LittleYarn’s Neighborhood

Reintroducing...

AB
Aug 3, 2008
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I'd like to reintroduce my friend, TVJ or "Bitches", to the readers of this blog.

Brief TVJ bio... kick ass friend born, raised, and currently living in Southern Cali. Ridiculously cool but insanely busy career. That person that everyone meets and then wants to be her bestie for life. Hilarious, laid back, and just plain fun to be around.

Because of her job, she has been traveling a lot...and I mean to the point where she has spent more time NOT in Cali than she has in Cali. Before her boss had her traveling 360 days out of the year, she would come out to Vegas and we'd go play or she'd have me come out to Cali to be hang out and be a nerdy tourist. Unfortunately, I missed her when she came in December and I was really disappointed. Really disappointed!

But...but...but...if all goes according to plan, she will be joining us for a day in Disneyland! She is a perfect Disneybuddy, meaning she will have no problems being a kid at heart with me.

Spinning Tea Cups...here we come...BITCHES!!!!

BTW...for those of you reading this who have been to Disneyland and/or Cali Adventures, please feel free to offer any suggestions as to what is a must, what is a must avoid, and any other cool tidbits you have to share. (thanks to Viv for the suggestion already!)

We're going to Disneyland!!!

AB
Jul 30, 2008
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It's official. We're finally heading to Disney for a few days for a vaycay next week. It was my birthday present from GB but we just didn't have time during the school year to go. We've been waiting until I was finished with school and summer school. We've been skiing before and we went to Ohio, but this is the first vacation we're going on where it is just the two of us. I'm super excited. It will be nice to get away for a few days. Plus, we're going to the happiest place on earth!

It is funny to compare what GB and I are excited to go for. He's geeked up for any and all thrill rides while I'm ready to be immersed in that childlike enthusiasm that comes from places where is not not only accepted, but encouraged. After being in charge of a classroom all the time and having to be professional, I can't wait to be able to allow my silly, childish side to come out for a day or two.

I get giggles just thinking about it!

the house, Ohio, I'm a big winner, and the end of Hell

AB
Jul 24, 2008
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Aughhhh. It feel so good to sit down and write. It's been a fun, HOT, and busy summer so far and I just haven't had the time to stop and write. Okay, so maybe I had time but I can't deny my laziness when it comes to stopping and writing. I love to do it but every time I get around to doing so, some crazy celebrity gossip story takes over me and I am entranced.

We finally are moved into the house. Well, we've been in for a few weeks, but it still has that fun newness to it. The house is amazing, especially since GB and I didn't see it until the day we received our keys. We were both busy and/or out of town when our friend/roommate Krause saw it. After looking at quite a few houses, he knew exactly what we were looking for and did an amazing job picking this out. I'm not exaggerating but my/our room is bigger than my old apartment. Seriously! It has a loft upstairs where we put all my living room stuff. It has affectionately been nicknamed the "Hiber Hut" (as in hibernation). It's my get away when I need a little girlie time. Love it! I also am enjoying having a real big girl kitchen!

We headed back to Ohio for Fourth of July weekend for a short visit. It was the first time everyone met GB and they loved him, of course! Who wouldn't? ;-) Before we left, two of my aunts came out for a few days and actually helped me move. What a blessing that was! My aunts are a very important in my life, especially the two who came out. It was so nice to be able to have time with GB and I. It was nice for him to be able to meet part of my "Southern" family before he met those Damn Yankees!

So...crazy story!!!! I'm going to backtrack a wee bit. GB was entered into a locals Blackjack Tournament at one of the casinos on the strip. Yadda, yadda, yadda...I was entered too. A week before we were moving and the day my aunts were arriving here, I won the tournament. I had no business winning. I vaguely knew strategy, which GB taught to me five minutes before the first round on the first of three days. My one aunt landed and we were able to take her to watch me play. I kept betting big and hitting the weirdest combinations! I was the only female and younger than the other five men by twenty years, easily. They did not take defeat well. I loved it. Then someone from that casino knew GB from his job and "comped" us a nice steak dinner. All this on my Aunt Barb's birthday. My aunt passed away in October but always wanted to come to Vegas. Unfortunately, she was never well enough to do so. I thought it was a super cool awesome gnarly gift from her to win the tourny with her sisters here.

