Chi-town

Last weekend was a blast! My aunt, mom and cousin all came to Chicago with me and we had a great time. The race went well, I improved my time from Boston by 14 minutes, so I got a 3:20:21, which was weird because the night before the race I dreamt that I would get a 3:19......pretty cool. The weather was less than perfect, it was forecasted to be raining and really windy the whole time. It was about 38 out and it drizzled and snowed a little but the wind was the killer. From about mile 14-20 we were on Lake Michigan and it was brutal, it would gust cold wind every little bit but all in all not complaints. It was so much fun to be a part of and we really had a good time hanging out in Chicago for two more days after the race, although I hobbled around trying to keep up with them :)

Crazy week

This week has been going non stop and I am excited for the weekend!!! I have been babysitting the Gangle kids (4) after school everyday and spending the night while their parents are in Hawaii..........so that has been busy and my school week has been crazy with meeting with parents and administration. The kid who "lost it" last week has had a complete turn around and is doing great. I had a conference with his mother and I believe that this situation happened for a reason, for not only him to grow, but for me as a coach and teacher as well. We had a rough patch but I believe that good things are to come..........he is a great runner!!! I have learned alot this week on handling situations and dealing with the numbers that I have. I used to think that asking for help meant a sign of weakness but I have realized that asking for help is the mature thing to do and a way to learn, which I never want to cease in. I am constantly trying to better myself( hint, the no dessert thing, which I still am going strong in!) I am reminded a a quote that Mac and I share in loving, it the GD quote, "Once in awhile you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right"..........perfect for what has been happening.I know the cheese is oozin but I really had a week of figuring stuff out in my head. For a minute there I was really upset with myself and thought, you know, maybe I am not really good at this coaching thing, but I know that it is going to take time and experience in order for me to get things worked out.
Love you all!!!!!

Venter

I need to vent some thoughts:
This week has been draining on me, emotionally, but I guess that is what happens when you work in middle school, since these ids are just full of drama. My 2nd period proved to be a challenge this week. I have a student who is always yelling and getting picked on by other students and this week he lost it big time. He got into a fist fight and got popped in the jaw........anyway, I am taking this opportunity to learn from these experiences becuase this is how I can grow as a teacher. I had to call for administration and I don't think I handled the situation as best as I could. Although my co-workers are saying that I am being too hard on myself I can't help be feel a little pressure from the administration. I just don't want them thinking I dont know how to do my job. The problem is that this class has all boys and just 3 girls and everyone is super competitive. My solution-bring the damage. I am going to have to be mean, which I already have been with this class but I am going to have to show no mercy whatsoever and if it is one thing that I have learned from working with inner city youth it is that I have become a hardass.....I used to be a little bit of a pushover but I have learned that it doesnt work that way, also, a student of mine wrote a note on it saying that Mrs Noelin(sp) is 100% gay, this is in a class of mine of 75 and am super mean to this class because of the high number, and i totally caught her writing it, I laughed and the first thing I said was "At least if you are going to write about me, spell my name right............anyway, he friends got her all scared and said she was going to be in trouble. I saw her crying so I sent her into my office and said look I dont care what you think of me, I wish you thought different but it is not a concern of mine. I then told her I don't care. She was still crying, but when I asked her why, she said because she thought she was getting into trouble, not that she could have hurt my feelings........so I made her think that she was going to get in trouble because that is messed up man, anyway she is not getting in trouble but I just want her to think that, luckily I know I am the bomb so it is just funny but wow, what a week of drama!

Deep Thoughts:
"Do you know a good way to stay in shape if you eat a fatty meal, just walk around when you eat it"

Biggie

So I have had this supersick lyric in my head for days

Armed and dangerous, aint to many that can bang wit us, straight up weed, no angel dust, label us notorious that love to bust. It's strange to us, ya'll n's be scramblin, gamblin in resturants with mandalins and violins. We just still in here tryin to win, try not to sin, high of of weed and lots of gin. So much smoke need oxygen, steadily countin those Benjamins. You should too, if you knew what this game can do to you, been in this shiz since 92. Look at all the bull-ish we've been through

the new remix is hot and it took me a hot minute to get it all memorized, you like how I kept it clean!

Say whaaaaaa

"Have you ever had a potato burger with onions rings and hashbrowns....my dad buys a tub of cole slaw to go with it"................................I am not making this up people!

