Being Single in a Couples World...

Apologies for the 'late' blog- just didn't feel like writing anything and didn't really have anything to write about honestly. Valentines day is around the corner and last year, I went to Austin with one of my girls and had an awesome time. Valentines day wasn't even on my mind- nor did I care. That trip has really helped me get over the very Hallmark holiday and just get over not really having anybody. I think technically I've had one boyfriend for a Valentines day and it was average/ok... but not over the top- so I'm trying to focus on just having an excellent weekend(since I have a 4 day weekend). 

I've been pretty good about being single these last couple of years. All of my friends know that I travel alone, do things alone, and just pretty much am a free person to do things that I love. My biggest trip that I did was Spain BY MYSELF(no program, no help except me) for three weeks. I survived and am very proud of what/where I went. It's just frustrating trying to find places that are cheap, safe, and adaptable for single people like myself. Everything out there is for couples or families. Nothing wrong with that- but if you find deals online- almost all of them say "prices for double occupancy"- aka for couples. Yes, I can invite friends/family- but most people (1) say they want to go but flake(trust me on this), b) don't have the time that I want to go out/don't have the vacation time, c) have someone else in their lives that prevent them from leaving them. 

This is beginning to sound like a rant but it's more that it gets frustrating after a while. I love being in a relationship, don't get me wrong- but being single should be a little easier for those that want to be single. I almost feel like a handicapped person who is trying to find a bathroom that fits them. TOTALLY not the same thing(I admit) but sometimes I'm that frustrated. Even getting a table by yourself or going to a movie by yourself. Try it. It's a little weird but more weird getting the looks from the waiters/cashiers/etc. I've gotten over it to some degree but its a couples world out there for sure. 

Other than that, it's been a relaxing week for the most part. Not having students yesterday(just an all day meeting), not having a lot of masters work, and just looking forward to the weekend is good. I'm even going to take a day off next week to go home to Fresno- whoo hoo. My sickness is getting better and I'm starting to appreciate things more as well. Ok- hope everyone had a good wednesday/thursday! :)

Honesty Is the Best Policy...

For years, I've been trying to work on being honest with people and I think it's a good trait to have. Obviously, you can't be honest all the time because in doing that, you will hurt someone's feelings. Over and over again these last couple of weeks, I've been dealing with 'should I be honest with this person about this?' or let it go... It's really scary putting your thoughts/concerns out there for someone to know and then the feeling of rejection might rear its ugly head. 

A lot of friends/etc. have urged me to be honest with my feelings/insights and just bite the bullet and do what I need to do. It's hard when you don't know the outcome or remember the time that you put yourself out there and were rejected. Yes, its years later from rejection but the same scared girl is still there. If you remember 'Notting Hill' with Julia Roberts/Hugh Grant- "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her"... I know, not the greatest quote of all time, but the quote still resonates with me on things concerning relationships/being in that vulnerable position. I think thats why I haven't really started any new relationships or even gone over old ones because of the fear of being honest with my feelings. I over-analyze like all girls and try to figure out what the true meaning is of every little thing that happens- or if it meant anything at all. 

I know this post is really random- just didn't really have anything else to post. I'm sick so in the process of getting better, a lot of thought and thinking about 'what is the meaning of life?' questions keep popping into my head and I figured I'm allowed some random postings. Anyways, hope everyone had a good tuesday! 

Experimenting with Drugs..

  

Two conversations I've had lately has had to do with drugs- as in the illegal ones. I've been a really good girl and never done any of the illegal ones. Most people are surprised at this fact because knowing my partying days at UCSD, I had many opportunities and never took it up. Just thought it was lame and never wanted to. The closest I came to it was (1) holding a cigarette for one of my sorority girls(nicotine), (2) having ecstasy in my hands when someone offered it to me as a 23rd birthday gift(I didn't take it). I even tell my students the story just so that they know that I was tempted, even held drugs, and yet, decided it wasn't for me. 

One conversation I had with a good friend of mine is: Is it a deal breaker if the person you are dating is into pot or into drinking a lot more than normal? Now, that I'm in my thirties, I would like to think that people are out of the phase of experimenting and now can say, no thanks. So when I hear people doing pot/binging on alcohol in their late 30s--I'm like, um, are we 21 again? No judgement if you're in your 20s- hi, have fun- you're young... if you need to experiment, go do that(i didn't- but your choice is on you). Now, you're in your 30s, you have a good job(in schools no less)- is it still ok to do it? If everything else is aok in the relationship, is it a big deal? I think it would be a deal breaker because I wouldn't want it around me and just wouldn't say a lot about ethics about the person. But, who are we to judge about someone else's way of life? 

