And what I actually did today (besides watch The View and GMA)

Today has actually been a pretty busy day. The highlight was a wonderful lunch with my friend Tiffanie at Aqua Terra. Tiffanie is also a teacher (a media specialist, to be exact), and she is also enjoying the life of leisure during the summer. :) It was a great time of just catching up, and we have plans to do more of this before school starts.

Afterwards, I did some things to get ready for another trip to Florida tomorrow. We're meeting Darryl's family in Orlando, so I've been packing, running to the store for last-minute things, baking requested brownies and cookies to munch on. My last tomato recipe was a Tomato Tart, which was a flop. It was good in theory--pie crust, garlic drizzled with olive oil, tomatoes, fontina cheese--but the end product was a watery glop of tomato and cheese. Oh, well. Well, I better go--I'm blogging between cooking cycles and packing. I still have lots to do...

Catfight!

Okay, I already said in a post several weeks ago that I don't really watch The View, but man, I'm into this whole catfight between Star and Barbara! Yeeowww!

Yesterday, I did watch The View because Charlie Gibson was on, and I "heart" Charlie Gibson. (My eyes did get a little moist this morning as he said his goodbyes on GMA.) Anyway, I heard Star's announcement that she was leaving the show, and I wasn't all that shocked because the rumors had been circulating for several months. But when I read some comments on a website later in the day (USA Today, I think) where she was was badmouthing how she had been treated at the show, I have to confess I TiVoed The View today to see the fallout.

Doesn't Star know that you don't badmouth your boss until after you're gone? Apparently, Barbara Wah-Wah is a big force to be reckoned with, because this morning, as you may already know, there no Star on the show (pun kind of intended), and Babs said something along the lines of, and I'm paraphrasing here, "We gave Star an opportunity to leave with dignity, but she chose another path." Take that, Star!

I think we still have several rounds left in this fight...I love it! (Maybe I should ask myself, Why do I love it? I'm the least confrontational person I know. Hmmm.)

John Cusack is 40??????

Seriously, Lloyd Dobler, I mean, John Cusack is 40??? What??? Anyway, if you are a fan of Cusack, you might enjoy this article that lists 40 Reasons to Love John Cusack.

Cuckoos and Tomatoes

Darryl and I are probably turning into pure lycopene with all the tomatoes and watermelon we've eaten lately. I love summer fruits and vegetables!

Tonight I fixed two more tomato recipes: Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa: Family Style, and stewed tomatoes with okra. First, the pasta was really more of a pasta salad, a mixture of "regular" chopped tomatoes, pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives (yum), and mozzerella chunks. Darryl said it was "not bad," which is a pretty high rating from him, considering he isn't a big pasta salad fan. I thought it was very good and will probably make it again. I realize that stewed tomatoes with okra probably sounds gross to those out there who hate both okra and tomatoes, but to those of us who love both, it's a southern delicacy.

Today was mostly a day of doing laundry, but I did manage to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Last year, a student of mine who is extremely passionate about films made a list of about 50 movies that he felt I needed to watch in my lifetime, and this one was near the top of his list. Anyway, it took me a while to get into the movie (it didn't help that I had to pause every once in a while to transfer or hang laundry), but from about the midpoint on, I found it very intriguing--and I loved the ending. (Those English teachers out there--do you find that in the summer, your brain kind of shuts down when it comes to finding the right word? Intriguing isn't really what I want to say, but I can't think of right adjective!)

Max's post about "classic movies" reminded me of just how many "classics" I haven't seen. I think I may be the only person over the age of 30 in this country who hasn't seen any Rocky movies. I have seen all the Star Wars movies, though. :)

Next Book Club Read and Dinner with Friends

The informal book club that I'm in met yesterday and discussed Vanishing Acts--everyone for the most part felt the same way about the book that I did. Our next read is Anita Shreve's A Wedding in December. I've never read any of her books, either, but her book The Pilot's Wife is very well known. I'll let you know how Wedding is after I read it.

I'm currently reading The Devil Wears Prada, and so far I'm enjoying it. After reading this one and the Shreve book, I need to focus again on books for school. I think I'm waiting to see how long I can put off Tale of Two Cities.

