Our little kickball team, an amalgamation of a few teams from last season is undefeated through 4 games! Tall Guy and I had to disband our beloved "Rick is 21" because not enough people came back from last season, so we got tossed in with "Look Ma, No Hands" and what a great thing that has turned out to be. We actually played the team on which 2 of our former teammates ended up, another amalgamation of teams from last season and a force to be reckoned with. We played a game of perfect defense and put together some nice offense, scoring 3 runs to their 1. I have to toot my own horn and say that I had a diving catch (my first and it felt good, and a lead-off double because they overthrew trying to get me out at 1st so I turned on the juice and made it to 2nd - we didn't score, but it's gratifying getting 2 bases on a bunt).
This weekend is Homecoming at my little school so I will be attending a bonfire this evening and a day of athletic activities tomorrow. I will NOT be chaperoning the dance tomorrow night. This is a good thing since the students had to be warned to keep their genitals apart when dancing or risk not having a dance next year.
Teenagers+music+dark=chaperoning nightmare.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Things I've noticed about h.s. in the past 2 weeks
There are some interesting phenomena about high school, things that haven't changed since I was a student, and some things that have changed so drastically I can't imagine existing in this environment.
Hasn't changed:
*Kids think they're smarter than adults and that they can get away with stuff. I was in charge of "Picture Day" for the yearbook class photos. Almost every single class had 2 boys who tried to give the "thumbs-up" sign. Every one of them was yelled at by a chorus of teachers watching the process.
*Chemistry still sucks.
*At lunch, boys sit with boys and girls sit with girls. Except for the drama kids.
*Pressure is still the best way to get homework done. The library has a computer lab and every morning, 15 kids are in there frantically typing. While we didn't have to type most assignments when I was in high school, first period still found a huge group of students trying to get that last paragraph written.
Changes:
*Being able to look up the theme of your paper on the Internet - damn that's helpful.
*Emailing students their assignments and having them dump their papers into an online folder so that you have them when you get home. You can edit them using track changes and re-email, or print them out and make comments by hand. I think that I would have appreciated this more my first year of teaching, rather than when I was a student. Pretty cool.
*A phone in every pocket, and once school gets out, attached to every ear. God knows I'm addicted to my own cell phone, but being around teenagers and cell phones doesn't make me like the little buggers any more.
*The school librarian is way cooler :)
Random observations:
-Two chairs will never due if one is available. Seriously, they sit on top of each other, even when plenty of seating surrounds them.
-It's soo nice to have a cafeteria with a hot lunch. If I forget my lunch, or just don't want to eat last night's leftovers, there is a warm, tasty option at the other end of the hall. When I last taught, there were vending machines in place of a lunch line so students & teachers had the option of a mildly stale sandwich, a lukewarm yogurt or a "Cup-o-Soup", chicken flavor. Mmmm.
-Despite my being almost 15 years older than the seniors here, I still feel like "one of them". When did I get so old?
Hasn't changed:
*Kids think they're smarter than adults and that they can get away with stuff. I was in charge of "Picture Day" for the yearbook class photos. Almost every single class had 2 boys who tried to give the "thumbs-up" sign. Every one of them was yelled at by a chorus of teachers watching the process.
*Chemistry still sucks.
*At lunch, boys sit with boys and girls sit with girls. Except for the drama kids.
*Pressure is still the best way to get homework done. The library has a computer lab and every morning, 15 kids are in there frantically typing. While we didn't have to type most assignments when I was in high school, first period still found a huge group of students trying to get that last paragraph written.
Changes:
*Being able to look up the theme of your paper on the Internet - damn that's helpful.
*Emailing students their assignments and having them dump their papers into an online folder so that you have them when you get home. You can edit them using track changes and re-email, or print them out and make comments by hand. I think that I would have appreciated this more my first year of teaching, rather than when I was a student. Pretty cool.
*A phone in every pocket, and once school gets out, attached to every ear. God knows I'm addicted to my own cell phone, but being around teenagers and cell phones doesn't make me like the little buggers any more.
*The school librarian is way cooler :)
Random observations:
-Two chairs will never due if one is available. Seriously, they sit on top of each other, even when plenty of seating surrounds them.
