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.

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.

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.

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.

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!)

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.

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

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.    

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.