Other than having conversations about drugs, I honestly am trying to get over the start of a cold and enjoying having a little 'breather' from work(masters and high school). I'm trying to figure out things for february(including valentines day)... we'll see how that goes. Ok, its getting late- bed is calling for me. Hope everyone had a good monday! :)

Sleeping In...

How great is it to sleep in? I don't get to sleep in very often because a) i'm a morning person and I like to get things done in the morning, b) my sleeping schedule makes me get up at 'normal' teacher time, c) too much sleep gets me groggy. I went to bed somewhat late(1am) after eating some monstrous pazooki at BJs(good stuff) and then figured, I don't have anything to do today/no plans so why even get out of bed. I think I officially got up out of my bed at 1pm. My stomach was growling and it was getting a little ridiculous. 

As adults, we don't get a lot of sleep. I'm TRYING to get 8 hours but its almost impossible for me since I like to stay up late/can't go to sleep till 11pm(at least). But, days like today, I got plenty of sleep and now feel somewhat groggy. It's finding that nice balance of what works for you and what doesn't. 

Other than sleeping in, I got some phone calls from my girls and graded like a fiend. My students will be happy that I got things done. Lately, because of my social calendar, grading hasn't been a priority, so therefore, its fallen off the way side. Now, because this was my 1st weekend officially at home, I got stuff done. It was a nice lazy sunday- one that I needed for sure. 

Ok, hope everyone gets some rest and gets to sleep in for tomorrow. Nite! 

Confidence

I had a big midterm that I needed to complete today by 9pm PST. When I opened it, I was like, wtf- I'm going to fail. I was in that uncaring mode of f-it and I don't care if I fail(when I really do care). But, once I started(really started), it all came back to me. I learned more in the last 5.5 hours completing it than I have in the entire course(long story and I know pretty sad). So I feel pretty confident that I did aok(lets all pray for my B) and hence the my picture of this posting- relieved to be done. 

My confidence has been wavering a lot lately. Even with learning snowboarding, the instructor was like, you're good for a 2nd timer- stop worrying- more confidence in yourself and you're there. The next time I tried it, I did my S-turn. So I don't know if it's from that lesson, my best friend visiting, or just life in general- I've been really thinking a lot about how my confidence has diminished ever since college. I don't know if it's because I'm more shy, more aware of my surroundings, or my life has changed to make me this way. I'll figure it out but things like me finishing my midterm today in a great time period made me be aware that my confidence in my self just needs a big dose of medicine. 

Oh, in other news, my school kicked our rivals butt by a good 25 points. It was kinda boring being soo ahead but it was great revenge for last year's loss(losing by 1 point in double overtime). Anyways, hope everyone is having a better weekend than I am(relaxing more)... Nite!

Back in Business...

So I got back my Internet after it was gone for two nights in a row. Comcast gave up hope on my wire in my room and now I'm using basically another cable cord in another room- whatever works, right? 

The last couple of days have been interesting. I've been dealing with this internet issue, my car issues, and just trying to get caught up with everything else. It's hard to catch up on things that I've been putting on the pile of 'stuff to do' and now I'll definitely have to pay for it this weekend. At least I can do my masters midterm tomorrow without worrying about internet. 

The best thing that happened was that one of my best family friends visited me for a couple of hours yesterday. He's abroad this year and I miss him a LOT since he's my sounding off board for a lot of my drama/insecurities on life. I think we missed each other and it was nice to just catch up face to face and get another perspective on what is going on in both of our lives. I've had a hard time just accepting the fact that I'm the 'alternative' indian girl as he refers to me and focusing on being unique versus weird(just one of the many topics we covered). It's always nice to talk to people that truly know you, where you come from, and where you're going- and believe in you. I needed that and it was a nice surprise in the middle of the chaos that was going on around me. 

Ok, I gotta get ready for a great game of basketball. :) Hope everyone has a great Friday and I'll be posting more often! 

Internet Issues...

Hey all- apologies about not blogging for 2 days. My internet has been out due to a network issue. My modem is only flashing 1 light versus the 5-6 lights that it is supposed to. So I've been out of luck for the last two night(comcast came by yesterday and were like, oh- someone else has to come out- boo). I'll be home most of this weekend trying to catch up on work and just trying to beat this sickness that has now turned it's head in a sore throat. Hopefully, I'll be up and running this afternoon. I have the big rival high school basketball game today so I'll be there cheering on my team. Ok, till later and thanks for still checking in- more to come hopefully tomorrow. 

