Beth's Project 365

Day 270 of 365: Meet Dickie Lewis

2009-06-21T05:24:00.003-04:00

This is a statue on the side of John Lewis department store in Liverpool. For obvious reasons, he is known as Dickie Lewis. No idea why he is there!!

Day 269 of 365: Beatlemania

2009-06-20T04:22:00.003-04:00

After spending a day and a half in Blackpool, we drove onto nearby Liverpool to visit MaccaMecca as I like to call it! [Macca is Paul McCartney's nickname here in England.] We visited the rebuilt Cavern Club and this is a portion of the wall outside. It is covered with the names of all the groups and musicians who have played here over the years. Many, many, many famous (and sometimes unexpected) names cover the wall. Of course, in the central place of honor are the four lads who really made this locale famous. Notice that Stu and Pete are also listed under Ringo and George. They are both former members of the early incarnations of the Beatles. Sadly Stu (Sutcliffe) died very young before they made it really big and Pete (Best) was replaced as drummer by Ringo in 1962.

Day 268 of 365: Fortune teller

2009-06-19T04:17:00.003-04:00

I have wanted to go to a palm reader for a long time. It just seems like it'd be so much fun. Well, it was! I paid my money and sat in a tiny closed off room inside the miniature house. She didn't ask me any information like birthday or anything.. she just started looking at my palm and reading my face (apparently!) She said the next 3 years will be an upturn of luck and things will go well, including a change in jobs and a move.. hmmmmmm.... we'll see!

Day 267 of 365: I want to go to the seaside...

2009-06-18T04:14:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Blackpool around dinner time and went for a walk along the promenade. It was windy and cold really (booooo), but we did get to see this fantastic sunset on the water!

Day 266 of 365: I (don't) wanna go to Chelsea...

2009-06-17T23:59:00.001-04:00

Stuart and I went for lunch at the pub here (The Albert) and saw this guy having a drink inside. He explained a little about why he was in red to me, but I didn't go up to the guy. After Stuart went back to work, I went back to the pub to take some photos (it's got some gorgeous Victorian era windows) and the Chelsea Pensioner as they're known was standing in the doorway (having a smoke!) Chelsea Pensioners are former soldiers in the British Army who are retired and live at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea full time. They wear the distinctive red coats (which have a name that I've forgotten!) everywhere. I politely asked if I could take his picture. He seemed more than pleased and was happy to stand and chat with me a few minutes, telling me some stories of when he was in the military and stationed in Palestine! He told me how he was injured by a bomb explosion and lost some hearing and took two years to recover and learn to walk again. Pretty impressive!

Day 265 of 365: Bloomsbury

2009-06-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is a shot near where Charles Dickens lived with his wife and family for a few years in London. It's an absolutely beautiful area of town! I've decided that [when I get that 6 figure paying job] I will live here some day! It's still rather near the British Museum and busier sections of town, but it retains a calm, away-from-it-all feel. It's at the very least a nice place to spend an afternoon strolling about.

Day 264 of 365: Bath time!

2009-06-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

I took a day trip out to Bath today (about 1 1/2 hours outside of London) and had a wander around. I went to the Roman baths first in the morning, then after having a picnic lunch in front of the Abbey, I headed inside. I was just in time for their 1:10 Summer event series. On Mondays, it's a reading from the Bible which lasts about 30 minutes. He read from the book of Acts (chap. 8-10) which was interesting. There wasn't any preaching or praying or anything like that. Just a simple Bible reading, which with the backdrop of the beautiful Abbey was a relaxing few moments of the day.

Day 263 of 365: Sainsbury's!

2009-06-14T23:59:00.001-04:00

Another beautiful day (thank goodness!!) so we walked down to the giganto Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer. Love them! Got some shorts for my beach trip to Spain next week at M&S. Sadly, the big shops all close at 5:00 on Sundays (I know! Crazy! lol), so by the time we got here after doing some shopping at the other shops across the street, it was already 4:30. I definitely think a trip back here is in order. If anything, I want to go inside the gigantic Sainsbury's!

Day 262 of 365: Market day

2009-06-13T23:59:00.002-04:00

We went for a little walk around Tooting since the weather was so nice today. Came across the market in town. I love outdoor markets! I think this is one major thing we are missing in Atlanta. There may be some obscure ones downtown on Saturdays during the summer or something, but a full-time fresh market where you can get local foods would be so welcome.

Day 261 of 365: Four Weddings and a Funeral!

2009-06-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

I went over to the Farringdon area today to visit the St. John Order museum and this church, St. Bartholomew the Great. It dates to Norman times (talking 1050 here!) and this is the view from a side street. It turns out, this church was used in the film Four Weddings and a Funeral! I can't believe I never thought to look up some of those sites (seeing as that is one of my favorite movies that I've seen a bajillion times!!) This was where (as the man inside put it) where Duckface slapped Hugh Grant. I think that's the 3rd wedding? I will definitely have to go back and watch the film again when I get home! I will look up where some of the other sites from the movie are and go find them, too, I guess!

And, uh, not sure why the picture is crooked. The church must be on a hill or something. ;)

Day 260 of 365: More strike fun!

2009-06-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is the packed bus I had to take today due to the strike. It would have been a 15 or 20 minute ride on the tube, but there was a 15 minute wait for the bus, then an hour ride from Victoria to Bank. Oy. I'm just thankful I was one of the first people on and had a seat the whole time. There were long lines at every bus stop and a lot more street traffic in general. It will be nice when things return to normal!

Day 259 of 365: Strike!

