A Day With Grandpa

(Thursday, January 1, 8:18 AM)

Yesterday was a full day. We met my grandpa at lunch time and went to Taipei 101 (via subway which has a stop right outside of our hotel.) There we ate lunch at a place that I remember from last visit which has Shaghainese food. It was really good especially the mellon dumplings. Yum! Then we went to a book store in the mall there. I saw Chinese versions of books that I have read here, and I wanted to take some pictures but I wasn't allowed!

Then we went to the Peking Opera. I have heard a lot about it, and if you just listen to the music, it is pretty hard to understand what is so appealing about it. In fact, it seems like it is the biggest racket you could ever hear. But the genre has to be experienced in all aspects to understand the reason why people love it. It is more than just people screaming (which was my initial impression!) It has a lot of elements of balance and subtle facial expressions, dance and gymnastics. I really loved it. I'll have to see more when I get home!

Then we came home to eat take out (dumplings and soup) at the apartment. More singing to grandma followed and then back to the hotel to wait for the new year. It a lonely feeling to know that we were the only ones celebrating at that time and all of you were still eating lunch on New Year's eve. I think I'll count down again today at 1:00 PM here and think of all of you watching Dick Clark (or Ryan Seacrest or whoever does that now:) and the ball drop!

Amanda Talks About The Past Few Days of Her Trip

(Wednesday, December 31, 7:23 AM)

I haven't written for a few days but we have been very busy here in Taipei. Plus, one computer for six people makes personal internet time very scarce:)

On Monday, we some of the family went to the technology market area which is a few blocks crammed with technology stores and stands. Then we brought some dumpling back to the hotel for lunch. David did a good job of ordering everything without help including asking for soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. Then we ate and hung out in their room (1105).

On Monday night, we were invited to dinner by some friends from Grandpa's church. The family has three daughters about our age and they went to the same high school in Massachusetts as my dad. So we went to a Mongolian BBQ place. David and Andrew were very adventurous and tried several things including tiny octupus.

Tuesday, we went on a morning tour of the northern coast of Taiwan. Taipei is very far north on the island and so the trip was only about four hours. We went to visit a temple and a sea port first with great views from the hills. Then we went to a beach area where there are pretty rock formations including a formation that is called the "queen" and looks like Nefertiti (sp?). The sea was beautiful even though it was rainy and windy.

When we came home from the tour, the driver dropped us off at the Japanese mall called Sogo. At Sogo, there are these elevator attendants who call for a car, and bow while the doors to the elevator close. We went to the popular dumpling place that we missed out on the first day because of the long wait. The wait this time was supposed to be about 50 minutes but was actually shorter and worth the wait. Again, David did most of the ordering and did a great job.

Tuesday evening, we went to my grandma and grandpa's apartment to see my grandma (grandpa was at a meeting.) While she ate her dinner, we brought in some beef noodles and potstickers. Then we spent a long time singing to her. She doesn't talk, but she does love the singing and sometimes hums along or just moves her fingers along to the music. Very cute. And, of course, at the end of every song, she claps for us:)

After singing to grandma, the four kids went to the Shida night market. It was rainy and a bit cold, but still really fun. Andrew, Jess and David were very adventurous in trying various foods like chicken hearts and blood cake (yuck, since have to be careful right now in eating even everyday foods, I have the best excuse to bow out on that kind of stuff. Love to pull the surgery card!)

I have lots more to say, but my 30 minute session is running out (30 minutes for 30 NT which is about a dollar US:)

Tell you more soon!

Chinese internet

(Monday, December 29, 11:49 AM)

Boy, I am really confused at blogger in Taiwan because all of the prompts are in Chinese. Where do I sign in? It took me a while, but maybe I have it all figured out. I just randomly click on things until I get to the right place!

