SJ's Beat

McLuhan Tetrad In Audio

2011-05-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

** Cross post from Ed Tech U**

I am an avid listener to NPR and Prairie Home Companion is one of my favorite programs. Yesterday morning while I was listening to PHC Garrison Keillor did a rendition of Little Deuce Coupe which can be heard here.

It seems that almost every day I hear someone complaining about high gas prices and how much it costs to run their car. I happily chime in with "Glad I own a Prius" and then tell them my most recent gas millage (which is currently climbing to over 48 mgp!).

Since one of the themes of the course Emerging and Future Technologies was how one technology takes over for a previous one, I found this song only timely and fitting. In today's society it seems to be more important how many mpg your car gets then how many horsepower the engine has. This rendition of Little Deuce Coupe seemed like an audio version of McLuhan's tetrads. I know the Prius isn't a "cool" car, but it does make a great conversation starter, and it is great on my wallet right now.

Enjoy ~SJ

Blingo

2011-04-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Mother near the mother load of D&D coffee!

Yup, I just made up another word! I had to come out of the blogging retirement of a big move, so why not a new word. Actually, this isn't a new word, just a new word to you. Back when I first started to blog I remember telling The Mother all about it. She was at first confused what a blog was, since, well, the word blog doesn't sound like anything real at all. Once I explained to her that blog stands for web log, she got it. Then we started to joke about all of the new lingo floating around that is related to technology, and that people could actually study this. We decided that this new area of study would be called blingo, short for web lingo. If you study blingo you would be called a blingologist. This thought all came back to me when I was recently reading a blog about twitter. This blogger admitted that for the longest time when they read about "apps" they thought people were talking about appetizers! How funny, and we all know that tons of people must have thought this same thing!

Here's to The Mother, maybe one day you will become a blingologist - you could make a mighty fine one!

Enjoy ~SJ

Kind Neighbors and Focus

2010-11-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

It has been over three weeks into my Couch To 5K running program and things are still going well. I have been doing some new runner reading in my spare time and came across an article early on that has been an inspiration. This morning I rolled out of bed and put my running clothes on. I knew it was going to be a "nice" day and that it might be one of my last our door runs until spring. The little voice in my head kept telling me that I was going to be miserable, it was going to be cold, and that I was not going to enjoy my run. And then this article popped into my head just like it does whenever that little voice gets too loud.

How to Focus Your Mind

"By Danny Dreyer
ChiRunning
Whether it's a 5K or an ultramarathon, focusing your mind is the surest way to feel great throughout your race, especially as you cross that finish line. With ChiRunning, you can learn to focus your mind, moment-by-moment, and use your mind to listen to and support your body to run in a way that is both relaxing and efficient. The practice of focusing your mind can then be transferred to focusing on long term or more significant goals in your life. The key is to practice.
When you focus, you create a stronger connection between you and the object of your focus. When cooking a meal, if you think about what you want your food to taste like (instead of allowing your mind to wander), you'll end up with a more delicious meal. If you focus on the few extra pounds you may have gained this winter, you might just become more "connected" to them. If instead you focus on eating well and running consistently, that is what will happen, and those pounds will melt away.
When successful people were studied to understand how they achieve their goals, being able to focus their mind was one of the common and key skills.

To amplify the power of your mind, chose a very specific goal for your race: it could be to win your age group, to finish without pain, to enjoy yourself fully, to use your pelvic rotation, to run a specific time or to bring in $1,000 for your favorite charity. The connection that is created by focusing your mind adds something very tangible to you as a person, so it is best to focus on qualities that are truly meaningful to you. For instance, feeling strong, centered, flexible, energetic are all positive focuses that can enhance your whole life.

When you focus your mind, you set your mind and intention in a specific direction. Not letting your mind wander to the many other options that might distract you from your goal. If there is one thing we have a lot of in this life, it's options. Have you noticed the laundry detergent aisle in the grocery store? I focus on finding one that is least harmful to the environment and that does not leave a perfumed odor on my clothes which quickly narrows my options.

Let's say your goal is to run your first marathon. You can then get more specific with your original goal and chose to complete your marathon injury-free. Then you can refine that goal and decide, "I don't only want to be injury-free, I want to feel great when I'm done. I want to complete a marathon pain-free and injury-free." The key to success is to get a clear goal in mind, and stick with it.
In the movie "A Beautiful Mind," John Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning economist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia. He explains that to overcome his very intense delusions, he has to go on a "diet of the mind." He focuses his mind on what is real and chooses not to allow his mind to wander toward his delusional world. That concept of a diet of the mind is an important one when you are practicing how to stay focused on a goal for your event. Staying focused means that you don't allow your mind to entertain other negative thoughts, like not running the marathon, not finishing the marathon, finishing the event but feeling like hell afterward, finishing but never running another step because of an injury.
This doesn't mean that you can't ever change your plans or your goal. Focusing does not mean that you block out important messages or warnings coming your way. That's not being focused, it's being stubborn, or worse. In ChiRunning, we encourage you to listen to your body and make necessary adjustments if your body is clearly telling you that running a marathon is just too long a distance with your level of training. You then adjust, and can run a half marathon instead.

When practicing ChiRunning, you focus your mind on listening to and feeling your body. It might sound simple, but it's harder to do than you think, and more rewarding than you can imagine. Your mind will want to wander, as everyone's does. You have to repeatedly stick to your "diet" and bring your mind back to engaging your core muscles, to gently leaning from your ankles, to swinging your arms to the rear. By doing this you are actually creating a stronger neuro-link between your brain and the nerves and muscles in your body. In the beginning there may be little connection, but over time, as the connection grows stronger, you will have more control over your body, and your mind. Additionally, the body and mind begin to act as one whole -- YOU -- rather than the two separate entities of your body and your mind.
Focus is a very powerful skill and one of the keys to running a successful, injury-free event. As we say on our shirts:
Focus Your Mind
Strengthen Your Core
Run Like the Wind
Choose from our four ChiRunning Training Programs to help you Get and Keep Focused."

It turned out to be a great run once I got warmed up. There is this small gradual hill that is on my regular route, and no matter how fast or slow I move I always am going up the hill during the hardest point. Today it was at the end of my run, and as I am pushing up and over the top the little voice was suggesting that I just walk the rest of the way to the top. I pushed through with the positive thoughts, and just as I am cresting the hill an older gentleman is walking over the top towards me. He smiled at me and said "Great job!" That was all I needed to boost my confidence and float my way home. Two kind words to support the kind words in my head. Thanks neighbor, I hope that you read this!

Enjoy ~SJ

My Freezer

2010-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Yup, I just posted a picture of my freezer on my blog!

I like to cook, and when I decide to cook I sometimes go a little overboard. Usually during my morning cereal and coffee I study a cookbook. Since cutting meat with feet from my diet and trying to incorporate as many vegan friendly recipes and ingredients, cooking now takes a little studying. Last week I made a lengthy list of recipes that I wanted to make:

Minestrone (Moosewood)
Stuffed peppers(SJ Original)
Wheat/white sandwich bread (Joy of Cooking/SJ)
Apple bread
Salmon pie
"Chicken" pie (SJ Original)
Shepards pie
Spicy tomato soup (Moosewood)
Tomato sauce (SJ Original)
Zucchini soup (Moosewood)

(See what I mean by a little overboard?)

Dorky math teacher finds humor in her labels!

After creating the list of recipes, I then needed to make the grocery list. I will spare you the details, but it did take a trip to Shaw's and over an hour to find all of right items. By the time I got home from shopping I was exhausted, and the cooking hadn't even started. Saturday morning I woke up refreshed and ready for the challenge of cooking. I don't think that I have ever chopped or minced as many onions in my life as I did last weekend. It seemed that every recipe started with "saute onions until tender". Needless to say, the recipes list was so long that it spilled into Sunday and the last two on the list are saved for another day. I don't know how many meals all this food equates to, but I do know that dinners for the next few weeks will be a lot more satisfying.

Enjoy ~SJ

And She's Off....

2010-10-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Learning all about my feet at Maine Running Company

I realized while coaching field hockey season that I need to run. Not because I see me needing to outrun a charging moose or anything like that. More because I have a big looming birthday and I realized that what I was asking my field hockey players to do was just not in my ability range anymore. So now that the field hockey is over, I'm learning everything there is to know about running. I spent a lot of time learning all sorts of tips for new runners, and even found a training program for out of shape people like me called the Couch to 5K. It is an interval training program that starts out with a lot of walking and increases over time to all running. I also downloaded and app for my iPod that times the intervals and informs me when to run or walk.

My first steps in my new kicks

After my first run in my old kicks my feet were so sore I didn't think I would ever want to go out running again. One of the number one tips I kept reading about for new runners was to get fitted for sneakers. When I did a three day 60 mile walk a few years ago I got fitted for walking sneakers, and knew that it was time again. If you have never gotten yourself fitted for sneakers, indulge and go. This weekend I went to Maine Running Company and got myself fitted for new kicks. So after nine short weeks (although I'm sure that they will be very long) I might just be able to make it through one of my own practices.

Enjoy ~SJ

Craving, Doing, & Thankful For

2010-10-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

From the fabulous River Valley Blogger Gals: Amity, Katie, & Rach

Craving
A variety of winter hand coverings for driving, skiing, and playing.
A stocked kitchen to fulfill all my vegan
cooking ideas.
The energy to get through my quantitative research class (and the reason for my lack of blogging).

Doing
Lots and lots and lots of reading, thinking, and writing.
Having fun teaching with lots of technology.

Thankful For
MacPro - the computer and the man
My supportive and fabulously creative Mom
My three wonderful fur-children
Lower my debt one month and one payment at a time.

Consider yourself tagged!

Enjoy ~SJ

"When you know, you know! You know?"

2010-07-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

or an alternative title to this post could be "And she said yes!"

