Corners of My House

Menu

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away and people have started planning their menus.  People have started dreaming about eating.  Maybe they've even started thinking about hanging out with relatives.

My questions for you:

1) What are your family traditions around food for Thanksgiving?
2) Are you one of the cooks?
3) Do you watch football that day?
4) Do you watch the parade?
5) What's your favorite menu item?

Conversation with Student (Grade 9)

A conversation with a student yesterday:

Kid: Give these to your kids.  Do you have kids?
Me: No.
Kid: Why not?  You should have kids!
Me: I don't want to be a single mom.
Kid:  Well, don't!  Have them with your husband.
Me: What husband?
Kid:  You don't have a husband?  You need to get one!!! 
Another kid: You better be hurryin'.  

I can't do the conversation justice without accents and word emphasis, but you get the idea.  Too funny!

Peace and Quiet

Duluth's elections for the year are over and while some of the results were wonderful (think parks and libraries), some of them were not (think school referendum).   However, the best news is that my mailbox will not be filled with "Please vote for me" fliers, my door won't be crammed with glossy paper, and my phone won't be ringing off the hook!  Yikes!   Peace and quiet, I welcome thee.

In unrelated news, I spent about 5 hours correcting tests yesterday and I'm still not done!   My hands are numb.  I'm down to 16 left, though, so I can see the light.  No, not that light.

Random Things I Like

agates
wandering libraries
goofy bumper stickers
penguins, owls (cartoon only), turtles
sparkly nail polish
candles
Crypto Quips
quotes
solar powered yard decorations
blue glass
songs about peace
photographing my friends' kids
learning phrases of new languages
traveling

Cars

My sister is selling her car, or more specifically, my dad is selling my sister's car.   When my dad sells a car, I am in charge of taking the pictures and creating the Craigslist post.  As soon as that 20 minute process is done, it's out of my hands. 

My dad is the guru of car numbers and stats and LOVES cars.  I think I get my memorizing of numbers from him.  Seriously, WOW.

So, essentially, if you need help selling a car, I got your back.

Plan Ahead

Friday is 11/11/11.   Could you think of something you could do 11 times on Friday?  Just for fun!    I just came up with this idea, so I have no plan yet, but I like the possibilities.  It's going to be a Friday, so maybe "yawn."  It would be more fun to have a silly plan.

Who's with me?

Cathy Lamb

Last July, my sister and I stumbled upon a local bookstore in Spooner, WI.  We both like to wander and while Sara was debating which book to get, I kept going back to this book:

Over and over, I went back to it.  So, finally, I decided to get it.  I like buying for local shops.  I like novels.  Makes sense.  The store clerk said that lots of people were happy to see that Cathy Lamb had a new book. 

I was engrossed in it!   I have since read The Last Time I was Me, Henry's Sisters, and I have 30 pages left of Such a Pretty Face.   There is only one book left: Julia's Chocolates and it's sitting on my shelf.  I have to ration out my Cathy Lamb books!  I hope she's got a new one in the works!

Each book deals with love, trauma, finding yourself, and family.   They are approximately 400 pages, but they are SOOOOO engrossing that you don't notice the length and weight except when you carry the book with you everywhere IN CASE you have time to read.

Maybe You Knew

So, tomorrow is opening deer hunting weekend and a bunch of my students are either going to be heading out early or have already left to go shoot Bambi.   Well, I was thinking of wearing a T-shirt for Invisible Children, an organization that helps kids who are struggling in Africa.   Then, I thought, "I could wear my new Blaze Orange sweatshirt with it!"   Well, not only does it highlight a good cause, but it's ironic.  I'm a dork.  Maybe you knew that.

No, I didn't order these glasses.  I ALMOST got them as sunglasses, just for a laugh.

Weird

Two days ago, I titled my blog entry "One a Day Plus Iron."  Then, one of my "whole living" tips online was to add Vitamin B to my diet to help with stress.  Well, who doesn't need help with stress, right?  So, I checked with the pharmacist and he said it would be fine to add it.  

I took it at lunch and by choir practice, I was zinging one-liners.   WHAT?   I'm cheerful at night AND goofy?  Amazing!  We'll see if this trend continues.  Too bad I can't pass them out to my students.

Adapt

A few friends and I had a conversation about adapting to living with another person.  One friend was married and two of us are in our mid-thirties and never married.  We discussed what little things would drive us crazy if we had to change them and ended up talking about how glasses should be put in cupboards: right side up or upside down?  

I guess my parents fought over how to fold laundry.  Do you think people just copy what their parents did?  And if so, then really they are copying the parent-who-won's style!

So, survey: 
1) Do you put glasses in the cupboard right side up or upside down?
2) Do you fold towels length-wise first or width-wise first?

Blog a Day Plus Iron

A friend told me about a National Novel writing challenge and asked if I wanted to be his writing buddy.  You write a novel (50,000 words) during the month of November.  Um, no thanks.  I don't have the patience to create character development or a plot arc.   Let me tell silly little stories and be on with my day. 

I did, however, think that this could be a chance for me to challenge myself to write a blog entry EVERY day this month.  Yes, folks, EVERY DAY!   So, the challenge is on.  If you have a topic that you're itchin' to read about and you think I might have something to say about it, let me know.  I can't guarantee it won't be a list of Things that are Green or whatever.

Actually, I did a post of "Things that are Blue" and SERIOUSLY, that is the most popular "hit" off Google for my blog.  I guess people search for Things that are Blue.  hmmmm....

Let the challenge begin!!!

Fries

As of late, I haven't been able to eat French fries without them getting stuck in my throat.  Isn't that weird?   The sad thing is that fries were my favorite mustard conduit.  I'm weird, I know.

What's funny is that I can handle having students call me weird, but not stupid.  I don't get called stupid very often, ever, so when it happens, I get mad.  Mainly, it has to do with the Smart Board in my room that I'm learning to use.  I'm not a complete idiot with it, but these kids, who are more technologically inclined than I am, have been watching people use the boards for 5 years.  You pick up a lot that way.  Uff.  Oh well.

I'm tossing around the idea of going to a Halloween party.  Any costume suggestions?

Feel Better

I had a headache after school and I was trying to think of somewhere I could go that was totally relaxing.  I eventually came up with the library.   I grabbed a coffee at Dunn Bros. first, hoping it was caffeine related, and then headed to the book shelves.   It's so nice to wander around, looking at all the options, knowing I don't have to think about budgets or if I could find the book on Amazon for cheaper.  I just grabbed what I wanted (fiction, How-To, DVDs).   Ah.  It's just so calming for me. 