-It's soo nice to have a cafeteria with a hot lunch. If I forget my lunch, or just don't want to eat last night's leftovers, there is a warm, tasty option at the other end of the hall. When I last taught, there were vending machines in place of a lunch line so students & teachers had the option of a mildly stale sandwich, a lukewarm yogurt or a "Cup-o-Soup", chicken flavor. Mmmm.
-Despite my being almost 15 years older than the seniors here, I still feel like "one of them". When did I get so old?
Hate in my heart
For Eric Gagne. How many times does he have to blow a save before Francona realizes that the Eastern Division Little League team is missing their star pitcher? Someone better give Tito a stern talking-to this morning. The kind of talking-to that says, "if you let Gagne so much as put on a Red Sox uniform and think about pitching with anything less than a 9-run lead, you're fired."
Thursday, September 6, 2007
OverwHelmed
First by the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, and then by the First Day of School (remember that?).
Our trip west was wonderful. Way too brief, but great, nonetheless. I was able to take a drive through a small section of the mountains outside of Boulder (in a HUMMER...oh, the shame). We stopped at Boulder Falls, which was a beautiful sight with some cold water, and in the town of Nederland, which probably has a population of 73 but which has a library in the town "center". The wedding was flawless complete with touching vows, excellent food and plenty of dancing (mostly by me as Tall Guy never got quite drunk enough to stay on the dance floor for more than 3 minutes).
The first day of school was hectic and this first week has been packed with new faces and lots of questions. I have 6 advisees, all freshmen, so we are new together, which is kind of nice. I am slowing starting to learn the collection and the flow of the day. I hate telling people to be quiet, but I like helping them find a book. And, still not loving the whole "last-name" thing. I actually had a student walk up the desk and introduce herself. She said, "Hi, I'm Bryn," to which I replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jill. I mean, Mrs. O'Connor. Damn."
A new kickball season starts tonight. Tall Guy and I are on a new team, Look Ma No Hands, and we're looking forward to a winning season.
Our trip west was wonderful. Way too brief, but great, nonetheless. I was able to take a drive through a small section of the mountains outside of Boulder (in a HUMMER...oh, the shame). We stopped at Boulder Falls, which was a beautiful sight with some cold water, and in the town of Nederland, which probably has a population of 73 but which has a library in the town "center". The wedding was flawless complete with touching vows, excellent food and plenty of dancing (mostly by me as Tall Guy never got quite drunk enough to stay on the dance floor for more than 3 minutes).
The first day of school was hectic and this first week has been packed with new faces and lots of questions. I have 6 advisees, all freshmen, so we are new together, which is kind of nice. I am slowing starting to learn the collection and the flow of the day. I hate telling people to be quiet, but I like helping them find a book. And, still not loving the whole "last-name" thing. I actually had a student walk up the desk and introduce herself. She said, "Hi, I'm Bryn," to which I replied, "Nice to meet you, I'm Jill. I mean, Mrs. O'Connor. Damn."
A new kickball season starts tonight. Tall Guy and I are on a new team, Look Ma No Hands, and we're looking forward to a winning season.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
With a side of relish
Okay, tomorrow turned into a bit longer. I won't give you any lame excuses. I will just say that I now live in a different house than I did last week, work at a different job and am about 1/4 of a million dollars poorer.
We have had quite the whirlwind August. We spent most of the early part entertaining family in Portland and lounging at Tall Guy's family's lake house on Cobbosseecontee, just outside of Augusta. There all six of his dad's siblings gathered, along with his dad, to reminisce and eat and play games. It was a wonderful few days.
Leaving Augusta, we made our way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where my mom had rented a house on Good Harbor Beach. It was the first time my family has ever gone away together and it was delightful. We had 4.5 days just laying on the beach and lounging around the enormous house she rented. We didn't think that it would be as noisy in Gloucester with my two family members under age 5 as it had been in Maine with seven family members under age 8, but those kids are little miracles and they managed to make as much noise as a gaggle of rugrats.
