Miscellaneous Missives

A dear friend and I left early this morning to kayak on a small lake.  It was only my second time in a kayak.  As the two of us maneuvered through the algae filled lake, we approached three men standing at the end of the dock.  They wanted to know who was the fastest.  After a short exchange, the men told us they would continue watching which was good for later conversation as my friend and I talked and kayaked.  Kayaking was a wonderful way to start the morning.  I need to kayak more often. 

Wednesday after my second day of morning biking, I posted to FB: It seems I was the only one on the bike trail today without a helmet, and I was the only one that stopped at intersections for cars (because the cars don't have to stop... stop sign for bikers not cars). Maybe if I buy a helmet I won't have to stop for cars. I had one response: Mary, for crying out loud, buy a freekin helmet! I crashed a couple times on my bike and split a helmet both times. Think of how much more I'd be messed up than I already am if I didn't wear a helmet. When it comes to two wheeled contraptions (bikes and motorcycles) there are only those who have crashed and those who are going to crash. Today I went to REI and bought a bike helmet.  As I entered the cycling section, I asked someone to help me find a helmet.  A young man helped me find a helmet that fit and one that had some color.  When I asked him what I was going to do with my hair, he pointed to his shor...

Since I've been listening to the same music during my workouts (forever), I decided to come up with an abbreviated playlist of July.  When I returned from my morning bike ride, I sat down at my computer and put together the list.  I'm pleased with my selections although I won't really know until I'm jogging or biking.  Here's my list (on shuffle): Crazy Train- Ozzy Osbourne  Scream- Usher Thunderstruck- Thunderstruck Part of Me- Katy Perry Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepsen Stonger- Kanye West Back in Time- Pitbull Stronger- Kelly Clarkson Disturbia- Rihanna Fighter- Christina Aguilera  Sweet Child O' Mine- Guns N' Roses 'Cuz I Can- P!nk I Like It- Enrique Iglesias Mr. Brightside- The Killers Drive By- Train Domino- Jessie J Know Your Enemy- Green Day Bad Influence- P!nk I Do Not Hook Up- Kelly Clarkson Keeps Gettin' Better- Christina Aguilera The Fighter- Gym Class Heroes Raise Your Glass- P!nk What do you think?   It seem...

I love summer vacation when the days are beautiful like to day... sunny, upper 70s, gorgeous.  Reading in the sun, riding my bike, and playing golf were the day's activities. I have nothing to say, but I wanted to attach the photo of the city as seen from the golf course.

I decided to actually ride my bike this morning since the tires are pumped up (new tire pump).   Before I could get started, I needed to download music to my iPod.  It seems the last update didn't want to leave music on the iPod.  The blister on my toe needed attention.  KK was cranky and needed treats before I left.  My initial plan was to leave at 7:15, but I left a little before 8:00. Although I did bike for thirty minutes, there were some (more) problems difficulties. Seat slides side to side and up and down making for an interesting ride. Kick-stand (Yes, my bike has one, and I like it.) and/or bike lock rub against back tire. Bike could use a tune-up... don't remember last time I actually rode it. When I returned home from my adventurous bike ride, I was going to take the bike to the bike shop for a tune-up, so I could start each morning with a little bike ride.  Since the bike shop doesn't open until 10, I decided to varnish the windows tha...

Many were wondering if I was able to keep my running commentary of the incompetence of and my frustrations with one of my fellow AVID Summer Institute attendees to a minimum.  The answer is YES.  At one point I admitted to buying a filter at www.filter.com.  Another time I apologized for something I said and stated that my filter was coming yet wouldn't arrive until school started.  Did I take occasional jabs that went over Ms. Incompetence's head?  Yes.  Did I remove myself from her presence at most times? Yes.  Did I make sure that she wasn't around when I had something snarky to say?  Yes (except the one time).  It was difficult traveling and attending a learning experience with someone who personally makes my job, and those with whom I work, more difficult.  Listening to her continually talk about how wonderful she is and all she knows was taxing, but I think I did fairly well.  Do I still find her unprofessional, annoying an...

