Out like a lamb? - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #31

March 31, 2018

I don't care for goodbyes, endings, etc.  There are television shows that I watched repeatedly for years yet have never watched the series finale. I learned the hard way (weeks of weeping at the finale of Monk), that I don't have the constitution for it. I finally watched the final episodes of Parks and Recreation this year, 3 years after it ended. The only reason I watched the final season of Psych this year was because there was a new USA movie that came out this year, so I knew the characters were safe.

Now, I don't think this is a very healthy attitude, but baby steps. I am working on it. Come to think of it, I bought a video of a Jeff Buckley concert back in 2000 or so and won't ever watch it because he died in 1997 and it's the only concert footage I will see. So if I don't watch it, it's still there to be watched...there's always more. As I write this, I'm reminded of a scene in the movie What About Bob?, where Bill Murray's neurotic character, Bob, tells his psychiatrist, "If I fake it, I don't have it." In the same way, if I don't watch the end of something, it didn't happen; it's still going on to me.

To sum up, I will not be reflecting or winding down in my last post this year. I will leave this month's challenge with some lovely images of flowers blooming in my garden as March comes to a close.

Obligatory Dog Post - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #30

March 30, 2018

So I've made it this far without posting much about dogs, and I feel it would be remiss not to mention that I love dogs. The highlight of my spring break was being able to see a bunch of different dogs, believe it or not. Friend's, family's, and even the dogs of strangers. (I know, I know - next year I have to go somewhere and do something interesting if dogs are the highlight).

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. My dog, Arlo.

Arlo being nosy

Ok, this is in a particular order in the sense that my dog goes first. My dog is a sweetheart, unless you come upon him when we're on a walk, in which case he tries to bark you out of town. If you ignore him, he's a fluffy sweetheart. Unfortunately, he spent most of January and February with a very serious ear infection, and the poor thing is just getting back to normal. He still leans his head to one side much of the day, even though his behavior and balance have returned. I also have to clean his ears almost every day, which is pretty gross cause the ear gunk is still coming out (I will spare you any more details).

Arlo wanting to go outside

Arlo and I have spent a lot of the break bonding. He lays close to me when I type, so he's usually with me when blogging. Today we went on a wonderful walk. So I've enjoyed spending more time with him this break.





2. My mom's dog, Joey.

Joey

Joey is sort of a family dog, in that my parents got him and he's been at every family function. He's an adorable schnoodle. I saw him yesterday and he's had a pretty good week. Not too much else to report. I see him all the time.



3. My sister's dog, Angus.

Angus

Angus is a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. He is pretty large, but truly has no idea of his size, which creates some issues in the house. He is sweet, but an oaf. He likes to sit up straight on a kitchen chair and stare out the window. He also likes to sit next to you and offer his paw to you, so you just sit there holding his paw and looking into his eyes for a while.

Maeby and Angus

5. My sister's other dog, Maeby.
Maeby is a miniature schauzer and my family loves them. We've had about 6 in our family in some way or another since my childhood. I love them. Maeby is very energetic and loves to give kisses when you arrive. She also is somewhat in charge.

6 and 7. The two dogs the same sister is dog-sitting this week, Allie and Sadie.

Allie

Sadie

These dogs are amazing. They are English Springer Spaniels and belong to someone in my sister's neighborhood. She is currently watching 3 kids and 4 dogs on spring break. Sadie is about 8 and very mellow and sweet and soft (Except when she sees dogs on the TV - she barks). Allie is about a year old and still in training. She jumps up at you when you arrive and comes up to you if you call any other dog's name and tries to horn in on the attention. I never knew this breed before, but they are so friendly and sweet, I love them.

