Smacking vs. Shacking

We all know that there's "just something about" those dratted red-staters, but what is it exactly? Religion? Maybe. Economic level? Perhaps. Educational level? It seems likely. Well now there is a whole new way to look at this divide. Slate has this absolutely fascinating article about the correlation between parenting styles and political affiliation. Bottom line? If you approve of kid-smacking you're much more likely to be a Republican. If, on the other hand, you prefer "nurturing" parenting, you're probably a Democrat. The other little piece of the socio-political puzzle? The more years people shack up before marriage, the more likely they are to be Democrats. I don't know about you, but this all holds true in my house.

Go Powell!

Big excitement in the news today as Colin Powell comes out in favor of Obama. Some say it's about race, others that it's retaliation for the way the Bush administration treated Powell when he was serving. There's only one person who knows for sure, and he's not saying. What struck me was not so much the endorsement, but one of the statements he made at the same time:

"Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

This is something I've been thinking about for quite some time, and he managed to sum it up in such a clear and precise way. I do believe we are engaging in a double standard when we say that it is not okay to paint all Christians, Jews, or Buddhists with the same brush, but we can and should do this with Muslims. Either we have religious tolerance in the United States or we do not. What is one of the best ways to ensure this essential tolerance? A true separation of church and state.

Nieces Go to the Symphony

I was so proud the other night that I might have burst. Some of our usual symphony crowd were not around for the first performance of the season, and they had kindly offered their season tickets to anyone we wanted to bring. Therefore, with much anxiety and trepidation, we offered to let both nieces attend the concert. Now Elder Niece (I can't really call them big and small anymore since they are both quite big at this point) has been to the symphony before. She behaved well, other people did not, and it was a mixed experience over all. Even so, Elder niece LOVED the music and has wanted to go back ever since.

Younger Niece, like so many younger siblings, really wants to prove that she can be just as mature and grown up as her sister. She also does not want to miss out on anything that might possibly be described as fun. We warned her and warned her that the symphony was hard going and that, in the words of Grandma, "lots of adults have trouble sitting still that long." Younger Niece remained undaunted and assured everyone that she would be as still and quiet as a statue.

Thus it was that we found ourselves in front of Benaroya Hall. Elder Niece was very elegant in slacks and a gold satin blouse, while Younger Niece was quite lovely in a red gown with black velvet ribbons. The usher was very kind as he welcomed them to the show, and then we were off to find our seats. A few people in the row behind us gave looks of utter disgust to see children at the symphony, but luckily, I don't think the nieces noticed. We were careful to arrange children and gown-ups so as to avoid conflict between siblings. Then the music began. I waited with baited breath. Would they misbehave? Would they talk or snuffle or tap their feet?

The results were quite impressive. With one or two reminders about tiny things (crinkling the program for example) they were in great shape. I would say that the behaved better than many of the other people who were sitting around us. At one point, I was just about to lean over and ask Younger Niece to be quiet, and then I realized that it was actually the middle-aged woman behind her making the noise! After the music ended, and people were getting up to go, the man behind us leaned down to compliment Younger Niece on her excellent behavior: "You did better than I did!" This made her smile at the floor, and mutter "thank you."

On the whole, I was very pleased with this symphony experience. I won't be buying the nieces season tickets, but I will feel comfortable taking them along a couple times a year. This also gives me the confidence to take them to other kinds of performances too. Given that Elder Niece likes "the clashing banging music" best, I'm wondering what she will review something like the Phantom of the Opera or Swan Lake. As they get older, it's fascinating to watch them develop a sense of self and of personal taste about all kinds of different things. One day they're telling you about their favorite stuffed animal, and then suddenly they're explaining why Mozart is better than Tchaikovsky. Amazing.

Poll Numbers

Yesterday I wrote about how annoyed I was by the Democratic stance on gay rights. That said, I am still absolutely planning to vote against McCain. My big goal in this election is to see McCain, and all those fun Republican policies, go down in flames (McCain already knows about that!). Therefore, I am quite happy to see the numbers on this website. The headline on one of these polling organizations is that McCain "continues to slide." Some pollsters put him as much as 14 points behind Obama. The number of uncommitted voters also gets smaller with every passing day. Fingers crossed! Fingers crossed!

