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Catching Up 3.0

Posted on July 21, 2017 by auburnchick

I think it’s fair to say that I’ve got some catching up to do, eh?  These past two weeks . . . if I could erase them, I would, but since I can’t, I guess I’ll go forth.

Despite my world being turned upside down, life has had to continue, albeit at a different pace.  Grief has a way of slowing a person down, to the point where some days, you’re doing good to put one foot in front of the other.  Thank heavens for friends who continue to check in with me to see how I’m doing.  I received a card and Amazon gift card from my precious friend, Kris.

She and I have done numerous online Bible studies together.  She has a heart of gold. ❤

So, back to the blogging . . .

To help me gauge where I last left off as far as blogging goes, I’m digging into my Flickr account.

Ugh.  Loads and loads of pictures, because that is something I’ve managed to keep up with . . . photographing and uploading tons of pictures so I can remember every moment of every day.

I can be extra that way.

I have been doing a crap-ton of reading . . .

Poolside and in the pool as well . . .

I must have read the second book right after.  Alas, but I didn’t take a picture.

I started on the Throne of Glass series (shout-out to Megan, who’s dying for me to get to the last book so we can discuss the characters).  I will not get to Once and for All until I finish this series.

Y’all, Throne of Glass is every bit as good as Megan promised.  I flew through the first book.

While I waited for the rest of the books in the series to arrive from Amazon, I started on the third book of the Storm Siren series . . .

I loved this series!  I have discovered that I like books that delve into magic powers.  Perhaps one day, I’ll finish the Game of Thrones series.  I’m in the middle of the second book and refuse to watch the series until I either finish or ever (I’ve heard it’s a bit graphic).

Meanwhile, my new books arrived . . .

All Photos-547

I do believe I hear angels sing when the Man in the Brown Truck delivers Amazon packages.

In the middle of reading all of the aforementioned books, I also participated in a Proverbs 31 online Bible study . . .

This book needs to be read by every single person.  We all tell ourselves lies that, gasp, we actually believe.  Jennifer’s wise words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and her gentle leading to scripture passages, help readers learn strategies to combat the negative crap that goes into our thought closets.  I’m going to be keeping this book close at hand to refer to.

I haven’t just been reading; I’ve also been working out.  The only day I missed was the one in which Molly passed away.  I couldn’t even pick up my arms that day.

I did my workout the next day . . . and cried throughout the entire program.

I have been keeping at it, though, and I’m starting to see results.

I’m currently doing Body Beast, another Beach Body program.  It’s a weight training video series, my favorite!

I really, really like it.  It’s definitely challenging, but the payoff has been worth it.

There are even weights incorporated into the cardio and ab workouts!!!!

Yesterday, when I was brushing my teeth, I randomly looked up and saw a little bit of arm muscle action going on.  The vain part of me was a teensy bit happy.

Please ignore the pink thing around my waist. It’s my Flip Belt, which I wear when I’m walking. It holds my phone and kleenex. I love it, but it’s not very fashionable.

Pele and Gambit have been sticking close to me since Molly passed away.  They don’t stray far even during my workouts.

I’m trying to walk at least three days a week.  I spread my walks out around leg day because my ankle still cannot handle too much at one time.

My pace isn’t great, but whatever.  My only competition is my brain and my bum ankle, both of which come out battered some days . . .

This was my ankle after a day of only doing a shoulder workout . . . no walk that day.

I keep trying to put into practice the lessons I learned during my Bible study . . . I am not defined by my circumstances.

The last person to finish a race is still a finisher, same as the person who came in first.

The fact that I’m getting out in the heat and humidity means I’m trying . . .

I read the following quote in my Bible study book:

I’m going to print this, laminate it, and display it prominently in my classroom as a reminder to my students and to myself.

One small snafu in my workout plans happened when the new ear buds the Mr. gave me for Christmas stopped working the DAY we left for his surgery.  I was not very happy; monkey wrenches and I do not get along.

I called the company because they were still under warranty, and the representative I talked to was extremely helpful as he explained the return policy.  After emailing him a copy of my receipt, he confirmed that my pair was still covered.  He then sent me a pre-paid mailing label to print out with detailed instructions on how to package them up.  I had them in the mail the day we got home from the hubby’s non-surgery.  I got a new pair in the mail on Monday . . .

I absolutely love these ear buds.  Even though I’d purchased an Apple watch a few weeks ago, it doesn’t do a good job tracking my heart rate when I lift weights.  I had done some research about this and discovered that the reason is that your blood vessels constrict when you work out, so it’s hard to keep a consistent and accurate heart rate on the watch.  The ear buds check your pulse through your ears.

