It seems that every blog I read eventually has some sort of "delurk" entry, and I thought I would resist. Until today. I'm totally interested in knowing who reads my blog. I know Leah and some of her friends do (Kaci, Cattigan, and Betsy sometimes leave messages, and so has Shan), but I'm not sure who else reads it.
I LOVE getting comments, and I think some people are shy about leaving comments for someone they don't know. Please don't be shy! I'd love to hear what you think about my blog. For almost a year now, I've wondered who is reading, and I hope today I find out!!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Rag quilt update - pictures!
I finally got around to taking some pictures of my completed rag quilt! I am so proud of it! I still need to wash and dry it a few times to continue the fraying of the "rag" edges, but other than that, it's ready to go. It is not perfect. Not all of the seams line up on the back, but they are all pretty close.
Now I just need to find a place to use it! I love the fabrics, but they don't match anything I have in my house. There are ten different fabrics, but they all go together. I may end up keeping it in the living room in my basket of blankets for tv watching.
Here are the photos. I can't decide which fabric I like the most. I just love the way they all look together. What do you like best?
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Water and electronics do NOT mix
Water and electronics do not mix. This is a lesson I learned the hard way, twice. Well, not really the hard way, because I wasn't electrocuted either time. Here, let me tell you the story.
I have two cats. While I love my cats, I hate cleaning the litter box. Because I have two cats, I have two litter boxes. When we first got Zoe, she used the litter box very politely. I just had to scoop every other day and she was happy. Then we got Sid. I don't know if I have a weird cat, or if it's because he's a boy, but he was not nearly as polite as Zoe. As we all know, cats bury their business. Zoe delicately moves litter out of her way, does her business and then gently covers it all up again.
Not Sid.
He takes on the litter box as a personal challenge each and every time he uses it - and he uses it a lot. I swear, that cat is a pooping machine. When Sid climbs in the litter box, I think he tries to dig for China. The cat is not happy until he can see the bottom of the box. And the more loose litter he can throw out of the box, the happier he is. That's why I have covered litter boxes now. He never threw "dirty" litter out of the box, but sometimes it seemed like there was more litter outside the box than in.
You may be wondering what all this has to do with electronics and water? Well, just be patient, we'll get there soon enough.
Because of my problem with my cat throwing litter around, I began to look into different types of litter boxes. I wanted to find one that would eliminate as much of the litter throwing as possible. During my research, I happened to come across a litter box that actually scoops itself! Can you imagine? How cool is that? It's the Litter Maid self scooping litter box, and it was $100. But I bought it anyway. It was amazing. When the cat walked into the litter box, he walked through a laser. About ten minutes after the cat finished, an automatic timer would send a rake through the box. At the end of the box, it would lift the used litter clumps up and dump them into a covered waste receptacle. It was awesome. And, the second best thing was that it came with a little cover for the box, so if Sid did throw litter out, it wouldn't end up on my floor.
Zoe was afraid of the rake, and refused to use that litter box. I had to keep an old one around, but that wasn't a big deal. Sid loved the new one. He'd hear that rake start moving and come running from wherever he was in the house to watch it do its thing.
After about seven or eight months, it was summer. I was in a cleaning mood, and thought I would do some serious cleaning. This included the litter boxes. I emptied them both out completely, and got ready to clean them. Now, I don't know about you, but I find litter boxes repulsive and I didn't really want to touch them with my hands. Not even with rubber gloves.
So, after a stroke of brilliant inspiration, I went into the garage and hauled out J's pressure washer.
It worked beautifully on the old standard litter box. It cleaned everything, and I didn't have to use chemicals or anything that could potentially harm my cats. I left it in the sun for an hour or so to naturally deodorize while I worked on the electronic box.
I figured that because the cats pee in the box, that it would be water resistant. Sounds logical, right? Wrong.
Apparently cats do not pee at the same force the pressure washer cleans. I broke that litter box, and I broke it good. It no longer scoops itself. It makes a weird sort of whining noise when I plug it in, and the rake moves at random intervals if it even moves at all.
Damn. Well, it was good while it lasted.
J was not entirely impressed with this move of mine. In fact, I got a mini lecture on electronics and water. And by mini lecture, I mean he ranted and raved and basically let me know that I should never do anything that dumb again.
Got it.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving. We were tired of trying to choose whose family to visit at Thanksgiving, and invited everyone to our house. We figured we could host dinner, and then we wouldn't have to choose.
It's the night before everyone is to arrive, and we've made all sorts of preparations. We've done the grocery shopping, the turkeys are in the bathtub defrosting (my sink is too small, okay?), I'm cleaning the house and J is cleaning our room. It was bad. And we fought. But that's another story, too.
I finally went to sleep at 3:30 a.m. I got back up at about 7:15 to finish the last few things I didn't get done the night before. Including cleaning the coffee pot. Now, I don't drink coffee or tea, so I really don't know much about coffee pots. I know enough not to submerge the base, though, because I'm really not an idiot.
Apparently, though, coffee pot bases are not as waterproof as one would imagine. As I was wiping it down, I guess I got a little overzealous with the sponge, and got some water on the faceplate where the clock is. When I plugged it in, I couldn't figure out how to get the clock set again. I went and woke up J, saying "I can't figure out how to set the stupid clock on your coffee pot. You need to come fix it. I don't have time to mess around with it anymore."
He was not happy to be woken up this way, but I was still mad and frankly, didn't care.
He got up and trudged into the kitchen to see what the problem was. He immediately diagnosed it: water in the electronics. He was mad. I got the same lecture again, with the bonus of an angrily muttered "That coffee pot was NEW when I bought it!"
Okay, now I'm laughing. J still didn't see the humor, but I did. I mean c'mon, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? I pointed out that we still had a coffee pot at our disposal because I had borrowed one from a friend. (We were going to have seven coffee drinkers in the house, and half like decaf and half like regular. We planned ahead and borrowed one from a friend who was going out of town for the weekend.)
J was still peeved that his coffee pot was apparently broken, and stomped off back to bed.
I still thought it was kind of funny.
I waited about fifteen minutes, and walked back to the bedroom with soapy rubber gloves on my hands and turned on the bedroom light. I said to J, "So...about the toaster."
I still think it's funny. J still doesn't see the humor. What do you think?
P.S. After about an hour, his coffee pot dried out and started to work again. And there was nothing wrong with the toaster. I just wanted to yank his chain. I'm mean like that.
I have two cats. While I love my cats, I hate cleaning the litter box. Because I have two cats, I have two litter boxes. When we first got Zoe, she used the litter box very politely. I just had to scoop every other day and she was happy. Then we got Sid. I don't know if I have a weird cat, or if it's because he's a boy, but he was not nearly as polite as Zoe. As we all know, cats bury their business. Zoe delicately moves litter out of her way, does her business and then gently covers it all up again.
