Lack of Motivation

That's what I'm blaming on my sad lack of posting lately. It's what I'm blaming everything else on, so why not, right? That's why I haven't been able to finish a book I've had out from the library for a month now. That's also why I haven't been running very much (AT ALL) lately. Oh, that's also why I'm not tracking. Bad Kate.

To break my lack of motivation spell, I'm hoping my new year's resolutions will help keep me motivated. Here they are:

1. Log 50 miles a month. That'd be 600 miles in a year. Not a lot...but I'm afraid if I set more it just won't happen.

2. Drink less diet coke. I was going to try and give it up completely, but I'm thinking with my lack of motivation (nice excuse, huh?) that just won't happen.

3. Continue to try and stop biting my fingernails. I'm much better now, but I hope it goes away completely...eventaully.

4. Track my meals again. All of them. Need to get back on track before the wedding in May.

5. Do these things. Seriously. Especially numbers 1 and 4.

Maybe since they're written down I'll be better. And maybe since I plan on logging my mileage at the end of every month to prove to myself that I can (and will) do it.

What are we teaching kids these days?

Every year the DECA chapter at the high school where I work puts on a Veteran's Day Assembly. It's really great. They make biscuits and gravy, kids interact with them, they invite a special speaker, the choir sings, the band plays. It's nice.

Not this year.

Okay, okay...the band was good. I'm sure the food was good. The choir sounded great. But the speaker? What were they thinking? They obviously didn't ask for a copy beforehand (which I wouldn't think they would...but maybe they will in the future).

The speaker was a veteran who teaches at a high school where our Superintendent used to work. I guess they're buds. I'm guessing that's how our speaker got the invitation.

His speech started out okay. I guess. It was all over the place though. He talked to the kids about jobs - mainly just advertising the two careers he's held: a teacher, and a member of the military. Okay...but what does that have to do with Veteran's Day? Then it got worse.

He told the kids about two students he had in the past. The first was Suzy. "Suzy is what we would've called a hippie in my day. She has red hair, piercings all over, and tattoos." (Holy crap! Lock her up!) Then he went on to say how Suzy would not stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. "Suzy works in fast food now. She has a boyfriend. She'll probably work in fast food in 10 years, and have a boyfriend; maybe the same one, maybe different." Apparently not saying the pledge leads to all sortsa horrible crap. Who knew?

The second student? He signed up to serve our wonderful country. Now he's had his education paid for and is an upstanding citizen. Be like Tyler, not like Suzy. "Suzy wanted to be her own person. Tyler is serving his country. Are you going to be like Suzy, or Tyler?"

What's wrong with being a unique individual?

Then an Army recruiter got up. His speech was short. Seriously, it was like 1 minute. He was nervous. But in this nervous speech? "If someone comes into my country and blows up buildings, I want to be able to return the favor." Uh...what? So now it's a good idea to promote revenge? Nice. Real nice.

Seriously. The entire ceremony completely missed the point of Veteran's day. I felt bad for the Veterans. They deserve better. So do my students.

Review: Masquerade

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The second book in the series seemed just as good as the first. It didn't summarize everything in the first book (thank you!!) like some series books seem to do.

In this book Schuyler is trying to find out more about the Silver Bloods and throughout all the twists and turns in the story readers are trying to figure out just who the bad guy really is. My gut feeling from the first book seemed dead on, on both counts...so don't expect this story to throw you for a loop.

However, it was still good. It stayed away (mostly) from the mushy romantics and kept me interested. And just like all good series (unfortunately, I really am a sucker for series), it left me wanting to read the next one, which I promptly started about 1 minute after finishing.

View all my reviews >>

The Million Dollar Dog.

We'd been looking for a house. Mom and Dad wanted to move, Mom said she wanted to live out in the country and the road by our house was just getting to busy with all the traffic. So that Saturday morning we all piled in the Geo and drove down the road.

Of course, I thought we were going to look at a farm. Let me just tell you now, I was in no mood for this. The last thing I wanted was to move. Especially out in the country!

When we pulled in the driveway Mom and Dad told us we were there to pick out a puppy. Maybe it was because we weren't expecting it, or maybe it's just because no one can resist an adorable fuzzball, but we shot out of the car and made for the puppies! They were cute, of course, and so tiny. I wanted one of the fat little fuzzy guys, but of course my brothers chose the skinny one. That day we welcomed Buck into our family.

This has to be about 13 years ago. We still lived in our old house, so I can't be more than 11. Oh, and my family is weird :)

Why did we call him the million dollar dog? If only you knew. It all started with an innocent game of baseball, when Buck happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was hit in the eye with a baseball bat and for the rest of his life was blind in one eye. But did he complain? Nope! Seriously, you might think I'm a horrible person right now, but I swear he was the happiest dog alive.

Not long after the bat incident, Buck came down with Parvo (he got this while at the vet recovering from his injury). So, Mom nursed him back to health. A few years later Buck got lime's disease. Then I accidentally ran over him with the truck.

I know, I know. But picture this. We (my Granddaddy and I) were driving the red rocket (that's what we called the old farm truck) through the field. Dad had just finished building a new pond on the back of our property and we were hauling a truck full of square hay bails out to spread over the dam so the grass would grow. Buck (the million dollar dog) and Jenny (our somewhat annoying dalmation) were riding happily on the top of all those bails. What happens next? For some reason Buck decides to run off the bails, but instead of going off the back, he takes a shortcut over the cab of the truck, onto the hood, and straight off the front. Of course, I freaked. "Oh my GOD! I just killed our dog!!" I'm sitting there crying while Granddaddy shook his head saying, "Damn dog."

Buck and Jenny. They loved each other. :)

I dried my tears when Buck simply got up and ran off, still heading towards the pond. I tell ya, that dog was tough.

Well, we got Buck when I was about 11 years old, which means he was about thirteen last year when Marly & Me came out in theatres. E and I went to see the movie and I bawled at the end. You see, Buck was getting old. Poor guy hadn't been able to jump in the back of the truck for about a year - and boy did he love the back of the truck. He'd sit there for hours.

Oh yeah, he was spoiled, too. :) Right there? He's eyeing the ice cream.

