I have a confession...

Oh no...could it be? Maybe I'm not as organized and/or clean as I thought. I think of myself as a pretty organized and "withit" kind of person. I like everything to have a place and be in its place. This is what I think about myself anyway. Yet, I keep things in my car for days, weeks, who am I kidding..months at a time. I have piles of mail on my desk at home that I have barely glanced at. I drape clothes over a chair in my bedroom and only move them when people are coming over. When I do laundry, sometimes it sits in the basket for days and I just go get what I need out of the basket as I need it. It isn't even folded much less a priority to put it away. My work life is the same way. I try to stay on top of grading papers, doing lesson plans, and making copies, but so often I'm doing it at the last minute. Often times I head down to the copier to run a test through while the students are sitting at their desks waiting for it! I like my desk, at all times, to be neat enough that I can "see wood" but ofttimes that is not the case at all. It is not a question of "do I have stacks?", but "how many stacks do I have?" and on top of each other too...but I (usually) know where everything is! They say geniuses thrive on clutter, and I had always scoffed at that statement, because I was neat! (A little arrogance, I know...) However, I'm wondering if it isn't so much that geniuses thrive on clutter as those of us that have too much to do simply never have time to put it all away!

And the Winner is...

This is the winner of the "It's Not My Job Award" for 2006! Ha!

Overnight Male?

My integrity was taken into question on Friday night (and "shadiness" thrust upon me)when I said George Strait's song was Overnight Male and not Overnight Mail. They thought I was being dirty and taking a perfectly acceptable song to a level for which it was not intended. Just in case anyone else is confused, I'm posting the lyrics. I'm not the one making the song about a one-night stand...the songwriter did that. (I like the song...just in case anyone was wondering!)


Overnight Male

Let me be your male-man
And I'll always come though
There's no denying'
Come rain or shine
I'll deliver my love to you
I do things by the letter
You can put your stamp on me
Cause there ain't nobody better
For a special delivery

Chorus:
Like the pony express
And the wild wild west
I'll ride hard all night long
And I can saddle up fast
Get ya there first class
Long before the dawn
You know your male's gonna get to you
Come snow, rain, sleet, or hail
Cause I'm a top flight, hold ya tight, get ya there by daylight
Do you right overnight male

I know your heart is fragile
So I'll handle it with care
There ain't no doubt
I know love's route
So baby let me take you there
I'll bring you cards and flowers
But I know just what you need
Just give me 24 hours
Satisfaction guaranteed

Chorus

You know your male's gonna get to you
Come snow, rain, sleet, or hail
Cause I'm a top flight, hold ya tight, get ya there by daylight
Do ya right overnight male
Yeah I'm a top flight, hold ya tight, get ya there by daylight
Do ya right overnight male

Ugh, Drivers! :)

This morning on my way to work, I'm driving along minding my own business, when a driver turns into my lane and honks at me for not giving her the right of way. Seriously?

New Habits?

Last Tuesday night I went out with some friends for a fabulous meal. While we were enjoying the experience, I partook of a few glasses of wine. More than I usually do, but not so much that, by the end of the evening, it was even a remote problem. That night I went home and slept through the night (which is pretty rare for me.) The next morning, when I go into the bathroom to brush my teeth, I find a pair of socks at my sink. These were not there the night before. Did the wine have more of an effect than I thought and I'm forgetting things? Or did I wake up at some point during the night and rifle through my sock drawer? Overall I found the incident amusing.

A day or so later I find a pair of socks halfway sticking out from under my bed. I assume they're a part of the previous incident and chuckle, then move on with whatever I was doing.

Yesterday, I woke up at 2:30am on the couch. I remember going to bed about 11:00 but no recolection of having moved. (I had nothing to drink on this evening.)

So am I now a sleep walker? I admit, I find that thought a little unsettling. What else am I doing in my sleep that I'm not finding evidence of?

Smiles

I love getting flowers! I was given a dozen pink roses this week, and they are absolutely beautiful. They are sitting on my desk at work and whenever I look at them, I get a little grin on my face. When I stand up to leave my desk, I bend down to smell the fragrance of the blooms. My kids giggle at me, but seriously they have really brightened my week. :)

Levels of Chocolate

My Occasions for Chocolates

Hershey's: Great for everyday chocolate cravings

Toblerone: If you have a great day at work or some other life event goes well, this is a good celebratory chocolate.