Indy

8. My other sister's dog, Indy.

My older sister has this dog, Indy, that is a maltese and chinese crested mix, according to the rescue organization. He would play fetch all day long if possible. Literally. He doesn't like to be picked up, but he lets me so I feel special. :)

9. My friend's newly adopted dog, Barney.

My friend used to have big dogs with lots of fur that I am allergic to, so when she adopted this dog from someone who had health issues and couldn't take care of it, we were excited that I could once again visit at her house. Barney is teeny-tiny and adorable. He let me pick him up, gave me lots of kisses, and wanted attention from me when we met. My friend and her family are having a hard time adjusting to the different temperament of a small dog, but I think he's a great family pet.

Barney

10. My other friend's dog, Berkley.

I don't have a picture of the last dog I met over break, which was today. I met a school colleague/friend's dog, who is a mix of Corgi and Jack Russell Terrier. He was very energetic and sat right down next to me. We made friends very quickly, I'm happy to say. I should have taken a picture, I guess! Didn't realize I'd be making this post.


Ok, so those are the dogs of my spring break. Most of them. The ones I spent some time with - there was another dog my older sister was dog-sitting, named Bob, but I only saw him for a moment yesterday. So he doesn't count.

Overall, it's a good thing I came across so many dogs over break - I was starting to visit Petfinder.com again, which is always dangerous...

Dreams at Naptime - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #29

March 29, 2018

It's near the end of the month and I am definitely feeling a bit uninspired. I'm on spring break and that adds to the lack of topics. Of course, there are lots of topics to write about, especially in the news, to be honest, but I want something short. Therefore, today I will let you know what my subconscious mind just vomited out during my 3 hour afternoon nap.

In no particular order the dream included:

1. My dog and my mother's dog wandering around the neighborhood when they escaped from my yard. Each time, I freaked out but they came safely when called (this would NOT happen in real life).

2. Apparently, in my dream I had a large, sloping backyard with about a 50 ft incline. (not likely in IL).

3. Also, in the dream, I had hired a company to fill in some of the slope with mulch, to make it easier for my dog (Not sure the rationale, but that's my dream for you!).

4. Of course, the company I hired was SUPER late, to the point at which I was going to just fire them when they showed up, but I gave them a chance.

5. The reason they were late? They went to pick up dinner. It was two older gentlemen and their wives. They immediately made themselves at home with the food and drinks they brought, by sitting down at my patio table.

6. When they realized I was seething (I did have family members acting as a go-between in the dream), one of the old men got to work.

7. While they got to work, I went to look in the freezers (In a really weirdly designed freezer - again, this is a dream) for my own dinner, which was frozen spaghetti and meatballs (This is something that could happen because it is in my freezer at the moment).

8. I warmed up my food and the company said they were done.

9. Of course, the dogs had run away.

10. The guys said it was so dark that they wanted me to just check the next morning and they could come and fix anything but I insisted on checking.

11. It was not a good job because the mulch was not evenly spread. (Of course, in reality, how can you do it evenly on a sharp incline? This whole idea is not well-thought out!)

12. Now there were more workers showing up.

13. Ok, the end of the dream included me finding the spaghetti wasn't warm anymore and everyone leaving my house. Dogs had returned again.

So this was a little insight. I don't have any company contracted with me to do anything about mulch, though I have had about 2 yards sitting in my driveway since last May (it started as 5 yards). Maybe I'm feeling nervous since soon I will run out of excuses to not move it...

In other words, I am having an exciting Spring Break! (Lol)

A petty indulgence - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #28

March 28, 2018

One of the nice things about having to blog here everyday is that I can make it an excuse for complaining about something that is driving me crazy.

It is unimportant, petty, and pointless to complain, but I am going to receive personal satisfaction by sharing my story with the world.

And here it is:

A few weeks ago, I had a doctor's appointment. I knew it was coming, and I confirmed via the online link about a week beforehand. Then I received another reminder the day before and, all of a sudden, I realized: the time listed on their confirmation updates was 3:30 PM. That is the time I get out of school. I would never make an appointment for that time, especially on a Wednesday, since that was when I had an after school club.

