It is very good to know that I don’t have to be bare naked to be in a tanning bed (I’m thinking maybe pasties and a thong ) (don’t picture that). It is also good to know that I will, more than likely, fit in a tanning bed. I like knowing good things.

Speaking of knowing good things: My information session yesterday was great. I learned all kinds of useful methods (this is all stuff I wish they’d taught us in university — classroom management etc) that I’ve found myself using in class today, and they work really well. I also found out that pretty much everything that I’ve been doing instinctively is what’s recommended by all these higher-up muckety muck type people, for effective classroom management. Go, me!

For example, when one young gentleman came in with what looked like a couple of RC helicopters, all I had to do was point to the door (without eye contact, because that is an invitation to ‘fight or flight’) and he turned around, went and put them away. No arguing, no fighting, no “Awwwwww c’mon”-ing. That was pretty cool.

Yep. Good stuff, all this knowledge.

As you may or may not know, I suffer from severe eczema. This is not one of those “cool” diseases. It’s the skin disease of nerds or weird kids, according to innumerable sitcoms and TV shows (check out this video… although this is one of my very favourite shows and I LOVE JASON).

I’m fairly lucky, so far this year, in that any “outbreaks” I’ve had have been fairly hide-able by, well, wearing clothes, but my stupid raaaaaaaaash is very stubborn. Generally, no matter the medication I use, no matter the soap or the diet I try, I’ve always got one gross spot somewhere that Just. Won’t. Go. Away.

(are you uncomfortable yet with me talking about my raaaaaaaaashyness?)

At the moment, that spot is on my leg– in fact I’ve had the same “spot” for the past year and a half. It gets a bit better, then it gets worse, then it gets *really* bad with bleeding and stuff, then it gets nearly all the way better, but returns with a vengeance a few days later… lather rinse repeat. I have scars all over my body from eczema flare-ups I’ve had in the past– whether or not i scratched ‘em. I’ve had stretchmarks since I was seven (yes, seven) from the steroid creams that have been going on my body since I was two months old (steroid creams are the most common eczema treatment, but they thin your skin out, making it much more “delicate” and prone to scarring and stretchmarks, etc). One specialist, when I was 15, prescribed sleeping pills that knocked me the heck out, like I took half of one tablet and I was asleep for 23 hours and only woke up because my mother came and dragged me out of bed, just so that I wouldn’t move at night and scratch in my sleep (I’m very, very very conscious not to scratch when I’m awake, but when I’m sleeping I am not to be held responsible for my dang actions, fool)!

My doctor, during an appointment the other day, said that many dermatologists recommend UV treatments for “stubborn” eczema. Lucky for me I don’t have a sun allergy like DJ does! Anyway, my doctor. She said that I should try maybe going to a tanning bed for a few minutes every week or so, to see if it helps to improve things. I know, I know, the whole skin cancer thing is scary — but five minutes of UV exposure every two weeks, when I basically avoid all sunlight like the cave-dwelling hermit I am– can’t be *that* bad, can it? (seriously. I am outside probably less than 30 seconds per day)

So I wonder. Would I even *fit* in a tanning bed, because I’m fat? How do you avoid getting super claustrophobic and screaming? Do you have to be NAKED? I am never naked. Ever. Even in the shower I wear a fedora. Do you have to use fancy moisturizers or something?

WHO KNOWS ABOUT TANNING? TELL ME NOW.

… it’s procrastination!

I have an inservice tomorow. I spent some time today on my prep period getting ready for my sub… but I have done nothing since. It’s 8:15, and I have two classes left to plan for. So what am I doing right now? Watching the Snapple Lady cry on Celebrity Fit Club, and trying to figure out how come if they’re in drug rehab, certain celebrities (not the ones on my beloved Fit Club, that’s for sure) are still able to get massages and manicures/pedicures. Maybe I could figure out a way to get into celeb rehab sans the drugs, so that I can also get a massage? Is there some kind of procrastination rehab? Because yeah, that’s totally what I need.

It is probably fairly pathetic that I just saw this commercial on TV and sent Rob an IM (yes we’re nerds, I’m in the livingroom and he’s in the office) that basically just said “OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG!”.

I can’t help it. I can’t!

