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

Shared via AddThis

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!)