National Sacher Torte Day....

If you recall I wrote about National Sacher Torte Day back in December. I included the recipe and hoped I didn't offend anyone who did not celebrate National Sacher Torte Day by saying "Happy Sacher Torte Day!". Well, something very weird has been happening the last few days. A large number of people (10ish or so each day for the last few days) have been coming to my blog by searching for National Sacher Torte Day. I think this is odd because it isn't even the same month as it is celebrated. So...if you got here by searching for the holiday PLEASE tell me WHY you are looking it up now. I just have to know. Thank you.

Is Anything Sacred?

Several people have said to me..."Your life is an open book in your blog, you just write about everything." And even more people have said..."oh great, now she will write that in her blog." Isn't that funny. If you are wondering if anything is sacred, I do have my boundries. Last week I wrote a very long post about politics and erased it all before I offended everyone I know. Ha ha. Some stuff just isn't blog worthy. I've had a few subjects brewing in my mind lately and I just haven't had the guts to write about them. Sounds funny coming from me, eh? I sometimes think by stating the obvious, I get myself in trouble. It bothers people. Even if it is something they know is true...they don't want other people to acknowledge it. Denial is a powerful tool.

Either way, if you are part of my life you will eventually end up in my blog. That doesn't mean I am going to write something bad about you or get a laugh at your expense. I am not cruel. I am just like to share my life experiences. That's my nature. So please don't be offended.

The Polish Guy....

I dated this guy from Poland. He told the best Polish jokes. Isn't that some sort of joke? A Polish guy telling Polish jokes. Get it? It just fits the stereotype. He was very smart though. We had a lot of fun. He was so entertained by the Americans. It didn't work out between us. Oh well. He is an accountant. Lives in Detroit. Married a cute mexican girl. I ran into his brother a few months ago (Pavel). He looks just like him (only with muscles). I was in shock. He grew up to be a good looking guy...not like the pimply, angst ridden teen ager he was when I dated his brother.

That's it for ex-men Monday.

Time....

Time is nothing
But imaginary space
Marked by events
That stimulate emotion.

I wrote that while I was in high school. I have been thinking about time. I have always been able to juggle many things at once and I seem to manage my time wisely. Lately, I feel like I don't have enough time. Being sick for a week (and still not back to normal) set me back. Now the kids are sick (fever, snot, etc...). I am tired. So, I haven't had much time to blog or call my friends. If you haven't heard from me in a while, that is why. I am swamped and exhausted.

To give you a quick update. Justiene moved into her own apartment on Saturday. I am so happy for her to start a new life. I just hope she stays strong and continues to make a better life for herself.

We had a fun week-end. My mom was still here so we went shopping (of course). Then we went to the Sluka's for a fun evening. We played Battle of the Sexes...which I am just horrible at! I didn't know half the girl stuff! Sunday we went to church. Afterwards, Russ & Justiene joined us for lunch. So that was cool. We like having people over. We had some serious conversation about Jake going into the ministry (another blog for another day...).

Okay, Jude is hungry....gotta go.

Haircut....Finally!!!

After a month of bad hair days I finally decided to do something drastic. Today I got 5 inches cut off my hair! It still touches my shoulders. I had some layers put in so in some parts I had 7-8 inches cut off. It looks and feels so much better. Jake didn't want me to cut it because I guess men are supposed to like long hair but I think when he sees it he will agree it was the right move.

I am feeling better...not 100% yet. Going to the grocery store and salon pretty much wore me out. My voice is about 50% and I sound "sultry" (as one person described). I think I sound like a man, pretending to be a woman. I will be back to work on Monday...hopefully as good as new. If it wasn't for the being sick part, it was nice to be home all week. I think the kids have liked having us both here. There seems to be less attention getting behaviors! I just have to hold out until the end of May! Then I can be a stay at home mom again!

Insomnia in a House FULL of People...

I took some NyQuil at 8:30 last night. I pretty much passed out on the couch. That stuff really knocks you out! I went to bed around 10:30ish. Apparently, the effect has worn off because I am WIDE awake. I am probably waking people up. I went to the kitchen for water. I opened the hall closet for more medication. I blew my nose. I flushed the toilet. Washed my hands. All very noisy things when one is trying to sleep. Now...I type. I am just waiting for the new dose to kick in so I can sleep without my face hurting again!

Mom to the Rescue...

I can't believe it is Wednesday. I am still sick. The kids are pretty much well again. But NOT me. I only have a little fever (99.7) but my throat hurts very bad. I don't want to talk. I don't want to eat or drink anything. Swallowing = Pain. I think I will go to the doctor and make sure this isn't strep.

I actually got up yesterday and did a few things. Took care of the kids and cooked Jake dinner. I was grouchy. I hate to sit down and waste a whole day doing NOTHING. It drives me crazy. My mom said even when I was a kid I would be sick and I'd lay around for a while, then I'd be up playing and she'd think I was better. Then the next time she looked around I'd be out again. I've never been one to sit still much. Have you noticed??????

Either way, my mom is coming today!!!!! Yeah. Mom to the Rescue. Or should I say Nana to the rescue. She can take care of the kids and I can sleep. I am making Heather's (a lady from church who just had a baby) meal for her today. Yikes. If she is lucky, my mom will be preparing it (she is a good cook). If not, she'll be getting take out. Sorry Ms. G. It will be better than sick delilah food.

Well, go have the best day of your life....

Tuesday Part 2

So, I am still sick and now I can't talk. My throat hurts so bad! I can't stand it. I have tried everything I know of (other than going to the doctor): hot tea, salt water, listerine, chloroseptic spray, cough drops, honey, chocolate (I did find at least one person that agreed it is a cure for everything - worth a try, eh?) etc.... Do you know me? I have to communicate. It is killing me. I had to whisper read Jude's book to him at bedtime. And it was still painful.

On another subject...there has been a lot of talk about MySpace.com in the news. There was a girl in California who was killed and it had something to do with myspace. I don't really know too much about it but today, since I was basically bedridden I decided to check out this MySpace.com. I started looking up people who I knew had their own MySpace. I found something awful. One guy I know was talking about committing suicide. He has plans to kill himself. He has actually planned out what he would do. All the training I have received would say THIS IS VERY SERIOUS! He is not just having suicidal ideation but he has a plan. He wants to hang himself. He did say he went to talk to a councilor today. I was happy to hear that but overall, disturbed, none the less.

I looked up people in my age range from my High School. I found some interesting stuff. Ex-boyfriends, old friends....I didn't leave any messages or anything. I am not into all that.