Today’s Thanksgiving here in Canada, so Rob and I had the day off. We’ve basically spent the day vegging out.
Yesterday was the big family get-together, at my parents’ house. It was great; I love getting together with my family (although my mom was kind of stressed out and crabby for a bit of the day). One kind of interesting thing was that my parents’ dog, Belle, was meeting my nephew’s new puppy, ‘Mater, for the first time. They seemed to enjoy each other.

My nephew is turning four next week (on my grandfather’s birthday), and my brother and sister-in-law got him a puppy. They gave it to him this past Friday (he had just woken up — I have video if anyone wants to see, but I’m not putting them up here, because of privacy and such) and he is In Love. They already have an older dog, who G. has been helping to take care of since he was old enough to pick up the food dish, and so far, so good.

Anyway. Even though I will only show you the video if you email me, I have no qualms about showing photos of puppies. Just head over to my flickr account and take a look.

PS- does anyone have any opinions on North Face apparel? I need a new winter coat.

Here at casa de la cow-dog, we are a wild and crazy bunch of guys.

Do you want to know how we spent our Saturday?

First of all, we slept until noon (we are rockstars). Yes, even I slept until noon, although I went to sleep at 11 last night. Hey, there are days during the week when I only get 8 hours! I’ve gotta make up for it on the weekends, okay? The lie-in is much more forgivable for Rob, who gets home from work at 1 am and is awake for a couple of hours after that. Then I showered, and my husband slept some more then woke up and did computery things and yard things and… things. We went out and grocery shopped. Came home. GOT THE DISHWASHER HOOKED UP AND RUNNING. Watched a movie. And now? I’m making pumpkin pie (Canadian thanksgiving is on Monday, but we’re having it tomorrow at my parents’ instead) and pickling beets.

WILD I SAY! Can you stand it?

I have so much rage right now!

I don’t know why. Well I kind of do know why. I spent like an hour assin’ around and bought the wrong thing! Dagnab it!
Here, let me back it up a little:

We have finally

FINALLY

purchased a dishwasher.

Yes. You will remember that purchasing a dishwasher has been one of my greatest dreams for so so long. Because I HATE washing dishes, and Rob doesn’t really have the time to do them, and so we end up with huge piles of dishes and it’s just so sad. When we had the opportunity to get a dishwasher this past week, we jumped at it. Especially since, although it was used, it was only used for a couple of months, and was super-cheap (you know me, super-cheap is the way to go). And, of course, it was in perfect working condition or our money back.

It’s a portable dishwasher — not the tiny kind that go on your countertop, no. More like this one:

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It wheels around, so when it’s ready to use, you wheel it over to the sink, attach the hose to your faucet, and away you go.

In theory, anyway.

In reality, we need to get some sort of thing for the faucet, to make the hook-up actually… hook up. And the guy talked so fast about what we needed that all I heard was “nipple” and “short ones are better than long ones”. I went to the hardware store on Tuesday evening. No one around to help me. So I bought what I thought we needed, maybe. Got it home. Loaded up the ol’ dishwasher. Nope, that thing I bought was not what we needed.

*sigh*

Then yesterday, Rob did all kinds of google searches, and told me that we needed to get a faucet aerator, that’s what we needed. So tonight, after work, I went and picked up a prescription and went back to the hardware store, where, again, there was no one to help me. There were about 900 different aerators there. I picked two. Brought them home. Again, nope.

WHERE IS THE SHORT-NIPPLED OBJECT OF MY DESIRE?

(hee, can’t wait to see the search results on that one)

So basically right now we have a box to keep our dirty dishes in and I am getting frustrated. I realize it’s nothing to get worked up about but this is just … GAH! I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and THIS SUCKS. Waaaah, pity party table of one.

Also — I have 33 tests to correct tonight and it’s 8:30 and I’ve only managed to get through two of them so far and it is really, really hard to read some of these peoples’ writing.

Anyone else out there frustrated about anything? Vent your spleen!

… what do you think?
Read the rest of this entry →

I would just like to share that I am wearing the best-looking, comfiest pants in the WORLD right now.

And I got them for $10 on eBay.
Brand new with tags. Regular price $45.

Yay for eBay!

Yay!