Ketchikan, AK

When J and I went on an Alaska cruise a month ago, we looked forward to seeing the wilderness, the wildlife, and the history. We saw some of that, but not much, unfortunately. I love cruising because it is an effortless way to travel. You don't have to worry about getting yourself from place to place, or finding hotels or transportation or places to eat. You don't have to figure out what the "must see" sites are because the cruise line has done all that research for you. The downside of cruising is that you get a very limited amount of time in each port of call, and most of the shopping is either jewelry or "touristy crap." The other thing I hate about cruising is that I forget to take my camera everywhere I go. Or I take it, but forget to take pictures. I thought we had a ton of awesome pics, but it turns out there are not nearly as many as I had hoped.

Regardless, we had a blast. Our cruise was scheduled to make 4.5 ports of call: Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Victoria, BC. (I say 4.5 because Tracy Arm is not a place you get off the ship - it is an amazing, scenic area.) It'll take a few entries, but I'll blog about all of our experiences in the different ports.

We boarded the ship in Seattle on Sunday at about 1:30 p.m. We had spent the weekend at my dad's house (Friday night we went to see Wicked, and Saturday night we went to Teatro Zinzanni for my step-mom's birthday), and Sunday Dad fed us breakfast then he and Mel took me, J, and my sisters and all our luggage to the cruise docks. It was beautiful - Dad lives about 15 minutes from where we had to go. We didn't have to get up early, or worry about traffic or anything. Stress free!

The ship pulled out of Seattle around 4 p.m., and we were on our way. After a full day and a half of travel, we made it to our first port of call, Ketchikan, AK. J and I did a lot of cool stuff there! The Bering Sea Fisherman's Tour was probably our favorite. Then we walked around town for awhile. We saw the famous "Creek Street" (which as far as I can tell is a wooden sidewalk over a creek, and a bunch of buildings on stilts over the same creek), the Totem Pole history museum (not worth the 3 mile round trip walk, much of it uphill, or the $10 for the both of us to go in, but it did get us out of the rain for awhile), and a Lumberjack Show my dad told us to check out. (Dad and Mel took the exact same cruise - same ship and everything! - about a month before.)

Here are some pictures from Ketchikan.



As we were getting off the cruise ship (the Star Princess in case you were wondering!), they took our pictures then practically shoved us off.



This first picture was bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on the Aleutian Ballad. J was excited for our tour, but not thrilled about the time we had to be there!



Have you ever seen the show The Deadliest Catch? About crab fishing in Alaska? This boat used to be on that show. It was during the second season, and it was the boat that took a rogue wave that nearly capsized it. Well, that was the second rogue wave it had taken in less than ten years.



Here's a video of that rogue wave. It was caught on camera for The Discovery Channel. It's a rare video - not many rogue waves have been caught on camera.



After the second rogue wave, they moved it to another area of Alaska to fish for awhile, and the new captain ran it into the side of a cliff, nearly sinking it. After that, they retired it from crab fishing. They fixed it up, added seating and heaters, and then started giving tours to cruise line passengers. Sounds like an unlucky boat to be on, right? Well, I figure if it's survived two rogue waves and a cliff, this boat is pretty lucky! We had a FANTASTIC time on this tour. It was 3.5 hours, but felt like just minutes. We got to see all sorts of crab pots and a variety of crab species.









We even got to see an eagle up close and personal (they threw bait out on the water to get it to come close), and this 25 pound octopus.



In this next picture, you can see the octopus had reached out and grabbed on to "Kiwi's" face. Yuck!! (He's called Kiwi because he's from New Zealand. He was actually on the show for a season, but it was on a different boat.)



When we left Seattle, it was a gorgeous day. I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Probably didn't need the jeans - shorts would have been better! But when we got to Alaska, it rained the entire time we were there. Mostly it was just a drizzle, but it was a constant rain. With all the rain and the humidity, my hair was a perpetual mess of frizz and curls. Even on board the ship. I didn't bother trying to tame it as I had better things to do.



These next pictures were taken while we walked on Creek Street. There was obviously a creek right there, and we were amazed at all of the salmon in the creek. Ketchikan is known as the "salmon capital of the world" and it's true! There were so many fish, it appeared you could have walked across the creek on top of the water. It's hard to see in the pictures, but trust me: it was a solid mass of salmon. They were packed in (are you ready for this?) like sardines! There were two sea otters having lunch in the creek. J and I stayed to watch for awhile, then continued on our way. While the sea otters were cute, I'm from Washington, and J's lived here for a long time...sea otters are something we can see at home, so it wasn't terribly thrilling for us. The two women we passed, on the other hand, were ecstatic. I appreciated their enthusiasm, and didn't have the heart to correct them when I overheard one tell the other "Let's go look at the seals again! Those seals are so cute!"





J and I thought we might like to check out the totem pole museum. So we headed off looking for it. It was mildly entertaining, but like I said earlier, not really worth the money or the effort to get there. Perhaps I'm a little jaded, but I grew up in a state where there are coastal Native American tribes...the totem poles and all the heritage stuff at the museum is very similar to what I see at home. I did particularly enjoy the first totem pole we ran across, though. J was a good sport and posed for me, even though he didn't really want to. Well, he wasn't opposed to it until I said, "NO! Don't stand next to it! Stand right under it like you're part of it. Won't that be funny? You know, because you're so tall!"

But he did it anyway. Good man. His willingness to pose is probably the reason I agreed to walk up that darn hill for that museum.



After we went to the museum, we were headed back down the hill and we heard the cheering from the lumberjack arena. We still had two hours before we had to be back on the ship, so we decided to just go for it. It was so campy! But lots of fun. J is one of those closet geeks who has been known to watch lumberjack competitions on ESPN (or whatever channel they show up on), so he even knew who some of the lumberjacks were! That's right, ladies and gentlemen, my husband is a wealth of random knowledge. Sometimes he surprises the heck out of me with the random crap he knows.

Anyway, it was a "competition" between two different lumberjack camps, and they split the audience in half to cheer for "their" teams. We were cheering for Dawson's Creek Camp. Or was it Mill Creek Camp? I don't remember, and I don't suppose it really matters. It was neat to see them do the different events. I think my two favorite were the log rolling and the pole climbing. I think I could use a chain saw and cut a tree. I know I can use an axe to cut a tree. I also know there is no way I could do the log rolling or climb a tree that has no branches (it would be iffy even if it did have branches!) so I was particularly impressed with those two events. The team saw cutting was cool too, though. They cut through that big tree in a matter of seconds!



I think Ketchikan was a great place to visit, and I would like to go back again sometime when we have more than a few hours. I especially want to eat at this restaurant. Their sign intrigues me.



This was just the first stop...more to come!

