We're Baaack

We've just returned from our Christmas travels. I'll be posting pictures once I take a minute to upload them and more details. Below is a quick summary of the trip.


Mile 0--Left home; 6:08 am
Mile 185--Spotted a purple bra hanging in a tree (well, Dave did)
Mile 208--Funny billboard--It featured a buxom blond in a low cut blouse with lots of Mardi Gras beads. The caption: "Want more beads? Contact Dr. XXXX, Plastic Surgeon"
Mile 324--Large trash can in the middle of east bound I-20
Mile 325--Another trash can in the middle of the highway
Mile 387--Mississippi River; 1st stop of the trip
Mile 715--World's Longest Exit Ramp (according to Dave)
Mile 830--Arrived in Oakman to visit Miranda's family
Mile 836--Departed for Charlotte in the rain on Christmas Day
Mile 936--Mike and Letha are behind us on I-85 headed to Charlotte (we didn't plan this; we couldn't have planned this well.)
Mile 1070--Pitt stopped and changed cars and drivers (girls in one car; boys in the other)
Mile 1143--Arrived in Charlotte
Mile 1350--Arrived in Charleston
Miles 1387-1390--Beauregard pulls us around the streets of Charleston in a carriage
Mile 1390--Leave Charleston in a heavy fog; hit rain about an hour outside of Charleston; it rains until we reach Alabama
Mile 1707--Late lunch at the Vortex in Atlanta with Mike and Letha
Mile 1877--Gas stop in Alabama; we are also able to purchase boiled peanuts for a snack. (For the record they were not being boiled in a large cast iron pot out front of the store, but in a deli-style pot inside the store. Dave also buys burnt peanuts (the candied ones); I asked if he'd like to round out his purchase with some circus peanuts and peanut butter bars.
Mile 2001--Curse because we missed the roll-over to 2000 miles; even though we'd been watching
Mile 2002--Still cussin'
Mile 2194--Stop for night in Monroe. LA
Mile 2194--Attempt to leave, but the rear window won't go up after Dave tried to clear the dew from it
Mile 2197--Nothin' a little duct tape won't fix
Mile 2314--Welcome to Texas Visitor's stop; reinforce duct tape
Mile 2514.5--Home, Sweet Home (And Imelda and her crew is here cleaning!)

Mama Said There'd Be Days Like This . . .

Today has been tough. At the beginning of the year, I spent a lot of time on a few students. But, as the school year has progressed, everyone has settled into the routine of school. However, it seems the upcoming holiday has thrown kids off kilter.

One student came in clearly under the influence of something. After observing him and talking with the nurse, she and I came to the same conclusion: we know he's done something, he knows he's done something, but testing him using our methods of testing (observation of eyes, motor-skills, heart rate, temperature, etc.) will yield nothing. The student's mom doesn't want to admit he's doing anything. So what do I do? I did talk with him and explained to him that I don't care to get him into trouble, (which diffused some of his anger), but that my big concern is his health. He's come such a long way from last year, I don't want to see him slip back into bad habits. Even his overly moody reaction to my conversation was further indication that something is not right.

Student number two, also a recovering addict, has had a tough week. He tells us that his medication has been changed. I can't decide if his rough time is that or the drama that is surrounding his life. "Friends" mad at him and saying hurtful things--him returning hurtful comments. Parents who allegedly aren't attentive enough and even abusive. How does one get to be 17 and a recovering heroin addict? He tells me he isn't lucky and that he'll never amount to anything as he cries in my office. The same "tough" boy who just a few minutes ago was going to beat up a kid. The student needing a cigarette to help calm nerves raw from the emotion and the addiction. Some days I truly am thankful that it's only a Camel that they're smoking.

And then there's the boy who was in treatment for drugs last year. He has earned 10 semesters worth of credit in less than a semester of school. He volunteers with special needs students in the building. He has it together. He reminds me that these boys can get it together, too. These other boys can overcome their addictions if they want. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise dark day.

Holiday "Baking"

I'm always looking for a unique gift to give to co-workers around Christmas time. In October, I was browsing through the Sky Mall catalog on a flight and discovered beautiful chocolate covered strawberries for about $20 a half-dozen. Too rich for my blood, but surely I could make these delights for my work gifts.

As December has progressed, work has gotten more hectic. I've barely had time to think about Christmas gifts for co-workers; my main concern has been, "when do I get to leave?" But, in the back of my mind, I was going to prepare these strawberries. I picked up the berries and chocolate Sunday afternoon. Tuesday evening arrived, and it was time to start. Thankfully, I "googled" chocolate dipped strawberries and found a useful tip: spearing the berries with toothpicks and inverting on styrofoam to keep them uniformly covered, versus having a flat side if the berries were placed on wax paper to dry.