2009-06-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

The tube workers are on strike for 48 hours. They started Tuesday evening at 7:00 and are going until 6:58 pm on Thursday. Most lines are completely closed with a few operating between a couple of random stations. I was lucky because the Northern line (where I connect) was running pretty much normally. I was able to take it 2 stops to then catch a regular train into town. I walked the rest of the day (not even attempting to get a bus with the crowds waiting for each one). Traffic in general was busier than normal. Luckily, London's not quite as bad as it would have been if this were Paris. It's certainly been a fun experience!

Day 258 of 365: My buddy Henry VIII

2009-06-09T23:59:00.001-04:00

I spent the afternoon at Hampton Court Palace and there was a reenactment of Henry VIII's and Kateryn Parr's wedding day going on. It was very exciting and well done on their part! The actors wandered around doing various events as if they really were living there. We all just happened to be there, too. It was a lot of fun and really made the visit even more memorable. The actor who played Henry VIII was very friendly and seemed genuinely interested in talking to all the tourists asking for photos with him.

*FYI, if you want to see more about my visit to the Palace, check out my London travel blog here. I will have a post up shortly with more photos.

Day 257 of 365: Oxford Street

2009-06-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

I decided to walk down to Hyde Park and possibly go to Kensington Palace today after lunch. Being in Soho, it's seemingly, not that far of a walk. However, Oxford Street is a constant log jam of people going every which way. It is quite frustrating!

Day 256 of 365: Canals in Birmingham

2009-06-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, it finally became a bit sunny and stopped raining. We took a nice walk around the city and ended up here at the Canal area. I think this was my favorite area of Birmingham. I could see strolling around here on a nice summer evening, then stopping at one of the many bars/restaurants for dinner on the open patio.

Day 255 of 365: The Floozy

2009-06-06T23:59:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, we went to Birmingham to visit some of Stuart's friends. It was pouring rain the whole day, but we still went and saw a few of the sights. Here is the statue of the bathing woman in Victoria Square. The locals call her the Floozy in the Jacuzzi. I have fully embraced that, since saying the word floozy is just so much fun!

Day 254 of 365: Scones and tea

2009-06-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

This tea cafe, Sacred, was recommended to me by someone I met on the street in London. What a great place!! I had a wonderful pot of Japanese green tea and my very first scone with cream and jam. Holy cow. I don't think I'll ever be the same!

Day 253 of 365: Croquet anyone?

2009-06-04T14:08:00.003-04:00

How very posh! Nothing like a bit of afternoon croquet and a spot of tea.... I came across this scene while I was over in Greenwich this afternoon. I saw the Prime Meridian there (pretty cool) and there is a large park at the base of the observatory, oddly enough called Greenwich Park. I'm definitely going to return there some sunny weekend afternoon for a picnic and sun time! Also, I got to ride the DLR train which was nice. It's above ground and takes you right by the docks and stuff. I enjoyed the change of pace this afternoon.

Day 252 of 365: Number 3 Savile Row

2009-06-03T23:59:00.000-04:00

Hidden behind the main drag of Regent Street is Savile Row. If you are Beatles fan, then you know what this place is significant for! If you look up, waaaaay up, to the roof, you might recognize the view. This is where they played their last ever live performance together on January 30, 1969! The building was their Apple offices for a while (until they moved to Abbey Road) which is why they chose to play here. It was cool to be able to stand on the stairs there (yes, I'm one of those fans...) I can't believe I was so close to here all these visits and didn't even think to come see it. The street is very quiet now, but I can only imagine how amazing it was for the shop and office workers to suddenly hear live Beatles music coming from outside! I also passed by the police station from where officers were sent down to stop the noise back in 1969.

Day 251 of 365: Here comes the Sun!

2009-06-02T23:59:00.000-04:00

We had more gorgeous weather today and pretty much everyone was out in the sun to take advantage! I was on my way to the National Gallery and the lure of these chairs was strong. I decided it was more fun to just go ahead and have a little relaxing nap in St. James's Park instead of rushing on to the museum. It was lovely! Of course, at one point, this man comes up to me in my chair asking for money. I told him I was sleeping and to go away. Um, it turned out he's the chair fee collecting man! Oops! I'm sure he's heard it all the time anyway. He didn't seem phased.

Day 250 of 365: Westminster

2009-06-01T23:59:00.002-04:00

So, it's my first day in London with absolutely no plans. I passed by Westminster and figured I may as well go ahead in and visit it finally. It's quite expensive (£15!!) which is why I've never done it before. However, I'd already decided I'd go at some point on this trip. It was very well organized- we got free listening guides at the door which were narrated by Jeremy Irons. That was funny! The map was clearly marked with each location's number which corresponded to the commentary on the audio guide. It was very interesting. I have to say, my favorite part was Poet's Corner where all the writers are buried or memorialized. I'm glad I went in finally. I wish it had been a tad less expensive, but I suppose it was worth it in the end.

Day 249 of 365: Jet!

2009-05-31T23:59:00.001-04:00

This is the plane I rode from Chicago to Shannon (Ireland) to Dublin. We had a stopover in Shannon to let about one third of the passengers off. Unfortunately, two others decided to leave as well. The flight attendants were repeatedly doing head counts and discovered them missing. For security reasons (since their luggage was still on the plane), they had to be located and brought back. Luckily they were! Sitting inside the plane for an hour waiting to take off again was stressful.

I love the plane, though. Notice the little clover painted onto the side of the plane. :) I felt like one of the Beatles deplaning like this. Fun!

Day 248 of 365: Ready, Steady...

2009-05-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

So here are the bags, all packed and ready to go! They aren't completely full, leaving me some souvenir room and to help with the weight. It ended up being a problem going from Dublin to London on BMI because they have a 20kg limit (combined) and I had 25kg. That woman wanted to charge me 11 euros per kilo over! I was able to get everything through without charge, but certainly not without quite an attitude on her part. Geesh.

Oh, and I just have to show you how super cool the inside of the bags looks:

I *heart* organized travelling!!