After my morning coffee MacPro asked me to find an activity to occupy my time with inside the house and informed me that I shouldn't go outside or on the porch. Although the directions were odd, I found something to watch on Netflix in bed. After about an hour, through the sounds of cardboard and the smell of paint and came and asked me to go on for a canoe ride. I thought it was an odd time of day for a boat ride, but am always up for an adventure. Upon arriving on the dock I found that he turned the canoe into a gondola!

He instructed me to relax and that he was going to paddle. Once getting situated in the boat, he started to paddle and sing "O sole mio" (he looked up all of the words on wikipedia). All good Gondolieres sing! He paddled us around, we watched a loon family, and then he asked the big question! I said yes (of course!), and the rest is history! Well actually, then we went to play mini golf and eat ice cream.

It was a memorable day, and the whole thing makes for a great story!

(FYI: No official plans as of yet. Maybe something small on the dock)

MacPro and his homemade gondola

MacPro singing O sole mio

SJ in the gondola

The view from the boat, perfect day on the lake

Loon

SJ and the new ring!

Mission accomplished!

Skyping with MacPro's Mom and Sister

What day is complete without a little mini golf?

And ice cream!

Enjoy ~SJ

Cool Cat Tech Tips!

2010-07-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is a cross post from my Educational Technology University blog. These tips are so great I needed to share twice!

Cool Cat Teacher Vicki Davis just posted the most insightful list of twelve healthy online habits. If you are a fellow Walden student you might recognize Vicki from a few mentions in weekly vodcasts from EDUC 8847: Instructional Design & Multimedia.

Here are her 12 tips:
1) Share
2) Respond
3) Comment
4) Link Generously
5) Read (or Listen) Prolifically
6) Distribute Yourself
7) Beware of Flattery
8) Live Life Online AND Off-Line
9) Latch Key Your Legacy
10) Laugh (a lot)
11) Take Every Presentation Seriously
12) Expect Criticism

Please click through and read her detailed explanation for each of these twelve tips!

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-In

2010-07-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. This is what life does. It lets you have fun.

2. Stop and appreciate the moment.

3. Upon reflection I think that the loons on the pond are trying to tell me something.

4. I haven't gone camping for quite a long time.

5. Later, you wake up and sip coffee with MacPro on the porch.

6. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a walk around the pond, tomorrow my plans include measuring and planning a new project and Sunday, I want to spend countless hours at Lowes shopping for the new project!

Enjoy ~SJ

The Shamrockettes Swim

2010-07-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Last summer my amazing (and crazy) cousins started a little tradition of swimming the length of the Pond. We estimate it to be somewhere around 2 miles from Honey Run Beach to The Outlet. The Swim is a whole weekend of events. Friday night they arrive, we have a carbohydrate loading dinner, make mixed cd's for the boat, and visualize a successful swim. Saturday we try to get out and swimming before noon. And on Sunday we have brunch with our mothers and Grandmother.

Mi Prima brought along her new guy and his canoe, so we could have two boats in the water. The two boats made it safer for the swimmers since we could protect them from other boats better. The second boat even allowed me to swim a portion of the pond. MacPro has came along in one of the boats and was in charge of snacks and photos. He peeled bananas and passed them down to the swimmers along with their water bottle.

And their off!

MacPro and SJ

Mrs. Incredible in the groove!

Look Ma - No Hands!

Mi Prima's Guy, great addition!

SJ giving Mi Prima a little advice "There's plenty of time"

I'd like to add, she didn't hold onto the boat once!


SJ joining the swim

Mi Prima in the groove

The Shamrockettes at the end!

With good tunes and plenty of bananas the cousins made did the swim in under two hours, shaving over 20 minutes off their time from last year!

Enjoy ~SJ

Yeah, I'm That Good!

2010-07-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

This past year I successfully learned how to solve a Rubik's Cube. It ended up being a unit that I taught to my 8th graders. Today I decided to put my skills to the test and do it on video.

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-In

2010-07-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. Layers of clothes were not necessary this week in the Maine heatwave.

2. A new camera and time to sit and do homework brought insight.

3. I'd be willing to bet this could be the best summer ever!

4. The wild turkey in the backyard scares the dog.

5. I'm fond of popsicles and movies in bed

6. I''m having too much fun!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to barbecued vegetables , tomorrow my plans include breakfast at the Front Porch and Sunday, I want to relax!

Enjoy ~SJ

Your Next Read

2010-07-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I have been trying to get caught up on my Google Reader blog reading. Getting behind your Google Reader reading is like getting behind in reading Time.... they just keep coming!

I have come across so many fablous new tools and tips and here is one that I have to share with you. It is called Your Next Read, and it basically recommends books to you. You simply type in the title of a book that you enjoyed and it will recommend others to you. Not only does it includ a picture of the book, but it also has reviews and summiries of it. AND (you better be sitting down for this one) it includes a link to Amazon WITH the price! Now if it could only tell me if it was available at one of my local libraries I would be all set.

I also have to give a little plug to two of my other favorite book websites, Paper Back Swap and Good Reads. Paper Back Swap allows you to post your unwanted books that you are willing to mail away to people for free. The catch is that for every book that you give away you get a credit to get your own book. It is basically a giant network of people who want to share books. Good Reads is a social networking website that allows you to connect with your friends. You can see what books they have read, want to read, and are reading. Until I found Your Next Read I used Good Reads to find lists of books that I wanted to read.

How do you find your next book to read?

Enjoy ~SJ

In this critical time

2010-07-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

Indexed has been a favorite blog of mine to read for awhile now. I think it is because they play to my inner scientist/mathematician. Here is a timely one that I just had to share.

Enjoy ~SJ

Expanding

2010-07-06T06:18:00.000-07:00

It's summer so that means time to relax and get some projects done. There is no summer school for SJ this summer (beyond excited, you can understand if you have ever had the pleasures of summer school). The summer so far has been living up to expectations. My online classes are going wonderfully, learning lots of wonderful new stuff, "meeting" new people, and create wonderful new products. I have a new blog dedicated to talking about the world of educational technology. It even has its own domain (huge thank you to MacPro!), you can find it at http://edtechu.org/ I have been working on creating a website all about me (professionally) in hopes of spreading my word and name. Did a photo shoot last week (again, huge thank you MacPro!) for the pic of me on the new website. Done tons of reading both professionally and personally, bought a new camera, and have even enjoyed my dock! Overall I would give summer '10 an A+ so far!

Enjoy ~SJ

End Of The Year Wrap-Up

2010-06-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

When you say "another year gone by" most people are saying this in January, but teachers (like their students) count years from September to June. Those months between June and September are special months filled with the excitement of not being bound to an alarm clock, filled with late lunches, and leisurely mornings. It's getting to be the end of another year, some schools are already out, and some of us are down to the wire counting the days left.

This past school year was a successful one! My students were funny and entertaining, they worked hard when they needed to, and knew when to have fun. We learned how to solve Rubik's cubes, some with more success then others. We can all solve basic algebra equations. And we all got to enjoy a few days in Quebec.

There are all sorts of ways to know when the end of the school years is coming. Sometimes your students even go out of their way and get you a gift, and this year I have to say I think I got the best gift ever. Check it out!

Enjoy ~SJ

Google and Pac-Man

2010-05-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

So apparently Pac-Man turns 30 today (didn't know that we shared the same birth year....). I can't do as big of a tribute to this amazing game as Google did though! Not only can you saarch for site through Google today, but you can also play Pac-Man!
Enjoy ~SJ

Time Crunch

2010-05-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

I feel like this......Do you?

Enjoy ~SJ

What have I been up to?

2010-04-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Well my dedicated blog reader(s) (I know there are a few of you still out there, at least The Mother still reads.... right? Leave a comment if you came by, please!), I have been busy. When I rattle the question "busy doing what" around in my head nothing crazy like shark tank diving (must put on to do list). It has been a just kind of normal busy. MacPro and I (ok, mostly MacPro) has been working in the yard. There are big doings around the Shamrock - new retaining wall in the front, grass being planted, porch being built, more grass, and a firebrick pizza oven (I know, you just gasped, I heard it).

School has been crazy. I am organizing fantasy baseball for all of my math students and the staff. I know, crazy since I a) don't know a lot about baseball and 2) have never even played fantasy baseball. If that weren't enough I'm also planning an RSU-wide math fact bee, it's just like a spelling bee only with math facts.

The last thing that has been occupying my time is my course work. Besides The Never Ending Paper (it needs all capitals, it is that epic), I am also taking a course on the evolution of educational technology, and getting ready to go to my second residency. A residency is some quality face-to-face time with professors, other students, and faculty members that makes up for all of the online learning. The one I went to last year and Dallas was wonderful, so I look forward to my four days in Nashua, NH.

Enjoy ~SJ

And the Panda Gets An F

2010-04-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

I just read this article on NPR about a new book. The premise of the book (The Animal Review) is that two friends (Jacob and Steve) started a blog a few years ago handing out grades to animals. The rank the animals on a variety of skills, talents, and adaptions that they have.

Here is what The Animal Review guys had to say about the Panda (please keep in mind that the Panda might be one of my favorite animals because, well they are so darn cute!)

Panda: F

"Pandas have absolutely no interest in reproducing. They rarely mate," Lentz says. That goes against the raison d'etre of a species. "We spend all this money flying these animals around the world, trying to convince them to mate, and we could spend it on a lot of other stuff."

"Second of all, they eat bamboo. They're not supposed to eat bamboo. Their bodies are not adapted to digest cellulose, but they hang in there with the bamboo. But the result of that is that they have to eat a ton of bamboo," he says. "They don't have a lot of energy to do things like — to mate."

"That could be Nature kind of hinting around the fact that they should collectively shuffle off this mortal coil."

As some of you may know I traveled to China (the country not the town in Maine) a few summers ago. Seeing pandas, and the Great Wall might have been the high points of the trip for me. Since I had never seen a panda before my travels to China I was very anxious to see a real live panda in the fur. So as soon as we got to the zoo I found my way to the panda pagoda and here is my first view of a panda......

