My friends are the best!

I have finished my first week of school with the students. It has been fast and furious. I only had time for lunch one day and ate my slim fast bar the other days while working at my desk. Whew! I am a wee bit tired. However, I had a wonderful surprise on Friday. Let me back up here: Last Wednesday night I learned that "my coffee group girls" had gone out for coffee the first morning of school like we have done for the last three years. I am usually with them drinking coffee, laughing, talking.... you get the gist. When I found out they went and I hadn't known because I was at school, I kinda had a little pity party for myself. Well maybe it was a big pity party, but I love coffee and I love my coffee group and I love laughing and talking, so I was pretty blue. Then on Friday moring I heard this familar voice yelling down my hallway at school, "Where is Donna Ware's room?" As I looked up there stood four of my coffee buddies with a to-go cup of Cafe Mocha just for me! They drove all the way to Clyde to see me in my new school! I was so excited and so happy to see them. We got to visit, laugh, talk, drink coffee and even though it wasn't at Tuscany's or Starbucks, I felt right at home because they were there with me. It is really true, wherever your friends and family are-that is home. Thanks sweet precious friends. You made my day, my week and my year. I love you all and will miss our morning coffee times, but I am thinking it can be dessert and de-caf at my house soon!

The bracelet of complaints

In my last posting I mentioned that I needed a bracelet from Sarah to cut up into little pieces. I realize that all of you out there might not know what I am talking about. My friend Sarah has a principal who gave them little rubber bracelets to wear. It is to keep them from complaining. Uh, I don't think a bracelet will keep me from complaining, but hey, I am just repeating what she told me. Anyway, the way it is supposed to go is that every time you complain you have to move your bracelet to the other arm. It reminds you not to complain. Well....my post had a little complaining in it....all justified of course.....but I realized that I might just have to cut my bracelet up into many little pieces because I just don't have time to move my bracelet back and forth for the thousands of times I have complained over the last two days. I now repent......except for my daughter was supposed to move into her brand new apartment today. Let's just say it didn't happen because of no air conditioning, no working appliances, no furniture, red dirt everywhere, a lovely hole in her ceiling and white paint that needed patching, so of course they used pink to cover up their mistakes. It is just lovely, let me tell you. But as I have repented from complaining I will not say another word....until Monday after the first day of school. See you all then!

T I R E D!!!

Okay, I have been back to work now for 18 days. Yes 18 days. My contract calls for me to work 10 extra days, plus 3 days for "comp" time and then the regular 5 days of staff development and work days. Thus 18 days. Did I tell you that my cute toenails are now surrounded by puffy, swollen feet. Did I tell you that my eyes are feeling like red sandpaper (red for the color of my eyes), Did I tell you that my back hurts in a new spot and Megan is giving her Dad a back rub right now and I am sitting here with the "achy and I am feeling sorry for myself back"? Let me whine a little here--I want a back rub, can't anyone see that I need a back rub? My hubby took my massage appointment on Thursday because I had to go to Meet the Teacher night and now he is getting another back rub. Is life fair?? No my friends, it is not.

This was my schedule --let me back up to last Friday. Precious friends-yes they are precious because if anyone else had asked to come stay with me for the weekend before I went back to work I would have said "Are you nuts?". Anyway, friends came in and stayed with us through Monday dropping off their daughter at ACU. As they were literally leaving our garage, our second guest arrived, my daughter's roommate who needed a place to stay for the week. Okay, my smile is still pasted on. As she was settling into our guest room, the phone is ringing with my mother in law and guess what? Their house is being exterminated on Tuesday and can they come and stay the day and spend the night because they don't want to be gassed by the fumes. My smile is kind of fakey now.

So, I go to work Monday and get to go into a cafeteria of about 100 teachers of whom I know two and they are no where to be seen. Remember jr high days when you would rather not eat than sit by yourself. You feel like everyone is looking at you and no one, yes, no one wants you at their table. Yep! That's me. After asking several tables if I could sit with them, I finally found a high school teacher who had pity on me and let me sit there. I wanted to call her the Good Samaritan, but didn't know how she would take that and I really wasn't beat up or anything. My confidence was just dragging the ground.

After a wonderful day of sitting on cafeteria stools (little round ones that don't fit anyone's bottom unless you are two years old), I got to go to the staff BBQ. (This actually turned out to be nice, but I was missing my Bunko night and I didn't get TP'd) (I'll tell you about TP later) So now we are at Tuesday (remember in laws coming) so I scurry around picking up the biggest pieces of dirt and mess in the house and leave to go off to another fun filled staff development day sitting on cafeteria stools. Have I mentioned how I love those stools. After a few hours my bottom was lets say, not so happy with me. Numb is the word and I didn't look very graceful as I hobbled off after such a wonderful day.

After school I go home and we take the in laws out to a fancy restaurant called Rosa's. Cheap taco night--saw a good friend and that made it fun. We are up to Wednesday now--another staff development day but at least we were at our school on our own cafeteria stools. I think they were made by the same person who must have had a bad teacher somewhere in his/her life and who get sadistic joy of 100 teachers sitting on these stools.

