PIANO MAN

I have seen The Piano Man in real life and now I can die happy.

Like almost every other vein of great music I'm addicted to, I was introduced to this guy by my fabulous parents. 

I mean, really. I have so many good memories. 

But one of my absolute favorites is remembering the times---I just feel like it happened more than once---where we would be coming back from Utah late at night, and all the younger kids had fallen asleep, and I happened to convince dad to hand over the musical reins and I remember putting Billy Joel on and just cruising, just hanging out and talking with my parents. 

I can't really put into words what his music means to me, but I will say this: 

when the lights finally came up

and the first few notes of "Miami 2017" were heard

and the man himself was sitting on stage, playing his piano

I got a little teary. 

It was, hands-down, one of the best performances I have EVER seen. 

Even at 65 my boy Billy's got some moves and, boy, can he SING. 

He played a fantastic set--complete with a "Viva Las Vegas" interlude in River of Dreams--and when he came back out for more, he proceeded to play a 5 or 6 set encore!!

There was a flawless performance of We Didn't Start the Fire with pictures detailing each subject on the big screen above Billy's head.

There was the moment when he brought out a Roadie, CHAINSAW, to scream an energetic cover of AC/DC's Highway to Hell while Billy rocked the guitar. 

There was an acknowledgment of the incredibly flawed Ballad of Billy the Kid. 

There was a little bit of Beethoven. 

There was a gorgeous--and tear-inducing--And So It Goes.

And there was the absolutely perfect sing-along of Piano Man.

I'm so ecstatic. This musical high could last for weeks, I think!

I don't know that I'm necessarily super picky about what concerts I go to, but I know for sure I wouldn't waste my money to see half the stuff that's "popular" these days, with little pop artists who can't actually sing their music that has no weight to it. (*cough* T Swift *cough*)

Give me The Piano Man any day, with his 65 year old hands flying across those keys. 

I just can't gush enough. 

I never thought I'd see him live. I've listened to his music for...forever, really, and have been in heaven with his Sirius XM radio channel right now, but with a career that has spanned whole decades and music eras, I never thought I'd be lucky enough to make it to a live performance of his. 

But I did. I got to see Billy Joel in concert with the two people who introduced me to his music.

The instant I heard he was coming to Vegas, I got online and bought 3 of the best tickets available--I was only a few months late and it was already nearly sold out!--then got on my phone and basically ordered my parents to be in Vegas this weekend, no excuses.

It was so fun. 

I really don't have much more to say about it.

Cuz all I could say on the drive back to Mom and Dad's hotel was "That was SO FUN."

So I'd inevitably just end up in a never-ending circle, repeating the same things over and over and over and over again. 

But I'm so happy. Such a brilliant, amazing, WORTHWHILE night. 

I'll remember this forever :)

Let's Play Ketchup

I'm a weird blogger.

Well, I mean, I'm just weird, period, but my Blog-Life (similar to 'hood-' or 'thug-') is incredibly erratic. 

I'll go months without a single post

then BAM...

way too many all at once. 

In any case, a lot of things have happened since last we met, so..

...let's ketchup, shall we?

• I am ALMOST DONE with my FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING. Can you believe it? I can't. It has been one crazy ride--with a shockingly unpleasant dose of the crazy--but I am surviving, and I'm almost there!
• I took two ensembles to two separate festivals and each group received a Superior rating

some of my advanced orchestra kids getting ready for a pre-festival concert.

a few of my intermediate orchestra kids after their festival. on a Saturday. at 8am. 

