Please tell me if I sound crazy or not...

I am not desperate. I think this is the alignment of some weird planets and moons and shit. And of some weird space in my head.

Last week I ordered pizza. And I had the greatest experience with the guy on the phone who was taking my order. He kept me on the phone for 10 minutes just chatting. He even made sure to find out that I was single and to let me know he was the same. I know it sounds completely absurd to say we "clicked" while only ordering food, but I learned his name, he's a widower, raised his daughter alone who got a $14,000 college scholarship to my alma mater, he's built like a fuzzy teddy bear, he thought I was brave to raise a son alone, I had a pretty voice, we agreed teenagers eat a LOT, and when his daughter got her period the first time and he had to make a "purchase" for her, he also gave her 3 bags of chocolate. Now if we can exchange that sort of information while I was ordering a damn pizza, then...

When I got there to pick up my order, he was with someone else and was waving at me and giving me the "hang on a sec" finger but I was at the drive-thru and he couldn't get to me. He told the girl who was waiting on me to tell me hi, it was nice to meet me and that he had my phone number from my order. She giggled and said "Oh Sam is sooooo NICE!"

Here's the thing- he DIDN'T have my number. I realized when I hung up from the order call while I was on my way, that we shot the shit about stuff and I never left my number and hoped it was one of those times they fixed the food without doing a call back verification. I also know it doesn't come up automatically because if I use my cell phone that feature doesn't work here since I'm on Verizon's stupid extended plan. And.... I asked someone who worked there and my number isn't stored or anything in a "system."

XRay Girl said it sounded like I had a better 10 minute conversation with the pizza guy than my date with the Sam last weekend, and she's right about that. She also suggested I go in and see if he's working and if we can chat for a minute (or ten) see if we click again and then MAKE SURE I give him my number if we do.

Am I being an adventuresome, carefree risk take or an idiot?

Pizza does sound good about now...
Maggie Mae

An aside: anytime AlaskaSam makes a venture toward my life, interested men automatically start popping up. Or men who seem like they could sort of me interested. Just an observation...

Tickled Pink this Saturday...

Here's a baby quilt I made for my niece when she was born. It's the first quilt I ever made in my life and it's pattern is most commonly known as "Trip Around the World".

Here's some of my favorite skeins of yarn in my knitting basket. I wish the picture could convey the softness of these two pinks, all tucked in with the rest. Softer than springtime...

I'm an Irish lass and nothing tickles me more than these super adorable PINK Shamrock socks!

Beverly, our Pinks Saturday hostess, has thrown down the gauntlet with a challenge to share a link to a fellow Pinkie Poster that is new to me. Since this is only my third venture into Pink Saturdays, everyone is new to me! Last Saturday I discovered Nan from Retired in Alaska. I really enjoy her blog, so I suggest you stop by and see her! Her pictures, her crafts and stories are wonderful. What a courageous woman to brave the Alaskan wilds!

Thanks for Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturdays.

Happy Pink Saturday,
Maggie Mae

And please come back on Monday for I have a special little surprise for everyone!

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

...and here on my blog, of course.

I've never been to Vegas before but I think I'll have a chance to visit in March. And how might this little jaunt happen?

AlaskaSam is going to golf school there for a week of his vacation and since my stupid Spring Break doesn't coincide with his week there and I can't stay the entire week, I think I might be going for a long weekend, if we can figure out my schedule, hotel, plane tickets, and all that travel stuff. YES! Maybe Maybe Maybe!

He asked me if I want to come and blow on his dice. Since we'd actually be in Vegas and he likes to mildly gamble (can someone mildly gamble?) I think he really wants me to blow on his dice; it's not a metaphor. I don't think.

Is this a bad idea? Yup, probably. Do I care? Not right now.

Vegas is going to be warm. It's usually hot there, right? I mean isn't Vegas so hot that even the mob left there? Just a place with no snow for 72 hours has LOTS of appeal.

Okay, a 72 hours with AlaskaSam isn't horrid. Nice hotel, he'll take me to do things and see things. We'll eat well and dance. We'll spend...time together. And for those of you who remember the last time I saw him four years ago and how it ended with me moving alone to the Wild West... well, this is different. I'm going into this with my eyes wide open, emotionally stronger, and all the other metaphors I can think of to make me know this is going to be fun, just plain old F*U*N, damn it!

Hey, it's Vegas- come'on, VEGAS, baby! If there is a place I need to experience in this life, it's gotta be Vegas. Elvis, gambling, glitz, glamor, sparkles and something loud and overdone and a city that never sleeps. Oh yeah!

I want to see all the cool hotels and the strip. It just sounds nice to get the hell outta Dodge for awhile. And it's AlaskaSam. I gotta go if it all works out. I just have to.

If it doesn't work out, then no harm, no foul.

Born to play in Sin City,
Maggie

On another note...

Book memories

Because I am bibliophile, one of my favorite things in the whole wide world to do is spend a day in a used book store, listening to the rain outside and drinking Starbucks coffee while just browsing. I love that. I always check out a library when I go on vacation as part of my sight seeing excursions. I love Barnes and Noble- this is one of my favorite places in the world. I usually have three or four books going at one time. I can't name a favorite book because there are too many to choose from, same with trying to list a favorite author.

I grew up living 1 block from the public library and by the time I was age five I would walk to the library alone, with my mom standing on the side walk in front of our house watching me the whole way. The librarian would walk outside and watch me cross the street and I was then entering my own childhood version of heaven.

I would read anything and everything I could get my hands on. When I was in junior high school I got a job working at used book store for 4 hours on Saturday mornings. Then when I was in high school, I landed what was then my dream job- working in the children's department of the local library. I loved that job and worked there for 6 years. I then worked at a public library in the town where I went to college for 2 years and I worked in the campus library for a year. Yes, total nerd.

But my love of books has continued. I still love children's books. My son had the biggest collection of books of any child, enough to start our own library, and I started reading to him while he was womb residing. Bedtime would take an hour at night because we had to read a stack of bedtime stories. Whenever I feel down and sad, I love to read kids' books- they make me smile no matter what. Some favorites I think complete every child's library are The Napping House, Where the Wild things Are, Good Night Moon, The Giving Tree, Amelia Bedlia, The Day Jimmy's Boa ate the Wash, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub and He won't get Out, Green Eggs and Ham, Max's Chocolate Chicken, Hegedy Peg, Christina Katrina and the Box, Angelina Ballerina, Alexander and the terrible-no good-very bad day, and A pocket for Corduroy. Obviously, this list can go on and on and on. And these are just my picture book favorites.

My own personal book collection is quite extensive, even with all the books I sold for cash when I first moved back here to Civilization. Friends told me they are not helping me move my books again- I had 48 boxes when I got back here from the Wild West. One time when I moved everyone was so sick of moving these boxes they wrote messages on the boxes. Where I had written "books" friends add "Another box of *books*" or "more fucking *books*" or "another damn box of *books*"... uh, yeah.

Because I've been under the weather all this week and something I'm supposed to do it be quiet which is hard for me, I've decided to take myself to a book store this weekend. While my wallet isn't up to the Barnes & Noble challenge, I'm going to hit the Half Price Book shop to browse. It will be a great way to spend the day- books and Starbucks. Just about perfect...

Book nerd,
Maggie

Wednesday Meme since I'm sick

Okay I've been home sick today and yesterday with the golf ball- tennis ball in my throat which is rubbing on my vocal cords and I had to give blood to make sure it's infection and not a tumor, so I'm taking the easy way out and doing a meme, compliments of Judd at Sunday Stealing!

