VACATION!!

For the first time in about four years, we are able to join my family for our annual family vacation. A week in Cayucos/Morro Bay/SLO/Pismo area is something we have done since I was about 5 years old, but for the last few years our schedules and financial situations kept Uciel and I from joining everyone. So I am ecstatic to be back at the coast for a few days with my family and the Beberians! I smile especially as I slip on a sweatshirt to go for a walk; in Fresno I would have been in tank top and shorts and still sweating!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.... vacation!

And the other shoe drops

I seriously considered writing a blog last week about how well things were going. I had time off, which is rare, and with Uciel not working we pretty much had a whole week to ourselves, very rare...the reason I wrote no such blog is mainly that I was too busy doing nothing...and enjoying every minute of it. The other reason, though, is that I didn't want to jinx everything; stuff was going pretty well and I was afraid saying it out loud would cause the other shoe to drop, so to speak.
Evidently I didn't need to say it out loud, it dropped. In the last couple of weeks, among my family and friends, we have been presented with 3 deaths and 4 failing marriages. One would think I would be happy that the deaths and failures were not in my own personal life, but anyone who knows me well knows that I am an empathetic person and I tend to feel the pain of those I love.
I am blessed in my life and I strive to keep that in mind, but I cannot seem to release the sadness I feel for the plight of those around me...struggling with unfaithfulness, addiction and death, even murder and I feel overwhelmed.

My Favorite Summer Food!

When I posted that I am not a good cook I had forgotten about my skills in this area:

Homemade Salsa!!

When our neighbor, Max (the normal one), gave us a sack full of tomatoes grown in his back yard, my first thought was salsa! It is one of my favorite summer foods and his tomatoes exceeded our expectations...it came out really good! And now I am off to take him some :)

Rachel Ray I am NOT

I am not a good cook. There, I said it...it is out in the www for everyone to see.

Don't get me wrong, I feed my family, but I am not a good cook. I only cook a few times a week and it is always the same thing. I have about 5-6 meals that I can make with my eyes closed, one specialty that I can make for special occasions, but I really need help in this area. Recently a friend revived a recipe club on email, and Natali (see right) is always sharing recipes that sound (and look, when she posts them on her blog) wonderful, but I can't seem to get out of this culinary rut.
I think it started when I got pregnant. I had gotten into the habit of cooking almost every night, but when nausea hit I hated dealing with raw meat. I ended up losing the habit and now rely entirely too much on pre-made, boxed or drive-thru meals.
I have other obstacles: I HATE my kitchen--cooking in it ends up irritating me more than anything, my husband is even more picky than I am--he doesn't really like potatoes or pasta so sides are usually an issue, and healthy & tasty food is expensive--I have said for a long time, if they want to help the obesity problem in America they need to make healthy foods cheaper! I don't go out of my way to shop at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and the healthy stuff @ regular stores tastes like dog food. I also hate that we don't have a table to sit at.
If anyone has suggestions or can empathize with this problem, let me know. If I am going to correct it, now is the time, while I am off work, before things get crazy next month.

"Victims" of the Recession

I keep hearing this term "vicitms" of the recession...this loss of work and money and security is indeed massive compared to the thigs we are used to...but does that really make us "vicitms"?
I gotta say, I am somewhat enjoying the benefits of a recession...
I have read so many blogs and facebook status, etc that say how much everyone is enjoying summer, relaxing with their family. I see pics of everyone having BBQs at home, playing in their own pool instead of the ocean. With everyone not having money to travle etc. the words relaxed and lazy and family keep coming up...I don't associate these words with victim.
As for us...techinically we are "victims" of this recession because Uciel got laid off, but I don't really feel like a vicitm. There are so many people worse off than even the worst in our country (on a side note I think some people in our country-specifically my generation and younger-NEED to struggle...they have no clue what it means to survive, without everything handed to you, as our parents and granparents had to do during war & depression).

I have a hard time feeling bad about not hitting the beach if I am happy to just have gas money to get to work and back; I can't get pitiful about being stuck at home if I am ecstatic to even have the TV working! I can't really complain about the fix-its needed in my house because, hey! I have a house!
I am going to stop using the term victim...
We, along with millions of others, are laboring through the recession.