The Best Day of My Life

There is this man from my church who wrote this little story about himself and gave it to the Pastor. He wrote it because he can't talk. He has had all kinds of problems: cancer, his wife left him, had to have his voice box removed, etc... He said each day when he wakes up he thinks, "This is the Best Day of my life!" I think that is such a good attitude. We should all be like that...grateful for everyday we have. If we knew we were going to die (well, we all know we will die, we just don't know when) we would live life to the fullest and each day would be the best day of our lives. But...we forget. I have been having a bad week (since last week). Things are getting better but now: I am sick...not in a demented mental health kind of way. In a not feeling well, sore throat, can't talk, coughing, have a fever kind of way. My kids are sick. Justiene is sick. Jake is the only healthy one. Usually, he gets sick with the kids and I am fine. Not this time. It really stinks for a couple of reasons: 1. I was going to start a diet today. One that did not include cough drops and salt water. 2. I am supposed to be at a school where the state lady will be observing me tomorrow. I have NO idea what these kids will be like because it will be my first meeting with them. 3. I needed to go shopping today to buy something to wear tomorrow. 4. I hate to call off. I would probably still go but I don't think my voice is going to make it.

Last night I went to this Valentine's Tea at our church. It was nice. It was mostly older women (a handful of the younger gals). Anyways, after the thing this one girl asked me if I was mad at her. She said I gave her a dirty look and I hadn't been talking to her. I felt really bad. I hadn't noticed we hadn't talked because we don't always talk. And I certainly didn't mean to give her a dirty look. I was probably thinking about something else (with a sour look on my face) and she walked by or something. Plus I was really REALLY busy on Sunday...distracted and trying to do 10 things at once. But either way, I was glad she asked me about it, instead of just ignoring me or talking about me. Everything is okay now. It made me think that maybe other people think that I am mad at them or something at times. There was this one lady, who I thought for a long time was mad at me for something but I didn't say anything to her. I know that isn't like me but I just didn't want to have the confrontation. Now, I think maybe I made it all up in my head....maybe she thought I was mad at her! Women are so difficult (I know that is a generalization and I include myself). I know, personally, I have been hurt in many of my female friendships so I tend to keep people at an arm's length sometimes. That is something I am going to work on. Sometimes I say too much, and other times, I don't say enough. Sometimes I'll surprise you with something extraordinarily nice one minute , and then I will forget your birthday (I am really bad about that - it is a Wright girl thing, my sister does it too). I am still learning.

On another note: My coworker, Mel, is at that awful school I was at a few weeks ago. You know, the one I had to walk out of and they stole my candy! Well, she is there, so keep her in your thoughts. Hopefully she will have a better experience than me. She will have different kids but the same teacher!

Hey, have the BEST DAY of your life!

J. the P. a.k.a. Jim the Pharmacist

Ex-men Monday is back. Toys R Us Kid(s) reminded me of a few men I should share with you. Throughout my life I have given nick names to a lot of people. Jim wasn't an exception. The first time we met I had taken a few friends and my friend Don had invited a few of his pals and we met in Cleveland at this place I think is called "The Wine Cave". I was a very classy bar. They served wines from all over the world and fancy appetizer. Cheese and stuff like that... It was not a place you would go and get drunk. They played classical music. I can't really recall what friends I took. I think it was Heather, Tiffany and Amanda but either way, one of the guys that came with Don was Jim. That night we gave him his nick name that stuck for years. During the evening he must have told us 20 times that he was a pharmacist. He was obviously proud of his profession. Well, that night he and I really hit it off. I had heard about him before but I hadn't actually met him. He seemed very nice and he was cute, too (in a Pharmacist kind of way). I left the Wine Cave quite smitten. The details are blurry but I think he started calling me soon after that. We would talk for hours. We definitely were headed for couplehood....well, at least I thought. We started hanging out in person. He lived in Lakewood and I lived in Peninsula so we had to make a real effort to see one another. I would talk to Don about Jim. He would warn me he would only break my heart...I should turn back now. Apparently Jim had a reputation of lovin' and leavin'. I ignored all warnings. So, things were always a little awkward with Jim the Pharmacist. I never really knew if he liked me as a girl or just as a friend. We were both total freaks about the whole thing. I would never bring up the subject, nor would he. Somehow along the path of friendship we started sharing about other people we were dating. He had some physical relationships he was very up front about. I dated other guys. But it always came back to J. the P. One of my boyfriends moved to Detroit for a job. We were going to try to "work it out". He came home after one week and dumped me. Jim took me to a hockey game to heal my broken heart. He was my wedding date. We went to 2 or 3 weddings together. Maybe even 4. Everyone raved about what a great couple we were...NON couple that is. He went to Vermilion with me once and met my parents. We went to movies and we rented movies and had them at home. We spent hours alone at his house. He is Greek. Very greek. He plays indoor soccer. One time Tiffany and Amanda went to see him play. He was very happy. He loved attention and he was arrogant (which made him even happier we were there to see him). Which is one reason I liked him. I really liked Jim. Anytime he would talk about another girl, I would cringe. He had to know! All my friends knew, my parents knew, my friends parents knew (afterall we had been to all their weddings!)...WHY didn't he know. I thought he liked me too but if he did he never let me know. We did kiss one time, at a party, after a few drinks. One kiss. We never discussed it. He really hurt my feelings because he started to like this girl that was a sister in law to one of my friends. The girl is cute but doesn't have a brain in her head. He even went out with her once. He talked about her a lot. I couldn't get mad because he wasn't mine but I was tired of the games (this had been going on for years!). So, I had a wedding coming up and I told him I was going to get a "real" date to take to the wedding. I went alone. That was the second to last time we talked. The last time, he called to tell me he was having a "Wine Party". I told him I would go but I never showed up. I was in a "funk" and didn't feel like going. So, I didn't go. He quit calling after that. I did call him when Jake and I got engaged(about 6-7 months after we last talked)...afterall, we were "just friends", I thought he would be happy for me. I just left a message and he never called back. No emails. Nothing. I guess he was really mad about that Wine Party. So, that is what happened to Jim the Pharmacist. Don and I email every now and then (well, it has been a while) but anytime I've asked about Jim he changes the subject or doesn't email me for a while. Maybe it is coincidence????? I don't know. Either way, he was the boyfriend that wasn't. Anyone else remember this guy?

The Fun of Leebrick Hall...

