Two Years of Work

I have been growing my hair out for over two years in order to donate it to "Locks of Love." Today was finally the day! In order to qualify you must not have any dye in your hair and it must be at least 10" in a ponytail. Here are the before and after photos. By the way, your haircut is free, depending on your salon, when you donate your hair.




It looked really cute when I walked out of the salon. Unfortunately my hair is so heavy that it already fell a little flat by the time I got home. Oh well. I hope it helps a kid somewhere.

At Least He Has Character

Can cats have comic timing?

New Books

We got so many gift cards to Borders that we had a spending spree a couple of days ago. I am so excited! We bought 25 new books. My classics section is growing by leaps and bounds. By the way, I am starting Heroditus's "The History" tonight. Some light reading...

Snow Days!

We have had some great snow this week. On Christmas we got about 4 inches of snow and yesterday we got about 8 inches of snow. I actually got some exercise shoveling snow twice yesterday. We spent the day inside cleaning and practicing.

Our Christmas

We had a great time during Christmas; Russ came to visit, Tom (Jack's friend from high school and Best Man at our wedding) stopped by for a visit, and we smoked a ham for dinner. Here are some photos from the past few days.

Here is the Christmas tree loaded with gifts.

Dimitri was sure that this present was for him.

We all had supper and were absolutely stuffed.

Russ gave Jack a dartboard. He LOVES it! He went to the store early this morning to buy supplies to build a backing for the board. He painted the backing and we "installed" the board tonight. We are enjoying Fuller's ESB, playing darts, and later we will watch some Monty Python's Flying Circus. I gave him the complete series.

Jack gave me a beautiful sapphire bracelet, a red sweater and some ladybug earings. Russ gave me a great jewelry box to store it all in. Our first Christmas at home was very nice.

I Love My Cat!

He loves me anyway.

Merry Christmas!

I am enjoying "A Christmas Story" right now after having a wonderful smoked ham for lunch. We are going to see National Treasure in about an hour or so. Ralphie is dreaming about having soap blindness. What a great movie! Hope you Christmas was great!

Grand Lake Christmas Music Festival

Jack and I were invited to play in Grand Lake again this year for their Christmas Cantata. We always have a wonderful time in the mountains. The people are so nice and the view is spectacular. Here are some pics of what we experienced this weekend. The temperature was down to -11 overnight and the high was aroung 24. Not bad for 8,000 feet.




























































For those of you who are trying to keep up with the Pine Beetle infestation:

Christmas Music

I am arranging, transcribing, and transposing Christmas music for my kiddos to play at their concert. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Again?

This school has been associated with three sexual misconduct incidences in the last year. They changed their name in order to hide their past. It's embarrassing to have this happening in my own city and in my own field. Of course, it is alleged sex assault. It's really not difficult to keep your pants zipped. Really.

Let it Snow!

I love the snow, especially when I can stay inside. It has been snowing for the last two days. The snow is a dusty powder-perfect for skiing. I took a trip to the bank and grocery shopping a bit ago and found out how slick everything is out there. The roads were warm when it began snowing yesterday. The result is black ice covered with a layer of dusty snow. I'm staying inside for the rest of the day.

Catnapping

Dimitri likes to be around when I practice my horn. I'm OK with him using my case as a bed, just not a litterbox.

News Headlines

I added the news headline column to the right on this site. I have found them interesting. I chose 3 sources: CNN, 9News (Denver), and AP. Does anyone else look at them or use this feature?

More Decorations

We actually put up lights outside! Last year we didn't do much decorating at all. We only put up the red and green flood lights It's a little difficult to see but there are red and green lights hanging behind the white lights above the window.

This is my 100th Post.

This is my 100th post.

Christmas Decorating

We added a little Christmas cheer to our home today. This is better than last year. We didn't put the tree up or do any decorating last year.

Weekend Plans

Jack and I are going to a friend's house to meet a new baby boy Friday night. On Saturday we will probably put out our Christmas decorations. I will make sure I post pics for all of you. Sunday will probably involve visiting with more friends. I have a planning meeting for the community group that I conduct. We are starting our season a little late due to some family emergencies for our manager/founder. What are you up to this weekend?

I had to check it out.

I'm not sure if they give this to everyone, but it's kinda fun to know. This means that you are all geniuses.

Get a Cash Advance

Winter's Here

I guess Winter is here. It had to happen sometime I suppose.

