Janae Says...

2012 Goals in Review... At the beginning of 2012, I published these goals on my blog: 1. Get to the gym (or exercise) 3 or more times per week. That's about 156 check-ins for the year (compared to last year's 112). I am already behind! 2. Get to bed by 10 PM or earlier. 3. Read scriptures every day before work. 4. Read a book a month for pleasure. 5. Learn a song on the piano (keyboard, since that's all I have). 6. Limit eating out to twice per month. (Taco Bell is a weekly thing before my Tuesday night class at the rather inconvenient time of 4:30-7:30, so this doesn't count.) 7. Pay off my credit card. Here is my assessment of each of the above goals. 1. I accomplished this and then some. I reached 156 check-ins at the gym on December 31st. Most weeks, I worked out 4-5 days. On spring break, during summer vacation, Thanksgiving, and winter break, I worked out consistently at home in Glendora. I occasionally worked out in my apartment or at my complex g...

I've gotten into this weird habit over the years of listing everything I got for Christmas (and my birthday). For whatever reason, I enjoy having the inventory. I got a lot of good stuff this year but was still left wanting. As most of my focus for the past two years has been on exercise, naturally I wanted mostly exercise tools. I wanted a stability ball, yoga mat, sports bras, workout tanks, and workout capris. I also had my heart set on some fashion boots. But I did get the most important exercise tool I wanted--a BodyBugg ! I am loving it so far. So here is my list, starting with what my cute students got me. Hershey special dark giant chocolate bar Tuck Everlasting Coke Zero Dark chocolate and milk chocolate bar with almonds Hard candy caramels Ghirardelli caramel chocolate bar Cookies Pay Day candy bar Winder Farms chocolate chip cookies Mini stocking with chocolates Christmas cards from a few students I am definitely set on the candy front. Thanks, kiddos...

So, I don’t really do any Facebook trends or public displays of things. I like to be a grateful person privately, just like I usually like to tell people I appreciate them privately. I also like to be a thankful person consistently because I recognize that a grateful heart is a happy heart. I like to look for my blessings when I am down because that refocuses my attention onto good things. I fear that my cynical nature and sarcastic sense of humor puts off the impression to a lot of people that I am ungrateful and unhappy. This is far from the truth. I actually have a lot of things and people in my life to be thankful for, and I’ve been an incredibly thankful girl since a very young age, believe it or not. I’ve always been able to recognize that there are those who do not have the things that I have, and who have it so much harder than I do. Even though I’d rather just be a consistently thankful person, I figure an outpouring of thanks once a year is acceptable on this occasi...

Monday 10/22 7:30 – 3:30 Work 3:55 – 4:45 Gym 5:00 – 6:15 Write two SEO articles 6:15 – 6:40 Shower and get ready 6:40 Leave for Cornbelly’s 7:00 – 10:15 Play at Cornbelly’s with Tommie and Jon 10:45 get ready for bed 11:00 go to bed I should also note that at Cornbelly’s I ate so much nastiness. Chicken fingers and tater tots. Popcorn. Some mini donuts. Deep fried Oreos. I tried to make up for it the next day. Tuesday 10/23 7:30 – 3:15 Work 3:45 – 4:30 Gym 4:45 – 6:00 Write two SEO articles while inhaling dinner 6:00 – 6:25 Shower and get ready 6:30 Head to stress management class 6:45 Finally arrive at stress management class after wandering the building looking for the classroom for 10 minutes. 6:45 – 8:30 Stress management class (which included a guided relaxation session. So awesome). 8:30 drive through Sonic and eat again because I was hungry 8:45 – 9:15 do dishes and chat with Jon, who brought me a Blu-Ray disc of We Bought a Zoo! ...

