It's Official--- I am a SAP!!!

Ok, so why do I think that I am a sap??? First of all, for those who know me, there is no asking why, it is just the way the universe is. For those who need more clarification, here is a perfect example why. As you know, I work for a preschool franchise doing inspections. Before I worked for the corporation, I was a teacher in one of the schools. The school I worked in was WONDERFUL!! Anyway, this week was a "local" week for me so I could get the chance to attend a very special milestone graduation for Pre-K at my old school. Turns out, the school I was inspecting this week was having 2 graduations (Pre-K & Kindergarten) on the days I was there. So yesterday, I heard "Pomp & Circumstance" in the morning at the inspection school. Tears in my eyes.... AND I DONT EVEN KNOW ANY OF THE KIDS!!! Then I had to attend the graduation at the school I worked in. Again, more tears started when that song was played! This time, however, I DID know some of the children and had known them since they were infants! So, this my friends, is why I am a SAP!! A simple song can conjur up so many emotions! Congrats to all of you little Pre-K and Kindergarten children...... :)

Tour De Cure Completed!....(or a downhill is sure to be followed by an uphill!)

My inspiration for riding.... DAD!















My riding partner, Pat














Well, today was the day!! The 30 mile bike ride for diabetes was today. My friend Pat and I rode for the team that is sponsored by one of our schools. Again this year, I was overwhelmed by the support I received. I raised $800 again! Thanks so much to all of my sponsors..... you all rock! Last year, I completed the ride on a mountain bike. This year, I purchased a Trek road bike, thinking it would be easier..... not so much. I was plagued with knee issues and by the first rest stop at 14 miles, I was literally crying with pain. Pat encouraged me to continue, so I kept peddling along. The uphills definitely out numbered the down hills..... We completed the 30 miles in 3 hours (including 30 minutes combined at the rest stops). This was an improvement for me, as last year it took me about 3.5 hours. I was going as slow as 5mph up some hills, 3mph if you count the one that i walked up!. The fastest speed i clocked was 28mph, down a hill, of course. The funny thing about this was that the speed limit on that road was 25mph! :) All in all, a good day!

Here's to you DAD!! Love you!

Answer: 4 Aleve and A Large Diet Coke!

Question, "What is what it takes to cure a "flying day" headache!" The night before I fly, I never sleep. For whatever reason, I am always afraid I will oversleep and miss my flight. This, of course, has not happened in the two years that I have been traveling, but the worries never go away. This week was no exception. As you may be aware, this weekend was HOT! On Sunday, I rode 15 hilly miles to prepare for my 30 mile ride coming up this Saturday. This was in the morning, but it was still 85 at 8:30am. After the ride, I showered and headed to my 1pm softball game. It was about 98 degrees and just brutal. The sun and I did not get along. By the time I got home on Sunday, I was not feeling too good. Despite drinking tons of water, I never really recovered from the day. I took 2 Aleve and went to bed at 10:30. Of course, like I said earlier, I never really slept. This made for a not so nice Monday. I took two more Aleve at 9am after developing another monster headache on the plane that left me not feeling so well in my tummy either..... Unfortunately, it didn't work. At 1pm, another 2 Aleve was consumed along with a large diet coke..... BINGO!! relief.....

"Ground Hog Day...."

Ok, so the previous post actually happened yesterday (Tuesday). Today, it felt like the movie "Ground Hog Day", you know, when Bill Murray wakes up on the same day each day?? The morning started out with monsoon-like rains and severe thunderstorms. It did get sunny for part of the day, but by the 6pm news, all we saw on the t.v. were severe weather warnings for tornados, floods and severe thunder storms. Today was much shorter in time, however. I took photos today..... they are what yesterday looked like as well...... Again I say, bring on the Ruby Slippers!!

To the right is where I was yesterday.... notice the purple, not so pretty on a weather map!



Below is where I was today, the yellow circles in both indicate "rotation"......






The views from the hotel room. This is 6pm, not 9pm!! Notice the tree bending to the right of the photo!




The answer my friend, is blowin in the wind!

There's No Place Like Home, There's No Place Like Home...

Ok, imagine my saying that and clicking my heals together..... This week I am in Cincinnati area and it has been adventuresome to say the least. Yesterday at about 3pm, I was getting ready to leave the school I was at in Kentucky (just south of Cinci), when the director and I heard the "weather sirens". The Owners had just left to do a bus run. The alert was a TORNADO WARNING!! The sky was very dark and the storm was fierce. We got the children into the safe places and we then spent the next 40 minutes keeping children calm, answering the phones ringing off the hook with concerned parents calling, heating bottles for infants who were all in two cribs in the kitchen. It was a surreal experience, but we got through it with no issues and no tornado....... cut to 7:30 that night. I am now in a town just north of Cinci and the t.v. weather man cuts in with TORNADO WARNINGS!! This time, the bad weather lasted for 4 hours, with the warning actually called until 3AM!! You know it is bad when the front desk of the hotel calls to tell you where the safe places are. My question to her was.... "What county am I in??" because all the warnings were for counties, not towns. Picture me with the constant stream of details on the t.v. for four hours and map quest up on my computer to get my bearings! At 9:15 it seemed bad enough to think about leaving the room. I got dressed, put the essentials in my purse (just in case!) and I joined other hotel guests in the lobby watching coverage and deciding when/if we needed to get in the stairwell, until about 10:40pm, when the worst had seemed to pass. Not much sleep last night to say the least.......... Where are the Ruby Slippers when you need them???