8:43 PM

I actually didn't start the 2nd coat until about 5 PM. The painting is finished! I still have to put the blinds up and the outlet covers. What do you think? If you look at the moulding you will notice that I finally gave up trying to keep paint off of it. I'll have to paint that later.

Day 2 7:58 AM

I have already gathered the garbage for the trash guys, emptied the litterbox, made coffee and eaten breakfast. After a few cups of coffee I will ready to finish the kitchen. I will post "after" pics tonight!

9:55 PM

I am quitting for the evening. I have the first coat down on all of it and a second coat on half. I need to take care of the area behind the fridge tomorrow and finish the second coat and I will be finished! It looks a lot like chocolate milk. I'm not too crazy about it, but Jack likes it really well.

3:10 PM

Officially primed!

1:02 PM

I just finished cutting in the primer. This is going to be a long day.

8:47 AM

I've had 3 cups of coffee and I have realized that painter's tape does not stick to dirt. Darn. More work to prep before I get started on the fun stuff.

Kitchen Day 1

Here are some pics of the kitchen before I began my project.

This is the evening of Day 1. The "window treatments" came from our yard wrapped in a plastic bag. I am enjoying the color. By the way, I chickened out on the red. We went with Stone Brown instead.

Friday!

One of the greatest "perks" that teachers get is the occasional mini-vacation. Friday is my last day of school until the 26th. It's not paid vacation, but it sure is handy. My brain is TIRED!

Here are my plans for this wonderful, blessed time off: Saturday I will take Jack to breakfast at his favorite Creole restaurant, Lucile's Creole Cafe, in Longmont then go to a craft fair nearby. Saturday evening will be spent celebrating the defense of Lindsey's dissertation. Go Dr. Lindsey! Sunday will most likely be spent sleeping. Jack still has school on Monday and Tuesday so we will not leave to visit family until Wednesday. I haven't decided if I want to paint the kitchen merlot (a beautiful deep ruby color) or give the house an extra special cleaning. I may wait for the painting until December. I also need to squeeze in a visit to the dentist and a physical.

I'm a horrible procrastinator. Actually, I should say I'm a very good procrastinator. I have put off the physical and dental visits for a couple of years. The painting has been put off for three years now. I have had some burn-out with painting. The white walls are starting to drive me a little crazy so I will be painting in the near future. Those are my plans, what are yours?

Idea for a school mascot: The "Puritans"

How would you like to be at this school? The combination of internet chat rooms and no PDA's will make our society very Puritan. Hmm...

Songs that pull the heartstrings

Occasionally there are pieces that the mere mention of which causes my throat to close and tears to form in the corners of my eyes. One such piece is Barber's Adagio for Strings. I was thinking about this great piece during my commute to work this morning. I felt my throat close and the tears forming as I was driving. This is definitely not the piece to think about while driving on I-25 for various reasons. Other pieces that make me unable to drive are: Un Bel di (Madame Butterfly) actually any Puccini will send me over the edge, Cat Stevens Father and Son, and any Luciano Pavarotti (because of his recent death). I don't know if I am more sensitive than the general public, but these pieces totally incapacitate me. I am not functional during and for about 1/2 an hour after listening to these pieces. Do you have works that cause you to be so lost in the emotion that you are no longer functional?

Trouble in Town

Apparently two schools in my district were closed today because of this. My school is not close to this area of town. The schools themselves are fine, it's just your run-of-the-mill SWAT situation in the neighborhood. Again, my school is fine.

I love my Ipod!

There are some really great uses for the Ipod, aside from the obvious listening to music or watching movies. Jack is using my Ipod to record his graduate classes by using a mic that plugs into the bottom of the Ipod. It records directly on to the Ipod and we can download it to our computer to share or burn to disc. This is pretty cool when you think about it from the standpoint of a music teacher. I can record auditions for kids on my Ipod, take it home and download the sound file onto my computer, then burn it to disc to send to wherever it needs to go. I can record rehearsals and concerts for later study, as well. I have stumbled upon some great Podcasts in my adventures. I have about 200 Podcasts dealing mainly with percussion and trombone-playing (David might like the trombone podcasts).

I found a pretty funny podcast called "Opera Now" (it cannot possibly be related to the British magazine of the same name). This Podcast was a strange blend of no budget and major pretentiousness. I found it humorous because these people were being so catty about different productions and singers, but the "host" kept losing the connection with the "panelists". Apparently they were having a rough day with Skype. You could clearly hear phones ringing and other distractions in the background. At least one of the panelists didn't know that she was a panelist. The host called her to ask about a production and just kept her on as an impromptu member of the panel. People kept leaving and coming back in again. I was imagining a guy in his mother's basement running his little podcast at his "command center." You should check it out in Itunes, but not too closely. Anyway...

