The Tale of Slick and Spike

I went to Great American tonight for dinner and drinks with Heather and Sam. After we ate (I had a yummy Philly cheesesteak wrap), we headed for the bar to take advantage of the Saturday night drink special (all drinks were almost half off). Through the glass partition, I could see two men sitting in a booth in the dining area waiting for their meal. One had a shaved head, glasses and a button down shirt, and he bore a slight resemblence to Moby. I nicknamed him "Slick." The other had the dark, messy, spiky hair that I absolutely LOVE on guys and was dressed more casually in jeans and a t shirt. He was christened "Spike." Because I found Spike quite attractive, I found myself glancing in the direction of their table every once in awhile. I quickly became intrigued by their actions, which I narrated to an amused Heather and Sam.

In front of each man was a black binder. They flipped through their binders, pausing from time to time to discuss their contents. From my seat in the bar section, it was difficult to determine what the mysterious binders contained. Since I couldn't figure it out, I made several educated guesses.

Scenario 1: The men were discussing work. This wasn't very exciting, so I moved on to...

Scenario 2: Both men are working on their doctoral dissertations, and met at the restaurant to proofread the other's work. While this idea had merit (men who are cute AND smart), I felt it lacked imagination. Enter...

Scenario 3: The men are writing a screenplay, a la Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Perhaps they were brainstorming the next "Good Will Hunting," right there in the restaurant!

At this point, Sam decided to do some reconnaissance work. She moseyed past their table in search of a drink menu, but managed to take a glance at the now infamous binder AND overhear part of a conversation. As a result of her mission, we believed at least one of the binders to contain sheet music, and according to Sam, the men were discussing something about lyrics. A-ha! This led me to...

Scenario 4: The men are going to audition for American Idol! Philadelphia audutions are being held on Monday. Maybe the binders contain lyrics and sheet music, as well as maps and instructions for the audition process. Sam then proposed...

Scenario 5: Maybe Spike was writing a screenplay and Slick was composing the soundtrack. By now, the suggestions were just plain silly, so it was no surprise when I came up with...

Scenario 6: They're really top secret government agents discussing top secret government agent work. All hush-hush.

And that's how I entertain myself at bars.

On a completely unrelated topic... As I was driving home tonight, I heard "Silent Lucidity" by Queensryche on the radio. I haven't heard that song in AGES and I forgot how much I love it. I actually sat in my car in front of my house for a few extra minutes just to hear the end. I noticed how much it reminded me of a Pink Floyd song, possibly "Mother" or "Learning to Fly." Anyone else ever notice that similarity? Maybe it's just me. Anyway, it inspired me to make a playlist of the perfect songs to listen to in the car while cruising around the city aimlessly at night. I'm taking suggestions for songs that would fit the playlist. I'll post the song list when it's finished. And then if anyone wants to come along for the ride... you know where to find me.

me learn you good

I copied this fill-in-the-blank quiz from another teacher blog that I read. I posted it on my own teacher blog, but I wanted to share it with the myspace community as well. I thought it was fitting, now that all the teachers are in Back to School mode. And all good teachers could use a little reflection before they start the new year... myself included.

I am a good teacher because... I absolutely love what I do. When I was younger, I never felt like I was really good at anything. But then I started teaching and I knew I had found my niche. When I'm not teaching, I'm thinking about teaching. When I am teaching, I'm thinking about ways I could improve. Teaching is what I do best.

If I weren't a teacher, I would be... a children's librarian, perhaps. Books and reading make me extremely happy. The only thing that makes me happier is sharing my love of reading with children.

My teaching style is... energetic, creative, flexible, compassionate, fun, quirky, musical, hands-on, noisy… and it's all me.

My classroom is... my home away from home. I know every nook and cranny of that room and I take great pride in its appearance. It's a gallery of the children's work. It's a safe haven for my students… criticism-free, bully-free, insult-free. It's a place where books come to life and where first graders become authors and illustrators.