I didn't have time to type yesterday so I am going to tell you a Kent story today. After I moved out of Prentice Hall, I moved over to Leebrick Hall. It was a co-ed dorm with single occupancy drums. I happened to live on the 6th floor. The floor was divided by two sections...males and females. We didn't have a RA (resident assistant) on our floor, because in Leebrick you only had them every other floor. At first I didn't really talk to anyone. I did my own thing and so did everyone else. That was the nature of the dorm. The girls on my floor were all nursing students who got up at the crack of dawn and went to bed at a decent hour...long before I ever got home from work. I don't think I knew any of their names, besides Mary Beth. She lived directly next to me. She had a boyfriend named Jake, who was very quiet and reserved. When they were alone in her room sharing "private time" she was not so quiet and reserved! The whole 6th floor could hear her! It was embarrassing. I ran into Jake (not my husband) once in Akron. We talked for a long time. He said they had since broken up. I probably would have liked him but I just couldn't get over all the stuff I had heard between the two of them. He asked for my number, I told him I had a boyfriend. I didn't bother to tell him it was an imaginary boyfriend. Either way I made friends with these two guys named Gus & Tom, who lived on my floor. Gus was Greek Orthadox and Tom was from California. I spent all my time with these boys. We'd watch movies together, we'd go out to the bars together, we'd eat together, study together....it was crazy. We watched The Dukes of Hazzard each day. Gus ended up dating Brandy and another one of my friends (later down the road.) I think they liked hanging out with me because I had hot friends. They did tell me I had more beautiful friends than anyone they ever met! (Heather, Brandy, JenF, etc...) I was in some weird stage trying to be punk but not doing a very good job at it. I stuck out! One time Gus, Tom and I were out walking around campus in the middle of the night. We went over to the building where all the psych classes are (I can't remember the name even though I have a degree in Psychology and ALL of my classes were in that building!) For some reason it was open. So we went inside and went into this huge auditorium classroom. We sat there and talked, in the dark, smoking clove cigarettes for an hour or so. It was fun. At the end of the year Gus went home (maybe Brunswick???) and Tom went back to California. He never made it back to Ohio. He has emailed me a few times throughout the years. He's an artist and true to his artist nature. Gus stuck around and we talked every now and then but not too much. I have no idea where he is or what he is doing. I can only assume he is on drugs. He was also an artist.

Those were the days of Leebrick Hall. I was happy to move out of the dorm for the summer and I never went back to dorm living. One year was enough for me.

The Google Paved Road....

I want to share with you some of the things people search for that leads them to my blog. I think it is very interesting.

1. woods poop
2. tweekers recipe
3. "mom" & "crystal meth"
4. tom cavanagh
5. souse meat
6. punta canta slang
7. sexy tractors
8. howie chizek
9. the office updog
10. crystal meth recipe
11. jake's dream buck
12. thaw water line double wide (my blog is the #1 result on google for this search!)

That's all.

Tired & Grouchy...

It has been a long week and I am worn out. I really can't pinpoint the exact cause but I am just over done this week. This will be Justiene's 5th night at our house. She is going to see the dishes piled up and laundry in baskets because I just can't seem to keep up. It really has not been bad having her here at all. Linda stayed over last night and even with 2 house guests we weren't overly crowded. I know Justiene is anxious to get her own place but we don't mind having her here at all. She is basically only sleeping here anyways.

Eric was here this evening. He went to leave after dinner and his car wouldn't start. He had run out of gas. Lucky for him Jake had a spare can of gasoline in the garage. I teased Eric about running so low. It seems like there is always something with him!

Either way this week has been blah. I've had bad hair, I have zits (don't most people grow out of that zit stage??????), my classes were blah, I have barely seen my husband and I think I gained 3 lbs.

Hopefully I will be back to my old spunky self soon. Until then....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

STD's 101

In our Abstinence program, the third day of the 7th grade program is all about STD's. It is really one of my favorite days out of all the grades/ days. My job is to inform kids how not to get a STD. Easy enough, right? They are gross, no one would ever want one. Well...it is not that simple. Kids want to "play" but not reap the consequences. Also, I don't want to just gross the kids out and scare them (although the stuff is scary) but give them a reason not to take the risk of getting them. Don't we teach kids to look their fears in the face and to conquer them? So, logically scare tactics don't work and could even lead to unhealthy views of sex. Over the years I have evolved to my current teaching methods, which I find to be effective and quite captivating. I don't know if the kids agree but I haven't had any complaints. Either way, I don't sugar coat the facts and I do get pretty detailed when talking briefly about the symptoms. My main points of the day are:

• There is only ONE 100% effective way not to get a STD.
• Sexual Activity is not just "doing it". If you are one of those people that does all the "other" stuff but doesn't go all the way, you can get an STD from the "other" stuff.
• There isn't one test for all STD's. Some involve internal exams, some urine tests, some blood tests and some can't even be detected by testing.
• MOST STD'S DO NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS. Although they aren't showing symptoms, they can be transmitted to others and may be doing damage to your body that is not reversible.
• When you have a pap smear they DO NOT test for STD's. You have to specifically ask to be tested. A pap smear is looking for abnormal cells (a.k.a. cancer). If you aren't comfortable talking to your parents or you doctor about this stuff you shouldn't be doing it.
• Condoms provide little or NO protection against 2 STD's that are not curable (herpes & HPV). Condoms are not 99.9% effective like you were told. They are about 85% effective in preventing pregnancy (studies among mature responsible sober adults). But it doesn't matter because teens don't use them anyways. Either they get caught up in the moment and didn't plan to really have sex or they are too embarrassed to buy them or they don't have the money or they don't like the way they feel or they were too drunk.
• 15 million Americans get an STD each year.

Those are my main points. Then I go over 9 STD's: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, PID, Pubic Lice, Herpes Simplex Virus 2, Hepatitis B, Venereal Warts and HIV/AIDS. My favorite to talk about is the warts. This morning in my first period class I was talking about all the STD's and I noticed a few people squirming. I usually note (mentally) who is responding in a negative way. I notice some kids looking very uncomfortable when I tell them if they have been sexually active they have to get check out. I noticed one girl in the front was looking nervous. She gets up during the middle of my lecture (remember I am talking about HPV). So this girl goes and tells the teacher she isn't feeling so good. The teacher is writing her a pass. I decide I should keep teaching. Well, I was saying where you can get these warts: genitals, scrotum, thighs, buttocks, throat, tongue, and esophogus. As soon as I say scrotum...Barf. Yes the girl puked on the floor. She kept gagging and puked pretty loud. It was green. I don't know why I told you that....I guess I want to invite some spontaneous barfing. Either way, nothing like that ever happened to me. Kinda crazy. I love my job. I do feel bad though, and it is possible she was just sick from the flu or something. Who knows.

Have a good day!

Correction: No Love Monkey Tonight.....

....or any other night. The show has been put on hold. Now I will never get to see the Aimee Mann episode. Poooooooo.

