Summertime and the Livin' is Easy!

Wheeeew...............I'm SO STUFFED! I made enchiladas tonight! I'm becoming a regular Betty. I'm enjoying cooking, and I think Colby's enjoying eating my cooking? I'm about to explode in all of my procrastination glory!! I'm ready to be done with school. I'm so looking forward to this summer.

Things I want to accomplish this summer are...Thus far:

1. Lose 10lbs. I'm working on that currently, but I want to be able to look good and feel better.
2. Yoga Yoga Yoga. I need to go back to Yoga!
3. Reading! I have lists of books to read: The Cement Garden, The Virgin's Lover* I'm already half way through with this one, Finish A Million Little Pieces* Even if he was lying in most of it! The Chronicles of Narnia, The Davinci Code, Wicked.....There are plenty of others. I Also need to look at some books for my Children's Library. I'd like to start getting some chapter books built up. I have lots of picture books, now I need chapter books. I'd love to have Where the Red Fern Grows, Possibly Boxcar Children, Chronicles of Narnia...etc.
4. Maybe get some pigment to my skin...?
5. Buy a fantastic pair of shoes! Running shoes, and kitten heels, Sandals....You name it! Can I really count this as a goal for summer???..... Of course I can, It's my summer.

This is just a very few small things I'd like to do. I'm so excited summer is just about here!

Just A Reminder To Myself, So My Head Doesn't Explode!

I need to get a few things accomplished before finals arrive, which is very very close.

1. Write a five page paper on No Child Left Behind, and take a side. (for or against it)
2. Make a presentation on a trifold board for my Health for Educators class.
3. Finish all my quizzes for Reading.
4. Write a paper for my Combats Memoirs class on 'How I perceived my interview with my dad.'
5. Finish the presentation for my Dad's Interview
6. Write up my self evaluation for my Reading 421 class. Have the kindergarten teacher fill out her final evaluation for me.

I think that sums up all of the BIG things that I need to get done. I hope I'm not forgetting anything, I'm so stressed out! I NEED A MASSAGE .....And some oreos!

Everybody knows...Pimpin' Ain't Easy

I work at an At Risk school, and the other day while I was hanging out with the kindergarteners it started to rain. Really hard. So we had indoor recess. Every teacher's nightmare! They were crazy. So there are a few different centers and only four children can play at each center at a given time. I was hanging around the legos center when a little boy said, (they never get my name right.) "Ms. Casey LOOK!" He had made a man and a dog out of legos. I looked at them and said what an awesome job he was doing....he replied and I quote, "Ms. Casey, They're pimps. A pimp dog, and a pimp man. Yo YO!! They all pimps, i'm a pimp....you a pimp...." (Getting the picture?)

I couldn't help but laugh. What the hell is wrong with people? I'm not really sure whether or not he knew what a pimp was, but he had been exposed to everything that goes along with it, like:

1. The pimp walk..... You know the slouching
   
2. The pimp grab..... The grabbing of the "Hommies, Boys, Cash and Prizes"
3. The signs... He threw his hands up in front of him with two sidways peace signs.

He's in KINDERGARTEN! He was playing with another little boy at the lego table. This little boy was making a wall complete with windows. 'pimp boy' as we'll dub him, kept telling the other little boy to put eyes at the top of the wall so it could watch the pimps.

Did I miss something? Is there now a class called Pimps 101...? Yo YO!

A Musical Meme

This Meme was taken from linz, who stole it from Wendy. I loved it!

Put your music player on shuffle.
Press forward for each question.
Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense.

