Beachy Keen Jelly Bean

For our new bedroom Jarrod and I (read: I suggested it and like a good husband Jarrod agreed) decided to go with a "beach" theme.  Not like a actual beach scene persea, but more of how you might feel if you lived in a beach house on the cape or such.  It's very difficult to achieve this with a rust colored wall and no white wooden furniture, but the effort is there.

This weekend I decided to add a few things to spruce the bedroom up more before Jarrod comes to visit.  I purchases burlap for drapes and a see-through fabric for the ceiling to make it feel more homey.  Thanks to my handy dandy staple gun I was able to hang all the fabric with minimal hardware, aka none, and I think it doesn't look half bad... could be better, but not bad...

I wish the ceiling fan was further back so I could do another low dip with the fabric, but alas it is not my place and when I own my own home I can put the fan wherever I want!



















I then went to a store called Hobby Lobby, which is a mega crafting store.  I wanted some art work to hang up as well as supplies to create some art.  Perhaps I watch a little too much HGTV but I figured I could make something rather than purchase pre-made stuff.  I didn't want anything toooo obvious, like a picture of white sand and the blue ocean, so I settled on a trilogy of waves.  I then bought canvas, some sea shells and some paint to go for a more modern piece.  They're kinda small for the wall, but it's a start.

We're hoping to not be in this apartment very long (for a multitude of reasons, some of which I've listed in previous posts) so I don't think I'll do much else to the room.  For now it seems pretty relaxing and beachy... if you don't count the gianormous dog crate on the corner :)

To continue my craftiness I am going to take on a quilt... stay tuned for how that project turns out!

Hello Whirlwind Called School

I know it has been a while since I wrote last but school has begun and it has been extremely busy on many fronts.  I will try to touch base on a few things, but I apologize ahead of time if I leave something out... feel free to ask follow up questions if needed :)

DOG: Ok so as many know I have had some really hard times with our new pup Portland.  We wanted desperately to keep him in the kitchen all day while I was away at school so as to have more space but still being contained.  Due to his wonder dog traits this plan was not working and so I had to break down and buy a crate :(  I did not want to do this, however with the trusty support of my facebook friends and family I went to Pet Smart and found one... on sale!  I was able to buy a bigger one for the price of the medium sized one so that made me feel better about him being detained.  The first day I left him in his crate I was certain I would find Houdini in the living room when I got home.  True it's form, the crate kept him inside all day and he seemed quite ok about it! Thank goodness!

SCHOOL:  School with students began on Monday and it has been a crazy tornado of reading, planning, teaching and coaching, with the days flying by.  I am teaching 4 sections of World Geography, 1 section of World History and 2 "sections" of Cross Country.  It's really nice that we coach during the day so there is nothing extra once school is over by 4pm.  We do meet at 6:30 am for the xc team to get a run in while it's "cooler", which needless to say has been tough in terms of getting enough sleep to stay energized through the school day.  So far my classes seem ok, mostly freshmen, with one class of sophomores, but really it's just getting used to them all being so tall!  Man do they grow from middle school to high school!!!  My one gripe at this point, at least the one worth typing about, is that I don't have my own classroom.  It would be great to have a place to meet the xc team when needed, and to have a place I feel settled.  However on the flip side I do really enjoy having other new teachers around in our floaters office, so it's not horrible.

COACHING: I am coaching cross country right now as I mentioned above and so far it's pretty great.  Most of the girls are really dedicated and that's nice to see when you're dragging your butt out of bed at 5:30 for them.  We also have track girls during the day when we meet for "XC Class" and that gets tough because they're not really in the training mode yet since their season technically starts in the spring.  So we have a lot of girls who do not really want to be there when we meet, but the ones that do work really hard and it's nice to see.  I've been running with many of the girls on their daily runs and it's been great to get a work out in before school.  The only problem is that the coaching office's shower does not have hot water!!! Luckily I'm at about 100* when Im done running and I can't even tell :)

JARROD: Jarrod has an interview!!!  It's very exciting because there are actually 2 of the same positions that need to be filled and so far Jarrod is the only one (he thinks) that is being interviewed.  The chances seem pretty good.  The only down side is it's not the greatest job in the world.  It's shift work that does not pay well.  He'd have a crazy schedule and we'd barely see each other, but at least he'd be HERE.  Once he's living here it will be much easier to find the right job.

