The Hodgepodge Splurge

 

Joyce asks the questions, and we provide the answers. See how others answered at From This Side of the Pond.

1. What does productivity look like to you? 

It looks a lot different now than it did a month ago. I have no idea what retirement productivity is going to look like. I'm assuming it will mean actually getting out of my pj's before 9:00 and doing things around the house.

2. What was your fondest (or one of your fondest) memory of High School? 

My high school life centered around band. That being said, one of the memories I have was when I was a freshman at band practice. I kept getting something wrong, and the director ran over to me and said, "Mary! What are you doing???" I just replied, "I don't know!" Needless to say, I think I got it right after that!

3. What did you do the summer after High School? 

I went to college! The university where I attended switched from the quarter-to-semester system that fall so they gave freshmen the opportunity to take some classes. It was a great introduction to college: we could only take 2-3 classes and only freshmen were in them. I met a future roommate that summer. 

4. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day...are you a fan, and if so will you celebrate? How do you make yours? Have you been strawberry picking? If so what do you do with all those berries? 

I love strawberries but I'm not a big fan of strawberry shortcake. I don't know that I've ever "made" them: I have bought the sponges shells, thrown some strawberry pie filling in it, and topped with whipped cream. YS planted a strawberry plant that is kicking but has produced very little strawberries that we've seen. I think maybe a bird, squirrel, or rabbit has been getting them.

5. What's something you always splurge on? 

Cherries...when they're on sale. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We still haven't decided where we're going for our big trip. Who knows? We may just get in the van and see where the road takes us!

We did get away this past week but it didn't go as we planned. Stay tuned for a post on that coming up soon!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Another weekend gone.  Friday after work, I went up to the high school to help the band boosters prep the concession stand.  By that, I mean I cut up tomatoes, chopped onions, and got the condiment table ready.  I didn't stay for the game since it was suppose to be so cold.  Plus, I had needed to bake some brownies for the bake sale at the band competition on Saturday.  And, I baked some muffins for the Hospitality Room for the competition.  YS & I had a nice dinner out, followed by a quick trip to the Dollar Tree.

CH drove 7 hours to his high school alma mater, where they were celebrating 100 years of football.  Since I had taken last Friday off, I didn't think I should take that Friday, too.  Here is CH & his brother with their football coach:

And, CH with the State Championship Trophy that they won:

Saturday, I had to be at the high school by 3:00 to work in the Hospitality Room.  This wasn't a bad gig, let me tell ya!  I was inside, and away from the hustle and bustle.  For 5 years I worked concessions; this was much, much nicer!  Not to mention warmer.  I didn't feel the least bit guilty as I walked by the current boosters breaking down the concession stand.
I got to the school a little early so I could watch a few of the bands.

Small Town's band marched exhibition for the first time since the current band director has been there (which has been 9 years).  Even though I didn't have anybody out there, I was so proud of what that band has accomplished over the past 9 years.  9 years ago, there were only around 18 members.  It's grown to around 50 (or more), and they sounded soooo wonderful!

Yesterday was laundry, and catching up on "The Blacklist".  I also watched "The Heat" with Melissa McCarthy & Sandra Bullock.  It wasn't quite as funny as I thought it was going to be, but it was okay.

Hope you had a good weekend, too!

Follow Friday Feature

Wow!  Imagine my surprise when I woke up, let the girls out, then sat down at my computer, only to find several comments from new people!  I thought, "What's going on?"   Then, I read one of the comments congratulating me for being featured on Follow Friday 40 and Over!  WHAT? 
Let me just say this:  Yesterday was really crazy.  The high school usually has its football games on Friday night, but, since the kids don't have school today, they had it last night.  I've mentioned before that the band does the concessions at the games, right?  Well, on home game days, I rush home after work, let the girls out, then rush up to the school to help prep for the game.  Last night was the first night all season when the Mercy Rule wasn't in effect, so it was a late night.  I didn't get home until 11:00 and went straight to bed.  So, no visiting last night.
Since last night was the "Halloween" ballgame, the band dressed up in costume and did something special.  They had a really fun time!  Below are a couple of clips from halftime:

