Sickness

So remember that list of things I needed to do from the last blog? I have accomplished 3 of those things.
-Report cards (really no choice there)
-oil changed (again, not really optional)
-laundry - just enough for clothes for work really.

In the meantime, I had a fantastic time at the wedding and somewhere along the way got....pneumonia!
AWESOME. I mean who doesn't want a kick butt lung infection? Yes, I made it through 4 days of work last week, came home with a 101.2 fever on Thursday, called in sick Friday and went to the Dr.
At the Dr. I'm expecting the typical oh its the flu (never mind I got my flu shot), we can't do anything etc. So when the Dr. sent me for a chest X ray I was mad. Mad I was going to have to pay for this radiology when I thought it would be clear like it was 2 summers ago when I coughed for 3 months and all my chest X rays were clear.
When the Dr. came back and said there was pneumonia in my right lung I took back being upset about the X ray. Who gets pneumonia?! More proof that my body hates me. Coughing, by the way, is a fantastic ab work out. They have never been so sore!
Took today to make sure I was no longer contagious or feverish, and will be back at work tomorrow. Yes I'm still coughing, but I'm getting a little bored laying in bed all day.

Meanwhile, I have been watching a Suzy Orman marathon on TV today. I am determined to get my money situation in order this year.  I did really well last year. I zero balanced one credit card and paid off about 1/4 of my outstanding debt. But as much as I'm tracking and paying off, I'm still not REALLY changing my spending habits. I need to work on that. One of my favorite shows is "Till debt do us part" on CNN at night. Its couples with way more debt than me and they get their butts handed to them by this bossy Canadian woman. Kinda like a supernanny for finances. It makes me feel better, and renews my motivation to get it paid off.

So, again, I have pneumonia, and I'm trying to work my way down my to do list.
Wish me luck!

I will totally update this later with pictures, promise*

*there is a 99.999% chance I will NOT actually update this post with pictures. But telling you that I will makes me feel better. So, sorry? 


So today was a bad day. Nothing too terribly awful happened, but it was a BAD day - start to finish.
I had to yell at kids. I didn't have the things I needed for today copied. Many parents had to be called. Children went home on YELLOW (first time all year for me to have to move a kid to yellow!). Children thought the bathroom was actually a jungle gym, and climbing on toilets was totally allowed (it's not). I kept my class in from recess.

BUT.

Because I kept them in from recess (in part because they were no good, terrible, bad, and in part because our scheduled holiday market time was during recess and the elves would have been mad if I didn't take my kids to spend their parent's hard earned money on crap thoughtful presents [sorry for the very long interjection]) I gave them 18 minutes of free time at the end of the day. We all needed it.

During this time some of my sweet angels drew me pictures. I gave them scrap papers and said they could use markers (free time = only time you can use markers) and so I was forgiven for yelling at them.

One of my sweet angels (who earlier in the day thought climbing on the toilet was the coolest thing ever) drew me this picture.

[Insert picture of picture, that I totally probably not update this blog with]

I looked at it. I could not figure out for the life of me what it was supposed to be. (this would make more sense to you if you could see said picture).

I said, "Oh how pretty. Can you describe it to me?"
She looked at me like I had 6 heads. This was free time. Not describe things time. Describe is obviously a reading/writing time word.
I tried again. Cuz I had no clue what this thing was. It looks kind of like an orange ax. With squiggles.
I whisper in my best whisper voice, "what is it?"
She said,"I don't know. I just drew stuff."
And I laughed. So loud and so hard. For like 5 minutes. Funniest thing since the stick joke.

I guess you had to be there. But I so needed that laugh.

in other news, a bulleted list.

