2010 is pretty good so far

John and I welcomed in 2010 the way any wild and crazy party-loving couple does. We went to bed and were asleep before midnight. LOL I did wake up right at midnight because somebody somewhere nearby was shooting fireworks and/or a gun, and it frightened Bama. He doesn't like loud noises, so being the good puppy momma that I am, I rolled over and grumpily said, "Bama, GO NIGHT-NIGHT." Poor pup, he did. If I would have let him in bed with us, Ali would have been right behind him, and a double bed just isn't quite big enough for four, even if two of them only weigh a total of 21 pounds.

We got up around 6 Friday morning, did a few things around the house, and then headed north. We went to Ron & Cindy's Friday and stayed with them Friday night. We had a yummy New Year's day dinner, complete with black-eyed peas, turnip greens, and fat back. Neither John nor I had any of those things last year, and while 2009 wasn't a horrible year, we certainly had our share of colds and crud, and the money didn't come rolling in. Maybe with the traditional meal, we'll be better off in the health, wealth, and luck department for 2010. Hey, I CAN hope. :)

We rode out to the lake Saturday morning to check the walkway/swim deck. It was COLD and WINDY! The thermometer said the temp was around 27, and I believe it. The pups didn't even want to be out in it. Of course, the trailer was freezing cold, too. We did what we had to do and left.

John's pee wee football coach turned 80 and his family was having a birthday party for him, which is the reason we went north in the first place. So, after leaving the lake, we headed to Hartselle. Since there was going to be about three hours between the time we got to Hartselle and the time we went to the party, we went by his mom's house. I have GOT to do a LOT of praying for patience this year. That has become quite clear to me over the last couple of visits. (One reason I went into secondary ed is because I knew I in no way had enough patience to be around little kids all day, every day of the week. Dealing with someone with Alzheimer's isn't much different from dealing with munchkins.) In the two hours or so that we were there, we talked about 1) the dust particles floating in the air and where they come from and that it didn't matter if you cleaned non-stop each and every day, the furniture is STILL going to get dust on it within a matter of minutes, 2) the fact that I had too much to do at home for us to be able to spend the night and taking my laundry to Hartselle to do was impractical, 3) how lonely she gets because she never sees anybody, even though Linda from across the street is there every day and either Josh or Kimmie are there every night Sunday through Thursday and one of the four of the kids is there every weekend, and 4) Zac did not have to go home until Wednesday because he doesn't have to start back to school until Thursday and yes that is an odd time to start back to school. For two hours...those same four topics of conversation. So yeah, lots and lots and lots of prayer. I try really hard to remember that the person Billie is now is not the person she was even two years ago, but Mom will tell you that patience has never been a virtue of mine.

We got home about 9 last night, and I went ahead and got started on laundry. Getting started is all I did though. In no time, I was sound asleep on the couch.

I was supposed to meet Anita, Brian, Cindy, and Donna in Birmingham today for lunch, but with us going to Hartselle, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it. Originally, we were going to stay at the lake for the weekend, but with it being so cold, we changed those plans. And it really is a good thing. I've gotten quite a bit done today. Of course, I would MUCH RATHER being having a delicious lunch with my friends right now. :(

Tomorrow is the first day back after Christmas break. We have professional development and then the kids come back Tuesday. For the high school, that is REALLY stupid. In order for us to have our fall break in October, we weren't able to end first semester until the week after Christmas. OK...I can live with that, BUT for us at the high school, it would have made MUCH more sense to have the kids come Monday-Thursday, and then have the PD on Friday. Why does that make a difference? Well, let me tell ya 'cause I know you're dying to know! And even if you don't want to know, I'm gonna tell you anyway 'cause this is my blog and I can do whatever I want. hahaha At the high school, we're on a full-block schedule which means the students take four classes each semester. One semester of a class is the equivalent to an entire year. They will begin their second semester on the 11th. That means we, as teachers, have to prepare for that day just like it is the first day of the new school year because we have an entirely new group of students. It would be nice to have Friday to prepare for the new classes that start on Monday. It really wouldn't matter, though, because our PDs are always spent in meetings anyway, so we have no free time to get ready. I've already told John that I'll probably be late most every afternoon.

This is the BIG WEEK for football. The National Championship Game is Thursday night. John, Kristen, and I are going to Baumhower's Wings at Lee Branch to watch the game with Susan and Tim and some of the Spain Park faculty. I can't wait! I really think this will be a great game, but I am nervous. I'm not nervous because I'm afraid Bama can't win. I'm nervous because I know that EITHER team can win. This isn't one of those bowl games with an odd match up when you expect one team to dominate the other (although Auburn tried their best to let Northwestern win the Outback Bowl.) Both Alabama and Texas are powerhouse teams, and both want to win. It will be a matter, I think, of who has the ball last.

I guess that's about it. I've taken my break, and now I need to get busy again. Have a GREAT week!