Dinosaur Equipment

In the spirit of the continuous snow fall, I decided to tape Shea drudging through the snow. It is quite entertaining. The way he plow through it makes me think he should be pulling a fully stocked sled behind him. I have been kicking a football to Shea, because it is much easier for him to find in the snow. I felt it necessary to document this on video, not only to view in future years, but so that Jeff can share in the joy of Shea's snow playing.

The video quality is horrible, because the video camera I used is a dinosaur. None of the equipment made for today's electronics fit into this dino video camera. The ports are kinds I have never seen before. And, it actually uses these little guys right here:

Not exactly sure what sort of equipment one would need to play a tape like that. The word "tape" should be a clue right there that this whole project is extremely outdated! So, in order to the get the video onto the computer, and essentially to Jeff, I recorded the video straight off the video camera with my computer. Hence, very low quality. But, you can still see Shea, when he is not blending in with the white snow. And, I am going to guess that for Jeff, it is better than nothing. Here goes, and remember, I know it is of low quality. There is no need to let me know further!

Shea playing in the snow!

Even worse than you expected, huh? Oh well, I did all I could. I will be sure to bring home my digital, yes digital, as in made in this century, camera during the week. Shea is much more handsome when you can actually see his face! 

Dorkish

A friend of mine told me what a dork she is today. She said she watched her former college's basketball game on the computer. In my world, that is not dorky, it is normal. However, I do realize that my world is somewhat warped.

I have met some pretty dorky people in my life, but I would have never considered the ones who watch sports on the internet to be dorks. The guy that dresses up as an ewok and goes to star wars conventions: dork. The girl who goes to renaissance reenactments: dork. The kid who asks for extra homework over the weekend: dork. But, not this. In fact, to me, this is a pretty cool thing to do. A good way to spend part of your weekend.

As I mentioned, I know that I have a skewed view of reality, especially when it comes to basketball. If this friend of mine thinks it was dorky to throw on a basketball game and watch with interest, I am not sure what I would classify as. For, Jeff's team had a game this afternoon. Their last game of the season in fact. There was live streaming video of the game on the internet. Most games that have the streaming video have announcers. Incredibly ameteur announcing, but much better than the complete silence that came through the game today. So, I felt the necessary thing to do was to bring up the live stats, which update team and individual stats with each ensuing play, and the audio broadcast of the game. In order to not miss anything, I surrounded myself with it all:

I don't find myself to be dorky because of this. I have a list full of other reasons people can consider me dorky for, but not this. This is just me, being a big fan of my husband. Isn't that the way it is supposed to be?

Doggy Years

It is a well known fact that dog's live a small fraction of a human life. Assuming, from the calculation of "doggy years," dogs tend to live about 1/7 as long as humans. This piece of data breaks my heart, but I know it is just the way life is.

As any first time dog owner would, I hope for the best. The longest, happiest, healthiest life possible for my beloved Shea. With that, I am pushing for 15 years. At 2.5 right now, Shea will be a part of my life until I am 40. I'd love for more, but will find it hard to accept anything less. That is why I was taken aback when my mother became frantic over my, yes, still in my mind, puppy being dead.

My mother is not a dog person. Never has been, but, with Shea's handsomeness and charisma, she is slowly getting there. But, still, she has no clue about dogs. None what-so-ever. Even less than me! She was not surprised to walk into her bedroom and find Shea, up on her bed. That is a normal occurrence, as he loves the soft, plush comforter on my parent's bed.

What she wasn't expecting was to find him, in what she thought was a dead pose. Belly up, legs in the air, eyes rolled back, and tongue sticking out. A typical Shea sleeping position when he is overtired and feeling comfortable. It's not very becoming of him, but it still brings a smile to my face. My mother on the other hand, was horrified as she though my dog had died on her bed.

