I'm sitting on the couch, enjoying my veggie stir fry, a cat cuddle, and good TV when I noticed the sniffle. Today was my last day of school/first evening of a 2 week vacation.
It always happens. I work. I get a vacation. I get sick. On the first day. So, I'm sick. And, my plans for a big date day with myself tomorrow might be supplanted with lounging and some type of vitamin infused event.
My students wrote me a wonderful card for my birthday. It truly touched my heart.
One of the boys who likes to give me a run for my money said, "It's a pleasure to have you as a teacher." It was so reminiscent of a report card comment and so cute it made me smile.
When I started this blog four years ago, I saw it as an opportunity to connect with the world, encouragement to be more observant of the things around me, and just a method for making sense of things that did not always make sense (i.e. life). And, I think it has been all of those things for me.
One of the traditions I have made for myself is the annual birthday blog. I love a tradition. So, here it is: the birthday blog....
Thirty-one has been quite a year. I feel like I have moved between chapters of my life. I am typing this to you in my office, of our house, surrounded by wedding to-do lists. I could not have anticipated any of these things as lifeasyouknowit28. I think that is one of my favorite things of life - you really never know what will happen.
Some bullets from the year:
*I feel settled in a way I never have before. I am actually thinking of getting new checks to match my actual address (this is something that I, as a habitual apartment mover, have never done before).
*I have found confidence in my roll as a teacher. I have much to learn...but I know where my strengths lie. I can teach you to become a better reader. I can build community in my classroom. I can give the look. And, I can enjoy most, if not all, of each day in the classroom.
*I feel confidence in the fact that I do not have to settle...I like to fun. I can have the fun.
*I face the future with a sense of excitement.
Now for the year coming...I hope all of those unanticipated events of life bring me to a place I cannot imagine now. I hope to be a good friend. I hope to learn more. And, fun. I still want a lot of that.
Everyday, on my way to work, I listen to NPR talk about the bailout. Bailing out the insurance companies for making bad investments. Bailing out the car companies for making SUVs. And cutting education funding. It's frustrating to listen to the talking heads discuss the need to provide money to these companies to ensure that our society can continue. But, as a teacher, I feel like some of this is happening at the expense of our educational system. I am sure there is not a direct cause and effect relationship. But, we have and have had a failing educational system in this country for years. In our cities, the majority of freshman will not graduate high school. Our special education classes are underfunded and over crowded. Too many children are not meeting basic levels of proficiency. And, schools are not given the resources we need to catch the children who are falling through the cracks. These children will perpetuate our society, as an assembly line worker at Ford or the CEOs of Goldman Sacks. We need to solve many problems in our world. I wish that education was valued in a way that could generate news coverage day after day. That we could get a $700 billion bailout of our system. It could fix it all.
This weekend, in between my copious television viewing, I've tried to listen to a little NPR. Twice, I have had to turn it off because I was totally spooked out.
First, Prairie Home Companion had a little something with a ghost. Some lady had a creepy voice and it made me fear the world. I don't even typically listen to PHC due to the aw shucks nature of the programming. I had no idea they could be spooky.
Moments ago I had to turn off This American Life because of a horrible story of a lady being attacked by a rabid raccoon. I already have a fear of squirrels/rats, after living in DC with it's aggressive squirrel/rat population. The story of a woman, her son, and husband bludgeoning a rabid raccoon to death was just too much to take.
I am looking forward to more Novembery NPR programming, about Thanksgiving and elections (although, should Gov. Palin wink her way into office, that might be scary too).
In a very smart programming move, Bravo is playing tons of West Wing in preparation for the election. I think it is in hope of promoting "Hope" - brilliant and much appreciated move. The episode I am watching right now has all my favorite extras Bruno, the strategist, Mary Louise Parker, the epitome of amazingness, Christian Slater, the Republican eye-candy, plus all good regulars.
The show is good. And, of course, there are the words...ah, how I love the words.
Yesterday I got a pumpkin, or as my brother says "punkin", at Vons. While Dave searched for the best avocado for guacamole, I dug for the biggest punkin in the big cardboard box of pumpkins. It's sitting out on my front stoop as I type.
