1: Happy birthday to my very best friend, Allison Suggs, who is 27 years old today. I suspect we'll be celebrating all weekend.
2: Our governer is cutting teacher pay. Because being average (25th out of 50 states for teacher pay) is just too good for us!
There is a new experimental brain surgery to help you lose weight. Because apparently, it is easier to have your brain operated on than to diet. This country is freaking ridiculous!
The Farmers Market is open again! Yay!!
I stocked up today. It feels so good to buy local produce. I also got some locally made soap and goat cheese. Oh! And some lettuce growing in a pot. When I want some, I just tear it off the outside layers and make a salad!
Also, my elbow is green. It skipped the black I expected, and kind of high tailed it over to an icky green color. Still hurts when I bump it, which is more than I like to admit. I am not a careful person.
You should be ashamed of yourself. Someone we both know is completely convinced that we've been communicating through e-mail for the last 3 years. No amount of my convincing could have changed his mind. Now...hmmm...why would that someone think that? Could it be because you've been reading my blog to learn about my life, then telling him that we talk to manipulate him? Could it be that the 27 years of manipulating you've done didn't quite cover it? Please don't bring me into the crazy. I made a distinct, difficult decision to move on, and please, just don't bring me into the crazy.
Someone else we both know told me that I didn't know what it meant to be married. Well, perhaps you could give her the message that the two of you don't know what it means to be parents. Being parents DOES NOT mean that you break your children and then send them into the world to fend for themselves. Being parents, first of all, means not breaking your children. But if you do, please have the courage, the gumption to take some freaking responsibility. Don't send them out that way into the unsuspecting world. And please, don't make it worse by FORCING them out into the world to fend for themselves.
Now, those of you who aren't a person in New Bern probably think, woah Carmen, that's harsh.
But please trust me when I say that it isn't anywhere near harsh enough. I want to say much more, but decency is keeping me from it.
And also, Mr. Reader in New Bern, you are not welcome on my blog. I know that I can't stop you from reading it, but I want to make something very clear. I do not want you in my life in any way shape or form. I think you are one of the worst sorts of people. You should feel like a spy if you read this blog, because I am closing my life to you. I do not like you, and I do not like you cyberstalking me. Please just go away.
There is this fabulous fellow at one of the schools I work at. I taught him last year, and this year also in 2 of the classes I regularly sub for. He's autistic, but pretty high functioning. He makes me laugh regularly, but today, he tickled me to my bone.
I say "Hey-I missed you! I haven't seen you for a while!"
He said "Well, I don't actually like you very much. But you're OK as a teacher. I guess."
I'd let this hurt my feelings, but I can't. 1: I know he likes me. 2: He said it so dead pan that I almost peed my pants. 3: He really hates loud things. I am a loud thing. Last year, every time we did something loud, I had to let him sit in my office or in the hall. So I know I'm a little much for him to handle.
Just now, as I finished typing, he came up to me and said, "I'd be willing to sign a peace treaty. Just try not to be so dang loud, and I'll be your friend."
I said I couldn't promise anything, but I'd try.
I finished our taxes yesterday. That's right, on April 14th. Which means I didn't put it off until the last minute. I think I'm growing as a person. And...don't owe anything extra, which is super good news. :)
My current favorite Dr. Dog song starts out "Something never change, like the way I wait around, and now it's yesterday." This perfectly sums up the fact that I am starting my taxes right about now.
I've never done my taxes earlier than this in my life. Even when I new I'd get lots of money back. I'm ridiculous.
Wish me luck. It's a big fat mess, with all my jobs, Jon's business, the trivia and such. Big fat mess.
Last night, I reached a goal! A major, epic win. At trivia, every table was filled. EVERY TABLE! And, every seat around the bar. Only one table wasn't playing, and they ended up playing along anyway. Now, I could be pessimistic, and say it was a fluke. But, I'm simply not a pessimistic person. Plus, there wasn't anyone new. Everyone there had played before, many times. They just all came at once. To make it even better, the owner of Beefs was there last night. He isn't usually there, but he witnessed the whole thing. I got there at 7, and there were just a handful of people, but then they started rolling right in. Then, they all stayed till the game was over, then left. It could not have been more obvious that they all came to play the game. Rock steady, people.
