...from the musical. (remember it? That horribly annoying anthem she sings to the power of hope?)
It's a great word.
Tomorrow!!
Today is 'craft and fun day' here at The School, and I have laryngitis. I'm so tired. It's hard to corral kids who are used to hearing me get loud, when I have no volume at all.
Sigh.
Only...let's see...57 hours till I board my plane! Wow!
1. Do you watch a lot of TV? What shows do you watch on a regular basis? Yes, I watch excessive amounts of TV, but I am trying to get better. I watch(ed) Survivor, and watch CSI, CSI Miami, ER, 24, and a British 'Friends,' "Coupling." Then there are the innumerable sitcoms that are on when my TV is on and I am sitting waiting for time to go by, or when I am doing laundry, or when I am ironing, or whatever. I cook to music, though.
2. Is there anything *good* on anymore? What were your favorite shows of the past? Survivor just ended, so it will be a while till my favorite comes back. I like 24 more and more, so thanks to D (my 24 buddy and friend/neighbor here) for getting me addicted to yet another show. I think the CSI's are good, too. The rest...they're ok.
3. Do you believe in keeping our kids hidden from the television set? Is this a good thing? How do you/or would you handle your own children regarding TV habits? I hate being a TV addict, and when I have kids I am considering not even owning a TV. But since I am a single living alone, it's hard to keep myself company without the little TV I've got. If I don't chuck the TV out altogether, I might just allow one hour a week or something extreme like that. Let the kids learn to entertain themselves. AND while I'm at it...I will never have a TV in the car. Long road trips can find the kids reading or talking or playing with each other...or even fighting with one another...rather than being hypnotized by the TV set. Yessirre, Bob, that's my opinion on that.
Bonus Question for Comments: What TV show(s) should never have canceled? Why? Hmmm. I don't know. Once they are gone they kind of fall out of your memory, you know?
1. if you celebrate, do you put up lights outside your home/apartment? if you don't celebrate, do you like seeing christmas lights or not? I just moved here and I am going back to my family on the mainland soon. I don't have any decorations up yet, since I just have to take them down again. But I like seeing other people's Christmas lights.
2. do you send holiday cards out? if not, do you usually get holiday cards? No. I send out summer vacation letters, since as a teacher that is when I have lashings of time to do things like write, address, and send many, many cards. I do get holiday cards, though. And summer vacation cards from others who have adopted the idea.
3. if you get holiday cards, do you display them ... or are you scroogey and give them a charitable glance and then trash them? I don't get that many. If I ever do start getting more, I'll display them. My godparents staple them to long fabric ribbons so that they are all pretty and take up wall space. I like that look....Godmother is so cool.
4. oh, those holiday movies ... my favourite holiday flick is 'a christmas carol.' i make a list of the days/times/channels that each version comes on so that i won't miss one (my favourite version is the 1984 george c. scott ... i miss him!). my second favourite is 'rudolph.' do you have a favourite holiday flick? frosty? the grinch? or do you just not get into holiday movies? I like Muppets' Christmas Carol. And A Christmas Story. That's about all.
5. i'm in florida, and if i want to see snow, i generally have to drive about 10 hours north to see anything exciting. tell us about your holiday weather around the end of december. will you have a white christmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa this year? I will when I go back to the mainland. Though I did have a snowball fight in the parking lot about a week ago...there was snow up on Mauna Kea, and someone went up in their truck and brought back a bedful. It was about 75 degrees and a snowball fight was great and invigorating, instead of cold and torturous as they usually are.
6. my daughter's favourite holiday song goes: 'christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat! please put a penny in the old man's hat. if you haven't got a penny, a halfpenny will do. if you haven't got a halfpenny, then God bless you!' my favourite is 'gabriel's message' by sting. do you have any traditional/non-traditional holiday songs that are your favourite? I like the Amy Grant song "Breath of Heaven." It's so pretty and one of the best, I think. The traditional ones I like are "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and Joy to the World.
7. my eldest child hates the holiday song, "God rest ye, merry gentlemen." i can't stand "away in a manger." is there a holiday song that makes your ears bleed when you hear it? "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear." Just annoying!
8. children are getting out of school. people are taking time off of work. hanukkah and christmas are just a few days apart this year. what are YOUR plans for the holiday season this year? anything exciting? I am going back to the mainland for a vacation...back to Colorado and my family. I am leaving in...let's see...in 99 hours. Yes, that is exciting. I've been excited for a while.
Where is home?
