Play Me A Song... [Day 10: A Photo of Me Taken Over 10 Years Ago]

I used to take piano lessons. 

Also, I used to have a very boy-like bowl-cut. 

Oh, and my mom made me jumpers with fabric from JoAnn's. 

I was super cool. 

Me & my BFF at our piano recital

[Day 9: Pet Peeves]

Everything is funny as long as it is happening to someone else. 

So if you've read this blog at all, you know I'm a pretty positive person. My glass is always half full. Of chocolate milk, of course. This does not mean that I am immune to the annoyances of life. I mostly choose to ignore them because it doesn't seem worth it to focus on things that bug me: just makes me grumpy! Every now and then, though, it's extremely fun to just let it all out, like this guy [warning if you haven't seen it: he cusses a lot]:

Boy, being that annoyed by everything must be exhausting. Though it's hilarious! 

Without further delay, here are my pet peeves: 

-Not using their turn signals. I'm not a mind reader! 

-Not wiping down the machines at the gym when you're done working out. Ew. Ew ew ew. 

-Using your fingers to plug your nose when jumping into water.
-All of those ketchup packets that get thrown in your bag with fries without asking -- I don't need them!
-The cardboard cases on DVDs. [The guy above is right -- what am I supposed to do with them!?]
-Calling and then not leaving a voicemail or sending a text if I don't answer. Is it an emergency? Do I call you back? I get butt-dialed a lot, so I won't call ya back unless you mean it... 
-Using "k" and "u" in text messages. I can't stand those particular "words!" Though almost all text message language drives me crazy. 
-Spelling the word definitely with an a.
-People who take themselves too seriously. No one is that important.
-Not picking up your doggie's poo.
-People who sit in the chair right in front of me at the movie theater when my feet are clearly on the back and there are plenty of other empty seats!
-Dressing up (to look cute) to go to a baseball game. It's a baseball game. Seriously. 
-The fact that in every medical/crime solving TV show, everyone is a genius! Statistically impossible. Plus, if they were all that genius, there's no way they would all choose to work relatively thankless, fairly low-paying jobs. 
-Cash-only businesses. Seriously?! It's 2011.
-People who correct other's grammar/speech immediately during conversation. I'm a stickler for grammar myself, but, c'mon... It ends up feeling like you just need to be right all the time. 
-Hair extensions.
-When vending machines spit your dollar back out at you.

♥ 

Chocolate Monster [Day 8: Something I Crave]

Forget love -- I'd rather fall in chocolate!

I. Love. Chocolate. 

Dark chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, Kisses, Snickers, Snowcaps, chocolate milk, chocolate covered pretzels, Nutella, Oreo cookies, chocolate frosting, chocolate covered frozen bananas, mochas, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate covered cherries, Peanut M&Ms, Frosties, chocolate milkshakes, Cocoa Puffs... 

I could go on. For a long time. 

I. Always. Want. Chocolate. 

Blessing #126: Trivia Night
Last night one of my BFFs and I walked over to the local Irish Pub for a pint (we'd just kicked some serious punching bag booty at kickboxing, so we deserved it!), and found out it was trivia night. We decided to stay and play a couple of rounds. We won the second round and got a free pitcher of beer! The evening also reminded me of a Trivia Night I went to at the end of my first year of teaching. Our team named ourselves "School's Out For Summer" (hmmm... kind of obvious we were teachers...) and we came in second place over all. It's always fun to rack your brains with friends and try to come up with the answers to the most random questions. Gotta love Trivia Night!

♥

Active April? Why Not?

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise. 

I'm almost finished with Movin' March, my goal to do something for every day of March -- no excuses! Knowing that I only have two days left, and having planned out my activity for those two days (I'm trying kickboxing for the first time today, and am off to Pedal & Pump tomorrow), I've started thinking about continuing the challenge. Why not make it into 61 days and turn April into Active April? Pretty sure I can do it! 

...And I think I'm gonna! Here goes nothing... 

Don't think I'll ever enjoy exercise as much as this guy...

Any activities/exercises you would recommend that I try?

