Nemo 2013 - The Blizzard

Let's let it be known that this girl right here absolutely detests snow! I hate driving in it, shoveling it, taking my dog out in it when she refuses to go out. It's basically a big nuisance. 

They had predicted a blizzard that was suppose to hit Long Island/New York/basically the New England area. I always laugh because last time they said it was going to happen, IT DID NOT SNOW! But tell me how they named the blizzard Nemo. I just keep laughing every time I see this online:

I drove to work last night from school because I had a workshop that let us out at 2:30. By the time I got to the mall, it was an hour later and my boss had tried to catch me. I had to be there at 4 and she goes "Turn around and go home!" I was so excited that I was like "Love you! You're the best, Mel!" because I am usually the one that gets stuck there. I went home, took a shower, ate dinner and then took a 3-3.5 hour nap! So wonderful.

Nemo hit us hard though! Some parts of Long Island only got 8 inches while others got 30 or more! My cousins, aunt & uncle got 30". I got at least 2 feet. You could not even open my door this morning. I had to put my dog on a leash and drag her outside to go to the bathroom. It was bad. I mean, just to give you an idea of how bad of a blizzard it was, look at this:

 

These are a bunch of abandoned cars on Route 347, which is a major road right by the mall I work at. Considering those cars are all stuck there, I highly doubt my restaurant is open today!

They even closed the Long Island Expressway, which is a major road on Long Island. People's cars were abandoned there but I just checked our local paper's website and its reopened but with some closures.

My brothers shoveled most of the driveway and one of them tried to move my car. There's all ice under there...SCORE. I plan on getting up early tomorrow to make sure it is moveable incase we're open tomorrow. I could not believe that our mall was going to open at 1pm today but then changed their minds...good thing because we were under a state of emergency! This blizzard is just proof that I need to move out of NY to someplace warm. Or ask for a snow blower for my birthday this year!

 

 

{It's Okay Thursday!}

I can't believe it is Thursday again. This means only 6 more school days until February break!! My school was lucky and did not lose its winter break due to Hurricane Sandy. I did lose 2 days at Spring Recess and 2 at Memorial Day. But you can't win them all.

Anywho, link up with the lovely ladies Neely & Amber who host this awesome linkup to share what is okay with you today! 


It's Okay...

...that I am going to school tomorrow but not my classes because I have a conference. And get paid for it. Let's just hope I did the sub thing correctly!

...that I get bored cleaning my room in the middle of it and will complain about it until it is done.

...that I'm counting down the days til the Taylor Swift concert with Shannon & Meghan. Road trip to Philly!!

...to be crushing over a new guy. 

...to be so excited that I am OFF Monday & Tuesday next week. Totally going to the gym & getting a manicure. 

...that I laughed so hard at this about the "blizzard" that is suppose to hit the East Coast. And it's in quotes because I am going to laugh if it doesn't hit...weather people are wrong all the time!

...that I am working on Valentine's Day. At least I am working with my favorite hosting buddy Christine. And we're training a new guy. 

...that I can never go to bed at a decent hour that won't make me wanna cry during school. I am going to need a MASSIVE cup of coffee tomorrow!

....that this e-card made me laugh.  I bet some other teachers would agree there are days that make ya feel like that!

...that I am eagerly awaiting Justin Timberlake's new album that comes out in March!

 

{WILW - Happy February!}

I can't remember the last time I linked up for WILW. It has been a crazy few weeks! But here I am, back at it linking up with the lovely & sweet Jamie!

I'm loving that there are only 7 more school days until winter break!! 2 of those days I have a conference and 1 day (tomorrow) four of my six classes are viewing a presentation. 

I'm loving that Safe Haven comes out!! Seriously, I hope it is good and not bad like "Dear John" was.

I'm loving that my cousin's adorable twins will be on an episode of The Americans February 13th at 10pm!! They're also in a new movie coming out later this year called Winter's Tale.

I'm loving that I have some Girl Scout cookies coming my way from my goddaughter Sara!

I'm loving that Peter Pan came out of the vault on DVD! So need to buy that!

I'm loving these cuties

I'm loving this video of a Marine surprising his brother at a basketball training. It ALWAYS gets me!

{Its Okay Thursday}

{It's Okay...}

...that I am happy that I don't have to go to CPK until 6 tomorrow night.

...that two of my classes are watching "Beauty & The Beast" tomorrow after their vocab quiz.

...that I HATE HATE HATE shoes with a passion. Every pair of flats stretches and it drives me nuts.

...to look forward to having a drink with Amanda tomorrow night after work.

...to plan on buying the gray Ugg's I have been wanting for the last two years. #problems

...that I only went to the gym once this month. Oops. time to get cracking and actually USE the membership!

...that sometimes the guys on POF creep me out.

...that I want to rip my lungs out because there are times when I can't stop coughing and times when I don't cough at all.

...that my closet and bedroom are STILL a mess. I need like five hours one day and it'll happen. 

...that we made my co-worker wear a cape of a plastic bag last night and I took pictures when were were bagging everything up for the deep clean. The things we do to amuse ourselves.

...that I am dreading hosting tomorrow night.

...for me to believe I need more clothes...I am simply bored of my wardrobe and getting dressed every day for school! 

...to go crawl under my comforter and read "Safe Haven"

Link up today with Amber & Neely!

 

{Sunday Social!}

Happy Sunday everyone!! I hope you are all having a pleasant day. I just came back from Cosco with my mother and that place is a zoo on Sundays. Ha ha. 


Time to link up with this week's questions for Sunday Social!

1. What is your ideal way to relax?
Honestly? Come home and put on my pajamas, get a glass of sangria and watch TV or a movie while browsing the web. 

