Zoo News.

We went to the zoo! I have not gone to the zoo in a long while and I have to say that despite the heat it was much fun. I also got to test drive my new camera...

The National Zoo actually holds a lot of really interesting animals that I had never seen before -- despite frequent trips to other zoos. I had never seen, nor heard of a sloth bear before (at left) but got to see the new cub that was playing around.

There was also a new panda cub (Tai Shan) but he was sleeping when we walked by so all we could see was a black and white furball curled up next to a big black and white furball.

Also we got to see prairie dogs, lions, orangutans, porcipines, etc...

...not bad for a free zoo. I highly recommend a trip to the National Zoo if you're ever in the area and want to feel like a little kid. Not as highly recommended is doing a zoo trip in 100 degree weather.

Jess: This one's for you.

I'm back! Was this my longest absence? Really, there is no excuse: I am on summer break from school/work and have spent summer hours tutoring, wedding planning, and procrastinating for nothing. At times I contemplated putting an end to the blog, but when looking back through the old entries I was energized to start writing again. (Just not at that moment).

So now I return and I bring with me pictures and tales of my first backpacking trip in the wilderness. Last weekend, Jamie and I went to Shenandoah National Park.
It was incredible. We sort of impulsively decided to make our camping trip a backpacking one, and so we scrambled Friday night to get our things together. By Saturday morning we were climbing down the mountain and enjoying some pretty photogenic waterfalls.
This somewhat dulled the pain that followed when we had to make our way UP the mountain. Seriously? I felt like a Barbie doll who's legs were being pulled off at their little anatomically-incorrect joints. Meanwhile Jamie is ready to run up the mountain with his 40lb backpack. I'm so lame.

We followed the death hike with another leisurely stroll down the mountain through some wilderness where we saw not one, but two bears. Real, living, breathing, black bears. Black bears that were, like, 15 feet away. (Note: this is not an actual picture of the black bear we saw. I was too busy peeing my pants out of fright to actually reach for my camera. All other pictures on this post are mine -- promise.) Luckily, both black bears were more scared of us and took off further into the wilderness. Still, it was enough for me to assume that any noise outside of our tent that night was a bear coming to smoosh my head like a grape.

Luckily, we were not eaten. Nor were any heads smooshed. We were rained on -- but it was actually perfect. Just as Jamie was sticking the bear bag in a tree, there was a great, big, clap of thunder and it did not stop raining until we were getting up in the morning. The reports of rain kept away the other campers. The actual rain kept away the mosquitoes.

Day two was pretty great too. Nice and cool. No other people...and we saw some beautiful deer up close.

Going up the mountain again was not death-inducing and we actually made it up pretty quickly. All in all, first backpacking trip was a success. Except for one thing.

While the rain kept away the mosquitoes, it did not keep away the ticks. Jamie supposedly "checked me" before going to bed and whatnot, and somehow I still managed to extract not one, but two ticks from my body. The first tick (which I took out of my head) was the largest tick ever. I have a picture of it -- because I wanted Jamie to feel really bad when he got home from work -- but I don't feel right uploading it to my blog. I'm doing this out of my love for you, the reader. I will inform you that this picture shows this tick in all of its HUGE glory with a sizable chunk of my head in its mouth. Absolute horror. (The picture on the above-right is not a tick, but rather an awesome-looking millipede we saw on the trail).

The second tick I found a couple days after returning. Yes, days. Not as big as the first, but more horrifying because it had clearly burrowed its way into my skin. I may or may not have Lyme disease now. Blood work will be done to be certain.

Despite the tick incident(s), I cannot wait to go backpacking again. Armed with a good set of tweezers, a good flashlight, and a competent camping buddy who will check me thoroughly.

Alright. Time for bed. I will try to post more often -- although, I think it's just you and me now, Jess.

Follow Up.

So that's what the baby would look like. Cute.

Out of the Ashes

A couple weeks ago I absolutely destroyed my computer in a spectacular display of sparks and smoke. I spilled tea and it actually blew up. In the split second it took me to recover from my dumbass-ed-ness and shock, I watched as my computer froze, the blue screen of doom flashed across the screen, and made a feeble pop sound as it shut down...FOREVER.

Many dollars (and no blog-posting) later, I got my computer back only to find that it was still broken. Needless to say, I spent too many hours on the phone with support last night. Nothing has been resolved as my call was lost as it was being "transferred" (read: they were tired of listening to me) and I wasn't in the mood to sit listening to more hold music.

If you know me at all, it will make perfect sense to you that my response to my stupidity would be to buy myself a new computer. So that's what I did. Ladies and gentlemen: I am writing this post from a computer that I purchased with my own money. Granted, it's about $1300 cheaper than the computer I destroyed (a graduation present -- only two years old!) but to me, it's awesome anyway because I bought it using the money I earned edumacating kids.

If they ever do fix my computer, I'll be able to give it back to my benefactor since he's been on the market for a new computer since 1999.

You should also know that I am drinking tea while I type this. But there is a lid on the mug...I'm back!

Breaking News.

Melissa: [looking at a picture of the Jolie-Pitts]




Jamie: Is Angelina Jolie pregnant???

Melissa: [dies]

I can't explain it, but I have an almost obsessive curiosity about this baby. It's a shameful guilty pleasure. What will it look like??

I bet it's gonna be ugly.

We Are the World.

Last week I had my students make totem poles (we had just read a story about totem poles). They drew three pictures that could symbolize things that were important to them. Here is an excerpt from Elexus:

"First, I drew a heart because of all the love I have for my family.
Next, I drew a picture of the world because we should take more care of it.
Then I drew a picture of noodles. Because I love noodles."

I love the third grade mind. Happy Earth Day everyone.

Hair.

I know I've been gone. Sorry. This is going to be a short post too...just want to let you know about the Hair Project that a friend of Jamie's is putting on for the next week. I think it's awesome.

Even if you don't feel like donating to a good cause (ahem, Doctors Without Borders) you can at least enjoy the wittiness of it all.

Peace out.

Crabtastic.

