WE'RE OUT TO DISCOVER!

Scuttle, from The Little Mermaid, is my adventure spirit animal.  Often misguided and confused, an adventure is an adventure.  "We're out to discover!"

Any time I hear the music from Pirates of the Caribbean, I feel like going on an adventure.  I also feel like I'm endlessly playing Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

The prompt for today was to share what music makes you feel adventurous.  What makes you feel adventurous?  Is it music?  A burning question?  Boredom?

Top 10 Things That Make Me Happy

While in El Paso, I watched a show with my mom where two celebrities listed the top 10 things that make them happy. Friends, family and health are givens. Here's my list followed by some explanations. What makes you happy?

1. Traveling
2. Having a great book to read
3. Writing
4. Game nights
5. Teaching
6. Someone singing to me
7. The smell of rain
8. Fountains
9. PJs
10. Crafting

Traveling - There is just something about leaving your life behind (not forgetting it, mind you) and seeing some place new. It's the adventure of being out of your own element and in someone else's. Nothing compares to being able to travel and experience something new you would have never been able to if you had stayed in one place.




Having a Great Book to Read - The next best thing to traveling will always be having a great book to read. Done well, great writing transports the reader to amazing places, real or not. I've been given some flack for reading mostly fiction or humorous non-fiction; told that it is second best to reading to learn. I whole heartedly object to the idea that reading fiction is not reading to learn. Fiction teaches the human condition.




Writing - Though I've lost touch with much more than blog writing lately, it still makes me very happy. It's like watching TV (which I don't do much of at all) or reading a great book, but with the ability to control where the story goes. I can create all sorts of adventures and choose where they go and how they get there. It's better than dreaming.




Game Nights - Growing up, my family played board and card games together. We are all competitive by nature. I love getting together with my friends or family for games. The games are really secondary to the laughter and fun of being around great people.




Teaching - I'm probably the only teacher on the planet who hates summer vacation. True, I get to travel. There is that, and I'm grateful for having the time to travel. However, I miss the kids. I miss bringing new ideas to them in fun and interesting ways and seeing them respond. They're also just dang fun to be around. It's truly the kids I loved about working at Disney. It's awesome I get to recreate that magic in a classroom.




Someone Singing to Me - It can be any song, even sung badly. Singing solo or along with the radio, making that connection lyrically, possibly emotionally (depending on the song) just makes me smile. It's like having my own personal rock star, performing just for me. Love it.




The Smell of Rain - It's the smell of the rain hitting the hot pavement (or sand in the desert) which hits you before the rain actually begins to fall that I love the most. The smell of the rain once it starts to fall isn't quite the same.




Fountains - No idea where I picked up my love for fountains. Even the most basic fountains draw me in. The more elaborate fountains absolutely enthrall me. I'm compelled to get in all of them... It's a serious battle of willpower not to.




PJs - I'm not talking about sexy nighties. I'm talking about super soft to the touch pants and matching tops, often with polka dots or absurd prints. At the end of the day, it's fantastic to slip into a pair of PJs and relax. My mother used to buy me PJs every time I was sick. They always brought me comfort and made me happy.




Crafting - It's about the challenge, not necessisarily the finished product. Trying new crafts, gluing, twisting, sewing, hammering things together to create something new is always something I'm willing to do. I'll see something and think, "I can make that." It's the process of trying to figure out how to do it, then actually doing it that I like most about crafting.

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3 Random Prompts - Sounds, Drunken Episode, Adventures in Space

For fun, I bought a book entitled, 642 Things to Write About. I asked my Facebook friends to choose 3 numbers, promising to write about whatever prompts followed their numbers. These are the results:

 

576 - Sitting in a single location for 20 minutes, take notes focusing exclusively on the sounds you can hear.

It sounds like a rustling leaf. Ticking dryly across the tile floor, edge over edge at sporadic intervals. Every now and then, it pauses, the sound replaced by tiny padded feet tapping lightly along the tile. When the soft pattering stops, the sound kicks up once again, beginning with the sound of the dry leaf hitting the tile from a fair height.

In the background, cicadas buzz their summery, evening hymn, rising and falling with the breeze. The only breeze audible near me is that produced by the ceiling fan. The light pull-chain clinks gently against the fan motor, which hums softly, in even, drawn out intervals.

The rustling has stopped, replaced by incessant licking, a rough brushing through soft fur, hitting the sticker the cat had been knocking around like a leaf. Moira desperately licks, her tongue scraping across the edge of the paper, slowly tearing off the sticker. With a slow suction noise, the sticker peels off her fur and hits the tile once again with a thin ticking. The padding of her steps grow quieter as she walks away.

