Just a side note, April 28 marked my 3rd anniversary of the blog. Been blogging 3 whole years now! Yay me!!! I had fun today, looking back at my post from 3 years ago this week. We had been to a pool party at Keith and Angela's new house, visited at my dad's house and I got a speeding ticket on the way home, Tyler got his first cell phone and I was in shock at the # of text messages he could do in a week's time, and TAnner lost a tooth and finished his first video game ever. Time flies.
Sitting here at work on the last official contract day, having just completed all my check out stuff and “official” duties…..I’m just kinda like……..I don’t know lol. I’ll spend all day trying to think of the right word for it:
Reflective? Relieved? Accomplished? Awakened? Alive again?????
It seems like I left home to go do something back in August and I just got finished with it. Now I’m wondering where everyone is and what they’ve been up to and what have I missed and what has changed and has everyone been eating right and doing their chores and how’s the rest of the family doing and so on and so forth.
And who am I now???? Lol.
It’s a weird feeling I guess but not exactly bad. I probably did miss out on a lot this year but I’ve definitely grown on a personal and professional level and I don’t really have any regrets. I knew the first year would be HUGE. But I think from this point on I will be just fine, simply because I know what to expect and I have a basic foundation to go from when school starts back. Time will tell. I’m enjoying the quiet and still of my office and room today. I’m the only one here, except maybe one band director. All the chairs are stacked up, everything is packed away. And it’s silent. It’s very therapeutic lol. I’m still having a real hard time getting my mind into vacation format. I’m afraid of getting behind, or more like NOT getting ahead. But I’m going to spend a few days making myself let go a little bit.
Reflective? Relieved? Accomplished? Awakened? Alive again?????
It seems like I left home to go do something back in August and I just got finished with it. Now I’m wondering where everyone is and what they’ve been up to and what have I missed and what has changed and has everyone been eating right and doing their chores and how’s the rest of the family doing and so on and so forth.
And who am I now???? Lol.
It’s a weird feeling I guess but not exactly bad. I probably did miss out on a lot this year but I’ve definitely grown on a personal and professional level and I don’t really have any regrets. I knew the first year would be HUGE. But I think from this point on I will be just fine, simply because I know what to expect and I have a basic foundation to go from when school starts back. Time will tell. I’m enjoying the quiet and still of my office and room today. I’m the only one here, except maybe one band director. All the chairs are stacked up, everything is packed away. And it’s silent. It’s very therapeutic lol. I’m still having a real hard time getting my mind into vacation format. I’m afraid of getting behind, or more like NOT getting ahead. But I’m going to spend a few days making myself let go a little bit.
ANNIVERSARY - The kids left with mom straight out of school last week to go to Alabama for a couple of weeks. I will join them some time around the 10th and spend several days. It’s been me and Rusty for nearly a week now and we’ve enjoyed it, but we miss the kids terribly. Our 18th anniversary was Monday and we both had to work. But he took me out to eat that evening then we went home and watched crappy movies with Keith. The crappy B horror movie nights are becoming a regular thing around the house. I’m enjoying it lol. Sometimes just us, sometimes Keith, Clay, Steve join in. But it’s always a HOOT. We are our own version of “Mystery Science Theatre 3000”, for those who know what that is.
PEDICURE - I got my very first pedicure ever, yesterday. It was terrific. I hated to spend the money on myself but at the same time I felt like I needed something special to signify the end of the year and I didn't want it to be food lol. It was really nice and I hope to make a habit out of it in the future, but it's not likely going to be affordable lol.
FAMILY, BLOGS, and PASTA SALAD - Jacy and Dustin came through town a couple of weekends ago, me and the kids went to visit and had a really good time. Hope to see more of them this summer. On that note, I have to say how much I’m enjoying reading everyone’s blogs. Every time I sit down to do mine I go and catch up on everyone else’s lol. Gives me a true sense of family to be able to know the little things people do throughout their weeks. Otherwise, I don’t know anything about anybody at all. And being that I’m NOT a phone talker person, I lose sense that I’m related to anyone at all lol. I don’t care if it’s people doing exciting things in exciting places, or trying a new food or telling about the latest book they read. I remember I did an entire blog entry one time on gourmet jellybeans lol. So everyone keep it up, and let’s get others to doing it. We could become one big cyber-family lol. Speaking of blogs.....
