Group A: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, DC, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Group B: Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia.
Group A represents the states that I have "been to" while Group B is a list of the states I "want to go to!" (Yes, I know Washington, DC is NOT a state. However, it is the capital of our great nation and deserved the nod!)
How many have you been to???????
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ten Reasons Hurricane Season is like Christmas
Number Ten: Decorating the house (with plywood).
Number Nine: Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season.
Number Eight: Last minute shopping in crowded stores.
Number Seven: Regular TV shows pre-empted for 'Specials.'
Number Six: Family coming to stay with you.
Number Five: Family and friends from out of state calling you.
Number Four: Buying food you don't normally buy...and in large quantities.
Number Three: Days off from work.
Number Two: Candles.
And the Number One Reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas: At some point you're probably going to have a tree in your house!
A friend sent this to me in an forwarded email. I wish I could give credit to the person who wrote it--if anyone knows the origin, please let me know so I can credit the brilliant mind!
Number Nine: Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season.
Number Eight: Last minute shopping in crowded stores.
Number Seven: Regular TV shows pre-empted for 'Specials.'
Number Six: Family coming to stay with you.
Number Five: Family and friends from out of state calling you.
Number Four: Buying food you don't normally buy...and in large quantities.
Number Three: Days off from work.
Number Two: Candles.
And the Number One Reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas: At some point you're probably going to have a tree in your house!
A friend sent this to me in an forwarded email. I wish I could give credit to the person who wrote it--if anyone knows the origin, please let me know so I can credit the brilliant mind!
End of the Month
I am so happy to see September coming to a close. This month has been filled with all sorts of unpredictable events--mostly sad.
We had Hurricane Ike, the loss of Paul Newman (WHAT BEAUTIFUL EYES HE HAD!!!!!), the loss of my good friend's grandma, the financial upheaval in America, and the closing of Yankee Stadium. There are probably a lot more that I don't even know/remember.
September did have some good moments, too. The Cubs clinched their division and are headed to the playoffs for the second straight year (this hasn't happened since 1907-1908), and a co-worker became a grandma, to name just two.
Let's hope October brings only good memories!
We had Hurricane Ike, the loss of Paul Newman (WHAT BEAUTIFUL EYES HE HAD!!!!!), the loss of my good friend's grandma, the financial upheaval in America, and the closing of Yankee Stadium. There are probably a lot more that I don't even know/remember.
September did have some good moments, too. The Cubs clinched their division and are headed to the playoffs for the second straight year (this hasn't happened since 1907-1908), and a co-worker became a grandma, to name just two.
Let's hope October brings only good memories!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Today...An Update
Well, the Cubs lost, the White Sox won--so they get to play another day, Desperate Houswives was pretty good, and the Bears won. Three out of four? That isn't bad!
(And, I continued reading a good book!!!!)
(And, I continued reading a good book!!!!)
Soapbox
I have to get on my soapbox. Feel free to disagree with me. In fact, I encourage it.
The Presidential Election of 2008 WILL be historic. How can it not be? We have the oldest man running for a first term, the first African-American on a major party ticket, and a female vice-presidential candidate. I really don't care who anyone votes for--AS LONG AS IT IS BASED ON MERIT!
I've heard several people make comments that I just disagree with. Some of those comments are as follows:
"I'm voting/not voting for Obama because he's black."
"I'm voting/not voting for McCain because he's white."
"I'm voting/not voting for McCain because his VP is a woman."
"I'm voting for (fill in the blank) because he/she is cute."
Looks and Gender are not qualities that should decide our president. Does the color of a person's skin dictate how smart they are? How prepared they are to run our country? Do the reproductive organs of a person determine their ability? I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!
Over the next 35 or so days, please take the time to look at the issues and choose the person you think is best for our country.
The Presidential Election of 2008 WILL be historic. How can it not be? We have the oldest man running for a first term, the first African-American on a major party ticket, and a female vice-presidential candidate. I really don't care who anyone votes for--AS LONG AS IT IS BASED ON MERIT!
I've heard several people make comments that I just disagree with. Some of those comments are as follows:
"I'm voting/not voting for Obama because he's black."
"I'm voting/not voting for McCain because he's white."
"I'm voting/not voting for McCain because his VP is a woman."
"I'm voting for (fill in the blank) because he/she is cute."