Blogging from my Garage

Its a pleasant afternoon in Fresno, sitting in my garage.

Pleasant? You say.
...in Fresno?? You say.
...in a garage??
...in July?!
Actually, yes.

I sit here with a swamp cooler pointed directly at me in an open garage so I can see the sun shining and hear the birds chirping, instead of being in the sun burning and under the birds pooping.
I originally came out to the garage because Uciel was working on his truck stuff, as usual. I have newfound freedom with this wireless Internet card...no more being stuck to the desk! It is slower, but for the mobility and lower price I can deal with it. I brought the computer to show him something and end up sitting here long after he has finished.
The warm, fresh air reminds me that its summer and I get happy...I get even happier that I can relish in summer in spite of the fact I am still working because I get a long weekend and I am completely caught up at school and can enjoy a July 4th with family....

Blogging instead of working
Ahhhhhh.....

I am back!!

After what has felt like 10 years without Internet I finally have a wireless card! So I not only have Internet @ home, but everywhere I go!! So, I will make my way back into the blogging world; first, I have to catch up on what everyone has been up to. For now, her is a picture of my beautiful girl to catch you all up on how big she is getting.

Summer school has been fairly easy this year so we have gotten to relax a bit...here she is sittin on a stump @ Lost Lake when we had a random afternoon BBQ :)

Sweet Sunday: the Rock & Worship Road Show

After a sweet (and productive) Saturday with my hubby and Isa, I had a lovely sweet Sunday with the rest of my fam: Boren side @ church & even got to see some of those Beberian girls...the concert was awesome. I am feeling blessed and hoping to take it into the week with me...:)

Sweet Saturday

Takin advantage of the beautiful California spring

Slim Down Saturday

SO...now that I am in this competition, I have to really keep myself on track. In an effort to prepare, I made menus for the 8 weeks I will be participating. I have found that my downfall usually lies in lack of preparation; I have no discipline when I have to decide on the spot (especially if there are pictures of food involved).
I also timed myself making a healthy, 2-block, breakfast. I can make turkey bacon with egg substitute & cheese over toast in 6 minutes and 40 seconds, including a piece of buttered toast and cheese stick for the girl. If I add cleaning up after myself it goes to 8 minutes...For $1000 I can do 8 minutes! Now it is just every other meal for the next eight weeks that I have to conquer.
I will also be going to the gym every day and we start volleyabll open gym after Easter break...I am gonna try to hit this HARD CORE!!
Now I am off to the gym to time out my 3 workout routines so I have no excuse if I am running late...
Again...if you see me, don't let me eat it!!

New Competition--starts today!

The Goal: 40 lbs. and/or down 2 sizes
The Prize: $800 and a smokin new bod for summer!
The Competition: 8 of my female coworkers

Please help...if you see me...DON'T LET ME EAT IT!!

:P

Sweet Sunday: Happy Anniversary to Them!!

Sunday, March 8, makes 34 years of marriage for my parents. They have been wonderful examples to me in word and deed; there is NO ONE I admire more than these two.

HAppy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Love you both more everday!

*Photo taken @ my wedding, 3-1-03

Sweet Sunday: Happy Anniversary to us!

Six years today! We got a much needed date night (thanks to the Beberians for taking Isa)! :)

[Belated] Hump Day Humor

I love this one! I always want to show it to my classes when discussing revising and editing their essays. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW1lxwsK5_Q

Tacit Tuesday: GASP!

