Under His Wings

On a stormy Monday where the lighting flashed, the thunder rolled, and the rain flooded down, this song is a great reminder for all of us. This song has been on my mind all day. I just feel like someone needs to hear it....or maybe it was just for me.

R&R Weekend

This weekend I went out of town for some much needed rest and relaxation!!! With the exception of a 16 mile run yesterday morning, I did just that. It was a little chilly with the wind off the ocean, but the sand and salt more than made up for the chilliness. I was visiting the Hunting Island State Park down in Beaufort. It was such a cool place to go. I highly recommend a visit! In true Jedlike fashion, I had to pose for a few pics. Enjoy!

I'm far away from an Internet connection. Hope this goes through so I won't miss a day of blogging. Next time I'll blog ahead when there is a
chance of no service. If this goes through, just know that I held my tongue just right and all the stars were aligned. Thank you AT&T for such great service!



Posted from BB's iPhone!

Calllllllll IT!!!!

Last night my school held its annual "Beacon Night" For those readers not from around here The Beacon is a local, greasy spoon restaurant that is a must for burger enthusiasts and politicians looking to get a vote. You can read more about it on their website here.

During "Beacon Night," teachers call out the orders, assist in serving food and drinks, and monitor the dinning area for refills. My 30 minutes of service was at the drink station. You may think, "O that would be easy!!!" Let me tell you, easy is not the word! Those people have a system and my body was just a speed bump that got in their way!

If you ever have to man the drink station... Here are some tips!

1. Keep filling the cups with tea and ice... there could be a bus on the lot at any time.

2. Use the gallon jugs of tea for faster refills.

3. DO NOT put a drink near the cash register!!!!!

4. Apparently there is MUCH skill involved in making a half/half tea that my 10 years of waiting tables did not teach me.

5. DO WHATEVER THE BIG MAN SAYS!!!

I got yelled at more than one time for not following these rules, but I must say it was lots of fun. The kids love seeing us back there working. One former student said, "Mr. D you look different." It must have been the film of grease that was coating my body as I stood near the fries.

O My Darlin', O My Darlin'

Where in the world have I been?? Under a rock, living in a hole, or just not with it??? I was introduced to this fruit by some great friends of mine, and since I bought my own little case, I cannot stop eating them!!! Someone told me, "Don't feel bad about not knowing about these. They are kind of a new fruit." Apparently they were wrong too. According to this site they have been around quite a while.


If you have never had them, GET THEM! They peel really easily, they don't make a mess, and they break a part in nice little bite sized pieces. And of course... They are good for you! Those of you on Weight Watchers, these are 0 points! I think I have had 3 today! Maybe I will have 1 more before right now!!!

School Days

Being an educator, I am constantly thinking back to my days in school. I think about the teachers and lessons that impacted me the most, and I try to emulate those same strategies and techniques in my classroom in hopes of inspiring my students. I also think about the classes and teachers that made me want to drive a nail through my nose to make the pain of the class seem less intense. Thankfully those memories are far less than the good ones. Here are just a few of my greatest memories from my school years.

Kindergarten- We learned the alphabet and letter sounds with the letter people. I will never forget the day Mr. T with Tall Teeth knocked on the door of that portable!!! It was like magic!

1st grade- My teacher had a "busy box." After we were finished with our work we could go through all of her extra worksheets and get as many as we wanted. The little teacher in me loved it!

3rd grade- We made a life sized model of the inside of our bodies. We cut the body out of a refrigerator box, then colored and glued down the organs. I kept mine til it fell apart.

4th grade- I read my first chapter book.... Dr. Doolittle

6th grade- I started playing trumpet and had my very first solo, "I'll Be Home For Christmas." Here is where I met my favorite teacher Mrs. Garrett...of course she was the band director!

9th grade- Geography with Coach Fisher. I loved every second of my map projects! Still to this day I get all the Geography questions right on Jeopardy!

12th grade- Service learning with Mrs. Johnson's 3rd grade class at BSES, Mrs. Greene and our Media Communications Class created a promotional video for the school, and Senora Farr let me make my first bulletin board and it was all in Spanish.