My life has been ridiculously crazy lately. Let's recap. Monday - 7:00 AM leave for work - 7:30 AM to 3:10 PM work - 3:10-3:30 drive home and drop roommate off - 3:30 drive straight to gym - 3:45-4:30 work my butt off - 4:30 drive home - 5:00 - 7:00 work some more: write 3 SEO articles - Shower and get ready - 7:30-9:30 dinner date - Sleep Tuesday - 7:00 AM leave for work - 7:30 AM to 3:10 PM work - 3:10-3:30 roommate drives me home; I get in my car - 3:30 drive straight to gym - 3:45-4:30 work my butt off - 4:30 drive home - 5:00 - 7:00 work some more: write 2 SEO articles - Shower and get ready - 7:30-9:30 dinner date - Sleep Wednesday - 7:00 AM leave for work - 7:30 AM to 3:10 PM work - 3:10-3:40 PM drive to Novels Committee meeting - 3:40-5:00 PM Novels Committee meeting - 5:00-5:45 drive through Taco Bell and eat a burrito in my car, then go to the mall and get free underwear at Victoria's Secret (thanks Vickie!) - 5:45-6:30 drive to Smith...

Using this picture poem as a model/inspiration, we were let loose behind Daniel's Summit Lodge to take photos so we could write a poem too. After taking all the photos and reviewing them when I came back in so I could start writing, this is what I came up with. And I wonder if it might change your reading of this poem to know that I was thinking of my grandpa who passed away in February, and my grandma he left behind, as I was taking these pictures and writing this poem. Leaves, brown and crumpled,   Crunch under My still new but now dirty Nikes. Rocks litter the muddy ground. Forcing me to look down And watch Where I step. Instead of being able to look Where I want to look: Up At blue sky And bright yellow Autumn leaves. Flies buzz. Calling my attention Back down from the sky. They buzz… Resisting the approaching And inevitable Cold. Resisting their imminent Death. Staring down. At the b...

Sometimes I get comments like these: And other times I see comments like this: And then I go: And then my other students are all like: And then I went and did an "email to self": So I won't forget. Serves you right, sleepy lazy kid. Oh and by the way, I'm going to create a grammar packet worksheet and dictionary copying activity just for you.

You know, my life has been taken over by things that I basically have to do. I don’t like feeling like I’m not in control of how I spend my time. At work, as a teacher, my life is controlled in part by testing. What days do I have testing? What can I teach them to prepare for testing? What can I do before and after testing dates to keep things connected still? When will I start being evaluated based on my students’ test scores? I am controlled in how I plan lessons, what I write on my board, meetings I attend, and (pretty soon) how many copies I can make. I am controlled at my second job, which is as an independent SEO contractor/writer. My friend got me the job well over a year and a half ago. It has been an immense help when I have needed some extra cash. I loved it and loved being able to count on it. It was easy, not very time consuming, and reliable for some money. However, things have gotten more than frustrating lately. We writers have recently gotten 3-4 emails a day ...

It appears that throughout my life I have quickly been identified and chosen as a leader. I was often chosen to lead the class in some kind of routine, or be the class president, or whatever. I ran for and was elected to be school president in elementary school in fifth grade. It got boring so I didn’t run for second semester. Throughout school whenever there’s been a group discussion or presentation, it’s always been me doing the delegating and speaking for everyone else. Not because I necessarily volunteered or stepped up, but because the others have either directly or indirectly appointed me to do so. All of this has never been due to my being overbearing or a know-it-all. I was not and am not always the person with her hand up because she knew every single answer. It was more like, when I did say something, it was worth listening to. I’m not sure what the deal is lately, even in my mid-twenties. I don’t know how I always get picked out for these things. I try ...

I woke up at 5:40, after having woken up a couple of times in the night drenched in sweat. The thermostat was set much higher than my body prefers, apparently. I got ready and ate my pre-made cinnamon apple refrigerator oatmeal. I got to school and tried to get my class ready. My grandma arrived before advisory started to help me with the first day’s work. The hallways and my classroom were really hot. My grandma even pointed it out first thing in the morning. Advisory was OK. I felt kind of bad because I did not sufficiently explain the lunch schedule to the seventh graders before they left. But I think they were mostly OK. I had way more kids this year walking into the wrong classes and getting totally mixed up than I remember having last year. I have first period prep on both days. I’d prefer second, since I can’t do much in first (I have nothing to grade since I’ve had no classes yet). It’s also less motivating because I can’t think of things I could or should be doing...