Post Grammatic Stress

The Impractical Traveler

2009-03-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

As the child of an immigrant from Denmark, family reunions generally involve trans-Atlantic travel. I made my first hop over the pond at the tender age of two, and have been going every few years since. I remember one trip, as a child, where we drove from Washington State to Canada (cheap tickets!) before flying to Copenhagen. My brother and I had brand new outfits that we had to keep clean for ten hours of plane travel. We needed to be fit to be seen by the relatives. I felt fancy and delightful. I don’t even remember the arrival. At that point, I was probably tired and cranky, if not comatose. But the belief that travel was magical, an occasion, never faded from my mind.

As many have pointed out in various articles and op-eds, air travel is no longer glamorous. It’s barely customer-service oriented anymore. Gone are the days of upgrades, good meals and amenities you didn’t have to pay for. Now you’re shoved into “cattle class”, trapped in the skies.

Travel, in general, lacks finesse. I wince when I see some of the travel apparel available, stretchy waistbands and ugly earth shoes intended to serve the comfort needs of travelers. There’s nothing wrong with comfort, but I can’t help but wonder if we’re trying to cram too much travel into too little time. Must we see every tourist trap, walk 20 miles in a day? Is there really ever any need for a fanny pack?

One of my favorite movies with traveling is “Gidget Goes to Rome”. Feel free to mock me at this point. But, as uninspired as the plot of the movie is, the girls are all dressed in chic little pedal pushers and skirts to go sightseeing around Bella Roma. A guide describes the culture of Rome to them (unfortunately stealing Moondoggie’s interest from Gidget—I still wonder why she took that wretch back) as they go to the Coliseum and the Forum. Gidget experiences the fashion and food of Rome, all at a glamorous, unconcerned pace. I wish I could travel like that.

Tonight I’m packing to go to Denmark to see family—another reunion, this time for my grandmother’s 95th birthday. I’ve had to decide what to wear, what to pack, what to leave behind. It’s been agonizing. I’m trying to figure out what I need to travel, because I want to be glamorous. I want to be impractical. (My toe is currently broken, which means I can choose footwear that’s somewhere between practical and impractical.) I don’t have many plans for my trip. I want to take a lot of pictures. I do know that I will be sweeping into the airport tomorrow as if I’m going to be escorted to the VIP lounge and sitting in first class. Travel may not be glamorous, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be.

Kudos to...

2009-02-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

...the authors of the book He's Just Not That Into You, for turning a phrase from a TV show into a best-selling book expounding cliche' stereotypes of men and women, then managing to turn that stupid book into a movie which further confuses people with its meandering storyline and mixed messages on male behavior. Salon.com has a great article on the author that's worth a read. The movie left me with the impression that even when women do everything right, it's still all wrong.

I Heart Washington

2009-02-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

The following is an (approximate) reenactment of a conversation I had last week:

Me: I’m ready to leave New Mexico. I really want to move home to the Northwest.

My friend: LEAVE? You can never get out of the LAND OF ENTRAPMENT! *laughing hysterically*

Me: *gulp* *chokes back panic* *tries to hide desperate tears* The what?

My friend: The Land of Entrapment! Everyone means to leave, but no one actually does! *wicked chuckle*

Is it true? Could it be? Am I stuck for eternity in the land of dry air and altitude sickness?

I am desperately attempting to keep the homesickness from closing in on me. After all, who wouldn’t want to be here?

Freedom

2009-02-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

I haven't taken any pictures lately, because all that's been going on is work and writing--not very photogenic. But I've missed posting pictures, so I dug through the archives to post this one. It's a close-up of a statue in Santa Fe.

Write Like the Wind

2009-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

John Steinbeck once wrote about his experience of being educated to write: “I was bright-eyes and bushy-brained and prepared to absorb the secret formula for writing good short stories, even great short stories. This illusion was canceled very quickly. The only way to write a good short story, we were told, is to write a good short story.”

I have, for many years, been a writer. I mean this in terms of a person who writes—nothing more fancy than that. I write often, but I don’t write great volumes. I have attempted a novel, which never made it past the 40th page. I also have several plays in the works, which didn’t make it out of the first act. I empathized with writers who complained how hard writing was, because I could never seem to make it through the initial enthusiastic burst. But I kept my hand in writing, because there was a compulsion to write. And my hard drive is littered with the corpses of dead manuscripts that I have no desire to touch ever again.

I looked for the secret to break through this difficulty with writing, and the only thing I could figure out was “keep it short”. I would only write one act plays, short stories, small observations, and blogs. It was easy to keep within the restrictions of my short attention span.

The desire, however, to write a novel never went away. Coming off of Christmas break, I was well-rested and well-read, inspired to find a new story to tell. I fought for the initial inspiration; unlike other attempts, this story wasn’t based on a whim, a quick flash of idea, or a vignette. I kept pushing myself to answer the question “What next?” and come up with a whole idea. It was a different experience than before.

I’ve come to find that the entire thing is a different experience than I’ve had in past. I have been writing every day for two and a half weeks, and have made it to page 122 in my manuscript. While Steinbeck is certainly true when he says there is no secret formula, I’ve found some things that have helped me this time around.

1. I outlined my book first. After picking up on the initial idea, I did some Google work and found Justine Larbalestier’s website. Her novel mapping spreadsheet made my toes tingle, so I took the idea and modified it. I decided to write 20 chapters, and put in titles for the ones that I could identify in my head. Then I update it with a page count and a word count as I complete each one. The biggest difference it has made for me is that I don’t have to write chronologically! I’m FREE! If I have a good idea about one chapter, I can write that chapter, because I know how it fits into the novel as a whole. Granted, two chapters are still entitled “???”, but eight chapters used to bear that label, so I know that will change.

2. Another Larbalestier tip was to not edit until you’re done writing. With my 40 page novel, I barely got two pages done at a time, but they were well edited! I went over each page I had written every time I opened the document. It was tiring, and demotivating. As Larbalestier says, “That way lies madness. (Or, you know, a novel that takes ages to finish.)”

3. I’m getting to know my characters really well. Stephenie Meyer, the author of the Twilight series, has this to say about characters: “the best way to write believable characters is to really believe in them yourself. When you hear a song on the radio, you should know how your character feels about it--which songs your character would relate to, which songs she hates. Hear the conversations that your characters would have when they're not doing anything exciting; let them talk in your head, get to know them. Know their favorite colors and their opinions on current events, their birthdays and their flaws.” I’ve been spending a lot of time with my characters, and the most surprising thing to me is that one of those “crazy author” things has been happening to me. The characters are saying things I didn’t think they would say! I’ve heard of this phenomenon before, where the author is surprised by their own book, but it’s never happened to me. Because I’ve never done so much character work before. I went looking around for questions to ask my character, and found, surprisingly enough, a very good tool written by a romance writer, Charlotte Dillon. I was surprised that my male protagonist was more raw than he was coming across in his speech; I’m now working on making him less smooth.

4. I’m writing like myself. I’ve let all pretenses go about writing the “Great American Novel”; I’m writing a story I’m really crazy about. I love “serious” literature, but when I write it, it tends to make nihilists look like Miss Mary Sunshine. I’m a downer when I write of the weighty things of life. So my novel’s a little fluffy. I’m happy and excited when I’m writing it.

5. I’m taking lots of notes. I tend to write in the evenings, after work, then I go to bed. In the preparation time before bed, I get a lot of thinking about my book done. Then I get out a notebook and jot down anything I thought of while I sit in bed. I come back to those tidbits and incorporate them the next time I write.

My goal is to have a complete, edited novel by June. It may be sooner than that if I’m able to keep going at my current pace. Statistically, for every 100 writers that start a novel, three will finish. My goal is to be one of those three. Wish me luck!

25 Random Things About Me

2009-01-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

This was an exercise going around Facebook that one of my friends challenged me to do. I was told that my responses were "blogworthy", so I decided to put them up here.

1. I have always aspired to be a writer. Writing comes quite naturally to me, but I’m really difficult on myself and have ended up not being able to finish a major project. However, I have been working quite intently on a writing project for the last couple of weeks, with no signs of stopping. It bodes well.

2. I flunked Anatomy and Physiology in college. The professor claimed initially that we didn’t have to do every lab to pass, and later claimed we did. Two missing labs, and he flunked me. I had to retake just the lab portion the next year to graduate. It was the only class I ever failed.

3. I’m a vegetarian who wears fur.

4. I learned how to paint with watercolors for a New Year’s resolution. Up until that point, I believed that I was a really bad artist, because I couldn’t draw. Learning how to paint unleashed my inner artist; I now paint with watercolors and acrylics, photography, collage, create digital art, and have recently learned how to screen print.

5. I have a lot of shoes—most people know that—but my big toe on both feet curls up slightly. It means that I wear through shoes much quicker than other people.

6. I was horrible at Economics in school, but I’m a great Economics teacher. I think having a difficult time with it made me work harder at understanding it and communicating it in terms that I myself could relate to.

7. I can’t tell jokes. I have one or two memorized, just in case, but my usual humor is just sarcasm and wordplay.

8. I don’t enjoy getting the mail. I try to do it as seldom as possible. Once a week is a stretch. I also don’t enjoy going to the Post Office.

9. Stubborn is a good way to describe me. I will never quit if I’ve agreed to something, no matter how miserable I am. I will persevere. Unfortunately, this also means that sometimes I have problems changing course midway through something, and will stick with a course of action that’s not working.

10. I’m obsessed with fountain pens, but haven’t been able to find a good one that I can afford since I lived in England.

11. I wish I was a redhead, but don’t have the courage to dye my hair.

12. I’m a geek. I have to have the new technological toys, just like the boys. I had to get a splitter for the jack in the car just because I had too many things to plug in all at once—one for the iPod dock, one for the GPS, one for the charger. I also enjoy WIRED magazine.

13. Things I blame “the teenagers” (a.k.a. my students) for: knowing bands like Paramore and The Jonas Brothers, using the word “Dude” way too often, my grey hair, all the teen lit I’ve read, knowing who stars in High School Musical, and my ability to hear a cell phone beep amidst a din.

14. My idea of a near-perfect evening is a good book, a fire in the fireplace, and a cup of coffee.

15. I would rather have a few close friends than a lot of acquaintances. I prefer hanging out with one good friend than being at a raging party.

16. Numbers are impossible for me. The phone book in my cell phone is the best thing ever. I can’t even memorize my own phone number, because it slips right out of my head. The only numbers I can keep are my street address, my home phone, and my social security number.

17. My secret rebellion as a young person was not gardening. If you’ve ever met my mother, you’ll know why that’s a big deal. If you haven’t met my mother, imagine a woman with a collection of over 100 rose plants—then add in an orchid collection, a hosta collection, and one of just about every plant that will grow in the Northwest, in addition to a vegetable garden IN THE SUBURBS. And I still kill plants, although I have an orchid in my classroom. I don’t know if it will ever bloom again, though.

18. I have an affinity for classic British cars. My dream car is a 60’s Jaguar. I will never own one, because I have no mechanic skills, but I do enjoy going to the All-British Meet in Portland.

