Hola blog readers!
I've had a week back at school. I am ready for vacation again. Just kidding, almost. This past week and for the next two weeks, I'm only sort of back at school. Elementary and middle school have stared again, but high school doesn't start until the 31st of January. There are perks and drawbacks to this arrangement. Perks include the fact that I am done by 11am each day and have the extra time to be planning and staying on top (and hopefully) getting ahead of myself so that I'm not feeling overly stressed come wedding time. Also, I get to hang with my padres in the afternoons. The drawbacks include not getting a full-sized pay check until Feb 15th and being left in this limbo of sort-of-go-mode. Since I only work 2 hours a day (inconveniently separated by a half an hour break, which you don't need if you are only teaching 2 hours, but it's whatev), it's hard to really get in a groove. I'm just getting in a groove by the end of secondary (ugh, secondary) and then boom, I'm done working! Plus, my high school classes are my favorite ones. Also, the fact that they got pushed back by a week means that I'm going to have to scramble to teach them what I want to teach them before I leave. In all likelihood, I'm going to have to cut some things out, which I don't like to do. Again, it's whatev (see what I mean about not being able to get amped up? I feel 'whatev' about the whole business right now).
More importantly, FOOTBALL!!! Stop reading here if you're not a Packer fan because this is about to get real boring for you. You've been warned!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! The Packers not only won their second play-off game last night, they stomped those dirty birds! Aaron Rodgers played out of his head, OUT OF HIS HEAD! I believe he had 4 incompletions the ENTIRE game! OMIGOSH, I love him. Also, the packers did not punt ONCE during the whole game either. When does that happen? I'll tell you when, it happens when your quarterback plays a rockstar game and the entire offense gets together and decides to play football! Aside from that one fumble at the beginning of the game, the Packer offense was amaze-balls.
The defense played well, too. Clay Matthews, I think I love you. I mean, I know I love you. Also, Shields. I'm gonna love that guy next season, for sure. I've always loved Woodson and will continue to do so for a long, long time (I hope). I can't not mention Tramon Williams. I love that guy, too! I am one big bundle of Packer love right now!
Next week we'll battle the Seahawks (and continue with our theme of avian destruction) or we'll play the dirty bears, again. The NFC championship. Ah, how sweet it is! I love post-season football (especially and in a seriously over-the-top way when the Packers are playing)!!!
Ok, that's enough now because I could go on and on. And I would, but it's time for coffee and a novel, the best parts about a Sunday morning! I hope you all had a fabulous couple of weeks since I last wrote and another couple of good weeks until we meet again!
GO PACK GO!
Leyah
PS. Grandpa, if we end up heading to Seattle (and by we, I mean the Packers, I'm staying on the beach), we better make sure Gary and Kenny are rooting for the correct team! Maybe you should give them a call and assert your fatherly (and Wisconsin-oriented) opinion :) XOXO!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1 - 1 - 11 ... whoa!
Hola Everyone,
Happy New Year, Prospero Año to all of you!!!
It is somewhat of a miracle that I am out of bed and writing this blog. I had not intended to write this blog today (I have intended to write it any number of days in the past week, but I believe I have mentioned before my procrastination issues..), but I woke up (for the 5th time or so) and realized I wasn't going to get back to sleep (dang) and I opened the door to let the breeze in and hey - what a nice day! Now, as to why it being a nice day inspired me to write a blog rather than say, going for a walk with my dog, venturing out to start the new year with some sort of physical activity, I cannot say. Well, that's not entirely true, I know why I didn't start the day with physical activity - it's a new year, not a new Leyah. Anywho, here we are.
This break from school has been excellent! My body has decided that it is going to make up for any and all sleep that I have missed over the last 25 years of my life and thus I have been sleeping quite often and quite deliciously! My best sleep occurs from about 2:15pm - 4ish. Weird, but those teensy naps really make me feel great! My goal this break was to plan for all 5 of my classes through the middle of March... Well, I'm into the 3rd week of February with 3 of my classes, but haven't started on the other 2 (minus the compulsory "Welcome back, what did you on your break' first day back business). Ugh, 10 more glorious days of vacation and then it's back to the grind. I'm not ready and I know these 10 days are going to fly by. Today doesn't even really count because I'm all out of wack from last night's party (more below) and Pako's work schedule change (again, more below). Plus, I plan to watch the University of Wisconsin Badgers really dominate TCU in the Rose Bowl today (pause for chest-swelling moment of pride for all UW alumni... ok, breathe out), so one can assume (rightfully) that very little planning will actually occur today. Whatever, I'll get to it.
