"learning I'm deserving of love and a peaceful heart"

I just like doing this for myself once a year. :)
It's not all inclusive, some highlights and dorky things I could think of.


• Roadtripped to Phoenix for the Frog’s Fiesta Bowl (and was bummed when we lost)
• Went to lots of Painting With A Twist classes and painted: an owl, a horned frog, a field of bluebonnets, a Halloween cat, a bluebird, and Christmas trees
• Turned 25!
• Shannon and I became famous with our picture on the wall of Gogo Gumbo :)
• Loved teaching with Jenna and Carolyn – I miss our trio!
• And I miss the bond we had with that group of kids.
• Spring Break trip to New Orleans! Rode an airboat on the swamp tour
• Interviewed against my fellow teachers and got a position at the brand new elementary school in Decatur
• Good concerts: Old 97’s with Luis, Randy Travis, George Jones, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Lady Antebellum, Ray LaMontagne
• Jumped in Possum Kingdom lake with David at Camp Grady Spruce
• Got my 1st fishing license and fished with Lisa and her dad
• Spent lots of days at the lake jetskiing and took the boat out with Shannon
• Caught a huge catfish nightfishing with Uncle Rickey at family reunion
• Baseball! Rangers and Cats games with friends. Watched the Rangers make it to the World Series
• End of summer trip to Austin with Lisa and Batey
• Moved to the new school and starting teaching 4 classes of 4th grade math at Young Elementary
• Submitted and received a math grant with Shannon
• LOTS of TCU football!
-saw them play at Cowboys stadium
-got on TV greeting the team after Utah game
-Met my love, Andy Dalton, at Rosa’s after a game ☺
-another undefeated season!
-and ROSE BOWL WIN though that was technically Jan 1, 2011
• Got lost in a corn field maze
• Dressed up like the 3 little pigs in the homecoming parade
• Stood on University Dr. while they imploded Amon Carter Stadium
• Dressed up like the Lorax and Antoine Dodson for Halloween
• Reunited with college friends: Ryne! Then the CathComm Inner Circle
• Almost got forcibly evicted by the Constable because he had the apartment number wrong!
• Trip to California and rang in the new year with a Horned Frog Rose Bowl Win!!! (exciting enough to mention twice!)

One of my favorite songs of the twentyten, and where the title comes from:

Ray LaMontagne-Old Before Your Time. I love the lyrics. Love.

"Hold your own, Know your name, Go your own way"

I know I'm late to the party on remembering 2009. And the last time I posted was a recap of 2008. But 2009 was a full and exciting year and still want to put it down (even though I'm a procrastinator) :)

...some memorable moments...

• Afternoon train trip to Dallas
• MLK Day Slam Poetry & meeting Joaquin Zihuatanejo
• Rollerskating date at whispering wheels
• Facetime with Donnie Wahlberg after the concert in Baltimore
• Spring Break Trip to Washington D.C.
• Espinoza Paz concert at Far West
• Spanish karaoke at Megan and Francisco’s
• Coaching the 2nd place Battle of the Books team
• Reik Concert
• SCOTLAND and SPAIN!!
• Loch Ness, Scottish singing boys, El Escorial, climbing La Giralda
• Getting picked for Joey McIntyre’s “Let’s Get This” book drive – volunteering and getting to meet him
• New Kids on the Block five star Meet and Greet
• 90’s Skate Party
• Jason Mraz concert – feeling very alive during Details in the Fabric ☺
• Visiting Chelsea in Lubbock
• Luigi Halloween costume / Going out with Erin and Batey
• Batey and I getting our Jabbawockeez picture posted by the jabbas
• 1st time buying a car
• Midnight showing of New Moon with Batey, Jenna and friends from work
• All the home games of TCU’s 12-0 season
• Getting on tv in back of the post-game interviews
• Trip to NYC! to visit Lisa
• Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building & Central Park
• Saw “In the Heights” on Broadway
• High-fived Jimmy Fallon – was on TV in the audience
• Riding in the motorcycle toy run with Dad and Travis
• Getting snowed-in on Christmas Eve in Nocona
• Building the tallest snowman of my life & a snow Horned Frog
• Boyz II Men concert (and of course Morris Day & the Time)
• Hot tub of secrets ☺
• Ringing in the New Year with Lisa and Batey at the Eleven Hundred Springs concert
• (Matt and Bubba remembering us!)