Last night, Darryl and I had dinner with our friends Blake and Jessica, and afterwards we all went to a nearby coffee house for coffee. It was fun catching up with them. Great evening!

Movies, Books, and Tomatoes: The Weekend in a Nutshell

Basically, this was my weekend:

1) I finished the book Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. The plot involves a thirty-something-year-old woman who finds out, after her father's arrest, that she was kidnapped when she was four years old. First, I'll say that the story was interesting; I didn't have to force myself to read it. However, there were places that made me roll my eyes, such as the author's extremely overt attempts to incorporate symbolism/metaphors/analogies, as well as her depiction of prison, which included rap lyrics by some of the inmates of the cell block. The book gets a mixed review from me.

2) Darryl and I saw two movies this weekend. Yesterday, we saw Cars. When I was a kid, I wasn't really into cartoons, but I think I'm making up for it in my adult years. Anyway, it was really good. It was a long movie--a full two hours--but very enjoyable.

Today, and I'm almost ashamed to type this, we saw The Lakehouse. When the trailers for this movie first ran, I swore I would not see this movie. I can't stand Keanu, and the movie seemed hokey. But, doggone it, I like Sandra Bullock, and with every talk show interview I see with her, I like her even more. I think Sandy and I could be friends, going to Starbucks and watching chick movies together. :) So I was suckered in by Sandy's appeal...and the movie was bad. I will say that Keanu wasn't too bad in this movie, and the movie was okay for me until about a third of the way through. My main issue with it is the movie never explains why these two people can communicate two years apart; I wanted that explanation. Willing suspension of disbelief can only take me so far. (I can believe in a world populated only by cars, though.)

3) The Tomato Recipe of the Day was tomatoes broiled with olive oil and feta. This one was super-delicious and extremely easy. The recipe called for fresh oregano, but I left that out because I'm not a huge oregano fan. Seriously, tomatoes+feta=perfection.

You can tell it's a lazy Sunday afternoon when...

...you do this kind of mindless research:

Keith Urban--5'10"
Nicole Kidman--5'10 1/2"

Tom Cruise--5'7"

What Diet????

This weekend is going to be one culinary creation after another as I attempt to get rid of some tomatoes. I spent some time sifting through my cookbooks and came up with some that look pretty good. Tonight was a double whammy--stuffed bell peppers (which enabled me to finish off my peppers), and fried green tomatoes. (The other food item on the plate is creamed corn--frozen, I must confess.) The bell pepper recipe was one of Emeril's; the only change I made was I used all beef instead of a mixture of beef and pork. I thought the peppers were really good, and Darryl and I both agree that we liked them even better than the chicken and corn peppers I made the other night. The fried green tomato recipe came from the Blue Willow Inn Cookbook that I had, and the tomatoes were delicious. I had eaten fried green tomatoes before, but I had never made them.

I'm not too sure that I'm going to lose 12 pounds this summer. I really, really like to cook, so that is hurting the dieting effort somewhat. I am exercising a good bit, though, and I'm drinking lots of water and eating "light" through the day, so maybe it will all balance out somehow (wishful thinking, I'm sure).

Driving Miss Daisy

Today I had the pleasure of driving Miss Daisy, the Weimaraner featured on the left, to the allergy vet. (Yes, vets specialize in areas just like people doctors do. I learned this several years ago when I had to take my dog to a doggy ophthalmologist.) Daisy is actually my cousin Vicky's dog, but because Daisy is a good-sized girl, Vicky needed a little help getting her to the vet. I have to say that Daisy was very well behaved, especially considering that the session with the doctor didn't look like much fun.

This picture was taken after the doctor visit, when Daisy was much less stressed.

