So Far, So Good

Well, I'm blogging every day, just like I promised. Now, if only I could think of something fascinating to write here!

• I saw Sweet Land yesterday which was indeed sweet and about land.
• I'm half-way done with my second blanket for charity. My mom seems to think I will be making about 20 (eek). We'll see how far I get before school starts back up.
• I haven't figured out what to do tonight to celebrate the yearly transition.
• I probably won't make any resolutions this year. Maybe I should resolve not to make any resolutions. Hmmm.....

Happy New Year!

Christmas Lights, A-Flamin'

Oh, interesting story from Christmas Day: My mom and I both have these tea-light tower things that I found one year. She only uses hers at Christmas and mine sits out in my office, but I never light it. Any way, I'm sure you can guess where this is going... I go to switch out the tea lights around lunch time on Christmas and one of them is really, really flaming and the fire is sort of rolling around the tin. I try blowing it out a couple times and it doesn't work. On the last try, it flies OUT of the tower and behind my mom's sewing machine! I'm screaming "OH MY GOD" and trying to move the machine and make sure the flame is out. The wall is doused in wax and the linoleum is singed. Ufff. Most of it came off/out and the machine covers the burns, but I was freaked. Yep, I will be getting rid of my tower now. If it had been in my office, the carpet would have caught fire?

Yesterday, I left my house a couple times to check my mailbox. Does stepping on the porch count as "leaving the house"? Maybe not. Any way, the rest of the day, I finished a blanket (green with white trim) and watched two movies: Thumbsucker (good) and Birth (decent).

We'll see what kind of mischief I get into today....

Vacation

Greetings, all! I am gloriously on vacation for the next week and have decided to make it a goal to blog every day.

This afternoon, my plan is to work on sewing a fleece blanket and watch one of the movies that I bought without actually haven't seen it. Yes, I know it's crazy, but at the time, I thought it made more sense to buy them when it was cheaper to buy than to rent. Now, I realize that this means I have movies on my hands. So, I will watch them and then decide if I should keep them or pass them along.

However, I would like some ideas of new movies or documentaries that you've enjoyed. So, if you would like to leave a comment with suggestions, that would rock!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Give Me Back My Week, Please.

We had a snow day last Monday. And then, we had a "if you can't get to school, you are excused" day which most of our kids took to mean a snow day. That takes care of Monday and Tuesday. Then, I went on a retreat with the ninth graders on Wednesday. Then, I missed half of Thursday for an appointment. Uff. Friday, I was able to see all of my classes for the first time all week.

Now, we have two more days of school and then we can relax a bit. Unfortunately, I'm going to be trying to cram a lot of math into these last two days when the students are perhaps a bit less focused than usual. Ha ha. I'll try.

Movie: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Sweet.

Christmas Lights

Over the years, I've tried to put up Christmas lights in my yard. I think they're pretty and fight depression. Unfortunately, in the last year, I seem to have lost almost all of the inanimate objects that I've ever decorated! The only thing that I can reach without a serious ladder (and an acrophobia trigger) is my front steps' railing. That just doesn't seem like enough. I've actually thought of asking my neighbor if I can light her fence. I wonder if she'd let me.

Movie of the Day (or week/month since I'm so slow at blogging these days): The Dark Knight. He could have used a little light.

Early, Even For Me

I'm awake and ready for the day ridiculously early. This means I was wide awake at 4:30, ready to attack the day. I have to WAIT to eat breakfast simply so I'm not crabby with hunger by 9:00. It's silly.

I'm excited to start my long weekend. I decided to take tomorrow off from work and I'm finding that a two-day work week is really quite manageable! I wonder if I could live off 40% of my income?

Any way, it's glorious and I'm excited to get the relaxing started!

I hope everyone has a lovely Thanksgiving (or weekend if you are reading this outside of the US).

Movie of the Day: Dream For an Insomniac

A Poem

I ran across a poem that I wrote. I'm not sure when it was written.

A Prayer

May you find kindness and love.
May you be safe and warm.
May you find home, laughter, and joy.
May you find someone to share your sorrow
and someone to lift you up.
May you find peace within your heart
and light within your soul.

I'm a Slug

I have down time tonight and dreams of mustering up the energy to clean my house. In reality, all I want to do is curl up with my book and try to fight my adult-onset ADD. Can I read more than 5 pages in one sitting? I'm not sure.

I'll go give it a try.

Movie of the Day: Herbie the Love Bug. Slug Bug White!

