L'Shana Tova Indeed!

I am on cloud 9 right now! There are two main reasons for this and they are:

1. I found out on Friday that I will be able to go to Chicago with my parents. Originally, I wasn't going to be able to go because someone else at work was taking the day off, but she decided to cancel that. I'll get into this more in a minute.
2. My Grandma knows how much I absolutely adore the musical Wicked and also called on Friday, telling me that she got me a ticket to see it in Chicago on Friday night!!!!!

All right now that I have those two items covered, I'll go into more detail on each. I had originally asked for September 29th off about a month ago when I first found out that my parents were going to Chicago for my little cousin's 1st birthday. Well my director said that I couldn't take that day off because one of my co-workers was already taking that day off and we are VERY short on staff right now, thus making it impossible. Of course I was crushed, but I decided that maybe something could happen to make me able to take this day off. My mom had been asking me almost everyday if I could just go ask again (I didn't because I knew the answer). Finally on Friday, I called my mom to tell her that I had a staff meeting on Monday (I know, completely off the topic, but whatever; this is my blog, haha ;-) and she then told me that my Grandma had called telling her that Wicked was going to be in Chicago for another week...this prompted me to rush downstairs and plea for the day off! Well Audrey (my director) said that even though Jess had canceled her day off, she (Audrey) had also canceled the sub! I was fuming. BUT then Audrey said she'd give her a call and see if she could get the sub back. I was rather thankful. Well about 2 hours later, Audrey came into the room saying "You owe me--I got you the day off." She was smiling about it and I wanted to hug her! I think I thanked her about 10 times in a row.

All right now more on my Grandma and me seeing the musical that I have been longing to see since I first listened to the OBC soundtrack a few months ago. My Grandma said that Friday the 29th was the very last performance (the evening one anyway; I'm not sure if there is a matinee that day). Naturally I was excited as hell. Pardon my french. ;-) Now I was planning on paying for a ticket since I wasn't about to make my Grandma pay for it...but she beat me to it. That evening, before we went to Temple for Rosh Hashana, she called and told me that she got me a seat...in the 6th row of the main floor, just off center! I was beaming, but since I was so tired I simply said, "Thank you so much!" I think that was for the best.

I am still debating on whether I should pay her back; my parents said that I should accept this as a gift, but to thank her again when we see her (well duh, mom!) on Friday. I'm thinking of going that route since I have other expenses to think about right now.

For instance: moving. Yep that's right! I am going to move into my new apartment on Saturday, October 28th! So that's exciting. Now all we need to do is pack up all my stuff, call the apartment complex and let them know the move in date and get a moving truck!

So I'd say that this is defnitely a good start to the New Year.

L'Shana Tova!

-Lisa

And So The Process Begins

Well today I decided to go back to the apartment complex that my parents and I looked at last weekend. After a lot of pondering over what apartment seemed to have the best amenities, security, etc... I finally came to the conclusion as to which one I liked the most. So today my mom and I drove over there and talked with the woman who helped us on Sunday. I filled out the application, paid the application fee, and the deposit which means the apartment is now reserved in my name. :-) Now all I have to do is settle on a move-in date! I'm thinking the end of October which gives me a good chunk of time to figure out what I will want to go where and what I'm going to need to buy.

My dad surprised me this evening when I called him...he said that he and my mom are going to cover the cost of the movers! This was a surprise because I am very used to doing everything for myself and by myself. Yet how could I possibly pass something like that up?! I'm already going to have to be buying a bunch of other things so I guess he decided that he and my mom should do something to help out. It's times like this when you really come to appreciate your parents; not because they give you things, but because of what they want to do for their kids every now and then. Cherish those moments guys.

After my mom and I finished up at the complex, we decided to go to Chili's for lunch. I hadn't been there in a while and we figured that since it was on the way home, why not. When we finished, my brain started to trail off. That's basically when the reality of, 'Oh my gosh, I'm going to be moving in a month and I'll be living on my own for the first time! What the hell am I doing?!' As that was happening, I almost went through a red light. Oops. Thankfully I didn't and stopped in time (granted the anti-lock brakes did kick in...). My mom wasn't upset though which was a good thing. Had she been upset, I could have had a full blown anxiety or panic attack in the car. Now that would not have been good.

Once we were home, I got on the computer for a while. That reality was really starting to kick in and I was now having a full blown anxiety attack that was presenting itself in the form of depression. For some reason my anxiety attacks have been coming in that form lately. Weird. I took a 2 hour nap which helped a little bit, but I was still rather nervous. My mom had to go usher at the Beavercreek Community Theatre for a play they're putting on so after she left I got off the computer and lay down on my bed, put my earphones on and listened to part of Wicked. Well that wasn't helping one little bit. For those who don't get anxiety attacks all that often or don't suffer from General Anxiety Disorder or Depression (I have both...well I'm bipolar actually), when you lay on your bed and think about absolutely nothing during an attack, it isn't going to help. All I thought about was how scared I was. I finally just said 'screw it' (okay I didn't actually say that, but I was thinking it) and changed into my workout clothes. I then went downstairs to the basement where we have our stationary bike. I put the CD of Wicked in (I'm addicted to that show) and started riding. I figured that I would ride for about 20 minutes or so. That would probably get me thinking about something else and would probably help me calm down...