I had no idea my own personal punkin quest would open me to the universe of punkin-goodness. Somehow, this BBC news video just happened to be on my desktop - I swear I did not intentionally search out punkin info...in fact, I was not knowingly navigating my way to the BBC. It just happened.
However, after I knew that this type of excitement existed, I wanted to know more...so I did a little youtube search and trumped the first video with this one:
This is so good.
(FYI-Much like there is a bet on which Iditarod musher will not make it out of Juno, I knew that the man with the tri-corner hat was doomed from the start.)
I've been reading lots about our recent historical financial event, trying to stay current, becoming outraged at the fact that the whole $700,000,000 bailout was proposed on all of three freekin pages, etc. etc. So, when I saw something on CNN that was called "Recession Reality Check" I was intrigued. I was funneled off to Oprah and found myself reading Suze Ormond's advice about making sure your bank is FDIC insured.
It reminded me of the time I opened my first bank account on my own. I was 17 and meeting with the branch manager to deposit my whole life savings of $500 and, as instructed by my government teacher, I asked if the bank was FDIC insured. The man was a little taken aback but assured me my money would be safe.
What used to seem like a precocious and somewhat misdirected question now seems so much more important.
I am now a few weeks into my school year and 4 days into actually teaching my students. It has been filled with the normal highs and lows, questioning almost everything (student placement, my approach, etc. etc.), and happiness to be around the students again. All in all, I felt that everything was kind of going along in that normal start of the school year manner.
Then, around 9:25, something stopped me in my tracks. I was in another teacher's classroom, teaching a small group of children, when it became obvious that one of the student's was having a problem. He's a snorter of snot. After directing him to get a tissue, it became obvious that getting at tissue and knowing what to do with a tissue were divergent pieces of knowledge. As I was figuring this out, the snorting was quickly moving from amazingly loud to fear inducing. He then announced that water was coming out of his nose. This whole experience caused me to lose my teacher-persona momentarily.
You see, I have have previously had a run-in with snot while teaching. There was a sneeze, a multi-inch long stalactite of booger, and a look pleading for help. Today's booger run-in caused me to flashback to that horrible image that has been permanently etched in my mind. I eventually composed myself and continued teaching. At the end of the day, I needed to go back and talk to the teacher and apologize for my lack of professionalism. Once I told her about the other snotty run-in, she understood.
Today is my official last day of summer. Instead of using this time to reflect upon my most major of summers, I have chosen to be cranky in a last ditch attempt to reject the arrival of the inevitable.
But it will not work.
So I have to go to bed.
At 9:51.
There is something about the end of summer that makes me fall off the map. It's as if I go into some type of self-imposed isolation chamber in preparation of life happening again. It's wonderful and not so good all at the same time. Today I feel as if I am slowly emerging from the cave, ready to embrace life again... which is necessary as I have to start school in 13 days.
I have planned a little pre-school trial run with schedules. I'm going to a conference in the Pacific Palisades tomorrow and the next day to learn about whatever is the next big thing in education and have to wake up at 6 am for the first time since June and commute.
Good-bye leisurely coffee mornings. Hello productivity!
Last weekend, Dave and I did a little wedding venue scouting. It was a nice time in the north. There were vineyards, nice meals, and Solvang. I was excited for Solvang--it's a Danish town, with windmills and everything. Well, everything is a bit of an overstatement. It has an As Seen on TV store, a bakery, a chocolate store and a pretty nice Mexican restaurant. Dave said he knew Solvang was a let down but didn't want to burst my bubble. I think he should have...we didn't even get the pancake balls everyone raved about!
When I got my car last year, I was flexible about some things (make, model) and not about others (good MPG, iPod connection cord and must be shiny). While not totally in love with my car, I'm totally psyched with it's miles per gallon history. I get all nerdy and keep track in a little book at each fill-up. I also seriously consider going 60 on the highways.
When I saw this article in the Washington Post I was very amused.
I am having a lot of fun with this whole "we're getting married" thing. I have a nice red box to keep all of my stuff in and a tricked out binder is on it's way to me. I'm also trying to keep things in perspective. Every once in a while I feel like I may slip into that girl...but then I read about the new trend of asking bridesmaids to get botox for your wedding and I knew I would never be "that girl."
