I skipped life group (my Thursday night small group Bible study) tonight because work was stressing me out. Trying to pack in a bunch of grading from 3:30-5:30, then having dinner with Natalie, then life group, and not getting home till 9:30 was just not a good idea. Instead, I finished up the tasks I needed to do in my classroom, threw all my grading into my bag, then headed to Target. I needed new air filters, and decided to get ice cream instead of a frappuccino. I don't know what has come over me. I never really liked fraps, even when I worked at Starbucks. I've had several in the last few months, after not having more than 2 a year. Must be the heat. Anywho, Target did not have coffee ice cream, so I got vanilla bean instead. I also got a jar of caramel sauce. Yeah, I must really be in a funk.

At home, I mixed up a concoction of ice cream, a shot of decaf instant espresso, and caramel sauce, and called it dinner. Somehow my completely unhealthy dinner gave me the boost I needed to plow through a ton of papers and then enter the grades online. Next came my second course of ice cream. This time I just poured caramel sauce into the container and ate spoonfuls until the sauce was gone.

My hands smell like Dawn dish soap. I have more grading to do, but I've lost the will to do it. It's 8:15 p.m. This is my life.

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Since I leave my laptop in the living room more often, I've been trying to read books again before going to sleep. Real, paper books! My bedroom is currently littered with books. I started and stopped a few, and then started Far From the Madding Crowd. Holy cow, I had forgotten how much Thomas Hardy likes to describe landscapes. I'm only on page 21 but I think half of that is telling what the area looks and sounds like. I had to read it after seeing so many pictures from the miniseries on tumblr. Fortunately, this book seems to be less depressing than Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Please don't spoil it if I'm wrong.

It is 93 degrees in my house. I was told the AC company would call first thing in the morning, about 8am, to make an appointment to come out. I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight. It's supposed to cool down to 77 sometime in the night, so hopefully with all the windows open and fans on, it will get more comfortable soon.

Freaking broken AC.

Well crap. I just spoiled Great Expectations by reading about the upcoming movie adaptation. Knowing Dickens, there's more left to be discovered than the 2 things I just read, but still. I really like this book, too. I was looking for cast info, and the one paragraph turns out to tell plot information. Gah.

AC is working again.

Amazing how we make all sorts of judgements about people. Case in point: guy brings his 3 kids to the pool. He has a couple tattoos and long chin-hair (Does that have a different name?). Super cool playing with his kids. I was trying to fill in the blanks in my mind like where's the mom, is he divorced (he mentioned they had to go when Grandma said the pizza was done), etc.

I still strongly dislike my chest. Probably not enough to ever have surgery (would do something about the sag, not a reduction).

One of my friends doesn't know what internet acronyms and expressions like brb or FAIL mean, but then types like a 13-year-old. "what're u doin' 2day?" Dude, it takes more effort to type incorrectly. I guess I should give her credit for using an apostrophe correctly.

Time to start using a food journal again.

I've been going to Starbucks like it's going out of style.

What's with that expression? It doesn't make sense. Or is it an idion, in which case it isn't supposed to be taken literally?

I made delicious hummus last night. I want some just because it tastes good, not because I'm hungry.

Bought a ton of baking supplies. Might bake with Michelle on Sunday. Or watch World Cup. Or both.

I tend to be really attentive to lyrics, except with the free iTunes songs I get. Heard the Civil Twilight song I got last October on the alternative station this week. Twice, actually. I realized I have no idea what most of the lyrics are, even though it's played 35 times.

ETA: the above song played on shuffle like 10 minutes after I wrote that, and I still didn't listen to the lyrics.

Sure enough, the period of relaxation at work (i.e. after AIMS) came to an abrupt halt on Wednesday. The district is being audited by the state the last week and a half of school. Audited...at the very end of the year. Random strangers, who may or may not have ever been competent educators, will be coming in unannounced, staying for unspecified periods of time, and will be making sure we're "teaching." Checking if we're adhering to the standards, doing actual instruction, as opposed to busy work, I guess? AT THE END OF THE FREAKING SCHOOL YEAR. Can't clean up, can't take stuff off the walls, nada.

It's not as if I'm taking things easy and no longer teaching, tempting as that is at times. But, seriously? Whose bright idea was this? Half my kids have tuned out as it is.

I need a massage and a pedicure.