Well 36 minutes and 7.5 miles later, I felt a lot better. Not only did I have a really good workout (I burned 190 calories; the most I have ever burned while riding the bike in that amount of time), but I felt much better. My head was clear and things were starting to come into place. Yes I'm still really nervous, but at least I'm not having an attack.

I guess that does it for now. Have a great weekend and I'll be writing more at some point.

-Lisa

Never Forget...

It is hard to believe that it has been 5 years since the 9/11 attacks. It has gone by so quickly yet at the same time it feels as though it was yesterday as I think about what happened to not only our country, but to the world as well.

Never Forget.

God Bless America.

-Lisa

A New Place to Call "Home?"

Well I spent yesterday afternoon and this afternoon pretty much looking around for an apartment. I must admit that there are a ton of places around here that I didn't even know about! Thank goodness for Apartment Guide (THE apartment magazine to have if you're looking for something!) which pretty much set my dad and I in the right direction.

While there were a couple of places we looked at yesterday that looked rather promising, when we went out today there was a possible winner. Not only is the complex located in a great location (close to shopping, restaurants, and work), but it's also in a very safe location. That has been one of the key issues for me (and my parents, hehe).

I loved the exterior and interior of the apartment. And it really has a lot of room for one person! I really don't care that there aren't washer/dryer hook-ups in the apartment itself. That isn't very important to me. As long as there is some form of security, a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and a form of living/dining area, I'm happy. And this place had all of those things.

So things are looking up in the search for an apartment. Now all I have to is calculate the numbers to make sure I can afford it! I'm pretty sure I can, but it's always good to double, triple, and quadruple check.

Have a nice rest of the afternoon.

-Lisa

At the End of the Week...

Even though it has been a rather long and trying week, I must admit that it has also been a rewarding week.

The kids are really getting used to being at school and therefore are not crying as much when their parents drop them off. But what has really been rewarding is the fact that these two little toddlers, both of whom are new to the center, are really warming up to me! Yes I have the two year old class this year but I am in the toddler room for nap and then I work with them as well as the two year olds in the afternoon for extended care. Yes there is someone else in the room!

It's just a great feeling to see that although they were scared at first, that these kids are starting to really like school and I must be having a good influence on them if they are warming up to me. :-) It makes me feel good!

I guess that's about it. Oh and I went to the dentist today...I guess my brushing two times daily has really paid off!

-Lisa

Nearly Five Years Now...

It is still hard to believe that Monday will mark the 5th anniversary of 9/11. It makes one wonder, what were you doing when you found out?

I can remember everything from that day quite clearly. I know that it was a Tuesday because I was still in college and I had my Tuesday/Thursday classes that day. It started out as a typical Tuesday morning; I had gotten up, gotten dressed, and gone to breakfast. I remember that as I was coming out of the bathroom in my dorm someone who was walking in the hall mentioned to me that "a plane hit one of the Twin Towers." Of course I was in shock. We both thought that it was some sort of freak accident; that the plane had lost control.

At any rate, I hurried back to my room and turned on the TV to one of the news channels. Just as I turned the TV on, however, I saw something that I will never forget: a plane flew straight into the South Tower. Yes I saw it happen right before my eyes. I was beyond shocked. I was now freaking out. The newscasters said that this could not possibly be an accident...two planes hitting both towers within one hour? No. This was the work of terrorists. The reporters were then talking about other major cities at risk and that the country was on high alert.

I lived in the northern suburbs of Chicago at the time and attended college not far from my house. Chicago as I am sure you know is a major city. The Sear's Tower is there for crying out loud. Naturally I began to cry as I was very scared; not for myself, but for my family. My grandmother lived about a mile from the Sear's Tower at the time and her building could have easily been demolished had a plane hit the Sear's Tower. I picked up the phone and called my dad...I was in tears so it was very difficult to speak. I asked him if he heard what had happened and of course he said yes. I told him of my fears and he told me that everything would be all right; that nothing would happen in Chicago. How the hell could he make that kind of promise?! The country had just been attacked! After talking to him for another few minutes, we hung up. I called my mom, still in tears and told her of my fear. She had the same fear but was calmer as she had talked to my grandmother not long before. She was just fine.

My class (one of my History classes) was of course not the normal World History class that it would have normally been. We spent the enitre hour and a half talking about what had just happened. It broke my heart when some people said they were from New York and that their parents knew people who worked in the Towers.

