DO NOT WANT

Something about Sarah Palin makes me dry-heave. I don't even know the woman, yet I have this inexplicable urge to drive an ice-pick through her ridiculous updo and into her skull. Thankfully, I'm not the only one.

My 403(b) - which is like a 401(k) for teachers - has changed somehow and so today after school, my financial planner, Ken, came and met with me to discuss my options. He knows from prior meetings that I am a financial moron. Once I even told him that he should speak to me as if I am a retarded kindergartner. I think he thought I was kidding.

Today's meeting went something like this...

Ken: "Blah blah blah blah blah mutual funds blah blah blah blah interest rates blah blah blah?"
Me: [Nods, wondering how such an old guy can have such a thick head of hair]
Ken: "Blah blah blah blah variable annuity blah blah blah Oppenheimer blah blah"
Me: [thinks, "I'm pretty sure The Police wrote a song about Oppenheimer's deadly toy... is he talking about it?"]
Ken: "I recommend blah blah blah blah blah"
Me: "Sounds good" [wondering if it was the pear at lunch that gave her the indigestion]

I'm useless. However, it was a pretty awesome day. First day back with the kids and I just feel like I'm "home" -- and it's good. And hell, I'd love to see Ken teach a bunch of 12-year olds to play in 6/8.

TWINS

I got my old MacBook Pro back yesterday for school. It's not really "old" -- it's actually one of the 2.4 GHz Intel Core Duo beauties. I got it brandy new when I took on the role of Media Club Advisor. When I left last June, I had to turn it back over and then was suffering from major withdrawal. So I went out and bought the exact same computer.

But now that I have TWO of these babies, the fun is endless!!! Here they are taking pictures of one another with PhotoBooth. Crazy kids...



Only in America, folks.

A NEW DAY

Tomorrow I return to life as a teacher. And I cannot wait! This "year off from my life" has taught me a lot about who I am and what I value. I know what I need for my life to function properly (a structured schedule and LOTS of intellectual stimulation) and I also know that hanging around witty middle-school kids is very good for my soul. I miss them. I miss my network of friends. Most of all, I miss feeling like I have a purpose.

Tomorrow I go back to my life and I will do so with gratitude and a greater appreciation for the little things that make up the bigger picture. I look forward to sharing stories again and breathing some new life into this blog!

Happy Labor Day!

VOTE YES!!

My entry made it onto the voting page. Check it out and thumbs me up!

CHECKING IN

So I'm officially unemployed now until September. My sabbatical job came to an end last Friday and now I can take a little breather before returning to teaching in the fall. It was a very good experience for me. I met some wonderful people and had some great adventures along the way. But most importantly, I learned what it is I need in my life - the kind of work I want to do and the kind of people I want to spend my days with. So I'm very much looking forward to returning "home."

In other news, I think I might bail out of the Marine Corps Marathon. Since my return from India in February, I have been steadily building my running back up. I don't think I've run less than four days a week in the past 5 months. I started my official marathon training on June 23 and quite frankly, I am already mentally burned out. And the mental burnout has also lead me to start feeling physically burnt as well. And I ask myself, "Can I really do fifteen more weeks of this? Do I really wanna start my job again and have to be thinking of the next 18-mile run I have to do?" Not so much.

So I've decided to take a week off from running. Fortunately, HE and I are leaving tomorrow for Sedona, AZ (HIS first trip!!) so I think it will be a good time for a break. Perhaps the healing energy of Sedona will also help me straighten out my head and find what's truly in my heart. I just kinda feel like I'm running for the wrong reasons lately and that's no good.

GOALS.

Yes. I need to get off my ass and start doing things. Every now and then I get into these funks where I just get bored or lazy or down (and sometimes a bit of all three) and I have to shake it off. I did some good yesterday. Got in touch with the coordinator of the community outreach program at the high school. Made some connections and also offered to get involved when I get back in September. A good goal will be to see if I can do a little good every day.

And another goal....
[drum roll]

This morning I registered for the 2008 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.



Cuz it was time. And hell, if I'm gonna make a goal, I may as well make a BIG goal, right?

Rainy Days and Tuesdays...