Looks and Gender are not qualities that should decide our president. Does the color of a person's skin dictate how smart they are? How prepared they are to run our country? Do the reproductive organs of a person determine their ability? I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!
Over the next 35 or so days, please take the time to look at the issues and choose the person you think is best for our country.
Today....
Today is the last day of the regular season of baseball. Usually I would be very sad to see this day come. NOT THIS YEAR!!!!! My team, the CHICAGO CUBS, is headed to the playoffs. This is our year! We haven't played in the World Series in my lifetime. Wouldn't it be neat to happen this year?
Today is also the last day for the Chicago White Sox to have a chance to go to the playoffs. As it stands right now, they have blown it BIG TIME. See, they had a 2 1/2 game lead at the beginning of the week to win their division. However, they haven't done so well. They are now 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Part of me wants the Sox to win, but another part wants them to lose. Can't wait to see what happens!
Today is the day one of my favorite TV shows returns. I can't wait to see how those Desperate Housewives jump ahead 5 years, but don't age. Wouldn't that me nice to do in real life?
And, today is the day the Chicago Bears play on Sunday Night Football. This will be on at the same time as the aforementioned TV show. What will I be watching??? BOTH!!!
GO CUBS!!! GO BEARS!!! Go White Sox?!?!
Today is also the last day for the Chicago White Sox to have a chance to go to the playoffs. As it stands right now, they have blown it BIG TIME. See, they had a 2 1/2 game lead at the beginning of the week to win their division. However, they haven't done so well. They are now 1/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins. Part of me wants the Sox to win, but another part wants them to lose. Can't wait to see what happens!
Today is the day one of my favorite TV shows returns. I can't wait to see how those Desperate Housewives jump ahead 5 years, but don't age. Wouldn't that me nice to do in real life?
And, today is the day the Chicago Bears play on Sunday Night Football. This will be on at the same time as the aforementioned TV show. What will I be watching??? BOTH!!!
GO CUBS!!! GO BEARS!!! Go White Sox?!?!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Job Opportunity
Yesterday, a sign at a fast food restaurant proclaimed "Hiring Counter and Cooks." I think I am overly qualified for this job. Not only can I count, but I can solve word problems too! (I wonder what you need to count? Chicken strips? Biscuits? Customers?)
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
My First Cubs Memory
My first Cubs memory comes from when I was about 5 years old...It was my very first Cubs game at Wrigley Field. I went with my mom and my Aunt K. It was a give-away day, but I don't remember what item they gave away. It was either a plastic batting helmet or a miniature wooden baseball bat. My mom purchased the other for me as a souvenir. I don't recall all of the specifics (you'll understand by the end of the post!). I do remember it was late in the game and the Cubs were losing...this was during their LONG losing streak between 1945 and 1984!
There were 2 men on base and Billy Williams came up to bat. He hit a long fly ball. As Harry Carey would say "It might be, it could be, it is! A homerun! Holy Cow!" In the excitement the entire stadium raised up as one jumping and cheering. My mom was as excited as everyone else. However, yours truly was not a happy camper. I started crying as my Aunt K tried yelling at my mom. You see, she had my souvenir bat in her hand. It was going up and down and up and down as she jumped. When it went down, it landed smack on top of my (thankfully) helmeted head.
There have been times where I have given my mom a hard time about this...jokingly threatening to sue her from brain damage. However, it makes a great story, and I can truly say being a Cubs fan was beaten into me at a very young age.
Go Cubs!!!!!!!!
There were 2 men on base and Billy Williams came up to bat. He hit a long fly ball. As Harry Carey would say "It might be, it could be, it is! A homerun! Holy Cow!" In the excitement the entire stadium raised up as one jumping and cheering. My mom was as excited as everyone else. However, yours truly was not a happy camper. I started crying as my Aunt K tried yelling at my mom. You see, she had my souvenir bat in her hand. It was going up and down and up and down as she jumped. When it went down, it landed smack on top of my (thankfully) helmeted head.
There have been times where I have given my mom a hard time about this...jokingly threatening to sue her from brain damage. However, it makes a great story, and I can truly say being a Cubs fan was beaten into me at a very young age.
Go Cubs!!!!!!!!
