fun stuff

A meme stolen from Chatty (who stole it from HHM). Just like Chatty I teach English and thought this might be fun.

Look at the list of books below.
*Bold the ones you’ve read
*Italicize the ones you want to read
*leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

If you are reading this, tag your it!

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3.To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)xx
13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16.Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible (not in it’s entirety)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) (my all time fav)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100.Ulysses (James Joyce)

Oh boy, do I need to read more!

the good, the bad and the just plain bitchy

the good-

We found a house we want to put an offer on. (more on this later)

the bad-

I don't think M can be with me to meet with the agent.

the bitch-

It's his ex's fault. She didn't tell him the event B (his daughter) has tomorrow night is for making honor roll, until tonight, after we made the appointment with the agent. If we had known what this was for, we would have set up the appointment in a different way!

I hate that woman!

Love Day

For months before Valentine's Day M had been telling me I was getting a stripper pole. I really don't want a stripper pole, I don't strip, I don't really want to strip, and feel no need to invite in guest strippers to use the pole.

As it got closer and closer to the big day, he kept insisting that was what I was getting. I kept dropping HUGE hints on things I would really rather have.

On Valentine's Day M shows up at my house with this box...

It's a fairly heavy box, so I know it can't be anything I had asked for. I wanted things like seatbelt bags, the cool Beatles messenger bag I saw at the Love gift shop in Vegas. Small things, light weight things. Not a stripper pole.

Fortunatly for M when I opened the box this is what I found.

Here's a better picture of the necklace...

I love that man. He spoils me, treats me like a princess. I am so lucky. And really feel like the best is yet to come!

YIKES!!!

I have exactly 5 months to finish plannning my wedding.

I have only lost 3 pounds.

I still wear a size way bigger than I want.

I have a really bad cold and really, really can't workout. Hard to workout when you can't breath.

I still have a TON of stuff to get done, and to top it off rehearsals for Birdie start Tuesday!

YIKES!

Don't ever...

forget you are boiling eggs on the stove and go into the other room to do something...

They explode and ruin your really nice cookware.

No pictures...it's just too sad.

Cake

I have started looking for someone to do the cake for the wedding. I really want to do a cupcake tower, and REALLY wanted to use Sprinkles cupcakes, but they don't offer a discount on bulk orders and they only make certain flavors on certain days.

I can't find a bakery in Temecula (hard to do from Anaheim). I'm going to have to make a trip down just to find a baker.

And can I just mention that this whole wedding thing is getting WAY out of control. The guest list keeps growing because we have certain family members who thing everyone and their brother needs to be invited (including people we don't like).

ARGH!!! Do you think it's too late to run away to Vegas?

We Love You Conrad!

The cast list is up, and students are upset. Okay, just my favorite student, but still.

I hate casting. I have to say it is the worst part of my job.

I am happy with the casting for the most part. I'm upset about the samething my fav is. She didn't get on of the two parts she really wanted, and she didn't get the part I really wanted her to have because she's an alto and "Kim" is a soprano.

I know we will all survive and it will be a great show, just upsetting non the less.

The vocal director (VD) pissed me off during the whole process. He had told his students how he does casting...1. Musical talent, 2. Movement, 3. Looks, 4. Acting.

ACTING, last! In a play! Acting last! He told kids that! What he was really telling them is that you don't need to take drama because ACTING IS THE LEAST IMPORTANT!!!!!!!!!!!! A student reported this to me.

Then during our meeting about the cast list he told me the same thing! I could have killed him. M left the room in a hurry when he heard VD telling me this. I proceeded to get in VDs face about the fact that would rather work with actors who can sing, than singers who CAN'T act. It was about to get ugly, but I changed the subject because I wanted to have a good rest of my day. (See I can be the bigger person).

Anyway, rehearsals start in a couple of weeks. I have an opera singer playing one of the leads the in a 1950's style musical, who isn't the strongest actor on the planet. This should be interesting.

house hunt

M and I have started that all too frustrating house hunting process.

I am working with the same person who did my refi on my townhouse. Mainly because he set up the loan so the townhouse can remain a rental so I am relying on him to get us approved for a second home. I can't sell the townhouse for at least 3 years because of the loan I'm in.

So, we got our first list of homes about two weeks ago, we took a day and went and looked at all the houses to see which ones we might be interested in. And let me tell you, there were some scarey neighborhoods on that list. M travels ALOT so I won't buy anywhere I don't feel immediately comfortable because I will be spending a lot of time alone.

We found a house we really really liked and I emailed mortgage guy that same night. This was last Monday. He tells me he will set up appointments to see the property, I say okay great, Thursday! (By the way, the Monday M and I looked at the houses mortgage guy was supposed to be with us, but cancelled.)

I email mortgage guy on Monday to comfirm for Thursday, no response.

I email mortage guy again on Tuesday, email that says he is working on setting up appointments - appointments that should have been set up a week prior.

I talk to mortgage guy today, says he hasn't heard back from anyone, but will call me back. He calls me back two hours later, tells me he has been told their "super key" doesn't work and the reality company won't show the house by appointment.

He sends me the contact information thinking maybe they will do it for the buyer.