My Hooligans [Day 7: A Favorite Photo]

It's easy to make a buck. It's tougher to make a difference. 

This a favorite photo because it is of me and my first class, during the last few weeks of school. As the school psychologist (someone I spent a lot of time with my first year, both because of my own issues and those of some students...) told me, this picture very accurately portrays my classroom full of kiddos. (I also chose this particular pic because one has to be very careful about posting photos/information about students online. This one doesn't show faces!)

I will never ever ever forget my first class. They taught me so much about who I am, who I want to become, and how I want to do my job.

I love these kiddos with all of my heart!

Blessing #125: Pesto
Oh, boy, I love pesto! I make a pretty good pesto, actually, and I love to serve it with a mixture of penne, asparagus and green beans. You cut up the asparagus and green beans to be the same size and shape of penne, and throw them into the pot with the pasta for the last couple of minutes to cook them up. Then toss with the pesto, and voila! Oh so tasty. I also am thankful for pesto today because it is one of my mother's favorite dishes, and she gets to happy when I make it. That, in turn, makes me feel happy. Smiles all around.

♥

Getcha Beeeeaaah Heeeaaah [Day 6: A Fun Fact About Me]

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

A fun fact about me: I had my very first beer -- ever! -- for my 21st birthday during a Red Sox game at Fenway Park in Boston, MA. 

My dad asked me what I wanted to do for my twenty-first because it would be a really special birthday: I'd be having my first beer! I'd had a glass of champagne and wine before in France while under the supervision of my mom, but this would be my real first beer, and my dad asked "If you could do anything for your 21st, what would you do?" I replied: have my first beer at a Red Sox game in Fenway. So, my dad bought two tickets to Beantown, we flew out there for the weekend, and sat in the first-baseline season seats (right behind the dugout) that belonged to my uncle's law firm. During the second inning, I had my first beer ever!

What a great memory!

Blessing #124: Non-fat Chai Tea Lattes
I love chai tea lattes. They're like coffee in that they taste different from each coffee shop, but I always enjoy the spicy-sweet goodness. Especially after a hard workout class in the morning, and the air outside is cold and crisp after a week of rain. Yum.

♥

How To Turn Great Into Blech [Day 5: A Favorite Quote]

A quotation at the right moment is like bread in a famine. 

I love quotes. 

There are so many emotions I often feel about life and at times find myself lacking any way of really expressing them. Then I stumble upon the most perfect quote that so accurately encapsulates... everything. This makes me wonder why I couldn't possibly come up with those sentiments on my own. Other times, when I read a quote it will spark some inspiration within me to change my perspective and take action to change an area of my life that is stagnant or heading in the wrong direction.

This brings me to one of my favorite quotes: 

Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.

It's a quote that inspired a change in my blog and my perspective on daily life. The words are from the novel The Alchemist by Paul Coehlo. It's the beginning of a quote by the crystal merchant for whom Santiago works. The lesson to be drawn from the rest of the quotation is that one can be fulfilled in life only by pursuing one's Personal Legend; the crystal merchant has not done this. Santiago is constantly warned not to settle for what he has and instead continue to pursue his Personal Legend. Ignoring the ultimate lesson of this part of the story, the beginning of the quote is what I hold onto because I believe it is true: any blessing that you ignore can become something that burdens you. 

Ignore the blessing of family and fail to appreciate all they have done, and they can quickly become people towards whom resentment and annoyance is built up. 

Ignore the blessings that exist in day-to-day life and life's simple events can become burdens. 

While certainly it is important not to "settle" for something one doesn't really want out of life if one can work to change it, there is also nothing wrong with finding joy in the things one does have and in the good things life has handed out. In fact, how else do you make it through life with all that is going on in the world? 

There are so many things, people, and moments in which to find joy in this world. Counting the good things and focusing on the blessings I have gives me the strength to fight against what is wrong. 

I don't want to ignore my blessings; if I ignore them all, soon I'll have none left. All the great in my life with have turned to... blech. 

