Purge Day 10 (The Last One!!!)

Ok... so the goal for the final 10 items is for everything to be of the clothing variety...
This is going to be difficult, but I can do it.

1. 1 pair super cute gray tweed shoes... too small :(

2. navy blue fitted t-shirt (that I have worn since junior year of high school... no biggie)

3. 1 pair pajama pants

4. v-neck fitted t-shirt

5. Obama fitted t-shirt that I never wore... I have another one that I'll keep for posterity's sake

6. Ugly Srat t-shirt with creepy children on the back

7. super worn srat t-shirt that has unfortunate associations with it

8. srat t-shirt from a formal that was before my time (and is also a size medium). Generally I found that by getting rid of t-shirts that weren't really mine or weren't size small, I was able to cut out several... I still need to get rid of many many many of them though.

9. Bread Loaf T-shirt from my summer in Santa Fe. The back of the shirt is awesome, and the front of the shirt is super lame / awkward. I only wish that I had been in the computer lab when WWIII broke out over how to do the logo on the front. I would not have been on the winning side, but my opinion would have been heard nonetheless.

10. 2 non-fitted polo shirts!

FINISHED!

Purge Day 9 - Wednesday (aka Saturday 10 days later!)

Usually when I sit down to blog / purge (I do them simultaneously) - I usually know where I'm going to start, what I'm focusing on / something that is DEFINITELY going today, but today, I have NO clue where I'll be starting - I think that although this is where the process gets more arduous, it's also where I'll feel the most alleviation from clutter / too much stuffedness.

1. 2 pairs of underwear that I do not like

2. 2 pairs of sunglasses that I do not wear / use / need (of course as soon as I say this I'll lose the pair I do use - can I then count them as an additional item purged?)

3. shirt with a hole in it :( - I was actually wearing shirt today, and noticed the hole. How convenient.

4. 1 pair of gym / painting shorts

5. 2 pairs of boxers to be mailed to a friend in a far away land

6. an ill-fitting "going out" type top

7. 2 glass milk bottles - I used one to keep change in, but I cashed that in, and now I've been using a smaller piggy bank - so the bottles can go away.

8. one long-sleeved t-shirt from a srat formal that was not mine

9. "old" school pictures from my first year teaching.

10. old pair of tennis shoes

And it took me over a week and a half to find these ten items - MUST DO LAUNDRY - MUST PURGE CLOTHES - I think the goal for the last ten items will be for it to be ALL clothes - (and to have them posted by Wednesday... we'll see)

Purge Day 8 - Tuesday

I definitely thought Monday was only day 6. It's a bit of a relief to know that I'm well into the downhill stretch (only 30 items left...).

1. bra that I do not wear (I could do something awesome like take a picture of me wearing it, but I'd probably get fired and feel like a major slore for doing that - so I'll pass).

2. bra that I do not wear

3. fuzzy slipper socks - If I had to choose between my slippers and these socks, I'd take the slippers - so I'm choosing, and the slippers are staying - bye-bye socks!

4. package of rubber bands (hair ties) not strong enough to hold my hair up to my preferred standard (ever since I had really long hair, which I no longer do, I haven't been able to go back to the smaller rubber bands - and when I run I use TWO of the jumbo ones, so I go through those rather quickly too).

5. assorted half-used cosmetics that I'm not sure why are still in my bathroom

6. THIRD box of books for classroom library!

7, 8, 9, box of reading quizzes from another teacher - One set of quizzes for Romeo & Juliet, one set of quizzes for the Odyssey, and one set of quizzes for Animal Farm. I'm definitely a hoarder when it comes to teaching materials, but I figure that by the time I'm teaching high school again (if that even ever happens), I'll be completely ready and wanting to create my own materials.

10. a very gross, very dirty (in the dusty sense) doll. I always have issues getting rid of "toys" - but this really has no sentimental meaning, and is beyond the state of being clean-up-able such that I might allow any future as-of-yet non-existent child of mine to touch it.

OK this is officially hard - I definitely need to go through all of my paperwork and purge files, but even if I do bank account, IRA, and student loan purges, that's still just three items... then there's also the matter of the VHS tapes - maybe I need to just resolve that WHEN I buy a new TV (hopefully soon), I will get rid of the entire box? (If I had the cash flow to purchase the TV now, I'd make the old TV & box of VHS tapes items 99&100 as a present to myself!)

Purge Day 6 - Sunday

1. old car kit for an iPod

2. Computer security lock (never used - no clue how to use it)

3. rain jacket (I'd get rid of a second one if the one I took to England with me were a size smaller - can I use this to justify purchasing another rain coat and then getting rid of TWO???) - probably not.

4. Two pairs of glasses frames / lenses (these go to the Lions Club right?)

5. travel cosmetic bag

6. old contact lenses

7. backpack

8. sewing basket

9. belts x2

10. vera bradley wallets (two of them!)

forty items to go... it's starting to get difficult - I think I'll be better if I can do all of my laundry and look over things with a rather discerning eye...

