Jennifer's Blog

Gettin' Old

2010-03-24T19:53:00.001-07:00

I made a sobering discovery last week: there are actually gray hairs growing out of the top of my head. My first thought was, "Why have none of my tall friends told me about this?" Stiff, wiry little suckers, they are not very long, which leads me to believe they are pretty recent acquisitions. At first, I thought maybe it was the way the bathroom light was reflecting, so I yanked one out and took an up-close look. Sigh....These hairs are not gray, they are pure white.

Ten Guilty Pleasures

2010-03-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's confession time. Here are ten of my guilty pleasures. What are yours??

1. Marshmallow Peeps

2. Degrassi, all incarnations

3. Cosmopolitan magazine

4. Redeeming coupons and rebates

5. Jean Auel books

6. McDonald's french fries

7. Step aerobics

8. The kid who plays Jacob in the Twilight movies

9. The Container Store

10. Britney Spears

Polar Bears

2010-03-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, one of my students asked me what is my favorite animal. Today, she proudly read aloud the poem she had created, "Polar Bears - 4 Ms. Howard." I think it's lovely.

Polar Bears - 4 Ms. Howard
by A.

Their fur like snowstorms
Their eyes like ice.
Two great polar bears
Give me a scare.

As they tiptoed quietly behind me
As quiet as mice.
They tapped on my shoulder
With paws like ice.

I jumped into the air,
As high as a kite.
I screamed and yelled.
They gave me a fright!

They said, "We didn't mean to frighten you,
We are really cool!
We were just asking...
Could you just fill our pool?"

Simple Pleasures

2010-03-13T08:14:00.001-08:00

The winter quarter was a busy one, but now that it's over, I have a couple of weeks with time to breathe! I've been contemplating simple pleasures lately...

• My ancient washing machine making it through an entire cycle without my having to readjust the load.

• Hot chocolate in the teacher's lounge.

• Coming home to a clean floor because Brandy did not notice that I forgot to put the trash out of her reach.

• Green lights.

• Getting an upbeat text message right when I need one.

• Dark chocolate and red wine.

• The tough kid in my class being absent.

• Being able to print in dark blue when I run out of black ink at a critical moment.

• A weekend with no rain.

2009 Songs

2010-01-02T07:04:00.000-08:00

After I posted my favorite movies of the year, I began contemplating my top songs of 2009. I take full responsibility for my shallow bubble-gum musical tastes (at least Katrina will be on board with me!) So here, in no particular order, are the 10 songs from last year that make me crank up the volume and sing along with every word:

Paparrazzi - Lady Gaga

Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson

I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas

Waking Up in Vegas - Katy Perry

21 Guns - Green Day

Human - The Killers

Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Chances - Five for Fighting

Don't Stop Believing - The cast of Glee

You Are a Wise Person

2010-01-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

I received this email yesterday from one of my students.

Hi Ms.Howard!! I hope you had a great winter vacation! And a happy new year!
On the New Year's day,I am going to go to K's sleepover birthday party!
Well actually what I was going to really tell you was I've been getting online
put-downs(several of emails that hurted my feelings) from J. I told my parents,
and they called her a stuck-up,(I thought it was too harsh)
and said to break the friendship between us. You are a wise person besides my parents,
so please tell me what to do... Thank you! (Sorry if I'm bothering you...)
--
-C

The future blackberry owner (April 2010)

If you've ever wondered when girl drama starts, the answer is early. Helping young ladies with "hurted feelings" is part of my job, and I remember that hurt all too well from my own elementary school days. I am honored that C thinks I am a wise person. I have faith that these girls will be buddies again soon - I may not even have to say a word as it's likely they'll have it all figured out by the time class starts up again on Monday. However, there is no way for me to fully prepare my girls for the angst-ridden, teary, hormonal, "mean girls," 'tween years ahead of them. It's definitely not easy being a girl!

I have the laziest roommates!

2009-12-31T10:01:00.001-08:00

2009 Movies

2009-12-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

I read two different movie critics' top 10 lists today, which got me thinking about my favorite movies of the year. Since I am unfortunately not a paid professional movie watcher, I've not yet seen Precious, The Hurt Locker, 500 Days of Summer, Moon, or Up in the Air - and I have heard that all 5 of these are terrific. So, from the movies I have been able to watch in 2009, these, in no particular order, are my top 10:

Gran Torino: Clint Eastwood can do no wrong. Only he could pull off this role as a bigoted old crank with a heart of gold.

Watchmen: I was intrigued by the idea of flawed superheroes. Even though it was set in an alternate history version of the 1980's, the themes were just as relevant to today's world. And that smokin' hot love scene in the airship - hallelujah!

Avatar: Seriously. Why haven't you seen it yet?

Star Trek: I was never a fan of the original series, but have always enjoyed the Star Trek movies. This one was a very exciting prequel that stayed true to the original characters. I especially liked Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Inglourious Basterds: Classic Tarantino: over-the-top violence, loud music, suspense, and dark humor. Plus, the best villain since No Country for Old Men.

Where the Wild Things Are: I was expecting something really different. This was not at all a movie for kids. The exploration of raw emotion through the wild monsters was very powerful and moving.

District 9: A new twist on an old story: learning empathy for the oppressed by being forced to join them in adversity. Very well acted and directed.

The Hangover: I laughed like crazy. Enough said.

Up: My favorite of the Pixar films so far. Up was very sweet and clever, and the talking dogs were just hysterical.

Zombieland: I like scary movies served up with a large helping of campiness. Zombieland got it just right.

Man on Wire

2009-12-15T18:13:00.001-08:00

I watched a lovely little documentary tonight: Man on Wire. It's about tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who traveled between the roofs of the twin towers just a few months before I was born in 1974.

Man on Wire is a movie about risk and reward, about chasing a passion, and about achieving the impossible. I heartily recommend it. Petit knew he could very well die in pursuit of his dream and if he survived, there was no doubt he'd be arrested. Furthermore, he had no idea how in the world he would orchestrate such a stunt. But it did not matter, Petit went forward with the mindset that success was guaranteed. No hesitation.

Fortunately, few of us need the adrenaline rush of standing on a cable a quarter-mile above the ground. My default nature is to play it fairly safe - to look for the predictable. For me, choosing a new piece of furniture is an exhilarating accomplishment! So, I guess risk is in the eye of the beholder. Regardless, I understand the desire to push oneself beyond comfortable boundaries. It is really the only way to feel alive. Top-notch support team, no safety net, and as Petit admonishes, "live your life on a tightrope."

Thankful

2009-11-27T12:42:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone and I cannot, I repeat, cannot wrap my mind around the fact that it's nearly 2010. I've been indulging in one of my favorite habits this week while I've been off work: reflecting. I realized this was the first Thanksgiving in a very long time that I have not shared with a significant other. It's been at least 15 years since I've been 100% single for this holiday - maybe longer! I've spent Christmases solo, been a sad sack on Valentine's Day, have made it through Independence Day without a mate...but for some reason I've always spent the last Thursday of November with a boyfriend (or, for a long time, a husband).

Of course, I did not wither away alone yesterday. I was asked to spend the day with 5 different sets of friends and, there's always a standing invitation to go home for Thanksgiving. And this is why I feel thankful: to have such a caring and devoted network of people who remind me over and over that they love me. I had a fantastic time hanging out with the Preeces yesterday: Karla's delicious cooking, the girls giggling over everything, and Todd looking so happy and proud of his family.

Being single is lonely sometimes. All of the friends, experiences, and blessings in the world can not replace the intimacy of a healthy, committed love relationship. But this year, I am thankful for my single-ness. It is during times of solitude that I am able to discover the most profound truths about myself. This is a time for me to learn and grow on my own. To paraphrase my wise friend Tricia (who is married to an amazing guy), "I'm so thankful for all of the ups and downs, because they led me to where I am today."

My Two Cents

2009-11-25T20:40:00.001-08:00

There's no such thing as bad publicity, right Adam Lambert? This is a story as old as rock 'n' roll: Elvis's swiveling hips, Jim Morrison's inflammatory lyrics...Remember the controversy generated by Madonna gyrating on a wedding cake while singing Like a Virgin? When was that - 1984?

Push buttons, push the envelope, push your backup dancers' faces into your crotch...and if you can get on the radar of the more vocal family values organizations, you're sure to generate oodles of interest in your latest project.

Adam very nearly won the most recent round of American Idol based on the strength of his vocal performances. But so many AI winners have quickly slipped from the limelight soon after the finale has aired. This week, with a naughty bit of choreography, I think Adam may have discovered how to recapture the nation's interest.

Have You Ever...

2009-11-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Just a little fun to end 2009. Thanks Georgeanne!

Have you ever...

( ) Shot a gun
(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Alaska
( ) Been to Cuba
(X) Been to Europe
(X) Been to Las Vegas
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been on a cruise ship
(X) Served on a jury
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Played cowboys/girls and Indians
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
( ) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone snow skiing
(X) Camped out under the stars
(X) Seen something so beautiful that it took your breath away
(X) Are or have been married
( ) Children
(X) Have a pet
( ) Been skinny dipping outdoors
( ) Been fishing
(X) Been boating
( ) Been water skiing
(X) Been hiking
( ) Been camping in a trailer/RV & tent
( ) Flown in a small 4-seater airplane
( ) Flown in a glider
( ) Been flying in a hot air balloon
( ) Been bungee-jumping
(X) Gone to a drive-in movie
( ) Done something that should have killed you
( ) Done something that you will probably regret for the rest of your life

The Tudors

2009-11-23T19:51:00.001-08:00

I'm currently working my way through season 2 of the Showtime series The Tudors. I began renting this show after reading The Other Boelyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction in general, but I found the drama surrounding Henry VIII's 16th century reign intriguing.

My favorite part of The Tudors is observing the role of women in the court. Used as pawns and playthings, cast aside when no longer useful, these women certainly did not have it easy. The television series is surely an overdramatization of the events of the time. But the inferior status of women is historically accurate. How lucky I am that I may own a home, make my own living, and will never be forced into an arranged marriage. While watching, I am simultaneously grateful that I enjoy so much more freedom than these women and in awe of the amount of courage and fortitude that they must've had.

Life in this century can be challenging at times, but I feel fortunate that my heart, mind, and choices are my own.

The Happiest Place...

2009-11-15T19:37:00.001-08:00

I know a lot of people have issues with Disneyland: the crowds, the syrupy sweetness, the corporate greed. But for a kid who grew up with summertime road trips to Anaheim, walking into Disneyland brings me right back to the excitement and pure happiness of childhood. When you enter the park, the plaque above the archway reads, "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy." That just about sums it up perfectly.
All I wanted this year for my birthday was a day at Disneyland. Thanks to my wonderful friends for making my wish came true.

Beware of Dog

2009-11-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Sweet Brandy was passed out on the couch today when I got home. She heard me come in but didn't recognize me in the dark, so she slinked toward me slowly and very quietly, teeth bared. As I watched her, I thought maybe she was sick because of the weird way she was moving (Old Yeller, anyone?). But as soon as she recognized me, Miss B fell to pieces, every part of her little doggie self expressing relief and joy. She wagged, she licked, she rolled over to have her belly scratched. Beware intruders in my house. My pooch will get ya!

Math Test

2009-10-28T15:26:00.001-07:00

Today, as I passed back graded math tests, Margaret came up and hugged me. "Thank you, Ms. Howard!" she exclaimed. "For what?" She showed me her test, pointing to the perfect score at the top. "Don't thank me for your score, you earned it yourself," I told her with a smile. "Yes," she relied, "But thank you for teaching me the math!" And then she skipped back to her seat.

And that's why I'm a teacher :-)

HOA Letter

2009-09-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

With permission of the author, here is the letter I sent to my Homeowner's Association board of directors. I'm not the greatest at standing up for myself so I have oodles of gratitude for Jared's help in crafting a missive with some backbone. He listened carefully to my retelling of the event and my feelings about the whole thing and then put together a marvelous couple of paragraphs that get my main points across very strongly. The sharpest jabs are somehow delivered in a very polite but straightforward way. I think Miss Manners would be proud. I feel well taken care of :-)

Greetings Board Members,
     I had the misfortune of meeting one of your representatives on Saturday, September 12th, and I would like to express my extreme displeasure with that encounter. While resting in my home that afternoon, I was treated to a barrage of door-pounding and bell-ringing that would make a SWAT team blush, although I was a bit dismayed to see that instead of uniformed officers serving me a search warrant, I was greeted by a member of your yard police. The gentleman’s name escapes me, although his unflattering demeanor and browbeating was quite memorable. I am new to this neighborhood, and while I had hoped that my first encounter with the HOA would have been a welcoming one, I was instead treated to threats of an official rebuke and made aware that my neighbors had been complaining about the overall appearance of my front yard. Board members, whose residency in this neighborhood precedes my own, know full well that the previous occupant had littered this yard with foliage, and as such, the cost of upgrading it is substantial.
     The shrubs, ivy and tree limbs have since been cut back to meet the standards set forth in the CC&R's, which should satisfy my disgruntled neighbors, as well as the man whose name is too inconsequential to remember. Given the tenor of my first encounter with your authority, I am requesting that ANY future contact with me be limited to mail correspondence, as I have no further desire to be disturbed in my home. That said, let me take this opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who thought it unnecessary to welcome me to the neighborhood: I’m Jennifer Howard, and thanks in advance for your adherence to my above request.
     Regards,
     Jennifer Howard

The Wisdom of Drew

2009-09-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

I've loved Drew Barrymore since E.T. It kinda feels like she and I grew up together, and I'm really looking forward to seeing her new roller-derby movie, Whip It. The following quote is from Drew's interview, published in Parade magazine today. It resonated with me pretty deeply:

I’ve stopped believing in happy endings. I’ve started believing in good days. At the end of my movie, there’s honesty. There’s truth. There’s peace. What tomorrow will bring is still in question. There is a joy that’s earned by failure or triumph. All those things add up to teach us, if we are open to it.

A Tribute

2009-09-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard the stories in recent weeks about Annie Le, the Yale grad student who was murdered just a few days before her wedding. The following was written by a teacher friend of mine. Thank you so much Kim, for allowing me to share your beautiful words:

Annie was my student in Math Analysis in the Spring of 2001. Union Mine was a young school, starting with only freshmen and sophomores. Annie’s class was the first four year class to graduate at UMHS. As a group of students, they were a close bunch. I too, was a young teacher. When Union Mine opened in 1999, I was recruited by Carl Fickle our Principal to join the staff. I was honored and thrilled to be part of this new and innovative school and quickly joined the instructional team as co-math department chair. The teachers at Union Mine advanced with their students as we added new classes each year to accommodate the needs of eleventh and twelfth grade students. As a teacher, I also advanced teaching higher level classes each year.

