Miscellaneous Missives

While we were at the festival in Monmouth, we went to the Maquoketa Caves State Park .  We didn't quite know what to expect.  When we first arrived we were given a talk about bats and White Nose Syndrome.  Both of us were surprised that there was no cost for the caves.  For those that complain of paying taxes, it's not only teachers that suck up the tax dollar, it's also wonderful state parks.  Although it was raining off and on everywhere else in the area, our cave hike was dry (except in the caves) and sunny. What did I learn?  I knew that bats eat mosquitoes, so we should love bats.  Bats, however, hibernate in the winter which is good because there are no mosquitoes for them to eat.  White Nose Syndrome is a fungus that wakes them up in the middle of winter.  Since they can't survive in the middle of the winter, they die.  We were asked to wipe our feet on green mats (with disinfectant) when we entered and exited the caves...

This weekend I attended Seldom Seen (music, art, literature) in the eastern part of God's Country.  I've never traveled down the river on the eastern side of the state.  When I looked at the two different routes given by GoogleMaps, I chose the more scenic trip... amazing.  The festival was relaxing and fun.  My friend's (J) daughter helped with the setting up of the festival, so J and I went in support.  Prior to the trip, I had problems with AC and tires.  At the festival, I realized my cat needed to see the vet (immediately).  While my life seemed to be full of difficulties, sitting watching artists on a 625 acre farm full of cool people was relaxing to quite relaxing.  Even though we were the older attendees, everyone was super nice.  Last night as we sat around the campfire drinking, listening to music, and chatting with those around us, J's daughter approached saying, "Everyone is hanging around the two of you."  I think we were...

I'm packing for the Seldom Seen arts festival in Maquoketa, Iowa.  The forecast looks dismal, but I'm still excited for the adventure.  Actually, I'm not packing, I'm buying supplies (beer, new flashlight, new car adapter for iPhone) and looking for rain gear and of course geeking on the internet.  Yesterday was supes stressful, so I'm trying to relax before I leave for a wet weekend of music, art, and literature. Yesterday brought a flat tire.  The tire is punctured on the outside and can't be fixed which means all new tires.  After great debate (long, long story... but Tires Plus tried to sell me the wrong size of tires...), I decided to put the spare (full size but 10 years old) on the car and make the trip to the eastern part of "God's Country" (Iowa for those not paying attention).  I'm hoping for the best while feeling happy to have AAA.  Most of the afternoon was spent trying to figure out the best solution for the tires.  I arrive...

If you follow John Green on Twitter, you may have already learned about these twenty-six drinks.  Thanks to Twitter, I learned about alcoholic drinks today. For those that don't know John Green, go check out on of his books today.  Really!  Go!  Now! My favorite John Green books: 1) The Fault in Our Stars 2) Looking for Alaska 3) Paper Towns It's early in the day, and there's a chance I may learn something else today.  Yeah, I doubt it too!

My New Shoes Last night while I was sweating my ass (and every other part of my body) off at R.I.P.P.E.D .  The instructor stated, "Don't eat before you come..."  Although I think she was speaking to the class in general, to show us that she was still able to work out, breathe, and talk, I felt that she knew that I had indeed eaten before I attended class.  In the middle of the night, I couldn't sleep and checked my news feeds.  Huffington Post had " Summer Fitness Tips ."  One of the tips was "Don't Protein-Load Before Your Workout."  It seems that it actually raises your temperature.  I sweat more (much more) than the average person and really don't need a higher basal temperature.  Maybe I should have chosen the banana instead of the chicken breast. While I was on that page, I also clicked on 10 Unexpected Benefits of Working Out .  I thought I'd uses it as a motivator.  Especially the one about hit helping older women with me...

Perhaps this is cheating (posting twice in one day), but I feel the need to share what I learned today in the news.  While sucking down my fountain Diet Pepsi, I looked at my news feeds (loving Feedly).  I must share what I learned from these two articles.  Honestly, I merely want to give my opinion on these articles, but... First, the bad news is Rusty The Panda was lost.  The good news is that Rusty the Panda has been found.  It seems there were tweets all day about Rusty which may (or may not) have helped with his capture.  After doing a bit of research,  I learned that the red panda typically "grow to the size of a house cat."  The above picture of Rusty is adorable to quite adorable, but how do they know it's not Ranger Rick ? Next, it seems that the conservatives are opposed to the Common Core.  They're saying that "Washington should stay out of the classroom."  Really?!  Now, unlike many teachers, I am not opposed ...