Now, I will say that the power cut out on me three times yesterday when I was walking / working out, which was not good at all.  I’m going to track the issues and, if necessary, return them again.  Ugh.

One thing I learned while I didn’t have my ear buds was that I could still use the Record app, which is done by Under Armour.  My Apple watch connects to it via Bluetooth, so I can start workouts from either my phone or my watch (the app also installs on the watch) and track things there.  MyFitnessPal (my food app) receives the workout information from the Record app.  This has led me to believe that you can use the Record app with any Bluetooth enabled tracker.  Interesting, eh?  Oh, and I used my regular iPhone ear buds while I waited for the Under Armour ones to arrive, and I still got updates about my progress (calories and distance) from the Record app.  So cool!

One other thing I’ve been doing over here in the land of Auburnchick has been eating out with the Mr.

One day, he texted and asked about dinner.  Here’s what I sent him . . .

He wanted to know if I wanted to meet one of the guys he works with.  He even mentioned Mexican food, my favorite.

Thirty minutes later, the transformation was complete . . .

Forget the Today Show makeover.  All I needed was a straightener and my own makeup.

Last week, we visited an one of our favorite restaurants, Bonefish Grill.  We had not been there since I was in my boot . . . way back in January.  I wore a new shirt, which the Mr. had ordered for me.  Bonefish Grill has the kind of ambience you’d wear it to . . .

The back just makes this shirt . . .

What a lovely dinner too . . .

Don’t be hatin’

Edamame and the House Salad for me.  I can’t exactly remember what the Mr. got, but he was very happy.

There’s still more I could update you on, but this post is way too long already.  I’ll have to save the rest for another post (or two or three).

Filed under: Books, fitness, Pets | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Month Later…

Posted on October 10, 2016 by auburnchick

Well crap.

I blinked.

Longest blink ever.

As in one month and six days.

Sheesh.

It’s hard to believe that the first grading period will be over in eleven days.

Even though this is my seventh year teaching, I feel as busy as I did my first two years.  Having an extra prep is wayyyyy more work than most people realize.

Every Monday finds me like this…

We’ve been incredibly busy.  My Intensive Reading classes are doing their thing.  We spent the first two weeks on my Brain Gardening unit.  This is where they study the science of positive affirmations on the brain.  I added in a Brainology article, assessment, and worksheet that my friend, Cinda, pointed me to.  The kids loved the lesson, as did I.

Kahoot made an appearance when I used it to review Text Features with my Intensive Reading students.  They loved it, as I knew they would.

My Honors classes are doing some seriously hard work.  They’re writing a huge essay about suicide prevention.  The ultimate purpose is to evaluate what our school is doing in this regard.  I brought in a few speakers, and my kids interviewed them.

I was very surprised when I read the following entry in one of my girl’s reading responses…

This made getting those speakers so worth the effort!!

My students just finished typing their rough drafts.  I’m taking the kids through the entire writing process.  They didn’t exactly enjoy the planning part, but one of my girls actually went above and beyond by typing her outline…

They typed their papers in Google Drive.  A friend, Ryan, who is also a tech employee with my district, came in and trained my kids on it and Canvas, an online classroom setting that we use.  I had my kids link their Google Drive essays with Canvas, and then they peer reviewed a computer-generated partner’s work.

It was some good stuff!  Yes, I am a teacher nerd.  🙂

Their papers are due on Friday.  I cannot wait to read their final drafts!!!

The second week of school found our routine interrupted when Hurricane Hermine came to the Panhandle.  We had two extra days off of school.  I’m not going to lie.  They were wonderful and provided a much-needed rest that allowed me to catch my breath.  The first few weeks are extremely tiring when you’re a teacher.

Notice my alarms…turned off?

I was able to work out…in daylight…on those mornings.

With extra classes comes extra grading.  I’m forever behind, although I did make serious headway last week.

I really take my time reading responses to my students’ books and providing feedback of their essays.  I want each student to feel like I care about them individually.

I’m also trying to evolve in my teaching practices by working on the use of progression scales.  These are measuring tools by which students assess their learning.  I used Plickers to have students answer the following question.  It was our first time using the cards.  There was a small learning curve, but eventually, I think it will be a quick way to get feedback from them.

