Day 188 - The Land of Cheap Gas

At times like this, I'm quite thankful I live in Everett - "The Land of Cheap Gas".  I watched this morning as I got off the freeway and headed up to Sammamish from I-405.  The price of regular gas ranged anywhere from $3.69/gal (on the Sammamish Plateau) to $3.77 in Kirkland and Redmond.  This is what I pay in Everett (actually 3.58 and at times 3.48 because of my Club Card).  This is probably the reason why I frequently drive home on nothing but fumes because I'm too cheap to pay more.

Day 187 - Frosty Stroll, Film and Fries

My Sunday morning began with walking Grady down by the Snohomish River. We used to go there every weekend and I decided it was time we started that up again.  It was very quiet which also enabled me to see quite a few birds (insert nerd comment here).


Lowell Riverfront Park

 

Paul and I finally used our passes to see True Grit (all of it)



Stopped at Five Guys on the way home to try a burger and fries - not the smartest move



These were everywhere - reminded me of the old 318 Tavern in Fremont



Day 186 - Hankerin' for Country Music

I have continued to load free songs on my Ipod courtesy of the Everett Public Library.  You can only check out 10 titles at a time so sometimes I choose a variety of genres.  Lately, I've been in the mood for country.  The song titles are often entertaining.  Here are some of my latest finds.



Can't imagine not liking everything on here!



Best song title here:  Wal-Mart Parking Lot



Best song title here:  Hot Grease and Zydeco


 

Best song title here:  Cigarettes and Whiskey



The cover of this CD kind of creeps me out





Best song title here:  She Only Smokes When She Drinks



Day 185 - Much Needed Levity

This was a long, almost grueling week.  It started with our leadership team trying to complete the tasks we had been assigned.  The next day one of our members was asked to present our decision-making model at the morning staff meeting.  Once staff was advised that the next day would be dedicated to unveiling the IMS models we had developed, the crowd got a bit antsy.  Some wanted the information ahead of time to process.  While understandable, we stuck to our guns knowing it was best to deal with it one piece at a time with the whole group present.  Wednesday's meeting was stressful for us as presenters and for our audience as well as they were seeing the information for the first time.  The last two days of the week were filled with a flurry of emails and personal lobbying to the point that I couldn't get out of the building fast enough on Friday afternoon.  I just needed to leave it all behind.

Two things provided a bit of laughter and relaxation on an otherwise intense Friday.

a funny entry I stumbled across while doing a journal check in class today

unwinding at Celtic Bayou with Anne (and yes, the picture is a bit blurry)

Day 184 - Starry Night

Today, my students were introduced to a great computer program that we use during the Earth in Space curriculum.  They used a scavenger hunt to help them figure out how things work and what sorts of information can be found.

In the past we have had to cluster 4-5 kids around one PC to use the program. Just another way that the netbooks have made my life (and theirs) easier this year.  Awesome!

Day 183 - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

Teaching junior high can be rewarding, frustrating and hilarious, all within the span of 10 minutes.  Take today for example.

The good:  One of my teammate's students suffered a seizure during class yesterday.  It was totally unexpected and really threw her students for a loop. They all wanted to make a card welcoming her back today so they came into my room during my planning period to secretly sign it.  It was very sweet.

The bad:  My students answered a series of questions recently as we began a new curriculum about Earth in Space.  After they answered the questions individually, I asked them to compare answers to see if there were common responses.  Apparently somebody wrote this as an answer to the question. Even worse, the checks mean somebody else agreed with the statement. Seriously?? Whales?

The ugly:  I found this very fresh gum pressed onto the top of one of my tables.  They didn't even try to hide it.  The students in the next class were totally grossed out when I peeled it off with my fingernail.

Day 182 - Cup of Tea

I grew up in a house full of Canadian tea drinkers - didn't even develop a taste for coffee until I had my first apartment in my twenties.  I still love tea and prefer traditional black teas like Earl Grey.  I discovered this amazing variety last year.  It has an exotic fragrance and flavor  The teacup is part of a little hand painted Japanese tea set that belonged to my grandmother.