And 3 months later....

Where has the time gone?!? It feels like yesterday I was blogging about the beau moving in and now...well, now, it's three months later and I am finally blogging again. It's like I've lost track of time, living in this crazy, crazy, crazy happy little world of mine and finally, today, I realized that it's three months later....

So, updates: I love my beau! I love him , I love him, I love him! I can't ever remember being this happy. He moved in three months ago and if I had known that it would be this bliss I would have had him move in a long time ago. Undoubtedly, I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with him. I've never said that about anyone in my life, I was the person that swore I would never get married. #bible.  But it is true, when you know you really know. I'm over here feeling like listening to Lauryn Hill's Nothing Even Matters on repeat...

Truth be told, I haven't blogged in the last three months because I have been busy living my life and truly loving every minute of it. I will do better job of including you in on mi vida loca. XOXOXO

Wow, BIG step....

Well, big things are happening in my house. This weekend, me and my beau are moving in together. Eeeeee, super excited and yet super nervous at the same time. Yep, BIG step.

Last weekend, we moved the small stuff and this weekend we are moving the big stuff. After this weekend, it's official. ALL of his belongings will be in my house!!! Eeeeee, again!

There's a bundle of fears within me. The what if's -- What if this doesn't work? What if I get on his nerves? What if he gets on mine? But in the end, this just feels right in my heart and over rides all the questions and everything else....

Sometimes, you have to set all reservations aside and follow your heart. Here goes this next chapter in my life.... stay tuned friends. :)

I heart Rhapsody.

So, I caved & joined Rhapsody & I love it! Everyone wants a good playlist while they are getting their cardio on at the gym & let's just face it... buying new tracks each week on iTunes is pricey. (& if you pirate music...I'm not judging) And then, there is the alternative of using Pandora during my gym time but if you're like me you can't find a station to play all of those 'I want to hear these' songs & you're are constantly stopping to skip a song.... and that has finally just gotten annoying to me.

Rhapsody allows me to create my own playlist on the computer/app & listen to them at the gym or on a run in my neighborhood. Heck, today I created a playlist & listened to it as I cleaned my house. Seeing how my phone serves as my iPod it works out perfectly. I am saving money and still getting to hear the tracks I want to hear!!! I am having a lot of fun with Rhapsody. I attached my playlist for this week. Next week, I am creating a playlist for my workouts using songs from the billboards in 2000. Should be fun getting down to some throw backs from high school.


Cardio: "1. Party Rock Anthem featuring Lauren Bennett, GoonRock - LMFAO
2. Pause - Pitbull
3. Motivation featuring Lil Wayne - Kelly Rowland
4. E.T. (feat Kanye West) - Katy Perry
5. Just Can’t Get Enough - The Black Eyed Peas
6. Look At Me Now (Explicit Version) - Chris Brown
7. I'm Into You featuring Lil Wayne - Jennifer Lopez
8. I'm On One featuring Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne (Explicit Version) - DJ Khaled
9. Run The World (Girls) - Beyonce
10. Pretty Girl Rock - Keri Hilson"

Yayyyy for Yardwork!!

Well, who does yardwork over the weekend in the brutal heat? ME, that's who!!! Ok, I wish I could say that I did everything this weekend but the truth is I have been working on my landscaping project in the front for the past couple of months. Ahhh, the joy of being a homeowner and making home improvements.

These are the yucca plants that I pulled up in May.
They were a pain in booty to remove....
I am glad they are gone and if I miss them too much there are still some in the backyard.

Out with the old & in with the new.

In June, I planted six box woods that will stay nice & green year round.

  

Finally, in July I finished my project.
Better late than never. This weekend I added the rock. I love it!

Just call me DEEBO!!!

Today's conversation at the pool:

Me: Is your bottled water hot?
Eve: Yea, it is.
Me: Oh, mine's not.
Eve: Danggg Deebo!!! You're getting worse!! *laughing

Now, those of you reading this blog and saying, "Who's Deebo?"  Well, if you have seen the movie FRIDAY then you have seen the character Deebo. My friend, Eve, has started calling me Deebo because she says I can be a little dominating at times like the character in the movie.  Now, I love my girl so when she calls me 'Deebo'  I take no offense. In fact, I then proceed to play the part of puffing up my chest, snapping my fingers, rolling my neck, and acting all tough-- straight up, being a bit of a bully. So, it's our ongoing joke that she thinks I can be a little much at times. Anyways, today's pool event made me chuckle but more than that it made me think....

Well, this weekend it really became reality that I am Deebo when my beau told me, 'quit bossing me around all the time'. At first, I went straight in to Deebo mode. Seriously, how are you going to tell me, sweet little me, that I need to quit being bossy? So, I got mad and copped an attitude for a long time until we both forgot about it and I didn't even really think about it again until today when Deebo reappeared at the pool.