I call reality guy on his cell phone and get his assistant who proceeds to tell me said perfect house is in ESCROW!!!!!!

ARGH!

I can't help but think that perhaps if mortgage guy had done what he told me he would do I might have actually had a chance to grab this house.

I called mortgage guy to tell him that the house was in escrow and he couldn't believe it. It figures the house had been on the market for 3 months, price lowered twice. An idiot could have figured out to move QUICK! But not my guy...take your time, put your client on hold, let them call you three times before you get your stuff together...

ARGH!!!!!!!

M and I are back at square one. And let me tell you, we can't live in my townhouse. It won't hold two people, much less the four it would have to hold when his girls are with us.

Once again...ARGH!!!!

We booked the site!

The wedding plans are well on their way. I booked the location just 2 days ago. We are so excited. The wedding will be held at Longshadow Ranch Winery in Temecula.

It's great, the price we will be paying covers almost everything. I think all I need to do still are invitations, the cake, photographer, champagne, and any minor details we come up with. Oh, and my dress.

The only thing that bothers me a bit, we are having BBQ food. I'm more worried about nice dresses and BBQ than people thinking it's not classy. I'm known for having many a BBQ during the summer. M likes the idea of a BBQ, and I really want him to have a say in the planning (he really didn't get to his first time around). So, BBQ it is. And I know it means a lot to him that I am okay with that. I told him I wasn't totally excited about the it, but I knew he was and that made it okay for me. He really appreciated that.

Here are some pictures from Longshadow ...

Aren't the horses cool. They are actually at the winery, so they will be attending the wedding.

This is as you walk in from the parking lot.

This is where the majority of the event will take place. The picture was taken from the near the front of the tasting room.

This last picture is taken from the front of the rest rooms, which look like wooden outhouses but have full plumbing, looking at the side bar area right next to the tasting room.

So, more rustic than people would expect, but you know what, we LOVE this winery. They have some of the best wine in the valley, everyone is really nice, and it is beautiful in the summer. So, I will live with rustic, I won't regret it when I look back at my pictures and I know that M is really happy with the choice. And that makes it even better.

Wedding Plans!

Planning for the wedding has officially begun.

We went and looked at the where we really would like to have the wedding. And the more I think about it the less it fits with what I want to do, even though I LOVE this place. If you want to see where we are thinking about check out Longshadow Ranch Winery in Temecula.

Here's the lowdown on what we would get...

Full use the facility, it would be closed to the public at 5:00 pm.
BBQ chicken and tritip, green salad, a couple of sides, coffee, tea, sodas, hot chocolate.
Tables, chairs and linens.
Serviceware, black plates and clear utensils, napkins.
A DJ, the owner of the ranch says he's good.
Use the barn for the kids if we want (at a small extra charge to pay the girls working it).
3 drink tickets per person.
Veggie and fruit platters for during guest arrival.
Set up and take down.

The cost does not include the cake, offiant, center pieces or photographer. And I'm not sure if there is a place for me to get ready there or if I have to arrive ready. I wouldn't have to worry about decorations, because the facility is in the middle of wine country and is BEAUTIFUL in the summer.

The downside of having it here...it is very casual. I want a cocktail party. We can do our own food, but does that end up costing more money? The orignal idea was just little snacky foods. But M thinks since we are asking people to drive all the way to Temecula on a Sunday night we should provide them with food. That is fine with me. But do they serve BBQ at cocktail parties?

M really wants to have the wedding here. I might just say, okay we are splitting the cost between the two of us. We will each put in 5-6 thousand to make this really want WE want and just say to heck with the budget.

I will keep you posted on what happens. The last nice perk of having the wedding at Longshadow, just about all the planning will be done! Wouldn't that be nice!

Shoes anyone?

So, I was cleaning out my shoe rack, okay the two shoe racks, and found these totally cute Bruno Magli dress shoes.

I remember buying them, I also remember them fitting when I bought them. They don't fit now! I am totally bummed.

If anyone is interested in buying them from me, they are for sale. They will hit Ebay in the next couple of weeks.

Cost...$50.00 plus shipping

They have NEVER been worn and were purchased from Off 5th, the Saks 5th Avenue outlet store. Just let me know.

Oh No!

I go back to work on Monday!

I haven't looked at a single paper, script, director's proposal, NOTHING!!!!

I'm screwed.

Farewell 2006

I am so glad that 2006 is OVER! I can honestly say that it was THE worst year of my life. I figure things can only get better from here.

A few resolutions...

1. Get more organized.
2. Get into a shape other than round.
3. Spend more time with family and friends (a lesson learned from 2006).

I hope you all have a fantabulous 2007 filled with much love and happiness.

Merry Christmas!

What a fab Christmas I am having. Everyone is together this year and it's great!

Saturday was the big family Christmas at my aunt's house. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, the whole shibang. It was so much fun to have everyone together.

The family got the news about the engagement, they are so happy. I think B is going to be fine afterall. She did well with all the family, only a few down moments.

Christmas Eve was at Mom's with just the immediate family (which included, wait for it...future step-kids). We had so much fun, presents, food and games.

This morning M and I slept late, opened presents and then went back to bed for a couple of hours. Finally got up, dressed and almost ready for the day at 12:30. He leaves for Oregon for the week today, makes me sad a bit.