Summer school finally ended today. THANK THE GOOD LORD! That was hella tough and tiring! The only thing left is checkout tomorrow and then three glorious weeks of vacation. I think we're going to go to Disney sometime during that time. Hooooooorayyyyy!

My Summer Job

AB
Jun 16, 2008
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I decided that I needed to get a summer job. When GB and I decided to move in together, I thought it would be a good idea to NOT sit around all summer and be up his ass driving him nuts. He travels a lot for work, but when he is here, 75% of his work is done at home. His job requires concentration, not a bored girlfriend all up in his business. Hence the reason for a summer job.

A summer school position fell into my lap. A job where I'm paid pretty dang decent and only work until noon. A job just fell in my lap. I can see why after this morning.

I am teaching at a Continuation School. This is where the kids in the district go when they are expelled from their home schools. Yes, expelled. Drugs, fighting, bringing weapons to school. You name it, they've done it.

I get to school early because it was the first day and start to get things ready. I hear someone yell, "SIT DOWN OR YOU'RE GONE, MAN!" We are in portables, which are like trailers converted into classrooms, so I open my door to see what's going on. I look over to see buses unloading students and more students and more students, all in a pretty damn strict dress code. As the come in the gate, they had to take belts off so they could be checked. Then they had to stand on a box looking platform to get patted down and have a metal detector wand ran over them. If they brought anything, it was taken away. We have to supply simple things like pencils and paper. They can't even trust the kids to carry a pencil.

I'm enjoying sitting and home and relaxing for a bit right now. It was a lot when you're used to having one or two "bad kids" in your classes and now your class is made up of these one or two "bad kids." Surprisingly, it went okay. It *was* only day one though. Even more surprisingly, I'm ready to take it on!

Ode to Renee

AB
Jun 11, 2008
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To Renee, the bestest cuzster in the world. (That's cousin/sister for those of you who are new to our term.)

There are so many things I have learned from you, dearest Renee, that I would like to take a second to share them with the world.

~I have learned that "getting" to wake up a non-morning person in the morning is not a privilege but a sick and cruel joke.

~I have learned that having an older sister is beneficial because the mistakes made in high school are nothing compared to the shit your older sister already pulled on your parents, therefore breaking them in and lessening the punishment.

~I learned to never tell someone who just turned 21 that your intentions are to get them intoxicated. It will backfire.

~I learned it's never okay to drink and a) think it's okay to jump in bed with grandmothers to share how much fun your night was, b) think it's okay to jump onto the bed of your sleeping uncle to share how much fun your night was, and c) think it's okay to eat chips in bed and then sleep on the crumbs because of how fun your night was.

~I learned that you *really* love people...more than life itself.

~I learned that there are only two food groups that really matter...bean burritos and tea latte thingies from Starbucks.

~I learned that I don't need to have a child of my own to raise one. I just need to get my younger sister knocked up.

I could keep going but it's late and I'm not sure the sarcasm is reading too well at this point.

Here's what I really have learned...

-Life is what you make of it, not what others make for you

-If you can dream it, you can do it

-Try anything once without being afraid to fail

-Know that if you do fail, it only makes your spine stronger and your skin thicker

-Laugh. Laugh hard. Laugh loud. Laugh often.

-Don't be afraid to love unconditionally

-Take time for yourself but don't make the world revolve around yourself

-Trends may come and go, but natural beauty comes from within and remains forever

-Take the lemons life hands you, go find a friend and some tequila, and start the shots

-Allow yourself to just be

and most important

-You can chose your friends but you can't chose your family

...just kidding...

most important

-Don't be afraid to ask for help

I'm a whore

AB
Jun 10, 2008
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I'm an attention whore. I've decided this. A tried and true attention whore. I love it, I need it, I'm cranky and irritable without it. I want to run out onto my tiny, little, scorching Vegas porch and scream as loud as I can that I am in love with attention. Unfortunately, I'm too lazy to go out in the heat right now and I'm only a few weeks away from moving out so I really don't think any noise complaints from the neighbors would be beneficial at the moment.