I also adopted a new football player since the one I’d had for the past three years graduated in May.  These were some of the goodies I purchased to add to his bags over the next few weeks…

As a way to keep up with the latest hot reads, I’ve been listening to The Nerdy Bookcast podcast.  It.  Is.  Fabulous.  I think I’ve cried during every episode.  The impact that books have children is impressive.

Check out the book I ordered after listening to a book talk about it during one episode.  I already have a waiting list for it after doing my own book talk in my classroom!

Another book I heard on the podcast was The Twinkie Bin.  I ordered it immediately, book-talked it, and read the first three chapters to my Honors classes.  It was snatched up by a young lady.  Another student wrote down the title so her mom could order it for her.  It’s riveting.

Speaking of books…one of my favorite things about teaching is watching as my students develop a love for literature.  One young lady is reading Beautiful Creatures.  She looked up the lyrics for “Sixteen Moons,” the song that keeps playing over and over in the book.

I used my teacher lead money to purchase twenty five new books.  The first batch arrived early last week.

Here’s the second batch that came in…

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to maintain the boundaries between home and work.  So, I work super hard Monday through Thursday…into the evenings…and give myself the weekends to be me…no schoolwork allowed.

My life continues to revolve around my workouts.  I really like the 22 Minute Hard Corps program.  Tony Horton often refers to it as “functional fitness.”  It’s not so much lifting weights as it is building core strength and endurance, which you need for living.

I am not going to lie.  This program is deceptively hard.  I thought it was going to be easier.  I needed easier after Hammer and Chisel.

Boy, was I fooled.  I burn anywhere between 175-250 calories with each workout.

I found some worksheets online, and I love them!  They help me see which exercises are coming up, and I like seeing the blanks fill up during the week.

I did have a mishap one day when door I had the bands hanging over popped open.  The bands flew back and hit me in the head and hands.

My right hand got the worst of it, though.  My knuckle still hasn’t healed completely.

Yes, I am a klutz.

I’ve been mixing workouts with yard work.  I like to keep my heart rate monitor on while I’m outside out of simple curiosity.  Apparently, mowing, edging, and sweeping debris burns a crap-ton of calories.

The Hard Corps program is eight weeks long.  I just started Week 7.  The workouts have gotten progressively difficult.  There’s one workout every other day and two workouts every other day.  Although there are only a total of seven workouts, not counting the bonus ones, the combos vary according to the week and day.

There are still days when I dread getting out of bed…knowing what’s ahead of me in my workout…but I do get up, and I do push through.

As the weeks have gone by, I’ve started doing the workouts without the videos.  My friend, Rebecca, wrote an honest review of the program.  Her post explains how fast the videos go, and this was something I had a problem with too.  After I found the worksheets and got comfortable doing the exercises, I stopped watching the videos.  I was having to pause them frequently, because I was determined to do all of the reps.  Doing them at my own pace has allowed me to focus on my form.

I have needed a distraction while working out, though, so on Saturdays, I watch the ESPN College Gameday program.  I love the human interest stories and the picks of the commentators.

During one story, which left me in tears, I sketched out lesson plans that I hope to use some time this year.

I just couldn’t help myself.  I get ideas from so many places.

I’m seeing the fruits of my workouts…not just in my body but my endurance.  I completed the Hogwarts Running Club’s Platform 9 3/4k with, what my friend, LeAnne, said was a good time.  I was just happy to get through it!  I did walk/jog intervals.

With all of the exercising and calorie burning, I’ve been more motivated to cook.  I bought two cookbooks from Oh She Glows, a vegan cook.

I also recently downloaded her app…well worth the $4.99!

I have liked every single recipe I’ve made so far.

The 6 Vegetable and “Cheese” Soup was pretty good.  Next time I make it, I’ll leave out the cayenne pepper.

Peanut Better Balls (no typo)…so very delicious and super duper easy!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothy Bowl…oh word!!  This recipe is in the app.

Healthy Potato Soup for the Soul (in the app)…the BEST potato soup I’ve ever had!  I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers each day at school!!!

This past weekend, I made the Spiced Red Lentil Tomato and Kale Soup.  I didn’t take pictures…shocker, I know…but this soup is seriously flavorful.  The broth is to die for!

Another thing that’s kept me busy is a new hobby…calligraphy!  I recently started following Scarlet and Gold on Instagram because this shop is based out of Auburn.  I saw that they would be offering a free online class and signed up.  I ordered my supplies and eagerly awaited.

What a wonderful job they did with the video!  It was easy to follow and very polished.  I learned a lot and had so much fun!

Not bad for a first attempt, eh?

