snow

it is snowing like crazy here.
I hope tomorrow is a school snow day. One of the fantastic things about working at a school.

what did you do on friday night?

I am much too busy, procrastinating to write a post. I have 2 more finals to write, I am training for my new aba job, teaching an exercise class for kids with autism, teaching 1st and 2nd graders to read. This is what I did to procrastinate tonight.













































Don't you wish I was your roommate?

like you need more reasons to be glad you're not me

I spent the majority of today watching This Old House, Ask This Old House, New Yankee Workshop* and 101 Starlicious Makeovers(E!), while typing a paper on my exciting action research project--creating high self-efficacy in early literacy learners. Woohoo! Go tier one cable with laptop and wireless internet.

(yeah, I know if you were in my position you would be:
1. typing the paper in a secluded office with some ambient music playing in the background
2. watching NASCAR or NY Giants football or some scary show on the PAX network
3. outside enjoying the unseasonably warm fall weather before the (supposed) snow comes on Tuesday
4. using your Tivo or fabulous Netflix to watch more more more TV yay!)

but you didn't make this to enjoy your with your fantastic cable television and laptop free afternoons.














*yay Norm is using a lathe.

yay for commercials for prescription drugs

tired of vague prescription drug commercials? this is hysterical. I got this from wouldashoulda.com.
It reminds me of the purple pill. I didn't know what that was for three years until I asked a nurse at the pharmaceutical company where I worked.

Depressing highway statistics forced into my brain (its not like I can choose not to read them)

Everyday I drive to Kentucky to go to school in Ohio. Over the bridge and around and over the bridge again. In the mornings, once I get on the highway in Kentucky the drive is beautiful. The best part is driving over the bridge back into Ohio, it is very country still and the trees are changing now. Each morning is different. On some days the fog is so thick I can't see the river or even most of the bridge as I drive back over. On other days the mist is thin and the river and surrounding trees look set for a film. It is a gorgeous way to begin the morning and if I didn't stay in bed so late each morning I would be more tempted to pull over and take photographs to document the changes I see each day.
Unfortunately, the drive back in the afternoon is bleh. The sun is bright and bleaches out the landscape and the worst thing is the electronic signs in Kentucky. Most days they proclaim the 2004 Highway deaths in Kentucky compared to the 2005 deaths. This seemed interesting in September, maybe gave me something to think about...then the 2005 numbers began to climb. It started out in September as something like this
2004-976 2005-630
this didn't bother me too much I kind of figured that it would work out to be statistically about the same for 2005 as it was in 2004.
As of today I think the 2005 number has climbed into the mid 800's. Now I know that this year is not going to end on the low side what with all the drinking holidays coming up. So each day I drive past and wonder what the Kentucky Highway people are thinking about when they program these huge electronic signs. Do these depressing statistics make people slow down and start using turn singles or something? Because I certainly haven't seen that around here. In fact I feel that I get passed by speeding SUV's that are swerving from the left and right lanes indiscriminately with no signal while I am speeding along at a good pace or I am moving along and I get stuck behind a decrepit car without a muffler that is chugging along about 10 miles below the speed limit oblivious to other traffic in the far left lane. I don't want any stupid "have a nice day" sign, but I could use some more optimistic statistics. So far the only break I get is for Amber Alerts and that certainly doesn't help my mood.

today is my birthday

and look new glasses











just try to get over the fact that I took this picture of myself. sadly this is about the fourth try. hmmm. I am not very photogenic and damn I need a haircut.

nerdy

I will always be a total nerd because of the extreme stress reduction and satisfaction I get from color coding my calendar. Each project, class, activity has its own color and the more heinous the task the uglier the color.