I think some of it has to do with growing up next to the neighborhood library (a different one that is now closed).  If I close my eyes, I can still smell it, still hear the creaks in the floors and picture the librarians.  I think I read every teen book there that even remotely interested me.  I still remember where the poetry section was and where the encyclopedias were that I used each Monday of 8th grade art to fill in my "artist" biographies.  I still have those worksheets. 

MEA

It's MEA weekend coming up, which means schools in the Twin Cities have Thursday and Friday off and schools in Duluth only have Friday off.   I think they assume that we don't go to the teacher convention any way.  I've never been there, in 16 years of teaching, so I guess they're kind of correct.   Either way, it means I get Friday off (we make up for it by staying late for parent/teacher conferences).    Soooo... by Friday, we will be 50% done with conferences for the Fall and will get a day off.   I'm hoping to sleep and do something goofy.

Movies I Watched This Weekend: The Ides of March and Hanna.  The first one made me mad and the second one made me sad.  Watch at your own risk.

Duluth Foliage

School Lunch

I got up early yesterday and hauled myself to 6:30 AM yoga class.   I haven't been there in weeks, for various reasons.   When I got to school, I realized I hadn't grabbed my lunch (which I'd made the previous night, which was not my usual routine).   Drat!  So, I ended up going to the cafeteria and standing in line with the kiddos.   Now, this would be fine, but I have only had school lunch ONE other time in my 15 years of teaching.   Yes, once.

I asked a couple kids about what I should do and didn't get a clear response until I found one of the girls from my class.  She said I was in the burger and fries line.  Oops.  So, wandered to the sandwich line and paid close attention to what the kids ahead of me were doing.   Then, went to check out and was told I could grab a beverage or "whatever I want because I'm a teacher" but that was a bit unclear.   It was easier to grab a milk and escape back to my colleagues.

Here's to trying something new!

Movie of the Day: Jane Eyre.  It's a recent adaptation and it was really good!

Tail End

I'm on the tail end of a cold and the hacking cough combined with the teaching of classes (talking too much) is not going so well.  To top it off, our new school has a sound system in each room and I keep coughing into the mike that is around my neck.  Uff.  Oh well.

Movie

What's your favorite movie? 


Talk amongst yourselves!

Same Time, Same Place

Last weekend, I ordered something online and the tracking dealy-bop said it would be here by Wednesday.   I was so excited to get home two days ago, only to find a post-it note saying I needed to sign for my package.  It said they would stop back the next day at the same time. 

Well, I signed the back saying "I won't sue you if you leave it here and something happens to it."

Thursday: I rush home between work and errands to secure said box only to find TWO post-it notes.  The second one added to the "Must sign" "in person".   WHAT?!?!?!!?!   It then said that they would return the same time on Friday.

Now, where is the logic in this???  If I'm not home two days in a row at that time, what makes them think Friday is going to be the magic day that I'm there????   So, I went online and changed it to "I'll just pick up the stupid thing myself tomorrow after work."  Okay, it doesn't say that, but SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!!  

Movie of the Day: You've Got Mail (somewhere)

Blah, Blah, Blah

So, here's my lame excuse for not blogging lately: I can't think of anything to say.  Seriously, it's not like I can't expound on some random topic for a couple paragraphs.  It's more an issue of complete exhaustion and hardly being able to drag my cereal bowl from the table to the counter.  I'm really high energy if I rinse it and put it in the dishwasher.  

WOW!  That sounds so pathetic.  Okay, here's my excuse for being THAT pathetic: first full week of school.   Now, you're probably wondering, what's the NEXT excuse going to be and the great thing is that I already have it planned out: It's Homecoming Week this week!  Yes, that's right, weird stuff happens every day.  Uff.  It'll be fine, though and I'm hoping that I can adjust to this "working every day" gig and have a little more energy.  Otherwise, I'm the dork going to bed at 8 PM every night! 

Tomorrow, if you want to pretend that you go to Denfeld High School, the theme is Wizard of Oz and kids (and staff) are wearing grade-level appropriate colors:

9th graders: Blue
10th graders: Red
11th graders: Yellow
12th graders: Black (not a part of the rainbow, but it's tradition that they get to dress up like mimes/thieves)
Staff: Green
Should be a blast and one of the less-disruptive days.   Friday's Maroon and Gold Day is the MOST disruptive.  Only mean teachers like me try to teach anything that day.  :)

Movie of the Day:  You guessed it: The Wizard of Oz!

A few flowers

Not So Organized

I would love to report that everything is going to be spiffy and ready for the amazing year that is to come at school.  Unfortunately, I don't really know how to do lots of whiz-bang stuff on my Smartboard and I'm still trying to get enough desks and a pencil sharpener.  However, I will do my utmost to make things happen and get some learnin' to occur tomorrow.  Yes, yes I will.

Decorate

When you were in high school, how did you decorate your locker?  And, was it a stacked locker or a tall one that you maybe shared? 

I shared a locker with a friend who hung a poster of Alan Rickman, as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood.  Um, okay.... You might know him as the man who played Snape in Harry Potter.   Yep, not exactly Tom Cruise or Keanu Reeves (it's his birthday today, Happy Day, Sir!).   Soooo.... yeah.  I have no idea what I put up.  Weird.

Maybe you'd set up a little altar to the homework gods or hang battery operated Christmas lights?  I had a student hang up shag carpet on the inside of the door and keep a camping chair in the locker.  Wanted it to feel homey, I guess.

Now, I'd probably hang up travel pictures.  Paris, London, Macchu Picchu, Rome, a fjord.  You get the picture.  Ha ha. 

Movie of the Day:  Saved.  She had stuff hiding in her locker.

The Books

I'm kind of old-school and still have paper books around my house.  I don't have a Kindle or Nook or whatever the next cool thing is.  I have paper.  Sometimes, my house feels like Becca's Reference Room.  I have two large dictionaries, 20 yearbooks (or more) spanning from when I was in junior high to last year (I like to buy them each year so I can look up kids that I hear about later.), and books on "What does that symptom mean?"  I have self-help books (they're working, can't you tell?), fiction, travel books, and multiple Bibles (Good News, The Message, Student Bible NIV, a couple mini Gideon Bibles, and an English/Finnish/Swedish hotel Bible from a friend).  I have quote books, art books, decorating books, how to fix your toilet books, poetry books, textbooks, and books on teaching/parenting. 

I better get back to reading. 

Movie of the Day: Inkheart.  They love books, too.