Anyway, I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas! Be merry and bright!

ex-wives, step-kids and engagements...oh my!

My engagement euphoria has been smashed to bits. I am sure I will be able to get it back, but let me tell you M's ex-wife is the biggest psycopath EVER!

She doesn't want us to tell B (M's youngest daughter) until after her birthday in....JANUARY!!!!! She says we are going to ruin the entire holiday season for her. The kid's 11, they have been divorced for 5 years. I know this is hard for her, but for goodness sake lady, help your child get over it, don't enable her to stay sad about it. She actually said that B may "never be right", now what in the world does that mean? That nobody should move on with their lives because B might not like it, she might not be "right"?

While this woman says she is doing everything in the best interest of the child, it is really about her doing what she feels is best for herself. She doesn't want to deal with the fact that we're getting married so she says it would be best for B to not have to deal with it. We have a TON of family stuff planned for this weekend, how in the world am I supposed to keep this quiet. Not to mention it really hurts that I would even be asked to (yes, I know that is selfish, I don't care). And by the way, I'm not taking that ring off!

My thoughts on this, if he doesn't tell her it looks like he either is 1. ashamed of his relationship with me or 2. he doesn't care about her enough to include her in this. She knew it was coming, he had told her that months ago. He just needs to tell her it has happened.

I think M is going to tell her today when he picks her up for us to go to Slava's Snow Show, but I'm not sure. I am really afraid of how it is all going to play out. I don't want B to be sad, I want her to be happy for her dad, that her dad is happy. But her mom has gotten the child so brainwashed that she feels that if she is happy for her dad she is betraying her mom. And mom doesn't do anything to encourage her otherwise.

If I didn't love M so much I wouldn't put myself through this mess. Sometimes I feel like it just isn't worth it. Fortunately, HE is! He is the most amazing man, but I will post all about him another time.

Parents, what are your thoughts on the subject?

Look what I got!

Last night Michael and I went to Disneyland and he proposed next to the Castle, in Snow White's Grotto (which is actually one of my favorite places in the Park).

He was so cute. Apparently he wanted to do it during the snow after fireworks, but it was so crowded we didn't want to stick around that long, so then he wanted to do it in front of the Castle but that was closed for fireworks (2 hours later), so we were walking around and he took me to the grotto. We stopped on the little bridge and he told me he had a present for me, and that is when he took out the ring.

It's beautiful, if you ask me. I am so excited and so happy. I didn't think the thought of getting married for a second time would make me feel this giddy, but I am. It was very special. Espcially since I knew it was coming...in March. He got me, I was totally taken aback.

We are planning on a summer wedding. Anyone want to come?

shows, shows and more shows

So, I told you I was in New York. That I love New York. Well, here is one of the big reasons why...

THEATRE!

There is so much to see. I was lucky enough to get to see four shows while I was in

town.

1. Spamalot - what a fun show. I really wish I had been able to get tickets sooner. Seeing Tim Cury as King Arthur would have just been too much. If you're a Monty Python fan this show is a must.

2. Regrets Only - this was the MTC show that we saw. It was mildly entertaining. Really reminded me of the first season of Will and Grace, you know when they just went for the really funny one-liners but the rest of the script sucked. If you have seen A Day Without A Mexican you can pretty much understand this play, only it's done with gays taking the day off. I would only recommend this if you got free tickets.

3. Suddenly Last Summer - This is probably my second favorite Tennessee Williams play (the first...Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). One of the other teachers and I were able to snag tickets to this sold out show. I am so glad I did. I always forget how powerful this show is. Not to mention Blyth Danner was amazing.

4. Evil Dead, the musical - yes, you read that right. What a fun show! For a campy, off-broadway production it was really well done. The music is fun and it had some really cool special effects. I have never seen so much stage blood in my life! The first three rows of the theatre are called the "splatter zone". This is because as the demons get killed they squirt and splatter the audience with all the blood they can. Ah, good (not s0) clean fun. If you can catch this one, do. You will laugh...alot.

So, there is the recap of my theatre adventures. I was actually surprised I saw so much. When I was making my show plans, there really wasn't anything I was needing to see...Almost four hundred dollars later, I've seen four new shows.

Man, I love theatre!

Note: I upgraded to the blogger beta, I HATE the new dashboard...TOO much stuff!

New York!

I LOVE NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!

I love everything about it, the crowds, the noise, the energy.

I just got back from a week long trip to the Big Apple. I have returned energized and excited to be teaching theatre (although my English classes are sapping that right out of me rather quickly).

I go every year at this time because of a class I teach. Let me tell you about it...

I have the amazing opportunity to work with an organization called Manhattan Theatre Club. They are a not-for-profit organization that produces wonderful theatre and does tons for the educationional community.

They run a project called Theatrelink. In this project students from around the world (about 18 schools in total) work in groups of 3 schools to write plays and produce theatre. I am so fortunate to have been selected to be a part of this 9 years ago and to have been asked back every year.

The kids love it. They have the opportunity to read a play and communicate with the playwright (this year's play is Brooklyn Boy by Donald Margulies). Once they have studied the life out of the play they are turned loose to write their own scripts, with guidance from myself and a professional working in New York, this year we are working with a playwright by the name of Carmen Rivera (I can't wait to read some of her work).