I enjoyed it so much that I ordered more resources.

Although that’s not everything that I’ve been up to, it’s quite a lot of it.  As always, I continue to crave more writing time but find it almost impossible to carve out.

I’ll keep trying, though, and hopefully will get back on the train more frequently.

Filed under: Books, fitness, Teaching | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

A Perfect Saturday

Posted on April 24, 2016 by auburnchick

Saturdays are simply wonderful, don’t you think?

I purposely don’t plan a lot because after a whole week of teaching, I’m exhausted.

The Mr. and I had loosely made some plans, but we had not exactly firmed them up.  As such, when he got up, I asked if he wanted to still go, and he half-heartedly said yes.

We loaded up the towels, sunscreen, and the Yeti cooler he’d purchased last year and headed out.

Our destination?

The beach!

Y’all, we really do have some of the prettiest beaches in the world.  They are light colored and debris-free.

We stopped for ice, gave half of the bag to a nice lady in the parking lot who only needed a little bit for her own adventure with her kids, and headed out.

We found the BEST spot…fairly close to the water…not too close to kids who could kick sand onto our little oasis…not too far from the restrooms.

This is the beach I grew up going to on vacation.

It is home.

It didn’t take me long to settle in.

My new bathing suit…one of four the Mr. bought me for this summer season…fit perfectly.  My new beach body, courtesy of the two Beach Body programs I’ve completed since September, had me wearing the suit confidently.

We were careful and reapplied sunscreen every hour after trips to the water to cool off.

I got in a lot of reading time.  In between chapters, the Mr. and I exchanged small bits of conversation.  The day was so relaxing.

People watching was about as much fun as anything else.  Watching college guys try to pick up four girls seated not too far from us made us chuckle.  Oh, to be young again, eh?  Not really though.  😉

We stayed until 4pm.  I took one last photo of the beach.  So pretty.

Before we headed home, we ate at a little indoor/outdoor restaurant on the beach.  We’d visited it last year and had enjoyed the food.  My vegetable tacos (salsa, rice and beans, and lettuce) were divine.

As we left, Chicky called.  My heart seriously soared.  I had not talked to her in over a week, much longer than the allotted amount of time.  ❤

When we got home, we had a letter from Rooster waiting in the mail.  He’s doing so well in basic training…really stepping up to the plate.  Missing him is so hard, but hearing that he’s adjusted to a new routine makes things a little easier to bear.  ❤

Saturday was the perfect day.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Fired Up About My TurboFire Results!

Posted on April 18, 2016 by auburnchick

Because I have not blogged very consistently since last August, I have lots and lots of blanks to fill in.

As you may know, though, I got back into shape with PiYo, my first Beach Body program last fall.  I lost over seven inches and fourteen pounds.

I jumped immediately into my second program, TurboFire, which is a combination of low and high intensity cardio and kickboxing workouts.

I loved the first video of the series and then hated the second video.  I thought, uh oh.  I couldn’t keep up with the fast moves!  I persisted though, and eventually got used to the names of the different punches and kicks.

I enjoyed it so much that when the first three months were almost finished, I asked the Mr. if I could get the extended program.  He agreed to my request, which allowed me to completed two more months!  It wound up being twenty weeks long.

The reason why I wanted to do this program was because I’d read about how many calories a person can burn, and I knew I wanted to burn off the belly fat that remained after the PiYo.

What was tricky, though, was adjusting to an altered eating pattern.  On PiYo, I limited myself to 1200 calories.  The diet was very strict, and I followed it to the letter.

With TurboFire, I was supposed to increase my calories twice.  The first time I increased, I gained weight, which ticked me off.  I wound up going back down to 1260 calories and was able to maintain my weight despite burning tons of calories.  I didn’t follow the diet as strictly because I wanted things like margaritas and pasta.  I still watched my portions but trimmed back on the number of snacks I was allowing myself.

All in all, I am proud of the results.  I lost a few more inches, mainly in my waist, which was my goal, and wound up two pounds up from what I’d ended with PiYo.  That could be due to muscle weight, water retention, or just natural fluctuation.

Here are my before (the left) and after (the right) photos.

The changes aren’t as drastic as with the PiYo, but I am more toned than before, and my abs started appearing.  I have more work to do and will start my new program in a couple of weeks.

Good health, I’ve continued to find, is not something that happens to me but, the older I get, must be maintained through careful eating habits and a consistent exercise routine.