And this is just Part II of the meme, called the Clowns Meme. Obviously it's a long one so this much is fine.

34. What do you like about the summer?
no snow

35. What do you like about spring?
very little to no snow

36. How many states provinces have you lived in?
I'm not sure I understand this... I've lived in 2 states

37. What cities/towns have you lived in?
6 cities in 2 states

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
bare feet

39. Are you a social person?
yes

40. What was the last thing you ate?
Chinese food from a buffet

41. What is your favorite restaurant?
a small privately owned pub in my college town

42. What is your favorite ice cream?
mint chocolate chip

43. What is your favorite dessert?
pastry (pie)

44. What is your favorite kind of soup?
veggie

45. What kind of jelly do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
strawberry

46. Do you like Chinese food?
yes- see #40

47. Do you like coffee?
oh hell yeah- it's a food group, right?

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average?
3

49. What do you drink in the morning?
coffee

50. What non-banking related card in your wallet is the most valuable to you?
library card

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
yes

52. Do you know how to play poker?
nope

53. Do you like to cuddle?
yup

54. Have you ever been to Canada?
yes

55. Do you have an addictive personality?
yes

56. Do you eat out or at home more often?
out

57. What do you miss about high school, if anything?
not a damn thing

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you?
not in real life

59. Do you want kids?
I have one and he, (at age 7 weeks short of) age 17, is plenty

60. Do you speak any other languages?
teenager

61. Have you ever gotten stitches?
when I had the aforementioned baby

62. Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
nope

63. Do you prefer an ocean or a pool?
at this point, both or either or yes and yes

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat?
aisle

65. Do you know how to drive stick?
nope but XRay Girl is going to teach me this summer

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
SHOES, purses, books

Quirky thoughts in my head

• I have a pair of flannel pj pants and every time I wear them I end up with a red welt on my left hip. The welt hurts and then gets rubbed against all waist bands of all pants for a week, and finally scabs over. It's taken me about a year to figure out that it's the PANTS that cause the welt. I must turn over in my sleep and the flannel doesn't and gives me a rug burn sort of thing. I think I need to stop sleeping in those pants now that I know where the mysterious scarring comes from!
• I will read a book by an author that I like. Then I'll read another one and not like it. Then I'll read the third one and hope for the best, but about 40 pages into the third one I know it sucks but I won't stop because I already invest 40 pages worth of my time. It's almost ODC that I must finish it. Hence my not very favorable review of Knit the Season, eh?
• I still miss AlaskaSam every, single, damn day of my life. And I wonder if I always will.
  
• I don't like to text. I can't multi- task when texting so I don't like to do it. I'd rather talk in person or on the phone or sit down and send a lovely long email.
  
• When I was a little girl, the food on my plate could not touch. The meatloaf couldn't touch the mashed potatoes or the pears, etc. Unless it was a soup, a stew, or a casserole, where the food was intended touch, my helpings couldn't touch and if they did I wouldn't eat it. I also had to eat in alphabetical order. And to further add to my wacko-ness, I had to eat all of one thing before I moved to the other. As an adult, it's not so bad. I don't eat in alphabetical order anymore at all. BUT, I still HATE it when things on the plate touch. And most of the time I usually eat all of one thing before moving to the next, but it's unintentional. If I catch myself doing it, then I try to mix it up and eat a few bits of different things here and there. One year for Christmas Daddy-O (and Mother since she was still alive then) got me and SisIL divided plates and it was super awesome!
• I was visiting blogs and was looking at recipes on food blogs and I found American In Ireland Sam as a team member on a food blog!! OMG! Totally random! I had no idea and was so shocked I about fell off my chair. I haven't heard one word from him since we ended a year ago in April yet I randomly stumbled over him on the 'Net. And who says it's a big world on the Internet? Wow...! Totally random...
  
• I think not dating at all is better than going on a rare hit or miss date because then I don't realize how lonely I am when I am alone all of the time, rather than just some of the time.
• I hate it when someone reads my magazines that come in the mail before I do. My name is on it and if I paid for it, it drives me nuts, and always has.
• The reason my blog has a new look (which is totally temporary, by the way) is that at some point on Saturday, my blog HTML broke, somehow, and just stopped functioning. There were missing pictures, missing posts, the fonts were all various sizes, HTML code appeared in the middle, the banner at the top disappeared... it was weird. And since Saturday ended up being a high traffic day here at "shoes/purse", I grabbed this PINK Blogger template to tide me over. Now, if any of you out there find a free blog template with shoes and purses and that's pink, PLEASE send me the link; I'd sure appreciate it!

Maggie Mae

On another note...

Good thoughts, prayers, positive energy needed

Hey everyone! I know of a 1 year old little girl who's having surgery today so please keep her and her family in your good thoughts (prayers, energy, juju, whatever works for ya, please!)!

Much obliged,
Maggie

Dumping

What is this, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!

These are the flowers I received today- AT SCHOOL- from Sam, the date guy from Friday night who was my annual date. Oh. My. God. He sent me these beautiful flowers, of course, after I DECIDED to tell him I don't want to see him anymore, but hadn't yet done that. Did I mention he sent them to me at school? In front of all my kids who wanted to know who they were from. Shite!

But they smell really pretty in a HUGE classroom, but in Daddy-O's small kitchen it sort of smells like a funeral home.... okay, anyway...

Why in the world can't the man I want to send me flowers actually SEND them to me rather than this weird dude??

Okay, after much ribbing from my... well, everyone and mostly Mac (I wish I had a recorder when he gave me a 20 minute monologue about this entire situation), I knew I was still going to call him and tell him I don't want to see him anymore, and now I had to thank him for flowers while extracting myself at the same time. Juggling- it's a talent.

So when he called me tonight, I thanked him for the flowers, told him that while I appreciate them and they're just beautiful, I told him I thought about it over the weekend and I didn't think we would work out, that it was me not him, and thank you for the time we spent together, but I'm just not interested. He choked out an okay. Then I said I might see him around and to take care of himself and have a nice life. I actually said, "have a nice life." I can't believe I said that. I bet his mom calls me and yells. He whispered okay, and I have a feeling he was about ready to cry.

Should I have went with the swimming analogy? I also thought about suggesting he would be a good monk or priest but Daddy-O didn't think that would be very nice. Funny, but not very nice.

I have a feeling this is not the last I'll hear from him but I am going to totally take Curley's advice and not answer phone calls and text messages I may get from him.

They flowers are lovely, but it just.... ack! Oh, and the card read, "Thank you so much for a wonderful evening. Sam" And it was written in his own handwriting; he didn't just phone it in. I have this dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach that he actually delivered them to the school himself. I'm gonna hear about that tomorrow, I have a feeling.

I want to say I love love love to receive flowers. And if he hasn't gotten weird with the mom thing and the niece and girlfriend thing, and if it was reciprocal feelings then maybe the flowers wouldn't seem weird.

So, I did the deed and made the call.

So, now I don't have to worry about dating again until next year.

All the single ladies,
Maggie

The story of the annual date

I had my annual date. I call it an annual date because in 2009 I had a date in January, saw the guy for 2.5 weeks in March and that was it as far as dates went for the entire year (okay I had some super sweet phone dates, but at this point, with the dating drought I'm in, I'm counting traditional dates only!). I've decided it was setting a precedent so I've had my annual date for 2010 and got that out of the way. And there won't be another at this rate.

The story as to how the date came along is a long one so I won't bore you with the details, even though some of you know them. This was not someone I knew before, not an ex, not a platonic friend becoming something else, but a stranger that seemed nice and, in the end, asked me to dinner. But I went with this Sam to Applebees for dinner on Friday night. It was... nice. That's it. No zing, no fireworks, no butterflies or toe curling. He was nice.

