Beautiful Acadia.

Acadia was the most highly-anticipated destination point on our trip. I'm cheating a little bit, because some of this was done actually before we drove into Bar Harbor -- we figured it would be great to do a drive around the loop around sunset. So this post actually covers more than one day...some of this was pre-lobster ice cream (thanks to Jess for the article.)

First thing we did was go to Cadillac Mountain -- which is the first place in the United States that sees the sunlight every day.

From the top, we could see the various islands that made up Acadia National Park. It was truly lovely. We also went to Thunder Hole -- which was a formation of rocks along the cliffs that made a very loud booming noise when the waves crashed into its caves. Although we weren't there at the best time (which is supposedly a couple hours before high tide) we did get a few loud booms minus the huge waterspouts.

Then, we went to the Sand Beach...to snap some pictures of the Maine coastline.

The next day, Jamie and I opted to rent some bikes and take to the Carriage Roads. Aside from the bike ride through Kennebunkport, this would be the first time since my knee surgery that I rode a bike for a prolonged period of time. Still, we were only in Acadia for a day, and there was a lot to see...I figured it was the best and most efficient way to see the park. It was!

We ended up bicycling about 20 miles throughout the park. Unfortunately, as is the nature with riding bicycles, the going uphill part always took three times longer than the going downhill part. But, I survived it -- despite fleeting moments of cursing my existence during the longer uphill climbs. I'm hoping 20 miles was enough to knock out my part of that Whoopie PIE's demise.

After taking in Acadia, we returned our bikes and set course for our final destination of Rockland, Maine. Home of the Maine Lobster Festival which just so happened to kick off on our final day in Maine...

A Lobster-ful Day.

After seeing the Bush compound, we ventured north towards Bar Harbor. We figured on our way we would stop at Freeport and get some Outlet shopping goodness in. After all, it isn't often that we get to be in the home of L.L.Bean.

Note: This picture was taken with my Pre!

I don't know what I had envisioned for Freeport. Probably something more like the outlet malls I had been used to: a giant parking lot surrounded by stores. The only reason we decided to brave Freeport despite what we had expected was because Jamie and I are not big shoppers and instead rely on a few HUGE shopping sprees to cover all of our shopping needs for a year. We had decided ahead of time, that this would be a one of the HUGE shopping sprees for the year. We were long overdue.

Freeport turned out to be much nicer than I had expected. It was more like a "quaint" shopping town...with a main street and any parking lots tucked away from sight. The stores were built to look like more traditional architecture...so the Banana Republic outlet looked like a Victorian house, the Abercrombie and Fitch outlet was like an old bank, and the J.Crew store resembled the post office. Of course, the L.L.Bean was ginormous...and it was our first stop.

Of course, I didn't bring my camera with us while we shopped, but suffice to say it was impressive. There was a fly-fishing demonstration going on INSIDE the store at its indoor trout pond. I finally bought the real raincoat I needed for our camping trips. Both Jamie and I bought many items of clothing that we were in need of at the various stores, and Jamie bought some shoes. Finally, our big purchase was a new carry-on and a bigger suitcase from the Samsonite outlet so that we could take all of our bounty home. (Don't worry, we paid much less than the listed price...thank goodness for outlet stores.) And I have to say, our new luggage made me feel much more adult.

But the shopping is neither here nor there. The most important thing was what happened after the shopping. Of course, I mean the food.

Another place I had heard about through my research was a lunch place called Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster. The reviews I had read about it all mentioned it being the best meal of their lives, etc. I have had many good meals in my life -- thanks mostly to Peru and very generous parents. But, I was ready to give Lunch and Lobster a chance.

We programmed the GPS on my Pre (another thing that the reviews mentioned was that it was very difficult to find) and headed off to find our lobster lunch. Thanks to the magic of GPS technology, we found it:

It was 3pm by the time we finished shopping...so we were hungry for lunch and we were just hoping it wasn't closed. It was open...and absolutely packed. The weird thing about Lunch and Lobster was that there were three different windows. One window had desserts only. A second window had their cooked stuff (i.e. lobster rolls, french fries, clam burgers, etc.) A third window around the corner at the back of the building sold only whole lobster (live or boiled) and steamed clams.

Fortunately, I had read enough to know about the secret window...and since we had shared that delicious lobster roll in Kennebunkport, we opted to go with the Lobster Lunch Special offered to locals at the secret window. Two 1lb lobsters with butter for $15.99. A great deal -- so we decided to split one of the specials and order some sides. When I walked around the corner, there was the lobster boat with the men unloading the lobsters directly into the kitchen. Right off the boat.

I ordered our lobsters and they put them on a scale and dumped them unceremoniously in a pot. 15 minutes later, we had our lobsters.

While I was at the secret window, Jamie was in the other line ordering some sides and drinks. It should be noted that the line for that line was so long that we did not get said sides and drinks until about 40 minutes after we had already consumed the lobsters. It was fun to see people cheer as though they had won the lottery when their number was called to pick up their food.

THE LOBSTER. Oh man, the lobster. This lobster was the hands-down best thing we ate on our trip to Maine. It was cooked perfectly, fresh off the boat, and so simple. But GOOD. The lobster was New Shell Lobster, which I guess means that you don't even need any tools to get to the meat...so even the regular work that goes into eating lobster was gone.