What I need now is a video out cable that can go from the Ipod to a projector (In-Focus) and amplifier so I can show my students some of these really cool video podcasts. I won't share "Opera Now".

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone shows pictures of cute costumes soon. I will not be dressing up today. My school is anti-Halloween. I will, however, be handing out candy to strange creatures who knock on my door tonight, but only until I turn out the light. Hope you all have a wonderful time tonight.

Best Beauty Pageant Act Ever!

I'm not so hot on beauty pageants, but I believe that women should be able to make that choice for themselves. I love it when something like this happens. Forgive me if you have seen this one already.

Weekend!

Does anyone have great plans for the weekend? Jack and I are going to dinner tonight with friends to celebrate a birthday. Tomorrow we are going to our favorite BBQ place "Jim 'N Nick's" for some great ribs and chips with smoked salsa. They smoke the veggies for the salsa and it is FANTASTIC! I'll give you the update when we get back. Sunday is not planned right now. Probably house-cleaning day.

Ready for the World Series

It's the first game of the World Series. We thougt it would be fun to have some ballpark food for dinner. Although it is not healthy it sure is tasty. By the way, can you tell which dinner is Jack's?

Superbug

I have been hearing about this really nasty staph infection for a few days now. I was thinking about how prepared we really are for an outbreak. The building I work in is very old and moldy. I wonder what our poor ventillation and mold would do for an outbreak like this.

Happy Birthday Jack!

Today, Sunday October 21, is my sweety's birthday. He is 38 today and not at all worried about that looming grim reaper. He says that he would just have him over for a beer, but would avoid having the canned salmon. We have a fairly quiet day planned: homework and the Avalanche game at 4:30. We had a great lunch with friends in Greeley yesterday at Buffalo Wild Wings. We are planning to go to Jackson's Hole to watch the game and have some tasty bar food. The snow has stopped so driving should be just fine this afternoon. Hope you all are having a grand weekend as well.

Courtesy

How do you tell someone that there's something hanging from their nose without embarrassing them?

How about if their fly is down?

I know things are different for kids and adults. It's usually easy for me to tell people when they have a problem, however I find people don't always tell me when I have a problem.

I was thinking back to my job several years ago. I taught two classes with my fly down and no one told me. When I asked them about it later they said they didn't want to embarrass me. Hmm... I guess that backfired. I now have a fear of my fly being down. I have to check several times each day just to make sure that I'm not flashing people my underwear. You may think that I am being paranoid. I am not. I find my fly down about once every two months or so. I happen to wear my shirts untucked just in case I miss it. I know you're thinking "She cannot possibly miss zipping up that often". I do. Most of my slacks have two or three buttons, so I occasionally miss the zipper. When you have 2 minutes to get to the bathroom before your next class, you're going to be in a hurry. Is it too much to ask for a clue that my fly is down? Do you think that middle school students are malicious enough to let me go on in that state? I always tell people when their flies are down. What happened to Karma?

Rockies

The Rockies are headed to the World Series! They have now won 21 of their last 22 games and swept the last two teams. Very exciting.

Avalanche play tonight-probably not quite as exciting.

Rockies update

Tonight will, hopefully, be the last match-up against the Diamondbacks this season. The Rockies may sweep this series (that means they win 4 games in a row out of a possible 7). If they win, they will be going to the World Series. I have to say that no one saw that coming-ever! For some reason the Rockies decided that they would win a bunch of games in a row; 20 of the last 21 games have been wins. There is something incredible going on for them right now. GO ROCKIES!

Update

Here are some updates for everyone:
1. Still coughing, but feeling much better. It's been over a month now. I had some chest X-Rays taken to look for pneumonia. The doctor did not see it in the X-Ray, but heard it developing in my left lung. He had me take 5 days of Prednisone (sp?) but no antibiotic this time.

2. Rockies are about to sweep the Diamondbacks. We are ahead 2 games-0 in this series. This is a best of seven, I believe. They play here on Sunday, I think. If they win this series against the Diamondbacks they will go to the World Series. The Rockies have won 19 of the last 18 games. It's really neat to see them do well finally.