As I melted my chocolates and dipped my berries, creating this delicious forest, I realized I had nothing to package the berries in. Why hadn't I shopped for cute, decorative Christmas plates? I quick trip to Wal-Mart at 9:30, yielded small foil loaf pans, which I wrapped in plastic wrap and adorned with a bow. But, I should add that my "quick" trip to Wal-Mart was not so quick. I had to explore EVERY option for packaging the berries--white bowls with a green ring, green acrylic bowls, clear plates, red plates; I even pondered buying fabric napkins to us to tie up the foil pans. Nothing can be quick and easy with me. And, I needed some moisturizer and magnets to decorate to hold all the photo Christmas cards I've received; and someone told me about a cold medicine. (As you can see by the rambling nature of my post, my trip was not quick.)

I did return home to put ornaments in gift bags (oh yes, I had to buy some more gift bags, but I had to search for the best deal . . . ). By then the chocolate was all set, and so was I. It was 12:30 when I collapsed into bed. I'm a girl who goes to bed on "school nights" at 10 or 10:30, not 12:30.

After reading Devin's chocolate chip cookie post, I knew that I made the right decision to dip strawberries. My mother-in-law makes the best cookies for her husband's work gifts: pecan tassies, Mexican wedding cookies, and various candies. I just wish I had the energy and the time. (In Judy's defense, I've seen her up all hours of the night baking, so I could do the same.)

If you ever decide to dip some berries I have tips:
1. do the upside down styrofoam thing; it's great.
2. use skewers for really big berries, toothpicks aren't sturdy enough
3. plan your packaging in advance
4. mini cupcake liners make great holders for the berries
5. start before 8pm

The Joy of Finely Ground Household Garbage

Anyone who has ever been over at our house for a period of time knows that our garbage disposal is perhaps the loudest disposal ever created. We try to only turn it on for short bursts at a time because it also vibrates the counter and moves everything around. Many times we have had to grab items before they fall in the sink from the vibrations.

So, as a bit of Christmas mischief, I decided to install a new disposal while Miranda was out Christmas shopping yesterday, but not tell her about it. I installed the new Badger 5 disposal before she got home, and only told her that one of her Christmas gifts was in plain view somewhere in the house. We had a Christmas party to go to last night, so she didn't discover her "gift" till late last night (with some hints).

I am eagerly looking forward to cooking dinner tonight and taking the Badger 5 out on a real test drive. By the way - isn't the Badger a perfect name for a disposal?

Say What?

These two stories were relayed to me today by social studies teachers in my school.

During a discussion of Joan of Arc, a tenth grade preAP level student asked the teacher, "After Joan was burned at the stake, what happened to her husband, Noah?"

In a ninth grade gifted and talented class, a female student said, "Well, a female could never be president anyway because of the PMS."

Two words: job security.

For All You Doubters

So, I went fishing AGAIN this weekend....I'm on a roll - what can I say? Same place, same fish - stripers below the dam on the Red River. Fishing was just about like last weekend. They started generating from 10:00 till 12:00 so that threw a bit of a wrench in my plans. But I was able to catch 14 stripers, 2 white bass, 1 catfish, and I even foul hooked a gizzard shad. Not too bad of a day for only about five hours of fishing.

Here's the proof for all you doubters out there. These fish will be the main attraction on the dinner table in the near future.

So So Awesomeness

As I headed out the door yesterday to go fishing, Miranda insightfully said "You know it won't be as good as it was last time". Oh ye of little fishing faith...But unfortunately, she was somewhat right. I took my kayak with me this time up to the Red River below the dam at Lake Texoma. In 6 hours of fishing, I ended up with 14 stripers. Ordinarily that would be a great day fishing for me, but I have had a taste of the good life and didn't really want this day to be any different from the last trip.

The wind was howling all day long. Gusts in the 30+mph range made casting the flyrod a bit of a chore at times. I stuck with it and was rewarded toward the end of the day when the fishing started to improve. But the horn at the dam sounded at around 4:00 and we had to abandon our fishing spots. The horn means that I have five minutes to get myself to shore or be washed away when they start generating.

As usual with my fishing trips, I got to meet new fly fishers and made a few new friends while I was standing in a river waiving a stick. Scott Bridgess was kind enough to organize our little outing and shared some fishing tips and stories along the way. If you are ever looking for a guide on Lake Texoma he is the person to call.

All good things must come to an end. But that won't stop me from trying to find the next good trip.