After vacation came the period of August called THE HOUSE. We are mostly still in that phase, except that I have started THE NEW JOB, which is taking up more time right now than THE HOUSE. We had an easy and uneventful closing, 4 nights of furious packing, 2 days of moving (thank you to everyone who helped) and then we lived in a house. We have unpacked a lot of stuff and shoved a lot of stuff into the basement (much to Tall Guy's disapproval). We bought a new living room set from Bob(ble)-Head's Discount Furniture in the color Camel, which apparently requires the workers who assemble these pieces of furniture to travel to the middle east to hunt, kill and skin an indeterminate number of camels in order to make my 3-piece living room set in seven weeks. What this means is that we have zero seating in the living room for another 42 days, give or take a day if a camel really gives chase.
My new job will be fantastic once I get the library organized and learn what is in the collection. I have one more day here before the students arrive on Tuesday, so most of that won't happen by then, but no one here seems too concerned, which is reassuring. I hate introducing myself by my last name, but I like teachers and I like helping people find things that they need. Oh, and getting paid. I like that.
Because resting is for the weak, we will be traveling to Boulder, Colorado this weekend to witness the nuptials of some friends.
Finaly, random thoughts:
*Can't someone trade JD Drew for one of those Little Leaguers from Walpole? The man is being GIVEN $14 million to stink up Fenway.
*I have a new obsession with orange cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market in Portland.
*Moms are wonderful, especially when they help you clean your new house.
*I loved working for the United Way of Greater Portland and have a new and deeply-felt respect and admiration for the work going on at that agency. I will miss the people who work there and hope that my new colleagues are 1/2 as fun.
*W is still dumb.
*Tommy Lee Jones (of Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue fame) has a tatoo of Mighty Mouse. Heh heh...Mighty Mouse is so lame.
We have had quite the whirlwind August. We spent most of the early part entertaining family in Portland and lounging at Tall Guy's family's lake house on Cobbosseecontee, just outside of Augusta. There all six of his dad's siblings gathered, along with his dad, to reminisce and eat and play games. It was a wonderful few days.
Leaving Augusta, we made our way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where my mom had rented a house on Good Harbor Beach. It was the first time my family has ever gone away together and it was delightful. We had 4.5 days just laying on the beach and lounging around the enormous house she rented. We didn't think that it would be as noisy in Gloucester with my two family members under age 5 as it had been in Maine with seven family members under age 8, but those kids are little miracles and they managed to make as much noise as a gaggle of rugrats.
After vacation came the period of August called THE HOUSE. We are mostly still in that phase, except that I have started THE NEW JOB, which is taking up more time right now than THE HOUSE. We had an easy and uneventful closing, 4 nights of furious packing, 2 days of moving (thank you to everyone who helped) and then we lived in a house. We have unpacked a lot of stuff and shoved a lot of stuff into the basement (much to Tall Guy's disapproval). We bought a new living room set from Bob(ble)-Head's Discount Furniture in the color Camel, which apparently requires the workers who assemble these pieces of furniture to travel to the middle east to hunt, kill and skin an indeterminate number of camels in order to make my 3-piece living room set in seven weeks. What this means is that we have zero seating in the living room for another 42 days, give or take a day if a camel really gives chase.
My new job will be fantastic once I get the library organized and learn what is in the collection. I have one more day here before the students arrive on Tuesday, so most of that won't happen by then, but no one here seems too concerned, which is reassuring. I hate introducing myself by my last name, but I like teachers and I like helping people find things that they need. Oh, and getting paid. I like that.
Because resting is for the weak, we will be traveling to Boulder, Colorado this weekend to witness the nuptials of some friends.
Finaly, random thoughts:
*Can't someone trade JD Drew for one of those Little Leaguers from Walpole? The man is being GIVEN $14 million to stink up Fenway.
*I have a new obsession with orange cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market in Portland.
*Moms are wonderful, especially when they help you clean your new house.
*I loved working for the United Way of Greater Portland and have a new and deeply-felt respect and admiration for the work going on at that agency. I will miss the people who work there and hope that my new colleagues are 1/2 as fun.
*W is still dumb.
*Tommy Lee Jones (of Pamela Anderson and Motley Crue fame) has a tatoo of Mighty Mouse. Heh heh...Mighty Mouse is so lame.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Vacationin'
We just got home from vacation and now have to start packing. We close on our house tomorrow at 11AM - yikes! Thanks, Chris for this little diversion. I like Big Bird. Oh, when the description below mentions "you," it means me. It's all about me. Take your own damn test.