Not Sid.
He takes on the litter box as a personal challenge each and every time he uses it - and he uses it a lot. I swear, that cat is a pooping machine. When Sid climbs in the litter box, I think he tries to dig for China. The cat is not happy until he can see the bottom of the box. And the more loose litter he can throw out of the box, the happier he is. That's why I have covered litter boxes now. He never threw "dirty" litter out of the box, but sometimes it seemed like there was more litter outside the box than in.
You may be wondering what all this has to do with electronics and water? Well, just be patient, we'll get there soon enough.
Because of my problem with my cat throwing litter around, I began to look into different types of litter boxes. I wanted to find one that would eliminate as much of the litter throwing as possible. During my research, I happened to come across a litter box that actually scoops itself! Can you imagine? How cool is that? It's the Litter Maid self scooping litter box, and it was $100. But I bought it anyway. It was amazing. When the cat walked into the litter box, he walked through a laser. About ten minutes after the cat finished, an automatic timer would send a rake through the box. At the end of the box, it would lift the used litter clumps up and dump them into a covered waste receptacle. It was awesome. And, the second best thing was that it came with a little cover for the box, so if Sid did throw litter out, it wouldn't end up on my floor.
Zoe was afraid of the rake, and refused to use that litter box. I had to keep an old one around, but that wasn't a big deal. Sid loved the new one. He'd hear that rake start moving and come running from wherever he was in the house to watch it do its thing.
After about seven or eight months, it was summer. I was in a cleaning mood, and thought I would do some serious cleaning. This included the litter boxes. I emptied them both out completely, and got ready to clean them. Now, I don't know about you, but I find litter boxes repulsive and I didn't really want to touch them with my hands. Not even with rubber gloves.
So, after a stroke of brilliant inspiration, I went into the garage and hauled out J's pressure washer.
It worked beautifully on the old standard litter box. It cleaned everything, and I didn't have to use chemicals or anything that could potentially harm my cats. I left it in the sun for an hour or so to naturally deodorize while I worked on the electronic box.
I figured that because the cats pee in the box, that it would be water resistant. Sounds logical, right? Wrong.
Apparently cats do not pee at the same force the pressure washer cleans. I broke that litter box, and I broke it good. It no longer scoops itself. It makes a weird sort of whining noise when I plug it in, and the rake moves at random intervals if it even moves at all.
Damn. Well, it was good while it lasted.
J was not entirely impressed with this move of mine. In fact, I got a mini lecture on electronics and water. And by mini lecture, I mean he ranted and raved and basically let me know that I should never do anything that dumb again.
Got it.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving. We were tired of trying to choose whose family to visit at Thanksgiving, and invited everyone to our house. We figured we could host dinner, and then we wouldn't have to choose.
It's the night before everyone is to arrive, and we've made all sorts of preparations. We've done the grocery shopping, the turkeys are in the bathtub defrosting (my sink is too small, okay?), I'm cleaning the house and J is cleaning our room. It was bad. And we fought. But that's another story, too.
I finally went to sleep at 3:30 a.m. I got back up at about 7:15 to finish the last few things I didn't get done the night before. Including cleaning the coffee pot. Now, I don't drink coffee or tea, so I really don't know much about coffee pots. I know enough not to submerge the base, though, because I'm really not an idiot.
Apparently, though, coffee pot bases are not as waterproof as one would imagine. As I was wiping it down, I guess I got a little overzealous with the sponge, and got some water on the faceplate where the clock is. When I plugged it in, I couldn't figure out how to get the clock set again. I went and woke up J, saying "I can't figure out how to set the stupid clock on your coffee pot. You need to come fix it. I don't have time to mess around with it anymore."
He was not happy to be woken up this way, but I was still mad and frankly, didn't care.
He got up and trudged into the kitchen to see what the problem was. He immediately diagnosed it: water in the electronics. He was mad. I got the same lecture again, with the bonus of an angrily muttered "That coffee pot was NEW when I bought it!"
Okay, now I'm laughing. J still didn't see the humor, but I did. I mean c'mon, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at? I pointed out that we still had a coffee pot at our disposal because I had borrowed one from a friend. (We were going to have seven coffee drinkers in the house, and half like decaf and half like regular. We planned ahead and borrowed one from a friend who was going out of town for the weekend.)
J was still peeved that his coffee pot was apparently broken, and stomped off back to bed.
I still thought it was kind of funny.
I waited about fifteen minutes, and walked back to the bedroom with soapy rubber gloves on my hands and turned on the bedroom light. I said to J, "So...about the toaster."
I still think it's funny. J still doesn't see the humor. What do you think?
P.S. After about an hour, his coffee pot dried out and started to work again. And there was nothing wrong with the toaster. I just wanted to yank his chain. I'm mean like that.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Hallmark cards rock, pt. 3
The third installation of Hallmark cards that I really like. You can see the first installation here, and the second here.
This first one is a late birthday card for a friend who HATES all things veggie. She drinks about four glasses of water trying to wash down broccoli...and she says she "likes" broccoli. She drinks V8 to make sure she gets veggies in her diet. But I don't know that she's ever even tasted it, she slams down two entire cups like it's a shot of alcohol! I nearly wet my pants laughing when she told me that she tried to be a vegetarian once, but it only lasted a month. Frankly, I'm shocked she lasted that long! What on earth did she eat for an entire month?
My sister L gave this to me for my birthday a few years ago. Coincidentally T gave me a card that had a monkey on it that same year! I can't find that one, though..
This one is maybe not so nice...but sometimes it's exactly how I feel. What do you think?
I can totally see this exact same conversation happening forty years from now! I think it makes me laugh because it's unexpected from sweet little old ladies, ya know?
This first one is a late birthday card for a friend who HATES all things veggie. She drinks about four glasses of water trying to wash down broccoli...and she says she "likes" broccoli. She drinks V8 to make sure she gets veggies in her diet. But I don't know that she's ever even tasted it, she slams down two entire cups like it's a shot of alcohol! I nearly wet my pants laughing when she told me that she tried to be a vegetarian once, but it only lasted a month. Frankly, I'm shocked she lasted that long! What on earth did she eat for an entire month?
My sister L gave this to me for my birthday a few years ago. Coincidentally T gave me a card that had a monkey on it that same year! I can't find that one, though..
This one is maybe not so nice...but sometimes it's exactly how I feel. What do you think?
I can totally see this exact same conversation happening forty years from now! I think it makes me laugh because it's unexpected from sweet little old ladies, ya know?
Monday, July 28, 2008
I'm cheating...sort of
Have you ever had a "to do" list that is so long, you don't know where to start and instead find yourself walking around in circles, accomplishing nothing? That's me today. Here's my "to do" list for the week:
1. finish cleaning / organizing / sorting guest bedroom (I've got most of that new dresser filled up! Now I need to decide what to do with what's left in the closet!)
