One of my favorite bloggers (thepioneerwoman.com) has been recounting in lengthy and wonderful detail the story of how she and her husband (an actual cattle rancher she calls (at least in her blog) "Marlboro Man") met, fell in love, got married.
I only wish I had the kind of detailed recall she delivers so effortlessly. For all I know, she's making the whole thing up to some extent. But, as I know someday my kids1 might like it ... and, because I think secretly Joe2 will, too ... I think I'm going to attempt some semblance of the same. (I should mention here, my asbsolute love and adoration for asides in the form of footnotes. If this bugs you, just skip 'em, they won't really propel the plot, such as it is. But, I really do kind of talk like this, full of dependent clauses and parentheticals and, well, footnotes.
And so to begin ...
The Professor and I met in college. That seems a pretty basic way many couples meet, but somehow for us it felt fated, destined, meant to be.3 Some background would probably help here.
The Professor grew up in Southeastern Pennsylvania, in a small suburban development about an hour from Philadelphia. He grew up (and still is) a complete math genius. So, naturally, he scored a perfect 800 on his math SATs. This got him an awful lot of attention from a bunch of colleges and universities all over the country. He even had full scholarships at several.
Throughout The Professor's junior year at St. Pius X, he and his mom took the obligatory College Tour roadtrips. He'd expressed absolutely zero interest in weeding through the mountain of brochures and letters, and basically asked her to pick out a few to go see. He spent most of his free time at this point playing soccer, bussing tables and singing at the Trolley Stop restaurant, and running D&D games with anyone he could find.
So they headed across the iconic PA Turnpike to Pittsburgh. The Professor had interviews set up at Pitt and CMU, who were both quite interested in his math geniosity. They showed up as scheduled at Pitt, first. From what I've been told the interview went pretty well. But, the campus tour was a complete disaster.
The Professor's not fond of cities. He'll visit DC, New York, sure. We've even lived in Philly and Pittsburgh, right in the city, all young and urban and professional (only without money). But, he's really not happy with the noise and bustle and traffic and smells and noise. Really he can't stand anything city-like, except the museums and cultural sites, or the odd historic landmark. Buses, subways and taxis, fuhgeddaboudit.
And Pitt is in a city. A big one. Sure, Pittsburgh is nothing compared to "real" inner cities like New York, LA, or even Philly. But, it's a noisy, busy, smelly city. With buses and everything. Pitt's dorms are high-rises. Academic buildings are separated by some of Pittsburgh's main thoroughfares, accessed by crosswalks and dodging lunatic city drivers. There's some greenspace, of course. But, it's not a rural or even suburban campus, by any means.
Right then and there, without even finishing the tour, The Professor just said No. So my patient Mom-in-Law suggested they head over to Carnegie Mellon for his interview and tour there.
"Is it in the city?" he asked.
"Yes, it's not far, just up the street4," she replied. (wrong answer, by the way)
"No, I'm not going," The Professor asserted. "I'm not going to college in a city."
"But, it's not like Pitt. It's gorgeous! And a great school!" She was really trying at this point, but he was the immoveable object.
So, she called and cancelled the interview with the Admissions office and the one with the Chair of the Math Department. And they turned around and drove home.
(I should mention here that The Professor would eventually attend Carnegie Mellon for grad school. In fact he not only went there, he dreamed, longed, ached3 to get in and get funding at this prestigious institution he wouldn't even deign to visit at the wise old age of 17.)
He eventually toured a few other schools, but didn't "feel the love" for any of them in particular. Based on his now firm and increasingly picky criteria, my patient Mom-in-Law came up with Allegheny College5. So, they went up for one of the Open House weekends in the early spring of '88 (early spring is decidedly not Meadville's most attractive season). As soon as he arrived, he announced he'd found his college. He didn't want to tour anywhere else. He didn't care that he had scholarships awaiting elsewhere. He didn't care that Allegheny was offering him exactly $0 in scholarships and/or grants.
Which means that, in late August 1989, the young 18-year old freshman version of The Professor arrived on campus in charming6 and historic Meadville, PA, little knowing how much his life, mind, heart and soul would change over the next four years....
--End--
1 I don't know if it represents a lack of creativity, or what, but I don't have cute blogsphere names for my hubby and kids, like Ree, Josette, and Adrienne do. I should work on that. But, then, they also have their own domain names and I don't, so maybe those issues go hand-in-hand.
2 I kind of mentally think of him as "the Professor," so I'm going to go with that for now, anyway.
3 Yes, I know that's three things that mean the same thing. In the process of re-watching the first very excellent season of The West Wing, and that's a thing they do.
4 Seriously, they're a mile apart along Forbes Avenue.
5 I really believe it says something (not sure what exactly) that just typing those words "Allegheny College" makes me fell all sort of warm and fuzzy and proud inside. I don't think it's that I met the love of my life there. I really think it's Allegheny, itself. I've met plenty of people who fell in love at college who don't seem to get the same feeling about their own alma maters. And I've also met plenty of Allegheny alums who totally get the same feeling, themselves. It's an amazing and wonderful place.
6 Hey, it's my reminiscence, just go with it.
3.13.2008
3.12.2008
ARG!
I apologize for another very brief, lacking insight into anything in particular sort of post.I'm experiencing a certain amount of frustration at one of my jobs. To the point where I actually broke down and cried.*
I can't go into details, nor do I even really want to. But, I'm really looking forward to the brief spring break I'l be taking in Texas.
--End--
* In private. And thankfully, allergy season has begun here, so my sniffly nose and red eyes will not be unusual.
3.08.2008
3.05.2008
Suspension of Disbelief
I want my kids to keep believing forever.N ever.
In Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, yes, even in monsters under the bed.*
This has been on my mind lately. I've been going through a rash of lost teeth with Matthew. And, Em expressed concern at the Easter Bunny finding us (or not) on our upcoming Easter Weekend trip to Texas.
My friend, Josette, has been dealing with this as well.**
Em honestly still seems to believe in magic. Movies like The Water Horse and The Spiderwick Chronicles and the literally dozens of hours per week she spends reading Harry Potter must be helping the cause. But, I know most of her third grade cohorts have likely moved past fat men in red suits, six-foot rabbits with bow ties, and incisor-wielding pixies. It's only a matter of time.
And I'm honestly not sure how much is actual belief and how much is covering-of-bases. She's clever enough to catch onto gravy trains ending when Imaginary Gift Bearing Entities are no longer eagerly awaited at every holiday.
Matthew, thank God, he's still in deep. He was almost traumatized at the thought that Santa might not come to see us in Colonial Williamsburg. And, he wants to go out leprechaun hunting every March. I'm hoping we get a nice warm day this weekend to do just that.
Hang on to the magic, kiddos. I'll do my best to keep the wonder in the world as long as possible for you.
--End--
*Or in our case, in the closet. Em's mattress and box spring sit right on the floor, and Matthew's bed is a giant loft/desk.dresser combo. So, no real room for monsters.
**Not a coincidence. The daughters she's writing about were born in March 1999 and June 2001, Em's and Mack's birth months, respectively.
3.04.2008
3.03.2008
Nothing Glamorous
It wasn't a wildly exciting weekend, but very satisfying.
Friday after school, Emily and I took Matthew to tap as usual. After dance class, we met Joe at the local Pizza Hut for dinner, dropped the extra car at the college and zipped up to Philly. It was Scout Night at the Philadelphia Wings. If you've never experienced indoor lacrosse ... well, I'm not sure I can do it justice. Professional indoor lacrosse makes AHL hockey look mild. I'd never seen lacrose before, nor learned the rules. And, after having seen a game ... I'm not sure there actually are any rules. Bludgeoning with sticks is par for the course, as is ramming an opponent up against the wall with your stick.
And the fans aren't any better. When the announcer called out the Wings players at the beginning of the game, the crowd was appropriately amped up and cheering. But, after each of the New York Titans players were names, the announcer paused for the fans to scream out "SUCKS!" As in ... "John Brown" -- "SUCKS!" "Tom Johnson" -- "SUCKS!" etc. Same thing when the officials were announced.
Wings goals were called out with enthusiasm, "Wings GOOOAALL!" But, Titans goals were a mumbled, barely audible, "bad guy goal."
Anyway, the Wings won, and generally speaking a good time was had by all.
Saturday morning, I went out and hit High Street begging* for gift certificates, merchandise, etc to auction off at our upcoming Blister Sisters** fund-raising events. People were pretty generous and receptive. We have a few follow-ups to make this week.
After that I buzzed back home to pick up Emily and my friends the Fantinis for the Girl Scout International Day of Thinking event. 12 troops from the surrounding community had display booths on various countries***. Snacks, crafts, girls in costume, facts. It was a well-put-together and well-attended event. I had fun and I know the girls had an absolute blast.
That night the Fantinis joined us for meatball subs and pinochle. After pinochle we played Monopoly. (Joe wants me to blog about my Monopoly trading "strategy." He mocks me openly.) Fun, but late, night.
Sunday morning we got up nice and early and went to the later church service, which made for a pleasantly leisurely morning. Yeah!
After church we met friends (the art teacher here at work and her family...her kids are in 5th and 3rd grades and are two of my students) for a Subway lunch and bowling. Matthew started out with two strikes in a row and clobbered all of us except Paul (the friend's husband).
They came back to the house afterward, which was great. They ran around in the yard and wore out the dog, who was a big hit with all the kids.
Last night we had a "Dugan Restaurant" dinner (read: everyone gets to "order" his/her own choise from the vast selection of leftovers in the fridge), followed by the first half of North by Northwest. We paused it here and there to reiterate the mistaken identity stuff for the kids, but really they kept up with it and got into it quite a lot. What an excellent movie.
And, now ... back to work for our regular week. The usual bustle and busy-ness supplemented by two dentist appointments and a trip to the orthodontist. Fun!
--End--
*Joe made several jokes about solicitation and pandering before I went out. *rolls eyes*
**The name of our Breast Cancer 3-Day team.
***Japan, Russia, India, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Madagascar, France, Egypt, the UK, West Africa, Italy
Friday after school, Emily and I took Matthew to tap as usual. After dance class, we met Joe at the local Pizza Hut for dinner, dropped the extra car at the college and zipped up to Philly. It was Scout Night at the Philadelphia Wings. If you've never experienced indoor lacrosse ... well, I'm not sure I can do it justice. Professional indoor lacrosse makes AHL hockey look mild. I'd never seen lacrose before, nor learned the rules. And, after having seen a game ... I'm not sure there actually are any rules. Bludgeoning with sticks is par for the course, as is ramming an opponent up against the wall with your stick.