I couldn't keep the conversational ball rolling and he wasn't one for talking lots. There were long pregnant pauses that were uncomfortable for me since he would just sit and stare at me.

I want to say that he's nice. He was nice. So because he's nice and I'm who I am, I sound like a bitch but certainly don't mean to be at all.

I wanted to be engaged in witty repartee, a rousing intellectual discussion, or be dazzled with a charismatic sense of humor. And that's three strikes. He wasn't very funny but he tried to be. He wasn't dumb but we didn't connect intellectually. And that conversational ball was hard to keep moving, as I said. We had next to nothing in common at all.

I also learned from a few good sources that he, at age 31, had never been on a date in his life until he went out with me on Friday night. That's a little... strange.

Did I mention he tried really really really hard? I even thought I would go out with him again if he asked but I wasn't sure what we could talk about at all. That's how hard this was. But since he was so nice I didn't want to be so mean so I thought I would give it one more shot.

I have to say I've had better times with Mac, with XRayGirl, with Lilith, with Curley, with Daddy-O, tutoring Kool, with my blog friends online... you know what I mean? I've certainly had better dates (as I wrote about earlier last week), and I've had worse for sure, but this was just... there. I actually had more fun talking to the guy who was taking my order when I called Pizza Hut the other night! (In all seriousness he could be a potential date since he's single...! Ah, but alas, I had my annual date already.)

And things took a turn for the weird yesterday afternoon. This Sam from the Applebees date Friday night called me but didn't leave a message. He texted me later. And since I don't like texting because I can't multi-task I called him back while I was running errands. After exchanging pleasantries, I said I was returning his call. He said his 6- year-old niece wanted to talk to me. I asked what she wanted. (Does anyone other than Xray Girl and me think this is weird???) He said she wanted to tell me she didn't want her Uncle Sammy to have a girlfriend and I should go away.

Insert screeching brake sound here!!!

WTF?!? I laughed an awkward laugh and then he went on to say that he thought it was time for me to meet his mother.

Insert me running, screaming from the room, and a screeching brake sound here!!!

I decided then and there I was not going to meet his mother and that the niece was right, uncle Sammy didn't need a girlfriend, or if he did it was NOT going to be this girl at all. YIKES! I managed to get off the phone and then took several calming breaths and laughed my ass off at my weird luck with men and how much they are all freaking crazy.

Tomorrow I am going to call him, or wait for him to call me, and then I'm going to be nice, but honest. I'm going to tell him I enjoyed my time on Friday night but after thinking over the weekend, I'm not interested. It's me, not you. Thank you for the attention, good luck in your future, and have a nice life. I might even use those exact words.

Actually, speaking of words, I was telling XRayGirl about this. I said I should tell him that I swim in the big dating pool with grown up boys; I don't stand on the edge of the wading pool wearing floaties. She said I could use that analogy if I wanted but he wouldn't get it and would think I was asking him on a swimming date to the local Y, and he would borrow his niece's floaties... too funny!

So, there's the story of my annual date! I'll let you know how the "leave me alone" phone call goes. Wait, would it be tacky to do it via text?

Stayin' Single,
Maggie Mae

Tids and Bits

Remember two weeks ago when I told you Mac went to District Vocal contest and received a First place so he would be going to State?

Well, he went to State yesterday. And no I didn't go since I've been feeling under the weather. And my car is also feeling under the weather and I thought it might just fall to pieces if I were to drive it to our state capital about 2 hours away. And it was suppose to snow and I am sick to death of driving in the feckin' snow! Also, Sperm Donor was going and since I heard Mac sing at District AND he and I had a very serious talk about how he would feel if I didn't go (and he was okay with it), he rode with his father and I stayed home. Honestly, I was torn. I thought I should be there NO. MATTER. WHAT. because that what moms do, right? Well, I was also such a nervous wreck at District for him that is made him WAY more nervous than he should've been so it was almost better that I stayed home.

Oh, yes, I should probably tell you how he did... my son kicked some State vocal butt and walked out with a Gold Medal! Whoot-whoot, he got another first, with an excellent score of 12!!! I am SO PROUD of him!!!!!!

And do you also remember when I said Mac wanted to sing "It's Raining Men" for the Spring Spec concert? Well, that idea isn't gonna fly. It has nothing to do with his song choice, him being in drag, or the choreography. It has to do with the fact that the seniors picked "2000: The Decade" as the theme and since that song is NOT from that era, he can't do it. I can't decide if I'm bummed or relieved. Or worried about what he WILL do now...

I still have the golf ball sized lump in the middle of my throat and yes, my worry is growing exponentially about it. I've been the the meds for four whole days and it hasn't gone away or gotten smaller. Is it time to panic or do I wait the entire 10 days to see if it's a virus that can't be killed by an antibiotic and just goes away on its own?

So I was given an award by my blogging friend Jesse, the artist. Thank you Jesse!!!! I *heart* you!

As seems common practice in the blogger world when one wins an award, there are some suggestions such as Linking to the blogger who gave you the award (check), write 10 things that make me happy (check), share it with 10 friends (check), and have fun!

Okay here goes my happy list:

1. It makes me happy when I work with Kool.

2. It makes me happy to spend time with Mac that's FUN time!

3. It makes me happy when we have snow days.

4. It makes me happy when I can spend time with friends and Daddy-O.

5. It makes me happy to get a bunch of blog comments.

6. It makes me happy to finish projects and cross things off my to-do list.

7. It makes me happy when I don't have late library books. (I'm working on that!)

8. It makes me happy when snow melts.

9. It makes me happy when I can eat chocolate.

10. It makes me happy to get get new shoes.

And I have to say I just LOVE this award because it's pink, it makes an educators reference, and it has CUPCAKES on it, which we all know are the world's most perfect dessert. Thank you again, Jesse!

For the last bit, the 10 people to share in the award love, who I have my own reasons for picking (ask me and I'll tell ya why!): Bragger, Wiley, Shan, Jimmie Earl, The Duchess of Tea, D-Nice, The Eejit, Anna, Cheryl, and Evil Pixie.

And I think this wraps up enough bits for me today!

Maggie Mae

Pink Saturday for Feb. 20, 2010

This is my pink cosmetic travel bag!

I would love a pair of these pink shoes! I want want want!

Saving the best for last, an adorable pink Easter Bonnet from last year on the most adorable baby girl in the entire world- My Niece: The Divine Ms. K!

Thanks so much to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturdays! Visit her blog for a complete list of all the people offering up pink today!

Enjoy my Pinks!
Maggie Mae

Field trip update

I survived my day and so did Kool.

Apparently her mom got her act together enough to give Kool a Lunchable and a Pepsi. When Kool got to school and I gave her lunch she looked through the bag and just stared at me. I was all like, "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" And she told me it rocked and was so much better than her mom's since I got her everything she LIKED. And she took both lunches with her. Ah kids!

I had also made the deal with her that if she behaved on the field trip and I got a good report, since this was a privilege not a right, then I would take her dinner to Pizza Hut, a place she has NEVER been before. Yeah, never ate at a Pizza Hut, I know. So I guess it's the Hut one night next week because everyone was GLOWING about what a good job she did and how well she behaved. WTG Kool!

As for me and my foray into 6th grade for the day................ as Bragger said in a comment to my previous post, "6th graders are Of. The. Devil." I think she summed it up nicely with that statement and I can't add much to that. They made me tired and frustrated.