I feel so much better about myself than I ever have…evidenced by the bikini I wore to the pool yesterday…brand new…that had been hanging from my mirror as incentive.

Not only am I transforming myself on the outside but on the inside as well.  Talk about being fired up!

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

My Drug of Choice

Posted on January 21, 2016 by auburnchick

I have a confession to make.

I’m addicted…

To a special kind of drug.

It’s not a drug that’s easily obtained.

I have to work for it.

Hard.

I’m talking blood, sweat, and tears.

Sometimes, I think I can go a day without it, but then my body protests.

So I cave in to the craving.

My drug of choice?

Adrenaline.

My dealer?

My body.

You see, every time I exercise, I get a shot of the good stuff, and it energizes me in a way that my beloved Mountain Dews never did.

The trip I’m on when adrenaline’s high kicks in is one comprised of confidence and self-fulfillment.

It’s also one of satisfaction that I’m reaching goals I’ve set for myself.

It doesn’t matter what time of the day I get my fix…the adrenaline is always ready and willing to give me a boost.

It seems fairly harmless…until I go without it.  That’s when I realize just how much I need it.

So, if you ever wonder what drives me to get up at o’dark’30, lace up my shoes, and engage in some kickboxing action, it’s because of the natural high I’ll be on afterward.

Or if you ever wonder what in the heck I’m doing jogging on the treadmill or around the neighborhood late in the afternoon after I’ve already done a morning workout and spent a day teaching my high school kiddos, you’ll better understand.

It doesn’t matter how long the session…fifteen minutes or fifty-five…or the time of day my fix occurs.

My inner-junkie gets pacified, and I become a more tolerable human being.

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Off on the Right Foot

Posted on January 14, 2016 by auburnchick

Wow!  It’s been eleven days since my last post, and time has just flown by!

The first couple of weeks back in school went amazingly well.  Students readjusted swimmingly.  I think they were a little relieved to jump back into my very structured classroom routine.  We spent this week testing; the kids had early release yesterday and today.  Teachers worked, and I made the most of my time, polishing off the next two weeks’ worth of lesson plans.

Go me.

Since the week after Christmas, I’ve ramped up my exercise regimen, adding afternoon walks/jogs to the mix.  I’ve taken the dogs when the temperature hasn’t been too cool to go outside.  They have loved their little adventures!  I’ve loved the extra calories burned and the late-afternoon endorphin rush.

My morning workout routines have been going great as well.  It’s not as hard, most days, to wake up at 4:15.  Sometimes I dread certain parts of workouts, but I always remind myself of how accomplished I’ll feel when I’m finished.  I take daily selfies to motivate myself.  I have my “I feel fat” days, and they can be incredibly discouraging.  I’m eating about 400 more calories each day, and I worry about adding flab to my body; however, I’m burning between three and four hundred more calories with the TurboFire program I’m doing, so things equal out in the end.  Truth be told, I’m usually at a slight deficit each day.  Still, those feelings of insecurity are never far from the surface, so I struggle.  Hence the pictures, and the visuals of how I really look, not how my mind distorts my self image.

A forty-minute video sometimes yields high caloric burns, depending on my level of effort (which can be tough when the birds aren’t even chirping at that dark hour of the morning)…

Some routines don’t burn a lot of calories immediately, but my body is so worked up, that I burn more calories throughout the day simply because my body is in overdrive.

All of the exercising AND the return to school, grading, and advance lesson planning wore me out though.  This afternoon, I intended to take a short power nap.  It turned into an hour and a half of glorious sleep that I was awakened from because of a phone call.  Thank heavens.  I probably would have slept all night.

This has probably been one of my best starts of a new year.  I am taking care of my family by doing my work AT work.  I’m taking care of myself by getting up early, putting in the time, and then decompressing when I get home.

I have, literally and figuratively, started off on the right foot, and I couldn’t be happier.

Filed under: fitness | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Falling Back into the Hodgepodge

Posted on September 23, 2015 by auburnchick

When last I posted, it was September 9th, and I was celebrating my anniversary.  This blogging thing…it’s so hard right now…hard to find the energy…hard to find the time…hard to find the desire when all I want to do is to stay unplugged on the evenings when I am not lesson planning.  I hope you’ll forgive me.  My heart is full of so many things, but moving the words out to my fingers just seems to be one thing I cannot do consistently right now.

Seasons of life…just like earth’s seasons…ever changing, eh?

Which brings us to this very fall-ish themed Hodgepodge.  Play along by answering on your own blog and linking up with Joyce.  Oh, and thanks for visiting!  ❤

1.  What have you ‘fallen for’ recently?

I’ve recently fallen for the (Skinny!) Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie.