And the fans aren't any better. When the announcer called out the Wings players at the beginning of the game, the crowd was appropriately amped up and cheering. But, after each of the New York Titans players were names, the announcer paused for the fans to scream out "SUCKS!" As in ... "John Brown" -- "SUCKS!" "Tom Johnson" -- "SUCKS!" etc. Same thing when the officials were announced.
Wings goals were called out with enthusiasm, "Wings GOOOAALL!" But, Titans goals were a mumbled, barely audible, "bad guy goal."
Anyway, the Wings won, and generally speaking a good time was had by all.
Saturday morning, I went out and hit High Street begging* for gift certificates, merchandise, etc to auction off at our upcoming Blister Sisters** fund-raising events. People were pretty generous and receptive. We have a few follow-ups to make this week.
After that I buzzed back home to pick up Emily and my friends the Fantinis for the Girl Scout International Day of Thinking event. 12 troops from the surrounding community had display booths on various countries***. Snacks, crafts, girls in costume, facts. It was a well-put-together and well-attended event. I had fun and I know the girls had an absolute blast.
That night the Fantinis joined us for meatball subs and pinochle. After pinochle we played Monopoly. (Joe wants me to blog about my Monopoly trading "strategy." He mocks me openly.) Fun, but late, night.
Sunday morning we got up nice and early and went to the later church service, which made for a pleasantly leisurely morning. Yeah!
After church we met friends (the art teacher here at work and her family...her kids are in 5th and 3rd grades and are two of my students) for a Subway lunch and bowling. Matthew started out with two strikes in a row and clobbered all of us except Paul (the friend's husband).
They came back to the house afterward, which was great. They ran around in the yard and wore out the dog, who was a big hit with all the kids.
Last night we had a "Dugan Restaurant" dinner (read: everyone gets to "order" his/her own choise from the vast selection of leftovers in the fridge), followed by the first half of North by Northwest. We paused it here and there to reiterate the mistaken identity stuff for the kids, but really they kept up with it and got into it quite a lot. What an excellent movie.
And, now ... back to work for our regular week. The usual bustle and busy-ness supplemented by two dentist appointments and a trip to the orthodontist. Fun!
--End--
*Joe made several jokes about solicitation and pandering before I went out. *rolls eyes*
**The name of our Breast Cancer 3-Day team.
***Japan, Russia, India, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Ireland, Madagascar, France, Egypt, the UK, West Africa, Italy
2.28.2008
Local News
Just heard this story on NPR's Morning Edition. I drive right by this preschool every morning. It's the district between the one we live in and the ones I work in.
--End--
--End--
2.26.2008
YAYYYY!
Just got the best news. I walked into school today (my afternoon job) and the principal stopped me. Please pardon the screenplay format two posts in a row.
She: I was going to call you. We're having a Science Fair at 1pm today, so we won't really need you for computer classes. But, you can see the fair and then leave early if you have somewhere else you need to be.
Me: Um...OK. [realization hits] Wait! This is perfect! My kids' Primary Grades Chorus Concert is this afternoon. I'd already told them I wouldn't be able to make it. Oh, this is perfect! Thank you!
Anyway....YAYYY!!!!!!
--End--
She: I was going to call you. We're having a Science Fair at 1pm today, so we won't really need you for computer classes. But, you can see the fair and then leave early if you have somewhere else you need to be.
Me: Um...OK. [realization hits] Wait! This is perfect! My kids' Primary Grades Chorus Concert is this afternoon. I'd already told them I wouldn't be able to make it. Oh, this is perfect! Thank you!
Anyway....YAYYY!!!!!!
--End--
2.24.2008
Gospel According to Matthew
(Dugan)He: We had water in Sunday School today. It was real water and we drank some, but I got some on my sleeve.
Me: Hmmm...water, eh?
He: Yeah, 'cause there was this lady and she used to be not-so-nice, but now she's nice. And she was getting water and Jesus said, "You can have some of my water." And He gave her a drink and she was never thirsty ever again. And she went and told everybody.
Me: Wow...Jesus had some pretty good water, huh?
He: Yeah, and it wasn't even real water. It was love. And she got some real water and she got the pretend Jesus-water, too. But we had real water in Sunday School.
--End--
2.22.2008
Photo Update Bonanza!
Let's see...January and February involved
Sasha's First Birthday
The Pinewood Derby
A Weekend in the Poconos
--End--
ps. Click on them to pop over to Picasa and read captions, see bigger images.
pps. Just got an email from our Cubmaster about this article in the local paper. Check out the picture for my two munchkins and their hand-made walking sticks.
Sasha's First Birthday
The Pinewood Derby
A Weekend in the Poconos
--End--
ps. Click on them to pop over to Picasa and read captions, see bigger images.
pps. Just got an email from our Cubmaster about this article in the local paper. Check out the picture for my two munchkins and their hand-made walking sticks.
2.20.2008
Sad Day at School
The father of one of my students died in a car accident last night. It's a very small community and a very small school and we're all shaken by it.
Extra-hug your kids tonight.
--End--
Extra-hug your kids tonight.
--End--
2.18.2008
Proud of Myself
I skied for the first time1 this past Friday. Woo, me!I know ... growing up in the Snow Belt, having access to a free place to stay in the Poconos for the past 20 years ... why haven't I skied before?
Lord knows I've wanted to. In middle school, all the cool kids hung out at Mount Pleasant2 schussing and swooshing and snow-bunnying themselves all over each other. I didn't know how to ski and missed out on so much social life, apparently. You wouldn't think it would matter, but it did. Middle school is insane like that.
And then later when I was with Joe and we'd bustle off to the Poconos whenever we wanted to3 I still didn't ski. Partly I feared looking like a complete loser in front of my boyfriend/fiancé/new husband, partly we just plain couldn't afford it. Lift passes, rentals, etc. sure add up fast.
Well, this weekend we went for it. We spent all day Friday skiing all over Jack Frost Resort up in the Poconos. I had my stubby child-like skis4 on, my ski poles at the ready. In my red Land's End squall jacket and grossly-oversized black bib snowpants I did not in any way resemble a snow bunny. But, I was out there. I made my pizza slice and "carried my food tray" and slowly got the hang of it.
First Run — was going OK, keeping my balance beautifully and even managing to steer a tiny bit when I saw Emily wipe out. The Mother Bear in me took over and I attempted to maneuver to her rescue. When this clearly wasn't working, I took a deliberate dive in order to stop somewhat near her and give her a hand. It was ugly. (my fall, that is. She was re-skied and back down the hill in no time.) I took awhile getting back up and got down the hill in short order, snowplowing valiantly coming to a complete stop about 20 yards from the lift line, so great was my fear of having too much velocity at the end. I then awkwardly waddled my way over to the line. My best friend's 9-year old daughter rode with me on the lift to show me how to do it.
Second Run — Started out really trying to concentrate on the wedge and turning with the whole upper body. Wanted to do nice wide zig-zags all the way down the hill. Fell. Three times. Once quite badly, involving skis flying off and hand throbbing and head bonking. Almost cried because the three-year olds were just whizzing down the hill and I was struggling just to get it together. And Joe had assured me, having done both, that I'd have no problem with this, as going down even small hills on cross-country skis was "way harder." (Emily was basically ignoring all instruction whatsoever and just whizzed down the hill, her 44-lb frame light enough that just plain friction slowed her neatly to a stop right before the lift line. Matthew was struggling just to stay upright for more than 30 seconds at a time. Joe was having Zero Fun dealing with Matthew. Dana and Julia whizzed down the hill and even went down the longer Blue Square level, while calling out to me helpful hints like, "Pizza! Pizza!" and "Tray! Tray!".)
After That — Eventually caught on to something right. I zigged and zagged slooo-o-owly down each hill, managing to steer around fallen skiers and even timed the slowing and stopping at the bottom of the hill closer and closer each time. Started to feel the weight on the lower leg and even to turn my skis together without maintaining the pizza slice down every run. Keep in mind this was all on the Green Circle hills. The ones with names like Snowflake and Powder Puff and Frosty. By the afternoon, we put Matthew into a group lesson so Joe could actually ski a bit. Emily continued to whisk straight down the hills paying no heed to any technique.
Finally — my last two runs of the day were down the Blue Square level hill, Ridge Run. There were a couple of nice collect-your-breath spots partway down the hill, which I took full advantage of before proceeding down the steeper portions of the run.5 I was so proud of myself and despite teasing her about it, really appreciated Dana's rooting me on the whole way down both times. Her atta-girls really helped.
And I didn't even wake up completely sore and exhausted the next day. Slightly stiff through my back, some tender knuckles and a ski-shaped bruise on one thigh from the afore-mentioned Bad Fall. Nothing major.
I'm looking forward to going again. I'd like to go without the kids so I could just concentrate on my body and what it's doing and not having to look around the monitor their potential broken bones. (by the way, I don't have any pictures of any of us in skis, as I left the camera in the house...whoops!)
--End--
1 Downhill, that is. I've cross-countried plenty of times. Used to own my own skis, in fact.
2 Later known as Mountain View. Closed in 1992.
3 Clearly this was Before Kids and certainly Before Dog
4 The Rental Ski Choosing Guy literally said, "People will laugh at you, but you'll have an easier time controlling these."
5 To be fair, I did fall down once on the second run, but it was deliberate and gentle. I had too much speed for my liking coming into the almost-level section and foreseeing a massive catastrophe on the upcoming curve, I elected to make a controlled fall (which wasn't a wipe-out, honest!) instead.
2.14.2008
Love to the Hundredth Power
Happy Valentine's Day!And ... here at Stow Creek, anyway* ... Happy 100th Day of School!
--End--
* My kids' hundredth day was back on Monday due to the vagaries of different district calendars.
2.11.2008
Monday, Monday
Actually went to be on time last night and woke up more or less on time. What a WONDERFUL feeling that is. To wake up actually rested.Of course, awake is not the same as out of bed. It was a brisk* 12° outside this morning. Even our nordic-type doggie didn't want to be out there for very long. (I checked the temps in the Poconos, where we'll be this coming weekend. A balmy 0° with a windchill of -20°**. Wooo!)
Had such a fun weekend. Friday night we hung out at home and Seth came over (which hardly ever happens anymore, as he now lives in Chicago). We did our usual Geek Night of watching torrented Torchwood and recorded Stargate:Atlantis.
Saturday we spent all day at the Belleplain State Park cabin with the Cub Scouts, intending to spend the night***. We hiked, learned knot tying (I led that workshop), cooked indoors and out, played soccer. It was a fun and tiring day. That night we decided to bug out after dinner and went to the Fantinis house for pinochle and snacks.
