I'm alive and well!

Okay...so I've been sick with this horrendous cold for like over a week now. It's finally decided to give my body back to me and I'm feeling somewhat normal again. It was hell for a few days. My voice decided to get all husky and scratchy (ala Phoebe in "Friends" sexy phlegm voice). A couple of my fellow teachers were teasing me during lunch that I had a 900 sex line voice and to call Easton. The joke is that he would barely notice...ahhhh well.

So, I've been grading like a mad women trying to get caught up on old papers. I really like teaching (most of the time) but I truly loathe and despise grading literally hundreds of papers...it's never-ending...well, it will be ending in 3.5 weeks. Can you tell I'm counting down the minutes? So, in addition, I'm taking two online classes (honestly, haven't started them, yet) and a real four hour class every Thur. night. Not sure if I can actually do anymore than I'm doing now. Still contemplating summer employment. Hopefully will get a gig teaching summer school. Great. All the kids that failed my class during the year. Should be very mentally stimulating for me and them.

Easton and I are going to New Orleans this weekend for a super-quick visit. His 91 year old grandmother fell and broke her hip a couple of weeks ago. She has Alzheimer's and is in a rehab. hospital. We're primarily going to see her, but will also visit his mom, stepdad, dad, stepmom and brothers. How that's going to be crammed in 36 hours, I have no idea. His dad also gave us tickets to the Jazz Fest. The whole irony is last year when we went, the bands were weak. Okay, well except for Smokey Robinson and Santana, but then there was the oyster vomiting incident via me...the final incident that confirmed that indeed, I am very allergic to oysters. Let's just put it this way, walking a mile to a car while you are sick with food poisoning and puking your guts out is definitely not fun. Especially after you are lying down on a sandy street writhing in pain, waiting for your boyfriend to get his mother, and a cop screams at you to get up...probably assuming your drunk off your ass and passed out. The beauty that is my life, I tell you...Okay, I digressed. Back to the irony - the bands are great this year - Elvis freaking Costello for God's sake. I've loved him since the 9th grade. I was a precocious little tyke, wasn't I? Widespread Panic Friday night (we'll miss that). C'mon people, back to my hippie girl days. At the same time Costello is playing, so is DMB who I've seen a couple of times...but would still love to see in NO live outside. Music elitists, kiss off. I'm thinking of my brother here, but anyone else to whom this applies, take heed. I love DMB. Also, a jazzyish singer, Anthony Hamilton, who Easton introduced me to is playing at the same time. Love will need to compromise on this one. May the force be with us.

The plan is to leave Friday at 6 pm. I will have been at UGA all day with my journalism kids for our state awards ceremony. Then home jeeves, to hop in the car with Easton to drive the 8 hours to New Orleans.

More later...

Is there anyone out there? Someone leave me comments to let me know I'm not alone.

Love to all of you fine people.
Jen

Insomnia Sucks

Can I just say that insomnia bites? It's 1 a.m. and Easton's happily snoring in the bedroom. I can hear him all the way in the office - just across the hall. I even tried watching "Conan" but couldn't lie still. This usually happens to me after I've had time off from work. I just natuarally start staying up later and later and then can't get to sleep at a normal time after vacation is over. I hope I can normalize my sleeping patterns next week. It's not fun to teach six classes without sleep. I have to admit it -- I've got Spring Fever bad! It doesn't help that the kids do, too. The sad thing is I'm up to my eyeballs in grading and have some really old stuff to get back to the kids. I should be doing it every spare second that I get a chance...ugh... At least summer is 5 1/2 weeks away. Yipeeee!!! One of the perks of being a teacher. Okay, I have two books on cd that I listened to while driving to Jax. over Spring Break to recommend. The first one - "The Devil Wears Prada" - freaking hilarious. About a girl just out of college who gets an internship with the queen of mega-bitches at a NYC magazine. Total fluff but great. The other second fluff cd was "Can you keep a secret?" - about a young woman trying to make it in career-wise and her love life - British and very British Jones.

Thank God tomorrow's Friday, while I guess that makes today....Easton and I will be going to see "Amityville Horror." I have had this slight obsession with horror movies since I was a kid. In fact, when I think back, I can't believe my mom let me watch some of the movies I did-- I read Rosemary's Baby in the fourth grade for pete's sake. I saw Salem's Lot when I was like 9. Anyhow, the original movie always scared the crap out of me..and this one is a made by the same director that remade "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" a year or so ago. He did a pretty good job. I'm sure I won't be able to sleep tomorrow. Other than that, prom is being held at the Hard Rock Cafe Sat. night. My school rented out the entire restaraunt. The girls at my school are so high matinence on a daily basis that I can only imagine how they will look Sat. night. I've heard quotes upwards of $500 for prom dresses. Good God. Can we say "overindulged little girls?"

Alright, kinda a boring post. I'm still not tired, unfortunately...still hearing Easton's snoring...maybe I can buy him some breathe right strips and secretly attach them to his nose at night. I wonder if that will make a difference.

More later.
~Jen

My fabulous and most wonderful friend in the world, Catie Lynch, soon to be Catie Minor, May 28th. Love ya, babe. 

Easton "stepping" with his frat mates. Tuskegee Homecoming 2004 again. 

My baby and me. 

