Well, if you're a casual reader (i.e., not a "Friend") it may seem like I haven't posted in awhile. I have been popping in here, it's just that my last few entries were on friends-lock. Why? Because we still needed to tell a few people first, but...it's official! We're on our way to Raleigh! Nathaniel just has one week left here before he starts his job Dec. 1. So strange to think about. I'll be here, holding down the fort until the end of the month. Plans have been fairly amorphous until now, but I think we're starting to finally see some definition. We plan on hiring movers & packers so we can get out by Dec. 31. Things will be in storage until we find a house; in the meantime, we'll be in a furnished apartment/extended stay hotel (honestly, the hotels seem cheaper!).

I've broken the news to my students and shared with my fellow 10th grade teachers. The word got out to fellow co-workers a little sooner than I expected. I put it on Facebook - thinking that the people @ school who would normally see would either A. comment if they saw it or B. don't check Facebook that much & wouldn't see it. Nope. Neither one! Serves me right for jumping the gun. But that's okay - the most important people heard it from my lips first; I made sure of that last Monday. It's been strangely gratifying. Was I complaining about not having students like me before? Because now they are coming out of the woodwork! Even students from last year have stopped by to say they heard I was leaving & will miss me. Even students from THIS year who I thought would have gladly packed my bags have told me they will miss me! What the what?! The affirmation is good...I just hate that I have to leave to get it! haha Oh, I'm so needy.

HouseHouseHouse
As a result of all this hullabaloo, we won't be mailing our Christmas letter this year; we'll send out a letter when we get our house that's more of a new year/new house&address letter. Which, yes, you caught that...we're going to get a HOUSE. No more banging on the wall to get our neighbors to turn down their bass, no more gross caulk, no more blank white walls and mismatch everything. We can start to put down roots, actually decorate, paint, and make something OURS. And get a kitty :)

I must admit, I am SO EXCITED for this. I have been so jealous anytime on Facebook I see my friends proclaiming the recent purchase. OK, so I'm happy for them, truly. But my heart would twang a little selfishly and think "I want one, too!" Soon, friends!! We're expecting not to be able to move in until March, but it could be sooner than that, and that would be delightful. Everyone we've talked to raves about Raleigh, so we're getting excited. As I've told others, I'm still about 1/3 excited, 1/3 scared, 1/3 sad. I'm trying not to dwell on the sad part, not to lapse into the scared part, but only focus on the excited part.

Oh, Irony.
I scheduled to take off today for mental health/ grade research papers... but woke up actually sick. UGH. I woke in the middle of the night with a really sore throat - if it's bad enough to wake me up, you know it's bad! I took some ibuprofen and fell back asleep...then slept until 10. On nights I don't go to bed really late, that's actually rather unusual. I often wake up about 8 naturally when I go to bed at 10. I should have known. There were spells on Thursday that I felt...odd. You know that dreamy/detached feeling you get when you sometimes take cold medicine? I felt like that several times on Thursday, but hadn't taken anything. Odd. I felt slightly feverish (no fever though) and body achy. Gah. I was too out of it to grade research papers. And OF COURSE they ran out of subs (why does this always happen to me? How do I always pick days that every other teacher in the county takes off?!) I was supposed to have detention today, but expected my sub to do it. Well, since I didn't have one, they swapped me with the guy who had detention on Monday. So now I'm supposed to have d-hall Monday...except I have a doctor's appointment. I'm trying to fix that via email, but at the very least, I can figure out something on Monday (bribery - cookies or cash - might be in order).

So today was not as productive as I'd hoped. I'll probably be doing some major pen-work over Thanksgiving break. As for the illness...well, I took a nice long nap this afternoon and felt a bit better. But I think that was just my Advil Cold/Sinus. Because by about 9:00, I started feeling achy and feverish again. Sigh. Hope it's not the flu. Sweet husband ran out to Kroger today to stock me up on my favorite tea and ginger ale.

Honestly, I think it's the stress. I kept looking forward to Friday thinking, "Just get through this week and I'll have Friday." And so my body stored up this impeding illness.

Job
Speaking of my job, people are asking if I'll be working during the spring semester. Likely not. We will be getting into Raleigh about Jan 1 and begin looking for houses. I've done the move and start a new job thing before and I do not want to do it again. I know that if we have 2 incomes that would be better for the house, but I honestly know that I will probably be an emotional mess if I try to start in a whole new school in a whole new state with whole new students in the middle of the year...with (max) one week to prepare. So this semester, I'll be in charge of settling us in - doing a majority of the house-hunting, decorating/painting/home repairs when we do get a house, and researching whether I want to go to grad school or teach. It's going to be quite a twist to have Nathaniel waking up and going to work in the morning instead of me.

Things I intend to do to remain productive when I am not working:

-house hunt
-practice my flute
-write, creatively (maybe?)
-read LOTS
-look into graduate schools and do some serious praying
-establish more regular devotionals
-make dinner 6x a week
-scrapbook
-paint and other housey stuff

p.s. please say some prayers for my lil brother. He just got out of a rough, complicated relationship - it was the right thing to do, trust me - but his heart is still attached. Pray he can stay strong and stay away from her!

I want to support American cars.  I really want to.  But when my Ford has continual dumb problems, it just makes me jaded & cynical.

Exhibit A:
I have had issues with the "key" to my stereo system before.  Somehow it broke and so I bought one off someone on Ebay.  No problem - it's just a matter of getting some metal plates on the back to touch the interior sensors.  It worked for awhile, but in cold snaps & heat waves, it had a tendency to fly erupt into the car, landing in territories unknown.  I can't tell you how many times I risked my life - and other motorists' - as I groped beneath the passenger seat for this skittery creature.  Wait.  My mother reads this blog.  *rewind*  I can't tell you how many times I had to pull over into a safe, secure parking lot, to remove my seatbelt, lock the doors, and search beneath the seats of the car.