Day 247 of 365: The Forum and a Farewell

2009-05-29T23:58:00.002-04:00

Tonight, my family and I went out for Mexican at a local restaurant since I'll be leaving tomorrow for two months! I knew I'd probably have a Mexican food craving pretty soon, so I figured it would be smart to go ahead and have some before I left. When we came outside after dinner, the weather was so nice and cool with a bit of a breeze, we all went for a walk around the forum (sort of an outdoor mall which is very pedestrian friendly). We came across this hidden little alley and I thought it'd make a cute photo! My dad is peeking out from behind the obelisk (he was hoping to hide and not be in the photo!) and my sister and mom are in the front. It was a nice evening out and a fun diversion from all the frantic trip preparation and packing!

Day 246 of 365: Hellooooo trailer park life :(

2009-05-28T17:35:00.003-04:00

So here's where I will be spending next school year. Quite sad and drab compared to my old room. :( I might have to work on that when I set up class for next year!! Oh, and all those boxes in the photo? They belong to the teacher who was there before me. She left them for the custodian to move for her (I did all my own moving, since they have enough to do!) My stuff is all safely inside the closets.

Oh, and remember my fabulous "wall o' windows"? Here's my new tiny window view. It looks out to the dumpster behind the cafeteria. :(

Day 245 of 365: Bye bye my beautiful classroom inside :(

2009-05-27T22:00:00.003-04:00

So, I'm 98% packed and moved to the new room/trailer. I'm going to miss my butterfly bushes in the fall and the general beautiful window view with sunshine coming in to the room in the morning! I've been assured that I am really going to prefer being in the trailer. We shall see....

Day 244 of 365: Fricking fracking sinus infection!

2009-05-26T21:43:00.003-04:00

More hot tea. And I'm almost out of kleenex. I'm so over being sick. I would be happy at this point to stop the constant sneezing. And the coughing. I really hope I am better by Friday! I leave Saturday morning and can't be feeling like this on a plane.

Day 243 of 365: Memorial Day

2009-05-25T20:41:00.005-04:00

Today is Memorial Day where we all remember and honor the soldiers who fought for the country and lost their lives. The traditional thing to do in most towns is to set up roadside crosses with the names of local soldiers and the war they served in, along with American flags. I'm not an overly patriotic person, but I do think that this is a wonderful and striking tradition. They've been up since Friday and I knew I had to make sure I photographed it for the blog today.

Day 242 of 365: Ooh! Crunchy! :)

2009-05-24T23:24:00.004-04:00

I know.. I'm forever taking photos of my food, but this is one fine looking salad! And it was delicious, too!

It contains: watercress, sliced braeburn apple, cheery tomatoes, red onion, walnuts, goat cheese crumbles, salt and pepper and lemon juice and olive oil for dressing.

Looking forward to having another one tomorrow. I've got just enough watercress for another salad. It will go great alongside my falafel burger!! mmmmmmm.........

Day 241 of 365: Home Sweet Home

2009-05-23T22:09:00.002-04:00

I went to get my hair cut/colored today (looks fabu!) and stopped by the house afterwards. Mom had made my favorite macaroni and cheese for lunch! I wasn't expecting lunch but it was quite welcome. Mmmmmm.

On the way home, I got stopped by a cop (speeding! Oooops!) and I totally forgot to get a picture!! I keep envisioning a picture of the lights in my rear view mirror (after we're stopped of course! Not that I'd be evading police to take a photo!) Oh well.. next time?? Oh, and he let me off with a warning! PHEW!!! I fessed up that I knew I was speeding and going about 50-55. I honestly thought it was a 45 zone. Apparently that stretch of road is 35. Eeps. Now I know!

Day 240 of 365: So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good bye!

2009-05-22T20:51:00.002-04:00

Today was the last day of school for the year! Wooooo! We have a yearly tradition where all the teachers follow the students out to the buses and wave as they drive away. The kids wave back from inside the bus (shouting bye to their teachers out the bus windows as they wait!) and the bus drivers all honk the horns as they drive away! It might seem a little corny, but I think it's really nice! I mean, yeah, I'm also thinking "byyyyyyyyye! woohoo!" but it's sweet. If I were a student I'd be touched!

Day 239 of 365: Wake me up before you go go..

2009-05-21T22:15:00.002-04:00

So I had to do exactly what I always say is lame- go to Starbucks and buy my morning coffee! But I was desperate... I was out of coffee. And after yesterday's half strength watery mess, I couldn't go without! I was planning on going to Publix after to pick up something for lunch. However, I noticed (while waiting in the long line!) that there were pre-made egg salad sandwiches and fruit and cheese plates. So, I grabbed one of each and after paying WAY too much for items I could prepare at home for a fraction of the price, I was on my way... Oh well. I don't do it but maybe once per year, so I don't feel too hypocritical. I now have coffee at home (and creamer and fruit and cheese!) so I'm all set for tomorrow, to drive by and wag my finger at all the poor suckers wasting gas waiting in an 8 car long line in the drive through for coffee they could have made at home in less time! [I went inside to get my order today, I should point out!]

Oh, and a funny coincidence. One of my neighbors was in line in front of me, but we've never met. I heard his accent and had to ask (of course). Turns out he's the Austrian guy Beth and Ian have told me about. When I asked if he's Andreas he gave me a funny look and said "yes". I told him how I knew his name and said it wasn't because he's become famous or anything! He seemed freaked out. Oh well...

Day 238 of 365: Ooh! Shiny!!

2009-05-20T22:10:00.002-04:00

Ok, just more proof how awesome my new camera's macro setting is!! I got this bracelet last week at H&M and am saving it for my trip! I love the design on it. Funnily enough, I noticed it on a co-worker at school yesterday! She's pretty stylish, so I felt justified in my purchase.

