Days When I Love Teaching

* When I can have fun with my students and they pinkey swear me they will get their homework in tomorrow
* When they're actually mildly interested in learning about historical figures like Miguel Hidalgo and Simon Bolivar
* When 75 % of them turn in their homework
* When I have a clear plan of where the week will go
* When students say hello to me at the door without me prompting them first
* When almost everyone in my class got A's on this week's quiz
* When I forget about how far behind in my pacing guide I am
* When students share with me how much they liked the new Harry Potter movie (knowing I went to the midnight show)
* When I realize my honors government seniors are smarter than the average citizen and can recall which amendment provided for direct election of senators (17) and which one the Lame Duck amendment is (20) three months after we learned it back in September
* When I can come home and curl up with a glass of Merlot on a cold rainy day and not have to worry about grading 40 essays

Sadly the last one is not true today as I have a ton of papers to grade. The good news is all the other ones are!

Follow-up to "Someone You Should Know"

Remember my "Someone You Should Know" entry a couple months ago (or my "First Love" entry)? Well, apparently I'm not the only one who thinks the world should know this young man. His local paper ran a story on him, which you can check out here.

I am so happy to see him smiling and looking towards the future. I hope it brings a smile to your face as well!

30 Great Details: Your Definition of Love

So the first thing that popped into my head when I read the prompt was this:



That is my opinion of love! "Baby, don't hurt me!" My last two relationships have been enough to make me pretty skittish about the whole thing. Obviously there are a lot of different kinds of love - family love/platonic love/romantic love. The last is something I've only experienced in brief flashes. I thought I was in love when I started up this blog back in February, but it wasn't reciprocal. I was in love with someone who *thought*, or perhaps even wanted to be, in love. Of course, I didn't know that until he broke my heart not so many months ago, so if you'd asked me this question back in February I probably would have had a very different answer for you.

I'm going to cop out on this Great Detail and cede to my favorite quote on love by Paramahansa Yogananda: "To describe love is very difficult, for the same reason that words cannot fully describe the flavor of an orange. You have to taste the fruit to know its flavor. So with love."

Sadly, I think all I've ever really tasted has been artificial orange flavoring.

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Your Life in Great Details: What you ate today in great detail

I expect lots of criticism after this post, but welcome to the life of a stressed out 2nd year teacher. I don't eat as much or as well as I should.

Breakfast = Carnation Breakfast Essential, which I drink in my travel mug on the way to work. I got this REALLY nice Longaberger travel mug from one of my 10th graders last year for Christmas. I felt really bad because I never used it 'cos I don't drink coffee. I like that I have found a use for it and having a travel mug with me in the car stupidly makes me feel somehow more professional.

Lunch = $2.50 cafeteria lunch. I NEVER bought lunch last year, but started to this year when A) I realized that I could get a pretty decent lunch every day of the week for $12.50. B) The kids really enjoy seeing you in the cafeteria! Former students say hello and the principal is always there with something to say (I got a week's worth of trash talking last month in the week preceding a school fundraiser 5k where we ran against each other). I usually just grab a salad from the lunch line. The salad is a pretty sad looking chef salad, but it's a lot better than any of the options ever offered to me when I was in high school. It's usually just iceberg lettuce and a carrot or two, a couple cucumbers, sometimes a piece of broccoli or cauliflower. Then there are little containers of ham, cheese, croutons, fake bacon bits, and some ranch dressing. That's what it was today. I also ate snacked on a bag of Fritos during my planning period. And two banana Laffy Taffys. I have been snacking on my reject Halloween candy for the past week, but I am glad to say today I just started handing it out to all my kids. I have no willpower and I would eat those Laffy Taffys all up. So I just started having "candy questions" by 6th period and any kid who answered a question right got candy. It's insane what those kids will do for candy!

Anyway, back to what I ate today. I drank 1 Nalgene of water while I was at school. I'm sipping one mini can of Mountain Dew as I write this (I'm sleepy and as I don't drink coffee it is my caffeine boost). I heated up some Brunswick Stew that I bought for a basketball team fundraiser last month. It's been sitting in my freezer for weeks so I heated some up today and ate it with a piece of cornbread.

As you can see, my diet on a daily basis has an awful lot to do with my job! Today was actually a much better day than most. I to run out the door without lunch more often than I'd like to admit and there are many days where I work right through my lunch break. Dinner is often a Lean Cuisine frozen dinner unfortunately and I definitely don't cook as much as I would like to, owing to the fact that I get home around 6-6:30 PM and just don't feel like cooking.

Here's to hoping the end of cross-country season means more free time to try out new meals.

Your Life in Great Details : Your Parents

As I grow older I realize that I am a wonderful combination of the best aspects of both my mom and dad. It sounds incredibly cheezy to say, but everything I am today is because of my parents.

I'll start with my dad, who is is a much quieter, much more bookish kind of guy. From what I gather, he was not the most popular guy at school, in either high school or college, and didn't have any girlfriends until he met my mom. He is a bit of a homebody, who has lived almost all of his 62 years in the town he grew up in. Exceptions include his 4 years at college in Virginia, a brief stint with the Marine Corps in Parris Island and a few months in 2008-09 when he lived and worked in Chicago. He came from a more privileged background, but that is not to say that he had an easy childhood or did not work for the life he has provided my family with today. My mom always tells me the story about when my dad and all his friends at work got their first big bonus. All his friends went out and bought fancy sports cars or took exotic vacations. My dad invested it. All of it. Now that is not saying he does not like to indulge every once in a while, but I think my serious frugality is definitely something that I get from him.

My dad and I share the same enthusiasm for a lot of things. We are both history nuts who have been getting non-fiction books for every birthday and Christmas for the past ten years. We are the only two history buffs in the family and could talk for hours about Winston Churchill and our favorite historical figures. We are both sports fanatics with an unusual enthusiasm for sports mascots (although I should say that my two older brothers also share this trait). We refer to ourselves as "mascotologists" and could probably write a book together on the college mascots - the good, the bad, the most original, the most historically accurate, or regionally appropriate. Just this week my dad sent me an email titled "another Mascotology [with a capital 'M' of course] disaster" about the changing of Johnny Reb at Ole Miss to a Black Bear in the name of political correctness. This brings me to another thing my father and I have in common, which is politics. Much like our mutual love of history, we are probably the most two politically savvy in the family. We like to talk politics and he cuts out and sends me articles in the mail he thinks I might enjoy. We both like to sit in front of the TV on Sunday morning and watch Face the Nation and Meet the Press and then call each other and discuss what we thought about the guests and what was discussed. We're both also the two most athletically minded in the family. I am so proud that my dad at 62 still makes an effort to go to the gym every day and makes efforts to stretch out his back and keep himself fit. He does perfect push-ups I'm sure many of my most athletically-minded friends would even be envious of.