3. The Avalanche have won 2 and lost 2. I'm keeping the faith, however they need to keep Theodore out of the net.

4. Jack and I have been hired to play Beauty and the Beast in February. We are very excited about it.

5. I have recently been accepted into the Biltmore Who's Who. Jack has already been accepted. We are a family of Who's Who, whatever that means.

6. Jack is doing well with Grad school. He was asked to partner with one of his professors to conduct a study based on the Culture of Poverty and music. If their proposal is accepted by the University of Washington, he and his professor will present their study at a Cultural Diversity in Music Education Conference. It is rather exciting.

7. Aside from all that news above, we are actually spending the day together. We haven't had a day together since about Septemeber 7. It's really cool!

Another Sport Posting

Baseball is not my favotire sport. Having said that I am currently watching the Rockies/Phillies play game 3 of their series. I do not watch baseball regularly and do not understand all of the rules or strategies. The reason that I am watching baseball tonight is because my Grandma loved baseball and she loved the Rockies. Since this the first time that the Rockies have made the playoffs in something-like-a-decade, I felt like I needed to follow along. I used to watch Rockies games with her and laugh when she started yelling at the TV. It was similar to when she yelled at politicians on CSPAN. Anyway, it's the top of the 7th, Rockies lead 1-0 and are 2 games ahead of the Phillies in this series. Time for the 7th inning stretch. GO ROCKIES!

Doing the Duty

I was weeding my way through the three weeks of accumulated mail from my recent/current bout with Bronchitis when I spied something white, blue, and pink in the mix. I was prepared to laugh at Jack for getting the dreaded letter from our government because he hs been the one to do the duty most often, however I noticed a very familiar name under the "Legal Document: Jury Summons." My thought is always "Cool!" when I get the summons; of course I have never actually been selected. I'm sure the one time I'm selected will be some horrendous crime with lots of pictures. I'm hoping for a little embezzlement or drug posession crime. I would enjoy the process, I think, unless it had to do with some yucky, sick, souless bastard. Hey, maybe my post will automatically exclude me from the pool because of obvious bias. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Fiber is My New Friend

Warning: This is too much information. Do not read it if you are eating lunch.

Fiber has never been that important to me in the past. I always tried to make sure I was getting something, but I really didn't pay too much attention. My recent illness has made it difficult for me to be "regular" because I couldn't keep food down and everything I was/am taking is designed so I can cough junk out of my lungs. I have been drinking plenty of water, so you can understand why I might be confused over my increased irregularity. You see, I'm regularly irregular. I'm OK with that.

Yesterday, Thursday, I actually tried to do my business for the first time in about two weeks. Well, things didn't happen the way they "usually" happen. Let's leave with this: I had an unusual adventure involving Walgreens and new medications/proceedures. I had to make THREE trips to Walgreens. My dear, sweet mother, whose intestines I have apparently inherited, was trying not to give me too much info so that I would actually go through with the proceedure. She knows that I procrastinate. At one point, because I am so unfamiliar with this part of the pharmacy, I had to have a young pharmacist, hilariously nervous, help me find the right whatsit. I purchased the wrong whatsit and was very confused by the label. The label said that they added a great new lemonade flavor. I was so confused because I didn't think that I would notice any flavor additions. My dear sweet mother was laughing so hard. We were talking on the phone in between Walgreens trips. She told me to go back because I bought the wrong whatsit. It was a much more expensive whatsit than I needed. So instead of the $25 whatsit (times two), I just needed the $1.50 whatsit (times two).

So after my third trip home from Walgreens, I got to learn about a new kind of discomfort. Luckily I was by myself for the evening and could actually verbalize how uncomfortable I was without worrying my family. I did have to shut the cat out of the room. I know he was trying to be helpful, but the position I had to be in was not condusive to playing with a cat. He kept trying to rub my legs; not helpful in this position. With my head on the floor, I did get to notice just how dirty the floor is. I should probably clean that before I have house guests. The end result; it seemed to have worked out just fine. I now stock my pantry with prunes and dried cherries. LONG LIVE FIBER!!!

First day back

Today was my first day back to school. I had a small aftermath to clean up. It wasn't too bad. I am wiped out tonight, though. Let's see... Tonight I have watched "Back to You" and bits and pieces of "Two and a half men," "Family Guy,""The Simpsons," and "Friends." Now "Til Death" is on Fox. I'm not sure if I can handle this one. It seems pretty mean-spirited. I have watched more TV in the last two weeks than in the previous two months combined. Yuck. I can feel my brain oozing out my ears. I guess my tolerable shows are now "Heroes" and "Bones." I can watch "Scrubs" sometimes and a few others that I can't quite name right now. What are your favs?

