Summer stuff

I'm  a teacher, so I have the luxury of spending the summer months doing whatever I please whenever I please. I enjoy this aspect of teaching very much, but now I am facing the eventual return of my tightly scheduled days and nights, and it is causing me to react physically (chills, dry heaves, etc). All kidding aside, I am excited to get back into a rhythm with school, working out, and intramural sports...heck I'll be glad when I remember what day it is again.

Right now I am starting my annual back to school shopping, getting things that my students should be equipped with when they enter my room but (SHOCK!) are not. Notebooks, pens, pencils, glue sticks, scissors, colored pencils, etc. I usually spend a couple hundred bucks getting everything in order for the year, just to have my stuff jacked or vandalized by my kiddos. I know it must be hard for teenagers to grasp the value of something that isn't theirs, but it gets frustrating having to replace things that, for no reason, were destroyed because someone was bored or is a psychopath ;)

In other news, my parents and my brother came down to visit me in two consecutive weeks in July. My bro had never been to Dallas and really enjoyed his stay. He was amazed at just how much more stuff there is to do around DFW, just like I was when I got here. My parents stayed for a week, didn't let me pay for anything and left me lots of surprises after they left. Let me tell you, my parents are the MOST wonderful, selfless, and caring people on this planet. PERIOD.

I also had to put my 5K training plans on hold (Didn't know I had them? Well, I did!) due to throwing out my back a few weeks ago. I had been running every day and playing sports, which on my stumpy, barrel-type body, was very stressful. I awoke one morning to realize I could hardly move, so I hobbled around hunched over old-lady style and frantically called the nearest chiropractor. They took me that day and started me on the road to wellness, or something, and now my back is almost back to 100%. I was told to stick to swimming, using the elliptical, and to take it much slower on the 5K training. I think I can handle that. I just want to be "a runner", something that I haven't ever been aside from training for soccer in high school. I want to wake up in the morning, bust out 3-5 miles and then head to school. Looks like that will be further off in my future than I had planned, but that's something I'll just have to live with. I'd rather be able to walk, you know?

Ta ta for now,

AIT

Seasons 52: A great experience any time of year!

One thing that I love about living in Dallas is the amazing variety of restaurants so close to my home. I can hit up any fast food joint or sit down chain, but there are also numerous stand alone restaurants that are simply amazing. One of them happens to be Seasons 52, located in Plano off of Legacy and the Tollway. Yes, there are other locations, but this happens to be the only one in Texas so far.

Let me preface this story by telling you that I belong to a supper club comprised of a few friends that deeply appreciate a good epicurean adventure. We venture out on Thursday nights to check off new, interesting, or just plain delicious locations off of our ever-growing list. Seasons has been on our list for a long time so we headed out tonight in a very excited mood.


Seasons 52 does something very interesting with their menu; they change it every season to accommodate for the fruits and vegetables that are best during those months. Even more astonishing is their weekly specials, which change every week. That's 52 weekly specials over 4 seasons in the year. Now that I've educated you on the name, I feel we can move on to the actual meal.

Oh wait, I forget to tell you, Seasons 52 offers a plethora of wines varying in price and surely able to compliment ANY meal that is served. I chose a sweet Ravenswood Moscato, Kristin had a Grenache (red), and Savannah sipped on a sweet Riesling.


My cohorts and I started our meal with edamame, which are immature soybeans that are usually served steamed with sea salt. Seasons mixes it up by using green tea salt, which added a nice depth of flavor to the soft beans.
For our main courses, Savannah chose the Filet Mignon which was served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and Grilled corn. When they brought it out, I was instantly jealous. It looked to be cooked perfectly, with a few nice grill marks and an Oaky scent from the wood-fire grill.
Kristin made good on her promise to get the scallops, which were grilled to perfection and served with asparagus and a tomato-mushroom pearl pasta.
I ordered the Barbecue Chicken, seen here with mashed potatoes, corn, and a bed of green beans, encircled by some cherry tomatoes.

After finishing off our entrees, we had a little room left over for their "mini" desserts, which turned out to be the perfect size for sharing and enjoying. Their desserts remain the same throughout the year with one seasonal dessert brought in with each menu change. I chose the seasonal banana caramel dessert, Savannah got the Pecan Pie, and Kristin chose the Peanut butter chocolate mousse. Each one was a perfect balance of sweetness, texture, and presentation.

All in all I would give Seasons 52 an A. The food is delectable, fairly priced, and every entree is UNDER 500 calories! Can you believe it? Tasty and health conscious, what a great pairing (not seen in enough restaurants, I would say)!

I am even considering taking my parents there next week when they visit :)

Toodles,

-AIT

It's been awhile!

I can't say I've done a great job of keeping up with my blog over the past couple months, and it upsets me. There were so many times that typing out my thoughts would have been entirely therapeutic! Here are some things that most certainly kept me from (but won't do so in the future) writing more often:

1) Work- I am a teacher, so when our standardized testing looms on the horizon, I go into super-teacher mode with before and after school tutoring, plus coaching after school. It's tiresome but rewarding when we get our scores back at the end of the year and I find out I get to keep my job. YAY!


2) Sports- Outside of school I play intramural sports with my friends most nights through out the week. At any given point I will have 2 or 3 nights of softball, 1 or 2 nights of football, soccer, volleyball, kickball, dodge ball, etc. to keep me busy.

3) Injuries- I injured my knee in February, which took about 6 weeks to get back to a point where I could compete but is still healing. I recently sprained my back as well, making a lot of my normal movement very painful. I think I need to stick to swimming and using the elliptical, but I love to compete!

4) Laziness- Why write when I can sit in the living room and spend time with these two?

