Saturday, January 28, 2012

Number Five

Try 5 new foods....check!

This is the goal that people were most excited about "helping" with...and by helping I mean shoving weird food in my mouth and laughing as I made faces like this:


I managed to try more than 5 things thanks to all my friends who like to see me squirm. Here is what I tried:

1. An olive. By far, the worst and most traumatic taste test. (Everyday Brother promised it would taste like olive oil.) It was actually the first new food that I tried so it's basically a miracle that I continued to try new things.


2. Refried beans. Tried these on National Margarita Day in front of people who I had never met before. Gross.


3. A jalapeno slice. Surprisingly, not as horrible as I thought it would be. Still probably won't be eating them in the future.


4. Guacamole. No photo. Didn't like it.

5 & 6. Sun Drop and Sweet Red. Liked the wine...have had it since. Feared for my life drinking the Sun Drop.  Nothing in nature is that color. It was the color of liquid highlighters.


7. Greek yogurt. In big, red letters it said, "DO NOT STIR"...but I did...obviously. Plain Greek yogurt is bitter and gross. Of course you are supposed to mix in the sweet strawberry syrup-goodness.


8 & 9. Quinoa veggie curls and Tofu noodles. Did not compare to real pasta. At all.


10. Homemade hummus. Didn't like it...didn't hate it. It just didn't do anything for me. I prefer my chips white and my dip made of cheese.


11. Some type of sauce at a Mexican restaurant that I was told was BBQ sauce but was most definitely not. Perhaps the spiciest thing I've ever tasted. I made both of my dinner guests try it just so I could feel less awful about having to try it alone.

12. Vegan Rosh Hashanah. Tried LOTS of new foods in one night...and lived to tell about it.


When I added this goal to The List, I hoped to find new foods that I enjoyed, but mostly I wanted to be more open to trying new things. I am a picky eater and often assume that I won't like something without trying it. Accomplishing this goal has really pushed me into taking chances on new things. I didn't like a lot of the things that I tried, but at least now I can say I tried it and I don't like it.

A few weeks ago, I was at a friend's house and she had made dip for veggies using Greek yogurt. Even though I don't really care for Greek yogurt AND the dip was GREEN, I dunked a carrot into it without thinking twice. Said friend noticed my brave behavior and commented that I was trying new things without  being coerced!

Moving forward, I hope to keep trying new foods sans the pressure of people watching for my reaction!

     

Friday, January 27, 2012

Happenings...

in Second Grade:

  • Kids collecting rock salt because it looks like crystals...maybe licking it...definitely putting it in their coat pockets.
  • Crying...there is always crying.
  • Arm flapping. Today, the inability to control one's body sent a girl to the doctor after being poked in the eye.
  • Bloody noses.
  • Skipping...lots of skipping.
  • Root beer flavored fluoride.
  • Crouching down on all fours like a frog and licking the trampled snow from a muddy hill.
  • Tattling.
  • Finding scary pictures during animal research. Case in point:

Demon bunny.


     

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Numero Dos*

Read 56 books...check!

As part of my Read 1,000 Books initiative, I set a goal to read one book per week.

Shortest book read: 32 pages...Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl.
Longest book read: 912 pages...The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (Large Print) by Steig Larsson.
Oldest book read: 1911 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Newest book read: 2011 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling.
Biggest waste of time: Behind the Bell by Dustin Diamond.
Favorites: On Writing by Stephen King
                  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
                  The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs
                

I achieved this goal ahead of time due in part to some high volume reading months:


This year I read mostly fiction books, but also enjoyed many memoirs and non-fiction books:


It's no surprise that because of #12 on The List, I read a lot of Roald Dahl books. But I also read a lot of books from:


And one last chart because obviously I had fun learning to make charts in Pages:


I'm glad that I read so much this year and I fully intend to continue reading as much as possible because it drives me crazy that no matter how hard I try, I'll never be able to read all the books. <--- Yes, I realize I'm a nerd. I've embraced it.

I've decided to add all of the picture books that I've read in second grade this year to my 1,000 books list for two reasons. 1) I did, in fact, read them.  2) It will bump up my total!

* In Spanish because I didn't want to call such an epic post Number Two.

 

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Six on Sunday

1.  I went to my first ever 3D movie today. S and I saw Beauty and the Beast and I got to relive my youth one song at a time. Although, I have to admit I TOTALLY forgot about Gaston! Watching a movie in 3D was crazy. I wanted to reach out and grab things, I flinched as things came at me, and I felt like I was in a snowstorm. Oh...I also looked awesome!


2.  Everyday Brother is going on a cruise to Mexico and I am JEALOUS! While he is soaking up the sun, I'll be spending 5 whole days at work/school.  Boo.

3.  Note to self: Don't leave gallons of water in the car during the winter. They will freeze, expand, explode, and leak EVERYWHERE when you try to thaw it out.

You know how there is usually a handle on a gallon of water? Yeah...that is where it exploded.

4.  Every January/February I contemplate moving somewhere warmer. I want to be outside. I want it not to be dark before 5 pm. But just when I think I can't take it anymore, the days begin to get longer, the snow melts and New England becomes amazing again.

5.  Currently, I'm watching the Drew Peterson story on Lifetime and I'm kind of afraid to go to sleep because I know I'm going to have crazy dreams.