We did not have books for Math Analysis when the year started and we decided not to purchase them because we were in an adoption year and the current book was already seven years old. Other teachers in the district did not particularly like the book and encouraged me to look for other options to “get by” for the year. Looking forward to the challenge, I created the entire curriculum for that course by researching interesting activities and creating project-based units. In my quest for finding really challenging and interesting material, I would at times, find myself struggling to solve complicated problems with my students. I recall getting stumped, staring at the board and working up a sweat. And this is where Annie comes into the story as she would inevitably come to my rescue, seeing my errors or having the ability to visualize the solution. With tremendous respect, Annie helped me and in turn, helped the class. And, then there was Mike Couper. With the two of them, we were all in good hands! It was a great semester, one that I will never forget especially since I learned as much, if not more than my students.

In 2002, Annie was awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Math award at Union Mine. I had the honor of speaking about Annie’s exceptional performances in math and in handing her the award. I treasure the picture taken this night and keep it with my family photos. Union Mine was family – the students, the staff, and the administration.

It is hard for me to accept that such brilliance, compassion and empathy was taken from this world. I read people in media blogs ask, “Why has Annie Le had so much press? She never contributed anything.” And I want to scream at their ignorance because from my perspective, Annie contributed more than they could ever know – more than she even knew. Annie Le contributed to my growth as a teacher and she contributed to the success of not only that class in 2001, but to each and every student I have taught since then and who I will teach in the future. Annie taught me to appreciate having a student who was smarter than me. She taught me how to be humble when I did not know every answer. She taught me to be more resourceful so that I can push students at all levels to perform at their highest potential. She taught me how to say, “I don’t know, but I will find out,” without embarrassment. Students every year benefit from what I learned that year teaching Annie. I have never forgotten her. I have never stopped appreciating her. I will forever miss her. Annie, I thank you for your contribution to my growth in the teaching profession and for my continued love for the students who I teach.

Teacher Story

2009-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

Today, my little fourth grade class made me so proud. They elected the "quirky" kid in my class as class representative based on the strength of his speech. I snagged the text and am sharing it with you. Just imagine this being recited with all the conviction and passion a nine year-old can muster:

I want to say that a good Class Representative should be someone with certain qualifications. What qualifications do you ask? This is where I fit in...

Some of you are great at soccer, some at baseball, gymnastics. I am great at planning school activities like the Haunted Hallway and Spirit Week. This sounds like my chance to finally do something I know I'm qualified for. My strengths aren't on the football field but I DO have strengths in the academic world.

Please allow me to explain...

If I'm given this opportunity, I know that I'm the right choice. I'm dependable, honest, smart, and let's face it, I have a great imagination! And a great Class Representative requires someone who can come up with creative ideas.

And by listening to your thoughts and ideas, I will be your voice at the meetings. Therefore, your ideas can be heard too.

I feel I am the right choice because I want to be able to give something back to my school...something I can look back one day and be proud of...

Yeah, I think this particular kiddo is really proud tonight. I'm sure proud of him :-)

I Would Have Shown These Speeches, Too

2009-09-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

I have resisted jumping into the political fray, but I feel compelled to throw out my two cents today. I had to send home permission notes with my students this afternoon, informing parents that I will be broadcasting President Obama's education speech on Tuesday morning. It made me profoundly sad that I had to do this. And it makes me even sadder to think that some parents of my students may request that their children do not watch. The timing of this speech is unfortunate, as it comes in the middle of the polarizing debate on health care reform. I understand that many people disagree with they president's agenda, but I guess I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the absolute disdain that would prompt a parent to keep their child home from school rather than allow them to watch this speech.

To me, Tuesday's speech is not about liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat. It's about respect for our Commander in Chief. When the president of the United States says "Study hard and do well in school," I think school children will sit up and listen. Too bad Presidents Clinton and Bush did not take an opportunity to speak directly to students. I can say without a shred of doubt that I would have shown my students both of them. I am glad that President Obama has decided to pick up the thread.

I especially enjoyed Reagan's speech, with the 1988 fashions and the "Just Say No" message from Nancy. And when he talks about his first ride in an "automobile" - priceless. But if you listen to the whole thing, it's, well, a wee bit political.

And one final thought: Sometimes the best way to stoke a child's curiousity is to deny them an experience. Controversy can be powerful advertising and I think the kids who aren't allowed to watch this speech are only going to wonder what all of the fuss is about.

President George H.W. Bush's speech

President Reagan's speech

Bella and Tara

2009-08-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

During my run this morning, Susan mentioned that I should look at this video. Yup, I cried.

And it's not 'cause it doesn't look fun...

2009-08-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

Visiting the Del Mar Race Track is, for many, a San Diego summer tradition. From what I have heard, a day at the races is an incredibly fun experience. I love spending a few hours at a daytime baseball game, so in my imagination, a trip to the track is slightly classier, faster-paced version of a trip to Petco Park. There are even free concerts on Fridays after the races are finished. However, as you've probably guessed by now, I have never been to a horse race, even though I've lived in San Diego for 10 years now. And I don't think I ever will.

Every summer during the short racing season, I am always saddened by the number of euthanizations that are reported in the local paper. Barbaro and Eight Belles were two high-profile horses who were put down recently following debilitating injuries. At the Del Mar Track this year, 10 horses have been put down after breaking legs during warm-ups or races. Ten horses in just one month. And as I understand it, many still-young race horses are also killed when their careers are in decline and they are no longer fast enough to compete in their field. There's no other way to put it: this really bothers me.

As I said in my animal-related post yesterday, my choices are completely personal and you won't see me joining PETA in picketing the front gates of Del Mar. I wouldn't have a leg to stand on anyway, as I have been to the zoo probably 100 times since I moved here, I practically inhale sushi, and should my doggie ever suffer from a painful terminal illness, I would choose to euthanize her, too.

I believe that those involved in the sport of horse racing love their animals and are distressed when they are hurt. But for now, for me, this sport is just too risky, so until the number of life-ending injuries decreases dramatically, this San Diegan won't be patronizing the race track.

It's not 'cause I don't like the taste...

2009-08-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

When you look up animal rights activism in the dictionary, you are not going to see my picture next to the definition. I believe in respecting the lives of animals as much as possible, but I do, perhaps selfishly, put my own health and well-being above that of my four-legged and feathered friends. For example:

I don't eat most meat, but I do eat seafood.
I eschew leather, unless I'm buying running shoes.
I eat eggs, but I only buy the organic, cage-free cartons.
I enjoy the San Diego Zoo, but I'm not a big fan of Sea World.
And, as I tell anyone who asks, KFC still smells delicious when I drive by.

My pseudo-vegetarianism/avoidance of animal products is a completely personal choice, and not a lifestyle I try to impose on others. How could I, when the nuances of my eating and purchasing are so inconsistent? I find it pretty easy to be a vegetarian in southern California, where soy products are so readily available. But the fact is, if I was on a deserted island and the only way to live was by eating meat, would I? You're damn right I would. And really, those who try to live an all-out vegan lifestyle are in for a slippery slope...Do you kill spiders in your house? How about those little critters that die in the harvesting of vegetables? What about the gelatin that coats film and car tires?

But if animals are going to be raised for human consumption, I don't think it's too much to ask that they have a healthy - if protracted - life. There are a few instances of animal cruelty that I do find disturbing and, should friends seem interested, I request the following:

Go for the cage-free or free-range products.
Please don't order the veal. I'm sure it's delicious, but the life of a veal calf is a sad affair. You can google it if you don't know what I mean.
Ditto for foie gras. It's pretty nauseating the way it's produced.

And I do have one other animal issue that's been on my mind lately, but more about that tomorrow...

Brandy's Birthday

2009-08-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here is an overdue video of Brandy enjoying her birthday breakfast: a sausage mcmuffin. Brandy turned 9 on August 5.

Eggs first, then meat/cheese/bread all stuck together, then after sniffing around and looking for more potentially hidden protein, she shrugs and eats the other half of the muffin.

Vet Visit

2009-08-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Neither Brandy or I enjoy trips to the vet.

I took Brandy in today for a routine exam, ahead of her scheduled teeth cleaning next week. The staff is wonderful and the decor is top-notch. It's always nice to catch up with the technicians and Brandy's doctor is a real sweetheart. But these trappings placate neither my dog nor myself.

My aversion to the vet's office is mainly financial. At the absolute minimum, I must spend $50 for an exam, and I usually average $100-$200 per visit depending on the combination of medicines and vaccines my pet requires. Next week's dental work will cost around $500 since it include anesthesia and an IV. Interestingly, I had the head doctor's (and clinic owner's) son in my class years ago. This has never gotten me so much as a single percent discount. And that little boy was a challenge! I don't have pet insurance - I researched it once and the deductibles were so high, it really wasn't worth it in my opinion. Of course, that was before the rattlesnake bite a few years ago - the insurance really would have come in handy then....

But my six-million-dollar dog hates going to the doctor for other, more emotional reasons. As soon as we walk in the door she starts shaking and although she really tries to sit nicely while we're inside, any time I so much as flinch, she lurches toward the door with a hopeful "time to go now?" glance over her shoulder. It's really quite silly for her to be so afraid - everyone in there coos and pets her and treats here like a little baby. But I think her fear stems from a horrifying event she's had to endure three or four separate times in that office: ear flushes.

Brandy is a spaniel, and those big, floppy ears trap moisture and bacteria very effectively. She's quite susceptible to icky ear infections if I don't diligently keep her ears clean and dry. When I bring her in for these infections, the first thing the doctor wants to do is flush the already tender, irritated ear. I'm not sure what flushing entails because they do it in the back, but I imagine they stick some kind of hose or sprayer in her ear and shoot liquid inside to get all the gunk out. Brandy always comes back to me with a wet ear, shaking her head and whining.

So now, I think every time we pull up, Brandy is afraid she's going to get an ear flush. She may be a dog, but she has the memory of an elephant. I like to think Brandy is aware, on some level, that, although the vet is scary (just like I know that, although the vet is expensive), I am protecting her health and well-being as best I can because I have so much love for her.

Research and More Research

2009-08-19T15:50:00.001-07:00

Summer quarter is officially over, and I met with my professor today to discuss my research direction for the upcoming year. We had our meeting at the Pannikin coffee shop in Encinitas - I'd never been to this location before. What a cool place! I actually got there about a half-hour early and enjoyed a yummy piece of apple pie. But, back to the point....

My brilliant professor, who has crafted the most incredible summer introductory class, is holding these final individual meetings with everyone in my cohort in order to guide us during the six-week hiatus until we begin our fall classes.

I feel like I've been on Mulholland Drive since June, as I entered this program with a certain direction in mind and have hit curve after curve through encounters with existing research, conversations with classmates, writing assignments, and finally, today's meeting.

I emerged this afternoon with a pretty clear direction in mind: I will be creating a "toolbox" of writing strategies for my students and documenting which strategies my students select. The strategies I'll be presenting to students will be influenced by brain-based teaching, so I'll be using visual tools, graphic organizers, mnemonics, creating schemata, and socially-constructed learning. I'm curious about patterns that may emerge: what works well for English learners, for special education students, for proficient writers afraid to take risks, etc. This feels like a huge undertaking to me! I will be trying lots of new strategies and will have to do a lot of documenting. However, writing is an area I'm passionate about and I know that when all is said and done, I will have real data supporting why I teach the way I do.

New Furniture

2009-08-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here are my new couches, complete with spokesmodel:

I Gotta Feeling

2009-08-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

I'm loving this Blackeyed Peas song right now!!

Road Trip Part 3

2009-08-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 21

Brandy went for another early-morning romp in the lake. The ducks were definitely taunting her today, quacking, flying away, then coming back for more quacking. Brandy was in her element chasing them through the water. She had a good ole’ time.

The guys came back from their early morning fishing expedition having caught 5 salmon in the lake! After a late breakfast, we all headed off for Crater Lake, about an hour drive away.

What an incredible sight! I had heard of Crater Lake National Park, but had no idea what I was in for. The brilliant blue lake high up in the mountains is stunning. It turns out that thousands of years ago, one of the volcanoes in the Cascade mountain range erupted here creating the giant crater (actually properly called a caldera), about 4 miles by 5 miles. Over the centuries, the crater filled up with water from accumulated snow melt to create this pristine lake we visited today. The lake is so deep and so clear that most of the colors on the light spectrum are absorbed before the blue is refelected back to the surface. We all commented on how the water is so bright it does not look real. “Looks like it was photoshopped in,” remarked Emmy.

Upon returning to the lodge around 5 or so, it was time to prepare dinner, including the delicious fresh salmon from this morning. And for dessert – maybe the most amazing thing ever created – S’mores with chocolate chip cookies on the outside instead of graham crackers.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be up early for the third leg of my journey – the drive to San Jose. There is some talk of whether the road will still be closed from the fire I drove through the other day, so I may take a slightly longer alternate route home – east on Highway 58 to Eugene, then 5 south to the bay area. If I go west on 58 and the 97 is closed, I will be re-routed in that direction anyway, which will be a very lengthy detour. I’ll make my final decision in the morning.

Road Trip Part 2

2009-08-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 20, 2009

Brandy is lying here beside me at nearly 11 P.M., all tuckered out after a day of excitement. Today, we slept in a little, and I started off the morning by taking Brandy out for a little bit of exercise. I thought I’d throw her toy around a little bit on the dirt, let her get some of her energy out. Well, Brandy had a different idea – she immediately splashed into the lake up to her belly. Even though I threw her little rope toy in a different direction, she kept going back into the water and wading around. So finally, I gave up and just tossed the toy into the lake a few times so she could fetch it and bring it back. I dried Little Miss Soggy with my beach towel before we headed back inside.

I spent the rest of the morning reading one of my textbooks while Brandy relaxed in the sunshine, then went with Sherwin, Emmy, and Eli to nearby Oakridge for lunch. We feasted at A&W – greasy fast food, followed by root beer floats, yum!

