Five Friday Things: Clothes, Facebook, Email, Simplicity, and Plans

One. I love Pinterest and the ability to build my virtual closet at no actual cost to myself. Too bad I spend most of my time pinning outfits that are just not practical for Bangkok. If I lived in northern Thailand, I would be able to get away with some of these outfits. But, alas, I live in the tropic megalopolis, so all cozy outfits will have to remain on Pinterest. I'm currently loving this outfit...


These riding boots in black...



This necklace...


This bag... 


This versatile top... 


Two. Earlier this week, my Facebook notifications were up to something like 50+ after just three days of not logging in and I couldn't handle it. I have a love-hate relationship with Facebook as it is, but then seeing that made me want to run from the corner and not come out until all was back to normal. I finally put on my big girl pants and dealt with it but uffda.

Three. Along with my Facebook being out of control, my emails are currently out of control. I am working on switching over from Hotmail to Gmail (I know, shun me), but even within Gmail, my inboxes are insane. Part of getting a grip on life again is getting my inboxes under control. Yesterday, I was able to get my graduate school account under control. I am going to conquer my work email next. My personal email will just have to wait and continue to haunt me for the time being.

Four. I haven't been homesick per se as of late, but I have really been missing the simplicity of North Dakota. I daydream about driving my own car, about quickly running to the grocery store after work, about leisurely strolling around outside and not breaking into a fierce sweat. Yesterday I went to Home Pro, a glorified home improvement store, and found myself wishing I could go to Menard's and shop around for a project. Like I said, I'm not really homesick, but I am missing a more simple way of life.

Five. I am off to the beach this weekend! I'm also looking at tickets to Singapore and seeing how I really don't have many more free weekends until June! I can't believe how the spring has filled up already but I'm looking forward to everything to come!

A. Liz Adventures/Carolina Charm

Hello! Happiness/The Good Life Blog

The Farmer's Wife/September Farm

A Little Bit of Everything

Grace and Love/Momfessionals

2CBC Questions-- February

I'm just popping in today to share the questions for this month's book club selection, Me Before You. I'm excited to see what we all have to say about it next week!

(via)

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were hoping for or expecting? Why or why not?

2. What do you think the book title Me Before You means? Who is the me and who is the you?

3. "The thing about being catapulted into a whole new life-- or at least, shoved up so hard against someone else's life that you might as well have your face pressed against their window-- is that it forces you to rethink your idea of who you are. Or how you may seem to other people." Louisa Clark, Chapter 5 What do you think of Louisa? Was she a better person at the end of the novel? Why or why not?

4. Will gets a tattoo that reads "Best before 19 March 2007." Will lost a lot in his life but he also chose to leave a lot behind. Did you find anything about the way Will chose to live his life inspiring? Or did you find the way he chose to live is life more difficult to grasp and/or reconcile?

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book?

See you on Saturday, February 27 for our second meeting of the "Second Chance Book Club!"

Currently...

As I work to recover from the plague that infested my head this last week, I present you the current goings-on in my life.

Reading... Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs, Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand (for March's 2CBC!), Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, and, as always, all things graduate school!
Playing... catch up on life. Thank you, double ear infection and sinus infection.
Watching... Duck Dynasty.
Trying... to be more intentional with my time and my choices.
Cooking... not much of anything. But I think this egg roll in a bowl is on the menu for next week!
Eating... trail mix. Easy peasy breakfast!
Drinking... water. Water, water, and more water. I'm trying to flush this sickness out of my system!
Calling... myself crazy for all I need to get done right now.
Texting... Kelly. My sister. Amy. The usuals.
Pinning... Anything and everything. Specifically, my hypothetical closet and all things food.
Tweeting... I check Twitter multiple times each day, but it's mainly for news. I don't tweet much myself.
Going... to the beach this weekend. I'm looking forward to getting out of town!
Loving... that I have a decent routine in my weeks right now. I know that since I have now said this, life will now turn itself upside down, but I'm liking what I have right now.
Hating... being so far behind on grad school. I am legitimately ashamed of where I am right now.
Discovering... that I really should have shaved my legs last night. I am stretching things one day too far today.
Thinking... about what I need to pack for this weekend. So far on the list are my swimsuit, some shorts, and my iPad. I can make everything else work.
Feeling... tired. Being at work all day is exhausting. I really need to figure out how to fit 10 hours' worth of sleep into about 6 hours.
Hoping (for)... a productive evening. I'm heading to one of my favorite coffee shops to (hopefully!) go like a mad woman on grad school!
Listening (to)... the Rent soundtrack. Old habits die hard!
Celebrating... the end of my 28th birthday. I was good and sick on Monday so I didn't do anything, but this weekend will make up for things for sure. And a 30/30 update coming early next week!
Smelling... not much at all. I have been so stuffy as of late. But I did smell my soap this morning so that's a win!
Ordering... workout gear and books. Yay Amazon!
Thanking... the doctor for demands to not go on the service trip this week and to stay home and rest instead. I'm definitely sad to be missing out on this time with the kids but I am so grateful to have slow days and evenings to really rest and recuperate.
Considering... what my new budget is going to look like. I finally get my pay raise with my Master's degree at the end of this month and I am going to move some things around to make the most of it.
Starting... to think about running another half marathon by the end of the year. This summer will not be conducive to training, so I don't want to start something only to put it off for six weeks.
Finishing... grading annotated bibliographies. It is such a worthwhile assignment for students but such a pain in my behind to grade!