I am sure there are LOTS more, but of course as time has passed I can't remember them all. I constantly asks my former students about things we did in my room just to see if they remember. I asked one of my first year students not long ago, and he replied..."We made a lot of bag puppets!" After I quit laughing, I had to admit that he was right. I think we made 5 throughout the year in order to practice retelling stories.

I hope that you have great stories from school too. If you have one you would like to share I would love to hear it. Maybe your story can be used in my classroom to make a difference in the lives of my students.

R.I.P. Cushion... DIE SQUIRREL!

For those of you who are frequent visitors of my blog, you may remember these posts.

The Mysterious Cushion Eater
The Second Coming

They were both about a squirrel who frequently shopped for his home decor from the innards of my patio furniture. About a week ago s friend of mine was over and he said, "Holy Cow you still have snow on your deck!" I knew immediately that there was no snow, but that he mistook my mangled cushion for a snow pile. Here is all that remains. I thought about putting it in the trash, but at this point I might as well leave it out there for the squirrel to redecorate in the spring!

Cartoons From The Past

Tonight I got kind of sentimental for some reason and started thinking about when I was a kid. Somehow I got to looking for cartoons from my childhood, and I found some that I used to watch. Here are a couple of my favorites from back in the day!

Shirt Tales... Remember when you could get a stuffed animal from the Shirt Tales at Hardee's? I had them all!


The Monchichis... I got these stuffed Monchichis one year for Valentine's Day with a coloring book from my grandma.


He-Man... I had every character, and both Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain. The best place to buy them was Brendle's on Asheville Highway!


Jem... I will probably catch some heat for watching this one, but it came on at 6:30am while we were getting ready for school. I confess... I watched!


Smurfs... I had an album of Smurf songs that I used to play on my Fisher-Price record player. I LOVED THE SMURFS!

Amazing G"Race"

I am so excited about watching the first episode of the Amazing Race this season. It is such a cool TV show to me for many reasons, but mainly because of all the cool places and things the contestants get to do. It truly is amazing!!! Tonight as they sailed in front of the Sydney Opera House I was so envious of the sights, sounds, and smells they were getting to experience.

The contestants this particular season have all had the opportunity to be on the show before, but for whatever reason they lost. Some of them made mistakes, while some of them were just out played. Some of them literally loss their previous races by a matter of seconds.

I cannot imagine losing on national TV. It stinks to lose! Who likes it? I cant think of anyone that likes to come in last place, or even second for that matter. There is a sting of disappointment for all of us who have ever experienced it.

The important thing about losing though is to not let it weigh in on the character of who you are. As I watched some of the people talk about their mistakes in the previous races they participated in, they seemed so hard on themselves. I think it is our human nature to beat ourselves up when we lose, but a the true character of man is not measured in wins, but how he picks himself up after a loss, and continues to do his best.

I have lost so many times I cannot even tell you them all. My science fair projects never won. I was never elected to student council. It always seemed we came in 2nd place at every band competition. I have applied for 3 times as many teaching grants than I ever actually was awarded. Just last week I came in 2nd place for Teacher of the Year...out of 2. I could beat myself up about these "losses," but instead I pick myself up and keep going. I always did a science fair project. I always ran for student council. I kept competing with the band, and I will continue writing grants and being the best teacher I can be!

As I watched the show tonight, I couldn't help but think about God's Amazing G"race". Just as these contestants were given a 2nd chance to make up for their mistakes, failures, and losses, God gives us brand new chances (mercies, grace, forgiveness) every morning to fix our mistakes, to learn from our failures, and to win at this race called life.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14

Proud Of My Sister

I am sitting at a benefit concert that my sister organized for her best friend's daughter who is very ill with a rare disease called Hurler's Syndrome, and I must tell all of you who read my blog how proud I am of my sister!!! She has done a fantastic job planning, organizing, and raising money for this sweet little girl Addy Grace. There have been 4 bands, raffles, a silent auction, t-shirt sales, and a bake sale during the concert. I am not sure how much she has raised, but I know every little bit we got tonight will help to fight this rare disease.

