Miscellaneous Missives

Today I decided to eat the bag of Jimmy John's chips that had been sitting in my desk drawer since last week instead of eating my apple and granola bars since the calories were similar.  This meant I still add an apple and a granola bar in my bag as I passed someone with a sign standing on the side of the road.  "Would you like an apple and granola bar?"  I asked. "Oh, yes.  I'm very hungry," he said as he approached my car.  Then as I handed him the remainder of my lunch he looked at me and said, "You have such pretty eyes."  I looked in the rearview mirror and could only see the dark circles under my eyes, but he was repaying kindness with kindness.

My maintenance required light has been blinking on and off for the last week or two.  I've ignored it since I'm getting my oil changed on Friday.  Today it went steady, so I decided to stop and check my oil.  When I pulled the dipstick out, there was no oil on it.  I did this a couple times and realized I was in big trouble.  As I stood staring at the inside of my car trying to figure out which orifice wanted the oil, the toothless, scruffy gentleman (truly) asked me if I needed help.  I explained my confusion, and he (Trent) showed me the opening.  He also stayed and helped me add the oil and suggested I also go buy and add some oil stabilizer.  I offered him ten dollars for helping me, and he hesitantly took it while washing my windows and headlights.  Next, I went to buy oil stabilizer.  Since I had asked him about the appearance of its container, and he had given me the brand, I knew what I was purchasing.  However, as I left...

Saturday I backed into a pole.  I had looked behind me, but the pole was in my blind spot.  To expedite the process, I downloaded State Farm's pocket app.  Today they called to check in with me and informed me I didn't take a picture of the VIN number and mileage, so I needed to go through the process again.  At this point, I started to freak out.  My car is a 2004 with 186,500 miles.  What if they said the damage was worth more than the car?  Tonight I received my answer when the estimate arrived.  It still will be expensive with my deductible and rental car, but it won't be horrible. Motto by Langston Hughes I play it cool I did all jive That's the reason I stay alive My motto As I live and learn Is dig and be dug in return Today the seventh graders journaled about Langston Hughes' poem Motto .  When they finished journaling, I asked them how it related to the book ( The Skin I'm In ) that we were reading.  The answe...

...Read Langston Hughes, I suggest "A Raisin in the Sun" Listen to Sam Cooke, a change gon' come... I recommend that you read "The Alchemist" Listen to your teachers, but cheat in calculus Tell the truth, regardless of the consequence... I love this song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.  Even though it gets a lot of radio time, I don't tire of the lyrics.  The advice is solid, so I decided to read A Raisin in the Sun since I'd never read/seen the play.  Tonight I read the play and listened to a little Sam Cooke.  It seemed a decent way to spend a rainy, Friday night.

6:20  Enter the kitchen (not completely) to realize I forgot to turn on the coffee maker. 6:50  Enter Caribou to buy coffee. 6:52 Leave Caribou with a pound of Amy's Blend Dark Roast.  He tried to sell me two pounds, so I could get a free medium drink.  We settled on one pound and my free coffee. 7:12 Realize I didn't eat my Morning Round because I didn't go into the kitchen because I forgot to start the coffee. 10:46 Decide to eat during my prep.  When I reach into my bag, I realize I don't have my lunch because I didn't go into the kitchen because I forgot to start the coffee. 10:48  Start Jimmy John's order online because they're freaky fast, and I'm hungry. 10:49  Realize my wallet is on the front seat of the car because I had to stop at Caribou for coffee because I forgot to start the coffee. 10:53  Spend too much money on a lousy sandwich from Jimmy Johns... I'm fairly confident that I will remember to start the coffee to...

I'm teaching an after school program.  We're working on reading and writing skills using Blogger and Feedly.  Yesterday we started with Blogger.  The students wrote about themselves including a bit about how they see themselves as readers and writers.  Each student took a picture using their computer at the top of their post.  I did the same when I returned home.  Today we read each other's blogs and commented.  As one student looked at my picture, she said, "You look tired."  I asked her if she could keep the tired comment in her head while she said aloud, "You look beautiful."  Of course, I didn't get the beautiful comment, only a confused look. Today wasn't a complete loss.  I told my after lunch class I wanted to be referred to as "your majesty".  One student asked, "Can we call you Ms. Majesty?"  As I was telling them that would be fine, another student called me Ms. America.  Of course, I said that either was fi...