After today's session, perhaps the best of the three days, we decided to visit The Sixth Floor Museum .  In April I read Stephen King's 11.23.12 which made today's visit more engaging.  As my roomie in Dallas and colleague approached the ticket counter, she asked if there was a teacher discount.  For some reason she actually had her ID and lanyard in her purse.  Amazed that she paid $6 instead of $13, I approached the desk sheepishly and asked for the same discount explaining I didn't have my ID.  The ticket agent accepted my insurance card and photo ID.  Who knew?  Anyway, I was pleased with the visit to the museum.  Walking through the museum I was caught by the images of JFK.  Often I thought of presidents like Carter, Clinton, and Obama for various reasons.  I remember thinking Obama would be assassinated within the first months of his presidency.  My thoughts then went to JFK's presidency.  How was he able to get so m...

from Nature Conservancy FB page    http://nature.Jy/PCsFow My guess is it's difficult to try to engage a bunch of teachers who are not used to sitting for lengthy amounts of time (such as five hours with two breaks).  Day two of our three day institute has been completed.  Although the material is useful, the presentation is starting to get on my nerves.  Our afternoon session became increasingly difficult (five hours with two breaks... I should mention I took many more).  I was lucky enough to have a colleague in my session which made it less painful plus we had lunch outside.  Lunch outside in Dallas was wonderful as all the teachers were randomly sitting enjoying the sun.  Those of us from the midwest were pleased to be out of the frigid air-conditioned rooms (my jean jacket is amazing).  The best part of the day was spending the evening with my dear college friend.  I'm always amazed that we have remained friends for all of thes...

I am attending the AVID Summer Institute in Dallas.  Our school district booked the rooms via Expedia.  When we attempted to check-in this morning, we were told they had no rooms for us.  They overbooked and would pay for us to be at the Sheridan which was three miles away and could shuttle back and forth.  After some complaining, patient waiting, and negotiations, we were given "parlor" rooms which have no bed.  We also spent over three hours with Expedia (who we thought the reservation was through) and Hotels.com (who actually had the reservation) trying to get something decent.  The parlor rooms do have a hide-a-bed sofa and roll-way beds could be added.  We were also given free wi-fi which we've shared with as many people as we could and a breakfast buffet for the next three days.  Needless to say the morning did not run smoothly.  One of the chocolates on our pulled out beds says, "Relax".  Maybe we should have received more than ...

Kitty Klaus doesn't like the bright light of the new ceiling fan. Tomorrow is the Summer Solstice which means today is the last day of spring although the humidity didn't make it feel like spring.  After meeting with my hip surgeon yesterday and my PT today, it has also been decided that today is the last day of regular visits with my PT.  She is awesome, but I won't miss the every other week appointments.  Both my surgeon and PT feel that I am stronger.  Although I am concerned that I still feel pain when running, they seem to think that I need to keep working on it (gradually) and "let pain be my guide".  As I pack for Dallas (AVID Summer Institute), I'll throw my running shoes in the bag although they'll probably only feel the treadmill not the pavement.  Goodbye spring.  Goodbye surgeon.  Goodbye PT.  Hello summer!

My doctor's appointment with the hip surgeon was at 2:50 today.  Around 4:00, after finishing the young adult book I was reading, I approached the desk.  "I understand the doctor is behind schedule, but could you please tell me how much longer I will be waiting?  Should I go to my car and get another book?"  She apologized for the wait and hinted that getting another book would be a good idea.  I understand why surgeons get behind with their appointments and appreciate the time my surgeon spends with his patients, including me.  When I set up an appointment for December, I repeated the time, 3:10, to the receptionist, and then added, "I should show up at 4:00."  The receptionist was delighted that I could laugh about it. The image today is of a bookmark I found in the book from the media center that I was reading.  I appreciate both sayings on the bookmark.  According to Wikipedia:  "The name of Paisa derives from the Spanish apoco...

As I mentioned yesterday, Dad came to spend Father's Day and help me around the house.  I think he has enjoyed his time even though he's been helping me.  Yesterday we tackled the cupboard doors by drilling an extra hole in each hinge and adding another screw.  Today he sanded down the windows, so we could varnish them until the rain came making it impossible to complete this task.  The most successful part of the day was installing a new ceiling fan in my bedroom.  It's AWESOME.  Although he worked hard, I also plied him with food and drink.  We are ending the evening watching The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo .  The book disturbed me, and my guess is the movie will as well.  It, however, is Father's Day, and Dad loved the books.  Perhaps I'll paint my nails.

