How do you like me now?

I was told the other day, and before that on multiple occasions, that I need to update this thing more often. Since, for the most part, I work and then come home, with few visits with friends or family members, I can understand that most people don't actually know what's going on with me. I assure you (my three readers) that everything over here in Sheri-land is quite banal and not particularly blog worthy. Not that my life isn't good - it is. It just isn't quite up to the level of excitement one would hope for a girl in her 20's (yes, soon to be 30's).

Nevertheless, here is a brief breakdown of my life, both professional and personal, at the moment.

• I am currently on Spring Break. This is one of the perks of being a teacher, although it is still debatable whether the low pay is balanced out by the percentage of days worked to actual days in a calendar year. Anyway, I have officially done nothing over the course of the last 6 days, except go to two doctors appointments and have lunch with some ladies from work. I spent many days in my pajamas for the majority of the daylight hours, and the days where I actually left my apartment were peppered with naps usually book-ending my outside adventures. Exciting? No. Relaxing? Yes.
• I have applied for two different positions in the Upper School. First, I have applied for the position of Dept. Chair. While currently I am in charge of the Middle School Math program, this new position would put me in charge of all of the math programs at Kinkaid. While it looks like this position is more of a pipe-dream than a reality, I could not help but toss my name in the mix when they asked for volunteers. Will I get it? Probably not. I have also applied to move up to the Upper School - a position I feel suits me better seeing as I have more intellect than patience, and therefore am more adept at dealing with kids that are almost people as opposed to kids that are almost pubescent. We'll see what comes from either of these applications. I'm not particularly optimistic (no one has moved from the MS to the US in the last 28 years, at least) but I am keeping my fingers crossed.
• Robert and I are doing well. He has been *living* with me for the last 3 months, and it's been nice to have the company. While it's definitely not a perfect situation, seeing as he doesn't have a job and I pay for all of my bills plus 99% of what we do, eat, and drink, it isn't a bad set-up either. Like I told a coworker yesterday, all of my relationships have had at least one component that wasn't in whack, and Robert's lack of cash-money contribution is definitely the less-than-ideal aspect of this relationship. But hopefully that will be ending soon - the cash-money part, not the relationship part.
• The next few month of my life are going to be quite busy. I go back to school next week and have parent conferences (my least favorite part of being a teacher). April 5th is my next urology appt. where they are going to shove a scope up my urethra and look around my bladder. Sounds awesome, doesn't it? April 16th I am having endometrial surgery where they will investigate whether or not I have endometriosis and discuss a plan of action for cramps/child-bearing after learning why my uterus seems to be so unhappy. Then on April 21 I am going to San Diego for a conference. I will return on April 24, and then a week later I am chaperoning the yearly 8th grade trip to Washington DC. After I return from that, it's prep for final exams and the year is basically done. After almost a year of being NOT in LA, I am planning a trip out there for graduation and what-not around June 16 or so for a few days.

So, that's it. For those of you that were curious, this is my life in a nutshell. Maybe if I wrote more often I could fill you in on the intricacies of what make my life entertaining/humorous/miserable on a day-to-day basis, but for now I think an overall recap is where it's at.

And despite the fact that it's Friday and I'm on vacation, I am awake at 5:57 in the morning, writing this nonsense, and trying to decide if I should fall back asleep on the couch or in my bed. Couch it is, seeing as I was awoken to an elbow in the spine less than an hour ago in bed. Maybe that's not the environment most conducive to having a relaxing slumber.

Peace out.

Let's get this party started...

Like I did every year when I had a Livejournal (and once on my myspace, although I had to delete it because the head-nun found it online and asked me to remove it because of "inappropriate talk of masturbation"), I am going to recap 2009 in 42 questions. And while I have a tendency to hyberbolize responses in an effort to garner more laughter, you can take each answer with a grain of salt and sort out fact from fiction as you like.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?

Travel-wise, I went to Boston. Other than that, everything was old hat.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I rocked my resolutions! Mainly, I wanted to get a job in Houston, find a place to live near my family and settle into a "new life" rather seamlessly. Done and done. AND I dropped 30 pounds between Christmas 2008 and Christmas 2009. Hello skinny pants...

