Happy Holidays!

It's a nice lowkey night at home so why not do a blog right before departing for the holidays?    It's actually been a lowkey week and I appreciate it.    I did go into work on Tuesday and finished my grades for ISU.    I planned on going in on Wednesday and yea...that didn't happen.    It was more appealing to stay at home so I did.    Either way my grades were turned in a day early.    I had my grades done for DMACC early too (Saturday).    I never felt like I was scrambling to get the grades done which was a nice change. 

I had my first Christmas last night with Dan and Jude.    Jude received the Nintendo Switch he's wanted since last Christmas.   Dan got him that and I got him a game for it.    I also got him some clothes (he wasn't too excited) and we got him some science experiment type of kits to do at some point.    I don't know how excited he was about those either but I wanted to get something that wasn't technology-based.    One kit has you make sour candy in various forms and the other is a kit for making fake snow.   I at least want to play with the fake snow kit.

I was finally able to sit back and watch the movie "White Christmas" last night at Dan's place.    You know, the old movie with Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, etc.    I've seen pieces of it here and there but never make it through the whole movie.    It was on Netflix believe it or not.    Usually when I really want to see a movie it's not available to be streamed on Netflix.   I also started reading a book for pleasure too.   I'm hoping to read this book and one more before school starts up again.    It's "The Girl that Kicked the Hornet's Nest".    It's the third book in the series that I've been meaning to read for a long time.    I got a really good coupon for $5 off any book for my Kindle so I bought it.    I have a stack to read from LeAnn too.    Need to get back into Harry Potter.

I did less Christmas cards this year and was done with those earlier than usual too.   It connects to my grades being done early.    I usually don't do my Christmas cards until my grades are done.  People keep getting chopped from my list each year so even though I added some of Dan's family, the list gets shorter.   I'm a dying breed because I really do like sending them out.

Christmas shopping was a little tricky but seemed easier this year.    Gifts seemed easier to figure out and the budget was lower.    (Yes Mom, it's nothing extravagant.)   Gavin was actually the most difficult to shop for.   He's gotten most of his gifts already because he needed them earlier in the month (e.g. new winter coat).   Plus he's aware I'm saving up for a nice graduation gift for him. 

I basically have time off until January 3rd.   I do have some syllabi to work on and pre-semester work.   I need to plan for a meeting I'm holding with grad students on January 4th.    Some of them are getting lazy with teaching and treating it like a low priority.    It's difficult for me because I need to crack down on them but I really don't have any ammo.    I can't fire them unless they do something horrible.    And we can't really afford to remove any grad students from teaching because we'd be short instructors then.   It's something I complain about annually in my evaluation materials as I'm their "boss" but I don't feel like I have any "teeth" when it comes to being a disciplinarian.  We've had a couple issues pop up recently and these students are simply not reading emails well and paying attention to details.   Pretty sad when they are trying to get their masters degrees or Phds. 

As of now I have a pretty full schedule for the spring.    I am teaching three classes for ISU.    One class has two sections so I'll have 90 students.    The second has 30 students and the third is the class associated with Swim & Gym and has like 5 students.    I'm also supervising two student teachers this semester too.    One for the first eight weeks and one for the second eight weeks.    I am down for three classes at DMACC too.    One is my usual health class online for high school students, the second is the usual sport diversity class online too.    The third is in-person on Monday nights.   It's the same as the online health class but we meet once a week and everything else is placed on Blackboard.    It had about 10 students last time so unless that drops greatly, they'll likely let me teach it.    Wahoo $$$

I am excited to pack up tomorrow and head up to Waukon.    We don't know what time we'll leave yet as Gavin is scheduled to work until 4pm but thinks he'll be off between 12-2pm.   I could leave sooner but I get the impression Dan would like to follow me up.    Dan and Gavin need to leave Christmas afternoon already but I plan to stay up in NE Iowa until December 30.    I let a few people know but not many.    It would be nice to see Jamie and Marie but I'm not holding my breath. 

Speaking of which, I have more things to clean before tomorrow as well as some packing to start.    I predict the next blog entry will be in 2018.

It's Been "A Day"

I should be winding down for the night and plan to after writing a mini-blog.    I'm looking forward to a hot shower and hoping it will help me sleep decently.    My sleep isn't consistent nowadays and it's getting frustrating.    It's also causing me to get really tired at work.   I can usually push through it most days but it's been tough. 

I got a call today from Biolife and I cannot donate plasma for awhile because a specific part of my protein measurement is off.    I go in next week to get blood drawn so they can check it again but it takes weeks to get the results back.     Pisses me off because I started donating due to a coupon that lets you get $300 if you donate five times in a month.    I had two more donations to go.   It's been nice earning some extra money and it was helping me afford Gavin's Christmas presents.   Sigh. 

I won't get into too many details but money in general is stressing me out.    It also pisses me off that I work a really good full-time job and a not-too-bad part time job and I still basically live paycheck-to-paycheck.    I don't know the last time I was able to put money into savings.    I see coworkers affording Thanksgiving trips to tropical resorts and such and it's depressing.   It makes buying a home cause further anxiety.    I got to see Gavin's senior pictures today and the cost of those are astronomical.    Bleh.   

On a good note, I actually feel pretty good about my grading tasks for both institutions.    The time of grading unit plans is upon me and I'll be buried in binders for more than a week.   I'm caught up with other grading though so I really only have unit plans to grade and nothing extra.   In past semesters/years I have been behind with other assignments and have been grading lesson plans and other things on top of unit plans.    I have good plans of sitting in the living room and grading while watching Netflix.   I also got the Christmas movies out too so I'll be popping those in too. 

I'll be working extra for DMACC the next two weekends too for our final coaching class of the year.   That will be some extra money (that I won't see until February) and it usually provides some down time and I can do ISU grading during it.    It's quite silly but when the class has more than 30 students, DMACC requires that two instructors be present.   One is the lead instructor and for the most part,  can do everything on their own.     The other instructor helps if asked but can usually just sit in the back and do their own thing.    I'm only the lead teacher on Friday December 8th but will work all day Saturday December 2, all day December 10, and for a few hours on December 9th.   I have a concert on December 9th (Seether) and I have my ISU Christmas party on December 10th. 

I guess that's enough for now.   Just needed to vent. 

Almost 35!

I can't think of a good title hence the reference to my soon-to-come birthday.   The only thing noteworthy about 35 is that I spent years saying "wow, when I'm 35 Gavin will be 18".    I'm more excited about his upcoming birthday.    No plans as November 28th is on a Tuesday and I work.    I'm not even that enthused about going out to eat. 

In weird news, I am now donating plasma.  I've done it twice now in the last week.    The first time was a long process (included a physical) but it went well.    The second time wasn't bad but I wasn't as comfortable.   My arm was still sore from the first donation but I have to admit they are decent at inserting the needles without it hurting.    I went on Tuesday to support Dan as donating plasma was a plan for him to earn some more money.    The local center has been offering coupons throughout the all.   $300 for your first five donations.   I didn't think I'd be eligible.    It was Dan that was ineligible (poor veins) and I was accepted.   I'm hoping to have continued success as it is easy money.   I'm also hoping I can figure out how to read a book while donating (one-handed).    Most people play on their phones but I find that to be boring after awhile.   I also have to be sure I stay distracted because I know I'm screwed if I look at my arm/machine or any of the others around me.   

