Friday Frags

~  TGIF.  Or:  POETS Day.  Whichever you prefer.

~  I. AM. SO. TIRED.  This year's schedule is kicking my butt.  I'm so overwhelmed/stressed right now that I'm having a really hard time sleeping.  Too many thoughts running around in my head.

~  Big football weekend:  the Rival Game is tonight.  I'm looking forward to a nice quiet couple of hours all to myself since CH will be carrying the chains & YS and his girlfriend will be going to the game.  His g'friend went to a county high school and was in the band, so she's never been able to experience "THE" game.

~  A new coaching era for The Big Orange begins on Saturday.  There's quite a bit of excitement in the air around here.

~  There's an old wives' tale that says that the number of foggy mornings you have in August will be how many snows you have during the winter...it's been pretty foggy here this month.  Fingers crossed there will be some snow days in my future!

~  Still no followers on my speech blog, but I've picked up some followers on my facebook page.  I've gotten a couple of comments; I forgot that it takes time to get the word out there and get people to follow!  I'm using Linky Parties when I can!

~  I'm looking forward to a long weekend so I can get a little ahead with work, then maybe I won't feel so stressed.  Oh, and hopefully catch up on some blog reading.

Have a wonderful, fun Labor Day!

Laboring over the Hodgepodge

1. Labor Day weekend (in the US of A) is approaching...what's something you've labored over this year? 
Trying to keep the house going and somewhat organized.  Didn't really work, but I tried.  (half-heartedly, but I tried!)

2. What is one word to describe your 'job' or career?
Dream.  My current position is a "dream job", even with all of the budget cuts.

3. What was your worst or least favorite job ever? Why?
The end of my time working for a rehab company.  I ended up with a position I didn't want, and it was awful.

4. How do you measure contentment?
I think it's more of a "feeling"; I don't know that it can be measured.  

5. Pickles-like or dislike? What is something you eat that requires a pickle? Dill, bread and butter, sweet gherkins...what's your favorite kind of pickle?
I like dill pickles, and pretty much on their own.  Unless it's potato salad or tuna salad.  It's a definite "no" to pickles on sandwiches or burgers.

6. In your current house-town-state, what is it you like living close to?
The mountains.  I absolutely love the view as I drive to work every day.  I think this deserves a second posting:

7. What is one thing on your 'want-to-do' list before summer draws to an official close?
Summer was over for me 5 weeks ago.  I have nothing on my list.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Monday, one of my schools was evacuated due to a fire caused by the air unit.  Luckily, no one was hurt and the day was able to resume.  I wouldn't have been there anyway, since it wasn't my day to be there, but I always miss all of the excitement at that school!  Yesterday, we got an email in our school email advertising an HVAC job opening.  Coincidence???

Weekend Wrap-up

Before I get to the weekend, I've got to share this picture of my ride to work last Tuesday:

We've had some amazing sunrises lately.

Okay, now I'm focused!  Friday, which just happened to be CH's birthday, we high-tailed it out of town to go camping.  We met a couple of people that are in our camping group for the weekend.  One of the ladies is expecting a baby in November, so we gave her a surprise baby shower.  Her husband knew about it, but she had no clue.  One of the ladies did an amazing job with getting everything together:

 The mom-to-be (for the 3rd time...or 4th...they had twin girls the first go-round!):

 Mom-to-be with 2 of her girls.  This will be the 4th girl!

Even though the gathering was small, it gave all of us a chance to get to know each other a little better.  Another couple came by for a while, but didn't camp.

Saturday morning, CH, Laika, & I went for a walk.  This campground has a lot of trails all over the park.

 They have little "resting areas" at various spots along the trail:

 CH & I taking advantage of the bench while Laika explored the woods:

 A Tulip Poplar:  Tennessee's State Tree:

 The trail:  

 CH & his dog:

 Laika enjoyed getting into the creek:

 She had a blast running in the field:

 Another "Resting Spot":

The weather was perfect:  not too hot during the day, low humidity, and cool at night.  It was cool enough that we didn't have to run the air conditioner, and we used our comforter.  It just wasn't cool enough for a fire, although some campers had one.

Saturday afternoon, we ventured into the nearby town and had lunch.  We like to eat at a local eating place if we can, and we just happened to see a billboard advertising such a place.  We drove by it and missed the turn off, but we ended up going back because there were a lot of cars in the parking lot.  That's a sure way to find a decent place to eat!  It didn't disappoint, either.  The food was good, and the employees were extremely nice.  We will definitely be going back next time we camp at that campground.  We got a chuckle over the sign on the door:

I guess it's okay to go in without shoes (or pants!), but don't forget your shirt!