Christmas was very pleasant this year, if somewhat nostalgic and bittersweet for me. On Christmas Eve Eve (or December 23rd for the non-Christmas-obessessed) Pako was working and I decided to decorate and make the place more Christmas-y. I threw on the Christmas tunes (which I love because they are non traditional, my favorite being WHITE CHRISTMAS by the Drifters
which I can thank my Father for because he eschews traditional Christmas music (for the most part) and has a wealth of different Christmas albums, including Doo Wop Christmas where I first heard this jem!) and got to work making some MORE cutout snowflakes. I had practiced quite a bit at school and got pretty good. In a moment of unusual foresight on my part I had purchased some fake garland and so I pulled that out as well. The result was my very own White Christmas (as far as our gate/door was concerned anyway). Then all of a sudden I felt very nostalgic and missed my family and friends far away in the foreign tundra. Luckily, Pako came home shortly thereafter and my melancholy as not drawn out.
Snow flurries in Zihua!
Christmas Decorations at the Comercial Mexicana - Coke anyone?
Christmas Eve Night, Lorena, Tito, Petra and I went to Aunt Lucy's house for lots of yummy Mexican food. I had spent the whole day making Christmas cookies (Peanut Blossoms and PBJ cookies) and learned that conveniences like a hand mixer, a number of large-ish mixing bowls, cookie sheets and a regular oven really help to make the cookie making process not so clumsy. Anywho, I made do with what I had and the cookies turned out well (thank goodness because otherwise all that work would have been for naught and I would have been one cranky Christmas elf)!
PBJ cookies and modified Peanut Blossoms - All in my tiny toaster oven make-shirt cookie tray!
The mini-toaster oven that could (and did for about 4 hours on Christmas Eve)
The tradition in Mexico is to hug when it changes from Christmas Eve to Christmas, so the party doesn't really even get started until about 11 o'clock. We (Lorena, Petra, Tito and I) didn't even go until about 10:30 (which felt so strange for me because that's probably when I'd be leaving a Christmas party back home). Pako made it about 11:30 and got down to the serious business of eating before he had to hug anyone. Then midnight rolled around and everyone hugged everyone (I had to bend down to hug almost everyone and I was returned to the elementary school days in which the then-teensy Mexican boys dubbed me Jolly Green Giant - ouch) and then we all went inside to make sure no one got hit by a falling bullet. Oh yeah, it's also a tradition here for some people to take out their guns (automatic because shooting one bullet at a time would be too slow and boring) and shoot up in the air to demonstrate their happiness...? I don't actually know why they do it, but it's no longer shocking for me as this is my 3rd Christmas/New Year celebration here in Zihua with Pako and the fam.
Teki and I on Christmas Eve, waiting for Pako to come home from work. Teki does not like to get his picture taken and much less photos of the cell-phone self-portrait ilk.
Pako and I were the first to leave the party and we took off at 1:45. We came home and Pako couldn't wait to do presents (because at heart he's just a big kid) and so we exchanged gifts. He bought me a beautiful top (or blouse, if you will Ms. Twohig) and matching sandals, that I have been eying for about 6 months. Score!!! I bought him a year-long subscription to Xbox live (see above comment about being a big kid) which allows him to play videogames with other big kids all around the world and a military-style chain with dog tags. We were both quite happy with our gifts! Then we fell into bed.
The next morning, Christmas day, Pako got called into work (which he had volunteered to help with as long as he could have the morning shift) at 7:30am. A bit later I went and grabbed Lorena and off we went to Bambi's to prepare the Christmas turkey, stuffing and tiramisu! YUM YUM YUM! With the three of us and Bambi's total preparation, it only took about an hour to do the leg work and back to Lorena's we went. At one we put the turkey in the oven and I assumed responsibility for the bird. This year, for some reason, it took a full 4 hours for any dang-on drippings to seep out of that sucker and I was distraught! It was my responsibility and the turkey was drying out before my eyes (at 20 minute intervals)! I was able to skype with my parents and my Jane of All Trades and excellent chef Mama suggesting rubbing butter all over the skin to keep it moist (*ugh, I hate that word, even in type) and my dad agreed - he's been part of turkey basting quite a few times as well it appears. Anyway, it worked and eventually the drippings dripped and all was well with in my turkey world.