19. My big indulgence in life is books. I must own them, I prefer trade paperbacks, and if I buy a series of books, they must be all of the same sort (hardback, trade, or paperback). No Amazon, either—the instant gratification of Barnes & Noble is my preference. Also, Powells City of Books in Portland is my shrine.

20. I’m fascinated by circus sideshows of the late 1800’s. P.T. Barnum was a corrupt, yet theatrical, genius. A really good book about circuses of that vintage is Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants.

21. I like to suggest books to other people that I think they’d enjoy. :)

22. I’m a city girl, but I grew up in the country—in the middle of wheat fields, as a matter of fact.

23. My brother looks like Keifer Sutherland from a certain angle.

24. I wish I lived with a view of the water. When I lived in Denmark, I had a view of the fjord from my apartment, and it was so peaceful.

25. I tend to think that names are very important, and I get offended when people call me by the wrong name. I also get called “Mrs.” by my students a lot (who are so used to their teachers being married). I always tell them that I didn’t marry within my own family, so please call me “Ms.”. Also, if I call someone by the wrong name, it’s very embarrassing.

The High School Drama Queen

2009-01-19T14:21:00.001-08:00

Although it’s hard to generalize, I’ve found that there are two different kinds of people who become teachers: those who had such a great time in high school that they just had to come back and do it again, and those who were so miserable in high school that they come back to help mitigate the horridness of high school for their students. AKA, gym teachers and everyone else. But I joke.

I am one of the latter. I loved education, but hated school. My sophomore year was possibly one of the worst of my life, as we moved to a new school and I found my shy, bookish self left on the outside of high school life. I had left all my roots behind, and was so scared that something might happen to my parents, since they were my only safety net. I had a lot of unfocused anxiety; my grades slipped. I made friends with the only people who would be friendly with me, and some of them were not my kind of people. Not to mention that I was BORN middle-aged and self-conscious, which are not really great qualities in a teenager.

I wish I knew back then what I know now. After working with teenagers for several years, I’ve found that most of them feel awkward, unpopular, and unloved. They pursue the same things I did back in the day: friends, the opposite sex, popularity. Those who succeed can overcome some of their awkwardness, and they try with others, which I never did. My mission is to find something special and amazing in every one of my students, and to let them know how great they are. And that it gets better in college.

Once again, I was reading Gala Darling, and she asked her readers to imagine they could go back and talk to their younger selves. What would they say to themselves as teenagers? Here’s what I decided I would tell fifteen-year-old Lisa.

“I’m probably not who you expected to show up. You had different dreams for yourself as a sophomore. You WEREN’T going to be a teacher, you were going to be married. Sorry, love, things change. But there’s more to me—you—than meets the eye.

Some instructions for you, to make your life easier.
1. Things are going to be okay. No one important in your life is going to leave you. Relax.
2. Take care of your grades. This is the year you blow things. Your math teacher is going to be your good friend someday—try talking to him now to get the help you need.
3. Don’t try to be friends with people who are mean to you. It’s okay to not like them. It doesn’t make you a bad person. Just ignore them instead. Or try standing up to that obnoxious bully.
4. More protein, less carbs.
5. It’s not about labels. You dress better than most anyone right now, and you don’t spend as much. Stop caring.
6. Your hair IS fabulous.
7. Learn how to flirt. Not everyone will lash out against it. As a matter of fact, most of your guys friends right now will turn out to be gay, so unleash it on them—they’re good practice targets.

What’s going to be great for you in the future? Here’s a sneak peek:
1. Your hair is STILL fabulous.
2. You’ll get to work with teenagers who feel exactly like you feel now, and give them some hope and happiness.
3. In a few short years you will be more popular than you ever dreamed, but will want nothing more than to just be with good, true friends. And you’ll realize that’s who you are, and that will be all right.
4. You don’t know yourself as well as you think you do. You’re not just a nerd, you’re an artist. You’re an actress. You’re a writer. These things will emerge in time.
5. You’ll be a world traveler with two passports, while some people you know now will never even have one.
6. You will find love—more than once—but will have enough self-respect to hold out for the right person.

Stop being mean to yourself. Smile. I wish I could give you a big hug and let you know that it’s going to be okay, because I care so much for you, little girl.”

Who were you as a teenager? And what would you tell yourself now, if you could?

Kudos to...

2009-01-02T15:53:00.000-08:00

...those in the colon cleansing business, for making people believe that their internal organs can't take care of themselves; that they need you and a rubber hose to keep them squeaky clean! One word, people: BRAN.

A New (Hopeful) Start

2009-01-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

I don’t generally make resolutions for the New Year; I know I am not really going to keep them. I know this well in advance, so why bother? It’s not that I don’t have the willpower; I have made (and kept) resolutions before, but I know that my current life limits the number of things I could reasonably do. Typical resolutions are blocked by things like time and finance. It would be great to say 2009 is the year I will travel more, but I know saying it won’t expand my bank account. I could claim that this year I will finally write the great American novel, but where on earth would I find the time? I don’t want to set myself up for failure, thus it’s easier to set myself up for nothing at all.

I have been looking at some of my favorite blogs (and discovering new favorite blogs) and have been overwhelmed with the positivity with which people are facing 2009. I guess it’s easy when we break our lives into smaller units of time (like calendar years) to look back and generalize how that time was, and fantasize how we want the time to come. (Maybe that’s another reason I don’t do resolutions; I generally split my time into school years and summers, and generalize them that way. Every new school year has resolutions abut my teaching and what I want to achieve professionally.) But in so many different ways, people seem to be saying “better days ahead!” In a time that has been marked with so much bleakness both for the world (with war, recession, and poor leadership), and personally for me (which I won’t go into, other than to say I’m in a period of uncertainty), keeping a positive attitude seems key to turning things around. We are days away from the inauguration of a new president whose slogan was “hope”. Maybe we have some hope as we enter 2009.

In lieu of a resolution, I generally choose a “key word” for the New Year. Last year my key word was “balance”, which I felt like I moved closer to. This year I have a key phrase: “be nice to yourself”. Using some of the advice from Gala Darling, I’ve taken inventory, and figured out what my life needs in the New Year. I’ve subjugated a lot of things to my career, and some of those things have been downright harmful to me. Some things I plan to do will eliminate stress (keeping up with grading and recording, getting my cleaner on a consistent schedule, getting regular massages). Some will improve my health (setting up much-neglected doctor’s appointments, working out for a few minutes every day). Additionally, I realize that sometimes I am incredibly hard on myself and tell myself things that I would never think about other people, let alone say to them. I want to be a better friend to myself.

None of these things are major changes to my life. I’m not telling myself that I’m going to lose 25 lbs this month, or change my career, or find a husband (although that would have been a good slogan for last year—“find a mate in ‘08”!). I am more concerned about changing the way I think about myself. I could go all pop psychology at this point, but I will refrain. I just know that I feel infused with hope, and am excited for all of you who share that feeling with me.

Blessings in the New Year, and if you want to share your resolutions in the comments, I would love to hear them!

Year in Review

2008-12-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings from New Mexico! I wanted to wish everyone a joyous New Year as we head into 2009. I hope your Christmas was merry, and your holiday season truly festive.

As I look back on 2008, I realize that I have had a pretty good year. This is my third year in New Mexico, and I have worked to make myself more and more at home. I spent much of this year engrossed in my work, as teaching is a profession you are never allowed to be unprepared for. But as I enter my fifth year of teaching, I feel like this school year has been easier than the ones that come before it. I pray that the rest of the year will fly by with accomplishments and joy in what I do.

I constantly try to achieve balance in my life, and while I fail miserably, I did have some good additions this past year. I spent time with friends, in nature, and got some culture. I improved my house and improved my brain with a lot of books read. I spent blessed time with family over Christmas (as well as at my birthday with my mom). I have been to Texas and Colorado on weekend getaways, as well as seeing more of New Mexico.

My hope for the new year is to continue to push myself outside of my comfort zone and to try to be the best teacher and person that I can be, without killing myself from the stress of that mission. One thing that remains constant from this year to next is the realization that I have incredible friends that have been interested in my life and have added much to it. Thank you all.

To celebrate the passing of 2008, I have put together a bit of a slideshow of the year in review. I hope you enjoy it. May your 2009 be beyond compare!

Love,
Lisa

Vehemently Festive!

2008-12-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I wait.

When I moved to Albuquerque, my parents started to discuss the idea of having a real Southwest Christmas. Come to New Mexico, enjoy the cultural differences, be all together as a family. Usually I fly to Portland, my brother drives down from Seattle, and we have Christmas with my parents there. We decided last year that this would be the year. I was skeptical that it would actually come together. My brother didn't get his ticket until the beginning of December, because he was using frequent flier miles, adding another layer of "this is never going to happen" apprenhension to the mix.

The other hitch was that I have been sick every Christmas since I started teaching five years ago. Ranging from sniffles to full-on pneumonia, it seems that whenever the pressure of teaching is off, I succumb to whatever has been going around.

Just as everything was falling into place--tickets bought, reservations made, illness at bay--snow dumps all over the Northwest. My parents, scheduled to leave this evening, were not sure this morning if anything was leaving. They had to have a neighbor with four-wheel drive drive them down the snow-covered highway just to get to the airport. They actually got on their flight, which was then delayed, and now I don't know how far they're going to get tonight--whether they will get to Phoenix, or all the way into Albuquerque.

I have been determined that this will be a GOOD CHRISTMAS. Everyone will enjoy themselves, whether they want to or not. I am so stressed out just about everyone getting here now--my brother leaves Seattle on Wednesday--that I don't know what to do with myself. It seems that fate is standing in the way of my perfect Christmas! As I have become an adult, I finally understand what Christmas stress is about. But I also understand what Christmas joy is about. That's about family gathering together. As I wait to find out if my parents will be here tonight, I pray that this madness will pass quickly, leading the way to Christmas joy.

Snow in the Desert

2008-12-17T21:17:00.000-08:00

The typical image of the Southwest is that of dry, desert land, with the occasional cactus or tumbleweed punctuating the vast openness. While that certainly is a biome within reach, it isn't exactly an accurate definition of what we have going on here in New Mexico. The mile-high elevation leads to some winter wonderland-like conditions. On Monday night we got the first major snowfall here, and I happened to snap some photos from my balcony.

It was like twilight late into the night. All of these pictures were taken without flash.

I love the colors that the Christmas lights cast on the snow.

We also got a real snow day the next day because the roads were sheer ice and snow. Due to the fact that we do, indeed, have sunshine almost every day, by mid-day it was mostly melted. But the weathermen are predicting a white Christmas...

Under Pressure

2008-12-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

I feel like this post should come with its own David Bowie soundtrack, with Ziggy Stardust and Freddy Mercury screaming out “Preshah!” Yes, friends, as it pushes down on you, it’s pushing down on me. Ding ding ding dingaling ding…

It is not enough that I was in charge of a James Bond-themed Christmas banquet for my students last night, complete with a mixed drink bar (virgin, of course). No, now I’m entering the truly busy season. And the sad thing is that I VOLUNTEERED for some of my additional duties.