Deep thoughts by Piedmont student

He just keeps them comin............"Did you know that my paintgun can abliverate a piece of plastic into thin air"

just like where his thoughts come from...........thin air

China Cabinet

Good day fresh jivin walkers of earth.....I am currently serving my country and sitting in jury duty, which I have to say is boring but I have realized that it is a good thing when I would MUCH rather go teach than be here, can't say that I would have thought this 6 months ago.....As I sit around and people watch and do too many games of sudoku( of which is making my mind and eyes burn), I find myself feeling so sluggish and I am thankful that coaching PE demands me to be in constant movement throughout the day. Case in point, I just zombie walked my way into the men's bathroom, quickly leaving in Jedi-like fashion once I saw the urinals and thankfully nobody was left scarred by the incident. :)
I have a student, a 6th grader, who by middle school standards is a pudgy dork...I have started to notice that right after I call roll and we are walking to wherever it is we are going to be that day, he clings on to me and asks me the most random questions or thoughts......so instead of being annoyed by it, which I found myself being, I decided that I am going to right them down, and share in the randomness.
Yesterday's: Have you ever put together a china cabinet????

More goodness to come.....................

I'm lovin it

Well things are going great...........I love love love my job!!!!! I am constantly movin and groovin throughout the day and I wouldnt have it any other way. I got a new roommate so the house isn't so quiet anymore and life is going great. I have stopped eating sweets, not beccause I want to lose weight but for self control issues. Anyone that knows me well knows that love my sweets!!!I was making myself sick from too much dessert and chocolate so I decided that I would give it up til Oct. 22, which is the day of the Chicago marathon. My sister, mom, aunt and cousin have all decided to do the same. It has been two and half weeks and I am proud to say I have not touched it! So the next month on my calendar is lookin pretty darn fun- I am staying at the Gangle's for a week to watch the kids, whom I love and then go up to SC for Nicki's wedding, which is going to be a great reunion of friends from college and then head up to Chicago for the 26.2............training has been going great, this past weekend we ran a 21 miler and after that I ran a couple extra miles with Kelsey Gangle, who is doing cross-country for the 1st time.
I am so pumped for life this coming month!!!
Gotta go get kickball ready-PEACE

PLS

So the first week of school is whinding down and I must say that this place rocks.......I love my co-workers and I am mainly teaching 6th graders, so at least some of them are shorter than me still and they are still scared. This is a great program and a definite step in the right direction for me and I get to use all my skillzzzz. It is hopefully going to be a great year.
Word to yo motha

Happenin

So I start pre planning at my new school tomorrow and I am super pumped and a lil nervous, just because it is going to be a completely new environment. My knee is doing great, I got an MRI and the doc said I have a cist on my miniscus(sp) and it is torn a little but nothing to worry about. That was a relief! I ran 18 miles with the training group and I felt great, was at the front of the pack the entire run and decided to pick up my pace and finished ahead of everyone. Yeah for me. I'm pretty damn awesome if I can say so myself. Just kidding, sortof. All my luv-Coach Nolen :)

Baby Caleb

You can call me aunt Tracy if you want to!

more pics from wedding and Chattavegas

MULLETudes of 10

Some of the pictures will not upload from from trip, I am not techy so I will try and figure it out later. Anyway Sewanee was awesome and the wedding was so much fun! My body was sore for days after, from dancing my face off. Chattanooga was great also, I stayed witha family friend and I got to kick it with one of my best friends Dustin.
Oh I forget to let you know that I took another position at another school as....a PE teacher. I am super pumped, the middle school just recieved a grant in which the got 15 eliptical machines and such and I am going to maybe try and emplament a running program, but we will see, I am really, really excited. This is going to be a perfect fit for me, now I just need to cut my hair into a mullet :)
Another opportunity has come my way also, the owner of Track Shack called me and wanted to know if I was interested in coaching the Edgewater girls cross country team. Yikes-I have never coached before! I told him maybe to start out as assistant for now, if they need the help. So we shall see what happens with this...in the mean time I have just been traveling and training and enjoying the chill time! Although I have had a weird growth bump in my reconstructed knee and I went to the doc's today and it might be a cyst, which would mean I have to get a scope but it can wait until after the Chicago marathon in October. I get an MRI next week :(
It hasn't slowed me down though thank goodness so hopefully everything will be fine!!!!
Hope everyone is enjoying the rays of summertime and feelin fine. Peace and hair grease

Summer Sizzler

I went to my best friend Beth's wedding in Sewanee, danced my face off, then headed to Chattanooga to visit friends. Here are some hot pics

Please visit this article link!