Still Ill

Isn't it funny that capital i's look like lower case l's. I'm bored. I've been stuck on the couch for the last three days. I can only take so many episodes of talk shows and The Pick-Up Artist. Luckily, Heroes started up again last night. This looks like another great season.

I did have to run in to school to make copies of a test for my 8th graders today. Everyone was excited to see me, but ordered me to go back home. I assured them that I was headed that way soon. After I made the copies I watched a little of the middle school band rehearsal. Bad idea. Remember how we all treated subs when our teachers were gone? I am thankful that the kids were not swapping instruments like we used to do in middle school. I had to stop them and remind the kids that they needed to use teamwork in order to sound good and that they needed to show respect to whoever was running the rehearsal. I had to use the "I'm a little embarrassed right now" phrase to get their attention. After that, they were fine. Now I'm home coughing. At least the fever seems to be gone again. So... what terrible things did you do to subs when you were in school?

My Birthday Weekend

This weekend certainly had its good and bad parts. On Friday Jack and I met some friends for dinner at Chili's to celebrate early because they were going to see Spamalot on Saturday and the Bronco game on Sunday. We had fun. Jack and I split an order of ribs and fries.

Saturday I was feeling so good after this nasty Bronchitis that I decided to get caught up on laundry and go shopping. I bought two pairs of shoes (one brown and one black-the pairs not the shoes themselves), 3 undergarments that all women have to purchase every once in a while, 2 new tops that are super-cute, and 3 pairs of trouser socks to go with my new shoes.

Saturday night Jack made dinner and a carrot cake. He put a steak in the smoker and marinated some large Tiger Prawns, wrapped them in bacon, skewered them and put them on the smoker. Here's a few pictures of my birthday-eve dinner. Jack even sang Happy Birthday to me.

On Sunday my fever returned. Jack made me breakfast and I couldn't even eat it. So I have spent my birthday laying on the couch and sleeping all day. Not much fun, actually. Oh well. I guess some days are like that. Once again, Jack has been taking care of me. He had a rehearsal in Littleton today, but made time to run to the store to get me some Club crackers. I am incredibly lucky. I hope your weekend was better.

Avalanche Update

So far in this hockey preseason the Aves are 3-0. I know that preseason games "don't mean anything," but psychologically these wins are a sign of things to come. I am very excited about this season: we have tremendous talent in the newbies and great leadership in the vets. I know most of you do not follow hockey. I will be giving you periodic updates to let you know that there is more out there than football. I know, perish the thought.

Sicko Weekend

This was my weekend. I spent my time on the couch watching my eyelids and The Emmys. Apparently I contracted Bronchitis, with possible sinusitis, from the little petri dishes at school who have been coughing all over me for the last month. I vacillated from a low grade 99.3 fever to a steamy 102.9. I finally had enough Saturday night and went to our friendly neighborhood Wal-Mart where they have an Urgent Care Clinic, taking all major insurance companies, that was still open at 6 pm. After my pleasant chat with the Nurse Practitioner I found myself with three fun-looking prescriptions: Hydrocodone cough syrup, Azithromycin, and an Albuterol Sulfate inhaler. Unfortunately the pharmacies in Brighton are not open so late on the weekends. Jack went to Northglenn, you guessed it-about half an hour away, to find a 24-hour Walgreen's. He had an hour wait once he got there, poor guy. Luckily he brought some articles to read for his graduate school classes. I am so grateful that he was around this weekend because I was feeling pretty rotten myself. By Sunday night I was feeling much better. I actually went in to school today and felt pretty good for most of the day. My fever started to return this afternoon, but I got it down again fairly soon. I did have a good time watching the Emmys, though. It's my not-so-secret weakness to watch award shows. I have always loved the red carpet thing. I don't know why, I just do. If any of you saw the Emmys last night, we can dish. Again, I'm really glad that Jack was around. He was/is my HERO!

Jack's Rant

Check out Jack's rant under the "Peaches" posting. It was hilarious to hear him talking while he was writing that rant. He continued his rant until we went to sleep. I'm sure we will hear more about it later. It may even become a post later this week.

Indiana Jones IV

I had to check on the progress of my favorite hero, Indiana Jones, in his fourth movie. According to imdb.com the new title is "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." I'm so excited about this new movie because Marion Ravenwood, by far the best heroine of any Indiana Jones movie, is back! According to rumor, Shia LaBeouf is the love child of Indie and Marion. This is going to be great!