2. Where is your favorite place to be?
I always joke to my mom that my favorite place to be is in my bed because I love to sleep! Ha ha. But honestly, I have a few favorite places to be. Either with my nieces & nephew because they crack me up and I love them. 

The beach because it is so calm & peaceful.

And with friends! 

3. Who do you consider your biggest role model?
Definitely my mother. I give her so much credit for raising 5 children all by herself (one of whom has a disability) after my dad died...and she didn't know she was pregnant with me when he died. She has sacrificed so much for all of us over the years and when I have kids, if I can even be half the amazing mother she is, that'll mean everything to me.

4. What does your life look like in three years?
In three years, I hope to be either in my own apartment or house (if I am still living at home when I am 29, please give me a swift kick in my butt! lol). I hope to be either engaged or married to my soulmate....if not either of those, then at least dating!! I also hope to have found my ideal teaching job and have my own classroom. It'll be fun to look back in a few years and see if I reach any of these aspirations. 

5. If you could go back and change one decision, what would it be?
Sometimes I think it may have been where I went to school. I chose my school for it's education program because I wanted to be a teacher. But during my time there, I felt like it was just so unorganized and as a student, you really had to do the work yourself of when to take tests, workshops, etc to be able to get your degree on time. But the one thing I do not regret about what school I went to is the friends I met there!

 Just a small circle of my New Paltz friends :)

6. What is your biggest accomplishment in life so far?
Getting my Bachelor's Degree in Spanish (with a French minor) in 2009

and then my Master's of Science in Adolescence Education with a Middle Childhood Extension in 2011!

Link up with Ashley @ Ashley Lately & Neely @ A Complete Waste of Makeup.   

Ignorance

Sometimes I can't understand why people act a certain way. Why they say a certain thing. It makes me question if they think before they speak. Or if they are just generally a rude person.

I often see it in public....and pretty much every shift when I am at work. Some people just give you an attitude for no reason at all. My favorite thing is when people come into the restaurant and asked to not be sat near any children when its FULL of children. I'll do my best but it's not like you're at a romantic 5 star restaurant...you're at a chain restaurant that is family oriented. And umm? You were once a child too!!

I also hate when people are rude to me at the host stand. My job has started having three hosts on a Friday & Saturday night. One is suppose to be really greeting and focused on the guest. One writes down the names when we're on a wait and one seats. Two people can actually seat the guests. Only I was the only one up there at one point because one of the girls was taking her break and the other one went MIA when I told her to go tell the bussers to clean off a table (and oh hey, they were right next to it). And she instead bussed it off. So this guy took it upon himself to sit himself....who goes into a restaurant and sits themselves when there is a wait going on?! Really....you're that impatient!! I actually told him he isn't suppose to just go to the table and I was waiting for someone to come back. So rude especially because my bosses hate when customers sit themselves and don't listen to us. Why do you think we're up there? For decoration?

Tonight I came home and saw this article on people.com. A waiter refused to serve a man after he insulted a little boy with Down Syndrome. Really?! I am so appalled by this. It hits home since I have always grown up with a brother that has a disability. They deserve to be treated like any other human being -- with respect. They have the right to be in public like anyone else. I could not believe the man insulted this little boy and said that special needs children need to sit elsewhere. Would you want someone to say that about YOUR child if the roles were reversed? I am so glad that the waiter stood up for the little boy and refuse to serve the man. I would have done the same thing. It just goes to prove how so many people are still so ignorant.

Blog funk

I don't know why but lately, I feel like I have been in a blog funk. In a mood. I felt like I did not know what to blog about; not that I feel that I am obligated to blog every day (although I would love to do that!). I think it had to do with a combination of being busy between 2 of my 3 jobs right now and life in general.

Last Friday, I went into the city with my friend Shannon to meet up with our friends Amanda, Sarah (who are roommates) and Jade for dinner. We all went to college together (Amanda is one year younger than us) and it is amazing that almost 4 years after graduation, we have remained friends! At dinner, we actually toasted to "not hating each other!" as Jade said. Hahaha. I can remember being torn about my decision of where to go for school and in the end, I am glad I went where I did. Without a doubt, I am sure no matter where I would have gone I would have made an amazing circle of friends. But the girls I met at NP are truly special! After dinner, Shannon, Amanda and I met up with Amanda's friend from home for a burlesque show. That was definitely something different!! It was an interesting experience.

Sunday was spent with my mom at the outlets. We were both looking for shoes. I normally wear a size 10 in sneakers (yikes, big foot!) but need dress shoes (flats specifically because teaching in heels all day hurts!!). I found a pair of black ones at Bass for pretty cheap. My mom found herself a pair and then I got a bunch of new clothes in Loft for school. I think I am super excited about the Vera Bradley outlet coming there!! I can't wait for it to open!! 

You can all laugh but I finally got all of the Christmas decorations away in the attic. Yes, I know Christmas was a month ago but my siblings are useless when it comes to decorating/un-decorating & putting away. If it wasn't for me, they would never decorate for Christmas. The only thing that I have to do is put the box of paper in the attic but it is a job I am so glad is over!!

I am currently engrossed in "Safe Haven" by Nicholas Sparks. I am SO SO SO excited for the movie to come out next month. How perfect that it is coming out Valentine's Day weekend. Shannon & I have already planned a girls night/date of dinner & drinks when we go see the movie. 

I am so happy that my Erin Condren planner FINALLY came!! I was so late in ordering it (next year I need to order it at the end of November...so that'd actually be this year!)  

And to leave you with a smile on your face, you NEED to watch this video. It's two little Asian baby boys dancing to Gangam Style...funniest video I have seen lately!