He was old. We'd been talking to Mom about ending his suffering, but times were tough at the moment, what with the loss of our other favorite dog, Sneaker. It was just too tough to talk to Dad about it. He gets a little attached to those of the furry variety. Just a little ;)

When I was home this weekend Mom asked if I noticed if anything was missing. It took a moment, but when I noticed the empty dog bed in the garage I knew Buck was finally at peace. He really was one of the best dogs. A big furry lug who just loved taking walks around the farm, was the perfect size for a big hug, and loved everyone he met...well, except for our old real estate agent. I'll miss you Buck. You were one of the good ones.

Such a beautiful dog. Seriously.

Review: Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
So I've been trying to read books that my female students seem to be in love with and I picked this one up. After reading Twilight I was wary of this one, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Unlike Twilight, which was ridiculously corny and mushy (sorry, I'm just not that girl), this was refreshing. I feel in the future this book will probably be challenged because of it's view on vampires and their ex-role in Paradise, but it's an interesting twist on the story.

I'm not going to try and explain the complicated vampire history, but I'll point out a couple things I enjoyed. I really liked how the author tied the vampire's history back to the beginning of the New World (Roanoke) and before. History's just cook, okay? Obviously, as with most teen novels, there are always sections I just kind of skim over - those would include all descriptions of designers, makeup, etc. I'm not interested, so I try not to let those interfere with my opinion on the story. So, that point aside (and the fact that some characters are incredibly shallow and will most likely end up as the "bad" guy), the plot was interesting, kept me reading, and I'll be finishing the series.

:) But then, I finish every series. I even suffered through Twilight.

View all my reviews >>

I'm lazy,..

but at least I'm posting something! I think I deserve the 4-day weekend though, or at least that's what I tell myself! Thank you school.

We had parent teacher conferences Thursday after school. Those are always fun. Lemme tell you, some parents share WAY too much information. I don't need to know every detail of your personal life. It's uncomfortable. One situation that made me especially uncomfortable? The ex-wife of my spinning instructor (from the gym) came in and talked to me about her daughter who I have in Sports Literature. Their daughter's really smart, just a real good kid. Well, her Mom talked to me for at least 20 minutes and brought up how horrible the situation was with her "biological father" many times. It's just weird. I mean, I know him and he's a great guy, and he loves his kids, and they seem to have a great relationship. The worst part? She came in with one of their children and the kid had to listen to her Mom talk poorly about her Dad, which I'm sure happens often. It just sucks, for the kids, I mean...really.

In other more uplifting and fun news? A look at a couple projects we're doing? Of course!

This was dinner. How come my pictures of food never look as good as the professionals? Anyway, Bubble up pizza casserole. Easy and really yummy.

New shelves in the kitchen.

The shelves aren't done of course (well, the one with my cookbooks on it is, ain't it cute? E just built the shelf next to the dishwasher today while I was supervising the kiddos in Hermann, and although it's not painted and has no door (yet) I love it! And yes, yes, I know...we still haven't grouted the backsplash. Tomorrow?? We'll see. I love our kitchen.

Oh Diet Coke.

So I attended this health seminar at my gym the other night after my bootcamp class and learned a lot. A couple interesting tidbits?

1. Don't wait until you're hungry to eat. My bootcamp instructor is a big advocate of eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day. She says that if you wait until you're hungry to eat your metabolism has already gone into the "starvation mode," thinking it won't be getting food for awhile, so it takes longer to kick back into action.
2. Everyone should eat (minimum) 9-14 fruits and vegetables a day. Woah there. And it should be a 2-1 ratio, twice as many veggies as fruits.

She also talked about soda. Now, I'm a soda drinker. Big time. I did manage to give up soda for lent a couple years ago, but it was tough. I've been hearing everywhere lately that even diet soda (Which is all I will drink, regular soda? No thanks!) actually contributes to weight problems. Something about the fake sugars they use in diet sodas triggers the brain into thinking you're hungry. Check out this article if you're interested in learning more...my ability to summarize valid points is pretty lame. :)

So, my goal is to quit diet soda. Maybe allow myself one a week. I'd like to quit cold turkey though. My little bro did, and he doesn't miss it. My problem is that I rarely drink water. I know I need to just suck it up and do it, but if I make myself do things before I'm ready, I generally wimp out. Like with Weight Watchers, I gave myself a few months to get used to the idea, so when I committed, I knew what I was getting into and I was ready for it.

(By the way, as I write this, I have a can of diet coke open beside me. Darn you addictive soda!)

Currently Reading: The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner

Some finished projects.

Before...
After...
Things we did to the outside (front): painted the shutters, added flowerbeds (can you say NO landscaping?), took out the dying - and ugly - evergreen bush, got a new, prettier front door.

Before...
After...

What didn't we do in the bathroom? We: plumbed for a 2nd sink, added electrical for a second light above a second mirror that we installed. Replaced the subflooring and added the tile (ew, I'm not a big fan of laying tile, but it is pretty). Painted cabinets and added new cabinet hardware. Replaced the countertop with more tile. Painted the walls. Added pictures I took (and developed) at craft camp :). Um...that's all.

Before (a different view)...
After...
I can't wait until I can show pictures of the kitchen. You'll be floored by the change. Seriously. I am. When I look at old pictures I'm like "What?!"

Oh, and here's a closer look at the amazing flower bed E's mom planted for us. I'm not joking when I say I got home from work one day and she'd planted the whole day while I was gone. She also moved two railroad ties by herself. Two! By herself! Do you know how heavy those are? Amazing.

The flowerbed:
Currently Reading: Just finished Becoming Anna, what next?

No excuses

I could say it's been awhile, and that would be true. I could try and come up with excuses, but my only excuse is that instead of blogging, I've been doing one of the following: reading, playing with my puppies (yes, that's plural), working on our house, or watching recorded episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond like the amazingly awesome person that I am. I keep telling myself to update, and then I put it off. Maybe now that I've done it I won't put it off for so long anymore.

First news: New puppy.

Her name is Sadie, and she's adorable.

