I'm random, thanks for asking.

Happy belated birthday holbytla!

I've not done much today, certainly not what needed to get done. In about an hour I'm going to a birthday party, so nothing at home will get done.

Work: My boss makes me nervous, and I try to avoid him. I never know if he's going to give us more to do, so I'd just rather not talk to him. My teammates are even more frustrated with him; one handles it worse than the other. I feel like I'm following rules more than teaching my students. As one coworker says, we're teaching objectives and not the whole child.

Saw Phantom of the Opera at ASU Gammage last night. It was phantastic. I think I need to see it on stage more often, though that would require finding places to see it. Las Vegas has a regular show, but that's a bit far to go. The actresses who played Christine and Meg - I wonder if they were ballerinas or singers first. It's not easy to run in pointe shoes, as I could see last night.

On A Prairie Home Companion, they are singing the things the audience is thankful for. They took the cards and put them into song, and it's pretty funny to listen to. I can't wait to go see it in January.

So I've been emailing this guy a couple weeks now. He found my profile on a dating site that I get free days on every couple of months. We sent messages back and forth via the site for several months. If you aren't a paid member they ask that you not give out email addresses, so it wasn't till he bought a 3-month membership that he could give his contact information. He's 10 years older than me, and lives in Flagstaff. I don't know what to think at the moment. I'll keep emailing, and maybe meet when he comes through town for Thanksgiving. I don't want to be too forward but at the same time don't want to mislead him. This is why I hate meeting people online; there's just too much unknown and when do you say vertain things without freaking the other person out or feeling like I'm jumping the gun?

Why can't one of the guys I know in person show some interest?

I love my Uggs, and never want to take them off.

...Especially when they turn out to be awesome. While searching for the new Fray cd at Target, I cam across the upcoming artists section. I see one called Fiction Family, with a sticker saying it's Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek, two bands I like. Well, the $9.99 risk was worth it. It's on iTunes as well, for those who like to preview before buying.

Speaking of iTunes, as much as I've come to love it, I still like cds better. You wouldn't know it since I hardly play them, but I just prefer having that hard copy first. Whatever I like goes on my iPod.

Later on I'm going to a surprise birthday party, woohoo! So much for the things I wanted to accomplish today. I'll be madly grading later this week.

I had no coffee until nearly 2 p.m., and by then I had a slight headache and felt shaky. I fear the day I attempt to give up caffeine.

Arizona can't figure out what season it is. Today it's around 80 outside, but the temperature has fluctuated all week. Going to Tempe Marketplace and Firsta Mall, people are wearing everything from tank tops and shorts to long sleeved sweaters and jeans (me). I woke up ok, felt freezing as I got dressed, then got a little warm walking around the stores. Bath and Body Works was was freezing!

It's also the dreaded time of searching for Christmas presents. Dreaded for me because I think too hard trying to pick gifts. Items have to scream out a person's name for me to buy them, and I'm so distant from most of my family I don't know exactly what their current tastes are. I was also in search of a birthday gift for Alyssa, and the only thing that said her name was a pair of thigh high striped socks on a mannequin. Well, the store didn't actually sell them, or at least I couldn't find them. Alyssa could totally rock those socks with a skirt. Oh well.

I have to go to Fiesta Mall every few months to see what's new. This time around it's Rack Room Shoes, where I got a very cute and cheap pair of brown heels. The store was the most clean and organized of any RRS location I'd been to, and I told them so. They appreciated the compliment.

Ok, enough procrastinating. Chores to do!

note to self: song I really like this year: This is Home - Switchfoot

A good friend of mine is turning 30 next month (a month before I do, ack!) and I am trying to think of a gift for her. I'm probably making this harder than it really is, but we've been friends since 8th grade, I was in her wedding, and she basically was the spark that lit the fire that moved me from CA to AZ. So, I want to get something a little special.

A little about her: she is married and has a 1 year-old daughter (whom she adores), likes to scrapbook, is a shopaholic, teaches 5th grade, gives so much of herself to others, loves stuff from the M&Ms store in Las Vegas, owns a house, is creative, has 3 cats, and...

Basically, I want to get her something that is for her, not necessarily something her daughter needs or something to clutter up the house. It's her birthday, so I want the gift to be about her, even though if I asked, she'd probably ask for something to do with her family. Whether or not you take the above information into consideration, what gift ideas do you have? Any ideas will help, since I can't seem to think of anything.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY holbytla!!! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with fandoms and cake and presents and whatever else you want. :D :D :D