I had been using to hold stickers and certificates in my classroom. I decided will be nice for holding finished cards. I punched little tabs using my Stampin' Up! tab punch and labeled them Christmas, birthday, etc. I'm hoping it will be easier to manage than my current card storage system which is comprised of 2 snorkel mask boxes. We only used the stinkin' snorkel masks twice, but at least the boxes have come in handy for quite a while.
So how's that for my 2nd blog post of December?!? I'm 2 for 2!
In the 36 days since I've blogged...
I have:
-passed out Halloween candy
-sat through 16 parent-teacher conferences
-made 10 dozen chocolate chip pumpkin muffins
-read the first 3 books in the Twilight saga
-started 3 knitting projects and finished 0
-decided to teach myself to crochet a blanket, but stopped at a dishcloth
-planned, cooked and eaten a Thanksgiving dinner
-received a "Port Call" date for when we're leaving
-passed my first housing inspection
-done 2 loads of laundry *blush*
-turned in my letter of resignation at work
-packed my classroom into 14 Rubbermaid bins
-bought some Christmas presents
-opened one Christmas present
-put out a few Christmas decorations
-remembered to take my vitamins 3 times
-written 5 days worth of sub plans
-made 5 cards and 0 scrapbook pages
-attempted to blog ate least 3 times to no avail
-been waiting (and still am) for the USAF to tell me what my future holds
-been to the BX way more than the commissary
-watched an embarrassing number of movies on Lifetime and ABC Family
-procrastinated packing, sorting, purging, cleaning... I guess that's what my month+ off work is for!
-passed out Halloween candy
-sat through 16 parent-teacher conferences
-made 10 dozen chocolate chip pumpkin muffins
-read the first 3 books in the Twilight saga
-started 3 knitting projects and finished 0
-decided to teach myself to crochet a blanket, but stopped at a dishcloth
-planned, cooked and eaten a Thanksgiving dinner
-received a "Port Call" date for when we're leaving
-passed my first housing inspection
-done 2 loads of laundry *blush*
-turned in my letter of resignation at work
-packed my classroom into 14 Rubbermaid bins
-bought some Christmas presents
-opened one Christmas present
-put out a few Christmas decorations
-remembered to take my vitamins 3 times
-written 5 days worth of sub plans
-made 5 cards and 0 scrapbook pages
-attempted to blog ate least 3 times to no avail
-been waiting (and still am) for the USAF to tell me what my future holds
-been to the BX way more than the commissary
-watched an embarrassing number of movies on Lifetime and ABC Family
-procrastinated packing, sorting, purging, cleaning... I guess that's what my month+ off work is for!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Countdown to...
Christmas!! Can you believe it? Only 2 months til Christmas!
So, without further ado, here's my Christmas list!
How I Met Your Mother on DVD--we LOVE this show! It's one that I could watch over & over, and it's funny every time!
Since "we" are moving to England, I thought it might behoove us to take along a few travel guides about England, London (it'll be just over an hour away!), and Great Britain in general. This way, not only will we make sure we experience as much as possible, but we can be prepared for our guests as well! Did I mention that at the Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney, one of the things I loved was that they had some travel books in the lobby? I would like to provide the same service for our guests ;) This is a lot of pictures, but I figured I'd include them all since there's not one specific one I'm particularly hoping for.
Knitting Books- yes, there are still some that I don't have in my collection!
Ravelry has this fun function that shows you which books you "need for your queue". I have projects on my to-do list from Scarf Style, Color Style, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts & Itty Bitty Nursery.
Aunt Margie sent me a book by "the Yarn Harlot" and it was SO good! She has some others out... I've seen one at the BX but keep resisting because it's good for the Christmas list!