We got Sadie about a month ago and we've discovered the following little jewels of information. She licks. A lot. Zoe loves having a playmate. They're both adorable (that was an easy lesson). Taking two dogs for a walk is a bit more of a commitment, and therefore doesn't get done as much. We (well, at least I) love it!

Reading. Wow. I've read so many books over the past few months. Just a few: North and South, Love and War, Heaven and Hell, Beastly, The Chocolate War, The Earth Children series (again!), Olive Kitteridge, Thin Wood Walls, Home of the Braves, Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery, Peak, The Appeal, Luna, Someone Named Eva, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, whatever the name of the book I'm reading right now, and at least 10-15 others which I've forgotten the names of at the moment, so look forward to just a couple reviews comin up. :)

Work on the house. Our bathroom is officially complete. Yay! We now have a dishwasher (which we got for free) installed in our kitchen which has new countertops and backsplash. We should be done painting the kitchen and putting the grout on the backsplash by next weekend, so I'll add some pictures then. We've also got a new flowerbed (pretty!) which E's mom planted for us, and it's awesome. Some advice? Take free plants from people. At least if you're not a greenthumb like me. It's awesome, and if they like it? More power to 'em!

E, Dad, and I competed in the Sedalia Fall duathlon this morning. It was pretty good. Besides the fact that I sucked it up on the bike portion (no surprise since I haven't been biking...at all...). It was pretty cool. Second in my age group, out of what...maybe two?

I wanted another puppy, but instead I decided to blog.

Why Summer's Great!

• I don't have to go to work. Seriously, who doesn't love that?
• The weather is generally awesome. Okay, I admit, last week when the heat index was 109 and you stuck to every surface as soon as you exited an air conditioned building wasn't that great, but come on! This week is pure Heaven. Simple as that.
• I have to ability to get SOOOO much done. Now, actually doing it is another story. :)
• Reading. All the time. Just finished the Harry Potter series for probably the third time. Yay for the movie comin out in a couple weeks!
• Trips. So far this summer I've only gone to Minneapolis, but there are plans in the works for Minnesota again and a trip to Kentucky for E and I :)
• Holidays. The fourth is one of my favorites because most of the family's in town and I always love that. :) Hello sand volleyball tournament!
  

Well, our bathroom is almost done. Don't hold your breath for pictures, cause we won't get the baseboards until this weekend, but I'll DEFINITELY post pictures as soon as it's done. I'm so freakin excited!

I also bought a paint sprayer for repainting the kitchen cabinets. I am NOT going to do them all by hand like I did the bathroom cabinets. Can you say brush strokes? Ugh. Paint and I aren't too friendly these days. I've painted the following in the past month: front door (three times, mind you), trim, bathroom cabinets, bathroom walls, bedroom, living room, hallway, and shutters. And, I still have the kitchen and the two bedrooms to go. I love paint, it changes a room immediately, but it does get a little old after awhile.

Today I finished our first flowerbed. The front of our house previously had no landscaping whatsoever. E and I built a flowerbed underneath the picture window yesterday, and I spent a couple hours (Ouch!) leveling out the soil, which was somewhat clay-ey (I know, not a word) and impossible, but I did get it done. I have a feeling my back won't like me tomorrow, but it looks SO much better out there. Once we actually have flowers growing maybe I'll post a picture of that, too.

The picture for today? Our adorable puppy and my pretty kitty getting better acquainted.

Okay, so Simon's still adjusting. But Zoe loves playing!

Hello my friend.

Yes, I missed the internet. I welcome you back my wonderful friend.

A short update in pictures follows.

E and our new puppy, Zoe. Such cuties.

Our bathroom before.

Our bathroom now...well, a couple hours ago. Now it's grouted, too!

Oh, and we discovered a hole in the floor under the particleboard. Yay. Go figure.

So, so far we've done the following:

• Installed a doggy door, yessss!
• Put a ceiling fan in our bedroom, oh yeah. I am in love with ceiling fans.
• Put a new light fixture in one of the guest bedrooms.
• Cleaned the yard. That was some work.
• Tiled/Grouted the bathroom counter.
• Added another sink in previously mentioned bathroom.
• Fixed light fixture so we can have a vanity light over each sink in said bathroom.
• Half painted the bathroom (had to wait to fix the wall above the vanity to paint the rest)
• Ripped up the really moldy particle board by the shower (and found the hole in the floor)
• Umm...picked out paint colors for the kitchen, which I'm not gonna start working on until the bathroom's done.
• Oh, and painted the previously ugly bathroom cabinets and put on new hardware.

Yay to fixing a house. I'm hoping we're done with our bathroom renovation by the 20th...can we make it? Seein that we'll be in Minneapolis all weekend, I'm wondering. But I'm hopeful!

Oh, and what am I reading lately? Nothing. ::Tear::

Holy Busy Schedule

So I've been bad. At blogging I mean. It's been really crazy busy lately, but only in a good way.

E and I are now homeowners. We are also proud dog owners (her name's Zoe and she's adorable!). I'm also a new(er) car owner. Um...and we've been moving. And if this counts, half my mouth is now numb from my dentist's appointment.

So, needless to say, I haven't had much time to update. That and the fact that we have no internet at our new house. Next Tuesday - one week from today - we'll be online. I have to travel about 30 minutes to use the internet now, but I'm okay with it, cause we have a house!

I'll be posting pictures soon. Of the dog, the house, and hey...maybe the car.

In the meantime I've read a couple great books: Hunger Games by Susanne Collins (I think) was A-mazing! Then I read The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne Duprau (the fourth book in the City of Ember series). It was good as well, but not as great as Hunger Games. Both books are for young adults, but I think almost anyone would like to read Collin's book. It's great. Besides that I've been reading Harry Potter books again. I don't think I'll ever get tired of them.

Well, I've gotta go register my car, paint some cabinets and the bathroom, and mow the lawn. I'll be better...I swear, once I have the internet.

All kindsa news.

:)

So E and I are officially under contract.

**me doing a happy dance**

We got a good price. They're fixing the roof. We close by the end of the month. I'm so freaking excited about making this house ours. Living with E. Having a puppy. Funness.

