Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow I go back to being a normal teacher with the normal number of classes with the normal number of students. I don't think it's really hit me yet; it's pretty surreal. I've already found myself with more energy to think about my other classes and how I'm going to get them into shape. What to do about "Raoul"? "Eungenia"? "Billy"? Let's hope for some turn arounds.

Movie of the Day: In the Army Now. What my kids will feel if I can pull it off.

Maternal Instinct

Whenever we have a lockdown or evacuation at school, I get this huge maternal feeling. It's like I'm yelling at a kid to not run into the street. "Get out! Hurry! Get out now!" Then, once we're outside (or huddled together in a corner of the room with the door locked and curtains closed), I try to calm them down. The whole time, I'm trying to project calm even though I'm far from it.

Last week, we nomad-ed our way to a local elementary school (I told them which one to go to and then hoped they knew where to go. I didn't!). On our way, lots of kids came up to me confused or scared, asking what was going on. I told them that we were going somewhere to be safe.

Once we got to our temporary shelter, one senior was worried about where his 9th grade brother was. I asked who he meant and remembered seeing him. "He's here. I saw him. He's okay."

I'm in this covenant group at church and one of the things that we talk about are spiritual promptings. I think of them as spiritual gut feelings or ideas. Last Spring I had a prompting that I was a huge owl and with my wings wrapped around my students like a protective hug.

Movie of the Day: Man on Fire. Protecting kids.

Creative Time

Every so often, I think of little things that would be fun to make and have around my house or yard. When I went camping in the Boundary Waters with some kids a couple years ago, we built rock stacks, wrote poems, and they told me about fairy houses that they had built! I want to make a little fairy house for my back yard too! It has to be all natural material, or I imagine the fairies would reject it. I'm not sure what the fairy housing market is like right now, but I want an awesome house!

Movie of the Day: Cinderella. She knew fairies.

Ask a Mom

So, I get up pretty early in the morning, way before my mom. Sometimes, I need some motherly medical advice. I try the book thing, but my main book is from my health insurance company. They might not send me to the doctor as soon as needed.

Any way, so with my mom asleep, I like to ask questions of my friends who are moms. You know, what if I can't stop coughing or should I take this medicine. Now, maybe I should see a pharmacist or something, but moms are so much more available!

Today's goal is to not gross out myself or my students and to get through the day to the three-day weekend.

Movie of the Day: Mother. Gotta love the ice cream's protective coating.

Bleck

My relaxing weekend did me in and I've been caught by a cold. I kind of picture it as these big cootie-type germs chasing me and if I slow down, I'm done. I spent Monday feverish on and off throughout the day. One student said "You look like poop." How sweet, huh? So, I went to bed at 5:45 Monday night. Stayed home yesterday (usually I'll only stay home for the flu), but I just couldn't face 6 classes like this.

Today, however, I don't have much of choice. It's the end of a grading period and the show must go on. So, I will muddle through and then go home to bed. What a glamorous life I lead!

I did watch 1 3/4 movies yesterday: V for Vendetta and Just Like Heaven. V was interesting. I'll have to watch it again to catch the bits that I missed. JLH is an old standby.

Gilmore Girls

Spoiler Alert:

I finally caught up on Gilmore Girls this weekend. Sara commented that the third episode is finally up to speed with the other seasons and I have to agree. I love the quirkiness of the show and the third episode is chock-full of it. Whew. Luke and Lorelei are driving me nuts with their break-up, but I guess they needed to create more tension between them to re-hook us. Hmmmmmm....

Movie of the Day: Bug. Watched it last night. It's all about the chain reactions of life. You have to watch carefully, but it's worth it.

Good Quotes

I had the whole day to myself yesterday and had an awesome time doing some of my list from earlier this week. I read, made jewelry, did laundry, cleaned, caught up on Gilmore Girls (!!!) and slept in!

Two quotes from The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank:

He had a way of hugging that could pull you all the way in, and make you feel safer and more loved than you ever thought possible.

Try to remember that we're having a conversation," I say, "and your goal is to impart information." (when her brother would space out mid-phone call).

Movie of the Day: Waiting to Exhale.

Spooky

So, yesterday, I wrote that school would be crazy and I must have jinxed it because we actually had to evacuate before school even started! Someone called in a threat to three schools in town! Yikes. What a weird day. We ended up walking to an elementary school nearby (about half a mile) and hung out in their auditorium and gym for an hour. Oh my. Luckily, everything was fine and we were back in class by 10. Wow. It was still a good ________ & ________ Day, though!

Movie of the Day: The Great New Wonderful. Odd movie. Watched it with One in a Million Saras and our mom. Sara wouldn't let me leave until I explained the plot. I decided it was about mental illness. (Totally guessing).

Anony's Questions

Well, I haven't seen any new movies lately and don't watch much TV! I went to Little Miss Sunshine for the fourth time last week and have been swamped with work otherwise. I did get a couple recommendations of DVDs and will be heading to Blockbuster tonight to check some out.

Movies that were recommended: Touching the Void about mountain climbers and Dark City which is Matrix-esque.

Today is _________ & ___________ Day at school. (Fill in your own high school's colors). It's going to be wild. I mean WILD. My plan is to make it through alive with all of my students unharmed and hopefully still allowed back in school on Monday. I will be showing an episode of Numb3rs, which is the perfect thing for today. It's just the right length and has math, suspense, action, and cute actors. Awesome!

Well, I hope you all have a lovely, lovely Friday. Go ___________s!

A Start

Let's see. Diane's question was answered (briefly) in the comments section yesterday. Linda's question is going to take some thought. I'll try to write a decent response on Saturday. From there, we have One in a Million Sara's questions:

1. What you may build in your backyard next summer: I would like to build a pagoda-ish structure in my back yard that would have chimes in the upper ceiling portion and then hanging hammock chairs (canvas with a little mini chair for your feet) below.

2. Paris: My friends Nate and Claire have moved to Paris for a year (her native land) and I'm planning to visit them for Spring Break. I should really buy my tickets now, huh? I'm hoping to add in another country too.

3. The state of Gilmore Girls today: I am two weeks behind, so I can't comment too much. I wish Luke and Lorelei would get their act together.

4. ways that we adults can reach out to teens: I'll have to address this one later. Too big for this morning.

5. how you don't like dogs, but will taunt the Nuschler: Well, Nuschler is kind of dumb and now that I know he isn't going to attack me, it's fun to taunt him. Plus, it was only once, to the best of my recollection. (Tee hee).

Anony, I'll hit your questions tomorrow and we'll go from there. To anyone, feel free to add questions too!

Movie of the Day: Must Love Dogs. Ha.

