Few Things Friday

I had a bunch of beauty products/make-up I wanted to recommend but I think I'll save it for Monday. I have a few stress breakouts right now and Wells has helpfully pointed out the "boo-boos" so maybe I shouldn't recommend the products? Hmm.

1. 

Stuffing sausages

2. This is so random but lately I've been thinking about how much I dislike Justin Timberlake. Watch Framing Britney Spears, if you haven't already. I will stand by *Nsync as the greatest boy band, but I've never been a fan of his solo career. I'm working in a classroom right now where the teacher loves to play music for the kids and we've got a lot of JT happening for some reason...I always just think Man, what a jackhole. These kids have no idea. I feel like everyone should know what he did (and is still doing to his wife and I am the most unlikely Jessica Biel defender; I can't stand her.)

3. Did anyone watch the State of the Union? This was my takeaway:  

4. Memes:

We have like seven things to do this weekend. I remembered on Wednesday night that, if we are in fact going to a birthday party on Saturday, I need a gift and that timeline is too close for Amazon so I had to go to the store last night.

It's also gift-giving season with Mother's Day, birthdays, teacher appreciation, and so on. I feel like I have a lot of "stuff" waiting to be mailed. 

WUW-The end of April

Eating...

I made Saucy Sundried Tomato Gnocchi for dinner last night. It's really quite embarrassing: I make roasted gnocchi so often that I even roasted this gnocchi before adding it to the skillet. I cannot say no to roasted gnocchi. For a bit of balance, I also roasted some zucchini and mushrooms and threw that in there with it. Anyway...delicious. You should make it. Perfect for a weeknight. 

Reminiscing..

Loving...

Been up to...

Dreading...

Something I really dislike lately is grocery shopping. My options aren't vast here and I get that. I just am never happy with my selection of grocery stores that are available, no matter where we are. I just...didn't go over the weekend. I couldn't stand the thought of it. I did stop on Monday afternoon, which led to a whole separate set of problems because going to the store on a Monday after work is enough to ruin anyone's day. 

I also have four things that need to be mailed from the post office but I don't have all of it ready yet so I will be making a trip there by the end of the week. 

Working on....

Organizing. I put these file boxes to use and sorted all of our important papers. 

Watching/Reading...

I've been watching nothing. There. is. nothing. to. watch. Where are the new episodes of shows I like? Not anywhere I can find them. In truth, we've watched Bloodline for the last few weeks. I want to like this show. #1, it's gorgeous and Scott says the warm and cloudy weather of the FL Keys would be ideal for me (because it's cloudy and not sunny but still warm). #2, the cast is great. Love Kyle Chandler, love Linda Cardellini, etc. But...it just doesn't hold my rapt attention. Have you watched? 

So because there's nothing ("nothing") for me to watch, I've been reading a lot more than normal. Usually one book a week. Which is actually a lot when they're 400 page books. 

I struggled with these two over the weekend for my own personal reasons: The Good Sister and Finlay Donovan is Killing It. (spoiler in white: I couldn't handle the dog almost dying in The Good Sister and the toxic mommy culture in Finlay Donovan led me to DNF it).

I actually DNF'd three books in the last few days. Finlay Donovan, Her Dark Lies, and Don't You Forget About Me. 

Listening...

I listened to this Change My Mind on Youtube on Sunday night while I cleaned and got ready for the week. 

Wearing... 

I got these over the weekend. They are like my Mossimo flats from a few years ago, but they have support and are better quality. Only $20. I am not a shoe person at all; I buy shoes because I have to, not because I want to. I needed something to wear to school in the spring/fall and these are perfect. I might go back and get them in black too. I almost sized down to a 7 1/2 but went with an 8 because I figured my feet would get hot and swell during the day. 

I'm also finding it really difficult to find sandals that I like. Any suggestions? Something with a little support but not clog-like or espadrilles. Low wedges are great. Cork is even better. Not slide-ons, something with straps is preferred. 

Doing this weekend... 

I think we're going to a bbq on Friday and another on Saturday.  If I don't start packing up some boxes soon, we're going to be looking down the barrel of a double-panic-attack sooner rather than later. 

What I'm looking forward to next month...

I'm just really ready for the school year to be done with. I feel like everyone feels this... parents, teachers, kids...while I do want to teach, I'm ready to do whatever I want 7 days a week again for a bit. 

