NOT cooking in this simple life!

The renaming of the blog came to me just a few days ago. I'll write about that when I'm a little more awake and with it. Two nights ago, I went to see the midnight premiere of Harry Potter. The movie was great, but the fact that I went to bed at 3 and got up at 830 yesterday...NOT so great.

Yesterday was my friend J's birthday. I'm not going to use full names, but J has pretty much been like my big sister since I moved to my new town. She took me under her wing professionally, showed me the ropes at my new job and was a huge help in my planning last year. We became super good friends, and though she is a few years older than I am, we realized that we are in many ways like sisters. She is an only child; I have a brother. She's the big sister; I'm the little sister. It works out and I am so very thankful that I moved and met such a great friend.

Yesterday was J's birthday. I was up and at em to go grocery shopping for myself and to get a couple of last minute things for her birthday dinner. Our friend who plays trivia with us offered her home to have a birthday fiesta. So, that's what we did. I volunteered to make my brother's guacamole recipe. We had chicken enchiladas, chips and many dips, santa fe rice, cookie cake, and LOTS of margaritas/mexican beer/drinks of choice. It was an extremely fun night and J had a blast, which is the point of any birthday celebration. This is not, however, the purpose of this post.

I joke that my bro is the "golden boy" of the family. He has the grades, athletic ability, and just about every other fantastic quality/gene that our family has (yes, I was the one genetically screwed, but I can deal), including the ability and love of cooking. My mother is hands down the best baker/occasion cook I know. My dad is also a top notch cook. Bro is a superb chef in the making. Me? Not so much to ANY of the above listed things. I hate cooking. I get no joy out of cooking. I think it is a waste of time and it's such a pain in the ass. Take for example, the fact that I chose to make guacamole. When bro makes it, it is absolutely delicious. I made it and it wasn't too bad. But it just did not taste the same as my brothers. And moreso, I made SUCH  a mess that I had to take additional time to clean AFTER cooking. Hence, another reason why cooking is just not my cup of tea. My mom asked both J, who also does not cook, and I what we do for dinner if we don't cook. Our response? "We go out." :)

Jelly Bean

While I am anxiously awaiting the HP premiere, I thought I would take the time to discuss my dear sweet car, Jelly Bean. I'm going to be doing some updates with the blog soon, you know, try to make it more about life in my new town/give it more of a common theme. Anyways, my Jelly Bean was acting up today so I thought I would dedicate a post just to her.

Jelly Bean was a Christmas gift from Mom and Dad the Christmas of my junior year in high school. I was pouting because I didn't get a car (brat, I know, right?), they told me to take the trash out, I walk downstairs and scan the driveway from the garage and COMPLETELY overlook my pretty car sitting IN the garage, not the driveway. There was a bright red bow on top and everything. Jelly Bean was to this day the best XMAS gift I've ever gotten.

Over the years, Jelly Bean has, well, had her ups and downs. She's had more batteries than I think a car is supposed to have had in the amount of years that I've had her (and might I add that she tends to die in the most inopportune times, like while I'm at my alma mater helping with rush?). She's been seran-wrapped. She's hit a few things here and there, has a few dents and scratches, but I love her despite all her shortcomings. Today, it started monsooning while my friend and I were at this super cute boutique (that will be a post for another day, I'm sure). Well, some sort of sensor is off or something, because the alarm kept going off. I mean, the alarm would ring, I would turn it off, and literally 5 minutes later, it would go off again. I was really concerned, but when I got home she was fine. I guess this is a test for when I actually have a dog. I'll have to take care of it and worry about it, which is exactly what I'm doing with my car.

I love Jelly Bean. And I have always said that if/when I get a new car, I want another Beetle. We'll see what happens, but I can't decide when a new car will be in my future. For now, I'll take my jolly green Jelly Bean any day.

HP!

I feel it is only right and fair to have my next post dedicated to one of the most successful and fantastic franchises from the past two decades. Harry Potter has served as a form of entertainment in both book and film form for years. Sadly, this all comes to an end this evening at midnight when the last film installment is released. Of course I am going to see it, but I thought I should share my HP experience so everyone can truly understand how sad I am, but how much I LOVE Harry Potter.

