A little bit of this and a little bit of that

Blogging at midnight when I should be sleeping... a little bit of everything on my mind.

Are these not the coolest shoes? I want a pair. 


Spent the weekend going from the mountains to the desert. Chaperoned an all night field trip, then Sissy and I went to breakfast at Dennys. Oh, we did dance Gangham Style. Yum red velvet pancake pops. I was up like 26 hours. Wow.
Went to the mountains for 30 degree temps and a delicious dinner when I woke up. Found some real estate. Back home for the night where we went to Palm Springs the next day. Met some friends of Mike's and spent the night there.

Productive weekend. I washed my BF's car, vacuumed both of ours, cleaned the dash and all the important stuff. Picked up around the house, did massive amounts of laundry.

Sweater weather is here. YAY!

My new favorite song. Partial to Joan Baez, but the guitarist has the sexiest voice of all the Zac Brown Band members.




This song was in my head all week, and thanks to Joey for helping me figure it out.


Enough hickness. Here's another diddy I'm digging. Ok... it is country... but it is sexy.


This was in my head also all week, and it became a catch line at school.


Speaking of work we don't need to talk about that. Drama. Principal is leaving. Mixed feelings on that as much as I despise her some days. She isn't all bad, but she's not all good. Whoever you get can be worse.

Sister apparently wrote a thesis and had to defend it. Of course the world revolved around her and everything had to come to a standstill for that. Did you feel it? I dunno... my sister didn't seem like an expert on whatever it was she was presenting.

Oh, and speaking of my sister, sister story time. I have free Vegas nights and told my parents I'd take them as a part of their Christmas gift. I got 4 tickets to the show they really want to see.

So I haven't told them the part about the show, but I did say that I got 2 hotel rooms for the 4 of us, and we would be staying at a nice hotel. I have it all planned as far as shopping, restaurants, etc. We were in Red Robin eating, and my sister said we weren't going. She couldn't go. She had to stay home to care for the house. She had to care for the dog. She had to work. She couldn't work in a hotel room. There's tons of drunks in Vegas. There's smoking. And I wanted to say something and say she had to go because I have 4 tickets, but alas, I didn't. She broke out crying in the middle of the restaurant. UM. She's 23? 22? I forget, but WTF?

So that's what's going on in my neck of the woods as Al Roker would say. He annoys me BTW.

Out on the town

Been out partying like a rockstar recently... here's a quick rundown

Villa Blanca
The place to be seen in Beverly Hills, Real Housewife of Beverly Hills Lisa Vanderpump's restaurant. Awful food, lots of fried food, but it was fun socializing with Mike's coworkers and the people of the company he was wining and dining the other day.

Sprinkles Cupcakes
Went the night of Villa Blanca and drove up last Monday night with my coworker, Sissy, to get some.

Dinner with The Guy and his BF
Met The Guy and Rob for dinner last Friday night. Great time. We took them to our favorite steakhouse, and they were impressed as they'd driven by it, but had no idea how good the food was. 5 glasses of wine, beef sparerib, and tons of appetizers. Great time chatting about Mac products, Samsung, work, and more.

Conference for the program I teach
Highlight of my week because I LOVE these conferences - the information presented is always soooo relevant and inspiring - and I don't say that often. Sissy and I got to hang and flirt. We had the others jealous of us.

Friday Night
Mike and I went out to the fish house we like for dinner, chatted with a hilarious Asian bartender, who it turns out lives right by my parents. She was a blast. Went to 2 new microbreweries and had some good beer. A little buzzed after, which made shopping in Marshalls and Target mucho fun.

Tonight
Dinner with J&B at the steakhouse, microbrewery tour part 2 tonight.

Lots of functions

Work functions have kept me busy.

Weekend before last I was chaperoning a football game. I missed out on a party with Mike, and J&B because we got home much later than anticipated.

Did get to see the space shuttle at like midnight in the middle of LA streets. Surreal.

Spent the past weekend in Laughlin, and will never go back. Old people. Bikers. Texans.

