Dream Vacation: Disney World

Sitting in snowy Indiana, I start to travel (in my mind of course).  Where do I go?  Better question: Where do I start?  I thought I would include a weekly or so post about my dream vacation places.  This week: Disney World.

I went to Disney World almost every other year as a child.  And I loved it!  Grandma and Grandpa lived in Florida (Jupiter, near West Palm Beach) all through my childhood.  We would visit them yearly, and sometimes we would drive up to Disney World.  I haven't been there in probably 15-20 years.  I would love to see the changes to the parks.  Last time I was there, the Animal Kingdom didn't even exist...  Typhoon Lagoon had just opened (awesome water park), but now there's Blizzard Beach also.  Towards the end of my stay in Florida, the family started going to other amusement parks, specifically Universal Studios, instead of Disney.  But Disney always held a special place in my heart.

My mom has been kicking around the idea of taking my boys to Disney World at the end of the school year.  Mom's looking into inclusive packages (hotels, food, parks, airfare, and other attractions) for one low price.  Okay not low, but lower than the advertised prices.  The deal is she will pay for the boys and any adults that come (i.e. me, my stepdad, and possibly J) must pay for themselves.  I could do that.  The boys are of an age that I think they could handle the rigors of Disney.  And I would get to go to Disney again.

Say what you want about commercialization, I love Disney World.  I want to ride Space Mountain and have breakfast with the characters and check out the cheesiness of Tomorrow Land (hover crafts anyone?).  And eat in Mexico's outdoor seeming courtyard at Epcot (always my favorite) and ride the dinosaur ride (hope it's still there).  And climb into the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, always a fun treat.  And sing along to the birds in the Tiki Tiki Tiki Room (hope they're still there).  And ride Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Snow White and Peter Pan and Dumbo... all the old rides.  And see the new rides.  And swim in the waterparks.  And eat some overpriced, but still good food.  And get a chocolate covered frozen banana as a cool treat.  And see the laser parade at night.  I could go on all day.

In preparation for a possible trip, I checked out a few Disney guides from the library.  I love looking at travel books/guides.  I like planning, making itineraries, things to see.  I do spontaneity, but like to have a basic plan.  So I started a Disney World notebook, highlighting the must see attractions, tips, and general information.  And we haven't even booked anything yet.  But mark my words, we will get there this summer.  We have to get there this summer.  I need my Disney World fix.

What's in a Name?

What's your first name?  Do you like it?  Do you hate it?  Is there a reasoning behind your name?  Is its meaning special?  Are you named after a family member?  Did you parents just like the sound of it?  Names are funny things, forced upon us at birth without our say.  We then must go through life with the same name, allowing only for nicknames, but often those are parent created also.  And then we may have our own children, starting the cycle of names again... Tobe Frances: I hate my name.  I've always hated it.  Ever since I was a little girl, it's always been "That can't be your name," or "You're not a boy," or "I knew a dog named Tobe," or "How do you spell that?" or "What's your real name?' or "What's that short for?"  Hi, I am a girl named Tobe.  I'm glad you once knew a dog named Tobe, but I'm not a dog as you can see. That's T-O-B-E, no I, no IE, no Y, no EY, just E. Yes, it's my real name and not it's not short for anything... Happy. Does everyone else get all these crazy questions about their name?  If no, would you like to trade?

So why was I named Tobe Frances?  That's the million dollar question.  I've never gotten a clear answer from my mother.  I do know that I was named Frances after my grandmother, but that's all the info I have.  My mom told me once that if I had been a boy I would have been named Elliot after the kid from E.T. Another time she said that if I had been a boy I would have been named Toby Francis (note the change of vowels).  But never have I gotten a clear answer as to why, as a girl, I was named Tobe Frances.  It's weird, not popular, spelled strangely...

Tobe (Toby actually) is of Hebrew origin meaning "The Lord is Good."  Historically it was a slave name and a Jewish name.  Of which I am neither.  My family's not particularly Christian (Easter and Christmas Christians at most) so the meaning doesn't really explain my name.  It's a big mystery.

I've always wanted a girly name.  Something that is easily recognizable and easy to spell.  Not ridiculously popular so that every fifth person I meet is named that, but popular enough.  I want a name that can be shortened to a cool nickname.  Growing up, I imagined myself as Stephanie, or Miranda, or Katherine (Kat for short) or Elizabeth (Lizzie for short) or even Frances (I know my middle name, but no one ever called me that).