I did have an encounter with a Rain Man type of kid. Actually it was like Rain Man meets A Beautiful Mind. This kid is brilliant and just.... wow. There are obviously issues, but today I worked on 6th grade math with him for an hour and it was a super great experience. I can't even begin to explain what it was like to converse with this child, other than wow. Good. Wow. And I want to write a case study paper about him. Damn..............

So we all survived Field Trip day. And Monday should be back to the regularly scheduled program. Unless we really get the 10-14 inches snow Sunday night that's in the forecast...........

Mags

Field trip

The 8th graders are going on a field trip today and Kool gets to go since she has been in perfect behavior and is making super excellent grades this semester. She said it's the first time she's been allowed on a field trip since she started middle school. Rock on her!

Now the kids have to pack a lunch and I pulled her aside and just flat out asked her if anyone at her house would make sure she had a lunch and she said "prolly not." I asked if she could pack one herself and she hesitated before saying, "no." Then I asked if there would be food in the house for a lunch and she shook her head no. So I made a silly joke or two and told her I would LOVE to bring her lunch for the filed trip because I could take this opportunity to give her all sorts of healthy food like sprouts and veggies and tofu. She laughed and then I asked her what her fav soda is (this week it's Dr. Pepper) , her fav chips (this week Doritos original), and if she wanted grape or strawberry on her sandwich. So tomorrow she gets a nice lunch with Doritos, Dr Pepper, PB&Strawberry J, carrots, chocolate covered pretzels, applesauce, and some of those blue (her favorite color) bunny peeps. I also got her a pack of gum and some new pencils. Okay, I know, I know but Jesus, Mary, and Joseph SOMEONE needs to give this kid positive attention, SOMEONE needs to care about her- and if packing a lunch will do it for the day, then so help me, I'M gonna DO IT! And when we were joking around about it, I told her it was because she passed her spelling test today with a perfect 10/10 AND she had a great IEP case conference!!! She gets to actually GO on a field trip for the first time in years! Go Kool! Ha!

And further about tomorrow, while the entire 8th grade class is gone, all 140 of them, I'll be reassigned to other classes. Since I spend five periods a day in 8th grade classes, and they'll be gone for four of those 5 periods, I'll be spending two periods in 6th grade classes. I am nervous and not looking forward to that- those kids are pretty squirrelly; and there are 4 Autistic boys in one room. Should make for an interesting day. I also get to be in the library for a period (I have no freakin' clue why or what I'll be doing there), and one period I am TEACHING a basic skills math class. Yeah, you read that right: ME teaching basic skills MATH. Oh stop yer laughin', now, alrighty?

I'll be in my regular 7th grade reading class, and I'll be proctoring my study hall so it should prove to be an interesting day.

And could you all think positive thoughts for Kool today- that nothing happens that could cause her trouble (of her own making or otherwise?)? Please? Pray if you do, and all that stuff. I'm nervous for her and I won't be there to troubleshoot.... I'd just appreciate all your positive energy from about 8:30-2:30 EST directed at Ms. Kool in Civilization!

And I'll let you know it goes- for her AND for me!

Maggie Mae

Doctor, doctor, gimme the news, I got... well, what have I got? What do you MEAN you don't know?

I suppose I should write something today, but I am just not up to it.

In addition to my stupid teeth, I now have a huge sore throat which is making my ears hurt. And to top that off, my throat is swollen up, like an enormous golf ball stuck in my esophagus and it hurts like hell. It hurts to swallow, to speak, to chew, to basically do anything.

I broke down and visited a 'doc in the box' since I don't have a personal doctor any more and since I also have no health insurance. (Holy cow this was expensive!) He told me my ears looked fine and my throat was just a little red, but yes, I did have some swelling in my glands, but not where everyone usually gets swelling. Gee, thanks- now not only do I have swelling, but I have unusual swelling. I told him I was worried because it was such a huge knot and he said he would give me an antibiotic. In 3-4 days I should see some difference in the swelling but to give it 10 days and if it doesn't go away to come back because then it might be more than swollen glands. And since my ears and throat look fine, other than the huge swollen gullet, then I probably have a virus or a bacterial infection and should feel better in ten days regardless.

So for $133 I have no idea what's wrong with me or if the swollen knot thingy will go away or even what it is.

Oh oh oh and this part I loved. He told me if the swelling got so bad it impaired my breathing I should go to the nearest hospital immediately. I'm SO thankful he gave me that advice since I would never have figure out to get medical care on my own if I couldn't breathe.

Health care is not something I feel the love for. Gawd, I probably have some rare weird thing that would make me a patient on House, MD if he were real.

He did rule out mumps. Gee, thank goodness for small favors..............

Maggie

Best dates

I've had some really good dates in my life time. I've also had some really REALLY (did I say REALLY?) bad dates but today is a day to focus on the positives.

One date with Sam was sort of cute. He was a college student of mine when I was teaching college- please do not confuse then and now. everyone was of legal age and it was allowed, and all that stuff. But I was actually tutoring him and we made plans to meet in an evening when we found out we lived about 4 blocks apart. My car was in the shop so he was going to pick me up. Well, it was a mis-communication because I thought we were making plans to tutor and he was asking me on a date. When he showed up at the appointed time I was in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt and he was dressed up. That's when it dawned on me what was going. I told him I was sorry I was running late and would he mind waiting for me to change- I made up some lame excuse about a phone conference for work that ran long. He was only too glad to wait while I dashed around getting ready. Did I mention he was picking me up at my boyfriend's house for this "date"?? Thank goodness the BF (who I was on again-off again with and we were really on the verge of off, and I was picking up my stuff that night, actually) wasn't home at the time!

The date was so fun. He didn't have lots of money so he took me to Wendy's drive- thru, and then to this place in the country, near a state park. Then he spread a blanket on the hood of his car and we sat there and ate, and then we lay on the hood, watching the stars pop out and he named and pointed them all out. We had the windows down and the radio was playing. Then we went for a drive and talked for hours. Finally I took him to my house, having come clean about the tutor/ date confusion (he said he thought that's what happened and was using it to his advantage, the booger!) and about the sort of almost gone BF, to show him where I lived. We sat on my patio and drank wine and talked for hours. That was one of the best dates ever. And he and I went out several times after that, and after we broke up we still remained good friends, even to this day.

Another great date was when I was dating a Cowboy in the Wild West. He and I were together for about 6 months. On Valentine's Day we spent a weekend in a cabin, in the woods. That was amazing. He cooked steaks for dinner (OMG- that boy could cook like MAD!) and he made breakfast and it was sweet and romantic.

I had dated a guy for a little bit when I tore my Achilles heel and was in a leg brace/ walking brace thing. But the weekend it happened I was supposed to meet my then boyfriend's kids. So we postponed the meet, but he stopped by to bring me a gift: a slushie, some magazines, flowers, a card, chocolate and kisses to make me feel better. Then after he dropped them back off at their mother's he came back over to take care of me! He brought movies and wine on that trip and I got a massage. That was bliss.

Now the date where the Sam flew me to Milan, Italy for a surprise long weekend to eat Italian food was AMAZING of course. Why can't all dates be like that one?

I'm sure I've had other good dates but these are the ones that stand out in my head. Now logically speaking, I should be posting next about the really bad dates... but I'm sure blogger has a limit of how many characters one post can be. Trust me, I've had more bad dates than I feel are my fair share..... but that's for another day.

Maggie

My kid has guts

Each year my son's high school choir class does a spring show called "The Spring Spectacular." The tradition has seniors voting on a theme. The seniors get first shot to perform in small groups (duets, trios, quartets, etc...) or solos and any other spots are given to students starting with juniors, then sophomores, and finally any remaining spots are for freshmen.

