Vacation: All I Ever Wanted

Teachers get a lot of crap about summer vacation. That usually sparks someone (who is probably not a teacher) to create a list of "What You Think/What Actually Happens" and try to debunk all the rumors of what teachers really do on vacation. 

The list has things like Pinterest-ing, creating projects, shopping for classroom supplies, and making lists for the new year. 

Guess how many things on that list I've done so far this summer? 

Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

Now, plenty of my friends are posting things and that's fine. Receipts from school supply stores, pictures of fun new items, Pinteresting the crap out of classroom posters and projects. (Okay, I admit to Pinteresting some stuff but mostly I'm there for the food and funny pictures.) I just choose to do my summer vacation a little differently.

For example: 

Early on this summer I took on the challenge of watching all three seasons of Veronica Mars in a week. Fine, it didn't really take me a whole week to watch it. It also didn't take me a whole week to gain my first four pounds of the summer. To me, that's what summer is all about! Lounging around and doing whatever the heck you want. If watching all the television you missed while cramming that twelve months of work into 180 days is what you want to do, do it. It's okay! (PS - Sorry if you have kids and can't do that.) 

Me.

I like challenges, so each year I challenge myself to read a certain number of books. This year it was one hundred. So, from January to December I'm supposed to read one hundre books. I reached that goal yesterday. Okay, I'm at one-oh-one now. That's thirty-nine books since school let out. Some of you probably think this is because I have no life (you're probably right), but it's also because I DO WHATEVER I WANT BECAUSE I'M ON VACATION. If you aren't a reader I hope you found something else relaxing to do with your time. This is just what I like to do. 

Never happens...

I posted early this summer about my trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Islands of Adventure. A couple weeks after that I got up at 3:30AM and made the trip back to Orlando for the opening of Diagon Alley in Universal Studios. Basically is was the dumbest and most awesome thing I've ever done. I didn't do a lot of "traveling" this summer, but the little I did was so worth it. Of course, I've been following all my friends' travels on Facebook and, while it looks awesome, I'm glad I only traveled a few hours away from home. Besides, being in Orlando is basically like being in a different world. 

BRB, going to the Ministry of Magic.

I also challenged myself to go to the gym and workout this summer. If we're friends on Facebook you've probably seen my posts about weight gain. Yeah, it's not muscle I've gained. Kudos to those of you who have had the strength and motivation to workout. I've had a hard enough time getting out of bed, so I've passed on the gym stuff. I'll just pretend to workout my brain by reading a lot of intelligent books (lolz). I did run three 5Ks this summer, which is working out...to me. 

But really, that's the beauty of summer vacation: lounging, reading, traveling, and doing what you love. I don't have to spend time shopping and creating and pinning. If I actually want to lie on the couch all day and read all day I will. If I want to go to the pool and read, I might. If I go to the beach to read I'm kind of pushing things, because I'm not too crazy about leaving the house unless I absolutely have to. 

The point of this is probably to tell you to enjoy your summer vacation. You worked hard this year and you earned it. Don't sweat the new year just yet. Trust me, August 11th will be here before you know it and then you won't have pool time or book time or lying on the couch time, you know? It'll be seating charts, grading papers, classroom management, lesson plans, meetings, paperwork (are you depressed yet?), and all that other stuff that comes with having the best job in the whole world.  

So, just chill out. 

Twenty more days. 

XO, 

Ash

True Story: Books Ruined My Life

This is the true story of how books ruined my life.

You think I’m joking. Well, I’m not. Books are life-ruiners and it’s about time someone stood up to them. (Or ranted about them a little, whatever.)

I started reading at an early age: letters and sight words and little books. I’m kind of smart that way. Of course, I’m really dumb in other ways, so the reading thing makes up for it, yeah?

My earliest obsession with books started simple enough: Baby-Sitter’s Club Little Sister series and Sweet Valley Twins. Eventually I graduated into the older versions of these series and continued the obsession. Seriously, though. Who didn’t want to be a Wakefield twin growing up? I always favored Elizabeth (Jessica was a flake). And I totally wanted to start my own babysitting club, too. For the record, Mary Anne was my favorite babysitter. She was quiet and nerdy and hey, so was I.  

Don't they just scream "cool"?  

My problem with books started early, obviously. When I was growing up the closest Walmart was an hour or so. I would beg my mom to buy me a book. Not a toy or a new Barbie, a book! So, she’d buy me the book. Then I’d make my parents leave the light in the car on so I could read the book on our way home. I didn’t care if they “couldn’t see” while driving, I needed to read.

I was usually finished with the book by the time we got home. We had that place called a “library”, but renting books really wasn’t my thing. Truth is, it still isn’t. I like to buy and keep. If it’s something I don’t like I usually donate it or take my chances with the used bookstore and earn some credit to buy, you guessed it, more books.

#1 way books ruin my life? They cost money.

#2 way? I don’t have enough money to buy all the books I want.

But I digress. This really isn’t about money or not having enough books. It’s about loving, or loathing, the ones you have.

This weekend I spent a lot of time facedown in the couch because of all my feelings.

#3 way books ruin my life? ALL THE FEELINGS. (Or FEELS.)