Here's one of the videos of our singing Scottish boyfriends. :) While talking with them the last night, they found out about Michael Jackson dying and flipped out.
I just love their accents

"Don't Let Me Into This Year With An Empty Heart"

This song by Josh Ritter and Cara's post have inspired me to write a little new year's ode to the oh-eight. In lovely list format, here is a partial sampling.

• Eleven Hundred Springs sang to me on my birthday.
• I survived my first year of teaching and loved it. I loved my team and attached to my kids.
  
• One kid completely made my year. The one everyone told me wouldn't work and would never pass.
  
• He gave me his first gift to a teacher, blue christmas ornament earrings that were tacky and I was allergic to them, but I wore them all week. (technically this was 07 I guess...)
  
• He passed all three TAKS tests.
• ok, enough about him, but that was a highlight.
• Roadtripped to Memphis and Nashville with Lisa, Batey, and Tiny E.
• Got a Wii and started rocking Guitar Hero like a 12 year old boy.
  
• I got a puppy - Delia - and it's been a love/hate relationship ever since. Precious pain in the butt.
• Saw Avenue Q with Jen.
• Went camping.
  
• Lived in a trailer house out in the country for 3 months.
• Realized I could live alone successfully.
• Got my first apartment by myself.
• Started second year of teaching.
• Was team mom for a soccer team.
• Made lots of cupcakes and rice krispy treats.
  
• Spoke a lot more Spanish.
• Break-up.
• Was sad.
• Disliked second year of teaching.
• Got to be Einstein for Halloween (my 2nd dream costume. Ms. Frizzle was #1)
  
• Saw Ryan Adams.
• Saw Jason Mraz.
• Trip to Denver to see New Kids on the Block.
• Ate my words and read twilight. Then saw the movie at midnight.
• Lost touch with more people than I should have.
• Reunited with some college friends that I hadn't seen in way too long.
• Watched one of my best friends move to Colorado.
• Got to call the sheriff and report loose livestock on the road. Also a highlight.
• Started being nicer to my sister's boyfriend. (call me a saint)
• Watched my Dad graduate college.
  
• Felt too young.
  
• Felt too old.
• Cried hard.
• Laughed harder.
• Almost missed a plane by doing the last activity too long in a diner in Colorado.

Here's hoping for more of the last in 2009.

Josh Ritter-Empty Hearts

"now I can't get by without you and your big brown eyes..."

A.k.a. An ode to summer




I'm not usually a summer person. In college most of my friends felt the same way. It was too hot, too lonely-ish. Now for the first time in a long time, I'm having a hard time transitioning out of summer. I didn't spend my time in any fancy or exciting way. Quite the opposite. I just discovered the peacefulness of letting the days roll by. I tried some new things and attempted the art of spontaneity. (I don't usually do well without a clear cut plan of action).

We're a week into the school year and I'm missing summer freedom like crazy.
To appease my need to reminisce, here's a sampling of things I did this summer that I thought I would hate but ended up loving.

-Spending a week in a camper with my parents and freak-dog at Lake Texoma.
-Actually watching a tennis match and learning how the heck it is scored.
-Listening to mexican Banda y Corridas. Bring on Los Tigres Del Norte.
-Watching Big Brother. How embarrassing is that to admit.
-Laying on the couch, half-watching the olympics, half-watching a boy starch pants.
-Text messaging. It has changed my life. haha.
-Soccer. My prior knowledge about soccer ended with the kid movie "The Big Green". Which is great, ps. But I've watched about a thousand Olympic soccer games, and went to an FC Dallas game last night. Very cool.
-Waking up early to meet people for breakfast.
-Slam poetry/spoken word. This I really thought I would hate. And I actually only like one person - Joaquin Zihuatenejo. He's bilingual and talks a lot about being a teacher, and also about being Chicano. My favorite of his is "Speaking In Tongues", but I couldn't find it online. Here's another one of his, but beware, I'm pretty sure you won't like it.