I checked my phone, where I schedule all my appts. It said 4:30 PM. I knew I made the appointment for 4:30 PM. I called the office to double-check, explaining I realized I had confirmed but I knew the time listed was wrong.

Their response?

"The time is for 3:30PM. It was always for 3:30 PM in our system."

Ok, well I had to reschedule, and that worked out - no extra fee, nothing. So it's not a big deal, right? Only I KNOW I wouldn't make an appointment for that time. I know it. I. Know. It.

This office had scheduled me incorrectly before, and I resolved it - they had actually given me two appointments two days apart. I called and corrected it, no big deal.

So this time, I'm so unbelievably certain I was right. But it doesn't matter. Everything worked out. I like the office overall. I don't have to wait and they have a lot of times available to schedule (though obviously I need to be more proactive with my confirmation time checking).  I tried to let it go, but it keeps nagging me.

Until now. Look what I found as I went through some papers over break:

VINDICATED!

I know it's petty, but I'm so relieved I had the correct information and they didn't! The victory shall remain here for all eternity! 

Calming Strategies - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #27

March 27, 2018

When I found out I would be teaching 2nd grade this year, instead of enrichment classes, I was really excited to have my own homeroom. I had been teaching smaller, advanced classes for about 9 years, but lately the smaller class size had become bigger, and I felt I needed a change. I wanted to be the one that had the kids most of the day and not the one who was constantly pulling kids and creating inconveniences (that's not really true, but it sometimes felt like it over the years). I was excited to work with younger students all day, even though I knew it would be a really challenging.

One thing I new I wanted was an relaxed, comfortable class atmosphere. I liked the flexible seating idea, and I wanted my students to feel more at home and less overwhelmed by anchor charts all over the place. I chose a rug that was mostly green, blue sky bulletin board paper, and lots of animal pillows to bring some relaxation into the room. A lot of primary rooms are so full of letters and bright colors, which seems overstimulating to me.

The students that were going to be in my class had a reputation for being a handful. They still do. We are working on it, but they seem to have so much energy and no desire to sit and focus. They are so talkative and really distracted by each other - it's sort of a vicious cycle. Plus, there are 26 of them, which is pretty large for a second grade room.

Knowing this, I wanted to create a relaxing environment. I bought an essential oil diffuser. I made glitter bottles for them to use to calm down. I brought lots of Mozart, Bach, and Enya from home. We have MindYeti for mindfulness. I bought a Hoberman sphere for the students to practice breathing. I had all these high hopes for being able to reach them, calm them down, and turn them into focused thinking machines.

It hasn't been so successful. We are getting better, for sure. But the glitter bottles created a bit of an issue - there weren't enough for everyone, and then they would argue about them. I finally have about 28 of them made. We practice breathing with the Hoberman sphere and a student leader, but there are still kids (the ones that need it the most) that don't even try, keep eyes open, or over act when they breathe. They do love hearing Enya. MindYeti is another issue - they are very vocal when I start one they don't want to do - and with 26 students, there's always at least 5 that don't want to do the one I chose, so they protest. Which riles everyone up again. We're still working on it.

Today, a friend of mine posted a meme with a picture of this old toy on Facebook and I immediately thought of the fun and focus it would illicit from my students:

My great aunt and uncle had several of these. Is it possible it could help my students to focus and stop talking??? 

Is it sad that this was my thought when I saw this meme while on my spring break?

Do you have any suggestions for getting students (especially younger) to calm down and focus?

Spring Break Begins with a Flush - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #26

March 26, 2018

I've been without a working toilet for the last 5 days. It all started when I flushed the toilet and it didn't stop running. So I flushed it again. Less flush, more running. One last time. No flush.

Still running.

I frantically called my brothers-in-law to see if they had any suggestions. Not too long ago, the handle for the flushing (What is that called, technically???) broke off in my hand, but a friend was over and she helped me to buy a new one and replace it that night. I was hoping for something as easily resolved.