Next up is the Christmas Program—a mixture of music and drama. I volunteered to coordinate the program because I felt that our principal did a bit of a slapdash job the last couple of years, and I could put together a really good program. Probably true, but it has swelled out of my control as I work with the choir director. Figuring out the order of program (which was what I basically envisioned the job as being) was easy, all the other stuff is hard. Our choir director now wants the Singing Christmas Tree, requiring a building project, and I need a building project to deal with the backdrop. Did not count on building. Or costumes. Or the reception afterward. Oh, and did I mention that I’m writing all the scripts for the drama—and I’m not done yet? My actors are freaking out.

After that, it’s finals time. For the first time in three years, I have four separate English classes, each of which get a comprehensive exam, including essay question. I need to start getting those tests written. And then immediately after they are taken, they need to be graded, because grades are due during vacation, and if I want to actually have vacation, I have to finish them ASAP. At least my World History test is not comprehensive. My desk looks like it’s the epicenter of an explosion right now.

Now let’s talk home pressures. Usually I fly to my parents’ home near Portland, OR for Christmas. This year, however, my family is all coming here for a real southwest Christmas. This has added to my pressure. I’m thinking I have to really make it a PERFECT Christmas. Everyone MUST be happy and have a good time. I must have a spotless apartment, cook delicious food, and bring the real Christmas spirit, because it won’t be like our standard Christmas home with the folks. But how to do that with so much to do at school? I am even upset because I have a fake tree. I’ve thought about going out, buying a real tree, un-decorating the fake one, and redecorating the real one. Ridiculous!

Then, to top it all off, people keep inviting me to parties and concerts! Don’t they know I don’t have time to be entertained? I have work to do? That I am stressed? They act like it’s really a relaxing holiday season! Take it away, David. Ding ding ding dingaling ding...

Thanks Again...

2008-11-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

I've been emphasizing thankfulness in my class for the two days of school that we had this week, and then last night, when I was finally on vacation, I felt totally devoid of all thankfulness. So tonight I did an exercise in thankfulness. A friend of mine posted a photo journal of his favorite things, so I thought that this year's thankfulness list should be photographic. So, here is the 2008 list:

My laptop. I spend much quality time with this computer. Now complete with high-speed internet and cool "Mad Men" background.

The IKEA catalog. This is the first one I have ever received, after trying four times in the past few years.

My awesome cooking and baking skills. I've been whipping up some stuff for Thanksgiving dinner--this is just my hostess gift of apricot tea bread. The super-cute placemat it is sitting on is from Anthropologie.

Books. Lots and lots of books. This is one of four bookshelves.

Mirage II by Ron Mills. I bought this painting years ago, and I still love it. It reminds me of a time with less responsibility, when my tastes were being developed, where I was tilting at windmills and sucking out marrow.

I never have to worry about going shoeless. I can't wait for first snow to start wearing my suede and faux-fur boots. Plus, the bonus of awesome pink peep-toe shoes.

Good friends. Text messages, Facebook, and e-mails keep me in touch with people who I am not able to be in close proximity with. I value the people who continue to count me as a friend and whom I can rely on.

Photoshop Elements. Having this program has unleashed a lot of creativity, because I can create things that are lovely, professional, and precise. This is a sneak peek at my top-secret Christmas presents. The image is a page from a calendar for my Science teacher colleague.

Angel Red from Clinique. I don't want to wear any other lipstick right now.

And lastly, cozy fires in the fireplace that indicate that fall is turning to winter.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Finest in Poetry.

2008-10-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure why, but I love this poem by Ronald Koertge. It just seems to turn things upside down for me.

An Infinite Number of Monkeys

After all the Shakespeare, the book
of poems they type is the saddest
in history.

But before they can finish it,
they have to wait for that Someone
who is always

looking to look away. Only then
can they strike the million
keys that spell

humiliation and grief, which are
the great subjects of Monkey
Literature

and not, as some people still
believe, the banana
and the tire.

It's so good, I made a wordle word cloud to go with it.

Pushing Daisies

2008-10-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

Help us Save Pushing Daisies

The viewership and ratings for this original and whimsical program have been down for the first two episodes of the new season. There have been discussions of the show possibly getting canceled. Please help us save Pushing Daisies.

More to come...

Houseware Hunt

2008-10-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

It's time for new dishes. I've had mine for about ten years now, and they are outdated and no longer go with my decor or my aesthetic. Here is a picture of some really good vegetarian "meatballs" I made on my dishes.

They are bright and cheery, but I don't want them anymore, and I've lost several to droppage and breakage. I have decided, to go with the black and white dining room, I need white dishes. But I don't just want any white dishes, I want THESE:

These are the Classic Century dishes from Crate and Barrel, with the shapes designed by Eva Zeisel. She designed this line in 1952, and I love the lines. I have never wanted a gravy boat so badly in my life like I want this one:

However, I am a teacher, and even on sale these dishes are out of my reach. They cost almost as much as the original line that I find on eBay:

The hunt continues for stylish neutral dishes. Any ideas?

About time...

2008-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Some days you just need a good laugh. I have been so busy lately that it seems like much humor has gone out of life. I should have been looking to the most likely sources of humor--my students. This morning one of my students had a slip of the tongue that made me laugh so hard I cried. We were finding sensory words in Shakespeare, and one of my seniors INSISTED you could smell the dark of night. She claimed it smelled like "wet, hot ass-pavement". Then she turned red to the roots of her hair.

Shoes!

2008-10-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

A specialty post with a bunch of black shoes that are AWESOME.

Franco Sarto

NaNa

Alfani

Anne Klein

J. Renee

Something in a very low heel

Kudos to...

2008-10-04T22:59:00.001-07:00

...the Republican party. You've got your loyal minions working overtime, ensuring that if I display my Democratic leanings, I am called a socialist, an idiot, or a bad Christian.

The Rebirth of Hope

2008-10-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to a friend's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, but it wasn't so much the wedding that was memorable as the circumstances. My friend Candice has been waiting for some years to find the right person. She has been engaged before when she was in her twenties, which ended with the groom backing out a couple of months before the wedding. She has been through long periods of single life. She has had her heart devastatingly broken a couple of years ago by the wrong man. And she has waited patiently. And now she has found her match. The minister encouraged them to tell their story, to give hope to others that the Lord has someone waiting to be your match. And, as someone who is waiting for that right person, it was heartening to know that maybe there is someone waiting for me. I might have shed a tear or two, but I'm a sap at weddings.

And, in a move that's so cute and adorable it makes you a little queasy, they didn't have a first dance, they had a first ping-pong match. Could you just go into sugar shock from the sweetness?

Making it Work

2008-10-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Making it work

Nearly two and a half years ago I left California to take a job I wasn’t even sure I wanted in New Mexico. Bad situations often lead to compromises, and I was compromising on what I wanted in a job. It was clear from the beginning the school I was I coming to was in shambles; the entire staff, bar one, had been fired, and I was coming in to replace two of them. We all were expected to teach more than a full class load, as well as taking on sponsorship of two to three extracurricular activities. Plus the school was in desperate need of a PR boost; the enrollment was way down. I had to take a pay cut to work at this school, too.

That first year was martial law: do what is necessary, strike fast and hard. Amazingly, it worked. Things started to turn around. The atmosphere changed, discipline was enacted, kids started to learn and have academic standards. During the 2nd year, our hard work continued to pay off. We had more students on the honor roll, getting involved in the school and caring about what happened to the school. The teachers were working HARD—60-80 hours a week. Always the promise to the teachers was “it will get better; it will get easier.”

This was the year it was supposed to really pay off. Our enrollment has been going up and up; on the strength of that, we budgeted for a higher enrollment than ever before and added staff members. I got rid of two of the classes I was teaching, bringing me to the maximum number of classes a teacher is allowed to teach, rather than over that maximum number as I had been in the past. We were told we could hire subs when we were gone, instead of relying on the other teachers to cover for us. Our workloads dropped from “insane” to just “busy.”

They say the best laid plans of mice and men often go a-gley, and this certainly applies to this year. We didn’t make our budgeted enrollment. A Spanish teacher coming from Nicaragua was not allowed out of the country by her government. One teacher quit. Because we didn’t have the money, we found ourselves having to absorb the classes of those two teachers back into our schedules. I took two additional classes that involve more prep and grading time than either of the two I lost. I am as busy as I have ever been. I was handed a $50 classroom budget for the year; I can’t even buy paperback books. We were supposed to receive a raise this year but due to the economy that was frozen.

The problem with all of this is for so long we’ve been called upon to “make it work”. We have taken scraps and made a full, rich program out of them. I have called upon my every reserve of strength and energy, and have kept working. But now I feel TIRED. I don’t know how long I can improvise with nothing; how long I can keep running without falling over. I started writing this blog entry in Spanish class today; I am not a Spanish teacher; she was at home with a sick child, and no sub could be called because I could cover for her. My finances are a constant source of worry. I just have started to make things work in my life here, and I’m running out of steam. I have friends, a good place to live, stability, but I don't know if my work situation will ever change; if we will ever be able to leave "crisis mode" behind.

I continue to find pockets of energy deep inside of me, but I am afraid of doing the disservice to my students of letting myself get run down. For now, I continue to sacrifice to this school to make it run, but I have to see how long I can make myself run.

Kudos to...

2008-09-06T22:38:00.000-07:00

The Vermont Country Store, for making me never want to visit Vermont. Yankee bargains are making me shudder. Do all of the classy Vermont ladies wear corduroy jumpers? So much for my Vermont "White Christmas" ski lodge dreams!

Kudos to...

2008-09-01T20:36:00.000-07:00

Facebook, for luring me in through my friends then beating me into submission and turning me into a total addict. I cannot go a day without checking Facebook, seeing if someone has written me a message, playing its games, uploading photos. I am beyond help.

Lost in the Woods

2008-08-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am not a camper. I love the nature, sure, but I've always lived close enough to beautiful places to go out, enjoy the nature, and then be home in time to sleep in my own bed at night. For over a year now, I've known that I had to camp, survival style, with the class I sponsor, and I have been dreading it. But I have an extreme case of stubbornness, so there was no question that I would go out into the wilderness to survive. After all, I did it when I was a senior. I slept under a black plastic tarp, cooked over a campfire, and even ate a grasshopper while learning about wildlife edibles. I should be able to do this!

I took a LOT of flack from the kids. I was asked if I would be bringing high heels to the woods. I was told I was "overdressed" (in jeans and a t-shirt). I was told that the kids thought it would be easier with me around than with our more outdoorsy female teacher. I definitely had to prove myself!

We camped in the Jemez mountains. The kids had to gather their own wood and start a fire three ways: with flint and steel, batteries and steel wool, and potassium permanganate and glycerine. I started my own fire with flint and steel.

One of the challenges the kids took on was rappelling. Here they are getting ready to rappel down a 75 foot rock. My job was to take pictures from the meadow, and I got bitten by every bug there.

You can barely see the kids up on the top of the rock. They tried free climbing, and one of them got stuck. They're trying to figure out how to get him up safely.

Our camp consisted of a bonfire, three camp fires, the girls' tent, the boys' tent, and the male sponsor's tent (all made of black plastic sheeting, hemp rope, and nails.)

