Wow. That Was Fun! Wait. We Won?!

This year my group of students are something else. Truly a great group. Always try their best.

And today was field day. The first game? We lost. Like, last place. Here's a replay of the convo.

Student: Miss Z?
Me: Yeah?
Student: I think we lost. We came in last.
Me: Yeah?
Student:Yeah.
Me: Did you have fun?
All Students: YES!

Totally didn't care.

Next game we we came in second. We would have won but the group that was up was slightly uncoordinated and didn't know left from right. The rest of my kids?

Didn't care.

Water games - We won. Both games. And they didn't even know it. They were running around, giving everyone high-fives. And then they found out they won. So cute.

They were happy losing and they were happy winning. Totally great.

I took tons of great pictures of those little cuties. The best are the candid. Sheer joy.

Hope everyone is having a great Friday.  Now I am going to go rest for a few minutes.

p.s. If you are a long time reader you may remember that I fell last year during tug of war and my students rallied around me. Dusted me off. Cheered for me. I didn't fall this year. Good times.

Dogs & Rugs

After getting the mega-deal on tile Saturday, we stopped at Lowe's. Before we go in, we review what we need so as to not be distracted by the other pretty things. On our list for Saturday was spray paint (and stay tuned for that barrel of fun), paint brushes, and a review of what would be needed to tile. And that was it.

But to get to the tile section we had to pass the rug section. What a stink.

They had a rug. 8 x 10. Just what we wanted. In fact, we had looked at it before. We've been moving our gorgeous green jute rug around and have been desperately needing an additional rug. The difference was that the shaggy cream and beige rug was on sale. Regularly $168. Clearance at $118. Jeremiah thinks he can get them to go lower. Asks for a manager. Gets the price knocked down to $85. Dollars. For an 8x10 rug. It would have been stupid to not get the rug. We would never find it cheaper.

So we got it.


Where do the dogs come in? They love the rug.

 Here's the Kisser, ready to start a fine game of Kong ball.

 He's really just a blur once he gets moving.

 And slightly cat-like. Notice that his back leg is jammed up under his front one. Doggy yoga.

 Good times until...

 Wait. Let's double check.

 Yup. The ball rolled under the entertainment center.

 Again.

 This is Atticus's "Please get my ball. Someone. Anyone. Please get my ball."

And there you go. A post about a bargain rug and the dogs.

P.S. I don't know what point Atters switched from his Kong to the tennis ball. He's a quick little bugger, I tell ya.

Tile. Because I Can't Think of a Cutesy Title.

I've been waiting to add a tile back splash since I painted the downstairs. You might remember that the living room and dining area are two shades of greenish greyish blue. One is slightly darker and was used to create a more in-depth feel in the hall, fireplace wall, and dining area. I wanted glass tile the same shade to be used for the back splash. I thought it would tie together the beige that is in the front room nicely with the blues in the back of the house. Plus, it would really make the white cabinets look crisp.

And then I saw a house that was professionally decorated (on the shores of Lake Michigan, what are the odds?) almost exactly the same. As what I wanted. And it sealed the deal. I began a search for these tiles. And guess what? Those little stinkers weren't cheap. And they weren't available anywhere except by special order.

Son.of.a.biscuit.

So the tile went on hold. Because we need a roof, as you know. And a furthered education. And cars.

And this is where we say, "Annnnywaaaays..."

We went to Goodwill on a whim. A whim, I tell you. And while I was contemplating the necessity of a giant mailbox as storage for a guestroom, I looked down. And right by my feet? Two boxes of wall tile. The exact.freakin.color.that.I.wanted.

For reals.

They aren't glass. But in reality, if I waited until I could afford hundreds of dollars for a kitchen back splash, I'd be waiting a long time. Like, grey hair and flying cars. That's how long I'd be waiting.

And to seal the deal? The tile was only ten bones a box. And they were having a fifty percent off sale. So we can tile our kitchen for a total of ten dollars, plus the cost of tile tools, mortar, seal, and grout. Most of which will be used again when we tile two bathroom floors.