Inauguration Day

 

So, today, was an obviously special day for the United States and the world. Inauguration day. I really don't remember another inauguration in my lifetime that meant as much or created as much buzz as this one. It was an awe inspiring sight to see thousands of people out in Washington mall all in support for our new president. If you've ever been to DC- one end to another end is a LONG way. To see it that crowded and filled up to the rim, is nuts to me but a great sign that our nation is going in the right direction. 

I was scared that I would miss the moment because I was in the computer lab all day with my students. But, because of CNN.com and live streaming, I got to use it on our projector screen/SMART board. It was awesome to see the students all excited and what was WEIRD timing was that the actual swearing in/speech came right at passing period. So kids were rushing to their next period, or wanting to get out early to get to catch the speech in their next class, or staying with me till it ended. Even my freshmen that came in during the speech were silent as they walked in and just really respectful and interested in the speech. It was just an awesome day. 

Other than that, just trying to relax and nurse my bruises and soreness. My knees are totally banged up but at least I'm walking. I'm excited about the upcoming weeks because they are totally booked and just concentrate on things that I want to do/goals that I have. Ok, hope everyone had a good Tuesday and got to watch the inauguration with friends/familly/etc. 

Muscle Soreness Relief with a Spa Day

 

Last night was a doozy to get in bed and then wake up. I woke up with major soreness and barely able to walk. I knew this was going to happen and therefore, I booked a spa package at a local spa that won the readers choice award for 'best spa'. I forgot how awesome spas are and this one was just on another level. 

First, they led me to a room, where I had my own jacuzzi, a sauna, and a cold dip. Gave me slippers and a robe, and basically, I was alone for a good hour going to all three. I was REALLY skeptical about the cold dip-- ice cold water-- but after a jacuzzi/sauna- i was ready for relief. It was rough at first, if you can imagine(just imagine dunking yourself in ice cold water), but then you feel it just being a great, refreshing thing for my aching muscles. In a spa, you truly forget your worries. Every time you think about something in your life, it just magically goes away because your body takes over on the relaxation front. Such a weird experience but just an awesome one. 

After that, got to have a dry brush(oils rub down with a smooth brush) and then a good hour massage and facial. I was THAT close to going to sleep, but I was dedicated at feeling everything that was going on and just remaining alert. When I got out of the spa, I really felt sleepy and had a hard time even driving home- that's how relaxed I was. Totally missed a one-way street and almost ran into someone because of my relaxation. 

I have some narly bruises on my legs as well as swelling on my knees. I was going to take a picture of my blue bruise, but I thought I might gross people out about how big and how blue/purple it is. Oh well, a part of the game of learning something new. 

This was one of the best weekends I've had in a while. Just an amazing experience all around. Hope everyone got to celebrate MLK the way I did(in a relaxing way) and hope everyone has a good start to the week. 

The Indian Snowboarder...

I'm back from Tahoe...no injuries(just a couple of deep purple bruises and major soreness) and now a Level 2 snowboarder. I moved to Level 2 just in one lesson and the instructor took me/another girl up on the easy course(you can see if in the 3rd pic the second hill in the center) and I made it down(falling a lot but I made it down). It was a gorgeous two days- way too hot for a puffy jacket- just needed a cotton turtleneck and a fleece and I was good to go. I did my first S-turn and impressed two instructors at the same time. Good stuff. Now I'm the addicted one. Will go back soon definitely. I'm officially an addict(I think). 

So what was also interesting was the fact that I was the only Indian girl snowboarder. Northstar was PACKED with zillions of people and I guess Indian/brown people just don't ski and snowboard. I saw a handful of Indians(maybe 2 familes) but thats about it. A random snowboard Indian dude here and there- but mostly on the slopes there are two types of people: (1) Caucasion/White(mostly skiers that have done it all their lives), (2) Asian(mostly Japanese who learned to ski in Japan/figured it was easy and the thing to do). I get it to a point... but it somewhat bothered me about the numbers(as does a lot of things that I do). Maybe all my activities that I do(outdoorsy stuff) is dominated by these races. I dunno. It started bugging me 2 years ago and I'm seeing it more and more. Nothing wrong with it- trust me, I have a ton of friends in both races- but it bothers me about the numbers. If America is now dominated by brown people, me being one of them, then why aren't there more of them on the slopes, on trail heads, outdoors stuff, etc??? I realize expense has a LOT to do with it, family togetherness(as one of my hispanic friend tried to explain it to me), and just the fact that all the things I do apparently seem like 'work'. I'm sure it'll still boggle my mind for a long time. Out of all my Indian girls that I know, I'm pretty much the only one like me. I guess I'm different(in a good way, I would like to think). 