So, it didn't surprise me too much to come out to my car after school and see that it was on the floor.  When I tried to re-insert it, however, I was surprised.  It wouldn't stay in the slot!  The lock-in mechanism within the console appears to have malfunctioned and no longer hangs on to the left side of the key.  As a result, it just swings out of the slot, sensors unstimulated.  It looks like this:



What the what?  So, thank you, Ford.  My clock works (wait.  unless I need to change the time.  Screw you, Daylight Savings!)

After fussing with it for a while, I thought, "If I wrap some paper around the end to wedge it in there, it'd be enough for the sensors.  Or wedge something narrow in there, like a credit card or..."

FLASH OF GENIUS.  So, um...Prince Edward High School gave me a parking pass during my student teaching, God bless 'em.  They didn't ask for it back on my last day, and I kept meaning to mail it to them.  And by meaning to mail it to them, I mean it sat in a little drawer of my car, tucked away until I would randomly open it and think "Oh yeah, I should mail them back this pass."  Fast forward two years.

Credit-card size...thin...narrow...could it?

 

YES!  That, my friends, is the picture of a working CD player.  You can just see the white parking pass sticking out of the key slot.  Perfecto.  Thank you, Prince Edward.  And Dad for passing on a shimmer of engineering skills in his math-hapless daughter.

As for you, Ford: let's not talk about it.  I'll put up with this until it's time to upgrade to a kid-mobile.  And then I'm buying a Mazda.

Add to my Things I Love list:
-Christopher Meloni
-Christopher Meloni's shoulders

Things I don't love:
-that John Cusack is in that 2012 movie.  Why, John, WHY!?

Things I still love even though John Cusack sometimes makes bad movie choices:
-John Cusack. 
-and Say Anything

Things I love because they make John Cusack references:
-Modern Family

OK, so I love that show for a million other reasons, too, but I knew it was special when they made a Say Anything reference in the first episode ("I gave her my heart; she gave me a picture of myself as an old-time sheriff").  I still get giggles thinking about it.  Manny is maybe my favorite character.  And the Dad.  And Phil.  Whatever, they're all hilarious.  I think what I like is that they're dysfunctional but close.  I feel like a lot of TV shows now portray the overall family unit as outdated and ultimately dumb.  But there's always a cute message without being too overbearing.  And it's just plain FUNNY.  It's on the same time as Glee, so we watch it online (a comedy Nathaniel and I both like!  Shocking!) after the fact.  Love it.

Beauty discovery:  Almay Pure Blends foundation.  I've posted before my hunt for new makeups, and this was an experimental pick-up.  I really like the smooth, light application and the fact that it's natural and uses recycled material for packaging.  It does seem really light, though.  I can't decide if I'll switch to this from my Maybelline mineral foundation or not.  They have a new formula of it that includes an SPF, which I REALLY like.  I only wish they had a mineral version!  Maybe in time.  I tried Maybelline Dream Mousse, but come back to the mineral.  It just feels better -- more even.  I wonder if the liquid foundation from Almay would be worth a try. 

Books - recently I've picked up several books that are part of a series.  I have tons of other books I want to read, and now I'm adding to it with these series!  I wish I'd discovered them in the summer when I could have devoured them quickly.  But perhaps I should be thankful that I have plenty to read -- a plethora to choose from.  The first book in the series I've read (and want to read more of):

• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (Inkheart trilogy)
• Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath (Jack Daniels series)
• Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods series)
• Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse series)
• The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart (Ruby Oliver series)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games trilogy - although I have to wait for book #3!)
• Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl series)
• Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy)
• Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series)
• Vision in White by Nora Roberts (Bride Quartet...but only the first two are out)

I'm not sure which ones to read first!  AND I'm still listening to audiobooks and reading books for the school book club and a new club I joined online.  Oh gracious.  Again, I guess it's a good problem to have.  I guess I need to stockpile for a Thanksgiving read-a-thon.  Also, I've discovered I like True Crime books and am looking for more of those.  My first foray was Monster of Florence and my new try is Devil in the White City.  Of course I know my next conquest has to be the true crime classic, In Cold Blood.  In good time.

I have a ginormous purple big toe right now. I kind of like it. It's so awkwardly obvious, it's rather giggle-worthy. No worries, friends, just some minor surgery. I mean, I guess it technically IS surgery. Got some general anesthetic & everything.  Unfortunately it's not very sexy - ingrown toenail.  Ewwwww.  Ha.  Not as gross as it could have been, but I'm tired of dealing with it.  I think I've had it since April - maybe even January.  but in the summer, when I'm wearing open-toed shoes (if at all), the pain & swelling lessens considerably.  Now that I've been back at school & on my feet all day...well, it's not fun.  It's also hard to wear shoes - I don't even think they're too tight, cuz they feel perfectly fine on my left foot.  But it's just enough to make it uncomfortable for my right.  I'm excited at the prospect of getting to wear cute heels once again.  But first, I'll need to wear open-toed shoes (or tennis shoes) for a week before I see the doc again.

I was quite nervous going in - I've already given my confession about going to the doctor's.  Even for the podiatrist, it's no different.  I really liked the doctor & the nurses, though.  The doctor was very nice.  Tried to keep me talking to keep me from getting too uptight  (I mainly talked about my awesome brothers who are both in the military.  He was very jealous of Matt's visit to Costa Rica!).  The nurse even tried to match the bandage tape color to my outfit!  How cute!  I admire a gal who thinks like that.  I told her to just go with purple, though, as that was my school's colors.  I think my wearing open-toed shoes (or even tennis shoes) will be forgivable, as long as it's purple. ;)
  But for now, it's Franken-Foot.  As I said, it's so awkward, it makes me want to giggle.  But that could also be that I'm a little buzzed.