Look at my facial expression... Maybe I was coming up with a similar plan. Father's Day is tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll post about my great dad.  Today, however, I would like to post about my ingenuity.  I have pulled off (well, almost, he's not here yet) the Father's Day Coup.  When I was little my dad read to me which made me smart, allowing me to "think outside the box".  My cupboard hinges are loosening to the point that merely using the drill to put the screws back doesn't necessarily work.  The ceiling fan in my bedroom doesn't operate well on high speed which is problematic since I don't like to run the AC (although I am today for my dad).  Financial statements (retirement.. will it ever happen?) overwhelm me.  All of these things are too difficult for me yet easy for my dad.  A couple of weeks ago I devised a plan in my head although I wasn't sure if it would be feasible.  When I was talking to my dad on the phone, I told him I h...

After working out then eating lunch at the Taco House, I decided I needed to burn a few more calories before I went to dinner with a dear friend. This was the path I took. Notice Dad's house on the hill. I did a combo jog/walk which went well until it started raining. When I returned home from dinner I decided to blog on the iPad since I didn't have my computer. I'm experimenting with uploading pictures:(. First I downloaded the Blogger app. Do my pictures have to be at the bottom? Is there a better way to do this?

Most of First Flat The strawberries are ahead of schedule by two weeks, so we picked today at the end of the season.  Bauer Berry Farm is only open for nine more days.  Although the picking was fabulous, I came home with two flats of wonderful strawberries.  A friend who picked with me today was actually the same friend that gave me pointers on freezing the berries when I started this a few years ago.  Today she stood in my kitchen and exposed some hints.  One was something her mother did last year while the other was something she was hiding from me.  Her mother's tip was to use a fan to dry the berries a bit before freezing them.  The hint she hid was to put plastic wrap down on the pan first, so the berries didn't freeze to the pan.  This also made it easier to put the frozen strawberries in a bag.  I wonder what other freezing tips she is hiding!

This morning I decided to see how my hip would do by jogging on the Greenway.  I took it easy, following PT's orders, and intermittently walked 90 seconds and jogged 90 seconds for a half hour.  It was both easier and more difficult than I expected.  Unfortunately I'm a bit sore, but I don't know if it's related to the hip healing (could take up to a year) or my body not used to jogging on hard surfaces.  The right side is actually a bit more sore which makes me nervous.  Before my appointment with the surgeon next Monday I'll try it a couple more times to see how it goes.  As I was finishing and returning towards my home, I heard the train horn.  It was warning that the train was coming.  The tracks are between the Greenway and my home, so I decided to cross the tracks to a more difficult terrain.  I was able to cross without waiting for the train, but  I wish someone would post a train schedule. 

I have learned the trick to being able to stay on the elliptical for over twenty-five minutes.  As soon as I started reading Wild, I didn't want to put it down, so I started choosing the elliptical trainer with a place to hold my iPhone.  This allowed me to read and to stay on the elliptical for a more extended time.  My guess is it helps that the book told the story of hiking the PCT, and it encouraged me to keep going.  If Cheryl Stayer could be out in extreme temps with boots that were too small and toe nails falling off, certainly I could stay on the elliptical a bit longer.  Tomorrow I start a new book.  We'll see if it works as well.  If not I'm also planning on trying some outdoor jogging to see how the hips (and knees) hold up on something less forgiving than the elliptical begin.  Bring it!

 Thirst  ~Mary Oliver Another morning and I wake with thirst for the goodness I do not have. I walk out to the pond and all the way God has given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord, I was never a quick scholar but sulked and hunched over my books past the hour and the bell; grant me, in your mercy, a little more time. Love for the earth and love for you are having such a long conversation in my heart. Who knows what will finally happen or where I will be sent, yet already I have given a great many things away, expecting to be told to pack nothing, except the prayers which, with this thirst, I am slowly learning. Today I wake feeling tired and depleted.  With the final week of school completed and yesterday's relaxing outing in the past, I realize all I have ignored.  I am not the best housekeeper, but the bathroom and the kitchen floor need major attention.  Heck, it may even be time to remove the flannel sheets from the bed...