My Not-So-Secret Column Crushes
There are 2 columnists that I love to read: Richard Roeper of the Chicago Suntimes and Rick Reilly of ESPN The Magazine, formerly of Sports Illustrated. These two men are my idols! They write such great articles about anything and everything. One time they will have me deep in thought, the next knee-deep in laughter followed by another column that has me crying my eyes out. When I grow up, I want to be like them!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sign
It's a good thing we all know what direction to travel in case of a hurricane evacuation. I don't think IKE liked it...
The sign is on the side of the major highway headed to Houston. In case you can't read it, it says: Hurricane Evacuation Route Must Follow
Tomorrow
Well, tomorrow is the "big" day. We go back to school. Yeah! However, this is also a bad thing. It's going to be like the first day all over again. Kids aren't going to remember their locker combinations, class schedule, or lunch number. Teachers aren't going to remember kids names. (We were in session 12 school days and out of session 9 school days!) Oh, well. We'll just have to work through it.
Happy Day!
Happy Day!
books, books and more books
OH MY GOODNESS!!! I don't want to see another book for at least a few days. I love to read. I have a ton of books of my own. However, after this afternoon, I need a break!
Our library is getting new carpet. YEAH!!! In order for this to happen, we needed to pack up all the books so the shelves can come out and the carpet can come out also. Before we could pack up the books, we had to wipe them down with an alcohol mixture. It took over 4 hours with up to 30 people working on this project. The books are being stored, the shelves are on their way out and then the carpet will come up. I'm so glad.
Our library is getting new carpet. YEAH!!! In order for this to happen, we needed to pack up all the books so the shelves can come out and the carpet can come out also. Before we could pack up the books, we had to wipe them down with an alcohol mixture. It took over 4 hours with up to 30 people working on this project. The books are being stored, the shelves are on their way out and then the carpet will come up. I'm so glad.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
New York Yankees
New York Yankees? I can just hear some of you saying that as you read this. Yes, I am a die-hard-bleed-Cubbie-Blue-until-I-no-longer-breathe Cubs fan. You can almost say it was beaten into me as a child. (That will be another post in the future...I promise!) However, I have to express my thoughts on the Final Game at The House That Ruth Built.
Tonight was the very last game in what is known as Yankee Stadium. This stadium has been home to the New York Yankees for the last 85 years. Many great things have happened in this stadium...the only Perfect Game pitched in the World Series was done in 1956 by Don Larsen, just to name one.
As I was watching the final game on TV, along with the pre-game ceremony, I thought "Man, I'm a part of this history!" See, in 2002 I attended a game at Yankee Stadium. It was July 2nd, and the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. I was in town visiting my niece, C, who was doing an internship at a museum in the city. It was a great 3 day trip. (The rest of the trip was spent in Beantown...more on that later.)
C's dad, my brother-in-law L, is a HUGE Yankee fan. Probably as big a Yankee fan as I am a Cubs fan. (This makes for a lot of fun with him and my mom!!! However, it is NEVER mean-spirited.) As much as I enjoyed my trip to the stadium, I felt guilty that he had never been there. It was very surreal. At the time, I was disappointed in the stadium. I had heard stories of all of its glory. I had such high expectations. Looking back, the stadium met those expectations...I was just too stupid to realize it!
See, I had heard stories of Tommy Lasorda hiding behind the monuments in monument park. I was expecting to see LIFE-SIZE monuments...you know, like the statues you see outside other parks. (Think Michael Jordan outside of the United Center. Ernie Banks outside of Wrigley Field. Or, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell outside of Minute Maid Park. Or even the statues in The Forum Shoppes at Cesars Palace in Vegas.) Well, that ain't it folks! The monuments in left field are little. They are more like something you would see in Cooperstown. I saw them!! However, I thought, "No, that can't be it." What was I thinking? I should have done my homework!!!
During the game, C and I called L so he could hear the stadium by phone. M, my sister, and L were outside and didn't hear the phone. We left a message, and she called back. I remember the message as if it were yesterday. "You're not busy. You're at Yankee Stadium. You're not busy. You're at Yankee Stadium." We called back and laughed about it.
This year for Father's day, L got the surprise of his life! Two tickets to see the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees play at Yankee Stadium. He and my nephew G went this past week. I haven't talked to L yet, but I've heard he had a great time. I'm so thankful he got to visit this wonderful place. Don't get me wrong, Wrigley Field will always be first in my heart. But how can you be a baseball fan and NOT appreciate Yankee Stadium?????