She panicked. Thoughts ran through her head of how she would break the news to Jeff and I. Maybe she could cover it up. For a second, she actually considered trying to find a dog that looked like Shea, as if there was some sort of possibility of tricking me. She was dumbfounded at how this dog, a specimen of health, could be dead in her bed and at the ripe old age of 2.5, or about 18 in doggy years.

As she collapsed in misery, probably more the fact of having to face Jeff and I than the end of Shea's life,  her quiet whimpering awakened my sleeping angel. He energetically hopped out of bed and licked her. My mother is not one to like dog kisses, but she allowed it on this one, special occasion. For, she was thrilled that her buddy, Shea, was back from the dead.

Mouse Man

As I was talking to Jeff this afternoon, he informed me that a mouse just scurried across his foot. He was so very non-chalant about it. While I consider myself a very strong person, mentally and physically, I am not one to just sit around while mice run amok around me.

Jeff, on the other hand, actually seems to attract mice to his general vicinity. For, if you are in the athletic offices at Case, it is hard to believe that there are mice running around. There probably wasn't until Jeff got there! That's my theory anyways. These cleanly decorated walls, donning Lebron James and a retro Michael Jordan autograph would certainly not be a place that mice scamper and play.

This reminds me of several summers ago. Jeff was the director of a camp up in the Adirondack Mountains. He had to stay up there for six straight weeks. His options for sleeping were to stay in the bunks down by the lake, or to have his own lake house set back from where the campers were. Of course, he chose the lake house. The problem, the lake house hadn't been inhibited in quite some time. Cob webs, filth, spiders, and mice were very present inside that lake house. 

During the day, Jeff did not spend much time there. But in the evening, when all the campers were tucked away in their cabins, Jeff would return for probably a measly four hours of sleep. 

In that four hours, his sleep was always interrupted by a scrambling mouse or two. He said that he could often hear the pitter patter of their feet. Until one night, a mouse scurried across his forehead! I know for a fact that I would have jumped up, screamed, and ran out of that lake house to never return. And, I am not a dramatic person! What did Jeff do? Absolutely nothing. Didn't even try to swipe the thing off of his forehead. Claims he was too tired. I believe him, but feel as though that would have jump started me!

When I visited Jeff at camp, I made one-day trips at a time, not wanting to sleep in that mouse infested lake house. The one time I mustered up enough courage to sleep up there, I was awaken in the middle of the night. It felt like a mouse tip-toing across my forehead. At near freak out, I realized it was Jeff, tapping his fingers along my forehead to see what my reaction would be. 

Anyways, since Jeff made the move to Cleveland, there have been no mice in my life. But, not surprisingly, they are still present his mouse-magnitizing presence.

A Misdirected Text

Jeff had made a trip to the Maryland, D.C., Virginia area for recruiting. He was going to spend a few nights at his brother Jim's house. I knew this. There was no question about it. He was heading back to Cleveland tonight after stopping in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. A very busy life my man is leading!

As Jeff's travels were playing out last night, I was playing in the snow with Shea. The big guy just loves the snow! We got over a foot and it was very comical to watch him leap through it. To me, he has to be the new definition of "snow angel."

While I was taking in  the pure joy and innocence of Shea, I got a text message from Jeff. It read, "be there in an hour." Oh my God! Jeff is coming! He's going to be here in an hour! He's surprising me! I was ecstatic! I haven't seen him in so long, my excitement was uncontrollable. I texted him back immediately, asking him where he was going to be. I ran over to Shea and told him he was going to get to see Jeff!

My head was spinning. I was up at my parents house and was planning on spending the night up there. Uh oh. What if Jeff was going to my uncle's house to see me? That would cause problems. I anxiously awaited a reply from Jeff so I could let him know exactly where I was. After what seemed like an eternity, I couldn't take it anymore and called him. He didn't answer. When he finally called me back, he explained that he had accidentally sent me that text. It was meant for his brother Jim.

