It's that time again!

On Monday, I will have 103 (as of today) bright-eyed, eager-to-learn juniors and seniors walking through the doors of room 313.  OK...so most of them might not be bright eyed, and I know some of them won't be eager to learn, and THANK THE LORD I won't have all 103 at one time.  :)  But Monday is the start of a new school year, and I'm excited.

Because of the state made the decision that no school system could start before August 20, we've had a little more time to get rested.  (In addition to this, no system can have instructional days after Memorial Day.)  Our board voted on a calendar that put all but one of our professional development days at the beginning of the year, so since last Wednesday, we've been back at work.  Yes, you counted correctly.  We have 8 PD days before the first day of school, and then we have one day between semesters.  WHY do we have 9 PD days, you ask.  I'll be more than happy to explain.

Teachers in Alabama have contracts of 187 days.  For the past I-don't-know-how-many-years, students have generally been in school 180 days.  That is not a magical number though.  The magical number is 1,080 hours of instructional time per year (minimum).  In our system, at the high school at least, we were providing almost 1,170 hours of instructional time per year, so to make the calendar fit the state guidelines, we were able to cut a couple of days off the instructional calendar.  Of course, that makes me freak out because I'm wondering how that will impact the material I have to cover.

Anyway, teachers still have that 187-day contract.  That meant 9 days of PD for us.  When the calendar came out, my first thought was, "WHOA!! Eight days of PD before school actually starts?!"  But after I started thinking about it, I decided it might not be a bad idea.  First of all, we are getting ALL those required inservice meetings (like bullying, ESL, alcohol/drug/tobacco, etc.) out of the way.  Secondly, we have PLENTY of time to get our classrooms ready, get first day copies made, catch up with colleagues we haven't seen since May, and most importantly (in my book anyway), is that we have PLENTY of time to let our bodies adjust to getting up again.  :)  In the past, we've had 2-3 PD days, and then there are the kids.  Normally, the first week of school I can barely keep my eyes open past 7:30.  I'm sure I'll be dragging this time next week, but maybe...just maybe...it won't be so bad.

And this year is starting my 20th year at BRHS.  I will actually complete 20 years of teaching in December since I had a semester in another system, but this is 20 for me at ol' Russell High.  That means this:

Yes...that is the light at the end of the tunnel.  Granted, right now it is a small light, but it is there, nonetheless!  I remember when I first started teaching.  Twenty-five years seemed like a life time.  Now, I look back and wonder how the time passed so fast.  I hope that there will be only 4 more starts to a new school year after this one.  That's the plan, anyway. 

Susan and I have already got it figured out.  I will turn 50 in December 2016, and Susan will turn 50 in January 2017.  What a better time to retire?  I mean...a 50th birthday AND retirement all within a few months?  Can you say PAR-TAY?????  LOL  Oh, and in December of 2017, John and I will celebrate our silver anniversary.  <3  Oh yeah, that's gonna be a great year.  :)

Now, I gotta go wait for the BEST UPS guy EVER in the history of UPS guys!  He's making another stop to bring football tickets!  Woo HOO!!!

Have a GREAT day!!!!!

Frustrated, but I WILL NOT BACK DOWN!!

When I feel strongly about something, I will stand my ground.  If someone tells me I can't, my attitude is "just watch!"  Challenge me, and I'll push right back.

So, having said all that, my weight loss/fitness plan is not going as well as I'd hoped.  Oh, I am still exercising almost daily, and I am watching my calories, but the pounds aren't coming off, and I'm not seeing the change in my body that I want to see.  So what do I plan to do?  Keep pushing!

The first couple week or so, I was so stoked because I was losing at least a half pound a day.  Yes, I know that is not typical, and the healthy way to lose weight is to lose it slowly...about a half pound a week.  Then I hit a wall.  I know the reason for the early loss was because I had not been doing anything and my caloric intake was probably pretty high.  Starting to walk and watch my calories was enough to jump start, but not enough to keep it going.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been at a stand still, and it is frustrating me.  I know my walking, even though really good for me, wasn't enough to keep the pounds coming off, so I decided to get a workout video.  I thought about Insanity, but I really didn't want to pay that kind of money.  I thought about Jillian Michaels.  I mean, she lays to it the folks on Biggest Loser!  But I decided on Billy Blanks because I'd done some of his workouts before.