Purge Day 7 - Monday

Confession: I'm posting Monday's list on Tuesday, but I'm posting Tuesday's as well, so I'm not technically behind...

1. jeans (I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this pair of jeans, but I'm never going to shrink the two inches I'd need to shrink to make them an appropriate length - damn shrinkage)

2. corduroy jacket

3. bunny rabbit piggy bank - given to my mom who was eying a bank at the store today! This is like double purging because we didn't have to buy something new.

4. gloves

5. gloves

6. gloves

7. black scarf - do I really need three of them??? (no)

8. grade books from the 08-09 school year (pretty sure I don't need these again since I'm at a different school, and if not, oh well).

9. Confusing word posters made by my class when I was student teaching... except I kept three that I need to laminate and put in my classroom now.

10. fitted t-shirt; it's just old - it will likely be replaced, but for now I'm down one item, which is nice!

I won't lie - today was difficult, perhaps more so because I know that this is actually yesterday's post, and I still have to find 10 more things to get rid of!

Purge Day 5 - Saturday

1. Computer Monitor

2. ANCIENT firewire cord for a very early iPod (and the iPod)!

3. Sweater

4. Sweater

5. Sweater

6. glass block separators from a craft / construction project - I wonder if Habitat takes stuff like this?

7. Beginning Teacher books - donated to one of my mom's employees who is going back to school to be a teacher (yay)!

8. hooded sweatshirt

9. long sleeved US Ski Team t-shirt (one of my first ever online purchases!)

10. dell computer software

HALF WAY! (I'll also admit that the pile of stuff in the hallway looks rather impressive)

Purge Day 4 - Friday

I'm house sitting this weekend, so I'm hoping to be successful on Friday and Saturday. It's actually Thursday night when I'm starting this, so hopefully it won't be too difficult. (I might need to catch up on Sunday, but I'm feeling optimistic!)

1. James Taylor t-shirt (too big)

2. assorted magazines and newspapers to recycle! (prompting the creation of a "recyclables" box for this project - does the box count as one object? or can I count all recyclable items from one day as a single object for that day??? I might give myself some leeway here)

3. discman (why do I still have this?)

4. TWO old cell phones! (and the requisite chargers, etc.) I guess I put these in one of those bags to mail off and be recycled?

5. old laptop - again, the questions about proper disposal have kept this around for WAY too long

6. Box of books to take to school (for classroom library) - I consider this purging because they're all books which could "walk off" and I'd survive.

7. A second box of books for school - definitely counts as a second item!

8. "Teacher Planning" type books to take to school - WILL NOT return to my "home" until I am in possession of my own office type space - definitely not anytime soon.

9. the box my digital camera came in... yes, this counts. yes I am this bad. (and yes the box did go into the previously created "recyclables" box)

10. two packages of "Christmas" peeps - I was letting them "age" (and I had one yesterday - they are definitely aged to perfection) but I A) don't need to eat them and B) am tired of looking at them - GONE!

WOW - two sets of purging in 24ish hours! well done, emily!

I was also thinking that perhaps it was fitting that today Oprah's show featured hoarders... I'm certainly not one, (and I don't watch the show regularly) but it definitely made me feel a little less terrible about the crap I keep - and realize that if I don't get rid of stuff like the aforementioned camera box it could get really ugly!

Congratulations!

so propose a toast
"to love's eternal glory"
Congrats Jim & Pam

It's entirely possible that I was more excited for their wedding than any of my friends... (and simultaneously depressed because yet another fictional crush has married... damn you Edward Cullen)

20 Items

I'm curious as to whether or not I can get my list of necessary toiletries (meaning what I keep in my bathroom, not what I travel with) down to 20 items...

1. shampoo
2. It's a 10 (10-in-1 leave in treatment)
3. facewash du jour
4. acne topical ointment / product du jour (yes, even with 27 looming on the horizon this is still a go to product)
5. moisturizer
6. body wash
7. loofah
8. mascara
9. eye liner
10. eye liner
11. eye shadow
12. eye shadow brush
13. lipstick / gloss / whatever it is
14. tweezers
15. concealer
16. toothpaste
17. toothbrush
18. saline / contact case
19. perfume
20. razor

So could I take this list, and go through my bathroom and throw out everything else???

EDIT: no, because I fogot deodorant (and I use TWO different kinds of that)...

EDIT: just more proof that I have WAY too much stuff.

Purge Day 3 - Thursday

1. large wicker basket - we've had these forever, I'm just not sure how / why this one is in my room

2. two "free" teacher tote bags - do not use = do not need

3. two canvas type purses - used to carry them all the time, they've both long been replaced by others

4. tooth brush holder / caddy thingy

5. one pair of plaid pants

6. 1 teacher-type t-shirt

7. lunch box

8. lobster flip-flops

9. costume pom-poms

10. old / dysfunctional make-up mirror (will not be replaced either!)