More updating tomorrow...
.
More updating tomorrow...
Your Score: Big Bird
You scored 68% Organization, 41% abstract, and 69% extroverted!
This test measured 3 variables.
First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.
Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.
Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.
Here is why are you Big Bird.
You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.
You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Big Bird can be quite dreamy at times and has no problem using his imagination. At the same time he is also practical and can be methodical in his search for answers to questions. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.
You are both extroverts. Big Bird gets along with everyone. He makes friends easily and always has a positive attitude. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.
Hey, don't be a grouch! If you liked the test, let others know by rating it below. Feel free to vote for your favorite character too.
| Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo |
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
More ketchup
We did go to trivia last week, Margarita’s again. We are 2 for 2 there, blowing the competition away by earning 28 points out of 40. This time, there were 5 of us so we each got a free dinner certificate and a Coors Light cooler bag filled with bar giveaways like keychains, Frisbees, a hat, a towel and a water bottle. We divied it up the loot and vowed to return.
The ones we missed:
*What is the strongest bone in the human body?
*What do chefs consider the "magic spice"?
*Which finger has the fastest growing nail?
*True or False, Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word book titled Gadsby without using the letter "y"?
*Who is the oldest Beatle?
*What are the holes in Swiss cheese called?
A few we got:
*What has 354 steps?
*Which city has the largest Chinatown?
*What does the symbol AU represent on the periodic table?
*Which country’s tradition includes a 3-month honeymoon paid for by the bride? A) India B) Algeria C) Morocco or D) Thailand
*Who did Blondie Boopadoop marry?
*On what 2 parts of a dog can sweat glands be found?
*Where do the biggest consumers of SPAM live?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
House-closing proceedings are going well. Here are a few pics of the new pad
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T-minus 3 days until we are on vacation. Tall Guy's family is visiting and it has been lovely so far though we are jealous because they can go do fun things and we have to work. We will go up to Lake Cobbosseecontee (outside of Augusta) this weekend to hang with extended family then we will go down to Gloucester (Mass) to spend some time with my family. I see lots of wine and board games in our future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers
-jawbone or mandible
-pepper
-the middle finger
-False, he didn’t use the letter "e" – yes, we should’ve known that one by its title. I really want to read this now - it's online here in its entirety.
-Ringo Starr
-eyes
-the Statue of Liberty
-San Francisco
-gold
-Thailand
-Dagwood Bumstead
-nose and paws
-Hawaii
The ones we missed:
*What is the strongest bone in the human body?
*What do chefs consider the "magic spice"?
*Which finger has the fastest growing nail?
*True or False, Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word book titled Gadsby without using the letter "y"?
*Who is the oldest Beatle?
*What are the holes in Swiss cheese called?
A few we got:
*What has 354 steps?
*Which city has the largest Chinatown?
*What does the symbol AU represent on the periodic table?
*Which country’s tradition includes a 3-month honeymoon paid for by the bride? A) India B) Algeria C) Morocco or D) Thailand
*Who did Blondie Boopadoop marry?
*On what 2 parts of a dog can sweat glands be found?
*Where do the biggest consumers of SPAM live?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
House-closing proceedings are going well. Here are a few pics of the new pad
Front of house
Kitchen
Living room
Kickin' daylight basement we will, one day, finish
----------------------------------------------------------------------
T-minus 3 days until we are on vacation. Tall Guy's family is visiting and it has been lovely so far though we are jealous because they can go do fun things and we have to work. We will go up to Lake Cobbosseecontee (outside of Augusta) this weekend to hang with extended family then we will go down to Gloucester (Mass) to spend some time with my family. I see lots of wine and board games in our future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers
-jawbone or mandible
-pepper
-the middle finger
-False, he didn’t use the letter "e" – yes, we should’ve known that one by its title. I really want to read this now - it's online here in its entirety.
-Ringo Starr
-eyes
-the Statue of Liberty
-San Francisco
-gold
-Thailand
-Dagwood Bumstead
-nose and paws
-Hawaii
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