Happy Birthday Kelly!!!

Happy Birthday to my favorite cousin Kelly! We have had the tremendous good fortune of growing up together. I have so many fond memories of you and your family. Remember when our standard fare consisted of Cheetos (crunchy of course) and Dr. Pepper? So much fun!

I remember when we first met (I think) when your family came to visit my family in Parlin (a small town outside Gunnison). We had to have been about 3 or 4. My mom told me for weeks (it seemed like weeks anyway) that I was going to meet my cousin Kelly from Virginia. I think from that moment on I wanted to be just like you.

My dear cousin Kel, you are a beautiful person.

Your daughters are so lucky to have you for a mom. Even though we are far apart I always keep you close in my heart. Have a wonderful birthday!

Peaches!

I bought a 1/2 bushel of peaches this weekend from one of the many farmer stands in Palisade. I spent the evening tonight peeling the fuzz off the peaches and placing them in baggies to freeze. I got more than half the box processed this evening. Now I need peach recipes! Jack doesn't like peaches so it will be for me, myself, and I. YUM!

Weird Al

Last night we (Myself, Jack, Mom, Rodger) went to see Weird Al in Grand Junction. It was fantastic! I can't believe how much energy that man has after 2 decades of touring and making records. We all had a great time! He performed some of his classics such as Fat and Eat It, as well as music from his new album, Straight Outta Lynwood. It was worth the almost $50/ticket just because he didn't have an opening act. The whole 2.25 hours was Weird Al. I highly recommend checking out this latest tour, well worth seeing.

Iron Chef

Iron Chef makes me laugh. I was a huge fan of the original Japanese Iron Chef and now I love the American version as well. I once had fun watching the original Japanese Iron Chef with a Japanese guy. He didn't have the weak stomach that I have. I think it was Battle Squid or some other ocean gem. He thought everything looked so good. I could never eat some of the things they come up with. Tonight is a rerun of "Battle Ground Beef." Pizzas, Hamburgers, Tamales, Steak Tartar and meatcicles (blech) are on the menu. How gross! But I just can't look away.

CSPAN

Ok. I admit it. I'm a closet CSPAN junkie. I'm stuck home sick right now (I'm fine, no worries)and have CSPAN on the telly. I am currently watching The Ed Schultz Show. I didn't even know I could catch him on CSPAN. I have listened to him on the radio every once in a while. I know, my Conservative friends will be crushed. I even like to watch Congressional voting. I know...sick.

Here's my plan to get as much info as possible: I listen to news on my very long commute from 3 different sources, I watch some local news on TV every once in a while, I talk to a lot of people, and I check the news on the internet from different sources. I am trying to be open-minded and informed. The three radio stations I listen to are 850 KOA (Conservative, I usually have to change it when they get mean), AM 760 (Progressive, I have to change this one too when they get mean), and NPR (It really is more center than left, compared to Progressive talk especially. They are rarely mean). I check CNN and our local news venues on the internet and on TV. I feel like I can actually think for myself because I listen to so many points of view. It is really interesting to hear the spin from both sides on specific issues. They both have spin. I feel like it's my duty to wade through the muck and be an informed citizen. How do get informed?

Cannery Row

OK. So I've spent one evening starting Cannery Row. WOW! I had to read several paragraphs aloud to Jack. The opening paragraph describing Cannery Row in Monterey, California was amazing!

So far two people have killed themselves and there sure are a lot of eccentric characters. So far my favorite is Lee Chong, the grocer. I'm only on page 29 but I feel like I have known these people personally. I feel bad now about hating Steinbeck for his short story "The Pearl."

So much to read, so little time.

My book reading habits have been a little more purposeful in the past 2 years, or so. My plan is to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Here is what I have managed to consume recently (this past year):
All of the OZ books and the non-OZ L. Frank Baum books
Machiavelli-The Prince
Dante-Divine Comedy
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (much more bizarre than the classic Disney Cartoon)
The Illiad
The Odyssey
Canterbury Tales (blush)

Next up for this year is:
Cannery Row
5 Russian Short Novels
Turgenev-First Love
Dostoevky-The Eternal Husband
Solzhenitsyn-The Incident at the Krechetovka Station
Tolstoy-The Death of Ivan Ilich
Chekhov-Ward Six
Beowulf (reread before the movie comes out)
How to Read Literature Like a Professor (Will be moved to the front of the line as soon as I get it.)