Love Monkey Tonight....

10 P.M. CBS. Watch it. (please!?)

So, there is this guy I know....

I was talking to him and his wife. We were chatting about a mutual friend. I said I wanted to fix this friend up with a girl (or two) that I know. The guy said, "Well, that is none of your business!!!" I thought his wife was going to slug him but before she had a chance I told him I thought it was rude for him to say that I was being NOSEY by trying to fix this guy up. The guy I wanted to introduce to a friend has told me he'd like to meet a nice Christian girl. Now, you tell me...how do nice Christian men & women meet? They either go to church together or people introduce them. They are both out of school and don't go to bars. And he doesn't work in an environment where he would date ANY of his co-workers.

So, tell me am I out of line? Is it none of my business? Is this guy out of touch with reality? Tell me what you think...especailly if you agree with me. ha ha ha. And by the way, I did tell that guy I was going to blog about this.

EX Ex-Men Mondays...

So I was thinking about today being "ex-men" Monday and this is the conclusion I came to...I am sick of talking about my ex's for a while. I told you the good "stories" for now. I may resume ex-men Monday in the future but for today I don't feel like telling a story about some boy from the past.

Today I am tired. I shouldn't be because I over slept this morning. I am a morning person and usually wake up before the sun is up, before my alarm wakes me up. Not today. Jake woke me up and said...."you are going to be late!" That was an understatement! I had 4 minutes to get ready so I would get to the school on time. No shower, barely brushed my teeth, pulled my hair back in a clip (I HATE my hair that way!), putting on make-up as I am walking out the door, coffee (jake made it for me...extra strong) for breakfast (strong coffee on an empty stomach is not good for me!), I hate when I am frazzled. So, on the way to work I missed the exit (did the same thing last week) so I ended up taking the long way, my windshield cracked??? and I eventually got there a different time than I thought I was supposed to be there (I looked at the wrong paper last night for my schedule) and was still late. I didn't pack a lunch...no time. So after teaching 3 classes I went to Einstein Bagels for lunch. I was standing in line admiring this girls very cool black work tattoos on her arm. She was talking to this guy and she said to him, "I have a bad case of the Mondays." I thought (light bulb shining bright and finger in the air) "That's it...I have a bad case of the Mondays!". I am not sure why, I got more than my normal amount of sleep!? Yesterday at church, the Pastor talked about people being grumpy at work on Mondays so I was sure to keep a bounce in my step but I really feel like sticking my tongue out at someone. I didn't complain (until now) except I did try to explain to my boss why I was 20 minutes late for my class. She was very forgiving and quite pleasant about it (she's a very nice boss). I don't plan on pressing my luck tomorrow. Hopefully I will be in a better mood.

See you then.

Mission Accomplished....

Many of you have been reading Justiene's blog and you know she is in a less than desirable situation. Well, last night she called me to tell me things were getting really bad. Ted had run her off the street (in her car, he was in his truck) and was pounding on her car window. He told her he wanted her to move out or he was going to damage her stuff or call the police and tell them she was threatening him or hitting him (all made up stuff but it could seriously ruin her future career in law enforcement). He started talking badly about Justiene to his children. It was awful. So, Justiene came to church today and we were able to talk more about it. She said she wanted to move today. So, we spread the word and by 2:30 she had 4 strong men helping her. They probably thought they were just helping her move some boxes and furniture but the truth is they were helping her start a better life. I was really amazed that people were willing to help at such short notice. A couple of the guys didn't even know her or had only seen her in passing. Ted didn't give them a hard time but he wasn't that pleasant either. Jake said he was making his share of comments. He was sitting there with a couple of friends and they never offered to lift a finger to help. Either way, she is out and we are all happy about that.

You may be wondering where she is living now... Currently she doesn't have a place so she put her stuff in storage and now she is staying with us. We don't have anything fancy but it is a roof. We called our old landlord today (from the Grant Street Apartment) because she has something available. We are just waiting for her to call back. I'll keep you updated.

Happy 100th Post!!!!!!

Earlier when I posted I realized my next post (this one) is my 100th post! I am very excited. I want to give some of my new readers a chance to read some of my better posts and give those of you that have been loyal to go back and revisit some of my most popular entries! Here are the titles and links. Feel free to leave comments. Some of you were to shy to back then!

A couple of my early posts...still hysterical.
1. Rabbits
2. Praying for the Rabbits....

Stories about the Miller Family
3. A Miller Dream....Setting the Stage (Part 1)
4. A Miller Dream....West Virginia-Almost Heaven (Part 2)
5. A Miller Dream....Thanksgiving in the Woods (Part 3 the Final Chapter)
6. Is the Gag Reflex Hereditary?
7. The Thirteenth Day of Christmas...WARNING- Do not read while eating.

My thought provoking, controversial posts...
8. Toxic People
9. Happy Sacher Torte Day
10. Can Men & Women Be Friends? (a record 17 comments....I'd love to hear more!)

Miscellaneous Posts.
11. Sunday Evening Reflection (My personal favorite)
12. Jarhead (2nd most comments posted!)

Thank you for reading!!! Can't wait to write the next 100!

KSU: Prentice Hall

It is very early in the morning and I am wide awake. The kids have had a rough night. Currently everyone is sleeping peacefully so I thought I would do a little writing.

I mentioned last week that I might start telling you my Kent State drama on Saturdays... What do you think? Do you want to hear this stuff? You have to let me know. Read my first installment and decide if you want more.

When I graduated from High School I went to Lorain County Community College. I didn't want to go to a community college but my mom insisted. Looking back I am glad I did. I made great friends, had a lot of fun and actually learned something. I took more than the typical 2 years at LCCC. After I graduated with my Associates degree I stuck around because "The Cello" (if you are new to "The Miller Way" you will have to read a previous post titled "I dated a cello") had not graduated and he begged me not to leave him. So, I stayed at LCCC another year. Stupid, I know, I knew it at the time but didn't care because, you know...I was in LUVVVV. So, I arrived at KSU as a 21 year old junior. I was footing the bill for this education endeavor so I opted to go the cheapest route, which meant I would be sharing a dorm with a freshman. Sometime during the summer I received my room-mate assignment. Some girl from somewhere. Not important. I ran into some friends from High School and an old friend, Eric told me his girlfriend, (we'll call her Blondie) was also going to Kent in the fall. I asked him what dorm she would be in....he said "Prentice". Great, same dorm, I'll give her a call. By the next week we had made arrangements to oust our assigned dorm-mates and share a space ourselves. I was excited. Blondie was this beautiful, funny, nice girl. She didn't drink or do drugs. She had been dating Eric for years. She was a freshman but settled. I liked it. Well, I was working at this resturant that summer. Two weeks before we would be leaving for college this girl I worked with said, Hey, I saw your future room-mate in The Flats. She was drunk and dancing on a bar. Apparently, she and Eric broke up. She was a "Girl Gone Wild".