That night, we grilled hamburgers, and then made "Dutch Oven Caramel Apple Pie".  Well, kind of.  I couldn't find the Rhodes Cinnamon Rolls, so I used the Pillsbury ones in a can.  It was still really good.  It would've been even better with vanilla ice cream on it.

(Pre-baking)

Sunday morning, we ate breakfast, cleaned up camp, and came home.  We were only a little over an hour from the house, so we got home around noon.  MS & his girlfriend, and YS & his girlfriend joined us for our regular Sunday evening Mexican dinner.

All in all, it was a much needed weekend.  This school year has started out extremely hectic, so it was good to get away and not think about work.  I didn't even read a book this weekend, which is something that I usually do when we're camping.  

As we came home, this is always a welcome sight:

Hope your weekend was just as relaxing!

Friday Frags

~  Another week closer to Fall Break!  (That's 6 more weeks, but who's counting?)

~  I was at school yesterday for 12 hours.  I got there a little before 7:00 a.m., and we had Open House so I didn't leave until 7:20 p.m.  It was a busy day!

~  We have a new principal at that school, and he's doing a GREAT job!  When the superintendent introduced him to us as our new principal, my thought was, "Oh my gosh!  He looks like he's YS' age!"  He's probably about 5 or 6 years older than YS, but it really made me feel old.

~  High school football starts tonight.  It's pretty weird to not have to go to the games unless we want to.

~  I spent 2 hours in the clinic on Wednesday because I was feeling like crap, and YS tested positive for strep on Sunday.  I was sure it was strep, but the dr. said it was just the beginning of a bad head/chest cold.  I actually felt much better yesterday.  I don't remember ever getting a cold this early in the school year.  Time to get out the Lysol wipes and the Anywhere spray!

~  This is pretty short, but all I've been doing is working and trying to get my act together for work.  I've been real spoiled the past few years with a pretty light caseload, but having a special ed preschool in one of my schools is changing all of that!

~  Looks like a camping weekend is in order!

Reality Hodgepodge

1. What's your worst food memory?  How about one of your best?
Worst:  Taking a big bite out of a hot pepper after I asked Daddy if it was hot and he said it wasn't.
Best:  Most of  my meals on my trip over the summer.

2. Do you appreciate people telling it like it is, or would you rather a speaker temper his/her words and maybe beat around the bush a little?  How about when you're the one communicating...which type are you? 
I'd rather they tell me like it is.  I tend to try to soften things up when I talk, but I'm pretty honest when asked.

3. What's your favorite place to hang out?
There's a brewery in town that some of my friends/coworkers go to every now and then.  

4. When do you most feel like you're a slave to time?
I've not nothing on this one.

5. What was the last concert you attended?  Who'd you go with? Was it any good?
Nabiha & Shaka Loveless at Tivoli in Copenhagen.  I was with B & H, and YS and his friend were there, just not with us.  I really, really liked Nabiha.  Shaka Loveless was pretty good; I'm sure he would've been better if  I had been able to understand what he was singing!

6. Reality TV...harmful or harmless?  What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to reality TV?
Oh, Reality TV.  It's really just a waste of time, but oh, how I like to watch the Real Housewives marathons!  

7. What's something you think is overrated?
Honey Boo-Boo...hands down.  I'm just sooo thankful that she's not from Tennessee!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
Since speech is in full swing for me, I thought I would share a typical speech session with you:

Weekend Wrap-up

Was there a weekend?  Yes, it seems that there was.

~  I stayed at school until 4:00 on Friday (we get to leave at 3:00) so that I could clean off my desk.  I really didn't want to go in on Monday knowing I was facing my desk covered with folders and papers that needed their own place.  I feel so much better knowing I'm going to be able to see the top of my desk when I walk in the door!

~  I felt like crap on Friday with a sore throat.  What is it about a sore throat that makes you feel so incredibly yucky?  It was weird, though:  it wasn't really my throat that was hurting, it was my faucial pillars.  (Don't know what that is?  It's that place on either side of your uvula!)

~  I wanted to fix something for dinner on Friday so I could have enough in my new dishwasher to run it.  I can't believe how quiet it is!  And the dishes are actually clean!  CH said a coworker told him that he had the same brand, and they had nothing but problems out of it.  Fingers crossed they just had a bad machine and we won't have the trouble they did.

~  Saturday I needed to go to the grocery store.  But, before I go to the store, I have to figure out what we're having for dinner for 2 weeks, then make a list.  I had an awful time getting focused to do anything.  If you're friends with me on Facebook, I think my statuses can attest to that.  I checked all of my emails, spent a lot of time on Pinterest, checked my Instagram and Twitter, and then checked my Facebook again.  I finally got around to it, but then CH wanted to go to Camping World.

