Disappointed

It does happen on rare occasion that life gets so busy you can't do everything that you really want to do as you originally had planned. This week starts one of the busiest stretches of the school year for me, and I can't even tell you for sure when it will end. The only time we get more performances slammed into few days occurs during the last two weeks with the parade, Memorial Day, final concert, and graduation. The difference between then and now...those performances are all in Spring Grove.

We are starting the playoff run for our basketball teams. Both Boy's and Girl's BBall teams have done well this year. The ladies pulled the #2 seed and the guys will likely be 1 or 2 when their ranking comes out. The terrible part is that the first game for the girls is Saturday, Feb. 28. This is Duane's first weekend off in 3 weeks. We were going to go visit his grandparents to show them wedding pictures and have our taxes done with someone who specializes in law enforcement taxes. Duane can still go, but I can't. I am VERY disappointed. I wanted to spend the time with him, even if it would have on the road. I also really wanted to visit his grandparents. They were unable to travel to the wedding and I don't know how long it will be before we can get there again. Thank goodness for Duane. Poor guy works 3 weekends in a row and the first break he gets he's going to spend more long hours in a car, alone. At least we don't have to completely cancel on his grandparents, he will still be able to go...and our taxes will still get done. The secretary lady at the tax office (who was rather RUDE) insisted that since I was just a teacher, I didn't have to be there in order to complete them. I would have thought I would have had to sign papers or something, but apparently not. She'd better be right or I'll have more than a few choice words for her!

As for my schedule...I work at JCPenney Monday night, have our final pep band at the school Tuesday night (after this home closer for the guys, all playoff games are on the road, approximately a 1.5 hour drive each way...and some games as late as 8:30 tip-offs), playoff game 1 for the ladies on Saturday night, Dorian honor band on Sunday and Monday night (now into march)...and depending on seeding and how the first game turns out, possible playoff games Thursday, Friday, and Saturday the first week of march. More games the next week if the teams keep winning (we're anticipating at least 3 games each) and a concert coming up fast on Mar. 17. My guess is that it will be the third week of March before my schedule returns to normal. I will miss my husband and my dog during my long nights aways. I'm also sure that Duane will be perfectly fine on his own for a few late nights, Brandi on the other hand...she will miss me!

When temporary goes bad...

When we moved in to our house, we were lucky. It did NOT need a lot of work on anything, and the projects that it did need were not urgent. We have since stained the deck and replaced the rain gutters. This summer we will paint the trim (the new gutters are a bit smaller than the old) and perhaps the shutters outside. Inside, I still intend on painting the bedroom...no more purple!

The one fix that we needed sooner than later was the bathroom. The majority is in great shape, but the tile in the back of the tub was cracked, creating leaks into the basement and into the wall between the bathroom and our bedroom. When we first moved, we didn't have the cash to take care of it right away, SO, Duane found a temporary fix.




(sorry about the sideways look!)

It wasn't pretty, but it worked. And since it worked so well, we put off our repairs until very recently. Now that we are doing just fine paying our bills and making our livings, Duane decided it was time to fix it. (YEAH!) I got home from school one day and he told me it was ordered. A few days ago we got a card in the mail that said our new tub and shower surround had arrived...followed closely by a phone call that said they'd arrived damaged so they were re-ordering for us. Neither of us thought anything of it...but the current bathroom did. Apparently we hurt it's feelings or something because the temporary hold decided it wouldn't work anymore. We tried, but being unable to temporarily fix a temporary hold, we are now unable to use our shower until the new one comes in and is installed. AAAHHHH....

I guess it's a good thing that the original owner of the house was strange and didn't have a shower upstairs at all (it was installed by the second owner, from whom we bought the house). SO...although not convenient, we are not left without a shower. We are just required to shower in the basement until we can get our new one installed. Hopefully not too long, but certainly at least a couple of weeks. Sigh. Anyway, check our new temporary shower...





Ah well, at least we're both good-humored about this situation! I'll make sure to fill you in on the progress when it happens!

Puddles and Landmines

It's 40 degrees today. Warm enough to want to open the windows. Chilly enough with a light breeze to encourage restraint in NOT opening windows. It was 40 last weekend too. Simply beautiful. I have this weekend off, Duane doesn't. So...my list of things to do included cleaning the house (as always on weekends), good dinners and menu planning for the week, extra sleep, and cleaning up the landmines that our Lab seems to have left all over the place over the course of the winter. That's a bad thing about 40 degrees. The snow is melting and causing lots of puddles, and revealing lots of landmines.



Today, Brandi woke up frisky. She just wanted to be pet, played with, run, etc...with unyielding break. I suppose she's got some pent up energy too. I made a deal with her. I'd take her on a walk if she helped me clean up her mess. She did...or tried. She plopped down in a pile of snow that she kept burying her face in while I filled an entire plastic bag in minutes. We're about 1/3 done. The scooper is now broke (one of the tines bent) so the rest will have to wait until next weekend. But she kept up her end of the bargain, so I kept up mine...and our soft and cuddly yellow lab took to the roads (and the puddles) with GREAT gusto. Needless to say, she won't be permitted up on the furniture until she's clean again!