Today was easier than I expected... 30 down! horray!

Purge Day 2 - Wednesday

1. Intelliboard software (and other crap CDroms I don't / will never use) - we never got them - we got smart boards instead (and if I might editorialize, the Smart Board is not as "smart" as it claims to be) - / Assorted CDs (mostly mixes) - I have HOARDS of them - they're all on my computer and backed up twice over... I can get rid of ones I don't listen to in my car, right???

2. Corner suction shower caddy - does not fit in my shower (which makes me sad on a daily basis, because I would love for it to fit / work)

3. Student projects - I kept them anticipating having my own classroom at some point in my career. Now I have my own classroom, and I don't want them. gone.

4. DVD of Child's Play - I had a student give this to me my first year teaching - I don't want to watch it. It scares me.

5. Assorted education text books

6. gym shorts that I don't wear x4 pairs!

7. 1 necklace purcahsed from etsy.com which I love, but don't wear.

8. Plaid tote bag

9. 1 pair of shoes

10. Not spatially effective travel toiletry case.

this is getting more difficult - but it also seems senseless to count each individual CD or book as one item, so then I wind up counting all the shorts as one item... BUT at this rate I'll get rid of more! and isn't that the goal in the end? This will also hopefully lead to getting the stuff to school that I need to get into my classroom (e.g. boxes of old classroom materials to be filed, and ALL of my educational books).

Potential candidate for tomorrow's purge: box of VHS tapes - the conundrum: I still have a VHS player in my tv! eek!

Purge Day 1 - Tuesday

1. Hair dryer - It's been with me for several years (maybe since freshman year of college). It gets WAY too hot when it blows, and I actually like the way the travel dryer dries my hair better, so there.

2. Bag of trash - confession (ok not really): I'm messy. This bag of assorted paper trash has been in my room since school started - It's an easy candidate for the great purge.

3. Curling Iron - A) my hair does not hold curl and B) I didn't even realize I had it - gone.

4. Green Purse - I have not used it in years - away.

5. Old sports bras x2 (only counting as one item because I put one in a pile to go away several weeks ago).

6. WV Power baseball

7. Race for the Cure T-shirt - seriously, I don't need anymore - is there a way I can decline the free t-shirt from stuff like this and ensure that the $5 saved goes to the cause instead???

8. Basket from night stand - it's been ill-fitting on the bottom shelf holding lots of useless crap for a while now - nothing in the basket is in use, and the basket doesn't fit in its location (I'll make sure my mom doesn't want it before I permanently kick it out of the house though)

9. VIP remnants from AIP fashion show

10. Universal Remote Control - The tv this was for is LONG gone... I have no clue how it survived - again, evidence of too much stuff!

That was easy! (and I already have #1 for tomorrow... yay!)

Holding Myself Accountable...

I have too much stuff; I use most of it, but I really just have way too much stuff. A while back I had this grand plan that if I could just get rid of 10 things everyday for 10 days then after 10 days I'd have 100 less things... all I need to do is start getting rid of the stuff...

So here's the idea... Rather than just contemplate mathematical ways to get rid of my crap, I actually get rid of the crap and document the process in hopes that this will A) make me accountable for the purging and B) enable me to see patterns in what I have too much of and make subsequent purges less painful.

No restrictions on what goes - I have too much of everything, so this is really one of those time when truly anything goes. The only rule is that it must actually go - I can't just relocate it to somewhere in the house; unusuable items will be pitched, everything else goes to Goodwill. I'll provide lists and rationales and maybe pictures when necessary... (perhaps one big picture at the end???)

Time to start cleaning...

Failure to Launch

I'd be disappointed to learn that my parents receive catalogues hocking classy children's clothing because I'm supposedly old enough to have produced an heir. (I'd be equally disappointed to discover that said publications are not intended for my parents, but rather intended for me and my invisible children.)

Back in (the) Black

Dear ROTH IRA,

Thank you for turning profits

because I am poor.

I've been waiting to recoup my losses from this winter for a while, and after a few weeks of being right on the bubble finally crossed into the black with a profit of $0.80. At this rate I'll be able to retire at the ripe old age of 364.

Unemployment

Writing is quite hard

with unemployment looming.

Give me a job, please.

Photo Stalking

Visiting Stonehenge

you don't expect to see the

BEST MULLET EVER

you be the judge!

It's not a quarter... but it will do!

When truly in need,

quarters are over-rated;

tuppence will suffice.

Nothing says awesome like a bunch of high school teachers using the UK equivalent of a penny (though likely more worthless) to re-invent speed quarters. I vote we call it "Feed the Birds" in honor of the Bird Lady from Mary Poppins. Also, let it be known that certain tuppence coins bounce more readily than others, and that I either get it in the glass on the first shot [that's what she said] or wind up drinking.