Now let me describe Blondie to you. She was gorgeous. In fact, she looked like Pamela Anderson. Every where we went, every guy she met, liked her (or lusted after her) and wanted her. They would ALL confide in me. I can't tell you how many college boys have said to me, "Your room-mate looks just like Pamela Anderson." No....really? I never noticed. Duh. Blondie was also crazy. She was loud and crude. She once woke me up from a dead sleep to show me (yes show me) that you could light your farts on fire (you can, but I don't recommend it because it is probably dangerous). She belched like a man and she had a formula for helping her poop if constipated: she would rock back and forth, while sitting (on the pot) and yell "Wheats!!!". I don't know why? She said it worked. I never tried it. We all heard her yelling "Wheats" every now and then. She always talked about her bathroom habits. If you remember, I would only use the "private/ visitors bathroom". She'd talk about this stuff in front of guys and they'd like her more. She was like a man in Pam Anderson's body. Great. Although she was crude like this she was very girly. She loved lip gloss and painted her toe nails. I arrived in Kent in my Doc Martens and t-shirt wardrobe. She taught me a few things (Including how to bong a beer.) My friends back home, teased me.

Have you ever been in a college dorm room? Ours was 10x12 (I think). That is not a lot of space for 2 girls. I went home the first week-end. When I returned Blondie had painted the room hot pink. I was in a very anti-pink stage of my life. I mostly wore black (still wear a lot of it) and shuttered at the thought of hot pink walls. I tried my best to cover them with my black & whites of Johnny Depp and Tori Amos. In October, Blondie and I decided to have a big party...in our room. I have no idea what we were thinking. We ended up in the dorm room next to us with a ton of people. Me, Blondie, Veronica, Eileen, Guy, Duane, Shawn, McCoy, Chad, Don L., Ryan S., Brian T., Heather, maybe Amy (were you there?) all in a little 10x12 room. We weren't allowed to have alcohol in our dorm because it was for freshmen. Blondie and I went to the store and I bought a ton of beer and wine coolers. We snuck it in backpacks. Clink, clink, clink the whole way into the room. We weren't very discrete. Sometime that evening a security guard was walking by and heard us all in the room. He knocked and asked if he could come in. We refused him entry (exercising our rights...that's what you do at Kent, right?). He said he saw a wine cooler. Veronica told him it was hers. He told her to go with him. She followed him down the hall, chugging her wine cooler as she walked. They get to the laundry room, where he is going to make her dump it out. It was empty. He said, "where did it go?". She said in a little baby doll (drunk) voice, "I dranked it all." We lost it. I don't remember what happened after that but she did get written up.

By Thanksgiving I had enough of the freshman life. I choose to move to a new dorm. Blondie and I remained friends and she often came over to visit me in Leebrick Hall. She dated a guy from my floor, Gus. She flunked out after her first year. Too bad. I never saw her again. We have crossed paths many times but never actually ran into one another. I think she still lives in Vermilion.

Are you FRUGAL?

I think I am pretty frugal. Jake and I are one a very (VERY) tight budget. Somehow we make it each month. I mentioned before I am taking this "Good Sense" study. Last week we were talking about grocery bills. There is a chart titled "Government Statistics on Monthly Food Costs". It shows the family size and how much spent on groceries for the month. They divide it into 4 categories: Liberal, Moderate, Low Cost & Thrifty. A thrifty family spends $410 a month on groceries. We are THRIFTY. We haven't always been but I do several things that have got us there. First, I plan a menu. It significantly cuts back on the spending. I write down what I want to have for the week, on a calendar and post it on the fridge. It helps me be organized. Then I write a shopping list. I try my best not to buy anything that is not on the list. That helps stop the impulse shopping. I am an impulse shopper by nature so this has been a hurdle for me. I am also a sucker for packaging. My list helps me stay on track. I do most of my shopping at Aldi's. It really isn't that bad at all. I love name brands (also another weakness) but I tried some of Aldi's new items and they are quite delicious. I don't buy everything at Aldi's for a couple of reasons. They don't carry everything I use AND they aren't always the cheapest. Shocker....I know. Here is an example. Grapes. At Aldi's they are 2 lbs. for $2.99. They are pretty small grapes. Well, I watched the sales ad's and saw they were $1.29 lb. at Tops (2 weeks ago). I went there and they were plumb georgous grapes. So you have to know your prices. If there is an item I don't usually buy and I don't know how much the other stores sell it for, I find I usually pay too much. Here are some other tips. I buy cheap toilet paper. Not the paper thin stuff but the new Scott toilet paper. It is soft and really not that bad. It is cheaper anyways but then I bought it on sale! I do use coupons but not that much. Aldi's doesn't take them. But I look through them and only cut out the ones for the items I need. Then I look through the sales ads and see if any coordinate. If so I shop at those stores. I do shop at Giant Eagle & Tops. A lot of people avoid them because they are expensive. Their sales are good. And they have double coupons (sometimes triple). Things like yogurt are usually cheaper there than they are at places like Marcs (discount store in Ohio).

The reason I am writing this today is....Yesterday Acme (a store I don't typically shop at because it is expensive) was having a meat sale. I don't buy a lot of meat because it is expensive. We eat hamburger meat, ground turkey and chicken breast. Occasionally I will throw in ham or pork chops. We have bought meat bundles before and that worked out okay but we haven't done it again. Well, I went to Acme expecting I probably wouldn't find anything that great. Well...I bought roasts (pork & beef), bacon, chicken strips, chicken breast, chicken quarters, pork chops, turkey breast, steaks, salmon and alaskan king crab legs. I bought enough meat for 2 months (suplimented with ground turkey) for $100. Yes, I am frugal and maybe even a cheap skate but I cook healthy, well balanced meals and we even eat fancy stuff like crab legs (or lobster) every now and then.

So there is my little lesson on saving money. It takes a little time but not as much as you think. I actually takes organization, which none of you thought I had (did ya?).

Have a good day.

Nothing Much to Say...

