Music Memories

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

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

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

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...

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

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

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:

1. Slumdog Millionaire
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. 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

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

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...

Confession

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

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

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...

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

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

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

Octuplets mom gets TV, book offers