Oh, and did you notice you can see me taking this photo in the reflection on the bracelet?

Day 237 of 365: Margarita time!

2009-05-19T23:46:00.004-04:00

I should have taken a photo when it was full, but the thought hit me too late! I met Dodge- the tutoree- at Frontera today instead of Starbucks. It was purely a social meeting with margaritas and no lesson! Mmmmm... turned out the timing was perfect. It was just one of those days where a margarita can make it all go away! We got the top shelf version on ice with salt. They are handmade and you could definitely taste the grand marnier and orange juice. Yummo!

Day 236 of 365: Good actual morning!

2009-05-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

Now that Spring is here and the days are getting longer, this is the light I see coming through my window at 6:15 in the morning. I love this curtain since it diffuses the light just right. Not a bad way to wake up (though I'd rather not have to get up and get ready for work!!)

Day 235 of 365: Anxious

2009-05-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Ok, so despite my recent procrastination regarding my blog, I am uber-prepared when it comes to packing! I've been setting stuff out as I think of it for a few weeks now. I just hope it all fits when it comes to actually packing them next week!

Day 234 of 365: Pizza- again!

2009-05-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here's my latest creation. I realized after I took this that I've already shown you my pizza but this one is so beautiful! I pre-cooked the store-bought dough a little before adding toppings. I hate soggy crust! Unfortunately, the edges where there were no toppings got burnt. Oh well, the rest of it was delicious!!

Day 233 of 365: Olympics part 2

2009-05-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

Today was the 8th grade's turn to have Olympics. So, during the time I'd normally have them in class, I had to go to the gym to watch them instead. It was fun. Here, they're playing a game called Pin Guard. They are in teams of like 15 to start and they have to guard the golden pin from being hit by the other team. Both teams are throwing rubber balls at each other dodge ball style. Any player that gets hit by a ball is out. Obviously the objective is to hit the pin first and/or get rid of as many of their players as possible since then the pin would be left open to be hit!

Day 232 of 365: Really.. I tried!

2009-05-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

I tried to get up to run this morning. I set the alarm for 5:15 and pressed sleep several times. I took this photo when I was actually awake enough to think to go get my camera and take a photo for the blog! It's hockey's fault- keeping me up too late at night!

Day 231 of 365: Let's go GREECE!

2009-05-13T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is a panoramic shot of the 7th grade students all decked out in their Olympics shirts! We do field days each year by grade level. Each grade is divided into countries who then also compete against each other. This year the teams are (from left to right) Greece in blue, Sweden in yellow, Japan in red and Brazil in green.

At one point during the basketball games, Greece started cheering for Japan because they were in 3rd place and the students thought they could use it! How sportsmanlike, right?? :)

Day 230 of 365: Stupid work!

2009-05-12T23:59:00.000-04:00

Look at this beautiful sunshine and blue sky!! And I'm stuck in my car working! Grf. I would rather go for a run on days like this!!

Day 229 of 365: H&M!!

2009-05-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few of the new things I've bought recently at H&M and Kohls (giftcard!) for the trip. I laid out a few outfits to see how things went together. I'm very excited about how cute some of them look!

Day 228 of 365: Evening light

2009-05-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

It's been such lovely weather that I've been able to turn off the air conditioning and open up the windows and balcony door. It looked a little darker, but my camera really came through and captured the remaining light of the evening!

Day 227 of 365: Macro gone wild!

2009-05-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

It's awesome!! The lens was maybe a centimeter away from the keyboard when I took this with brand new camera!! Woo! It's a Canon Powershot SX110IS. Basically it's an upgrade in features and megapixels from my other Canon, but smaller with a bigger screen! There are a couple things I miss- mainly the moveable screen so I can flip it around for self portraits. But, I think the fact that it's a 9 megapixel vs. 5 mega pixel camera will make up for that!

Day 226 of 365: How'd that get here??

2009-05-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

I swear.. I know nothing about how this got into my bag and home to my apartment.... but hey! Who cares, right?? It will be enjoyed just the same. ;)

Day 225 of 365: Lookie what I bought!!

2009-05-07T23:59:00.000-04:00

I took this self portrait with my new cell phone using a mirror in my classroom to compose the shot! This is one of the (reasonably priced!) spoils I got last night at Shecky's. It's solid silver of course. It's hard to see in this photo because of the poor color quality, but I think it's really pretty! It will definitely be in my luggage to wear in England this summer.

Day 224 of 365: Shecky's

2009-05-06T23:59:00.000-04:00

Spent the evening with my sister Mandy and friend Cathy at Shecky's- a sort of Girls' Night Out shopping event. On top of all the great vendors (the women you see behind them are checking out some stuff!), there are bags with free samples and free drinks all night! Needless to say, they are actually holding each other up in this photo. Oh, and I swear I can see something poking out of Cathy's bag there... ;)

Day 223 of 365: Meds

2009-05-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

Well, since I went to the doctor in March for my sinus infections, he's had me on a lonnnnnnng course of Cipro and daily Allegra. The thing is, the pharmacy keeps doing partial refills and I have to keep returning, so I've ended up with all these medicine bottles all over my apartment (I just threw 3 away!) I'd recycle the buggers, but they have all my personal information firmly affixed to the sides so I just throw them away. I'm gonna be glad when I'm done with the Cipro especially!

day 222 of 365: Piles (sort of like Holes??)

2009-05-04T23:59:00.000-04:00

Combination of laundry that was air drying and clothes I've worn recently. It just piles us after a few days when I get lazy about putting it away! I never learn that it would just be easier to put it up each day instead!