Wanna see the one ray of light in my bleak, bleak evening (okay, there were two) of writing this horrid paper for Hopkins? Here it is. If you wait around for a little bit on that page, a picture of my bridesmaid WEARING A CRAB ON HER HEAD pops up (she's the tall drink of water). It SO brightens my day/night. Yes...she ran the marathon. Yes...she's amazing and there's nothing she can't do.

The best part is...I totally stumbled upon that website by accident. Just futzing around on the internet trying to put off writing aforementioned paper...when BAM! Crabhead! Also: she wore the crabhat to school on Tuesday in a completely unrelated school thing we had going. That's two days of Crabhead in one week...good times.

Okay. Maybe I should stop overkilling the Crabhead and actually get back to work.

What an Oralist [snerk].

Before you string me up, let me preface by saying that I have been incredibly, incredibly busy these past couple weeks. Not going to bore you with details, but rather a very brief synopsis:

Hopkins Master's Project: 67
Melissa: 68

I came out on top. In overtime of course. But it's done for now...gotta present it to the board (as well as a million teachers) on the 31st...but I'm not really letting myself think about that right now. Suffice to say, I have been useless for the past few days. After turning it in I have had absolutely NO motivation to do anything remotely work-related. Too bad I am being evaluated on Wednesday.

Anyway, Friday I attended my very first (*cough* and LAST *cough*) Moot Court competition. Yes. My fiance reached the FINALS of the competition -- this is a big deal. He beat out all the other teams which had travelled from all over the country and whooped their collective asses. His team (he and one other woman) emerged in first spot after the semi-finals. The finals were actually against another GW team (go figure) and one of the guys was an HW alum who was in the same graduating class as my brother. Small world.

(This picture may not be completely legal. They were taken before we learned that photography wasn't allowed in the courtroom. As for them sitting in the justices' chairs...that's just plain wrong. Please don't arrest us.)

Sadly, Jamie's team didn't win...but second place is still amazing -- especially since it was their very first competition ever. The other team had lots of experience and the HW guy is notorious for being Mr. Moot Court around campus. Still, Jamie BEAT HIM in the semi-finals. I think they were Brokebacked, but the judges did have to deliberate for a long, long time to decide between the two it was so close. (I also want it noted that Annie Proulx felt the same way about the Best Actor nominations as I did a few weeks back. I like it when smart people agree with me...doesn't happen often.)

ALSO, Jamie won 2nd place for BEST ORALIST. Hee! He's such an amazing oralist. Also a big deal in the world of law and resumes. Very proud of the boy. Or should I say, The Man.


Yesterday, Jamie and I got up bright and early and ventured out to Virginia to look at some more wedding places. The first was a gorgeous vineyard -- it would be perfect...except that it's too small. CRY. It could fit 140 people, but everyone would be seated in two different rooms which is not what we want. The guy was awesome, though. I will totally recommend it to any person who wants a small wedding somewhere in VA. Sadly, I won't be walking through this blossom-lined (or so they say) pergola (Sound of Music Style) come 2007.

The other place was nice, but it would have needed to be perfect to merit it being so FAR. It took an hour and a half for us to get there and it's like an hour away from the nearest airport. I would feel better about not having to make people rent a car and drive a million miles. I have pictures of that place too, but Blogger is being slow and I have no patience. So those'll have to wait.

So it comes down to two places. The pops is coming this weekend to look over the options and since he's the one with the wallet I think we'll be decided come Sunday! Wee!

FYI.

I just listened to my downstairs neighbor (aka: SNORLAX) have a very long argument with someone over the phone. It went through phases like: "weepy", "angry", "shouty", and "cussy". It ended with him enraged and screaming into the phone that he was going to "kill you, you mothafucka!" because "I'm tired of your fuckin' shit!" and peeling out of the parking lot and bottoming out over the speed bump. I tell you this, in case the police need to know the exact time that all these events took place.

I kind of miss those screaming kids that used to be my neighbors now. ("I LOVE NOISE! I LOVE NOISE!"

P.S. mmmmmmm...pineapple.

Work Break.

Wolverines are open-minded. That is all.

Contender Number Two.

Yesterday one of my dear bridesmaids (aka: Eileen) took me venue shopping. Coincidentally, it is where she got married last summer and knowing how hard she is to please, the place definitely came with a very comforting stamp of approval. (Just kidding about the "hard to please" part -- she just learned about the blog and I wanted her to yell at her screen.)

Anyway, place number two was great! And I'm not just saying that because she got married there...it actually is great! Much more affordable and very high quality. I definitely feel like we would get a whole lot more for less there. Me, being a total doofus, left the camera at home...but they sent me home with a DVD. I will steal some pictures from Eileen and put them up (if she doesn't mind, of course. *pretty please*?) It is very different from the first place we looked. A very different ambience, but it is more what I envisioned for myself at first. I have a feeling that Jamie will agree when he sees it (the punk is in Minnesota right now).

Anyway, I'm sorry for the lack of posts -- I have been extremely stressed out about my Hopkins portfolio (our big masters project) that is due this month. But, once it's turned in (March 17th) and once I give my presentation on it (March 30th) I'll be back in full force.

Brokeback City.

Okay...this is the last one of these...but I had to link to this one because it was Jake's breakout role. Also, a favorite movie from my childhood. To this day, I very vividly remember my dad buying tickets for us at the theater ("...four for ceeeety sleeeeeeeckers" -- David knows what I mean).

Law Revue Review.

Yesterday was the culmination of many, many weeks of Jamie-less nights. The Law Revue's opening night/final performance (approximately 1,000 tickets sold!). You wanna see some pictures of Jamie wearing more makeup than I ever do? Of course you do.

Here's my man as a Backstreet Boy. This number (which Jamie wrote and directed) was one of the biggest hits of the night: "I Want to Get Paid"(based on that unforgettable ditty, "I Want It That Way"). The group of guys sitting behind me kept on calling for "MORE BOY BAND!!!" the rest of the night. All 2 1/2 HOURS OF IT. I think the sweatband is a nice touch. But, I think Jamie went a little nutty with the lipstick.

Or perhaps you'd prefer this one which I like to think of as "Three Guys Trying to Look Manly with Lipstick On".