Once the plays are written we trade scripts and begin production. The kids do everything. Direct, design, act, they learn so much. And they have a great time as well.

I am so excited to begin the project. I learned so much during this last trip. I feel like this project helps make me a better director and a better teacher.

If you have some time check out the MTC website, they are fab!

http://www.mtc-nyc.org/

If you're in New York, check out some of their shows...amazing theatre work!

Mom

The past year I have been consistently amazed by my mother's strength and courage.
Last October she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Last November she went through a single masectomy.

Last December she got engaged to an amazing man, Rocky.

Last January she started chemotherapy.

Last June her fiance was diagnosed with a inoperable brain tumor.

Last July her fiance passed away.

Last July she began radiation treatments.

Last September she completed radiation.

Last October her mom had open heart surgery.

Last night we had craft night and she was laughing and happy and moving on.

She and Rocky loved to dance, loved to create art, loved to enjoy the company of family and friends.

Today she will starts a dance class. A dance class she and Rocky where going to take together once she was feeling well.

With everything my mom has been through this past year I am so impressed with her ability to carry on. To still do the things she loved doing with Rocky. Yes, she has her down times, we all do. Rocky was her ideal, her soulmate. But she knows that he wouldn't want her to sit around and grieve forever. He would want her to get out there and do the things she loved to do.

Last night at craft night we talked until 2:00am about Rocky. About how we still have a hard time believing he's gone. About how sometimes she feel guilty for moving on and being happy. How some days are harder than others, and the mornings are the hardest, she misses her daily "Good Morning" call. But she is moving on.

With everything my mom has been through this past year and the fact that she can look at live and still smile, that is a strong woman to me.

She has a strength that I can only hope I have an once of.

I never really thought about looking up to someone, of having someone I want to be like. But today I think I really hope that when I "grow up" I'm like my mom. Strong, independent, and able to carry on through the toughest of times.

Note: I wanted to post pictures of my beautiful mother, but blogger wouldn't let me. I'll try again later.

a word about sophomores...

The word sophomore means "young fool". There is a reason why 10 graders are called sophomores, they are fools! IDIOTS! Dumb asses! I hate sophomores.

I stayed at school until 7:45 pm (on Friday, I might add) so I could finally update grades. 98% of students have got to be failing.

They aren't failing because I suck (although I'm beginning to wonder), they are failing because they don't turn anything in.

I have some students where the only things they have turned in are tests. Now, I know I should have caught this sooner, called home, had the translators call home (because for most of my students the home language is not English), but with 140 English students and 60 drama students when am I supposed to call home? Like I said, I left the school at almost 8:00pm, it was me and the custodial crew, now who wants to call parents at 8:00pm on Friday, the whole dozen or so I could have actually communicated with.

Monday will end up being the what are you going to do to pass my class day. As I walk from student to student, show them their grade and ask...What are you going to do to pass this class? Do you plan on getting a diploma? Do you plan on every having a job? I don't think they think about the fact they actually have to pass classes to get out of high school with a diploma (not to mention the Exit Exam).

Our future isn't looking too bright!

On a happy note...I leave for New York on Tuesday!

Done!

Friday was spent out with the Black Friday crowds and I can say I am offically done with my Christmas shopping! No more crowds for me. YIPPY!

Now if I could just get someone else to do the wrapping I'd be in heaven.

whatever will I do?

I have five days off! Let me tell you I need it (there are several sophomores who are in danger of losing their lives if I didn't get this time off).

What shall I do?

1. CLEAN MY HOUSE: Show season, which happens right before holiday season, always leaves my house a huge mess. I don't spend more than 6 hours at a time at home during this time, and I usually try to spend that time sleeping, not cleaning. So, when holiday season shows up, I have to clean like a maniac to get ready.

2. SCRAP: I am dieing to get my China scrapbooks done. I am spending the day multitasking. Scrap a couple pages, clean a room, scrap some more, clean some more. So far so good. I am getting through the scrapping pretty quickly actually. It helps when you opt for uniform as opposed to very creative. Each page has the same look, the pictures and journal blocks are just in different places. Of course I have to go back and change a bunch of stuff (oh, goodness), I changed my mind on something, and it will drive me nuts to not go back and make the whole thing match.

3. DECORATE: This is my favorite part. I can't wait to pull out all the Christmas stuff and set it up. I want to be ready to do that by the time I get home from my mom's tomorrow. I need that holiday spirit to get me through the rest of the year.

4. SHOPPING: Yes, I am a Black Friday shopper. I actually finish my Christmas shopping each year on Friday. I like it that way. If I have to hit the mall again, it can be a liesurely trip, not stress, no rush. And it let's me enjoy the holiday. And actually Black Friday shopping isn't as bad as people think. Check the Black Friday website (more on this later), plan your trip and most of all start early!

5. GLASS CLASS: Some of you may know that I do glass work (in that non-existent spare time). I love to copper foiled suncatchers and stuff like that. I have even toyed with starting a website or blog just for sale of the stuff. There are only so many of them you can hang in your house. If you need a cool gift and want to see what I do let me know. I can post some pictures. Anyway, back to glass class...I am taking a fused bowl class on Saturday. I am probably most excited about this. I am a born learner. I don't like not learning something new. If all goes well I will come out of this class with a gift from my Grandmother. I'll post pictures of the finished project.

