Wow, it's been almost a week since I last blogged! Time is just flying by... I think with all the crazy wind and weather this last week, the days flew away with the wind!

This week the most significant thing that has happened is that I have absolutely fallen 100% back in love with working out. I am in that "addicted" kind of place. It is wonderful. The scale isn't moving much... but I think that may be muscle toning up first... hopefully... because I am doing everything right. Lots of water, healthier food choices, and of course lots of working out. I got 5 days straight in last week... took Friday off. I went to the gym this morning. Then, cleaned ALL day... which was much like an all day work out. Next week I am going to cut the calories way back in hopes of getting the scale moving. I am feeling wonderful. Better than I have in a long time. I am more revitalized every morning when I wake up, I have more and more energy every day too. Today is obviously a testimony to that fact...

At work this week I had a student who struggles daily to read, focus or anything of the sorts, have an AMAZING week. It made me feel awesome at the end of this week when this student read me their entire reading test, and, ACE it! I hope they keep it up through this next week... I know they felt good about their week and I was so proud of this student.

Okay, I do have more to say... but I am so going to fall asleep sitting here... I am exhausted! Off to bed!

Motivation, Progress and Roomies...

So... though my resolution was a good one... I think writing every day is just excessive. I have more, and more interesting things to say if I write less often.

Today I went to the track and walked (with a few bursts of running...) a couple miles with a friend. That was fun. I almost talked myself out of going because I was in the middle of something when she let me know she was going. But, I made myself go, and I feel so good that I did. It was a perfect motivator to start my week on the right foot. I am already looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow afternoon.

As far as eating healthy goes? I have definitely not been perfect... gone out with friends a couple times. But, I have NOT had any fast food since I resolved not to have fast food (in my mind Subway does not count, and that was only once). I was just telling a friend yesterday, when I used to get mad, or depressed or whatever ill emotion I was feeling I would get a "whatever, I am going to do what I want" attitude. I was in a really bad mood one night this week and had that exact attitude. I literally was about to pull into a drive through (also because I didn't feel like cooking) and drove away and went home and made dinner. That just shows how in tune with how my emotions affect me I am now... Yay me! So... since I have drank WAAAAY less soda in the last couple weeks, eaten much better and healthier foods and done some, not enough, but some working out... I am going to make myself get on the scale at the gym tomorrow. Hopefully it is good enough news to motivate me further. I have the Spring Break trip as a motivator out there right now too.

What else has been up this week? A slight tiff in the house. What I do love about being my age is that I know how to pick my battles and which to let be. This week was one I chose not to let be. But, I also know how to best express myself, stand my ground and not get overly feisty now. This morning the roomies and I had a lil' chat and resolved the issues hopefully. My roommates are awesome... but conflict is going to arise no matter what when you have three different personalities living under the same roof. We also concluded that it looks like we will most likely be heading in separate directions come May when the lease is up. So... while the search for new roommates is always a battle and doesn't always prove fun, I am fine with this. Over the last year I have lived with four different people, three of whom I had never met before. These three people are all wonderful people and I have had fun living with and getting to know each of them. If it weren't for the roommate situation I would have never met them. I know that in my new search I will meet more new and interesting people. And, maybe over the course of this next year I will get to a point where I won't have to play the revolving roommate game. Maybe... hopefully...

And, with that, my dinner is done. The last bits of my Sunday evening await me. And then in the morning another week. A week that I hope brings more energy, more motivation and just more fun to my wonderful little life!

Puppy Love

Getting back into the swing of things is hard enough on a Monday... but a Tuesday? After a three day weekend? Too tough! Couldn't find the motivation for the gym tonight... :( But, I did eat healthy all day. Yay me. And, I took Kiwi to the dog park... for almost 2 hours... she and her favorite Great Dane, Rocky, played and played. His owner and I are pretty sure they are in love. Haha... true puppy love. I have a picture of them on my phone... which is in the other room... I will post it later. Needless to say, she came home and zonked for the rest of the night. Now... if I could just get in a good few days at the gym I would be hooked again... maybe if I go tomorrow it will jump start me and I have nothing pending on my calendar to side track me from the next few. Okay... I am off to bed. Goodnight.

