Good Fortunes

It is March, and winter is "almost gone", even though there wasn't really much of one this year. But I can say that after a rough January and February, I am ready for this month. And this month has already started out really well for me. Here is just a list of some of the good things going on:

1. It is Spring Break, and I leave tomorrow for a lovely long weekend with great friends in Northern Vermont... hitting the slopes in 50 degree weather, could be a fun ride

2. My Dad's latest scan turned out amazing so it is good times all around for the McGary family. We are totally thankful and hoping this is a sign of things to stay :)

3. I have found a new-found obsession for The Hunger Games. I read all of Book 2 yesterday, with slight breaks every hour or so for a drink, bathroom break, or to swap the laundry. I love getting into new series of books and glad all three books were out so I could read them back to back! Can't wait till next week for the movie!

4. Obviously it is March Madness, my Huskies got in, and I am pretty excited to get to play Kentucky in round 2. I am sure that we can keep up with them and show them which blue is better :)

5. Getting lots of Save The Dates in the mail... can't wait for the celebrations of some of my dearest friends!

There are plenty more... including new meals that went over well, some new clothes, good tax returns, and even more. Hopefully we all have something to be looking forward to this March. It is a great time of year, especially with this abnormally warm weather! Enjoy it!!!

The Emotional Rollercoaster

It is March 8th in Connecticut and it is warmer  here than it is in my hometown in North Carolina. What is wrong with his picture? I do love spring but I think I need a little more skiing this season before it is over. Luckily I will be hanging with some of my best buds next week at Stowe Mountain. I am pretty pumped... and C McG, that is where our beloved Von Trapp Family went when they came to the USA. There is a Lodge that is theirs, I should def. stay there :)

But either way, this month has started a rollercoaster of emotions. I am currently in my 3rd "Senioritis" of my Career. First high school, Undergrad, and now Graduate time. Everything else was intense.. student teaching, a packed summer of classes, but this semester I just cannot find the motivation I need. It does not help that I am currently loving the Hunger Games Series and am forcing myself to wait till Saturday to start book 2. Either way, this whole project and just weird schedule has me just wondering... "Where is my job??"

I know now what it is like to be a teacher and what it takes out of me, why make me wait another 5 months? One good thing though is how things can remind you about that though. Today when I was at my school for my project, it was the day before the Connecticut Mastery tests for my 7th and 8th graders. (Like the EOG's for my NC fellows) They were nervous, as my school does not usually do that well on them. 2 of my former students came up to me and we soo excited to see me and that it makes them feel better about their tests the next couple of days.

Teachers are there for their students 100% 24/7. Even though I am not there anymore, I am always thinking about my students. I thought of them that night saying "I hope they are all in bed and resting up before the long day ahead" and then that day during the day I was hoping and thinking about some of them that I know get really nervous about "formal assessments". That little push this week has helped me get over this slump I have found myself in.

My cohort and I needed this Spring Break we have this week. Between all our work on our studies and numerous applications and everything else, it is hard to enjoy this nice warm weather. For me, at least I know I have College Basketball right now. It keeps me excited, and "sane" at times. I can let our some anger, get pumped, get excited, jump up and down, and scream if I need to. My Huskies did not win the Big East Tournament this year, but I am confident they can make some noise in the NCAA tournament. It is just not fair that teams are leaving the Big East. Who would want to leave a conference that plays in MSG every year? It is amazing. But I guess it is not always about those things.

Hopefully my week off next week gets off to a good track. Good basketball seeds, good food, relaxation, then a good time in the mountains, and then a 4 year olds birthday party over the weekend. I do have a lot going well in my life. Even if I do not always feel happy and like everything is going my way, I am a lucky girl and it is a great spring day, so why not show it :)

It's the Most WONDERFUL time... of the YEAR :)

No, some of you might be thinking you are reading a post that was from Christmas. I am sorry to disappoint. There will be no Christmas trees or jingles right now... but the other great time of the year.

Well maybe if your last name isn't McGary you don't think so much my calendar says it is March which means....

AMAZING COLLEGE BASKETBALL!!!

I am so pumped, I know my boys UConn have had some rough times this season but I am feeling good going into this. I like our match-ups as a 9 seed better then a 10 seed so we will see.

My boy Lamb-Chops has got to come through for us... I know he can :)

I am ready to see this picture again.... and this year I WILL go to the Final Four if we make it..... no "maybe" from last year. I would have loved to have been there

But it all started, when I was young. Watching my favorite team ever.... Wake Forest... beat down on their long time rival UNC. By the man named Randolph Childress it was a game and shot that changed my life forever!

Hopefully Wake will get back to these days, I cannot wait to set my bracket and sit around and watch games 24/7. If you need me the rest of the month, find me on ESPN or CBS stations... have a great dance everyone :)

And don't forget to Set The Puppies!!!!!

Love my UConn Huskies

So even though we did not beat the 'Cuse this weekend, Huskies all around can appreciate the amazingness that is being a Husky!

