Good grief...I'm horrible!
Hmm...guess you can tell that my July was a heck of a lot buiser than I expected. Here it is, the last of the month, and I'm thinking, "Where did it go???" It's been a good, productive month, though. I feel that. I can give a brief rundown as to what I've done, I suppose. So, in the tradition of my BFF, a numbered list!
1. Joined Weight Watchers. Oh yeah...officially this time. I did it back in the summer of 99 when my Mom was on it and lost 30 pounds...but I gained that back by the end of my freshman year of college and then some. I was the heaviest I had been my entire life when I started July 2...and as of today I am about the weight I was at the start of last school year :) My Mom and I are both doing it (as a promise to Dr. Ain) and she's lost almost as much weight as me. We're both the same pound amount to our 10% goal, which means some good hearted competition is on it's way! I feel really good about it this time...I've tried to follow the program on my own, but I think doing it with my mom, going to meetings, and ultimately shelling out 12 bucks a week has been really good motivation.
2. Worked my butt off on guard routines. (Guess that did help my WW efforts, haha) Can you believe I've been doing shows for 6 years now?! Unbelievable. This show is by far the most challenging I've ever done. I don't mean that by the difficulty of work I wrote for the girls, but for the amount of routines I had to create. It's a nautical show and for the first time (in a while and probably ever at HHS), girls will be doing different things at different times, and not all girls will be peforming at the same time. Not only are we using flags, but creative flags...including one that's as wide as I am tall (almost, because if I put it above my head you can see my feet peeking out, but still). We're also using creative equipment...like chinese lanterns that will be "bubbles," those big popcorn tins you get at Christmas that will be "spinach cans" (Popeye baby!), and boat oars that will be...boat oars, lol! It was challenging, but very very rewarding. I think I've put together a quality show that these girls can do.
3. Colorguard camp. Guard camp was last week, with extra practices today and yesterday (I did every day with them but today). These girls are awesome! Seriously, they are so motivated and WANT to be the best, something I've not had from all the girls before. My sincere hope and prayer is that their positive attitudes carry them through band camp, through football season, and especially through competitions. If it does, I promise you, they'll be hard to beat!
4. Trips. I took two trips this month, and both were great! Both were also back-to-back. I went with Bri to Richmond and had a great time as always! It was my first trip to the infamous Canal Club and I really liked seeing the Bullistic boys in their "home." Met a lot more cool people this time and I've continued to feel more comfortable there. I have Bri, the boys, Ralph and Becky to thank for that! I was home for a few hours before I went down to PF to see Foxy and her youth on a retreat. I only stayed a night but I had a great time! I talked about my Greece trip, we went to Dollywood (hard to believe some of them had never been), and went to watch the Miracle, which stars a MHC alum. Y'know anytime I'm around Felicia in her work setting, the more I'm convinced that this woman is a minister. She's called, I tell you. I wish you could all see her in action. (Though she's recovering from surgery and out of action at the moment, so keep her in your prayers.)
5. Family time. Since I had guard camp, I spent that whole time at the padres'. Devin's there during the week, and we had a great time. He is such a good kid...I'm definitely missing him. I can't help but think stuff like when I play a game with him, or watch tv with him, that I'm one day closer to not doing those things with him, cause he's growing up. :/ Part of life, I guess. Anyways....I had the big Fletcher-Deel reuinion this past Saturday and had a great time, as always! My cousin Jeremiah is back in the area and this time I know we'll be getting together cause we've already made plans. I wish all my family lived closer, but I guess then maybe seeing them at these reunions wouldn't be as special? Heck, most of my Dad's side lives in this area and I rarely see them, so I guess location doesn't really matter. Momaw didn't go...but hey, that's no suprise. In final, more sombering family news, my Mom's biopsy results came back...and she has a small growth in her thyroid bed. It was a shock...that it was there...that's like...normal thyroid cancer. *sigh* But, she'll have surgery and then radiation therapy. "Just another bump in the road," she says. Keep her in your prayers.
6. Alone time. I chose to write most of my guard routines at home in GC because...I wanted to be home! I've spent some really good days...writing routines, watching tv, listening to music, reading, doing nothing. I've loved every minute of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed having a roommate, but I did that to help a friend. Now it's time to be by myself again...and enjoy that.
7. Harry Potter. **SPOILER ALERT...POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD** In Richmond, Bri and I got to watch Order of the Phoenix at the IMAX planetarium. WOW :D It was incredible! I had to lean back in my seat and tilt my head up the whole time and it was so worth it. The screen filled over half the dome....I felt like I was flying with them. Haha, we just don't have stuff like that here. Bri and I also got Deathly Hallows at midnight...after getting bracelets at 8pm. I finished it by Monday evening...I really liked that JK gave her fans a happy ending. I never read HP boards the entire time I've read the books...but I have read some fans' opinions and I have to say I differ with them slightly. Especially on the naming of Harry's children. I could elaborate...but to sum it up: should one of Harry's sons been named Sirius? no, but I'm okay thinking James' middle name is Sirius. That's good enough.
8. Back to school. I have a workday August 8th. I have an inservice August 10. I have workdays August 13 and 14. I have kiddies coming to see me August 15. I'm ready. I'm excited. We have to write a syllabus for every subject we teach. I'm okay with that, cause I know I do my job. However, I hope it's not a binding pacing guide like syllabus. I may bounce around more in Spanish II this semester than I did last time. That is...if I have Spanish II. I'm sure people will ask if I'm sad without Christina (actually, people already have)...and I'm ready to answer. It is sad...cause she was my friend and the only other single one of the lunch bunch, so it was natural for us to hang out. But, I'm okay. I'll go to stuff by myself if I have to...and I still have important people I care about working with me. We'll both be okay.