Something new...

Watch out world... I am on a mission. I am going to teach myself to play the guitar... and I super excited about it. If I could do it with other instruments, I can do this. That is all for today! :)

Painting, Drinking, A Field Trip and Food...

:::Gasp:::

I broke my own resolution... did you all (whoever you are) miss me and my oh so random blogging yesterday? I know you did. Fear not... wipe your tears... I am back!

So... yesterday I helped a friend paint her bedroom. A fresh start after a break-up. I love her strategy... out with bad energy... in with the new!

Last night I went to her house again and she, a few friends of ours and myself pretended we were 21 again. Well, needless to say, a round of Kings Cup, I don't know how many hours of "Never Have I Ever...", some shots (I stay very clear of those normally now due to the headache they cause... we do learn with age... it's a miracle), and lots of beer, drank far too fast due to drinking games, I came home at 7 this morning with my head pounding. So... I spent the all morning and part of my afternoon curled up on the couch, head screaming, and watched ALL of the TV I had DVRd this week... and that was A LOT! Sometime around 3 I drug myself off the couch for a shower... Moral of the story is... while the nostalgia of drinking games is super fun, I am in fact no longer 21 and the results are different and far more painful... will I ever learn that I am getting older and can't roll like I used to?

So... after I pulled myself off the couch today I got ready and headed down to the Air Force Base with one of my roomies (they are both in the AF). We went to go grocery shopping because food's cheaper there. So... first he drove me around base and showed me a bunch of places. That was cool because I have never been on any base before. Then we went shopping. I had so much fun for one simple reason... it was like shopping with really good sales going on, but even better! Awesomeness. Now we have food, it didn't break the bank... and cooking can commence again. Actually... as I am writing this, the cooking has commenced. I can hardly believe it my own self... because I am not the one cooking. Roommate is making dinner... it was actually difficult for me to step away and keep my two cents out of it... so, that is why I am here blogging...

Tomorrow... NO WORK! Yay! I love that. Which means a four day week. Fabulous. I am going to work out tomorrow. I am going to clean my room tomorrow. I am going to fold all of my laundry that is residing in the laundry room right now tomorrow (today I dubbed said room - my second closet... haha). I am going to work in my classroom for 1, and only 1 short hour tomorrow. I am going to PetsMart tomorrow. Now that I have said I am going to do all of those things tomorrow... I in fact need to do them. :) Goodbye blogging world, I am going to go see how previously mentioned dinner is coming along...

Short, sweet and sleepy

Happy Friday! By now... we all know just how I feel about Fridays! And this one is extremely boring, but welcomed with open arms... This has been the longest week ever. It is now Friday night and all I want to do is sleep. Oh how I feel old... let me count the ways... no, just kidding, let's not. But, it has been a good day. This is absolutly all I have for now. Goodnight Blog Buddies!

Plans, plans, plans...

I have nothing terribly exciting to report today, as I spent 8 hours straight stuck in a building with no windows to the outside world. During these oh so stimulating 8 hours I was talked at and talked at about some business that doesn't really make sense to me.... Hmm... oh well.

In other news... went to dinner at Chili's to support the PTO. It is always fun to see the kids outside of school for these kinds of events. And... a yummy dinner to boot.

Tomorrow I need to do a few things. A) Get back on the healthy food since today was horrible...
B) Workout, C) Take my dog to the park... she has pent up energy and it is my fault! :(

I am starting to make plans... nothing huge. But plans, which excite me... new and exciting things to do, weekend plans, weeknight plans, SPRING BREAK plans! :) Those excite me the most...
It looks like I am going to Texas, and I am really excited. I have father/daughter dance pics coming up, and all of that money is going to get stashed away to make this trip possible. Somewhere fun and new. Now... what to do with Kiwi for almost a week... anyone know of a good boarding place for dogs?