Things to Remember from first few days in Taiwan

(Monday, December 29, 11:38 AM)

Things to remember:

Ride to airport in huge suburban; dinner (last hamburger) at restaurant in Seattle airport; loud talkers on plane ride (14 hours too long to listen to people who I don't even know talk); Grandpa's sermon about forgetting the past and looking forward to the new year with faith (all given in Chinese and translated by my cousin Christina); lunch at the mall at a JAPANESE place (so funny to me for some reason); venture to find a Hagan-Das ice cream place in the mall (up six floors all on escalators (turning and turning made me dizzy) and sitting on a bench with mom and grandpa eating ice cream; dad finding the perfect jade bracelet for me (going to the jade market with my orders while I slept!); seeing Mama Auntie (grandma's sister) in good health at the birthday dinner (calling out that grandma is grandpa's "precious"at dinner and making her laugh); David finally getting to eat a fish eye!!! (the first time I remember learning about the whole fish eye thing was back in 1990 or '91, so he has been waiting a long time; variations of the menu setting for Andrew's flip video (a very Chinese experience, let me tell you! who can make the menu look the best?!:)

The Longest Day Ever

(Monday, December 29, 11:26 AM)

Hello, I haven't written for a while but I haven't been at the computer for a REALLY LONG TIME:)

Here is a run down of why I didn't have a night's sleep for over 48 hours:

We flew from Seattle to San Fransisco on Friday, December 26. I didn't sleep well at David and Jess's house the night before which turned out to be a good thing (the car company that was to pick us up at 4 PM called at 3:30 AM to say that they were on their way; lucky for me, I was up to hear the call!) So, 3:30 AM on the 26 = 6:30 EST. We flew out of Seattle at 7:30 PM and left SFO at around midnight. Then 14 hours on the plane where they kept it "night" the whole time (shades drawn and lights off).

Got here to Taipei around 6:30 AM (which is 5:30 PM EST? maybe 6:30). Then to hotel where all six of us were stuffed into one small room to get ready for church. Grandpa preaches at Victory Church which is located in a beautiful park. After church to lunch, and after lunch a nap. (We slept really hard that afternoon!) Then we went to a birthday dinner held in honor of my grandma who is turning 90. It was a really fancy meal where I took pictures of all (ten?) courses. We had cake and toasts and my grandma seemed really happy to have everyone there (including her older sister who is maybe 95?).

Then we came back, went to grandma and grandpa's apartment which is a few blocks away from the hotel, and I gave the rest of the family our Chow reunion shirts.

Finally, we got back to the hotel and into bed around 11:15 PM (10:15 AM EST). By my calculations, that is over 48 hours without a night in bed. We caught a few hours sleep here and there, but that was a marathon of a day!

Christmas Day One

Here is a link to Andrew's youtube entry for the day:

Christmas Presents

First day of Christmas (Vacation)

So, I haven't written a blog in a loooooonnnnngggg time. See I have been sick. But now I am better and I am in Seattle on my vacation!

I'll try to keep you updated with blog entries because phone rates in other countries are unbelievable!

So the first thing to report about my vacation is that it is happening two days late. Yes, Northwest Airlines hates me and made me stay in Ohio when I should have been in Seattle. That is because they lied about the airports being closed (but I am not bitter, oh, no). So, the Monday trip to Seattle was rescheduled to Wednesday.

But now I am in Seattle at David and Jess' house. We flew in this morning and just ate dinner at a restaurant called "Wild Ginger." I think that I saw that on the food network or something! It was great.

It is very snowy here, but it is not worse than a typical Ohio snow storm, but the problem is that they have no plows or salt trucks. (I'm sure that isn't completely true, but it is a problem here.)

Now we are all sitting in the living room. Andrew and Jess are watching A Christmas Story, my dad is lying on the floor taking pictures of the cat who is staring into the fire, mellowly listening to The Christmas song, and mom and David are playing Backgammon. All is well in the world!

Things to remember: Dad's gorillapod attached to everything including "trash receptacles," Wan from Springfield and his obsession with string beans and our family's unhealthy aversion to vegetables, Seattle's gay men's chorus singing a Christmas fight song with silver pom-poms (and wearing an outfit very similar to what Dad was wearing at the time.)

Amanda's Schedule

I haven't written because this is my current schedule: Work from 8AM - 4PM, sleep from 6PM - 7AM. This leaves just about enough time to travel to and from my house (except it is really nice that the new 161 has opened up and I can go 70 mph (I meant 65) all the way to 310) and eating dinner. No time for blogging. Or laundry or taking out the trash for that matter. Oh, well. I was frustrated last week about my recovery being too slow, but now that I am in it "for the long haul," it doesn't bother me as much. Lots of sleeping for me. And laying on the heating pad:)

Amanda Comments on a Small Irony

Look at my title, "Amanda Waxes Philosophic." I have a friend from high school named Amanda Wax:)

Amanda Waxes Philosophic

I went back to work today, the first time since 10/13. Even though everyone is envious of me for having such a nice, long break from work, I still felt like it was too soon. Not too soon as in "I haven't healed enough to go back" but too soon like "ahhh, I hate going there!"