1. How am I feeling today? "Danger Zone" Kenny Loggins

2. Will I get far in life? "Start A War" Static X
3. How do my friends see me? "One Headlight" Wallflowers

4. Where will I get married? "Hero" Sevendust
5. What is my best friend? "Stay With Me" Rod Stewart
6. What is the story of my life? "I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night" Kiss

7. What was high school like? "Beer for my Horses" Toby Keith
8. How can I get ahead in life? "Hit the Ground Running" Johnny Lang
9. What is the best thing about me? "Your Body is a Wonderland" John Mayer
10. What is today going to be like? "Runaway Train" Soul Asylum
11. What is in store for this weekend? "She's Not There" The Ventures
12. What song describes my parents? "Pink" Aerosmith
13. To describe my grandparents? "No Woman No Cry" Bob Marley
14. How is my life going? "Winter Kiss" Embodyment
15. What song will they play at my funeral? "Oi to the World" No Doubt
16. How does the world see me? "Where the River Flows" Collective Soul
17. Will I have a happy life? "Making Memories of Us" Keith Urban
18. What do my friends really think of me? "Midwest Swing" Nelly
19. Do people secretly lust after me? "Praise" Sevendust
20. How can I make myself happy? "Let's Go Fly A Kite" Mary Poppins SOundtrack....ok I love disney stuff..
21. What should I do with my life? "Heirate Mich" *Marry Me -- Rammstein
22. Will I ever have children? "Sweet Emotion" Aerosmith
23. What is some good advice for me? "Friends in Low Places" Garth Brooks
24. How will I be remembered? "I Want You to Want Me"
25. What is my signature dancing song? "Get Stoned" Hinder
26. What is my current theme song? "Cranking the Sirens" Soilwork
27. What does everyone else think my current theme song is? "Break Ya Neck" Busta

"If you're happy and you know it......Grit your teeth."

Today my classes got canceled so Colby and I decided to go out and about in our big ol' town. First stop a billiards place. We had to go see if the shaft for his pool cue was in, turns out it was back ordered. Then I asked if we could go to the place where I got my nose pierced and look for another nose ring. So we go in, we're browsing, the lady tells me not to change if for a few more months- I said, "ok" through cringing teeth. Colby sees a pair of plugs for his ears that he would like to purchase. They're a 4 gauge and his hears are gauged at a 6. For any of you who are not familiar with the process of gauging your ears basically its this:

• You get your ears pierced at a very small gauge, but its a higher number like an 18 is a small hole a 0 is a HUGE hole.
  
• Colby decides to get the earlets that are gauged at a 4.
• The outside of the earlets are gauged at a 2.
  
• In order to get the earlets into his ears he has to ultimately go from a 6 to a 2 which is a HUGE difference.

End result: Colby's ears are bleeding, he keeps saying, "Whooooooooo," sort of like a whoosh sound. He almost passed out as the man tapered them into his ears. Completely lost color in his face. But they just look so damn good! I'm sure the pain was worth it....haha
He just ran over and asked me to, " AHHH IT BURNS Blow on it!"
He's now singing "If you're happy and you know it......Grit your teeth."

Little Miss Mag Pie

So I talked to my momma today, and my poor little sister has a bladder infection. She had to stay home from work, and is in a whole lot of pain. I guess that her back started hurting a couple of days ago, and she couldn't figure out why so they thought maybe it was the baby stretching and moving around. Come to find out it was her bladder because she was violently throwing up all morning. She's lost one pound and one inch around her stomach. They did an ultrasound to look at the baby, and little miss Maggie was sleeping with her hands under her chin. Aww....The life.

Yet Another Choice For Our Future.

Ah yes, Albania... This is another choice for Colby and I. #3 choice for the Peace Corps. And This picture could be Colby and I later on in the traditional garb. I find it very sexy. Here are a few fun facts about Albania:

1. Borders the Adriatic Sea and Ionian Sea, between Greece and Serbia and Montenegro.
2. It is a little bit smaller than Maryland.
3. 70% of the population is Muslim.
4. 3,581,655 population estimated for July 2006
5. There are currently 1.1 Million people who are using cell phones.

Loved.

