i now have a water cooler to gossip around...

i am very excited because angela and i finally got our water coolers so we don't have to carry our water upstairs every day, so convenient. so today i went over and gossiped with myself around the water cooler. i didn't learn anything though.

before i went home, i found something in the printer.

.not sure who printed it off to my printer, but well, i now have the opportunity to try to get my chinese visa.. i'll pass.

and walmart once again came through and had almost everything i needed. i made my way up to the front and produce, where i did grab a few things, including watermelon, sweet potato, spinach/arugula, apples....and that's where i had to take this picture.

really people?

i'm really excited about the sweet potato. i boiled it and mashed it with an avocado, a bit of garlic and lemon and chilled it. then i sliced some salmon thin and pulled out the mash to create salmon rolls....cannot wait to try them!! yum.

it's kinda like a sushi, only it's actually healthy.

oh! i almost forgot, today i had tutoring-it actually went well-not everyone who was supposed to show up did, but at least 6 out of 12 showed up-it was a good size.

i won't be going to china anytime soon.
julie

yes, tent-making is my thing...

training...shmaining. i feel like today would have been just as productive if i'd taken the day off to go shopping..and i don't even love shopping.

i did realize something today though. i am paying a lot more attention to peoples' shoes these days. but only because i find myself in the stall so many more times/day while on this water-drinking crusade. today i saw some interesting shoes. one lady had some pink and black alligator-type shoes. some shoes look very uncomfortable. and as i was looking at shoes today, i was thinking, the day may come when i have to wear dressy shoes...i just refuse to put my toes into any scrunched up positions-that is NOT natural. cute, but not natural.

the first order of the day was making our table-tents.

so, what was supposed to be a 5 minute exercise turned into an all-day event. i don't see the problem.

the lady next to me was from the carrollton area, and her husband was going to get her, but not until like 4 or 430, so when we got out, she asked if i could give her a lift to anyplace up in this area, so i did and it was pleasant conversation.

today for snack, i had a delicious combination-blackberries and cashews! i was really surprised at how well the two went together!! that will DEFinitely be a repeat on my menu! why is it that when i'm sitting here at home eating fish and vegetables that sonic's hot dogs (which have never enticed me) look so incredibly desirable??? grr.

alright, it's that time!
julie

creme brulee will have to do...

tomorrow i have yet another training. cilt. hopeful that it will be validated by good learning. this morning i was a little worried about going to school because when i was getting ready,  thought i heard the dogs growling at each other, but it was my stomach. hmm....dangerous. so i grabbed two more little bitty green pills just in case. then when i got to school it was rumbling again. but we got through the day with little incident.

had a little 'get-it-out-in-the-open' session at school over some recent policies. not even going to get into it-better to keep a tight reign.

when i got home, chaco was in a licky licky mood, and he just kept wanting to lick my face (which i really don't like or tolerate well), and when he was done, he laughed and said, "now you can lick my face!" umm..no thanks, i wrinkled my nose and said, "where's your toy?" in my excited voice and all was forgotten.

and bruno just watched him leave, then gave me this playful look right before pounce on my shoulder and yelling, "GOTCHA!!!"

looking like an ewok again.

i may have referenced my best friends wedding while i pulled out the coffee and told the boys they were both jello. they said they didn't get it-they HATE my movie references...so i explained: best friends!

i'm so glad i remembered to stop at the store today for coffee! i was almost to my last scoop this morning and fretting! it's always a bit of a difficult decision for me, but i was at walmart, and the choices were sparse (it was late and the new central market isn't supposed to be opening until feb...around the corner) anyhoo, i decided on the creme brulee...i also grabbed some grapefruit; my long-lost pleasure!

i know they don't go together well, but they will make a delightful breakfast!

in college at Cof O, my dear friend laura and i would grab grapefruit whenever we made it to the cafeteiria. they were simply delightful! i need to partake more.

well, training tomorrow should be a true joy. all new. nothing of repetition.
julie

i need a weekend re-do

rough weekend. i'm glad i got my lesson plans done on friday! friday night after i went to bed, i had that nasty feeling of getting sick. i was cold, but sweating...got an extra blanket to bundle up and saturday i didn't wake up until 11:30 and i still didn't feel like getting up, but i did. i didn't do much-dozed in and out of you've got mail, and decided to take a nap. (breakfast was a quick blueberry/banana smoothie) then i didn't eat again until about 6 pm-still wasn't hungry, so i had some peanuts and peanut butter. and went to sleep early.

