You Better Redneck-ognize.

Remember how I blog about once a month? Well, it's that time! This post goes out to my buddy, Tanya. She found me in the hole that I was buried in and brought me back up to the Blogger light of day. I kinda forgot I had a blog. Thanks for reminding me. Knowing I still have a fan out there was the inspiration I needed to push me over the edge of Lazy Writer Mountain.

I actually think about the fact that I have a blog quite often. I'm good at doing a lot of thinking, but not always a lot of action. I think to myself, "Self, this would be a great blog post" or "the masses sure would love to hear this story about you because you're so fabulous". Then I think about the effort involved in writing the post that's in my brain. And I'd have to clean the cheese residue off my fingers from the bag of cheese puffs I just ate to be able to type, and well, I'm just exhausted thinking about it. Getting my story from my brain to my fingertips to the keyboard to the screen just seems like a lot of work most days. That involves so much coming together. So the posts stay in my brain. I'm being really selfish.

I'll just give a quick update about school and then we'll get on with the show. The main event.
The days are just ticking away. We already have 22 days of school down. That is fine by me. Only 14 more days until Fall Break, but I'm not counting down my breaks or anything. My school year is off to a good start. I have a great class that is full of energy. They keep me on my toes. And I've already rearranged my classroom. By the 5th day of school, I'd already changed the tables up and everything. I'm sure it's only the first of many changes.

So I've been gone for a month, and there's sooooooo much we could talk about. I'm in the mood to talk about something pretty important, like, TV. Just when I think TLC can't get any better, they go and do it. They've really out done themselves this time. Their lineup right now is spectacular, guys. I mean, right now they've got a redneck beauty queen family, conjoined twins, and an Amish Real World. That's dynamite. Almost as dynamite as Napoleon.

I need to know who the TLC fans are out there. Raise your hand like you just don't care. I need someone to talk to about these shows. I could tweet about Honey Boo Boo all Wednesday night and I need to know who wants to be in a fan club of sorts with me. It will be like Babysitter's Club but instead of Babysitting, we'll just watch TV at our own houses and tweet and/or blog about it and talk abut them like we know them in real life. Last week all I wanted to say was "Shh. It's a wig" (which is the most clever store name I've ever heard, I might add), but nobody got it. I whispered, "Shh. It's a wig" in the teacher's lounge and I just got cricket sounds.

What's your favorite thing about Honey Boo Boo's family?

credit: TLC

Is it Mama June's Forklift Foot or her hollers of excitement as she went down the water slide? Honey Boo Boo's random dances because she hears a song in her head? Sugar Bear looking "smexy" in his mullet wig? I can't pick a favorite moment. It's all my favorite. I seriously laugh out loud during that show. It's so shocking and revolting, yet awesome and amazing all at the same time.

Abby and Brittany. 

credit: TLC

Don't send me hate mail, but this show is kind of a train wreck, but I can't look away. I feel like nothing but a huge rubbernecker while I watch this show. I can't really talk about it anymore or I might start to cry.

Next up, Breaking Amish. 

credit: TLC

It premiered last night. Did any of you watch it? I loved it. Of course I would. That's no surprise. It was interesting to learn about their lifestyle and also fascinating because they are being little rebels that are going to be shunned. Little shunned rebels in dresses and stockings and bun caps. It's like a Real World: Amish edition. I'm sold. It's going to be so good.

Next, let's talk about some not-so-great things I see on TV. Recent infomercials that are making me sick.
First up, the PediSpin.

We know what these are all about, but guys, this PediSpin commercial...it's too much. The shot of the hanging dead foot skin. I don't want to see that--especially not when I'm trying to eat my dinner.

Next, the Tag Away. 

Credit

What the what? That infomercial makes me want to just say a lot of bad words. This post would be nothing but a big censor bleep if I could tell you how I really feel about this product. It's nasty. Do us all a favor and go to a dermatologist if you have skin tags all over your body. Don't try to remedy that mess at home. Just pay your co-pay (which for me would be less than the $19.99 Tag Away price) and get it done professionally. The only thing you should be "tagging away" is yourself in pictures on Facebook. That's the only thing to be tagging, guys. Or if you're in a gang, you might participate in that kind of tagging. But let's not tag away at our necks. Please.

Are there any other hot shows that I'm missing out on that I should be tuning in to see? My nights are pretty full, but I could probably squeeze another show in somewhere.

Well, guess I'll see you all next month!

