"Off to Never-Never Land"

Team Carey, the "Weekend Warriors," took off to good ole New Orleans last weekend to see Metallica play at the Voodoo Rock Fest in City Park, New Orleans. Now, 8 hours is a long way to drive for a band, but Metallica is one of Dylan's all time favorite bands. Plus, they are getting ready to tour out of country for a year, so it just seemed ridiculous to pass up this chance.

The 3 of us headed out Friday, arriving in New Orleans Saturday morning. Goobz travels very well in the car, hotel, etc. He likes to either sit curled up in my lap or on top of the console. He watches the road just like Dylan.. too cute!

Spent Saturday morning playing in City Park with Goobz

Voodoo Fest 2012: Saw the bands Revivalists (good), AWOLNATION (good), Seven Suns Pick Up (lame) and Metallica (brought down the house!!)

Lead singer James Hetfield

This was my first hard rock/metal concert. It was an experience!!! I loved the intensity of the band. I was blown away by the serious musical talent these men have on their instruments and vocals. I was impressed by the fact these men can still rock for 2 hours at the age of 50 or older. The music which Dylan plays all the time and I have listened to for the past 7 years now meant so much more to hear it live. I have never heard music that loud though, and did feel as if I would not hear again for a few days. The bass was ridiculous.. I could feel it all the way into my bones.

My one negative comment about this whole experience is the "habits" and "indulgences" people choose to imbibe and inhale in while at a concert. These things make you drunk, high and STUPID. Seriously never seen so many stupid people in one place at one time in my entire life. That, I can sooo live without experiencing for a very long time.

 Bada** drummer Lars Ulrich

Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett

Roads

Tonight I find myself in a me-lan-cho-ly mood (thanks MegaMind). Life has not been going as planned of late, causing me to truly evaluate the decisions I have previously made and those I still must make. 

It is a strange feeling to finally find myself getting to make a decision purely based on how I feel, what I want (also including Dylan and Goobz). I am 26 years old and have basically made decisions based upon what was necessary in life at the time or more recently, the "grown-up" thing to do, minus a few key moments. And to be quite honest, as exciting as this may seem, from a person who is a typical Type-A personality, bent on pleasing everyone else around me all the time, this feeling is extremely scary and terrifying, not going to lie. 

This song by Chris Mann, my pick for winner of the TV show The Voice last year, spoke to my heart this weekend. I know I go with the promises of God and His faithfulness, but until the decision has been revealed or made, let us walk along the roads....

There are roads in this life that we all travel.

There are scars and there are battles where we roam. 

When we are lost or wherever we may go, 

They will always lead you home

There are roads that have lead me to another

To a friend or to a lover I have known.

For every turn is a year that I have grown,

As I walk along these roads

Some are long and some are weathered.

Some will lead you through a storm.

When you’ve gone astray you will find your way,

As you walk along these roads

There were times when I stumbled and I wondered.

But every choice and every step I don’t regret,

Cause I have lived and I have loved like no other.

I won’t fear what lies ahead.

Some are long and some are weathered.

Some will lead you through a storm.

When you’ve gone astray you will find your way,

As you walk along these roads

There are roads in this life that I have traveled.

There are scars and there are battles, these I know,

Cause I’d be lost but no matter where I go,

They will one day lead me home.

They will one day lead me home.

"It's all right to be a Lil Bitty...."

"A good ole boy and a pretty little girl... (and a) little bitty dog..."

-Alan Jackson-

Fall has officially come to San Antonio this year, in 2012, and my little family is so excited!! Highs have been in the mid-80s with lows in the 60s and today, Oct. 7th, the high was 53!!! It smells so unbelievably good in San Anton; the air is crisp and clean. Crazy, I know?! Cool enough to turn your nose pink and make you want a jacket and scarf, but not enough to freeze you out just yet. Pretty sure my little family is beginning to think we belong somewhere with cooler weather because all 3 of us, Goobz included, have been in great moods these past weeks and especially this weekend. 

Goobz has been a hoot lately, which I realize is no different than any other day, but I just have to share his latest exploits because they make Dylan and I laugh so dad gum hard!!! 

We have started playing outside right after I get home from work. Goobz just wants to run around outside, roll around in the grass and chase his toy bone. 

Still likes to drop his toys down the stairs and have you throw them back to him. Repeat process over and over and over and over and one more time... over again.

