Life of the Party

      Well, it’s  sad to say that it’s going to be my 10 year high school reunion. I thought this time wouldn’t come so fast! It’s like high school was just yesterday.  As I’m sitting here scrounging through my old high school yearbooks, I have discovered that maybe I don’t want to see all these people again. The ones I wanted to keep up with stayed friends and they stayed close. I didn’t follow the typical path that most of my peers.  Most of them are married, have children, and they are stagnant.       I want to avoid the bombardment of routine questioning from peers. Perhaps I should have a shirt made that says “I’m not married, I have no kids, and definitely don’t plan on it any time soon.” I was voted most outspoken in my class our senior year.   So, wearing this said T-shirt would have some justification.  Spending the afternoon with a fake smile and laugh isn’t my cup of tea.  I wonder if other people go through this s...

     Packing is the strangest commonality that people go through.   Today as we pack up to head home, I discovered that my suitcase had four outfits past the days we were here. Women over think things and over pack. I’m extremely guilty of this, and it’s something that needs to be addressed. Was I going to need that short dress and hills? Heck NO!   I can go out in my shorts and tank top and have just as much fun. No one cares if I took extra time to look semi cute.       It also shows us what we value. Evidently, life cannot go on without that makeup bag. Who knew? I spend so much time each day hiding my face.  When I don’t wear it I get asked if I’m sick or sad. It’s just my face. I guess I value shoes as a top priority too.   I ended up packing 5 to 6 pairs and I’m not apologizing for it. There is always a occasion for each pair.       I guess the point is to know what you need to pack and don’t over pack. 

   As we age, we question what is appropriate for our current status.    I’m almost in my 30s so the party scene has drastically changed. I’m at home with a good book at hand and red wine at my disposal. Nothing too exciting is going on here, but my friends are all at the parent phase 🥳. I’ve not got that far yet....        How old is too old to go out?      If you had to think about the answer you’re already past that stage.   The answer is NEVER!  Go out and live it up because you only live once. Buy that car, take that vacation time, and enjoy your adulthood, because lord knows you deserve it! It took me 29 years to figure out that in the end there is only one question, “ did you live the life you wanted?”   I’m still working on this answer myself, so no judging if you know me personally. 

         Oh.... it’s truck weekend and I’m excited.  The 6 hour drive here was totally worth the effort. I cannot post pictures due to rude gestures by the drivers.  Myrtle Beach has so much to offer its guests from food venues to actual activities!       Every year we make the drive down for our girl’s weekend. It’s usually just my sister and me. This weekend was no exception, and we’ve had a total blast. So.... here is a list of suggested things to do: 1. Go to the damn beach, it’s why you came. 2. Eat at the local restaurants ( Angelos) is the best! 3. See the Pirate show (dinner included) 4. Shop until you drop (2 different Tanger Outlets) 5. Did I say shop? 6. Ripley’s Aquarium 7. Go see the fireworks at Broadway 

            I just can’t believe it’s July already and the stores have already got a begun to put up back to school signs.  It’s just ridiculous that they’re already planning for something that’s weeks away.  I literally had a sad face walking into Walmart today. There it was a huge sign “back to school, are you ready kids?”   Are you kidding me!  Why didn’t it say are you ready teachers?            I literally took the sign down. I know this was vastly radical of me, but enough is enough! I get roughly two more weeks of freedom, don’t put a damper on my good mood.  There was a parent standing with a list pressed tightly in a fist. She was super mad that her fifth grade son had a list that totaled to $50. That’s not that much considering I personally spend well over $200 to start the school year off not including what I buy throughout the year.             

      It seems as if North Carolina is on Mother Nature's bad side this summer. We seem to be experiencing a cooler climate and more ran than normal. Before this front moved in, I thought we were going to have a huge melt down. I drove up the road today and saw a kid outside playing in the mud. She was enjoying her yellow rain boots and coat.      I'm an outside person and days like this are very bleak for me. I spent the day reading on our covered porch with a candle burning to ward off pesky bugs. 

      Mom and I spent the week in Kill Devil Hills. The coast of North Carolina is one of the best places to relax. The eight-hour drive seemed a little bit extreme, but the relaxation of the crashing waves was calling our names. Normally, we spend months planning our getaways, but this was a last minute decision. We even found an awesome hotel that allowed us to take Buck and Harley with us. This was mom's first trip to the beach, so she was overly excited. We counted down the miles as the GPS helped us reach our destination.       I wasn't so sure about going on a vacation with the dogs. I didn't know how things would work out or if they could be quiet in the room. We found these calming treats that really did the trick! It mellowed both dogs out. I would wake up really early in the morning and walk them for an hour. The beach didn't allow dogs out there before 9am. I made sure they still got their exercise in each day. It was a vacation for them t...

2020 Kia Soul      Well, I took the nose dive and purchased a new car. I'm not disappointed in any way, because this is my second new car from Kia. My first car was purchased in 2013 and it has over 150,000 miles on it. As my old car is slowly racking up the miles, I decided to start paying on a new one. Paramount Kia of Asheville was more than accommodating.        The new edgier look of the 2020 model is really appealing. I like the lane assist that comes standard on this model as well. This is my first car that doesn't have a CD player, which is odd. We are moving so fast as a society that this is considered old technology. Red is my all time favorite color for a vehicle and it's way brighter than my 2013 model. I must be completely crazy to have purchased the newer version of my current daily driver. I'm terrified to drive the new car due to the idiots that I live around. It's a daily battle to dodge them.         ...

Empty Classroom                 This is our last teacher workday, and it's bittersweet as I pack up this year's paperwork and prepare to lock up for the summer. The school years seem to be getting shorter and the students seem to be growing up way too fast. I spent the majority of my day going through my lesson plan books to see what worked best with this group.                  Hopefully I'll get to move up with this group of students. It's always nice to have them for multiple school years, because you don't have to "figure them out" again. Maybe I'll get to teach a new subject too!                  The point in the day where everything gets real is when I turn in my keys for the last time and turn in my sign out sheet. This is my sixth year here and there is never a dull moment. Each year we get to try new things and our students get new c...

    I think my goto drink has got to be vitamin water. The best flavor hands down is acai-blueberry-pomegranate. Not being a fan of plain water is very frustrating due to the fact that I always have to look for something else. With WLS, I still avoid all sodas and carbonated drinks.  If you guys have any suggestions please feel free to leave me some feedback.  This morning's menu:  1 Zone perfect cookie dough bar (180 cal) 1 vitamin water zero