It's always been in my nature to be very dominating. I am very independent and I have worked extremely hard to get where I am -- let me tell you, it did not come by being a push over. It came from being opinionated, strong minded and yes, maybe at times, a little Deebo-ish.  I never really cared about what anyone thought when they commented on my dominating ways but weirdishly enough it bothers me now. (I guess that means-- I like him, huh?) It's something I need to work on. Now, I'm not saying I'm going to be somebody I'm not but what I am saying is that I am going to make a conscious effort of when it is and isn't okay to let out my inner Deebo.

This Is Me....

I'm a fairly simple person.  I love to laugh. I love being silly.  It's truly the little things in life that I live for.  My path in life is led by my mind rather than my heart. If you can read my mind you can win my heart...eventually.

I am a creature of habit. I cuss way too much and drive way too fast.  I always wait until I'm on my last ounce of gas before I fill up. I procrastinate on everything and then kick my own booty for doing it.  The cycle still continues....I never learn my lesson.   I prefer wheat bread to white and strawberry soda to any other.  Gojos is my favorite restaurant.   I always order the steak and shrimp. I don't know if it's really steak that I'm getting but it taste good and that's enough for me.

I love what I do for a living. I believe the children are our future.  I love kids because I am a kid. I think I'm smart about some things; however, I never voice myself. I am truly fascinated by the human mind.  I absolutely hate standardized testing. I have a problem with constantly second guessing myself with shit that I'm educated in and I am very educated. I am very self-sufficiant. I am very ambitious. I have a serious problem with thinking about really random shit. Weird things fascinate me. 

I enjoy people watching.  I enjoy watching people's mannerisms.  I get extremely shy around people I don't know for whatever reasons.   I can be really stubborn at times, sometimes even act like a baby. I am extremely tight with spending money on myself but love spending it on other people. I live for the coupons in the Sunday paper and the summertime garage sales. I am a total bargain shopper. I can be "hood" at times but get extremely mad when someone tries to call me on it.   I hate it when people try to act like they know me.  I hate it when people judge me.

I think golf is super boring but still would like to learn to play.   I think I'm good at video games when in reality...I'm awful! I think football rocks. I get pissed when people talk about the Chiefs and have for as long as I can remember.   I love my city--Kansas City.

I constantly make other people's problems my own.  I worry way too much about everything and anything. I am currently teaching myself not to worry about the things I can't control. My new motto is "Don't sweat the small stuff". It's not working so well. I constantly overload myself with jobs. I wish I had someone to take out my trash, grade my papers and do my laundry but will never ask for help with even the smallest task.

Sometimes I laugh when bad things happen to other people and then feel guilty about it later.   Sometimes, I never feel guilty.  I love pulling practical jokes on people.  I have such a dry sense of humor.   I once laughed at my brother for falling down a flight of stairs.  He lived*.  Clowns scare the shit out of me and I'm horrified of spiders. Hot baths, music, books and long intimate conversations keep me sane. I live everyday for myself and not for anyone else. I like to impress people, but I'm not easily impressed. I am often mistaken for a b*tch but to truly know me is to truly love me.   I believe in GOD, always being real to yourself, and music.  The rest is to be continued...

Change Is Good.

A few months back, I decided I needed a change in my career. I didn't really know what all that encompassed but I knew it was a done deal in my mind. After a few months full of high anxiety fretting over what was the best decision for myself, I accepted a position teaching first grade in another building. As sad, as it is leaving the school, the friends, the familiarity of what I have had for the past six years I am excited for the change and the growth that is in my future.  Change can be a good thing :)

I had no clue that packing up my classroom would be so much work.
It has been really overwhelming.

Out with the old and in with the new.  My stuff has been moved.
Let the unpacking and the new adventure begin...



A Complete Stranger.

The past couple weeks have been tough. Real tough. I've been in a real funk. I've felt so lost. And yet, there's wasn't any explanation.  Until, this morning, when it hit me like a brick. So many changes have happened since last summer and it has finally caught up with me. Today, I realized that I am having a mid-life crisis or something of that nature. My world is not my world anymore. The truth is, there's a stranger in my house and her name is ME.

The words to write haven't been there because I didn't know what was bothering me. Now I do--Who is the person that I have become? I say this, like a it's a bad thing. Truth is, from the looks of things. Things are dandy. But I feel so empty inside.

Since last summer, I have bought a house. Fixed the house. Paid off debt, Strengthened my relationship w/God. Committed to a relationship. And made a ballsy career moves. I am stable. I am secure. Life is grand.... Wait, but is it????

Truth-- I feel like I don't know myself anymore. Without me even realizing it--my world changed dramatically. I feel like I just woke up from a dream but this is my reality.  These motions I go through every day don't feel like ME they feel like just that... motions. Everything is the same every stinkin day...Is this what 'growing up' feels like???


