sail you home

For anyone who is unaware, I love Harry Potter. Love, love love. Recently, I've been rereading Books 4, 5, & 6 and discussing my views on Snape with anyone who will listen.

(I've been waffling between good and evil, but after chatting with Alex last night and rereading the end of Book 4, I'm sticking good. Snape is good! Mark my words!)

But this... this is going too far. Even for me.

we move along

I got some long-overdue validation this morning from the most unlikely of sources: an ex-boyfriends now-ex-girlfriend.

It's just good to know - even now, over 3 years later - that someone knows how I felt and recognizes that I wasn't completely irrational or unreasonable and that even though we will probably never be friends because, although we share the same experience it is a painful one, at least we have that shared experience.

I've missed you, but I haven't miss you all the same. The thing that drew me to you in the first place was what pulled us apart and while I can't say I regret that it happened at all, if I could go back I would change a few things.

leave my wings behind me

When I log into my personalized iGoogle homepage every morning, these little guys greet me:


At other times in the day they are playing badminton, practicing karate, having a picnic, or roasting marshmallows, but the morning scene is my favorite, because I'm usually drinking coffee too. It's weird, but it makes me feel like everything is going to be great that day.

I'm late leaving for school, but there are only 14 days left!

red, gold, and green

Well the school year is dwindling, and with it, my store of fabulous lesson plans. Let's face it - I'm tired. And can't be bothered to sing and dance my way into my 9th graders' hearts any longer.

I did, however, get their attention today when I put the following picture up on the projector:


That's right, Monster Pig, weighing in at an astounding 1,051 pounds and bagged several weeks ago by 11-year old Jamison Stone in Alabama. Jamison says he "probably won’t ever kill anything else that big.” Smart kid. Jamison's dad says they'll probably make sausage out of the beast. 700-800 pounds of sausage. Holy crap.

It's literally the only thing I can think of to blog about as I'm just flabbergasted at the size of this thing. I mean, really. It's like something out of a horror movie.

Incidentally, if giant pigs are your thing, there have been plenty more:

Hogzilla
Shot June 17, 2004 - 800 lbs

Coursey Hog
Shot January 5, 2007 - lbs

Hog Kong
Shot August 2004 - 1,140 lbs

Big Bill
Put down in 1933 after breaking a leg - current world record holder at 2,552 lbs

Ton Pig
Died February 4, 2004 (from lack of mobility due to obesity) - 1,980 lbs

Mmmm, bacon.

a little too late

Well, this is my life. The life I have chosen. The life for which I get paid nary more than peanuts. (Thanks to RedKudu for the awesome post)

In other news, I'm still counting down the days and (slowly) checking things off my enormous list of "Things You MUST Do Before Graduation!". Our trip to Lake Tahoe this weekend was incredible, relaxing, and full of good times and it's sort of hard coming back to reality and dealing with students cheating on make-up work and my crazy, totally off her rocker master teacher. However, I will prevail and make it to the (three-day!) weekend and go home and eat my mom's food and continue to count down the days until this horrible, painful, never-ending year from hell is actually over.

I feel like I'm a perpetual need of a good long nap. Sheesh.

soon we'll be back on the road again

This weekend, Daniel and I are going to Lake Tahoe with his parents (without the snow, obviously). I'm so excited to get out of Davis and not think about school or teaching or anything for a few days. Hooray!

let your clarity define you

Today is the first day of Whole Earth, hands-down my absolute favorite weekend in all of Davis!


After grabbing lunch with Liz and Tina at Cafe Bernardo (they have a new menu and it's pretty good), I strolled onto campus (almost running into Neal, of all people) and picked up a new Peace on Earth Bead while I perused the rest of the goods. I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow when the crunchy granola-ness is in full force.

ready for anything

That last post was not complete and therefore I did not intend to post it at the time. So it goes. Anyway... here it is in it's final glory:

I haven't had a celebrity crush in, well.... ever. But Chris Lowell (from my beloved Veronica Mars) is just so adorable.


I mean, seriously people. Adorable.

Aaaaaaaand, 1 month and 2 days until graduation!! Eeek!

let it never be said

Whoah man, the countdown is in full effect, my friends. 1 month, 4 days until graduation and a hell of a lot to do until then including (but not limited to) my CPR course, American Consitution exam, fingerprinting (again??), TB test, more paperwork at the district office, writing finals, finishing "The Odyssey", teaching the autobiographical incident, and (hopefully) completing my research and analysis for my inquiry class.

Oh yeah, and renting a cap and gown. Ick.

STAR testing is this week, which means my schedule is stupid and I don't teach until almost noon every day and then my students don't want to do any work. I hate having my mornings free because while in theory it's nice to sit around and drink coffee and read the news, I would much rather get up and get my classes over with and then have the day to myself. It does, however, mean I can finish my peer observations without having to find a time after my classes, which is a nice little gift from the scheduling gods.

Special Ed class tonight and then small group. I feel like I've been neglecting my girls :(

true story

A great Friday Haiku from The Reflective Teacher, one of my favorite edubloggers:

knock three times

Well, it's official (as of Thursday): I'm the newest Engish teacher at Woodland High School!

I'm just so glad the whole ordeal is done. I know I shouldn't complain, what with three school districts and one youth group all wanting to hire me, but now I can focus on teaching "The Odyssey", prepping for summer school, and finishing my research.

But right now I'm going to go lay out by the pool with my mom and read.