I took a quick trip to Iowa City yesterday to visit Aaliyah in the hospital. Yes, the healthy baby niece is sick (Alivia was to have surgery a week and a half ago, but it was postponed to March 9 because of a blood clot she developed). Aaliyah got pneumonia on Saturday which has turned into something else which is too technical for me to remember. So let's just say she isn't breathing on her own and has been in the hospital since Saturday. This means my sister, April, has also been in the hospital. She literally went for a quick doctor visit to Waterloo, and then upon finding out Aaliyah had to be airlifted to Iowa City, drove straight to the hospital do not stop at go, do not collect $100. She still has DVDs she was about to return in her car.
I decided I needed to visit April to prevent her from going crazy alone in the hospital with an unmoving, unresponsive child. I went just in time, too. She was pacing around the room, sing, blurting out random words....she's clearly on the path to insanity. I kept her company, we watched Aaliyah, and then I took her out to eat. It was a good time. The good news is that Aaliyah started moving yesterday because they took her off of the paralyzing drug. Also, she opened her eyes for the first time since they put her under. April was incredibly happy. I was too. They were also able to turn down her vent, so she's doing more breathing on her own. Hopefully, she'll be able to get completely off of it today or tomorrow.
Pray she'll get better soon, and then pray Livie will recover from surgery quickly, so April doesn't spend all of her life in the hospital and can have two healthy baby girls.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Valentine's Weekend
Chaz took me on a weekend getaway to Minneapolis for Valentine's Day. It was to be a trip of exploration, culture and fun. It started out so, but then it took "a turn for the worse," (cue creepy chords from Oregon Trail). You see, Chaz and I are both non-planners. And when two non-planners get married and try to non-plan something fun, disaster is inevitable.
Our trip began with coffee with Al in Owatonna. Delightful. After the quick detour for good conversation with a wonderful friend, we finished the last leg to Minneapolis. On the way, we had to decide what we would do first. Being non-planners we just blurted out something and called it good. We first went to the Global Market in downtown Minneapolis. I had been there before and had a good time, so I knew Chaz probably would too (and it was something he wanted to see). It's basically an international market indoors. What could go wrong? Nothing. We ate fish tacos and tamales, wandered among the booths, and then called it good.
What next?
We decided to check into our hotel, which was a real snazzy, trendy hotel in downtown Minneapolis. This place was happenin! We probably should've just stayed in the hotel, but we were determined to ruin the day somehow. Chaz then tells me he really wants to go to the Walker Art Museum. This is at 4:06. The museum closes at 5 (this is where planning would have helped). We decidee to go anyway and at least check out the sculpture garden. We get lost along the way and ended up at Walker at 5. Being -10 degrees, we decide to walk around anyway and take some pictures. In increasingly bad moods, we returned to the car after a quick walkthrough for the next disappointment.
This came in the form of driving around downtown Minneapolis trying to find someplace to walk around/shop. No luck. It was far too cold to walk around, and Chaz was stressed out from driving, so we stayed in the car. Then, we decided to go for dinner, and we desperately needed someplace good to get us out of the foul moods. We took a recommendation from a friend and drove to St. Paul for dinner. When we got to the area, there was absolutely no parking and masses of people as a result of a hockey game. Nice. Needed that. We ended up paying $10 to park 7 blocks away from the restaurant and cried as we walked in the cold. Once at the restaurant, we realized it was not the romantic dinner we were looking for. We waited in line with a million other people, got some "fast Italian food" cafeteria-style (slapped on a plastic plate) and sat at a table surrounded by rambunctious college students. Happy Valentine's Day! The food was mediocre and probably tasted worse than it actually was (as that place is highly acclaimed) due to our mood.
Upon returning to the car after a brisk walk, we drove back to our hotel and collapsed on the bad extremely tired after a depressing evening. Things could still turn up, however. We were invited to a bluegrass show at a local bar by my dear friend Cassie. While tempted to stay and go to sleep, we decided to try to make up for the rest of the day by going. We were not disappointed. I didn't know how it could, but that show made up for the rest of the day. We danced and laughed to amazing bluegrass music by Trampled by Turtles and Two Many Banjos. You have to have real talent to play that kind of music, unlike in other genres. It was incredible! When one of the fathers of a musician joined them on stage to play harmonica, he brought down the place! It was hott! Everyone was dancing because you can't help it to that music!
We ended the trip the next day with a venture to IKEA. How could we go wrong there? Thank you, Chaz, for a wonderful trip despite the downfalls. Thank you Cassie and bluegrass music for lifting our spirits. Thank you Minneapolis for the joy and the pitfalls. This trip was definitely educational. While we may or may not have learned the lesson about planning, we sure learned a lot about each other and our marriage.
Our trip began with coffee with Al in Owatonna. Delightful. After the quick detour for good conversation with a wonderful friend, we finished the last leg to Minneapolis. On the way, we had to decide what we would do first. Being non-planners we just blurted out something and called it good. We first went to the Global Market in downtown Minneapolis. I had been there before and had a good time, so I knew Chaz probably would too (and it was something he wanted to see). It's basically an international market indoors. What could go wrong? Nothing. We ate fish tacos and tamales, wandered among the booths, and then called it good.
What next?
We decided to check into our hotel, which was a real snazzy, trendy hotel in downtown Minneapolis. This place was happenin! We probably should've just stayed in the hotel, but we were determined to ruin the day somehow. Chaz then tells me he really wants to go to the Walker Art Museum. This is at 4:06. The museum closes at 5 (this is where planning would have helped). We decidee to go anyway and at least check out the sculpture garden. We get lost along the way and ended up at Walker at 5. Being -10 degrees, we decide to walk around anyway and take some pictures. In increasingly bad moods, we returned to the car after a quick walkthrough for the next disappointment.
This came in the form of driving around downtown Minneapolis trying to find someplace to walk around/shop. No luck. It was far too cold to walk around, and Chaz was stressed out from driving, so we stayed in the car. Then, we decided to go for dinner, and we desperately needed someplace good to get us out of the foul moods. We took a recommendation from a friend and drove to St. Paul for dinner. When we got to the area, there was absolutely no parking and masses of people as a result of a hockey game. Nice. Needed that. We ended up paying $10 to park 7 blocks away from the restaurant and cried as we walked in the cold. Once at the restaurant, we realized it was not the romantic dinner we were looking for. We waited in line with a million other people, got some "fast Italian food" cafeteria-style (slapped on a plastic plate) and sat at a table surrounded by rambunctious college students. Happy Valentine's Day! The food was mediocre and probably tasted worse than it actually was (as that place is highly acclaimed) due to our mood.