other stuff:
I broke my glasses at about 11:30pm last night and then spent 1/2 hour trying to glue them back together and wishing that the screw had not snapped in half, so I could do the nerdy pin or paperclip fix. (new glasses pics to come when I am motivated to upload the tons of I have stored on the camera)

beer pong and the nytimes

Joshua sent this link to the NY times article on BEER PONG. He seems to think the Bloomsburg folks are trendsetters, and who knows this may be true. I have been living in Ohio for a little over two years. When we first moved here Michael and I would sit on the stoop with a drink. Michael would lament the lack of organized drinking games in Cincinnati. Then we would watch people play corn hole and shake our heads sadly. Yet, just this fall Michael has had the opportunity to play several games of beer pong. Was it always right here in sad fraternity parties just blocks from our apartment? Or is the trend spreading thanks to a snazzy new bud marketing campaign to promote binge (water) drinking?
Oh and about the article, I thought it was funny that the author didn't mention one state university. I also thought that Edward 40-hands was some sort of OSU joke. And finally I have never played "flippy cup" only flip cup, and maybe that is regional thing, but there is no need to make drinking all cutesy-like and start adding -y's, makes me think of sippy cups.

Feeling down?*

Here's a winner of a site to cheer you up The Death Psychic
here is what I was foretold...
Being depressed with life in general, you commit suicide by driving into oncoming traffic on the highway.

I like to think that if I felt suicidal I would still think of those innocent other drivers and find some more private way to die, but if you find yourself very unhappy with your psychic death you can revisit and change how you type in your name and get a new one. Lucky you, so many fun ways to die. I think my second try if you are curious revealed an asphyxiation from an unknown food allergy.

*thanks to Jerry's my space bulletin for the link.
** thanks to blogger for trying to suggest jerky in place of the name Jerry.

mmm pickles and chips

Weddings make people crazy---its true and its a mom quote to boot.
my solution? be gone homework, I will spend the evening eating pickles and chips and watching an episode of the tv show, Wife Swap. In this one, a nature mommy switches places with a pageant mommy. Its horrible. I am loving it. wedding craziness? nothing a little bad tv can't fix. (keep in mind I don't have cable or else I would be watching some iron chef or something else suitable that is not on network tv.)
mmm, let me make another pickle and chip sandwich. yum.

too tired to redo

So I wrote this long worthless post bemoaning my recent closet purge of all tight pants and now wondering what to do seeing as how I have mysteriously lost my stomach bulge without exercising (except for that 1/4 mile I ran and bragged about in an earlier post) Now I am extolling the virtues of the drawstring waist pants and thinking about having a wine and pasta party to make it up to myself. Blogger went down 5 minutes before I hit post and all was lost BOO! You should be happy you missed the long version, even I was bored.
then there was a part about how my students can't read and how it seems to be rubbing off on me, but I'm sure I'll get to that later.
2. There is a little girl in one of my reading groups, who can't read (surprised right?). She does (unlike her little squirmy friends pay some attention to the book) When I ask questions about the story, she raises her hand and mostly answers correctly by looking at the pictures. This is a great beginning reading strategy that I want the other group members to learn. So I ask her "How did you know that?" her standard answer "Because I'm so smart." (sound like anyone we know? I'm looking at you amy marie). Then I have to add, "and you looked at the picture" doesn't work quite as well as I'd hoped.

more food

I am enjoying this free time in my afternoon. And not having evening classes every night of the week is nice too. This evening I went running with Michael. (or more, he went running and I ran a lap and then walked 4 more) The red track on campus is very squishy. I foolishly thought my lungs would hurt and make me quit first but my knee won the race and twingingly told me to start doing my physical therapy exercise again or reap the consequences. I am taking this seriously by sitting on my butt and playing on the internet. Also tonight I made, Italian Wedding Soup, a guacamole/salsa concoction, and a tomato basil bruschetta topping. Then I made the actual bruschetta from a yummy French loaf with olive oil and real garlic.
Lots of recipes if anyone is interested I will take the time to type some up and email or post them.

tomorrow's lunch choices

ready boys and girls?
hot dog on a bun

or

fish treasures?

what is a fish treasure? only the brave will find out. The substitue teacher in class advised one 1st grader that it was probably like a fish stick. And no, it wasn't like a treasure with rubies and such.

mmm. yum. now I have to get my own lunch.
maybe chicken salad with apples and walnuts.

a boring update and a lunch survey

So here is a boring update of my life/weekend.