Mac is a junior so he gets a spot. And since Mac is one of the "stars" of the choir, of course he gets a spot! And I'm really trying to be a braggart or anything but he is really good. And he really has guts.

He gets to pick what he wants to sing. They kids are given pretty much carte blanc as long as it's not nasty (no cuss words, no porno, etc) and as long as it meshes with the theme. The kids are also allowed to sing with karaoke, or with the piano.

Mac has picked his song for his solo. He is actually hoping it can work with the theme. I'm not sure what I'm hoping...

He wants to sing "It's raining men." In drag. With a few of the girls in choir as his "do-wop" back up- but they would be dressed as men. He even has choreography planned.

And he won't be shaving his beard for it either.

Oh god.

And if you're not familiar with the song, here ya go.....

Mac's mom,
Mags

What a bust!

Yesterday Hobby Lobby's email ad came out and they had two things Daddy-O wants: toys that go with his new Cricut machine, and an end table that looks like a stack of books.

Since the ad came out yesterday, and Hobby Lobbys are closed on Sundays so today is the first day of the sale. We drove all the way to Northern Civilization, about 45 minutes on way, and we went and guess what? There was not a damn Book table in the whole place, AND there were no Cricut machine accessories to be found either. It was a wasted trip.

Well... almost a wasted trip. Daddy-O and I had good conversation, we ate dinner at Cracker Barrel, I picked up the pottery XRay Girl and I painted a few weeks ago, and I bought Dunkin Donuts for tomorrow's breakfast so all is not lost.

Any trip that involves donuts is good.

We actually wondered if the weather threw off delivery or something since a bunch of the stuff in the ad wasn't in the store. Or if everyone and her sister was at Hobby Lobby this morning at the crack of dawn because they were jonesing for a book table and a Cricut cutting pad...

It was a Monday,
Mags

D Day II: I think I've mentioned how much I hate going to the dentist?

I had to go back to the dentist last Friday to be fit for a crown and get a temporary crown after the huge root canal surgery. Everyone I know, first, has been super supportive over my dental drama and about my fears. (Thanks you!) I also like the fact that it's called a crown... though I would prefer the term "tiara"... my dentist thought that was hilarious!

And everyone I know who has ever had a crown put on told me getting fit for said crown is as easy as pie. No need to worry because it doesn't hurt, it's a super short visit, no pain, no reason to get a shot in the mouth, just a really simple thing.

So I about had a heart attack in the dentist chair when she said I would need to be numb for what she had to do. I think I had a REAL panic attack: black spots before my eyes, chest pains, hyperventilating breathing, sweaty palms... but I didn't cry this time.

After I finally got calmed down, I explained what everyone had been telling me and then asked in a nice, terrified, meek voice why I had to be different. Because. Well, there was more to it than that, but the easy reason is 'because.'

The harder reason is that since my dentist didn't do the actual root canal, another dental surgeon did, she had to do some stuff that she would normally do if she had to perform the root canal herself. The specialist guy just did the root canal and then filled my tooth with sterile cotton and a temporary putty stuff. MY dentist had to take out all the stuff he did, fill it herself, smooth down the filling, then make the mold for my tooth and then put the temporary crown on. Apparently, somewhere in there, something was going to hurt.

My dentist is an awesome woman so we talked this through and finally decided that she would use topical numbing stuff and if I was uncomfortable or in pain she could actually give me a numbing shot. So she would work on me and then numb me with topical and then work and numb, etc. I didn't move a muscle because she was working near the gum line and that's apparently where the pain would be.

So, the miracle of all miracles is that I got through the entire procedure without crying (panic attack not withstanding) and without having to get a shot in the mouth. She told me she was really proud of me and I was so much better than I was the last time. The dentist herself promised the next time I went back to get the real crown, it would be about a 20 minute visit and a piece of cake. She said it should NOT hurt; it might be uncomfortable. She also said NO SHOTS, and she promised.

Then I went to pay and the panic attack happened again and...

Mags, conquering fear through dentistry...

Pink Saturday needed with all the winter white snow!

I'm going to play along with How Sweet the Sound's ever popular 'Pink Saturday' (Click on her blog title and you can see a whole huge list of people who are participating in 'Pink Saturday'!! And if you click right HERE you can see my offerings from last Saturday!) since I love all things pink... and because it's the weekend and I want to be blah today. But tomorrow, I have an update on "Dentist Part Deux"!

This is my Christmas tree!

I love jammin' to my pink i-Pod!

Pink boots, pink purse, pink blanket...

Pretty in Pink,
Maggie Mae

Blog Blizzard Meme

With all the evil winter weather I've survived this week, I'm just not up for writing a post today, so I enlisted the help of the Meme Queen for a some blog fodder, and very apropos fodder at that.

It's a blog blizzard! Test your survival skills or at least laugh.

1. An unexpected blizzard occurs. The power goes out for 10 days. There is no food in the house, no gas in the car, no heat, no TV, no computer, nada! You are snowed in and can't get to the store for supplies. How would you survive? How would you get out of this mess?

Well, I would use Daddy-O's rifle and shoot my own dinner. I do know how to use a gun so stop laughing. Better yet I would probably knock on the neighbors' doors and beg for food. I could make a fire and melt snow for water. And I can read by candle light.

2. Tell us about your last snowball fight.
I was living in the Wild West and I let the junior class go outside and play in the snow- that fell in MAY! I was stunned at snow in May and I made an arbitrary decision to go outside and play. We did. Of course, they had to write about it later, but it was great. I was pelted very little and couldn't hit the broad side of a... school, but it was a good time.

3. You have been asked to make a snowman. What is his name?
Well, Frosty... duh. What else could it be? Samuel the Snowman?

4. I have mountains of snow outside my door. I would like to make snow soup. What is the recipe?
Snow, sugar, vanilla

5. It is Day 5 of the Big Blog Blizzard. You have been hunkered down for a very long time and in danger of losing your sanity. Your blog neighbors (that would be us) come callin' to see if you're OK. We peek in the window. What do we see? What are you doing in there?
Dancing with snowmen, of course...

6. Who is the flakiest snowflake in your life? Past or present.
Is it mean if I answer this? I'm probably the flakiest but if I have to choose someone else I would say XRayGirl, but I love her anyway!!!

7. You are Snow White. Which dwarf is your favorite and why?
Dopey... hey, I'm a teacher so I always want to educate. (Why not the rich doctor, you might wonder? My mom always told me I could be at convention full of doctors having a formal dinner and I would be going home with the waiter...)

8. What is the most fun you've ever had inside during a snowstorm?
Sex. Duh... what else would really expect me to say? It was a damn long time ago but sex is still the answer.

9. What was Jack Frost nipping at?
He wasn't inside with me having fun in a snow storm... Anyway, I believe the lyrics say Jack Frost was nipping at "your nose" but I've always wondered if he was nipping at the whiskey bottle.

10. Due to blobal warming (that's blog + global for all you non-blog speakers) your snowman has prematurely melted. What was his last request?
"For all people to come together to end global warming"

I'm Mad about...

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mac just came home and told me he is going to have the lead role in the high school spring show. The school is doing the non-musical version of Alice in Wonderland, and Mac was cast in the role of The Mad Hatter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG- Go him!!!!!!!!! I am SO PROUD!

Just like another favourite actor of mine.............

Maggie, the Mad Hatter's Mommy

Feels like a Monday but it's really a Thursday

Since we were back to school for our full day, the kids had to readjust. It's like they had never been to school before- they were off the ever loving wall! I have no idea what got into them-- other than 2 days off in the middle of the week.