Grave Disappointment

There are so many parts of the presidential election that I should be blogging. The one-liners from Palin alone would make for daily entries. However, I find myself too anxious about things to want to write much about it. My heart has been in my throat for months now, and I don't think that will get any better until after the election is over. The stakes are SO high this round (I didn't think they could be higher than last time, but they are) and jury still out on who will win. Nevertheless, I had to comment on one thing.

During the vice-presidential debate, I was very happy to see how well Joe Biden presented himself. He was knowledgeable, down to earth, and even likable. In that sense, the debate went well for our side. Still, one statement Biden made really hurt my impression of him, of Obama, and of the Democratic Party platform.

When asked about the issue of gay marriage, Biden dissembled. He said (to paraphrase) that both he and Obama support all the rights of a civil union, but that "marriage" was a "religious" matter and he/they would not use that word. When I got married, I had to get a MARRIAGE license from the government. I had to get an approved official (it certainly didn't have to be a priest/rabbi/etc) to make my MARRIAGE official. Afterwards, I was able to order a copy of my official MARRIAGE certificate from the state government. Saying that marriage is a purely religious event is not only patently ridiculous, but it also steals the significance of secular marriages like my own. In short, I am pissed six ways to Sunday! What a massive cop out.

In another era, liberals took a stand (sometimes an unpopular one) about racial inequality, and it was, without a doubt, the right thing to do. I see this situation in much the same light, but this time Democrats are trying to straddle the proverbial fence. Gay rights is THE civil rights issue of our era, and it amazes me that the supposedly liberal party is not standing up and making a strong statement in support. I am so disappointed with my party. Once again, I am reminded of the fact that my vote in November will be one against McCain but not really for Obama.

Quotable

This is the time of year when many Jewish people try to consider their faults and make progress toward amending them. What an excellent idea. I, like so many others, have plenty of character flaws both large and small, and I know they've caused me to make plenty of mistakes in the past year. Being quick to anger and slow to forgive is certainly one of my most difficult challenges. For this reason, this un-attributed quote printed in a magazine struck me as wise:

Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Costa Rica Part 7

The plan was for us to do our transfer from Manuel Antonio to Monteverde by roads, and I was actually fairly happy not to be waiting for another plane. Right on time, our driver picked us up at our condo, and we went off in search of our last stop. The drive was fairly uneventful for the first 9/10th of the trip, and then we turned off the main road and began to climb the mountain. Some people say that the trip up the mountain is a free back massage. Others warn that large-breasted women should wear a sports bra. Neither really does justice to the amount of bouncing and jouncing you do on that trip.

Think of the worst logging road you've ever been down. Now add about 50% more and larger potholes. Now stick that road to the side of a sheer cliff. Now add a lot of twists and turns and a fair amount of on-coming traffic (busses, heavy equipment, SUV's, and cattle). I'm not sure what it is in our biology that causes us to look green, but I was definitely there for much of the trip. After what seemed like hours (but was probably 90 minutes) we reached the top. I was very surprised by the size of the town. This place is many treacherous miles from anywhere, but it is a decent-sized little city perched in the saddle of two mountains.

Feeling more than a little green, we finally reached the town at the top of the mountain. It's quite a surprise to drive for miles upon miles through the most rural areas, and then arrive at a fairly large town. Monteverde is, by no means, a city. However, it does have quite a few businesses and homes clustered together around a central road. It's even more striking when you remember that everything in the town has to be trucked all the way up that long and terrible road.

Surprise, surprise, the town closest to the famous cloud forest is often lost in the mist. When we got to Monteverde Lodge, it was blanketed in white, and you could hardly make out the surrounding buildings or the ravine down below. The lodge itself was very well kept and clean, but it was something right out of the 1970s with dark wood paneling, avocado paint, and even a full sized wallpaper mural in the dining room. Speaking of the dining room, the food was beyond terrible. By far, this was the toughest part of the trip in terms of food. I'm sure the need to truck everything from far away didn't help, but there were just some very bad ideas residing on that menu.