Day 221 of 365: Meet John Caleb

2009-05-03T23:59:00.005-04:00

I got to hold the baby!! This is John Caleb, my friend Ashley's (first) baby! He is soooooo sweet. He didn't cry at all the whole time I was there- until the last 5 minutes when I passed him back to mama to take this photo!!! D'oh! In the end, I think this shot is very sweet. Ashley is a natural mother! And she's totally back in pre-pregnancy shape only 7 weeks after giving birth!

Day 220 of 365: Quelle heure est-il?

2009-05-02T23:59:00.001-04:00

So after a comment from *someone* and also the fact that I was tired of wearing my running watch all the time (stylish as it was!) I finally broke down and bought myself a new watch today. Unfortunately, it's HUGE. I swear it is a women's watch!! Luckily, Target will resize their own stuff for free. As soon as I have a chance to get back up there, I will get it resized! Nice, isn't it? :)

Day 219 of 365: Free time

2009-05-01T23:59:00.000-04:00

Normally I'd have a classroom full of eighth graders at this time, but they were gone to Six Flags for the annual "science and math" field trip. I put that in quotations, because I suspect they do very little actual science or math at the park. Oh well. I was happy to have a little down time on a Friday afternoon.

Day 218 of 365: Back up

2009-04-30T23:59:00.000-04:00

I've been downloading so much lately, that my laptop was getting full. Luckily I've got a 250gb external hard drive where I can store all my watched shows! Thing is, it's already half full, too!

Day 217 of 365: Sibling love!

2009-04-29T23:59:00.000-04:00

Self portrait with my brother Mike and sister Mandy in the parking lot of the restaurant/bar we met at for dinner. We were all a little bit tipsy, but Mandy had especially enjoyed her beers! Luckily Mikey was there and could drive them to the concert they were going to right after dinner. It was a lot of fun to have sibling only time! We haven't done this in a long time. Hopefully we'll have more chances to meet up this autumn.

Day 216 of 365: Kicking around :)

2009-04-28T23:59:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this is cheating on so many levels.. but nevermind (since I've already broken the purist 365 rules already... ) But, I met up with Amy (NHAmyinBoston), Heather and Angeline (who sadly had turned around!) while Amy was in town for a few days! I think she was doing one last hurrah vacation since as of May 18th, she's in the army now! We had a fun time having a drink and some convo!

Day 215 of 365: It's Willow time!

2009-04-27T23:59:00.000-04:00

Not sure why she looks pink, but either way I love the little expression on her face here! She was so wiggly that most of the shots came out blurry. Something must have caught her attention for a second and she paused out of curiosity! Mikey, Brandy and Willow all came down for a visit while Mikey and Mandy went to the back-to-back Dave Matthews' concerts. We met up for dinner and I got to spend some time with my niece!! Oh and she's 6 months old today!!

Day 214 of 365: Bebecita!

2009-04-25T23:23:00.004-04:00

I went to my friend Lina's baby shower this afternoon. This is a closeup of her cute, cute cake! :)
She's got 2 little boys and now is finally having a girl!

In addition to having fun at the shower for her, I got to see some former colleagues from my old, old school- Pebblebrook! I hadn't seen Carol or MaryAnn in 4 years since I'd left! No one had changed. In addition, I got to see Pilar and Lina (and their respective little boys) for the first time in 2 years! Yoiks! How did time pass so quickly??? All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon/evening.

Day 213 of 365: Tiles

2009-04-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is a small selection of the tiles that line a semi circle brick wall outside behind the flag pole. They were made by students of the school I work at. I *think* they were made the year the school opened, but I'm not sure. There are quite a variety of tiles and I think it's cool to see what touches the kids and how they see the school! Notice the smiley face in the top left! At least this one doesn't look creepy! Haha!

Day 212 of 365: I've made it!

2009-04-23T23:59:00.000-04:00

I'm an official pledge member of the Taco Mac Passport club. Basically, they give you a (free) card to keep track of all the beers you drink. At certain levels, you get rewards. I've got 29 beers now (I should have more, but couldn't find the card for about a year!) I was reading the information sheet they have at the bar Thursday night (I'd gone back to get a second Yuengling glass so I'd have a set!) and it turns out I was supposed to get a free t-shirt 16 beers ago. So here it is. Not sure where I'm going to wear it- maybe just to sleep in?? But hey! It was free! The next level (50 beers) I get a $10 Taco Mac gift card. That's infinitely more useful!

Day 211 of 365: Light through my window

2009-04-22T23:59:00.000-04:00

This photo was kind of rushed since I was actually walking out the door to work right then. However this is the early morning sunlight streaming through my living room windows. It makes me happy to have sunshine! Oh, and the photo is not out of focus, that's just the way the blinds are reflecting on the wall. Bring on the nice weather!!

Day 210 of 365: Contracts

2009-04-21T23:59:00.000-04:00

So it's official. I'm legally bound to return to school next year. On one hand, I'm grateful that I've not had to worry about having a job (there are many teachers losing their jobs, contrary to the popular misconception that teachers are secure). However, this officially means that my original plan of moving over to London this year is not going to happen (unless I choose to break my contract and probably burn some bridges in the process). I know that I've just got to have patience! It will all happen exactly how and WHEN it should. But I'm very impatient and am ready for it to happen YESTERDAY!

Day 209 of 365: Life is like..

2009-04-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

... a box of Swiss chocolates! Heh. I went to my friend Marcel's house for dinner tonight and his aunt and nephew from Switzerland were visiting. She made a fantastic mushroom/cream sauce on fettuccine with salad and then fresh fruit for dessert. I had a fun time catching up with them (I'd met them last year) and of course seeing Marcel and his new house! At the end, he gave me this box of Nestle Swiss chocolates. They are dark chocolate squares and are absolutely divine!! I'm only able to eat 2 or so at a time. I'm definitely hooked, though, and quite happy I don't have to share them with anyone!!