Summer has come to an end. It's sad. I'm already looking forward to Labor Day. And Fall Break. And all the breaks after that. And next summer.
I have been working like a maniac lately. It's been all work and no play. I've pretty much lived in my classroom, but I haven't really minded it. It's been fun and exciting because I had a completely blank space and made it all my own. Nobody's old stuff to sort through first. Nothing that I felt like I had to keep. All new. And clean. And fresh smelling. Ahhh. So nice.
It will almost be a relief that school is starting because that means I'll just be driving to school once a day. Not 3 or 4 times a day like I have been.
I've met all of my new students. I have a nice class size of 21 so far. I've been a little nervous because this year is full of so many changes. It's the inaugural year of our school. Everything is new. It's still not "home" yet. After the kindergarten and school-wide open houses, though, I'm feeling better. I have some cute kids and very nice and supportive parents. Everyone is excited. I keep going back and forth between excited/nervous/want-to-throw-up nauseous.

The next two days are required teacher work days. I'll add the finishing touches to my room then. I mean, I had it "open house ready", but I still need to finish hanging a few things here and there and organizing some things. Hopefully I'll also find a little bit of time to actually plan for the first two days. That might be a good thing to do.

I'll be back with up close pictures of things in my room once I'm completely finished. I was hating my room about a week ago, but I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out. Here's a few for now. Take a peek.

Here it is! We're the Rockets, so that explains the rocket stuff in the hallway.

Here's the view from the door. The pictures are a little blurry. I'll take better pictures tomorrow. 

To me, the classroom is small compared to my classroom at my old school. We do have really nice vaulted ceilings, though. It's a little scary up there hanging things from the ceiling tiles.

And yes, I already have a light out. I've put in a maintenance request. 

I like color. A lot. The room was too "oatmeal" for me and that had to go. Color and patterns everywhere!

I'm a little bit obsessed with chevron right now.

Word Wall. 

I had my students color a rocket sheet during the kindergarten open house. Several of them wanted to give me their sheet so I thought I'd go ahead and display some work. Why not, right?

Well, that's all for now. I just wanted to pop in and say "hey"! Talk soon!

Fact: It's Friday, Honey Boo Boo Child.

It's time for another edition of Facts. By Sarah.

I apologize in advance for the stupid spacing between all the bullets. The formatting is all off and it just won't work with me tonight.

• Fact: This is how we do it, it's Friday night.

• Fact: I feel alright.

• Fact: Sadly, I can't continue the lyrics because I'm not having a party on the West side.

• Fact: I'm sitting on my couch. Just me, Daisy, MacBook, a Blizzard, and the TV tuned to TLC. That's my kind of party. And I'm loving it.

• Fact: I am a sucker for any show on TLC.

• Fact: Two of my favorite TLC shows are Toddlers and Tiaras and Virgin Diaries.

• Fact: Tonight on Virgin Diaries, this guy named Skippy talked about how he collects his belly button lint. He picks lint from his belly button and puts it in a jar. And keeps it on a shelf in his bedroom. His bedroom is in his parents basement. His bedroom that is in the basement of his parents house has a poster of The Osmond's on the wall. He's 34. And his Mom goes out with him as his wing man. She even has a t-shirt that says "Skippy's Wing man". And he doesn't understand why he can't find a girlfriend...

• Fact: I don't even think I've ever had belly button lint.

• Fact: I can't get over it. I don't understand. The lint this guy accumulated looked like it came out of a dryer vent. That's disgusting and I feel like he is doing something wrong if he's having that kind of accumulation.

• Fact: One of my favorite Toddlers and Tiaras girls, besides the famous MaKenzie, is little Miss Alana.

If you're not familiar with Alana, please watch this short two-minute video clip to catch you up to speed. You won't regret it. Or maybe you will. Pay special attention to her mom's face towards the end of the video. It's one of the best parts, in my opinion.

 

• Fact: Alana, AKA "Honey Boo Boo", is getting her own reality show on TLC called Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. It premiers August 8th. I can't wait for it. It will be a nice Back to School Eve show to look forward to. 

•  Fact: My senior citizen neighbors have been concerning me a bit lately. They were driving their van around  their backyard the other day. I never could figure out why. My main concern was that they were going to run over my air conditioning unit as they drove between our yards. Today there's been a half-full bottle of hot sauce sitting on the lid of their trash can. Maybe they're confused because I sure am. 

• Fact: I got my hair chopped off today. I feel brand new. I tried the whole 'I wanna grow it out and see how long it will get' thing. Well. I let it grow and grow. It just got uglier and stringier and uglier. I've hated it lately. Now it's gone and in the trash can at the salon. The majority of my life, I've had short cuts or a little bob and that's the way it shall remain until the end of time. I'm already scheduled to go back in two weeks to get it taken up even shorter. I'm glad to be back to normal. Short hair is better suited for my face.

The before:

The after:

And yes, my sunglasses are crooked. Every pair I own become that way. I end up bending or breaking them in no time. I also have a crooked smile. At least the sunglasses and smile help balance each other out, right?

I should probably end this post now. Before I decide to over share or upload any more pictures of myself. Have a great weekend, friends!

Summer Photo Dump.