Okay, I always say I am going to sleep around 9 and I never do. So, I really am, because sitting, being bored, for 8 hours, really wore me out today! Haha! And, tomorrow is my FAVORITE day! :) And I get to get back to my kiddos, who I missed today, who were apparently wonderful. What more could a teacher ask for?!

Meetings and Angels and A**holes... :)

Oy! What a day! Nothing like getting home at 8:30pm... especially when I left the house at something like 7:45. I am a teacher... I DO NOT work 12+ hour shifts... my job is too tiring for such silliness! Not to mention my day prevented me from going to the gym... just when I am getting motivated. Today... work - check, sub plans - check, induction meeting - check, PTO meeting - check. And tomorrow, I am out for a meeting that is ALL DAY long... ewww. At least I get paid for it... :) Then, Chili's night... Hey... if anyone out there reads this, go to Chili's at AZ Pavillions and eat some dinner... then tell them you are there for the school so my school can make money! Just think, it kills two birds with one stone. You have to eat, and you always feel good when you do something charitable. There ya have it, a reason to take a night off cooking. Tomorrow also prevents me from the gym (ugh!), unless I want to go after eating Chili's... hmmm.. doubt it, but you never know.

*Edit... adding this in post-original post. My children were angels today. I just mentioned this to my roomie, followed by "I should have put that in my blog". He told me I must have taken it for granted. So, I am back! My children were wonderful. They listened when I asked them to listen. I didn't have to give single warning today (my rules are 1- warning, 2 - think time (that's time out in another room, they lose a dollar from their money they earn at this point) and 3 - discipline ticket. I have been really strict the last week and a half to get behaviors that I disliked before break in check. So, this was AMAZING. And... every single child was there today. So, its not like one that would create a problem was out of the equation. It was truly wonderful. I complimented them all day. Now, I hope they are amazing tomorrow for my fabulous friend who is subbing for me! Okay... just had to add that... :) Goooooooo Gregory's Gallery! :)

In other news... I am borrowing my mom's car at the moment. She is beyond generous in allowing this. I don't think she and Geo know quite how appreciative I am of all their efforts and being inconvenienced, but I really am very thankful. Anyway, that is kind of old news. What is not old news was what I was greeted with when I walked out to the parking lot yesterday afternoon at school... where said car was parked all day. Check it out for yourselves... To myself I said "You have got to be kidding me!" So, after taking in the shock, then surveying the damage... I foolishly, and hopefully walk to the front of the car. Of course... NO NOTE! To which I said to myself "assholes". And so ladies and gentlemen... if you would like to know my real feelings on people who hit cars (which obviously damaged their too...) and DO NOT leave notes... I think they are Grade A - assholes. So I called Geo... because I knew he would not overreact. He told me not to tell her because she had had a tough day. So,,, how to get her to not notice for a day or two... Well, I get to the gym, where I would be taking her home from. In my head I planned on letting her drive so she wouldn't go to that side of the car. Hmmm.... I am approached with "Nika... can I have the keys to my car so I can put my stuff in the trunk?"... crap! So I told her... and she too was pissed! As well she should be. I felt soo bad! :(

Moral of the story folks. Accept responsibility for what you DO and say.

With that, I am off to the land of slumber so I am rested to sit in meetings all day tomorrow. Have a wonderful Thursday blogging land.

Verbs and Bad Words...

My kids are funny... this morning I had two laugh worthy moments... well to myself at least.

First: "Okay kiddos I am going to read you this book that one of you brought in about Verbs. We just talked about those last week, what is a verb?"
Student: "OH! It's one of those things you put in the closet and a whole bunch more come out!"

WHAT?! Sooo confused...

Later: "Miss Gregory! He said the 'B' word?" (Mind you... when they tattle for "bad words" I normally get, she said the s word... to which I find out was shut up or stupid)...