Upon returning to the car after a brisk walk, we drove back to our hotel and collapsed on the bad extremely tired after a depressing evening. Things could still turn up, however. We were invited to a bluegrass show at a local bar by my dear friend Cassie. While tempted to stay and go to sleep, we decided to try to make up for the rest of the day by going. We were not disappointed. I didn't know how it could, but that show made up for the rest of the day. We danced and laughed to amazing bluegrass music by Trampled by Turtles and Two Many Banjos. You have to have real talent to play that kind of music, unlike in other genres. It was incredible! When one of the fathers of a musician joined them on stage to play harmonica, he brought down the place! It was hott! Everyone was dancing because you can't help it to that music!
We ended the trip the next day with a venture to IKEA. How could we go wrong there? Thank you, Chaz, for a wonderful trip despite the downfalls. Thank you Cassie and bluegrass music for lifting our spirits. Thank you Minneapolis for the joy and the pitfalls. This trip was definitely educational. While we may or may not have learned the lesson about planning, we sure learned a lot about each other and our marriage.
At a bluegrass show...
Dear Pink Hair Girl,
Although I like the bubblegum tint to your hair, please refrain from thrusting your hair-sprayed, sticky mess in my face. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the bluegrass music, and we're all joining you in dancing, but I would appreciate your awareness of those around you. Also, no, I do not want your smelly-ass drink all over my clothes. I would prefer to leave this place not smelling like vodka cranberry. So if you would kindly watch your drink while you jerk all over the place to be sure it doesn't spill, I would appreciate it. And so would those around you.
Your friend,
Kate
Although I like the bubblegum tint to your hair, please refrain from thrusting your hair-sprayed, sticky mess in my face. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the bluegrass music, and we're all joining you in dancing, but I would appreciate your awareness of those around you. Also, no, I do not want your smelly-ass drink all over my clothes. I would prefer to leave this place not smelling like vodka cranberry. So if you would kindly watch your drink while you jerk all over the place to be sure it doesn't spill, I would appreciate it. And so would those around you.
Your friend,
Kate
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Another week, another set of papers, another step on the road to bitterness
I began this semester with high hopes and excitement (and a bit of nervousness) about teaching two of my loves: technology and education. I remember posting about how it was so great to be surrounded, once again, by people who were passionate about teaching and excited about the potential of the future.
I have been horribly, horribly let down. I understand that things could change; that this may not be all the potential I see, but I now sympathize with TAs and professors everywhere who must seem as if the future of this country is going down the tubes based on the papers written by their students. I also wonder about where their teachers have failed them. And they have decided they want to teach now?
As an English major, I am horrified by the lack of correctness, shall we say? "All of the grammers and speling was okay on this website." Really? And how would you be a good judge of this? "I enjoyed reading there article. There a really good writer." Hmm...yes, I see.
As a future parent and teacher, I am horrified by the potentially disastrous consequences this could have on my legacy.
I worry of impending bitterness. Maybe it's already onset. Yikes.
I have been horribly, horribly let down. I understand that things could change; that this may not be all the potential I see, but I now sympathize with TAs and professors everywhere who must seem as if the future of this country is going down the tubes based on the papers written by their students. I also wonder about where their teachers have failed them. And they have decided they want to teach now?
As an English major, I am horrified by the lack of correctness, shall we say? "All of the grammers and speling was okay on this website." Really? And how would you be a good judge of this? "I enjoyed reading there article. There a really good writer." Hmm...yes, I see.
As a future parent and teacher, I am horrified by the potentially disastrous consequences this could have on my legacy.
I worry of impending bitterness. Maybe it's already onset. Yikes.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Why Teach Tech?
Many of you may not really care much about this, but it's my passion. As a TA, I'm once again surrounded by people passionate about technology and teaching, which is my favorite combination. I hope to renew my sense of why it's important to use technology to teach, and also gain ideas for my future classroom. So far, it's been good. I found a video we watched in lecture especially compelling. Check it out at the link below.
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
If this is an ever-changing world, why do we still teach the way we did 100 years ago?
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
If this is an ever-changing world, why do we still teach the way we did 100 years ago?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Meaning to Life
Well, I figured since I hadn't blogged in over a month, I had waited a sufficient amount of time in order to update you on my life (as if any of that really matters).
As I said in my previous blog, my sister-in-law recently adopted twins. These girls basically are the meaning of my life right now. I am, in a word, obsessed.
I love visiting the girls and getting new pictures of them doing the cute new things they do. Aaliyah is now doing "touchdown," but often she does the lazier "half-touchdown" which is still pretty cute. I've also enjoyed hanging out with my sissy and Robert (or Bobby) and the awkward moments we've shared. One time was particularly unfortunate, as I had told Alivia she was, "Nakers," (April was changing her clothes), and Robert had exploded, "WHAT did you call my girl?!?"
Alivia has surgery Feb. 3 to open up a suture in her brain that has closed. We're hoping that this alleviates some problems she's been having. A precious gift from God, she is so sweet, and we pray she continues to develop well after the surgery.
In other life, TA-ing for 201 has been an....adventure? Grading is not something I looked forward to, but my life will pretty much be consumed with for the semester. Being corrupted by the entourage has been....awesome. They have already managed to convince me (or force) to join Twitter, so if you aren't on it, JUMP ON IT! In awkward situations, I looked up "caterpillar" in Google Images and came up with an inappropriate image. Talk about your bad days! I laughed at myself because that's all you can really do. It was a good lesson in narrowing searches and teaching how to search for reliable content. Whoops.
I have also enjoyed my time reading. I recently finished reading The World According to Garp and found it interesting, entertaining, frustrating, and depressing. Basically, a roller-coaster. I would recommend it, however. I also just started reading Moo by Jane Smiley. This is one I am indulging in because it was written with some of Iowa State in mind. I've found it interesting thus far, and it's funny because I can really see the campus as I read. Also, a professor told me a story from the English Department a long time ago, and it appears in the book. I have a long list yet to read, and I plan to keep adding to it. If you have suggestions/recommendations, let me know!