Today, I came to school to teach a bit of 3rd grade. It is Wacky Tacky day, and I have to admit that it is my favorite of all special school days. Only I didn't know, and I didn't get to prepare. But, kids to the rescue! We took about 10 minutes to tacky me up, and I have to admit that I'm looking pretty Wacky-Tacky:
A little on the piratey side, but whatever.
In other news, you know how I'm always "I love Dr. Dog, blah blah blah"? Well, if you've listened to my links and you like, today only, you can buy the CD Fate at Amazon for $1.99. But it's only today, so hurry up. HERE.
Tonight I'm hosting a trivia night at one of the high schools I like to work with. That should be tons of fun. Maybe.
My laptop isn't working. I can run it in safe mode, and that's all. I'm upset. Allison is letting me use hers tonight, though, so trivia won't suffer.
Only 2 and a half cigarettes yesterday. That's kind of a record. Today will be worse than that though...Wednesdays are the worst. Something about trivia and running around like crazy makes me want a smoke. Keep those fingers crossed. Trying to keep it at 4 today.
If you don't know what twitter is, then go to www.twitter.com, or just don't read this.
!: "Please retweet".
Nough Said.
2: People who tweet from Church. First of all, pay attention. Second, everyone thinks you're just playing a game or something. People reading will fall into 2 categories. A: People who are at church, and therefore don't care what your preacher said and B: People who aren't at church, and therefore don't care what your preacher said. And you're probably offending your pastor.
3: I like @replies as much as the next girl. But if that's all you do, come on now.
4: If all you do is post links to your stupid stupid online business, get out of my feed now!
5: Please ask yourself, "Am I an interesting person?" If the answer is no, please limit yourself to 5 or 6 tweets per day.
If you notice the amount of people that follow you dropping, it is probably because you are an annoying twitterer. I don't like you. Sorry.
You guys don't need a coffee update. If you do, then know that I'm still hooked on that stuff.
But cigarettes...here's the rundown:
Monday:4
Sunday: 4
Saturday: 3
Friday: 6 (I know that one is bad. It's harder if I'm hanging out with smokers. Epic fail that day.)
Thursday: 3
Wednesday: 4
Some situations make it a lot harder for me to resist. Like, being in the car a long time. That one is really bad. Or hanging out with smoker friends who keep wanting company outside.
But, I've managed to change my attitude. Before, cigarettes were: delicious, necessary, yummy. Now, I've convinced myself that they are: disgusting, stupid, a very bad habit, and highly unhealthy. This change of attitude helps. I no longer enjoy a smoke, which means that I actually am going to be successful.
Now, when I smoke, it isn't just to relax, or because I want one, or to kill time. It is because I need some nicotene. And then I smoke just enough to not need some nicotene.
So the good news here is that I haven't even touched the first of the 3 cans I bought...still on the one I had before that. But I'm already well on my way. So, yay!
Please...offer no judgement. Only support. This blog is a place of kindness.
(In my 2 weeks in the high school, that is what I said more than anything else..."This classroom is a place of kindness", because they hated each other. They don't anymore. Yay!)
Did you know that reicarnation was taught in the early Christian Church? In fact, the Roman Catholic Church taught it until the 600s, when it was voted out in a close 3-2 race.
I didn't know that. I always thought that Christianity and Reincarnation were mutually exclusive, but, they didn't start out that way. In fact, there are several denominations that still teach it. They don't teach that there isn't heaven or hell, but they do teach that you may have a choice to come back to earth to see if you can improve.
Just for your own study, here is a list of Bible verses that some say point to reicarnation and karma.
I'm certainly not saying I believe this, people, so don't get mad at me. Just an interesting tidbit-it's what I learned today.
1: The Hickory Metro unemployment rate is 16%, the highest in the state. Since Jon and I are marginally employed, and depend completely on other people having enough extra money to pay us for fun things, this scares the poopity poop out of me.
2: North Carolina just passed a provisional smoking ban. It says that you may not smoke in any public place, except for bars or such that do not serve the under 18 crowd. I'm so cool with that.
3: I only have 1 1/2 days left with my high school darlings.
4: I think my computer has the conficker virus. Maybe. Gotta take care of that tonight.
5: I'm going to a Pure Romance Party tomorrow. Excited to see some friends. Not excited at all about the Pure Romance part, or the drive to Morganton.
