20 Things that Drive Me CRAZY

A common question on most questionnaires is "What is your pet peeve?" I have always had a hard time thinking of an answer to this. I do not mind people who pop their fingers or grind their teeth. Eating with your mouth open won't bother me a bit. Neither will humming. I don't even get road rage and grammar mistakes aren't as annoying as they probably should be for a future English teacher. But the truth is so many things drive me crazy. They just aren't common things. So here is a list of really strange, incredibly stupid things that drive me absolutely bonkers.

1. Bathroom stalls that don't go all the way to the ceiling. There is the bathroom in Andrews Hall on campus and when I stand up I can see people washing their hands. I can't even use that bathroom. 

2. When people leave empty boxes or bags in the fridge or pantry. There is nothing as exasperating as reaching for a granola bar and only finding an empty box. 

3. Going along with the last one, when people open bags or boxes upside-down. Why?

4. Socks. Just in general. I can't stand socks. They make my feet both sweaty and cold at the same time and I don't know why. I try to pull them off as soon as I get home.

5. When your recliner just won't go down. 

6. How dirty keyboards get. They are impossible to clean too. Ick.

7. Really small desks. Just because I am in college doesn't mean I am able to write on a desk that's the size of my hand. 

8. Driving with the sun in your eyes. 

9. When my eye itch and I have mascara and eyeliner on. The struggles of being a girl.

10. Ice cream with chunks of ice in it. It makes me cringe thinking about it.

11. When a strand of hair sticks to you in the shower and you can't get it off.

12. Having to share armrests at the movie theatre on both sides.

13. When the toilet paper is on the roll wrong. It should always, always roll clockwise.

14. Having to go to the bathroom after you have a one-piece swimsuit on. 

15. Too much ice in my drink at restaurants. You are just going to have to refill it for me more.

16. When I get mail addressed to someone else. This keeps happening in my new apartment. They don't live here anymore.

17. Brown and black together in an outfit. I understand they are both neutral colors. But they don't go together. (As a side note, I believe everyone perceives colors differently and this may be why this color combination looks good to other people. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/your-red-same-my-red)

18. Headphones that are always tangled no matter what you do.

19. When the string in your hoodie or sweatpants gets stuck inside and it completely worthless.

20. Wobbly tables. How does this even happen?

Interesting Questions

I found this list of questions and thought I'd answer them for fun since I didn't have any other prompts this week. Maybe you'll learn something new about me...I actually might have learned about myself. Feel free to answer some about yourself in the comments too!

*What was your favorite childhood toy?

This is tough. I don't remember being much into Barbies or dolls. I remember a shopping cart that I pushed around and safari animal figurines that I played with a lot with my cousins. I also remember spinning a globe a lot although I'm not sure that counts as a toy. The one that stand out to me was Rajah, a stuffed tiger from Aladdin. I remember sleeping with him most nights. I have no idea what happened to him.

*If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

Depends on if this is a physical characteristic or a personality trait. Physically, I change my skin to get rid of my chicken skin and stretch marks. Personality-wise, I'd want to be more comfortable meeting new people I guess.

*Which character from a book would you most like to be?

It's probably cliché but I have to go with Hermione Granger. She is so confident in who she is and strong and smart and has awesome friends. And she can do magic of course.

*Favorite kind of weather?

Definitely sunny and warm. I do like rain and thunderstorms a lot, but nothing beats a day when there is no clouds in the sky and you can feel the sun on your skin. One of my favorite feelings in the world in when you are in a cold building and you walk outside in the summer.

*If you could travel in time, when and where would you go?

This is hard! I have no idea. I think I'd go back to when something momentous was built. Like the pyramids or Stonehenge or Mayan temples or the Great Wall. Those things fascinate me and I want to know WHY? Why would they build them and how did they do it. It just sounds intriguing to me.

*Favorite and least favorite article of clothing?