Tonight was the very last game in what is known as Yankee Stadium. This stadium has been home to the New York Yankees for the last 85 years. Many great things have happened in this stadium...the only Perfect Game pitched in the World Series was done in 1956 by Don Larsen, just to name one.
As I was watching the final game on TV, along with the pre-game ceremony, I thought "Man, I'm a part of this history!" See, in 2002 I attended a game at Yankee Stadium. It was July 2nd, and the Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 10-5. I was in town visiting my niece, C, who was doing an internship at a museum in the city. It was a great 3 day trip. (The rest of the trip was spent in Beantown...more on that later.)
C's dad, my brother-in-law L, is a HUGE Yankee fan. Probably as big a Yankee fan as I am a Cubs fan. (This makes for a lot of fun with him and my mom!!! However, it is NEVER mean-spirited.) As much as I enjoyed my trip to the stadium, I felt guilty that he had never been there. It was very surreal. At the time, I was disappointed in the stadium. I had heard stories of all of its glory. I had such high expectations. Looking back, the stadium met those expectations...I was just too stupid to realize it!
See, I had heard stories of Tommy Lasorda hiding behind the monuments in monument park. I was expecting to see LIFE-SIZE monuments...you know, like the statues you see outside other parks. (Think Michael Jordan outside of the United Center. Ernie Banks outside of Wrigley Field. Or, Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell outside of Minute Maid Park. Or even the statues in The Forum Shoppes at Cesars Palace in Vegas.) Well, that ain't it folks! The monuments in left field are little. They are more like something you would see in Cooperstown. I saw them!! However, I thought, "No, that can't be it." What was I thinking? I should have done my homework!!!
During the game, C and I called L so he could hear the stadium by phone. M, my sister, and L were outside and didn't hear the phone. We left a message, and she called back. I remember the message as if it were yesterday. "You're not busy. You're at Yankee Stadium. You're not busy. You're at Yankee Stadium." We called back and laughed about it.
This year for Father's day, L got the surprise of his life! Two tickets to see the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees play at Yankee Stadium. He and my nephew G went this past week. I haven't talked to L yet, but I've heard he had a great time. I'm so thankful he got to visit this wonderful place. Don't get me wrong, Wrigley Field will always be first in my heart. But how can you be a baseball fan and NOT appreciate Yankee Stadium?????
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Cemetery Questions
I was driving back from a movie store earlier (not opened yet. I do plan on asking about the late fees when I go in. I won't have any because I have a special pass, but I am still curious.). There is a large cemetery across from the shopping center. The cemetery is currently building a funeral home on the property. This led me to question--were there people buried on this portion of the property previously? If so, were the moved? If they were moved, who gave consent? Was consent even needed? Can you imagine being laid in your final resting place only for that to be changed? Some people might become angry over being moved. Will they haunt the new funeral home? Will the "newly" deceased be haunted and tormented before they are laid to rest? It's not their fault. HMMMMMM...Can anyone give me their thoughts on this??????
loose ends
1. CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!
2. Cable is back!
3. CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!
4. School is back--normal schedule, not half day like it was planned at first.
5. CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
6. Curfew is gone.
7. Did I mention CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2. Cable is back!
3. CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!
4. School is back--normal schedule, not half day like it was planned at first.
5. CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!
6. Curfew is gone.
7. Did I mention CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, September 19, 2008
late fees
So, I was thinking. There are a lot of people who rent movies still. If they rented movies before they evacuated, will they have to pay the late fees for not returning them on time? Same thing for overdue library books. And, what would happen if those rented items were left in houses that are no longer around. Will they have to pay for them? Man, Ike messed up a lot of stuff!!!
Happy Day!
Happy Day!
Hurricane Ike Tree Pictures
These are from the main street in one of the nearby cities--that happens to be known for the trees. (Sorry for the car being in the shots...I took them blindly by holding the camera and snapping. Didn't know what I got until I got home!)
