Vodka Wednesday: Orange Dreamsicle

Well it's here again, my new favorite day of the week!! This recipe is seriously amazing! I mean like off the chain, mind blowing, I won't drink another mixed drink for at least the next 3 days kinda of good. And let me make it very clear, until recently I rarely drank liquor. It just wasn't my thing. I preferred beer or wine. But after a girls weekend in Florida (where I discovered this drink) and dating for a couple months now I realized a lot of people are really into liquor so I decided to venture into it a little more. So while in Florida we stayed right across the street from Universal Studios and if you've never been there they have a "downtown" area with restaurants and lots of night life. Well we got these drinks the first night there called Orange Dreamsicles and I was hooked.

I mixed this is a pint glass and started with 3 ice cubes

2 shots of Whipped Vodka (yes it's been a rough few days)
2 shots of Orange Juice
Fill the rest of the glass with Sprite
Mix it up and voila!

WARNING: This drink goes down very very easy so be careful. It is so so good and doesn't taste alcoholic at all. So go out and get this stuff, and make this immediately. You won't regret it.

Vodka Wednesday!

So in case you missed it last Wednesday was "National Boyfriend Day." As if Valentine's Day didn't make single people feel bad enough, we have to have another day to celebrate relationships (that really if you are in one you should be celebrating everyday). Being single is something I am used too. Even though I have been in a couple long serious relationships I have taken a long time off in between all my relationships. But still stupid holidays like this annoy me.
So here's the original Facebook post (you will probably only be able to see it if you are my "official Facebook friend"). But the short of it is I invented Vodka Wednesday and had a lot of participation from others. So it gave me an idea to post a different Vodka recipe every Wednesday in my blog. (and when I say every Wednesday I mean sometimes most Wednesdays).
Before I get into this week's drink, I want to give a shout out to Amy Yznaga, a talented young lady who hooked me up with the awesome logo!!

So for my first drink I'm calling it a Whipped Cola!

3 Ice Cubes in a tumbler
1 shot Whipped Cream Vodka (my new obsession ever since a trip to FL)
Fill the rest of the glass with Diet Pepsi
1 (or 2) dollops of Whipped Cream

I had some heavy whipping cream in the fridge that was going to go bad, so I whipped it up, added some confectioners sugar and scooped a little on top of the glass.


So this was delish! It tasted like a cola float but didn't have a scoop of ice cream, so it must be a little better for me right? What are you waiting for? Go make one!

Fight against cancer: Step 1

In my last entry aptly titled, Fuck Cancer, I realized that I wanted to start making a difference. Not just sitting back and watching cancer ruin the lives of my friends and family, and feeling helpless the whole time. So today I started taking a step in the right direction. Me and two of my robotics students decided to make an entry into the annual Greenville event Bras for the Cause. Every year anyone in the community can enter a decorated bra into the competition. Then all the bras are put on display downtown and people buy votes to vote for their favorite bra. At the end of the night the bras with the most votes are declared the "breast in show." All the proceeds go to woman fighting breast cancer in Hunt County. One of my very good friends at school, Vanessa Pope, is a big supporter of the organization and does a great job every year of making this event happen.

Well not only is this a great event, and a great cause, but I also got to bond a little with two of my freshman girls while creating our bra! So for your viewing pleasure here is our 2012 Bra "Tech Rack"

If you want to vote for our bra votes are $1 each and you can give money to me or any Robowrangler student!! Or better yet come by the Calico Cat in Greenville on October 11th and vote for us yourself!!

Side note: Robowrangler Relay for Life team is also in the works! I can't think of a better way to combine the two things I'm most passionate about.

Thank You's

One of my favorite Robowrangler traditions is that at the end of every season all the students write Thank You cards to all the mentors. Today after school I was cleaning out my old desk becasue I got a new one and I found my bag of them. I sat and read through them again and it was exactly the pick me up I needed. I've been in a funk since school started and I think this will get me out of it. People sometimes ask me why I'm a teacher, or why I spend so much time doing this for the Robotics team. Well this is why:
You are by far of all the people I have encountered throughout my lifetime the one that I feel has affected me the most. You have taught me that nothing should stop you from reaching your goals, and that no disadvantage is insurmountable in any situation. You have taught me many a life lesson, and so much more. I have learned from just watching how you deal with some of the toughest situations I have ever seen someone in that you can always succeed. You have showen me that though life is tough you are never truly beat unless you allow yourself to be. Though this isn't typical of a teenage boy to notice I know that you are one of the strongest women that most anyone will encounter throughout their lifetime. I have nothing but the upmost love and respect for you, you have truly changed me for the better.



I know that only oceans, novels, and the universe are supposed to be epic, but you fall into that category!




I can hardly put into word how thankful I am for all you do for us. You deal with the political school logistics, making sure we all eat, work alongside us, make sure we are OK and so many more things I could write forever. You've inspired me to work harder and never give up, no matter the odds. Thanks for being my big Wrangler. (:-p Simbot reference)




I honestly don't know hot to start this. The more I think about it, the harder it is. I love our talks during academic advisory, girl's day, and I know that I can talk to you about anything. We help each other through the difficult times, and laugh it off after we've managed not to kill anyone. I am going to miss our talks next year, but I won't be too far and I can always stop by to make sure that no one is in danger of getting stabbed :-p You've become a big sister to me, and I can't wait for all the fun times ahead. You're the best, and I love you.




