I have received so many good wishes from people in person, over the phone, and over facebook.  I am so thankful for all of the people in my life who have taken the time to wish me well on another successful 25th year of life.

I tend to be a reflective person during times like these, and I can’t help but really appreciate all that has happened these past 365 days.  My coworker BD even commented this week that I have “come a long way” since this time last year.  Boy, is she right.  Things tend to work themselves out over the course of time and over my last (gasp!) 34 years of life I have never really followed a direct route on the journey of life.  College, the seminary, law enforcement, back to education, back to religious life…everything certainly has a reason for happening….cliche time!  I suppose my life has never followed any logical progression and I am so happy that is the case – I would most definitely not have the perspective I hold today had I not traversed an alternative path.

Relationships gained and lost.  Jobs begun and homes bought and sold.  I would not undo it for the world, pain included.  I have so much to be thankful for on my birthday.  This morning, LC woke me with the tune of “Happy Birthday” and presented me with a slew of gifts.  Later today I am going to the Kennedy Center to see him perform in his first concert of the year.  Afterward we have dinner reservations a La Perla in Georgetown.  It is going to be a nice day complete with awesome weather!  Tomorrow, he and I are both taking off from work and he is treating me to a spa treatment with an 80 minute massage to start.  Let the pampering begin!

Today I am very thankful for the gift of life and all the blessings it has brought me.

So, a day of surprises…let’s see how it goes!  I am so excited!

First, it has been a while since I taught 5 classes through the day in addition to doing the principal-ish things I have to do during the day.  When I was a principal in NY, I taught 1 class a day which was a Middle School Spanish class and that was sometimes tough with the unscheduled events that fill a principal’s day.  But this P.E. time was refreshing in that I had a wonderful time with the students.

We began each class with a jog from the school, around the block, and to the recreation center we use for P.E. and recess activities.  A few calisthenics and each class was ready to play.  Younger students were treated to a series of relay races (get tired! get tired! get tired!) and the older students absolutely LOVED kickball.  Yes, a good old fashioned game of kickball.

We jogged back after class and went back into the school for the rest of the day.  It was a success…and I was able to get some administrative work done, including lunch supervision, through the day.  I was exhausted at the end of the day, but feeling as if I got two major things accomplished:  allowing my teachers to have a planning period, and getting a workout in during the day so I did not have to go to the gym after work!

But, Rehoboth…yea, it’s all about me.  Can’t wait!!  This will actually be the first time I will be there, the closest was last year when the principals spent a few days in Bethany Beach, a neighboring town.

Have I mentioned that I can’t wait?!?

The weather is nice and the sun is shining – actually, the shining sun is calling my name.  It was one week ago today that LC and I were in West Virginia whitewater rafting.  This photo brings back memories…it was the photo LC took of me right before we boarded the bus to head over to the rapids.  I had no idea what to expect since the last rapids I took on in New Mexico back in 2001 were class 3 and 4…but these rapids last week were class 4 and 5, some of the most intense rapids since class 6 rapids are impassable.  We had a blast and you can see more photos from our adventure posted on my Flickr page.

The following morning, as sore as we were, was not a day of rest even though it was the Sabbath, after all!  Instead, we took part in a 6-hour whitewater rafting journey through class 4 and 5 waves.  If you don’t know what that means, well let me explain.  According to the International Scale of River Difficulty, Class 4 waves are: long rapids; waves high, irregular; dangerous rocks; boiling eddies; best passages difficult to scout; scouting mandatory first time; powerful and precise maneuvering required. Demands expert boatman and excellent boat and good quality equipment.  Class 5 waves are: exceedingly difficult, long and violent rapids, following each other almost without interruption; riverbed extremely obstructed; big drops; violent current; very steep gradient; close study essential but often difficult. Requires best person, boat, and outfit suited to the situation. All possible precautions must be taken.

LC was thrown out of the boat twice and had to be “rescued” where we basically meet him at the end of the rapid where the water is calmer and he ends up floating, trying to stay above the water and away from sharp rocks under the current.  We grab him and pull him back into the boat and paddle to the next rapid.  It was a blast!  Yours truly did not get thrown over…I had done this once before in New Mexico and fell in love with wahitewater then.  It took LC to get me back out on the rapids and it was a tremendously exciting day!

We had 7 people total in the 14-foot raft, including our rafting guide.  The rest of the boat were good ol’ boys from North Carolina, and we were all about the same ages which made it fun.  More photos from LC’s waterproof camera are coming soon!  Here I am mountain biking…

Bravo announced this week that it will bring its “Real Housewives” program to Washington and is hard at work “scouting the D.C. area to identify the city’s alluring and discriminating residents … women who have their pulse on the most important cultural events, political galas, gallery openings and fundraisers in Washington society.”

The weather was very cooperative, not too sunny and not too humid.  It did not rain and the water level was high enough to create a nice current that LC and I enjoyed without too much paddling…although we did have to do our fair share of arm work and maneuvering around rocks and trees that popped up in our path – that was the fun part!

There were 16 of us, plus a guide.  By the end of the journey, especially during the tasting, we all got to know one another fairly well.  LC and I were the only same-sex couple there but no one seemed to mind.  In fact, they gave LC the nickname “appetizer” because he was ALWAYS eating.  We packed a hearty lunch that he most definitely enjoyed while I handled the paddling…it was quite comical.  I left without a nickname, so that’s a good thing!

During the tasting we enjoyed six different wines and then was able to choose one of those six for a full glass.  We developed a really good rapport with our winery rep that the tastings were generous and the “one” glass we were privileged to have ended up being two…or three for some of us! 

After this long day adventure, LC and I made a stop at an historic restaurant in downtown Leesburg for dinner and it was such a lovely night together!  He had the swordfish and I ordered the lamb shank and for dinner we shared a scoop of ice cream.  We ate outside on the patio next to the fountain and it was just so enjoyable – and we talked nonstop the entire dinner.  I felt like we were on our first date, there were so many things we were sharing with one another.  Truly, a memorable weekend!

The Real Housewives of New Jersey.  Gotta love it – simply fabulous.  But I have one question: Why was I not invited to join the show?  Well, when I asked that at work today a colleague reminded me that I am not a housewife…yet.  She placed the emphasis on the word ‘yet.’

But, come on!  Watching this show made me homesick and reminded me of what it is like to live in a New Jersey Italian family.  Seriously, I know some people like the families portrayed on the show and I could not stop laughing because some may think that the show’s portrayal is only a caricature but there is lots of reality in this reality TV show.  Are you addicted yet after only watching one episode?  The show will regularly air every Tuesday night so now I have something to look forward to once American Idol is finished for the season.