Tired of Myself

I've been walking on my treadmill before school as of late (8 days now) and while I walk, I pray and then try to think of what to blog. This morning, I realized that I'm now tired of any ideas that I have for a post. Who wants to hear another gripe session about school? Who wants to know that I did my dishes last night? Very few people, I'm guessing.

So, this morning, I would like to take suggestions on post topics that you would like to read. I'm taking requests.

Movie of the Day: Lovely and Amazing. (Actually, it was kind of Disturbing and Boring, but I wasn't consulted on the title.)

Plans

While fully aware that one's intentions rarely pan out, here is a list of things that I would do if I had time:

1) wash my dishes
2) finish reading "The Wonder Spot"
3) rake
4) rent movies
5) attend a football game
6) create a homework calendar for algebra 2
7) throw rocks in the lake
8) buy groceries
9) sleep in
10) make jewelry
11) paint a picture that I've had in my head since Sunday

MEA day (Duluth gets one day off instead of two) is a week from Friday. Could be a big day.

Movie of the Week: Remember the Titans. Football.

Don't Think of an Elephant

The weeks are flying by and do you know the saying about ignoring the elephant in the room? Well, I have my face squished up against the window, gasping for air, with the elephant bristles poking me in the arm. I'm thinking it can't be ignored any more.

What the heck is Becca talking about? My life. Or should I say lack there of. I actually told someone this weekend that Mondays are my best days because I'm not exhausted yet. Yep. Bad sign.

This weekend was very fulfilling on a soul/friend/healing level while being the least amount of homework accomplished all year. This does not bode well for the Monday Happiness Level, but the kids will just have to wait for their quiz scores, I guess.

Any way, I hope to escape Dumbo pretty soon.

Movie of the Day: The Gods Must Be Crazy. Weird things falling from the sky.

Alone Time

All day at school, I lament my lack of alone time. I just want to think. I just want to get stuff done without other people talking to me.

Well, this weekend, I get half of my wish: I'm going to be driving alone a lot. Like 9 hours, I figure. That's a lot for me. Now that it's here, I'm a little afraid to be alone with my thoughts.

Maybe I'll come up with something brilliant!

Movie of the Day: Pi. This guy goes nuts. Scary math movie.

Happy Sounds

1) A clock ticking at night
2) The final bell on a Friday
3) Kids giggling (especially if you caused it)
4) The ocean (when you're safe)
5) Your favorite song on the radio

What would you add?

Movie of the Day: Sound of Music. I gotta get me a mountain and some curtains.

Sorry So Short

If you are someone who reads this regularly (thank you), you may have noticed that my posts have been getting shorter and shorter. Normally, I'm a wordy kind of gal. Teachers generally are. But lately, I've been swamped. Well, for the past month, I've been swamped.

School is sucking the life out of me and to combat that, I've been trying to maintain my "normal" outside life. Yeah, that doesn't work. I feel like I'm a zombie going through the motions of life, especially work. Yesterday, a kid said, "Um, we haven't had a test yet." WHAT?!?! How can I have gone this far without a quiz or something??? Well, teach every hour of the school day with four types of classes and 189 kids and things slip through the cracks. (Okay, it's a big crack.)

So, long story even longer, I really would like to write longer posts and give you more to distract you from your regular day, but I've gotta go....

Movie of the Day: Mannequin. Zombie-esque.

P.S. There are good things going on that I'm not quite ready to share, so don't start calling the people in white coats just yet....

Homecoming

Next week is Homecoming at work. It's a HUGE deal. We have theme days and the last day is "School Colors Day". (Insert actual colors). It is going to be wild, as always. Kids will show up with painted faces, colored hair, and head to toe school colors. About 10 rebels (or space cadets) will wear a different color. That's it. Wearing the official Homecoming t-shirt isn't enough. You must go all out.

It's fun. And not the best academic day of the year.

Movie of the Day: Never Been Kissed. School Spirit. And Michael Vartan.

Be Safe

It must be Fall. I'm having an overwhelming urge to clean and hunker down in my house. Rent a heap of movies and grab a blanket. Make vegetable soup and buy Great Harvest bread. It's weird.

My sister Sara asked if I was happily distracted enough to not be freaking out about all of the school safety stuff right now. I think I am. I hear about it and it doesn't quite burst my bubble. Or, maybe my hunkering down is for safety?

Movie of the Day: Higher Learning. Disturbing.

Painting

I was at a training thingy on Friday and there was an awesome painting on the wall. I couldn't see a signature and there wasn't a sign, so I had to do some researching when I got home. It turns out to be Gerome's Pygmalion & Galatea. I don't know the mythology behind it, but it seems like something I'll be looking up soon. Cool, huh?

Movie of the Day: Girl With a Pearl Earring. Paintings.

Don't Divide By Zero!

My mind is running a mile a minute this morning and what I need to be doing is correcting tests. Yes, the ever exciting New Weekend Fun for Becca. No more of that relaxing, watching movies, or reading a book. Yes, Becca gets to correct math tests. Lots of them. I was at a training thingy yesterday while the tests were administered and I'm a little scared at what they are getting wrong. 5 divided by 0 is not possible. So far, half of them have said 0 and some have even said 5! Oy.

My favorite quote about this "Black holes are where God divided by 0." ~ Steven Wright. That cracks me up. Unfortunately, I can't talk about God at school, so that quote is my own little private joke in class. Oh well.

Movie of the Day: Oh, God! George Burns. John Denver. I liked him better in his Muppets Christmas Special, but...

Smile

It's Friday and I've been in a good mood for over 24 hours, a near miracle in September. Yesterday, I even caught myself humming a song from The Last Kiss soundtrack during class! Almost unheard of! I only hum or sing to myself when I'm happy.

Oh, and I have the movie soundtrack on its way to memorized and still haven't seen the movie. Yep, I'm a nerd.

Movie of the Day: Happy Gilmore. Tee hee.

New Poll

If your life were a TV show, what would the show be like and what channel would it be on?

Movie of the Day: The Truman Show.

Threads

Do you have friends who go in and out of your life? Sometimes, I think of two strands of thread that weave and cross and are parallel and then weave out again.

One of my desk calendars (remember my addiction?) quoted When Harry Met Sally, the part at the end:

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

So I think of who weaves in and out of my life and when my thread will knot.

Movie of the Day: See above.

Sweet Sadness

Yesterday, I paid a dollar for a small bag of peanut butter M & M's in the school vending machine. Good grief! Now I feel old... "In my day, candy bars were 50 cents!"

Movie of the Day: Chocolat. Just be careful with your arm and leg.