I do believe my words were "I traveled over 12,000 miles to see a panda behind!" Don't worry, about this first one was laying so that we could get a wonderful view of its behind, as we moved through the pagoda they animals got more exciting to watch. There were several eating, and one even interacting with the zookeeper. I think that The Animal Review guys might need to go and visit a panda in person before they rank the animals. The panda at least deserves a D- since it lays around at zoos showing off its behind!

Enjoy ~SJ

March 6, 2010

2010-03-06T16:37:00.000-08:00

After a wonderful adventure "Down South" for sushi (yes, MacPro and I drove over 50 miles one way for some raw fish!), I decided on the way home to get the motorcycle out. The temperature was over 50 for most of the day, and I saw a lot of other bikes on the road. Here is a little video of the first ride......

Enjoy ~SJ

Getting To Know Me

2010-02-14T14:37:00.001-08:00

Thanks to Katie and Rach for this one.....

1. What time did you get up this morning?
Around 7-ish, its vacation who looks at the clock when you get up?

2. How do you like your steak?
Nope, it has feet so I'm not eating it

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Harry Potter this summer (sad but true)

4. What is your favorite TV show?
The Office and 30 Rock

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
I love where I live now, but more sun and warmer temperatures might be nice.

6. What did you have for breakfast?
Coffee and wheat Chex

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
Right now sushi

8. What foods do you dislike?
Mushrooms

9. What is your favorite place to Eat?
I have lots of favorites, The Bistro, Slates, my Mom's house.....

10. Favorite dressing?
Bleu cheese.

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Subaru Impreza WRX

12. What are your favorite clothes?
Jeans and a fleece vest

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Galapagos Islands

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 full, no other way.

15. Where would you want to retire?
That is a long ways away.

16. Favorite time of day?
That time of the day where you have all your work done and it is time for yourself. I also like sunny mornings.

17. Where were you born?
Farmington, Maine.

18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don't really watch sports.

19. Who do you think will not tag you back?*
20. Who do you think will tag you back first?*
21. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?*

22. Bird watcher?
Nope, but I do like to go to the aquarium and watch the penguins (I almost had a job in college as a penguin tank cleaner, but went for the after school outreach program instead.)

23. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Morning.

24. Do you have any pets?
Two cats Phoebe and Stanley, and a husky Sasha

25. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
I'm on vacation!

26. What did you want to be when you were little?
Dolphin Trainer

27. What is your best childhood memory?
Swimming with a sea turtle for the first time

28. Are you a cat or dog person?
Cat.

29. Are you married?
Nope!

30. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes.

31. Been in a car accident?
Not really

32. Any pet peeves?
Not pushing in chairs and straightening around the desks (can you tell I'm a teacher?)

33. Pizza?
Feta, peppers, garlic, and basil

34. Favorite Flower?
Tulips

35. Dessert?
Ice cream please!

36. Favorite fast food restaurant?
No I don't like fast food, and it doesn't like me!

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
Once

38. From whom did you get your last email?
My advisor giving me feedback on a paper

39. Which store would you choose to max out
your credit card?
I would have to have a credit card first, which I don't.....

40. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Today is spontaneous adventure day with Mi Prima!

41. Like your job?
I love it.

42. Broccoli?
Yup.

43. What was your favorite vacation?
When I was 9 my family rented a sailboat and we sailed around the Caribbean, that was wonderful!

44. Who was the last person you went to dinner with?
MacPro, on Saturday we went to Dunkin Doughnuts, for sushi, and then to Arby's (I had a potato).

45. What are you listening to right now?
The dish washer, the wind, and the wind chime.

46. What is your favorite color?
Red

47. How many tattoos do you have?
None.

48. How many are you tagging for this quiz?*

49. What time did you finish this quiz?*

50. Coffee Drinker?
Yup, drinking some right now!

*Those questions are just not fun, I'm with Katie and not going to answer them!

Enjoy ~SJ

Cooking Challenge 4

2010-02-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

This weeks menu did not come from a cookbook, but it came from my head. There is a local restaurant in town that happens to be a favorite of MacPro and I (and a few River-Valley Blogers since I see them from time to time there). We both love one of the dishes on the menu, Gorgonzola Alfredo. Every time I get it I ohh and ahhh over how wonderful it is, and then the cook inside me thinks "how hard can this really be to make", and then I am off trying to perfect it. Tonight was one of those nights, I attempted to make Gorgonzola Alfredo and much admit that it came out amazing. Below is the recipe that I created.

Gorgonzola Alfredo
1 cup gorgonzola cheese
1 1/2 Tb butter
1 1/2 cup milk
3 Tb flour
salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

1 bunch of fresh cooked asparagus cut into pieces
1/2 of a finely chopped onion (saute until cooked)
1/3 cup of roasted red peppers

Mix the cheese, butter, and milk in a sauce pan over a low heat making sure that the milk does not scald. Once the ingredients are well combined, thicken the sauce one tablespoon at a time with flour. Mix well and wait between tablespoons, once it has come to a thickness that you are happy with add the salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Once your sauce is thickened and seasoned add the asparagus, onion, and peppers. Let simmer for a few minutes to let the flavors blend. Serve over your pasta of choice.

At the end of dinner I relized that I had forgetten to put in the tempeh, oh well. I also decided that this was a sauce to bring out when you want to impress people with your simple yet advanced sense of cooking. Feel free to claim that you made up the recipe yourself!

Enjoy ~SJ

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

2010-02-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

There are many downsides to living in a small rural community: no thai food in the wee hours (ok, scratch that, no thai food!), no pizza delivery, limited food choices at the grocery store, few stores to do your shopping at. Ok, the list could go on and on. But there are definitely up sides to living here as well. This whole thought came to me after running into fellow River Valley Blogger, Katie, at Wal-Mart. No matter where you go in the community, there is always someone to stop and say hello to. My grandmother is famous for not being to go anywhere in town without hearing "Hello Mrs. Irish"! How can you put a price tag on that?

Enjoy ~SJ

Three Blind Mice

2010-01-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

I got Stanley a new package a those little realistic looking mice toys today while I was in the supermarket. I actually planned the purchase while driving to the store. I was feeling bad for him since these little mice toys are his favorite and his most recent one (and only one in the house) had gone missing. The supermarket had a package of a dozen of them for around $6 ($0.50 per mouse does now seem a little steep, but the pleasure they bring him and the laughs it brings MacPro and I are priceless). Earlier this evening MacPro brought the remains of these toy mice to me in the kitchen. Apparently I had forgotten to put them in the toy cabinet and had left the package sitting in the living room. Stanley, in his attempt to get them out of the cat-proof packaging decapitated at least three of these poor mice. The living room is a mess of little pieces of fake fur, eyes, and chalky insides!

"Three Blind Mice" - Original work by Stanley The Manly

Enjoy ~SJ

Cooking Challenge 3

2010-01-24T17:20:00.001-08:00

This weeks menu offered nutty potato cakes, asparagus and tomotoes with a basalmic reduction, and chocolate truffle bars.

Nutty Potato Cakes (The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook)

3 medium potatoes
1 Tb. butter
Milk
1 cup sunflower seeds finely ground
2 Tbs. green onion, finely chopped
Pepper
Wholemeal flour for coating
Oil for frying

Peel the potatoes, and cut into pieces and boil until soft. Drain, and mash with butter and milk until creamy. Add seeds, onions, and pepper. If necessary add a little more milt to make a soft texture that will hold together. Form cakes and coat with flour, fry quickly in as little oil as possible. Drain on paper towels.

I could not find wholemeal flour so I used regular white flour, this made the frying part very difficult.

Balsamic Reduction (eHow)

Pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan. Use enough so that you allow for it to reduce by half--I like to reduce a whole liter of vinegar and keep it on hand.
Heat the pan to high.
Whisk briskly, even prior to boiling. Once it starts boiling, keep whisking constantly to prevent burning.
The vinegar naturally sweetens when reduced, but if you like a very sweet reduction, sprinkle in a tablespoon of sugar.
Reduce by half, or until the vinegar takes on a syrupy quality. Allow to cool.

Chocolate Truffle Bars (The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook)

2 cups graham crackers, broken up
1/2 cup butter
1 Tbs brown sugar
3 Tbs cocoa powder
2 Tbs corn syrup
1 cup raisins (optional)
8 oz chocolate

Crush the graham crackers finely with a rolling pin and place in a mixing bowl. Put the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and syrup into a pan and melt over a low heat, stirring all the time. Add to the crumbs with the raisins. Mix very thoroughly. Press the mixture into an 8 inch square pan. Break the chocolate bar into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water until melted. Cover the cake with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until cook, cut in squares and store in an airtight container.

Enjoy ~SJ

Cooking Challenge 2

2010-01-19T18:23:00.000-08:00

First off, sorry that there are no pictures of this weeks food. MacPro and I were both hungry and I remembered about the pictures after we ate, I can only take this as a sign that the food was good.

The menu this week consisted to two recipes from the Moosewood Cookbook, Vegetable Stroganoff and Fruited Yogurt Dessert.

Fruited Yogurt Dessert
3 cups plain yogurt
1 cup fresh strawberries cleaned and cut
1/2 a cup of maple syrup (I used less, around 1/4 cup)
1 mashed, ripe banana
Dash of cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients and serve chilled. I served mine on top of pudding, it was a hit! I am thinking that I am going to keep this fruited mix of yogurt on hand for those times when plain yogurt just needs to be spiced up.

Vegetable Straganoff
I. The Sauce
3 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3 Tbs. dry red wine
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 pound chopped mushrooms
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp dill weed
dash of tamari sauce
paprika
black pepper

Saute onions and mushrooms in butter until onions are soft. Combine all ingredients in the top of a double boiler and heat gently for about 30 minutes.

II. While the sauce simmers, steam 6 cups chopped fresh vegetables of your choice.
Suggestions: Cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, celery, cabbage, peppers, cherry tomatoes.

III. Cook 4 cups raw egg noodles in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and butter.

Assemble the straganoff on a platter and garnish with fresh minced scallions.