I guess, as a sort of sub-bullet, that now would be the time to mention how much I adore these kids. And, no, that's not creepy. When I first got my student teaching assignment and realized I'd be working with middle schoolers I was......what's the best word.......apprehensive? But now... I can't imagine teaching anything else. I don't know what it's like to be a parent, but I think I have sort of an idea. It's ridiculous how much I love these kids. How they can make a terrible, awful, no-good day a million times better just with their bright smiles. I can't count the number of times I have been caught honestly off-guard--and had to take a minute to stop laughing--by their humor. To see them work and struggle and conquer and even fall in love with music......it makes all the hair-pulling days and anxiety-ridden nights worth it. I don't know that I'm any sort of good teacher: I'm not a musical genius. I don't compose. I'm not a brilliant soloist. I don't have amazing lesson plans that will get published in education journals. But what I do, I do pretty well: I love these kids and the subject I teach. I count myself incredibly blessed to be able to honestly say I love my job. And these radiant young souls I get to come in contact with every day are teaching me more than I thought I'd learn :) 

• I've made new friends. 

• I've kept in touch with old ones.

• I've gotten used to finding movie theaters in big, smoke-filled casinos.
• I've seen some pretty good movies. Divergent, Saving Mr. Banks, Winter's Tale, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER. 
• I've had a vegan burger.
• not my thing.
• I've stood toe-to-toe with people who are more than twice my age--stood my ground, and made decisions I never thought I'd have to make. I've felt the backlash of spineless mortals and been the subject of plenty of slander. I've raged and ranted and held my tongue and carried on. And you know what? I've won. 
• I've gone rock-climbing/hiking. Like, across rocky gaps and slippery slopes and unbelievable heights. 
• I've been to my favorite place on earth. A few times :) With many plans to go back. 

I always swore to myself I'd live in Cali. Now I'm in landlocked NV, but some day....some day.............

• I've gone to a pro (okay, minor league...) hockey game. 
• I cheered myself silly for the Olympics
• I've seen people make some really bad decisions

• I've kept up my Supernatural addiction. 
• Okay, really, if you haven't seen this show at least once by now....you should. It is wonderfully weird to me that I--the biggest chicken you will ever meet, the person who (as a 16 yr old) had to sleep in mom and dad's room the night of Pref after watching Poltergeist--have fallen for a show all about the freaky and spooky. That's how good it is.
• I know approximately how many Little Caesar's pizzas I can fit in the backseat of my (old) car. 

I'm not even gonna explain this one. 

Let your imaginations do as they will. 

• I've written pretty faithfully to a missionary. Yep, Elder Connor Ontiveros is still one of the funniest people I know, and it has been AMAZING to see all the change that has happened to little bro since he went out into the field. The people of Iowa/Missouri/Mississippi are lucky folks :) 
• I've had root canals and crowns and cleanings and basically my teeth suck, but I legit don't hate my current dentist, so that's a plus. 
• Yes, I was there for the Mailmanapocalypse. 

Why so many? In one place?? At one time??? The world may never know.

• I've been a homebody, a partier, a hermit, a social butterfly. 
• I've cried, I've prayed, I've ranted, I've stayed up too late with every possibility chasing the others around all because of my job, but I've kept at it. 
• I've been lonely. 
• I've been overwhelmed. 
• Goodness knows I've been annoyed. 
• I've been happy. Confident. Content. 
• I've been intensely self-critical all with the intention of always trying to be just a little bit better. 

Spring break is nearly over. 

6 more weeks. 1 more concert. A few end-of-the-year awards nights and meetings and business to attend to.

Then it's summer. 

Maybe I'll have some blog-worthy experiences for you by then ;) 

In Search of a Good Name

I know I probably overuse the phrase

"I'm an adult!"

Please understand: I am aware.

It's like when you say the world "milk" too many times in a row.

Eventually, it just feels weird. 

But, honestly, it's mostly because you don't really notice how things are changing until you stop to consider. How you are changing. 

The past year.5 has been all about growing for me. 

You know the story: graduated college, got a job, moved to Vegas, had various misadventures with various characters in various places, etc etc etc.

Some things are legitimately a big deal (first full time job, baby!)