If only others would realize this, my life would be so much easier. Here's the crazy thing. You may be reading this going, "Man, this woman is crazy." Here's the thing...you just have to embrace your whorishness enough to admit it. I think all of us deep down crave attention. Okay, so maybe not everyone. I can actually name a few people who would rather eat fish gut soaked bananas than be the center of attention. This is a good thing. This means that there is more attention for all of us attention whores.

Look at my history. I was groomed for attention. My mother put me in a Beautiful Baby Contest when I was like 4 or something. I won. It wasn't because I was necessarily beautiful, I think all children are. It was because I was an attention whore even at that age. I can see myself up there with that attention getting twinkle in my eyes gabbing away with the judges...even before I was able to talk as much as I can now...and trust me...I can talk. I was put into dance classes for years where the purpose is to learn a routine to show off to people. Again, groomed for attention. My father was a part of this too. He urged me to play sports. Granted, they were team sports, but sports non-the-less. I think I embraced that I sucked at certain sports because I didn't have pressure on me to carry the team. Instead I used my gift of gab to annoy the other team, thus using my attention whore skills to benefit others.

You want to know how bad it was. I used to love doing the Readings at Mass. I went to a Catholic school so we went to Mass every week. Most of my classmates hated getting in front of everyone and reading into a mic. Oh no, not this attention whore. It was so bad that I had certain passages memorized by the time I was in high school. Seriously, who uses Church as a means to get attention...yup...me!

Look at my profession choice. I am the center of attention a good chunk of my day. Love it.

I guess what I'm working on is a public service announcement. Attention whores of America...do not feel guilty for loving the attention. Do not feel bad about loving people reading your blogs, or laughing at your jokes, or having the uncontrollable urge to strangle you as you crave more attention. Instead work with it. Love it. Own it.

Kind words on the death of Mr. Hairdryer II

AB
Jun 10, 2008
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Thank goodness I'm a complete and total bum the last couple of days.

This weekend I was at GB's dying my hair when I heard a weird "POP" and then my hairdryer stopped working. Now, Mr. Hairdryer and I have already had some issues but he was a good, strong part of my daily routine.

He was purchased about a year ago when my old and trusty Mr. Hairdryer went poof-no-more. I had him about a month when the on/off button decided it no longer wanted to work. Luckily, all I had to do was push in the test/reset button on the part that plugs into the wall and all was good...a pain in the ass...but good.

I guess he decided his year of service was finished and he was ready to go to a better place.

Today I am up and ready to take on Sally Beauty to purchase myself a brand spankin' new, Mr. Hairdryer III. May he live up the expectations set by his predecessors.

RIP Mr. Hairdryer II

Summer break

AB
Jun 9, 2008
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Today was my first official day off and I did absolutely nothing...and it felt wonderful. The rest of this week needs to be spent packing. I can't believe how much stuff I have accumulated in eighteen months since I moved into this apartment. I'm excited about moving in with GB and our friend, but nervous at the same time. Part of me wants it to just be GB and I, but financially it makes more sense for there to be three of us. GB has been talking about possibly buying a house in a year or so, so I'm cautiously optimistic that these arrangements will only be temporary.

I'm very glad the school year is over. It was a learning year to say the least. I feel like a lot of my energy and positivity was sucked out this year. I know it can only be what you allow it to be, but it was bad. Out of a staff of forty, over half of us are leaving including our assistant principal. Imagine working in a place where it is so intolerable that half your coworkers leave. It was a year. I'm seriously hoping that a new home, a visit from my aunts, and a MUCH needed trip home will be the remedy I need to get back to the AB I used to be.

I am exciting to be going back to my old school. Yes, it's ghetto. Yes, the kids will be NOTHING like what I worked with this year. Yes, I'm going to be driving again. BUT, I'm going home. That's what it feels like. I love and miss the family feeling that existed in that school. I know it is where I'm supposed to be.

I'm trying a new adventure this summer. I will be teaching summer school. This doesn't sound difficult, but I am going to be teaching at our Opportunity school where the students are sent when they are kicked out of regular schools. I go in this Friday for a work day and begin next Monday.

Summer is here. Bring it on.