I tried to clean the house yesterday. While my attention was diverted Jude took all of his toys (well the ones we haven't put in the basement) and put them in a pile. Including his HUGE Little Tikes Work Bench. I am not sure how he got that thing on the pile but he did. His friend Logan was over but I am still baffled as to how they managed it. Jude loves to make piles. He has done this since he learned to walk. He sometimes says, Mom...I'm gonna make a mess, Ok? Either way, it seems as soon as I get one mess under control I have another one to clean up. If I was rich I'd pay someone to clean my house. I'd probably still shop at Aldi's and shop sales but I would pay for a housekeeper. Money well spent. I am not good at keeping everything in order and going smoothly. Especially when it comes to Jude and his piles.

Mary, the woman who has Monet emailed me last week to ask me some questions about him. She is having some problems with him that we did not have but I think the issues are basically about his schedule. Ether way, Jude has been talking about Monet for the last month. He said it is time to get him back. It has been 5 months. I can't believe time went that fast. And I can't believe Jude still remembers him. Someone once told me that a dog will remember you and your scent for 6 months. That seems like a long time.

Papaw Miller Blog

Make sure you go to Paul Miller's blog today and read it. It is a long "response" to my men and women being friends blog. I think it is good. A little shocking. That is why I like it. Love the controversy.

What About Adoption?

Last summer my friend, Kirstina came over. I know her from high school and we frequently loose touch then reconnect every 6 months- a year. I should try to see her more often. Either way, she had called to tell me she was adopting a little boy. Because I have worked with "troubled" youth for so long, I was worried about her and her 8 year old son, Aaron. I felt like she didn't know what she was getting herself into. So, she came over and we talked about it. I need to give you a little history. Kirstina is a teacher. While in college she met her future husband. He wasn't in college....just lived close by. The guy was such a loser but when you are in love you can be blind. Well, she married him, had a baby (Aaron) and soon after got a divorce for many good reasons (in my opinion). It was so bad she had a restraining order against him. He isn't even allowed to see his son. Years have gone by. Kirstina has not met "Mr. Right". She loves children and is a wonderful mother. She decides she wants to adopt a child. She doesn't want a baby. In fact, she'd prefer an older kid (6-7). She does some research and finds out you can actually "shop" for children on line. Each state and several different organizations have children listed and if you are interested you send your info, then the caseworker will contact you. She had expressed interest in several children and at that time, was meeting one of the kids for a possible placement. Now, the reason I am telling you all this is to say - I have never been a big fan of adoption...not people placing a child up for adoption but the actual adopting. I know it doesn't sound right but I am not alone and here is why. In my line of work, I have noticed, through the years, we deal with MANY adopted children. Although the kids were adopted when they are young, they come with a laundry list of problems. It takes a very special (and well trained) person to deal with some of the issues. Because of a lot of the issues, many adopted kids end up right back in the system. I think many people who adopt are naive. No offense or anything. Okay, so K. comes over and she shows me this web-site, I spend the next week shopping for kids. I decided I wanted to adopt. I don't know why. I just did. I told Jake and just like with everything else, he says, "Okay....wait are you serious? Well, okay." I sent off our information but I haven't heard back. I guess we aren't ready anyways because we don't have the room. But, we have had continued discussions about adopting and have agreed we should adopt. Many people are against abortions but most of the same people would never open their homes to raise an unwanted/unplanned child. What are we supposed to do with these kids? Those of you that grew up with me probably remember that I never wanted to have children. I always said, "There are enough children in the world that need parents that I don't need to produce my own." That was my famous line. I used to have dreams of directing an orphanage. Right before I met Jake I was looking into going to Nepal for a year to work in an orphanage. Imagine how many kids I would have come home with!!!! I didn't change my mind about having kids until I met Jake. Of course now I have 2 of my own and plan to have more (1-2 maybe 3 more) but we would also like to adopt. We will probably adopt a baby or very young child. We have at least one more big move (a literal move) before we start the process. We want to buy a house. I think we are going to need a big fixer uper to have room for all these kids.

So, I am wondering what your take is on all this. Are we crazy? I have been taking this course called "Good Sense". It is about spending money in a biblical way. The bible is very clear that everything we have belongs to God and we are to use it for Him. If someone wants to borrow your car, remember God gave you that car and you need to share it. If God gives you a home, you are to open it up to others. Probably the others in the group are thinking, let someone who is "in between" places stay with you (which Paul & Linda did live with us for a month...it wasn't so bad). I felt like God was reminding me there are a lot of children who need me out there...and who need a home. I had another reminder last week. I told Russ and Jake about the eighth graders I met that had children. Russ had a completely different take on it than any other person I told. He said, "Well, that is better than the alternative." He was talking about abortion. Like many others he sees the issue in black and white. But along those lines, it is too bad these girls didn't choose adoption (and so sad that they got pregnant in the first place). Their children would have better lives. And they would have a better chance of success.

Okay, last thing...I was talking to my friend about all this. She thinks I am crazy. (Side note...I think God put me in her life to "stretch" her a little because she thinks most everything I do is crazy). She asked me if I thought I could love a child that I didn't give birth to the same as I do my own children. I know I can. I loved Cody like he was my own. I won't ever say...oh, he's the adopted kid. When we do adopt that child will be our kid. No difference. No preferences. Flaws and all. It'll be tough but I think that is what we are supposed to do!

Don't Forget Love Monkey

It is on tonight. CBS. 10 P.M. You have to watch it.

Oh, this character from the show, Wayne, has a blog at My Space. Here it is.....


www.myspace.com/waynefromlovemonkey

Tell me if you watched.

Inbox: New Blog...

I love it when I open my email and I see a message titled "new blog". It has happened several times lately. Yesterday my sister-in-law started a blog. You will have to check it out. Now we are just waiting on Linda. She had mentioned before that she might start one....it won't be long.

As for my other blog links. I know some people don't post that often...I keep them on "just in case". If you haven't checked out some of the new one's you should. Jackie's, Correction G (just hysterical) and Papaw Miller's! Make sure you leave comments.

Blogspot is still having some issue's. I noticed I couldn't leave a comment on Amy's blog today and yesterday someone told me they left a comment on mine that disappeared! If that happens just post it again. Hopefully this will all work out soon.