And others are...not as much (first time fixing the stupid water heater)

But when you let yourself pause for a second to realize that a year.5 ago, there was no way you'd be sometimes-leading/sometimes-dragging a large handful of rambunctious, moody teens into the World of Music or getting much too close to the creepy crawlies of the earth whilst kneeling to check on the pilot light--it's sort of a big deal.

While I am fully aware that not every step I take into the realm of "Adulthood" is actually as earth-shattering as I feel it is and therefore does not require a breaking news-style update.....

Hey, guys?

I'M AN ADULT.

So, I got into my first accident almost exactly a year ago, sometime in the tricky month of April, 2013. Although the damage eventually turned out to be little more than superficial, my little orange Jack was definitely "used goods."

Even so, imagine my surprise when, 7 months later, I'm sitting on the floor in my grandparents' basement hearing my dad suggest that I buy a new car. 

'What??' I thought. 'Me? Buy a new car? Like a grown-up would? Don't you know I'm only a kid??'

But the more we talked it over, the more persuaded I became

Plus, I mean, who doesn't love car shopping??

So I started perusing. And researching. And picking out colors (the important things, you know).

And then it sort of got put on the back burner.

My car hadn't kicked the bucket yet. I wasn't in desperate need of a new car.

Plus there was no way I was going to hit up a dealership alone. I'm far too chicken and nice to deal with car salespeople. (Nothing against them, but, seriously, ask my parents to tell you about the "Photo of a Horse" incident and you'll see what I mean). I have a hard time saying no.

Fast forward to April 2014. 

After a rough couple of weeks (more about that later), I decided, sort of last minute, to pack up my car and hit the road for a bit of spring break with the fam (also more about that later).

Now, I will admit, as I stood in my room, debating whether I should pack another sweatshirt or not (didn't, poor choice, it was freezing), I glanced at my spare set of keys and checkbook and thought, 'Maybe, just in case, I should take both of these with...'

In the end, I left keys, checkbook, and extra sweatshirt.

(But I took the cannoli!  haha! anyone? ....anyone?)

Thoroughly-ignored premonitions aside, let it be known that I had no serious, rock-solid intention of going back to Idaho to find me a car (Adam Pontipee).

But, gosh darnit, sometimes things just fall into place. 

The Chevy dealer in good ol' B, ID, is owned by a Kim Hansen, whose son just happens to be in my parents' ward. On a sort of Saturday-evening whim, I mentioned aloud to dad whether he thought this kind Brother would let us test-drive some cars sometime the next week.

He did his usual dad response "Hmm, I dunno" (love you dad!) then asked what car I was investigating. 

Sunday: inquiries were made, and answered.

credit scores were checked.

bank accounts were perused. 

BlueBook was consulted. 

A plan was set.

I won't walk you through the many, long details of that Monday, April 14, 2014.

Let it suffice to say this:

I walked onto the Chevy lot Monday morning.

And drove away much later that afternoon in my brand new car. 

2014.

Ashen Grey Metallic.

Chevrolet Equinox LTZ. 

Is it wrong to be in love with a car?

Maybe a little, but believe me when I say that this car was pretty much everything I wanted.

There were a few other options on-lot: a black (um. Vegas.) a white or 2 (ehh)

and quite a few pearly golds (who honestly likes that color???)

And then, there, on the end....my baby. 

It was one of the higher-end models, and a liiiiiiittllleee bit more than I had initially planned on spending.

But it was awesome. Just perfect. The right color, the right audio options, the right interior. 

The test-drive sealed the deal. 

Big thanks to L. Hansen (if he ever reads this) for all the help and generosity in making my new-found dream a reality. 

So..there it is. I can officially cross "buy a car" off my Adulthood Bucket List.

(that's not really a thing. .....although, maybe it is now)

And, sure, signing all the papers and setting up a payment plan was a bit nerve-wracking.

And, yeah, my bank account feels a little light right now.

But I really don't regret it. 

