of 52 days until my Europe trip...

I will probably lose count between now and my next post, but those were the first words I heard today upon my entering the WL office. Thank you, Matador, for always keeping a smile on my face even when it starts off with me rolling off my bed at 5:45 am (an entire HOUR after I am supposed to wake up!).
To be honest, I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted. It is April 20th, and my last post was on March 29th. Intense! It is less than a month until school gets out, and I keep telling myself that it's not true: no, Bee, you are not going to Houston for your cousin's wedding in less than 2 months, you are not going to Europe in less than 2 months, you are not getting out of school any time soon... but the reality is that I AM! I can't believe the year is so soon coming to and end... yet the drama's only about to start.
What have I been up to?
Well! Opening Day for the Rockies was a fun time, and even more fun was attending Opening Weekend on April 11th against the Padres. I have some pictures which I will post eventually. My sister's friend got us some SICK seats. I had never been sitting so close to the grass @ a baseball game. And the best part? The weather. We had a comfy and sunny-licious 72 degrees ALL DAY. I managed to get a nice shoulder tan, and burn my scalp (which is pretty normal for me).
It seems like an eternity ago... but Opening Weekend was only two weekends ago!
I have been slacking on my yoga duties, and every week I weigh in I can't help but think about the massive amounts of $$ I am spending at the studio and the few times I have ACTUALLY been to yoga in the past couple of weeks. I keep telling myself "this week, this week..." but the meetings keep piling up and the stress level keeps rising. Maybe this week *sigh* Maybe what I need is another challenge! I need to see if there's anything coming up!
Asides from yoga, and trips...
I managed to win some tickets - again! I entered a contest a few weeks ago through Alice 105.9. It was an "In the Heights" contest. I pretty much filled in a little silly form and waited. I waited enough to forget about the tickets until I got an email four nights ago: "You have won two tickets to opening night of 'In The Heights.'" I about fell off my chair! In less than 6 months I have managed to win two separate set of tickets through the same radio station. I LOVE ALICE 105.9!
Now... on to school news:
1) Today, during my 5th hour, one of my students said something that reminded me of the song "MmMBop," by Hanson. I started humming the song, to which a student reacted with a "what's that Ms Bee?" I said "Hanson!" without even thinking about my response. My students looked at me with a blank stare. It was then and there that I could feel some gray hairs growing on my head, and some serious crow's feet appearing around my eyes. I asked "don't you guys know Hanson?" They responded with a stern "No." I even played the song for them... to no avail. I felt a generational gap that had NOT appeared in my classroom as of this morning at 11:33 am. Now I feel ancient.... and I still love Hanson.
2) We received cute little invitations today to our End of the Year Bowling Xtravaganza with all of the Induction Peeps... Bowling doesn't start til 4 pm, and I didn't think anything of it, that is, until "The Nose" (as Shiloh calls her) pulled me aside during my off hour and said "It doesn't start til FOUR PM. I figured it would END by 4 pm." I said, well, you can talk to the AP! To be really honest I'd much rather be bowling and having a laugh than sitting around a circular table @ the Library talking about things none of us can fix. She looked at me and I walked away. I asked Shiloh if it was a bitchy response, but she said no. I don't feel bad anymore.
3) Drama.
Remember the drama I mentioned before?
Well.. the drama in my department becomes a reality right around this time of year, I hear. I thought it was an urban legend until I saw it unfold right in front of my eyes. I was dragged into it without even asking for it, and those who I thought were my friends have wasted no time digging holes behind my back. And I am PISSED. Oh, I am PISSED.
Matador informed me today, that while I was busy tutoring during my off period... the person I thought was my "buddy" was talking shit behind my back. He told me this particular teacher was saying how "she's been around for 25 years and deserves to be able to teach any levels she pleases because she's too tired to teach freshmen." I about collapsed. Seriously. She was pretty much leaving me with levels one and two - FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR - because she feels too tired to take on the younger kids. She fails to see the fact that I have been BUSTING my ass in order to be even remotely considered to teach an upper level such as 3 or 4. She fails to see that I am more than willing to have 3 preps if it means I get to teach that ONE upper level that I so very much desired. She fails to see that I AM THE ONLY FUCKING NATIVE SPEAKER IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
All I wanted after I heard that shit was a beer. AN ICE COLD BEER. I obviously didn't drink one because of my weigh in, but I have not stopped thinking about the fact that on Friday - MY WEEKEND - I have to give up part of my afternoon to sit with a bunch of whiny people to try to talk myself up and make them see how I am - against some of their beliefs - qualified to teach an upper level of Spanish.

I swear. I wish I were in the math department... where no one gets to pick, they are GIVEN shit and they have to take it as they come.