31 October 2012
27 October 2012
Six Question Saturdays: Rain Rain Go Away
Hurricane Sandy is set to turn into a "frankenstorm" next week just in time for Halloween...my students think that they're going to die (a lot of them don't remember the October 2006 storm.) So let's tackle everyone in Buffalo's favorite topic (other than our sucky sports teams who love to try to get your hopes up until they crash)...weather!
1. How would you describe the climate in Buffalo?
It can go from 74 to 36 in one day (gee...yesterday?!) People think that we're a huge snow capital because of the Blizzard of 77, but we don't even get the most snow in NY. That goes to Watertown at the other end of Lake Ontario followed by Syracuse. Sure, we get a lot of snow in the winter, but it's spread out usually over several months. We get the lake effect snow in winter, and lake effect rain the rest of the year, but it doesn't rain too much usually. Our summers can be pretty hot by northern standards...this past summer we averaged about 78. We don't have much of a spring...it's very short. Our autumns are really long...they start in early September and go sometimes all the way through November.
2. What is your least favorite weather?
I can not stand ice and slush on the ground...they're both really messy! The initial snow falling doesn't bother me, but when it turns into ice and slush, I hate it! (But I'll take a blizzard any day over a hurricane or tornado.)
3. What is your favorite kind of weather?
Dry heat and sun...I love temperatures of 95 and 0% humidity. Maybe I should have been a pizza in an oven...
4. What's your favorite winter accessory?
I love my infinity scarf. It's big and fuzzy, a bluish grey color with silver thread mixed in with the wool, and super warm. (A close second are my Ugg mittens.)
5. What kind of bathing suit do you wear in the summer?
Buffalo doesn't have beaches. Well, we do, but the sand is more like sharp rocks and the water is so gross that you'd never really want to swim in it. Some people have swimming pools, but because our summer is so short, you really only get two months (at most three) use out of it, and pools are a bit expensive to just get that short an amount of time for it. People do like their boats here though with two Great Lakes within fifteen minutes (and the Finger Lakes two hours away.) I was on my school swim team, and competitive Speedo crossback bathing suits are always going to be my favorite. I do like tankinis too, but not regular bikinis. But I think the last time I wore a bathing suit was three years ago...
6. Any good stories about the October 2006 Buffalo Storm?
I was actually in New York City that year...we got an inch or so of slushy rain and that was it. My mom feels the need to constantly tell me stories about it though...the best one was that she used my dog Taurus as a sled dog. She attached his leash to his harness and used him to pull a sled that she filled with firewood from one of the nearby nurseries. They were selling it for $40/pack (normally it's about $5-10/pack.) She also took my grandma to Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts where they were charging $3 for just plain hot water that was really only lukewarm. (She's very happy that, even though they're predicting this storm to be similar, we now have a gas fireplace insert that can work even if there is no electricity and keeps the whole house warm.)
1. How would you describe the climate in Buffalo?
It can go from 74 to 36 in one day (gee...yesterday?!) People think that we're a huge snow capital because of the Blizzard of 77, but we don't even get the most snow in NY. That goes to Watertown at the other end of Lake Ontario followed by Syracuse. Sure, we get a lot of snow in the winter, but it's spread out usually over several months. We get the lake effect snow in winter, and lake effect rain the rest of the year, but it doesn't rain too much usually. Our summers can be pretty hot by northern standards...this past summer we averaged about 78. We don't have much of a spring...it's very short. Our autumns are really long...they start in early September and go sometimes all the way through November.
2. What is your least favorite weather?
I can not stand ice and slush on the ground...they're both really messy! The initial snow falling doesn't bother me, but when it turns into ice and slush, I hate it! (But I'll take a blizzard any day over a hurricane or tornado.)
3. What is your favorite kind of weather?
Dry heat and sun...I love temperatures of 95 and 0% humidity. Maybe I should have been a pizza in an oven...