My campfire--although the male sponsor really enjoys all this survival stuff, and he did all the cooking for us. In the background is all the food storage. Potatoes were baking in the coals in this picture.

My tent. Yes, it is not black plastic sheeting. It also contained an air mattress. I'm kind of spoiled.

The kids play initiative games down in a meadow. They had a scenario where they were in a plane wreck. One had a "broken leg", one a "broken arm", one was "comatose", and one was "blind"--they had limbs tied up, blindfolds, etc. They had to run an orienteering course like this, using teamwork. They didn't do so well...

We ended up getting chased off the mountain a day early because of severe thunderstorms. I still don't like camping, but it was a good experience for the kids. Next time, though, I am bringing even more luxuries. Maybe I won't have to pee in a pit next time. Dare to dream...

Things I've Learned

2008-08-26T17:28:00.000-07:00

Read the flyleaves of books. If it says "hunk" anywhere, put it down IMMEDIATELY.

Buying a Round

2008-08-11T21:36:00.000-07:00

I come from a teetotaling subculture, which is fine & dandy. If you don't drink, excellent--your liver thanks you. Recently, though, it is the impact of that subculture that has me thinking. If I go out with male friends outside my subculture or those who have left it, I rarely, if ever, pay for anything. Food and entertainment bills disappear before I even get a chance to look at them. Guys from my subculture never seem to pick up the check. I'm not even talking large sums here!

I've figured out a theory as to cause, and it's alcohol. One of the time-honored rituals of social drinking is buying a round--men come mentally prepared to pick up the bill for others. Also, these men know basic math: women + booze = more/looser women. And if you want the sum total, you should be prepared to pay. But once the idea is ingrained, often it becomes a social expectation, and it actually becomes a gentlemanly act. Many a man has stood me a diet Coke with no expectation of return on investment.

My devout young men, in contrast, seem to have their own equation: paying = a date. Heaven forbid they pay if there is no expectation of making out/going to "second base"/pledging your lifelong troth. Because, of course, if you pay for my Caesar salad, we might as well get pre-engaged RIGHT NOW. Most of these guys seem to speak fluent Dutch, if you know what I mean. If I see a guy from my subculture reach for the check, I expect to hear "your vegeburger cost $12.50 and your drink was $2.80, so you owe $15.30 plus tip."

I believe in treating. I do it. I will gladly reach for a check and wave off the protests. I feel good about it. But honestly, every time? Do me a favor. Fight me for the check once in a while, gentlemen. You can let me win. But it will make me feel good. But for goodness sake, say "thank you" and make a mental note for the next time. Be a gentleman. At least pick up the tip! Stand a round. I see it as the act of a gentleman. I promise not to invite you to the fiesta in my chonines.

How NOT to Propose

2008-07-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Here's my one and only proposal story, which I don't even consider a real proposal, since it was so BADLY done. And I don't know if he meant it.

A former boyfriend and I came to the sad conclusion that we were not meant for each other. We were no longer in love, but we parted with affection and caring. In other words, I dumped him and he said it was mutual. Two months later, he calls me up. Some of the first words out of his mouth were "I told all my friends you were a b*tch, so I called up to see if that was true." Wow. Okay. Apparently he did not feel as "mutual" about our breakup as I thought. Next up: he describes to me a dream he had the night before. Here is a semi-accurate transcript, according to my memory.

Ex-boyfriend: "I had a dream where I was standing on a football field, and all my ex-girlfriends were lined up. I was told that I had to choose between all of my exes. It came down to you and one other girl. It turns out that other girl is already married, so what do you think?"

Me: "What do you mean, 'what do you think?'"

Ex-boyfriend: "I think it's a sign. What should we do? Should we be friends, start dating again, or should we get married?"

Me: "I think we should be friends."

The next morning I woke up and went "Did he say MARRIED?!?" I'm usually not so slow, but that was a very new idea. Turned out he didn't want to be friends; since I rejected his offer of a relationship re-do, he never called again.

Still, it makes me giggle, and makes me glad I dumped him. Gentlemen, if you are reading this, when you propose, try for more. MUCH, MUCH MORE.

Kudos to...

2008-07-29T19:32:00.001-07:00

...whichever gas station started the price war in my neighborhood. I filled up for $3.59 the other day, and I feel like putting in more gas every time my car takes a sip.

Here's my sign...

2008-07-24T22:44:00.001-07:00

I've been wanting to wear a sign lately that says "No, I am not ready for school yet...don't ask." I keep running into people who inevitably ask me the dreaded question "are you ready for school yet?" The answer is definitively NO.

The hypothetical scenario that has been passing through my head lately is this: imagine just about any other workplace. It's that time of year again, where you get your two weeks of vacation. How many people would say "Oh, I'm not going to go on vacation. I'm just going to go to work every day, and they're not going to pay me"? Because that's the situation, people--THEY DON'T PAY ME TO WORK DURING THE SUMMER. My salary is for ten months of work spread out over twelve months. The two summer months I'm basically laid off. Before school starts we have a week and a half of meetings and prep time. When that time comes, I'll be at work every day, and I'll be getting ready. Right now, I'm clutching the last bits of my vacation tightly, screaming "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!", doing everything to push all thoughts of school out of my head.

The sad thing is that I am already getting ready for work, only in a very casual way. I've been working on some lesson plans, buying some stuff for my classroom, and thinking about scheduling and getting my office ready. But I am in no way "ready".

So, folks, be kind to a teacher today; when you see one, ask them this question: "How are you enjoying your vacation?"

Santa Fe Day

2008-07-16T09:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, as I was running around trying to get ready to go to Santa Fe, I looked in my purse and saw my camera there. However, when I took that camera out later in the day, I realized that it didn't have its memory card in. So, I had an incredible day in Santa Fe, but there are no pictures to show for it!

I explored Canyon Road, the main drag for art. If I had a lot of money, my day would have gone much differently. If I had HUGE amounts of money, I would have bought a carved wood painting from the Gaugy Gallery. The colors are eye-poppingly vibrant. Jean-Claude Gaugy, the artist, was a sculptor who developed an entirely new medium when he moved from France and realized that Americans do not generally display sculpture in their homes. He carves wood and paints it using many layers of paints, adding a vibrant and lustrous quality to his work.

If I were only moderately rich, I would be one of the Americans who displays sculpture in my home, and I would have bought something by Ted Gall from the Hunter Kirkland Contemporary Gallery. His sculptures are intricate and compelling. The pictures don't do them justice.

After galleries, I visited the New Mexico History Museum in the Palace of the Governors. In my opinion, it's not a very good museum. But it's an interesting building, and they do have an old fashioned press, which was interesting.

I looked in some of the shops, too, but the only thing that I couldn't resist was a bookstore. It seemed like a good time to buy some very New Mexican books. I got one classic, Willa Cather's Death Comes for the Archbishop, and one contemporary, Rudolfo Anaya's Alburquerque.

Then it was time for the main event: a concert by the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. My friend Brad sings with the chorale, and he managed to get me tickets to two of their concerts, one here in Albuquerque, and the Tudors concert last night. All of the pieces were either from the Tudor era or based on writings from that time. It was excellent. During the concert a huge storm struck, and it continued for hours afterward. It was breathtaking to sit and watch the lightning illuminate the sky. The only bad part was driving home in the rain.

Except for the humidity and the economy, I would love to live in Santa Fe. I definitely had a good day.

Kudos to...

2008-07-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Starbucks, for making me feel it's perfectly reasonable to pay $4.00 for lemonade.

Reminiscing

2008-07-08T22:59:00.000-07:00

I was thinking back on my life yesterday, and decided to look this period of my life up in the archives--also known as my stack of personal journals. What I discovered was that there are some real gems written in my journal. Here are some of my favorites:

*"I'm sitting in bed with my inner '50's bobby-soxer whining 'why doesn't he call me?'"
*"Streams of inner bile are beginning to flow..."
*"Eros should be kissing my feet and showering me with good fortune if there was justice. Instead, he kicks me in the shins, hands me a two-bit Lothario, and slinks off sniggering."
*"Oh, Rock and Doris, why can't I live in your penthouses?"
*"I'm a bit tired of being an uber drama queen."
*"Now, when rich folks mingle with the lower classes, it's called slumming, but what do you call it when us po' folk go up?"

And, my absolute favorite, written when my ex-boyfriend James first told me he loved me:
*"I felt like I was going to throw up--but in a good way."

There are other funny things and incidents, but unless you partied like it's 1999 with me when it was 1999, those things are better left locked away in the archives.

Getting Ready...

2008-07-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

Summer vacation doesn't really mean a complete break from work--good teachers never stop thinking of ways to enhance their classes. Recently I've been thinking of how to integrate blogging into my classes, since it's something I enjoy. I also require journaling in my classes, so this would be a good way to meet that requirement. So, I decided to check out the nominees for best teen blog in the 2008 Bloggies. I love the Bloggies--I've discovered some great blog sites from this annual competition. However, I was extremely disappointed to read the teen blogs. They seem to hold up really poor values that I'm trying to get my students to reject. Underage drinking, lesbianism, shallowness are all on display in these blogs. How am I supposed to look for examples to hold up for my students to emulate when what's vaunted are journals of poor choices? It makes it difficult for me, because I want them to experience the very best writing available in all ways--content as well as style.

Feeling Kind of Provincial

2008-07-04T17:40:00.000-07:00

This summer I am volunteering at a local theatre, helping out with a production. After rehearsal last night, the cast went out for a little social time. I was sitting beside our resident diva, who is constantly getting upset and freaked out and second guessing whatever she's doing. She's with a guy; he's kind of cute and flirty. I knew she would be with her husband because she doesn't drive. She is talking to the director of the play and me, and she indicates the guy and says "That's my boyfriend." I'm momentarily confused, because I thought she had a husband. Then she says "The other guy who comes to pick me up is my husband." Oh, I think, she's really open about having an affair! She continues "But my husband knows all about it. We're polyamorous. I brought my boyfriend instead of my husband tonight because my husband didn't want to go out." Suddenly I felt very much of a country bumpkin being introduced to "them city folk with their strange ways."

The minute she left, I turn to the director to express my shock, and she indicates that her big issue with it is how does this nutjob get two men, when nice normal girls like us can't find one? Which is an excellent point...why are men attracted to eau de crazy?

An eye-opening night, to say the least.

Miracle for Microwave

2008-07-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today my microwave truly disgusted me. It has been a while since I really got in there to clean, so it had quite an accumulation of filth that needed to be cleaned out. I was in the middle of cleaning it when I thought “I should talk about this on my blog!” Yes, truly, there is an exciting side to cleaning the microwave.

I used to use a pre-treating chemical wipe to clean the microwave, then they stopped stocking them in the grocery store. Then I found this tip online for cleaning the microwave. Combine water and lemon juice (approximately ¾ cup water and 1 ½ T lemon juice) in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for five minutes. Take it out, and use a sponge to wipe out the microwave. Everything slides right off—no scrubbing required! You can even use the leftover lemon water to clean with. I usually put a couple of ice cubes in it, though, as it is very hot. And, bonus, it’s chemical-free and all natural. If you have kids, it won’t harm them; you can dump it down the sink, guilt-free ,when you’re finished.