 Last night was the biggest game of the regular season:  both teams were undefeated and are #1 & #2 in the state.  The District Title was on the line.  Last year the game was dubbed a "Blackout" Game.  Free black t-shirts were handed out, and the football players come out with black jerseys.  This year was "Pink out".  Pink t-shirts were handed out in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  If you've been reading, you know that one of the boys' (who graduated last year) mother passed away a few weeks ago from breast cancer.  He was there last night, but I didn't get a chance to see him.  He had a place of honor on the sidelines, and was their biggest cheerleader last night.  
Last night was also Senior Night.  The Seniors' numbers are painted on the field (they were in pink last night), and the coach takes a time out when there are a few seconds left in the game so that the seniors can stand on their number and be recognized.  Very nice touch, and it really brings tears to your eyes seeing it, and thinking about all that they have accomplished the past 4 years. (Okay, last night it was probably the hormones, but when it's your son, it is incredible.)
This post turned out to be a lot longer than I had anticipated, so I'll leave you with a picture of mid-field from last night  (you can see #11's number to the left of the 50):

 

Making a Difference

 When I was pregnant with MS, I decided to change positions and go from working in a public school to working for a rehab company that contracted with Nursing Homes.  It was exciting at first: working with a completely different population and actually communicating with adults during the day.  I started out working a few hours after school so I could get in some hours and training at my new position.  I worked in a nursing home where the patients had some rehab potential:  mostly stroke patients.  I learned about dysphagia and modified barium swallow studies on the job.  I had the help of a radiologist who was patient with me and taught me how  to tell the radiologist what I wanted to look at and what I needed in order to get the information I needed to treat the patient.  Things were good...for a while.  Then, the company lost the contract to the 3 nursing homes in the small town in Ga.  So, I "went on the road".  I had to travel to the next 2 small towns and take over there.  I had the manager breathing down my neck, wanting to know why I didn't have very many hours.  Working for a company, it was all about money and numbers.  And, being as ethical and the rule-follower that I am, there was no way I was going to bill a patient for something he/she didn't need.  I learned about reading lab results to determine if the patient was getting enough nutrients, and if they weren't, if it was because of swallowing difficulties.  I had the heartbreaking job of talking to the head nurse about families who refused feeding tubes, opting to have their loved  one virtually starve to death.
Then, I was offered a position in the company as Assistant Manager.  I was so very honored and humbled to be offered that position.  At first, my area covered NW Ga.  PERFECT!  Except, after about a month in that position, my manager resigned (due to the high stress...her hair started falling out) and the assistant manager of NE Ga. was now the Manager. They didn't replace her, so I assumed the responsibility of assistant manager over N. Ga.  I didn't want it; I didn't want to have to drive from outside of Chattanooga to Atlanta.  I had 2 small children, the new manager wasn't married and didn't have any children.  She didn't "get it" when I told her I wasn't going to get stuck in Atlanta traffic and get home to my kids late.  I wasn't there for my boys when their babysitter's house caught on fire...with the kids there.  My marriage suffered; the boys suffered.  And on top of all of that, I didn't think I was making a difference.
So, when I was 8 months pregnant with YS, I went back to work in the public schools.  I had worked with the special ed. director when he was a diagnostician.  He told me the best he could do was a part-time position.  I wasn't sure how we were going to manage with me just working part-time, but I figured I could always pick up some work through home health to make up for the difference.  Then, a couple of weeks after that, he called me and told me that it had turned into a full-time position.  He thought enough of me to hire me when he knew I would be going on a month's maternity leave after working for not even a month.
I've been back "home" in the public schools for 16 years.  And, this is exactly where I belong.  This is where I can make a difference.
So,why am I telling y'all all this?  This video that a friend posted on Facebook got me to thinking about that time in my life where I didn't think I was making a difference.  I learned alot those 2 years.  I learned that 1) money isn't everything, 2) the public schools is exactly where I belong, and 3) document, document, document!

Miscellaneous

Husband and OS are on their way home.  YAY!  It's been nice to just have to take care of myself & YS, but it will be nice to have Husband home.  OS was suppose to start classes yesterday.  Luckily the university he goes to doesn't have the policy that the big university where MS goes:  If they're absent the first class, they get dropped from the class.  I guess the big u has people waiting to get into a class, and if you're not serious about going to class, there's someone else willing to pay to get in.
Husband sent me a picture from a campground a few nights ago.  He said this was about 200 feet from his campsite and the main building:

I don't know how y'all feel about this, but I would feel much better if this had been seen outside of a hotel, not in a campground!  Somehow knowing that a bear could tear through a piece of canvas isn't very comforting.