What Not to Do...

If you're interested:

Mind-numbing boredom awaits;

Jane Austen Tour.

Seriously... I don't even like Jane Austen to begin with, but the Jane Austen Walking Tour was possibly the worst thing ever. Even the Janeites I was with thought it was misery. Perhaps worse than punting?

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Once again she has

brought wizards to life. Perhaps

the best? Thanks J.K.

Dessert (has two s's for "sweet stuff")

Cream + Meringue + Berries,

and it looks like an igloo.

Get in my belly.

Connections

Today = Harry Potter + Eric Erikson + senior thesis + Ghost Stories + The Sixth Sense + Freud.

It's really been a day of pulling it all together... now if it would just make sense.

The End of Days

But I will fight you

contact lenses which refuse

to cooperate.

Translation:

World War Three will likely be

fought between my contacts and me.

Seriously - why can't we just get along?

Land of the Ancestors

Where can you buy plaid,

and hump the seat of Arthur?

Only in Scotland!

Great weekend (aside from the noisy child on the train and the frotteuristic Turkish Scots in a pub on Saturday night).

Cafe International

Was it banana

Which I detected in my

Vanilla latte?

Dessert (has two s's for "sweet stuff")

Raspberry Kracken.

Don't let your eyes decieve you;

It tastes like catfood.

The Sightseer

Put your camera back!

It is inappropriate

to document class.

Seriously, who gets out their camera to start taking pictures of class... during an individual presentation (given by yours truly)... without asking permission... and then starts passing the camera (which is not easy to use) around so that others may document the class? Not cool I say; not cool.

Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover

A review of Ian McEwan's novella The Cement Garden

Death? yes. Secrets? yes.

But I know that the cover

Did not say incest.

It's funny to me that a book that I purchased because I thought it might be teachable would be considered by our gifted and talented school board more vile than anything Pat Conroy ever considered writing.

I will, however, continue to peruse McEwan for teachable readings.

Punting (or the worst idea ever)

It started out something like this:

On weekends I like to go punting.

With friends who enjoy beer hunting.

If we leave after lunch,

We can go in a bunch,

and the punter can do all the grunting.

This is how it ended:

For a good time we hired a boat

To sit in the river and float

Down the stream we would go

as we rocked to and fro

About none of our skills did we gloat.

Final thoughts:

never go punting; ever.

Words to the Wise

bras are never shirts;

underwear is not swimwear;

and tights are not pants.

take heed

PIMM'S

O sweet ambrosia,

Why was I missing out on

such deliciousness?

As You Like It

On Thursday night we hopped the chartered bus to Stratford to see the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of As You Like It. What a treat!

We started off by heading to English Teacher Mecca, aka the Holy Trinity Church where the bard is burried. Then we had a quick meal at the "Dirty Duck".

I was previously unfamiliar with the story. But HSLP gave a brief run-down prior to disembarking from the bus, and once the show started I felt comfortable knowing what was going on. A few years back I had a ground breaking experience when I could finally read (and understand) Shakespeare (as an English teacher this was always a bit disconcerting, so I was at the very least relieved to finally feel some sense of mastery in this area). I've never been one to really sit down and enjoy reading a play (of any sort), but I love attending productions. College trips to the Blackfriar's playhouse were always highlights of courses, and seeing a staged production always increased my comprehension level (and in some cases it was the only chance I stood for comprehending in the first place).

I highly enjoyed the performance and were I in the heralded Page to Stage class, I'd probably have lots of analytical things to say regarding the use of color and light in the production. What I'll focus on, instead, is simply the players.

In the prior night's performance the actress playing Rosalind pulled a muscle. During that production parts were shuffled around, Celia became Rosalind (as she was the understudy), and they went on with the show. Thus, we saw Celia's first full production as Rosalind - she was stellar. I never would have known that she wasn't the originally cast actress, and there was a remarkable chemistry between this Rosalind and Orlando. This chemistry is rather comical as it seems that the actor playing Oliver is actually dating the Rosalind understudy. In the 10 minute recess during which the roles were shuffled around, Oliver reportedly approached Orlando and warned, "no tongue." hysterical. The extra fun part is that we get all of this back story because on Friday students in the P to S class met with Orlando who filled them in on all of the gossip. swoon.

During my first year teaching the honors English 9 class completed research projects on Elizabethan England and different cultural or historical aspects of the time. I was fortunate to have several papers which were quite interesting, particularly one on Shakespeare's fools / clowns. The clowns in As You Like It were stupendous. To those who want to get technical, I'm considering Jaques to be a clown because his singing (and likeness to my emo students) was too much to handle. Both Jaques and Touchstone were impeccably cast and portrayed, and laughs were abundant because of this.

Touchstone (as played by Richard Katz)

Jaques (as portrayed by Forbes Masson)

All in all, a wonderful evening (especially with the introduction of Pimm's into my drinking repertoire).