I'm just sayin'

Awhile ago I told you about how my sisters have always told me my smile is stupid. Well, maybe not in those exact words. Actually, yeah, in those exact words.

Every time we pose for a picture, they tell me to have a "real" smile, not that "stupid" one.

Well, I'm just sayin'.

Wicked Good

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Please excuse the hair

I have SO much to tell you! And SO little time to do it! J and I went on an Alaskan cruise a month ago, and we had a great time!! Unfortunately, I've been playing catch up ever since we got back. I'm supposed to be grading papers right now, but I really want to post on my blog. So after some negotiating with myself, I've decided that I'll do a short post now, finish my grading, do some laundry then reward myself with some posting.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that I'm able to do all of that!

But for now, here's a picture of us at Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. We didn't see any wildlife, but that could be because my hair scared them off. The rain and humidity did a number on my wild hair! This is actually one of the more tame pictures. You'll see what I mean when I am able to post more.

Salon of Shame

Did you keep a journal as a kid? I didn't. I tried to many, many, many times, but I would flip back through the pages of what I wrote previously and think, "Oh, how stupid was I?" Then I would rip out the pages or throw the whole thing away and start over. But the cycle just viciously repeated itself until I finally gave up the practice completely in middle school.

Now I wish I had not only kept it up, but that I had kept the journals.

Have you ever heard of the Salon of Shame?

I am DYING to go see a show, but the tickets sell out in about a minute, and they are on terrible days for me as I have to travel across the state to see it. But I want to go so badly it's not even funny.

Salon of Shame is a forum for people to read their journals from the past to an audience who has "been there and done that" and completely understands...and finds it as hysterical as you. There are all kinds of performances. The only rules are that you have to have written it, it must be from the distant past (who wants to hear about last month?), and the more embarrassing the better.

Check it out on their website or on YouTube. I'm including my favorite two videos here, but this is your fair warning:

ADULT language and content in both videos!! Do NOT watch these unless your little ones have left the room! (Oh, and if you're offended by the "f" word, these videos probably aren't for you. It's too bad, though, because they are hysterical!)

And, J, don't watch at work...do it at home please!

This one is called, "Project 'F You' Anna."

This one is called "The Secret." (In this one, I think it's particularly funny when the reader repeats himself or looks over his shoulder on especially embarrassing parts to see how the ASL interpreter says it. Two years ago I had a deaf student in class and her interpreter was both fascinating and distracting - it's strange to have someone repeating everything you just said! It took me about two weeks to get used to it...)

You can see more videos here.

Best fwends

Last week, Leah and her three little ones were here visiting J and I in HOT Kennewick. We had a blast! We saw a free movie, swam in the pool every day, and went to the park to play. My house is not terribly kid friendly, but I think we did all right.

One of my favorite things was having conversations with Connor, Jared, and Emily. They are funny kids! Here are a few highlights.

One evening my friend's son, Cody, who just graduated from Southridge called and asked if he could come use the scanner on my computer. They are making graduation / going away to college party invitations, and he wants to put a picture on them. I told him to come on over, but that it would have to be earlier rather than later because my friend's kids would be going to bed fairly early. He arrived just as we sat down for dinner. I let him in, told him to help himself to the computer, and went back to eat. The kids were very curious about Cody. So much so that Connor especially couldn't sit at the table. He kept getting up and running into the other room. When there, he apparently just stared at Cody. I could hear Cody asking him questions, but Connor wasn't responding. After one trip to the living room, when Connor got back to the table, he was really excited. This is what he had to say.

Connor: When I when I when I tell Cody my name, then we'll be best fwends!


The next evening, while Leah was bathing the boys at the same time, Emily was wandering around the house, just looking at stuff. I asked her what she typically did while her mom was giving her brothers a bath, and this is how she answered.

Emily: I usually play games with my daddy, but he's not here. Maybe I could play a game with you and Mr. J?

Of course I said sure. I told her to go pick one of the games her mom brought, and I would go get J so we could play. Imagine J's surprise when we sat down to a game of The Littlest Pet Shop. I couldn't stop giggling watching my enormous husband playing this little girl's game. When Emily beat him, I really couldn't stop giggling.



The day they arrived, Jared had a present for me. It was a painting he did in purple and green of a "Messy Monster." I asked about the monster, and Jared told me:

Jared: Messy Monster lives in the closet. That's why my closet is so messy!
Me: Great...now I have TWO Messy Monsters in my house. J is messy, too!

We put the picture on my fridge and then went about our day. Periodically throughout their visit, Jared would bring up Messy Monster and tell me about the messes he was making throughout my house. Luckily for us though, according to Jared "Messy Monster only comes out at night!"



For the duration of their visit, my cat Sid hid under the bed in my room during the day. Once the kids went down for the night he'd venture out cautiously and have some food and visit with the grownups. I had moved a litter box into the bathroom in our bedroom, so thankfully, he used that, but I didn't want to put food and water in there because I wanted to encourage the cats to leave the room. Sid was a scaredy cat and refused to come out from under the bed if my bedroom door was open. If it was closed, he'd come out and whine at J or I to pet him and cuddle him. If the door was open, though, he was under the bed. Zoe, on the other hand, was much braver. She would often come out of the bedroom to check out what was going on. If it got to be too much for her, she would retreat to the bedroom. She let all three kids pet her at various times, and even let Emily pick her up and carry her around the house for a few minutes. The boys she was more wary of, and usually stayed out of their way.

Connor was enamored with Zoe. He thought it was so cool that if you shake the treat can, she comes running. (Usually both cats come running for treats, but not even the treats could lure Sid out of my room!) Many times a day Connor asked if he could give Zoe treats. I usually said yes because the "treats" are not really treats. They are just a different kind of cat food that is low allergen like their regular food, but supposed to be good for getting rid of tartar on their teeth. I think we overdid it on their last full day here, though. While Leah was reading to Jared and Emily, Connor decided he wanted to hang out in the living room with J and I. Zoe was sitting near me, and she was in a good mood. When Connor came over to talk to me, Zoe was wrapping herself around his legs, and then she sat down right next to him. Connor crouched down (in that cute little kid squat so they can be up close and personal with whatever they're looking at) to pet her, but immediately stood right back up with his face scrunched up.

He looked at me and said: Zoe 'tinks!!

I bent down to see what he was talking about, and sure enough, Zoe did 'tink. She apparently had had too many treats that day and it made her a little gassy. Zoe 'tinked a lot that evening!


All the kids were really excited to get in the pool the first evening - until Connor was on the ladder, that is, looking down at the water. Then he decided it was not such a good idea. We could NOT convince him that his life jacket would hold him up, and that it was okay to get in. Not even seeing his brother and sister in the water moving around was enough to convince him. Finally J went to the garage and got one of our floating chairs. They are the coolest chairs ever, as they have foot rests and also a mesh bottom. That way, while you are floating around, your hiney gets wet, but the rest of you is floating on top of the water. He still didn't think that was a good idea, but we had Emily climb into the chair to show Connor she was on top of the water, and then he agreed.

