Get Random and Have Some Coffee

I'm linking up with Stacy with my Random Tuesday Thoughts.

Metallic nail polish... pretty?  Or not?  I thought it was pretty, but I will never wear it again because it doesn't come off!  I rubbed and rubbed with acetone, about three times the amount I usually use, and I still have remnants of gold on my toes.   Ugh!  Whyyyyyy?

IMDB.com

IMDB.com

IMDB.com

I was watching Shots Fired, and I kept telling myself the Governor seemed familiar.  About the third episode in, I thought, "She looks a lot like Helen Hunt!"  Lo and behold, I checked IMDB, and it IS Helen Hunt.  She's changed a lot!  I don't mean in a bad way.  Her demeanor, for example.  I guess she's grown up and older like the rest of us.  But it doesn't seem like that long ago that I used to watch her in Mad About You (1992-1999). Time flies!

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My husband and I just celebrated our 12th anniversary (2nd marriage for both of us). Instead of doing something romantic, we spend the weekend driving to Abilene with a U-Haul to help my daughter move all of her heavy items out of her house.  She would continue living in the house, but she is only going to be there one more semester, and the house requires a year's lease.  So we went up Sunday (our actual anniversary) and back today.  6 1/2 hours each way.  Typical "parent" holiday!

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Back to work tomorrow.  2 1/2 more school days then a teacher workday on Friday.  I think it's pretty stupid to have a 2 1/2 slash 3 1/2 day week after Memorial Day when most of the other schools here in our area are out.  We've finished exams.  What am I supposed to do with them?  I have this same problem every year.

And now... Coffee Chat

Today she says,
Get something off your chest.   No, don't throw your bra at me: unless it's after 7 pm and you're home for the evening, because Yes! 
I think I just basically did that already!  No, not throw my bra at the computer, but got stuff on my chest.  Here goes more, though!

My son (who will be 21 in 4 weeks) and his childhood friend (who is already 21) are going on a road trip next Friday.  They have a motel reserved for the night, and they are going to the Rangers/Astros baseball game.  I remember being younger when I went on my first road trip, but things have changed.  The world is even more cruel now, and the drinking age was 18 when I was growing up.  I'm a little nervous, but I have to say, I trust them both.  My daughter, his twin, has been all over Europe on her own, so if she can handle that, he can handle two days 4 hours from home, right?

I still don't want to go to work tomorrow!!!

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Sunday Synopsis

The End by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Owen Taylor and his team are soldiers on a special, secret mission. If they fail, WWIII could result. Little do they know that the powers that assigned the mission also have betrayed them. Will they succeed, and will they make it out alive? Either way, this will be Owen's last mission.

Owen returns stateside, turns in his weapons, so he says, and retires to an idyllic home in a small town. The home does not stay idyllic for long. Owen doesn't fit in, and a group from town begins to harass him. He will eventually take matters in his own hand, but with a big twist.

This story was good until the climax. When Owen is at the peak of the mission, the scene cuts to a later time. At first I was completely lost. I had to go back and reread to make sure I hadn't skipped part of the book. What I would classify as major events are not included in the story. It does have a good ending, though.

The End is one of James Patterson's Book Shots, a novel that is quick and easy to read. This one is about a third the size of his other novels. I haven't decided yet if I like his co-author for this book, Brendan DuBois. Time will tell.

View all my reviews

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Said No Teacher Ever

It's almost time for school to be out here.  One of the things you'll hear from our teachers as they try to finish the zillion tasks due by the last day of school is...
"4 1/2 more days!  But who's counting?!"

Here are some things teachers never say, courtesy of Some Ecards.

And a bonus!

Play and link up with Thursday Thirteen!

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a little random and coffee chat

Linking up with Stacy.

Life is a series of ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and I think I'm in a valley right now.  Makes me think of that song by Aretha Franklin and George Michael, Knew You Were Waiting for Me... except who's waiting for me?  They sing about the mountain being high and the valley being low...



 But seriously... sometimes when you're in one of the valleys of life, it seems like you will never get out.  You know you will, but that ride back up seems like it will never happen.  Trying to stay positive gets more difficult each day.

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I guess I am much more cynical now than I was as a young woman.  Back then, I daydreamed about romance and chivalry.  Now, I'm more practical. 

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~~Giggle~~

One of the many reasons I feel as if I am in a valley, besides relationships and work, is that I was injured at work last week by a reckless student.  It wasn't intentional, but it hurt.  I've got the neck, shoulder, and back pain to prove it and the bruises on my upper leg.  Colorful bruises.  So I have to go back to the workman's comp doctor today.  My school will cover me for an hour to go to my appointment.  I think they should have given me a day or two off.  But, no.