Back at the cabin, it was time for an afternoon nap – the best part of being on vacation! Around 4:00, the Cabaels arrived, along with Conrad and Teeza. And all of the food. I’ve never seen so many groceries in my life! I’m only here until Wednesday morning, but I don’t know how the rest of the folks are going to eat even half of this stuff by next weekend! We put everything away, then the guys went off to rent a pontoon. A sunset fishing cruise was next on the agenda, and this just reaffirmed my belief that there is nothing more peaceful and relaxing than being out on the water.

Jonathan regaled us with his versions of Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” and Alicia Keys’ “No One”. Rich caught a little salmon, but threw the undersized fish back after posing for a quick picture. Sadly, the picture was not quick enough, because the poor fish went belly up as soon as it hit the water.

Dinner was followed by a delicious lasagne dinner, Rice Krispy treats, and some relaxation and conversation before crawling off to bed.

I am definitely decompressing in this place, and only wish I didn’t have a homework deadline hanging over my head. Oh well, I guess lots of people end up working on vacation! Tomorrow is my second and last full day in Oregon. The guys are planning to wake up very early for more fishing, and there’s talk of a drive to Crater Lake in the afternoon.

Road Trip Part 1

2009-08-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, a chance to sit down and blog again! I actually journaled during my road trip, but didn't have internet access, so here it is:

It’s wonderful to be on vacation….

Sleeping in, no schedule, nothing to clean. I love being away from home, especially now that I’ve finally arrived at Odell Lake and can relax for a few days.

I am writing this on Sunday, July 19, although I will not be able to post as there is not even a hint of an internet signal up here. My cell phone is waffling between no bars and one bar, which means I can send and receive text messages but am not going to be able to hold a phone conversation.

Unplugged for the next 60 hours….this is going to be good for me.

I left home yesterday morning very early. Brandy and I were on the road before 7 A.M. I drove all day, arriving in Chico around 6 P.M. Of course, we stopped quite a few times along the way for food, bathroom, and stretch breaks. Chico and surrounding towns are so beautiful: quiet, green, folksy. It was hot and humid, though. My car thermometer climbed up to 109 degrees. Whoa.

We stayed overnight with Stephanie. Her house is so cute, with a huge yard, a fresh coat of pretty green interior paint, and tons of space for Steph and her kitty. Once we got Brandy settled in and removed all potentially edible items from lower shelves, Steph and I headed out for dinner at the Sierra Nevada brewery. We shared a delicious lentil burger and ahi tower. I had a Vienna lager, which was pretty good. I’d love to try more of the Sierra brews, as I’m not a fan of their popular pale ale. I will have to come back to Chico soon and do the whole tasting tour!

But the best part of dinner, of course, was reminiscing and catching up with one of my oldest friends. Stephanie and I met in high school in 1987 and we were fast friends, inseperable in many instances. We even attended the same college for two years. As so often happens, we drifted apart and lost touch when our paths took us in different directions, but I never stopped thinking about her and tried many times over the years to look her up on the internet. We reconnected – on Facebook of course – about a year ago and this has been our second “in person” visit since. I am so grateful for the opportunity to pick up where we left off while “filling in the gaps” as Stephanie puts it. Our Saturday night bonding meant a lot to me and I am looking forward to more get-togethers in the future.

Sunday was a slow, easy morning and I was not real anxious to get back in the car right away. But, there was no avoiding it and by noon, Brandy and I were off again. It was a very easy drive north into Oregon, and the northern California scenery is just spectacular. It’s been a long time since I’d seen Mt. Shasta, and what a beautiful sight it is! Highway 5 took us into the foothills around the mountain, and once we were on the north side, we began descending out of the hills toward the grasslands at the very top of the state. We were nearly out of the forest area when I noticed smoke up ahead and thought, “Hm, there must be a a little fire by the side of the road.”

And then, all of a sudden, we were plunged into the smoke. It was so strange – I couldn’t see well ahead of me or behind me, so my instinct was to slow down. But at the same time, there were huge flames on either side of us and the heat was tremendous. So I stepped on it and within seconds, we were past the fire. I wasn’t in any danger, but it was pretty scary for a minute there! My heart was beating pretty fast as I wondered how it was that the road was not closed with the fire right there engulfing the trees on either side of the highway. At the same time, I saw response vehicles coming up from the opposite direction and I realized that I was probably one of the last cars to come through that pass for a while. I really lucked out - my drive could have been a whole lot longer!

It was smooth sailing after that, entirely uneventful. We arrived at the campground at Odell Lake around 6:30, just behind Sherwin, Emmy, and little Eli. We unpacked our cars, claimed rooms, explored a little, and had some dinner. Brandy and Eli became fast friends – it was hilarious watching the little guy chase her around the lodge on his chubby little legs. I think Brandy scored a couple of little treats off her new buddy’s dinner tray, too.

So now, I lie in bed at 9:30 P.M., completely exhausted. It’s amazing how long drives can wear me out, and I’ve gone about 900 miles in the past two days, with about 17 hours of combined driving time. I’m ready for a good rest tonight followed by a couple of days of relaxation!

Road Trip!

2009-07-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

The bags are packed and the car is gassed up. Brandy and I are leaving in the morning on a road trip! Our itinerary is as follows:

Saturday: drive to Chico; stay overnight

Sunday: drive to Odell Lake, OR; stay until Wednesday

Wednesday: drive to San Jose; stay until Sunday

Thursday: visit with Kelly and Vicki and maybe some other LVM Folks?

Saturday: St. Lawrence high school reunion

Sunday: drive home

I will try to post a little each day about our goings-on, so stay tuned....

BBC Book List

2009-07-15T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm embarrassed to reply to this Facebook Tag from Minh, because she's pretty much read them all!

The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books here.

How do your reading habits stack up? Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. Tag other book nerds.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - X
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - X
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee - X
6 The Bible - X (well, most of it anyway)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell - X
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott -X
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller - X
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - (half an X, I mean really, who has read the complete works? Besides old Bill himself, I mean?)
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien - X
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger - X
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger - X
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - X
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll - X
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis - (another half an X as I haven't read the entire series)
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis - X
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini - X
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - X
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne - X
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell - X
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown - X
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery - X
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood - X
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding - X
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel - X
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon - X
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold - X
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding - X
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker - X
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno – Dante - X
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker - X
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom - X
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad - X
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery - X (in French!)
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams - X
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare - X
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl - X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Grand Total: 35

Who made this list up anyway?? War and Peace alongside Bridget Jones's Diary....I'm just saying. Oh well, at least I've read more than 6!

Katy, Kelly, Beyonce, and Gaga

2009-07-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

It's so great to see girlie bubble gum pop making a comeback. These are the songs that I can not get out of my head right now:

Waking Up in Vegas - Katy Perry

My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson

Just Dance - Lady Gaga

Poker Face - Lady Gaga

Single Ladies - Beyonce

San Diego County Fair

2009-07-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

I did make my annual trek to the fair this year on Friday, July 3. I didn't have much time there, but I was able to hit the essentials...

Yummy food: a cinnamon roll for breakfast, and this delicious deep fried macaroni and cheese for lunch.I love looking at the collections people enter:

Lip Gloss
Dodgers Memorabilia

GargoylesAnd my favorite - one family's collection of fair photo-booth pictures from years past

Of course, no day at the fair is ever quite complete without a quick stop at the pig races!

Get Fuzzy

2009-07-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy Get Fuzzy for its sarcastic humor, but for some reason, I especially liked Sunday's strip:

M. Fox

2009-07-12T13:43:00.001-07:00

Transformers II was not bad. It was full of action, big-budget special effects, slick-looking alien robots, beautiful people, and a very endearing new character named Jetfire. Sadly, it also had an abundance of cliched and tired plot devices, poor acting, and two annoying new characters named Mudflap and Skids.

And of course, there was Megan Fox, with whom I've developed a mild obsession. When I saw the first Transformers movie in 2007, I was awed by her near-perfect physical beauty. My jealousy was ratcheted up a notch when I found out Ms. Fox was engaged to Brian Austin Greene. The entertainment rags have highlighted the on-again, off-again romance of the 23 year-old goddess and the 36 year-old former 90210 actor. She did a nice job parodying herself in the movie How to Lose Friends and Alienate People. And now I hear she's in the upcoming film Jennifer's Body, which was written by my idol Diablo Cody.

Megan did an interview a month or so ago with Entertainment Weekly. She came across as incredibly lame, egotistical, and douche-y.... she used the prefix "uber-" three different times to describe herself (I remember ubersexual was one of them, but can't recall the other two)!

Megan Fox is often compared to Angelina Jolie, and it's easy to see why. Both are willowy brunettes with masculine self-confidence, "ubersexuality," tattoos, and big juicy lips. I am a huge Angelina fan, and really want to like Megan as well. Angelina was the original bad girl who sowed all kinds of wild oats and then settled down into her role as super-mom, UN ambassador, and excellent actress. Angelina has always been fascinating to watch, and, at least to me, she has always seemed authentic. It feels like Megan is a poser: a young girl who is trying way too hard to play a role as the nymphet. She is certainly not stupid - either she or her management team is very aware of how to sell the image and keep Megan Fox in the public eye.

The thing is, all BS aside, I suspect Megan may actually be a pretty good actress. I'll be very curious to see how long her run lasts...

Summer Movies

2009-07-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Summer is not quite half over, but I am halfway through my summer movie list. So far, I have gone to see:
Wolverine
Star Trek
Terminator
The Hangover
and Year One

By far, Star Trek has been my favorite. The young Enterprise crew was cleverly cast, and there were some fun action sequences. I enjoyed The Hangover, as well. This crazy, twisty, Vegas-set comedy kept me laughing the entire two hours.

I still have not gotten to:
Transformers - we are going to see it tonight
Public Enemies - hmmm, kind of disappeared from the theaters, didn't it?
Bruno - looks hilarious!
Harry Potter - we'll be seeing it on Thursday. Can't wait!
Funny People - out July 31

I am looking forward to finally seeing Transformers. Although the reviews have not been great, I am a sucker for big action-packed blockbusters and I would feel deprived if I missed this one on the big screen.

2009-07-10T02:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been almost a month since I blogged, and I find it pretty funny that my last entry reads "I have my first class at UCSD tomorrow night." Between school and getting my new home fixed up, life's been extremely busy. I plan to get back in the blogging routine, even if I set aside just 10 or 15 minutes a day.

I recently read this essay by Helen Keller, from NPR's original 1950's "This I Believe" series. It really struck a chord with me:

I choose for my subject, faith wrought into life apart from creed or dogma. By faith, I mean a vision of good one cherishes and enthusiasm that pushes one to seek its fulfillment, regardless of obstacles. Faith is a dynamic power that breaks the chain of routine, and gives a new, fine turn to old commonplaces. Faith reinvigorates the will, enriches the affections, and awakens a sense of creativeness. Active faith knows no fear, and it is a safeguard to me against cynicism and despair.

After all, faith is not one thing or two or three things. It is an indivisible totality of beliefs that inspire me: Belief in God as infinite goodwill and all-seeing Wisdom, whose everlasting arms sustain me walking on the sea of life. Trust in my fellow men, wonder at their fundamental goodness, and confidence that after this night of sorrow and oppression, they will rise up strong and beautiful in the glory of morning. Reverence for the beauty and preciousness of the earth, and a sense of responsibility to do what I can to make it a habitation of health and plenty for all men. Faith in immortality because it renders less bitter the separation from those I have loved and lost, and because it will free me from unnatural limitations, and unfold still more faculties I have in joyous activity. Even if my vital spark should be blown out, I believe that I should behave with courageous dignity in the presence of fate and strive to be a worthy companion of the beautiful, the good, and the true.

But fate has its master in the faith of those who surmount it, and limitation has its limits for those who, though disillusioned, live greatly. It was a terrible blow to my faith when I learned that millions of my fellow creatures must labor all their days for food and shelter, bear the most crushing burdens, and die without having known the joy of living. My security vanished forever, and I have never regained the radiant belief of my young years that earth is a happy home and hearth for the majority of mankind.
But faith is a state of mind. The believer is not soon disheartened. If he is turned out of his shelter, he builds up a house that the winds of the earth cannot destroy. When I think of the suffering and famine, and the continued slaughter of men, my spirit bleeds. But the thought comes to me that, like the little deaf, dumb, and blind child I once was, mankind is growing out of the darkness of ignorance and hate into the light of a brighter day.

Summer is Here!!

2009-06-15T18:28:00.001-07:00

Well, it's officially summer vacation, and how did I spend my first day off? At work, of course. I'm really taking my time this year to clean and organize my classroom. Last year, I had a really challenging group of students, and by this time, it was all I could do to jam everything in cupboards, lock the door, and run away for 10 weeks. This June, I am not nearly so exhausted. In fact, I have a great deal of momentum coming off an excellent school year. So, I am trying to pack everything away in a very organized fashion, knowing, of course, that when I come back in the fall I will be deep in the mire of my EdD program and may not have the time or energy that I do right now. I am going to finish up tomorrow because if I don't, my school's admin will wrestle my classroom key out of my hand, and I don't like my odds in a cage match with Lesa! So, I'm planning to get in there early, finish putting everything away neatly, hopefully do some planning for the first month of school, then get out of the way. I have my first class at UCSD tomorrow night, so as I finish one task, it will be time to embark on another...

States I Have Visited

2009-06-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

Perfect for procrastinating those report cards....

Put an X by the states you have been to. The average is 8; how do you match up?

Should you choose to play, here's what you do:

Copy my note. Click on “notes” under tabs on your profile page. Select "write a new note" in the top right corner. Paste the copy in the body of the note. Delete my Xs and add your own. Change the number at the top, and add your title. Once you've saved, don't forget to tag friends (including me) on the right. Tag the same # of people as the # of states you've been to. Just for fun, put an O beside the states where you have lived.

Airports don't count!

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona- X
Arkansas
California - XO
Colorado - X
Connecticut - X
Delaware - X
Florida - X
Georgia
Hawaii - X
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland - X
Massachusetts - X
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada - X
New Hampshire
New Jersey - X
New Mexico
New York - X
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon - X
Pennsylvania - X
Rhode Island - X
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia - X
Washington - X
West Virginia - X
Wisconsin
Wyoming
DC - X

First Fifteen

2009-06-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

My latest Facebook tag....Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Tag 15 friends, including me because I'm interested in seeing what books my friends choose...

1. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - Probably my favorite, all-time book, if I was forced to choose one. Barbara Kingsolver is brilliant. I wish I had one-tenth of her writing ability.

2. The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King - If you've read them, you understand. I've read every book Stephen King has written, but these are my faves.

3. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - I fell in love with the characters in this series. Can't imagine I'll ever be at the store at midnight to buy a book again!

4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger - Such a poignant, heart wrenching love story. I love the idea that the twists and turns of fate bring us to the people we're meant to connect with. The story plays with that theme in such a cool way.

5. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris - Hilarious. David Sedaris cracks me up.

6. All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot - I didn't read this until about a year ago. What a wonderful memoir! I hope to read some of the sequels this summer.

7. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - The strong females in this book made such an impression on me when I read it in the early 90s.

8. Beloved by Toni Morrison - Beautifully crafted. I was able to enter a world that is completely different from my reality, yet still connect with the characters.

9. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough - The first "big girl" book I read, when I was about 14 or 15. Sex? In books? Oh my goodness...

10. Into Thin Air by John Krakauer - I loved reading about the mechanics of an expedition up Everest. I grieved for the folks who didn't make it back from this particular ill-fated trek.

11. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - The movie is even better.

12. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield - This book inspired my Master's thesis!

13. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - After having it recommended to me by something like 15 different people, I finally connected with this book in the midst of my divorce. And it helped.

14. He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt - Why did it take someone so long to write this down? It should be required reading for girls entering puberty.

15. Memoirs!!: The Year of Yes by Maria Dahvana Headley; Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt; The Class Castle by Jeannette Walls; A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers; I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - I love memoirs!!

2009-06-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

Kanye West, newly published author, was quoted last week as saying, "I am a proud non-reader of books. I like to get information from doing stuff like actually talking to people and living real life."

I find that kind of ironic...

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE54P5L820090526

It Pays to Speak Up 3

2009-06-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is the final installment of my "It Pays to Speak Up" or "How you sometimes get free stuff when you complain" series.

About two weeks ago, I decided to send a little note to that crack-infused coffee and tea establishment, Starbucks. This was not actually a letter of complaint, as what I really wanted to do was compliment my local Carmel Mountain Starbucks for their exceptional daily service. So, I logged on to Starbucks.com and sent a brief email to the customer service department. I detailed how clean and well-stocked the lobby always is. I explained how happy I am that every morning when I walk in, the baristas greet me cheerfully and make my drink quickly and competently. I wanted to make sure that the employees and management at this Starbucks received recognition for the great job that they do every day.

I did go on in my email, however, to compare this store with another Starbucks that I've visited with some regularity. Starbucks #2 seems to have a permanent slow-motion setting. The employees there are best described as distracted. Whether at the register or behind the espresso machine, they work super slowly and my drink never seems to come out quite right. But what really grosses me out are the crumbs and beverage spills that are all over the tables and counters every time I visit.

You see, I probably never would have been motivated to compliment Starbucks #1 had I not seen the contrast of Starbucks #2. I felt compelled to let the company know. And by this time, of course, I will admit I was hoping to score a free beverage. And I was not disappointed. Here is the reply I received from Starbucks customer service:

Hello Jennifer,
Thanks for telling us about your great experience at our Carmel Mountain store. We love to hear feedback like this. I will pass on your comments to their supervisor so that they will receive the praise they deserve.
Furthermore, I am truly sorry that you had such disappointing visits at our ____ store. This is obviously not the experience we want you to have at our stores.
I want you to know that we take your concerns seriously and that I will share this not only with departments here in our corporate office, but also with the manager and district manager of the store.
We have made a promise to our customers to provide outstanding service. I know that this is a primary reason why you visit Starbucks and I understand how disappointing it is when we let you down.
We pride ourselves on great service and I would love to invite you back into our stores for the chance to make up for a visit that you did not enjoy. What I will do is mail you some beverage coupons so that your next drink will be on us.
Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to fix something that is wrong. I assure you that we will take this as an opportunity to improve and that we understand that you have come to expect fantastic service from Starbucks.
If there are any questions or concerns that I have not been able to address, please don't hesitate to call us at 800 23-LATTE (235-2883), we are here Monday through Friday from 5:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PST).
Thank you again,
Alyssa A.
Customer Relations Representative
Starbucks Coffee Company

And sure enough, a few days later, I received two free drink coupons in the mail! Yippee!

Dug the Talking Dog

2009-05-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

The best character in the movie - Squirrel!

It Pays to Speak Up 2

2009-05-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Then, about a year ago, I went to Oggi's with a friend. We decided to sit at the bar for dinner since the restaurant was quite crowded. We received such poor service it was almost comical. There were two hot, young bartender/waitresses working behind the counter, and they would regularly serve the groups of lecherous, obnoxious guys to the right and left of us, but we could not get a drink or food order in without waving flares and flashing signal lights. Chasing tips, I guess? That was what made the situation so bad - it's one thing if you can see that the servers are overworked and running their asses off, doing the best they can. I would never begrudge waiters in that situation. But these gals would lean over the bar and have minutes-long flirtatious conversations with the testosterone crew, while I sat there for 10 minutes with an empty glass.

After we finished our food, I asked to speak to a manager (I was pretty emboldened two beers in...). I explained to her that I just wanted her to be aware of the situation, that I was used to such great service at Oggi's and that tonight was such a marked contrast, etc., etc. And that led to - you guessed it - sincere apologies and our bill being swiftly retracted.

Once again, I was so happy to see Oggi's step up to the plate. Admittedly, I felt a wee bit guilty knowing that those two servers were probably reprimanded. However, because of that manager's attention, I have been back on many occasions since...and have been pleased with the service each and every time!

It Pays to Speak Up

2009-05-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

I am not normally a complainer. Stop laughing, it's true. I'm a very easygoing person, am not easily upset by everyday frustrations, and am always looking for the silver lining. However, when it comes to customer service, I do get a little bit picky. It's expensive to go out these days, and I am pretty annoyed when an establishment does not take basic steps to show me that my business is appreciated. Usually, if I'm disappointed in the service I get at a restaurant or a store, I just don't go back. But occasionally, I feel the need to let the powers that be know how I feel.

A couple of years ago, I went to El Torito with a couple of other people. We sat down about ten minutes before happy hour was to end, and it took forever to get served. But by the time a waiter finally approached our table, there was still a minute or two left before 7:00, so we quickly got in our order for drinks and that delicious fresh guacamole they make. When the waiter returned with the appetizer, he informed us that happy hour prices would not apply. He claimed that the computerized register locked him out beginning at 7, and that there was nothing he could do. "Bullshit," I thought. We asked to speak to a manager. A manager never came. I fumed in silence...It wasn't about the money, of course, we were talking about 5 or 6 dollars. It was the fact that this restaurant was not doing anything to try to make us happy! But we didn't push it any more that night so as to avoid unwanted additives in our food.

The next day, I went on to the El Torito web page to see if there was a way I could complain. I emailed the corporate office and basically told them that I was disappointed and I wanted to let them know so that they could improve customer service in the future. The response I received shocked me! I got a personal phone call from the regional manager, apologizing like crazy. He said that all stores have the ability to override the computer and that we definitely should have been treated differently. He said that he had spoken with the manager of the restaurant we visited, and that he wanted to make sure I returned to El Torito in the future, so he was sending me a voucher for a meal on the house.

A few days later, the voucher arrived, in the form of a typed letter from the regional manager. I decided to go to a different El Torito to, once again, avoid spit in my food. When I handed the employees at this El Torito the letter, they were bending over backward to make us happy. The manager personally came over to apologize for my previous bad experience, and he comped the entire meal for myself and my guest - drinks, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I was so stunned and pleased. El Torito has a fan for life!

The Visitors are Coming

2009-05-25T18:57:00.001-07:00

Terminator: Salvation was pretty ho-hum, so I shall transfer my excitement to the 'V' reboot:

Whoa...Dude...

2009-05-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Have you already seen this? Hilarious!

Physical Therapy

2009-05-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

I've been attending physical therapy for about three weeks now. I've had an ongoing hip injury since, oh, around Christmas, and I finally decided it was time to deal with it rather than ignore and hope it would go away. The funny thing is, I ran the Rock and Roll Marathon last June without a single problem in training or on race day. It's curious that this problem popped up when I was just running recreationally. My doctor thinks maybe there is something wrong with my posture/running form that is exacerbated when I'm fatigued. So he sent me to the PT to get my gait adjusted while also working out the knot in my hip. Luckily, it turns out the joint itself is perfectly healthy - it's tightness in the surrounding muscle tissue and ligament that seems to be causing the pain.

Physical therapy is pretty interesting. I work with Kathleen, who is about 5'7", probably 110 pounds soaking wet, and is about as strong as the Incredible Hulk. She climbs up on the table and digs her thumbs into my hip until I want to cry. What's cool is that Kathleen has a student PT working with her, and as they go through my therapy, they talk a lot about what they are doing. I feel like I'm learning a little bit about my body, and it's nice to hear all of the different justifications for the assessments, stretches, and exercises they put me through.

So far, the sessions have each started with some kind of assessment of my range of motion. Next, comes an ultrasound on my hip. The heat and vibrations are supposed to loosen things up in there. Then, it's on to the "massage," which I put in quotation marks because to me, massage has a whole different meaning than the torture Kathleen inflicts on me. Finally, it's on to stretching and strengthening exercises. I've even gotten to use a pilates reformer table a couple of times (it's this crazy-looking piece of exercise equipment with lots of springs and sliding parts). Kathleen sends me packing after an hour with homework exercises I'm supposed to do twice a day.

The PT is not bad, really (except for the massage), but it is kind of tiring and I've been pretty sore on the following day. But it's all worthwhile if this will get me back to running on the beach trails soon - I miss it!

Cystic Fibrosis Walk

2009-05-06T16:43:00.000-07:00

This year, I am once again participating in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s GREAT STRIDES walk at DeAnza Cove on May 16.

As many of you know, I am a genetic carrier for Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis is a devastating genetic disease that affects children and young adults. Please help me meet my fund-raising goal of $150 by sponsoring me. Nearly 90 cents out of every dollar you contribute goes directly toward supporting research and specialized care that improves the quality of life for those with CF. And, it's tax-deductible. Making a donation is easy and secure! Just click on the link below to make a donation to my fund-raising page where your donation will be credited to my team. Any amount you can donate is greatly appreciated!

http://www.cff.org/great_strides/JenniferHoward

Oh, and if you’d like to walk too, just let me know!! Thank you!!

Update: The walk was great. Thanks Meg, Mom, and Jared for donating!! I've met my goal!!

Extra Fiber Maybe?

2009-05-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

My dog Brandy is a big girl now. She is going on nine years old this August, so she is not too much of a troublemaker anymore. When she was a young pup, I used to have to take deep cleansing breaths before opening the door when I arrived home in the afternoons. I never knew what kind of mess or destruction I might see. She has opened drawers and cupboards to pull out goodies, she's eaten rice, chocolate, textured vegetable protein, powdered drink mix, hard candies, and countless other food and non-food items. I have picked up garbage that's been merrily tossed all over the floor and licked clean more time times than I can count. Brandy has chewed walls and furniture, and I will never forget the time I opened the door and had the impression that it had snowed indoors: she had opened up the down couch cushions and there were feathers everywhere. But like I said, these days, she is usually just content to sleep while I'm gone. However every so often, she goes looking for adventure....

Tonight, while I was out, Brandy was looking for some fun or perhaps some treats:
Yup, they are what you think they are. She ripped open the whole damn box, flung 'em everywhere and chewed on most of them individually. I can just imagine her thinking, "Surely there must be cookies inside of THIS one!...Darn...Oh what's in this package?!"

ABC's of Me

2009-04-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

My newest Facebook tag....

A - Age: 34

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the bathroom

D - Dog's name: Brandy

E - Essential start to your day item: Soy green tea latte

F - Favorite color: Purple

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'2"

I - Instruments you play(ed): Yeah, right. Although, there was that classical guitar class that was part of my liberal studies degree....

J - Job title: Fourth grade teacher

K - Kid(s): 25 or so new ones every August!

L - Living arrangements: My own little 600 sf apartment, with my sweet doggy and kitty as roomates

M - Mom's name: Karen

N - Nicknames: Jen, Jenny

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Never

P - Pet Peeve: When people write "could of" instead of "could've"

Q - Quote from a movie: "Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days."

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Siblings: My little brother, Jeff

T - Time you wake up: 5:00 in the morning

U- Underwear: Depends on my mood

V - Vegetable you dislike: Brussels sprouts - I really think that they were never meant to be eaten

W - Ways you run late: If I'm lost

X - X-rays you've had: Nose, foot, spine

Y - Yummy food you make: Tamales

Z - Zoo favorite: Polar bears

One of my infrequent rants...

2009-04-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

At recess today, some of my coworkers and I were discussing President Obama's proposals regarding merit pay for teachers, our statewide standardized testing coming up next week, and how different our teaching experience is in Del Mar versus more impoverished districts around the nation. One of my wise colleagues said, "Take our beautiful school and all of the amazing teachers and plop it down in the middle of Washington, D.C. I don't know that we'd help those inner-city kids do much better than they're doing right now." And that is the fundamental problem, I believe, with merit pay. It won't help. Study after study has shown a direct correlation between parent income/educational level and student test scores. I don't believe that offering monetary bonuses will help teachers boost their students' achievement. Here's what I do believe:

Standardized tests do not accurately measure intelligence, learning, or problem-solving skills. They do not tell you how well a student will achieve in life.
All the teachers I know take very seriously their calling to educate all children. Merit pay could lead to a lot of bickering about who gets troubled kids, special education students, or English-language learners in their class.
Financial rewards would most likely promote competition among teachers. I don't know where I would be without the help of my colleagues over the years. I can't imagine what would happen if that collaborative spirit went away.

However, I also believe the system is broken. Children all over this nation are dropping out or exiting public school with very few of the skills they need to make a decent or honest living. Low-income, mostly minority neighborhoods have been caught cycles of poverty and violence for decades.

And I believe there is a path that will lead to success.