Sometimes I find myself missing my Grandma, and my Uncle in the worst ways. Every now and then I'll catch myself remembering little phrases they used to say and it stops me in my tracks. They aren't significant things that changed my life, but little quirky things. When I'm at home I always open my closet before I go to bed and grab my uncles shirts and bury my head in them. It reminds me of him a kind of smoky smell. Sometimes it's the little things we don't want to let go of. I remember my Gran's smile and her laugh most of all. I was walking in wal-mart the other night and passed a night gown on a rack, and it reminded me so much of her--she always had these long cotton night gowns with flowers on them. I caught myself walking by that same night gown again tonight and running my hand across it.

Every time I see my dad it reminds me of my uncle. If I'm feeling this way, I can only imagine what he's going through. My grandmother's house used to be so gorgeous. Every year she would plant at least 400 tulips and they were so pretty, the biggest tulips you've ever seen. The tulips that she last planted are almost gone, and the ones that did bloom are very small. Sometimes you wonder if her home is grieving too.

I've just really had one of those emotional days. Sometimes I just break down, that's how life goes. The picture was taken 1 day before my Gran died, and 6 months before my Uncle Daddy passed away.

To Boob, or not to Boob.....

Yesterday while I was minding my own business at work, I stumbled upon a woman breast feeding her child in the middle of everything at Wal-mart. I know I took a double take, because it really caught me off guard I mean it was like: candy, candy, something shiny, box on the floor, small child, boob, sunglasses......BOOB!

I don't want to offend anyone, but here's my opinion on it. If you are going to breast feed your child, which I find nothing wrong with, and you have to do this in Wal-mart and refuse to sit in the fitting room *in private* put a blanket over your shoulder to shelter the exposed boob. I myself, could never do that in public, and if there were an emergency, I definitely wouldn't whip em' out right there in the open. I happen to consider breast feeding as a pretty intimate thing, and why would you want to be displaying it for everyone to see-IN WAL-MART of all places, but I digress.

The point is, I was shocked to see this in Wal-mart. When telling this to my friend, Fred, she said, " Well, I would happen to think that Wal-mart would be the place you would expect to see something like that." I guess I agree, just caught me off guard.

Miraculously Large Thighs

Colby and I have decided once and for all to begin our diet. Last night we went to the grocery store in search of 'healthy things' to eat. I find that if you go around the edges of the grocery store you're more likely to find the good things, if you walk in to the heart of the store, you're in trouble. I kept seeing little things and saying well, what about this if we get this and only eat it some of the time...then it won't be so bad, huh? Colby shot down all of my ideas. Then I walked by one of those bag o'cookies and saw the peanut butter ones, the word miracle something was printed on the bag, and I said, "Look, see it says miracle.....something...!" and Colby shot back with, "Yeah, it's a miracle she fit into those jeans! Or, Miraculously Large Thighs! It's a miracle she's still walking!" I got the point, and so we went about our 'healthy food adventure'. After all was said and done, we walked out of there with:

• Water
• Rice Cakes
• Dietary Supplements
• *I got Slimfast
• and I may have slipped in a snickers, cause when you're hungry...Why wait?

It's going to be a long summer. I'm going to starve to death!

See this is my problem- I love to eat, I would eat all the time if permitted, and even when I'm not hungry I want something, when I see others eating-I want something. I would be a very depressed girl if I had to drink my meals. Uhh! I eat very slow to savor every last bite, because I'm never sure when Colby will come in and say, "Alright Char-Marie, that's your 12th Oreo....I'm cuttin' ya off!"


Goodbye Oreos, I'll write.

FAMILY FUN DAY!

Here are a few pictures from today! It was our "family fun day!"

Kyle, Stori, and I. Look at her bellah!

Me right before I launched the ball all the way in the corner of the yard, not on target at all! Have I ever told you guys that I was supposed to play ball professionally? The Yankees call me all the time, finally I just told them "Listen guys! I told you that you couldn't afford me, STOP CALLING!" They continue to call...

Happy Easter!

Nothing says Easter like a chocolate covered peanut butter egg.. mmmm.... Kidding.