Miss Georgia Prelims

Thanks to the generosity of TimShady, who had an available ticket, I was able to watch one of the Miss Georgia preliminary competitions last night. Before I get to far into this post, I want to clarify that I'm not a "pageant crazy" person, but I have always been a fan of both the Miss America and the (now-defunct?) America's Junior Miss pageant systems, primarily because these are two pageants that reward talent and academics. Anyway, I picked last night's competition to go to because the talent pool for that evening seemed to be the most promising. I'm not going to recap all the winners and such because TimShady has already covered this on his blog, but I will say that my first "real" pageant experience was quite enjoyable. The talent was really good; apparently it was the night of the "opera divas," my favorite being the contestant who sang "Nessun Dorma"--she was one of the two talent winners. (I didn't realize until after the pageant that she is only 18, a fact that makes me even more impressed with her.)

I also enjoyed just people watching. Those pageant fans are devoted, y'all. I told TimShady that I wished I had both a crown AND a light-up scepter, because apparently those are big-ticket items when it comes to pageant viewing. Maybe one day...

Stuffed Peppers--Chicken and Corn

Inspired by the culinary creations of TimShady and Max (and also by the bell peppers sitting on my kitchen table), I decided to try a new recipe I found in an old Southern Living cookbook. These are Peppers Stuffed with Chicken and Corn, and they were really good--definitely a recipe I would make again. The peppers were stuffed, obviously, with chicken and corn, but the mixture also contained green chiles, onion, bread crumbs, taco seasoning, and pepperjack cheese. Delicious! Later this week, I'm going to try the traditional stuffed peppers, which I've never made before.

This morning, I went out to a nearby driving range and hit a bucket of golf balls. It was the first time I had gone to a driving range A) alone, and B) on a weekday, and it was very peaceful and quiet. I'm determined to get some practice sessions in before my last lesson in a couple of weeks. I have learned one thing about golf: It's much tougher than it looks. And I haven't made it past the driving range yet. Yep, that's right--I haven't even played a game yet. I'm hoping to play in the next few weeks; that will definitely make an interesting blog entry in the future.

Florida, Day 5--Happy Father's Day! (And Going Home)

Today I was able to spend Father's Day with my dad before heading back home to Atlanta. I'm not really a gushy, sentimental person, but I will just say that he is a wonderful father who has always worked hard and made sacrifices to provide for his family, and I am very thankful for that. He's a wonderful guy, and I am fortunate to have him for a dad. I'm glad we were able to spend some time together over the past few days.

After lunch, Darryl and I headed home. While I enjoyed spending some time with my family over the past few days, I admit it will feel good to sleep in my own bed tonight.

Florida, Days 3 and 4--Got Tomatoes?

As I'm typing this post (or at least trying to), I have my 16-month-old niece sitting on one side, rubbing baby lotion on my arm, and Darryl on the other side, trying to play peek-a-boo with her. We'll see how far I get...

Anyway, now that I'm into this blogging thing, I'm starting to do some things partly because I think they'll make good blog material. ("Good" might be a stretch--maybe just "different" blog material.) Take today, for example. I went with my parents to a farm where customers pick their own tomatoes. You know what? It actually was fun. We ended up picking four 5-gallon buckets of tomatoes as well as some bell peppers. I think I might attempt making fried green tomatoes and stuffed bell peppers this week. (If anyone wants a few tomatoes, let me know--obviously, I have plenty.)

Tonight, Darryl and I went with Darryl's dad, sister, brother-in-law, and niece to Captain Anderson's at Panama City Beach. I haven't been there in probably five years, but the food was really good and we enjoyed looking at the (expensive) boats at the docks afterwards. Here are a few pictures...

This is Darryl's dad, Benny, with our niece, Madison.


This is Darryl's sister (Ashley), her husband (Wayne), and Madison:

And, just for kicks, here's a picture of Darryl and me:

That was today. Yesterday, I went with my mother to Panama City to do a little shopping, and last night, I went with my parents to meet my Uncle Tim and Aunt Winifred at another seafood restaurant, Parramore's. It was good to see them, too. (FYI--Darryl is absent from some of these Florida posts because he, too, was catching up with some of his family on "his side." While I've been shopping, visiting my grandmother, and such, he has been fishing with Haywood, visiting with his cousin Hayes, and hanging out with his sister and dad.)

Well, Madison has gone home, my arm smells like baby lotion, and I'm ready to call it a day.