Problem-Solving Day

My new schedule is driving me insane. I'm not kidding. I have to talk to my boss today and see what I can do to tweak it or give up my extra class or SOMETHING. I'm dropping out of after school stuff like a swatted fly and I'm pissy in general. I can't have a year of this and while I thought I would adjust after more time, it's not happening.

So, today is Problem-Solving Day. Care to join me?

Movie of the Day: Problem Child. (I don't actually recommend it, but thought it was good for today.)

Whirl-y

I'm wandering around from one thing to the next without thinking about when it will calm down. When can I fully relax? Anyone who has met me will probably think that that's not even a possibility, it's just not in my genes. Well, I want to try. Really try. I'm at the point where my "free time" is used to un-destroy my house, correct papers, or eat. I think I need an "Alice" like on the Brady Bunch. She could clean and leave dinner before she goes home. That, or a butler who would cook, clean, and shovel. Hmmmm... I wonder what that would cost...


Movie of the Day: The Illusionist. Awesome. Go see it. You'll want to see it twice.

Energy Boost Ideas

I'm teaching an extra class this year and by the time I'm 2/3 done with my day, I'm needing a nap or a break or something. I don't have that luxury, so that means I have to find a new source. My hope is to start by using my treadmill again in the mornings, which involves getting up at 4:45 and probably going to bed at 9:15. (What a nerd, huh?). Beyond that, I take vitamins and eat a decent lunch (sandwich, apple, chips, water). So, do I need Powerade? V8? More caffeine? It's time to experiment.

Monday.

Movie of the Day: Quills. This is a demented movie. Watch at your own risk. No kiddies or teens.

Fall Fest

Every Fall, I go to the Chester Bowl Fall Fest with my mom and my sister. We're having a hard time finding out when it's happening this year. Sara saw a calendar online that said it was last weekend, but it wasn't announced in the paper last week and isn't in there this week.

Did we miss it? Miss the carameled apples, the awesome crafts, the cheesy crafts, the dried flowers, donkey rides, the food?!?!

Bummer.

Movie of the Day: Shrek. Funny donkey.

Wanted: Sleep

If I were Samantha from Bewitched, I would freeze time right now and grab about 4 more hours of sleep. Shucks.

Movie of the Day: Where the Heart Is. Mine's still asleep.

Picture Day

Friday is picture retake day at school. The kids had their pictures done at early registration in August and the teachers have theirs taken this Friday. They give us a complimentary sheet of prints.

Mine end up in a file cabinet at home. It's funny to see the progression of haircuts and glasses. Right now, it's short with purple glasses. Ah, what to wear?

Movie of the Day: Sabrina. (The newer version).

?

Do you ever get so busy with the mundane things in life that you can't even come up with something interesting to write (converse) about?

Movie of the Day: Marvin's Room. "Sometimes the people you knwo the least are the ones you need the most."

Well...

Have you gone to Little Miss Sunshine yet?

Almost There

The onset of Friday of the First Full Week is a joyous occasion. Ah. Yesterday was the first day that I didn't feel like one big heap of Becca after school. Either that means I'm finally adjusting to my schedule or that light at the end of the tunnel thing really works.

The Movie(s) of the Day are ones that I want to see: The Illusionist & The Last Kiss.

A Little Help, Please.

My schedule at work is changing today: I'm adding another class. I've never taught 6 classes before (all day, only a lunch break) and I'm nervous. My "prep" time is before school until 9 AM, which coincides with when kids wander around the building and also occasionally ask for math help. This won't work for me. I have to lock them out now from about 8:05 until a bit before 9.

What I'm asking of you, dear reader, is witty door sign options. I don't want to look like I'm auditioning for The Wizard of Oz, Witch # 3. I just want to be alone.

Movie of the Day: See above. They did have funky shoes, though...

Toys

I have a weird collection of kids toys. I'm not sure why I buy stuffed animals, bouncy balls, wind-up plastic animals, kaleidoscopes, and puzzles. I like them. Maybe it happens to everyone, but they just decide to have kids and it covers that up. Or, who knows?

One of my favorite stuffed "animals" is a caveman who grunts if you squeeze his belly. His name is Link, after Brendan Fraiser's character in Encino Man, the movie of the day.

Must Read

Are you ever so into reading a book that you're shocked at what page you are on? You get so into the plot that you skip ahead a couple pages to see the outcome of something and then go back to really read it thoroughly? Do you ever sit at work or in a meeting or where ever, wishing you could be home reading your book?

Movie of the Day: You've Got Mail. Really, it's about books and people who like them.

Monday Poll

If you could have lunch with anyone, who would it be? (yes, you can pick someone who has passed away.)

Movie of the Day: School of Rock. Slow start, but then it's funny.

Start Something

I think "Start Something" is a title of a Tiger Woods' book, but it's also how I'm feeling this afternoon. It's like an out-of-sorts, weird, tired yet still bored kind of mood. Not good. I think I need to take charge and really do something odd or crazy or just plain fun. Be an instigator. Now it's just a matter of figuring out what to instigate.

Movie of the Day: Yours, Mine, & Ours. With 18 kids combined, I think these two instigated a bit too often.

Happy Saturday

Today's Goals:

1) Sleep in. ~ Check.
2) Straighten up house. ~ Check.
3) Buy cords and extra stuff for classroom.
4) Relax.
5) Do homework.

It's all about being organized. One of my favorite things.

Movie of the Day: Kinky Boots. Rented it last night. It was a Sundance movie that I didn't get to last January. Funny and interesting. When I told my mom what I wanted to rent, she thought I said "Kinky Poo." Not sure what THAT movie would be about!

First Day: A Review

Well, I survived the first day. I think all of the kids survived too. My first hour had 5 kids sitting on the floor, but oh well. I'll try to get them some folding chairs or something today.

One of my classes is a combined group of kids that I had in two sections last year. They were in "rowdy reunion" mode yesterday. Not my favorite, of course. Official Challenge #1 of the 2006-2007 school year.

Other than that, I can finally rejoice about it being Friday like the rest of you who have a M-F work week.

Thank goodness.

Movie of the Day: Dangerous Minds. Maybe I should buy a leather jacket...

Here We Go

It's the first day of school and I'm nervous. Teachers get like that. You'd think after ten years, it wouldn't be a big deal, but it is. I have 170 new names to pronounce and then memorize. I have kids who are excited, nervous, or rebellious. I have returning students who will think they can get away with goofing off. I have major xeroxing to do before 9 AM.

I better go make my lunch.

Movie of the Day: Rebel Without a Cause. Poor guy.

Irony

I just finished sitting on my couch, eating a Drumstick ice cream cone, watching the last five minutes of Celebrity Fit Club 4.