A couple weeks ago, when I was in charge of homecoming, I had to help my class set up the float on Friday morning.  It ran a little late, and I called the office to ask them to send a fellow 10th English teacher who I knew had 1st period planning to my room.  She was there when I arrived, and the kids were silent and wonderful.  Dare I say, even adorable.  They were all working quietly on something when I got there; after the teacher-friend left, I asked, "What are you working on?"  "Our writing workshop," they said sweetly.  Honestly, I thought the heavens opened up right there.  I wanted to kiss each and every one on top of their darling little heads.  What GOOD KIDS!!!  I had completely forgotten about that (I was pretty frazzled by the time I arrived, so I think I overlooked their wonderfulness in my frantic state), until she (the teacher who had watched them) mentioned it today.  She was equally impressed and complimented me on it more than once.  It made me swell with pride.  Sure, it's my first period and they're advanced honors...but still...so good!!

Also, I've had (former) students come and say hello to me and I love it.  I love it.  I need to focus on that affirmation. OH!  Speaking of more affirmation:  on state test scores, the advanced/gifted students (i.e. honors students) test percentiles went up like 10 percentage points or something.  A friend had to look at the scores for a grad. class she was taking and was really excited for me.  She couldn't remember the exact numbers, but she said it was definitely very good.  WOOHOO!!  Also, a junior honors teacher commented on how well-prepared her honors juniors are this year.  Again, WOOHOO!!  *insert glorious raised fist of victory*

I opened this with an intent of blogging about something...but I can't remember what now.  And I should really get up early tomorrow so I can make these research paper manuals....okay.  Off I go.

*speaking of school stories, remind me to tell you about our Code Red the other day.  Crazycake.

The first week of October I had fall break, so I drove up to Roanoke for a roomies/Mag7 weekend. We started with a Mag7 rendezvous at the beloved Huddle House, followed by catching up with old friends and dear professors. We wrapped up with the Lovell Sisters concert, when I got a great new CD and even had them sign it for Mama. She deserves it – after all, she introduced me to them! They have grown so much since Mama saw them in Suffolk three or so years ago. They truly remind me of young Nickel Creek – when they still had lots of obvious roots in bluegrass and traditional tunes, but are beginning to explore new melodies and harmonies. That’s what I love most about them, I think: their harmonies. Their voices blend seamlessly. Gorgeous. Check out my current fav by them: “Paulita Maxwell.”

All in all, I had a great girl’s weekend. It was lovely to check in with the newlywed and see how things are going (has it already been 3 months?!) and just catch up with girls’ talk in general.

Perhaps the most notable new change, though, is my inadvertent new haircut. That’s right: totally unintentional! Here’s the story…
The salon I go to is fairly small. The girl I went to for the first year here split from that salon about 9 months ago and joined a very small, more independent one. I've been going to her since early 2008. When making my appointment, the gal remembered my last name without any prompting from me; she usually has a pretty good memory of what she does for my hair. I took my seat and told her that I wanted a serious trim, 2 (maybe even 3) inches. When she asked, "We stacked in the back last time, right?" I remembered Holly using that term to describe her own haircut but I thought, Maybe there's varying degrees of it. We just had a light stacking - lots of layers. I shrugged, nodded, and said “yes.”
She set to clipping and snipping. When she finished, it looked perfect from the front. I was happy and paid her. I got in the car and ran my fingers through it. Imagine my surprise when my hair stopped about 3 inches shorter than I expected! I glanced in the mirror again, while feeling the length of my hair in the back, and I realized my hair probably looks exactly like Holly's! I laughed to myself; I had admired Holly’s haircut when I was in town but did not mean to copy it! Oops!This also has set a slightly new schedule for me. Taking a note from Holly, I'm going to shower in the evening now, let my hair dry overnight, and then just wash my face & straighten my hair in the morning. I'm hopeful for this arrangement, actually. Mornings are not my favorite time, as you probably well know. Having that extra time to sleep in the mornings versus showering & drying my hair...well, it sounds absolutely divine.

In book news, I've discovered two new (and very different) loves. The first may shock you - the Sookie Stackhouse series. Yes, what True Blood is based on. Me, actually liking a vampire novel?! YES! Sookie is a delightful narrator and the stories are a nice mix of supernatural romance and mystery. I listened to the first (Dead Until Dark) on audiobook and REALLY enjoyed it. The second (Living Dead in Dallas) I purchased a mass market paperback copy of. At the moment, my To Read pile is a bit large and I feel like I need to make a more of a dent in it before I devour a new series, so I'm holding off the on the others for the moment.

The other book I LOVE is The Hunger Games. Just absolutely fantastic - a real action-packed, gripping novel. Several people had recommended it to me, and I managed to get the high school book club to choose it as the October read (just so I didn't have any excuses to put it off!). And man what a read! I'm so excited to hear what the other kids think about it.

Oh yes, did I mention the book club? I allowed myself to get roped into sponsoring a book club for a few students. They (one in particular) were relentless in recruiting and actually got other people to join! This month will only be our second meeting, so we're still getting the hang of things. I'm trying to sit back and let the kids run it. I don't want it to be my thing - I'm just the sponsor. I allow myself to be a lot more relaxed and myself around them. The two boys who started the idea are absolutely hilarious, and I can't ever keep a straight face around them. It's fun to just have fun with the kids. I'm hoping the book group gets a little more stable each month. But even if it's not the most structured organization, that's okay - it's up to the kids to make it what they want it to be.

( resolutions )

1.  John Cusack
2.  The Italian Job soundtrack (John Powell <3)
3.  Playing with makeup brushes
4.  Looking cute
5.  my lil' green ipod
6.  Sweater weather! (see #4)
7.  Glee soundtrack
8.  My new haircut

I wish I'd gotten a picture of our gorgeous pizza from the other night.  I made another whole wheat pizza crust (I'm getting better & more consistent every time!  woohoo!) and topped with Kroger Pizza sauce (pizza parlor style - I like the extra zing), Pizza blend shredded cheese, Italian-seasoned grilled chicken strips, fresh Roma tomatoes, and red onions.  And THEN I added a little gorgonzola cheese - just on one piece, to see how it would go.  YUMS.  Mmmm... Oh there is nothing quite like pulling a fresh pizza out of the oven.  It is a thing of beauty, my friends.  A thing of beauty.