At this point that's really all my life entails... somewhat sad I know, but busy is a good place to be when you're alone... Hopefully not for long!!!

They should have called him Houdini...

Apparently Jarrod and I chose the one dog at the pound who is amazing in all senses of the word.  He is amazingly cute, as you can see...

He is an amazing snuggler!  All I have to do is get down on the floor and sit and he is on map lap in .2 seconds.  Which is impressive for a dog that passed lap size awhile ago.  He is amazingly smart.  He does very well at sitting, staying, walking, jogging, and coming when called.  He also knows very well when he has done something wrong, even before I say something.  He gives lots of kisses and even makes it a point to lick my legs dry when I get out of the shower (TMI?) However..... He is also amazing at doing things he shouldn't!

Like most young dogs, Portland is either teething or just loves to chew... Everything!  When we first got him we had a wooden baby gate to keep him in the kitchen.  He chewed on that most days and so I put apple bitter on it.  Stilled chewed.... So I bought hot sauce.  No dog like hot sauce, right?!  Again, our dog is amazing...he likes hot sauce!!!  And so the chewing of the wooden gate continued until one day I came home to Portland sitting on the couch, the gate busted and chewed to bits and remnants of hot sauce wood all over the kitchen! OY!

We now have a metal gate...which though he is amazing, he can not chew through it!  HOWEVER... he apparently can jump over it!!!  I recently came home to a dog laying in his bed rather than in the kitchen and yet the gate was still closed tight!? This gate is 3 feet off the ground... HOW DID HE DO IT?!  He was in big trouble that day, even though part of me wanted to shake his paw for his amazing athletic ability.  That day he also chewed molding, drywall and rubber.... another OY.  

Jarrod found this product online called Phooey.  I bought it and sprayed it on everything he began chewing on and so far so good.  This stuff is nasty!  I have to cover my own face when I spray so that it doesn't stick to my lips for days.  I hope this is the solution we have been searching for.  Now we just need to deal with the hurdler we adopted.... Puppy Olympics?! He'd be amazing for sure.... :)

It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

As odd as it sounds, being only 88* outside today feels really nice!  Anywhere else I've lived that would be an absurd statement, but here it makes sense.  After taking the dog for a stroll (and by stroll I mean a constant fight between pulling dog and "training" human) I put Portland away with a kiss and a pig ear and went for an errands walk myself.  I thought I would introduce you (and by you I mean blog land and followers) to where we live in Houston:

This is the courtyard area of our apartment complex... Be glad there is no such thing as smell-o-vision because you'd gag a little at the smell of how many dogs live here and are not cleaned up after.  Other than the smell though, it is really nice to have some green space!

Not sure if you can tell, but the top of my foot is really swollen because I was bitten by a fire ant.  NOT FUN!

Not sure why is rotated funny... but this is our parking spot.  Why are we parked so far back, you ask? The tree you see there is home to many a feather friend and they enjoy relieving themselves on the roof of my car if I park close enough to their tree.  So I park further back...

This is a very hip seafood/Mexican restaurant across the street from our building.  It appears to be a very popular place with many a Mercedes and Porches parked in it's lot.  My only complaint about it is that they insist on blasting music almost every day of the week until about 12:30 am... even when no one is out on their patio.  Weird!

This is the street we live on... not certain on grass stains got up there...

Montrose Boulevard is very close to our apartment.  This is a major road in this area of town and has a lot of restaurants and such on it.  I also like how the city informs you when a major road is coming up. It's very helpful to those of us who just moved here and have a hard time knowing where we are!

Can you see the lizard?!  I've seen several of these little guys running around.  Just glad they're this small...

