New Year

Here's to laughing with friends. This new year will be a year for safe travels, for new languages and learning to stand. I'm going to dedicate the year to self reliance and confidence. That will take some work;)

"There will be no distance that can hold us back"



Blue skies

Iron Maiden Chef Battle Citrus

Yes, I wish this could happen every weekend. And again, I learned so much from my sisters about cooking (and it's all about butter).

The challenge: 2 courses per sister involving the ingredient citrus.

Halibut ceviche with coconut, jicama, and lemongrass. Served in a martini glass accompanied by a Blue Margarita shot.

A trio of Roasted red pepper soup with tangerine cream served in a grapefruit shell, Beet salad on Mache with a lemon vinagrette, and coconut spiked oranges.

Grilled shrimp served on a salad with mango, lime, and radishes.

Strawberry Sorbet
Main courses
Wild rice salad with blood oranges paired with a Tequila Citrus Chicken Wing.

Lemon capellini with caviar paired with a seared sea scallop.

Seared duck breast with lemon mashed potatoes and escarole topped with an orange glaze

Dessert
Key lime pie! Of course

Let it snow!

I am so exhilarated for Iron Chef Battle Citrus!!! Christmas Eve and Day were really quite delightful. I'm glad I'm not in Bmore for the drama fall. Speaking of I"m reading the best book about "The Falls" by Joyce Caroll Oats. It's snowing like crazy....

Facebook anonymous

I should probably join FA if there is one AND it is a funny name for a self help group. It's like the Trivia championship team named agoraphobics night out that actually go to trivia 4 nights a week and win all the time. I prefer blogging because then it is all about me, but as I have aforementioned it is a lot easier to facebook from the i phone.

The pre plane trip question as always is... should I take the laptop? Should I take the sweater, the vest, and the coat and hat (otterbutt has already mentioned I should bring the latter). I have a fear of losing everything on the plane and really hate people who bring stuff on the plane with them. It is crowded enough people. And one day very very very soon I will be on the plane for a very very very long time to go half a world away.

I finally finished my finals. I am so sick of grad school because once I start to get the hang of it, its over, and my teaching really does suffer. It has absolutely nothing to do with late nights and wine... of course not! I had three students visit me this week from last year. They were wonderful students, one is in Vermont (that mentioned me at graduation) and one is in school at Boulder. The other one could barely graduate but is working as a secretary for a lawyer so hooray! The reason I mention this is because they were very positive in a very long and very distressing week. One student complained to me to guidance, two complained to the principal, and one told me ms.soandso is the shizz and you are the jizz. I called his mom but figured I could practice saying it out loud a few times first. It doesn't matter at all and I'm supposed to be above it, but not so wonderful week.

ho ho ho

Two weeks

I have been piling books by the bed waiting to actually read. Quick snippets of Gary Snyder poems or a page or two of Catcher is all I get, because they decorate the bath. It occurred to me, that even though my house is decorated in books, I seldom read them in the last couple of years. Confirmed by a roomie mentioning he has never seen me read while he's been here. I miss it. And since my addiction to technology and movies will have to decrease while I'm in china, I will have to begin looking at these handheld book thingys not just decorate the house with them.

Aunt Kathy's blog has given me some excellent suggestions. She read's like a book a day it appears, so my goal for this winter break and all of 2009 is to read like an Aunty Kathy in training. Because today, when I turn in my 15 page paper on cancer research, it will be the last day I read an article from a scientific journal for a very very long time. hooray!

You had me at Ni hao (parenthetically)

In true P fashion, I am learning Chinese and putting the words into Beatles song lyrics. No idea why. "You say Zai jiao and I say Ni Hao" for example. I'm pretty sure I'm be able to handle Revolution number 9 from the white album as well. (Don't want to get too ahead of myself Can't wait for Rocky Racoon!)

Learning Chinese (for four days) has really taught me about learners. I have to begin planning my lessons with their questions in mind. Perhaps their questions will be less annoying if I anticipated them. Except the dreaded can i go to the bathroom or will you accept this late. UGH. But on behalf of my pre-K friends (Ice Rock and Baby Mama) at least they don't ask me to help them to the bathroom.

Also, finishing up grad school this semester has also taught me a lot about learners, especially with the interactive online class about physical science. It's sorta like blogging and cooler than a textbook because the hyperlinks, movies, and flash stuff is pretty cool. Only you need each kid to have a computer or they get bored. If you're interested go to my wiki www.walkerworld.pbwiki.com
to see my new online assignments.

As for my "big kid" science grad classes, the seminars were interesting about ant parasites and orchid's duping wasps. The cancer class is great. Still have a paper and an exam in that class so its not that wonderful. Again insight into giving an exam to my kids the same day they have them in every other class (last tuesday).

Saw Jupiter in Venus next to the moon Monday night Very cool.

http://www.astroengine.com/?p=2397

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-156473?ref=email
Also on the horizon... china meetings, conferences, the Trivia Tournament of Champions!, faculty parties, b days, holiday cheer, football, and Fridays in general. As for learners here, remember they will be tired too.

Xi'an or bust

Documenting my first google search about the China Exchange Program. I am so excited!!!

Most sacred Mountain in China



Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River


Map of the Shaanxi Province and Xi'an



More to come
Terracotta warriors
The Silk Road
Big Goose Pagoda

8 weeks starting mid-May 2009

Two Busy Weeks

I can explain why I haven't blogged. Since the election, the last two weeks have been busy. Teaching 5 classes and Taking 4. I don't have any time to grade or think. So.... to explain dear blogger, I have been on Facebook! It is awesome and the app kicks trying to blog on the iPhone. I can upload photos straight from the iPhone.

I turned in an application to go to China on Friday and I find out tomorrow if I'm going for 8 weeks to Xi'an China May-July!!! So excited. So in preparation...
Check my status on facebook around 11 EST!!!

Facebook in China FYI

Watching the polls

Watching watching watching and wishing and hoping and praying and so glad. It's fun to root for the winning team. Re-made and served my new wild mushroom ragout to others. Even some of the kids had some!!!! This is crazy! I haven't watched the polls.

As of 8:35 pm EST Obama took PA!!!

Just have to post

A test, Halloween, friends and mussels, friends and fire, cleaning the house, end of the quarter, and football. I miss my summer of pause...