Thanksgiving went well.    The night before, I did prep for green bean casserole and mashed potatoes.   I just had to put them in the oven to heat them up before the meal.    I made the ham in a crock pot the morning of as well.    The cherry pie from my realtor was good but I didn't get much.    Dan's mom brought a turkey (very good), sweet potatoes, rolls, and some desserts.   We had plenty of food that's for sure.    I feel pretty confident about making the full meal in the future.    Maybe next year in my new house?

I signed a new lease for my apartment and have to be out by the end of May.   Let's hope I have a house by then.    A shorter lease is making my rent rise in price come February but it makes no sense to renew for a year. 

Gavin did his first major trip with friends yesterday.    They drove up to Minneapolis for the day.   Spent a fair amount of time at the Mall of America and went to a NBA game in the evening.    They got back to Ankeny at 3:00am.    He had fun though and his team won the basketball game.    The other parents seemed to be a lot more worried about the trip than I was.    I was worried traffic would be nuts due to it being Black Friday but Gavin said the mall wasn't bad at all.

The remainder of the semester has its ups and downs.    The after school program is over until February so my Tuesdays and Thursdays are much easier schedule-wise.    Both of my DMACC classes are wrapping up nicely too.    I will have over 115 unit plans to grade soon though.    Slow and steady will win that race.   I have a day full of grading to do tomorrow (Sunday) too as I've been less than motivated to grade during my current break.   Shame on me. 

I'll be blogging again about said unit plans and complaining a lot, that's for sure.

Hello November

Time to blog!

It's been a busy past few weeks.    Gavin's football season ended.    The record wasn't good enough to progress further than the regular season but they were predicting that.    He did play a bit in the final game against Urbandale.    He was actually happy to be done with football though which was a little odd to me but I think the wear and tear was actually wearing on him.    He's happy just lifting weights now most mornings.    He'll likely do track in the spring. 

We had his senior pictures taken on October 24th after school.     We started out by Saylorville Lake and the weather was great.   He took a lot of outdoor shots.  I didn't take any pictures with my phone as that seemed inappropriate.    It was quite funny to see how many photographers were out there taking pictures of other seniors and families.    We then went back to the studio and oddly enough the alley in the back of the building had some more good outdoor shots.   We ended with him wearing his football jersey for indoor shots.   We should have his proofs in two weeks.   I will admit I had my first emotional moment out at Saylorville while watching him pose for his pictures.   I got a touch sad that he's almost done with school.

I am quite excited for my weekend travels.    I am leaving for Winona, MN after work to spend some time with Nicole and her husband.    I haven't seen their new house yet.    I see it as my mini-vacation before I am bombarded with insane grading.    I've kept up decently with two of my ISU classes and both of my DMACC classes.     I have a ton of things to grade for my elementary-ed course at ISU.   Like 200 items to grade.    It sounds like Nicole's making supper for us Friday night and we are going to a museum on Saturday.    The original plan was to go to a state park to hike but the weather looks crappy.    They are having a game night on Saturday that I'll probably stick around for and I'll head south on Sunday morning.    I think I am coming up to Waukon again the following weekend.    Sounds like Dan and Jude may come up with me too.   

A couple weeks ago I went to a show in Des Moines called The Naked Magicians.   It's an act that originated from Australia.    I was uncertain at first but my friend Jess talked me into it.   She was planning to attend with coworkers and asked me to come along too.    It's actually a really good magic show.    They do well with that.   And yes, as they proceed, the clothing comes off.   They can't show everything in the USA but you get the drift.   It also has good sexual humor too.     We had a VIP package so we got our picture taken with them too.   

Sidenote related to the picture above....so I almost stepped on the guy's toes next to me.   I said something like "Whoops, I don't want to step on you."   He looks at me with a straight face and says "Don't worry it's not long enough to hit the ground."   Well done sir, well done. 

The meal we had before the show was great too.    Had some great salmon and tomato tortilla soup.

Speaking of eating.    I got carried away in the last 4-6 weeks with eating junk food and not watching my calories.   For the first time since surgery prep, I gained some weight.    I am in the most risky period of time for people with gastric surgery.    People get happy with weight loss and progress and are most likely to gain weight 9-18 months after surgery.   The good news is I got back on track with protein intake and scheduling meals so I lost all the weight already.    I have healthier snacks available.   Honey crisp apples have been a godsend.    I have my year check up on November 20th.    Now that I lost weight, I am back to a weight I've been stuck at for months.   I still need to lose about 50 more pounds to reach my personal goal. 

Last but not least, I had a dentist appointment this morning.   My teeth are officially straight!   She took time to take the "buttons" off my teeth that were used with retainers over the past year to move my teeth.     They re-scanned my teeth so retainers could be made that I wear at night for the rest of my life.    I'm still wearing a set of retainers to keep my teeth in place.   Still paying off the braces but at least my teeth are done moving.    I'll have less dental appointments too. 

That's enough for now!

Concerts!

Greetings:

It's been a fun couple of weeks in terms of concert attendance.    Last week Dan and I attended the Theory of a Deadman concert.    It was at the Seven Flags Event Center which means no seating and standing on concrete.    My ankle and hip have been funny so it was a little tough to stand for so long.   The concert was actually a little short in length but I was OK with that with how worn out I felt.    They sounded great though and played a lot of their older songs so I was happy.  We recently saw Local H and The Toadies at Wooly's in Des Moines.   It was my first concert in that venue and it was really decent.    Both bands sounded great and played their hits.   I didn't feel so worn out afterwards either which was nice.    Our next concert is in December at Seven Flags Center and Gavin will attend it with Dan and me.    The band is Seether. 

Speaking of my ankle and hip, I am getting really sick of how they are affecting me on a daily basis.   Back in September my ankle started acting up with sharp pains.  If I sit for a long time and stand up, it would give out so I'm paranoid with standing now.     The ankle issues subsided a bit but still pop up.    Most of the pain moved into my hip so that feels like it gives out when I stand up.    It feels awful in the morning when I wake up and start walking around.     I had upped my physical activity so I wonder if that triggered something.   It's also my "bad" ankle and leg since it's the one that endured my canoe incident.   No I haven't gone to the doctor about it.    I keep thinking if I keep moving and working through it, the pain will subside.   I also wonder if the change of weather is affecting things too which also makes me feel old. 

Since I'm whining about body issues, I'm going to whine about my period too.   I don't know if it's because I'm getting older but the first days of my period are wiping me out so badly.    I could barely function on Sunday because I was so fatigued and lethargic.    Today was tough for me too, I did consider calling in sick.    I only was scheduled for a half day though so it seemed ridiculous to take a sick day.    I pushed through and taught my two classes.   I noticed how tired I feel over the summer each month when it was starting.  I also wonder if my calorie intake is affecting it too but you think that would have showed up soon after I had my surgery last year.   

