Mary 

I'm tired, tired, tired. I'll have to catch up on blogs another night.

MIL not well - in the hospital. I'm pretty exhausted and am off to bed.

I didn't get as many steps at recess duty as usual because I was busy taking pictures of kids in the snow and I was also dodging large puddles of the melting snow. They had a ball. When they lined up to go in I told them I didn't want to hear one complaint about wet shoes and wet pants since they had had so much fun in the wet stuff. They were darlings, I didn't hear a single wimper.

I had to work for these steps today - two outside walks (in the cold and wind), folding laundry steps, talking on the phone steps, and then just some extra steps just to get over 18,000. 

I got all my school work I brought home with me done. OK, not quite all. I still haven't updated my grades, but I'm not even going to think about doing that yet tonight.

I pretty much took the day off today. I did take a walk in the cold, wet, sloppy, drippy, windy snow (did I say wet yet?) just to avoid doing school work - that's how much I wanted to avoid doing school work!

Out for dinner with friends...fun evening.

I got up even earlier than usual - 4:50 - to ensure I'd have enough time to exercise and then get to an early-morning meeting on time. @julieh and I gave a very, very short presentation of a clicker-response system (http://www.einstruction.com/WhatIsCPS/) we use and love  in our classrooms. Things went well there. Now I am mucho sleepy.

Did my regular a.m. routine, walked to school as usual, then walked to a jewelry party with my walking partner of the past, @SueS. We walked daily for 20 years until she abandoned me and moved to the country. Walking hasn't been quite the same since. It was nice to walk with her again...and I bought some fun jewelry.

Stayed late at work, so I felt justified in not bringing home any papers to grade. They are piling up - two days in a row and no grading...oh my, oh my.

I'm going to turn in early, snuggle up in bed and read my Time magazine. Sounds like the perfect thing to do on a rainy, school night when I'm putting off grading.

I went to our annual teachers' "Fall Fling" at my favorite Mexican restuaraunt. We had a great time with lots of laughs. It was a pretty early dinner so I figuered I'd get a bit of work done in my classroom after we got back. Well, two margaritas (very good ones, I might add) don't mix well with school work, so nary a paper got graded and I walked on home. I'm sure it was raining. I heard the rain. I saw the rain. I even felt the rain when I touched my coat, but for the life of me I wasn't getting wet. My glasses were completely dry...how was that? Does drinking margaritas make one rain-proof?

Recess duty and a walk to the dentist contributed to my steps today. Brrr...it's cold outside. I already long for the balmy weather of last week.

The Christmas catalogs are arriving in droves - I think we got ten just today!

I hit 7 million today!!!

Took a walk in the dark, rainy, windy evening. Brr...winter is coming.

The cartoon is for @Marty because I think he'd do this for Trusty if he could.

Pretty much took the day off except for getting some decent steps mowing the lawn. Mowing the lawn is the way I rake leaves. I'd rather mow any day than rake. It was a chilly day, but mowing kept me warm and it was nice to be outside after working at school. My DH & I tried a newly discovered Indian restaurant for dinner. Yum!

I have loved the balmy weather we've had this week. It could last all winter as far as I'm concerned.

Weekend is here and tomorrow I monitor Saturday school. The good thing about it is I get paid extra for doing work I'd be doing anyway.   

We've had two mixed-up days in a row at school. Yesterday was the quarterly incentive, today was C.O.S.I. Two kids wondered hopefully if tomorrow was going to be an ordinary day. I think we're all ready for it.

I was going to turn in early tonight, then started reading blogs. So much for the early bedtime, but I am off to dreamland now.

I'm not quite getting that 20,000+ a day goal I was hoping for to come through for the Lehman sisters team in a competition.  I'll keep pushing myself, but it's quite a push.

I am fatigued. Late night last night, but well worth it.

We did it and this time Ohio did its part!

So I had a little heart to heart with Ellie. I told her I just couldn't face meeting with her for 30 minutes every morning. I was going to bed dreading getting up. She was very understanding. We decided it would be fine if I cut back to 15 minutes and take a longer walk to make up for the shortened time. She warned me my knee might not do well with this routine, but I told her I wanted to try it. So that's what we're trying this week.

Even as I write my DS is at an Obama rally. Oh how I wish I could be there too!

I am happy to report that all papers are graded...for now, this day...

I am thinking about really pushing myself in November, which I was successful with today at least. I'm in a couple of competitons where I could win Christmas cd's and that sounds like fun. Besides, I'm partnering with my sis in one and the Lehman sisters will rock!