Enjoy ~SJ

Cooking Challenge 1

2010-01-09T14:29:00.001-08:00

It was a success! The first Cooking Challenge menu offered Spinach Rice Casserole and Fruit Chocolate Sundae for desert.

Spinach Rice Casserole (Moosewood Cookbook)

4 cups of cooked brown rice (2 cups raw, cooked in 3 cups water) - Start this before the rest of the dish

2 lbs raw, chopped spinach
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbs. butter
4 beaten eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 Tbs. tamari
1/2 tsp. salt
a few dashes of nutmeg and cayenne
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
paprika

Use a large stock pot to saute in since all ingredients will eventually be mixed together.

Saute onions and garlic with salt in butter. When onions are soft, add spinach. Cook 2 minutes.

Combine with all ingredients except sunflower seeds and paprika. Spread into buttered casserole and sprinkle the top with sunflower seeds and paprika.

Cover and back for 35 minutes in a 350 oven.

Fruit Chocolate Sundae (The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook)

Chocolate Dessert
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 tbsps honey
1/4 tsp instant coffee
1 tbsp coco powder

Blend all of the chocolate dessert ingredients together in a saucepan and cook until thick, stirring continuously. Once think leave to cool.

Vanilla Custard
1 tbsp cornmeal
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp honey

Mix the cornmeal with a little of the milk to make a smooth paste and add the honey and vanilla. Heat the remaining milk until nearly boiling and pour over the cornmeal mixture, stirring until smooth. Return to the pan and re-heat gently until think, stirring constantly. Leave to cool.

Fruit Filling
1 large banana, chopped
2 cups of cut strawberries

Add half of the chocolate dessert to the chopped banana and mix tegether carefully.

Fill sundae gasses with layers of chocolate dessert, banana mixture, strawberries, vanilla custard and finally the plain chocolate dessert.

Garnish and chill before serving.

We concluded that spinach rice casserole if very yummy but would be extra great with diced tomatoes and a little Parmesan cheese on top too. Next time! The chocolate fruit dessert was amazing and makes 4 sundaes, but it is so yummy you will want to make a double batch! Now off to plan and shop for next weeks challenge.

Enjoy ~SJ

Welcome Back/Cooking Challenge 101

2010-01-08T17:13:00.001-08:00

According to timeanddate.com it has been a mere 78 days or 2 months and 17 days since my last blog post. Just one year ago I was blogging my fingers to the bone trying to reach my 365 blog posts in 365 days. I would like to say that in my 78 day hiatious that I have traveled around the world, or accomplished major goals, or had any exciting news to report. Unfortunately it was SJ just getting lazy and not being creative to come up with new blog topics.

With the New Year comes New Year's resolutions. This years list is simple: 1) Blog more often and 2) Reduce my overall meat consumption be first not eating "anything that had feet" (that means seafood is in - crab and lobster don't really have "feet", right?). So far the no meat resolution has been going great!

The blogging on the other hand not so well, until last night. Last might MacPro and I watched Julie and Julia, the story and Julia Child and one inspired 30-year-old who challenged herself to cook all 524 of Julia's recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Julie blogged this entire journey gathering fans as any good blog does along the way. This true story, turned book, turned into a wonderful movie that even MacPro found enjoyable!

I was so inspired by the movie that I decided to put my two New Year's resolutions together into one. No I will not be cooking all 524 of Julia Child's recipes, no I will not be trying a new recipe every day. My challenge is that I will try at least one new recipe a week attempting to broaden my cooking skills and nightly cooking variety.

I am all set to start the challenge this weekend. Recipe books have been consulted, two recipes have been selected, and the shopping list has been made. Tomorrow (I think) I'm off to the store to pick up a few necessary ingredients. Until then, what are your own personal challenges for the New Year?

Enjoy ~SJ

Priceless

2009-10-22T19:23:00.000-07:00

$24 train ride to Boston

$2 t-ride to the North End

one dozen cannolis from Mike's Pastry - priceless!

Enjoy ~SJ

Mac vs PC

2009-10-06T17:44:00.000-07:00

So blogosphere.... in case you don't keep up with me on Facebook I'm seeing a new guy. There has been weeks of debate over what his blog name will be. I will spare you the list and simply share that he will be known as MacPro. And in honor of MacPro I shall share one of my favorite Mac vs PC commercials since yes I'm a Mac Geek and enjoy watching them on the Apple website.

Sea-Monkeys

2009-10-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it.... I have had a colony of sea-monkeys for over two years now and have yet to blog about them. I have blogged about all of my other pets - cats, ants, but never the sea monkeys. Typically they live at school and during the summer with enjoy the window sill near my kitchen sink. They have yet to make the big trip back to school and I have to admit that I have been enjoying them at home. Indexed recently posted an index about sea monkeys that just made me laugh out loud, and I decided to share.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-10-02T07:42:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. I have a history of eating ice cream almost every day.

2. How to knit socks is something I wish I knew.

3. I'm eating (or recently ate) my portion of 18 pounds of pumpkin seeds.

4. I use my GPS when I am on the road, even to places I know how to go.

5. So that's it, that's almost all the time I have this morning devoted to watching students fill in little bubbles on standardized tests.

6. Warm coffee better than nothing!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching the high school field hockey game with my middle school players, tomorrow my plans include getting ready for the Dempsey Challenge and Sunday, I want to not have to walk in the rain!

Seriously Folks!

2009-09-30T08:07:00.001-07:00

I have been a long time American Girl Doll fan - since around the age of 6. I had Kirsten and then Molly. This is way back when there were only three American Girls that we made in Europe. Let's flash forward twenty plus years to today. Now the American Girl Doll company has a store on 5th Avenue and is owned by Mattel (the owners of Barbie - GASP just the reason why I started playing with American Girl in the first place - to get away from Barbie!)

Now there are many more than three dolls in the line-up. I emailed American Girl early last year suggesting that they start making an Obama inspired doll - no can do. I just read today that they now have a homeless doll! Yes folks, a doll who is homeless for our pre-teens to play with! And we were worried about the poor body image that Barbie was sending. Let's just go back to the simple days of three dolls that you buy from a beautiful catalog and call it good!

Enjoy ~SJ

Codes

2009-09-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

I own and rent government subsidized rental property. At times the hoops that you have to go through in order to meet all of the government codes are crazy! This recent Speed Bump comic reminds me of some of my recent conversations.

Enjoy ~SJ

It's 11 p.m.

2009-08-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

.... and my lunch is packed, the crate is filled with all of my school books that came home for summer vacation, my "Big Paper" that was supposed to be done - isn't, things have been checked off my summer to-do list, and as of tonight there is a new shed in my driveway. Although tonight marks the end of summer as so many of the other River Valley Bloggers have commented via Facebook and their blogs, tonight also marks the beginning of a new year. Years have always begun for me in September and end in June, July and August are there own separate months. So let's raise our glass of pink lemonade and toast to another wonderful summer, I can't wait to play again next summer, but until then there are many more adventures to be had.

Enjoy ~SJ

Berry Challenges

2009-08-27T13:12:00.001-07:00

I have said this hundreds of times, I love to pick all types of berries and could pick berries all day long. Summer of course is the best time to engage in this activity. Each type of berry poses its own challenges. Strawberries strains your legs, blueberries runs the risk of bears, and blackberries requires full body combat gear to even get into the bushes!

I have a little blackberry patch in my back yard, and grew up crawling through them for the precious fruit. Blackberries, like other fruit decided to grow on uneven ground adding to the overall challenge. As you carefully climb through the picky bush you not only need to make sure that you can get back out, but you also need to watch as carefully as you can your footing. Oh, and there is usually a snake or two so don't be startled.

It looks like I will be enjoying the yummy fruit from my yard over the next few weeks as long as I can figure out how to get myself to all of the fruit.

Enjoy ~SJ

Wonderful!

2009-08-25T05:13:00.001-07:00

Enjoy ~SJ

I'm Trying To Be Good....

2009-08-11T14:58:00.001-07:00

I have been working at my desk for many days now leaving only to feed and water myself. No, just kidding, it hasn't been that bad, but I have been logging excessive numbers of hours working on a paper that just doesn't seem to be going anywhere too fast. The blackberries have been taunting me out the window by slowly getting ripe. I think by this weekend I might be able to pick some to make a yummy treat. Until then I will try to get my work done.

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-07-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. It's time for coffee and cereal.

2. _____; it's not a bad place for _____.

3. I must be crazy to think that I'm going to get all my work done next month, but I will manage!

4. Happiness is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My plan is simply always to enjoy life.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was the other day over breakfast with Mi Prima, I was telling her about orphaned food (more about that later).

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the cousins arriving, tomorrow my plans include the Big Swim and Sunday, I want to relax!

And Now Mr. McCourt?!

2009-07-20T19:44:00.000-07:00

This summer has been filled with celebrity deaths and now Frank McCourt! I been a fan of his writing since he published Angela's Ashes in the 90's. I just read Teacher Man earlier this year and was inspired by his novel teaching style. His amazing ability to tell a story came through vividly in his novels.

Enjoy ~SJ

Things I Have Neglected

2009-07-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

The Music Man pointed out last night that I have been a little lax with my bog posts lately. Between posting pictures of Kermit's adventures, keeping my status updates up to date on Facebook, and plugging away at the huge paper I have not gotten enough started on, my blog has fallen to the side.

Over the past few weeks The Music Man and I have been consumed with surfing and searching for new motorcycles. It all started one afternoon when I took a break from that paper I just don't seem to have any interest in writing and decided to check out Craig's List. As I am sure you all know Craig's List can be a very consuming website where there are just too many great deals to check out, cross reference, and ponder. During this particular break I noticed that there was a motorcycle just like mine for sale at a price that I thought was fair, and the best part was mine was nicer. (Notice the use of past tense here). So on a whim I decided to post my motorcycle for sale and see what sort of

luck I would have with selling it. About a year ago a tried my luck with Craig's List to sell my scooter, in less than two days it was gone. Within an hour of posting my motorcycle on Craig's List The Music Man found it and sent me an email wondering what was up. I explained that I thought I would post it and see what happened. Well, let's just say that within six hours the bike was sold!