Sunday we had no real plans. We all woke up late and lounged around. It was a quite cold and very windy day. We finally came up with "Let's take the kids bowling." But the local lanes had leagues all day. Then we came up with, "Let's call Seth and see if he wants to bring his girls over to play with the kids." But kind of thought he might rather just hang with the girls, himself. Karma stepped in. Joe had just gotten into the shower when Seth popped in and asked, "Hey ... I'm taking the girls bowling, wanna come along?" So we went to some lanes a bit further away and had a ball. Everyone wins in Bumper Bowling! I perfected the ricochet strike.
And, if you've never played Rubberneckers with a carful of folks, I highly recommend you give it a try.
Last night was definitely the highlight of the weekend, however. We stopped by the local Five Below and bought a bunch of movie-theatre style candy boxes ($1 each!), made some popcorn, got into our jammies and ... watched Star Wars. It was the kids' first time, and they were enthralled. Even Joe and I got chills at the opening "20th Century Fox" fanfare/drumroll bit. It's just always going to be such a great movie. And, it's amazing despite never having seen it before how the kids knew most of the characters. "ooooh, that's Darth Vader!" Their favorite character was R2-D2 (although they really liked the jawas, too).
Well, back to work. Time to teach touch-typing to seventh graders.
--End--
* Understatement!
** Going to use the ° as often as possible in the post. I mean, why look up the html code for a character and only use it once?
* Understatement!
** Going to use the ° as often as possible in the post. I mean, why look up the html code for a character and only use it once?
*** We were supposed to be there Friday night, too, but it had way too clearly been a long exhausting week for all of us.
2.06.2008
Political Stuff
I'm in the running to be a Cumberland County representative to the national NEA convention in DC this summer. I'm excited about it, but not really in a rah-rah pro-union kind of way, really. In a Presidential Election year, we're sure to get the candidates. The teachers aren't a union you blow off. Not that we're the Teamsters or United Auto Workers, or anything, but ... don't mess with us. ;)
And...Chris...remember spoentaneously deciding to go to that Clinton-Gore rally in '92? Mom and Dad were out and we kind of said, "Hey did you hear about that thing?" "Yeah, wanna go?" "Um, yeah, I kinda do." So we did.
The Secret Service making folks get down off the roof of the Bob Evans. How late the bus was and then they pulled into the blasted sounds of Fleetwood Mac? You even held me up at one point (I know!) so I could see over the throng. Then after the speeches, we noticed the VIP section was becoming less-rigidly monitored and we bopped right up to the rope line.
I remember shaking hands with both the Clintons and with Al Gore, but I don't think I got Tipper. I remember people kept trying to get Gore to autograph his book, but that the Secret Service wouldn't let anybody hand him anything.
And once, working in a Philly high-rise, we legal secretaries all looked down twelve stories or so to see first-term President Clinton glad-handing pedestrians as his motorcade cruised slowly along behind him. And I've seen a few motorcades zwooosh by in DC in their insanely-fast but ridiculously orderly sort of way.
I always have thought it would be awesomely amazing to be an actual Party Convention Delegate. I looked it up today, but I think the NJ deadline for applying was back in November or December. The site was a bit unclear. I emailed them anyway, but I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed. I'll just have to sit up-front at the NEA things.
--End--
And...Chris...remember spoentaneously deciding to go to that Clinton-Gore rally in '92? Mom and Dad were out and we kind of said, "Hey did you hear about that thing?" "Yeah, wanna go?" "Um, yeah, I kinda do." So we did.
The Secret Service making folks get down off the roof of the Bob Evans. How late the bus was and then they pulled into the blasted sounds of Fleetwood Mac? You even held me up at one point (I know!) so I could see over the throng. Then after the speeches, we noticed the VIP section was becoming less-rigidly monitored and we bopped right up to the rope line.
I remember shaking hands with both the Clintons and with Al Gore, but I don't think I got Tipper. I remember people kept trying to get Gore to autograph his book, but that the Secret Service wouldn't let anybody hand him anything.
And once, working in a Philly high-rise, we legal secretaries all looked down twelve stories or so to see first-term President Clinton glad-handing pedestrians as his motorcade cruised slowly along behind him. And I've seen a few motorcades zwooosh by in DC in their insanely-fast but ridiculously orderly sort of way.
I always have thought it would be awesomely amazing to be an actual Party Convention Delegate. I looked it up today, but I think the NJ deadline for applying was back in November or December. The site was a bit unclear. I emailed them anyway, but I'm pretty sure that ship has sailed. I'll just have to sit up-front at the NEA things.
--End--
2.05.2008
2.01.2008
Teacher Insight
Billy, when you grow up, you're either going to be governor or get in a lot of trouble. It all depends on whether you learn when to talk and when to keep quiet.--Sixth-grade teacher Kathleen Schaer to Bill Clinton, as recounted in My Life
--End--
1.29.2008
Sticker Shock!
Been working our various paperwork through TurboTax in anticipation of filing our taxes.For those unfamiliar with TurboTax, let me clarify a key point. As you work through the questions, a running tally in the corner lets you know how much your refund (in bright cheerful green text) or taxed due (in menacing deep scarlet) will be. Throughout the past few weeks, our refund has been hovering at around $2,000. Although it's varied plus or minus a coupla hundred bucks or so, it's always been there, staring me in the face.
Until this afternoon.
Joe brought home his W-2, and I rushed downstairs to enter it, eager to e-file our taxes and get our two grand.
What is it they say about counting one's chickens?
Apparently our various deductions (like mortgage and student loan interest) and our combined income increases (I'm now working .7 time not .5 time on the teacher salary scale.) have affected our tax situation more than I'd anticipated.
We now owe roughly $1,200, give or take a couple more pieces of data still outstanding.
Bummer. Guess we had the money all along throughout the year, rather than loaning it, interest-free, to George Bush. But still, I always did like me some tax refund.
TurboTax should hold your result in secret until you're all done and click "SHOW ME THE MONEY!" Then you aren't building up for something you're not really entitled to, yet.
--End--
1.28.2008
Seeking Donations
All right, just about anyone who knows me already knows I'll be hitting them up (if I haven't already) for monetary donations in support of my repeat-walking the Breast Cancer 3-Day this October.
What you may or may not know is that I'm currently seeking actual donated items/gift certificates/gift baskets/autographed loot/etc. for use in a silent auction at the big Beef & Beer dinner my team is hosting in late April.
The Philadelphia Eagles donated a 75th Anniversary of the Eagles Donovan McNabb autographed football (wooo!) and that inspired me to randomly e-mail celebrities in search of donations. I was giddy with power! In any case, Bobby Flay's people and the Charm City Cakes people both declined.
So, if you know anyone famous. Or know anyone who might know anyone famous. Or know anyone...ad infinitum...please pass the word.
Or, if you just happen to want to put together something for us to silent auction, it would be most appreciated. I'm really hoping to get a local car dealer to give us a one-year car lease or something. Or to get a big TV. Looking for something big-ticket to catch people's attention.
Thoughts?
--End--
What you may or may not know is that I'm currently seeking actual donated items/gift certificates/gift baskets/autographed loot/etc. for use in a silent auction at the big Beef & Beer dinner my team is hosting in late April.
The Philadelphia Eagles donated a 75th Anniversary of the Eagles Donovan McNabb autographed football (wooo!) and that inspired me to randomly e-mail celebrities in search of donations. I was giddy with power! In any case, Bobby Flay's people and the Charm City Cakes people both declined.
So, if you know anyone famous. Or know anyone who might know anyone famous. Or know anyone...ad infinitum...please pass the word.
Or, if you just happen to want to put together something for us to silent auction, it would be most appreciated. I'm really hoping to get a local car dealer to give us a one-year car lease or something. Or to get a big TV. Looking for something big-ticket to catch people's attention.
Thoughts?
--End--
Whooosh, the Weekend's Over
Some weekends go by faster than others. This one flew by. It was OK, though, I guess. We did a lot of good stuff.
Saturday morning we sort of chilled out a bit. I distributed cookies for two Saturday cookie booths around the area the night before. So I just had to get one more booth set up and checked out on Saturday morning. Then I got my own cases of cookies together and headed to the mall. We had a very cushy (and successful) cookie booth at Boscov's. Indoor cookie sales! Yeah! We sold 111 boxes of cookies in two hours. Wooo!
After the booth, I came home and recounted all the cookies and money I received from the morning's cookie booths. And from our own cookie booth. It took me a couple of hours to get everything tallied up and finished. Then the fourth of Saturday's booths check in. Another half an hour to tally up that one. Then a couple of moms came over to pick up cookies for Sunday cookie booths.
So, all told ... Saturday was pretty much swept up in dealing with cookies. Oh, and I made a giant pot of bean soup. Yum!
Sunday I just wasn't in the mood to go to church. I know that's a terrible thing to do. But, Saturday was so busy and I felt like we had to do a bunch of stuff and that I just didn't want to yank a few hours out of my morning right off the bat. Not a good plan, I know, but ...well. It's done now.
So, I went to Home Depot and got supplies for a Cub Scout project. Dropped the dog off to be groomed. Bought some new hiking shoes. $15. Yay! I bought some stuff at the Five-Below store. They had the coolest bin of novelty type socks for only a dollar. ("Can't go wrong for a dollar," as Jim Kiley used to say.) I bought way too many pairs. But fun socks are a treat I have trouble resisting.
Groceries at BJs (I avoided the food sample lady. Whew!). Then back to pick up the dog. I had fun watching her get all brushed out and combed. She was SUCH a good doggy. I was so proud to have the best-behaved dog in the joint.
Back home and we vegged awhile before our friends came over at 4. We went with them to a fundraising dinner, leaving all the kids with a sitter. Back to our house for pinochle. (Yeah, we live the high-life, I tell ya. We're pinochle fiends.)
In other news, Joe and I are quite hooked on 30 Rock lately. With the dearth of non-reality programming since the writers went on strike, we've been downloading other shows we never really watched the first time around. We have all the past episodes of 30 Rock and have just finished the first season. The show is brilliant. We regularly laugh out loud and skip back to re-watch bits. Who knew Alec Baldwin was capable of such comedic timing. And Tina Fey is just amazing. I'd love to have lunch with her. Except she already just about makes me pee, just watching her. I can't imagine how funny she is in person.
Actually got up at 6 this morning with no alarm clock mishaps or bad dreams. Even worked out before I headed to school. So far, the week is good.