Stream of Consciousness: Let It Flow

It's Tuesday. It's dark out way too early for my taste. My driveway is like semi-set cement and my cute decorative flag ripped off my garage this weekend in the wind. Tore the holder off too. Sheesh. It's like the wind doesn't want any fun. Yesterday, I drove behind a truck that had two American flags on sticks attached to the windows. All I could think of was the drag and how much gas they would save by taking them down. No offense, Flag. I'm in the mood to make jewelry, but I'm antsy too. Then, I feel groggy and like "Hey, maybe 8:00 is an acceptable bedtime." I'm starting to act old or 4. Oy. I have some plants in my livingroom that are getting out of control! They're snaking along the carpet and having a grand ol' time. I suppose the people with green thumbs would suggest splitting them and getting bigger pots and such so they can propagate even more. Might be good. I glanced at an article in Sunday's paper about having plants at work to help with the air quality. I've had plants at school before. I wonder if the kids would leave them alone. Maybe. They don't seem to mess with much this year, though I have gotten rid of some of the distractions: cartoon calendars and the cd player, to be specific. How much fun can they really have with a plant? Well, a legal plant.

Movie of the Day: High School Musical 3. Cheesy goodness. The previews made me laugh out loud.

Uber Fun on a Sunday

I spent the evening with my friends L, G, Goofy Boy, and Wee One. They were in town for a little R & R before L goes back to work in a week.

It's amazing how a person can be friends with someone for 24 years (Crap, that makes me feel old) and maybe not see them for years and years, but just fall right back into place like it's been a week since the two of you hung out. It's very, very nice.

We laughed. We giggled. We gossiped. We remembered lots of random stuff from junior high and even some stuff that I forgot about. G wanted to know what L said about him when they started dating in 1989. Unfortunately, I don't remember much beyond the general drama of it all.

Now, they have Goofy Boy and Wee One, both delightful young men.

Movie of the Day: The Edge. A creepy movie. A nice hotel water park.

Linger

It's raining and really all I want to do is curl up with a book, a movie, a blanket, and some loved ones. It's the perfect day to hunker down, to gather in the warmth and linger.

Argh

Raise your hand if you're stressed out. I've been the kid in the back waving her hand vigorously for weeks now and I finally couldn't take it any more yesterday. Things at work are overwhelming. The election, the economy, the weather are looming. Luckily, things with my family and friends are good, or I'd be in the loonie bin for sure.

On a lighter note, here's a shout-out to little Baby M, who was nearly born in my livingroom last week! M and her mom L are going great!

Movie of the Day: Water.

Mix Tape

Remember mix tapes? For the young ones out there, it's like a mix cd only on a tape cassette. Instead of drag-clicking a playlist and burning the cd, you sit and switch either tapes or cds for each song and then wait while it plays and records. You have to plan the songs so you don't run out of time on one side before the song finishes. It's a serious labor of love.

I ran across a mix tape that my friend K made for me in December of 1991. I know she reads this blog, so I'd like to thank her and find out if she remembers it. For everyone else, count up how many of the following songs you know and feel free to drop a comment....

"Tape for Becca Dec. - 1991 'A Collective Accumulation of Classics' - Love K..

Side A

Tocata and Fuge in Dm- J.S. Bach
Up the Ladder to the Roof- The Nylons
The Obvious Child- Paul Simon
Under the Sea-The Little Mermaid (Sebastian)
Donna- Ritchie Valens
From a Distance- Bette Midler
Feelin' Groovy- Simon & Garfunkel
The Sound of Silence- S & G
Juke Box Hero- Foreigner
Ballads + Blues- George Winston
Loud/Soft- Bert (Sesame Street)

Side B

"W" Lovers- Bert again
Mack the Knife- Louis Armstrong
Penniwhistle Jig- Jamse Galway
Otto Titsling- Bette Midler
Hotel California- Eagles
Piano Man- Billy Joel
Duelin' Banjos- James Galway
Bert's Girlfriend- Bert (SS)
Bop `Til You Drop- The Nylons
Sabre Dance- James Galway
The Friendship Theme (From Beaches)

Nice mix, eh?

Movie of the Day: Made of Honor. Fluffy, but okay.

Community Ed Classes

Okay, I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. Let's blame school starting, shall we?