To those that don't know him well he is a pretty serious guy. Getting him to smile in a picture is an almost impossible task, which is ridiculous because he smiles all the time at home with his family. He really is an incredibly goofy guy with a very silly and random sense of humor (which is probably where I get it from). Most people outside of our immediate family do not get to see that silly side unfortunately. This is my favorite picture of my father ever, taken about eight years ago. I surprised him as he was walking in the door from work one winter evening.

If you notice it is pretty dark outside as my dad is arriving home from work, which brings me to my last point about my father. He is the most selfless and hard-working person I know. My father has worked his entire life to provide and provide for my brothers and sister and I with little regard for his own comfort or needs. Whenever someone compliments me on my work ethic and determination to complete a task I know that I owe so much of that to my dad and the example he set for me.

My mother is so different from my father that I often wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how exactly it was they got together. My mother grew up in the smallest of small-town Indiana. She came from a very modest background, including an early childhood before she was adopted by my grandparents that I know little about. All I know is that her life before my grandparents was not very pleasant and she did not have mich. I know there were many Christmases where the only gifts she had were from Toys for Tots, a charity that has always held a very special place in her heart and consequently in mine. She left home soon after college to be a "stewardess" and eventually found herself in the big city of New York where she would soon meet my dad. If my dad was shy, quiet, and bookish, my mom was the exact opposite. Her stories and her sibling's and friend's stories from high school, college, and the years after describe an outgoing and gregarious personality that I can easily still see in my mother today. While I would hardly consider myself a social butterfly, over the past 6-7 years or so I have started to recognize more of that part of my mother in myself. She is an unbelievably kind, generous, and outgoing woman. She's the kind of person who saw a man walking home from the train station last night in the pouring rain without an umbrella and pulled over to give him a ride home. When I'm standing in line at Kroger and I strike up a conversation with the woman in line behind me or the cashier who is ringing me up, I think to myself that it is something my mother would do. And that's something I am proud of. I'm not the kind of person who will go to a party where I know no one and make a million friends, but I make an effort to get know people. I genuinely think being my mother's daughter is part of what makes me the teacher that I am who genuinely cares about getting to know her students, who they are, and where they come from.


I am truly lucky and so proud to say my mother is also my best friend. We have our moments, but she is the first person I want to call when something huge happens in my life - good or bad. When I go home to NY for the holidays one of my favorite things to do is lay around in my pajamas with my mother and do crosswords and watch Animal Planet and HGTV. She is not the kind of mom that I share EVERYTHING with, but she is definitely a confidante and a person I turn to as much as I turn to my college pals. She doesn't always tell me what I want to hear, but she is unconditionally supportive of the decisions I make. She understands that if I mess up and fall I am perfectly capable of picking myself back up on my own, but she is still an important part of my life and a person I rely on a great deal to help dust myself back off again.

Wow, I did not anticipate this entry being quite this long! I guess it is just a testimony to how awesome my parents are. I am so grateful and proud to call them my parents and cannot imagine my life without them both.

Feel Good Friday

Today's Five for Friday, courtesy of the Girl Next Door Grows Up!

1) I ran 7 1/2 miles! That is the most I have run in probably 4 years and I felt great. (The downside to this is I have been unable to follow-up this performance as I have a bad muscle strain and can't run until Monday).

2) I'm going to my first UVA football game of the year tomorrow! AND I'm meeting a boy at the tailgate that my coworker has set me up with (or his wife has). What better place to meet someone than at a tailgate with cold beer, food on the grill and football!

3) I booked my spring break vacation to Disney World and Harry Potter land! One of my old friends and I from high school decided it would be a fun to just kick back and be a kid for a few days.

4) I have raised almost $500 for Team Fisher House with only about 3 weeks to go until the big race. Donate, donate, donate!!!

5) I made it through the first 6 weeks of school without any meltdowns (on my part), calls to a parent, or all-nighters (which I had more than a few of last year). All in all this year is shaping up to be immensely better than my first year.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday (one day late!)

Your Life in Great Details: Your First Love

I am fortunate enough to be able to say that the relationship I currently maintain with my first love is a friendship I am so happy to still have. If you have been reading my blog all summer, you have already met him so I don't need to go into great detail about what kind of a person he is. It's SGT D. I met him while he was a 19 year old newly promoted Specialist on his first tour to Iraq and I was a senior in college. I was participating in a wonderful program called Adopt A Platoon that allowed me to show my support for our military in a more explicit way than just slapping a magnet onto my car. I was sending monthly care packages and weekly letters to a soldier, who happened to be SGT D's best friend. To this day I'll never know how D actually got my email address and contact info from his buddy, but we started talking and over the course of his deployment became great friends. Our friendship resumed when he returned to the states, but it wasn't until he got news that he was going to deploy again (just a mere seven months after returning from his last 14 month tour) did I finally fly down to meet him face to face. We met, we had a great time, I left. Only when I returned to NY did both our mutual feelings for each other come back so back to Georgia I went to spend one last glorious weekend with him before he deployed for 15 more months.

There are a multitude of reasons why our relationship did not work out in the long term. Among the largest reason was the fact that we were very different people at very different places in our lives. We had an awesome friendship, but as a boyfriend I wanted him to be someone he was not. We were both young and very immature as far as our experiences with relationships went. We ended up breaking up just four months after he returned to the states. It was an ugly breakup. He was my first love and consequently my first heartbreak and neither of us handled it well. It was awful and I was in a lot of pain for a very long time. Fortunately, the old saying that time heals all wounds was true. Looking back now, we can both admit that we made mistakes. We both realize rushing into a relationship like we did three days before he deployed probably wasn't the greatest idea in the first place. We were great friends, but not the most compatible couple. We fought over everything from his tattoos to how he spent his money to what time he should call me every night. We both are who we are today because of our failed relationship though. I learned so much about myself in my relationship with him and he recently paid me one of the highest compliments he possibly could by telling me a lot of who he is today is because of me. There is still a great amount of love for him in my heart, but it is a different kind of love. He is a wonderful person, but he was just never *my* person. I am proud to call him my friend and proud that, no matter how many mistakes I made, there is no regret when I look back at our relationship. After all, how could you ever regret a moment like this?

Wordless Wednesday!

I can't be completely wordless because I can't contain my excitement! My Fisher House t-shirt arrived today! It kind of hit home that I'm really going to be running this thing in a little over a month.

Why I Love Harry Potter

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There are only 69 days left until the beginning of the end of Harry Potter series. I got a glimpse of this movie poster earlier this week and it made my stomach do somersaults! I am so excited to see how they play out this final chapter on screen, but I also now how bittersweet it is going to be to say goodbye to this wonderful story.