On the shelf is also some Greek Tragedies, more Steinbeck, 1001 Arabian Nights, Poe, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Don Quixote, and The Sound and the Fury (Yes, I haven't read it yet). Any of these will be set aside, of course, if something resembling a book comes from Robert Jordan (sigh. I must have closure.).

I know that I may never catch up to Grandma, but I would like to be well-read. Any suggestions?

Happy Birthday Jim!

Today is my big little brother's birthday. He is taller and younger than I am so I call him my big little brother. We sure have shared a lot in our life together. Even though I don't get to see him very often I count him as my oldest and dearest friend. What I find amazing about Jim is that he has the best abilities of both our parents. He can talk to anyone about anything, just like our Dad, and he cares so very deeply for people and their well-being, just like our Mom. I am so proud and happy to be a part of his family. I love you Jim. Happy Birthday! I hope your golf game is great tomorrow.

Looking at Education

This post is partially connected to the previous post.

It seems to me, in my few years as an educator, that parents will not "put up with" as much now, in regard to teachers and discipline at school, compared to decades past. I think parents listen to their kids more now because of the abuse they went through in school. If Johnny says that a teacher did something then it must be true. The parent may not understand that Johnny was caught telling lies on the playground last week and has a grudge against the teacher who caught him. Being a teacher is immensly complicated and dangerous; that's why we have so many teachers who have liability insurance and are members of the local union. Parents need to take what their kid says with a grain of salt. Kids are getting more sophisticated about playing the system and their parents. It's true that there are some safeguards in place, hearings and investigations, but the process of going through those safeguards can ruin lives. So in the end if Johnny wants to ruin a teacher, he could do so by maintaining a lie long enough for the public to lose trust in that teacher. It's too bad that a few teachers in the past have led to this culture of mistrust in our schools.

Creative Ways to Get Fired

I have eluded to this list many-a-time in the past. My friend Shari began the list long ago when she was having difficulty with her administration. Here is just a sample of the infamous list:

Programming a "Salute to Racism" for your elementary school

Pole Dancing as an integrated unit for PE/Music (Studies show that children learn when different disciplines are integrated)

Telling Kindergarteners that "Mommy and Daddy won't love you anymore if you don't get quiet right away." (Several variations on this)

Playing "The Quiet Game" for a week after an intense Spring Break in Cancun.

Three Martini Lunches (Well actually 1 martini lunches would do it)

Having your art students create bongs during the clay unit (Nice Mother's Day gift there) (BTW this has been witnessed by Jack at a previous school-no kidding!)

Perform "South Park the Musical"

Streaking your students (A little more blatent)

Pussycat Dolls-The Field Show! (With choreography of course)

There are, of course, much less savory additions to this list. What have you seen? What would you like to add to the list?

Heckling

Have you ever wanted to spend your day heckling people? I have spent the entire day thinking of ways to heckle people on TV. I think it started when I accidentally caught the premiere of "The Pick-up Artist" on VH1. I think the characters in this show beg to be heckled as they try to learn how to pick up women from the elusive "Mystery." Yes, that's his professional name. School needs to start again. My brains are beginning to atrophy.

Dated Music?

I am interested in your thoughts about "dated music." For example, I am choosing a show about the Civil War for my 5th graders to perform. In this show is a couple of verses from "The Blue Tail Fly." What are your thoughts on this? I have mixed feelings myself. I could use some wisdom. My Principal and Academic Dean are fine with it because of the historical context. What do you think? I have the same problem with "Dixie." It is really difficult for me to perform it because of the connotation.

Blueberries!

Blueberries are in season and really inexpensive right now. What are your favorite blueberry recipes? Can it be frozen for later enjoyment?

Back From Our Travels-Again!

We had a wonderful time visiting with Jack's family before flying to Florida. Orlando was hot and sticky. We are pretty sure we won't go back to Florida in July unless there is no alternative. We spent our first day in Florida getting acclimated to our surroundings. The humidity and the heat took a little getting used to. On Monday we went to the Magic Kingdom. I think we walked about 12-13 miles that day. We actually hit all of the rides we wanted to try at least once that day. My favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom (Orlando) is Splash Mountain followed by Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Pirates of the Caribbean. Jack's favorite was Space Mountain. I think, overall, I like Disneyland more than Disney World when comparing the Magic Kingdom. My favorite ride in Disneyland is the Indiana Jones ride, which is not in Disney World. By the way, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is slightly shorter and now contains a few Captain Jack's around it. I think the additions were well-done, not like the new Tiki Room. I liked the old show better than this new show.