Good Point

I spent the morning staining my deck with my dad.   This type of activity always leads to chatting about random stuff that is going on in the world or church.  Sunday, my family attended a wedding for two friends: Cynthia and Jonie, yes two women! 

In the parking lot of the beach house on Park Point, a car had the bumper sticker: Marriage is SO Gay!  How great!!!!   Yes.  Seriously!  Two people love each other.  They want to commit to each other for the rest of their lives.  We should all be encouraging this, not condemning them! 

Well, this morning, my dad mentioned that the GOP wants the government to get out of people's lives, and YET, they want to control all sorts of things about people's lives.  So hypocritical!  

Congratulations on your wonderful marriage, Cynthia and Jonie!

Are you excited?

This is such a loaded question and one that was asked of me this morning.  Are you excited for school to start up again? 

September 6th will be my 15th "Start of the School Year" from the Teacher's Side of the Desk.   Every year has many blessings and many different things thrown at us.  Maybe it's a record football season and the kids hop fan buses to the State Tournament (thus messing with my lesson plans, oh well).  Maybe a famous person visits the school for an assembly or a teacher wins an award.  Maybe there are times when we all have to pull together to get through an issue or an event.  There are SO many different things that come up, and that's just "events."

The first day of class goes like this: I have an approximately accurate list of students who should be in my room, within about 5 minutes of the bell.  I introduce myself, mention what class this is (Algebra 2 or whatever) and then tell the kids to let me know of any nicknames they would like me to use in class, within reason.  Then, I read the list, trying not to botch the names too badly and ask for corrections.  Then, I try to give myself a mnemonic so I can remember the kid or write down "glasses" "front" "blue shirt" or something else descriptive. 

While I have the kids filling out a survey, I try to memorize the names.  This works for the first three classes of the day and then my brain is full.  The last two will just have to wait.  For the first three classes, though, once I'm feeling confident, I announce "I know all of your names."   Then, I go up and down the aisles. The kids are shocked. 

By the end of the day, I have no voice and I just want to go home and have another week of summer.  So, am I excited?  Sure.  Will I cherish this last week of vacation?  YES!

Sculpture Garden

Here are a few photos from the Sculpture Garden next to the Walker Center in Minneapolis, MN.

August

August is the "Sunday" of the calendar.   The I-Better-Get-Things-Done part of the year before reality hits with a bang in September.   It's not like I don't do things once school starts, but it always FEELS like I won't be able to do things once it starts.  Sure, I can't use the washroom whenever I'd like and I can't take a week-long vacation to somewhere warm in the  middle of any old month, but I should be able to see friends and read books.  Seeing friends are reading books has been pretty much all I've done this Summer too!  Okay, I have been working on remodeling my basement bathroom and for any of you who have been to my house, you know it's been about 9 years of bathroom destruction.  Soooo... it's high time, right?

Movie of the Day: August Rush. So true.

Drip, Drip, Drip

It's a wee bit humid around here lately and I think most of us are sick of it.  I have one friend who LOVES warm weather and I should be talking to her so I can talk to someone cheerful.   The rest of us are suffering. 

What are your favorite ways to escape the heat?

73, Please

I like the sun.  I do, honest.   I just don't do well in 90 degree weather.  I'm not productive.  I let my dishes sit for days.  Now, some are thinking "You do this in the winter, too, Becca" but in the winter I notice that I haven't done them.  In the heat of summer, I don't even care that I haven't done them.   Is that pathetic or what? 

Today, I'm going for a walk outside and I'm sweating just sitting at my computer.  This might be a silly thing to do. 

Saw Midnight in Paris yesterday.  Good movie!

Coffee

I gave up pop a while back and then accidentally started drinking it again.   Today I read an article online about how diet pop is horrible for you and makes one obese (oh joy!).   So, now I'm going to work on cutting out artificial sweeteners.   For a diabetic, this is kind of the kiss of death or at least flavor.  Maybe I'm being dramatic, as I am prone to do, but seriously!?!  It's a big step. 

My sister suggested starting to drink coffee (not just the chocolate frou frou stuff, but like normal coffee).  Well, this might be my only source of caffeine and we don't want to see me without caffeine.  At least not yet.  There are only so many changes one person should have to make at once, right, if they have any choice in the matter.

So, how do you take your coffee (caffeine, water)?  I need suggestions!

30%

I'm a math gal.  I get it.  So when I read the weather forecast and it says 30% chance of a thunderstorm tonight, part of me says "Oh, it won't happen."  However, I don't trust the percentages they give.   Even the MENTION of a storm means it is more likely to happen than 30%.  If they say 60%, I plan for rain.  If they say 80%, it's probably already raining! 

What's with the misuse of percentages?  Is their formula wonky?  Are they trying to be optimistic?  Are they in cahoots with the emergency umbrella and poncho sellers of the world?   What's the deal?

Movie of the Day: Singin' in the Rain.

Remember Me?

I went to an engagement party yesterday for friends I haven't seen in 15 years!   There were other people from college there and I recognized a few of them and none of them recognized me.  Now, I don't blame them; it's been a long time!   I just think it's funny that I could remember them!   So, I went home and scoured my old yearbooks and a few things clicked into place.  Of guy was a math major like me.  Ah ha!  Another lady lived in my dorm.   It's all becoming clear. 

Choosing a Book

I have quite a few books on my shelf waiting to be read.  Whenever I finish a book, I stare at the shelf of new choices and end up trying about 5 before I actually settle on which one I'll read.  The last book I read took about 4 tries before I was ready to read it.  I was aiming for hardcover books because they take up more space and I figured they'd feel better "out of my hands" when I finished.  I also, sometimes, think a book needs to "do time" on the shelf before I can read it.  No sense in letting a new book "take cuts."  Of course, I know this is silly.  Who cares? 

Maybe I think that if I don't read some of the old books, I'll just keep buying new ones and never read them.  I don't know. 

Do you have unread books cluttering your shelves?  I wonder what I would do if I had a Nook or Kindle?  It would be kind of freaky not having my house littered with books!

Movie of the Day is actually going to be a comedy special:  Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious.  NOT for the faint of heart.  Hilarious and so so so wrong.  I streamed it on Netflix.

Art Fair

This weekend is the Park Point Art Fair.  I think I MAY have missed one of them in the last 25 years.  Maybe.  I'm hoping the sun today will dry up the mud so the artists can set up camp nicely and we can walk without slogging.  It's all pretty exciting.