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No, although the pressure for that person to be me is getting a little intense.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, no one close. As I get up in years, though, I'm afraid this one is about to change.

5. What countries did you visit?
Just America. Sadly, no hardcore travel in 2009. And as long as my "partner" refuses to get on a plane, I fear that my international travel is temporarily on hold, at least until I can get my hands on some good drugs and trick him into getting on a plane.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
A boyfriend the entire year. And rock-hard abs.

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Too many important dates to count. This was a big year of ups and downs, all of which are etched upon my memory.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting back into my skinny pants. And snagging a quality man.

9. What was your biggest failure?
New Years alone (as a way to celebrate my independence) was a pretty epic failure. Also being broke up with over a $325 dinner (that I paid for) wasn't quite a highlight of my year.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
My immune system is the shiz-nit. No problems there.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Things are not important to me. But the thousands of dollars I spent on booze to help me drown my sorrows and/or make a fun time even funner were probably a solid investment.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I don't really care about anyone but myself, and landing a kick-ass job and settling into my "new life" has been a pretty celebratory experience.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
People do what they must. Having my heart broken at the start of my "new life" wasn't so pleasant. But it all worked out in the end.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Moving. And Wendy (my car). I really could have done some awesome stuff with that $10,000, but alas, it was not meant to be.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Robert. I'm still really excited about that...

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Let My Love Open the Door by Pete Townshend

17. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder?
Way happier. Thank baby jesus.

ii. thinner or fatter?
See #2 and #8

iii. richer or poorer?
See #14

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I do whatever I want, whenever I want. But, spending more time with my friends from LA before the move is probably something I wish I had done differently.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Less couch time. But it was good bonding for me and the kitty cats, so it wasn't without its perks.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Woke up with Robert, went to 3 family functions, and ended up back at home with Robert. My Christmas day was a great little gift of its own, wrapped up nicely and tied off with a pretty little bow.

22. Did you fall in love in 2009?
Yes, twice. But only one took. And it's my favorite love ever.

23. How many one night stands?
None. My whoring days are over. I'm getting too old. If someone is looking for a one night stand they should probably choose someone younger and more flexible.

24. What was your favorite TV program?
I can't get enough of It's Always Sunny and The Office.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Life's too short to be a hater.

26. What was the best book you read?
How about the best 4 books I read: the Twilight saga.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Justin introduced me to a lot of quality music. And now that I'm dating someone who is kind of like a beatnik nuevo cowboy, I've had to get on board with The Doors. More than I ever thought I would.

28. What did you want and get?
A job, thinner thighs, a quality man...the list goes on and on. 2009 was pretty good to me.

29. What did you want and not get?
A raise.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Too many movies to count. Many above par, but none that stand out as a new fav.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I got a job and spent the weekend in San Diego. Solid birthday weekend. I turned 29.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Nothing. It's been pretty freaking good (if you subtract August - the month of my heartbreak).

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
My fashion is all over the place. Business casual and sweats are my two basic styles of dress though.

34. What kept you sane?
Happy hour.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Tim Robbins, Clive Owen, Anderson Cooper, Anthony Bourdain, and Ryan Gosling. Same answer every year.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
I live in SheriLand where there are no political issues. I know...I am an ostrich. (answer stolen from my 2004 responses)

37. Who did you miss?
Rob, Mel, Beam, and JH. All my Buckley crew.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
For the first half of the year, I'd say Justin (although I officially met him in 2004). For the second half of the year, I'd say Robert (although I officially met him in 1995). Apparently I'm not meeting anyone new but instead re-establishing relationships with people from my past.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.
If you let yourself be vulnerable, you also allow yourself to truly feel. The "Sheri Show" is awesome for self-preservation, but not so much for personal growth.

40. What was the best thing to happen to the web this year?
I couldn't name just one thing. The internet rules. If I couldn't stalk people and/or research every thing that I question about life, I would be considerably less happy and informed.