Also, I made a lot of jokes about it when my friend Laurie called. Those girls don't joke.
We've been rockin' the boxes here at the new house since the big move of '08. I'm sure we'll continue to have a close relationship with boxes for some time. Mostly it's fine--it has brought a zen-like lifestyle of not too much stuff.
Today, however, it brought frustration. I need to alter some of the drapes we have decided upon and was ready to jump in after a little procrastination (read: Project Runway watching, TJs going, and prosciutto wrapping). I dove into the box room, found the following items: sewing machine, straight pins, iron and good scissors. I even made a little sewing station. I did not find the pedal/plug that makes the sewing machine go. I have a clear memory of putting the bag with said item into a box that was different than the sewing machine. I even remember thinking that this is a bit of a bad idea.
Now I'm faced with unpacked stuff and long drapes. Grrr.
I cannot fold things neatly (except for sheets). I live with someone who can fold like a champ. He, however, did not work at the Gap.
On Sunday I will be moving into the new house. Not since my move from north of the Van Ness metro stop to Mount Pleasant (circa 2000), has a move been over so few miles. I don't have to ship anything (or 20 boxes of anything). I don't have to coordinate relatives and friends into some type of shuttle system. I am going to experince the joy that is professional movers, who will be here to haul my stuff 4 miles from where I sit now.
Since I just made the leap to the west coast, I am also oddly unburdened by things. I would say, in the past, that about 38% of the items I packed were unusable junk. Before I moved to LA, there was a series of yard-sales, signs that advertised free stuff, and some donations that allowed all of that junk and a ton of books to make its way to other owners in the NY Metro region. The non-junk stuff that did make the cut has been living in the garage since I arrived--I like to think of it as pre-packed. And Dave is all neat and his things are easy to pack.
My typical nervousness about the packing process seems to be unwarranted. I am, however, about to go into the garage. It could all change once I have a look-see.
I spent most of yesterday with my head in closets/up on ladders/degreasing in my first new house kitchen cleaning. I had the epiphany that the house would only become as clean as I make it. This is something that has always been true. However, now that the house is our responsibility, that is holding a whole new level of meaning.
FYI--I'm now a big fan of the book called Cleaning by the nice people at Real Simple. It's not quite Hints from Heloise (I'm not ready for that)...but it is giving me the tools to move beyond the Clorox wipe.
For your birthday, I got the keys to the house.
Let the bar-be-ques begin.
Happy Birthday, Dave!
I have a problem with delayed gratification. I get very excited about little things and have a hard time not dipping into the obsessive thought place. When there is a secret I am not privy to, I take part in a lot of speculation, rapid-fire questions, and shaking of boxes. I don't really want to ruin a surprise...but I like to take part in the sport of trying to figure it out. Dave knows this and uses it to his enjoyment. He always has a secret that he's telling me he's not telling me.
Today brought a new twist on this bit of immaturity that is my life. Dave got two boxes in the mail today and I'm not going to know what is in them for a week! His birthday is tomorrow. He's away until Friday. I leave Wednesday and come back Monday. Oh, the torture.
Zeek was having a moment. He had a lot to say and was all about being in my space. He was so insistent with the meowing that it made me worry that we were in a Timmy-is-in-the-well kind of situation and Zeeker was the only one that knew. I was able to distract him with zucchini left over from dinner. I guess he was just in the mood for people food.
hi there. i was thinking about the blog. why do i blog? what do i want my blog to be? why don't i edit more? you know, all of the big questions. i like to read the blogs of those i know. but they all edit.
i need to work on my commas.
love,
me.
ps i've pushed the envelope on what should be watched during the daytime hours. i just watched a showtime show at six in the afternoon and, while awkward at first, it turned out to be okay.
i had a bad day at work. really it was just a bad moment. it was such a bad moment that i put it out of my mind until my walk to ralphs for some emergency milk for tomorrow's coffee. it was a moment of teacher unethical behavior. those are the moments that resonate with me for the longest time. unfortunately, it was not the first time i've seen unethical behavior from a teacher.
