You Know You Got It Bad When...

...it's May and you're already planning out the next year of teaching...AND you're not even going to be in the classroom. Seriously.



This weekend was spent "Curriculum Mapping" (sadly, only my teaching friends will know exactly what that entails) for Writing lessons. Actually, last weekend was spent doing the same as well, but I refuse to have anything to do with Curriculum Mapping next weekend. The sad thing about doing this work is not the hours that go into it, but rather it makes me really sad that I won't be the one who gets to implement and execute it. And this is shaping up to be a really great curriculum map. Now that I'm out of the classroom, I am really remembering why I loved teaching. I was burnt-out...but I really miss my students...

But, let's move on. The reason I will NOT be doing any curriculum mapping next weekend is because that weekend marks the one year anniversary of my marriage! Sure, it's actually the Tuesday following, but really...it's close enough. I actually don't have school on Friday or Monday, so I get a super-long weekend to enjoy with my husband. We are traveling to the Eastern Shore, staying in a B&B and taking in some time away from work.

The year has flown by...and it's strange to think about all the things that have happened in that year. Jamie studied for and passed the California Bar, we took Canada by storm, and I started at a new school, reigned supreme as Iron Chef, returned to the Bahamas, was quoted in the Washington Post, and got a new job. It's been a busy year and I've been married to the very best Man Boo in all the world the whole time.

BUT, the most exciting part of my post-wedding life is one that I haven't mentioned yet. Are you ready? I'm going to be an AUNT! Not only that, but I'm going to be an AUNT to TWO new Umezakis! TWINS! BABIES IN THE FAMILY!

I have accepted that I will no longer be the apple of my father's eye...I may have been able to redirect some of the dotage off of one granddaughter. TWO granddaughters is hopeless. Still, it will be worth it to have NIECES! I cannot wait for Melissa Jr. and Melissa Jr. the Second...

Also...baby Weitz is due oh so soon! We're talking days...Sooooo exciting!

Moving Up.

Lots of changes over here!

Things have been "unsettled" at work lately and there have been lots of changes (both good and bad) taking place. One of the changes is that I have gotten a promotion of sorts. I am officially the new Head of Teacher Development at our school! The really great thing about this new position is that it was made for me. Hence, it is exactly what I want. Most excellent. The only downside is that I don't get to finish the year with my students. Fortunately, the teacher who is taking my place is excellent, and I know that my students will continue to do well.

This week is my first week fully-transitioned into my new administrative role. So if I haven't been updating lately, it is because I have been ridiculously busy with the new position. I promise.

And now: a Garfield (without Garfield)

Throwing a Bone.

Lots has been happening around and there is a lot to update about. No time right now, but I will soon! And NO there haven't been any life milestones or anything like that -- it has just been a long time since I have updated the blog.

In the meantime, entertain yourself with a website of which I am fond.

Teacher's Guilt.

I had to miss school yesterday for a dental appointment and was bracing myself for the fallout. Fortunately, yesterday went much better than I expected. One of the only sour spots came from some malicious note-passing: a favorite of little girls across the nation.

This morning, I was debriefed by a colleague who had discovered some pretty mean and inappropriate notes targeted at another girl in our class. Later, the story was reported to me by another colleague who let me know that an upset grandmother came in the morning and told her off. Apparently, little Jakiyah had not written the malicious notes, but rather Rochelle had taken her notebook and wrote the notes. This could have been fixed quickly had I been able to see the notes in question as I could have easily assigned the handwriting...but of course they were no longer available.

I was so disappointed at the prospect of bullying in my classroom that I was hyper-vigilant. When I saw the two bullying suspects writing furiously in their notebooks in the middle of a lesson while shooting each other knowing looks, I angrily ripped the pages from their notebooks and threw them onto my desk.

It wasn't until later that I finally got around to reading them. That's when I started feeling guilty. And I quote: "...Mrs. Long is a great teacher. She works hard to make us smarter. We should always listen to her so we can go to college." I wanted to apologize, but then I figured that it shouldn't matter what they wrote...just that they weren't paying attention while I was teaching. Right?

As a sidenote, Jakiyah did eventually confess to writing the notes herself. Just leave it to one minute of the ol' Long Inquisition.

Grandma was NOT pleased.

Cannot Hold Back.

So I sat on the Sarah Silverman/Matt Damon video from last month because I figured it had some indiscretions that were not suitable for my wholesome blog. For the record, I did think it was pretty funny. However, today the retaliation video was posted on You Tube and I cannot deny it any longer: I need to post these videos. Dad, I'm telling you now that you will not find this funny at all and will want your five minutes back if you watch it...so you might want to skip it.