If you don't know this about me, I am a planner. My dad's a planner, my brother's are planners and I am a planner (although therapy has helped some in the fact that when my plans don't go the way I envisioned, I'm pretty OK with that:). Here's an example about how uber-obsessed Chow's are with planning. We went to Gallapolis (I still don't know if I am spelling that right) and three weeks before, my dad says to my mom, "So, when we go to Gallapolis, you can pick me up at work and we'll drive my car down and leave yours in the lot." To which my mom probably screamed and said, "That's three weeks away!"

So, I forgot to plan past my surgery. I have been so sick for so long (I know I say that, but it was only four months, and I know people have a it A LOT worse than me). Anyway, I only planned in my mind to the surgery. I counted down. I had to wait 21 days! But now that it is over, I kind of don't know how to get jump-started back into life again.

Hmmm. Just jump in feet first I guess and get used to the fact that I'm well again. (Once the pain from the surgery goes away of course!) I even have to force myself to eat when I am alone. With friends, it's no problem, but when I am alone I have to say to myself, "You're not sick anymore, you should eat something." Weird, huh?

I think since I had four months of sickness, I'll give myself four months to get used to feeling well:) No sense in rushing things, right?

Amanda Gives a Shout Out to Hospitals

I think that hospitals get a bad rap. Right now, crazy as it seems, I kind of miss being in the hospital. Who says that? Am I mentally ill? Here is how I look at the hospital; see if you agree that is a kind of nice place to be.

1.You have a bed that you can lay down in or sit up in.
2. You have a TV right above your head
3. You can fall asleep any time you want to.
4. You can push a button, and someone will bring you a Popsicle
5. If you feel strange, you push a button and tell a nurse and she will give you drugs to help you.
6. Every 8 hours or so you get to make a new friend when the new nurse comes on shift.

Now besides feeling like your stomach was flattened by a steamroller, wheeling your IV pole every where you go (and bumping it into every single object that comes within three feet of you), throwing up in a tiny pink plastic container, and having to measure your pee, does this not sound like a great place to be?

I'm serious; I miss it.

Amanda Unabashedly Sings Her Praises (after eating a popsicle)

Guess what?! Right now, I'm feeling pretty proud of myself and darn cool. Last week, I had surgery, was lying in a hospital bed feeling like I got run over by a truck souped up on major drugs. Today, I took only one pain pill and I walked twice around my neighborhood. I felt a real hunger pang this afternoon (you cannot believe how long it has been since I had an appetite) and I can lay on my right side without too much discomfort!

Now, I completely believe that the bulk of this is God working through all of your prayers for me, but I also am really psyched at how much a positive attitude can carry you through. My roommate for four (long) days had the EXACT same procedure as me (liver and pancreatic ducts slit open, scraped out, and stents placed in to hold the new-improved shape) but her attitude stunk big time. (I am pretty sure she had additional issues if you know what I mean). Even though we had the same things done on the same days, I would bet that I am further along in my healing . . . so . . . today's lesson is "believe it and you can achieve it" (or some such dorky-cliche saying). It's true!

Amanda Comes Clean

Sorry I have been an absent author for so long. I have been in the hospital trying to get my stomach sickness cured. I had two blocked blie ducts, the one from my liver and the one from my pancreas (no wonder I was so sick)! On Tuesday, I had surgery to clean them out cut them so that they are wider and then they put stents in (to hold them open.) I stayed in the hospital through Wednesday and had a second procedure to remove the stents on Thursday. I had to stay one more night because I couldn't keep solid foods down:( Then I came home on Friday afternoon.

Since then, I have been sleeping and sleeping and sleeping. But today I went to church and lunch with my family. But I was pooped afterwards.

I may write more about my experiences when I am not so drugged:)

Amanda Visited Bob Evans

This Friday, Andrew, Vanessa and I drove to Gallapolis (sp?) to stay at her Mom's house and visit the Bob Evans Farm Festival. It was a lot of fun to do something different on a Friday night and to see where Vanessa grew up.

The festival was CROWDED, and who knew that the 11th of October would be so hot? We saw crafts, I ate bean soup with cornbread (yum!) and we watched a lumberjack show. It was very nice.