really, at some point, a teacher needs to stop teaching. it is a hard job. you are responsible for the minds, bodies and souls of little children for a huge portion of their day. and, these kids are expected to know what the square root of 64 times three to the third power is when they are 8 years old. it's a lot. at some point, i think a teacher stops being effective. they are tired. they are old-school (literally). they cover their own ass rather than fill the minds of children. why spend your time in a classroom if you are not going to even try?
since i began teaching, i always said that i hope i will recognize the point when it is no longer the job i should be doing. i wish there was a way for some people to bow out gracefully, before legions of children are exposed to an ineffective year of art projects and beanie babies.
i'm a very hard critic of my own cooking. as someone with no training (other than hours of of cooking shows) and a predilection for not loving recipes, i often find that what i made doesn't taste like what i imagined it would taste like. yesterday i had plans of reclaiming productivity with scones. well, scones and a hike up runyon canyon with annie (which was fab, by the way).
after the hike, i made the scones, ate one as soon as i could bust it out of the pan, and was disappointed. i had big plans for the scones. dave had to go to palm springs today and i was going to make crumb-y snacks for the car. but, after eating them, i deemed them crap. despite their crapiness, i was forced back to the scones today for my after school snack because i have a general lack of food at the moment.
and they were good. kind of. well, good enough for me to want to eat a second for my post dinner snack.
now, i feel bad that i didn't let dave take any to the desert.
I just skyped with four-fifths of my immediate family and I am pleased to say they are making progress with the technology. My father is no longer more focused on fun-with-feedback. My mother is well adapt at restarting the chat once we get kicked off my slow internet connections. And, well my sisters were always good with it.
It's nice to have a little face time with them.
I have a severe case of OCHD (Obsessive Compulsive House Disorder). We're still rockin' the apartment and the final bits of buying a house need to be tied up...but I've found myself mentally painting and furnishing. Or, searching for the perfect paint and furniture. I think, in some situations, this is a good thing. But, I have taken it to a level that borders on obsession. I am hoping, in a few weeks I can use my focus to paint up a storm. I hope.
I'm all bundled up, in a red hooded sweatshirt and fuzzy slippers, enjoying a rainy afternoon. I just found out that you can make playlists from All Songs Considered. So, I'm using M. Ward as my musical accompaniment to this rainy, rainy day. It's practically perfect.
It has been a few weeks since I've been flying solo around dinnertime. It has been an eye opening experience.
I had thought I was rediscovering the joy of cooking this year. I frequently planned a week of meals. My fridge was overflowing. I experimented with meat, adjusted recipes, and bought a good knife.
But since I've lost my appreciative audience/best dish-washer ever, I've returned to my old ways.
Tonight, my post school dinner was: the two bites of Italian sausage, peppers and onions left over from yesterday, paired with a bit of bread to sop up the sauce; followed by a sugar-free-ish ice cream bar; and all capped of with a bowl of hummus, some cucumber and grape tomatoes.
I may completely revert to a tapas only life-style. My left-overs-for-lunch may be a thing of the past.
*We are getting closer and closer to a new home. It's brought about some (expected) sentimental moments for me. The moments, however, have been with people who would normally not be included in my sentimental world. The most interesting one was with the real estate agent. She knows her stuff and really gets the job done. But, we are very different kinds of people and it is not always easy to feel like she understands my language. The misinterpretation issue did not stop me from talking with her about the significance a house plays in my world with a level of uninhibited insight that surprised me.
*I've been in LA for a few days less than 11 months. Although the NYTimes is much better than the LATimes and my family is decidedly NY, I love life in LA. Yesterday I saw a truck filled with oranges and could not contain my joy. It is good for me to have sunshine and outdoors. And, I love the farmers markets. They tap into both my love of supermarkets and outdoor adventure. It's the perfect combo, in my book.
*I feel like now, in my 31st year, I'm ready for home in a way I have never been before. It's so good.
Teaching can sometimes a little overwhelming. I get caught up in the fear that I could be doing something else to make the educational process more enriching. Or, I become frustrated by the realities of my students. Today some of those things are happening. I think it's mostly because I'm closing in on day 180. Although 180 days does not seem like much. Right now 180 teaching days is feeling like whole lot. At the end, it always does.
I'm going to count the days I have left. It may make it worse. But, I'm feeling compelled.