6. FAMILY: Thursday I will spend the day with family. It has been a tough year for our family and we really need this time to reconnect. While we have had some good stuff happen; one of my sisters is pregnant, my cousin had a baby. It has been a really really rough one. One I am glad is coming to a close soon. In the past 12 months, my mom was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer, my mom's fiance', who supported her through her treatment, passed away (he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor), Grandma G had open heart surgery (she's doing great). It's been hard. I am still having a hard time with much of this. I am having a hard time moving out of the angry stage of grief, probably because I was out of the country when the stuff with R really got bad and wasn't there to say goodbye. This will be the first big family gathering since R passed. It's going to be so strange not having him there. Okay, so this didn't go where I thought it was going to so I will change the subject...

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Enjoy family, friends and good food. Life is short enjoy it all you can. Tell those you love that you do, before they are gone.

look what i get to do...

GRADE PAPERS!

want to help?

looking for a quick fix

Why does this have to happen during a super busy week for me?

I have the beginnings of a very serious UTI. I hurt, much. I should take the day off to go to the doctor, but we have a performance at 3:30 today. I'm going to try for an after hours appointment, but that will have to wait until 6:00 pm. I will have to make it through a minimum of 12 hours before I can see someone.

I am currently taking Uristat, an OTC drug that is supposed to ease the urgency and burning. I am also taking a holistic tonic that is supposed to help. But I can't remember if it only helps before the infection comes or if it will help now. On the way to school I will load up on cranberry juice.

I figure if I can keep enough fluids in my body that I have to use the rest room after every period, I shouldn't be in much pain. (the more fluid that comes out the less it burns).

Is this TMI?

Does anyone have any other suggestions to get me through the day? Am I just screwed?

If I hadn't changed insurance all I would have to do is call my doctor and she would call in the perscription (yes, I get them that often). But now I have to start all over.

I LOVE Rock-n-Roll

Motley Crue and Aerosmith rocked! We had so much fun, despite the fact it was 49 degrees and an outdoor concert (hey, I'm from Southern California, that's cold!), and the 1 1/2 hours it took us to get out of the parking lot.

I don't get it, there are people all over the place to tell you where to park, but they don't make them hang around to help you get out. Literally we slept in the car for an hour before we even moved! I am so thankful that M decided to get us a hotel near the Pavillion

Anyway, I can't believe how hard these guys can still rock. It was freakin' awesome! I have to say I thought the Crue was WAY better than Aerosmith. I had heard different and have to totally disagree. And that's not to say that Aerosmith didn't bring it, the Crue just out played them.

Here is something else I just don't understand. M works in the event staging industry, therefore he knows people EVERY WHERE. He has a friend who had been on tour with the Crue up until about 2 months ago, but is still friends with the band and the crew (stage crew that is). So, this friend got us guest passes from the band. But low and behold anytime we tried to get anywhere other than our own seats we were told we needed to have tickets and that the ushers didn't care that we had guest passes. It just didn't make any sense.

Here are some pictures of the night. Although we had pretty good seats, the pictures didn't turn out very well, really super bright lights will do that.



You can't tell, but this is Motley Crue. Their set used a ton of fire and was very tribal looking to me. There were a couple of hanging cages, during the show a couple of girls got into them and were writhing around, it was pretty cool.








I can't tell who's playing, and I was there, so please don't ask.










This is probably the best picture. It was taken right after "Kickstart my Heart".





Okay here is a picture of Aerosmith. I didn't take as many of them. Their bright lights were on all the time, as well as the big screen. Not good for the photo taking. In fact, this one is pretty bad. My camera just doesn't take good pictures without the flash at night.









And last but not least, a piture of my Motley Crue guest pass...

tonight is going to ROCK!

Tonight is the night I have been waiting for for MONTHS!!!! I am going to go and see

Aerosmith and Motley Crue

(note I would love to know why my "large" pictures are so small)

I love, love, LOVE both these bands. And I especially love this man...

Ahh, Tommy Lee. He's just yummy.

Tomorrow, full concert update! (and hopefully some pictures)

The Crucible has left the building...

Officially, it is all over (except of course for the mess that is left in my class). The show was a huge success. One fellow teacher even told me that another teacher told him that this was the best production of The Crucible she had ever seen. Now, I'm a bit biased, I love my kids, but the show FREAKING ROCKED!!!!!.

I have several kids who are talented beyond belief. I have a feeling I might see some of them on an awards show at some point. And I never go as far as to venture that type of compliment.

During Friday's show I had several people come up to me after the show, 2 teachers, the wife of a teacher and a student who I bumped heads with constantly when I had her in class, come up to me and tell me that the final scene made them cry. You know the one where Proctor tears his confession because it is his name and he can't have another. That his good name is more important than anything, that by signing the lie he has disgraced all those who remained silent and refused to give up the names of others just to safe their own lives. This actually happened to be my favorite scene in the whole show.