Late Night Quad Talkers

Late night quad party

I'll never get to sleep now.

Shout: "OOPS YOU BLEW IT"

My second BL Summer in Santa Fe, we awoke one morning to find a BreadNet posting from SuZanne one of the director's assistances with the subject line "Oops you blew it." The very live nature of the St. John's college campus caused spectacular acoustics at all hours of the day and apparently our late night chatting session (read 11pm) was a bit too noisy for some.

It seems that "oops you blew it" is appropriate at Lincoln College as well, because the stone walls and strategically placed benches prompt conversations to be magnified and the lack of airconditioning means windows need to be left open at night. Hopefully the wee Brits will be out of here after Visiting Days are over and Lincoln College will become a quiet Bread Loafian oasis after the hours of 2am (seriously, I'm fairly certain they were up until after 2 our first night here).

Lies James Maddox Told Me!

Directions should be

easy to read when one is

weary from the road.

In anticipation of the Bread Loaf summer, our program director, James Maddox, always sends out a lengthy document about how to best prepare for the summer (read all of your books, make pandemic flu preparations, yadda yadda yadda). Given the foreign travel aspect of Oxford this year's notice was even more detailed... including step-by-step directions for how to get from your seat on the airplane to your bed at Lincoln College. As a teacher I pride myself on my ability to follow directions, leading me to the following conclusion: Mr. Maddox's letter (not to be confused with Terrence Maddox of SNL fame) was LIES ALL LIES.

Observe. (my remarks in italics)

Travel

You must carry with you a copy of your acceptance letter as proof that you are accepted into the Bread Loaf School of English. Customs will usually require you to produce proof that you are attending an academic program. Also be thoroughly prepared to explain to the lovely girl working at customs that yes, teachers are students too. Something about having my occupation on my immigration card listed as "teacher" and claiming that I was indeed here for as a student for an academic program just didn't seem to jive with her.

Following are the instructions for arrival at Heathrow Airport (commercial flights: Concourse C): that's all well and good Jim, but I arrived at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 4 - note the difference in word choice and labeling techniques... disaster starts here.

1. Go through Immigration; present passport; you will be asked to explain the nature and length of your stay and submit to a full cavity search and mind probe.

2. Collect your luggage downstairs. Nope, not true, no stairs were involved... this is probably when I should have realized that my plane had not arrived at the aforementioned golden gate in Concourse C...

3. If you have nothing to declare (hardly anyone ever does), I declare that I am tired and starting to smell... by I don't need to speak to explain those things, go through Customs exit, green aisle. Actually, the aisles were all green... maybe he's color blind.

4. If you still have no British currency, I'm guessing my ₤ 1 87p leftover from my jr. high trip to Europe wasn't going to be enough for 6 weeks, get dollars converted to pounds at the Barclay's Exchange, near the Customs exit. False: it was American Express. Don't leave home without it. No Phil Mickelson endorsements needed here. There are "cash points" (UK phrase for "ATMs") thanks for the vocabulary lesson located in the area immediately outside the Customs exit.

5. You can take a direct bus ("coach") really... really he needed to clarify that one? to Oxford from Heathrow and Gatwick (X70). this is by far false the best way to reach Oxford from either airport. There is frequent service, and it's significantly cheaper than other means of transportation. After exiting Customs, follow the signs to "Central Coach Terminal" except these signs are nowhere to be found (you will have to follow a maze of underground walkways, and then take a "lift" [aka "elevator"] again with the air- quotes to the ground level; it is very clearly signed. OH NO IT ISN'T. The Oxford coaches (X70; every 30 minutes) always leave from bay number 14 which clearly means bay 11 outside the main coach station and by main coach station he means Terminal 5.

6. Take the bust to the terminal at Gloucester Green actually, first you'll need to go outside the terminal you arrived at, look for bay 14, realize it goes to Cambridge, not Oxford, ask the information desk lady how to get a bus ticket, take the shuttle to Terminal 5, buy a ticket, realize that the ticket time is displayed in military time, check your watch, convert the time, think you have 2+ hours to wait, do some reading, realize that your watch might be wrong, turn on your cell phone, realize it's still on US time, convert it to UK time, see that it's displaying a different time from your watch, find a clock, realize your bus actually leaves soon, go find the bus pick up area... again not bay 14 as previously mentioned --this is the last stop (the bus stops at several other places on the Outskirts of Oxford before Gloucester Green). It's about a ten-minute walk from there to Lincoln college, but if you're loaded down and weary you may wish to take a taxi (tip 10%). If you are walking or following a fellow BreadLoafer, Lincoln College is located on Turl Street, between Broad and High Streets. From Gloucester Green (Gloucester Street) really, really you're going to get that right, but not the directions on how to get a bus ticket??? take a left to George Street. In about a block George Street will turn into Broad Street. Walk one block on Broad and turn right on Turl. You will pass Ship Street and Market Street on your right; the enterence to Lincoln college will be on your left. (It is also possible to disembark from the bus at Queen's College and walk up the High Street love the article before High Street to Turl Street, take a right on the Turl, and arrive at Lincoln College, on your right. Be we are inclined to recommend this advice only to those of you already familiar with Oxford Is that the royal we? Was I not invited to your coronation?).