2. same as above for master bedroom
3. thoroughly clean / disinfect / scrub both bathrooms (It feels like FOREVER since these things have been done. Don't get me wrong, I've cleaned my bathrooms recently...I do it pretty regularly...but every once in awhile, I just like to go to town with the disinfectant and do a really really thorough job, you know? I just feel better after that.)
4. same as above for kitchen
5. laundry (I have about five loads to do. For those of you with kids, you're probably laughing at me. Five loads is not that much. It's pretty embarrassing if you don't have kids, though, and you are a teacher home for the summer. I've been super busy for the last week - gone almost every day all day playing with friends, and didn't do a single load until yesterday.)
6. TWO new rag quilts
7. pick up / dust / vacuum entire house
8. break down a million and twelve boxes in the garage, load them in the truck and go to the cardboard recycling.
9. go through ginormous stacks of books / magazines and take stuff to the Goodwill and the recycling bin (I'm a reader...I have TONS of books...maybe I should start a book exchange club with friends. I'll list the titles I have, you list the ones you have, we each pick one or two and mail 'em. Hey, that actually might be an idea with some merit. I have lots of books I read and loved, but have no need to keep. I would be happy to trade with someone else. Seriously...what do you think? I'd rather pay two or three bucks for postage than $13-30 for a new book...)
10. go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and try to return some lamp shades that are entirely too big for the lamps I have - the only problem is that I don't have the receipts anymore. Maybe I can get store credit? I hope so!
11. make a run to the Goodwill with the boxes of stuff I've collected from reorganizing closets (I've got two medium sized boxes so far, and I'm not even halfway done with my organization)
12. move plastic drawers that used to be storage in my closet for socks and underwear into the game / craft closet
13. find a place to get rid of old computer parts - I'm tired of the old computer sitting on my hearth.
14. find someone willing to buy my Sizzix die cut machine and dies - they were a gift, and I only used it once to test it out - I got it for my birthday from my in-laws. That Christmas they gave me a Cricut. I use that pretty regularly...I just don't use the Sizzix, but I can't just give it to the Goodwill...yet...I have too much guilt.
15. Start thinking about / getting ready for school. I have a letter that has to be mailed home to 70 kids in my mentor program...in two weeks...and I have to address all the envelopes by hand.
16. Update blog / come up with topics for a few extra entries so I can have some breathing room and not feel this intense pressure!
17. - ???? The list goes on, but I am going to quit wasting time now and get started.
The long and short of this is that I am not going to have time for a "real" blog entry today. Instead, I am going to link to my friend Leah's blog for today. She is busy, so I volunteered to write an entry for her. Most of the people who read my blog get here via Leah (that rhymes!), so you probably already knew that! But if you get here from another way, go check out the post I did for her! I'm pretty proud of it.
1. finish cleaning / organizing / sorting guest bedroom (I've got most of that new dresser filled up! Now I need to decide what to do with what's left in the closet!)
2. same as above for master bedroom
3. thoroughly clean / disinfect / scrub both bathrooms (It feels like FOREVER since these things have been done. Don't get me wrong, I've cleaned my bathrooms recently...I do it pretty regularly...but every once in awhile, I just like to go to town with the disinfectant and do a really really thorough job, you know? I just feel better after that.)
4. same as above for kitchen
5. laundry (I have about five loads to do. For those of you with kids, you're probably laughing at me. Five loads is not that much. It's pretty embarrassing if you don't have kids, though, and you are a teacher home for the summer. I've been super busy for the last week - gone almost every day all day playing with friends, and didn't do a single load until yesterday.)
6. TWO new rag quilts
7. pick up / dust / vacuum entire house
8. break down a million and twelve boxes in the garage, load them in the truck and go to the cardboard recycling.
9. go through ginormous stacks of books / magazines and take stuff to the Goodwill and the recycling bin (I'm a reader...I have TONS of books...maybe I should start a book exchange club with friends. I'll list the titles I have, you list the ones you have, we each pick one or two and mail 'em. Hey, that actually might be an idea with some merit. I have lots of books I read and loved, but have no need to keep. I would be happy to trade with someone else. Seriously...what do you think? I'd rather pay two or three bucks for postage than $13-30 for a new book...)
10. go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and try to return some lamp shades that are entirely too big for the lamps I have - the only problem is that I don't have the receipts anymore. Maybe I can get store credit? I hope so!
11. make a run to the Goodwill with the boxes of stuff I've collected from reorganizing closets (I've got two medium sized boxes so far, and I'm not even halfway done with my organization)
12. move plastic drawers that used to be storage in my closet for socks and underwear into the game / craft closet
13. find a place to get rid of old computer parts - I'm tired of the old computer sitting on my hearth.
14. find someone willing to buy my Sizzix die cut machine and dies - they were a gift, and I only used it once to test it out - I got it for my birthday from my in-laws. That Christmas they gave me a Cricut. I use that pretty regularly...I just don't use the Sizzix, but I can't just give it to the Goodwill...yet...I have too much guilt.
15. Start thinking about / getting ready for school. I have a letter that has to be mailed home to 70 kids in my mentor program...in two weeks...and I have to address all the envelopes by hand.
16. Update blog / come up with topics for a few extra entries so I can have some breathing room and not feel this intense pressure!
17. - ???? The list goes on, but I am going to quit wasting time now and get started.
The long and short of this is that I am not going to have time for a "real" blog entry today. Instead, I am going to link to my friend Leah's blog for today. She is busy, so I volunteered to write an entry for her. Most of the people who read my blog get here via Leah (that rhymes!), so you probably already knew that! But if you get here from another way, go check out the post I did for her! I'm pretty proud of it.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I'm organizing like crazy!
The other day I blogged about the fact that my house has very little storage. J and I went on a wild goose chase looking for a dresser. We came up emptyhanded. I got a great tip to check out Craigslist, but unfortunately, nobody in my area is trying to get rid of dressers. I sucked it up and drove over to the Seattle IKEA (well, it's technically in Renton, but they call their location the "Seattle IKEA" - go figure). I found the dresser that I have been coveting for five years, and it was reasonably priced. It's HUGE! I bought two. We are putting one in our bedroom and one in the guest room. The hard part now is rearranging the furniture so that it not only fits, but looks good. I wouldn't say that I'm concerned about feng shui, but I do like my rooms to look right. If a bed is under a window, it should be centered under said window. Unfortunately, in my house, the windows are not centered on walls. That is making my organizational strategies blow up in my face!
I'll take pictures when I get done.
Oh, and I finished the rag quilt I started the other day! I had so much fun, I have two more in the works already! One will be a Christmas print, and I'll share pics of that when I'm done. The other is a gift for someone...most likely for Christmas...so I'll have to wait to show pics of that until I've given the gift. Based on the fabrics, it will be immediately obvious which member of my family is getting a blanket for Christmas!
