Sunday, September 30, 2012

Ritcheeeeeee

My kids are hilarious. They're Mexican and love the oldies. They love that I love the oldies too. I burst out into song the other in class and a few kids sang along too... They could not believe I knew Ritchee Valenzuela.



And I know Selena too.

And the cruising oldies



And who doesn't like Angel Baby?



I found an awesome way to incorporate these and other oldies into my next unit I'm teaching at school, so I'm jazzed.





Bound to be the coolest teacher jammin the oldies... ;-)

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Drinking Weekends

Friday before last was sister's birthday, so I went to Fridays with the family to celebrate. Sis was in a bitchy mood and I wasn't feeling it. I left about 8 and went back to join Mike.

Saturday AM 
Erased my Samsung Galaxy SIII and were off to Frys to return the phone. Easy return. They were even able to reverse the upgrade. Found out they had a 64gb white iPhone 5, and it was the 2nd to last one. It was mine. Long time since computers were slow, but the girl was cool and flirty. Back in the car I texted The Guy, and then chatted with him about how great my new toy was. He didn't have one, and won't be for a long time. WOO. We drove down to Long Beach and shopped BR. Stopped at Maggianos where we were the hit in the bar with my new iPhone, a cool bartender who was jealous of my phone, and 2 drunk girls. 1 gin and tonic, 1 glass of chardonnay, 2 shots of tequila with cinnamon and orange that drunk girl raved about. Tequila with cinnamon is not the biz, but hey, fun pics of us and them. Slept on the car ride home. Slept more when we got home.

Sunday
Out and about, went to Petco and other stores... didn't find alot. Did some lesson planning and made out and fooled around in bed.

Monday-Friday
Work week wasn't bad, but benchmark testing and people drama made work tiring.

Visited the parents on Wednesday and Thursday.

Friday I went to a retirement party with my mom at a buffet. Left about 9. Did get caught up with The Guy and my best friend on the drive to the buffet.

Saturday
Today we went to the post office to get a package, dry cleaners, Mike made waffles. Went to PS away from Carmageddon for BR and lunch. Triple tequila shot margarita and lots of drunk photos, and one made its way online, courtesy of my BF. Drove back for another BR and lots of touching on the way back. Back here and one of us crashed on the couch. I'm watching Big Bang Theory



Thursday, September 27, 2012

TMI Thursday: Drink! Drink! Drink!


TMI Thursday: DRINK! DRINK! DRINK!

1.  Are you a cheap date?

Nope. I like Jack and Coke, or sapphire and tonic. Don't try to skimp me on cheap whiskey. It has to be jack, Black velvet is ok, or Lord Calvert. Southern Comfort doesn't cut it.  Expensive drinks. 

2. What is your favorite drink? (you can have different ones for different occasions)

A night with friends at a nice dinner or the one I love: wine, especially red in the winter
A night out with friends: sapphire and tonic or jack and coke
At a Mexican restaurant: a margarita
A night out where I'm getting tipsy: jack and cokes with a sapphire
Always open to try new things
A romantic night out, a night at a steakhouse: a Manhattan... call me old fashioned

3. Worst experience?

This. No rum. EVER. Mimosas are nasty. Rum and coke is horrible. 

4. Beer goggles?

Sure...

5. What's the funniest thing you've done while drinking?

I get very touchy and hit everyone/everything. I love a good bulge in a guy's pants.

Bonus
Ever drunk dial?

Nope... only texted...

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

My whereabouts

Last few weeks I've been at school until 6pm or later everyday.

Weekend before last we returned Mike's rental car after him being out of town all week and then we went shopping at the mall and had lunch. We met our friends J&B, then we went grocery shopping and off to Mike and their friend's youtube party. HORRIBLE. Sitting listening to Diznee freaks and teachers talk about life. Weird people. We were there until after midnight, then went back to their house where we talked a few minutes, then went to bed. Woke up about 8:30 or so, showered, and then decided to go to lunch at the Mexican restaurant we had brunch at last time. Many refills of champagne, even calling the waiter back many times. Good convo. Slept all evening. Did lesson plans. Mike made fishies for dinner. Brought some for Tagalong the next day. She loved it.