...

Seven (almost eight) years ago, I had my twin boys.  I promised myself that they would not suffer the injustice of a crazy, weirdly spelled name.  I would name them something classic, easy to spell, recognizable, able to be shortened name.  And I choose:

Alexander Loring: Greek "Protector of Mankind."  Easy, classic, shorted to Alex (even though someone who will not be named insists on calling him Lex after Lex Luthor).  The middle name is weird, but it's a family name.  I'm okay with weird middle names, just not first names.

Nicholas Brian: Greek "Victorious People."  Easy, classic, shortened to Nick or Nicky (and sometimes Nicks).  The middle name is from his uncle and my stepfather.

Notice the difference between Nicholas and Alexander and Tobe?  I definitely do!

Anyone want to give me a new name?  I welcome suggestions...

Worst Movie Choice

Yesterday I had a free Redbox rental and the boys and I were going to be in for the night (single digits!), so I stopped.  I got Nanny McPhee Returns for the boys.  Great movie! Family fun and a good message.  Plus Emma Thompson is just way awesome.  Lovely cozy night with the boys.  And then they went to bed. I had got myself my own movie.  I had wanted to see Going the Distance when it was in theaters, but never got around it.  It just came out on video, so I thought, why not?

Turns out it was the worst movie choice ever.  Not because of the movie itself.  It was a fairly good movie.  The characters were good, the plot well constrcted, and good visuals.  It was the worst movie choice because it reminded me of my life.  The long distance relationship... worst situation in life.  I've been in a long distance relationship for awhile now (it's really depressing to say a number).  The plan was for me to move in the fall... last fall.  However, that plan fell through (details are very frustrating) and it was pushed to Christmas.  That plan fell through also.  And now I'm still stuck in limbo and in a long distance relationship.  And all this movie did was remind me of the all sadness.  This just sucks.  I won't give away the ending, but the ending really doesn't matter.  The bulk of the movie just made me sad.

So I have to say... worst movie choice!  And I need to go make a phone call.  I miss somebody way too much.

Soulmates

You know that one friend you have.  The one that it seems like you've been friends forever (even though it probably isn't that long).  The one that you could never be truly mad at.  The one that knows exactly what you're feeling even before you do.  The one that always understands your crazy conversations.  The one that's almost psychic.  The one that buys you the best birthday and Christmas presents.  The one that knows all your secrets and loves you anyway.  That's your soulmate. I have one, have had one for ~14 years.  B is my soulmate.  The one who completes me.  Everything I need in a friend.  And I wouldn't give her up for the world.

Who's your soulmate?

Highlight of the Week -- Birthday Madness

Wednesday was B's birthday.  And of course, we had to do her birthday up right.  Wednesday we went to four places, enjoying good drinks, great food, and amazing friends.  Best part of the night: karaoke... specifically B and A's duet.  Who knew sister's could pull off that song?  I guess B and A can! Then Friday, an extra celebration night with the boys.  Best part of the night: "Don't let her lie to you, she's single."  Hee hee.  Fun with microphones is always best when not targeted at you.

Finally, Saturday, another extra celebration with some real cowboys.  Best part of the night: awkward birthday song on the stage.  Who knew the words were so different?  Not me, that's who.

Highlight of the Week -- Books, books, and more books!

I've haven't done one of these in the last couple of weeks, so I thought I would get back into the swing of things this week.  So... what was my highlight of the week? Lately, I have been thinking a lot about books.  I signed up for many reading challenges for the year, have been reading blogs about books, added to my "To Be Read" list, and went to the library multiple times.  I love wandering the stacks finding interesting books.  Sometimes I have a list, sometimes i just choose an aisle and look at the shelves, and sometimes I let covers catch my eye.  On Friday afternoon, I had the urge to go book shopping.  I don't have much extra money lying around, but I thought I would just go look at the used book stores.  I went to Half Price Books and what did I find?  A whole ton of awesome $1 clearance books.  I love it when I find bargains.  So I went a little crazy.  I bought 13 books and it cost me a total of $20 (two books were a bit more than $1, but they are on my reading challenges list).  I got up to the register and the clerk had a surprised look on her face when I plopped them all down.  But she just rang of my books and then said, "I bet you want a bag today."  Yes, yes I did.  Usually I request no bag if it's just a few books, but 13 was pushing the limit.  Add my ridiculous clumsiness and snow on the ground, and I got a bag.  As I hauled my loot out of the store, I started thinking, which one am I going to read first? Very difficult question... but as it turns out I chose to read a library book instead of my new treasures.  They will have to wait until next week.

