Farewell Apartment!

Well, as most of you know, I am moving into my house this week!

I have began packing up my apartment, and cleaning (a little, tiny bit) as well. I have a brand new snow shovel (thanks Mom and Dad!), a step ladder, and all the painting supplies I think I'll need! I still can't believe I've bought my own house.

I am very excited to move in on Tuesday!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and that you'll have a Happy New Year too!!

(I'm not sure when I'll be back on to blog again, we'll see how long it will take to transfer my cable and internet to my new home!)

Stand By Me

~Vegas~ Day Two and Three

After our terribly long day and night Friday, we slept in until about 11 am on Saturday. We all got ready and left the hotel looking for another buffet for lunch/brunch. We decided we wanted to try out the Belagio, because we figured it had to be good...it is the Belagio after all! So, we caught the bus (our passes still worked) and walked in to check out the prices of their buffet. We discovered it wasn't any more expensive than the Mirage's so we got in line at about 1 p.m. The line moved quickly so we were seated shortly and didn't waste any time to start filling our plates! We were definitely NOT disappointed. I have never had better food in my entire life! It was all prepared by gourmet chefs and presented beautifully! We gorged ourselves for about 2 hours... there was more food there than I have ever seen in my life, and you could have anything that you ever dreamed of! They had sections for sushi, italian, chinese, prime rib, lamb roast, salad bar, a delectable dessert bar, soft serve ice cream, and so much more, all cooked to perfection!

(The polar bear is made completely out of flowers, in the gardens at the Belagio)

(Deb stuffed her purse with Belagio jelly, this is the inside of her purse when we were leaving)

(Feeling a bit sick after a couple of rounds of the buffet)

(Deb is about ready to EXPLODE)

We left the Belagio at about 3 and were astonished that our day was completely gone! We decided that we wanted to go to another Cowboy Christmas Convention. We got to it at about 4, so we only had an hour to shop before they closed down and people began heading off to the rodeo.

(A "friend" we met on the strip)

After the CCC we decided we were going to go to the rodeo and buy some tickets from some scalpers. We walked back to Circus Circus and took their free shuttle to the NFR. We found some tickets for about 40$ each (which were originally 70$...for nosebleed seats). The rodeo was a lot of fun, and it was one of the first rodeo's I have ever been to...so it was quite the learning experience as well!

After the rodeo we went back to the hotel and quickly got ready for another night out on the strip. We didn't have any big plans for the night, so we began by walking down to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower. We met some unusual fellows on our way (as per Vegas fashion I am sure) and held some interesting conversations with a group of navy boys.

(The gang with Elvis)

After the Eiffel Tower we walked to the Mirage to meet up with Deb and Steph's friends again. Here we happened to meet Jason Meadows. For those of you who don't know, Jason Meadows was on Nashville Star a few seasons ago. He is a very nice guy and even let us take a few pictures with him!

(Steph, Deb, Mrs. Meadows, Jason Meadows, Me, and Jami)

After spending some time at the concert in the Mirage we decided we wanted to check out the night club at the Mirage (which we had gotten VIP passes for, so we could get in free until midnight). We got in line at about 11:55 and got bumped straight to the front! We felt very special, and quickly also knew we were very underdressed...or rather...over dressed! I couldn't believe the outfits girls were wearing...I was very thankful for my full length, comfortable jeans!

We were all tired, so we didn't stay too long at the night club, when we decided to walk home. It was a bit chili (very windy) so we walked arm in arm for much of the way. We got a few strange looks, especially after Deb and I wrapped our scarves around our heads to cut out some of the wind. We made it back to the hotel about 1:30 and went straight to bed.