We ended the meal with a stop at the dessert window to pick up a Whoopie Pie -- that New England treat! This Whoopie Pie was much larger than expected...it was a Whoopie PIE.

So the Whoopie PIE provided Jamie and I with some yummy snacking on the 4 hour drive to Bar Harbor...our next destination. Bar Harbor is a kitschy town near Acadia National Park. Upon checking in at the hotel, the front desk lady began to gush to us about how the room we were staying in had the best view in the entire hotel and that it really was one of the best rooms. Of course, the catch was that it was on the third floor and there was no elevator which was a small price to pay for the best view in the hotel!

Of course, we got to the room and found that "the best view of the house" meant a great view of the hot tub containing loud people with strong Bostonian accents. Granted, if you craned your neck out and looked around the rest of the building you could see a strip of ocean. Bah.

Despite having eaten the best lobster ever for lunch, Jamie opted to go all out lobster with dinner. He got a lobster pizza and...wait for it...lobster ice cream. When we got to the ice cream parlor, Jamie asked for a sample of the lobster ice cream and another flavor. When he actually ordered the lobster ice cream, the lady working there immediately blurted out: "REALLY???" This was a bad sign. Most people would heed that sign...Jamie did not.

He ate the ice cream. It was okay to eat...as long as you didn't get any lobster chunks. Which were salty and frozen and gross. He was determined to eat the whole thing, though...and save for a few lobster chunks that he snuck into the trash can...he did it.

We made a point of not eating any lobster the next day that we spent in Acadia and Camden.

The Place With a Funny Name.

After enjoying our Becky's breakfast and seeing the Portland Head Light, we headed to Kennebunkport. This place was the little splurge portion of our trip -- we decided to stay at a more hoyty-toyty inn and spend our day walking through the fancy main street area and looking at seaside mansions.

We stayed at The Breakwater Inn & Spa and our room was right by the water so we had a nice view of the boats as they passed by. See?

That's the view from our balcony.

The inn was about a mile from town, so we took a nice stroll to the main street. We got to duck into stores on our way, made a few purchases and eventually found our way to The Clam Shack. In my research, I had heard that this place had the best Lobster Rolls and so we had to give it a go. Plus, even at 3:30pm there was a long line of people waiting which is a good sign. Since Jamie and I had eaten a pretty tasty brunch at Becky's we weren't all that hungry...but we figured we could not miss Clam Shack. Plus, lobster rolls aren't all that big...so I decided to get one and urged Jamie to do the same. Of course, he said he would just have "a bite" of mine, and OF COURSE, that turned into half of it...which turned out to be perfect anyway.

That was the best half of a lobster roll I'd ever had and our memories of the Street & Co. meal from the night before began to fade.

We then rented some bikes and explored the rest of the town that way. It was a nice way to get to see the gorgeous houses on the beach, and explore the tree-lined streets. However, it wasn't the best way to document the town of Kennebunkport as I didn't have that much faith in my abilities to ride a bike and take pictures at the same time. Still, here are some pictures from our time in Kennebunkport:

On our way out of the town the next day, we stopped by the Bush's summer home...which looked menacing and scary in the fog.

Then, we made our way north towards Acadia National Park with a stopover in Freeport...

The Other Portland.

Jamie and I have been traveling through Maine over the past few days. I had been meaning to update as we went -- not unlike when we went on our honeymoon. Or our trip to Europe. I

made sure that all of the hotels in which we were staying had internet access, packed my fancy camera, and took lots of pictures. Unfortunately, I forgot the cord with which to upload pictures from said camera to the computer. Bummer.

So now...as I have been doing a lot of...I will be doing a retrospective account of our trip. Starting with day one: Portland, Maine.

We flew in to Portland, Maine on Saturday evening. We had made reservations for a late dinner, so Jamie and I were able to drop off our bags at the hotel and then walk around Old Port. It was a beautiful little town...lots of good restaurants and bars. We ducked into a bunch of kitschy stores and played around with the items...I did take the best picture of Jamie with a sailor hat...but unfortunately, I have been vetoed from posting it. You know it's hilarious when Jamie vetoes that picture, but not the ones of him with the various mustaches...Alas, I must preserve my marriage and you will just have to be satisfied in knowing there is an awesome picture of Jamie in a sailor hat floating out there. Jamie and I walked around the pier and then grabbed a beer at Gritty's which had been recommended to us by a friend.

After our beers, we headed over to Street and Co. and...oh...man. SO GOOD.

Jamie and I got the Lobster Diavolo for Two and it was the best way to kick off our Maine trip. In retrospect, I think Jamie and I would vote it our tastiest overall meal...although not the best thing we ate on the trip (that would come later.)

The next morning we went to see the Portland Head Light. But not before we went to Becky's Diner ("Nothing Finah") -- a place that had been recommended to us by another friend. We were still full from dinner when we woke up, but it made a good brunchy meal. Something must be said for the teeny-tiny but-oh-so-good Maine blueberries. They make tasty pancakes.

It was a very foggy morning, so we got to see the Head Light the way it was meant to be seen. While that was cool, the pictures were not as impressive. I'll share anyway:

After exploring the Head Light and Fort Williams we went south towards our next destination: Kennebunkport -- stomping grounds for the vacationing Bush clan. But that'll come tomorrow...