Florida, Day 2--Long Day's Journey Into Night

Yesterday, "Day 2," was a loooooong day, but a good one. My mother and I got up bright and early and headed to Pensacola (almost a 3-hour drive) to see my grandmother. I don't see my grandmother as much as I did when Darryl and I lived in Baton Rouge and just had to go a half mile off I-10 to see her. Anyway, it was good to see her. We ate lunch at one of her favorite places, Applebee's, then had ice cream at Marble Slab Creamery (the diet went completely out the window at this point) and did a bit of shopping.

My mother and I went through Destin on the way home and did some shopping at the outlets. There's nothing more motivating for a diet than trying on pants or shorts--am I right?

We didn't get home until about 9:30 central time--I'm still adjusting to the time change, so it felt later to me. (I am the worst about adjusting to time changes. About the time I get used to the change, it's time to go back home!)

I feel I've failed as a blogger because I've yet to take any pictures. I'm hoping to get some good ones over the next couple of days.

Florida, Day 1

Darryl and I made it to Florida. The trip itself was uneventful (traffic didn't stop even once as we were leaving Atlanta!), but that's a good thing.

I'm not sure how often I will get to post while I'm here--I'm hoping I'll get to post a bit each day, but Internet access isn't as quick, and I'm not sure how much patience I have.

My mother also prepared a delicious "Southern" dinner--chicken, pork roast, creamed corn, okra, field peas, fried cornbread, and pound cake. Technically, I'm still on my "diet," but my goal for the rest of this week is just not to gain any weight. :) (I exercised my willpower and said "no" to the pound cake. What am I thinking?)

Book Club Lite and Other Things

I didn't post anything yesterday because by the time I remembered that I hadn't written anything for the day, my eyelids kept closing as I was watching TV.

A few girlfriends of mine decided to start a book club, and our first meeting was yesterday. Get all thoughts of Oprah's Book Club out of your mind; we're not intending to read anything life changing or deep. One friend, Jessica, even went as far as to say, "No symbolism!" Our first pick is Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. I have never read any of her books, so I don't even know what to expect. I have to confess that I'm not really as knowledgeable about current books as I should be. I always feel that I'm reading things to consider for future classes, or else I'm reading student papers. In the middle of the school year, if I have spare time in the evening and have a choice of watching TV or reading a book, I usually pick the TV. Anyway, I'm considering this "current" book my "break" from the books I need to read for school.

I took another golf lesson today. I have just one more left, and I'm not doing that one until I've had a chance to practice some over the next couple of weeks.

I should have some different types of posts over the next few days. Tomorrow, Darryl and I are going to visit family in Florida, so I hope to at least have some good pics to show.

The Tony Awards

I always enjoy watching The Tony Awards because of the musical numbers, and it is also my only opportunity--for the moment, anyway--to catch glimpses of shows with the original casts. I'm always quite envious (not in an angry, bitter way) of my colleague TimShady, who has seen Rent with the original cast, Kiss of the Spider Woman with Vanessa Williams, and The Producers with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. (Any plans to see The Pajama Game with Harry Connick, Jr., TimShady?) I need connections!

Anyway, I at least try to catch the shows when they tour, and I know that I want to see Jersey Boys. As I watched the Jersey Boys number during the Tonys, I was reminded of when my mother took reluctant me to see Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons when they came through Panama City. I was probably about fifteen. The main thing I remember is that my mother was quite dismayed by how old they looked, and I mainly wanted to hear them sing "Grease is the Word," which they did. Seventeen years later, I now know more of their songs, and Jersey Boys looks like an enjoyable show.

Please forgive me for not linking to every show here; it requires too much effort than I have energy for at the moment. It's bedtime.

Lazy Saturday

Today wasn't quite as action-packed as last Saturday (Renaissance Festival, Braves game), but it was a nice day nonetheless.

Darryl and I went to see The Breakup. (The website has an ad on it for "National Breakup Day," which apparently was June 2. Who knew? Click on the ad--it's funny.) The movie was okay; to me, it seemed very messy with some laughs here and there. I've read that the ending was re-shot (is that the correct word?) after the original ending didn't fare well with audiences in some initial screenings. Now, in the last scene of the movie, Vince Vaughn is noticeably thinner and Jennifer Aniston's hair is noticeably longer, and both characters make a point of mentioning those changes. I just found it amusing.

