The True Heart of Me

Pittsburgh Marathon

Tue, 05 May 2009 21:34:49 GMT

I finally did it! I ran my first marathon and it was AWESOME!!!! I am so sore, barely mobile, but I am happy that I finally realized my dream of finishing a full marathon.

((((( HOWS THAT FOR NEWS TOMMY?))))))))))))))))))))) :)

Adjusting

Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:40:32 GMT

Today is day #22. I could almost write the hours too, but I don't want to think that hard, being a Saturday and all.

Here are some things I am discovering on my own:

God is speaking clearly to me about patience and contentment.

I am spending my days doing the things I love the most; running, going to the library, reading and cooking.

My kids are hurt.

I miss the noise of my home.

I found myself in Frick Park this morning running on an unfamiliar trail. It ventured off, around a bend, but through a field and along a stream. I felt something stir in me, a wonder like when I was a kid. I paused and tried to break an icy puddle with the weight of my body. (to no avail) I leaned over a bridge and watched the water pass. I am sore from running for the first time in ages and I love it.

I am reading the Bible every morning and I am in awe of the words of comfort and clarity I am reading. It brings me a peace I have never known.

My kids are confused and hurt. Tony is so coarse with them, devouring their emotions and questions with a ferocious fury. They are afraid of his indifference and are reluctant to open up to him. I try to reach out, but they resist me. Not Katie as much as Nate. Nate is going to need a lot of time.

The leaving was easier than the silence of my home and my phone. Tony refuses to talk to me and because of my innate impatience, I am climbing the walls. I thought he would react with a certain degree of urgency, but he has shown none.

I don't regret what I did, I know I did the right thing. The adjusting is slow which is not my strong suit. So I pray.

I love fall

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:07:59 GMT

Yes, I'm saying it again. I want to go for a drive on Sunday. Maybe take my bike to a trail somewhere and just ride. I want to look at the trees and smell autumn. Gosh! I love this time of year!

So my aggravated assault case got postponed for the 4th time and the judge swore that if they tried to postpone again he would issue a warrant for arrest. I am tired of going to court. The incident witht his kid happened almost a year ago and I am losing my faith that he will have to pay for his crime. He'll knock another teacher down. Its just a matter of time.

Dommy is one. I can't believe it has been a year since he came around. I am so different because of him and my coworkers commented on it when they saw me in August. I feel invigorated by this little boy.

i have been sleeping a lot lately. I have to wonder why. Our school nurse said it is common for people to eat and sleep more at this time of year. Like bears, we are preparing to hybernate.

I want a cookie.

Random question, but...

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:16:50 GMT

Is it just me or do ya'll notice that it is cool to show off your butt crack these days?

The number of stranger's butt cracks that I have seen recently is unsettling and at this point you may be asking...."Uh oh. Has she finally gone off the deep end?" But after being int he grocery store last night and seeing my 50th butt crack in like.... a month, I have to ask the question, is it just me? Am I being targeted? Or is it hip to sport a little crackage?

My parents and I were at one of Nate's games and the guy in front of us was showing his crack. Ok. That's anticipated at a football game. He was probably a plumber. :)

But my students, young girls in the store, young men in the hood......I mean, WTF? Pull up your damn pants!!!! I would be horrified if someone saw my butt crack IN PUBLIC!!!!! So why do I get this suspicion that its now in vogue? Because everyone is doing it.

Ok............on to a different subject.

pictures from the news

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:03:33 GMT

This was taken by a reporter for the Tribune Review at Friday's game. He emailed them to my husband.

This is my son.

Jumping Fences Again

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:47:11 GMT

Only a face like this could make me jump those fences again. You remember them, you have to climb over one and hit the second step and try not to pee your pants as you sail upwards to the bathroom. The ones you have to launch over with a heavy basket of clean laundry, or to catch a ringing phone on the 4th ring. The same fences they stand at and cry over as you go out the door to the store or the bank. The ones they hang on and drool over as you cook a pot of sauce and sing country songs.

But its different this time. Its sweeter. I cherished every God-blessed moment I spent as a parent, but I don't remember this feeling of elation like I feel with my grandson. I'm more patient this time. More forgiving of the mess, the broken pots, the noise and chaos. And I thrive on it and anticipate his presence in my every day. He's almost a year now and I'll be 40 in just a few more months. I'll still be jumping fences and feeling just fine.

My sister!

