1.28.2012

I am kicking this month's butt!

Life is looking pretty splendid these days. I'll give ya the quick and dirty version of my week:
  • Went back to work: Kids are awesome and full of inspiring little things.
  • Love my new co-workers.
  • My mom turned 60! We had some yummy Italian food to celebrate.
  • Went back to school: my classes are going to rock.
  • I'm taking a painting class! WOOOOHOOO! Love it so far.
  • One of my favorite people moved back to town, after several months of being gone. 
  • I am being kept busy with Relay for Life. I'm 1/3 of the way done making them a quilt.
  • I discovered a milkshake attachment for my blender, so that's been happening.
I just can't bring myself to complain. :)

1.20.2012

Last semester!

On Monday I begin my very last semester as an undergrad. I can hardly even stand thinking about how terrifying and/or exciting this is. Life is going to be changing pretty drastically in August, and I kind of want to throw up.

Today I had finished up my 2 day work training, which earned me a small raise! I like raises, even though I am only going to be working in this position for the next 17 weeks. Yikes! I have been upgraded from 23 students to 25 students. That's kind of ridiculous, considering I only had 10 when I first started two years ago. I have been given a very, very challenging high school as well. Two of my high schools are the same as before, but the third was swapped for the mega-hard one. The new school has me a little panicked because they have such strict rules about when I can meet with my students, but everyone has been assuring me that the students are really awesome so it's worth the trouble.

I also have a handful of classes that begin next week, and you are not going to believe how amazingly easy my schedule for school will be. Four online classes (!), and one painting class for three hours, twice a week. Of course, all of that time I won't be in class is going to be spent working on my online classes, and, of course, working.

Also, rain has finally come to California, after a dry spell that started in like...September? My sparkle Uggs have been keeping my feet warm!

I'm a little sad to see winter break end, but also, I feel ready to take on this very important section of my life. I have so much to do, and so many opportunities coming my way. I usually hate change, but I think I'm ready. I'm a little bit tired of the student life (gasp!), and I look forward to the journey towards a real career.

We're going to visit the inlaws this weekend, so fingers crossed it doesn't snow up there! Hate the snow!

1.15.2012

A list of 50

Thanks to the glory of the internet, I have found a website that caters to the crazy need in me to make lists: www.dayzeroproject.com. It's a website...that helps you make lists. I was kind of in awe for a while, and then I looked at something called "25 Lists You Want To Make", and realized, heck yeah, I DO want to make these lists!! 

We'll start with....
My 50 Favorite Movies
in the order that I think of them
  1. Elf
  2. When Harry Met Sally
  3. What Dreams May Come
  4. Sylvia
  5. The Princess Bride
  6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
  7. Pulp Fiction
  8. Amelie 
  9. Toy Story
  10. Almost Famous
  11. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
  12. Dirty Dancing
  13. Moulin Rouge
  14. Kill Bill (vol 1 & 2)
  15. The Kids Are Alright
  16. Frida
  17. Evita
  18. Bad Santa
  19. The Reader
  20. Friends With Money
  21. Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
  22. Junebug
  23. Little Miss Sunshine
  24. Interview With A Vampire
  25. Hounddog
  26. The Notebook
  27. Burn After Reading
  28. Grease
  29. The Little Mermaid
  30. 13 Going on 30
  31. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
  32. Shutter Island
  33. Up
  34. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
  35. Ponyo 
  36. Sister Act
  37. American History X
  38. Forrest Gump
  39. I Am Legend
  40. Bed knobs and Broomsticks
  41. Mary Poppins
  42. Le Miserables 
  43. Little Shop of Horrors
  44. The Nightmare Before Christmas
  45. Office Space
  46. Clerks
  47. The Princess Diaries 
  48. Fight Club
  49. The Mexican
  50. Gangs of New York
Okay, you're turn! Ready? GO!

1.12.2012

Staying positive

Today I got a little mad at myself.