We didn't have to go too far before she was totally pooped out (in more ways than one!) and very mud and water splattered. Needless to say, she is a very happy dog...and tired enough to let me get some work done around the house right now!

We are trying

We, like many folks this time of year, are trying very hard to eat better and exercise more. The obvious goal is to drop some pounds but really, the healthier habits are what we want because they will help accomplish that goal AND help sustain it if/when we reach it. Duane has signed us up for a new fitness center. It is actually right here in La Crescent as opposed to our old center 20 minutes away (if you caught traffic just right) in LaCrosse. This place is great. No start up fees and no contracts. Duane and I are on a family plan that runs about $50/month for the two of us. The bonus is, we each have insurance that reimburses us $20/month if you go at least 12 times. So far, so good...although we only started in the middle of January.

Topping off this evenings list of things were doing to be healthier, I would like to share a recipe with you, but I won't. I don't feel like typing it all out. Let me know if you want it, because I WILL send it to you. It only took 30 minutes, came out of a diabetes magazine (no we're not, but it looked tasty) and is only 340 cal. per serving. It's a full meal in the recipe so it is eating light. I DO like to cook, and do (try) to do it frequently. It gets tough on pep band weeks and over the holidays, but I think we're back on track. Today's opening recipe was

STIR FRIED TURKEY TENDERLOINS with SUGAR SNAP PEAS



This is a picture of a picture, but it really did look just as good on our plates.

Then came the fun...learning to eat breakfast again. I thought maybe if I made muffins, it would be easier. Hopefully we still have some in the morning! (Hey, no one is perfect...we both like chocolate chip muffins!)



I guess that's all for now. More when I think of something semi-worthy!

Orphan Annie

Here is a story I followed a lot right before the holidays. Orphan Annie was shot twice and left for dead in a snowbank in Minnesota. Good will and love for animals saved her though...a good samaritan found her, she ended up at the University Animal Hospital, and sponsers from around the world helped pay her bills. The clip below is a party that was thrown for Annie and her well-wishers. She is now in animal foster care and will soon be adopted out. More information for anyone who wants to check out this "feel good" story can be found at www.ragom.org It's certainly a story that brought me tears and smiles. Way to go Annie!



Annie Says Thank You from DevonTT on Vimeo.

Times Change

And boy am I glad. I don't think I would love my job if this were the current job description!

What to say

Today is inservice day at school. So is tomorrow. That means no students and prepare for second semester. But the students didn't have school Thursday or Friday (which I didn't find out about until I'd made the drive) so their horns have been locked in and no one has been able to practice for a week. Yuck. I keep my grades up daily because with so many students in lessons I'd be screwed if I didn't. As a result, I'm writing this to you while I'm already completely prepared for "next semester" and procrastinating on the few things I really could be doing. I thought I'd use this time to update you on that to-do list I posted after the cruise.

1. Knitting: I'm teaching myself. It's been fun. Haven't made anything yet, just unraveled and un-knotted lots of yarn and played around with some different stitches. When I have something interesting, for better or worse, I'll share.

2. Football: Don't remember what was going through my mind at that time...but for now, Go Cards! What a story!

3. Carlos Mencia and Jack Black: Was going to see if either one had free podcasts I could put on my Zune. They don't. Not free anyway...and I don't want to pay.

4. Zune: Needed to update it. Done.

5. Grocery: Picked lots of good recipes and got our refrigerator re-stocked.

6. Pep Band: Don't remember then, but now...hoping the kids remember that they have a show tomorrow night even though they don't have school...it's been on the schedule and I did send reminder emails.

7. JCP: Glad I'm not working so many hours any more. Glad I'm keeping the job for the summer and the discount. Wondering why I got scheduled for 20 hours next week. Hoping to give some of those hours to the kids who work their to pay their rent.

8. House Cleaning: Done. Top to bottom. Easy to keep up on now. Was a mess when we unpacked from cruise.

9. Resorts: We LOVED the cruise, but we would also love to stay in one place longer...so maybe an all inclusive resort somewhere so we can better explore the area. Or maybe a cruise with fewer kids...supposedly some of the other lines are geared more towards adults. Worth looking into.

10. New Moon: Do I want to read it? Still haven't decided. Didn't mean to get into the series but needed something to read and it was at hand. Story line is decent but very young with a high school mentality...hmm...

NEW STUFF:

1. I now have a proper battery for my little camera so I'll be able to take new pictures and do better adding them into to blog. Hopefully this dull little blog will be more interesting.

2. What I really should be doing is working on revising my lesson curriculum so there is a more advanced version. The young ones (6-7th graders) are asking for more depth. I LOVE IT!

3. What is really running through my head is wonder about the project Duane and I working on but I really can't say more about here just now. It's a "don't get your hopes up to high" thing for us.

Sorry to bore you...but thanks for passing time with me!