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:17:30 GMT

Happy birthday to my favorite person on earth! Jennifer..............I love you darlin'!!!!

Santa Monica Pier

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:18:22 GMT

Well all be! When Jennifer and I visited the Santa Monica Pier in July, we watched a Nike commercial being filmed. and here it is!!!!

http://www.brentter.com/foot-lockernike-the-pier/

I love fall!!

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:56:25 GMT

I just looked at the weather channel to see what the 10 day forecast is for Pittsburgh and it is starting to cool off. Most of the days will be in the low to mid 70s and I am so grateful for the cooldown. My classroom gets incredibly hot, even with all of the windows open and 3 fans moving the air around in Room 206.

But I love fall for so many reasons and more than just the cool weather. I love the trees. I have to continue to remind myself to look at them every day so an autumn in the northeast doesn't escape me. I love football and Sundays in the fall, when we start to hibernate and the time changes and shortly after i get home from school, dusk appears. I love the start of school and my autumn decorations for my porch. (which will go up today!) I just love this time of year!

So today is Tony's 40th birthday. Tony is 40. Tony is 40? Oh my! I met him when we were both 18 and now he is middle aged. (is it still 40? that seems about right.) and he is a grandfather and he has so random gray hairs and he does old man things. I had a party for him with his friends last weekend to celebrate and my mom had a party too. Today will be spent in the quiet splendor of a Sunday in fall with football and couchtime and spaghetti.

I love fall and Tony.

History Survey

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:45:28 GMT

In a very animated introduction to the history curriculum yesterday, I said to my 5th grade class, "The first thing we'll learn is geography. Like....the north pole....why is it cold there? In fact which way is north?" ..........and they all pointed at the ceiling!

Oh my gawd did I laugh!

So I wrote up a survey this morning and gave it 72 5th graders today. I told them they couldn't leave anything blank, they could guess if they weren't sure. (which isn't my normal thing, I encourage research)

Prepare thyself!

What do you know about American History and Geography?

Which direction does the sun come up? Left/@3:00
What is the capital city of the United States? Harrisburg/Philadelphia/China
What is the name of the continent where you will find the USA? Canada/China/Harrisburg
Which country is north of the U.S.? New York/Pittsburgh
Who was the First president of the United States of America? George Bush
Which region of the USA will you find Texas? Southcentral/ Dallas/Canada
Name the body of water that is off the coast of California. The Gulf of California
There are 5 Great Lakes in the US. Name 1. The Great Salt Lake
Who fought in the Civil War? France and England/Ben Franklin
Which president was assassinated in Ford’s Theater? _George Washington

11) Why does US history remember Lewis and Clark? “They were in a rock band” “They invented ice cream” “They were in the movie, Night at the Museum”

12) Who invented the cotton gin? “I did!”/Wool E. Sheep/George Lopez/Dr. Seuss

13) In which state was the gold rush of 1849? Beijing!Disneyland!

14) Which famous African American invented blood transfusions? Don King J-Lo/Martin Luther King

I am currently looking for airfare to the Gulf of California but can't find a decent flight. Any suggestions?

Up with the chickens

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:26:30 GMT

I can't sleep.

Most teachers can't the night before the first day of school. What is that? Excitement? Terror? I don't know. I've been running over the days schedule, the materials I have and still need, and rehearsing my first day script. By 4:45 I gave up pretending to sleep and came downstairs to get some coffee and start getting ready.

My room looks incredible! I spent 12 hours in my room yesterday, with just a few quick breaks to visit my friend's classrooms and grab some lunch. At this point, I am running on sheer adrenaline because I have hardly eaten anything in the past 2 days and I can't sleep. I am sure I will be exhausted by the end of the day. Sleep will come tomorrow.

I love love love our new principal. He is exactly what our school needed. If he delivers on all that he claims, this school will turn around. It has to. We can't repeat another year like the previous. While sitting around the pool with a bunch of Cleveland teachers at Jen's house, the conversation turned to the rough school I teach in. The other teachers were trying to trump mine till my sister quipped, "Kelli's 2nd day of school will spent in juvenile court with one of her former students." It's what I've chosen. I could easily leave. For some reason that even ((( I ))) can't explain, I feel a draw to teach these kids.

I'm a moron.