So started the search for another motorcycle. Let's just say that I spent way too much time looking at Craig's List, Uncle Henry's online as well as the paper version of Uncle Henry's. There were reviews online to check out, and brands to compare, and the all important seat height to study (see I have kind of short legs and it is important to me to have my feet flat on the ground).

In the end I found a Yamaha V-Star 650 Classic for sale in the next town ov

er, just exactly what I

wanted and so close. One day after summer school the Music Man and I went and checked it out. The couple selling it couldn't have been nicer, the bike was everything that I was looking for, and now it sits proudly in my driveway.

After the entire process of selling my old bike and purchase of the new bike the Music Man got inspired to do the same with his bike. So again started the cycle of checking out Craig's List, and Uncle

Henry's, reading reviews, and the constant debate of which one to get. In the end he found a great Honda Magna 750.

Now we both have "grown-up" motorcycles that we will be able to ride for years to come. Yesterday we went on an adventure to pick up a screw for his bike at the dealership in Lewiston (come to find out they had to special order the screw), and then went to our favorite burrito restaurant in Farmington, Big Mouth Burrito (more to come on that later). All totaled about 122 miles using less than five gallons of gas, hours of entertainment, and a great lunch.

So sorry regular readers, I haven't been neglecting you, it is just that I have been wrapped up in the world of Craig's List and Uncle Henry's.

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-07-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

And...here we go, another Friday Fill In!

1. The last thing I ate was a strawberry and another strawberry (who can stop at one?)!

2. A new motorcycle is something I recently bought.

3. When it rains, it seems to never stop - especially in Maine lately.

4. The Music Man was the first person I talked to today.

5. Hugs are always welcome.

6. Sunny days and fresh strawberries provide extra comfort after too many days of rain.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing and finishing my annotations, tomorrow my plans include (not sure) and Sunday, I want to (not sure)!

"These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things"*

2009-07-09T17:31:00.000-07:00

Oregon Trail that you can play online with the original graphics! Got to love it!

Sun all day in the forecast with no rain!

* Title inspired by Rach and her recent blog titles.

Enjoy ~SJ

Kermit At The Beach

2009-07-06T05:43:00.001-07:00

Kermit enjoyed a little R & R over the weekend taking in the rays at the beach in Humarock.

He is even getting creative with his photography.

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday

2009-07-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

In Humarock the 4th of July is celebrated on the 3rd, complete with bonfires and fireworks on the beach. With all of the rain that the northeast has been having the 3rd of July festivities have been a little dampened.

Happy Skywatch!

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday or Photo Sleuthing?

2009-06-20T13:02:00.000-07:00

A family member has been sending out old family pictures this week and asking for people to share if they know more about the story than just who is in the picture. I haven't been able to contribute much to this conversation but have been enjoying looking at the old pictures and learning more family stories. There was one photo that I could put in my two cents on and it is below. As I am sure that I have mentioned Worthley Pond has a long and deep rooted family tradition. Many generations of the family on both sides have spent their summers on the shores of the pond. The picture is just one piece of that family tradition. The part of the story that I could tell with the below picture is where on the pond the picture was taken, it happens to be not too far from my own house. I recognized the shoreline in the old picture and went down to my dock to confirm that this old picture was taken not to far from my own house - I decided to take a picture to prove it. I sent this all back to the family member who was happy to learn more about the picture. I am going to add it to my growing collection of family pictures from the pond.

Maybe doing a little Skywatch will help solve your own family photo questions!

Enjoy ~SJ

Raft Shack!

2009-06-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

I want one, I mean I really want one! Yesterday The Music Man and I went to the Cape and had the opportunity to do a little fishing off from a "House Boat". I'm not sure if House Boat is the correct title for this amazing aquatic find, but I want one. Basically it is a little building that sits on top of a floating raft. Inside the building you could put a futon for sleeping, a bbq, chairs, and other overnight essentials. This would be a perfect addition to the Shamrock in the summer and could accommodate more guests, I think I shall name is Clover. Now I just have to figure out how to get one built for me, and what do do with it in the off season, any ideas?

Enjoy ~SJ

And Sometimes Y And Sometimes Y

2009-06-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

I read a small list of comics on a daily basis via the internet. They are all neatly bookmarked in one folder where I simply have to click on "open all in tabs" and my morning chuckle is ready to read - isn't tab browsing and comics on the internet two of the greatest things?

I read the below comic a few days ago on Mordent Orange and just had to share.

Here is a list of the comics that I read daily in case you want to check them out:

Mother Goose and Grimm

Speed Bump

Enjoy ~SJ

And Cue The Fat Lady!

2009-06-16T03:52:00.001-07:00

We have been able to hear the Fat Lady warming up for weeks now through the halls of school. I think she entered the building about a month ago when the 8th graders (Kermit and I) went on the three day trip to New York City. Her warm ups intensified when I could say to myself "That is the last new topic I have to teach", or "This is the last homework, quiz, or test assignment I have to grade", she was almost ready for her final note last week when I could say "My grades are done!" Yesterday was the last day for the students and although the students got to hear the Fat Lady, the staff only caught a glimpse of her since we have a workshop day today. Our district tradition is to have a school wide staff lunch and the Superintendent acknowledges those who have been teaching for specific milestones, or are retiring. I anticipate hearing the Fat Lady hit her final note after this lunch.

So, please cue the Fat Lady soon so that we can start our much anticipated and deserved summer vacation.

Enjoy ~SJ

As a side note, the phrase "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings" was coined by Ralph Carpenter during a Red Raiders, Texas Tech basketball game in 1976.

A Point Of Reflection

2009-06-15T19:48:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been filled with the hectic finish of the school year, topped of with a pile of homework for my own courses. While sitting at my kitchen counter this afternoon reading and outlining this was my view, thankfully I stopped and took a moment to enjoy this reflection. I think that it makes a fitting Skywatch post.

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-06-11T18:04:00.001-07:00

Another week of Friday Fill-Ins, the Mad-Lib blog! And...here we go!

1. I grew up thinking I wanted to be a dolphin trainer.

2.FedEx track your package was the last website I was at before coming here.

3. Why don't you give Friday Fill-Ins a try??

4. Naps help me relax.

5. "Thanks for the memories".

6. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a relaxing evening, tomorrow my plans include the Boston Guitar Festival and Sunday, I want to get some Chinese bubble tea!

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday

2009-06-05T06:39:00.000-07:00

The sky from the top of the Empire State Building, wish I would have tried to do a Kermit King Kong picture there. Click here for more Skywatch Friday posts.

Enjoy ~SJ

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-06-05T05:43:00.000-07:00

I came across this new themed Friday blog event called Friday Fill-Ins where you simply mad-lib your way through a blog post. Feel free to play along!

1. I love my home and sometimes find it hard to go to work in the morning because of it.

2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been pork chops.

3. Quack! Quack! Quack! and bark! bark! bark! have been themes for the last few weeks.

4. A nice long walk would be a great thing if I could find the time.

5. Summer vacation is just around the corner is some good news.

6. When all is said and done, I love my life.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to planting and motorcycle rides, tomorrow my plans include trash and coffee and Sunday, I want to relax!

Enjoy ~SJ

Kermit's Adventure in New York

2009-05-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

Kermit The Frog and I went on a little trip to New York City this past week with my 8th grade students. It was a great trip, but like so many to short. Here is our amphibious hero enjoying the sights.

KTF on top of the Empire State building and sitting on the bull near the Stock Exchange for good financial luck.

KTF inside the Apple store checking out an iPod touch and looking at the Apple Store sign.

KTF checking out Time Square and the dinosaur exhibit in the Natural History Museum.

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday (ok Saturday)

2009-05-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

Fresh back from his New York City tour, Kermit enjoyed many sights. His favorite was the Statue of Liberty where he can be seen here doing an impression of her. Happy Skywatch!

Enjoy ~SJ

The Grown Up Meme

2009-05-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

Play along if you wish, this originally came from Amity

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?

Since I am a math teacher you would think that I enjoy the task of paying bills, but mostly I just dread sitting down and paying them all.

2. Do you miss being a child?

I was just talking about this last night with friends, there are great parts of being a child and great parts of being an adult.

3. Chore you hate the most?

Anything to do with laundry, just ask The Mother.

4. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?

The Music Man and I went to Slate's, always a wonderful dinner.

5. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be?

What sort of question is this?

6. Name of your first grade teacher?

Mrs. Collins, and Bob had a different chair than the rest of us.

7. What do you really want to be doing right now?

This

8. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A dolphin trainer

9. How many colleges did you attend?

One for undergrad, and another one for masters and doctoral

10. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?

It was there on the pile

11. What are your thoughts on gas prices?

Got to get the motorcycle out and drive it more.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?

No alarm today, it is Sunday.

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?

Long weekend.....

14. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?

Gary Larson

15. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?

Gone of the road a few times due to icy conditions

16. If you didn’t have to work, would you volunteer?

Yes

17. Get up early or sleep in?

Both

18. What is your favorite cartoon character?

They aren't a cartoon, but I loved the Fraggles

20. When did you first start feeling old?

When I got my first real job

21. Favorite lunch meat?

I hate lunch meat

22. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?

Lean Cuisines, that way I don't have to eat lunch meat for lunch

23. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?

It works for some people, so no

24. Favorite movie you wouldn’t want anyone to find out about?

25. What’s your favorite drink?

Fruit smoothies

26. Who[m] from high school would you like to run in to?

Well I ran into a whole bunch of them last night, it was great to catch up with them all.

27. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?

NPR.

28. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives?

Sopranos, I had hope for Desperate Housewives but it just got too weird.

29. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work?

Yes, and sometimes we wave across the hall/library to one another when we shut our classroom doors.

30. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purposes?

Yes, a coffee cup caught on fire it the microwave. Moral of the story: Some plastic travel mugs have screws in them and fire extinguishers can make a huge mess!

