today

Today I had off. I have been looking forward to this Monday all week. I slept in late, I painted a wall in my bedroom. I finished that crappy book I have been reading. I played with Illustrator because I was inspired by this post of SAJ and this match. In typical fashion I have nothing to show for it but I am definitely starting to feel like maybe someday I could create something I liked enough to show. Well, I will keep going and see if something comes of it.

claps

Do you remember claps?
Here is the little kid clap I have heard the kindergartners at my school singing. The kids at my school tried to do it in groups of three at warp speed and then someone would inevitably smack someone else in the face and they would get all exasperated and try again.

slow part
ice tea clap clap clap lemonade clap clap clap coca-cola clap clap clap pepsi clap clap clap
double time
ice tea clap clap clap lemonade clap clap clap coca-cola clap clap clap pepsi clap clap clap
say (and do) the following
turn around, touch the ground, kick your boyfriend out of town

Well now that you know I expect you to go out and teach your friends and all the little girls on your block.


I am on summer vacation. No I am not working (in the making money sense). or volunteering, or doing much of anything. And the beautiful thing is I don't plan to. It is lovely. I am being a dork and watching lots of HGtv, and Food Network, and in between times cleaning my house, going out to lunch, and reading lots of books. Are you using GoodReads yet? You should be. I am using it to track books I read and ones people tell me to read. Its working out much better than the little slips of paper I usually use and then lose. I changed my phone number so if you know me and you don't have it send me an email. I may feel more inclined to write here now that I am not exhausted from hauling around small children, or worried about confidentiality issues. Not much confidentiality involved in cleaning floors while watching Hey Paula!, wow that's a trainwreck. If you need clarity in your own life. Someone to reassure you that life is not bad; 10 minutes of that show will make you feel like the most normal, most sane person on Earth.
This is my first week off. I foresee more time at the beach and I hope for more wine in the future.
Wine tastings anyone? Anyone in this case being Amy.

internet special sauce

Well my daily affirmations must be working (thanks! Stuart Smalley) because I feel special in a very dorky internet sort of way. I got a little mention from a blog I read (one of so many because my life is so very short on actual books and heavy on internet musings). So, just in case one of my readers (Hi Mom!) is interested here is the link.
IKEA HACKERS
This is a very cool blog that explains how people (very cool creative people) screw around with their Ikea furniture or furniture components to make them less factory and more personal.


Other life news:
School generally still sucks even though kindergartners are unbearably cute. I am invariable short staffed 4 out of 5 school days. Today, I held a bucket so one of my cuties could throw up in it while he uncontrollably cried and his face blazed red with fever. I want to say something here about all the other snot and children pilfering my desk and beating up on other kids but I can't keep thinking about it at night. I just have to do what I can do and watch enough bad t.v. to numb my brain. I can't wait to get back to thinking about actual lessons and teaching and away from the damage control and cross fingers to hope no one goes home injured kind of school day.
Other life is good and relaxing. Last night Michael got me Thai Food and we watched Street Car Named Desire. Tonight I have prepared homemade Big Mac's (thanks to Ryland and Jake).
So Yummy! and not sick making yucky fast food...but they still taste good. Thanks Secret Sauce a.k.a. Thousand Island Dressing.

the why didn't I think of this years ago
Homemade Big Macs
ingredients:
Ground Turkey
Romaine Letuce
Sesame Seed Buns
Butter (low fat if you are Jake and Ryland, the real stuff for me)
Thousand Island Dressing
almost minced onions
Tomato and Pickle (if you so desire)

Make ground turkey patties and cook in a skillet. Chop onion super super tiny like they have at McD's. Slice Romaine lettuce into thin shreds. Thinly slice tomato and pickle (you can chop extra pickles super fine for the dressing if you want). Spread melted butter on inside of Sesame seed buns and toast in skillet.
Put burger together with liberal amounts of special sauce.
yum.

ew cute

this kind of hurts me, but I thought some of you might find it amusing.
cute overload
I got this from loobylu.

yay for commercials for prescription drugs

tired of vague prescription drug commercials? this is hysterical. I got this from wouldashoulda.com.
It reminds me of the purple pill. I didn't know what that was for three years until I asked a nurse at the pharmaceutical company where I worked.