(Deb and I with our scarves wrapped around our heads)

The next morning we had to be on the shuttle to the airport by 5:45 so I could catch my flight back to Denver. We all woke up about 20 minutes before we had to leave, and we were all ready to go on time! It was very impressive for 4 women! We got to the airport without complications and were chatting quietly while waiting for our plane when we noticed a guy across from us completely passed out (drooling, even). He looked like he had had a very long weekend... He woke up briefly before my plane departed and began talking to us. He told us how he was, by far, the most eligible bachelor in the airport... although, we all found him to be a bit rude and crude... and his story continued to change. He told us that he was going to be on the world poker tour one day... and then also told us that in the last month he had lost enough in Vegas to buy himself a Beamer (BMW)... does that sound eligible to you? I was a little bummed that I was coming back from Vegas a dollar in the hole...much less thousands of dollars! (Whew, good thing I'm not much of a gambler!)

All in all, it was a very good trip. Quite educational in many respects... I am very glad to be back in Saratoga safe and sound. Vegas was a great vacation, but I had definitely had enough by the end of the trip.

~Vegas~ Day One

Caution...long post ahead!

I went with my friends Deb (MS Social Studies teacher in Encampment and Saratoga) and Jami (5th grade teacher in Encampment) and Deb's sister, Steph, who is from Nashville, TN. Steph works for Frontier Airlines so her and Deb flew standby to Vegas Thursday night, while Jami and I drove to Denver and spent the night there to catch an early morning flight to Vegas on Friday.

Our departure was at 6:40 a.m. so Jami and I were up and at 'em at 3:45 MTN STD time (2:45 Vegas time). We caught our flight without any complications or really any exciting stories and made it to our hotel (Circus Circus) in Vegas safely. Deb and Steph had stayed there the night before so we went up to their room to check it out. It was a gorgeous room with 2 big queen beds with pillow tops that were heavenly. Jami and I decided we needed to go down and upgrade the hotel room to one in the West Tower. When we got down there we learned that it would be an extra 78$ (total) to upgrade the room and check in early. We decided we'd just wait until later to upgrade and check in so it wasn't quite as expensive.

So, after that we all went out onto the strip and walked through so many casinos and hotels. It was so amazing to see how large these buildings were and how much they all had within them! Each one is rather unique in it's own way so it's kind of interesting to see all of the sights.

(Deb and I in front of a motorcycle)

After walking around Vegas all morning we decided to go to the lunch buffet at The Mirage. This food was so good, I can't even put it into words! I'm sure it was all horrible for you, but you only live once! We all gorged ourselves so full we wanted to puke, but in the end it was worth it! (When you only eat one HUGE meal a day the cost of your trip goes down quite a bit). After lunch we wandered around some more casinos, including the Wynn.

(Steph, Deb, me, and Jami at the Wynn)

 I had never heard of the Wynn before, but it was a very interesting place. We were on our way out when Steph spotted Tanya Tucker. She stopped her and introduced herself and the rest of us. It was pretty exciting to get to meet such a famous person! We ended up exploring the Wynn a little more when we got caught up talking to one of the ladies that worked there. We asked her about where Garth Brooks was going to play, (he's been booked to play at the Wynn 5-6 concerts a month for the next 5 years). This concert would be amazing to see...it's in a very small, intimate theatre that only holds 1500 people. She told us that his schedule runs around his family and it will be just him and his guitar and his family on stage telling stories and singing songs! WOW! I can't imagine how expensive those tickets will be, and I'm sure they've sold out for all of the shows that they have dates for!

After visiting the Wynn we ventured on down the strip to find the Cowboy Christmas Convention, or at least one of them! The one that we made it to on Friday was at the Las Vegas Convention Center (miles and miles away from Circus Circus, or so it seems!). A bunch of different retailers from all over the country come and set up booths and sell their products. I have never seen so much western/cowboy stuff in my entire life! We walked around the CCC for about 2 hours and still didn't make it through everything! We stayed until it closed at 5 and then made the long hike back to Circus Circus. Where we decided we would take a short nap so we could enjoy the night to come.

(Me, Deb and Steph in the BEST massage chairs I've ever been in)

We checked into our hotel and tried to make the upgrade to the West Tower room, however, they told us that those rooms were full so we were stuck in the Manor Rooms. The Manor rooms are a set buildings that aren't attached to Circus Circus, but rather across the street and in what looks and feels like the ghetto.