I am currently engaged in laundry wars with my downstairs neighbor. In general, she has bad form when it comes to shared laundry. She's the queen of abandoned laundry. Tonight, she crossed the line. I went down to switch out my stuff (from washer to dryer) and to put in another load, only to find that it had already been moved. And...a new load was in the washer! She touched my stuff. It's not like my stuff had lingered for the hours/days hers will linger. I used the well developed timer system Dave has perfected. She must have been stalking my laundry waiting for the moment it stopped. Grrr.
The good news is I beat her down there, took her stuff out of the laundry and put mine in. I am feeling victorious and petty all at the same time.
I'm against shared laundry. It makes me cranky.
Due to my own misguided planning and the fact that I work with students in first, second, third, fourth and fifth grades, I have just finished the my third week of (high-stakes/these numbers will follow you for life) testing. That's 14 instructional days devoted to filling in the bubbles. My students have been troopers. Fueled by a steady stream of Cheerios and water breaks, they really gave it their all. Each day, their behavior has been getting a little bit more wonky. I've had lots of odd noises, chit-chat, and repeated questions about the schedule.
They knew today was the last day and they were totally wiggly when I asked them to take a seat. Their engines were on high. I knew that it was not the kind of ya-yas that could be gotten out with my typical combination of jumping jacks and standing yoga poses.
So we took off for the track. Half way there, I began to jog and all of my well-trained students did what I did.
I engaged my best elementary appropriate trash talk (i.e. I'm gonna smoke ya! You're being beaten by an old person) and kept running. After two laps around (except for one boy who made it around three times), their engines were all significantly decelerated and we got down to business.
I'm thinking of giving everyone a 100% on tomorrow's spelling test just so I don't have to give any more tests this week. As the teacher, that is way in my jurisdiction.
As a new California resident, I preformed my civic duty and filed some taxes. In my mailbox today, I was greeted with what I like to think of as my official welcome to the state. My tax refund check.
All three dollars.
Oh yeah. I'm getting a latte!
I just spent the last three hours following various men around the house that may shortly become our home. The foundation guy found a minor terrarium environment under the part of the house that used to be a sleeping porch (or a TB porch, using the foundation guy's words). The soils guy discussed hydrostatic pressure and assumed that I knew what was good rock to be on during an earthquake (the house has the good stuff-FYI). The sewer guy used his nifty little camera and a black and white monitor to show us root balls and a pipe to nowhere.
There were also some baby birds nesting on the side of the house and a hawk holding something as it flew overhead...both of which I decided were good signs as I sat in the car preparing myself to pull away from inspection-palooza.
It's kind of amazing to 1. engage in the learning curve that comes when purchasing a house and 2. think that my life could involve this next step. I never really thought it would and in almost exactly one month, we could get keys to our home. Well, I would have to get the keys because Dave will be on location. Crazy.
The enormity of the situation made a G&T a necessity. At the suggestion of my friend Laurie, I'm also using Rufus Wainright to sooth the nerves.
During a conversation with a friend about relationships and life in general, I declared a person's 20s as the time where they get to mess everything up, make adjustments, and try again. He was able to point out exceptions. But, I'm standing by my sweeping generalization.
In a continuation for my never ending search for children's literature, I found myself on the LA Times blog about books. After reading some excellent snarky comments made by the writers who are participating in this week's LA Times Festival of Books, I found a little something that I could add to my non-fiction library in the classroom. A medical doctor wrote a book to help children understand the need for and process of recovering from a tummy tuck.
That's some goodness right there. I can only hope the universe continues to bring these little gems my way today.
One of the students I work with brought me a tiny, yellow flower after school today. It was smaller than the button on my shirt. This tiny girl, with her cute glasses and little yellow flower, totally made my day.
Dave challenged me to a slow-cooker cook off. He made some tasty pot roast during his week off. I have plans for carnitas. Yesterday's trip to the Handy Market yielded two pounds of Boston butt (aka country style ribs). But, I'm not sure if I should make it. We've made plans to look at a house at 7. The slow cookin' takes 6 hours. I'm afraid to leave something cooking while I'm not home. Ahhh, the challenge.
