Speaking German Just Isn't Sexy

JW: Check out this sales pitch on the Facebook ad: "Our new year's resolution: end khaki diaper butt in 2009. We make better fitting trousers and pair it with awesome customer service."

JW:I think I have the first Khaki Diaper Butt album here somewhere.

Me: LOL

Me: there's the JW comedy for the day!

JW: Thanks.

JW: kakifarbigen Windelkolben.

JW: I had to look that one up.

JW: But now, if it comes up, you know it.

Me: is that Khaki Diaper Butt in German?

JW: Yes

Me: wow

JW: I managed to make German less sexy.

Rocky Top... You'll Always Be... Home Sweet Home To Me...

Sometimes I am really proud to be a Tennesseean...

...other times... well...


Iconic Moonshiner Sentenced to 18 Months




Once two strangers climbed ol' Rocky Top
Lookin' for a moonshine still
Strangers ain't come down from Rocky Top
Reckon' they never will

I Know this is a Recurring Theme....

...but once again, I like my horoscope! I'm telling ya, this is gonna be a good year!
(Despite the MIGRAINE I had today...woof!)

Although you may feel quite contained today, you won't be able to restrain yourself from also revealing your underlying optimism. It's not even about consciously applying the power of positive thought. It's just that your greatest strength now is your ability to scope out the big picture and intuitively know how best to organize all the pieces in order to achieve the desired results. Set your intentions and then slowly work toward making your dreams come true.

6 Day Weekend...

Between weather and the MLK holiday, I have had an extended vacation... Sadly I have not used my time wisely.... I have accomplished a few things-- including my 2 day cleaning of the kitchen... I was feeling good about this, thinking how impressed Josh will be when he sees the cleared countertops...

Then I read today's horoscope:

You aren't afraid of hard work and, in fact, might even be eager for the opportunity now to demonstrate what you can do. Luckily, you have a few rabbits up your sleeve and could amaze others with your magic. You can be productive beyond anyone's expectations. Don't worry about receiving any positive feedback today; you'll need to wait a bit for that.

Sooooo.... I guess it will take Josh a few days to notice. HA HA...

The END of an ERROR!

As the tshirt I got at Crazy Shirts in Santa Barbara says...

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
President Obama 2009

FINALLY!

One Project Completed...

...and this one has taken me 2 yrs!




And I am proud to report I had a hand in EACH of those bottles... WOOHOO!

Now I am collecting wine corks to make a bulliten board...

It's Snowing Cats and.... CATS!

We FINALLY get some snow!



Carl: "Have you seen this stuff?!"



Cleo has NO intention of investigating the snow



Carl swats @ snowflakes



Carl watches the snow...

myTunes

I go through all kinds of crazy phases and mood swings when it comes to the music I am listening to... I guess this is true of everyone, though I am pretty sure my friend Missy could (& might) listen to Bon Jovi 24/7.

Don't get me wrong-- I LOVE the boys from Jersey, and listen to them my fair share... but lately I've been a lot more mellow. Now sure why, but it has certainly been a nice change.

For the last several days I have pretty much only listened to NPR and WUOT. I love driving to school or wherever else early in the AM listening to the calm DJs and news anchors discussing world problems. In the afternoons I am relaxed by the classical selections. At night the smooth jazz helps me unwind.

Man, I feel like such a grown-up!

Today's Horoscope...

...I like it:

If travel to overseas destinations isn't in your budget, just keep planning for it.

Friday Funnies: Journals

OK, this cracked me up...

I am reading journal entries the kids have written since being back @ school... one is about Xmas...

At dinnertime we all said grace. Then we chowed down on some ham!

Something about that sentence makes me laugh... we are working on descriptive writing-- so perhaps it is the image it puts in my head of this girl and her family... hahahahaha... Had to share...

Here is another classic sentence that I have to share-- so you can understand what I am dealing with... I always joke with you all and say, "OK Walland!" Well-- here you go:

I think we was off because the creeks was getting high and the dam was
overflowing, and the campers were even in it.

A Truck By Any Other Name...

The thought occurred to me today:

I will NEVER name my child after any vehicle-- for example--Dakota, Mercedes, Porche, etc...

Now, I am not knocking parents that do this... it is just something I find somewhat silly. As a teacher, I come across lots of unusual names... Tonight at the spelling bee I met brothers Suhn and Psalm... definitely different.