There is $2.77 in my checking account, and I was sad about it. Then, I got mad at myself because money should have nothing to do with my happiness. I'm perfectly capable of being happy without money.

(We're okay, really--Nick's medical bills have just been a little difficult)

I decided to spent the day with my family, because it seemed like exactly the kind of thing to do when proving that money doesn't matter. I picked my mom up, and we went to see her uncle-my great uncle. My great uncle is a wonderful man. He's been blind most of his life, but he has the most vivid memory. I sat in his living room with my laptop and typed away as he told us story after story about his parents, cousins, aunts, and grandparents. I'm entering all of his stories into the family tree that I'm making.

After Uncle got tired (he is 76 after all), we sat at my mom's house and looked through all of the old black and white photos, trying to put names to faces. It was amazing how many times I saw my mother's face in the old pictures, even though it wasn't her's, it was her grandmother's. My mom had never seen the resemblance between herself and her grandmother until I handed her a bunch of photos and said, "It's you!"

I apologize for all this genealogy writing. I know that my family history is really most interesting to, well, my family, but it's pretty much all I have been doing. School starts in 2 weeks, and I want to get as much of this done as possible before then.

It turned out to be a perfectly good day, even though all it cost me was a little gas.

1.08.2012

January is flying by!

Week 1 of my meal planning effort didn't go so badly! We managed to eat 5 of the 7 planned meals, which I feel like is a huge accomplishment!

We would have eaten all 7, but my nephew and his friend surprised us by coming over on Friday and staying the night so that the guys could play video games. And you know, feeding 2 teenage boys was really not part of my meal plan, so I ended up making biscuits and gravy one night, and pasta the other. Not too shabby, Patty!

Making a plan for this week is stumping me so far. I kind of like how organized it forces me to be. A friend of mine was recently telling me how her friend meal plans and how shopping with her is a breeze because of how organized she is. I doubt I'll ever be that put together, but it's been nice sitting down to a home cooked meal every night.

In my genealogy news, I am having a blast. I totally feel like a detective when I sit here trying to read old census records. So far I have recorded 12 generations on my mom's side, with the help of some personal recollections (my mom, her uncle), and with all of the amazing data on ancestry.com. I was even able to show my mom the WWII Navy muster roll from when her father was sent to Honolulu, HI. She was so excited!

Clearly, I have been enjoying my time off of school and work. The vacation will be ending soon, though, which is bittersweet. I haven't done any of the things I had planned to do during my break, and I feel a little worried about some pressing deadlines, but I am still having just a wonderful break.

Let me leave you with a picture of my most scary relative, my "4th great grand uncle", Milo Andrus Sr.:

(click the link! You won't be disappointed!)

1.07.2012

Genealogy

You all know that I'm sort of obsessive, right? I get a hobby or an idea and then I just go all nutso on it. Examples: decorating my new apartment, organizing my office supplies, getting the perfect curl in my bangs, and going all gluten free. Oh, and we can't forget sewing! That hobby has taken up so much time, money, and space that I have to have a room called the "The Craft/Guest Room" in order to house all my stuff.

Yesterday I got a new hobby. I had been talking to my husband's grandmother about genealogy. She's really interested in it, and she wanted some info from my family so that she could add me to the tree she had been making. In 1990, someone in my family had made a very primitive attempt to research and document some family tree information, so I brought that over to Grammy.

2 hours later I was hooked. We found all these documents for my grandfather being in the Navy and rebuilding Pear Harbor. We found census records of my great grandparents. I was just enthralled, so right then and there, Grammy gave me a spare copy of Family Tree Maker that she had. I took it home and got it installed, and it came with a 14 day free trial to ancestory.com.

You have no idea the pandora's box I am in. Once things were installed, I sat here for 8 hours. EIGHT HOURS, you guys. Nick was off doing nerdy things with his friends, and I just sat here plugging away. I can't even describe right now all the cool stuff I have found, but I plan to show you some tidbits when I get things a little more complete.

So, if you need a huge time-suck, I totally recommend this.