I worked a half day today because we had a college visit scheduled for Gavin.   We spent some time at the Ankeny DMACC in the afternoon.    We met the lead person for the Building Trades program.   He seems like the kind of teacher Gavin would enjoy.    We saw the main lab used for construction classes and the guy explained how the class flows.    Yes he's taken many construction classes but it sounds like they would want him to take some again and Gavin agreed he would likely need a refresher in some aspects.    As part of the class, they build 5 houses in the local area and also go out to do remodels and fix-it jobs for local people too.   Gavin still wants to apply to ISU...just in case but it was nice to see the DMACC visit go so well too.    I get the feeling DMACC is the preferred choice right now.    No plan to visit ISU yet because he has no clue what he'd go there for or study. 

Work is super busy for ISU at least.   I am holding a meeting for my TAs tomorrow and prepping the lunch that goes with it.   I went with soup choices, salad, and rolls.   It's supposed to be a rainy cold day so I'm hoping the soup hits the spot.    It's getting harder and harder to feed them.    So many preferences and some just come by and don't eat.    Bleh.   Next week we have our Health Fair event at a local elementary school.    It's coming together nicely but always a lot of work to put together.    For once I really don't have to haul a million things to the school for students.   I also have to present at a faculty meeting on Friday which is a little nerve wracking but should only require one slide of information to share with my colleagues.    I'm on an outcomes assessment committee (not thrilling) and need to share the next research our committee is doing in the college.   I'm also behind in grading and with my low energy levels, it's been tough to work on that growing pile.   

Dan and I also made the realization that I likely cannot join him with Jude for Halloween this year.    Newton is celebrating it on the 31st and that is a Tuesday.   I couldn't get to Newton in time because I work late in Ames for Swim & Gym.    Ankeny has it on Monday but Dan couldn't get Jude here in time on that day.    The company that owns my apartment building is having a Trunk or Treat on October 26 but that doesn't work out with scheduling either.    Sadness.   

Guess that's enough of an update for now!   

October Updates

Warning....broken record...I've been meaning to blog for days.   I probably won't be as thorough as I prefer but hey, it's a blog entry.

Gavin recently had Homecoming and it was a great game.   My friend Tiffany joined me for the game along with her 5-year-old daughter.  I went to grad school with Tiffany and stayed close to her for awhile after as she lived in Ames for a bit.    She then moved to Maryland with her husband, back to Iowa but was hours away and now they live in Huxley.   I still haven't met their 3-year-old yet.    Gavin had a touchdown in the game which was fantastic to see.    They let him play more for once and it paid off.   He went to the dance with a lady friend on Saturday night and had a decent time. 

I got brave last Friday and had my hair cut short.    It was time.   I had been wanting it for years but finally felt my face was thin enough to pull off my look.    People seem to like it and it's been easy to style in the morning.    She thought I'd have to flat iron it often but I haven't had to do that yet.   My hair just lays the right way.    I may even go shorter some day but I'm content with this look for now.

Found out today that the ex's father passed way on Sunday.    I'll admit I have wondered about him and his wife for years.   He was never in great health so I actually was surprised he was still alive.   Sadly I doubt his quality of life had been great this year.   

I bit the bullet and bought an annual membership to the yoga studio I had been trying in Ankeny.    I am 90% pleased with the purchase and was happy to sign up for some upcoming classes.    I also have some regret as this membership lasts until next October 2018.   Yea, I won't be living in Ankeny then but I am willing to drive down here to participate.    Sigh. 

Works going well but is no longer low key.   Monday was quite the day of teaching in the morning and meeting after meeting in the afternoon.   I hadn't had a day like that in awhile.    A staff member actually questioned if I worked much that day because she couldn't find me in the building.    Umm...I was busting my butt all over campus attending meetings lady.    I am now officially buried in grading too.     The time has come.    I'll crank some out on Friday and Saturday.   It will take motivation but I'll make a good dent. 

I guess that's all I have for an update right now.   Here are some pics from Gavin's Homecoming Dance venture:

Bored but Making Money

I'm currently "working" for DMACC at the moment.   When our coaching classes are large (40+ students), there has to be two instructors present.     I am not the lead instructor at all today.   It's been kind of nice as I'm sitting in the back and I've done some work for ISU and DMACC already this morning.   I'm not the lead teacher until next Saturday morning.   But hey, it is easy money.   I wish I had more to grade to better use my time.    I don't have a lot being turned in for grading until the end of the month.     It's a little funny this morning as one of my grad students is taking this course.   He is much more of an expert in some of the topics this morning than the current instructor so he's gotta be even more bored than me.

Work has been going very well in terms of my teaching and activities I've been doing with my students.     I get nice comments about my classes being more interesting and engaging than other education classes.    Makes me sad that other people on campus with an emphasis in pedagogy don't try harder to put engaging practices into place so we set a good example for pre-service teachers.   I've had a lot of energy at work and have gotten a lot of extra tasks done.   We are in the process of converting the PE lab back into a lab and storage space.  It is the room that used to be my office.    We also ordered about 3K worth of new equipment so I've taken it upon myself to be sure it's labeled correctly, inflated, stored well, etc.    I'm going to try and make people help me with it this week so it's not a solo endeavor.   I usually let tasks like this sit on a list for a little too long and then need to mad scramble to make progress.    It's nice to have not much of anything on that "to do" list at work.

I am also trying to get some things done at home too.     I have bags for donation again from both my closet as well as Gavin's closet.     A fair chunk of Gavin's clothes will actually go to Dan's house for his 15-year-old because we think they may fit him and he rarely has clothes at Dan's.    And yes, he's supposed to spend more time at Dan's now....supposedly things are going OK so far this weekend.    I have another collection of clothes that aren't fitting me right so I want to get them out of the apartment so I don't feel I can return to them if weight gain ever comes back into the picture.    I will admit I need to bump up my physical activity.    I had some motivation do some running last week but I let the heat change my mind.   I kept saying I'd go run after the sun went down but it still felt icky down here and my motivation seems to diminish greatly when the sun sets.    My 30 day yoga experience ended so I need to pay regular price from now on.   I can't afford to buy a pass until I get paid again so no more yoga until October.    Thankfully with the amount of manual labor and running around at ISU, I get plenty of movement in general.  

Swim & Gym started this past week.     I let too many kids enroll this semester.     I should have known better.     Tuesday, quite frankly, was like herding cats.    Many things went well though.    My paperwork was correct so that's always nice on the first day.   I usually leave 1-2 poor kids off the attendance sheet for some stupid reason but everything was accurate.    I have a lot of new kids in the program too and the new parents are very cool.     The craziest part of the program is when we transition from PE time to our swimming lessons.    On Tuesday, I had a little girl decide to take a bandaid off in the locker room and proceed to bleed badly and walk around while bleeding.    Add to the situation that my cleaner for blood borne pathogen spills was missing.     Thankfully I have a TA with me in the program that I can help but it was rough as I needed to place 50+ kids in their correct swimming groups.    Thursday was better.   Much better.

Now that school has started and the fall is upon us I don't see Dan as often.    Depending on when he has Jude (and Taylor now) he has to go to Newton more often after work and doesn't come to Ankeny.     It doesn't make sense to come to Ankeny on Tuesdays or Thursdays anyway because I'm usually tired and coming home late anyway.     I'm a weird woman and like my alone time though so I don't mind the time apart.    It will be a major change for me when I live with him.    Or I'll need an escape place in the house that is my own room.   Or you'll find me in a hammock in the backyard.

I guess that's enough of an update for now!  