I've had such a good day today. First off, I had to work at 8 in the a.m until 5- that wasn't the good part. I came home afterwards and got to hang out with my family. Everyone was here, except Colbin-who's hanging out with his wicked cool family. We're so lucky to have awesome families. I spent all night blowing bubbles for Ewan, and the dog was very fascinated with them as well. We spent a good hour trying to throw a dog ball *large softball* into a garbage can from a distance, whoever got it in won 5 dollars! 5 dollars is like half a paycheck to me so I gave it my all, and failed horribly. You might as well have told me to aim the farthest you can from the garbage can cause that's where it landed EVERY TIME! I enjoyed taking pictures of my sister, and her every growing tummy/booty. I love the fact that her butt is expanding because all of our lives she's been ultra skinny and I've been the sister with the butt.

In the picture I almost dropped her twice. She's getting a little hefty.
Once again I'm procrastinating. I have tons of homework so I better get to it.

And So, A Rockstar Was Born...

Tonight, while I was at work, It got very busy and I was called up to the checkouts to cashier. The night was just dragging on, I hate checking because #1. It's not my job. #2. I'm not getting MY job done. #3. I have to deal with customers over and over and over.

So like I said it was a very boring night. Later on in the evening I had a customer come through with two teenage girls, about 13/14. While I was checking, I noticed the two girls looking at me and talking to each other. My initial thought was Oh great, my nose ring is hanging out and looks like a silver boog! When the girls noticed that I was watching them talk about me, one piped up and said, "I love your necklace!" relieved that it hadn't been a boog I said thank you. Then they just started spouting off things like, "I love your hair!" "OMG look at her glasses! Did you know that your glasses have zebra print on the inside?" I shook my head yes. One girl even jumped up and down because she was having a fit of joy that my glasses actually had this on the inside. She jumped and clapped her hands! Then one said, "Look at her shirt! I like your shirt." at this point I laugh and say thanks. The other said, "That is actually two shirts, that's hot!" Now I'm cracking up because you would think I'm some huge rockstar or something. I almost said, "Would you like an autograph? Oh, and on Friday I need someone to do my laundry, I'll actually let you touch these hot clothes."

So it would be nice to have little girls at wal-mart to follow me around and fall down over my every action. Tell me how nice my hair is, that my outfit is the absolute coolest, and that yes, my glasses are indeed the coolest glasses out there. What a lucky girl I am. Wonder if I could hire them?

I've Got Sunshine On a Cloudy Day.......

Woooohooo! Today my class was canceled and I don't have to go to work until 4:15 tonight. It is 84 and SO nice out today. It's really amazing how good the sun and warmth makes you feel. You really see it in everyone, except..... The lady who was helping me with my fabric today. I had to go this morning to get some fabric for a dress that I have to get made, because I'm going to be in a wedding in June. This lady was NOT nice! I've never had a dress made for me or dealt with fabric, or measuring myself, etc.. This lady didn't seem like she cared all that much about it. Besides, she had a mustache......*that wasn't nice-my bad. (true though)

So anyways, like I was saying: IT IS SOOOO NICE OUT!!! I went shopping this morning for some shorts for tomorrow, because Colb and I are going to Silver Dollar City! I feel like a little kid...And I love it!

Workin 9-5....What a way to make a livin'

I know I post a lot about my job, but I've really been having issues with them lately. They now tell me that after 3 years of working there that I can no longer wear jeans, that I have to dress up. I argue and ask what's the point, I'm always on the floor in the dirt. I do not want to pay lots of money to get khakis or nice pants just to ruin them. Being that I'm so tall, I can't walk into wal-mart and buy pants, I have to go to the mall so they're long enough, which means they cost more. Plus just to really piss me off they've told me that I can't have my nose ring, not even a clear one, I can't even cover it with a band-aid.

It wouldn't be such a big deal, except I don't like working there anyways! I would love to find a job somewhere else. I need to for my own sake, because I'm becoming a not nice person. That is driving me crazy. I know I shouldn't be sarcastic to the people, even if they're mean to me. That's not my style anyways, but I feel I've been pushed to my breaking point.