My lesson plans are... a guideline, but not a script. And they're usually not done on time. And above all, they are not set in stone. I stick to the curriculum, but I'm all about the teachable moments. Those are the best part of teaching.

One of my teaching goals is... to turn my first graders into readers. Even the reluctant ones. I'm convinced that there is a book out there for everyone, and all we have to do is find the perfect fit. Another constant goal is to make learning so much fun that the kids don't realize that they're learning.

The toughest part of teaching is... admitting that I'm only one person and that sometimes, I need to take some "me" time so that I don't fall apart. I can't solve all the problems of the world in one school year. I can't guarantee that every child I teach is going to learn everything he needs to know by June. But that won't stop me from trying.

The thing I love most about teaching is... it's both consistent and varied. I know what's expected of me, I know the curriculum inside and out, and the faculty has become like a second family to me. But every year I get a new crop of kids, each with their own unique personality. And you just never know what's going to come out of their mouths next. It's never boring.

A common misconception about teaching is... that anyone can do it. I'd gladly hand over my classroom and all its responsibilities for one day to any non-teacher, just to see what would happen. Another misconception is that teachers get nights, weekends, and summers off. Some people don't realize the long days and late nights we have with things like Open House and Back to School Night and parent conferences. And they don't know that we spend our nights writing lesson plans and grading papers and worrying about the one student who doesn't quite seem to be on level with the rest of the class. And they don't realize that many teachers need to take a second job just to make ends meet (because Lord knows we aren't paid nearly enough for what we do). And don't forget the summer classes and workshops we take to keep our skills sharp.

The most important thing I've learned since I started teaching is... I affect every child that comes through my classroom, sometimes in ways that I'll never know. And I've also learned that I can't do everything. And I've learned that I'm capable of so much more than I ever realized.

Reacquainting myself with an old friend

I decided to dig out my volume of Dorothy Parker poetry tonight. Here are a few examples of why I absolutely adore her:

Unfortunate Coincidence
By the time you swear you're his,
Shivering and sighing,
And he vows his passion is
Infinite, undying -
Lady, make a note of this:
One of you is lying.

Prophetic Soul
Because your eyes are slant and slow,
Because your hair is sweet to touch,
My heart is high again; but oh,
I doubt if this will get me much.

Godspeed
Oh, seek, my love, your newer way;
I'll not be left in sorrow.
So long as I have yesterday,
Go take your damned tomorrow!

Indian Summer
In youth, it was a way I had
To do my best to please,
And change, with every passing lad,
To suit his theories.
But now I know the things I know,
And do the things I do;
And if you do not like me so,
To hell, my love, with you!

Experience
Some men break your heart in two,
Some men fawn and flatter,
Some men never look at you;
And that cleans up the matter.

Parker writes longer poems, too... but this is just a sampling of some of her shorter ones. She is the queen of bitterness and irony and sarcasm and cynicism. She is my literary hero. Go check her out and read the rest. It's better than Alanis Morrissette for female angst.

this is why I love summer...

My family (i.e. cousins and aunts) came over for my godson's 16th birthday yesterday. Hoagies, snacks, soda, pool, cake, etc. I'm cool with my family, but after approximately 8 hours, I was ready to jump ship.

Enter Sam. She texted me telling me to come over for drinks, snacks and conversation. Screw the drinks and snacks... I just wanted to get away from the family. I headed over at around 9:30 and thanked Sam profusely for the text. After I got settled in downstairs, the gang quickly filled me in on what I had missed so far.

The rest of the night was a riot. I don't remember exactly what was so funny, but I do know that I haven't laughed that hard in ages. My stomach actually hurt from it. There were a lot of obscure references... including old toys (Lite Brite, Snoopy Sno-Cone Maker, Easy Bake Oven, Teddy Ruxpin)... Shrek ("Not the gumdrop buttons!")... Billy Joel's "Laura"... Simpsons ("Look out! He is a Spider Pig!")... The Brady Bunch Movie (George Glass!)... Dane Cook ("Peace off!")... Seinfeld (sidler, Pez dispenser on the knee, Beefarino)... Sting ("Message in a bottle...")... MST3K ("Manos: The Hands of Fate")... None of it makes sense on its own, but in context it was hysterical.