Anyways, I'm super glad I went and had an awesome time just understanding the ski/snowboard world. I just have to work on my S-turns more and then maybe, just maybe, I can go down an 'easy' run all the way down next time. Here's to hope. 

As for tomorrow, SUPER excited about my 3 hour spa day I got lined up. OMG- it's going to be wonderful/soothing/painful(in a good way) to soothe out the soreness. Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. 

My Love for Target...

Today, I went to Target after school with a co-worker of mine because we both needed to get stuff. I love Target- or in other phrasing- Tar-jay. One of the best gifts I got was last year when I received a $250 dollar gift certificate and I used that card for a good 2-3 months just having a spending spree on myself for random stuff. 

Why do I/other people love it? It's called ONE-STOP shop. You don't have to go to a zillion places to find what you need and it's all relatively inexpensive. I've spent many hours of my life roaming the aisles just parusing. I've even had many intellectual talks with random friends and learn a lot from them when purchasing items together. I don't go as often as I used to- but I still make a good amount of trips. I'm lucky that I have three targets within a 5-10 minute drive of my house. I just have to decide which one to go to-hehe. 

I do want to send a shout out to Sports Authority today who gave a super deal on snowboarding pants. I have a snow bib that I bought like in middle school...it still fits BARALY(my sister was shocked that I still had it). I had to suck in my stomach and I am just afraid that if I sit down or do something weird, it's going to split. So, I decided to go out and buy a new pair. Normally, snowboarding pants will run 80 bucks to 15o dollars. Today, I got mine for $60 bucks. Burton brand too(which is like the Nike of snowboarding). Granted, they were $130--> dropped down to $80, and I got them for $60. They are kinda not the best color- kinda poop brown- but, hey, I'm not making a fashion statement on the slopes quite yet. Just want to stay water-proof, warm, and comfy. Who cares what I look like, right? Poop brown for $60, I'll take it!! I'll wait for the two other 'cute' pairs/normal colors I saw/tried on for later for $100(more motivation to learn how to snowboard!). 

Ok- I'll TRY to post tomorrow night but I'm going to be really busy with events after school and packing for my trip. I'll be back from Tahoe on Sunday...we'll see if I have enough energy to post then. If not, I'll post Monday after my spa treatment. Oh, its going to be an awesome weekend. Let's all pray that I don't get any injuries like some of my friends have and just have an awesome time. Ok, hope everyone has a good weekend and gearing up for the inaguration on Tuesday! :) Nite! 

The GPS- Revolutionizes One's Life

This is my Garmin Nuvi 650. Basically, a GPS system. For YEARS, I thought, wow, people with GPSs in their cars are crazy- what a lame way to get around and depend on something. Then, last year around October, I was at a friend's house in SF and needed to get somewhere else in SF. Being new, I was looking at my map and my friend busted out her GPS and then wrote me out the directions in a matter of minutes. I was hooked. I was all about getting one and needed one ASAP. Costco had a sale and I got one for relatively cheap and all the niceties that I could ever want. 

The GPS has REVOLUTIONIZED my life. I hardly go to Mapquest anymore. For non-believers, just count how many times you go to Mapquest and you'll see what I mean. For the travel girl in me, it's taken me to things that I would have never gone to. It has saved me in so many instances. Still not convinced? I went to Kauai last spring break. It was pouring rain and I just got into my rental car. With my handy dandy GPS in tow, the GPS found my hotel and I was on my way. No maps, no worries. I even called my mom in the pouring rain to check in and just tell her I was on my way to the hotel without even looking at a map. 

Another instance was when I was in Austin and wanted to go to San Antonio. I have NO concept of Texas freeways...and oh yes, the GPS led the way to all the major attractions and I was just this ignorant girl who was just following the GPS. No cares, no worries. Even led me to this dive burger joint that was amazing and very Texas style. 

Why a blog on my GPS? I've now spent a good 3-4 hours now updating my maps today on the GPS. It's a little ridiculous the time it takes to do this, but in the long haul it'll be worth it. I use it at least 2-3 times a week and this little guy has become my best friend in a lot of senses. If you know SF at all, yea--> saved my butt on more than one occasion. Parking structures, one-way streets, attractions, hotels- you name it- I've done it for SF. I've basically sold the revolution to many of my friends/family who have seen it in action and now they want one as well. I should get a new one because of all the GPS's I have sold(kidding). 