After amassing quite a collection of warm weather running gear since I developed an interest in running in something other than cotton t-shirts (I'm sure my running group thanks Aunt Margie, my dad & David for providing some running gear that helps me be just a little less stinky during our runs), now I'll have to dress for cooler weather during my runs. And rainy weather too! These particular clothes are from Road Runner Sports (and I love the RRS stuff I got for Christmas last year!) but I've also been quite happy with running clothes I've gotten from K-mart/Wal-mart. What I look for in running clothes- "dri-fit" or something similar, size small, room to move (I'm not really into the skin-tight UnderArmour). For a long-sleeve shirt, I'm happy with a half-zip, no zip, crew/v neck, mock neck, etc. I usually run in shorts in cool weather too, but wouldn't mind having a pair or two of tights or "not-quite-tights"--probably the "capri" length would do for me. I'd end up hemming the pants length! My ears get cold, so I like to have a headband.
And, oh my goodness! What a happy day... while I was looking at running clothes, I discovered that Road Runner Sports is now stocking my favorite running socks--the Asics Hera Low-Cut. And they come in purple! Did you hear that, Dad?
I have so much scrapbook stuff to use up before I need any more! The only things that could always be replenished are adhesives--Therm O Web Click N Stick, Glue Dots, Pop Dots, etc. And a new nice-writing fine-point black pen, like a Zig writer or something. Other than the "Click N Stick" I'm not particular about the exact brand.
That said, there is always something I love in the Stampin' Up! catalog! This time around, my super-faves are "Crazy for Cupcakes," "Flight of the Butterfly," and "Close as a Memory".
I have a growing interest in digital scrapbooking. It's fun & you don't have to clean up after yourself! (Or clean a space off your table beforehand!) I've bought a few digital "supplies" and downloaded tons of freebies from ScrapGirls. They have a monthly club and they send out an "e-kit" of digi-scrap goodies. You just have to be careful though, because it looks like they automatically renew unless you inform them not to!
In our "custody agreement" for our video game consoles for next year, David gets the X-Box 360 and I get the Wii. Of course, I've been wanting the Wii Fit, but so far no luck getting that! There's also the Jillian Michaels (the "mean" one from the Biggest Loser) Fitness Ultimatum, which would replace the only game (besides Rock Band) that I would really miss on the X-Box system. Yesterday we saw a commercial for Wii Music and it looked like fun. And Big Brain Academy Wii Degree looks right up my alley.
Well, that ought to be plenty of variety for those that are interested in buying me something. The best thing about having a birthday 3 weeks after Christmas is being "allowed" to make a big Christmas list, because it kind of carries over as a birthday wish list a few weeks later!
I asked David if he had anything he wanted me to add to the list for him, and he says no. The only things he wants either- a) are too expensive to list on a Christmas list (PSP, iPod Touch) or b) he does not intend to wait for Christmas for before buying for himself (a video game that's coming out next week. So of course he has to have it next week). The usual "black t-shirts" aren't even a good Christmas option for David anymore because he's now wearing the new AF uniforms and they don't do black t-shirts. He did mention before that he wanted a NY Giants visor, because he likes wearing a visor when he's golfing and he also mentioned some kind of golf GPS unit...not sure what it's called--SkyCaddy or something? I don't know what it is. He won't be doing much golfing where he's headed, but at least it's an idea. I guess he'll need to stock up on some gloves, hats & scarves! EDITED TO ADD: David announced yesterday that he would like to add "Long Johns" (not the donuts) to his list. Size--L. Color- prefers black or dark blue. White works fine. I guess he doesn't like the long undies with flowers and stars, which are my personal favorite.
So, without further ado, here's my Christmas list!
How I Met Your Mother on DVD--we LOVE this show! It's one that I could watch over & over, and it's funny every time!
Since "we" are moving to England, I thought it might behoove us to take along a few travel guides about England, London (it'll be just over an hour away!), and Great Britain in general. This way, not only will we make sure we experience as much as possible, but we can be prepared for our guests as well! Did I mention that at the Harbour Rocks Hotel in Sydney, one of the things I loved was that they had some travel books in the lobby? I would like to provide the same service for our guests ;) This is a lot of pictures, but I figured I'd include them all since there's not one specific one I'm particularly hoping for.