Speaking of puppies. My brother found a puppy. Seriously. He found a puppy wandering through his neighborhood dangerously close to wandering onto a very busy road. He rescued said puppy. Said puppy is adorably cute!! I know, that was repetitive, but come on. She's cute. He's put up notices about finding a lost puppy, but I'm kinda hoping no one claims her, cause I'll take her. Come on, you can't say that's not meant to be, right?

Outside of all that fun news, I've been ridiculously busy lately (hence the lack of posts in oh...about a month). Ouch. Recently, I've:

• Written my first graduate level English term paper. Ew.
• Graded 50+ dual credit essays in 1 day
• Found a house
• Made up finals for all my classes
• Baked a buncha cookies for the Senior BBQ
• Ran everyday. Seriously. What's up with that? I don't know when this exercise everyday thing started, but I kinda like it.

That's enough. :) Only 2 more days of school (with kids), then 2 more days of meetings and such. Then I'm free. I love every moment of my work-free summers. And this summer will be busy. Hopefully I'll accomplish all of the following:

• Fix yard at new house so a puppy can call it home!
• Fix kitchen (read: add dishwasher, get new countertop, get rid of faux brick backsplash, tile floor)
• Go to 3 weddings
• Go to Minneapolis to visit little bro!
• Float trip?
• Go to Kentucky to camp/bike/hike - really looking forward to this. Here's where I'd like to go.
• Buy a car.
• Another Minneapolis (or northward) trip with the fam

And I can't wait.

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (again!!) by J.K. Rowling

Could this be it?

E and I went house hunting today. Could this be the one? It's got a HUGE yard (a little more than 1 acre) and TONS of room inside. Hmmm....I'm excited!

Hopefully soon I can post pictures of our new puppy! Once we have one that is...

A political rant

So lately there's been all this news about states legalizing gay marriage. It's really exciting to think that we're progressing. Yet...at the same time, I'm so frustrated by people who seem to think that legalizing gay marriage will somehow affect their heterosexual relationships/marriages. I get it, I get that many people see marriage as their spiritual/religious union, but that's not what everyone views marriage as.

My brother sent me this link to a website about talking points for the conservative anti-gay marriage movement. I don't know if I'm just a bit close-minded in my opinion on the gay marriage issue, but it seemed like whoever came up with their talking points was arguing like a middle school/high school student would argue. The arguments just don't seem strong. I'm willing to listen to other people's arguments, but I still recognize when they're weak.

Like I said, maybe it's just because I can't possibly understand how people could condemn gay marriage (or any gay rights issue for that matter). Maybe I'm the close minded one. Hopefully not, but I'll admit it's a possibility.

:)

Currently Reading: The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov

I'm addicted

To The Biggest Loser. Seriously. They're amazing. I know it's an insane way to lose weight, but probably because I'm on my own weight loss journey, they inspire me to work harder.

Speaking of working harder?

I burned 1000 calories today. 45 minutes running, 45 minutes spinning. Ouch. Trust me, I took a long hot shower afterwards.

In lieu of a better title...

I've been a bad blogger. Every (other) day or so I think to myself, "Wow, Kate...you should really blog something." And then I think: You have nothing to say! Am I really that boring? One would hope not.

So what's been happening in my world lately?

• I am currently hosting a German. She's here with her students who are visiting from our sister city in Germany. She's their English teacher, and she speaks very good English (obviously!) So...that's going well so far - except that I feel bad kicking her out of the living room (one of two rooms in my small apartment) so I can watch the Biggest Loser. Oh well, I'll catch it online in a day or so.
• We're going to apply for a loan Friday!! Yay :) We don't have school Friday so E and I are going a couple places to get pre-approved for a loan. I'm very excited about this. Can you tell?
• The Central Missouri Humane Society is in the top 10 animal shelters - voting for the 1,000,000 $$ makeover starts on the 10th (I think!) Zootoo is the best!
• I'm a wonderful procrastinator. I'm supposed to be done with The Brothers Karamazov by tomorrow and I'm currently on page 487 of 735. Eeek.
• Above statement shows how truly wonderful I am at procrastinating. Hello? Blogging Kate?! Read!!
• Playing fetch with my cat (also currently do this) is hilarious. He's too darned cute.
• I have a 5K this weekend that I'm hoping to excel in. We shall see.

Okay, I'm off to read. Seriously.

Currently Reading: The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky

Breathing Room.

Sometimes I wonder how I'll ever have a family. Teaching takes so much time. Ha, then other times I feel like I must be a slow person...I take more time to do simple tasks it seems than other teachers. That has to be the reason I'm always there later than anyone else. Seriously. Maybe by the time I've been doing it for at least 5 years it'll get easier? Hopefully?

So some fun news. I'll be hosting a 28-year-old German named Annika when she comes to our small town to visit with her students. They get here Sunday night and she'll be staying on my futon (poor girl!) for two weeks. I think the best way to describe my feelings about this is anxious. I think it'll be fun, but I also love living by myself. Haha, selfish, I know. As long as I'm still able to make it to the gym, I'll be good. :) I'm just hoping I can find some stuff for us to do over our long Easter weekend. Suggestions? I was thinking of maybe taking her to Amish Country - at least that's what we call it - some weekend. It's pretty cool, and definitely unique.

I'm doing a 5k next weekend and I've got a goal I'm afraid to say out loud. My last 5k I ran in 25:45ish. That was on a dang hilly course. According to the results that was about a 8:19 mile pace. I've been running at least 3.5 miles at an 8:00 mile pace for the past couple weeks...so I'm crossing my fingers. Today I actually managed to run 8/mile, 7:30/mile, and then finished out my 30 minutes at an 8/minute pace. That should make it into the 24-minute range, right? That's my goal. I've said it now. Now I'll have to admit if I actually make it.

So E and I are looking for a house! I'm super excited (if you couldn't tell by the exclamation marks)!! That also means I'll get a puppy, which I'm also stoked for. The house hunt is exciting. I'm sure once we actively start viewing houses and discussing making offers it'll be stressful, too. Right now though, exciting. And I'm just fine with that :)

30 days left of this school year. Not that I'm counting or anything. It's crazy. I still have to finish Julius Caesar and cover Non-fiction with my Honors kids. Ouch.