I blinked for a second and 12 months went by and now I'm a completely different person. A complete stranger. Is this the next chapter of my life? Because if so--we can skip it.

Loss for Words.

I feel like this blog is one that I've written. One that says, I sit here & try to write & yet there are no words.

I've been angry. I've been depressed. I've been stressed out. And who wants to write about any of that? I've been in this state of frustration because I'm unable to say what's really on my mind. Because I can't feel the words through my finger tips.

[Blank screen. Type a word. Type another word. Delete.]    

Same pattern, night after night. The words are in there. I just can't give them to you. Where do I start? So, for now, I feel them through the headphones of my iPod hoping this block will pass...

Tomorrow is a new day to try to blog. To try to journal. To find my words. To get back in this again. "Music is indescriable. It tells us everything we can't say, everything we want to say, and it feels everything we feel."  Play Adele's 21 & get lost in it. This is where I'm at. Lost in translation. Take these tracks & act like they're my words... until I find my own.

DJAndiB

DJAndiB is in the houseeee!!!! Ok, yeah, it’s a cheesy 80’s  way to start a blog but if I were a DJ that'd be me...

As a kid, the question everyone wants to know is: What you want to be when you grow up?...As a kid I never imagined that I would I go into to education and become a teacher, hell, I surprised the world with that career choice. As a kid though, I always wanted to be a DJ. They had the coolest of the cool job. They dressed fly, they talked ALL the time, they were in all of the social hype. Plus, they got to be around music 24/7. What could be a better job for me?

While others were playing house and basketball outside, I was playing DJAndiB. My mom would clean the house and I would set up a DJ booth. So, how does one create a DJ booth, you ask? Well, I would baracade myself in a fort like set up, using chairs, and pulling them up next to my mom’s Philips stereo system. I would get my emcee on the whole time-- all while playin the cuts, making up commercials, promoting special events, ...you name it.


Believe me, it took real skill peeps.

Sometimes, I wonder how life would have been different if I had I actually become a DJ. Hmmm, is it too late to chase after those childhood dreams? Sometimes, I just want to quit my job and do it! Who knows, maybe I would be working for a local radio station? Or even have my own company that DJ's parties and weddings. I wonder if it would have brought such fullfillment that it did as when I was a child. Well, there's only one way to tell... yea, you guessed it... throw a party and yours truly DJ it!! Oh yeahhhhh. I'm already getting those warm fuzzies just thinking about it. Get excited, friends.... :)

My 30 Day Challenge

In the spirit of spring cleaning and my ongoing mandate to feel great, I am beginning my own 30 day challenge. My challenge is actually a diet clean-up challenge. I am eliminating as many ‘bad’ foods as I can and sticking to a higher protein diet and overall healtheir way of eating. No more-- eating out with my beau, late night snacks, and Ben&Jerry's while watching a flick. No more-- school lunches, stops for McD's breakfast, or Starbucks coffee.


This whole 30-day challenge came to me as an idea inspired by my friends at the gym who are trying thier own 30-day challenge. Their challenge has you eliminate all processed foods, gluten, sugar, dairy, alcohol and caffeine from your diet. It sounds great but who am I kidding? That’s all the good stuff plus it feels like a lot of work. So, I will attempt to challenge myself in my own way-- just eating better.

In thirty days, I plan to eat healthier and lose 10lbs just in time for a great summer. Today, I’m living it up and eating ‘Mi Ranchito’ leftovers but tomorrow my challenge begins. Stay tuned as I start this journey…
Week 1 starts tomorrow—Bring it on!

Life isn't always simple....

All sorts of choices confront us in our everyday existence - from the big life changes, to the small and mundane ones. These past few weeks have been full of decisions and because of that I have fallen off of the blogging bandwagon and you have missed out on ‘mi vida loca’, for that I apologize…

Often the 'right choice' in a situation isn't clear at all, and we as people can struggle to find our way through the complexity of it all. I have somehow allowed myself to get caught up in this blunder of complexity and transformed it into stress. Through pros and cons of my decisions I have made myself miserable. Woooosahhhhh.

All of the self-inflicted chaos could end by just not doing a darn thing….but even deciding to do nothing is a choice, even if it's one that doesn't require much action it can still bring on the anxiety. In the end, I guess all I can do is give it to GOD and hope that the decisions I make are the right ones for me. 

Thanks blog peeps, for listening to my obnoxius whines of self-pitty ...  :-)

Hello, My Name is FATTY!!!

Everyone has heard of the "Freshman 15", the infamous weight one gains when they go away to college with a little help from some horrible late night fried food and lots and lots of cheap beer . Well, what happens when you gain weight in the beginning stages of a relationship? What do they call that? Is there a name for this chunk of roll that has appeared in my midsection and my booty?