My introduction to Harry Potter came when I was 18 years old and living in Dijon, France with a family that just so happened to have an adorable 8 year old son. It was French brother, Etienne, who first exposed me to the wizarding world of Harry Potter. At 8 years old, Etienne was about the only person I could communicate with in the house and we got along quite well. I hadn't been living with his family for more than a month before he asked me one night after dinner if I would read some Harry Potter to him. I was not too comfortable with my French language skills, but I obliged the little guy mostly 'cos he was so gosh darn cute. He had clearly already read the book before 'cos he helped me pronounce words and names and seemed to really enjoy how I stumbled through it. I have to be honest, I had no idea what I was reading. I just read it to see my little French brother smile. That entire semester abroad I remember seeing Harry Potter merchandise everywhere. The city of Dijon was in full-out Harry Potter mode. I remember seeing action figures and lunch boxes and all kinds of merchandise covered with (what I did not know then to be) golden snitches. Then two weeks before I was scheduled to leave Dijon and return to the states, my family asked me if I wanted them to buy me tickets to see Harry Potter. Apparently the movie would be premiering two days before I left and you had to purchase tickets weeks in advance. I said yes. Once again, not because I was all that interested in the movie or the book that I did not understand, but because it seemed like a fun thing to do and my little French brother was bouncing off the walls with excitement about it.

I remember so vividly the excitement that night as we piled into the family car to drive to the big cinema in the center of the city. Even the older sister, at 16, seemed very excited. And oh the lines! The line wrapped all around the city block. There were French kids, teenagers, adults and families like mine all chattering with excitement. The movie was entirely in French and, even after four months living there, I could understand little. I do remember certain images from the film, but mostly I remember little Etienne who was so excited to see his favorite story come to life on screen he could hardly contain himself.

And that was my first experience with Harry Potter. I didn't know much about the plot lines or characters. I understood little aside from the excitement and enthusiasm it seemed to generate in people of all ages. I would not actually pick up a book to read myself until the summer of 2005 when I finally decided it was time to give them a try. I had, by that time, seen the first film in English and was mildly intrigued. Moments I remembered vaguely from the French theater - like Hagrid breaking down the door, the letters flooding Privet Drive and the ghastly 2 headed Professor Quirrell - suddenly made much more sense when watching it play on HBO in English. I asked for the books one Christmas one year and my parents got me the first four in a box set. That summer of 2005, I finally read all four and went out and bought the fifth book and had a Harry Potter marathon watching all the movies that had been released thus far. I was hooked.

My Harry Potter mania reached an all time high with the release of the 7th book. I ordered it early from the local bookstore and went to an all-night celebration that included peopled dressed in character (as many adults as children), games, food, drinks and a countdown at midnight that I proudly partook in. I never knew I could be so excited for a book and a fiction book at that. In case I haven't made it clear, I am a full-fledged history dork and read almost exclusively non-fiction. The one exception to that rule is the magnificent work of J.K Rowling. I wish I could put my finger on what it is about the books that I enjoy so much. All I know is I picked up the 7th book to reread it this past Friday and, just like back in the summer of 2007, I was unable to put it down. I tore through those pages so fiercely that I didn't go to sleep until 3 AM (and even then I was only able to lay in bed for 5 minutes before I flipped the light back on and read just one more chapter).

I just love these books and these characters so much and, for the life of me, I can't explain why. I don't know what it is about the books that gives them this exalted position on the very top of 5 shelves of military history books, narratives, and historical texts.
I've tried to put it into words before, but what I end up with is a long list of the themes that I think are present within the pages (love, loss, friendship, free will, sacrifice, duty, jealousy). But you don't love a story because of the themes, you love it because of the people! I love the characters Ms. Rowling created. They are terribly imperfect and sometimes I want to smack them, but I love them all the same. I love the world she created that I was able to immerse myself in this weekend. The first time I read book 7 I was so excited to finish I didn't even take a moment to let a lot of what happens in the pages sink in. This weekend I'll admit I shed some tears at Shell Cottage, I laughed out loud at the one liners that still manage to make their way into the most serious of times and I was smiling and giving a triumphant fist pump when the actual castle at Hogwarts, suits of armor, desks, and all, begins to fight back. I've never had a book that makes me turn the pages quite so quickly, that can quite literally have my heart racing for the last 200 pages. I know it sounds trite, but when I read these books I really do forget about the rest of the world. It's not something I have ever experienced with a book before. When I read Harry Potter I want to lose myself. I want feel like my little French brother again.

So I will line up with the masses on November 19 just like I did for the first film, back before I even understood what it was. I'm proud to be a part of this phenomenon. And I'm proud of the fact that I can't quite explain why I love it so much. The greatest loves, after all, can never be explained.

Feel Good Friday

1. Jon got his new leg!! It has been a long road since June 24, but seeing that picture of him standing made me smile like no other.

2. My high school marching band, which is one of the most underfunded and underappreciated programs in this school, won a national essay contest. The grand prize? $40,000!!! This is to a band full of some of the most hardworking kids ever. They are not very big and don't even have uniforms. Through fundraising efforts they have managed to raise enough money for new uniforms, but they have marched the past two years in matching jeans and t-shirts. This is huge news for our tiny school and our exceptionally tiny band aI am so proud of my kids!

3. I ran 6 miles and felt pretty awesome! With 6 weeks to go until the 10 Miler it makes me feel like I am in pretty good shape.

4. I am officially registered for the 10 Miler and can now start raising money for Team Fisher House!

5. My sister had her second sonogram and my little niece/nephew looks healthy and strong! I can't wait to meet him/her (although not knowing the sex is driving me INSANE)!

Someone You Should Know

So I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for a while, but I haven’t because I wanted to get permission from the person I was writing it about first. He’s been a bit busy the past several months, you see. You may actually have seen his picture online or in the paper. Since a photographer snapped this picture of him and his buddy being MEDEVACed and the Pentagon chose to publish it this summer, it seems to be popping up everywhere.
Here’s something you need to know about the young man on the right before you look at this picture and go feeling sorry for him. He loves what he does. Contrary to what seems to be the unfortunate opinion of our nation’s men and women in uniform, he didn’t join the Army because he was a criminal. He didn’t join ‘cos he had nothing else to do with his life. He didn’t join it as a last resort. He’s an exceptionally bright guy who can quote Rudyard Kipling and Kurt Vonnegut better than some literature professors, has one of the sharpest tongues you’ll ever encounter, and has remained a pretty accomplished drummer despite multiple tours overseas where all he had was a pair of drumsticks and a practice pad.

If I sound like I know him pretty well, it’s because I do. I’m posting this ‘cos I want you to know him too. On June 24th, while serving as a cavalry scout (19D) with the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan he stepped on a land mine rigged up to two 84 mm mortars. The blast sent him up in the air and when he came back down he was missing the bottom half of his left leg, most of the skin off his right, and had shrapnel all throughout his body. He was flown to Germany then to Walter Reed, which is where he spent the next few weeks. He is now at the Center for the Intrepid making huge strides (quite literally) every single day.