Art of Reading

Beautiful paintings of women engaged in reading.  I love the postures, the colors, the facial expressions.  Nothing is better than relaxing in a great setting reading a book.  Somehow I don't think that taking a photo of me reading would  convey the same sense of serenity.  These paintings are much more expressive of how I see the art of reading.  Hope you appreciate these as much as I do!

Highlight of the Week -- School Program

On Wednesday, the boys had their school Christmas program.  Although I picked the program for my highlight of the week, I have mixed feelings about the program itself. The Bad

For whatever reason, the school decided that the Christmas program would be a patriotic tribute to America.  No Christmas songs, no Frosty, no Santa, no nothing.  It was full of every patriotic song I knew and many I didn't know.  We all expected to hear some carols, maybe a song about snow, hopefully an audience sing along.  But what did we get?   This Land is Your Land and the Star-Spangled Banner.  My grandmother decided not to come because of the songs being sung.  She wanted Christmas and so did I.

The Good

Even with the nonChristmas music, all the kids did such a good job.  They were adorable.  There were cowboy kids and stepping kids.  Kids with little speaking parts and kids with cute barbershop choreography.  Although A definitely was a step behind on the choreography. he said he loved dancing and singing.  N look so cute in his barbershop hat taking a bow after his song.  N's class (who I help during the week) looked so finished and sophisticated in their performance.  As a bonus, they all mobbed me when I dropped off and picked up N from the cafeteria.  They had to confirm that I thought they did well.  So adorable!  I love watching little kids perform.

Added fun: The finale unintentionally sung in a round was the hilarity of the night!

Snow Challenges

I live in Indiana.  In Indiana during December and January and February and March and sometimes November (but not this year) it snows.  We have flurries, blizzards, big flakes, small flakes, sleet, ice, powder, wet snow, really every kind of snow imaginable.  It's expected and even wished for by many people (like my boys).  For native Hoosiers (really anyone native to the middle to upper latitudes of the United States) we have had to deal with snow every winter. Yet somehow, people around here forget how to drive when it snows!  How does this happen?  It's like they've never seen snow before and don't know what to do with it.  They lose all driving ability instead choosing to go 5 mph everywhere.  They brake randomly and stop way before the intersection.  They swerve into the next lane without looking but refuse to turn right on red even if it's clear.

I really don't mind driving in the snow.  Over the past 12 years of driving, I have learned to manage it well.  I go slower if there is packed snow or ice.  I try not to tail people.  I test my brakes when leaving the neighborhood to see the state of the roads.  I try to be mindful of other cars.  But I still drive.  I don't go 5 mph unless the road is completely covered in ice.  And if that's the case, I try not to drive anywhere.

It's comical really.  All the people on the roads cannot be new to driving in snow.  And yet that's how they drive.  My advice: be cautious, but please keep driving.  If you can't handle driving in the snow, don't drive anywhere.  Get a friend to drive you or just stay in the house.  It would make everyone's commute that much better if you stay off the roads.  Please...

Purple Power

I love purple!  It's my favorite color of all time.

What is it about colors?  Every one of us has a favorite.  Every one of us as a most hated color.  We gravitate towards certain shades.  Psychologists have looked into the power of colors.  There are studies and Women's Magazine articles about how color affects our attitudes and thought patterns.

As a little girl, I hated pink.  I only wore dresses on Easter and Christmas and am sure hated every minute of it.  I was not and am not a "girly-girl."  I don't like doing my makeup and hair.  I wear dresses and skirts every once in a while, but usually dress in jeans or khakis and a sweater or t-shirt.  I am a low maintenance type of girl.

But I love purple.  I love all shades.  Lavender for spring time. A deep royal purple for the middle of winter.  A bright purple for summer.  A bordering-on-red purple for fall.  I have a closet full of clothes, but what color do I keep buying?  Purple of course.  And I don't even do it consciously.  I just gravitate towards the color. I shy away from reds and pinks in favor of the blue-green side.