What else is new...

This is one of those times where it's just like if I can get through this week, next week will hold answers and be better. It's not even that I'm swamped or something. I just need to get through the weeks so I feel like we're making forward progress. 

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Sorry, this was a bit of a downer post. I'll have memes on Friday!

We are moving (back) to...

 ...Missouri!

It's interesting to hear what people think of the places the military chooses to move you. 

For example, I don't know if I ever mentioned it on here, but when I told people in Pittsburgh that we were moving to Kansas, most would go: 

When I tell people in Kansas that we came from Pittsburgh, they all go:

Perception is everything, I guess. 

I bring this up because when I tell people we are moving to Ft. Leonard-Wood, Missouri, many go:

I can't even make that up: When I tell people in LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS that we are moving to Ft. Leonard-Wood, Missouri, that (that!) is the face they make ^^^ 

It's insane.

And then I say, No, we picked it! and then they go:

But we really did pick Missouri. Scott is an engineer. That's where the engineers are based. We've been there before. It puts us 3-4 hours closer to home (Pennsylvania) but keeps us west of the Mississippi River (this is practically my prerequisite for duty stations). We knew land/housing was affordable. It's not in a big city with crazy traffic and a high cost-of-living. It has all of Scott's favorite hunting spots nearby (this goes into our decision-making because our dogs are west/midwest dogs, truly). The big bonus is that it's only a few hours from our current location, so we can move slowly over the first half of the summer. 

I like the school district there. It was, to date, my best professional experience. I would be thrilled to work there again.

The people are generally nice. Being in the midwest is a good fit for us, overall. There's also a Culver's, a Sonic, a BWW, and a Panera all within 20 minutes of where we'd be living. (priorities)

That's kind of the long and the short of it. When given a list of locales, that was just kind of where we wanted to be. We didn't want to be far south. We didn't want to be along the east coast. We didn't want to go to the northwest. Scott always looks for a way to get back to Alaska. I never say no. The opportunity just isn't there. 

If you're keeping track, this is move #8 in less than 11 1/2 years. You know how some people have a baby every two-ish years? We, apparently, just move every two-ish years.

Multiple thing Friday.

 1. We went to the zoo last weekend.

Among the animals on the African safari, there were a bunch of geese here and there, mingled in. Scott, the hunter who spends his winters goose-hunting, said Look, the majestic Canadian goose...as if there weren't hippos and springbok nearby. 

2. I have ordered my official transcripts more times in the last 10 years than I can even count. The price has gone up by the way. It used to be $5. Now it's $15. But every time I apply for a new license or a new job or whatever, I need to order a set.  

A couple of years ago, I got smart. I bookmarked the page: 

It had been a stressful trail of links, some broken or leading to nothing, through PSU's webpages one too many times. In 2010, it was something called eLion. That has disappeared and to find the right place to go to get transcripts had become very overwhelming.

I don't know what it says about me that I had to bookmark it. I suppose the tip I'm imparting to you is to bookmark things like this to cut down on the stress. This is probably the smartest timesaver I've come up with, to be honest.

3. Thanks for your input on Monday with the babysitter situation. I must tell you another part of the story: my friend here in Kansas told me that she probably up and quit because my house is so cold. When my friend comes over, she dresses in layers. Sorry, Karen*, 64* is where it's staying. Heat ain't free. 

So now it will become an urban legend: I will tell Wells that his first babysitter ghosted us because our house was too cold. 

*no one's real name

4. Except Scott got his second covid shot on Tuesday and he, with fever and chills, turned the heat up to 67*. That seems rational, I guess. 

In the summer, our house stays at 71*. In the winter 64/65*. What about you? 

5.

 

I pinned a Leo meme once and now they won't go away.

I am not Gen X, but I also don't yell at Boomers. However, the "yeets into traffic" part is where we should all agree: if Gen Z is in charge, it's all downhill. 

I don't know why I can't stop laughing at this. I'm sorry.

Same ^

6. Finally...

I keep changing up my fonts just because: do you like bigger font or smaller font on blogs? I can't decide. 

Anyway.

I have big plans to get organized this weekend. I bought some filing boxes. I'm sure I'll end up taking a nap instead. 

What are your superlatives? (a survey of sorts)

(Super coincidentally, we went to BWW last night.) 