5th grade history

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:00:15 GMT

Another school year has begun and I met some of my new students tonight at the Welcome Back to School night. I was shocked when I opened the transfer letter to find that I had been involuntarily transferred to 5th grade, a move to accommodate the needs of the school. I loved teaching 6th grade because I love how they think, their impressions of the world around them, and the content. I don't know what to think about 5th graders.....I haven't taught them yet.

This I know....I am so incredibly thrilled to be teaching history. American history......one of the most interesting and exciting things I can think of. 75 kids will begin to form a knowledge of this subject through what I teach them and I am so jazzed I could burst! The new principal is a history fanatic too and he understands my unbridled passion for the subject and he even said to me, "Now....Mrs. Moreno.....I hope you understand that when I got the urge to teach history I'm gonna come to your class. I'll be like a crack addict...twitching and scratchin' .....the only fix I need is to teach history." I completely understand what he means!

pictures

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:05:40 GMT

In the car on the way to Grand Tetons! I picked a flower on the side of the road.

Jenny Lake at the foothills of the Great Tetons.

Vegas!

An Elk!!!!! Finally!

At home

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 13:44:45 GMT

When you come to the end of an adventure like mine, words are not sufficient. In my journal that I kept as we travelled, I came to a point in my musings where I was trying to describe Bryce Canyon, Utah, and I actually wrote the words, “How should I describe them? I’ve used every word I can think of! Auspicious, grand, awesome, beautiful, breathtaking, incredible, unbelievable. I have plumb run out of words!” And so it is with this trip. I can’t conjure up the images with mere words. One would have to had been a passenger in that little car to see it, soak it up, hear the hilarity, the crying, the wonder.

As I sit here on Jancey St., the place that held my family as I went off on this selfish, incredible adventure, I realize that we just saw too much. There are pictures of each stop from the tire blowout in Barstow to the towering spires of the Grand Tetons to help me remember, but there are moments and phrases that will escape me just from the sheer size of what I should remember. I know Jen will regale me with such things in the months and years ahead. I can see us sitting over Thanksgiving dinner and she will quip, “Judy Forever” and I will be transported to a hot morning in Vegas where we conversed with a man who thought Judy would be forever.

Things that I won’t forget, images that will stay in my mind forever are of the hike we took at Grand Teton NP, Sunrise Point in Bryce Canyon, my cousin Dean, standing amidst the slot machines of the Bellagio, waiting for us. The Hotel del Coronado, the elk in Zion NP, Jen’s face as we travelled to the top of Pikes Peak, the bow legged cowboy in Cripple Creek and a road sign that says, “Colorado 67”.

My family understood my need and desire to take this trip. They let me go, though reluctantly, and I spoke with them daily, most times in the midst of a controversy, and I made them jealous and curious for how I described Utah. Tony missed me tremendously.

I will have to resist the urge to force the story of this trip on people. “When I was in Wyoming…..or your destination doesn’t hold a candle to Utah.” I could find many different venues to convey this trip to others. But I won’t. It is a corner of my mind and a patch in my history that I will covet for myself. The only person that would ever understand is my sister, Jennifer. As we embraced in my parent’s driveway in Ohio, with tears running down my face as we said goodbye, I whispered to her, “Nobody will ever be able to understand the magnitude of this trip. Just you and me.”

Cheryl, thank you so much for your comments in my sister’s journal. She read each one to me in the evenings when I would be getting the coffee pot ready for the next morning, or changing into my pjs after a grueling day of driving. Your comment about your mom and Pikes Peak will always stay in my mind! You are such a good friend!

Time to go!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:47:49 GMT

Today is the day my sister and I will embark on our trip of a lifetime. Naturally I woke long before my alarm and my first thought was, "I wonder if its still in the 30's in Jackson, Wy?" I've packed for that, though, along with the seering heat of Salt Lake City and Vegas.

The trip will be chronicled on my sisters pageif anybody wants to read! italiabella99[Unknown LJ tag]

sweet sweet summer

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:32:47 GMT

I can't think of any better thing than 3 months of these kinds of days. I have to wonder if people who live in warm climates have such an appreciation for this weather such as I.

I have quite a summer planned, too. First, I am reading 3 awesome books. (what kind of headcase does that?) A travel journal about small town America which was penned by an author who is a cynic, yet so very funny. I am half way through a novel called, Beginner's Greek which is completely enthralling....so many twists and turns!....and finally, Marathoning For Mortals by John Bingham. The Pittsburgh Marathon will make a grand return in May 2009 and if God is willing, I will pin on a bib and join my fellow Pittsburghers on the starting line. The book is terrific because it gives such great advice on everything from nutrition to gear. The thought of that race consumes me.