Last week I was at work until late nearly every evening and then running to the city my parents live in to go to physical therapy, dinner with family, and shots. Busy. My BF was home all week, but it was 9 or so every night until I saw him.

We finally got together Friday night and we pondered a trip to Vegas, but then decided to do that on Saturday. I threw that out randomly as I realized I had free hotel rooms and wanted to get away. We decided to go to dinner at a restaurant I picked because I was having a bad week. We talked a lot at dinner and then came home to bed.

Saturday we got up and packed the car to go to Vegas. I slept about half the way there. Parked at Planet Hollywood and then walked all around the shopping areas looking for BR sales. Found some blue pants for work at one. YAY! We then went to Mario Batali's restaurant in the Venetian for lunch. The pizza was pretty good and cheese was great. We didn't eat there last time since it seemed so expensive, but it wasn't for lunch.

Went to hotel off strip and relaxed. Decided to walk around there, then tried to take trolley over to strip. LONG LINE. Mike said we would go in the bar, have a drink, chatted about our friends J&B a lot, flirted. Then we decided to find a restaurant in hotel. About to do steakhouse, but M wanted fish. We had a great view at the kitchen seeing in and chatting with chefs as they made our food. It was really good and enjoyable. Nice dessert too. Went back to the bar and drank. Tried to go to rooftop bar, but huge line. We went to tables instead and played video poker at the bar and M won $540.00 on a game. Paid for the trip. We went and had a drink, then went to bed about midnight.

Up about 8 or so. Down to bar for mimosas and breakfast. Talked about phones. BF is getting a new one for work. iPhone didn't impress me. Found a Sunday ad for an electronics store that was super cheap. Same phone he was getting. We go in and I decided to buy an awful Samsung android monstrosity. I liked it and really enjoyed it for the ride home. Made my BF jealous as we tried to figure out voice and navigation etc. He played with it while I planned lessons. Bed about 10.

Monday at work was tough. Admin drama.

Tuesday was worse. I was at school until 9pm.

Today was a conference I went to that was amazing.

Back to work tomorrow. BOO.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

You think you know, but you have no idea

You think you know what teachers go through, but I'm going to give a super short abbreviated version just to get it off my chest. 

Principal told coordinator and I we needed to go to a certain venue for a field trip. We agreed and coordinated it. We paid for students who couldn't afford, and other teachers did the same. We were then ridiculed because so many students couldn't go. So what happened? So the trip wasn't canceled coordinator and I scrambled to the bank to come up with $800 for the trip to still happen. She's a single mom, 2 kids, can hardly afford this, yet we did it. We did it without complaining... well... we were manipulated by our administrator. Manipulation is another thing teachers deal with. We were told if we cared about the kids we would do it. And we do. And so we did it. And the kids will enjoy it. But don't tell me teachers don't care... we are sacrificing our wellbeing and risking running short for the month to see that our students have a good time.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Just some thoughts

Some random thoughts about things I'd like to do in the future in my relationship -

Have a love affair with downtown LA and find a nice rooftop bar to go to
Have dinner at a rooftop restaurant in Downtown LA where we get dressed up to go
Be surprised on my birthday - maybe with friends, or just an adventure
Find some great outdoor patio restaurants in the IE to visit
Go out with friends like The Guy and other couples more - this should start happening soon
Save even more money for vacations and getaways like mentioned above



Friday, September 7, 2012

When and if I get paid

I blogged about it a while back I think - I'm getting paid a per diem stipend for teaching an extra time each day. While there were issues and we didn't get paid this month, I have been told that we will be backpaid for this, so I should not worry.

My only thought now is what to do with the money? It is several hundred dollars per month that I didn't have before, so what do I do with it?

Option 1
Pay down my student loan. My loan currently hovers at $20,000. I could use that extra money to put close to $1000 toward that every month. The good thing about that is I get up to $2500 tax credit each year for the interest paid toward it, and right now I've only paid about $800 in interest toward it, so I could put more toward that.