Start of the Semester....Not too Shabby

ISU has one week under its belt and DMACC has a couple days under its belt.    Things started off well and I'm hoping I'm not jinxing that by making that statement.

I am teaching four classes for ISU this semester and NOT supervising any student teachers.    You wouldn't think that student teachers were a big deal but they suck up a lot of time when it comes to scheduling visits and factoring in travel time.    I usually was assigned teachers in the Des Moines area due to where I live which was somewhat handy.    We have so many teachers that went outside Iowa or outside the country to student teach that I wasn't needed.     I'm really not teaching any PE classes either.    I have three Health Study classes and Swim & Gym is now a class too.    Technically Swim & Gym is a PE class but it basically runs itself.

I have two sections of HS 275 (elementary ed majors that need a methods class so they can teach health education) and with two sections I have 90 students.     I'll have plenty of lesson plans and unit plans to grade at certain points in the semester.    I have one section of HS 375 with 21 students I believe.   They are FCS and PE teachers that want their endorsement to also teach health.  

At DMACC I only have two online classes as  my one web-enhanced class was cancelled due to low enrollment.   I'm sad about the loss of money but not sad to have my Monday evenings free.    My online classes are smaller than usual too so the grading should be manageable.    I will still have a couple extra days/evenings to work for DMACC too as we'll offer a coaching authorization course twice this semester.  

Yoga has been going well.    I've mainly been going to a Restorative Yoga class that does some basic stretching and works on breathing so you can chill out.   I tried a new one last night called Sound Mediation.    Seems a bit corny maybe but you basically make yourself comfortable on your yoga mat and can use any props to help with comfort (e.g. pillows, bolsters, etc.).    The lady that teaches basically plays music with singing bowls and other sound creators so you can just relax and clear your head.    It was tough for me the first time as my mind kept wandering to what I still need to do after yoga and for a bit I was paranoid I would fall asleep.    My 30 day pass is almost done which makes me sad as it was the most affordable way to try yoga.   I'll have buy single class passes or a bulk option and the prices go up after the "new participant" 30 day pass.    There are a couple other yoga classes I want to try but they haven't worked out with my schedule yet.   I never plan to do the hot yoga or the advanced classes because I already know my flexibility will be a limitation and I don't want to pay to stretch in a room and sweat to death.

Dan's mom recently dropped off a basket of apples so I was in apple pie mode this weekend.    I made a pie for her since she gave me the apples.    Dan took one to work yesterday.    I brought two to work today (which has really confused people).     Just eat the pie people.     We have one at home that we are munching on and I'll make one more tonight to use up the apples.    Probably send it with Dan to share with people at his work again.    I'm assuming I'm using a recipe that Mom gave me....it was in my recipe book that allows you to collect recipes and put them in a binder.

Dan and I had a date night this weekend which was nice.    We went to the Miller High Life Lounge for dinner and OMG the broasted chicken was amazing.    Irritated me that I couldn't eat much but I tried.    His mom's husband gave us free I-Cubs tickets for the evening and we watched a decent baseball game.    It was in walking distance from the restaurant/bar and I said no to cotton candy when at the game.    Very tempting but I think I was pulling in enough calories thanks to the hard cider I was drinking.  

Gavin had his first football game on Friday night and as predicted, Dowling kicked Ankeny's butt.    Both he and I were confused as to why he didn't play much.   He had hoped to learn more about that on Saturday morning when the team watched the film but nope.   Most of the plays that can be called on offense (for running the ball) have him in the game as the primary running back.    On Friday, he said they kept calling the handful of plays that do not include him but the second-string running back.   He also said the usual coach that calls plays was not calling plays...it was a different coach.    I think they needed the larger running back as the opponents were big.  We'll see what happens on Friday when they play the other Ankeny team.

Alissa and I were able to bop down to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning which led to some nice wandering a few good purchases.     I'm already buying some Christmas presents and actually got one on Saturday for someone.    Was nice to get some produce too since we cruised through the stuff that Mom gave us recently.    I may want to go back again next weekend if Alissa and LeAnn are interested.  

I guess that's enough of an updated.    I teach in 20 minutes so I should probably get into instructor mode and prep for that.

Adios!

New Hobby, New School Year, New Clothing

Greetings:

I should be sleeping as it's 12:32am but I'm rather wired.    I should be relaxed and sleepy as I did some excellent yoga tonight but oh well.   I can go into work a little bit later in the morning so that should help.   I went to a Restorative Yoga class tonight.   It was my first time going to that style of yoga.    It focused on relaxation and reduction of tension in the body.   It doesn't make you contort or work on crazy flexibility so that was nice.    I would certainly go again and in fact, I may go on Wednesday after work.

Today was the first day of the orientation process for new graduate students.    It went fairly well with a few hiccups.    We have a much smaller group this time around so that makes things a bit easier.    I made an extra effort last week to meet with a restaurant in person to place a catering order for today's lunch.   They were to deliver at 10:40am so it could be set up and we could eat at 11am.    Well 11am rolls around and no food.    I call the restaurant and the manager eventually fesses up that the order was overlooked and they were currently cooking the food.    Sigh.   Thankfully I plan for a long lunch on the first day so the late arrival of food worked.   But they didn't bring all the food we ordered.    I get to call  them tomorrow to talk to the owner to see how the situation will be handled.    I personally think we shouldn't be charged.    I also had some major Internet problems for an afternoon meeting but just ended up moving to another location.    I probably saved another instructor a major headache by discovering the problem this week rather than on the first day of class next week.

I decided to be snazzy today and wore a dress to work for the first time ever.   I wanted to make a good impression on the new grad students.   I'm getting more self-conscious about my loose skin so I bought some undergarments that help keep things close to my body.     They aren't the most comfortable but I feel much more comfortable wearing dresses and formal clothing with their help.   But I won't lie,  it was nice to get home and get those things off.     I don't know how women wore corsets back in the day.

I went to the State Fair last week.     I volunteered for DMACC on Thursday and it was OK.    I just came to the fairgrounds to work for them and didn't wander before or after working for the booth.   I felt ill-prepared to help since no one answered my emails.    I apparently fell through the cracks because I never ended up on the volunteer list hence not receiving informative emails.    They did send my free ticket though so figure that out.  One plus was that I was able to snag some materials for Gavin about the building trades and HVAC careers.   I went on Friday with Alissa and it was fun to explore.   As dorky as it is, going on the "Ye Olde Mill" ride was a highlight.    It's a dark boat ride that highlights the fair's history.    Think the Underground ride at Adventureland but in a boat and it's not designed to be scary.    It was nice to see the animals too.     And yes, I ate some junk food but we were both good about moderation.

We're excited to go to Czech Days and "get away" for part of the weekend.    I'll need a little break between this orientation and the start of the semester.     I still need to complete syllabi for both ISU and DMACC.    I'm glad I didn't finish them early because I was already notified of extra information I have to include on teacher education syllabi.    I'm holding off on one of my DMACC syllabi too because my class enrollment is small (4 students) so I'm expecting it to get cancelled.

I am still putting my office together at ISU.   I've gotten things up on the walls.    I posted a framed collection of pictures of Gavin.   I made it years ago and never had a  place to hang it.   I also got frames for my degrees and posted those along with the award I received in the spring.    I requested a white board so I'll get one of those at some point.   Still have boxes to sort through and I need to reorganize a file cabinet.    Bleh.   It'll get done at some point.

