Friday Photos- Tell me what you want, what you really, really want

A look back at the week, Monday thru Friday, through photos-

Note that this was last week- I am going on being a week behind. I was out of town for a few days starting on Friday. 

We had Monday off of school for President’s Day.  Alyssa and I enjoyed Chipotle carry out for lunch as a fun treat. I know that I have said this before-  I love Chipotle’s kids meals. For an adult who is not large, I think that a kids meal is plenty of food... Plus it costs less than a burrito or bowl and comes with an adorable small bag of chips (you could get fruit but... chips!) and a small soft drink (you could apple juice or milk but... pop!). 

When Alyssa chose to get Chipotle, I told her to keep in mind that I was making enchiladas for dinner. Alyssa said she still wanted Chipotle so we had it.

I knew I wanted to make enchiladas for dinner because I was making a meal to bring to a friend who was sick. It would be easy to make enchiladas for two families-  I had plenty of chicken to use for them and they are easy to make in a large batch. It’s more typical to bring soup to someone sick but I didn’t have a good container to transport the soup so I decided to make something that I could put in an aluminium pan and easily transport.

The enchiladas turned out good. It was a new recipe and normally I wouldn’t make something new to take to someone but I could tell by the ingredient list that I had little to worry about.

The recipe called for a verde salsa in the inside and a cream sauce for the outside which is why they are colorless. I added some chips and then a garden salad with dressing to round out the meal. I wish I was the kind of person who made meals often for friends who are sick. I certainly don’t do it every time a friend is ill. 

I subbed two days this week. The days were fine. One of the teachers for whom I subbed doesn’t appear to run a tight ship (that’s how I think of it) which makes subbing in rooms like that more challenging. The students got to choose their seats at the beginning of the year and, here’s the kicker, instead of sitting at traditional chairs with desk attached in rows, the classroom is set up with tables where four students sit. So not only could the students decide where to sit, they could be right across the table from their bestie to make it easy and enticing to chit chat instead of doing work. I heard lots of chatter about ‘who the new guy liked” (lots of buzz over the student), who else liked who else, who got dunked on in the basketball game, etc. I had to shut down numerous conversations that friends had with each other- I was cramping their social style that’s for sure… But the students were respectful after several reminders that it wasn’t social hour. And I got to see many of my students from when I did a long term sub job two years ago. “Do you remember when I was your student?” several of them asked me. AS IF I COULD FORGET!! I have seen them several times since I had them but I don’t see any of them regularly so a lot of them ask me each time that I see them if I remember them. 

The next day, I got to sub in a room with a sink (and soap!) in it which was exciting.  Now that may not seem like a normal thing to be excited about... but, when you hear kids with hacking coughs, see fingers inserted and rotated in noses and can just imagine other places those fingers may be without a proper washing after touching things, well, being able to sluice off germs and what not with soap and water at will seems a luxury!

Abby texted me on Wednesday evening to say that she was going to be anchoring (live!) her school’s television newstation in a few minutes if Donnie and I wanted to watch. We did. So I opened up a browser on my Chromebook and Donnie and I watched it.  (We always watch the newscast on YouTube- I don’t know how to find it on TV.)

I think this was the only time that Abby has been on the air this school year. At the end of the last school year, she accepted a paid position for this school year through the station and now does more behind the scenes work. She wanted to let the new members of the club (it is my understanding that any student can join the television club and participate in a variety of roles) get plenty of turns in front of the camera.

Speaking of college, Alyssa will be making a decision soon. 

The decision will be hers to make but if I had my druthers, Alyssa would not attend The Ohio State (eyerolling at the “The” in the official name). It’s a really long story why- perhaps a story for a different day- but I do not like Ohio State. It’s a good academic school especially considering how big it is which is why she’s considering it.

Alyssa and I are about to embark on a little trip to go visit a school much further away than Columbus, OH ( we live about an hour and a half from Columbus).

I sent Alyssa a text when she was at school asking what snacks she wanted me to pick up for the road trip. I expected something along the lines of Twizzlers or Lifesaver Gummies (maybe because those yummy, easy to eat snacks are what I think of for car ride snacks).

Not Alyssa. She texted me the following: Pringles (original flavor); kettle cooked chips (original flavor- the brand does not matter; cream cheese (preferably a name brand that is on sale), not whipped; strawberries; Snyders Butter Snap pretzels (make sure they are butter snaps). 

Her list cracked me up. I like how she stated a cream cheese name brand that is on sale. She is going to be a good household manager one day!  I had fun picking out her desired items (and glad (I guess?) that she had her phone on her during the school day so that I could ask her follow up questions about the snacks while I was shopping). Priorities! And snacks on a road trip are one of them. 

I was at the little store that’s within walking distance of our house (though I did not walk there on this day!) looking for a household item. I noticed an area of marked down items so of course I had to take a look. Some Valentine’s Day candy was on sale. Goodness the bags of conversation hearts were TINY or should I say tiny. I saw this bag of Hershey’s bars on clearance for over $4. That is no clearance! I did find a bag of marked down candy that seemed like a good deal and it was chock full of fun candy so I bought it.  Alyssa and I both like the flavored Tootsie Rolls quite a bit. 

Not a clearance price...

Now this, I would call a clearance...

The back of the package cracked Alyssa and me up- it gives ideas or suggestions for use of the candy. Thanks, I think I could figure out occasions for eating candy!!