41. Who did you steal this from?
Monica Shaw. In 2004.

42. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
I was lost. And I'm still lost. But I feel so much better.

Money, money, money. If I had a little money. It's a rich man's world.

In an effort to earn a little cash money before the holidays, and to motivate myself to do more than the minimum 8 hours of work a day, I have taken on a few "side jobs."

I started tutoring the 7th grader that lives below me. For the low, low price of $50 an hour, you, too, can be tutored by me, in my sweat pants, at my kitchen table. I figure the 33% discount I cut the family is a fair trade for the convenience and comfort of tutoring in my own home. An hour a week in exchange for a fair amount of money to cover booze for 7 days - yes please!

And after witnessing Dobie's Decathlon Team in action this past Friday, I felt a pang to get in on the action. Starting Sunday, I am the team's new Math Coach. I already have notes typed and copied, and a fairly solid plan of action to ready them for Region competition. "Ready to switch to the dark (public) side?" you ask. Nope. But willing to get in on some of the action that provided nearly the only satisfaction I received during the duration of my highschool career? Yes.

So mama's bringing home a little extra money these days. And thank sweet baby Jesus because I have been overspending my monthly income by about $50 every month since I moved back to this humid, godforsaken flat land. For someone with two degrees in math, you think I could manage my money a bit better. Suzie Orman would rip me a new one.

Happy Thursday.

And I know it will be an easy ride...

For the first time since I started my job in August, I totally have my act together.

Whenever you are a teacher, the first year is rough. The second year is also taxing, but every year after that is cake. Problem is, when you are like me, you have lots of "first years." This is my third "new" teaching job in 6 years. A "new" teacher has to build a curriculum: write notes and lessons, prepare homework solutions, and write appropriate tests and quizzes. And all of these tasks can be daunting and overwhelming. On a good day, I am two days ahead of the students. On a bad day, I am mere hours ahead. But right now, at this moment, I am almost completely planned through the end of the semester.

Score one for me.

This week has been exceptionally easy to boot. Three days of review for a test, and then test day today. Translation: 15 minutes of checking homework 5 times a day for 3 days, and then sitting at my desk for the entirety of the day today. It's been amazingly relaxing and has done wonders for my mental health.

"When it rains, it pours" the saying goes. I have found that this is true of good things as well as bad, and right now I'm in the middle of one of the best storms I've had in ages.

My job is going well. I am in a relationship that brings me more joy each day than the day before, and I am looking forward to the future possibilities that lay ahead, both personally and professionally. As the optimistic clothing/accessory company would say, "Life is good."

And it's supposed to snow this weekend.

Here's to hoping that I don't die in a icy-road accident on my 30 mile commute to or from work tomorrow. That would really put a damper on my happiness.

As my new friend Bob once said, "I've been waiting for Friday for two weeks." Peace out, Thursday.

Back in the saddle again...

Dating sucks. There's no denying it. And as you get older, it gets even worse. Most people my age have kids, are married (or divorced), and have put on a considerable amount of weight. Snagging a high-quality mate was starting to seem like a Herculean task. What was I going to do? Start internet-dating? No thank you.

And then it happened.

After months of building a friendship with someone I have known for over a decade, I realized that I was building more than simply a friendship. What I was building was a relationship.

While discussing our unplanned but satisfying union last night, the topic of how dating changes when you're 30 came up. No longer do you date on a whim. Time's a ticking. Every "boyfriend" is a much more likely contender for the title of "the one." No longer are looks that important. Sure, attractiveness is desired, but so is career, potential, income, and genetics. General usefulness around the house is also a plus. Can he cook? Can he fix things? Will he mind if I'm in my sweatpants at 5:30 in the evening? So many factors come into play that I never even considered 5 or 10 years ago.

The inverse relationship between age and dating pool is one that makes me question: do we reach a point where we just pick the best of what's left, or are we smarter and wiser in our dating decisions as we age? Am I more likely to "settle" because I'm getting older and the years in which I can conceive a child that does not run an inordinately high risk of having Downs Syndrome are waning? Or I am more aware of what will make me happy after many years of meeting people that, for some reason for another, just don't do it for me?