We walk up to our room and open the door to see complete filth. It looks as though the room hadn't been cleaned in months! We took a quick look around and tried to tell ourselves that everything would be okay... Deb was looking around the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back to reveal we were not the only living creatures in the room.

There, in the bathtub, scurried a cockroach. Needless to say, we quickly decided (unanimously) that we were NOT staying in this room! Steph (who is not afraid to speak up about anything) called down to the front desk and told them she was not happy and if they didn't upgrade our room we would be taking our business elsewhere. They quickly found us a room in the West Tower (which, if you recall, was supposed to be completely booked!) free of charge! This room was much nicer and we felt much better about staying here for the next two nights. We took a quick nap and then all showered and got ready for a night out at South Point (the after party spot for the NFR aka the National Finals Rodeo).

South Point is a casino that is not on the strip, so we bought a 24 hr bus pass to take us down the strip (we were exhausted from walking all over during the day)! We went down to Caesar's Palace to go to the Cheesecake Factory for some "dinner" of cheesecake. We also stopped by the Belagio to see the light show.

(Jami, Deb, and I at the Belagio)

We finally made it to South Point pretty late into the night (maybe around 11 pm). We met up with some of Deb and Steph's friends from college and talked for quite awhile. I gambled a dollar (and lost it all). Around 1:30 we decided we had had enough of the night life and wanted to go back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. (By this point Jami and I had been up for 23 hours).

We caught a taxi and decided to only take it as far as the Luxor (the far end of the strip) and then catch the bus. Our brilliant plan failed, miserably! We ended up going into the Luxor to see what it looked like and had a few adventures of our own there...(i.e. Deb got in trouble for taking pictures inside of a casino because she was trying to get a picture of someone completely passed out at the slot machines.) After walking around the Luxor for about 20 minutes we went outside to catch the bus (theoretically).

(Jami, me, Steph and Deb at the Luxor looking and feeling exhausted)

We waited for about five minutes, then decided that we would stay warmer if we walked. So, thinking the bus wouldn't be too far away, we began walking to the next bus stop. We ended up having to walk most of the way back to Circus Circus because no busses even drove by! When we got to Planet Hollywood, we saw a bus stop and decided we would wait there for the bus. A couple of cops were down the street and as they walked by we asked if they knew when the next bus would come. They told us it would probably be another 10 minutes, asked where we were going and then told us we were probably better off to walk the rest of the way. Our feet were in immense pain, especially Steph's... she ended up trading shoes with Deb because her feet had started to bleed! But, we (deciding cops were trustworthy people) got back on our hike home, when we were stopped by one of the Planet Hollywood cops (when Steph and Deb were switching shoes) who told us that those cops must have been on crack because we would be much better off waiting for the bus!

So, we walked back to the bus stop and waited. We almost missed the bus, because Deb couldn't find her bus pass so she had to buy a new one. Although, as she slid her 20$ in for a (3$ one way ticket) the bus driver told here there was no change...so she bought 2 more 24hr passes (7$ each) just to get the 15 minute ride back to the hotel. So much for saving money on a taxi!

We finally made it back to the hotel at 3:30 am...which concluded our (Jami's and mine) 25 hour long day. Woofta!

Vegas Vacation Quickie...

Hello all! I just thought I would update really quick about my Vegas Vacation that I took this weekend! I had such an awesome time and have a bunch of stories to share! Story time will have to come later after Deb sends me the pictures from our awesome adventure! But just so you all know, I had an amazing time and traveled there and back safely!

Addicted to Blogging...

• What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?

- I typically eat cereal, either lucky charms, capt'n crunch, honey nut cheerios, or frosted flakes :) mmm delicious

• If you got married soon, who would be your bridesmaids?

- Probably Megan, Megan and Cassie :) They're great friends!

