She posted another blog...

I know, I know....it's like I have more time or something!!! Well this week was interesting!!! I'll have to tell you about Monday a little later...I'll keep you posted...!!!

Tuesday I started a teacher institute called Great Expectations, which I loved!!!! Great Expectations is a professional development program that provides teachers and administrators with the skills needed to create harmony and excitement within the school atmosphere, elements that are basic for inspiring students to pursue academic excellence. With a focus on the human quality of teaching and learning, Great Expectations provides renewal and inspiration for teachers who may have lost their way and forgotten why they became teachers in the beginning. (I didn't write that, the website did.)

Anyway, in a nut shell, GE taught me how to be humane to younger humans!!! It's weird but that's essentially it. AND also how to teach any subject matter using different methods. It was awesome since I was a first timer, I had to go to the methodology class to get the foundation down before I can take elective classes which focus on very specific subjects. Anyway, the methodology classes usually have 30-40 people and we only had 4 which was AWESOME!!! We really got to know everyone on a personal basis and heard some great stories. It's also a small world because our instructor, Tim, is from McAlester, OK where Jason is from. I mentioned Tim's name to Jason and he started laughing. It turns out Jason's sister is very good friends with Tim's sister. It was a cool connection. It was also an emotional experience. Tim found out his mother has breast cancer this week. Keep him and his mother in your prayers. That aside, I'm really excited about starting the new school year!!!!

So that took up some time this week. It was all day from 8-4, Tuesday through Friday. Today we got to sleep in and rest. I had a lot of things I wanted to do, including swim but that didn't work out. I did get to run some major errands. I was going to get my dress to the cleaners but I got there too late so I decided to make an appointment to get my hair trimmed and highlighted. She couldn't fit me in until next Thursday but that was pushing it. I got in my car and stopped and went inside again and said if she had an opening today and she said yes!!! Whooppie!!! So I got my hair did. We were the only ones in the salon and I think she talked more than me!! No big surprise, though. I told her I was getting married and she said she was too. We both met our future husbands on eHarmony... and so that was a big talking point!!!

Speaking of hair. The thing that was a realization was what my hair dresser said. She had already been married twice. The first divorce being her mistake and the second, the husband was apparently just awful. What she said about the first divorce being her mistake was this. She believed that the husband was there to take care of her and that's the way she acted. She was the one who left him. She learned that she had to chip in too. But she realized that way too late and has actually apologized to her kids dad. I thought that took guts. I may not have agreed with her on everything she said but I understood that expectation. While watching Return to Me tonight, I realized I too want to be taken care of. This is not a bad thing. But if you don't reciprocate, then there's a problem. I can't be waited on hand and foot. I wouldn't actually want that either. I want to be able to do things independently too. However, one of the greatest things that Jason does for me is carry in the groceries. I can totally do this. I brought in my own groceries for over five years up the stairs in Waco!! But it is great to have someone else do this for me! Thank you, Jason!!!

But wait!!! Hold the press!!! Before I even got out of the apartment with my dress to go to the cleaners, something else exciting happened. I open the door holding my dress above my head and for some reason I look down to my left and I see a tail wiggling. I'm thinking to my self, that's one big lizard! It had faint orange markings like diamonds on it. I step out a little more and realize it is a GIANORMOUS snake. I calmly step back inside the apartment and freak out. That's what Jason would call it. I put down the dress and told him. He said he couldn't see it. I was trying to call emergency maintenance. He still couldn't see it. I cautiously opened the door and it wasn't where I left it...it had moved down a little further and this time I could see its head and THEN Jason saw it. Maintenance calls back and I tell him about the problem and he says he will call animal control. I told him it looked like a two footer. The snake proceeds to crawl further out into the open and it is not two feet long...it's more like three to three and a half feet long. HOLY MOLY!!!! I still wanted to get to the cleaners (before I found out it was already closed) and it was far enough out for me to walk in the opposite direction and that's what I did. I let Jason deal with Animal Control. Whew!!! That was exciting!!! Drew, my brother would have freaked more than I did!!! Animal control came while I was getting my hair done but they never found it.

I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight!!! AND I'll be alone. Jason is in OKC having a bachelor party. That's why I'm writing this at 12:45am, plus I drank some caffeine today. I'm probably going to play a round of Age of Empires III after I post this too. So I think that's it for now. I'm really excited for the festivities to begin!!! It will start with my mom coming Tuesday night, and then shopping on Wednesday and then to Arlington on Thursday! Yay!!!!! What else...I dont' know...I'm getting a little nervous I think. It might be the snake and it might be the fact I watched Silence of the Lambs tonight and then Return to Me while flipping to My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I'll keep you posted whether or not I dreamed about anything...

Toodles!!
Jessica