• I tried to explain irony to 2nd graders today. I had no luck. But man was it funny. Almost as funny as watching them not 'get' irony. I then told them it was funny (and called irony) and they humored my by laughing fake laughs and whispering "I don't think it's funny" to each other. My kids love me so much they fake laughed! I love them so :) 
• This is STILL not the blog I meant to write before. Hopefully this weekend that will happen
• I have joined Match.com.  it's been 13 days and no one wants to marry me yet. In funny money news, my credit card DECLINED the charge initially and flagged it as possible fraud. Yea, explaining to customer service that yes, I did want the charge to "MATCH COM" to go through was slightly humiliating. Thanks for having my back? But no one stole my credit card to sign up for a boyfriend. (totally embarrassed). 
• My sister and her boyfriend get in town tomorrow. It is also her birthday. I tried to tell her it was her 22nd birthday. Apparently she is actually turning 25, and I told her this is impossible as it makes ME old. No such luck, I am old. 
• Tomorrow is also the 15th anniversary of the day we moved to Texas. I have now officially lived in Texas LONGER than New England. Do I have to turn in my Yankee card? 
• My brother (who is also old now) is taking his first round of finals next week. The way he is whining and going on about it on his facebook status you would think that finals are the worst hardest thing to ever happen to him, AND he is the first person ever to take finals. Poor baby...not.
• I hate everything about the new management at my apartment complex. Tomorrow I'm gonna complain my head off. Also, file a noise complaint on my downstairs neighbor who is currently shaking my house with his music. grr.
• GLEE totally used #WGP this week! Granted, Sam got it wrong and called them "rich white girl problems" but hey, WGP is getting out there. Happy. :) 

:) 

Money Bath

Saturday a friend tried to set me up with some dude. Dude immediately got off to a bad start by proclaiming that teachers are overpaid. Let's just say no sparks flew. (He later said that he was joking, but considering the audience it was still a very bad move.) I think I'll stick to internet dating...

I paid a bunch of bills today and checked out my Mint.com graph to see where all my money went. (P.s. I LOVE Mint.)

Not only am I NOT overpaid, I spent over $300 on school stuff already, and I haven't even done my big trip to the Mecca yet.

I still need:
Clipboards (can't find cheap ones)
An ABC line (my old one is in script, I think for 2nd grade they will prefer print).
A Number line (WTF Math?)

um... assorted things? I'm sure once I get to Lakeshore I will need 100 other things.

In other news, today I did very close to nothing.. except put together some birthday presents and re-paint my old passes. I feel all crafty!

Now I guess I'll go take a money bath, you know, since I'm so overpaid. :)

Points or Paleo

I have long said the I can either be on a diet or a budget. It is very difficult to do both at the same time. Healthy food is expensive, and cheap food is bad for you. This is a fact, you can not argue with me on that.  However, I need to get in shape (read: lose like 30 pounds) for my bff's upcoming wedding (and general feel good about myself-ness) AND I need to spend as little money as possible, since I, ya know, don't have a job at the moment. Now I am a smart girl, and fairly organized, but keeping track of both diet and budget and balancing them both leaves me feel like I'm juggling too much. Yet, it must be done and so I am working on it.

So diet - most trainers I have talked to seem to think everyone should be on the Paleo diet. Basically it is "eating like a caveman" with no processed foods, heavy on lean protein and veggies. Problem is, Paleo is sooo restrictive. No legumes (which apparently includes green beans, my like go-to green 'veggie'), no nuts, no carbs, no dairy, limited fruit. I am italian, and I seriously can not go a week without pasta. It is not happening. I will cry. I am already an emotional basket case and you want me to give up carbs? People will die get hurt. It will not be pretty. I like green beans, I love peanuts and almonds and french fries and pizza. And no dairy? I'm a product of the "got milk?" generation. Milk = good. Yogurt = good. Cheese is just delicious. I can not give up dairy. Ask me to cut all this out and I will be very cranky and mean. Not a good fit for me.