I am travelling a lot this summer, too. Tonight I will leave for Hilton Head for the wedding of a dear friend. It will be a low key, long weekend spent in the blazing South Carolina heat with some of my closest friends. I will then embark on a 2 week cross-country trip with my dear sister, Jennifer. The itinerary includes contrasting spots from Pikes Peak to San Diego, Jackson Hole to Vegas. (my first time in Vegas!) I will return and have 2 days to get my bearings and wash my underwear and its off to Boston with my family for a week. I have planned a whale watching trip off the coast of Glouster and the thought of doing that with my kids and husband is so incredibly exciting! I will finish the summer with a weekend trip up to Geneva-on-the-Lake with my parents and sisters. This is exactly how I want to spend my summers as a teacher. I can't wiat until funds allow Tony and I to spend a month in Alaska....the ultimate trip. We are so nature oriented and I dream of going to a place like that.

I am teaching summer school at Duquesne for the 3rd summer and it is going well. 8th graders cannot keep their hands off of one another and cannot do math. With that said, I just like being with my college friends, having our twice a day pow wow in the cafeteria as we laugh about the vast expanse between what we were taught as students and what is reality as teachers. Working for Montel is a double edged sword as he asks us to be incredibly flexible and take on many duties not asked of other staff members, but his love for us and his apparent appreciation for our presence in his program is motivation enough to take on whatever a day might bring. Regardless, the money is good and I am too hyper to be off for the entire summer.

Katie will graduate a week from tomorrow and it has been a long haul. I feel as though we have dragged her through these last final years and the relief I feel over its ending is tremendous. Nate went and saw an Army recruiter yesterday which must be saved for a whole other post entitled, "The Day My Smile Went Away".

So off to the beach..........................where the hell is my blender!?!?!

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:34:13 GMT

Spring Days

Sun, 18 May 2008 11:45:16 GMT

And so, here it is....the end of my first school year teaching, my first summer as a grandma, and my first experience watching my OWN CHILD graduate. Nate for the first time in a tuxedo. (Prom is May 30th) My first summer without my Nanny. Firsts......they're everywhere!!!

School has been fabulous! Ever since the district removed 2 of my most unruly students to place them in an alternative school, Room 206 is serene and boisterous and bustling with the excitement of the end of the school year. I learned more about teaching from this first year of being in a classroom than I ever learned in 5 years of college. I will miss these tender little kids.

My grandson........bliss. I shouldn't even call him Dominic, I should just call him Bliss. (I am laughing at myself right now)

My children are also preparing for the end of the year, with Katie graduating at the end of June. How is this possible? Why did it all go so quickly? I want so much to return to the very beginning.....the womb in fact.....and do it all over again. Alas, here it is. And then there is Nate. We took him yesterday to get fitted for his tux and I have this feeling that the sight of him in a tux will do me in. Completely. He is so tall, his shoulders are so expansive, his eyes are so crystal blue. He makes me so exceedingly happy.

A few more bits to note.....the Pens are going to the Stanley Cup if they can pull off the Philly game today. (yes, that's a dig at someone specific)
I am going to the beach in 5 weeks for a wedding and I love that I have that to look forward to.
It has not stopped raining here in weeks so I have yet to do any work in my garden. (Cheryl, have you started yet?)
And the pittsburgh marathon is returning next year which has consumed my mind.

All is well in Pittsburgh.......

I turn here

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:39:03 GMT

I realized just now as I read my last few posts that I turn to LJ when I need to express feelings that can't come out in words. I know that the words I put here are REALLY words, but I can't utter them. I need this place.

Well, my grandmother is dying and in the words of my cousin, "probably won't make it through the night". I just don't know what to do with myself. I have cleaned....madly. I have groomed, then cleaned a little more. I just wish the call would come because the anxiety of waiting for the call is more stressful than the news the call will signify.

I am filled with so many memories of my childhood and I just wish I could rush back to 1981 and all that era held for me. I want to have her back like she was back then, I want to experience the sweet innocence of hugging my soft grandmother. I want to have my counsins and sister around me in her basement. I want to recapture those days because the memories are just not enough as the are muddled by the thoughts of her suffering. I miss her already.