And to top it off, midterm grades go out tomorrow. I'm so proud of Kool!!!! Her mid term has 2As, 1B, 1C, and 2 D+s!!!!!! This is the first time in her life, she said, that she passed everything. She was even all sorts of ticked off because she had a D+ in Social Studies. I tried to explain that she brought her grade from a 36% to a 68% in a few weeks so it might not be something to be that mad about. But she is so proud and she should be!

I'm in a Social Studies class today and we watched the more boring power point about James Monroe and his presidency high lights. Ugh! My brain almost slowed to a stop. I'm not sure how to make James Monroe all that exciting, but this was just a snoozefest.

And that was my day at school. What's really sad is that my body feels like it's a Monday. I'm all tired and lazy like a Monday. Hmmmmm, maybe 2 days off in the middle of the week isn't such a good idea after all.... NAH- who am I kidding?!? Days off are good ANYTIME!

Maggie

All good things must come to an end

Guess this is the end of my midweek mini-vacation because a snow day hasn't been called. It's back to school for me. I didn't even get a 2 hour delay this morning; I have to be there at regular time. The least they could've done was a measly 2 hour delay...

Mac gets a 2 hour delay, though, since I guess the wind was blowing wicked hard last night and there are drifts the size of Texas in some spots out in the country. The lucky little brat!

The rat race has an extra rat today,
Maggie

So, what's a girl to do?

I've decided that of late I lead a fairly boring life. I don't do much see movies, read, work, hang with the fam-damily, and see the GFs when time and money allows. But all the routine doesn't keep me from enjoying a snow day!

Even though I could've slept until noon if I wanted, I was still awake at 7:30 am. Now, when i get up for school, I rise around 6:15 so I did, technically, get to sleep in this morning. But at 7:30 am Mac is checking to see if I'm awake to tell me his school was canceled for today. Then about 2 minutes after that the house phone rings, which Daddy-O answered. About 5 minutes later my cell phone rang to tell me our school was canceled. I called Curley to let her know I knew no one had classes; she calls to let me know when mac's school is closed since her youngest son and Mac are at the same school. (All the schools around here have gone to an automated system and the kids put phone numbers on a sheet at the beginning of the year. Mac didn't know my number so he didn't add it so I never know when he's canceled unless Curley calls...)

So after the flurry of phone activity, I was awake. And Mac got up then too. Why, you might be asking? Well because he got a brand new video game yesterday and he wanted to play it. To him, a snow day on the day after the release Bioshock II was like manna from heaven. He can play all day long if he desires (or if Daddy-O and I don't get sick and tired of hearing video game noises first!). Oh yes, I drove 30 miles over to the next town to get him his video game, yesterday, in a blizzard. I went slowly and told him it was only under duress I was doing this and he would have to be my personal slave a'la Greg Brady style for this favor. (Between you and me, we had a good time on the drive, watching the snow and listening to music and talking. Nothing like blizzard bonding, I guess.)

And I have just been a pillar of energy in the 2 hours I've been up! I've done 2 loads of laundry, gathered trash and had Mac take it out, cleaned the kitchen, emptied the dishwasher, cooked a big old fry-up breakfast, read blogs and emails, and answered emails. Go ME! And I'm going to work on laundry for the rest of the day just so I don't have to do it this weekend! And since the weather was so bad yesterday, I didn't go to the insurance office, so I have to do it today, so I might as well get my brain in work mode.

I can't really see us in the city school system having another snow day tomorrow, either. Even though we're supposed to get another 3-5 inches today, I think the city can get on it and take care of the mess unless all the snow would come during the night. The country schools are a different story, though. They are a whole other school system so they could be canceled while the city kids go. The wind is crazy out in the country right now, according to XRayGirl and Curley and if that keeps up, the county could stay closed, whether more snow falls or not.

And as for all these snow days... well, we do have to make them all up, you know, since the law requires us to hold school for 180 student days in a school year! We had 2 snow days in January so we lost our long President's day weekend, which is this Friday (Feb 12) and the following Monday (Feb15). Weather permitting, we're going to school those two days. Had we NOT had ANY snow days, we wou'd've had those off. Yesterday's snow day will be made up on March 19, which was supposed to be "winter break day" but now it's a snow make up day. Today, alas, and another other days that follow, will be added on to the end of the school year.

So yesterday was a day to relax, and today will be too- I still have a pile of books calling my name that I'll be reading (and I might take a walk and try to make some pictures of the blizzard)- but I'm going to try and do housework stuff so I can play all weekend.

Hope you're all having a great day!

Maggie

Snow Day 2 of this week

Yeah, we have another snow day. And are supposed to get another 3-4 inches of the white stuff today. The wind has kicked up. Our county is under a level 3 emergency, which means "don't travel unless you must".

Guess I'm not going anywhere!

So far, a two hour delay for Wednesday...

Guess I get to sleep-in (or as the Irish would say, have a lie-in) an extra two hours this morning!

This snow day could turn into a snow week...

Today we were blessed with a SNOW DAY! Though this one worries me just a tiny bit since our local weather dudes are predicting up to 20 inches of snow, and high winds. We are also under a 'blizzard warning' until 7pm WEDNESDAY night- predicting 16 hours of snow fall... And yes, I wrote the right day since today IS Tuesday and it is 9:30 am!

From where I sit, safely on the couch looking out a window, it's really snowing hard. And steady.

But I'm still not complaining because I have a HUGE pile of BOOKS I want to read. The sort of pile that looks so good you don't know where to start?!? Well, in about a half hour I plan on reading and drinking coffee. That's all. Okay.... maybe checking my email but otherwise, that's it!

Maggie

I am, momentarily, the new Miracle Worker

I am not really tooting my own horn, I swear. I just want to update you on the student I've been tutoring. I'll call her Kool. Remember I told you she was failing everything and had about 30 missing assignments? And was in trouble and the school administration said they would expel her if she didn't get her act together? Click here if you need refreshing on Kool.

Her mid term grades come out this week and I did some checking with her teachers and she is PASSING everything. Furthermore, she seems to have an A in science, a B in reading and language each (and reading might be an A), a D in math, and a C in social studies. This is the first time all year she has passed her subjects. This is the first time in her life she will have a formal school document with an A on it.

Readers, she stays after school with me almost every day doing her homework, and has been since we came back from Christmas vacation; no one is making her stay, she just wants to stay to make sure she's ready for the next day! She is all caught up with every missing assignment. And there's more... she's taking notes in class for the first time, without being prompted. She actually has raised her hand and volunteered answers. She studied her vocabulary words at home, on her own and without my prompting, and got a 20 out of 20 on a vocab test. She gets every homework assignment finished, and turned in. She passed her first history test of the year last week with a C, got an A on the science test, and is passing all quizzes in reading and language. She is starting to care, even in her classes where I'm not.

Today she came to school with a new binder, new pencils and a new notebook. The new binder had tabs, which SHE had labeled. Her new school supplies were so smart. She came running down the hall to tell me and show me. She said she told her aunt over the weekend she needed new supplies because "she was getting smart." I told her I was so proud of her and she asked me if I was going to cry. I told her maybe and she just couldn't stop smiling.

And she is smiling in the hallways, She is laughing. She is happy and walks with her head held up. I.AM. SO. PROUD. OF. THIS. GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today was another huge step... she has 2 study halls (long story, but necessary) and today she got all her homework finished in her study halls. She didn't have to stay after school. We just stood there looking at each other and I told her I was proud of her and to go have fun. I think she would've hugged me if that would've been cool. We bumped knuckles and she went off to do her thing, with a spring in her step.

Amazing.... Kool is just amazing.