The next day, when we went out to the pool, Connor was excited about swimming in his "boat" again. After he'd had some time to be in the water and to see his brother and sister swimming around, Leah thought she'd take him out of the boat and let him see that he was fine in the water. We figured he'd freak out for a few minutes, but after that would be fine. Boy, were we wrong! He flipped a gasket and continued screaming and thrashing around for at least ten minutes! Leah tried to distract him by putting his hands on the wall of the pool, then asking him to "crab walk" around the edge and catch her. She started moving away, and he started to climb over the edge of my four foot pool! I came up behind him, grabbed his hands, and started to move them along the wall so we could chase Leah. At that point, he alternated between giggling like a wild man and screaming like we were trying to kill him. We got about three-quarters of the way around the pool when we got to the ladder. I didn't pull him off the wall quite far enough, and he grabbed it and held on for dear life. We decided that he just wasn't going to do it, so we got his boat back for him. It took a little convincing that we weren't going to drop him in the middle of the pool before he let us help him back into the chair, but then he was fine until it was time to get out for the afternoon.

The next morning, we went to see a free movie (I LOVE that theaters do this during the summer!), then we came home and ate lunch. It was close to 1pm before we headed back out to the pool. I headed out there first while Leah was finishing up getting the kids ready so I could plug in the filter and start skimming the top (I love outdoor pools, but HATE the bugs and leaves!). Connor came out with me to watch and had this to say.

Connor: Kristina? I am NOT going to do that thing again today.
Me: What thing?
Connor: That thing where you guys are dragging me around. I am NOT doing that today.

I had a blast with Leah and her kids. There were so many other funny things that happened, but I can't steal them all for my blog...just in case Leah feels like mentioning any of them!

knowing me, knowing you - August

Because I was so late last month, I thought I'd get a bit of a head start on this month...only a week in!

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So here it is, the August installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Would you rather swim in a pool or a lake?
Tough call. I think I would have to say an outdoor pool. I love being in the water outside, but I don’t like dirty water or seaweed. (The Columbia and Yakima Rivers aren’t too bad, but lakes are sometimes iffy. Blue Lake is awesome, though. We used to camp there when I was a kid and I loved it!) On the other hand, public pools kind of creep me out a bit, too. You don’t know where people have been, or how many kids have peed in the pool. I think my pool is my favorite place to swim. It’s clean, cool, and right in my backyard. It’s 21 x 17 feet big and 4 feet deep, so it’s not big enough to swim laps, but plenty big to float or goof around. Plus, it’s right in my backyard!

2.Where do you do most of your internetting, from a desktop or a laptop?
At home, 99% is done from my desktop. I have a laptop at school that I sometimes bring home, but not typically. My home computer is faster and has a GREAT monitor that’s nice and big and I can see everything. At school, 90% of my internetting is done on the laptop because that’s what the school has provided for me, but sometimes I’ll sit at a student computer in one of the labs because it’s easier than dragging my laptop and Ethernet cords all over the place.

3. What did you do today?
So far I have done a few loads of laundry, paid a bill that J needed to mail today, and looked at the blogs I like to read. Then I decided to get a few of my own blog entries done and have been sitting here for almost an hour working on several entries. I have yet to shower or get dressed – I’m thinking about staying in pj’s all day. Well, I’ll shower and dress when J is on his way home because we may go see a movie this evening. Other than that, it’s all about cleaning and laundry and blogging today!

4. Have you had enough of this cool, rainy summer?
The weather must be different where Shan is in Canada, because it has not been cool OR rainy here until yesterday. For the last month or so we’ve had weather in the low to high 90s daily. Last week we were in the 100s almost every day. Last weekend we hit 105 twice. Monday of this week was 98, Tuesday was 98, Wednesday was 93, yesterday was 93, but right now today it’s 64 and sprinkling. (To give you a comparison, yesterday at this time it was 88.) I’m actually looking forward to cool weather in the fall.

5. Chocolate pudding or butterscotch?
Both. More often than not I have chocolate, but I do enjoy butterscotch on occasion. My real favorite, though, is vanilla.

knowing me, knowing you - July

Okay, so I'm maybe a little late this month. But seriously? Where in the heck did July go?

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So here it is, the July installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. What household chore do you dislike the most?
Hands down, cleaning the toilets. It flat grosses me out, and there’s not much more to be said about that. I don’t mind dusting and vacuuming, or laundry and dishes so much. I think second to cleaning the toilets would be mopping floors and putting away laundry and dishes. I don’t mind washing the clothes or dishes, but I can’t stand putting them away.

2.Do you have any travel plans this year?
I actually do! We went camping already, but that doesn’t really count as travel, does it? In September, J and I are going to go on a cruise to Alaska! It leaves out of Seattle, so we’ll drive over there and then get on the ship. We’re terribly excited – this is the nicest (and most expensive) trip the two of us have ever been on together! It will be my third cruise, but J’s first. I’ve been looking at all the shore excursions trying to decide which ones we should do. Randomly, and coincidentally, my dad and step-mom will be taking the same cruise exactly one month before we do – same ship and everything! My friend’s parents just got back from an Alaskan cruise, too, though I don’t know if it was the same ship we’ll be on. My secret hope is that J falls in love with cruises and we can start going on them every so often. I think it’s a great way to travel. I typically like to take it easy when I am on vacation, but if I’ve paid to fly somewhere and am staying in a hotel, I like to get my money’s worth and see everything there is to see. On a cruise, you have a day at port and a day at sea, so every other day I get to see stuff and then the other days I get to hang out and read and not feel guilty because there’s nowhere else I can go! Plus, all of your food is included in the cost of the cruise, even room service is “free”!!

3. Ever met a bloggy friend in real life?
Well, not technically. I’ve known Leah since high school, and she’s a bloggy friend, too. But I haven’t ever met anyone else.

4. Seen anything good lately?
I’ve actually seen several movies this summer. It’s been pretty cool. I particularly liked “The Ugly Truth,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” and “The Proposal.” This evening J and I are most likely going to see “G.I. Joe” so I’m going to make him take me to see “Julie and Julia” soon. Unless my sister and I can carve out time to do that when I go to Seattle next weekend for her pinning ceremony (basically, she’s graduating from nursing school – yay T!!!).