Time to start looking for another job.

Are you out there?

This is just a shout out to my friend, Mark. I haven't heard from you in a while and I had a horrible dream about you last night! CALL ME, or comment.

Lions, and Tigers, and Bears.....OH MY!

This afternoon Colby and I decided to go to the zoo. The last time I had gone to the zoo was about 4 years ago. I was so excited. It was such a beautiful day and I can't think of any better way to spend it then swatting at mosquitoes and trying to get the mountain lions to fight. It was great. The little monkeys were putting on shows, at one point in time there was this blonde colored monkey and he had a dandelion in his hand and he was just looking at it and pulling off petals he loves me, he loves me not....He loves me.... Then he stuck the whole thing in his mouth and kept looking at his empty hand with such sadness, he loves me not... They've really added on to the zoo since I had been there last. Lots of new animal enclosures. Colby knows I'm terribly afraid of birds, so he tried to get every bird he saw: (peacocks, geese, ducks) to chase me. I would have ran like a little girl.

Now Colby and I are headed to see Slither, I've heard some really good things.

Ice Cream, and Xbox....Who could ask for more?

Last night, like every Thursday night, I go home to see what's kickin at the home front. The FAM had been doing a little switching of the rooms, and painting of the walls. We always end up watching survivor on Thursdays, because...Well... That's just what we do. Then it's CSI, and Without a Trace. I started falling asleep on the couch after CSI. Everyone had gone to bed, and then I was wide awake. I try to keep myself occupied while I'm hanging out alone, so I listened to the rain and watched the lightning, then I looked at some pictures, and then I thought I'd just give in to sleep. After I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I noticed that my dad was still wide awake watching t.v.

I couldn't just let him lay there awake to think, so I did what anyone would do. I used his weakness to drag him out of bed- Ice cream! I said, "Are you going to lay there all night, or are we going down to sonic to get some ice cream?" It was 11:00 and he thought they would be closed, but I assured him they'd stay open for us. So he jumped out of bed, you didn't have to ask him twice. He asked mom if she wanted us to bring her something back, and she was sound asleep. Off we went to Sonic at 11pm to get some ice cream, me in my pajamas, and dad with his breathe right nose strip and slippers. I got a rootbeer float, and dad got a chocolate sundae, complete with a cherry on top. I asked him what he'd like to do now, because the night was still young, he said he had two xbox games he'd been dyin to play.

There you have it, one of the best Thursdays a father and daughter could ever have: Ice cream and video games! We drove race cars while eating ice cream until after midnight, then we slept in until 10am....

It's a nice day for a WHITE WEDDING!

Alright, after Colb and I had this conversation I felt the need to share my boyfriend's crazy imagination with you. *Ahem*

Colby told me of this dream he had and it's very vivid.

Its starts out that I propose to him, which I've seriously been considering, and he says, "yes" The wedding is the next day. We are in some place in India and there are little mud huts everywhere. We say I do, and then everyone breaks into song and dance. This is where I chimed in and said, "so our wedding is going to be a musical...Ok, I can handle that." While everyone is breaking it down in the cobblestone street, Colby notices two tigers stalking a fence line looking at us. He said he seemed to be the only one who was scared. Then all of a sudden some tiger pounced on some woman in the alley way behind us. He told me in, I assume in his best Stephen Seagull action hero voice, "Char-Marie, run-Save yourself!"

While I'm runnin for the hills he is off to a magical castle complete with witches to get a magical dagger to kill the tigers with. It just so happens, however, that another witch is wanting the same *blue icicle dagger* as well. Colby gets it first, but she ends up stabbing him in the gut, but only a little. He, out of nowhere, stabs her with the blue icicle dagger, then pulls out a sword he just so happened to be toting as well, then he stabs her with the knife in his gut. She's dead. He comes back to save the day with his magical dagger, just to find that his kick ass wife has already taken care of business, and I imagine she didn't even break a sweat.