Of course, I should have known this. Jeff deemed me crazy, which really, I was. I knew he was in Baltimore. I knew the schedule that lie ahead of him. Wishful thinking, wishful-irrational thinking got in my way. It was a big let down, but I again, have survived. It will only make seeing that bright, shiny white teethed smile seem that much better next time I see it!

Tropical Catalina

We are getting snow. Lots of snow! The first significant snow of the winter. So, what would any normal person do when their work day and extra commitments were finished? That's right, attempt to go tanning!

Since the snow was falling pretty hard, and the roads were a little slick, I decided to stop at the first tanning place I saw, rather than the place I normally patron when tanning. I have not really been tanning much lately, but the cold weather, the paleness, and the anticipation of seeing Jeff has made me itch for that bronzed skin look. I get dark fairly quick, so it would only take a trip or two. So, as I passed this hotel and saw these neon lights beyond, I knew I had hit the jackpot!

The sign ahead said "Tropical Catalina." Obviously a very fitting name for a tanning place! Sounds like a Spanish tanning place, doesn't it? There were lots of cars in the parking lot, so I figured this must be a popular place. Boy, was I ever right! When I sloshed through the door, it took a second to hit me that this was no tanning salon. It was a bar! Not sure exactly, but it seemed to be a bar that had some hanky panky going on behind the scenes. I was looked at awfully funny and decided to make a quick exit. Apparently "Tropical Catalina" is NOT a tanning place!

When I got in my car to leave, it hit me, people don't go tanning when it snows. They go to a bar to drink away their sorrows. I am an idiot! I didn't let this hinder my spirit however! I made sure to lock my doors as I left and made my way to the tanning salon that I feel comfortable at, Total Tan. Here, I know what to expect when I walk in the door. The only real surprise you can get at Total Tan is if your name is chosen to win a free month of tanning. A nice surprise. Not one that will shock your heart so much it takes 10 years off of your life.

Anyways, I survived my little mishap. If I get to see Jeff this weekend, which I am praying I do, I will at least have a little color to me.

Non-Video Montage

Yesterday, my brother-in-law, Jonathan, sent me a video of his little man, Diggy, playing with the neighborhood dogs. He actually made a video montage and posted it on youtube. I thought it was a great idea, and felt that it would be very beneficial of me to do this with Shea. Jeff would just love to see the big guy in action!

The Digster

I haven't gotten there yet. Remember, this thought was introduced to me a mere day ago. But, with that, I thought I would show off my favorite pictures of Shea. The ones that I can't look at without laughing. He sure is good to put a smile on your face, no matter what your day, week, or life has been like.

After a run in the heat, Shea climbed up so he could get a taste of the AC.

Shea taking advantage of my brother.

 

Shea taking a sip out of my water.

Shea "sitting" on the ottoman.

Shea taking a shower.

   

Shea got up on the table to browse for food. Once he realized there wasn't any, he couldn't figure out how to get back down.

Shea with a cone and the equivalent of a black eye.

Shea's favorite way to sleep.

 

Getting a drink out of the bird bath.








Well, I know it's not a video, but I these photos certainly make me giggle a bit. I hope they can bring a little joy to you as well.

Amazing at 22,000 feet!

Whenever I am on my computer, I multi-task. Mostly reading articles, typing this up, and chatting on IM. So, it is pretty much a given that my AOL instant messenger is always logged on while I am on the computer. As I sat down tonight to type up my blog, this was no different.

I typed my first word and became immediately distracted. I am a very good multi-tasker, but I was completely taken off guard tonight. My computer chimed and I had an instant message from Jeff. But how? Jeff is supposed to be in the air, flying back to Cleveland from Chicago. To my surprise, and amazement really, his plane had wifi.

We got onto video chat and were able to see and hear each other. Well, Jeff didn't say much since he was surrounded by the rest of the people on the flight. He'd be the crazy man talking to his computer. With his sound canceling Bose headphones, I was hearing more of the hum of the plane than he was.