5. What is your favorite kitchen appliance?
It’s sort of embarrassing to admit this, but I’d probably have to say my microwave. I don’t cook or bake very often. It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s that I don’t really like to. The microwave makes life very easy. I also LOVE my dishwasher – I put everything in it, even if it’s not technically supposed to go in there. Wooden spoons may get dried out and cracked, but you can get a four or six pack for a dollar at the dollar store, so I’m not terribly concerned. Also, I’ve only ever lost two wooden spoons yet, and I’ve lived over here and owned my own utensils for eight years. I think putting everything in the dishwasher is a risk I’m willing to take.

You Belong with Me

I don't typically watch or enjoy music videos - never have, don't think I ever will as a general rule. However, there are always exceptions to every rule!

Have you seen Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" video? Pretty cute! (I'm not sure about the quality of this video, but you'll get the general idea.)

They even cleaned behind the shed

Holy crap. When J and I decided that THIS summer is the summer we are going to take care of our shambles of a backyard, we had no idea what we were getting into. We looked at our bank account, decided on a number we were okay with for the work, and then started discussing what we wanted done.

By discussing, I mean arguing.

It wasn't pretty, and it lasted a long time. The crazy thing is, once we backed off a little and looked at what the other was saying, we realized we wanted the same things, we just needed to negotiate the details. For example, we both wanted a fire pit - we just wanted it in different places in the yard. Why were we arguing over that? That seems so silly.

We finally agreed on what we were going to do. We had a plan, and, because THIS is the summer, I spent my first few days out of school on the phone. I called all sorts of people and scheduled all sorts of things. The problem with this, though, is that I had NO idea who to call. A few years ago we called a landscape company to come out and give us a bid on what we wanted done then, but he never followed through. And this was a guy who was a friend of a friend...if you can't trust someone you "know," who can you trust? We were pretty apprehensive.

Our parents don't live around here, so we couldn't call them for advice. When I opened the phone book, there were fifteen pages of companies under landscaping alone. I admit, I got really overwhelmed. Then I thought about my neighbor - she has someone come do her yard every week. I thought maybe she would have some ideas or advice. I went and looked up her phone number and called. It was a surprisingly pleasant call. You see, we are NOT very close to our neighbors at all. The people in our neighborhood are nice enough, but everyone keeps to themselves for the most part. I had only ever spoken to this lady one time about a month after we moved in. I know she and J had chatted a few times in the yard over the last few years, but we've lived here six years and I can count our conversations on one hand.

Anyway, Linda, my neighbor, said she loved Nacho, her yard guy. She told me that he mostly does lawn maintenance, but that he's been trying to talk her into letting him put sprinklers in her yard for awhile now. She suggested I call him and see what he thought. So I did.

He said he could come over that Friday when his crew was at Linda's house, and we could talk then. I agreed, hung up the phone, and had a mini-panic attack. This is pretty stressful - we're considering spending a lot of money, and there are no guarantees. This isn't like going to Wal-Mart, buying something and then returning it. This is the type of thing you just have to move forward with, and trust that you are making the right decisions.

Nacho came over on Friday, I walked him through the jungle we call our back yard, and told him what we wanted to do. He took notes and some measurements, and then told me he'd call me back with a quote. He said if we chose to use his company, that it was "a big yob, but we can do it in about a week."

That was music to my ears. My gut told me he was an honest type of fellow, and several people in our neighborhood have used his services regularly for a long time. When he came back with the quote, it was within the range J and I had agreed on, so I went ahead and told him we wanted him to do the work.

There were several things that had to happen, though, before Nacho and his crew could come work their magic on our yard. We had to take down the pool, pour a concrete pad, and have several limbs of our giant mulberry tree removed.

We called a concrete guy in to come give us a bid - $3100. We said, thanks, but no thanks. That's way out of our budget. Then we decided that this would be a DIY project, and J called his dad. His dad agreed to help us, so we just needed to get started.

We bribed one of J's friends with beer and grilled hamburgers to come over here and help take down and move the pool. Thank goodness for Sean - there's NO way I could have helped J pick that up and carry it clear across the yard to the shed.

Thanks to Dad H. and his three or four weekend trips over here, and a lot of hard work on his and J's part, the concrete is now finished. (And, FYI, we are now the proud owners of a portable concrete mixer...if you ever find yourself in need of one, come borrow it or make an offer...I may just sell it to you!)

While we were camping I had the tree service come take care of the trees. (I trusted them - we had used them once before a few years ago, and they were fantastic!)

Now it's time for Nacho to get started. His crew came Monday morning to do the clean up, and they are coming back Friday (tomorrow) to start digging up the old sprinklers and putting in new. Next week they'll finish the sprinklers and then lay new sod.

I was here while they were working, but I wasn't really paying attention to what they were doing. I assumed they would be cutting down the weeds and maybe starting to pull up some of the old grass, but only in the areas they would be laying new sod.

I was wrong. They cleaned EVERYTHING. They weeded up against the house and a flower bed that hasn't been touched in six years. They moved all the crap on the deck and got rid of leaves that have been trapped between the screen door and sliding door. They cleaned all the old rotting leaves off the wood stack. They cleaned up the side of the garage. They even cleaned behind the shed.

I am not embarrassed to admit I did a little happy dance when I saw everything that had been done. If the rest of their work is half as good as what they did already, we're getting one hell of a deal.

I wish I had thought to take pictures of all this as it was going on, but I didn't. I'm sure I've got some pictures of how hideous the yard was a few weeks ago...I'll for sure do before and after even if I can't do the during.

I can't wait to see what they do tomorrow!

My good deed

The other day, I was in the car with my friend and her 7 year old niece. We were on our way to JoAnn's fabrics to look for more flannel for a blanket they were in the process of creating. It wasn't an overly hot day, but probably in the low 90's. Hot enough that we were using the air conditioning and thankful for it.


We were almost at JoAnn's - about five blocks away - when we saw him. There was an elderly man walking along the sidewalk. Well, he wasn't really walking, he was shuffling. I didn't get a good look at him because I was talking (shocking, I know...me? talking?), but my friend was really concerned about him. She kept looking in her rear view mirror. She finally said that he looked like he was in a lot of physical distress and that she didn't think he was going to make it. I told her to turn around, then, and we should go back.


Normally, this wouldn't have been a difficult decision. But we had her young niece with us. Again, not typically a difficult decision, even with the little girl with us, except my friend's brother just died of a sudden heart attack last month, and his daughter was home when it happened. The same little girl we had with us. We couldn't keep going, though, and not even see if he was okay, so we turned around.

When we pulled up next to him, he was not very coherent and didn't seem like he wanted to talk to us. He was on a mission - a SLOW and laborious mission - and it didn't seem like he could stop to talk. My friend offered him a ride, and after a minute of thought, he accepted. I got out of the front seat, helped him in, and then climbed in the back with Niece. The gentleman's name was Wally, and he was not doing well at all. My friend asked where we could take him, but he couldn't tell us where he was going or where he lived. He asked us to take him "around the corner" and then he'd continue on his way. We took him to the Pizza Hut, and he promised he'd go in and rest up before continuing on his way.