In September I was listening to my beloved "This American Life" weekly podcast, when I heard about a man named Geoffrey Canada, who has been running the Harlem Children's Zone program for the past 20 years. And he is seeing real, documentable results. The Harlem Children's Zone operates under the basic philosophy that every child's success begins before birth. Beginning with the Baby College program, HCZ teaches soon-to-be parents in Harlem how to read to, talk to, and interact with their babies, building the vocabulary and experiental knowledge that is the very foundation of learning. Families who begin in the Baby College can continue receiving services and training from HCZ through the college years. I was blown away by the ambition and successes of this program and am excited to read the book Whatever It Takes by Paul Tough this summer.

If our president could take all of that merit pay money and pour it into the establishment of programs like HCZ in cities all over the county, I believe that in 5-10 years, we'd begin to see some amazing results. Problem is, does any government official have the courage to support a long-term solution such as this? It's much more pleasing to the public to offer up a knee-jerk, short term option such as merit pay, vouchers, bussing, or sanctions. There are people out there who are getting to the root of the problem, and it's working. It would be an understatement to say that the "powers that be" ignorance of this is frustrating.

As I think about entering my doctoral program this summer and my career future after that, I am so inspired by the revolutionary work of the Harlem Children's Zone. Where my studies will lead me, I don't yet know, but stay tuned, as I am unable to get this early education idea out of my head.

Monkeying Around

2009-04-20T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am so thrilled to present my long-awaited, complete Monkey Socks!!

I made these socks using this free knitting pattern. I've been laboring over these monkeys since late January and I am very proud of them for several reasons:

1. They are my first adult-sized socks. I've made baby socks before, but those are so much less risky as they are tiny and stretchy and the baby will surely fit into them at one point or another. Adult socks need to come out a certain size, and I was a little afraid whether this would actually happen.

2. They do actually fit!

3. Besides being my first socks, this is really the first wearable garment I've ever knitted for myself. I tend to knit a lot of blankets and other square objects, and I've made baby and dog clothes, but for the first time, I have created something I will actually proudly put on. And go out in public. I promise!

Who knows where this momentum will lead me...maybe I'll make myself a sweater next. At the rate I've been going, it should be ready just in time for winter!

Summer Movie Preview

2009-04-18T16:14:00.001-07:00

I just received my Summer Movie Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly in the mail: my favorite issue of the year! I get all excited about summer blockbusters, beginning with the intense trailers around Christmas time. I'm looking forward to the warm weather as well as Johnny, Christian, Shia, and Hugh on the big screen and in surround sound. Here's my "to see" list for the upcoming months:

May 1: Wolverine
May 8: Star Trek
May 21: Terminator
June 5: The Hangover
June 19: Year One
June 24: Transformers
July 1: Public Enemies
July 10: Bruno
July 15: Harry Potter
July 31: Funny People

Then, on August 14, a film version of The Time Traveler's Wife will be released. This is one of the most incredible books ever written - it's my favorite love story in print. Now, some of the books I adore have been made into marvelous movies: Like Water for Chocolate, Harry Potter, Field of Dreams, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Color Purple to name a few.
But, based on the poor reviews, I never saw the movie versions of Beloved, The Kite Runner or The DaVinci Code. I thought The Joy Luck Club and Interview With a Vampire movies were just okay, and I really did not like the screen versions of Memoirs of a Geisha, Hannibal, and most everything written by Stephen King (of course Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption are notable exceptions).

What's more, The Time Traveler's Wife will star Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, two fairly one-dimensional actors in my opinion. So, since I don't want this narrative ruined by a crappy movie, I think I'll leave The Time Traveler's Wife off my must-see list for now, with an option to revise my list should it receive really stellar reviews!

Cute One!

2009-04-13T20:33:00.001-07:00

Funniest Blog Ever

2009-04-10T15:19:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had a little bridal shower at work for Stephanie. Unfortunately, the cake decorator was a little confused and wrote "Congratulations, Staphanie," on the top of the cake. I thought this was pretty hilarious, but it's nothing compared to Cake Wrecks.

This blog cracks me up big time. The commentary makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. Check it out at your own risk, and be sure to swallow your beverage first...

50 Questions

2009-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

I got tagged on this one today by both Stephanie and Jen....

1. What color is your toothbrush?
Lime green and white.

2. Name one person who made you smile today:
Linda - we had breakfast today and it seems her career is really coming together!

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?
I was on my way to the Hash House for breakfast.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Sadly, I was at work!

5. What is your favorite candy?
Reese's Pieces.

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
Um, yeah.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
"Bye, Donnie!" as I was leaving work.

8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Quarterback Crunch.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
SmartWater.

10. Do you like your wallet?
Yes! It says "I'm bad and you love it," which is a daily reminder that I don't have to always be good ;-)

11. What was the last thing you ate?
Shrimp Scampi/Pasta from Dream Dinners.

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
I went through some hand-me-downs from Meg and added to my wardrobe.

13. The last sporting event you watched:
Tuesday night's Padres game.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Regular flavor, I guess.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
Jared.

16. Ever go camping?
Sure, but not in a long time.

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
Yes.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
No.

19. Do you have a tan?
Hahahahahaha....no.

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
No, I prefer pizza.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
Yes, at restaurants.

22. What did your last text message say?
Uhhh....I'll keep that between me and the recipient.

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Knitting group, lunch at Karla's, dinner with my boy.

25. Look to your left, what do you see?
The wall. It is white.

26. What color is your watch?
I haven't owned a watch in years.

27. What do you think of when you think of Australia?
My high school boyfriend.

28. Look up-what is there?
Jeez, who thinks of these questions?! I see my popcorn ceiling.

29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
Drive-thru.

30. What is your favorite number?
Twenty-three.

31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone?
Jared.

32. Any plans today?
I'm done with my tasks for today, so I'll spend the afternoon reading and relaxing.

33. How many states have you lived in?
Just the one.

34. Biggest annoyance right now?
It's raining and I really wanted a sunny spring break!

35. Last song listened to?
It's by Coldplay, but I don't know the name. The one where he says, "So you take a picture of something you see....."

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Yes, but not very fast.

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
No, I can generally handle these 600 square feet.

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Flip flops - I buy new ones about as often as I get my hair cut.

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
Nope. I am so grateful for what I have!

40. Is anyone jealous of you?
I don't think so.

41. Do you love anyone?
Yes.

42. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes.

43. What do you usually do during the day?
Play with fourth graders.

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
No.

45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily?
I think I'm more of a "hi" person.

46. What color is your car?
Dark gray.

47. Do you like cats?
Yes.

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
I wasn't, until I read the question!!

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes, Magic Mountain.

50. How did you get your worst scar?
I have one from foot surgery and one from my cat!

501 Must-See Movies

2009-04-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

I've only seen 140 of the movies from the book 501 Must-See Movies. Guess I better get busy...

Action/Adventure and Epic
[] The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
[] The Iron Horse
[] Napoleon (France, 1927)
[] Cleopatra
[] The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
[] Alexander Nevsky (USSR)
[X] Gone with the Wind
[] The Sea Hawk
[] The Treasure of Sierra Madre
[] The African Queen
[] The Wages of Fear/Le Salaire de la peur (France/Italy)
[] The Seven Samurai/Shichinin no Samurai (Japan)
[X] The Ten Commandments
[] War and Peace
[] The Vikings
[] North by Northwest
[] Ben-Hur
[] Spartacus
[] Lawrence of Arabia (Britain)
[] Zulu (Britain)
[] Dr Zhivago (Britain)
[] The Charge of the Light Brigade (Britain)
[] The Lion in Winter (Britain)
[] Waterloo (Italy/Russia)
[] Aguirre: The Wrath of God/Aguirre: der Zorn Gottes (Italy/Peru/Mexico)
[] The Poseiden Adventure (1972)
[] Enter the Dragon
[] Papillon
[X] The Towering Inferno
[] The Man Who Would Be King
[X] Raiders of the Lost Ark
[] Fitzcarraldo (Germany/Peru)
[] Gandhi
[X] The Right Stuff
[] Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
[] The Passage to India
[] Ran (Japan/France)
[] The Mission
[X] Top Gun
[] The Last Emperor (France/Italy/Britain)
[X] Die Hard
[X] Speed
[] True Lies
[] Braveheart
[X] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon/Wo Hu Cang Long
[X] Gladiator
[X] The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
[] Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
[X] Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
[] Troy

Comedy
[] Safety Last
[] The General
[] Show People
[] Duck Soup
[] It's a Gift
[] Modern Times
[] Nothing Sacred
[] Way Out West
[] Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
[] Bringing Up Baby
[] Midnight (1939)
[] His Girl Friday
[] Sullivan's Travels
[] To Be or Not to Be (1942)
[] Road to Morocco
[] Kind Hearts and Coronets
[] Born Yesterday (1950)
[] Les Vacances de M. Hulot/Mr. Hulot's Holiday (France)
[] Some Like It Hot
[] Move Over, Darling
[X] The Pink Panther (1963)
[] The Fortune Cookie
[] The Producers (1968)
[X] The Odd Couple
[] Harold and Maude
[] What's Up, Doc?
[] Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex*But were afraid to ask
[X] Blazing Saddles
[X] Monty Python and the Holy Grail
[X] Animal House
[X] Airplane!
[X] Tootsie
[] Trading Places
[X] All of Me
[] This is Spinal Tap
[X] The Breakfast Club
[X] Ferris Bueller's Day Off
[X] A Fish Called Wanda
[X] The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
[X] Big
[X] Home Alone
[X] Groundhog Day
[X] Grosse Point Blank
[X] Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
[] The Big Lebowski
[] Le diner do cons/The Dinner Game (France)
[X] There's Something About Mary
[X] Meet the Parents
[] Amelie/Amelie of Montmatre (France/Germany)
[] Lost in Translation

Drama
[] Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
[] The Grapes of Wrath
[] Citizen Kane
[] Children of Paradise/Les enfants du paradis (France)
[] The Lost Weekend
[] The Best Years of Our Lives
[] Great Expectations (1946)
[X] It's a Wonderful Life
[] Letter from an Unknown Woman
[] The Bicycle Thief/Ladri di Biciclette (Italy)
[] All About Eve
[] Sunset Boulevard
[] Ace in the Hole
[] On the Waterfront
[X] Rebel Without a Cause
[X] 12 Angry Men
[] The Seventh Seal/Det sjunde inseglet (Sweden)
[] Sweet Smell of Success
[X] Vertigo
[X] To Kill a Mockingbird
[] 8 1/2 (Italy/France)
[] A Man for all Seasons
[] Belle de jour (France/Italy)
[X] The Graduate
[] Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
[] Easy Rider
[] The Last Picture Show
[] Sleuth (Britain)
[] Nashville
[X] One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
[] All the President's Men
[] Rocky
[] Kramer vs. Kramer
[] Raging Bull
[] The King of Comedy
[X] Fatal Attraction
[X] Dangerous Liaisons
[X] Rain Man
[X] Do the Right Thing
[X] Raise the Red Lantern/Da hong deng long gao gao gua (China/Honk Kong/Taiwan)
[] Glengarry, Glen Ross
[] The Player
[X] Forrest Gump
[X] The Shawshank Redemption
[X] Apollo 13
[X] Shakespeare in Love
[X] The Truman Show
[] All About My Mother/Todo Sobre mi Madre (Spain/France)
[X] American Beauty
[X] Traffic

Horror
[] Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror/Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie des Grauens (Germany, 1922)
[] The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
[] Freaks (1932)
[] King Kong (1933)
[] Bride of Frankenstein
[] Dead of Night (Britain)
[] Les Diaboliques (France)
[] Dracula (Britain, 1958)
[X] Psycho (1960)
[] Peeping Tom (Britain)
[] Village of the Damned (Britain, 1960)
[] Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
[X] The Birds
[] The Haunting (Britain, 1963)
[] Rosemary's Baby
[X] Night of the Living Dead
[] Deliverance
[X] The Exorcist
[] Don't Look Now (Britain)
[] The Wicker Man (Britain, 1973)
[] The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
[X] Jaws
[] The Omen (1976)
[X] Carrie
[] Eraserhead
[] Halloween (1978)
[] Dawn of the Dead (1978)
[X] The Shining
[X] Friday the 13th (1980)
[] The Fog (1980)
[] An American Werewolf in London (Britain)
[] The Thing (1982)
[X] Poltergeist
[X] Gremlins
[X] A Nightmare on Elm Street
[] Manhunter
[] Evil Dead 2
[] Angel Heart
[X] Child's Play (1988)
[X] Misery
[] Tremors
[X] The Silence of the Lambs
[] Scream
[] Ringu/Ring (Japan, 1998)
[X] The Sixth Sense
[X] The Blair Witch Project
[X] The Mummy (1999)
[] Audition (Japan)
[] The Others
[] 28 Days Later

Musical
[] 42nd Street
[] Gold Diggers of 1933
[] The Gay Divorcee
[] Top Hat
[] Show Boat
[] Alexander's Ragtime Band
[X] The Wizard of Oz
[] Strike Up the Band
[] Yankee Doodle Dandy
[] You Were Never Lovelier
[] The Gang's All Here
[] Meet Me in St. Louis
[] Easter Parade
[] The Red Shoes
[] On the Town
[] An American in Paris
[] Singin' in the Rain
[] The Band Wagon
[] Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
[] Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
[] A Star is Born
[] Oklahoma!
[] High Society
[X] The King and I (1956)
[] Funny Face
[] Pal Joey
[] South Pacific
[X] West Side Story
[] Viva Las Vegas
[] A Hard Day's Night
[X] Mary Poppins
[X] My Fair Lady
[] Les parapluies de Cherbourg/The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France)
[X] The Sound of Music
[] Funny Girl
[X] Hello, Dolly!
[] Woodstock
[] Cabaret
[X] The Rocky Horror Picture Show
[X] Saturday Night Fever
[] New York, New York
[] The Last Waltz
[X] Grease
[] All That Jazz
[X] The Blues Brothers
[X] Fame
[X] Little Shop of Horrors
[X] Dirty Dancing
[] Moulin Rouge!
[X] Chicago