The disease is caused from a genetic defect that caused Addy to be missing an enzyme that she needs to process sugar. The sugar attaches itself to the inside of the body causing the bones and muscles to become thick. Eventually it will spread into the lungs and brain. It is so rare that only 1 child out of a million has it.

Right now Addy and her mom Amber are staying at Duke for stem cell and chemo treatments. The costs, as you can imagine, are outrageous. My sister wanted to do something to help, thus the concert tonight!

I know she will forever be my "little" sister, but tonight she has done a BIG thing!!! I already loved and respected her so much because of how great a mom, wife, and sister she is... guess I better add event planner and friend to that list!!!

This just in... We raised $9,000!!!!!!!


Posted from BB's iPhone!

Brief Bloggin'

I know the blogs have been brief this week... I have been out of town for a conference and my time has been limited to say the least... I'm home now, and I feel like I have been to summer camp. I am full of good memories and made lots of friends, but I am worn slap out. I am already in the bed. Hopefully this upcoming week will find me back on a normal schedule.

Since I have blogged little lists the past few nights, I thought of another list of random things I wanted to share as I drove the 4 hours back from the beach alone today.

1. When you are driving on the interstate, move to the right lane if you are poking... GOOD GRIEF. Ok, now I feel better... no more venting.

2. Tomorrow is exactly one month til my very first marathon. I am starting to get nervous. I am gonna attempt 22 miles tomorrow. Wish me luck!

3. I downloaded a Miley Cyrus song yesterday... Did I lose my man card or my adult card? Who cares??? It is a good song!

4. I heard a story this week about a lady who drove for an hour with a deer stuck in the grill of her car. She knew she hit him, but had no idea he was in the grill until she got to her house.

5. Today when I was pumping gas the pump was really slow. I should have moved to a different pump but the station was very busy. It took me 15 minutes to get 18 gallons. The little ticker was barely moving.

6. I heard this quote today, and it is my new life motto... "You can wrap manure in powdered sugar all you want, but it is never gonna be jelly doughnut!"

7. In 7 days my Donors Choose project will expire, and I will lose the money I have gotten so far. Click HERE to help me out!

5 Funnies

1. I was running an errand for a friend today, and I got on a road with no exits. What should have been a 13 mile trip turned into a 45 mile trip.

2. I got a free meal tonight at Liberty Cafe at Broadway at the Beach because I checked in on 4 Square and became the mayor.

3. My socks that I brought to wear tomorrow are mismatched. They are the only ones I have that match the outfit, so... I am going for it!

4. Housekeeping folded my dirty towel and hung it back up rather than take it to wash. Guess they were trying to tell me something.

5. I have been out of town since Tuesday and my sister just now figured it out!

Teacher Conference

You know you are at a teacher conference when...

1. A conga line breaks out during the middle of a 5th grade band performance.

2. The dinner conversations turn to in class poopy and throw up stories.

3. Everyone is excited to use the bathroom whenever they feel the need.

4. The after party is over at 9:00.

5. Everyone is crying because of a moving speech by the national teacher of the year who reminded us all that we work for children and them alone.


Posted from BB's iPhone!

Don't Count Your Chickens...

Yesterday the temperature hit a whopping, 73 degrees. That is heat wave by anyone's standards for February 14th. There was something wonderful about being able to run in shorts and t-shirt. I wasn't at all prepared for the amount of sweat that I produced, but the run was great nonetheless. Everyone was out enjoying the weather. I saw kids at the park, mamas pushing babies in strollers, people in flip flops, and even a kids squirting a hose. The whole time I was seeing these things all I could think about was the saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." We are so ready for warmer weather because of the harsh winter we have had, but it is still way early to think that spring is here to stay. I did a little research to support my thoughts. Here is what I found.