They say home is where the heart is. So where is your heart? Are you lucky enough to be living in the place that you’ve also wanted to, or is your heart beckoned to somewhere else? Perhaps your soulmate lives elsewhere, and home is with him or her. Maybe the mysteries of Shri Lanka or the romance of Tuscany hold for you the promise of home. Where is your home? Why is it home? How did you get there, or how do you intend to get there? Where will you hang that “Home Sweet Home” plaque, and why that place?
Home is with my family, which happens to be in Colorado right now. But I also did a lot of investing when I was at Covenant, and I miss it there. I also am trying to put down roots here, and I am starting to think of it as home.
Before I moved here, I wanted to leave, get out, stretch my legs a little, test my wings. Now I want to go back to 'easy life' and be home again, where people love me and keep me company in the place where I live.
But I like the people I've gotten to know here, and like to be with them. I also like live trees, green grass, and palm trees. And beaches every few miles.
My home should be in heaven, since that is where my treasures ought to be, but to be honest, I haven't been laying up my treasures there lately. I haven't been thirsting to go home to heaven at all...just to go where it's easier than here. Sigh. This one is too self-revelatory, and that is all for now. What's the next meme I'm answering?
I'm addicted to memes. Today is evidence of that. Read if you want. I've got to go to Ben Franklin's to buy Shrinky Dink. Before 5:30. And I've had a great birthday. And it's not over yet!
It's my birthday today.
I got a lei from one of my students. It smells great.
But I have no plans tonight. Someone come visit me tonight!
...108 hours!
It's amazing how I've been counting since October, and now I'm finally down to hours.
It's amazing that it feels normal to me to be hot on my birthday. Actually, it's still a bit chilly this morning...but before I know it, the tropical sun will start blazing and there will be no more chill.
I'm looking forward to snow and icicles. But not so much the cold, at least not right after I've been in heat for 4 months. Oh well...just a few days left and I'd better be packed.
Good news; I found my ID. So I can get on the plane.
1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays? Yes, I do. It doesn't feel like Christmas if there isn't a fire crackling in the fireplace. BUT I am amazed at how much I like wearing shorts and t-shirts even in December!
2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect? I have to be with my family in my childhood home to make things perfect. Being together is the most important thing to me right now.
3. Do you do have any holiday traditions? None of my very own, but we have family traditions. When my parents were first married, they made their Christmas-tree star out of cardboard and aluminum foil, and my sister and I took turns putting it on the top of the tree each year. We go to Christmas Eve church, have a meal afterwards, and sit around the tree and each open one gift. On Christmas Day, we always opened one gift at a time, and one year we went to an extended relative's home for the gift time, and my sister and I were horrified at the ferociousness of the kids in that family and how they tore into their gifts, didn't look at the tags, didn't thank anyone, and were done opening in 5 minutes! We stood there with our mouths hanging open.
4. Do you do anything to help the needy? Yes, I donated a Christmas tree to the prison ministry here.
5. What one gift would you like for yourself? A microwave and a sewing machine. That's two, but oh well. I already have a plane ticket; what else do I need?
Look here for the link to this meme.
1) Which ship (relationship) do you support the most and why? Harry and Hermione. I do not think they will end up romantically coupled, but I do think they have a good friendship and respect, care about, and honor one another.
2) Which ship do you think is the most ridiculous, meaning it'll never happen? Why? Harry and Cho. I can't figure out what the deal is between them. She liked him because he is connected with Cedric in her head, and he liked her hair. Ick. They do not go well together at all.
...at this meme I found!! Hooray!!!!
If you were a Hogwarts student and felt the need to be alone because you're upset, where in the school would you go? Your room? Room of Requirement? Library? Or other? If so, which one and why?
I'd go to the Library, because I am assuming they have more in there than just tables and chairs. They also have squashy armchairs, and I love to curl up in a squashy armchair and read. That's what you do in libraries, right?
This is funny.
So is this.
And this.
Here's why I got annoyed teaching US history last year.
I've read the 5th Harry Potter book so far about 6 times. This tickled that funny bone.
Makes me want to teach English again.
Hahaha
Dr. Davis was a fun one to quote out of context. (My favorite: "I am a postmodernist." Oooh, but there was also, "I did NOT split that infinitive." Ironically, Dr. Davis, now I am obsessed with noticing when people -- especially newscasters -- split infinitives. Thank you VERY much.)
So there you go. My Progress Reports are due tomorrow and all I've done is spend hours reading the funny lists. Great. They were funny, though.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you may go.
It's been an entire 4 days since I have posted, and I am plumb out of ideas. So I went surfing for a meme, and here it is.