I wore a lot of purple clothing.  I love writing in purple pen.  I want to paint my house purple.  My cabin on FrontierVille is purple.  My Mii character is wearing purple.  I choose purple when playing Trivial Pursuit (extra bonus the purple category in the new betting version of Trivial Pursuit is Arts and Literature!).  I would drive a purple car if they made more of them.  I want a pair of purple Chucks for my next pair.  If I have a big wedding with bridesmaids, my colors definitely will include some shade of purple.  I wish I was born in February (I almost was) so I could have amethyst for my birthstone.

So what does all this purple say about me?  I did a simple Google search for color and personality and here's what I found:

• According to Annie Bond at Care2.com "purples are highly individual, fastidious, witty and sensitive, with a  strong desire to be unique and different.  Temperamental, expansive, and artistic, a Purple person may become aloof and sarcastic when misunderstood.  If you chose Purple, you tend to be unconventional, tolerant and dignified, likely to achieve positions of authority."
• According to Kate Smith from Squiddo, "Purple embodies the balance of red simulation and blue calm. This dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its undertone. A sense of mystic and royal qualities, purple is a color often well liked by very creative or eccentric types and is the favorite color of adolescent girls. How the color purple affects us mentally and physically: Uplifting, Calming to mind and nerves, Offers a sense of spirituality, and Encourages creativity."
• According to Emily Gems "Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will have peace of mind. Purple is a good color to use in meditation. Purple has been used to symbolize magic and mystery, as well as royalty. Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is believed to be the ideal color. Most children love the color purple. Purple is the color most favored by artists. Thursday's color is purple."

Does this sound like me?  Parts of it are definitely me, but I think some of the rest is like horoscopes--so general that everyone can find something.  Oh well!  I'll still love purple.

Interesting blog about colors: Sensational Color

All About Purple and other colors too.

Back from the Abyss

I've taken a bit more time off than I really intended.  The past week and a half has been a challenge.  I have had to deal with many personal issues (of which I am not going to dwell on here).  I have had a busy week with the boys.  I have had to reconnect with some friends and acquaintances.  I have had to plan for the future and then change the plan at the last minute.  I haven't so much abandoned the blog as I have had to focus on other things.  But finally I think I am back to a routine where I can blog and take some time to write on a daily basis.  Today I have recommitted to my writing and reading.  I am determined to once again start publishing on my blog.  I have decided that those issues over the last week won't go away magically, but I have to be patient.  I am in waiting limbo and while I am there, I may as well occupy my brain with catching up on reading (books, articles, blogs, whatever) and writing (specifically this blog, but others also).  So I will welcome myself back to the blogosphere. Hello everyone!  My name's Tobe and I am a blogger.  Care to join me for my journey: wading through the ocean of life?

...

At the beginning of the week, I had so many ideas for blog posts.  Things were happening.  I had funny stories.  I asked myself interesting questions.  I started reading three books, and finished one in one day... And then...

Everything exploded and the week turned into the week from hell.  All those inspirations are gone.  I don't have the energy or desire to write this week.  So I'm going to take a few days, try to recharge.  And hopefully those inspirations will come back.  Hopefully...

My Second Home

I have a second home (some days it feels like my real home).  I have a place I love to go and sit and read and talk and work and listen.  I have a place that doesn't judge me (we take that shit to starbuck's).  I have a place where the coffee's always hot and the pastries are always ready to eat.  I have a place where good friends come to chat and new friends are met.  I have a home filled with colors and patterns, art on the walls.  I have a place... And that place is my local coffeehouse -- Firefly Coffee House.  It's been here since 1999 and I have been coming off and on since 1999.  I came in high school.  Even when I went away to college, I would come on breaks.  Once I moved back, I came when I could get away.  Now that I'm employed part time, I spend many days here.  I bring things to work on.  I blog, I type, I search, I talk, and sometimes I just watch a movie or a TV show from Netflix.  I do whatever the day offers until it's time to go get the boys from school.  It's a place that's comfortable.  It's filled with wonderful characters.  It's inhabited by interesting employees.  I love it here.

When I've been away (like over the Thanksgiving break), I feel myself yearning to get back.  Back to the front table with computer out and ready, coffee cup on one side, plate of food on the other side, and friends across from me.  The bf always tells me he gets more work done at home, but I get way more done here.  I get on a roll, blogging, organizing, writing, etc.  I start working and before I know it, it's past lunch time and just about time to get the boys.  But that's okay. I haven't wasted a day, I spent a very enjoyable day at my second home.  And that's a great day, any day.

