Simple things

I am in a shockingly good mood this morning, especially considering how little sleep I've gotten this weekend and how packed my day is going to be. And yet, I'm doing well and wanted to share the very simple things that are making me sing along with my radio this morning.

1. Late-night pizza, beer and fun conversation with coworkers on Friday night.
2. Youth soccer at 10a Saturday (complete with some amazing plays by Leo).
3. Quality time with Gus on Saturday, including lunch on the couch and stories before naptime.
4. Great weather (high 50s-mid 60s with lots of sunshine) and a correspondingly great fall outfit (khakis, sneakers, red tank, black zipup, jean jacket, sunglasses) on Saturday.
5. Getting my movies at Blockbuster, even though I didn't have enough cash.
6. New nail polish that I love (Revlon "Really Vintage" - the 2 step, 10 day kind).
7. Three hour phone date with Maggie Saturday night.
8. Tomato soup and grilled cheese (all organic) for dinner Saturday night.
9. Waking up early Sunday morning (7:15a) and being at work by 8:15a.
10. Being halfway through my to do list at 10:30a.

This afternoon I am volunteering at the Dupont Circle Historic House Tour. I grew up going to house tours with my mom and this one benefits the Dupont Circle neighborhood association and their efforts to preserve historic homes. And anything I can do to prevent beautiful, old homes from being replaced by garish condos and McMansions is good for me. Plus, there is a party afterwards for the volunteers. Then drinks at Lucky Bar in Dupont and home for an early bedtime. It's nice to have those days that make you wonder, "What isn't there to be happy about?!"It helps me keep perspective on those days that seem so awful. I know y'all understand.

also...

The weather today is enough to make me walk right out of school and down to the Mall. Thank goodness it is supposed to be this beautiful all weekend.

Rethinking things

Last night I talked on the phone with Wendy for nearly 90 minutes. Granted, she did a lot of the talking (more to share, trust me), but still, it was really fun. Maybe I need to rethink this self-proclaimed aversion to phones.

Last night I also went to a birthday party for a coworker, Andie, in Crystal City. I thought I'd stay an hour at most, ended up staying nearly two hours and had a really good time. Maybe I need to rethink my feeling that I'll never make my own friends out here.

This past weekend I took a road trip with Elizabeth and starting thinking about the tension between being successful in your professional life and being successful in your personal life. Specifically, the balance between the two and how to find it when you're in your mid to late twenties. Can one be happy with only one and not the other? Perhaps and that is a question left to sociologists, biologists and anthropologists. Can I be happy with one and not the other? Now, that is the question of the year, I think. Because, really, I think the answer is no, but then I think that I have been relatively happy for the last few years and that those years have not seen the most success on the personal/relationship side of things. These are not questions with answers, I know, but they are still worth posing (especially to yourself) every once in awhile.

The week has felt exceptionally long. I cannot believe that today is only Thursday and that it is not even 3pm yet. I have so much grading and entering of grades to get done, not to mention lesson planning and such. I think it is going to be a long night. And I think that is okay.

***Note: I need to start saving money for a shopping trip. I have lost over 20 lbs since last fall and most of my clothes looks rather silly on me. This is not a bad thing to have to deal with, but I will need to deal with it soon. Good thing I can be such a capitalist whore!

Short and dirty

The subject refers to the version of my date story that y'all are going to get.

We met for drinks in my neighborhood on Friday night. At 8pm. Only he called at 7:45p to say he'd be 20 minutes late. He got to the bar at a little after 9p (he lives in MD and never comes into "the city"). We had two beers and a lot of awkward conversation, including a prolonged one about his most recent ex and one about how many Indian guys I have dated (he's Indian). When the bartender started asking if I needed anything with a look of concern in his eyes, it was time to go. I gave him (the date, not the bartender) much simpler directions to get back home, thanked him for the beers and walked my happy self home. To close, the answer to his question about my Indian dating history is two and he will not be making it three. Luckily, though, he seems to have gotten this message on his own as he has not called, emailed or tried to message me since. Anyway, it was worth a shot.

Back to the bench.

Now here's some news...

I have a date tonight. Weird. I'll let you know all about it later.

BUT...

Work is hard, BUT...

• It turns out I'm pretty good at what I do. My observation yesterday morning yielded positive results - students were off task less than 20% of the time and when given a prompt or direction to correct behaviors, they were 90% compliant with my request. So, even though it sometimes feels like I have no control, apparently I do. As much as I am NOT a math person, I am a data person and, in that respect, numbers are great.
  
• I love my students. Today, after Government, JH wandered to my desk instead of booking it to lunch as usual. I looked up from my computer and he handed me a large envelope. "What is this?" I asked. "My senior proofs," he replied, smiling. Inside were proofs from his three outift (tux, grad gown, casual) photo session that he just wanted to show me. I oohed and ahhed over them, made fun of how big the graduation gown made him look (it was WAY too big) and asked him which was his favorite. Then I sent him on his way to lunch. It was just one of those little moments that make it worthwhile.

It's only Wednesday, BUT...

• I have exciting plans for the weekend. Well, exciting to me anyway.
• Wednesday is now half over.

Maggie's mom is still sick, BUT...

• The doctors determined that her heart is healthy.
• Major surgery has been avoided, even if only for now.

Winter break is a long way off, BUT...

• I bought my tickets on Monday.
• I am already looking forward to seeing people.
• So many get-togethers must be planned. (I will be in Chicago 12/20-12/27)

Update

First and foremost, I have to send a shout out to my roommate, who turns 25 today. Happy birthday, Elizabeth! You are a remarkable woman and I hope that this is a remarkable year. Love ya.

Keeping with the shout out theme, one is in order for my friends Dave and Gwen who got engaged over the weekend. Congratulations, Dave and Gwen! I cannot wait for the wedding and I know that this is only the start of much happiness for the both of you. (PS: Gorgeous ring and great announcement. Seriously.)

Other updates:

• Elizabeth's party was Saturday night. A good, old-fashioned keg party was the order of the night and it was a lot of fun. More so, frankly, than I thought it would be. There were enough people, but not too many. There was flip cup on a specially crafted wooden table (supported by trash cans b/c we're not that classy). There was cheap booze in plastic cups. There was music and dancing (although not, apparently, enough) and conversation. And, of course, some pretty amusing moments and great one liners. I'd share them here, but there are too many and, to be honest, I don't remember all of them that well. I do remember this, said to me by one woman's girlfriend after I killed a spider on the porch so the woman would stop freaking out, "You are her hero. If you liked women, I'd be pretty annoyed right now." And the benefit of keg parties at age 26? Lots of cheap beer over the course of many hours (in this case, 5) means no pain the next day. Sweet.
• Work is hard right now. I'm really tired and sort of unmotivated and the kids have seriously lost their minds. My first and seventh periods pretty much guarantee that I start and end the day on a rough note and that's just no way to live. Yesterday, seventh period was so bad that I passed on yoga and the gym and went home to do laundry and drink beer. I was in that place.
• My friend Maggie's mom is having serious surgery today and, depending on what they find, may have even more serious surgery to come so please send positive thoughts out into the universe on her behalf.
• Speaking of moms, mine is doing well. She is on round two of chemo and feeling better than she did during round one. I mean, she still has cancer and is still rundown and not working, but her mood is up and everyone is staying positive. I know I don't say much about it (mainly b/c, at a certain point, there isn't much to say), but thanks to all of you who check in and let me know you're thinking about/praying for/sending positive vibes to me and my family.

I think that's all for now. Have a good one!