My friend the sweet potato queen called, my mom the Maestra and I talked finally, felt connected with the kids via the costume pics...

My friends my age have kids. My friends my age without kids want them or are 60. My friends with kids that don't want them are funny and don't really don't want them. My family is far away.

I sat at the school happy hour, between those that don't have them and those that do, in the corner with the weird band guy who didn't talk to me...

THE ELECTION!!!!!!! I can't even sleep

veisalgia

I am dizzy from a weekend of fun and studying. Watching the kids play football, laughing with friends, surprising phone conversations, and asian food. Also, facebook is hilarious. However, I should be focusing more on the now instead of the then.

Rehydrate!

Around the corner to New York and back again

dizzy. I am dizzy from the journey. But it was a full on riot! Despite the fact we had little time and far littler shopping (hooray for the wallet boohoo for the closet), the weekend was a hit. The observation lesson today also a hit. I just have to make it through the next couple of weeks and it will be smooth sailing.
I'm going in reverse blog order because I got confused...
Friday
Left Baltimore at 10ish, the drive was fine. Had a few experiences of having people jump out of the car in Brooklyn because they had to pee, but other than that, it was uneventful drive. Watched a couple episodes of Wife Swap (hooray) and then went to a lovely dinner at a Peruvian restaurant with Coconut infused raw tuna, and avocado and corn stuffed tamales. Then we went to the neighborhood bar, back to ms.suris for a some fun girl good times, and asleep by dawn... I won't tell you what was in my bed when I awoke (my bed was the couch ps)
Sat
Brunch (late) at French bistro, read the Book of birthdays (this was quite interesting...) the most important parts are... "You are not a football" "You shouldn't exercise" "Reality is the shadows on the wall of the cave"
Dinner in Manhattan at Butter restaurant, delicious! It was quite wonderful but I missed my sisters very much. The best lobster I have ever eaten, ever.
Drinks at the Living Room and met roomie and mayo and PFC there. It was fun. Roomie had a little skirmish with the bartender over the bill "You mean you want me to pay you?". Then we went back to Brooklyn for a bday party at a bar, where I met a man who worked with Big Daddy when he was a rocket scientist (small world). Back to apartment for champagne. Will not tell you what was in my purse when I woke up...
Sun
Woke and stumbled to the Dunkin Donuts across the street from Ms. Suri's. We ordered pizza very quickly after that. (Yes real cheese pizza, don't start) and we packed at left NYC at 12ish arriving in Baltimore at 3:30. A little nap, a quick movie, and then off to Mrs. Rock's bday bash for cake and steak. Will tell you I awoke in my own bed with clothes not in purse and no fried shrimp in my bed.
Mon
Field trip to Days Cove with my students for canoeing. Wonderful time. A bit cold in the morning. Had an excellent time, but too cold to take picture of my toes. We hiked and canoed and ate picnic lunches. It was fun.
Tue
Don' have much to say about Tuesday. Taught 6 went to 1. Homework for 2.
Wed
Observation hair lesson. In a wig, blonde ringlets while singing the Hair song. A plus. Then to a seminar about bats. Wigs and Bats.

Around the corner

Who knew that around the corner from the home I have lived in for more than a year, in a town of lived in for more than six, I had so many wonderful things around the corner. the Rocks back porch with waterfall, Harolds Vegetable stand opened 7 days a week, a seafood store that sells oysters, a Goodwill Store, and a makeup store called Ulta. It was a regular day at the OB today! Went to said porch for Bloody Mary's, Freshly shucked oysters, and some football. (Ravens lost). Very fun!

Tonight's dinner recipe: Wild Mushroom Ragout over chive lemon whole wheat couscous. The wild mushrooms were in a canister (huge!) at costco for 14 bucks or something. Chanterelles, Morels, Boletes, dehydrated in less than 30 minutes. Yummo! Tommorow I'm planning on serving the leftovers over pasta. so good!

Almost Halloween

It is very easy to just blog about the things I have to do. But in lieu of following said list, I am conspiring with my team about Halloween. It is cooling down, the leaves are sort of changing, I guess its time to hang up my flip flops and find some actual shoes and socks.

Oh how I love Halloween. Baltimore really does it right! Everyone goes to Fells Point (see Eat Bertha's Mussels below). All the college kids come decked out to the nines. One year, there was the entire A-team jumping out of the van. Also, so many fraternities and sororities painted blue as smurfs it was like smurfapalooza. Last year there was a Spartan with spear, shield, and red scarf like panties (I almost licked him right there on the street he was so delicious looking) The first year, I went as a Treasure chest with two pirates and a ghoul. By the end of that night I was a just the pirates booty, but it was an enormous and hilarious costume. The next year, was the first semblance of normalcy after my fall from grace or graceful fall (ha ha) when I put together my iPhone costume. My team mates dressed up as an old Scotsman (later named James Bond at 700) and two college guys, Mike and Ned, in sweaters and jeans.

This year, the team is reassembling (beginning at Bertha's before the college kids even get dressed and then we leave as they come flooding in and get to see it all), I was considering re-using the iPhone costume. However, in these dark times, and being an election year and all... I need to be political. Big Daddy is going to go as "Joe Six pack" and I will be the "Hockey Mom". I'm considering being a pit bull in lipstick. Have a couple of weeks to work out the details. Would love suggestions.

Crazy how "on the ropes" the reps are behaving after 2nd debate.

October

Rhymes with Sober... The list is long this month so perhaps curtailing of the vino wouldn't be the most extreme of plans. Here it is yet another blog to do list.
October To Do:
Parent Teacher Conferences 10.2
Finalize the divorce with lawyers from Iowa for (find $1000) 10.3
Proctor the LSATs at American University 10.4 (make $125)
Surprise Bday party 10.4 (shhhhhhhh its really a surprise)
Unit 3 in Forensics, APES, and ES 10.6-10.9
Enjoy Yom Kipper Off 10.9
Trip to NYC 10.17-19
Field Trip Canoeing 10.20
Begin new class in Physical Science 10.21
Observation in Forensics 10.22
Mid-term in Cancer Class 10.24
Presentation in Seminar 10 ?
Presentation in Other Seminar 10 ? (I should probably figure this out)
Field Trip to plant Trees 10.29
End of First Quarter Grades 10.31
Dress up and Enjoy Halloween 10.31

It's been so long

It is not that I haven't had anything to blog about. Its just that it isn't really flowing out of me. I would have liked to blog about the following, but now it seems a little late...