Last night, my beau and I went to watch the Missouri Maverick's game... just so happens if you get there early you can get half off of the concessions, woohoo lucky me! So, as I stuff my face with chili cheese fries, I whine to the beau about how chunky I'm getting...

Me:  Omg, I've gained like 8lbs since we started dating.
Him:  Really? I've lost like 11lbs since we started dating.

Why is it that women gain it so easily? And men shed it in their sleep? It's not fair and it's not right. Someone needs to publish a book called, "How to Avoid Gaining Weight in a Relationship". I would buy that book in a heart beat!!

Running Again...

Running can be something that a person can absolutely hate or  something that a person can absolutely love. For me, it has been both. I have never been a runner. In school, I remember having to run the mile as an assessment for physical education. I remember the side stitches and the shortness of breath, I remember vowing to myself that I would never run again unless some creepy evil person were chasing me down a dark alley and only in that moment would I haul booty. I never in my life thought that I, the anti-runner, would become a runner.

About a year ago, I started the C25K program and was able to run my first 5K. Since, then I have loved to run.  There's just something about running that brings a calming force to my life, I'm able to really just get lost in my thoughts and let all of my stresses and worries go... not to mention I lost some weight running, and we all know losing weight is never a bad thing.

This spring I had planned to RockThe Parkway but was unable to due to the fact that I broke my toe. How I broke my toe you ask????? Well, I dropped a paperweight on my barefoot and that's all the info you get to know.... sorry :(

Last night, I ran for the first time in months and now I am back in the boat of absolutely hating to run. My toe throbbed and my side ached, the entire time I just couldn't for the life of me remember why I liked to run in the first place. I question if I will ever really enjoy it again....

At least my playlist ROCKED... Add some of these to your iPod :)
Take It Off- Ke$ha
Bass Down Low - Dev
Black & Yellow - Wiz Kalifa
No Hands - Waka Flocka
Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner
Only Girl - Rihanna
All I Do Is Win - DJ Khaled
Hold It Against Me - Britany Spears
Did It On Em - Nicki Minaj

It's the little things in life...

On rainy days when I have to be at work when I rather sleep-in, it's 'Opps, All Berries' the only available one time a year Captain Crunch cereal that always brings a smile to my face on these dreary mornings... We all know the berries are the best part!!! The breakfast of champions... It's the little things in life! :)

Dear Senator Luann Ridgeway,...

Dear Senator Luann Ridgeway,

Thank you for your response email regarding SB372, I know you are very busy and I appreciate your time and your response asking for suggestions to address the issues that we are currently facing in education.

After rereading your response letter I feel that there are some discrepancies between your response and SB372 and I am hoping that after reading my response that maybe you will understand a little more about the parts of SB372 that I oppose and other issues in education that are not directly linked to the bill.

As mentioned in your response, I agree with looking at reforms that will make education more effective, efficient and improve student achievement. The area of reform that I am concerned about is teacher tenure and merit pay. Teacher tenure improves the relationships between teachers and supports fair and equal treatment of teachers. Tenure recognizes teachers for staying in a particular school district or grade, and is commiserating with ‘years of experience’ as referenced by other professions. As an Elementary teacher I am constantly collaborating with teachers on ideas to implement within my own classroom to improve student achievement. As a tenured teacher I also provide guidance and support for new teachers.

Unfortunately, there are teachers within our educational system who are not the best, but there are procedures in place to get them out of schools. If an administrator or district wants to terminate a tenured teacher, there is an established process for this and it can be done. As with other professions, it is a matter of following the process and documentation. I am not against changing this process to make it more timely and standard; however, this does not require elimination of tenure. There should also be a process in place whereby teachers can report poorly performing principals or administrators without the fear or repercussions. Currently, this is not possible. While administrators are not affected by SB372, I feel this is something that should be addressed in reform efforts.

As for the section within SB372 regarding merit pay for educators, I am for merit pay but not as stated in SB372. SB372 suggests having teachers in three tiers within each school. This means 33% of the teachers would make the top pay over the other tiers while last tier would make not even enough to support a family. Being a teacher is a good middle class job. No one is getting rich teaching. Teachers, like others, have mortgage payments, student loans, as well as other financial obligations. Teachers are responsible for the education of our country’s youth and deserve to be paid accordingly. I feel that it is unfair to have teachers at a poverty level salary. We want to attract the right teachers, and make education better for the children in the state of Missouri not hinder it. Having teachers compete for merit pay is not the answer, particularly as it is difficult to assess each teacher individually based upon the demographics of the class.