Then we went to Barnes & Noble and read.

I finished A Separate Peace and thought it was wonderful. I'm looking forward to talking about it with my future 10th grade pre-AP class.

Can this weekend get any more exciting? Can you stand it?

Like sands through the hourglass...

I don't have much to report about today--I didn't even get out of the house much except to run a couple of errands; my love for Community Coffee runs so deeply that I made a special trip to Ingles just to restock.

I made a blueberry cobbler. I've stayed on my "eating healthy" kick all week, but I did try some of the cobbler. It was good. I should probably make one for Hoyt.

I started A Separate Peace and am already about halfway through it. I love it--definitely my type of book so far.

I watched Meredith Viera's goodbye roast on The View. I'm not really sure why I watched it; I have never liked The View. I really think Today should have just moved Ann Curry, whom I like much better than Viera (and Katie, for that matter) into the co-anchor chair. But really none of this matters to me anyway because I prefer Team Charlie, Diane, and Robin on GMA. Now that I think of it, this whole discussion is pointless because I don't even get to watch any of these shows during the school year, when teachers don't have it easy.

Thoughts on 1984

Yesterday's post was devoted to my 1984 nightmare, but I really didn't write about my thoughts on the book. (No nightmares last night--whew!)

Overall, I liked the book, even though 1984 isn't really "my type" of book. Some passages were a bit dry, but other places were so riveting that I had a difficult time putting it down. It did take me a long time to read this book, mainly because I made the mistake of putting the book down during the dry passages and often decided I would rather blog, watch TV, etc. than read.

Anyway, as I was reading, I was trying to think about it from my students' perspective. Will they like it? (I do make a point early on in the school year, though, that there is a difference between "liking" and "appreciating.") Will they find it weird? Intriguing? Challenging or too difficult? Far fetched? For that last one, I saved the May 22nd Newsweek that reads on the cover, "Spying on Your Calls: Is It Legal? What Else Don't We Know?" I certainly don't want to take an alarmist approach with my students, but I do want them to think about connections between Orwell's society and our own.

If any of you have read or taught 1984, what are your thoughts?

1984: Not for those wanting a restful night's sleep

It has been a long time since a book caused me to have nightmares--not since Island of the Blue Dolphins, which I read in probably the 5th grade, and I didn't even finish it because I couldn't bear to read any more of it. (I'll just say that separation from family and complete isolation were paralyzing fears when I was that age.)

And then I read 1984. Last night, I made the rather unfortunate choice of making my "stopping point" for the evening right after the big climactic scene (spoiler alert) where Winston and Julia are captured by the Thought Police for rebelling against the Party.

So in my dreams last night, I was being chased by the Thought Police for what seemed like hours. At one point, I stopped my car at a railroad crossing and ran. Throughout the chase, various friends, Darryl, and even a couple of students handed me slips of paper with important messages on them (this was a communication method used in the book), and I would have to hide from the "eyes" of the telescreen to read my secret messages.

I finished 1984 a couple of hours ago, and I'm letting a little more time pass before heading to bed. I read some even more disturbing passages this evening, and I really don't want to dream about being torturned until I confess I love Big Brother.

Our 75-Year-Old Yard Man

Right this minute, I'm sitting at my laptop in my air-conditioned house, watching our 75-year-old yard man cut the grass:


This is Hoyt. He lives across the street. When our (cheap) lawn mower died months ago, he offered to cut our grass at a very reasonable rate. He cuts the grass for our retired next-door neighbor, Steve, as well. My fear is that Hoyt is going to collapse from heat stroke while cutting our grass.

(I took the picture through the window. Is that wrong?)

The Heart Gallery

Very rarely will you find posts on my blog about news items (I'm not as much of a newshound as Darryl is), but this story recently featured on 20/20 grabbed my attention.

It was a story about The Heart Gallery, a project geared to help older kids get out of the foster care system and into permanent adoptive homes. Since the inception of The Heart Gallery, adoption rates of older kids have increased 280 percent.

