Another classic Jen moment

So I was out my friend P's house today (this is where I contracted my grassitis--which, btw, is much better now that I've taken a shower). He's just returned from a week in NC with his wife and family, and he brought me back this 1000 piece puzzle they had finished (he broke it back up again, obviously, but he thought I might like to put it together and then glue it or whatever--it's under the sea/dolphin themed, which he knows I love). A thousand pieces is pretty big, so I was trying to figure out if it would fit on my kitchen table (which, really, is more of a dinette, since my dining room--aka Anna's bedroom--is really not too large to begin with).

He flipped the box around to get the exact measurements. "Okay, it's 24 x 30," he read off.

And I shit you not, but without even stopping to think about it, I immediately replied:

"Inches, or feet?"

Now, as soon as it was out of my mouth, I was leaning up against the kitchen counter, just laughing my ass off, since I instantly realized what a dumbass question that was. And then when I looked up at his face, I doubled over again. I was CRYING by the time I got control of myself.

Yup. I'm awesome.

And in case you were wondering, I finished the outer part tonight, and it DOES fit on my round table--barely.

Breaking news

The Sunday paper reported that FCAT scores are being released tomorrow (Monday). This are the individual student scores. Our school grade, it sounds like, will be made public on Tuesday. There are two bonuses on the line here; if our school keeps an A, that's one bonus; if my kids in particular do well, that's another one (although I won't know for sure if I'm a recipient of that second MAP bonus until the fall, since it's also based on things like evaluations, etc).

It goes without saying, of course, that the BIG payout of the scores is the satisfaction of seeing that my kids' hard work all year paid off. ;) Which, after all, is why one goes into teaching.

But I REALLY want those bonuses....start praying extra hard. I'm going to go to the school as soon as we're allowed tomorrow to view my students' scores. I'll report back as soon as I know anything.

This is BULLSHIT.

Since gaining 15 lbs this year, my "project" this summer is, naturally, losing it. I bought two different workout DVDs last weekend, and I've done them every single day since then--sometimes a couple of times a day. (The Biggest Loser, which focuses on cardio, and Valerie Bertinelli, which is more toning. And they both use handweights.) I've cut out fast food and I've only been out drinking once.

Imagine my dismay, then, when I weighed myself today and discovered I'd GAINED two f*&##^#% pounds.

Now, I know what you're all going to say. You're probably gaining muscle, Jen, especially if you're using weights--and muscle weighs more than fat. Pretty soon, you'll start dropping the weight, since muscle ALSO allows you to burn off more fat.

Yeah, I know. I read the same magazine articles you do.

But I'm a GIRL, goddammit. I want to LOSE WEIGHT. I want the numbers on the scale to go DOWN. Now yes, I've seen a difference--at least I THOUGHT I did--in my body. My sides are thinner, my waist seemed to be attempting to come back (what little I had to start with, LOL), my thighs were thinner, and there was even a little less jiggle in my arms. And blah blah blah, you should judge by how you look and not the numbers on the scale.

Yeah, I know that too.

But I ALSO know that I weighed LESS when I drank every other day, lived on Wendy's, and worked out a hell of a lot less.

This is BULLSHIT.

I think this finishes off the year pretty well

The kids' last day was yesterday and it actually turned out to be pretty emotional. At the very end of the day, I made them come up one by one to get their report cards (and give me a hug). I then "annointed" them middle schoolers with my meter stick. They cheered uproariously for about 15 seconds--and then burst into tears. This, of course, set ME off.

My last class with my "adult kids" is tomorrow night. I have exciting news about that job (their final essay scores are in) but I took my meds and I am literally falling asleep. Will write more soon.

Oh, I have a blog?

Okay, so I've been a little busy the last few weeks. ;)

There is, of course, the normal end-of-the-school-year craziness. FCAT scores (duh-duh-DUH) should be released very soon, tentatively even this next week. We had our annual 5th grade trip to Busch Gardens; a great time, as always, even though one of my boys had a complete meltdown on the Phoenix (the "pirate-ship" type ride that goes rocks back and forth, going higher and higher each time until it's going full circle). Final grades are due Tuesday morning; the kids' last day is the following Tuesday. We have one teacher day after that, and then we're done, as well.

Oh yeah, and there's the whole matter of my teaching college now. College, bitches! I love it, too. It's really, really hard and tiring to be teaching twice a week and not getting home till pretty late, but it's only 5 weeks at a time and it's some nice extra money. Definitely better than your typical second part-time job. It's a great experience, and they've already asked me to teach another round of classes in the fall.

I've made a new friend, too. Not in the dating-type sense (he's married; all the good ones are), but we've actually become pretty close in the last couple of months. He's a sub at my school, although things are looking very promising that he'll be hired on full-time for the upcoming school year (and I'm campaigning very heavily to have him made the new 5th grade teacher, since we'll be adding a class next year). His wife and he (that sounds grammatically weird) are moving into a house 2 miles from me (I measured it on my way back from helping them paint last night). In an alternate universe, he would have been THE perfect guy for me, mostly because he has that same sarcastic sense of humor that I do, and you know how much I dig that in my men. The fact that he's hot doesn't hurt, either (he's right up there with Hot Teacher, my skydiving buddy). But I met him after he was already married (of COURSE), so I guess I'll just have to settle for adding a truly wonderful guy to my circle of Florida friends. He's kind of like a big brother (even though he's a few years younger than I am), and he's slowly but surely becoming part of The Crew. We talk and text all the damn time (and lest you start getting any ideas, his wife knows all about it). He's a great addition to the group, and to my life. And he knows about my crazy, too.

Let's see....I guess that's about all for now. I've just been incredibly busy the last few weeks, but with summer quickly approaching, I'll soon have all kinds of free time on my hands once again. After paint-a-palooza at the P's new house last night, I'm totally jonesing to paint my apartment, something I've never done before. (Yes, I'll have to paint it back when I move out, but I plan on staying here for a while, so I might as well make myself comfortable.) I'll post pics if and win that comes to fruition.

I'm getting crazy excited for the annual girls' weekend...which will be Girls' Weekend on Steroids, with the addition of Missy, Nikki and their friend Lynda. Wait a way to celebrate GW's 5th anniversary.

And on a sadder note, I want to send lots of hugs to Renee, who recently lost her grandma. Since her family has been my second family since I was 6, it was a little like losing my grandma, too. It's one of those bittersweet things, since she's not suffering anymore, but it's still always sad to have to say goodbye.

I guess that's about all for now....let me know how you all are doing. (Yeah, I know, I email and text you bitches all the damn time, but I want to get Broken Road hoppin' again.) ;)