**I am listening to Christmas tunes as I write this because I love them so much and now I have to wait a whole year to listen to them again after today - which I'm deeming the official end to the Christmas season (and because finding that Drifters youtube video made me really want to listen to them and as I am alone and no one can tell me no, I am currently singing along to 'Snoopy and the Red Baron' by the Royal Guardsmen :)**
I also made green jello salad a la Grandma Claire/my mom and a vegetable medley (which consisted of me boiling frozen vegetables provided by Bambi). Eva, another Las Urracas alumni, made a serious vat of gravy (seriously, a really large pot of gravy) and mashed potatoes. The end results were seriously delicious and true to form, I ate way too much. I gave myself heartburn and a stomachache and had to lay down. No will power. I couldn't even eat any Christmas tiramisu (which turned out to be ok as I probably ate half of if by myself over the next two days). It was still totally worth it. Yum, yum, yum, have I said that already?
The delicious Christmas Day Buffet
YUM!!! (Note that I am drinking water and NOT Coca Cola... also, that wine is mine, too).
Then came a period of frantic lesson planning when I realized I had done very little and January was rapidly approaching, upon which I would rather not linger (as I forsee another similar frantic period looming... tomorrow-ish). I got quite a bit done and didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. That's not entirely true, I don't hate lesson planning at all, I actually kind of enjoy it, but not on Christmas vacation. Everyone, please remember that while teachers get the same vacations as the students (mostly), we're not totally free - EVER.
New Year's Eve happened at Lorena's house. Pozole, tamales, tacos dorados (which I made all by myself!!!! awesome!) and chile-sprinkled cucumber and jicama sticks (don't ask because I don't know why there is chile sprinkled on perfectly good cucumber, but there is). Again, non-traditional, but all sorts of yummy. Again, and this time in keeping with many NYE parties back home, nothing happened until about 10:30. Bambi came over and was our food guinea pig. Luckily, everything passed his inspection and he went home satisfied. He went home a big early in order to hold things down on La Ropa.
Bambi and Eliseo test-driving the pozole. All systems go!
The fam (Aunt Lucy, Cousins Erandy, Mari, Ray and Zirintzi, Aunt Pachita, Uncle Ray, Eliseo) showed up later and set to eating and chatting and drinking coke and later the 4 bottles of classy Andre champagne that I bought at the Comercial Mexicana. Ok, I drank one bottle and the rest of the family drank the other 3. That seems right to me. Please note that Champagne and I have a much better relationship than Tequila (liquid, not dog) and I ever have and I'm quite looking forward to our next meeting, whenever that might be :) The party went on until about 1, when poor Pako needed to go home (he had to go to work at 7am this morning, which was kinda a bummer, really). So we came home, we feel asleep almost immediately and here we are.
I'm including a few pictures from the recent weeks. They don't really have anything do with Christmas or New Year's but I find them amusing:
Lorena was cooking one day only to see something move out of the corner of her eye. It was an iguana. Luckily we pulled up at that exact moment and Pako caught it for us. I am including the next two pictures so that you can see our different reactions to having caught a large, scary looking iguana.
Is it at all evident that we have had very different upbringings?
That same day, I decided to hold something much more agreeable (and in keeping with my iguana-sheltered childhood)
Rocky II (named after the movie.. just kidding, named Rocky because his predecessor who is no more was named Rocky and there was a name tag ordered. Waste not, want not.)
What in the name of all things holy is this car doing in Zihua???!!!
It's even in Spanish. What in the HEY??? Yuck!
Staring contests are a regular occurrence in our household.
My boys, trying to show the other that they're tougher. I think the hat really helps Teki's case for toughness, no?
Happy New Year, Prospero Año to all of you!!!
It is somewhat of a miracle that I am out of bed and writing this blog. I had not intended to write this blog today (I have intended to write it any number of days in the past week, but I believe I have mentioned before my procrastination issues..), but I woke up (for the 5th time or so) and realized I wasn't going to get back to sleep (dang) and I opened the door to let the breeze in and hey - what a nice day! Now, as to why it being a nice day inspired me to write a blog rather than say, going for a walk with my dog, venturing out to start the new year with some sort of physical activity, I cannot say. Well, that's not entirely true, I know why I didn't start the day with physical activity - it's a new year, not a new Leyah. Anywho, here we are.