The other oven-victory was the Pioneer Woman's Rosemary-Onion-Garlic rolls with blue cheese.  YUM.  This is "do a little dance" yum, in fact.  I went a little heavy on the rosemary, so I know that for last time.  But oh MY they're so good.  A fresh, fluffy texture on the inside...mmmmm...  They make a mess, but it's worth it, I think.

Enough of food.  I can't have you short-circuiting your keyboard from drool: 

Flat iron.  I want a new flat iron.  I just never get the same results as the salon.   For Nathaniel, this is one of the "girl" things he will just never get:  a flat iron is a flat iron, right?  Apparently not.  My little Conair is okay, but I think it cost about $25 at Kroger.  I have thick hair with a mind of its own.  I think I need a slightly more sophisticated (i.e. expensive) piece to make this work.  Part of me wonders if I'm just paying for a name or a hype...but then I look at the results I get at home versus the salon.  Yes, obviously, the salon is ALWAYS going to look a little different/better.  But no matter how I go over it or what techniques I use, I can't get it to Sit!Stay. the way my salon gal can.  I think I need an iron with a higher setting.  Pretty sure my  current one only goes to 300.  So now I have my eye on a Solia Tourmaline (what do these names MEAN?!) or FHI.  Both seem to be well-known, respected, reliable brands.  The Solia had really good reviews on Folica.com, with pictures from "actual" people.  I can't help but think that if money/name really doesn't have anything to do with it, wouldn't I see at least one conair on this customer-review list?

OK, my fall break ADD has kicked in.  Off to go read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I hope other people haven't hyped it up for me too much.

p.s. I am currently in love with "Paulita Maxwell" by Lovell Sisters. They remind me so much of early Nickel Creek...LOVE.  More on them later.

note:  I'm in Central Time, so don't wig)  Awhile ago I mentioned that I would be posting my TV schedule online.  Not that you really care about all of it, but I like to talk TV shows with folks, so this gives you a heads-up to what I'm watching, providing some conversation-starters if you will.  There's a few changes from the first time I wrote this up, noted at the bottom.

fuchsia - definite
blue - considering/new show
purple - probably watch online

Monday - House (7:00pm)
                 Lie to Me (8:00pm)
               
Tuesday - apparently quite open?!  Good - more motivation for me to read!

Wednesday -(this day is somewhat problematic)
                 America's Next Top Model (7:00pm)
                 Glee (8:00pm)
                 Modern Family (8:00pm)
                 Law &Order SVU (8:00pm)
                 Top Chef (9:00pm)

Thursday -  (this day is also problematic, albeit slightly less so than Wednesday)
                    Vampire Diaries (7:00pm)
                    The Office (8:00pm)
                    Fringe (if watched, online)
                    Community (8:30 until 30Rock returns, at which point 7:00pm...I think.  This is slightly confusing)
                    30 Rock (8:30pm) **not until October 15 (sadface)
                    Project Runway (9:00pm)
                
Friday -  The Soup (9pm) (usually caught on Saturday 10pm rerun)

Seems like there was a lot of time-slot shifting this season, when I copy/pasted this from last year.  Strange.  I think I've caught everything on here I intend to watch.  Last year I dropped a lot of things that I thought I might get into.  Some of it was because of cancellation (Pushing Daisies) and some because I ended up not liking the show.  That very well could be the case again this year.

If only we had Tivo/DVR, I could record those shows that overlap on Thursday and catch up with them on Tuesday night, which is apparently free as a bird!  That's for the best, since American Idol will start in January.

Changes: 
*Dropped The Hills - don't want to watch K.Cavalleri.  And I'm am just utterly fed up with Spencer & Heidi and don't want to give them any more attention.
* I thought I would have to watch The Office online because we normally had a trivia night with friends at a local Mexican restaurant that lasted until about 8:15.  Sadly, the restaurant closed unexpectedly because they didn't pay their taxes! (I was just relieved the sign on the door didn't notify us that they were closed for other, more horrifying, reasons).  So, that opens up my Thursday evening schedule, to say the least.
*I caught clips of Modern Family and it looks funny, but I haven't set aside to catch up with it yet online.  Maybe I'll do that over fall break this week.  Or watch it on Tuesday nights, when no other shows are on.
*I haven't caught up with Fringe yet, and just don't feel a lot of zeal to do so.  *shrug*  That might be dropped.  I really want to like it, but it just doesn't grab me.
*I watched a couple episodes of Vampire Diaries last week.  WHY can't I stay away from this stuff?!  It was just okay.  I thought it might be this season's guilty pleasure, but I don't know if I care enough about the characters.
*I forgot about America's Next Top Model when I first wrote this up and added it just now.  I guess I could take it or leave it - I'm over the drama.  But I'm fascinated by the photo shoots and the costuming and challenges, and there's nothing else on that Wednesday time slot, so I've usually got it on while I finish up a little grading or something to that effect.  Maybe I'll let ANTM be my guilty pleasure and just drop Vampire Diaries (I wasn't about to abbreviate that one...)

...tomorra is anutha day!

I'm putting it behind me. So what. I'm not going to please all of the people all of the time. If everyone thought that way, yes, my teaching abilities should be questioned. But I have plenty of colleagues, former students, and supervisors who think differently. I have evidence from professionals in my field who respect me, parents who appreciate and respect me, and students who regard & (you guessed it!) respect me. So what if a few people are unhappy. If it were REALLY a problem, I would have heard about it by now. Can't please everybody all of the time - just gonna do my job and do it the best I know how. :)

Still, I can't say I'm exactly EXCITED to see Monday coming around again.

Ratemyteachers.com...this should never have been created. Ratemyprofessors - sure. The college students doing the rating are - technically - adults and are generally able to recognize when a teacher is cruel/inept and when the student doesn't follow thru on his/her own responsibilities and the teacher calls them out on it. There's a difference there. In one, the teacher is unfair or bad. In the second, the student is whining because he didn't get his way.