I'll take pictures when I get done.
Oh, and I finished the rag quilt I started the other day! I had so much fun, I have two more in the works already! One will be a Christmas print, and I'll share pics of that when I'm done. The other is a gift for someone...most likely for Christmas...so I'll have to wait to show pics of that until I've given the gift. Based on the fabrics, it will be immediately obvious which member of my family is getting a blanket for Christmas!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Call me Grace (as in "Graceful")
A short while ago, Kaci at Ellyphant did a post about how she fell down the stairs. I sympathized with her because I, too, have fallen down the stairs. But I did it at work two years ago. Picture this:
It's after school. I'm leaving my upstairs classroom on my way to the baseball fields. I get down the first flight of stairs fine. I turn the corner and start down the second flight. See another teacher wave at me, and I wave back. The next thing I remember is the sensation of falling forward in slow motion and thinking to myself "This can't really be happening." Don't remember another thing until I get to the bottom of the stairs. I went head first down a whole flight. I went down face first, but landed in a graceful heap at the bottom on my back. Kids saw. Other teachers saw. Someone ran to a classroom and called the main office. The assistant principal came running. The athletic trainer came running. Others who were wandering by were attracted by all the commotion and they came over to see what was going on. The custodian was there, picking up all my junk that went flying as I fell. The security guard came after a few minutes pushing a wheel chair. I thought I was going to die. But not because I was hurt...I figured I would die of embarrassment long before any injuries even made themselves known. I pulled the security guard down close and asked her to make people go away...I was too embarrassed to be the center of attention. And I told her that I would crawl out of the school on my hands and knees before I would use the wheel chair, and would she kindly take it away?
It was horrible.
They made me sit there for a few minutes until the color came back to my face. Then my assistant principal told me he needed me to go to the office with him and call MedCor, the people we have to report on the job injuries to. The crowd of concerned passersby followed me there, gathering more concerned folks on the way to the office. While I sat at the front desk and made the call, people were staring at me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I sort of did both. The nurse on the other end of the phone was an idiot. I was in the office, surrounded by TONS of concerned people who were trying to be quiet, and the lady was asking me the dumbest questions. When she asked me (and this is the truth) "Have you lost control of your bowels?" I started laughing so hard I started to cry. She was concerned and asked if she could speak to my immediate supervisor. I handed the phone over, and while he was talking to her, everyone else wanted to know what was going on.
Eventually, people started to leave, and I was allowed to as well. I still had to go to the baseball games because I was meeting Ignite mentors there, so the trainer ran and got a golf cart and told me he'd give me a ride there. On the way over, I called J and asked him to come to the games because I needed help with the activities, now that I had fallen down the stairs. He left work right away and met me. One of my mentors was waiting for me when I got there, and between J and Jeremy, they took care of everything.
By the time the game was over, I was pretty sore, and still pretty shaken up. I asked J to drive me home. He dropped me off and then went and got Laurie, who lived close by at the time, and went back to the school. They got my car home, J drove her back home, and then he came home to see how I was. I was okay. Because I had fallen forward and then apparently rolled to my back on my way down the stairs, my small injuries were in weird places. I had a scratch down my spine (from the hooks on my bra), and one of the hooks was completely flattened, making it hard for my stiff and sore arms to reach around and unhook. I had a few deep blue and black bruises on my elbows, one palm, and my knee. Other than that and general stiffness that lasted for four days, I was fine.
I was the talk of the school for about three weeks before it all died down. It lasted that long because the video of my fall kept making the rounds at school. Yes, that's right. I was caught on video on the security cameras in my moment of glory. (They kindly made me a copy. If I can find it and figure out how to do it, I'll consider adding it to my blog at a later date. I'll let you know if I do.)
Eventually, people quit talking about it. However, my humiliation continues to randomly resurface over and over and over again, just when I least expect it.
The following school year started as usual with all sorts of meetings and ERASR training. I don't remember what ERASR stands for, but it's all about workplace safety, etc. One of the categories we have to cover is "Slips, trips and falls." Guess who was the butt of all the jokes that day?
Periodically, kids will come to me and say, "Mr. / Mrs. So-and-so said you fell down the stairs and you have it on video. Can I see it?"
I thought that finally it was over, though. Until the last week of school this past school year.
Laurie and I were chaperoning at the yearbook distribution. I was helping hand out books, she was doing some crowd control. The crowds started to die down, so Laurie was looking through one of the books. I was sitting on the table near her, waiting for the signal that we were free to go. All of a sudden, Laurie is laughing so hard she is crying. She said, "Oh, Kristina!! Have you seen page 77?!?!?"
I had not seen page 77. I grabbed a book and opened it up. Here's half of the actual page from the yearbook. Look at the picture on the top right of the page. (I blurred out last names of kids for privacy. I cut half the page out so hopefully you can read the writing.)
In case you couldn't read it, here's the caption:
"Have you ever fallen down or up the stairs at SHS? 76 said yes, 84 said no. Shane and Jake practice the Hocking Maneuver, made famous by the movie version of Ms. (sic) Hocking falling down the C-hall stairs."
Crap. It's never going to go away, is it?
It's after school. I'm leaving my upstairs classroom on my way to the baseball fields. I get down the first flight of stairs fine. I turn the corner and start down the second flight. See another teacher wave at me, and I wave back. The next thing I remember is the sensation of falling forward in slow motion and thinking to myself "This can't really be happening." Don't remember another thing until I get to the bottom of the stairs. I went head first down a whole flight. I went down face first, but landed in a graceful heap at the bottom on my back. Kids saw. Other teachers saw. Someone ran to a classroom and called the main office. The assistant principal came running. The athletic trainer came running. Others who were wandering by were attracted by all the commotion and they came over to see what was going on. The custodian was there, picking up all my junk that went flying as I fell. The security guard came after a few minutes pushing a wheel chair. I thought I was going to die. But not because I was hurt...I figured I would die of embarrassment long before any injuries even made themselves known. I pulled the security guard down close and asked her to make people go away...I was too embarrassed to be the center of attention. And I told her that I would crawl out of the school on my hands and knees before I would use the wheel chair, and would she kindly take it away?
It was horrible.
They made me sit there for a few minutes until the color came back to my face. Then my assistant principal told me he needed me to go to the office with him and call MedCor, the people we have to report on the job injuries to. The crowd of concerned passersby followed me there, gathering more concerned folks on the way to the office. While I sat at the front desk and made the call, people were staring at me. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I sort of did both. The nurse on the other end of the phone was an idiot. I was in the office, surrounded by TONS of concerned people who were trying to be quiet, and the lady was asking me the dumbest questions. When she asked me (and this is the truth) "Have you lost control of your bowels?" I started laughing so hard I started to cry. She was concerned and asked if she could speak to my immediate supervisor. I handed the phone over, and while he was talking to her, everyone else wanted to know what was going on.