This break from school has been excellent! My body has decided that it is going to make up for any and all sleep that I have missed over the last 25 years of my life and thus I have been sleeping quite often and quite deliciously! My best sleep occurs from about 2:15pm - 4ish. Weird, but those teensy naps really make me feel great! My goal this break was to plan for all 5 of my classes through the middle of March... Well, I'm into the 3rd week of February with 3 of my classes, but haven't started on the other 2 (minus the compulsory "Welcome back, what did you on your break' first day back business). Ugh, 10 more glorious days of vacation and then it's back to the grind. I'm not ready and I know these 10 days are going to fly by. Today doesn't even really count because I'm all out of wack from last night's party (more below) and Pako's work schedule change (again, more below). Plus, I plan to watch the University of Wisconsin Badgers really dominate TCU in the Rose Bowl today (pause for chest-swelling moment of pride for all UW alumni... ok, breathe out), so one can assume (rightfully) that very little planning will actually occur today. Whatever, I'll get to it.
Christmas was very pleasant this year, if somewhat nostalgic and bittersweet for me. On Christmas Eve Eve (or December 23rd for the non-Christmas-obessessed) Pako was working and I decided to decorate and make the place more Christmas-y. I threw on the Christmas tunes (which I love because they are non traditional, my favorite being WHITE CHRISTMAS by the Drifters
which I can thank my Father for because he eschews traditional Christmas music (for the most part) and has a wealth of different Christmas albums, including Doo Wop Christmas where I first heard this jem!) and got to work making some MORE cutout snowflakes. I had practiced quite a bit at school and got pretty good. In a moment of unusual foresight on my part I had purchased some fake garland and so I pulled that out as well. The result was my very own White Christmas (as far as our gate/door was concerned anyway). Then all of a sudden I felt very nostalgic and missed my family and friends far away in the foreign tundra. Luckily, Pako came home shortly thereafter and my melancholy as not drawn out.
Snow flurries in Zihua!
Christmas Decorations at the Comercial Mexicana - Coke anyone?
Christmas Eve Night, Lorena, Tito, Petra and I went to Aunt Lucy's house for lots of yummy Mexican food. I had spent the whole day making Christmas cookies (Peanut Blossoms and PBJ cookies) and learned that conveniences like a hand mixer, a number of large-ish mixing bowls, cookie sheets and a regular oven really help to make the cookie making process not so clumsy. Anywho, I made do with what I had and the cookies turned out well (thank goodness because otherwise all that work would have been for naught and I would have been one cranky Christmas elf)!
PBJ cookies and modified Peanut Blossoms - All in my tiny toaster oven make-shirt cookie tray!
The mini-toaster oven that could (and did for about 4 hours on Christmas Eve)The tradition in Mexico is to hug when it changes from Christmas Eve to Christmas, so the party doesn't really even get started until about 11 o'clock. We (Lorena, Petra, Tito and I) didn't even go until about 10:30 (which felt so strange for me because that's probably when I'd be leaving a Christmas party back home). Pako made it about 11:30 and got down to the serious business of eating before he had to hug anyone. Then midnight rolled around and everyone hugged everyone (I had to bend down to hug almost everyone and I was returned to the elementary school days in which the then-teensy Mexican boys dubbed me Jolly Green Giant - ouch) and then we all went inside to make sure no one got hit by a falling bullet. Oh yeah, it's also a tradition here for some people to take out their guns (automatic because shooting one bullet at a time would be too slow and boring) and shoot up in the air to demonstrate their happiness...? I don't actually know why they do it, but it's no longer shocking for me as this is my 3rd Christmas/New Year celebration here in Zihua with Pako and the fam.
Teki and I on Christmas Eve, waiting for Pako to come home from work. Teki does not like to get his picture taken and much less photos of the cell-phone self-portrait ilk.
Rocky II's first Christmas :)
Pako and I were the first to leave the party and we took off at 1:45. We came home and Pako couldn't wait to do presents (because at heart he's just a big kid) and so we exchanged gifts. He bought me a beautiful top (or blouse, if you will Ms. Twohig) and matching sandals, that I have been eying for about 6 months. Score!!! I bought him a year-long subscription to Xbox live (see above comment about being a big kid) which allows him to play videogames with other big kids all around the world and a military-style chain with dog tags. We were both quite happy with our gifts! Then we fell into bed.
The next morning, Christmas day, Pako got called into work (which he had volunteered to help with as long as he could have the morning shift) at 7:30am. A bit later I went and grabbed Lorena and off we went to Bambi's to prepare the Christmas turkey, stuffing and tiramisu! YUM YUM YUM! With the three of us and Bambi's total preparation, it only took about an hour to do the leg work and back to Lorena's we went. At one we put the turkey in the oven and I assumed responsibility for the bird. This year, for some reason, it took a full 4 hours for any dang-on drippings to seep out of that sucker and I was distraught! It was my responsibility and the turkey was drying out before my eyes (at 20 minute intervals)! I was able to skype with my parents and my Jane of All Trades and excellent chef Mama suggesting rubbing butter all over the skin to keep it moist (*ugh, I hate that word, even in type) and my dad agreed - he's been part of turkey basting quite a few times as well it appears. Anyway, it worked and eventually the drippings dripped and all was well with in my turkey world.