We Interrupt This Vacation...

Jamie and I are traveling through Maine...tomorrow's festivities include the Maine Lobster Festival! If all goes as planned, we'll be back in D.C. tomorrow night...but I am looking forward to my lobster lunch.

I will be posting pictures of our trip soon -- I forgot to bring my cord to upload pictures from my camera. Instead, I give you this gem from Conan:

Edited: I linked to a different source of the video since my old one stopped working. The second video was added just for kicks.

Food for Thought. (Teachers only?)

In a departure from my usual procrastination track, I thought I'd share a study that I thought was interesting. If you're actually interested in the material, check out the comments (I especially liked Jon Dreyer's comments...food for thought.)

New Study of Boston Charter and Pilot Schools Finds Charter Schools Have Positive Effects on Student Achievement - News Features & Releases

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When Did This Happen?

Tim Burton is doing Alice in Wonderland?

Of course it has Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. And a pretty great cast.

Also, in honor of the latest Harry Potter movie, I give you Brokeback Harry.

Google Rules the World.

So last Friday, I received a very special email inviting me to use Google Voice. I had put my name down on the waitlist a little while back and then promptly forgot about it…so it was a very pleasant surprise. I went ahead, created a new phone number and have been using it ever since. Incidentally, if you are someone who calls me and did not receive an email from me with my new number, shoot me an email and I will give it to you. Still, my old phone number would still work – it just wouldn’t have all of the fancy Google Voice features.

The coolest thing is receiving voicemail as emails or texts. Seriously. If you leave a voicemail, some super-computer will transcribe it and send it to me instantly so I don’t need to bother with listening to my voicemail and writing pertinent information on a post-it that I will then misplace. At first, I thought someone at a call center in India would know all of my business, but I have since learned that it’s actually completely automated.

What has been really fun is to see how well the computer can transcribe different people. Jamie – with his radio voice and perfect enunciation – is 100% accurate. Whereas my beloved mumbling brother-in-law, Scott, is not quite so accurate. See an example transcription from a phone call yesterday:

hey sis it's me just calling to check in i guess i forgot you guys and then i think mister got that so anyway i was just see how you all are doing haven't going to summer and then yada yada…

Now, Google Voice will gray out words it’s not sure about…I will say that most of these words were gray. Scott will blame the fact that he was calling from France and the connection was probably weak. Everything after “check in” and before “yada yada” was just a total mess. When I actually play the message it goes something like this:

Hey sis, it’s me. Just calling to check in. I guess I forgot you guys were gone. I think Maine. I just forgot that. So anyway, I was just seeing how you all are doing…how everything is going for summer yada yada yada...

As I transcribed it myself, I’m realizing that it wasn’t all that far off. I had to listen to it a few times to get it right. Scott speaks really fast. That being said, I cannot wait to see what happens when my dad leaves a message. Hee hee!

Weekend Update(s).

I've been mediocre at best for a while. Let me explain...actually, best not to explain. Just know that there have been many times that I have wanted to update all three readers of my blog and just have not found the time. Things are busy. Between Summer School (going pretty well, by the way), preparing for next school year, and just trying to survive each day on no sleep...updating of the blog has been infrequent.

But I'm here now. So it's time for a quick update at blinding speed.

Our friends Rob and Mo got engaged. Jamie and I and some other friends all went to Artomatic to see Rob perform some songs from his new CD. It was good! To make it even better, he ended the night with his acoustic version of Beyonce's "Single Ladies", got Mo on-stage, and proposed

to her in front of the crowd. It was romantic. I may have cried.

Jamie and I also went to the Peep Show. Not that kind, perv. We went to the famous "Peep" Show at Artomatic. There were some pretty funny entries this year. My favorites were both D.C. related...the first, of course, is a reference to the madness that was the Purple Ticket holder debacle at inauguration. The second is a reference to something that happens every summer when the tourists flock to D.C. and do not obey the "Stand Right, Walk Left" rule on the metro escalators.

A Capitol Fourth. After three years with little luck, Jamie and I FINALLY won the office lottery and got invites to view the fireworks on the 4th from the rooftop of his building. Considering that they have a pretty straight shot to the Washington Monument, this was pretty sweet.

We saw Elton John (!) and Billy Joel (!!!) in concert! You may know that I have a shameless love for Billy Joel. I remember fighting in the backseat of the car with my brother over whether or not we could listen to the Billy Joel tape again. And Jamie surprised me with tickets! Actual tickets to see him! I was half-expecting disappointment...after all, I knew he wouldn't be able to hit many of those high notes any longer...but he did! It was most awesome.

Splendor in the Grass. Skip forward to this weekend when Jamie and I went on a date to the movies -- which we hadn't done in a long while. We saw the newest Harry Potter movie and went to a yummy dinner. Today, we took a picnic brunch to the National Arboretum with our friends, Ben, Ragan, and their adorable son, Carter.

All in all, a pretty great weekend! Now that you're all pseudo-caught up...I will leave you with one more morsel of information to digest. Today, my father joined Facebook. Hee!

Krazy. (With a K)

It's time to revisit good ol' Barats and Bereta. This one is for all my teacher friends:

Someday, I will be able to post again. Someday soon...but for now, Summer School is eating away all of my time. Take comfort in knowing my life is not all that exciting these days as it consists mostly of Summer School and work-related things...