It all started when I was in the sixth grade. I was in the advanced reading class, and one of my classmates walked into class one day carrying a hardback book with this cover. I was immediately interested in what this fascinating looking book was about. (Yes, I was a nerd even way back in the sixth grade.) She tried to explain it to me, but I knew that I needed to just read the book for myself to both appreciate it and grasp the plot synopsis. When I got home from school, I told my mom I wanted to go to the bookstore to get this Harry Potter book. My parents rarely told me "no" when I wanted a book. I mean, what parent would shut down their child for actually wanting to read? So, we went to Borders to get my new book. Well, my mother is one of those people who will buy the same shirt in multiple colors if it looks good and is flattering. She noticed that there were two other books in the series, so she purchased all three for me. (This may sound a bit spoiled, but if you know me, you know that with certain things I just accept without question.) Shortly after beginning the first book, I was hooked. From funny names like Hagrid and Hermione to new words entirely like Quidditch, J.K Rowling's wizarding world had me hooked, and there was no turning back from there.

Of course I finished reading all three books in a matter of two weeks. I have always been a pretty fast reader, and when I get really into something, I will literally sit for an entire day reading until I finish a book (Nora Roberts' Bride Quartet series, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and of course Twilight are just a few that I have done this for). Every year brought a release of a new Harry Potter book. My dad would usually go out very early the morning the books came out to get a copy before the stores surrounding our house would sell out. Once my brother got to the age that he could read, it was always a fight as to who would read the books first. I was older and I read faster; of course I always read them first. My parents have a blue leather chair, that while their new pup thinks is HIS chair, that is actually MY chair. I would plant myself in this chair and read until I was finished. I did not get as into any other series as I did with Harry Potter. 

With the help of my mom, I managed to get a job during breaks from college at Borders. It was seriously a great deal. I got to work Thanksgiving, Christmas, and during the summer at a bookstore. It's like the training of a future English teacher. Well, one of the first summer's I worked at Borders was the summer the last HP book was being released. Of course I worked the ridiculous event. Of course I purchased my copy. And of course I stayed up as late as I could to read some of the book before falling fast asleep. 

When I finished reading this book, I had a sense of satisfaction as well as sadness. What was I going to do now? One of the greatest series of books that I had ever read was now OVER. What was a girl to do? Well, lucky for me, Hollywood had already started creating the film versions of these books, so I could at least hold on to HP for a few more years.

Now, my brother and I are just like any other siblings. We bicker and argue and he, quite frankly, annoys the crap out of me most of the time (sometimes unknowingly, but I at least try to let him know when he's being an asshole). However, one of the things that there is no argument about is going to see the midnight releases of Harry Potter. This tradition started with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and has continued up through last November. I moved, but this did not deter us from going to see the midnight showings. 

Tonight really does mark the end of an era. I know that tonight at approximately 2:30 AM I will be so excited that I have just witnessed greatness, but I know that I'm going to be sad that it's over! 

It's going to be great. How could it not be great? It's Harry Potter!

Planning, Planning, and MORE Planning

What am I planning?

1. Long range planning for my classes.
2. The birthday bash for my surrogate bis sister
3. The summer meeting for the club I am sponsoring.
4. Packing up my apartment for both my vacation and my big move!

It's been lots of ideas turning and crazy-ness going on in my brain, but it's been fun!

Skinny Bitch....I'm going to get there eventually!

I, like most people, have struggled with my weight for my entire life. Before I went t college (well let's face it, before my junior year of college) I loved food, hated exercise, and it was very evident in how I looked and how I felt. I would go on these exercise kicks for like a month and go to the gym everyday. But as soon as I was tired one day, it was like the gym didn't exist and I would fall back into my lack of exercising phase.

While this photo is cropped, this was one of the semesters in college where I was at my heaviest. You know how some people gain the freshman fifteen when they go off to school? I'm pretty sure that I surpassed that.