Favorite is jackets. Which doesn't make sense since I love summer but I just love jackets. I have so many of them, it's ridiculous. My least favorite as of right now is leggings. They are not pants people. I can't tell you how many times I've seen girls underwear through their leggings in the past few years.


That's all for now. I'll probably come back to some of these as writing prompts later. Have a terrific Tuesday!

Being Part of a Team

Until recently I'd never been part of a team. You don't notice that you've been missing something your whole life until it happens to you. As I get closer to my "real job", I have collaborated a lot with colleagues in the process of learning to create lesson plans and manage classrooms. This group dynamic, working toward a common goal, is revitalizing. I couldn't figure out why I loved working with others so much when I used to despise anything that involved the words "team" or "group." So I've reflected and realized it's because I never had a functioning team effort before.

Sometimes the lack of teamwork in my past was my fault. I chose to take on all the work in every group project I was ever in for school because I wanted it "done right." I did an individual project for FCCLA and individual events for the most part on the speech team. When I joined clubs, I either let others do the work or completely controlled an event. I never wanted to collaborate on any pages in the yearbook. Other times, it wasn't entirely my fault. In volleyball, I was bullied by the other players and pushed aside by my coaches because I wasn't coordinated or athletic. The same held true for softball as a kid. The plays I was in in high school should have been a group effort, but I think everyone was out to be the best they could be (or just goof off) instead.

The key is, now that I understand I was missing the group dynamic, to continue working with others. I think teaching can be an isolating job if you choose to make it that way. If I take on 100+ kids next year and decide I can handle everything they through my way on my own, I will be missing out on valuable information from others who have had similar experiences. Every person has something to contribute and it is so exciting to work together sometimes.

13 Reasons Why Spongebob Is Awesome

Some of you may be laughing right now, thinking this is a joke. And others are thinking, "Oh Roxie and her Spongebob." Spongebob has always been my "guilty pleasure." I still get home after school (now teaching) and turn on Nickelodeon to unwind. But I really don't think I have to be embarrassed by this show. Spongebob is an amazing show. And this is why.

1. The characters are completely original. I have actually heard people refer to others as "Squidwards" before.  They are memorable and unique.

2. The voice actors are awesome. I can recognize Spongebob's laugh from across a room and smile.

3. IMAGINATION. Whenever I hear this word, I imagine a rainbow between Spongebob's hands. Only viewers of the show will get that one, but it's probably one of my top 10 episodes. Overall though, the show uses so much imagination, it makes us think outside the box too.

4. The songs are catchy. I have often caught myself humming the FUN song or Best Day Ever when I'm happy (and sometimes Goofy Goober).

5. The show has had guest stars including Johnny Depp, P!nk, and Amy Poehler.

6. Spongebob has a crappy job with a terrible boss and mean coworker and still manages to love his job. "I'm Ready. I'm Ready. I'm Ready."---I sometimes need to tell myself this too.

7. For the most part, the show doesn't have to use bodily functions (farts, snot, or even vomit--ick!) to get laughs like most cartoons on television right now. I just happened upon a show called Sanjay and Craig the other day and the entire episode was about having gas. I'm not over-exaggerating.

8.The show has been running since 1999. It is one of the longest running animated series after The Simpsons and IS the longest running animated TV series for kids. So I'm not the only fan.

9. You honestly never know what's going to happen next. Because really anything goes in Bikini Bottom.

10. The friendships. Spongebob has Patrick, who is about the dumbest being on earth and makes him want to tear his hair out sometimes, and Sandy, who is a brilliant scientist and often talks way over his head, but it doesn't matter. Friendship transcends differences. That doesn't mean you don't fight. They blow up at each other all the time, but they always make up.

11. It's the little things. Even though Squidward always makes fun of him constantly for his hobbies, Spongebob is perfectly content blowing bubbles and jellyfishing.

12. The animation is often very detailed and really put the show above-par compared to competitors (Fun fact: The creator was originally a marine biologist and was inspired to draw based on weird creatures he observed.)

13. Pharrell had a Spongebob themed birthday party this year. He turned 41.