Highlight of the Week -- Holiday Recap

What a crazy couple of days... We did a lot, but didn't do a lot.  We we busy, but not that busy.   We had some great moments and some not so great moments.  It was a typical holiday week for us.  For this week's "Highlight of the Week" I've decided to do a huge recap of the holiday activities.

Wednesday

Our city has a huge tradition on the night before Thanksgiving.  The Santa and his reindeer display, Christmas tree, Christmas wreath, and other lights are lit with much fanfare and local celebrities.  Starting two years ago, my mother and stepdad started taking the boys down for the ceremony.  This year all of us were going to go.  We had a plan to go to Coney Island (right next to the Santa display) before the lighting and then walk around downtown partaking of the free hot chocolate and cookies before heading back to the block for the actual lighting.  Sounds great!

And then reality hit... we live in Indiana and guess what happens in Indiana in November...  It does one of three things: 1) drops 30 degrees the day of, 2) experiences a blizzard, 3) rains.  Well this year, we experienced two of the three happenings.  Tuesday the temperature was around 50 degrees, Wednesday the temperature was 34 degrees.  And it rained, all day and all night.

We made it to Coney Island fairly early.  We ate and then had around an hour and a half to walk around and enjoy the sights.  But it was freezing and raining.  So, we decided to get back into the car and drive around until the time was right.  We popped by the skating rink to watch for a little while.  N decided that he wants to learn how to ice skate, preferably this Wednesday.  We will go, but now need to find time.  We wasted enough time, and it was time to get back downtown.

The speeches and singing took forever, but finally the switches were flipped and Santa was lit.  Since we had been standing in the rain for over an hour by this time, we made the executive decision to go home.  We saw the lights, we enjoyed the festivities, but it was time to get warm and dry.

Thursday

We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at home.  Thirty family members crammed into one house with ridiculous amounts of food and football.  Typical holiday.

Friday

We made it to the bf's parents for Thanksgiving.  Had a nice lazy morning before heading over at 4 for dinner.  Had a nice Thanksgiving dinner.  The boys behaved themselves, played with the dogs and some cars.  Nice fairly lazy day.

Saturday

Mom and the step dad took the boys to Science Central to see the train exhibit.  They had a barrel of fun.  It was all they could do to stop talking about the trains.  The parents had a dinner to go to so we were on our for dinner.  The bf and I decided that sushi sounded amazing.  Now to get the boys to like sushi.  They had teryaki chicken.  Took a long time for N to try it, but then he proceeded to eat all the mushrooms.  I enjoyed the dinner.

Later I went to see a favorite band with the bff.  We had  great time and enjoyed some ridiculous music  The usual.  Good night.

Sunday

Did nothing and loved it!

Highlight

Watching N do his crazy robot dance in the pouring rain waiting for Santa to be lit.  It was priceless!  Really wish I had had my camera, but since it was raining, the camera was back in the car.  Nonetheless, the dance was awesome!  Made my week.

Thankfulness from the Boys

As a part of my boys' Thanksgiving week, their teachers asked the parents to write them each a letter.  We were to talk about things about them we were thankful for, memories of them, or a special note.  Part of their standards for 2nd grade are learning to write a letter on actual paper.  Since we are moving more and more toward computer communication, I thought it would be a good exercise for the boys to write a blog entry highlighting what they are thankful for.  Without further ado, here are their lists. N is thankful for:

• my Uncle Cory
• our dogs Toto and Casper
• mom
• dad
• Pokemon cards

A is thankful for:

• Uncle Cory
• animals
• mom
• dad
• friends
• trees
• brownies
• grandma
• blankets
• Christmas
• Spring
• Fall
• Summer
• Snowmen
• Turkeys
• fire
• Snow

Beauty of Earth

I found these pictures of various locations of earth from one of my "interesting" blogs.  The images were taken by satellites and then false color was added.  The one I feature definitely reminds me of Van Gogh's "Starry Night".  The green patches are phosphorescent plankton.  I love the swirls of the ocean compared with the green and brown of the land.  It's a beautiful contrast.  Seeing an entire island this small, I feel like a speck on the earth.  And really I am.  I am one of ~6 billion people on the earth.  One of ~300 million in the United States.  One of ~6 million in Indiana.  One of ~300,000 in Allen county.  I am small compared to those giant numbers, but I love these photos.  They give me a tangible perspective.  I am really enjoying the beauty depicted.  And after the day I had today, I need something beautiful.  So enjoy!