Over the last couple of days I finished City of Bones .  It's the first book in the Immortal Series.  During the summer I read young adult books and post entries about the books on the school website.  It's a good way to stay current on young adult literature while giving the students ideas about what books they may/may not want to check out.  Most of the time it's the "new releases" and Maud Hart Lovelace books.  City of Bones was neither of these;  It was a student recommendation.  At the end of the year, a student was reading the series.  Almost every day she would stop after class super excited about a new twist or turn in the book.  Typically, she would start with an enthusiastic (literal hands waving), "You wouldn't believe this..."  At the end of the year, when I was preparing books to take home for the summer, I promised to read it (all 485 pages of demons, etc.).  She even made me watch the movie trailer for the upcomin...

Yesterday morning while I was on my way from Okoboji to Sioux Falls (to hang with some friends), I learned that I had no power (and it had been out since the previous evening).  Throughout the day I kept texting to see if the power had returned (negative).  Driving back to Minneapolis, I passed five power trucks (and some pickup trucks) from Casper, Wyoming.  I gave each truck driver an enthusiastic wave and a thumbs up.  On the drive I also made plans to store my freezer contents in a friends' freezer (People really are nice to me!).  Last night when I was almost to her house, I received a text saying power had returned.  It may not be factual, but I LEARNED that waving at men in power trucks helps gets your power returned.  Another thing I learned was losing power is a great time to defrost and clean one's freezer.  This morning I had another lesson from the storm.  Sometimes trees fall on paths that lead to where you want to go (Tree on...

Blackbird   ~The Beatles Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life  You were only waiting for this moment to be free. Blackbird fly Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night. Blackbird fly Blackbird fly Into the light of the dark black night. Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise You were only waiting for this moment to arise. I learned something last night as I was dining with a good friend from high school.  Her daughter recently returned from a music festival, Bonnaroo .  Paul McCartney was a headliner.  He sang and told stories of the Beatles songs.  When he spoke of Blackbird , he mentioned that...

I signed up for today's Kayak a Wetland Tour awhile ago.  When I asked people to go with me, they either didn't want to or couldn't because they had to work.  Last night I checked the website.  Looking at the website I LEARNED it didn't leave from Iowa Lakeside Lab , as I had thought, but the Dickinson County Nature Center .  It's a good thing they had an address on the website because I wasn't sure of the location.  Instead of a bright sunny morning, it was rainy and cloudy which wasn't a problem because I packed a light rain jacket and had my Pelican case for my phone.  My experience with kayaking is fairly non-existant (two or three times total), so I thought the guide should know he was dealing with a complete amateur.  He gave me some quick tips.  After today's kayaking, I'm certainly better.  I LEARNED to keep my arms up higher (I know this seems obvious to most), and it helped especially as the wind picked up on our return trip. P...

Yesterday I learned something while playing golf.  They make eco-friendly golf balls.  The guys I play golf with are not really concerned about the environment which seems odd, annoying, and unrealistic.  After I lost my second or third ball, I was handed a ball to use.  J explained that it was biodegradable and eco-friendly which I felt that he was criticizing a bit.  He followed this by the fact that the guy who gave him the balls said there are literally billions of golf balls out there in the water, on land, etc.  Billions!  Since I lost at least four golf balls last night (and I only played fifteen holes), I think this is possible to quite possible.  Eco-friendly golf balls seems like a great thing to me.  Saturday when I go buy golf balls (It seems I need them after my two rounds this week.), I'm going to look for these balls . BTW...  It seems I've been "called out" on my first Learning Blog. My rebuttal is as follows: ...