**I am listening to Christmas tunes as I write this because I love them so much and now I have to wait a whole year to listen to them again after today - which I'm deeming the official end to the Christmas season (and because finding that Drifters youtube video made me really want to listen to them and as I am alone and no one can tell me no, I am currently singing along to 'Snoopy and the Red Baron' by the Royal Guardsmen :)**
I also made green jello salad a la Grandma Claire/my mom and a vegetable medley (which consisted of me boiling frozen vegetables provided by Bambi). Eva, another Las Urracas alumni, made a serious vat of gravy (seriously, a really large pot of gravy) and mashed potatoes. The end results were seriously delicious and true to form, I ate way too much. I gave myself heartburn and a stomachache and had to lay down. No will power. I couldn't even eat any Christmas tiramisu (which turned out to be ok as I probably ate half of if by myself over the next two days). It was still totally worth it. Yum, yum, yum, have I said that already?
The delicious Christmas Day Buffet
YUM!!! (Note that I am drinking water and NOT Coca Cola... also, that wine is mine, too).Then came a period of frantic lesson planning when I realized I had done very little and January was rapidly approaching, upon which I would rather not linger (as I forsee another similar frantic period looming... tomorrow-ish). I got quite a bit done and didn't hate it as much as I thought I would. That's not entirely true, I don't hate lesson planning at all, I actually kind of enjoy it, but not on Christmas vacation. Everyone, please remember that while teachers get the same vacations as the students (mostly), we're not totally free - EVER.
New Year's Eve happened at Lorena's house. Pozole, tamales, tacos dorados (which I made all by myself!!!! awesome!) and chile-sprinkled cucumber and jicama sticks (don't ask because I don't know why there is chile sprinkled on perfectly good cucumber, but there is). Again, non-traditional, but all sorts of yummy. Again, and this time in keeping with many NYE parties back home, nothing happened until about 10:30. Bambi came over and was our food guinea pig. Luckily, everything passed his inspection and he went home satisfied. He went home a big early in order to hold things down on La Ropa.
Bambi and Eliseo test-driving the pozole. All systems go!
The fam (Aunt Lucy, Cousins Erandy, Mari, Ray and Zirintzi, Aunt Pachita, Uncle Ray, Eliseo) showed up later and set to eating and chatting and drinking coke and later the 4 bottles of classy Andre champagne that I bought at the Comercial Mexicana. Ok, I drank one bottle and the rest of the family drank the other 3. That seems right to me. Please note that Champagne and I have a much better relationship than Tequila (liquid, not dog) and I ever have and I'm quite looking forward to our next meeting, whenever that might be :) The party went on until about 1, when poor Pako needed to go home (he had to go to work at 7am this morning, which was kinda a bummer, really). So we came home, we feel asleep almost immediately and here we are.
I'm including a few pictures from the recent weeks. They don't really have anything do with Christmas or New Year's but I find them amusing:
Lorena was cooking one day only to see something move out of the corner of her eye. It was an iguana. Luckily we pulled up at that exact moment and Pako caught it for us. I am including the next two pictures so that you can see our different reactions to having caught a large, scary looking iguana.
Is it at all evident that we have had very different upbringings?
That same day, I decided to hold something much more agreeable (and in keeping with my iguana-sheltered childhood)
Rocky II (named after the movie.. just kidding, named Rocky because his predecessor who is no more was named Rocky and there was a name tag ordered. Waste not, want not.)
What in the name of all things holy is this car doing in Zihua???!!!
It's even in Spanish. What in the HEY??? Yuck!
Staring contests are a regular occurrence in our household.
My boys, trying to show the other that they're tougher. I think the hat really helps Teki's case for toughness, no?
Ok, that is all for today (and for the foreseeable future I'm thinking). I probably won't write again until school starts, so sometime after January 10th. The next 10 days are going to be full of lesson planning (ugh), spending time with the family and continuing to catch up on my sleep with those ever so awesome afternoon naps. I hope you all had a great holiday season and here's to a lovely 2011 full of love and laughter!
I'm getting married this year. Holy crap.
XOXO,
Leyah
I'm getting married this year. Holy crap.
XOXO,
Leyah
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