 

289 - Another drunken episode.

"What? No. We are not doing that." Wearing leggings and boots to the bar had been the first bad decision of the evening. Responding to the arse at the bar who asked if I thought I was a super hero or something was likely the second. I was on my way to my third.

Ignoring the ever wise words of my friend Cate, I continued to make my way out of the bar. "It's okay, dude, I still have Halloween stuff in my trunk. I'm pretty sure I've got a mask and a cape. Trust me."

Cate sighed loudly, obviously not as inebriated as I, and stomped after me to the car. "Why do I have to be the bad guy?" She leaned against the green Honda Civic as I dug through the trunk.

"Duh, because both of us can't be superheroes. Someone needs to kidnap the girl and tie her to the railroad tracks." I grabbed the black Zorro mask my buddy Jack had returned and tied it on quickly as Cate stood staring, her mouth slightly agape in shock.

"We are not tying anyone to the railroad tracks." She crossed her arms, not bothering to catch either the orange Ninja Turtle eye mask or the black, floor length cape I'd tossed at her.

Frowning, I turned my attention from the trunk to her. Slowly, I grinned. "What if we tied Greg to the tracks?" It would take some convincing, but I was sure I could get Greg to play along. Cate has had a thing for Greg ever since her second year of college.

Cate barely considered before grabbing the cape and mask. "Now, you're talking," she grinned as she suited up.

"Great! Now help me find the cowboy lasso so we have some rope." What could possibly go wrong?

 

5 - You are an astronaut. Describe your perfect day.

Captain's log, 7/13/2178, 20:56. Won at Risk against the Martians again. It's really not fair. They don't quite understand the concept of divide and conquering. That and they just can't keep control of Europe. I'm worried they might start to take it personally and decide to take over Earth for real. Must figure out how to read Martian emotions.

I'm not entirely sure what it was that I had for lunch while gaming with the Martians. All I know is that it moved before, during and after being cooked. I keep trying to tell myself it tasted like chicken. Went back to the space station and promptly ate all of the freeze dried strawberries to get the "chicken" taste out of my mouth.

It's video night at the space station tonight and my turn to choose what to watch. I'm thinking something archaic, like Galaxy Quest. I'm sure the Martians would get a kick out of that. Maybe follow up with some Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes for good measure. I'm curious what their take on the Borg will be. I'm more curious about whether or not they'll like popcorn.

 

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Two Things Tuesday - Midnight Edition

I'm sure it'll hardly be Tuesday by the time I finish this post.  Nevertheless, it's still going to be a Two Things Tuesday post.  I had meant to write something earlier today.  However, I spent the day trying to think of two things to post about.  TWO.   Just two.  Seriously, how hard could that be?  Anyway.


1.  Have you ever looked positively mentally crazy?  While I try not to do this too often, I find myself in these situations more than I ought to be in them.  Today's crazy is compliments of my cousins Danielle and Emily.  For my bridal shower, they bought me this fantastic smelling perfume set from Victoria's Secret.  It's from the Sexy Little Things line and called "Tease".


Being home alone, with nothing better to do with myself, I decided to play with the contents of the gift set.  I tried the body wash, followed it up with the lotion, then a spritz from the fancy-shmancy perfume bottle.

Now, when I use foo-foo juice stuff, I expect to be able to smell it for maybe an hour on myself, then have it be noticeable to everyone but me after that.  This did not happen.  Hours later, I could still smell the pear, apple, vanilla, jasmine, and gardenia (oh, my!).  

It started to get to me.  Don't get me wrong, it smells great.  However... I was intrigued I still smelled so strongly.  So... I did what any self-respecting crazy person would do.  I licked my arm.

Anything that smells that strongly, I reasoned, was probably edible.  I wanted to know if I tasted like pears.  The first lick produced a taste that I thought might be pears.  Though, I wasn't sure.  It could just be the taste of lotion with lots of chemicals.  Pears/chemicals, same thing.  So, I continued to lick my arm for a little while in order to make a decision. 

Even the cats were watching me like I was nuts.

2.  I went to the post office today to ship a book to Wichita Falls, Texas and a box to Costa Mesa, California.  The helpful man behind the counter, who likes to give me a hard time every time I come in, mentioned it must be nice to be part of the 1%.  