We just didn't feel right leaving him there, so I walked him in. I got him a glass of ice water from the manager, and got a phone book. While my friend was parking her car, I called the non-emergency police line, and let them know we were concerned. The dispatcher kept asking if we wanted an ambulance, but I didn't for several reasons. First, I thought Wally was doing okay. Now that we had him sitting down and resting, I thought he'd be okay. Second, I didn't think he'd stick around long enough for them to come. And third, Niece was scared enough by what was going on, and she shared that "the last time I called 911, Daddy died." Crap. We couldn't blow this out of proportion, and Niece HAD to see that people can be helped by calling 911.

Wally was a bit impatient, though, and while I was on the phone with Kara the Dispatch Lady, he got up and walked / shuffled back outside. I followed him and saw that my friend had convinced him to sit down in her car again, and let her give him a ride. I was still on the line with the police, and Kara asked if she could talk to Wally. I handed the phone over, and she proceeded to stall him until a police officer showed up.

By the time the officer got there (no lights or sirens, thank goodness), Wally was much improved. He had some color back in his cheeks, his eyes were more focused, and he was far more coherent.

I was so relieved that nothing worse happened. It appears that our friend Wally has a bit of dementia, as he couldn't remember his phone number. Well, he remembered a phone number, but it's been disconnected. His driver's license didn't have a current address, either. We thanked the officer and bade goodbye to Wally, and then continued on our way.

We talked to Niece, and asked her if she had any questions. We told her she'd been amazing, and congratulated her on her bravery. It was our good deed for the day.

I'm tired..

Last week I started going back to the gym daily. It's amazing how quickly your body forgets what it's been doing. Last week was a crazy week, but this week is looking better. J and I went to Seattle on Saturday, had dinner with my dad and step-mom, and then went to see an M's game with them. Good seats, decent game, great company. The Mariner's won (against the Arizona Diamondbacks...nothing to write home about), and fun was had by all. (Side note: We were not some of the first people to arrive, so we did not get free Ken Griffey, Jr. t-shirts. We weren't too upset, but ironically, on the night they gave away t-shirts with his name all over them? He didn't even play. I don't care what my dad thinks, I was a little sad about that. I went to a lot of baseball games as a kid when KG Jr. AND Sr. were playing on the team...it was all about the nostalgia for me, but he didn't even play. Oh well, that just means that J will need to take me back!)

We stayed up WAY too late talking, and then slept in a little bit Sunday morning. Had breakfast with Dad and Mel, spent a few hours chatting and reading the Seattle Times (FYI - it's a WAY better paper than the Tri-City Herald!), then drove up to UW to have a late lunch / early dinner with C, J's baby sister.

We got to see her new house (way cute!), and then went down the hill to Aqua Verde for lunch. I highly recommend this place! I had never been before, but had seen a Rachel Ray special about it on the Food Network Channel. It's right on Lake Washington. The chipotle salsa is amazing, as is their guacamole. Good food, resonable prices. We ate out on the deck, and it was beautiful. J and I had to get on the road right after lunch/dinner because he had to work today, but if we had had more time, I would have tried to talk him in to renting a kayak and going out on the lake for awhile. Maybe next time.

We finally got home around 10 pm last night. Late, but totally worth it!

I went to the gym this morning and took two classes. One where I got all sweaty and gross, then I ran down to the locker room and got changed, rinsed off in the shower and then took a water aerobics class.

Whew! I'm now home, and trying to come up with some ideas for blog topics. Hopefully you'll have something more exciting to read tomorrow!

I'm going to go rest for a bit, and have a bowl of cereal! Happy Monday.

R's Rap

One of the boys in my fifth hour class last year (I LOVE that it's summer now and I can say "last year" - even though it was just last week!) was one of those wild and crazy types. During my poetry unit, I play ABBA's "Money, Money, Money" and we compare the lyrics to Edwin Arlington Robinson's poem "Richard Cory." It's a great lesson that usually goes over pretty well with kids. This particular kid asked if he could sing the song to the class, and I said sure. He backed out, of course, because I think he was expecting me to tell him no.

After that, I periodically offered him random chances to "sing us a little song...extra credit if you throw in a dance move or two!" He always turns me down.

On the last day I had that class, he asked if he could rap for the class. I, of course, said sure, but that I wanted to proofread / approve the lyrics before he did it. He said that was fair and got busy writing his own rap about English class.

He gave me the lyrics, I approved them, and guess what he did? He chickened out again.

Oh, well. He was really excited when I pinned the lyrics to my bulletin board where I put student pictures and notes.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, are the lyrics to the nonsensical rap that the public will never hear. (I particularly like his last two lines...I thought they were the most clever!)


Mrs. Hocking,
This class was so cool!
If you did not like it you’re a fool
Who always drools.
Writing poems was the worst part,
I would have rather got run over by a go kart.
We had this class fifth hour,
And now that it is over it feels sour.
Romeo and Juliet made no sense.
Exactly why did Tybalt like to fence?
Now that the year is at a close,
It’s time to reel in the hose,
And I have to say "bye" to my bros.
See you later Mrs. Hocking,
My sophomore year is a knocking.


RH

Is it wrong that...6

Is it wrong that yesterday when J had to get up and get dressed for work I giggled a little bit as I snuggled back down under the covers?

How about when I reminded him that I don't have to go back to work for 10 weeks?

Once upon a time

One day a long, long time ago, there lived a woman who did not whine, nag or bitch.

But it was a long time ago and it was just that one day.


The End

Schools out for summer!

I can't believe it's finally here, but today is the last day of school!

You heard me...today is the last day of school!

I don't think I will get tired of saying that! My face hurts already from smiling so much.

Yahoooooooooo!!!!!!!

I have a TON of plans for this summer, but I think you and I will be seeing each other here a lot more frequently!


PS Happy Anniversary Mom and John! I hope you have fun plans for "our" anniversary! I plan to make my husband take me out to dinner to celebrate the last day of school. He'll drink a beer and we'll toast you!

knowing me, knowing you - June

Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother has been doing a monthly interview post, and I’ve been joining in each month. I’m a little late this month, but here it is, the June installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Do you have any pets?
I do. J and I have two cats, Sid and Zoe. They are both 5 years old. I’ve posted lots about them in the past as we don’t have kids yet. They are sweet cats, and they have very distinct personalities. Zoe sleeps under the covers, with or without us. Sid sleeps with his head on a pillow, or on top of one of us. He “pretends” he doesn’t know where Zoe is under the covers and will stand on top of her until we push him away.