And yes, I'm aware that all of you have probably already seen both videos. Humor me.

Jimmy's Response:

Eye Sore.

After a nice long break for President's Day weekend, I ventured to the Optometrist to get my eyes checked. I needed to get some glasses for driving and it had been far too long since I had an eye exam. I am now the proud owner of some snazzy glasses -- which make Jamie giggle like a little kid. I will post of picture of me with the new glasses at some point.
I also learned that I had a hole in my retina which needed to be surgically plugged up. Boo. So today I skipped school and went in for the quick laser procedure. After another eye exam it turned out that I had two holes and that my retina was, in fact, partially detached already. Fortunately, I went when I did and did not suffer any permanent blindness. I have to say that this laser surgery was much, MUCH, worse than the Lasik I underwent a few years back.

Also, trying to navigate the big, bright city with dilated and sore eyes was a little scary. Luckily, the ever-attentive husband came to my rescue and taxi-ed me home before I could get hit by oncoming traffic.

Hopefully the eyes will be back in working order tomorrow when I go back to work. I need the laser vision in place...

Will Trade Busted Kitty...

...for this hedgehog.

There really isn't a contest: adorable smiling hedgehog? Or angry as all hell FrankenKitty?


Of course, I am not serious. Junior is well but has a scratch on her head that she continues to reopen just as it's about to fully heal. We've tried everything from trimming her nails, the Elizabethan collar, putting socks on her feet, band-aids, etc. So this was the latest attempt. It was not successful if you're curious. Silly, busted, kitty.

Also, please admire Jamie's hat -- I made it for him last week!

Excited?

So this popped up recently. As excited as I was many years ago for this movie -- I can't believe they actually are going through with it. I was also surprised that this trailer makes it look reasonable as a movie, rather than just something for the Indy fans. What do you think?

The Ice Storm.

So when I think about an "ice storm" I think of something that looks like this:



What I learned after going through the debacle that was The District's ice storm last night, is that ice storms just looks like rain from the inside of the car. It isn't until you get out of the car that you see the foot long icicle perpendicular to your antenna. I also learned that it sucks to be stuck in traffic during an ice storm.

I left school right at 4:30 so that I could rush to my polling place to vote before I left for the College of William & Mary. I was going to be doing recruitment for the school there and was actually very excited for the opportunity to represent my school. Sad to say that after 5 hours of "driving" I was a mere 10 miles away from school -- just barely into Arlington, VA. Keep in mind that the entire trip was supposed to take 3 hours.

Three of the interstates I needed to use were closed and the surface streets were not moving at all. I somehow made it to the hotel after 9 and a half hours. Fortunately, I did meet and interview some promising candidates -- so ultimately worth many freak-outs and some sleep deprivation.

Obligated.

So am I obligated to watch a sub-par sitcom just because someone I know is in it? Last night, Jamie and I sat down to watch "Welcome to the Captain" to see a high school classmate's new show. This is a huge deal because Jamie and I rarely have time to sit down together much less watch television together. Add to this the fact that we already watched the Super Bowl together and you have quite the quality time spent in front of network television. That is how dedicated we are to our high school "alma mater".


Maybe it's unfair to say that it is sub-par. But I worry that the show thinks it is funnier than it actually is. Hopefully, the critics will like it, because Fran truly is a phenomenal and dedicated actor and it's nice to see him in the main role.

My Fifteen Minutes.

I return triumphantly from my hiatus to share this piece of news. Yes, The Washington Post spent a day in my classroom and spoke to my kids and those tiny little quotes at the end of the article are what we have to show for it. Of course, we also have those adorable pictures of my students. Trust me: they are not as cute at hour 40 of their weekly learning.

Also. It's crazy to see me quoted as "Long". So weird.

A "proper" update on my life is coming soon. Don't get your hopes up though...it has been pretty uneventful...

American Wusses.

One thing I have learned by watching The New American Gladiators (it was accident, I swear!) is that Americans are a bunch of pansies. Not a single contender -- or "gladiator" has anything on a Ninja Warrior.

I know it's harder than it looks, but the stuff on Ninja Warrior looks really hard. None of this running up a conveyor belt with the aid of a rope. In Japan, you must run against the conveyor belt using your own stamina and strength!

Of course, I also would have difficulty doing much of anything requiring physical exertion so...

Back from the Beach.

And we're back! We actually got back last night after a pretty smooth flight -- no delays, no cancellations. We even got to sit behind Jimmy Fallon and his new wife! I presume they were just getting back from their wedding in the Caribbean. They were very lovey and adorable and now I look upon Mr. Fallon more favorably and can forgive the fact that he tends to laugh during every SNL skit.

