As you know, I’m a teacher. All the 5th and 6th grade students are going through the Family Life Education program (otherwise known as Sex Ed) this week before spring break. Now, I don’t teach this program but because you have to have a second adult in the class while it’s being taught, and because there are so few males in my school, I have to sit in on the classes this week. They do this so that if a question arises about what was taught or discussed it can be verified by the second adult. So anyway, today started those classes. I sat in on the 6th grade program. They start the class with videos about “the changes” taking place in your body and feelings you begin to have for “girls”. The video described how you will begin to find yourself attracted to the opposite sex. I’m sitting there thinking what about the boy who says he’s attracted to the same sex? Nothing is said in the video about feeling that way. I feel for all those gay kids out there who will not be hearing this week that it is okay to feel about the same sex the way their friends do about the opposite sex. I wish I could have stood up and said something to let those few boys know that it’s okay. Granted, this video didn’t say anything against feeling gay either, it just didn’t point it out as another possible feeling you might be having when you go through puberty. Generally the videos that were shown were fine. They discussed body odor, zits, hard-ons, etc. All the things we went through as kids. I think these videos today are much more descriptive then the 16 mm films we saw in elementary school. The only problem is they do not discuss homosexuality. And that pisses me off. Maybe they discuss it in the high school Family Life Education. I’m not sure. I just know that when I was in 5th and 6th grade, I was already thinking about liking boys. So surely there are other boys out there who thought about or think about boys at that age. Maybe in another 30 years things will have changed and the videos will include something about homosexuality. I sure hope we have evolved enough by that time to include homosexuality at the 5th and 6th grade level. My life would have been easier had I known at age 12 that it was okay to have feelings for other boys.

Did you ever read (or see the movie) Bridget Jones’ Diary? I love that book (and the movie). She started each entry with how much she weighed, ate, smoked, etc. Well, I’ve decided to start each entry with my weight and how many miles I walked today.

(Gross part of the entry begins here, ignore if you are squeamish.)

I took the day off today to go to the doctor. About a month ago I started to notice a little bump forming right below my lower lip. At first I thought it was a zit so I did the typical thing and picked at it, etc. It never went away. As a matter of fact, it kept getting bigger. It was very annoying. When I would talk to people I would see their eyes dart down to my lip and then back up again. As if I didn’t know it wasn’t there! I would pick at it and then leave it alone for days. Nothing worked. So I made an appointment and went to the doctor today. I was all nervous because I feared the worst. Cancer maybe? The doctor took one look and said, with a little laughter, “That’s a wart.” While I was glad it wasn’t cancer, I wondered how I could get a wart. I’ve never had one before. He told me it’s very common and not a big deal at all. He went and got some liquid nitrogen. He used a small q-tip and began freezing it. He did this for a good five minutes until I couldn’t take the stinging. He said it would eventually turn black and fall off. Maybe two weeks. He said if it doesn’t go away in two weeks to come back for another treatment. Now that I know what it is and that it will eventually go away, I can relax. I can put up with the way people look at me for the next few weeks knowing that it will go away. I know this is kinda gross to talk about but hey, it’s a blog, it’s my life, shit happens. 🙂

(Gross part of the entry ends here.)

So my doctors appointment was at 8:00 am so I had the rest of the day to run errands and have lunch with Sweet Brad. I picked Brad up at his office at 1:00 and we went to a local place for their pizza buffet. It was really good. Lots of pasta and pizza and all that stuff bad for you. I completely stuffed myself. I ate way too much. The best part of course was spending a few hours with Sweet Brad. I hadn’t seen him since the weekend. He was all dressed up in a suit for work. Damn, he looked HOT! Too bad I didn’t have my camera! As usual we had some great conversation and caught up on things going on this week. We made tentative plans for the weekend as well. I always enjoy spending time with Sweet Brad. On the way home from lunch with Sweet Brad I stopped and got some new ink cartridges for my printer. When I got home I printed some photos. I was feeling miserable from eating so much so I got into my walking clothes, strapped on the iPod Mini, grabbed my book, and went down to the treadmill. I was determined to walk off my lunch. I stayed on the treadmill for an hour and a half. I walked close to 5 miles. I even inclined the treadmill to level 4. It was like climbing a small hill. I would have kept walking but a women came in close to the time I was done so I decided to give up the treadmill and let her use it. While walking I read almost a third of my book. I’m really enjoying this story. I’m sure I’ll finish it soon. Now I plan on relaxing the rest of the evening and in bed by 9:00. My life is pretty trivial, huh? But hey, that’s what I like about writing this blog. No matter how trivial it seems, I can write about and feel good about it. Cool.