Here is what being a UConn Student is all about...


U-C-O-N-N UCONN UCONN UCONN!!!

UConn Pride.... ALWAYS

Part of My Bucket List

Sooo... as a lot of you know I am super competitive. That might be putting it lightly. I take anything and everything more serious then it should be, especially sports and things that are already competitive in nature. But either way I have always wanted to be a part of the Amazing Race. I watch that show season after season wanting to show them all up. I have yet though to make my team debut to win the million dollars.

Yesterday though I saw a new alternative that is closer and I don't have to "try out" for. It is called the Great Urban Race.

Great Urban Race

This looks like an amazing mix of mind, body, and determination; with a little luck in there. I am really excited and I totally am going to do this. The one in Boston is on the day of my graduation so that will not work, but NYC is available. I had some peeps who I think would know the in's and out's of Boston but maybe I can read up about NYC before it begins.

Anyone want to join along? Teams of 2-4 and we can always have more then one team entered. I would love to make this a tradition and great practice for when I do make the Amazing Race. Oh if you didn't know, I am an Amazing Race Cozumel Winner and Record Holder for time. Yeah.. bring it Urban Race!

Expectations

Everyone has thoughts of what things should be like for them. It happens to everyone and about anything. I expect UConn to be better at Basketball this year then they are, I expect my last semester of Graduate school to be easier then they are, I expect the mountains I visit this winter to have a little more snow on them then they already do. Well we do not always get what we expect, but we can try to make the experiences as great as we can even if things do not meet our expectations. 

As 2012 continues on, a lot is to be expected with the new year. The main part being my new career and change in almost lifestyle. Gone are the days of leaving work and just being able to relax at night. Gone are the days of knowing exactly when the work day begins and ends. Maybe that is better, maybe it is nice to not have to worry about driving to work in the snow to get to a place that never closes even if it is a blizzard outside. Maybe it is nice to not worry about going into work on the weekends or holidays. Even with the positives and negatives of each choice, I expect to find myself in a new career that I love. 

But sadly there are always things that happen in our lives that are not expected. You might not expect it but it might be things that cause happiness in your life or it might cause sadness. In either instance, you have to roll with the punches in life. No one has a blueprint of how things will turn out for them, and it always seems to be the most inconvenient time for bad things to happen. I have had lots of friends and even myself have times that sad things happen to them. But times like this is when true character and heart comes out. I am sometimes in shock at how well some people have been able to handle and carry themselves in rough times. I know that it takes a lot for someone to still be positive when there seems to be nothing going right for them. If everyone could be this way when bad times roll around, this world might have a better ora to it then it already does. I am not saying that no one has reasons to be upset or frustrated at times, because we all need that release. I just think that everyone learns to handle things better in life and that people who still look for positives in their lives can be worth praising.

Expectations are good to have but if we lived our lives through what we expected, I think life would be a pretty dull place. Something to spice things up in life can actually be beneficial at times, keeps you on your toes. So next time something you weren't expecting happens, just take a deep breathe and just think, there is always bumps on the road, but we all make it through it. 

Anticipation

There are lots of things we look forward to. When we are younger, we look forward to days off of school, cartoons on Saturday morning, birthdays, holidays, etc. When you get older, sometimes all you want or look forward to is a day off from work, or an easier day at work. Lately though I had my anticipation of going to work. As you know, while I have been off for this year going back to school I have not worked really since I have been too busy. I have a new part time job now and I was actually looking forward to getting back into the work field. I have had jobs on and off since I was 15 so it seemed weird to just be laying around for days on end. I enjoy relaxing but sometimes you get the feeling as you are almost worthless without a job. I know some people do not choose to have that, but I am saying in my case that is how I felt.
Sometimes what you wait for does not always turn out to be everything you want. I love the month of February. There are a lot of things I look forward to. First of all the Super Bowl is always in February. Even though my loved Panthers have only been to one Super Bowl and lost I still enjoy watching it. I love sports, and watching the best game of the season especially with good friends and foods adds to the excitement to look forward to. But the game does not always turn out the way I want (This year it did thought :) ) Does that not mean you should look forward to something?
No!!! Everyone needs things they anticipate or look forward to. It is what makes Christmas so special for Kids. It is what makes vacations with family or loved ones amazing. It is what makes the weekends usually that much better then just another two days in the week. You feel like when you anticipate something that it is actually better then a normal day in your life. I am all about living everyday to its fullest and enjoying each day. But I cannot help but look forward to things in the future even though sometimes it is far away!
It once again goes to balance. You can have things you look forward to, but do not miss the opportunities that happen day in and day out. Many grand things happen to everyone every day and by just looking to the future you might let little things slip by. Don't let that happen to you! Get excited for new things in your future. But remember each day has gotten you to where you currently are, don't brush that off as nothing. It sure was something, and might have made more of an impact on peoples and things then you will ever know!