4. What's your favorite winter accessory?
I love my infinity scarf. It's big and fuzzy, a bluish grey color with silver thread mixed in with the wool, and super warm. (A close second are my Ugg mittens.)
5. What kind of bathing suit do you wear in the summer?
Buffalo doesn't have beaches. Well, we do, but the sand is more like sharp rocks and the water is so gross that you'd never really want to swim in it. Some people have swimming pools, but because our summer is so short, you really only get two months (at most three) use out of it, and pools are a bit expensive to just get that short an amount of time for it. People do like their boats here though with two Great Lakes within fifteen minutes (and the Finger Lakes two hours away.) I was on my school swim team, and competitive Speedo crossback bathing suits are always going to be my favorite. I do like tankinis too, but not regular bikinis. But I think the last time I wore a bathing suit was three years ago...
6. Any good stories about the October 2006 Buffalo Storm?
I was actually in New York City that year...we got an inch or so of slushy rain and that was it. My mom feels the need to constantly tell me stories about it though...the best one was that she used my dog Taurus as a sled dog. She attached his leash to his harness and used him to pull a sled that she filled with firewood from one of the nearby nurseries. They were selling it for $40/pack (normally it's about $5-10/pack.) She also took my grandma to Tim Hortons and Dunkin Donuts where they were charging $3 for just plain hot water that was really only lukewarm. (She's very happy that, even though they're predicting this storm to be similar, we now have a gas fireplace insert that can work even if there is no electricity and keeps the whole house warm.)
25 October 2012
Just A Little Something I've Noticed...
This is just an observation on my part...a self-analysis if you will. Something that I've noticed really has happened since I reached the big 3-0.
I just don't care what other people think of me.
I have my beliefs, my thoughts, my opinions, and I stand firm behind them. You can disagree, and I'll totally respect you for it, but I'm not going to be trampled on because I think/feel something. I've always been that way, but with the new decade came the whole not caring if you don't like it.
Before, it mattered so much what other people thought of me...their opinions almost mattered more than my own. If someone told me that they disagreed, I would think "hmm well maybe they're right and I must definitely be wrong" or "well I must be an idiot then."
Now? I will still consider their thoughts and opinion. And maybe I'll modify or change my own based on something new that they might bring to the table. But it's not in efforts to get them to accept me or like me more.
Life is too short and too precious in order to give up who you are for others. The people who accept you for who you are and what you stand for are the ones who are worth it, and anyone who won't is...well...not.
I just don't care what other people think of me.
I have my beliefs, my thoughts, my opinions, and I stand firm behind them. You can disagree, and I'll totally respect you for it, but I'm not going to be trampled on because I think/feel something. I've always been that way, but with the new decade came the whole not caring if you don't like it.
Before, it mattered so much what other people thought of me...their opinions almost mattered more than my own. If someone told me that they disagreed, I would think "hmm well maybe they're right and I must definitely be wrong" or "well I must be an idiot then."
Now? I will still consider their thoughts and opinion. And maybe I'll modify or change my own based on something new that they might bring to the table. But it's not in efforts to get them to accept me or like me more.
Life is too short and too precious in order to give up who you are for others. The people who accept you for who you are and what you stand for are the ones who are worth it, and anyone who won't is...well...not.
24 October 2012
20 October 2012
Six Question Saturdays: Wow, So Long Ago...
It's been 12 years since I graduated from high school with the rest of the "nothings" (2000...'00.) And I taught in the same building for the past two years, so it leaves an impression on you, ya know?
1. What do you remember about high school dances?
They were filled with my friends and I running around the gym, laughing, and just general chaos. Oh, and my one locker (I had two) was right across from the gym, so everyone used it as their coat room.
2. At whose house would you and your friends usually gather after school-related activities?
We didn't really...but I guess it would be my house. After both the Junior and Senior proms, the girls slept over at my house.
