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Since I'm sure many of you are sad to see that Craig did not update his blog for his Monday night post, I've decided to say hello. Craig left for Houston to spend Thanksgiving with his family. I spend so much time with Craig that we inevitably share many of the minor events of life with each other. It's funny how quickly I missed sharing these little things with him. Within hours of his departure, I wanted to text him, but I refrained. Instead, I started a list of the little things that I would have shared with him immediately if he had been around .
1. We keep our door open most evenings so the cats can roam around or hang out with neighbor-Rick. Yesterday evening, as I sat near the front door on my computer, I had an uninvited guest. A young-looking white cat strolled through the door without a care in the world. He/she headed over to drink from the cats' water dish. I happened to have my camera handy to take a picture, but my sudden movement scared it away. Too bad.

2. I was paying too much attention to the wedding date that Craig and I set. I then decided to find its prime factorization. After I failed at finding factors below 30, I turned to Google, asking "Is 33013 a prime number?". I discovered a great website in the process. Turns out, it is!

That's about as exciting as life gets here in apartment 204. However, I'm sure I would have shared that a staff member told me about her experience with a student while I was at a conference on Friday. "You're working me like Ms. Matera!" he exclaimed. This is quite the compliment, for a teacher.

The End.

Forgot

As most of you do, I lead a busy life and inevitably forget things along the way. Anyone who knows me well, knows I love lists and charts. Over the years I have made exercise charts, food charts, medicine charts, flossing charts, and sneezing charts. I make to-do lists, packing lists, and goal lists. While there are very few things I've forgotten on a number of occasions, there are many things I've forgotten at least once. I forgot to wear my glasses, I forgot to take my cell phone home from work, I forgot to go to a meeting. I forgot to set my alarm for running club, I forgot to take a dose of medicine, I forgot to feed the cats. I forgot a friend's birthday, I forgot to pay the rent on time, I forgot to pack my toothbrush.  There are simply so many things to remember that I can't remember all of them everyday.

Today I get to add a new item to my "I Forgot" list. One hour after arriving home from work, I remembered that I forgot to take my car home with me.

Home Sick

I awoke to my alarm just before 6:30. I should have set it for later. I wasn't ready to wake up. I called in sick today, but I still had an 8 am meeting. As Craig noticed as he got ready for his way-too-early morning bike ride, I was up at 4 am for the second day in a row. Both nights I woke at 2. Since I had the freedom to use my lamp, I stayed in bed and avoided the temptation of the late night DVD player/internet usage and opted for magazine reading and crossword puzzles. This didn't help me fall asleep any quicker. While wasting time before leaving for work, I saw that the Hunger Games has arrived at the library. What a perfect day for a book to come for me!

I left for work at 7:30. I arrived early to the meeting and sat with psych Julie and speech Jason. Julie noted that I had something on my shirt. I looked down and shared that it was most certainly a booger. At least people couldn't doubt that I was sick. The parent didn't show up, so I didn't accomplish anything other than learning that our new special ed teacher is 24. He is fresh out of college, but worked on a naval base while he decided what he wanted to do. I drove, so I was able to leave right away. I passed co-worker Tana on my way out, and she handed me a bag of the complete Hunger Games series. She asked, "You're the type of person who returns books, right?" I said that I generally get books from the library, so yes I am (I didn't mention that I usually renew them for a year first). She promised she wouldn't charge me 10 cents a day (didn't there used to be a cents sign on a basic keyboard? I can't find it). I looked at the books. They look like she hasn't even opened them. They're hardcover. I'm nervous about reading them.

I decided to stop at the kickboxing place to place the hold on my account. The people there said I could only do that through Scott. When I called on Sunday, they just said I had to fill out a form. They didn't specify that only one person could give me that form. The guy I talked to was new (it was his second day), but I stated that this is the reason why I want to put my account on hold. I hear something different depending on who I talk to, that the staff has been inconsistent and unreliable. He explained that they're going through a "restructuring" and they're "almost there". I said, that's fine, but I joined in January and they've been doing that since then. I'm glad to hear they're almost there, but I don't feel like paying money in the meantime. So I left, feeling frustrated. 

I had parked on the west side of the road to avoid having to make 2 lefts (one into the kickboxing and one when leaving).  On my way to work, I was thinking about going to a diner. I've been craving diner coffee. Over the past few years, I've realized that I have a preference when it comes to coffee.  I am not even close to a habitual coffee drinker, and I have no clue what makes good coffee. All I know is that I generally enjoy plain coffee at diners. I do not enjoy coffee from gas stations, Starbucks (unless it's a calorie-filled mocha), or my school cafeteria. So, I decided to try out Crazy Otto's Diner, which is next to where I had parked my car. They have a sign on the window that says they are a Guiness Book of World Record's holder for the largest Spanish Omelet. According to the menu, they obtained this record through a Cali location. They also had a sign that said I could get an egg, hash browns, and toast for $3.99. So I went. I ordered coffee and water and the aforementioned meal. I read the first chapter of the Hunger Games, very, very carefully. The chapter was good and so was the meal and so was the coffee. It was nice to relax. Crazy Otto's appears to be a place that has lots of people show up by themselves (2 others came solo in the time I was there) and also a place for regulars. Though it is a chain, it has the feel of being a local diner.

And now I am home ready to rest and recover from this cold.  I found a penny outside nearby neighbor Mark and unnamed girl's apartment.

April 23rd

In 2009 I applied for the NYC marathon lottery. I did not get accepted.

In 2010 I applied for the NYC marathon lottery. I did not get accepted.

In 2011 I applied for the NYC marathon lottery. I did not get accepted.

In 2012, I earned guaranteed entry after being denied 3 previous years. I must register by April 23rd to secure this guaranteed entry.

Due to injury, I took 6 months off from running. Only recently have I returned. I can run 4 miles without any knee pain.

The question is: will Laura practice enough self-control and common sense to resist this year's guaranteed entry or will she succumb to the temptation of something she's been waiting for for nearly half a decade?