My dirty microwave, halfway through cleaning.

Just look at my sparkling clean microwave! I feel like Heloise.

Creature of the Night

2008-06-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

First of all, be reassured (because I'm sure it's got you worried) I'm sleeping okay. This is not going to be a post about how exhausting it is not to sleep. My current worry is about when I go back to work and am not able to get nine solid hours.

I keep getting really creative right before bedtime, which one might rightly think is AWESOME. The part that is less than awesome is the fact that I wake up in the morning and I can't remember the ideas that the night before were guaranteed to rock the socks off of the general public. I had a great idea for a play the other night; I know it was about house hunting, but now I can't remember what the twist was. I think there was a hippie in there somewhere. I had great ideas for photographs that will never get taken and books that will never be written. Even fabulous blog posts that you will never see. Darn that sandman! I wish morning was my creative time, rather than my zombie time.

A neverending source of creativity, however, is my Photoshop Elements program. I love working with photos and brushes. I found a great source for brushes, Brusheezy. It has a zillion free Photoshop brushes--I counted. I just downloaded four more brush sets this morning, the fruits of which labor you will see here on the first of July when the new masthead goes up.

A Night at the Opera

2008-06-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

It was definitely one of those “you had to be there” moments. Watching the sunset glow pink and orange in the desert sky, listening to Falstaff singing about his love for Meg and Alice, feeling the gentle breeze blow. This was my experience last night as I attended the Santa Fe Opera’s preview of Falstaff.

A friend of mine from church invited me to come along. She is a lady who is probably around my mother’s age. She’s lovely, but I have to admit, she drove me crazy! She kept calling my house that afternoon. “Don’t wear fancy shoes, wear something you can walk in.” “Wear nice clothes, but not too nice.” “Bring a jacket.” “Bring an umbrella.” “Bring gloves.” The woman was mothering me more than my own mother does. She made it sound like it was going to drop from a pleasant summer evening into nuclear winter in the course of an evening. Every time she called I had to change my outfit! By the time we were supposed to go, I was seriously thinking of backing out because I was so annoyed. I pressed on, however, and joined them in an eleven passenger van for the hour-long trip to Santa Fe.

Side Note: One of the oddest things about this evening was the stop off at the bus station in Santa Fe. The van ran on compressed natural gas, and there is only one station in Santa Fe, and only one in Albuquerque. With a ten-gallon tank, they have to fill up all the time. So, in order to get home, we had to brave the odyssey into the underworld of public transportation.

To my great relief, I got to sit by myself, due to the tickets being scattered all over the Opera house. Let me say, it’s an incredible building. They wouldn’t let me take any pictures indoors, but it is open air. The majority of the seating is covered, with a couple of rows that sit between the sheltered areas and are totally open to the air. The advantage of this is the fact that you can look out the sides into the sky, which is incredibly beautiful. During the first act, I could see the sun set, and during the rest, the starry skies. It was a preview performance, which filled me with trepidation as they made the announcement that maybe some singers wouldn’t be singing with full voice, or they might be stopping and starting, but really my fears were unfounded—they only had one glitch between the third and fourth acts with moving some scenery. Other than that, it was flawless.

Since they wouldn’t let me take pictures, here’s a stock photo of the Opera House. I was sitting in the orchestra seats, right under the mezzanine.

Sleep Wars

2008-06-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

I am not sleeping well. This isn’t the first time; last summer I spent about a month not sleeping. My most vivid memory of this time was sobbing on the phone to my mother because I hadn’t slept in three days and couldn’t be reasonable about anything. Last summer the problem was working through some issues I had buried during the previous school year; I would close my eyes and start to think about all these problems and that would be that for the sleeping. I’m proud to say that I worked through those issues, and haven’t had any problems with them this year. This year it’s a problem of timing. I have allowed myself the luxury of staying up too late, then going to bed and reading really good books, and then before I know it it’s 2 a.m. and I am wide awake. I took a Tylenol P.M. the other night when my knee hurt, which was great for the sleeping, but I woke up feeling hung over and accomplished absolutely nothing all day because I was so tired. Until that night, of course, when I was wide awake again. My mom is an herbal enthusiast, and she has often suggested herbal remedies for my sleep issues. So, I took the plunge and bought two different herbal sleep aids: melatonin and valerian. I decided to test them head-to-head over two nights to see which was more efficacious. My goal is to sleep well all night and to wake up in the morning not feeling like I’ve been hit in the head.

Night 1: Melatonin
10:45: I head towards bed; it’s the earliest I’ve gone to bed in weeks. I’m wide awake. I take the melatonin as I get ready for bed.
11:00: Get into bed, start to read A Town Like Paris, since I finished Eat, Pray, Love last night.
11:15: Surprised to find myself start yawning.
11:30: My eyes start burning, a sure sign that I’m ready to sleep, so I put the book down and roll over to try to sleep. I don’t remember much after that.
12:35: Wake up. As I get older, I don’t sleep through the night anymore, so it doesn’t concern me. Quick bathroom break, and then back to sleep.
3:40: Wake up again. Wide awake. For NO REASON. Have momentary panic that I won’t get back to sleep. I try to relax, and by my estimation, I am back to sleep within 10 minutes.
7:45: Wake up, fifteen minutes before the alarm goes off. This is not uncommon, as the morning sun likes to come through my window. I feel tired, but after my morning coffee, I have a clear head and feel quite awake. My bed, however, looks like a tornado has gone through it—sheets tangled up, blankets all over the place, pillows on the floor. Not exactly a peaceful night’s sleep, but probably the most sleep I’ve gotten in days.

Night 2: Valerian Root

10:15: Take the medicine before evening ritual. Not at all tired.

10:40: Go to bed with a book. The book gets really good. I continue to read for an hour and fifteen minutes, without being tired.

11:55: Tired. I put the book down and roll over to sleep.

12:30: Awoken by a knock on my door. Instantly freak out. Run around finding glasses, robe, etc. At the door is a Papa John’s pizza guy, insisting that I ordered pizza. I insist, through the door, that I did not. He finally concedes that he MIGHT have the wrong apartment.

12:35: Papa John’s guy knocks again. I refuse to go to the door. Begin to wonder if Papa John’s is open past midnight…how am I to know if he’s a serial killer? He seems a little insistent that I open up. Not gonna happen, buddy. I spend the next half hour trying to get my pulse rate back to normal, and the next hour trying to sleep.

1:35: Sleep.

4:30: Quick up, then quickly back to bed, really tired.

8:40: Wake up really tired. Of course, that is probably from my disturbed sleep more than anything else. I don’t feel drugged, which is the good thing. I feel like my Valerian test may be invalidated by the pizza guy.

In conclusion, I felt like I slept deeper with the Valerian than the Melatonin, but quicker with the Melatonin. Of course, I will have to re-test, but more than anything, I am just glad to get some sleep!

My new favorite room

2008-06-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

About four years ago now, I got rid of the last piece of childhood furniture that I owned--a low pine dresser, painted white. I had honed my carpentry skills on that thing; first repairing all the drawer bottoms that fell out and then replacing the old floral drawer pulls with streamlined brass pulls. But it had served its purpose, and I was looking ahead to three different moves in the next three months, so I gave it away to Goodwill. I've been without a dresser ever since, because I wanted something that I could afford and that looked good. I had a three-drawer plastic bin in the closet that took care of my dresser needs.

Eventually, my parents got tired of me waiting, and felt that this was something I really needed. So, they got it for me for my birthday. I chose a sleek, made in Denmark modern version (much like myself). I got to pick it up two weeks ago, just as school was getting out. It has revolutionized my bedroom, making it look more cozy and yet more sophisticated at the same time. Not to mention how great the storage space is.

I used my DIY skills to rig up a little something special, too. I turned the shallow top drawer into a jewelry drawer.

I took a sheet of 1" foam from the fabric store and cut it to the size of the drawer. I also used about a yard of velveteen in a beautiful cocoa color--it was my favorite of all the velvet-type fabrics I saw, and it was in the bargain bin--I got the last bits off the roll. I used Elmer's Craft Bond, a spray glue, to glue the velveteen and the foam together. If I had one thing to do over again, it would be to spray glue it, because mine got some wrinkles in it that I could have probably prevented. However, it was quite quick and easy.

As a special touch, I made ring holders in the front right hand corner. I used an Exact-o knife--very sharp--to make small, 1" cuts through the velveteen and foam. I did a bit of a grid pattern so it would all line up. Once those were cut, I could just pop my collection of very small and tasteful rings (yes, I am being facetious) into the fabric where they are held firm. I skewered my pins and brooches into place, and set my bracelets up, and voila! An absolutely gorgeous jewelry drawer. Since I cut it to size, it fits snug and nothing moves around when I open and close the drawer.

It feels like my bedroom is now complete, which means that in a couple of months, I'll have to start over again, just to have something to keep working on. I've been thinking of replacing out the Toulouse Lautrec prints that I've had forever, but they are just the right colors and I haven't seen anything I like as well. I have liked Toulouse Lautrec since I was about 12; it had nothing to do with the movie Moulin Rouge, but that seems to be everyone's connotation, which makes them seem a little cliche. I'll have to keep thinking about it.

Summer Reading List Part III

2008-06-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

Today is my final installation of my summer reading list. This is not serious literature, it won’t change your life, but the fun factor is high for all of these books. These fall under the sci-fi/fantasy genre. I don’t read much of this genre, and I never read books that take themselves very seriously. I won’t be deep in a Star Trek book; I like authors who are lighthearted and funny.

Fantasy: Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett. Pratchett is one of my favorite authors of all time. I have managed to hook several of my friends on his series of Discworld books, just like my friend Robin hooked me back in college. Thief of Time is one of my favorites, although I wouldn’t actually recommend it if you’ve never read Pratchett before. Something like Soul Music or The Colour of Magic would be better to get into the series, although they are not necessarily chronological. My copy, if you can see, is actually falling apart. The thing I love about Pratchett is that he uses a lot of historical references, and he flips them on their ear. He was recently diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, which is incredibly devastating for those of us who love his writing. I have an autographed copy of his book Thud, which I treasure. Anyway, get into the world of Pratchett.

Classification Unknown: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I can’t even classify this book, because it’s crazy. It’s set in an alternate universe that is very much like our own while still being totally unlike our own. The Crimean War is still being fought, and the greatest celebrities are authors. The heroine, Thursday Next, finds herself able to bookjump to fight crime, and jumps into Jane Eyre to catch criminal Acheron Hades. I can’t explain it—it’s just awesome.

A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. I find Moore hit or miss—not every book by him is incredible. This one is, and so is Fluke. (You Suck is not great, but I will never forget buying the book and having the clerk say “What’s this book about? Men?”) The concept is about a man who becomes one of death’s minions and has to collect soul objects before the evil creatures from the underworld do. My favorite parts of this book are the bits with his daughter, who has two hellhounds as her pets.

Summer Reading List Part II

2008-06-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Fiction! What everyone needs—a little escapism, a little romance, a little mystery. Today’s installment of my summer book picks will cover the gamut.

