Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Strange Things . . .

    1. Tomorrow is the last day of school. The. Last.  DAY!!!
    This means that tomorrow is my last day as a teacher.
    Pros: no more papers, no more books, no more me giving dirty looks!
    And no more staying up until 2:00 AM grading papers, creating quizzes, or creating lesson plans. I can go back to taking care of the house, cooking, writing, going out . . . having a life . . .  WHOO-HOO!!!
    Cons: I will miss those crazy kids like mad. They are the best :]

    It's bizarre to think of it really being over. You develop this rhythm, and you can't imagine it breaking. I'm used to this rush, this "OMG what else is missing from my to-do list?!" lifestyle . . . and now it will be different. I mean, I still imagine my life will be chaos . . . just not THIS chaos, this "78 students and their relations and my coworkers and my superiors are all counting on me to do this and do it NOW AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" chaos.
    Next, it will be new job chaos, house-seeking chaos . . . who knows? The baby bug may bite and then it will be the "OMG we've procreated!!!" chaos . .. then will turn into "OMG it's a kid!! A real life kid!!! AAAAAH!!" chaos.
    Don't get me wrong . . . I so look forward to that chaos :]

    Saturday, May 26, 2012

    Down on the street where you live . . .


    You know, once school's out, I can start blogging again on a more regular basis . . . summer job doesn't really require taking work home after clocking out, so I can actually come home and BE AT HOME. Not be at home working on papers, lesson plans, websites, and emails . . . You mean I can actually watch TV or workout without worrying if I've missed a parent email or written all the quizzes for this week? REALLY?! HOT DIGGITY DOG!!!
    I love teaching, I really do . . . but I'm ready for a break :]

    Ok, in answer to the last post, we are moving to Monterey, California!

    So basically, our move will look something like this:

    It's a bloody HUGE leap, but we're ready . . . Well, we're starting to panic, actually.
    Scratch that.
    I'M starting to panic. I don't think Chris is capable of panic. It's just starting to seem very real, and the thought of leaving our family and friends is becoming a reality, and that's no fun at all. It isn't safe, packing up and moving across the country. We'll be in a new place, with new people, and have to set down new roots and adjust all over again. But it's an adventure.

    We LOVE adventures.
    And the fact that it will be around 70 degrees all year round . . . with mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. I think we can deal ;]
    Now if we could just find a house . . . Luckily, we have time . . . We don't officially head out until January.

    So, now, after getting all moved in and settled in the cottage, we get to clean her up, throw stuff out, pack it up, and move out . . .
    So, before all that happens, here are pics of the finished product . . . 

    The Great Room


     And this what you see when you first walk into my house. Fireplace is over to the left by the plant in the bottom pic . . . We love the little space . . . The pics above the entertainment center are by Chris's best friend's sister of the two fellows having a jam session. The painting is one of mine . . . Just having fun playing with colors :]

    The Fireplace
    Fireplace! As you can see, I eventually won out the to-hang-or-not-to-hang-the-deer-head battle. Instead, he hung a painting Chris's great-grandmother gave him that MIGHT be one of the Florida Highwaymen paintings . . . and some of our favorite books :]
     And, yes, we do have a fedora and a whip hanging from our coat rack as a tribute to Dr. Indiana Jones.
    No, we're totally not nerds.

     Dining Space

    The painting is a batik Chris picked up in South Africa, and the little birds in the bottom pic are my favorite in the cubby shelf (TJ Maxx steals!).

    The Kitchen

    I can't decide if my favorite  is the coffee platter or the "Keep Calm and Carry On" sign . . . They bring perk to my tiny kitchen 

    The Study (aka The Owl Room)
    This is my space. I pretty much adore it . . . especially the owls and the book-lined wall :]


    The Man Cave
    This is Chris's space.  It's the one room I haven't really touched . . . but I did pick the paint color. Yes, I'm pretty darn proud of that ;] The sun/guitar sculpture in the top pic is one of Chris's original creations--he can't stand it because he's a perfectionist, but I think it's pretty darn cool!



    Master Bedroom
    I've always wanted an accent wall . . . now I have one :] 


    The Guest Bathroom
    Just because I'm so darn proud of that paint color . . . and the curtain's pretty cool, too :]

    So that's the tour of my little house . . . it's not much, but it's ours :]

    Saturday, May 5, 2012

    "Good news, everyone!"

    Can you tell what show I've been marathoning while grading my pile of papers?

    So, my good news . . . in the three weeks we have left of school, it was decided by powers greater than my own that the kids needed to write another in-class essay for grading . . . it doesn't have to be long, but it must be done . . . which means that I will have an ADDITIONAL 78 papers to grade before the first week of June. Who has two thumbs and about to have a nervous breakdown? This chick.

    But, no, that's not the good news.
    Because, if that was, "bad" news would be the end of me.
    Hence my momentary distraction by blogging. Because, you see, I may not be back until school's out. Pooey. Yes, this is worse than just plan ole "phooey."

    Other than that . . . "Good news, everyone! ... Huzzahs are in order!"


    We just found out that .....


    *drumroll*