Every Fall, I look forward to getting the Community Ed Classes flier in the newspaper. Over the years, I've taken quite a few classes: Joy of Soy, self-defence, photography, Norwegian, and even bellydancing. I haven't seen any in recent years that have just jumped out at me and made me want to rearrange my life to attend. So, I've decided to create a dream list of classes that I would enjoy:

Classes Becca Would Like To Attend Through Community Ed.
How to Introduce Yourself to a Neighbor Six Years After Becoming Neighbors.
How to Get Your Contractor to Do His/Her Job.
How to Cook Without Getting Injured.
How to Map Routes Through Duluth to Optimize Gas Usage.
How to Stop Drinking Pop: You Can Do It! Or Not Do It!
How to Find Organic Fair Trade Clothing That You Can Try On Before Buying.
How to Make World Peace a Reality.

Yep, that's my list. Now, I know I've been AWOL blogging. Please forgive me. What Classes would YOU like to see offered through Community Ed?

Movie of the Day: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. I didn't think this movie would hit me just as deeply as it did. I really liked it!

Here We Go

Yesterday was the first official day back for teachers. It's a time for staff development, catching up with friends, hauling books from the bookroom to my room (on whatever cart I can find), and pretty much trying to get as much squared away as possible.

Today, we have a two hour staff meeting at 10, with room prep before and afterwards. Some years, it's enough time and other years I'm scrambling to finish things up as the kids are coming in the door on Thursday morning. This year, I think I'll be okay.

Movie of the Day: What Happens in Vegas. It's silly and doesn't have a lot to do with Vegas and more to do with learning to get along with people.

One Minor Step

The foundation of my house needs redoing, as I may have mentioned in JUNE. It has yet to get started, except that an electrician has moved my powerline to a better entry spot. That's it.

My theory is that the contractor will want to start on the first day of school, because that will add just the right amount of stress to land me in a padded room.

Movie of the Day: Persepolis. A grown up cartoon. It's in French with subtitles. Be able to read quickly. It's about a girl growing up in Iran. It's very good!

Okay, Okay. I Won't Travel.

You may recall that I was whining about not getting out of town much this summer. It's true. After blogging, I thought of one trip to the Cities in June and then did make a day trip to Little Fork, MN.

Then, planning as all good planners do, I plotted out a nice little two-day trip to Mankato and the surrounding region starting tomorrow. Nothing too wild, but at least a little bit of a trip.

All of that is tossed out the window. Why? Why would Becca cancel her chance to see new horizons? Pneumonia! Yes, that's right. I have pneumonia. Crazy, huh? My highest fever went up to 104.6, but has broken now. Whew. I spent Monday afternoon in the Emergency Room getting poked and prodded. I was so sick that I didn't even bother showering before going there (it's significant). Yesterday, I realized I hadn't brushed my teeth in over two days.

It's been a rough week. Luckily, I'm on the upswing.

Movie of the Day: Wit. Very good. Sad. Funny. Kept running through my head as I sat in the hospital.

Clean Drugs

In an effort to sort out some of the junk in my house, I decided to take advantage of the up-coming "Drug Recycling Event" that WLSSD is putting on next week. They are collecting and disposing of old medications instead of letting people flush them, pour them down the sink, or throw them away!

When was the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet?

Movie of the Day: How to Deal. ha ha ha.

Hurricane Becca

I am in this bizarre mood to just cull out so much stuff at my house that I'm opening closets and drawers and then just pulling out stuff I don't want any more. Then, I leave it in the middle of the floor and keep moving on. I'm not doing it consciously, but the place is starting to look like a storm has been through the house.

I better go start clean-up efforts.

Movie of the Day: Dark Knight. It was very dark, but good. Not as violent as I feared, but still pretty bad.

Must Travel. Now.

Okay, I'm the last one to eagerly admit that school is starting soon. "Soon" is a relative term, I keep telling myself. If it were March and someone said, "I'm gonna give you 3.5 weeks off right now" I would do a happy dance. So, I should be thrilled to still have 3.5 weeks of vacation and not focus on all that will happen at the end of those 3.5 weeks, right? I mean, there's preparing, but not worrying....

Any way, I haven't done a very good job of getting my carcass out of Duluth this summer. I went an hour and a half away. Once. For an afternoon. That doesn't count for much.

Therefore, I am hoping to make a couple short trips around the state in my 3.5 weeks: 1) Twin Cities, or "The Cities," 2) Up North to see relatives, & 3) Mankato to see friends (and Belle Plaine, L.).

Any suggestions on what to see when I'm in any of these three places?

Movie of the Day: Nancy Drew. Very cute movie.