Now we are up to Thursday, a work day where we get to work in our rooms. Have you ever seen those commercials where everything is at warp speed--that was the staff because that night we had "Meet the Teacher" night. Yep, after a fun filled week of listening to "staff development" where all we developed was a numb rear and red eyes and swollen feet, we got to meet our students. All in all it has been a great week. Just thought you should know. And Sarah, I need a bracelet to cut up in a million pieces.

While Dad's Away......

My husband Phil is away on his annual Alaskan Fishing trip with his good buddies Bill Wilson and Dan Garrett. It is a good time for him to be "a real man." They fish, tell jokes, do not shave, and lots of other things that I probably am glad I don't know about. While Phil (or Dad as Megan calls him) is away, Meggie and I are having some girl time. We love to watch HGTV and the food Network without having to jump to see how Nascar or the PGA is doing. We have eaten out just about every night. Chili's, Olive Garden, Cotton Patch and who knows where we will end up tonight. We have laid on our beds and visited and giggled and dreamed about Meg's future. We enjoy hanging out together (especially if I am paying) It is great to have a daughter that you enjoy being with and who gives great shoulder rubs! So we will enjoy our last few days of "girlness." We need to buy some shoes and purses--think we will head to the mall. Now where is my charge card???...

Sweat

It has been a while since I have posted. Lots going on in the Warehouse these days. One thing you need to know about me is that I sweat. Yes, not perspire, but sweat. By the buckets. It is not very feminine and I only share this with you because after last night I am sure most of Abilene knows that I sweat. We have had unusually humid weather here in Abilene. My body does not like humidity. It pretty much goes into melt mode with the slightest humidity factor. I remember as a child being sweaty and my mother tellling me not to sweat so much. Hmmmm...I have tried. I put on face powder which helps my face look dry for about...30 seconds before the sweat seeps through. I do use a good deoderant-Dry Idea. The name indicates that I should stay dry. Not always so. What's a sweaty girl to do!
On to my most embarrassing event since I have been in Abilene. (believe me, I have had more than one) We are doing a garage sale for one of my good friends whose son has a brain tumor. We are raising funds for their travel expenses etc. So, like the good friend I am, I went up last night to help price and sort. (I am not good at pricing and sorting-- I just like to put 25 cent stickers on everything--I've always liked a good buy) Anyway, I was wearing brown capris and an orange t-shirt. Seemed like a safe choice for a sweat prone girl. I worked my little heart out in the non-air conditioned gym for 2 hours. I saw just about everyone from church and they saw me. It's a good thing for a preacher's wife to be seen doing good. I noticed people looking at me and smiling, and of course, I assumed they were thinking-wow, what a hard worker. Nope! They were smiling because as I discovered when I got home, my pants were soaked from the waistband in the back to the waistband in the front. Yep, it looked like I had a big accident on the way to the bathroom. You would think that sweat would not show through on brown capris, well let me tell you, it does--big time. What made it worse, was my shirt didn't really look that sweaty, unless you looked at the pit rings. So I am sure everyone thought I had wet my pants and just didn't notice that I was dripping with pee-pee. So.....I am humbled once again. I will never wear those brown capris again on a humid day and if any of you are sweat prone like me, you better not either.

To the Work, To the Work

I am sure the title says it all, but I am now officially hired at Clyde ISD. Wow, it took me two tries to spell Clyde--even spelling the word has me frazzled! I signed my contract yesterday and I will start back in August. I have been off for three years now. Three years of blissfully sleeping in, doing grocery shopping at prime times, leisurely having coffee with my BF's (best friends) and staying up late to watch Leno. No more. Back to rising at 6:00, throwing on something that is hopefully ironed or at least not wadded up in the bottom of the closet, rushing back home to grocery shop or do a load of laundry and then falling into bed by 9:00.

On the bright side of things, the people that I met at a recent workday were so nice and friendly and laid back. One of my best friends is the principal and I will be teaching reading (which I love). I also will be adding to my retirement--which now that I am 52 seems like a good thing to do. I don't want to be eating cat food or working as a greeter at Walmart when I am 80.

So, part of me is excited to go back and part of me is sad. I guess that is somewhat normal. I'll let you know how things are going in late August when I am driving home from school sticking to the seat of my car from the heat after a parent yelled at me and I made two children cry.

Hubby does good!

I just have to brag that my husband got me the most beautiful ring for my birthday/anniversary present this year. It has emeralds and diamonds set in a white gold band with gold accents. I just love it! I am so blessed--and yes, I will wave it in your face the next time I see you--so be prepared.
We have been married 30 years as of June 11th. The time sure has flown. I remember when he had John Denver hair down to his collar and my hair was long and brown. We both were skinnier in those days. I think we both weighed 135. I won't tell you what we weigh now because that would just be too, too sad. (how did I get on a weight subject anyway?)
We are going on a cruise to celebrate in October. We are going up the Eastern seaboard and hope to see lots of beautiful trees and scenery. It has been a great 30 years. I am praying for 30 more! (especially if he keeps getting me rings!)