So. Surprise, surprise, I did not get the sub services job. Actually, I was kind of surprised since I had talked to the manager several times and she even said she wanted to keep me for herself… then gave the job to someone else. When I asked why she said she had talked to the office staff and they felt the other candidate would be a better fit for the office. Yeah. OK. Second choice again. She said she would definitely call me if this other person didn’t work out for some reason.

I bet you could guess what I thought about that. Uh huh. Yeah. Something along those lines. Along the lines of “I hope that you this chick turns out to be annoying as he** and makes your work environment miserable.” and “don’t bother” as I SO don’t want to work with you anymore!”.

OK – enough complaining.

I’m looking at other options. Including contract work at the base. One of hubby’s friends was chatting with me during a retirement party and she said to send her my resume, that she could probably get me a job on base. She asked if I had a degree, when I told her I had my bachelor’s and my master’s she said she could probably get me a job working part time and making more than I would teaching full time. You know that got my attention. So I’m following that up, and continuing to work on my archdiocese application.

In the mean time I continue subbing, and working a few hours at Super Cuts. I’m down to about 8 hours a week there, so that’s not that big of a help, but hey, every little bit counts right? Right! Like I tell my friend and (newly promoted) manager – “It’s all good, all the time”. Course he’s not really feeling that these days. One of our stylists walked out last night, and the previous manager was terminated today. She was supposed to work until Feb. 12. Pretty much screwed the schedule royally up. Tomorrow it’s going to be me and two stylists. That’s it. All day. Should be fun. I think I’m getting a headache already. Saturdays are our busiest day. Yesterday – 4 people were scheduled to work the majority of tomorrow. Tomorrow we’ll actually have two. I think I’d better stop at Starbucks on my way in. Maybe pick up a pastry or two as well. I think we’ll need the sugar and the caffeine!

Nah….. I’ll just get the coffee. Cause in the good news – I’m almost back down to my pre-holiday weight and posting losses again at WW. Hooray for that!

OK, this is long enough to wear just about anyone out, so I’ll stop here, even though there is more to tell. I’ll try to get on tomorrow — but I may just veg on the couch before dinner. A busy week end coming up – work, dinner with our church group, book club and some more furniture rearranging to do. So – I’ll try to get by to everyone, but if I don’t – have an awesome week end! And enjoy the Super Bowl!

Question of the Day:

What are your big game plans?

My family has a foot fetish. Not in the twisted “I get turned on by the sight of toes” fetish, but the kind of subconscious fascination with them. I was lying in bed (where my feet issues show up) and started thinking about how this was true for all of my family.

For instance, Ducky plays with one foot while she reads. We didn’t even realize she did this until she was like 11. One day she got up from the couch where she had been reading for several hours. As she walked in the kitchen I noticed she only had one sock on. I asked “what happened to your other sock”. In complete surprise she looked down to realize that she did indeed only have one sock on. (OK, let me interject a question here – how do you get up and walk around and not realize your not wearing two similar things on your feet?). After this incident we began to notice that whenever she was reading, she would get up with one bare foot, the other usually still encased in a sock, and often a shoe as well.

The other day LadyBug was on the couch reading — I looked up and realized while she was reading she was mindlessly stuffing the tip of her belt into the top of her boot. I’ve seen LadyBug get up with only one shoe too — but this was weird. I asked “What are you doing???” She looked up- completely unaware — pulled the belt out of the top of combat boot and defensively said “Nothing” while blushing. Five minutes later, she was engrossed back in her book, and the belt was working it’s way down to her ankle.

Hubby used to have a weird habit of putting  the back of my foot, right above my heel in between his big toe and the second toe. He would do it while we were going to sleep. I say used to, because I have my own foot issues and that was not at all comfortable for me, so I finally broke him of that. He may do it to his own feet now, I have no idea, and frankly, I think I’m better off that way.

For myself, as I’m drifting off to sleep, I often rub my feet together. I catch myself doing this all the time. I also will bend one knee and cup the other knee with the bottom of my foot, making a number 4 out of my legs, and maybe channeling my ballerina spirit – who knows. I also can NOT have anything on my feet while I sleep — I will subconsciously move away from the weight, which is how both the cat and the dog have learned to hog the bed. They know if they lay on my feet — I will move. I wake up crunched and twisted, while the animals stretch luxuriously at the end of the bed. My feet are working against me.

Question of the day:

What are your quirks?

It was so nice to catch up with everyone, well, a lot of everyones, but not EVERYone. But none the less, it was good to be home again. I do have a facebook, and a myspace, and a blogger account, but none of them feel as homey as xanga. It’s kind of like Cheers – you wanna go where everyone knows your name. So thanks everyone for stopping by and saying hello!

I’m still waiting to hear about the job in Sub Service. The manager called me at the beginning of the week to tell me about a long term sub job that might be more of what I wanted. I did follow up, but had already decided that the sub services job would be perfect. I let her know that today, and hopefully she will take that into account when she makes her final decision. Thanks for the good luck and the good job mojo you’ve been sending me – let’s see if it pays off.