Milestone

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:52:02 GMT

Yesterday was my 39th birthday and my first one as a grandmother. When I revealed that fact to a coworker she cheered, "it's a milestone!" and so it is....ya know, I'm not one of those people who laments birthdays. I become giddy and excited for my birthdays. Every year my life just becomes better and better and why would that make me sad? Even though I didn't PLAN on being a grandmother at 39, this baby has invigorated me....in fact....as I was driving to work the other day I was praying out loud and thanked God for my grandson. I started to chuckle and said to God, "Thank you for this baby. You really know what you're doing, God." I am very happy with my life.

I got my ass kicked at school on the playground last week. Aggravated assault charges have been filed. This is teaching? Shit!

Tommy, thank you for your email......I don't log on frequently enough......you're right! But that meant a lot so thank you! :)

A reunion

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 01:53:43 GMT

My 20th class reunion was last night in Ohio. Its funny, but when you grow up in a really small town, there is this mindset that settles into the people who grow up there as they get older. The need to demonstrate that they have transcended the disposition of our community and have become too sophisticated to associate with their classmates is highly present and something I don't understand. I have heard people say that the conversation is mundane, that the mentality never changes and that they have moved on and have no desire to see the people they went to high school with. They missed out on last night.

Few of us talked about the past, though we did HOWL over pictures that people brought of our 4th grade trip to Camp Fitch on Lake Erie. We showed off pictures of our children. I reveled in the attention of being the only grandparent there. I had intimate moments with my closest girlfriends where I was able to express to them the level of sorrow I experienced upon Katie's pregnancy and my ensuing joy and peace over it. I drank whiskey with guys that I've known since I was 6 years old as stole away to outside of the bar to comfort a friend who went through an unwanted divorce.

My graduating class of 105 was unique in the fact that we were funmakers and an eclectic as a whole. We came together last night to share in the joy of our lives and to celebrate 20 years of growing older and taking a part of the quirkiness and sentiment of North Lima, Ohio out into all of the world. I feel bad for the hip, the cool and detached who are too cosmopolitan to gather with this group every 10 years. I haven't laughed that heartily and long in quite a while.

Christmas doesn't get better!

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 13:52:50 GMT

Yep............one for the record books! My grandson was nothing short of spectacular! He willingly (well, maybe willingly because its not like he can oppose!) got passed around from person to person on Christmas Eve and then again the following day. I just pray that he stays healthy because Meghan has strep throat and she held him the most.

Santa was good to me which means I must've been good this year. And this break was just what the doctor ordered. I have slept at will, gone to see 2 matinees (I am Legend and National Treasure Book of Secrets) both were sooooo good. Tomorrow is my 20th class reunion which should be interesting.

Most of all and at the top of the list is the fact that Tony and I have been getting along famously. And the stretch of several days of this makes me hopeful.

((((HOW)))) many days till Christmas?

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:38:24 GMT

I can't believe how behind I am! The box with the tree and decorations has been in my dining room for a week now. That's progress, right? I have bought 2 gifts. Again.....progress. Why am I acting like Christmas will wait for me to catch up? Ugh!

I am so caught up in my job right now, I am doing nothing but working. Not good. I sometimes feel like perhaps I am spinning my wheels because I put forth so much effort towards these kids and I can't exactly say that I see a difference. They tell me they love having me as their teacher, but you don't get accolades for being popular, you get them for raising test scores. I just don't see the kind of progress that i should. My frustration comes from the fact that they are not interested in their education. If they could choose, they would just sit around, hit one another, plan attacks on other students on the bus or the playground, and beatbox. It takes all of my energy to plan lessons that will capture their interest, but in the end, they really don't care. It has me wondering why God put me there.

I also wonder if this is new teacher blues. Did I come into this job thinking I could inspire kids from the ghetto to care about fractions, literature, and Ancient China? Yes.....I know I did. But on the center stage is all of this rhetoric...kid shit....and I ask them questions like, "Do you ever feel like you owe your ancestors a debt of being successful in life? A debt that shows you're grateful to be growing up in a place that affords us a chance to pursue our dreams?" It falls on deaf ears. One thing that DOES work is shock value. I have found that the more frequently I can include the word, "poop" in my lessons, the better. I have also discovered that taking off my shoe and throwing elicits a roar of laughter. I cajole them. I wrestle them. After the 3rd week, I asked the class, "Why are there always fights on Fridays?" to be told that they want to settle scores before they go back to their prospective "hoods" for the weekend. So every Friday I announce, "At 3:15, I am fighting MB/MR....whoever" And when the clock strikes, I go to the center table and arm wrestle the person i have chosen. They love that. But does it charm them into writing a 3 paragraph essay on time travel? Not always.