--End--
Saturday morning we sort of chilled out a bit. I distributed cookies for two Saturday cookie booths around the area the night before. So I just had to get one more booth set up and checked out on Saturday morning. Then I got my own cases of cookies together and headed to the mall. We had a very cushy (and successful) cookie booth at Boscov's. Indoor cookie sales! Yeah! We sold 111 boxes of cookies in two hours. Wooo!
After the booth, I came home and recounted all the cookies and money I received from the morning's cookie booths. And from our own cookie booth. It took me a couple of hours to get everything tallied up and finished. Then the fourth of Saturday's booths check in. Another half an hour to tally up that one. Then a couple of moms came over to pick up cookies for Sunday cookie booths.
So, all told ... Saturday was pretty much swept up in dealing with cookies. Oh, and I made a giant pot of bean soup. Yum!
Sunday I just wasn't in the mood to go to church. I know that's a terrible thing to do. But, Saturday was so busy and I felt like we had to do a bunch of stuff and that I just didn't want to yank a few hours out of my morning right off the bat. Not a good plan, I know, but ...well. It's done now.
So, I went to Home Depot and got supplies for a Cub Scout project. Dropped the dog off to be groomed. Bought some new hiking shoes. $15. Yay! I bought some stuff at the Five-Below store. They had the coolest bin of novelty type socks for only a dollar. ("Can't go wrong for a dollar," as Jim Kiley used to say.) I bought way too many pairs. But fun socks are a treat I have trouble resisting.
Groceries at BJs (I avoided the food sample lady. Whew!). Then back to pick up the dog. I had fun watching her get all brushed out and combed. She was SUCH a good doggy. I was so proud to have the best-behaved dog in the joint.
Back home and we vegged awhile before our friends came over at 4. We went with them to a fundraising dinner, leaving all the kids with a sitter. Back to our house for pinochle. (Yeah, we live the high-life, I tell ya. We're pinochle fiends.)
In other news, Joe and I are quite hooked on 30 Rock lately. With the dearth of non-reality programming since the writers went on strike, we've been downloading other shows we never really watched the first time around. We have all the past episodes of 30 Rock and have just finished the first season. The show is brilliant. We regularly laugh out loud and skip back to re-watch bits. Who knew Alec Baldwin was capable of such comedic timing. And Tina Fey is just amazing. I'd love to have lunch with her. Except she already just about makes me pee, just watching her. I can't imagine how funny she is in person.
Actually got up at 6 this morning with no alarm clock mishaps or bad dreams. Even worked out before I headed to school. So far, the week is good.
--End--
1.26.2008
Subconscious Stress
I started working full-time again yesterday for the first time in a couple of years. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but really overall I wasn't feeling too bonkers over it.Or was I?
The Friday-morning alarm was set for 6a.m., an hour earlier than our rising time for the past three or more years. Whenever this happens, I go through the inevitable multiple wake-ups through the night.
"Was that the alarm?"
"Did I miss it?"
Or the ever-popular wake with a startle reflex, "Whaaa???" "Rrrrgghhhhhmpppphhh" (That second one was Joe's response.)
I was kind of prepared for this. It always happens to me when I know I have to get up extra-early from something important. I have a hard time falling asleep the night prior, and then I anxiously reawaken multiple times hoping I haven't screwed up.
Yeah, I have issues.
But this time I had an added bonus -- multiple-and-various-nightmares-and-not-quite-nightmares-but-still-awfully-
disturbing-dreams. And, just because I know you all have been waiting with bated breath for an opportunity to psychoanalyze me a la Freud or Jung, here are the abstracts.
Emily Death by Truck -- So I'm in my house, and for some reason I have this sort of prescient vision. I am indoors, but can clear-as-a-bell "see" what's happening outside as well. I'm not looking through a window. Anyhoo, various neighborhood children are running amuck in the yard and front ditch, which is flowing nicely after a recent rain. Emily, for some reason, is playing in the ditch on the opposite side of the dirt road (which has in reality been paved since 1991, but was dirt the whole time I lived at home). In my dream-mind, I see her clearly. And I dream-mind holler at her to "Get out of the ditch! Get back in the yard!" She immediately begins to climb out of the ditch and starts up onto the road. When I dream-mind-see a beat-up pickup truck heading down the hill. It's veering around and is quite unsteady and heading for my kid. I dream-mind scream at her, "Get down! Emily, get back down! Duck!!!" And just as the truck careens right at her...
I wake up. Breathing heavily. Joe wakes up, too, and I insist he go check on Emily to make sure she's breathing. I'm too terrified to move. She's fine of course. I slip back to sleep eventually and wind up with ...
Marvel X-Men Wanna-Be -- I'm some sort of mutant in the Marvel X-Men universe. I'm at Professor Xavier's school and everything. But apparently my mutation isn't quite useful and powerful enough to qualify me for impending X-Men-dom. I no longer remember what that ability was, but it was something along the lines of being able to smell really well, like 100-times a bloodhound. Or maybe it was something having to do with really remembering song lyrics. In any case, I kept bugging the actual X-Men and professors with unlikely scenarios in which my "powers" would be useful, if not indispensable.
I think I just sort of woke up with a "Wha?" and tossed around a bit before winding up in the next dream.
Saved from Gunpoint by the UPS Man -- Joe and I are coming home* one day. No children. Not sure if they're away, or this is meant to be pre-kids. We pull into the driveway in front of the house and start to go up the porch steps. A van pulls in behind us kind of diagonally, more than blocking the driveway behind the car. Some cliche' A-team style hillybilly-type Redneck hoodlums get out of the van (I think there were four of them.), and wave guns at us. They gun-gesture us to separate. Now I'm up on the porch with a guy, there are a couple of guys on the ground. And another guy has Joe over to the side. They're preparing to do their worst to me, while Joe watches helplessly, when a UPS truck pulls in. The guns are stowed quickly with muttered orders not to give anything away. So, the UPS guy comes up to us, a bit suspicious, but it's clear he's not sure what to do. Nothing built-up to any seriously about-to-die moment, but I did wake up while everyone sort of nervously dithered about and the gun guys got clearly more freaked.
Almost done ... only a couple more. I promise these all occurred between four and six a.m. yesterday.
Rude Awakening -- I wake up in my dream to the smell of breakfast cooking and voices downstairs.** Joe wakes up beside me (again with him in my dream, when I swear he's never in my dreams unless one of us is out of town). We head downstairs in our pajamas (which are generally pajama bottoms and a T-shirt for me, fleece pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt for Joe). Joe sees his brother. "John!" he calls, thrilled. They pound-the-back-man-hug. Then I see Joe's mom and his Aunt Rona sitting and talking. (I think Aunt Rona has set foot in my house in the 14+ years I've had my own household exactly once. She's not the type of person I'd want seeing me (or my house) in early-morning disarray. And then I come down and see my mom and dad (who live 8+ hours away and wouldn't really just pop in), in the kitchen making breakfast. Joe is completely nonplussed and greets everyone. I stand on the steps more than kind of horrified.
The alarm goes off at this point, and I'm so exhausted and wrung out, I do something I never do. Hit the snooze button and collapse briefly back to sleep.
The Birds -- Hitchcock references aside, I don't really have a bird fear. I find giant flocks of anything wheeling around in the sky absolutely fascinating in a fluid dynamics sort of way. My drive to work regularly passes feeding flocks of snow geese numbering in the many thousands. Astonishing numbers of rather-large birds. They're gorgeous. Back to the dream ... Joe (again!) and I are driving in a pickup truck and I sort of dream-muse that I could be in the same truck that earlier there-but-for-the-grace-of-waking-with-a-start ran down my first-born. We're driving down a dirt/gravel road when we see a bunch of birds ahead. They're sitting on and around the road and flying about a bit, trying to settle or something. The birds are definitely agitated a bit and not just feeding peacefully. They're everywhere and Joe is swerving a bit trying to avoid them. A few hit the windshield or are run under the truck. It's pretty scary and icky. All we can see are feathers and beaks and they're everywhere. At first they're snow geese, but then I dream-remember that snow geese don't live in Northwestern Pennsylvania*** and they instantly become seagulls. Hundreds and hundreds of seagulls. And we can't see and we're swerving, and I know there's a hill coming up and we're picking up speed, and the truck catches briefly in the looser gravel at the side of the road, by the ditch. And at this point I just know we're in the truck that's about to hit Emily.
And, I wake up.
By this point, I just get up and get ready for work. I'm shaken, and both mentally and physically wiped out. It was a horrible night (morning).
Work went well, though. I was supposed to be given a tour of the new school and getting to know the lay of the land, and I wound up teaching two classes cold. And I did fine. And I'm really not scared. Or stressed out. Really.
And during the commute home I saw a wheeling pair of bald eagles. They do live around here, but it's still a rare and beautiful sight.
--End--
* If by "my house" you mean my parents' house. In my dreams, I rarely, if ever, dream about the here-and-now. Joe is VERY seldom in my dreams unless we're apart by miles and miles. I don't dream about this house I live in. When I have a dreamland-house, it's my parents' house, where I grew up. Fly that one up the flagpole and see what happens, wanna-be shrinks!
** My parents house is a ranch, so no "downstairs." But, this still wasn't my actual house. I don't know whose house I commandeered for this dream setting. I don't recognize it. But it had a wrought iron stair rail, so there you go.
***Which is where my parents live. So, I guess it really is the same truck as before. I dream run-over my own child. Freud would be giving me a whole chapter in Die Traumdeutung at this point.
1.22.2008
Flight of the Hamsters
1.21.2008
Williamsburg Pictures
I've uploaded these in a couple of ways .... the really brief Highlights Album and the I-Can't-Believe-I-Ate-the-Whole-Thing version. The Highlights are also Slide-showing here for your convenience. There are quite a few good shots in the big album, too. So stop on by for more Dugan family Christmas getaway to Virginia's Historic Triangle goodness.
--End--
--End--
1.20.2008
Livin' in a Rock-n-Roll Fantasy*
Tip 'o the Fendercaster to Josette for this one (Go now and read her blog. A lot. Very funny and smart lady she is. And her post on this meme is too much.).
OK, I must have been just about the only young kid who never really fantasized about starting a rock band. Probably 'cause I didn't really know anyone who even had a guitar. Or drums. Or could sing.
But I've always enjoyed bits about rock bands. Like Spinal Tap. Or Walken needing "more cowbell." Or wondering what it would be like to be interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air after the release of my comeback album.
If you've wondered, too ... then this is the meme for you. Three steps.
First, click here. The first article title is the name of your band.
Second, click here. The last four words of the last quote are the name of your album.
Finally, click here. The third picture is your album cover.
So, to the world ... I present ...
Which was so successful that I decided to ditch those other arthouse losers so I could go bigtime with my new group and fitting awesome album...