Knitting Books- yes, there are still some that I don't have in my collection!
Ravelry has this fun function that shows you which books you "need for your queue". I have projects on my to-do list from Scarf Style, Color Style, Last-Minute Knitted Gifts & Itty Bitty Nursery.
Aunt Margie sent me a book by "the Yarn Harlot" and it was SO good! She has some others out... I've seen one at the BX but keep resisting because it's good for the Christmas list!
After amassing quite a collection of warm weather running gear since I developed an interest in running in something other than cotton t-shirts (I'm sure my running group thanks Aunt Margie, my dad & David for providing some running gear that helps me be just a little less stinky during our runs), now I'll have to dress for cooler weather during my runs. And rainy weather too! These particular clothes are from Road Runner Sports (and I love the RRS stuff I got for Christmas last year!) but I've also been quite happy with running clothes I've gotten from K-mart/Wal-mart. What I look for in running clothes- "dri-fit" or something similar, size small, room to move (I'm not really into the skin-tight UnderArmour). For a long-sleeve shirt, I'm happy with a half-zip, no zip, crew/v neck, mock neck, etc. I usually run in shorts in cool weather too, but wouldn't mind having a pair or two of tights or "not-quite-tights"--probably the "capri" length would do for me. I'd end up hemming the pants length! My ears get cold, so I like to have a headband.
And, oh my goodness! What a happy day... while I was looking at running clothes, I discovered that Road Runner Sports is now stocking my favorite running socks--the Asics Hera Low-Cut. And they come in purple! Did you hear that, Dad?
I have so much scrapbook stuff to use up before I need any more! The only things that could always be replenished are adhesives--Therm O Web Click N Stick, Glue Dots, Pop Dots, etc. And a new nice-writing fine-point black pen, like a Zig writer or something. Other than the "Click N Stick" I'm not particular about the exact brand.
That said, there is always something I love in the Stampin' Up! catalog! This time around, my super-faves are "Crazy for Cupcakes," "Flight of the Butterfly," and "Close as a Memory".
I have a growing interest in digital scrapbooking. It's fun & you don't have to clean up after yourself! (Or clean a space off your table beforehand!) I've bought a few digital "supplies" and downloaded tons of freebies from ScrapGirls. They have a monthly club and they send out an "e-kit" of digi-scrap goodies. You just have to be careful though, because it looks like they automatically renew unless you inform them not to!
In our "custody agreement" for our video game consoles for next year, David gets the X-Box 360 and I get the Wii. Of course, I've been wanting the Wii Fit, but so far no luck getting that! There's also the Jillian Michaels (the "mean" one from the Biggest Loser) Fitness Ultimatum, which would replace the only game (besides Rock Band) that I would really miss on the X-Box system. Yesterday we saw a commercial for Wii Music and it looked like fun. And Big Brain Academy Wii Degree looks right up my alley.
Well, that ought to be plenty of variety for those that are interested in buying me something. The best thing about having a birthday 3 weeks after Christmas is being "allowed" to make a big Christmas list, because it kind of carries over as a birthday wish list a few weeks later!
I asked David if he had anything he wanted me to add to the list for him, and he says no. The only things he wants either- a) are too expensive to list on a Christmas list (PSP, iPod Touch) or b) he does not intend to wait for Christmas for before buying for himself (a video game that's coming out next week. So of course he has to have it next week). The usual "black t-shirts" aren't even a good Christmas option for David anymore because he's now wearing the new AF uniforms and they don't do black t-shirts. He did mention before that he wanted a NY Giants visor, because he likes wearing a visor when he's golfing and he also mentioned some kind of golf GPS unit...not sure what it's called--SkyCaddy or something? I don't know what it is. He won't be doing much golfing where he's headed, but at least it's an idea. I guess he'll need to stock up on some gloves, hats & scarves! EDITED TO ADD: David announced yesterday that he would like to add "Long Johns" (not the donuts) to his list. Size--L. Color- prefers black or dark blue. White works fine. I guess he doesn't like the long undies with flowers and stars, which are my personal favorite.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
I Scream, You Scream
Here's the scoop (ha ha) on our ice cream maker: My old neighbor who I don’t exactly have the warm fuzzies for bought my set of pots and pans for our wedding gift (and brought them over 6 months later...2 days before our household goods were being picked up to be sent to Okinawa!). Anyway, we already had received the pots and pans from my sweet and wonderful aunt at our shower (8 months earlier…and she was there and I am convinced that she was aware of this when she bought me a 2nd set!)