I know this scene was good when during a rehearsal all of a sudden the ensemble came quietly running into the house and sat in the front row to watch. They could feel the electricity of the scene from back stage and needed to see it. When that happens you know you have something good.

I would post pictures, but because my students are minors I really can't. You will just have to trust me...THEY ARE AMAZING!

here's a question for you...

Why doesn't the "Do Not Call" list effect the political pre-recorded messages?

and the curtain rises

It's finally opening night.

The show is still 30 minutes too long.

Two kids don't know all their lines. Granted one of them only got the part on Monday. But that's another story.

The programs are still at the pinters.

I have no concessions.

But the show will go on.

5:00 pm call, 7:00 pm curtain. I'm excited! You?

WHY?

Why is it that I can't ever find the CD I am looking for?

Why is it that I finally pick out music for my show and every CD that will work is out of print?

Why is it that the crappiest movies have their CDs available (and I do mean crap) while I can't find the really good stuff?

It looks like The Crucible won't have any preshow or intermission music because I can't find anything that sounds remotely like what I want. I want the movie soundtrack by George Fenton, which is amazing. But it's out of print! I can buy it used if I can wait 6 days...oh wait the show opens in 2!

Any suggestions? I'm on the hunt!

When?

When did cell phones become the most complicated invention on the planet?

I finally upgraded and got a new phone, Samsung, I love it...but it took me two days to figure out how to change the ringtone. That was with using the book.

While I'm at it, when did the basic ringtones start to completely suck! Suck to the point where you will spend $2.50 to have a ringtone you can stand to listen to when you get a phone call.

Okay, enough complaining...Crucible opens on Thursday. Once again, you in the area, you want to see the show, let me know, I have connections...I can hook you up.

I watched the movie this day, twice! I discovered that the commentary for this is actually worth listening to. But I will talk more about that in a later entry. All I will say is...Why didn't I think about from that angle!

why are people dumb?

I don't understand why people are so dumb...

1. I asked students to fix our bench for Crucible. One of the side braces had come loose. I said, take a couple of screws and screw them in to the sides to hold it together.

These students decided that the entire bench needed to come apart and be fixed because the kids who had put it together before had used carpenter's glue only. I know that because I am the one who told them to do it. In theatre we use glue for everything.

Keep in mind only one brace needed to be fixed. They took the bench apart without talking to me first. They did not finish putting the bench back together by the end of the 5 hour rehearsal so they just moved all the pieces back stage (not I said back stage, implying the fact the pieces were in MY theatre).

2. During rehearsal last night I noticed the bench wasn't on stage and the kids who were working on it were sitting in the audience. I asked where the bench was which prompted an schoolwide hunt for the bench.

Apparently they had placed the bench near these huge boxes, boxes I had been asking the custodians for a month to get out of my space.

They boxes are now gone, and so is my bench. Our only assumption can be that THE CUSTODIANS THREW MY BENCH AWAY!!!!!!

I can't replace this bench. It was donated and I don't know where it was purchased. It was the perfect bench for this show. I don't have time to even look for another bench.

I am on the verg of killing someone!

what a day!

I continue to work through tech week as well as continue to wonder where in the world my tech crew went. I get a ton of kids who sign up and then they all disappear on me. I need to find an incentive, some motivation, some form of threat to keep them on the crew.

Yesterday was a freakin' long day. I jumped in my car at 6:00 am to hit the store before I got to school. Although for themost part I have given up caffine, I needed some yesterday - Pumpkin Latte was calling my name. I was at school by 6:30 and ready to copy the world, except BOTH copiers went down, again! I was so mad I almost shed some tears.

I explained to my drama kids that I just might have a melt down if they don't start to help with things. They want everything, great shows, competitions, festivals, talent shows, drama club, Thespian Society, but I just can't do it all. They think I am magic and can pull all the stuff we need for everything out of my butt. I hate to break it to them, I don't have magic butt, I don't pull props and scenery out of my ass!

They say they understand and are willing to help. We'll see when the next show comes up (two weeks after Crucible closes by the way).

Anyway, back to the long day. After a 4 hour rehearsal I hung around to make my copies, plus some for later. I worked a 14 hour day and am hoping to ge to school by 6:30 again today. It's department meetings today, so I won't have my morning planning time, which really sucks.

Did you notice there isn't a comlete through line in this entire entry? My brain does not have room in it for a through line! My dixie plate runneth over and bends in the middle!

hell week is here...

It has arrived the last 8 days before a show opens and we are working like maniacs to get it ready. I am still missing a few set pieces, most of the props and the kids don't know all their lines, but hell or high water opening night will come November 2.

The kids are really excited, but I had to explain to them that I couldn't do EVERYTHING for the show and that they needed to help a bit more. I can't do all the shopping for props and such anymore, I just don't have the energy. (the English classes are killing me)

The posters go to the print shop on Monday, a week late, which is what happens when you ask a student to do the artwork. Which is wonderful, but man did it take her a long time to draw a dead tree. I'll post the picture later, she did a great job.

Costumes arrive on Monday, so that will be chaos, fun, but chaos. Then hopefully the kids will be super motivated for the final rush, at least that is the way it usually works.

On a fun note, if you live in the Fullerton area and can catch Seussical, it's great! Although I actually think it might close today.