6.  Saturday was smoothie day. Smoothie with a SANTA STRAW!

Don't drown little Santa!

 

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Dogs Are Awesome

This should be an ASPCA commerical! 

Instead of ruining my iTunes library they should be all, "See how awesome dogs are? Give us money."




 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

A Three Day Weekend...

Means I get to spend one entire day doing absolutely nothing productive.

Typically 5:45 pm on Sunday night would mean:
dreading work tomorrow
worrying about getting to bed early
wishing I wasn't so lazy this weekend and
feeling guilty about watching so much tv today

Instead, it is Second Saturday. I won't bore you with the lameness awesomeness that was my day but I did try to virtually turn myself into a hipster today. I think I am too uncool to even make a hipster avatar.  Case in point:


So I tried again and I think I was way more successful on my second turn:


Yes that is a neck tattoo...and a full sleeve.

Happy Second Saturday!

 

Thursday, January 12, 2012

A Whole Lot of Random

* It snowed and iced today and instead of being whimsical and idyllic, it was just annoying and gushy.

* We have a professional day tomorrow so I'm baking cookies...obviously.  I had extra ingredients from my holiday baking so I whipped up a batch of devil's food cake cookies with dark chocolate and mint chips.  They are ugly but so minty and delicious.

* I mixed my cookie dough with a metal spoon.  This was a mistake.

Oops.

* I want to see Beauty and the Beast on the big screen.  Who's coming with?

* I also want to see that new whale movie.  (Don't judge me.) I have a thing for inspirational stories involving saving animals. Also, John Krasinski.

* Today was Patriots fan day at school because apparently there is a big football game this weekend. When my principal announced this my first thought was, "What game?  Isn't it too early for the Superbowl?" P.S. Yes, it is.

* I finally learned my lesson and put some tinfoil under my cheesy, garlic pita bread. Who knew that when you don't light it on fire this happens:


* I showed the second grade monsters a clip of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech today and they were mesmerized.

* I wish I had an iPhone so I could use Instagram...and also so I can talk to Siri.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Adventures in Second Grade: Cornholio Edition

One of my second graders spent a large part of today with his head tucked in his sweater...kind of exactly like this:


This is the same kid who put a giraffe in his woodland camp scene.  He's my favorite...obviously.

   

Monday, January 9, 2012

The Blahs...

I've got 'em.*

And I hope to shake them soon.  Last night wasn't your typical "Eww, it's Sunday and I have to go to work tomorrow" night.  Instead, it was a sleepless night complete with the first melt down of the New Year.  (P.S. do you only capitalize New Year when you are referring to the actual holiday event and not the year as a whole?) I was feeling overwhelmed by my financial situation, social situations, finding a job for this summer/next school year which quickly spiraled into being unhappy with my current job, current fitness level and current living situation which always ends in the idea that I will die alone.  Don't judge me...at least I can admit I'm a hot mess.

But after some calming down from my work besties and repeated listenings of this song:


I'm feeling a bit more like a normal person.

But it's the little things, the little things not expectation
That make life worth living, worth living <---These lines get me every time.

I'm still a mess...but a more socially acceptable mess.  Here's hoping for a better tomorrow.

*I blame the full moon.

 

Friday, January 6, 2012

The Time Came...

To de-Christmas my apartment...which meant the tree had to go. (At 10 pm on Friday night because the fire department was picking them up in the morning.) After the debacle I had putting up my tree, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it came down. Over time, I came to love my tree and was sad to take it down.  One last photo:


I stripped the ornaments and lights, unscrewed the screws and hoped for the best. Luckily, the tree fell back against the wall so it was still standing and I was able to lift it out of the stand. I dragged the sucker outside leaving a trail of needles in my wake.  I have a guilty conscience and felt bad about leaving a carpet of pine needles from my apartment door to the front door but it was too late to vacuum. What's a girl to do? Break out the broom of course!


I "swept" the hallway carpet until it looked like the evidence had been removed.  But I still have some clean up to do tomorrow when vacuuming hours resume.


Now...what to decorate for next?

   

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Dear ASPCA,

I know you are trying to save all the puppies. Believe me, if I could adopt them all I would.  But please, PLEASE stop ruining my iTunes library.  The songs Angel, Silent Night, and You Were Always on My Mind will now forever be associated with sad, sick, abused puppies.  So thanks for that.

XOXO,
Amy

 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

So This Happened...



Thanks to a very, very, very generous Christmas gift donation from Everyday Mom and Dad to the Amy's New Computer Fund and a retirement refund check from an old school district, I am now the proud owner of a MacBook!

So far I love everything about it.  (Although I downloaded Chrome on day 2 because I couldn't figure out the bookmarks bar on Safari!) There are still a lot of things I don't know how to do but I'm learning fast.  Tonight I explored Photo Booth.  Be prepared for lots of ridiculous pictures.

Monday, January 2, 2012

50 Mile Challenge

2012 is going to be a year of fitness. In an effort to start the New Year with a bang I'm going to complete the 50 Mile Challenge in January.

This is a self designed challenge to log 50 fitness miles in the first month of the year. There will be:
walking
running jogging
biking
ellipticalling

Get excited!
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