Do people eventually "settle" in lieu of living life alone? Am I settling? Does he feel like he is settling?

My answer to all of these is: I hope not. I can't afford a monthly membership to match.com anyway.

Here's to giving another relationship the good ol' college try.

For every breath, for every day of living - this is my Thanksgiving.

There's been this "thing" going around Facebook regarding giving daily thanks during the month of November. While I don't doubt that there are 30 things that I am thankful for, it's not quite my style to share my actual thanks with people that are mostly acquaintances or ex-students. If word got around that I actually have a soft side - a side that does things like "give thanks" and share feelings - my reputation would be ruined. And I absolutely can't have that happen.

So, in the spirit of "the Facebook challenge" but with a smaller, more intimate audience, I would like to officially declare my "thanks" of 2009.

I am thankful for the following:

• J and Danger - As a trial run to test out my maternal instincts, I don't think I've done too bad with them. If they are any indication of what having twin boys would be like, however, it looks like I'll have one stupid gay kid and one anti-social lazy-ass.
• Family - While I don't see them as much as I should (being within a 5 mile radius of them and all), it is nice to know that they're there. And the occasional free meals are pretty boss.
• Friends - Leaving behind my core group of friends in LA was devastating, and I haven't been the best at keeping in touch with them. But knowing that I once had such a strong support system of close friends is hope for the future. And I have a few friends here that are towing the line pretty solidly.
• Job - I am one of the few people I know who has TWICE moved without knowing that a job was waiting at the destination. And while technically I got my current job before I trekked cross-country, I did put in my notice and begin the process of relocation before I even had a hint of a job. So I'm pretty thankful for my stellar good luck in the employment department.
• Health - As bad as I have been to my body, this has been a great year for me. Not only did I lose 30 pounds, but my glucose, cholesterol, bmi, and blood pressure are all within healthy ranges. And although I almost completely chopped off the side of my pinky, it's healed well and I am still whole. Success.

And while I am listing things I am thankful for, let's not forget the little things that make each day bearable:

• On-Demand - I can't rave about it enough. Genius.
• Cheez-Its - Quite possibly the best in-bed snack ever.
• Happy Hour - What would motivate to work all week if I didn't think a sweet, tasty beverage was waiting for me on Friday?
• Mix CDs - I received 10 quality mix cds this year, all which have a guaranteed spot in my daily music rotation.
• Healthy Choice - Takes all of the guess work out of what to eat for lunch.
• 8th graders - They're pretty cute, and super respectful. Now if they would just hit puberty, their voices might be tolerable.
• Internet - Seriously, what would I do with, like, 3 hours of each day if I couldn't stalk people online or google ridiculous questions I have?
• Snuggling - Not as overrated as I once believed.

And while I am sure that there are infinitely more things to be thankful for, right now I'm just thankful to be alive, and that I only have one more day of work this week.

Too young to hold on and too old to just break free and run...

I get really depressed in the winter. Not depressed like I want to slit my wrists, but depressed like all I want to do is sit on my couch in my sweatpants and be a hermit. I associate winter with loneliness, although it's not always and altogether negative.

My first winter in New York was the worst. I was newly single after a whirlwind first semester with a college romance and a bustling social life. I felt horribly alone in a city with very few friends, and was seriously contemplating transferring schools and coming back home. So, I sat at my desk by the window in my dorm and worked - constantly - while listening to Elton John and Billy Joel and feeling terribly sorry for myself. I was at least a week ahead in all of my classes. But as productive as I was, I was incredibly unhappy.

When the cold sets in, I unconsciously revert back to those memories. My first winter away from home is the hardest one to forget. And while each winter I try to create new memories associated with the cold, hoping the new synapses in my brain will overpower the old, I cannot help but think back to that cold and lonely winter of 1999, which isn't so terribly different from most of my winters since. And that's was most depressing.

Sigh.