If I Were a Baseball Player...

If I had been born a male, my number one job choice would have been F-16 pilot for the US Navy. Yes, I was heavily influenced by the movie Top Gun!! But, my second job choice would have been Major League baseball player. I went to the Padres game last night, and Jared and I were talking quite a bit about the game past and present. It got me thinking about the what-if's had I been lucky, talented, and, well, man enough to go down that path....

If I Were a Baseball Player:

1. I would not be married. What's the point? It seems to me that with all that fame, money, and athletic ability, a ball player could have a different beautiful companion as often as desired. Are any MLB players faithful to their wives?? I seriously doubt it! Why be unfaithful and potentially hurt that one woman? Why give up half my ungodly income and scar my kids in the divorce? Just stay single and live it up. I'm just saying - that's what I would do.

2. I would be a pitcher. Now of course, this makes big assumptions about my body composition, strength, and talent, but it's my dream world so I can be a pitcher if I want. To me, the pitcher/batter duel is the most exciting part of the game - the mental and physical come together in the blink of an eye. I love it when a pitcher can use all of his skill as a planner and an athlete to outwit a pitcher. There's nothing better than seeing an opposing power hitter swing way in front of a third-strike change-up or way above a wicked curve as the bottom falls out of it. Yeah, I'd want to be the guy responsible for that.

3. I know it's not such a problem for pitchers, but say I was an outfielder instead - I would not use steroids, HGH, or any of that nonsense. Putting up huge numbers and breaking records is great and all. I certainly can understand the desire to be a superstar. But it's so apparent which guys are juicing - why would you want to always be remembered with an asterisk next to your name. Call me crazy, but I'd much rather be a Tony Gwynn than a Barry Bonds... a Greg Maddux than a Roger Clemens.

4. My song, when I came up to bat (yes, I know I'm a pitcher, but I'm apparently in the National League and an amazing hitter!) would be "Groove is in the Heart" by DeeLite. This song from the late 80's is like a shot of adrenaline every time I hear it. I realize it's a bit girly for a superstar ball player, but what the hell...

5. And finally, I would retire with dignity. I would hang up my mitt at the apex of my career and I would stay retired, for goodness sakes. Some of these boys are hanging on way past their prime, even if it means bouncing around from team to team just to extend the glory for another year or two. I know there's money to be made and obviously these players have some real talent left if they are able to score contracts, but I would love to be the one of those few who goes out on top - and stays there.

So, there's my pipe dream. Perhaps if I'm a good girl in this life, the spinners of the karmic web will allow me to come back as a baseball hero in the next. Let's just hope I don't forget all of my lofty goals should I make it to the show...

Swingtown

I've gotten hooked on a television show this summer. Yes, Swingtown. I can tell you exactly why I began watching this show: it stars Grant Show, who I loved on Melrose Place all those years ago, and Molly Parker, who was one of the stars of Deadwood, which may be the greatest television series ever made.
I was a little skeptical about the premise: suburban couples during the 1970's sexual revolution who spend their nights disco dancing and swinging with the neighbors. There seems to be a lot of potential for cheesiness here! But I fell in love with this show from the first episode.There are very superficial reasons to love Swingtown: the costumes, the hairdos, the decor, the music! It's all vintage 70's, and seeing these artifacts from my childhood brings back so many memories. There are so many little touches like the hairbrush Grant Show was using in the "Get Down Tonight" episode - one of those flat black plastic numbers just like my dad used to have. I plan to download the soundtrack as soon as it's available, because I loved every single song they played during the course of this season.
But the real reason this show is so great is because of the superb plots and acting. It's not really a show about swinging, of course. It's on CBS for heaven's sakes! It's really about a bunch of people of all ages experiencing growing pains in parallel to the political and cultural changes going on in the U.S. in 1976. And the strongest characters on the show are the women, who are figuring out how to embrace the increasingly mainstream ideas of equality and liberation. The male characters all try to be supportive of their ladies' search for themselves, but mostly end up standing around looking befuddled!
It's a fun show to watch, and every single episode has made me laugh out loud at some point, and then well up at the final, poignant lesson-of-the-week. I don't know if this show is being renewed for a second season, but you can check out this summer's episodes on the CBS website.

