Are years getting shorter?

Sometimes I wonder if I missed the memo:

Dear all,

Please note that effective immediately, days will feel shorter, time will fly, and school years will seem to end quickly. This change in policy will be known as your life passing you by; however some departments may call it the creeping in of old age. 

Sincerely,
The Keeper of Time


I absolutely cannot believe that today was the last day of school. Although all of my paperwork is done...report cards done and printed, student files filled in and submitted to the office, book inventories emailed...I spent no time cleaning my classroom during the lead up to today. So, for the next few days when the weather is scheduled to be gorgeous, I will be in my classroom.  You can laugh now.

Head over to Lauren's blog to participate!

 1. The last movie I saw was Letters to Juliet.  It just came on Sho a few weeks ago and I DVRed it right away...and watched it on a school night (gasp!).  I think I liked it even more than I should have because I was high on the exhilaration of having a normal evening not filled with school work! I'm a sucker for any romantic comedy.

2. I want to not have to make a decision.  I feel like Mr. Fine and I are constantly making major decisions, negotiating our time together, and figuring something out.  I want to be able to enjoy the present.

3. Surprises are something I'm not usually good at.  Case in point: I sent Mr. Fine a card last week.  According to my calculations the card should have arrived on Wednesday.  So on Monday, I asked what he was doing on Wednesday, what time he'd be going home, and what time the mail arrived.  Pretty sure he'd figured it out by my third question.  Yep.  Surprise!

4. The best accessory is a necklace.  Long.  Short.  Doesn't matter, but homemade is my latest craze.

5. My favorite warm drink is a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.  But a cappuccino from my Tassimo and flavored with caramel syrup will do just fine in non-pumpkin latte season, thank you!

6. My favorite cold drink is lemon crystal light.  Water is disgusting.  Throw in some cute yellow crystals and I could drink a jug!

7. Currently I'm loving Criminal Minds marathons on A&E, that Covert Affairs is back on, chocolate chips straight from the bag, my Clarks Unstructured Pumps, and my lily pad flowers.

Happy Weekend!

A relaxing Sunday

I've had a perfect weekend so far...I got some school work done (but not too much to make it a school weekend), did some reading on the patio, watched the lily pad flowers come to life in the pond, and cut the lawn.  And as you can likely see, I did some blog face-lifting...I just need to fiddle with my signature image so the white background is transparent...but the weather is too nice to sit inside for much longer so that will need to wait!

I went out for a few minutes to capture the flora with my point and shoot and got these quick SOOC shots:

This lily pad flower is just so pretty -- my photography skills don't do it justice.  The yellow center portion is a nice complement to the light pink petals.

Photo Challenge: Yellow

 

I'm so excited that the fish have started swimming at the surface when I am close to the pond.  It takes them a few weeks in Spring/Summer to not be scared any more.  After winter, the fish always tend to hide whenever we go near the pond.  Now, they are swimming a ton and so fun to watch!

I've got a busy week coming up -- the last week of school...so a few more concepts to teach, field day, and of course, a field trip.  To top off a great weekend, I'm living off a high of grabbing a great thrifted cardigan last week.  I'm hoping the weather cooperates this week so I can wear a skirt with it! :-)

Have a great week everyone!

Good Stuff

A few months ago, Mr. Fine and I headed to D.C. for the weekend.  Mr. Fine had eaten at Good Stuff the last time he was in D.C. so it was there, of course, that we headed for dinner on Friday night.  As we were standing in line, I kept thinking to myself that I was positive I had seen the cashier somewhere before.  Me?  A teacher hailing far from D.C. recognizing a cashier in D.C.?  No, must be just their twin double.  We placed our order and stood waiting for the food to arrive.  While we waited we overhead a conversation between a random group of people to this effect:

That's him.  I should get a picture.  No, he'll think I'm crazy.  Oh, just take the picture.

Leave it to Mr. Fine.  He asked the group who they were talking about.  Why, Spike from Top Chef, of course!  So I wasn't crazy!  I did recognize the cashier (er, owner of Good Stuff).  Spike's season of Top Chef was one of the Top Chef seasons that I did watch.

Needless to say, that burger was the best burger I've really ever had.  And the fries.  OMG!

Wish I'd take a picture...but the remnants were none too pretty.  A balled up wrapper is not what blogs are made of! ;-)

A few weeks ago, I borrowed the Good Stuff Eatery cookbook from our local library.  Together (that's code for Mr. Fine) we made the Obama burger and Sunny's fries.

Our attempt at replicating our night out in D.C. took a bit longer than a stand in line...but oh, it was well worth it!

Our Obama burger and Sunny's Fries...home version

Have any of you eaten at Good Stuff?  Which burger did you order?

Back at It with Fill in the Blanks

I'm a bit worried I may have forgotten how to post.  Oops.  Life has gotten a bit busy and I've been terrible about blogging. I take a few minutes each day to read blogs but have really just been stalking.  I'm giving a shot at getting back at the swing of things with a Fill in the Blanks via Lauren.

1. If I could get away somewhere for the weekend I would go absolutely no where!  Is that allowed?  I've been away for most of the week on a class trip and am picking up Mr. Fine at the airport tomorrow morning.  A weekend of home time is much needed.  We do plan on planting the yard this weekend so I will be getting to the garden store!

2. Something I often rant about is the decisions made by our administration...that and people who drive under the speed limit.  I'm not a speeder but at least go the speed limit!