Eventually people began to leave... first Karen and Dooner, then Rich and Heather... and then there were three. Me, Joe and Sam stayed out back talking until 3:30 AM. Why is it that the best conversations take place in Sam's backyard after midnight?
So now I have two weeks left until I go back to work. I'm gonna cram in the fun, damnit. I'm not wasting a single second of precious free time!

All grown up (?)

Tonight I had "grown up" night with Other Heather and Becky. I got dressed up (i.e. no jeans) and went to a low key bar and drank grown up drinks (i.e. no beer). Other Heather was celebrating tonight - 5 years cancer free! She's officially in remission now. Definitely worth celebrating. So we went to the London Grill, where I drank a vodka tonic and snacked on duck quesadillas. We talked about jobs, relationships (or lack, thereof) and life in general. Made me feel kinda old. And the bar was playing 80s tunes, which didn't help... the fact that I knew all the songs made me feel even older.

Good Lord, when did I grow up? Or maybe I didn't. Maybe I was just playing grown up for a night.

When does one actually become a grown up, anyway? I know the legal age for "adult" is 18, but I didn't feel like one then. Something happens between college and the rest of your life that transforms you into a grown up. Maybe it's when you have a career instead of a job. Or when you worry about things like a 401K or a mortgage. Or when you'd rather curl up on the couch with a good book than go to a club. Or when you start saving your money for a car or a house instead of a new CD or video game.

Kinda scary.

So I guess I'm a grown up. It doesn't mean I have to stop having fun... I've just changed my idea of what "fun" is.

randomness from me

Just a few things that are going through my head at the moment. Indulge me.

1. I really, really, really want to go on the TV show "The Singing Bee." It's the karaoke type show where you win money for knowing song lyrics. I am Rainman when it comes to music. I win big every time I play along at home.

2. I finished one book today and then I started and finished another book. (It was a short one... just over 100 pages.) Now I can't figure out what to read next. I have to get our next book for book club, but in the meantime, I need something else to read. Which brings me to my next random thought...

3. After MK, I have the next pick for book club. I can't decide if I should pick a book that I haven't read yet, or a book that I already read and I want other people to read. I went through my bookshelf today and pulled off books that are on my "to-read" list. There are at least 3 that I think would be good for book club. But then again, there are SO many good books that I've already read that I want to introduce to other people. Tough call.

4. It's Back To School time!!! Now that my vacation and my party are out of the way, my mind automatically goes into School Mode. I'm surfing the web, looking at teacher resource sites, or better yet, other teacher's classroom webpages. I get most of my ideas that way. I'm planning projects in my head and making lists of things I need to buy or remember for this year. Soon I'm gonna start having dreams about my classroom and about former students. I guess I should venture back into the classroom next week and start getting things ready.

5. Which means I need to start going to bed earlier than 3 AM. It's not even like I sleep late... I'm usually awake between 9 and 10 AM. Once school starts, I'll have to be up around 5:30 AM and in bed no later than 11 PM. That will be quite a shock to the system. I should ease back into it slowly over the next few weeks... hmmm... we'll see.

6. And finally... I think it's amusing that I posted a bitchy blog about how guys don't notice me in bars, and it got 18 comments. A few days ago, I posted a lovely blog about things that make me happy, and it only got 2 comments. Squeaky wheel gets the oil, huh?

