Coffee Shop Thoughts

I am currently at my favorite coffee shop, River Nile Coffee, to get some work done. I can't work at the office because it is 90 degrees there and I can't work at home because I keep finding other things to do. So, I come here for the great lattes, free WiFi, and quiet atmosphere. Well, til now anyway. There is this annoying kid jumping from couch to couch, screaming all the while, and basically ruining everyone's coffee shop experience. There are no less than 7 people here with laptops that look like they mean business. I realize that this is not the library, but can you please control your kid???? If you don't want to supervise them while you socialize over your coffee, then get a freakin' babysitter. That's all I'm saying. People always say that your own kids won't annoy you when they act like typical kids. I think that is true until they learn how to walk and talk. After that, all bets are off. Mark that down as reason number 458 as to why I'm not looking to procreate: No more quiet coffee shop time. Though, if it were my kid, they wouldn't be running around acting like a jack ass either. I'm just saying.........

Revelations

Tonight I went with Tara and Clara to The Ginger Man in Ft. Worth. It was a super cool place and I hope we can go back sometime.

Sarah Bart told me to try this beer, so I did:
I didn't like it. Thanks Sarah.

This was our view from the patio:
I got really close to a bullseye while tossing the darts around!
Then I had the revelation that beer is just not for me. I tried. I didn't really enjoy it. So I order this rootbeer and I loved it!

No Soapbox, Just Pictures

I know that I've been on my soap box here lately, but I'm going to try to keep it light hearted. Being opinionated can be an endearing quality, and also a flaw, so I'll try not to push it ;-)

So, today I made a bunch of stuff - including some delicious meals. I guess I'm embracing my inner John Mackey, but I like to take pictures of my food now. It just looks so good and I want to capture it for prosperity!

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with garden veggies, a side of blueberries, and a latte.

Dinner was curried chicken salad lettuce wraps and fresh garlic green beans.
I made this J for Jennifer
And I made this J for me
And another set of magnets

I'm really enjoying my summer and I'm going to be super sad when I don't have time to do all this stuff anymore. I guess I'll have to take it to the office and do it during my lunch break.

Thoughts on thoughts.......

So, I'm a week into my "28 is great" campaign. So far I think that things are going well. I have a more positive outlook on the next school year. I'm trying to trust my gut. I'm taking baby steps. However, I'm not ready to be set up with people's plumbers.

Just because I'm pushing 30 doesn't mean that my biological clock is ticking. I don't hear it at all. I never have. I have a laundry list of things that I want to do before I would even ENTERTAIN the IDEA of having A child. Maybe someday I will change my mind about procreating, but ya know, maybe I won't. I guess I'm just getting more and more impatient with crazy folks assuming that I should be ready to start a family. Anyhoo - I wasn't going to post this article I found, but after today I feel compelled. I think I might just start carrying it around to read to people that inquire about my lack of buns in the oven, because I'm just about at a loss.

These are snippets from an article called Mama Don't Preach, by Amy Reiter

"If you're living a child-free life, you probably know what I'm talking about: People who start out celebrating their own decision to have kids and end up casting aspersion on your choice not to -- or at least not to have them just yet. They'll carry on -- with great concern about your ticking biological clock, of course -- about how their lives before children were (and implicitly, your life without them is) empty, lonely, devoid of meaning, even downright selfish.......I'm past 30 and a brand-new parent. At this point in my life, though not before, having a baby feels completely, euphorically right for me. I'm deliriously happy with my decision to spawn. But who am I -- or who is anyone else -- to say that having a baby is the best thing for everyone?
Not only do I not think that the only meaningful life is one that includes children, but I'd also go so far as to say that there are people in the world who should not have children. I'm not talking about people who are, say, prone to abuse. Those people are givens. I'm talking about perfectly nice, everyday folk who don't really want children. People who are happy with their lives as they are and are uninterested in turning them upside down to meet the needs and whims of a growing child.........You're not being selfish. Your life won't be empty. And you're certainly not destined for a sad, lonely end. People can find meaning in their lives in ways that don't include progeny."

Yeah, so take that.

A Birthday Reflection

I know that this looks like a novel, but stay with me. This was cathartic for me....