The show was great and I'm very proud of my man for all that he accomplished. He sang, he danced, he directed, he wrote...he was responsible for the opening act AND the grand finale (a Rent Medley which. was. awesome). He also proved to me that he is capable of doing the Napoleon Dynamite dance quite hilariously. I doubted him...but I will never doubt the dancing skills again.

He also pulled off a funny impression of one of his professors. Although I don't know what the real thing is like, he got lots of laughs from the crowd, so I think it's safe to assume it was spot on. Plus, someone behind me said (and I quote), "That was the best impression of Fredenthal I have ever seen in my life. Ever." So, Jamie, you get a thumbs-up.

After not having him around for the past few weeks (I saw the man for a cumulative 30 minutes the entire week last week -- and he was unconscious for 25 of those) despite the fact that I live with him, it was going to be hard to convince me that it was worth all the work and hours he had been putting into it.

It was.

Return of the King.

A truly wise and wonderful woman Meredith is. OF COURSE, I'm not mad! Except of course now everyone who reads my blog (all two of them) will not tolerate my lameass posts. "MORE Drewie!" they'll clamor...and sadly I won't be able to satisfy their procrastination needs.

Anyway, Jamie is kicking me off the blog because he wants to read your post. It begins...Welcome back Drewie.

[Uninvited] Guest Post: Rudy! Rudy!

It feels like Breaking and Entering. Or maybe, just simple tresspassing. Or perhaps, I've invented a new crime, let's call it "Grand Theft Bloggo". Either way, I desperately feel like this is against the rules. Then again, maybe it's a cry for help...

Despite my unforgivable absence (mostly signified by my loss of "link" status from this blog), "Rudy! Rudy!" of Death Cab for Drewie is alive and well, although being held captive by the IT Forces of his Employer. "Don't post your opinions on the Internet" they said. And I listened. Yet another form of Corporate America stifling the creativity of the very cogs that keep the gears turning. What a fool I am.

Incidentally, should DCFDrewie ever resurface, I should probably change the name to "Drew's on [Arcade] Fire". I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more "Funeral" (not to be confused with what happens should you actually forget to fill a prescription. That would be an unfortunate irony, wouldn't it?) Which also reminds me that I've had the most perfect. idea. ever. You should come to Chicago for Lollapalooza. You know you want to.

And now, I must run, before I've said too much. Venue #1 looks beautiful, but more importantly, regardless of location, you're wedding will be the most perfect day ever, and I will be honored and touched to witness it.

Cheers.
Blogger's own Rip Van Winkle

PS - To everyone who has no idea who I am, Melissa will be back for her regularly scheduled programming soon.

PSS - I will not be offended if you cut me off. Seriously, you should probably cut me off. I'm not kidding. I flunked "self-restraint" all through school. I'm like the kid who couldn't stop eating the glue stick, even though I knew I wasn't supposed to.

PSS - I never ate the glue stick. That's just gross.

PSS - [smacks lips] mmm... glue-y.

PSS - Mere said you wouldn't get mad...

The One with A Lot of Hyperlinks.

Just changing gears here. On Friday, Jamie and I went to see Capote. While I could see why people thought it was a good movie -- and I thought it was a good movie -- I just wasn't very entertained. There was great acting...the story was interesting...but for some reason I kept on waiting for it to be over.

Anyway, seeing that movie got me thinking about the upcoming Oscars. More specifically, thinking about the Best Actor nominees. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE Phillip Seymour Hoffman. He made me cry like a baby in Magnolia and I can't look at him without thinking about Boogie Nights (even though he had a teeny part in it), but I'm rooting for Heath Ledger.

While Hoffman does a phenomenal job capturing Truman Capote's emotions, mannerisms, and "that voice", I think it's somewhat easier to adjust your acting when there is an eccentric person who really existed for you to base it upon. In contrast, Ledger had to create his character -- granted there was a script and a rough outline of the character -- but he has to bring Ennis Delmar to life. Not only that, but he needs to play a subdued character that has "penned-up-angry-bull" emotions and I think that's really difficult to portray. And he does it! Amazingly well! Heath Ledger for Best Actor!

Ultimately both actors did amazing work -- and I'm sure Joaquin Phoenix, David Straithairn, and whoever Terrance Howard did too. So I guess the message to take home is that this was a good year for acting.

Oh, and congratulations to Jake for winning the BAFTA. Go Wolverines!

Finding "The One".

Today Jamie and I got up bright and early to do some reception site shopping before we strapped ourselves to our computers to get some work done. It was our first official wedding venture. We drove 40 minutes to Annapolis, crossed the Bay Bridge, and braved the cold...I loved it.

Since it was our first time we weren't all that efficient with our time -- we only ended up seeing one place...but it was one of our favorites from our preliminary searches online. Wanna see? (Wait, is it bad luck for guests to see the reception site before the wedding? Whatev. We probably can't afford it anyway.)

The first one is of the "altar". The second is of the ballroom. I am a fan of this place, but the wallet is not. I look at this one as my ideal venue -- it even had rocking chairs on the porch outside of the ballroom! Dream come true! I love love love the altar -- I think it has a Shinto temple quality (okay, just the shape) that my dad would appreciate. Plus, the bridal suite was awesome.

Okay, I'm done gushing about the expensive place. To tell the truth, this is actually in the middle of the spectrum (maybe upper-middle) available to us. There are some really, truly, crazy expensive places to get married around here! I'm talking $8,000 to get married places (I'm thinking I shouldn't visit those places). I can't imagine what it would be like trying to get married in a city like Los Angeles or San Francisco would be like.

So...what do you guys think of contestant number one?

"You Hold the WooKEY to My Heart."

Happy Valentine's Day!

And of course, we all deserve a little geek lovin' so...

hee hee hee.

Just got back from a lovely night on the town with the fiance. We went to see some Shakespeare at a playhouse in D.C. after he cooked me some yummy risotto. (Which I just burped). He's a good man. We saw Measure for Measure -- Shakespeare's last comedy...ever! It was good -- I had never heard of it before, so it was nice to get some fresh Shakespeare. It was also law-related so Jamie got a kick out of that. There was also sex in it...so you know, I liked that. Kidding. Sort of.