Although, I did get to see Billy Joel and Elton John in concert last weekend. That was exciting! But, like I said...pretty uneventful.

Too Busy...

...for a real update.  

In the meantime, enjoy Kittens, Inspired by Kittens!  (Apologies if I've posted this before.  It's an oldie but goodie.)

Boom Goes the Dynamite.

It was bound to happen.  I was just thinking to myself about my wonderful driving record.  Over a decade of driving and a squeaky clean record -- no tickets, no dings, no nothing.  I should have known better than to congratulate myself on my driving.

This morning I got into a car accident.

Nothing serious -- everyone was fine and the car is still able to drive.  Geico was very quick and efficient with my claim and it'll all be taken care of Monday morning.  While I choose not to dwell too much on the actual accident (it makes me mad), I do feel as though I handled myself in a calm and collected way.  I am proud. 

In other news, the Pre is coming out tomorrow!  Perhaps my obsession can come to an end!  Jamie and I are going to make a trip to the local Sprint store to check it out.  I do feel as though I already won a little though: today, Jamie told me in a quiet little voice, "now, I want a Pre too."  Huzzah.  The battle has been won!   

(P.S. I think Jamie now has seen Code Red of Obsession Alert.)

A Wonderful Day.

I don't have time for the full update yet, but I will just say that the wedding was perfect.

Finally: an Update!

Yikes!  So much to say in not enough time!

I'll do this in chronological order.  I guess the first big development was my bout with H1N1.  That's right: SWINE FLU.  

Now that I am completely in the clear, I am able to blog about it.  So, remember when I was sick a little while back?  Well...I had a "probable" case of the virus.  In all honesty, I don't really think that I had it, but I guess when you work in a school, and you're dealing with a "pandemic" you don't monkey around.  

I called my doctor who told me not to go to the emergency room, but rather had me list all of my symptoms and their progression.  After listening to me he said:  "Yup.  Sounds like Swine Flu."  Couple that with the fact that I was in close quarters with someone with a confirmed case of

 Swine Flu right around the time I started getting sick and it was enough.  The Powers that Be at work called CDC and I spoke to a CDC person who listed me as a probable case, but me on a map and told me I had to stay in the house for the next three to seven days.  Three!  To SEVEN???  

Since I did not know I would be home, I did not bring my computer home.  Nor was I allowed to go to work to pick up my computer or bring home work to do.  So, I was on a forced vacation.  Except I couldn't leave the house.  (I slept.  A lot.)

Next up: Jamie and I ventured to Ann Arbor, MI!  For Robin and Joe's wedding!

The Carleton Crew.

It was an absolutely beautiful wedding -- the bride was gorgeous, the weather was perfect (no rain), the people were high-spirited, and there was lots and lots of dancing.

Which brings us to this weekend, when Abby and Samir are getting hitched!!!  I cannot wait for Lovefest 2009!  I am nervous about the toast...but I generally find that I am not a mess when it comes to speaking about things (or in this case, people) that I love.  And I love Abby and Samir.  You can count on me posting weddingful updates on this blog when I get back.  I might even be twittering throughout the day...that is, if I remember.

Fixation Update.

Okay.  So I'm sick at home -- not deathly ill, mind you, but enough so that I have been advised that it was my "patriotic duty" to stay home by the boss.  As a result, I have had a chance to catch up on much-needed sleep, work, and obsess over The Phone some more.

I realized that it is just silly for me not to share The Phone with you all......most of you don't even live in places where you could steal my potential Phone away from me.  Besides, rumor (in the geek underworld of those obsessed with this Phone) has it that the official release date -- and with that, the marketing push -- will be published tomorrow in the Wall Street Journal, so everyone will be privvy to the awesomeness of my future phone.

The Palm Pre!

Let me geek out some more: isn't it pretty??  And, on top of that it supposedly does all these things that the current iPhone is unable to do (yet.)  For example:

• Want to check your mail, have a GChat with someone, and read the latest news on washingtonpost.com at the same time without closing one of those programs?  No problem!  
• Want to sync all of the contacts in your Facebook, Gmail account, and Microsoft Exchange?  It's automatic! 

• How about take out the battery and put in a new one?  You can!

I'm such a nerd.  I'm just hoping this phone is not a million dollars.  

Okay, I'm done with the geeking out for a little bit...

Fixation.

Anybody who has known me over the years, will know that I have tendencies to get absolutely fixated on something and then never stop obsessing until I get it.  

On a trip to Reno, NV when I was no older than 8, I was fixating on a mini slot machine piggy bank.  I proceeded to needle my dad for the remainder of the trip until he finally caved and got me the friggin' slot machine.  (I still have it.)

When I was older than 8 it was a puppy.  But, really, what little kid doesn't go through a puppy stage.  And I obsessed for a good many years before I actually got the puppy.

In my teenage years, it was me goading my poor, defenseless brother into allowing us to cut our ski trip one day short so that I could go on a second date with this guy who I really liked and to whom he had to send a wedding invitation even though we had only been on one date.  (What can I say?  With Jamie, I just knew immediately.)

There are many other instances of fixations that I am too embarrassed to admit here...I will be the first to say that I am spoiled by the people who love me.  Really spoiled.  

