Category — Intriguing, Interesting, or Impressive

Things are good. Really good. Yes, it would be easy for me to say that because I went to the Bahamas for almost a week! But I am headed back to school tomorrow and am still finishing up a bunch of planning and grading. What changed is the feelings I have heading back into school after a break. I actually feel relaxed, and not that nervous. Even though I did procrastinate, I did a great job working today because a) I knew I had to, b) I had some power and energy from break, and c) my life has changed. Just take a look at this pic of me:

Maybe I’ll get more up, maybe I won’t. I do care a lot about blogging, and want to create a wonderful blog, but school takes up SO much of my time. It just does. And then the other stuff in life. Like accomplishing things.

Over the vacation, my “accomplishments” were relaxing, sitting by the pool and/or beautiful ocean, and connecting and having fun! These are not things I normally see as big achievements, but they were!

My mind really has changed. Usually I’m extremely anxious, depressed, and doing anything but preparing to go back as it gets closer to going back.

This time, I think the vacation was so relaxing and wonderful, and the thought processes and reflections I had while there, have helped me recognize that in the grand scheme of things, everything is really quite great. Sure, I might not feel very well-prepared for tomorrow, but it will come and go quickly, and then I’ll be back in work mode. And I’m sure the students won’t be in the best shape as far as working goes. Games- I’m lucky to teach a foreign language for that reason.

I have a lot of further insights into what went on, and why it was so wonderful, and some of it is personal, some of it people might not be able to relate to- but that’s what a blog is for, right? Sharing your own subjective experience of life and your encounters?

I have so much to share. The overwhelming desire to have more flexibility in my work schedule is still a persistent push in my mind, but, alas, WHAT IT IS. This is the way it is, and it’ll do for now. And I’ll enjoy it.

Yeah! Had the best New Years Eve I’ve had in a LONG time. Rang in the new year at a wedding with a bunch of people I really like. And I feel very inspired, and hopeful for this year. 2009 was rough in a lot of ways. Personal struggles dealing with family issues and a lot of other stuff. A few deaths, including a friend I’d only known for a little while, and the secretary at my school, all lead me to realize how precious and fragile life is. But really this time.

Like, I will not forget that I have to prioritize and also not be too anxious about things. I need to let go and trust that if I put in a fair amount of effort, things will go well, or at least the way they’re meant to? I am in a new relationship! It’s crazy good, and I could not have really predicted it 2 months ago. So, I don’t like to say too much about my personal life, but I am thrilled about not making conclusions and not looking too far ahead.

Well, I will be looking ahead, to an amazing future, created moment by aware moment in the present. I have 2 New Years’ Resolutions.

1) Get Money.

2) No Coffee.

The second one is hard, but I figure it will work itself out eventually. The first is something I will need to be determined about. And creative, using all the available resources I have, and more. I’ll get into this all at some point in the near future, for now, I’m falling asleep due to the lack of number 2.

The Lord is Good. I have seen a lot of great stuff recently, maybe that’s just my focus changing because I am in an exciting place. What’s so new and exciting? Nothing, really, just I feel free and unlimited in potential for things to come. Stuff I will do/make, people I will interact with, life-changing isht I’m talkin.

My birthday was spectacular. Amazing. It started off good, got great, had a lull, then got better, and really culminated in a wonderful party with lots of loved friends and family. Just like life should be. I also got a few gifts and some quality adult beverages. I gave an impromptu speech, which was a little miss, a bit more hit. People played charades in my kitchen. There was some extreme yoga on an exercise ball. Some crazy stuff went on.

And I felt good. Not old, not unloved. Quite the contrary. Okay, I do feel old, but, I felt so loved it was sick. sic. i’m done with all this positivity for this post, let’s get it out into the world again. one last thing. i was at whole foods yesterday and decided to tell the lady it was my bday, and it turns out her son’s bday is tomorrow and her nephew’s is today- all these people born right near Christmas. that’s special. and it’s great. C-mas spirit is almost always a part of my bday, whether i have it or not, if i so choose, i can see it and exponentiate it.

“the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud, for all to hear” -Buddy the Elf (what’s your favorite color?)

I tend to over-think things. And when I actually do get down to planning for teaching, I usually contemplate dozens of different activities and ways I could teach something. I guess over the years it would get better, but at the same time, for now, I cannot get in sync with simplicity and focusing on one activity to choose.

That makes me feel like a student! I’m always telling them to focus.

Simplicity. Not having several blogs I want to write on and feel a need to update and revamp. Instead having just one, or incorporating some of them more fluidly into my daily life.

Giving up my facebook addiction, realizing that social interaction is necessary, but not always at this time in my life.

Making money is important. I’d like to do more of it. I do what I can. I wonder if I’d enjoy a job that got you more money the more work you did. I don’t know. There certainly are perks to a teaching job, and even this one in particular. I do love my job, and I feel very lucky to have it.

As I’ve traveled away from the idea of simplicity, I realize how hard it is to live a simple life in this very technologically advanced, fast-paced world. You gotta keep up.

But you can make choices. Choose what’s important and focus on it. Organize, set goals, and, take your own advice, right, Amandoo!?

It’s a constant choice you make, and remake. It’s something that involves your awareness, and your determination. And after a while, it becomes easy to believe the glass is half-full.

Until it gets knocked over, spilled on the carpet, and the glass breaks.

It’s then that you must remind yourself to look on the bright side:
you didn’t like the glass anyway? you needed a good carpet cleaning? you’re not paying enough attention to something important?