What is this project exactly? It's simple. A photographer observed that the photographs often shown to prospective adoptive parents looked like "mug shots"--photos much like school pictures, expressionless faces against a fake background. A team of renowned photographers decided that these kids needed photos that showed their spirit and their personalities, and thus, The Heart Gallery was born.

I love when a simple idea has a huge impact--you know, those ideas that make you think, "Why didn't someone think of this before?"

Anyway, you should check out the story. You should also clink on the link on the side of the page to look at some of the pics from The Heart Gallery; they're incredible.

Out and about

I'm really tired, so it's going to be a numbered list today.

1) Went to the gym
2) Went to the dentist for a cleaning
3) Took a golf lesson
4) Had dinner/ran errands with Darryl

I'll try to come up with something more interesting to write about tomorrow--and I'll try to post it before 11:00 p.m. when I'm way too tired . . .

One of the things I like about living in a big city...

...is that I can go somewhere looking like a complete mess, and chances are I won't run into anyone I know. This morning, I had to go to Wal-Mart (ugh), and I wanted to go early--before 8 a.m.--to beat the crowds. There I was, standing in the non-crowded Wal-Mart, in capri workout pants, an old t-shirt, a baseball cap, and no make-up. Such freedom. I grew up in a small town where I could always count on running into someone I knew at the local IGA, so I felt the need to look "presentable." Small towns have their charm, but sometimes anonymity is good.

Today was uneventful, perhaps best summed up by a short list. (If you are wondering why I am even posting at all, you should look at my first post, where I declared that I was going to chronicle my summer vacation, exciting or not.) So here is the day:

1) Went to Wal-mart. The place isn't crowded at 7:30.
2) Went to the gym. One day I'm going to post a rant about women who dress up for the gym. 3) Straightened up clutter around the house.
4) Watched an episode of The Office.
5) Took a 20-minute power nap. (Is it really a "power nap" when you aren't really resting up for anything? I have taken power naps before a long grading session, but this was a nap to rest up for nothing.)

I think I'm going to read 1984 before going to bed. Ah, the life of leisure.

Blueberry Yum-Yum and Stranded at Sea (or Rather, on Lake)

This morning, I made two desserts for a social gathering/lake party with our community group from church. One dessert was my apparently famous brownies, which, I swear y'all, are just Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownie Mix made exactly according to the recipe and baked in an 8x8 pan. The other dessert is one I grew up calling Blueberry Yum-Yum, although now it has a more dignified name like "Blueberry Cream Cheese Dessert." I like the name Blueberry Yum-Yum better. Anyway, I took a boring picture of my two desserts side by side, but then I decided to take a picture of my dog, Abby, who was sitting quietly next to the kitchen table. When Abby realized I was preoccupied with adjusting my camera, this is what happened:

I managed to yell at her to get down just before her tongue hit the Yum-Yum. (If you have ever eaten any of my culinary creations and are now worried that they were perhaps tainted with doggy saliva, just know that I always place the food in the middle of the table so she can't get to it--today I let my guard down to get a picture of the food--and I'm a bit obsessive compulsive about kitchen germs, so I would never distribute tainted food.)

Anyway, we went to the party. Jake, the guy who was hosting the party, wanted to take us out on his boat. It looked for a while like it wouldn't happen because he had problems getting the boat to crank. He finally was able to start the boat, and the boat was going to be fine as long as he kept it running. When we got several miles from the dock, Jake slowed down almost to a stop in order for us to look at these amazing houses being built on Lake Lanier. All of a sudden, what does Jake's two-year-old son do? He reaches over and turns off the boat! I thought for a second that Jake was going to throw him overboard; I know I was tempted. (Just kidding--how can you blame a cute two year old?) To finish this story in more of a Cliff's Note fashion...after several failed attempts to call people on the cell phone, after being pulled in to the closest dock by a passing boat, Jake gave the ignition one last try, and it miraculously cranked. This all took, of course, about thirty minutes that seemed more like three hours. (I think I would be a pathetic contestant on Survivor.) At that point, we just went on back to Jake's and decided we had had enough of the lake for one day.