As always, the Bahamas did not disappoint. It was gorgeous -- of course -- and it definitely provided me with the break that I needed. I only did work on one of my days there. The rest of the time was spent swimming, snorkeling, cruising around in the boat, getting tan, reading, and good ol' family fun.



I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season and have some exciting plans for the New Year.

There is so much to share about the trip, but it's hard to know where to start. I guess I can let the pictures tell the story instead.

Bahamas Ahoy!

I am officially a free woman for the rest of 2007! Tomorrow, Jamie, Scott and I will be taking the flight to Miami and a final destination of the Bahamas. Most excellent. As the first official Holiday Season as a married couple, Jamie and I will be spending the holidays with his side.

I will take tons of pictures. I will say "hello" to our dear friend, Piggybank Telephone Car. And I will definitely be getting some much needed rest and repose. I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season among the ones they love. Check back here on the 31st for some pictures and stories...

Whose Cuisine Reigned Supreme?

Yesterday, was Jamie's Iron Chef birthday party. We played host to a group of 14 people (including 6 judges) which officially made it our largest dinner party to date. I think that 14 will pretty much be our limit.

Jamie -- being the birthday boy and all -- was the Iron Chef along with his sous chefs Leah and Dan. I was the challenger with Mollie and Angie. Our secret ingredients were two of Jamie's favorites: goat cheese and chocolate. It was a fight to the death. And no, we didn't have to incorporate both ingredients in all of our dishes.

The Iron Chef's Menu: First Course (Trio of Appetizers)

• Mille Feuille with Two Goat Cheeses
• Phyllo Knots with Spinach and Goat Cheese
• Mushrooms Stuffed with Goat Cheese

The Challenger's Menu: First Course (Trio of Appetizers)

• Chocolate Stout Ale - sure we didn't brew our own beer, but clever nonetheless
• Pizzettes with Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese (and homemade dough)
  
• Crispy Potato Slices with Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese

The Pizzettes before going into the oven...

The Iron Chef's Menu: Second Course

• Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chocolate Ravioli with Red Pepper Sauce

The Challenger's Menu: Second Course

• Apple and Walnut Salad with Goat Cheese
• Agnolotti with a Sweet Pea and Goat Cheese Filling

It should be noted at this point that our agnolotti had character. It is hard to roll your own pasta when you have never ever done it before.

Iron Chef's Menu: Final Course

• Goat Cheese Tiramisu with Chocolate Lady Fingers and Homemade "Chocolate Waves"

The Challenger's Menu: Final Course (a quartet of desserts - we are all bakers after all)

• Goat Cheese Cheescake with a Chocolate Sauce and Caramel Doodad
• Chocolate Volcano Babycakes with Brandy Whipped Cream
• Homemade Chocolate Goat Cheese Truffles
• Hot Chocolate

The Goat Cheesecake Birthday Cake.

Whose cuisine reigned supreme??

The Challengers! Despite the Iron Chef team's originality and ability to incorporate both ingredients in all of the dishes (although, it was just a dusting of cocoa powder in some -- ahem), we took it on taste. Just barely.

Poor, poor Iron Chef. Losing on his own non-birthday.

The party was awesome and I had a blast with Mollie and Angie. Despite time-pressure and minor mishaps, we were having giggle-fits pretty much the entire time. Sure we may have set the fire alarm off once, lost an egg to the cold, hard, ground, and had a cheesecake casualty. It was all in good fun. Besides, I heard there was a chocolate explosion on the Iron Chef's kitchen wall.


We also learned a valuable lesson: when selecting a secret ingredient, do not choose one that is uber-expensive. Next time, we're doing potatoes. I also learned that I need to get one of those new cameras with a food setting. Because none of the pictures of our food really came out. Sadness.

Another Junior.

A bunch has happened, and I plan on updating the masses soon, but I wanted to share this little thing that happened at school today. I got bitten by a Kindergartner. While this, of course, is an area for concern in and of itself -- what with the various unpleasant infections that could follow -- I would like to focus on WHO bit me. (And before you comment, yes, I did get it checked by a doctor and have taken the necessary blood tests and vaccines).

His name is James Long Jr. Ever since I found out about the existence of little James, I was predisposed to like him, despite all of the horror stories. It should be noted that I have never had a James in my class that did not prove to be the most difficult challenge of the year...in fact, I made a point of not including the one James in 2nd grade on my class roster. Good thing, too, because he turned out to be so difficult he had to be transferred out of our school within a month.