31. Last book you finished reading?

Prep

Enjoy ~SJ

The Dump

2009-05-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Most people I would imagine just put their trash out to the curb and never wonder what happens to it after that. If you live in an area without trash pickup, like me, then you know a little more to the story of your trash. The Dump, or more formally known The Transfer Station has a series of etiquette that needs to be followed:

1) If it a busy day at The Dump wait patiently in your vehicle in line for the next available space.

2) If you are waiting in line make sure that you have moved your vehicle as far to the right as possible so vehicles can still get out.

3) Once you have a space close to "The Hopper" (giant pit where trash goes) quickly move to get your trash and recycling in all of the appropriate receptacles.

4) If you see someone you know (this always happens) talk quickly while taking care of trash, this is particularly true if there is a line.

5) Anything that might still have some use goes along the wall, "One persons trash is another persons treasures" this saying can not be more true than at The Dump.

6) Put all of your trash and recyclables in the correct place or The Dump Guy might come and yell at you. You must listen to him, he has a name tag and will remember you.

7) Do not leave your vehicle doors open, it makes it difficult for others to park close to "The Hopper".

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday

2009-05-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Music Man and I took the motorcycles out for a ride last weekend to the Height of Land an the way to Rangeley. As always the view was amazing.

Happy Skywatch Friday!

Enjoy ~SJ

Netflix Origami Fun!

2009-05-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

In my relaxing hours of the evening I sometimes like to practice a little paper folding art. As I have mentioned earlier origami has been a hobby since childhood. I have a lot of origami books, none of which have a hippo pattern in them! I recently stumbled upon this website that is origami out of Netflix envelopes, environmentally friendly and exercises your visual-spatial skills! So far I have tried the shirt, frog, and crab.

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday!

2009-05-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile since I have posted a Skywatch. Last week while driving home from the middle school production of Annie the moon was reflecting beautifully on the river. Oh, and I guess I am the "Skywatch Host" for another week - such an honor!

Enjoy ~SJ

Origami Hippo

2009-05-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

My students and I have had a running joke about hippos that steams from the Pythagorean Theorem. We also have been working on origami on and off all year long, so last night I got the idea of teaching them how to make an origami hippo. One small problem though, I don't know how to make an origami hippo, nor do I have a pattern - Google to the rescue! I did a little searching, found a few patterns but nothing that I really liked. While in search of the perfect paper hippo I updated my Facebook status to "is wondering how to make an origami hippo, anyone know?" Within moments I had a response complete with links, another few moments and I Mi Prima offer to look at the library for me today. Talk about service! Today I had a few moments so I gave one of the hippos a try, very simple and it might be the one I teach them how to make. With a few changes in the "nose" folding it could become an elephant too!

Enjoy ~SJ

Just Too Funny!

2009-05-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

On my list of SJ facts that I have not shared yet is that I am a fan of the HBO show Sex and the City. When Indexed came out with this new chart today:

I added Indexed to my Google Reader about a year ago after Rach pointed me in that direction. The science/math geek in me just loves the almost daily index card chart outlining some phenomena. If Indexed isn't in your Google Reader I suggest you add it now.

Enjoy ~SJ

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day to those two very special ladies in my life, with the continuous encouragement and support from the two of you so many things have been accomplished.

Enjoy ~SJ

If I Only Had A Brain Pythagorus

2009-05-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

I have been teaching about the Pythagorean Theorem this week and I made reference to the fact that the Scarecrow quoted the Pythagorean Theorem when the Wizard gave him a brain. I decided today to look the scene up on youtube so that I could share it with my students tomorrow. Come to find out the Scarecrow misquoted the theorem! This makes it even more fun to share with them tomorrow. Can you find the mistake?

Enjoy ~SJ

It been a week....

2009-05-02T18:04:00.001-07:00

.... and SJ has not posted anything new to her blog. Sorry readers, I think I am back into a state of blogging doldrum. Life has been filled with the same old routine - school, homework, sleep, eat, and maybe a motorcycle ride squeezed in. The Music Man and I did go to a great concert at Bates College last night with some friends, but other than that, nothing to exciting to blog about. The Mother is on her journey northward and will be arriving at the Shamrock on Wednesday, very excited to see her after her 6 months in Florida. Tomorrows goal is to take a picture of something exciting to post.

Enjoy ~SJ

Ben & Jerry's Flavor Generator

2009-04-26T15:11:00.000-07:00

As part of the Ben and Jerry's website you can create and submit your own flavor creation to the flavor Gurus. Well, since I eat my share of Ben and Jerry's I decided to try my hand at creating my own flavor - I think it sounds amazing and here's hoping that The Gurus think so too. If you want to create you own simply click here.

Enjoy ~SJ

SJ's ABC's

2009-04-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks Facebook for this one....

A - Age: 28

B - Bed size: Queen

C - Chore you hate: Folding laundry, but I have gotten much better over the years

D - Dog's name: Figment - since she is a figment of my imagination

E - Essential start to your day: shower and coffee

F - Favorite color: red

G - Gold or Silver: silver

H - Height: 5'4"

I - Instruments you play: viola, bass

J- Job: Teacher

K – Kids: nope

L - Living arrangements: A great house on a lake

M - Mom's name: Andrea

N - Nicknames:Sarah Jane, SJ

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: none

P - Pet Peeve: Getting things done late

Q - Quote from a movie:

R – Robot or Human? A robot would be cool to have fold my laundry

S - Siblings: none

T - Time you wake up: 6:10 on school days

U- Underwear: cotton

V - Vegetable you dislike: olives, mushrooms

W - Ways you run late: Don't factor in the travel time correctly

X - X-rays you've had:Teeth and nose

Y - Yummy food you make: Cookies, and bread

Z - Zoo favorite: Camel

Great Vacation

2009-04-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Vacation Accomplishments

Got the motorcycle out

Worked on homework

Slept

Errands in Portland

Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's

Learned how to change the oil in the motorcycle

Went to the Apple Store

Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's (yes, I had two)

So far it has been a great vacation and it is only Tuesday!

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday!

2009-04-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

The ice is out, the ducks and loons are coming back, so that must mean that spring is here! Happy skywatch!

Enjoy ~SJ

Where's SJ Answer, or American Folktale & Skywatch

2009-04-12T07:40:00.000-07:00

The two winners of the Guess Where SJ Is contest are Rach, and Uncommonly Common. Both will be winning the Dixfield University (Corner Store) gift card prize! Thank you for all participating.

Now onto the answer. Yes, I was standing at the foot of the Paul Bunyan statue in Rumford at the Information Center. While visiting the Information Center I learned why we have a Paul Bunyon statue, and how he grow up here in Maine. What follows is the Paul Bunyon story according to the Information Center.

"As the legend goes, Paul Bunyon was born in Bangor, Maine. At the time of his birth, not only one stork brought Paul to his parents but also it took five very large storks. He did not have a normal size crable because he was so large, his first bed happened to be a lumber wagon that was pulled by a team of horses. To rock Paul to sleep, his father would drive the wagon up to the top of Maine and back home again.

When he was just a few days old, he could cry loud, so loud that he scared all of the fish out of the rivers and streams in the entire agea. The frogs that lived in the ponds nearby began wearing earmuffs in the morning when Paul would scream so loudly for his breakfast afraid they might go deaf. The cows had a large order to fill as it took the milk from 24 cows to keep his bottle filled and his mother had to give him ten barrels of porridge every two hours to keep his stomach from growling and knocking the house down.

When he was only a week old, he could wear his father's clothing. When he was three weeks old, he rolled around during his nap and tore down the timeber on four square miles of timberland. His parents could not handle all the destruction that their young Paul was causing, so they built a raft and floated it just off the coast of Maine. However, this was not a great idea. He rolled over on the raft and caused a 75-foot tidal wave in the Bay of Fundy. The British Navy had to come to the resuce to awaken Paul from hi nap. It took every cannon on the entire fleet and seven hours of firing their cannons to awaken him. Paul woke up and stepped off his raft but accidently sank four war ships.

After this, his parents decided that Maine and the entire easter coast were just too small for Paul, so they moved to Minnesote."

So that is the tall tale about the childhood of Paul Bunyan growing up in Maine. This last picture is my Skywatch Friday picture.

Enjoy ~SJ

Marketing Overload Take 2

2009-04-12T06:38:00.001-07:00

Around this time last year I blogged extensively about the ridiculous variety of Peeps available on the market. They seem to come in every shape and size for all holidays. What ever happened to Peeps being available for only Easter as yellow chicks? I mean, isn't the word peep simply a synonym for chick? During a recent trip to Rite Aid I noticed another new Peep color, orange. Now as odd as it was to see orange Peeps I have to admit that it seems like the most logical color besides yellow since it closely resembles to color of a bird. At least it is a closer color choice than say electric blue or hot pink, right?

Happy Easter, enjoy ~SJ

Where's SJ?

2009-04-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

As the title suggests, this is a little like Waldo, only you have to guess where SJ was when she took the picture. I will give you a hint, I was in the Greater River Valley area. The winner gets a prize, click here for a hint at what the prize is.

Enjoy ~SJ

Swimming Anyone?

2009-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

The ice is starting to go out and it looks like the public beach is welcoming swimmers. Glad that I took this picture when I did because a few hours later when I drove by again the little green frog float toy was gone. Wonder where he hopped off to?

Skywatch Friday Guest Host

2009-04-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was selected to be the Guest Host on the Skywatch Friday site. To be a host you simply have to send an email to the site moderator and wait your turn. I sent my request in late last week and got the good news a few days ago. You can click here to read more about how you too can be a Guest Host.

Enjoy ~SJ

Kermit at the Fort Worth Stockyards

April Fools Day

2009-04-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know that I am a day late posting about April Fools Day, but it took me 24 hours to recover. You have to understand that for middle school students April Fools Day is a national holiday, bigger than Christmas and Halloween combined. Since this year the first of April fell on a school day it was pure crazy in my school yesterday! We had students leave rocks that looked like feces in classrooms, hide on teachers, and bark like dogs whenever teachers said a predetermined word. I think that I will have to do some researching and planning before next years day of pranks comes around.