Ghiradelli's: A great gift for a small holiday (For some this may be Valentine's Day, while for others it may mean anniversaries or birthdays)

Godiva: This is saved for more meaningful holidays...whatever you deem the more meaningful holiday to be!

My opinions only. This does not embody the entire female population, though I would think there would be a general consensus. I have not done a poll though. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Instead, [your beauty] it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. I Peter 3:4

Why we love kids! :)

This is hysterical! I cried, I was laughing so hard. I was going to weed some of them out, but I can't. They're too funny!

WHY WE LOVE KIDS

1) NUDITY
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"

2) OPINIONS
On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents"

3) MORE NUDITY
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter? Haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"

4) POLICE # 1
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"

5) POLICE # 2
It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Fina lly he said, "What'd he do?"

6) ELDERLY
While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

7) DRESS-UP
A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.”

8) DEATH
While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playma tes had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always sang: "Glory be to the Faaather, and to the Sonnn, and into the hole he goes."

9) BIBLE
A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered , "I think it's Adam's underwear."

You're It! :)

I've been tagged.

OK, so here are the rules: Each person who gets tagged needs to write a blog post telling 6 weird things about themself... as well as clearly state the rules. After you state your 6 weird things, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you're tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog for information as to what it means.

So 6 weird things about me:

1. I count everything. Yes, I do mean count...yes I said everything. I count doorways and I like to count by 5s so I go up a doorpost, across the top, down the other doorpost, then I cross the door with an X so that its 5. My apartment is "25" (closet, bathroom, bedroom, storage closet, front door). Ceiling tiles are the other thing I count...and florescent lights. It's actually not as bad anymore, but in high school and the first part of college, I did it ALL the time. Weird, right?

2. I don't like coffee. Yes, you read correctly. As in "cannot stand the taste of" in anything. I don't like coffee ice cream, or espresso beans or chocolate covered coffee beans. I don't like mocha or hot chocolate. I have tried them. I don't like it. Can we still be friends?

3. Driving. A friend once told me that her mom allowed her to ride with me because I was such a good, sweet girl, I must be a good driver. (I was 16. She wasn't yet.) Ha! I wouldn't call it road rage per se, but let's just say I'm quite an assertive...eh hem, aggressive driver.

4. I have curly hair. Maybe you think this is cheating the "weird" category a bit, but in a day and age of straight being the more trendy style, I have curly hair. And I like my curly hair thank you very much! I've had friends offer to "help" me with it or loan me their chi. I have a chi. I use it occasionally, and yes, it is fun, but for the most part I'm going to stick with the curls. I like 'em.

5. Neat, but not necessarily clean. I like being neat. Things are organized in a way that I find useful. My computer files are all in titled folders. Any folder in my filing cabinet is easily accessible with files labeled in readable handwriting. My apartment is the same way. My drawers, closet, under my bed, even my bathroom cabinets are well organized. I go through my closet often and weed out things I no longer wear. When it is necessary to create stacks of things, they are also organized into appropriate piles. However, I'm not always clean. When my mom is coming to visit, my apartment is scrubbed until its shining. But that's only about once a year. When other company comes over, I do a once over to make sure there's no major dust issues. I even vacuumn. But other than that, cleanliness isn't my priority.

6. I didn't go to a big university. I'm not an Aggie. I don't whoop. I'm not a longhorn. I don't do any hand symbols. I wasn't in a sorority. I don't have any Greek sisters. My university was about as large as my high school graduating class (which granted, was large, but still.) I love Ouachita (wash-it-ah) and would choose to go there again, no hesitation. I had a phenomenal college experience! But I don't follow college football and couldn't really care less how any particular team is doing.

Okay, that's it. I'm not tagging 6 people though, because I don't know 6 bloggers who haven't already been tagged! I'll settle for 3. Troy, OS Hopper, and Lisa.

