Five for 2015

We counted down the days until Christmas...then we counted down the seconds until midnight...and now we're back to the grind...which has been a very fragmented grind as a cold day, early release, and late start all got thrown into the mix along the way.

I have waxed philosophic before about the unbridled joy of a snow day. And I'll admit, the call came last week that school had been cancelled, I smiled, and rolled back over to snuggle in for another hour or so of sleep. Then again when the call came there would be a two hour delay, I gladly turned off my 6AM standby and blissfully stayed in bed until 7:45 when an ominous piano riff pulled me out of dream world.

What are we doing!? You can't lay in bed all day!! It's the end of the semester!!Christmas vacation was wonderful, and in some ways I wish it wasn't over. But it is over...and if it's going to be over, then I have work to do!

But not at the moment! At the moment I'm counting down a Friday 5 for 2015. Ready...go!

5. In case it wasn't already painfully obvious from the -40+ windchill this week, winter in the Midwest arrived in full force for the new year. In case you're unconvinced, this list ->CLICK HERE<- of 23 signs its winter in the midwest, should clarify any confusion over the wrath Mother Nature is inflicting.#12 about everyone's Facebook status changing to something weather related was 100% accurate this week!



4. This started as a list of things kids from the 80s would understand. Then I realized that I had many of those same things in the 90s. THEN I realized that some of those things still exist in my classroom today (I'm looking at you #5!) ->CLICK HERE<- to find out what else has stood the test of time.




3. This one is one that happened to fall into my lap as I scramble to put the finishing touches on this year's One Act Play competition piece. ->CLICK HERE<- Hopefully it's the kind of experience I create for kids in the theatre program. It certainly was the kind of experience I was fortunate enough to have.

2. This week I remembered an old "bike in the winter and watch TV" standby, which is to say that working out while watching the biggest loser is a double dose of inspiration, motivation...and if you close your eyes and just listen to the trainers screaming, you can trick yourself into thinking they're screaming at you! Yahoo! featured this story recently ->CLICK HERE<- about "real women" working out and living healthy. The ad they put together is well worth a watch.

1. Last but not least, I found this extremely interesting, and in the run-up to Sunday's Packer's playoff game, I'm posting it ->CLICK HERE<- for you to find interesting too! It's called 'the team that never plays' and it's about the former college and pro athletes that now do the "body double" for football players in commercials and video games. Pretty cool stuff.



Happy weekend. Happy Trails,

30 Before 30 - Two things in one second

Happy 2015! Welcome to the new year; I hope it holds something great for you.

Five days in, and things seem to be off to a pretty good start. I mean, I crossed two things off of the 30 before 30 list in a mere matter of seconds on January 1st, so that has to count for something, right?!

The first one is not really a big secret. In fact, Mookie even Facebook messaged me about 3 hours before to make sure I was staying up with J Word to cross off #20 - "Kiss someone at midnight." You know, I thought it was sad when I had to add that to the list, but I've since discovered I know a lot of people who weren't in relationships at the appropriate time of the year (and refused to kiss a stranger at a party or bar) and therefore went kissless for quite a while as well. I no longer feel badly about this...and it also no applies.

Secondly, the turning of the new year marked the end of a full year, and thus completed #1 - "Go a year without library fines.) Truth be told, I benefited from moving during that year, and therefore no longer faced the lure of the La Crosse library across the street. I did get a Rochester library card. It seemed only fair. But stuck mainly to ebooks, which conveniently return themselves after the loan limit! It's like the world conspired with me to get this one done!

I'm not sure what the next item to fall from the list might be. Europe is on the radar for 2016. J Word and I continue to pursue the next great American novel. Pinterest has become my recipe box...does that count for #3? J Word's 30th birthday is coming up in a few months. Maybe I'll celebrate by taking him on a random spontaneous weekend flight...though that seems oddly self-serving...fun...but self-serving.

I don't know. The year is destined to be an adventure, and I'm sure I'll find random things along the way I never would have dreamed of putting on the list, but will be memorable and amazing. Like a wedding...that's kind of a big deal, you know!?

Happy Trails,