Friday Fill-in:

1. Where oh where did I put my...... White shirt, with lace on the bottom. It's strange, but every time I go home to do laundry the dryer seems to eat some of my favorite things. *Ahem Stori...
2. I'd rather be.....no where, but here. I'm hangin out with the wicked cool boyfriend *Colbin* we just got done eating at Texas Roadhouse..We totally gorged ourselves-it was SO worth it!
3. My hair is.... fantastically curly. Colby goes crazy when I don't dry my hair because its very curly, he loves it. Soon Colby's momma, Mary Beth, will be doing a treatment on my hair to make it straight for months...No Chi straightener required. Enjoy it while it lasts Colb.
4. I'm such a slacker I really need to be..... Working on my homework, lesson plans, and reports. It's so easy to say, "Ehh, I'll do it tomorrow!" Tomorrow always ends up being the day before it's due, I work well under pressure.
5. Oh boy! This weekend should be...... Great, Colby's taking me on a date Saturday! We're going to have sushi and listen to live jazz. I'm STOKED!
   

Wondering.

Is it just me, or does it smell like fruit loops after it rains? It has been raining all morning and after my kindergarten class I walked out and it smelled just like fruit loops....I love the smell of fruit loops.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Today is that wicked cool boyfriend of mine, Colby's BIRTHDAY! He's 22 and has finally caught up with me for a few months anyways. Colby I've been with you since you were 17 and have only missed one of your birthdays, I promise to never miss anymore. I love you so much and hope you're having a fantastic day! MWAH!

Love

-C

Self Portrait

Self Portrait
Originally uploaded by Char-Marie.

A view from the mirror in our hotel room in Kansas City, right before we hit the casino and walked away in shame. It was a great time, I'd do it again!

The little things...

Oh the little things we take for granted like washing our faces without screaming-because you hit your nose, or scratching our noses and not being worried, or blowing our noses without the thought that it could be disastrous, and just earlier right before I sneezed I had this vision of my nose ring flying out of my nose, and pegging some old woman in the face---how awful would that be?!

Thinking

There is just something about burger king chicken fries! I love love love them. They take me back to when I was younger and babysitting my sister during the summers, we'd make chicken strips that tasted just like them...well.....sort of.

Jeez Louise......

I just registered for my classes this morning and I have to take 7 classes next semester!!! I cannot even imagine 7 classes and they are all scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! I would have liked to spread them out a little, but they're all block classes which mean they were already set up for my major to be on those specific days. 17 hours of school a week, 35 hours of work, and somehow the world does not stop spinning. I'm so close to student teaching it's crazy. Soon I'll have to start planning for the "real world", as my dad likes to call it. I'm so worried that work will drop my grades, because these are my last classes before student teaching and they're VERY important. *just breathe

Spontaneity

The boys and I decided to go to kaleidoscope and buy Colby some new earrings, and get Corey's earring fixed. Just like that I decided I'm gonna get something pierced! So, I did. I pierced my nose today! It was so much fun, it looks really cute and it hurt for a split second, and now it only hurts when I laugh. I have to hold my nose if I smile or laugh because it pulls and that stings a bit. Now I'll have to deal with going to work where piercings aren't allowed, I'll possibly have to wear a tiny band-aid on my nose. I also work in classrooms with little kids, I'll have to deal with that too. It was very liberating.....Everyone should try it!

Surprise!

For the past few months I've been planning a fantastic surprise for my wicked cool boyfriend, Colby. Last night it went according to plan. I threw Colby a surprise birthday party and it was so much fun. I told him that I was taking him to dinner the weekend before his birthday *April 4th- When we got to the restaurant-(Millie's- Turn of the Century Cafe) the waitress took us to the patio *which I reserved, and as we turned the corner everyone started singing Happy Birthday it was great. Everyone did such a good job keeping the secret for this long, and he was so surprised! Dinner was excellent, and to top it off I had invited his brother Jacob, cousin Corey, and might as well be brother-Nate. That put the icing on the cake. Thanks everyone for keeping it a secret and showing up for the surprise!