Back to School

Ah, yes . . . a week has gone by with no posts. It must be Back to School time! Today was the kids' first day back, but I've been working in my classroom for the better part of the past two weeks. You would think that after 12 years of this, setting up my room and preparing for the new school year would be a snap. But that's just not my personality: I am slow and diligent and I tend to overprepare and overthink everything! So I know to give myself plenty of time to ease back into the fray each August.
I got to work super-early this morning. I skipped my morning run so I could arrive at school around 6:30. This was probably a mistake, as the exercise would have given me a much-needed energy boost. I'll make up for it tomorrow.
By 7:45, when my new students began to arrive, I definitely felt ready. I have a tiny little class of 21 students, although that number will likely grow as families continue to move into the new homes surrounding my school.
The kids themselves were marvelous: sweet, calm, hard-working, respectful... I can already tell that this is going to be a terrific year!

Crappiest Movie Ever?

I subscribe to the Blockbuster at Home DVD service. This little movie-rental program is perfect for me. I mainly rent cable television shows like The Tudors, Weeds, Big Love, and Deadwood. And, unfortuately, these shows are not stocked in the inexpensive red box rental machines at Albertsons. So, for $10 a month, I get 4 DVDs, which is not a bad deal at all. 

Anyway, I received my latest DVD in the mail about a week ago. I've been wanting to watch the new Showtime series called Californication with David Duchovny. I loved Duchovny on the X-Files, and I had read in Entertainment Weekly that this new series was pretty explicit, but quite good. So, tonight I decided to sit down and enjoy this raunchy entertainment!

Well, when I opened up the envelope, I found that the disc inside was a movie called 10,000 B.C. - oops, a little mix up on the part of Blockbuster. I reported the problem online, and then I thought, "Huh, a free movie. Might as well check it out."

Now I have seen some bad movies in my life. Usually they are sequels to movies I actually really liked. I walked out of the theater a few minutes in to The Crow 2. Jurassic Park 2 - need I say more? And Blair Witch 2? Don't even get me started!! Some other crappy movies I've actually paid money to see include A History of Violence and Message in a Bottle.

At least I was smart enough to stay completely away from bombs such as Gigli, Battlefield Earth, Glitter, and Swept Away (I love ya Madonna, but not that much).

I gave 10,000 BC a generous 10 minutes to prove itself. It felt like 10,000 minutes! Total crap. Horrible. Stupid dialogue, ridiculous acting, second-rate CGI . . . there is nothing redeeming about this movie, unless maybe they inject a kick-ass car chase scene midway through. But somehow, I doubt it. Free or not, this one is headed back to Blockbuster unwatched.

Random Musings...

I really don't have anything profound to say today, so just some miscellaneous goings-on from my life:

• I ran eight miles this morning with Meg, Susan, Matt, and Mark. Yeah us!
• I finally saw Clerks 2 this weekend. Thanks, Jared ;) Oh, and Reese's Pieces too. Yum!
• Yesterday, I went to breakfast at the Original Pancake House. Today, I ate half my leftovers. The rest will be breakfast tomorrow!! Big portions? I'll say.
  
• I have not watched any of the Olympics. I am a bad American.
• Today, I celebrated my niece's 5th birthday. It's so weird. She is beginning Kindergarten in a few days. I remember enrolling her big brother in preschool 3 years ago, and he is about to start second grade. Kids really do grow up fast...
• I just learned today that my good friend Ashli, who now lives in Phoenix, is coming to visit in September. I am so excited to see her! We worked together for 6 years, and I miss her terribly since she moved away.
• Tomorrow, I go back to work full time. School doesn't start until the following Monday, but I have a heck of a lot of work to do between now and then!
• I came across this interesting opinion piece today in the Union Trib. Food for thought, certainly. Although with the examples of inexperienced politicians that Condon cites, I'm not sure he really proves his point. Be sure to read the comments at the end. They will make you feel smart, I guarantee it.

Negotiations

For the past two days, I've been working on contract and salary negotiations for my school district. I am part of a five-teacher team, and we use a process called Interest Based Bargaining to ensure that the students', teachers', administration's, and the community's needs are met through contract and salary adjustment.

Every since I began my career, I've tried to get involved in as many different committee, leadership, and union positions as I can. In my twelve years of teaching, the adjunct roles I've taken on include: Technology Coach, Literacy Coach, Math Chair, GATE Teacher, Association Vice-President, and Student Study Team Coordinator. I've worked on Curriculum Mapping, Strategic Planning, PQR, and a California Distinguished School Application. I love to get involved. Each time I join one of these groups to work toward improvement in our school district, I learn a little bit more about how the organization functions as a whole.