Finally, after years off the radar (Terry Gross, if you're reading this, perk up and pay attention), I'll go acoustic, change my name and head out on the road with my comeback offering.
* Apologies to The Kinks for even vaguely associating them with this.
OK, I must have been just about the only young kid who never really fantasized about starting a rock band. Probably 'cause I didn't really know anyone who even had a guitar. Or drums. Or could sing.
But I've always enjoyed bits about rock bands. Like Spinal Tap. Or Walken needing "more cowbell." Or wondering what it would be like to be interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air after the release of my comeback album.
If you've wondered, too ... then this is the meme for you. Three steps.
First, click here. The first article title is the name of your band.
Second, click here. The last four words of the last quote are the name of your album.
Finally, click here. The third picture is your album cover.
So, to the world ... I present ...
L'Ultima Burba and our debut album Better Class of Enemy
Which was so successful that I decided to ditch those other arthouse losers so I could go bigtime with my new group and fitting awesome album...
999 presents Triumph in Every Adversity
Finally, after years off the radar (Terry Gross, if you're reading this, perk up and pay attention), I'll go acoustic, change my name and head out on the road with my comeback offering.George Hunt, It Got Even Stronger
--End--
* Apologies to The Kinks for even vaguely associating them with this.
1.17.2008
My Brother Used to Make Me Cry
... but, not in the way you might think.I mean, sure Chris spent a certain portion of our childhood trying to torture me in those particular ways only a sibling can. He knew all my weak spots. He knew he could nail me to the wall with a comment about my weight, lack of a boyfriend, my nose (God, I hated my nose!). And he definitely knew how to make me cry.
And I gave it right back. I was downright cruel more than once.
My mom's philosophy on sibling dynamics was rather laissez-faire. (I don't really know dad's philosophy. He generally left that sort of thing to mom.) More than once I remember her telling me that I'd better treat Chris well, or I'd really get it once he "was bigger than [I]." She pretty much let me dig my own eventual grave through torturing him, figuring I'd get mine when he eventually hit a growth spurt.
Unfortunately for him (and for me ... and more so, for us), that didn't really happen until way, way too late. Through the flukeyness of genetics, Chris didn't hit his adult height until quite late. By then I was in college. We were both much, much too old to really haul off and clobber one another. And, even more than that ... we were really much too distant to really care so much what the other of us was doing. We had too little contact with each other to get all that worked up. We had our own worlds and they didn't revolve around our parents' yard or living room anymore.
But, back to the childhood part of this story.
Mom would pretty much let us haul off and clobber each other, even when it was very clear that I had reach and weight on Chris. I used to pound him (when I could catch him. Chris was, and I'm sure still is, way faster than I.). He used to fill me with such animal rage that I would just want to beat on him.
I have a very distinct recollection of what I think is the very last time I ever physically fought my brother. I don't know how old we were precisely, but I remember it was warm and sunny. Lots of light was coming in through the big front picture window. I was on top of Chris, holding him down on the floor and just shaking him and pinning him down. It was horrible. I'm appalled now. Must be twenty-five or so years later. I'm disgusted. I don't remember what I was mad about. But I was filled with rage. Then something inside me shifted. I remember exactly what went through my head. It was like a clear voice in the chaos of my emotion.
"This is my brother. I love him. What am I doing? How could I be doing this? What kind of horrible person does this?"
I burst into tears and ran to my room. I sobbed for a long time, I think. I remember still sitting in there when the sky was getting dark. I remember I'd had those sorts of gut reactions before, "What am I doing? I don't actually hate him." But nothing to this degree. I don't think I ever really laid a hand on him again.
We're not exactly bosom buddies now. I don't think either of us would necessarily call the other one up all that often just to talk. But, we have a better understanding, I think. We keep up with each others' lives through our blogs, and we do talk on the phone every now and then. I love my brother and I know he loves me, too. We've worked all that out.
But, does a child inherit the sins of a parent?
Matthew tried to sell out Emily tonight. He'd been punished for something and tried to get Emily in trouble, too. I don't think she'd done what he'd said. He just didn't want to suffer alone. And she heard the whole thing. She heard him working to convince me to punish her. It broke my heart.
I've always tried to raise the two of them to be a team, to be unified even if that unity is "against" Joe and I. Someday they won't have us anymore, but I want to make sure they have each other. Against the world, if necessary. It's working, mostly. They're way closer than Chris and I were at the same ages.
But when they face off against each other, or really deliberately try to hurt each other -- emotionally or physically -- it takes me right back to that moment on the living room floor in the sunshine. And my heart hurts.
--End--
1.13.2008
Tag, I'm It
Well, Adrienne tagged me, so here goes.
Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you've written. But there is a catch:
My friends. While, not much actually about friends, themselves. This is all about planning an event to hang with friends. I just love to have folks over here to the house for food and hanging out.
Me, me, me (ME!) I just can't resist redirecting back to this goofy cartoon.
What I love. Is naming my husband the thing I love too cliché? Well, then take this one. I just love Christmas Tree Day.
Anything and everything.
Tagging Chris, Kristin, Lisa. I don't really know who else ever reads my blog or blogs themselves. How sad is that? I need some stinkin' readership. ;)
--End--
Go back through your archives and post the links to your five favorite blog posts that you've written. But there is a catch:
- Link 1 must be about family.
- Link 2 must be about friends.
- Link 3 must be about yourself, who you are... what you're all about.
- Link 4 must be about something you love.
- Link 5 can be about anything you choose.
Post your five links and then tag five other people. At least TWO of the people you tag must be newer acquaintances so that you get to know each other better.
My family. I still think of the pictures I took that day and smile, just thinking about them.My friends. While, not much actually about friends, themselves. This is all about planning an event to hang with friends. I just love to have folks over here to the house for food and hanging out.
Me, me, me (ME!) I just can't resist redirecting back to this goofy cartoon.
What I love. Is naming my husband the thing I love too cliché? Well, then take this one. I just love Christmas Tree Day.
Anything and everything.
Tagging Chris, Kristin, Lisa. I don't really know who else ever reads my blog or blogs themselves. How sad is that? I need some stinkin' readership. ;)
--End--
1.12.2008
DIY Inventions
Some of these are quite clever. And what's even more fun ... the German names for them.I like "Sommerpedale."
--End--
Gang War
There have been six shootings in Millville so far in 2008. Six! In a city of under 30,000 (more data here). Apparently the Bloods and Crips are warring.
We don't hang out in downtown Millville, where these shootings are happening, too much. But, our church is right in the center of this area. It's one of those old downtown churches and the neighborhood around it has changed quite a bit in the last hundred years, even the last fifty.
It's scary. We have some decisions to make in the next year-ish, anyway. Now that I'll be working full-time, we can really start to look for the house (and school district) we want to settle into forever.
--End--
We don't hang out in downtown Millville, where these shootings are happening, too much. But, our church is right in the center of this area. It's one of those old downtown churches and the neighborhood around it has changed quite a bit in the last hundred years, even the last fifty.
It's scary. We have some decisions to make in the next year-ish, anyway. Now that I'll be working full-time, we can really start to look for the house (and school district) we want to settle into forever.
--End--
1.10.2008
Stuff in My Life
So, there's not really a bunch of exciting stuff going on to blog about, but sometimes even the ordinary can be moderately interesting. Or at least I'll keep telling myself that.
This week on the calendar (besides work and school, or in my case (and Joe's) work at school) includes the following ...
Sunday - a Parents Meeting for Brownies. This was ostensibly to go over the upcoming Cookie Sale and get some ideas for the spring calendar. We were also supposed to go over the guidelines and policy changes.
Monday - I dashed out first thing in the morning to run over to LabCorp. It's always refreshing to have someone draw blood from your arm before you've even had a chance to eat anything. And before the sun's even up. Kind of makes those phlebotomist/vampire analogies all the more obvious. Monday night was Cub Scouts. Joe was available to come, so I convinced him to basically run the whole meeting. He did a great job with my Tiger Cub den. The boys earned their Mathematics beltloop. Fun! I only had my four die-hard scouts there -- (I kid you not) Matthew D., Matthew K., Matthew W., and Dylan.
Tuesday - I spent an hour browsing through the local Goodwill, and came away with 8 fabulous designer shirts and 2 skirts for about $30. Although now I'm trying on the shirts in less of a rush, and they seem a bit tight across the chest. Ick. Joe says they're OK, but I don't like them for work. Maybe in another 10 pounds. Then I had a meeting at church. I'm the secretary of the Board of Trustees (oooh, aaah) of the preschool. It should have been quick and simple, but it seems the staff is getting disgruntled and gossipy (again) and we're having to deal with immature and snipey complaints. Ick. So I got home just in time to scarf down tacos (thanks, Joe!) with the family, before Joe and Emily left for her community chorale practice. I typed up Board meeting minutes and hung up my "new" clothes.
Wednesday - Wednesday we had to go to Emily's Piano Party at 5pm. Her piano teacher used to have big recitals wat the end of the year (way before Emily started taking lessons), and found he wound up with way to many kids getting panicky and vomiting. So, every three months or so, he gets all the students together to play a few songs each for each other and share some snacks. He picks a composer each time and each student reads a fact. Then he usually plays a DVD of someone astounding playing something by said composer. It's casual and kind of fun. Only it wasn't on Wednesday. They're always on Wednesday. Em's been taking lessons for three years, and they're always on Wednesday. Except this week. We showed up at 5, and he told us it was moved to Thursday night. He'd forgotten to tell us, since Em missed her lesson last week while she was away at Grandma and Grandpa's. So, back home to make dinner (which was a very yummy honey-mustard glazed chicken).
Tonight - The aforementioned piano party is now tonight. I left my plate of chocolate chip cookies last night, so I just have to get the kids and myself there on-time. Then I have a Girl Scout Community Cookie Training Meeting at 6:30. In between, I have to whisk the kids to my friend Dana's house. We'll eat some pizza together and then take off for the meeting, while her nephew babysits the assorted kiddos. We have to go pick up the other troop leader and get to our meeting. (I'm not a troop leader, but I'm am reprising my role as the troop Cookie Mom. Since we've added girls to the troop, it will be substantially more cases of cookies than last year.) This is all complicated a bit by the resumption of Joe's Ph.D. classes tonight. He'll be home around 10pm.
