Drinking Problem

So we are already half way through March...let's check in to see how I am doing so far on my 2010 goals that I posted on January 1st.

1. make time to exercise --- NOPE
2. get my family on a healthier diet -- NOPE
3. finish my teaching license --- I'm student teaching right now
4. get a full-time teaching job --- NOPE
5. sorry, but this one's a secret --- NOT EVEN CLOSE

Wow...not looking to good for the Katester! I could make a bunch of excuses, but I won't. Instead, I have decided to tackle just ONE of those goals right now & boy is it a doozy. To be honest, I'm not even going to tackle the whole goal...just one aspect of the goal.

For those of you closest to me, you know about my drinking problem. I drink an absolutely insane amount of Diet Mountain Dew. I got hooked while I was making my long commute back and forth from Canton to Cleveland for over 2 years. I LOVE the stuff and can't start my day without it...but it doesn't end there. I don't just drink a can in the morning to kick-start my day. Nope. I drink 3 or 4 cans in the morning and then a few more during the day finishing up with a couple in the early evening (none right before bed...even I'm not that crazy). So, why do I tell you all this? Drum roll please................

I have decided to stop drinking pop.

Not cut back - but stop!!! No more Diet Mountain Dew (I almost can't type the words). So far, I've only been up a couple of hours and I am already completely dragging and crabby without my Dew. I have a feeling this is going to be rough...poor Bill!

So for those of you who may see or talk to me today - watch out - this isn't going to be pretty!

I know...I'm the worst blogger ever, right? Every day an idea pops into my head and I think - remember to blog about this tonight - and then the day gets away from me. If only there were a few more hours in the day.

Student teaching is going really well, but that's not really what today's blog is about. I decided to wear a knee length skirt today to school. The weather was nice and I was sick of wearing pants (that doesn't sound exactly right, but you know what I mean). I felt fairly sassy in my little outfit as I entered the school, but quickly realized that today was going to be filled with countless awestruck looks by little eyes. Just for the record, this doesn't bother me. I went through my day, answering questions from curious little minds, almost like a walking science exhibit.

Again, this doesn't really bother me...well, not too much anyway. Yes, there is a part of me that gets a little weary of being treated like a side-show. And of course, I would LOVE to have my old leg back. But, since my magic wand isn't working, that's not looking too likely. Here's the thing - in a lot of ways I prefer days when I am wearing shorts or a skirt. At least on those days people can see my leg and know why I am walking oddly. With one quick glance they say: "Oh, she has an artificial leg" (or as kids call it: a robot leg...that never gets old). In contrast, on days when the leg is covered, I actually feel more self-conscious because I know people are looking at me and wondering: why is she walking like that? What's wrong with her? On those days, I almost wish I had a tshirt that said: Fake leg. Get over it!

So today was pretty liberating. At least now everyone in the school knows why I walk so bizarrely and they can stop speculating. I will confess though that there is a part of me, the ornery part of me, that still has to suppress the urge to say: "shark attack" when people ask me - so,how did you lose your leg? What can I say...I'm rotten.