Kittenwar! May The Cutest Kitten Win!

Kittenwar! May The Cutest Kitten Win!

Random Kitten Generator

This is just too darn cute!

The World Famous Random Kitten Generator

Pirate Day Videos

Okay, so I was going to post these a long time ago, but, well ... Stuff.

Every year, my sister Elizabeth and my Mom put on a "pirate day" for her kids. Sarah and I contribute where we can. It is so cute to see the kids dressed up as pirates! They plan a whole bunch of cool activities for the day. Everyone really gets into it.

First, we play a bit with Grayson, the Baby Pirate.


After temporary tattoo and "facial hair" application (black eyeshadow), there's a cannonball fight!


We were also celebrating Bryce's birthday.


During the aftermath, I caught this moment. I'm pretty sure Kyle didn't know that I recorded it. There is a cute laugh in there!


I'll get around to posting more videos as I get them uploaded to YouTube.

Over 100 Posts?

I guess I didn't notice, but I passed my 100th post a bit ago. I think this is number 103. So. Congratulations to me. To celebrate my not-so-prolific blogtasticness, I will not be doing a giveaway. Partially because I have already given you the gift of access to my randomness, and partially because I just can't afford to give out random crap to strangers.

May I suggest an alternative? Well, too bad, because I'm going to suggest it anyway.

I recently broke my 5x5 rubik's cube while attempting to dismantle it. I wasn't trying to cheat, I wanted to see how it worked. (I have solved it quite a few times. Just ask Sarah.) One of the corner pieces snapped in two. So now I am sans-cube. For my 100 post, I propose that you buy me a present. A new Rubik's Professor at Amazon.com or the Rubik's Website.

Go on. You know you want to.

Lessons Learned

What I have learned today:

1. When leaving home at 6:30, it is possible to reach work at 8:15 instead of the usual 6:50.
2. Even if your car is getting 31 mpg, it still needs gas.
3. If the Spirit tells you to stop and buy gas, STOP AND BUY GAS.
   
4. My car really isn't that heavy.
5. When pushing your car into a gas station, try to pick one that actually has gas.
   
6. Gas stations sell gas cans, but they try to hide them.
7. When filling a gas can with gas, do so very sloooooowly as to prevent gas from spilling all over the place.
8. Try not to lose the gas can nozzle in the gas can.
9. Two gallons of gas is heavy.
10. People don't usually taunt you when walking on the side of the road with a gas can, but they don't offer rides either.
11. Be patient while attempting to pour gas into your tank without the extension nozzle and immediately wipe up any spills.
12. Go to a gas station (that has gas), fill up the rest of the way, and get a car wash. Immediately.
13. Giggle quietly to yourself the entire time.
    

Cute, ain't she?

Got tagged by Rebecca. The tag is to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder of your pictures folder.


This is my niece Maya after her first haircut in November of '05.

I'm going to tag Aunt Jan, Mom (trying to persuade her to post) and Megan.

President Deiter F. Uchtdorf

For anyone who doesn't know who President Uchtdorf is, he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. If you would like to learn more, a great place to start is mormon.org, where you can find more information about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

I am grateful for President Uchtdorf. When he was a newly called apostle, he presided at my Stake Conference (a regional meeting). I was going through my divorce at the time. I was feeling like an incredible failure. Sometimes I wondered if I was doing the right thing. I also felt like I might be judged for my decision.

Since I volunteered to sing in the choir, I was able to sit in the front. I don't remember what President Uchtdorf said, exactly. He spoke about marriage and divorce. I felt like his message was directed straight at me. Far from condemning me, His words comforted me. I couldn't stop crying. The Spirit confirmed to me, beyond a doubt, that I was making the right choice. Although I don't remember them, I needed to hear the words he spoke. At that time I also received a witness that he is an apostle, called of God. I was able to shake his hand at the end of the meeting. I blubbered some sort of thank you, but I don't know if he understood my words. I am thankful that he is willing and worthy to be on the Lord's errand.

Overdue

Dude. September 19? I can't believe I didn't post for so long. I check everyone else's blogs everyday, expecting updates but I don't put anything on mine? I guess I don't really think there's much that's "blogworthy" about my day-to-day.

On weekdays, I get up before the crack of dawn and spend 10-12 hours at work (4.5 hours actually teaching). By the end of the day, I'm so tired that I either hit a drive-thru on the way home or nuke a microwave meal. Monday night - take out recycling. Thursday night - download Naruto, take out trash.

On Friday nights, I relax as much as possible. I usually stay up too late. Computer games, video games, and DVDs are the usual fare.

On Saturdays, I run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get errands completed that were neglected during the week. This inevitably involves driving all over San Antonio. There is no such thing as a quick trip to Wal-Mart. My primary focus is getting things ready for the next week so my Sunday can be free.

Sunday is set aside for church and other worthy pursuits. I will confess that I haven't been going to church. I still feel uncomfortable. There are too many people in the singles' ward and I don't know very many of them. It would be better if I kept going, of course, but I never really think about that when it comes time to get my lazy butt off the couch and get in the shower. Worthy pursuits have included lounging with my kittehs and chatting with Sarah. And playing games. I could seriously improve my Sundays. I usually stay up too late on Sunday's too, which makes Monday interesting.

Then we're back to the weekdays.

Which Sports Car Are You?

I'm a Dodge Viper!

You're all about raw power. You're tough, you're loud, and you don't take crap from anyone. Leave finesse to the other cars, the ones eating your dust.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

Via Rebecca

Happy Thoughts

Today we're looking at the glass half full. At least for one post. Here's some happy stuff:

1. I am learning a lot from being the webmaster for my school.

2. Baxter, Blondie, Viola, and Lady are all great cats. Everybody loves Baxter. And I mean everybody. It's kinda weird.

3. We're starting to actually create web pages in Web Mastering and programs in Computer Science. I hate the preliminary worksheets, forms, and lectures. I love it when we start getting into the meat of the courses. It's really cool to see the students when they figure out what to do.

4. Mom and Sarah have offered to help me organize my Magic: The Gathering cards so I can start eBaying them. The cash would be great, and I'd love to get them out of my room. I've gotta get the Inu Yasha cards going too.