2. What's your favorite dessert?
Hands down, crème brulee. Or cheesecake. With fruit toppings.

3. For my fellow bloggers out there - are you a stats checker?
I used to be. But so few people read my blog that I got tired of looking and seeing the same stats over and over and over again. Now I don’t bother.

4. Do you have a gaming system?
Me personally? No. In my house? Yes. J has a PlayStation3 that he uses fairly regularly (probably two or three times a week or so), and I use every once in awhile. I am not good at video games (except Jeopardy), and don’t like to play them very often. J and I own several Legos games (StarWars, Batman, and Indiana Jones) and I do enjoy those. Oh, and I like Guitar Hero even though I – as my students would say – suck hardcore.

5. What is your beverage of choice?
Pepsi or COLD water. I’m trying to drink more water recently, but I do love a nice cold Pepsi every so often. Whatever I drink, it’s cold or lukewarm at best. I don’t enjoy hot drinks at all.

Yesterday, I was flocked

When I left the house to go to school yesterday, look what greeted me when I opened the door!

Pretty cute, huh?

At first I thought we got pranked. (Kids are always "promising" they are going to fork my lawn or tp my trees, but they never do. I'm pretty glad about that.) Turns out this is extortion.

Well, not really. It's a fund raiser (but aren't those two things one and the same?) Two of my students are trying to earn enough money to pay their way to Malibu. A Young Life camp up in Canada somewhere. I've never been myself, but I've heard it's amazing. It was popular when I was in high school, and it's popular still.

Two Young Life kids came to my house in the middle of the night and "flocked" my lawn with the plastic flamingos. Attached to a stake was a note that informed me I had been flocked and it was a fundraiser to send J and C to Malibu. If I donate $20, they will come back to my house and take the flamingos on to someone else's house (someone of my choosing), or if I donate $30 they will come back to my house and remove the flamingos. And, if I want to be a Scrooge, they will come back for free and take them away.

It's highway robbery, I tell you.

But, the kids invovled are amazing young people, and Malibu is a pretty worthy goal, so I bit. I called one of the perpetrators in to my room and wrote the stinker a check. He's going to come back at 4:00 and remove them...

then he's taking them to my friend's house...

This could be dangerous

Oh, yeah! Summer's almost here and look what I just got! Added bonus: my district will reimburse teachers up to $250 for professional development. As an English teacher? Yeah, pretty much anything I read counts. I'm downloaded and uploaded and ready to go!

He couldn't have said it better himself

The other day I was driving to work and I heard a song for the first time on the radio. Have you heard Billy Currington's "People Are Crazy" yet?

Yeah, the chorus is pretty much J's motto in life.

"God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy."

If you know J at all, you're probably nodding your head and smiling. He couldn't have summed it up any better if he tried himself.




Here are the lyrics to the song in case you're interested. You can see a video of it and hear the whole song on YouTube if you're interested - it's a pretty catchy tune. I highly recommend it.


PEOPLE ARE CRAZY

This old man and me, were at the bar and we
Were having us some beers and swapping I don't cares.
Talking politics, blonde and red-haired chicks
Old dogs and new tricks and habits we ain't kicked
We talked about God's grace and all the hell we raised
Then I heard the ol' man say;
God is great. Beer is good. People are crazy.
He said "I fought two wars,
Been married and divorced"
"What brings you to Ohio?"
He said, "Damned if I know"
We talked an hour or two, 'bout every girl we knew
What all we put them through
Like two old boys will do
We pondered life and death
He lit a cigarette
He said, "These damn things will kill me yet;
But God is great. Beer is good. And people are crazy."
Last call, it's 2a.m.,
I said goodbye to him
I never talked to him again
Then one sunny day,
I saw the old man's face
Front page obituary, he was a millionaire
He left his fortune to
Some guy he barely knew,
his kids were mad as hell
But me? I'm doing well
And I dropped by today, to just say thanks and pray,
I left a six-pack right there on his grave and I said;
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

The only thing keeping me out of jail

The only thing keeping me out of jail right now is my kids. The adults around here are making me homicidal. My normally kind, even-tempered co-workers are just plain evil lately.

I'm serious.**

If people don't start chilling out, or at least quit complaining about EVERYTHING, I may end up hurting someone.

While the adults I'm subjected to day in and day out are driving me to the brink of violence, my kids are keeping me sane. Of course they're getting antsy for school to be over and counting the minutes till we're free (all 2,750 of 'em...yeah, I'm counting, too), but they've been that way for about 8 months now. I'm used to it.

And I can tell them to quit it.

Seniors are simultaneously thrilled and terrified by their impending graduation. It's like pulling teeth to get them to work right now, but they're doing it because they have to. If they don't pass my class, they can't graduate. And I'm not afraid to remind them of that when they start to slack.

They've been working on their final project for the last month, and we've been doing it all by e-mail. They work on a draft of a portion of the project, send it to me as an attachment, I use the "insert comments" portion of MS Word to edit and give feedback, then save and resend to the kid. The jury is still out on whether I am brilliant or stupid for doing it this way. It's been good because I can get them to do multiple drafts of things when it's all electronic, but it's bad because I've been chained to my computer for a month and I can't stand another minute to do a blog entry. It's good because we have saved a TON of paper and printer toner, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. It's good because kids get almost instant feedback and can work from home, but it's bad because I have been chained to my computer. (Are you seeing my problem?)

But, back to my point. It's at this point in the year that I start to forget all the annoying things they've done, and start to miss my kids terribly - and they haven't even left yet. Every year at this time I think to myself that I've got the most amazing students, and nobody could ever be better than these kids. But I say it every year...they can't all be that amazing, can they?

And while they say (whoever "they" are) teachers don't have favorites, it's really not true. We have favorites. We can't help it. I try my hardest, though, not to let any of the kids know. As far as my kids are concerned, they would each tell you they were my favorite. That's the way it should be. They should all feel equally special and important.

But I'm not going to lie, I do have my favorites.

Here are the highlights of a series of e-mails between me and one of my goofy senior boys - and yeah, he's one of my favorites. I think you'll see why by the end of the exchange.

He’s been telling me that he’s sent me electronic copies of parts of his project but I haven’t returned them. I’ve been telling him he’s crazy. I have gotten some of the pieces he's referring to, but not all of them. Of those I received, I returned them all within 24 hours. Finally, the other day, I asked him if he could show me his sent mail folder. We quickly realized that I was right (was there really any question about that?) and he was wrong.

Here’s the exchange from a few days ago: Orange is what I wrote, blue is what he wrote, green is my commentary. (Please excuse his horrible grammar and spelling...it's taking a lot for me to leave it alone and not edit it. Rest assured that he doesn't write like that in class - there's just something so informal about e-mail. Either that or he's allergic to the shift key and spell check gives him hives.)