When I posted pics on various social media platforms (cuz, obviously, you can't do anything unless it is FACEBOOK-DOCUMENTED), one of the comments that came up the most (besides "Congrats!" or, "sweet ride!") was definitely "You deserve it."

I don't know about that. I have a hard time with that phrase in general, but it feels sort of weird to be told that I've been a good enough human being to warrant a shiny new toy. 

But being a financially stable young adult--with a solid, full-time job, and the ability to make complete car payments--I mean, yeah, I guess that's something worth celebrating :)

Celebration, Chevy-style

Now I just need a good name.....

366 Days

With all of the stuff that was going on this last week, I only just realized--a few moments ago--that I have been a grown-up college graduate for a whole year. (+ a day).

366 days since I filed into the I-Center--right behind Naomi, right in front of Kiara--and listened to the commencement addresses from the front row. 366 days since I walked across the Snow theater stage and got my (empty) diploma case. 366 days since tassels and robes and pictures and tears and complete disbelieving joy. 366 days since my college life ended.

I don't really even think I have anything big or significant to say about it.

It's just weird to think about how much can happen or change in 366 days. Because SO much has happened and so many things have changed so completely. I'm in an utterly different setting, with brand new characters, and imaginative new plot twists. And it's all become normal.

I moved to Vegas. As in, Las Vegas, City of Sin. And I fell in love with it. I loved it so much, I decided that it was the place I was going to call home for a while.

I learned how to teach. And I learned it well, from one of the best. And then I fell in love with it; the way a student's face will light up when they finally get something right, the way these sweet little souls decide to trust you with their every drama and worry and joy, the way you get to be a small part of their life, to watch them grow and become real people.

I live in a condo. I pay monthly rent and bills. I have health insurance. I have paydays. I will live in this place for longer than 4 months. I don't think I've done that since high school. I, like, …live here.

I've had major dental work all by myself (I know, that doesn't sound like much, but words cannot describe how much I ABHOR the dentist). Had my first car accident. Went to my first bar. Took my first solo flight.  Tried Vietnamese food. Saw a show on the Strip. I got my first real, big kid job. My first credit card. My first anxiety attack.

I've been pushed so hard. I've never been so exhausted. I've never had so many nights of tear-soaked absolute worry or isolation. Never said so many desperate prayers.

I've learned so much (maybe too much?) and have been stretched to the point of snapping. I've grown and I know why I'm here. Most of the time.

But it wasn't until I sat down and really thought about it that I realized just how perfectly different my life is now than it was a year ago. I'm not in the same place, I'm not doing the same thing, I'm not surrounded by the same people, and even though it's hard, I'm not the same person I was 366 days ago, so, in the end…everything evens out.

Hell Week & Gratitude

This week has sucked. (pardon my French.)

I usually at least attempt to have some sort of logical flow to my posts, but this week... I really just need to get this all down, some sort of cathartic exercise or whatever, I guess, but here it all is, all disorganized and messy and whatnot. 