5. Students from years past are constantly stopping by my classroom or yelling hello at me in the halls. It's nice to know that they actually liked me.

Just thought I'd add some good things in here. I'm really busy, tired, stressed, and upset about Sam, but there are still a lot of great things going on.

No Going Back

It was hard to admit that Sam wasn't doing well. But once we found out he had cancer, I started really seeing it. Figuring out when to put Sam to sleep was the most difficult decision I've ever made, aside from asking for a divorce. I hate that I had to be a part of his death. I want him back.

Losing Sam

I have previously written about my cats Blondie and Baxter, but I hate to say that I haven't really mentioned Sam. In the summer of 2007, we got a lot of rain in San Antonio. One day, Sarah and I noticed an orange cat drinking stagnant green water from a pitcher we'd left outside. It absolutely broke our hearts to see it drinking such disgusting water. So we decided to put out some clean water out for it. We put some inexpensive cat food out while we were at it.

The cat kept coming by to get food and water. The original intent was to eventually find a home for this cute kitty. We weren't sure if it was male or female, so we named it Sam. Either for Samantha or Samuel. Sam was getting more and more used to us and was letting us get closer. Eventually were able to scratch Sam at arm's length. We fed him outside for about two months.

One day, it was raining particularly hard. I came home and I thought I heard something. I went to the back sliding-glass door and pulled back the blinds to see Sam meowing at the door. I opened the door and he didn't run away, so I closed the door, grabbed my cat-carrier, opened the door, and grabbed Sam. I took Sam straight to the vet to get him checked out. I didn't want to expose him to our cats before I knew he was disease-free.

Sam was Samuel, about 5 years old, neutered, declawed on the front, and disease-free. He got his shots and I took him home. That's how Sam adopted us.

He quickly gained weight and constantly demanded attention. He would get up on the arm or back of the couch and we'd have conversations, meowing back and forth, for several minutes at a time. He also likes to lick our hair. He's trying to groom us, but it doesn't quite work when your "fur" is a foot long. He's so easy-going that he even purrs through getting his temperature at the vet's.

At first we looked into finding him another home, but we quickly realized how much we were already attached. Sarah and I both love Sam very much. Which makes this so much harder.

Sam was diagnosed with cancer on Friday. Sarah posted about it, so I'm not going to repeat it all. I found out while we were waiting for my car to get a minor fix-up on Friday after school. I knew that the vet was supposed to call Sarah with the test results, but she hadn't told me anything about it yet. When I asked her about it, she apologetically mentioned that she had planned to tell me at home. I instinctively knew what the diagnosis was at that point, but I wasn't really prepared for my reaction. When she told me he had cancer cells in his lymph nodes, I broke down.

Sam is such a sweet, innocent little guy. This will be the first time I've lost a non-fish pet. For now, we're trying to find everything we can do to make him happy. Right now he's sitting next to me on the back of the couch, purring like crazy. I wish I could be as oblivious as he is.

All Tuckered Out

I have been working my tooshie off lately. Had a 54 hour week last week and I'm barely making a dent. The more I work on the school website, the more terrible mistakes I find. There are over 2000 html files I have to sort through. Over 10,000 files when you count pictures, etc.

I'm also redesigning the webmastering course, as the information previously presented was from 1999. Geez. In doing so, I have to contend with a co-worker who changed careers from programmer to teacher because the hours are better. He's not exactly excited about projects that require some thought (and time) to grade. I am managing to keep the schedule ahead by about 2 weeks, which is better than my previous track record.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, even though it's the size of a pinhole right now. I can envision the new site (still iffy on details) with spiffy graphics and interactive pages. I can also see the part of the webmastering class where I don't have to create so much from scratch. It will happen, just gotta keep chuggin along.

Right now, I'm just tired. 'Nite.

I am The Master

Ever since I saw the website for my school I've been dying to redo it. It's inconsistent, disorganized, and just plain ugly. But someone else was the webmaster and I was in no position to criticize the website, being new to the school.

As you can guess, I was asked to take over the job this year. There's a small stipend for the additional duties, but I'm more interested in improving the image of the school. The current site is not representative of the quality of our school. An added bonus is that I can get the web mastering students involved in the school's website. I'm also really excited to learn more about web design in the process.

Woohoo!

Note: I'm not posting a link to the site, as it hits too close to the paranoia zone.

Naruto-kun

I'm a big fan of anime. I don't always say that up front because there are so many misconceptions about anime. Anime is Japanese animation, a very wide genre. There are television shows and movies geared toward all age groups. Some shows are appropriate for little kids. Some shows aren't appropriate for anyone. Ick! Although most anime does not have ratings, it's pretty obvious which ones adhere to the standards of my church. I have several favorites, including Trigun, Rurouni Kenshin, Azumanga Daioh, and Escaflowne.

Naruto is right up there. You may have heard of the show. I first saw Naruto as a fan sub years before it was licensed for release in the states. The main character, Naruto (of course), is endearing, the plot is engaging, and the animation is high quality. The English language version is rearranged, badly dubbed, and they add the words "Believe it!" to everything Naruto says. Irritating. The worst part is that the English release is over 2 years behind the Japanese releases. So unless I want to wait 2 years for the English releases, I have to continue to download the fansubs.

So every Thursday night in Japan someone records the show off of Tokyo TV. The team translates the entire episode, adds the subtitles, and encodes the file into a compact, high-resolution format. They then make the file available for download through a format called bittorrent. In less than 20 hours. For free.

And that's how I get my weekly fix. Every Thursday night, my computer is busy downloading the next episode. Occasionally, the show takes a week off. Man, those weeks are hard. But you usually get a double-episode special the next week. Woo hoo!

Hi Dad!

Thought I'd do a post for you. I know how much you love new material. Love ya! *Smooches*

I don't feel like posting.

I've been back from Dallas for a few hours. Pizza in my tummy, kitties chasing each other around, book calling for me, tired legs, and a lovely headache. Traffic from Dallas was Slow 'n' Go. Stopping only once or twice, but no opportunities for using my new cruise control.

Uh. Haven't blogged in a while. Haven't felt like it. But since many people apparently keep tabs from these things now, I felt obliged. Not like it's a huge deal or anything. I actually think of stuff to post all the time. But like so many things in my life, I plan, but don't follow through. If I could ever get the mobile blogging feature to work, I might do that.