Eventually, people started to leave, and I was allowed to as well. I still had to go to the baseball games because I was meeting Ignite mentors there, so the trainer ran and got a golf cart and told me he'd give me a ride there. On the way over, I called J and asked him to come to the games because I needed help with the activities, now that I had fallen down the stairs. He left work right away and met me. One of my mentors was waiting for me when I got there, and between J and Jeremy, they took care of everything.
By the time the game was over, I was pretty sore, and still pretty shaken up. I asked J to drive me home. He dropped me off and then went and got Laurie, who lived close by at the time, and went back to the school. They got my car home, J drove her back home, and then he came home to see how I was. I was okay. Because I had fallen forward and then apparently rolled to my back on my way down the stairs, my small injuries were in weird places. I had a scratch down my spine (from the hooks on my bra), and one of the hooks was completely flattened, making it hard for my stiff and sore arms to reach around and unhook. I had a few deep blue and black bruises on my elbows, one palm, and my knee. Other than that and general stiffness that lasted for four days, I was fine.
I was the talk of the school for about three weeks before it all died down. It lasted that long because the video of my fall kept making the rounds at school. Yes, that's right. I was caught on video on the security cameras in my moment of glory. (They kindly made me a copy. If I can find it and figure out how to do it, I'll consider adding it to my blog at a later date. I'll let you know if I do.)
Eventually, people quit talking about it. However, my humiliation continues to randomly resurface over and over and over again, just when I least expect it.
The following school year started as usual with all sorts of meetings and ERASR training. I don't remember what ERASR stands for, but it's all about workplace safety, etc. One of the categories we have to cover is "Slips, trips and falls." Guess who was the butt of all the jokes that day?
Periodically, kids will come to me and say, "Mr. / Mrs. So-and-so said you fell down the stairs and you have it on video. Can I see it?"
I thought that finally it was over, though. Until the last week of school this past school year.
Laurie and I were chaperoning at the yearbook distribution. I was helping hand out books, she was doing some crowd control. The crowds started to die down, so Laurie was looking through one of the books. I was sitting on the table near her, waiting for the signal that we were free to go. All of a sudden, Laurie is laughing so hard she is crying. She said, "Oh, Kristina!! Have you seen page 77?!?!?"
I had not seen page 77. I grabbed a book and opened it up. Here's half of the actual page from the yearbook. Look at the picture on the top right of the page. (I blurred out last names of kids for privacy. I cut half the page out so hopefully you can read the writing.)
In case you couldn't read it, here's the caption:
"Have you ever fallen down or up the stairs at SHS? 76 said yes, 84 said no. Shane and Jake practice the Hocking Maneuver, made famous by the movie version of Ms. (sic) Hocking falling down the C-hall stairs."
Crap. It's never going to go away, is it?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sew what?
Okay, about two or three years ago, my mother-in-law gave me a sewing machine for Christmas. I appreciated the gift, but I don't sew. I didn't even know how to thread the machine. I tried to muster up some enthusiasm, but I don't know how believable I was. (Unfortunately, lying is not one of my considerable talents.)
My sewing machine has been collecting dust for a long time. But yesterday, I pulled it out. One of my friends is an awesome seamstress! She can make just about anything! She even has a super duper fancy embroidery machine. She can do it all. I was hanging out with her yesterday, and she somehow managed to talk me into sewing a rag quilt.
I'm still not sure how it happened, but it's AWESOME!! I am almost done. I even have enough extra squares I may be able to make a matching pillow or two!
I'll post pictures when I get finished. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes out as well as I hope!
PS It's all sorts of sock monkey fabrics! It's about the cutest thing I've ever seen!
My sewing machine has been collecting dust for a long time. But yesterday, I pulled it out. One of my friends is an awesome seamstress! She can make just about anything! She even has a super duper fancy embroidery machine. She can do it all. I was hanging out with her yesterday, and she somehow managed to talk me into sewing a rag quilt.
I'm still not sure how it happened, but it's AWESOME!! I am almost done. I even have enough extra squares I may be able to make a matching pillow or two!
I'll post pictures when I get finished. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes out as well as I hope!
PS It's all sorts of sock monkey fabrics! It's about the cutest thing I've ever seen!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hallmark cards rock, pt. 2
Here is the second installation of some of my favorite greeting cards. You can see the first installation here.
I don't know why I like this one, I just do. I find it funny, I guess, that she is preparing for a trip by learning the really important phrases.
And this one, wrong as it is, just makes me laugh out loud every time I read it. That's actually the deciding factor for me. If I laugh out loud in the store, I usually buy the card. Sometimes, if I'm having a bad day, I'll go to Wal-Mart (it's closer than Hallmark) and just stand in the card aisle reading and enjoying myself. If it's a REALLY bad day, I'll go to the actual Hallmark. But that can be dangerous because they have so many cards...at Wal-Mart there's a great selection, but it's somewhat limited.
I don't know why I like this one, I just do. I find it funny, I guess, that she is preparing for a trip by learning the really important phrases.
This one is SO true!! I feel like this a lot during the school year, especially!
I bought several of this card a year ago and sent it to some of my friends...
And this one, wrong as it is, just makes me laugh out loud every time I read it. That's actually the deciding factor for me. If I laugh out loud in the store, I usually buy the card. Sometimes, if I'm having a bad day, I'll go to Wal-Mart (it's closer than Hallmark) and just stand in the card aisle reading and enjoying myself. If it's a REALLY bad day, I'll go to the actual Hallmark. But that can be dangerous because they have so many cards...at Wal-Mart there's a great selection, but it's somewhat limited.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sam the Beagle
Recently I wrote about the camping trip J and I went on with his family. I mentioned that I wished I had taken more pictures. While this is still true, I realized that I do have a picture of Sam the Beagle, H's dog. H is in the Air Force and stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. A few months ago, Mom and Dad H. went to visit her and Sam. While they were there, they took Sam and went on a hike. Here's a picture of Sam in the rental car. Isn't he cute?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
10 things I have learned since getting married
10. Boys are immune to messes.
9. Water and electrical appliances do not mix.
8. Appreciate each other - you are lucky to have a best friend around every day.
7. If you want something, say it. He is not and will not ever be a mind reader.
6. Say "thank you." And make him say it back. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're being taken for granted.
5. Boys create 95% of the messes they are immune to, but will insist that it was you, not them.
4. The best time to say "I love you" is when your partner is not expecting it. It's nice to say it before hanging up the phone, or before going to sleep, but it's even better to get an "I love you" out of the blue.
3. Even though you both speak English, you don't really speak the same language. Be very specific when you speak, and ask clarifying questions when you listen.
2. Negotiate. Marriage is about sharing - sharing love, sharing work, sharing everything. If I have to wash the dishes, he should put them away. If I have to call and order the pizza, he should have to answer the door.
