I'm random, thanks for asking.

Random is awesome. :)

1. Are we losing the art of listening?
Depends on what area. In listening to opposing views, yes. However, I think people just used to ignore opposing or differing opinions. Now, people just yell something to the effect of "You suck!" and discussion is over.

On the other hand, I listen to people all damn day as part of my job. So, I'm pretty good at it.

2. Have you ever interacted with the police?
I've been pulled over for speeding a few times, and a few other times for burned out headlights or tail lights. Otherwise, there were school resource officers or customers where I worked.

3. Do you like being alone?
Heck yeah. I'm alone most evenings. Tonight, however, I'm going to see Captain Marvel with Amanda.

4. Who would you share your passwords with?
In high school, Allison was one of the first people I knew with a debit card, maybe even before it was a Visa check card. Her PIN was 1225, and she'd make a show of dropping her card around me and somehow saying Christmas or the number itself. It was an ongoing joke. I don't know what her PIN is now, but we still make the joke sometimes.

I have the same password for a bunch of things, one of which is Netflix. I gave my old roommate my Netflix password to make her own profile. She asked me the origin of it, and I told her. I didn't tell her it's for other things too, but you'd have to know where to use it anyway.

5. What are you grateful for today?
Grateful it's Friday, for the cool weather a little longer, seeing Amanda tonight, and not really having much to complain about.

(Making this post temporarily public for friending meme purposes. I really am this random)

I had to make a list to remember all the random topics I wanted to cover.

Running: After my back pain last week, I finally got back on the treadmill today. Still not sure whether it's the running, the Nikes, or a combination of both that cause it. Cute as these shoes are, I think I need to trade them in for Asics. Anyway, I jogged a steady 4.5 mph for 4 miles, then 5 min. cool down. So far, I feel okay, but it was the day after I ran that I was in pain.

I need to text Lindsey to see if she wants to run around the lake again. This time I'll bring my phone and use MapMyRun to find the speed and distance.

vaguely related to running: bunions - I has them. They don't interfere with running, but they make wearing flats painful. As is, I have to wear insoles in any flats I get, which makes the sides rub the bunions. Man, I sound like a pathetic old woman.

health junk: I randomly bought some vitamins on Friday. I was looking at the many, many huge expensive jugs of protein powder at Sprouts and not really wanting to make that kind of commitment. For now, I'll stick to having a yogurt after I run. Next to the protein wall was the vitamin wall, which is another world I know nothing about. I've never been a supplements person. Several years ago, I bought a bottle of Flinstones vitamins, and forgot about them after 2 days. Again, there are way too many brands of vitamins, and each brand has 20 different varieties to choose from. I settled for the Sprouts brand daily multi. Seeing as I rarely took vitamins before now, something simple is better than nothing.

pizza: The pizza from Friday tasted much better the next day. I love cold pizza. For dinner tonight, I reheated a couple of slices I'd put in the freezer.

housework: My bed is still not made, and laundry is a never-ending chore. On the plus side, I am christening my new Crock Pot by cooking a ton of chicken. I had no marinade so I used a pouch of pork seasoning. Let's hope it's cooked in 4 hours (on high) and tastes ok.

Lastly, TV: Currently watching TMZ while waiting for The X-Files. LOVE having new eps, and will be sad when it's over. I may buy this reboot on dvd.

I would like a really pretty dress, and a reason/event requiring me to wear said dress.

I also wish I didn't correct my own grammar all the time.

I don't even know if my corrections are always correct.

Suddenly, I want to hashtag this post.

I need to finish a bit of school work for tomorrow. Hope I remember to do it.

Is blithering even a real word?

How can I be as old as I am, and STILL have to remind myself that comments others make 1) have nothing to do with me, and 2) are in no way judgments against me?

How is it that Mr. Darcy can still render me speechless, even after seeing P&P close to 40 times?

I work close enough to the airport to be able to watch planes take off and land while on yard duty. Not actually lift off and touch down, as some buildings are in the way, but pretty close. So, I dreamed the other day of taking my measly $1300 savings and randomly picking a city to fly to. Indianapolis crossed my mind. We actually had a layover there when I was 12, but I didn't make it outside of the airport. I don't even know what there is to see in Indy. I spent about that much on my trip to Chicago last summer, and that didn't include a hotel. Needing a hotel for a trip of this sort would cut it quite short.

In my attempt to whittle down the pile of unread books and magazines next to my bed, I read an issue of Conde Nast Traveler last night. Not but a few pages in they featured a pair of earrings, made my local craftspeople or something, that cost $1250. Yes, that much. Here I thought I could go somewhere on $1300, and then I see earrings that swallow the entire budget. People HAVE that kind of money? The rest of the magazine featured several luxury resorts and hotels. Places I can only dream of staying in, some that require small planes or chartered boats to get to. Some of the features astounded me, such as a private plunge pool for each of 49 bures (I think that was the word) at one place, or a 6-to-1 staff to guest ratio at another. Some were on small chunks of islands in the middle of the Pacific. How in the world does one run a resort on a tiny island that serves gourmet meals made with organic ingredients that change daily? Meal planning and grocery shopping for myself is chore enough, and I just have to hop in the car to get what I need. Where do they find people to staff these resorts, especially people who don't mind providing all the luxuries described?

