Two-for-one!

Hello! I have to blog about the newest book, or actually bookS that I've just finished. A friend recommended "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins to me, and since she's a librarian, I figured she should know what she's talking about. AND SHE DID!! It took me a while to get into the first one, but once I did- I could not stop!! I finished the first book on Thursday night at about 2 in the morning cause I COULD NOT STOP READING!! On Saturday, I took Bobby out for his annual birthday meal and movie celebration. We went to Olive Garden for lunch, per his request. Then went and saw Percy Jackson & The Olympians. It was a fun afternoon, we tried to remember all the other movies that we've seen each year, but considering I take him to the movies more than just that one time a year, it wasn't easy. It's weird sometimes sitting in the movie theatre with him. I remember that first year I took him to the movies and he had to sit on the edge of the seat so that it didn't fold up on him. I think he was like 4 that first time. I also took him to the mall that first time and bought him a CD, he picked out New Kids on the Block!! Proof that from an early age, I've had an unfortunate influence on him! HAHAHA!! Anyways, after the movie, I took him to Barnes & Noble so we could get the rest of the books in the Percy Jackson series, along with the second book in the Hunger games series and a few others. I even let him pick something out. So I started reading "Catching Fire," the second book in the series, while waiting for Bobby's basketball game to start that afternoon and I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I ended up finishing it Sunday around Midnight cause I couldn't put it down. If I hadn't gone out with a friend Saturday night, I probably would have finished it sooner. ANYWAYS- IT'S REALLY GOOD! I'm not going to tell you what it's about, because that's one of the reasons I couldn't put it down, cause I was trying to figure out what they were talking about, or what would happen next. But if anyone has read it, and would like to discuss it, or is reading it and would like to discuss it! I would be GLAD TO DISCUSS IT WITH YOU! So now, I'm on to read the second book in Percy Jackson's series. I'll get back to you when I finish that one.
OH AND SOME MORE EXCITING NEWS- WE'RE GOING ON A CRUISE TO ALASKA!!! I'm so stoked!! Mom and dad have been talking about going but I thought they would be going in the middle of the summer, and there's no way I would miss a whole week, or more, of girl scout camp. So when they decided on one that would allow me to miss only two days (including staff party) of camp, well I tried to act like it was a hard decision, but ultimately- it wasn't!! So I made it official!! I decided that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and had to go for it! So expect a picture blog in August. We're cruising on Holland cruise ships, taking the inside passage, to include Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C., leaving to and from Seattle, Washington. We'll even be on the ship for dad's 60th Birthday!! I'm sure he's not too happy that I just put that, sorry dad, but IT'S EXCITING!! Plus it's just like a week after my 26th birthday!! I'm currently deciding if I want to buy a new digital camera before we go. I have my iPhone, but what happens if I run out of room? So if anyone has any insight on this, or suggestions for an affordable but better-than-decent camera, bring 'em on.
Well, I decided to order an intense workout series. I ordered Power 90, it's by the same guy who did P90X, but this is more of a beginner's version, or just not the expert version... It just came in the mail yesterday so I haven't had a chance to start it yet, but I also am going to take those awful Before and After pictures, not that anyone besides ME will ever see them, I just think it will be cool to see the difference. It's one of those programs that says, if you stick to the program, in 90 days, things will happen. So let's hope so, cause while I've done really good, getting started, I NEED MORE! More motivation, more intensity, just MORE! So I'll keep you updated on that as well! Well, my lunch break is just about over so I better run. Thanks for reading!

Warning! Blog-explosion ahead!

To start off, I should say that right now, I'm not really sure where this blog is heading, but we'll find out when we get there, eh?
Today was a nice little school-vacation day for me, we didn't have MLK day off. It was a semi-productive day; I went to the gym at least! Went saw a movie, HORRIBLE, Dear John, sorry if I led you astray before but really the book was terrible and so was the movie. Anyways, I did some thinking earlier as I drove out to mom and dad's house after work (it wasn't a total vacation) and I'm going to share some of the thoughts, mostly cause these days my thoughts run through my brain as blogs, so it's sometimes the only way to figure stuff out...sorry for the really long run-on sentence...
I started thinking about the things I have to be thankful for, after all Thanksgiving should not be reserved for a month in the fall. Here's a list of some stuff I came up with:

I'm thankful that I have a teaching job, many people who took a risk like me ended up with nothing.

I'm thankful that I found a part-time job so close to my apartment that I was also blessed enough to find.

I'm thankful for my family and friends that I can call, text or drive to see so that I complain or vent or just talk.

I'm thankful that when I have a bad day, the most embarrassing thing that I do is blast Perry Como or Rod Stewart or any MUSIC and drink a diet Dr. pepper to improve my mood.

I'm thankful that I have a mission of being commissioned in the Air Force, even though my life has changed directions quite a few times, I've at least always known which direction I was pointing.

