NOTHING can put me in a bad mood today.

I have never had so many DEMANDS for details in my life. I don't really recall being this interested in the specifics of other people's proposals, but maybe that's just me.

SO. Long story short, Todd pretty much came home from work last night and asked me to marry him.

Long story long, Todd came home last night at about 8, which was earlier than suspected. I was on the couch in sweatpants and a tshirt, watching UNC women DESTROY tennessee (I love Ivory Latta). I was briefly on the phone, Todd went in the kitchen and got a beer and a glass of water, which is completely normal. NOTHING WAS SUSPICIOUS.

We sat on the couch for awhile and watched basketball. Todd went in the kitchen. He came back with a rose. I was all "awww, he got me a flower."

NEXT THING I KNOW, he's down on BOTH knees saying he wants to tell me something, and then he HAD A RING BOX. Maybe some of you have felt this way before, but I saw that box and a little voice in the back of my mind was like "oh my god, this is it." There was a lot of talking after that, which is too personal and mushy to share with the internet, but it was definitely one of those I hugged him and forgot to say yes and he had to ask again situations.

ANYWAY, as you can see, the ring is boo-t-full, and I can't believe I'm actually getting married. I was completely suprised, which is exactly what I wanted, and I'm very happy. At first I was too shocked to really process it, but today on the way to work it kind of hit me. It's amazing to think about spending the rest of your life with someone, especially someone you love as much as I love Todd. (Right, Di?)

I'm so lame, I've been looking at the ring all day. I'm still a little in shock.

early birthday. . .

1700 calories a day . . .

I found out yesterday that I've gained twelve pounds over the last year, or so. I also found out that my BMI is just over the recommended line. This is tough news. I've not had a lot of trouble with my weights. I used to be much lighter than this. Not that long ago, when I was in college, I was forty pounds lighter than I am now. I've never had to diet, but I have been active most of my life, until I started working.

I'm kind of bummed. I've been going back and forth for the last few months, saying I'm going to exercise and then doing it for a day and then stopping, etc. It's really hard. I went home recently and my mom was really on my case about it, too. It's a very emotional problem for me, as I"m sure it is for a lot of people. Mom kept saying it was "easy" to lose weight. More calories out than calories in sure may be simple, but it's DEFINITELY NOT EASY.

Boo Hoo for me.

I hate my job. I really really really hate my job. After first period all I wanted to do was put my head down on my desk and cry I hate my job so much. I didn't used to hate my job this much. I used to have it's moments. But it's worn me down. Week after week of the kids being this way, and being surrounded by people who are, frankly, to damn lazy to do their jobs, has just beaten all the optimism about it out of me. I am a broken woman.

Ordinarily I would do what you're all thinking and just quit, but they'll suspend my license, making me unemployable for the next five years. So the piece of crap school system pretty much has me by the throat.

So I soldier on, a shell of the teacher I once was, hoping the damage isn't permanent.

Big love in Little Houses

I have an embarassing confession. I'm really getting into this new HBO series Big Love. I know, I know it's about a polygamous family in Utah, it's kind of icky, but you get densitized to that, and it really does present a fascinating way to examine human relationships. I won't go into all the details, because it's very complex, but it's good.

In other news, I recently heard a really good song on XM (I think), it's called little houses. It's all about how love grows best in little houses. I think many of us can probably empathize with that.

Mmmm, Food

Tonight, because it's kick-ass cold outside, I'm making beef stroganoff. It smells delicious.

I am looking for a good Vodka Gimlet recipe, something that spritzy, has few carbs or calories (other than the vodka) and is refreshing. This is all because I gave up beer during the week to lose weight. Wine is great and all, but it just isn't quite the same refreshment.

Kitchen Katastrophes

So, before I forget, that angel food cake recipe is AWFUL. I do not recommend it AT ALL.

Anyway, I mad Pad Thai last night. I am constantly seeking a newer, better pad thai recipe, and while I think last night was kind of a step backward, it was till ok. Two exciting things happened while Iw as making it.

1. I was chopping some shallots, midning my own business when all of a sudden I brought the knife down HARD on top of my thumb. Like, hard enough that I was scared to look at it at first, but I didn't feel any blood, and suffice to say, I now know why God gave us thumbnails. My nail is cut, but no flesh. Whew.

2. I didn't have any peanut oil, so I used canola oil instead, the problem being Canola oil doesn't have all that high of a smoke point. So I got the wok REALLY hot, and sure enough the oil started to smoke, so I tossed the tofu in real quick. THE TOFU CAUGHT ON FIRE. I kid you not. The first thing I did was yell "HONEY," the second and more effective thing I did was grab a lid and put the fire out.

