Lisa...get to work!

This whole job application process has renewed so many feelings I had during my undergrad years. I have never been the most enthusiastic, prolific writer yet for some crazy reason I decided to be an English major. Even though I pumped out 3-6 page papers multiple times each week, getting started on each of them was always a chore. I would stare at the computer screen, check my email, tell myself that I'd start after I had a snack, enjoy a "cat nap" that lasted all day, pretty much anything to stall. Once I got going, it was usually okay. I would get on a roll and work for hours. It's the starting point that is most difficult for me.

For about two weeks I have put off filling out job applications and working on my portfolio. I have used each and every tactic listed above, plus a few new ones. Well, today is the day. All week I have kept my schedule clear for today so that I can actually get some more applications submitted and create an impressionable portfolio. It is now 11:17am. I have already finished listening to my audio book, showered, had a snack, made coffee, watched TV, walked aimlessly around the apartment, and called my hubby twice. I have pulled my "Get A Job" binder out of the cabinet, checked my email, and flipped through some portfolio packets from the U of M. I have been stalling for two hours and REALLY need to get some work done. So, instead, I'm sitting here writing about how much I'm stalling (see, I'm even stalling now!).

Really, though, why is starting so difficult? What is it about getting going on some project or paper that is so intimidating? Why does the whole stalling tactic seem so silly once I get working?

Life Lessons

Over the years, I have been fortunate to have been blessed with amazing women in my life. My mom, grandma, and auntie are undoubtedly the most interesting, amazing, wonderful women I have ever known. They have taught me more valuable lessons than anyone else. Here are a few of the most precious morsels:

• If someone gives you a compliment, just say "Thank you." Don't start diminishing their opinion by saying how old or ratty something is.
• When you get annoyed by others, first look at yourself for the flaw. Odds are that whatever is bothering you about them is actually a reflection of something you don't like about yourself.
• When multiple people bug you on a certain day, chances are that you are just in a bad mood and they are fine. Get over it.
• Read something everyday.
• Don't burn any bridges...figuratively speaking.
• Never be afraid to move new places.
• You can't run away from your past, but sometimes it's fun to try.
• Planning & dreaming about a trip can be as fun as actually taking it.
• It's okay to have TLC days just for you.
• Eat fiber (AKA "roughage") daily.

My hang-up about other people not hanging up

Next time you go to the doctor--or store or drivethru or wherever--hang up your CELL PHONE before you go to the counter. Seriously.

The legal drug

This summer I am back working at a dr's office where I have been employed (off & on) for 9 years. The people are amazing, and I used to love the work. Right now, though, it is difficult for me to get through the day because I have so many other things on my mind. Because I am only working temporarily, my responsibilities are pretty minimal. I'm not joking when I tell you that I could literally stare at a wall for 4 hours a day and get paid for it. I'm serious.

Although I have become a regular coffee drinker over the past two years, my morning caffeine consumption has significantly increased since starting this summer job. Rather than a simple, relatively small cup of coffee each morning, I down at least two giant cups. Keep in mind that I am one of those people who is truly affected by caffeine. I get the shaky hands, sweaty palms, and mind buzz that some people reserve for crack cocaine. I need no hard drugs; I have my coffee.

Each morning, the rebelious part of me enjoys that little buzz in my brain. It makes the hours pass a little faster...no, that's a lie. But it sort of gives me that "here-but-not-here" feeling for at least 15 minutes. I wonder if other people experience this with their morning coffee, too?

Oooohhhhh!!!! Aaaahhhhh!!!

Wow. I had an amazing 4th of July. Here is the outline of my weekend:

Thursday, July 3: After working all day at the beloved OB/GYN clinic, I set off to have an adventurous evening. I went home to take a nap, which never happened. Instead, I painted my nails black...you know, to be a rebel ;) ...and watched the bonus features on my rented copy of Vantage Point. (In case you're interested, the movie was decent but certainly not a must-see. The constant rewinds of the same events got a little tidious.) About 6:50, I headed out for my evening o' fun. First, I picked up Maggie, then Jessie in Eagan. We drove to Apple Valley and witnessed something a little weird and sort of disturbing: abandoned lawn chairs. The entire parade route was lined with duct taped tarps, lawn chairs, and even tents. People were angrily declaring that this was "MY SPOT!" to watch the parade on the following day. Nonetheless, my mom had also taken part in this disturbing tradition in suburbia and had set out her own lawn chairs that morning. Insane! Anyhow, we drove to Mom's house, admired her new orange wall, and hopped in her air-conditioned car for the drive to Treasure Island Casino near Hastings, MN. It was a pretty fun drive. You should check out Maggie's blog for a synopsis. The fireworks were good...read her blog...it's good stuffs.

I had several "a-ha" moments that evening. Here are a few:

• Treasure Island Casino is NOT in fact located on an island...dumb name.
• Not everyone grew up going to fireworks & partaking in other such American traditions.
• It's weird to celebrate Independence Day on a Native American reservation...kinda sad.
• My friends are amazing, funny, wonderful people.
• UFO's are real...I think.
• The piece of architecture at Mystic Lake Casino is a teepee...not a pyramid.
• There are not many options for vegetarians at outdoor bbqs...poor Jessie tried to eat saurkraut on a bun!

