Saturday Morning Coffee Break

Dear Diary....

I've poured myself a cup of coffee, and my mind is racing with random stuff that I want to share...

You're not going to believe this, but I think Winter has finally arrived!!!  Only for the weekend, doesn't plan on staying long, but he's making a short trip.  He arrived last night when temps dropped quickly from a manageable 50 degrees down to 31 degrees in a matter of an hour.  Right now, it's 14 degrees outside.  14!!  The high for today is only 29.  Tomorrow won't be much warmer, and then on Monday?  Well, right now there's a 90% chance I'm going to finally get to see some snow!!  HALLELUJAH!!

I'm kinda hoping that this is going to turn in to a 3 day weekend for me.  We don't need a lot of snow around here to get school cancelled.  About 2" would easily do the trick.  Or an inch of snow and freezing rain.  That would get the job done, too.  The kids at school have been pretty wild the past couple of weeks, and I feel like they need this little break just as much as the teachers do.  The kids get a winter itch, that doesn't appear on the skin.  They crave the snow so that they can have an extra day off.  Once that happens, hopefully they'll calm down a bit - and the teachers can get some major work done.

But before the dreams of winter weather dance in my head, I'm off to my parent's house today to spend the night.  I've been looking forward to this all week.  My mom and I are heading off to a casino for the afternoon/evening for Mom & Daughter bingo.  That's not what it's called.  That's what I call it.  Just in case you were wondering. 

I went to bingo with my mom and my grandparents a couple of Sundays ago.  It was so much fun.  And frustrating.  Three times, either my mom and I were set with our winning number in the screen to win $500 - and someone yelled bingo on the previous number.  Now, we've decided to go on a Saturday night when the prize money is a little higher - and it's just the two of us.  We have a rule that we split any winnings - so it doubles our chances of walking away with something.  Not that doubling our chances really helps - but we like it.  At the end of the day, it's not the winning that makes us go - it's the time we get to spend together.  It's a great activity for us to do, alone, and we have some great chat time. 

Hubby and I have been talking about buying a couple of lottery cards today.  Have you seen the Powerball?  It's up to $325,000,000.  We don't play lotto hardly ever, but for some reason I get all silly when I see a number like that - and think that maybe this will be my one lucky break at winning.  Yes, it's stupid.  But you can't win the lottery unless you buy a ticket. 

Once I think about buying a ticket, I start thinking of all the things I'd do with the money.  That's the part that jinxes me, I think.  When I start spending the money in my head.  A big, nice house.  A couple of new cars.  Help my family and Hubby's family out of debt and make sure they're comfortable for the rest of their lives.  A couple of nice, fat checks to my favorite charities.  I'd also still work - which blows Peanut's mind.  She thinks that if I won the lottery, I'd stay home all day and swim in the money.  That's absurd.  I didn't go to college and spend all that money to just win the lottery and never complete reaching my dreams.  Oh no.  I'd be a teacher.  I'd still go to work every day.  There's just no way I could sit at home and do nothing.  I'd go insane.  Even with all that money.

Speaking of which, I filled out an in-district transfer request at work this week.  That was kinda scary.  It's basically a form that goes to the district office that says I want another position next year, and then the superintendent reviews it and sends it to schools that will have openings next year.  It's the district's policy to try and fill job openings with in-district people before looking outside, but it's no guarantee.  It just means I've put my name out there with a pool of other people in the same situation I'm in.  The thought of having to leave the school I'm in is very scary, and upsetting.  The thought of getting a teaching position in any school, though, trumps that. I can't always have my cake and eat it.  That would be the scenario where I get a teaching job where I am now.  But, if I get an offer of a classroom teaching position in another school, I won't hesitate to take it.

Wow, I've really let my thoughts explode this morning - haven't I?  That was one great cup of coffee, but I've got to start thinking about getting stuff ready to go to my parent's.  Everyone have a wonderful weekend!!

Till next time. ;)