'Twas not to be.

I called a plumber and left a message. My brother-in-law said I could turn off the water to the toilet, then pour a bucket of clean water in and the gravity would act as a sort of "flush," so I tried that. It takes like 3 buckets of water to be honest. Toilet paper floats. Too much?

The plumber didn't call back until I had arranged for another plumber to come last Friday. I had to work, so my mother acted as my proxy. The verdict: you need a new toilet.

So I called to arrange for a new toilet, but I didn't want the plumber to kill himself trying to fit me in on Saturday (The truth is, I didn't want to get up and have to worry about a plumber). He said they'd call me on Saturday or Monday to schedule the installation. So I've been working with that "fill up the bucket, pour it in to flush" method ever since. It's annoying, but it works.

I didn't receive a call from the plumber to schedule, so I expected to be called this morning, my first real day of break, and I got up before 7 just in case. Not early enough, though.

I only had time to let the dog out before the doorbell rang. I was in my pajamas, hadn't used the toilet, hadn't poured water down since last night, and my dog was apoplectic at the doorbell ringing unexpectedly.

I hurried to get on my robe, mumbled, "I didn't know you were coming so soon." I picked up my dog so he would leave the three plumbers that showed up to install the new toilet.

For the next 45 minutes, I sat, holding my dog (and my bladder!) and waited for them to let me know when the toilet was installed. I had no idea how long it would take and I was mentally preparing for having to make a quick visit to my mother's or my sister's since they live about 5 minutes away. Luckily, they finished before it became urgent. I'm pretty sure being a teacher helped me in this situation - used to holding it!

In any case, by 8 AM, I had a new toilet, the plumbers were gone, and my spring break is ready to begin! I think I might actually go back to bed...

Shuffling Along - Slice of Life Challenge, Day #25

March 25, 2018

I did it! I ran 8k today. I started and finished within the constraints of the race, which was a concern as the date approached.

I'd like to thank Hal Higdon for his training program.

I'd like to thank my friend Johanna for encouraging me to run and running along with me.

I'd like to thank...

I guess I'm getting carried away here. I have run this race several times before, to be honest. The first time I ran, probably around 2005 or 2006, I think, I was in really good shape to start. I did a Hal Higdon training program, but I didn't realize some basics about shoes (how they wear out) or cross training days (I did step aerobics and other activities that repetitive movement like running). I successfully completed the race but was in such hip and knee pain, I can't even explain. I took public transit there because I lived in the city, and I remember how badly it hurt to go up or down stairs. It was miserable.

After that, I started getting a running magazine and bought good shoes from the running store. And I trained for a half marathon. I ran it, and it went well. The next half-marathon, which I didn't train for, was a nightmare. A boring route and slanted, which was really hard on my hip.

I've done some 5k races since then, but I also switched careers and became a teacher, so my energy level after work was really plummeted. I've really lost the aerobic and physical fitness I had previously, and I've been wanting to improve it for health and aesthetic reasons. So when my friend suggested I sign up for this race to run with her, I thought maybe I would finally get a boost back into shape.

For the past 8 weeks, I've been following trusty old Hal Higdon's Novice Running program - pretty faithfully, though I've had a few extra days off whenever I felt my knees/hips needed it. It's been hard. I am really quick to give up when I'm tired or breathing heavily.

I was a bit nervous about running today because I haven't run the full 5 miles yet. I've run 4.5 with a short walking break for a bit. I was anxious that I would run so slowly that the race would be finished before I made it across the finish line.

Somehow, I managed to run slowly and steadily for all but one little hill at the end. My body was FREEZING, which made it a bit hard to move my legs, and it was crowded, but I'm proud that I was able to keep running for almost all of the race. I'm not fast, but I wasn't last, either!

Woohoo! Now I just have to stay in shape for the Shake It Off 5k on April 7th (A race started by a high school classmate to raise money for Parkinson's research)! Should be a piece of cake!