I love these things...

Where were you when 2006 began?
Drunk in downtown Fredonia, standing outside a bar because my sister was only 20.

Who were you with?
My sister and two good friends from Fredonia

Where will you be when 2006 ends?
either at the PMT's or downtown at the ball drop (I would prefer the first choice!!)

Whom will you be with when 2006 ends?
either everyone at the party or my friends nicole and laura

Was 2006 a good year for you?
It was way too weird. I wouldn't say it was bad but I definitely wouldn't say it was good, either.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
I suppose getting my first teaching job.

What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Bursting into tears in the Jet Blue Terminal in November in front of everyone there

Did you keep your New Year resolutions of 2006?
I don't remember, but probably.

Do you have any New Year resolutions for 2007?
Just to run a marathon, and be happy with myself of course.

Did you fall in love in 2006?
nope

Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?
nope

Did you make any new friends in 2006?
yeah!

What was your favorite month of 2006?
Actually despite its craziness, I've enjoyed December a lot.

Did you travel outside of the US in 2006?
awww, no! just to Canada. I NEED to go to Europe next year!!!

How many different states did you travel to in 2006?
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey

Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?
a friend of the family

Did you miss anybody in the past year?
yeah...it was a rough year...most of my school friends are far away from me now.

What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?
probably Bobby. I liked Confetti too.

What was your favorite song from 2006?
Hmmmm...I don't listen to the radio. But I do have a little crush on "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira

What was your favorite album from 2006?
I have no idea.

How many concerts did you see in 2006?
Oh wow I have no idea. As far as "cool" concerts...uhhh...0??? Wow what has happened to me?!

Did you have a favorite concert in 2006?
No

Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2006?
not really.

Did you do drugs in 2006?
well yes i sort of did. how exciting!

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Nothing that immediately comes to my mind. Even if I did some things that I look back now and feel stupid about, I know that anything I did or felt was probably for a good reason.

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2006?
Uh?

Did you treat somebody badly in 2006?
No way jose!

Did somebody treat you badly in 2006?
Indeed

What was your proudest moment of 2006?
Doing my first concert with the high school kids :)

What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?
hmm I'm not sure.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2006 and change something, what would it be?
I woudln't have eaten so much this past week! Damn holidays!!!!

What are your plans for 2007?

Give a recital
Figure out where I want to go to grad school
Get a full time job or at least something very close to it!
Go to Europe
Run the Yonkers Marathon
Visit my cousin and his new baby in Colorado
Save some money
Run away to the South Pole and live among the penguins!

happy new year everyone!

i just love the sight of the living room floor covered in christmas paper


and i also love presents...




a mouse for my laptop with a retractable cord. ooooooh.


a set of shower and bath stuff. i will probably end up giving it away. i swear i get at least 5 of these a year!


told you i like penguins...





this is pretty much how we all felt by about 7:15.

Merry Christmas!!!

So here I am, a Saturday night at 10:30, sitting on my bed wearing pajama pants. Sometimes I think I should be depressed when these kind of nights occur. After all, I could be downtown with Mike at a Naughty by Nature show (which I thought he was joking about when I texted him earlier). But since I already spent oodles of money this evening on dinner and bowling with a couple other friends, let alone the past 2 months, I thought I would save a few bucks tonight.

It's wierd how much I look forward to having time off, but then when I actually have it, I don't know what to do with it. I have soooo many things I could think about for school but, ehh, it's supposed to be free time! I don't know.

Maybe I'm a little depressed...I know it's not the end of the world to be by yourself on a weekend night. And I could probably call other people but we always all call Mike to see what's going on; the rest of us hardly ever call each other. It has been this way for years; why stop now? However, it usually results in nights like these.

Never mind the fact that I'm one of like, two single friends that I have.

Well I'm babbling. These entries always feel like they are more appropriate for livejournal rather than here, but I don't have a livejournal. And I don't really want one.

Can't wait for Christmas, and I REALLY can't wait for New Years at my favorite Linwood mansion.

And hey, if you're free tonight, let me know. The pajama pants haven't completely killed my urge to party tonight... :)

a) I am the worst gift wrapper ever. Period. I am awful. I always manage to cut just slightly less than is needed to make the folds on the ends of the box, causing me to either cut out more paper and awkwardly attach it somehow, or leave a little bit showing so that the person opening the gift gets a sneak peek before they've even taken off the bow.

b) Thanks to everyone for suggestions about the spa. I ended up getting my mommy a gift card to Euphoria at the Galleria. Convenience. And they had some nice stuff it looked like, so I'm sure she will be happy.

c) I'm very excited because I decided that I'm going to take both of my classes on a rockin field trip to................the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!!!! I think they will be so excited. Almost as excited as their dorky teacher (me).

d) I would like a White Christmas. Just for like, 4 days. Stupid global warming.

e) This is the second time I'm writing this post because it got erased before. I remember that my list at least went to F, but I have no idea right now what E and F were. So I guess I will say that I'm super excited about Secret Santa and New Years at PMT's on Linwood!!!! A party thrown for the estrippers has yet to disappoint, and I hope to see everyone there ... !!! :D

f) Bye!!!