Today we took the seventh graders to the University of Minnesota campus to visit the Bell Museum and the Weisman Art Museum (WAM).  WAM currently has an exhibit called Human Touch which works the theme of identity which is often a focus of this seventh grade year.  I've been working with a great coordinator from the WAM and was excited about today's tour. When one of the docents shushed me during an introduction, I was less than pleased.  When my docent for the morning group was a bit too inflexible, I was annoyed.  During our lunch break, before the two groups switched locations (walked between museums), I talked with the coordinator about some changes I wanted to see for the afternoon.  I loved my afternoon docent, and I think she appreciated me. Since I wasn't at the Bell Museum of Natural History, I can only imagine that I wouldn't have liked the snakes and spiders, but the students seemed excited about both when we returned.   The Bell Museum i...

As I left a super hectic day at school, I couldn't help but check the weather.  Granted, I was in the parking lot and could tell it was a nice day, but I wanted to know the temperature and the wind.  Yep, it was a perfect day for a ride, so I took off on my bike.  Even with a closed trail and an interesting route to find the trail, it was amazing.

I'm hanging out with my college roommate in Dallas.  It's 84º.  She's an adaptive PE teacher, so he does a lot of traveling between schools.  Since we needed to spend the afternoon setting up for Sports Extravaganza , we only visited one of her schools this morning.  The PE teacher has one para and teaches in a small gym.  She had 60 (I counted 58 and 59) 5th graders in her gym.  No one was touching or messing with each other and everyone was involved.  It was pretty amazing.  This teacher also fosters animals that need to be bottle fed, so we spent some time holding and feeding the six baby kittens. Last year I joked with one of the Lions (who help with Sports Xtravaganza) about bringing me breakfast, and he did.  This year he asked if I was going to put in my breakfast order.  I told him I was so embarrassed that he actually brought me breakfast last year that I wasn't going to talk to him about any food.  The people that...

Someone asked me about the W on my FB profile.  When the Cubs win they fly the W from Wrigley.  It's a thing!  I've been a Cubs fan since 1984 because the boy I was dating was a Cubs fan.  We spent many hours on his mom's  living room couch watching the games.  I was a bandwagon fan, and the Cubs were amazing.  Well, my friends, the Cubs are amazing again. This year the Cubs made the playoffs.  The last time this happened was 2008, and I still have the t-shirt along with some other glorious years.  Everyone knows the Cubs haven't won the World Series since 1908, but the other fact is that they haven't appeared in a World Series since 1945.  I have NEVER seen the Cubs in a World Series (although I have seen the Rams in 3 Super Bowls). What does this mean?  After watching tonight's game on my computer, during conferences ( I only asked one parent to wait for one more out), I'm confident to quite confident that the Cubs will be ...

Today didn't feel like Monday.  It was delightful. 6:45 am - Barista at Caribou asks if I want to add a shot (free) to my pumpkin latte.  I ask if it's a trick question.  It's not! 7:55 to 2:40  Today is a day to read in the media center all day long.  I talk to each class briefly.  We go to the media center.  I walk around reading while occasionally looking up and smiling at a student.  Sometimes I even start a very brief conversation, but I quickly resume my reading. 3:45  I take a right one block too early and happen on a street full of beautiful trees.  I love fall! 4:00  I ask dental hygienist if it took a long time to clean my teeth of if I was just being impatient.  She explains it took about ten minutes while her average today was 40 minutes.  I guess I'm impatient, but it proves that flossing makes a difference. 4:50  I finish Between the World and Me by TaNehsi Coates.  Excellent... 5/5 St...

Today was the perfect October day for a bike ride.  The river rambler was a great, scenic ride.  I'm sure I'll want to ride this ride again next year (if it's not too cold).  With this ride, my friend J and I have done one organized ride a month since May.  As we drove back from Mankato we remembered these rides.  The Mankato River Rambler did the best job at marking and supporting the ride.  Who can argue with pie at the end of 13 miles? May- Fulton Gran Fondo (Century Ride) June- University of Okoboji Campus Ride July- Tour D'Amico (Metric Century)  The week of RAGBRAI was also in July. August- Minneapolis Pedal Project (has potential) September- Dusk2Dawn Ride (colder than the Fulton Gran Fondo) October- Mankato River Rambler Anyone know of a November ride?  Just Kidding! It seems I have forgotten Powderhorn 24 (August) which was my second favorite ride (second to the week long ride of RAGBRAI).  Thanks J!!

Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police! That's the sound of the beast! Stand clear! Don man a-talk You can't stand where I stand, you can't walk where I walk Watch out! We run New York Police man come, we bust him out the park I know this for a fact, you don't like how I act You claim I'm sellin' crack But you be doin' that I'd rather say "see ya" Cause I would never be ya Be a officer? You wicked overseer! Ya hotshot, want to get props and be a savior First show a little respect, change your behavior Change your attitude, change your plan There could never really be justice on stolen land Are you really for peace and equality? Or when my car is hooked up, you know you want to follow me Your laws are minimal Cause you… This song was played this morning in spin class.  It's from 1993, but I feel it needs to hit the radio again.  After class I went up to get more enough information, so I could find it.  I think I'll but it ...

It seems like fall color showed up overnight.  Yesterday I tried to add (my stylist tried to add) a little fall color to my hair, but today I'm wishing there was more of the red (auburn).  Not only am I embracing the autumn colors and pumpkin latte, I'm also embracing the realization that it's really getting colder although this weekend is supposed to be summer like (whatever that means).  When I returned from the gym, I put most of my cycling and summer workout clothes under the bed and brought out the layers and fall workout clothes that were hiding under the bed.  It was a fairly even trade. The Cyclones are losing.  Let's hope the Cubs do the same.

I feel like I'm Charlie Brown this week with my kite stuck in the tree.  Conferences went until eight last night, and there was a lot of walking around searching for entertainment.  More people actually would have made it less painful.  By my last class today, I was a bit (really) crabby.  How does Charlie Brown deal with the negativity in his life and remain a decent human?  I merely get crabby!

Since Monday afternoon I haven't been feeling well.  First it was a nightmare stomach/intestinal issue.  Then today I woke up and managed to maintain a fairly obtrusive headache.  Conferences are tomorrow evening, and I'm exhausted.  Tonight is my church book club night, and I love these intelligent women.  Plus, the book ( The Girl Who Sang to Buffalo ) we were discussing tonight was perhaps my favorite of the year!  Instead of staying home and grading journals, as I had planned, I decided to go to book club and grade the journals tomorrow while the kids are reading.  It's not awesome teaching, but sometimes one needs to stay sane.  Anyway, the conversation, as usual, was stimulating, and I want to order the first of this trilogy.  Also, we discussed his editorial , which I Googled in the middle of the discussion.  I'm a fan of this Kent Nerburn guy.  The first thing I did upon arriving home is like him on FB.  You should t...

It's Monday which maybe explains everything. 1) My honors students can't follow simple directions, and their grade indicates this apathy and lack of attention.  Since some were whining (many... imagine), I gave them two options for class tomorrow.  A) They could make review memes which would not be graded.  B) They could use the hour to get caught up and finish assignments that would help with the summative.  I asked each student to email me one sentence stating their choice.  Most of the students (2/3) chose to make memes even though it would not help them improve their grade and would not help them with their final.  Really?!  Someone has to care more than me. 2) I'm not going to make 20 workouts at the YWCA in October.  I'm out of town a couple of weekends.  Plus, there are a couple nights of parent teacher conferences.  In reality, I had to go tonight to have a remote chance at 20.  Unfortunately, the gurgling in my stoma...

Do you see my computer?  It's my school computer.  I'm not using it to grade and comment on writing because I have no motivation.  Actually, I have one of five classes graded.  My hope is to grade at least one more class tonight, so tomorrow doesn't completely suck. Do you remember the YWCA challenge?  It's October 3rd, and I've been to the gym twice getting closer to twenty times so I can win my prize. Last year I earned a water bottle that I use each and every day.  I really like it.  This morning during spin class someone spoiled the surprise of the prize.  It seems the prize is a YWCA towel, a hat, or a food container.  Really?!  These are really, really, really, lame prizes.  I'm not excited about the dumb prize.  Instead, I'm going to merely focus on the challenge.  I still like a good challenge.

"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" ~ Rumi One of the last school emails I looked at showed up when I opened my computer this morning.  It was my observation notes including pictures.  The peer coach is a super positive person.  As I looked at the pictures yesterday before my post observation meeting, I was surprised at the engagement of the students.  I know I expect/seek engagement, but it was fun to see the engagement from a different perspective.  One of the pictures shows me wearing my glasses while I was reading (truly the only way I can read).  My glasses drive me crazy.  I rarely wear them and hate them.  When I looked at the picture, I thought that they actually made me look semi-intelligent.  Maybe they aren't horrible.

The truth is I only rode my bike four times in September which equals the number of times I exercised in September.  When I get home from school, I'm not motivated to go to the gym or hit the trails.  What motivates me?  You know the answer to this.  A challenge motivates me.  The YWCA sent me an email today with an October Workout Challenge with a prize (reward) if I can complete the challenge.  Perfect. Yay for challenges!