*Getting served divorce papers for dessert (perhaps how you're served should be as importantly planned as how you get engaged... "he served me in a glass of champagne at sunset" "I was served under the lamp post where we first kissed" "he put the papers in a dozen dead roses and paid a skywriter to write We're Through in the sky")

*David Letterman is hilarious (teachers don't stay up that late and when they do their students ask them if they are stoned)

*We are all packing up and planning our long dark winter walk to California with the other Okies after we lose the farm, "in these dark times"

*The government should just pay off all our house loans for 350 Billion. Then inflation won't go up and we could pay for more starbucks and walmart stuff and the globe will keep operating.

* I actually heard myself say the following quote, "well IKEA is where married people go on Saturdays if they don't have to go to Home Depot, wanna go?"

*And in response to the above I spent the weekend watching Football and Super Friends. Really, Super Friends on boomerang. Really.

It's 2008

When I was an undergrad, times were different. A democrat was in office (for most of it). We were impeaching a president for a silly willy. People smoked outside of buildings, even the pre-med buildings. Girls mostly wore sweatpants and hoodies and backpacks. Guys wore the current uniform of t's shorts and hats. Nary a cell phone, absolutely no ipods, barely even email. Emailing your paper to the prof was insane~! Blackboards were still black and had chalk. Libraries still had books not computers with these wonderful PDFs. Few took a lap top to class, and texting was absurd. I don't think anyone spoke of the election much, and t-shirts were about beer not political agendas.

Well... as a grad student eight years later, many things have changed. The girls dress to the nines with heels and bags, sunglasses and hoops. Everyone is either on a cell phone, texting while walking, or looking for their phone while walking across campus. I smile every time I see a bumper sticker or t-shirt or pin or artwork on a backpack. You know why I'm smiling? Because each and everyone one of them say vote for Obama. I'm not really seeing any Republican propaganda around. Hooray! Now this may correspond with moving from a red state to a blue state or from the beautiful west to the refinery traffic ridden east. But I think the college vote just may work in our favor this time. They (we) might actually get out and Barack the vote.

On the high school front... In my hoodlum ridden class (my favorite of the day this year) students presented symbiotic relationships in groups. I had the idea for them to act out their symbiotic relationships for the class but neglected to assign it because it was hard enough to get them to make the poster. But during the presentation 2 groups actually did a modern dance interpretation of their organisms acting symbiotically and I was totally impressed! One was of a tubeworm and a bacteria, the other of the "mafia" brown headed cowbird that lays eggs in another birds nest and then when the bird is born it kills all the other babies by pushing their eggs out of the nest.

Now, the teacher (me) thought that was the best part of the group presentations of course. But the show stopper, the item that had the entire class discussing and listening? What was that? "Backrow Boy"'s shirt that had a picture of Bush with the word EVIL written across his forehead (in sharpie pen) and the quote on the side "not my president" and in the sharpie pen "too young to vote"!!

Eat Bertha's Mussels

They even have bumper stickers for this cause, and so with a guest in town from New York, roomie and I took our usual tour of the Baltimore town with an evening in fells point where sleepless in Seattle and Homicide Life on the Streets where filmed), and the mussels were delicious! They also had a nice grilled veg platter that followed the escargot course. Because I know 'nuff I didn't wear my ozzy shorts and University of Utah t shirt that I wore to the Dulaney football game, I actually wore a real girl outfit with heals. Yes, we all know the cobble stones in Fells Point are not the best place to wear shoes like this... But I was very careful. I even had a plan squared away with Erik and Mike that if I did fall in the street they could laugh for a minute, but then they had to pick me up.

I successfully sobered up after my 2.5 glasses to walk along the cobblestones after leaving the boys to "hook up" with the girlies. I didn't fall at all. But I went to Stacey's to watch a showing of Big Daddy on the big screen projector in their beautiful back yard. Then of course, in pure Paigeness, I promptly fell off the porch. Chair and all ass over tea kettle, smashing a bush, breaking the chair, and wishing I wasn't so sober to remember the whole thing.

Moral of this story: Mussels are not vegan, and I definitely have a new favorite wine. I actually hugged the 1/2 bottle(the most action in months and it was only $20) Fess Parker Chardonnay from Santa Barbara . It was so delicious I feel as if I must tell KJ about the affair and I will be ok if he breaks up with me and I can only commit to the Parker fellow when I can afford it.

Eat Bertha's Mussels
(John Roberts)

(G) F#
Eat Bertha's mussels, they're the best there is by far
You can eat them in the dining room, you can eat them in the bar
So when you're ashore in Baltimore and you fancy a bite to eat
Just follow your nose to Bertha's, you'll be in for a rare
old treat

Now a sailor came to Bertha's with a problem most severe
His manly pride had atrophied from a voyage of forty years
A couple of plates of mussels, now he sings in a different key
His jib boom's set right, he'll be in there tonight, and he'll
never go back to sea.

CHORUS
Now a lady came to Bertha's, who wanted a daughter or a son
The doctors had said with a shake of the head that she couldn't
have either one
So she ate a plate of mussels and went home to her husband dear
She tuned up his cryth, and I'll tell you the truth, she had
triplets the very same year.
CHORUS
They will cure your diarrhea, cure your constipation, too.
Just swallow a box for the chicken pox, the measles or the flu.
Now, if you fancy a healthy life, get your daily doses straight
A plate a day of Bertha's mussels, and you'll live 'til you're 98.
CHORUS
By John Roberts about Bertha's Mussels on Fells Point in
Baltimore.

Things you shouldn't blog about

Republicans sending group emails about English Only laws
Vegan diets and the hunger therein
Cleaning the liter box or not, a theoretical framework
Gravity Boots: Palin a go-go
1980's songs... Forever young or Pretty in Pink
Price of gas and airline tickets in the pre-post Bush era
Armed robberies that occur at your neighborhood convenience store

I am ready for some

football! Crisp air followed by big rain storm yesterday is making for a great opening day. I'm excited I get to watch all the games again. It's funny the things you miss when you don't know you missed them. Team iron horse came within 5 points of first place in the trivia tournament this week. Had a nice brunch except the veggie wrap was boiling hot green beans in a tortilla. Hungry enough to eat it, but the bloody Mary's gave my sustenance yesterday. I saw a weird movie I didn't think I would like called Alpha Dog, but it was surprisingly interesting and sad. Today I'm planning on watching football, grading papers, and reading about the evolution of human behavior in mate selection... hmmm...