I think I need this upcoming break. My sister tells me that you return after the break incredibly rejuvenated. I can only trust that this is so.

So back to the topic at hand..............How many days till Christmas?

Happy Birthday Cheryl!

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:51:26 GMT

You cheer for me!
You make me laugh!
You say the things that roll around in my head that I am afraid to say!
You inspire me!
You push me to think of the impossible!

Cheryl, Cheryl, Cheryl....what did I ever do to deserve you?

Happy Birthday, lovely lady.

Muah!

Cool Meme

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:51:03 GMT

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids?
'Have you ever kissed someone?'
'Missed someone?'
'Told someone you loved them?'
'Drank alcohol?'
Here are 50 questions for the people who are a little more "mature"...

Straight up ganged from Gigi!!!! You rock girl!

1. What bill(s) do you hate paying the most?
The gas bill. Bastards!

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic time?
Romance? What the heck is that?

3. Do you regret losing your virginity to who you lost it to?
No. I was in love with him.

4. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?
I would have done better in high school.

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Miss Blosser, 1975.

6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
Hmmm.....I'm cool. Amazing race is about to start!

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
An archeologist....my gawd!

8. How many colleges did you attend?
3. I loved/love them all.

9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
It is my favorite Steelers sweatshirt. Unfortunately it didn't bring them luck today!

10. What are your thoughts on gas prices?
The level of fury I feel about this is astronomical!

11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you who and where?
I'm good where I'm at. I'm happy.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I slept in till 7:30 this morning and it was glorious!

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Am I cold or hot? Is this menopause?

14. Favorite style of underwear?
None of your business! Ok. Thong.

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
I can't think of anything more aggravating than the grocery store at 4:10pm. I avoid it at all costs! "Ok family, we're eating dog food tonight!"

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Naw

18. Get up early or sleep in?
Early. Real early.

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
I don't watch cartoons.

20. Favorite thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
I prefer to be alone at night. I go to bed uber early and I like to watch a movie and drift off to sleep.

21. Have you found real love yet?
Yes. It sucks.

22. When did you first start feeling old?
Ya know, I really don't feel old yet. My students say I act like a kid so that's a good indication. I'm not immature, I'm just very youthful!

23. Favorite 80's movie?
Too many to list! Oh man! Flashdance, St. Elmo's Fire, Weird Science, Revenge of the Nerds, Breakfast Club, Better Off Dead, Top Gun, Rambo, The Goonies, Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, Lost Boys, Warriors, Invasion USA (Chuck Norris! Bad Ass!!!!) Bill and Ted, Ferris Bueler's Day Off.....love you Jen!

24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Ewww....no thanks.

25. What do you get every time you go into Sam's Club?
Salsa....marvellous! Hand sanitizer!!!!

26. Beach or lake?
Beach me!

27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
Oh hell no! I am such a romantic and I love being married!

28. Do you own property?
Yes.

29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Graduate school. (geek alert!)

31. What's your drink?
Whiskey sour, Stoli Orange with Sprite

32. Cowboys or Indians?
Cowboys! Hot! I mean smokin hot!

33. Cops or Robbers?
Cops. Some know why. :)

34. Who from high school would you like to run into?
My 20th reunion is in 2 weeks so I'll let you know!

35. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
107.9 ....country.

36. Norm or Cliff?
Neither.

37. The Cosbys or the Simpsons?
Cosbys. I love Bill Cosby!

38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
No effin comment!

39. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
22 of them and I adore them! All of them. Okay, maybe not one. Or two. :)

40. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Rupert from Survivor.

41. Indoors or Outdoors?
Oh, I'm sooooo outdoors. I love to fall asleep in a tent and listen the all the strange sounds. I love to swim and ride my bike!

42. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
Yes. A few. Next question.....

43. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No.

44. Last book you read for real?
I read several books this summer. Ava's Man changed me into a better person. I loved it!

45. Do you have a teddy bear?
Nope

46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
In my classroom every day before homeroom!

47. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
I've only been as far north as Fresno so I would love to go further north.

48. Do you go to church?
Yes. Though I should go more often.

49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Neither... I would be alone and teaching if I could. Like a school marm. Only really happy.

50. Just how OLD are you?
I'll be 39 on January 14th.