So Ready

I don't know if I've ever been this ready to go off track this early in the school year! I am so ready for a break. I am tired, I don't feel well (cough, cough), I am overwhelmed with tech work (that blasted AR program!), and I am anxious and emotionally strained. I have a lot on my plate and on my mind, I guess.

The kids are actually behaving pretty well, teaching is going well, and I like my teammates at work. I have great friends and loving family. I love the gospel and I like who I am. So, I'm not complaining. I'm actually very happy, generally speaking. I'm just ready to have a break, that's all. I think it may be because this upcoming off-track time will be full of big events, decisions, and changes:

• I will turn 31 in a few weeks, which means I will be leaving my LDS YSA (young single adult) ward. I told myself I wouldn't decide where to go to church until I was off-track because I am too busy right now to think clearly. So, that decision is looming.
• I am planning on doing a financial overhaul in September, and I'm waiting to talk to my home loan officer when I go off-track.
• My hairstylist retired (I know... WHAT??!!) so I will be making an appointment with his replacement when I'm off-track.
• I have a t-chart to make when I go off-track to help me make another decision.
• I am performing a song in church on September 21, and I can't think about what to sing or have rehearsals until I'm off-track.
• I have two weddings of good friends to attend at the end of September, supposedly on the same day as a stake activity I'm partially in charge of, so I'll be figuring that out.
• And I want to lose 50 pounds in September. ;)

(Just to name a few of the things I have coming up...)

So, you can see I've got a lot to do, but I can't start on it all until I regain sanity with off-track status. So, I am very anxious for next Friday to get here! Of course, my off-track time will not really be a break because it will be spent doing grad school homework, but oh well. At least I'll be moving forward with some things I have been anticipating. I hope.

Phobias

Did you know that every time I use a public restroom I make sure that I get completely dressed before I flush the toilet out of fear that the toilet will overflow. I want to be sure that if that ever happens, and I have to run out of the overflowing bathroom stall, at least I'll have all my clothes on.

Want to know another one of my phobias?

Did you know that I have a fear of water plants? Yes. They scare me. I think about the things that could be lurking in them and the microorganisms living on them waiting to infect you. Gross. They smell and they're slimy and you never know what is swimming around down there in them.

In fact, one time my little brother, David, and I were in a canoe on my uncle's lake in Michigan. We got out of the boat to explore the shore a little, and when we returned to the canoe David decided to push the boat, which I was already in, away from the dock, then jump for it to make it back into the boat himself. I knew this was going to be bad! The canoe tipped, dumping David and me into the lake. I found myself in shallow, absolutely disgusting lake water. I was completely surrounded by lake plants, slime, smelly foam, and the kind of muck that would suck you and your shoes down to the depths of the lake, never to return. I think it was the only honest-to-goodness panic attack I've ever had. I couldn't breath. I refused to put my legs down further into the awful lake. I was freaking out. I think I may have drown had David not been there to help me to the shore. I don't think David has ever been the same since that day in the canoe.

Songs of the Week

Both have perfect lyrics.

Daughtry
"What About Now"
(lyrics)

Jericho Road
"You Melt the Madness"

Quote of the Day

I have another funny conversation to report from my new 6th graders:

In science class today, one of the boys looked at me and said, "Miss Blunt, you look really tired today."
I patiently smiled and said, "You know, that's probably true - because I am tired today - but let me tell you something. You really should not ever tell a girl she looks tired."
Another boy looked at him and said, "That's true. You know, you really shouldn't ever say anything to a girls except, 'You look pretty.'"
The first boy responded, "Oh... You're right... Miss Blunt, you look so pretty today!"
I laughed and said, "Thank you! You are smart boys." :)

Danger-Prone

It has been the week of injuries! I showed you my beautiful toe injury from about a month and a half ago, but that really is nothing compared to the way that my leg looked after stake softball last Saturday. I didn't think it was a big deal at first, but I quickly realized where the ball had hit my leg was really hurting. By the time I got home from our game, I couldn't believe how much it hurt to put weight on that leg. Then, in the shower I bent down to look at it and actually got light-headed from the pain. It was so crazy! I had a lump sticking out from my leg a good 2 inches at least, and it was already turning all kinds of fun colors. I propped it up and iced it while I took a nap, and that helped it go down significantly. I limped a little and had to put it up every few hours for the rest of the week.

Here are pictures of it on day 4:
The pictures don't really do the bruise that spread over my leg, puffed up my ankle, and settled into my foot the justice it deserves, but you get the idea. Once it stopped hurting, it was really quite fun to have such an impressive bruise. It still hasn't gone away. The bump is still there, and the bruise is now yellow and red.

Last night, I played football at ward Family Home Evening, and managed to add a couple more injuries to my list. I jammed my thumb trying to catch a pass and was unable to do much of anything all day today. The kids at school had to help me use scissors, open dry erase markers, etc. And, in an attempt to dodge my opponent, I slipped, got punched in the face, and landed on my knee. No black eye, but a nice swollen, purple knee.

Sports are sooo fun... :)

Google Me

I found this idea on Emery's blog, so I'm trying it too. Here's how it works: for every category, perform a Google image search and post your favorite picture on your blog. You can only choose from the first page of results! Have fun!

My Name: Katie

(I don't really like cats, but my family does call me Kat. And the other pics weren't quite appropriate...)

The City Where I Was Born: Escondido


A Past Love


Favorite Object


Favorite City: San Diego


Favorite Food Right Now: Chicken Souvlaki with Lemon Rice


Favorite Color


One of My Bad Habits


My First Job


A Future Job


A Place I Would Like to Live: Boston (I don't know... maybe.)


My Age: "Thirty is the new twenty... but with less angst and more wisdom."

I know this has nothing to do with my age, but it came up and I thought it was funny. :)

Homework Distraction

Some of you may know that I was voted "MVP" of the faculty vs. 6th grade softball game at the end of the school year a few weeks ago. OK, so there wasn't really a vote, but some of the kids unofficially gave me that honor. This was mostly because I managed to get on base each time I hit, and because of my very dramatic "slip on the grass and crawl back to third base" move. I also played catcher in the big game and managed to get my toe crunched by a student who slid in to home plate on top of my foot. It was a great time.

After the game, I hobbled just a little on that poor big toe and watched as the faintest hint of purple formed at the top of the toenail. Shortly after the school year ended, I got a pedicure which covered the toenail with red polish. Today the polish came off to reveal a spectacularly purple nail! It looks so much more impressive than it did a few week ago! I'm very excited. I am of the opinion that if you're going to get an injury, particularly one that came from doing something cool, it ought to be a noticeable one. OK, so maybe not always, but at least when only a toe is involved.

So, for your viewing pleasure... my purple big toe!

Sorry if the sight of my foot grosses you out. :)

Now I need to get back to my homework.