So I have to complain a little bit about my neighbor. I'm not exactly sure which neighbor it is, but ONE of my neighbors has a severe snoring problem. So severe that it keeps me awake at night. At first I thought it had to be a television, but its regularity and the fact that it's. every. NIGHT. led me to believe otherwise. I don't mind loud neighbor sex (that at least has some entertainment value -- especially when it shakes the walls). I can stand the bad hiphop music every once in a while. I tolerate the loud t.v. BUT THE SNORING???

Seriously. He snores so loudly it keeps me -- in a completely different apartment -- awake. I was thinking about writing a note to him pretending to be a doctor and saying "as a doctor, I feel as though you should have your sinuses checked. You got problems." I thought that might be unethical. Also, I'm a huge coward that I'm unable to confront my neighbor about the fact that his snoring sounds like a garbage disposal.

Suggestions?

Charlie Brown Happy Dance.

Literally the second I published that post, my phone rang and it was my teammate, Eileen. This is our conversation (which may, or may not be slightly dramatized for the occasion):

Me: [frustrated] What??

Eileen: How long ago did you refresh the website?

Me: [frustrated] two seconds ago.

E: I want you to go to this website, http://wbal.com and click on the School Closing button...because WE'RE CLOSED, BITCH!

M: NU-UH!

E: YUH-HUH [screaming]

M: [screaming]

E: I'M CALLING ALL MY FRIENDS NOW AND RUBBING IT IN THEIR FACE!

M: IN THE FACE! IN THE FACE!

There is no one on God's green earth that can convince me that kids get more excited about snow days than teachers. No way.

Charlie Brown UUUUUUUUUUG!

That's how I feel every time I check the school closings website and see that five more schools are closed for tomorrow and Baltimore City schools are not. I think every school district around Baltimore City is closed tomorrow -- or at the very least delayed for 2 hours.

Perhaps the superintendant likes to torture people. Or at least torturing me. The tally is up to 74 school districts closed for tomorrow. UUUUUUUUG!

Cross your fingers for me.

It Snowed!

But, first things first: CONGRATULATIONS to my friends Jamie and Joel on their engagement. They are the first of my friends to get engaged, and I think the feeling that I got as soon as I heard the news was one of the most overwhelmingly great feelings I have had in my life. It puts everything in perspective.

Another reason it's a good day? I looked out the window and saw this:

Our first big snow of the season. Probably will be our last too. I love waking in warm bed and looking out and seeing a fresh blanket of snow. Cody liked it too...

"Some Play the Game, He Changed It!"

Just got back from a yummy seafood dinner with Jamie for and early Valentine's Day celebration. Really yummy. The dinner was originally scheduled for yesterday, but we had to reschedule because of car trouble. Jamie's car died so I had to buy some jumper cables to try and rescue him. No luck. So we waited for the tow truck guy.

A conversation with the tow truck guy revealed that he worked the 12 hours between 6pm and 6am. Yikes. How does he keep himself entertained if no one needs a tow? I wondered. Jamie's ride with him to the gas station answered my question. Apparently, he watched DVDs. WHILE HE DROVE. He had his laptop hooked up and on the dashboard so that he could watch Boss'n Up with Snoop Dogg. With Jamie in the car. While towing his car. Needless to say that guy was weaving all over the road.

Seriously, people.

It's that Time Again...

...another pressing due date...another set of procrastination tools.

Here's one I have clicked on a couple times for a few chuckles. I enjoy the "Email from God" one. Oh, and this one.

Weekend in Review.

I decided for sure that my next cell phone has to have a built-in camera. Friday, on our way home from our party, Jamie and I witnessed a hit-and-run. Some guy bashed into a car...paused...and then sped off. In front of a ton of cars. That guy probably got off completely scot-free. I just hope someone had a cell phone camera to take a picture of loser's license plate. When I got rear-ended last year, the guy sped off and all that was going through my head was that I wished I had a digital camera.

Verdict: next phone will have camera.

Also on Friday, I saw a friend from elementary through high school. Jamie happened to bump into her on the street while walking from our parking space (over a mile away) to where our cocktail party was. He brought her up to see me and it was so surreal! I hadn't seen or spoken to her in 5 years, but it was so great to catch up with her and reconnect. It really inspired me to do a better job catching up with old friends that I know are in the area...

Quickie.

My feet are about to fall off. Just got back in from a nice night of dancing with Jamie...so I guess that makes it worth it.

Here is a new one of those recut movie trailers. They seem to be all the rage now...I dedicate this one to my dear friend, Abby. Oh, and another one for my dear friend, Jess.

G'Night!

Hi, Pop!

So I may not "get" White Ninja (is he a person? how old is he? what's the point?) but I still think he's funny.

In other unrelated news (that got lost in the posting debacle at the old site), my dad is in Arizona right now. He's being interviewed for a position with Medecins Sans Frontieres (aka: Doctors Without Borders). As of right now he is tentatively placed somewhere in the Democratic Republic of Congo. At once I am terrified and I am in awe. For years I have thought that MSF has been one of the best humanitarian organizations out there. It is one of two organizations that I have actually donated money to on more than one occasion -- still, I never thought I would be able to donate something as precious and valuable as my dad.

While I know their doctors are well-protected (and very much needed), I worry more for his health. It's hot...The medication he'll have to take before he goes there for malaria and whatnot will wreak havoc on his body...It's a conflict zone and undergoing a lot of civil unrest...He will be out of contact with us for weeks at a time....The minimum commitment is 6 months. Whenever I think of it I get teary-eyed and I can't tell if it's because I'm scared or because I am so proud.

When I was growing up (and sometimes still) my dad always said that the main goal in the life of a parent is to raise their child to be a better human being than they ever were. He never mentioned how hard he was going to make it for me. The day that he told me that he had applied for the position I knew that I would never be able to catch up to him. I guess I get all misty because I'm proud of him.

A New Record.

Last night I peed four separate times within half an hour. I have been trying to drink more water lately and I think it is to the point where it just runs right through me. All Jamie could do was laugh and laugh...