Friday - I have my "annual" (read: when I've waited long enough that they will no longer phone-in sinusitis antibiotics for my when I fall ill each fall) physical (hence the bloodwork last Monday). I expect everything to be OK. In fact, as I'm 30+ pounds lighter than my last physical, they should be quite pleased. I'm hoping my cholesterol is still good. Joe will be picking the kids up from school about 15 minutes early to whisk them both to the Arts of the Dance studio. We're going to see if Matthew likes tap. So, he's going to meet half an hour with the instructor before the 4:30 class starts. Also, I asked a coworker to bring her family over for dinner tomorrow night, but their bi-weekly synagogue has been rescheduled for then, so we'll have to try another time.
Saturday - I'm hoping to get up and go to my early morning Weight Watchers meeting. I haven't been to a meeting since at least Thanksgiving. And it's not good. The scale is creeping. At first I didn't go because I thought I had a handle on finishing my weight loss on my own. Then I didn't go because early Saturdfay mornings is a rough time. Then I didn't go because it was the holidays and life got busier and more sleepless (making Saturday mornings an even rougher time). Then I just got ashamed of going back and weighin in with an additional 5-7 pounds on the scale. I'm back down to the additional 5, rather than the additional 7. And I need to get refocused. So, I really oughta return to the routine. My resolution is to hit goal by my birthday (April 21).
Upcoming - It looks like I'll be starting a full-time teaching schedule starting Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day. YAY! This us huge. Huger than this tiny mention at the bottom of a post really warrants. Stow Creek School will be hiring me full-time and sort of leasing me out four afternoons a week to a neighboring district. It's incredib;y flattering to be wanted this much by my principal. And it's very exciting to be getting full-time pay and benefits without the headaches involved in being back in my own classroom full-time.
Woo!
Also, I need to clean out the garage to make room for cookies. The upstairs bathroom needs more than a lick and a promise. And, my fridge is getting a little bit strange inside. I have to do a dumping out weird containers of stuff session and scrub all the shelves (I wonder if they'll go in my dishwasher). Plus, I need another triup to Goodwill. This time for pants and jeans. And maybe more skirts. I kind of like skirts, lately, though freezing to death during recess duty haskind of shelved them for a few months.
I never know how to end this sort of post. It's a sort of "That's All Folks" sort of feeling. But I always feel like the writing should build to something, some sort of nifty and clever circular closure harkening back to my first or second paragraph. But, frankly, I got nothin'. I hope your own lives are scheduled and not overscheduled. Mine's walking that line right in between, atleast until Joe's spring semester starts on the 22nd.
--End--
This week on the calendar (besides work and school, or in my case (and Joe's) work at school) includes the following ...
Sunday - a Parents Meeting for Brownies. This was ostensibly to go over the upcoming Cookie Sale and get some ideas for the spring calendar. We were also supposed to go over the guidelines and policy changes.
Monday - I dashed out first thing in the morning to run over to LabCorp. It's always refreshing to have someone draw blood from your arm before you've even had a chance to eat anything. And before the sun's even up. Kind of makes those phlebotomist/vampire analogies all the more obvious. Monday night was Cub Scouts. Joe was available to come, so I convinced him to basically run the whole meeting. He did a great job with my Tiger Cub den. The boys earned their Mathematics beltloop. Fun! I only had my four die-hard scouts there -- (I kid you not) Matthew D., Matthew K., Matthew W., and Dylan.
Tuesday - I spent an hour browsing through the local Goodwill, and came away with 8 fabulous designer shirts and 2 skirts for about $30. Although now I'm trying on the shirts in less of a rush, and they seem a bit tight across the chest. Ick. Joe says they're OK, but I don't like them for work. Maybe in another 10 pounds. Then I had a meeting at church. I'm the secretary of the Board of Trustees (oooh, aaah) of the preschool. It should have been quick and simple, but it seems the staff is getting disgruntled and gossipy (again) and we're having to deal with immature and snipey complaints. Ick. So I got home just in time to scarf down tacos (thanks, Joe!) with the family, before Joe and Emily left for her community chorale practice. I typed up Board meeting minutes and hung up my "new" clothes.
Wednesday - Wednesday we had to go to Emily's Piano Party at 5pm. Her piano teacher used to have big recitals wat the end of the year (way before Emily started taking lessons), and found he wound up with way to many kids getting panicky and vomiting. So, every three months or so, he gets all the students together to play a few songs each for each other and share some snacks. He picks a composer each time and each student reads a fact. Then he usually plays a DVD of someone astounding playing something by said composer. It's casual and kind of fun. Only it wasn't on Wednesday. They're always on Wednesday. Em's been taking lessons for three years, and they're always on Wednesday. Except this week. We showed up at 5, and he told us it was moved to Thursday night. He'd forgotten to tell us, since Em missed her lesson last week while she was away at Grandma and Grandpa's. So, back home to make dinner (which was a very yummy honey-mustard glazed chicken).
Tonight - The aforementioned piano party is now tonight. I left my plate of chocolate chip cookies last night, so I just have to get the kids and myself there on-time. Then I have a Girl Scout Community Cookie Training Meeting at 6:30. In between, I have to whisk the kids to my friend Dana's house. We'll eat some pizza together and then take off for the meeting, while her nephew babysits the assorted kiddos. We have to go pick up the other troop leader and get to our meeting. (I'm not a troop leader, but I'm am reprising my role as the troop Cookie Mom. Since we've added girls to the troop, it will be substantially more cases of cookies than last year.) This is all complicated a bit by the resumption of Joe's Ph.D. classes tonight. He'll be home around 10pm.
Friday - I have my "annual" (read: when I've waited long enough that they will no longer phone-in sinusitis antibiotics for my when I fall ill each fall) physical (hence the bloodwork last Monday). I expect everything to be OK. In fact, as I'm 30+ pounds lighter than my last physical, they should be quite pleased. I'm hoping my cholesterol is still good. Joe will be picking the kids up from school about 15 minutes early to whisk them both to the Arts of the Dance studio. We're going to see if Matthew likes tap. So, he's going to meet half an hour with the instructor before the 4:30 class starts. Also, I asked a coworker to bring her family over for dinner tomorrow night, but their bi-weekly synagogue has been rescheduled for then, so we'll have to try another time.
Saturday - I'm hoping to get up and go to my early morning Weight Watchers meeting. I haven't been to a meeting since at least Thanksgiving. And it's not good. The scale is creeping. At first I didn't go because I thought I had a handle on finishing my weight loss on my own. Then I didn't go because early Saturdfay mornings is a rough time. Then I didn't go because it was the holidays and life got busier and more sleepless (making Saturday mornings an even rougher time). Then I just got ashamed of going back and weighin in with an additional 5-7 pounds on the scale. I'm back down to the additional 5, rather than the additional 7. And I need to get refocused. So, I really oughta return to the routine. My resolution is to hit goal by my birthday (April 21).
Upcoming - It looks like I'll be starting a full-time teaching schedule starting Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day. YAY! This us huge. Huger than this tiny mention at the bottom of a post really warrants. Stow Creek School will be hiring me full-time and sort of leasing me out four afternoons a week to a neighboring district. It's incredib;y flattering to be wanted this much by my principal. And it's very exciting to be getting full-time pay and benefits without the headaches involved in being back in my own classroom full-time.
Woo!
Also, I need to clean out the garage to make room for cookies. The upstairs bathroom needs more than a lick and a promise. And, my fridge is getting a little bit strange inside. I have to do a dumping out weird containers of stuff session and scrub all the shelves (I wonder if they'll go in my dishwasher). Plus, I need another triup to Goodwill. This time for pants and jeans. And maybe more skirts. I kind of like skirts, lately, though freezing to death during recess duty haskind of shelved them for a few months.
I never know how to end this sort of post. It's a sort of "That's All Folks" sort of feeling. But I always feel like the writing should build to something, some sort of nifty and clever circular closure harkening back to my first or second paragraph. But, frankly, I got nothin'. I hope your own lives are scheduled and not overscheduled. Mine's walking that line right in between, atleast until Joe's spring semester starts on the 22nd.
--End--
1.07.2008
This is So True
Stolen openly from Television Without Pity's TWoPlopedia:A-Team, Implied Combat Rules of
- The A-Team must be given ample lead time to create complex perimeter defenses and unorthodox traps.
- When employing vehicles, enemies are requested to secure open-top Jeeps so B.A. can pull them out easily and dramatically. All vehicles should be light enough to flip over when running over landmines.
- The A-Team must give combatants the opportunity to stop bothering the townspeople, impoverished ranch owner, or whistleblower before fighting begins. Hannibal (but only Hannibal) is allowed to fire a warning shot, but only in the air.
- When combat begins, one or more enemies are required to hide behind thin wood doors or walls so B.A. can smash through them and grab 'em. Positive consideration should be given to those who pick rooms with both thin walls and large multi-paned windows.
- The first combatant to encounter B.A. is allowed one free punch before he's tossed out a window.
- Machine gun fire must track 1.5 feet behind and to the left of the target.
- Grenades must land 5 feet behind the enemy so they can be launched into the air when it explodes.
- Murdock is to be left in reserve in case things go poorly and if called for should enter the scene dramatically and employ wacky methods.
- Enemy henchmen should feel free to run away, but the ringleader is not -- the memory of the A-Team's fighting prowess keeps the gangs from reforming.
--End--
1.04.2008
Site Dump
Stumbled Upon this site, and found it rather amusing. Not sure if I'd be amused or kind of ticked off to receive one of these missives. Hard to say.
Also found this shirt which would be perfect for my brother.
Finally, because there are never enough math cartoons out there in circulation.
Enjoy!
--End--
ps. Our free time and movie going is about to diminish radically (this week we've seen National Treasure 2, I am Legend, Sweeney Todd, and Charlie Wilson's War -- fun, excellent and creepy, excellent and really bloody and just plain excellent). We get the kids back from Grandma and Grandpa's house tomorrow.
Also found this shirt which would be perfect for my brother.
Finally, because there are never enough math cartoons out there in circulation.
Enjoy!
--End--
ps. Our free time and movie going is about to diminish radically (this week we've seen National Treasure 2, I am Legend, Sweeney Todd, and Charlie Wilson's War -- fun, excellent and creepy, excellent and really bloody and just plain excellent). We get the kids back from Grandma and Grandpa's house tomorrow.
1.02.2008
Whoa, I Feel Old
An old boyfriend just sent me an interesting e-mail. Though, I think it's wonderful that he sent this and am always pleased to hear from him, the message was quite a surprise.
And the letter ... well, I'm not going to post it here. But ... 20 years ago? Writing about how much I loved a guy and what I loved about him (I actually made a list of fifty specific things in the letter). I'm so awfully old.
And the stuff I was writing ... *blush* ... let's just say I'm going to advise my own kids never to put anything potentially embarrassing or incriminating down in writing. Ever.