Oh, and volleyball's over. YES! I love it, but it gets so busy. Hence the post title. I can breathe now.

Currently Reading: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

War & Peace

Title: War & Peace
Author: Leo Tolstoy
Review: I know it's no news that this book is long, but I think since I had to read it for class it just made it seem that much longer. However, I did enjoy it. I will admit (bad english teacher!) that I did gloss over some of the war scenes, because really.

Overall I'd say the character's were pretty well developed. I think my favorite was Natasha, just because she seemed naive and innocent while at the same time somewhat deceiving. My least favorite was Mary because she was such a pushover! I mean, her Dad treated her horribly and she did nothing about it!

It's been a couple weeks since I read the book, so this review stinks. Sorry. I'm glad I was forced to read it though, cause I highly doubt I would've done it on my own.

Currently Reading: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

Holy Moly.

I've been a bad, bad blogger lately. If you care to hear my excuses I'll brief them real quick: teaching, night class, volleyball, and procrastination! :) That's it!

Teaching:

• So the other day I had a fun experience. The bell rang, so as per usual I asked everyone to be quiet and do the bellwork on the board. One young man continued his conversation (rather loudly) in the back of the room. "---, you're still talking. I've asked everyone to stop talking." "YOU'RE RIGHT I'M STILL TALKING!" (Pause) "Fuck this school! I'm leaving!" All the students and I just looked at each other as we watched him storm out of the room. Seriously? What? Gotta love temper tantrums. And I teach mostly seniors!
• I've been asked by our German teacher to host the German English teacher who is coming with the German students for two weeks in April. Eeek! I've never had a visitor for that long, and she'll be sleeping on my futon, but it should be interesting. She's 27 and single, so we should have at least that in common :)

Night Class:

• Done with War & Peace. Yes, I finished it! Okay, well I skipped the two epilogues, but I figured after 1000 pages, I was good to go.
• Just started The Brothers Karamazov. So far? Yawn.

Volleyball:

• So after losing our first 4 games, we won 2nd place in our weekend tournament - last weekend. Go 7th graders! They were pretty excited. And they impressed me after our win, because they refused to take pictures with their shiny new plaque until they congratulated the team who'd just beat them.
• Seriously. The middle school volleyball season is short - but crazy. Only 3 more games (Monday, Tuesday and Thursday) and I'm DONE! Until next year, anyway.

Procrastination:

• When am I not doing this? Really.

Weight Watchers:

• Core foods definitely work. After my week on the "simply filling" plan, I lost 2.5 pounds. Yay! So I've decided to stay on the simply filling technique until I reach my WW (and personal) goal. Only 4 more lbs until my WW goal. Can you say heck yeah?
  

Yes, Really. It's Lame.

War & Peace is killing my blogging lately. But, I swear, I'll be done tomorrow (can you say Thank you!!).

Until then, check out zootoo.com (I know, I know, I've mentioned it before). Central Missouri Humane Society is now ranked #1!! Only 3 more days left in the points phase of the contest and we have to stay where we are. If you like animals and feel like posting some pictures of your cute fur-balls, head on over. We in Central Missouri would love any help we could get.

War & Peace progress = page 911. Ha! What a coincidence.

Currently Reading: Do I really need to tell you?

Simply Filling...

So I joined WW in May of 2008. I prepared myself for it. I told myself in the fall of 2007 that I had to do something. I was working out at least 4-5 times a week and my weight was staying the same. I have to prepare myself for life changes, and I knew that WW would be quite a change at first. Well? It worked out great! I have the summers off (oh, the perks of being a teacher) so I knew I'd be able to concentrate on making WW a part of my life while making sure I kept up my workout routine. Everything was great until about October of last year. Then my progress started to slow. I was still losing, but it was those tiny -0.2 or -0.4 amounts. I'm patient, but not that patient. I kept up with my points counting and working out and finally decided to try something different - to see if I could trick my body into losing again.

Last week I tried working out a lot more. Nope. Stayed the same.

This week? I switched to the simply filling technique. The results? Well, they're not official yet - I weigh in on Monday (my birthday, too, by the way) and I know I'm going to be excited. I've weighed myself periodically throughout the week and as of today I'm down at least 2 pounds. The last time I had a loss that big was in November of 2008. Seriously, I'm super excited. And it wasn't too bad. I mean, I'm eating a TON more fruits and veggies.

I'm thinking about staying on the simply filling foods technique until I reach goal. I'm SO close! I was thinking I could do it by May, but if it goes like this week has, I'll be there by the end of March! Yay! Then I'll get my present to myself - a massage. I've never had one, and I figured, why not? I deserve it after losing 45 pounds. I am thinking that I'm going to keep my personal goal of at least 5 pounds less than my WW goal, though. I know my body can do it, and I know I can do it. I also think I'd be more satisfied if I tried.

In other news, my graduate class is pretty good so far. Right now I'm supposed to be at least half way through War & Peace, lemme tell you, not the easiest book to get through. It's good, it just takes awhile to read.

If you have the time (and the inclination) you should also help to support my local animal shelter. If you decide to take your time to help out, my shelter's name is the Central Missouri Humane Society. We're currently in 4th place and we (ALL of us - especially the animals) appreciate anything and everything you could do to help. Zootoo is a pretty darn cool site, so if you're an animal lover/owner anyway, I know you could get something out of it. Next post will definitely include some adorable animal photos.

A Hero of Our Time

Title: A Hero of Our Time
Author: Mikhail Lermontov
Rating: 3 outta 5 stars
Review: This book is similar to Eugene Onegin in so many ways...and yet, I didn't like it near as much. I always find it hard to like a book when I don't like the narrator, and Pechorin was hard to like. He is a shallow, bored, well, jerk. His goal in life is to upset the balance in other people's lives. I mean, come on, who wants to be around that?

That said, it was easier to read than War & Peace, which I'm currently stumbling through.

Breaking a plateau

Here's my plan to finally break through this dang plateau I've been stuck on for the past oh....forever.