Following your arrival at Lincoln College be prepared to climb 3 flights of 15th century stairs wearing a 30 lb. pack and carrying a 50 lb. suitcase.

That said, I arrived, on time, safe and sound and luggage intact. I'm not looking forward to going home, ever!

The only thing I'll miss...

Contrary to what my students might tell you, I abide by a strict one soda per day rule (unless there's a restaurant involved... but hey, rules were meant to be broken). The kids seem to think I can always be found with a Dr. Pepper in hand, but I promise I pack one in my lunch, and I only take it to class with me if it is a) still cold and b) not finished. That said, my addiction to this delightful treat is something I'm going to have to face head on in the next :: gasp :: 4 days!

As such, I am officially lifting the one soda per day rule, and allowing myself to have as much Dr. Pepper as I want between now and the time I leave the ATL at approxmiately 10pm Sunday night. Does anyone know if you could feasibly check a case of soda? Would the pressure make the cans explode? Also, for the record, I prefer Dr. Pepper from a soda fountain first, followed by cans and lastly (and only in the most dire of circumastances) will I select a plastic bottle.

Expect more on packing later this week!

Yay for Summer!

Two thousand and nine

could prove to be one of the

best summers ever!

It's ridiculously amazing how much difference a week makes in one's outlook on the whole teaching thing. I'm also ridiculously pumped about recent ongoings and getting ready to be abroad.

***EDIT: I use the word ridiculous a lot. Such is my life (I wish!)

Stranded

There are three cars outside the house... I have a driver's license and the keys to each vehicle... so why am I stuck at home???

1. My car won't start/ turn over... it's definitely not the battery and this could be the end of the Explorer which will really make me sad :(

2. My mom's battery is dead (and perfectly capable of being jump started... alas my jumper cables aren't long enough to reach).

3. I can't dive a standard (nor would I really want to climb through the window of FSS's car in a dress in the rain...).

So much for a productive first day of summer!

Happy Summer

It's been a long year. Oxford in 19 days! I guess I need to get over counting down the days and start ticking off pages left to read...

I will finish The Turn of the Screw tonight... and hopefully Wuthering Heights by the weekend. I've already read Beloved, Hamlet, and Hotel World but not recently enough to avoid them altogether. Then there's the matter of the books of short stories... (and the one that has pictures in it...) Total page count: 2070 (771 from the three previously read books and 500 in one of the SS anthologies). All in all, not too bad.

The tick tock of the clock is painful...

I think Eve 6 said it best... I can't believe how slow the day is going. I've been at school for a little over 2 hours and I've finished everything I need to finish. If it weren't for a meeting I need to attend this afternoon, I'd have been out of here hours ago (or not shown up at all)!

How slow is the day?
Seconds creeping to minutes...
Hours don't happen.

Coldplay

lawn to pavillion

and lots of pre-show boozing

total awesomeness

I completely love when I can go to a concert / show and be minorally familiar with the artist only to walk out totally blow away. The ticket upgrade from the guy on the blanket in front of us was a nice touch as well. (now if only one of us had followed through on the dare to spoon him or mount his friend who was for whatever reason on all fours...) What an awesome weekend!

Winding Down

Papers stacked in piles

Overwhelmed with everything

I can't find my floor!

Canine Drinking Habits

In without knocking. 

Lapping from the porc'lain bowl.

Your food is downstairs.

I'm a bit perplexed that for the past three nights the dog has entered my room (always right around 10pm) helped himself to the water in the toilet, and left the room almost entirely without acknowledging me.  I hope he doesn't think he can get away with this forever!  

Aliens

Today we discuss:

UFO's and cropcircles.

E.T. can't phone home....

My debate class has selected "Aliens Exist" as their latest debate topic... I was hesitant to let them choose a "BS" topic, but then realized that 1. I ultimately don't care and 2. it's a great chance to work on research methods / credible source issues... I'm still waiting for overeager freshman boy to bring in his "legit alien book" which he claims will prove the existence of aliens... and this is why I love freshmen... *rolls eyes

That said, I wish I'd dropped the serious nature a long time ago; students are really into this topic, and I finally feel like I know what I'm doing... which is why we only have 5 weeks of school left... go figure.  

Fun Factoid

experts all agree

and science has proven that 

owls have no buttholes.

the last line is a true quote from a student in my speech class today.  It's hard not to laugh when stuff like this comes up!

Prom

expensive clothes and 

grinding abound.  the cops are

watching you closely.  