It's very educational being a part of salary negotiations. I know the contract much better than I ever did before, and I'm becoming quite familiar with ed code, the district budget, and how complicated school funding truly is. I've enjoyed negotiations for several reasons: Our administration is quite transparent, and the whole process is respectful and solution-oriented. 

For me however, this is probably the last year I will take part in bargaining. Despite the positives, I personally struggle with a few things:

• I have a hard time keeping my personal opinions in check. Sometimes as a representative of the association members as a whole, I am obligated to fight for a position I may not agree with. 
  
• I am a natural rule-follower. I don't really question authority - I never have! So challenging my bosses in a negotiations setting is not easy for me. I must admit, however, that it has helped with my assertiveness.
• In Interest Based Bargaining, we follow a lengthy, structured process. This is good in a way, because it helps avoid a negative, adversarial approach to negotiations. But it seems like everything takes forever. Sometimes, I want to just cut to the chase and make a decision already!

Unfortunately, we did not finish today. It's a tough year for everyone - the economy is going downhill, property values are decreasing, and the provisional state budget includes some important cuts to education funding. I have faith that we will reach an agreement soon, but boy will I be glad when we are finished!

Jem!

Did anyone else love this cartoon in the 80's?

No?

Just me??

Back to Work

I went back to my classroom today for the first time since mid-June. As always, I am super excited to get back to work! It's my 13th time doing this, and I have the same feeling when I walk in every single year: overwhelmed! No matter how organized and prepared I think I am when I leave in June, it never fails that I come back in August feeling as if I have a billion things to do. I know that it's not really so bad, and that everything will come together as it always does. But for the first day or two I seem to just walk circles around my classroom, completely spinning my wheels.

This year I will have a brand new team partner, increasing the number of fourth grade teachers at Sycamore Ridge from two to three. This may change the rotation system that Meg and I have enjoyed over the past two years, so I'm not sure yet what subjects I will be teaching.  In addition, we have a new science program, and I will be piloting two different math curricula this year. I feel like I have a pretty good handle on language arts, but there are always new things I want to learn about and try in that area as well. 

But before I can get any of this work started, I need to set up my physical environment. I am a very visual person, and I can not get down to business until my space is organized. I am trying a new desk arrangement this year, and so I spent probably an hour today just shifting desks around. Next, I got the rest of the furniture into place. I then had to settle all of my pictures and stuffed animals back into their pre-summer homes and replace my books and binders on the bookshelves. When I left today, I felt like I had some semblance of order, and I brought a lot of the curriculum planning home with me, where I know I will do it instead of getting distracted by a wayward pile of papers. So, try not to be jealous - I'm off to peruse Harcourt math manuals...

The source of my bubbly disposition? I think it's pretty easy to see . . .

Jared and Jen at Pacific Coast Grill, 8/10/08 (well-hydrated)

Mom and Diane Have Gone Home

Sadly, after a super-short visit, my mom and aunt have returned home to San Jose. It was so wonderful having them here! I hadn't enjoyed uninterrupted "girl time" with my mom since the night before my wedding eight years ago, and I hadn't even seen my aunt Diane in several years. I really loved sharing my home and my adopted city with them over the past couple of days.

Although it was fun carousing all over town, what I really enjoyed most about this visit was the time we spent at my apartment: sitting on my tiny couch and on the floor, pets sprawled out getting their fill of affection, mixed drinks in hand, and tons and tons of good conversation. I have always felt the steel resolve in my blood that has been passed down from generation to generation of women in my family. What a gift to be grown up and sharing thoughts and feelings with women I admire so much.

More Fun with My Visitors

More fun with Mom and Diane: Today we...

• Had breakfast at the Pancake House
  
• Removed a tick from Brandy
  
• Drove by my work and along the beach a bit
  
• Went to the Star Trek exhibit at the Air and Space Museum
  
• Went to the Zoo

Fun and tiring day!!

Old Town San Diego

This morning I finished up my last day at Young Writer's Camp. I got home around 11, picked up Mom and Diane and we headed out to Old Town. This was pretty brave of them, as they'd spent the morning walking around and shopping in Carmel Mountain. But we are all tough women, so off we went!

We started out with lunch at the Cafe Coyote. See those big ole' margarita glasses? Yeah, they're empty.

Feeling full and relaxed, we then trooped down San Diego Avenue toward Old Town Park. 

