The virus is coming, the virus is coming!

Paul Revere may have shouted this in 1773, but it's doubtful. Therefore, I shouted it in the streets for him this afternoon. The virus is of the stomach variety. The carrier is Rian. Yikes! He was sick all afternoon. I hope it wasn't from food poisoning at IHOP this morning, but I guess we'll never know. We woke up late, had a late breakfast, ran some errands, then promptly came home for a much needed nap. Errands are tiring, and days off are wonderful things (I'm on Fall Break from school and he took the weekend off as well). After he woke from his nap he was feeling iffy. And then all H E double hockey sticks broke loose. Poor thing. And I'm really not the lovey mothering type. I just don't have much of a "I'm going to take care of you" bone in me. I try, but I'm not good at it (good thing I don't have kids- I'd be awarded the worst mother EVER trophy). I just come along behind with Lysol spray and Clorox wipes and wash my hands eleventy billion times in hopes that I won't catch it and become as miserable as he is.

We're supposed to travel to Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas panhandle tomorrow for a trail race on Saturday. I don't think that's going to happen now (imagine my very frowny face right now). I hope he'll feel better, but it's doubtful. I just hope he gets to feeling better very soon. Being sick is just about the worst thing ever, especially when you're married to the worst wife nurse in the world...

Someone's knocking at the door, somebody's ringing a bell...

Paul McCartney would tell you to open the door and let them in. I would advise you shut the door, lock it- heck- seal that puppy permanently until Spring if you must.

This is how my joke goes every year this time:

"Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"It's winter. Everybody down on the floor and nobody gets hurt... I mean it."

Ok- so not the best or funniest joke, but every year that dar gum season sneaks up on me and catches me off guard. Today was brrrrr cold. The first picture is what it really looked like outside. The second picture is how it really felt outside. Ok, not that cold, but you just know how I am when the temperature drops below 70.

I sat in front of the space heater for, oh I don't know, 7 hours today. Seems like it anyway.

Today was a good day. I had conferences in the morning (well, I didn't have any conferences, but I had to go into school anyway), and I played all afternoon. Got my allergy shot, did some shopping at the Thrift Store, etc... A good day. Today I actually stopped and looked around me. I drove through neighborhoods that I don't normally drive through. I looked at houses and their yards. I noticed the flowers, the trees, the essence of the community. It was so nice. The top picture is from my neighborhood. I never noticed the tree canopy that hangs over the street, and all the pretty leaves around. Sometimes I have to be reminded to stop and smell the roses, so to speak (sometimes literally).

A cold, restful night will begin soon. I'll probably sleep well.

A rainy day in the city

Today is gloomy and dreary. My Japanese maple that sits in our courtyard is quite happy about the rain (see picture- I think if you look close enough you can see it smiling as it's soaking up the precipitation). I suppose that's OK since it IS fall after all. Woke up to clouds, and it threatened rain all the live long day. When I left work it had stopped threatening and was full on raining.

On my way home I dedcided this was the perfect weather for running, so as soon as I got home I threw on some workout clothes and my running shoes and hit the road. Only a 25 min. run, but it felt so good. It was cool, drizzling and just a touch windy. The perfect running weather. Then I did my 100 push ups (ok- not 100 all at once, but it's a program I'm following to be able to do 100 all at once in 6 weeks: http://www.hundredpushups.com/)

Ahhhh... I love to run in the fall/winter.

School was good. We take our nine weeks tests today and tomorrow. Let's just say that so far I'm frightened for my job. :0 (oh no! Mr. Bill). It's not been good news so far. Then again, the first nine weeks are always hairy. The kids are just getting used to being back in school and using their brains again, and they are trying to get back into the mindset that they are supposed to be engaging their brain's deepest recesses on a daily basis. It's tough being 11 sometimes. :)

Tomorrow is a long day. Conferences from right after school until 7 pm. 10 years of teaching, and I still get nervous at every conference. Cross your fingers for wise words, productive conversations, and positive attitudes all around.

Another lazy day

Today has been a day of lazing and enjoying. I'm feeling better today, and actually rode to the grocery store to do some shopping (see the pic of my bike with panniers loaded down with groceries?).