Ok, it's late. I gotta catch up on zzz's. Today was such a productive day but I still have a lot of work to do before the weekend trip to Tahoe- which means that a) school(EC) needs to be done and then b) masters work as well. Too much going on, so little time. Hope everyone had a good hump day! 

Catching up with Old Friends...

Lately, I've been trying to catch up with some old friends on the phone because I haven't talked to them since the new year. I was on the cruise during the new year so in order to catch up with just one person, it entails a good hour conversation on the phone(at least for me). A lot of them are my girls from UCSD who I was roomates with, or partied with, or had classes with. All mean a lot to me and since we've known each other since college, its been a LONG time of friendship(over 10 years). We've seen each other grow into who we are and can still laugh at our stupid moments and yet celebrate our good ones. 

Like I said in an earlier post, I've gotten some RANDOM emails from blast in the past people wishing me a good birthday. One of the blast of the past people called me last night at 11pm(hello, I'm a teacher, remember- bedtime is 10pm-11:30pm MAX) and after about a good 4-5 years of not talking to one another. It was nice to have that phone call but a little weird/awkward at the same time. Going off of memories of what was back then, friends we had in common, and just catching up on our lives was interesting. Also, just knowing how much you've grown since then, the new jobs that I've had, the new love interests are all a part of the past. The person I talked to had pursued something else that he was developing back then(music) and I was in another place as well(outdoors versus the prissy girl that I was). We both are doing well and we both were happy to hear that of one another as well. I guess that's all you can wish for. At least it's not a question mark of what they are doing now and can close that chapter somewhat of that person. 

Ok, it's getting late. I need to catch up on some zzz's. Hope everyone had a good tuesday! 

Making Painful Mistakes...

I burned my finger today pretty badly. Not to a point where I need to see a doctor, but to a point where it still kinda hurts. My overhead went out on me in the middle of a lecture and so being the resourceful person I am, I decided, hey, I can fix this. Next thing you know, I'm reaching for the overhead light and it was a *little* hot. Make that sizzling hot to burn my finger. Of course, my students get a kick of my stupidity but then, realizing I'm hurt, then feel sorry for me. Oh, well, I deserved it. As my brother says, "and they gave you a college degree? Good job college grad!" 

Another time where I thought was resourceful was about 2-3 Thanksgiving's ago. I'm not the best cook in the Sidhu family- my brother and sister take over the cooking for Thanksgiving since it's my mom's day off from cooking. So its around 8pm and everything is ready to go on the table and my only responsibility is to take things out of the oven/microwave. The stuffing needed to be reheated in the microwave and once it was done, I was like, ok, just carry it out. Little did I know...oh, yes, it was a scad bit too hot and I dropped the stuffing on the floor. Glass pieces everywhere- stuffing lost on Thanksgiving with no other backups. All the stores were closed(obviously) and it was too late. That Thanksgiving we didn't get stuffing and I will NEVER live it down. I still get shooed out of the kitchen because of this and my habit of not really assessing the risk factors of hot items. Don't mess with stuffing on Thanksgiving. 

I'm sure everyone has these kinds of stories but in typing with a burned finger, its a constant reminder of my painful mistake. Hopefully, tomorrow, it'll be better and I'll forget about it. Hope everyone had a good Monday! 

Mechanics of My Car

 Ok, so here's a pic of my car(not exactly my car, but you get the point). I have a 2002 BMW 330xi. Now, you're probably wondering, why is she bragging about this? Um, actually, quite the opposite. I got this car because a) it was somewhat a grad school graduation gift, b) my old honda accord- bless her soul- just was on its final legs(120,000 miles)- I still miss that car, c) my dad believes that all of us kids should drive nice cars(his dream). Let me preface the rest of my blog entry: I'm REALLY blessed to have this car and will always be thankful to have it- so don't get me wrong- I'm thankful to my dad and what he has done for me and will always be thankful. 

BUT--> the day I got it, I literally cried(in sadness) to my friends(it was a surprise purchase). Why? Because I thought 'everyone' would now see me as an 'indian princess'- which when people really know me, I'm not. My friends thought I was nuts but that's what I truly felt. It's somewhat embarrassing driving in a teacher's lot and having the nicest car and then them wondering how I got the nice car and their assumptions that come with it. Students also... I bypass that for the most part and just remind myself, it's their opinion/just a car, they don't know me. 

It's also weird driving this car when I'm the outdoor girl in the family. I go hiking, kayaking, caving, etc. and whenever I drive to those places, I definitely get the looks. I did a carpool recently with other people and I had to bypass and explain why I had this car. I get over it, but just my experience having a car that doesn't really fit my lifestyle. 