What a beautiful view, right? It's just so much better to see his face. The one sided instant message is how Jeff was responding when I asked in depth questions. I was doing my best to ask yes-no questions, but that is tough once you get past 7 years of age.

Anyways, the moral of the story is that my amazing husband was able to pull off a pleasant surprise while he was 22,000 feet in the air. Imagine all that he can do when he is on the ground!

Case At U of Chicago

At 1:00 pm (EST) Case takes on the University of Chicago. Watch here if you'd like:
Case at U of Chicago
I guess you all know what I am doing....

Retail Therapy

Today I went with my mother to meet my aunt at the outlets in Lee, Massachusetts.  The drive is about halfway between both of our homes, so it works out perfectly. I know that whenever we meet, we are in for a good time!

When we meet here, our shopping is either hit or miss. We either come home empty handed or toting lots of bags. Today, we took toting bags to a whole new level!

After buying bag fulls of clothing at each store we walked into, oh, and a pair of shoes, we decided it was necessary to stop at the car to put the already acquired bags away. We had so much, they were bogging us down. It wasn't until we were walking to the car, less than half way through our shopping voyage, that I noticed the snootiness that had taken over my mother. You see, here is my sweet, innocent, 4'10" aunt carrying the bags:

What you can't tell from this picture is that all of the bags my aunt is carrying, hold the things my mother bought. Yes, some of that stuff is for me, some for my brother, and some for her. But, none of those things belonged to my little auntie. My mother, snooty as she has gotten, told my aunt to hold her bags. She walked ahead, probably because she wasn't bogged down by the weight of the bags. Her reasoning for not carrying her own bags was that she already had a bag to carry. 

Can you see that bag hanging off her left shoulder? Yup. It's her Coach bag. That Coach bag has really changed her. Instead of being cremated and put in an urn, she would like her remains to be buried in her Coach purse. All joking aside, the back of the car looked liked this after we were done with just a quarter of the outlets:

We vowed that once we went back out there bagless, we would shop as though we had not bought anything yet. And, that we did. It was a wonderful day. Very therapeutic for me. Retail therapy and the therapy of great company. I am so thankful for my family getting me through these long stretches without Jeff. 

The one thing that made me so sad about bringing home a carload of new stuff is that I didn't get to show Jeff when I got home. I used to proudly display the new stuff and give him whatever I picked out for him. I have a feeling he is really going to like what I got him today. And, I can only hope to find out sooner, rather than later! 

Time Zones

Jeff's team has traveled to Washington University in St. Louis. They got there yesterday afternoon and will play WashU tonight. WashU is currently ranked number 1 in the nation. On top of this, tonight is senior night which always brings out extra emotions and fans. To pile it on even further, WashU held an alumni event in which over 900 people were slated to attend. The atmosphere should be amazing. While one may think this environment could be overwhelming to the visiting team, I am banking on it being extra motivating!

The game can be watched live on the internet by clicking on this link: Case Western Reserve at WashU
Now, each Friday night, the men's games are played at 8:00 p.m. When talking to Jeff, he reminded me to take into consideration the time difference as St. Louis is a time zone over. I immediately knew that the game would be on at 7 p.m. rather than 8 p.m. Aren't I so smart? Wrong! Click that link right around 9:00 p.m. if you want to catch the men's game.

I know most people wouldn't need that information, but me, I do.  In fact, I've needed it before! One day, I'd say about a month ago now, maybe more, I was flying home from Cleveland. I had an indirect flight and had to fly to Chicago's Midway Airport first. Being, well, me, it did not even cross my mind that Chicago is in a different time zone.

My connecting flight to Albany was to take off at 10:00. When the male stewardess (do they have a different name?) got on the announcements to say we would be landing in 10 minutes. That equated to us arriving at the gate at approximately 9:55. Awesome! I was going to miss my flight. I knew Chicago Midway is fairly big, and it is never my luck for a connecting flight to be in close proximity. 