3. Did you have a memorable nickname?
There were a few...I know that I had a few. ReRe Daffy was what my friend Beth loved to call me...
4. What was your high school cafeteria like?
I never had a lunch in high school included in my schedule. Little miss overachiever here had too many classes. There are two cafeterias though in my high school...the general one was large and over crowded. The smaller one for seniors only was called the Doghouse (our mascot was the bulldog) and each year, the senior class would paint a mural on one of the walls that would be up there until the next cycle (four years.) It's all redone now though...in blue and gold (school colors.) They did originally put in blue and white tiles when they redid them last year, but the principal made them take them all down (rival school colors.)
5. Your parents aren’t reading this, so what were some of the crazy (or just memorable) things you or your friends did while driving?
The only thing I can think of is that my friend Michele got her license first, cause she was the oldest out of all of us. And my 17th birthday party included her taking us all for a ride in her giant station woody wagon. My friend Shaun and I were crammed into the back hatch area and she was such an awful driver that we ended up on top of each other a few times due to her crazy turns and swerves and all.
6. What activities were you involved with in high school?
The biggest for me was Company of Song...our school's show choir. Think Glee but no mash-ups. I was in that my junior and senior years, primarily because I never really wanted to be in it so I never auditioned beforehand. Only did then on a dare (and the girl who dared me who tried out as well didn't get in.) It was awesome though...one of those things that shapes you for life. I was also in Model UN all four years (one of the four founding members for the school...and now they're regional champions!) Dance team (and manager), musical, band, orchestra, string ensemble, wind ensemble, mixed chorus (president too), National Honor Society...yeah, you get the picture.
1. What do you remember about high school dances?
They were filled with my friends and I running around the gym, laughing, and just general chaos. Oh, and my one locker (I had two) was right across from the gym, so everyone used it as their coat room.
2. At whose house would you and your friends usually gather after school-related activities?
We didn't really...but I guess it would be my house. After both the Junior and Senior proms, the girls slept over at my house.
3. Did you have a memorable nickname?
There were a few...I know that I had a few. ReRe Daffy was what my friend Beth loved to call me...
4. What was your high school cafeteria like?
I never had a lunch in high school included in my schedule. Little miss overachiever here had too many classes. There are two cafeterias though in my high school...the general one was large and over crowded. The smaller one for seniors only was called the Doghouse (our mascot was the bulldog) and each year, the senior class would paint a mural on one of the walls that would be up there until the next cycle (four years.) It's all redone now though...in blue and gold (school colors.) They did originally put in blue and white tiles when they redid them last year, but the principal made them take them all down (rival school colors.)
5. Your parents aren’t reading this, so what were some of the crazy (or just memorable) things you or your friends did while driving?
The only thing I can think of is that my friend Michele got her license first, cause she was the oldest out of all of us. And my 17th birthday party included her taking us all for a ride in her giant station woody wagon. My friend Shaun and I were crammed into the back hatch area and she was such an awful driver that we ended up on top of each other a few times due to her crazy turns and swerves and all.
6. What activities were you involved with in high school?
The biggest for me was Company of Song...our school's show choir. Think Glee but no mash-ups. I was in that my junior and senior years, primarily because I never really wanted to be in it so I never auditioned beforehand. Only did then on a dare (and the girl who dared me who tried out as well didn't get in.) It was awesome though...one of those things that shapes you for life. I was also in Model UN all four years (one of the four founding members for the school...and now they're regional champions!) Dance team (and manager), musical, band, orchestra, string ensemble, wind ensemble, mixed chorus (president too), National Honor Society...yeah, you get the picture.
10 October 2012
06 October 2012
I'm Done!
Okay...I really don't understand something about guys. This is not the first time this has happened. The first time, I could take it as a fluke. This isn't even the second time. This is the third time now...all from online dating sites.
Height is something that is easy to tell right away. You can tell whether someone is shorter or taller than you. You might not be able to tell the difference between 6'5" and 6'4", but you know that they're taller than you then.