The reason I’m sharing this with you is not to make you feel bad for the guy. He certainly doesn’t want your pity. It’s to share with you his story ‘cos it’s the story of thousands of other servicemen and their families. Here’s a guy who served two 12-15 month tours to Sadr City and Ramadi (not exactly bastions of peace in Iraq for those who know) and who loved his job so much he reenlisted while in theater for four more years. Not only that, but he chose to reclass to another MOS (change his job for any non-military folks who might read this) to one that would put him about as “front line” as you can get in a war with no real front lines. Two crappy tours and only ten months at home in an almost four year span would send most guys running from the Army. He ran straight into it with a smile on his face. Not ‘cos he’s a daredevil and has a death wish, but ‘cos he loves what he does and he loves his brothers in uniform.

If you thought losing a leg on his third tour would slow him down or change his attitude you’re dead wrong. Since he got hit, he has been nothing but a beacon of positivity. Every time I’m tempted to go on Facebook and post an update about how miserable the heat is or complain about a traffic jam, I see yet another uplifting post he has left on his page, just like every other since the day he was hit. Saying he’s an inspiration is unbelievably cheezy and would probably make him mad (he’d insist it’s the guys over there and their families at home that are the real heroes), but it’s true. He makes me want to do something unbelievable with my life. ‘Cos guess what? You know what he'll say the hardest part of losing a leg is? It’s not the skin grafts or the surgeries or the rehab. The worst part is not being with his fellow scouts. More than anything, this sergeant just wants to be back with his Joes.

So America, meet SGT D. He is but one face in this war that I wish America saw more of and is someone I think you should know.

30 Great Details: Introduce Yourself

So instead of grading and planning I am sitting on my computer about to embark on a 30 day blog journey. Well, considering my daily schedule and blogging routine it will probably take more than 30 days, but it is a great blog undertaking. Over the course of the next few months I will be blogging about myself in 30 great details. Today is just an introduction, but as you will see the theme is: your life in great detail. I got this wonderful idea from two of my blogging pals, Jenny and Abby. I think it is a wonderful idea and a great way for my blog friends, who might not know me so well, to get to know me better.

So my name is Abigail (as you all hopefully should know by now). Some of you might know me by a few other names. As described in the post below, my boys and most of my grad school friends call me "Babs". That nickname originated in a very silly way, but it has stuck over the years. I have mostly just been called Abigail my whole life. For 18 years I was never called anything else by my friends or family. In fact, my mother loves to tell the story of when she had a friend over to our house and introduced her to me. The woman immediately shortened my name and said "hello Abby!". Apparently, I put my hands on my hips (bear in mind I was 5 or 6 at the time) and said very matter-of-factly, "my name is Abigail!". In truth, I really don't mind being called 'Abby'. Lots of people, including many of my coworkers over the years, shorten my name to Abby. Some of my closest friends in college and family call me "Abs" and I have a friend out West who calls me "Gail Gail", but mostly I'm just Abigail. Hopefully three syllables is not that much of a pain to say.

I spent 18 year of my life in the same house in Long Island, New York. I grew up in the suburbs of one of the biggest cities in the world (we always just call it "the City"), but always longed for the country, wide open spaces and a slower pace of life. I'm not a city girl in any way, shape, or form. No matter where I go, I will proudly call myself a New Yorker though and will always be a New York Mets and New York Giants fan. Mets games with my family are some of the earliest memories I have and riding the train to Shea Stadium with my big brother and my best friend is one of the first things I was ever able to do on my own as a teenager. The Mets are a family tradition in my family as much as they are a sports team. And no matter how miserable they are, I will always be proud to be a Mets fan!My acceptance to college came a little funny and, due to the fact that my college overaccepts students every year, I actually spent my first semester living abroad and studying in Dijon, France with 14 other freshmen. French was my weakest and least favorite subject in high school so I was very resistant to going. I wanted the typical first year of college and summer orientation and shopping for your dorm room and meeting your roommate. Instead I got to fill out paperwork for a student visa and prepare myself for 4 months without skim milk. As reluctant as I was to go, I can say today that it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. I loved the time I spent there and it is actually the reason I ended up majoring in history. While I was there I got to not only travel all over France, but also to Italy, Switzerland, and London. I have not been back to Europe since that time and I would love to go back some day. I absolutely love to travel! The weekend trip to Interlaken, Switzerland I took with my friends was one of the most impromptu and spectacular vacations I have ever taken!

From France I went on to the frozen north (aka central Maine) where I spent the next four years of college. I attended a very small school of only 2,000 students and while I don't love my alma mater the way lots of people do, I had a great time there. I had wonderful professors(many of whom I still keep in touch with), shared lots of fun times and made some of the best friends I could ask for. We recently went back for our 5 year reunion and I had such a fun time being back on campus and walking and living in the buildings that were my life for 4 years. Maine could be a bit bleak and I endured my fair share of 30 below zero days, but it was a beautiful place. One thing college did for me (and Maine in particular) was help me learn to appreciate little things, like grilled cheese Thursday in the dead of winter and how beautiful campus looks after an ice storm.
I graduated with my B.A in history, but didn't have a great idea of what I wanted to do. So I lived in The Most Wonderful Place on Earth, aka Wyoming, for the next 2 years. While working there I figured out I liked working with kids and I loved history enough to pursue a Masters degree in secondary social studies education. So in 2007 I packed up my car and drove from Wyoming to Virginia, which is where I have been for the past 3 years.

I spent two years in Charlottesville where I became much more attached to a graduate school than most people. The shift from a school of 2,000 to a state university was a huge change, but I loved my time there. I became a very proud Wahoo and in 2 years as a grad student there I never missed a home football game. My boys and I had some awesome times tailgating, traveling to away games and singing the Good Ol' Song whenever we could. Even though Virginia football was pretty miserable in the 2 years we were graduate students, we never let that dampen our spirits and always believed the next game would be better. Here we are about to do battle with USC. (For those interested the end result was USC 52 - Virginia 7 and, yes, we stayed until the very bitter end!)
I've lived by myself since graduating college in 2005 and, aside from my two feline roommates, I continue to live alone. I would be lying if I said I did not have days or nights where I got a bit lonely, but overall I enjoy being able to leave the dishes in the sink for a few days if I don't feel like doing them that night. I like being able to walk around my apartment in my underwear or be lazy and spend the day in my pajamas and order Chinese whenever I want.

That said, I had the most wonderful experience this summer living with my boyfriend for 7 weeks. I never imagined living with someone could be so much fun, but we had such a blast! Though we are no longer together, living together had nothing to do with that. In fact it was just the opposite(long distance) that split us up. I think it certainly helps that I am a huge sports fanatic and did not mind having ESPN on 24/7! My enthusiasm (read: fanatacism) for most sports really tends to scare off most boys. Speaking of boys, my love life is pretty short and sweet. I have had exactly two boyfriends in my entire life and both happened to be members of the United States Army. I have endured all the highs and lows that come with a military relationship, the constant separations and hurry up and wait mode, from deployments to homecoming and everything in between. The military is no longer a real part of my life anymore, but our military and their families will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Thus the reason I am running the Army Ten Miler this year as a part of Team Fisher House. I used to be a very serious runner and have renewed my training this month and rediscovered my love for running. I help coach both the track and cross-country teams and try to cultivate that same love for running in my kids.