There are booths that I like to look at but would never buy anything from: the infinity table (look in and see to infinity), the leather booth, the earrings that I could make myself.  But then there is the pottery!!!!!   Oh my.  I spend a lot on pottery, stained glass, and maybe jewelry.  So, we'll see.....

I also usually run into old friends, neighbors, coworkers, former pastors, and the like down there.   I guess my friends love art too.

Hope to see you there!

Sheesh

I forgot that I changed my comments to "moderate" and then stepped away for MONTHS! Sheesh. Sorry about that kids!

Okay, so the sights in Duluth look like mud, or puddles, or tracks through the mud and puddles. I am taking a yoga class and the window looks out to Lake Superior. You would think this would be wonderful, but it's down-right grey out there! Lovely waves, though.

I'll work at getting some pics.

Movies: Bridesmaids was hilarious. Not for the faint of heart.
TV Shows for Kim: Castle. LOVE Castle. I watched House for a couple years. I'm behind on Glee, but I like it. Veronica Mars rocked.

Books: All three Hunger Games. One Day. Brightest Star in the Sky (which I'm reading right now). Then, I think I'll read the two books my aunt loaned me 4 years ago.

What books do YOU suggest?

Chatter

I've been chatting with a friend about blogging and found that I haven't written in about two months. Why do you think people blog less? Is it Facebook? A phase of life? The format? A lack of topic?

Personally, I think it's Facebook because I can write a sentence, hope it's witty, and move on with my day. Blogging could be that short, but it hasn't been for me, in the past. So, dear, faithful reader, what topics would you like me to ramble on?

Movie of the Day: Gnomeo and Juliet. Kinda cute.

Goo

I've been sick for a week now. It's probably a cold, but it's hanging on for dear life and making me annoyed!!! My eyes are so swollen and gooey today that I don't think I can wear make-up. So, not only is it state testing today, but they're going to be scared by my facial pallor. I better amp up the lipstick.

Movie of the Day: The Tourist.

Oh, Deer!

Yesterday, four deer decided to hang out (lay down, even) in my back yard for over an hour! It was strange. They were big and just sat there. One of them stared at me when I took pictures of them and the rest just ignored me. I stayed a safe distance (i.e. in my house) to take the pictures. I guess they really liked the pile of grass clippings that never made it to the recycling center or whatever. Cushy. That, and the sun combined with a space without snow must have made for an ideal late afternoon nap.

Movies to check out: The Switch, It's Kind of a Funny Story. Both are GREAT!!!!!

I'm Slow.

You know you need to blog when friends start requesting posts. Yep, this one's for you RMT!

Next Wednesday is a Photo Exhibit at Hope UMC in Duluth and I had a tough time picking out which two pictures to submit. I ended up just raiding my livingroom.

The exhibit starts at 7:00 PM and should be a good "show."

I other news: It's March. Whoa. How'd that happen?

Movies for ya:

Just Go With It
Unknown
Post Grad
No Strings Attached

Hibernation Movies

Welcome to January! Or, more appropriately, welcome to the END of January! It could not have arrived any sooner (yes, I know there is still one week left, but I'm doing some wishful thinking, okay?).

I've been watching HEAPS of movies lately, so I shall recommend some:

1000 Journals
Despicable Me
Vicki Cristina Barcelona
Inception
Salt
Just Wright
Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
Easy A
The Kids are Alright


I'm pretty sure I've watched all of these in January. And there are more.

Do you have recommendations?

Whoa! It's been almost three months since I last blogged. Wow! What does it mean? Am I super busy? Am I just posting status updates on Facebook instead? Weird.

What would you like me to babble about?

A Bit O' Banff

Slow Going

So, I've been building my deck with my dad. I've been doing more constructing than you might aspect (if you know me), but it's been satisfying and exhausting. The super heat and humidity of the past two weeks were also our constant companion. Here are some photos:



Ta-Da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lil' Bro's Wedding

Here are a few pictures from the wedding on June 11, 2010:

Piles

I guess I come off as an organized person. You know, like someone who would wear out a labeling machine or something. And sure, I'm compulsive. I'm the first to own up to that. I'm very organized at school. At home, not so much. My office has piles of stuff. The top of my microwave collects mail and coupons that I eventually throw away after their expiration date. I have too many magazines, books, and plants laying around. hmmmm.... anyone else smell a summer project?

Movie of the Day: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Awesome. In Swedish. Not for the faint of heart.

You Make a Good Point

I was texting my new friend Kamil the other day and he wrote "Don't volunteer to suffer." WOW! It was so poignant! I think I "volunteer to suffer" frequently, or at least "to be uncomfortable." Do I have a martyr complex? Maybe. Did I take his advice? Yes. Bullet dodged.

Movie of the Day: Boy A. Such a good movie. I own it if you want to borrow it.

Really Random Wednesdays!

• I think it's funny when I own a book for literally years and haven't read it and then suddenly decide to read it and finish the book in two days. I feel like I need to be "ready" for a book sometimes. I can be intrigued by it, but just need the right mood or soil for it's idea or something. This happens over and over again to me.
• Tomorrow, I get to be an extra in a zombie movie. How cool is that?
• I have to do a little head shake when I think about how it's almost June. Amazing!
• I've started packing up my classroom. 5 full boxes and there's more to do. I can just picture the last day of school: I have one pen and 35 pencils. That's it in the room that doesn't fall in the desk category. Too funny.

How's that for random?

Movie of the Day: Iron Man. I finally saw the first one. Now I can see the sequel!

New Job

Some of you may know that Duluth is reassigning all of it's 6th grade through 12th grade teachers right now. The process isn't over, but many of us know where we will be next year. In fact, we are having staff meetings at our new sites today.

It's a little nerve-racking, actually. I do not know my new boss. I know all of my new math department, though. And, some of my friends from years gone by will be around again, which is great!

My current boss, a great guy, just sent the staff a peptalk email about using our leadership training skills from the past few years to help us through this transition. It was exactly what I needed to hear.

Movie of the Day: One Fine Day.

Long Time, No See (or Read)

Sorry. I have no excuse. Here are a few things on my mind lately:

• I know the state of my life is in unrest when I empty my dishwasher one meal's worth at a time and start using spoons in place of knives.
• I'm wearing down, when I start thinking it's a good idea to bring a tape measure to see if my date's lied about his height.
• I'm so lucky to have arrived home BEFORE the Icelandic volcano. My students don't agree.
• I think I want to start a Kidney Walk team in honor of my friend Nate. What to call it? What to call it?
• My school is being closed for remodeling for a year and all the teachers are getting to reselect their jobs based on seniority. I have to decide where to go. Eek.
  

