Friday, June 29, 2007

having the summer off isn't as great as you think

i thought i'd enjoy two-and-a-half months of nothing. how wrong was i? as my husband suggested, "you need to find a hobby." it's a fantastic idea except for my lack of interest in just about everything. :P i've thought about taking up a hobby since my first day of vacation, but nothing comes to mind--a bit pathetic, really.

i've considered taking a class at NOVA or through the county's rec centers this summer, but what to take? photography sounds fun, although i can already imagine the constant yabbering i'd get from my mother; she took photography for a few years, so, of course, she's an expert. it looks interesting. i had students take photography at school this past year, and they really enjoyed it. they took some beautiful photographs, many of them unintentionally intriguing. i think it's worth checking out.

one thing i am definitely going to do (again) is work out and lose weight. my original plan had been to register at sport & health because i get a nice discount for working for the county. then i realized we have free access to a gym at the HR building. but going there involves driving over to falls church. i figured out a temporary (or maybe permanent) solution by watching tv. i saw the infomercial for "hiphop abs" again and couldn't resist; i ordered the DVDs, which should be here next week. i can dance like an idiot in the privacy of my own home and lose weight all at the same time! i will also take up running again, as soon as i can. it would be nice if i had a running partner, but my husband wants nothing to do with my running. he absolutely refuses. he's no fun.

i do have books i want to read this summer. i should get on that.

Monday, June 11, 2007

i miss having a job

at least i knew what i'd be doing for most of the day. on the agenda today is shopping. i haven't been shopping for myself in a long time. . . several weeks? i want to check out steve & barry's. i definitely need to get a black dress too. i need to be prepared.

i think tomorrow i'll register at the gym across the street. i might as well--i'd like to lose more weight, after i lose the pounds i gained since the wedding. plus, it would give me something to do for two hours each day. (wow, that's ambitious.) perhaps if i set lower expectations, like an hour three times a day, then i'd feel better about myself for going more often.

we're driving up to new york this weekend to see ryan's parents. i believe our current plan is to stay a week; whether or not we stay longer will depend on how karen feels. i'd like to be able to help around the house so ed doesn't feel so burdened. erika will be there too, but she's leaving the next weekend for a girls' week at a lake nearby. she invited me, but that will depend entirely on how the week goes.

anyway, off to go shopping!

Friday, June 01, 2007

ben who?

affleck.

that's right--he was the guest speaker at graduation today. there had been rumors for several months. "ben affleck is coming." "ben affleck is really coming." "is ben affleck even going to show?" "i like matt damon better."

several women in the department have been cooing and oohing about ben affleck, their biggest question being, "will he eat lunch with us?" well, it turns out, yes.

i had finished eating lunch and was chatting with some colleagues when i noticed a man in a suit walk into the reception room. i thought, "he's overdressed for this," and went back to discussing teachers who worked apparently worked in our school but we had never seen until today. suddenly people start shuffling toward the man, cameras come out. then i realized who he was. ben affleck.

you know, he isn't as tall as he looks on tv. i'd peg him at possibly six feet tall? i always imagined he was taller, but perhaps he's only relatively tall when he stands next to matt damon. he also wasn't as attractive as i expected. in fact, he looked pretty average. granted, he's more attractive than the average man in virginia, but still average.

the seniors were able to book ben affleck because he has a relationship (friendship) with one of our physically disabled students, joe. ben met joe years ago while filming "Forces of Nature" at Dulles Airport, and they've been friends since (with some help from the Make-a-Wish Foundation).

his speech wasn't awe-inspiring, but it was better than i expected. (obviously, i had very low expectations of his man.) he actually has a sense of humor, even inserting self-deprecating remarks about "Gigli" ("Joe liked the script for 'Daredevil' better than 'Gigli,' but he would never admit to it.") and "Forces of Nature." ben muttered occasionally, but overall, his speech was good. he joked about people who used famous people's quotes, then added that he apparently liked hypocrisy since he would be quoting someone famous too.

susanna was absolutely star-struck. she tried her best to contain her excitement and stay composed. :)

i still don't think he's a good actor, but he does good things for good kids. i'll give him a few points for that.

and thank you, ben, for making what was already a great day into the most memorable days of these students' lives.