Questions I have been asked (and some of my answers)

1. Why are there Ws on the M & Ms?

2. Are you falling in love with me? (YES!)

3. Can I go to the bathroom? (I don't know. Can you?)

4. Who are you rooting for? (Umm, who's playing?)

5. Are you ready to leave the classroom yet?

6. How's school going? (The one I teach or the one where I'm a student?)

7. How much money did you get?

8. Do you know Simon? The guy on American Idol? (My thought: Am I alive?...Come on people!)

Starbucks Oracle

I saw this site, Starbucks Oracle, and decided to type in my drink of choice. Now anyone that knows me, knows that I don't drink coffee...of any kind. I'm also not a fan of 99.9% of hot drinks. That makes Starbucks an interesting choice of stop. However, I have found two drinks there that I enjoy. Passion herbal tea lemonade and carmel apple cider. When I type in one of these at the Oracle, I am categorized as:

Personality type: High Maintenance

You pride yourself on being assertive and direct; everyone else thinks you're bossy and arrogant. You're constantly running your mouth about topics that only you would find interesting. Your capacity for wasting other people's time is limitless. Your friends find you intolerable, that's why they're plotting to kill you.

Also drinks: Water. Bottled, chilled, with four ice cubes, a twist of lemon, in a crystal glass.
Can also be found at: Trendy martini bars

When I type in the other, this is what I get:
Personality type: Lame

You're a simple person with modest tastes and a reasonable lifestyle. In other words, you're boring. Going to Starbucks makes you feel sophisticated; you'd like to be snooty and order an espresso but aren't sure if you're ready for that level of excitement. People laugh at you because you use fake curse words like "friggin'" and "oh, crumb!" Everyone who thinks America's Funniest Home Videos is a great show drinks ___________________.

Also drinks: V8
Can also be found: On the couch at home

I'm a little amused at the difference in the two. I'm sure you can guess which drink earned which response. :)

Technology...love it! :)

I love technology. Yesterday was my first night at home in a few weeks and things have been pretty crazy in Alyssa world lately. I used the night at home to catch up on my television watching (very important, I know.) I turned on my laptop, clicked on the little blue e, went to the CBS webpage and watched 3 episodes of NCIS, 1 episode of The Unit and 1 episode of Numbers. (Yes, that's a lot of TV...I was waaaay behind! :) Now, I normally do not need lots of "veg" time and very rarely do I need that veg time in front of the television. (I usually spend it with a book.) But yesterday, I just wanted to sit on my couch and catch up on my favorite shows, doing absolutely nothing else. It was great!

Burger birthplace?

There is currently a Texas state legislator that is arguing with a Connecticut restaurant that burgers were birthed in Texas. Don't our representatives have more important things to do? Seriously?

Here is a picture of a US soldier. In case you cannot read the fine print, I'll summarize for you. A little girl's family was executed by insurgents and she was shot in the head. She came through surgery, but still cries and moans at times. This Air Force Chief Master Sergeant is the only one that can calm her down, so they sleep in a chair many nights like this. Just a reminder to pray for our troops and to pray for the citizens of the countries that are encumbered by this war. The innocent are those that lose the most.

Alyssa Lies

Listening to songs like "My Maria" or "Who's Bed have your Boots been Under?" growing up, I remember thinking "There won't ever be a song with my name in it." I mean, my name just isn't that common. Most people butcher it when pronouncing it...so of course it won't be in music. Then this year "Alyssa Lies" hits the airwaves. The first time I heard the song, I admit, I didn't even follow the story because I was trying to figure out if Jason Michael Carroll was really saying "Alyssa." He is. The song is heartbreaking.

If you haven't heard it, it is a beautiful song. A very sad story about a girl, Alyssa, who is the victim of child abuse. In the song, the adults in her life are not sure how to respond and so turn a blind eye. The morning someone is going to act, is the morning after it's too late. Beautifully sung, poignant and masterfully written to make a point. Adults need to be advocates for the innocent.

I admit, this was not the type of song I was hoping for if a song with my name was ever recorded. I'd much rather be the sexy woman in the beautiful red dress or the one with the curly hair and blue eyes that captures a man's attention, but hey...the writer didn't ask me. I am curious to know if the song is based on a true story or simply one to represent all the children who live with abuse each year, but haven't been able to find anything to prove one way or the other.