--End--
I went through some old stuff with my mom this
Christmas and came across this old love note
from you -- interestingly, 20 years ago to the
day. God I'm old.
Just thought you might enjoy the stroll down
memory lane. Four pages of JPGs attached.
Hope the holidays treated you well. All the
best in the new year.
Christmas and came across this old love note
from you -- interestingly, 20 years ago to the
day. God I'm old.
Just thought you might enjoy the stroll down
memory lane. Four pages of JPGs attached.
Hope the holidays treated you well. All the
best in the new year.
And the letter ... well, I'm not going to post it here. But ... 20 years ago? Writing about how much I loved a guy and what I loved about him (I actually made a list of fifty specific things in the letter). I'm so awfully old.
And the stuff I was writing ... *blush* ... let's just say I'm going to advise my own kids never to put anything potentially embarrassing or incriminating down in writing. Ever.
--End--
1.01.2008
Clever Yet Simple
I'm totally copping out on original blog content today and simply copying this idea from Paper Source.
And, I think it's such an awesomely cool (yet simple) idea, that I'm not even going to make you click over there to check it out.
Voila!
This is an easy-to-do handmade and personalized organizer for all of your small odds and ends. Coupons, receipts, to-do lists, business cards, tickets, etc. This would even be a nifty keeper for memorabilia (provided you used acid-free materials for archival purposes). You could save ticket stubs, postcards, whatever you pick up on a trip. Or ... with the right sized envelopes, a Brag Book. Label each section with a grandchild's name and carry along those precious pics (along with a crayon drawing by each child or other momentos).
Cast of Characters
Envelopes, ribbon, colorful pens, pretty labels, glue stick, scissors, and the ever-popular, but completely optional (read more on this later) bone burnisher.
Step One
Choose your envelopes. May I suggest something colorful and sturdy from the card or stationery department, rather than just plain ol' white business-type envelopes. They're prettier and tend to be made from heavier paper. Use an odd number of envelopes somewhere between five and ten (ish).
Step Two
Use a glue stick to adhere the envelopes together. I suppose you could use regular old Emler's, but be careful of using too much and having the paper get all wrinkly and soggy. I just hate it when the paper gets all wrinkly and soggy. Glue the inside of the flap of one envelope to the front of another envelope. Stick it down really well (craftsy people like to use a bone burnisher for jobs like this, but it's certainly not obligatory).
Step Three
Fold all the pages accordion style (again, the craftsy types use a burnisher for this part, which isn't necessary at all, but I must admit does help make a nice clean hard crease just where you want it). The pointy flap of the first envelope becomes sort of the cover for the whole little organizer. And the bottom envelope is itself the back of the book. Nifty so far, eh?
Step Four
Add a ribbon closure. Cut a small opening the width of the ribbon on both edges of the last envelope and feed the ribbon through. So you're running the ribbon through the bottom edge of the envelope (the end of your book) and up through the envelope and then out a slit at the top edge of the bottom envelope where its flap hooks on. I think. This seems to be one of those steps that will make more sense when you're actually doing it.
Step Five
Use nifty pens and stickers to label each section of the organizer. Categorize your contents. The it's just up to you to fill up the pockets an tie it up. Well, and remember where you've put it, or you've really rather defeated the purpose of tucking away everything in one safe-and-sound spot, haven't you?
--End--
And, I think it's such an awesomely cool (yet simple) idea, that I'm not even going to make you click over there to check it out.
Voila!
Do-it-Yourself Custom Accordion Organizer
This is an easy-to-do handmade and personalized organizer for all of your small odds and ends. Coupons, receipts, to-do lists, business cards, tickets, etc. This would even be a nifty keeper for memorabilia (provided you used acid-free materials for archival purposes). You could save ticket stubs, postcards, whatever you pick up on a trip. Or ... with the right sized envelopes, a Brag Book. Label each section with a grandchild's name and carry along those precious pics (along with a crayon drawing by each child or other momentos).Cast of Characters
Envelopes, ribbon, colorful pens, pretty labels, glue stick, scissors, and the ever-popular, but completely optional (read more on this later) bone burnisher.
Step One
Choose your envelopes. May I suggest something colorful and sturdy from the card or stationery department, rather than just plain ol' white business-type envelopes. They're prettier and tend to be made from heavier paper. Use an odd number of envelopes somewhere between five and ten (ish).
Step TwoUse a glue stick to adhere the envelopes together. I suppose you could use regular old Emler's, but be careful of using too much and having the paper get all wrinkly and soggy. I just hate it when the paper gets all wrinkly and soggy. Glue the inside of the flap of one envelope to the front of another envelope. Stick it down really well (craftsy people like to use a bone burnisher for jobs like this, but it's certainly not obligatory).
Step ThreeFold all the pages accordion style (again, the craftsy types use a burnisher for this part, which isn't necessary at all, but I must admit does help make a nice clean hard crease just where you want it). The pointy flap of the first envelope becomes sort of the cover for the whole little organizer. And the bottom envelope is itself the back of the book. Nifty so far, eh?
Step FourAdd a ribbon closure. Cut a small opening the width of the ribbon on both edges of the last envelope and feed the ribbon through. So you're running the ribbon through the bottom edge of the envelope (the end of your book) and up through the envelope and then out a slit at the top edge of the bottom envelope where its flap hooks on. I think. This seems to be one of those steps that will make more sense when you're actually doing it.
Step FiveUse nifty pens and stickers to label each section of the organizer. Categorize your contents. The it's just up to you to fill up the pockets an tie it up. Well, and remember where you've put it, or you've really rather defeated the purpose of tucking away everything in one safe-and-sound spot, haven't you?
--End--
12.31.2007
Home Again!
We're back (got back late Saturday night, actually). Yesterday we enjoyed our first kid-free day and basically did whatever we wanted (which was taking down the tree and unpacking). Then last night we did a joint dinner with our friends the Fantinis (she made the chicken and bought the other food, and I set the table and made everything to go with the chicken). Woooo! I love those nights.
Watched the Eagles beat the Bills, then played Pinochle and Sleuth (thanks, Chris and Kristin). Sleuth definitely has potential to be a lot of fun, but we're still all working out or recording techniques.
Anyway, pictures of the trip and Christmas morning to come soon.
--End--
Watched the Eagles beat the Bills, then played Pinochle and Sleuth (thanks, Chris and Kristin). Sleuth definitely has potential to be a lot of fun, but we're still all working out or recording techniques.
Anyway, pictures of the trip and Christmas morning to come soon.
--End--
12.21.2007
Family Vacation
We leave in the morning for Colonial Williamsburg. We'll be there through the 29th. Then it's a stop in Chantilly, VA on the way home. The kids stay with Grandma and Grandpa for a week while Joe and I drive home late on the 29th.
Can't wait! If anybody needs us for anything, call Mom & Dad Schierer or Mom Dugan ... they'll have contact info that can get to us eventually.
I don't know if I'll have e-mail access or not.
In the meantime ...
--End--
Ps. Just received this lovely e-card from Allegheny College. Thought I'd share.
12.18.2007
Another Sickie
When Matthew was lethargic and sleepy yesterday, I chalked it up to three nights in a row staying up past 10:30.
Then he "woke up" giggling uncontrollably around 11pm last night. He didn't snap out of it entirely until we kind of shook him and turned on the light. He still didn't seem to know where he was. Ear thermometer registered 103.5*. Called the ped on call and administered chewable Tylenol. That brought it down to around 101* after 40 minutes.
We woke up and rechecked him around 1am. Down to about 100*.
This morning I made the call to stay home with him when it was back up to 103*. And his bones ache.
Poor kid.
Afternoon Update: Matthew seems pretty much fine now and had no fever at the doctor's office (naturally!). The site-specific aches and pains he's complaining of and sudden onset of fever with no other flu-like symptoms are upsetting. He's going back on amoxycillin for two weeks and has had blood drawn for a Lyme titer. Remember this? The results will go right to our pediatrician. So we'll see.
Thursday Update: Matthew's back in school today. His fever came back Tuesday night and we kept him home yesterday. Though he was fine all day (low-grade fever 99.5-ish temp). We picked up some acidophilus to help out (antibiotics do a number on his bowels, enough said). So we should be all set for our trip. I don't know how long the labwork will take. So, we'll see.
Final (for now) Update: The labwork all came back negative. So, unless he has further joint pain, no further action is necessary, beyond finishing his run of antibiotics.
--End--
Then he "woke up" giggling uncontrollably around 11pm last night. He didn't snap out of it entirely until we kind of shook him and turned on the light. He still didn't seem to know where he was. Ear thermometer registered 103.5*. Called the ped on call and administered chewable Tylenol. That brought it down to around 101* after 40 minutes.
We woke up and rechecked him around 1am. Down to about 100*.
This morning I made the call to stay home with him when it was back up to 103*. And his bones ache.
Poor kid.
. . . . . . .
Afternoon Update: Matthew seems pretty much fine now and had no fever at the doctor's office (naturally!). The site-specific aches and pains he's complaining of and sudden onset of fever with no other flu-like symptoms are upsetting. He's going back on amoxycillin for two weeks and has had blood drawn for a Lyme titer. Remember this? The results will go right to our pediatrician. So we'll see.
Thursday Update: Matthew's back in school today. His fever came back Tuesday night and we kept him home yesterday. Though he was fine all day (low-grade fever 99.5-ish temp). We picked up some acidophilus to help out (antibiotics do a number on his bowels, enough said). So we should be all set for our trip. I don't know how long the labwork will take. So, we'll see.
Final (for now) Update: The labwork all came back negative. So, unless he has further joint pain, no further action is necessary, beyond finishing his run of antibiotics.
--End--
12.16.2007
Holiday Sweaters
Do you own one (or more) pieces of festive knitwear?We've all seen them ... from the subtle sprig of holly on the cuff of a red cardigan (class and understated) to the completely smothered Santa-and-all-his-elves- must-have-thrown-up-all-over this sweater monstrosities. In my line of work ... I've seen hundreds of these things. There something about teaching at the elementary level that causes otherwise perfectly normal adult women to dress themselves in festive garb that would otherwise make them gag.
Now, you can do the sweater designers one better. Hope on over to We Hate Holiday Sweaters and have fun designing your own holiday "masterpiece." Or, just enjoy browsing through others' creations.
WARNING: This is one of those sites that plays music. I know. I can't stand them, either. So, if you're trying to stealth-surf at work, be ready with the mouse to click off the sound.