Day 208 of 365: Cheese to the power of 100

2009-04-19T23:59:00.000-04:00

Here's the close up of the smiley shirts we all have to wear at work during the CRCT testing. Two days down, three to go... Yellow just really isn't my color! At least I get to wear jeans everyday....

Day 207 of 365: One ringy dingy....

2009-04-18T23:59:00.000-04:00

This is my new phone! Yea!! It has loads of cool features (including a touch screen menu on the front part of the flip that you see there) and even a 2gb mini disc in it to save photos, etc on! I'm so glad I won't have to keep deleting every text since I only have space for one on the old phone. The flip joint also broke and I could see the wires inside. I figured it'd be best to go ahead and upgrade while I could still retrieve my information on the old phone. And for about an hour, I seriously was considering getting the iphone since they had a deal going. But in the end, I made the wise decision (financially) to go for this Nokia. I'm happy. It does what I need it to. Plus I have my ipod touch that does everything else!

Day 206 of 365: Yuengling night!!

2009-04-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Nothing like some hockey playoffs and Yuengling on a Friday night!! And I got to use my new glass I got at Taco Mac last week. Woo! I swear it actually tastes just a little bit better out of the glass. ;)

Day 205 of 365: I see YOU!

2009-04-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

This creepy, winking smiley seems to be saying "I see you little girl. Come get in my creepy van and have some candy!" In reality, it's on a camping style chair set in the rotunda of school to encourage the students to do their "best on the test" during CRCTs (state mandated standardized tests). In fact, there are smileys all over the school- hanging signs on each hallway, stuffed smileys and smiley rugs in the hall ways, and best of all- every teacher and staff member is wearing yellow shirts with smileys and "Do your best on the test" in huge letters on the front. Yippee!

Day 204 of 365: Don't fear the Taxman

2009-04-15T23:58:00.003-04:00

I e-filed my taxes this year at the last minute (even paid the $20 for State e-filing. Grf.) I got my metered stamps showing I'm mailing the payment as of 4/15/09. I love sending more money to the government.

Day 203 of 365: Punchbug red!

2009-04-14T23:53:00.000-04:00

I recently revived this old game with a friend who had never played before. There had been two Beetles one behind the other, but one turned off right before I could take the photo! They are cute little cars.

Day 202 of 365: Back to reality

2009-04-13T22:37:00.004-04:00

Great way to start a Monday morning back to work after essentially 2 weeks off. Bleh.

Day 201 of 365: Spring (salad)

2009-04-12T22:43:00.002-04:00

Reason number 1 that I LOVE springtime!!!! Fresh salads every day!!!!! If you're curious: spring mix, chopped artichoke hearts (in water), carrots, sliced red pear, sun dried tomatoes in oil, squeeze of lemon, olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of goat cheese on top!

I'm baaaaaack!

2009-04-12T22:40:00.002-04:00

Hey folks! I've been soooo soo busy the past weeks that the blog just had to get put aside for a bit. I've taken some photos which I will upload here tomorrow as a sort of catch up in one post so you can at least see I hadn't totally forgotten. I just don' t have photos for each day, so I'm not going to bother to try to catch up for all the missed days. I'm just continuing from here! It's my 365 so I guess I can bend the rules when necessary! :)

3/17/09: Sunrise out back porch.

3/20/09: First day of Spring celebration- free Italian ice at Rita's!! (I had raspberry and mango- yummo!)

3/21/09: Kittye and her daughter Katie! Fun girls night out at Taco Mac. Go Wildcats!!!

3/28/09: Bib number for Georgia ING Half Marathon the next morning! My obsessive need to be prepared for races the night before.

3/29/09: Finisher's medal from the race. The little city scape that says "finishers" spins all the way around, too! Fun!

3/31/09: Went to the Georgia Aquarium. It claims to be the world's largest aquarium and opened in 2005. This was my first time going. Nothing like out of town visitors to get you to see your own city!

4/1/09: Blooming tree (I think it's a cherry tree) outside the High Museum in Atlanta. Went to see the Chinese Terracotta Army exhibit. It was fantastic, as was the beautiful spring weather!!

4/5/09: Giant guitar hanging outside Sun Studio in Memphis! Well worth a visit!! I loved being inside the studio where Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, U2, and even Elvis recorded!! You could just feel the music oozing from the walls. If they could talk....

4/6/09: Blue Plate Cafe where we had breakfast both mornings in Memphis. Southern diner feel, but really good, high quality food!!

4/7/09: Chattanooga Choo Choo! It really exists! :)

4/10/09: Watch out Toto!! We had major thunderstorms and tornadoes in Georgia just 3 days after there was snow. Must be springtime in Georgia....

Day 200 of 365: Joyeux Anniversaire Maman!

2009-03-14T21:42:00.000-04:00

We celebrated my mom's birthday today by going to my favorite French restaurant in Atlanta! This Citroen 2CV is outside the front door. I love this car! Despite the grey rainy day, it just really reminds me of France. :)

Day 199 of 365: Help!

2009-03-13T23:06:00.004-04:00

So I went back to the doctor today since I was feeling worse. (See last night's wine experiment which did NOT work unfortunately.) The doctor I had today was much better. It seemed he actually gave a carp and listened to what I was saying. He prescribed a zPack and nasonex for me. He even suggested I get a shot of steroids to jump start the recovery! It was a shot in my ass and it was kinda achy after, but I've been lifting 50 pound weights all afternoon with my left butt cheek! :D I do feel a little better. The oncoming sinus infection seems to have bit the dust. It's mainly just the coughing. I think I'll have to sleep sitting up again, though. As long as I can sleep, I'll be happy!

Day 198 of 365: More whine, please

2009-03-12T22:31:00.002-04:00

Everyone seems to think a little alkeehol will help with the sore throat. So far, I'm not convinced. I did get to enjoy 3 glasses of wine tonight, though. It was all in the interest of science, mind! I'll report more conclusive results tomorrow, I hope.