Movie of the Day: Young Victoria. SUCH a good movie!!!!! She's my new favorite queen!

Spring, Sprang, Sprung, Recoil

Spring usually arrives in Duluth in about May. Usually. This year, it decided to visit for a bit in mid-March. Everyone was happy, but skeptical. "What the heck? It's so warm." 90% of the snow melted. The only stuff left is under a pile of dirt and insulated. That's it!

So, when the warm temperatures realized just what they were doing and that they were extremely early, they decided to hightail it out of here for a little while. That's fine. If it snows again, which it may, it won't last very long.

On my way to choir this week, I heard the creek water rushing and decided to take a few pictures for my friends out of town. See above.

Movie of the Day: Hot Fuzz. Goofy movie.

Skate Your Way to April

So, evidently, April's weather has decided to show up in Duluth a month early. This is mostly a great thing. What's weird is that all of the snow that is melting is then freezing overnight (evidently April Weather has nights off). While the streets are mostly dry, yards, some sidewalks, and driveways are a smooth, shiny ice. If you are the skating type, hit the yard. If you're the skiing type, I'm sorry, but you'll have to switch to skates. Puddle-jumping is just around the corner.

Movie of the Day: Emma (BBC version). Mr. Knightley is hot. He'd melt that ice....

Stream for the Day

I haven't blogged in a while, so I think instead of trying to come up with a topic, I'll just babble for a bit.....I reserved a hotel room for my trip to London and even got a good deal...I've had a headache since yesterday afternoon and I blame the change in weather...I had a conversation about sodium in food last Sunday and now I'm paranoid about it....The snow on my driveway from the Christmas storm is finally gone...I joined Netflix, so I won't be out in public much any more....I sent a package overseas and it STILL hasn't arrived after 4.5 months...I could really go for a day off...I haven't xeroxed the quiz for today, so the machine better be working!...I was told to arrive at my meeting today thirsty, how very odd....

Movie of the Day: New York, I Love You! a response to Paris, Je T'aime. I liked both movies.

In Honor of Nate

I'm sorry I haven't blogged much lately. Things have been rather emotional in the World of Becca as of late. Above you will see a picture of me with my dear friends Nate and Dave. This is the first picture of me that I've ever put on my blog and I think Nate would be proud.

You see, Nate passed away last Saturday, unexpectedly, at the age of 36. The whole past week has been a rollercoaster of happy and sad thoughts of Nate. He was brilliant, funny, friendly and inclusive to everyone. He couldn't understand why I didn't put heaps of pictures on my blog or why I didn't invite every last friend to stay at my house during our 10-year-reunion.

He stayed at my house that weekend and I remember him talking on the phone with Claire (his future wife), sitting on Brighton Beach doing homework (quizzing me with random questions that I failed), and getting me to organize the troops to hang out.

When I went to visit Claire and Nate in Paris, he asked me to bring Cap'n Crunch, peanut butter and tortillas, if I had room in my suitcase. He rationed the Cap'n Crunch that I delivered. We were both obsessed with checking our email and staying connected with friends and we both proof-read our emails before sending them.

I remember we both got our wisdom teeth out the summer of 1992. His dentist didn't tell him to avoid straws, so he was healing slower than I was and his surgery was a day or two before mine. I remember he took a little cooler packed with ice with him to the Blues Fest. He made things happen.

I miss my dear friend and I cannot begin to imagine how his family, wife, and two small kids are feeling right now. I just hope that they know that Nate was loved by everyone who met him.

Okay, We Can DOOOO This.

I have one week before receiving the rest of my Christmas vacation. Yes, Duluth likes to cut the December break short and give us 4 days tacked on to Presidents' Day. It's nice now, stressful for busy folks in December.

So, what will Becca be doing with her week off? I'm not sure. I know 7 teachers going to Mexico. I was even invited along, but my passport is away on "renewal" and I don't think it'll return in time. Bummer.

I will, therefore, look for fun things to do around here unless I'm invited to some exotic domestic locale.

Movie of the Day: Airplane! Saw it for the first time today. I liked it.

Finals

Do you remember that feeling in your gut when you were about to take a really important final exam? Maybe everything hinged on your performance or maybe you're just a perfectionist who always wants to ace things. Maybe you were very relaxed and just figured what will be will be.

I was the stress out until I'm shaking kind of final exam taker. Okay, maybe I wasn't QUITE shaking, but my knee was bouncing and my hands were cold (I lose circulation when I'm nervous.).

I can empathize with my students who are taking finals today, but many of them aren't like Student Becca. Many of them have calculated their grades and decided "good enough" is "good enough." That drives Teacher Becca CRAZY. I don't know why exactly. Is it because I think they're cutting themselves short? Is it because Student Becca is envious of their chill-ness? I don't know.

Either way, it's interesting to watch.

Then, the correcting begins.

Movie of the Day: Inglorious Bastards. Church ladies reading this, pass on this one.

Go Bananas!

Okay, so I have no idea where I heard about this first. I watched a video on YouTube, but there is no way I would have found it on my own, so someone suggested it to me. Suggester, I apologize for forgetting your identity.

What the heck are you talking about Becca?

Bananas. I've been opening them incorrectly pretty much my entire banana-eating life.

Tuesday, I noticed a colleague trying to open her banana with her molars. Maybe her wisdom teeth. I looked up, shocked. Suddenly I remembered the YouTube video on "how to open a banana".

So, are you ready for a paradigm shift? Hold the "top" of the banana in one hand. Open the "bottom" of the banana. It opens right away. No gnashing of teeth (ha ha) or using a knife. No mess on your fingers or under your finger nails.

Maybe we aren't as evolved as we think, but we're catching up!

Movie of the Day: Gorillas in the Mist

Christmas Snow

My buddy Nate always suggests I add a few photos to spice up my blog. So, here is a glimpse of my Christmas Day. The location is my folks' house. The orange thing is a prism for the absent sunshine.


Anyone for a dinner on the deck?


My fancy boots. I wore them Christmas Eve with a long skirt. Walked around the grocery store like that. (Yes, I changed into classier shoes for church).


Movie of the Day: Home Alone. That guy knew how to shovel.

New Year's Resolutions

Our local Sunday paper had an article on the New Year's Resolutions of some of our local government officials, business leaders, or whomever they decided was important around here. I scanned the article, reading the ones of my friends or people I've heard of in the past.

BORING!!!!!!!!!! Sure, one person wants to run a 5K every month and one was about locally grown food. The rest was bland. Cliche. Lose 10 pounds. Yep, heard that one before.