My car came in on July 5. It's totally awesome. I even programmed the stereo to display "Hi Rachel!" when I turn it on. We're on a first-name basis. I think the best thing is the sense of freedom. I am incredibly indebted to Sarah for letting me use her car, but it was her car. Now we both have cars, although we're still going to carpool to work. And the gas mileage is nice ... 32 mpg on the trip between SA and Dallas. Spent a bit of time with the manual. I need to finish reading it.

Soon thereafter, I started reading the Stephanie Plum novels. I'm on number 12 now. My time has pretty much consisted of sleeping, eating, driving, helping Rebecca, crocheting, and reading. Yup. That's about it. Reeeeeeeeeeeal interesting.

I got very bummed around the seventh, which adds to the not wanting to blog. Part of me wants to blog about why, another part wants to add pictures, and the last part wants to pretend it never happened. The last part won for now. Sorry, no juicy details.

I'm just putting all my excuses out there.

Memory ... All alone in the moonlight ... I can smile at the old days ...

Here's a fun tag for ya (From Natalie):

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, if we’ve actually met in person or not, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

I'm waiting ... :D

What I've Done This Summer, Part 1

Every year, as summer approaches, I build a mental summer to-do list. I have yet to have a summer where I accomplished much of anything, so I end up feeling crappy about my vacation. Not a good thing. So I decided to take a different course of action.

I have posted a list of my goals for the summer on the left side-bar. As I complete the tasks, I'm going to write a short post. Hopefully this will help me be productive. Here's what we have so far:

Bathroom Window Part 1
I wanted to let some natural light into our bathroom. Sarah's African violet needed somewhere sunny to grow and natural lighting makes me feel better too. At first we were just pulling the shades up in the day, then putting them back at night. I'm lazy, so it wasn't working too well. Sarah was getting the hebejebees about someone peeking inside, so we gave this stuff a go. It was easy to apply and it looks great! We only bought enough for the bottom half, so I'll be doing part 2 later.


I already have a couple more things finished ... I'll post about them later. Toodles!

I'm Expecting ...

A CAR! The due date for my Scion xD is sometime in the next 10-11 days.

After literally months of research, I was pretty sure that I wanted one. Getting a chance to test-drive was difficult. These cars are "going like hotcakes", as one salesman put it. Fortunately, Scion is selling a special release edition. They're $2k more and hot lava (aka orange) so there were a few available to test drive. It was very comfortable, great AC, nice pickup, and the options I wanted. But don't worry, I wasn't suckered into paying extra money for a color I hate. Hence the 10 - 11 day wait. The next xD to be delivered is reserved all for me, in "magnetic gray metallic" (aka dark gray).

New Personal Record

I've never read three books in less than 36 hours. I just got lost!

I was staying over at the folks' for the night and Mom mentioned that I was welcome to read anything she had around. I've heard people like my sis-in-law Tib bubbling over about the series, so I decided to give it a few trial pages. The result: me staying up waaaaaaaaaay too late. I finished the book the next afternoon, then proceeded home to the next two books in the series that I knew Sarah had.

I think I have perfect timing. The fourth book will be released at the beginning of August. I'm not very patient, so I think the late exposure will result in less angst. Good things, good things.

I get sucked into romantic stories. I'm a sucker for characters like Edward (pun not intented). And Bella's inferiority complex seems somewhat familiar.

I'm sorry

I just don't feel like bloggin'. Stuff has happened. I have opinions on it. I just don't feel like typing it out or hassling with it in general. Maybe later.

I'll admit it ...

I cheated. But not because I like Megara. I haven't even seen Hercules. (Pause for group gasp.)

When you take the quiz, you can see all possible results if you scroll down. Apparently I could equally be either Ariel, Aurora, Pocahontas, OR Megara. The result that popped up initially was Ariel, but since they were all 22%, I think I'll pick Meg.

Charming and witty. You are always the first person to come up with a wisecrack. Sure, you have an attitude, but that's why people love you. You keep them on their toes. Sometimes you can be misleading, but always end up doing the right thing for the people you love.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

My Graduates

Yesterday was the last day of school. Today was the last day of work. And tonight I went to graduation.

To be truthful, I didn't want to go. The teachers were required to work graduation, i.e. guard a door. Boooring. You stick around until the processional is done, then you can jet.

It was somewhat interesting watching the fashion disasters, girls trying to walk in too-high heels, and the line at the concessions stand. The band was even playing football game tunes, including "Thriller". And you know how great that sounds coming from a high school band. It felt more like a sporting event.

Until the processional began.

I started thinking. The place was packed full of people. Thousands of them. Whole families were gathering to watch one, maybe two, of their kids graduate. But I had them beat by far. Dozens of my kids were graduating. And they do every year.

I found myself wanting to stay, to watch each of them walk the stage. But the coliseum was packed and I don't do well in big crowds, especially by myself. So I fought back tears of gratitude until the end of the processional, then slowly walked back to the car, making sure to get a program on the way out.

They may not be my children, but they are my kids. And I love them.

Good luck, Class of 2008.

Shuffle Game

Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.
Step 2: Post the first line or two from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: For those who are guessing -- looking the lyrics up on a search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game, post your own.

Got this from Megan. Check hers out and see if you can guess any!