Day 197 of 365: New tunes

2009-03-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

I had fun tonight uploading CDs to my itunes to transfer to my new ipod. I should be able to enjoy them at school Friday, since it's a teacher workday. Woo! Dancing in the classroom!

Day 196 of 365: Zen perfection?

2009-03-10T23:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, I think a clean kitchen (especially the next morning!!) is as close to zen perfection as I can get these days! *sigh* :)

Day 195 of 365: Giving in..

2009-03-09T21:57:00.003-04:00

I've had a nasty sore throat and clogged ears and nose since last Friday. I finally gave in and went to see the doctor. Bleh. Waited about 30 minutes and they did a rapid strep test. The doctor came in and said the test was negative and basically I've got a cold and there's nothing I can do. Booooooooo. He said I should be "turning a corner" in a couple of days or so. Doesn't he realize I have a half marathon in 2 1/2 weeks?? I need to run! I can't be sick any longer. Grf.

Day 194 of 365: Semi-homemade

2009-03-08T22:34:00.004-04:00

I was in the supermarket today and suddenly became inspired to make pizza. I used pre-made dough and sauce, but put the rest together myself- olives, onion, yellow pepper and fake pepperoni. I used 6 cheese Italian blend cheese and sprinkled Italian herbs on top after cooking. Yummy! I have enough for another meal later in the week, too. I'm already looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

Day 193 of 365: Amazon is Amazin'!

2009-03-07T23:59:00.000-05:00

I ordered these on Tuesday maybe? They shipped Wednesday and arrived Saturday!! Woot! I used the free super saver shipping option, too (supposedly the slow boat shipping). I'm very impressed and of course ecstatic to have my new stuff! The book looks good so far and the ipod case is working very well! Looks sharp.

Day 192 of 365: The big city!!

2009-03-06T23:59:00.002-05:00

I was downtown for a French teachers' conference and walked a few blocks to lunch. Not only was it such a beautiful day, I got to be outside! In the city! Having a proper lunch like normal people do!!! I passed this church along the way. I only wish I could work in a city all the time. School can feel like prison sometimes when I don't even get to leave my classroom most of the day. I had a great time!!! Refreshing change of pace to be sure. :)

Day 191 of 365: You say it's your birthday!

2009-03-05T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is a close up of my door at school. The students wrapped my door as a "surprise" for my birthday (they've been telling me they would do it for weeks now! lol) Can you see the mini Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower stickers? There were also Mona Lisa and French flags and stuff. It was very sweet!!

Day 190 of 365: Flogging Molly

2009-03-04T23:59:00.001-05:00

I bought Flogging Molly tickets for Mandy for Christmas and today was the show! I didn't really know much about their music except that it was supposedly "Irish" and "Punk". Well, I have to say, it was a fun show! I liked it even more than I thought I would. This is the lead singer doing a solo acoustic song. I definitely need to get a copy of some of their songs. I hope to go back to another show some day.

Day 189 of 365: Electric Slide

2009-03-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

We had a lunch time Lighthouse schools (sort of like School of Excellence) celebration for the students, where they got an extra 30 minutes at lunch to go into the gym where there was a mini dance going on, DJ and all! Well, the DJ decided to do a dance off between the teachers vs. the students. The song? Electric slide! The teachers got up on stage (not me of course!!) and immediately had the kids beat! The students were tripping over their feet while the teachers were instantly in sync showing off their dance moves! It was a nice treat for everyone, I think. The teachers were definitely getting down!

day 188 of 365: Lo-lo-lo-lo- Lole

2009-03-02T22:18:00.002-05:00

I had planned on taking a photo of the beautiful "snow day" we had today (no snow to be seen once I got out and about this afternoon...) but I was already on my way to work when I tried to take the photo and the camera reminded me I'd forgotten to replace the memory card. Ah well. I got this new shirt at the shop tonight however (woot for employee discount!) It's a bit wrinkled from being folded up in the bag, but you get the idea. It's so cute and I can't wait till it's warm again! I have several skirts it will look so cute with! Lole is the cute, casual line we carry in the shop. I love their clothes and am already eyeing a couple of other pieces. I have to act quickly because the normal person sizes sell out quickly.

And yes, this was taken in my bathroom. No judging please! It was just the one place I could hang the shirt to take the photo!

Day 187 of 365: Snow, Snow, Everywhere Snow!

2009-03-01T20:50:00.003-05:00

Yep, this is really from today, here in Georgia!! I didn't go to Canada or anything!! These are the trees behind the parking lot here at my apartment complex. The snow was coming down very heavy and in huge flakes. There was even some "thunder snow"- basically I saw a flash of lightening and heard a bunch of thunder! It was cool considering you don't normally hear thunder while it's snowing.

The snow mainly was sticking on the grassy areas and not on the pavement. However, since it is very wet with lots of puddles all around, and it's supposed to drop down into the 20s, we're hoping it will freeze on the roads and we won't have school tomorrow! I think this is our last chance!! Cross your fingers! :)

Day 186 of 365: Mama's got a brand new ipod!

2009-02-28T23:57:00.002-05:00

I've only had it for a few hours, and already I'm totally in love! It's so fun. I'm going to be very selective about apps I add. I've done the facebook app and activated the nike+ that is included! I already synched it to my current sensor! Woohoo! I uploaded a few photos (from Europe last year) and the good music I have on my current laptop. I guess I will work on uploading more later. Totally worth the 4 hours of tutoring. :)

Day 185 of 365: Black Friday

2009-02-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

Yeah, so I didn't take any photos on Friday. It was one of those days. I got home and had some dinner and beer and watched tv and fell asleep early on the couch. Oh well. I coulda fudged something, but it didn't really seem worth it. Oh well.