Stir Crazy
I am starting to lose my mind. Because of Ike, I have not been able to work for 8 days (10 if you include weekends). I am used to working 10-15 hours a day. I have no cable so I can't watch tv. (I don't usually WATCH a lot, but I do have it on in the background all of the time....mostly ESPN or Disney or CNN or sporting events.) I have a curfew from 7 to 7. This is difficult because I feel like a prisoner. I've read books, magazines, watched DVD's of my favorite shows and movies. I've slept. I've spent more time on the internet in the last few days than I have spent in entire months! My brain is on overload now, and it is thinking crazy thoughts! (If you don't believe me, read some of the previous posts!!) I need to get back to a normal routine. However, most people think my routine is anything but normal! Some of my co-workers think I'm involved with everything...I'm not. I do participate in a lot at my school...but I love doing everything. Well, not everything...Sometimes I get very angry when people expect me to drop what I'm doing to help them. I can't say no though, so I usually do.
Well, enough about that! Happy Day!
Well, enough about that! Happy Day!
Sea Life
While Hurricane Ike was headed towards Galveston, TX last week, I pondered the following question: What happens to sea life during a hurricane? I worried about all the dolphins and fish that live in the Gulf. Were they being slammed against the sea wall? Or, did they head south knowing where the hurricane was? Since Ike was so HUGE where could they hide? Earlier today I posed this question to Google. Seems that someone else thought like me! The answer there was that hurricanes only effect the top of the water, so most sea life is not bothered. However with larger storms, deeper water could be disturbed.
I am guessing that some fish were thrown into the sea wall and didn't make it.
I am guessing that some fish were thrown into the sea wall and didn't make it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dinner Dream
If you know me, you know I have CRAZY dreams. Well, last night was no different. Let me start with a list of characters--just so everyone can follow along. (Identities are hidden!)
Birthday Boy Troy (whose real birthday was yesterday, the 17th)
Random Guest
Troy's mom Clarice
Troy's aunt Juanita
Bus Boy (Who also happens to be my eye doctor!)
Waiter
Waitress One
Waitress Two
me
Troy, Random Guest and I are having dinner at what appears to be an I-hop/Chili's or some other chain like that. We order meals and two appetizers--one of which is Chili Con Queso from our Waiter. We enjoy the meal and when it is time to pay, we ask for our bill. Waitress One brings it already split up. However, she has charged Troy for his meal AND my meal. She has charged me just for the Chili Con Queso. I attempt to tell her it is Troy's birthday, but he stops me and says to just let it go. (Yeah, that would never happen!) Waitress Two in the mean time is clearing all of our plates away. While Waitress One is gone, we realize that we never received our Chili Con Queso. When she returns, I inform her of this error. She looks at me and says "Why did you wait to tell me? There is nothing I can do about it now. I can't give you a refund because that will charge you more." (We have all paid with debit/credit cards. Gotta love that plastic!?!)
At this point I lose it on the poor lady. I start yelling at her. She is yelling back. I admit to being rude, but she doesn't. It is a HUGE scene. The bus boy--remember, my eye doctor?--shows up and tells me to stop since I work at one of the schools. I kind of stop and walk up to the front where Juanita is working the cash register. She looks at me and tells me she is very disappointed in me. I leave--but only to get in the car with Juanita and Clarice.
As we are sitting in the car talking about what happens, the bus boy--who is my eye doctor in the dream as well....he just needs a little time away from the wife and video playing kids...his words!!!!--joins us in the car. He introduces himself to Juanita and Clarice--even though they both work with him...how odd! He asks me why he is upset with me. My body language says it all....I'm guilty!...just like a little kid does when they know they have done something wrong. I explain that I should never have caused a scene, and I was rude to the waitress, but it was all her fault. She didn't bring the Chili Con Queso, charged me for the Chili Con Queso, and yelled at me about the Chili Con Queso.
YES, I was repeating Chili Con Queso over and over and over in the dream. I must have said it 15 times! And with a perfect Spanish accent I might add. Which is very difficult for this person!!! I also started crying "I should have been nicer, my mom was a waitress."
What could all of this mean??????
Happy Day!
Birthday Boy Troy (whose real birthday was yesterday, the 17th)
Random Guest
Troy's mom Clarice
Troy's aunt Juanita
Bus Boy (Who also happens to be my eye doctor!)
