• Monday is my last day of school.  It would have been tomorrow but we had one snow day.  So Monday it is.  I can’t complain too much about it.  One year we had 3 snow days.  Below is the picture from our snow day in February.

• Snow sounds good right about now.  It has been very hot here in Chicago.  We went from winter to summer.  I live on the 2nd floor so it gets even hotter here.  The temperature inside has reached mid 80s.  Yes, we’ve turned on the AC.  Even Lola gets uncomfortable.

• I am a big fan of Ticonderoga pencils.  I went to Target the other day and saw those pencils in metallic and pastel colors.  Love, love, love them.  If you have kids in grade school, please buy these for them to take to school.  Their teacher will appreciate it.

• Speaking of Target, their customer service is phenomenal.  I accidentally left a bag with 4 items and didn’t realize it till I got home.  I called the store but no one had turned it in.  The next day I stopped by to check.  Still no one turned it in.  However, they let me get those four items again and take them home FOR FREE.  How amazing is that?

• Have you heard of Imperfect Produce?  It is a subscription service that fights food waste by finding a home for ‘ugly’ produce.  They source it directly from farms and deliver it to customers’ doors for 30-50% less than grocery store prices.  The subscription produce box is affordable, convenient, customizable, healthy, and delicious.  (Source: https://www.imperfectproduce.com/p-3-about-us.html)  I ordered a box today and am expecting it next Friday.  If you live in the Chicago area, save 50% off your first box by using code FIFTY%.  I used that code for my order today.  Also, if you do decide to order, use this link: https://www.imperfectproduce.com/register.php?referral=401966.  Each of us will get $10 in Imperfect credit when you sign up using my personalized referral link.

https://youtu.be/1zxpbOoWoY4

• Sock, sock, shoe, shoe OR sock, shoe, sock, shoe.  Definitely both socks first and then the shoes.  🙂  You?

• I went to the zoo with my students on Wednesday.  It was a beautiful day for a field trip but man it was HOT and exhausting.  A few parents went with me and I was thankful for them going with me.  I took 20 students and cannot imagine being with them alone on this trip.  Parents that help out and/or chaperone on a field trip are the BEST!

• I’ve been experiencing some pain in the left leg.  I ran on Monday morning and then skipped Tuesday and today’s run.  I stretched and foam rolled and felt better.  I also applied some KT Tape on my calf and knee.  That helped.  But I wonder if it really helps or if it is just in my head. 

• Have you heard of Brandless?  It is company that pretty much sells everything from toilet paper to facial toner (no brand) for $3.  I haven’t bought anything yet but am very interested in it.  I like that when you make a purchase, a meal is donated to someone in need through a partnership with Feeding America.

• My car now has 99,000 miles.  I purchased it in June 2006 and it still runs great.  My car has a cassette and CD player and I LOVE it.  🙂  When I was in San Francisco last week, I rented a 2018 Ford Escape.  It was fancy for me.  It was keyless (took me a few minutes to figure out how to turn on the car) and had so many fancy gadgets.  It short of convinced me to get a new car.  Then I came home and got in my car.  I really like mine.  It works great and I don’t want to deal with a car payment.  No new car for met….yet.

• I spent a few days in San Francisco and need a vacation from my vacation.  It was fun!  But with the time change and the long flight home, I was exhausted today.  Luckily tomorrow is Friday and I can relax this weekend.

• While in SF I got a parking ticket.  It wasn’t my fault.  The no parking sign for street cleaning was for 12-2pm and I got the ticket at 8:20 am.  I am so annoyed!  I am sure the police officer did it on purpose since the car had out of state plates.  Not sure if I should contest it or just pay the fine.  

• I honestly do not understand Southwest.  They increased the number of points (at the LAST minute) needed when I changed a flight reservation for me and my mother.  Then I was looking for flights to Denver in October and saw that the senior fare is much higher than the wanna get away fare.  Does that really make sense to you?

• I really dislike it when a company sends too many emails.  I received so many from KT Tape that I actually sent a tweet to them.  Apparently it was a technical issue.  So far I haven’t received any more emails.  Has that happened to you?

• So far I am loving A Wrinkle in Time.  I remember reading it in 5th grade.  The movie is out and that sparked my interest in reading the book again.  I am about 3/4 done and cannot wait to see the movie.  Have you read the book and/or seen the movie?

• Apparently the average adults spends 12 hours a day connected to social media.  Wow!  That is half a day.  That is A LOT.  Time to finish this post and get off my computer.

• Yanny or Laurel?  I hear Laurel.

• I am going to San Francisco on Saturday.  My nephew graduates from Berkeley with a Phd. in Economics.  I am very proud of him!  The whole family is proud.  I’ve been to San Francisco a couple of times and am excited to go again.

• I purchased an Oster Belgian Waffle Maker and made waffles this weekend.  I am disappointed with how they turned out.  I thought it would be easy to use/make but I had some trouble with it.  I’ll just stick to making pancakes.  Do you have a waffle make ?  What did I do wrong?

• This week was Teacher Appreciation Week.  I am kind of disappointed to say that only 1 student gave me a note today.  No one else said anything.  Sigh.  Oh well.  I guess I cannot expect to always get something from my kids, right?  I mean, throughout the year I do get lots of notes, cards, and pictures from them.    

• The other day I was listening to the radio and they were talking about showers.  They were asking people if they showered in the morning or at night.  Interesting topic.  One caller said he showers at night AND in the morning.  Huh?  I cannot remember what his reason was for showering at night but he said he showers in the morning because it helps him to wake up.  As for me, it depends on what I am doing.  If I run in the evening after work then for sure I shower at night.  But if not then morning shower is fine with me.  Sometimes I do shower every day (or take two showers in the day) in the summer because it is so hot and I sweat a lot.  What about you?

• Not too many exciting items to talk about this week.  Lately I’ve been really tired and am wondering if something is wrong with me.  Last Saturday I took TWO naps!  I am loving this warmer weather and the fact that I am running in shorts and a tank top.

• How is it May already?  I am loving it!  A few more weeks of school till summer break.  Somehow we skipped Spring and went right into Summer.  We’ve had a few very warm days.  Haha, now I will be complaining that it is too hot here.

• There is some construction in front of my house.  It started back in March and no one could park between 7am-3pm.  Not a problem for me.  I am gone before 7 and get home after 3.  Early this week there was a new sign letting us know that there is no parking before 5pm.  What?  Where the HECK am I supposed to park?  Luckily they’ll be done before I am on summer break.

• I am going to San Francisco in a few weeks because my nephew graduates from the University of Berkeley.  I made some changes to my reservation and knew that it would “cost” me some extra points.  Not a problem.  However, I was not expecting to get a message letting me know that it would “cost” me even more points.  I then went to change my mom’s reservation and sure enough got the same message for her.  Seriously?  Things move pretty fast and fares have changed already?  TWICE?  Make up your mind.

• Any “Scandal” fans?  Not sure if I liked the ending.  Actually I was kind of disappointed with it.  I am upset about what happened to David.  I mean, really?  He was one of the nicest and good guys on the show and that was his ending?  As for Cyrus, man, could not stand him.  He is the perfect example of someone you don’t need in your life.  

• I posted that last Friday I signed up to be a donor for Be The Match.  I received a call early in the week and in so many words was told that they were only taking applications for people between the ages of 18-34.  (I am older than 34).  But if I was still interested in being a donor, I could apply again and pay for the swab kit myself.  I just went online and there is a form that can be filled out to order a swab kit (I think it is free).  Kind of annoying that I have to order one when someone from Be The Match already did a cheek swab.