• Have you ever walked into a situation, knowing that it would potentially be a bad situation, but optimistically tried to persuade yourself it would all be fine? Have you ever felt that amazement as, for the first few weeks, everything is actually fine? Have you ever had that knot of unease begin to form as things start to change? Have you ever sat in complete disbelief as the situation exploded beyond even your wildest realm of expectation? Have you felt the pieces come raining down on you as you try to pick yourself up and put it all back together--don't cry, don't cry, don't think about it, and don't cry--knowing that you've only begun your day? Have you ever tried to fight down the wave of anger and guilt and personal "told you so" while merely attempting to keep your head above water? 
• I really hate crying in front of people. I hate it. Mostly because I also hate any sort of pity. Hate it. (hate hate hate, hate Smurf hah) But man have I done a lot of it lately (the crying, I mean, not the hate-smurfing or pitying). 
• Monday: cried in front of one of the counselors--but that was mostly her fault, because to be fair, I was overly tired and the easiest way to make someone cry is to keep asking if they're "okay" and insisting that you know they're not. 
• Tuesday: cried after I got off the phone (not technically in front of someone, but I'm counting it)
• Wednesday: almost cried before my kids came in the room, cried when I saw the pic of my little brother outside the Temple all big kid and what not, cried when I talked to my principal, cried when I rehashed the whole bloody mess to Jeremy that night at youth orchestra, cried when I got home and thought about everything all over again. (Wednesday was a bad day to be a Kleenex within my reach).
• Thursday: ...I just remembered, I didn't actually cry this day!! Go me. 
• Friday: almost cried (again) in front of my principal, almost cried (again) on the phone to JP. 
• If I haven't lost you already, I know how ^that^ looks. "Yeah yeah, blah blah blah, why do I care that she's been a human water fountain this last week? My word, that's a lot of boo-hooing." But I guess I do have a point. The first being that this week really has been incredibly hard. Nothing I've ever done has been this hard, this emotionally/mentally/physically taxing on me. 
• You know when you're completely physically drained, and you can feel your eyelids all heavy and you literally don't think you can hold your head up any longer, but the second you lay down and close your eyes--your brain wakes up? And the thoughts tailspin from one awful potential to another, and your heart is racing from the anxiety, and you toss and turn and try to count sheep or listen to soothing music or force yourself asleep, but nothing works? 
• Someone took my parking space Wednesday afternoon. I almost flipped out. Over a stupid parking space. I was angry. Over a parking space. Completely mentally unstable. 
• I think I've probably lost 7lbs since Wednesday. My stomach's been all sick and tense and nothing's sounded good and I think it was probably around 9pm Thursday night when I got home for the first time that day that I realized I hadn't eaten anything since my granola bar at 6:45am. Lesson learned? Stress & anxiety can do wonders for your diet ;) 
• The second point being I am very grateful for some of the people I have in my life. 
• Person #1: My mom (and dad, since I'm sure he's getting all the drama secondhanded from the mama) has sure been incredibly patient with me. I know how much it drives her crazy to not get the full story on things, but she's been very understanding of the fact that if I try to explain all of the details right now, over the phone, it'll completely wreck me. 
• Person #2: My baby bro. Wednesday night, I got home from all the mess to find a message on my voicemail from the Home phone number. I'm not sure what I expected it to be, but I'm pretty certain I can't describe how much my heart melted when I heard the 7 yr old voice introduce himself, his purpose, and then begin to sing a song, just for me--the sad big sister. God bless that sweet little boy. 
• Person #3: JP. I could probably devote an entire post to how grateful I am for his friendship and support, and before that sounds too weird, I better explain who he is and why he matters. JP was my assigned mentor teacher when I began this crazy Las Vegas adventure. Though our bonding wasn't necessarily immediate, once I got over my intimidation and worries and we got to know each other better, I knew that I had found a friend for sure. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor. Constantly supportive and informative, he perfectly walked the fine line of letting me try and learn for myself-- and swooping in to save me before all hell broke loose. We weathered plenty of storms together, our discussions ranged from music to religion to politics and beyond, and when all was said and done, we essentially discovered that our personalities and senses of humor matched up pretty well. He and his wife have become like family to me--my own little branch of Vegasian family, people I know I can call for almost any trouble or worry. With that said,  I hope it doesn't sound strange to say that I spoke to JP every single day this past week. From our Monday conversation about private teachers and not letting snotty little 8th graders get to you; to the Tuesday heads-up and advice he gave me before everything exploded; to Wednesday night when he let me soliloquize and cry and complain and seek reassurance for 45 minutes before Youth Orchestra; to Thursday night when, in between worrying about the concert and other directorial duties, he kept me laughing and constantly helped smooth my ruffled feathers with more counseling, rants, and support; to finally Friday, when he took not one, but two phone calls and a text to hear me worry about my life and troubles all over again. I know I couldn't have made it through this week without having him as a sounding board, a cheerleader, a defender, protector, and personal comedian. The Lord is ridiculously mindful of not only what we need, but also who we need in order to survive our trials, and having him as a Someone who thoroughly understands my situation and all the tiny details involved has been an incredibly tender mercy. 
• People #4: AJA, NP, RMik, & M. Principal, Dean, Counselor, fellow teacher, respectively. It was a huge thing to hear my principal reassure me that I was competent, tough, right and that things would get better. It was a relief to know I have both the dean (who had gotten the full story from her husband--see above--the night before) and one of the most influential counselors fighting the good fight on my behalf. I was remarkably fortunate to have a fellow teacher who understood the situation and was willing to alleviate my trouble in any way he could. Even if nothing gets resolved as quickly as I would like or in the exact manner I need, it's enough to know that I have these good people in my corner, on my side.
• People #5: My kids. All 240 of them. Even the ones I want to strangle. The only reason, somedays, that I can even want to do this job. The only ones who can bring me up out of the pit of self-pity and anxiety and make me laugh hard enough to make my side ache. The precious little spirits that are just trying to find their way through the horror that is middle school, and have already decided that my room is a sort of safe haven where they can come to just "hang out." They are the reason to keep this teaching stuff up. 
• Never, not even in my wildest dreams, could I have created the storyline that unfolded itself over my life this past week. Like I was told by both JP and AJA, at the very least, I'm "learning an awful lot this first year." 

