Just for fun...

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....

Funny Teacher Stories

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

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

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

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

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...