This is the coffee shop around the corner from us.  I am really happy it's there, because it helps me feel more urban when I can walk to a coffee shop!  Not certain if they are the BEST but it is pretty good coffee.  I have seen people hanging out here at all hours of the day, which is cool to know it can be a hang out spot anytime :)

Sadly when some people down here have asked where I am from, this is what they think I've meant.  "No not Main st... the state of Maine..." this is than followed by a glazed over look or a "ohhhh, cool..." haha

So far my experience has been that southern car washes are no where near as good as northern car washes.  Perhaps I am bias... and missing the ones I used to get for free :)

About 1.5 ish miles up the road from our apartment is the Museum district of Houston.  Not a bad distance at all!  The closest museums are the museum of fine arts and the museum of natural science.  There is also a health museum, a children's museum and a museum of contemporary art.  There are a lot of little ones as well, so I am pretty excited to have all of these to explore eventually.

This area is full of restaurants and bars and is only about a 10min walk from our place.  I haven't explored them yet, mostly because I am not a huge fan of eating out on my own, but I am eager for sure!

It's amazing how a library card can make you feel settled :)  I got my library card today, and though our local branch is not uber impressive, it's still nice to have one within walking distance!

A genius idea! A coffee shop/bakery next door to the library!  This little strip of food places is so quaint and covered in ivy... Love it!

This is next to the library as well.  I have heard many good things about it so Im excited to try their food :)

(Again sorry for the rotation issues) Oh you thought we moved to Texas?  No we moved to London... HA I WISH!!!

We are a less than 5 min walk to the University of St. Thomas.  It will be interesting to see how the atmosphere of this area changes when school begins again....

#23... That's us!














Thanks for going on a walk with me today!  Hope you enjoyed :)

Park Your Dog in the Havvad Yad...

Today was our first time at an actual dog park and I think it's safe to say it was a big hit!  It was nice to finally have a park I could take Portland to where he couldn't fit through the fence (he can slide right between the fencing that surrounds our apartment complex), where he could run and meet new friends!  When we first got there he was all by himself, which worked out fine since there was much sniffing to be done...

Then we stretched our legs when we realized just how big this place was!

We explored all the areas and found most satisfying bathroom places :)

And finally! A new friend to meet and greet!  Her name was Kirby and she was a little older than Portland.  They played really well together and Kirby tried to show Portland how the whole fetch thing worked.  He was more satisfied with having her retrieve it and he just ran with her while she did.  Maybe he'll learn this trick sooner or later...

Alas, Portland was pooped after 30 mins... But we will definitely be going back soon :)

Re-Do

Alas the testing information was too good to be true.... In order to teach in Texas I will have to take 2 tests. One for 8-12 Social Studies and one for 8-12 Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities.... yeah I am not excited.  The problem with a very large state and a very large district is that nothing can be personal or user friendly because at some point, someone, somewhere made a stink and now everything has to be in hard to understand legal terms.  So, while online it appeared that I was all set.... When I received the actual letter informing me of potential tests, it was very clear that I had 2 tests I need to pass by March...Wooo.

The only good thing about this is that once I pass them ( I WILL...I hope...) I can apply for my standard certification which lasts 5 years and is only $77!  Granted there has already been much money spent on becoming a temporary teacher for this first year, but I am going to try to move on from that.  Just got to focus on these tests now so that I do not have to take them more than once.  At $120 a pop, once is the way to go!

So what is the lesson to this story?  Only move to states that accept the first set of tests you took to become a teacher... Why test again?! Oh Texas, you have yet to cease to amaze me!

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Though Jarrod and I discussed this last night, I am still not 100% positive that I was able to get off scott free and not take the Texas SS exam... Here's the page that explains examinations:

What are your thoughts blog world? Would you say it's safe to assume that Texas actually accepted all the hard work I put in in Maine and is not asking me to jump through hoops?!  If that is the case then I'd like to say Thank You to Texas's board of education people... You've made this transition that much easier with the fact that you acknowledged my hard work and the teacher I already am.  

