Coastin'

I think I'm in denial that Christmas is coming. I have no concrete plans for getting my annual letter written. My tree is safely in the garage (yes, it's fake). My outdoor lights are next to the tree. Hmmmm.... Luckily, it isn't December yet. That can be my excuse for one more day.

Survey: Tree lights: Multi-color or one color? If one, which one? Please vote. Comments are fun.

Movie of the Day: Elf. Where is he when I need some paper snowflakes?

Routine

Do you ever get so caught up in your routine that you have feelings of deja vu just by living out your week? "Wasn't I just here?" Time flies, but you end up right back where you started each morning doing the same thing?

I'm going to try to switch it up today (at least a little). We'll see what happens....

Movie of the Day: Ice Age: The Meltdown. Lots of laughs. Their routine was seriously messed up.

Codes

I'm teaching my Algebra 2 kids about cryptography (the study of codes). It's similar to the Enigma machine from World War II. Here's how it works (put simply):





1. Assign numbers to the alphabet.
2. Write a message.
3. Change each letter to its corresponding number.
4. Put numbers into a Matrix (a rectangular "paragraph" of numbers. See above.).
5. Multiply the matrix by another matrix.
6. Send new numbers.
7. Receiving people multiply by the inverse matrix (to undo and get message).
8. Change numbers back to letters.

The trick is that no one "unauthorized" can know what the second matrix was in Step 5. Polish Mathematicians cracked the Engima's code. Go math geeks!

Movie of the Day: Matrix, of course.

Vacation Teaser

Thanksgiving weekend is always the Appetizer of Vacation. We have four weeks until Christmas Break (Winter Break) and the two days off were lovely. Now, if everyone can get through all of the craziness of the season (which dies down by the fourth week because everyone is trying to plan things early), we'll be in good shape.

Cross your fingers.

Movie of the Day: Happy Feet. It wasn't what I expected. Very cute, but also with a message. Only two "scary" parts.

Energy

So, I've had more energy lately, which makes me talk more. Or maybe it's think faster and then actually say it. Either way, I'm getting weird looks. Yesterday, I told Sara that I've decided to become bossier now that I'm older. She seems to think I'm bossy enough, for an older sister. Hmmmmm....

What else could be tweaked to be more fun?

Movie of the Day: The Christmas Shoes. A sappy tv movie my mom conned me into watching. Bring Kleenex.

I Love This...

This is a quote from Pablo Neruda that is shaping the 4th Sunday Worship Service at church tomorrow. Can we find "huge silence"?


And now we will count to twelve and we will all keep still…
For once on the face of the earth let’s not speak in any language;
let’s stop for one second, and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment without rush, without engines,
we would all be together in a sudden strangeness.
Fisherman in the cold sea would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt would look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars, wars with gas, wars with ire,
victory with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes and walk about with their brothers in the shade,
doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused with total inactivity.
(Life is what it is about; I want no truck with death.)
If we were not so single indeed about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I’ll count up to twelve, and you keep quiet and I’ll go.
-- Pablo Neruda

There is a song by Snow Patrol called "Chasing Cars" that says

"If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lie with me and just forget the world.
Forget what we're told before we get too old.
Show me a garden that's bursting into life.
Let's waste time chasin' cars around our heads.
I need your grace to remind me to find my own."

This is what I crave.

32

Today is my last day being 32. It's a lovely number, really. So composite (not prime). The factors of 32 are: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, & 32. Very useful. 24 was better (in so many ways) with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, & 24. (sigh). Any way, tomorrow I will be 33, which is less useful mathematically, but comprised of my favorite digit nonetheless.

Movie of the Day: Scoop. First Woody Allen movie that I've liked.

Time

Give the girl some spare time and what does she do? Watch movies. Lots of them. Luckily, I will now have new ones to recommend instead of having to dredge up movies of old.

Whew.

Movie of the Day (though a bit late, sorry): John Tucker Must Die. Funny.

Thanksgiving

Thank you.

Attitude

I was at a meeting yesterday with a heap of math teachers (your biggest nightmare???) and I was just now thinking of the energy and attitudes that certain people radiated. It's interesting to watch and my gut-reaction is to try to peace-make.

For now, I hope that everyone can take today to find an attitude/state of peace for Thanksgiving and for the holiday season ahead.

Movie of the Day: Home for the Holidays. Not good role models.

Books

I am currently reading 4 books. Yes, 4. Well, to be specific, I am either in the middle of or need to start, or am flying through 0ne of four books. The books in question:

1) Five Quarters of the Orange. I'm half-way done, but was freaked out by what was happening. I'll finish it after the following books.

2) Need to read Red Bird Christmas for Nov. 30th. I'm on page 11.