Classic: The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham. One of my goals every summer is to read one (or more) of “the classics”—I find I am expected to know all the great works of literature. The truth is, there are so many out there that I haven’t read them all. (I’ve been putting off reading Catcher in the Rye; I don’t actually want to read it, but I feel I should.) The Painted Veil is worth your time. It is hard to love the protagonist, Kitty; she is selfish and spoiled. She is having an affair, and her doctor husband, instead of divorcing her, decides to keep her close and take her with him to treat a cholera epidemic. Their developing relationship and Kitty’s changing realization of the world she lives in is at the heart of this book.

Recent Prizewinner: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. I am currently reading Chabon’s The Yiddish Policeman’s Union; he is an amazing writer, but I have seen nothing like Kavalier & Clay. I couldn’t put it down. Mixing the worlds of post-WWII New York, Houdini-esque escape artistry, and comic books, this book explores the American Dream through the experiences of cousins Joe Kavalier and Sammy Clay. The title doesn’t lie—it is AMAZING.

Beach Read/Chick Lit: The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne. In the tradition of Bridget Jones’ Diary, this book tells of a London girl who takes her unique talents—being well-bred and civilized, with impeccable taste and manners—and turns them into a business plan. She becomes the pseudo-girlfriend to poor, hapless men who need help with social situations, clothing, and presenting themselves well. Of course, she falls in love in the process, but has to deal when real life and her business persona collide. It falls under the category of “brain candy”—you won’t learn anything, but it’s a fun read.

One more installation tomorrow. We’ll cover the weird and wonderful world of sci-fi.

Summer Reading List

2008-06-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's time for the summer reading list! Of course, this one is for grown-ups, not kids. These are some of my favorite books that I've culled from my shelves for your enjoyment. Today we will begin with some excellent nonfiction.

Memoir:
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This book left my mouth hanging open at so many points. It is the story of Jeanette Walls’ childhood, and it is a story of such poverty and oppression that it’s hard to believe. The thing is, for her parents much of their impoverished life was a choice—a choice by their mother not to work because she wanted to be an artist, a choice by her father to get involved with schemes that were not legitimate and then to run away. And meanwhile, these children are suffering the consequences. It is shocking and unbelievable.

Essay:
Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik. The author follows a time-honored tradition and leaves his home country for foreign lands to write and be inspired. The twist is that he has his wife and child with him. His collection of essays is beautifully written, often humorous and sometimes poignant. These are simple stories of things we all know—families, marriages, work—with the twist of being set in Paris. It is an homage to Paris, to opening yourself up to new experiences. My favorite chapter is entitled “Angels Dining at the Ritz” about taking his son to go swimming at the Ritz, where they meet up with his son’s young friend Cressida and her companion Ada. He can’t help but buy them “chocolate chaud” and cake for them, despite the cost, because he sees his son’s first love blossom. It is innocent and sweet and touching.

Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser. Split into three main topics, this book is subtitled “Sex, Drugs, and Cheap Labor in the American Black Market.” An eye-opener of a book, it will change the way you look at strawberries forever. Good investigative work by the author of Fast Food Nation.

Christian:
Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott. Probably my favorite Christian book ever, this book doesn’t preach, it confesses. Anne Lamott is refreshingly human, with faults and foibles. It makes me feel like perfectionism is not the be all and end all of a relationship with Christ, getting back up after you fall is of the essence. Not to mention she’s very funny.

School's Out For Summer

2008-05-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

I will not claim that this forum has not been used as an outlet for my complaints. But folks who know me know that I do enjoy my job, and it’s times like this that I feel a big payoff.

Last night we graduated the class of 2008. It’s hard to believe that it’s over, most likely because I still have a lot of work to do before the end. For the last few days it’s been crazy—I’ve been working nonstop 10 to 14 hours a day. Between making tests, grading papers, planning junior/senior day, getting ready for graduation, and trying to finish all the other “stuff” that comes up toward the end, I haven’t had time to take things and put them in perspective. Tonight, the perspective hit me. I have really enjoyed this senior class, and I’m a big fan of theirs. And I’m so proud of their accomplishments. I love the excitement that comes with graduation. I got the privilege of sending them down the aisle for the big walk, and it was so fun to see them laughing and joking and in some cases, shaking a little bit. I got to give big hugs and let them know how much I care about them and their future afterwards. My worker cried little tears all over my shoulder saying “I don’t want to go. I’m scared. I’m just a little girl.” It was so sweet. She is ready, but I’m glad the kids feel like our school is home, where they are loved and protected. We are a small school, and we get to know our kids really well. When you graduate a class of 12, it’s hard to NOT know them.

I am the class sponsor for the junior class, and tonight was our big work night. The tradition at our school is that the juniors have to clean up after graduation. To give some perspective to this, there were four confetti canons dispatched as the seniors walked down the aisle after graduating. HUGE mess. I have 7 juniors to clean the whole gym and the chapel in the school. They really pitched in and got the work done as quickly as possible, but I didn’t get home until midnight. I’m both tired and wound up right now. It has yet to hit me that it’s over for the year. For teachers, our work year doesn’t end until May is over, then it’s the big two month layoff until August, a.k.a. Summer Vacation. Lots of work yet to be done before my summer begins, but no more students until August!

Ode to the Hippie Mart

2008-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had all I could take—WWE Divas Smackdown with a parent, confrontation with the librarian, scorching hot temperatures. I ran some errands after school and decided to stop by my local hippie market, Sunflower, before I went home. I haven’t been to Hippie Mart in a while, liking to ingest all my additives and preservatives in hopes they will extend my life, but I am a vegetarian, so I do pop in every now and again for tofu-based products. It’s the sort of place you can get your clarified ghee and your organic kale. I went in to get frozen juice bars to beat the heat, and maybe “those breakfast things they used to have there”… I don’t know if anyone else shops this way, with only the vaguest sense of what they want. However, it caused me to wander, and I found what I wanted and so much more. I found the juice bars sitting right next to blood orange sorbet. I just about died right there and then…what sounds better than that? I’m ashamed to say those are teeth marks in one—I was going to put them in the freezer, but I couldn’t resist a little bite, sans spoon.

Then I found a garlic baguette. My aunt, the flawless Danish hostess, often heats one of those up with a simple salad and frikadeller (which I can’t explain in English—kind of like a meatball? Maybe?) for dinner. I have many happy memories of sitting at the table in their backyard or in front of their summer home in Sweden eating these baguettes in the full light of a Scandinavian summer. Lastly, I stumbled upon Dragonfruit sparkling water. Who’s ever heard of such a thing? Even the checker asked if it was good, and I said I had no idea, but it sure looked good.

Also, check out my re-hydration strategy—I think these ice teas are getting even bigger from the last time I bought one.

Maybe it’s ridiculous, but my little shopping trip lifted my spirits no end. It brought me from a sad trumpet “wah-wah-wah” to “Let me introduce myself…I’m the Queen of Awesomeland…”

To Do List

2008-05-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am feeling guilty. Working on the blog while there is SO MUCH to be done.I went home at five, too. (Newsflash for "normal working people": 7:30-5:00 is a short day for me.) Last week was final rehearsals for the spring drama presentation, which meant all things non-play related were pushed aside. That included a LOT of grading that I'm now attempting to catch up on. My desk is buried. Then we have to finish summer supplement for yearbook, plus the Senior Tribute paper. I'm the junior class sponsor, and we have responsibilities for graduation. Plus, there's this charming thing called "Junior/Senior Day," similar to a skip day, but where the juniors plan a raft of activities for the two classes to do together. We came up with the great idea of doing a murder mystery/scavenger hunt/beach party sort of thing, and I have to come up with most of the plans for the day, because the juniors want to be surprised, too. I have the May parent newsletter to write. Then there is the small matter of test review sheets and semester tests to be written. That's all on top of the everyday work of lesson planning and teaching.

Then there's the small matter of life outside of school. My mother, during her last visit, was insistent that I need to get a cleaner because of aforementioned busy-ness. And, as she put it, because I have "other priorities" than cleaning. I tend to clean on a bit of a rotation schedule--one room will be extremely clean, and the rest will be in disarray. So I have a cleaner coming in on Thursday. The problem there is that I feel like I should clean in preparation for the cleaner. I know; it's a sickness. At least I have some tidying up to do.

The last thing on my mind is my summer plans. There is great euphoria in the IDEA of summer off. However, as I've learned, there is little satisfaction in nothing to do. It makes me anxious, all those unfilled hours. I need to have some sort of industry. And every year I say I'm going to work on my stage play, and every year I finish about 10 more pages. Not really a full-time job. I need to take a class to move up a level in my certification (which I actually took last summer, but that's a whole different [bitter] story), but in order to meet requirements, I have to take an online course, which doesn't exactly get me out of the house. So I'm thinking of volunteering a one or more local of my local theatres and taking a couple of personal enrichment courses. Except there are so many classes I don't know what to take. I've definitely ruled out Hatha Yoga for Toddlers and Introduction to Harmonica, but other than that, it's wide open. And I'm beginning to feel pressure to make a decision on what I'm going to do with my time, as everyone seems to be asking.

I can't figure out if it's easier to laugh or to cry a this point.

Also, I've decided to do a monthly header for my blog. It wasn't a hard decision, since I did this one a couple of weeks ago, and I've been itching to get it up. Another grand photoshop experiment, this time using a picture of myself and doctoring the heck out of it. Good fun.

Creativity Unleashed

2008-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

It seems that my best techy stuff all comes from my parents, and my Photoshop Elements is no exception. It was something my dad delighted in giving me this Christmas after I decided I couldn't afford it for myself, so I put it on my Christmas list. It took a bit of time to get comfortable with it, but I'm starting to really do some nifty things with it. And my lovely Jane Eyre header is an original creation that I managed to do with Photoshop. No more will I have a bland header that everyone else has access to! It will be original headers all the way. Brace yourself; it may be new blog headers every day for a while now while I'm enamored with my new skill.

A Good Vintage

2008-04-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

I recently had a birthday—my 33rd. I’m very excited for some reason about having true double digits. It was also a good birthday because I didn’t get any of the “oh my goodness, I’m OLD! And I’m in my THIRTIES!” feelings that I’ve gotten on birthdays 30 through 32. It was just a nice birthday.

And now, to totally defy everything that I’ve just said, I’m going to speak to the signs that definitively point to me being old(er). Here’s a nice list.

• My mom was absolutely thrilled with my choice of magazine selections when she came to visit. “O at Home? Delightful!”
• My memory foam mattress topper is not an option, it’s a necessity.
• Arthritis. Seriously. In my knee. Stupid arthritis.
• Even the wildest wild night ends at midnight. Board games and meaningful conversations? I’m in! Well, for a while at least.
• I’m looking forward to teaching parts of the World History textbook to my students because I actually lived through them.
• Facial hair grooming takes much longer—and isn’t limited to the eyebrows.
• Every ache or pain must be the harbinger of a serious medical condition. And I take vitamins EVERY SINGLE DAY.
• I gripe about the price of gas, oncoming recession, and global warming.
• I actually read the statements about my retirement funds.
• I wanted to buy a hip new CD the other day—the greatest hits of Garbage. And if Luscious Jackson put out another disc, I’d be all over it.
• Baby dreams. Stupid biological clock.