Oy.

?

What is the best way to ask someone out? (In your opinion)

Movie of the Day: 20 Dates. Funny, funy movie.

Today

Wow. I've been sitting here trying to come up with something exciting and witty to write this morning. All I can think about is school, the end of summer, how I'd rather be watching House, and how boring my inservice might be today. None of these things are thrilling for you, the reader. I could conjure up some random memory from my youth, but that's nothing new either. I could find a poem or come up with some words of wisdom for this time of year. However, I'm up a good 3 hours earlier than usual and my brain is a bit too buzzy about work. So, a wish, instead: I hope you didn't have to labor (or go into labor) yesterday and that you are refreshed for today.

Movie of the Day: Truly, Madly, Deeply.

Deer

I saw four deer in my neighborhood yesterday, over two occasions. Both times, I was driving a teenager to church and she spotted them! One deer was in a yard yesterday morning as we headed to worship. The other three (a doe and two fawns) were crossing the road after the Matrix Marathon last night (so, at about 1 in the morning). It was very sweet and the kid has a good eye. I would have noticed the three last night, but probably not the one before church. Sadly, it just reminds me that hunting season is approaching. Be alert out there!

Movie: Bambi. Poor guy.

Positive Reinforcement

Some places have started school already, but in Duluth, teachers go back on Tuesday and students on Thursday. As a kid, I always figured I could survive two days and then get a break. Eric, our church youth director when I was growing up, always planned a trip to Valley Fair on the Saturday after school started. It was the perfect thing to look forward to as school started.

Now, I'm trying to come up with something exciting to do next Saturday, something to look forward to.

Movie of the Day: Drive Me Crazy.

Hungry? Go to Ikea.

Lois asked what kind of food is at Ikea. It's actually an odd menu. I had spinach quiche and salad and macaroni and cheese. Joy had turkey and vegetables. There were a lot of lingenberry options and Swedish meatballs, of course. Here's a link to the restaurant, though I couldn't get an actual menu. Sorry.

Optimism

There is a deli in town that has awesome tomato basil soup. Awesome. There are three problems: they don't make enough each day, they're only open on weekdays, and they close at 5. I have tried to get there after work and the soup is gone. Yesterday, I talked my friend/coworker into going there for lunch at 1 and the soup was gone already.

I give up. Anyone have a good tomato basil soup recipe?

Movie of the Day: Super Man II. The old version. Haven't seen the new one. Anyone out there see it and like it?

Procrastinate No More

Well, I'm up at a "decent" hour this morning so I can go to school and set up my room. I planned to go on Tuesday, but found an excuse to not go. Lucky break. Now, I have to go. Must un-secure the room and free my stuff from its stuffy Summer storage.

It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't land me right back where I was last Spring. I mean, it's the same room, but all of the emotions/worries/issues are right there waiting for me. As soon as I start to think about school, I think about kids and all of their hardships (and sometimes annoying behavior). Maybe teachers should swap room prep.

Movie of the Day: Not really a movie, but what has been consuming lots of my time: House. Seasons 1 & 2 are out and Season 3 starts on Tuesday. Such a good show!!!

Weird

Who was the weirdest teacher you ever had? (Feel free to a name change to protect the strange.)

Movie of the Day: Matilda. Weird teachers (& principal).

My Weekend

What a weekend! Friday morning, I drove to the Cities to pick up my friend Joy (anonymous commenter) at the airport. On my way, I stopped at Sixth Chamber bookstore to see what all the hype was about. It was nice and I found two books.

Then, after circling the airport a bit (just a little), I picked up Joy and we headed to St. Olaf for a mini-reunion with friends. We had lunch at Hogan Brothers (worth the drive right there) and then we all headed to campus. The huge storm that Dave talked about did major damage at St. Olaf. There were cars without any glass. Offices were told to close at noon and conferences were cancelled. Unfortunately, we couldn't even spend our money at the bookstore. So, we wandered and reminisced as best we could.

Now, normally, this would be enough fun for one day, but not Friday. Friday, we headed back to St. Paul to go to the Fair. We parked at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and hopped a shuttle. Thank goodness, too! I don't know my way around enough to know the sneaky places to park.

We met up with Heather and Jeff and wandered around eating. I had: mini donuts, 1919 rootbeer, and a pickle on a stick. Odd dinner, huh? We rode the gondola/ski lift thingy to get a good view and listened to Rascal Flatts from outside the stadium. I did not buy a bucket of cookies because I'm too cheap to spend $12 on about 20 cookies.

That was Friday.

Saturday, we woke up late and had brunch at the Mall of America. I know, not really the cuisine of choice, but by that time, I was so hungry I didn't care. Next, we shopped. Finally, Joy went to the wedding (reason for being in town) and I went to more bookstores. Follow that up with dinner at Ikea (I know, we're weird) and I headed home.

I'm wiped.

Movie of the Day: Only You. Two friends wandering around Italy looking for a guy.

Hi

An interesting question posed at Book Club last night by Julie:

If you could hop into any book, which would you choose?



Movie of the Day: Open for suggestions....

It's Official

I'm going to the State Fair tomorrow night! Yep, me. Becca. State Fair. I should probably try to get some sedatives for the crowdiness, huh? Yikes. I've heard a lot about the bag of chocolate chip cookies. I also like corn on the cob on a stick. Maybe a pickle. Then, I'll be on my best eating behavior for the next decade or so. Ha. Right....

Any way, I'll have to report back, huh? I also get to go to Olaf tomorrow and wander around campus with some friends. It should be fun and relaxing.

Movie of the Day: Freaky Friday.

Pottery: Revisited

I'm off to the pottery place again this morning, only this time, there will be 9 others in tow. The youth group from my church and some enthusiastic adults are going to caravan to The Potter's Shed in Shell Lake, WI. I'm psyched. It's my new happy place! I even have a mental plan for my painting.

I'll try to post some pictures soon!

Movie of the Day: Harry Potter and _______________. Take your pick.

Quotes

Some of My Favorite Quotes (Some previously mentioned)

He who laughs, lasts. ~ Mary Pettibone Poole

The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper. ~ Eden Phillpotts

Dare to be naive. ~ Buckminster Fuller

Better than a thousand useless words is one single word that gives peace. ~ The Dhammapada

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. ~ ?