I'm grateful for the people in my life. I'm grateful for church and the gospel and the subtle smack-upside-the-head reminder that I'm not alone, and that I need to give more attention where attention is due. I'm grateful for music, hot chocolate, good pizza, lame 6th grade jokes, warm sweatshirts, old TV shows, and the incredible power of text and email. 

If nothing else, this week has showed me that I really can do hard things. I've got the Eye of the Tiger, dang it, and I can survive anything!!

..But, all that being said, I'd be very appreciative of this week going much differently than the last. 

Complete Exhaustion: September

The Little Things

• I watched 8 seasons of Supernatural within a 4 month period. No regrets, baby.
• SEASON 9 premiered this last Tuesday. Sooo excited I got all caught up so I can experience this show "as it happens" for the first time--ever. And if Tuesday night was any indication, this season is gonna be one of the best in a while. :)
• I have a class of 68 students. 68 sixth/seventh/and eighth graders with instruments made of wood and wire that love to slip out of tune when you're not looking. 68 little angels that love talking. 68 different ways to hear "Ms O! Ms O!" throughout a 50 minute period. 68 names and faces to memorize. 68 children to remember to love.
• My favorite number of late has been 67. (no wonder that ^ class period is so hard...I'm one off..)
• I don't know which I prefer dealing with: my students--who frequently guess that I am ancient--or my students' parents--who frequently comment on my "youth" with slight disbelief. 
• At this moment, I have a Hershey's Chocolate pie sitting in my fridge, 2 packs of Sour Watermelons in my cupboard, 2 bags of mushroom-flavored instant rice, and a gallon of Simply Lemonade. The #obsessions continue.
• I have been to the dentist more times in the last 6 months than I have for the last 2 years. I hate the dentist. And these visits have given me no cause to break that streak. 
• I am consistently drained by those that inhabit my life. 
• Now, I've been called many things before, but I have to admit that a "condescending ingrate who treats people disrespectfully" was a bit of a new one. 
• My taste in music is apparently "eclectic." 
• I am so grateful for music. For all kinds of music. The Classic Rock and the Folk, the Classical and the Score, the Country and the Pop. 
• Hey cellists: ever had your endpin slip inside your cello itself? No worries; I know how to fix that. Not only is it hilarious, entertaining, and mood-lightening; it's also quite the work out ;)
•  I'm quite amazed with the human body in general. Even when there is no good reason for going on--and thousands of reasons for breaking down and curling up to nap for a good season--it keeps trucking on. I've found myself in a semi-constant state of wonder that I can accomplish all that I have, when running on insufficient amounts of sleep, nourishment, and brain power :)
• I know now what it's like to dishwasher shopping.
• I got to have the first "I don't drink." "Yeah right" "No really, I don't drink" conversation with some of my kids. I'm not certain their surprise at this fact quite equals mine in the moment they gave me "because it's what you do" as a response to my question of "Why do you want to drink?"
• Sometimes the things these kids have seen and experienced and learned breaks my heart. 
• Jake from State Farm, Coconut Jose Sharkbait, Hardunkichud Casper Fried Chicken. Sometimes I just can't explain how much I love my 6th graders.
• Wagner is a beast; but so incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable.
• There are few things as fascinating as apathy and feeling numb. 
• It's getting cold here. I can't tell you how nearly ashamed I was at shivering in a sweatshirt when the weather app read "65," but, well...there you have it. 
• General Conference was absolutely wonderful. It means so much more to me now that I'm older than it ever did before. It's kinda fun to look back on that sort of character development ;)
• 3 of my kids made it into the Clark County School District Honors Orchestra. I was a pretty proud mama hen. 
• #NewObsession: Pumpkin Spice lotion. 
• I don't think I've gone to bed before 11pm since possibly my sophomore year of high school. It's happened over a dozen times since I began my grown-up life. 
• I'm so tired. That's the only answer I can give when people ask what's wrong or how things are going or try to dig for details in the bags under my eyes. I'm just tired. Complete and total exhaustion. 
• But thank goodness for the 240 reasons I have to keep going. 