Tomorrow is a day off of the kiddies. "Professional Development". What that really means is hours upon hours of sitting in frustrating meetings where all we can do is feel sorrier and sorrier for ourselves. But...it's amazing to not have to worry about planning for tomorrow. Hooray.

Hey! You people who actually read my blog. You need to start leaving comments...NOBODY reads this thing except for people you already know and love. SO COMMENT. Also: I need to start hearing about possible date conflicts for a wedding. Is mid-May 2007 a bad time for people? (looking at those people in Med School) Let me know so I can bully Jamie into planning something (anything) with me...

Pick Me Up?

So I just realized what a downer that last post was...so a quick-pick-me up is in order:

These are the rubber duckies that Jamie put on the Whirlpool tub that was in our engagement suite. Makes me happy to look at them.

P.S. You like my new look?

Crawling Back to Blogger.

After my sad stint at another blog, I decided to come back to Blogger. It's more reliable, and they've added on a lot of features that were missing before. Also: for some reason a whole bunch of (read: 3 or 4) posts that I made at the last site were lost. I'm thinking some problem with my account -- it's enough for me to come back to my old website.

I swear I had been better about posting.

Nothing super going on in my life right now -- same old. I'm overwhelmed and underrested, but I love my fiance and most days I love my students. They like to keep me manic depressive: one day I'm laughing at them, the next I'm fuming at them, the next I just want to hug them all, and the next day I'm just so sad for them.

A couple of weeks ago I actually saw a boy get beaten to a bloody pulp on the street. I was driving home from work and about three blocks from our school I saw that traffic had stopped. I mean, even the public transportation had stopped and busloads of people had gotten off to watch these teenagers fight. Three or four boys were all attacking one and I immediately called 911 (they had already been called). Then I called Jamie to cry to -- I had never felt so helpless. I couldn't bear to watch after that so I drove around the traffic and passed the police cars and ambulances coming from the opposite direction.

That was on a Friday. On Monday morning when I was driving to work there were crosses and flowers laid on the ground where the fight had been. When I saw them there, I had a wave of regret that I am not a more religious person. My students walk to school not far from this street. Sometimes when I drive home at 6 or 7pm I can see first graders playing on their own in the alley. It scares me to think that once my students leave the elementary school, they are completely out of my hands. They go off to middle-school...they turn into teenagers, and some of them might fight in the street and stop traffic. And others will cheer them on like those busloads of people.

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Out of boredom I decided to update my blog. I'm still in the process of beautifying it, but update your bookmarks anyway.

Latest post is already there...

I need an excuse.

As weird as it may sound: I knitted a poncho a couple of months ago. Even weirder is that I have actually worn it a few times. To tell the truth, I made a poncho because its easier than a sweater and because I felt that I should graduate beyond scarf.


Poncho with Cat Butt.

The thing about the poncho is that every time I wear the thing, I am roped into making another one. I think I have four on queue. Very exciting. Actually, I am excited. Easy and guilt-free.

Robbed.

I have a four-hour class to go to tomorrow. [SHUDDER]. When you include the commute, going to class becomes a 6-and-a-half-hour-weekend-ruining ordeal.

Sorry for the lack of postage -- I will come back with more regular posting soon. For today, I will leave you with this: ("Dr.Browne" from the USS Constellation came to talk to my class about life in the olden days -- really a crotchety old museum curator posing as Dr. B)...

Amber: [raising hands enthusiastically] Is it true that you were married to Alicia Keys??
Ms. U and Dr. B: ????????
Koby: [clarifying] In the biography we read it said you were married to Alicia Keys.
Dr. B:...I was married to Alice Key -- daughter of the man who wrote the Star-Spangled Banner.
Students: ...
Dr. B: Who is Alicia Keys?

Also: I had a complete fit of laughter today -- could not STOP -- when Koby was so intent on getting back to his seat before I counted down to zero that he ran back to his desk and immediately sat his butt down on the chair that wasn't there. He managed to spring back up from the floor, run back across the room and grab his chair before I finished counting down.

That was probably because I couldn't stop laughing for long enough to finish the countdown.

Back to School.

An excerpt from class today...

Dashawn: I have a problem word: "occasion"
Koby: That's easy! That means black!
Ms. U: ???
Koby: Because "caucasian" means white.

Day of Respite.

My day off was good. I did minimal lesson-planning and a whole lot of vegging out. I watched the big fat snowflakes outside our window, I knitted some butt-ugly mittens, I read some of my book, and I watched two movies. I also did a little shopping. Good times.

Jamie just got home, though, so now I must touch base with him.

The Most Beautiful Thing I Ever Saw.

Don't get it? Have a closer look:



There is no way that this means more to the students than it means to the teachers. The happy squeals of my colleagues over the phone and the jump that my heart made when I first saw it cannot possibly be matched by a 3rd grader. No. Snow Days were made for the teachers.

Wanna see what happened this weekend?




It's very pretty out there.

And very cute in here:

It's All Relative.

Lots of snow! Finally! It's absolutely beautiful outside. Of course, this Maryland snow pales in comparison to what Williamstown is getting right now. I'm such a wuss now.

Late post tonight because Jamie bogarted the compy today. He was trying to get a 5.1 audio receiver off eBay...sadly the eBay gods were not smiling down on him. Anybody have a receiver they don't want?

Brown is the color of poopy service.

While I love our postman, I am not very fond of our UPS guy. He leaves little stickies on our door saying that he "tried" to deliver a package. In reality, I think he is just tapping feebly at the door, hastily slapping the sticky on it, and then running away with my package. When I got home yesterday the mail had not come. I spent the rest of the evening in the living room -- right off the front door -- because Jamie had confiscated my compy and I had little else to do but watch a DVD. At no point did I move farther than 100 ft from that door.

So what explanation can there be for my not hearing the UPS guy when he "knocked" on our door? Only that he is a poo that doesn't actually knock.

Oh Boy, Tannoy!

Today at 6am -- just as I had finished making my tea and brushing my teeth -- I got a glorious phone call: school was delayed for two hours. I immediately climbed back into my warm bed and slept for another hour. GLORIOUS. Once I did get to school, my kids were in great moods and everything went really well.