Throw in lots of sporting events, lots of trips to teacher's stores, and a stressful start to the school year and that pretty much sums up my summer. Oh, and trying Menudo- which I was super bummed about cause I wanted to like it but it's disgusting.

I'll write more about school later. But for now, Summer...I miss you!!! Come back to me! :)

After 3 days of technology training....

I am looking good!!! Check me out! (and possibly have nightmares...)

"Blame it on gravity, yeah. Blame it on being a girl."

Well Well Well, it's been awhile. Here are some unimportant updates and ramblings just cause I'm in a blogging mood.

• These lyrics are from the new Old 97’s album. And this song, No Baby I, is greatness.

• The picture is of my puppy, Delia. She is a 1 ½ pound poodle and she’s a freaking handful. I named her after the Johnny Cash song, Delia’s Gone. Which is about a guy killing his wife – so I sing it to her when she makes me mad. ☺

• I am liking living on my own so far. I’ve been in “my” new place for a week and it’s been great. I’m afraid I will start being lonely though because I was hanging out with at friend all week. If you notice my hermit tendencies coming out, intervene please. ☺

• So “my” was in quotes because I am currently living in a friend’s place for the next 6 months-a year while his job has him in Kansas. It’s perfect because I have no rent, just pay utilities etc, and they moved their stuff out. And it’s in the country and the porch is rockin’

• In case you missed the memo, I survived my first year of teaching 4th grade pretty darn successfully. I was pumped about my TAKS scores and all, but I was more happy about one particular student. He was supposed to be the “worst” but it totally made my year.

• In one week’s time I got DVR and Dish, and unblocked text from my phone. Talk about a technological revolution.

• So now it’s summer, and I’m facebooking like I’m back in college with all this free time. Well, except I don’t have internet at the new place yet. All in good time.

"If I could find my way back home, where would I go?"

a.k.a. A Quarter Life Crisis.
Much more real than the drama John Mayer sings about.

Quick work update. My principal (who thinks I walk on water) is leaving to go to Northwest. I should try and follow him and get back to the metroplex, right? Well, there's this huge chunk of me that wants small town for another year. That chunk loves my 4th grade team and has made some great friends. That chunk of me signed my contract to work here again next year.

Eeeeek and yay. This was supposed to be temporary, but it looks like I'll be here another year. Not the socially acceptable thing to do, but I love the 5 minute commute and being close to my family.

I've also recently decided that I am looking for a place to rent on my own. I am scared to death of living alone. But that's the only way to do it here. (let me remind you, my work friends are married with children.) This caused me to want a dog to live with. Once the dog search began, I was hooked and now determined to get a dog - poodle or golden-doodle cause they don't shed. Now I have to move out to get a dog.

Rental search has landed a couple of prospects and my dad now thinks I should BUY a house. Yes, buy. What?!?!
This is like the real life version of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". When does it stop spiraling out of control.

The reason I'm posting is actually to share my freak-out moment of the day. My dad and I are looking at a house that has hand painted shutters with hearts. I told him I would repaint them cause it looks like a middle aged woman (my mom) lives there. My dad then tells me to think about how old I am and what my parents where doing then.

I am 23. When my mom was 24, they had 2 kids and bought a house two blocks away from the house I'm looking at. The country decor of sponge painted hearts began. My life is SO not that, but what if it was? Oh, Lord.

This realization, coupled with the thought that a dog I get could live until I'm THIRTY-FIVE, threw me into a panic attack.

When did the life I know enter a time-warp and why am I so old???