3) Need to read Animal Dream again for Dec. 11th. Haven't cracked it.

4) Am flying through Love a First Site, a cheesy chick lit book. Fluffy. Not a lot of thinking needed. Sometimes you need a no-brainer book.

Bonus: You might be wondering how I can get through all of these books without mentioning The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky. Well, that book fell by the wayside. It was too much of a commitment. I'm on page 58 of 877. Maybe I'll finish it some day.

Movie of the Day: Shrek. Excellent collection of book characters.

Gee, Thanks!

I'm thankful for:

my family and friends
my house
Almond M & M's
black t-shirts
Zach Braff's soundtrack-creating talent
sweet students
starry nights
my new yoga pants
spare time
new friends
funny blogs to read
great books to read
ice cream
God.


What would you add to the list?

Movie of the Day: Ice Age. Tee hee.

My New Boyfriend

My dear friend R introduced me to my new boyfriend on Tuesday. I think he's going to be my Rebound Guy, or at least I hope that's the case. You see, he's a "Just Add Water" plastic man. He's been "growing" in my bathroom since Tuesday night and is currently 6 inches tall.

The interesting thing is that one leg is substantially shorter than the other. He can't walk without a cane or crutches, I imagine. I'm picturing hours of therapy for him (Psychological? Physical for sure.) Either way, I will be supportive. He does have nice abs.

Movie of the Day: The Next Best Thing. Michael Vartan is in this (briefly). I miss Alias.

Ideas

I'm finally getting to the point that I can slow down enough to get some spiritual promptings (i.e. good ideas from God). I'm psyched. They don't have to be religious, just good. Here are a couple of them:

1) a virtual tour of my school to give to the middle schools and new students. Kids can film it, edit it, and so on. We buy the CDR's to make lots of copies.

2) I'm starting to think about my travel plans and how the heck I'm going to get out of Dodge.

3) the fact that our district switched to yellow buses rather than city buses is hurting kids who can't stay after school. I told our principal and he told me he bought bus passes to hand out to kids who need to stay after. Nice.


Movie of the Day: A Beautiful Mind. This moving kind of scared me as a math geek. (Saw Wordplay (see Thursday) last night. Excellent. Safe bet to rent.)

Big commitment

I'm going to renew my driver's license today and I haven't had a chance to get a haircut or make myself look spiffy. It shouldn't be a big deal, but this is a four-year photo we're talking about. Who looks at it? Clerks and bouncers (mostly clerks). Maybe I'll have to cut down on how many checks I write while shopping.

Movie of the Day: Picture Perfect. :)

Words

What are some words that you like saying?



Movie of the Day: Wordplay (Haven't seen it yet, but want to.)

Weird Knowledge

Have you ever sat down and thought about some of the weird things you know? Things that aren't normally taught to every kid in school? Here's my weird thing for today:

I can sing the Egyptian National Anthem.

Huh? Am I from Egypt? Nope. Have I been to Egypt? Nope.

Madame Sadat (Anwar's widow) came to Duluth when I was a Girl Scout and we learned the Egyptian National Anthem (phonetically) so we could sing it for her at the DECC(Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center). One in a Million Sara's knows it too. A few readers might remember as well.

Movie of the Day: Girl Interrupted.

Be Patient

Christmas lights have started cropping up and lighting up around town and it's getting on my nerves. Why so early???? Yes, I know that it's smart to put them up when the weather is decent, but do you have to plug them in? Yes, maybe you like the light and think they're pretty, but it's not even mid-November yet???? Come on. Can you wait until Thanksgiving night? Please. Please.

Movie of the Day: Stranger Than Fiction. Great movie. I love when plots twist within themselves.

Odd Coziness

It snowed last night (just a little) and now the world has an odd coziness to it. The snow reflects street lights and sunlight and car lights enough to create a warmer feel when you look outside. It also makes you happy to be inside and makes me relieved when I get to work safely.

Now, how to help those who don't have somewhere cozy for escape?

Movie of the Day: All of Me. Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin. A little vintage, but funny.

Stuff

I have too much stuff and I'm in the mood to sort, lighten up the house a bit, and breathe. My sister has the same urge right now. Is it genetic or is it the time of year? Winter is coming (we don't have snow yet, knock on wood), but it's definitely looming overhead. Are we straightening up "the cave" for hibernation or what?

Anyone else doing this?

Movie of the Day: White Christmas. Gotta love it!

Dresses

Last night, I dreamt that I went on a trip to Paris and ran into coworkers and famous photographers. It was weird. My coworker was helping at a bridal shop and found a dress she wanted me to try on. It was black velvet, with a floor-length skirt that looked like a bell. The cool part was that it had three options for the bodice. You could wear it with V-shaped straps or with a full sleeve or like a Puritan (all covered up). It all depended on where you put your arms through the "sleeves". It was way cooler than I can describe.

