Progress! ...but a totally boring post.

The semester's coming to an end. I'll miss my classes, but at least I see all these kids all the time so it won't be like I have to wait for them to come visit me or something. I'll miss Psych, too. But I am looking forward to my World Cultures class!



















I'm also feeling pretty great about my diet/exercise program. Not like it's a "program" program; I'm just eating scantily and exercising. Today I only had 1220 calories and I went to the gym. I keep forgetting that I can't just pick up where I left off six months ago; I want to run three miles at once but my body just can't handle it, so I overdid it Sunday and had to take a break yesterday. Boo. I also bought Acai berry drink fortification stuff at Whole Foods and I've been mixing that with OJ every night.

Update on my New Year's Rez! I'm happy to announce I completed January's "two new things" last week. This month I used homemade laundry detergent and I also ate antelope for the first time. Oh man, it was good! Thanks to Laurie, who supplied the roast, and Hubby for cooking it up.




















The gym I work out at has mini personal TVs on all the treadmills. Today I (a little ironically) watched The Food Network - it made the time totally fly by. I heart Duff.

Woo!
Today I received an awesome surprise - and one that teachers rarely get.
On the master schedule, I had no class listed for my 3rd period. I figured that since my colleague is leaving before the end of the quarter, and that I was taking over her class the next quarter, that I was going to be given special assignments until she goes on maternity leave. Turns out, they really just didn't know what class to have me teach. Now there's a group of students (mostly freshman and sophomore, I guess) that need an elective. "Make it fun!", they said. So I asked my current Psych class what I should teach, and got everything from Oceanography, Astronomy and Psychology, to Home Economics. I suggested maybe a World Cultures class, and they totally jumped at that. And since I'm Social Studies endorsed, I can offer a "Cultural Anthropology" class and it will count toward their Social Studies credits! Woo!

So now I'm brainstorming all the things I can do with it. I've been tossing ideas for this class around for a couple of years, and now I get to teach it! We'll learn different cultures' dress, dance, music, food, and social norms. I know it sounds kinda boring but I'm super psyched to teach it.

Today Hubby and I went to MACA to get a little work done. He was working on his Work Sample and I got a lot of repotting done. As a Biology teacher, I find it necessary that I have fossils and live plants everywhere in my classroom. It's kind of a requirement. I even have plans next Saturday to acquire more fossils. Possibly more plants, you never know. Hint: if you ever feel like getting me a present, the nerdiest/most amazing thing I'd love is a fossilized Ginkgo leaf. My birthday's in April. Thanks in advance!











I found out a couple weeks ago that I weigh more now than I ever have ever ever ever in my whole life. So, needless to say, I'm trying to fix that... but I've got to do something different, as the last time I cut calories/killed myself exercising, I actually gained two pounds. Grr.

I'm adopting a super simple/non processed foods "diet", along with cutting calories slowly down to 1200 or 1300 a day. Next month I'll start up at the gym that's two blocks away. It should be said that I do not abhor exercise. I actually really like running, which is what I did over the summer/fall, until I injured my foot and knee and had to give it a rest - and by then, the weather had turned. I've missed it. I was up to four miles a day.

Other news: there was a plumbing emergency in the complex and they surprised us by shutting the water off to all the apartments yesterday. We spent the day at James' parents place, which was kind of nice.

It's been nice to live simply. No money = simple homemade meals and much fewer choices to make during the day. Today we splurged and went to Sushi Land. It was pure heaven. A quick trip to Whole Foods got me a wedge of some delicious Irish aged cheese which I'll have with figs and whole wheat wafers for lunch. Mmmm....

I'm really excited about this year. My New Year's Resolution is to try at least two new things a month... I wanted to do one new thing a week, but since I'm a teacher, weeks fly by and I'm super busy, and didn't want to feel like a failure if I let a week or two slip by. So, I figured two a month is reasonable.

I've already got my first one! I used my home-made laundry detergent for the first time today. Sheets are in the dryer, so I'll see in a bit how it did. It was super easy to make, but I think I'll make the liquid kind next.














This resolution stems from my enjoyment over trying new things in the last few months. I just keep stumbling upon good opportunities. Last week, for instance, I ate goat for the first time ever. Hubby and I went to our favorite Indian place for lunch (they have the world's best Indian buffet), and they had goat curry. It was super good and I kinda wish I had gotten more (it was just a little taste). Ah well.

Future "new" things to try:
*Possibly an Administrative License program
*Again, different sushi every time I go
*Making my own pasta (Mom, can I have the chicken noodle soup recipe?)

Any suggestions?