The new Tennessee Williams opens next Friday, I think it's called Spring Storm. It's supposed to be really good. Apparently they found the play in Williams' papers in the 1990s and it's only been produced a handful of times. I know the girl playing the lead, she's great (we actually did a show together years ago). I am planning on going, I'll post an update after I see the show. But I can tell you CSUF does great work!

Have a fantabulous weekend (what's left of it), I'm off to great ready to see Sweet Charity tonight at the Pantages.

sub-what?!?

Clothing designer Nicole Miller is launching a size of clothes tentatively called "subzero". Yep, you read that right, subzero. It's designed for those teeny, tiny, waif things. I couldn't believe it when I read the article. Don't we have enough problems with body image and eating disorders in this world (especially this country).

I had a cousin who is a recovered anorexic, and know for a fact this is the LAST thing those girls need to see.

The waiste size on these plants...23 1/2 inches.

Miller stays the clothes are for naturally small women, not those way tall, way tiny, underweight model types. But you know that these clothes are going to be the status symbol of the anorexic.

It just makes me very sad that as a society we have created a sense that if you aren't a mini-sized person you are fat. I had a guy tell me once that at 5'7" 150 was too fat. I was wearing a size 8 at the time. I was devestated by that comment. I had NEVER been told I was fat.

Here is a link to the article if you want to read it. And nobody needs to be a subzero, we are all wonderful just the way we are!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15319430/site/newsweek/from/ET/

this, that and the other...

It's been awhile. Here's a random update.

1. I feel better. The cough still lingers a bit. I'd go to the doctor, but Kaiser STILL hasn't entered me in it's system. You'd think with insurance that took effect on October 1 I would be able to see a doctor sometime around, say, OCTOBER 12!!!! But, nope, not me.

2. Herb is doing well. Although she seems a bit lathargic to me.

3. The Crucible opens in 2 1/2 weeks. Any one want to come? Should be good. Saturday is the big tech day...build, paint, build, paint...it's loads of fun. Ever try to keep 50 helium baloons off the ceiling at one time? That is what my Saturday will be like.

4. I am so overwhelmed with work and such that I feel like my head will explode! Worse than that... no one gets it! I am so overwhelmed I yelled profanities at my cast because they didn't bring my keys back to me in my classroom and I had to track them down. Now that is pretty stressed. I don't think I could appologize enough. I just snapped, and I don't like being that person. They were cute...they said everyone snaps and understood my frustration. I promised to never swear at them again (keep in mind I used to swear like a sailor).

5. On a happy note...my sweetie showed up with this bag on Wednesday...



This is what I found inside...



Yes, I ate one before I took the picture. For those of you not cupcake savey, I guess Sprinkles is like gourmet cupcakes. And let me tell you , they are pretty darn good.

What did I do to deserve these wonderful little delights....I had a birthday! I had a birthday without a cake. I mentioned I didn't get a cake to him on Saturday after we did the family birthday thing. Then on Monday I made my own cupcakes, only the box labeled "Yellow Cake" had white cake mix instead. You must understand, my FAVORITE cake is yellow cake with chocolate icing. Even making my own I didn't get what I wanted.

So, to make me feel better M went out of his way to buy me fancy cupcakes. I think he's a keeper. What do you think?

all I want...

is to sleep through the night. I can not continue waking up every hour coughing. Nothing is working. It is 2:00 am and I am getting dressed and heading to the pharmacy to find something that will ease my cough. I need to get some sleep. Not even the perscription cough syrup is working. I don't know how much longer I can take this.

Herb update

First, for those of you who don't know Herb is my gecko and he is sick. He has something hanging out of his butt that belongs on his inside.

Now, on with the story.

I took Herb to Dr. G (different Dr. G, the cat and dog Dr. G doesn't do reptiles).

Apparently Herb is not a "he," Herb is a "she." She will continue to be called Herb, Herb-a-licous, Lic(ous). Yes, I have always called HER those things.

Herb has been eating the sand substraight that is in the cage. This has caused a "blockage". Or at least that is what we think the problem is as of right now.

Dr. G offered to keep Herb over the weekend to monitor, adminsiter meds and to see what he could get out of her and put back in. The Dr. thinks because of the sand Herb has some hard stools and is pushing too hard to get them out, thus causing the innards to come outwards.

So, for the next 3 days I am Herb-less. It's kind of strange.

The Dr. is giving me a great deal. He had me tell him that it was a class pet, he gives teachers a deal on class pets. When I said "no" at first he told me I was supposed to lie. So, he is charging about $20 to keep her, then the med and stuff will be on top of that. Pretty cool huh?

Although I did feel really weird taking a lizard to the vet.

Keep happy thoughts coming Herb's way. I am sure she isn't going to be happy with me when she comes home on Monday.

sick...

I hate being sick. I've been sick since Monday. Came home with a raging fever. Now it is sore throat and an ear ache. Figures it would get worse just as the insurance is changing over.

I feel like I have swallowed a can of nails.

In addition to my being sick, Herb (the gecko) needs to go to the vet. I would post a picture, but it's actually pretty gross. It looks like his insides are trying to escape through his butt. We're making an appointment tomorrow when the offices are open. Hopefully his innerds can be put back inside without too much trauma or expense.