Romance
[] Sunrise
[] It Happened One Night
[] Camille
[] Wuthering Heights (1939)
[] The Shop Around the Corner
[] Waterloo Bridge
[] The Philadelphia Story
[] The Lady Eve
[] Casablanca
[] Now, Voyager
[] Random Harvest
[] Brief Encounter
[] La belle et la bete/Beauty and the Beast (France, 1946)
[] The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
[] Adam's Rib
[] The Quiet Man
[] Roman Holiday
[] To Catch a Thief
[] All That Heaven Allows
[] An Affair to Remember
[] The Long, Hot Summer
[] Pillow Talk
[] A bout de souffle (France)
[] The Apartment
[] Breakfast at Tiffany's
[] Un homme et une femme (France)
[] Barefoot in the Park
[] Love Story
[] A New Leaf
[X] The Way We Were
[] Annie Hall
[] 10
[] The French Lieutenant's Woman (Britain)
[X] An Officer and a Gentleman
[] Out of Africa
[X] Nine 1/2 Weeks
[X] The Princess Bride
[] The Fabulous Baker Boys
[X] When Harry Met Sally
[X] Pretty Woman
[X] Ghost
[X] Green Card
[] Age of Innocence
[X] Sleepless in Seattle
[] While You Were Sleeping
[] Romeo + Juliet
[] The English Patient
[X] Titanic
[X] As Good As It Gets
[] Hua yang nian hua/In the Mood for Love (Hong Kong/France)

Science Fiction and Fantasy
[] Metropolis (Germany, 1927)
[] Lost Horizon
[] The Man in the White Suit
[] The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
[] War of the Worlds (1953)
[] Forbidden Planet
[] Invasion of the Body Snatchers
[X] The Incredible Shrinking Man
[X] Jason and the Argonauts
[] Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Britain)
[] Fahrenheit 451
[] Planet of the Apes (1968)
[] 2001: A Space Odyssey
[X] A Clockwork Orange
[] Silent Running
[] Solaris/solyaris (U.S.S.R.)
[] Sleeper
[] Westworld
[] Dark Star
[X] Close Encounters of the Third Kind
[X] Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
[x] Superman
[X] Alien
[X] Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
[] Scanners
[X] Time Bandits
[X] Blade Runner
[X] E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial
[X] Star Trak: The Wrath of Khan
[X] Tron
[X] Ghostbusters
[X] The Terminator
[X] Back to the Future
[] Brazil (Britain)
[X] Aliens (Britain)
[X] The Fly (1986)
[X] RoboCop
[X] Batman
[X] Total Recall
[] Naked Lunch
[X] Jurassic Park
[] Twelve Monkeys
[X] Independence Day
[X] Men in Black
[X] The Matrix
[X] X-Men
[X] A. I.: Artificial Intelligence
[X] Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorceror's Stone
[X] Minority Report
[X] Spider-Man

Mystery and Thriller
[] Little Caesar
[] The Public Enemy
[] Rebecca
[] The Maltese Falcon
[] Double indemnity
[] The Big Sleep
[] Kiss of Death
[] The Third Man
[] The Asphalt Jungle
[] Strangers on a Train
[] The Big Heat
[] Rear Window
[] The Night of the Hunter
[] Rififi/Du rififi chez les hommes (France)
[] The Killing
[] Touch of Evil
[] Charade
[] Goldfinger
[X] Bonnie and Clyde
[] In the Heat of the Night
[] Point Blank
[] Bullitt
[] The Thomas Crown Affair
[] The Italian Job (Britain, 1969)
[] Dirty Harry
[] The French Connection
[] The Godfather
[] Mean Streets
[] Serpico
[] The Sting
[X] Chinatown
[] The Conversation
[] Dog Day Afternoon
[] Taxi Driver
[] Scarface
[X] Witness
[] The Untouchables
[] Goodfellas
[] Miller's Crossing
[X] Basic Instinct
[] Reservoir Dogs
[X] Pulp Fiction
[] Leon (France)
[] Se7en
[X] The Usual Suspects
[X] Fargo
[X] L. A. Confidential
[] Run Lola Run/Lola rennt (Germany)
[] Memento
[] City of God/Cidade do Deus (Brazil)

War
[] Shoulder Arms
[] Wings
[] All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
[] La Grande Illusion/The Grand Illusion
[] Sergeant York
[] In Which We Serve
[] Five Graves To Cairo
[] The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Britain)
[] Rome, Open City/Roma, citta aperta (Italy)
[] The Story of G.I. Joe
[] They Were Expendable
[] Battleground
[] Sands of Iwo Jima
[] Twelve O'Clock High
[] The Desert Fox
[] The Red Badge of Courage
[] The Cruel Sea (Britain)
[] From Here to Eternity
[] Stalag 17
[] Mister Roberts
[] Attack!
[] The Burmese Harp/Biruma no tategoto (Japan)
[] The Bridge on the River Kwai (Britain)
[] Paths of Glory
[] Ballad of a Soldier/Ballada o soldate (U.S.S.R.)
[] The Guns of Navarone (U.S/Britain)
[] The Longest Day
[] The Great Escape
[] The Train (France/Italy/U.S.)
[] The Bedford Incident
[] Von Ryan's Express
[] The Dirty Dozen (U.S./Britain)
[] Hell in the Pacific
[] Where Eagles Dare (Britain)
[] Catch-22
[] Tora! Tora! Tora! (U.S./Japan)
[] M*A*S*H
[] Patton
[] Cross of Iron (Britain/West Germany)
[] The Deer Hunter
[X] Apocalypse Now
[] The Big Red One
[] Das Boot (West Germany)
[] The Killing Fields (Britain)
[] Come and See/Idi i smotri (U.S.S.R.)
[] Platoon
[] Full Metal Jacket
[X] Good Morning, Vietnam
[X] Schindler's List
[X] Saving Private Ryan

Western
[] Union Pacific
[] Stagecoach
[] The Ox-Bow Incident
[] Duel in the Sun
[] My Darling Clementine
[] Fort Apache
[] Red River
[] She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
[] The Gunfighter
[] Winchester '73
[] Bend of the River
[] High Noon
[] The Naked Spur
[] Shane
[] The Searchers
[] The Tall T
[] 3:10 to Yuma (1957)
[] Forty Guns
[] Run of the Arrow
[] The Big Country
[] The Left-Handed Gun
[] Man of the West
[] Last Train From Gun Hill
[] Rio Bravo
[] The Magnificent Seven
[] Two Rode Together
[] Lonely Are The Brave
[] The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
[] Ride the High Country
[] Ride in the Whirlwind
[X] The Good, The Bad and the Ugly/Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (taly)
[] The Professionals
[] Hombre
[] Once Upon a Time in the West/C'era una volta il West (Italy/U.S.)
[] Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
[] True Grit
[] The Wild Bunch
[] The Ballad of Cable Hogue
[] Little Big Man
[] McCabe and Mrs. Miller
[] Bad Company (1972)
[] The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean
[] Ulzana's Raid
[] High Plains Drifter
[] The Outlaw Josey Wales
[] The Shootist
[] The Long Riders
[X] Young Guns
[X] Dances with Wolves
[X] Unforgiven
[X] The Last of the Mohicans

Stephanie and Kayvan's Wedding

2009-04-07T08:41:00.000-07:00

Stephanie and Kayvan's wedding on Saturday was just beautiful. It was a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in Marina Village.Stephanie looked so happy.

I loved the flowers - tiger lilies are my favorite, and the green and orange went together wonderfully.

Steph's dress was perfect for her.
Sand dollars for place cards....the centerpieces....and the cake!

This was my favorite picture of the entire night.

Our moment with the bride. Thanks for a fantastic party!!

Tragic

2009-04-04T06:29:00.000-07:00

Another "shooting rampage" - is this a sign of the recession? I dread looking at the headlines these days.

Lucky

2009-04-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Lost/Deadwood Actors

2009-03-29T18:09:00.000-07:00

This week's episode of Lost featured yet another Deadwood alumni: E.B. Farnum, Deadwood's hotel proprietor (William Sanderson) played Oldham, the Dharma Initiative's resident extractor of information. By my count, this brings the total of Deadwood/Lost crossover actors to 4. The first three were:

Trixie, whore with a heart of gold, played the "other" Colleen on Lost.

Joanie, another whore with a heart of gold, played Sawyer's baby momma, Cassidy.

And Calamity Jane was cast as Juliet's sister Rachel.

Just an interesting observation about my two favorite television shows ever!

Corey Wimberley

2009-03-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

At the A's spring training game on Saturday, I was particularly intrigued by infielder Corey Wimberly. Why? Because as he walked up to the plate for his first at-bat, I was compelled to ask - aloud - whether Oakland is now drafting middle-schoolers. Corey Wimberly is tiny! He couldn't be more that 5'7". And being pretty petite myself, I always find myself drawn to the "little guy." (I also love the Chargers' Darren Sproles - but who doesn't?) It makes sense, really. Billy Beane's "Moneyball" management philosophy has long been tied to the on-base percentage and with a strike zone that small, Wimberly must draw a ton of walks. He could be the next Rickey! And Corey was even more endearing because he was sporting the old-school stirrups instead of having his damn pants dragging in the dirt like so many of the players do now.

I don't know what this guy's stats are like, and it likely doesn't matter as he probably won't be on the roster this year. But he caught my eye. Go Corey!

Phoenix Day 2

2009-03-22T08:33:00.000-07:00

We woke up late on Saturday to glorious blue skies and temperatures in the 80's. After a delicious brunch in the morning, it was time to visit Phoenix Municipal Stadium for a spring training baseball game. It was great to be out at the ballpark, enjoying the sunshine, sights and sounds of the game, and a cold beer.The stadium has the small and intimate feel of a minor-league ballpark. The parking lot was easy to get in and out of, the concession prices were much more reasonable than Petco, and there were no annoying Jumbotron games or flashing lights. I swear, if I lived here, I'd be at spring training games probably three times a week!After the game, Jodi treated us to pizza and salad at "Humble Pie." The pizza was delicious - probably the best crust I've ever had! We spent the rest of the evening in, with some low-key girls' time.

It's been a great trip. Big thanks to Jodi for hosting!!

Phoenix Day 1

2009-03-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Susan, Meg, and I met at the airport around 4:30 Friday afternoon for our flight to Phoenix. Magazines, drink coupons, and girl scout cookies in hand, we were more than prepared for the short hop to Arizona. About halfway into the flight, we broke out the Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos, completely forgetting the flight attendant's announcement up front that this was a "peanut-free flight." As the smell of peanut butter permeated the air, we suddenly remembered - oh sh*t, we're not supposed to have these out. We quickly stuffed the cookies away, hoping to avoid sending some poor person into anaphylaxis! I don't think we killed anyone - this time...

Once we landed, Jodi picked us up and the four of us headed to Tempe Marketplace, to a hoppin' Mexican restaurant called San Felipe's, where this picture was taken:We stayed for a couple of hours enjoying the drinks and appetizers as well as the conversation. Ashli even rallied and stopped by for a bit to hang out.

It's nice and warm here in Phoenix and Jodi's home is beautiful. She has a very comfy couch, too!

Looking forward to the game today!!

An Old Favorite

2009-03-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

I just heard this on my iPod, and felt like sharing...

Lush

2009-03-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to Lush.

When I mention this store to friends who've never heard of it, the typical response is something like, "Is that a store for alcoholics?" No! The definition of "lush" that applies here is luxurious, opulent, and extremely pleasing for the senses.

Lush is store that is based in the UK. Although they call themselves a cosmetics company, they don't sell any makeup. Lush specializes in organic bath and body products: bath bombs, bubble bars, powders, lotions, soaps, hair products, etc. Everything in the store is handmade, completely organic, and smells heavenly. Oh, and as you can probably imagine, it's expensive.

I first discovered Lush during my 2005 (?) girls' spa weekend in Carmel. There is no store in San Diego - the nearest is Anaheim. But it's actually more convenient for me to visit the one in Santa Clara when I'm in the Bay Area. There is a website, of course, but I don't shop it for two reasons:
1. Already expensive enough without adding on shipping charges!
2. I really like to touch and smell what I'm buying first.

I discovered in 2007 that Lush has an annual after-Christmas sale where the bath bombs, which typically sell for around $6 apiece, go for $2 instead. My favorite is the Youki-Hi bath bomb, which is a jasmine-scented dream come true.

So, taking advantage of this amazing sale, I've stocked up on a year's worth of bath bombs and bubble bars (if I use one a week). I can't wait to go take a bath now......

Just a Sec....

2009-03-15T11:39:00.001-07:00

Back to School

2009-03-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

I was indeed accepted this week into UCSD's Teaching and Learning Program. I am going to be working toward an Education Doctorate Degree (EdD) over the next four years. It was a lot of work just to complete the application and I really was not at all sure that I would be admitted, so just now the full meaning of this is sinking in....

I decided to apply to this program because I love to learn. Love of learning is the main reason I decided to become a teacher! In the summer of 2007, I became a fellow in the San Diego Area Writing Project. That means I spent a month reading current education research, writing about it, and discussing with like-minded colleagues. It was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life, and definitely got me thinking about a doctoral program. Because while I enjoy gaining new knowledge in my field, my thinking is only really solidified when I can write and talk about what I'm learning. Studying in isolation has never been my thing - I need to be part of a learning community.

I didn't apply in 2008 - there was just too much craziness going on in my life. But, 2009 seemed to be the right time. I have the stability in place to add a new endeavour: a solid job, 6 years teaching the same grade level, a supportive boss, friends who would do anything to help, no kids of my own....it will probably never be a better time! The classes are all at night, so I'll continue teaching full time, and the research/dissertation are meant to be conducted within the context of my own classroom and school.

So, I start classes in June, right after school gets out. I am very excited, but the scope of what I'll be taking on is pretty overwhelming. I'm currently trying to do a little academic reading each evening to get myself back into the mode of studying on a regular basis. It's good to know that my colleagues, friends, and the folks who run this doctorate program all have faith that I can do this. Now I'll just have to find the faith in myself!!

Field of Dreams

2009-03-12T19:56:00.000-07:00

March is here, the weather is turning warmer, we've set the clocks forward an hour - it's nearly time for BASEBALL!

I love the beginning of the season. Every team has the same record, most of the players are healthy and rested, and it seems like anything is possible. 162 games is plenty of time to climb to the top of the division and stay there.

Maybe Rickey making it into the Hall will bring luck and Oakland will make it to the playoffs this year, with solid veterans like Eric Chavez and Mark Ellis, the return of prodigal son/steroid junkie Jason Giambi, and the addition of aging star Nomar Garciaparra.

Meg, Susan, and I will be getting in on the preseason action with a trip to Phoenix next weekend to watch the A's in Cactus League play. Thanks Jodi for hosting us! It's been, I think, 12 years since my last spring training trip. I'm so excited for this sneak preview of the season.