I'm getting very excited for Gavin's football season.    We went to the annual hog roast last night and the players were introduced.   We also received the senior posters (hung one in my office) and had the chance to buy t-shirts.    I also had time to sign up for making desserts for after game meals.   I have to make a lot of brownies in the future on a date in October.   They also let parents sign up for concession work this year rather than randomly assigning us shifts.     I was able to pick a date/time that actually works for me and my Swim & Gym schedule.    The coaches have had good things to say about Gavin.   He gets a lot of credit for his great attendance to activities this summer and his commitment in the weight room.    I'm hoping he makes a lot of good memories in his last year playing the sport.    I also hope he doesn't get hurt.

I guess that's enough of an update for now.     Wish I was tired but alas, I am not.

Depression, Time Off, and a New Hobby

Life has not been super eventual lately.    Summer Youth Fitness ended last week.    I don't have complaints other than low enrollment.    The children behaved well, much better than last year.    The employees were decent too.    My main issue was with grad students that worked hourly for me.    I expected the issues to come from undergrads but nope....grad students.    I still need to write a closing/thank-you email to the participating families.   I also want to create a survey for families so I can get some data about some future ideas.   I'll do some work on the program tomorrow when I need to kill some time at ISU before my eye appointment.  

I had a really rough weekend in terms of mental health.    I couldn't get out of bed and was in a really bad funk.    Dan had me get up and go out to eat with him so that helped a bit.    I felt bad paying to go out to eat because I'm not able to eat  much lately either.   I have no appetite.    Yes, I know...time to schedule a doctor visit.    My friend Mike reminded me of something that plagues me from time-to-time.   I thrive when I'm busy and structured.     When I have downtime I struggle.     He reminded me that I need to do things for myself and I need hobbies.    And my hobbies need to not be related to working.     Seems pretty sad that I only get enjoyment from work at times.    I've had a growing interest in yoga as I need to find ways to relax.    I am trying some yoga classes this week.   The studio is here in Ankeny.   There are several in Ankeny but one stood out to me because of its well-designed website and nice variety of classes.    I need to start out simple since flexibility isn't my forte.  

Time for some honesty:

• I didn't enjoy my time with Jude as much as I thought I would.    The step-parent experience frustrates me more than anything.    I keep comparing him to Gavin and I shouldn't be doing that.   Jude has had a different upbringing and that upbringing is what is causing some issues.   Don't get me wrong, Gavin's upbringing wasn't always sunshine and rainbows but I think he had more stability when he was younger.     And I cannot stand how dependent Jude is on technology.   It drives me crazy.     

• For awhile, Dan has been wanting to speak to my parents about marriage.   He wanted to be traditional and make sure they are on board and I can appreciate that.    He has been wanting to bop up to Waukon on occasion and I've told him to calm down about it.    It finally seemed logical to go up recently since LeAnn was having her garage sale and I wanted to see Grandma Stika.   I know it would be tricky to get both Mom and Dad in the same place at the same time.    He did speak to them about it and I don't feel it went as well as it should have....sigh.    Go figure.     Combine with me feeling rather down lately, things haven't been great with he and I as he doesn't feel it went super well either.     

So I plan to do some yoga this week, minimal work, and attend some appointments.    I paid a buttload of bills yesterday and everything is ready for Gavin and his school year.    He had his physical on Friday along with a second meningitis shot.  His registration fees are paid except I still need to buy his athletic pass but that will be a bigger deal in the winter when he goes to basketball games.    He bought his own stuff for football so I don't have to bop out and accompany him to stores.   I need to schedule some senior picture shots.    I do want him to have some taken in NE Iowa too in the fall (ahem Alissa).    

That's enough for now!

Milwaukee: Land of Beer and German Stuff

Greetings:

Back to the grind today.     The remaining two weeks of summer camp at ISU should be fairly easy and I don't have anything on my schedule in the mornings and only need to work in the afternoons.    I do need to start packing up my office to move to my new location in the building.   It's not really a new location as it's my previous office.    They are currently painting it and waxing the floor.   Hope to start moving by the end of the week so I don't have to deal with the move when I'm off in August.
Dan and I took an excursion to Milwaukee the past weekend.   It was a quick trip but organized well so we balanced our time with sightseeing and resting.    We departed on Thursday morning and took our time since we didn't need to be at our first planned event until 8pm.    I used some of those travel sites to book our hotels and our first hotel was a Ramada.   The one in Des Moines is decent and the one I used in Sioux Falls was really nice too.    The one in downtown Milwaukee?   Not so nice.   You could tell it had been smoked in and seemed a bit musty too.    It served it's purpose though and it was a place to lay our head for one night.

We took some time to walk around the downtown to find a place to eat.   I decided on The Safe House which is a spy-themed restaurant.   It took a little bit to find because it was hidden in an alley.    I should have figured they would make it difficult to find.    It was confusing at first because you enter a small room and a guy simply asks you for the password.   We both guessed a password but were wrong.    We then had to perform a challenge to prove we were worthy to enter the establishment and weren't enemy spies.    At this point I was like "what the hell did I get us into?"   We were to act like monkeys at the zoo and fling poo at each other.    Dan did this very well and I was like I said....confused.    We were then granted access and one of the walls opened and we walked into the restaurant.    We then realized that TVs are positioned all over the restaurant and people can see you performing your challenges.    Embarrassing at first and you get over it as you start watching other people act like fools too.    Decent food.    Interesting establishment.  

We then literally went across the street for the concert.    Dan's favorite band is Toad the Wet Sprocket and they were playing at the Pabst Theater.   It was the first day of their new tour.    It was a very good concert.    The venue was awesome too as it is a very old theater.   They sound just like they did back in the 90s.    I feel their most popular song was the one in the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bM1CqHoBY

I remember the song playing when we would swim at Lonning's or the pool when I was kid.

On Friday we slept in and found a local place to eat lunch.   It has the longest bar in the USA.   If I remember correctly, it was called Buck Bradley's.     Milwaukee is all about fish fries on Fridays so Dan ordered that for his lunch.   I got a basic salad because I couldn't carry leftovers with me all afternoon.    The fish (cod) looked amazing though.   We then took a river cruise down the Milwaukee River during the afternoon.    It was focused on history so we learned a lot about the turmoil in the area and various immigrants that settled in the region.    The cruise took us out on Lake Michigan too.   The only bummer was that it was cloudy and rather gloomy.    I gracefully cut my hand on one of the doors too when going back and forth from inside to outside the boat too.    I had been wanting to try some German food so we did that for supper.   It turned out to be our pricey meal of the trip but it was worth it.   I got a meal that included a flattened, breaded chicken breast on top of spatzle with a mushroom gravy.   So good.   Dan got a platter of various meats including brats, sausages, etc.

Our second hotel was a bit better as it was more modern and smelled a lot better.   It wasn't in a great neighborhood though but we didn't die and my vehicle wasn't broken into.     I thought it was further from downtown but we were still really close so that was nice.  

We left on Saturday morning.   Originally we were going to visit Cave of the Mounds for a cave tour but changed our minds and went to House on the Rock instead.    Dan had never been there and I was in the mood to go again.   We spent a couple hours there and drove into Iowa.    We took a pause in Cedar Rapids, ate at Red Lobster, and then continued to Newton.  