Hope everyone's having a good week!

smile :)

Things that make me very, very happy (in no particular order):

• ice-cold Coca Cola
• best friends
• the smell of a bookstore
• homemade chocolate chip cookies
• fall leaves
• babies
• "Friends"
• chocolate milkshakes
• good hugs... giving and receiving
• Tetris
• hearing one of my students read a whole book for the very first time
• road trips
• flannel pajamas
• sleeping in my own bed after sleeping somewhere else
• homemade chicken noodle soup
• shopping
• long summer nights
• the smell of new stereo equipment
• dogs
• Yankee candles
• maps
• an evening of board games
• Joel McHale and "The Soup"
• writing (blogs, poems, lists, journal entries, letters, notes, stories)
• making scrapbooks
• Fourth of July fireworks
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• flirting
• the cool side of the pillow
• remembering a dream
• singing (in the car, in the shower, with a choir, with friends, alone in my room, with Doug)
• the good old Christmas movies ("Christmas Eve on Sesame Street," "The Year Without a Santa Claus," "Charlie Brown Christmas," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas")
• teaching
• shopping at Target, Wegmans, or Trader Joe's
• the beach
• making someone else laugh
• hearing a choir sing
• Monet paintings
• holding hands
• "When Harry Met Sally..."
• strawberry-banana smoothies
• the slidy-screechy sound of fingers changing chords on an acoustic guitar
• brand new notebooks... all those clean, white pages!
• getting a hair cut
• Crayola crayons
• opal jewelry
• learning a foreign language
• sleeping in crisp, cool, clean bed sheets
• the smell of Coppertone
• beer bread
• jeans
• crossword puzzles
• "new car" smell
• books that make me laugh out loud
• when someone says exactly what I was thinking
• buying gifts for other people (and wrapping them!)
• the first dip underwater in the pool on a really hot day
• swimming at night... warm water, cold beer... 
• roller skating
• blue eyes
• good nachos
• feeling trusted
• family get togethers
• bonfires
• Dorothy Parker's poetry
• "Summer, Highland Falls," by Billy Joel
• concerts
• wrapping Christmas presents
• a glass of good wine
• late night diner conversations over coffee and pie
• going to church
• re-reading a favorite book
• a Philly cheesesteak ("American with")
• daydreaming
• stargazing
• parties
• fresh roses
• traveling
• People magazine
• music
• having an "inside joke" with a friend that only the two of us get
• curling up on the sofa with a blanket and a mug of hot cocoa on a snow day
• French manicures
• cooking
• watching the sunset over the bay in Fire Island
• going to a Flyers game
• "The Sound of Music"
• taking pictures
• homemade pierogies
• driving around in December at night to look at Christmas lights
• dancing and not caring what other people think
• mix tapes
• words like "mellifluous" and "endoplasmic reticulum" and "binomial nomenclature" and "autumnal" and "antidisestablishmentarianism" and "specificity" and "ethereal"
• funky patterned socks
• Back-to-School shopping
• Fiona Apple songs and lyrics
• Girl Scout cookies
• waking up to find out that school is cancelled
• Mo Willems books
• "Dancing with the Stars"
• doing something creative
• looking through my old photo albums
• Broadway musicals
• taking towels out of the dryer... all clean and warm and fresh
• coffee!!!
• getting lost while driving and finding my way without looking at a map
• getting good mail (magazines, postcards, greeting cards)
• gerbera daisies
• making lists
• kisses
• fresh, juicy berries
• laughing until my stomach hurts and I can't catch my breath
• the smell of the air right before it snows
• "Lost"
• Butter Rum Lifesavers
• The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire
• snuggling under the covers with the a/c on
• phone conversations that last for hours
• beer... an ice cold Lager, a summer Corona with lime, holiday & seasonal beers, mixed six-packs, micro-brews, beers with fun & unusual names...
• my windowsill herb garden
• a snifter of brandy
• extra dark chocolate (70% and above)

Feel free to add your own!

why I do what I do

So it's 12:55 AM and I'm awake (as usual). A few minutes ago I got a text (from someone who shall remain nameless, unless he choses to reveal himself ) saying I should be asleep instead of doing surveys. Fair enough. Except I don't have to sleep. I'm not working this summer. I'm not taking classes anymore (thank goodness!). I literally have nothing to do with myself all day. Don't hate. I don't need 18 comments from angry people who work all summer. Usually I do work in the summer. In fact, last summer I took 3 grad school classes and worked at a summer camp. This year I couldn't work at camp because of the Australia trip. And I decided that I deserved a summer off. I haven't had a summer off in years. But I didn't expect to be bored out of my mind.