Booked every weekend between now and the end of the year including:
- Dinner with friends
- Home visits at school
- Tim and Faith weekend in Vegas
- Vegas con mi familia
- Wine tasting in NorCal
- Weekend in PS

Another work function in the desert

Doing a business dinner with Mike this week, where I get to be the poster-boyfriend

Palm Springs Bar Suggestions

Hi guys,

Sissy (coworker, used to call Tagalong) and I get to go to a conference out in the desert. SO EXCITED. It is just she and I. We, of course, will have the evenings free. We need to find a good watering hole.

I have my favorite eateries out there, so in the eating department we are good.

I "know" of places, but have never been to many. We are open to any area in the desert from Palm Springs out to Palm Desert. We want a place where we can dance, a younger crowd, straight or gay bar is good; and it is a Monday and Tuesday night. Is there such venue?

I know Toucans, and Toucans is fun, but mostly older. Any thoughts to help sissy and I out?

2 parents

Had a parent night at work tonight. Traduce toda la reunion a Espanol por los padres mientras Tagalong (my sissy) led the meeting. Had a great turnout - probably 75 parents out of 200 in a poor minority area.

And after, I was thinking how much of an impact I can have, and how great it is.

One parent, the sweetest lady, she has 2 great kids, she's very traditional Mexican woman. I had her son last year and he caught the lazy bug, but I did give him an excellence award for being very responsible and always was willing to improve. He came in and gave me a huge thank you. I didn't really know his mom last year. I saw my roll sheets this year and noticed the last name, but thought nothing because it is a common hispanic last name. The first week I got an email the mom called, spoke to her on the phone, and she told me I had her son last year. She praised me highly for motivating her son in her limited English, but she tried, and was great. She always was so joyful and dressed in her best. Her daughter wears 2 hearing aids and often misses information, so I've talked to mom many mornings this year when I'm on duty asking about what we are doing in the class and making sure her daughter is doing ok. She is always so sweet and respectful and loves how I'm so approachable. She brightens my day. She always speaks so respectfully and shakes my hand, and it is just sweet. It makes me want to do a good job because I want her daughter to be successful. And her daughter is just as sweet and respectful. It just dawned on me, like 5 minutes after I published this blog that tonight she was speaking Spanish to me this evening. Sissy told me after the meeting Danny's mom didn't know I spoke Spanish, and I chuckled thinking of another Danny that she has that I had last year. Nope, It was this lady, and she was telling me how amazed and glad she is I am her daughters teacher because of that.

One other parent is a great grandparent raising her great grandkids still remembers me, asks about me, and calls me at work just to talk and ask if I'm keeping tabs on her greatgrandson. I don't have him this year, Sissy does, but whenever something is going on I chat with her. Her respect and praise makes it worth it.

And that's why I love the program I teach, and the lives I impact.

Portland-Seattle

Hey guys!

What are the must dos between Portland and Seattle? What are the things to do in Portland besides the famed Voodoo Donuts?

How is walking/public transit?

Thinking of flying there, using public transit/walking as much as possible, then renting a car, driving to Seattle, dropping it off at the airport in Seattle, then off to Downtown Seattle.

iPhone 5

1. What kind of smart phone do you have?
the new iPhone 5

2. Necessity, accessory or my right arm?
Necessity and accessory - I like to stay in contact, I like to be in the know with news, etc... and who can't resist a sexy iPhone in their hand, and a white one at that?

3. Top three favorite apps?
Pandora, Facebook, Yelp

4. How much do you use your smart phone for calling, texting and data (email, games, movies)?
WWF is a daily thing. 
Calling is important too. 
Texting - not a fan, but you send me one and I'll send you one back
And internet right in your hands? Sign me up.

5. Phone sex? Sextxting? Hookup apps?
Uh... no.

6. Has your smart phone replaced your camera?
Nope, only when I don't have one nearby

Bonus
It's 3 am. You're in trouble. What's the trouble and who do you call?
My BF or The Guy, then my parents.