With the outrageous heat, I decided to not do my walk this morning and to try out the video.  In 15 minutes, I was sweating more than I have in an hour walk.  Of course, with it being the first time I've done this type of cardio workout in forever, I wasn't able to do all of the moves for all of the sets, but I know I'll work up to it.  Hopefully between walking (if it ever gets out of triple digits) and doing tae bo, I'll see more change.

But I am not giving up!  When that voice in my head whispers, "This is too hard.  You can't do this," I'm going to remind myself that this is a challenge that I can and WILL win.

Have a GREAT day!

Trying to get fit!

About 16 years ago, I weighed more than I had ever weighed in my life, and after a trip to the beach with Ron and Cindy, I decided I HAD to lose some weight!  (Nothing like seeing your thin friend in a bikini to motivate you.)  I immediately came home and talked to my friend and neighbor Becky.  She had lost a lot of weight, and I wanted to know her secret.  She told me she had joined TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly), and she gave me the details about it.  I told her I wanted to go with her to the next meeting.  I went, and I joined, and about seven months later, I had lost 33 pounds and had met my goal.  I maintained that weight (within five pounds on either side) for about seven years.  And then I got lazy.  And the weight returned. 

For the last couple of years, I've said I needed to lose weight.  I've played around with losing weight.  But I never got serious about it.  Earlier this year, I said that by the time school was out, I was going to lose at least ten pounds.  It didn't happen.

Last week, I made up my mind that I AM going to get serious, and I AM going to get some of this weight off!!  I am tired of seeing that size 16 in my clothes.  I hate buying XL.  I AM going to do something about it!  So I downloaded the 5K Runner app, an exercise log app, the MyFitnessPal app, and the MapMyWalk app.  And yes, I have actually used them.  Daily.  I don't plan on running a 5K, but that one helps me keep my pace up.  I could probably delete the exercise log app because I put my exercise into MyFitnessPal, and now that I have done several walks around town, I pretty much know the mileage, so MapMyWalk could be deleted too.  I doubt I will delete it, though, because I do like knowing exactly what I've walked and the speed.

I've started drinking more water again, and I'm being more conscious about what goes in my mouth.  Do I REALLY want to put those 43 calories in my mouth for a one-inch square Snickers?  Or would I rather have an apple?  Sure, an apple has about twice the calories, but it is also more filling, and it provides healthy nutrients.  The Snickers provides a brief moment of bliss.  Don't get me wrong; sometimes that brief moment of bliss is EXACTLY what I need, and I have it, but I try to be smart about it.

Exercise and watching what I ate (and going to TOPS) was how I lost my weight before, so I know I can do it again.  I did consider joining Weight Watchers, but I figure my accountability will be to myself through the apps instead of going to the weekly weigh-ins with a group.

Today was day 7 of my fitness plan.  When I weighed, I was down 4-1/2 pounds from Tuesday, and I had lost right at two inches.  I know the first week or so is when the most dramatic change occurs, so I don't expect to be down almost ten pounds this time next week, but I am very pleased with myself so far.  I don't plan on my goal weight being quite so low this time.  I had a couple of people tell me I looked anorexic when I was down to 125-130 pounds.  I didn't see it at the time, but when I look at pictures now, I can tell how gaunt my face did look.  And of course, there is nothing like the tactlessness of teenagers to tell you how bad you looked in old yearbook pictures.  :-/  My first goal is to reach a ten-pound loss.  When that happens, I'll set another one until I reach my goal of 40 pounds lost.  That sounds like SO much to me right now, but hey, I have only 35-1/2 to go!  :)

Now, I need to decide what HEALTHY meal I want to make for dinner.  Have a GREAT day!

Summertime is off to a fabulous start!

