Another Week Flies By

Zzzzzziiiiippp. Blink and you miss it.

I am in Lincoln this weekend. : ) A couple weeks ago, I decided that once Mom and Dad returned from their Alaskan cruise, I'd come home for some of Mom's cooking, a bit of relaxation, and some quality time with the folks. So far, it's been marvelous. But I have stories from this week, so I'm going to back up a few days.

Stylin'

Thursday morning I woke up at 4:30 AM with butterflies in my stomach. I had a To Do list a mile long and Back To School Night to look forward to.

I gave up trying to catch a few more Zz's and got up at about 5:15. Because I was up so much earlier than my usual 5:45-6:00, I was ready to go by 7:00. I decided to leave early, get some caffiene, and go work in my classroom.

I pulled into Chevron near the school and went inside for a hot chocolate. As I served myself, I thought, "Dang...it's drafty in here!"

Turns out that actually, I had a six-inch rip along the side seam of my blouse! Good thing that I was only a couple of miles from home.

Back To School

Back To School Night, I must say, went very well. For those not familiar with the concept, Back To School Night usually happens about 3-4 weeks into the school year, and it is a chance for parents to come meet the teachers. Being the "newbie" in a high-profile department, I was nervous. I really wanted to make a good impression.

The evening was quite a success. Everyone offered their support in every area from fundraising to accompanying the choirs on piano. I mentioned that I want to start a choral booster program and faces lit up. These parents want to help; and one thing I have learned is to never turn down that offer.

So things are progressing nicely. I felt very good about how Back To School Night went for me.

What's The Point??

Yesterday was a minimum day. All classes were 20 minutes long. Just enough time to warm up before leaving class! I basically had all of my classes do a couple of simple ear training exercises. Show Choir danced. It was quick, easy, and the kids (and I!) were just ready to get out of there for the weekend...it seemed a little bit pointless, having 20 minute classes, but Ed Code demands the students be in school a certain number of minutes and a certain number of days.

Happy Dance

Snoopy has his Supper Dance; I have my Paycheck Jig.

Yes, my friends, yesterday was my first payday. It would be impolite to tell how much my first check was for (and just how much the state and federal governments took out--YIKES!) but I will say it was the largest paycheck I have ever earned.

Woohoo!!

The other great thing is that I don't have to pay rent this month--I got six weeks free when I signed my lease, and chose all of October and half of December for my free time.

Not having to pay rent this month means...

Even More Stylin'

As soon as I pulled in to Mom and Dad's yesterday, Mom and I made a Target run. Almost $200 later, I have new pajamas, a bunch of toiletries I needed to stock up on, a boxed set of all four movies Bogie and Bacall made together, and a new blender.

Today Mom and I hit the massive Galleria mall in Roseville because I am in dire need of cute clothes for work.

Many hours later, I am the happy owner of several darling blouses, a new LBD (Little Black Dress, a staple in any woman's wardrobe), and some new bras. My feet hurt, but I am very, very pleased. Especially as the Border's at the mall had a book I've been looking for--Lauren Bacall's memoir (are you sensing any patterns at all?).

Hallelujah!

I mentioned above that I bought a blender. This is a Big Thing. You see, I love smoothies, and being without a blender these last couple of months has been hard. Now I can buy all the bananas I want! (I love bananas in stuff, but the texture of them makes it impossible for me to just eat them on their own.) And guavas, and mangoes and pineapple, and berries.

Who needs cereal for breakfast?

Let's Talk About Fuzz

Of course, one of the big draws in coming home to Mom and Dad's is the Terrible Torties. Last night I had a tub of fuzz (Duchess) glued to my side all night. At one point it got kind of cold so she crawled under the covers with me, curling up in the crook of my arm, purring madly.

She and Bella have grown into beautiful (if a bit bottom-heavy) adult cats. I can't believe that just a year ago, they were still itty bitty kitties. "Kindergato" is hardly an appropriate description anymore--they're fully grown!

Millie is a little bit disgruntled because she had to sit in her carrier for two hours yesterday, but she'll get over it.

Tamale Pie and NASCAR

Tomorrow I'll watch my favorite driver, Dale Jr., start from 12th position at the Kansas race. Hopefully he'll do well, and gain some spots in the points.

Tonight I'm getting some of Mom's awesome tamale pie (it's cooking now and the smell is making my mouth water), and some much-needed relaxation after a busy week and a trek around a large mall.

Here's to weekends at Mom and Dad's!

Cheers,

Meg