As I said in my previous blog, my sister-in-law recently adopted twins. These girls basically are the meaning of my life right now. I am, in a word, obsessed.
I love visiting the girls and getting new pictures of them doing the cute new things they do. Aaliyah is now doing "touchdown," but often she does the lazier "half-touchdown" which is still pretty cute. I've also enjoyed hanging out with my sissy and Robert (or Bobby) and the awkward moments we've shared. One time was particularly unfortunate, as I had told Alivia she was, "Nakers," (April was changing her clothes), and Robert had exploded, "WHAT did you call my girl?!?"
Alivia has surgery Feb. 3 to open up a suture in her brain that has closed. We're hoping that this alleviates some problems she's been having. A precious gift from God, she is so sweet, and we pray she continues to develop well after the surgery.
In other life, TA-ing for 201 has been an....adventure? Grading is not something I looked forward to, but my life will pretty much be consumed with for the semester. Being corrupted by the entourage has been....awesome. They have already managed to convince me (or force) to join Twitter, so if you aren't on it, JUMP ON IT! In awkward situations, I looked up "caterpillar" in Google Images and came up with an inappropriate image. Talk about your bad days! I laughed at myself because that's all you can really do. It was a good lesson in narrowing searches and teaching how to search for reliable content. Whoops.
I have also enjoyed my time reading. I recently finished reading The World According to Garp and found it interesting, entertaining, frustrating, and depressing. Basically, a roller-coaster. I would recommend it, however. I also just started reading Moo by Jane Smiley. This is one I am indulging in because it was written with some of Iowa State in mind. I've found it interesting thus far, and it's funny because I can really see the campus as I read. Also, a professor told me a story from the English Department a long time ago, and it appears in the book. I have a long list yet to read, and I plan to keep adding to it. If you have suggestions/recommendations, let me know!
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Seasonal Joys
So I began writing a blog a couple of days ago, but I decided against posting it. It was pretty angsty-sounding. Yep, annoying students struck again. So instead, I'll write a little bit more of a happy one.
Instead of my angry, angsty blog, I'll list things I am thankful for/joyful about this season:
Being 1 1/2 weeks away from finishing my current college career.
My happy decorations in my happy apartment.
Lights on houses.
Lights in houses.
A wonderful semester at an amazing student teaching placement.
Students that keep my life interesting (the little shats).
A husband who loves me even when I'm difficult.
Friends that care about me even when I'm distant.
Stories that I can share over and over (pretty much daily occurrences at school).
Coffee dates with friends.
Cider and wassail.
Music that warms my heart and soul.
Wonderful co-workers that treat me well even though I'm an underling student teacher.
Being part of the teacher Holiday Pals exchange.
A potential job for next year at my dream school.
And if not....going on an overseas adventure.
Laughter and jokes and smiles and hugs.
A friendly neighborhood with friendly neighbors.
A close family that supports me.
Getting through tough financial times without even really realizing it.
The homeless woman by Wal-Mart teaching me the meaning of giving and noticing the un-noticed.
Friends overseas that I miss with all my heart but think of often.
My Shiftmates who love and support each other through all.
And my soon-to-be nieces (see picture).
As you can see, many things bring me so much joy, and I'm thankful for that. What a beautiful season!
Instead of my angry, angsty blog, I'll list things I am thankful for/joyful about this season:
Being 1 1/2 weeks away from finishing my current college career.
My happy decorations in my happy apartment.
Lights on houses.
Lights in houses.
A wonderful semester at an amazing student teaching placement.
Students that keep my life interesting (the little shats).
A husband who loves me even when I'm difficult.
Friends that care about me even when I'm distant.
Stories that I can share over and over (pretty much daily occurrences at school).
Coffee dates with friends.
Cider and wassail.
Music that warms my heart and soul.
Wonderful co-workers that treat me well even though I'm an underling student teacher.
Being part of the teacher Holiday Pals exchange.
A potential job for next year at my dream school.
And if not....going on an overseas adventure.
Laughter and jokes and smiles and hugs.
A friendly neighborhood with friendly neighbors.
A close family that supports me.
Getting through tough financial times without even really realizing it.
The homeless woman by Wal-Mart teaching me the meaning of giving and noticing the un-noticed.
Friends overseas that I miss with all my heart but think of often.
My Shiftmates who love and support each other through all.
And my soon-to-be nieces (see picture).
As you can see, many things bring me so much joy, and I'm thankful for that. What a beautiful season!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Gross
I'm sick today. Yuck. Felt fine last night, but this morning I woke up with a sore throat and runny nose and it's gotten progressively worse throughout the day. There's nothing more frustrating and difficult than trying to teach while you're sick. Students ask questions and it's hard to form coherent responses. I felt bad that I was snippy with them, especially when they asked frustrating questions or just began blowing off assignments. I'm sorry you don't like the book I chose for you to read, too bad! You've only read 15 pages, how the heck do you know if you hate the book already?? Read it and get the points! I also had to throw down during one period. I made students take out their books, sit down, and read for the last 10 minutes of class. They complied, which I was glad about. Maybe that's how I'll have to run things for the rest of Lit Circle times. I don't like it, but that may be how it has to be. I hope the rest of the week is better.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Crazy Kids
I received my first love letter at school today. It started with:
"Dear Sexiest English Teacher..."
Wonderful. It went on to say all sorts of awkward things (I watch you as you grade my papers.....), and then informed me that today is "Make Someone Feel Uncomfortable Day." Thanks. You succeeded. I found it after 3rd period, and then read it aloud to 4th period. What concerned me at the end was, "More to come..." What does that mean? Weird. I'm nervous.
I also had a student call me "Mama E" today.
Student A: "Hey, Mrs. E?"
Student B: "No, it's MAMA E!"
What does that mean? I have no idea. I informed them I am not a mama and do not intend to be a mama for a very long time. These students crack me up. Even during the frustrating days, there's always something that brightens my time here. Fridays always seem best of all because everyone is in such a great mood. Teachers and students alike are so looking forward to the weekend that nothing can dampen spirits. AP went well, Perspectives went well. Beautiful.
"Dear Sexiest English Teacher..."