I’m following a lean eating plan put out by Beach Body, eating a reduced amount of calories each day and watching my portions closely.

I have never been a fan of smoothies, but this one is to die for.  It smells and tastes just like a cookie.  I leave out the honey and raisins and substitute soy milk for the almond milk to help me get enough calories (yes, I’m having a huge problem getting enough) and protein.  Oh, and I grind my oatmeal first (love, love, love my Ninja) and have recently started adding a tablespoon of chia seeds (grinded up with the oatmeal) for protein and fiber.

2.  What’s something you’re ‘squirreling away‘ for later?

With this eating plan, I feel like every day, I’m squirreling away portions for later.  I get nervous about using them up that I tend to save them for the end of the day, which is probably one reason why I’m not getting enough calories.

Sigh…this fitness thing is tough!

3.  How do you like your apples? Sweet? Tart? Crisp? Cooked? Apples are one of the superfoods for fall…how often do you eat an apple either plain or as part of a favorite recipe? What’s your favorite variety?

Lately, I like my apples sweet.  Hello Ambrosia apples!  Yum!  A must is that they are crisp.  Rooster and I spent all summer looking for the perfect apple.  Most were mushy.  It was discouraging.

I prefer to eat my apples in the simplest way possible…peeled and with a bit of natural peanut butter.  This has been my go-to mini-meal of late.

4.  According to Fodor’s the ten best fall foliage trips in the US of A are-Aspen Colorado, The Catskills New York, The Berkshires Massachusetts, Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Green Mountain Byway Vermont, Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway New Mexico, Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee, Upper Peninsula Michigan, Lake of the Ozarks Missouri, and Glacier National Park Montana. Which would you most like to visit this fall and why?

I’m going to be honest here.  I don’t care to take any foliage trips.  While I enjoy nature, I don’t actively get out in it for such things as camping, hiking, or whatnot.  If I’m going to see the leaves change, I’d prefer that it be while living in Auburn, Alabama.  That’s my dream…to retire there soon.  Then, I’ll have the pleasure of watching my Tigers play while the leaves turn colors and fall.

5.  The topic of legalizing marijuana was raised in the most recent televised political debate so let’s wade in too. Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing marijuana in some form. Four states have legalize marijuana for recreational use. Your thoughts?

I think this is a terrible idea and more evidence of how far our country is sinking in its immoral laws.  First, we had the legalization of gay marriage; now it’s this.  I’m appalled.  I also find it ironic that the “leader” of this country (whatever) is greeting the Pope when he (not the Pope) is pushing for such immoral legislation.

Sorry to get on my soapbox, but I’m so disgusted.  I cannot wait for the next big election, and I pray that Conservatives will make their voices heart through their ballots.

6.  Are you okay to watch a movie already in progress or do you need to always see it from the beginning? How about jumping into a TV series somewhere in the middle? Is that okay? 

I don’t mind movies already in progress, but jumping into a TV series in the middle…oy vey!  One gets invested in the story line and characters.  How can one get into a series without starting from the beginning?

7.  Thursday (September 24) is National Punctuation Day. What rule of punctuation trips you up most often? What rule of punctuation, when broken by someone else, bugs you the most?

Oh, punctuation.  How you vex me vicariously through the high school students I teach.  I despise grammar mistakes.  Right now, my classes are working their way through capitalization rules.  I just graded a non-grammar test I gave yesterday.  It had short answer responses.  What did about half of my kiddos do?  They didn’t capitalize the first word of their sentences in their answers.  Sigh.  It’s like herding cats.

Honestly, most punctuation mistakes drive me nuts.

The one I struggle with often is when to use hyphens in words.  I’m forever looking things up to double-check.

8.  My Random Thought

Here’s a sneak peek of me…the second day of my third week of my new fitness regimen…

What am I doing?

I’m a quarter of the way through Beach Body’s Piyo program…

It’s very regimented.  I’ve been getting up earlier and working out before school.  I’ve got a calendar of which video to do on which day (there are more DVDs…more workouts that you don’t see on that screen above).

For the record, yesterday, I was finally able to do Burpees for the first time!  Yay!

I’m doing meal prep for long days…

It’s hard work.

Nothing worth having comes easily, eh?

I know one thing.  When I reach my personal goal, I’ll be especially proud of myself…especially because this sure as heck isn’t as easy as it might have been ten or fifteen years ago.

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