Maggie Mae

We won't see her on Jeopardy anytime soon

I have decided the first blog post ever, in the history of blogging, the first post had to be an experience about something that happened at Wal-Mart. Because what happened to me over the weekend was a gift from the blogging gods.

I'm in line and there's only one person behind me in line. The Wally World clerk running the register was Robin. If you go to Wal-Mart and Robin is working, run, do not walk, to the nearest exit. Trust me on this, okay?

Anyway, I'm in line, piling my stuff on the conveyor belt, and Robin is ringing everything up. She picks up a bag of produce and starts turning it over and over again, looking in the bag, shaking it. I just say, "it's cilantro." She picks up her little fruit and veggie car with all the codes and pictures on it, and punches the cilantro number in the register. Now, I realize that fresh cilantro may not be recognizable to everyone, and could easily be mistaken for fresh parsley if someone didn't know any better, so I didn't think very much about it. The next item she picked up was a mango. She turned it over and over again and then looked at me. I said, "mango." Again, she picked up the fruit and veggie card and put in the number. Again, okay, I reasoned, not everyone would know what a mango looks like. I guess.

She picks up my third produce item and just looks at me. I slowly say, "reeeeeeeed onion?" and yes, I said it as a question. Not because I wasn't sure if it was a red onion or not, but I was wondering if she was seriously asking me if it was an onion, or if I was mistaken. But nope, she was looking to me for identification. The woman behind me is giggling behind her hand at this point and we make eye contact and I raise my eyebrow at her and she just shrugged that "what can ya do?" shrug. Robin the cashier picks up the next item, and I am not freaking kidding, she looks and me to see what it was. I thought she had to be joking, but she just stood there staring at me, waiting. I so wanted to say 'celery' to see what she would do, but I told her what was really in the bag that she obviously couldn't identify: cucumbers. She didn't know what cucumbers were! I had to tell her about cucumbers! Oh. My. God. I looked at the woman in line behind me and she was practically doubled over with hysteria.

As she reached for my last item, I had several simultaneous thoughts exploding in my head at once. I was dying to see if she would ask me what I had. I sort of wanted her to ask. I also thought no one could be that dumb. And I also decided if Robin the Wally World employee asked me what it was, I was going to reach over and switch off her light and tell her to just go home and never come back because she was just too dumb to work at Wal -Mart.

The woman in line behind me was leaning forward and we were both just holding our collective breath, I know. Robin paused for a minute and then, without aid from me, she rang up the bananas.

Robin still works at Wal-Mart.

Maggie

Almost nothing like "Glee", thankfully

Saturday was certainly not a day of relaxation. Mac was participating in a vocal competition. His school didn't have the money for a bus due to budget cuts so I had to take him. The regional competition was at a school that would normally be about an hour away from here. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, some background. Midwest weather tends to play havoc with events this time of year and Friday night/ Saturday morning were no exceptions. Friday night a HUGE winter storm system moved in the area and the weather forecast was predicting between 3-20 inches of snow to be on the ground by Saturday morning. (I would like to point out that there is a slight difference between 3-20 inches. Seriously, couldn't they narrow that gap just a tad???) The wind was howling and the snow was flying so thick I couldn't see the houses across the street on Friday night. Then the delays and cancellations came rolling across the bottom of the television screen, telling us the music competition was delayed an hour- this was all Friday night- and then Mac's choir teacher telephoned Friday night at 10:30 pm to give us the game plan for Saturday, which was that if it's not canceled then Mac will sing at 11:25 am rather than 10:25 am. She also said she would call before 8am if it was canceled.

So Saturday morning, we get up at 6:30 am to get ready. I want to be ready so we can leave at 8 am to be there on time and to give me extra driving time because of the weather. It had stopped snowing, finally, but the wind was still blowing. All the other events in the county where the music competition was being held had already been canceled, but NOT the music competition.

Mac and I heard from his choir teacher and she said we could try to go if we wanted or skip it because she said the roads are so terrible- her was so bad she couldn't get down her own road and she was going to the competition but it would be awhile before she could get there herself!. Of course Mac wanted to try and since I'm not scared of some nasty old snow (respectful yes, scared no-- remember me, the girl who drove across the country in a blizzard?) we took off. It took me about 2 hours and 10 minutes to make it. The roads were nasty but since I was slow and cautious we were fine.

Upon arrival, it was sort of like a scene out of Glee or Fame. Kids were running around in various forms of costumes. They were humming and singing in clumps and groups. Piano music spilled from rooms everywhere. Scales can sound like a song when in this situation, in case anyone wants to know. Of course when you get a bunch of high schools kids together who LOVE to perform and who are good at it, you have a massive quantity of D*R*A*M*A!! Girls were barfing in the bathroom from nerves. Girls and a few gay boys were crying because they didn't place first. (And I'm not being stereotypical; they really were gay because the kids Mac and I know knew these 2 boys and said they were gay.) Music was tossed, doors were slammed, boys and girls alike were pouting over something, prima donas were on cloud nine.

After sorting out all the mixed up times, finding practice rooms, marked music, accompanists, and teachers Mac finally got to sing. He was amazing. I was stunned. He just blew me away. He sang "Into the Night" which is a formal piece, as are all the songs students must sing if they're going to be eligible for State competition. He competed and he got a first place! This means he'll go to a state wide competition on Feb. 20.

Now, the kids don't compete against each other, but just against themselves. There's a special list of songs the kids can chose from to sing if they want to go to the State level; these are Division I songs. They have to sing this semi-classical crap that no one's ever heard before if they want to compete at Division I; otherwise, if they don't care about State, kids can sing anything they want- I heard more junk from High School Musical today than I ever want to hear in my life. Kids all pick a song and practice it for several months with their choir teachers (usually, or voice coaches for the lucky ones) and then come to this regional competition and sing in front of a judge at an assigned time.

The kids get go to compete and their judge is given a copy of the sheet music and can follow along as the kids perform. There's a list of criteria to mark the kids on and they can earn a total of a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place according to how they did on their piece. Anyone who got a first place in Division I gets to go to the State competition. The rules/ set up is the same as the regional, and they have to sing the same song, obviously. So, guess what I'm doing two weeks from yesterday?

I'm really proud of Mac; he did a great job and sounded wonderful! What a great kid! And talented!

Proud mama,
Maggie Mae

Book it!

So, guess what? In the month of January 2010- just last month- I read a grand total of 5 books. Yup, a grand total of 5. And so far, these five whole big days in February I've read 1. ONE book!

Is this really a big deal? Is it important? Why does this matter?

Well, last year during the month of January (2009) I read exactly 9 books. In one year the monthly difference is 4. What the hell? And by this time last year in February I had read 1 book, so there is still time to kick some February reading ass but I was just shocked that my January number is so low.

Last year my goal was to read 10 books a month and I came up shy 3 books for the entire YEAR. But if I keep going like this, I'll be waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off.

I think my problem this year has been more of what I was talking about yesterday: being tired. I'm tired and stressed. I also have some other projects this January that I didn't at this time last year. And during January this year, I'm working full time at a school. Last year, in January, I was just subbing and I could read during the day. For example, last year in January I subbed for a whole week for a Spanish teacher. I speak no Spanish so he left a video for me to show to six periods a day: it was a Spanish soap opera. What would I do with the whole day then but read? And this went on for a week, mind you, so no wonder I killed off ten books in January 2009.

Who knows what February 2010 will bring? I hope I can read more than 5... I guess the odds are good since I have read one book and I have less than 100 pages of another so I might actually make a few more than 5. But if I want to surpass my own bad self for my February goal, then I need to read 13+ books since last year I read 12 in February.