I have a student I want to tell you about. This first grader has been struggling with basic reading. I have tried many different strategies to help this learner. I finally found an intervention that worked for this student and the light bulb has clicked on! How rewarding that is to see! Strategies tried previously by other teachers had not worked for this student. Now if SB372 passed as currently written, what incentive does that give me to share this strategy with other teachers? SB372’s not about helping all children succeed… it's about competing amongst peers for top tier salary. It would have a profound effect on teaching philosophy. It takes a village to raise a child, as Hilary Clinton said a few years ago. It’s not about individual performance.

Another story I can share is from a couple of years ago. Due to turnover within the school, we had a couple of newer teachers assigned to teach the same grade as myself. Since I was the more experienced teacher, when children were assigned to classrooms I was given more of the ‘difficult’ or ‘challenged’ children. This is just an example of how the distribution of students is not always equal in assessing teacher performance. So, if SB372 passes with no clear plan for evaluation this would be chaos. There are so many factors to be considered and applied fairly across the board. In your response, you shared your concern about administrators and concerns of other educators. Would the state spend even more money hiring someone to be trained to assess the teachers? What would be the criteria for how this would look like? I would suggest looking at the methodology used for merit pay from a school district in Chicago. Teachers are given their base salary. Teachers are then graded on attendance, parent participation surveys, professional growth and development efforts, the amount of extra time they spend tutoring, etc., and on individual student growth based on the entry level of the student’s performance. They are not graded solely off standardized testing, which as we both know, is not administered by all teachers and again vary by the student demographics. Teachers in this Chicago school system are given the opportunity to make more money than their base pay by earning it.

America's schools are behind academically compared to other countries, declining steadily since the 1970's. It is important to remain in the rankings with other countries such as China, India and Germany. The difference between education in our country compared to other countries is America’s love for standardized testing. Every year, our students spend a huge chunk of their school years preparing for standardized government tests, not because it contributes to the education but rather it’s necessary to maintain school funding. If teachers are busy preparing for an annual test, this decreases their time to work on higher level, independent, and critical thinking skills.

In America, teachers are expected to address and tolerate social problems. Yet, in other high performing countries they have a zero tolerance for disobedience in school. I would like to see more efforts made to support teachers in dealing with the various socioeconomic situations. America provides public education to all children while in other high performing countries children from wealthy or connected families are given the opportunity to go to school for an education. The other children often learn a trade instead of a basic education. To continue to be able to provide education for all, teachers need support systems. I agree that teachers should be accountable; however something needs to be done about parent accountability as well. In schools where the students come from poverty levels, many of the parents are absent, do not value education, or do not have the education themselves to help their children by reinforcing skills at home. This year, I had a student come to my class who was performing two grade levels below his current grade level. We have spent most of the year, including many hours outside of the classroom, trying to help him catch up. The student has made progress, but is still not up to grade level after seven months. I have recommended he be retained in this grade for another year so that he could catch up and have a successful educational experience. This child's parent refuses retention and as part of NCLB he has that right. So now this child will go on to the next grade to be even further behind! We need to look at this closer as it is not working! We do not tell carpenters how to build things or pilots how to fly planes, yet parents tell teachers how to do their jobs. Why is it fair that teachers are held responsible for children's education when their parents don't value it?

Being a teacher is one of the hardest jobs in the world. You can't really understand it unless you eat, sleep, breathe, and live it. Children are our future. We all know this, we all agree on this. It's been the saying decade upon decade. I appreciate the efforts you are making to help our children. It takes a small village to raise a child; it will continue to take a collaborative effort by the community, the teachers, the parents to help our children in Missouri succeed. Please consider voting NO to SB372 as it is not what is best for anyone. I encourage you to look into some successful things happening in other states and considering proposing new legislation that better meets the educational needs of Missouri children.

Thanks,

Andi


(On a sidenote, blog peeps-- If you would like to write a senator in your area and voice your concerns about SB372 visit MissouriNEA and there will be a prewritten letter...All you have to do is sign and send it via email or feel free to write something yourself. Thanks for your support.)

It's Official.

As I sit here listening to my Ray LaMontagne album getting things ready for my the first day of this long week, I realize I'm pretty darn happy with the way this weekend panned out... it's been only been since last night  since I've seen him and I can't quit smiling.

I've been a little secret nymph lately with my dating life and I apologize for that but not everyone's comfortable with their business being out there quite like I am. (read: my beau does not want to be on the blog tell all bandwagon) Anyways, I'll try to maneuver and shimmy around the black and white areas into the grey whenever I can and tell you about my lovely fellow a.k.a my beau.

So, the secret is out of the bag. . . .It's official, I am in a committed relationship!!  All I can say is that he is pretty damn amazing. I pinch him daily to remind myself of this and that it's real.   I feel like I can finally be done with my Carrie Bradshaw gig (if you're not hip to Sex&TheCity's characters then you're probably scratching your head in bewilderment.) and focus on a mature-honest-responsible-grown up-relationship. I feel like every day we learn something new and cool about dating each other.... and it's amazingly refreshing.