Sometimes we think there is a little too much love going on in this house. Goobz has started mimicking Dylan and I, and frankly, it is a little scary. He talks to you when you ask him questions. The more you laugh, the more excited he becomes when you play with him. He watches the TV screen when we watch movies and likes to sit in my lap while I read and look at the pages too. He likes to hug you... puts his paws on your chest and moves in close to put his head on your shoulder. Most importantly though, he wants to give you smoochies "kisses" all the time. He is an equal opportunity kisser- both Dylan and I get an equal share of the love. He can do this for up to 10 minutes; we have timed him before. You just make it worse if you try to pull away, so it is just best to close your eyes, shut your mouth and endure.

The weather has cooled off, so Goober is back sleeping in bed with us. He prefers the rug on the floor when it is hot and we are grateful for this. But now he is back in bed, wanting to be right in the middle of Dylan and I. He does not bother me at all, but apparently he likes to kick Dylan. hehe! He is awfully cute though when he wants to snuggle.

Goobz has been finding "treasures" on our walks of late. His latest find is a golf ball, which has turned out to become a great toy because it is indestructible! Only one other toy has managed to stand up to Goobz' ferocious teeth; therefore, I am excited to have another toy that causes Goobz to work hard and get angry because he cannot conquer it.

We have a massive acorn tree in our front yard and the acorns just drive Goober nuts! He cannot put them all in his mouth at a time, so he gets angry when they fall out. He cannot crack them, so he just carries them around in his mouth and deposits them in small piles all around the yard and sometimes they find their way into our house as well. If you let a big handful of them go at one time, it is hilarious to watch because he cannot decide which one to go after so he just runs around like a chicken with his head cut off!! :)

  "Wise, wise canine"

Best of all though, an REI opened in San Anton, right down the street from us! We are both super excited, but Dylan is even more excited than I am. They had their Grand Opening this past weekend and gave away free gear and gift cards ranging to $100 bucks to the first 100 or so customers each morning. We got up on Sunday around 4:45 am to be one of the first people in line in 45 degree weather. That's dedication folks!! 

Magnolia Pancake Haus

This restaurant called the Magnolia Pancake Haus opened off Huebner back in April or May, and people in San Antonio just went nuts over this place. It is only open for breakfast and lunch, but is more known for its' breakfast food.

Now, Dylan and I are all about trying new restaurants, but, not going to lie, I am a little bit of a breakfast food snob. I do not generally like to go out to eat breakfast because down in San Anton, we have neither Jimmy's Egg nor the Waffle House. Both are serious kick butt breakfast places. Omelets at Jimmy's Egg are just amazing, along with super good hash browns, toast, biscuits, etc. You get the idea! And Waffle House...Pecan Belgian Waffle... need I say more?!

However, today, September 30th, Dylan and I felt the serious urge for good breakfast food and made a trip to the Haus. The smells coming from the building before we even opened the door were mouth-watering. Crisp bacon, buttermilk pancakes and waffles, powdered sugar and syrup etc. Way too many choices on the menu, but I opted for a bacon/cheddar omelet, which was a solid equal to Jimmy's Egg. Hash browns were nice combo of sweet and savory, different from Jimmy's Egg but almost better because of that.

Dylan decides to go for the ultimate special. And here it is...

The authentic Bavarian breakfast dish called The APFEL PFANNEKUCHEN. 

It was UNBELIEVABLY good. So good my words will not do this dish justice. It is a combination of apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, pastry dough and European whipped cream. The dough was soft in middle with apples and crispy on outside from brown sugar. It was super super sweet, but the European cream is very savory, so it mellows out the taste. Now, I have been many places in my short 26 years and have tasted many different dishes but I have to say this is in the Top 5 Best Things I have ever eaten. It even beats out the chocolate-filled croissants of Paris I just adore and the Strawberry Cheesecake from Carmichael's Deli in NYC. 

Big question, I know: Did we finish it??!! Ahhhh, no. Now, Dylan and I together could have finished it and two years ago, probably would have. But dad gum we are such health nuts now we could not do it. We ate over half and then stopped so we would not be sick, plus we had to eat the omelet and hash browns too! :)

Bottom line, if you have one of these places in your area, you need to go try it out! Once in your life, you should indulge in this dish and live it up like the Bavarians do!!! 

You Are More...