That brings me to the last important piece of my introduction: I am a teacher. A high school history and government teacher to be specific. My primary motivation for teaching is my love of history. I was not a huge fan of history when I was in high school and did not develop an appreciation for the subject until I got to college. If I can help just one or two students realize the great stories that there amid all the facts and dates and names and terms they have to learn in high school then I would consider myself successful as a teacher. The other reason I chose to pursue teaching is because I discovered while working out West (and my first year teaching only proved even more) that I enjoy working with teenagers. Yes, they can be a huge pain in the butt most days. They can be self-righteous and annoying. They can be lazy and stubborn and oh so wonderfully awkward. But they make every day different and for that I am grateful. I love my job (even on those days when I say I hate it) because it is never ever the same.

I'm sure there is much more about myself that I am leaving out, but that's what the next 30 posts are for!

Me and My Boys and My Football

Computer problems have forced me off the blog this past week. I had a picture for my Wordless Wednesday and my Five for Friday all ready to go, but I had to send my HP into the shop (thankfully it is covered under warranty and won't cost a dime). My temporary replacement is a bit slower and has been not so functional with allowing me to upload pictures or even get on the internet at times. Tonight I can get on, but I can not get into my fantasy football draft.

Yes, my name is Abigail and I am a fantasy football player. I have been for three years running now. Sadly because of my computer issues, for the first time in three years I have to sit back and let the computer pick out my fantasy football team for me. I am the only girl holding it down in a league full of eleven other boys so I really pride myself on drafting a good team and putting up a good fight (my team name is Title IX after all). They all call me "Babs" and have lots of fun ribbing me just 'cos I'm a female in an all boys league, but they know I'm a good sports fan and a consistently competitive member of the league. Fantasy baseball is another story, but I can hold it down alright in football.

For the past few years my enthusiasm for football and most other sports has led to many occasions where I look around and find I am the only girl surrounded by boys. It started my first day of grad school when, so excited to be at a Division I school, I excitedly asked if anyone was going to that Saturday's home football opener. There weren't many enthusiastic responses (the University of Virginia isn't exactly a football powerhouse), but there was one other grad student who said he wouldn't miss it. I am a sports fanatic and even though I have many friendships with people who couldn't tell you the difference between a free throw and a free kick, I gravitate towards people who love athletic competition as much as I do. Thus began my friendship with a fellow sports fanatic, who has also ended up being one of the most fun and loyal friends I could ask for. He was not frightened by my enthusiasm (I am crazier about football than most boys) and through him I found myself a wonderful circle of friends.

Throughout our grad school years we went to countless happy hours and trivia nights, traveled to away games and tailgated for hours at home games, we painted our faces and we stormed the field, we played wiffle ball in the spring and midnight football games when central Virginia got snow. If I tried to list all the awesome times we shared I would probably be here forever. Oh yeah, they all pretty much all happened to be boys. The story of my grad school years (and so far my years teaching and coaching) has been the story of "me and my boys".

I look forward to the annual fantasy football draft because even though we are spread out across the state of Virginia (and the country), for a few hours we all get to exchange barbs and talk like we're all together again watching away games at Wild Wings over a pitcher of beer. So let's hope the computer does an okay job drafting my team. I need to do more than just talk the talk when it is me and my boys!

I Love Running!

I'm back baby! 23 miles this week, including two very intense hill workouts on Tuesday and Friday! (Note: you may have to scroll back to see my workouts from last week as I didn't realize this updated. I must find a way to get this on my blog permanently!

Happy New Year!!

I had every intention of writing this blog post last Sunday, but life got in the way and I never quite had the time to sit down long enough to write. But here I am relaxing in my apartment on Saturday night thinking about how much I love the start of the school year. The more I think about it the more I think the new year should really be in September.

Even if you are not in school anymore just think about what the start of the school year used to mean. There was so much hope and so much promise. You got new clothes, maybe a new haircut, you got new books, new notebooks, planners. You had all these great ideas to get organized and improve your grades and join all these teams and get in shape. You have all these ambitions and awesome plans and dreams. The weather is awesome. You want to be outside in early fall. It's not like in the middle of January when it's cold and there's snow on the ground and you just want to sit on the couch in your PJ's all day. But that's not how it is at the start of the new school year! In the fall optimism runs high and there isn't anything that is out of your reach.

So enjoy that new fall wardrobe, fill up your new planner with dates, mark that Turkey Trot on your calendar, enjoy all the awesome summer produce, play outside and keep your dreams alive that your team will win the Super Bowl. 'Cos the fall is all about hope!

Happy New Year!

Five for Friday

1) I didn't have to send anyone to the office in the first week of school. :O)

2) I ran 6 miles.

3) My fish is still alive! I got a fish for my classroom and am happy to report after 2 weeks Napoleon is still kicking (even after all my students harassing him).

4) I had dinner at the restaurant across the street and they returned my favorite sweater, which I left there over 2 months ago. I thought I had lost it forever!

5) I have become the official 'unofficial assistance coach' of the cross-country team and managed to recruit two kids to our tiny team this week, which gives us a top 7 for the first time in 10 years.

Wordless Wednesday

I'm not dead! School has just started up and taken over my life. Things are great so far, but then again it is only Wednesday of the first week. This is a picture for my wordless Wednesday of my commute home from work this afternoon. (Yeah, I know. I failed at being wordless.)

Endorphin Highs Rock!

So this marked the official start of my training plan for the Army Ten Miler. The past couple weeks have mostly just been about getting back into a routine and used to running distances longer than a mile. Most of my runs average 2 1/2 miles until this week and I was using the Jeff Galloway method of running for 8 minutes or so and walking for 1 to get through it. They were easy slow runs and it was more just about getting me back into a routine then anything else. Since I have gotten back to Virginia I have upped my mileage and eliminated walk breaks and I am feeling great!!

I'm also an unofficial assistant coach on the high school cross country team so I have been running with the girls on the team on the trails and that has been awesome. The high school has some great trails behind it that will be a nice change from running on the road. I think tomorrow we will probably be doing some track work, which will be a nice change. Today I knocked out 3 1/2 very hilly miles. I did not have a watch on me so I wasn't able to clock it, but I was running without music for the third straight day and I love it. I used to rely so much on music to get me up a hill or through the next mile. I love being able to get through that on my own. Today's run was by no means easy. The town I live in is called "the Hill City" or "the City of 7 Hills" after all so I guess I shouldn't have expected it to be flat. Some of the hills were pretty intense and though I know I wasn't moving very fast at times, I definitely did not stop once. I powered through the hill at the end and felt VERY strong finishing, which is how I always like to finish.

I was on such an endorphin high when I got back! I forgot how much I absolutely LOVE to run! Seriously, if running were a drug...it would be illegal. I'm definitely back and feeling better than ever. Looking forward to a Happy Hour tomorrow with my teacher pals to celebrate the end of the work week and the start of the school year. Yes, that's right, I said celebrate the start of the school year. That's what running does to me!!