So, my latest fixation has been simmering away for the past two years and recently went into a rolling boil.  I wanted an iPhone.  

Man, did I ever want an iPhone.  Poor Jamie, has been subjected to me asking for an iPhone ever since before the iPhone came out, but, bless his heart, he has kept me at bay.  

Homeboy thinks he has experienced the full force of my fixations...homeboy has not.  In reality, I think my poor father is the only one who has...

In the bottom of my heart, I have known that getting an iPhone was not something I should do.  It would mean changing our phone service to one that doesn't work on the Metro.  It would mean paying a lot more.  Lots of things.  So I figured I would wait patiently to buy an iPhone and if it ever became available to Verizon, I would make the switch.

Then I learned about this other phone and I could care less about the iPhone.  

I don't know how I learned about it, or where I saw it first, but I am now completely fixated on this phone.  I don't even use the phone that much.  But, I have daydreams about having such a device to keep me uber-organized and connected to the internet all the time (well, except for on the Metro.)

I am so fixated on this phone, that I won't even say what phone it is for fear that someone else may become obsessed with it as well and thereby lessen my chances of getting one of these phones by one.  They have not announced when it will be released.  They have not said how much it will cost.  These are things that only make me fixate more.  

How bad do I have this fixation?  (Some examples)

1. Yesterday, I was watching 30 Rock on Tivo and I actually went back to watch a commercial because they flashed this phone on the screen for a split second.  They did not even say the name of the phone...it was literally on the screen for a split second.
2. Jamie is already sick of hearing about it, and I haven't even gone into gear three yet.
   
3. Despite being on my deathbed over the weekend (I exagerrate), I strongly considered (and am still considering) going over to the store where said phone will be available eventually and begging to be put on a waitlist for when it is available.

I would like it noted, that for someone who depends upon the internet as much as I do, it is amazing that I do not already have a Smartphone.  Jamie can mock me for being spoiled (like I said, I know I am), but he has had his little Blackberry for years already while I had my piddly little lame phone.  My time has come.  At least, it will once they RELEASE this phone!

Fancy Neighbor!

To take advantage of the nice weather today, Jamie and I decided to venture out into our neighborhood and play frisbee in the park.  I really do love this city.  On our way back, we started playing the "Which House Would You Choose?" game...basically, picking out our favorite houses on each street.

When we got to the one I would have chosen, we noticed a fancy pants Suburban waiting outside as a man was locking up the front door.  IT WAS RAHM EMANUEL!  He was all decked out in his tux for the Correspondent's Dinner tonight.  Jamie stared while I tried to avert my eyes as he climbed into his crazy Obama-mobile.  Officially, our second "run-in" with Rahm Emanuel in less than a week.  

So, today I learned that Rahm Emanuel lives in my house of choice if I were a millionaire a few blocks away from my actual house (which coincidentally is my house of choice, period.)  Again, let me reiterate: I love this city.  (Most of the time.)

Sleepy.

I am TIRED. 

Thankfully, it's the weekend.

Lunch Break.

Took a little break from a work and used it to peruse Cute Overload.  They had this up and I had to "borrow" it...again, is it a sign that I'm going a little stir-crazy that I found this hilarious?

So, many of you have probably seen that part in Matrix 2 when Keanu Reeves is attacked by a bunch of Hugo Weavings...

It's a long scene, so it's best to probably skip to the end.  Anyway, this popped up today and it made me happy.

I love how the puppies just walk off dejectedly after the kitty gets away.  It's exactly what the Hugo Weavings do at the end of the fight scene...too bad the YouTube clip cuts it short.  You get the idea though...

Okay, back to work!

Home Office.

For the past couple days, I have been doing that thing that many people long to do: I have been working from home.  Considering my profession, I never thought this day would come.  While it is wonderful to have the option of doing your work sans pants, I have found that it does not meet my wildest expectations.  And for the record, I have been wearing pants.

First, there is the pressure to do a great job with the task at hand.  After all, if I were to do a poor job than I will never again have the option of working from home.  This is problematic since the task at hand is somewhat impossible to do well in the time frame given (3 days).  So instead, I have downgraded my original intent and am now going to do a damn-fine job building a solid foundation for the rest of the work to be done later.  

Second, (and this relates to the first) is the fact that there is a fuzziness regarding hours.  When you go to work, there is a definite ending point for the work when you go home.  Granted, most nights I bring work home with me anyways, but there is a logical place to stop.  At home, you can keep going on and on -- evidenced by the fact that it's way past midnight and I'm considering the time that I am writing this post as a "break" from work.

Third, I miss my colleagues and seeing the kids.  I didn't realize how much seeing the students and seeing the people who would benefit from my work actually motivates me throughout the day.

On the flip side, I am way more productive.  I have made more progress in the last 48 hours than I could have if I was holed up in my office.  Unpredictability is King at a school.

Another flipside?  When I am home I get to see what sort of messes my cats get themselves into while we would normally be away.  Their interactions with the Roomba provided a little entertainment on Monday.  I also got to watch Junior get herself into (and out of) a little predicament today...

Sadly, I did not get the camera in time to allow you to witness the peak of the squirming.  Is it cruel that I thought this was a little funny?  Or have I been working from home for too long?