A friend is a gift you give yourself. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Everything is sweetened by risk. ~ Alexander Smith

There comes that mysterious meeting in life when someone acknowledges who we are and what we can be, igniting the circuits of our highest potential. ~ Rusty Berkus

Black holes are where God divided by zero. ~ Steven Wright

Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate. ~ Thomas Jones

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup. ~ Bumper Sticker

There are two rules for success in life:
1. Don't tell people everything you know.
~ Bumper Sticker

Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. ~Booker T. Washington

Imagine yourself magic. ~ SARK

There is only one of you in all time. ~ Martha Graham

Cluster together like stars. ~ Henry Miller

He had a full dose of weirdness this morning. ~ Coworker

A man can't get rich if he takes proper care of his family. ~ Navajo saying

Love is like pi: natural, irrational, and very important. ~ Lisa Hoffman

I know Kung Fu, Karate, and 47 other dangerous words. ~ Jo Ramos


Movie of the Day: Forrest Gump. Life is like a box of chocolates....

Fighting Dread

Okay, so I can't go into specifics, but I've heard some news that raises my blood pressure and causes a feeling of dread in me. It's nothing medical (though I have been watching too many House episodes on DVD this week). No, it's work related and while I was doing okay with the pending school year, now I'm thinking I might need serious medicating.

So, any suggestions of non-drug ways to lower my blood pressure and stay sane (at least until faced with the actual dreadedness)?

Movie of the Day: Hanging Up. These ladies know stress.

A Poll

Poll: Who do you think is the hottest Disney character? Come on, you know you've had that "I can't believe I think a cartoon is hot" thought. Fess up. I'll share after a couple comments.

Movie of the Day: Any Disney movie. tee hee.

Google Yourself

I don't know how computer savvy you are, but I'm guessing you've used Google or been in the presence of someone using Google. I like to look up people. I might think of someone that I went to grad school with and then try to find out if he ever got married (sadly, he did). I've also found other friends from the past, interesting pictures, and an article quoting a friend who didn't even know that she'd been quoted in USA Today. Cool, huh?

Sometimes, I like to see what other people with my name are up to. There are quite a few of us in Minnesota and one woman in a Swedish band. Odd.

Do you "Google" people?

Movie of the Day: Project X. One in a Million Saras was telling me how her dog reacted when hearing the monkeys in the movie. Interesting....

Little Miss Sunshine

It's here!!!!!!!

The day has finally arrived when I can see Little Miss Sunshine again!!! It's been 8 months give or take three days since I saw it and I'm so, so excited to have my friends and family see it too!!! Eight months of holding my tongue about plot, funny scenes, laughter. Whew. What a relief it will be!

If you have wishy-washy plans for the evening, convince your friends/loved ones to head to the theater for a good laugh. Then, let me know when you've seen it so we can discuss!!!

Movie of the Day: Guess.

Say It Ain't So

I'm in denial that it's August 17th. Anyone care to join me?

Movie of the Day: The African Queen. Cruisin' da Nile.

Books

Most of the people I know are readers. Well, at least most of the people reading this. As readers, it's hard to pass up a chance to hit a bookstore, no matter how many books you have. Tomorrow, I'm hitting the Cities for the day and the Half-Price Bookstore on Ford Pkwy is on the agenda.

Do I need books? No.

Do I want more books? Yes!

Do I have books that I bought years ago and haven't read yet? Yes.

However, I am trying to read some "old" books that I bought a couple years (or months) ago before the new ones. They've paid their debt on my shelf. Shouldn't this be enough to justify more books? Yes.

Movie of the Day: Alchemy. Weak plot, but I think Tom Cavanaugh is fun to watch.

Roads

It's construction season in Duluth and they are hitting the major streets this year, except mine. My road is a little like a Valley Fair ride- swoop, swoop, swoop. It wouldn't be so bad, but there are major trucks that usually use my street and now we have diverted traffic too. People like to go fast and my house can feel it. My walls shake. My picture frames go cock-eye. The prisms in my windows clink. My dishes rattle. It's like a mini earthquake every few minutes.

Weird, huh?

Movie of the Day: An Unfinished Life. We rented it last night and couldn't finish it because of a faulty DVD. It's very good, though. (One might call it An Unfinished Movie. )

August

Nothing like starting the day with some minor construction on the house. I'm not very handy myself, but my dad is trying to fix that. Today, we were wet-sanding. Yep, fun. Tomorrow, painting and then we can put up the borders for the ceiling frame. WOO HOO!!!

A weird thing happens right about now each summer: I'm motivated to get things done. Whether it's the looming school year, the cooler weather, or some unknown force, I am flying through my To Do list. It's awesome.

How are your chores coming along?

Movie of the Day: Indian Summer. PC? Hmmm... interesting movie, though.

Halloween

Have you figured out what you are going to be for Halloween yet? I think everyone should dress up this year, especially adults. So, get your thinking caps on.

I say this because my friend and her kids have already figured out what they're going to wear and I just started experimenting with make-up options. We'll see what I come up with. I have a "Homemade" motto vs. buying a ready-made outfit. The more obscure, the better.

One year, I was a tv. My dad took a Xerox box, and made a neck hole on the side. The cover slide on the front and had a huge opening so people could "watch" my head. He then carpeted the side that would be below my chin, painted it dark brown, added buttons and antenna. It was quite fun to wear.

Most years, I tried to incorporate lipstick into my costume. My mom would let me use her old stuff and I would reapply A LOT throughout the day. (Tee hee). The lipstick was actually rancid, so for years I thought that was just how lipstick smelled/tasted.

Two years ago, I was a reporter for The Weather Channel. I had a windbreaker, messed up hair with twigs in it, and a microphone. I even made the logo, laminated it, and taped it to my jacket, like the pros. Carl is my favorite weather guy. Too bad he got married.

Any way, what are you going to be this year?

Movie of the Day: E. T. Good Halloween scene.

Tracey

One of my best friends is moving today. Literally, right now. We packed her car last night with all the stuff she's used to camp out in my basement and now she's off to start a new adventure.

Her plan is to get her second Masters' Degree and move back to Duluth, with two guys in tow. One for her and one for me. The guys will be best friends. We'll live by each other. She and her husband will take my future kids hiking. Yep. It's all worked out.

I'm not very good at good-byes or hellos, actually. I get shy and think more than I speak. Could I vocalize just how weird and sad it's going to be with my friend Tracey gone? Nope. It's gonna be pretty darn sad. I try to look at the positives: e-mail, cellphones, messenger pigeons.

Movie of the Day: Now & Then. Friends.

?

How y'all doin'?



Movie of the Day: Grace of My Heart.

Your Prize

Alex, you have won an all-expense paid date with Mighty Mouse!!!! He will fly you to the tropical location of your choice AND allow you to carry-on toothpaste!

Please call 1-555-Mighty1 to claim your prize.