Then we went back to Vanessa's mom's house (my mom and dad joined us at the festival) and ate a nice dinner.

That was my Bob Evans weekend!

Amanda Isn't the Best at Math

I just wrote the title, "Amanda Sings in Her 10th Show," but then I confused myself with the math. OK, I joined Columbus Chorus Sweet Adelines in January of 1998 and had my first show that fall. Does that make this my 10th show or my 11th? When I count on my fingers, they tell me 11. This is why I teach music. When I went to pre-college advising, he said, "Oh, it says here that your teachers recommend you for calculus," and then I laughed at him and said, "Silly man, I'm never taking math again!" Or something like that:)

But, yes, I am old, I just sang in my 10/11 sweet adeline show. My first show was the chorus' 40th anniversary and this year we had the 50th. (Doesn't that just make you think the number 10? 10 shows?)

10 (or 11) down, ? to go?:)

Amanda Finds A Lot to Say When She Doesn't Have Anything to Say

Hmm . . . I haven't written in a while because nothing is really new with me. Same old stuff, different day. I think that was in a Stephen King novel called Dreamcatcher. I loooove Stephen King novels.

I went to see the Lion King with my mom on Saturday. That was super cool. If you haven't seen it, the costuming and staging creativity is amazing. Great kid singers too:) I wish I could take all my kids to see it.

Also, Harley (the cat) is recovering from another bladder issue. This time, he was blocked, which is a deadly condition if not treated. I woke up early Saturday morning and saw him squatting in a corner like he was when he had his last bladder infection. I had just taken him in to the vet a few days before for his follow-up appointment. So, I called the vet as soon as they opened and got him in. I'm sure I seemed like a heartless mom because I was kind of shocked into silence when they told me that they would have to keep him for the weekend. I guess I couldn't deal (at least not at 9:00 on a Saturday morning!) So, he is back at home. I had to isolate him in the bathroom for a day because he is still "leaking" a little. Oh, I hated it! He finally gets home and I go and lock him up again. And if you never met Harley, he is very vocal. He cried and cried and I wanted to cry too:) (By the way, Harley "sings." He hums when he is contented and I swear that one time I was doing an analysis at my computer for my music classes and Harley was humming along with me in the same key! Either he got it from me, which would be amazing, or I was humming in his key, not so amazing, but either way, pretty funny that I would even realize that my cat and I were humming in the same key! I'm a dork!)

Amanda Would Like to Buy Some Patience, Pat

So, right now, I am struggling with patience. Do you ever just want to get something over with? That is so me right now. I try not to be the kind of person that just lives for the next exciting thing, and miss all the stuff in between. So I feel frustrated that I am so impatient now:)

When I was little, we sang this song in bible class called "Have Patience." It goes like this: (You have to sing it really slowly like you are turtle or a snail, because we all know how turtles and snails sing)
Have patience, have patience,
Don't be in such a hurry.
When you get impatient,
You only start to worry.
Remember, remember,
That God is patient too,
So think of all the times when others have to wait on you.

Was I the only one that sang that song? Just checking.

And I do know that lots of times, people have had to wait on me (if you have ever eaten a meal with me, you know what I am talking about!)

So, that is my job right now: to work on my patience. I believe that God works things out just the right way in just the right time, so why is it so hard to wait? Sometimes I think that God must get so tired of how thick-headed I am that I am always so surprised how things end up working out. Do you ever say, "Whoa, I did not see that one coming. God sure knows what he is doing."? That is me, except every time it happens, I am surprised like I have short-term memory loss or something!

Amanda Proves She is a Music Dork

Did you see the Emmy's where Josh Groban sang? That's the only part that I happened to see, but it was so neat. I am not too cool to say that I thought that was really spectacular musically:) I mean, yes, I am a little embarrassed that I sometimes cry when I hear a Josh Groban song (and not because I am mourning for my poor, bleeding eardrums!) But, come on, it was awesome. If you didn't see it, Josh Groban sang a medley of TV themes in a giant medley (did I say the word medley enough in that sentence? (medley, medley)). As a certified music geek, I can tell you that the logistics of orchestrating that and then being able to perform it so well is amazing. So . . . check out the link to the Emmy performance if you missed it, and don't try to tell me you are unimpressed.