Here we go:

1. "Let's dance. Put on your red shoes and dance the blues."
2. "I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend, but I'm a little glowing friend, but really I'm not actually your friend, but I am..."
3. "If you need a friend, don't look to a stranger. You know in the end I'll always be there."
4. "I woke up this morning and the sun was gone. Turned on some music to start my day."
5. "You know our love was meant to be. The kind of love that lasts forever."
6. "There's no need to argue anymore. I gave all I could but it left me so sore."
7. "Like anyone would be I am flattered by your fascination with me. Like any hotblooded woman, I have simply wanted an object to crave."
8. "Another night in any town, You can hear the thunder of their cry"
9. "As I walk through the valley where I harvest my grain, I take a look at my wife and realize she's very plain. But that's just perfect for an Amish like me, you know I shun fancy things like electricity."
10. "Playground school bell rings again, rainclouds come to play again. Has no one told you she's not breathing?"
11. "People smile and tell me I'm a lucky one, and we've just begun, think I'm gonna have a son."
12. "I have a picture pinned to my wall, an image of you and of me and we're laughing, we're loving it all."
13. "A suburban man at my door, but I don't think I'll let him. He wants discipline, discipline, control over the way I live."
14. "From the top to the bottom, bottom to top I stop, at the core I've forgotten in the middle of my thoughts."
15. "Angely i demony kruzhili nado mnoj, Rassekali ternii i mlechnye puti"
16. "When the lights go down in the city, and the sun shines on the bay, ooh I wanna be there in my city." Megan
17. "Zephyr in the sky at night I wonder, do my tears of mourning sink beneath the sun?"
18. "Yo listen up, here's a story about a little guy who lives in a blue world." Megan
19. "I walk along the city streets you used to walk along with me. And every step I take reminds me how we used to be."
20. "After dark we kick into super funk, best stay clear and hope it's not to bright" (it actually sounds like "after dark kick it super fun, bet stay clear and hope he's not too bright")

For some reason, all the older songs on my favorites playlist decided to pop up. *shrug* Be warned that some of those songs are really obscure. Let me know if you decide to do your own. Good luck!

Car Closure

After the death of my not-so-dearly departed Daewoo, I was left with residual payments on the loan. Today, I paid off the loan. I'm very grateful to those who have helped me get through the car-less months, particularly Sarah. Now that I no longer have a the remainder of a car loan and the IRS has been paid off for a while, I feel much better.

Now I'm looking to get some debt with something to show for it. A new car! I've been researching, and so far, I'm considering the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent, Suzuki SX4, and Scion xD. If you have any info/opinions on any of these cars, I'd love to know!

"It's worth your weight in gold!"

How much is that, exactly? Well, it turns out that right now my weight in gold is approximately $12.5 million. I don't know whether to be impressed or depressed. I just wish I could cash myself in!

Boolean Faux Pas

First off, I hadn't noticed how long it had been since my last post. Bad blogger. As the end of school nears, fewer of my brain cells are active. As demonstrated in the following tale.

The latest topic in my computer science classes has been Boolean logic. (If you don't know what Boolean logic is, don't worry. All you need to know is that it involves operators like "and", "or", and "not".) We were going over a problem and I had to think up another example off the top of my head. So I wrote on the board: X and (Q and (P or N)).

Two guys in the back started snickering immediately. Curious, I asked them what was up. What I hadn't noticed was that I had written "porn" on the white board in front of the whole class. Yup. We all had a good laugh about it, then we finished the example, porn and all. By the way, the next example was X or (Q and (C or N)).

Sinus Update ... or is it?

<---- Not my head.

As requested, here's an update on my sinuses. Yesterday, I had a CT scan at the doctor's office which meant that the results were available almost immediately. The doctor took a look and said, "No infection, your sinuses are perfect." Wow. There's something about my body that's perfect. Who knew? It only took a couple of surgeries, prescriptions, and allergy treatments.

Yet the pain remains. It feels like a sinus headache, but it apparently isn't. So my awesome ENT referred me to two doctors to follow up on more possibilities. Yes, you read that right. Two doctors. A TMJ/facial pain specialist and a headache specialist. The two main possibilities are that I have TMJ or that it's some variant of migraine. It could always be something else, though. I will probably have to schedule the appointments after the end of the school year, but that's less than a month away.

It was neat to see the CT scan images. Nothing cooler than seeing cross-sections of your own head. I apparently still have a bit of extra bone on my septum, but it was too close to my brain to mess with. Oooooh. I also got samples of some neat new prescription that should stop the post-nasal drip I'm enjoying. How's that for gross? That should help with my sore throat and inflamed tonsils as well.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Rachel's Head.

Is it stuffy in here, or is it just me?

My sinuses don't like me. I've had two surgeries on them suckers. In the first one, the doctor removed a piece of bone the size of a marble from my septum and performed a turbinoplasty. I could breathe so much better, but was still getting regular sinus infections. So we tried a balloon sinuplasty - like an angioplasty for your sinuses. It got better, but not totally.

So I went back to the ENT today. He took a look and said that either there's still a blockage in there or it may be somehow migraine-related. I've got a lot of questions to ask, but I get to see him tomorrow in another office of his 30 minutes away. I'm going to get another CAT scan and hopefully we'll find an answer to this thing.

I have to give props to my ENT, though. It's much better than it used to be. I haven't missed a single day of work this year due to sinus infections. I can at least work through them. Thank goodness for good doctors. (And his staff is great, too!)

I'm grateful that my health is as good as it is. Sure, I have issues, but I'm able to function and enjoy life. As I listened to the news this afternoon, I thanked my Heavenly Father for the blessings I have received and prayed for those who need them more.

I'll spare you the grisly details ....

I just reformatted my computer. Waaay to many things were going wrong. Like the fact that the computer wanted to run checkdisk every time I rebooted. I was rather nervous, as I have never done this before. And once you've started reformatting, all of your data is gone .... forever. I think I checked at least a few dozen times to make sure I backed up everything I needed.

So far it looks like I succeeded. Things have been running pretty smoothly. I had a few bumps along the way, like trying to install an illegal version then getting a conscience when it didn't work and buying a $300 retail copy of Windows XP. Thank you Best Buy with your no interest for 6-months. There's still an issue with restoring my Outlook data, but I'm sure that will be solved.

I've wanted to pull my hair out a few times, but I've learned some things and gained a lot of confidence. Now I just have to spend a few days at Mom and Dad's figuring out their computer problems. They always take me out to dinner as payment, though :)

Just don't give me an apple.

This week is TAKS week.

Next week is national teacher appreciation week.

They couldn't do it this week because it would be too much of a contradiction.

YATTA!

I saw this years ago, but I recently rediscovered it on YouTube with subtitiles. It is waaaaaaaay funnier when you actually know what they're saying, although the visuals are hilarious on their own.

I guess I should warn you that the video contains images of men in tighty-whities. When you're done watching it, go read more about it.

Enjoy!

Seeing Orange

I'm on an orange binge. Don't know why. For some reason I just can't stop eating them. Better than a chocolate or bacon binge, right?