Option 2
Put the extra money into my 403B retirement plan. I have a few thousand in this plan and a set amount that goes into it each month. Extra money would be nice...

Option 3
Put it in the stock market - I do pretty well in investing and right now my portfolio has jumped in value $1,000 over the past year. Stock market investments can return up to about 10%.

I talked to my dad and he just says to pay down interest... what to do...

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Offroading weekend

Tuesday

- After visiting with my mom and dad getting shots, we went to Olive Garden, and then headed home. Went to Mike's afterward to watch and meet with my kitty.

Wednesday

- Got home after work and hung out with my cat, relaxed, and did some chores around the house.

Thursday

- My bf made dinner and we hung out at home.

Friday

- I had a miserable day at work. I was mad at everyone and everything. I got home and bitched to Mike about the principal making an error on our pay - not submitting timecards on time and so we were not being paid for our extended day. I talked about the legalities/union issues to Mike who basically said we teachers need to just refuse to work and not follow the union. He said 60 teachers is stronger than the union, so we just release the kids and start teaching at the old time. Um... obviously he's never stood in front of 35 kidlets all at once like that... he'd understand why you wouldn't do that.

We go to a Modern Mexican restaurant I'd been wanting to try. I was texting my cousin, so invited her along, and she met us there. We chatted about her not having a car, her new job, working as a cocktail waitress, and religion. 3 margaritas and a glass of wine had me feeling pretty fly. Head home watching the moon and chatting...

Bed about 10:30.

Saturday

- Up about 8 and shower. He makes Ina's pancakes for breakfast. They were delicious. We started talking about things to do, and I suggested a trip up Hi-way 395. He changed his rental car to start during the weekend and we head to pick out a rental. We get a 2013 Tahoe, which was pretty nice, and needed. Head up the 395 and stop at Mt. Whitney Park; then Manzanar, the Japanese WWII internment camp; and then decided that we needed to find a hotel. Mike and I switched positions and I drove while he found a hotel. This was only his 2nd roadtrip where he never booked a hotel. We find a hotel in Mammoth, so I drive us there. We enjoy the nice 30-50 degree temps. We get the hotel, drive around, and then unpack at the hotel. We go out to the shuttle for dinner. Go up to the bluegrass festival and see no food places. End up going to an upscale chain restaurant. Mike and I get to talking to 2 older ladies in their 60s who were out drinking without their husbands. They had suggestions for us how to spend the day/night. We chatted about work with them since they were former teachers. By the end we were all hugging and saying our goodbyes. The food was delish- mussels, bread, crab cakes, and mas. We go to the bar at the hotel to see some women rockers. We discover we are the oldest there, so finish our wine quickly. Go back to the hotel where we tickle and I fall asleep in his arms.

Sunday

- Up about 7:45ish and we jack each other off. I coudln't get off. Damn anxiety meds. I am going to go get some new ones. I hate not being able to get off. I haven't gotten off in over a week. No more Prozac para mi. We go to the bakery for breakfast, then drive up to Mono Lake (2x the salt of the ocean). Then we go to Bishop for the Bristlecone Pine Forest. Beautiful drive up to nearly 11,500 feet. LOVED IT. Offroading. Dinner at a steakhouse where we chat about my sister and her car accident before I met Mike - somehow we got to talking about insurance. Mike wanted dessert. I wanted to go bowling. I overruled him and we went bowling. He won the first game like 105-75, then 104 for me and 88 for him. The final game he won too. Drank a pitcher of beer. Back to hotel for bed. Bed about 9.



Monday

- Up early for breakfast in hotel - cinnamon roll. Then off to Vons for nothing, then got gas, then Subway. Got sandwiches. Met the friendliest workers at this Subway - we really enjoyed it. Headed to Manzanar Concentration Camp again, then to a park we found that had another offroad path. We head home after this and arrive about 6 so I could do some lesson planning.

Tuesday


- Tough day at work. I was at work until 6p.m. Don't tell me teachers don't work.