Look, if you’re reading this and think I’m weird, that’s okay. Books make me weird. Books make me weird because books make me think and thinking…man, thinking does stuff. The feelings are intense, though. I’ve read so many books in the past few years that sometimes it’s hard to explain what one is about or just exactly why I loved/hated something. There are always that few that stick with you forever, though.

Those are the life-ruiners. I can tell you at exactly which point I lost it Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Only JK Rowling can make you cry with the use of the word “laugh”. Or rather, “last laugh”. (RIP, Fred.) I know the one phrase in The Fault in Our Stars that still gets me teary even though I have yet to bring myself to reread that beautiful piece of words.  

Good books, books that tell about life and relationships and make you a part of that world without even trying…those are the best kind. The ones above are just a couple of the ones that have cut my heart out in the recent past. Also, anything else by John Green can be including. To me he's the #1 Life-Ruiner Ever. I read a lot, okay. Sometimes Kindle .99 cent deals, sometimes the classics. To me, if you think it's good, it's good. If you love the characters and you love the story, that's all there is to it. 

Yep.

Of course, then there’s books like Gone Girl that make you hate every single character and you wouldn’t even care if the earth opened up and they all died. (Secret: Sometimes I feel like this about the Twilight series even though I once loved it so much. Okay, except for Leah. She’s cool.)

But yeah, man. Books. Books are my weakness. When people can put words together to make you fall in love or hate or hope or cry…it’s like magic, you know? It’s magic that people have the guts and the capability to just create people, places, and things and make you love them. That’s how I feel about books. I love them. Okay, I loathe them sometimes, too. Especially when I end up with a tear-stained couch and three days of my life I”ll never get back. 

Also things that are life-ruiners: book to movie adaptions. DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED. 

Even God is Single

I love the holidays.

Food, family, friends, gifts…did I mention food? Yeah, holidays are awesome.

You know what I don’t love about holidays?

The question. You know the one.

Are you seeing anyone?

You dating anyone?

Met anybody yet?

You’re going to be an Old Maid!

Tina gets it.

Okay, that last one wasn’t a question, but has actually been said to me by my Papa. He’s old, though, so I let it go.

Funnily enough, my family wasn’t too bad this Thanksgiving. Maybe they’ve finally given up on asking. Or maybe they’re just finally convinced I’ve turned into the crazy cat lady.

"Zazzy."

Truth is, I’m not the crazy cat lady. My cat doesn’t like anyone else (imagine that!), so I will never get to be that cat lady. It’s kind of sad when you think about it. Of course, that really just means that I’ll actually have to find a significant other one day.

One day.

I’m okay with that. Really. But in the meantime, I really really love being single. I love being single for a few reasons (which I will tell you about in due time, my precious), but they are probably not the reasons most people think, ie: partying, hanging out, doing stupid things.

Y’all, I get to do what I want all the time.

That’s not to say I don’t spend time with friends and family and work, but if I want to go to a movie, I do. Shopping? Do it. Sit on the couch all day and drink coffee and read a book? Done and done (multiple times). Take a trip to a third-world country? Did it. Twice.

But traveling and doing awesome things like not wearing make up or real pants are not the only perks that I favor, okay? (I’m currently sipping on a Woodchuck cider in an Avengers Tervis tumbler with a straw, I think a boyfriend would find that weird.) At this point in my life, I’m still learning about me. Yeah, I’m thirty and to some people that’s old, but statistics show that the majority of people are actually waiting until their thirties to get married. Science is letting us wait longer to have children (I’m adopting a child who is already potty trained). And, if you ask me, that’s a good thing. I remember being engaged many moons ago and thinking that the relationship I was in was so awesome and pretty and perfect, but it totally wasn’t. Sometimes I think back and just shake my head because I was in no way ready to get married at twenty-one. Now, I know plenty of people who did get married at that age and are in beautiful, thriving relationships. I’m totally happy for them. But I know that it’s not for me. Not yet.

I’m pretty content with working and focusing on being the best teacher I can be right now. Yes, I’m married to my job, but I’m okay with that because it’s the best job in the world. I like the cat and I like my family. I have some pretty cool friends and colleagues who keep me entertained and worry about my love life (or lack thereof).

I guess you could say I’m kind of...happy.

So, maybe I will be an Old Maid, but I might just be okay with that. I know that if I wait to find the right person then it will truly be right. I’m totally one of those people who believe that there’s some poor sap out there for me, but we just haven’t crossed paths yet. God help him, when we do though. 

Jess knows what's up. 

Or I can take a page from Will Grayson and say:

“I’m not asexual, I’m arelationshipal.” (Quote from Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green.)

I’m kidding, obviously, but that would be a fun response next time someone asks if they can set me up for online dating.

Yes, you look like this when you try to set me up. 

But really, dating isn’t something that’s on the top of my list right now. Right now I get to focus on me and becoming as awesome as I can be. Unless, that is, this guy comes a knockin’. Then all bets are off.

 

God bless (Captain) America.

PS – The title of this blog is actually the title of a cute little coffee table book I got for a dollar a few years ago: Even God is Single (so stop giving me a hard time) by Karen Salmansohn.