Teri Parris Ford's Blog

It's done!

It was a long day but when I got home this evening I got to relax outside comfortably. Spring is finally here and it's wonderful to enjoy warm weather finally. At 5am this morning I let Balt out without a leash and he ran off. I looked for him for over an hour and then gave up to get ready for work early so I could spend more time looking for him. He came back home without issue but I am finding that he wonders off more and more, the older he gets. We still went for our morning walk. I'm pretty sure he spent that time digging through someone's trash.

I got to work nearly an hour early to prep for my classes and gear up for the last working day to get the yearbook done. Today was my final proof deadline. My editor in chief was worked with me after school. I finally turned that last 50 pages around 5:30pm. I came home exhausted from the day. Tomorrow is May-- always a busy time of year but the biggest project of my year is officially done.

Sunday Gardening

After a morning dogwalk to Starbucks and around the school, I watched some news and then went to yoga. I showered and went to Menards to get flowers. I decided to get a few steps to fix up the area I keep my trash can as well as replace my shutters that were tattered. I spent hours pulling rocks out, cleaning and placing the steps in and surrounding them by cleaned off rocks. The project took a few hours and I was pretty sore when it was all over but boy, did it look a lot prettier. The weather was perfect gardening weather-- a high of 64.

Saturday To Do List

Today was a typical Saturday and I did typical Saturday things all morning. I sipped coffee and watched the news. I took Balt for a good, long walk. It was a lot chillier than I'd like for spring. I went grocery shopping for the first time in several weeks. I think I purchased more cleaning supplies than food. I made a vegetarian soup in my crock pot. I went to a favorite hot yoga class at 11am. The studio was having a big fundraiser, so I got there super early to make sure I got a good spot. After yoga, I came home, took a long, hot bath, then enjoyed a wonderful lunch of homemade soup. I spent the rest of the afternoon working a paper for my UW that I need to send my draft to by Monday. I wanted to get most of my work done today so I could really relax tomorrow!

Friday Thankfulness

With no school today, it was a blessing of a day to connect with staff and get work done. Balt and I had a great morning walk and I finished the book I was listening to. The morning with staff was pleasant. We ate lunch as a department which was nice. After lunch I got to work on the yearbook. I needed to assess what the kids had finished on Thursday while I was away. They did not finish the spring sports pages which only leaves Monday to get it finished. I worked until 4:30 cleaning things up and simplifying pages to make them easier to finish. After school I made my way to my favorite Friday night hot yoga. I came home for a relaxing evening to finish the week.

I went to Chicago

Every spring I organize a spring field trip to Chicago with one of the French teachers. Today was the day we went. It also happened to be Josh's birthday, so we celebrated by making sure to have dinner at Portillo's on the way home. It was a wonderful day! Absolutely perfect. It was a long day, but oh, so relaxing. The kids were awesome. We all needed a day away to look at art.

Lots of pictures

Today I had 3 working days left for kids to finish the last of our yearbook pages and we needed lots of pictures. I offered extra credit to one of my freshmen photo 1 students who was on the golf team to save us from a blank page and boy did he come through! Another one of my photo 1 students is a varsity tennis player, so he helped finish the boys tennis page with captions and a summary. So golf and tennis got done today. That leave softball, baseball and girls soccer still in desperate need of work and photos. So after school I went out to take pictures of all three sports teams. It was a gorgeous afternoon, so it was a pleasant undertaking. I got home with time to walk Balt, chat with Jim and eat a lite dinner of leftover potatoes. I watched Survivor and called it a day.

Long Day

I left for the day this morning at 6:30 am and got home after 7pm. I scheduled my truck to get an oil change, so I went to pick up donuts for my yearbook kids and then dropped off the treats at school before dropping off the truck at the shop then walked home with Balt before walking to school. I walked home at lunch and met up with a landscape professional to talk about possibly having a patio put on my backyard which I'm pretty sure I won't be able to afford but I got some really great ideas talking to the guy. I walked over to pick up my truck and then back to school after lunching on leftovers and spent some time with my yearbook kids starting to plan distribution. We have 3 school days left to finish everything and the books get delivered in exactly a month! After school, my newspaper kids stayed late working on the last regular issue of the year. I took photos of the softball team twice-- they had a double header. I got home ready to pass out. I walked nearly 7 miles today.