Gotland, Sweden

Highlight of the Week -- Firefly Conversations and HP!

Usually I pick one highlight of the week, but this week I just couldn't choose.  So I'm choosing two highlights of the week!

Firefly Conversations

I spend most days at Firefly, a local coffee shop.  I'm there so often, I've officially become a regular.  The baristas know me by sight if not by name.  I've had conversations with many of the other regular patrons.  The owner even stops to chat a minute almost every time I see her.  Overall, it's a great homey spot.  I love the decor, the coffee's good, the music's usually good (except last week's classic lite rock debacle), and the conversations are always great.

Some days it's just me.  Others the bf joins to work on his real job.  And then there are those days when a good "mom" friend and the bff join.  Those are the days that get out of control, but are always awesome.  This past week was no different.

On Wednesday, the bf, bff, and "mom" friend all joined at the Firefly.  We chatted about this and that, but then our conversation turned very weird.  I was looking through ThinkGeek.com for Christmas Present ideas, when I ran across the most amazing shirt ever.  In medieval looking script it said, "Huge tracts of land."  For those of you not up on your Monty Python, in Monty Python and the Holy Grail there's a great scene of a dad and his son.  The son has been betrothed, but "just wants to dance."  The dad is trying to sell the son on the marriage.  In describing the betrothed, he comments that she has "huge tracts of land."  He is referring to her land, but says it by pantomiming large breasts.  It is priceless.  The skit goes on for a few minutes like that.

Of course, the bff, "mom" friend, and I are huge fans of Monty Python and immediately started laughing.  The "mom" friend commented that her husband would love that shirt as she has "huge tracts of land."  The bff looked chestward sadly and commented, "I don't have 'huge tracts' so can mine say 'Medium tracts of land.' Or how about '.567 acres assessed?'  And add 'a spacious backyard.'"  I was laughing so hard, I could hardly catch my breath.  Even the guy sitting at the next table, was laughing with us.  Or was it at us?  At any rate, we had a great laugh.  For the rest of the time there, we kept sliding the comments back into casual conversation.  I was laughing for the rest of my time at the coffeehouse.

It's days like Wednesday that make me realize how much I appreciate my friends.  They are there for me in good times and bad.  They make me laugh to the point of almost peeing my pants.  But most importantly, they "get" me, weirdness and all.

*I must get that shirt now!  It's too good not to.

Harry Potter

I have been waiting for the first part of the finale for months.  Of course I had to go to the midnight showing.  And of course, I loved it!

Midnight showings are a tradition.  Starting last school year, some of my students and I and sometimes some other teachers would attend midnight premieres of movies.  We always arrive sometime around 9 and then... wait for 3 hours.  We could just go see the movie on Friday night, but where's the fun in that? Sometimes we have four people attend, sometimes we have ten people.  Whatever the attendance, it's always a good time.  We stock up on candy and drinks, sometimes get popcorn, and make sure to throw a deck of cards into our purse before leaving.

Last night was no different.  I had an array of candy and drinks, the bf bought popcorn, and we had UNO to entertain until the movie.  Usually they let the audience into the theater sometime around 11:30, but because the crowd was large, we were let in at 10.  So we moved into the theater, grabbed our regular seats (row behind the railing), and then... waited.  We joked around, saw people we knew, and act a ridiculous amount of snacks.  Finally it was 10 minutes before midnight.  Cue the pre-movie pee to make sure our bladders are empty for no interruptions during the movie.

The previews began:  A great one for Tron, one for The Green Hornet, another for The Green Lantern, and one or two that I can't remember.  I plan definitely to see those three movies.

And then the actual movie started: Awesome!  Slower movie, but remember this is part 1 of the finale.  In many ways it was setting up for the big battles.  I loved the quiet moments; in between times of reflection or conversations.  The characters have definitely grown over the short break between the stories.  I see them developing into who they will be after.  I loved the action sequences.  The scene in Godric's Hollow was creepy on-screen.  I even think I jumped a bit, even though I knew what was coming.  The sets were on an epic scale.  It was great!  I loved every minute of it.  It didn't drag at all.  I was awake and paid attention the entire time.

I can not wait until July!!!!  I smell another midnight premiere on the schedule.

Frankenstein Apple

While randomly browsing through the internet, I ran across this photo.  Interesting, weird, slightly disturbing, beautiful... Are those contradictory?  No, I think not.  Those words describe this photo perfectly.