Waiter
Waitress One
Waitress Two
me
Troy, Random Guest and I are having dinner at what appears to be an I-hop/Chili's or some other chain like that. We order meals and two appetizers--one of which is Chili Con Queso from our Waiter. We enjoy the meal and when it is time to pay, we ask for our bill. Waitress One brings it already split up. However, she has charged Troy for his meal AND my meal. She has charged me just for the Chili Con Queso. I attempt to tell her it is Troy's birthday, but he stops me and says to just let it go. (Yeah, that would never happen!) Waitress Two in the mean time is clearing all of our plates away. While Waitress One is gone, we realize that we never received our Chili Con Queso. When she returns, I inform her of this error. She looks at me and says "Why did you wait to tell me? There is nothing I can do about it now. I can't give you a refund because that will charge you more." (We have all paid with debit/credit cards. Gotta love that plastic!?!)
At this point I lose it on the poor lady. I start yelling at her. She is yelling back. I admit to being rude, but she doesn't. It is a HUGE scene. The bus boy--remember, my eye doctor?--shows up and tells me to stop since I work at one of the schools. I kind of stop and walk up to the front where Juanita is working the cash register. She looks at me and tells me she is very disappointed in me. I leave--but only to get in the car with Juanita and Clarice.
As we are sitting in the car talking about what happens, the bus boy--who is my eye doctor in the dream as well....he just needs a little time away from the wife and video playing kids...his words!!!!--joins us in the car. He introduces himself to Juanita and Clarice--even though they both work with him...how odd! He asks me why he is upset with me. My body language says it all....I'm guilty!...just like a little kid does when they know they have done something wrong. I explain that I should never have caused a scene, and I was rude to the waitress, but it was all her fault. She didn't bring the Chili Con Queso, charged me for the Chili Con Queso, and yelled at me about the Chili Con Queso.
YES, I was repeating Chili Con Queso over and over and over in the dream. I must have said it 15 times! And with a perfect Spanish accent I might add. Which is very difficult for this person!!! I also started crying "I should have been nicer, my mom was a waitress."
What could all of this mean??????
Happy Day!
Cubs
The last few posts have been very sad and depressing. I have to change the subject...or I'll be in a funk forever! At the beginning of tonight's Cubs/Brewers game, the Cubs magic number was 4. For those of you who aren't baseball fans, that means the Cubs are very close to winning their division. (For each Cubs win or Brewers loss, one game is subtracted. Since they are playing each other, 2 games could come off if the Cubs were to win. Don't ask me how to figure it out...I know I teach math, but baseball math is seriously messed up!)
The Cubs haven't won the World Series in 100 years. (The last time was 1908). The last time they were in the World Series was 1945. Hopefully this year will be THE YEAR. (I don't know how much longer my mom can wait...she is ready to give up on them if they don't do it this year.)
Here is a little bit of pfun pfacts...sorry, couldn't resist! (I have a "new" thing to add to my blog!!!)
My dad has seen the Cubs in 1 more post season than I have.
My mom and I have seen the Cubs in the same number of post seasons.
My niece born in 1982 has seen the Cubs in the same number of post seasons as I have.
Come on Men in Blue--Win it all this year!
Go Cubs!!!!
The Cubs haven't won the World Series in 100 years. (The last time was 1908). The last time they were in the World Series was 1945. Hopefully this year will be THE YEAR. (I don't know how much longer my mom can wait...she is ready to give up on them if they don't do it this year.)
Here is a little bit of pfun pfacts...sorry, couldn't resist! (I have a "new" thing to add to my blog!!!)
My dad has seen the Cubs in 1 more post season than I have.
My mom and I have seen the Cubs in the same number of post seasons.
My niece born in 1982 has seen the Cubs in the same number of post seasons as I have.
Come on Men in Blue--Win it all this year!
Go Cubs!!!!
Hurricane IKE part II
WARNING: THIS MIGHT BE LONG!!!