This is "gangsta" and me. "Gangsta" is one of Easton's frat brothers from Tuskegee. We hit it off right away when Easton brought me to Tuskegee's Homecoming 2004. It was great, but quite the experience. I was the only white woman for miles around. A few women made me aware of that. How nice! His frat brothers were great - go Alpha Phi Omega! 

Taken in Piedmont Park. For you non-Atlantans. This is the major park in Atlanta; it was built in the 1920's by the same guy that designed Central Park. We love going there, althought it's been wayyy too long since we've visited last. This was taken about a month or two after we were dating - Fall 2003. 

We're silly. In Piedmont Park, October 2003. 

Calliope in our living room window. 

my baby and me. 

Another picture from Piedmont Park. 

My beloved alpha-male cat, Ramsey. Named after Easton's fascination with Egyption culture- Ramses II. He dominates like crazy over Calliope. We frequently have to kick him out of our bedroom because he is so hyper. We do need sleep after all. He's almost nine months now (April 2005) but was about three months here. He's already up to 9 lbs. He's gong to be a beast. Calliope is a little over half his weight and he's the "kitten." 

End of Spring Break

I just returned home from seeing the Alliance Theater's production of, " The Heart is a Lonley Hunter." It's based on the book by Carson McCullers. I haven't read the book probably in 11 or so years when I was a freshman or sophomore in college. Excellent production! It was adapted to the state right here in Atlanta; hopefully, it will go to broadway in NYC.

Still dreading going to school tomorrow. I bought a journal that my students could sign in rememberance of Becca, then I'll mail it to her father. The poor juniors have to go to an assembly tomorrow on a 20something prisoner who killed some people while drinking and driving. I'm sure (even though no alcohol was involved in Becca's crash) that that is the last thing they want to hear about tomorrow - fatal car crashes.

I have tons of work to grade and honestly am so overwhelmed, I don't know where to begin. That's usually when I sit down and make myself write out a list. Catie reminded me that I started making lists like crazy in h.s., prob. while I was an RA. I remember writing huge lists on the wall with construction paper and markers, so it would be highly visible. Don't know how good that would look in my house right now, but I need something to help this disorganized, flightly brain o' mine.

Not much else to right. Glad I saw that play. Didn't want to go initially. Sundays are wind-down, getting ready for the week days, and I always have grading to catch up on. Hate thinking of how much work to do tomorrow; teaching is the easy part.

More later.
~Jen

First official post

Okay, I must explain the title....Easton and I loooovveee "Midnight Cowboy" and after we rented it on Netflix would say this repeatedly to each other for no reason at all other than to amuse oursevles. Maybe I'll change it eventually, but that's all the creativity that enters my mind at this point in the late evening. We also get fixated on other things...for instance, the SNL skit with *can't remember her name right now for some odd reason* who is a 12 year old girl with her stepdad and constantly repeats, " RICK, RICK, RICK!" We love repeating that to each other for some odd reason.

On a more serious note, this week has been not as relaxing as I'd like despite the indulgences of homemade pina coldas (thanks, Mom) and yummy homecooked meals. One of my students died on Sunday. I found out in a horrible way. I had driven to Jax. Monday to see the parentals for the week. My publisher (of the student newspaper) and I had to discuss the printing of the latest (and not so greatest) issue, and told me that he was sorry to hear that two students from Northview had been killed. I don't know whether it was my sixth sense or not, but I immediately went to the AJC.com and checked and it was two juniors - one of them I've taught all year in my English class. A great kid - tried real hard, life wasn't easy - ironically, her mother was killed in the same way she would die a year and three days later, by crossing over another lane of traffic. Actually, a stupid hugeass Yukon crossed over and hit Becca, Jessica (the girls who went to my school) and Becca's sister, who was a doctoral student at UA, and was just chaperoning the girls on their Spring Break trip to Destin. No alcohol involved. I've been dealing with this all week. I just can't belive it. I kept contemplating what to do and after much thought decided to buy a journal for the kids to write memories if they choose and I'll eventually mail it to her father. The poor man - two daughters and an ex-wife all within a year of each other.

On a more positive note, it's great to see my Dad. This is the first time I've seen him since we found out about his remission from cancer on 3/17/05. Thank God! Please pray or meditate, or whatever you do, and send good thoughts my Dad's way so that the damn, evil, destroying cancer doesn't come back. My mom did such an excellent job taking care of him. I am truly and forever greatful.

So, must think about heading to bed. Getting up early in the a.m. to drive home to Atlanta. Have LOTS of grading to do - prob. about 30 lbs. of it, no joke. Have play to go to Sunday and dinner at Mary's (if I can make it).

More later.
Ciao.
Jen

Laverne and Shirley. Christmas 2003. 

I hate this picture because of my excess poundage but love it because Easton looks pretty cute, if I do say so myself. July 2004 in my parents' backyard. 

Mom at a George W. Bush Rally in Fall of 2004. I love this picture of Mom. I won't editorialize here about my disdain for Dubya. Mom looks cute though, doesn't she? 

Tim at the Museum of Natural History in NYC, I believe. He was with my Dad, so I wasn't there for this trip. Looking exceptionally hip as usual. 

Easton and Mom at Columbia Restaurant in St.Augustine, July 4th, 2004. We were attempting to watch the fireworks but got caught in a huge thunder storm, hence the wet hair. My mom is going to kill me for posting this photo.