• classes started for me on Thursday, things seem okay, but damn here comes the collaborative group work again, and then there's the whole buying books thing. bleh
• I am only doing half days at school now. This is cool because I have never had free time in the afternoon like this. Maybe I will be productive and use it for work. or maybe I will start watching general hospital or something like that. doubtful I am more of an E! true hollywood kind of girl.
  
• I had a flashback to undergrad when I got home from my half day of work Friday. After grocery shopping and other errands, Michael and I had a drink and watched a movie. Then I called Alyssa and realized what I am really doing used to be a frat house thing in Bloom called a 6 to 9. It evolved into more of a 6-1am sort of event as the event moved locations. A fun evening was had by all as Michael got the chance to play beer pong with Coors Light while I drank a pretty decent (AND FREE) magarita in a frat house.
• I can't believe I just typed that last bullet I am REALLY OLD. But you would have enjoyed this Margarita too. I know ....it was so tasty.
  
• Saturday I volunteered at the YMCA exercise class for kids with Autism. (if I am lucky I will get paid for that, this will come in handy for those of you expecting Christmas presents from me)
• Today I bought one of my books for class and I read the Preface (man I think of the geekiest ways of procrastinating) Then we went to see Corpse Bride with the last of the Free movie tickets, yay...now I can pay to go see indie films instead of feeling trapped in my billions of free crappy movie theater tickets.
  
• Finally, in my widely exciting weekend I made my own chicken stock.
  

Well as you can see here, non-stop fun and excitement on this front.

One other thing I have been thinking of, Food. Right, like I am always thinking of food but this is in a different way, not just the "what food do I want in my mouth and tummy" kind of way.
People I work with eat a lot of crappy food. Things that come in boxes, that are prepackaged with extra food coloring, and with the labels proclaiming E Z prep. They have a lot of weird food things such as the girl that eats hotdogs dipped in apple sauce and the older lady that eats these interesting wrapped meat and cheese and condiment things that must be like some sort of Atkins/heartattack type lunch also the girl that doesn't eat any nuts and makes fun of me and another girl that eat fruit, (she calls us "healthy" and then laughs). Even better the cafeteria serves the kids such lovely items like mini corn dogs and fresh pizza bake. I don't know what that is....is it pizza? is it pasta? who knows?
I am so relieved not to be there at lunch now that I leave at 12:30. I can go home and eat what I want because obviously whatever sandwich or fruit or vegetable I am eating is entirely alien and disgusting to all parties involved.
What do you eat for lunch?

small children keep hugging me

It is highly disconcerting.


and sad


because the kids I need to work with are crying or refusing to work, and other random kids I don't know very well keep hugging me.

I guess this is what happens in 1st and second grade. oh I guess hugs, tears, and the whole learning to read thing.

just a reminder...

in case you forgot to celebrate properly, today is Talk Like a Pirate Day.
I enjoyed it thoroughly with the first graders who love pirates and saying "Arg, Mateys!" and waving imaginary hooks around.

Not so much with the second graders, who managed to forget everything they learned over their entire school career in just one short weekend. fun. Lucky for me they are only in second grade so we should be able to whip them into shape in a few days...weeks....months....lifetimes.


Also, I am volunteering with a kids exercise class sometimes. Those of you trying to get into shape should take note: skipping is hard work.

how I love this job I pay UC to attend every day...