Middle son came by Friday night to get yet another piece of clothing he needed.  He had his rugby practice uniform on, and of course I had to take a picture.  I have to admit:  it looks kind of dopey; I think I caught him as he was looking at his suitemate and saying something to him!

 He is loving the big university.  I have to tell y'all something funny, though.  I got an e-mail from a blogging friend the other day.  She said that she was in the cafeteria and saw a guy that she thought she may know.  Then she realized it was MS!  She said that she didn't say anything to him because she wasn't sure how to explain to him that she knew me but didn't know me.  I thought it was pretty cool that she recognized MS.  I made sure he knew that she had seen him so that if she sees him again and speaks to him, he'll know that she's not some crazy person someone he can speak to!


High school football is in full swing.  Last Thursday was our big rivalry game.  This game has been played for more than 80 years, and has been pretty fierce.  There have been years of egg fights at the bridge, pranks on the other schools, and just down right not liking each other.  The dislike has seemed to lost a little of the edge as people have moved in and just don't understand what the rivalry is all about.  You have David Vs. Goliath; the small blue-collar school vs. the big white-collar school.  Last year our high school beat the other one; before that it had been 9 years since we had won.  It seems like every year we push each other to be better.  I don't remember many years when one school has been up and the other has been down.  So, how did it turn out on Thursday night?  Here's a photo of the final scoreboard, compliments of my friend Kimert:

YAY!  We won for the 2nd year in a row!  This had been the 1st time in 10 years that they had been beat on their home field.  Who beat them the last time?  Why, it was our little bitty school!  I didn't feel the excitement during the day that I had in the past; I guess it was because I don't have a football player this year.  The game was on tv, so I opted to stay at home and watch.  Y'all have no idea how crazy this game gets:  There are usually around 10,000 people there.  We only have 8,000 in our town.  People are in line at 4:00 to get into the gates at 4:30; the game started at 7:00.  This is a huge game for bragging rights in the county.  There are a couple of other high schools in the county, but they haven't had very good teams for a while.  Anyway, once the game was coming on, the ol' excitement came back!  Remember I yell at the tv during ballgames?  My jack russell mutt jumped off of the couch at one point and slinked off to the bedroom.  The game went back and forth; no one ever lead by more than 4 points at any part of the game.  Very exciting!


Another high school football game took place on Friday night that was exciting:  EHS (my husband's alma mater) had their first home football game in their new stadium.  The old stadium had been damaged during the tornado 3 years ago.  The students are now in their new school, which is the largest campus in Alabama.  The pictures of the school are amazing; that is one beautiful school!  If you choose to look at the pictures on the following site, you'll see the mosaic of the wildcat that was in the old school.  George Bush, when he visited the old high school after the tornado, insisted that the mosaic be preserved and put in its own place in the new school.
Home, at last. New Enterprise High School opens | Dothan Eagle

Does the whole town turn out for high school football games in your hometown, or is it just another night?

Flashback Friday & Follow Friday 40 and Over

This week's prompt:

What type of extra-curricular school activities did you participate in during your school days? Clubs? Spelling bees or other contests? Cheerleader or drill team? Sports? Journalism? Choir or theater? Were there any memorable events related to those? Did you receive any awards? Were football games a big deal at your school? Did you usually attend - and was it with a group or as a date? What was Homecoming like?

When I was in elementary school, I was the school champion for the spelling bee.  That meant I got to move on to the county-wide spelling bee...in front of a lot of people.  I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I'm not a "get in front of people" kind of person.  So, yeah, I pretty much was out in the first few rounds.  I played basketball in elementary school, but mostly sat on the bench.  Which was fine with me, because I don't like to get up in front of people and perform.  In jr. high I started playing tennis.  I was okay; not great, and definitely not a natural.  But I really enjoyed it.  I continued playing in high school, and ended up being #1 my senior year.  But that was because the best player in school didn't play.  She's been mentioned in some of my posts before:  the "mean girl" from my class.  She was good at everything she tried.  