After class I remember coming back to my dorm only to see several students gathered in the lounge watching NBC (or FOX, I can't remember). I walked into the room and was once again shocked. A plane had, not long ago hit the Pentagon. Another plane had hit a field in Pennsylvania. There were reports that the plane that went down in PA was heading towards the White House but that several of the people on board caused the plane to go down far from Washington, D.C. Heroes, all of them. No one had a dry eye.

And then it it happened. The attention was turned back to the Twin Towers now because they were looking as though they were going to collapse at any moment. Everyone in the room was petrified when the South Tower crumbled to the ground. It was silent. We could not believe that one of the two Towers was gone. Then the North Tower collapsed. New York, nor the rest of the country (or world for that matter) would never be the same.

My second (and last) class of the day was World Music. My professor barely stayed on topic and let us leave about 30 minutes early. I rushed back to the dorm and into the lounge where many people still were. The President was giving a speech on what had happened that day.

The rest of the day was spent in that room. We pretty much just talked and consoled each other, still numb from what happened. We were still in shock. The full blast of emotions would come the next day. And trust me, they did.

That's all I have to say today. I am sorry that this was not a happier entry, but I just needed to let this out. Five years. Wow.

-Lisa

Sunset...

All right, as you can see I took some pictures of the sunset this evening. It was absolutely amazing. The sky had turned a gorgeous bright orange color as the sun set. After doing so, it turned a light purple/pink/light orange color. It was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen! I wish you could have been here to see it in person, but I guess this will have to do!

Anyway I just thought I'd share those pictures with you all. Have a wonderful rest of the evening!

-Lisa

Flare Ups...Ugh

Well I have had a lovely day...not. I have basically had the same FM (Fibromyalgia) flare up all day today. It is probably due to the sudden change in the weather, but nonetheless it stinks. I'm so tired and yet I slept very well last night and took a rather long nap today (not to mention the fact that I didn't do much today anyway). Oh well, it's just one of the symptoms.

On the upside, I was able to take a few pictures of the sunset. I have posted two of the pictures; the rest are somewhere else in my computer, lol. I just felt like putting the two I liked the best up.

There's no school tomorrow which is also a plus; I'm so used to going to work every day of the week that having one day off will be very welcome.

Not much else is going on today...my dad invited a friend and his family from work over for dinner so I was downstairs 'socializing' for a while with them. I'll admit they are a very nice family and had I been feeling better I would have joined them for dinner. I feel kind of guilty for not joining them, but luckily my mom understands why I didn't. I just hope my dad does too.

I also made a few changes on my MySpace today (the link is on the side). The only thing that is currently irking me is the fact that I have a few videos on there from YouTube and YouTube is currently down...thus making those videos turn up as big white squares. Grrr. Hopefully the site will be back up soon because it is really bothersome to look at a big white thing, lol.

That's about all that is going on with me. Stay well!

-Lisa

I Survived Week One

We should seriously have shirts made that say that we all survived the first week of the new school year, haha. Granted things were very hectic and there were times when I wanted to just pull my hair out and scream, I think this was a very good first week of school. The kids are all getting back into the groove of things and the new kids are learning the groove of things.

And the staff...well we're learning how to deal with how little staff we have. In other words, if we want to take a vacation day we need to let our director know about two months in advance. We were going to have a new girl start this year, but at the last minute (and I do mean at the last minute), she goes to Audrey (the director) and tells her that she has accepted a teaching job at an elementary school. What the heck?! She had already accepted this job!

It just makes me really angry when people pull that kind of stuff. If she was having second thoughts, she should not have accepted the job completely. I'm sure Audrey would understand. But no. This girl decided to make our lives difficult. *Sigh* Okay I'm over that. I'm just really mad that I can't go to Chicago with the rest of my family at the end of the month to visit my extended in family. We are celebrating my cousin's 1st birthday and I was planning to go...but now because of short staff, I can't. Thankfully I have the day before Thanksgiving off (I asked for it off on the 29th of August!) because 1.) we're going to Arizona and 2.) my dad already purchased my airplane ticket.

All right I'm done venting. I think.

Other than that whole debacle, this week was good. The only problem is the lead teacher in my room. It feels as though the other assistant teacher and I (yes there are three teachers in my room) are the only two who are actually doing the teaching. Gina (lead teacher) is always telling us what kind of things she has planned and they are good ideas...the only problem is that she seems to be telling Nancy and I how to do our jobs more than she does her own job. Does that make sense? If not the reason is that I've had a long week. I like Gina, but I don't like her technique and I'm pretty sure Nancy doesn't either. In fact she told me so today when Gina left the room to go do something. As soon as she left, the whole atmosphere changed. Everything seemed to be calmer. Things tense up when Gina's in the room. She gets the kids way too riled up over nothing which really bothers us. We offer to help but she always declines.

Okay so maybe I wasn't done venting. Well now I am and before I have the chance to vent about something else that is going on, I'm just going to end this entry.

-Lisa