5 à 7

For the First Time in 33 Years!

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:38:22 -0800

When the opportunity arose to purchase Rider tickets, I looked into it. When I found out that the seats were being sold at face value, I jumped at the chance! After all, it's not everyday that the Roughriders host the Western Final. In fact, this has never before happened in my lifetime. As I told Jason, the next time this happens, we will probably be telling our grandchildren how we went to the game oh so many years ago.

*** Please note, children, let alone grand children, are a long ways off.***

Unfortunately, the day did not start off so well. The stress of my life has ben affecting me rather harshly as of late. It seems that the accumulated stress of the constant action in my life has crept up on me. As of last weekend, most of the action was done. All week I had trouble sleeping and the busy activity of my life is the only explanation I've got. As well, I've been getting very nervous, very easily. Our day had been very busy. The schedule was tight. I was in a tizzy to get from place to place on time.

Despite my nerves, things were going well. Then I left the tickets out of town at Jason's mom's house. Time to freak out! We were supposed to go and work out before the game. I sent Jason to work out and I went to get the tickets. Luckily, out of town is not that far. It took me a while, but I got the tickets. I picked Jason up much later than he was expecting. A little bit later than I was expecting, but what can you do? Obviously, we were in great moods as we walked towards Taylor Field in time to miss the kick-off.

In any case, we were standing in front of our seats at the opening kick off. Phew. We made it. And look at that! 55 yard line! Perfect view of every corner of the field. Thank you my cousin! We were clearly sitting in season ticket territory. The age of those sitting around us, as well as the lack of beer, confirmed my suspicions. The man sitting beside me looked normal enough, but he had the voice of a serial killer. Low, crackly, he held the ends of his words a very long time. While the chilly temperatures made me glad that seating was 'cozy', Mr. Serial Killer did sort of give me the willies.

The first quarter was stressful! All week, I heard speculations that if the Riders could take it in the first quarter, they'd have the Stamps beat. Well, all I saw were Burris's perfect passes to Joffery Reynolds for first down after first down. Thank goodness for penalty calls or I'm sure we would not be going to the Grey Cup! Yes, I say we, because we are a team of a million. 12 players on the field, the rest in cold seats or arm chairs around the country. After the Riders tied it up, the rest of the game is foggy. I just remember thinking "Oh Good!" Oh Good!" as more and more good plays were completed. At 2:47 left in the fourth quarter, I turned to Jason and asked if it were possible for the Stamps to get 16 points in order to tie it. Given that he is wonderful, but not a fortune teller, he just shrugged his shoulders. And the Stamps got a touch down. Gah! But the Riders held it together. They blocked a 2-point convert and then a field goal attempt. Phew. They were passing out the hats at the 1:00 minute mark but I did not relax until 0:10 :)

So that's it. We won, the Serial Killer didn't get me, I didn't freeze my butt off and I'll be glued to the television with my fellow green bloods next weekend!

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Certifiably Crazy!

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:28:11 -0800

I chose to spend my Friday night doing something that no sane person would ever do. First, I was at work. Second, I was with 12 year-old boys. Slightly better than 12 year-old girls.

I chose Friday night to be the wind-up for the Mustangs' volley ball season. Pizza and Rock Band. Easy peasy shampoo squeezy. Except not.

I spent some time reflecting on what 12 year-old boys want to eat. It was hard. It was difficult to go against everything I believe a person should eat and then buy it and then encourage them to eat it. I covered all the main food groups: fat, sugar, salt and chocolate. I underestimated how much pop these boys would drink but overestimated on the chips. Good thing the Conservative roomie will eat them.

So the first challenge was to set up Rock Band. Video Projector? Didn't work. TV ? Didn't work. Brand new flat screen? I wasn't willing to risk it. Eventually we got the TV to work. Next challenge? Get the game to work. In moving the equipment all over the school, the disc got scratched. Gah! So I had to go and buy a new one, because it just wouldn't do to send the kid that brought it home with a wrecked game. Thank goodness it wasn't terribly expensive.

After about 10 minutes of Rock Band, they just wanted to play Volley Ball. I just shook my head.

Eventually they went back to playing Rock Band. The kids who waited played with Math manipulatives in a lego sort of way. I should have taken a picture.

In the end, I think they had fun. As well, they gave me a gift certificate which was really nice of them. Most importantly, about $115 for my organization in Peru.

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#8 When blogging becomes too much

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:08:20 -0800

First Clue: You are blogging about your dreams.
Second Clue: You are dreaming about blogging.

Warning: This is creepy.

I dreamed that I need to move out of my aparment (irl, I do not have an apartment, nor do I need to move)

So I went to the house of a fello blogger (I only know this person online)

She was going to let me live at her house for $1300 a month. I couldn't handle the price in my dream so I was stressed! And I accidentally destroyed her bathroom. (I have never accidentally destroyed a bathroom, nor do I have any idea about this blogger's bathroom)

It was all very strange. Maybe I need to take a break.

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#7

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:28:55 -0800

Am I crazy? Have I no national pride? And by nation, I of course mean RIDER NATION!

Amazingly awesome game. Never in my life have the Rider's finished the regular season in first place. It makes me nervous. We are the underdogs!

So who do we want to play on our road to the Grey Cup?

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#5

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:24:54 -0800

Health Care

I'm very excited for the poor, down trodden, innocent people of the United States as I think they might now have access to Health Care.

I'm not naturally so poetic. Much of that sentence is from a song my class is singing for Remembrance Day. It talks about the great giant that treads on the poor innocence of people. Translation: Capitalism is killing Latin America. Try explaining that to 8 year-olds.