I had to fill out a form the other day and it was the typical thing they give teachers...what's your favorite: drink, candy, snack, gum, place to eat, place to shop, etc...etc. etc....

I can't even remember everything on the list. 

And, honestly, when you're confronted with a list like that in real time and asked to fill it out, it's a struggle. It's like suddenly your mind goes blank. 

For example: favorite candy. 

I don't have one. So I look like some sort of weirdo not putting anything down. My favorite candy is candy corn but I'm not admitting that. I did it once on one of these forms and the counselor tracked down Valentine's Day candy corn to thank me for doing her a favor in February. 

Seriously awkward, but still one of the nicest things someone has ever done for me.  

I will eat candy if it's in front of me, but I don't seek it out and can't pick a favorite from the normie candy you see in the checkout line. 

Sorry. 

Drink from Sonic (yes, it's the midwest so this was definitely a question): Cherry Limeaide. That's easy.

Favorite Bath and Body Works Scent: WTH? Um...when confronted with this random question, the only words that pop into my head are "warm vanilla sugar" and "plumeria" but those are both scents I hate. How am I supposed to remember the running list of BBW scents? 

I put nothing, so as to also make myself look like a weirdo.

Dream school supply: mmmmmmmhmmmm Well, I don't have my own classroom, so it doesn't matter, but I like colorful Expos and I like colorful post-its. I should've put Mr. Sketch markers, though. Those are expensive. What I want is an Erin Condren teacher planner but that'll have to wait because I have no use for it yet.

Favorite cookie: Again...I don't have one? I like Oreos. But I spend a huge amount of time telling myself not to buy them, so I certainly don't need someone else buying them for me.

Favorite snack: Well. That depends on what I'm in the mood for. How am I supposed to just ...pick?

Favorite cake: Um. I don't know what this means. There's too many options out there. Any cake can be good! I don't have a ride-or-die preference. 

Favorite Starbucks drink: I put iced caramel latte because, yeah, that's a great one to break up a school day if someone is offering. I don't go to SB much anymore though. 

Favorite place to eat: Locally, my favorite is Buffalo Wild Wings because I'm pretty classy. I will always maintain that there's nothing like a plate of spicy boneless wings with a draft Coors Light. But, honestly, are they BUYING me a giftcard to a restaurant? Probably not. I also put "Thai food" because I love Thai food but haven't tried the local places. We've been too busy getting B-dubs takeout on Thursdays, I guess. 

Albuquerque, 2017

I think my issue with questionnaires like this is that I take my superlatives seriously. It's part of a reason why I have a blog. I like knowing what I like and I like talking about it. Specificity and knowing who you are is important. I can't randomly write down "anything chocolate!" (when I don't even like chocolate that much, btw) or something. 

Thoughts? What are your superlatives? 

Things that bother me

1. The situation with our former babysitter.  I hatehatehate when people air dirty laundry online. I don't want to be that person. I just feel so let down and disappointed. This is a true Tyra Banks we-were-rooting-for-you situation. Like, why? Why? 

The last I heard, she had a medical emergency and that was over a month ago. I haven't heard from her since. Her husband gave me one update and never got back to me again. One would assume that if you are alive and well, you have your phone. I've heard nothing from her. Nothing. (and yes, I've checked the obits, which seems ridiculously gruesome to have to do)

Insofar as this affects us, we found alternate childcare and it's probably better and cheaper, truth be told. But still. It was a scramble. It was incredibly stressful. I definitely tossed around the idea of quitting my job but I was in the middle of a long-term sub position and that seemed incredibly unfair to many levels of people and the ripples of who would be affected were multiple. 

Luckily, I had a generous friend of a friend who was able to watch him for a few days with the other toddlers she cares for, and then I had spring break, and then I had my mom who was willing to fly out for a week if needed (like, if things got dire). We also had a friend visiting who stayed a whole extra week to take care of Wells for us. Then Wells was able to start at a small school-like daycare where he is learning so much. 

But this this just my point: SO MUCH has happened in the last month+ and still...no news from the old sitter. 

If this all seems vague to you, that's because it is. It's vague to me too. My feelings on it are even vague. The more time passes, the more annoyed I become. That's the only explanation for what I feel. I'm not sad. I'm not mad. I'm annoyed. How do you get over "annoyed"? I wasn't annoyed at first. It grows as time passes and I don't like that. 