Wish me luck.

too hot...

Will it ever cool down in Southern California? Is it going to stay hot forever?

I'm soooooo ready for some rain.

For sweaters.

For hot chocolate.

For cozy blankets.

For something other than HOT!

insomnia sucks

At the sound of the tone it will be...

4:53 am


(I've been up since 3:00)

drama students are crazy

I'm probably stating the obvious here, but they are!

Let me go back a bit...

I have taught 9th grade English for 8 years. Nice little freshmen, cute freshmen, small classes of cute little freshmen.

This year I have 10th grade English. Monster size classes of nasty sophomores.

When I say nasty I mean nasty. Now, when you talk to them one-on-one they are actually nice kids. Put them in a group of 45 and they are out of control.

So needless to say I have been a raging bitch since school got underway. I can't get ahead of them, I spend too much time trying to grade papers. (Our principal ended the days of TAs to grade papers, the TAs have to be "learning" something). They don't listen to instructions, so I have to give them 45 times, once to each student. They don't want to read, they don't want to discuss, they just want to sit and stare at me.

Because I teach the Theatre classes at the end of the day they receive the wrath that is left over from the English classes. I feel bad about it, but can't seem to get into a good mood.

Now, here is where the drama students being crazy comes in...

Two students went to the store to buy supplies to ask a girl to homecoming (I don't get the having to do something creative to ask someone to a dance, but okay...).

While at Michael's they discovered there is a pet store next door. So, with the dance theme being "Under the Sea" they decide that the boy should buy the girl a fish and write the invitation to the dance on the bowl. Cute, yes.

Then they decided they needed to buy me a fish...


They named the fish "Mr. Raschal Paschal", I just call him fish.






He's a pearl fish. To me he looks a lot like a goldfish.

What in the world made them think I needed a fish?

I guess they just wanted to make me smile...It worked.

I walked, and I walked and I walked some more...

Almost 2000 women and men walking.

100s of volunteers and crew members.

100 of people cheering.

More than 3.6 million dollars raised.

Lots of funding for a tremendous cause.

This was probably one of the most powerful experiences in my life. Yes it was hard, yes I'm sore (very sore), yes I have blisters on my feet, yes it's all worth it.

Do I plan on walking again next year...Heck yes!

And yes, that is me on the front of the Press Telegram (it's a local paper in So. Cal).

anything for a cause

After months of fundraising, months of (not) training and lots of anticipation it's finaly here, The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I will spend Saturday and Sunday walking to raise awareness of this terrible disease.

In honor of the big event I started my day looking like this...

And ended it looking like this...

If you still want to make a donation, you have until the end of Friday night to do so online.

www.avonfoundation.org

walker # 661441

I dyed my hair pink...what would you do for a good cause?

what a week!

Completed my first almost full week of school. I am getting into the swing of things, although the kids are not happy that we are already working. What do they expect? To play games until Christmas...WRONG!

I was really worried about my Theatre 1 numbers, but got 4 new kids on Friday.

I have a student who I was told didn't speak any English (the other kids who were translating for me). That's okay, I was told they would be moving him, I said I would keep him if he wanted to stay (he doesn't). Then low-and-behold yeterday he asked me if he could go to the restroom, and then when I said I thought he couldn't speak any English he said (mind you in perfect English, no heavy accent) he couldn't. I think I've been had!

Thursday my grandma had to go in for triple by-pass surgery. That was freaking scarey. She's old. I mean if I'm old, she must be really old. Anyway, I spend Thursday evening in Los Angeles at the hospital waiting for her to come out of surgery and to make sure she was okay.

Got a phone call from my mom last night, grandma had made 6 lap around the nurse's station over the course of the day yesterday. They don't waist any time getting those cardiac patients up and moving now do they.

My mom and I are going to see her today. It should be a good visit.

My package of shirts finally arrived. Now, not only was it almost a week late, the box was all crushed and mangled. As I said before, I will NEVER use UPS again. DHL (thank you Chatty) or the US postal system from now on. If it needs to get there fast, FedEx here I come.

My sister, niece and I put the shirts on while we were at the hospital and gave my mom her's.

As well as these Paloma Picasso earrings. Notice how they look kind of like the cause ribbons?

She really liked them. It was her first "little blue box".

I'm sorry, no woman should have to wait until she is almost 60 to get a little blue box.

The best things come in that little blue box. Trust me I know. I know my Tiffany!

Speaking of the blue box. While M and I were at Tiffany to buy the earrings we were looking around the entire store. I mean you can't go to Tiffany and look at ALL of the pretty shiney stuff. We went in to the "Diamond Salon". This is where they keep the diamonds and engagement rings. M likes to have the workerbees pull out stuff for us to look at up close.

So, he has them pull out this one ring. It's kind of a bluish/gray colored diamond. The guy says we have to look at it in the viewing room because of the cost. Would you blieve I held in my hot little hands an 860,000 dollar ring! I was so scared I would lose it.

Apparently it is a blue diamond and very, very rare. If you get a chance to see a blue diamond, do. They are stunning.

So, I pretty much think that was my week in a nutshell. I hope you all had a good week.

Now it's time to do something I haven't done all week...clean my poor little house.