ANYWAY. This James is in kindergarten and was climbing the fence during recess. He had made it halfway up the fence and there being nothing but a long fall on the other side, I immediately demanded that he get down. Of course, he did not like it when I pulled him down and he bit my finger. Luckily my nail prevented any serious damage.

But! James Long Jr.! I know that both James and Long are very common names, but are the chances that we would have a James Long Jr. when the normal names around here are Redeemed and Pristine? Sadly the Junior could use some lessons from my James Long on how to treat me nicely...

Holiday Redux.

I have been meaning to post about the various holidays we've been having, but have been pretty overwhelmed with other things. Before I get back to work today though, I thought I would take the time to post some pictures that I've been holding onto. Here's one of our pumpkin from Halloween...


...looking at the picture now, I see that it is definitely reminiscent of Strong Bad from the future.

Thanksgiving was a blast! We had Scott over and a couple of Jamie's other friends from Law School. All in all, our biggest Thanksgiving group yet! My new endeavor for the year was brining my turkey.


Having heard only good things about the results, I thought it would be worth the trouble. I'm telling you now, it is worth it. I will be brining my turkey for years to come and just messing around with the flavoring because that was one seriously moist turkey. Despite a roasting setback -- I thought the oven was on for two hours when, in fact, it was not -- the turkey was still juicy.

Jamie made some yummy curried butternut squash with a cilantro yogurt sauce, and of course we had the sweet potatoes, some green beans and shallots, buttermilk biscuits, and stuffing. Dessert was pumpkin pie with a homemade crust and an apple toffee cake. Pretty delish. And, having no Thanksgiving decor pieces, we threw together a centerpiece using various fall foods. I thought it came out festive-looking...


Since Thanksgiving we have discovered the XM radio has five temporary channels dedicated to Christmas music and it has been putting me in the mood for some serious Christmas mirth. Consequently, Jamie and I went to get our first Christmas tree! Artificial, of course (don't worry, dad!). So while it lacks the yummy smell, I think it will be a little safer from our cats.

Although, it looks as though Junior is a little scared of the tree for now (but notice it's reflection in her eyes...) and is more interested in its box.

Scene from the Supermarket.

As a result of having to stay at work past 8pm (the day before a holiday break mind you), Man Boo and I didn't get around to our supermarket shopping until around 10pm. I have decided that this is going to be my new favorite time to go grocery shopping as there are not even crowds there in the days before Thanksgiving. Awesome.

What was potentially even more awesome was this mini-scene from the checkout line. Man Boo had to return some overpriced cereal (I swear it said 4 for $10!) so he went back into the checkout when a little blonde in some short short short (!) running shorts came up next to him.

Running Blonde: [checks Jamie out from top to bottom]
Me: [sensing awesomeness pretends to not be with Jamie and "searches" for someone else in the crowd]
Man Boo: [clueless]
RB: [looks at register] $6.50 for a box a cereal!
MB: I know.
RB: [flirty voice] That's crazy. How expensive were the other cereals?? [bats eyelashes]
MB: [not noticing the flirtitude] I don't know.
RB: [clearly trying to find a way to continue conversation -- perhaps regretting the cereal question]
MB: [oblivious]

This continued, but my cover was busted when Man Boo put something in my cart and I was annoyed that the potential for awesomeness was not realized. Later, as we walked to the car:

M: You know that little blonde was flirting with you! I wanted to see what would happened but you spoiled it!
MB: She was not flirting with me. She just thought the cereal was expensive.
M: She was flirting with you.
MB: No she wasn't. You're weird.

[five minutes later]

MB: [excitedly] Wait a minute. She WAS flirting with me!!!

Most of the time, I feel so fortunate that I found Jamie before someone else could. Very rarely, do I feel like he is fortunate too because he would be so clueless on the dating scene. But, this was one of those moments.

Disturbing.

This has to be quick because I'm running a bath right now, but here is a note that I intercepted from Chawntae:

I Love you you are very sexy! you are my man Boo and I'm have a Bady by You and it is a GIRL [underlined] by your Boo! I Love you! I [heart] U

Despite the fact that this note is very disturbing coming from a 7-year old, "Man Boo" is my new favorite word. Jamie will heretofore be referred to as "Man Boo" on this blog.

Good night.

The Go Ahead.

Finally got the blessing to share the wonderful news...my maid of honor, Abby, just got engaged. ENGAGED! If you knew Abby and her fiance, you'd know that this is a wonderful, beautiful, thing and that this is the best news ever.

So between babies, Bar, and the best ever engagement this has been quite a great weekend.