It's almost May!

It was a beautiful in Madison. I had a wonderful walk Balt this morning and had a great work day at school. I had leftovers from our Saturday taco feast for lunch. I got a lot done during my prep and came home to enjoy some sunshine after school. Monika called early in the evening to share that she was turning in her senior thesis. I asked her to send me a picture! I'm so excited about her graduating in May, in less than a month, less than 3 weeks! May is always an exciting a month, a busy one too. I can't wait!!

Winning Sunday

It was a wonderful Sunday. It got up to 60. It's so much easier to have a great day when the weather is nice. Jim and I went to the Pancake House for breakfast and enjoyed an amazing spread. We finished The Keepers and watched Monika's Rugby game in Stanford on Facebook. The team she was supposed to play yesterday forfeited so after winning today's game they got into the final four for the national play offs in a couple of weeks. I had wanted to fly out to see the game on Saturday and I was glad it worked out that I couldn't go, as I would not have been able to watch her play after all that travel. I watched her sack a couple of girls and run an assist in to score. I'm not even sure what it's called when you score (goal or touchdown)? Anyway. I finished the day with a hot yoga class and a nice evening walk. I'm ready for the last week of April.

Saturday Feast

We had a feast worthy Saturday that started with an early dogwalk, coffee and 2nd walk with Jim. I made a huge lunch spread for lunch of chicken tacos then we binge watched The Keepers on Netflix (4 of the 7 episodes) saving the conclusion for Sunday. It was a really nice day but still chilly enough to enjoy watching endless hours of Netflix.

Friday Routine

I really like Fridays. I have a skip in my step knowing the weekend is ahead. My morning walk with Balt was pleasant, not quite warm, but certainly not freezing. The work day was quiet and fairly calm. I met up with Erika at lunch so that she could borrow my truck. That gave me the opportunity to walk home after school, which was wonderful. I had a bit of time to visit with Balt and clean up and then then I went to my favorite hot yoga class which ended my week perfectly.

It's Melting

I'd like to think we are done with snow for the year, or at least until November. The forecast has lots of numbers over 50 in it starting tomorrow. For today, it started cold but got warm enough to see snow start to melt. I think it will be gone by tomorrow! Still there was a lot of it during my walk with Balt. He thoroughly enjoys it all. I think he might be happy living somewhere where it snows all year long. Not me. The school day was kind of weird as hundreds of students were gone today on a service thing. While I'd like to think that would make it mello, it wasn't, but a lot of work got done. I'm struggling motiving my 4th hour photo 1 class to work instead of play.  After school. I had a photo shoot with the tennis team and then I came home for an early dinner, news and a nap. I woke up in time for a bit of tv and youtube watching and now it's back to sleep...

Can April get worse than this?

All school activities were cancelled today after school for a snow storm. That is not supposed to happen in the spring. The snow didn't start up until noon. By 4pm it was really coming down. I had my UW class after school that was not cancelled. My usual 15 minute drive downtown took 45 minutes this afternoon, so I was late. They ended the class early so after about 1/2 hour, I turned around and drove back home. I got home in time to watch Survivor which was a bonus.

Aside from everyone complaining about the weather, it was a pretty good day. My students complained about my needing a fan and wanting the door open for cold air but other than that all was well. 

Deadlines

I sent in the last 50 pages of the yearbook today. Several pages of spring sports were blank. The rate of cancelled spring sports is crazy-- no one is happy AND it's supposed to snow again tomorrow. There has yet to be a track meet and they start spring sports first. Kids asked me what we will do if we can't finish our proofs on time (th 27th) but I'm keeping a positive attitude. The sun will come out next week! We've got 60's in the forecast for the whole week that all is due!

After school today I ran off to my hot yoga class. My hot flashes have became less frequent and more manageable. I spent the weekend just taking them all in and learning to embrace them. I might have to deal with them for a while but luckily, this week they seem to have subsided. Anyway, I had an amazing yoga class and came home to an amazing shower. I spent some time reading and sipping tea before turning on the boob tube to watch a couple of shows before bed.

