Snow Day!

Today's blizzard pretty much shut down the entire Northern East Coast. Here in NY, it gave us the third weather related school closing in my nine years with the New York City Department of Ed. Amazing, right? The Mayor and Chancellor definitely made a good call.

The season of Winter has changed so much since I was a child. I know that's to be blamed on the changes in the layers of the atmosphere and Global Warming, amongst other things. I have memories of trudging through snow during and trying to get everywhere those winters, yet not so much minding it (back then). Now, honestly speaking, I have enjoyed living through the winters with minimal, to no, snow. We get enough to upset the flow of traffic and travel, but usually not enough to close schools, or send people home early from work.

Today's 'snow day' has been relaxing. There have been a few pangs of missing my family and being with the kids. I'm sure they would have welcomed the cookies after being in the snow! Still, I spent time catching up w/ friends, had great conversations and much needed laughs, baked cookies, and listened to music. As I told one of my friends, none of that was on the 'snow day to do list' I created yesterday. Maybe that just means I should stop trying to plan out every second of my life. ha!

Tonight's Thoughts...

I definitely appreciate how every now and then Shannon will delicately remind me that I haven't been blogging. Her words today were, "You're slackin' with the blogs." Very true.

Sometimes I need inspiration to write...other times, I must simply vent. Writing is my outlet, and anyone who emails, texts, etc. me regularly knows that. I enjoy expressing myself through the written word. Still, there are times when I can't connect the words to my feelings, or life is just 'quiet.' It's those times that the blog goes through a 'dry spell.'

Life never ceases to amaze me...everything that's happened in the past month has put me through an emotional ringer. It's been exhausting and elating, although never at the same time. Actually, now that I reflect, that's not true. During some harder days, there was a pleasantly unexpected light at the end of the tunnel that happened to shine through...and suddenly, things were put back into perspective. And that's pretty much how life goes. We go through the good and the bad, and while the bad seems downright crippling, there's always someone to shine their light in your life and get you through it...even if they don't know it.

Back to Hunter

This whole fantastic idea of working towards my second Master's Degree was exactly that~~a fantastic idea~~last year at this time. One year later, with only two classes under my belt, and beginning my third, I sit and wonder why I'm still trying to get it done. The 'prize' seems so far off that I'm feeling slightly discouraged.

My most recent course, Assessment of Students with Disabilities, seems amazing, but I feel as though I took a VERY similar class when I worked on my Masters in Reading. The professor is very laid back, which will be calming after a long day with the kids. Our required work seems quite interesting. No group projects, thank God, and everything is to be turned in by the end of the semester...no specific due dates. What's the problem, right?

I don't know...The class isn't on campus, and I LOVE the Hunter Campus. Granted, the 'campus' is two buildings on 68th & Lexington Avenue, but that's just the point. Being there, on Lexington Ave. and on the school 'grounds' amongst all the other 'college kids' brings me back to my college days, which were filled with MANY amazing memories and great friends. My class is on the 94th Street campus school, between Park and Madison Ave. In reality, it's the PERFECT location for a pre-class 6 miler, if the weather should ever warm up, it's four blocks from the NYRR office, and two blocks from Starbucks. Add to that, my commute into the city is a bit shorter. So, okay, there are pluses and minuses to being off campus. One big minus is not being with the dear friends I made last semester. We probably wouldn't be in the same classes at this point, anyway. But, I can be a creature of habit, and very shy, so I'm not up for making new friends just yet. However, as I anxiously waited for class to begin, many of the students walked in with their friends, and I found myself missing mine.

I know I have to get my mindset back to the place that brought me to want this degree...Perhaps once I really get into my work, I'll be there. In the meantime, I want this discouraging feeling to go away.

Songs, Thoughts, Sleep, Thoughts, Reflections

I feel as though half of the time that I should have spent sleeping was spent thinking about my next blog. I wanted to get up from the bed and begin writing, then I decided to stop thinking and simply sleep. But, I did wake up still thinking about it...

Ever hear songs that make you go, "That's EXACTLY how I feel!"? I've been obsessing over the following two songs: Absolutely Positively, by Anastacia, and Somebody to Love, by Leighton Meester. The first is about someone who is getting over their recent love, and although she thinks of him and cares for him, she just realizes that it's time. The second is about someone who seems to be searching and searching for THEIR person to love, and wonders if there IS someone out there. After hearing these songs, one in the gym @ a weekly class, and the other just on the radio, I found that they are very similar to the ways I've been feeling. The two messages the songs give are the two thoughts can consume my own if I allow them, but they can also be very stressful to think about, therefore, I try not to allow them to take over. After hearing these songs, and subconsciously replaying them, I realized why...it's almost as though they speak what I feel. And, in a sense that's good because it's like getting my feelings out through the songs. Maybe it all sounds weird, but I'm glad to be 'absolutely positively certain that I'm not sure that I love him anymore'...although really getting over someone takes time, healing and reflection. It's important to know, though...that you will get over and be okay in time... And it the same token, wonder..'Is there somebody who still believes in love? I know you're out there.' I'm sure there is... In the meantime, I will keep being me and having a good time. :)

'Life Unexpected'

I borrow the title from the new show I watched last night. It was broadcast on the WB Pix. Anyone who watched it could attest to it being quite the sappy 'Jess' type of show :)It should be no surprise to read that I loved every second of it! But, as I sat and watched, I thought about the title and how true it holds to everyone's life. Of course I initially thought of myself and the events I've dealt with the past few weeks/months/whatever, but then my thoughts turned to the many people who are in my life, and of the 'unexpected' situations that occur in their every day lives. When life does throw something unexpected your way, when something you simply haven't 'planned' for suddenly appears, what DO you do? How do we react? Do we freak out? Do we question it? How many of us embrace whatever that 'thing' is? I believe it's time that I begin to expect the unexpected...and just embrace or deal with it as best I can...because as we know, everything is given to us for a reason. Although we may never know the exact reason, things that we deal with do make us stronger one way or another.

Let's Begin...

Happy New Year to all! I'm thrilled that we've just begun a new year. For me that means more positive thoughts and actions. I already have 'projects' set up for the year...going BACK to Hunter at the end of the month, I'd really like to learn Spanish SOONER than LATER, and I do want to get myself back to church regularly. I wasn't so great at that in 2009. I am blessed in many ways, and I think I need to remember that and be thankful more than I am. Sometimes I forget that there's so much & so many people to be grateful for.
So, here's to 2010... I look forward to what's to come!

The Morning After....

After being up until 2:?? watching t.v. and having much on my mind, I finally went to bed and SLEPT. That was GOOD bc I was truly exhausted. This morning, I woke up bright and early to the sounds of children playing and snow plows (I think I enjoyed the latter more! ha!). I've been listening to them for about 2 hours now...it sounds like they are RIGHT OUTSIDE, and so I just looked and THERE IS ONE!!! Yay! It's plowing the driveway as I type! Love it!!! So, I'm going to brave the roads (eventually) and attempt to see the Christmas show at my cousin's church. I might also go to DSW for some snow boots. Maybe I believed it wouldn't snow this winter, so why get them before? haha.
Besides all my 'complaining' about this crippling weather, it really is beautiful. I don't really mind seeing the snow piled on my windowsills. Let's see how I do once I get outside.