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradentonherald/2006/06/02/news/local/14720633.htm

Beginnings and Endings

These past two weeks in my life have been bittersweet, A good friend of mine, Jody, was diving into shallow water in the gulf and broke his neck and died instantly. I grew friends with him through my good friend Chris Quarles with whom he played baseball with. He was an amazing, full of life guy and he will be so missed here on earth. I have attached a newspaper article of his funeral. His family provided a touching funeral with a slideshow of good memories and had an "open forum" approach, in which anyone who wanted to share there thoughts on Jody. It was obvious how much he was loved since there were over 500 people there! After the funeral we went to the spot where he jumped of the boat and drank to the setting sun. We love and miss ya, RICHARD!!!!
But in the midst of suffering a loss, I have gained a new lil bundle of joy, my sister, Kelly, gave birth to a beautiful 7.4 lb baby boy named Caleb Michael Woods!!! YEAH!!! My mom and I drove up as soon as we heard she was being induced and I was at the hospital for the birth and have been up in Atlanta trying to help out as much as I can. He is such a great baby, he rarely cries and he is the mst adorable thing.....I sortof understand now how people say you don't know what love is til you have a child and I guess this is pretty much the closest thing to it for me right now and I understand completely. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen!
I will post pics soon! Peace

Sup my Homies!

My 1st period boyzzz lookin fly!

Girls Gone Wild

My best friend Beth is getting married in June and here are a couple of pics from her bachelorette weekend in Madeira Beach, FL

more pics

8th Grade Day!

Boston Pics

The only complaint was that I didn't get to see my buddy Mackey, so I guess Smackalack I will just have to come up and visit you in Maine sometime soon before you leave. Oh yea, and runner's are officially the dorkiest set of athletes. What did I get myself into? They were all wereing there officiall Boston jackets and shirts and medals all over town and the airport! Humbleness is a virtue people.

Good times

This body is an amazing machine!!!!
Boston was an amazing experience. Beantown treated me right! It was so cool to have an entire city be filled with runners. The city celebrates what is called Patriot's Day. All businesses are closed and everyone just drinks and cheers people on for the marathon. Perfect.
Here are some play by play highlights:
Arrived on Sunday and went straight to the expo to pick up race number then went to a great little Italian restaurant with some other Orlando runners, most of whom I didn't know.
The next day the race started at 12:30 noon, which is weird for me since I was so used to waking up for races and running in the morning, so you have to eat a big breakfast to have enough energy to burn during the race, I call it strategic eating. So we walked from the hotel to the bus area where they ship you out to the starting line in a small town called Hopkinton and got dropped off to an area were they divide the different wave starts up into two different waiting areas. It was a pretty chilly morning, well at least for this Florida girl and we just put trashbags down and sat for about an hour and half, drinking gatorade and going to the bathroom, strategery! We then walked to the starting line and from there the race started out down hill, so you have to start out slow knowing that if you go as fast as you want you will burn your legs out for later. This is especially hard to do while going down hill. The first 5 miles I ran a 7:58 mile consistently. All I could think was "This is going be awesome!"
The crowds to me were amazing compared to the Disney Marathon. My favorite crowd moments are when we ran through Wellesley all girls college, they were screaming so loud!!! Guys were stopping to kiss them and one man beside me lifted up his shirt for them :)
Running through Boston college was cool too, I think it was around mile 15 or so and mile 20 was heartbreak hill. Which at the time I was thinking which one IS heartbreak hill because they were five hills during the second half of the race but this one is the most challenging for most people since it is usually the last hill, except for this year they added one after it. The whole course was either up hill or down it seemed. It was cool to see everyone lined up on the streets cheering for you. Families had set up water stations and some were handing out food like oranges, bananas and ice pops. At one point I saw cotton candy and I think that may be for the spectator crowd but who knows. My body and mind felt great the entire time for most part, mile 22 is were I really had to put mind over matter. I could feel my body shutting down but I just let my mind think of positive things and people. I thought about the crowd and how awesome this is to be a part of, and my Gammy, who I could just hear her shouting from heaven above saying "Go baby!", for those who don't know she is my pasted away grandma who came to just about every one of my cross country and track meets. At Fenway park at mile 25 I thought about Chris Quarles, since he is baseball dude and just thought about all the funny things he says and does to get my mind away from the pain in my legs. At the "1 mile to go" marker I picked up the pace and thought about my friend Jana, whom I looked up to so much in gymnastics and she is now paralyzed from the neck down. I finished strong and did it in 3:34.29, this was 7 minutes faster than I did Disney and I was really pleased since I gave myself a goal of doing it in 3:45. My school surprised me with posters and a gift cert for a message. I couldn't ask for better support and I can't wait til the Chicago marathon and doing Boston again next year.
Peace

Beantown or bust!