This weekend we did something that dating people do that I haven't done in a really really really long time: I introduced the beau to the family for the first time.

Gulp.

It ended up going quite well, thank goodness! My family is a huge fan of his... so am I.  All in all I'm really thankful to have me such a keeper... sometimes you have to go through some duds to find a stud. Hehehehe, ok that was cheesy but I truly think it's why  I have had to deal with so many douchebags over the years.

It's funny how when you're not looking for something it finds you. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend with my beau. :) :) :)

It's the little things in life...

These are the first bloomers at my new house. Yayyyy for spring!

I'm not trying to toot my own horn but.. Toot Toot!!

So, my new year's resolution for 2011 was to cook at least two recipes a week. Surprisingly, I have been all over this resolution and have stuck with it, sometimes exceeding my own expectations and making three or four recipes a week.

This is not a cooking blog, LORD knows, I'm not that good of a cook to have a blog about solely my culinary skills but I do have to give credit where credit is due! This is a blog about everything and yet nothing and so I will toot my own little horn and say that I am becoming quite the little chef! Who knew that I would find such self-gratification and peace of mind with cooking?..

Last night, I baked fish and it was delish!!! I am almost feeling confident enough to host a dinner party. Who wants to come? I tweaked the recipe a bit (yes, I'm getting that good) but here is the recipe. Baked Fish.

Check out last night's dish:



What happened to DEMOCRACY???. .

Missourians-- pay attention to the Wisconsin Unions and what the teachers, public employees, and the middle class workers are facing because WE are next, it will eventually happen to us. After everything that happened in Egypt last month, we are now seeing chaos in our own country; a country that has rarely seen such large and tense demonstrations.  We are watching people storming the Wisconsin capital doors with picket signs and 'It's About Freedom' t-shirts, people are now rising up and wanting to be heard.  We should all go help demonstrate for the dispossessed in Wisconsin, every single one of us. It's a time to come together and fight;  fight for this assault on working families, the attack on public employees, and this slander on education. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. Republicans are waging war on the middle class!!!

Wednesday's disrespect for the people was blatantly shown when Wisconsin Republicans passed a bill that stripped public sector unions of some of their rights. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten.  Less education, less health care, and fewer jobs means hurt people and a hurt economy.Where is President Obama? And why is he not addressing the bullying the Wisconsin Government is doing?
What's an even bigger travesty to our nation it that the teacher's are being used as the scape goat in the middle of all of this mayhem. The country is not in turmoil because of teachers. If teaching were just a "job" then pay them babysitter wages or minimum wage and teachers would make more than they do now.  Teachers do pay in to their health care anywhere from 20-50%, which is comparable if not more in some cases than those in the private and/or corporate world. Teachers pay into their own pension, as well, from their own salary. When they finally can retire, often into their 60's, their pension contributions will have been paid 95% out of their very own pockets! Many districts, towns, and the government do NOT match contributions as many who have a 401k.  Teachers subsidize their retirements by contributing to an unmatched 403b plan. Teachers pay out of pocket for supplies and extras, lunches and coats or sneakers for children that don't have it. They pay for graduate classes and many have Master's and PhD's in their field. Do other 'jobs' have such requirements?  Missouri Teachers-- This is what we are facing!! It's starting now, small, but it is starting with HB 628.  Union busting bills are being introduced in at least 10 states, including Missouri. ( MNEA Union)

Unions work together, labor and management to reach a mutual agreement. Teachers have made many concessions, taken increases on co-pays, premiums contributions, pay freezes or no raise at all which in turn means they actually take home less and less each year. Teachers need to make a living wage just as any other professional or any other American for that matter. Who is paying your health care? How much do you actually contribute to it? Who is paying for your medicare? Who is paying for your pension when you retire? A union is simply a voice! There are many reasons why the economy is in the state it is in and it is real simple to choose an easy target to blame the unions. This will not solve the problem, nor will ignorance.

America, you need to truly get informed. You need to educate yourself on the facts, not the twisted hype or spin that the media sensationalizes. If you don't, then you are continuing to live in ignorance and the real problems will never be resolved. Teachers are not the problem, public employees, and middle class workers are not the problem, they are part of the solution and they are doing everything they can to survive in this economy. Taking away their voice is simply wrong. What happened to Democracy? As the beginning of democracy is beginning in Middle East we are now seeing it end in the midwest. That is what the people in Wisconsin are thinking, that is what many of us are thinking. Nothing says democracy like voting with no notice, preventing the public from observing, and locking the doors of the capitol. We have to stand up for what is right.

People power is a beautiful thing. I support you #wiunion.

Ohhhh what a WONDERFUL weekend...