I've recently been in touch with some of my good friends from Montreal which has made me oh so happy!

Report Card progress: 39% complete. Right on track.

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#4

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:36:23 -0800

This time of year makes me emotional and introspective. Too much time alone and with too much to do.

So this is what I have come up with: I gave up my friends for my boyfriend and I gave up fun for my job. A weekend ALONE with my JOB is not going to help this point of view.

The good news is this: Report Cards go out on November 20 and then I can stop the train wreck my brain seems to be on. If I get to it, I can be done even sooner.

**********

I'm still sick, but only a mild cold.

**********

My school has MICE! Eww. All the women are freaking out and all the men are being mean and torturing and teasing us saying 'What's the big deal?" They're MICE!

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#3 - No better than #2

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:38:07 -0800

Day#1 - throat closure. You know what's sick? Sometimes I hope to get sick. Yep. Except that sick hurts, so I regret it.

Anyway, I would like this whole illness thing to hold off until Wednesday. I think I can afford to stay at home that day. I would also like the illness to be serious enough to merit me staying home, while not serious enough to prevent me from working from home. And then be gone by Thursday.

You know what else is sick? A 30 year-old woman trying to do a spiral. Would you believe that that's NOT what my spiral looks like? It's not like I've kept up my practice since I was 17 and oh, 17 lbs lighter. You know, my leg was more flexible and not as heavy to lift into the air. Though weight may not be a very strong argument as I got new skates and there are at least 3 tonnes lighter than my old skates. Infact, given that reasoning, my spiral should look professional. Alas, it's kind of ugly. Think 75 degree angle.

One more disgusting thing for the day. I yelled at a French kid in French. It was not merited and I never would have done the same to an English kid. It's like there is still a part of my brain that doesn't think that French is real. Anyway, I apologized.

My goal for tomorrow is to write English and French Reading and Writing comments and marks. Ambitious? Yes. Doable? If I do it it is!

I saw the most beautiful thing I have ever seen a child so. Another time.

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NaBloPoMo Post#2

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:19:36 -0800

Where did Post #1 go? It was too boring for anyone but me.

This one may go that way as well.

Anyone that has known me for more than 13 months knows that November is a very difficult month for me. There is a lot of pressure (that I put on myself) to do report cards perfectly. I have been cramming knowledge into students brains all week with the hope that I can pull something out to evaluate. It's silly. But I still do it.

The bottom line is this: I'm too busy. Most of the time I can say that I'm really busy. Right now, it's too busy. When was the last time I hung out with a friend? Well, yesterday. However, generally I either don't have time for friends or I'm too tired.

I'm worried that by the time I have the time (ie. retirement) I won't have friends.

Jason is leaving the province for a week so I think I should take advantage and call people.

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Me and Animals

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:05:08 -0700

Alternate title: There was a Mouse in my House!

My feelings about animals are so confusing. I care for them, but I dislike them. I don't like to think of any living creature suffering. At the same time, I'm nervous around most animals. Very few people have pets that don't make me want to run into another room and shut the door. Then there are the animals that are supposed to stay outside. If only that poor little mouse had stayed outside. He would have been much better off.

So Monday morning, I was eating breakfast in my kitchen when I saw a mouse run across my living room floor! EEK! I have a half second delay on my scream. Have you ever heard me scream? Not yell, but scream? It is loud. I couldn't deal with the problem, so I got out of my house as fast as I could.

I told myself pleasant mouse stories all day. Mickey. Ratatouille. The Rats of Nimh. Yes, I know the last two are rats. Close enough. I told all sorts of people. It seems that this is a common thing to have in your house.

Still, I avoided going home. But I did. And I avoided moving away from the door. Then I heard a noise! Oh wait, that was just my bag. Then I heard another noise! It's the mouse behind the stove! It really was! Eeek! I screamed. My poor H1N1 bed ridden roommate. Here I am, screaming and he cannot sleep. I checked the trap. There was no trap! I listened a little more. The mouse was definitely behind the stove and definitely somehow attached to the trap. Agh! So, I was scared of the mouse but also revolted by the fact that it must be in pain, caught in the trap but still alive and moving around.

I spent some time putting everything in my pantry into plastic mouse-proof containers. The food is and remains, mouse proof. I was already to be brave and deal with the mouse when I saw the trap on the other side of the stove - empty! I screamed again. For both my sanity and my roommate, I left. Like he needed me screaming all night!

Long story short, the next morning my parents killed the mouse. Poor little mouse. Thank you parents. I know, it's pathetic that I can't deal with animals or death. As well, if Jason thinks that he will ever hear this story, he will just have to read it on the blog (which he will not do) because I will never, ever tell him. He would be very disgusted with me. He doesn't understand my fear of animals. Infact, he thinks that one day I will have a cat. Ha! I'd rather have a mouse.

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Last Photo of France

nobody@vox.com(fiveseven) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:51:37 -0700

Who knew? I was so nervous that my last post would sef-destruct that I didn't realize that I only had one photo to go!

Now I can move on to the mosre recent past with this blog. Such as summer Part II - Wedding Season! However, half of those photos are not even on my computer.

The rest of it would be a big long post entitled "How I went from volunteering to help with volley ball to becoming a coach to dedicating a lot of time and energy to learning about volley ball and how to coach to VOLLEY BALL IS MY LIFE!" I never ever saw this coming.

But back to France. Ah, France. The Rhône River. So relaxing. So little to worry about. So much time to think. So much time to run! While I was in France, I ran 4 times. Twice in Paris, twice along the Rhône River, one of those times in a rain shower. It was awesome!

DSC01946

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