I remember several years ago when I couldn't believe I was turning 23 or 24 because I surely didn't feel that old, but the last few birthdays I have definitely felt my respective age. I remember last year thinking that I really did feel 27 and I was very optimistic that it was going to be a much better year than 26. Well, it wasn't - for different reasons, though. Really the last two years have been the most trying and difficult that I've experienced yet in my short life. I haven't felt like myself for quite sometime and I've often wondered if I would ever get back to when I was the happiest. I remember when that was - it was 2001-2002, and I think that would've made me 22. I had just graduated and was starting grad school. That first year of grad school was awesome. I didn't have quite the real world responsibilities that I had after that second degree, but I had enough that I felt a sense of accomplishment. I had so many great things happen that year and I had so much fun. I remember now feeling the best I'd ever felt, even though I should have taken a few more chances. Did I know it then or is this all hindsight? It seemed like after that 23rd birthday things never seemed to be quite the same. Everyone remembers that birthday - the infamous one in San Antonio. The second year of grad school was really hard for me. I was overextended, I was ready to move on, I was having to work through things I never expected I would have to. It was my first dose of reality, I guess. The first two years after grad school were hard - teaching lessons full time was great, but it was barely paying the bills. I got my job offer at Hillwood a few days before my 26th birthday and so I thought for sure things were heading back up hill. Wrong again. That first year teaching was a huge struggle. I remember feeling so optimistic on this day last year, thinking that opening a new school would have it's struggles but it would be better because I was over that first year. Wrong again. Dean and I had no idea what we were about to have to deal with. So, here I am, on my 28th birthday trying to figure out what made 22 so great. How do I get back there? Not to 22, but to how I felt then. Everyone always tells you that your 20's are about finding yourself and struggling to get a place in the real world, and now that I'm on the tail end of it, I would have to agree. Even after the strange path that has gotten me here, I am optimistic once again that 28 is going to be a great year. I feel so much better about teaching now, and just not being in a transition year is already going to make things better. Recently I had a conversation with a good friend who told me that life is about choices. So, I choose to make 28 a great year and I am ready to make some changes and set some goals for myself to get back me.

Here are some of the things I plan to do before I turn 29:
-Take a vacation that doesn't include a band convention.
-Go on three dates. Admittedly, boys scare me. They are one of the few things I fear. And if I go on three dates with the same guy, that counts!
-Take more pictures. There are years of my life that I have no photo documentation of. I must take more pictures of everything.
-Read more. (That will be easy this summer.....)
-Ask for help. I don't do that much.
-Surround myself with positivity.
-Trust my gut and take a few chances.

My fortune cookie today said this: Life if full of little decisions - like white or brown rice. Right on fortune cookie.

Pictures!

So, I have a lot to say today. And I have lots of pictures that I wanted to post, too. Here we go. Anyhoo - I decided on a whim on Monday that Dean and I should carpool to Denton so that I could see Amy and Josh's new place and he has class at night and the poor dude has to drive up there five times a week. Luckily the Nators live very close to campus, so the timing worked out perfect! We went to Greenhouse for dinner and I had an evening of firsts. I tried polenta for the first time and it was delicious! Here is the dish (I already took a little nibble)......

Then, I decided that this would be the night that I would drink an entire beer. I've never done that before because I've always thought it tasted disgusting, but after sampling a few last month with Tara that I liked, I figured I'd give it go. Josh decided that I should try a Blue Moon (I think it was Belgian Wheat). And guess what? I liked it!!
Here's the proof! Josh is giving the approving thumbs up in the style of one Stephen Campbell.
Here are the Nators in their new kitchen, which is awesome! Amy is practicing her omelet flipping skills and apparently Josh is not amused. Lighten up Ferms!
This is my birthday present to myself: new place mats for the newly painted kitchen. I loved the color and couldn't resist. I think they look great.
Here are some more pictures of the newly painted kitchen. I don't think these picture give the full effect - I think it looks better in person.


These are just a few pictures of the living room.


One more thing......Everyone needs to go to iTunes and check out this chick Colbie Caillat. Her debut album came out today and her music is awesome! I've listened to it three times already and I can't get enough. It's a breath of fresh air from all of the not-so-awesome crap they've been playing on the radio lately. Seriously - check it out. You won't be disappointed.

A Word on Comedy

As I drove to teach this morning, I heard a commercial for a Bill Engvall's new sitcom. (I'm not really sure on the details of this guy, but I know that he's one of these blue collar comedy folks, and I think you all know my stance on blue collar comedy.) They described it like this: "In the spirit of Jerry Seinfeld".........

Ok, stop right there. DO NOT attempt to EVEN compare the ignorance of blue collar comedy to the comedic genius of Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry has a gift. Jerry doesn't glamorize redneck ignorance. Jerry is clever. I guess I like him because his comedy is smart. I'm not trying to be some comedy snob, but you absolutely CANNOT compare the two. They are on different poles of the world. Opposite ends of the universe. Light years apart. Maybe it's me getting older, but I'm starting to really despise any sort of pop culture that glamorizes being stupid (ie Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson) or that glamorizes just plain being ignorant and ignorant to the rest of the world (ie blue collar comedy) or that glamorizes being skanky to get what you want (ie all of these stupid bachelor shows where the skankiest girl of all always ends up with the guy). Why can't we glamorize being educated and successful? (And I'm not talking about Donald Trump, because he's an idiot). I guess that I just look at the generation I'm teaching and I want and expect more for them, especially the girls, than thinking that they have to be dumb, blonde, and skanky to be somebody. My goal is to always try to be the contrary for these girls: smart, brunette, and not skanky. Back to original point - Bill Engvall will never be on the same playing field as Jerry Seinfeld, unless of course smart and witty comedians are playing ignorant and immature comedians in a game of baseball. Moral of my story: GET AN EDUCATION!!!!!!!

(stepping off my soap box now)..........