Here's the tile. I propped it up so I could see how it looked with the beige paint and white cabinets. The color is slightly off in the pictures, but still give a general idea.

 I like to call this shot "Boxes of Victory". Indeed they are.

Close up of the victory tiles.

And if you look closely, you can see $9.99. Half off. Holy crap.

So next weekend I think we'll be tiling. And that's not the royal "we". I truly plan on partaking in the tiling fun. I'm going to have to wear my good girl pants, because I am not one for team activities. I'm much more a "go ahead, lock me up alone with a paintbrush and I'll be fine. Just don't forget my Ipod." type of girl. So wish us luck on our tiling endeavor. Thank goodness CLH has tiled before. Three cheers for useful boys!

House Tour

Here is the house tour that I promised. A couple things are missing because I am in the process of painting/staining - like two coffee tables, for example. Please keep in mind that we have lots to finish, so this is more of a "house in progress" tour.

And the video is shaky. That's just what happens when you are walking around and taping. And my thoughts move a hundred times faster than I can speak, so I go one hundred directions at once. And my words don't always come out how I planned them.

But I promised it, so here it is.

p.s. Those are Jeremiah's old bands playing throughout, with Sara Crist on vocals & guitar, Dave Born on guitar & lyrics, Kevin Aube on bass, and Jeremiah on drums.

The Last Laugh Lies with Me!

I got a gift card in the mail from Best Buy.

An apology/reissue of sorts for the iTunes gift card that never worked. Because those buttheads canceled it after it was purchased. And because I was treated like poo and kicked out of the store. For only speaking the truth.

So you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go BACK to the store that kicked me out. I'm going to use the $25 card to buy a new Itunes gift card.

Because:
1. You better believe that I will never again make purchases from Best Buy.
2. This is the only way I can use the entire amount without owing Best Buy anything extra or losing anything on the card.

And:
1. You better buh-lieve that I will be holding onto my receipt. For suresies.
2. I will be all, "Nana-nana-boo-boo" the entire time I'm in the store.

I hate Best Buy.

Warm Fuzzy Friday

Are you ready for some more warm fuzzies?



First Fuzzy: Without giving oodles of details, eight of my eighteen students tested OUT of my classroom. Possibly two more, results still pending. That is quite possibly the best (only?) validation I've had all year. I'm not saying this in a braggy way. I'm saying, I am so incredibly proud of my students. They are awesome and have worked hard.

Second Fuzzy: Tomorrow is Record Store Day. It will be our third year of celebrating it. Each year special limited releases are put out specifically on this day. It is one of Jeremiah's favorite days of the year. He has it all planned out, which stores we hit when. He has a list of everything he is looking to purchase. If you know of anyone who collects vinyl, tomorrow is a special day. It is a special day I will most likely enjoy in comfy clothes, especially if I have to get up early.


Well? Warm fuzzies? Do share.

Say It With Me!

What do we want?

Cookies!

When do we want them?

Now!


I'm tired, people. I'm really tired. And cookies always make me feel better. Except last night when I tried to convince Jeremiah AFTER dinner (of lean turkey burgers and steamed veggies) that we should make pizza. I was so.freaking.hungry. And Jeremiah? No amount of pouting was enough to get him into that kitchen to make me a pizza. Poop. So three things can be noted:
1. My go-to stress reliever is food. Sad.
2. My meds that are helping me get better make me so hungry. Sadder.
3. Jeremiah has my best interest at heart. He will only feed me when I am legitimately hungry. Suck.

Let This Be A Lesson

When we tore out the old tub (the Roman soaking tub) to make way for the fancy shmancy new one (which you can read about here), I told Jeremiah I wanted it posted on Craigslist. Here's a summary of the convo.