Sitting there in my seat, I began to think of how horrible it would be to miss my flight and have to sit in the airport for hours on end. When I travel, I want to get where I am going and be done with the whole travel process. So, as any in charge adult would do, I flagged down that same gentlemanly stewardess.

I told him my dilemna. My flight was to leave at 10:00! I would never make it! I asked him to call and have them hold my flight, like I am shi-poo of shi-poo's and they would actually hold a flight for my sake. While the man of all man stewardesses understood my concern, he assures me that I would make flight. I reiterated that it would be 9:55 and my flight was leaving at 10. The guy actually laughed at me. Can you imagine the nerve?? Then, he gently explained the fact that there was an hour time difference and the 10:00 on my ticket was really 11:00. So confusing, but I trusted the guy. He seemed as though he had dealt with this kind of thing before.

What he didn't need to do was go grab his little PA system phone and make a statement to the entire plane full of people. He told everyone to please remember that we are flying into Chicago. Which amazingly is in a completely different time zone than Cleveland. He wanted us all to take that into consideration when looking our connecting flights. He then proceeded to walk past me and tell me that I was the third person to comment on it. How was I supposed to know? I have never been further west than Cleveland! Time zones have never been an issue in my life! 

Spring in February

On a day when the wind slapped you as soon as you walked out the door, I smelled spring. So clearly and pungently. What exactly is the smell of spring? Not flowers blooming or the smell of freshly cut grass. Nope! The smell of spring is dinner being charred up on the grill. Ahhhh, my mouth waters just thinking of it. 

As soon as weather permits, I loved getting out there on the back porch and grilling up dinner, whatever it may be. My dinner always differed somewhat from Jeff's, but the scents were captivating nonetheless. 

So, as I took Shea out for an evening walk, I was taken aback when we returned home to a tantalizing aroma. One that was so familiar but seemed so very out of place. Maybe because it is a spring smell in mid February. Maybe because a light snow is covering the ground, rather than spring blossoming around us. Maybe because it is pitch black out due to the still too short days. But any apprehensions I  had, were lost when Shea began sniffing the air and forging towards the smell. I was surprised to see my neighbor, out on the back manning the grill.

And while, admittedly, his wife thinks he is crazy, she has no problem eating what he brings in. I can't blame her. At this point, our walk was over and I became nostalgic for spring time. For so many reasons.  

I will be seeing Jeff more for sure, in the upcoming spring. And you can bet our grill, now beneath a dusting of snow, will get much use. 

The more I can grill for Jeff, the happier I will be. This will mean two things in particular. One, I will be seeing him! And two, our grill is alive and well. Jeff and I have a knack for ruining grills. Married two and a half years, we have owned three grills. That is not a very good average! 

Balance

A friend of mine expressed interest in snowboarding. It was something she has always wanted to try. She is an extreme sport kind of person, but now that she has children, three of them, she feels extreme guilt doing anything that puts her life in possible danger. So, rather than bungee jumping or parachuting, she decided it would be fair to try snowboarding. Me, being the expert snowboarder that I am, offered to take her on the slopes and teach her.

Now, I know that I have poked fun at the local place that we call The Ski Bump. All joking aside, they say, they being "experts," that The Bump is one of the best places to learn. I solemnly agree as this is where I learned to both ski and snowboard. So, I was confident that Patty would have no trouble picking up snowboarding.

I was right. Patty caught on fairly quickly. We moved our way from the bunny hill, to the double chair life, then to the triple in no time. At The Bump, that is as big as it gets! She was very determined the whole while.

Being as this is February break for all the school districts in the area, there were several kids from my school at The Bump. The thing about Patty, she is a cop. A very well known cop among my students. Not because she seeks out kids to harass, but because she is the D.A.R.E. officer. She visits my fifth graders at least once a week to talk about the effects of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Trust me when I say, D.A.R.E. is much more than this. It also encompasses decision making, acceptance, and self confidence. 