Energy

Today is my kind of day. The wind is gusting around outside (and inside, now that I've opened nearly every window and door in my house). The sky is gray, which is just a side-effect of the wind and the pending storm. You can feel the energy in the air and I can feel the energy in my step. I want to buzz around my house and put things away, start & finish projects, dream up schemes. And no, I haven't had a lot of caffeine. Maybe three sips of diet Coke. That's it. Woo Hoo!!!!

You may recall in January I said that a friend gave me a love spell to try. I didn't. My friend Nate said that the only thing I had to lose was my dignity.

Well, last night was a full moon and a group of four of us tried the love spell. We'll see how it works and I'll let you know when the weddings are scheduled. Ha.

Movie of the Day: Practical Magic. Funny. Creepy. A lot like last night.

A Challenge

Today I would like to challenge everyone who reads this blog. It's a little challenge, so don't freak out.

Your mission: Add a comment (anonymously if you choose) with the word "might" in it.

Movie of the Day: A Mighty Wind.

Little Purse

My cousin's baby liked to keep track of everyone's purses. If mine was too far from me, she would drag it over to where I was. She would point to a purse and say "Ju-ee's purse" or "Mommy's purse" or "C.C.'s purse" or "Hannah's purse." (C.C. is what she calls her grandma.)

So, I've decided that she needs her own purse. I have the perfect one, too. I won it at a jewelry party for being the best at drawing a picture with my eyes closed. (All that pretending to be blind really paid off). It's small. Purple. And furry. Perfect for a 20 month old.

Now, I just need to find a couple fun things to put in it and it'll be ready to send. So far, I have some Veggie Tales band-aids. Time to hit Target.

Movie of the Day: The Birdcage. They must have had interesting purses.

Are You Hungry?

I've added a little easy "do-gooding" to my morning routine as of late. If you look in my Links column, you'll find "The Hunger Site". It's a website that allows you to click a button and it'll donate food to the hungry. If you look at the top of that page, it has bookmarks for the Breast Cancer Site, Literacy Site, Rainforest Site, and Children's Health Site. Each morning, I click through them and give free stuff away. If I'm at my folks', I make their computer do it too!

So, if you want to add a little positive karma to your life while helping out others, saving the rainforest, etc., give it a try.

Movie of the Day: (It should be Click, but I haven't seen it to recommend it. Sorry.). Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Weird Things About Becca

Here is a list of weird things about me:

1) Sometimes, I think in Spanish. My last Spanish class was in 1992.
2) My second toes are the same size or smaller than my middle toes.
3) When I was in 1st grade, I had an eggsalad sandwich every school day.
4) I'm a vegetarian.
5) I've never had an alcoholic drink.
6) I started (and finished) piano lessons in 7th grade. I quit because she wanted me to keep my nails short, she had dogs, and I felt "Are you sleeping?" was too babyish for me.
7) Sometimes, I have premonitions that I'm about to see a deer and then I do see one.

Movie of the Day: Weird Science. Slumber party movie of my youth.

Purple

I like the color purple. The Color Purple is our movie of the day, actually. It was good, but kind of heart-breaking too. So, beware.

Today, I'm going to a "paint your own pottery" place with my friend Tracey. We used to have one in Duluth, but it closed, so now we're going to Shell Lake, WI. It should be a fun roadtrip. Maybe I'll paint something purple.

Get Goin'

About a month ago, I read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It was recommended by Blogagaard as a book that kicks you in the butt and gets you to accomplish things. Mainly, I think Dave meant it made him take a break from blogging and work on his book.

I'm not writing a book, so I interpreted things through the lens of a procrastinator and teacher. I'm going to try to use the book's ideas to get my house in order. You know: clean out the fridge, sort through the newspapers, get stuff ready for the Goodwill, etc. So far, the book has been a great help. It's also gotten me thinking about my philosophy as a teacher.

Well worth the read.

Movie of the Day: The Little Rascals. I'm going to watch this with my buddies Zane and Theo (and 10 others) tonight. Can't wait!

Travel Stories

I have successfully returned home, so I can now blog about travel mishaps without jinxing my trip.

My favorite story takes place one summer when I was starting junior high school. We left town for a month each summer to tour the country and visit relatives. That year, we headed West.

Most trips involved some sort of car breakage and this one was a doosey. We were driving through Wyoming, just reaching the top of a mountain, when the car died. I was about 12, my sister 10, and my brother 5. The five of us were stuck on the top of the mountain for hours. It was the first time I had to use nature as an outhouse (sheltered life, huh?). We had to come up with something to occupy our time, so we wrote postcards. We were not allowed to tell Grandma that we were stuck on the top of a mountain and no one would stop for us because it was too hard to get back started.

Our savior was a Pespi truck driver who stopped and said he would get us a towtruck at the bottom. Whew. We were saved!!!! About an hour later, a truck comes, hooks up our car, and we pile into the cab with him. I had the misfortune of getting to sit squished up against him. Teenage Trauma!!!

Any way, he told us about the history of the area, pointed out the really big drop offs, and let us out at Ten Sleep, Wyoming. It was named that because it took people ten nights' sleeps to get there.

Movie of the Day: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

Returning

I'm back!!! Whoo Hoo!!!! It's so nice to be home after three days of driving. Pittsburgh feels far away and still not, at the same time. The drive home always feels long.

Any way, I am back and plan to re-enter my blog-a-day schedule effective immediately.

Highlights of my trip:

Hanging out with my goofy cousins.

Teaching my cousin's baby to say my mom's name. She doesn't have "Judy" down, but calls her "Jou-ee" It sounds very French, or a bit like Mel Gibson.

I went shopping way too much, but didn't buy way too much.

My typical travel style is to go somewhere new and then hit all the museums and national parks, etc. This trip, we shopped, ate, drove my cousin to work, and hung out with the family. The only "sight" "seen" was the zoo. Crazy!!!! I had fun, though.

So, what have I missed while I was gone?

Movie of the Day: Benchwarmers. Funny.

Greetings

Greetings from Pittsburgh! I am sitting in my cousin's room, typing, watching Ellen, and waiting to go to the Carnegie Museum. We've been seeing the town, hanging out with my relatives and playing with my cousin's two-year old. Her best new trick is to hop into a cardboard box and then have her Uncle Ben carry her around the house like a box of books. Very, very cute.

Oh, and it looks like Little Miss Sunshine isn't coming out for a couple more weeks. What's with that?

Movie of the Day: Beauty and the Beast. Tee hee.

Road Trip

I am off to the East this afternoon. Pittsburgh await!!! I'll try to blog while I'm gone.

Movie of the Day: Little Miss Sunshine. My favorite from Sundance. Comes out this week!!! Be ready to laugh and laugh.