You know, I share tidbits and insights about myself by telling stories anyway (right, B?)...so consider this 7 stories I want to tell you, and if you read them right, you'll learn more about me.
1. Those paper toilet seat covers in public bathrooms, do you use them? Of course!
2. What is on your Christmas Wish List for Santa to bring? A big TV, a DVD player, and a maid. Fat chance, right? Haha, no what I really want is Joy of Cooking, a super cookbook. And a car.
3. In the month of November, Brian wrote over 50,000 words on his novel and is nearing completion. What did you accomplish in the month of November? I taught a class full of 14 hyper 5th graders every day. I earned insights into my life and into life in general. I am overcoming culture shock. I am growing friends.
4. Have you ever snuck into someplace that you shouldn't have? Tell me about that. Once, when I was 15 or so, I was in Chicago at my aunt's house and we snuck into the neighbor's pool and almost (we were in our undies) skinny-dipped at 11pm. It was fun and funny...and weird, because we were all there for my uncle's funeral and burial.
5. Do you recall the first internet meme you participated in? How did you come to find out about it? Do you still participate? Why or why not? (a meme is more or less a weekly question and answer thingy, but also includes any idea that a lot of folks do at the same time, like "what X are you" and such). I don't recall. I don't do many, because I'm pretty new at this whole "weblog" business.
6. Do you have any favorite internet or "streaming" radio programs or music channels you wish were available in your car or on a portable radio? I wish I could get NPR. I know it's not originally an internet streaming radio program, but you can listen to it on npr.com, and I would like to listen to Car Talk and Prairie Home Companion and so on at home. Sigh...oh well.
7. Ever been skinny dipping? What's the story there? Yes. When I was in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, soon after I graduated from college, I went with a friend to another friend's house that she was housesitting. They had a pool, and in the middle of one of the movies we were watching, I wanted to go swimming. So I did. AND I wanted to dive off the diving board. So I did. That was also the evening the two friends convinced me to try a cigarette. It didn't go well. So I don't smoke now. But the swimming was fun. Man, that was a great evening. Sorry, I won't say who the two friends were, but let it be known that they are/were both Covenanteers, by virtue of having attended school there.
BONUS: What's cooler than being cool? Not giving a care about whether or not you measure up to the indefinable standard of "cool" anyway.
Today's Comment Question: What is the deal with Michael Jackson? He's had unfortunate luck with everything that really matters. AND he's had waaaay too much plastic surgery. (Did you see that cop picture that was on the news from when he turned himself in for the most recent molestation case? Eeeeew!)
This morning I was reviewing my students over astronomy, and I asked which stars make up Gemini, the Twins.
The answer is Castor and Pollux, but one of my students raised her hand and said, "Mary Kate and Ashley Olson."
She must have just heard "Stars...twins."
It was a "don't laugh" moment.
I watched Seven last night at a friend's apartment. He's a good friend and the PE Teacher here.
It was a good movie. It reminded me of when I was a previewer at Covenant, hanging out with my good friend Thom (he lived on Catacombs then) and while I was waiting to leave and go see Conspiracy Theory, Seven was playing on their TV. It was good to see the whole thing, only I don't think the Series of Seven Murders was the best thing ever.
Why? Well, before you keep reading, know that there are spoilers, so if you have not yet seen the movie Seven, don't read on. Go watch it and then keep reading.
The whole point of the series of murders was to draw attention to the fact that those people were committing the Seven Deadly Sins (a list compiled by Dante in Divine Comedy). The muderer developed particularly gruesome and appropriate ways of doing away with the sinners...the woman targeted for Vanity was given a phone and a bottle of sleeping pills and given the choice to dial 911 or kill herself after her face was mutilated. The most gruesome death was the punishment for Lust...ick. I don't even want to explain it. Suffice it to say that is was gruesome and violent.
So at the big end of the movie, the killer (John Doe) told the 2 cops that he would take them to meet the last to victims. They drove out into the desert, and who comes driving up but a delivery van, bringing...Brad Pitt's wife's head in a box! Eeeeek! So John Doe provoked Brad Pitt to be the killer, punishing John Doe for envy, but then who will be punished for wrath? And why did the wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) have to die? She was an innocent victim! She wasn't greedy or gluttonous or vain or lustful! She just happened to be there.
John Doe gloated because he had committed the perfect series of crimes, but he didn't commit the perfect series of crimes. The Wife died for no reason, and Brad Pitt didn't die.
Can anybody please explain how I am wrong that that it really was the perfect series of crimes?