Wonderful. It went on to say all sorts of awkward things (I watch you as you grade my papers.....), and then informed me that today is "Make Someone Feel Uncomfortable Day." Thanks. You succeeded. I found it after 3rd period, and then read it aloud to 4th period. What concerned me at the end was, "More to come..." What does that mean? Weird. I'm nervous.
I also had a student call me "Mama E" today.
Student A: "Hey, Mrs. E?"
Student B: "No, it's MAMA E!"
What does that mean? I have no idea. I informed them I am not a mama and do not intend to be a mama for a very long time. These students crack me up. Even during the frustrating days, there's always something that brightens my time here. Fridays always seem best of all because everyone is in such a great mood. Teachers and students alike are so looking forward to the weekend that nothing can dampen spirits. AP went well, Perspectives went well. Beautiful.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Life continues.....to be amazing!
So....I'm a hypocrite.
I complain about friends abroad not blogging often enough, but I, on the other hand, blog even less than them. I suppose I forget that news from here is probably just as welcome to them as news from abroad is to me. So I'll share the road life is taking me on right now:
Student teaching is phenomenal (which I let everyone know whenever I talk to them). Yes, there are frustrating days when the students annoy me so much I want to throw things at them, and I can only sigh and say, "We're just not having a good day, are we?" To which they'll vehemently deny and say it's a great day. Right. It's great that I want to pound your head on the desk until I get through to you without having to repeat instructions 500 times.
Besides those days, it's a tremendous joy to have students excitedly walk in the room and banter with me about not doing any work and can we please have a free day? Most exciting recently was that I decided to do a Comic Life project with my students. This is something I have looked forward to all year, and was something I was determined to do. (Dennis, it's nice to have the CTLT around for these sorts of things) I borrowed laptops and digital cameras from the CTLT (told my teacher I have the hookup), and had students storyboard, take pictures, and create a comic alternate ending to Of Mice and Men. Not to brag, but they LOVED the project. I can't tell you how many students told me it was the best project ever after they complained the first day, "This is NOT cool, Mrs. E, WHY do we have to write an alternate ending?" The rest of the time all I heard was, "Mrs. E, this is the best project ever!" "Mrs. E, we were talking about this project at lunch and how we couldn't wait to work on it." Yeah, that's right....juniors excited about a school project. I win.
Along with Perspectives, I'm now teaching AP for the month of November. This is providing a much bigger challenge instruction-wise. I spend a lot more time planning for the class, and I need to be sure it's relevant, rigorous, and something that's interesting. This week I'm starting an advertising analysis project that I think will be really interesting, challenging, and a great way for students to work on analysis skills. I could share stories about my first week with AP, but it might just frustrate me, and I may sound bitter, so I'll refrain. I do enjoy the challenge, however, and I'm excited to get to know these students as well as I know my Perspectives students.
In other happy news: a woman in the English Department gave verbal notice that she's retiring this year, so that means a position will be open next fall for my dream job. She's also vying for me to replace her, which would be amazing. She may even put in a good word for me to the principal, which would be even amazing-er. Chaz and I still don't know what we're doing next year. We keep putting off talking about it, saying that we have plenty of time. However, my student teaching is almost over (difficult to believe), so we should at least talk about it. We want to travel and teach abroad so much, but at the same time, this is my dream job that is opening up, so maybe we should take that for a year or two, let me get experience, and then travel. BUT the longer we put off traveling, the more unlikely that it will happen. We just have a lot to mull over in the next few months. Once again, I'll put off discussion of that issue.
So yes, life continues...
I complain about friends abroad not blogging often enough, but I, on the other hand, blog even less than them. I suppose I forget that news from here is probably just as welcome to them as news from abroad is to me. So I'll share the road life is taking me on right now:
Student teaching is phenomenal (which I let everyone know whenever I talk to them). Yes, there are frustrating days when the students annoy me so much I want to throw things at them, and I can only sigh and say, "We're just not having a good day, are we?" To which they'll vehemently deny and say it's a great day. Right. It's great that I want to pound your head on the desk until I get through to you without having to repeat instructions 500 times.
Besides those days, it's a tremendous joy to have students excitedly walk in the room and banter with me about not doing any work and can we please have a free day? Most exciting recently was that I decided to do a Comic Life project with my students. This is something I have looked forward to all year, and was something I was determined to do. (Dennis, it's nice to have the CTLT around for these sorts of things) I borrowed laptops and digital cameras from the CTLT (told my teacher I have the hookup), and had students storyboard, take pictures, and create a comic alternate ending to Of Mice and Men. Not to brag, but they LOVED the project. I can't tell you how many students told me it was the best project ever after they complained the first day, "This is NOT cool, Mrs. E, WHY do we have to write an alternate ending?" The rest of the time all I heard was, "Mrs. E, this is the best project ever!" "Mrs. E, we were talking about this project at lunch and how we couldn't wait to work on it." Yeah, that's right....juniors excited about a school project. I win.
Along with Perspectives, I'm now teaching AP for the month of November. This is providing a much bigger challenge instruction-wise. I spend a lot more time planning for the class, and I need to be sure it's relevant, rigorous, and something that's interesting. This week I'm starting an advertising analysis project that I think will be really interesting, challenging, and a great way for students to work on analysis skills. I could share stories about my first week with AP, but it might just frustrate me, and I may sound bitter, so I'll refrain. I do enjoy the challenge, however, and I'm excited to get to know these students as well as I know my Perspectives students.
In other happy news: a woman in the English Department gave verbal notice that she's retiring this year, so that means a position will be open next fall for my dream job. She's also vying for me to replace her, which would be amazing. She may even put in a good word for me to the principal, which would be even amazing-er. Chaz and I still don't know what we're doing next year. We keep putting off talking about it, saying that we have plenty of time. However, my student teaching is almost over (difficult to believe), so we should at least talk about it. We want to travel and teach abroad so much, but at the same time, this is my dream job that is opening up, so maybe we should take that for a year or two, let me get experience, and then travel. BUT the longer we put off traveling, the more unlikely that it will happen. We just have a lot to mull over in the next few months. Once again, I'll put off discussion of that issue.
So yes, life continues...