Quizzically, I raised an eyebrow at him.  He responded that I was shipping my items more expensively than I should have.  I shrugged.  He fixed it and laughed, saying he was just picking on me.  :(

30 Things Series - In Flight Edition (11-15)

All boarded, iPad in airplane mode, playlist loaded. Let's knock out another chunk of these.




11. A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.

While I agree that all three can be fun, I'm unsure of the necessity of a cordless drill or a black lace bra. I feel like the last two on that list only lead to trouble.

12. Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.

I've got a shopping habit. Anyone who knows me already knows that. However, I rarely spend a fortune on anything. Every designer piece of anything I own was on sale well below half of retail. I've gotten much better at curbing my retail therapy this past year as well.

There are a few things that I'd like that I know are ridiculously (and therefore unjustifiably) expensive. Even the excuse that I deserve them hasn't been enough to push me to purchase any of them. I'd love a pair of Christian Louboutin red-soled shoes. I'd be tickled over even an empty Tiffany's box. Though, like I said, can't justify them.

I try to save my splurges for travel. I guess you could say that I've bought myself lavish trips. I spent a week in Paris and a week at Disney World - because I deserved to go.

Try as I might to save money in the future, I'm very rarely going to turn down a chance to travel. I want to see more of the US, tour Europe, even check out places where I can't google what the signs say because my keyboard doesn't do those characters.

13. The belief you deserve it.

It's not hard for me to believe I deserve to spend money on travel. I've done everything the "right" way in life. I behaved as well as any teenager could, never got knocked up, got good grades, a scholarship, went to college, graduated cum laude, and found myself a great career (not just a job). All of this equals to me that I deserve to spend money on ridiculously expensive travel. Hell, even a short "staycation" at a hotel in town for no other reason than I want to escape the rest of the world is justified in my mind.

While this may sound somewhat like entitlement, I feel the need to say that I worked to get where I am. I've done what I'm supposed to do and what I've had to do to make my world happen. That's different from saying I deserve it because I am awesome.




14. A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30.

The first two were on my to-do list for a long time. I finally broke down and went to some experts for my skin. So far, I haven't collected many more wrinkles than those I picked up around 22. I'm hoping to keep my skin that way in as much of a healthy way as possible.

Starting earlier this year, I picked up running. I actually really enjoy going out for a run, even if I don't get to go for very long. It makes me happy to be able to go clear my head and people watch while running. I haven't been able to go for a month, but I intend to pick it up again soon.

As far as the rest of the things which don't get better after 30, I'll just lump everything under Health.

I know I need to start keeping out of things I'm allergic to - just because I can tolerate it with a Benedryl does not make it a good idea.

I know I ought to start watching my diet. I can count calories all day, but in the end, weight loss does not equal a healthy diet. I've cut a lot of the garbage out of my diet. I suppose I should look into cutting more of the crap and adding some more good things instead.

I know I could use more sleep on a regular basis. As much fun as I have on the Internet, I seriously need to hit the hay before midnight every night. This will likely be the hardest for me, considering the people I talk to online tend to keep later hours due to time zone differences.




15. A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all of those other facets of life that do get better.

I love being a teacher. While I get paid well, the satisfaction is definitely the kids. I miss them all summer, even though I get new kids in the fall. I look forward to going to class to teach and interact with them. It drives me. I love them so very much - even the challenging ones!

Someday I might like to try my hand at something else. I haven't given up completely on writing. Law school interests me. Perhaps I'll stick around the schools and become a principal. I don't know. For now, I plan to keep doing what I love until it has lost its luster. The kids deserve that.

I'm pretty sure I'm working towards the most satisfying relationship of my life. :)

 

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30 Things Series - My Thoughts on Age & Numbers 3, 4

I haven't posted a 30 Things blog in a while. This is mostly because I've been so dang busy with other things (end of the school year, making travel plans, wedding stuff, house stuff, running, whatever). It's also maybe because I've been thinking about getting old, myself.

Seriously, don't laugh. Peter Pan Syndrome Miss Lindsey has those days, too!

I remember when I was 22, on my way to Disney World for an internship, when I discovered my first wrinkles on my forehead. I blogged about them then, horrified. Life was going to be over after Disney, I may as well buy a dozen cats, start drinking martinis and sign up for regular Botox shots. Then, I got to Disney and forgot how old I was. While I can't visit Disney every time I start to feel old, I can recapture the wonder of being young.

Age is nothing more than a number. In many ways, I'm more mature now than I was 10 years ago. I'm many other ways, I'm still the same kid at heart. It's important to find what makes you happy. Bring yourself back to whatever that is, whether it be in person or in memory, and hold onto whatever it is. Take a walk, see something new, read a book, learn something, make things, set unreasonable goals, or simply hang out with kids and see the world through their eyes. It'll keep you young, always, no matter what your number may be.