From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 11:26 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:

You didn't fix the paragraph of explanation...are you trying to give me gray hair? :)

6/10


From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:49 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:

sorry i think i got it this time :) and i would never give you grey hair mrs.hocking that would be terrible


From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:59 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:

ok i just sent you revised pieces of great grandmas quotes and the I am poem. hopefully we got all this worked out :) but i got a question for one of the written pieces it says that you can do a newspaper article? how long does that piece have to be because i was thinking of doing a wedding announcement


From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:02 PM
To: T
Subject: RE:

A wedding announcement wouldn't be long enough for a written piece...but if you included a picture from the wedding, you could definitely do it as a visual. If you want to do a newspaper article, it needs to be about something newsworthy, and that can be hard to find sometimes.

I got the other two pieces. Pretty sure you are trying to give me grey hair...or at least confuse me!


From: T
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 4:08 PM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:

ok thats what i thought. but thanks ill figure something out. and no i am not trying to give you grey hair you're my favorite teacher come on haha.


From: Kristina Hocking
Sent: Thursday 07, 2009 9:02 AM
To: T
Subject: RE:

T -

Gray hairs...I can feel 'em...

Mrs. H

7/10

(The text we are discussing in our e-mails has been copied and pasted below. The brackets and kh with a number are my embedded comments. You can see them as footnotes below his text. I LOVE the insert comments feature of MS Word! Saved about a million and thirteen trees this year!)

Lenore’s famous sayings
By T

"Would you like something to eat or drink?"
Lenore always wants people to be well fed and feeling good, so this is practically the first thing she says whenever anyone walks into her house. Typically she offers cookies to her visitors. Grandma [kh1] has had a cookie jar in the same place on her counter for as long as anyone can remember. When I visit her, I [kh2] always get a cookie.


"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
Grandma [kh3] always says she wants her grandchildren to be healthy. Part of this is eating healthy foods. When we visit, she only allows us to eat one cookie. If we want more, we have to sneak into the kitchen and the cookie jar. [kh4] .[kh5]

"Always strive your hardest to be what you want to be and you will achieve it."
Grandma [kh6] always talks to [kh7] about your future and what you’re going to do. You can't find a time to visit her when she is not interested in what you are doing [kh8] She just wants me to succeed in my [kh9] life.

"I am too old to remember or even know that."
Every time Grandma [kh10] gets stumped by a question, she blames her age. She never wants to admit she may not know something, so she uses this excuse. My grandma [kh11] is 94 years old so she has a hard time remembering some things, but she's a smart lady and is still pretty sharp.

When I think of Lenore, these are the sayings that come to mind. [kh12] She says these things on a regular basis to her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Lenore is a great lady. You can always count on her to be a good listener. If you want someone to talk to, go visit Lenore.

[kh1]She

[kh2]I can feel the gray hairs…no first person!
[kh3]Lenore
[kh4]More gray hairs…I, me, we, us, etc. = first person
[kh5]This is a short explanation…talk about her health, or something…it just needs more
[kh6]Lenore
[kh7]Who does she talk to? A wall?
[kh8]Add a period
[kh9]Seriously…two more gray hairs…
[kh10]Lenore
[kh11]There’s another gray hair…
[kh12]At this rate, I’ll have a head full of silver hair before we get you graduated…

He sent it back to me fixed, finally, along with this note.


From: T
Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 11:21 AM
To: Kristina Hocking
Subject:

i think this is now done to your extremly high expectation level. please dont let your hair turn grey.

sincerly t aka your favorite student


(Bold, isn't he? Announcing to me that he's my favorite. He's right, he is one of my favorites, but he doesn't know that!)

**I'm not really serious. I can't hardly kill bugs in my house. I'm all talk and no action. For now.**

School Laughs

This was passed around at school last week. I have no idea where it was originally published, or if it really is from Jeff Foxworthy. It may just be in the "You Might be a Redneck" style and have nothing to do with him, but it's funny nonetheless.

Those I've highlighted in orange struck a nerve with me, and I found them particularly funny.

Jeff Foxworthy on School Employees

YOU might be a school employee if you believe the playground should be equipped with a Ritalin salt lick.

YOU might be a school employee if you want to slap the next person who says, 'Must be nice to work 8 to 3:30 and have summers off.

YOU might be a school employee if it is difficult to name your own child because there's no name you can come up with that doesn't bring high blood pressure as it is uttered.

YOU might be a school employee if you believe, 'shallow gene pool' should have its own box on a
report card.

YOU might be a school employee if when out in public, you feel the urge to snap your fingers at children you do not know and correct their behavior.

YOU might be a school employee if you have no social life between August and June.

YOU might be a school employee if you think people should have a government permit before being allowed to reproduce.

YOU might be a school employee if you wonder how some parents MANAGED to reproduce.

YOU might be a school employee if you laugh uncontrollably when people refer to the staff room as the 'lounge.'

YOU might be a school employee if you think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

YOU might be a school employee if meeting a child's parent instantly answers this question, 'Why is this kid like this?'

YOU might be a school employee if you would choose a mammogram over a parent conference.

YOU might be a school employee if you think someone should invent antibacterial pencils and crayons...and desks and chairs for that matter!

YOU might be a school employee if the words 'I have college debt for this?' has ever come out of your mouth.

YOU might be a school employee if you know how many days, minutes, and seconds are left in the school year!

knowing me, knowing you - May

A few months ago, Shan from Tales from the Fairy Blogmother started a new interview post. She invited everyone to play along each month. So, here it is, the May installment of Knowing Me, Knowing You!

1. Do you and your significant other go to bed at the same time?
Nope. I wish we did, but we just don’t. During the school year, I have to be up long before J, so I end up in bed before him. Sometimes hours before him. Even during the summer I’m typically in bed before he is. I am a morning person, and he is definitely a night owl.

2. Do you have any siblings?
I have two younger sisters. T is 19 months younger than me, and L is two years to the day younger than T. When we were young, we didn’t get along very well, but the older we get, the better our relationships get. I’m not sure how to explain it best, but we’ve always been close, we’re just now becoming friends. Does that make sense? We’ve always been fiercely protective of each other, even when we didn’t get along. But now, in addition to being protective of each other, we like each other, too.

I also have two sisters-in-law. H is about 6 months younger than me, and C is about 9.5 years younger than me. It was actually because of H that I met J. Yeah, I’m that girl. I dated, then married, my friend’s older brother. Poor J – between us we’ve got four sisters and not a single brother! I think he’s looking forward to having more males around…he’s pretty outnumbered as it is. (For that matter, I think his dad, my dad and my step-dad are looking forward to those days, too! Even with J around, they are all way outnumbered!)