I don't even think I want to hear "Enjoy more sunsets" (puke) or "Spend more time with the kids." That's a "given" in my book. I want to hear things like "Floss enough so I don't get yelled at by my dentist or bleed all over the hygienist" or "Quit stealing my neighbor's good magazines." Put a little thought into it.

You might be asking yourself, "Self, what did Becca resolve to do?" My answer is kind of lame, but I thought of it before reading the paper. My resolution is to make more interesting lunches for work. I always pack my lunch and many days it's the same D@%^ thing. So, I'm going to try to be more interesting.

No, it's not on the level of "I will quit making out with my best friend's uncle's cousin's son," but it's better than stating the obvious that you will lose the same 10 pounds you resolved to lose last year.

Movie of the Day: Tequila Sunrise

Yo

Greetings, Salutations, and Happy New Year! How the heck are ya?

I survived the first day back at school. The kids were super excited to talk to each other and not so excited about radical expressions (the math not things like "DUDE!"). Oh well. We'll all get into the swing of things soon.

I saw two great movies in the theater in the past 3 days: Blindside and Sherlock Holmes. They have completely different "speeds" to them, but both were great.

Did any of you see any good movies?

A Field

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.

~ Rumi

What if we all lived in this field?
Movie of the Day: Field of Dreams. tee hee.

In Honor of Winter Soltice

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Seriously?

I was at Michael's the craft store today with my mom. The checkout lines were very long. As I'm about it get in one line, I notice that there is another one that is only 2 people deep. I ask the person ahead of me if the other line is actually open. She says "Yes." I said, "You don't want it?" "No."

I go to the new line and proceed to wait as a woman is correcting an error on her receipt or whatever. I stand. I stand.

Then, the lady from the other line, walks by, done checking out. She stares at me and smirks with a "ha ha, that's why I didn't go in that line" kind of look on her face.

Now, she could have said "That line isn't moving." "That lady is taking a long time." "You're better off here." or whatever. No, she let me go to the other line. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! So, I decide to switch lines and notice that the next person is finally up in the "short" line. I also notice her basket is full of tiny stuff. Lots of tiny stuff. And, the aisle my mom and I switched to was now about to be empty. So, I went to the new lady behind the basket lady and told her that our line was about to be open. She gave me a huge smile and hopped to the other lane.

Whew. What's the reverse of paying it forward? Absorb, don't deflect? I don't know.

Karma, baby. Karma.

Movie of the Day: The Shop Around the Corner.

Inbox (1)

If you have an email account, you know that when you get a new email, a message appears somewhere on the screen that says "Inbox (1)." Every time I see that message, I get a rush of endorphins. Am I waiting for a specific email? Sometimes. Am I a little let down if it's some sort of "Your cellphone bill is ready online" type email? Yes. Usually, I'm happy enough just to see "Inbox (1)". I guess it's the little pleasures that we need to enjoy, right?

Thankful

What I'm Thankful For:

friends who are willing to let me ramble on and on about my life
family who connect me to the past and future
things that strike me funny JUST when I need a good laugh
little kids who like to give hugs
being able to take a trip to a warm place in February
vibrant colors
almond M & M's
sappy songs and silly songs
authors who write and feel like my new best friend
my house
students who push me to be a better teacher
quotations
fuzzy blankets
the public library
supportive coworkers
my covenant group

Movie of the Day: A Christmas Carol. I'm going today with friends. "God bless us, every one!"

One in a Million

It's my little sister's birthday today. For the next two weeks, her age looks like she's gaining on me. I remember standing at the top of the basement stairs when I was little (like 5?), trying to understand why her birthday came first even though I'M the oldest. I have no idea how my dad explained it or if he just tried to distract me. My grandma was nice and gave us both gifts for both birthdays (at least something little to open). That was sweet!

Movie of the Day: Two Weeks' Notice.

Wake Up!

I read some scary medical stuff this weekend and it's sort of snapped me awake. I need to make some changes in how I'm spending my time and what I'm shoveling into my mouth.

I feel like I'm in quicksand and I've finally grabbed a stable branch.

Movie of the Day: August Rush. We watched it at Movie Night last night and it's such a good movie.

A Reason to Smile

Okay, maybe it's just me (and my coworkers), but we are all smiling now that our four nights of conferences are over! WOO HOO!!!!!! No more 13 hour days until the Spring!

I'm in the mood to see some plays and take in some live music. Am I finally resurfacing from the chaos of the beginning of the school year? Oh, please say it's so!

Movie of the Day: Away We Go. Such an endearing movie. I want to be friends with this couple, well, one of their sane friends, at least.

Oh, I Get It!

I went to a training for three days this week and while it was tough to be out of school that long (I dealt with it better than the kids), I learned a lot. One thing that our presenter talked about was the Zeigarnik Effect. It's the phenomena when you can't quite remember something and then it suddenly comes to you. Your brain works on it "behind the scenes" until it figures out what you were forgetting. That takes energy that you might not know you're spending.

Well, I had a moment this week when many of my stressors suddenly made sense. "Oh, I get it!" All at once, so many things clicked. The sad thing is that it took me a LONG time to figure it out and quite a bit of energy. What a relief! I'm being deliberately vague, but if you want more details, I'll tell you individually.

Movie of the Day: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Civic Stuff

I just heard of an interesting seminar that I can't go to because of conferences, but wanted to let people know about: Being Web Wise: Helping Keep Kids Safe in the Internet Age. It's a seminar from 6 - 8 PM on Thursday, October 29th at the Inn on Lake Superior. You have to be 18 + to attend because of the appropriateness of the content. The presenters are Detective Thomas Champaigne and Sergeant Nicholas Alexander. It looks really good.

Also, if anyone would like me to give them my opinions about who to vote for in the school board election, let me know. I was at a forum this summer and interviewed the candidates that attended.

Movie of the Day: The Net.

One Good Thing

Well, one good thing about having so much homework every night is that a night of conferences didn't seem out of the ordinary. Usually, I'm dragging after each night of working a 12 hour day, but this morning feels like any other day. Weird.

We have Friday off for MEA which really means they compensate us for working conferences. I am super pumped and looking for ideas of how to spend my day off.

Some options:

SLEEP
massage
make jewelry
go to a museum or two
read for fun!
go to a movie
teach my friend Kim how to Skype and then talk to her and her sweet sons (Kim, are you reading this!?!?!)

Anyone else on Skype?

Movie of the Day: My Life in Ruins. Funny, funny movie. Motivating me to plan my trip to Europe!