My neighbors get a lot of large packages. Yesterday, it was a box I could have totally shipped myself (which was, by the way, my plan for a cheap way to see the world when I was a child). Packages like this are in front of their door on a regular basis. And, I think they just go in and never come out....
So I think they're either building a fleet of motorcycles in the living room or an arc. That is the only explanation that my sinus infection riddled mind can come up with.
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On a side note, I saw a man filming himself with a tiny video camera while riding a bike around Silverlake's reservoir. He was totally amused with himself. I love LA.
So far, on vacation, I have: been productive, observed the mysterious ways of cats (which included a long, frantic run which seemed to have an invisible and frightening motivation, prolonged eye contact and burrowing up my sweatshirt), been sick, gotten better, wandered the inter web, watched some Arrested Development, made list, ate grilled cheese, and talked with my sisters.
I feel musings on life coming.
And, world interaction.
I love vacation.
I've spent more time than I would like to admit catching up on the news of the day. One story from New Zealand caught my attention. When I studied there, I enjoyed the newspaper's predictability. The front page was always the one major news story country and something about a cow. Always above the fold.
Today I saw a little something that I thought I'd share. There was an assault...with a deadly hedgehog. There were welts and everything.
Being a bit of a momma's girl, I was quick to pass on the story of demolition weekend with my mother. My mother, you see, is very strong. She has always been a little amazed that she birthed a wimp like me (i.e. when it's me vs. jar top, the jar usually wins).
It seems, however, that I simply missed my strength arena. When Blake invited the folks over to demo, Annie and I made plans that included a walk and taco run. On the day of, things quickly changed. While Dave set up the camera, I took part in one of my favorite kitchen sports (cabinet climbing) and used a pocket knife.
Then Brian asked me if I wanted to try to hit something... and it was the beginning of the end.
I found joy in knocking out shelves. Breaking apart hooks just because I could. At one point, my crowbar/sledge hammer action had a very John Henry feel. It was great. My crowning moment of pride came when I was dubbed "Two Hit."
I love demo.
Yesterday, my friends Trisha and Aaron became parents to little Maggie.
Being so far away, the only thing I could do was go out, get a sewing machine and make a little something special for her. 
Welcome to the world, Maggie.
The general tagged me for a little meme fun. I've been struggling with my things, as I feel like I have no secrets. But, really that just depends on your perspective. Then I decided that I was just stalling and should just stream of consciousness this sucker.
So, in no particular order, here are my things.
1. I have a baby thumb. I like it.
2. I sometimes spend hours making little things out of paper...a few things I make are cute and other times they miss the bar.
3. I am getting over my fear of sand. I am not over my fear of sun. Summer is tricky.
4. In the 10 years since college, I have lived in the following states/districts: Arizona, DC, NY, and CA. I have held the following jobs: AmeriCorps volunteer, non-profit coordinator, student services coordinator, event planner and teacher. For a while, I felt like the fact that the jobs/places were in quick succession (one to two year stints) meant I was not good at staying. But, I don't think that's true anymore. What is true is that I must have a packing outfit when I move. The best one was an apron/cowboy hat/roll of tape on the arm.
5. In my early 20s, I obsessed with the idea of being a stunt person...but, then I realized I'm mostly a chicken and stunt person was not good for me. I then moved on to the idea of midwifery. Although I like babies, that didn't work out either.
Now, I'd like to hear the things Annie and VT girl have to say.
Yesterday Dave and I planned to go to Huntington Gardens. That plan was thwarted by the spring ahead/sleeping in to combat In and Out hangover. So we ended up at a little trail somewhere by the Hollywood sign. We had water and snacks but somehow our outfits never caught up with the new plan. I decided for the jeans and against both a hat and a rubber band for my hair. Dave looked like Dave in a button-down. But, we decided to hike anyway. It was hot but great.
Really what I am trying to explain, with much too much set-up, is that I just spent $30 on sunscreen at CVS. Yesterday's hike left my eyelids sunburned.
I blame the sun. And my habit of thinking a daily moisturizer with a little spf will meet my skin protection needs.
Sometimes the fact that LA is becoming my home is more obvious than others. Last night was one of those nights.
First, I went to see my friend Annie's art at a gallery in Highland Park. She created a beautiful needlepoint of a leaf that was found on a walk. I was so impressed with her work.
