Happy 35th Birthday to Darryl! We've had a fun day so far. First, he opened presents and had some delicious fruit tart from Whole Foods (I haven't been brave enough to attempt to prepare a fruit tart yet). We had lunch this afternoon at the Smith House, and we decided while we were in Dahlonega to visit a couple of wineries--Three Sisters was by far the better of the two . It was a perfect day to go--the weather was beautiful and the leaves were shades of red and yellow. Maybe it wasn't Napa Valley, but it had to be close. We definitely recommend going. Tonight, we're having dinner with our friends Blake and Jessica, and we're looking forward to that. I think the 35th has been a good one for Darryl.
Happy Birthday also to TimShady. It looks like, from Max's blog, that they celebrated with not one, but TWO desserts. (I hope Darryl doesn't feel slighted by just his one fruit tart.)
Hope it's been a good one, guys!
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Husband, The Truck, TV, and More
Wow--I didn't really mean to go this long without posting. I don't have a ton of news to write of, but I do have a few things that might be of interest:
The Return of Darryl
I didn't "advertise" this on my blog at the time, but Darryl was gone for 3-1/2 weeks to Capetown, South Africa, to do some work for the company he works for. Now, I'm a person who likes to have my "me time," (I completely chalk that up to my only-childness and the fact that I could entertain myself for HOURS with reading or playing with Barbie dolls when I was a kid), but three weeks is a little too much me time. Anyway, although I'm glad he had the opportunity to travel somewhere interesting and have some cool experiences, I'm really, really glad he's back.
Darryl's New Truck
It would be a really cool story if this truck had been sitting in the driveway when Darryl came home from his trip, but that isn't what happened. I'm not that good of a wife, I guess. :) Darryl had been wanting a truck for a while, and his CRV that we bought about 8 years go was starting to cause more problems than it was worth. We went back and forth about what kind of truck to get for probably six months--all the trucks Darryl liked were too big and very possibly wouldn't have fit in our garage--but this Ford Explorer Sport Trac was something we both liked. It's a good size for hauling things like mulch, plants, fishing stuff, etc., but it isn't so massive that it feels like a big rig. And both vehicles fit in the garage. What I like most about it, though, is the 6-month free satellite radio that comes with the truck; the 80's station ROCKS, y'all. It also has a jack that allows for an iPod to be plugged in straight through to the radio. Awesome.
My Dad's Retirement
After being a working man for over forty years, my dad retired. What I think is cool about this is HOW he retired. Now anyone who knows my dad knows he isn't known for his spontaneity. He likes to plan things in advance and be very, very certain before he takes any kind of action. Well, one day a couple of weeks ago, he just decided he was done. Things were taking a bad turn at his job, and he just decided it was enough. You know how we all have those days when we fantasize about telling the boss that we're "outta here"? Well, my dad pretty much lived that fantasy. He and his boss ended on good terms, but now my dad is enjoying doing what HE wants to do instead of--in his words--"working for the man." It's about time, I say. Good for him.
My Parents' Visit
While Darryl was gone, my parents came up for a visit. We went to the Apple Festival in Ellijay, and my mom and I did some shopping. I had to do something with all the apples I bought, so I've made apple crisp, Paula Deen's Caramel Apple Cake, and apple pie over the past couple of weeks. Anyway, it was good seeing them, and we all had a fun time.
My New TV Obsession
I'm hooked on ABC Family reruns of Everwood. Man, I love that show.
Teaching Highlight of the Week
My seniors are reading Much Ado about Nothing. These seniors really fought against reading Shakespeare, but what can I say? Not only is he "curriculum," but I think he is a must-read as well. Anyway, most of the students are getting a little more into the play now, and the other day, one of my students went as far as to say (and he was being serious), "Wow--Shakespeare is awesome." Smile.
On another school note...while my seniors give me sympathy laughs for many of my attempts at humor, my 10th Grade Honors (Pre-AP) students think I'm hilarious. I think I've found my audience. Who knew? (And what does that say about me?)
The Return of Darryl
I didn't "advertise" this on my blog at the time, but Darryl was gone for 3-1/2 weeks to Capetown, South Africa, to do some work for the company he works for. Now, I'm a person who likes to have my "me time," (I completely chalk that up to my only-childness and the fact that I could entertain myself for HOURS with reading or playing with Barbie dolls when I was a kid), but three weeks is a little too much me time. Anyway, although I'm glad he had the opportunity to travel somewhere interesting and have some cool experiences, I'm really, really glad he's back.Darryl's New Truck
It would be a really cool story if this truck had been sitting in the driveway when Darryl came home from his trip, but that isn't what happened. I'm not that good of a wife, I guess. :) Darryl had been wanting a truck for a while, and his CRV that we bought about 8 years go was starting to cause more problems than it was worth. We went back and forth about what kind of truck to get for probably six months--all the trucks Darryl liked were too big and very possibly wouldn't have fit in our garage--but this Ford Explorer Sport Trac was something we both liked. It's a good size for hauling things like mulch, plants, fishing stuff, etc., but it isn't so massive that it feels like a big rig. And both vehicles fit in the garage. What I like most about it, though, is the 6-month free satellite radio that comes with the truck; the 80's station ROCKS, y'all. It also has a jack that allows for an iPod to be plugged in straight through to the radio. Awesome.My Dad's Retirement
After being a working man for over forty years, my dad retired. What I think is cool about this is HOW he retired. Now anyone who knows my dad knows he isn't known for his spontaneity. He likes to plan things in advance and be very, very certain before he takes any kind of action. Well, one day a couple of weeks ago, he just decided he was done. Things were taking a bad turn at his job, and he just decided it was enough. You know how we all have those days when we fantasize about telling the boss that we're "outta here"? Well, my dad pretty much lived that fantasy. He and his boss ended on good terms, but now my dad is enjoying doing what HE wants to do instead of--in his words--"working for the man." It's about time, I say. Good for him.
