She's a Real Nail-Biter...

See these?



You know what these are? Pics of my treadmill. You know what they mean? Yeah buddy, that's right, I WORKED OUT THIS MORNING!!! What was that, laziness? You feel defeated?? WELL GOOD!!

Yes, I finally feel myself again. I LOVE getting my morning workout in. It's perfect - 30 minutes each morning and then if I can't make it to the Y or whatnot that night, it's ok. It also sets the mood for eating for the day - if I workout in the morning, it gives me the ambition to eat healthy and in decent portions so I don't ruin it. Starting the day off in the negative feels very nice :)
Also, check this out:

That's a bandaid on my finger. Let me give you a little background information. See, I used to be a constant nail-biter. I know, gross! Then, back a couple years ago my hubby told me that he would never put a ring on a finger that had such terrible looking nails. That was the last day I bit my nails (although, it didn't work - that jerk still didn't get me a ring for a whole year after I quit!). But, I bet you know what's coming: I started again. As a matter of fact, I bit this nail so far down that it started bleeding! I can't believe it, I'm so ashamed and disappointed in myself! I stopped biting my nails for over three years, even though I had been doing it for as long as I could remember! And I quit cold turkey! They are all gone now, bitten down to the nubs. Looks like I'm going to have to add it to my list of goals this Sunday, even though I'm going to try to stop as of right now. I had forgotten how much pain I'd cause myself, because trust me, this isn't the first time I've made myself bleed. I don't know what my problem is - it's like now that I'm eating less, I need something for my mouth to do. I need to buy myself some freaking gum! :( Anyways, the bandaid is a real pain to type with. It's hitting like six different keys on the keyboard than the one I actually want! DAMMIT. I guess once a nail-biter, always a nail-biter. I wonder if they have any 12 step programs. Let me try this out, "Hi, my name is ThunderThighs, and I'm a nail-biter-aholic." Hmmmmm....

So I'm thinking about changing my career. It's so funny, it was career day at school and we had lots of people from different careers come in and talk to the kids in our classes and I was more interested in them than the students! The speakers kept asking if they had any questions, and they'd be pretty stumped when I was the only one with my hand raised. They'd go to call on me and would be like, "Ummm, the teacher in the back(?)." Hey, I'm very inquisitive!

Anyways, yeah, I have my master's in education, I've spent all that money for schooling, and I'm thinking about blowing it all away and becoming a physical therapist assistant. It's amazing how different your life turns out than you think when you are in high school. Back then, I envisioned my life to include a hubby with a 9-5 job and all that white picket fence crap, and look how it turned out - my hubby owns a campground, he's off all winter long and wants to spend weeks away traveling and we have 33 acres that would be impossible to enclose with a white picket fence. This whole life as a teacher thing just doesn't give me the flexibility that I would like. I can't take time away in the winter to travel. My hubby can't take time away in the summer to travel. (And I really really REALLY hate missing the opportunity to TRAVEL!) Plus, it's a whole different ballgame when you are actually the head of the classroom. You get no respect from the students, none from their parents, zero from the community, and a NEGATIVE amount from the freaking government! The only people who truly respect you are the other teachers! It's ridiculous!

Plus, I barely make enough to cover my own bills each month. Starting salaries for physical therapy assistants are 20 grand more than what I make now even WITH a master's!!!!! And that only requires an associate's degree! AND, they offer it at the college that's right in my hometown, which is el cheapo in tuition. The lady that spoke today said there's such a need for PTAs around here that she could quit her job today and have another one tomorrow. Needless to say, I have an appointment at that college on Friday. It'd be nice to take the courses while I'm still working as a teacher so I don't lose pay, but if need be I can always defer my loans until I graduate and pray for a job right out of the program. I'm crazy, I know. My hubby is freaking out. And I'm going to have to end this post pretty soon because I know as soon as I hit 'publish' my mother, who reads this blog more religiously than the Bible, will be on the phone asking me what the hell I'm thinking. It's ok, though, I figure if I'm going to go all insane and change my entire life, right now is the time to do it. I'm only 26, I have no kids, I'm not that far out of college/high school so I shouldn't have too much trouble being a student again, and I have a ton of support. I don't know, I have lots of time to decide.

Well I wish you all a wonderful Monday (well, what's left of it anyways), and I shall see you all tomorrow! Ciao!