Sweet Sunday: Playing and Learning

I love to watch my daughter learn. I can almost see the wheels in her head turning as we play and talk and go places. Some cute things she taught herself:

1. On the days my dad watches her while I work, he meets me in Kerman so that I don't have to drive all the way to his house, especially when its foggy. We have settled into a spot in the Save Mart parking lot....so Isa will now ask if we are going to "Gampa" everytime we enter similar parking lots.
2. The "On Demand" theme song that comes on everytime I play a Sesame Street episode.
3. The process to brushing her teeth: say hello to Elmo, Grover & Zoe (on her toothbrush), rinse, paste, scrub scrub scrub, rinse scrube rinse, say goodbye to Elmo, Grover and Zoe and dry face
4. To throw both arms in the air and yell "Touchdown!" with her Daddy

The last one is my favorite because watching Uciel teach her is by far my favorite thing to see. I remember a conversation I had with my dad when I talked of marrying Uciel: my dad asked me to be very sure this was the man for me. He asked if I could see myself with him still after 50 years, like all of my grandparents were/are. What comes to mind now is his other question: Do you think he will be a good father to your children? I love that he has proven my answer correct.
Today I watched Isa's wheels turning as she learned that if you can't pull the magnets apart, try sliding them.

Finally

Dora Child Toilet seat: $10.99

Elmo "Potty Time" video: $7.99

small box pull-up style daipers: $8.99

Seeing a light at the end of a stinky, diaper-filled tunnel: PRICELESS!

The New 'Do

A Day in the Life of a Teacher

This week was surprisingly long and tiring but today was a great ending. I loved it because it was what I always imagined teaching would be:

• I spent last night working on lesson plans for Romeo and Juliet (until 1 a.m. but its worth it).
• I actually got to work a little early (incredibly unusual for me)
• Had a great day teaching R&J and really easy grammar, even got off topic and covered politics, music and movies and still got everything done (the kids were really engaged and on a roll today)
• We had a really fun rally (we're talkin' pies in teachers' faces, flying shoes & carmex...crazy)
• Got to visit with my dad when I picked up Isa & had a nice, quiet drive home while she slept
• Had an easy dinner when I got home and spent all evening playing with my girl in front of the fire hubby made me.

This is what I worked for: the chance to influence the future through my students, a set schedule so I have plenty of time with my family and the comfort of our own home.

I feel sooo blessed today.

Thank you, Lord.

A lovely random playdate

Monday Motivation: Character over Achievement

I needed a tissue for this one! (I will be showing this to my teams) Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKUaLlK776s


WOW!!

I Wanna Be a Big Loser!

Weight-loss...how can something be a dream and a thorn at the same time?

Like 90% of females out there, my weight has been a burden since childhood, always fluctuating, making shopping & dressing impossible (I have sizes ranging from 12-22 in my closet...no joke). Watching the season finale of "The Biggest Loser 3" (I assume there was a marathon of the season meant to encourage those resolving to change their habits, and by extension appearance, with this new year) an idea came to me: I am on the average side of over weight, I am not morbidly obese, not dying of diabetes or anything, so I could not go on a show like that, but I do need some kind of motivation to move me, so I came up with this idea: lets do a personal "Biggest Loser"!!

Here is my plan:

• We set a time--maybe like 8-10 weeks
• We get a group--Those interested (there will be a set group of those interested) will compete in their weight loss, with some rules
• We set a prize--I am thinkin' maybe we all pitch in and the winner gets the money or, if it is all girls, some kind of actual, physical prize like spa treatments and GCs for all the new clothes you will need)
• We keep in touch & compare--maybe group dinner every couple of weeks
• We choose a winner--we will use percentages, as they do on the show

To make this work, I need people to compete against. I figure we can find a way to do this without the embarrassing spandex, we won't be advertising our weight on national television, just a support group that pushes through competition, with an actual prize to look forward to.

So...who is with me? I would like to get a group together, decide the rules & prize so please let me know if you are at all interested of would like to participate.

Happy New Year!!

The morning after:

In addition to the typical New Year's resolutions, and thanks to our trusty Fresno Bee, we came up with a new one for the four of us this year: each month do something that takes advantage of where we live. We discuss the beauties of our state, and the convienence of our location within, and yet there is not a lot we do that takes advantage of our surroundings. The Fresno Bee (our local paper) listed a few ideas by month to do just that. For this month: try a sport you have never tried before, their suggestion being disc golf as [apparently] available on some course at the north end of town. While I don't think disc golf will be the way we go, unless someone has a positive opinion they would like to share, we do look forward to attempting something new.