Playing the Lotto

In case you didn't already know this, there is no state Lotto in Nevada.  Go figure.  So what do we do when we really want to throw away $20 bucks on the minuscule chance that we could win the big money? We drive to California of course.

About 35 miles south of the Las Vegas city limit (55 miles for us way up in North Las Vegas) is tiny little Primm, NV.  There really is nothing there except for two casinos, an outlet mall, a roller coaster, and fast food.  It is immediately on the Nevada side of the California/Nevada border.  The casinos are mere feet from the border so that tourists headed to Las Vegas can get their gambling fix the second they hit Nevada.

But there is one special little building that sits just on the California side of the border (literally feet from the border) that allows all of us Las Vegas residents to get our Lotto fix.  It's called "Terrible's Lotto Store."

When K and I visited last Saturday at 10 am, the parking lot was full and the line inside was wound around the lobby like those lines at Disneyland that seem to go forever.  I would like to point out that while the sign says "Mini-Mart", it is probably the most mini of all mini-marts in history.  There is a small refrigerated section, one little shelf with chips and cookies, and a coffee machine.  The rest of the store is empty so that it can be filled with people lining up to the giant counter manned by multiple cashiers, and the rest of the lobby is filled with scratcher machines.

I find this building hilarious and just a little ridiculous.  If you're ever driving into Las Vegas, when you come to the Nevada border, look to the right really quickly and you'll see it.

The Green Monster

Things are moving along pretty smoothly with everything we need to get done before K deploys.  Mostly its been paperwork and appointments that K has to deal with, but a few nights ago, this big, smelly, green monster invaded my apartment:

(It really does stink... like boys and sweat and dirt.)

It's filled with the things that are meant to keep my husband safe in case the s**t hits the fan, if you know what I mean.  So obviously I made K put on everything so we could laugh and it would make me feel less scared about the fact that it's meant to save his life.

We also discovered that someone named "Larry" once had this helmet.  If it kept Larry safe, I'll expect it to do the same for K.

"Rant" from Lovin' the Little Things

{Today I wanted to share with you something that I find to be truly important to all of our futures... the fate of our education system.  The blog below was written by Katie from Lovin' the Little Things.  I went to high school with Katie and she is one of the most upbeat, happy, and genuinely kind people I have ever known.  She is brilliant and selfless, and I have been following her heartfelt journey to become a teacher on her blog.  She is currently a teacher in Northern California and her school, like hundreds of others around the country, is facing cuts.  Whether you agree with her words or not, we cannot deny the importance of our teachers and their need for proper resources to lead and teach our nation's future.  You can read her blog below, or find it here.}


RANT
Rhode Island just pink slipped ALL of their teachers.

Proposed budget cuts of millions of dollars are threatening school disctricts everywhere.

The school where I work may not be able to continue its art, drama, or music programs next year.

Wisconsin just passed a bill that eliminates collective bargaining for government employees, which means people like TEACHERS will have to pay more out of pocket for their healthcare and pensions.

Aside from feeling very angry/sad/depressed about all of this, I just don't understand it. I am aware that our nation is experiencing a huge economic downturn and that every state and the federal government need to tighten their budgets, but I do not understand why education bears the brunt of these cuts.

As we all know, education provides not only the services of childcare for children ages 3-18, but also critical skills like reading, writing, and math. In addition, school teaches kids socialization, behavior norms, intellectual curiosity, and life skills. The alternatives to good education are not good: prison, deliquency, dead end jobs. It is in the classroom where we help children to grow into productive members of society. So, simply from an economic standpoint, it makes sense to invest in education. When we invest in education, we keep kids out of prison, and we help them to become purchasing, producing, productive members of society.

It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to target education for budget cuts. If anything, spending for education should be increased because quality education benefits the entire society.

Not investing in quality teachers is the same as not investing in quality education. I have a Master's Degree in English and a bachelors in English and Spanish. My skills are varied and valuable. And yet, instead of working to attract me, schools are pushing people like me away. I don't need to make a fortune. Honestly. I put very little stock into material possessions, but I do want a secure job that will provide me reasonable compensation. I want to buy a home someday. Not a mansion, not millions, but financial security.

It's not that I think teachers are better or more valuable than other professions and therefore deserve exemption from budget tightening; I am of the belief that it takes us all and I am grateful for everyone from business owners and plumbers and financial analysts and physical therapists and mechanics and laywers and doctors and garbage men and so many more because each worker helps to keep our society running. It's that education takes resources. We need money to attract oustanding, qualified teachers. We need money for books. We need money for computers because they are the way of the present and the future and our students need to know how to use them. Without these things, we can't do our job.

And if we can't do our job, we risk the further deterioration of our society.

Because let's really face it. Education is so much more than English and Math and Science, especially in low-income schools. I don't just give my students grammar and writing and literature, I give them a way to think of themselves. As Beth says, we are planting the seeds for a better vision for their future and we are inviting them to surprise us.

My students each hold in them the potential to be great and part of my job is to expect this from them. To demand it. To show them how to unlock it.

Why don't people think that's worth paying for?