~  Before I made it to the grocery store, I went by Hobby Lobby to get some stuff for school. And then I went by Target to look for some more stuff.  (That's what happens when you get on Pinterest and speech blogs!)  I finally made it to the grocery store.

~  I was in bed by 8:30 Saturday night; I still felt pretty bad.  We thought YS had mono last week:  he went to the clinic and was given a Z-Pack.  The quick test said he didn't have it, but then he got his bloodwork and it also said "no".  He was still feeling pretty badly, so I told him (on Friday) to make an appointment with his doctor.  He ended up going back to the clinic on Sunday since he had enlarged tonsils and some nice white spots on them.  Turns out he has strep.  I guess it's a good thing he has it now since he starts class next week.

~  I spent Sunday finishing up with some school projects, and then I had this great idea to start a speech blog.  I've been visiting these great blogs, and to be perfectly honest, I'm thinking, "Why are they causing so much work for themselves?"  I figure I have 29 years of experience, so I can just throw my 2 cents out there and they can take it for what it's worth.  You can check the blog out here.

~  "Whodunnit" had their season finale last night.  I was a surprised at who the "killer" was...I thought for sure it was going to be Lindsay, but she got an arrow to the throat at the last minute.  But then, they showed a preview for the "Revenge" season opener.  Oh.My.  That HAS to be a dream scene.  Can't wait to see what happens!

~  Today starts our 3rd week of school already.   Christmas Break (and The Keys!) will be here before you know it!

How was your weekend?

Back to Fraggin'

~  It feels GREAT to participate in the Frags again.  I feel like I've been writing about my trip forever.

~  We're finishing up the 2nd week of school already.  7 more weeks until Fall Break.

~  Things are crazy at one of my schools:  this is the first year we've had a Special Ed Preschool.  Those kids are just adorable, but having that class is reeking havoc on my schedule.  As in, no breaks on Wednesday.  It's not like I've never done that before...it's just been a few years.  I'm getting too old for this!  

~  Did you know there is a "Law and Order UK"?  You know how the detectives on the American ones sound so intimidating?  Yeah...there's something about that British accent that doesn't make them sound so tough.

~  I came home to this:

CH & I bought this on Sunday, and it was installed today.  Our dishwasher & our garbage disposal decided to go out at the same time.  The dishwasher was 9 years old, and it was a "less expensive" one.

~  This commercial was shot in the Small Town.  If you're a Packers fan, you may recognize the man in the video below.  He worked extremely hard to get where he is, and he's stayed very humble.  He's given back to the community by giving free football camps to the youth, and sponsoring a program at the elementary school to give kids backpacks with food so they'll have something to eat over weekends.  One thing about this video:  when he's running near the tracks, it gave me the impression that it was the middle of town, and that town is kind of deserted and run down, which isn't the case at all!


~Since I'm finally finished with my posts from the trip, I'll be getting back to the every day life in the Small Town!

Copenhagen: Bucket List Completions

After my last trip to Copenhagen, there were a few things that I didn't do that I wanted to make sure I did  this time.  Like, see the church where my in-laws got married:

I wasn't able to go inside since it was locked.

I saw where my MIL lived when B first met my FIL:

I wanted to eat smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches): 

 The above picture was my plate.  The front sandwich tasted pretty good; I didn't care for the one in back.  The one in back was kind of an egg salad, but it had quite a bit of curry in it.

I got a triple whammy:  eating smørrebrød and drinking a beer while sitting in front of a building where CH's grandfather stayed after escaping a ship that had been bombed during the war. And, it just happened to be in Nyhavn.

Our view as we ate lunch:

This is one of my best pictures from Nyhavn:

Some additional pictures of Nyhavn:

After we got home from the last trip, I found out about Flødeboller. They are a chocolate dessert with a kind of marshmallow center, but not like our marshmallow.  This was such a smooth, creamy marshmallow.

Unbelievable!  The marshmallow was kind of a "melt in your mouth" surprise.  If I could've figured out how to bring some home without them exploding on the plane, I would've done it.  I'm not sure why no one here can figure out how to make them.

This trip to Copenhagen was really nice.  It was a slower pace than last time, believe it or not. The last time I was there, I had no idea that I would be able to visit a second time. There was a lot of construction going on in various places around the city because they are expanding their metro service.  Even with the construction, Copenhagen is a gorgeous city.  Just to be there, taking in the sights, and taking in the beauty.  Another trip of a lifetime!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read about my trip.  I'm finally at the end!  Back to writing posts about the mundane, everyday life in the Small Town!   