1. The greatest 24 hour snowfall to occur in Spartanburg county was 14.2 inches in Landrum on March 2, 1942.

2. April 3rd, 1915 is snowed up to 4 inches as far south as Cheraw, SC.

3. March 25-26, 1971 was the greatest snowfall to ever hit Clemson University...10 inches.

4. February 26-27, 2004 was the greatest snowfall to ever hit Winthrop University... 17.3 inches.

5. The Blizzard of 1993 moved across the south east on March 13th dumping a whopping 10-12 inches on Spartanburg County.

All that said... don't rush for the flops just yet...and don't count the chickens before they hatch!

Valentine's Day

Lots of people have feelings about this day... Some people hail it as "overrated." Some claim Hallmark created the day during hard times. Some say it is a waste of time. Some say it is a secret ploy by mylar balloon makers to infuse the world with helium causing squeaky voice syndrome to become widespread.

Some people, mainly those without a valentine, refer to this day as Single Awareness Day (S.A.D.) I laugh at this one. Mainly because of the creativity it took to actually come up with it. Who ever thought of it was quite clever.

For those who hate the day, and try to ignore it, I kind of feel sorry for them. It seems that their self worth is wrapped up the notion that they have to have a valentine to be complete or enjoy the day. Somee people even say that they don't want someone to do something special for them today because it is all manufactured, processed, or forced... Geez.. relax people...this is all supposed to be fun right????

I thoroughly enjoy this day, and I have no valentine... but man do I feel loved!!!! People around me have just shown me that so much today. I was totally caught off guard by all of them, and they just made me feel so loved!!! Here are a few examples.

1. I needed a new SC flag for my porch. Came home today, and there was a brand new one!

2. My mom put some m&m's with a little note on it in my mailbox.

3. A co-worker put a jar of her homemade pickles in my teacher box at school.

4. The professor of a class I am taking let us go early tonight.

5. This was the best... A little student came over to me first thing this morning and said she had me something for Valentine's Day... I asked her what she had... She paused a minute, then threw her arms open wide and said, "A HUG!!!" It was the sweetest thing!!!

So see... don't run from a day like this... and don't worry about someone doing something for you because they feel like they have to... If they thought enough of you to do it... feel the love and enjoy!

Missing The Main Ingredient

Today I made a casserole dish for dinner that I have made a thousand times. It was my Great Grandma Maudie's recipe. I know the recipe without looking because I have made it so much. I even put the recipe in the cookbook our ladies at church made. They were impressed when I wrote the recipe down by memory. When you have made a dish that many times you know exactly what to do to make it just right... There is no need to measure, and cooking it just seems to be as natural as breathing.

Tonight however, in my confidence, and of course my hurry to get dinner finished I made a bit of a mistake. The house was smelling so good during the course of the cooking. I could hardly wait to dig in. When I took it out of the oven, (after an hour of waiting) I took off the tin foil just like always, in order to let it stand and firm up a bit. And, as always there was some juice on the top of the casserole. That is why it needs to sit a bit. The juice soaks up and then its ready.

While the casserole was sitting, I got the plates, drinks, and other sides ready... After about 5 minutes I noticed that the juice was not going away.... and then it hit me... I FORGOT to add the rice!!!!!!!!!! The rice is one of the main ingredients in this casserole because it manages the moisture in the dish... No rice=TOO MUCH JUICE!!!!! I was so frustrated with myself. I not only forgot to put it in, but we didn't even have any in the house. I was supposed to stop after church to get it, but I forgot that too...When it was time for dinner I just got to work on the casserole and completely forgot that I didn't have any rice. UGH!

Long story short the dish was not a totally failure and we at what was there, but it was NOT AT ALL what it was supposed to. Next time, I will look at the picture of Maudie on the wall for some guidance.... THe recipe was hanging right there beside her the whole time!!!

Reminders

Sometimes you just need reminders about things. I have to write myself a note that says lunch on it and put it with my keys every night so I will remember to get my lunchbox out of the fridge in the mornings. Almost every day at school I have sticky notes stuck all over my computer to remind me of things I have to do after school. My cell phone calendar alerts me daily of appointments, plans, and dinners.