1. Stay within my points. Track ahead of time so I know where I stand.

2. Exercise like a madwoman:

• Thursday: Running - 30 minutes, Spinning - 45 minutes, 30 day Shred DVD - 20 minutes
• Friday: Running - 30 minutes, 30 day Shred (back to back) - 40 minutes
• Saturday: Running - 30 minutes, 30 day Shred - 40 minutes
• Sunday: Running - 30 minutes, 30 day Shred - 40 minutes

3. Be optimistic? :) haha, if only that's all it took.

In other news? It's the annual J-Family Women's Retreat this weekend and we're supposed to come with the following: a book to recommend, music to recommend, a movie to recommend, and supplies for the craft we'll be making (a dish towel purse??) on Saturday. I'm also bringing the Shred DVD for our workout session on Saturday.

During the "exercise" session a couple years ago. Hey, we have fun.

My family is really close. We started having this "Women's Retreat" a few years ago as a way for everyone to get together - well, all the women anyway - and just hang out for awhile. It's nice because usually those relatives who live out of state manage to come in and we have fun just being with each other. There's always a book review session - "What book have you read in the last year that you just have to tell us about?", then there's the movie review - everyone just shares what they loved (mine was Juno last year). The music thing is new, I'm still thinking on that one. But then we do a few crafts led by different members of the family, exercise a little, then go to Church Sunday morning and afterwards hit up the local DQ. I'm so glad that my family is close (both physically and emotionally). We're all a little different, but we enjoy our differentness. It's nice.

Currently Reading: War and Peace by: Leo Tolstoy

A couple ways to tell you're getting old...

1. You enjoy vacuuming. "That rug needed it!"
2. You find yourself looking for recipes to try. And you don't cook.
3. A big night out means a trip to the grocery store and Applebees.
4. Did I mention I'm cooking?

What I'm cooking this week:

• Diet coke bread. Yes, that's right. Yeast, Diet Coke and Flour. I'll let you know how it turns out.
• Pita Pizza. Yum.
• Salsa (also known as Taco) Soup. Seriously delicious.
• Zesty Chicken and Rice Chili. Yay! I've been wanting to try this one out for awhile!

Pictures to follow? :) Oh yes, my Valentines day was super exciting. I've always said that E and I are pretty boring. But we don't mind. At least we're boring together.

Currently Reading: War & Peace (need I say more?)

A Doggy Update

Oh yeah, that's right. My parents got a new puppy (well, he's really about 2 years old, but he's so darn cute I'm gonna call him a puppy!)!! Yay! I love animals.

Now, I might be so infatuated because I know that I will shortly be able to have my own puppy, but either way, I'm somewhat of an animal freak.

Meet Hank.

Hanks on the left (Bear is on the right).

And again...

Ain't he cute? Seriously though, he looks so eerily similar to our beloved beagle Sneaker who died last summer. *tear*

By the way, for any English teachers (or majors) out there. Here's a question. The English department and I were discussing the other day the rule about capitalization and the names of breeds. Apparently the rule is that you don't capitalize a dog's breed unless it's like "German Shepard." What's with that? It seems like they're proper nouns, right? I mean, to be a beagle you have to have certain traits...right? And, if that's true does it mean you don't capitalize the different breeds of horses? Cats? Who made up this rule?

I am now stepping away from the nerd podium.

I actually got some grading done tonight (yay me!). Although, I still have 22 (hopefully - if they all turned them in) 4-5 page research papers on historical figures. I'm not gonna stress on that one though. I've got time...right?

In other news. Anyone got advice for breaking a slow weight-loss cycle? I'm exactly (exactly!) where I was a month ago. I mysteriously had a 2ish pound weight gain a couple weeks ago. I say mysteriously because I really didn't do anything differently. At all. I worked out the same, I ate the same. It wasn't TOM. What gives? So I've lost that wonderful 2ish pound gain, but I'm kinda frustrated. I'm SOOO close. Any advice?

Currently Reading: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

Inkdeath

Title: Inkdeath
Author: Cornelia Funke
Rating: 4 outta 5 stars
Review: I really enjoyed this series, it's very original.

In this book, the Bluejay has to decide to stay and fight the way the Inkworld is turning, or to return to the safety of his "home" with his wife and child.

SPOILER: Dustfinger does return, and I'm so glad he did.

I really like Meggie's relationship with...oh, I forgot his name. Her crush on Farid really seemed a little dramatic to me.

I definitely recommend reading all three of these books, it's a series that doesn't disappoint.

Eugene Onegin

Title: Eugene Onegin
Author: Alexander Pushkin
Rating: 4 outta 5 stars
Review: Considering this was a "I had to read it" book, I really liked it. Sadly, what did I like about it most? It rhymed - which is always fun, and the story was intriguing.

Onegin is your typical spoiled, shallow guy. He's bored with life and finds it hard to get interested in anything or anyone. Tatyana is a romantic. She's intelligent, well-read, and doesn't easily fall for the drama that those around her incessantly whisper/giggle about. When Tatyana sees Onegin, it's love at first sight. She writes him a letter sharing her feelings and is....rejected!

To find out what happens later with Onegin and Tatyana, read for yourself!

"What's all this about a bomb threat?!"

Yes, that's right. The middle school of my school district received a bomb threat Friday. Actually, they received the call Thursday night. That's right. The extremely intelligent prankster left a bomb threat VOICE-MAIL! Seriously. Really?

So, here's how school went on Friday.

1. It was a bea-utiful day. About 68 degrees. Beautiful. What's that mean? Crazy kids!
2. Courtwarming, which means we were running a different schedule, shortened classes with a lot of student anticipation/excitement for the pep rally.
3. Oh, did I mention a bomb threat? This meant the entire middle school students/staff had to come up to the high school.

The middle schoolers took the threat wonderfully. They were very well behaved, no one freaked out. It was nice.

The high schoolers? Drama! First of all, the administration didn't really tell any of the teachers what was going on - so we didn't know what to tell the kids when they yelled out stuff like, "What's with this bomb threat?!" in the middle of class. I mean, really. That was my biggest complaint. You have to let your teachers know what's going on so they can handle the madness and calm fears. Oh, and not appear like they're bumbling idiots or just lying to cover things up.

All in all, it was a crazy day. But...considering what went on, it turned out rather well.

Currently Reading: Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling (LOVE these books!)
A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lemontov

25 random things...