Freaks and Geeks

Has anyone ever heard of this show? I was looking through my family's DVD collection for something funny to watch, not too serious and definitely lacking in romance. I saw this and knew it was perfect. The show is set at a Michigan high school in the 1980's and aired for only one season on NBC back when I was in high school. It is the truest depiction of high school on TV and actually has actors who look their age and look like people I went to high school with. It's like the Wonder Years only less cheezy and much funnier. Nobody finds their one true love in it, there are no passionate declarations of love or conversations that sound like they're from a college textbook. There are some awkward dates and breakups that are painful to watch, but this is not a show about finding your true love in the 10th grade (though I know it does happen for some people). It's a show about the awkwardness and insecurity of high school and not knowing where you belong or what you want or who your friends are. It makes me so angry that this show didn't even make it through the first season. It was such a realist show with such real characters. Not to mention it was a Judd Apatow creation with awesome actors like James Franco, Jason Segel and Seth Rogen. It definitely goes on my top 5 favorite TV shows of all time. I wonder if my family will even notice if I take them with me down to Virginia...

Maybe we got lost somewhere...

I found myself among the ranks of the heartbroken last night as I left California for New York. I knew it was coming. In my heart, I knew this Rob Thomas song that I kept hearing all summer would be our anthem. Too many of the lyrics just rang too true. Somewhere along the line we got lost.

He is too rational a thinker to get caught up in a romance based around phone calls, emails, and a week here or a week there. Things have to make sense for him. I was really hoping that I would make sense in his life and I really think I did for a while. We got caught up in a romance that took us both by surprise at a time when we both really needed each other. For the first half of our relationship he ignored the rational part of his brain and we both just got way so wrapped up in each other. I'm not the kind of person that plans their wedding when they don't even have a boyfriend or names their unborn children, but he brought all that craziness out in me. He was figuring out which furniture of ours we would use when we moved in together and including me in choosing his next duty station. We were at a point, after only a few short months, that we were planning our futures around each other when we should have just been enjoying the time together. He realized way before I did that we were moving way too fast. The logical part of his brain caught up with him eventually. He didn't say anything and when he finally did, he didn't know how to go back to where we were before.

It was a very teary goodbye on both parts and definitely not something I'll be able to shake for a while. He is not a man to wear his heart on his sleeve so seeing him cry really shook me up. All he could keep saying as he hugged me was "you're going to be fine". I have no doubt that I will be. I know I have great friends and family who will support me and I will land on my feet and be okay in the end. I'll just miss him more than I can say. I loved sharing my life with him. For 1 1/2 years he was my confidante and best friend. And now just like that, he's not there. It's horrible how breakups work like that. He wants to still be a part of my life and hear that I got in alright and made it to Virginia and that I havegood students in my classes. I'm not built like that though. Maybe down the road a friendship will make sense with him, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. I will miss him with all my heart, but I need to do what's best for me. So here starts Day 1 of JC detox. Wish me luck on the last endeavor I ever wished to embark on...

Feel Good Friday

1. I went running this week and it felt awesome! I'm very slow, but feeling better each time I go out and I hit the hill at the end of the run hard. Hitting the hill hard always helps me end the run feeling awesome about the effort I put in. Ten Miler, here I come! Speaking of...

2. I got my bib for the Ten Miler! I was starting to get frustrated with my inability to secure one, but am so happy I got it all sorted out. The circumstances of the woman I am getting it from makes it all that much more special.

3. I'm going sailing tomorrow! One of JC's classmates in the Navy is taking us out tomorrow afternoon. I have never been sailing before and have really never been a big fan of the ocean (Shark Week hasn't helped much with that), but I am so excited to go.

4. My mom and sister are having an awesome time together painting the nursery out in Wyoming. They have always had a bit of a strained relationship and had a big blow-out this June that I helped mediate the hard way (i.e having them scream at me so they wouldn't scream at each other) so it makes me so happy to know they're out there spending and enjoying this time together.

5. JC and I cooked dinner together three times this week and had a blast doing it! Neither of us are very good and we weren't too adventurous, but we have fun. I'm looking forward to grilling out some steaks tonight for my farewell dinner and hope the weather cooperates.

Wordless Wednesday

My last Wordless Wednesday from California.

Good News, Bad News

I got good news and bad news today. I guess I will start with the bad news since that is what is weighing on my mind most. I found out from my mom that my 62 year old father is in the hospital. My first thought - and I found out my sister's as well - was "heart attack". My dad works on Wall Street and is probably the most stressed out, negative person I know (which is probably where I get it from). He should have retired 2 years ago, but obviously that is not the case, and he has just been miserable and constantly worried about his job these past several years.

I'm glad to report that he did not have a heart attack, but what he did suffer was a a cat bite. Yes, you read that right, a cat bite. A cat that my family took in three years ago escaped the other day and ran under the deck. My dad tried to pull him out and he bit him on the hand and gave him a nasty puncture wound that has gotten infected pretty badly. Apparently, cat bites are reallydangerous because they can be so deep. So word to the wise, beware of cat bites! What makes the story so strange is that this cat was the most docile, gentle thing ever. Elvis was an enormous cat, but he seriously wouldn't ever hurt a fly. My 8 1/2 pound ginger kitty chased him all around the house and he never once lifted a paw at him. I'm not sure what my family is going to do with Elvis. My mom has already said she's looked into a few no-kill shelters where she can surrender him. I'm not sure what my dad wants. He used to love Elvis, but I can't imagine he's too happy with him now after 4 days in the hospital. I called him this morning and he sounds pretty miserable. Apparently they don't get ESPN2 or the financial network on TV, which he is irate about. I hope the stronger antibiotics work and he is out of there soon! I hate thinking of my dad lying in the hospital.

The much happier news, which I was happy to share with my dad since he sounded so down, is that I finally got a bib/registration for the Ten Miler! I'm getting it from a milspouse down at Fort Hood, whose husband was MEDEVACed to the military hospital in San Antonio back in 2008. So when she found out that I wanted to run for Fisher House she jumped right on it. (Her husband is fine now, just set to deploy soon thus the selling of the registration). I'm SUPER excited to have this become official and cannot wait to officially join Team Fisher House, start raising money and increasing my mileage at the end of the month. Today is a strength training day so I think I'm going to bust out my EA Active and attempt to work with the resistance band a little. The boy has free weights, but they are a bit much for me as I'm just getting back into things. I'm thinking I might walk to the beach later since the sun is starting to come out. Really anything to avoid packing and facing the fact that I leave California in 5 days...