And I'm thrilled that the A's will be coming to San Diego in June to play the Padres - for the second time in the past three years! I already got my tickets to all three games and will be there cheering for my team. Go green!

Oh Brother!

2009-03-04T18:23:00.000-08:00

With my Sunday paper this week, I received a pack of bright yellow door tags, similar to the ones that FedEx leaves behind when you're not home to sign for an important package. Only these door tags are not from FedEx, they're from the Water Authority, and they are big, yellow, and totally obnoxious.

I am supposed to hang these on the doors of my neighbors when I notice they are wasting water. In theory, I should check one of the following boxes:

Your sprinklers are watering the pavement
Your sprinklers were on during the rain
You have a broken sprinkler
Your sprinklers are on every day
Your sprinklers are on during the day

Each of these misdeeds then has further explanation about how the offender can reduce water usage with a little fix-it tip.

As I often say in my blog - don't get me wrong! I'm not opposed to water conservation in this arid metropolis known as San Diego. But I have a real problem with this "Big Brother"-style request. I don't want to go around hanging tags on my neighbors' doors, nor would I want someone to do this to me.

I thought about this long and hard, because at first I wasn't really sure why the yellow water tags bothered me so much. I mean, if I saw someone beating on his or her child or witnessed a car crash, I would try to intervene as best I could. So why wouldn't I want to come to the rescue of our water??

I finally came to the conclusion that it's the anonymity that seems so creepy and borderline Orwellian. If I have neighbors who are pouring hundreds of gallons of water down the sewer, I would hope I have the backbone to go up to them and politely ask if they've noticed that they have a broken sprinkler head!

I considered anonymously mailing the tags back to the Water Authority along with a note recommending where they shove 'em. But instead, I took the environmentally conscious route - I recycled them.

Music Memories

2009-02-28T09:19:00.001-08:00

I heard the song Friday, I'm In Love by the Cure this morning on the radio. A fun, happy song, it always reminds me of one particular love of my own. It's amazing how music can act as a mental trigger. There are so many songs that bring a person to the forefront of my thoughts, even if it's been 10, 15, 20 years since we last spoke! Here are some of the other songs that have strong connections for me - connections that I'm pretty sure will last a lifetime:

Crush Story by Too Much Joy
Think About You by Guns 'n' Roses
Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order (that one is for you, Susan!)
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel
The Best for Last by Vanessa Williams
Waiting for A Girl Like You by Foreigner
Crazy for You by Madonna
Taking You Home by Don Henley
Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong
No One by Alicia Keys
Bubbly by Colby Callait

And one that I hear very, very rarely, but that is good because it never fails to bring me to tears: Annie's Song by John Denver.

I'm curious - what songs do this for you??

Automotive Navigation System

2009-02-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun chain letter post I hadn't seen yet. You put these three elements together to make a new Emo band's first album.To Do This

1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to “Random quotations”
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together (I used picnik.com)

My Oscar Commentary

2009-02-22T18:57:00.000-08:00

I think I racked up an entire year's worth of television viewing while laid up in bed this weekend. Last night, I turned on the red carpet around 4:00, and I kept watching the Academy Awards straight through 'til the bitter end at 9:00. I really liked this year's show, especially:

The opening act. I loved the whole "created in my garage" tribute to the nominated movies. Hugh Jackman was goofy and funny, and when he pulled Anne Hathaway on stage to portray Nixon - hilarious!

The way the acting awards were presented, with 5 former winners coming out onstage and talking about the five nominees. What a cool and unique method of presenting an award.

Steve Martin and Tina Fey's banter. They made me laugh out loud several times.

The poise that Jennifer Aniston maintained. It could not have been easy for her to be on stage presenting while being stared down Brad and Angelina in the front row. I would have folded, for sure. Jen looked great.

Ben Stiller parodying Joaquin Phoenix. Hysterical.

Seth Rogen and James Franco in their short movie. More laughs!

Heath winning the Best Supporting award. Besides his very composed famiy, was there a dry eye in the house? Not in this house.

Natalie Portman, Alicia Keyes, and Freida Pinto: absolutely gorgeous.

Kate Winslet's acceptance speech, especially when she had her dad whistle from the audience.

And because everyone likes to get in on the not-so-constructive criticism when it comes to the Oscars, here are the parts of the show that didn't really do it for me:

Sarah Jessica Parker and Daniel Craig. They seemed really awkward together onstage.

The whole "the musical is back" dance number. Kinda silly.

Bill Maher's tuxedo jacket - was that leather?

That Jimmy Kimmel/Tom Cruise commercial. Kinda creepy.

Zac Efron's hair. You can't slick down a shaggy mop like that and still expect it to look good. Messy cool or smooth and classy - can't have it both ways Zac.

I never really understand the whole production with the nominees for Best Original Song. This year was no exception. Kinda uncomfortable.

Reese Witherspoons dress, hair, makeup. She's such an adorable woman, but I couldn't help thinking she looked like a bruise.

Sean Penn's acceptance speech. He is so pompous. For goodness sake, thank your beautiful wife man!

Questions:

What was the significance of Will Smith's lapel pin?

Is Etta James more bothered by Beyonce singing "At Last" or by the same song being used in a Hoover vacuum commercial?

My Bucket List

2009-02-22T13:34:00.000-08:00

I got tagged on this one by Gabi. What a cool list - it gives me a lot of ideas!

Have you ever....

(X) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
(X) Been to Hawaii
( ) Been to Australia
( ) Been to New Zealand
( ) Been to Germany
( ) Been to Thailand
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Flown in a single engine plane
( ) Toured the White House
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
( ) Been to the Four Corners
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the Atlantic Ocean
(X) Swam in the Pacific Ocean
(X) Swam in the Gulf of Mexico
(X) Swam in the Mediterranean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t.
(X) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating outdoors on a non man-made body of water
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Been parasailing
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Seen the Northern Lights
(X) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
(X) Seen the Bald Eagle in his natural habitat
( ) Been to Nuremberg, Germany
( ) Been to a concentration camp in Germany
(X) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
( ) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
( ) Been to Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
( ) Been in a rain forest
(X) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Walked on a Glacier
( ) Been Hang-gliding
( ) Been water-skiing
(X) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Prado
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(X) Been to a National Football League game
(X) Been up the Eiffel Tower in Paris
( ) Walked inside the Kremlin
( ) Been Scuba Diving below 80 feet
( ) Given a Dog CPR
( ) Touched a human heart while still beating in their body
( ) Barefoot waterski
( ) Made a hole in one
( ) Caught a rattlesnake
( ) Delivered a baby
( ) Hugged a Wombat
(X) Ate pizza in Italy
( ) Snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef
( ) Walked on the Jasper Ice Fields in Alberta, Canada
( ) Sat front row of a Flamenco Show in Sevilla, Spain
(X) Been snowboarding
(X) Jumped off a diving board
(X) Lived in a dorm
( ) Been inside the Sears Tower
(X) Been part of the wedding party in someones wedding
( ) Been (4 wheeling) Muddin'
( ) Been to Old San Juan in Puerto Rico
( ) Walked completely around the A and E rings of the Pentagon
( ) Played Chicken with another car
( ) Built a kayak
( ) Been to Brugge, Belgium
(X) Worked at a summer youth camp
( ) Been to the Alhambra in Spain
( ) Taken figure skating lessons
( ) Been to Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam
( ) Been in a swimming competition
(X) Ridden a roller coaster
(X) Been surrounded by people who spoke no english
( ) Seen a whale shark up close
( ) Read Uncle Tom's Cabin
( ) Been para-gliding
( ) Done CPR in real life
( ) Ever rescued someone out of the water
( ) Been skinny dipping
(X) Been to Switzerland
( ) Jumped over a waterfall
(X) Partied until dawn/drank until the sun came up
( ) Shot a gun
( ) Worked as a waiter/waitress
( ) Caught the perfect wave, on a boogie-board
(X) Been in the front row of a rock concert
(X) Been in a mosh pit
(X) Made a snow angel
( ) Made a wedding toast
(X) Been to the top of Half Dome

Just an Update...

2009-02-22T06:19:00.001-08:00

It has been over a week since I last blogged - I haven't gone this long without writing in a while. I was starting to go into withdrawl!! It's been a very busy week...

Last Sunday and Monday, I was in Phoenix visiting my dear friend Ashli, her husband John, and their baby girl Saylor. It was such a fun trip. Ash and I went out for a Sushi and movie night on Sunday. Correction: sushi, movie, and mojito night! We saw the movie Taken, which was just okay, but the sushi was excellent, and the conversation was nonstop. I miss having Ashli here in San Diego and I do hope she moves back one of these days.

From the time I got home, I devoted much of my free time to finishing up my report cards. This coming week is parent-teacher conference week. I also had lots of little tasks to complete in preparation for my surgery. So, no time to blog.

Thursday morning, I went in for my pre-op appointment, then I spent the rest of the day at work putting the finishing touches on my report cards and holding my first four conferences. I am so glad I got a few out of the way already!

Friday morning, I went in for my laparoscopy. During this surgery, the doctors put me under general anesthesia and poked around at my insides for about half an hour. I will get to see the pictures in a couple of weeks at my follow-up appointment. I'm sore and a bit bruised, but it's really not too bad. Meg and Karla have taken such great care of me, and Amy has promised to bring me a Starbucks later this morning since I haven't had one in three days!

Then last night, my high school friend Stephanie came to visit for a couple of hours. She happened to be in town from Chico for a OT class. It was so wonderful to see her - we kept remarking how after 15 years or so apart, we hardly skipped a beat. It was nonstop talking the entire time.

And tonight the Academy Awards are on television. Once again, I did not meet my goal of seeing all 5 nominees for best picture, but 3 is pretty good, I think. All of the predictions say that Slumdog Millionaire will win anyway, and I saw (and loved) that one! I am looking forward to wrapping up my weekend by lying around watching the red carpet fashions and seeing Hugh Jackman's first Oscar-hosting gig. I'm sure I'll have something to write about the Academy Awards tomorrow!

My Movie Tastes

2009-02-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

After writing my review of The Reader yesterday, I was reflecting a bit on my taste in movies. Like anyone, I have a certain slant or filter that colors my impression of any film: I'm all about the people.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good Jim Carrey comedy or summer blockbuster, but when it comes to the movies that I really love, nothing can beat a good character-driven drama. I want to connect with the personalities up on the screen, feel that they're real, and empathize with their flaws and hardships. It's the same with books - if the author fleshes out the characters so that they live and breathe for me, I will sob at the end of the book when it's time to let them go. And I'll often go right back to the beginning and read the whole thing again just to prolong the loss!

So if a director can get me to care, really care, about the people in his film, chances are I'll love it. But if not, all the beautiful scenery and poignant themes will make no difference: it'll still get a thumbs down from me.

The Reader

2009-02-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

I had the day off yesterday, so I schlepped off to the movie theater to watch my third Oscar-nominated film for this year, The Reader. I read the book several years ago, and although it made enough of an impression on me where I remembered the plot quite while, I wouldn't say I loved it. The characters and storyline were not super compelling to me. So I probably would never have seen this movie if it weren't for the nomination.

Well, I didn't love the movie either. It seemed rather cold and unfeeling, just like Kate Winslet's character. Maybe this was the whole point, but I just did not find myself getting lost in the narrative and caring deeply about the characters like I did with Slumdog Millionaire. So I will have to place The Reader at the bottom of my ranking for now:

Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Reader

Incidentally, I am so surprised that Gran Torino did not earn a nomination ahead of The Reader. In my opinion, it took much bigger risks in terms of its content and themes and was overall just a better movie.

Hopefully, I'll have a chance before next Sunday to see the other two nominees!!

School Funding

2009-02-11T15:36:00.001-08:00

Tonight, I, along with many of my colleagues, will be attending the Del Mar school district board meeting. The meeting tonight is of particular interest because our board is scheduled to make some decisions on program changes resulting from the bleak economic forecast for all public services.

This meeting is just one landmark on a difficult road we've been traveling for months now.

The Del Mar Union School District is a top-notch district, with high test scores, satisfied parents, and well-adjusted kids. The median income, like the parent education level, is much higher than average. And Del Mar is one of the last school districts in the nation that offers students learning opportunities with highly trained specialists in the arts, as well as in science, technology, and P.E. Yes, on a regular basis, my fourth graders enjoy lessons from an art specialist, a music specialist, a computer specialist, a science specialist and a physical education specialist. This Extended Studies model not only gives Del Mar students extra opportunities to learn from teachers who are extremely knowledgeable, talented, and passionate in their respective subject areas, it also gives the classroom teachers release or "prep" time to individually and collaboratively plan lessons and evaluate student results.

So tonight, we will hear the district's proposals for which of these programs shall be cut.

It's not surprising - all public schools are looking at huge reductions in their funding, and cuts need to made. That's just reality. What's very, very difficult is knowing that cutting these positions will likely lead to layoffs. I have several colleagues - wonderful people and amazing teachers - who are not at all sure that they will have a job next year.

I am not looking forward to tonight's board meeting, but I also would not dream of missing it...

Fun With Your Name

2009-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite "survey" so far. Thanks Steph!

1.YOUR REAL NAME
Jennifer Anne Howard

2.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:(mother and fathers middle names)
Jo Robert

3.NASCAR NAME:(first name of your mother's dad, father's dad)
Joe Oscar

4.STAR WARS NAME:(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name)
Howje

5.DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Purple Bear

6.SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Anne San Jose

7.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning)
The Blue Tequila

8.FLY NAME:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name)
Jerd

9.STREET NAME:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie)
Quarterback Snickerdoodle (haha!!)

10.ROCK STAR NAME:(current pets name, current street name)
Brandy Windcrest

11. PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)
Bum Chambers

12.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle)
Jenizzle

13.YOUR IRAQI.. NAME:(2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, first two letters of your middle name, last two letters of your first name then last three letters of your last name)
Ewanerard

14.YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Carly

15. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy)
Obsession Reeses

Nobody Said It Was Easy...

2009-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Confession

2009-02-08T13:03:00.000-08:00

I am not fanatical or anything, but generally I try to be good to our environment. I bring my own bags to the grocery store, I recycle, I drive a small car, and I try to limit my water use. However, I am totally hooked on disposable cleaning wipes. I've tried to give up this habit many times by switching to a spray-and-cloth method of cleaning, but I always end up going back to those huge tubs of disinfecting cloths from Costco. I am weak, I can't help it!!