When I got home today, I was introduced to another member of our family:


Tannoy meets The Cheat.


Yes. It is a new speaker. We actually have six others (including one obscenely huge subwoofer) for a complete surround sound experience! It was a gift from Jamie's dad (acoustic engineer extraordinaire) who was passing along the complimentary goods. This complimentary good is worth a whole lot and is greatly appreciated by we music (Jamie) and DVD (me) lovers over here in Greenbelt. Between the speakers and cat, Jamie is as giddy as a little schoolgirl these days.

The Cheat was actually a brilliant Christmas gift from the brother. It actually makes different noises when you kick it. In all honesty, it's hilarious and never grows old. Ever. (Thanks, D!)

Wow, this post has been somewhat ADHD.

Mud Angels.

It was the first real snow on a school day today. During Writing Workshop, a few of my kids suddenly jumped out of their seats and to the window. SNOW! While we were only supposed to get an inch today, we ended up getting closer to three. Nothing huge, but our first snow of the school year.

Watching my kids run outside screaming happily and throwing themselves in the snow to make snow angels and hastily packing snowballs made me realize that I have missed a substantial part of my childhood by growing up in California. At least today I was able to live vicariously through my students. For some of them, it was the first time I got to see them acting like children instead of the young adults they have been forced to become. It was almost as if the snow had wiped all of that away.

Another thing I missed by growing up in California was learning how to drive in snow. Sure I've done it...but always with 4WD or chains. Trying to go up a hill on ice is no fun. My car is the only SUV in existence that does not have 4WD. I have no idea what we were thinking when we decided to save some cash by forgoing the 4WD. Thankfully I have mastered my sliding down a hill in reverse skills. Also thankfully, Baltimore is filled with genuinely kind strangers who are willing to help push a clueless woman's car up said hill.

Please let tomorrow be a snow day.

Climate Control.

It is so cold outside. I would like everyone to do a little snow dance so that the bitter cold that I must suffer through will not go unrewarded. While I know that snow days will only make the school year drag out longer in June -- something about not knowing (a la Mountain Day) -- makes it more special. Do you think they'd cancel school for 1" of snow? Mind you, I live in the Mid-Atlantic region...

So. Jamie and I have come to a divergence of thought. We both agree that energy conservation is important, but I feel that when our indoor apartment temperature registers at 55 degrees or less, it is time to turn on the heat. Whereas before I could simply layer on more clothing, we now have a kitty cat who has a mild cold. It is time to turn on the heat. It is 16 degrees outside -- time for heat!

It's not that Jamie is against turning on the heat...its just that he will not leave it on automatic for the night. Its more efficient to let the heat turn on and off automatically around a predetermined temperature than it is to turn it off...let it get really cold, and then turn it back on again. We can both agree on that.

BUT, the problem is at night. He insists that we turn off the heat completely (rather than just turning down the automatic minimum temperature) so that it gets really, really cold while we sleep. I get up a full 2 hours before Jamie does, so the duty of turning on the heat falls to me. This morning, when I checked the temperature it was below 50 -- it went off the thermostat. All fine and good for Jamie who gets to wake up and get out of bed after the heat has regulated the temperature back to a bearable 68 degrees, but it is impossible for me to get out of bed when it is that cold.

Solutions? Should I just cut Jamie off?


Cody thinks so.

Not Free at Last.

So last Friday I was talking about Martin Luther King, Jr. with the kiddies:

Ms. U: Dr. King had a dream -- he wanted everyone to live in peace and to have equal opportunity regardless of their race or color.

Kiddies: (raising hands enthusiastically)

Ms. U: Does anyone remember the words with which Martin Luther King ended his "I Have a Dream" speech?

Kiddies: (raising hands enthusiastically)

Ms. U: Ronald?

Ronald: FOUR MORE YEARS! FOUR MORE YEARS!

Kiddies: (all hands drop down)

Deshawn: Man! That's what I was gonna say

Sigh.

A Whole Lotta Talk.

Drewie is really making me earn my keep! Another day, another post.

Last night, Jamie and I watched a doubleheader: we watched Before Sunrise followed by Before Sunset. As an adolescent I absolutely loved Sunrise. Not only because I had a massive crush on Mr. Hawke, but because...I actually don't really know why. I guess I liked the story. I guess I longed for a similar experience or instant connection with someone. Anyway, I had seen that film several times -- although not for years.

Seeing it again now -- when I'm supposedly the same age as the actors on the screen -- made it a little bit weirder. I mean -- who really talks like that?.

I wasn't disappointed with Sunset. I think that it captured their growth pretty well and I was thankful for that. I was especially thankful that they decided to fast forward nine years into the future, as opposed to the 6 months that the characters had promised in the first film.

Now all I need is for someone who has seen Sunset to explain the ending to me. Then I can decide if I like it better than the first. I mean...I get it...but I don't know if I get it...

Tagged.

Now it's my turn.

To tell you the truth, my reason for not posting lately was because I didn't have much to say beyond the cat. It's sad really...this cat has taken over my life. I also think Jamie loves the cat more than me now (meaning if he had to pick a friend to take on a deserted island, he'd pick the feline).

But, this post is not about the cat. This post about another sad and pathetic obsession of mine: yesterday, Jamie and I went to IKEA and purchased this...


Not so bad? Look at what's inside:



I am ill. To have so much yarn that one must puchase a separate piece of furniture to house all of the yarn is not healthy. But the cat was getting into all of the bags of it around the house, and I would forget the yarn I have stashed away in the closet. Unfortunately, I haven't progressed much at making stuff with said yarn. I just like to buy and fondle it...it just so purty.

I'm thinking of going to the yarn store later today.

Phobia.

Jamie's home again and life is good.

Jamie and Cody met and they are good too. Now I understand the extent that Jamie must care for me because apparently he is terrified of cats. I think a bad experience with one as a small child scarred him -- but I know that Cody will mend it.

They bonded today...and I'm sorry to say that I think Cody likes Jamie better. Boo.

Resolution.

Not that kind of resolution. I know it's New Year's but I have neither the will power, nor the patience to actually make and keep any of that kind of resolution.

