It's been a big week for me. As promised, I did register as a Democrat -yay! Apparently, this made me feel emboldened because I painted my nails black. This is something I've always wanted to do as well, but never did. There are a few reasons for this. Mainly...it's too high maintenance. Seriously...it chips and it looks awful so then I have to redo them. I just paint them clear or light pink and then no one notices (I'm no dummy!). I also don't want to appear emo or goth to my students. While I encourage them to discover themselves, I feel there has to be a separation between their style and mine. I also didn't think it looked good. But now that I keep my nails short for my master guitar playing skills (hah!), it looks kinda cool. So I'm going with it.
I am a bad ass emo goth Democrat. Next week...blue streaks in my hair. Possibly black lipstick.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Commitment
I am taking a huge step toward commitment this week. I am officially becoming a Democrat. It's ok...you can laugh. I know it sounds ridiculous that this is a big deal. But it is. I mean, when I was 18, I think I was quite responsible when I registered as an Independent. I mean, what did I know? While I THOUGHT I was a Democrat, I didn't presume to know myself that well at such a young age. I mean, even then I knew I was raised pretty sheltered. And I wanted to make sure I really knew and understood what I believed...and that I wasn't just believing these things because that's how I was raised. Make sense? Well, fast forward XX amount of years. I think it's safe to say I am ABSOLUTELY, WITHOUT A DOUBT A DEMOCRAT. And I have been for many, many years. But I've just never taken the extra step to make it official...because that's a commitment right there, folks. And that gives me heart palpitations. For realz. To be a little fair...I was holding off a little bit because I wasn't sure if I was fiscally conservative. But I"m not. I'm a Dem through and through. I'm been thinking about making this official for about a year now for a couple reasons. Mainly because I've had this feeling that I want to get a bit more involved with campaigns, and I'd like to vote in primaries. The final straw was this past Sunday when I was literally standing in the middle of my friend's living room yelling at the tv during Meet the Press. It was at that moment that I realized that like it or not, I'm invested in politics. I will never run for an office, but my heart is in it. So...this week I will register with the Democratic Party.
So....anyone know how I do that? :)
So....anyone know how I do that? :)
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I'm still here...
...in case you were wondering.
Holy crap. So remember when I first started taking the Topomax and one of the side effects was the mushy dumb ass brain? Here's what I've learned: When you're more overtired than you ever been before, these side effects are triple, duple worse. I mean...I am dumb. Think of the dumbest character - real or not. Actually, think of your top ten dumbest people, real or fiction. Now combine them into one person. Now multiply that by 10. Then take out half of that "person's" brain. Puncture holes what remains in the brain. Now, put an itty bitty fog machine in the brain and let it run 24/7. That's me. Get the picture? Now...put me in front of 200 middle school students each day. Now...have them all ask me questions that I'm supposed to know the answers to. I'm not even talking about music questions. I'm talking basic, "how are you". Me: "um...can you repeat the question?"
Good news: Tomorrow is Friday. More good news: Next week is vacation. Woot. Or - as I am more likely to say this week - "toow". Get it?
Holy crap. So remember when I first started taking the Topomax and one of the side effects was the mushy dumb ass brain? Here's what I've learned: When you're more overtired than you ever been before, these side effects are triple, duple worse. I mean...I am dumb. Think of the dumbest character - real or not. Actually, think of your top ten dumbest people, real or fiction. Now combine them into one person. Now multiply that by 10. Then take out half of that "person's" brain. Puncture holes what remains in the brain. Now, put an itty bitty fog machine in the brain and let it run 24/7. That's me. Get the picture? Now...put me in front of 200 middle school students each day. Now...have them all ask me questions that I'm supposed to know the answers to. I'm not even talking about music questions. I'm talking basic, "how are you". Me: "um...can you repeat the question?"
Good news: Tomorrow is Friday. More good news: Next week is vacation. Woot. Or - as I am more likely to say this week - "toow". Get it?
Monday, February 7, 2011
Training Time!
We're in! I got an email on Saturday saying a spot was our for the Tri for the Cure. So we're all signed up. Woot!!!
So now the training begins. My goal is to be fast, fast, FAST! I figure since I have the easiest leg of the race, I have to be the fastest. I've gotta make my hard working partners-in-crime proud!! Christee is so excited, and we've named ourselves Team Christee in her honor. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better over the next few months. We're friends on Facebook now, and looking at her pictures, she has not let cancer slow her down. She has 14 more rounds of radiation, but just got the ok to go skiing. Can you imagine? She has 2 little girls. And she is not only smiling in every picture, she is absolutely radiant in every picture. Now I'm not naive. I know there are no pictures of her sick from the radiation. But that's not the point. I know all my beautiful friends reading this, and you know what I'm getting at. So, I've got to run 3 miles. When I was running 5K's in Boston, I was running just over 10 minute miles. I'm so far from that right now, but if I could get back to that I'd be happy. That's my goal. Of course, my leg is going to be right at noon...of course. But I'm not complaining. Christee is in the middle of radiation and is going to swim in July. I will run 3 miles in just over 30 minutes. Period. And I will love every minute of it. And if I get a migraine, I will have a lovely shot of imitrex waiting for me at the finish line....