Lately, when I open my GoogleReader (aggregator of RSS feeds... my news, blogs, etc.), I receive the message, "Just a reminder  Reader will not be available after July 1, 2013.  Please be sure to back up your data."  I've already backed up my data to Feedly , but was having a problem getting acquainted with Feedly.  It's basically due to lack of effort.  I put the app on my Chrome page next to my e-mail and FB, but I still tend to want to open reader.  The only way I actually learn something new on the computer is by messing around and using the new thing (Feedly).  My biggest stumbling block was being completely overwhelmed by the huge list of feeds.  Google Reader let me click on my separate categories and only read what I wanted to read.  After playing around (for longer than I'd care to admit) I've realized that Feedly has the same function.  It's the tiny lines in the upper right hand corner.  Yay!  I can no do everyth...

It seems there's a new blog challenge , and of course, I'm participating.  As usual, I'm participating with trepidation.  This is a blog challenge that documents learning.  I'm going to start off small.  Learning is something that I know probably happens every day, but I also know it's the summer.  Sometimes I need a break from learning.  Today's learning is brought to you by HH (happy hour).  Although I am not a "Lonely Blonde," I do appreciate Fulton's beers (Sweet Child of Vine, Lonely Blonde, etc.).  Local breweries are big in Minnesota, and I'm a fan.  Sooooo... what did I learn?  I learned to plan for Happy Hour and drinking local "craft beer."  Since HH was planned for this evening, I had to figure out the calorie thing.  I learned that working out in the morning (6:15 pump class... a full class I might add) allows drinking beer in the evening.  It's a lesson that I feel I will also use in the future.  Calor...

I don't really like meatballs, but I love bacon.  Today was cloudy yet filled with a lot of things that I love.  First thing this morning, I met my friend S (the one that helped repot my plants) at the farmers' market.  While we were at the farmers' market I learned of a location to drop off some florescent lightbulbs, batteries, and turpentine.  Farmers' Market people are my people!  As we walked around buying grass fed meat and vegetables, many of the booths had rhubarb, I annoyingly kept asking S if she was going to make me rhubarb crisp.  Actually, I've done this the last several times we've hung out together.  We also discussed plans for the remainder of the day.  She hoped for clouds to do gardening while I hoped for sun to sit and read.  Alas, the clouds persisted all day.  After the farmer's market, I went to Savers and bought a bar stool for my counter area.  Upon arriving home, I decided I wanted the other matching sto...

Well, it seems that I really want a puppy.  Of course, I don't really have the room for a puppy, and it would irritate my already irritable cat.  When I see puppies, especially lab puppies, I go a bit crazy.  For instance, when I was at the Apple Store Genius Bar on Monday, I kept going to pet this adorable lab puppy who the owners actually called Macintosh, Mac for short.  I couldn't make this up!  Mac became my instant friend.  I would give him attention, leave, go back, leave, go back...  His owners seemed OK with the affection I was showering upon their puppy.  I've needed to go to the Humane Society to leave off the shredded paper and toilet paper rolls I've been accumulating, but I was worried about myself once I got inside.  Today I stopped by on my way to play golf.  Since I knew I had to get to golf on time, I was able to drop off my donation and exit.  A kind gentleman told me I could look around.  "No, no, I need...

I am posting now before I shower and head to a meeting concerning the light rail which is scheduled to go behind my property.  My reason for posting is that the meeting could be stressful and up until now the day has been perfect.  Did you see that big yellow orb in the blue sky?  It's beautiful.  I ♥ the sun!  This morning I downloaded a new bike app to my phone called, "TheBike" app.  It give me average mph, max mph, current mph, time, and trip mileage.  Yea me, I've been recording correct mph and mileage when I bike to the YWCA which I also did this morning.  Since the weather was optimal (sunny and 77º this afternoon), it seems silly to workout inside, but I wanted to try a new class call R.I.P.P.E.D .  The class was challenging and a kind of fun.  Fun in only the way one can have fun when sweat is dripping profusely from one's body.  After class I made a delicious smoothie with yogurt, peanut butter, and frozen berries. ...