How do I get hired at one of these places?

Random association time: Hearing the song Crazy Love by Hawk Nelson reminds me of Luis, since I first heard it on my way to see him in the hospital. The book by Francis Chan, which inspired the song, is also in my pile of stuff to read. I actually started it, but went back to Our Mutual Friend after a few chapters. I think I'm finally over my OMF obsession.

I keep thinking it's Thursday, but it's Wednesday.

For a moment I thought it was November, but it's August.

Last night I watched the LOST S6 bonus features. Now there's nothing else new, unless I watch eps with commentary.

My voice comes and goes.

Cookies.

I swing between thinking I don't work hard enough and that I work too much.

I feel mediocre in so many ways. Except hummus. I make great hummus.

I love the enthusiasm and optimism of student teachers. I want some of that back. At the same time, I wonder when she will become jaded...

Why am I not watching the Olympics? Pairs figure skating is probably on, but I just don't want to turn on the tv.

It's been a whirlwind of a weekend. Friday night I picked Jayme from the airport, then she spent the night here. We went on a short hike on South Mountain Satuday morning with a few others. I ned to hike more, or at least be more physically active. Hmph. Later Reena and Michelle came over to watch Emma. We ate a ton of cheese fondue; I almost made myself sick again. Michelle brought Loch too, so we got to play with him. He's huge! Saturday night I crashed sort of early. Sunday was church, lunch with Jayme and friends, a few hours to get crap done, then new small group in the evening. After that I watched Northanger Abbey and attempted a little school work.

Today I met Jayme and Rebekah for coffee at 8 (gasp, on my day off!) then spent the rest of the day with Natalie. Hooray for driving around and not finding the place I thought I knew the location of. We wandered around Target, having a blast. Ran into a couple of cross dressing boys...one would have pulled it off until I heard his voice, and Natalie said he had chest hair showing above his tube top. Yeah, I don't get cross dressing.

Graded some at Natalie's, tossed a bunch of papers, got some work done at home. Been busy but still had fun. My floor is a mess and needs to be vacuumed, but Natalie still has my vacuum.

Oh yeah, yesterday was Valentine's Day. Enjoyed it despite being single. Someday I'll have someone to celebrate with.

Not exactly ready for tomorrow at school, but that's why I get there at 6 a.m.

It's Friday, and I have a busy weekend ahead of me.  Where did my vacation go?  Tonight is game night, tomorrow is baby-sitting and a "second wedding reception" party, and Sunday is church and then small group.  I just put the finishing touches on my report cards, and it's a good thing I checked because I forgot to put grades on a few.  I need to finish up my lesson plans as far as I can get, as well as the schedule that the bossman wants by Wednesday. 

Yesterday Susan and I went to the outlets, where I got a few things I wanted and a few I had not planned on.  At Banana Republic I could have made an entire outfit out of this one fabric - it started with a shirt, then I saw a skirt, scarf, headband, and finally a business card holder.  I think I forgot something in there, but oh well.  Almost got the scarf but held back since I have enough scarves.  Bought a pair of Nikes; I'm not used to wearing shoes with so much padding and support.  My New Balances are 8 years old and should be tossed, but I don't know if I can part with them just yet. 

Hmm, procrastination.  I really don't want to do my lesson plans, but I will get to them either today or tomorrow.  I must, since it's better to be planned ahead than freaking out and/or scrambling each morning.   Ok, it's not that bad, but I still need to use my time more wisely.  Seriously, why can't I use the same things from one year to the next?  Oh, because it's never the same situation!  Bah. 

I see that I've posted on the 1st, 3rd and 5th this month. I wonder if I can remember to post on each of the odd-numbered days.

I wonder how laurasia_mystik is doing after her 2 (yes, she had 2) weddings. Hopefully she's on her honeymoon now.

Procrastinating: avoiding school work on Saturday and Sunday meant I cleaned up the apt some, decluttered my desk, and took a few bags to Goodwill. It also meant that I had to finish laundry today and do some school work. I finally graded a writing assignment (Hello, why do I not use point breakdowns more often? They make the job SO MUCH EASIER!), worked on plans for the week, and figured out a math test. Once again, I can't just use the premade tests that come with the program. They need to be tweaked in order to accurately test what I taught. Hello, too many word problems!

Talking about school is incredibly boring. I wonder how many of you read my school-related entries.

Oh yeah, the point I meant to make with all this! Since I had to do school work today, I had to turn down the FOUR offers of other, more fun things to do. They came at me within about 15 minutes of each other - 2 online messages and 2 phone calls. Well, I was in the process of deciding I coudln't go to Alyssa's when the other 3 people contacted me. How lame. Still, I just needed to not do anything major this weekend. Weekdays are so long that I crash on Saturdays, and Sundays I need to do lesson plans. Have I mentioned lately I wish I had a different job?

I love when Pride and Prejudice songs come on iTunes shuffle. Now, back to ironing.