New Years 2009 was an interesting one. My family had been in Florida visiting my grandparents and my mom informed both my dad and I she had made us appointments at Jenny Craig for when we got home. My initial thought was "Thanks bitch, you think I'm fat." But what I did not realize at the time was that my mom was not concerned with the fact that I was a little overweight, she was concerned about my health. This probably took me the longest the realize that how you eat/exercise really does affect your health. I was not taking care of myself. Food had become something that I turned to when I was stressed, bored, or when I "thought" I was hungry. So, January 2, 2009 came and honestly changed my life up to this point.

Jenny Craig was seriously the best decision my mother has ever made. I learned that food was something your body needed, not just something to shove in your face if you think you are hungry. I became a workout machine. I had the free gym at school and I took full advantage. Jillian Michaels became my new best friend with her 30 day shred. I seriously became a beast at the gym, and it showed!

This picture was taken one year after the previous one. I realize my hair is longer, but the evidence is in my face and you can even tell from the half of my arm. I took control of how I looked and nothing up to this point has ever felt so amazing.

I tend to look at both of these pictures when I feel like I need a swift kick to get back in the game. After my 21st birthday, I hit a plateau in a really big way. I was no longer losing weight. I had started student teaching and could tell that my body was changing because I was not the workout machine that I had been. This, along with the trials and tribulations of slowly becoming a grown up, did take a toll on me. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you did something that you know you weren't supposed to do and then you feel really guilty about. I felt guilty for not going to the gym. I felt guilty for indulging in ice cream when I had a long day at school. I felt guilty for being too tired to do anything except sit on my couch and eat. It felt like I was slipping and I did not like it.

Becoming an adult teaches you lots of things. One of the things that I have realized is that people who have full time jobs (like I do) do not have the same energy levels that college students who only have to go attend class and then write papers do.  It takes serious commitment and effort to maintain a healthy lifestyle complete with working out and eating right. I am so thankful for Jenny Craig, because I feel like my eating habits improved so much and have continued to stay pretty good. I mean, come on, every one indulges in something every now and then, and I am no exception. But I do know that I HAVE to eat fruit and vegetables to be healthy. And I absolutely love the taste of most fruit and vegetables, so I haven't had a problem there. My issue now is with activity. Exercise has always been my enemy.

I am fortunate to be moving at the beginning of August. It's not to a different state, just a different roof over my head about 20 minutes down the road from where I am now. I'm excited for the new venture. Moving feels like I get to start all over in a new place. That's one of the great things about being a teacher: Every August you get a fresh start. I have a few goals that I am planning to keep once I move. I feel like if I write them on here, someone (maybe Mom, Nanu, or one of my sisters who actually reads this) will hold me accountable. :)

Goal 1 - Make time to exercise 3-4 times a week. (Everyday seems a bit unrealistic.)
Goal 2 - Buy more veggies to snack on as opposed to pita chips or crackers. (Snacking is my downfall.)
Goal 3 - Fruit is a sweet. Yogurt is a sweet. Chocolate needs to not be a sweet except in rare occasions.

Three goals that are totally doable. I'm not unrealistic, unmotivated, or undeterred by the fact that I am not as in shape as I once was. My favorite saying that my Jenny Craig consultant told me was "It's progress, not perfection." I feel that I have made significant progress since I was twenty years old when that first photo was taken. I know that I have what it takes to be a skinny bitch. And I promise, I'm going to get there eventually!

Puppy Love

I would not consider myself a "dog person." You know the type of person I mean....one who has a dog calendar, dog sweatshirt, pictures of their dog/favorite breed of dog more than their human friends? I am not that obsessed, but I definitely like dogs. Our first family pet, Chucki, was such a princess type of dog. I was pretty young when we got her, was more concerned with myself and what was going on in my life in high school, and when I went off to college, I never thought much more of her. Sadly, our sweet first pet died when we were all home over the holidays my freshman year of college. I never thought that I would be so distraught over something, but losing your first pet just does something to your insides. It was definitely a tough loss. When my parents decided to get a new dog, well, I was less than thrilled. My wounds had not yet really healed from Chucki. But, I figured since I was off at school, it really wouldn't matter if they got a dog or not. Well, Rudy is certainly the prince of the house. He is dumber than a box of rocks and he looks like a lion, but he is definitely precious and lovable.