Friday, July 4: Another day of "Classic American Fun." After picking up Jessie & Maggie, we traveled down to see the infamous Apple Valley parade. Here are some of the highlights:

• getting my picture taken with Norm Coleman
• laughing about the sad, sad summer band camp kids
• making my own Invisible Cart lol cat with Maggie
• watching the crazy, happy Zuhrah dudes in the parade...seriously, it should have been called the Zuhrah Parade. They had go carts, mini-flyers, a steele drum band, bag pipes, traditional band, Eastern Band, Chanters, motorcycle dudes, and probably a million other entries. They were all pretty neat though.

Here is a video Maggie made of the day:

That evening, I went over to Tim's parents for a brief BBQ before the Richfield fireworks, which Tim also shot off. The Richfield fireworks were awesome!!! My brother-in-law Pete took some amazing photos of both the fireworks as well as the Apple Valley parade.

All in all, it was an amazing 4th of July.

I'm still alive!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. It's been FOREVER since I have posted and you have been salivating in anticipation of my next blog entry. Well, swallow your spit. Here we go.

To be perfectly honest, I feel slightly overwhelmed by blogging right now. I feel like so much has happened in the past few weeks that I'm not really sure where to start. This is the real reason that I haven't posted in so long. It's in my nature to get totally overwhelmed by something and then--rather than being "adult" and tackling it head on--ignoring it until it bites me right in the arse. At this point, I usually tackle it, but sometimes I try to dance right around it.

Anecdote #1: Last summer my hubby went on a camping/hang gliding trip with one of his friends. When he returned, my hubby did an excellent job of cleaning up and putting away MOST of the camping gear. He neglected one thing, however: the cooler. That cooler sat on our patio for at least 6 months before either one of us would touch it. Now, I know I can get rather anal about things, so I tried to let that one go and figured he'd get to it when he'd get to it. That didn't work. Then, I tried to realize that it was bugging me far more than it was bugging him (like when the trash piles up for weeks & you think that the other person will get so irritated by it that they'll take it out, but they never do, so you just get more irritated?). I figured that if the spider-infested cooler on the patio bugged me so much, I should just clean it out myself and let the whole thing go. But then I'd say, "Yeah, right!" Well, instead of "dealing with" the situation, I set the cooler in a conveniently out-of-the-way spot on our patio so that I wouldn't have to stare at it all of the time. I just danced around the situation for awhile. That worked. For awhile.

One day, I felt especially motivated and figured, "What the heck! I'll friggin clean the cooler." So, I did.

Today, I figured, "What the heck! I'll finally blog!"

Anecdote #2: When I was in jr. high school, I kept a journal. I wrote in it every single day. It was amazingly theraputic and pretty fun. I enjoyed practicing my handwriting, gushing about the boys in my life, and complaining about my catty friends. When I got into high school, my daily journal entries became increasingly infrequent. Finally, I stopped keeping a journal altogether. Each time I wrote, I was so intimidated by explaining everything that had happened since I last wrote that I would just freeze up and quit. Well, I've learned from that lesson. No more.

Sorry, you might not get exciting news about everything that's happened since I last blogged. Here's a nutshell update:

• I'm done student teaching and looking for a teaching job. Hire me!
• I'm working at the dr's office again for the summer. Whoopee (said in a totally sarcastic tone).
• I went camping for a week in Indiana & Kentucky.
• I've learned that Sprite is an excellent mixer with Southern Comfort (thanks, Maggie).

So, there you have it. It's my blog posting about why I haven't blogged. Happy?

Oh, and here are some pics from our camping trip. During the trip, we met up with some friends from Florida & visited the Creation Museum in Kentucky.

Hail storm

War? What war?

Here is a HILARIOUS anecdote from my classroom today: A student was delivering a short (1 minute) speech.

Her topic was "Do you think it's right for the government to spend money on the War on Drugs?"

Her response was classic: "War on Drugs? I don't even know what that is. I thought we were in Iraq."

The class proceeded to erupt into wild laughter and applause. Lest you feel sorry for the student, know that she handled it very well after I explained what the War on Drugs meant.

Via Chicago

My uncle filmed this video a couple of weeks ago. It is one of the most beautiful, sad, and mesmerizing things I've seen lately.

What I've learned

I have been a "teacher" now for about 4 weeks, and these are the things I have learned:

1. Grades are relative and don't mean a whole lot about someone's intelligence
2. teachers complain too much about not making enough money. deal with it. you make more than a whole lot of other people.
3. not all teachers work hard
4. lots of teachers work really hard
5. student journals are fun to read
6. 16-year olds are HILARIOUS, even sometimes when they try
7. coffee is a necessity
8. teenagers love to talk about themselves
9. adults love to talk about themselves just as much
10. there are not enough hours in the day

There you go. Take it or leave it.