Day 184 of 365: Cup of soup

2009-02-26T23:47:00.000-05:00

The mom of one of the kids I tutor generously gave me these bags of homemade soup. They smell fantastic. Unfortunately they have meat in them, so I cannot partake. I've put them in the freezer to save for my sister. She says she'll come by this weekend to pick them up. We'll see about that I suppose!

Day 183 of 365: Half way!

2009-02-25T22:36:00.004-05:00

This is where I spent 2 hours of my afternoon on a so-called "early release" day from school. Basically all it means is we have several classes as normal, kids get to go home early (when it still feels like we had a whole school day!), then we teachers get forced to sit through 4+ hours of meetings. At one point I thought I might scream out loud. I felt about how that tree looks in the photo. We've got one more of these days this year!! Thank goodness.

On another note, I just would like to point out that I've officially reached and surpassed the halfway mark in my 365 blog! Some days were definitely better than others, but I am happy that I haven't given up on this blog. Hopefully, there are many more random photographic snapshots of my life to come! Maybe some will even be interesting! ;)

Day 182 of 365: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

2009-02-24T21:04:00.002-05:00

Just a small sampling of the authentic Mardi Gras beads I've got hanging around. My friend Tiffanie gave them to me last year after Mardi Gras. They lived in my car trunk until about a week ago when I finally dragged them inside my classroom. We made masks to celebrate in class, today, and I threw out beads to the kids who had their finished masks at the end of class! They seemed to enjoy it and so did I! Maybe next year I will apply to work on a float throwing out beads. Heh. Oh, and what shall I name the little dragon I found hidden in amongst all the beads? Isn't he cute??

Day 181 of 365: $%^@&#!!!

2009-02-23T19:49:00.002-05:00

Yet another interruption to my classes!!!! Grrrf. I just found out today that I have to give some math competition test in my class tomorrow (once during second and once during eighth period). Not only that, but I have to grade them and organize them by highest to lowest score! Tell me why I'm doing this in my French class again? I am working on a plan to randomly take various French students out of their math classes over a series of days for no reason. Bwahahaha!

Day 180 of 365: Dedication

2009-02-22T19:38:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite books and gifts I've ever received. My Beatles friend MaryRuth gave this to me way back in 1995. I had no idea when I would finally be able to get to go to London, but I knew I had to bring this when I did. I've now been able to use it 4 times. I was talking about it to someone (hi Patty!) tonight and I started getting excited about using it again this summer! Though, I'm tempted to buy the updated version. I might see if I can find it at the bookstore and compare it to my version. I'm definitely going to methodically work on seeing as many Beatles' sites as possible this year, though. Hee!

Day 179 of 365: Free!

2009-02-21T23:59:00.000-05:00

These are my new Pumas! I love them! Very cushy and comfortable. I got them from the running shop on Friday. Puma is introducing some new models and gave several pairs for the employees to try out. And I got a pair! Yippee! :)

Oh, and I love this little detail on the inner shoe liner:

"Pre-release edition" Fun!!

Day 178 of 365: Ouch!

2009-02-20T21:34:00.003-05:00

Please no judging the poor state of my winter/runner's foot!! The bruise on my big toe is from the other day! I dropped a metal mixing bowl on it and it hurt like a mo'fo'. I was on the phone with my sister and making dinner, so I just shook it off and went on. Well, this morning, I looked down and lo and behold- a bonafide bruise! Luckily, it hasn't hurt any since the initial impact. Looks yucky, though. I haven't run with it yet, and I'm doing a 10K in the morning. I hope it doesn't hurt when I run.

Day 177 of 365: Be mine

2009-02-19T22:11:00.002-05:00

This is a close up of some of the decorations in the faculty mail room at school. The guys always decorate and bring in a special brunch for the ladies at work on Valentine's day. There's even a made to order pancake station run by the male assistant principal. He even special delivered with my pancake! Very fun! In return, the ladies always treat the guys on St. Patrick's Day.

These flowers were way up above the cabinets on the side wall. I didn't even notice them until today! What a special detail! In addition, famous quotes about love were posted all over the walls and doors. I am attempting to read them all. :)

Day 176 of 365: Oh baby baby (push it!)

2009-02-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is my friend Ashley. We gave her a baby shower at work today. It's her first (a boy!) and she is so excited! It's been great fun watching her go through this. I have to admit that I'm jealous- she's doesn't have to come back to work next year. I'm still working on my plan for being a stay at home mom without the kids! Heh.

Day 175 of 365: Something new

2009-02-17T23:59:00.000-05:00

Yum. And they go great with muenster cheese.

Day 174 of 365: Clean up time!

2009-02-16T22:40:00.002-05:00

This is how I spent the majority of my "day off"- deep cleaning my fridge. It looks pretty damn good, though (if I say so myself). It is very calming to open and look into the nicely organized shelves now! I vow to keep it like this! I will! I need to have a strict rule with leftovers-
48 hours to eat them or they are trash. I also need to stop buying so much salsa. I swear there were 10 half-used jars. Crazy.

Day 173 of 365: Se habla espanol?

2009-02-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

Honestly, I didn't fly to Mexico for the day or anything. This is one of many signs along Jimmy Carter Blvd a few miles from my parents' house where I grew up. Pretty much the whole area there is Hispanic so of course, the businesses are catering to the clientele! If you go a few miles more then turn left, it all turns to Vietnamese instead. There are some really good noodle places around there!

Day 172 of 365: Addiction

2009-02-14T23:32:00.002-05:00

Just the beginning of my list of shows... I need to clear out some of the ones I've now downloaded on my computer. And no judgment on anything I've chosen to watch! lol Ghost Whisperer is a quality show!