So why must guys lie about their height online? You don't say to a girl who is 5'10" that you're 5'11" many times, then set up a date, meet her, and turn out to be 5'8" on a good day. Especially when that girl told you multiple times that her one physical requirement for a guy be that he's taller than her. Is this similar to girls lying about their weight?
Do I ask for too much? Am I being too picky? Really...good hygiene and taller than me...that's all I need to see. Obviously the personality matters most, but those two requirements in the looks department are reasonable I think. Aren't they? And obviously, if you lie about your height which is something I can tell really fast, what personality do you have? What else have you lied about to me in our getting to know you before deciding on meeting up for a date?
And it makes me wonder where things are going if people are so quick and find it so easy to lie about blatant and obvious things. How can you say that you're looking for a long term relationship when you're going to lie to the girl you think might potentially participate in said relationship with you? Honesty is a big deal...and I'm just not finding it.
I'm done with online dating sites. Plenty of Fish, Match, whatever...it's too easy to lie, bend the truth, whatever you want to call it. I would rather be single than settle. After all, I've waited this long...what's a little longer if needed?
(All said and done, it was a bad blind date tonight. There was much more wrong than just the lying about the height thing. This peppy, bubbly, bouncy, smiley girl can not go on with someone who has no true beliefs system other than being an atheist, never went to a school dance or event, and reads an average of two books a year only filling the rest of his time with video games. No offense to those out there like that...but it's just not what I'm looking for.)
Height is something that is easy to tell right away. You can tell whether someone is shorter or taller than you. You might not be able to tell the difference between 6'5" and 6'4", but you know that they're taller than you then.
So why must guys lie about their height online? You don't say to a girl who is 5'10" that you're 5'11" many times, then set up a date, meet her, and turn out to be 5'8" on a good day. Especially when that girl told you multiple times that her one physical requirement for a guy be that he's taller than her. Is this similar to girls lying about their weight?
Do I ask for too much? Am I being too picky? Really...good hygiene and taller than me...that's all I need to see. Obviously the personality matters most, but those two requirements in the looks department are reasonable I think. Aren't they? And obviously, if you lie about your height which is something I can tell really fast, what personality do you have? What else have you lied about to me in our getting to know you before deciding on meeting up for a date?
And it makes me wonder where things are going if people are so quick and find it so easy to lie about blatant and obvious things. How can you say that you're looking for a long term relationship when you're going to lie to the girl you think might potentially participate in said relationship with you? Honesty is a big deal...and I'm just not finding it.
I'm done with online dating sites. Plenty of Fish, Match, whatever...it's too easy to lie, bend the truth, whatever you want to call it. I would rather be single than settle. After all, I've waited this long...what's a little longer if needed?
(All said and done, it was a bad blind date tonight. There was much more wrong than just the lying about the height thing. This peppy, bubbly, bouncy, smiley girl can not go on with someone who has no true beliefs system other than being an atheist, never went to a school dance or event, and reads an average of two books a year only filling the rest of his time with video games. No offense to those out there like that...but it's just not what I'm looking for.)
Six Question Saturday: Colors of the Rainbow
1. What is your favorite color? I honestly don't have one...I like red, yellow, and green the best though.
2. What colors do you like to decorate with? My room is turquoise and lime green. I also like the color combination of deep red and walnut brown.
3. Is there a color that you absolutely hate? I'm not really a fan of orange too much...I don't think it does much for many people.
4. Which colors look best on you? Red...pasty pale skin and dark hair and eyes. My friend calls me Snow White whenever she sees me in it.
5. Which colors do you wear most often? Yellow probably...closely followed by blue I think.
6. Which color combination do you think is the worst one out there? Hmm...I don't care for neon color combinations. One neon color is okay, but much more than that is too much for my eyes.
Simple and short today. This girl has a blind date to get ready for!
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