So, over all, two near misses. Just another day in the life of a stokes.

I love food.

As previously mentioned on my seestur's blog, I made lo-mein last night, and it was delicious. It was also delicious for lunch today. I've been really hitting it out of the park with the asian food lately, if I say so myself, including some awesome japanese fried rice earlier this week, complete with that really good white sauce they have at japanese steak houses (it's mostly mayonaise, btw.)

Tonight, for Saint Patrick's day, I'm making shepherd's pie. The recipe I found uses leftover pot roast, and since it's Friday and I think cooking is fun, I'm making the pot roast first. It smells delicious and it's making me hungry. I'm also making a delicious looking chocolate angel food cake recipe I found that uses all splenda, which makes it healthy. No, really. Here is the very impressive looking recipe.



I love food, really. Erin, say hello to the bunnies for me.

The internet is very slow today, but that's ok because so am I.

I woke up with a cold, which I'm pretty sure Todd gave me, or maybe it's allergies. Either way, i'm very congested and my throat hurts.

I took a Claritin, and let me tell you that that whole "claritin clear" thing is garbage. Maybe that's just because technically it expired in February, but that wasn't that long ago, and I was desparate, so I think it must be false advertising.

anyway, I'm going to get off the crappy internet.

anthropomorphizing

I have the most anthropomorphized pets in the world, really. My dog gets treated like a little baby. Todd picks her up out of our bed and carries her to her crate at night (she does, however, sleep in a crate, at least when todd is home.) I realize some of you, also, consider your pets like they are your children. Here is a link you will like.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/10/modern.pets/index.html

something interesting to go with your morning coffee.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834598122

you have to read this.

it will restore your faith in public education.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&%09s=1045855935258&c=MGArticle&cid=1137834195225&path=%21news%21education

AI

Ok, seriously, they need to not let people on American Idol dress themselves. Really.

IS it just me, or in this season's american idol, does the backup track consistently seem too loud? Admittedly, I don't watch it much, but when I do, it always sounds more like karaoke than ever.

the beatings will continue until morale improves.

I"ve pretty much just resigned myself to being completely worn out until this job is over. I'm not really tired today, just like my morale has been run over by a truck, then backed over, then run over again.

School is supposed to start until 7:20, but the busses don't even *start* showing up until after then usually,a nd then all 1000 or so kids that ride them have to go through the medal detectors. They're supposed to send the kids with passes, but they don't, and the teachers let them in without passes (I don't, my kids will hunt down an administrator and *make* them write a pass.) which just makes the whole thing worse.

My dept chair, who I really respect, mind you, keeps telling me I worry too much. She says that I shouldn't try to make sense of the whole thing and let it stress me out. It's not even that it stresses me out, it's just that i think the entire situation is outrageous and it's even more outrageous that no one else seems to really mind. Frankly, most of the teachers are glad that their first period is that much shorter.

This can be a very demoralizing place to teach.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I am so sleepy. I just want to put my head down on my desk and take a nap. It doesn't help that my lights automatically turn off every twenty minutes or so during my planning period if I don't get up and walk around. It's really one of those days where I just want to sit quietly and not do anything, but, unfortunately, the kids can't seem to take the hint and keep showing up every hour and a half whether I want them to or not. C'est la vie.

in Martha's words, this is audience participation.

Todd brought up a good point tonight. He came home from Orlando and was not pleased I had posted he was away, due to safety concerns. He had an assembly at his school all about places like my space and xanga and how students post things that can allow them to be found by various freaks. My initial reaction was to kind of "pffft," because I *am* careful about what I post, and, after all, I am a grown woman.

As my fellow bloggers, what do you think about this? I know some of you have discussed not posting information that will get you in trouble at work, but what about not posting information that could open you up to stalkers, etc? What is your policy on this? Do you even think about it?

I realize that some of you may consider yourselves the creepy ones, so let's try to leave that out of the equation.

AAAAHHHHH

I am at the END OF MY ROPE.

lonely

Todd has gone to Orlanda for the weekend for a conference, and I am here all alone. It is very boring. I come home from work and then nothing happens. Usually I wait until Todd comes home and then we have dinner and then it's bedtime. It's almost like I lead the life of a dog.

The upside is that I got to have one of the all time greatest dinners, french fries and eggs. And I can go to bed really early, which right now feels like a good thing.

My hair is getting very long, and I'm thinking about cutting it for locks of love. I did it once before, and it's a major warm fuzzy. I like my hair long, but it's starting to get very dry and a little annoying (the dog walks on it along the back of the couch, etc.) and in the summer it is going to get very hot. Something to think about.