The resolution I am talking about is that of the yearbook. I came home from my trip to find a letter from an old friend of mine from Williams. Our friendship is one in which we did not see each other all that much, but those times that we did manage to sit down and talk we had really sincere and honest conversations. Anyway, to the unfamiliar eye he is a big, huggable bear. Actually, he is a big, huggable bear. But, he always manages to surprise me with the genuinely nice things he does.

So I got this letter from him saying that he had gotten the yearbook and that he loved it. Seriously, I almost cried. I had no idea that the yearbook was even out there. Through some weird glitch (of the computer? of the procrastination? who knows?) I was never put down for my own copy. Every last copy of the yearbook was sold, so there aren't any extras left for me. Cruel world.

But, I'm confident that I will somehow get my paws on one. Even if I have to break down the door at Jostens I will at least get to see a copy.

I hope.

Now I have to deal with the angry people who are unhappy with their ads. But so far the emails and letters warm the heart...making the yearbook (gasp!) worth it.

Hooray for closure and resolution.

Baby Talk.

So I know I said I wouldn't make this blog entirely about my cat...but give me a grace period. Little else is exciting about my life right now.

Can I just say that it is extremely difficult to photograph a kitten. The thing will not sit still if conscious. Which is why, so many of my pictures will end up being of the cat in a state of respite. Here is the one money shot I could get out of a set of many.


Need proof?


(I used the flash in this one, which is why Cody looks like a giant Cheeto).

Some Cody-antics in the past 24 hours. Remember, the cat is not dumb -- he is just very young (5 months) and has spent his entire life to date in an animal shelter. He has little experience with home life. Consequently, the cat is curious and skittish -- an interesting combination.

11:00pm: Jumped in the shower.
11:01-02pm: Freaked out, tried to find a way out of the shower

12:03am: Saw reflection in mirror -- freaked out and hid under the bed.

4:05am: Came out from under the bed. Slept on Melissa's face.

5:52pm: Cautiously batted at the screensaver.

5:53pm: Received static shock from the screen -- freaked out.

This cat is awesome. And easily freaked.

Recap.

It's been a while. I survived the crazy week with little energy to spare and then I was whisked away to Jamaica for my week off. No email or internet. But of course there was lesson planning.

But let's not speak of those things.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and New Year. Mine was pretty great -- I got to spend time with my family and cruise around on a giant boat. I have pictures!

We started in Miami, Florida.

You can actually see our ship in the background...see the red, white, and blue?

Our first port was the lovely Cozumel, Mexico.
This is the view from our room. We ended up hiring a cab to take us around and show us the island. It was absolutely beautiful. And we stopped at a local restaurant...good eatin.


Waves crashing at Cozumel.

Next, we found our way to Grand Cayman. This island was completely devastated by the hurricanes last year. In the part of the island that we got to see, there were lots of fallen trees and houses in disrepair. So many of the houses still lacked shingles because they simply couldn't get the materials they needed to fix them. It rained pretty much the whole week, so several of the beaches were closed, but we still got to see Hell.
Hell, Grand Cayman. Nice place to visit...wouldn't want to stay.

Apparently the place got its name from the rock formations.
The shores of Hell.

Our last port was Jamaica...which was so beautiful.
View of Jamaica from our balcony. One of those houses is Mick Jagger's. We visited the Ochos Rios area, and climbed up a big ol' waterfall (in the river!) and bounced around in jeeps as we trekked into the hills. .
Beautiful, beautiful Jamaica.

Even though the weather wasn't cooperative, it was great to be able to spend time with the family and to see these beautiful places. One last parting shot of the ocean...

This is the view from our balcony. It was so incredible to walk outside the room and suddenly be in the middle of the ocean.

One thing: why on earth would they show "Open Water" over and over and over again on a cruise? That's bad form. Although the last time I went on a cruise they showed "Titanic".

Finally -- the most important news of all! In December, Jamie and I hit the 6th anniversary (...onto year #7...) and for the anniversary Jamie got me something amazing.

He got me this:




I am in love with this cat. Technically, I was the one who went to the shelter and adopted him. And, maybe Jamie has never seen him before. But that doesn't mean that Jamie didn't give me his blessing and doesn't trust me to adopt only the very best, very smartest, cat out there.

I only meant to go to the local PetSmart to pick up some things in preparation for the new family member. We had planned to wait until Thursday when Jamie got back from break to look. But the local shelter was having an adoption fair and this baby was embodiment of every cat dream I have ever had. I played with him for five minutes and then I had to have him. I had to take him away from the greedy eyes of all those other pet adopters who were oohing and aahing at his adorableness.

Trying not to be rash, I asked the shelter lady if I could just see an application so that I might take it home to look over and decide. Apparently, they only have one copy of the application -- their way of hooking people I guess. But after my interview she let me take it home. Really, I went to the supermarket and bought food and kitty litter. I have never been one for patience.

When I came back he was gone. Some other couple had taken him out to play with him and a different shelter person was searching for his missing files. I signed and he was mine. I actually had to take him away from this other woman's arms. I felt bad...

...but not horrible because now I own the most perfect cat in the world. If I say his name and look at him, he rolls over immediately so that you will rub his belly. He purrs something fierce when you pet him, but he is so undemanding. He will play with his little toys for hours, but as soon as you want some love he'll come over and lay on your lap and kiss you. I LOVE HIM.

I will try not to let this blog turn into me talking about my cat all the time. Just one more picture.


His name is Cody.

Fwhump! is the sound of poo-poo hitting the fan.

Sorry for being such a lame-butt. Although, not as big a lame-butt as someone else I know. Things have been hectic this weekend. I may have even uttered the words: "This is the worst it's ever been" on Friday.

In all my four years at Williams -- including those countless all-nighters, crunch study sessions, and even the yearbook deadlines -- I have never encountered such a huge hole of shit that I had dug myself into until this weekend. I'm telling you people...it's bad.