Weekend Update!

Last weekend was fun!  Lots of fun!

As you may or may not know, my dear friends Abby and Samir are engaged.  So engaged that it is actually now under a month before my dear friends Abby and Samir will be MARRIED.

Hee!

So, this weekend Abby and the bridal party made the trip to DC to celebrate the fact that Abby and Samir are getting MARRIED!  We chatted, laughed, ate good food, talked and laughed some more, watched My So-Called Life (such a good show) on a really big screen, and baked!  So fun!

We were also able to take a tour of the White House.  Again.  This time was infinitely cooler, though, because someone infinitely cooler is President.  Our friend Jon has an awesome job, and he was kind enough to take us around.   I got to see a lot of those important people I hear about on NPR.

Thanks, Jon!

All in all, a very good weekend filled with good people and good memories.  Not so much sleep, but so worth it!

The One Where I Embarrass Jamie. (a late addition)

Jamie has been cracking me up lately.  Either he's funnier these days or I'm just way more tired.  It's probably the latter.

1) Last night when he got home I hid downstairs.  Actually, I was not really hiding, I was just tucked in a corner and he didn't see me and then I decided to jump out and say "boo!"  So he gets home and starts putting his bike away.  After about a minute I jump out from behind the couch...

...his immediate reaction?  Pure and utter happiness and joy at seeing his wife.  It was very heartwarming.  Mere seconds later the huge smile on his face melted away and he screamed in terror in what I have deemed the MOST HILARIOUS DELAYED REACTION EVER.

I am still laughing at the thought of it.  And while I'm sure you needed to be there to see it for yourself and probably don't find it funny at all, I am enjoying the opportunity to relive it by typing it out.

I loved that his first reaction on seeing me was joy and that that is his instinctual response to seeing me.  I also love that he blames the one beer he drank before coming home for the fact that his brain didn't process being surprised right away. Don't worry, I made sure to surprise him from an arm/leg's length away in case he had a karate reflex.

2) Today I was listening to my voicemails on speakerphone while Jamie was in the room.  I saw that my dad had called and announced that he was back from his trip through the South and Central Americas.  As I played the message, Jamie started to smile broadly.  

Immediately after it was done, Jamie cooed: "Your dad is so adorable.  He has the cutest little voice!" It was my mom.  Hilarious.

Don't hate your son-in-law, mom and dad.  He is overworked and underslept...and so silly these days.

Short-Lived (OR, The One With the Cherryblossoms)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I finished up my Saturday duties two weekends ago.  In other words, this past weekend was the first time in a long while when I was able to sleep in on a Saturday.  In effect, I had two whole days to recharge my battery from the week rather than the usual one day.  

This was glorious.  I woke up on Saturday feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.  Or, at least host a couple dozen friends at a BBQ.  Sunday was similarly grand.

The problem didn't come until Sunday night.  When I got into bed with a full battery...and proceeded to toss and turn for near FIVE hours.  Granted, for some of those hours I was in a state of miserable half-sleep.  In the end, according to my sleep monitor, I had logged in a whopping total of 2 hours and 22 minutes of sleep for the night.  Grand. 

So much for recharging the battery.

Another thing that was short-lived, but wonderful nonetheless were the cherryblossoms in D.C.  Sure, these are a few weeks too late, but like I said: I'm catching up.  One day, way back in early April, Jamie and a couple of our friends got up bright and early to take pictures of the blossoms without the crowds.  It should be noted that the reason that I did not go wasn't because it was too early.  No, dear reader, it was because that would make me LATE for work.  On a Saturday.  But, at least I got to enjoy the pictures that Jamie took...(and now you do too!)

Weekend Round Up (the 2nd).

All of the sudden it's like, 90 degrees in D.C.  I'm not prepared.  

Despite the fact that it is beautiful and sunny outside now...and yesterday was more of the same...it did not fail to rain on our BBQ.  It never fails...if Jamie and I plan something that will take place outdoors --> it rains.  Yesterday was less disruptive than usual, in that, by the time it started storming most of the festivities had moved back indoors...but still.  We are cursed.  Or blessed, depending on how you look at it.  

We are now left with so much more alcohol than we can drink in a year.  Probably more like two years.  Fortunately, I'll be having company over again next week and we will probably be able to make a little dent in the beverages I have as well as some of the food.  Because there is SO. MUCH. FOOD.  

And, while I would love to update with pictures from the party, I will refrain as I do not want to embarrass any friends.  Yet.

Instead, I give you a pitbull with no short-term memory:

Wow. Just Wow.

When I saw this little headline on CNN.com, I thought there must be some reasonable explanation.  Perhaps it was unclear what it was.  Maybe, another kindergartner put it in the backpack as a trick.  There is no way that a teacher put it there maliciously.

I think she did.  As someone who has had a student poop on the carpet before...and someone who knows many people who have had a student poop on the floor before, I think that picking it up, putting in a bag, writing a note about it, and sending it home in the child's backpack would be the last thing I would do.

Wow.

Not the Best Ever...

...but worth mentioning because of its pertinence.

And, they acknowledge the greatness that is Shawshank.

Test Time.

Anyone in the world of education is very familiar with those statewide tests that decide the fate of the schools.  When I was in Baltimore, it was the MSA.  In D.C. it is the DC-CAS.  Well, today was the first day of the DC-CAS.