Woke up very late again (8:30 is what noon used to be when I was a teenager). I NEVER sleep past 7, so when I do, I know I'm either sick or just plain exhausted. We ate a leisurely breakfast, Rian went for a 10 mile run, and I went grocery shopping on my bike. I gave my bike a nice, thorough cleaning, and then shined him up just fine. I still haven't decided on a name for him yet. I'm hoping it'll come to me one day. All good companions need names, and my bikes are no different. My old road bike was named Oscar (because he's a grouch of a bike). My triathlon bike is named Artemis (for the Greek goddess who was so fast), and now my touring bike needs a name. Maybe he'll be called Addy, for all the adventures we'll have together. Hmmm... I'll need to think on that one and see which name suits him best.

As I arrived home from the store, I noticed some very pretty flowers in my flowerbed out front. I had to stop and take a picture of them. I love the contrast of the orange against the white bird bath and the dark fence. Then I noticed that the clouds were gathering in the sky, so I stopped to take a picture of them, too. Such beauty all around.

As for the rest of the day, I don't know what we'll do. I imagine I'll spend some time online, read a little of my latest book Roll Around Heaven All Day: A piecemeal journey across Amercia. It's about a man in his fifites who rides across country one part at a time, each time with different companions. It's a good read so far. It lets me live out my dream of riding across the country one day. One day I'll do it... just wait and see.

Here's to Sunday (cheers). Jeers to Monday tomorrow morning. :)

Ahhhh... the life of dogs

So I decided that in my next life I want to be a dog. Why a dog? Why not! Dogs have the best life. They are fed regularly without any prep or clean up involved. It's a simple diet so as to not tickle the tastebuds with varying degrees of deliciousness. They lay around all day in the sun and rest, without fear of judegment from others on the intentions of their laziness. They are loved, petted, brushed and given vaccinations to insure good health. No worries of work or time constraints. Oh, to be a dog.

As you may be able to tell from my ramblings of a dog's life- I have not done much today. I'm still feeling a bit under the weather, and have yet to change out of my pj's (and it's embarrassing to admit it's nearly 2 pm). I may head to the store in a bit to buy some more dog food for the beasts. That's about all that I'll accomplish today. Such is life when you're a bum like me...

TGIF

Thank goodness I made it to Friday! Only 2 very long days next week, then a four day weekend for Fall Break (yes- it's a silly, silly excuse for a break, but I'm not going to complain about it). I have parent-teacher conferences next week. I dread them every year, and not because I don't like sitting down with parents, but because the day is so dreadfully long. I teach all day then immediately conference after school for 4 long hours. It's quite the day. By the end I'm a mush-mouth who cannot utter a single coherent phrase. My last conferences must think I'm an idiot, but at that point I really don't care, so I let them think what they will.

I neglected to mention earlier in the week that I decided to cut my hair this week. Big deal, right? WRONG! Let me say that again: I (picture me with scissors) decided to cut MY OWN HAIR. Sure, it was risky. And probably a little stupid. And maybe not wisest choice. What the heck- it's only hair and if I screwed up too bad, I could always go and get it cut right. I cut about 2 inches off using my bike rearview mirror that I use when I cycle (it attaches to my glasses so I can see what's behind me). My hair actually turned out very cute (see picture- just don't look at all the gray hair I'm getting). I even cut some layers into it today. Not bad for an amateur (pssst: don't tell my hairdresser). In fact, I got so many compliments on my hair that everyone was shocked that I did it myself. The reality of the matter is that I'm just too dang cheap to spend the money to have someone do something that I'm never pleased with in the end anyway.

Come to think of it, I'm going to have to have carpal tunnel surgery soon, and I'm getting so good at DIY, that I think I'm going to do the surgery myself. On second thought... I guess some things are better left to the professionals.

Hmmm...the flu? Probably not.

So much for feeling good for a week straight. Seems lately I feel good for a few days, then sick for a couple. It's a neverending cycle. I think my coworkers must think I'm a hypochondriac. I'm sick all the time. I think it's just work that makes me sick. Enough said.
Today I woke up feeling terrible. I had to go in because it's the end of the first quarter, and kids need to be prepped for the tests that occur quarterly (and we all know how important these ridiculous tests are).
Went in, taught, sat down a lot, came home, ate an unhealthy dinner, and I'm finished for the day.
I did get some valuable dog petting in (can't go a day without some dog-lovin'). I also enjoyed a beautiful sunrise this morning. It was the most beautiful orange/red color, and filled the sky with a warmth that made me smile- even tho it was quite blinding and nearly damaged my retinas permanently. It was worth it.
No pictures today, just words. Too bad for you.
Later, gator.