Back to civilisation

Just a short post to say I'm back in a warm bed, with dry clean clothes. Oh how I love electricity and modern technology! I'm still in Northern Ireland, I fly home late Sunday night and I'm back to work on Monday.

This was probably my favourite year at Camp Shamrock. Considering I had a rather trying tent full of girls that tested me to the limits and there was a moment that I thought that it was going to be my last year, I came away loving the camp. I have some fun pictures and memories I want to share with you and post so that I can look back in future years, but you'll have to wait in suspense for now.

P.S. Some really good news: I'm relaxed, unstressed, happy and hopeful again. Thank you God! I was really down on life when I left for camp this year, so it's been more than just a great experience, it's put me back on track!

Don't say you've haven't been warned

I'm burnt out. There's no more of me left to give. I have no more energy.* All gone. I don't even have the energy to appear to be coping. If you have the misfortune of visiting me in my office this is what you are greeted with:

"Seriously? You're interrupting me? Have you seen the bags under my eyes?"

"Obviously not because you're still here. I'll make an attempt to pay attention to what you're bothering me about"

"You're still here?"

Obviously I've made up fun captions for my pretty pictures. I'd like to say that although I've lost my sanity/ will to live/ drive, I've kept my humour - this statement just isn't true. The truth is that my sarcastic and sardonic nature is still alive and kicking. No humour, just sarcasm. I'm sure my mother is so pleased.

*This might make one wonder how I'm going to survive 10 days in a field with 50 screaming, over dramatic, energetic girls. Ho hum, the things we do to ourselves.

Deep thoughts? ... don't worry, they don't happen often

Have you ever taken a look at your life:

where you are,
what you've done,
where you thought you'd be,
what you expected,
who you've become,
who you were,
what you've been through,
what you've accomplished,
what you've failed at,
what you've learned,
what you're doing with your life,
how you're filling your days,
what's important to you,
what you want to be doing,
where you want to be in the future,
and if you're "happy" with your life?

you know - that sort of looking at your life?

For reasons I won't bore you with, I've been thinking about my life recently. Ten years ago I graduated high school. Oh how different life was. My "whole life" was in front of me. How important my teenage dramas seemed to be, and how unimportant they actually were. In the last 10 years my life has taken paths that I wouldn't have even imagined when I was in high school. It makes me wonder where the next ten years will take me, but it also makes me wonder about my current lifestyle: in ten years will I look back and be happy with how I chose to spend this time or wonder what I was thinking and why I wasted so much time being stupid.

Does any of that make sense?

Happy Birthday 80s child!

My friend, Clare, had a belated surprise party thrown for her on Friday

The theme was 80s, and I took the theme and ran with it. I think my inspiration had to come from footloose. Clashing bright colours. Lots of them. Purple head band, neon yellow over sized earrings, lime green tank top / vest, fluorescent orange tube top and fingernails, hot pink trousers and toenails, and multi-coloured toe socks made into leg warmer type clothing to tie all the colours together - I'm a genius! (As a side note, it took me quite a long time to get the tangles out of my hair from the enormous amount of back combing going on there....how did people do this on a daily basis?!)

Clare and I

Clare, me and Vicki - so it's not the best portrait, but I thought it was too funny not to share

A funny antedote for you: I was on empty when I left my house, so had to stop and get petrol on the way to Clare's. Can you guess how many stares I got while filling up my car? Poor planning on my part!

Nothing's over the top for Americans!

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

This is outside my office window at work ... I my American Flag stuck up (obviously the flag and sign are the right way round looking at them - just not when you take a picture!). I have worn this shirt (and endured the mockery of it from the British) since I was around 14? So although it's 14 odd years old, I've only worn it around 14 times so it's practically new - right?

Tea Party date

On Thursday I got invited to the NQT tea party after school. It was a nice break from work and quite a few laughs were had.

Mary (guest) Clare, Kate (my invitee), and Gen (the host)

Mary had a bit of fun in the tepee Gen had in her classroom. It's fun to be young :-)

Thanks for the invite Kate!

*NQT = Newly Qualified Teacher. In England the first year of teaching, you are classed as a NQT. There is a teacher at your school who "looks after" you and helps you get through your first year. From what I've heard, Gen is a brilliant "looker afterer".