One week and counting!!!
I was reading this month's Runner's World (yes, there is really such a thing, and yes, I am a dork for reading it!) and they have a whole section dedicated to the marathon. An article was about two women who decided to dedicate each mile to someone in their life who has inspired them in some way. I thought it was a pretty cool idea, so I am stealing it. This way, I am not running for and by myself. I am really not putting any pressure on myself for this one, just being a part of the experience is enough. I have heard some stories about Fenway park and opening game for Red Sox, and how the girls at Wellesly college are screaming as loud as they can for you while running through it and the famous heartbreak hill at mile 20 (this year they have added another hill after this one) Thanks jerkstores, we really appreciate that. It is a mid day start so it should be fairly warm. I am ready -to feel like a rock star for 26.2 miles. Bring it!

Summertime

So I am trying to gather plans for this summer. I am pretty sure that some traveling in Europe is taking place, not sure where and with who yet, so basically you'se guys better step up to the plate. My sister is having a baby in mid June and then Bether's and Files are getting hitched on June 24th. So my month of July I am thinking about doing a NOLS course out in Wyoming, since i have never seen that part of the country and the outdoors has been screaming my name, especially since i never made it to my tent at the Woodser. :)
My question is this: Do I just stay in Europe and backpack for even longer than I plan since i am already over there? Or do I do an organized trip with NOLS and learn some skillz? The only problem with staying in Europe is that I do not have anybody for sure to travel with and that makes me nervous to think about being there for more than two weeks alone. The trip out west would be around $3000, which I would basically have to sell my body on OBT for about a year to pay that but.....(for those not in the know OBT is the skripper/prosty section of Jamlando)Any thoughts people???

Boston or bust!

Let me clear some things up. I am running Boston, wether people agree with it or not. Mom says it is too soon after the other marathon and my foot bothers me. But if get my booty in gear I can do it, I know I can. My sister is concerned because nobody is going with me. I thank them for their concerns but I know that if I train hard for this month I can pull it off. I was talking to a buddy of mine who ran it and it seems like the best race. So if any of you want to come along you are more than welcome, but I am running this thing!

Because weekends were made for fun!

So I pretty much had a blast this weekend. My friend surprised me and came into town on Friday and we all had a blast this weekend, from eating sushi to playing golf, watching a Braves game and sliding on a home-made slip 'n' slide. Good times, great oldies. I am showing Napoleon Dynamite to my classes today and tomorrow since we had FCAT testing this week and Friday is the start of spring break, "how ya doin?"
I am so pumped it is going to be a week of chillin in the sun and ending the week with a bang at the Bailes ranch, something we like to call THE WOODSER. It's on!
"She gonna lika that"

Boston?

A buddy of mine at Track Shack (the local running store and race sponsor) is going to try and see if he can get me into Boston. Probably not, but it is worth a shot, right? Hopefully things will work out, if not, then it wasn't meant to be! I hoe each and every one of you is having a great week- I am so excited about the weekend. I have a friend coming into town and we are going to the Braves game on Sunday! Big ups!

things

Sorry I havent gotten the pictures uploaded yet...it has been crazy busy in my world lately, but no excuses I know. Anyway, I have officially signed up for the Chicago marathon.....anyone up for doing it with me???!!!

Soul Patrol

American Idol. Need I say more.
My top three overall are as follows: Salt and Pepper guy, Paris, and Chris (who I have a major crush on!)
Who is everyone else pulling for??? I mean if you are cool enough to follow this incredible journey

All aboard the SOUL PATROL!!!!!!!!!!

If you build it, they will come

Why am I even writing blogs....it seems that no one is reading them anyway. Are you out there friends or am I just doing this for nothing?