The other day, these reminders below showed up in my inbox. These are the ones I really need stuck all over the place. I printed them off and made a little book to sit on my desk. Hope you will read them and be reminded like I was.

I am crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Galatians 2:20

The Son has set me free. I am free indeed!

John 8:36

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

Philippians 1:6

There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1

Nothing can ever separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:38-39

In all things God works for the good of those who love him.

Romans 8:28

God is faithful. He will not let me be tempted beyond what I can bear.

1 Corinthians 10:13

God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

My light and momentary troubles are achieving for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2 Corinthians 4:17

He is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me.

Ephesians 3:20

God is for me! Who can be against me?

Romans 8:31

Better Late Than Never

It's almost 10:45PM and I am just now getting to the blog for today. I have been so busy at school, then after school, then tonight dinner with friends... that I have not had a chance to get to it today. As I sit here frantically trying to get my words down for the day, I am reminded of the famous saying, "Better Late Than Never." I am sure some folks stopped by today and thought that my blogging streak had ended...Maybe some have checked back in multiple times today hoping for some words. To those who are patient and faithful readers... TADA!!! Here is my wisdom for the day.

As I typed the words Better Late Than Never I immediately begin to think of things that are truly better late, than never at all... Here are some things I thought of.

1. Your library book.... It is always better to turn that thing in late than never at all.... Do you know how much those books cost if you lose it? For some reason library books cost a small fortune!!!

2. Paying Your Bill... If you never pay the bill its going on your credit and the results are far worse than just a small late few...much better late than never!

3. Your taxes... I am little miffed that I have to wait to file mine this year because of some new tax code, but hey, at least I will eventually get a refund. Late money is WAAYYY better than no money ever!!!

4. Snow... The other night as I waited on snow to fall, it never came... I would much rather it had come late into the night, than never coming at all like it did... True, it is hard to wait up on snow to fall, but how awesome is it to see the first flakes fall... Too bad I didn't really see any Thursday like I was hoping for.

5. Animal Projects... Next week my class has an animal project due on Friday... Trust me... It will be far better for them to turn it in late on Monday than to not turn it in at all... I will NOT be happy. Get those projects done kiddos. :0)

Goodie Bags

This is what teachers do the night before class parties. Thanks to my mom for helping out!

Sick Day 2

One can only sleep so much during a sick day. Thanks to this nifty thing called the Internet, better known as, "a black portal of nothingness that will stretch its tentacles around your body and suck the life right out of you because you cannot tear yourself away from its grip," I have had something to occupy my time in between doses of Baptist approved alcohol called Nyquil (I am Baptist. I can say that), as I lay here in the bed with a tissue in my nose.

Thanks to these pictures for providing me with some humor today... Sick Day Number 2!

I'm Sick!

Thankful for

1. Kleenex

2. Nyquil

3. Mucinex

4. Advil

5. Water

6. Afrin

7. Chloraseptic

8. Chapstick

9. Mama and Best Friend!

10. The Internet!

Transparent...Random, But Transparent!

Yesterday I blogged about our pastor modeling for us how to have a "quiet time" with the Lord. One of the things I liked about it was how transparent he was being. I do not like folks who act like everything is perfect, they don't do anything wrong, and their life is just wonderful. Why... Cause most of the time they are not being honest. Everyone has some "junk" hiding around their lives. I am not talking about a big, dark, family secret... I am just saying that sometimes it feels good just to let it all out and be real...be honest... be transparent.

In an effort to do that, I am gonna tell you some of the random things that I thought about/did yesterday afternoon... Remember... There ain't always gonna be goose bumps!

1. For some ridiculous reason the song, "I Need A Little Christmas, Right This Very Minute," keep naggin' me in my brain while I ran... Where in the world did that come from?

2. I was mad at myself after my run. I have been a bit under the weather this weekend and didn't meet my mileage that I wanted for the week. I was only 4 miles short, and my time was really good, but I just couldn't take another step!