And please, if you are going to decrease my pay, increase my class sizes, and take away resources and extra curriculars, do not criticize me when test scores fall and standards aren't met. I may be teacher, parent, guidance counselor, babysitter, disciplinarian, cheerleader, but I am not God.

I realize I am preaching to the choir with all of this, but I just feel so upset about it all and I had to vent. How are you guys, my fellow teachers, and friends, feeling about all of this? Rant with me!

Look At What I Made!

On Friday night K went out for a guy's night, so I decided to have a little fun of my own.  I had been wanting to try another project on my sewing machine because I haven't had a chance to use it since making my mixer cover.  So when I found this project for a canvas tote bag on Purlbee.com, it seemed so easy I knew I had to try it.  I headed to the fabric store after work for all the necessary supplies and when I got home the living room became my own sewing workshop.  You can use the link above to see the instructions I used, but I've paraphrased their directions below.

The supplies:

1/2 yard of of canvas or other sturdy fabric

1 1/4 yard of webbing for handles

contrasting thread for inside of bag (blue)

matching thread (white)

sewing machine, scissors, ruler (or other measuring tool)

(I used the highlighter to mark where to cut the fabric)

Cut fabric into 2 rectangles measuring 16" long and 14" wide.  Make sure the pattern is going in the same direction on both rectangles.  Cut the webbing in half to make 2 handles.  On the patterned side of fabric, pin the handles 3" in from the sides.

Using the contrasting thread, sew a zig-zag pattern along the top of each rectangle, attaching the handles.  Make sure the stitching is close to the edge.  Handles will be pointing down.

Turn the fabric over so the wrong side is face-up.  Fold over the top edge 1.5".  Press the edge and pin the handle so that it is straight.  Handles will now be pointing upwards.

Using the matching thread, sew the folded edge down 1/4" from the top and 1/4" above the zig-zag stitch.  Your handle will now be attached and the top edge sewn down and finished.

To sew the bag together, pin the two pieces of fabric together with their patterned sides facing in.

Using the matching thread, sew along the sides and bottom about 1/2" from the raw edge.  Remember to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam.  Then cut off the bottom corners.

After you've cut off the bottom corners, use the contrasting thread to make a zig-zag stitch along the edges of the sides and bottom of the bag.  Make it as close to the edge as you can because this will keep the threads from fraying (see blue zig-zag stitch on right side of fabric).

Turn the bag inside out, press out the corners, and you're done!

These are the two bags I made (with my iPhone for scale).  The original directions on Purlbee.com call this the "Twenty-Minute Tote."  I can tell you that it took me about an hour and 20 minutes, but I am still a beginner.  More advanced sewers can probably finish this much faster, but considering how easy it was, it will probably just take some practice.  This was a really fun project, and now I have a great lunch bag that only cost about $8 to make!

I gave the blue/white one away to a friend, and I want to make some more.  Anybody else want a bag??

Nights Like These

A few nights ago I looked out our window to see the most amazing sky...

If you look closely, the Stratosphere is visible in the lower left.

It was just too beautiful not to share.

He's Leaving

Lately I have been obsessed with military wife blogs.  I spend my lunch breaks, evenings, and any extra minute I have reading other women (haven't found any military husband's out there in the blogosphere yet) discuss what it's like to be married to a man in the military.  Mostly their blogs are about regular life, because the military doesn't really interfere with your life... unless it is interfering with your life.  Our lives are (for the most part) normal except for when there is a deployment or change of station happening or about to happen.  And those two things aren't happening every day, so the military presence in our daily lives is fairly minimal.  Which leaves me only one reason to really devour their blogs... the dreaded D word: deployment.

I have been poring over their blogs looking for anything I can find about their husbands deploying.  Pre-deployment worries, worries during their deployment, homecoming worries, and getting back to normal life worries.  And I've found that most women seem to worry about the same things: What will I do while he's gone?  What will be different about daily life?  Will he be safe?  When will we get to talk?  These are questions that all cross my mind daily.  I worry about his safety and comfort.  I wonder how I will handle the additional responsibilities that are normally his, like making sure the bills are paid.  I think I'll be depressed.  I know I will become more independent.

And then there are the ridiculous things that make me sad, like when we see a movie trailer and get really excited to see it together, only to find out it comes out while he's gone... and I can't see it without him!  Or the fact that he's leaving so soon, I almost can't count the time in months anymore.  I'm going to have to start counting the time we have left in weeks.  And then I inevitably think about the fact that it will soon be a matter of days... then hours... and minutes we have left together.  And what about all of the goofy little things we do, like asking each other one random question every night?  Are we going to forget those little things?  Who will tell me to "Drive safe!" every morning when I leave the house?

Most of the other military wives' blogs that I've been reading express the same feelings pre-deployment: anxiety, sadness, nerves, and uncertainty.  The thing is, no matter how many questions I ask of other wives/girlfriends and no matter how many blogs I read, there's only so much I can do to prepare for the fact that my love is going to the other side of the world where an unpredictable war is happening.  I have so many questions, and all of them will be answered in time.  He just has to leave in order for me to get the answers.