On the plus side, however, getting older means that I no longer worry about being in fashion, because I know I’ve got style, which lasts longer. And the gifts get better. I got a Garmin! I’m ecstatic over that. Maybe my undue excitement over a GPS (so I never get lost!) is just another signpost on the road to old age. Thirty-three—thus far awesome.

And, for the visual, I came home from birthday brunch with my mom to find my friends busily wrapping my apartment door with birthday monkeys in boxer shorts wrapping paper, balloons, and this sign. It was quite the icebreaker with my neighbors.

Issues with Picasa

2008-04-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

Picasa posts pictures to this blog quicker than anything else. However, it doesn't like to post ALL my pictures, leading to those annoying "x"s instead of pictures. So, I have to start a new entry to get pictures in. This is to complete the entry about spring break with pictures of my rehabbed bookshelf, my Bjorn Wiinblad picture, and my new orange pillows. Enjoy!

P.S.: The Office is hilarious. I can't wait for the new episodes.

More Spring Break

2008-03-25T21:09:00.000-07:00

I've discovered that you never see so much of your hometown as when people came to visit. My college friend Mark and his friends Chad and Laura came to visit over Spring Break. We had to galavant around a bit.

We went to the Rattlesnake Museum. I discovered, much to my surprise, that my school sponsored a snake. Here it is.

The church in Old Town.

Chili ristres hanging in the square.

A little hidden surprise in Old Town--the virgin Mary in a tree.

See What I Can Do With a Bit of Free Time?

2008-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Spring Break was less of a break than an time to get things done. I accomplished some nifty things around my apartment. First and foremost was the reupholstering of my dining room chairs. This is before...

...and after.

I put up a coat rack by the door.

I'm still working on getting my Wiinblad plates up; I started, but I took my measuring tape to school and I have no idea what happened to it from there. My work was getting a little haphazard, so I've got to mke sure everything lines up before I continue on.

Then there's my "dumpster dive" project. Someone in my building left a perfectly good bookcase out on the sidewalk to be picked up in the trash. I couldn't handle it--I had to take it, with the idea of rehabilitating it. It looked perfectly good, but I found out that it was a little more complex. It was nicotine soaked, without shelves, and with a big crack in the middle of the backing. So, I had shelves custom-cut (twice--again, I really need my measuring tape back), wiped everything down with bleach, and then applied a contact-paper type backing to add a pop of color and freshen it up. I am really pleased with the outcome.

And my latest eBay purchase, a Bjorn Wiinblad print. Love it.

And, my mom made me some pillows out of beautiful pinkish-orange fabric. Orange is beginning to overtake the house. It's more orange than it looks in the picture. I love them, and they fit very nicely in my chairs.

Tomorrow it's back to work, and there will be very little decorating love until summertime.

Just Like the Big Kids

2008-03-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

So, I was out with friends new and old this weekend (I know, that vaguely resembles having a social life--how excited am I?)and friendly banter turned to quick networking. I found myself with a fistful of business cards with nothing to give back. I have seen teachers with their own business cards before, but it is rare. Usually the school won't shell out for them. I kind of sheepishly admitted I had no card to give them, and almost in unison they replied "VistaPrint". It was like being in a commercial. They are all independent contractors of one sort or another and had bought their own cards for very cheap. You can get free cards with the VistaPrint logo on back, or pay to get cards without the logo. You pay shipping and handling, but all in all, I ordered 250 custom business cards tonight for under $10. Soon, I'll be just like the professional grown-up folks.

New Header

2008-03-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I got my super-cool new blog header here.

Dense as Poundcake

2008-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

So, I'm having a serious talk with a freshman about the plagiarizing he did. On a haiku. A three-line poem, five-seven-five syllable pattern. Simple, simple, yet he takes haiku #1 from another girl in his class (because surely I wouldn't notice that it's exactly the same), and haiku #2 from the internet. We have had extensive talks about plagiarism in the past; I've devoted a whole class period to it. I give him the opportunity to confess, first, asking him if there is anything he needs to tell me about this. About haiku? No, about this assignment. Nope, nothing. I drop the hammer--using my serious voice, but keeping it under control. You got one from your classmate. Well, she was talking about it in Study Hall, and I just wrote it down. The other one you got from the internet. He looks me straight in the eye and says, yes, but it didn't have that little "c" next to it.

It's like I'm Charlie Brown's teacher, except occasionally the Peanuts gang would answer back intelligibly.

SNOW DAY!

2008-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

A few pics from a trip up to Sandia Peak this weekend. We wanted to sled and frolic--and indeed we did.

A Little Catty

2008-02-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

Every now and again I decide that I want a cat. Or a dog. A pet of some sort, at least. So I go online and begin to dig about, trying to find a pet that would be perfect for me. And then I begin to worry. Will it be bad for my allergies? Is it worth paying the "pet rent" that my apartment charges? Am I ready to do the training required? Will my furniture be ripped to shreds by little kitty? Do I have the money for the upkeep/food/vet bills? And then we get the biggest problem of all--what I want vs. what I can get. I feel like I should get a shelter cat and help the existing animal population. What I really want, however, is a British Blue. Those cats are so precious! There are NO breeders in New Mexico, and it would cost an arm and a leg to get one, but I still want it. Which brings me to the conclusion that I always come to--I'm not getting a cat. Sigh.

"But I'm a Good Person!"

2008-01-23T20:29:00.000-08:00

I will now admit that I DVR Dr. Phil. Make fun of me if you will, but I think that man has some wisdom. Today I watched a show on people who shoplift and con obsessively. While watching these people, something struck me--both people, after having stolen time and time again from stores, friends, family, etc. said that they were "good people". This brings me to the question: what does it take to be a good person? Do your actions have nothing to do with your moral character? Can I be a pathological liar and a good person? A con man and a good person? An abuser and a good person? When did what you do and who you are become divorced?

I take issue with the "self-esteem movement" that I see so much of in my students. There has been such a concern with making kids feel good about themselves that they have an unrealistic view of themselves. When students are disciplined, one of their cohorts will say "It's okay. You're still a good person." I don't know about that. What makes you a good person? To me, it's the choices that you make that determine your character. With these people, insisting their goodness, the choices that they have made (to hurt people, destroy lives, break the law, and degrade themselves) makes them "not-so-good people". What is with the mentality that we are not what we do most of the time, but the intentions that we have that are not acted upon. I want to quit stealing/lying/hurting others, thus I must be "good".

Moreover, I was upset that Dr. Phil didn't call them on that. He didn't bother to disabuse them of the notion that they were essentially good people. Not to say that he let them off easy, but those comments were just allowed to pass by without mention. When will people wake up to themselves and realize that being good is more than how I feel about myself, but what I do for others?

Post-Holiday Wrap-Up

2008-01-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

The holidays are ended, and it's back to business as usual. I had a hard time bidding the festive season goodbye; even though I was sick most of the vacation (yes, my cold, despite my visit to the doctor, lasted about 40 days total). It was so nice to get back to the Northwest and I enjoyed being with my family. I was reluctant to go home when it was over.

Another great thing about the holiday was that I got to pay a brief visit to the brand-new IKEA store in Portland. Unfortunately, my appetite for all things IKEA was merely whetted, as I was limited by both money and the available space in my luggage. I focused on getting some curtains for my bland dining room.

The dining room, if you will recall, is the latest focus of my decorating energies since the discovery of the Bjorn Wiinblad tiles. With the charming black and white pattern of the tiles, I looked for a black and white curtain. I also wanted to do it "on the cheap". I found these curtains for around $15 a pair. They are not too heavy, just a light cotton curtain.

I decided a "do it yourself" job would be best; I'm fairly handy around the house. I bought a pair of black cafe rods with square finials at Target (also inexpensive). I went to install the first one, and disaster struck. I didn't stop to think things through and realize that there would be a stud on either side of the window. My positioning was wrong; instead I hit a void where someone else had already drilled a hole and re-spackled. It was rather messy because I was trying to do the whole thing with a hammer and a nail to make the initial hole for the screw instead of using my nifty bright orange 1970's power drill. Then the next screw hit the edge of some flashing around the window and a whole chunk of plaster fell off. I guess now I will be doing some re-spackling myself before my landlord discovers it. Needless to say, everything got easier when I busted out the power tools.

The other problem I ran into was that the curtains are WAY too long. Fortunately, they came with unfinished hems and webbing for hemming them to the right length. Unfortunately, only one package of curtains (out of two) actually included the webbing.

Overall I would say that I'm quite pleased with the outcome. I'm not in love with it; they lack a bit of drama, but I hope to make up for that in my reupholstering job that I plan to do here soon on the dining room chairs. They are lovely in the light, however, and they make the space much cozier. Hooray for IKEA!

The Stoic's Limit

2007-12-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

I have never been one for taking medication. I don't like to treat pain that's not severe, or go to the doctor for minor problems. I consider it part of my Scandinavian stoicism. However, I think that I may have just reached my limit.

Tomorrow will be day 17 of my cold. I have run the gamut of symptoms, and I can't seem to get better. Every time I think I'm getting better, I relapse again. Yesterday I lost my voice entirely. As loath as I am to go to a doctor for a cold (and the last time I did I got sent away with the great advice to "just wait it out"), I think I'm going to suck it up and go sit in the Urgent Care clinic for a couple of hours tomorrow to see if I can get some help. I can't stand the thought of being sick for the majority of December. My fear is that Christmas will come and I will still be sick, and that is not a thought I savor.

Christmas is a-comin'

2007-12-06T21:49:00.000-08:00

My abode has been undergoing some seasonal changes. I was so excited about the Christmas season that I had to drag out all my Christmas decorations and start to deck the halls.

I've got my Christmas village up, which I absolutely love. I've been thinking of buying another building for the village, but I don't have any room on the counter where the village stands. Either my village needs to expand its borders or it will have to relocate.

I've been reading too many magazines; I'm convinced I need a fashionably decorated tree. My poor fake tree is tarted up in gold, copper and bronze. Hey, I don't have kids who make quaint homespun crafts, so I guess I can do whatever I want to. I thought about several options before deciding on my current scheme. What sealed the deal for my current color choices was the fact that I have gorgeous gold Georg Jensen ornaments from Denmark that I've been collecting for several years, so I had to have something that went with those ornaments.

Before I end this post, can I just mention my new best friend, the Hobby Lobby? I think I want to live there. I got some lovely 50% off ornaments there, making it quite easy and inexpensive to follow my fickle whims. Ahhh, joy.

2007-11-26T20:24:00.000-08:00

I knew it.

Reali-Tee...

2007-11-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

I want this t-shirt.

Gettin' No Kicks

2007-11-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

Today I did a nice, long, four-hour drive. I was coming home to Albuquerque from Amarillo where I had spent my Thanksgiving. It is mind-numbingly boring on I-40, my primary route today. A tour guide would find it extremely difficult to keep people entertained in those four hours. I can imagine the dialogue now: "Off to your left, you will see scrub brush. On your right, very low mesas. Oh, now on your left, more mesas, and on your right, more scrub brush." I swear, I could have fallen asleep.