Turning in reading notes

My class on Wednesdays has undergrads in it and I have to turn in a photocopy of my notes each week to the prof. Although worried about all the work I will have to do for a 1 credit class, I guess it would have been better to know this BEFORE I started grad school 3 years ago. It also puts me on campus at very high traffic 3:30 and I am baffled by all the younglings. Then the coincidence is I'm collecting my students notes tomorrow on their readings in APES :).

Also, instead of perfecting my research paper on the buoyancy of seedlings in the summer when I had so much time, I still have to do it and got the dreaded "can I get a copy" email from that prof today. Oh procrastination, weary of time, who captures the rays of the sun.

Oh wait, that's Blake's sunflower- Double Ha to that D in Romantic Poetry.

And there were many student activists about everything and many many obama buttons

Songs of Today

"Do You Remember Walter" the Kinks
"Be OK" Ingrid Michaelson
"You don't know me" Ben Folds (if only this nerd played this at his show at the Meyerhoff)

Plans change

I got rid of my second kicker. We went to a regular bbq instead of the crab feast. But the best part was buying the Times and sitting at a fancy OB like place, drinking wine, and reading the paper at the inner harbor watching the sail boats and tourists.

Divorce club anthem #375

My Fantasy Team is named Double D

I have great kickers, someone told me to always get two kickers in case one kicks the bucket, and the pats defense. DelHomme the man and Roethlisberger are my Qbs. It's a weird stock league so there wasn't a draft.

Rachana is in town and we are having a great time. The best Indian food, team iron horse trivia (we won first place!), bbq with the gang at A and A's. And then today we're going to a crab feast and to live it up in the more of Balt. It is really great to have Monday off, I will be catching up and doing some fun stuff around the house in order to get ready for another week in school.

First (& 2nd) Day of School With Students

Things are going extremely well so far. I am very happy with my students, my schedule, my attitude. Unlike a lot of other people, the beginning of school is my favorite because I don't have preconceived opinions of the students or piles of grading I'm not doing. It is also nice to not have grad school yet so I can jump into teaching and then jump into my studies next week. It is also nice to have a long weekend to look forward to. Happy first day of second grade Crash (aka booger)! I hope you really love compound words Maestra heard you talking about. Also, the girls should love school as well this year.

I rarely bother you with lesson plans but here's what you would have done in my classes so far this year. In Forensics: Sketch a crime scene, test sample if it is blood, identify counterfeit and real dollar bills, and fill out an identification card including a fingerprint. In AP Environmental: Conduct a field study to count biodiversity of organisms within a hula hoop and record temperature and weather patterns.

FYI this is the new wing, where I teach. Second floor

travel list

even though I love the list of travels I should take below, I know that on this silly salary and extravagant lifestyle (ha) I cannot afford them all. But hopefully I can see them someday.

Shattered Memories

My roomie nicknamed me a target. A target for breaking stuff and dropping lit cigarretes, used to be referred to as "pulling a paige". I haven't broken a glass in awhile, and even earned kudos from roomie on this fact Thursday night at Red Brick Station. Inspired by Vanilla Basil most recent post about travels I must count myself as extremely lucky to have traveled so much in my life so far. Upon these travels I tend to collect stuff (books mostly) and after a few moves I have misplaced a lot of them. Some of my favorites are my swim suit cover up worn when I went swimming with sea lions and penguins in the Galapagos, my copy of Dracula from Cambridge England, my beach mat from Cambridge MD, my Hofbrau house green sweatshirt from Germany, my Fez carpet and my favorite collection of Hotel Ashtrays from Morocco. If I didn't break it in Marseilles, and didn't break it in Oman, I even didn't break it in Casablanca ... I'm sure you would bet 10,000 francs that I would break it and I did break my favorite Moroccan ashtray today, the one from Hotel La Mamounia. Churchill called it " themost beautiful place in the world."

Places I still have to see
Italy: Coliseum, Parthenon
Greece: To replace Renee Zarkos' dad's prayer beads from 5th grade project
Hungary; Budapest (and perhaps Prague Castle District)
Netherlands: Anne Frank's House
Romania: Count Dracula's Castle
Spain: Basque Bilbao Museum
Portugal: so I can say "the Plane to Lisbon"
Iceland: for the ice ice baby
Egypt: Nile Cruise, Aswan Dam, Abu Simbel, Pyramids of Giza
Kenya: The Masai Mara
Tanzania: Safari
China: Lhasa (Tibet), Three Gorges Dam, Warriors of Xi'an, Hong Kong, Beijing
India: Uttar Pradesh Taj Mahal & Varanasi
Cambodia: The Silver Pagoda and Angkor Wat
Jordan: Petra
Fiji; Um Fiji, to see the coconuts
New Zealand: To Zorb down a mountain and find the lord of the rings
Mexico: Teotihuacan & Monarch Butterfly migration Michoacan Feb/Mar
Guatamala: Tikal
Peru: Machu Picchu
Chile: Easter Island
Mali: Timbuktu for the mosques and to say "I'm going to Timbuktu how about you?"

Cat Stevens was right about saturday nights

I got some money cuz I just got paid, oh how I wish I had someone to talk to I'm in an awful way

There is another good line in that song... had a strange resemblance to a cat named frankenstein...

Apparent Guardian

I have no idea why I am so fond of bookshelves. I have many in my bedroom and many in my classroom and for some reason, if the books are in the right place on the shelves, then I am a together person. However, if the wrong books are on the right shelves, this can make a woman insane! I do not need 100 textbooks from 1990. Same goes with my desk. I can have a gigantic inbox (no jokes here) a pile that goes all the way to my shoulders, but don't even think about moving my post-its.

Wednesday is always science day in the county, so everyone you have ever taught with or worked with in science is there to say hello. It's a little hard, I even had a few people not say hello back (Joe and Nancy can you believe it?). There was a guest speaker who was an astronaut showing us his pictures from space (how 1985) but it was really cool. My favorite was Mt. Everest.
And then I went to a wonderful lunch with Biology girls at Panera Bread, then back to the classroom to get ready. Chili found a typo on a document I have been giving to parents for 3 years (that I got from Nancy and didn't proof read). Permission is required from apparent/guardian. Now - the context could still work. The obvious parent, the one that feeds you, needs to give you permission to go on a walk. Apparently, Mt. Everest is the big one.