Overall it was a good trip.    Thankfully Milwaukee was semi-easy to navigate.   It was actually rather cool there so I was glad I brought a hoodie.     Gavin survived my absence and didn't burn down the apartment building.

Here are some pictures from the experience:

Gavin's Lost Some Wisdom.....Teeth

Greetings:

I guess the big news in the past week has been the removal of Gavin's wisdom teeth.   We went in for a consultation last Wednesday and got good news.    The doctor said Gavin's case was one of the easiest of the week.   Only one of the teeth were erupting and the other three were still under the gums and nice and straight too.    The plan was to go ahead and pull those babies out on Friday morning.

He had three options:

1. Just get local anesthetic and have them removed (12 shots total)
2. Get local anesthetic and laughing gas
3. Get an IV and be put under

At first he wanted option 1 but I talked him into option 2.   He thought it was cool during the procedure because the doctor would tell him what he was doing.   Unlike most people, the sounds he heard didn't gross him out.    Makes me sick thinking about it.   

The procedure went fast and he was done more quickly than I expected.    I wasn't expecting him to need 5 prescriptions after it but luckily our usual pharmacy is right across the street from the surgical office.    They gave  him prescription pain killers (barely used them), prescription strength Ibuprofen (used it a lot), steroids to help healing (took last dose today), an antibiotic to prevent infection, and a prescription mouth wash too.    He had a few moments of bad pain but he did really well with the process.    He was quite puffy on day 2 and 3 because he wasn't on top of the icing process.    We can see some signs of bruising now too as parts of his jaw are yellowish in color.    

I'm just glad we were able to get it scheduled and done this summer.   Next on the agenda is to figure out senior picture ideas.    I am very  much OK with Alissa doing some fall shots with him in NE Iowa.    The question will be when we can get up there with her schedule and his football schedule.   Or maybe we could do some shots at Ledges by Boone.    I do want a professional photographer to take some too down this way, especially with his athletic equipment.   I should probably line that up at some point.    

I'm starting to feel a bit old as the "list of things to do" for Gavin's final year of high school is starting.

1.   Wisdom teeth out

2.  Senior pictures

3.   Figure out college options---he's still indecisive but he needs to do some visits

4.   FAFSA stuff 

He's made it somewhat clear he doesn't want to move with me to Ames next year.    Further pressure for him to figure out what he's going to do because if he does end up going for a trade and attending a place like DMACC, we'll also need to get apartment stuff figured out too.     

Guess Gavin was the focus for this one!

Update Time---Nothing Too Exciting

Week 3 of the summer program---not too shabby.     Things have been running smoothly.     We are starting to have a few kids presenting issues but manageable so far.     We had our first puker today too.    Fun times as I'm the custodian for the program.

I am done teaching my summer class for ISU.    I can't submit final grades yet but everything is ready to go.   I would like to teach the class again in the future but I doubt they'll offer it again in the summer of 2018.   Enrollment was too low.    DMACC is somewhat panicking too because their summer enrollment was quite low.     They aren't happy with the looks of fall enrollment either.    I'm curious to see how much I'll end up teaching for them in the fall.     All I am doing for them this summer is the occasional coaching class.   I taught this past Friday and it went well.

I'm excited for the upcoming 4th of July and potential family visit.   I hope the weather cooperates.   I always like the festivities in Ames.    The following weekend is Summerfest in Ankeny so may have some more fun after the holiday too.

Gavin has his consult tomorrow for his wisdom teeth and their extraction on Friday.     He seems pretty indifferent.  

The living situation with Dan and his son has provided ups and downs.    His son is getting more comfortable with me so there have been more situations with him getting grumpy or upset.   I made "root beer pulled chicken" for dinner tonight.    It was one of those recipes posted on Facebook and it caught my attention.    He wanted nothing to do with that dinner option sadly.    It turned out OK but was more bland than I expected.   I'm trying to lighten up with being a neat freak as that's been stressing me out too.  

Here is a review of some movies I watched recently:

"San Andreas":  features The Rock and is one of those natural disaster movies.     It was so bad it was good.   We mainly enjoyed the bad acting and unlikely events.  

"The Machinist"  features Christian Bale as a blue collar worker that is dealing with insomnia.    It basically turns into a thriller/horror movie as he doesn't know if events in his life are truly happening or not.    Interesting twist at the end.     It is the movie he dropped like 100 lbs for so he'd look really sick and tired for the role.

"Aloha"  features Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone.     It is connected to military aspects when a guy returns to Hawaii as a contractor after leaving the service.    It includes a love story and ethical decision too.    It was rather lackluster.

"A Little Chaos"  features Kate Winslet.    It is one of those old English movies.    Kate Winslet is basically a female landscape architect creating an outdoor dancing space for the current king.   It also has a love story as she gets quite friendly with the head architect.   It wasn't great but wasn't bad.

"Antichrist"  I've been watching all the movies created by Lars von Trier and this is one that makes up a trio that got a lot of attention.     All his movies are artsy.    This one doesn't even have a connection to anything anti-religion so the title confuses me.    A couple goes to their cabin to help them deal with the death of their toddler.     The mother basically loses her mind and goes nuts.    It turned into a horror movie pretty quick.

"Melancholia"   Another Lars von Trier movie.   It features Kirsten Dunst and Keifer Sutherland is in it too.    The end of the world is approaching so that is a main issue in the movie.    Kirsten's character is super depressed and has mental issues.    That is a major focus of the movie too.    Very artsy but very weird.    I had wondered what I had watched by the time it ended.  

"Paper Towns"   It is one of those teenager focused movies.     Two opposite sex friends grew up together and he thought he was in love with her.      They have a fun night together but then she disappears and essentially runs away.    He think she left clues behind so he could find her.    He eventually does but the love story doesn't go well.  

"She's Funny That Way"   The main famous actor is Owen Wilson.   I don't know why I added this to my movie list but I sat through it.    It explains how an escort ended up becoming an actress and lots of character story lines cross and meet up in the movie.    Meh.

"Vacation"   The next National Lampoon movie that came out in 2015.  I remember wanting to see it in the theater and I am grateful I didn't waste the money.    It had funny moments but I wasn't wowed.
"The Hangover III"    It had it's funny moments too but they should have stopped after making the second movie.    Mr. Chow is the main character and issue.  I'm surprised they got all of the actors to take part in the movie again.  

"Ricki and the Flash"   Features Meryl Streep.   It was a pretty decent story.     A mom basically left her family when her kids were little to chase her music dreams.    Her now adult daughter is having a crisis so she comes back to try and help.    It was a good story and decent movie.    

I think that's enough for now!

Week 1...Done

And the first week of Summer Youth Fitness is done!    The week went fairly well.    Only major issue was on Tuesday as I had to close the pool due to low staffing.    Placed an add in the local newspapers and hope to hire another 2 life guards by roping in some high school kids.    Seems to be a huge shortage of life guards in Central Iowa though.    It's already making me worry for next year as getting staff this summer (pool-wise) was like pulling teeth.