For lack of anything else...

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 5 people to tag. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I should be grading (but you probably know that).

2. I've learned recently that I actually like running.

3. Cereal is one of my favorite foods.

4. I love singing.

5. The Office wouldn't be the same without Dwight.

6. I have some of the best co-workers.

7. I'm hoping to be a homeowner within the next six months...

8. And a dog owner :)

9. So far, I'm kicking my new year's resolution's butt (not biting my fingernails).

10. My family (all of them) are the best. They're always there, they're goof-balls, and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

11. If I watch Mizzou play sports, they almost always win. Or at least that's my argument to get out of watching them play.

12. The Shawshank Redemption is a must see. My favorite.

13. I really do wish Hogwarts were real. Seriously. How cool?

14. I almost always have a hard time saying "No," when people ask me to do something.

15. I used to have a teenage obsession over the Backstreet Boys.

16. If I could find a job where I could get paid to read, I would be in heaven.

17. I only have 5-10 (can't decide) more to go, and I'm so psyched about that.

18. I enjoy the outcome (but sometimes hate the process) when it comes to crafts.

19. If I could live without shoes during the summer, I would.

20. I'd like to live somewhere warmer. If only for a few years.

21. I love my freckles. I hope they stay.

22. I wish I could speak multiple languages. I'd love to teach my kids (or have someone else teach them).

23. I have a very strong sense of self-discipline. If I want to do something, I will do it. But, I have to want it.

24. I have no idea what I would be if I weren't a teacher. I can't imagine.

25. I wish I were better at keeping in touch with old friends.

So, I'm tagging Ashlee, Can I Just Say..., Laura, and Lisa Marie.

Help the....

Central Missouri Humane Society.

I'm a volunteer for the Central Missouri Humane Society, and if anyone needs to win a shelter makeover, it's them. They've recently had to squeeze their hours because of budget restrictions, the shelter was partially flooded for a few days this fall, it's just sad. These poor animals (this is where I got my amazing buddy Simon) have to live in these conditions because they can't afford any better.

So, if you feel like helping out and happen to have an animal visit www.zootoo.com and sign up (please select CMHS as your shelter) and help us reach the top 20! I'd appreciate it. Then I can see what animals you have, too! :)

excited about taxes?

Oh yes, yes I am. Why on earth would you be excited about taxes? Refunds of course! Seriously, sweet.

In other news? My snowday was not very productive on the "school" front. You want to know what I did? Exciting stuff. I took tons of stuff to the Goodwill a couple towns away. Woohoo.

How much did you grade? Like 15 essays. That's it. Seriously, ridiculous.

Oh, and by the way...it took me about 25 minutes to do my taxes (filing and everything) online. Sweet.

So, here's a question:

Why do I weigh about 2 pounds (sometimes 3) less in the morning than I do at night? Haha, once I reach my WW goal, I'm totally gonna stick with my "morning" weight if anyone asks. Seriously. On that note, I'm only 5 pounds away from my WW goal. A-mazing. I'm still thinking I'm gonna make my personal goal about 5 pounds less than that, because I know it's possible, and I also think I'd look pretty darn good there. We'll see how I feel when I reach goal. Let me tell you, I cannot wait for my "I reached goal" present - a massage. I've never had one and I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Sorry for the rambling, random post. I can't seem to stick to one topic tonight.

Currently Reading: Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke & Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin

What was your most embarrassing moment?

I've been pretty fortunate in my life. First of all, my family's crazy. So I got used to being embarrassed at a young age. Heck, my kids (students) look at me sometimes like Who is this woman? Haha, it makes life interesting.

However.

Earlier this week there was an incident at school involving one of my honors students. She got two days of O.S.S. I was a little surprised, I mean, it's not often an honors student gets in that kind of trouble. Needless to say, I heard through the grapevine what happened. I. Was. Appalled. Here's the lowdown.

Setting: Spanish 2 (all grade levels)
Background: Student A - freshman girl, Student B - sophomore honor's girl
Incident: Student A was writing something on the board for the teacher when Student B came up and pulled her (Student A's) pants down. Yes, you read that right. She de-pants her. Now, not only did she depants her, but she got the underwear. In front of the ENTIRE class.

You may wonder, "What did the teacher do?"

She laughed.

Yes, I'm serious.

UGH! Seriously. When I heard about this I didn't even know what to say. Now, I'm a pretty modest person, so I can only imagine how mortified I would have been. Poor girl! Especially when your teacher laughs.

Why do I bring up this story? Well, later in the week when Student B got back from O.S.S. she was joking and laughing about it in class. What is it with kids these days? I know, I'm only 24, but it seems like this kind of thing happens a lot more now.

In other news? I started my Russian lit (AHH!) class Wednesday. It's been like a year and a half since I've taken class, but I'm kind of excited. Of course, we have to read an entire book by Wednesday (which I haven't started), but I'm hoping it'll be good. I'll let ya know!

Currently Reading: Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

Inkspell

Book Title: Inkspell
Author: Cornelia Funke
Rating: 4 outta 5 stars
Review: Yes, this book took me forever to read. No, it wasn't because it wasn't good. It was good. Very good.

Meggie reads herself into Inkworld (at the end of the last book? or at the beginning of this one? good question). So, Mo and Resa are read in as well. A cute little relationship develops between Meggie and Farid. Mo is confused - he doesn't seem to know if he's the same person he was in "his world" or if he'll fit into Fenoglio's world of Inkspell. Like the previous book, the bad guys seem to get out of everything, but you know, I think it makes it seem more realistic. I still hate them though.

I'm holding out hope for Dustfinger in the next book.

Currently Reading: Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

I beat my dad!

Go me. So yesterday Dad, E, K and I ran in the "Resolution Run" 5k in CoMo. My goal was to break 26 (get under 26). And. I. Did. It. Seriously though, that freakin course was h-a-r-d! The course started by going uphill pretty much right away - and it was a hill. Seriously. I guess it's better to start with a hill than to end with one though. Unfortunately there were like 6 hills altogether. Really guys, who made up this course?