My Parents' Visit
While Darryl was gone, my parents came up for a visit. We went to the Apple Festival in Ellijay, and my mom and I did some shopping. I had to do something with all the apples I bought, so I've made apple crisp, Paula Deen's Caramel Apple Cake, and apple pie over the past couple of weeks. Anyway, it was good seeing them, and we all had a fun time.
My New TV Obsession
I'm hooked on ABC Family reruns of Everwood. Man, I love that show.
Teaching Highlight of the Week
My seniors are reading Much Ado about Nothing. These seniors really fought against reading Shakespeare, but what can I say? Not only is he "curriculum," but I think he is a must-read as well. Anyway, most of the students are getting a little more into the play now, and the other day, one of my students went as far as to say (and he was being serious), "Wow--Shakespeare is awesome." Smile.
On another school note...while my seniors give me sympathy laughs for many of my attempts at humor, my 10th Grade Honors (Pre-AP) students think I'm hilarious. I think I've found my audience. Who knew? (And what does that say about me?)
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Um...I will write again. I promise.
I know I haven't posted in a while. Things have been crazy the past few weeks--not bad, just crazy busy. Adding a catch-up post to my blog is on the "to do" list for the weekend, though.
I'll get back to you soon!
I'll get back to you soon!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Fried Chicken and Waffles
Yesterday, I went with my friend Casi to Gladys & Ron's Chicken and Waffles to celebrate her birthday (a month late). We had been there once before, and this time we enjoyed it just as much.
We ended up doing some creative maneuvering of menu items, but I ended up getting what I wanted, which was a fried chicken breast with half a waffle, a side of mac n' cheese, and a corn muffin, and Casi had the smothered chicken on rice, mashed potatoes, half a waffle, and a corn muffin. I'll confess that I've had better fried chicken (my mother's), but it was a good meal.
In fact, I wish I had all that to eat right now.
Afterwards, we strolled around Atlantic Station, which is a fun place to shop.
I didn't get much graded this weekend. In fact, it was an unproductive weekend as far as work goes, but I did find a pair of jeans (in a size smaller than I was buying at the end of the summer, thank you very much), so I consider that a huge accomplishment. :)
We ended up doing some creative maneuvering of menu items, but I ended up getting what I wanted, which was a fried chicken breast with half a waffle, a side of mac n' cheese, and a corn muffin, and Casi had the smothered chicken on rice, mashed potatoes, half a waffle, and a corn muffin. I'll confess that I've had better fried chicken (my mother's), but it was a good meal.
In fact, I wish I had all that to eat right now.
Afterwards, we strolled around Atlantic Station, which is a fun place to shop.
I didn't get much graded this weekend. In fact, it was an unproductive weekend as far as work goes, but I did find a pair of jeans (in a size smaller than I was buying at the end of the summer, thank you very much), so I consider that a huge accomplishment. :)
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Time for a blog update, huh?
I haven't updated recently because, well, not much is going on. I'm in one of those modes where it feels as though my life is like this: get up, go to school, come home, prep for the next day, grade, go to bed, get up, go to school, come home,...
If I were one of "those" teachers, I would slap a movie into the DVD player for two weeks straight and catch up on my grading. However, I try really hard not to be one of "those" teachers, so I guess that isn't an option.
I have found that some things are easier to teach than others, and I've had some real challenges lately. My seniors finally finished Grendel and wrote essays about it (add to the grading list, check), and now we're about to do sonnets. I love sonnets, but if anyone out there knows how to help high school students love them too, I'm up for hearing suggestions. My Pre-APs just started Julius Caesar, and I'm managing to stay about an act ahead of them in my teaching preparation. Sigh. (I'm actually in the middle of making up a quiz for Act I.)
So, that's about it for me these days. I have managed to have some fun here and there. This past weekend, I went to a great high school football game--our school versus what was supposed to be a big rival--and we won. I went to a cool Fall Festival in Duluth with my friend Jessica on Saturday. I've even managed to watch some of my favorite TV shows.
Yeah. That's it. I'm done.
If I were one of "those" teachers, I would slap a movie into the DVD player for two weeks straight and catch up on my grading. However, I try really hard not to be one of "those" teachers, so I guess that isn't an option.
I have found that some things are easier to teach than others, and I've had some real challenges lately. My seniors finally finished Grendel and wrote essays about it (add to the grading list, check), and now we're about to do sonnets. I love sonnets, but if anyone out there knows how to help high school students love them too, I'm up for hearing suggestions. My Pre-APs just started Julius Caesar, and I'm managing to stay about an act ahead of them in my teaching preparation. Sigh. (I'm actually in the middle of making up a quiz for Act I.)
So, that's about it for me these days. I have managed to have some fun here and there. This past weekend, I went to a great high school football game--our school versus what was supposed to be a big rival--and we won. I went to a cool Fall Festival in Duluth with my friend Jessica on Saturday. I've even managed to watch some of my favorite TV shows.
Yeah. That's it. I'm done.
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