Saying all this, you're probably wondering why my car sparked a blog entry...well, for the last couple of weeks, my car has been giving oil change lights and today, I decided to take care of it at Jiffy Lube(trying to avoid the dealership because they cost an arm/leg). I figured $50 bucks tops, if that, for it and whatever else they found. Um, my bill came out to be over $600(and will be $800 by the weeks end). Why you ask? They started finding air filters, brake fluid, air conditioning filter, new wiper blades, etc. that were all in dire need of replacing and then the kicker- oh yes, one part-the reservoir??--> cost me($300). They showed me the leak and they said that if I don't get it fixed, it will overheat in the month of January, for sure. GREAT. I guess it's all a part of maintainence but I wish I knew more about cars. I even told the Auto teacher at my school that I need to take his class and really get a lesson about all the parts. I have NOO clue about that and I hate being ignorant and just saying 'yes' to stuff because it seems important. I don't want to be that dumb girl that gets ripped off- but it all seemed legit/needed. Who knows? 

So that was my adventure today. I did save money by going to the dollar store to get school supplies and going to Taco Bell for lunch...Ok, hope everyone had a good weekend. 

Elkhorn Slough

  

Ok- here are some pics of Elkhorn Slough- pronounced "slew"--> I didn't have my normal camera because I didn't have any charged batteries(doh!)... so these are off my camera phone. Not bad considering I was scared that my camera/me would capsize in the water.  Anyways, kayaking was awesome as you can see. Sea lions, sea otters, and even harbor seals were all over the place. It's just awesome to see these animals in their natural habitat and just hanging out, trying to survive. It was a gorgeous day and well worth my hour and a half drive to get to it. The sea otters(my personal favorite) were ALL over the place and just grooming and having fun with each other everywhere you looked. I have never seen soo many otters in one place(and I've kayaked a LOT), so it was a real treat. It reminds me why I love to see animals in their natural habitat versus in Monterey Bay Aquarium or any other zoo. Even though they educate the public, the animals deserve to be in their natural habitat(just making my opinion heard here). 

After kayaking, I went to see my travel girl and we made a *small* purchase. A 3 week trip to Peru in June!!! We are SUPER stoked about it- no Inca Trail, but Macchu Picchu is definitely on the trip (lots of reasons why I didn't go with the Inca trail- even though I'm somewhat sad about it- I'm getting over it). I'm glad I'm going with someone and this trip is a tour- so no stress about planning. Pay the money- get on the plane- enjoy. No worries about arrangements/bookings/etc. It's awesome. Haven't done this since Europe- so it'll be fun to be on another tour with other people as well. I'm now broke as a joke, but hopefully, my tax refund will repay for the trip and I'll be back to where I was. 

Ok, hope everyone had a good Saturday as much as I did. Nite. 

Friday Nights...

So, in the past, my Friday nights were a lot of clubbing, hitting the parties, and just hanging out with friends. Now, in my thirties, they have more become movie nights in, dinner/movies with friends, or happy hour after school. I really don't have the club girl in me anymore and by Friday, I'm exhausted. I even went to bed at 8:30pm last night- WTF. I guess I wasn't used to working and my body needed the rest I got when I was on the cruise. 

I'm off in two hours to go kayaking in Elkhorn Slough. Should be good times but its going to be really cold. Afterwards, going to hang out with my Argentina/Costa Rica girl. I met her in Argentina and realized that we were both from the bay and now we've been friends ever since- even go on trips together. Yes, very random and the fact that we're both teachers(she's a kindergarden teacher) is also fun to contrast high school to elementary. 

Anyways, I gotta get ready(eat/shower/etc) and get on my way. I'll write later, hopefully, but just in case this is my entry. I ran across two articles that were somewhat interesting: one was about how teachers are paid/not respected/debate that goes with that and the second one(the more fun one), was this white guy who went to India and decided to be a Bollywood extra. Here are the links: 

Teacher and Bollywood Extra

Hope everyone had a good Friday and a good start to the weekend! 

Procrastination

I'm sure everyone has had those days when you know you have a lot of work to do and you just don't want to do it? That was me today. After work, I had all these aspirations to do all these things that are on my list of things to do- and nothing got accomplished. I just futzed on my internet and did absolutely nothing. Well, I did talk to two friends but other than that- just watched some TV clips on the internet, read a lot of articles, and basically kept yelling at myself to start. 

Once 9pm rolled around, I was like, COME ON- get a move on. And less than 30 minutes later, I was done. Yes, the two major important things took me 30 minutes. 6 hours of yelling at myself and it only took me 30 minutes. Sure, I wanted to get ahead on other things, but the two deadlines that needed to be done by tomorrow, I accomplished. I guess all that matters, right? 

