Vegas Hangover

Week of: March 15th - 21st

First of all - how did last week turn out?
- We spent the first two days of Spring Break meeting and interviewing DJ's and photographers for our wedding. I think it was a bit of wedding overload for Craig. He just generally needs to know the bottom line (how much will this cost) and doesn't want to get caught up in all the details. But we did settle on a DJ (www.mobilemusicpbp.com) and a photographer (http://staticsixx.com/) and it feels good to have that put behind us. Up next? Bridesmaid dresses, cakes and flowers...but I'll do all that this summer.
- We flew out to Vegas on Wednesday and had a very enjoyable time. We didn't really win a lot of money on the slots or at the tables, but Craig's impressive repetoire of basketball knowledge helped us reap in cash through betting on the first round of NCAA tourney games...but unfortunately that money was spent losing on the aforementioned slots and tables. Thus is life. We did have a relaxing Thursday spent on the Lazy River at the Mandalay Bay resort in a cabana that we rented for the day. Craig sat inside the cabana with the flat screen watching basketball games and I lounged around outside on the chair reading fluffy books. Friday during the day we went to the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef which was quickly followed by a couples body wrap, body scrub and deep tissue massage. That night we saw the Cirque de Soleil Zumanity show at New York, New York casino...it was much less family friendly than my personal fave of Cirque de Soleil - the LOVE show. All in all, we had a pretty good time. As with any vacation, I was ready to get on the plane and get home to my own bed by the time Saturday rolled around...but that doesn't mean I'm ready to go back to school tomorrow.

I am looking forward to...
- Seeing my friends at work tomorrow and catching up on a week's worth of events. From down the hall classroom neighbors, to lunch buddies and to the other members of our coaching staff, I have a multitude of good friends at work which makes work a ton more enjoyable but at the same time I will be sad to leave when the time comes.
- Craig's doctor's appointment on Wednesday morning. Although the outcome could possibly be surgery, I'm just ready to find out what is wrong so we can find a solution and get him the pain relief he desperately needs. And plus...I'm a little tired of hearing him complaining. Ha, ha.
- My Wednesday night volleyball league starts up on Wednesday night and I'm so excited. Although I really loved playing basketball games for a couple games, my real athletic love right now is volleyball. I thinks it is because of the massive adrenaline high I get from a solid serve or slamming a good hit down on the wood.

I wish I could fast forward through...
- This week's lessons...again. We're still stuck in Africa and I'm getting really tired of repeating myself: dictator, genocide, poverty, civil war, disease...I actually think that my kids are getting a little worn down with it as well.
- Track practices and the track meet on Thursday night...I'm not sure if my terrible case of Spring Fever has been totally cured and staying after school to measure distances and such for Long and Triple Jump is not really what I want to be doing on these beautiful and warm afternoons.

Right now I'm obsessed with...
- My new hair straightener...the BaByliss Titanium with a high level of heat setting at 490 degress or something else astronomical like that. I always tease the 8th grade girls about their co-dependent relationships with their hair straighteners but after one fateful trip to get my hair cut...I'm hooked and if there is a cure for my addiction, I don't want to know about it.
- the NCAA basketball tourney. Last year on our first trip together to Las Vegas, Craig and I filled out our tourney brackets on the plane and of course - he won by a landslide. This year though - I'm on a warpath to claim victory and so far? I only had 7 wrong choices in the first round compared to Craig's 8 wrong. Hurrah!!! I'm off and running to total domination...as long as Ty Lawson, Tyler Hansbrough and the rest of the UNC Tar Heels can keep going to the end - I'm golden. Although, yes...I wanted my Aggies to do well in the tourney, I am realisitc and once I saw that their most likely opponent in the second round was going to be UConn, I had to give up hope.

On my mind...
- Being a teacher in Texas right now doesn't suck. The rest of the economy in the world might be falling to pieces, but as far as I can see...it hasn't affected us quite yet. Having said that, I haven't been really paying attention to the exact details of the economic crisis that has been going on because a) like I said, I haven't personally been affected and b) regrettably, I don't really understand the causes, effects and potential solutions that are being discussed on the main stream news channels. That's why I turn to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert for my news. Chuckle you might...but seriously. I'm not ashamed to say that I didn't understand this whole AIG thing until Mr. Stewart put it into lamens terms for me. And then I was pissed. Which leads me into my next point: I don't think terrorism or any other outside source of evil is going to lead to the ultimate downfall of our nation. I think WE are going to be the thing that creates an unsuccessful nation and I believe that the bonus scandal of AIG and the Bernie Madoff trial are prime examples of this. Many years ago people came to America for the simple reason of being able to practice whatever religion that they chose. This served as the basis for the American dream - to be able to create your own oasis of joy and happiness in whatever way you deemed suitable. For many of our grandparent's, this meant a home in the suburbs, a family car and a backyard for the kids. How did this simple idea of security and fulfillment get maniacally twisted into the greed, selfishness and "ME" mentality that leads people to not be satistified with MILLIONS OF DOLLARS? Don't get me wrong - I'm not a bleeding heart liberal that believes in the pseudo-socialist idea of equality and sharing wealth. I believe that America is one of the few societies where a person, regardless of birth status, can create any future conceivable for themselves. If people are willing to put in the time, effort, dedication and sacrifices to achieve the status and wealth of Steve Jobs or Warren Buffet...then they are truly worth of the success they acquire. Does that mean to turn one's back on the poor and needy because they should be able to overcome any obstacle and take advantage of services available to be successful? Nope. I am more than willing and happy to help those in need...who are attempting to help themselves as well. Regardless...I value ambition but not when it turns into greed that severely and negatively impacts other people. Shame on you Wall Street for not recognizing when enough is truly enough. Didn't your mother ever teach you to be grateful for whatever you got for your birthday or Christmas?