Thoughts of the Week(end)

Thought #1: I never understood people that would get cookie dough ice cream, or cookie dough blizzards. I repent and take that back completely; I'm sort of hooked.

Thought #2: Although, I don't think it beats Ben & Jerry's AmeriCone Dream flavor

Thought #3: Pet Peeve:
"Oh, hey, <so and so>, how are you?"
"Not so good, actually; I think I'm coming down with a bit of <insert illness of choice>."
"Oh. I was sick once. And I sneezed last night."

Like...really? When I find out people are sick, I go immediately into nurse-mode, like, "Oh, I'm sorry! That's the worst! Can I get you anything? Do you have soup? Popsicles? Drugs?" So people that take other people's misfortunes and brush it off because they knew what it felt like to be sick once upon a time completely baffle me. Like...completely. 

Thought #4: Beer doesn't even smell good. It can't taste super delicious, but it especially doesn't smell good. I don't get it. 

Thought #5: Chile con carne is delicious

Thought #6: Being sick is the weirdest thing. Like, being legitimately croaky throat, loss of voice, in pain, stuffy nosed, pulse-increased, can't get out of bed exhausted is so weird. It's like your body is a giant sorting center, and one day one of the little worker guys processes a particular germ and goes "NOPE. That's it, I'm out, shut it all down, boys, we're done."

Thought #7: You haven't felt truly old until one of your students asks you if you know anything about the musical group "N star Sync" (pronounced 's-eye-n-k')

Thought #8: The worst thing about living in a desert is when you're feeling tired or grouchy or sick and all you want to do is cuddle up in a sweatshirt but you can't because IT'S SO FREAKING HOT ALL OF THE TIME. Like, even at 3 am--it's hot. Even when it rains--it's hot. Even when it's September--it's hot.

Thought #9: Oh yeah, hey, Happy September.

Thought #10: I hate long-distance relationships. And no, not even just romantic relationships, I mean any relationships. It's too easy for me to think of someone with either super rose-colored glasses or condemning broken shades when they're out of my immediate 'reach.'

Thought #11: It's amazing how kids can break your heart. 

Thought #12: I don't really like orange juice. But I especially hate the pulpy kind.