Dawn and the no good, very bad day!

Where do I start? Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment (that the source of my bad day). I didn't eat breakfast because my appointment was in the morning and I was going to grab a bite afterwards.

On my way I was driving down a local road and all of a sudden I noticed the road was COVERED in broken glass. This picture I grabbed from the internet for effect. I didn't have a chance to stop and take pictures. It just came up on me. The glass was scattered across the entire width of the road so there was no way to avoid it.

Just about the time I got to my appointment I started hearing a funny sound. You guessed it. I had a flat tire! I parked my car at the hospital (where my appointment was). I called AAA and found that my membership had expired so I had to renew it over the phone and then set up a time for someone to come change my tire. (I've never changed one and don't know how!). I had to wait until my doctor's appointment was over to call AAA back to set up a time. In the mean time I called the local police department to tell them about the glass and they said that they were sending the highway department to clean it up.

Because I didn't have any thing to eat yet I went inside the main lobby of the hospital to grab a bagel from the little cafe that was no longer where it used to be. I walked across the hospital only to be told that it wouldn't open for another 25 minutes. I couldn't wait because AAA was coming. So, I walked back to the lobby to find out that the cafe serves food all day.

When the tow truck came and put the spare on my car (you know those donut tires) I saw a big piece of glass wedged into another tire. I ended up calling where my niece's husband works and set up an appointment with him. I needed 4 new tires!!!! It took about an hour after I got there for him to get to my car. Since I hadn't eaten yet and it was already 1:00 I waked to the little restaurant in the plaza to see that it was closed. I ended up walking further down the road to find a place to eat. "The diet be damned today!", I thought. I got myself some fish and chips but didn't eat all the fries. My tummy didn't feel well afterwards. UGH!

Then I walked a little further down the road to my mother's house to pick up Tim. He and I walked back to the tire store and waited about another hour for my car to be done...to the tune of $343! I think the town owes me that money! I've called the police department to see if there was an accident there and there wasn't one reported (Something happened because there was glass and a windshield wiper on the road!)  The highway department says they aren't responsible because they have 24 hours to clean up a road after it has been reported!!


Hours later I traveled back to buy some crayons that I needed (I saved $59) and walked out with two boxes of chalk I didn't pay for.  I went right back in to pay for them.  I certainly don't need bad Karma!

If you made it this far reading...bless you!  I hope today is better!

take care,
Dawn

Technology

Hi there friends.  Yesterday I went to a workshop at school.  The workshop was Digital Audio for Classroom Presentation and Projects.  Through Google APPS I opened a program called Aviary and created this little audio clip.  It gave me the option to add this MP3 player so all you have to do is click on it and hear me.

I love technology.  I am excited by the possibilities this will give me in my classroom and with my school blog and web page.  A couple of weeks ago I went to a digital workshop, Working with Digital Images and Cameras and last week I gave one on the Smart Board.

What do you think?  Do I sound like you thought I would?

take care,
Dawn

Summer Reading

Tim finished fifth grade this year and next school year he will move over to the middle school.  This year our school district (where I teach and Tim attends) came out with a summer reading list for Kindergarten through 12th grade.  Tim's list is required summer reading.  Each of the fifth grade students were given a copy of Island of the Blue Dolphin from the PTA as a kind of "graduation" to the middle school.

Of course Tim was not thrilled to have to read this summer.  Is he truly my son??????  He is a good reader too.  He just never wants to start a book.  When he is done reading, he has enjoyed the book.  I told him that I would read with him.  So, every couple of days we sit and take turns reading a chapter to each other.  We should be done with this book next week.

He has two required books.  We will read the next one in August.

I haven't been reading much of my own.  I did read
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner:
An Eclipse Novella

I think I will read The Host next.  I have had it since last summer and haven't started it.  


take care,
Dawn

Gangster!!

Doesn't this picture make a mother proud? 

Tim was so excited to get this picture taken yesterday.  I took Tim, Britt and the kids to the county fair yesterday and this was one of Tim's favorite parts of the day.  We went to one of those old time photo booths and this is what he wanted. 

This is so far from the little boy that would pin his blankie around his neck and become a super hero.  I guess it is hard deny that my little boy is growing up. 

I'm sharing more pictures of the fair tomorrow.  I'm just too tired from our long day to upload them all.

take care,
Dawn

Oh how yummy!

Well, Tim made our dinner on Sunday and I have to say it was quite good! He made the Beef Roulade and the Chocolate Delight dessert in the crock pot. I have several crock pots and we had two of them working on Sunday.

Here is the Beef Roulade after it came out of the crock pot.  I showed Tim how to make gravy with the juices. 

It

He chose baked potatoes and green beans to go along with the dinner.  It really was very good.  Rich even said he'd like to have it again. 

The dessert.  Here are the ingredients Tim used.

 He mixed it all together in the crock pot.

And here is the final product with some vanilla ice cream on top.

I don't think I would hesitate in giving Tim the cook book to pick something else to make for us. 

Oh, and don't forget to vote for Brittainy's blog.  See the post below for more information.

take care,
Dawn

Vote for Brittainy

My daughter Brittainy's blog is in a contest here at Life Without Pink.  Her blog is the Litany of Brittainy and if you enjoy her post, please vote for her.  I think she is quite funny and a talented writer.  Go check it out!

Oh, and for those of you who are interested, my post tomorrow is about the dinner Tim made us.

take care,
Dawn

Let them eat...STEAK

My son Tim is a typical 11 (almost 12 :) ) year old boy.  He loves Star Wars, Legos, playing with guns (much to my dismay!) and crude humor LOL!  But, he also loves watching the Travel Channel and the "food" shows.  His favorites are Man vs. Food and Good Eats.

I think it was while watching on of these he was intrigued with a recipe for flank steak.  He asked to look through some of my cookbooks so I showed him where they were.  He found a recipe for Beef  Roulade  made in the crock pot.  He also found another crock pot recipe for a hot chocolate cake like dessert.

Today is the big day.  He is making this for dinner for us.  I went to the store yesterday and picked up all of the ingredients and he will be making the meal (baked potatoes included) and dessert.

I am excited that he has an interest in learning to cook.  All Rich can cook are burgers on the grill and shake and bake pork chops or chicken.  I would love to see Tim know how to cook for himself when he is old enough to be out of the house and on his own.  Who knows, maybe someday I'll get a thank you from his wife, who won't be the only one in the family to do the cooking!

I'll let you know tomorrow how the dinner turned out.

take care,
Dawn