Enjoy ~SJ

Views From Worthley Pond, or Skywatch Tuesday?

2009-03-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

We all can smell it in the air and witness it in the familiar new sights around us, spring is on its way. Winter coats are being put away, yards can be seen again after their months under heavy blankets of snow, and birds are coming back from their winter travels. The view out my front window is changing, but the exciting sign of spring has not happened yet. The ice is still on the pond and it will be there for at least a few more weeks. I took this picture last Friday for Skywatch Friday but got too busy to post it. If you look carefully you can see my snowshoe prints walking off across the pond. Although I am excited for spring to come, and am sadly going to miss my afternoons of trekking on the pond enjoying the sun and fresh air.

Enjoy ~SJ

What Part Of Spring?

2009-03-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you oh amazing internet quizzes! I am down for the count with a cold, up to my ears in class work, and trying to grade and enter student work. I keep thinking that I will feel more inspired and energized once spring is really here. This quiz kind of help....

You Are Chirping Birds

You are a very caring person. You especially feel for innocent beings, like animals and children.

You are keyed in to the world and very peaceful. You believe that everyone is connected.

You remain focused and in the moment. You are not easily distracted.

You have a good memory, especially for things that you hear. You listen carefully.

What Part of Spring Are You?

Enjoy ~SJ

iPhone and Music!

2009-03-24T18:22:00.000-07:00

Stanford University has a musical group called the Mopho (Mobile Phone). The group uses the iPhone as their instruments and utilizes the various musical instruments apps available. Below is a movie on them from YouTube, now it just makes me want an iPhone even more!

This Is My Driveway......

2009-03-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

...melting and flowing!

Enjoy ~SJ

The Best School Day Of The Year!

2009-03-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days that I have to remind myself that I get to have all this fun AND get paid - it was Black Mountain Day. In case you are not familiar with this local tradition, Black Mountain is the local ski mountain, and for one whole day we take the kids there (mostly for free to them) and we get to play. Most of the schools in the area take a day and hit the slopes. My job today: ski the trails and make sure the students were all being safe. The first day of spring brought us a beautiful day of spring skiing. A raced a few of my students down the bunny slope (and won!), I sprayed a few kids with some snow (and got sprayed back by a few), I went off "the kicker" jump, a table jump that kicks you in the air - and landed! Basically I played like a kid and got paid to do it.

Now, today is not the first day that I have played like a kid on the slopes and gotten paid. I somehow landed the most amazing job this winter of taking students to the same mountain two afternoons a week to basically teach them how to ski and snowboard. A group of 30 students got free transportation to the mountain, lift tickets, and rentals for 10 weeks. These were afternoons where I again had to remind myself that I was getting paid to have all of the fun and laughs that I was having. I had one student who had to be brought down the trail the first day on a snowmobile because they could not ski, to being able to ski all by themselves. I had another student stand at the bottom of the lift for two days with her skis on because she didn't think she could ride the chairlift, today she was on the big trails making it down with her friends. This afterschool activity was paid for by the Pep and Access grants, and I certainly hope that they are able to do it again. The students learned how much fun skiing and snowboarding is, and have learned a new lifelong sport. I ended up looking forward to my afternoons on the slopes with them and it made the winter more enjoyable.

Enjoy ~SJ

Pull-Tabs Make The News

2009-03-18T15:37:00.000-07:00

The pull-tab project at school has been flying along! We easily reached the 15,000 original goal in less than two weeks. The kids were having so much fun with the project that we increased the goal to 1.5 million pull-tabs, this represents the number of children killed in the Holocaust. Today the Lewiston Sun Journal and the Rumford Falls Times both published an article on the class project. I can only link to the Sun Journal article, here, since it is not on the Falls Times website.

Enjoy ~SJ

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

It is the one day out of the year that everyone can celebrate being Irish, even if you aren't. Interesting fact, SJ isn't Irish although her name my suggest otherwise. That doesn't stop me, I still celebrate the holiday all month long! Hope that your day was filled with green!

Enjoy ~SJ

Pi Day!

2009-03-14T18:02:00.000-07:00

Since today is March 14th that means that it is Pi Day. In case you aren't a math teacher, or a math geek, it is Pi Day since the date is the same as the first three digits of pi (3.14). I think that today can only be officially celebrated by eating pie and doing really long math problems, who's in?

Enjoy ~SJ

Save The Words!

2009-03-14T15:49:00.001-07:00

Save The Words is a website that allows you to adopt the words that have been deemed not worthy of the dictionary. Every year words analyzed to determine if they are used enough in language for the year. If they are not used often enough they are retired. Save The Words allows us to adopt these "unworthy" words, I adopted Virtival: A metal support for an axle. I plan on using the word as often as I can, go and do your part for these homeless and unloved words. Not only do you get to take care of this wonderful word, but you also get a nice certificate to show others that you care about unwanted words.

Enjoy ~SJ

Unusual Silence

2009-03-13T17:41:00.001-07:00

Dear Valued Readers,

Sorry for the quiet blog-waves. I have been working on class work, and all the other stuff of life. I hope to be inspired over the weekend with the increasing temperatures. Until then....

Enjoy ~SJ

Archaeological Find!

2009-03-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

It has scientifically been proven, my driveway is made of tar. All winter a glacier has been forming at the end of my driveway making walking treacherous - I invested in ice cleats to make shoveling safer! After some quality time with my ice chipper and shovel (ok, and some nice warm weather thanks to Mother Nature), I cleared away most of the glacier that had formed. Along with some creative drainage ditch creating my driveway is looking ready for spring.

Enjoy ~SJ

Teacher Man

2009-03-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

My first book to arrive from Paperback Swap was Teacher Man. It has been sitting on my to-read list on Good Reads for months now, and I have finally gotten around to reading it. I have read Frank McCourt's other books, Angela's Ashes, and Tis, and since I am a teacher was looking forward to McCourt's witty perspective on life. The book lived up to my expectations, and while reading it I made a list of people who need to read this book. All week at school when the kids would get frustrating I thought back to McCourt's observations and had to laugh that students everywhere have always been like this.

Here is what Amazon had to say:

For 30 years Frank McCourt taught high school English in New York City and for much of that time he considered himself a fraud. During these years he danced a delicate jig between engaging the students, satisfying often bewildered administrators and parents, and actually enjoying his job. He tried to present a consistent image of composure and self-confidence, yet he regularly felt insecure, inadequate, and unfocused. After much trial and error, he eventually discovered what was in front of him (or rather, behind him) all along--his own experience. "My life saved my life," he writes. "My students didn't know there was a man up there escaping a cocoon of Irish history and Catholicism, leaving bits of that cocoon everywhere." At the beginning of his career it had never occurred to him that his own dismal upbringing in the slums of Limerick could be turned into a valuable lesson plan. Indeed, his formal training emphasized the opposite. Principals and department heads lectured him to never share anything personal. He was instructed to arouse fear and awe, to be stern, to be impossible to please--but he couldn't do it. McCourt was too likable, too interested in the students' lives, and too willing to reveal himself for their benefit as well as his own. He was a kindred spirit with more questions than answers: "Look at me: wandering late bloomer, floundering old fart, discovering in my forties what my students knew in their teens." As he did so adroitly in his previous memoirs, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, McCourt manages to uncover humor in nearly everything. He writes about hilarious misfires, as when he suggested (during his teacher's exam) that the students write a suicide note, as well as unorthodox assignments that turned into epiphanies for both teacher and students. A dazzling writer with a unique and compelling voice, McCourt describes the dignity and difficulties of a largely thankless profession with incisive, self-deprecating wit and uncommon perception. It may have taken him three decades to figure out how to be an effective teacher, but he ultimately saved his most valuable lesson for himself: how to be his own man.

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch Friday!

2009-03-06T13:20:00.001-08:00

This was the sky over Worthley Pond this morning as I warmed up the car. Pretty dreary and dull. On the up side the Hermit Island reservations came in the mail yesterday, the Music Man and I will be enjoying two camping trips there this summer. So let's hope that I can get more Skywatch Friday pictures that look like this! The Hermit Island Gods were smiling on us to get such great reservations, I think the offering at the He rmit Hut helped!
Enjoy ~SJ

Flower Fun

2009-03-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

What a fun thing to do on a winter, but we want it to be spring day. You can create your own virtual flowers on Zefrank. Come on, I know you want to waste some internet time create your own beautiful creation.

Enjoy ~SJ

Pull-Tab Project Update

2009-03-03T18:44:00.000-08:00

Less than one week into the pull-tab project and we already have over 10,000! That means that we are over 2/3 of the way there and our advertising is just starting to get into full swing. The kids want to up the goal to 1.5 million for all of the children in the Holocaust, we will have to see how much longer the 15,000 goal takes us. In case you missed the original post about the pull-tab project you can read about it here.

Enjoy ~SJ

The Reader

2009-03-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

While cleaning out the bookshelves last weekend in search of books to list on Paperback Swap I came across a few books that I had not read yet - an amazing and exciting find! One that I discovered was The Reader, upon discovery I remembered that this book (now movie) was up for a few Oscars. According to the Oscar website The Reader was nominated in five categories: Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Directing, Best Motion Picture of the Year, and Adapted Screenplay. Although the movie was up for five nominations, it managed to sweep one away from Slumdog Millionare, the Best Actress award. I'm not sure why I am going on so much about the movie since I haven't seen it yet.

