Who's Your Celebrity Look Alike?

In the past few weeks I've had random people make comments about me looking like a celebrity. I'm not sure I see myself in any of these famous faces, but it's a nice thought. What do you think?

(L to R: Annette Bening, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julie Bowen, Geena Davis)

Leave a message in the comments and let me know which celebrity you are told you resemble.

10 quick bits of information...

Once again I find myself not taking the time to sit down and write here. And, of course I decide to do this late at night when I should be making myself go to bed. So, as a bit of a compromise, I'll just highlight what's going on in my world or my head...for now.

In no particular order.

1. All paperwork for Teacher of the Year (district competition) is finally complete! Yes, I may have procrastinated a little, but still...

2. Christmas with the family was great. Spent a lot of time with the family; it was nice and relaxing, which is exactly what I needed.

3. School has started again...although it is great not having homework to grade, I'm not overly excited about making lesson plans.

4. Word Count Journal. A student got me hooked on the site. A colleague has now made it a writing competition...it's stretching my imagination, that is for sure. Check it out: wordcountjournal.com

5. I'm taking on a student teacher this semester...It will be tough handing over all my classes...one in particular.

6. Writers Week...it's going to be AMAZING!!

7. I don't tell them nearly enough, but I have really wonderful friends! Some new, some old, but really amazing people in my life.

8. I've become indifferent to dating.

9. I wonder how much better education would be without administrators?

10. I really need to get all my Christmas decor put away, and hang pictures on my walls.

Alright...off to bed.

Space filler...

Here's an entry that I "borrowed" from another...I thought it was really good and I've not posted for awhile because I'm working on an important post that I just can't seem to get right.

Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:
1. I wish our relationship didn't feel so one-sided, so much of the time.
2. I need me some Avery time...I miss you so much!
3. It is so interesting how God works...how he places people in our lives. Who would have ever thought that an ex boyfriend(for me)/husband(for you) would be the one to do that!
4. I miss those daily hugs I got last year.
5. Seeing you a couple weekends ago brightened my life!!
6. I am the luckiest sister/daughter in the whole world. Had I the opportunity to choose, I would have chosen you myself.
7. You have such a pure heart and I am blessed to call you my friend.
8. When are we meeting up for that drink?
9. Don't be bitter...you're just not right for the job.
10. You deserve sooo much better and I want to punch her in the face for hurting you like this!

Nine Things About Myself:
1. I am tired of looking for a new apartment and packing...I'd actually just like for someone to make all decisions for me from here on out (concerning my living space, anyway).
2. I am jealous that my mom and sister are on vacation right now and I am sitting in a classroom.
3. Politically, I consider myself an Independent.
4. The book I read at least once a year is called The Education of Little Tree.
5. I wore braces for 14 months and had to have several permanent teeth removed.
6. I had my wisdom teeth out during my junior year of high school...my mom was nice and scheduled the surgery the day after Christmas (she didn't want me to miss school...thanks ma!)
7. The majority of my best friends have been male.
8. I still think I would love to interview and study serial killers.
9. I never remember my dreams (if I actually dream).

Eight Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Be patient, with me and with other people.
2. Take pleasure in small things.
3. Respect me, my life experiences, and my opinions.
4. Be able to laugh at yourself (and my dumb jokes).
5. Be sarcastic, but never mean.
6. Be able to look me in the eyes when you talk.
7. Be a life long learner and able to admit when you don't know or understand something.
8. Understand that you can't always be first in my life...oddly, it will make you even more important in my eyes.

Seven Things That Cross My Mind a Lot:
1. Family
2. Friends
3. School
4. The future
5. Work
6. Travel
7. Money

Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:
1. Read (at least try to)
2. Turn on a fan (for noise)
3. Love on Daly (my cat)
4. Turn on and check my alarms
5. Push the pillow up against the headboard and flip to my stomach
6. Think...think...think...think...think...yes, it's annoying!

Five People Who Mean a Lot:
1. Mom
2. Dad
3. Suzi
4. B
5. Kim

Four Things I'm Wearing Right Now:
1. black pants
2. long-sleeved blue and black striped shirt (my power shirt!)
3. black heels...I'll probably tower over most of the parents that come to see me tonight
4. watch and earrings

Three Songs I Listen to a Lot: [at the moment]
1. Broken by Lifehouse
2. Kindly Unspoken by Kate Voegle
3. Free Fallin' performed by John Mayer

Two Things I Want to Do Before I Die:
1. Have a family of my own; be blessed with children, either my own or through adoption.
2. See more of the world.

One Confession:
1. One of my guilty pleasures is the show One Tree Hill.

More random facts

1. Summer school students are watching The Great Gatsby and just started laughing when Tom paid 97 cents for gasoline (the total cost). I do remember paying about 99 cents a gallon during my senior year of high school...and of course that was full-service (no charge for the owner to pump the fuel).

2. My best friends turn 33 today(I'll follow in a couple weeks)...I remember when that sounded so old. I'm glad that I was raised with the mindset that age is only a number...I sure don't feel (or act) like I'm in my thirties!

3. To get through summer school everyday I am telling myself I am "one day closer to Australia." I have talked to a couple gals who are game to go with me when I can afford it. With some minor adjustments to my budget, summer school money, and no unforseeable incidents, I might be able to swing a trip to Sydney for New Year's Eve. :)

4. While I wonder why I am still single, and would like to be be in a different position in my life (sometimes), it is for reasons like number three that I am really glad that I'm not married with children....because if I want to go to Australia on a whim...I can! I guess that is the tradeoff.

5. I hate the cold...everyone makes the comment that you can always put more clothes on, but there are only so many you can take off. I am the opposite...It's never gotten too hot for me to feel that I couldn't cool down...but once I get a chill in my shoulders, I can't warm up! This comes to mind as I sit in a classroom (more like a meat locker) for summer school.

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.

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.