Also, a totally random and strange question: when Rachel Ray puts de-thawed spinach in a kitchen towel to squeeze out all the juices, does her spinach then taste like laundry detergent? Just wondering.

If Sleeping was an Olympic Sport, Amanda Would Win Gold!

So, you know how I said that I was going to sleep? And for a really long time? Well, I practically went into hibernation. What? OSU played a game Saturday? I was sleeping. People ate breakfast and lunch? Yes, I slept through that too! All the glorious way from 9PM Friday night until 5PM Saturday. See, I told you I like to sleep.

Today I went to my friend Tricia's house for her twins second birthday party. It is so cute to see them growing up! They had so much fun and made out like bandits. I decided that I am going to invite everyone I know to my 28th birthday party (and pretend like I have a twin sister so that I get double the presents.) I may even make it Barney themed like Emily and Madeline's . . . hey, it worked for them! (The last time I saw so much purple was at a Capital vs. Otterbein game.)

Amanda Returns From Camp

I'm back from camp with the fifth graders. They were so good this year! This is the second year that I have been able to go because I only go to be a substitute. We had a lot of sick kids though:( We each take a night sleeping in the cabin with the kids, and the night that I stayed over, there was a night sweat/ stomachache girl at 10:00 PM. At 1:00 AM, a girl woke me up crying with a headache (where I took a brisk nighttime stroll to the teacher cabin to get some Advil for her . . . who doesn't enjoy waking up from a dead sleep to walk in the cold night air?) The icing on the cake was a councilor waking me up at 4:00 AM telling me one of the girls threw up three times. That turned into a two hour comforting session! I decided that I might just be too lazy to be a mom (lol)! I mean, I really like sleep . . . a lot:)

We came back around 12:00 PM today and I stayed at my friend Megan's house until about 4:00 because today was the 100th birthday celebration for Pataskala school. The kids sang a few songs and there was a dedication for a historical marker for the building. It was pretty cool!

Now I am going to lay in a bed that is more than a wooden board for longer than a few, interrupted hours:)

Amanda Bids Farewell for Three Days (She Thinks)

Tomorrow starts fifth grade camp (I think.) Even though it seems unlikely that we will have school, unless the power miraculously returns, we've been told that fifth grade camp is still on because they do have power there. What does this mean for you, fair reader? You will not be able to read of my fun adventures until Friday! Try not to cry; you'll get through.

(I added a counter to my page and I think it is funny because it is on number 6 and I think I am four or more of those! Ha, ha, I LOVE reading about myself!)

So I will be at Camp Oty'Okwa (check out the link!) for the next few days reliving my days as a girl scout! I'll be teaching in an authentic pioneer cabin, talking about pioneer life and helping the kids decorate pieces of fabric using dyes from leaves and flowers.

Amanda Is Shocked by Ike's Bad Behavior

Today is September 15 and we already had our first calamity day! Boy, we are starting early this year! No school today for most of central Ohio because there is no power in most of central Ohio. I feel like I am one of the only (lucky) people who never lost power. When I went to Kroger down the road, they were closed which meant I came really close to losing power.

Here are some pics from 10tv's website:





One of these was taken at Capital, right in front of the library!

Amanda is Afraid of the Upstairs

It's windy! I got afraid of my upstairs because I thought I'd be blown away when my roof flew off the house (I really, really hope that truly doesn't happen).

So, for my exciting Sunday: I paid my bills, am doing laundry, and am packing for fifth grade camp this week.

New insight: Applebee's has great music! I heard (and danced and sang to) ABBA's "Take a Chance on Me," and reminisced about a Disney special that had Minnie Mouse singing with Elton John when I heard "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." (Follow Link to YouTube video of Elton and Minnie!)

Amanda Uses the Internet to Post Details of Her Medical Examinations

Here is more in depth info. on my endoscopy yesterday: (because I am sure that all day you have been wishing to hear more about it).

If you know me, then you may know that I have some super-weird medical issues. If anything strange can happen to a person medically, it has probably happened to me (that is why my friend Julie calls me a freak). Usually these things don't amount to much or aren't very serious, so it just adds to my personality. For example, I am probably the only one that you know who (when having a bad bout of TMJ) can only get her jaw open by pushing on the left side and eats with one hand holding her fork and one hand holding her jaw in place!:)

Well, I am probably the only 27 year old that had an endoscopy yesterday at Doctors Hospital! I went in at 8:15 and registered (had to pay a $200 co-pay! What good is insurance anyway?!) Then they took me to a little endoscopy "unit" which had rooms divided off by curtains (like an ER). By 9:00 I had my IV, heart monitors and oxygen all hooked up and I was in the most freezing little examination room. They wheeled me there in my bed which I thought was pretty cool and kind of weird because my feet stuck out the end and I kept kicking the nurse.

