Thursday, August 1, 2019

Currently... (Vol. 42)


Disbelieving...  that today is August 1 and I still have almost a month until the new school year begins.  

Taking...  full advantage of having additional time off.  Due to delays with the construction of a new school, the district in which I work had to postpone the first day of school until the day after Labor Day!  Yeah...  To give you some perspective, last year the first day of school was August 1.  I'd honestly rather work in August and have more time off throughout the year, but...  it is what it is.  I intend to make the most of this unusually long summer.

Looking...  forward to visiting Acadia National Park later this month.  I've never been before, but have heard it's beautiful.

Attempting...  "one bag travel" during my trip to Maine.  I can be a tad of an over-packer, so this will be a serious challenge for me.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Struggling...  to get in enough weekly miles so I can finish the 175 Mile Summer Challenge by Labor Day.  As of today, I've completed 105 miles, but still have 70 to go and 32 days to do them in.

Unprepared...  for the mud obstacle course my friend and I are doing on Labor Day weekend. I truly had plans to increase my upper body strength, but...  well, it just didn't happen.  But, I'm going on and will do the best I can.  There may be several obstacles I'll just have to skip.

Watching...  too much TV as of late.  I'm not kidding when I say that I don't watch very much TV, because normally I don't.  However, since July 21st, I've binge watched all three seasons of Stranger Things (25 episodes), World War II in HD Colour (a 13 episode documentary that I found completely fascinating given that it was in color), three other WWII documentaries (The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler, Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War, and Hiroshima), and three movies that were set in WWII (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Imitation Game, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society).


Perplexed...  as to why I'm soaking up all this WWII information like a sponge.  I mean, I've always found the time period and events of WWII interesting, but my fascination in the past few days is...  weird.

Enjoying...  all the memories of the 1980s that have resurfaced in my mind since watching Stranger Things: Trapper Keepers, New Coke, mullets, arcades, and the music...  man.  It's been a fun trip down memory lane.

Listening...  to the audiobook Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Slightly amused and slightly annoyed...  by this football "manifesto" of sorts that an acquaintance of mine posted on FB.  I assume the author was trying to be funny, but considering the fact that this person is a complete narcissist, and I truly mean that, I believe it was posted with complete honesty.  Here are a few points from this manifesto and my internal responses:
  • "I will NOT attend ANYTHING Thursday through Monday nights or past noon on Saturday & Sunday unless you have 🏈 on a television.  ***Please note - Games featuring Penn State and the Redskins take priority over all other games."  - Duly noted.  Not that I've ever invited you to anything before, but I definitely won't start now.
  • "Weddings & all other events are for bye weeks or planned around GAME TIME!!! It's not my fault you are starting your married life & such proving to everyone you are a horrible planner. I am not saying I won't be there but if I am it will be when the game is over!"  - Again, duly noted.  Sorry that you would place more value on a sports team than on a relationship you have with someone who is nice enough and thinks enough of you to invite you to a wedding or other big event.  I'm not planning any big events for the fall, but if my plans change, I'll just save us both some time and won't invite you, how's that?
  • "In the event that we are watching a game together, and you are not a Skins or Penn State fan, you will NOT cheer against them. But I will cheer against your team-especially the Cowboys, Giants, Eagles, Pitt, Michigan & Ohio State." - Oh. Hell. No.  In the highly unlikely event that I find myself watching a game in the same room as you, you need to know this - you're not the boss of me.  I'll do whatever I damn well feel like, which includes cheering for or against whomever I please, thank you very much.  And you can rest assured that during this upcoming football season, my favorite collegiate team, other than my alma mater of course, will be whomever is playing against Penn State and as for NFL, my favorite team will be whomever is playing against Washington.

Questioning...  why I'm connected with this person in the first place.  LOL!

Admitting...  that I had mixed results with my Plastic Free July attempt.  I did really well in some areas and not so well in others (like the single-use containers that produce comes in at the supermarket as well as the containers of activator and dye in my hair coloring kit).  It was a hard experience, but very eye opening.