Another Set of Questions

2009-02-06T18:41:00.001-08:00

These surveys are flying around Facebook all of a sudden. This one was handed off to me by Natalie. Again, I am eliminating some of the questions to pare it down a little:

Do you like blue cheese?
Ick!

Have you ever smoked?
Not tobacco...

Do you own a gun?
Haha, would you believe me if I said yes? Didn't think so.

Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Only if I know I'll be giving blood.

What do you think of hot dogs?
I like veggie dogs!

Favorite Christmas movie?
It's a Wonderful Life

What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Venti soy green tea latte

Can you do push-ups?
Maybe 2 or 3!

Middle name?
Anne

Name 3 drinks you regularly drink?
The aforementioned green tea latte
Water
Sam Adams

Current worry?
Whether my hip will get better so I can start running again.

Favorite place to be?
Cuddled up in bed with a loved one. I think this is my dog's favorite place to be too, as she's my current cuddle partner!

How did you bring in the new year?
With grapes, a broom, luggage and coins at Todd and Karla's New Year party.

Where would you like to go?
Australia is at the top of my list.

Do you own slippers?
I got some for Christmas and gave them to Meg. I can't stand wearing slippers or socks for very long.

Can you whistle?
Yes, but not in the loud, cool way.

Would you be a pirate?
If Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom were on the ship, sure!

Favorite Girl's Name?
Brighid

Favorite boy's name?
Joseph

Last thing that made you laugh?
The "Motivational Posters" email Ashli sent me.

What vehicle do you drive?
Audi A3

Worst pain you've ever had?
A couple of years ago I had a very painful hysterosalpingogram. I think I got a little taste of what labor will feel like...

Do you love where you live?
I don't love the city, but I do love my peeps. I'd like to try living somewhere else but can't imagine leaving my friends or job.

How many TVs do you have in your house?
Just the one, which is rarely on.

Do you collect anything?
My Winnie the Pooh collection stays in my classroom. At home - shoes?

Favorite Sports Team?
The Oakland Athletics

Arrested Development

2009-02-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Finally, here's a show I cannot jinx! Arrested Development aired on Fox for three seasons, and was cancelled in 2006. Because it received rave reviews, I had tried watching it a couple of times during its original run, but it's the type of show that's really hard to pick up if you haven't watched it from the beginning.
Thanks to the magic of Hulu.com, I have been able to do just that - watch Arrested Development beginning with the pilot. I've only watched two episodes so far, but this is one of the funniest, best written things I've ever seen. Everything about Arrested Development is awesome. Watch it!

Centering...

2009-02-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely reliable about one thing: I look for the positive in every situation. I started writing in this blog regularly last summer (if you're reading this on Facebook, it's much prettier at http://sdjennyhow.blogspot.com/) as a way to keep seeing the silver lining - a sort of gratitude journal, if you will.

Here are some of the things that I am grateful for...

My dog, Brandy
Cosmopolitan magazine
Nachos
When my students say "thank you" as I'm passing out tests
Coming home to my own place
Immersing myself in a film at the theater for a couple of hours
Toddlers who grin at me
The baristas at Starbucks who start my drink as soon as I walk in the door
This American Life podcasts
Madonna
A good glass of wine ... a good beer ... a good gin and tonic ...
That the teacher next door to me always patiently listens to my sob stories, even if the bell is going to ring in 1 minute
Hot tubs
The internet
Coupons
Not having a single regret when it comes to love

Summer Vacation

2009-02-03T18:21:00.000-08:00

It's February... the groundhog has predicted six more weeks of winter, spring training is right around the corner, and I can officially start thinking about summer!

My grad school application is in, and if I am accepted and can somehow scrape together the financing, I will be in school this July. And assuming I completely lose my mind and decide to teach at Young Writer's Camp again this summer, that would probably take care of the first two weeks of August.

But I'd really love to do a little traveling this summer, and it looks like the last two weeks of June or the last two weeks of August are what I will have available. So I have been using my Southwest credit card for everything, from groceries to utilities, trying to earn myself a free plane ticket before it's too late.

Two years ago I was able to take myself on a vacation to Maui using free Southwest tickets, but since this is no longer an option, I'm considering the following...

Visiting Meggie in Kansas - a little taste of the Midwest might be good for me.
A trip to a totally random place where I've never been - Chicago, maybe, or San Antonio.
If the plane tickets don't work out, I could throw Brandy in the car and take a road trip up to Oregon and Washington - I love the pacific northwest, could hit the Ashland Shakespeare festival, and have several old friends I could visit along the way.

So many choices!

Octuplets mom gets TV, book offers

2009-02-02T15:55:00.001-08:00

Huh, perhaps I should go the invitro route, too. Maybe I can become rich and famous that way!

Octuplets mom gets TV, book offers

Just for fun...

2009-01-31T19:41:00.001-08:00

I'm doing this because Steph sent it to me, although I think 50 questions is too many, so I pared it down to 25...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My mom just liked the name Jennifer, but she is a big Camelot fan and Jennifer is derived from Guenivere

2. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Not yet, but hopefully someday

3. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Yes, but people never get it when I do. They always think I'm being serious!

4. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Nope. Never.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cinnamon Toast Crunch

6. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No, and I try to get them on without untying them, too. I guess that reveals something about my character!

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Quarterback Crunch from Baskin Robbins

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Facial expression: smiling, open, and friendly or closed, scowling, and angry

9. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I'm too eager to please

10. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The dryer, as my iPod has frozen

11. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Plum

12. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Jasmine and vanilla

13. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Meg

14. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
We have worked together for a couple of years. She's the coolest music teacher I know!

15. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Baseball, preferably at the ballpark on a Sunday afternoon

16. HAIR COLOR?
Is this a trick question? Currently, auburn

17. EYE COLOR?
My driver's license says blue, I think they are gray, but a couple of people have told me they are hazel. I guess it depends on the light?

18. FAVORITE FOODS?
Spicy Mexican food and sushi

19. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Slumdog Millionaire

20. HUGS OR KISSES?
Kisses

21. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
Klimt, Degas

22. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
I'm never reading just one: Candy Girl, Just After Sunset, This I Believe and Building Academic Language

23. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Stones

24. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Helsinki, Finland

25. IF YOU WERE ON OF THE DWARFS, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BE?
Bashful. Really!

What it's all about....

2009-01-31T07:23:00.001-08:00

Funny Teacher Stories

2009-01-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

I still chuckle every time I look at that "hores" writing piece. Hee hee.

I don't have quite so many funny moments now that I teach fourth grade, but back when I worked with the little kids....

When I was in college, I had a job at a child-care center every weekday afternoon. I worked with first graders. Since I was honing my teaching skills, I would make up little assignments and activities for the kids to do. One of my projects was an alphabet book. Well, on the day we were working on a the letter "R," the kids helped me brainstorm a list of r-words to put on the board. Then, each student had to choose a word and write a sentence or draw a picture to go with it. One little girl proudly brought me her paper. She had chose "roots," and the picture did not show a tree or plant with its roots going down into the ground. No, instead it was a disturbingly realistic rendering of an African American slave being whipped by his white master while tied to a post. Apparently this child's mother had though it was a good idea to make the miniseries Roots into a family viewing experience.

A couple of years later, during my first year as a credentialed teacher, I was reading my second-graders' writing journals one afternoon. I came to Alicia, whose mom worked as a massage therapist and whose dad was an astrologer. No not an astronomer, and astrologer. As in, he drew detailed zodiac charts for people for a living. Anyway, Alicia's parents were especially hippy-ish and communicative with her and it was reflected in Alicia's journal entry: "I am really worried about my mom right now. She is so sick. She has this really bad disease called P.M.S"

When I moved to San Diego, I was placed in the first grade in the Del Mar district. I had my students scattered around the room one day doing various free-choice and centers-based activities, while I worked with small groups of readers. I noticed three of my boys snickering in the corner, and decided to go over and investigate. It turns out one boy was creating a 9"x12" book -or maybe it was a magazine- called "Big Boobs." These were the only words in the book, but there were plenty of illustrations.

Man, oh man - how I wish I had made copies of this stuff and saved it!

Totally Lost

2009-01-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

I had to take a nap this afternoon. This is because I will be up late (for me) watching Lost, possibly the best television show ever created, ever. If you already watch it, you know exactly what I mean. If you don't, please give it a try. I know you think all of us Lost junkies are wierdos, but I promise you - watch the first two episodes and you, too will be under the Lost spell.

To my Lost friends out there, I don't know if you are already aware of this resource - Jeff Jensen, a columnist for Entertainment Weekly, writes weekly recaps and analyses of each episode. He includes theories, reminders of past events, and he does the hard work of digging up the many literary, scientific, and, well, miscellaneous allusions throughout the series' history. If you like Lost and the completion of each week's episode leaves you feeling a little sad and empty now that it's over, this website may be exactly what you need to get you to your next fix.

Oh, and nobody call me between 9 and 10 tonight.

Spin, Spin, Spin

2009-01-27T21:41:00.000-08:00

Meg has been trying to get me to come with her to spin class for months (years?). I finally caved in tonight. For the uninitiated, spin is a stationary bike class. The instructor sits on a bike in front of the class and yells out different directions to the student bikers. Like any aerobics class, there is loud music, a motivating group dynamic and lots of sweat.

I had actually done spin two other times before tonight. Once was at a gym I belonged to up in Los Gatos, so that must have been circa 1998. The second one was at L.A. Fitness maybe 2 or 3 years ago.

You might be thinking that I gave up on spin after one session each of these times because I didn't like it. You would be partially correct. Spin is very fun, but very, very hard. After an hour of standing up and sitting down, adjusting tension, sprinting, jumping, and running on a bike, I always feel like I am going to die.

Tonight's class was terrific. The "Cliff Shot Blox" Meg fed me before class gave me the energy boost I needed to get me through the class. Of course she also promised me cake afterward.... Anyway, I had fun and I think I burned about 4 million calories, so maybe I will go back within the next decade!

Massage=Good

2009-01-26T17:38:00.000-08:00

I treated myself to an hour and a half massage after work today. Is there anything better in the world? I think not. Well maybe I can think of one thing....

But I digress.

I went to Massage Envy because it's convenient and I had a coupon. Of course, they sucked me into a year-long membership. They have a great business plan - hit the customers when they're all fuzzy and blissed out on massage endorphins. I probably would have signed over my first born child! So now I will pay $59 a month and get a massage every month, plus I can go as many additional times as I want and pay $39 each time. This is a very good deal, but it's just one more selfish indulgence to add to the list:

Monthly massage
Monthly facial
Biweekly pedicure
Gym membership
Bimonthly hair appointment
And a Starbucks every damn day!

Now, I really need to consider cancelling my cable and downgrading my cell phone plan just so I can afford all of this pampering!

Oscar Countdown

2009-01-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the Academy Awards are right around the corner and this year, like every year, I'm determined to see the 5 Best Picture nominees before the big night. I'm on pace to do it this year, too...

I saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a couple of weeks ago. Today, I watched Slumdog Millionaire. So, three more movies and three weeks to watch them!

My principal always has us do "forced rankings" when interviewing new teachers, so I will do the same in order to come up with my pick for the year's best movie. Out of the two I've seen so far, I'd rank them this way:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The two movies have some similarities. They are both love stories, and both span the main character's life from childhood through adulthood. Destiny is a major theme in each movie.

I really liked Benjamin Button. It was a big, sweeping, epic film with some nice, nuanced acting. I'd really like to see Taraji Henson win for her role as Benjamin's mother. And clearly this movie should win the makeup award.

But Slumdog Millionaire was such a different kind of story. I loved the way it played out, with each question of Jamal's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" stint relating to a particular memory from his life.

I will probably try to see The Reader next weekend. Stay tuned...

When I am 16 or 20...

2009-01-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

The parent of one of my students emailed this to me today. It's not my student's work, just a funny email going around. Specimens like this are exactly what make teaching so awesome...

I have some funny student stories of my own. Tomorrow's post maybe....

Temecula Wine Tour

2009-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

The girls and I decided to take full advantage of our day off from work today to visit some of the wineries 45 minutes north of us in Temecula. We went to....

South Coast
Wilson Creek
Ponte
Leonesse
and La Cereza

What a fun outing - I had never been up to the Temecula wine country before today. The land is beautiful, and the wineries were very friendly and casual. I liked the atmosphere at Leonesse, but my favorite wine was Wilson Creek. La Cereza has a lovely Sangiovese, but at $50 a bottle, it was just a little too rich for my blood.

Such a wonderful way to spend a beautiful, 80-degree, San Diego January day!

Move Over Angelina

2009-01-16T17:59:00.001-08:00

I have a new girl crush. Her name is Diablo Cody, and I devour her written words. I was first introduced to Ms. Cody through the movie Juno, for which she wrote the screenplay. Juno was probably my favorite movie of 2007 and is definitely one of my all-time favorites, as well. If you've seen Juno, you know what is wonderful about it: the dialogue is pure rapid-fire wit. It's creative and sincere. By the end of the movie, you know how much the characters care about one another even though the script has never devolved into cliched drivel. If you haven't seen Juno, please rent it immediately. Here's a quote, Juno explaining how her dad came up with her unique name: "Yeah and I mean Zeus had tons of lays but I'm pretty sure Juno was his only wife. And apparently she was supposed to be super beautiful but really mean, like Diana Ross."

My affection for Diablo Cody deepened when, about a year ago, she began writing a periodic column for Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly is the only magazine I faithfully read. Diablo's columns are generally commentaries on pop culture for Generation Xers - past topics have included New Kids on the Block, the new Beverly Hills 90210 series, Judy Blume, and Land of the Lost. Her writing is so exceptional, funny, and brilliant. I usually have to read her column 3 or 4 times just to savor it.

Then, Diablo won the Academy Award for best screenplay last February. And that was when I think I really fell in love with her. Could anyone have looked cooler??

I know that Diablo wrote a book, Candy Girl, some time ago, chronicling her days as, yes, a stripper. I have some Barnes and Noble credit left over from Christmas, so I think I'm going to pick that book up tomorrow.

Any Ms. Cody has a new project out, a Showtime series called The United States of Tara. It looks very interesting and I'm tempted to subscribe to Showtime so I can check it out. Maybe I'll wait - the DVDs will probably come out just in time for my summer viewing pleasure. In the meantime, Diablo, I'll be waiting for your next Entertainment Weekly love letter!