More about the book..... although it is a short and quick read it is packed with events that make you contemplate decisions that people make. Here is what amazon.com had to say:

Michael Berg, 15, is on his way home from high school in post-World War II Germany when he becomes ill and is befriended by a woman who takes him home. When he recovers from hepatitis many weeks later, he dutifully takes the 40-year-old Hanna flowers in appreciation, and the two become lovers. The relationship, at first purely physical, deepens when Hanna takes an interest in the young man's education, insisting that he study hard and attend classes. Soon, meetings take on a more meaningful routine in which after lovemaking Michael reads aloud from the German classics. There are hints of Hanna's darker side: one inexplicable moment of violence over a minor misunderstanding, and the fact that the boy knows nothing of her life other than that she collects tickets on the streetcar. Content with their arrangement, Michael is only too willing to overlook Hanna's secrets. She leaves the city abruptly and mysteriously, and he does not see her again until, as a law student, he sits in on her case when she is being tried as a Nazi criminal. Only then does it become clear that Hanna is illiterate and her inability to read and her false pride have contributed to her crime and will affect her sentencing. The theme of good versus evil and the question of moral responsibility are eloquently presented in this spare coming-of-age story that's sure to inspire questions and passionate discussion.

Enjoy ~SJ

Garfield Monday

2009-03-02T06:38:00.000-08:00

It is well know that Garfield the Cat does not enjoy Mondays, this has been one of the many themes of the comic strip. With the snow days that we have been getting on Mondays lately the teachers of the Western Foothills of Maine have not had to suffer through too many. Today is another snow day, filled with relaxing and then shoveling.

Enjoy ~SJ

Donna Brazile

2009-03-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

While I was in Dallas a few weeks ago I was the winner of a book by Donna Brazile, Cooking With Grease: Stirring The Pots In America. Now I'm not one to follow every American politics story and was not sure how I felt about this book, or if I would even read it. Last weekend I found myself short of reading material and decided to try Brazile, after 30 fast pages I was hooked and shocked. Her story is moving, her style captivating, her book enlightening. Here is what amazon.com has to say:

Harvard professor, Washington power broker and former Gore 2000 campaign chair Donna Brazile's life might make for a pretty entertaining Hollywood movie if an actress could be found gutsy enough to take on such a complex and intimidating leading role. From humble blue-collar Louisiana beginnings as one of nine children, Brazile went on to organize voter registration drives, marches to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr., and ultimately national political campaigns. In her memoir Cooking With Grease, Brazile shares candid perspectives on her employers and causes. And while Mike Dukakis and Dick Gephardt fans will be pleased to know their men are included, it is the insights on the charismatic preacher/activist/presidential candidate Jesse Jackson and Al Gore, whom Brazile insists won the controversial 2000 election, that make this a must read for devotees of modern political history. Her accounts of being backstage in the Gore camp shed valuable light on the tense political climate of that year's election and post-election recount mess in a way that only a select few from either the Bush or Gore campaigns could legitimately offer. Still, none of the candidates shine quite so brightly in this book as the author herself. Washington is, after all, operated, with a few exceptions, by moneyed white men and for a black woman from a humble background to succeed requires determination, a quick wit, and a powerful intellect. As Brazile climbs the political ladder, those qualities come in to sharp relief. But while Cooking With Grease is inspirational, and Brazile really ought to be auctioning the film rights if she hasn't already done so, it doesn't preach, inspiring by example rather than exhorting the reader to follow Brazile's own course of action.

Enjoy ~SJ

Skywatch!

2009-02-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Skywatch Friday! Like so many other Skywatch posters, we just can't take another snowy scene posting. This is a picture that I took last spring from the side mirror of my scooter. When I rode the scooter I spent so much time looking in my side mirror for cars that needed to pass me I decided one day to pull over and take a picture of the view. The scooter, seen below, was 49 cc Honda Metropolitan, with a top speed of 42 mph. It got over 100 mph, it has since been sold to upgrade to a "real" motorcycle. With all of the snow that we have been getting in Maine, I keep dreaming of the day when the bike can come out again. Enjoy ~SJ

Bubbles Pooch Look Alike

2009-02-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Music Man and I have been watching the TV show Trailer Park Boys. It is a Canadian TV show, and in case you can't figure it out it is about some guys who live in a trailer park. There is a character named Bubbles who wears thick glasses that makes him look like he has bubble eyes. Also, as you may know I am a fan of the comic strip Pooch Cafe. On the creator Paul Gilligan's blog about the comic strip he posted a few past strips this week that feature Poncho wearing glasses. In these panels Poncho ends up looking a bit like Bubbles. I decided to email Paul and point out this similarity, here is the email:

"I have to say first off that my boyfriend and I are fans of Pooch. We are also fans of a TV show called Trailer Park Boys. We found your most recent blog post about Poncho and his peepers funny since he looked like Bubbles. Attached is a little slide that I made comparing the two characters. Check out Trailer Park Boys, it is almost as funny as Pooch."

Amazingly, within minutes I got the following reply:

"This is hilarious! I LOVE the TP Boys! I'm going to post this up on the blog site right away. Thanks for sending that, and for the props on the strip."

Yup, you read that correctly, my comment and pictures have now been posted on the Pooch blog, check it out here!

Enjoy ~SJ

Paperback Book Swap

2009-02-24T07:40:00.000-08:00

I signed up over vacation for this online service called Paperback Swap. As the title suggests, it is an online website that allows you to unload some of your unwanted paperbacks in trade for other peoples unwanted paperbacks. The librarian at my school told me about it, and it sounded too amazing for me to pass up. Last night was my night, I signed up, posted 10 paperbacks that I didn't need anymore and then picked out two books that I wanted. It is simple, for every one book that you send out, you can pick one book to be sent to you. You have to pay the shipping, usually less than $3.00, but other than that the service is free. Oh, and when someone requests a book from you Paperback Swap creates a mailing paper that you can print to use to package and wrap the book in.

Enjoy ~SJ

Night and Pull Tabs

2009-02-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I read Night by Elie Wiesel, it is about a boy and his struggle to survive the Holocaust. Here is the review from Amazon:

In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves.

The reason why I re-read this book is because this coming week I am starting my portion of the integrated unit on the Holocaust. In case you are not familiar, one of the teaching strategies of middle school is to teach on a team of teachers who all teach the same students. Since we all of the same students this means that we can teach lessons around a central theme. This can be a very exciting and challenging undertaking. One of the integrated themes that the team that I teach on uses is the Holocaust. In years past when we teach our Holocaust unit I have done activities about how big one million is. We have done everything from figure out how many boxes of macaroni we would need to have one million elbow pieces, to taping together sheets of paper that have 10,000 dots on them.

This year I have decided to try something different. The Terezin Concentration Camp had over 15,000 children pass through between 1942 and 1944. Of these 15,000 children very few of them survived, but their poetry and pictures did and can been seen in the book I Will Never See Another Butterfly. In order to understand the number 15,000 and to tie into the butterfly project that the language arts teacher is teaching my students are going to collect 15,000 soda pull tabs. These pull tabs, once collected, will then be donated to the Shriners.

So, if you have any soda pull-tabs please send them my way. I am sure that my students will greatly appreciate them in our efforts to reach 15,000.

Enjoy ~SJ

Letter Game

2009-02-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

This one came from Katie over in Katieland, she is a fellow RVB who before we started blogging we were on the awkward wave hello basis, now when I see her we stop and chat.

1. A is for age: 28

2. B is for beer of choice: Not a big beer drinker

3. C is for career right now: 8th grade math teacher

4. D is for your dog's name? Gretal, she is my childhood dog who lives with The Mother

5. E is for essential item you use everyday: Lotion all day long on the face and hands.

6. F is for favorite TV show at the moment: House and Grey's Anatomy

7. G is for favorite game: Kakuro

8. H is for Home town: Dixfield

9. I is for instruments you play: Viola

10. J is for favorite juice: Blueberry

11. K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: I don't kick butt, just my own to get stuff done

12. L is for last place you ate: Home, a few cherrystone clams before the turkey pie later on tonight, YUM!

13. M is for marriage: Been there, done that, moved on

14. N is for your full name: SJI

15. O is for overnight hospital stays: none

16. P is for people you were with today: The Music Man, Stanley, and Phoebe

17. Q is for quote: "Everything happens for a reason"

18. R is for Biggest Regret: The long list, or the short list? See #17, there are none.

19. S is for status: Happily seeing The Music Man

20. T is for time you woke up today: 11:30, I woke up earlier and fed the cats and decided on the last day of vacation to go back to bed.

21. U is for underwear you have on now: Cotton

22. V is for vegetable you love: Fresh asparagus

23. W is for worst habit: Nail biting, but I'm doing better

24. X is for x-rays you've had: My teeth last time I had them cleaned

25. Y is for yummy food you ate today: Cheerios with almonds, dried cranberries, and frozen blueberries - Cheerio should call this the special SJ cereal blend.

26. Z is for zodiac sign: Sagittarius

Socks The Clinton's Cat

2009-02-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

It was announced yesterday that The Clinton's cat Socks has died. Now to most people this news may not mean anything, but Socks the cat was an important political figure in my young life. The Clinton's adopted Socks around the same time that Amy came into my life. Amy was my first cat, I picked her out and I named her. She was a black and white cat just like Socks, she also had a short stumpy tail only a few inches long. Now Amy was not the poster cat for friendly cuddly cats, but she tolerated my childhood antics that involved her. At this young age I thought it was interesting that the White House also had a black and white cat that even made the news every now and the. I collected Socks newspaper clippings and hung them down low around Amy's food, I think that she liked to dine with this famous cat.

The article from the Associated Press stated that after the Clinton's left the white house Sock went to live with Betty Curie, Bill Clinton's secretary. Living at the White House was not all fun and games for this black and white cat, before the presidency he was accustomed to roaming outside at his own will. His romps outside had to be curtailed, and on occasion was spotted outside on a leash. The entrance of Buddy, the chocolate retriever added even more entertainment for Socks, even President Clinton confessed that the relations between these to presidential pets was difficult when he said "I'm trying to work that out, it's going to take a while. It's kind of like peace in Ireland or the Middle East."

I am guessing that the White House must be some sort of fountain of youth for cats, Socks lived to be over 18 years old. India, the Bush's cat also died at the age of 18. I see Phoebe and Stanley writing to Obama to see if he will adopt them.

Enjoy ~SJ