Ex-Men Monday (Part 4) The Linebacker

In honor of the Super Bowl and the Steelers victory I will tell you about the football player from my past. About 6 months after I dated Jarhead my room-mate Tiffany worked at Oriana House. She would go into the local jails and assess inmates to see if they were appropriate for the Oriana program. She became friends with several of the Summit County sheriff's Deputies. This one guy was always calling and coming around. One day he told me had a friend he would like to introduce me to. He asked if it was okay to give him my phone number. I told him that was fine. I was used to be the "fix up" girl. Everyone who knew me wanted to fix me up with someone (brothers, friends, cousins, co-workers, etc...). I was always laughting over it. So, this guy calls. He was very interesting. We ended up talking for probably an hour. He told me he had played football for WVU. He was a linebacker and he played in The Sugar Bowl (not this past year but the time before this year). He was very smart. I liked he was athletic and had brains. He also played the violin. He played it for me on the phone during the first conversation. Well, you already know how I feel about musicians (are you sensing a pattern?). We agreed to go out ASAP. He came to my house to pick me up. This guy was a GIANT! He was 6'5" and weighed about 290. He was large but very solid. He took me to the Winking Lizard. I ordered a Guinness. I thought he was going to propose to me right then and there. I thought he was okay but I wasn't that into him. I didn't really know why. Looking back I don't think I was really ready to date. After all, I had been pretty devastated over Jarhead. I did have fun with the Linebacker but I always felt like he liked me WAY more than I liked him. I always told him that....he wasn't concerned. I began to feel liked me just because he wanted a girlfriend. That annoyed me. I told him that I was looking for someone who was inspired by me. He wanted me to explain. I told him I wanted someone who I could inspire to write a poem or to do something wild and crazy. The next day I received an email from the Linebacker. It was a poem he wrote. He didn't get it. I didn't want him to write a poem...I wanted him to....I don't know, I just didn't believe he really liked me. I wanted him to be spontaneous, I guess. Once he invited me over his place, he wanted to cook me dinner. It was a frozen veggie lasagna he heated up. He took me out to lots of restaurants. Another thing that annoyed me...everywhere we would go, people would ask about his Sugar Bowl ring. Football. He told me stories about being in Louisiana???? for a football game and how a lot of the guys went to the massage parlors to find companionship. I asked him if he did. He said "No, and I can prove it." I thought, well this should be interesting...How? He said well, I didn't purchase the whole deal but I received manual pleasure (I am trying to make this kid safe, Kellen reads sometimes!). He admitted he paid for "hand pleasure". Not attractive. At All. I never figured out why he felt compelled to be so honest with me. I used to like football players. After the stories he told me, I am sickened by them. I know they aren't all like that but....chances are, they have been there and done that. I can't get over it.

While dating the Linebacker was that I never allowed him to meet my friends. We dated from Halloween to Valentine's day and I think the only friend he ever met was Tiffany...only because I lived with her. I was embarrassed by him. Not because he was awful...but because he was like a lovesick puppy dog following me around. I hated it. To top if off, I hated his job. He worked in collections for some company. He was a total jerk and talked about people with credit problems (had he checked his girlfriends credit, duh???). Now he works for this company, Household Bank. I read this "quote of the year"...it says it is from an employee, I swear it is from him. I don't think two people could feel more differently on this issue.

"“The consumers with their complaints are the pieces of s**t that do not know how to manage money. Get an education and use it. Stop buying things and using credit cards. Invest in some real estate and drive a crappy car through your pitiful lives. At least you will retire thinking you accomplished something."

Don't get me wrong, I believe people should pay their bills but I know stuff happens (called life) and people make mistakes. His attitude coupled with the massage parlor escapadeses were the end of our relationship. I broke up with him. I didn't choose the most mature route to do it. I just started avoiding him. I never answered the phone. If he stopped over, I wouldn't answer the door. It was mean. I felt bad and thought about getting in touch with him a couple of years later but then I met Jake and that was that. He is married now and lives in Kentucky.

Can Men & Women Be Friends?

From: "When Harry Met Sally"
Harry: You realize of course that we could never be friends.
Sally: Why not?
Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form - is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.
Sally: That's not true. I have a number of men friends and there is no sex involved.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes I do.
Harry: No you don't.
Sally: Yes I do.
Harry: You only think you do.
Sally: You say I'm having sex with these men without my knowledge?
Harry: No, what I'm saying is they all WANT to have sex with you.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: They do not.
Harry: Do too.
Sally: How do you know?
Harry: Because no man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. He always wants to have sex with her.
Sally: So, you're saying that a man can be friends with a woman he finds unattractive?
Harry: No. You pretty much want to nail 'em too.
Sally: What if THEY don't want to have sex with YOU?
Harry: Doesn't matter because the sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story.
Sally: Well, I guess we're not going to be friends then.
Harry: I guess not.
Sally: That's too bad. You were the only person I knew in New York.

Did you see that movie? I LOVED it. It is still one of my favorites. So what do you think? Can men and women be just friends? I used to have lots of male friends. It was never easy. But my female friendships haven't been a bucket of joy either. Slowly over the years my male friendships have dwindled away. They got girlfriends or wives and I was history. The handfull of male friends I had left when I met Jake scattered with the wind when I got married. Please, don't get me wrong, I still keep in touch with a few of those guys but it just isn't the same. When I was single I would "assess" each man I met. Looks, Personality, Sense of Humor, Has a Job, Would I date him?, Would I be his type?, Any longterm potential?, etc... Most single girls do this without even really thinking. If I didn't see any potential of a romantic future we could be friends. I am not saying those guys weren't worthy of dating ME, there were all sorts of reasons a man wouldn't have "potential". For example, if my sister or friend dated or liked a guy, he was automatically off limits. From the moment I decided that he was then off my dating radar. If the guy liked one of my friends first and later realized he was madly in love with me...too late. He was off limits. That is just how I operated. I know not everyone is like that but if they were there would be fewer talk shows! So that is how it was when I was single. Now I am married. Seriously, when I met Jake and we decided to get married I stopped assessing men. I didn't need to anymore. I just see men as people not anything else. Maybe I am like Sally, naive. I don't know. I do have men in my life now. I don't think twice about it. For example, Ivan, Tim or Eric, my brother-in-laws...I hang out with them. Ivan and I went geocaching together, I didn't think twice about it. Tim has stopped over when Jake wasn't home and Eric has spent a lot of time at my house when Jake isn't around. Same with my father-in-law. I don't even think about it. Well, I have a friend who said she thinks it is weird...she would never do anything like that. Hmmm. Then Jake has a friend...I think the guy is afraid of me. We get along great. He comes home with Jake for dinner a couple of times a week. He is single. But I saw him at a school, when Jake wasn't there, I stopped to chat with him...he acted really weird. Then he came over for dinner last week and Jake wasn't home yet, he wouldn't come in until Jake got there 3-4 minutes later. That is fine, I don't want him to be uncomfortable but I just don't think like that. Am I wrong? Is it too complicated for men and women to be friends? I trust my husband. I certainly trust myself. Sure I don't want Jake talking to some girl who pretends like I don't exsist or doesn't make an effort to get to know me, but I want him to be friends with my friends. When they call I want him to chat with them. Jake and my sister went shopping together. Not weird. Jake talked to LeAnn (Jim's wife) on the phone for a half hour. Also not weird. Likewise, I want to be friends with his friends.