Instead, I am trying to do weight watchers. I did it for a bit in college, and I have some friends who are really good about it, so I'm trying to track and do my best. It allows me to not feel all failure sauce when I need to have some mac and cheese. My trainer still thinks I should go full Paleo, but since I got fussed at this morning for having eggs with the yolk instead of just egg whites, I know I wouldn't be able to do it very long and so Weight Watchers it is! P.s. - on the budget side, I am not going to meetings/paying for it. Sorry WW, I just can't afford it, but thanks for the guidelines. :)

On the other side of the see-saw, Budget. I have suspended netflix (+15.00/month), and changed trainer plans at the gym (+50.00/month). I saved $15 at the grocery store today (coupons/store card) and bought 90% fresh fruits/veggies. I need to find some other places to save, and I am waiting for the State to approve my unemployment claim so I can get paid (fingers crossed!).  I have 7 hours at work this week which is way better than 2 last week. I'm trying. It's gonna be tight but I am trying and that's all I can do right now.

On the job front, nothing right now... Tomorrow is application day so I will get some more out tomorrow. And a job fair in July. Just wishing and hoping at this point.


Finally, in FUN news- Went to Austin for Miss Rachel's baby shower and it was fantastic! (Ok so I blew my diet, but we DID go to a CrossFit workout Saturday morning that kicked my butt). It was soo good to see her and I can't wait to meet the baby. We discussed the Paleo v. Weight Watchers debate and I got some further guidance about WW. Got to see Miss Heather & Jenny as well which was super fun. It is important to my mental health to get out and not wallow all the time. Then wedding dress shopping has been set for next week with Mere and I couldn't be more excited. (Ok I would be more excited if I lost 10 pounds by then, but hey). I have been watching some Say Yes to the Dress to prepare ;). I have had a lot of energy this week and I'm trying to take advantage of it before I crash and go back to hibernating.

Have a good week!
:)

How not to be homeless (kinda)

I knew it was coming. For the last 3 weeks or so I have stopped on the 4th to last step and peeked just over the landing to see if there was a slip of paper on my door. Every time there is nothing there I am relieved and make my way up the rest of the steps and home. But Tuesday, it was there. My renewal notice. The sheet of paper from the office that says, "hey so your lease is up like soon and we need to know if you are moving out or staying, and if you want to stay it will cost you X more money that it did last year. K Thanks."

I thought I had more time. I knew my lease was up the end of August, but I thought I had at least one more week to figure it out. They thoughtfully gave me 24 hours until the sixty day move out notification was due to give me this information. So kind. My rent went up only 5% (awesome, cuz I can TOTALLY afford that, not) IF I signed a 12 - 14 month lease. If I wanted to go month to month it would cost 150 more, PLUS an extra 100 dollar month to month fee, making it totally not an option at all. So my final option would be move out, and live at my parent's house. Which is sooo not happening.

List of things I would rather do than live at my parent's, where my dad will treat me like I am 12 and no one else is home to focus on.
-eat glass
-live in a van, down by the river
-have several root canals with no pain medication
-wear a sign that says "I am a failure"
-pretty much anything painful...


I, being a smart girl, came up with a compromise. I refuse to live at my parent's (see above). I cannot lock myself into a 12-14 month lease, as I have NO idea where I will end up once I finally do get a job. I figure it would almost cost more to move out than stay put, also I *HATE* moving. So really I just wanted to give myself some wiggle room to stay put and figure everything out. So I very sweetly convinced the office (Manager has lots of teacher friends and understands my situation) to allow me to sign a 6 month lease at the 5% increase (tried, nothing could be done about that) which gives me till January/February to figure something out.

It is going to be tight. Some things are going to have to go -(bye netflix... and other non necessary expenses). But I am almost positive that I can make 6 months work between my part time job, unemployment, and the rest of my paychecks. It's gonna get a bit dicey when I add in my car payment, but I'll save that dilemma for another day. For now, I should not be homeless until 2012. Which gives me some time to figure everything out. I hope.

So with that battle done, I am giving myself a much needed break and getting out of town for the weekend.

:)