I've been really happy with the program too because my energy levels are fantastic.     It is much easier to move around the building and outside locations all afternoon.     I'm getting a lot done and even extra stuff too thanks to being peppy.    I only fell asleep early one evening this week too so it's nice to be able to function after a long day.   Next week will be brutal though as it's supposed to be so hot.  

Dan's boy is participating in the program and thankfully Dan was able to bring him on Monday and Tuesday since I was plenty busy teaching in the mornings and doing prep work for the program.    He did have to come early with me on Wednesday and did OK.     We didn't have to come until noon yesterday which should be the norm for the remaining weeks.     I had a somewhat uncomfortable talk with Dan yesterday about some concerns.    At times he seems really disengaged from Jude which A) puts more work on me at home and B) just isn't great parenting.   There have been issues that have popped up (e.g. Jude making a mess) and it happens right in front of Dan and he doesn't seem to notice or care.    He explained that after work he just wants to relax and is tired.    I guess I was a bitch and said "tough, parenting is a 24/7 job".   Plus if he's that wiped out, he shouldn't be working double shifts if it affects his interactions with his son.    I guess I put my foot down about it all because it was eating away at me, especially the past few nights.    I don't mind helping with Jude but I'm not the primarily parent.     I also had to do the hand-off of Jude to his mother last night.    I wasn't happy about that either but it went OK.    She was way too nice (in an overkill way) and I got out of there quickly.     It was a bit funny because I pulled into the drive way and got out to unload Jude.   Before I knew it, his older brother was running at the car and then she was outside quickly too.    We think they were quick to respond so I wouldn't walk up to the house or the door.    Sigh.  

I'm getting somewhat excited about the Fourth of July holiday.    I think our plans are to attend the Ames parade.    Fireworks are the night before on July 3rd.    I think we'll do the use thing at Hilton but come early with outside games and have a fun evening.    Not sure if we have Jude or not and I'm not sure if Gavin works yet.     Speaking of Gavin, he has now been at Hy-Vee for a year.    Ask him about it and he just shrugs.    Shocking.  

Dan and I are planning a long weekend in Milwaukee in July too.    On July 13 we'll drive there as we are attending a concert that night.    (Toad the Wet Sprocket)   It will be the first time (I think) that I take a day off from Summer Youth Fitness.   Makes me a bit nervous due to my Type A style with work.      On July 14 we are likely going to do a river cruise in Milwaukee (historical focus) and also visit a nearby cave that gives tours.     In honor of his Dad, we'll likely do the Harley museum too even though that really doesn't interest me.    Still have some gaps in the agenda and may do something on July 15 before we head back to Iowa.    Not sure yet.     We are also thinking about a trip to Cleveland in August (first weekend).     We may go to Cedar Point Roller Coaster park one day and attend a Cleveland Indians game or two as well.    Baseball games would be for Dan's birthday.   Still no clue as if kids are coming with and how many.   I would like Gavin to come and it may work with his football schedule too.     Dan's kids?    Too early to tell.  

Guess that's enough of an update for now!    Enjoy the heat.

Concerts!

It's been a great end to May.    Mom and the sistas came down this way last weekend and we had a decent women's weekend.    Highlight was the Neil Diamond concert.    Gavin's football meeting caused us to leave Ankeny a bit later than I wanted but thankfully Mr. Diamond didn't start his concert on time.    I was surprised by how high our seats were but it was still a good concert.  I don't think I've ever been to a concert or event in Wells Fargo with so many people in attendance.    Neil's voice is still pretty solid for it being used for 50 or so years.    I believe the only song he didn't sing that I missed was "Kentucky Woman".

Dan and I attended a concert last night.    The night started with Fastball.    They had some hits in the 90s but weren't my favorite band.    I just kind of waited for them to be done but the crowd overall liked them.     Next up was Vertical Horizon and they were fabulous.    Very good set.    The headliner was Everclear.     It is their 20th anniversary of the CD "So Much for the Afterglow".    They showed up dressed in suits just like they did for the album.    I was also very impressed by their sound and the lead singer's voice was great.   They played all their hits and even some extra songs I didn't expect.    I encountered a pretty solid contact high from all the marijuana being used at the show.   I felt bad for Dan.     I'm surprised security and the cops weren't cracking down on it.  

Dan and I are starting our new schedule with Jude this weekend.     Today was his last day of school and it is Dan's weekend to have the boy.     We now have Jude some weekends but primarily Sunday nights-Thursday evenings.     The living situation isn't ideal in the apartment as Jude has to sleep on a loveseat.  We have clothes here for him and I did some grocery shopping to ensure we had some of his preferred food in the house.      His grandma is helping with him a bit this upcoming week since I have trainings and meetings at ISU that require no child to be in attendance with me.

Speaking of which, I have my orientation meetings for SYF employees on Thursday.   I'm offering it at 1pm and 6pm.    I'm also doing CPR training for employees on Wednesday.    I have one more life guard to hire on Tuesday assuming the interview goes well.    Still have other tasks to complete too to prep for June 5th but for the most part, everything is going well.    My summer course is turning into a piece of cake too since I only have three students.    I need to write up some quizzes this weekend though.    

Gavin is finished with school on Wednesday but started finals today.     His schedule is all weird with late starts and/or early dismissals.     He has started working more for Hy-Vee and football will pick-up soon too.     Speaking of Gavin....I got my personalized plates today!      Great picture to end with...

6 Month Check-Up

Monday was my sixth month check-up for my post surgery progress.   I met with the nurse practitioner instead of the surgeon.   Apparently I don't see him again until November at my year appointment unless something goes horribly wrong.     I haven't lost much weight in the last 4-6 weeks but they said it's normal to plateau at this stage and I should have another major weight loss later in the summer.    My body composition is still changing nicely though which is a comfort.    I'm still dropping sizes in clothes so I could tell something was still going on even though the scale wasn't changing much.  

My blood work was good too and my Vitamin D is elevated again.    I forgot to get a copy of my bloodwork results so I need to ask for one to be mailed.   I was in a rush to leave after meeting with the dietician because they were running WAY behind.    I had to teach at ISU at 9:50am and got to my classroom at 9:53am.    I was supposed to see the nurse practitioner at 8:00am and didn't see her until 8:45am.    I had to wait a bit after her to see the dietician too and didn't drive out of West Des Moines until 9:15am.  

Dan and I are trying to play tennis more often in addition to going on walks and biking.    It didn't work out for tonight because we had Gavin's track banquet.   He has a cardiac consultation tomorrow due to his recent cholesterol readings so I'm sure they are going to encourage more exercise too.    We are making more plans for the July venture to Milwaukee.    I reserved a hotel for the first night there so it's located close to the concert location.   We'll get a different (cheaper) one for the second night.   We haven't decided what we are doing yet on Friday or Saturday when we are in the city.    I've had a lot of people suggest brewery tours but I hate beer and Dan can't drink it.    Doesn't seem like a great idea.  

Speaking of Dan, we went to Adventureland on Saturday.   It was a gorgeous day.    It was odd to be there without children.    The good news is that my butt fit on every ride.     I will admit the Outlaw was a tight squeeze but that was the case back in the day when I rode it years ago too.    The new Monster roller coaster was very fun but did mess with my stomach and head.    I only rode it once.    I noticed other rides were kind of getting to me too but was wise and took breaks to make sure I didn't get sick.    Hoping to go there again later in the summer for another go at things.  