Then there are the people that have common names, spelled unusually... Elysabeth, for example. As someone who's name is not common-- it's tough growing up not being able to find pencils and keychains with your name on them...

I'm just sayin'....

Heart Smart

Today was the first day back @ school with kids... everything was going fine till 8:30am-- yup, I'd been there an hour. Then the roomie calls...

Josh: I'm having chest pains, can't breathe, and I'm dizzy. Do you think I should go to the hospital? I felt like this last night too.

Me: Uh, WHAT?! Why didn't you say something? Of course you should go to a hospital! Are you home?

Josh: No, I'm driving. I will head to the ER

Me: Call me when you get there so I know you didn't die enroute.

Good lord! So he calls back when he gets there. Then later calls and said they are running tests and might keep him overnight. So I get a sub. And a ride home-- I carpool to work and had not driven today. WOOF. Luckily Travis is in town so he goes with me.

Yeah so... Josh's heart rate got up to 200... and he has an irregular beat. They give him drugs to try to get it down-- doesn't work. So they discuss shocking him... They use anesthesia, stick the EKG thing down his throat to look @ the heart, and prepare the paddles. Well, he coughs as they remove the tube from the throat and the cough causes his heart to regulate itself. So no shock. Good for Josh. But we still have to stay 2 more hours for obserservation. WOOF

So anyway this was all triggered by too much caffeine-- like he would drink 6-10 diet cokes a day... woof... so he is banned... has some meds... and an appt with a cardiologist in 2 weeks.

What a day!

I Agree... Without Protest

Acquiesce
Oasis

I don't know what it is
That makes me feel alive
I don't know how to wake
The things that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light
That shines behind your eyes

I hope that I can say
The things I wish I'd said
To sing my soul to sleep
And take me back to bed
You want to be alone
When we could be alive instead

Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
(And) I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul

There are many things
That I would like to know
And there are many places
That I wish to go
But everything's depending
On the way the wind may blow
I don't know what it is
That makes me feel alive
I don't know how to wake
The things that sleep inside
I only wanna see the light
That shines behind your eyes

Because we need each other
We believe in one another
And I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
Because we need each other
We believe in one another
(And) I know we're going to uncover
What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul

What's sleepin' in our soul
What's sleepin' in our soul'
Cause we believe'
Cause we believe
Yeah, we believe'
Cause we believe'
Cause we believe'
Cause we believe
Because we need
Because we need

[ Acquiesce Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

New Year's Horoscope

In keeping with the FEARLESS theme:

Scorpio: My resolution is to express displeasure verbally and not to force others to try to guess what is upsetting me. I'm going to stop using tricky words and mind games and being a total mystery to my partner and my pals. I'm planning on laughing out loud when some tells me something humorous - no more holding back when a smile attempts to spread across my face. From this day forward, I'll save the poker face for the gaming table. As far as all that trash talk about me being jealous, all I can say is, what's wrong with a little honest revenge once in a while? What I'm not going to play down is my seductive charm, enduring loyalty, and innate understanding of my partner.

Source

A Year in Review: 2008

January
1. Did you have a new year's resolution this year?: This is the year to make things happen-- NO REGRETS.. BE FEARLESS!
2. Who kissed you at midnight?: not happened yet, but I s'pose my family as that is who I am with
3. Have you ever been to times square to watch the ball drop?: Nope... not sure I would want to actually...

February
1. Who was your valentine in 2008?: HA! We had an anti-VD dinner-- me, Miche, Josh, et al. Some chick fell in my yard and did serious ankle damage...
2. What did your valentine get you?: honestly, I don't remember much. I know one of my students got me a teddy bear that whistled...it was funny
3. When you were little, did you buy valentines for your whole class?: of course, I still do


March
1. Are you Irish?: Nope... Mc-Scottish
2. Do you wear green on St. Patty's Day?: Yes... 5th graders LOVE to pinch you if you don't
3. What did you do for St. Patty's Day in 2008: Wow... I seriously don't remember...



April
1. Do you like the rain?: LOVE IT! Esp thunderstorms
2. Did you play an April fool's joke on anyone this year? I don't think I did...
3. Do you get tons of candy on easter?: I do... esp Cadbury Eggs... MMmmm!



May
1. What's your favorite kind of flower?: Pansies are my fave!
2. Do you like the spring?: Yes. Means school is ALMOST OUT!
3. What would you think of as a spring color?: Anything pastel-- pink, lavender, yellow... "It's like Easter just threw up on the floor!"