The end of April begins

April can't be over fast enough. It wouldn't be so bad if the weather was nicer, or maybe if I didn't have to do anything but stay inside by a big fire. Balt is unfazed by the weather, even enjoys it. He loves winter while I can't wait until Summer! The only upside is that my classroom is cool and the hot flashes aren't as bad. My Monday classes went by quickly. We had a department meeting at the end of the work day which went well. I got home took Balt out for a bit after school and made leftover soup for dinner, watched the news and worked on a computer project. 

April Snow

I woke to more snow. It continued to snow all day, lightly. Balt and I went for a good long walk and he seemed to be good spirits. I got home drenched in sweat, either from hot flashes, being overdressed or from the exercise-- most likely a combination of the three. I spent the rest of the day working on a digital book project. I built a big fire and had running Star Trek Episodes going. I'm almost done with the series and hoping to finish by the end of the evening. 

Take it easy

Other than a bit of homework, housework and laundry, I didn't have much planned for the weekend. I spent most of the day just taking it easy. I got a book on menopause and starting reading it this morning. It has a lot of herbal remedies but mostly just a lot of talk of acceptance, which I have-- plus I have no choice. These hot flashes though are crazy. I think I had one during hot yoga and it was overwhelming. I mean, it was already 103 degrees, crazy humid and then I felt like my skin was on fire. I thought I was going to throw up, it was so intense for a few minutes, but I survived. I went grocery shopping, finished my laundry and vacuumed. I watched about 5 episodes of Star Trek and a documentary on HBO with a big fire while it snowed lightly outside. I am so sick of the cold weather but it certainly makes laying around doing nothing a little easier.

Friday phones

Today was a wet Friday. I got a great dogwalk in before it started to pour this morning. I had a busy morning offering demos and a new assignment. I ran errands at lunch. I picked up DQ blizzards for my yearbook kids to celebrate how close we are to the end. I had several waves of hot flashes and probably asked kids to put their phone away 50 times. I've got a love/hate relationship with phones as a teacher. Once when I could not get a computer lab for research in my metals class, every kid was able to pull out their phone and do the work without a computer. I would like to incorporate more phone photography into my photo 1 classes but when I'm talking to kids, I see them looking down at their phones too often  (how rude!).  No matter where I am at the school, no matter when, kids typically have their phone out. The reality is when my phone isn't out it's in my pocket, close enough to be able to get my info fed to me thru my watch. So I get it. 

My Friday finished with giving Balt a bath, a big fire at home, hot soup and several Star Trek episodes.

Thursday Heat

Today was warm, balmy warm. While the warmth was nice outside, my classroom was overheated and to make matters worse, I'm experiencing hot flashes-- a lot of them.  I've thought I've had hot flashes in the past but the ones I've been having this week have been so much more intense and they are happening more often.  Today while having a hot flash, a student asked me why I was so stressed because I was sweating profusely. I am thinking of wearing shorts to work but sadly, it's going to get cold again. Anyway, aside from the hot flashes, my day was uneventful. I took club pictures at lunch and sport pictures after school. I rushed off to get to a hot yoga class, showered and went back to school for an ethnic fashion show and talent show.

Wednesday Spring

It finally felt a bit like spring today. It's amazing how 40 degrees feels warm after a cold winter. My dog walk was very enjoyable. There was testing again today, so I had lots of kids missing and just work days in my classes. After school I went to a shiva- my first ever. There were a lot of friendly faces and few moms I had not seen in a very long time, but so many visiting that I did not get a chance to visit with the grieving parents. I came home, made a salad and watched Survivor. 

Tuesday Go

If it wasn't so cold, life would be nicer; especially my morning dog walks. Today the freshmen had testing all morning and I had to proctor one exam during my 3rd hour. It was not bad, but not fun either. At lunch we met as a department to go over the schedule. It looks like I will have a very similar schedule next year, which is great. After school instead of going to yoga, I got on my treadmill and walked for an hour. I'm not sure why but my watch does not read steps on my treadmill vs. steps on the ground. I'd much rather for a long walk but not when it's only 40 degrees. I got invited to have dinner with my mentor, past art ed professor, Doug and his wife. It was a nice visit. I called Jim to wish him happy birthday before bed. Unlike me, birthdays aren't a big deal for him, but I still wanted to acknowledge it. I'll celebrate with him some other time. 