Hard to Handle...

This was on the news this evening: 

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7367195

I had a really difficult time watching it, and actually found myself in tears at the end in utter disbelief that children could be so insensitively cruel.  Having been around teenagers on a daily basis for a while now, I recognize that they often don't think before they speak or consider how someone else will hear what they say.  Furthermore, they see words like "gay" and "fag" as synonyms for "stupid" and "lame."  "Homo" is to 2009 what Loser was to 1999.  I continually strive to get students to see that they aren't saying what they mean - but this often falls on deaf ears.  

It's been a long week - and there's no rest until Sunday - lax all day tomorrow and potentially prom tomorrow night.  

And I'll get to see the movie earlier than you because I'll be in England!

Who Flung Poo?

Smeared with feces the

bathroom is so disgusting.

WE ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL!

Foreign Bodies

The dog will be fine.

Perhaps something is lodged

Deep inside a cut 

Methinks that the cat 

with super sharp claws and stealth

sniped and is to blame.

can you believe a cat this cute could be so devilish?  

Absenteeism

I've been rather frazzled lately.  Between dealing with general chaos at school, freaking out about what to do next year (and truthfully making no progress), daydreaming about Oxford, recuperating from the instant-death, lacrosse sponsoring, reading Wuthering Heights, and worrying about the dog it's been hectic, stressful, and overwhelming.  

Oscar turned 7 on March 23rd.  I enjoy teasing him about becoming an old man and needing to eat "Senior" food now (yes, I tease the dog), but I'm masking a fear... in my family our dogs don't last that long.  Peggy stayed with us until I was 9 (the parental units got her as a puppy before I arrived), Buster joined us (at the age of 2) when I was in 5th grade and stuck around all the way until my freshman year of college, and Oscar moved in that Spring.  I love dogs; I can't imagine life without one, but each time a pet moves on I become this blubbering mess of emotional idiocracy that I can't believe I'd ever want to put myself through the loss again.  That said I know I'll always be a dog owner.    

Anyhow, to get to the point, on Monday we noticed that the pupster has a large bump with open sore? on it on his back left leg (around the knee).  We remember seeing him have a scratch, and it's likely that it just got infected and gross, but I can't help but worry that it's truly something serious.  He doesn't act sick - he acts like a puppy, running, jumping, generally being a 65 lb. lapdog  - which is why it's so hard for me to think of him as an older dog.  He has an appointment with the vet (his least favorite place ever) Monday evening.  I would swear that the bump looks smaller today, but I can't confirm this - I will monitor it closely throughout the weekend, because I can't let him be in pain.  If that's the case, I know where this goes... and I get sick even thinking about it.  

When my mom had to put her cat down earlier this winter, it was so easy for me to be supportive and remind her that it was painless and quick and the only thing that could be done.  Through the entire experience, however, I was hoping that the next time a pet I was attached to (the cat was a one person cat) reached that point I would be able to find the same strength.  

I love this dog... even if he does snore, and hog the couch.    

A Limerick Instead

I apologize for the fact that the rhyme here is a bit off... I don't know how else to express my annoyance that FSS has (once again) stolen my clothing and dared to post pictures of her wearing said items on facebook.  (Let's also remember that I'm a teacher, and she's in design school - shouldn't the theiving be the other way around?)

On your last shopping trip to my floor

You found something that wasn't a bore.  

I see in your pics

you were up to some tricks.

Next time you should visit the store.

Lazy Sunday

laundry in big piles

so much could be accomplished

but I do nothing. 

Everyone Gets Bullied

When you introduce students to a new concept, they try to forget it as quickly as possible.  When you force feed cheesy character education skits on a multiple times a year basis... hilarity will ensue.  

As I remarked yesterday, it was Bullying Day... aka the day everyone gets bullied!  What I didn't know when I wrote that was that this "everyone" includes me! In one class period alone I had my backpack flipped inside out, my jacket stolen, and had my right foot used as a punching bag by a student who I can only presume needs about twice the amount of Adderall he is currently receiving.  I felt fortunate that I wasn't trying to accomplish anything of great importance in the class!  (Perhaps my students were trying to send me a message not to be quite so evil)

Happy Spring Break

Sunlight and sand?  Hardly... this is what I woke up to this morning...

That said, in approximately 5  hours it will be time for spring break.  Until then it's bullying training day at school.  