FAMILY, BLOGS, and PASTA SALAD - Jacy and Dustin came through town a couple of weekends ago, me and the kids went to visit and had a really good time. Hope to see more of them this summer. On that note, I have to say how much I’m enjoying reading everyone’s blogs. Every time I sit down to do mine I go and catch up on everyone else’s lol. Gives me a true sense of family to be able to know the little things people do throughout their weeks. Otherwise, I don’t know anything about anybody at all. And being that I’m NOT a phone talker person, I lose sense that I’m related to anyone at all lol. I don’t care if it’s people doing exciting things in exciting places, or trying a new food or telling about the latest book they read. I remember I did an entire blog entry one time on gourmet jellybeans lol. So everyone keep it up, and let’s get others to doing it. We could become one big cyber-family lol. Speaking of blogs.....
Yesterday I was in the grocery store and suddenly remembered reading Jacy's recipe for pasta salad and it just sounded TOO good. So I had to search through my email on my phone to find the link to their new blog to get to the recipe so I could buy the ingredients lol. Took me a little while but I got it. I made it last night and it was AWESOME.
GRADUATION - Tanner and Brooke and Cody graduated 6th grade. And Kyle graduated high school. Time flies too fast these days! We now no longer have kids in elementary school. I will have a 7th grader in Jr. High and a Senior in high school. That “senior” thing has slipped up on me. I got a notice in the mail a few days ago that told me Tyler ’s appointment for senior portraits is June 16 at 9:30. I was like……huh?????? Already? So there ya go. We’re officially in the final stretch of high school. And I pray to God every night that the doctor will clear him for a drivers license on June 17 when he goes back. Bless his heart, it’s really starting to bug him. But he did really well in school this year for the first time in awhile. He had gotten better last year once he got medicated, but not in time to pass Algebra II. He passed it easily this year and did well in all else. B’s and C’s I think. SO much better than that Freshman year.
THE BIG HOUSE - This past weekend on Friday, we, Keith, Terri, Clay, and Steve stayed up til 5 AM talking!!!!!! Unbelievable. We had set out to watch horror movies all night but we never got one put in. We started talking and talking and talking. We eventually put on some old 80’s rock videos that were on a music channel. And I don’t even know what all we talked about. But even RUSTY stayed up til 5 am. On Saturday we went to a pool party at the Big House. (For those of you who don’t know, that’s NOT prison – it’s a huge 1920’s mansion that Clay’s family is responsible for watching over.) One day I’m going to take my camera, or video camera, and create a virtual tour of the Big House. It’s such an interesting and awesome place. It actually has a name, I think it’s “Sylvialand” or something. The man named it for his wife. Anyway, we had a great time at the pool. My kids were gone, and Terri’s were off with their Dad. Matthew had a friend there to play with him though so that worked out. The pool was a bit cold but all of the women seemed to have no trouble with it. The men were the wusses. Saturday night Rusty took me to eat at Beechwood which is a rare treat.
YARDWORK - Sunday we mowed grass all day. We REALLY missed the kids on that day lol (just kidding boys). I weedeated the front, he push mowed the front. Then I push mowed most of the back while he worked on the riding mower. He finally got it going enough to do part of the back. I decided to put half my tomato plants in the ground and see if they start to grow more and better. I didn’t want to do all of them just in case they did WORSE. So I’m watching them closely a few days. I only have one or two tomatoes per plant. One has three. But I’m expecting more prolific tomato growth! I do have one bell pepper that’s just almost big enough to eat. And a few more coming along. If all goes well with the ones I planted in the ground this week, then I’m going to put the rest of them in. My watermelon plants really need to be transplanted to a hill so I’ll probably do that within a few days. I’m so excited that nothing has died yet. Knock on wood. But my caladiums are doing really well. Next year I’m buying tons of pots and tons of caladium bulbs. I’ve found something I can grow well!!!! I may become the caladium queen. Check out the "triplets". This is the only tomato plant I have with more than one tomato growing on it right now. And they are all 3 together lol.