Isn't this teacher's hair so snazzy? It's time for a back to school haircut, so...maybe?

Summer is slipping away and that makes me sad. I'm going to do a little summer recap of the highlights.

I said goodbye to this place:

 

Turned in my school keys

Moved my classroom into my garage

Yes, it's disgusting.

Had a nice, relaxing week on the beach

Spied this mermaid table in the condo across from us. A month later and this thing is still fascinating me.

My best friend got married to a great guy that's just perfect for her.

Spent a couple days in Savannah. I loved the trees and houses.

My new classroom was assigned. This is it!

It looks nothing like this now--this is how the furniture assemblers set it up. It's currently a big, fat mess. It's a teeny room compared to what I had before. I'm having a hard time making myself fit. I'll post pics soon, though. I only have TWO WEEKS to finish before kindergarten open house. Panic is setting in.

I unpacked the kindergarten team boxes containing classroom items and games. Glory! Christmas in July!

And in between, I've been trying to get in as much hammock swinging, pool floating, and screened-in porch napping as possible. 

It would be very nice if the next few weeks would creep by. 

On the Road Again.

Hey guys. What's up? NMH. This post is going to be short and quick because I'm up to my eyeballs in finishing my Action Research Proposal. It should really be called The Dumbest Paper in America. I have to have it submitted by tomorrow and then I will be done with classes until fall semester begins. Can't wait for that.

My professor is so patient. Bless him. He gave me some feedback on a section the other day that started with, "I can tell you've worked really hard and spent a lot of time on this section, but..." Yeah, basically I did it wrong. Typical for me. At least I tried. I sure as heck try.

I'm just not good with formal writing. The whole APA deal. Who cares. I prefer writing like I talk. You all know I'm anything but formal. I jack up punctuation on purpose on my blog because I like it. And I start sentences with 'and' all the time just like this sentence because I like it. It's more fun this way.

I made it back from Florida on Tuesday afternoon. I'm taking a short break at home to do laundry and re-pack and then I'm hitting the road again on Saturday. I'm going to Tybee Island for my dear friend Ashley's wedding. I'm so excited for them. I will be staying in Savannah. I've never been but have heard that it's a wonderful place. If any of you have been to Savannah, let a girl know what to do. I'm not going to have a lot of time there, so what's a must? Any tours to take? Certain sights to see? Shopping? You all know I love food--any restaurant recommendations?

Oh, and I just figured out how to turn on the reply feature to my comment boxes. I'm only 5 years late to that party. I tested it out by replying to some comments from my last post. That was fun.

Well, I guess that's all for now. Seriously, tell me what's up in the Savannah/Tybee Island area. I'd love to know.

Traveling Quirks.

I have many oddities. This isn't a shock. I'm a little bit odd when it comes to traveling. Sometimes I have a hard time being away from home and the comfort of my own things. A little bit of panic sets in. I'm a big "sense" person. Common sense, yes, I have plenty of that, but I'm referring to our senses. As in the five senses. I'm big on the way things smell and feel and look. I don't do much tasting and hearing of things in a hotel room, that's why I didn't include those. If something feels off to me, I have a hard time relaxing and getting comfortable in a space.
Knowing that a million (okay, slight exaggeration) bodies have been on the bed you're sleeping in at a hotel, condo, or wherever you may be, grosses me out. If I could get one of those full-body white lab coat getups complete with the head mask, gloves, and booties, I would. I'd wear it in bed and then I would safely dispose of it in the morning in one of those red hazardous waste containers.
I bring my own pillow and blanket to sleep with, they will both be washed, as will all of the clothes in my suitcase. I have to wash the funk away. I will buy a new toothbrush when I get home. I don't like letting my feet even touch the carpet of places I'm staying at. I wear my house shoes. At all times. I don't like using hotel towels. They're too crunchy and they don't smell good. While traveling, I typically just leave everything in my suitcase and keep it securely zipped up so nothing can even think about getting in (heaven forbid). I can handle making use of the closet and hangers to hang up clothes that I don't want to wrinkle. If I want to use a dresser for clothes or other belongings, I first line the drawers with paper towels (it works in a pinch) before I put anything of my own inside. Yes. I'm a freak. It's awful and I hate that I'm this obsessive, but I am. The older I get, the worse I get about traveling and staying somewhere. And the sad thing is, the place we're staying at isn't at all what I would consider nasty or gross. It's not a 5 star, but it's a fine, average condo at the beach. Very typical. I'm just an over-thinking obsessive that needs to travel in a bubble.

Are any of you like this?

It's a miracle anyone wants to travel with me. My quirks come out in full force around my family, (more than they do when I'm traveling with friends) because my family members don't even pay attention to my hotel/condo "rituals". They're used to it. They just know I'm going to do my thing. They know I'm going to clean and organize and try to find some sense of control in all of the chaos of a place that isn't "mine". It just stinks that I'm too uptight to be able to even truly relax while I'm on vacation. I need therapy.