But ratemyteachers.com...well, is very easily filled with whiny teenagers who feel wronged...yes, there are bad high school teachers. But there are two sides to every story and ratemyteachers.com doesn't offer a second side. The only examples I can think of where I wasn't sweet & nice to students (they think I'M mean?! they're in for some surprises...) was where a student didn't do what he/she was supposed to and I called him/her out on it. I didn't make an exception to his/her late work or called him/her out in class for not having materials for class (more than just a pencil or paper...I'm talking about "big" things). But off the top of my head I can think of a LOT more examples where a student came to me with a genuine concern (academic or non), and we worked thru it.  Or similarly, I can think of plenty of examples where a student and I had a pleasant, non-academic conversation.

I'm hurt for a variety of reasons but especially because I'm blind-sided by this.  Not only was it out of the blue, but I can't even GUESS who did this (website doesn't give you enough room to really give details about a situation).  It could even be the same person making 3 comments!!  If I try to think of anytime I was unusually strict or "mean" with a student, it's because he/she was trying to get away with something - he/she fell short on responsibilities and I didn't let my expectations soften.  Maybe it wasn't that, though - maybe it was something I did or said and am not even aware of it because I didn't mean it the way they perceived it.  Which is even worse because I didn't even KNOW I did anything wrong, so I didn't even get a chance to make it right!

I'm ultimately frustrated that these people have issue with something I've done but not enough guts to say it to my face.  You think I've wronged your child?  Fine, come talk to me - email, call, request parent-teacher conference, heck go to my principal!  I can't help but think that since you didn't take any of these avenues, it's either
A. it really wasn't that important, in which case you & your child need perspective; or
B. you're cowardly.

It's just...hurtful.  I know there's another side to those reviews, and I hate that I can't defend myself.  I take comfort in knowing I can think of TONS of truly positive student interactions, which gently tells me that these nay-sayers are probably few & far between.  People are more likely to say something from a negative experience (especially when they can be anonymous) than from a positive experience.  That theory is supported when I look at other teachers on there who I know are FABULOUS teachers but have low/negative ratings (there aren't a lot of ratings to begin with - most people just have 1-3).  I know that those are isolated or rare incidents in which a person felt wronged and wants to complain about it.

Curiosity killed the cat, I suppose.  I will never visit that site again.  Never.

I took a personal/mental health day in preparation for our crazy week next week AND to get caught up on grading (next week is end of six weeks and I KNOW there won't be time to grade. That was good news number 1. I had an amazingly productive and sane day today. ahhh....Wednesday I thought I was going to fall apart, but taking this day saved me - I feel much more relaxed. Do I have drivers for all my convertibles? Not yet. But I will...I will.

Anyway, amidst all this homecoming hubbub, I do have some good news...pop on over to my teacher blog to catch a glimpse of my bragging rights.

Progressively Unnecessary

I feel awful.  Mentally, just awful.  I am so tired and stressed from all these random stupid scenarios that keep popping up regarding homecoming or class officer elections.  My deepest, darkest desire is to find something quiet and low-key for the next two weeks.  I want to just throw in a movie for the next two weeks.  I want to just give them grammar worksheets and demand quiet for the next two weeks.  Please?

I feel awful.  I'm giving a grammar worksheet tomorrow, and I feel awful.

1) What author do you own the most books by?  Jane Austen, JK Rowling, Meg Cabot

2) What book do you own the most copies of?  Northanger Abbey, Pride & Prejudice, & Mansfield Park- only reason is that I'd bought paperback copies of her books, but then received a wonderful Oxford hardback set for Christmas one year :D

3) Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?  no; and, if pressed, I would probably repeat something Mr. Burges would say in one of his liberal linguist rants ;)

4) What fictional character are you secretly in love with?  oh you know.  Mr. Darcy.  And Remus Lupin from Harry Potter.

5) What book have you read the most times in your life?  One of James Herriott's, Pride & Prejudice, White Fang (read 1,000,000 times 5th-8th grade) or Narnia series.

6) What was your favorite book when you were ten years old? (end of 4th, beginning of 5th grade)  I was WAY into the Thoroughbred series and White Fang.

7) What is the worst book you've read in the past year?  Probably Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult - major letdown.

8) What is the best book you've read in the past year? Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart , Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, and Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

9) If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be? Life of Pi by Yann Martel

10) Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature? I'm not really up on current authors.  Except for maybe YA lit.  So maybe Laurie Halse Anderson

11) What book would you most like to see made into a movie? hm...I guess Mysterious Benedict Society though I'm not sure it would make a good movie - it might just end up too cliche.  So, nevermind.

12) What book would you least like to see made into a movie?  I've never thought about a book in this way (hoping it DOESN'T become visual).  I guess Water for Elephants

13) Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character?  haven't had one that I can recall at the moment.

14) What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult? "Lowbrow"?I'm not sure...I read some cheesy, smutty romances from time-to-time.   The first that comes to mind is Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn.  Liked the last one I read of hers, but that one was cliche.  More so than usual for the genre!

15) What is the most difficult book you've ever read?  Oh, probably something I read in college from the postmodernist era.  Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man threw me off Joyce forever.  Or is he modernist?  Damn.

16) What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?  Um, Comedy of Errors, I guess.  I couldn't really follow it, and I think we left early b/c it was running late and I had a paper to write (this was at Longwood, obviously)

17) Do you prefer the French or the Russians? Russians.  Long-winded, I know.  But I really liked Crime & Punishment in HS & Anna Karenina most recently.  Perhaps War & Peace is next?

18) Roth or Updike?  never read any Updike prose, and wasn't thrilled with Roth...so I'm not sure.

19) David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?  Haven't read the latter but LOVE Sedaris!!

20) Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer? Shakespeare.

21) Austen or Eliot?  Definitely Austen.  Eliot is a bit dense for my tastes.

22) What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?  As in something that is "canon" but I haven't read?  Or I went a certain length of time without reading?

23) What is your favorite novel?  Cliche:  Pride & Prejudice.  Life of Pi, Fahrenheit 451...umm...oh c'mon, don't make me do this!