I will update again soon! Promise.

AIT

An anniversary story

Yesterday, February 12th, was my 3rd anniversary with my boyfriend. We've been through a lot together, and after all the good times, fake babies (this is a good story), and misadventures, we've come out as a stronger, more mature (for us at least) couple.

In 2007, I was reeling from an abusive, frustrating relationship that had finally imploded in on itself. I had made peace with it throughout the summer, right before I was going back for my senior year of college. It felt great to no longer have the burden of such a loathsome, troubled individual weighing me down, but I was also somewhat fragile, and longed to be close to someone.

After quite a few mishaps with guys who really, when I look back, just weren't right for me, I gave up. I'd had it with guys who were immature, lying jerks, so I decided to make a list of things I was seeking in a potential boyfriend. Here it is, verbatim from my Live Journal with current thoughts in red:

January 6th, 2008

"My Perfect Guy"

-Doesn't do drugs...ever (very important) Something my ex had a weakness for
-Has his own interests and doesn't depend on me for everything  The ex was a loser, basically
-Is interested in making my friends his friends He tried to cute me off from them
-Gets along with my family
-Values all life
-Has an open mind
-Doesn't try to control me
-Has strong beliefs and convictions (No flip-floppers!)
-Stands up for me, even if I may be wrong
-Appreciates/practices good dental hygiene
-Will never break my heart Missed birthdays, being beat up, being told he was in love with other people...
-Looks good with a beard (a must!)
-Is rugged and manly and likes to be outside but also likes to cuddle (another must!)
-Makes me laugh a lot and can make fun of me/be made fun of himself
-Likes sports more than me so I can ask him questions when I get confused.
-Likes to read and likes music.
-Works out and takes care of himself

Anyway, probably less than a week after creating this list, I met my boyfriend...on the internet. We just chatted at first, but after a few weeks, I gave him my number. He seemed like a genuinely nice, hardworking guy who had also hit hard times in the romantic sense. We talked for hours at night, often giving me only a few hours to sleep before waking up to student teach! I wasn't tired however, those days, talking to him and making these deep connections that the memory of them carried me through many a long day with my gaggle of hormone-ridden 8th graders.

After a month of these hours-long conversations, we decided to take it to the next level and meet...at some point. Being a Resident Assistant earned me a paltry stipend each month, hardly enough to cover the cost of a plane ticket.

Oh, did I forget to mention that we were living 1,200 miles apart? Well, we were.

However, we thought that there might be something to this relationship and that maybe, even though it seemed a little crazy, that we should meet and see how things turn out.

Over President's day weekend in 2008, Boyfriend drove to Kent, Ohio from Dallas, Texas to meet me.

ME!

Someone he had never met before, and if he didn't like me, might never meet again! 

Luckily, it was just the opposite. A connection that seemed so strong over the phone was infinitely more intense in person. We went to dinner, watched movies, and continued to find more out about each other in the precious little time we had. 

On Sunday morning around 2 a.m. our weekend had come to an end, but we knew that there were more good times ahead.

And there have been. 

I visited Dallas for Spring Break, and he flew up to see me graduate from College.

Lucky for me, I had started putting applications out to schools around that time, and applied to school districts in Texas to see if I could get a teaching position there after graduation.

In early July of 2008, I had been hired at the school district I now work for, and was on my way to Dallas to live with the man who'd swept me off my feet a few months earlier.

Since then, life has been amazing. He's the perfect person for me, and I can't wait to marry him one day...

but that's a whole different story!

The Superbowl...and other things

I went to the hospital yesterday and after some x-rays, they've determined that I did not break my knee! I was pretttty sure I hadn't anyway (since I wasn't in horrific, agonizing pain for 24 hours) but it was nice to know I guess.

I did however, strain or tear my MCL, or Medial Collateral  Ligament. On the positive side I, in all likelihood, won't need surgery. The crappy part is that I am unable to participate in my normal weekly activities like volleyball, dodge ball, football, and whatever else I feel like doing :(

For example, here is my view of the Super Bowl.

See? I couldn't even escape the Half time show fast enough! 

Like my Ohio State slippers? ME TOO!

I can't wait to see how work goes tomorrow.

<3

AIT

20-something Polish girl starts blog...video at 11.

I did not start out my day thinking this would be necessary, but I realized that I am starting to find so many interesting things on the internet and in my life that these thoughts, feelings, and (mostly) recipes need to be shared. We'll see how this goes and hopefully, I don't get bored too quickly.

First off, I am a Cleveland, Ohio native through and through, but currently living in Texas. I dabble in sports, cooking/baking, reading, and current events, which will hopefully be displayed here over time.

I'm introverted, but don't have any issues with interpersonal relationships, it's just that sometimes, I would rather read a book than talk to you...Sorry!

I will say though, that I despise conversations over the phone and prefer to converse in person over anything else.  I also LOVE to compete, and I play lots of sports to quell this desire. I play softball 3 nights a week, dodge ball, volleyball, flag football, soccer, golf...and I play to win.

But enough about me in general, let's get into some specific details of my extremely exciting life!

As many of my friends already know, I went out and played football yesterday with some horrendous ramifications. My knee is injured (to what degree I have yet to find out) and I am heading to the doctor today to find out the damage.

Here's what happened:

While playing a rousing game of snow football, I went out for a pass on a slant route, and as i turned to look at our Quarterback, my knee twisted one way while my body went the opposite, making me fall on the ground in immense pain. The initial pain subsided quickly, but I am still unable to straighten it or put weight on it, which (due to my limited medical expertise) makes me think I have torn or dislocated something. Let's hope it's not a meniscus or ACL tear. I will post again once I have news.

Toodles,

AIT