For fun, let me give you a quick little look-see at some of the odd knick-knacks that are in the condo.

 I'm trying really hard not to be a crab.

 Pelican Twins with huge eyeballs.

"Flamingo Point" key ring holder.

Themed decor kills me. Beach condos, mountain cabins. It's hilarious. They typically have the oddest things to go with the theme of their location.

Well, I'm going to go suit up in my bio-hazard mask and protection suit. Sweet dreams, guys. 

It's Been Awhile (No, not the Staind song).

Hey guys, remember that time I used to blog on a regular basis? Yeah, I don't either.

Quick update from the past few weeks (because I know you're dying to know and then we'll move on):
1. School ended. And all the teachers said, "Amen".
2. I moved the entire contents of my classroom to my garage. Yes, it was so much fun. Thanks for wondering.
3. Action Research Proposals are probably the dumbest things in America and I'm glad I'm not a full-time researcher/action proposal writer.

I feel so out of touch with the world! I don't like it. How are you guys?? I haven't had much time for fun or anything extra that's not on a to-do list of boring, dumb things. Sadly, reading and writing for fun were thrown out the window long ago. The past month has been nothing but wrapping up the school year, having obligations between two workplaces, moving, moving, and moving some more, and two grad classes with TONS of nightly homework.

I'm not wanting to wish my summer away, but I'm ready for it to be July already.

BUT--Who cares about that junk. My complaints and fussing just make it boring and this isn't a place for boring. Sarah doesn't do boring.

It's summer and I'm alive, I'm eating well (way too well), and I'm getting tan. That's really all that matters right now.

--AND--

I'm in Florida. Right at this very minute. Writing to you. Sitting on a balcony. All alone. With the salty breeze, and the crashing waves, and my snacks by my side. That reminded me of the Going on a Bear Hunt story, but mine would be:
Going to the Balcony (group echo), Gonna do some homework (echo), I'm not afraid (echo), I've got my MacBook and my snacks by my side (echo).

That was fun. Well, it was only fun for those of you that participated and echoed along. And maybe did the thigh clap along thing, as well.

I've spent every night since I've been in Florida doing stupid homework for my stupid class, but at least I'm doing homework at the beach instead of on my couch. The couch is my usual homework hideout. Sitting on the couch, with the TV on, and, like now, snacks all around. I have quickly discovered that my couch and TV are no match for the beach. Homework is much more tolerable when you know the beach is right below your feet. I'm just thankful to be here. Away from home and on vacation. I needed this in my life. Things were just getting to be a little bit too much back home, you know? There were just some situations and stresses and people that I don't need to think about or see for awhile. This is why God gave us summer. And beaches. And ice cream.

So I promise I'll be back sooner than later to write again. I know, I know. I always say that. I really will, though. I feel inspired here. A break from life tends to do that, huh? I actually have the desire to write this week, and that's something I haven't had for a long time. I'm going to try to roll with it.

And because I can't stop thinking about snacks, let me share with you my Snack of the Week. Yes, I announced that in a loud, booming announcers voice. The Snack of the Week! It's a life changer, guys. If you like pineapple and coconut, you'll love this ice cream. I've downed two pints in the past two days. This is why my butt is the size it is. Back to the ice cream. It's the creation of pineapple and coconut getting together on a hammock while sucking back a few too many Malibu Breezes, which resulted in them having a 14 FL OZ tropical baby. That's the way I see it, anyway. This is their love child and their child is delicious. I would probably name their baby Pinenut. Or Cocoapple. I bet Hollywood hotshots would be all over a name like Cocoapple for their baby. It's the combination of Courtney Cox and David Arquette's daughter, Coco and Chris and Gwyneth's daughter, Apple. Touche.

I suppose you'd have to like pineapple and coconut to find delight within this pint. What a great rhyme! If you hate pineapple and coconut, then you'd hate this. Trust me. I'm just trying to bring the world together, one snack at a time, but I can't please everybody. We've all got different taste buds, and that's okay. I guess.

If I were in a Miss America pageant (I know, I'm cracking up thinking about it too), my stand would be about food and sharing the knowledge of delicious food to all of the citizens in this great land, the home of the brave. Because, you know, I definitely don't want for anybody to ever have to go hungry, but I certainly don't want for anyone to have to miss out on delicious foods. Knowledge is power. We would have food conventions and food parades and we'd all get together and hold our pints of Haagen-Dazs up high and smile while ice cream dripped down our chins and our eyes glazed over in a diabetic state. What a dream.

Well, now that I've probably scared you and you're quickly clicking the 'unfollow' button because it's all coming back to you about how weird I really am, I'll let this be the end. For now.