♥ 

Universally Acknowledged Truth... [Day 4: A Favorite Book]

[Disclaimer: Epic. Fail. I realize I have completely and utterly failed to blog for 30 days straight. I have, however, managed to keep up with Movin' March, so I'll take that victory and pick up blogging where I left off. No legitimate excuse for my failure, just didn't really feel like it. Sad, I know. But I'm back now!]


It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Ah, Jane...

I am a fan. Jane Austen's novels still feel relevant, probably because whether we'd like to admit it or not, human relations have hardly changed at all in the last 200 years. Despite the advent of technology, education of women, and the "metrosexual"-izing of men, it's all pretty much the same. I think this is why many females still fall in love with Jane's work. Most especially Pride & Prejudice. It's always the one I think of first when asked, "What's your favorite book?"

I could read that book constantly and never get bored, I think. Never cease to be enchanted by the language or the twisted Lizzie-Darcy relationship. And while it's been cinematically recreated (I though Kiera Knightly was great as Elizabeth) and the BBC did a fantastic job of making it into a mini-series (Oh. My. Darcy. Colin Firth is... glorious), there's really nothing like reading P & P.

Plus, it's the inspiration for pretty much every rom-com we all love. Consider the most basic plotline we see over and over from good ol' Hollywood (sometimes the roles are reversed): girl meets boy, girl hates boy for legitimate reason, girl gets to know boy, boy realizes he likes girl, girl still hates boy, boy does something redemptive, girl falls for boy, everyone lives happily every after. Sound familiar?! Sometimes there's a twist, like "girl likes boy, but then finds out who he really is, then hates boy," but mostly it follows the oh-so-delicious plotline of my beloved P& P. No wonder I can't stop loving rom-coms, even if I think I've "grown."

*sigh* Be still, my heart...

Blessing #123: Workout Buddy
I am so blessed... to have an awesome workout buddy! E has been crucial in making sure Movin' March (that's what I call my 30 day move challenge) is a success. I would not be nearly as courageous and open to trying new classes at the YMCA if I weren't going with her. It makes working out so much more fun to have someone there you can count on to encourage you. Today we're going to go buy some new workout tank-tops. Now that I'm 26 days into the challenge (wow!), I'm realizing I need more than my old T-shirts to keep me from feeling so sweaty. More official workout gear is called for, and I love an excuse to go shopping! Again, workout buddy = amazing.

♥ 

Something Special [Day 3: A Favorite TV Show]

This one was easy.

Growing up, my favorite movie was The Sound Of Music. I loved that an entire film could be narrated by song. I enjoyed all musicals, but especially Sound. My best friend and I would dress up and dance to all of the different songs, always fighting over who had to play the boy.

I never realized how much I missed musicals until the TV show Glee came on last year. I love that show! From the first Journey cover I was hooked.

By hooked, I do not mean that I watch it every week. That merely scratches the surface. My friend and I hosted a Glee viewing party where everyone was required to dress up as a character. I was preggo Quinn, and I "had" the baby (an actual baby doll that was stuffed up my dress) during a commercial break -- just like my favorite cheerleader!

I love Glee!

Dressed up (Emma and Quinn) for dinner & viewing of Glee (just a regular Tuesday night...)

Filling It In

It's time for ... 

Yay! Thank you Lauren. 

1.   The phrase or punctuation I overuse most is       hmmm... probably ellipses. They most likely do not have as much of an impact because I use them so often. Phrase or word? Seriously. (I started using it long before it became popular a la Grey's Anatomy!)

2.  Today I am thankful for    my alarm on my phone -- woke me up from a very deep slumber! Even though I wanted to keep sleeping, I have to hit the road!  

3.  My best friend is    well, now, there's a spot filled by more than one person. :)  

4.  A quirky thing about me is     I read magazines from back to front. Not entirely sure why... But I can't stop, either! 

5.  This weekend I     am going to Phoenix! I am excited to see my friends, my brother, and visit my classroom. It's been too long. 

6.  Something that worries me is        the future. I try to keep calm about it, but truth be told, I'm always slightly worried about what is going to happen until it happens!   

7.  On my night stand you would find       my cell phone, the current book club book, my glasses, a glass/bottle of water, and maybe a hair tie   .

♥