If you would like to donate to the cause, please click on the link below. All of the money donated for the Tri for the Cure stays in the state of Maine.
http://tfac2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=452487&supid=320267669
So now the training begins. My goal is to be fast, fast, FAST! I figure since I have the easiest leg of the race, I have to be the fastest. I've gotta make my hard working partners-in-crime proud!! Christee is so excited, and we've named ourselves Team Christee in her honor. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better over the next few months. We're friends on Facebook now, and looking at her pictures, she has not let cancer slow her down. She has 14 more rounds of radiation, but just got the ok to go skiing. Can you imagine? She has 2 little girls. And she is not only smiling in every picture, she is absolutely radiant in every picture. Now I'm not naive. I know there are no pictures of her sick from the radiation. But that's not the point. I know all my beautiful friends reading this, and you know what I'm getting at. So, I've got to run 3 miles. When I was running 5K's in Boston, I was running just over 10 minute miles. I'm so far from that right now, but if I could get back to that I'd be happy. That's my goal. Of course, my leg is going to be right at noon...of course. But I'm not complaining. Christee is in the middle of radiation and is going to swim in July. I will run 3 miles in just over 30 minutes. Period. And I will love every minute of it. And if I get a migraine, I will have a lovely shot of imitrex waiting for me at the finish line....
If you would like to donate to the cause, please click on the link below. All of the money donated for the Tri for the Cure stays in the state of Maine.
http://tfac2011.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=452487&supid=320267669
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Tri for the Cure
For the past two years, very good friends of mine have raced in the Tri for the Cure, while I played the loyal - and very loud - cheerleader. I also provided room and board, as they were traveling from Boston and NH. This was great for the 1st year, and pretty good last year. I wanted to race, too. But - as usual - I didn't feel I could, because of migraines. Cripes, I couldn't even run 2 miles w/o getting a migraine, how in the world was I going to swim and bike as well?
Shortly after this past year's race, my friend Steph and I decided we'd do the relay. I used to be a good runner, and used to run 5K races quite frequently. Sure, there was a very good chance that I would end up with a migraine, but it was the last leg of the race, so I could finish the run and quickly go get some medicine. I mean, seriously, how can I complain about a 5K run followed by a migraine that I can take care of relatively quickly, when there are ladies running this race who have very recently recovered from cancer? I can't. Steph had biked the Trek across Maine, so the bike leg of the Tri would be cake for her, so we just needed a runner. While discussing this at Venue over the summer, someone at the bar overheard us and said she'd like to join us. She herself had just won her battle against breast cancer - she is my age. She had no problem taking on the challenge of the swim. We gladly took her on as a teammate. Her name is Christee.
I found out this past week that Christee found out over the holidays - because that's the perfect time for horrible news - that the cancer had spread to the lining of her brain (I think I got that right?) and had just had brain surgery, and is now going through radiation. Let me remind you, she is my age (35). And she still wants to do the Tri for the Cure. It will give her something to work towards and focus on as she recovers. Of course, there is the chance that she may not be able to race, but that's not always the point, is it?
As it turns out, we did not get a spot for the Tri. It sold out in about 2 minutes. We're on the waiting list, so there's still a chance. In the meantime, Steph and I are hoping that Christee will take us up on our offer to run a few 5k's with us this summer. Not quite the intensity of the Tri, but it'll still give her something to work towards. My friends - please say a little prayer for my new friend Christee. How are there people like Christee, who can even THINK of a triathalon so soon after BRAIN surgery and in the middle of radiation? That right there is a strength I like to think I have, but I'm just not sure I do. Seriously, just the thought of this makes me want to curl up into fetal position. I barely know this person and I have so much admiration for her. I am so disappointed that we didn't get into this race for her. I feel like I would do anything to be able to participate in this. Fingers crossed that somehow our name comes up on the waiting list....
Shortly after this past year's race, my friend Steph and I decided we'd do the relay. I used to be a good runner, and used to run 5K races quite frequently. Sure, there was a very good chance that I would end up with a migraine, but it was the last leg of the race, so I could finish the run and quickly go get some medicine. I mean, seriously, how can I complain about a 5K run followed by a migraine that I can take care of relatively quickly, when there are ladies running this race who have very recently recovered from cancer? I can't. Steph had biked the Trek across Maine, so the bike leg of the Tri would be cake for her, so we just needed a runner. While discussing this at Venue over the summer, someone at the bar overheard us and said she'd like to join us. She herself had just won her battle against breast cancer - she is my age. She had no problem taking on the challenge of the swim. We gladly took her on as a teammate. Her name is Christee.
I found out this past week that Christee found out over the holidays - because that's the perfect time for horrible news - that the cancer had spread to the lining of her brain (I think I got that right?) and had just had brain surgery, and is now going through radiation. Let me remind you, she is my age (35). And she still wants to do the Tri for the Cure. It will give her something to work towards and focus on as she recovers. Of course, there is the chance that she may not be able to race, but that's not always the point, is it?
As it turns out, we did not get a spot for the Tri. It sold out in about 2 minutes. We're on the waiting list, so there's still a chance. In the meantime, Steph and I are hoping that Christee will take us up on our offer to run a few 5k's with us this summer. Not quite the intensity of the Tri, but it'll still give her something to work towards. My friends - please say a little prayer for my new friend Christee. How are there people like Christee, who can even THINK of a triathalon so soon after BRAIN surgery and in the middle of radiation? That right there is a strength I like to think I have, but I'm just not sure I do. Seriously, just the thought of this makes me want to curl up into fetal position. I barely know this person and I have so much admiration for her. I am so disappointed that we didn't get into this race for her. I feel like I would do anything to be able to participate in this. Fingers crossed that somehow our name comes up on the waiting list....
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