Robert Muraine - So You Think You Can Dance

It's true, I do love to watch reality television. My summer reality show is So You Think You Can Dance. The audition highlights just began last week and I am already developing favorites...this is bad considering that they may not have actually even made it on the show.

Laugh all you want at my obsession with the show, but check out this video before you judge me completely. Make sure you watch past the judge's comments, because there is another unbelieveable trick!

An Update

I haven't been very good about keeping up with my blog as of late so I thought I'd just randomly write about things that have kept me busy or been on my mind.

School is beginning to wind down and the students are really restless (teachers -me- might be a bit restless too). I'm trying to get through A Raisin in the Sun with my juniors and my sophomores are turning their research papers in tomorrow...that leaves me with about five days to teach Julius Caesar (yikes!). Needless to say we will be summarizing large portions of the play and only focusing on the major speeches.

I basically have little to no summer that is not spoken for...I'm an idiot and agreed to teach summer school, so I'll finish on the 3rd of June and start back on the 9th. I will teach until the 3rd of July, have a few weeks off and then take a week-long course on teaching AP English classes (July 28-August 1). Teachers report to school on the 4th of August and we begin school on the 11th. So, for all those who make comments to me about being lucky to have the summer off...yeah...

I surprised my mother and one of my aunts with roses for Mother's Day...both were surprised and pleased. I meant to post about my wonderful mother around Mother's Day, but got busy and have yet to do that. It seems like I have spent a lot of time on my father...much credit/appreciation needs to be given to my amazing mother as well...I'll get to that soon! (I'm not into advertising for companies, but I ordered and sent the flowers through Proflowers and was very pleased.)

My Avery turned eight this past weekend. I can't believe how grown up she is becoming. Now that I have moved I don't get to see her as much as I'd like, but when I do, she always makes me feel like a rock star! She always takes time out from playing to sit on my lap and chat, gives me lots of hugs and smooches, and always wants me to sit with her at the table for cake/ice cream, etc. Avery is a huge part of my life (as is all my family) and contributes considerably to me being who I am.

I have a great friend who surprised me with a shipment of chocolate desserts from Williams-Sonoma because he had read my blog post about being a bit overwhelmed/stressed. Needless to say it was an amazing surprise and one that is greatly appreciated. I'm really a bit speechless as a result of his kindness and consideration.

I seriously need to get into the gym and a regular workout routine! (Even more so now that J. has sent me chocolate desserts!)

My friend Y lost her sister to cancer this past week. There are no words that can be said to ease the pain of such a loss, but I hope that Y and her family have been able to take some comfort in the fact that R is no longer suffering. These moments should really make us all stop and give thanks for the loved ones we are surrounded by each day. I can't even begin to imagine the heartache of losing my sister or my brother.

This is the first season that I have ever watched American Idol and I am finding myself obsessed with voting for David Cook tonight. That's actually a bit embarrassing to admit.

My department chair told me that the principal of our school made the comment to her (out of the blue) that she hoped she (the dept. chair) realized how lucky she was to have me in her department, that I was a real gem. I'm generally not one to 'toot my own horn', but that really made me feel good about what I am doing. I have the utmost respect for my head principal and in a building the size of the one that I am in, it is nice if the principal even knows me by name. The fact that she brought me up in conversation...wow! It is amazing that in teaching, one positive can wipe out hundreds of negatives!

I'm beginning to think about buying a house. It's not a decision I ever thought I would be making alone and it is really scary, but it is exciting too.

I'm in the process of applying to grad school...exciting and nerve racking as well. It's been a long time since I've written a paper to be graded!

Those are some of the highlights...there are a couple thousand other things as well, but I won't bore you any longer...for now.

Overwhelmed...

Does anyone else ever get to the point that you have sooo much to do that you don't even know where to begin, so instead you just sit idle, doing absolutely nothing?

You guessed it...that's where I am at the moment.

Random Facts

I have seen something similar on a couple of the blogs I enjoy reading and have now received this in an email, so I just decided to put this here.

Please feel free to comment and share your list with me.

Six Random Things About Me

1. The most used ring tones on my phone right now are: Teacher, Teacher (.38 Special) is for all incoming calls (unless the individual is special enough to have his/her own), Broken (LifeHouse) is for text messages, and Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) is my morning alarm.

2. Although I am a certified secondary English teacher, my undergraduate degree is in Behavioral Sciences.

3. I grew up in a town of 283 people and graduated from a class of 46 students.

4. When my mother went into labor with my brother, my grandmother asked me what I wanted her to have, a little brother or sister. My response was that I wanted a little black sister. Needless to say, I was disappointed...but, my little (big) brother hasn't turned out too shabby.

5. Australia is the most amazing place I have traveled to thus far, and I plan to live there for an extended amount of time, someday.

6. I have had the same best friends for 30 plus years. They (twins) are about two weeks older than me and we were next door neighbors growing up.