Thursday is giant meeting day, so praise the iPhone and expect email.

I took the Poem off the Blog

"No Return...Like a dog curling for sleep"... by William Matthews
I also forgot to mention that I was asked 5 times "What's your last name going to be this year?" and 4 times "How's the dog?" and 1 time from cute boy "I went to your rival high school in the City of Salt, when did you graduate? I graduated in 2001" boy
"I graduated from college in 2001" me
"Did you know John so and so he was your grade" boy
"Umm no I'm old, it took me awhile I got married" me... awkward pause with Coach Iron Horse laughing in the distance...

I will never stop being awkward.

First Day of School Sans Students

I had forgotten what my alarm clock sounded like! I had a lovely drive to work, saw the same guy walking the same two dogs, the same horse, the same parking spot etc etc. It was nice to be back in my classroom. I was certain I wouldn't have everyone staring at me at this faculty meeting because 1) I wasn't new 2) I wasn't crying and then oops, I had to stand up and report for my table! No worries. The principal threw us a great crab feast after school at a nearby park, it was really great except I absolutely hate picking crabs which makes me very unMaryland like. But you get sticky and my throat closes up. How many times will until I learn... leads me to borrow this idea and suggest a Song of the Day: Feel it all by Feist.

Our thoughts are with TNT. We're on call for anything you may need. No worries gentlemen, this too shall pass. Love ya both and see you really soon.
So I dedicate this song to you both!

Don't Think Twice

There ain't no use to sit and wonder why and I've been sitting here a year

The Breakup: A Portrait of Dignity | Funny Jokes at JibJab

HOW TO BREAK UP WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND... | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Worried November

The election is just upon us, changing of the tide it feels like. But I have had the same conversation with 5 people in the Baby boom range*(4 of them "liberal democrats") and they really won't vote for Obama. They fear him, like they feared sharing water fountains**, and it is really really sad. But since I also heard "I'm not very good" at (please don't suggest this could be a fill in the blank) I'm not very good at discussing politics.

But there are 3 things that make me POSITIVE I am voting for the right person for the job. 1) Women 2) Environment 3) Energy. BTW Big Daddy

* I should probably hang with people my own age more often
**This is why I'm not good at discussions, for some reason Econtrario can pull it off without a hitch. Probably because he surrounds it with boring baseball stats.

I can blog I can blog

Ok, that was a painfully long experience of not being able to blog, and now I can, I don't have much to say :) Also it was a painful experience of having an Olympic hangover or as they say on MASH The Wrath of Grapes. Watching the episode when Pierce quits drinking for a week because of a large bar tab. Don't get any silly ideas.

As they say it is raining in Baltimore. I'm so glad Little Hands and Booger are home from the hospital, it will be better now they are home.

The list of places I'm moving to if Obama loses. Bangkok, Belize, Botswana, Bali, Belarus... McSame is McStoopid.

Got Junk?

Ok, this service is fantastic! Go online, pick a time, they come and take all of the stuff you don't want, and it goes away. I literally now only have 1 box of pictures and A LOT of clothes in the basement. Also, the neighbors came out and we talked and talked and comingled our junk. Now the basement that was filled with boxes of dead marriages doesn't look so bad, and hey there might be room for more :)

Water Falls and so do Arches

Reading the paper, blogging, knowing the end of movies, watching PGA, and watching the olympics...crossword puzzling, taking a nap... celebrating 6 days as a veg... My favorite quote from yesterday "I don't read Henry Miller aloud to just anybody, that's why we're BFF". Favorite Commerical from the Commercialization Here I got soul... I can't figure out how Econtrario puts in the vids

Mercury levels huge in Great Salt Lake (possible thesis topic for masters Env. Sci?)
Wall arch falls in Arches National Park (saw this with Maestra on our trip to Moab)
Crash in hospital with rash and fever (feel better kid) (Photo msnbc.com)

Olympics

I enjoyed the opening ceremonies, however, I felt the camera work and excessive self-advertising by NBC was very terrible. Yes, I was going to boycott the opening ceremonies, but I'm glad I didn't. We will be talking about China for the next 100 years as the major force in our global system. We may as well allow people to see that the commies can accomplish goals similar to our own, like watching the last season of ER and buyin cars :)

I went to the zoo today, another place I thought I would boycott. I will post pics soon, I took them on the actual camera and can't find the cable to get the photos off. CC (ms cotton) and I went for a free teacher day, we got in early and saw all the animals without anyone around. Baby Elephant Samson was very cute, otters, penguins, turtles, giraffes, rhino, but no polar bear, no chimps. But we did get to hear the lion roar! Awesome.

Roomie and I played new Olympic betting match that should be began during the opening ceremonies. Roomie picked total number of medals each country would win and I took either over or under that number. Here are some highlights (we did do every country)
Greece 2 over.
USA 98 over
Israel 3.5 over
Japan 20 under
Hong kong 7 under
Cuba 14 over
China 64 over
Canada 38 under
Germany 64 under
Brazil 2.4 over
Russia 57 under
India 7.5 under
Great Britain 25.5 under
Venezuela 6 over
France 18.5 under
Czech republic 14.5 over
Italy 23.5 under
Australia 19.5 over

Last Day of Fellowship 8.8.8

Had a wonderful send off from Cambridge by Pale Ale, No Banana, et al. We went to a nice restaurant in Easton (West of Cambridge) that had an oven! Brick that is. Whiskey-Ginger said "I even like musicals now, like I want to see Pippen, I don't know what it's about". KJ's reply? "Perhaps it's about Scottie". Pippen that is. No laugh. There was a chuckle from BirthdaY BoY, but he admittedly was laughing about something else. So to all of my miscommunications in the land of Science! I had a great time and am honored to have had this opportunity.

