First Week of School

Well, I have successfully negotiated the first week of school so far. They have an AB block schedule, which has been nice. I thought it might get boring since I'm only teaching biology, but each class is so different that it never quite turns out the same. I like that.

The admin team at this school is excellent too. They are just good people with good ideas. Basically, if you have teenagers in my area, I would recommend this school. If you teach high school, I would recommend working here. I can't say the same for other places I've taught. So far so good. :)

Hubby goes back to school this week too. I fear I won't see much of him. He'll be a TA, EMS shift supervisor, research assistant, and he's got to get all of his secondary applications done while still getting good grades. Oh. And he just added a business minor. Can you say glutton for punishment? That's my sweetheart.

Getting Buggy

I found this beauty yesterday. It hangs in the bedroom (on my side of the bed of course) and its perfect. Well, you know me.

Welcome Back

Dear School Year,

I'm not ready for you. I need another couple days to play, and another couple days to prepare. Be a dear and do what you can for me.

No luck? Alright fine. See you tomorrow.

Love,

Me.

P- Summer, I'll miss you. Here are some pictures to remember me by.

Summer Reading

Each summer, Alex and I hit up Barnes and Noble for a few good reads. Because they're cheaper, we usually go for the 'Barnes and Noble Classics', or things from the literature section. Actually, its not just because they're cheap. Two summers ago I decided I wanted to read more literature and classics as opposed to just Harry Potter and other fantasy type books. I still love them, but I'm broadening my horizons.

Last summer I read Emma, Persuasion, The Alchemist, a couple other classics I can't remember, plus several Harry Potter books and others I'd already read. They were fabulous. Since then I've read persuasion again and thought repeatedly about the Alchemist. An Harry Potter. See? Already I feel more rounded.

This summer I picked out The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, and Les Miserables. Alex got Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell) and Complications (by a surgeon). I've read the Count, the Musketeers, Complications, the Percy Jackson series 1-5, Harry Potters 6 & 7, as well as some books for work. Including God's Smuggler, The Anatomy of Peace, Bonds That Make us Free, and Dumbing us Down. I still have a stack of others to get to.

I would HIGHLY recommend The Anatomy of Peace. It was eye opening and I think it will help me understand how to resolve inconsistencies or conflicts in my relationships with others. It was amazing.

Now I'm moving onto a bunch of curriculum-type books. I have a stack of about 10 to get through. The stack includes titles like; Science as a Way of Knowing; Foundations of Modern Biology, Spix Macaw, The Double Helix, Origin or Species, and something about Mendel, and another one about anatomy.

Someday I'll get to Les Mis... And I'm sure glad I got those glasses for my tired old eyes.

Anyway, I've really enjoyed all the books I've read this summer, but that fits with my basic philosophy on reading. If I am not enjoying it by about the first 50 pages, I'm done. Some I come back to later and love, some I'm done with for good. But if I finish a book, you can bet I liked it. Unless someone forced my to read it.

Back at Home

I've been out and about and traveling for the last.... 3 weeks. With only 4 days at home. So, a few updates first, then a few firsts, and eventually I'll get some pictures up!

1. I got a new job. 3 days before we left for our adventures. The timing could not have worked out better, and I'm really looking forward to working at this school. It feels good.

2. I got a new sister-in-law. I'm excited! They'll be moving close by very soon and it will be fun to have more family near by.

3. I got a bunch of tomatoes from my garden. Seriously, I don't know what I put in the soil (actually I do) but all the plants seem to like it. Especially the pumpkin vines. They are long. They are on the sidewalk. Oops.

4. Alex put in his Med school applications. To both MD and DO schools. Its scary that its finally here. But good. But now I think I really like my job...

1. First time to New York: we spent about 4 days upstate near Rochester for the wedding. It was especially fun since my Dad served an LDS mission there just over 30 years ago. I've heard him talk about it so many times it was fun to visit.

2. First firefly spotted: This one may surprise you, but I've spent most of my time too far North or West, or both for these buggies to life. Unfortunately I spotted them at the wedding reception, and Alex forbid me to chase and capture them in my dress and heels. Bummer.

3. First star show with Alex: We vacationed in Central Oregon for another4 days or so with my family and its tradition for us to go to the observatory both day and night for some solar viewing then a 'constellation tour' and telescope viewing. I've always loved these trips, and hope to get my own telescope someday. Alex had never been to a show like this so it was fun to watch him. It was even just a couple days before the spectacular Perseid Meteor Shower (peaked Aug 11-12) and we saw a giant fireball! (a baseball sized piece of comet debris that burns up as it enters the atmosphere. Most shooting stars are dust or sand-sized particles)

4. First time translating into French: This came about 6 years too late. A Quebecois couple came with our family group on a tour in New York and none of the tour guides spoke French. So I did my best. They were very kind and it was so fun to talk to them! I made a grand faux-pas and switched a couple phrases. No biggie, but we all laughed. I need to take French again. I miss it.

5. First Moose spotted: I've seen plenty of moose heads, but never one in the wild. I was on a retreat for work the past couple days (it was really good, and part of the reason I'm so excited to work there). Yesterday morning I went for a nice hike with some co-workers and on the way down the mountain, I happened to turn around and there was a cow moose munching on some tall scrub! She was HUGE. The grass was too tall around her to tell if she had a calf with her, but she may have. Yay!

How to have a sparkling clean shower and get some exersize

Step 1: Spray shower with Scrubbing Bubbles

Step 2: Wipe with damp cloth. Damp is important.

Step 3: Scream bloody murder and run to find the Mr. when a giant man-eating spider falls from who-knows-where practically on top of you.

Step 4: Hyperventilate while claiming said spider almost ate you.

Step 5: March in place while watching the Mr. flush the spider down the toilet. Pace while insisting it might not have actually been flushed. (sometimes they float... ask my bro-in-law G)

Step 6: Take deep breaths while working up the courage to finish wiping out the shower.

Step 7: Rinse of the scrubbing bubbles that have been sitting there for the last 10 minutes.

Step 8: Don't shower that day cuz you think another spider might fall on you.

Step 9: Admire beautiful sparkly shower the next day as you shower.

Last and ongoing step: Train dog to hunt spiders....

See? Now you have a sparkling clean shower and you feel like you just sprinted a mile. A good workout is important for heart health. Now about those irrational fears... Still just me? Awesome.