Play, play, play

I have not been sledding in YEARS! After scrapbooking, I took a carload of people sledding about two miles from our house at Muscatatuck State Park. There were tons of people there already sledding and snowboarding. The snow was so packed down due to many sleds and bodies prior to ours spending countless hours there over the past week. I saw several sledders getting some serious air over these two or three "jumps" that had been made simply from others before us. The girls saw some classmates of theirs there, we saw neighbors, and took many photos. Here are two of them: one of the girls, and one of myself and Syd getting ready to take our first trip down the hill. It was so slick! Once, Mak landed in the sticker bushes way past the trail on a curve to the right. There was no stopping the momentum once you got going. I thought Syd and I were gonna take out two kids who happened to be at the bottom of the hill when we arrived. It was crazy! We were frozen after about an hour, so we headed home. We pulled out of the parking lot and a huge block of snow and ice slid from the top of my car onto the windshield making me blind to where the road was. I looked out my side window because my wipers wouldn't work. I made it to a gas station down the road, pulled in, and literally lifted the huge sheet of ice from my windshield. It weighed about thirty pounds, I swear! The girls thought it was hilarious.
Overall, it was fun to take myself back to childhood if for a moment. I hate the cold, but yesterday I handled it well. My mind was occupied with living in the moment. It was great fun.

Snow place like home

The snow has arrived, folks!
We have around 6 inches presently, and we have begun to get ice and sleet now. School was out today, and I have already received the call that it is out tomorrow as well. This is the first real snow that I have had to traverse without four wheel drive. I had it on my last vehicle, but I don't have it on the Acadia. Sucks balls, really.
My family is playing Guitar Hero as we speak, enjoying the late night to come.
Later!

PMS??

If a woman has a hysterectomy yet keeps her ovaries, does she go through PMS still, even though she has no period?

Out of School!

We got ANOTHER day off today from school. Temperatures were just too low. Darn.
I got dishes done, laundry, de-cluttering, AND visiting my mom and dad (in the next hour or so). I'm also going to a ballgame, Cam's having a friend spend the night, and brownies are in the oven. I actually accomplished some things. Proud? I am.

We've started a novel in my language arts classes. At first, the normal moans and groans came from the crowd of students. Standard responses like, "Aw...this is gonna be stupid. . . It sounds so dumb... do we have to read this...". Since we have read three chapters, they are dying for more. That's why I'm a teacher. Right there.
Happy Freezing Days to y'all!

Memories

Some memories are not ones I care to remember. Today I got a wake-up call that flooded my mind and heart with heavy memories. I just got back from attending a wake for my "Uncle" (father of my cousin, but was never actually married to my aunt. Sure, any kind of death is never fun, but this was different. He took his own life. Being in the funeral home for the reasons that I was there was overwhelming considering my grandfather took his own life, too, many years ago. Those kinds of feelings from memory never go away. And when they are resurrected, it is haunting. I feel so terrible for my cousin (a ninth grader). How can a child go through a parent's suicide? I can't even imagine. I know how I felt as a grandchild, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I am trying so hard to keep myself together. I didn't really think it would affect me like it is. I knew it was going to be sad, but I didn't realize it would take me back to exactly what I felt all those years ago when grandpa killed himself.
Suicide is the most selfish thing a person could do to others. It is easier to check out and leave others behind to deal with the realities of life than it is to handle grieving for a suicide victim. The person who takes their own life gets to stop the chaos and madness, but the ones left behind only begin their journey when the person they love is gone.
I miss my grandpa more than anyone can imagine. And I am praying for my cousin so that he might have the strength and courage to get through this horrific event in his life. It'll be a daily struggle for a long time, and it will pop up to haunt him often.
I'm so sorry this had to happen to you, Draden.