Emily: Puhlease post the tub on CList.
Jeremiah: It's not going to sell. Those tubs aren't that expensive new.
E:Will you please take a picture of the tub and post it on CL?
J:FINE. But it won't sell. How much do you want the asking price to be?
E:Um, $60.
J: Sixty? As in, six zero? As in, sixty bones? You're not going to get sixty dollars for it. They cost about a hundred dollars new and this one is fifteen years old.
E: PUT THE FREAKIN' THING AT SIXTY, PLEASE. Mind you, I thought this way I had some room for bargaining. I was willing to take fifty for it...Actually, I was even willing to donate it if it didn't sell. 


Flash Forward to Yesterday Night:
J: Someone called about the tub.
E: Oh, reeeeeaaaaallly?
J: Yeah, they are going to stop by tonight.
E: Okay. If they ask to take it for anything under sixty, you tell them fifty-five.
J: They're going to go lower.
E: Suck it up, get out there, and sell some tub!
 

Comes Back Inside, Slaps a Wad of Bills in My Hand
E:So how much did you get?
J: Sixty.
E: Sixty? Huh. That's interesting. I forget, weren't you the one that told me it wouldn't sell and then if it did that I had way over-priced it? There was actually a lot more of this irritating goading, but in an effort to save some time, I've condensed it.
J:Silence and glares in my general direction

Please, let this be a lesson. I am never wrong.

And don't doubt that I did a happy money dance. Because I did. I stopped just short of dancing over to Jer and waving it in his face. 

And p.s.
Bathroom update: We have long since fixed the shower in the master bath. Months ago, actually. And when I say "we" I mean Jeremiah. It has been taken apart and put together again and is leak-free. And it looks nicer. Not gorgeous, but much better.

The sixty dollars will go towards new hardware (right word?) for the tub. The tub should be in soooooon. Money has been tight here. It might be that we're saving for a roof and cars and I'm finishing my last three grad classes (Which, here is some irony. The raise that I get as a result of finishing my degree doesn't even cover the cost of classes. For years. I'm laughing on the inside.). Anyway, not a lot for bathroom remodeling. Once the tub is in, the rest might be on hold until those pesky classes are paid.  Stupid desire for knowledge.
 

If It Makes You Happy...

Then it can't be that baaaaaaad.

I know that normally I post stuff about idiots doing idiotic things. Driving through lawns. Parking in front of my driveway and blocking me in. Trespassing. Trying to break into my house.

Or perhaps you remember when I got kicked out of Best Buy. I hope you do. I reference it constantly around Jeremiah. We watched a thriller last night and when the lady attacked an idiot/murderer, I looked at Jeremiah and I was all, "That was me at Best Buy." Every sentence that I start lately begins with "Oh, that was us" and ends with "at Best Buy."

We watched Meet the Parents last weekend and I swear, this reminded us BOTH of the scene at Best Buy, except the manager was not this innocent or wide-eyed. She was just a beast.



I'm a person who has feelings. All I want to do is hold on to my giftcard... What this scene doesn't show is that he gets carried off the plane.

The Best Buy/iTunes incident has yet to be resolved, if you were wondering. Itunes has stopped returning my emails and I feel like a jilted lover. We were so close, and then they just.stopped.emailing. Best Buy has responded to emails. We'll see where we go from there. The guy that is emailing me (Aaron) sounds like a real word-that-I-can't-say-because-sometimes-my-parents-read-this-blog.

Anyway, the whole purpose of this post was to focus on three wonderful things. Three. Can you believe it? A focus on the positive? It's a challenge for me, but I'm going to give it a try.

Made me happy, Incident 1: After school I saw a boy (probably third grade) get a drink of water. He then proceeded to pick up his teeny tiny little brother by the pits so that he could get a drink, too. Watching him sip water with his little feet dangling in the air, totally made my day.

Made me happy, Incident 2: I was in traffic that was waaaaaaay backed up when I noticed that we were backed up because an SUV had run out of gas in the left turn lane (which I was in. sigh.). BUT then a guy in a truck parked, got out, and ran to help them push the vehicle out of the way.