It was so great to see our students excited to show their stuff on the test today.  Anthony wasthe first one through the doors at 7am.  His first words were: "Is it time to take the test??"  My Joevontae practically jumped into my arms when he first saw me he was so excited.  I am so proud of these kids.

I think the best story came from Kayla though.  We had given our students some mints to suck on during the test to help perk them up when they were getting tired.  It's also supposed to stimulate memory (although I think it's more of a recall thing through association -- if you're eating mints when you learn something blah, blah, blah.)  Kayla then overheard Anfaney talking to himself (I hope that if Kayla ever reads this post, she is able to correct me...I know I have this wrong):

Anfaney: Those mints sure were good!

A: That BCR was hard, but then I got that mint!

A: And it did the trick!

Anfaney is getting an extra mint tomorrow...

Oh!  And for you Traffic Light Boy (TLB) fans out there.  I got an update who says that he is doing very well!  Next stop, Department of Transportation (or whoever handles traffic lights.)

Weekend Update. (Or: The One Where I Hiked 17 Miles)

This weekend has been a fun one!  In fact, I haven't been able to post because of all the fun.

Friday was Emily's (a teacher friend) birthday and so Jamie and I headed over to her place after work.  While there, I realized how long it has been since I hung out with my friends...too long.  I am now inspired to have a BBQ and enjoy this gorgeous weather next weekend.

Saturday was good for two reasons.  First, it was the last day of Saturday Academy which means that starting next week, I get to seize my Saturdays back.  No more getting up at 6:45am on a Saturday morning!  No more early Friday nights!  Actually, who am I kidding, there were still be many early Friday nights.

Also, we got to see our friends Ben and Ragan and their adorable son.  Better yet, they brought him to our house which makes it the first time we have had a toddler at our house!  Of course, Junior hid for the duration of the night, but Cody and Carter became fast friends.  They even shared a head bump (Cody's favorite display of affection.)  Good to know that Cody likes babies.  Or at least, tolerates babies.

Last weekend, Jamie and I made the trek to our favorite old haunt Shenandoah National Park.  A couple Christmases ago, we had gifted each other camping gear.  Him: new hiking boots, Me: a new backpacking pack.  Since then, we had not yet ventured out into the wilderness and were long overdue.  Our plans for winter camping in February were foiled, and work and life had gotten in the way of subsequent plans.

So, we planned our hike, made GORP, and packed our packs.  The rain didn't deter us...in fact, it gave us more motivation because it meant that those other, less hardy, campers would not crowd our hike.  And we set out into the misty woods.

We chose a 17-mile loop that took us along a ridge, down a mountain, along a river, and back up the mountain.  Despite the wetness and the mistiness -- it was actually perfect backpacking weather.  We were motivated to keep on trekking since we would get cold if we stopped.  By the time we were getting ready to stop for the night it was sunny and gorgeous.

One thing that kept the hike exciting was that there were 14 "stream" crossings.

I say "stream" in quotations because it was more like "river" crossings.  I'm guessing Spring is actually when the water is at its higher levels and so we had to brave the cold water throughout the day.  I resigned myself to walking through the water, but Jamie showed off by hopping from moss-covered rock to moss-covered rock.  He paid the price when he fell a few feet from a waterfall, but aside from that was definitely drier than I was for most of the walk.

All-in-all it was a great hike and I would actually love to do it again.  Not too easy and not too hard.  Good views too.

Sadly, despite the fact that we slept in a tent in 30-degree weather, I was better-rested after that night than I had been all week.  Go figure.

The One Where I Met My Hero. (Maybe)

Tire dilemma fixed.  Hooray for husbands with flexible work hours.

So, "The One Where I Met My Hero."  This actually happened a few weeks back on my way back from San Francisco (after visiting my nieces).  

Now that airline companies are nickel-and-diming everything, there are various lines to enter the plane.  I was in the normal person line and next up to board the plane when a woman hurriedly walks through the important person line (a.k.a. Premier Class).  Through the magic of peripheral vision, I had seen her coming from behind me and I hesitated before handing my ticket to the attendant because I figured they would take her first.  

He had actually taken my ticket and began to tell the lady to wait, when he looked at her and the gentleman with her, and then handed back my ticket and took hers instead.  The woman continued her hurried pace onto the gangway, while the man sheepishly followed.

It took me a while to realize who he was.  My heart believed it, but my brain couldn't.  

As I walked behind my hero on the gangway he turned to me and apologized for cutting in front of me.  MORGAN FREEMAN apologized to me. Red!  My favorite character from the best movie of all time.

The Shawshank Redemption (Trailer)
Uploaded by Tower-of-Dark

"That's okay!" I say, "we're all ending up in the same place anyway"...and while I meant the airplane, MORGAN FREEMAN smiled at me and said -- in a way that only Red can (with that life-weary, all-knowing, March of the Penguins voice): "That's what I always say."  And I knew that he was talking about life and death.  

This moment was too good to be true.  So, afterwards, my brain kept telling me that it couldn't really be MORGAN FREEMAN.  It had to be someone who looked and sounded uncannily like him. After all, wasn't he supposed to be filming some movie far, far away?  Still, I'd like to believe that Red and I shared a moment on that gangway.