However...with great need (and lots of caffeine) comes great accomplishments. By early Saturday evening I finished the entire week's worth of lesson plans (that's 30 lesson plans) complete with fun worksheets, charts, and tests. Come this morning, I completed my Synectics project and my Assessment Analysis project. This evening I finished gathering and analyzing the data I will use for my final project in my Curriculum and Strategies class. Now all I have to do is write 10+ page book review (for the book I haven't started) and then do the final project 10+ page write-up. This is all due on Wednesday. Did I mention that this is all for ONE CLASS? I won't even bother studying for the final.

For another JHU class I just need to complete my SWEEPS assignment -- somewhere in the ballpark of another 10+ pager? -- and then do some tweaking on my electronic portfolio. Thankfully, I'm all done with the third class' assignments.

Honestly, one is not meant to teach and go to graduate school at the same time. At least not during the first year of teaching. Let's hope the kids don't kill me this week. Something about it being so close to the holidays tells me not to get my hopes up.

Bah-humbug.

Would You Like Some Cheese With that Whine?

Today I had a gut-wrenching realization: there are people out there who go home after work and do not think about work from 5-10 when they go to bed. These are the same people who can go to work at 9am. They can also have lives outside of their jobs -- ones where they can go out to a bar and fraternize with friends who are not work-related!

I would like to be one of these people right about now.

I hate having finals -- damn you, Hopkins! Don't you get that we're first year teachers and our first priority is SURVIVING?? I hate working so hard for 36 kids who do not get that I am working so hard for them and decide to throw away their precious time by spending it in the office sitting on their butts instead of in my classroom. I hate not sleeping -- that kind of insomnia is not meant for life after college (or maybe, life after 22). I hate that we're too poor to be able to afford basic cable. I want to go see a friend or two on a weekend! I want to watch a movie guiltfree!

Whinewhinewhinebitchbitchbitchmoanmoanmoan.

In reality, it's not all that bad. Jamie is entertaining. Especially when he wears my crazy rainbow socks.


Yay for socks!

Also, I realized that I hadn't posted any Thanksgiving photos yet. So here you go. I'll let you contemplate the uncanny similarities in peace.


Thanksgiving Crew.

P.S. That's Mary in the middle!

The Girl with No Patience.

I suck at waiting. I am one of the more impatient people on the planet. Ask anybody who really knows me.

Exhibit A: I have already given Jamie his birthday, anniversary, and part of his Christmas present. None of these momentous events have happened yet -- they occur on the 19th, the 22nd, and the 25th respectively. I simply am unable to wait. Ever. I am holding out to the smaller part of Jamie's Christmas present. My goal is to wait until the 17th to give it to him. The one saving grace is that I will not actually be with Jamie for any of the events so we would have to celebrate them a little early anyway.

Exhibit B: I have already watched three episodes of The O.C. after having gotten the boxed set of the first season for my birthday (seriously the most awesome. gift. ever. Thanks, D!) Holy crap! I just linked that to Amazon and saw how expensive it is...reminding me why I didn't get it before. [Runs back to buy D more presents for Christmas].

Anyway, I watched these three episodes pretty much straight through without getting up. That's two and half hours of teen soap drama, people. I also have a mountain of work to do. But I couldn't wait to watch this show.

After having seen the beginning of the season (which I had never seen before), I must say that I finally get it. I can now understand why so many people told me to watch the show because I would like it. I like it.

Exhibit C: Jamie finally caved in to the whole cat debate and has promised to adopt one with me at the beginning of next year. I had to use every ounce of resistance not to run out to PetSmart now and buy stuff for our non-existent cat.

Pet name ideas?

Brrrrrrrr.

The temperature in my apartment right now is in the 50s. That's as cold as it would get in L.A. ever and would cause Los Angelenos to don their hats and scarves. Brrrrrr. Thankfully, Jamie finally caved an turned on the heat for a little bit. I really wish we had a fireplace.

Yesterday, I was running late for work when I hopped in my car and realized that there was a thick layer of frost. No problem, I'll just run back to the apartment and grab our scraper. Except we don't have a scraper. Hooray for ignorant West Coasters. Maybe it's time to get one of those.

So, yesterday was pretty great! I'm used to having my birthday in the most inconvenient of times with finals and all. This time wasn't really any exception -- still have finals for my Hopkins classes and on top of that all the teaching. But it was so nice to be with my kids. They threw me a surprise party and gave me teacher gifts (you know, used mugs and picture frames) and wrote cards. Had tons of cake.

It was also the second birthday that I've ever actually been with Jamie for...so he was able to spoil me with dinner out on the town (Burmese) and a movie (because I'm too tired for anything beyond that). We saw Closer which was a fine film. A little depressing but good. The weird thing was that people were laughing hysterically in the theater at the most depressing parts. "HAHA! He told her to fuck off!"

Funnily enough, one of the previews for a new movie started off with a scene of one my classmates from high school getting coke splashed in his face (he overacted). Apparently he is in a Will Smith movie. It actually looks kind of funny -- if you're in the kind of mood for that kind of movie. I freaked out in the theater when I saw it and I'm sure everybody thought I was weird.

Hooray for surprises.

Over the Hump?

So everyone said that once we got to Thanksgiving, teaching would be cake. I don't know if that's true.

But I can say that things have been so much better. Honestly, I can safely say that I have my management down for the most part. Or, at least I'd like to think so. Now I got to focus on the whole learning thing.

On the not-so-good note, I had all the money stolen out of my wallet the other day. I'm assuming it was one of my students since they are the only ones who know where I keep my purse (at the top shelf of a closet in the back of my room). It could have been so much worse as they did not take the entire wallet (and thereby burgle me of my credit cards and license), nor did they take my phone or my ipod (!!!) which I usually don't bring into the building except for on days when I have to stay late for class. Honestly, if someone stole my iPod I would be devastated.

So I gave my whole class the spiel of how they shouldn't bring anything of value to school and to stay vigilant for their friends and peers. So many of my kids broke down crying when they heard that someone took my money and then I felt bad.

Today (a full two days later), one of my students was in his reading group in another class. They were studying cause and effect. Apparently his was "Cause: someone was really mean, Effect: my teacher had her money stolen". So cute. And...suspicious. Just kidding.

Please, someone, get me through tomorrow.