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Politically Jaded
I know I'm not the only citizen of the United States that feels this way, but I am completely jaded by the political system in this country. I have no idea what I'm going to do on November 4. This year seemed to be a year of promise politically. It seemed as if we would finally have an exciting, promising race between two candidates offering change. While there has been plenty of excitement, it seems almost as if I am watching a circus instead of deciding who will best run our country. I had really hoped that if anyone could break the normal process of slandering, namecalling, and dragging through the mud race we call politics, it would be Obama and McCain. I believed (naively, I guess) that this race would be run differently. Unfortunately, this race has been worse than normal, which has led to my jaded feeling. There are false accusations and lies coming from both sides (it started in the McCain camp, but Obama is responding to it also).
And it's not only with the presidential race that I am frustrated. Corruption and deceit goes all the way down to the county level (as I know is not surprising). But again, it's frustrating. It seems to me that elections are nothing more than digging up the tiniest, most meaningless piece of dirt on the opposing candidate spinning it, and splashing it from here to kingdom come for all to see what a mean, dirty, low-down person that candidate is. It's eye-opening actually. When it happens to people you know, you realize how much spin is really placed on facts to get the desired outcome. The person could be a complete saint, and people could still find dirt to spin. It leaves me with a hopeless feeling, actually.
My mom recently said to me, "If we cannot trust any of our news sources to provide us with accurate, fair information, who can we trust? Just ourselves?" Yes, I believe that's so. It's frustrating that it takes so much work to dig up truth, but it is worth it when we can decide for ourselves who will best represent our needs and desires in the government.
(FYI: I recently learned about factcheck.org. This site is a nonpartisan site dedicated to checking all of the facts (hence the name) in articles, ads, speeches, etc. etc. to ensure validity. If you need a place to go to get truth, check it out to get the facts.)
And it's not only with the presidential race that I am frustrated. Corruption and deceit goes all the way down to the county level (as I know is not surprising). But again, it's frustrating. It seems to me that elections are nothing more than digging up the tiniest, most meaningless piece of dirt on the opposing candidate spinning it, and splashing it from here to kingdom come for all to see what a mean, dirty, low-down person that candidate is. It's eye-opening actually. When it happens to people you know, you realize how much spin is really placed on facts to get the desired outcome. The person could be a complete saint, and people could still find dirt to spin. It leaves me with a hopeless feeling, actually.
My mom recently said to me, "If we cannot trust any of our news sources to provide us with accurate, fair information, who can we trust? Just ourselves?" Yes, I believe that's so. It's frustrating that it takes so much work to dig up truth, but it is worth it when we can decide for ourselves who will best represent our needs and desires in the government.
(FYI: I recently learned about factcheck.org. This site is a nonpartisan site dedicated to checking all of the facts (hence the name) in articles, ads, speeches, etc. etc. to ensure validity. If you need a place to go to get truth, check it out to get the facts.)
Sunday, September 14, 2008
My Husband
Since Chaz complained that in my last blog, I wrote more about student teaching than about him, I promised him that my next blog would be all about him. So here goes...
Chaz....is a crazy. Which is part of the reason I married him, of course! He makes life fun, and sometimes frustrating...but mostly fun. I enjoy driving him crazy (whoo whoo!), and he enjoys qualifying everything I complain about him. I love the adventures we stumble upon. Last weekend, we went to a barn party thrown by a bunch of hippies. It was amazing! There was food, food, food, dancing, and great live music. What a find! Then last night we went for a walk (which we haven't done very often) and discovered that Main Street was having a music wonderthon (my words)! In front of a bunch of stores on Main Street, a diverse variety of musicians were playing. One of my co-workers played the dulcimer, and it was incredible! There were classical violins, bluegrass bands, rock bands, folk bands, etc. etc.
We love to experience life, and I just hope we can do more of that instead of falling into a slump. It's also been a joy to struggle with money. The past month God has blessed us tenfold. We were really concerned about money because Chaz hadn't gotten paid since June, and his next payday was September. God brought us through it, however, and it almost seems as if money worries weren't a huge issue. He just got paid this morning, so we are incredibly thankful! I love that my man is pretty good with money. He's teaching me budgeting and fiscal responsibility (there's a $10 word for you!).
Besides the frustrations and worries that do occur (and will continue to occur for the rest of our lives together), I just think that it's wonderful to go to bed with the one I will love forever. And once we get an actual mattress (instead of sleeping on an air mattress, which we have for the past two months), hopefully our bed won't break. THAT would be a blessing.
And I know this is mushy...I'll redeem myself next blog.
Chaz....is a crazy. Which is part of the reason I married him, of course! He makes life fun, and sometimes frustrating...but mostly fun. I enjoy driving him crazy (whoo whoo!), and he enjoys qualifying everything I complain about him. I love the adventures we stumble upon. Last weekend, we went to a barn party thrown by a bunch of hippies. It was amazing! There was food, food, food, dancing, and great live music. What a find! Then last night we went for a walk (which we haven't done very often) and discovered that Main Street was having a music wonderthon (my words)! In front of a bunch of stores on Main Street, a diverse variety of musicians were playing. One of my co-workers played the dulcimer, and it was incredible! There were classical violins, bluegrass bands, rock bands, folk bands, etc. etc.
We love to experience life, and I just hope we can do more of that instead of falling into a slump. It's also been a joy to struggle with money. The past month God has blessed us tenfold. We were really concerned about money because Chaz hadn't gotten paid since June, and his next payday was September. God brought us through it, however, and it almost seems as if money worries weren't a huge issue. He just got paid this morning, so we are incredibly thankful! I love that my man is pretty good with money. He's teaching me budgeting and fiscal responsibility (there's a $10 word for you!).
Besides the frustrations and worries that do occur (and will continue to occur for the rest of our lives together), I just think that it's wonderful to go to bed with the one I will love forever. And once we get an actual mattress (instead of sleeping on an air mattress, which we have for the past two months), hopefully our bed won't break. THAT would be a blessing.
And I know this is mushy...I'll redeem myself next blog.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Updates
At the behest of Kel, I'll write an update...haha! I have such a double standard when it comes to this sort of thing because I'm always reading everyone else's blog and requesting updates, but I'm so horrible at doing the same thing. Mainly because I feel that my life is insignificant compared to the amazing things my friends are doing (Korea...helloooooo!). But I do have exciting things going on in my life: learning about married life, and student teaching.