24) Play?  I remember reading Importance of Being Earnest aloud in 11th grade and laughing so hard I could barely read my lines (everyone else was bored as hell, of course.  That should have tipped me off that the vet thing wasn't meant to be).

25) Poem?  Right now I'm in awe of "Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy.  Very rarely has a poem hit me in such a way.  Awesome.

26) Essay?  Something funny by Sedaris or Barry

27) Short story? Roald Dahl short stories for adults, namely "Lamb to the Slaughter"  (these are things I wouldn't know unless I taught English!! lol)

28) Work of non-fiction?  at the moment, Monster of Florence, but then, I don't read a lot of non-fic to begin with

29) Who is your favorite writer?  Has this seriously not been addressed yet? *sigh*  OK the list is too long.  Jane Austen, GK Chesterton (his prose makes me want to write again!), CS Lewis, Tracy Chevalier, Meg Cabot...

30) Who is the most overrated writer alive today? Stephenie Meyer, though I don't think she's necessarily celebrated for her actual writing prowess.

31) What is your desert island book?  Harry Potter.  Could read the series over and over and always find new things to engage the imagination.

32) And ... what are you reading right now? Inkheart via audiobook by Cornelia Funke (which ALWAYS makes me chuckle & think of Arrested Development! ha!)

Recently our apartment complex issued the monthly newsletter in which they placed a friendly reminder that school has returned and drivers should proceed carefully now that school children are out & about for buses.  I practically choked on the irony.  A friendly reminder to drivers?  I haven't seen any drivers behaving irresponsibly; the only irresponsible ones I've seen in the morning have been the parents on the side of the road who apparently can't control their children.  While these mindful adults let their children play on a busy street in morning traffic, we drivers are crawling along at 10mph, sweat dripping onto our freshly-laundered shirts, white-knuckled, jaws clenched, as we keep one frantic eye on the children and the other on the approaching traffic.  I haven't even gone 1 mile from home and yet I've already had to reapply my antiperspirant and check my Zen.  I'm not sure there's this much tension on the DC beltway.

What's got me so tense?  Is it a case of the Mondays?  Sadly, no, my friends.  Between 7:00-7:25am Monday through Friday, there are anywhere from 3-4 cars parked along Sandy Creek Drive.  As you may have surmised from the name, Sandy Creek is a street and not a parking lot.  Somehow this has escaped the notice of the dutiful parents accompanying their children to the morning bus stop.  Wait, did I say accompanying?  Oops -- that's a bit misleading.  You're picturing those parents standing beside those children, perhaps chatting with neighbors & swapping gossip.  Sorry.  Those parked cars?  Yes, the drivers are still in them, waiting patiently for the bus to arrive while their children scamper about.  I guess I'm using "accompanying" loosely here.

The reductions of visibility and road width alone are difficult enough during busy morning-traffic time, but this problem is compounded by the fact that children are not confined within the parked cars or even in one location.  No, these waiting children engage in general childhood play, which sounds all well & good until you consider the setting:  IN A STREET.  Apparently the parents have forgotten that Sandy Creek is not only NOT a parking lot, but it is also not a playground.  They mildly admonish their children from afar, rolling down windows to benignly scold a child who merrily skips away.  Why are these parents in cars ANYWAY?  Get off your lazy butts and corral your children.  Don't just roll down the window and tell little Billy to stop throwing rocks at the cat.  Honestly, I can understand sitting in the car (with your young child) to wait for the bus in cold weather.  But it is AUGUST.  It is beautiful outside and will continue to be for several months.  Get out of your car and set a good example for your kid, instead of a being a lazy bum who can't stand on his/her own two feet for 10 minutes.  Your kids are much safer if you are out of the car standing beside them.  What if there were something dangerous that your child - blissfully unaware - wouldn't see coming?  A dangerous animal approaching, an out of control driver, or a solicitous pedophile?  How much help are you going to be to your child when you are strapped into your sound-proof vehicle 75-100 feet away?  Stand beside them for 10 minutes until the bus comes.  Just like you tell your child who won't eat his vegetables:  It won't kill you.

Furthermore when I say corral, I mean corral; borrow your neighbor's border collie or cattle prod, I don't care how, but PUT THOSE KIDS IN A HUDDLE.  The street is not a playground; I think in any other scenario, you would be horrified to see your child dancing heedless of vehicles in the road.  But somehow, because it's a bus stop, it's okay? NO, IT'S NOT OKAY;  IT IS STREET.  Other people are driving up and down this street in the morning on our way to work, carpools, etc.  The bus stop should be one central location. I should look out and see a collection of students, not a string of ducklings flapping up and down the drive.  If the children are in one central location, we drivers don't have to sweat bullets as we head off to work in the morning because we can see exactly where every child is.  I don't have to worry about one suddenly darting from around the side of one of those damned parked cars.  I can drive responsibly because I know that the children and adults are behaving like responsible pedestrians.

Look, I'm all for drivers being careful.  There's no reason to go zooming past a bus stop of young kids.  We should always use caution when children are out & about.  But if no one is teaching the kids how to be safe near traffic, how can we drivers proceed safely?  It takes two:  if your kid is behaving on the side of the road, I won't have the opportunity to run him over.  So, c'mon just get out of the car and walk your kid to the bus stop.  At the very least, you can save yourself some gas money.

Here's some food for thought:  I found online (via Big Fat Deal blog) an online collection of antique beauty queen photographs.  The original blogger noted that there are no dates on the pictures, but judging by the makeup & styles, she's guessing 1920s, and I would definitely agree.

I LOVE those photos.  Honestly, I love just scrolling past each one and soaking in the personality that shines through each photo.  Each woman is distinct not only in her physical appeal, but also in her style and personality.  Every photo really shines with the subject's own unique sense of self.  Think about the Miss America & Miss Universe pageant contestants of current years.  Can you really differentiate between them?  Do any stand out enough that you remember what they look like a week later?