Olympic Eve "Made In China"

Photo KSL
Great show on PBS last night about China. On the eve of the summer olympics opening ceremonies, I remember the energy and excitement I felt that winter in Salt Lake 2002. The entire world watching our city, the world symbols of the torch and the olympic rings on the mountain I would watch as I drove to my first year of teaching job that winter. I do not miss driving in snow (MD teachers usually get the day off for snow:) but I do fondly remember driving over the highway with those rings glowing and the torch flame. I also remember the feeling to "wake up and find out that you are the eyes of the world". And I hope that the eyes of the world look upon China, they have 1 B more people than us, increasing their middle class faster than the 50s here, AND have absolutely ZERO environmental legislation. I will be using China as a theme for the environmental classes this year to compare to US. So take a deep breath of not so clean air and enjoy the commercial event of the summer, while buying China made products from Evil Mart. I will. Mostly so I don't have to watch ESPN yammer on about F**ing Brett Fn Favre (JETS??? jets jets jets, you jest)

Answers blowing in the wind, Eyes squinting in the sun

The answer to question below is that perhaps hypothetically I would have been surprised at one's revulsion of hypotheticals. Hey another great example of past being prologue (or frequently repeated sayings being frequently repeated:)

The lab went to lunch today it was beautiful on the river. The experiment worked again today,I had 12/16 seedlings float in two trials outdoors and 3/6 indoors. Hooray! Been a Veg for 48+hrs. May have to consume chicken for dinner, I don't want to be rude or let it go to waste (yet to my waist!) Pierce (PS) be careful here big daddy.

Depends on the time zone

It may have been late night for you, but the sun was coming up here. I only have one question... What if we had met now and not 15 years ago? (Gasp at length of time) "Now that we're all wise and sh*t"

Mr. Bigstuff, Who do you think you are?

Heard this song on the way down here this morning "Oh Yeah! You're never gonna get my love". Hopefully I still have a roomate when I get done with this fellowship.

OK well, I have been an official veg for 24 hours +. I was almost a vegan until I remembered I had my very last quad grande white chocolate mocha latte from starbucks Monday morning and THEN my roomate at the Marsh house brought a cheesecake. Even though I declined her delicious smelling chicken curry for a veggie burger, before I knew what was happening, I had eaten the piece of white chocolate raspberry cheesecake factory deliciousness. Oh well, let them eat cake :) Nice diet.

Don't Laugh

Health has been on my mind of late with hospital visits past and those scheduled soon... I'm officially on a diet + walking. It is official because I have blogged about it, so it has to be real :) I will talk about it here and it may be boring, but I need to do something, and it may actually help me cook instead of wait till I'm so hungry I order from 33 pizza or go to Chick-fil-a or (my personal favorite...) go to dinner with wine and club sandwiches. This is not in keeping with my philosophies (however very much in line with my last 10 years lifestyle) nor cool like other bloggers who are always talking about buying local and their farmers market finds. With help from the 40 year old Vegan, and Vanillabasil's new vegetarian masterpieces, I am going to give this a go.

Peanut Butter Jellyfish Time in the Sunday Times

(NYTIMES, 2008)
I do enjoy reading the Times online.

The big plan was to go to Boordy for a concert with Big Daddy and Teachers. This was cancelled in route due to possible thunderstorms feared by Superman Teacher and his girl (not quite lois lane like, probably wouldn't smoke and eat cheeseburgers like lois but I did win a bottle of boordy on the null hypothesis of their possible engagement). So went to the Irish Pub instead, had a nice time. T was being T but I didn't take it to heart too much. Roomie and I are working on the issues, but it still is a little weird, also not taking it to heart. They are both nuts. Southern Belle called which cheered me up immensly and she and Southern Beau are on my team and want me to come visit soon. I am still worried about Little Hands. I hope she can play scrabble online with me soon.

It could be a twin thing

My head hurts. It is probably directly correlated to the KJ consumption, but I feel terrible that Little Hands feels unwell. I may be having sympathy inflammed meninges. It may be too soon to joke about but she should change her blog name to little hands big meninges. Lets hope she feels better real soon, and gets some much deserved rest. I swear she does more in one hour than I do all week. This is when it is the hardest to be away from home.

The sources of angst and hair that roomie has solved by putting all the couch cushions perpendicular? Luke, Leia, Han. Leia actually has many names like the Other Cat. Mama, Vamp-panda, Who'stheBaby'sMama, and Mean one. Han also has a few names, Hanz, Baby, Tiny, and recently added My Straw (everytime he sees a straw in a glass of water, he knocks it out of the glass). Oh, and Luke is just Luke with a mighty cool hand.

notes to self

When sluffing work remember sunscreen. When at beach wear hat and sunscreen. Take camera in case of dolphins. Take iPhone charger everywhere. Focus on strengths and build upon weaknesses. Past may be prologue and perception is reality but who percieves your past is your business. And lastly proofread everything.

thanks for the roomies

perhaps it is a bit unfair of me to compare apples and oranges. I am very glad for all of my roomies this summer. If it weren't for vanillabasil I wouldn't have found my way in solomons or how to love the iPhone and blogging with such passion. If it weren't for southern belle I wouldn't know who to wave at, where to buy wine, or how to drive in Cambridge, or that life is best served with a smile on the porch and revenge is best served cold. If it weren't for K from Colorado I wouldnt have learned the cool lesson plans and remember the mountains. If it weren't for storm I wouldn't know how to get pics from camera, be glad for the arctic tundra, and compare photos of niagara, lily pads, and the second yummiest spaghetti in the world. If it weren't for lab roomies I wouldn't have songs to laugh about or teacher roomies to share coffee and chocolate but not at the same time mrs. B. AND if it weren't for main house roomie, I wouldn't be laughing instead of crying most of the time. M S "just wants u to be happy". Dont worry its on the list.

past is prologue

How terrible am I? Second time in 345ish days I've been told this on the phone by people who lived with me (for a few hours a week anyway) "It has not just been recently, I've felt this way for a long time, you were like this before, even before (fill in blank with summerish things like fellowships and rings) I can't live like this. I was talking to soandso who says you need to do thisandthat... You should have known without me telling you. You need to get your life together. What will the neighbors think?"

So. Sans the cheese knife toss but still about animals and their dung. Perhaps I'm growing. How terrible am I? Feeling very very so.

Mondays

Do we celebrate birthdays of those that are dead to us?

Team iron horse watched the sunrise this weeknd. Nap time needed again. Met roomie and his brother in town from Atlanta at the neighborhood bar. Also talked for awhile with a woman in the bathroom named gigi and I don't know what shocked me most, her toothless smile, the actual sound of her hitting her wooden leg with her cane or her offer of a Xanax which I kindly refused.

