Hello grown up job!

I have determined that I am somehow becoming old at 23.  Because the most exciting thing in my life right now is that I have a job that is SALARIED and has BENEFITS like VISION INSURANCE and a PENSION!!!  And I have to make the difficult decision as to whether or not to join the union.  What I am most excited for, honest to goodness, is to not be subbing any longer.  Yes.  I've never been *normal* so I suppose my excitement over the mundane is to be expected.  

One other wonderful, wonderful part of this job is connecting with nerds like myself.  I am at the school where I was a long term sub last year so I know a lot of the people I am working with and know the music nerds.  I kind of miss being a music teacher so I have an excuse to pose questions like "Who was the bigger jerk:  Shoenberg or Wagner?" and "Handel: Do we call him a German, English, or Italian composer?" and "Drumline: Worst thing to ever happen to marching bands, even after almost 11(!?) years?"  I still get to have conversations like that at times, but instead of teaching music... J'enseigne le français (I teach French).  

The nerdy conversations do not stop though.  Oh far from.  Because, madams et monsiers, I have met fellow Doctor Who nerds.  WHOVIANS OF THE WORLD UNITE!!!

*ahem*  

I honestly can't remember if I have blogged about my obsession with Doctor Who but I love it.  The Doctor is my dream man.  I'm waiting for the TARDIS to be outside my window to take me off to see the universe, the big scary universe.  Yesterday, I had what was possibly the nerdiest conversation ever with another teacher in the main office.  We were discussing theories about one of the Doctor's companions and the upcoming season and all kinds of other theories about the show.  She and her husband are both Whovians, as is one of the teachers I spent a lot of time with last year.  The next casual day, I fully intend to wear one of my Who tee shirts so I can smoke out any other Whovians.  And we will rule the school.  

Okay, nerd rant done.  Peace!

The best advice

I have been given a lot of advice through the years.  Some of it I have followed and some of it I haven't.  There are nuggets of wisdom I wish I hadn't ignored and other little pieces of "sage advice" I wish I had never listened to.  That being said, I think the most important thing that has been instilled in me is that you should dedicate your time and "play" money to things that you love.  I'm not saying that you can ignore your responsibilities and financial obligations in favor of spending all your time and money on your hobbies, to be certain, but life is too short to do things you hate just because you think you're supposed to do them.  So what kind of things do I love?  

Well, I love to sing.  So music takes up a lot of my free time.  I love to create.  I have spent a lot of time and money on sewing and crafting.  I also love spending time with friends and going on adventures.  Case in point:  this weekend I went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire with a group of friends and had an absolute BLAST.  So much fun.  I am one of THOSE people at the faire.  The ones in costume who run around with a lot of other people in costume.  When my friend Matt is there in his full knight get up, it gets even more awesome because half of the people there are convinced that with a band of costumed groupies as large as ours, we have to be part of the staff, right?  If only they knew... 

I was AWOL for most of last week because when I wasn't working, I was working on costume stuff for myself, Jackie, and Aaron so we could be the most awesomely awesome people there.  Seriously.  We rocked it.  

Look at us being all awesome and stuff!

That being said, I learned something important at the Faire:  my well made, steel boned bodice is not made for someone who is 5'2".  How do I know this?  Those steel bones that make me look oh-so-svelte in that image were stabbing me in the arm pit all flipping day and cut off the circulation to my arms at one point.  I must have worn it pulled farther down over my hips last time because Saturday I thought I was going to have blisters in my armpits.  Which is more than you wanted to know.  But I looked awesome.  So my next major-major sewing project will likely be a custom corset scaled properly for someone of my height.  And also reversible.  

Jackie and I capped off our journey to the past by staying over in a hotel in King of Prussia with the LOUDEST FLIPPING AIR CONDITIONER ON THE PLANET.  It was like a truck driving through our room every half an hour, waking us both up.  Oh well.  Breakfast, while delicious, was also populated by way too many children at the waffle maker, and consumed on a sticky table after a couple stole the table I had reserved by placing my coffee on it.  Apparently this was ineffectual.  Oh well.  