If in fact I am reading this wrong...I HATE YOU TEXAS!!! 

haha let's hope that latter is not the case....

And They're Gone!

When we got Portland 2 weeks ago, we didn't realize until we signed him out that he had yet to be fixed.  He hadn't been at the pound long enough for them to get around to it and so even though we planned on getting a neutered pup, we just made the appointment to come back and do it later.  Well today was the day!  Mr. Uni-Ball himself (incase you've missed it, our pup only had one little guy hanging out) did a fabulous job and is now sleeping at my feet.  I feel horrible, but I know it's for the best and I would never want him to come home and say, "Mom, so there was this girl...."

Bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning.  I am sure he is starving also because there was no food or drink after 10pm last night.

A little awkward I know, but photographic proof that indeed he was Mr. Uni-Ball...

I am almost certain that Roosevelt's direct quote was, "Sucks to be you today!"

"I can't believe you're de-manning me..."

"I'm still gonna hold my head high though...Do what you must!"

Home...Tired...Drugged up and out of it...No more baby makers... He probably H's me right now :P

Kolache... WHAT?

Last summer when Jarrod and I were in Houston for a visit we noticed there were a lot of fast food places that sold Kolaches.  We had no idea what these were and so of course used our Iphones to look them up.  Here is what Wikipedia says they are:
Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče) is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits (including poppy seed, raspberry, and apricot) to cheeses and/or meats inside a bread roll. (wikipedia.com)


For whatever reason we did not try any last summer and so during my errands today I was determined to have me some Kolache.... 

Not the most amazing thing in the world, but I am glad I tried it!  It really was just the bun with a little cheese inside and a skinny sausage.  I guess this means I will have to try other companies to compare :)

New Family Dynamics...

For the time being, this is how we spend family time....

Thank you technology for allowing us to "See" each other....

2 Weeks and Counting

As of yesterday, Monday the 2nd, we (I, Amy) have been in Houston for 2 weeks.  There has been so much to see and do including about 5 days of new hire training for my new teaching job.  The first week Jarrod was here so we attempted to get things as settled as possible, while the 2nd week was really full of errands and training and a nice visit out to Tomball for the weekend.  While Houston will never hold a candle to the love of my life... New York (yes Jarrod is the love of my life in most other senses of the word) it does have some interesting features I am coming to enjoy.

Our first week here flew by in the blink of an eye.  We made several trips to IKEA, adopted a puppy, walked around many blocks and enjoyed PF Changs for the first time.  We lived out of boxes and bags for most of the week because getting out into the city seemed a little more important than unpacking and Jarrod and I both knew that I'd have plenty of time to unpack once he had left.  We tried to see as much as we could at night because the days are simply too hot to enjoy a stroll...anywhere!  All in all we did a lot of errands, a lot of walking the pup, and a lot of ignoring the fact that Jarrod was heading back to Maine very soon.

My second week here has been tough to say the least.  Jarrod left on Monday, which was nice because he was suppose to leave Sunday but his plane was delayed so much they had to bump everything to Monday.  It has been very surreal to have Jarrod gone.  I would never recommend to anyone to get married, spend about 3 weeks together and then separate for what could potentially be several months.  Tough, tough, tough!  Jarrod is doing everything he can to get down here, including checking into temping agencies, but everyday seems to drag on knowing it will be awhile until our little family is whole again.

On the plus side I have had a ton of training to keep me busy!  I believe it's been about 5 days total, including a Saturday :P  Houston's Independent School District, or HISD, is very particular about how they're employees are trained and I have learned some new things as well as listened to some old news.  Plus and minuses aside, I am looking forward to starting the school year with mostly freshmen and working with several athletic teams.  I am not looking forward to the 6:30am daily cross country runs....but it will be a good refreshing start to my day to say the least!