Fortune Cookies

I brought fortune cookies to a potluck on Wednesday and they had really cheesy fortunes. I think the boxes should have categories: Cruel, Silly, Gross, etc. Use your imagination.

A few I've thought of this morning:

Watch your back.

You will have a booger incident in the next three days.

You and chopsticks will never mix.

Your car is about to run out of gas.

Duck!



Any more you would add?

Movie of the Day: Only You. She went to a fortune teller and then quite a trip.

Bewitched

Remember the show Bewitched? I'm sure I've discussed it before, but I'm back to wishing I could wiggle my nose and freeze time for everyone else. Just for about 15 minutes a few times a day so I could catch my breath, run to the school office, do a little meditation, and then hop back into the fray. Is that so much to ask?

I was also thinking about Napping Centers. Not hotels where you stay all night and have a TV, etc. Just a clean, safe environment to get a quick nap. I wonder what would be a reasonable price to charge.

Movie of the Day: Point Break. In honor of Patrick Swayze. I could use a break. Maybe not a breaking wave...maybe that's what this feels like....

Do You Hear the Bells?

Wedding bells are in the air. My friends M & S are getting married today at Gooseberry Falls. It looks like it's going to be lovely weather and a great day! I hope things go off WITH a hitch.

Congratulations, M & S!

Movie of the Day: The Proposal

Energy Rollercoaster

I have been riding the energy rollercoaster this week. I'm rested. I'm comatose. I'm hyper. I'm accidentally falling asleep on my couch for 2.5 hours. Last night, I had a "Third Wind" and cleaned my kitchen at 9 PM. What the heck?

Today, I woke up wide awake at 6:15 AM and walked 2 miles on my treadmill. One hour later, I'm ready for a nap. I hope things even out soon or I'm going to get whiplash.

Movie of the Day: Adventureland. Theme park. Not for everyone.

Oh, boy!

Well, it's the final evening of my summer and, of course, the weather is lovely. I have a workshop all day tomorrow and then I'll hit the ground running on Wednesday to finish up all of my prepping. I might sneak in a little work tonight, just to get a bit ahead.

I'm envious of the kids who have just a few more days of vacation. When I was a kid, our youth group leader took us to Valley Fair the Saturday after school started. It was perfect because I could survive two days of school, knowing the fun was right around the corner.

Maybe I should gather up some friends and go!

Movie of the Day: The Reader. Intense.

Snakker du norsk?

I've decided I want to learn Norwegian. I took a community ed class in 1999 and then let it fade away. Now, I'm excited to pick it up again.

Quite a few words are the same or close, which is convenient!

Anyone out there "snakker du norsk?"

Movie of the Day: Kitchen Stories. Swedish scientists observing the cooking habits of Norwegian bachelors. Subtitles.

Warm

So, it's a wee bit warm out lately and I'm ready for some cooler temperatures. There is a reason I live here: it's cold or cool most of the time! I did some digging/hauling/dumping of clay (aka "my yard") today and it doesn't matter how breezy it is, it's still nasty out. My dad came over at 6:54 AM to start our last day of digging and it wasn't SOOOO hot. Luckily, we were done before it really heated up outside.

Do I need to move farther North? Become a snowbird who flies "south" to Duluth for the winter? Weird.

Movie of the Day: I've actually seen quite a few lately. (They have air conditioning and I do not.) Julie and Julia, Aliens in the Attic, and (500) Days of Summer. 500 was my favorite, but J & J was good too. Aliens had it's moments: Ninja kicks from Doris Roberts (the grandma on Everybody Loves Raymond) and a rotary phone (raise your hand if you remember those).

Two in One Evening!

If you scroll down a bit, you will notice my list of things I'd like to try. Tonight, I went kayaking AND geocaching!!!!!! Both were great!

The kayaking was a Wednesday Women's Kayaking on Fredenberg Lake. There was a little training and then we just paddled around the lake. So beautiful and relaxing. We saw two adult loons and two baby loons.

Then, on the way home, we looked for AND found a geocache. It was in the woods off of a gravel road. Very interesting. I was with experienced geocachers, so that helped. Now, I'll need to see if I can borrow my folks' GPS equipment. Very cool.

Time to try rock climbing....

Movie of the Day: Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Silly. Funny. Sometimes it's okay to check your brain at the door. He drives a Segway. I should try one of those too!

Grrr.....

So, I have a few magazines that arrive at my home periodically. During the school year, I will breeze through the stack and rip out articles that I would like to read at a later date. Just now, I had the second incident of only ripping out half of the article! Grrr...I hope I can find the second halves online later. That'll teach me!

Movie of the Day: How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. They worked for a magazine.

To Do List- Scribble Scribble

I'm having one of those weeks where you accomplish a lot of things on your To Do list. You know what I mean.

To Do
Call to make doctor appointment
get hair cut
exchange some purchases
go to library
call _____, _____, & _______

It's a good feeling. There are things that I've been meaning to try for years. Things that don't necessarily get on a To Do list: try geocaching, try kayaking, try rock-climbing, hunt for agates.

Yesterday, I went agate hunting and found 20. Yes, 20. In a brief amount of time. If you want in on any of the "Things to Try" activities, let me know.

Movie of the Day: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. SOOOOOOOOO good.

Livin' the High Life

Here are a few photos from the Becca Lift. I'm sorry some of them are blurry. It was windy that day. Swaying.....Swaying....



Nice purple plant (neighbor's).

The upper window was the room I shared with One in a Million Saras.

Need a Lift?

My folks are painting their house this week and their wonderful daughters are helping them. My dad isn't allowed to use a ladder any more (he's not allowed to fall). So, Sara joked about renting a "man lift" for the project. Well, my dad jumped at the idea and suddenly there is heavy equipment in their yard.

So, we started calling it the Chick Lift. Then, since it made Sara sick to be up there, I've started calling it the Becca Lift. Yes, that's right. I'm up there the whole time. Driving the little bucket thing and painting in the sky. And yes, I'm the one who freaks out walking down the stairs at Dewitt-Seitz because you can see through on the vertical parts of each step.

Any way, it's great fun. I'm getting proficient at maneuvering the bucket and only hit the house once (just a little dirt smudge on a part I needed to paint any way).

If you're in town and wanna check it out, stop on over.

Movie of the Day: Knowing. I liked it. Everyone else in the room didn't. (Two other people) There were lots of numbers and puzzles, but some creepy stuff too.