On Tuesday we went to Sea World. It was hot! It was humid! We had no energy that day. The dolphin and Whale show made me cry, of course. It was beautiful. We also loved the Shamu show, but it was my second favorite. We had an issue with two moms and about 6 small children behind us during the Shamu Rocks Show. The two little boys (around 2-3 years old) kept hanging on us (Yes, pulling on our shoulders to lift himself off the ground) and bumping us. One woman went to get food at the snack bar and left the kids with the other woman. One of the small boys fell off the bench really hard and the woman didn't even notice until I told her. The kid was 5 feet away from her. We were really ticked. Aside from the wackos behind us at the really late show we had a great time.

We took Wednesday off to rest and relax a little. On Thursday we went to Epcot. Epcot was really neat. I enjoyed the International shops and restaurants. We rode Soarin' twice and Mission: Mars once. Mission: Mars is a little difficult to explain. I guess we were in a simulator that spun us around like a centrifuge. We didn't see the spinning part. There was a video screen in front of us that showed lift-off, beautiful shots of space and the surface of Mars. We apparantly took on 2.5 G's. It was cool but kind of scary. I know, I'm a chicken.

On Friday we spent the day at the Kennedy Space Center and the evening in Daytona Beach listening to the London Symphony Orchestra with Marin Alsop. Here are some pics from the KSC:

The KSC was really cool, of course. There was so much I wanted to share with my cousins. The shuttle was out on the launchpad preparing for next week's launch.

Kansas City and Orlando

We get to mark another state off our list in about 5 days-Florida! We are off to meet friends in Florida for a week after we visit family in Kansas.

One of our wonderful nephews was visiting us this week and will be taken home tomorrow. We had a great time. We went to a great restaurant called Pappadeaux (Cajun), Dave and Busters, bowling, and Boondocks. We all had a great time. I can't wait until the rest of my sibling's children are ten so they can visit us too. That includes the children of my very dear cousin Kelly.

In Orlando we plan to see at least a little of Disney World (Magic Kingdom and Epcot), Sea World, maybe Universal Studios, and Daytona. What, you may ask, is in Daytona? We will have the opportunity to see, and hear, the London Symphony Orchestra with Marin Alsop! Here's the Program: Stravinsky, Firebird Suite; Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto; Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade. Marin Alsop is a great role-model for women in the music field. She is so much fun to watch. I can't wait. We sure miss her in Colorado. I will attempt to update things as much as possible throughout the next few weeks. Have a great summer, I know I am!

Cybermen, Daleks, and Shakespeare Oh My

Doctor Who is back! There's a brand new season (At least for us in the US). This is Season 3. The first two seasons were great. I suggest you check it out on the SciFi Channel here.

Small Talk

How do you start a conversation when you are at a gathering and don't know the people? I find myself in a strange situation every once in a while where people look to me to start a conversation and I just don't know what to say. How do you start conversations that are meaningful and fun?

Painting the Roses Red

While we were at the Hatton, a beautiful hotel near Chester, I saw these roses and thought "Hmm. I guess they missed one when they were painting the roses red." It looks like they dripped red paint onto the white rose.

Pictures Finale

Durham Cathedral. It was beautiful here. I wouldn't mind going to school here. The cathedral was beautiful. Unfortunately, as with most cathedrals, we weren't allowed to take pics inside.

This is Jeddburgh Abbey; another ruined abbey thanks to Henry VIII. Again, Henry VIII ordered the roof taken off and gave the stones to the people for use as building material in their own private gardens and homes.

Here we are at a segment of Hadrian's wall. This wall was built across England from the East Coast to the West Coast to keep out enemies from the north. It was apparently 8 feet high and 12 feet wide, or so. People have been dismantling the wall for building material until the 1970's when it was disignated a World Heritage Sight (I think). Feel free to correct me.

Does this place look familiar? It is called "The Shambles" and it is located in York. It was chosen to be the set for Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter movie. "The Shambles" got its name from the way that butchers would display meat on tables. The tables were called "Shambles." The buildings that jut into the road are from the middle ages. We had tea in a cute store called The Earl Grey Tea Room. It was so much fun.

This is a humorous drain at Queen's College in Cambridge. We toured the college including the dining area for the professors. It was absolutely beautiful.

And here is King's College in Cambridge.

We had a wonderful time. Of course there are several hundred more pictures. If you would like to see them all let me know. FINE