Married life is great, but tough. It's waaaaaaaaaaay different living with a boy. Ugh. haha! No, but Chaz is good to live with. He helps a lot with keeping things clean and doing the dishes...which we do a lot of since we don't have a dishwasher. Now that we're both teaching, it's hard to be connected since we're so busy. We still try to take time for ourselves, though, and when we do, it's good.
Student teaching is phenomenal, but challenging. The students are amazing, and I know now more than ever that this is what I was made to do. Things will start to pick up work-wise, however, as I'll start to take over at least one of the classes. I'm a bit nervous as this means I'll have to plan things myself, but really excited by all of the possibilities open to me. Oh, and Kel, there are two Chinese girls in my classes, and they're incredibly adorable! I'm sure you know how much I love them! Yes, I love teaching, and each day I see the value in investing in the future generation. A lot of these students just need to know that someone does care about them, and that they can succeed as long as they try. I love watching them come out of their shells and learn to be honest and open with those around them. I only hope that I can instill some life lessons in them, if not the love of reading and the joy in self-expression through writing.
Married life is great, but tough. It's waaaaaaaaaaay different living with a boy. Ugh. haha! No, but Chaz is good to live with. He helps a lot with keeping things clean and doing the dishes...which we do a lot of since we don't have a dishwasher. Now that we're both teaching, it's hard to be connected since we're so busy. We still try to take time for ourselves, though, and when we do, it's good.
Student teaching is phenomenal, but challenging. The students are amazing, and I know now more than ever that this is what I was made to do. Things will start to pick up work-wise, however, as I'll start to take over at least one of the classes. I'm a bit nervous as this means I'll have to plan things myself, but really excited by all of the possibilities open to me. Oh, and Kel, there are two Chinese girls in my classes, and they're incredibly adorable! I'm sure you know how much I love them! Yes, I love teaching, and each day I see the value in investing in the future generation. A lot of these students just need to know that someone does care about them, and that they can succeed as long as they try. I love watching them come out of their shells and learn to be honest and open with those around them. I only hope that I can instill some life lessons in them, if not the love of reading and the joy in self-expression through writing.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Back Again
Chaz and I are back in Ames after three weeks of adventures. The end of our honeymoon consisted of visiting Andy and Ashley in Denver and staying a couple of days in Omaha with Papa Chuck. It was good to spend time with him, and I know he was glad to have visitors. We went to the Omaha Zoo, which was sweet, and enjoyed losing to Papa Chuck playing pool and eating amazing tenderloins. We spent Saturday walking around downtown Omaha and managed to find some good deals while shopping, and then headed back to Ames. It was good to get back and see everyone, and even better that we finally got to see Batman: Dark Knight. Incredible! I cannot describe how amazing I thought this movie was, especially Heath Ledger's performance, except to say that I would definitely definitely see it again and again.
So now it's back to the real world: bouncing between two different places, beginning to pack, finding a place to store stuff as well as ourselves until we can move into our apartment, and trying to relax a bit more until we begin school. Time to begin our life together.
So now it's back to the real world: bouncing between two different places, beginning to pack, finding a place to store stuff as well as ourselves until we can move into our apartment, and trying to relax a bit more until we begin school. Time to begin our life together.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I know the meaning of exhaustion...
Today Chaz and I decided to go on a hike in the mountains. We knew of a beautiful hike from Lake Brainard to Isabelle Lake that Dr. Thompson told us about. When we got to the park, we were unable to drive to Brainard Lake because it was full, so we ended up hiking 2 miles just to get to the beginning of the trail. We then started on the gorgeous 2 mile hike through the mountains. The surrounding nature was magnificent! We got to Lake Isabelle and decided to press on to hike up to Isabelle Glacier. This next section was 1.5 miles and was the toughest part of the day. We passed over snow in our Chacos, freezing streams from the glacier, and up perilous mountain slopes. The farther we got up, the harder it was to breathe. We pretty much made it to the glacier and got some amazing shots of the place we started. Both of us were exhausted on the hike back and didn't think we'd make it. When we got out of the trail, we knew there was no way we could hike back 2 miles to the car, so Chaz stuck out his thumb. The first car that passed us pulled over and gave us a ride back to our car, which we were so thankful for. Total mileage: 9 miles. Total time: 7 hours.
Back home: medicine to relieve headaches, a long shower, and huge burritos to satisfy our hunger. Then, falling soundly to sleep to await waking with incredibly sore muscles tomorrow. Oh joy.
Back home: medicine to relieve headaches, a long shower, and huge burritos to satisfy our hunger. Then, falling soundly to sleep to await waking with incredibly sore muscles tomorrow. Oh joy.
Friday, July 11, 2008
CO, what do you know?
Yup, we're in Colorado right now livin it up with Titus and Jolene. They have been gracious enough to host us as well as take us to all the sweet digs in the area. After seeing Wicked in Chicago (my dream of 2 years now), Chaz and I headed home to get the radiator changed on the car. We ended up staying there Sunday night and most of Monday waiting for it to get switched, and then when it finally was in the process, we found out the company had sent the wrong radiator. After some frustrating moments, we decided to put the old radiator back in and pray my car would make it the rest of the trip (HUGE thanks to Sam and Dad for helping us out on that one!). At 6 pm we started our trek to Chicago. We got stuck in a horrible storm and ended up stopping a few times to wait for it to lighten up. We also ended up sleeping for three hours in the car at Kearny, Nebraska at 2:30 in the morning. Finally, we made it to Denver at 10:00 their time. What a trip!
We've been having a great time here. We hung out with some of Titus and Jolene's friends Tuesday night, Titus has been making us great food, and Chaz got to fulfill his dream of eating at Chipotle. We also were fortunate enough to make it to Fort Collins and go on the New Belgium Brewery tour. Ahhh!! It was amazing! What a cool operation with a great philosophy: be stewards of the environment and the brewing industry, find peoples' loves and help them live them, and have fun! We also did the Anheuser-Busch Tour (stuffy). Today we did the Coors Tour in Golden, CO. We took the "short tour" and drank a Blue Moon for Katie. We also got to shop for antiques! Hooray! Needless to say, we're having a great time with more to come. We just ran into Andy McKinley on the streets of Denver, and now we're drinking absolutely phenomenal coffee in a coffee shop. Tomorrow I think we'll head to Dr. Thompson's cabin, which will be incredibly fun.
