A Potpourri of Topics-By Request

So I've not been blogging as frequently as I should. I blame the fact that I have to work on that. It seems I go into work earlier, get out later, and make less money than I did in Florida. The good news is that I feel like I'm a better teacher. But that still doesn't give me the time I need to blog and put my thoughts out there.


A few days ago, I asked my Facebook friends if they had any blog topic requests via my status. I got several responses, and I'm going to try my best to hit all of them, albeit briefly. In just a bit, I'll need to get ready to start the insanity again tomorrow.


The Big Picture
My friend Barbara V. said I should write about "the big picture." She said I should write about forgetting the small stuff and focus on the big picture. Jeez, if only I could. I tend to run high stress or full-throttle....all the time. David says that if I learned to let stuff go, I'd be stressed about that. I think he's right. Having said that, I realize that I don't get uptight about everything. There are some things I have to just go with....when a co-worker seems "snippy" I don't always take that personally. I try to think of the baggage that person is carrying around so I can see where they are coming from. So far, I think I'm doing an okay job with that. When things get hairy at school, I try to remind myself that "This isn't my life." But the truth is, from 7:15-3:30 it IS my life. Thankfully, I have an understanding husband to vent to, so I can step back and see the big picture. This is something I continually work on....I was reminded of this as I saw a magnet that a friend gave me a couple of years ago that says, "If stress burned calories, I'd be a supermodel." That pretty much says it all.


Sonic
My friend Martha M. suggested I write about the joys of Sonic. Being raised in Key West, I did not experience the bliss that is Sonic. Once I moved here, I got what it was about. The first thing I love about Sonic is the fact that you can order ANYTHING on the menu at any time of the day. So, if for instance, I feel like having a cheeseburger at 6:30 AM, I can get one. Another thing that's fabulous about Sonic is the ice. I'm a HUGE fan of ice and believe me, I've checked out everyone's ice. In Starkville, Sonic ranks in my top 3. I love the small pellet ice cubes. If you add the fact that they serve their drinks in Styrofoam cups (sorry that's not "green") and they are the only restaurant in town that serves Diet Sprite, well....that explains why I'm a fan. Also, in case you didn't know....everyday from 2-4 Sonic puts all their drinks on sale for Happy Hour. I'm all about that.


Taco Bell
My friend Brandi H. suggested I write about Taco Bell consequences. I have this to say....outside of a enlarged waistline, I have no Taco Bell consequences. I know many people that love the taste of TB but feel sick afterwards. Not me. I could eat there everyday and not get sick of it. The service at the local TB isn't the best, but that's about par for any fast food place around here. If you can stand dealing with that, you're in....no problems. I really enjoy their Volcano menu items. And once a long time ago...they offered a Black Jack taco that had a black taco shell (I heard on the radio that they got the black ink is from our friend, the octopus) and had pepper jack cheese and special sauce, YUM-O. Of course, they don't carry it anymore. The Taco Bell in Key West, as well as the one in our neighboring town of Columbus, have gone under. How is that possible? There's no competition! I must say though....I've never seen so many Mexican restaurants. In Key West I think there was one in old town (I never went to it) and Chico's on Stock Island. I went there a couple of times, but the places here are far superior. Bottom line here....I love Taco Bell and I have no "consequences" from visiting there.


Sock Monkey
My friend Kellie A. suggested I tell about a sock monkey story. A little background here....I attended the Mississippi Writing for Thinking Summer Institute a couple of summers ago as part of my masters degree. My work with them has led me to be a part of the Rural Voices Radio selection team. Basically, past institute fellows have their students write pieces that then get recorded for radio. Several times a year, the team meets to go over and choose the pieces for recording. This past Saturday, that's where I was. There was a story written by an eighth grader that got me tickled. This student wrote about a trip to the zoo where he went to monkey cages and saw this monkey that was playing with a sock. The monkey was tossing it up and playing with it, when the monkey threw it and it landed out of the monkey's reach in between the bars of the cage. The student wrote that he was going to be nice and get the sock and toss it back into the cage since the monkey didn't seem to be able to reach it. Wrong. The monkey ended up smacking this kid right in the forehead, grabbed the sock, and continued playing with it. The student ended the piece with "And then I wondered, how did the monkey even get the sock?" It was a cute story and I got tickled when I read it. Too cute.


An Update on Dad
My friend Monica H. asked about how my dad was doing. Back in January, my father was taken to the hospital in Jackson because he suspected that he had a heart attack. My dad has had a couple of heart attacks, a stint, and quadruple by-pass surgery. It's taken a couple of months to figure it all out. He's been to see several doctors and they've run many tests on different body parts. (For those of you not aware, my dad suffered an optic stroke back around Labor Day and is now blind.) The heart doctors have given him a clean bill of health, so he's in the process or reapplying to go to Blind School in Jackson. He still is busy as ever, he just relies on my mother to be his eyes now. I'm so blessed to have them as parents.


So there you have it.....topics by request. I hope this finds everyone well and if like what you read, leave a message. I get excited thinking that people read my blog and ever more excited when people like what they read. If you don't like it....lie.....like me and potpourri. I can't stand the stuff, but I'd never tell you that.


Toodles!