By 10:15, I was heading out the door after sleeping off the sedation (about 20 minutes). It all seemed to go so fast that, at the time, I thought that I was a speedy recover-er. I was thinking, "Hey, they said that I would have to wait about 30 minutes after the test, and I only had to wait five!" Ha, I was sleeping through most of it!

People also told me that I wouldn't remember a thing, especially about the test, but I do remember feeling the tube moving around about three times and thinking, "Hey, people, I can feel this! I don't like it!" But then, two seconds later, I didn't really care, so I guess the drugs worked!

So that is the more detailed version of my endoscopy adventure. Now on to the ERCP which is like an endoscopy on steroids. The good news is, I don't have any reflux or ulcers and my gall bladder is perfectly healthy, the bad news is I don't have any reflux or ulcers and my gall bladder is perfectly healthy (all of those things are pretty easy to fix.)

What is wrong with me? Stay tuned to find out. (My life is like an intriguing episode of General Hospital!)

Amanda on Drugs

I had my endoscopy today. It went so well; the people there were awesome! In my medicated state, I am told, I was a crazy blanket hog; they just kept on bringing me more and more:) I guess at one point I told my mom that my butt was cold and could she please get me another blanket. (At that point I must have had at least five because I remember asking for the first three.) I can also remember feeling the tube moving around a few times. That wasn't the most pleasant of sensations.

I'm kind of sore now (had a biopsy done while they were in there), and have a sore throat, but other than that, I'm feeling great for having a tube threaded through my insides. Modern medicine is so cool and strange.

On to the next test!

Amanda Wishes She Was Here

With you!

Amanda Takes the Power (and Man it Feels Good!)

Have you heard the song "Defying Gravity?" It is from the musical Wicked. I have always loved the song because evokes such strong emotion with the combination of music and lyrics, and, as a certified music geek, I love that kind of stuff.

But lately, I have been thinking about the lyrics, and about how they relate to my life right now. I am changing and growing, and learning about myself. I'm figuring out how to love myself and respect myself so that others can do the same. I'm learning to not be afraid of conflict and how to be comfortable with sharing my feelings. (And all due to great (expensive) therapy!)

Here are some of the words that seem to speak to me and how things are going in my life:

"Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!
Too long I've been afraid of
Losing love I guess I've lost
Well, if that's love
It comes at much too high a cost!
I'd sooner buy
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I'm defying gravity
And you can't pull me down."

It speaks to me. The strong me!

Amanda Adds a Side Bar Comment on the Philosophy of Blogging

Is it wrong that I like to read my own blog. Is it self-centered that I laugh at myself when I look over my past posts? If the answer is yes, then "I've never done it and I don't know what you're talking about." If the answer is no, then "guilty as charged."

Just checking.

Amanda Comtemplates God's Plan for her Stuffy Nose

Maybe two bad things equal a good. (Although adults always tell you,"Two wrongs don't make a right.") But I was just thinkin'. One bad thing: Harley, my cat who is slightly like my child, has a bladder infection, and he can't help but pee all over the place. Bad thing number two: I have a super-stuffy nose and I cannot smell a thing. Taken separately, these might seem like two bad things, but maybe they are working in combination for good. A stinky-pee house and I have no sense of smell? It can't be a crazy coincidence, it is probably an act of God. (And if not, the irony still makes me laugh.)

Amanda's Equation for Stress

Have you ever had a tea egg? I was just watching some Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, and he was eating tea eggs. I'm having a craving. I think I am going to make some soon.

What a crazy day! So stressful. Usually, I don't really get caught up in stress, but I kind of did today. Restless sleep with pain in my side + waking up with a sick cat (and I mean every part of the word "sick") + ultra sound at the crack of dawn (not pregnant, unless I am giving birth to a sick gallbladder) + trying to schedule a vet appointment + not being able to find a substitute for the afternoon + walking into the building two minutes before my afternoon classes started = one stressed out Amanda.