SUMMER SCHOOL - I will be at work a good bit this summer. At least 2 days a week most weeks. My choir program is very desperate for male singers and I have to do what I can to get them and keep them. My very top male singer, the one who played Horton the Elephant, screwed up and failed some classes. So not only does he need to take summer school to get to 11th grade, it is also in MY best interest that he take summer school so that he doesn’t have to spend choir time retaking classes. He is also going to be a drum major in the band and busy with band camps all summer so he can’t do the onsite summer school here. So I’ve helped him to get signed up for an internet based class to make up that credit. I have another guy who is going to be a terrific bass singer but does not have room on his schedule next year unless he can somehow get rid of a semester class he needs. So he’s signed up for this internet based semester course. NEITHER of these kids have internet access at home. So I’m going to let them come to school twice a week to do these courses. We can do it at our own leisure I guess, so I’m still going to get to travel as I please. But I told them both they MUST be finished by July 17 because I’m going on a cruise and I ain’t worrying about whether or not they are doing what they’re supposed to while I’m gone. And they BETTER end up in my madrigal choir next year or I will KILL them. It’s looking like Blake is going to be doing the summer school thing also. But the class he needs can’t be done via internet because it’s a class with a state test tied to it. So poor Blake is going to have to do the onsite everyday summer school which really sucks for him.
CONTRACT SURPRISE – I guess I should always be thankful that I even GET a contract at each year’s end. But this one nearly gave me a heart attack. The big National Board Certification I worked so hard on for THREE YEARS increases my salary by $6000 a year. That’s an extra $500 a month I’ve been enjoying since 2006 and become quite accustomed to. Well, apparently the state legislature decided maybe they weren’t going to fund that anymore. Then they decided ok we will. Then they said, maybe not. Then they said they will again. And so on. They can’t decide on a budget or make up their mind about anything. So my school district will not include it into my contract because they have no guarantee as of yet that they will be given the money to pay it to me!!!! The contract states that they will give me the money as THEY receive it – in 2 lump sums. I’ll get $3000 in December and $3000 next May. They don’t trust the state to give it to them I guess lol. In the meantime, I lose $500 out of my monthly budget and that’s a whole car note or a grocery bill’s worth of money!!!! Times are going to get tough starting in August with the new contract. I guess I will need to REALLY enjoy that cruise lol. But Rusty and I are trying to find a way to work it out where it causes the least amount of pain. We shall see.
DR. BILL AND TELEPHONES - Let’s see. What’s the really UN-interesting stuff we’ve been up to. Rusty’s surgery and hospital stay cost right at $37,000 total. Thank GOD his insurance is good. I think he’s going to get by with having to pay just a little over $2000 out of pocket. We can just add it to the list of doctor bills that we owe everyone in the world lol. I finally had our phone cut off this week. I actually was just going to have it cut down to the bare bones basic phone with no extras. But that was even gonna cost me $25. All I know is I’m paying $130 a month for internet and a phone that I keep the ringer turned off and never answer! I didn’t think you could have no phone and still have DSL internet, but you can. We still have the line I guess, we just can’t call or be called. Now my bill should run me about $50 a month for internet only. So from now on, anyone who needs us call the cell phones! I’m looking for other bills to have cut off too……but everything else seems to be necessary.
GRADUATION - Tanner and Brooke and Cody graduated 6th grade. And Kyle graduated high school. Time flies too fast these days! We now no longer have kids in elementary school. I will have a 7th grader in Jr. High and a Senior in high school. That “senior” thing has slipped up on me. I got a notice in the mail a few days ago that told me Tyler ’s appointment for senior portraits is June 16 at 9:30. I was like……huh?????? Already? So there ya go. We’re officially in the final stretch of high school. And I pray to God every night that the doctor will clear him for a drivers license on June 17 when he goes back. Bless his heart, it’s really starting to bug him. But he did really well in school this year for the first time in awhile. He had gotten better last year once he got medicated, but not in time to pass Algebra II. He passed it easily this year and did well in all else. B’s and C’s I think. SO much better than that Freshman year.
THE BIG HOUSE - This past weekend on Friday, we, Keith, Terri, Clay, and Steve stayed up til 5 AM talking!!!!!! Unbelievable. We had set out to watch horror movies all night but we never got one put in. We started talking and talking and talking. We eventually put on some old 80’s rock videos that were on a music channel. And I don’t even know what all we talked about. But even RUSTY stayed up til 5 am. On Saturday we went to a pool party at the Big House. (For those of you who don’t know, that’s NOT prison – it’s a huge 1920’s mansion that Clay’s family is responsible for watching over.) One day I’m going to take my camera, or video camera, and create a virtual tour of the Big House. It’s such an interesting and awesome place. It actually has a name, I think it’s “Sylvialand” or something. The man named it for his wife. Anyway, we had a great time at the pool. My kids were gone, and Terri’s were off with their Dad. Matthew had a friend there to play with him though so that worked out. The pool was a bit cold but all of the women seemed to have no trouble with it. The men were the wusses. Saturday night Rusty took me to eat at Beechwood which is a rare treat.