• What is your strangest habit?

- [Beware: May contain disgusting content]: Uhm...I hate detached hair, but I hate it more when it clogs my shower, so I put it all on my shower wall while I am showering and then spin it into a ball when I am done so I can grab it with a square of toilet paper to throw away...If someone touches it with their bare hands I am about ready to puke...so gross! UGH!

• What word do you wish you could take out of the dictionary?

- I'm not sure, although Cassie's answer was a little interesting :) Why would dictionary be in the dictionary? Wouldn't you have to know what it meant in the first place??

• What reminds you of your mommy?

- Natural beauty, anytime I see a woman that is absolutely beautiful without any make up or anything I always think of my mother :) Oh, and the smell of freshly made bread :)

• If you could adopt any animal as a pet what would it be?

- Probably a puppy, they're cute and capture my heart...but I don't feel like I have enough time to have one

• What is a memory from your past you have recently missed?

- I, too, was just thinking about all of my good memories from the 7th floor! Aww... oh and Road Trip 2008, baby!

• Name some things on your Christmas wishlist.

- A washer and dryer? (HA! Fat chance!) But more realistically, snow pants, gloves, heavy duty snow boots, warm wool socks (Winter activities are in the making...like mountain lion hunting!!!) Oh, and I need a new speaker for my ipod, I think that about covers the list as of right now :)

• Finish the sentence. There's a possibility _____________

- That I am a homeowner... WOW

• Which celebrity would you like to meet?

- I'm not quite sure...oh, no, yes I am... Michael Buble :) mmmm, yup, that's it :)

• How many times have you fallen in love?

- I fall in love every day, I find something new each day to love... it keeps me happy :)

• What was the last thing someone did for you that really made you feel greatful and loved?

- Hanging out with the people I love and that love me :) You can't help but feel the love and be grateful for it!

• What movie have you seen the most in the theaters?

- Harry Potter, possibly? I am not quite sure... I try to see new movies when in the theatre...or might have been Into the Wild...I saw that one quite a few times too ha ha

• If you ever wrote a book, what would it be about?

- Math? Ha ha, no that was a joke! I don't know what I would write a book about...

• Name game! Pick the names of all your future family members.

- I have no clue on my future hubby but my first little boy is going to be Clarence Ryan... I think it is a good name :) I like it! But I don't know the rest, but ya know... I don't even know how many kiddos I'll have

• What to you symbolizes hope? What about self-discovery?                                                                                       

- Self Discovery: Daisies        Hope: Doves

• The 51st state of America has popped up from the ocean and you get to name it, what is it?

- Hmmm... Which ocean? Maybe we should call it Atlantica

Busy Days Still to Come

I realized that I hadn't updated about my house hunting excursions! So here comes the exciting news...

I put in an offer on the 3 bedroom townhouse last week which was countered and I accepted. It's been a crazy week getting all of the papers signed, inspections done, and blah blah blah... but I still have a lot left to do. I will be closing at the end of next month, right before the new year! I am very excited, but terrified all at the same time! This seems like such a surreal moment. I never thought I would be buying my first home when I was only 23...

The inspection was yesterday and it went well, there were mainly just cosmetic issues, so nothing major to worry about! My friend Deb came along with me and enjoyed getting to see the house. It was nice to have her there to see it, she's very excited for me and has already offered her services for moving, as well have several other families here. I am so blessed to be in such a welcoming and caring community!

Hopefully the rest of this process will go smoothly as well!

Just a Quickie...

So, I found this great website the other day. Check it out here if you have the time... :)

I'm Stealing Cassie's Idea

My friend Cassie did this on her blog, and I enjoyed it and thought I'd take a stab at it!
Here are lyrics from the next 13 songs on shuffle from my itunes.

