Being crowned Queen of Weslandia. No...not really!
It was a hot and windy West Texas day - the jackrabbits were a-hopping and the tumbleweeds were a-tumbling…August 1, 1969. The day history was made…the day I was born! Not long after that, I invented the telephone and figured out the meaning of the universe…no wait…oops…that wasn’t me…maybe I should start again!
One of my fondest memories of childhood is of my great grandfather, Johnny Cash, singing “Folsom Prison Blues” to me as a child. “I hear that train a-coming,” he would growl. I would sing along with him and…What? What? Oh, ok, that’s not true. Johnny Cash was a big part of my young life, though! My dad always played his guitar and sang old Cash songs to me...as well as the Beatles and Buddy Holly. Dad is the inspiration behind my guitar pickin'-n-singin' today! Boy, you’re really picky on me getting these stories right, aren’t you?
Okay, here’s the whole truth and nothing but!I was born in Odessa, Texas. My family moved around a lot depending on my dad’s job. I went to school in places like Odessa, Angleton, West Columbia, and Van…all in Texas! I graduated with honors from Angleton High School at the young age of 14. Oops, you caught me again, you’re right; I was 17 when I graduated from high school! I wasn’t homecoming queen or a cheerleader, but I did win lots of awards in speech and drama (yep…I even have the trophies and certificates to prove it!)
I went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin where I earned 3 degrees (really just 1) in Zoology, Anthropology, and Medicine (really just Education).I also attended Texas State University where I learned to be a programmer (not really - I actually earned a Masters Degree in Education). I have been teaching for 96 years…well, okay…maybe it’s been 19 years including a couple of years as a substitute teacher and a teaching assistant in Austin ISD.
I have three amazing dogs named Stanley, Stella, and Chestnut that I love to spend time bathing and grooming (gotcha...grooming’s the worse part!) Actually, we love to play fetch together (I catch the ball really well) and run together (sometimes they even let me off the leash!) My husband, Andrew, is a Pro Skater for the X Games. If you would like his autograph, I’m sure he would be happy to…what? Oh, yeah, okay…he is a general manager at Jason's Deli but what he should really be is a chef! He loves to cook and create new recipes. In fact, we have started a small business to sell his (soon-to-be) world famous hot sauce! I'm wondering if you like spicy foods like me?
What are my hobbies? Well, I recently performed on America's Got Talent and have a viral music video on YouTube (I wish!) Really, I just play guitar for the love of music. I write songs, play Open Mics, and just enjoy playing to relax and be creative. My favorite audience is in my classroom in front of my students. I also read...A LOT!
I have a brother named Pinocchio (wasn’t that mean of my parents? Just kidding...his real name is Timothy) and I even have real parents myself - they live in the Pacific Ocean in an underwater laboratory…oops, caught again! They actually live in Austin and San Antonio.
If you would like to know more about me, you can buy my book - it’s a best seller called “Pickled Rellis...the Incredible Journey of a Small Town Texas Girl.” Can't find it on Amazon? No worries, you will soon learn all about me when you come to class! See you soon!