The Fabulous Foursome (aka Susan, Tim, John, and I) took a trip to Memphis last weekend.  It was our Blues and BBQ Big Ass Road Trip 2012, and it was a blast.  We enjoyed some blues at B.B. King's Blues Club, and we ate enough BBQ to last us a day or two.  We had our first Memphis BBQ experience Friday for a late lunch at Neely's Interstate BBQ, and it was delish!  The next day, we decided to try out Corky's.  HANDS DOWN, our favorite!  We tried the 1/2 slab of dry rub and the 1/2 slab of the wet ribs.  My favorite was the wet, but I think that's because that is what I'm used to.  No way would I turn down the wet rub, and I think with time, they'd become my favorite.  We bought some of the dry rub seasoning and some of the BBQ sauce, so John is going to attempt to recreate them.  Paul (we think he may be Corky...) told us the "secret", so John is fairly certain he can do a decent version.  I have no doubt because MY MAN CAN COOK.  LOL

On Saturday, we did the Sun Studio tour.  If you are ever in Memphis, that is a must.  Our tour guide (Jason Fly, I think was his name) did a fabulous job.  He was extremely knowledgeable, and it was easy to tell that the loves what he does.  The history of the studio is unbelievable, and to realize that we stood in the SAME room with the SAME flooring, wall and ceiling tiles, and microphone as some of music's greatest...Elvis, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, U2...sent chills over me.

We made sure to go to B. B. King's Blues Club on Saturday night.  The guy who is the house band, Will Tucker, is AMAZING!  A guy sitting at the table next to ours told Tim that he has to have milk or Pepsi, though, because he isn't old enough to drink.  hahaha  He's been playing in the house band since he was 14 years old.  He'll be famous soon.  The All-Star Band was amazing as well! 

A few pics of our fun weekend, in no particular order.


Self-explanatory  :)

  

The Big Ass Bad Ass Album Cover 2012




What can we say?  They prepared for our visit.  :)



Dry rub vs. wet at Corky's...OMG




Hollywood has stars.  Memphis has musical notes.

 

Meal for two at Interstate BBQ.  And yes, BBQ spaghetti is good!


 

"Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay"




Musical history was made here.

 

Father of the Blues, Mr. W. C. Handy

Memphis was a great trip, and I really want to go back.  We have so many places we didn't get to see (ok, ok...BBQ places we didn't get to eat at, and yes, I know I shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition, but it's SUMMER, okay?  Leave me alone.  LOL)  Maybe a quick ride up for a 'que sometime in the fall.  :)

So that's the start to my summer.  So far, so good!

Have a GREAT day!

Allergy testing done

I went on Tuesday for my allergy testing, and as I thought, I'll be on shots.  Again. 

The last time I was tested was probably eight or nine years ago, so things are done a little differently now.  Now, before the skin prick testing begins, a sensitivity screen is done to help determine the strength that the skin pricks need be.  A plastic "instrument" is placed into the allergen solution and then placed on the arm.  After twenty minutes, the welts are measured.  During that twenty minutes, you can't scratch.  OH MY GOSH!!  I have discovered how prisoners need to be tortured.  I thought I was going to cry, and that was when I was only about five minutes in.

This was how my arm looked at about five minutes.  I wish I had thought to take a picture at the twenty minute mark.  My arm by that time was soooo red, and some of the welts were quite large.  You can probably tell that the area closest to my wrist was the worst.

After Mickie took the measurements, she wiped off the solution and rubbed my arms down.  Yeah, ARMS.  Fortunately, the other arm only had one half of one set (so four areas). 

Then the testing got started. 

This was about five minutes into the fifteen minute waiting period.  The ones on the top left were the grasses.  They started itching and popping up almost immediately.  Trees got pretty bad, too.  I was showing positive for nine allergens on the first set.  I only had to have one more set on five or six other areas.  Maple was my worst, with pecan and pine coming in right behind it.  Household dust and dust mites were pretty high as well.  I told John that meant he needs to hire somebody to clean my house for me, and I can't do ANY yard work.  He didn't buy it.  Oh well...it nevers hurts to try.

I go back Wednesday to meet with the PA for the results and to get started on my shots.  I can't wait to get the started so some of this crappy allergy stuff under control.  Time to go, so I can get ready to go to the lake and enjoy all of the maple and pine trees we have on our lot.  LOL

Have a GREAT day!