Janae Says...

Seriously? Could I be any brattier? Could I ask for better weather (68, clear-skied, and sunny)? Nicer furniture? A cuter apartment? No. Could I ask for more security? More blessings? No. I have a steady job. And I managed to land a guest speaker whose parents survived the Holocaust to come and talk to my students at the end of April. And yet I can't get this frown off my face. And don't be asking me silently if it's PMS. That was last week--it's always really bad right before. I had a completely manic day, fully acknowledged that it was PMS, and moved on. Ask Rachel. She'll attest. I know when it's PMS. This is not it. Really though, I feel like my face is sagging from this frown. I feel uglier because of it. I mean, there are a lot of things contributing to it: -Personal decisions--feeling like I'm totally off track  -An angry parent email that I got yesterday -My principal kind of backing what the parent said instead of backing me -My 4...

So I was complaining to my friend on Sunday about how I want a certain guy at church to ask me on a date. She said I should post it as my status update on Facebook. Funny, Rachel. Very funny. Then I was complaining to my mom about two different guys and how they are being stupid and lazy. I then complained even more about the same person as I discussed on Sunday. I believe I said something about him being really cute, having really good style... I made verbal note of the fact that he has commented my pictures on Facebook and that we have similar taste in music. That he's shown an increased interest, at least in the Social Networking realm. And then, "But I don't know why he hasn't asked me on a date! I just want him to ask me on a date! Why are boys so dumb?" I think if you say, "I want so-and-so to ask me out" enough times, it will happen. Because right when I got done complaining at my madre, I noticed that said boy from the ward had sent me a ...

I was visiting teaching last night, and my engaged teachee was talking to me about why she likes being in a relationship so much. She said she likes having someone to assume you can go with everywhere or do anything with. Like a go-to friend. Well, what a coinkey dink! Because that's my favorite thing about relationships too. I love being single. I love my freedom. I love doing what I want when I want to do it. I love taking off for the weekend whenever I want to go wherever I want just because I feel like it. I love only worrying about me and my happiness. I love only answering to myself. But sometimes... Sometimes... I really want someone who will go get ice cream with me after I've graded papers all day.

Last time I was home, I left my license in my coat pocket the whole time. I keep it in there while at the airport for easy access. I kept thinking every day, "I should really put my license back in my wallet..." Well, I didn't. So a few minutes before leaving for the airport, I realized I had lost my license. It must have fallen out of my coat pocket. Dang it. I called everywhere that it might have been. No one found it. Must be time to get a Utah license after five and a half years here, anyway, right? I had an expired California license in my desk drawer at home that I used as proof of driving experience. They punched holes in it. I'm hoping someone finds my non-expired one so I can still have it as proof that I'm actually a good driver. *Picture taken when I was 15, by the way.  So I went to the stupid DMV. I made an appointment. I thought I had all my documents ready. Not so. My credit card statement was more than 60 days old, and I had to...

Number of essays submitted for term 3: 1A: 33/40 3A: 24/25 3B: 34/36 4B: 29/31 That's a total of only 12/132 kids who decided not to do the essay. If you know how many unmotivated students I have, you know what a big deal this is for me. Not to mention that my students have done better on this essay than any of the ones they've done before. I'm VERY proud of them. And I have to say I am proud of myself too. I'm learning every term what it takes to be a better teacher--what to do and what not to do--and try to fix myself and my processes as I go. So on our third essay, I think the writing process has been laid out much more effectively for student success. I love being happy while I'm grading essays. It pleases me immensely to see them try so hard and see them succeed. And it pleases me even more to see the kids who haven't tried before at all actually give it a shot this time and do well! It's such a triumph for me to watch so many of them succeed...

This project for my class was not that hard. Really. Choose a topic. Find 5-6 articles about it. Make an annotated bibliography. Do 6-8 lesson plans teaching whatever comprehension strategy you chose. And yet I let it hang over my head until the day before it was due. I started at about 4:30.  I got 5 and a half of 6 lesson plans done by 7:40 when I left to visit teach. I finished the 6th one at 9 PM, within fifteen minutes after I got home. After I finished, I felt such a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I was so excited and had so much energy that I decided to rock out to Marilyn Manson in my car on my way to and from rewarding myself with a fatty treat. Seriously. It felt so good to have it done. The project wasn't that bad. I really don't know why I put it off till the day before it was due. I'm such a freak about checklists that if something is lingering on my list for a while it starts to give me anxiety and weighs on me a lot. I should have...

I have lived in Utah since August 2005. I have now been here for 5 years and 7 months. A majority of that time, I have done my laundry on a weekly basis by carrying my dirty clothes to my grandma's house. Living on the third floor and trying to remember everything that I need cleaned that week was kind of stressful--and heavy, and wearing heels because of church always made it more fun. But I was glad to have a place to do my laundry for free. The weeks where I didn't go to grandma's or she was out of town or something, I'd have to pay to do it at my complex. It's terribly inconvenient and expensive! When I moved in, I used my washer and dryer closet in my apartment for basic storage. Nothing over the top, just two book cases full of books and random odds and ends (sweep, mop, extra tv, paper towels, etc.). So when I was looking at my friend's classified ad on KSL this morning, I thought I'd check on washer and dryer deals out of curiosity. Lo and ...

OK. I'm ashamed. But I'll admit that I actually enjoy one of Katy Perry's songs. Firework. Yeah. I said it. I really like it. I'm going to go hide my face now. Except, you know what song I think is better? "Raise Your Glass" by Pink. Especially when the Warblers did it on Glee. I know, I know. I'm going to go listen to some good music now.

So... I really like kissing. I really do. I enjoy it immensely. The great thing about it is it can mean everything or it can mean nothing. It can express so much love and emotion and concern and feeling--you can put every ounce of yourself into a kiss. Or, it can just be fun and not super important. I think I prefer the kind where it's with someone who genuinely matters to you. I'd prefer to kiss somebody who cares about my day, or who cares about the things that make me happy and sad... I'd prefer to kiss somebody who calls me every night or at random times because he "wanted to hear my voice." I'd rather kiss someone who reminds me that I am beautiful all the time... And who sends me flowers and roses in a 4 day span. And who shares his dreams and wishes with me... Because kissing someone who is important to you is like all of the enjoyment and fun PLUS the meaning and emotion on top of it. It doesn't get much better than that. That k...

Anyone remember this mid-90s TV gem? I was a Claire Danes fan from the beginning. I was also a Jared Leto fan from the beginning. This is why it boggles my mind that no one knows who Jared Leto is. Seriously? That beautiful boy from "My So-Called Life?" From Requiem for a Dream ? From Fight Club ? From, dare I stoop to this, 30 Seconds to Mars? I watched this show every weeknight before I went to sleep. I was obsessed. So you can imagine my excitement when I saw that Netflix had it available to rent. Not only that, but I noticed tonight that it got added to my instant streaming queue! Yes, ladies and gentlemen. I watched three 45+ minute episodes of this fantastic show. And it's still full of all that adolescent angst and drama that I so adored about it. I'm excited to continue watching.

I've been on some dates. Friday the 25th of February: - The Pie Pizzeria - Movie on my couch Saturday the 26th of February: - Rodeo in Ogden - Bowling Sunday the 27th of February - Dinner at my place Friday the 4th of March - Dinner at Lone Star Steakhouse - Last half of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Yeah, fun! I'm sick again though. :(  So that's an excuse to go back to bed and not do homework, right? Good, because that's my plan.