My ISU summer class started and I only have three students showing up.     Being there is an attendance requirement, I'm assuming the others will be dropping the course.     I'll admit I'm kind of winging it this week and need to get more structured with things for the remaining weeks.    I know all three students well so the casual setting is working out just fine.   My DMACC summer class was canceled due to low enrollment.    I'm not shocked but it does suck as that is good money.    I'll still teach the coaching class periodically in June and July.    

I'm working part time now until the week before ISU starts up in August for the fall semester.   It's been odd only working a few hours each day.    My general schedule is to work from 9:00am-1pm on Mondays-Thursdays.     I usually take some work home with me though and do things at home for work on Fridays too.    It's nice not having to drive up to Ames on Fridays though.   I'm all about saving the gas money.  

I guess that's enough of an update for now.    I'm excited for some girl time this weekend too.     I wish the weather forecast was better though!  

Not so Much Grading

Greetings:

It's almost 2am.    First day back to work after a fun weekend and I already screwed up my sleep schedule.     I was wiped out when I got home from work around 5pm and I think I made it until about 6pm before I had to lay down.    I woke up at 11pm.   Good news is that I basically finished grading for two more classes.   I only have one more class to finish grading tomorrow.    I still have all of their unit plans to review so I'll do that all day tomorrow.  

The weekend was quite fun.   I took off earlier than I expected from work on Friday and stopped in Cedar Falls for a few hours.   Saw Alissa's new home.    Celebrated Cinco de Mayo.    Got my 2nd wind when we got to Waukon and went on a walk with Mom at night.   We got up on Saturday and went to Decorah.    I admit I was a bit nervous as I was afraid I'd feel as awful as I did a few years ago after completing a 5K in Waukon.    It was enjoyable and I finished it in an hour.   It's nice to have a completion time in mind so I can shave time off the next one.   And I want to start jogging 5Ks in the future too so that'll help my time.    We played tennis afterwards and that was fun.   That is becoming easier for me too in terms of moving around more quickly.  

We went to a couple graduation parties.    I felt a bit out of place at the first one as I barely know Andy's wife and his step kids.   The party in New Albin was fun though since there was quite a bit of family at it.    I got more compliments than I was expecting and apparently I look a bit different.  

So speaking of the weight loss...my weight has been stable for about a month and that worries me for my upcoming appointment.   My body is still changing though and I've dropped quite a few clothing sizes recently.    So hopefully my body composition readings keep me in good standing with the doctor.    My extra skin in my abdominal area is making the attempt to job unpleasant though.    I need to find some garments that hold all that still when I'm moving a bunch.  

I was supposed to get my blood drawn today since I chickened out last Thursday.   I left work too late and didn't get to the lab in time.   I thought they were open until 5pm but nope, they closed at 4pm.  I got there at 4:10pm.   I'll be honest that part of me wasn't too sad about it but I have to get it done tomorrow or it won't be ready for my doctor's appointment next week.  

Yesterday (Sunday), Dan and I went on our first bike ride together.   It was fun but shorter than I anticipated.    We went a total of 5 miles.    I could tell he was getting pretty tired so gave him the option for us to turn around and he took it.    The bike path by my apartment is really nice and we went west on it for the little trip.     Not sure when we'll do it again since he's currently not feeling well.   My bike rode amazingly.   His bike needs some work and his tires need to be inflated better.  

I supposed I should try to sleep so I get up at a decent time in the morning so I can start working on time.   I am going to work from home to save gas money.     I am technically "off" from ISU this week so it shouldn't matter that I don't come into the actual office.    Plus I'll be more likely to get to my blood draw in the appropriate time frame.

Until next time!

Lots of Grading

It is currently Dead Week at ISU (not sure why DMACC doesn't use a fun term like that) so I'm buried in my usual grading.     I have the usual clothes baskets filled with binders sitting around the apartment.   I'm in a very good place with DMACC which is good because their final grades are due first.    My head is above water with ISU but I'll have a very busy weekend but I'm using my time at work nicely too.    I've noticed a nice change this semester as I have nice, consistent energy while at work.    I have the extra energy to get just a few more things done each day which has helped me reach more goals with the summer camp preparation.    I've also been able to tie up some loose ends with other tasks at ISU too.  

I FINALLY took my bike down the road and had it repaired.   It rode around with me in Elvira for like a week and then I realized I needed my back seats and cargo space for Easter weekend.    They only needed to do a general tune and and replace my pedals.    It was in decent shape despite how long it sat in storage.   I was concerned about the condition of the tires but they are good.    I walked to the bike shop last Friday and rode it back to the apartment.    It felt odd and clumsy to ride a bike again.   Dan has a bike here at the apartment now too.   We plan to add more biking to our physical activity.    I may need to buy a new bike helmet though.   It's old too and they technically expire.

I won a Distinguished Service award this week at ISU.  It was a nice little reception.    I left the award at work so I can eventually put it up on the wall.    I get my past office back in late May or June.   When I move back to that space, I want to hang that award as well as my diplomas.  I get a stipend too but I'm not sure exactly how I receive it.    Kinda sucks if it is merged with my paycheck because it will be taxed.   But I wouldn't mind it being included in my May pay since that paycheck is usually smaller.  

I am teaching a summer class for ISU which is nice for some income too.   Technically they should have canceled it because enrollment is low but some teacher education students need to have the class in the summer to keep on track for student teaching.    Tiny class, easier for me to teach.    I am on the books to teach an online class for DMACC too but it also has pretty low enrollment.    Not holding my breath but we'll see.

I have like 75% of my employees hired for the summer program.    (Contingent on them all passing a background check)    The stressor has been my aquatic staff.    I have not had one life guard apply yet.  I need to have at least three to meet state requirements for pool safety.    Blah.   I increased the pay rate so hopefully that gains some interest.  

Dan and I went to a concert this past weekend at ISU.    It was a very small gathering.   The lead singer of Toad the Wet Sprocket did a solo show.   They had the huge hit "Walk on the Ocean" that was played a ton on the radio.   His name is Glen Phillips.     Toad the Wet Sprocket is Dan's favorite band from the 90s.   We are going to try and go to an actual Toad show in July when they are in Chicago or Milwaukee.   The show was acoustic and intimate.    I wasn't feeling 100% but I'm glad I went.   The singer's voice was the same so that was nice and yes, he was pretty nice to look at.  

My next appointment for post-surgery is on May 15th.  I got a letter in the mail asking for another blood draw before that appointment.    Blah.   They want another check on my nutrient levels so I get it.    It's just hard for me to willingly wake into the Mercy clinic in Ankeny for the draw.   Luckily I don't have to fast so that usually helps.    I am snacking more and I can tell it's slowed my weight loss.    I'm not gaining weight but I've been stuck around the same weight for longer than I probably should be.    My clothing size is still changing though which is good.   I'm trying to just drink tea at night and not graze.    I'm usually not hungry at night I'm just going back to bad habits of thinking I need to eat if the TV is on.    

I'm pretty excited for May because of the upcoming 5K in Decorah, the Neil Diamond concert, and my Everclear concert too.    I'll be excited when grades are submitted too.  

I guess that's enough of an updated for now!  I'll leave some health teacher wisdom.