Ugly Holiday Sweater Craze

These things used to be a dime a dozen but not any more!  Just try to find one when you want it because it ain't easy.  Last year I hit the mother lode when I went to one of my favorite local thrift shops.  They had a whole rack of holiday stuff and I purchased TWO for about $10.00.  We've had a holiday sweater day at school for the past 2 years so it's nice to have a couple in my closet.  Today marks the first day of my holiday break.  I celebrated by sleeping in until about 8AM, relaxing during the day and once nightfall arrived, I headed out to the Annual Ugly Holiday Sweater Pub Crawl in Ballard.

Kelly's outfit included lights

Just a little video that captures the excitement as participants move from pub to pub...

https://vimeo.com/54263405

Work Related Holiday Festivities

We do have an awesome PTSA at our school.  I can't remember if this is the second or third annual cookie extravaganza but it doesn't matter.  Right before winter break, all those moms bake up an amazing array of treats. They bring them to school and set them up in the staff lounge along with take away (as my foreign friends would say) containers encouraging us to pick a dozen or so to take home and enjoy.  I've never been disappointed.

Just one of a number of tables. . .they continue all the way around the room

My selections

Oh yeah, we also had a staff party at the Gentes home.  These are always fun and I must admit I had a little too much fun. Moreover, I only took this one lousy picture with my phone.

Best Dog in the Universe

Grady never pushes any of the cats out of his bed.  He merely chooses to sleep on the cold floor NEXT to his bed.  The picture says it all.

NSTA Conference in Seattle

The NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) held a regional conference in Seattle from 12/8-12/10/11 and Holly and I were lucky enough to attend.  The seminars attended and booths visited offered up a multitude of great ideas I'll be bringing back to the classroom.  Lots of free loot handed out as well.

Don't you love that Beer's Law is about the concentration of a solution?

Perfect ending to my day - a total lunar eclipse tonight.  Bonus!

Gobble Off

The week before Thanksgiving we have traditionally held a contest called the "Gobble Off".  Homerooms build turkeys that must meet certain criteria.  There are dimensions that cannot be exceeded.  Materials are not supposed to be purchased - recycled materials are strongly suggested.  Turkeys cannot have or have ever had a pulse.  My homeroom violated the last rule yet we won second place.

Our sumo, sushi-eating turkey (notice the live goldfish) with creatively designed fake sushi

Awesome trophy isn't it?

I Could Knit a Sweater!

Some days my pets drive me crazy and sometimes I find them entertaining.  Poor Grady is REALLY shedding right now.  No amount of sweeping or vacuuming can keep up with the fur tumbleweeds that appear daily around the house.  When my friend Tracey saw this picture she lovingly referred to him as "patchy".

A Special Friend is Gone

This morning I received the call that my friend Paul had passed.  We met soon after I arrived in Seattle and were instantly connected because of our New England roots.  I'm feeling a tremendous loss but also relief that his pain and suffering has ended.

He enjoyed the simple pleasure of  a "pretty day" (his words) so I decided to honor that by taking some pictures around my yard. The cold snap last night coated many things with a beautiful layer of frost.  The sun came out and made things that much prettier.

Rest in peace my friend.