One thing that breaks up the monotony is that the very famous Route 66 wends its way through New Mexico and Texas, and a lot of relics from that time still exist. As a matter of fact, the "main drag" in Albuquerque, Central Avenue, is part of the old Route 66. However, the excitement and romance of the open road associated with Route 66 is largely gone. On the section I drove today, what you will see for almost 100 miles down the road is signs for the "very famous" Clines Corners. This is classic kitsch. Huge billboards play up the fact that you can buy just about ANYTHING at Clines Corners--native american pottery, Mexican souvenirs, cowboy clothing, and souvenirs from all 50 states! Even if it's not native to the area, if you expect it from your Route 66 trip, they've got it. Once they have you worked up to a slow froth, as you get closer and closer, the signs get thicker, you're 10 miles...5 miles...2 miles...and finally you reach:

Good gracious. What a letdown. I much prefer the giant blue-green dinosaur off of Paseo del Norte. Definitely more show than substance.

Helpful tip if you do plan to motor West...the first two rest areas out of Amarillo are CLOSED--it's over 200 miles to the first usable rest area. I have never been so happy in my life to see the gas stations of Tucumcari...

It's the Little Things

2007-11-19T20:07:00.000-08:00

Every year we count our blessing around the Thanksgiving holiday, and they seem to follow the same line: family, friends, health, job, etc. I am definitely thankful for all those things. So, I've tried to think of things that I am grateful for that are usually left unrecognized.

Things I am Thankful For:

1. 3" Heels
2. Patent leather
3. Vintage pottery
4. Dark nail polish
5. DVR
6. iPod
7. Ultra-moisturizing lotion
8. Ibuprofin
9. The Office
10. Fuzzy socks

On the Bosque

2007-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

The perfect way to end the day...out on the Bosque, watching the clouds turn pink and purple over the Sandias as the cranes fly through the sky.

The Wacky SW

2007-11-07T22:19:00.000-08:00

A reason to love New Mexico--things are wacky here! For the last two days, the news has been running teasers for a "big story". That big story is about a chupacabra. No, really. They are asking--for real, on the news--if there is a real, live, Mexican goat sucker demon in New Mexico or if it's "something else". Only in the state that's home to Roswell, a town whose entire claim to fame is purported alien autopsies. I love it.

And now for some autumnal adorableness, courtesy of my friend Catherine. We were out with her kids doing the whole fall corn maze/pumpkin patch thing a couple of weekends ago. Here I am with her daughter Aislin, taking a big bite out of a small pumpkin.

Adults, please.

2007-11-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

I love my job, and I love my students (or my kids, as they are often referred to). Let me state that up front. But sometimes, just sometimes, I want to hang out with adults. I want to have a little conversation from people who used to listen to U2--before Bono was up for the Nobel Prize. It's not often that I get that opportunity.

Tonight I went to the midweek prayer meeting at my church, which is mostly people in their 20's and 30's, and I enjoyed that. It was just low-key, quiet, uncrowded. Our brand-new (less than 1 week here) pastor was there to check it out. Before I know it, he's suggesting all these changes to the group. I'm open to new ideas, so I was listening with interest. Then he rings the death knell: he's going to be teaching Bible at the academy next semester, and he said he would make it extra credit for the kids to go to prayer meeting to really "build a good base". There goes my hopes of a youth-free zone. I don't know whether it will fly or not, but there it was. There seems to be a conspiracy against me ever having adult friends.

Dangerous Persuasion

2007-10-31T21:18:00.000-07:00

I work very hard every day to create good writers. And it is work. One thing I tell them over and over again is that the best informational writing is filled with reliable evidence. So it drives me crazy--CRAZY--when I read writing that is largely fictional with a tiny bit of fact thrown in to make it sound viable. Today I was driven to a website by someone I know, and it was absolute bunk. Twisted facts, conspiracy theories, and outright craziness. And all of it very vaguely referenced; everything is stated outright as fact though sources are never given, or maybe it came from an unnamed source who is too secret/high-level/apparently unimportant to put their name and references out in the world. In my mind, this type of writing is irresponsible as it breeds ignorant fanatics. Responsible writing is well-researched and plausible. I'll step off my soapbox now.

The Classics

2007-10-20T21:30:00.001-07:00

I love old musicals. Cheesy and corny as they may be, I LOVE them. Tonight while internet surfing and watching some tv, I ran across a true classic: Brigadoon. In a chldhood with restricted television viewing, my mother was always willing to let us watch old movie musicals, and Brigadoon is a gem in the genre.

Yes, there are two dimensional sets, and really poor Scottish accents ("O, Toamee, eet's the end uv ou-ar dee!"), but Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly should be enough visually for any sap like myself. I also appreciate the insouciant drunkard played by Van Johnson. Even though it bears little resemblance to Scotland, it makes me want to explore the Highlands.

A little-known 50's musical classic that's among my favorites is Athena. It stars Jane Powell as one of seven sisters (including Debbie Reynolds) who live with their grandparents and are certifiably wacky. They're vegetarians! They believe in fresh air and exercise! They don't drink alcohol! They run a health food store! It definitely was indicative of the time, and when I was young I used to feel a real kinship to these wierdos, being raised a vegetarian. Although we generally didn't practice astrology or commune with a spirit guide named Narda.

Musicals were my first glimpse into a world of style. The elaborate, over-the-top design of Edith Head, the lavish sets (on the well-funded ones), and the make-do attitude (on the not-so-well-funded ones) were so inspirational to me. I still find myself picking up bits and pieces for my wardrobe that I think are so old Hollywood glamour. But I've always wished that I lived in a world where people burst into song with little to no provocation.

Socks of Various Colors

2007-10-16T12:37:00.001-07:00

I've decided that I would henceforth like to be known as a bluestocking. I ran across this phrase today, and I realized it describes me quite perfectly, regardless of its perjorative origins. I always get "well, you're an English teacher" as a reason for why I am well-read. But the truth is, the reason I'm an English teacher is because of my love of literature. Now if only I could get together a good salon for discussion and in-depth lit crit...

How Much is Too Much?

2007-10-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have never worked as hard in my life as I do at my current job. I go to work at 7:30 in the morning and work until 6:00 or 7:00 at night, then I take work home and keep going until I'm finished. I work Sundays, and have appointments almost every weekend for Drama performances, social gatherings, and the like. Today I was looking at my calendar and wondering if I can actually keep going. I felt like last week was incredibly stressful, with Fall Festival and Alumni Weekend, but this week the quarter ends and I have a backlog of grading that needs to be done, plus a stack of journals to be read, a major Drama performance coming up, and a Yearbook cover to design. It just seems like too much.

I'm aware of teacher burnout, but I feel like it's too soon for me. We continue to be assured that there is great hope for the future; that we'll get another teacher and I won't have to teach 8 different subjects and sponsor two organizations anymore. It doesn't seem to solve any immediate issues, however. The stress is a little overwhelming today. My lovely fall break decompression didn't last long enough.

Fall Break

2007-10-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

Fall break is officially the best idea ever. Though technically only a four-day weekend, it was just the break I needed. I feel rested and accomplished.

Now my apartment is clean, I have new shoes, I spent time with friends and I went to Santa Fe. I haven't spent much time in Santa Fe, but it's quite historic and beautiful. Lots of religious iconography there.

The highlight was definitely visiting Ten Thousand Waves, a spa in the Sangre de Christo mountains. It is listed in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die. It was so incredibly relaxing, first having a massage and then soaking in the open-air baths at twilight, watching the sun set between the trees. An incredible weekend overall.

Best of the Crop

2007-10-04T16:55:00.000-07:00

I've determined a winner. As the new fall television series unfolds, I've been watching some new shows that seem fun or intriguing, and last night I watched my favorite:

What made me watch it was the overall look of the thing. It reminded me very strongly visually of Big Fish and other Tim Burton films. Then it started, and I got totally sucked in. The emotionally stunted piemaker who only ever really touches dead people, the opportunistic private eye, the lovestruck assistant make for a quirky, fun ensemble. Add in the (dead) childhood sweetheart who he can't touch and her synchronized swimming aunts (one with an eyepatch), and it won my heart.

Then, I found out it's a Bryan Fuller production, and he did two TV shows that I loved: Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me. The latter was probably one of my favorite television shows ever. The only problem was that both of those shows, genius as they were, didn't last very long. I think Wonderfalls was cancelled after less than a season, and Dead Like Me was on for about two. I hope this one doesn't play out too quickly. But right now I think I'll fire up the DVR and watch it one more time.

Elegy for IKEA

2007-10-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

Update on my dining room: I'm thinking green. Olive green. Accent color. Very '70's. I'm willing to bring back '70's style. Back when I was little, we had huge windows and these fabulous nubby white and orange curtains that spanned the walls. We also had a matching Le Klint pendant lamp (sort of like the one shown) in orange. I loved that. I have also considered orange as an accent color.

In my dining room quest, I've been poking around the internet, and I'm heartbroken over the lack of an IKEA store in New Mexico. They just got a new IKEA store in my old hometown, Portland, but the nearest one to me is in Arizona--too far for a day's drive. I've discovered that IKEA has the perfect fabric, the perfect dishes, the perfect curtains. Yet I have access to none of it, because they don't sell them online. I might just have to send my mother out shopping...

Trivet Mania

2007-10-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

I have a crazy idea to redecorate based on a trivet. I'm so in love with my Bjørn Wiinblad '70's trivets that I want to do my dining room in black and white. Bjørn Wiinblad was a Danish artist who worked for Nymølle and Rosenthal in the '60's and '70's, and my relatives always had one or two Wiinblad pieces around the house. I used to HATE them. Big porcelain heads with removeable hats and the like. Then my design tastes started to change and I started to see how whimsical these pieces were without being overly cute. And then I started lusting after the months of the year series, which shows a couple courting, getting married, and having children over the course of a year.

My parents went to Denmark to help my bedstemor and bedstefar (grandmother and grandfather) move into a nursing home, and I forgot to tell them to look for the trivets for me. Lo and behold, they come back with one--for my brother! It turns out that bedstefar and bedstemor had an almost entire set. My aunt was called and told to save them for me and not get rid of them. My dad picked them up for me when he was sadly called back to Denmark for my bedstefar's funeral. Right now they're at my parents' house and I can't wait to get them.

The re-do I'm thinking of involves reupholstering my Danish modern dining room chairs (do we sense a theme here?), and I've never done that. I guess it will just be a big experiment.

The Scarlet Letter

2007-10-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, Hawthorne. You either love him or hate him, and I fear that most of my juniors and seniors currently engaged in the act of reading The Scarlet Letter are beginning to hate that poor sod. I wonder if it's too much, but at the same time am concerned with the lack of literacy that my students show. They don't read, and they're proud of it. I stick them in the midst of archaic English and they are lost in a thick New England literary fog. Of course, this is a day and age that I get terms such as l8r and ppl in their formal essays. Yet I continue to try to get them to care about Hester and Chillingworth and Dimmesdale, to recognize symbolism, and to expand their vocabularies beyond internet speak. We'll see how that works out.