Whatever the case, it’s way to easy to get complacent, and think that you’re set, and forget that you do still have to make choices all the time.

Yes, with time, and repetition, things get easier. But. It’s easy to slip and fall into a pit of despair.

Life is 90% how much you laugh realistically at yourself and 10% not paying attention to statistics.

You can quote me on that.

this is part of a non-series, as my blog is, well, non-secuator if you will. (spell-check won’t).

Part 1?

Part 3?

i don’t have much rhyme or reason to what i do, but i do like rhyming. i bought a rhyming dictionary today. and i no dubitubly intend to use it. fully. freely.

depression. a catch22 of sorts. if i’m depressed i’m no fun to hang out with, and if i don’t hang out with people i’ll get depressed.

luckily, in my world, mania strikes. and when it does, it strikes cute. like a fluffy kitten. similar to that terrible song “i get crazy” (what IS up with the radio today- do not even go there- to the radio that is)(but do go to that page and check out her song and her pic. she don’t look like i woulda thought, but boy it makes me happy that she looks like that!)

i’m makin’ sense, as always. so yeah, life. there’s my perception and experience of it, and others’. and my interpretation or ideas of what others are thinkin, feelin, and doin. and i do get crazy!

-the mainstream news sickens me
-Mr. Lif is soooo inspiring, listen to I Heard it Today
-Mos Def is also awe-inspiring, and got some great social commentary, check out “The Ecstatic” NOW

and now i’m feeling some slight pressure to donate to wikipedia (check it if you haven’t been there today, all you regular daily readers of my blog).

hey, i’m not knocking myself, nor my blog, it’s all good here. i just gotta get focused.

i did volunteer, and teaching is a form of volunteering and when i am useful to others, and not wallowing in my own why-me crapulence, i can get the good type of crazy, the good type of manic, where i get stuff done, and change the world.

hollywood stars are not who you really think you want to be, i know, right?!

Randomly searching through hulu shows and looking for something new, I found “Dorm Life“. Sadly, I’ve watched through all the available episodes, and rather quickly, I might add, but it was worth it, and now I will extol its wonders. Why is it the best thing ever (up there with Always Sunny in Philly and the like), well, here are a few of my favorite reasons:

1) the characters (Shane, Steph, Britt and Courtney, on&on- they are ALL amazing). Shane especially- always wearing a “My Friend Sam is 50″ shirt and having a great laugh but they evolve and are perfect. They really grow on you and are likable anyway, right from the start.

2) the length they’re only 5 minutes long, and once you start watching you can’t stop. then you get really excited when you get to some 8 minute ones and the 11 and 15 minute ones are buried treasure.

3) comedic content out of control hilarity. sooo funny. at first i was worried it would seem contrived, but it was funny and held up to my high standards. i was very impressed.

4) wit it’s more than just funny, and it’s even subtle at times. it’s a whole bag of wonder, when you get to know the characters and you notice the little things, which is easy in such short episodes which you could watch again if you wanted!

5) i can’t stop thinking about it and my life is better for having seen it i’m not kidding. my life will never be the same after watching it. it was inspiring, as well as hilarious. and, as any good comedy show does, they threw in some touching stuff to make it feel all warm and humany. and not too much like the office (haha jk office fans, i’ll catch up with that sometime…maybe). i will be laughing at a vague idea or feeling in my head and realize it was something from dorm life. i miss it, but ’tis better to have watched and stopped than to not have watched at all!

GO WATCH SOME DORM LIFE!

I’d Never Date A Guy Who:

-was less intelligent than me

Doesn’t have to be in foreign language, or IQ, but it does have to be in some form. Philosophically could be interesting.

General intelligence is required, and advanced levels are also necessary, to be discussed further in person, if necessary.

You know when you go on a really good run, or workout hard, and you’re all sweaty, and then the sweat starts dripping down into your eyes?

Is your sweat salty? Sure, of course. Most sweat is.

But does it sting your eyes?

It stings mine. Some days worse than others, and I wonder if it has to do with my diet, or what?

Any input? Do you get stingy eye sweat?!

Check out the Free to Breathe 5k Race I was so pumped to find in Philly on November 1st (it doubles as motivation for training for my 1/2 marathon, and as a fundraising and awareness opportunity to share with others about lung cancer). I took my father to his 3rd round of chemotherapy the other day, and in 2 weeks he will get a check-up CT scan.

I started out with a small fundraising goal of $250, going back and forth in my mind, thinking that maybe I could make more, or maybe I wouldn’t raise much at all.

Within 3 hours I’d gotten $225 in donations. I upped my goal to $500, and within a day of signing up for the race, I was close to that.

Today (only 2 days later!) I upped my goal to $1,500, which I think is a perfectly lofty, yet attainable goal. After all, I have a few weeks!

(I must put in a proud plug that I have more than tripled my goal for fundraising and am still getting donations!!!- I couldn’t have done it without the help of all of these generous people!)

I’m really hoping to get to the $1,500 goal, and I know I will. It is important to raise money and awareness. Many people don’t realize it’s one of the most common types of cancer (“Lung Cancer Remains No. 1 Cancer Killer”), and it’s on the rise, and it occurs in many non-smokers (my father included).

I am so thrilled to have stumbled upon this race, and I’m hoping my dad can come. I’m thinking of making a shirt with a picture of him on the front!

I’m welcoming donations gratefully, but more importantly, we’re always appreciative of your positive energy and prayers!