As Patty and I were passing underneath one of the chairlifts, a group of students from my class were overhead. It was wonderful to hear the kids put to use the skills they are learning in school. For they yelled very positive, encouraging comments. "Nice job, Mrs. Gorski!" "You're doing good, Officer Patty!" 

They even took it a step further and proved that they actually paying attention and retaining academic information. Patty was concentrating on her every move. She kept her eyes on the snow that lie ahead of her. One of the boy's on the chair lift shouted, "Officer Patty, keep your head up! You told us to keep our head's up no matter what!" With that, she almost fell as her laughter jolted her body. Next, one of the boys reminded me, "balance, Mrs. Gorski. Just like our equations." Balance is something I repeat to them often in math. Not only was I pleased by their positive and reinforcing comments, but was very proud to see they are retaining things!

A Living Room Show

The boredom of my life is multiplied by 10 this week. For I have the week off from work, and I am here, in New York while Jeff is there, in Cleveland. Believe me, I'm not complaining that I have the week off, just pointing out that the level of lame has increased tenfold. 

The other day I decided to clear off the pond in my parents backyard so I could try to ice skate on it. They have lived there for just over eight years now, and never has anyone cleaned off the pond during the winter. A major sign of boredom if you ask me. Anyways, I did it, and I skated around the pond in my sneakers. 

It was enjoyable and got me thinking. The last time I went ice skating I was in college and went with some friends that were sorority sisters. I was not in a sorority, but I lived with a group of them. This made for some interesting times. One night sticks out among all others!

Jeff and I had basketball games on this particular Saturday night. Like we often did, we went out to eat following our games and were returning to my dorm to figure out what to do next. Typically we had two options. Join in the festivities of a Saturday night on a college campus, or watch a movie and go to sleep. It highly depended on the outcome of our games. I'm not quite sure what our decision was for this night, but when we got back to my suite, we were not left much of a choice. 

We found the door locked, which was never the case. We found it odd, but unlocked it and entered the living room. Here, we found a good 25 people gathered around the outside of the living room. Swanky music was playing and then we saw the main attraction. A little too much of the main attraction. You see, one of the sorority girls that lived in my suite was a stripper on the side. Not to get her through college, but for fun. She enjoyed it so much, she invited all of these people to come over and watch her put on a show. I will let you use your own discretion and chose which one you think is the stripper.

She in that picture. Luckily, we are all fully clothed in that picture. When Jeff and I walked into my suite that night, one person in that picture was not. In fact, she was wearing nothing but a red boa. As any of you would surely do, we stayed in that living room and were thoroughly entertained for a few minutes. Soon after, disgust settled in and we left! 

From what I hear, my old stripper friend is doing well for herself now that she has grown up some. She is handling the finances for a company. The company? The strip club she learned her living room moves from! 

Ahhhh! I love reminiscing. So glad I decided to clear off the pond! 

I received a phone call today. I actually get quite a bit of phone calls from this person, but usually at inopportune times. Maybe I am in the shower, have my hands full of groceries, or simply hit the wrong button, by accident of course, when trying to answer the call. Can you guess who it was? You got it! It was my grandma.

Knowing that I wouldn't really be needed for this conversation, I threw the phone on speaker, laid in on the ground, and did some sit-ups to pass the time. I might as well do something productive, because I was pretty sure the ensuing conversation, or should I say, talking to, would not be. She went on about this and that, not really sure what in particular, as I was more concentrated on keeping track of my sit-ups.

I stopped my sit-ups when I thought the phone call was over. I was ready for the routine goodbye. Not the normal, "bye, I love you, take care of yourself," but the "don't go out of a full-moon, that's when the crazies our out" speech. That, I was prepared for. What actually came, caught me somewhat off guard.