It is really Sunday already?!?!?? I guess that's the signs of a wonderful weekend. 

Friday, I went out with some coworkers to one of my favorite places in Kansas City, Trezo Mare. We had some delicious food & some yummy drinks. That restaurant is amazing!!!!!! The atmosphere is just what I needed to set the tone for the weekend. Dim lights and soft jazz does it for me everytime. It was such an enjoyable time that we decided to have an after hours get together at my house. Until Friday, I haven't really entertained in my new house, cheesy as it sounds, it was a really special night for me just for that reason alone. The six of us and a lovely fellow enjoyed each other's company with great conversation and lots of laughs.

Saturday, I spent the day shopping for a special birthday gift for a lovely fellow. After an hour of shopping, I really think I found the perfect present... thank you Macy's!  Saturday night, I went to dinner with my lovely fellow to a place I have never been called The Blue Moose. If you don't me, well here's something to know....I love going to new places.  The Blue Moose is in Overland Park, KS. It reminds me something similar to the restaurant Houlihans. A place where you can still wear jeans but it's still a kind of more upscale place.  The place was filled with KSU people which was wack but other than that it was a nice little place to start the evening. After dinner we went to Paddy O'Quigleys on 119th and OMG I have not had that much fun people watching in such along time!! The crazies were definitely out on Saturday! The night was filled with karaoke and dancing and chuckling.  Did I mention that I met my lovely fellow's friends???? Did I mention they were the crazies???

Sunday, I woke up and had chocolate chip pancakes cooked by my lovely fellow, I love a man that can cook!! Mmmmm, that could almost make a wonderful weekend alone by itself. <3

Chef Andi STRIKES AGAIN!!!!

Tonight, I continued the journey of exploring my kitchen skills and made some of my Great Grandma Sharp's Bread Pudding. In conversation a few weeks back my Grammy told me that her mom would make bread pudding with the bread that wasn't eaten during the week rather than throwing it out. This inspired me to try and make it myself. My Grammy wrote down the recipe just as her mom made it and tonight I attempted to follow it to a tee and make it just the way they both have done time after time.

It was quite the experience as I had to call my Grammy while I was making it because using a dish inside of dish in the oven was baffling to me and words like scold were unfamiiar. Needless to say, I managed through the recipe and it turned out amazingly delicious. No weight watchers points tonight, I'm going back for seconds. I'm sure my Great Grandma would be pleased to know that I successfully made her bread pudding.

Did someone say Karaoke?

Wow, I could seriously get used to having a 3day weekend every weekend! Snow Gods--Thank you for all of the snow days you have given us this year especially the ones that have fallen on Fridays. Friday snow days truly make the weekend that much better!!

This weekend was filled with lots of fun-ness! Friday, I went bowling with a lovely fellow & some other friends and surprised myself with bowling two games with scores over 100. Considering I carry a bowling average of 66... I was on cloud nine. Saturday, I went to Stone Canyon Pizza and enjoyed some pizza with my family for my cousin's birthday. They are all MIZZOU fans so it was definitely nice to watch the KU win with them and remind them of their MU loss from earlier in the day. (I am counting down the days until we play each other on Saturday.) Sunday, I filled my belly with some deliciousness from Corner Cafe and caught the flick, HallPass. Sounds like a good weekend, huh? Well. . . .

The best part of this unexpected long weekend was  karaoking with two of my dear friends. On the wim we made plans to meet up and sing karaoke and it ended up being a really fun night! I love singing. I sing in the shower, in the car, and in front of first graders but NOT in front of random people. I would love to say that I wasn't nervous and got up there in front of everyone and belted out a song American Idol style but I wasn't brave enough for all that yet, next Karaoke session be ready.  Anywho, thanks to my friend I found some courage. Check us out....

My friend DeeDee & I singing 'Tiny Dancers' by Elton John.

C'mon people!! It's The Beatles!!!

I am so very unhappy with tonight's American Idol.  The Beatles are not country, nor R&B or hip-hop. They're THE BEATLES!!! Tonight's show was demeaning to music and a travesty.

Every season I find myself overwhelmed with this feeling of disappointment when they have the contestants sing songs from exemplary artists like Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston. The Beatles and countless other classic bands/singers should not be allowed to be showcased and botched. End of story. What would Steven Tyler think if the contestants performed and butchered a few of Aerosmith's songs?  Well, it's pretty clear what he would think seeing how in the ten seasons of American Idol ...Aersosmith has yet to sign a release to have their songs featured!! Ok, I'll slow down on the blog-soap-box....The truth be told; legends stand on their own-- untouchable and defined and The Beatles are just that...legends.

Sooo, to my friends reading this blog in the name of all that is holy in the music industry, I allow you to GRRRRR and be upset with tonight's American Idol and whoever thought it was okay to butcher The Beatles on National Television!!!