1. I should go, before I lose my sense of reason and this hour holds more meaning than it ever could. (I Should Go ~ Levi Kreis)
2. Window's down, the night blows in, tap the beat on the wheel as the tires spin. Until we're there crank the radio and we'll join in with the songs we know and everything's right tonight. (Everything's Right ~Matt Wertz)
3. Push me till I have to fly. I shed my skin, my scars. Take me deeper past the lights, where nothing dims these stars. (Car Crash ~ Matt Nathanson)
4. And whether more than 24 hours in a day that be spent in sweet content just dreaming away. When skies are grey when skies are blue, morning, noon and nighttime too. All I do the whole day through is dream of you (All I Do Is Dream of You ~ Michael Buble)
5. If I tell the world, I'll never say enough because it was not said to you and that's exactly what I need to do (Chasing Pavements ~ Adele)
6. All the windows of my past are closing and everything that you see here is for you from me (For You From Me ~ Jon McLaughlin)
7. I like my eggs scrambled in the morning. You like yours sunny-side (Eggs ~ Ryan Montbleau Band)
8. Let's all pack up and move this year. We'll slip the liars and disappear, leave memories for auctioneers and those just standing still. (Heartbreak World ~ Matt Nathanson)
9. This cycle never ends, you've gotta fall in order to mend. It's a brand new day. It's a brand new day. For the first time in such a long long time I know I'll be okay. (Brand New Day ~ Joshua Radin)
10. Easy come and easy go has never been the case. Dreams of you are hard to erase. (Ever After You ~ The Gabe Dixon Band)
11. I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck. Where ever you are, whenever it's right, you'll come out of nowhere and into my life. And I know that we can be so amazing, and baby, your love is going to change me. And now, I can't see every possibility, but somehow I know that it'll all turn out. You'll make me work so we can work to work it out. And I promise you, kid, I'll give so much more than I get, I just haven't met you yet. (Haven't Met You Yet ~ Michael Buble) ( I could write out all of the lyrics to this song, it is my current favorite!)
12. I could have saved so much time for us, had I seen the way to get to where I am today. You waited on me for so long, so now, listen to me say... I need to be bold, need to jump into cold water. I need to grow older with a girl like you. Finally see you were, naturally, the one to make it so easy when you showed me the truth. I'd rather be with you, say you want the same thing too (I'd Rather Be With You ~ Joshua Radin)
13. Then one day the rain ends and your future shines so bright, watch out for cracks as the sidewalk starts to expand. Your mother's back is in your hands (Little Demons ~ Julian Velard)

Well, now you have some of the songs that help me get through my everyday life as well. Music is one thing that is constant in my life. I almost always have music playing in my classroom and I definitely have it playing whenever I am home. It helps me stay happy and you can usually find me singing and dancing along to any of these songs!

What Gets Me Through Another Day...

I've gotten into making lists lately, and I know I've made a list similar to this before, but I still like to look back at my life and come up with the things that I love and am grateful for.

• I love my kids, some days/weeks/months I love them more than others, but I always love them. Luckily, this week has been amazing :)
• I love finding a new song or cd that just fits your life and can always bring a smile to your face
• I love being able to share my passions (teaching, math, singing, dancing, being silly and happiness) with the people I meet and teach
• I love family time, although I never have enough time to satisfy me
• I love a 4 day work week, Thursday nights are the best... for two reasons, it's my t.v. night and I get to sleep in the next morning (which anymore means 6:30 or 7:00 am)
• I love my friends, old and new, I have been so blessed to find a group of people here in Saratoga that accept me and enjoy spending time with me. They also help me get through the rough days and on the excellent days they'll celebrate with me. (My old friends do this too, I'm just too lucky!)
• I love my new grading policy... it has lowered my work load greatly, and keeps the kids on their toes! (For those of you that don't know... I roll a die to see how the homework will be graded or if it will be graded)
• I love cooking dinner for myself, granted I only do it about once a week because I haven't figured out how to cook for just one person yet
• I love making spontaneous decisions, like my Vegas trip at the beginning of December!

Well, I think I'm going to call it good for now... although there are probably a million other things I could add to my list.