What are YOU up to currently?

The Second Chance Book Club, 2016

I suppose, now that we are a month and a half into this thing, it's about time I get things laid out for book club.

This year, Kelly and I branched out from just classical literature and are, instead, reading a variety of genres for a variety of ages. As was last year, the purpose of the 2C Book Club is to read more books. By having the responsibility of the book club to run, I feel much less guilty letting myself take time to read books that are not for school work and I hope you will be willing to do the same for yourself!

Here is the lineup for our 2016 Second Chance Book Club!

January: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

*Questions-- January 23

*Discussion-- January 30 February 1

February: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
*Questions-- February 18
*Discussion-- February 27

March: Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- March 26

April: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- April 30

May: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- May 28

June: The BFG by Roald Dahl
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- June 25

July: The Lost City of Z by David Grann
*Questions-- July 21
*Discussion-- July 30

August: Maus by Art Spiegelman
*Questions-- August 18
*Discussion-- August 27

September: Passing by Nella Larsen
*Questions-- September 15
*Discussion-- September 24

October: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- October 29

November: Bossypants by Tina Fey
*Questions-- TBD
*Discussion-- November 26

December: The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
*Questions-- December 22
*Discussion-- December 30

I have lead The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and will also lead Me Before You, The Lost City of Z, Maus, Passing, and The Paris Wife. Thus, Kelly will lead Seabiscuit, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Light Between Oceans, The BFG, Yes Please, and Bossypants.

Each month we will post a series of questions concerning the text we read. Feel free to answer all of the questions, some of the questions, or none of the questions (although that would make it difficult to participate) and join us each month, as you have time, or for just the title(s) that catch your fancy. Take our button, add it to your post, and link up with the month's host. If you don't have a blog, just leave your response in the comments.

When I imagine being part of a book club, I envision rolling out of bed on Saturday morning, throwing my hair on top of my head, putting on my coziest yet socially acceptable pants and a comfy top, and meeting up with some of my favorite ladies at a local coffee shop to talk about our book over our favorite drinks of choice. I'm looking forward to this little treat on the last Saturday of each month. Please join us! 

<a href="http://bedosaygo.blogspot.com/p/2c-book-club.html"><img src="http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m38/kentzel/Blog%20Buttons/AD426E09-AE10-402E-84C2-3CB3E5812DB7_zpseg9ste2h.jpg"></a>

A Brain Dump to Begin the Week

...This has been the longest two week stretch ever. It started with an inservice day two weeks ago and has since contained two basketball tournaments, two trips including a flight and a bus trip, as well as my normal loads of teaching and grad school. Part of the reason the two weeks have seemed so long is that I inherited the girls' basketball team with about 30 hours' notice and have been, all of the sudden, going full blast with them on top of everything else. I'm not even going to pretend to be on track with anything any more. I'm just straight up behind on it all.

...That being said, I have officially made my varsity coaching debut in basketball. I coached a tournament last weekend where we finished third and this past weekend we took fifth in another tournament. Funny story-- being good sports actually cost us a chance to play for the championship. We finished third in our pool after losing a tie breaker by 4 points (as in 2 baskets). We played two teams we could have blown out by 40 to 50 points. We actually held one of those to a complete shut out, 32 to 0. I am a firm believer that no game needs to be won by more than 20 points, maybe 30 points playing young players, so I took active measures to stop my team from being that bully team. Well, we shot ourselves in the foot the first game against our #1 pool team when we just did not show up to play and lost by 30 points. We then blew out the next two teams, including the shut out, and then putzed around and ended up tying with a team we would beat 7 times out of 10 any other day. We lost the tie breaker to the #2 seed because they put up 4 more points against opponents than we did. And we could have easily posted another 50 points if I had let my team and/or we had shown up to play. I have no regrets about not posting a bigger score or being beaten when we didn't earn the victory anyhow. But I am snarkily amused the #5 team in the tournament should have been at least the #2 team and possibly the champion (I think we'd go 50/50 with the top team if we played well) just because they were good sports. What's the lesson learned? Play hard in every game. Never be the bully. And always wash your hands after using the bathroom. That's just common sense.

...I wouldn't go as far as to say that I am home sick, but I have really been missing my family back in the States. I blame it on the chance to coach the varsity basketball team. It is something that I could actively share with them and they could be around to see. Rehashing the game through text is just not the same as sitting down to talk things through in person. And sharing about victories with a 13-hour time difference is just not the same because it's usually a good 8 or 9 hours before I hear back from anybody. But this is just a good chance to remember the opportunity I have been given to improve myself while investing in students' lives through a game I love. I am also being reminded of all of the people who have chosen to invest in me through basketball throughout the years and I continue to push myself to make them proud. Always pay it forward.