So, the day before our things get picked up, DH and I go to return the pots/pans. The stuff we picked included an ice cream maker. We went through the check-out and out to the parking lot and David wouldn't stop grumbling about the ice cream maker. He kept on saying that we'd never use it and it was a waste of money. David is all about spending and wasting $, so I guess I figured that if HE thought it was a waste, it must really be wasteful! So I caved in and we turned right back around and exchanged the ice cream maker for a clock and some picture frames.
But really, what kind of wife would I be if I just let that go? Everytime we had Baskin Robins or wished we had something sweet after dinner, I would say, "Remember when we had an ice cream maker for 4 minutes?" or "Just imagine if we had an ice cream maker and we could make our own ice cream right now instead of driving all the way (less than a mile) to BR!" Etc.
And David, in a move that gives all husbands everywhere a good name, was actually listening. And last Christmas, I got an ice cream maker. And last weekend, I used it.
So, David was wrong to say we'd never use it. I have used it. And it was easy and delicious. I will use it again. Soon.
I made Heath Bar Crunch ice cream that was a recipe I received in a recipe card swap over at ScrapVillage. It was so fun to watch my dessert go from a bunch of milk to real ice cream before my very eyes. Unfortunately, the commissary didn't have any whipping cream or heavy cream that day, so I had to settle for milk & butter. It was good, don't get me wrong...but I'm very excited to taste it when I really use the right ingredients!
Edited to add: So, Uncle Bill if you're reading this, now that I know how easy it is to make ice cream, I'll be sure to pick up some ingredients for Green Tea ice cream for Aunt Nim when you come visit next!!
So, the day before our things get picked up, DH and I go to return the pots/pans. The stuff we picked included an ice cream maker. We went through the check-out and out to the parking lot and David wouldn't stop grumbling about the ice cream maker. He kept on saying that we'd never use it and it was a waste of money. David is all about spending and wasting $, so I guess I figured that if HE thought it was a waste, it must really be wasteful! So I caved in and we turned right back around and exchanged the ice cream maker for a clock and some picture frames.
But really, what kind of wife would I be if I just let that go? Everytime we had Baskin Robins or wished we had something sweet after dinner, I would say, "Remember when we had an ice cream maker for 4 minutes?" or "Just imagine if we had an ice cream maker and we could make our own ice cream right now instead of driving all the way (less than a mile) to BR!" Etc.
And David, in a move that gives all husbands everywhere a good name, was actually listening. And last Christmas, I got an ice cream maker. And last weekend, I used it.
So, David was wrong to say we'd never use it. I have used it. And it was easy and delicious. I will use it again. Soon.
I made Heath Bar Crunch ice cream that was a recipe I received in a recipe card swap over at ScrapVillage. It was so fun to watch my dessert go from a bunch of milk to real ice cream before my very eyes. Unfortunately, the commissary didn't have any whipping cream or heavy cream that day, so I had to settle for milk & butter. It was good, don't get me wrong...but I'm very excited to taste it when I really use the right ingredients!
Edited to add: So, Uncle Bill if you're reading this, now that I know how easy it is to make ice cream, I'll be sure to pick up some ingredients for Green Tea ice cream for Aunt Nim when you come visit next!!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Only the Pros
So last week, our plans changed. Not something trivial like dinner plans, but major life plans. Okay, okay, really only a year of the plans got changed, but it's kind of hard to stomach when you're not even the person in charge of making the changes. And when the entity making the changes can't seem to give you all of the information, but they're changing your whole life anyway.