Weird

A few years ago, I signed up to sponsor a kid in Haiti. When I got the material, it was anti-gay and that really didn't sit well with me. It said that the family pictures could not depict a gay couple and had to support "Christian" beliefs. Well, I couldn't decide what to do. Do I quit and not let this kid go to school, get books, etc. or do I "let it go."

Well, a few months ago, they upped the monthly price again (a second time). I was horrible about writing her letters (worse than my driest blogging spell), and since she's "in" the program once she really started and it was still bugging me about their hate tactics, I decided to cancel my sponsorship. It was remarkably easy and they didn't ask why. I should have told them that I can afford the $38 a month (up from $32 recently and like $28 when I started), but didn't like their philosophy.

Since then, I have gotten multiple mailings as if I'm still a sponsor and then yesterday, received a letter saying my sponsored kid was dropped from the program for non-participation. WHAT?!?! The letter was written in April. So, where did May and June's money go? Grrr.... So, now I don't feel bad at all about stopping except now I'm worried about the kid. Now, I feel compelled to write. Weird. I guess I pray for her and hope she's okay.

Art Day

I've decided to give myself a day to futz around with some of my art supplies and see what happens. Mainly it means I flit from one thing to another and nothing actually gets done.

However..... for months I've had a project in mind that involves using a coconut shell (auditions for Monty Python?). This meant buying a coconut and figuring out how to open it. So, the coconut sat and sat and then, finally I decided today was the day.

I went to YouTube to see what to do. I tried what the dude did. Didn't work. Maybe my knife was too small? Any way, I switched to a hammer, but my hammer is old and the head likes to fall off. So, I had to be careful not to whack more than just the coconut. Then, a chunk flew up at my eye. Not good. There might be a bruise tomorrow. I made a hole, but it wasn't splitting like the video guy's example.

I needed better tools. So, I headed to the garage and finally won the Becca vs. Coconut battle. The innards were not-so-fresh, so I left them for stray animals and then tried to get the shell into pieces (by smashing it with my hammer).

The process would make a good tension reliever, with the proper safety gear.

Now to clean the hammer and work with the shell....

Movie of the Day: Beaches.

Inspiration

One of my earliest friends was instant messaging me this evening and has inspired me to blog. It was essentially like she was saying "hop to it." She also gave me some topics to pursue. However, this evening, my brain is too wonky and tired to focus on one topic, so I shall give you some random snippets and think more clearly at another point in the near future.

So, let the randomness begin:

1) What's with the Chicken Dance at wedding receptions? Is it just that anyone who doesn't even like to dance will do it? (Think Becca).

2) Why are directions from internet sites so wrong sometimes? I was 40 minutes late for the Chicken Dance event because of my directions. Okay, I was only 30 minutes late because of them, the rest was my fault, but still....

3) What's a good thing to do when there are couples' dances and you're there alone? Hit the washroom, pretend to look at the art on the wall (that's what I did)? Suggestions?

4) Why is my desk at school spotless and my desk at home looks like an aisle from Target exploded on it?

5) Why am I addicted to Cherry Coke Zero?

6) What's the best way to encourage a friend to write a book when they have a good idea for one?

7) My neighbor is trying to sell her house, but I don't want her to leave. Do you think it would be evil to add a couple marks to the "handouts" on the sign and make it look like she wants $80,000 more than she really wants???? (I wouldn't do it, but I have thought of chasing some people away. Tee hee.)

8) Eight (8) is a nice number because it's 2 cubed (2 x 2 x 2) and it's a good age, too.

Movie of the Day: The Hangover. Saw it Friday night. Dumb humor. Funny, but dumb.

Stuff

I have too much stuff. So, in an effort to lighten my "load," I'm going through cabinets, closets, and shelves. This is Round 1. I think Round 2 will be more cutthroat, but for now I just want to get rid of some things that I KNOW I don't use.

There have been some surprises too! I found a little coffee pot that I forgot I had. All the people who had to drink instant coffee at my house, I'm sorry! I've also found quite a few new journals. Now, I used to write in journals every day for years, but stopped for some reason a few years ago. Is it my subconscious trying to tell me to pick up the pen again? Maybe. Or, am I a compulsive journal collector?

I'm going to visit some college friends (and other good friends) in a couple of weeks, so they will be getting a few random things too. I don't plan to dump all my junk on them or they'll never invite me back! T, don't worry, it's mostly kid stuff.

Movie of the Week: The Proposal. Saw it last night. Good movie! Very sweet and funny.

Crud

I started feeling the sore throat coming on last night. I woke up this morning with the pain. Do you ever get a sore throat and then you're so happy when it moves into your nose or your lungs, just so you can swallow again? Mine is starting to move to my nose. Annoying!

Add another movie to the WWII list: Valkyrie. It was pretty good. Intense, again. I really need to go to the library and get something about mammals or physics or filling out your tax return. Well, that's a bit extreme!

Intense

So, I'm obsessed with World War II movies right now. Not the fighting so much, though. Maybe it's the D-Day celebration or my planned trip to Normandy that has me so focused, I don't know.

I've seen two intense movies in the last 5 days:

1) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. The family of a Nazi commandant moves near a concentration camp and their son befriends a boy on the other side of the electrified wire fence.

2) Defiance. Four Jewish brothers hide in the woods in Belorussia and eventually a community of refugees comes together. This movie has much more overt violence than the one above.

Both movies were excellent and I would recommend them to most adults and the first one to teens. Neither are for kids. They're the kinds of movies that stick with you for days after watching them.

Walker

When I was a kid, there were "walkers" and "bussers" at school. The bussers got to leave early and the walkers had to wait until the last moment of school before we lined up and walked to the door of the building. I think it's still mostly the same, but since I don't work in an elementary school, I'm not 100% positive.

I was a "walker" because I lived two blocks from school. Down hill one way... :)

Now, I'm trying to be a "walker" again, though not as the main mode of my transportation. This morning, I walked two miles on my treadmill. Quickly. Or, at least as quickly as I can handle without face-planting on the floor.

Movie of the Day: A Walk to Remember.

Weird

I was just on a search engine and saw a few pictures of famous women on the main page. I wonder what it would be like to search for something online and keep running across your own face? Does that happen? Would I want to have my own personal "Google User" so I wouldn't have to look at silly publicity shots of myself?

Famous readers out there, what is your strategy?

Movie of the Day: I've Loved You So Long. Such a good movie! You either need to know French or be able to read subtitles, though. Warning: kind of heavy subject matter.

What Would You Do?

Life is a great big canvas;

throw all the paint on it you can.

- Danny Kaye