So, what do you think...Can men and women be friends?

Geocaching in Kent...

Last week Jake and I took the kids out geocaching. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Taking the kids is a lot of work. So we decided we would have a "date" day the following Saturday (yesterday). We hired a babysitter and spent the day geocaching (well 3 hours). I wasn't that thrilled when I woke up to see it was cold (38) and raining. Jake was still excited about going. So we went, in the rain. It was fun. We found 10 caches, one white jeep and one travel bug. It was a good day. We had planned to go to this little restraunt, The Zepher for lunch. It is still there but it is a bar now and was closed during the day. Poo. So, we went to Ray's Place. The whole day reminded me of SO MANY things. I lived in Kent of 2 years and I had a lot of fun. I was thinking I might start posting my Kent Memories on Saturdays. I think you guys would enjoy my stories about college life. They are as crazy as the rest of my stories. Some are even crazier.

You Are What You Eat...

This is the THIRD time I posted this. I can't figure out the problem. It keeps disappearing.

Two things happened recently that led me to write this post. 1. Paul's blog about eating soggy Wheaties. 2. My cousin, Kelly's email (one of those annoying personality things I keep sending everyone) that asked your least favorite food. I have come to the conclusion...I have eaten some VERY disgusting foods. I think I could go on Fear Factor and do okay. I am going to list the grossest things I have consumed and you tell me the grossest things you have eaten. -

Pig Brains, mixed with eggs and fried. -
Cow Tongue -
Cow Heart -
Chicken Gizzard, Liver & Heart -
Squirrel -
Rabbit, I know, probably the most "normal" thing on the list, yet still gross. -
Carp, a Polish tradition on Christmas. -
Pigeon, a.k.a. squab, I had a soup with it in it. -
Souse meat (made by boiling a pigs entire head: snout, ears, skin, tongue) -
Pigs Feet (and they were pickled!) -
Frog Legs
I am sure I have eaten more gross things...I just can't remember them all.

Stuffed Squab
Ingredients1 squab Softened butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper Cooking InstructionsClean the squab, reserving the livers and giblets. Chop the liver and giblets fine, adding them to the same stuffing used for the turkey. Stuff the squab, and tie the legs with string. Rub the bird with melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the pan along with the turkey at 400 degrees for 1 hour, basting occasionally.

SOUSE MEAT Cook hog head and ears well done; pull meat off bones, mash fine, add salt to taste, 1 1/2 cups of vinegar, red, black pepper and sage to taste. Refrigerate overnight.

BEEF TONGUE It's expensive, but there are no bones - it's all meat. 1 (2-3 lb.) beef tongue1/4 tsp. oregano1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. marjoram1/4 tsp. summer savory Rinse tongue. Place in pressure cooker. Add water to cover. Add the remaining ingredients. Pressure cook 1 hour at 10 or 15 pounds. Remove from pan and allow to cool enough to handle. Remove connective tissues and skin. The skin should come off easily. Cut into 1/4-inch slices across it's length. At this point, the meat can be used as you desire. It makes excellent "cold cut"

Blogspot Issues....

I don't know what the exact problem is but Blogspot is having some issues and that is why you can't post comments on my last post. Try them here if you have something gross to tell me about. I don't know why you can't read Jakes. It was "rocky mountain oysters". Nice.

Check out a New Blog....

My father-in-law (yes the man that gags at everything, digs holes to poop in, married us, used to be Amish, etc...) started his own Blog. It is called Random Ramblings. Check it out.

Lists and Random Facts...

Books I am currently reading.
1. "Cure for the Common Life" by Max Lucado
2. "The Nanny Diaries" by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
3. "A Case for Marriage" by Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher (reading this for work)

Jude's favorite lines.
1. "You're not my BLOSS." I think he has blog and boss mixed up.
2. "Mom, are you talkin' yerself?" He says this 10x's a day.
3. "It's my turn to watch T.V."
4. "I want some pink milk."
5. He only used this one once but it is funny. Molly (the cat) had swatted at him because he was annoying her. Imagine him saying this with his face crinkled up and his lip sticking out.
"Mauwy beat me up." Classic.

Jake's Favorite Cereal
1. Frosted Mini Wheats
2. Lucky Charms
3. Life
(List Subject to Change)

Funny questions students asked me this week.
1. Are you old enough to teach this class?
2. Are your kids mixed? I guess she thought I had a little soul. That's cool.
3. Do you know what twerkin' is? It is a dance where the girl bends over, sticks her butt in the air and wiggles it on a boy (get it???).
4. Followed up by... Can you get public lice from twerkin'? Uh, yes you can.

By the way....those girls I thought were pregnant aren't. I was relieved (for a minute) until I found out they both already have babies. The one girl just turned 15 this week and has two kids! I thought they were pregnant by the way they acted when we talked about parenting. You can read so much from their body language and looks they give each other. If I had a child when I was 13, he would be turning 20 this year. The girl with 2 kids had hickies all over her neck this week. WHERE ARE HER PARENTS?????

Have a great Friday. Jake and I are having a date day tomorrow! I'm sure I will tell you about it later.

Mid Week Thoughts...

Well, I am in an inner city again this week. I am at a school that is considered rough but I am having a great time. I have one difficult class. They haven't listened to one thing I've said. They have been challenging to say the least... I have 5 - 8th grade classes and 1- 6th grade class. The sixth graders are so cute and innocent. The 8th graders have been there and done that. I think one of my 8th graders is pregnant. Maybe even two of them. One girl has only been there one day.

Yesterday two of my students started to get into a fight. Both girls were white girls with greasy hair. They both wear dirty looking clothing each day. One girl is chubby the other is a bean pole. Well, I am not sure what they were fighting about but the chubby girl likes to run her mouth. The skinny girl gets offended and gets in the other girls face. She was doing this "prance" type move, stepping into the girl to try to intimidate her. I almost started laughing. Not because it was funny but because it was ridiculous. Seriously. The one girl called the other girl fatty. The chubby girl calls her blondie. Not a very good come back. But she can't just leave it alone. As soon as the girl walks away she says "you ain't nothin' but a hoe." The girl gets up in her face and says well fight me then. Come on...just hit me. The chubby girl said "I could kick your butt, I beat up a ninth grader before." The blond girl laughed and gets up and stands in her face. The chubby girl calls her a prostitute. I thought the blond was going to explode. It was Maury right in the classroom. Kids think that T.V. stuff is normal and now they act like it. That stuff is so normal the other kids didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary.

Okay, I am falling asleep. I have to go night - night.