...That's it in a numbered-list summary. If you've been around me lately and you've seen I missed something important, tell me!
Cuidense til then!
1. Joined Weight Watchers. Oh yeah...officially this time. I did it back in the summer of 99 when my Mom was on it and lost 30 pounds...but I gained that back by the end of my freshman year of college and then some. I was the heaviest I had been my entire life when I started July 2...and as of today I am about the weight I was at the start of last school year :) My Mom and I are both doing it (as a promise to Dr. Ain) and she's lost almost as much weight as me. We're both the same pound amount to our 10% goal, which means some good hearted competition is on it's way! I feel really good about it this time...I've tried to follow the program on my own, but I think doing it with my mom, going to meetings, and ultimately shelling out 12 bucks a week has been really good motivation.
2. Worked my butt off on guard routines. (Guess that did help my WW efforts, haha) Can you believe I've been doing shows for 6 years now?! Unbelievable. This show is by far the most challenging I've ever done. I don't mean that by the difficulty of work I wrote for the girls, but for the amount of routines I had to create. It's a nautical show and for the first time (in a while and probably ever at HHS), girls will be doing different things at different times, and not all girls will be peforming at the same time. Not only are we using flags, but creative flags...including one that's as wide as I am tall (almost, because if I put it above my head you can see my feet peeking out, but still). We're also using creative equipment...like chinese lanterns that will be "bubbles," those big popcorn tins you get at Christmas that will be "spinach cans" (Popeye baby!), and boat oars that will be...boat oars, lol! It was challenging, but very very rewarding. I think I've put together a quality show that these girls can do.
3. Colorguard camp. Guard camp was last week, with extra practices today and yesterday (I did every day with them but today). These girls are awesome! Seriously, they are so motivated and WANT to be the best, something I've not had from all the girls before. My sincere hope and prayer is that their positive attitudes carry them through band camp, through football season, and especially through competitions. If it does, I promise you, they'll be hard to beat!
4. Trips. I took two trips this month, and both were great! Both were also back-to-back. I went with Bri to Richmond and had a great time as always! It was my first trip to the infamous Canal Club and I really liked seeing the Bullistic boys in their "home." Met a lot more cool people this time and I've continued to feel more comfortable there. I have Bri, the boys, Ralph and Becky to thank for that! I was home for a few hours before I went down to PF to see Foxy and her youth on a retreat. I only stayed a night but I had a great time! I talked about my Greece trip, we went to Dollywood (hard to believe some of them had never been), and went to watch the Miracle, which stars a MHC alum. Y'know anytime I'm around Felicia in her work setting, the more I'm convinced that this woman is a minister. She's called, I tell you. I wish you could all see her in action. (Though she's recovering from surgery and out of action at the moment, so keep her in your prayers.)
5. Family time. Since I had guard camp, I spent that whole time at the padres'. Devin's there during the week, and we had a great time. He is such a good kid...I'm definitely missing him. I can't help but think stuff like when I play a game with him, or watch tv with him, that I'm one day closer to not doing those things with him, cause he's growing up. :/ Part of life, I guess. Anyways....I had the big Fletcher-Deel reuinion this past Saturday and had a great time, as always! My cousin Jeremiah is back in the area and this time I know we'll be getting together cause we've already made plans. I wish all my family lived closer, but I guess then maybe seeing them at these reunions wouldn't be as special? Heck, most of my Dad's side lives in this area and I rarely see them, so I guess location doesn't really matter. Momaw didn't go...but hey, that's no suprise. In final, more sombering family news, my Mom's biopsy results came back...and she has a small growth in her thyroid bed. It was a shock...that it was there...that's like...normal thyroid cancer. *sigh* But, she'll have surgery and then radiation therapy. "Just another bump in the road," she says. Keep her in your prayers.
6. Alone time. I chose to write most of my guard routines at home in GC because...I wanted to be home! I've spent some really good days...writing routines, watching tv, listening to music, reading, doing nothing. I've loved every minute of it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed having a roommate, but I did that to help a friend. Now it's time to be by myself again...and enjoy that.
7. Harry Potter. **SPOILER ALERT...POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD** In Richmond, Bri and I got to watch Order of the Phoenix at the IMAX planetarium. WOW :D It was incredible! I had to lean back in my seat and tilt my head up the whole time and it was so worth it. The screen filled over half the dome....I felt like I was flying with them. Haha, we just don't have stuff like that here. Bri and I also got Deathly Hallows at midnight...after getting bracelets at 8pm. I finished it by Monday evening...I really liked that JK gave her fans a happy ending. I never read HP boards the entire time I've read the books...but I have read some fans' opinions and I have to say I differ with them slightly. Especially on the naming of Harry's children. I could elaborate...but to sum it up: should one of Harry's sons been named Sirius? no, but I'm okay thinking James' middle name is Sirius. That's good enough.
8. Back to school. I have a workday August 8th. I have an inservice August 10. I have workdays August 13 and 14. I have kiddies coming to see me August 15. I'm ready. I'm excited. We have to write a syllabus for every subject we teach. I'm okay with that, cause I know I do my job. However, I hope it's not a binding pacing guide like syllabus. I may bounce around more in Spanish II this semester than I did last time. That is...if I have Spanish II. I'm sure people will ask if I'm sad without Christina (actually, people already have)...and I'm ready to answer. It is sad...cause she was my friend and the only other single one of the lunch bunch, so it was natural for us to hang out. But, I'm okay. I'll go to stuff by myself if I have to...and I still have important people I care about working with me. We'll both be okay.
...That's it in a numbered-list summary. If you've been around me lately and you've seen I missed something important, tell me!
Cuidense til then!