3. I worry too much. I get it honest. My granny is a worrier. Yesterday I worried about a lot of things. I worried about my toe and this massive bruise that is on it. It has been there a month. I worried about some of my family who is going through a rough patch. I worried about getting hurt between now and the marathon.

4. I thought about the 4 people who have emailed me in the past few weeks asking for some advice, and how I have not even taken the time to return their message. I am coming... I promise!

5. I was elated to get in the bed at 5 yesterday! Of course I had the computer, and worked on some school stuff...but I was in the bed nonetheless.

There Ain't Always Goose Bumps

This morning at church our pastor talked about spending time alone with God. Reading your Bible, praying, thanking God for His blessings, etc. in a "quiet time" set apart in your day. During his sermon he actually sat on the stage and kinda modeled for us how his daily quiet time went. He was quick to tell us that there weren't always goose bumps and tears during his time with the Lord. He is from Alabama so he actually said, "There ain't always goose bumps!"

I was so glad he said that. I know some people who will never spend a quiet moment with the Lord because they think they don't know what to do. He went on to say that every quiet time didn't always have 3 points and a poem, a common stereotype about preachers' sermons. After the sermon, I went out for a run, and I digested it all. After I got myself straightened out and had a moment with the Lord in the first few miles, I begin to connect that sermon back to my blog.

For those of you who have been around the blog for a while, you know that I went through a period of no blogging. Not sure why...just didn't seem to make time for it. Something happened one day though, and I got back into it, and I haven't missed a day since August. "What happened" you ask? Well, I guess I just decided that every day didn't have to have goose bumps...Everyday didn't have to have a meaningful point... Everyday didn't have to have a picture or a funny story. These are just my random thoughts for the day that I choose to share in a public online blog. I admit, it seems that ridiculously funny things happen to me from time to time, and this is a great place to share those things. And honestly, I enjoy seeing my thoughts in writing. Even my most funny and ridiculous blogs cause me to be reflective.

Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading, and then it never fails that I get an email from someone who laughed, cried, or pondered as they read my words. As long as there is one, I will keep writing.... Just know.. There ain't always gonna be goose bumps!

Pure Love Weekend

Last night I opened up my home to a group of high school junior and senior guys from church who were participating in our church youth group's "Pure Love" weekend. Pure Love weekend is a 2 day youth conference hosted by our youth ministers Bucky and Steven, in order to teach students about the importance of leading pure lives.

I must admit that I was a little apprehensive at first... 8 high school guys in my little house? I was almost sure that they would trash my house, break something, spill food every where....something. I didn't think that they would do it intentionally because I knew most of them, but I knew with that many guys in the small space that is my house, that something was bound to happen.

Boy, I could not have been more wrong. I knew everything was gonna go just fine when I snapped this picture.


Just in case you can't make this out... It is a pile of shoes. Without anyone asking them to, without even a sneer at their wet shoes... Each guy who came in took their shoes off and left them at the front door. I am posting this picture just so their mama's will be proud.

The guys who stayed here were not only well mannered, respectful, and helpful, they were great listeners and participators in the 3 teaching times that their leaders, Andrew and Scott, led. It was a privilege to get up early this morning and fix them 48 pancakes and 3 lbs. of bacon! There was one little incident with a missing computer, but let's just say I will be getting even!!!

All jokes aside, I was thoroughly impressed by every guy here. I can only pray they listened to the words of the weekend and take them to heart. Remember... Don't ever go watch TV! Thanks to all of you for a great weekend!

Busted

The past few weeks I have gotten busted on a few things.

1. I was facebooking during band practice, and I got shamed by our director on my wall.

2. I got caught snapping a picture of something funny at another table in a restaurant at dinner because my phone flashed when I took the picture.

3. I got called out by roommate for leaving a cereal bowl where it should not have been.

4. My sister caught me spending a gift certificate that I was supposed to share with her.... but somehow she doesn't reaaaaaaaallllly know that it was that gift certificate I used... Maybe she will read this and figure it out.

5. I made a big spelling mistake on my blog and a person I don't even know sent me a message about it! I was really glad she did though. It was FUNNY!