My grandmother went off on a tangent about the snow that we have not had all winter. How exhausting it is to have to worry about where to park her car because of all of the non-existant snow. How nobody ever helps her clean the snow that we haven't had off of her car.

Knowing that there was nothing to be said to defend myself, even the fact that there is nothing but grass when you look outside, I kept my mouth shut. She wants me to shovel her car out the next time it snows. I guess she forgets that that is what I did last time there was an actual accumulating snow in early December.

I'm sure we will not be lucky enough to reach spring unscathed. So, I am sure I will have a chance to redeem myself when there is actually snow. I know I won't be this crazy when I am old, but she is my grandmother. Which means, inevitably, I have her in my gene pool. I am hoping, for Jeff's sake, that the long, thin hands and the long legs account for the majority of genes found in my little pool!

Valentine's Day

I don't know where to start. I guess with the hopes that you had a good Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day has never been a big holiday for Jeff and I. It is smack dab in crunch time of basketball season, and we have never had a lot of free time to celebrate this extremely commercial holiday. However, no matter our schedule, we have always been together on Valentine's Day, until this year.

I guess this is a year of very many firsts. In the past, seeing as we never viewed it as a holiday to go all out over, we found meaningful ways to celebrate. The way, really, that it should be. Sweet gestures, thoughtful gifts, and time spent. Me, giving more corny gifts:

and Jeff giving, as usual, just the plain better gifts:

This year, our gift to each other was simply conversation. Yea, it happens every day, but we take what we can get. Hopefully it does nothing but make our relationship stronger. It shows that we don't need to shower each other with expensive gifts to share our love. Although, I think we both appreciate that once in a while. If this holiday is truly about love, then that's all that needs to be shared.

As I go to bed, 450 miles away from my husband, on a holiday that is about spending time with the one you love, I am glad to at least be able to cuddle up with this build-a-bear. One Jeff made for me. And when I press his paw, I hear Jeff's voice tell me how much he loves me.

Ha, and I said I was the corny gift giver! 

Who's Jiminy?

I sent Jeff a message, informing him that I would be going snowboarding at Jiminy. His response, "who is Jiminy?" Like he was some cowboy taking me for a ride down a mountain. I guess I took for granted that Jeff would know of Jiminy Peak, a mountain about an hour from here. Really, he has no reason to know it, since his winter consists primarily of basketball.

When we got there, I was a little overwhelmed at the size of the mountain. This was a mountain. I have only been snowboarding at a place that is lovingly, and truthfully, called The Ski Bump. It didn't help that I had to be seen with the bug looking girl.

I wasn't sure this was the next step I should be taking in my snowboarding shenanigans, but I was already there. Nothing to do but strap on my board and give it a shot. 

It was great! I took a few spills, knees into solid ice, but overall, I felt extremely accomplished leaving Jiminy. So much so, that I skipped the entire way to the car. While skipping a long, I took in the beauty of the place. Absolutely gorgeous.

The place made me long for Jeff. To go visit a place like this. To get him on skis or a snowboard and throw him down a mountain. Something so fun and enjoyable that we could do together!

Munchkin Mania

I am culinarily challenged! I try hard, I really do, but I just don't have it. My first issue is that I like to try things as I am cooking. It's not just that I am curious as to how things are coming along, it also a lack of self control. This is especially true when making desserts!

Today we held our Valentine's Day parties at school. Really, nothing is more exciting than spending this loving holiday with a pack of 25 sugar rushed 10-year olds. Oddly enough, I actually mean it. They bring excitement and innocence to all of the holidays, an excitement that is lost when boys lose their squeaky voices, and an innocence that makes Valentine's Day completely about friendship and not an ounce about love. And, besides friendship, it is about food! Lots of it!

As if all that sugar wasn't enough, I decided last night that I needed to add to the mix. I like to have something to give to my students besides the traditional valentine and heart covered pencil. So, I tried this cute little recipe I found. The cooking rating on it was "easy." Not quite sure who rates these things! I imagine these little critters would be easy for the Cake Boss chefs to make, but not some kitchenary challenged person like myself.