In short (because I'm getting kind of tired of talking about it), instead of going home for a year like I thought I would while David is gone, I basically have no choice (no good one anyway) but to go directly to our next base in England and wait. So, I gave myself a day to cry and stress out about it (okay, 3 days) but now it's time to move on. There's no sense complaining about it, because it can't be changed. [Although I will still allow myself a normal healthy amount of stress for the details once I get there] My initial instinct was to make a pros/cons list, but that's only useful when YOU are the one making your own decisions.
So, now I'm making an Only Pro list:
1. I get the day off school today because I have to go to the dentist and make sure my teeth are well enough to be shipped to England.
2. Remember how sometimes Blogger (and a few other sites too) thinks I can read Japanese just because my computer is in Japan? Well, guess what... even if it thinks I'm English because my computer is in England...all the words will still be in English!
3. I won't be "allowed" to work until David gets there. Darn. ;)
4. I can wear sweaters there, and not just indoors with the a/c blasting.
5. After living somewhere where a plane ticket home costs $1,500+, the ticket from England will seem cheap. (for example, I just looked up last-minute tickets on expedia-- from here to Chicago leaving in 3 days would cost $2,700, but from England to Chicago is less than $700...that's definitely a pro!)
6. After living somewhere where a plane ride home involves 2 or 3 planes and 11+ hours on one plane, an 8.5 hour plane ride will seem short.
7. Since the travel is so short & cheap, I'll be able to go home more often in 1 year than I have in the past 3.5.
8. People will probably feel sorry for me and visit me.
9. I already know how to drive on the left side of the road.
10. I already have experience riding the "tube".
11. The signs will be in English.
12. I like fish & chips.
13. There are these great things there called trains and cheap flights and you can use them to get to lots of other European countries!
14. I will live in the same place as Harry Potter.
15. That island is a whole lot bigger than this one!
16. I already know a few people there: someone who taught at our school and moved there last year, someone who David was in Saudi with, and a few Ravelry buddies!
17. They have "English Breakfast". I love breakfast.
18. The places around where I will live are really cute! Just my style. I think I'll get there just a little bit too late to rent an old chapel that's been converted to a house! It's so darn cute...but it goes up for "let" a month before we'll get there.
19. People speak English there! And they do it with these fabulous accents!
20. And how about the obvious... it's England, for Pete's sake! There's castles and scones and a hot Prince! (William, not Charles)
In short (because I'm getting kind of tired of talking about it), instead of going home for a year like I thought I would while David is gone, I basically have no choice (no good one anyway) but to go directly to our next base in England and wait. So, I gave myself a day to cry and stress out about it (okay, 3 days) but now it's time to move on. There's no sense complaining about it, because it can't be changed. [Although I will still allow myself a normal healthy amount of stress for the details once I get there] My initial instinct was to make a pros/cons list, but that's only useful when YOU are the one making your own decisions.
So, now I'm making an Only Pro list:
1. I get the day off school today because I have to go to the dentist and make sure my teeth are well enough to be shipped to England.
2. Remember how sometimes Blogger (and a few other sites too) thinks I can read Japanese just because my computer is in Japan? Well, guess what... even if it thinks I'm English because my computer is in England...all the words will still be in English!
3. I won't be "allowed" to work until David gets there. Darn. ;)
4. I can wear sweaters there, and not just indoors with the a/c blasting.
5. After living somewhere where a plane ticket home costs $1,500+, the ticket from England will seem cheap. (for example, I just looked up last-minute tickets on expedia-- from here to Chicago leaving in 3 days would cost $2,700, but from England to Chicago is less than $700...that's definitely a pro!)
6. After living somewhere where a plane ride home involves 2 or 3 planes and 11+ hours on one plane, an 8.5 hour plane ride will seem short.