 Apple OP by wolkentanzer

Phrases that come to mind: A juxtaposition.  Opposites attract.  A monster.  A mash-up of sorts.

Thoughts after viewing: This is a perfect visual representation of my life right now.  I feel like I have these two sides that I'm trying to stick together.  But they don't connect naturally.  They may even in fact be polar opposites.  The flimsy staples are a an attempt to connect two very different pieces.

I have recently started a new job.  After three years of teaching high school social studies, my school closed.  I now have a part-time job doing marketing for a Facebook application company.  You might be thinking "Okay just a career change."  But here's the thing, I've always wanted to be a teacher.  And the three years I was getting paid (very little, but that's another story), I absolutely loved it.  I love teaching (and teaching high schoolers to boot).  As a child, I would play "school" with my stuffed animals and dolls.  I think I was destined to be a teacher.  But my school closed and then I was going to move to another state to attend law school.  But then that plan had to be put on hold indefinitely.  So, then I needed a job.  And guess what?  The local school systems are in the process of cutting the budget and that means cutting jobs.  Bottom line: no teaching jobs available in the immediate area.

I went on unemployment and started applying for anything and everything that would make about the same salary.  (Hey!  I have two kids to try and support and need a livable income.)  Surprise surprise, nothing really out there.  Oh there are tons of job listings on Careebuilder and Monster and the like, but none of those companies really seem to be hiring.  For example, the local hospital was hiring patient registrars.  I worked for an orthopedic surgeon off and on for the past 6 years.  Guess what I did?  Check patients in and out, schedule. answer phones.  And this hospital told me that I wasn't qualified for the position.  Phooey!

About two weeks ago I was offered a job as a Marketing Intern for this new company. What do I know about marketing?  Nothing really. I'm making this up as a I go along.  I've checked out books from the library.  I've read people's blogs.  So far, so good...

But this isn't my dream job.  I don't want to be doing this for the next five years.  I want to get back into teaching or go to law school and be a student.

Right now my life really feels like this Frankenstein Apple.

http://wolkentanzer.deviantart.com/

Highlight of the Week

It's always good to reflect on our lives. What's gone well?  What's gone bad?  What was absolutely ridiculous?  So what was my highlight of the week?  The best thing/activity/conversation/etc.?  The best of the best... This week's best -- Karaoke on Friday!

Friday night I went to dinner with some friends, moved to Firefly for some good acoustic music, and then arrived at the bar.  My bff went on and on all week about doing karaoke this weekend.  We finally decided to do it.  And I have to say, it was awesome.

When we arrived the bar was half full of crooners over 65 singing country and Sinatra.  Interesting crowd!  Then we come in with some very unrelated music.  Of course we had to first prepare ourselves for the experience.  I am definitely not the fearless one of the group, so we all needed a little encouragement.  After two gin and tonics, we were ready to go.  Now what songs to choose?

We had to start with our standard "Build Me Up Buttercup"  and then moved to "Knock Three Times."  Of course to get to our songs, we had to wait probably 30 minutes and endure some very off-key country songs (think Alan Jackson without half his teeth).

And then we discussed our next songs: do we go with country, try a real song with real notes, or move to the ridiculous?  The bff decided to go the ridiculous route, but I found out later that she hid the slip in her bra!  Ugh!  Woman!  What you doing?  Anyway, the bff's sister decided we had to do Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n Roll."  Always an amazing choice.  But then she left before our slip came up.  Ugh!  But that's okay, the bff redeemed herself and sang with me.

Awesome karaoke fun!

*The bf spent most of the night doing crossword puzzles on the iPad and/or laughing at our singing.  One of these days, he will embarrass himself like us.  That day would definitely make the highlight of the week!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Taking a cue from my friend Catharine's blog, I present a list of my favorite things:

Hot tea on a cold night

Random humming

Pumpkin Chai Lattes

Signage mistakes

Giggles

Greek Pasta Salad

Purple

Red Shiny Stiletto Boots

Blank Composition Books

Freshly sharpened pencils

Warm breezes

Ridiculous Karaoke

Bar Bingo

Wall murals

Colorful pens

Plaid

Cell ringtones

Furniture shopping

Paper lanterns

Little boy imaginations

New haircuts

Stick figures

Music (any music really)

http://caites-whispertothewind.blogspot.com/

What are your favorite things?