Wabbit Hunting

Well, I'm guessing by now you guys are getting a little tired of all of my hunting adventures... First prairie dogs, then houses, and now... JACK RABBITS!

Last night started off as a typical Friday night, dinner with some teacher friends and then we went to the Encampment Halloween Carnival and sold tickets. Afterwards my friend Jordan and I went jack rabbit hunting on a friend of his ranch. I got the first two "wabbits" both on the first shot, and they were approximately 40 yards away. It was quite the experience and I even have some pictures to prove it.

Here is my first rabbit (I think):

Here I am with both of my rabbits:

Here is Jordan and I with our "booty":

I've been a huntin'

Well, another week has passed, but this time I've gone to several houses. I have it narrowed down to 3 houses I think. I have pictures of two of the houses, that I am considering.
Details on the first one include: 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, appx 900 sq feet (so it's cozy!) it has a fireplace, wood floors in the living room, laminate in the laundry room, kitchen and bathroom, carpet in the living and bedrooms, large, fenced back yard with mature trees. Single car garage (attached, but no access into the house). Sprinkler system (on a private well) but the house water is city water. Cost: 110,600
This is what you see when you walk in, they have their dining room table to the left of where I was standing.

If you look to your left, you see the kitchen:

This is a picture of the smaller bedroom, both bedrooms have these really big nice closets (that do have doors, according to the current owners).

This is the adorable bathroom, I really like the bathtub! (There is a shower too!)

Now the beginning of the back yard. I was standing on the back step starting from right to left:

It is such a big backyard with so many options!

The next house I am seriously considering is a townhouse. A lady from work is putting theirs on the market, I went and looked at it today (as well as the one I have pictures of) and fell in love with it. It is very similar to the pictures, other than it has solid oak floors in the master bedroom and NO popcorn ceilings! It also has 3 bedrooms instead of 2 (and no orange carpet). The 3 bdrm also doesn't have a wood stove.

The brick is still in the other townhouse, just no stove, it looks nice though

This is a half bath in between the living room and kitchen, the other townhouse has updated lighting and fixtures along with a new vanity.

Here's the kitchen, it's a big, spacious one. The other townhouse has had a lot of updates done throughout the house, except for in the kitchen so this is a pretty accurate picture for the other one too!

The other townhouse has new pella windows and french doors (put in about a year ago) that are air tight and efficient!

The main bathroom

So, Jamie's townhouse has 3 bedrooms, 1.5 bath, garage in back, small backyard, but already landscaped well (no grass, just a rock patterned patio type thing). The townhouse shown above is listed at 96,000 but Jamie thinks that's too high for her's, so they were planning on listing it around 94,000.

Oh! And the final house I'm still considering is the 2nd one in the list I provided in the post before this one! (Priced 125,000)

I'd love some input on which house you like the most!

Exciting News!!

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted a blog entry. I've been keeping really busy and have been having a blast! Last weekend a few friends and I went out and sang karaoke at the Whistle Pig! What a fun thing to do with a good group of friends!

The next day we went out to Deb's place to go prairie dog hunting and to have dinner, then later was the skunk hunt! I hit a prairie dog, but I don't know 100% if I killed him or not, but it was so much fun! After prairie dog hunting I got to do some "target practice" and shot my very first shotgun (20 gage). Here's a picture for proof:

As you can see, Jordan snapped the picture at the "perfect" moment...
Here's another picture of me shooting a .223 "sniper style"!

After target practice we had lasagna that Deb made for us which was great! After dinner everyone else was going skunk hunting, but I had to miss out because I had to chaperone the homecoming dance. I did get to watch the videos of the skunk hunt, however, they didn't get the skunk... but settled for a porcupine instead!