Mom saw this print in the window of the Chuck Jones gallery. We went inside to check it out and it turned out the price was reasonable, so she went ahead and bought it! It's titled "In the Light of Justice" and is a signed artist's proof (2 of 25) by Alex Ross. Included in the print are DC superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman. Mom and her fiance Don are big fans of the comic book genre. This print will hold a prominent place in their home, I'm sure.

We then walked around Old Town for another hour, browsing the stores and taking in the views. Overall, it was a very fun and enjoyable afternoon. Now, it's time to rest up for our Balboa Park adventure tomorrow . . . 

Happy Birthday Brandy!

On Tuesday, Brandy got a cheeseburger for her birthday. Here is a video of her enjoying it . . .

To round out the celebration, I enjoyed a few of those greasy McDonald's fries. Sorry, no video!

Brandy Turns 8!

Tomorrow is my dog Brandy's birthday. She will be 8 years old. Brandy is a puppy at heart. She is compact, fit, and energetic. Brandy goes for 3 or 4 mile runs with me regularly, eats well, and is always alert and bright-eyed. She loves to chase after a toy or a tennis ball. She wags her tail just as vigorously as she did at six months old. Brandy growls if she hears neighbors walking by, and she barks like crazy if anyone knocks on the door.

Nevertheless, I am beginning to see some signs of aging this summer. Maybe it's because I'm home more often, but I have noticed that Brandy sleeps a lot more than I remember. And not a light, semiconscious sleep, but a deep leg-kicking, eyelid-fluttering dreamworld sleep. She does this nearly all day long. Sometimes she doesn't even hear those neighbors go by. When Brandy does get up from her frequent naps, there is now an audible pop-pop from her back legs as she extends them. Her active little joints are aging, and I sometimes worry that I work her too hard. But when she doesn't get her vigorous exercise, her mental stability begins to suffer, so I keep running and playing with her. 

This dog is so much more than a pet to me. She is my guardian angel. She has been my constant companion through thick and thin. Brandy protects me, cuddles with me, and happily plops herself into my lap whenever I need my spirits lifted. She is lying right next to me as I type this. Brandy keeps me active and teaches me about selflessness. She is the very definition of unconditional love. As she gets older, inevitably I'm forced to consider not having her around someday. It's hard to face that four more years may be about all I have with this sweet little thing. I just hope that when that day comes, in her little doggie mind, she will in some way know how much she's meant to me.  

Time to go find the tissue...

High School Yearbooks

I recently pulled out my yearbooks from my last two years of high school. I hadn't looked at those things in years. I was 16 when I graduated from high school, so I've doubled up my life since. Certainly I made some interesting observations while flipping through those pages....

• Boy, was I skinny back then. I don't think I had developed any hips to speak of yet, and I had yet to discover the "freshman 15." But I thought I was fat! Weird...
  
• I was blond. Very, very blond.
  
• I loved Madonna then. I love Madonna now. I guess some things never change.
  
• Those popular guys I had crushes on don't look nearly so cute to me now. And the little pipsqueaks who had crushes on me look adorable (and are probably millionaire software moguls!)
• I always felt like a little bit of a geek - not part of the popular crowd. I certainly didn't ever party, was never in the homecoming court and I didn't get asked out very often. But looking back now, I realize that I was super-involved, got along with everyone and really had a positive high-school experience.
• I was sure I would be living in Hollywood by now. I would be acting, producing, directing. I would be a star!!
• Now that I'm a teacher myself, I can look at my high school teachers with a different level of respect. Even the ones I really didn't like. How they were able to put up with giggly, hormonal, distracted adolescents such as myself, I will never know!!
• My kids are going to laugh at those pictures some day. We all thought we were so cool. With my huge dangly earrings, parachute pants, and teased, sprayed-out hair, I look anything but cool!
• Mostly when I look back at my 15 and 16 year-old self, I think about how I felt like I knew everything. I had so many strong opinions about love, friendship, spirituality, right and wrong, where I would end up in life . . . If I've learned anything since, it's simply that life is unpredictable and people can surprise you.

Life is an incredible journey and I love that I've been able to adapt and change over the years. I am so grateful for everything I have and for the friends who enrich my life. I'd love to be able to tell that 16 year-old baby "Buckle your seat belt, girl, you are in for an incredible ride!" I'm excited to see what the next 16 have in store...

Yeah, I'm Feeling Lazy

But it's the weekend!! I don't wanna write!!

Please, please, please check out this article by Stephen King about movie snacks. It is laugh-out-loud funny. And I agree with nearly everything he says, so really it may as well have been written by me.

Bubbly by Colbie Callait