There are more things but I'll move on now. For anyone who has ever worked with me or who knows me, you know that I'm a fan of rules and not a fan of change, and that I'm a people pleaser, also known as an ass-kisser. I like to not only do my job, but do it well. Some may call me a "ladder-climber" I think you may call it, I'm not satisfied doing just enough or only what is asked of me. (and if you didn't know that, you do now and now you'll understand why I'm frustrated and needed to take a brief inventory of my life.) You know that I have a part-time job at a funeral home. It's in walking distance to my apartment, not many late nights and only during the week. When I was hired, my manager told me the wardrobe requirements "closed-toe shoes, skirts or pants would be fine, dark clothing- no bright colors, long sleeves like a cardigan or jacket or something. and I don't care if you wear the same thing every night." So I did that. I had some gray pants and a couple of black cardigans with some dark shirts that I wore every night. Until December, I got a new cardigan. It was a dark purple and I loved it so I switched it around with my black cardigan. Well she pulled me aside and told me that I needed to only wear black and it had to be a jacket. I'm not going to lie, I was frustrated, this was not what she told me, however I had a black jacket I bought a few years ago so I started wearing it with my grey pants EVERY NIGHT. It's all I had. Tonight I wore my new pants, that are really a darker grey, almost had black stripes and my black jacket with a purple tank top. Mind you- that I SIT at a desk and answer the phones and tell people where the restroom is...LITERALLY. Well tonight the FIRST thing she says to me is, we really need to get you a skirt. I probably looked like my head was going to explode and I said 'but you said that pants were fine' she said well honestly I don't remember what she said, there were lots of people and too much to do so she walked away after she said something??! I mean I've been wearing pants for FIVE MONTHS!! I don't wear skirts, I told her that when she hired me that it would be pants!! So once I calm down, I'm going to talk to her about whether or not I should continue working there. One of the reasons I moved home was to be closer to family and friends so that work wouldn't stress me out as much, now it's not even my school that's stressing me out. I had a dream last week that I got fired from there and woke up at 4 in the morning! It's a part time job, if anything I should be having bad dreams about dead people or something, but THAT'S NOT EVEN THE PROBLEM! Did I mention that I'm thankful that I have a blog that I can write and get my thoughts out? Well, the other "problem" that this ordeal has brought up, is that if I were teaching at public school, I wouldn't need to get a second job...BUT I'm hopefully going to the Air Force within the next 2 year period. So do I find another job until then even though I'm emphatically happy at my new school, I could see myself teaching there forever and ever if I weren't going into the Air Force? Or do I get over it and try and hope to find a public school job so that I can enjoy my last two years at home with my friends and family? I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. Well I'm going to do an exercise tape to unwind and the go to bed so that I can get up and go to the gym in the morning.
Oh, one more thing- I have a deadline! The next non-rated (non-pilot) board is this summer, so my application is due by June 11th, which means my tests, both fitness and AFOQT, have to be done before that (April/May) along with all of my recommendations and every thing else. If I get all of that stuff done and I'm selected than I could be leaving for OTS school as Early as September of 2011!! The next board after that is in December, so the earliest class date I would get would be January 2012! So here's hoping that everything keeps coming into play there, I'm considering buying either the Insanity Workout or P90X, both distributed by the same company and many people on the OTS Forum use them. Plus it would help me over come my BIGGEST (and only) obstacle in applying to OTS.
Well, I think I'm done for tonight. I hope you got something out of that blog, or at least didn't lose anything, hahaha
HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY! Don't Forget- Mardi Gras, aka FAT TUESDAY is tomorrow and Ash Wednesday marking the start of lent the day after that- and no, I have no idea what I'm doing for lent yet...

Blog-Podge

So I realized that today's date 2-5-10..is MATHEMATICAL!! Okay I'll try not to be a nerd...at least for a few more minutes....
So I forgot to blog last week. Last week was...interesting!! It started out somewhat normal until Tuesday evening. I took off work to go to a Rosary with my mom and dad for someone I hadn't really seen for like 13 years. So at the time I didn't think much about it. Until I got there...and saw all of her family, most of whom for the first 12 years of my life were part of my family! The Gabel's and the Lange's were like cousins to my sister and me. The Gabel's only lived 3 or 4 blocks away so were often at each other's houses, trying to spend the night. I even experienced my first tornado scare in the middle of the night at the Gabel's house. Leon Lange was(and is) dad's best friend so we were always hanging out together too. We all went on camping trips together, sat together at church- at least Cassi and I would sneak over there and sit with them. One thing I remembered last week is that when extended family came to town we were always invited to Grandma Olga's house on Sundays. Well, all of these memories came flooding back as I sat and listened to their stories. I was sad at the memories we didn't get to make after we made the move across town. You know, I can't really find the words still to describe the emotional overload that happened that night. The next day after the funeral we were invited to a dinner that the family hosted in the Knights of Columbus Hall behind St. Laurence-right off the Railroad tracks. It was good and weird- I don't think I've been in that hall since I was probably 11 or 12, and being back there with those same great people- I almost felt like I was 11 or 12 again! I have to thank Olga Lange for all the wonderful memories I was allowed to have because of her AMAZING family!
And then came THURSDAY! and with Thursday came SNOW!! LOTS AND LOTS OF SNOW!! Enough for schools to cancel two days in a row! So with talks of Power outages around town and friends bragging about their family time, my dad came and picked me up Thursday afternoon and I spent the weekend with the family! Watching movies, playing scrabble and Monopoly (we stick with the oldies) and most of all- EATING MOM AND DAD'S COOKING!! Needless to say, I really felt like a kid again after all of last week's events...
This week was my first experience with Catholic Schools Week! Well, most of it at least, I woke up sick on Tuesday, but I'm almost 100% again. It was fun-Catholic Schools Week not me being sick...
Today I'm really excited for several reasons! FIRST OF ALL, SINCE STARTING MY FITNESS QUEST AS OF TODAY- I'VE LOST 20 POUNDS!! I'm super psyched! I know I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting there- I'M GETTING THERE!!
Second of all, tomorrow night is the Catholic Student Center Auction and Dance!! I LOVE GOING to hang out with my Catholic Friends, both new and old! It's my guaranteed once a year time to dance too!!
Well, I've read another book too- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: the Lightning Thief. It's the first book in a 4 book series! It's REALLY GOOD!! I'm sure you've seen the previews for the movie that's coming out. Just in case, if you have ever been interested in Greek Mythology- you should READ this book! It's also really good for teenagers or kids with ADHD or dyslexia!
"But don't take my word for it!"