June
1. What year did you graduate from school?: 1995, 2000, 2003
2. Did you go on any vacations last June?: First I went to England with Nan... then to NYC with the family....



July
1. What did you do on the 4th of July?: The fam as @ Aunt V's in VA... we shot fireworks and drank lots of margaritas
2. Went on any vacations during this month?: HMMMmmm... I guess just to VA... Oh and Lacy and I hiked Mt. LeConte also...



August
1. Did you do anything special to end off your summer?: Nope, just headed back to school... woo!
2. What was your favorite summer memory of '08?: My trip to England, fo sho!
3. Do you go swimming a lot in the summer?: not a lot...
4. Do you go to the beach a lot?: not a lot... I am planning a beach trip for Spring Break this year



September
1. Who is your favorite teacher?: Still Talbott... she's my hero! This is her last year... lucky duck gets to retire...
2. Do you like fall better than summer?: Yup... Fall is my FAVORITE!

October
1. What was your favorite halloween costume? This year I went as Las Vegas-- it was awesome!!
2. What's your favorite candy?: Reese's Cups
3. What did you dress up like this year?: Las Vegas... "Lady Luck" was the actual costume name

November
1. Whose house do you usually go to for thanksgiving?: This year I just went to Dad's... as Grandma was out of town again...
2. Do you like stuffing?: (a.k.a dressing) YES! I could eat my weight in it! And I did!
3. What are you thankful for?: great family and friends... a good class @ school... and all the opportunities that I have in life-- I know I am very blessed.

December
1. Have you ever been kissed under mistletoe?: I have...
2. What do you want this year for christmas?: honestly, not much of anything...
3. What's the best present you ever got for Christmas?: Wow, no clue... This year I got some cool stuff: a Cricuit (for scrapbooking), a wish necklace-- to be FEARLESS (conplete with dragon charm), a hip scarf-- to bellydance myself around the house, and lots of notepads and journals to get myself organized
4. Do you like cold weather?: Yes... but I feel if it is COLD, there should also be snow... And I get tired of bitter cold...

1) How would you rate your 08(1-10)?: Hmmm... 7 or 7.5-- definitely better than last year... And I have a good feeling about '09!

2) Where were you when 2008 began? Fredericksburg, VA @ Aunt V's

3) Who were you with? The fam-- Crazy aunts, Jessica, Thom, Mae, Henry, Richard, William, Alexander & Gma

4) Where will you be when 2008 ends? I'm in Ojai, CA with the same fam
5) Who will you be with when 2008 ends? the fam

6) Do you have a new years resolution for 2009? This is the year to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN... and be more FEARLESS

7) Did you fall in love in 2008? Don't know about love... but perhaps more "mcSmitten"

8) You regret it? No regrets! That's the deal

9) Did you breakup with anyone in 2008? uh, no.... that would require dating someone

10) Did you make any new friends in 2008? I'm sure I did... some friends I got to know better... WAIT! I thought of a new friend! Josh 2.0!

11) Who is your favorite new friend? Josh 2.0 (and all his ghosts) win! I also got to know Lacy better-- and that ROCKS!

12) What was your favorite month of 2008? October= VEGAS, BABY! I look fwd to that trip all year. I also loved May/June when Nan and I were in England

13) How many different places did you travel to in 2008?: Oh wow-- see this was my resolution-- Cancun, VA, England, New York, Vegas, California, Indiana, Nashville, Cookeville (hey, might not be glamorous, but it counts!)

14) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2008? not close to me, but several friends did and I did my best to be there for them

15) Did you miss anyone in the past year? Mc-yes.

16) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2008? Oh wow... hmmm, "Quantum of Solace" or "The Dark Knight" I s'pose.. and "Role Models" cracked me up. There are a lot of '08 movies I haven't seen yet.

17) Do you enjoy where you are now? I feel I have made some definite progress this year. And I feel some more progress coming this year...

18) What was your proudest moment of 2008? Hmmm.... becoming more myself... completing some 5Ks (preparing for 1/2 marathon)... meeting the Dragon- and surviving!

19) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008? Possibly Justy's bachlorette party in Nashville... apparently I was out of control-- in a fun way... or when I fell @ Justy's wedding...ahahahaha

20) What are your plans for 2009?Be more FEARLESS... survive a 1/2 marathon... maybe even skydive... And I am now pondering a move to Nashville... we shall see!