9. Water and electrical appliances do not mix.
8. Appreciate each other - you are lucky to have a best friend around every day.
7. If you want something, say it. He is not and will not ever be a mind reader.
6. Say "thank you." And make him say it back. There's nothing worse than feeling like you're being taken for granted.
5. Boys create 95% of the messes they are immune to, but will insist that it was you, not them.
4. The best time to say "I love you" is when your partner is not expecting it. It's nice to say it before hanging up the phone, or before going to sleep, but it's even better to get an "I love you" out of the blue.
3. Even though you both speak English, you don't really speak the same language. Be very specific when you speak, and ask clarifying questions when you listen.
2. Negotiate. Marriage is about sharing - sharing love, sharing work, sharing everything. If I have to wash the dishes, he should put them away. If I have to call and order the pizza, he should have to answer the door.
And the number one thing I've learned since getting married is:
1. Though there are ups and downs, it just keeps getting better...
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Wild Goose Chase
Today, J and I embarked on an adventure that quickly turned into a wild goose chase. Our cute little house has about zero storage. When you are a first time home buyer, this is not something you typically pay attention to...well, we didn't. The kitchen has fantastic storage. Plenty of cupboard space for all our dishes and food and table cloths, etc. Love the kitchen.
Didn't notice until we moved in that the hall linen closet is only about a foot deep. No joke. It's probably 7-8 feet long, but only a foot deep. The master and guest bedrooms have decently sized closets. J and I are kind of cramped in our closet, but we have all of our clothes in there. We're not really the type of people who store their clothes seasonally...they all live in the closet all year long. The guest room closet is big enough for one person, but barely. I just store my extra sheets, etc. in there. The hall closet is not big enough for sheets and towels. Towels only. However, the third room (which will hopefully be a nursery one day) has a tiny closet that is directly behind the door. You can't get into that closet unless you go into the room and close the door. We don't even have a closet door...there is a curtain hiding the crap within.
The main bathroom has exactly one drawer. The medicine cabinet has plenty of space, though, and I put bulky stuff like my hair dryer under the sink. The master bath doesn't have a shower or a bath, just a toilet and sink. There are two drawers in that room, though, and the same mirrored medicine cabinet.
There is a small coat closet in the entryway of the house, that doubles as storage for our vacuum cleaner and ALL coats, gloves, scarves, winter boots, etc. and that's about it for storage in the entire house. We don't even have a laundry room. We have a laundry closet in the kitchen. It's just barely big enough for my king sized washer and dryer. Thank goodness I measured that correctly!!
Anyway, today's wild goose chase was for two dressers. We want a dresser for our bedroom and for the guest room. In the guest room I would move the linens to the dresser, and free up space in the closet for our suitcases and sleeping bags which get shoved under the bed in there for the time being. In our room, we have been using giant plastic stacking drawers - two each - for socks and underwear. Shorts, jeans, pajamas, sweaters, etc. all get folded on the one shelf. We have been holding out for a nice bedroom set with matching bed, night stands, and dressers, but our room is simply too small for all of that. We'll have to wait for our next house for that. We're at the point now where we just want two dressers. Almost all of the trim woodwork in our house is white, and our walls are mostly rich, vibrant colors. I LOVE the way white makes the colors pop, and just looks so clean. What I want, is a simple dresser. White. Deep drawers. That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. We figure we'll get decent stuff that will last. When we move (eventually we will leave the TriCities - we don't know when, but we know we will so we can be closer to our families), the dressers could go into a child's room or another guest room. Or even a craft room for storage of larger crafting items. Or even in a rec room.
Sounds like a good plan, right? We know what we want, we know that it will serve us for now, and we could still use them later. So we set out.
We started at ShopKo. They had a cute dresser advertised that I thought looked perfect. When we got there, we found that it was WAY smaller than it appeared to be. The drawers were very shallow, and we hated it. So off we went to Target. I usually love Target. Today, however, we were very disappointed again. They had one dresser that had potential, but again, the drawers were very shallow. So off we went to Fred Meyer. I usually don't shop at Fred Meyer. I don't know why, but I don't. However, we've seen some pretty decent stuff there, and we've been pleased with our purchases whenever we've been. (We just got some great storage boxes there on sale. We took them camping and they worked out beautifully! My MIL even said she was going to go get some like ours, because the clear was so much better than having to open every box looking for stuff.)
Strike three. Fred Meyer had exactly one dresser, and it was terrible. I know that the floor models are usually treated pretty roughly by a lot of people, but this was bad. I couldn't even open the top drawer more than an inch. Not only were the drawers shallow, but the quality did not look good, either.
We decided we would try one more place - we were off to WalMart. Once again, we struck out. How hard could it be?? I don't think I've got unreasonable standards...do I? Where do you suggest we try next? We would like to get something soon. If all else fails, I'll have to go visit his parents or mine and go to an IKEA. Most likely his parents. The IKEA in Portland is ginormous...it's like the Renton IKEA and a few Costcos tacked on for good measure. But I think we'll have to spend more than I would like, there. Any advice anyone could share would be fantastic. We're tired of no storage!
Didn't notice until we moved in that the hall linen closet is only about a foot deep. No joke. It's probably 7-8 feet long, but only a foot deep. The master and guest bedrooms have decently sized closets. J and I are kind of cramped in our closet, but we have all of our clothes in there. We're not really the type of people who store their clothes seasonally...they all live in the closet all year long. The guest room closet is big enough for one person, but barely. I just store my extra sheets, etc. in there. The hall closet is not big enough for sheets and towels. Towels only. However, the third room (which will hopefully be a nursery one day) has a tiny closet that is directly behind the door. You can't get into that closet unless you go into the room and close the door. We don't even have a closet door...there is a curtain hiding the crap within.
The main bathroom has exactly one drawer. The medicine cabinet has plenty of space, though, and I put bulky stuff like my hair dryer under the sink. The master bath doesn't have a shower or a bath, just a toilet and sink. There are two drawers in that room, though, and the same mirrored medicine cabinet.
There is a small coat closet in the entryway of the house, that doubles as storage for our vacuum cleaner and ALL coats, gloves, scarves, winter boots, etc. and that's about it for storage in the entire house. We don't even have a laundry room. We have a laundry closet in the kitchen. It's just barely big enough for my king sized washer and dryer. Thank goodness I measured that correctly!!