On this date in 1847, Thomas Alva Edison was born in Ohio. Among his inventions are the incandescent electric lamp and the phonograph.

This is my 50th post!

I woke up early today and found that work would start two hours late. Instead of trying to go back to bed, I decided I would get up and do things and just take my time getting to work. After shaving, showering, dressing, eating breakfast and checking e-mail, I see on the TV that work would now be closed. I was disappointed that I had already gotten ready for work and now it was closed. Oh well, another day off. That’s twice this week. I farted around and did very little for a few hours then decided I would go run some errands. It was just raining now so it wouldn’t be too bad to go out.

After 15 minutes of cleaning the ice off my car, I ran my errands. I stopped at the credit union and got some cash, went to CVS to get a few things, and finally stopped at the cleaners and picked up and dropped off shirts. Then I came home. Along the way, I made several observations that I don’t think I would normally notice.

First I noticed how nicely my new ice scraper worked while cleaning off my car. The heat had just begun to get warm and the temperature was higher then freezing, but when I pushed the slightest bit on the scraper, the ice crumbled and slid off the windows. It was a wise purchase I’ve decided.

When I parked at the credit union I noticed an older Ford Escort Wagon parked next to me. When I went into the credit union to use the ATM, there was a lady right in front of me. After getting my cash, I went back to my car and the lady who was in front of me was sitting in the Escort Wagon. Then I went to CVS and picked up a few things and got in line. The same lady who was at the credit union was standing in front of me. And finally, when I went to the cleaners, the exact same lady was in front of me picking up shirts. I thought that was wild. Someone else in the world had the exact same errands to run as me. I wonder where she went next. I didn’t see her car in my parking lot so I doubt she lives in my building.

When I came home, I parked in one of the last spots in the parking lot. There are several trees around this part of the parking lot. When I got out of the car and hit the lock button, I looked up and saw the ice on the tree limbs. It struck me as beautiful how the ice had encapsulated the tree branches. The ice was as clear as glass. You could see every detail of the branch through the ice. I wish I had my camera with me. It was beautiful.

Notice the small things.

5:00 AM the alarm sounds. I rolled over and hit the off button. Before removing the warm, comforting covers, I turned on the TV to find that I did not have to work today. The commute was going to be a disaster. All the local channels were on at 4:00 AM to track the storm. 1/4 to 1/2 inch of ice was predicted. Power crews were on standby to repair any downed power lines. Amtrak and Metro had been running cars all night to keep the tracks clear. After hearing all this surely I would open the window and see a thin layer of ice covering every inch. I stumbled out of bed, pulled on my sweat pants and went to the window. I parted the blinds and looked out. What did I see? NOTHING! Nothing was happening, nothing was falling, no ice weighing down the power lines or tree branches. Why on earth had work been closed? There was no snow, sleet, or freezing rain in sight. Realizing I had the day off, I thought at that instant I could go back to sleep. Sleep is one thing I do really well. I slipped the sweat pants off and climbed back into bed. The sheets were still warm. I then slept for another 2 hours.

I woke up naturally at 7:00 AM. I could hear something hitting the window. Once again, I climbed out of bed and slid my sweat pants back on. I went to the window and again peered through the blinds. This time there was something falling. It looked like rain but there had to be some ice involved because of the sound it made when it hit the window. I went out to the kitchen, poured a glass of juice and turned on the TV. Sure enough, they were saying there was a thin layer of ice covering everything and the temperature was hovering around freezing. I guess the decision to close work was a good one after all. I pulled on my coat and headed to the balcony for a smoke. When I slid open the door, the cold, wet breeze hit me in the face. I walked gently out onto the icy balcony and enjoyed my morning buzz.

How could I take advantage of this day off? What could I do to make the most of my free time? Of course I spent the first few hours of the day watching the news, reading my favorite blogs online, and checking e-mail. After wasting a few hours doing nothing of significance, the morning news shows were ending their broadcasts predicting the temperature to rise and the precipitation would change over to all rain very soon. The chance of using this day productively was becoming a real possibility. I could actually get out on the roads if I needed to. I decided to take a shower and get dressed. If I was going to brave the roads, I needed to be ready. While in the shower, Brad e-mailed me and suggested I join him for lunch. I was elated! I could go somewhere! I could do something! I quickly e-mailed him back saying I would meet him at his office and take him to lunch. How exciting!