And speaking of valleys... Some good news is that I've found a delicious new snack! Nature Valley Biscuits with Peanut Butter.  I don't know why they call them biscuits because they more like cookies, Nutter Butter type cookies, just a little less sweet.  They're so good!  They're by the granola bars at the grocery store.

And now, Coffee Chat!

Our lovely hostess asks...

What song reflects your mood right now?

Hmmm.  I have a song above that speaks of mountains and valleys, but it's a little too upbeat for my current mood.

It took me a while to decide which song best suits my mood right now.  I considered Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence.  And I thought about the Youngblood's Get Together.  Two Pink Floyd songs came to mind:  Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb.  I finally settled on this one.

That's all for now!

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Random Nonsense and Coffee Chat

I'm joining Stacy for some randomness.

Now here's a job I wouldn't want!  Snakehunter!  I hate snakes! They give me the heebie jeebies.

Snakehunter gets big paycheck after catching longest snake of the season. 

This happened in South Florida. The snake was 16 feet 10 inches long.  The snakehunter makes $8.10 an hour plus "bonuses."  He received $375.00 for the catch.  Really?  That's not much in my opinion.  Luckily, it's not his day job.  He's an orchid grower.  Talk about contradictory jobs!  There is no amount of payment large enough to entice me to catch a snake, much less to do so for a living!  How about you?

I can't put the picture here because I can't stand snakes, and I can't look at it more than is required to read the story, but if you're curious, click on the above link, and you will see it.  I can't even put a cartoon snake.  That's how much it bothers me!

So... I went to see The Circle.  I love Tom Hanks and Emma Watson.  The movie, however, was a little disappointing, particularly the ending.  It was one of those, "You decide what happens" endings.  I like my ending tied up with a pretty bow.  Haha!  The movie is about technology and the loss of privacy.  Have you seen it?  Are you planning to see it?

How was your Mother's Day?  Mine was pretty good.  I got some pretty cala lillies.  I got to spend time with my son and husband who took me to eat Tex-Mex.  They rarely agree to do that.  I skyped with my daughter for an hour and a half, and it was so much fun.  I even got a bubble bath!  Best of all, I didn't have to go to the grocery store!

And now... Coffee Chat with Rory Bore.

Our lovely hostess asks...
What gets you turning green?

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I'm typically not a very jealous person.  When I was younger, I was very jealous when it came to my romantic partner, but I think a lot of that comes from a lack of self-esteem and a fear of rejection.

Now that I'm older, it just isn't worth it to be jealous to the extent I once was.  I admit there are little twinges every now and then when I think a waitress is flirting with my husband right in front of me.  But it's just a twinge.  It goes away as easily as blowing a match out.

I do get envious about some things that people have.  I work with many people who live in nicer neighborhoods than I do, have pools, decks with hot tubs, more square footage, prettier decor, beautiful clothing, and so on.  I do feel some envy, but I don't feel that envy toward the people, just the fact that they have things I would like to have.  Then I remind myself that I have everything I need and most of what I want.  I thank God for that. Jealousy is really a self-defeating emotion.  I think this quote sums it up:

That's all for now!  Have a good week!

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Recycled Plastics

In my neighborhood, the waste management company collects recycled paper and plastic on a bi-weekly basis.  I know a lot of uses for recycled paper, but I wasn't really sure what happened to recycled plastic, so I did some research.

1.  Plastic containers are often used to make "new" plastic containers.
2. Plastic bags such as those from grocery stores can be made into new bags, but they can also be made into plastic lumber to make picnic tables and benches.

3. Milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and laundry detergent bottles can be recycled into playground equipment.
4.  Plastic bottles can be made into T-shirts.  It takes about ten soda bottles to make one T-shirt.

5. Plastic caps can be recycled into batteries for your car.
6.  Plastic bottles can be made into sleeping bags.

7.  Plastic bubble wrap could become a playground fence.
8.  Water bottles are sometimes used in carpeting.

9. Plastic bottle caps can be made into gardening rakes.
10. Plastic foam packing might be made into a picture frame.

11. The bottles of household cleaners may be used to make recycling bins.
12. A recycled soda bottle could become insulation in your new jacket (fiberfill).  It takes about 14 bottles to create enough fiberfill for one jacket.
13. Plastic bottle caps can become yarn.

I had no idea!  Thanks to The American Chemistry Council for the information.
Join the fun at Thursday Thirteen!

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