Friday, August 31, 2007
Alyx: quite possibly the best dog in the world
Seriously. I am babysitting my sister Christy's dog Alyx for the next two weeks. We are one day in and I must say, Alyx is perfect. Seriously. She won't be winning any beauty contests or anything, but she is sweet, cuddly (when she misses Christy), is happy to see you when you come through the door, and pees and poops almost on command. The only problem that I've had so far is that she won't eat her food, or her jerky treats, or GREENIES. GREENIES! This may be the first time in the history of Alyx that Greenies have been turned down. She seems happy enough and has stopped her vigil at the front door, but no eating. Of course, Christy has left me with the challenge to help Alyx to lose weight. This might make it easier. . .
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Dead Dogs and Writers. . .
Well, this Saturday was what would have been my sweet little Scout's seventh birthday. It was a rather tough day. That's understating quite a bit. It was at times bittersweet, full of tear filled laughter, and at others, guilt ridden and remorseful. I feel privileged to have been able to have her in my life for those six and a half short years, and while normally I know that she wasn't perfect, Saturday she became a near sainted being. Added to this was the fact that I was watching David and Jena's two dogs who are, let's face it, alive, and therefore imperfect. My mom called midday and that was the first time I allowed myself to cry about Scout, but it was a good cry. She admonished me to "go and do something fun" so I decided to go to Deseret Industries and then to a movie.
I know. I'm weird, but I love a good trip to a thrift store. I love finding great deals, and I'd already been to the Goodwill in my neighborhood. Let me tell you one thing about us Mormons. We don't give anything away until it's no longer of any use or beauty. Really. The prices at D. I. were MUCH better than those at Goodwill, but the goods. . .ain't good. I was looking for picture frames in particular, and those at DI were hideous, banged up, or contained a cross-stitch saying "Families are Forever" in dusty blue, mauve, or any other color popular in the 80's. I'm not kidding. Had I been in the market for a collage of such cross stitches, I would have been able to fill a wall. That being said, I'd like to now personally apologize to any and all people for whom I made one of these for in the late 80's and early 90's, a time I like to refer to as my "Cross Stitch Period" which was followed by my "Crocheting Crooked Afghan's" period, then came the "Scrap booking without Stickers" and now I'm currently in the "Geesh! What do you want from me, I don't have time for crafts! Period." Like Pablo Picasso, you can date my crafts by medium.
I then went to the Goodwill Superstore (yeah, they called it that.) it wasn't overly super, but it did have a brand new frame from Target for $2.50, and that made me happy.
I then drove across town to catch a viewing of "Becoming Jane" a film about the early life of Jane Austen. I was really excited to see this as I LOOOOOOOVE me some Jane, until as the theater darkened I thought about everything I knew about J. A.: she was in love with a young man early in life but never married and died in her early 40's of what I think was tuberculosis. Hmmmmmmm maybe this wasn't the right choice in the "do something to make me happy" plan. I sobbed, yes SOBBED through the ending (which didn't get to the coughing up blood clots into a hanky part, but did include the love of her life introducing her to his DAUGHTER. EEEKKK!!), which wasn't really called for, and then drove home to walk two dogs that had the gall to be alive.
This was a low point for me as I walked the dogs crying and when Bo wouldn't poop informed him, "You've had enough chances! We are going home!" only to turn around and see one of my new neighbors smiling at me the way you do to an escapee from a mental institution. Oh well.
Luckily, my lovely sister Christy called me and allowed me to tell her about my day, which helped me see the humor in the situation. Bless my sister Christy.
Now, I'm in my classroom and in 15 minutes will have a meeting with my AVID site team about our presentation to the staff tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, a friend of mine (without hearing the story of my sad Saturday, mind you.) told me that the plan for the year was to get me "a nice fella." I said, "Sure, why not." With my track record I figure a Lutheran lesbian has a better shot at finding me a nice Mormon boy to marry than I do. On that note. . .Good Day!
I know. I'm weird, but I love a good trip to a thrift store. I love finding great deals, and I'd already been to the Goodwill in my neighborhood. Let me tell you one thing about us Mormons. We don't give anything away until it's no longer of any use or beauty. Really. The prices at D. I. were MUCH better than those at Goodwill, but the goods. . .ain't good. I was looking for picture frames in particular, and those at DI were hideous, banged up, or contained a cross-stitch saying "Families are Forever" in dusty blue, mauve, or any other color popular in the 80's. I'm not kidding. Had I been in the market for a collage of such cross stitches, I would have been able to fill a wall. That being said, I'd like to now personally apologize to any and all people for whom I made one of these for in the late 80's and early 90's, a time I like to refer to as my "Cross Stitch Period" which was followed by my "Crocheting Crooked Afghan's" period, then came the "Scrap booking without Stickers" and now I'm currently in the "Geesh! What do you want from me, I don't have time for crafts! Period." Like Pablo Picasso, you can date my crafts by medium.