Heron Haiku

Herons are awkward
flap wings oddly when landing
speak with a loud bark
.
Dinner and walk with friends from lab

New Friends New Puddles

I have made a new friend from Baltimore by way of Tanzania. I will call him Cest Bon.
We have watched a few movies together at the Marsh House, and then we went to town Monday to get a bite at the restaurant by the river. They have a crabcake club that is out of this world. Cest Bon goes on safaris every other year to the ngoro ngoro (sp?) crater.

I met my new roomate from Baltimore by way of the Philappines. I will call her Stormy because of her first night in Marsh House.


Stormy and I went to the Evil Mart to get a flashlight for my experiment and a bandaid for her thumb she slammed in the car door. (ouch). Then we went to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner. We decided to grill. I have never lit a charcoal grill by myself. (Actually I still haven't officially because Stormy had to come help my after I lit 2 entire packs of matches before being successful.) I grilled ribeye's and asparagus as the skies darkened rapidly. Stormy made a shrimp, onion and broccoli masterpiece meanwhile helping me light grill and marinate steaks. The rain started as I pulled off the steaks, the asparagus got some rain on them. Then we saw hail, then much lightning and thunder, then loud roll across the roof from large branch, then much much much rain. It was a great storm. Then, her horn in her honda started honking and upon investigation her window had been left down and her car was flooded. The horn would stop if you pressed it again, but then start up again whenever it felt like it. Stormy and I unplugged her battery (thanks to her emergency tool kit) and then soaking wet finished our delicious dinner, watched TV, and ate popcorn.

When I woke up this morning after sleeping (thanks xanax) I got in my car and noticed MY window had been down as well. Water Everywhere!!!

insomnia

who sleeps from 9-12? Who can't fall back asleep? I watched 3 episodes of homicide, now dont have any left. I counted zanichellia leaves to fall asleep but I should just wait til tomorrow in the lab. I worried that my graduated cylinders started floating and spilled ok the flume generator in the main lab. I can't figure out how to get the seeds from the bottom without destroying my set up. I am wondering why I bought all the stuff for tacos but not tortillas. I think I missed my dentist appoi tment this week, now my tooth hurts. There is a strange bug talking up a storm out the window, my stomach is talking too, perhaps I'll have more Ginger ale. Maybe I'll finish my book. That will make me sleepy, reading, I really should do more of that instead of TV. Perhaps otterbutt shouldn't have reminded me about lecturing I. Your sleep because now I'm behind on that too. Ha ha. I should have known about husband 2 because he never drank milk at my house but drank a gallon the first time I met his parents. I can still see his face when he came home that morning for his socks. He really had anger inside. Now am pretty sure I'm dead inside and shouldn't I be getting over this? His parents were weird and phony, who are they? Walmart shoppers? I should talk I spent an hour there for two days in a row! I should have said something else on the phne last night (tonight?), I talked to many people but didnt say what I wanted to, like "sorry I stole both lighters" "I have always gotten you, but I could never get you to do anything" and "I need the job even though I dont want it"

Best Maryland Day Ever Hon

I will have to explain this day in 3hour incriments.

9-12 am lunch and swimming on Assateague with me, my towel, water bottle and book. Sea sun sand and solitude was delicious. I was scared of the rip tide so I swam only a little.
Assateague Horses

12-3 drove to Parkville. Most expensive 3 hr part of day.
Gas Prices

3-4 nap with cats and shower without cats.

4-7 art scape
"the sweltering horde
clings to beers and scraps of shade
for the art of it"
Written by Captain Hops

with team iron horse
Saw the gays
and the other gays
it was hot and the art was minimal.
I liked the tree stumps and the pottery best.




7-11 team iron horse went to the Orioles vs. Tigers game whcih was tied 10-10 in the 10th inning with a beautiful home run by Luke Scott. It was the most fun filled Maryland Day of all time. I hope I dont run out of gas driving home. AND I'm blogging from the light rail.

Sunrise Sunset

I feel that 100% participation for the AP exam is silly. I will try to make my students understand this is part of the course, perhaps they will try harder...

Measuring Zanichellia morphology and biomass is silly.
Watching germinated seedlings float and sink is silly.

Taking pictures of the sunrise and sunset from Marsh house is not.

Divine Secrets of Teacher Hood

I forgot to blog about TNT's party for Big Daddy's 60th. It was so fun to see everyone from the old OMHS crew that formed as the coolest science dept around and now, now we have ALL moved on to become dept. chair(s), country clubbers, retirees, navy doctors & navy wives, married toe ring wearers, or happy healthy tan earth science roomies... I'm so glad we have all remainded so close and actually, become even closer. The party was fun, I made mushrooms and big Costco trip of food items, spilled red wine on the white table cloth (promptly washed by big daddy and then respilled upon by said big one), got mooned by the Old Man Beefus, coordinated switzerland boundaries (with one major slip up) and got to sleep in my princess bed (that came with presents, thanks Monroe)...

I went with navy wife to the Great Falls and had a wonderful brunch made by navy doctor. Then we went to dogfish brewery for the best sandwich. There is now a tie for the crabcake club and that is the Mahi mahi club with avocado and bacon. So yummy! Navy wife and I used to hike together weekly and we have a great time talking and walking and laughing at the east coast. Maryland being so small compared to TX and UT. Then I came home and watched "Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood" (yes I cried) and then talked with Southern Belle about the trials and troubles of teaching AP Environmental Science. They eased my mind about being the worst teacher in the world (remember our first years everyone we all struggled) and I wrote an email to principal and dc to be proactive on Maestra's advice.

Probably should go do some research now, talked with the other Teacher research fellows this morning on an internet video conference which was interesting. Perhaps, Otterbutt, we may one day teach entirely from our porches!