The shopping senses of most women were probably activated by the "King of Prussia" mention there.  Yes, the same place as the mall.  Yes, we went shopping.  I learned that in the year since I have been to KOP, both the H&M and the Forever21 have greatly expanded.  I also learned that my friend Aaron has killer fashion sense.  It was scary have a straight man go "yes, that would look great" and "no, you'll look really old in that.  Don't do it" and be right. EVERY. SINGLE.  TIME.  Like the dress HERE.  I tried one on very similar.  Aaron said "No.  That will make you look like a middle aged soccer mom.  Don't do it."  ...To say how I looked in that dress would be an insult to all soccer moms out there.  It was bad.  He was also right about a top I wasn't going to give the time of day.  It looked fantastic on me.  And he also told me flowers in my hair are a good look for me.  

Also involved in the weekend festivities was a trip to Godiva (YUM) and to IKEA where adventures were had.  I was exhausted upon arriving home last night.  Too much excitement in one day makes Caitlin a tired girl.  That being said, I wouldn't trade any of it, nor would I do a single thing differently (other than stay in a hotel that didn't have an extremely loud AC).  

This week marks the start of my new job which is both exciting and terrifying.  So sorry if I disappear again.  I promise, it's because I'm doing really cool stuff.

Blessings!

Puppy Love

A few months ago, I wrote a post about my dog.  I love that little dog like he were family because, quite honestly, he is part of our family.  Or more accurately I should say was.  Last Wednesday, we had Fonzie put to sleep.  

He was fourteen years old and has been happy and active for most of his life.  He has had terrible pooping problems though and when I took him to the vet earlier in the summer, we learned that he had a mass on his prostate that was cutting off his bowel and causing all of his pooping issues.  It seemed really dire at first, and in a lot of ways it was but he still seemed happy, though perhaps a little more stinky.  

He was all our dog, my parent's, mine, and my brother's.  We all loved him and none of us were ready to let go.  So as long as he was happy, we were happy with cleaning up after him.  But when he stopped eating and seemed to be lethargic and in physical pain, we knew.  Fonzie has always been a voracious eater, and while he has gotten pickier with age, when offer food he loves like cooked chicken or bacon or french fries, he would consume them as eagerly as ever.  Until this weekend when he stopped eating and threw up the very little he did manage to eat.  Not a good sign.  

We took him to the vet, hoping for some kind of alternative but knowing that was unlikely.  I think the vet knew as well, almost as soon as he saw Fonzie, who normally does his level best to get as far away from the vet as possible sitting docilely on a blanket atop the exam table.  After a time to say good bye to the little dog we loved so much, the vet gave him a shot and he breathed his last. 

I've been trying for more than a week to write this post, to explain what losing this dog has meant to me.  When a human dies, you write a list of their accomplishments and who they are leaving behind.  But what does a dog accomplish in his lifetime?  He didn't rescue people from burning buildings or bark at an intruder to wake us up.  He was just our family pet, and his job was to love us, which he did faithfully to his last.  

In his younger years, Fonzie was a great source of entertainment.  When he was excited, he would run around the first floor of the house, ears flapping and nails skittering, only to stop on a dime in front of you.  If you moved, he'd turn around and run the opposite direction.  This could go on for several minutes before Fonzie would either allow you to pet him or would decide he was tired of it and hop up on the couch.  

One of Fonzie's favorite toys was a good ol' tennis ball, though perhaps his game wasn't the most traditional.  He would bid you to throw the ball and then proceed to knock it under the sofa or other piece of furniture where he couldn't reach it on his own.  Then he would cry until you got it and threw it again, at which point he would repeat the whole process until either he or the human was tired of it.  

He loved to take walks... in theory.  Once you got more than about 100 yards from home, suddenly he had to rethink the whole idea.  He was also not a big fan of being in the car, unless we were going to the cottage.  Fonzie LOVED the cottage.  He would get super excited as soon as he realized we were driving into the neighborhood.  

Fonzie loved all of us.  In recent years, He has done the rounds between all of our beds at night, starting with my parents and visiting myself and my brother throughout the night.  I think he didn't want any of us to feel lonely.  When any of us were sick, Fonzie was always there playing nurse, including and especially when Mom has been sick and recovering from chemo.  