Oh help. Why do I do this to myself?

Maggie

Where does the time go?

Last night my big plan was to lay on the couch and watch season 5 of House and catch up on emails. How do the best laid plans of mice and men flop like dead mice?

And I'm not really sure what it was that I did do instead.

I know I stayed after school tutoring my student, who is doing some awesome stuff, and then when I got home I ran some errands. Daddy-O and I decided we were hungry for Chinese food and thought we would take Mac to eat dinner when he got home from a school event but he didn't show until late, which made it a Subway night. Daddy-O went to church choir practice and for the love of all that is pink, I have no idea what I did.

I couldn't settle. I tried to answer emails but couldn't focus. I tried to read but I found I was re-reading the same page about 4 times. I tried to knit and I did about 4 rows and stopped. I just was bouncing from one thing to another, all the while just wanting to go to bed, but waiting for Mac to come home so I could feed him.

My big conclusion was that my BRAIN was tired. My body didn't feel all that sleepy but my brain sure was exhausted. I've had a lot going on at school this week and with the insurance and teeth stress, I think I just plum wore my head out.

Mac finally got home, we hit the Subway- which I didn't eat any of because I just didn't feel like it after I got there... too tired to chew? Then when we got home, I just took a hot shower, talked to Curley for about 45 minutes and collapsed into bed before 10pm.

I was still tired today. I probably have something weird wrong with me. And I just don't care. I just want to rest. There's not rest for the wicked, though.

Tonight I was tutoring my student (I'm gonna have to come up with a nickname for her soon) until 430pm. Then I had to work at the insurance office, went out for Chinese tonight and now here I am staring at all the emails I need to answer and stuff I should be doing and I just. want. to sleep.

Tomorrow, like an idiot, I volunteered to chaperon Friday Night School again, then I'm taking my student out for ice cream since she kicked butt on her Social Studies test. Mac is going to work out, then to a ball game so I won't even have my car.

Saturday is shot taking Mac to vocal contest. Well, that makes me sound like a crappy parent. What I really mean is that Mac is competing at a vocal contest on Saturday and I really do want to hear him sing and see how well he does. But it's about 90 minute drive one way, he has to be there about an hour before his event, then we have to wait until his score is posted, then we can drive 90 minutes back home. It's just a lot of running after a long week where I could've really utilized a relaxing weekend of doing nothing but being lazy.

But Saturday afternoon and evening, plus Sunday is mine to be a bum!

And right now, I'm off to bed even though it is only 8:17 pm.

Sleepy Maggie Mae

Groundhogs,Grammys, and Oscars

Yesterday was Groundhog's Day and the whole shadow/ no shadow thing was a question everyone wanted answered.

According to folklore, if a groundhog emerges from its hole and fails to see its shadow, it leaves the burrow, which means winter is almost over. If the groundhog sees its shadow, it will go back into its home and go back to sleep, signifying winter will last another six weeks.

This year there were mixed results from famous groundhogs around the world. (I can't believe I just typed "famous groundhogs around the world"...OMG) I personally am a firm believer in good old Punxsatawney Phil of Pennsylvania. He seems to be the most renowned rodent of them all, and he was made even more famous after the Bill Murray movie called... Groundhog's Day. And that little rat saw his shadow. ICK! And to top it off, it then snowed for about 3 hours this morning. never mind that it didn't stick or anything, and actually got up to around 39 degrees today, the point is 6 more weeks of winter. I'm tired of it already.

The Grammys were on tv the other night, and I didn't watch it. I just didn't care. I'm not a fan of the huge musical awards shows because most of the time I find I don't know who half of the performers even are, but I also think there is something weird about the Grammys. Seeing jazz musicians with pop with country artists and the like all blended together is just... frightening. A place where Taylor Swift and Lady GaGa can both win an award on the same stage just boggles the mind. I do know one thing about the Grammy awards: I'm so glad it's over so I don't have to listen to that stupid Black Eyed Peas song that was in the background of every advertisement for the show. My ears say "thank you."

Finally the Oscar nominations were released yesterday and I was not surprised a bit. It was pretty expected and no surprises, which is a bummer. I always like a surprise coming out of the Academy. I don't like that Best Picture is now open to 10 films, rather than the traditional five, but no one asked me. I'm also proud of my bad self because I've seen half of the nominated films with plans to see at least three more prior to the ceremony. I don't even really have a favorite. I would be excited for Meryl Streep to take the Oscar for Julie & Julia because it's my favorite movie of last year and I have a soft spot for her. I have NO desire to see Precious, no matter how many nominations it gets; I don't think I have the emotional stamina for such a movie.

Randomness in action,

Maggie Mae

Let them eat cake!

Since Mac has had his bake on here lately (did I mention that last night he couldn't sleep so he baked chocolate chip cookies at 2am?), I was thinking maybe I could employ his help on a little baking project I want to do. Or maybe I could buy all the ingredients, give him a recipe and get out of his way?

Fat Tuesday is February 16 and this year I wanted to bake a King Cake to bring to school. I have two sections of reading I teach (in addition to my 5 periods of aide duties) so I was thinking of making 2 Cakes, one for each class.

I've been researching and have learned all about King Cakes. The basics: usually a cinnamon yeast roll type of cake, shaped in a circle and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold. Traditional cakes have a plastic baby Jesus baked inside the cake and the person who gets that is King or Queen for the day, and is usually in charge of bringing the Cake to the next celebration. In my case, since I want to bring these to the public middle school, I think I might just bake the Cakes and leave a plastic baby Jesus in the center, like many bakeries that are afraid of lawsuits do. I'm also going to drape the cake with beads in the traditional colors. Then I thought the reading lesson that day could be about Mardi Gras. Something fun and different and festive.

I live in the Midwest and most of my students have never heard of Mardi Gras let alone Fat Tuesday or anything else related to this event so it might be kinda cool. I was in New Orleans around Mardi Gras time (once upon a time and a lifetime ago), and it was fun for sure. Though maybe I should omit those stories...

If I can motivate myself to actually DO the baking. Like I said, maybe Mac would like a chance to upgrade his baking skills....

Mardi Gras Queen Maggie

I swear I love America but...

I have to admit it. I hate to admit it but I will because if I don't do it now, then you'll find out in about 12 days from now. I am not a fan of the Olympic games. There I said it. Please don't exile me to a concentration camp!

I'm just not a fan. I just don't care. I don't enjoy lots of professional sports to begin with and then you throw all these weird sports at me like the luge and some weird ski jump stuff like the Nordic combined, and I just.... don't care. Now, yes, I want the Americans to win the gold. And I think the ceremonies can be moving for those who are fans of the Games. (See I can be brought to tears when I watch the Academy Awards but that's not for everyone!) I think the torch thing is kinda cool. When Michael Phelps won all the medals that was pretty cool but for me, overall, I just don't care about the Olympics..

It screws around with television programming for one thing, but in all honesty I don't watch that much NBC television. I hate all the commentary that goes with each event- they about talk it to death. It takes forever for stuff to happen and there are WAAAAAAAY too many commercials. But I don't care enough about it anyway, to really worry about this.

I might watch ice skating events if I turn the TV on and that event is happening, but I won't be trying to find it and schedule my TV time around it. I might watch a hockey game if I see it's on, but only if the Americans are playing.

I even had to Google the date the Olympics start next month, and I thought they were in Canada somewhere... yeah, I really don't like the Olympics.

But I do have a large list of movies I want to watch, a few craft projects to finish and start, and a pile of books to read so this might just be the right time to do this stuff.

Maggie