Yoga Love

The lights are dim, there is music quietly playing, I listen to myself breathe and it's so unbelievably soothing. I'm focused. Focused on my body. Focused on the depth of every inhale and every exhale that comes from within me. I've forgotten about my stresses, nothing matters. Complete peace takes over me. I breathe in a breath for my mind, I breathe in a breath for my body, and I breathe in a breath for my spirit.  I am ready to take my light and love into the world. I am rejuvenated.

Savasana; I am in love with you.

Doorknobs. Done. Done. Done.

Well, I guess that changing the light switches in my house wasn't enough learning for me for one weekend... I decided to change all of the doorknobs. Although there were no sparks flying and I wasn't screaming at the top of my lungs scared of electrocuting myself it was still quite the experience. The guys at home depot will tell you, "Sure, it's easy! Just unscrew this here, pop this one out, and put the new one in and wallll-laaa!!" Two words: Yea right!!! I can honestly say that after that I have no desire to work on my house for a while. At least my knobs look nice... one step at a time, one step.

The before:

The after:

Light Switches & Outlets 101

For as long as I can remember I have had a love for learning. I'm talking about the love for learning that goes beyond the classroom. The "real" love for learning not just academics but learning the little things. Learning how to ride a bike, how to speak another langauge, or how to find your way home without using GPS while getting yourself lost.

Today, I got myself a healthy dose of learn a lot. Today I learned how to change light switches and the outlets in my house. I decided that my house needed new light switches and outlets, I thought that this would be an easy task. . . WRONG! Apparently, changing just the plate isn't how it works. So, today I learned what each breaker controls in my house. I learned that you should plug something into the socket to check if the power is really off or sparks will fly, you will scream, and a perfectly good screw driver will be ruined. Once, all that happens you can learn how to change the wires on an old light switch to a new one. It felt good to learn how to do something I never in a million years would have thought I could or even would be doing.

Ahhhh, the joys of being a homeowner. It took me nearly four hours but they are all now white instead of ivory. It's amazing what such a little thing can do for a house.. such a little change gives each room such a modern look. This love of learning how to do new things is going to get me in trouble. I'm already thinking doorknobs next. . . . Stay tuned. :-)


The old ivory colored light switches & plates.


The new white switches & plates.

It's the little things...

It’s our different interest in music…

It’s how he kisses me randomly for no reason….

It’s the grabbing of my hand when we are walking…

It’s the way he gives me a hard time…

It’s his simple words..

It’s the questions he asks..

It’s the conversations we have…

It’s the way he makes me smile..

It’s the little things…

It's time to run... (again!!!)

Omg, it's too cold to run outside but I need to run!!! It's almost time to RockTheParkway and I have ran all but one time... so tomorrow I am going to get out of bed early and get back on my C25K!!

I need some new running tunes!! Any suggestions????? Hopefully this playlist starts it off right...

Raise Your Glass - Pink
The Time - Black Eye Peas
Shawty Got Moves - Get Cool
No Love - Eminem
Bottoms Up - Trey Songz
Yeah x3 -Chris Brown
All Of The Lights - Kanye
OMG - Usher
Firework - Katy Perry

Chef Andi?????

So, recently I've joined Weight Watchers again. Not so much to lose weight but more as a healthy life style tool. I used WW a few years ago to lose a little over 10lbs and I really just believe in the program. I have decided this time on WW I am going to cook more often instead of using SmartOnes. So, for the past few weeks I have been cooking, thank you snow days for giving me the time. Surprisingly, cooking is really therapuetic. Maybe I should've been cooking real food a long time ago and by real I mean not mac&cheese and fish sticks out of the boxes. Anyways, I hope to blog more about my cooking experiences. Enjoy the journey with me my friends.

Last night, I made a recipe called the Deep Dish Pizza Casserole. It was delicious!! Here is the website where I found the recipe. http://www.angelfire.com/journal/wwrecipes/ The recipe says that it is worth 6pts but it is based off our their old point system. It is actually worth 9pts on their points plus program and totally is worth all 9 points!

Ahhh, the joys of dating.

So, in two days I have a big date! Eeeeee, I am very excited! I am going out to dinner with an extremely charming guy. I'm not even trying to hide it, I am very fond of him. We have great conversation. We talk about the most random things. We can be serious and the we can joke and most importantly we laugh. We stay on the phone for hours. He makes me smile. :)

I only have one problem. We have never met.

So, now I am nervous that all these feelings could possibly end. I am not a shallow person. I need substance over looks any day of the week but in the end I do need some kind of physical chemistry. What if I am attracted to him but it's something else that sets me off like the way he chews his food? OMG, I can be so picky. I have played so many different scenarios in my mind. I am over thinking this, aren't I?