...We leave for our annual school service trip a week from today and I am looking forward to it. We will be going to serve some Karen people in western Thailand, literally within walking distance of the Thailand-Myanmar border. I enjoy the opportunity to work with students outside the walls of the classroom to complete meaningful work by their own hands and efforts. Some kids love it, some kids hate it, but all kids always walk away changed regardless.

...With everything going on, I am continually reminded to live with grace, truth, and perseverance because this is the only life I will be given and it is my real life. I keep reminding myself:

(via)

I know this is meant for parents, but my students are who God has given me to invest in right now so they "my children" for this season of life. And for most of these students, I will have them for only one year so I must make the most of the opportunity that has been given me.

Soli deo gloria.

Glory to God alone.

Second Chance Book Club, January: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks-- Rebecca Skloot

Hi. It’s me. And I’m 48 hours late. In my small defense, I ended up on an emergency-of-sorts work trip and at a hotel with extremely limited internet access. So limited that I could connect but not even Twitter would load. So I spent a weekend living in 1998 and falling behind in exactly everything in life. I’m finally 65% caught up on grad school, about -110% caught up on high school (I worked so hard today and still ended up farther behind than when I started), and I am counting myself 75% behind on blogging since I have three different posts bouncing around in my head and exactly zero written to completion.

All that to say, I’m sorry to get book club off to a late start this year. I know things don’t look so promising based on last year’s performance, but last week just ate. me. alive. That's all behind me now and I’m excited to finally get this show on the road and talk shop with you!

Look, I even have my iced Americano with me so you know this is legit. And don’t judge me for typing in Microsoft Word first. My computer is (was) failing to connect to the internet at the coffee shop but I will not be defeated. #Commitment #Whateverthecost So let's do this thing-- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

(via)

1. Did you like the book? Was it what you were expecting or hoping for? Why or why not? As I admitted before, I had pregamed this book a couple of years ago so I had a little idea of what I would be reading. However, what I didn’t realize was the two parallel story lines that would co-exist throughout the book. Overall, I appreciated the intertwining of the personal Lacks story with the scientific research and development so, yes, I did like the book. I found myself constantly thinking about how much I would love to use this book in my classroom, but my current school is too conservative for some of the content. The issues raised about medical ethics, healthcare, poverty, race, etc. would be fascinating to work through with high schoolers as many students are just starting to form their own opinions on such things at this stage of their lives and this book offers valuable insight into such a life-changing discovery that still affects us in so many ways today.

2. What did you think of the style of the book? Skloot wrote a nonfiction piece that read as a piece of narrative fiction. Did you like that? Why or why not? At this point in my life, I really appreciated the narrative tone of this book. I read so much academic nonfiction for my job and graduate school that I enjoyed getting lost in a book that read like fiction but was actually nonfiction. I just finished another book of the same style, Brain on Fire, and I highly recommend checking it out—I finished it in four days!

3. Of the two concurrent storylines in the book, did you find yourself favoring one over the other?Going into the book, I had no idea that the scientific research storyline even existed. Overall, I enjoyed the humanistic storyline of the Lacks more, but I really do appreciate the insight and development brought on by the more objective research. While I do not necessarily agree with the way Henrietta Lacks’ situation was handled, the research storyline helped me to see and understand how events were able to unfold as they did and why the doctors felt they were justified to act as they did. I found the Lacks family to be very deep and complex, even if they may not appear as such on the surface. Their issues of poverty and lacking education really gave life and reality to many issues Americans have faced in the past and some are still facing today, especially with the issues of Common Core and Obamacare at the forefront of our nation.

4. Who was your favorite character and/or to whom did you find yourself most attached? My favorite character had to be Henrietta’s daughter Deborah. As much as I attached to Henrietta at the beginning of the book, I found myself enjoying Deborah even more as the story unfolded. Her story is so deep and complex and truly reflects the situation of somebody who is poor and uneducated in life. Perhaps I was reading this too much from a teacher's perspective, but I found myself fascinated with all of the possibilities to help my students see life from somebody else's point of view-- especially since I work in a school with quite affluent families who will send their children to the top universities in the world. For these kids, a lack of education means having to attend a state school instead of a private college... not being unaware of what a cell is. Furthermore, I just loved Deborah's spirit and spunk. Maybe I identified with her after having walked along my dad on his own extensive journey to recovery, but I remember the feelings of wanting to do the best by him and understand as much as I was able in his complex medical journey.

5. What are your final reactions after reading the book? So many issues were raised and so many ideas were presented. How do you feel as you walk away from the book? I don't have any super strong reactions other than I am just very glad I read the book. I am grateful for the journey into somebody else's life and I feel convicted, once again, to recognize how blessed I really am. I am grateful for all of the advances in medical research, but they truly did come at a price. A few cells may not seem like much to some, but look at the snowball these few cells caused. I walked away from this book challenged and I think that's the best feeling to have.

I hope you enjoyed the book as well! Thank you for joining me this month!

PS-I look forward to sharing Me Before You by Jojo Moyes with you in February. Please come back on February 18 for the questions!