Me: "Okay sweetie... what is the 'b' word?"
"I can't say it..."
"You have my permission... tell me"
She spells... "b - i - c - h"
Haha... I am going to say it like that from now on... no more T!
Hilarious... I love teaching!

Photivation! (Haha... get it?)

Alright I stuck to my commitment... I made it to the gym today! Yay! It did for me exactly what I knew it would... it motivated me. I made myself go in and weigh first... and I was pleasantly surprised. That is good... less to lose. Let me now really share my plan... to lose weight... duh! And get in shape. Here are my motivating photos...

Two from when I was in the best shape... and one from when I was in the worst... The second one is big time motivation to not allow myself ever to get there again... so... off to the last one for goal numero uno. After that I will set new goals. I think I can get there by the end of May if I work hard!

Okay... enough of my gym and motivation talk. Off to Bachelor Monday! I am so excited!

Dancing no more...

I went out last night, as I had mentioned I was going to. I was surrounded with tons of fun company... many of my favorite people. However I found myself drinking so I could let loose and enjoy the place itself... I don't know what my hold up is. Well, that may be a lie... I may have figured it out. Anyway, drinking it fun didn't work. Dancing gave me a headache from all the flashing lights... hmmm... I think I just no longer enjoy that scene. I did enjoy hanging out with so many awesome people and talking however. So, long story short... I love you all, I have tried and tried, but I do not enjoy going to "The Moon". :( My apologies.

In other news... I spent a large portion of today organizing my finances and I kept hitting dead ends. I am not excited about where things are, but I am optimistic about where things will be since I am getting things straight and motivated to make wise choices from here on out.

In the end, I have really enjoyed my weekend. Relaxing, making forward movement in my goals, spending time with friends and lastly... not going into school! Yeah!

Tomorrow I am going back to the gym! So exciting! :) I am kind of excited about this... kind of blah. It is always so hard getting back into the swing of things. But, once I get going I fall back in love with it! And so... I am off! Have a wonderful week all.

Goals? How have I done?

Okay, only a week in... let's check on those goals:

Niks' 10 goals to meet in 2010

1. Be healthier... in mind, body and spirit

• I have done a lot of self analyzing this week - check
• I drank a lot less soda (though I only do drink diet soda... but still) - check
• I took my vitamins and all those good for you oils - check
• Next week, THE GYM! Here I come, watch out!

2. Be more organized at school

• Check, Check, Check! I so rocked this this week.

3. Make wise financial decisions

• I didn't spend much money this week... actually I even returned some stuff I realized I didn't need.
• This week I get organized on this front (I am going to keep this goal private, but I am moving forward and that is a good thing)

4. Get into a routine of going to the gym regularly

• See #1

5. Buy a car (thanks for the wheels in the meantime mom!)

• This one will be sitting idle for a little while...

6. Keep the house fairly clean all the time

• Not bad, but could be better...

7. Goodbye fast food (I am an awesome cook... should be utilizing my mad skill)

• I was kind of hit or miss on this one this week...
• Next week I will not allow myself any day except for the day I have meetings across town all day

8. Go on some dates (I'm finally getting right enough with me to be ready to)

• No progress here... it's only been a week...

9. Take Kiwi on more walks, field trips, dog park excursions etc.

• Bad dog mom!
• Next week, dog park at least twice, walks at least twice...

10. Write in a journal everyday (hey, that's how I got here...)

• Scroll down... :) I succeeded this week.

Sleeping in and simple plans

Sleeping in so decadent! I absolutely love it! Normally I would have crawled into bed last night and made myself a to-do list for this weekend to make sure that I get everything done that lies ahead of me. But, I talked myself out of that last night. I decided that since there is nothing pressing right now, perhaps I should just chill and see where the weekend takes me. That started with sleeping until 10:30. Perfect! Now? Not sure... maybe I will know when I am done blogging.