P.S. Happy Bday to the Kindergarten Teacher (who actually made her first year look like she's been doing it forever!) wish I could be at your BBQ tonight.

glory

Assateague island is a sandbar below ocean city that has wild horses running free on it. It was the most beautiful place I've ever been in Maryland. Of course it was East Coast crowded, but when you looked East all you could see was the sea. Sun swimming and laughter all day followed by an excellent ice cream cone, fantastic talk with Maestra, "val" college spaghetti, Shiraz, and movies "glory " and "perfect storm". I may reschedule my entire week and go back to the island on Saturday. I went with some wonderful ladies from the lab who will be known as Pale Ale, Banana, and Geologist; I haven't laughed so hard in awhile and I haven't been in the ocean since the Galapagos because I dont thing I got in the ocean in St. Johns.

test scores

Well. My students did not do well on their AP exam. 14 passed - 17 did not. AND my boss man bing emailed the scores to everyone! Humiliated. Guess I could find a more suitable career like middle school or research scientist. Turns out they have happy hours too. I measured and counted Zanichellia morphology most of yesterday so happy hour was necessary. UGH test scores

Dear Prudence

My attitude has changed. I know what to do. And I really think two things changed my 'tude of late. I was without my computer, and I had never eaten dinner at a restaurant by myself. Now that both of those things are fixed (and I got to eat Mussels)... love songs are now song to myself, Uncle Walt's Poem "Song of Myself" replays in my head, I have found "self" and will take this opportunity to tweak myself into the person I want to be. First and foremost, proudly standing firm against the wind with roots instead of floating like a feather.

Coming up this week...Assateague Island, kayaking, boating, scrabble tournament, Orioles Tigers game, Artscape.

The iPhone has also changed, perhaps in tune with Apples "new" iPhone debut tomorrow... iPhone says its saga/drama was imaginary and it is over.

Like sediment through the hourglass

I've been weighing and cooking bay sediment in what is called a Muffle Furnace to determine the percent of organic sediment in the samples from Cape Charles. Not to mention having dinner on Charles Street across from the Charles Theatre. It's very very quiet down here, prompting a text from BIG in Japan that said "Are you hunting with Elmer Fudd" ha ha ha. "It was on 7/27 in 1940 that Warner Brothers released A Wild Hare, the first cartoon starring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. The first lines of each character have become timeless..."

Elmer Fudd: Be vewy, vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits.
Bugs Bunny: Eh, what's up Doc?

Forgot to commemorate my 100th post

This is good. Saw it in the times today. Matt

MIKE your phone is at berthas

Roomie lost phone must send smoke signals (he has no email...who would answer the house phone?) I am watching Canadian geese lounge around the sturgeon pond this morning. Loved destination wedding 3 post by little hands. Went to dinner after drinks on the porch with southern belle and southern beau from Tennessee/Georgia last night. Finally got some mussels and they were great sitting by the drawbridge on Cambridge Creek. Came home, slept well, dream filled. Will visit Black water wildlife refuge and Assateague island, the place with the wild horses...yeah try to drag me away.
Recommended Listening...
The Entire Album "Raising Sand" Robert Plant and Allison Krauss (a little slow all at once one at a time perhaps with the below songs interspersed),
"Gone Gone Gone" "Please Read the Letter" "Let your loss be your lesson" "your long journey" "Trampled Rose" "Fortune Teller" "Killing the Blues (Ubiquitous heartbreaks... it happens)
"Weather Report Suite" Grateful Dead
"Stormy Monday" Allman Brothers TBone Walker
"Red Hill Mining Town" U2
"Thorn in my Pride" Black Crows Old Album
"Can you stand me" (1)Black Crows New Album
"Come Pick Me Up" Ryan Adams
"Sheen" The Low Life
"Home" Alexi Murdoch
"I Guess You’re Right" The Posies
"Go it alone" Beck
"Float On" Modest Mouse
"

No Mussels, No Muscles

Lovely afternoon in Fells Point. Listened to some excellent blues music at the Cats Eye and then headed to Bertha's for, No Mussels! So forced to have crab cake sandwich and roomie and I shared the Escargot, delicious! Also, I have lost ability to do 10 pushups that Lt. Green Hornet asked me to do before a smoke, that was a muscle bound plan, will resume. Lovely lovely day at the Point. Also watched a movie about the Wetlands Preserve in NYC, cool jam band venue in tribeca in the 90s. Very cool, many bands were the ones I saw in the 90s, and yes, it means they make nostalgia movies about my oldness. And last bit, announcement... I had to cancel premium channels today on cable. No more HBO.

It's Not A Date!

This is a little story about way too much wine. Roomie and I went to Zodiac for dinner, unfortunately, again, overcooked fish in the city by the bay. Maybe they think everything from the sea has a hard shell outside that has to be cooked forever with Old Bay. I had the salmon, he had the halibut, and we sat and watched the people on Charles Street pass by and go to the Charles Theatre. Lovely time, except the Hess oil spill with 5 cop cars and 2 fire engines. Then we went to the neighborhood bar for a drink, and then I invited us over to The Family Porch just in time to see some fireworks and kids whose hair has grown and their legs have as well. I can't believe Leo and Kapricorn are 8 & 7!!!! Awoken by roomie who served me watermelon in bed to cure my hangover and trying to find my motivation to go kayaking.

Good luck to Otterbutt and family on their move to the desert mountain town, and to Little Hands for her travels from the state of wine wedding of champions.

Things I Missed and Didn't Plan On Missing

First of all, I missed Fourth of July. Slept right through it from 2-8, then felt disloyal to pajamas to change to go out for the fireworks. However, this may seem a tad on the lame side, I haven't been home on a Friday night in three weeks. Enjoyed lunch of roomie's spaghetti aka Gonad stew served to me with two meatballs, one sausage and a sprinkle of parmasen cheese in a funny location *note not adding picture here. Things I missed about my house during my travels that I didn't notice until I got back... my blue coffee cup, the tiny cat Han laying on my hip, my fancy gold sheets, the back porch, my computer (sorry iPhone).

Peanut Butter Jellyfish Time

On the Choptank River the research team collected samples of Zanichellia and sediment with snorkels while I wrote down the water depth and plant height in the boat. Saw many many many jellyfish so I didn't swim. Many many many jellies. And herons and fish and turtles. Collected Heron Feather and Big Oyster Shell. We took the boat to a little cove at low tide and measured the current with a cool probe. Had to wait until high tide for six hours so we got to lay in the sun on the boat. Then drove west with the windows down at dusk listening to my new collection of songs. Glad I came home because roomie and I had wine and I swear the best 33pizza of all time and we sat on the porch for a lovely evening.

Also I may have to change my blog name to "Feetbook"