Sunday is the LOST series finale. It's...the end. (LOL episode title. No one will get that joke/reference unless they read ack_attack's recaps) I can't believe it's going to end, and I'm sad. Not majorly depressed, but still. A fandom is ending, what am I to watch on tv now? At least there's a plethora of period dramas I've yet to see. LOST is truly one of the best tv shows ever. It will be so weird after Sunday, when it's no more.

Need some dinner.

Last night I made ravioli and topped it with a can of diced tomatoes which I simmered with random seasonings and some olive oil.  I almost inhaled the stuff.  Tonight I almost stopped at Chipotle or Chevy's for take-out, but remembered the note on my fridge, "No fast food."  So, I came home and made the closest thing to Mexican rice I could: Minute brown rice, can of tomatoes, pinch of sugar (Susan says this helps make the tomatoes less bitter, or something), cumin (seed and ground), dried minced onions, and a dash of red pepper flakes.  Oh, the onions expired a year ago.  I'm not worried, seeing as i never checked dates on seasoning cabinet contents as a kid, just amused.  I mixed a helping of rice with the remaining chili from Sunday and a dollop of sour cream.  Dude, so good.  The rice by itself is also heavenly.  I have a ton left over so I'm bringing it to the potluck lunch tomorrow.  

Ha ha ha - I just saw the rice is "best when used by March 2009" though it was unopened.   If I die tonight, blame the rice and onions!

Ok, here's the weird thing: I don't even really like tomatoes.  Well, I have never just grabbed a tomato and taken a bite.  If I taste them too much on a sandwich or burger, I take them off.  But I can't get enough of them lately.  Bizarre.  

I was visited twice today by administrators.  First time was during reading centers, then later during whole gorup reading.  I was actually pretty rockin' when they came in, AND I managed to have the kids state the objective.  This is something I really have issue with, since it's just not natural and a really unnecessary dog and pony show trick.  However, I just said when convenient "Let's tell our visitors what we're doing" and pointed to the objective we were on from the list on the board.  The kids just read it.  Boss-man better be happy that I did it at all, and that I didn't screw it up like last time.   

I want chocolate now.  I want to believe there won't be any bombshells dropped on us at staff development tomorrow.  I hope the potluck bbq isn't to butter us up for bad news. 

Friday, I hear ads on the radio saying Gap jeans are $19.99. Woohoo, cheap jeans! Too bad I'm in Tahoe and nowhere near a Gap. Saturday, Jen calls me to tell me about the jeans. I said I'd heard about it; she says she's been calling around looking for the essential fit I love and got her started on. She put a pair on hold for me in Tempe, and we decided to go to Scottsdale on Sunday. Scottsdale only had 10 long left, which is way too long. We found out from a salesperson that Gap is redesigning all their jeans, and getting rid of some styles, one of which is my favorite and most flattering essential fit! She said skinny jeans are staying and I pointed to my hips, asking, "Do I look like I need skinny jeans?!" We all laughed. Jen and I then decided to invent fat jean styles like big butt jeans, just-ate-5-hot-fudge-sundaes fit, and one with a removeable panel you can snap back in when you eat too much.

So, I managed to get ONE more pair of jeans that I love, and a pair of boot cut just for something different. Whatever the new styles are, they better have something I can wear.

Clothing stores have a conspiracy against me. Something is incredibly wrong when even Old Navy shirts don't fit, and I tried on 5 different ones. All I need are some junky long-sleeved shirts to wear in this cold weather and on my trip. But, noooooooooooo, it is not to be. I did find ONE halfway decent sweater at Wal-Mart of all places. Yes, I was that desperate. Sigh. I guess I'll try Targe one last time when I take the fishes over to Jen's later.

I really need to finish my laundry and pack. It will get done, eventually, since I'm leaving about 4:30 a.m. tomorrow. Yay driving!

I hope my sister's computer plays dvds, since I'm bringing a few movies with me. I'll need my occasional Thornton or Darcy or Rochester fix. Maybe Wentworth as well.

I hate admitting this, but maybe someone can help. I go through shirts rather quickly not just because I have a few I wear a lot, but because of deodorant stains. Today I finally broke down and threw away several t-shirts and a sweater because the underarms were disgusting. Deodorant stains and/or bleaches it (yeah, I can't figure that one out either) and there's also the perspiration stains. Most of my shirts are dark-colored, so the stains don't show quite as soon, but I just noticed one of my favorite tops now has noticible stains. Someone please make me feel better somehow, please? Laundering tips? Deodorant recommendations? Sympathy?