Last night something occurred to me. One of the things I hated most about living alone was being alone at night. I had some irrational fear that something would happen in the middle of the night, something horrible. So, I couldn't sleep well. Well, I don't know where this stemmed from other than perhaps my dad being up and down so much in the middle of the night in his last couple years. So, I moved into this house and I knew I was done for if I was alone at night. It is so much bigger than my apartment was (over twice the size), windows and doors everywhere... no chance I would ever be okay being alone here. I wasn't too worried about it because I knew I would be living with other people so that wouldn't happen often. When it did, I would come home, turn on every single light and turn on the TV so I had some noise. Last night as I was getting ready to go to bed, it occured to me that I had come home, turned on just a few lights and hung out in complete silence (no TV, no music) by myself for hours... AND, I was perfectly fine. No anxiety like I used to have when I was alone. Just me, the dog and the cats in the house and I was totally at peace hanging out alone in silence. I know some people may be like, yeah, so? But to me that is an awesome feeling to have overcome something that gave me such anxiety previously.
As I thought about this, I realized, it has to be because I have found such inner peace and serenity, and this is just another way it is presenting itself. Ahhh, I am loving where I am at right now!

Now for today... first I am going to write separate entry to check in on my goals. Then what? Hmm, a shower, some laundry (maybe this can wait till tomorrow...). I know I don't need to go into school, but I really want to organize my desk at school... I may go in for just an hour to do this... it would make a big difference. I need to do the same thing at home... maybe today should be desk day. I like that. Then tonight... The Moon... dun dun dun. I say this because... I do not enjoy "The Moon" (ie. Cactus Moon)... and I have finally learned to say no and not go places that I don't want to go. But, this is for one of my closest friend's birthdays, and for her the world. So, I am going. I need to make it an enjoyable experience so I don't have such an attitude towards this place. I will, get a few drinks in me and it will be a blasty! :) Well, off to enjoy my Saturday!

Friday IS my favorite day!

Aaah Friday! How I love Fridays! Easy day at school, weekend on the horizon, but not quite here yet... making it still something to look forward to, yes, Fridays, they are in fact my favorite day!

This has been a long week, full of goal setting, determination and drive to begin reaching the goals I am setting. I am tired.

So... here is a first... all school year so far for sure, but perhaps since I started teaching. I left school today with everything for Monday completely laid out, lesson plans for the week done, papers for the week pulled and nothing lingering for me to take care of over the weekend. I do not have to go into my room even for a second... AWESOME! :) I am stoked!

So... no Earth shattering news tonight. I am sleepy, I am going to be lame and go to sleep before 10pm on a Friday. I'm going out tomorrow... so we'll just call this getting some extra zzz's in prep for that since going out is harder on me than the good ole days haha! :)

Goodnight Blogging World.

Lists, Goals and Randomness

Today was a busy and long day! Staying on top of my organization at school was a challenge... but I did it none the less! That is one of my goals you know... After school I got to come home and engage in my favorite activity ever. Hurry up and wait. For Comcast. 2 hour window. They were 45 minutes late. Needless to say, that adventure was over around 7:30. There went my evening. So, not as wonderful of a 2nd half of the day as the last, but that's cool. Waiting for Comcast was all thanks to my little friend Kiwi... she ate the Internet... or at least as I like to put it. (See: dug up the cable and chewed it to smithereens).

The accused...
There ya have it... a less than stimulating evening... but my Internet and digital cable are back in fighting form! And... just in time for all the fun and exciting shows that are starting up... and the ones that are finally coming back. On my TV viewing list for this "season":
*Grey's Anatomy (of course)
*Desperate Housewives (" ")
*The Bachelor (yay for Bachelor Monday's with wine and dinner, I am excited for this plan!)
*American Idol (I seem to watch every other season)
*The Biggest Loser (always good for motivation)
*Real World (because that's how I roll)
*The Buried Life (b/c it follows my new philosophy... write it down!)
*And... any other mindless reality I get sucked into! Thank goodness for DVR!

So... in the spirit of making lists and speaking of plans and goals... without further ado...