The house smells sweet, the garbage disposal is clean, and my fingernails are permanently orange. My students will probably ask me, "Miss, are you wearing a new citrus perfume?" "Why yes," I'll respond, "It's called jus d'orange." I also have the fiber benefits to look forward to. I'm gonna be pooping pulp for weeks.

Got Tagged

I got tagged by Megan. You should check out her blog, she's hilarious.

The rules are as follows:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.


Here's my 7 facts:

1. I'm not a grown-up. I always considered my siblings "grown up" when they were taller than my mom. My mom is 5'2". I'm 5'1/2". Meh.

2. When I was little, I couldn't last longer than about 15 minutes in a car trip without having to use the bathroom. Thus, I earned the title of potty princess. One day, one of my family members suggested that I should start rating the restrooms, since I'd seen so many of them. So I did. I've started the process of creating a website for my ratings, complete with pictures!

3. I'm addicted to crochet. I buy magazines and check websites and drool over yarn. I have several projects in progress and dozens more in my mind. I'm an old woman in the making.

4. I love vegetables. But only if they're properly cooked. Canned veggies make me want to gag.

5. I need to reformat my laptop and reinstall Windows, but I'm intimidated by the task. I rely on my computer. I'm afraid I'll mess it up. Chris used to reformat our computers and would never show me how, so I'm not quite sure on the specifics. So things keep getting more buggy and I get more nervous.

6. My brain isn't working right now.

7. I have never actually been asked to go on a date.


I apologize for the lack of witty and/or amusing comments. (See #6.) I'm tagging Sarah, Rebecca, Tib, Natalie, Aunt Jan, and that's all the people I really know with blogs, so I guess I'm breaking a rule. Oh well. I am a rebel, you know.

A Positive Note

Tomorrow (or .. later today) I get to eat the lunch made by the culinary arts students. I will also be downloading the next episode of my favorite anime, Naruto: Shippuuden, less than 12 hours after it airs in Japan. Two fixes in one day. I like Thursdays.

The Big Red R

Here's my problem. Well, one of my problems. Sometimes I feel like watching a movie I love. Then I add it to my Netflix queue or tell Sarah about it, only to find that it has been rated R the whole time. I don't watch rated R movies and haven't done so since I was married. Blame it on the ex. It's so frustrating! I don't remember the movies being bad, but I guess there's a reason.

My latest example is Legend of the Drunken Master starring Jackie Chan (love that guy). The fighting is awesome and there's a guy in it whose legs are crazy! Not to mention that it's hilarious. I really wanted to see it again, and now I can't. It shouldn't bug me so much. It's not like I'm having to trek across the plains or anything.

Scooping Tall

My brain is weird. Every time I'm scooping the litter boxes, I think of the movie Walking Tall. It's got Dwayne "The (hot) Rock" Johnson playing an ex-soldier who's forced to clean up his home town and show the bad guys who's boss.

I like the movie ... but why do I always think of it when I'm scooping cat poop? I really don't understand myself on this one. Maybe I have too many chemicals sloshing around in my brain.

10 Random Thoughts

1. I'm glad I don't have to lick myself to have a bath like cats do.
2. It's nice to have flowers in the house.
3. Ginger beer is tasty, but must be enjoyed slowly. (Think ginger ale, but much more spicy.)
   
4. I'm worried about two of my students.
5. Who's going to dig Dad's flagpole hole?
6. My foot is cold.
7. I hope Sarah can find a way to get restful sleep.
8. I love my kitties. I guess I've turned into a cat lady.
9. I don't like dances. Not even as a chaperone/bystander.
10. I'm going to buy a few t-shirts from thinkgeek.com. I need to replenish my stock. Perhaps I should work on my year's storage for that one.
    

Thankful Tuesday

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be Thankful Thursday, but I'm feeling the thankful vibes today. And I'm a rebel. You know it.

1. President Thomas S. Monson - I've always loved President Monson, but it has been really cool watching him since he became the prophet. You can see the change that's come upon him. Plus, his sense of humor is awesome, and he can really deliver a punchline. You can hear great examples of this during his closing remarks of the Sunday afternoon session of General Conference. I am happy to have a testimony of his divine calling.

2. My new nephew Grayson - How wonderful is it to hold a new baby in your arms! What a perfect little creation. Fragile and vulnerable. It makes you almost afraid to touch him, but you can't resist doing so. Fresh from Heavenly Father's presence, he is beginning the test. He has so much growing to do, so many things to learn, so many mistakes to make, so many great deeds to accomplish. I hope that I can be a good example and friend to him.

3. Time with my Dad - Last Saturday, Dad wasn't feeling too well. So I hung out with him for the evening. It was great. We talked for a long time and I learned stuff about him that I didn't know. Then we went to Applebee's for Dad's dinner and a desert for both of us. Dad said he felt better at the end of the evening. So did I.

4. My students - Whenever I start school in a bad mood, upset, or just down, my students lift me up. They always try to put a smile on my face. They almost always succeed. Regardless of how much impact I've had on them, they've certainly had an impact on me.

5. Pedicures - Sarah wanted a pedicure yesterday, so I got one too. My feet look much better now. Not to mention the foot massage they give you ..... I didn't realize how tense I was until she started massaging my foot. I just melted. Now I just need to go use the regular massages I've already paid for at Massage Heights. (Don't join. You can probably find a better massage therapist on your own and not be stuck in a contract.)

6. The end of school - I know it's 7 1/2 weeks away, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm responsible for planning the Web Mastering course and it's been beating the life out of me. I'm going to use the summer to re-do the curriculum when I have time to learn the software I'm supposed to be teaching.

So there's six for now. I'm not stuck to a timetable on this one, so you're just going to get surprised. I hope Tib doesn't get mad that I massacred her lovely graphic. :)

Mail Call!

My mail is pretty consistently addressed to my correct (maiden) name now. You'd think it should be after almost a year and a half.

Sometimes a piece of mail comes addressed to my former (married) name. Once in a while, I get something addressed to my ex.

Believe it or not ... once in a blue moon ... I get mail for my ex-mother-in-law.