I'm usually all about getting things done ahead of time, but I think today I just wasn't in the mood. I'm usually the one that has lesson plans/work/trips/etc planned out way in advance and I pride myself on that. I think I get that from my mom who does the same thing. Oh well- one day out of many in life where I'm not the go-getter. Maybe I need this weekend to re-energize and get things going again. Maybe its the weekend looming and laziness is stalking me. We'll see...

Ok- off to bed and pajama day is tomorrow so I can just roll out of bed and go to work. The perks of being a teacher- hope you all had a more productive day than I did...and didn't procrastinate. 

Birthday Redo...

This week has been somewhat a doozy- from coming back to school, having a bum birthday, and having a new year...its a lot to take in. I'm really grateful for all the love that I've been getting from emails from blast in the past people, family friends, and even students and teachers. Today, I got this sign in my room from the leadership students which shows you what kind of leadership class we have at the school. It was just nice to have and know that my good friend, who is the leadership teacher, look out for me as well as his students. The flowers above came on Monday from one of my best girlfriends from LA- I don't think I've EVER had flowers delivered to me, so it was definitely a surprise to have them when I came home from school. So I think officially, my birthday has been redone and it'll get even more redone with the upcoming weekends in the future. 

Other than just trying to get in the swing of things, I've been working on dressing a little bit more at work. It's hard to make an effort at 6-6:30 in the morning but today, with a new top compliments of my family, I felt somewhat like a professional. Three days in a row of dressing cute is somewhat a lot for me, but it goes with the New Years resolution of taking things from my past and putting them now in my future. Friday is pajama day so you know I'll be taking FULL advantage of that one- screw the New Years resolution on that day- haha! 

Ok- hope everyone had a good Wednesday--> hump day. Only 2 more days till the weekend(this week is flying by!). 

Naps...

I love naps. I try not to have them everyday but sometimes, like today, it was necessary. The problem with my naps is that I don't put an alarm on and then next thing you know, its 2-3 hours later. A good nap(according to a book I read on the cruise) is 30 minutes max. If you go longer than that, then you get into REM cycles and blah blah. I think it's an awesome way to recharge and sleep is always good in my book. As adults, a lot of us don't get a lot of sleep so it's imperative to have good nappy time. 

In other news, my cell phone was a CHARGER issue. I swear, me and my issues with technology lately. Apparently, my home charger sucks and doesn't work...so now, I'm dependent on my car charger. The Verizon people were nice and told me that I could replace it for free so I'll do that soon. What was weird about this whole experience was that I put my phone on the car charger and even after I turned off the car, the battery was still charging... um, WHAT? So, I left my phone in my car to charge and now, it's fully charged. Am I the only one that didn't know that? I thought the car had to be turned on for any cigarette charger to work. I learned something new today. 

Also, because of my birthday, I've been getting some RANDOM emails from people in my past. I think because of calendar birthday programs that email you when you have a friend that has a birthday, it's almost the excuse to get in contact with them again. I get the emails all the time and am grateful for it. I'm appreciative of any love I get, but today, floored me with some belated wishes from people- people that cut you off in the past or you think that they have forgotten who you are...those kind of people. You know what I mean...

Ok, its late... but because of my excessive nap- now, i'm wide awake. The drawbacks of naps- oh well- it was well worth it! 

Daring to be Cell Phone Free...

This is my cell phone- the Verizon LG Dare. It's been acting weird ever since I got back from Mexico... it's a great phone for the most part- touch screen- has email/browser/etc- texting both ways- very much like the Iphone(but I guess not as trendy). Anyways, it died on me today during school(weird) and then after what I thought was a good charging amount of time- it died after a good 30 minute convo with a friend. WTF!??! So now, off to Verizon tomorrow...hopefully, it'll be like my laptop issue- new battery, good to go. 

I am now realizing how dependent I am on my cell phone. Just not having the option to text someone or have an emergency line out to the real world is a little scary. The phone has now become one of those things that you always check for on the way out of the house- keys(check), phone(check), lunch(check), book bag(check)... I remember when I was soo against having a cell phone my senior year of college, that when I finally got one, I was like, why didn't I get this earlier? Now, land lines are out the door and it's rare for someone my age to have a land line...