7. Since the travel is so short & cheap, I'll be able to go home more often in 1 year than I have in the past 3.5.
8. People will probably feel sorry for me and visit me.
9. I already know how to drive on the left side of the road.
10. I already have experience riding the "tube".
11. The signs will be in English.
12. I like fish & chips.
13. There are these great things there called trains and cheap flights and you can use them to get to lots of other European countries!
14. I will live in the same place as Harry Potter.
15. That island is a whole lot bigger than this one!
16. I already know a few people there: someone who taught at our school and moved there last year, someone who David was in Saudi with, and a few Ravelry buddies!
17. They have "English Breakfast". I love breakfast.
18. The places around where I will live are really cute! Just my style. I think I'll get there just a little bit too late to rent an old chapel that's been converted to a house! It's so darn cute...but it goes up for "let" a month before we'll get there.
19. People speak English there! And they do it with these fabulous accents!
20. And how about the obvious... it's England, for Pete's sake! There's castles and scones and a hot Prince! (William, not Charles)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Picture Day
When you're a teacher, there are bound to be a few things that get the grown-up you just as excited/nervous as you did when you were a kid. One of those things for me is Scholastic Book Orders. When I was in school and my teacher would pass them out, I'd already have half of the catalog circled by the time I got home, and then I would wait anxiously for my teacher to finally pass out the books once they arrived. I still do that, only this time I don't have to wait for the flyers to get passed out, AND I get to be the first to get my new books!
Another thing that makes me feel like I'm in elementary school again is school picture day. Choosing my outfit, practicing my smile, getting into position- toes on the line, turn your shoulders, lift your chin, tilt your head, and waiting for the pictures to arrive (meanwhile planning who "gets" one...only now it's more like trying to figure out who would possible want one!)
Wednesday was school picture day. I don't know if it's just "here" or if this is going on everywhere, but there's something different about picture day.
Here I am on picture day:
That wasn't this year's picture day...that was when I was in 3rd grade! Personally, I think I look pretty adorable, in my pretty dress and my fancy hairbows and smiling my big front toothless smile.
And even when my mom stopped dressing me and putting bows in my hair for picture day, I put a lot of thought into what I would wear for picture day.
So imagine my surprise when quite a few of my 2nd graders came to school on picture day in t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Not one of my little boy students wore a tie or a button down shirt. Only 2 or 3 of my girls wore dresses. And not even half of my kids turned in the picture order forms!
I asked them if they had practiced their smiles, and most of the kids who have missing teeth showed me closed-mouth smiles. I said, "You're not going to show your teeth?" and one girl actually said her mom told her not to show her teeth because she lost a tooth last week and her picture would look ugly! What!? Now, I'm not sure I believe that...but I'm also not quite sure I don't.
Anyway, I wore one of my favorite sweaters, smiled with my teeth showing, and I'm getting pictures (all teachers get a free pack of pictures!)... I wonder how they'll turn out!
Another thing that makes me feel like I'm in elementary school again is school picture day. Choosing my outfit, practicing my smile, getting into position- toes on the line, turn your shoulders, lift your chin, tilt your head, and waiting for the pictures to arrive (meanwhile planning who "gets" one...only now it's more like trying to figure out who would possible want one!)
Wednesday was school picture day. I don't know if it's just "here" or if this is going on everywhere, but there's something different about picture day.
Here I am on picture day:
That wasn't this year's picture day...that was when I was in 3rd grade! Personally, I think I look pretty adorable, in my pretty dress and my fancy hairbows and smiling my big front toothless smile.
And even when my mom stopped dressing me and putting bows in my hair for picture day, I put a lot of thought into what I would wear for picture day.
So imagine my surprise when quite a few of my 2nd graders came to school on picture day in t-shirts and hooded sweatshirts. Not one of my little boy students wore a tie or a button down shirt. Only 2 or 3 of my girls wore dresses. And not even half of my kids turned in the picture order forms!