Don't get me wrong, my ex-mother-in-law is a really nice woman, although a bit eccentric. But I'm not really sure why her "Woman Within" catalogs are getting sent to my house. Guess I have to call them again.

The evil deeds begin at 12:55

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

(This clock hangs on a bulletin board in my classroom. You guessed it, the theme is smiley faces. I think they're cute, but sometimes they get creepy. Or just plain evil.)

Kilts for Geeks

Find it at ThinkGeek.com.

'Cause You've Got Personality

In my humble opinion, personality tests are like horoscopes. They say stuff that could pretty much apply to everyone, or they're so completely ridiculous that me want to ... rotflmao.

Anyway ... I was forwarded a personality quiz, so I decided to take it. "There's only 4 questions!" Alright, I'll bite.

If you want to take the quiz and "get accurate results", do so now, before reading my results.

The interpretation of my answers (and commentary):

• My priorities are (in order): Pride, Family, Money, Love, Career.
  Harsh!
• My own personality is happy.
  I didn't know a personality could be happy. A TV personality maybe? OK ... so somehow I own a TV personality and they are happy.
• My partner's personality is comfortable.
  Now if I could just figure out who he is.
• My enemies are apparently cute.
  The bunnies must be out to get me again.
• I interpret sex as "black".
  Huh?
• And my life is rolling.
  But apparently no rockin'.
  
• I will never forget my dad.
  That would be difficult to do.
  
• I consider my mom a true friend.
  OK, so this one is right.
  
• I really love Sarah.
  When I don't have to take out the trash. (Nah, Sarah, it's ok. Just get better, dangit.)
  
• Rebecca is my twin soul.
  I believe we're conjoined twins. And I want my kidneys back.
  
• I will remember Adam for the rest of my life.
  Due to the emotional scarring of my childhood, I believe that this prediction is 100% correct.
  

AND ...... If I send the quiz to 27 people, I'll get married on Thursday! So quit your dabbling and take the damn quiz!!!!

I am Woman.

I went to an institute activity last Saturday. It was a big step for me, as I am quite uncomfortable at those kinds of functions. Luckily, there were some women there that I already know and like. I was also able to meet more. I can’t say the same on the male side of the spectrum.

One portion of the activity was for the women to fill out surveys, they would be read aloud, and then the men would bid for a ‘date’ with them. (Date = eating hot dogs and burgers together.) One of the questions was, “What Disney princess would you be, and why?” My answer? “Mulan, because she’s her own woman.”

When my answer was read aloud, one of the men said, “Well, that’s a turn off.” Laughter and agreement. I should have said, “And so is that.” Do men still honestly want a woman that will bat her huge eyelashes at him and say, “Oh, I’m so weak and helpless! Can you show me the way?”? If that is true, I will never marry again. I will not become subject to someone else’s whims again. Never.

I
am
Woman.

Hear me roar.
I am independent. Capable. Strong. Smart.
I don’t need you to survive.
I am feminine. Soft. Gentle. Beautiful.
My love is priceless and enduring.

I will not change for you. I am me.
I am my own woman. A unique pillar of strength.
I have survived. I will survive. I will prosper.
And you can’t stop me.
And you won’t stop me.

So go stuff it.

Jaws ... Kitty Style

I think Tib will appreciate this one ...

I Can See Clearly Now ... *little dance*

Since I get paid tonight at midnight, I decided to go ahead and buy my glasses today. I was going nuts. I picked them out during my conference period and picked them up after school. I can see! My eyes are still getting used to not having to strain so hard. I could feel the headache start to ease up as soon as I had them on. It's going to take me a few days to get used to the new frames and prescription, but it's sure nice to have lenses that aren't scratched to bits. Pictures will follow. Someday. Maybe.

Everything's a Bit Fuzzy

I stepped on my glasses Sunday night. The good news: I already have a prescription for new glasses and was planning on buying a new set (frames and all). The bad news: Payday ain't 'til Thursday. As long as I don't have to focus too much on small things like computer screens, I'm OK. Otherwise I get a nice big headache. Did I mention that I teach computer classes?

I'm not really upset about it. In class, I just don my prescription sunglasses and ooze coolness while I educate my young Padawans in algorithms.

Thankful Thursday

Credits to Tib for the Thankful Thursday graphic and idea.

This is my first Thankful Thursday post. Not because I'm feeling particularly jubilant, quite the opposite. As I'm finding friends on facebook, I think about how my life is at this particular point in time. I am not happy where I am. I'm trying, but I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone and incredibly far from where I wanted to be at this point in my life. So I figured that this would be the best time to start being thankful for what I have.

1. The gospel. Without it, I know that I would be an alcoholic, unemployed, addicted to drugs, or dead. My knowledge of the truth is what has kept me from ruining or taking my life. Some think that I am exaggerating. I am not.

2. My family. My family has always been there for me. I could not have made it through my divorce if it wasn't for their support. They lovingly consoled me and did everything they could to help me through it. I love spending time with them. Thinking of my nieces and nephews brings a smile to my heart.

3. Sarah. She opened up her home to me when I needed help the most. I've learned that it's not a good thing to live by myself. It's a bit "cozy" here, but it's worked out well for both of us. Sarah is also letting me share her car until I am able to buy my own in June. I always have a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. I also have someone who can tell me those things I need to hear that I may not want to hear. Getting to know Sarah better has been a great experience.

4. My health and health care. Sometimes I feel that my body is a wreck. With chronic sinus problems, allergies galore, asthma, hypothyroidism, PCOS, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and bipolar disorder, I think I have some justification for that feeling. However, I can walk. I can work. I can think. I can work with my hands. I could even run if someone was chasing me with a dangerous implement. I'm so grateful that I have access to great health care and I have great health insurance. My doctors and medicines have greatly improved my quality of life.

5. The internet. It's wonderful being able to find and keep in touch with people all over the world. I've been able to stay up to date with what's going on with my family. I just found my best friend from high school on facebook. It will be great to be able to see her again.