I started playing flute in the band when I was in 5th grade, and continued band actually through college and even beyond.  There are so many stories from band trips to tell!  There was the time we were going to a band contest a couple of hours away, but the venue had to be changed to inside because there were tornado warnings out.  (Which is kind of unusual for our part of the country)

Then there was the contest we went to when it had been raining forever.  One of the trombone players lost his shoe on the field, and one of the rifles had her rifle hit her in the eye near the beginning of the show.  She stayed on the field and marched the show with her hand over her eye.  I was a band officer my senior year, and was given the "John Phillip Sousa" award at graduation.  At graduation, I also received the Spanish Award.  

I was looking through some old scrapbooks a couple of months ago, and found a newspaper clipping.  The Y-Teens at school donated a book to the library.  I have no recollection of that event happening, but I must've been involved because I'm handing the book to the librarian!  I do remember going to some awesome Y-Teen dances, though!

Football games were a huge deal my sophomore-senior years: we won the state championship 3 years in a row.  One of the championships was played (you guessed it) in the rain.  It had been raining for about a week, and the field was soaked.  Our rival school (which is about 10 minutes from where I went to school) was also playing in the state championship for their class.  (This was when the state championship was played at one of the school's home field...now it's played at a neutral site.)  Their field was in a lot worse shape than ours, so they asked if they could play their game on our field.  A helicopter was brought in to dry the field the day of the game.  We played our game first (since we were a really small school), then they cleared the stands and made everybody leave the stadium.  Then, people who wanted to see the other game paid as they came back in.  Homecoming has never been a really big deal at the high school.  The big thing was the homecoming queen, but even that had some drama to it.   If you know anything about me, you know I don't like  drama.

Then there was AFS...American Field Service.  If you don't know anything about AFS, it's a student exchange program.  This was the club to be in during high school.  We hosted a foreign exchange student, but the big draw was the yearly big short-term exchange.  My sophomore year was with Hingham (Ma.) High School,  junior year it was with Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, and my senior was with Gloucester (Va.) High School.  We went up for a week, stayed with a host family,  went to school with our host brother/sister, and did some sight-seeing.  Then, about a month later, they would come down and stay in our houses, go to school, and do some sight-seeing.  There may have been some shenanigans on the trip, but, me being the rule-follower I am, I did not partake in them.  I was too afraid of getting in trouble and getting suspended from school to do anything. 

 That's pretty much all I was involved in during my school days.  I stayed busy and had a lot of fun, but I was ready to get out of high school and get on with my life!

Join in with Flashback Friday and Follow Friday 40 and Over...Don't forget to link up!

Mean Girls

 A couple of Saturdays ago, Husband & I went to my 30th high school reunion.  At the suggestion of one of our classmates, we had an "open mike" for about 15-30 minutes.  Anyone who wanted could get up and relive a memory or say whatever was on their mind.  One of my classmates that I had known forever (I don't remember a time when I didn't know  her) got  up in front of everybody.  She said that she had been talking to a friend of hers a couple of days before, and they were talking about the reunion.  Her friend asked her who the mean girl of our class was.  My classmate  said she thought about it for a while,and then she realized it was her!  She apologized to everybody for being the "mean girl".
So, I started thinking about the whole "Mean Girl" thing.  I really don't think of her as being mean.  I told her that if she was mean to me, it went right over my head  and I had no idea she had been mean to me.  We had gone our different ways many years  before.  There was no animosity;  our lives just went on different tracks.  But, I still  counted her as one of my closest friends.  And, I stood up for her as if she was  my sister.
I could point out many girls  who said or did something mean to me during our jr. high and high school years; things that knocked the self-confidence out of me and made me feel inferior to everybody else.  Then, ashamed, I thought about the things I had said or had done to other people in my class.  Haven't we all been "mean girls" at some point in our life?  Isn't that just part of growing up?
When I was  in the latter  years of my high school, I didn't really hang out with the girls in my class.  I was never much of a drama queen:  I have no use  for it, which is why I'm pretty sure God just gave me boys!  I hung out with people older & younger than I.  By the time I was a senior, I was sooo over high school.  I was ready to move on  and get on with my life.
Yesterday a co-worker and I were talking about high school.  We both came to the conclusion that if we had to do one part  of our school life  over, we'd much rather do college than high school.  What would you choose and why?