Monday Flash

Today was a Monday with a shortened schedule. It went by in a flash. Balt got me up at 4:45am. We had a cold morning walk. I am really looking forward summer dog walks right now. I heard that spring was cancelled and we are going right from winter to summer. I got a lot done today, but failed to take any photos. I got home at 5pm after staying late to work on my schedule for next year and some emails. I fed Balt, took a short walk and watched the news. I worked on a digital project and went to bed at 8pm.

Weekend Stuff

It was nice to sleep in but I woke to find the person I hired to walk Balt this morning could not make it. I knew he'd be fine, but I called Erika to see if she could take him out to make sure he didn't poop in the house. I enjoyed breakfast with Jim and then he had to get back to his army weekend. I made my way back to Madison. I stopped at Costco for gas and lunch food. I did some clean up and laundry and enjoyed some Netflix. I went to hot yoga and enjoyed some dinner with 60 minutes.

Army Dine In

"Dining in" is a formal military ceremony for members of a company or other unit, which includes a dinner, drinking, and other events to foster camaraderie and esprit de corps. Jim's unit had it's second formal event and Jim was the MC and organizer. We sat at a table with other leadership members of his unit and their wives. It was a very fun event. 

I had a pretty normal Saturday morning with a dogwalk and yoga class. I left around 2pm to met up with Jim in La Crosse. The dinner started at 6pm but we had to get there at 5pm so Jim could prep and make sure all was set up. It was fun to see him at the podium as master of ceremony.

Cold Friday

The day started at a chilly 30 degrees and when I went to lunch it was 27 degrees. While we didn't make it to a record low, it was colder than it should have been. I had a busy Friday. Joe was out sick so I supervised his room at lunch. Quite a few kids count on his room being open at lunch. I met with a student who had some questions and took some photos of a club. I was able to grab some lunch during my prep hour. After school I had some hot tea before going to hot yoga. I came home and enjoyed a wonderful Friday night home.

Hard to Wait

I had a pretty normal Thursday. The hardest part of the day was trying to make sure my unruly freshmen don't leave my 4th hour class early. I had to stay after school for a bit to finish up some paperwork and take some club photos. I ran some errands and then went home. I put my pj's on early and called it a day. 

Woke to Snow

So much for missing out on the snow storm. It wasn't much but I woke to find lots of snow. It's pretty but I'd be happier without it. Balt was thrilled. I know he'll miss the cold weather and I know it won't be long until warm weather will be here. After a nice dog walk, I got to work and had a very nice day. I came home for lunch. I stayed after school dealing with emails and some paperwork. I ran some errands and came home for news and Survivor. I'm going to top the evening off with an episode of Star Trek Enterprise.

Not that big of a deal...

There was no snow this morning, just a bit of ice. I had a productive day and got the Art Teacher Art Show open during my lunch time (see photo). It's a good looking show.  My tub guy came over this morning to finish up and I got the bill-- 3x more than I hoped, 2x more than I planned. Oh well. Instead of having a fun trip over spring break, I got a new tub. I won't be doing anymore home improvements for a while. After school I ran out to a hot yoga class, came home and put on my pj's. I'm going to bed early.

Back at it.

I had quite a few kids out today. I knew the transition back to school after a week off would be harder for some. I planned to keep the week a work week and they were appreciative. I reminded the kids of the assignments at hand and that the third quarter was over on Wednesday. They had until the end of the week to get caught up. I guess I sounded stern because a couple of kids thought I was upset. Quite the contrary; I was well rested and ready for the week, but not to worry --by Friday I'd be upset after they spent the week wasting time.

It was a short Monday with a newspaper lunch meeting. Jim was home all day grading, so I was eager to get home after our department meeting. It was nice to have a bit of time with him before he left for his work week. There's a snow storm on the way, so he left a little earlier than planned. He's in for up to a foot, I'm hoping for less than 6 inches here in Madison and a very quick melting

Happy Easter

I got up to feed Balt at 5am and then went back to bed. I'd stayed up way to late the night before watching Netflix and did not want to pay for it later in the day. We got up at 7am, enjoyed coffee and then got back to watching Wild, Wild Country. Yes, it was that good. After 3 episodes last night, we finished the final 3 episodes this morning! I started cooking during the episodes so the we could have a nice Easter dinner. We went for 5 mile dog walk before dinner and called Monika after dinner. We spent the rest of the evening watching episodes of Better Call Saul... not a very productive holiday, but certainly a fun one.