I asked them if they had practiced their smiles, and most of the kids who have missing teeth showed me closed-mouth smiles. I said, "You're not going to show your teeth?" and one girl actually said her mom told her not to show her teeth because she lost a tooth last week and her picture would look ugly! What!? Now, I'm not sure I believe that...but I'm also not quite sure I don't.
Anyway, I wore one of my favorite sweaters, smiled with my teeth showing, and I'm getting pictures (all teachers get a free pack of pictures!)... I wonder how they'll turn out!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
What's in a name?
I saw this on another blog and thought for fun I'd check out my name. If you know me, do you agree with what it says about me? Or, if you look up your name, do you agree with what it says about you? I put my comments in bold.
What Rebecca Means |
 You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. Me? Maybe crazy, but I don't really think rebellious. You're always up to something. I wouldn't say always. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. I don't disagree. You're very intense. I don't necessarily think this I'm very intense, but I could see how other people might. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. I don't actually get into much trouble. You are friendly, charming, and warm. Of course, this is 100% true. :) You get along with almost everyone. Er...almost. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. I usually only rock the boat in my mind. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. Yes, very true. I'm bad at being early for deadlines, but I normally do make the deadline. You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. I would say that's typically fairly accurate. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Completely false. I am the opposite of bold and daring. I do not like risky behavior. I scream when I watch roller coaster shows on the Travel Channel. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. I can have a moderately bad temper at times. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. I am very open when I want to tell people things, but if they ask me about it, then I am not so open. Hey...that must be the rebellious part they were talking about in the first paragraph! I think that people generally feel I connect with them easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. Yes. Yes. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. I should say so. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. Maybe not the best at everything, but one of the best at most things. ;) You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. Sometimes. That didn't sound very authoritative, did it? You have the classic "Type A" personality. Maybe more like Type A Minus. But sure, I could see how someone might think I'm a little Type A at times. |
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where is their red, white and blue??
So, I think I've mentioned before that being on base here in Okinawa is basically just like being in the states. You've got your BK & your gas by the gallon instead of the liter (litre?) and other comforts of home. The only real "you're not in Kansas (or other state) anymore" instances are:
1. driving on the "wrong" side of the road
2. being carded on the way into the commissary
3. calling the grocery store the commissary
4. standing for the National Anthem before the previews come on at the movie theater
and 5. stopping the car or standing still at 1700 while the Star Spangled Banner plays over the loud speaker.
Today I need to gripe about #5. Not the fact that the custom exists, but that so many people choose to ignore it. I will admit that I have done some extra shopping in the BX if it's nearing 5 to avoid standing outside with my bags. I will also admit that it's quite common for me to find something to busy myself with in my classroom until 5:05 rather than walking out at 4:59. I can even count on one hand the number of times that I've literally run into the house so I can be in before the anthems (Japanese and USA) begin to play. But that's usually only if I really have to go to the bathroom. So I'm not saying I'm perfectly patriotic. BUT I do think I'm patriotic enough to complain about some people who blatantly ignore the SSB at 5:00.
If it's close to 5:00 and you're in your car, windows up and radio on, you don't really hear the anthem come on. But, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, and you see two people standing "at attention", that's a pretty good clue that it's time for retreat. So, I pull to the side and put my blinkers on. Okay...now, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, you see two people standing at attention and the car in front of you has pulled to the side and put the blinkers on...do you see where this is going? How was it not clear to the THREE cars that went around me that it was, in fact, time to pause for the playing of the national anthem??
A few months ago, David had a 6:00 softball game, and because David is David, we arrived an hour early. We were walking toward the field, and standing outside at the softball field, it is very easy to hear the speakers. So we stopped and stood for the 2 minutes it takes to get through both anthems. Then David went and spoke to the "coach" that had been leading a group of about 15 kids in stretches...during the national anthem.