So what do I do all day? Well, before the trip, I spent most of my time working on my resume (for a job that unfortunately didn't pan out) and getting ready for my trip (planning, shopping, packing). Since I've been home from Australia, I'll admit that I've been rather lazy. I spent my whole first week home sleeping extremely late (like 11 AM or noon) and then unpacking my suitcase or doing laundry. Then I slowly returned to the land of the living... I met friends for lunch or coffee, I went to bars at night, I got my hair cut, I started going through the pictures from my trip, I started a scrapbook of my trip. This past week I've been doing some party planning (cleaning, laundry, shopping) in between the fun stuff (like having lunch with friends).

At night, I don't get tired until at least 1 or 2 AM. My body is on a completely wacky schedule... which, incidentally, I need to get out of SOON. In a few weeks, I'll be back to waking up at 5 AM. So when it gets this late and I can't sleep, I kill time by reading or by watching Lifetime ("Will & Grace," "Frasier," and "Golden Girls"). And this week, I've also been downloading music and putting songs on a playlist for the party. So while I'm waiting for songs to upload or download, I indulge in a survey or two. Or three.

Why surveys? Hmmm. I really don't know. I guess I like talking about myself. (It's a subject in which I am well-versed. ) And it kills time. And it amuses me. And aside from that, I don't have a good answer.

But I can tell you this: next summer, I will have a job again. Even if I chaperone another concert tour, I'm gonna do tutoring or something in my free time. I need to keep myself busy so I don't feel so damn lazy.

karaoke, and other things

Last Night

I went to karaoke at the Roadhouse with Heather, Karen, Joe and other assorted people. With my last blog (and all of the comments it garnered) in mind, I dressed in something that made me feel good. It was comfortable and flattering (a rare combination) and I decided not to give a crap what anyone else thought of it. Karen said I looked cute. Joe mistook the floral print of my shirt for camoflauge and decided he wanted to take me hunting. As there happened to be a fair amount of cleavage showing, I used it to my advantage at the bar, and got served before a man who had clearly been waiting longer than me. Score! I also had a ten dollar bill thrown into my cleavage... which was partially my fault, because I folded it into a paper football and left it on the table within Joe's reach. Damn men and their obsession with football. And boobs, lol.

Some of the evening's other highlights... The bar was serving the new Miller Chill, which is AWESOME. It's my new summer beer. Also, Justin's boyfriend Chris got extremely drunk... which resulted in him looking me dead in the eye and saying, "I like your face. Wanna make out?" Good Lord, I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard. As always, the downside of the Roadhouse is that it's filled with smoke. I can't wait til they pass the no smoking law in Bensalem.

Today

I met up with Heather, Karen and Sam at Starbucks for coffee and conversation. We told Sam about the Roadhouse. She told us about Ireland. I told her about Australia. Good times, good drinks, good company.

From there, Heather and I went to lunch and then got our hair done by Nat. While we were there, Sam came in with Lucas. He got so big... the last time I saw him, he was only a week old. Now he's three months! He's quite the flirt, too. He kept smiling and laughing at all the ladies. I took a pic of him with my cell phone and sent it to Erin and Henry. Erin sent a pic of Henry back in response. Babies are just too cute!

Currently

Just finished eating dinner (leftovers from lunch) and now I'm going back to work on my Australia scrapbook. I was having a creative block earlier, so I don't have much done yet. It's my goal to finish it before the end of the summer, because I know people at work will want to see it.

And that's what's goin' on.