Gotta love a bit of humble pie!

Running Encounters

When I run I encounter 4 types of people... Which one are you?

1. The Encourager (Encourage means to spur someone on to something good.)
Last weekend while I was running I got the best encouragement. I was some where in the middle of mile 8 of my 20 mile route, when a lady I didn't know, who was outside in her yard, stopped what she was doing to cheer me on as I passed by her house. It was like I was in a race, and she was my fan. She will never know what that meant to me. By mile 8 you are really starting to feel it a bit, and pacing yourself for the 12 miles that lie ahead of you is a must. She probably never gave her cheering a second thought, but it encouraged me and followed me through the rest of the run. This is not typical for my daily runs, but it was nice to get. Most walkers, cyclists, and other runners will almost always give you a nod, a howdy do, or the pointer finger, old man wave. Occasionally, I will get waves and honks from friends who see me running, and I love it! It keeps me motivated and going strong!

2. The Mocker (Mock means to make fun of.)
There are hecklers and mockers on every run. It usually entails some of our high school's finest rolling down their windows and screaming and yelling at me at the top of their lungs... or blowing their horn at me and then giving me a goofy wave or that special little "California Howdy." Just this past Saturday, some where around mile 16, I had some hoodlums mock me a bit and pretend to be running, while they chain smoked down the sidewalk. Thankfully, I still had the cheers of that lady echoing in my head. I just chuckled as they screamed "Run, Forest Run!" I have NEEEVERRR heard that one. :0)

3. The Ignore"er" (Ignore means to pretend that something is not there.)
Believe it or not this group is by far the largest, and honestly, the one that is the most difficult for me to tolerate while I run. It is hard for me to tolerate because most of the time these people look like nice, decent people. They appear to be well off. They sometimes even have bumper stickers proclaiming how terrific their kids are, yet, these people are the ones who I make eye contact with, smile at, and even wave to as I trudge along, and they literally look the other way as I wave or smile. Better yet, they stare back, but offer no smile, no wave, and in some instances keep driving their cars as if I am not even there. Just today I almost got hit by a lady who was texting as she turned. I will never understand how it is possible to look at someone who smiles and not smile back... to have someone wave at you and not give at least a nod in return. I must admit that I like hecklers better than these folks... At least the hecklers are acknowledging that I am there.

4. The Oblivious (Oblivious means you had no idea that there was anyone around but yourself.)
You people get a free pass if you don't see me wave... Just be careful not to hit me. :0)

So... Which person are you?

Sick Day

For the first time ever I took a sick day to care for someone else's sickness. My niece Taylor was staying with me last night while her parents were out of town. The plan wad to get her to school this morning, but that never happened. As soon as I went to wake her this morning, I could feel the heat coming off of her. The fever was 102.

Calling in sick is not that easy for teachers. We have a lot we are responsible for over the course of the day. I got my plans together and emailed them to school. Ok, I am home to care got her... Now what? Here are a few things I learned today while I had my first sick day caring for a little one.

1. Always know where your thermometer is. 6:15am is no time to be playing hide and seek with a thermometer.

2. Keep juice in the fridge. Milk is not good for sick folks with stomach troubles. Water was the only other option.

3. Prepare for Spongebob, Rugrats, and Dora overload!!! There are only 2 options... Nickelodeon and Disney.

4. Keep other kids away from the sickly one. Not so they don't get sick, but so they don't drive the sickly one crazy. Sophie was here too. I should have sent her on to daycare. That's a whole other blog.

5. Take a nap when they are sleeping. They are gonna run you to death as soon as they wake up!!

Now that I am educated in the routine of a sick day as caretaker, I'll be ready next time!


Posted from BB's iPhone!

We Have A Winner!

All of her hard work paid off with a 3rd place award for her science fair project. I am so glad I was there to see it!!! She was the first name called out, and we were all caught off guard so no pic of that moment, but here are a couple from the fair, and 1 from our ice cream celebration at Chick-Fil-A. So proud!!!








Posted from BB's iPhone!