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