6. My job. I love my students. Some of them annoy the living crap out of me, but I love them anyway. I love teaching. The best part is the look in a student's eyes when they "get it", that glimmer of understanding. Planning the web mastering course is immensely difficult, as I am learning the topics, building resources, and creating the lessons all at once, but I am learning so much from doing it. Not to mention spring break, Christmas break, and summer :)

7. Crochet. I learned crochet from a book in college and haven't stopped since. Mom's attempt to teach me in high school didn't take. It seems I learn things best from books. I recently finished a gift for my upcoming nephew. Well, I have a sewing portion left to do, but you get the idea. I enjoy being able to make something beautiful from loops of yarn.

There. That's one for each day of the week. And I really do feel a bit better. I'll have to get more specific next time.

Just like in Lubbock ...

I told one of my students at the beginning of the year that in Lubbock, it rains mud sometimes. She didn't believe me. Maybe I was getting a little help at convincing her that it's possible when it happened here. Here's the story on WOAI.com.

There are warrants issued in these locations.

Make your own here.

It's so right, it's scary

What stereotype do you belong to? Your Result: geek/nerd smart, straight A's, high GPA, band member, unpopular, would rather spend time on the computer than with friends, wears glasses, has been wearing the same clothes for years
Loner
No stereotype
Emo
Preppy
Punk
Gamer
Jock
What stereotype do you belong to?

The graphic isn't showing up the way I want to, but you get the picture.

Visit to the ER (long post, sorry)

I am not a morning person. Keep that in mind while you read this.

Thursday morning, I woke up at 5:30. Fed Baxter. Took pills. I was still rather asleep. Hit the shower. Once I had gotten dressed it was 6:30. I took my pills. While walking into the living room, I stopped in my tracks. Um. Oops. My brain suddenly realized what I had done. Crap!

I yelled at Sarah in the shower, asking what she thought I should do. Call the pharmacy. Okay. The pharmacist says that I should be alright, just to eat some candy to counteract the double dose of metformin (normally a diabetic drug) and not to stand up too quickly since the double dose of blood pressure meds will lower it more than usual.

Fast forward. I'm about to teach my first class, but I'm feeling a bit weird. So I come up with an alternate lesson plan (War Games). We're not supposed to show movies. Unless they're tutorials or Hamlet or something. Dang English and Social Studies teachers. Just as the students are finishing up the warm up and I'm ready to start the movie, in walks the principal. Some students were still working, but others had moved on to perusing the web. (Also a big no-no.) And of course, I was sitting at my desk. I could feel the bad evaluation coming. Luckily, a student asked me a question and it naturally got me off of my butt. I could then circulate the room and attempt to redirect them to another assignment. The principal left, had apparently counted the students off task, and I just about collapsed from embarrassment.

My cheeks start burning, so I ask the teacher across the hall to keep an ear out while they start the movie. Just a quick jaunt to the nurse to double-check my temperature, just to be safe. 99.3 or something. No biggie. I don't remember if I volunteered the information or was asked why I was worried, but before I knew it, the nurse was on a crusade.

When she asked if I could call someone to take me home (I was a bit too dizzy to drive), I figured she'd hand me a phone and let me take care of everything. Yes, I could try. What's a number you can call? My dad at ###-####. She dialed ... and didn't hand me the receiver. She actually talked to my father herself. Like I was a student. I'm not feeling so great, so it takes me a while to take control of the situation.

Long story short (really - it could be longer) ... no one is able to pick me up. They just happen to have their own lives, imagine that. We (meaning the nurse) finally get to talk to my doctor. She recommends going to the ER, just to be safe. Since I can't get there any other way, some nice gentlemen in a square white truck with sirens get to drop me off. At least I didn't have to sit in the waiting room.

I ended up getting a bag of IV fluids and a hospital meal. That's it. And I got to sit in the ER for between 4 and 5 hours. With 30 channels of daytime talk shows and soap operas. Alone. I found it rather amusing that they kept on asking me if I had taken the pills twice on purpose. Um. No.

Good news is that everything is alright. I just didn't have to take my meds Thursday night. After about 24 hours, it was all out of my system. Of course, it threw me off a bit. I take some stuff that messes with your brain chemicals. I ended up showing the movie on Friday. (Screw the rules. I have a continuing contract.)

Checkin' In

Nothing huge has happened lately. I'm feeling pretty cruddy today. It's tempting to just call in for work tomorrow, but it ends up being more work to be gone. So I'll probably go and just feel cruddy all day. I'm sure my students will appreciate it. Enough for me. We've fed the cats, the litter boxes are scooped, the trash is on the curb, and I'm pooped. G'nite world. Be nicer to me tomorrow.

Minorities and Cool Stuff

Two Items Today:

1. There is a group of men who always pointlessly banter about the presidential election in the teacher's work room. Today, of course, was no different. I have gotten quite skilled at ignoring them completely and continuing with my work, but today my ears were perked by a comment one of them made. "Nothing like this has ever happened before. Not only do we not have an incumbent running, but there are two minorities running for president in the Democratic party." *ahem* Since when did women become a minority? I seriously must have missed that one. I'm adding that one to my quote collection.

I came across a really neat company, Otterbox.com, that sells water resistant/proof cases for electronics. They all look rather neat. I was especially impressed with the case for a video iPod like mine. It would be really cool with the armband accessory and waterproof headphones they sell. A swimmer would be able to jam out during laps. Personally, I'd just float in a pool with a snorkel sticking out the top a la The Graduate, minus scuba capabilities.

60 Questions

I'll do anything to procrastinate ...