My dad's girlfriend, Carol, and her family invited me to their family get-together.  It was at one of Carol's sister's home in Stockholm, Wisconsin.  Carol's family is always very kind and hospitable, so I accepted the invitation.  As I was sitting on the river's edge watching the family swim, I noticed two boys, and their parents, downstream skipping stones.  Since I had never actually skipped stones, I decided to go in the river and ask the boys for a lesson.  The boys were hesitant at first, but the younger one gave me a flat rock and a lesson.  I was able to skip two rocks before I decided to rejoin my dad on the sandy beach and let the boys hunt for the flat rocks without my interference.  The day also brought a trip to a tiny cemetery, the sighting of a mom and her fawn (hopefully not the same mom I almost hit on the way back to Minneapolis), and a brief chance to follow (in my car) a low flying eagle... the perfect way to start summer vacatio...

Today was the official last day of school.  It was an emotional day since many of the people I love and respect are leaving.  This year has been difficult.  Part of the reason has to do with lack of discipline in our building and two of the three administrators (or perhaps all three... difficult to tell).  Several years ago when our school became a fabulous place to work, the administrator compared our needed growth and goals to a house.  We needed to start in the basement with discipline before we put in furniture, etc.  At a meeting this morning, the current administrator admitted that our house was a mess.  In reality the house is crumbling at the foundation.  It doesn't matter.  Although I tried to say goodbye to some of the people who will not return next year, I found it too difficult.  Instead I decided to make a quick exit.  Summer begins.

Today was the last day with students.  Although I'm not sure of the context, a colleague told me that students said that it was rude to watch a movie without viewing the end credits.  These students told my colleague this and said they learned it from me.  Maybe they did learn something from me this year.  I hope they learned more, but I'm satisfied that they know they should watch the credits even if they never stay and watch them. 

I will admit to liking this song even though I know I probably shouldn't.  In fact I actually downloaded it to my phone.  It's an uplifting beat for when I'm bored out of my mind on the elliptical.  Imagine my joy when I saw the Obama video. Many of the students gave up on any thinking over a week ago.  Even though we're finishing up media literacy which is full of videos and examples of the media, many have "checked out".  Since I am done with students taking up the oxygen in my class with nothing intelligent to say, I told today's classes that a) there were dumb answers and b) there were dumb questions.  Unfortunately, many parents have told their children that the are no dumb questions.  This is, indeed, dumb.  My suggestion for everyone today was to think before they said anything.  It's a good thing there are videos to occupy my time.

This is the last Sunday (at least for several weeks) in which I will have to spend time working on schoolwork.  Today it was late and missing work from the study hall we offered students on Thursday.  I had a conversation recently with someone who is not part of the public school system.  She calls herself a conservative liberal, but that seems like an oxymoron.  As we talked, she gave her reasons why the union was the bane of society and discussed the fact that I have three months off in the summer.  I wonder when she spent Sunday working on work.  I wonder if she's seen a school calendar.  I wonder why it's easy to blame teachers without looking at school boards and administration.  I wonder if she would last a day teaching seventh graders in June (or even September).  With officially one week left, I look forward to summer although I'm not looking forward to the training in Dallas towards the end of June.  Although I seem like I'm...

We have one week of school left and learning is still happening in my room (205).  Yesterday will were analyzing television commercials as part of a media literacy unit.  The focus is on assumptions (race, gender, class) made in ads.  They also think about who's not represented in the ads.  Students also think about what techniques are used to get the viewers attention.  The commercial we used is somewhat old (2007), but the students recognize the musicians in the video.  I'll admit that students do well looking critically at the ad when they are given the opportunity to watch it multiple times and concentrate. While I was showing the commercial (for the 20th time of the day) to my last class, I noticed a staff member walk past my room then turn back to see what was going on in my room.  He actually stopped in and sat at my desk and listened to the discussions for the last thirty (plus) minutes of the day.  Initially it was the country music (...