In other news? I'm boring. I've continued with the 30-day Shred. Ouch. Seriously though, I was an idiot. I did the 30-day Shred and decided to do another speed interval run and spinning class the next day. Talk about sore. Ouch.

Slow anyone? Why in the world did I not watch The Office before?

Who's excited for the inauguration tomorrow? Speechless. That's what I am. I'm just so thoroughly excited and hopeful that I can't think of anything to say. GObama :)

Currently Reading: Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke

The 30-day bandwagon.

I'm impulsive. Seriously impulsive. About stupid things. Example?

Tonight I'm sitting on my couch watching TV and looking at reviews for Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred video and all the sudden, I have to get it. I mean. What. Is. The. Deal? It's my day off from the gym. I just did spinning and speed interval running yesterday and I still convinced myself to brave the -15 (windchill) weather, drive to Wtown (30 minutes away) to get a stupid workout DVD.

Seriously Kate.

The verdict?

I will be sore tomorrow. However, happily, level 1 was not terribly difficult - unless you consider being a complete upper body wuss like I am. Most of the workout was fine, but man, my arms are weak! So, my resolution is to do this 30 day Shred. I probably won't do it IN 30 days exactly, because I'm out of town at my bf's house on weekends, and that's a little unrealistic since vball practice and my graduate course starts soon, but I will do it. Trust me?

Another Texas picture for the road...

What did I have to show E in Texas? The monster soda bottles. Yes, I'm a nerd.

Looking for Alaska

Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Review: Read this. If you're in high school (or have been...recently), read this. At times - as a teacher - I thought the language was a bit rough, but it's realistic, too.

Pudge is starting life at a new school. He's convinced his parents to send them to his father's alma mater - a boarding school far away from home. Once he leaves his old self behind he meets some very unique friends, the scholarship kids, the Colonel and Alaska. Not only are these new friends nothing like he's had before, they turn his world upside down.

Pudge is your average out-of-place teen, and his voice in this book is amazing. Halfway through the twist really threw me and I didn't know if I'd want to continue reading, but Pudge and his friends reel you back in.

Sidenote: This book is hilarious. Some of my students caught me laughing while we were reading (silently) in class and wondered what in the world was wrong with me. But really, it's just funny, and true, and heartwarming, and sad, and lots of others. Highly recommend it.

Currently Reading: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

God's Cereal

Yes, that is the correct price.

So, E and I went to Texas last weekend for my cousin M's wedding. Pictured above is the cereal of the Lord. He wants your money too, so pay up for that heavenly goodness. But seriously, we didn't eat it, I just found it hilarious.

The wedding was great. Adorable couple. Short service. Limited amount of people (that's what I want. not that I don't like people, I just don't like being paid attention to that much). Seriously, low key. Wonderful. And I have a new cousin now!

Needless to say, the trip to Texas was not short. 15 hours in the car (one way). You know it's funny, a lot of people commented, "If you two (E and I) can survive that trip, you can survive anything," and I thought, seriously? We've been together 5 years. If we couldn't survive that trip, I'd hope we'd have found out already. And I was right, it wasn't hard...at all! I really do have an amazing boyfriend. I'm so glad :)

Resolution Update: NO biting of the nails. This is the (almost) 2 week mark. It's hard! It's still hard! Why is it still hard?!

Simon (the amazing - otherwise known as my adorable kitty) seems to think he's a dog now. Ever since I got home from Texas he's followed me everywhere. He's even become a lap cat! It's crazy! He never did that before. And, everytime I go to bed now he thinks it's time to play fetch. Bad timing, lemme tell you. And this morning he woke me up by sitting on my bedside table and pawing my face. Apparently when the alarm goes off and I don't hop out of bed to feed him, something's seriously wrong.

Sorry about the bland update, but I'm tired, and I haven't updated in awhile (shame, shame). I'll leave you with another picture from Texas - my adorable cousins.


Currently Reading: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (I know! But, I read another book inbetween)

Sweet Success

So I joined a challenge at my local gym, The Biggest Loser. They track your percentage lost over a four month period, and I'm pretty psyched because they've got some sweet prizes (can you say 1-hour massage?)! Well, when you sign up they take your weight and measurements so I compared it to my weight and measurements from when I signed up at the gym. Curious, are you?

From July 2007 - January 2009

Pounds lost: 38

BMI: Start - 30.2, Now - 23.9

Fat: Start 35.8%, Now - 29.2%

Inches Lost:
Chest: 6
Waist: 8
Hips: 8
Thighs: 2
Calves: 1

Yes, you could say I was pretty psyched about that. A little freaked that I let it get as bad as I did, but psyched that I've come so far since May 2008 (when I started WW).

In other news? My new year's resolution is going good. It's tough. But so far? No biting nails! No biting cuticles! I think it might be harder than WW. Maybe because there's not such a great benefit in the end?

Well, Simon wants to play fetch. Silly cat. I swear he thinks he's a dog.

Currently Reading: InkSpell by: Cornelia Funke

What will you do this year?

Oh yes, it's that time of year again. Resolutions! I always try to make a new year's resolution and it seems like by the end of the year I always forget what it is...oops.

This year's resolution?

1. Stop biting my fingernails (and cuticles, I know, I'm bad). I WILL do this. Especially since E doesn't think I can.
2. Make and maintain my WW goal. I'm only 8 pounds away. Go me.
3. That's it!

The fewer I make, the fewer I can't keep, right?

How did I start the new year? Dad, E, K, Cousin E, and I ran in the First Night 5K in CoMo. We ran in it last year too, and boy was it easier this year. Last year's time? 30:21. Ouch. This year I was ecstatic to make my goal (to beat 27:00). My time was 26:06! Yay me!! Seriously, I'm impressed with myself. Now Dad's tryin to convince me to do a 5K in a couple weeks for Starting Block (a new sport equipment store). In the Starting Block 5K the girls start 3 minutes ahead of the guys, so I could maybe beat Dad. Ha, that'd be something.

Well, I actually have to go back to work tomorrow...so I should get to bed, on my new feather bed topper, I'm excited!! I hope everyone had a great New Years Eve and I wish everyone the best in 2009.

What are your resolutions? How are you going to keep them?

Currently Reading: The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials Book 2) by: Philip Pullman