Blind

When I was a little kid, I used to pretend I was blind. I would try to get ready for bed without having the light on. I would try to brush my teeth and what-not with only a crack in the door created by putting the waste basket as a door-stop. It was a sliver of light, just enough for a weird 8-year-old to get around.

I also shared a room with One in a Million Saras for ten years and my bed was next to the light switch. I would ask if she was ready for me to turn it off and sometimes I would do it no matter her answer (big sisters have to torture little sisters once in a while). Any way, when she'd protest, I would tell her to pretend she was blind. Poor kid.

She did have a nightlight that, oddly, my parent plugged in between her bed and the wall. Well, one night, Rick a big stuffed raccoon from Shirt Tales, got wedged between her bed and the nightlight. It singed his tail quite nicely and luckily didn't start on fire. No more night light.

To this day, I can get around fairly well in the dark by memory. I probably bump into things more in the daytime!

Movie of the Day: At First Sight. Val Kilmer is blind and Mira Sorvino falls for him.

Cute.

VH1

Have you noticed that you have to get up early to catch any actual music videos on VH1 or MTV? They have supplementary channels that play videos, but you can't really get them with basic cable. Drat.

So, I catch videos on Sunday mornings when I'm up and on days like today when I wake up earlier than planned.

There was a weird/cool video by Death Cab for Cutie, who I think I've heard of before, but can't be sure. It was quirky enough to make me wonder if the rest of the album is similar to it and if so, maybe I'll buy it.

It's a risk shopping by one song, but usually I like the whole thing.

Movie of the Day: Camp. Drama. Drama. Drama.

Random

Random things I think about:

1) Where do the letters go when you type too soon for a login and have to start over? Where? Makes me think of Monsters, Inc. for some reason.

2) Why can't I dry one hand on a towel if only one is wet? I have to get the other one a little wet too.

3) Why are there HUGE ants running around my house at random? Did the ant spray only work on the little ones and the big ones have evolved to be immune to common chemical killers?

4) How am I going to find a guitar for my friend Rick to play at church on Sunday?

5) How many days in a row can I eat dinner in the same restaurant (third night tonight)?

6) How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Movie of the Day: Monsters, Inc. So cute.

Nursing Home Humor

I was out with a bunch of friends from my covenant group last night and we were telling funny nursing home stories.

Nursing home stories?!? Yep. My theory is that when you are there to visit a relative (in my case, my grandma), you have to look at things with a sense of humor or you'll go into a deep depression.

Mary had a good story, which I hope she'll tell in the comments section.

Here's mine:

About 5 years ago, my parents and siblings (one, the other, or both) would go to visit my grandma in the common room of her wing of the nursing home. She was still pretty with it and mobile, so we'd sit out there to chat. There were always other residents around to distract us when the conversation hit a lull.

One visit, a gentleman in a wheelchair kept slowly creeping towards the down ramp. When he hit the top, he'd lift his feet and "WEEEEEEEE" go gliding down. The nurse said he did that a lot.

The same afternoon, there was a woman who spilled her juice and fled the scene so she wouldn't get busted.

While all of this was going on, the nice Recreation Lady had a book of United States Trivia and asked questions from it. My grandma listened politely and tried to answer the ones she knew. Another man in a wheelchair (not the Ramp Guy), kept saying, in a deep gravelly voice, "Who. The. Hell. Cares.?" He also kept trying to take off his shoes and pants.

Now, as I said above, you might thing this is incredibly depressing, if you think seriously enough, but for someone visiting who is uncomfortable in their setting, it created quite the Sunday afternoon!

Movie of the Day: The Nutty Professor.

Vacation Books

I'm starting to mentally pack my suitcase for my trip out East next week. Right now, I'm pondering which books to take with me. I'm going to be visiting relatives and driving there with my folks. Three plus days of reading in the car. What to take?

I'm trying to limit myself to soft cover books, to save on the lifting. Right now, my "stack to pack" has Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Girls by Frederick Busch, The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde, and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore. I suppose something serious should go along too. We'll see what strikes me when the time comes.

Any suggestions (serious or otherwise)?

Wanna Learn Swahili?

I bought a computer program over the weekend that will allow me to learn French and 32 other languages. Swahili is one of them. So is Swedish, Hungarian, Latin, Punjabi, and many, many more. I've started learning French and now know colors and some basic words. It's fun!

Movie of the Day: With Honors. Learning is cool.

Matter of Record

My favorite part of the Monday paper is the Matter of Record for marriage licenses. I can see who I know of this great big list without having to go through photos, etc. and without having to rely on the couple to submit it to the paper.

These days I usually see a lot of former students. I do the math on how old they are and then decide they are too young to be getting married. Anyone that I've ever taught is too young. Ha!

Today, there was a 19-year-old and her boyfriend (of a couple years). I have such a hard time believing they are ready for such a huge commitment. We'll see, I guess.

Movie of the Day: Father of the Bride. Cute.

Cool It!

What is your favorite way to cool off in the Summer heat?

News from My Basement

On a brief excursion from my basement to my main floor (which is currently at 86 degrees), I thought I'd give a State of the Basement Address:

My basement, i.e. my new apartment, is currently under construction. I'm getting a new ceiling in the rec room and it's in a state of chaos. The couch is unusable. The Cable cable is dangling from a pipe where my tv once stood. The new ceiling is coming along, though.

My guest room (where I now sleep), is where I keep off-season clothing, books, old teddy bears, and all of the tools that my dad is using on the ceiling. It also has a newly-cleared-off bed. Whew. Oh, and a fan. Yes, a fan running in my basement.

If I had a mini fridge, a working bathroom (also under construction), and a hooked-up DVD player/tv, I'd be set for weeks.

Movie of the Day: The Wizard of Oz. "I'm melting! I'm melting!"

A Prayer

Last March, I went to a Compassion seminar at the College of St. Scholastica. In the closing ceremony, they gave each of us a prayer to say daily (they hoped). I haven't been good at saying it every day, but I keep it next to my computer so I will see it daily. With the war in the Middle East and the state of life in general, I want to share it with you. I don't know who wrote it, but I'm guessing it was a nun or two at Scholastica. Here goes:

Prayer for Healing of the World

O Holy One of Blessing!

Guide us with your life-giving Spirit
as we continue the work of building a
more just and compassionate world.

Fill us with insight into love that we
may recognize and embrace the
needs of the poor, marginal and
vulnerable of our society.

Sustain us with courage and strength
to be healing instruments of your
love in a wounded world.

Help us to be a source of abiding
hope for all.



Movie of the Day: Cruel Intentions. Fight Resistance.

Relay for Life

Tonight is the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. This is the second year that I'll be walking, though I'm doing it a bit differently this time.