YARDWORK - Sunday we mowed grass all day. We REALLY missed the kids on that day lol (just kidding boys). I weedeated the front, he push mowed the front. Then I push mowed most of the back while he worked on the riding mower. He finally got it going enough to do part of the back. I decided to put half my tomato plants in the ground and see if they start to grow more and better. I didn’t want to do all of them just in case they did WORSE. So I’m watching them closely a few days. I only have one or two tomatoes per plant. One has three. But I’m expecting more prolific tomato growth! I do have one bell pepper that’s just almost big enough to eat. And a few more coming along. If all goes well with the ones I planted in the ground this week, then I’m going to put the rest of them in. My watermelon plants really need to be transplanted to a hill so I’ll probably do that within a few days. I’m so excited that nothing has died yet. Knock on wood. But my caladiums are doing really well. Next year I’m buying tons of pots and tons of caladium bulbs. I’ve found something I can grow well!!!! I may become the caladium queen. Check out the "triplets". This is the only tomato plant I have with more than one tomato growing on it right now. And they are all 3 together lol.
SUMMER SCHOOL - I will be at work a good bit this summer. At least 2 days a week most weeks. My choir program is very desperate for male singers and I have to do what I can to get them and keep them. My very top male singer, the one who played Horton the Elephant, screwed up and failed some classes. So not only does he need to take summer school to get to 11th grade, it is also in MY best interest that he take summer school so that he doesn’t have to spend choir time retaking classes. He is also going to be a drum major in the band and busy with band camps all summer so he can’t do the onsite summer school here. So I’ve helped him to get signed up for an internet based class to make up that credit. I have another guy who is going to be a terrific bass singer but does not have room on his schedule next year unless he can somehow get rid of a semester class he needs. So he’s signed up for this internet based semester course. NEITHER of these kids have internet access at home. So I’m going to let them come to school twice a week to do these courses. We can do it at our own leisure I guess, so I’m still going to get to travel as I please. But I told them both they MUST be finished by July 17 because I’m going on a cruise and I ain’t worrying about whether or not they are doing what they’re supposed to while I’m gone. And they BETTER end up in my madrigal choir next year or I will KILL them. It’s looking like Blake is going to be doing the summer school thing also. But the class he needs can’t be done via internet because it’s a class with a state test tied to it. So poor Blake is going to have to do the onsite everyday summer school which really sucks for him.
CONTRACT SURPRISE – I guess I should always be thankful that I even GET a contract at each year’s end. But this one nearly gave me a heart attack. The big National Board Certification I worked so hard on for THREE YEARS increases my salary by $6000 a year. That’s an extra $500 a month I’ve been enjoying since 2006 and become quite accustomed to. Well, apparently the state legislature decided maybe they weren’t going to fund that anymore. Then they decided ok we will. Then they said, maybe not. Then they said they will again. And so on. They can’t decide on a budget or make up their mind about anything. So my school district will not include it into my contract because they have no guarantee as of yet that they will be given the money to pay it to me!!!! The contract states that they will give me the money as THEY receive it – in 2 lump sums. I’ll get $3000 in December and $3000 next May. They don’t trust the state to give it to them I guess lol. In the meantime, I lose $500 out of my monthly budget and that’s a whole car note or a grocery bill’s worth of money!!!! Times are going to get tough starting in August with the new contract. I guess I will need to REALLY enjoy that cruise lol. But Rusty and I are trying to find a way to work it out where it causes the least amount of pain. We shall see.
DR. BILL AND TELEPHONES - Let’s see. What’s the really UN-interesting stuff we’ve been up to. Rusty’s surgery and hospital stay cost right at $37,000 total. Thank GOD his insurance is good. I think he’s going to get by with having to pay just a little over $2000 out of pocket. We can just add it to the list of doctor bills that we owe everyone in the world lol. I finally had our phone cut off this week. I actually was just going to have it cut down to the bare bones basic phone with no extras. But that was even gonna cost me $25. All I know is I’m paying $130 a month for internet and a phone that I keep the ringer turned off and never answer! I didn’t think you could have no phone and still have DSL internet, but you can. We still have the line I guess, we just can’t call or be called. Now my bill should run me about $50 a month for internet only. So from now on, anyone who needs us call the cell phones! I’m looking for other bills to have cut off too……but everything else seems to be necessary.
I think I'll spend my first day off work doing laundry and dishes that have piled up for God knows how long lol........