Jousting and baseball

Today my friend Casi and I experienced two very different forms of entertainment that Atlanta has to offer: the Georgia Renaissance Festival and an Atlanta Braves baseball game.

I had never been to a Renaissance Festival before, but it was definitely...surreal. Knights, (buxom) wenches, maidens, troubadors, and the like roamed the village, peddling their wares--everything from costumes to floral headpieces to a ride in a pirate ship.

I indulged in some fried macaroni and cheese on a stick. (The "diet" doesn't start until Monday.) It was tasty.

The best part, however, was people watching. Some people take the Renaissance Festival very seriously. Consider, for example, the people sitting in front of us as we watched the Tortugas Twins Comedy Act:


After a couple of hours at the Festival, Casi and I went to the Braves game. Casi had the tickets from last night's rained-out game, so this was an unexpected treat. The seats were in the Lexus Level, so we had a good view of the field while sitting in the shade. Even though my next husband, Javy Lopez, is no longer with the Braves, going to a Braves game is still one of my favorite things to do in Atlanta. I'm not even a big sports nut; I just love going to baseball games--the fans, the field, the ball park food, "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," the cheesy between-inning contests--I love it all. Another bonus today: the weather was perfect, high 70s with a light breeze.

Not a bad way to begin the summer.

Looking Forward

The longest post-planning session in history finally ended today, so I'm officially on summer vacation.

I do have some summer goals, and these I am sharing just for the accountability factor. Forgive the unoriginal title.

Amy's Summer Goals

1. Lose 12 Pounds. Originally, my plan was to lose 10, but last weekend (The Great Wall of Chocolate, Smith House) gave me two more to lose.
2. Go to the gym/exercise at least 4 times a week. This should help out goal number one. Also, I found an article in SELF about how to achieve "coconut shoulders" (you know, the rounded, mucular top of the arm that all svelte celebrities have) with just one exercise. I'm doing the exercise. I'll keep you posted on my "coconut shoulder" progress.
3. Read the books on the blog posted below.
4. Spend time/have good times with friends and family. I feel a little strange posting that because I don't see friends and family as a "project." Still, I don't want the summer to pass me by without getting in some quality time.
5. Clean my closet and the garage. Both are embarrassing. Really.

Books, books, and more books

One of the things I'll be doing this summer is reading. This fall, I'm taking on the new challenge of teaching a Pre-AP 10th Grade English class, and I must confess, I have either A) never read these books, or B) read them so long ago that I definitely need to refresh my memory.

These are the ones that I MUST read this summer, as they are the books assigned for summer reading:
1. A Separate Peace--I'm going to make a big 'ol confession here and admit that I have never read this book. I'm looking forward to reading it, though.
2. A Farewell to Arms--This is one that I started reading "for fun" when I was in high school, made it about halfway through, and never finished. I took a Hemingway course in grad school, and while my professor had us read everything from Death in the Afternoon to For Whom the Bell Tolls, he dismissed Farewell as "rubbish."
3. The Old Man and the Sea--I last read this one when I was in the 10th grade.
4. Of Mice and Men--I've read this one, too, but a long time ago.

Other books I should try to read before the busy-ness of the semester takes over even though these books don't come up until later in the year:
5. A Tale of Two Cities--I hate Dickens. Because of that, I haven't read this book. I have a feeling that I will be living "the worst of times" as I read it.
6. Julius Caesar--Not my favorite Shakespeare play, but I can deal with it.

AND, other books I need to read because I would like to use them with my seniors:
7. Grendel--I have read just part of it, and while I'm not crazy about it yet, I do think I will be able to do some cool things with it as a follow-up to Beowulf.
8. 1984--I'm reading this now. At first, I was a bit lukewarm about it, but now I'm really into it (I'm about halfway through).

Does anyone have any strong feelings about these? You get bonus points if you can get me psyched up about Tale of Two Cities.

Blogging is taking over my life!!!

I have just spent the last hour reading blogs, commenting on blogs, and responding to comments left on my blog! If I'm not careful, I'm going to miss The Office marathon!!!