Any type of character building day always turns into "The Day Everyone Gets _______" (fill-in the blank with "sexually harassed," "bullied," "called out for being a minority."  I'm all for character building in education... but the way they choose to incorporate such training is absurd.  Right now there is a group of actors in the newly refurbished auditorium performing what I'm calling a skit for the entire 9th grade class who must be crammed into the room like sardines.  The rest of the school is viewing the skit via live feed courtesy of the morning announcements crew.  As awesome as this plan might sound, it really only works if the SOUND IS TURNED ON!  We sat laughing at some dude (with a glowing mane of red hair pulled back into a pony tail that reaches his waist) for 10 minutes before the sound came on - now that the sound is on, we have no clue what we're watching... and it's rather entertaining.  

lacrosse weather

sun and shorts tuesday 

thursday's practice, lots of snow. 

it's lacrosse weather 

Binging and Purging

The economy is going down the drain and I've been reaping the rewards for several months now.  My impluse shopping instincts have combined with my inability to pass up an awesome deal and allowed me to single-handedly stimulate the economy and replenish my wardrob particularly when it comes to work wear.  I try to avoid paying full price for anything (other than comfortable teaching shoes) and have been remarkably successful.  In the recession, my shopping habits surely haven't receded.  Throughout the year I've been stocking up and replenishing my wardrobe particularly when it comes to work wear.  Unfortunately, this has left me with an overstuffed dresser and overflowing closets... until now.  To contrast my binge spending, it is now time for a purge of monumental proportions.  Fortunately this also coincides with the seasonal shift, so it's a good time to dig through boxes of things that have been stored during the colder months and get rid of things I know I haven't worn in several seasons.  

Anytime I get into purging mode I'm amazed at the stuff I've held onto: t-shirts that never fit in the first place, jeans that haven't been worn in years and will never fit again, various items that I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I purchased (or even if I was thinking at the time), and more fleece than a person has any reason to own (and trust me, I will find a reason for fleece).  I've also been blessed / cursed with small feet.  This means I frequently find shoes on the sale racks, but often find that they aren't as comfortable as I need them to be resulting in lots and lots of lightly worn shoes.  

So far this round of purging consists of:

10 pairs of shoes

10 pull-overs / sweaters / fleece

10 tops / t-shirts

1 blazer

8 dresses

6 skirts

7 pairs of pants

All of this will first be filtered through by my Fashion Saavy Sister who will either take it for herself or use it for school type projects.  What won't be used by FSS will be donated to Goodwill and other charities.  I'd really like to make sure that all of the work appropriate clothing winds up in one of the places for women in need of clothing for job interviews.  I'm also hoping to really make a dent in my t-shirt collection after I get through my laundry -- spring break might not be that much of a break after all!

I don't read enough...

I've considered myself "a reader" since before I myself could read.  To put it simply, I love stories.  I recently finished The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly and was totally enthralled to watch the stories David has treasured since childhood come to life and metamorphosize into the world of the Crooked Man.  I couldn't put the book down.  Even as an English teacher, however, such immersion reading is rare for me.  As I get older, I find that I have less time to devote to reading, and I have become incredibly picky about not only what I'll pick up but what I'll finish reading.  In the past year I've put down several "good" reads, either because I lost interest, or I let too much time pass before I was able to return to the book.  Recent castaways include: The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand), Hot, Flat, and Crowded (Thomas Friedman), and Emma (Jane Austen).  It's not that I wasn't into the book, but perhaps I just quit caring. 

Every so often I attempt to re-commit myself to literature.  I'm presently in one of those states, and I find that it's nearly impossible to dealve into a book and maintain any sense of normalcy in my life.  I'd rather stay up all night to finish a great book than get some sleep and save the book for later.  Over the holidays I parked myself on a the couch for a thorough re-read of the Twilight Saga (Stephenie Meyer) and Harry Potter 6 & 7 (J.K. Rowling).  I averaged a little over a book a day; grated this ceratinly can't be considered heavy reading, similar behavior is present when I'm reading anything I truly enjoy.  So maybe what I'm looking to do now is to find a happy medium between my compulsion to devour an entire book without leaving my seat and the need to maintain a "normal" routine.  At any rate, the next candidate for potential rejection is Dave Eggers You Shall Know Our Velocity which comes highly recommended by two friends.  I'm hoping to start the book and get a reasonable amount of sleep tonight.  We shall see... 

Summer in Oxford

I'm headed to Oxford this summer for my fourth summer with the Bread Loaf School of English (though they'll tell you third summer, but I blame that on WVU... I digress).  I've become obsessed with trying to figure out precisely how little I can pack while maintaining an adequate amount of wardrobe options and dealing with the fluctuations in weather.  Expect thorough debates over exactly how many pairs of socks I'll need (tentatively 4), and whether the hemp or leather Rainbow flip flops make the cut.   I don't want to be bogged down by lots of stuff - and I don't want to wind up with the dorm room disaster that has plagued me (though particularly in Asheville) each summer.  This is to say that I'm hoping to live comfortably while I'm there, but not wind up with possessions that make the trans-Atlantic jaunt just for the heck of it.  

This is just a sample of what my room in Asheville looked like on any given day, so you can understand why thinking through what I'm taking is playing a prominent role in my preparations for the summer.  

High School Haiku

writing a weblog

perhaps now is the right time

for such a pursuit 

We'll see how this goes... 

ep