And to top it all off, I have a sore throat and stuffy nose! I've been trying to find something good in every day (thank you, Energy Bus, lol) but I'm not sure I'm gonna try to hard on this one. Maybe going to bed early or eating chocolate ice cream can count as my favorite moment of today:)

Amanda's Bathroom Story

I haven't written in a while because, for some reason, being at work means that I have less time to sit around and waste time on the computer! How awful!

Our staff at school is reading this book called "The Energy Bus." It was OK, not life changing for me, but there was one part that I liked and it was called the "one great shot" theory. This theory says that people get addicted to golf even though it is usually boring because they think back to their time playing golf and think about their most perfect shot for the day. The author says that if we can do that for our regular life (look back through our day and find our favorite moment) then we can become "addicted" to life. OK, so that last part gets a little corny, but I like the general idea.

One of my favorite moments in the past few days was something that happened in the bathroom Friday. (Yes, I am talking about the bathroom again, did you think I wouldn't?) So . . . we are teaching the kids to not waste bathroom supplies (soap, toilet paper, paper towels) so we have a guideline for how much of each is appropriate to use. We told them the general rule on paper towels was three pushes on the handle. Well, I told the boys to practice washing their hands and to go to the bathroom if they needed to, so I left them to it and stood in the hall. Then I heard on boy (who tends to be a troublemaker, but is also pretty funny at times) say something, but I didn't quite catch it.

I said, "What was that you said?"

He said, "Nothin'"

Then another kid comes out and says, "He said, 'You got five paper towels, bitch!'"

He really was taking the new rule to heart, don't you think?

Do you know how hard it was for me not to laugh at the moment and become the serious, disciplining teacher?

Why Amanda Loves Her Job

I taught 200 boys today that only pee goes in the urinal. I love my job! Who else gets to talk all day in a bathroom and show kids how much toilet paper they should use? And that's why I get paid the big bucks . . . to tell kids they shouldn't peek in between the cracks in the stall doors.

Amanda says, "Are you on my bus?"

Amanda says, "My energy bus is headed toward getting a husband. You can either ride my bus or get off, and I won't stand for anyone being an energy vampire!" lol

Amanda is going to bed.

Amanda is a Mean Person Before 9:00 AM

School starts tomorrow. I am glad to get back into a routine, and to see my friends everyday and to see the kids and see how they grew over the summer. But what insane person wants to wake up at 6 AM? I hate the mornings! Hopefully, by the time 11:00 rolls around I'll be awake, but no promises for retaining anything said to me before that!

Amanda Likes Free Stuff

Teacher Appreciation Day at Staples rocks!

I bought $25 worth of "stuff" for the classroom and $80 worth of "stuff" for my masters project! But I got a free flash drive in the process, so all is well:)

Latest retrieval count:
162/233

Amanda Likes Turkey

Yea! I ate dinner tonight. A real turkey and cheese sandwich (Tyler and Deb thank you very much for the idea). Yes, breakfast, lunch and dinner for me (the first time since fair food Friday, a week ago). Wow, I am really into my food these days. Or really NOT into it, depending on how you look at it.

Ahh, my last Friday of freedom. No wonder why I felt so teary today and cried watching a clip from So You Think You Can Dance and when Nastia and Phelps got their gold.

Latest Retrieval count:
152/233

Amanda has Weird Medical Conditions

I'm going to eat real food for lunch (in a real lunch-size portion) . I haven't tried this since the disastrous fair Friday. Pray for me:)

Why Amanda is Ready for a Raise

If there is an end in sight to doing these retreivals, I don't see it. Agghhh! I'm a slave to the computer! It might actually be a good thing to go back t school . . . ummm . . . maybe . . .

Latest reteival count:
133/233

(Yea! only 100 more to go!) Do you think I can get 100 done by September 1? I doubt it!

Updates on Amanda

Amanda is tired and ready for bed.
Amanda is overwhelmed with masters work
Amanda loves fair food but not it's disastrous effects on the digestive system.

Latest Retrieval count:
110 done/ 123 to go

Why Amanda Speaks in the Third Person (and it is not for the crazy, self-absorbed reasons that may come to mind)

I love facebook status updates that begin "Amanda is . . ." It makes me think in the third person which is always very mentally healthful.

Amanda is excited to go to Seattle and get a tattoo so that she can see her dad kick David in the balls!

This is my trial run of my blog. So far just created to read Megan's!