Niks' 10 goals to meet in 2010
1. Be healthier... in mind, body and spirit
2. Be more organized at school
3. Make wise financial decisions
4. Get into a routine of going to the gym regularly
5. Buy a car (thanks for the wheels in the meantime mom!)
6. Keep the house fairly clean all the time
7. Goodbye fast food (I am an awesome cook... should be utilizing my mad skill)
8. Go on some dates (I'm finally getting right enough with me to be ready to)
9. Take Kiwi on more walks, field trips, dog park excursions etc.
10. Write in a journal everyday (hey... that's how I got here)

For now my Internet browsing, blog reading friends, I bid you goodnight! Until tomorrow! :)

Learning to just live, live for fun, live for purpose, live for me

I cannot clearly put my finger on the last time in my life when I was truly happy. High school? Maybe. College? Perhaps. Life was easier then, that is for sure. But happy, just because I was enjoying my life? I do not know. It has been long enough that as I am rediscovering this feeling I have sought after for so long, it is like an old friend creeping back into my life.

In just the last couple months it seems that everything is finally aligning and I am really living my life, and just for me. Have I been living my life for the last seven years? Of course, but somewhere in there I lost myself, my purpose, my heart, my passion, me. Instead of really living I was just going through the motions; going to school, working, making good grades, student teaching, meeting family obligations, graduating, getting my first teaching job. No real emotion or connection to any of it.

Without diving deeply into what was the last seven or so years of my life, it's summed up like this. I came home from ASU to help take care of my father, his health was up and down for the first four years of that time, that wore on my family and on me as a person. I also got to truly know my father during this time. I worked full time and went to school at night during this time. I experienced other ups and downs of life all the while too. In 2007 his health got really bad, that year was very tough on my family and on me. I was finishing up college, helping with his ailing health and working. Then I quit work to student teach. October 7, 2007, smack in the middle of my full time student teaching my dad passed away.

From that point forward it has been 100% going through all of the emotions that losing a parent evokes. My purpose for living at home was gone, I moved out. Mom started seeing Geo eventually. My purpose as her go-to person was gone. I had lost my father, I had lost my purpose for life on a personal level. All I had was my job. I POURED myself into it. I had no life. Sometime between last January and now I decided to start living my life.

It only took all of 2009 to get there. I went through all sorts of randomness in 2009, really thought things through, worked on myself, set goals for myself. July 2009 on set the forward movement in my life. I solved my big issues, I freed myself of some things that were bringing me down. Just in the last 30 days that amazing, wonderful, freeing feeling of happiness has crept back in... and... it... feels... sooooooo... WONDERFUL! I think what feels best about it is I got here on my own, it took no one else in my life to make me feel this way. Did I have help through the influence of those around me, of course. But my happiness is connected in no way, shape or form to anyone other than myself.

The best days of my life in the last seven years have been everything Christmas and New Year's surrounded by family and friends.

Today I left work before 4 pm. Came home and relaxed a bit. Then I went and spent the most decadent 2 hours ever at Barnes and Nobel pouring through the shelves of books. Sipping on Starbucks. I got a fun and lighthearted novel, a deep and educational biography and a book about making lists for life goals (perfect for the year to come!). This is truly living.

Tomorrow? My 10 goals for 2010!

Jumping on the bandwagon...

So... it seems people around me are starting blogs right and left lately. With that, I had thought about it recently... so I am jumping on the bandwagon.

I love to write, one of my New Year's Resolutions this year was to write in a journal daily. I was already three days into this resolution on paper, but that's cool. Why not put my thoughts and ramblings out there for the world to see! :)

So what does an unmarried, childless 26 year old write about you ask... I don't know, life's snippets I suppose. I may write about my thoughts in general, it could be a story about something that happened in my teaching day (those are always the best), it could be about a great recipe I whipped up, it could be the adventures of raising a golden retriever puppy (which is an adventure, not always a fun one), or a photo that I feel the need to share. If you find yourself reading and enjoying my ramblings, then enjoy!