6: So there is this lady who I've recently become friends with. The subject of Chicago, that play I so desperately wanted to be in, came up. She had an Ah Ha moment and said "I remember when I saw that, I kept hearing people say 'Why isn't Carmen playing that part', but I didn't know who Carmen was. I totally get it now, and agree. You would have been perfect! Why didn't you audition?" I explained, of course, that I did, but the whole thing made me feel really nice inside.
7: I was modeling for this artist at the art museum, and she was drawing my face. She went on and on about how classic, beautiful and patrician my nose was. I looked it up and patrician means "of high social rank or noble family; aristocratic.
or befitting or characteristic of persons of very good background, education, and refinement: patrician tastes." I'm flattered. I do have a pretty good looking nose. It's my dad's, you know.
8: I think I'm done for now.
I've been on this baking kick, and yesterday I had this great plan for the perfect cookie.
It involved all the expected goodies...butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, etc. But then oatmeal, dried cherries and pistachios. I thought about it all day at school. It was the perfect plan.
So I go to Lowes. I look in the baking goods. No pistachios. I look with the snack nuts. No pistachios. I look in the dried bulk goods. No pistachios. I go ask. The lady tells me to look in produce, where salad toppers were. No pistachios. At this point, I've been looking for them for at least 25 minutes. When I finally give up and wait in line to ask again, a different lady tells me they're recalled. Grrr.
So, I made them with cashews, and they're delicious. But they would have been better with the gosh darn pistachios.
I've admitted once on this blog that I smoke cigarettes, and it had unfortunate consequences. Since I've already spilled the beans, I'll go ahead and talk about what is on my mind.
I think it is very mean of the Federal government to increase the tobacco tax as much as they are. Let me elaborate.
People who smoke cigarettes are addicted. It is a nasty, unfortunate and stupid habit. But it is severely addictive, even more so than heroin or morphine, and have you ever seen those people trying to quit?
I know it is stupid that I smoke. I know...it can cause cancer, wrinkle my face, my clothes stink and stain my teeth. It also makes my wonderful husband think I stink. But I just can't help myself. And there are millions of people like me all over the country.
Lots of those millions have lost their jobs...at least 10%, so hundreds of thousands of these smokers are now unemployed and heavily addicted. They're also probably very depressed and anxious and moody...not a good spring board for quitting the tobacco.
So our government sweeps in with an ENORMOUS tax increase to smokers. On those things that they need. Every day. Whether they cost $5 a day or not. $35 a week. $140 a month. $1820 a year. Awesome.
Now me myself...some time ago, I'd say 6 months or so, I switched to American Spirit roll-your-own tobacco. I figure I'd rather spend $11.99 a month on pure tobacco than a lot more on some tobacco with a thousand additives. This worked nicely for a long time. Well, if you think the per pack increase was bad, look at what's happening today to my roll-your-own: They are adding a $25 PER POUND tax. This is an increase of 2,000% in the previous tax. This will make my $11.99 can something like $28. For the same item, with no more money going to my manufacturers, or all of those farmers who certainly need more money. It's even worse for cheap tobacco. That was like $6, and now it will be $22...that's almost 4 times as much.
But, I heard about the increase, and I devised a plan. See, I'm not paying it. But I'm also not going to quit on their schedule, because that would stress out everyone in my life. Yesterday I went and bought the last 3 cans in town. They were still $11.99, and I put them in my freezer. That's normally 3 or 4 months worth. But it will be my last tobacco purchase.
Let me say that again, so I can't back down.
That was my last tobacco purchase.
So now I have 3 cans to wean me off. It'll be a nice, steady decrease that hopefully won't make me cry. I'm not very strong when it comes to this subject, and this way will be better. I'm going to keep you updated, Internet, about my habit.
Cigarette count for yesterday: 5. Now, let's watch together as that number decreases until we're at 0.
So government...kiss my rear. I'm assuming what you want is for everyone to quit. So you win. But you can't have anymore of my money.
And, off subject: Sheri, if you're reading this, I don't think you seem bitter or insane. I think you sound like you handle your problems pretty well, and you do an amazing job of keeping on the positive side. Who wouldn't be bitter in your position? But you're certainly on the right side of the bitter line. See, you're bitter with a laugh. And I think that's healthy.
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