At this point, I thought I should do something else as well since I was going to be out anyway. So I decided I would go to Tysons and check out a new digital camera I have been eyeing at The Apple Store. I’ve been looking at the Canon EOS Digital Rebel. I read a great review on the MacWorld web site. It’s got the kind of features I could benefit from. My current camera has little ability to manipulate settings. The Rebel has plenty of possibilities for controlling the output. I had completed my research and was ready to buy. I warmed up the car and braved the 5 minute drive to Tysons. With my wet shoes making squeaking noises, I squished into The Apple Store. I picked up the camera, looked at all the features, felt it’s weight, and tested the focus. The decision was made. I would buy the camera. I asked a sales lady for help. She said she would be right back with my camera. I was so excited. I couldn’t wait to take it home and test it out. I waited a few minutes. I then caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye. I could only see her head above the shelves of software waiting to be purchased. As she rounded the shelf, I could see her hands were empty. I knew then I would not be leaving with my new camera. She quickly informed me they were out of stock. I asked when they might have more delivered and she told me they get deliveries every day, to check back in a few days. She suggested I call before I make the trip, to make sure they were in stock. I left The Apple Store with my head hung low, feeling disappointed. Not to worry though, I can try again on the weekend.

All hope was not lost for a productive day. I still had plans to have lunch with Brad. I was on my way there after leaving The Apple Store. I drove the 40 minutes to Brad’s office where I pulled up in front. Within 5 minutes Brad appeared with his beautiful blue eyes shining. He opened the door and climbed in and we were off to a local diner. Brad directed me to a nearby parking lot that was covered with a slushy mess. We marched through the mess and entered the diner. We were quickly seated. As Brad excused himself to the restroom, I ordered ice tea and coke. When he returned we perused the menu and made our choices. The waitress returned and quickly took our orders. She recorded that I did not want lettuce, mayonnaise, cole slaw or pickles with my ham and cheese sandwich, but that I would like to have a side of french fries added to the plate. While waiting for our meals, Brad and I conversed about the days happenings. Before we knew it, the waitress was setting our food in front of us. She had gotten my order correct! The sandwich was deliciously layered with ham and cheese. One layer of ham and then one layer of cheese, over and over to make up a good inch and a half of fattening pleasure. Without the toasted white bread, this could be considered an Atkins meal! Ha!

(To break for a moment, I realize this post is going on and on but I’m trying to be more descriptive in my writing. Is it working?)

During the consumption of our meal, Brad and I discussed this and that. One great thing I’ve noticed in spending time with Brad is that we are never at a loss for conversation. We always have something to talk about. I feel I learn something new about him every time we talk. Eventually we finished our meal and Brad had to get back to work. As we were getting our coats on I noticed our waitress crossing the diner with a slice of cake. It looked delicious. It had to be 5 inches tall. It had about 6 thin alternating layers of moist yellow cake and what looked to be a pudding like cream. The top of the cake was covered in a layer of chocolate about the thickness of a wooden ruler. The chocolate layer looked thick, as if you could peal if off the cake and eat it like taffy. My mouth was watering but I wasn’t about to order a slice. Plus, we needed to get going. After a quick trip to the restroom, and a stop at the cashier, we were off. We drove the few minutes back to Brad’s office. I pulled up in front again. Before getting out, I informed Brad I would not be planting a wet kiss on him in front of his office. Instead I gave him a warm smile and he gave me an intimate squeeze on my leg. The squeeze left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Brad. Again, it was just a brief moment in time but well worth it. Brad is such a sweet guy. I’m lucky to have him.

Now to wrap this post up, I will say that after dropping Brad off, I came home and became productive. I decided some exercise was called for so I put on my workout clothes and descended to the basement of my condo and proceeded to walk 5 miles on the treadmill. I was able to read more of my current reading selection while exercising at the same time. After the treadmill, I took the elevator back to my condo (ironic, huh?). I then opened my laptop, updated some software using Apple’s handy software update tool, and completed some paperwork. I then did my taxes, two loads of laundry, and finished this blog post. Now can we all agree that I made a messy day into a productive day? I think so.