Laughing...  at this:


Admitting...  that I recognize all the faces above (I can even name the shows they were on, although I can't remember all their names), that I have reading glasses, and that I have a bum shoulder and elbow that act up with increasing regularity.  All of the jeans in my closet fit, though.  LOL!

Agreeing...  with this:



July in a Snapshot:


1) HUGE piece of cake for anniversary dessert, celebrating my grandmother's 86th birthday,
one of my mom's flowers.
2) Hiking with my aunt in WV, dog sitting, lost dinosaur in the park
3) Finisher's medal for a virtual 10K I did this month, Louisville's heat wave,
Trapper Keeper (scene from Stranger Things)

What have you been up to lately?



Linking up with:


9 comments:

  1. We can't do much to control some of the packaging of the things we buy, but like in produce we can surely control that - produce doesn't really need packaging. LOL

    That manifesto is out there!

    My boss goes to Acadia every year. I've never been. It sounds glorious.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The produce I had issues with were strawberries and grapes. Apples and pears, I had no problems with just putting them in my reusable bags loose.

      Yes, that manifesto things is crazy!

      I'm so looking forward to Acadia and am kind of wishing I had booked us to stay there one more day than I have But, we're working on a budget of money and time, so... :)

      Delete
  2. I'm surprised so many schools are starting this early, I feel like it always started right before/after Labor Day when I was in school. What did you think of Stranger Things? I loved all the 80's references too! Also I'm not really into historical movies, but I thought The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was really well done (I think I watched it for a film challenge). That person on FB would have been immediately moved to mute/hide or defriended completely! Is this one bag to Maine checked or carry-on? I've gotten better at packing a week in a carry-on, unless of course the airline charges for carry-on which I don't really understand. Anyway, good luck with that and the mud course!

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    Replies
    1. The district I've worked for has always started back early to mid-August. But, in return for this, we got really nice breaks. Last year, I had 2 weeks off in October, 2 at Christmas, and 2 for spring break.

      Stranger Things - LOVED it! I'm not much of a sci-fi gal, so I'm kind of surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. But, I LOVE the 80s and I LOVE The Goonies, so I guess my loving ST isn't too surprising. LOL!

      I agree, I think the movie was done really well, too. It lacked a lot of the voice that came across in the book, but that's to be expected.

      Oh, after that football manifesto, he was hidden from my feed. That was just crazy, arrogant, and completely self-absorbed.

      The one bag travel is going to be carry-on and a backpack at that!

      Thanks for the well wished for the mud run!

      Delete
  3. What a crazy football manifesto. Does this guy have any real friends? Always enjoy reading these posts. Enjoy your break. Schools in the UK always go back 1st September but they finish later (mid to late July)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, when I read it, I was like, "Really?" As for real friends, I'm not sure. This person generates a lot of FB friends, but I know that doesn't translate to real friends.

      Thank you and thank you!

      Delete
  4. i was so surprised to hear that some schools are starting mid-August! in toronto, only private schools start early (they also get out earlier) but all of the schools i know have always started early sept (this year it's sept 3)

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  5. Ahhh I can't believe you're friends with that person!
    I mean, I fully support watching *your* game on all Saturdays and Sundays and I often feel depressed the week after the Superbowl because there's no more football to watch....but holy narcissism.

    I never read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, but that movie stuck with me for years.

    We didn't go to Acadia when we were there but we adored Maine. I would go back in a heartbeat.

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  6. oh my gosh, that facebook acquaintance is hilarious... and ridiculous. i didn't properly participate in plastic free july but it did make me look at all the plastic i used and it was the single use stuff that really blew my mind, if you'd asked me a month ago i would have said i hardly used any plastic. but it really opened my eyes.. it's everywhere! that cake looks amazing. i know i have read the boy in the striped pajamas, but don't think i've watched the movie. maybe i'll give it a go. i loved guernsey!

    ReplyDelete

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