My Running Story

So I thought after yesterday's post that today I would share my background as a runner. I'm going to go back, waaaaaay back, to how I first came into running in the first place. The reason I started running, way back when I joined the cross-country team as a scrawny middle schooler, was 'cos my brother did. Unlike my brother, I joined the track team too. I ran competitively all throughout high school, 3 seasons a year (cross-country, indoor and outdoor track). I was never all-state or anything, but I loved running and was able to go from the "B Team" to captain of the team. I am an incredibly competitive person so running is the perfect sport for me 'cos I get to be competitive with myself! I was asked to run in college, but didn't and even though I ran with my friends all through college I somehow lost that love of competition and ran mostly to stay in shape and keep off a beer gut.

I took a year long running hiatus after college, but started up again while living out at the Ranch where I took my running to a whole new level. I was just doing daily 3-5 mile runs with a friend of mine, nothing huge. Then one day this guest arrived at the Ranch and asked if any of the wranglers liked to run. We said yes so he came on a couple of our little 5 mile jaunts. Turns out he runs ULTRA marathons, which are insanely longer than marathons and usually cover a distance between 30-62 miles. He asked us if we'd like to go on a run in Grand Teton National Park with him on our day off, but we were obviously a little hesitant once we learned of the ultra-marathoning. First he suggested we run this 6 mile loop around the lake, then all of a sudden he was proposing this 13 mile run up a canyon. My friend and I both told him "no way, Jose!" but he kept insisting that we had no idea what we were capable of. And you know what? With a couple well-timed walk breaks, my friend and I ran 13.3 miles while climbing 1800 feet. It was the most amazing feeling in the world and one that I would love to duplicate. Here we are stopping for a quick photo at mile 6 after running up a HUGE hill!


Unfortunately, between grad school and student teaching, my running has all but fallen off the radar. I coach track and help with the cross-country team so I will run with my kids all the time in season, but I haven't done a great job keeping up with it on a regular basis. And I miss it! I miss the competition and I miss setting my sights on a goal and trying to achieve it. I miss trying to beat my own times and get better every race. I didn't realize I missed it so much until I came across the ad for the Ten Miler and I started thinking about running, what it means to me and why I didn't keep up with it. I didn't love running when I ran to lose weigh or stay in shape. I wasn't committed to it, I wasn't excited about it like I used to be. I did it just to do it. I don't mean to knock anyone who runs to lose weight or stay in shape! It just doesn't motivate me personally or inspire me to get better or improve my times or mileage.

Anyway, I'm sharing all this because I was hoping there were some other girls on here who call themselves runners and would like to share their stories about when, how, and why you became "a runner"!

Guess What I'm Training For?

OK, well technically registration is closed and spots in the race are sold out. However, I have it on good authority from a friend who is a road race warrior that it is fairly easy to transfer registration for a big race like this. I am so excited!!! My running this summer has not panned out like I planned and I think part of the reason for that is that I am a competitive person who likes to have something specific to train for. I need more than just "I want to get back in shape" or "I want to start running again". I like having a time and a purpose and a very specific goal. I'm currently trying to get a spot on Team Fisher House, which is a charity that assists families of wounded soldiers. This is something very near and dear to me, as a very dear friend of mine was recently wounded in Afghanistan after stepping on an IED back in June. His mother has been by his side the entire time and I would love nothing more than to run in honor of all our military families. He will be up and around by the day of the race so hopefully he and his mother can attend!

I am SO excited to train for this and hope I am able to obtain a bib. I have found several 10 week training programs, which would be just perfect. I know I can make a million excuses for why I can't run and won't have time, but if my college pal can train for the Boston Marathon while in her 2nd year of law school, I know I can do this. This will be the perfect goal and the perfect event to get my running back on track. I have completed half-marathons before and am so excited to start training and be a part of this race. I'm not really looking forward to the fall in any way, shape, or form so this will certainly give me something to look forward to!

Any blogging friends in the VA/DC area who would like to train with me and try to obtain a spot in this year's Army Ten Miler as well, let me know!

Feel Good Friday

1) I'm going horseback riding tomorrow!! Yes, it's only going to be a plodding nose-to-tail trail ride, but I'm going to be back on a horse. AND I managed to convince JC to come too!

2) I finished my religion class (see previous post) and really enjoyed it! It definitely had its highs and lows, but I got much more out of the class than I anticipated when I first signed up for it.

3) I went to the beach yesterday and really enjoyed just walking along the shore. Between living in Wyoming and central Virginia, that is definitely something I haven't done for the longest time.

4) This goes along with number three, but the weather here has been beautiful this week. It has been very cloudy and grey here for most of the summer. Most days I can barely see the ocean from the back porch (that Wordless Wednesday picture was taken from the porch). This week the clouds and fog have been burning off by noon and the weather has just been perfect in the afternoon. Not so hot that I'm sweating through my clothes (like the whole East Coast), but I definitely don't have to bring 3 layers with me when I go out. Nothing like a month of clouds to make you appreciate the beauty of a blue sky!

5) My sister officially made it to her second trimester! That is probably more her good news than mine, but it makes me so happy. I am so excited for her! She has been wanting a baby and saving for a baby for a long time and I know her and her husband are going to be the best parents. And, let's face it, I'm going to be the best aunt EVER!!!

Teacher to Student

Today marked the end of my six-week summer class. It was my first experience with community college and was definitely different from any class I had ever been in. The class was in the course listing as "History of World Religions", but it was really much more of a philosophy class. I was a little disappointed at first, but I learned to embrace that it was something new and different.

I think I have been pretty up front about what a huge history dork I am, but I still don't know if you all get it. I need to take a picture of my bookshelves at home to convey the dorkiness. I'm talking shelves and shelves and shelves of history books. In college I took predominately history classes. My senior spring I think all 4 of my classes were history. Needless to say, philosophy classes were nowhere on my radar. I think the closest I got was intro to Psychology. I enrolled in this history of religion class expecting to learn the tactics Asoka used to spread Buddhism throughout southeast Asia and the details behind the Sunni/Shi'ite divide.

Instead I got a philosophy class full of high schoolers and students not much older than those I was teaching 3 months ago. There were retired professionals in their sixties, and a gentleman who was going back to college after a thirty year hiatus. There was a former Marine using his GI Bill and a 21 year old recovering drug addict. Mostly though it was students much like most of the seniors I sent off last year. Students with hopes to attend four-year universities in the future, but currently working hard to earn their credits in community college. They weren't the students I was used to sitting in class with, but they added a perspective to the class that I think I needed as a high school teacher.

I needed to be a student again and be that one person that gets it while nobody else does. I needed to be the person who has a large chunk of the lecture fly right over their head 'cos they've been absent for days. I needed to see how admirable (and not annoying) it is for a student to step up and ask what a vocabulary word you just used means. I needed to remember what it's like to sit in class every once in a while and be bored and count down the minutes until I'm free again. While I was often uncomfortable at how much my classmates shared it definitely opened my eyes up even further to all the different paths kids can take out of high school.

I will really miss my goofy hodgepodge religion class. We were a motley crew and had some very interesting conversations over the course of six weeks. I took the class for the factual content and did not expect to gain much else from it. Regardless of what happens this summer with the boy, I am truly glad I was out here this summer and I am so glad I took this class. I think every teacher needs to go back and be a student every once in a while, not surrounded by other teachers or grad students, but by real students.

Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a school or work experience? Or had an experience that completely changed your perspective about an issue?

Wordless Wednesday

Guilty Pleasure

I just finished a rousing game of Tiger Woods Golf with the boy. I didn't do that badly for someone whose golf experience doesn't really extend past the Chip N' Putt! I was tempted to hone my skills this evening while he studied for an upcoming test, but I opted to veg out on the couch.

I'm currently watching one of my #1 guilty pleasure movies. It's a movie that came out my sophomore year of high school and currently has a 57% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. That's really not that bad considering it's really nothing more than just another silly high school drama. Drew Barrymore saves it and Michael Vartan makes for some serious eye candy! Yep, I'm talking about Never Been Kissed. I'm embarrassed to admit I actually went to go see this movie in theaters (along with such other awesome movies as She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You).

The plot is so unbelievable and it's ridiculously silly, but it is just a movie that I always seem to get stuck on once it's on TV! I'd definitely put this and 13 Going on 30 as some of my top silly guilty pleasure movies. I could probably add a ton of movies to that list, to include Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing, but I'm definitely not as hesitant to admit that I enjoy them as I am this film. I'm a sucker for a happy ending, I can't deny it! There are some really uncomfortably awkward moments in the movie (especially if you were a high school dork like me), but you just have to love Drew Barrymore in the role. No matter what my mood is, this movie will have me smiling by the time the credits roll. (Although it is debatable that that might just be due to looking at Michael Vartan!)



Do you have a favorite guilty pleasure movie? A movie that once you stumble upon you can never quite seem to change the channel? One that makes you smile despite yourself and that you might not admit to many people you enjoy?

Feel Good Friday

I'm changing up my Five for Friday to Feel Good Friday! I got this from my fellow bloggers, Abby and Jamie (who got it from The Girl Next Door Grows Up). All you do is make a list of 5 things that made you happy this week. Easy enough, right? Here goes...

1) I found out my teaching schedule for the year and I have a study hall! AND it is first period AND I have 2 classes that only have 12 kids AND my largest class is only 18. I love teaching in a rural school district!

2) I got another A in my religion class! Even though I only need to pass it to receive credit, I'm obviously doing my best and am pretty stoked I'm doing so well. It is different from any class I have ever taken before and philosophy is really not my thing. Go me!

3) A friend of mine, who lost part of his left leg in a bad IED blast 3 weeks ago, took his first steps (sans prosthesis) yesterday! Read his story here. He is such an inspiration and I am so proud just to know him.

4) I got to see the Golden Gate Bridge on Sunday, which is something I've been wanting to do for a loooong time. It capped off a great weekend in San Francisco with the boy.

5) I heard from so many wonderful friends on my birthday and turned 27! Let the countdown to 30 begin (at which point, according to my favorite quote ever by author John Grisham, I'll finally have to be taken seriously).

My Roomies

So I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week and the weather has been awful here in California so I've been having a lot of lazy time. I'm laying on the couch and watching Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman, one of my favorite Travel Channel shows, and thinking...what would make this lazy day even better? Then it came to me: my felines. I miss my cats! If I were home right now Hobbes would probably be stretched out across me right now and Journey would be curled on the blanket at the end of the couch. I can't believe it's been almost a year since I adopted them! I really only intended to get this little guy when I moved last August:



He was a cat marked "special needs" by the Humane Society 'cos he required a special and more expensive diet. He had been there for a couple months and they were starting to get doubtful he'd ever find a home. After visiting with him once I decided it was about time I had a ginger kitty in my life. As I was finalizing when I was going to pick him up, the woman from the Humane Society told me about another cat on the same diet. She was a black tuxedo, which made me hesitant as I had a tuxedo cat I loved dearly that I had put down the month before. I really only had plans to adopt a single cat, but then they went and told me that she had been at the Humane Society for over two years! I'm a huge animal lover and volunteered extensively while in grad school at the local SPCA. The adult cats and dogs who had been there for 6+ months always broke my heart and I always worked so hard to get the 'old-timers' adopted. Speaking of volunteering and helping out cats, a friend of mine has started up a blog for the strays in her area. Check it out! I don't know much about dealing with strays, but if you have any ideas for her (two of the cats are pregnant) definitely let her know.

Anyway, I went to their website and saw the picture of "Felicia" (I renamed her Journey) in her cage. This was her home for over 2 years:

Even though I said I wanted to meet her first, I knew I'd end up bringing her home and sure enough I did! She has plumped up extensively since that photo was taken a couple years ago and is quite the fat kitty now (though on her last visit she only weighed in at 12.5 lbs). They brought her and Hobbes (originally "Samson") to PetSmart and I just fell in love with both of them. And that's how my ginger kitty, Hobbes, and my big fat girl, Journey, came into my life. They can certainly drive me crazy (don't all roommates?), but they have been a wonderful addition in my life and I love coming home to them at the end of the day.

Wordless Wednesday

Expectations

So I've been thinking a lot this summer about expectations and how I am my own worst enemy sometimes. Maybe it's the history of religion class I am taking right now that has caused me to think on it so much, but I really think one of the biggest issues I need to work on is how I cope with disappointment. I'm not even talking about major disappointments, but little things I hype up in my mind that don't pan out.

So I've made it my goal this summer to let go of expectations with attachment to results. Maybe it's all the Buddhist philosophy I've been reading for class, but the more I think on it the more I see the truth in a quote my professor introduced: "expectations are just a future resentment". I build up things in my mind and then when they don't pan out I let it negatively affect my mood and my relationships. What I end up with is resentment because I'm just too attached to what I hoped or planned would happen.

So I'm trying to let go of that attachment. I don't think there's anything wrong with having expectations. I'm a planner and will always look into the future. If I'm expecting something - whether it's what I'll do with my brother when I return to NY or how I'll do my second year in the classroom - it means I'm living in the future, which isn't reality! I need to live in the present and focus on what I have and what I can do now. I need to enjoy the time I have right now with the boy because in 3 weeks I'll be long gone from here! I will still be mindful of certain outcomes - not to be would be antithetical to who I am. But I will be mindful of them and then let them go. I'm going to stay right here where I am: in the present. And if the weather is ugly or the boy is busy or we don't go out to dinner Friday...so be it. I need to get out of the future (and while I'm at it, out of the past too) and focus on today.

Now I'm off to go read the Torah! We've gotten to the major monotheistic religions in my class and I definitely am interested in getting a deeper understanding of Judaism, which I know little about aside from the basics.

What about you? Do you have a problem with building huge expectations in your life? How do you deal when they don't plan out like you hoped? Do you think it's true that "expectations are just a possible resentment"?

Five for Friday

1. You bring me a glass of juice to bed
2. You're appreciative
3. You pick me up from class every day when you don’t have to
4. You like to cook (or at least try to!)
5. You got me a birthday present we can enjoy together