Went to WW today — and sadly posted gains instead of loses. I knew that was a possibility, as I decided not to worry about it over the holidays. I’m back on track now and looking to make some significant improvements! It still doesn’t account for how my new jeans got so darn big — but since I’ve been pretty much on track the last week and 1/2 or so, maybe I’ve lost some of the weight I gained over the holidays. Who knows. I think I need to invest in a scale for home so I can monitor my progress here as well.

Those of you that have been with me for awhile know that I typically do not make New Year’s Resolutions. Actually I usually make one – and that is to not make any resolutions – ha ha ha. This year I decided I would set some goals for myself – they include:

• getting healthy (eating right, working out, developing good habits, breaking bad ones etc.)
• getting a full time job
• work on long term goal of getting a classroom
• and spending more time scrap-booking, painting, photography, writing and any other artistic pursuits that interest me.

So, if you see me veering off track on these things please knock me upside the head and tell me to snap out of it! LOL

All right, so question for the day…

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

And finally, I will leave you with some more snowman humor, to brighten the cold winter’s day (or for those of us in warmer climates — just for a laugh!)

 Well let’s see how many of my true Xanga friends are still hanging around these hallowed pages.

Needless to say, I have once again been sadly neglecting my poor beloved xanga. I do miss it, but it’s hard to get back into the habit of blogging regularly. Until just recently, I was completely swamped with life. Two jobs, Christmas, visiting family, Bible study, book club, Bunco, Confirmation and all the other extras just really caught up to me and it was hard to find a minute, much less 20 to myself. I was lucky if I checked my email! Things have slowed down some and that’s good and bad, I’ll fill you in about that later.

Christmas was fantastic. It was low key and fairly tightly budgeted, but very nice all the same. We stayed home this Christmas, since we went to my folks for Thanksgiving and skiied with Hubby’s mom and sis after New Year. A Christmas at home was about all I could handle!

I had a job interview before I left with Sub Services. It is one of the departments in the district office. I would still be a sub, getting sub pay and no benefits, but I would be working everyday, Mon -Fri 8:00 – 4:30. I also had an interview for a 5th grade short-term position, but I knew I wouldn’t get that one as two student teachers - from that school, for that grade – had applied. One of them was the student teacher with the teacher retiring. Yeah. So whatever. I will find out about the sub services position this week and I am really hoping I get it. I think I’d like to spend the next year taking some professional development, working on my TESOL, and exploring my artistic side and developing that as well. My secret wish is to write a children’s book and illustrate it myself. Maybe it’s time to focus on that goal.  I think the sub services job will be the perfect job for just that. I could put in a full day, and not have to plan, grade or do any prep work in the evenings. There is one other possibility I need to check out, but I’m really leaning towards the sub services job, if they’ll have me. I think I’ll also take the year (they asked for a 1 year commitment) and get all my stuff together for the Archdiocese so I can apply there as well. So much thinking to do, too deep and involved for sure.

Super Cuts has reduced the hours allotted for receptionists to 10 / week. That’s not apiece, that’s all together. So needless to say, 5 hours a week isn’t doing me that much good. They still have me come in and close – this week it’s 4 nights, but that’s not much more and it’s a real hassle to go in for just 45 minutes or so. I’m thinking even if I get this other job, I might stay at Super Cuts, just because I get free haircuts and 40% off all products and services, even if I just work 1 hour a week. That would be worth it in the money it would save me for having my hair colored alone.  

The kids and hubby are good. Getting into mischief and all the other stuff teenagers are apt to do. Hubby and I were talking about how hard it’s been raising teenagers. As I’ve said before, having kids is not for the faint at heart. We were also lamenting the fact that they’ve grown so much. It would be nice to see that sunny smile of the 4 year old again, rather than the angry glare of an unhappy teen or the disinterested glaze of know-it-all teen.  And honestly, we get more smiles and laughter than the rest, but some days, it sure doesn’t feel like it. I continually pray for guidance, and for God to help my daughters on their path. And we just keep pluggin’ away. Like my dad always says, do something - even if it’s wrong. So that what we do.

I haven’t been to WW since before Thanksgiving, but I must be still losing. My new jeans that I just bought 2 weeks ago, are now too big. Which thrills me and pisses me off all at the same time. I can literally take them off without unbuttoning them. I JUST bought them! And believe me they were NOT like that when I bought them.  And this was the first day wearing them after washing them, so it wasn’t that either. So — I’m happy, and bummed. Hubby said he’d happily buy me a pair of jeans every week if I continued to lose weight. Well, that’s something at least! LOL

I have high hopes for this year. I think this may be the year things come together for us. We have certainly worked diligently towards that end! OK so I’ll leave you with a picture of my favorite Christmas present (which they gave to me weeks early so I could put it to good use!)

Question of the day: What was your favorite gift this year? (to give or recieve?)