Well actually I'm looking for a spa/massage place so I can get a gift card or gift package for my mom for Christmas/birthday. Does anyone know of any good ones???

So, tell me what you think this means. I know that everyone dreams every night and I can remember my dreams fairly well. I think I used to be better about remembering, I must be slipping in my old age. Anyway, for as long as I can recall, there is a recurring theme in a lot of my dreams, and that is this: in very many situations, I am not wearing any clothes. Or, I will be wearing like, just a shirt. And oddly enough, no one seems to really care, yet I still feel slightly uncomfortable. But I never seem to go put on more clothes. Or sometimes I can tell that I'm hoping to get somewhere to find some clothes, but I don't know if I ever do.

I wonder what this means? I've considered it may have something to do with self-confidence, or maybe I'm feeling vulnerable, or something. It really has been a part of my dreams for a long time! Any dream experts care to share any insight?

Also, just as a little survey, when you dream, do you see it through your own eyes, or do you see yourself? I know I've asked my friends this. I can truly that I've never seen myself in a dream. I remember a friend of mine in high school (who I think was full of herself and her looks) told me she always saw herself in dreams.

I wonder if dreams really symbolize anything or if it is all nonsense.

My dad just showed me the tag on his winter hat, and look at it says:

do you ever have one of those days when you just don't feel like smiling? i feel like i've had those all week. and maybe if you have a job where you don't work with people or you can be on your own, it's not as big of a deal. but my tired and bad mood and sad looking exterior rubs off on my students and i hate it. i'm sick of blaming my issues with students on myself, because i blame everything on myself, but i can completely understand if they feel like crap because i look and feel like crap and apparently i'm not very good at disguising it. i don't know how to do it! one of my students said to me, i haven't made you laugh all week. how depressing. kids notice everything. i'm sick of feeling so blah but there is nothing that is making me excited right now. like NOTHING. even christmas. i hate that. i just want to be a super wonderful awesome teacher who everyone loves and listens to. no scratch that. i just want to be better. and more respected. i want to be the kind of teacher that i remember and admire - the ones who took their jobs seriously, who knew what they were talking about, who knew how to get kids to be interested while at the same time keeping control and maintaining a classroom of focus and concentration. it's not that i want to be everyone's favorite teacher. i mean there are tons of kids who like me. the problem lies in that they look at me as a young, cool teacher that they can talk to and relate to, and not someone that they need to listen to so much. it's like, i know most people don't look forward to getting older but i really am in a lot of ways. while i love being able to talk to my students like normal human beings, i don't like being so close to them in age to the point where i feel like i could be in their class. it's a problem with being a young teacher in a high school setting. at least when i'm older there will be a bigger gap between us, both literally and figuratively. of course i'm leaving after next year anyway. but man it's only december. i have a long way to go. i want to sleep.

i hate when people break up. it is just so sad. no matter how it happens, people are hurt, sometimes devastated, and they can't even control it. and it's like you do your best to reassure them that it isn't the end of the world and things will be okay, and even if they know you're telling them the truth, they are still so sad and there is nothing you can do to make it all better. and i hate that. no more breakups.

Well, don't have too much to write about...but felt the urge...let's see

I can't believe how busy Christmas time is. I had a concert three nights in a row with different singing groups. Plus my school concert was last Wednesday, and I have another concert THIS Wednesday. Besides shopping and having to still plan for 2 weeks of school before break. It's nuts. But really if you think about it, it is all good things that I'm filling my time with, and so I'm happy about that.

(e:Mike) and I went to see Rent today. It was my first time seeing it, his second. I am really really happy I went to see it! I have listened to the music so much and it is okay but you really need to see what's happening on stage to understand. It was very good. I know my mouth was hanging open during some of the songs because I was just in awe and very in the moment and I had to keep reminding myself to look normal. The people next to us kind of gasped and shifted in their seats whenver there was a swear word (and there are many!) And it was very funny to listen to the conversation of whoever was behind us during intermission. This man was saying things like "So these people do all these terrible things to themselves and we're supposed to feel bad for them? They choose this lifestyle and we're supposed to care?" It was very interesting. (E:Mike) and I were talking about it, how we forget that there are people who look at Rent in that way. For us and people we know, we don't judge or think of the characters in the show like that. I just finished a unit on Rent in my Music Appreciation class, and I think I will tell them about those comments, because I presented to them using the idea that Rent was very edgy and controversial and brought many issues to the stage that no one had before, and there are lots of reactions, and now I heard one for real!

I had a very good time at the party last night even though it was brief :( Hope everyone had a great time. Makes me want a pinata at my next birthday!!!

Uhhh, that's it. Good luck to everyone with their holiday plans, etc. Christmas and 2007 will be here before we know it!!!