I then went to the Goodwill Superstore (yeah, they called it that.) it wasn't overly super, but it did have a brand new frame from Target for $2.50, and that made me happy.
I then drove across town to catch a viewing of "Becoming Jane" a film about the early life of Jane Austen. I was really excited to see this as I LOOOOOOOVE me some Jane, until as the theater darkened I thought about everything I knew about J. A.: she was in love with a young man early in life but never married and died in her early 40's of what I think was tuberculosis. Hmmmmmmm maybe this wasn't the right choice in the "do something to make me happy" plan. I sobbed, yes SOBBED through the ending (which didn't get to the coughing up blood clots into a hanky part, but did include the love of her life introducing her to his DAUGHTER. EEEKKK!!), which wasn't really called for, and then drove home to walk two dogs that had the gall to be alive.
This was a low point for me as I walked the dogs crying and when Bo wouldn't poop informed him, "You've had enough chances! We are going home!" only to turn around and see one of my new neighbors smiling at me the way you do to an escapee from a mental institution. Oh well.
Luckily, my lovely sister Christy called me and allowed me to tell her about my day, which helped me see the humor in the situation. Bless my sister Christy.
Now, I'm in my classroom and in 15 minutes will have a meeting with my AVID site team about our presentation to the staff tomorrow.
Oh, by the way, a friend of mine (without hearing the story of my sad Saturday, mind you.) told me that the plan for the year was to get me "a nice fella." I said, "Sure, why not." With my track record I figure a Lutheran lesbian has a better shot at finding me a nice Mormon boy to marry than I do. On that note. . .Good Day!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Oh yeah, I have a JOB. . .
Well, this will be a short and sweet one, I promise. The last entry was a bit long winded so I'll resist this time. I'm posting this from my classroom. Yes. . . summer is now officially over for Maury. I don't HAVE to be back to work until next Wednesday, but my Principal asked me to come in and make a presentations to the new teachers about AVID and Cornell Notes. They were very nice and receptive. One of them is VERY learned about AVID and wants to be a part of the team. I'm so excited!!
However, being back in my classroom makes me realize that I am going to have to get my act together in the next week and actually plan and stuff. Yikes! I love teaching, but I always forget that in August when I'm setting everything up again. Also, I never remember what a pain it is to find all of my stuff that I've shoved here and there at the END of the year when I'm doing all of my shoving. Oh well. THIS YEAR I'll remember. Any takers on that bet? I'm starting to get that nervous gut thing that happens to me every year at this time. Now is a good time to start the August mantra "I love my job more than sleeping in and watching British shows on DVD. I love my job more than sleeping in and watching British shows on DVD. . ." A few hundred times might do the trick.
However, being back in my classroom makes me realize that I am going to have to get my act together in the next week and actually plan and stuff. Yikes! I love teaching, but I always forget that in August when I'm setting everything up again. Also, I never remember what a pain it is to find all of my stuff that I've shoved here and there at the END of the year when I'm doing all of my shoving. Oh well. THIS YEAR I'll remember. Any takers on that bet? I'm starting to get that nervous gut thing that happens to me every year at this time. Now is a good time to start the August mantra "I love my job more than sleeping in and watching British shows on DVD. I love my job more than sleeping in and watching British shows on DVD. . ." A few hundred times might do the trick.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Vacation??? I don't need no stinking vacation. . .
Hello everyone out there in cyberspace. I know I promised a recap of my summer but I'm tired and it's almost over now. Really, it's been a blur of driving from Las Vegas to California or Utah and back. I was able to squeeze in a couple of trips to IKEA (!!!!! quite possibly my favorite place in the known universe)and a visit to see my sister Jamie and her family in Orem, Utah where I went to Walmart at midnight to buy Harry Potter #7 (I LOVED THIS BOOK) that was a lot of fun. I then had to find a new place to live because my landlord is selling the condo I've lived in for the past year. I found an apartment the first day I looked and I am THRILLED to be telling you all that I will now be living alone!! YEAH!! I must admit that Kelsey wasn't the world's worst roommate, but I'm so excited to not have to live with the world's ugliest dining room furniture, plastic fruit on my beautiful domed cake plate, a precious moments collection, or an enormous pastel of lilies and/or seashells on my walls. YEAH for me. The apartment has a fireplace and really high ceilings in the living room which thrill me, but the move was rough 'cause it's upstairs. I was lucky to be able to move a lot of my stuff over the course of three days. Of course those were the three days in the history of Las Vegas that alternated between oppressively hot and humid and rain. Two or three trips up those stairs just about killed me. However, I was able to have everything put away and get a lot of pictures hung before I left for the AVID conference in San Diego.