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now?
Bless your soul! You bought me a car?!
2. When was the last time you threw up?
Don't remember, but I've gotta be really sick to throw up.
3. What's your favorite curse word?
Damn. Or fartmonkey. Can't pick.
4. Name 3 people who made you smile today?
At least two students and Sarah.
5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
Driving from Sarah's school to mine. In her car, btw.
6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Posting a question to a crochet forum about how to use Susan Bates Regular Yarn Bobs. Let me know if you understand where to put the yarn on those crazy weird things. *Update - someone answered my question before I could finish this post. :)
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now?
Sleeping. Please, let it be sleeping.
8. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Stupid question.
9. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"The new boxy one. It's easier to drag to the curb."
10. What is the best ice cream flavor?
Milk chocolate.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Diet coke.
12. What are you wearing right now?
Purple sleepshirt under a fuzzy royal blue housecoat and really comfy slippers.
13. What was the last thing you ate?
Cheesecake. Yummy, yummy cheesecake
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Nothing this week yet.
15. When was the last time you ran?
The last time someone chased me.
16. What's the last sporting event you watched?
My niece’s gymnastics competition in September of 2007.
18. Who is the last person you emailed?
An assistant principal at work asking for clarification on an issue.
19. Ever go camping?
Before high school at a Girl Scouts camp, even though I wasn't a Girl Scout. I currently hate it. The bugs and sun have it out for me.
20. Do you have a tan?
No, my skin doesn't tan, it burns ... with blisters.
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
Sure, why not?
25. What did your last IM say?
cya
26. Are you someone's best friend?
Baxter's. Unless Sarah feeds him. Then she's his best friend.
27. What are you doing tomorrow?
Teaching, planning, grading, pulling my hair out ...
28. Where is your mom right now?
I don't know. I removed the tracking device days ago.
29. Look to your left, what do you see?
The front door ... oh, wait ... other left
30. What color is your watch?
Black and gray.
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia ?
The Olympics. My best friend in high school was in Sydney during the Olympics and she got me a neat key chain. I collected them back then.
32. Would you consider plastic surgery?
I'm planning on a boob job next spring.
33. What is your birthstone?
Pearl. Not alexandrite like some people want you to believe.
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Usually drive thru, but I generally prefer to eat inside.
35.How many kids do you want?
Not a question that really makes much sense to answer right now.
36. Do you have a dog?
No, but I'd love to have a dachshund again one day. (Long story ... )
37. Last person you talked to on the phone?
Sarah.
38. Have you met anyone famous?
"Weird Al" Yankovic. More times than I care to admit.
39. Any plans today?
Scoop the kitty litter boxes, take out the trash, finish this looooooooong post, go to bed.
40. How many states have you lived in?
One state, one province.
41. Ever go to college?
Graduated from Texas Tech in 2003.
42. Where are you right now?
The living room / office / library.
43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now?
Money and not having a car.
44. Last song listened to?
Not sure. There must have been something playing at the restaurant.
46. Are you allergic to anything?
Pretty much anything that isn't food. Or dogs.
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
I have a pair of blue and purple platform flip-flops that I love. As soon as it gets to summer, those bad boys are out again.
48. Are you jealous of anyone?
Not lately. I'd rather just feel sorry for myself. (Woe is me!! Woe is me!!)
50. Is anyone jealous of you?
Who wouldn't be ;)
51. What time is it?
11:12 pm.
52. Do any of your friends have children?
Friends?
53. Do you eat healthy?
I'm not eating chocolate bars every day like I used to. I'm honestly picking one little thing at at time.
54. What do you usually do during the day?
Manage roomfuls of monkeys and attempt to compensate for my co-worker's incompetence..
55. Do you hate anyone right now?
Hate? No. But I strongly dislike some people right now - aforementioned co-worker, trashcan-stealing neighbors
56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
Yes
58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
27! The most magical of all birthdays in the world!
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes. Did I mention that my skin blisters when I get sunburned?
60. How did you get one of your scars?
Surgery to put 2 pins in my lower-left tibia after I broke it. 7th grade. That's when I found out I'd be short for the rest of my life.

3 Mini-posts ... All in one!

That's Trash!
As Sarah discussed in her post, we discovered this afternoon that our neighbors had stolen our trash can. I tell ya, this is one of those things that makes me count the minutes until the second coming, or rather wish that I could.

Personal Service at Walgreens
I walk into the pharmacy and the lab tech says, "I'll be right with you, Miss Erickson." This is not the first time. I guess with all 13 prescriptions, they better know my name by now. Thank you, tax-free medical spending account!

What a Gay Evening
Once again I will address a situation Sarah discussed in her own post. The gala last night was ... amusing. Everyone kept pronouncing gala as gay-la. My camera's battery was dead, so I didn't get to take covert fug photos as I had hoped. I was expecting some ugly dresses, but there were some real doozies. Everyone there was so pleased with themselves. Blech. The food was fantastic, but if the $150 a head went directly to the foundation instead of food, decorations, and ballroom, they'd raise so much more money. I'm going to ask for some of it to buy some books, but geez people. Get over yourselves.

Playing Chicken

This post is going to make my mother pee her pants.

Every time this month, I play chicken with the bank. So far, I'm the undefeated champion. (Knock on wood. Or pray for me. Whatever.) My paycheck gets deposited at 12:01 tonight, so about two days before, I started spending it. This is the usual pattern.

I keep meticulous track of my money, and I'm well aware that it generally takes 2 business days for bank/credit card transactions to clear. Looks like I'm going to win again this month! I better quit while I'm ahead, though. One of these days I'm gonna lose. Losing is expensive when you're messing with a bank.

Random Observation - Blogs and other web pages that automagically play music when they load are abso-freakin-lutely irritating.

I'm tired.

So I'm going to bed. G'nite!

Give Me 5 Tag

"Tagged" by Natalie, my awesome cousin in Austin. So here goes.

Five Things on My To Do List:
1. Finish grading (perpetually on list)
2. Create a test and project for web mastering course
3. Vacuum
4. Clean my room (too long on the bottom of the list)
5. Watch one of the DVDs from NetFlix that have been sitting in my living room for over a month

Five Places I have lived:
1. Sparwood, BC
2. San Antonio, TX
3. Lubbock, TX
4. That's it, folks!
5.

Five Jobs I Have Had:
1. Whataburger drive-thru guru
2. Temporary worker for a law firm doing data entry
3. Tech support for Texas Tech's athletics department
4. CSR for AT&T Wireless
5. High school teacher

Five favorite snacks:
1. Fresh fruit - my #1 choice, when available
2. Chocolate bars. Just about any kind will do.
3. Hot tamales - especially for the movies
4. Dried fruit
5. Potato chips, especially salt & vinegar

Five Things I Would Do if I Were a Millionaire:
1. Pay. off. my. debts.
2. Buy a car
3. Buy a house
4. Take a vacation to somewhere ... else
5. Save the rest

Five Things I Miss:
1. My maternal grandma
2. Any of my family that isn't with me
3. Innocence of my childhood
4. Friends I haven't kept in touch with
5. My sanity ... wait ... can you miss something you've never had?