No, honestly, this isn't rhetorical.  Go glance at the contestant's page for the Miss Universe 2009 pageant.  Just glancing over the headshots...yes, there are different poses and different skin tones.  But honestly?  The eyes look the same.  The cheekbones & facial structure looks the same.  The same wide, smiling mouth full of white-white perfect teeth.  The same long, straight, narrow noses.

Call me crazy, but I'll take these classic ladies anytime.  Beautiful.

So after grading homework (we've had four or five assignments), I discover that in each class I have 2 kids that cheated off one another - I don't know them well enough to guess who cheated from whom.  I just wrote "This looks a lot like X's" and gave them 50%.  I'm not going to put anytime into grading it if they're not going to put any time into the assignment.

N & I had a discussion the other day that the school doesn't have an official cheating policy.  It's not in the students' handbooks that they get at the beginning of the year; honestly, they probably don't even realize it's cheating.  If they do, cheating obviously isn't a big deal to them.  I'll overhear them telling each other what's on a test but it's not blatant like one kid telling another the exact answers, so they think nothing of it.  It's "make sure you know the water cycle and the steps of mitosis...."  They don't think it's a big deal because the other person is still studying.  That's not cheating to them, I guess.

Anyway, so I need to enlighten them about reputation.  I don't know them.  The first weeks of school are all about first impressions; they're sizing me up, and I'm sizing them up.  This is truly the first impression they want to give?  That they have no integrity?  This means all year long, I'm going to take a second look at their assignments.  I'll be watching those two a little more closely than the rest.  This means they're going to have to earn my trust.

Then there's the kids who haven't even turned anything in yet!  Yes!  The first two weeks of school, and out of 8 grades, four or five were homework assignments and some kids haven't turned in one.  See what I mean about that "standard" state of mind?  Last year they didn't have to do much to get an A - if they really are "honors" smart.  This year they have to work for it, and some may not want to.  Fine.  That's the difference between honors and standard.  If you don't want to work for that A, go to standard, coast through and get the GPA you want without trying.  Because you'll end up with a C in here if you only do it halfway.  Maybe if I mention why we do homework.  I do homework so that we can get readings done AND spend time talking about other things in class.  Standard has to go slower because reading is done in-class, since homework isn't usually given.  Thus the honors pace is faster simply because I expect you to read outside of class so that we can talk about the reading and analyze it inside of class.  There are other things that contribute to the honors pace, but that's an obvious big one.  Homework is also "extra practice" - if we talk about something that day in class but only get to work with it a little, I want to know they really do know how to do something.  If they don't want to do reading or other work outside of class, they need to go to standard.

BAH!  I don't have TIME this week to give this lecture this week!

I also have to lecture my sixth period about talking.  Every time we transition from one thing to another, their mouths start flapping.  Then it takes twice as long to get settled and started on an activity, which is why we always run out of time in that class.  I'll turn the lights off if the whole class is talking and that's their signal that they need to shut it.  If we go a whole class without my having to do that, then the next class period we can start with 2 minutes of talking.  Must be seated but can talk. I think we'll work that plus still put people's names on the board for individuals talking.  Bah.  Just gotta keep up the strict act.

I haven't spoken about school or my classes yet, have I?  Goodness!

The first few days back were strange, mostly because I had so gotten used to the last group of kids I had in there.  I miss 'em already.  I worry I won't like these kids as much.  I worry I won't connect with these kids.  And so on.  But I'm pretty sure I felt that way at the beginning of last year, too.

Overall, my classes are quite large.  I am at my own personal maximum capacity (i.e. the number of desks) in 2 of my 5 classes, and in 1 class, I'm still waiting to find a desk for a kid.  Honestly, I'm hoping that I can get some kids to drop out.  I shudder to think of essay-grading time...but I've digressed.  I can whine and complain all I want about class sizes and its direct correlation to quality of classroom education...but it won't change the fact that I still have 28 (sometimes 29) kids in a room.  My other concern is that out of my three standard class periods, I have 37 students who are new to honors.  37 is a lot - almost 2 classes worth!  Which means they still have "standard" habits that may or may not allow them to last (secretly hoping at least 2-3 don't for numbers purposes) - like they are absent quite frequently.  Already I've had several students in and out of class last week, missing notes or a quiz.  Last year we had a study-hall-like time that allowed us to pull kids in to make up tests/quizzes during the day.  This year we needed that study hall for a fourth lunch rotation.  And when over half your students have a bus to catch (fresh/soph teachers mostly), getting here early or staying late isn't really an option (and of course we don't have a late bus...at least not one that purposely comes late).  It's a new challenge for all of us, students and teachers.  Progress reports come out next Thursday (not this upcoming one), and I plan to have several evaluations between now and then that will give me some kind of ability to say "Let me recommend you for standard instead."
( Honors v Standard digression )

Truthfully the REAL bottom line is this:  we need one more section of honors classes, and we need another English teacher.  Maybe even two.  Wishful thinking.

Back to the kids at hand.  I like them for the most part - they seem fun.  I am trying harder to be consistent and firm, writing names on the board and insisting on zipped lips.  In sixth period this is particularly hard because A. it is the end of the day  and B.  I have a lot of "talkers" in there.  Also, it's the end of the day, and I'm tired!  I don't want to fight the battle just as much as they want to get out of there!  It's my goal that each Monday I dress very professionally and enforce very consistently.  (I am always dressed appropriately but on Monday moreso - a dress or black pants instead of khakis).

As for other issues...let's see...