I wish I had more photos of our new neighborhood or things I've done, but carrying a camera has been the last thing on my mind.  We are in a pretty good area known as Montrose (or 4th Ward as it used to be called I believe) and there are lots of restaurants and shops near by.  The University of St. Thomas is about a 2 min walk from our apartment and most of the major museums are about a 15-20 minute walk(depending on how hot it is...).  There is an awesome art supply store as well as a strip mall that includes not only a Marshalls with a Home Goods inside of it, but a TJ Maxx as well!  It's like I've died and gone to bargain shopping heaven!

We definitely like the area we're in, but we are already looking to switch apartments and we're glad we only signed a 6 month lease.  It was great to have a place to show up to when we arrived in Houston (Thanks to Amanda and Drew!!) but each day I realize that complex living really is not for me.  I greatly dislike when other people do not clean up after their dogs, especially with the way the heat allows for smells to... grow, shall we say.  The locks on the door also sketch me out and being a lone, something more secure would be nice.  I do have to say that one nice thing about this apartment is that not all the walls are white.  Makes it less obvious that I haven't hung anything on them.

All in all the transition to Houston has been rocky... up and down, with extremes of both.  I just keep reminding myself that things will get better once Jarrod arrives and we never have to live somewhere for the rest of our lives.  This is the current adventure, and it's best to enjoy it while it lasts :)

Meet the Newest Member of the Manzer-DiTommaso Clan :)

As discussed on one of our wedding blogs, Jarrod and I have been talking for some time about getting a dog.  We both grew up with dogs and both still love their company so we thought it would be the right time once we got down to Texas.  Originally we wanted a puppy to ensure that they were trained and let's be honest... CUTE!  As with many things in life we soon came to realize that perhaps our original plan would not work.  As cute as a puppy would be, it would not be practical at all.  Jarrod was leaving after a week in Texas and I was starting a week full of training.  Once I was by myself I would be at school for a long time each day and puppy walkers are expensive not to mention some one nerve racking in a new place.  Even with all these hang up however we were determined to find a furry friend.

We decided to go to BARC (Houston's pound basically) and see what they had for dogs in the 7 months to 1 year range.  We still wanted a somewhat younger pup, but perhaps one that was old enough to hold it for more than 5 minutes :)  We arrived at BARC and walked through the 5 rooms of cages they had.  We ended up with 7 dogs we liked the looks of and were fortunate enough to play with each of them in order to make our decision.  Some were a little too young and CRAZY and one was way too passive to live with our cat Roosevelt.  The 2nd to last one we played with seemed to be just right.  Some energy, but more interested in sticking close and licking my toes... kinda gross, but very helpful with how much you can wear flip flops here.  He was 9 months old so we thought he'd be a little bit better at staying at home.

While our new pup got a bath we completed the paperwork and waited for him to be brought out front.  We were so excited when he turned the corner to come into the lobby!  He was so excited with his crazy wagging tale we couldn't help but laugh and grin from ear to ear.  Here are photos of how the first day went and some fun times that ensued :)

He was really excited to leave BARC... Though he was a little uncertain about which car was his so he ran in circles for a while.

He clearly was fine once we got in the car and looks like he's pretty comfy on his first ride with us.  He did really great!

When we got him home we learned that he did not enjoy stairs (we live on the 2nd floor) or going through doors (we have a door into our apartment...)  It was very strange to see a dog not want to go through a doorway.  Though I am happy to say that he has gotten over both fears, thank goodness!

First night home and he really love our new rug from IKEA.  It took us ALLLL night to come up with a name.  We thought of every Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Gaelic god we could and yet nothing fit.  Finally one of us said Portland and we both agreed it was the best fit :)

The next weekend we took Portland to Herman park to walk and smell... and smell he did!  It was really warm so we wanted to introduce him to water....

He was not a big fan of water to say the least.  I think Jarrod got more wet than Portland did!  All in good time I suppose.

Every day he is getting better and better at riding in the car :)

Love his new bed from IKEA... maybe even more than the rug!

Of course the honeymoon period had to end some time... Pups like to chew things and he found my laptop charger... ahhh pups! :)