Now, to get caught up with 30 Things. I feel like 3 and 4 can be lumped together in one post. Here goes:

3. Something perfect to wear if the employer or the man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour.

4. A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying.

I own several suits which fit me. I've amassed this collection throughout my 20s, making sure to choose stylish, yet classic looks so I can wear them for many years. Some weren't expensive, found at Marshalls or on Ebay for a steal. Sure, you may not think you have an excuse to own a suit, but just wait until you need one last minute. You'll wish you had some in stock. Buy something you can use the pieces of during your regular work week, like a black skirt suit, and wear the skirt or jacket with other items from your closet.

On the other side of the coin, you need to own a little black dress. Nothing too slinky or short. Just something that hangs just right on whatever your frame may be. If black isn't your color, find something in a solid, reasonable color. You can never go wrong with a great, simple dress. They can be dressed up or down for whatever the occasion may be.

Though, truly, I'm the kind of girl to show up to meet the man of her dreams while wearing jeans, tennies and whatever random shirt looked good at the time. He ought to love me like that if he is the man of my dreams, right? ;)

As far as the purse, suitcase and umbrella go, I wouldn't say they are staples a woman must have before 30, but are good ideas. There's no reason to be carrying around purses a teenager might carry, toting a SpiderMan umbrella and a beat up, 5th generation thrift store suitcase.

The Christmas before I left for Houston, my aunt Barbara bought me a black umbrella which folded up small enough to fit in most purses. I still have it and prefer it. I suggest something like this. Though, I also have a bundle of Disney World umbrellas, since I never seemed to have one when I needed one in Florida, which I find acceptable.

My fantastic suitcases I stole from my mother. I'll be honest. They're great and a result of me traveling to El Paso with a tiny bag, necessitating a larger, or second bag, for the return trip. (Thanks, Mom!). While shopping at your parents house seems like a good idea, Marshalls or Burlington Coat Factory are really great for finding decent luggage at reasonable prices.

The Sword of Awesomeness

While the best word to describe my teaching methods may be "episodic", sometimes I still don't understand some of the things I do in the classroom.  I'm nothing if not visually interesting for one reason or another.  Sometimes, it involves wearing a chipmunk costume.

Others, it involves flailing my arms for no apparent reason.  Which brings me to the story of the Sword of Awesomeness.

As I was creating a spur of the moment, full-blown story for my students, one of the important items in the story became the Sword of Awesomeness.

Each time the item came up in the story, I would raise my arms in a rounded victory V sort of way.  I didn't even realize I was doing it until the students started doing the same each time I mentioned the Sword of Awesomeness.

As entertaining as it was, I didn't think much about the whole thing again until today, weeks later, when one of my students was sharing his 11 page (yes, he's a 6th grader!) imaginative story with the class.  At one point, he describes his characters battling through a hoard of zombies in order to retrieve the Sword of Awesomeness.

As he said it, he turned his attention from his paper, set it in his lap, grinned and raised his arms in the special salute.  I couldn't have been more proud.  Not only had he remembered the random thing I did and included it in his story, he also remembered the lesson and applied everything when he wrote his amazing story.  I was truly impressed.

Back to School

Well, it's time.  I guess I've somewhat already been back at work since I've had training for the past week and a half.  However, now it's officially time to go back to school for the teachers in my district.  WHOO! (Right?)

I may be an odd duck out for this, but I'm excited for the new school year.  I've picked up a handful of really good tools in the past week and a half of training which I can't wait to use.  That, and I've been really bored.  It's not that I haven't had things to do this summer - I have.  Maybe I'm a workaholic.  I prefer to think of it as I prefer to have a greater purpose to dedicate myself to on a daily basis.

Anyway, my future father-in-law sent me this teacher joke today and I figured I'd share it in honor of going back to school.  Good luck everyone going back!

A former Sergeant with the Marine Corps, having served his time, took a new job as a school teacher; but just before the school year started he injured his back.

He was required to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body. Fortunately, the cast fit under his shirt and wasn't noticeable. On the first day of class, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in the school.

The smart-alecky punks, having already heard the new teacher was a former Marine, were leery of him and decided to see how tough he really was, before trying any pranks. Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, the new teacher opened the window wide and sat down at his desk.

When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he picked up a stapler and promptly stapled the tie to his chest. 

.....Dead silence... He had no trouble with discipline that year.