Now, for the exciting news... I have been pre-approved for a house loan! I am starting my house-hunting experience tomorrow after school! It should be really exciting and the three houses that I'm going to see tomorrow look really cute! I will keep you all updated in this new adventure of mine! Here are the three houses I'll go see tomorrow in case you're interested!

http://www.casperidx.com/listing.php?mls=20085454&site_id=1665

http://www.casperidx.com/listing.php?mls=20093831&site_id=1665

http://www.casperidx.com/listing.php?mls=20095091&site_id=1665

Productivity

How is it that some days you wake up and you just feel like getting things done? Why can't every day be like that? I had one of those days today. I woke up and got ready right away, ate breakfast then I began on my to-do list.
I started by making dinner (slow-cooked chili) and then moved on to picking up my apartment. It was beginning to drive me nuts, I didn't have any place to put anything it seemed! I vacuumed, changed the sheets on my bed and dusted! Then, I decided that I didn't want to sit around for the rest of the day so I walked up to the school and got some tests and reviews made and some grading done. It was a great day! Now, don't get me wrong, I still have a lot left on my to-do list, but it shrunk greatly and my apartment looks great and dinner smells even better! Hooray!

A month in...What have I learned?

So, I am almost officially a month into school, and what have I learned? Oh so much, we'll have a quick recap!

~ I do not have enough time to get everything done and remain sane.

~ Four day school weeks are a GODSEND!

~ Getting observed by your superintendent is the most nerve-racking thing ever

~ Being told that you are the best teacher in the school couldn't be worth more joy (even if I don't believe it's true!)

~ Getting home before it is dark out makes for a WONDERFUL evening!

~ I'm a month in and there are still days I come home and my feet just hurt

~ People hate change

~ Some days you'll want to give up, but you won't because the next day is a new day and will be better than the last

~ The good days make everything worthwhile, even angry parents and students

~ Not everyone will like the way you do things

~ Reviewing for tests can be stressful, but it is exciting when your students know what is going on!

~ Some days you just have to come home and blast the music, and dance!

Theses are only a FEW things that I have learned this past month. Something I do know, is that most people in the world do not realize how hard teachers work! Nor do they realize how rewarding teaching can be! There are some days that are worse than others, but having a career that doesn't feel like a job is priceless!

The new apt

I've finally gotten off my lazy butt and put up pictures of the new place...So here is my little "picture tour"! Have fun!

The view when you first walk in my door...


My "work station".... (to the left)


My dining room... (on the right)


The Kitchen when looking straight from the dining room...


The left corner...(don't you LOVE the orange counter tops???)


The right corner...


The couch (view from the hallway)...


The bathroom!


Looking into the guest bedroom...


The guest bed!


Looking into my bedroom from the hallway...





My giant, wonderful bed :)



Well, that's about it for the apartment. It is pretty nice and I am enjoying my time here in Saratoga!
School started on Thursday and I think the first few days went pretty well. I am finally beginning the NEW curriculum tomorrow and I am very excited! I hope the students enjoy it as much as I do!! (Pictures of my classroom will hopefully be coming soon...)

It just keeps going... and going... and going...

I have officially made the move to Saratoga!! I'm completely unpacked and feeling at home in my new place (pictures to come soon!) I have started working on my classroom and I must say that the work there doesn't feel like it will ever end, but I'm enjoying it! I've gone to three of my seven trainings for the CPM curriculum (the math curriculum we decided to teach for the next few years). This is going to be a very intense and stressful year, I know that much already! Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to begin, although my level of nervousness probably matches my level of excitement! I got to take a look at my class lists for the year and it appears that I will have 6 classes: two geometry, two algebra 2, one pre-calculus, and one calculus; my student totals are lower than I expected but that isn't a bad thing, I will have approximately 55 students, which is LESS than half of what I had during student teaching! Teachers report to work on Monday (although I've been in my classroom since last Friday) and students come on Thursday (20th). Now it's time to get back to work, because the work just keeps coming... and coming... and coming... :)

Did you know...

...the BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?
The ones that I've read will be highlighted (A total of 16 books listed)!!!

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare m
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime-Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole )
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

How many have you read?

Things that bring a great big SMILE to my face

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Summer