(I have always had a very touch and go relationship with the idea of childcare altogether, so that's really a whole other story.)

Moving on...

2. New seasons of Bosch and Better Call Saul have yet to appear on streaming services in 2021 and I am angry about it. All I want is more of these shows. That's it. That's probably the number one thing that's bothering me. 

3. But also...When you have a spray bottle and the nozzle keeps jamming. There are few things more frustrating in day to day life at home, to be honest. 

4. And...Goodreads and their glitches. I don't think it's too much to ask to have a computer system track my books for me correctly. It's 2021. 

5. Plus...I had a 5-pack of masks from Athleta. That's it. I refuse to buy more. I lost one. I have no idea where the maroon mask went. Having only 4 really puts a crimp in a 5-day work week. 

What's something that's been bothering you lately?

Multiple Thing Friday.

1. There are six weeks of this school year left. 

2. I have some major trust issues when it comes to childcare at this point. In fact, I could write a series of blog posts or a book. Do I feel it's worth it or necessary to share? Probably not. Do I need to get it off my chest? In a major way. Maybe look for that next week.

3. Does everyone's house look like this on a Sunday night? What an awful way to start the week. I went on a rampage on Wednesday night and put all of his toys in a laundry basket and hid them. I left out a few things, obviously. I have tried the "themes" and the "toy rotations" (all the " " here), but I think "the garbage can" for some of these things might serve us better. 

I can't decide if I'm going to throw the trampoline away, burn it, or sell it. He doesn't jump on it. He uses it as a staging area for his toys. 

4. Does anyone else think they just can't live in a northern-ish climate anymore? I am really starting to see the appeal of living in the south. I don't want to deal with cold and winter. It is starting to bother me in a way that it never did before. Just looking back at January/February/March/April (because it's still generally unpleasant in Kansas for some reason), I have to ask why we put up with it. I want nothing to do with winter anymore. 

5. It seems like we can all agree that Songs About Jane was the GOAT. As long as we see eye to eye on that, other viewpoints don't qualify enough to divide us.

6. ICYMI: Books from the month of March 

Wherever you are, may the weather not be 46 degrees and raining today. 

Guilty pleasure song (a Shawn Mendes confession)

I climbed back onto the stationary bike for the first time in like three weeks. I'm really killing it with this Peloton app, guys. 

The only workouts I've done in a week and a half have been Pilates because I'm so tired at the end of the day and so stressed out in general. It's unfortunate. 

But I had all of Saturday to be around the house so I decided that 30 minutes on the bike wouldn't kill me. Normally I have to do this at night after Wells is asleep, so he's not trying to get out onto the sun porch where we keep the bike. But Wells was otherwise occupied with Scott, so I found a Cody Rigsby ride. 

I have exactly one Peloton friend and she's my friend from Colorado. (follow me; I'm obviously super active on there)

We love Cody Rigsby. He is so entertaining and refreshing. I don't mind some of the other instructors but instructor is one thing: I scan all of the music before I start the class. I can't do a spin/cycling class that has bad music. It infuriates me. In the same way, I can't abide by a song I don't like being on the radio. It's one of the odder things about me.

The point is: Cody had a ride that was Guilty Pleasure Songs last week. 

I scanned it and I saw Shawn Mendes and I was like:

Shawn Mendes is my guilty pleasure when it comes to music. 

I remember, like 5 years ago, all the little girls in my class listening to Stitches (radio edit only, please) and me having the song stuck in my head for weeks at a time. This, it must be said, was still 193948303894x better than having Two Princes stuck in my head.

But, truly, my favorite Shawn Mendes song is There's Nothing Holding Me Back. It's, like, my ride-or-die guilty pleasure song if I had to pick one. 

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Lately, something about springtime must be doing this to me, I've been listening to music in the car with Wells. The podcasts are just too depressing at 7am right now. 

So...I hope he likes my Pandora channels. 

This has come up many times already this week and it's also a favorite of mine and the video is the most adorable of all time. If it doesn't make you smile, I don't know what to tell you. 

I want to tell Wells that I saw Maroon 5 in concert back in the Songs About Jane days (when tickets were $30 to see Adam Levine in 2005...can you imagine?). But he probably doesn't care yet. I'll tell him in a few years. 

What's your guilty pleasure song? Tell me I'm not alone in the Shawn Mendes thing (please).