Than, we went to the MaDonk's for Erin's 30th birthday party. I was able to flit around, talking to people I know, enjoying a beautiful southern California spring night and some In and Out.
This place is becoming home....
I can't decide what to blog so I'm regulated to the •.
•My walk was filled with flowers. LA in the springtime is so beautiful. And, after years of never ending winters, this new season schedule is working out for me very well.
•Apple TV is growing on me. I still don't understand it...but, I just enjoyed some previews on the HDTV. I love a preview.
•Facebook is also moving from a tool for spying on my little sisters into something new. For the most part, it's confusing to me. Why do I want to throw haggis at my friends? Aren't I too old for this? But, I found some long-lost friends and old coworkers who I enjoy. So, we'll see.
•Dave made the perfect guacamole today and he is now making tasty fajita bowls. I am already loving my dinner and I have not eaten a thing.
Other than my love of springtime in LA, the only recent blogs I have wanted to blog have been about my computer problems. But they have been so full of crank that I could not bring myself to blogging them. Today something changed.
Let me start at the beginning. I have always thought that I have had something a little wrong with my computer. I liked to refer to it as my rotten apple. I had pixel problems, ethernet problems, and general oddness. A little more than a month ago, I had to send it in because my power port was wonky--it would not always realize it was plugged in and the battery was not charging. So, after a few days without my computer, I got a new port.
A week or two ago, there was a horrible sequence of events that stated with a frozen track pad and strange tone, moved to a file folder/question mark icon, and ended with some sort of fatal error. Now, I love my computer (despite its rottenness) but I knew this was no good. The guy on the phone tried to help. My own personal mac genius tried to help. Then, I took it to the store. They said logic board. I said, "repeat repair!" And, off it went.
When I tried to pick it up after the new logic board was put in, it went through all of the same problems when I tried to turn it on in the store. This, I think, was my saving grace. I was now working on more than my description of wrongness.
Two mac-guys, Dave and I attempted to start it in a variety of ways. All to no avail. It had to stay in the store for more help.
The next day, I received another call. He said there was no problem and I could pick it up. I said, no...hold it until the guys who helped me last could look at it. So, despite their claim that my computer was fine and had been fine all day, they kept it.
Yesterday, I got a call that there was, in fact, a problem and I was going to get a new computer. Whoo hoo Apple Care!!!
Today, I type you my blog on my fancy new MacBook.
I love my MacBook.
ps In that Apple way, the MacBooks came out like a week or two after I got my iBook. My immediate feelings of redundancy have been vindicated!
Yesterday I was talking about how good my immune system is...4 years around the under 10 crowd and you've basically come into contact with everything that there is.
So, karma being what it is, a mere 24 hours after that proclamation, I'm sick. [I was saying this, for no good reason really, to my mother who has been sick for 3 weeks--hence karma].
Today, I sent three children home from school. Two possible pink eyes (really I think it was probably only one w/ the conjunctivitis...but, you must be safe). One with a bad case of malaise and a story of waking up at 1 a.m. with an ear ache. I also had a contingency of stay in school sickness--the whole body sneezer, the muscle/joint aches, and the whole body sneezer again. My classroom was/is a hot bed for viral infection. Despite all of my hand washing and use of clorox wipes, it seems the little stinkers got me.
P.S. This is my 400th blog post is the 3 years of life as i know it. Maybe I'll celebrate by upping the blogs per month average.
My time on the internet sometimes brings good things.
create your own visited states map
Dave and I had a bit of an urban adventure today...we followed the Highland Park/Heritage Square hike taken from the deck of cards with 50 walks in LA I gave Dave for Christmas. First, we went to Aunt Em's for breakfast. I had some tasty tasty grits and was amused by the posters in the bathroom...I love a little bathroom humor. Once we were all fueled up, we began our walk past some beautiful houses and a park where John Phillips Souza played. We ended at Heritage Square and took a tour of some old timey homes. There as an octagon house and a bathroom with a pull chain flush. [Really, it was a blue ribbon day for my love of interesting public bathrooms.] After all of that, I had a little nap and then we went to get some Thai food. On the way back, I thought I saw a dog running through the neighborhood. I was keeping with my long tradition of misidentifying wild animals. It was a coyote. Running through the neighborhood. Past me and Dave and our Thai food.