Last year, I showed up at 6 and stuck around until about 2 AM. It was a sweltering night (not unlike the prediction for tonight). It was a good experience, but kind of gross too. Okay, it was really gross.

Any way, this year, our captain needed someone to sign up for the 4 AM shift. I decided that I would take it, on the condition that I wouldn't show up at St. Scholastica until 4 AM. That way, I can sleep until about 3:15 and then head up there. I'm up early during the school year, so this shouldn't be too horrible.

We'll see how it all goes.

Movie of the Day: One True Thing. Meryl Streep. Renee Zellweger. Girl moves home to take care of Mom who is dying.

French

I need to learn French. My friends Nate and Claire are moving to France in a couple days and I want to visit. Okay, maybe I won't be fluent in French, but I at least want to know enough to not get myself in trouble.

The major debate in my head goes something like this:

Tapes?
Books?
Pay my cousins to teach me?
Barter with my friend the French teacher?

I know enough Spanish to bluff my way into sounding fluent (at least around my students). I'm not sure about a full-fledged conversation. This could help me learn French, or it could get in my way. We'll see.

Any suggestions?

Movie of the Day: French Kiss. tee hee. I should work on that too.

The Sorting Hat

In Harry Potter, the new arrivals sit on a stool in front of the very first banquet. They put on a rumply old hat and it decides which of the four houses the student will belong to based on each kid's strengths.

Today, I am the sorting hat of my house. I'm getting rid of things. The "houses"? Keep. Recycle. Good Will. Sell. It's liberating to get rid of stuff. I have magazines that I thought I'd keep forever and look back at later. Magazines are heavy, though, and take up a lot of room. I also have clothes that haven't been worn for a couple school years, so why bother keeping them?

The glitch is my book collection. I have books that I love and don't want to part with. Books that I want to share with friends. Books to slowly read through. Books that I have, but shouldn't have bought. Books that got me through college. Books that I keep in my classroom to entertain the kids when they finish early. Books, books, books. I own 7 bookshelves. You would think that would be enough, but I'm going to run out of space soon. Oy.

Movie of the Day: Cars. Cute. Good story behind it, too. I do not have piles of cars around my house, thankfully!

Wanna Be In Pictures?

Deep down, way deep down in your heart, have you always wanted to be famous? A star? Maybe in a movie? Maybe rub elbows with the rich and famous, even for a brief time?

Well, I have an opportunity that you do not want to pass up. Yes, you can be in a movie. You. This Saturday, you have the chance to be an extra in The Hardworking Man from Nebraska. A blurb from the creative genius behind the movie that will launch you to stardom:

The Hardworking Man From Nebraska's first day of filming is July 15th. It's a Saturday, and the location is a church in southern Minneapolis. We need extras to sit in the air conditioned church and wear small town churchy clothes from 10 AM to noon. E-mail me at oppegaard@gmail.com if interested. Please, be interested.

How easy is that???

Nightmares

Do you ever have recurring nightmares? Mine always center around school, but only as a student, not as a teacher. I used to dream that I forgot to check my p.o.box in college and I can't even remember my number.

Last night, it was forgetting my locker combo (my locker was a dresser, though) and forgetting to attend specific classes and therefore forgetting my schedule. It was very embarrassing!

Does anyone else out there have recurring nightmares?

Movie of the Day: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. It was excellent, though left you with that "Hurry up and make the third one" feeling.

It's a Great Day for a Movie

As you may have noticed, I like movies. A lot. Today, I get to go to two of them!!! I will start the afternoon off with a viewing of Cars with three of my buddies under the age of 13. I hope ice cream (my second passion) will follow.

Then, an evening out with the eclectic church movie group/friends to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

Cool, huh?

Movie of the Day: Adventures in Babysitting. :)

zzz's

My busy, fabulous weekend is wearing me out. I'm feeling narcoleptic today. If I stop to think "What should I write about?" my eyes close and I'm ready to nod off. Not a good sign for church today (sorry, Michelle).

My main goal for the afternoon is a nap. Yep. The couch in my basement is perfect for naps. It's my parents' old couch that is difficult to extract yourself from- excellent for sinking into a nap. Plus, it's in the cool basement. Ah... I can't wait.

Movie of the Day: Forever Young. Mel Gibson gets frozen and then wakes up many, many years later.

Friends

Well, I am back from my fabulous day in the Cities! I got to hang out with K. and her boys. They are adorable! The oldest son even learned "Becca....(long pause). Friend." Isn't that sweet?

I also had an excellent time at the reading (see yesterday's post). They were all talented writers and the location (the Soap Factory) was funky. Lots of art in an old, lofted warehouse. Very cool.

Now, I am home in time for a picnic on the shore and some board games with the family and visitors!

Movie of the Day: Mystic River. Sean Penn theme, I guess. This is an emotional movie. I had to be in the mood to be angry if that makes any sense.

Big Day

Today is gonna be a good day! I'm heading to the Cities to visit with one of my best friends and her family. I haven't met the baby yet and their two-year-old sounds like a funny little guy. Should be a blast!

Then, we are going to leave the little boys with her husband and head out on the town. The plan is to hit Blogagaard's reading and then who knows what else afterwards! He told me that his friend Geoff (whom I have never met) gives a great reading too.

I'm psyched!

Movie of the Day: i am sam. Sean Penn is amazing in this movie. This is the first time I saw Dakota Fanning. Have Kleenex handy.

Just Like Home

In Sleepless In Seattle, Sam talks about taking his wife's hand and saying that it felt like going home, "only to no home I'd ever known.... magic."

Yesterday, I went to a mini reunion with some high school friends and after a couple minutes of reacquainting, it was like going home. Everyone was telling stories of junior or senior high school, catching up the spouses on what their mates were like back then.

The word "reunion" usually strikes fear in the hearts of many adults. Either you're worried about what to wear and how you look, or you just don't want to run into so-and-so. This was nothing like that. Thank goodness!

Movie of the Day: The Devil Wears Prada. What shall I wear?

Fun

Top 10 Silly Things That Make Me Happy

10. Getting real mail
9. Puffy stickers. Newest ones: Muppets
8. Little kids' swimming pools
7. Getting a long-awaited phone call
6. Noticing that the lady ahead of you is only buying frozen items too.
5. Watching your raspberry patch get closer to fruition. (ha ha).
4. Glitter nail polish
3. Sending random things to friends through inter-school mail (grown-up "passing notes")
2. Drinking three Cherry Cokes and then telling stories. Quickly.
1. Playing silly games with kids.

What silly things make you happy?

Movie of the Day: Glory Road. It's an intense movie, but the players get silly once in a while.