My sister Christy told me she'd sell me her beautiful solid oak bookcase for the extremely reasonable price of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on CD. Of course this was a no-brainer, but I had to figure out how to get a 6' tall bookcase from California to Las Vegas and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit in the back of my Toyota Matrix. It's a pretty magical car, but I'd need a little help from Mr. Weasley to manage that (sorry, I'm a Harry Potter nerd. . . DEAL!!!). So, since I was going to California to go to my AVID conference anyway, I asked my mom and dad if I could borrow their Isuzu Ascender (its name should be changed to the Isuzu "Hey Mom and Dad can I borrow the" Ascender. It's nice to have parents to buy the big vehicles for you isn't it??). They graciously allowed me to do so and Christy and I went to San Diego, parked it in the hotel parking lot and left it there, 'cause in San Diego they apparently base the size of parking spaces on the Mini Cooper. Luckily we stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel on Hazard Center Drive and we had a trolley stop across the street and could walk everywhere else.
The AVID conference was AWESOME!! My team is really excited about the program and REALLY want to actually HELP me. This is a new thing. With the exception of two people (who both up and left me!), my site team was pretty ineffectual last year. I'm finally looking forward to this school year, and really think things will be better. Now, for the kids. . . . I have hope. I really do.
While in San Diego Christy and I went to see Hairspray (HILARIOUS and adorable) and The Bourne Ultimatum (WOW. Could Matt Damon be any hunkier? Answer: No.) and made the aforementioned Ikea trip. It was maybe the most successful Ikea trip in the history of the world. Really. I think they might have to put us on some kind of wall of fame. Maybe I'll create one on the inside wall of my closet. I can just imagine the kind of lines a visit to the Ikea shopping wall of fame might generate. Whew! I'm such a visionary. Anyway, I got a new coffee table for $13 a cute red 4 ft tall cupboard with doors for $20 also, I bought spice racks, a coat cooks, drawer organizers, a large glass jar (to replace the one I borrowed and broke for Jena and David) and a large bookcase for $120 (that's total baby, including the cupboard and coffee table). You're impressed and jealous aren't you. . . just admit it. Christy also earned a place on the wall of fame by buying an "as is" chest of drawers that was normally $99 for $55. Yeah. . . half price BABY!! To make it even better, she didn't even have to put it together.
So, now, the summer is over and it's nearly time to go back to school. I'm presenting an AVID awareness/Cornell notes workshop to the new teachers at my site on Thursday and will just start setting up the whole room then.
So, on that note I'll sign off. Ta!
My sister Christy told me she'd sell me her beautiful solid oak bookcase for the extremely reasonable price of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on CD. Of course this was a no-brainer, but I had to figure out how to get a 6' tall bookcase from California to Las Vegas and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't fit in the back of my Toyota Matrix. It's a pretty magical car, but I'd need a little help from Mr. Weasley to manage that (sorry, I'm a Harry Potter nerd. . . DEAL!!!). So, since I was going to California to go to my AVID conference anyway, I asked my mom and dad if I could borrow their Isuzu Ascender (its name should be changed to the Isuzu "Hey Mom and Dad can I borrow the" Ascender. It's nice to have parents to buy the big vehicles for you isn't it??). They graciously allowed me to do so and Christy and I went to San Diego, parked it in the hotel parking lot and left it there, 'cause in San Diego they apparently base the size of parking spaces on the Mini Cooper. Luckily we stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel on Hazard Center Drive and we had a trolley stop across the street and could walk everywhere else.
The AVID conference was AWESOME!! My team is really excited about the program and REALLY want to actually HELP me. This is a new thing. With the exception of two people (who both up and left me!), my site team was pretty ineffectual last year. I'm finally looking forward to this school year, and really think things will be better. Now, for the kids. . . . I have hope. I really do.
While in San Diego Christy and I went to see Hairspray (HILARIOUS and adorable) and The Bourne Ultimatum (WOW. Could Matt Damon be any hunkier? Answer: No.) and made the aforementioned Ikea trip. It was maybe the most successful Ikea trip in the history of the world. Really. I think they might have to put us on some kind of wall of fame. Maybe I'll create one on the inside wall of my closet. I can just imagine the kind of lines a visit to the Ikea shopping wall of fame might generate. Whew! I'm such a visionary. Anyway, I got a new coffee table for $13 a cute red 4 ft tall cupboard with doors for $20 also, I bought spice racks, a coat cooks, drawer organizers, a large glass jar (to replace the one I borrowed and broke for Jena and David) and a large bookcase for $120 (that's total baby, including the cupboard and coffee table). You're impressed and jealous aren't you. . . just admit it. Christy also earned a place on the wall of fame by buying an "as is" chest of drawers that was normally $99 for $55. Yeah. . . half price BABY!! To make it even better, she didn't even have to put it together.
So, now, the summer is over and it's nearly time to go back to school. I'm presenting an AVID awareness/Cornell notes workshop to the new teachers at my site on Thursday and will just start setting up the whole room then.
So, on that note I'll sign off. Ta!
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