Weird, huh?

Movie of the Day: Elizabeth. Beware of dresses.

Songs

Do you ever listen to a cd and certain songs are your favorites? Then, all of a sudden one of the "filler" songs that you never paid close attention to, slips past your filter and really hits home?

I was on Central Entrance at the light by Copper Top and suddenly Track 8 of the Last Kiss soundtrack just hit me like a 2 X 4. I sat there crying, wondering why I hadn't paid attention to it before.

Have you ever looked over at the next car and the driver was crying?

Movie of the Day: Sister Act 2. "If you wanna be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere, you better wake up and pay attention."

Silliness Goal

I said that I needed to be silly last Friday and it didn't happen. Today is the day. I told some friends last week that I wanted "sparks of joy" and I'm now realizing I better hit the sticks. Can't hurt, any way.

Movie of the Day: Mary Poppins.

How About a Vacation

I know so many people who could use a time-out. Not in the "you've been naughty, go take a time out", but in a "things are nutty, can't I just sit down and breathe for a day" kind of way. It doesn't have to be an elaborate trip to somewhere sunny (though that would be nice). A day to chill, do chores if you want or stare at the wall. A time to regroup, hit the reset button, and decompress.

The next holiday is Thanksgiving and I don't really think it's relaxing. Sure, the turkey puts people to sleep. Sure the parades and football put me to sleep. The food preparations alone ruin the relaxing feel, though.

I'm planning to spend Thanksgiving morning volunteering at a free community buffet and oddly, that work will be the most fulfilling of the day.

Movie of the Day: National Lampoon's Vacation. Not what I had in mind, either.

A Challenge

I've started reading my very first Russian novel. Which? The Brothers Karamazov. Why? It's a long story. What? It's a long story. In other words, a long explanation for why I'm reading such a long book. However, I figure it's good for me to try at least one Russian novel and see if I like it. Plus, it makes me look smart carrying it around. The only downfall is that it's from my school library and has been checked out 5 times since October 12, 1972. (I'm the 5th one.) It's a bit smelly. Maybe have to buy my own copy at some point.

Wish me luck!

Movie of the Day: The Brothers McMullen.

PR

Let's say you were hired to talk up a product. Just one. Not a line of dishware or a chain of restaurants, but one single item. Which item would you choose and what would you say?


Movie of the Day: Young Einstein. Yahoo Serious. Cracks me up.

Good Stuff

Good weekend, so far (knock on wood). I spent Friday evening with a fellow, watching The Prestige. Then, spent yesterday with all of my oldest and dearest friends from the bad hair years (elementary school & junior high). The youngest of the group is getting married next month and the festivities (and our silly plans) are solidifying. The moms (who were there yesterday, of course) looked a little worried, but everything will be great.

Movie of the Day: Little Manhattan. The agony and embarrassment of first love. Everyone cringe (and giggle). Definitely go rent this one.

Uplifting

Uplifting Movies:

Dead Poets' Society
It's a Wonderful Life
Ever After
Whale Rider
Finding Forrestor
Cider House Rules
Emmanuel's Gift
The Family Man
Good Will Hunting
My Date With Drew
My Big Fat Greek Wedding

Any additions?

Movie of the Day: The Prestige. Not uplifting. Saw it last night. Some interesting parts, though.

Soul Lifting

Yesterday was a rough day at school. Lots of "news" that made people sad or disappointed or really pissed off. Actually, there were three major things, one for each emotion. I can share a bit: a former colleague passed away, too young. We didn't get a big grant that people worked hard to get. It was a long night with conferences.

Today, however, seems ripe for silliness. We're tired. It's Friday. We have to rally the spirits and find joy.

That's my goal today. (oh, wait. She's in Memphis. (Hi, Joy!))

Movie of the Day: Finding Nemo. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.

A Little Early

I have the urge to do my Christmas shopping. It's weird. I want to be done. I want to write my Christmas letter and start addressing envelopes. It's a little early.

The party invitations have started to arrive and they already conflict. Oh, the joy of the season!

Movie of the Day: It's a Wonderful Life.

My Voice

My cold is nearly gone. Honest. I have some morning crud and random coughing, but it's mostly gone. The only sign that I have a cold (if you aren't around at 5 am or hear my cough) is that my voice is still raspy. It's been two weeks of it and the more I talk, the worse it gets. Talking doesn't hurt, but singing does.

This wouldn't be a huge problem except that I have choir on Wednesday nights and this will be the third week I'll miss. Not cool. I guess I just have to cut myself (my voice) some slack.

Movie of the Day: Little Voice. Poor girl.