Anyway, today's wild goose chase was for two dressers. We want a dresser for our bedroom and for the guest room. In the guest room I would move the linens to the dresser, and free up space in the closet for our suitcases and sleeping bags which get shoved under the bed in there for the time being. In our room, we have been using giant plastic stacking drawers - two each - for socks and underwear. Shorts, jeans, pajamas, sweaters, etc. all get folded on the one shelf. We have been holding out for a nice bedroom set with matching bed, night stands, and dressers, but our room is simply too small for all of that. We'll have to wait for our next house for that. We're at the point now where we just want two dressers. Almost all of the trim woodwork in our house is white, and our walls are mostly rich, vibrant colors. I LOVE the way white makes the colors pop, and just looks so clean. What I want, is a simple dresser. White. Deep drawers. That's it. Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. We figure we'll get decent stuff that will last. When we move (eventually we will leave the TriCities - we don't know when, but we know we will so we can be closer to our families), the dressers could go into a child's room or another guest room. Or even a craft room for storage of larger crafting items. Or even in a rec room.
Sounds like a good plan, right? We know what we want, we know that it will serve us for now, and we could still use them later. So we set out.
We started at ShopKo. They had a cute dresser advertised that I thought looked perfect. When we got there, we found that it was WAY smaller than it appeared to be. The drawers were very shallow, and we hated it. So off we went to Target. I usually love Target. Today, however, we were very disappointed again. They had one dresser that had potential, but again, the drawers were very shallow. So off we went to Fred Meyer. I usually don't shop at Fred Meyer. I don't know why, but I don't. However, we've seen some pretty decent stuff there, and we've been pleased with our purchases whenever we've been. (We just got some great storage boxes there on sale. We took them camping and they worked out beautifully! My MIL even said she was going to go get some like ours, because the clear was so much better than having to open every box looking for stuff.)
Strike three. Fred Meyer had exactly one dresser, and it was terrible. I know that the floor models are usually treated pretty roughly by a lot of people, but this was bad. I couldn't even open the top drawer more than an inch. Not only were the drawers shallow, but the quality did not look good, either.
We decided we would try one more place - we were off to WalMart. Once again, we struck out. How hard could it be?? I don't think I've got unreasonable standards...do I? Where do you suggest we try next? We would like to get something soon. If all else fails, I'll have to go visit his parents or mine and go to an IKEA. Most likely his parents. The IKEA in Portland is ginormous...it's like the Renton IKEA and a few Costcos tacked on for good measure. But I think we'll have to spend more than I would like, there. Any advice anyone could share would be fantastic. We're tired of no storage!
Friday, July 18, 2008
Are they grownups?? Or big kids in disguise?
Even grownup kids like to have fun sometimes...
I can't wait until tomorrow when the batteries are fully charged!! Then we'll be able to use the water cannon on the fire rescue boat - it will spray real water then!
Thursday, July 17, 2008
That's not a cat...
Last year, or maybe the year before, I was sitting at the computer one summer evening checking e-mail, when I heard Sid make a weird noise behind me. I turned to see what was going on, and saw him with his face pressed up against the open screen door. I took a second look, and saw that there was a cat on the other side of the screen.
I thought it was strange that Sid wasn't hissing, but didn't think too much about it. Then he made the same noise again. I looked, and this time was surprised to see how big the other cat was. Then it moved. I have fat cats...Sid is about 14 pounds and Zoe is about 13 pounds, but this cat was HUGE! It looked twice the size of my two.
I got up out of my chair to go get a closer look, and realized it was not a cat after all. It was a raccoon! I don't know about you, but I don't like raccoons. I grew up "in the woods" of Gig Harbor, and know how mean raccoons can be. Not only are they a nuisance, stealing food and making a racket with trash cans, but they have been known to kill cats, too. (My sister's friend's family lost more than one cat to raccoons over the years. Now they just own dogs.)
This was a BIG raccoon, too. I took some pictures that night, and then, when I saw him again the next morning, I took more pictures. It's more common to see raccoons at night, so I was surprised to see him wandering around my yard at 9:30 in the morning.
Over the last two years, we have seen this raccoon periodically throughout the neighborhood, and sometimes in our back yard. I know he visits often, though, because every time J goes to mow the back yard he has to scoop up BIG piles of raccoon poop.
We don't get much more than bugs and snakes here in the desert, so it's kind of nice to have other wildlife around. But between the raccoon and the coyotes, this reinforces our decision to keep the cats in the house.
Look how fat he is!! When he sat down, his sides bulge out like a bowling ball. When I saw him the next morning, I guesstimated that he weighs between 35-40 pounds...
These pictures I took from way across the yard. I wish I had a better zoom lens on my old camera. I sure wasn't going to try to get any closer!
Even knowing how mean and nasty raccoons can be, I still think they're pretty cute. This guy seems pretty tame, but I still won't chance anything. I did think it was odd that he came so close to the house, especially when J and I were moving around inside. He just sat with Sid, nose to nose for probably five to seven minutes before I realized what he was and shut the sliding door to protect my cats.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ten things I learned teaching seniors
It is said that teaching is not a career, it’s a calling. It’s true. This is not a job well-suited to everyone. If you aren’t committed to it, you’ll burn out. In fact, most new teachers leave within the first 3-5 years of teaching (the last statistic I heard was 3/4 or 75%). However, there are many rewards that come with this calling. One of the rewards is that, in addition to teaching, I am always learning as well. Here is a list I shared with my students last school year. I wanted them to write a top ten list of things they learned during our equity unit, so I thought I should give them an example.
10. The potential students have is mind boggling.
It may sound corny, but I believe that every student has the potential for success. There is nothing more exhilarating than watching students succeed.
9. It is possible to laugh early in the morning.
Humor is a daily occurrence in the classroom. You just have to know where to look for it. Whether it’s jokes or just enjoying time with each other, laughter is a nice way to start the day. Often it’s intentional, but sometimes, the best humor is stumbled across on accident!
8. Teaching a subject helps you learn a subject.
I thought I knew a lot when I graduated college. They gave me a degree, after all. Then I started teaching and I realized how much I still don’t know. The questions students ask make you dig deeper and learn more than you ever thought possible. They say it takes three years of teaching to truly master a subject. In my experience, it takes three years to be comfortable teaching a subject, but there is always more to learn.
7. You’re never too old to enjoy a picture book…
Especially when someone reads it to you. It still amazes me how quiet the room gets every time I open a picture book. Very few things will capture the attention of a senior like a picture book.
6. Students will come to school “au naturel” (no makeup or hair products - at all...) and wear bags on their heads just because I asked them to.
I always wonder what I would do if a student really didn’t participate in Equity Day. I’ve had the alternate assignment ready for four years, but I’ve never had to use it yet. There are always students who get mad or upset and say they aren’t going to participate, but when it actually comes down to it, they do.
5. Students still don’t understand what “no food or drink on the carpeted areas” means.
This rule was in effect BEFORE the first day the school opened its doors more than a decade ago. Yet seniors will walk into class with food and drink, and act surprised when I tell them to put it away.
4. Seniors are capable of intelligent and thoughtful conversation.
Sharing ideas with others is one of the best ways to learn. It’s also one of the most fun. Seniors have deep thoughts, and aren’t afraid to share them!