So I've already had students sent home with lice and more throwing up, and to top it all off it seems like I make two kids cry everyday. In my defense all the sick/crawly kids are back in school. AND, its not really my fault if they cry in this situation.
unnamed 1st grader "How are you?"..."good work!"..."Get out your crayons!"..."Let's count ready 1, 2, 3..." student response, "Wahhhhh! I miss my mommy!"
Now truthfully, tell me, is that my fault.
Today, I felt like the meany meaniest teacher. Frustrated and tired of saying things like, "Get to work", "Pick up your pencil" "Now start here and write", "No, erase that, we need a BIG M not a little m", "This is your warning!". Arg, or as Caitlin and Nora would say BARG!
Yesterday was much cuter kid-wise, as are most days that I interact with students not on my roster. You know ones that are wearing clean clothes that can pronounce their R's. I am so mean, and yes, I know this is sped and truthfully I like my "poor pitiful Pearl's and Peter's"*
But really you need to know that I talk a lot of shit but I am not really bad. And usually I have patience that astounds even me. And hey, tonight I spent the evening creating a PAC-MAN board game to help my 1st graders learn to count. Because they are beyond the Hi-Ho Cherry-O game, but not yet ready to use two dice because 11 and 12 are still a mystery.**
The game is cute. I will take a picture just after I laminate it. Yes this is my life and lamination is super cool. how pathetic.

*reference of a prof. last year the opposite being, little miss princess / mr. prince
** hell sometimes 3-10 are still a mystery

more school (this seems to be a recurring theme, can you handle it?)

Today there was only one 1st grade crier and one bloody nose. I think statistically things are improving but it is too early to say. I spend most of the day helping people write letters and numbers and point along to words as someone else reads outloud....describing reading strategies and helping to sound out, also telling little ones they can go to the bathroom, get a tissue, get a drink etc. I also spend a lot of time saying things like "no, not that way turn it around" which unless you do this all the time you might not remember that p's and b's and d's look a lot the same to a 1st grader, or that 2's and 5's can also flip around and look awfully confusing. Hmm, school is definitely difficult, especially when I need to remember things like, which way does the < point to mean less than, and which way for greater? Did I learn this and, more importantly can I keep it straight when looking at someone's worksheet upside down from across the table? I swear I am sped too, and I hope that makes me good at this.

I don't like to use this as a space to really discuss anything other than the bleh stuff that fills my brain and might be vaguely amusing to my friends. However, most of what fills my brain these days (past the daily learning of letters and numbers, IEP's, autism and dyslexia) is New Orleans. I couldn't really even watch an entire news broadcast last week and in the car I would switch back from NPR news, to a song on my CD player, to the news again, because the news would make me cry with anger (whenever bush talks) and then sadness (all the snapshots of survival amidst devastation) For more reading of blogs that say things better than I can, try here or here. There are many more but these two are the ones I glanced at before I started writing this, so I thought I would share.

HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY!

to Michael!
I hope it is a very happy one!
love-nancy
p.s. If you know this man, and you are currently living in Cincinnati, stop by and wish him a happy birthday. (there will be drinks and lovely appetizers)

first day of school =

• the drenching northern remnants of Hurricane Katrina
• almost slipping on puddles in the hallway and killing myself x2
• one 1st grader that says "my head feels itchy" which means one frantic trip to the nurses office to rule out lice (no lice Yay! [so far])
• one pukey 2nd grader
• one bloody nosed 2nd grader (who was so good she quietly held one hand over her nose while she kept the other raised...waiting for the teachers to finish a lecture on demerits [can you believe they give demerits in 2nd grade? no?, me neither])
• one teary 2nd grader who thought she lost her lunch money (really she just left her lunch [in its cute pink translucent glittery plastic box] in a different room.
  
• ~10 4th and 5th graders standing in the hallway cause they already got in trouble enough to miss (indoor) recess

Elementary school is funny.
Little kids ask me to do things like open their milk and tie their shoes. They think I am an adult here. When I walked into a kindergarten class and offhandedly said "So how's kindergarten?" to no one in particular, a chorus of little voices chimed "Good!"
Mostly today we practiced how to be at school. It seems hard, all this sitting still, and raising your hand, and walking in lines, and finding the right bus. I wouldn't want to do it.
I am spending an inordinate amount of time drawing, cutting, pasting and laminating things. velcro has become a very important substance in my life. (would you say velcro is a substance?, or a fabric?, or something else entirely)
things should get easier as the little guys learn how to be at school for a WHOLE day.
And when I figure out exactly what it is I am supposed to be doing there.