We ended Tuesday, the 9th, like any other day. Everyone was watching the progress of IKE, but no one was really worried. Ike was heading toward Corpus Christi which is quite a ways a way from us. At 3:55 am Wednesday morning, I received a phone call from a co-worker, J, who informed me of the mandatory evacuation of the city where my school is. A voluntary evacuation of my city was also issued. Talk about a wake-up call! (I actually thought it was B who was calling saying I was late for cheerleader practice which starts at 6:15.) At that point I tried to get ahold of B to figure out when a good time to call the cheerleaders would be. How do you justify calling at 4:15??? We decided that 5:00 would be acceptable. After talking to a bunch of moms--who all thanked me profusely!--and not reaching 3 girls, I drove to the school. It was very eerie. Most mornings when I head to practice there are only 5 or 6 cars on the road. There were 3 times as many just at one gas station! I went into the school after talking to all but one cheerleader and "rescued" some of my favorite items--all my yearbooks and my picture from my two weeks at NASA in 2001. I also moved a bunch of items from the floor just in case. After waiting in line for about 10 minutes to get gas (I got to cut in line because my gas tank is on the passenger side), I made a bunch of phone calls to "locals" who have done this more than I have. (I've only evacuated one other time and a good friend C MADE me go with her. I had no choice!) I decided to go stay with a friend in Austin (THANKS BUNCHES T!!!!). Because T wouldn't get home until after 8 pm, I waited until about 4:30/5:00 to leave. It is so nerve racking sitting around on a beautiful, sunny day (with no clouds in the sky) waiting to leave because you know something so powerful might come and wipe out everything you own. I kept watch of Ike on many different websites and checked out other blogs to keep my sanity. I taped up all of my windows--can't really board them up--said a prayer and walked out the door not knowing what I would come home to. As I made the 4-5 hour drive, I called several people to find out their plans. Most of them wouldn't be leaving until sometime on Thursday.
The next few days were spent with trips to grocery stores and watching the weather on tv. When Ike made landfall and wound his way up through Houston, I worried about several friends who were staying directly in the path. Thankfully, they are a-ok. The hardest part was not knowing what was happening back home and hearing rumors from different people. We spent part of Saturday at an outlet mall, and I ran into a former student and family. They heard the roof of our school caved in completely. Not true. We also heard there was a chlorine leak. Don't know if that was true or not. Electricity was on in the city where my school is, but not where I live. The decision was made to come home on Monday, the 15th.
Driving home, we stopped and bought groceries--not knowing if I had electricity, I stocked up on Honey-nut Cheerios, Goldfish crackers and Capri Sun. Healthy I know. (J--don't yell at me! At least I didn't have too much food to throw away.) Driving in was really creepy. The closer we got, the more trees we saw down. The interesting part of the trip was that the trees missed everything. The potential for trees to hit houses was about 100%, but the actual amount was maybe 1%--unless I just didn't see it. When I arrived home, my electricity was on, my water was working and my house was almost perfect. There were a lot of trees down and one screen fell off of one window. I put that back on and was good to go. I was very relieved.
I have been without cable since I've been home. I am trying not to complain since so many people have lost everything. However, it's really hard to not watch tv. We are so spoiled in this country. Everytime I get frustrated, I remind myself what I have. One of the communities that send their children to our school was hit very hard--it's right on the water and over 60 houses were lost. I haven't heard if any of our kiddos lost their home or not. I will probably find out more once we go back to school.
While all of this was going on, some dear family and friends were having bad weather in IL...lots of rain and flooding. Then, Ike headed their way. I have a lot of dear family/friends across the nation, and Ike seemed to touch almost all of them directly...and the ones he didn't hit directly are feeling it indirectly with gas prices. What crazy weather we have.
Happy Day!
We ended Tuesday, the 9th, like any other day. Everyone was watching the progress of IKE, but no one was really worried. Ike was heading toward Corpus Christi which is quite a ways a way from us. At 3:55 am Wednesday morning, I received a phone call from a co-worker, J, who informed me of the mandatory evacuation of the city where my school is. A voluntary evacuation of my city was also issued. Talk about a wake-up call! (I actually thought it was B who was calling saying I was late for cheerleader practice which starts at 6:15.) At that point I tried to get ahold of B to figure out when a good time to call the cheerleaders would be. How do you justify calling at 4:15??? We decided that 5:00 would be acceptable. After talking to a bunch of moms--who all thanked me profusely!--and not reaching 3 girls, I drove to the school. It was very eerie. Most mornings when I head to practice there are only 5 or 6 cars on the road. There were 3 times as many just at one gas station! I went into the school after talking to all but one cheerleader and "rescued" some of my favorite items--all my yearbooks and my picture from my two weeks at NASA in 2001. I also moved a bunch of items from the floor just in case. After waiting in line for about 10 minutes to get gas (I got to cut in line because my gas tank is on the passenger side), I made a bunch of phone calls to "locals" who have done this more than I have. (I've only evacuated one other time and a good friend C MADE me go with her. I had no choice!) I decided to go stay with a friend in Austin (THANKS BUNCHES T!!!!). Because T wouldn't get home until after 8 pm, I waited until about 4:30/5:00 to leave. It is so nerve racking sitting around on a beautiful, sunny day (with no clouds in the sky) waiting to leave because you know something so powerful might come and wipe out everything you own. I kept watch of Ike on many different websites and checked out other blogs to keep my sanity. I taped up all of my windows--can't really board them up--said a prayer and walked out the door not knowing what I would come home to. As I made the 4-5 hour drive, I called several people to find out their plans. Most of them wouldn't be leaving until sometime on Thursday.