So, in my grand attempt, I bought a box of 25 doughnut holes. Perfect for my class of 25. I lay out all the necessary "tools" on the countertop and begin to build a strategy of the best way to create these adorable little frosting covered munchkin balls. My brother, Nick, walked through the front door, home from work, and started up some casual conversation. In doing so, he walked over and popped a few munchkins into his mouth. I watched him and continued the conversation. Then it struck me. What the heck are you doing? You are eating my munchkins! I only have 25 of them, and there are 25 kids in my class! Dragging my brother away from the munchkins, now two shy of the actual number I need, I do not have the good sense to realize that I have unmanned my food station. Not a good idea with a hungry, 75 pound yellow lab lurking.

As nature tells him to do, he jumped up and grabbed what he could off the counter. Luckily, I have cat-like reflexes and was able to dive at him just as his shark sized teeth sank into a glazed munchkin. He took just a little knick out of it. Not too much damage! Once I returned Shea to the ground and scolded him, Nick had his hand back in the Dunkin Donuts box. Really, Nick? His reasoning, quite legit I suppose, was that I already didn't have enough, he might as well have more.

So, in between another trip to Dunkin Doughnuts, I somehow finished my masterpieces. Actually, they were so far from masterpieces, I considered not even bringing them to school. Then, I remember my target audience. Children! Children who love sugar. There is no way that they aren't going to love something with frosting and sprinkles on it. Even if they do look a hot mess!

Just like the recipe, huh? Oh well, the kids still loved them! I vowed to Jeff to become a better chef during our time apart. With at least half of our time past, I am failing miserably!

An Incredible Surprise

Usually surprises that pop up five minutes before the end of the school day are not good. Today however, I had such a pleasant surprise, it brought tears to my stone-cold, forgotten how to cry, eyes. A surprise I would never have guessed in a million years.

I know what you are thinking, Jeff. Not possible. He has a game tomorrow night in Cleveland, which means tonight's practice is very important. So, as wonderful a thought that is, it wasn't him. It was a girl I graduated with. A girl who has down syndrome. A girl who I was very close to and felt a protective aura as we grew up and went through school together.

I'm not sure why, but from the age of seven, as a second grader, I felt the need to befriend Denise. At that age, I highly doubt I fully comprehended the concept of down syndrome, but I knew she needed a friend and was proud to provide that for her. I didn't neglect having other friends, but was sure at recess to make time to play were her at least two days a week. I used to push her on the swings. I am very careful when I say that, because I wasn't pushing her on the swings meanly. Just simply, pushing her on the swing since she had a hard time pumping. Other times, we just played on whatever she wanted to.

As we got older it was hard to be friends with her at certain times. She had a knack for saying inappropriate things, chasing boys, and at times, humping the ground. But, something in my heart couldn't let her play alone on that playground, or sit alone in class. I even went to swimming at her house a few times. 

So, enough about the past. Today, I was blown away by the woman she has become. She looked great, hair done, face made-up, and standing tall. She was a little shy, but opened up as I spoke to her. She is volunteering at the local animal shelter and has an internship at a local company. She has had a boyfriend for three years and they plan to get married when she turns thirty. She participates in the Special Olympics and has won several medals. She is now practicing for ski racing. 

She shared pictures with me and details about her life. She told me about the things she remembered from us growing up. At the moment, I was so incredibly proud to be a part of her memories. I was so proud of the woman she has become. All of the trials and tribulations she has overcome. I was amazed and awestruck by her. The way she has transformed from chasing boys down the hallways and reaching for their behinds, to being a functional member of society. Simply breath taking. 

I left school feeling giddy today. She simply made my day, possibly my week. With all the negative that surrounds us in today's world, her story is certainly one of inspiration, even if only a few know about it.