And, while Morgan Freeman may not actually be my hero, he's still pretty darn rad.  Much better than Danny Baldwin or Jimmy Fallon.  (Apparently, I am destined to sit near famous people on planes...I finger-quote famous for Danny.)

Edited to add: Incidentally, after I had posted this, I went back and did another random rereading of my blog...and I saw this post where my love for MORGAN FREEMAN was evident all they way back in March of 2004.  To the point where I actually wrote his name in all CAPS then too. 

Hold Me To It.

TWO posts in one night??  

Let me tell you why: firstly, the last two posts have been downer posts.  Secondly, while my life is boring, it is not without pockets of excitement.  Sure it's mostly manufactured excitement, it still counts for me.

So, after taking a little time to go back and revisit my blog circa May 2004 (the blogiest month in the history of this blog -- 48 posts!  It is clear that my primary method of procrastination during finals was through blogging.) I have decided that I am going to blog more so help me.  No matter how nerdy, and cringeworthy I will feel down the line when I look back at it.  To make sure that this renewed sense of urgency does not go by the wayside, I will now list a few "pockets of excitement" from the past few weeks of my life so that later, when I feel like I don't have anything to blog about...I can at least blog about one of these stories:

• The One Where I Met My Hero
• The One Where I Hiked 17 miles
• The One With the Attack Cats
• The One With the Cherryblossoms

These were all moments when I actually thought to myself, "I should really blog about this!" but then got too busy to think about.  I'm taking the moments back!

Starting tomorrow.

Flat.

It was a later night at work today.  My car was the last one on the street and generally-speaking, past a certain hour it is not a good idea to be alone on a dark street in certain parts of D.C.  Unfortunately for me, when I got to my car today my front tire was flat.  Not completely dead-flat, but enough to make my car tilt heavily to one side and question the ride to the nearest gas station.

I weighed my options: 1) change the tire in the dark, rainy, not-crime-free street, 2) take my chances getting to the nearest gas station, 3) tempt fate further by getting to the nearest gas station in a less sketchy area, or 4) call and beg my husband to save me by coming to work and changing my tire for me.

After further consideration, I realized that despite watching and helping Jamie change flats before on several occasions, I had absolutely no idea where to start.  Also, it was RAINING.  Option #1 was out.  While I really wanted to do #4, I knew that would never actually work...so I opted for a hybrid of #3 and #4 which was to call my husband and whine about it a bit, then drive really slowly to the farther gas station.  

The gas station did not change the fact that I still didn't know how to change my tire or that it was RAINING.  Nor was the service shop early because it was late.  So, instead I pumped my tire with air and made the rest of the trek home without incident.  Jamie graciously agreed to change the tire with me once he got home.  Crisis averted?  Let's hope.  Of course, Jamie just got home and it's still RAINING and now it's also kind of late...

Breathe.

A little over a year ago I burned out.  Despite the fact that I loved being in the classroom, that I loved my students, and that I loved teaching...I burned out.  It was to the point where my teaching was suffering and I knew that the next thing that would suffer would be my students and I couldn't have any of that.

Fortunately, I had a way out and other opportunities came up and I got a job that I could love just as much but that removed me from the daily stress of the classroom.  I could still work with students!  I could still devote my life to the mission that I truly believe in!  Life was good!

However, I was quick to learn that this new job was actually more work than my previous one.  Sure, it's a different kind of stress.  It's not the obvious, physical, emotional, daily stress that comes with being a classroom teacher...but rather a more subtle, chronic and acute stress.  One that sneaks up on you but leaves you with your head spinning and debilitated because you don't know where to begin attacking what must get done.

The camel is many straws past the broken back, but despite all this, I still love my job.  Funny how that works.

All this to use as an excuse for not posting regularly.  I do intend to keep this blog going...I am proud of keeping it as long as I have (although, yes, I realize there are some years that have very few posts).  I just need to find a way to sustain the blog along with other things (aka: work).  

Also, when one works all the time, there is very little interesting content to blog about as most of one's time is spent thinking/dreaming/worrying about work.  Add to this the fact that one actively tries not to blog about work to avoid any dooce.com-esque loss of job stability.  Incidentally, if anyone from work is reading this: I LOVE MY JOB AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE.  

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  

I will post again tomorrow with adventures from our most recent journey into the wilderness!  How very exciting and not-work-related!

CAN YOU HANDLE IT???

GAH!  My nieces are so undisputably ADORABLE.  See below:

Riley!

Leah!

It was wonderful to spend time with them and to see how much they have grown since December.  It's incredible how much chubbier their cheeks are!  Now, at almost six months, they are babbling away and have even ventured into their first "bites" of solid food...  

...the success of which is debatable.  And they were willing to duke it out to prove who was most deserving to earn the right to wear the awesome onesies provided by their Tia and Tio...

Despite the fact that it appears Leah may have sucker-punched Riley at the beginning of the round, it ended in an amiable tie.  

I will be working on a sequel to my first video...but it may be a while before I have the time...

Back!

It's been a long time and I'm going to start with a short post.  These movies in under a minute things have been floating around for a while and for some reason I felt the urge to post this one.

Maybe it's because I liked the Kill Bill movies.  Mostly, it's because I like the last five seconds.

I promise that I will be posting more often in the upcoming days!