3. One item I need to have in my fridge at all time is a carton of fresh cage-free veggie fed eggs.  I typically get the urge to bake on the weekends and go nuts when my eggs have expired...which may indeed by the case when tomorrow morning rolls around.  Hmm.

4. My "life-saving" product is my iPhone.  I'm constantly checking my mail for sweet messages from Mr. Fine.  There's nothing like a quick email filled with love to keep me going through the day.

5. A friend is someone who can keep a secret!  Nothing drives me more batty than friends who gossip.

6. If I could write my own blank it would be what the latest CD someone bought was.

7. My favorite kind of art is the kind I understand! ;-)  I'm a very linear person with little creativity.  You may remember my dive into photography.  Any art that speaks to me is wonderful!

Thanks for reading...if there's still anyone still out there!  I apologize for my absence.  This year's been a bit stressful but I'm hanging in there.  Nothing a good visit from Mr. Fine this weekend can't solve!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!

But ohhhh, it's pretty!

I got back to school today after our Monday off and ... a SNOW DAY!  I actually thought I was dreaming when the call came in at 5:04 a.m. yesterday.  After talking to the person above me on the snow tree, I clamored out of bed for my laptop because I couldn't decide if I'd dreamed the whole scenario or not.  I hadn't even contemplated a snow day so it was a shock!  I spent the day making muffins (sadly, they've all been eaten or you'd get a picture) and doing some school work.

And ... I found this little gem, thanks to a nice email from my friend Kate Spade:

It's on sale.  And ohhhh, it's pretty.  Any guesses on the sale price?  No?  You can check it here.  $147 for some pink cow?  But ohhh, it pretty.

Happy Hump Day everyone!

A 'fine' weekend...

My self imposed pity party (Don't know what I'm talking about?  See here for the moody details) ended sharply Saturday morning with a trip to the charity shop and Target -- a bit of retail therapy (especially at cheapy prices) is sure to cure all!  And it didn't hurt that the sun was shining (finally - holla!) for the whole day!

Now, I visited Target mid-January and noticed the tiny red mailboxes that they had in the dollar section:

From Our Seven Dwarfs

I knew, knew that they were going to be a popular item (as evidenced by my google image search of "red target mailbox" so I didn't have to take my own picture), but I'm trying to pitch, sort, and reduce the teacher clutter in my life (it can really build up over a decade, let me tell you!)... so I didn't buy one.  I know, I know - only $1...but the clutter was worth more than that to me (at the time).  I had planned on using it for a small mailbox on my desk for students to put their notes in.  They are constantly writing me notes and I stick them in my pocket...and I find them later at night at home.

But - skip to this past Saturday morning - I noticed the Target $1 section had purple dot items at 50% off - I know, right!?  And looky, looky, there was 1 (it was clearly meant to be) red mailbox left.  Now, who wouldn't buy the darling little thing when there was only 1 left and it was only 50 cents?  I just couldn't pass it up.  So now, I have a cute mailbox decorated with a cute label with cute clipart...sure to bring on some cute notes from students.

Despite the 10.6 inches of snow that fell over the weekend (and which needed to be shoveled by yours truly), my long weekend was relaxing and filled with trashy romance novels, blog reading, and list catching up.

Hope your weekend was grand!

Fill in the Blank Friday

I've not done one of these in many weeks, but I figured I was due for some reflection.  I've been feeling pretty crap all week -- physically exhausted and over-worked.  Sadly, Mr. Fine told me last week that the 'old Mrs. Fine' (read: the one who works 70 hours a week and is grumpy all the time) has come home to roost.  Unfortunately, I agree.  I'm not happy about it.  I'm not happy about it at all.  And I just don't know how to get back to the 'new Mrs. Fine' (read: the one who works 60 hours a week and can enjoy life outside of work).  I should likely be napping.  But who wants to nap on a sunny (read: 45 degrees - warm for here right now) evening.  I should likely be doing something fun.  But who wants to leave the house when they're in their fuzzy socks, hoodie, and yoga pants?  Not, I!  Ack.  So -- I need to reflect.  Here goes:

1.   I am       sometimes sarcastic.  A bookworm at heart.  Thrilled to see the world with a clarity I've never known.  A sucker for Girl Scout Cookies.  An addict when learning something new.

2.  The bravest thing I've ever done was    LASIK!  But you all knew that...before that?  I don't usually feel very brave...except when I do the black diamond sections that intersect with my blue square sections on the ski hill. 

3.  I feel prettiest when       I shower before school vs the night before and my hair looks proper.  When I wear heels vs comfortable dress shoes and when I wear my pea coats.  Those and the perfect matching lip gloss.

4.  Something that keeps me awake at night is   absolutely nothing (much to Mr. Fine's chagrin).  I can even sleep on a hardwood floor within a few minutes - just as snug as a bug.  I did stay awake for several hours this past week (read crap week rant above) and it drove me NUTS!

5.  My favorite meal in the entire world is    salmon on the BBQ, rice pilaf, and cooked fresh veggies.  Strawberry crumble for desert.  A bottle of Trader Joe's $4 wine (doesn't take much for me).  All on the patio in the middle of summer.  Shucks.  Makes me cry just thinking about it...where is summer?

6.  The way to my heart is        through chocolate, patience with my annoying habits, and a good solid hug.

7.  I would like to       be happy with myself.  Truly happy.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.  I am going to work on relaxing, being happy, and getting some emotional clutter tidied up.  What are you up to?