3. You're spending an evening with friends -- would you rather cook for them in your home or go out to a restaurant?
Hmm…it depends. If my house is clean, I don’t mind having people over. In fact, when we first bought the house, J and I did a fair amount of entertaining. Recently, though, if you’re not related, you aren’t allowed to see my house. We go out fairly regularly with another couple we’re pretty good friends with. And one of my close girlfriends has adopted us into her family and we’re often invited over for Family Fun Nights and birthdays / special events. So, I guess I would have to say that we rarely entertain at home, though we like to.

4. What's your can't miss TV show?
During the school year there’s no such thing as “can’t miss” for me…I always miss. I am a total sucker for reality television (as we’ve discussed before), but I think the one show I would have to say I try to watch every week is NCIS. J and I both love it. One of my friends is addicted, too, and we text each other like mad as we are watching the show. Unfortunately, though, during the school year I can never predict what each day will bring, and I often miss the very shows I love the most.

5. Are you doing any spring cleaning?
Spring cleaning? No. Summer cleaning? You bet. This time of year is insanely busy. I typically do what I can during Spring Break, then grit my teeth and pray for summer. Once school is out, I take a few days to rest, then I whip the house back into shape. What else am I going to do during the summer when I’m not working and J still is? I don’t have kids to occupy me, so I have to do what I can to stay busy. This regularly means cleaning. J thinks I’m obsessed and love to clean, but I really don’t. I just can’t think of anything else to do that doesn’t cost money! And for the sake of my sanity, our budget and our marriage, I need to do free stuff for most of the summer… Come June 10, my house won’t know what hit it!

Movin' and Groovin'

I know I've been bad about posting again this week. I've been crazy busy! But it's a good busy, so I'm glad.

I told you a week or two ago that J and I joined a local gym. I've been sweating up a storm the last few weeks. But, much to my surprise, it's been a lot of fun! If there is a place near you with any of these classes, take them!!! I'm old and fat - if I can do them and have a great time, you can totally do them!


Believe it or not, Zumba is an incredibly popular fitness craze sweeping the nation (and it has been for about two years, now), but I had the hardest time finding a video that looked even close to what we've been doing at the Tri-City Court Club. Apparently, anyone who teaches Zumba gets to make up their own routines, so no two classes are the same! Do a YouTube search for Zumba, and you'll see about a million different routines. Awhile back, Kellog's put together a Zumba video for families that looks kind of similar to what we do, but not exactly.

Though I love Zumba, I don't want anything to get old and stale, so my friend and I are still trying out all kinds of classes. So, last Monday evening, instead of Zumba, we tried out the Group Step class...also fun! I was able to follow that better than Zumba. No matter how hard I try, my hips just don't move like a salsa dancer's. We felt like total wusses, though, because we didn't have any risers under our steps. Even the pregnant lady had a set of risers under hers! But I was glad I didn't about halfway through. That's a LOT of climbing up and down! My thighs were killing me.

There were a few moves that had me stumped, but I just kept stepping up and down on the board until they got back to something I could wrap my head around. I figured that's better than standing still, right?

Here's a video of Step Class.

On Saturdays, I've been going to H2O Cardio. That's a great class. I'm looking forward to summer when I can do that one daily. I can do EVERYTHING in that class! Plus, it's the one class where I am not one of the oldest, fattest people there. In fact, I am the youngest (by a lot of years), and let's just say I'm not embarrassed to be in my swim suit there. Bonus: not even one SHS kid is in the class! It feels good to be back in the pool. I spent almost my entire high school career in the pool. I was on the girl's swim team, I managed the boy's swim team, I was a lifeguard, I taught swim lessons, and every single PE class I took was in the pool. I smelled like chlorine for four years. I love the pool. And I've missed it. J and I have a pool in our backyard now, and we love it, but it's just not quite the same. I even miss swimming laps. J and I have done that once, and I think he's willing to go back with me again. (No video of this one...but that's okay - you might not want to see it!)


Of all the classes I've tried, though, I think my favorite is Group Kick. It's awesome! You totally feel like you're kicking butt. I think the sound effects in the songs really helps that. I found two great clips on YouTube that show exactly what we do in that class. Turn up the volume a bit so you can see what I'm talking about. When you swing your samurai sword, there is a swishing noise in the song...you can totally imagine that sword swinging through the air! When you are punching your "opponent" there are movie-type sound effects in the music. It's kind of corny when you just listen, but when you are in the class it's easy to get caught up in it all and let your imagination take over.

Happy Mother's Day!

Between us, J and I have three moms - and they're all pretty great. They are all very different from each other, too. The one thing they all have in common is that they love us - and we love them.

Small post with a big message:

Happy Mother's Day Mom R., Mom H., and Mel!!! We love you.

Now that's punny!

They said we'd have an African-American President when pigs fly.

Three months later?

Swine flu.

Down the Road

I am obsessed with music lately. Ever since I took my first Zumba class, I find myself listening for the beat in the songs I hear, and trying to figure out how to move to it.

I find that I still have ZERO rhythm.

But I'm having so much fun doing it!! When I am home alone, I might even bust out a few moves for the cats.

They're not all that interested.

Here are the songs on my playlist this week:

1. Down the Road, Kenny Chesney
2. Best Days of Your Life, Kellie Pickler
3. It Happens, Sugarland
4. One in Every Crowd, Montgomery Gentry
5. Sissy's Song, Alan Jackson
6. I Run to You, Lady Antebellum
7. River of Love, George Strait
8. Whatever it is, Zac Brown Band
9. Feel that Fire, Dierks Bentley
10. Lucky, Jason Mraz
11. Live Your Life, T.I. (featuring Rihanna)
12. Just Dance, Lady GaGa and Colby O'Donis
13. The Show, Lenka
14. Gotta Be Somebody, Nickelback
15. Just Go Started Lovin' You, James Otto
16. Don't You Know You're Beautiful, Kellie Pickler
17. Do You Believe Me Now?, Jimmy Wayne
18. She Wouldn't Be Gone, Blake Shelton
19. Love Story, Taylor Swift
20. Sweet and Wild, Dierks Bentley

...and on and on and on...

Man, the list could go on forever. Between J and I we have 8.89 GB of music on our iPods. It's easier for us to just use the one account and plug both iPods into it. I can't figure out how to separate out "his" and "hers" music, so we have same iTunes library and just create our own playlists.

That's 269.7 days of music, according to the dealy at the bottom of iTunes. (**We did NOT purchase most of that...much of it came from cd's we already owned!**)


What songs are you listening to / loving right now?

Hallmark cards rock, pt. 14

Okay, the jury is still out on these cards. I can't decide if I think they are hysterical or just plain dumb. But I'm leaning towards funny.

What do you think?