"Mrs. Carey! We have our first DBQ essay and I just wanted to thank you for being an amazing teacher last year and for making sure we all know exactly how to do it and that we all have it down (pat). When my AP U.S. History teacher over at Taft asked the class what a DBQ was, I was the only one that knew what it was and how to write one correctly. No one else was so lucky to have my awesome teacher at Marshall! Thank you very much for teaching me the right way to write my essays and for helping me understand it. I miss you!"

To all my teacher friends, this is why we do our job. These moments where the hard battles and sacrifices we made as adults and asked our students to make as well finally come to light and can be utilized for the furthering of education and for that student's own personal gain are such gifts. I hope each of you is able to enjoy one.. no, many of these moments in your career, regardless of how many months or years it takes you to see the fruits of your labor. 

Fast Times at Marshall High: "Express Yourself"

So my 8th period is once again, for the 4th year in a row now, going to be the class that just cracks me up. Every year this is my biggest class, full of the most random group of students imaginable and thankfully, they all learn to get along and create this strange, eclectic mix to end my day with. Because they are so different, many, many strange conversations, stories and actions happen inside this period.

So World History, in all reality, is all about people doing dastardly deeds and becoming famous for them. The information, regardless of where in the world we are currently studying, usually has to do with money, power, drugs/alcohol and loose women etc. Learning how to make all those sordid details suitable for a 15-16 year old mind has been a challenge these past 5 1/2 years. I do my very best to avoid the awkward conversations that children really should have with their parents or another adult... NOT ME. But it is extremely difficult to do this when you have to explain the concept of a eunuch, a harem, a concubine, incest, STDs in Columbian Exchange, arranged marriages etc.

Today, I got thrown a curveball:

We are finishing up Classical India and China. One of the main points about these 2 places is the difference in their ideas on emotions and expressions. Classical China is extremely unemotional while Classical India has everything to do with emotions. I try to steer this topic towards literature, art, songs etc. BUT there is a section in the textbook which mentions Kama Sutra. Yup... you with me now?!

99 percent of the time my students do not read, so I never worry about them getting to this. But I have some major readers this year... in 8th period. Needless to say, a student asked what it meant today. And before you say it, I promise; he honestly asked. The class had no idea what it was. In my mind I'm panicking because I cannot blow it off because then they will just ask more but I do NOT want a phone call from a mom about this topic so for probably .5 seconds I panic. And then I calmly say something along the lines of "it is just another way to talk about physical expression between two people."

All 34 of them think about this and then the reactions set in. A few giggles and blushing faces ensued, but the majority of the students all scrunched up their faces and went "EWWWW!" Inside my head, I laughed so very hard at this response. The best part was one young man's response. He raised his hand and asked me in a very disgusted and confused manner: "Why on earth do people need a book about that stuff and more importantly, who wants to look at the pictures? That is just gross."

I mean, what do I say to that?! So many things I want to say in response to that are SOO NOT appropriate. :)  I smiled and told him then it is a good thing he does not have to worry about that right now. They laughed and we moved on, but I smiled and laughed about it the whole rest of the day. In a strange way, this episode reaffirmed my faith in the younger generations coming up. Often times I think they are completely jaded and ruined by the time they reach 16 but here was a group of students who were still students.. still children. It is moments like these that I need in order to keep me doing my job and having faith in our youth. Plus, they make for great dinner conversation. ;)

Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas

Goobz, Dylan and I spent Labor Day weekend hiking in the Guadalupe Mtns. of West Texas. 8.4 mile Guadalupe Peak Trail in just over 3 hours. 4.2 mile Devils Hall Trail with the Goobz. 

 Snuggling in the car with Mommy. Moments like these make my life so sweet!!! 

First views of El Capitan and Guadalupe Peak

Awesome 7 am view of El Capitan on our way to the top... 

Guadalupe Peak, highest point in TX. Dedicated my hike to Gma Guadalupe Day. Sure miss her... 

 Goobz went with us for the 2nd hike of the day to a place called Devils Hall. He also walked the entire time without a leash and did not veer off path or get himself in trouble once! Dylan and I were so so proud of this little guy. :) 

 Native West Texas Medrone Tree

 Entering Devils Hall

Eating lunch, resting and exploring

After 2 1/2 miles over rocks, desert and mountain terrain, Goobz said "I'm done." We alternated carrying him in the backpack and on our shoulders for the rest of the hike. What a trooper though!!