As for other news, school was good today. I missed my students and my 1st period got treated with a birthday cake courtesy of my birthday(we didn't really eat it in Fresno). It's always weird getting back in the swing of things and even the 1st couple of minutes of starting class, I was like, how do I teach again? Oh yea...this is how. I am also adapting to the cold here up in the bay--yes, I know east coasters- not as cold as you guys, but for me, damn cold(45 degrees). I'm too cheap to put on the heater so now I've resorted to putting this little personal heater and directly getting it to me. Works miracles. Compliments of an ex-boyfriend that never took it back- hehe. He still has my Italy shirt so I guess its fair...

Ok, hope everyone survived their manic mondays... let's all pray to the cell phone gods and revive my phone... 

Catching up with Dawson's Creek...

I'm back in the bay and getting ready for the grind tomorrow morning. I'm actually feeling pretty good about seeing my students and just getting back to things. It's always a good sign when I'm not dreading going back to work like a lot of people in the U.S. 

One of the things that I do randomly is watch my Dawson Creek's DVDs. Yes, I own all SIX seasons of Dawson's Creek and I love watching some episodes. I didn't really watch the show when I was in college/etc. so I got hooked after it was done. I remember being somewhat interested in who Joey ended up with and was PISSED when I found out that it didn't go the way that I wanted. Now, in watching my episodes again and again, I now understand it. People often ask me why I watch this show...there is a lot of reasons. First, I love the writing of the how- really intellectual and I get nuggets of information each time I watch. Second, it relates to my life in 2 ways: having a guy friend that turned into a boyfriend and then having a close family friend in my life that turned into someone special in my life/best friend. Just scenes that I see in it/etc reminds me of what I went through in college/high school and even gives me advice on things for me now. I know...I'm weird. Just sharing. 

Even with all the Dawson's Creek watching, I was still way productive and got a lot done. I even managed to see a friend for dinner and pretty much do what I wanted to do today- always a good thing. The only thing lingering that I didn't do was return bday phone calls and emails. So to everyone that called/emailed/texted me- I WILL get back to you this week and I'm very thankful to have friends that do care... I didn't have the greatest bday(in fact, it went down as one of the worst bdays I've had) so thats why there was no blog entry on it. Not a big deal... just going to make sure that these next weekends make up for it(which should for the most part-have kayaking/hikes/etc booked). I even booked a spa treatment on the long weekend...so I'm super stoked about that. 

Ok- hope everyone had a good productive Sunday! :) 

Back on the Mainland/New Years Resolutions!

Yes, I'm back- 'free' internet and on the mainland. The effects of the cruise are lingering--> all of us are experiencing somewhat still feeling like we're still on the boat/feeling a little woozy. I'm going back to the bay tomorrow and back to the grind. I think the vacation- like all vacations- are about the 'reset' button and just getting perspective on life. I read a lot- slept a lot- and went snorkeling a good three times. 

So yes, its the New Year and now its all about the resolutions... the main one I want to achieve is going toward the good parts of the girl that I was in college- more put together and more self-confident. So it'll be rough- but I feel like its attainable to some degree. At least its not like, hi, lose 10 pounds and then the 1st sign of not going eating well/exercising- resolution over. 

I'm exhausted and I have a long day tomorrow... I'll be more coherent tomorrow! 

Happy New Years!!

Hi again from the boat. I hope everyone had an awesome New Years. The Sidhu clan did a very 'different' thing and broke an 8 year tradition of having New Years at the house to go on this cruise. I/Sidhu Clan apologize for any of the Fresno/etc clan that was effected- we do feel bad to some degree. But, we needed a break and it has been a good one. I have now snorkeled in three different places, have a HUGE tan, and have brushed up on the Spanish skills. The boat guys love me and my sister because we talk Spanish to them and apparently no turists even try- sad. New Years on the boat was fun- everyone was in tuxes/suits- prom dresses/etc- so VERY formal- and the party was all over the boat. My fam and I decided we were going to be out on the deck and they had screens that let us know when midnight was and the countdown. So at the stroke of midnight- streamers and balloons as well as the band played "Celebrate" and that was our New Years. It was fun to see the crew/captain/etc even be out and about celebrating with us and just being part of the crowd.

As for us today, just got back from Cabo San Lucas. One of the best snorkeling spots I've been to in a while and it was just awesome seeing all the schools of fish- and the different colors. There was a box on the bottom of the ocean that the guide picked up- apparently it was someone's remains- whoops. Yes, this is the type of information I get when talking Spanish. Anyways, since this is costing me a ton...I'm going to log off. I'll try blogging tomorrow and see how many minutes I have left. Be back in Fresno on Saturday... (hopefully the 405 will be kind to us like it was on the way down)...

Happy New Years everyone and thanks again for reading my blog...if anyone is still out there..