While I was in college, my sorority sisters and I volunteered at the animal shelter in the town right up the road from school. Volunteering at an animal shelter is one of the most rewarding things ever, but it is also heartbreaking. I remember after the first time I traveled to the shelter, I not only wanted to adopt every single dog that I saw, but I wanted to reem the necks of their previous owners. Seriously, I don't understand those individuals who are cruel to animals. They should just go bang their heads against a wall.

I am at a point in my life where I need something big to happen. I'm not quite sure what it is that I want or need to happen, but I just feel that it's time for life to just become spectacular. I have been very torn over whether or not to get a pet. On the one hand, I live by myself and it would certainly be nice to have a dog to keep me company. On the other hand, I have a full time job and would feel so bad leaving my poor puppy at home all day while I'm gone. I know lots of people do that, but I just don't know how I feel about leaving a dog that I have rescued from a shelter home all day while I am at work (Hint Hint to Mom and Dad....you can totally move here so that I can get a dog and one of you can come and let him/her out!)

I have been looking around at shelters and have found a couple of prospects.

This is Bama. She is super cute, two years old, and medium sized. This was the picture that I saw that made me say to myself "I should get a dog."

This is Memphis. He is also precious, but he's only a puppy. I'm pretty sure if/when I do get a dog, I will have to get a grown up dog so that I will not have to do as much training with my busy schedule.

 This is Pebbles. She is probably my fave because she's small, house-trained, and just freaking cute!

Part of the difficulty in my decision process is the fact that I'm moving. It's totally not fair to a dog to be around during the moving process, especially one that doesn't know me and I do not know. I told my parents that I had made the executive decision to wait until my winter break to get a dog, but I just don't know if I can wait that long! All three of these pups are adorable. And with my luck, they will all be adopted before December. Now, just to clarify, I would certainly NOT be getting all 3 of these dogs. I just like to have options. :)

I love July.

Usually, the month of June is my favorite month of the year. There's no school, it's my birthday month, and summertime is on the horizon. This year, however, June was not as up to par as it usually was and July has already proven to be my favorite month of this year.

June of this year was....interesting. I am used to being finished with school before Memorial Day. That was not the case this year, and I started off what should have been my favorite month still at work. My birthday was the next big venture. And while I love all my friends in my new town and my friend, who is really like my big sister, did a great job planning my birthday festivities, it was weird celebrating my first "grown-up" birthday. Not to mention that I thought it would be a good idea to get a part-time job. While some teachers do this and have no problem, I encountered a large problem. The place that I chose to work was extremely stressful and it really was just not for me. So, needless to say, this past Monday, and yes we were open July 4th, was my last day.

July started off with a visit from my family.

While my family is loud, crazy, and sometimes just utterly irritating, I love them. It was so good to see them and celebrate the 4th with them. They got to see the beautiful scenery of my new town, we went to the beach, ate seafood, cooked dinner, and, most importantly, we put a deposit down on my new place of residence! It was a great weekend and very much needed!

Also during July, two of my dear teacher friends are tying the knot. One got married last weekend while my parents were in town and her wedding was awesome. She will be my partner in crime this year with sponsoring a club at school. Tomorrow, my dear friend from Clemson is getting married. We met when we were sophomores in one of the many classes we had together and have been friends ever since. She got her job in our district first and encouraged me to search for jobs in the same district. Well, low and behold, here we are working in the same district! I am so excited for her wedding tomorrow.

The other big reason I love the month of July, other than family, weddings, and not having to work, is that, as of today, I am going on vacation! Now, I realize that technically the entire summer is a vacation for a teacher, but I actually get to GO somewhere on vacation. I am going to see two of my best friends in New Orleans and I could not be more excited!

I will sadly not be able to attend the Beach Week reunion of many of my college friends because I have to attend a training. I really wanted to go and visit, though, because I have not seen either of these girls in over six months. So, I looked for flights, and lucky for me, I found a pretty good deal! I'm going at the end of July to Atlanta to spend a few days with the fam before heading to NOLA to visit. I cannot wait!

Though July is shaping up to be pretty awesome, life does sometimes get in the way of enjoying things. My great Uncle Stan passed away this past weekend. He was a great guy who loved golf, old movies, and a good scotch. I am certainly going to miss him and will always remember him.