• I have a kid in sixth period who has special needs.  His SpEd teacher warned his teachers ahead of time that he can be manipulative!  So we've been playing the power game.  I've won every time :)  Each day it seemed it was something new to just test the limits...and I would scold him the next day and see better behavior each time.  Last week we had a good 4 consecutive days of submission.  Good.  Punk. 
• I'm the junior class sponsor which means I have extra homecoming duties this year, which currently prevent me from doing lesson planning during my planning period, which means staying late in the afternoon to do actual class work.  Blerg.
• I'm trying to find 6 convertibles for said homecoming...and the dealerships aren't being particularly helpful.  One hasn't answered my email and the other hemmed & hawed and said maybe they could loan us ONE--if it isn't sold by our homecoming date.  *roll eyes*  How generous of you.
• I'm still a co-sponsor of Beta club, but I co-sponsor with 2 other gals who I eat lunch with (i.e. teacher friends).  I think they will understand if I am a little too busy to help much before October.  I hope.
• Two former students harangued me into starting a book club, and they've actually garnered some genuine interest!    If all goes as planned, I will be sponsoring said club.  What am I thinking?!
• On the plus side, I went to our first home football game last night and had a good time.  It was fun to watch because I now know a handful of players.  In fact, a student I had last year (and adore - what a sweet boy!) made an awesome play.  Hooray!

I'm sure there's more I could add to those but I'm coming up blank at the moment.

Things I love about my new IPod:

1.  It is green
2.  It is SKINNY
3.  It has a large colorful screen
4.  I can shake it to shuffle
5.  It can display pretty pictures
6.  It has a separate section for audiobooks and will remember my spot even if I stop to listen to music
7.  It recognizes the chapters/tracks within the audiobooks
8.  It will pause if earphones are accidentally pulled out
9.  The click wheel is fun to spin
10. It is highly customizable
11. It is skinny
12.  It is my new BFF

Sorry Dell DJ.  Let's retire you gracefully before you start drooling and embarrassing yourself.

Ohhhhh BALDERDASH! ( Political Humbuggery )

OK, done, for realz.

School starts for real tomorrow! EEEK! I'm finally getting nervous. I just want to have these first few days out of the way, where I'm remembering how to teach my classroom procedures. I just want us to all have the procedures down already.  I'm worried I'm going to forget to tell them about a certain procedure, etc.  But it's okay.   If I forget, when the incident arises, I will tell them about it, and then they will know.  It's okay.   I found out this afternoon that actually 3 of my 5 classes are at (my personal) maximum capacity (28 students).  I had hoped for class sizes of 25 maximum...28 is just so many...tests, essays, homework.  But ya know what? It's okay.  Numbers could go down (I'm mostly worried that 28 is a lot but could go up), 28 is a nice number for even 4-person groups, and I will get to know all of my students & control my classroom.  It's oooookay.  (I have to talk myself down a lot, ya notice?). So for now, I'm trying to focus just on what I want to wear tomorrow.  God reminded me on the way home today that, if I'm not gonna sweat the small stuff, I definitely can't sweat this.  Because I will have however many students I have, and I will - as the wise say - Make it work.

It's okay. 

One last excuse - I think my rearranging my room has a little something to do with my unrest.  I like the new change - I really do.  It opened up my room.  Previously, I could really only fit 28 desks (with students & books) and still have room to move around.  29 was tight and 30 was...well, I'm not sure where it would have gone.  OK, retract statement:  I could have fit another desk but it would have made moving around the room very difficult.  My new setup is throwing me off a bit - my desk doesn't look clean & organized, even though it is (I know, weird phenomenon; I can't explain.  It just looks different.).  So, I honestly think some of my disquiet is that it still doesn't feel quite like my room.  It feels like a new room -- just not mine yet.  But it will.  Time.  Time will make my classes feel comfortable and normal and time will make my room feel like my own again.

I gotta say: it's so much easier to get back to work with this new schedule.  This year they started our teacher days on Wednesday.  We had three nice teacher days last week, and we have 2 more this week before starting school for real.  It's a lot easier to get myself mentally ready for Monday when I know that kids will only be there for 2 hours (they pick up their schedules & go).  Tuesday will be another full teacher day, and then...then the real deal starts!  It's nice to ease ourselves - both teachers & students - back into the schedule.  As for other school news:  I'm nervous that I'm not very nervous.  I have my first few weeks tentatively planned, but not much beyond that.  Things change, lessons often take longer/shorter than I expect, sooo...eh.  I guess I feel a bit guilty because I don't know when exactly I'm going to do Life of Pi or Picture Bride or..well, anything specifically other than what I have for the first three(ish) weeks.  But, in the back of my mind, I know...it'll work out.  It always does.  I have to, ya know?  I know I won't just do nothing.  I feel uber lazy, but I know that I'll get it done.  99% sure, anyway.

Back to school means getting back into the afternoon work out & dinner routine.  We cheated this past week - well, I did, anyway.  Ate out A LOT and skipped working out a couple days.  Oops. *sheepish grin*  But seriously, I'm going to have be extra motivated about working out after school.  I don't like working out as it is, but finding the motivation after work is even harder.  Dinner routine:  I want to take advantage of the crock-pot more often.  I think I say that pretty frequently!  There's just nothing quite like coming home to the smell of dinner, letting that pleasing smell wash over you along with the reminder that dinner is already made, all I have to do is dig in.  What we've recently discovered is the deliciousness of crock-pot barbeque.  Throw in some pork and our favorite BBQ sauce...voila!  YUM.  And super-easy!  We love Carolina Treet, but sadly it is not sold in grocery stores near us.

Shopping!  I went shopping today and blew my August & September clothing budget.  Or maybe June-August budget, since I didn't spend anything on clothes this summer.  I found a dress @ JCP, several cute tops @Kohl's, and a variety of accessories.  I really want a new pair of gray slacks and I eventually want some new knee-high boots.  I've vowed to myself no more purchases until fall break (October), but I'll probably be trying AnnTaylorLoft or NY&Co when I'm ready for gray pants.  Patience.

Lately I've had the urge to bake, but N has sworn off sweets for a bit, so I've had to refrain.  But I was inspired (as usual) by Pioneer Woman's shortbread cookies; but I felt the calling of sugar cookies instead.  I currently have some dough chillin in the fridge.  This is a new experience for me (which is actually NOT all that new, for my kitchen), but I have high hopes.  I plan to decorate them with purple & yellow and then share them to my awesome English department at school.  Hm, speaking of...I think they're ready to roll out & bake!