The next few days were spent with trips to grocery stores and watching the weather on tv. When Ike made landfall and wound his way up through Houston, I worried about several friends who were staying directly in the path. Thankfully, they are a-ok. The hardest part was not knowing what was happening back home and hearing rumors from different people. We spent part of Saturday at an outlet mall, and I ran into a former student and family. They heard the roof of our school caved in completely. Not true. We also heard there was a chlorine leak. Don't know if that was true or not. Electricity was on in the city where my school is, but not where I live. The decision was made to come home on Monday, the 15th.
Driving home, we stopped and bought groceries--not knowing if I had electricity, I stocked up on Honey-nut Cheerios, Goldfish crackers and Capri Sun. Healthy I know. (J--don't yell at me! At least I didn't have too much food to throw away.) Driving in was really creepy. The closer we got, the more trees we saw down. The interesting part of the trip was that the trees missed everything. The potential for trees to hit houses was about 100%, but the actual amount was maybe 1%--unless I just didn't see it. When I arrived home, my electricity was on, my water was working and my house was almost perfect. There were a lot of trees down and one screen fell off of one window. I put that back on and was good to go. I was very relieved.
I have been without cable since I've been home. I am trying not to complain since so many people have lost everything. However, it's really hard to not watch tv. We are so spoiled in this country. Everytime I get frustrated, I remind myself what I have. One of the communities that send their children to our school was hit very hard--it's right on the water and over 60 houses were lost. I haven't heard if any of our kiddos lost their home or not. I will probably find out more once we go back to school.
While all of this was going on, some dear family and friends were having bad weather in IL...lots of rain and flooding. Then, Ike headed their way. I have a lot of dear family/friends across the nation, and Ike seemed to touch almost all of them directly...and the ones he didn't hit directly are feeling it indirectly with gas prices. What crazy weather we have.
Happy Day!
Hurricane IKE part I
Yesterday and today I ventured out during the alloted time frame. We are under curfew from 7 pm to 7 am each day. I totally understand this and think it is awesome that our police departments are looking out for our safety. However, it feels so bizarre to have such a curfew! I have taken several pictures of the damage in the area and at school. When you first drive up to the school, you see this....
This is on our library. Two of the windows blew out during the storm.
The first picture shows an inside view of the windows. The second picture shows damage to the book shelf on the complete opposite side of the library. The third picture shows the damage to the carpeting. Any book that was on top of a shelf was damaged, but the books on the actual shelves escaped without any problem. We are very lucky!!!!! The ceiling in our front office didn't fare that well, however. Our custodians had already cleaned up the mess when I got there--THEY DEFINTELY DESERVE A BIG BONUS!!!!!!!!
Hopefully we'll be back and working on Monday. The last time I saw my kiddos, we weren't even thinking about hurricanes! We were focused on order of operations and looking forward to integers. The entire story will follow in Hurricane Ike part II.
My Very First Post!
Welcome! I'm working on getting this site up and running to share with friends. I've read many blogs, but have never had one of my own. I hope I don't screw it up! One of my closest friends has a blog and has inspired me. (Actually, she has wanted me to do this for a while, but I've been leary.) Since I just went through a hurricane evacuation (IKE! YIKES is more like it!) I wanted to get this up and running to show some of the devastation. Honestly, what I have to share is NOTHING compared to what is happening up in Galveston. For those of you reading, please keep all of the people of the coast of Texas in your thoughts. I'll be back in a bit to see if this worked! Happy Day!
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