Daytona 500

Well I pretty much experienced one of the best weekends of my life. Didn't go to the 500 race but partied like a rock star at the beach anyways. Highlights include: taking off work Friday and chillin at the beach with CoCo, meeting some of Chris's baseball buddies, who are basically the funniest people I ahve met in a long time, having a dance party all 3 nights, and rekindling my love for the Debbie Deb skate song "Lookout weekends" If you need a hint of what classic I am refering to remember it-Lookout weekends, here I come, because weekends were made for fun...jumping music, slick DJ's something something, laser rays.
It's going to take me a month to recover from this. Perfect.
Some pictures will be posted shortly.
Big up!

Peanut Butter Wolf

Yo, I am so excited....On Valentine's Day, one of my favorite DJ's will be at the Social in Orlando, Peanut Butter Wolf. There is not a better way to spend that special day with something I love-hip hop! SUPER SICKNESS!!!

Hold Your Own

Put in a pot, stir me up, let me marinate
In the spice of life- then simmer saute.
What I say and what I do, make sure that it smells right, you taste and love it too.
When I'm done, I'll be ready to serve it up to my people-the stuff that we grow from
knowing on what level we are on.
We are only equal to work we put into our lives-that's what we get out but yet you are still having these doubts. First things first.
Up early in the morning, feel the burning in your eyes
make sure to keep them open, wash them out and realize
that your waking up alive
Give thanks for another day and another way to think about just how you are going to survive.
Sacrifice is the key, multiply what it is to be
sprinkle in some discipline, I put that on me.
Keep your soul so focused that I'll bet you'll see
Have you clearer than a vision quest, open your chest, dig into your heart and hold your love tight
and it just might be a certain premonition that you need in your life
through a word and intuition if you heated it right
when you ride the wave of light, certain things fall in place
It's a matter of space and time and how you use it.
I put that on mine and meditate to the music

Europe

Yo- I am serious about what I said for traveling Europe this summer. I am going in the beginning of June and will be backpacking most of the time. My sister will be having a baby mid June and Beth and Matt are getting married June 24th, so I will be back for those of course but I would love to have someone to meet up with at any point in the trip. I know I want to go through Italy and Spain but I am open for anything at this point. Also, again, if any of you have any advice on where to visit and any "how to" advice I would really appreciate it. I have traveled by myself many times and love it very much but advice and friends would also be cool.
I haven't really talked to any of you about it and asked personally but be expecting it soon!

Gator Basketball

Go Gators! They played an awesome game last night against Kentucky. I look forward to March Madness! My family every year plays the brackets and every year my dad wins and we all have to take him to dinner.
PS-Go Steelers

Respect

So here is my weekly update (which I am sure you are just dying to knwo right?!)
Weeks leading up to this one have been crazy at school. The kids are behaving soooooo terribly and the lack of respect, not only to me, but to each other and everytthing around them is scary. They are running over everything here at Lee and frankly it is because the adminstration i.e. the discipline counselors are not doing there job and it is making my job VERY hard to teach. Events leading up to this week just put icing on the cake for me on Tuesday. My 6th period class has been my worst behaviorwise lately. I understand that it is late in the day and they are sick of thinking and sitting in desks but most of these students come from P.E. and it is not that they are not only not doing their work but that they show me zero amount of respect. I yell, yell, yell and they keep talking. I write them referrals and they keep talking, I call home and they keep talking. The problem is beyond my control at that point. The thing that gets me is that the 8th grade discipline counselor just gives them a slap on the wrist for very serious misocnduct in the classroom and it is making the problem so much worse. The bottom line is that for most of these kids, nobody is disciplining them at home so why should they respect me the hour that they see me everyday. But this is still not an excuse it is a culture problem. So I emailed my concerns about 6th period with the principal and I didn't hear anything back all day. So come 6th period I was in the middle of explaining that I had written the word RESPECT on the board with its definition and they were to write 75 different sentences using this word. The principal walked in and talked with them the entire class period and they had to do it for homework (even better!)
So after all of these things happening this week. This is my conclusion. I am hear to make a difference and I might not to most of the students. And the fact is that they might not even notice for years down the road and I may never get a "thank you" and that is not what I am here for. But if I get through to one student, then all of it is worth it. I truly care about these kids and I am worried about their future. So I take a deep breath and pray that God will grant me patience.

Disney photos

These are pictures from the Disney Marathon....it took me a minute to figure out how to get them up. Thank you to Mere for bringing her camera!

Ben and Mere 

Craigs "Tracy" hair 

Mom and Dad 

Barb and Mel 

running before the sun came up 

Crawford and characters