Mastering the Hodgepodge

1. My daughter earned her Master's Degree this past weekend...what's something you've 'mastered' in recent weeks or months?
I've mastered getting up at 5:30 to be at school on time.  

2. What song most reminds you of your childhood?
When I hear the song "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkle, I'm reminded of a trip to Tx., and of some of us singing it at the top of our lungs.  When I reflect on the lyrics now, I can't believe my mom & my aunt were okay with us singing it!

3. What do you think about single gender groups and/or events? Should everygroup/event be open to both genders?  If not, what sort of exceptions do you think are appropriate? 
People need to stop being so sensitive.  Who cares?

4. What's your favorite spice? Your favorite dish containing your favorite spice?
Garlic.  I don't have a favorite dish that it's in, though.

5.  I saw this question on Marla's facebook page and asked if I could steal borrow it for the Hodgepodge...thanks Marla!  

Chevron patterns are everywhere!  Do you like it or think its just a little too much? Do you own anything 'chevron'? 
It depends on where it is.  I have this little sign in my therapy rooms at school, courtesy of Crazy

Speech World:

6.  What's something you disliked as a child, but can fully appreciate now?
Broccoli.

7. What can irritate you very quickly?
People insisting on stopping at the traffic circle.  Can't stand it!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

We had a nice surprise on Monday:  OS came by and spent the night.  This was a welcome sight in my driveway when I left for work on Tuesday:

He shared this clip with me (he's the 3rd one coming down):

Copenhagen: Churches

Don't get too excited:  I only went into 4 churches this trip.  I've already talked about 2:  The Church of Our Lady, which I talked about here, and the Catholic Church that I talked about last post.
There is one church that is on Strøget.  When we were there 4 years ago, every time we went by it was closed.  This trip, the first time we went by the church, it was closed.  The next time:  same thing.  They say "Third time's the charm", and it certainly was!  We were walking when it started to rain, and we just happened to be right in front of The Church of the Holy Ghost.

 As we walked into the courtyard, there is "The Tomb of the Unknown Concentration Camp Prisoner".  On the last trip, I know we walked into that courtyard; I don't know how we missed this.

When we made it inside the Church, as B said, "It was very much worth the wait".  Originally, the church was part of a monastery by the same name, dating back to 1296.  The monastery was dissolved in 1536 during the Reformation, but the church survived.  As it seems most of the bigger cities in Europe have experienced, Copenhagen also had a "Great Fire".  Theirs was in 1728, and it destroyed the church.  4 years later, it reopened.

King Christian VI presented the altar in 1732, upon the re-opening of the church after the fire.  According to the pamphlet we got in the church, "The altarpiece depicts the Ascension of Christ and is the work of Hendrik Krock.  The medallion portrait is of King Frederik IV and bears the monogram and palms of his son, King Christian VI.  The final addition to the altarpiece was made by King Frederik V in 1747 with the presentation of the two allegorical figures, 'Faith' and 'Hope', crated by the sculptor Just Wiedewelt."

click on the pictures for bigger, better views!

The pulpit dates back to 1879:

The crucifix is made of bog oak; it dates back to 1967.

According to the pamphlet, "The organ was designed by Hermann Storck in 1879 to harmonise with the rest of the church interior.  The organ mechanism has been rebuilt on a number of occasions, the most radical and successful reconstruction being undertaken by the firm Marcussen & Son in 1986.  With its characteristic 'romantic, symphonic' tone, the organ is also one of the largest in Denmark with 75 stops (and nearly 5,000 pipes)."

Just under the organ's pipes, is painting depicting the Annunciation of Mary.  It has a wood base and dates from 1897.

The font (which you can see in the bottom left corner) is white marble.  It was sculpted in Rome in 1827.  The sculptor intended for it to be a gift to his native Iceland, but it was sold to an English Nobleman.  It ended up in an auction in London in 1938, and the owner donated it to the church.

The chandelier "dates from around 1608 and was presented to the church in 1750."  It has a built in clock, and "is surmounted with a pelican.  The pelican is an ancient Christian symbol-the mother bird which gives of its blood so that its young may survive."

The other church we went into was Gustaf Church, which is part of the Church of Sweden Abroad.  

 I couldn't find anything on the internet to help me out with any of the history of the church, other than it was dedicated in 1911.  So, according to Danish standards, it's a fairly new church.  The inside:

It was a pretty church, but after seeing the outside, it was just a tad bit disappointing.  I think it may have been because the architecture was definitely different from the older churches.

Tomorrow's Wednesday, so you know what that means:  The Hodgepodge!  I should be able to finish our week in Copenhagen up on Thursday!