"Real World" by Matchbox 20 I wonder what it's like to be the rainmaker  I wonder what it's like to know that I make the rain  I'd store it in boxes with little yellow tags on everyone  And you can come see them when I'm...done, when I'm  Done  I wonder what it's like to be a super hero  I wonder where I'd go if I could fly around downtown  From some other planet, I get this funky high on yellow  Sun  Boy I bet my friends will all be...stunned, they're stunned  [chorus] Straight up, what did you hope to learn about here  If I were someone else, would this all fall apart  Strange, where were you, when we started this gig,  I wish the real world, would just stop hassling me  I wonder what it's like to be the head honcho  I wonder what I'd do if they all did just what I said  I'd shout out an order, I think we're out of this man get  me some  Boy...

Although it's not officially summer, I'm done with school and expect summer weather.  Is this too much to ask?  Nope.  My first instinct was to nap all day since the weather didn't suit my reading in the sun, but I chose to be productive.  Productive is somewhat boring, but I have many tasks (not all, of course) removed from my "Need to Do... Immediately" list.  One was repotting the plants from school and removing the dead plant that my cat killed.  Since I've been supes productive all day,  think I'll read tonight.

When I received the e-mail about Wing Young Huie's Walking Tours , I knew I needed to go.  Today was the first one I could make.  I went to Chicago Avenue expecting to engage in the walking tour without realizing the artists of this community were coming together for a street festival.  The area is amazing... what a fun day.

Today was the last day with kids also known as activity day, and we went to the zoo.  Of course, my first move was to follow the trail to the otters.  They are adorable.  Next I went inside to see the sleeping otters inside.  Since they're sleeping, they are adorable but not as playful.  The zoo is an awesome end of the year field trip because typically the day is uneventful and the adults get to hang out and spend time with each other. The last day of school also typically includes a staff party.  Tonight's party was in the burbs, and I have no desire to drive an hour to drink. Perhaps I'm getting old, and I've been chastised a lot, but I'm comfortable with my decision.  On the way to the zoo bus this morning, a colleague informed me that he would send me text updates of the event.  He also reminded me that I should join him on Snapchat.  As we drove to the zoo, I solicited the help of a seventh grader and set up a Snapchat account. ...

Today I taught the students the word penultimate (Thanks LH) because it was indeed their penultimate day as seventh graders at VVM.  We finished up media literacy.  My hope is that at least 25% of the students were able to internalize some of the message about the media and the importance to realize its tactics.  Yesterday as I was debating about whether to use Same Love by Macklemore (It has a message if everyone isn't treated justly no one is treated justly which fits with the messages media shares about gender, class, race...  I did decide to play the song, but I felt uncomfortable showing the video.  We watched Prince's Fix UR Life Up and talked about misogynistic lyrics in music and finished up with Same Love ).  As I was discussing the message (beyond gay rights) of the song with this colleague, she asked me if I had seen the video for Wings .  Not only had I not seen the video, I hadn't heard the song.  We went in my room, and I pulled ...

Today marks the last week of school... three days of class, activity day, and teacher workshop.  The final countdown started today after I stood between two girls, one who wanted to pummel the other girl.  Although I sometimes have a potty mouth, the F word was used more in that five minute span, as I was waiting for an administrator, than I used the entire month of May (well, probably...).  Less than five minutes after I stood between the two girls, I was in the middle of yet another fight (punching, fistfuls of hair, kicking, etc.).  I can't wait for tomorrow.   Did I mention the students failed to do minimum work on today's test?  Yep, I can't wait for tomorrow.  "It's the final countdown."

Last night I hung out in God's Country with a high school friend.  We get together frequently, and I always enjoy our conversation.  I talked briefly about a Mountain Dew ad I show in my class that was in very bad taste.  It was a good lesson on blatant racism and sexism.  The students watched it and had to decide for themselves if if fit in these categories.  Although it was easier for them to find racism, they also found the sexism and agreed it was good the ad was banned.  We looked at race, class, and gender assumptions in some other ads.  Anyway, she mentioned a Cheerios ad that she had recently watched because she was surprised that it was a biracial couple.  This morning as I was reading my news feeds, the Cheerios ad was in the news because it was getting negative racist comments about the ad.  General Mills, however, is not going to pull the ad.  Go General Mills.   Plus, it looks like I have another ad to share on Monda...