This week’s Tuesday Topic:  Tell us why you’re thankful for running this year!  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers! 

Another year and another birthday.  I feel lucky and happy to be celebrating another birthday.  I went to work where I got presents and hugs from my students.  After work, I had two meetings.  Then I went to Portillo’s for a burger, fries, and my free chocolate cake.  Everything was yummy!  It was a good day.

Now let me tell you what I am thankful for.

💖 I am thankful for my students.  I know I complain about them but no matter what happens during the day, I still enjoy and like my students.  They’re kids.  It isn’t their fault that the district has a rigorous schedule and all day is all work, work, and work.  The other day, after 5 tests, they asked to color and to listen to music.  A few of them danced!

💖 I am thankful for my job.  Similar to the previous point.   Not all days are bad days.  On Tuesday as we were getting ready to go home, one of the girls told me, “Ms. Arroyo, you are fun”.  

💖 I am thankful for my health.  I am healthy.   A little high cholesterol but that’s it.  I take good care of myself, but know that I need to be more active.  I want to run the Chicago Marathon next year.  I know I can do it and that it won’t be easy 

💖 I am thankful for my cats.  My fur babies!  I swear they both understand when I ask them if they want chicken or fish for their snack.  I know, I know, what you’re thinking.  They meow and it makes me laugh.  Lately, Mateo has been more cuddly at night.  He usually sleeps on the foot of the bed, but now he sleeps next to me.

💖 I am thankful for running.  I had no idea I would still be running years later after I took that first running class with CARA.  Then I signed up for a race and then another one.  Then we know what happened.  The other day someone was saying how I find running to be fun.  I know he meant it sarcastically (who doesn’t), but while I do find it fun, it is more than that.  I said that to me it is my alone time.  I like running because I feel like I am alone in the world with no worries.  It is just me alone for those miles before getting back to reality.

Next week is a FREE topic.  Feel free to write about any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic: Today is National Food Day.  Tell us about your favorite food.  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers! 

Hello there!  Another week went by too fast.  Just when I thought I was caught up on a few things at home and work, I am back to where I was.  Yesterday was the end of the quarter and I spent hours this past weekend on grades and lesson planning.  I have two weeks’ worth of laundry in a basket in my room and no idea when I will put the clothes away.  And yes, I am still behind on reading and responding to blog posts.  

It was hard to pick one food so I am listing a couple:

❤️ Pizza – I like pepperoni and sausage but I prefer mine with cheese only.  Sometimes I go wild and get pineapple, green, banana, and jalapeño peppers.

❤️ Sushi – Anything with shrimp is my preference.

❤️ Tacos – The neat thing is that there are so many options!  I love chicken, steak, and al pastor.  My mom and I found a food truck that serves really good tacos.  They’re not cheap and the tortilla is small, but the meat is good and each taco always comes with plenty of meat.

❤️ Shrimp – I could eat this every day but I won’t.

❤️ Cheeseburger – I like mine with mayonnaise and lettuce.  One of the best burgers I’ve eaten is at Portillo’s.  I’ve also had some good ones at Red Robin.  I love eating a burger with a beer after a long run or a race.  

Next week is a FREE topic.  Feel free to write about any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  NRR: Do you like or dislike Halloween?  Tell us why or why not.  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers!

As a teacher, I only care about it because of the students.  They are excited because of their costume, the classroom party, the parade, and the treats.  I get excited because of them.  It makes me happy to see them happy.  However, we don’t get much work done that day and I get home exhausted.

I am looking forward to Halloween with my students this year.  It’s been a rough couple of weeks together.  Because of the new curriculum/schedule and how fast-paced everything is, we haven’t had much time to do fun things (last year we used to paint with watercolors and dance almost every Friday).  I will purchase a TpT Halloween Party Games Bundle so we can have a lot of fun that day.  Check out the various games!

As an adult, I do not care for it AT ALL.  I wouldn’t say I like it.  I don’t see the point of it.  🤪 🤷🏽‍♀️  Then again many things in life do not have a point.

The topic for next week:  Today is National Food Day.  Tell us about your favorite food.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!

This week’s Tuesday Topic:  Let’s go down memory lane and tell us about the house/street you grew up in.  You can write about this topic or post any running-related blog post.  Remember to link up with Kim and Zenaida!  Visit at least two of the other linked posts – the more the merrier!  Remember to come back for later linkers! 

Happy Tuesday!  I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I am still on cloud 9 from spectating the marathon.  I had a lot of fun going to Pilsen to cheer on the runners.  The best part was seeing Desi.  I saw my niece and a couple of other friends.  I was even inspired to enter the lottery for next year’s marathon.  We’ll see.  The first thing I need to do is start running again.  I ran yesterday for 20 minutes.  Baby steps.  

I emigrated to Chicago on July 4, 1978.  My dad was already living here so I came here with my mom and my 6 siblings.  My dad already had a house for us to live in.  It was a big building with about 10 apartments which he rented out.

We lived in a one-bedroom apartment by the middle front door, where I circled the AC unit.  Let’s count.  It was my parents and 6 girls.  My brother was lucky and had a room in the basement.  I remember my parent’s room was really small (I don’t think it was an actual bedroom) but it was big enough for a twin-size bed and a dresser.

There was a door that separated our apartment and the apartment next door.  The tenants must have moved out because then we also occupied that space.  The additional room gave us another bathroom and another living room/bedroom.  I don’t remember a kitchen so there’s that.

Next to the building was the alley and then next to it was a fire station.

Our school was diagonal from us.  The circle on the right of the photo is the church and the other circle is the actual school.  I don’t remember what the building in the middle was for, but I am sure it was part of the school.  Only 6 of us attended the grammar school and graduated from there.  I don’t think any of us were ever late to school!

I don’t remember how long we lived there but we then moved to another apartment building owned by my dad.  It was either my sophomore or junior year of high school because I remember my senior year living in the other building.  We then lived there until my dad passed away in 1991.  

I was tempted to drive by the old building to take pictures but instead used Google Maps.  I must have been back there maybe once or twice.  I have memories of living there but not that many.  I remember some of the neighbors, walking to Zayre (anyone else remembers that store) with my mom so she could buy me a bike, roller skating, and hanging out with family members and friends.  I remember walking 2 blocks to the bus stop to go to my high school.  There was a Farm Foods two blocks away where we did our grocery shopping.  I also remember going there to take bottles of Coca-Cola, RC, etc, and getting money for the empty bottles.  I remember the library.  I guess I do remember more than I thought I did.

I still know how to ride a bike, but how the heck did I forget how to rollerskate?  I didn’t have the actual skates but instead had the detachable ones.  🤨 🤔

I am behind on reading posts from Friday’s link-up.  I promise I will get to them.

The topic for next week:  NRR: Do you like or dislike Halloween?  Tell us why or why not.  Feel free to write about this or any running-related topic.  We hope you’ll link up with us!