Made me happy, Incident 3: Seeing one of my lower readers absolutely BLOSSOM as a writer. I'm trying to get him to understand that his spelling is only a tiny fraction of what makes writing good, and that he is a great writer even if he is still working on his spelling/reading. Wonderful watching a smile spread across his face.

Those are my happies for the day. Anyone else want to share something that just gave them the warm fuzzies?

Not Quite Yet

After a bike ride a few weeks ago, Jeremiah decided to take a quick dip. The water temperature in the pool is mid-sixties. He dove in...

Decided it was pretty darn cold. Look at the way his face is scrunched. I bet I know what word he was saying...Hint: I bet it is the same word that shot out of his mouth at Best Buy.

And got right out. Because 65 degrees might be Lake Michigan summer water temp, but it is downright chilly here.

So no pool time yet. I'm guessing by mid-April we'll be golden...and the grass won't be. Fingers crossed for warm water and green grass.

Why I Don't Like the Neighbors or, Why the Police Were at Our House at 1:30 am

Friday was our anniversary. Five years. That's some crazy shiznit, no?

And let me warn you here, there is going to be swears in this here post, so if your delicate self isn't a fan, you may want to stop reading. I'm just trying to be nice.

Anyway, I was sick on Friday. We had a special meal, special drinks, special dessert, and Jeremiah surprised me with some gorg. lilies. We're both poor, so we both agreed simple celebrations this year.

At around eleven, a party at the house behind us really started picking up. And I could swear that I heard someone say, "I dare you to jump in the pool." which is ODD, because the neighbors behind us don't have a pool. Interestingly enough, WE DO. So I kicked Jeremiah and he got up, looked around, and proclaimed that all was good.

Except it wasn't. Things got loud. Then really quiet. Then super loud. And then, no joke, I heard someone trying to get in our house through the sliding door. I could hear the lock catch as they repeatedly tried to pull the heavy slider open. It's directly below the balcony and our bedroom, so it was loud. I kicked Jeremiah (again) and told him that there were people in our backyard. He's up faster than you can say "Why the face?!". He races downstairs with only his cell and boxers and goes to the slider. At this point, I hear voices and feet on the rocks outside our bedroom side window. I look down, and there are people hopping the fence. I pound on the window and yell at them to get the FACE (I didn't say face) out of my yard and then yell to Jeremiah that they are out front. He's on the phone with 911 already, and the people are running away from him (gotta love the thought of him standing there all tattoo covered and boxer-clad scaring the shit out of some idiots).

And at this point you are probably wondering, "Emily, are you making this shit up?" And the answer is, no, my friends, I am not.

The 911 dispatch person explains that someone had called the police on the party and they were on the scene. The kids (high schoolers) had been trying to escape. So they had hopped the five foot brick wall into our yard and tried to get into our house. We said we would like to file a report or complaint or whatever. We wait for the police to come. For an hour and a half.

As we wait, I bet Jeremiah that the police will say, "Kids will be kids" and nothing will be done.

Guess what? Nothing was done. Apparently there were a TON of kids there and they didn't have the time to cite anyone for underage drinking or supplying alcohol to minors or trespassing, or anything else.

In fact, in the lovely state of Arizona, it is completely legal for people to flee a scene using YOUR property as long as they are just trying to get to the other side. S'okay.

And it is okay to try and get into someone's house as long as you don't use force. Even though the intent to get in was there, they didn't break anything and they weren't going to do anything to us, they were just "in self-preservation mode".

Are you shitting me?

As a teen I NEVER tried to get into anyone's house that I didn't know. And how the hell are kids supposed to grow up to become responsible adults if they are never even held responsible for their actions? At some point, it's not "kids will be kids" anymore.

The kid that had the party? The police let the parents deal with it. Nothing filed, nothing done at all. I just don't get it.

So I'm pissed and not seeing the point of being a property owner if my property is free for everyone to use at their leisure, including the occasional tug on the door...