Challege Day 2: Christmas Shopping

E and I spent the day downtown shopping for Christmas gifts. How I miss living downtown. He wagered that before entering our second store, I would be completely annoyed with crowds and lose my cool. I am proud to announce that I shocked him by making it to four stores before spiraling down into grumpiness. Although, I knew as I entered the going-out-of-business Borders that the mass of people crowding into a hot store for their chance at cheap books was going to put me over the limit. Plus, that particular Borders must not believe in air conditioning because it is always insanely warm in there. My advice for any Borders shoppers is to avoid standing near the computers. People assume that if you are using one that you must work there. I politely told 5 different customers that I was just a shopper. Actually, by the fifth person, I wasn’t being quite as polite. We did get some great new comics for 40% off. So, I guess it was worth it.

I am also excited that I found gifts for over half of the people on my list. I hate being a last minute shopper, but I usually am. This year, I am breaking the trend and hope to be completely done by the 20th. I like to set arbitrary goals for myself. It then gives me a feeling of accomplishment when I meet them.

Tonight, E and I will be bowling at his department’s holiday get together. The smack talking has already started.

New Challenge

I have been working on blogs projects with my students. After a short lesson on blogs and a crash-course on iWeb, they are now making blogs for the characters in The Outsiders.  I have been trying to encourage them to write frequently and I think learning about blogs may provide them a platform to do so. I, however, feel like a total hypocrite. Looking back at my postings and the dates in my physical journal, they are spotty to say the least. So, starting today, I am issuing myself a 10-day challenge to write every day. I could cite all of the research I have been looking at that explains the benefits of daily writing and/ or reflecting, but I will spare all 5 of my readers the trouble.

Challenge Day 1: Becoming a Cat Person?
I used to like cats as a child. I was terribly allergic, to the point of asthma attacks, but I enjoyed being around them and having one as a pet. Somewhere in my adolescence, I began to hate them and became “dog person.” Perhaps it was because my dad’s mountain-lion-size cat, Sam, frequently sank his giant teeth into my leg for not petting him on command. Perhaps it was because my grandmother’s cat would sit on top of the fridge and threaten to pounce if I tried to get a glass of milk. Or perhaps it was because of the neighborhood cats that would poop in my herb garden. In any case, I am just much happier being around dogs.

When E told me that we would be house-sitting for some people who had a cat, I was a bit hesitant but I am a good sport. I must say, to my own surprise, that I have fallen in love with an old tortoiseshell named Detelina. True, my eyes get a bit puffy and I have trouble breathing through my nose when I come into contact with any furniture she has been on, but she is so sweet. She loves to cuddle and, at night, she burrows down into the covers and sleeps against my legs (thankfully far away from my face). She has a great disposition and doesn’t even try to bite or claw me! We are staying with her for another few days and I am already sad about leaving.

Is it possible that I am really becoming a cat person or am I just getting desperate for a pet?

In other news, I will soon be starting a new blog segment called WAGS (Wives and Girlfriends) Against Bad Unis. Being married to the sports-obsessed man that I am, I spend a lot of time watching EPSN. We watch all the sports (I really mean all of them) as well as shows where other people talk about the sports we just watched. Sometimes, we even listen to podcasts of people talking about the sports and the shows of people talking about sports. Inevitably, my attention gravitates to the uniforms. It’s hard not to notice them, honestly. There are just so may bad ones out there.

Be on the lookout for the first installment of WAGS Agaist Bad Unis: Butt Sweat.