We are so thankful for the many blessings God has provided us on this trip, and we continue to be in awe of them: friends & family who provided funds for us to fulfill our dream vacation, friends and family who provide places to stay and food to eat, fellowship, beautiful scenery, and loads of adventures.
We've been having a great time here. We hung out with some of Titus and Jolene's friends Tuesday night, Titus has been making us great food, and Chaz got to fulfill his dream of eating at Chipotle. We also were fortunate enough to make it to Fort Collins and go on the New Belgium Brewery tour. Ahhh!! It was amazing! What a cool operation with a great philosophy: be stewards of the environment and the brewing industry, find peoples' loves and help them live them, and have fun! We also did the Anheuser-Busch Tour (stuffy). Today we did the Coors Tour in Golden, CO. We took the "short tour" and drank a Blue Moon for Katie. We also got to shop for antiques! Hooray! Needless to say, we're having a great time with more to come. We just ran into Andy McKinley on the streets of Denver, and now we're drinking absolutely phenomenal coffee in a coffee shop. Tomorrow I think we'll head to Dr. Thompson's cabin, which will be incredibly fun.
We are so thankful for the many blessings God has provided us on this trip, and we continue to be in awe of them: friends & family who provided funds for us to fulfill our dream vacation, friends and family who provide places to stay and food to eat, fellowship, beautiful scenery, and loads of adventures.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
the adventure continues...
well, everyone, i can honestly say i married quite the interesting man...adventure has continued to follow us on our trip. it started on wednesday. chaz had said we were going to american players theatre to see "a midsummer night's dream." i was so excited because i'm a shakespeare fan, and i absolutely love "a midsummer night's dream." the theatre was romantically set on a hill in the woods with lanterns lighting the path on the way to the outdoor theatre. it was magical...the perfect setting for the play. we got to the top, however, and the ticket man informed us that our tickets were for "a midsummer night's dream" yesterday. we had to trudge all the way down the hill, exchange our tickets, and ended up having to see "henry iv: making of a king." a good play, but definitely not as exciting or cute as "midsummer."
it doesn't stop there...thursday we left to go to chicago for our next leg. chaz had been in contact with my cousin to possibly stay with them. we were playing phone tag, however, and hadn't gotten a chance to confirm everything. we traveled to the windy city anyway, and once there, we finally got ahold of bridget. unfortunately, her and ben had left for wisconsin that morning and hadn't left a key because we hadn't been able to get ahold of each other. so there we sat...supposed to be in chicago until sunday, with no place to stay. we called a few hotels, but they seemed shady (one only allowed men, and another was $70 a week). after many tears, i finally said, "maybe we should just stay in the car." we were debating on whether or not to leave and find a place to eat when we got a call from another cousin, heather. she said bridg had told her our dilemma and she commanded we go to her place right then. it was perfect! we stayed with john and heather and baby adelia the past couple of nights, and it was great!
then yesterday, we hung out at taste of chicago downtown, saw a super long show (including old 97s and gomez), visited a three-story forever 21, rode the navy pier ferriswheel, and ate bbq. the best, however, was that chaz and i were walking around holding hands, and a young guy walked up to us and said, "you know what's really great? platonic relationships." we were kinda like, "yeah." then he said, "you know what else is great? stuff white people liked." we started laughing and said, "yeah! we love that blog!" to make a short story even shorter, we ended up winning a free copy of the "stuff white people like" book, and the guy we talked to was the author of the blog! it was AWESOME! and hilarious.
today we relocated to waukegan in an AMAZING suite in a ramada, and we're traveling downtown chicago to see wicked!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i'm so excited! it's unbelievable! EEK!
the adventures will never cease...
it doesn't stop there...thursday we left to go to chicago for our next leg. chaz had been in contact with my cousin to possibly stay with them. we were playing phone tag, however, and hadn't gotten a chance to confirm everything. we traveled to the windy city anyway, and once there, we finally got ahold of bridget. unfortunately, her and ben had left for wisconsin that morning and hadn't left a key because we hadn't been able to get ahold of each other. so there we sat...supposed to be in chicago until sunday, with no place to stay. we called a few hotels, but they seemed shady (one only allowed men, and another was $70 a week). after many tears, i finally said, "maybe we should just stay in the car." we were debating on whether or not to leave and find a place to eat when we got a call from another cousin, heather. she said bridg had told her our dilemma and she commanded we go to her place right then. it was perfect! we stayed with john and heather and baby adelia the past couple of nights, and it was great!
then yesterday, we hung out at taste of chicago downtown, saw a super long show (including old 97s and gomez), visited a three-story forever 21, rode the navy pier ferriswheel, and ate bbq. the best, however, was that chaz and i were walking around holding hands, and a young guy walked up to us and said, "you know what's really great? platonic relationships." we were kinda like, "yeah." then he said, "you know what else is great? stuff white people liked." we started laughing and said, "yeah! we love that blog!" to make a short story even shorter, we ended up winning a free copy of the "stuff white people like" book, and the guy we talked to was the author of the blog! it was AWESOME! and hilarious.
today we relocated to waukegan in an AMAZING suite in a ramada, and we're traveling downtown chicago to see wicked!!!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!! i'm so excited! it's unbelievable! EEK!
the adventures will never cease...
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
honeymooning
married life is amazing thus far, and i know it will only get better. chaz rented us a cabin in wisconsin, so we have been staying there since sunday. we're in spring valley, a nice little town near lots of fun places. we've gone to the house on the rock, saw wall*e, canoed for 10 miles on the wisconsin river, ate at small town restaurants, made our own breakfasts, and enjoyed paying $1 for five minutes in a shower...jerks. tonight we're going to an outdoor shakespearean theatre called the american players theatre. we're going to see "a midsummer night's dream," so i'm way stoked about that! apparently, this is why chaz chose this place...what a great man! tomorrow we head off to our next destination, which i think is either chicago or madison (but i think it's chicago). we'll be back in eastern iowa on sunday before heading west. i'll try to keep updated on the trip!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Life's Adventures
The purpose of this blog is for me to record the adventures I take in my everyday life. You see, in the book I'm reading for my pre-marital counseling, Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, it talks about the importance of attitude for creating a good life, as well as a good marriage. You can choose your own attitude everyday, and you don't have to succumb to the negative surroundings that bombard us nonstop: people getting everything they ever dreamed of while you struggle with finances, world happenings such as war, genocide, famine, etc., dealing with bad people at work, etc. etc. etc. Let's face it...we could live every day more miserable than the one before. However, by choosing to let things not bother you, living life not comparing it to someone else's, and giving everyday a chance to be a good one, we can significantly improve the quality of our life.