The India euphoria has finally worn off and I've definitely returned to my old self. This is not a good thing. Today is the worst so far. I have zero motivation to do anything productive. It's cold and rainy out. I want to crawl into bed and not deal with the world.

This morning, right before I woke up, I heard a dream/thought voice telling me that yesterday was a complete waste of a day. And it was. And that sucks. I mean, I got up and did things: took a run; made it to work (though did no actual work); and wrote and mailed a letter to my friend in India. I went to Barnes & Noble and bought the new Jennifer Weiner book. I cooked dinner. Watched some mindless television. Went to bed.

But we only get a certain number of days, right? Shouldn't each day be a little more meaningful? Just yesterday we found out that one of the customers here lost his 16-year old daughter. She died from falling off a horse at her weekly riding session. How fucked up is that? She was completely healthy and normal and now she's gone. Why?

When I came home, I was so inspired to live a different life. I wanted to focus on community service and being a better person. Yet here I am again. Stuck in my routine and feeling the familiar brain fog rolling back in. Where did my fire go? Can it last? Did it ever even have a chance?

AFTER A THREE-MONTH HIATUS...

The bitch is back! Hope you've enjoyed my meanderings over at the India Blog. What a great trip. Man.

So now that I've been back for two months, I've pretty much gotten back to my old ways. A little wiser, perhaps, and a lot more relaxed about life. Still working at the sabbatical gig. Things are chugging along. I'm definitely going back to my teaching job in the fall. This was an invaluable experience. Everyone who becomes complacent at their job should have the chance to take a year away from it and reevaluate their perspective. I am so grateful for the opportunity.

Next Friday is my best friend's wedding and I get to be her Maid of Honor. I'm so excited!! Her fiancé is a great guy and she is the happiest I have ever seen her. As a wedding gift, I put together a slideshow for the reception. I hope she likes it.

I've gotten back into the running scene and feel a great new motivation about it. So much that I am considering the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Funny what a new pair of sneakers can do!

What else... well, I've been keeping vegetarian for the past three months. I've also kicked artificial sweeteners, gum and coffee. Not sure which of them was the worst culprit, but my stomach feels better than it has in years.

Last night I watched Crocodile Dundee for the first time. I think it was one I could have missed. Didn't really need to wait 22 years to see that one.

T.G.I.F.

Sheesh, what a week it's been! Yes, a tree really did land on The Beetle. It happened on the very windy Wednesday while I was at work. I was on my way to give a presentation to a local Rotary club and was getting into my boss's car. I hadn't even closed the car door when I heard this giant crrrrrrrraaack . I got out and looked around and - lo and behold - there was a tree lying on my car.

(You can click on them to see the gory details close up)

The lucky bastard who owns the gray car in the middle only had a couple scratches. Mine took the brunt and the minivan got a broken windshield.



"Ow! My eye!"



So long, dome.



I figure I was pretty lucky. I had decided to ride with my boss to the meeting instead of driving myself -- a very wise decision, in retrospect. And while I was freaking the fuck out when it first happened, I calmed down very quickly. After all, it's only a car, and a car can be fixed. Needless to say, we were half an hour late to the Rotary meeting. But what a great excuse I had!

I haven't been sleeping very well the past few nights. Lots on my mind. Last night I woke up to go to the bathroom and sure enough, after being MIA for nearly two years, my monthly visitor has returned on her own. Don't get me wrong - it's a GIANT relief. I just kinda wish it waited until I was back in a country with toilet paper. And toilet seats.



So anyway, that was my week in a nutshell. Honestly, I feel very good and very ready to go on this trip. I've let go of all that is out of my control, and feel wide open and eager to experience, learn and grow.

You can follow me on my adventure at the new blog. I want to send the address to people in my professional world, so it might not be as cynical and/or graphic as I'd like it to be. I also don't really want any of those lame-o's to find this blog so I linked it from here, but am not linking back from there.

God forbid they find out what I really think of them.

"ANYTHING INTERESTING HAPPEN AT WORK TODAY?"

I'll give you a hint...



Question: If a tree falls on a Beetle, does it make a sound?

Answer: Yes.

NEW BLOG!

A new look for this one, and a new blog for India... check it out!

NEAT AND SURREAL...