I love LA.
Last week I heard about Orange County's plan for reclaiming waste water...it's been coined, "The toilet to the tap." Think about that for a second. Really, how much can inferred light do to waste water?
Now, the NYT is telling me that hot water from the tap has lead. Lead! Like lead that makes your brain go to mush.
I'm thirsty and I'm scared.
My family's house has music playing all of the time. I would secretly turn down the volume when no one was looking. I complained about all of the Dylan. Being uninterested in music was my little way of having a pre-teen rebellion against what was important to my family. But, then my Dad's friend gave me Past Masters Vol. 1 and I never stopped listening.
Last night, Dave and I went to see the Fab Faux at the Avalon. Brian had given us tickets and asked us to go as a favor to him. At first, I was anti. For some reason I was just not feeling cover band. Then I heard an interview with them on NPR where they talked about their approach and I became much more interested. These musicians work to recreate the sounds that were recorded after the Beatles stopped touring and were never done live. They have an obsessive approach to capturing the sounds that I love so much.
And, they have a blast. They are musician's musicians. Each person played at least 2 instruments (i.e. the saxophonist would switch to and from the flute mid song or the guy who was playing acoustic guitar is now playing the keyboards...then he switches to the sitar). They totally belt out the songs.
They played: Looking Through You, Penny Lane, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Paperback Writer, I am the Walrus, Fool on the Hill, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need is Love...so much good stuff.
I have listened to the Beatles for so long that their songs have, in someway, lost some of their magic. But, watching these guys work so hard to recreate those songs I know so well made me remember how beautiful their music is.
[Thanks Brian. You were so right about these guys.]
I like to read the BBC news each morning. This morning, I was reminded why I love their news so much.
or Infectious Children
Today, the following things happened
•One child was sent home with lice
•One child was sent home because she threw up
•One child sneezed on my head. This child continued to sneeze in a body forward/half bent way all day; he never really got the hang of tissues
•One child said, "I have a cold." Someone else responded with, "Me too."
•One child said, "I don't feel good."
I think the germs are out to get me.
blah, blah, blah...I like to eat healthy.
blah, blah, blah...Trader Joes.
blah, blah, blah...they have bratwurst. I know they're not healthy...but, they're from TJs so I can lie to myself.
I cooked them in beer.
They were good.
I have had several CA moments this weekend:
*A walk in a t-shirt and shorts yesterday. It's January. This is amazing.
*Driving past a pickup truck that was filled with snow they had hauled in from the mountains. Again, I was in shorts.
*A very good meal at an organic Italian place with the MaDonks. It was great.
*A walk to Los Feliz for dinner. I got to work of the fajitas/excessive chips right after consumption. Perfect.
*Run-ins with minor celebrities at my local supermarket. Who knew that's where they all hang out?
It was one of those perfect low-key weekends.
On Friday, I played part of Dr. King's I have a dream speech to my students and another class of 5th graders. After it was over, I asked for reactions. The first student said it was inspirational. I love these big kids. Then we talked about the ways we can keep Dr. King's dream alive and they came up with very personalized ideas. I was very proud of my students.
Oh wait. That's election 2008.
When I got my license, I decided that I wanted to vote in the primaries and so registered with the Dems. I was a card-carrying Undecided up until that point--say it loud, say it proud. This week, I found out that Undecideds can vote in primaries here in CA. After a moment of regret, I realized it's no big deal. Am I going to vote Republican? Probably not.
Since the primaries are on Feb. 5th here in CA (and half the other states), I've been paying close attention to the candidates. I checked out Project Vote Smart for a little nonpartisan background information on the candidates (very informative--did you know Hillary Clinton is on Wal-mart's board? Or that Barack Obama is a Leo?
I also did a little research on the Iowa Caucus. People are literally standing in a room trying to get their friends to join them in their corner and then there is a crazy percentage thing worked out. That's how they do it in Iowa. This plus the fact that less people participate in the caucus than live in Burbank makes it all a little silly to me.
I have a month to decide who I am going to back. I'm just not sure which way I should go. But I do know, election season is upon us.