I know all of this sounds like a bunch of cliché, spoon-fed, motivational crap, but I'm starting to believe it's true. My life is taking on an adventure that will change it forever. Planning for this adventure has been trying, and I've wanted to throw in the towel and just elope more times than I can count. I've been miserable and not looking forward to the celebration, which made me incredibly sad. I didn't want to dread my wedding day, or be miserable the entire day when the most exciting thing was happening to me. So a couple of days ago, God revealed to me that I was the one making myself miserable. Yes, things were happening that were out of my control, but I was the one obsessing over them and making myself miserable. I was being selfish, and realized that this was an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family and that was why we were doing the ceremony and reception. Chaz and I could get married much easier by eloping, yes, but then we would miss out on celebrating with friends and family. As soon as I realized this, I swallowed that pride and called and apologized to my parents. They had been enjoying this entire process, but I had been a wet blanket at every moment, so that's what I apologized for. Ever since, I have been looking forward to this day more and more. I'm excited for the fellowship, fun, friends, and family. Things that don't go quite as planned don't bug me, and I'm actually having fun deciding what to do and what not to do. Most of all, I'm excited to embark on this exciting adventure with the love of my life. The one of my life. My help-meet. My friend, and the one who will remind me of God's love for me every day of my life.
And that exciting adventure is beginning sooner than I can even believe.
I know all of this sounds like a bunch of cliché, spoon-fed, motivational crap, but I'm starting to believe it's true. My life is taking on an adventure that will change it forever. Planning for this adventure has been trying, and I've wanted to throw in the towel and just elope more times than I can count. I've been miserable and not looking forward to the celebration, which made me incredibly sad. I didn't want to dread my wedding day, or be miserable the entire day when the most exciting thing was happening to me. So a couple of days ago, God revealed to me that I was the one making myself miserable. Yes, things were happening that were out of my control, but I was the one obsessing over them and making myself miserable. I was being selfish, and realized that this was an opportunity to celebrate with friends and family and that was why we were doing the ceremony and reception. Chaz and I could get married much easier by eloping, yes, but then we would miss out on celebrating with friends and family. As soon as I realized this, I swallowed that pride and called and apologized to my parents. They had been enjoying this entire process, but I had been a wet blanket at every moment, so that's what I apologized for. Ever since, I have been looking forward to this day more and more. I'm excited for the fellowship, fun, friends, and family. Things that don't go quite as planned don't bug me, and I'm actually having fun deciding what to do and what not to do. Most of all, I'm excited to embark on this exciting adventure with the love of my life. The one of my life. My help-meet. My friend, and the one who will remind me of God's love for me every day of my life.
And that exciting adventure is beginning sooner than I can even believe.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Speak to me
At my practicum yesterday, the students were buzzing about a speaker they had come in who talked about bullying. The thing they were most shocked about was that words truly hurt people. The speaker read a letter from a woman who is older who still remembers exact phrases people used to say to her in middle school. These were all told to get students thinking about how they affect people with what they say and do, and that those things can affect people in the future. My cooperating teacher shared that she remembered in the seventh grade a boy in her class (she was able to give his name) said she was fat. She still remembers that. But what she said was putting that aside, she was afraid to think about who she could have hurt with a slighting comment that she didn't even think about. Maybe she was that verbal abuser she remembered.
I have to agree that words do hurt. I definitely remember specific instances from my past when people have said things, probably not even thinking about them, that absolutely crushed me. My dad told me that I was annoying and no wonder I couldn't keep a boyfriend after a guy dumped me. In 10th grade, the guy I was dating at the time and one of my friends talked to each other about how I was annoying, and then they told me that. Yeah, I'm sure I was behaving stupidly at the time, but they talked about it behind my back, and then when I insisted, they told me to my face that I was annoying. To a girl who was going through major self-esteem issues at the time, this was world-shaking. And, crazy, I still remember it distinctly. Down to the place we were and the time of day.
But just like my cooperating teacher, I wonder how many times I have said things to people that hurt them, and I didn't even realize it. I know that my dad didn't truly mean what he said about me. Heck, I'm getting married, and he thinks that I am deserving of Chaz, and that Chaz is so deserving of me. And I'm sure my friend and boyfriend in high school didn't think I would take what they said so severely. But both of those instances were major barriers in my life. So when have I said things to people? What have I said? What pain have I caused people to go through. The first part of Ephesians 5:20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." I know that I've hurt people in the past, and I know that I may not be able to do anything about that, but I really want to try to be conscious of what I say to people now.
I want to be uplifting with my speech.
I have to agree that words do hurt. I definitely remember specific instances from my past when people have said things, probably not even thinking about them, that absolutely crushed me. My dad told me that I was annoying and no wonder I couldn't keep a boyfriend after a guy dumped me. In 10th grade, the guy I was dating at the time and one of my friends talked to each other about how I was annoying, and then they told me that. Yeah, I'm sure I was behaving stupidly at the time, but they talked about it behind my back, and then when I insisted, they told me to my face that I was annoying. To a girl who was going through major self-esteem issues at the time, this was world-shaking. And, crazy, I still remember it distinctly. Down to the place we were and the time of day.
But just like my cooperating teacher, I wonder how many times I have said things to people that hurt them, and I didn't even realize it. I know that my dad didn't truly mean what he said about me. Heck, I'm getting married, and he thinks that I am deserving of Chaz, and that Chaz is so deserving of me. And I'm sure my friend and boyfriend in high school didn't think I would take what they said so severely. But both of those instances were major barriers in my life. So when have I said things to people? What have I said? What pain have I caused people to go through. The first part of Ephesians 5:20 says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs." I know that I've hurt people in the past, and I know that I may not be able to do anything about that, but I really want to try to be conscious of what I say to people now.
I want to be uplifting with my speech.
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