There are a thousand little ways he was loved us and we have loved him.  I would share all of them but I think that would take a novel.  I miss my little doggie and he will always be a sweet memory and a part of my life.  

Love and Peace,  

Fun Facts Fridays: Ten Celebrities I Have Crush On

And Channing Tatum is NOT on my list.  Seriously.  I am possibly the only woman on the planet who feels that way.  I swear I am straight though.  Maybe you'll agree when you see the list.  

1.  Jonathan Rhys Myers 

Source:  http://www.nndb.com/people/990/000101687/

Yum.  Total Eye candy.  Contrary to popular belief, my love does not stem from the Tudors.  No, I found him delicious in August Rush.  I hear he is a jerk in real life though.  So I will look from afar.  

2.  Patrick Dempsey

Source:  http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/patrick-dempsey/images/2363286/title/new-versace-ad-x-photo

I had a really hard time picking a photo.  They were all so yummy. So I chose the intense gaze of this Versace ad.  He seems like he would be a really nice, romantic guy in real life.  And the pictures of him with his kids are adorable.  

3.  Liam Hemsworth

Source:  http://thehollywoodtalk.com/liam-hemsworth-summary/

Oh Liam.  Why are you with Miley when you could be with me?  You are delicious and you seemed really sweet in the Last Song.  And I also have a lot of trouble separating you from your role as Gale.  

4.  Jonathan and Drew Scott

Source:  http://www.knoxville.com/news/2012/nov/20/terry-morrow-hgtv-grants-jonathan-and-drew-scott/

I know this is cheating but they are identical twins.  And super good looking.  And always seem so nice on TV.  And they do real estate investing and design houses.  Can you imagine anything better?  

5.  Gerard Butler

Source:  http://riduspic.blogspot.com/2011/09/gerard-butler-jpg.html

Look at those eyes.  LOOK AT THEM!!!!  So blue.  And don't forget about those Abs in 300.  Or, for the musician in me, his voice in Phantom of the Opera.  I even like him in the Ugly Truth.  Yes.

6.  Ryan Gosling

Source:  http://www.myfilmviews.com/2012/09/28/the-many-faces-of-ryan-gosling/

I feel like I would hardly be a woman if I didn't like Ryan Gosling.  I mean for gosh sakes, just watch the Notebook.  He probably isn't as sweet and sensitive in real life as he comes across on the screen and in the paparazzi photographs but still.  I can at least admire from afar.  

7.  David Tennant

Source:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/doctor-who/5129593/David-Tennant-cried-when-he-learnt-of-his-death-as-Dr-Who.html

Yum.  David will always be my favorite doctor.  In fact, I'm waiting to hear the TARDIS on my front lawn and I am fully convinced that David will open the door and invite me to explore the universe with him.  Aside from that, David Tennant seems like a nice guy.  He likes to interact with his young fans.  Oh, and he also seems a little crazy/dorky just like me.  

8.  Benedict Cumberbatch

Source:  http://www.3news.co.nz/Benedict-Cumberbatch-lends-voice-to-Friendly-Fires-album/tabid/418/articleID/275179/Default.aspx

I think I could listen to his voice all day.  And also stare into his eyes. And run my fingers through his hair.  But mostly I think I just want to stare at him.  

9.  David Boreanaz

Source:  http://www.smscs.com/photo/david_boreanaz_desktop_wallpapers.html

I can't decide which role I like him better in:  Angel or Agent Booth.  Probably Booth (from Bones in case you were wondering).  He seems like a big strong protector type.  

10.  Matthew McFayden

Source:  http://petiemariespost.blogspot.com/2012/02/top-ten-movie-couples-couple-4.html

Oprah once made a joke that she could listen to Sean Connery read the phone book.  I could DEFINITELY listen to Matthew McFayden read the phone book.  And those eyes.  Looking over the list, I seem to have a thing for dark haired guys with pretty eyes.  He is definitely no exception.  

So this is an extremely superficial list, in case you didn't notice.  Somehow I doubt any of these men are my soul mate (the majority are married already) but I can still look from afar, right?  I hope you enjoyed the eye candy.  'Til next time.