I don't know what's with some people around here. I would've expected this particular demographic to be more respectful of military custom and America in general. I always tell my students that saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning is our way of saying "thank you" to the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc. that are missing their families and maybe in danger right now. The boy who raises his hand and says, "They are fighting for us so we can believe in the things we want to believe in. Some of them might get hurt or die, so we should stand still and think of them every morning," I bet his parents stand still for 2 minutes at 5:00.
1. driving on the "wrong" side of the road
2. being carded on the way into the commissary
3. calling the grocery store the commissary
4. standing for the National Anthem before the previews come on at the movie theater
and 5. stopping the car or standing still at 1700 while the Star Spangled Banner plays over the loud speaker.
Today I need to gripe about #5. Not the fact that the custom exists, but that so many people choose to ignore it. I will admit that I have done some extra shopping in the BX if it's nearing 5 to avoid standing outside with my bags. I will also admit that it's quite common for me to find something to busy myself with in my classroom until 5:05 rather than walking out at 4:59. I can even count on one hand the number of times that I've literally run into the house so I can be in before the anthems (Japanese and USA) begin to play. But that's usually only if I really have to go to the bathroom. So I'm not saying I'm perfectly patriotic. BUT I do think I'm patriotic enough to complain about some people who blatantly ignore the SSB at 5:00.
If it's close to 5:00 and you're in your car, windows up and radio on, you don't really hear the anthem come on. But, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, and you see two people standing "at attention", that's a pretty good clue that it's time for retreat. So, I pull to the side and put my blinkers on. Okay...now, if it's close to 5:00, you're in your car, windows up, radio on, you see two people standing at attention and the car in front of you has pulled to the side and put the blinkers on...do you see where this is going? How was it not clear to the THREE cars that went around me that it was, in fact, time to pause for the playing of the national anthem??
A few months ago, David had a 6:00 softball game, and because David is David, we arrived an hour early. We were walking toward the field, and standing outside at the softball field, it is very easy to hear the speakers. So we stopped and stood for the 2 minutes it takes to get through both anthems. Then David went and spoke to the "coach" that had been leading a group of about 15 kids in stretches...during the national anthem.
I don't know what's with some people around here. I would've expected this particular demographic to be more respectful of military custom and America in general. I always tell my students that saying the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning is our way of saying "thank you" to the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, etc. that are missing their families and maybe in danger right now. The boy who raises his hand and says, "They are fighting for us so we can believe in the things we want to believe in. Some of them might get hurt or die, so we should stand still and think of them every morning," I bet his parents stand still for 2 minutes at 5:00.
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Love to be Lazy
This has been a great weekend! I've been in my pajamas for most of it! The only thing I went out to do was a 5k fun run on Saturday morning. Otherwise, I've just been at home, knitting, surfing the net, watching movies, and talking on the phone. I love lazy weekends. Not doing any running around makes the weekend seem longer. Oh, since my weekend seemed longer, I actually cleaned the big mess off of my scrap table. Maybe now I'll do some paper scrapping instead of digital. My relatively new interest in digital scrapbooking makes cleaning off my scrap table much less urgent. I really wanted to post a LO for ScrapVillage's monthly "blueprint" challenge, but dreaded cleaning off the table. Even with less than 2 inches of free space on the table, adhesive hidden under looming, leaning piles of paper, and a laundry-basket full of school files blocking my path to my bins of chipboard, brads and Prima flowers, I was able to make this:
And, an added bonus to digi-scrapping, I've been able to scrap this Australia pages even though I haven't gotten all of the pictures uploaded and ordered yet! Most importantly, no mess to clean up after! Now that my table is clean, though, I do hope to "wind-down" after school at least once this week with some actual paper-and-adhesive scrapbooking.
And, an added bonus to digi-scrapping, I've been able to scrap this Australia pages even though I haven't gotten all of the pictures uploaded and ordered yet! Most importantly, no mess to clean up after! Now that my table is clean, though, I do hope to "wind-down" after school at least once this week with some actual paper-and-adhesive scrapbooking.
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