it must've been a 24 hour something or other, because this morning i woke up and didn't feel that bad, so i was able to do my workout and breakfast...then i was in and out of the bathroom until 2pm when i decided i'd better take two small green pills. i hoped they would work because i promised the boys i'd take them to petsmart for food and go to the dog park.

petsmart was great-bruno LOVES petsmart. so we strolled around the store a bit before taking our purchase up front. no problems yet. we went to the dog park and the boys got to meet some of the other dogs-bruno has been much more outgoing. chaco is slightly overwhelmed because of his size, so i don't mind when he growls and snips at dogs who get in his face...(his theme song is SO WHAT by pink)

and tonight i decided to precook some meals for this week, and whiting fish was one of them. i don't know that i am too pleased with this, i may have to disguise it with other side dishes...oh well, learn by trying.

next weekend will be better.
julie

oh yeah, water? well i can drink more of you than i can.

today was totally training. first i went to the staar training...it was pretty much the same one that i went to in november. but i stayed just in case there was anything i had missed the first time around. i took my water with me and drank a whole lot-it's almost become a strange obsession...ok, more like an individual sport...personal competition...

then i had destination imagination training; that was supposed to be from 6-9, but our group got out early! woo hoo! which is good because i had a lot to do at home tonight. i have to get snacks ready for tomorrow's staff development, and i have to go over some papers and the like.

when i left, i allowed the dogs free reign of the apt. when i got home, i wanted to change into my comfy socks that i had brought up from the car and left on the couch earlier. well, when i came in and set my stuff down, i located one on the floor. so i picked it up and i looked everywhere for the matching sock. i even asked the boys where it was and they gave the "what are you talking about" look. so i put the one sock in the laundry room, and when i came back out into the living room, guess who was playing tug-of-war with the other sock? (hint, bruno and chaco were the only other ones here)....

these were my Christmas socks-now they're my valentine's socks!

well, i'm done, because as i said, much to do still.

julie

tom thumb believes that coke zero spells love...

what a beautiful night to have the window open for a crisp, cool breeze with a warm cup of coffee and a throw with chaco snuggled under beside me. love it!

i had to stop at tom thumb on the way home because i needed salsa...on the way out i couldn't help but notice the valentine display. very cool...and i'm sure it was very time consuming to put together!!

i would NOT have wanted to be one of the people creating this masterpiece...

i felt a little like jimminy cricket walking around the store because i was carrying my umbrella around...ok, besides the fact that i wasn't wearing a top hat and top coat...nor am i a green cricket...the only similarity really i guess was the umbrella..shoot, for all that, i could've felt like mary poppins. only i didn't open my umbrella and float in...nor did i sing to a fake bird on my finger...ok, so really...i did not resemble any famous character with an umbrella.

i have got to get a water cooler at school like gigi had. now that i'm actually drinking water, it would be a joy not to carry so much water in and out, up and down...gigi, was it culligan's? plus, i can use it for my coffee...and to wash my hair...just checking to see if you were really reading carefully!

well, as much as i love this weather, i sure hope the lightning and thunder doesn't kick in again once i'm asleep!
julie

you know the school laptop is old when it leaves sticky tarlike substance on your fingers

today i had my class moved around-i think i'll like it..i'll know for sure by march. the only setback was that i had to move my smartboard from one wall to the other. i almost forgot to take my drill-good thing i remembered or we'd be unable to use the projector!

i'm a handy-gal, what can i say?!

i played around for awhile trying to check out some things on the smartboard, and fortunately the laptop was working-the thing is so old, it left a tar-like sticky substance on my digits...messy mess.

had to use clorox wipes to get rid of it! boo.

one of my favorite things about today was the gift that maria brought in-super thoughtful, and very cool! i didn't get any other presents per se-mom and dad are very generous and sent me a check, but it was nice to get an actual gift-i really don't ever think about that, but it made me smile! thanks, maria!

i know this doesn't do it justice, but it's completely recycled material-and i'm glad you can't completely appreciate the coolness factor, because that means i won't have to worry about any of you comin' around and thievin! seriously though, perfect for storage!

 i'm excited to do my taxes because i usually get a little back-which if i do this year, i am hoping to use to purchase some fun things for my dear friend nina's school in roatan. i know there are certain things they could use that they don't have access to, so i'm excited about that. we think we do a lot with little, but we have no idea.

well, calling it a night time to work on the taxes.

julie