--End--
12.15.2007
Brain Power
Tip of the frontal cortex to my brother. And the differences in our scores may explain a lot about our history of miscommunication. Up for a Meyers-Briggs next, Chris?I took the left-brain/right-brain quiz and came up with a somewhat unsurprising result. I always have known that I'm a generalist, and that I'm way more left-brained than people usually realize (Joe would swear I'm entirely without logic and reason).
But ... what I didn't know is that my phenomenal cranial powers result in 101% brain capacity!
Seriously, I received 50% left-brain and 51% right-brain. The evenness doesn't really surprise me. Nor does it really reveal anything about my brain usage. There's a more specific breakdown of the results which yields more interesting insight. I'm apparently a very rules and order oriented (knew that), non-creative (wha?) big picture person. And they're not evenly spread results. Very weighted in my strengths.
Left Brain Percentages:
60% Reality based (I wouldn't have guessed this to be true about me.) -- You process information with a firm basis on reality, but because of this, may lack creativity. You are able to easily create or adapt to rules and regulations. For example, you understand the repercussion of your actions. You easily adjust to change in the environment and probably do not become emotionally involved in many tasks.
53% Sequential (Yup, I knew this one. Big time.) -- When you process information you have received, you are able to order it in a systematic, logical order from first to last. You probably excel in spelling and find tasks such as mathematics and following directions relatively straightforward. You also may find enjoyment in making "to-do" lists, checking off items after each task is completed.
37% Linear
20% Verbal
17% Symbolic
0% Logical (I guess Joe is right, after all! And now that I read their description of this characteristic, I think I can agree with it.) -- You may tend to rely on a "gut" feeling to help you make your decisions from the information you have received. For example, you will often choose an answer on a test because it "feels" right, and you may be correct. This is due to the fact of your tendency to look for the whole picture but not the details that create it. You can often start with the answer and work your way back to allow yourself to see the process and parts that create the whole. You may find math problems and science experiments difficult because of this.
Right Brain Percentages:
71% Holistic (Big picture gal, that's me! With excellent visual-spatial skills.) -- You naturally see the big picture first, but may have difficulty seeing the details that accompany it. You probably experience difficulty starting in the middle and working your way to a solution. Your natural inclination is to discover what you're doing before you comprehend any of the parts. However, this method also provides your visual spatial skills that can help in physical arts, such as painting or sculpture, or athletics, from basketball to ballet.
46% Concrete (Why do these keep going back to math problems? Eeew...math. Always loved Geometry, though.) -- At times, you feel the need to see a real object in order to understand it. At other times, you are able to understand a problem on a symbolic level. For example, you may find that in solving math problems, it occasionally helps you to "draw out" the problem in order to understand and solve it.
32% Nonverbal
20% Intuitive
17% Random
16% Fantasy-oriented (Because I'm craftsy people say that I'm very creative. But, maybe I'm not all that creative, after all.) -- You have a low ability to process information in a fantasy-oriented way. You have the tendency to focus on rules and regulations rather than on creative approaches. You generally do not have a problem adjusting to change in the environment. You may lack creativity, but you do not need to become emotionally involved in tasks in order to complete them.
--End--
12.12.2007
Odd Inventions
"They" say that inventions arise when someone sees a need and designs a way to meet that need. Some of these fill needs that probably aren't strictly needs. Some of these are just plain weird. Taken from this site. Christmas shopping possibilities for those people on your list who already have everything common and useful.
Anti-theft Coffee Cup
I'm guessing this would be ideal for shared break rooms, where people just sort of keep their coffee mugs on a tray for convenience. I've worked in places like that, but I don't drink coffee...so never had a missing mug. I'd have to think the plug would be a bit weird rattling around in your desk drawer in between cuppas.
Transparent Toaster
I guess this luxury toaster would be handy if you really only ever toast one slice of bread at a time. I wonder if it'd be adjustable for bagels. I'm thinking not. Still, if a particular shade of tan is really your thing, this would be the perfect toaster.
Day Clock
OK, I'll admit I sometimes lose track of what day it is. I have weeks where I'm lulled into a false sense of Thursday-ness, only to remember it's only Tuesday. But, I think I'd feel more than slightly ridiculous having a day of the week clock hanging on my wall.
Laser Scissors
OK, I like a nice straight, even line as much as the next elementary school teacher. But this seems like a rather extreme way to accomplish a fairly straightforward (get it?) task.
Ergonomic Infant Pillow
While I can sort of see the point of a nestly, cuddly-shaped pillow to position and comfort your precious bundle, the "lifelike" hands are totally creeping me out. It looks like the poor baby is about to be crushed by a malevolent Muppet. I wonder if it's available in different fabric colors for various ethnicities.
Phrasebook T-Shirt
I can't imagine the comments one would receive actually using this T-shirt in a foreign land. Probably something along the lines of "Regarde l'idiot dans le t-shirt ridicule. Il pense que nous sommes des imbéciles!" Or even "посмотрите идиота в смешоной тенниске. он думает мы будет дурачками!" Or, considering the tact and awareness of many Americans traveling overseas, "Bloody Yank, we speak English here! We invented it! Wanker. Find your own bloody loo."
--End--
Anti-theft Coffee Cup
I'm guessing this would be ideal for shared break rooms, where people just sort of keep their coffee mugs on a tray for convenience. I've worked in places like that, but I don't drink coffee...so never had a missing mug. I'd have to think the plug would be a bit weird rattling around in your desk drawer in between cuppas.
Transparent ToasterI guess this luxury toaster would be handy if you really only ever toast one slice of bread at a time. I wonder if it'd be adjustable for bagels. I'm thinking not. Still, if a particular shade of tan is really your thing, this would be the perfect toaster.
Day Clock
OK, I'll admit I sometimes lose track of what day it is. I have weeks where I'm lulled into a false sense of Thursday-ness, only to remember it's only Tuesday. But, I think I'd feel more than slightly ridiculous having a day of the week clock hanging on my wall.
Laser Scissors
OK, I like a nice straight, even line as much as the next elementary school teacher. But this seems like a rather extreme way to accomplish a fairly straightforward (get it?) task.
Ergonomic Infant Pillow
While I can sort of see the point of a nestly, cuddly-shaped pillow to position and comfort your precious bundle, the "lifelike" hands are totally creeping me out. It looks like the poor baby is about to be crushed by a malevolent Muppet. I wonder if it's available in different fabric colors for various ethnicities.
Phrasebook T-ShirtI can't imagine the comments one would receive actually using this T-shirt in a foreign land. Probably something along the lines of "Regarde l'idiot dans le t-shirt ridicule. Il pense que nous sommes des imbéciles!" Or even "посмотрите идиота в смешоной тенниске. он думает мы будет дурачками!" Or, considering the tact and awareness of many Americans traveling overseas, "Bloody Yank, we speak English here! We invented it! Wanker. Find your own bloody loo."
--End--
12.11.2007
Dead (or not) Celebrities
Today on NPR I heard a bit about Evel Knievel's funeral* and I thought, "Huh. I guess I thought he was already dead. Who knew?"When we lived in Pittsburgh, one of the morning radio shows (probably 3WS, we listened to them a lot) used to have a call-in contest where they'd name ten celebrities in thirty seconds and the caller had to identify them as living or dead. This quiz always made us feel really stupid and clueless.
And I'm not a dumb or unaware person, really. But I swear, every year when I watch the Oscars** and they do that retrospective montage of actors (directors, etc) who'd died in the past year, there are always a few who make me think, "Huh. Really? Thought s/he was already dead. Who knew?"
Just wiki-ed a bunch of folks and here are some I think I thought were already dead.*** Who aren't! Bully for them! Richard Dawson, Jack LaLanne, Ernest Borgnine, Phyllis Diller, Arthur C. Clarke, Betty Ford, Edmund Hillary, Joseph Wapner, Carol Channing
Way to go, guys!
--End--
*He died on November 30 of lung disease.
** Yes, I know ... you never took me for the Award Show type.
***Dead or Alive? Check whether your favorite celebs are still with us.
12.10.2007
Red States v. Blue States
I have not fact-checked this, but found it interesting. Reprinted here for your convenience.* Some nifty cartograms on red states and blue states can be found here.Dear Red States: We're ticked off at the way you've treated California, and we've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us.
In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and the entire Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.
To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get OpryLand. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.
To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get OpryLand. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America’s venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue; you get to make the red states pay their fair share.
Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home.
With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners)
90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.
With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.
* Mostly. I don't know anything about pot, so I left that part out.
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Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties.
* Mostly. I don't know anything about pot, so I left that part out.
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12.08.2007
Geography Quiz
OK, an actually very cool online quiz. Test your geography knowledge (or lack thereof). I made it to the "hard" levels, level 10 I think, but don't remember my exact score. I wish the map were larger.
Enjoy!
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Enjoy!
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12.06.2007
Potential Changes
Prayers requested for some potential changes (for the good) at my job. Things are uncertain right now. Mr principal and I had a very promising conversation yesterday, and I'm hoping things come to fruition.
Thanks!
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Thanks!
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12.03.2007
Also....
I sent $150 in late pledges received just after I returned from the 2007 Breast Cancer 3-Day. I mailed them in toward my 2008 $2,200 objective. That was .... hmmm .... back in early November sometime. They still haven't posted to my account.
Stupidly, I didn't make copies of the checks before sending them. And they're from people I don't know. I think someone must have heard from someone else, or seen it in the paper or church newsletter or something.
So, basically, two generous and wonderful people are unable to balance their checkbooks because of their outstanding donations. And, I have absolutely no way of telling them or letting the 3-Day know about the currently-missing donations.
Hopefully they will still turn up.
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ps. This post should IN NO WAY discourage you from donating generously to me, yourselves! Hee.
Stupidly, I didn't make copies of the checks before sending them. And they're from people I don't know. I think someone must have heard from someone else, or seen it in the paper or church newsletter or something.
So, basically, two generous and wonderful people are unable to balance their checkbooks because of their outstanding donations. And, I have absolutely no way of telling them or letting the 3-Day know about the currently-missing donations.
Hopefully they will still turn up.
--End--
ps. This post should IN NO WAY discourage you from donating generously to me, yourselves! Hee.
Too Bad, So Sad
Guess all my blogging was just for the "good" of the "world." I didn't win any NaBloPoMo prizes.
:(
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:(
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12.01.2007
DECEMBER 1!
I did it! Posted every day for November. Yay!
Plus ... it's December 1 ... Christmas party day! Busy and fun (so why am I still up?).
And there's a (slight) chance of snow in the forecast this weekend (yeah, but it'll never materialize).
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Plus ... it's December 1 ... Christmas party day! Busy and fun (so why am I still up?).
And there's a (slight) chance of snow in the forecast this weekend (yeah, but it'll never materialize).
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