3. They still love a good game of “Silent Ball” or “Head’s up, Seven up.”
Is it because they are reminiscing about their elementary days? Or because they just don’t want to do academic work? I’m not really sure, but I know that if I offer them a chance to play games, they’ll leap on it almost every time.
2. They are confident in themselves and capable of empathy with others.
Go people watching in the hallway. It’s pretty easy to pick out the seniors. They walk with an unmistakable air of confidence. Because they are confident in themselves, they are able to empathize with others. Younger students tend to be more self-centered, and concerned only with their own needs. Seniors tend to be more aware of their peers and their needs.
And the number one thing I learned by teaching seniors…
1. Four years with them just isn’t enough.
10. The potential students have is mind boggling.
It may sound corny, but I believe that every student has the potential for success. There is nothing more exhilarating than watching students succeed.
9. It is possible to laugh early in the morning.
Humor is a daily occurrence in the classroom. You just have to know where to look for it. Whether it’s jokes or just enjoying time with each other, laughter is a nice way to start the day. Often it’s intentional, but sometimes, the best humor is stumbled across on accident!
8. Teaching a subject helps you learn a subject.
I thought I knew a lot when I graduated college. They gave me a degree, after all. Then I started teaching and I realized how much I still don’t know. The questions students ask make you dig deeper and learn more than you ever thought possible. They say it takes three years of teaching to truly master a subject. In my experience, it takes three years to be comfortable teaching a subject, but there is always more to learn.
7. You’re never too old to enjoy a picture book…
Especially when someone reads it to you. It still amazes me how quiet the room gets every time I open a picture book. Very few things will capture the attention of a senior like a picture book.
6. Students will come to school “au naturel” (no makeup or hair products - at all...) and wear bags on their heads just because I asked them to.
I always wonder what I would do if a student really didn’t participate in Equity Day. I’ve had the alternate assignment ready for four years, but I’ve never had to use it yet. There are always students who get mad or upset and say they aren’t going to participate, but when it actually comes down to it, they do.
5. Students still don’t understand what “no food or drink on the carpeted areas” means.
This rule was in effect BEFORE the first day the school opened its doors more than a decade ago. Yet seniors will walk into class with food and drink, and act surprised when I tell them to put it away.
4. Seniors are capable of intelligent and thoughtful conversation.
Sharing ideas with others is one of the best ways to learn. It’s also one of the most fun. Seniors have deep thoughts, and aren’t afraid to share them!
3. They still love a good game of “Silent Ball” or “Head’s up, Seven up.”
Is it because they are reminiscing about their elementary days? Or because they just don’t want to do academic work? I’m not really sure, but I know that if I offer them a chance to play games, they’ll leap on it almost every time.
2. They are confident in themselves and capable of empathy with others.
Go people watching in the hallway. It’s pretty easy to pick out the seniors. They walk with an unmistakable air of confidence. Because they are confident in themselves, they are able to empathize with others. Younger students tend to be more self-centered, and concerned only with their own needs. Seniors tend to be more aware of their peers and their needs.
And the number one thing I learned by teaching seniors…
1. Four years with them just isn’t enough.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Hallmark cards rock!
I love Hallmark greeting cards. I love them so much I find myself buying them, even when I don't have an occasion to buy them. When I do have an occasion, I find myself buying the card I need and an extra one or two...or five. For the last six months or so, I've been sending my sisters random cards, just for fun. Sometimes they are birthday cards, sometimes not. But who doesn't love getting a great card in the mail, regardless of the topic?
As a result of my card shopping habit, I have an entire plastic box full of cards. Some of them I can't bear to give away because they are too perfect. Have you ever had that happen to you? I finally decided on the best way to solve this problem: I'm going to scan the cards in, and share them on my blog! Then I will have a "record" of the cards I like the most, and I can send them to their intended recipients with no hard feelings.
The problem is that I have WAY too many to include in a single post. I think I'll do a few at a time, once or twice a week.
You'll probably notice a trend in the cards I've been buying lately: they are mostly black and white pictures of old ladies saying and doing crazy things. I wish I had thought of this scanning and sharing thing a few weeks ago. I gave my great-aunt Bea a GREAT card for her 75th birthday. Oh, well. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.
This one is particularly true...
And I believe this card is one of my all time favorites. It's basically my motto in life.
As a result of my card shopping habit, I have an entire plastic box full of cards. Some of them I can't bear to give away because they are too perfect. Have you ever had that happen to you? I finally decided on the best way to solve this problem: I'm going to scan the cards in, and share them on my blog! Then I will have a "record" of the cards I like the most, and I can send them to their intended recipients with no hard feelings.
The problem is that I have WAY too many to include in a single post. I think I'll do a few at a time, once or twice a week.
You'll probably notice a trend in the cards I've been buying lately: they are mostly black and white pictures of old ladies saying and doing crazy things. I wish I had thought of this scanning and sharing thing a few weeks ago. I gave my great-aunt Bea a GREAT card for her 75th birthday. Oh, well. Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.
This one is particularly true...
Now, as an English teacher, I particularly enjoy cards with great wording. You gotta love this card, regardless of how you feel about George W.
This is one that I sent to my little sister a few weeks ago. I liked it so much, I had to buy two copies of it. This one particularly strikes a nerve with me because for my entire childhood I was not aware that my mom had ears. She had a curly 'fro that covered her ears. It wasn't until I was in high school that she finally got a haircut that revealed her ears. (Though her 'fro was big, it was NOT as big as this lady's!) L said that when she pulled the card out of the envelope, she laughed right away....she knew what it was about before she even opened the card to see my note!
And I believe this card is one of my all time favorites. It's basically my motto in life.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Better late than never
About a month and a half ago (on May 23, to be exact) Leah tagged me for a Google meme. It took me so long to answer, I bet she'll never tag me again! Sorry, Leah! The point is to answer the questions / prompts using pictures from Google Images.
Here we go:
1. Age on my next birthday
2. Place I want to visit - Croatia
3. My favorite thing
4. My favorite place
5. My favorite food(s) - All three are Croatian...kiflice, sauerkraut, and zaia
6. My favorite color
7. The town I live in
8. Name of a past / present pet
9. A nickname I've had - Cap (my initials spelled KAP and my Grandpa Paul was the captain of the family fishing vessel - my dad calls me "Cap" after my Grandpa)
10. College major
11. My first job - and I hated it
12. Goal for next year
Here we go:
1. Age on my next birthday
2. Place I want to visit - Croatia
3. My favorite thing
4. My favorite place
5. My favorite food(s) - All three are Croatian...kiflice, sauerkraut, and zaia
6. My favorite color
7. The town I live in
8. Name of a past / present pet
9. A nickname I've had - Cap (my initials spelled KAP and my Grandpa Paul was the captain of the family fishing vessel - my dad calls me "Cap" after my Grandpa)
10. College major
11. My first job - and I hated it
12. Goal for next year
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