I want to thank you for everything. Every time I have a question you always listen and do the best you can to answer even when you are busy. You stick up for me when I get left out and always make me feel welcome. I love when you see me in the hall sometimes you scream out my name and tell me you missed me. You are a fantastic teacher and have made my time on the team a great joy.




Nothing I could ever say, nor could any words I write down on this paper ever convey just how grateful I am to have you as a teacher, coach, mentor, and friend. You have done so much for this team and we appreciate all the time and effort you've spent to ensure that Team 148 is always at our best. I've grown quite close to you , and I don't know how I am going to handle graduating and moving away from all you people I've come to know and love.




In case there was any doubt, I KNOW I have the best students in the world. I would go to the ends of the earth for them. And I want to thank them for being the best they can be every day and being my Robowrangler family. They help me just as much as I help them.

Fuck Cancer

This is not an original opinion by any means, but I hate cancer. I hate it more then anything else in the world. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemies or anyone in their families. I've seen it close up, I've seen it far away. And no matter how you look at it it's ugly and heartbreaking.
It was a little less then 4 years ago that I was naive. Life was on track, cancer was something that I heard about on TV and radio. It wasn't even something that happened to other people, but not to me. It just didn't exist in my life at all. Then in January 2008, BAM. Everything changed and it will never go back. My dad was diagnosed with Stage 1 esophageal cancer. Turns out it was an incorrect diagnoses and we found out a few months later it was Stage 3 gastric cancer. While this was going on a distant cousin who was only a few years older then me was diagnosed with tongue cancer and passed away 6 months after being diagnosed. 18 months after my dad was diagnosed he passed away. The next year one of my childhood friends mother was diagnosed and passed away in a matter of weeks. That year my 13 year old cousin was having back pain, and you guessed it, it was cancer.
But this year, this year has been a complete free for all.
December 2011 - My great aunt diagnosed with melanoma
March 2012 - My grandma diagnosed with lymphoma
Summer 2012 - My grandma's sister diagnosed with breast cancer
September 2012 - Two of my very good friend's parents diagnosed, and a co-workers husband.

Every time I hear the news, my whole body just starts to shut down. I remember the moment that I found out about my dad, I remember the surgeries, I remember chemo, I remember the radiation, I remember the moment they told us he was in remission, I remember the moment they told us there was nothing more they could do, I remember hospice, and I remember the moment he died. Cancer has stolen so much from me and the people I love. It's stolen smiles, laughs, life moments, and nights of sleep. It's brought my family closer together, but it's also torn us apart. I just don't want anyone to have to go through this, and yet they do everyday. If we are not doing anything to actively fight cancer then we are letting it tear more families apart.

I was involved in Relay for Life when I was living in Geneva, but since my dad died I haven't done anything. So I want to get back involved. I want to get involved in Relay for Life again, and I also want to do the 3-day walk for the cure. I also want to make sure I get myself checked again for the early stages of the cancer my dad had. I need to do this for myself, for my family, and for everyone that's been affected by this horrible disease that I feel is taking over my life.

When my dad was sick I bought some things for this store because they made me and him laugh. So if you know someone with a decent sense of humor consider supporting the cause by shopping here: http://www.stupidcancerstore.org/Default.asp

1 down, 36 to go

Well week one of the 2012-2013 school year is in the books. All in all it could have gone worse.

The first week of the school year for you non-teachers is all about pure survival. If you make it through without a complete mental break down it's a success. I did in fact make it through, and only a little worse for the wear.

One of the posative things about this school year is that in most of my classes I have students I have already had at least once before. This takes of the immediate stress of learning lots of names, and establishing yourself as "the teacher" in the first few days. As a very young looking 28 year old female, whose only 5'2" this has actually been pretty stressful for the past few years. In case you don't believe me there are still teachers in the building that mistake me for a student all the time. Whenever they tell me this they think it's funny, or that they are the first person to ever do it. It gets old pretty fast.

One big change I am going through is that for the first time ever since I start teaching I am not teaching any math classes. To some people this may sound great, but to me it's been difficult for 2 main reasons. The first is that I actually love teaching math. I mean I really love it. And not to "toot my own horn" but I'm pretty darn good at it. I've been trying to pick up some tutoring jobs on the side to keep this part of my life, and also to supplement my income a little. The second reason this has been a weird transition is that the math department at school are my closest friends and confidants at work. Once you don't teach the same classes as they do you start to lose a little of that close relationship. I already feel "left out" for lack of a better phrase. I guess it's just something I have to adjust too and create realistic expectations about. 

But what's great about this year is I have some amazing potential opportunities in front of me that I can't wait to take advantage of. I am in the middle of starting a new part of our robotics program at Greenville using VEX robotics. It is a new adventure for me that comes with a lot of stress. Failure is not an option. For me or for the district. Part of this new adventure is hosting a VEX regional at the high school. While I am not in charge of his effort (thank goodness) I am definitely going to play a big role in the organization of the event. I just want this program to offer an outlet to the students as a way to get introduced to engineering and robotics without the major stress and commitment of the FRC program.

On Friday night we had our first varsity football and game and the robotics team was there in full force fundraising like crazy. I had a bunch of new students come out and it was great to start to get to know them!

Back to School

And the students think it's hard for them...