Fortunately, there were also several good things about Monteverde. The Rainario or World of Frogs was beautiful and fascinating with dozens of different living frogs on display. We managed to see the two types of poison dart frogs we hadn't managed to see in the wild. We also got to visit the butterfly (and other bug) museum where I held a tarantula just to prove to myself that I could. The various butterfly houses were most impressive, and I have to confess that my impression of butterflies has changed since we went. I've always kind of written them off as being the symbol of silly people, but now I have a more fair and balanced appreciation for them.

Another wonderful animal we saw in Monte Verde was the horse. No, no, not wild horses running loose in the jungle. These were the domesticated kind with saddles and bridles. In fact, we went on M's very first horse ride ever. It was also my first time back on a horse since the painful loss of mine as part of my move to Washington. I think it went extremely well.

My horse, El Raton, was tall, thin, and did not like mud. We got along great because I let him pick his way around the mud puddles and run up all the hills. I remembered why I liked riding in the first place. M's horse, Mambo, was enormous in all dimensions. M had a harder time with his horse because Mambo did not like to move period. This meant that a stable hand had to ride along behind Mambo and yell at him to make him move. M got in a few decent canters, and I was very impressed that he did not seem inclined to fall off. We definitely need to do more horse riding in the future.

Last, but definitely not least, we went hiking in the cloud forest. Up so high, the climate is quite different from the jungles of the lowlands. Most of the reptiles are missing, and so are many of the bugs. However, the animals that love to live up that high are the birds. It seemed like there were birds and bird calls almost everywhere we went. The high point of our hiking was seeing the rare and beautiful Quetzal. We were certainly excited about this, but our guide was absolutely thrilled. We spent some time running up and down trails as he heard the call and tried to find her.

Finally, our last day came. We had another harrowing, sick-making trip down the mountain. We were driven back to the major city of San Jose, and back to that original hotel, Grana Del Oro. We had another fancy, French-inspired dinner, and then we were getting up early to take a short trip to the airport. I don't think either one of us was quite ready to go Our trip to Costa Rica was certainly one for our personal record books, and not just because it was our honeymoon. Usually, I'm not a fan of returning to places we've already been, but this is one place to which I would absolutely go back.

A Momentous and Happy Event

Great big fuzzy congratulations to our dear friends R and J who were married over the weekend. The wedding was incredible, but nothing could match the couple themselves. They are two people who completely deserve each other in the best way possible. May they be entirely happy for at least 10,000 years.

Signs of the Times

Yesterday, I happened to stop at a big box store to pick up a few items. While there I noticed a few interesting little signs that the times they are a changing. My first stop was the toothpaste aisle (yes, I know, my life is just full of drama and excitement) and I noticed a "special offer" on an end cap. It offered a two pack of Crass brand toothpaste for $3.79. I checked the price on a single tube and was surprised to see $2.99 for 8 ounces. Going back to the two packs, I noticed (in tiny print) a disclaimer. The second tube, in spite of being packaged in a regular-sized box, was "travel size" at 1 ounce. Even worse, the "regular" size tube was only 6 ounces! Therefore, you could have 8 ounces at $2.99 or 7 ounces at $3.79! What a cheat!

Thoroughly incensed, I moved on to the paper products. Now many people are saying that things like paper towels and napkins need to go anyway because they are a waste of money and resources. For the time being I can't seem to break my addiction. Pondering a box of facial tissue, I noticed another sneaky pricing crime. 1 box of tissues cost $1.09 while three boxes of exactly the same type, brand, and count were $4.00. Of course producers are banking on people thinking that buying in bulk saves money. Unfortunately, it probably works quite a lot of the time.

Last, but not least, when I got up to the check-out counter, I found my final sign of the times. There was a new screen on the debit card reader. Between entering the pin and approving the amount was a new message "do you want to put the entire amount on one card?" Because you don't have enough credit left on either card, so you need to use two? If these are symbols of our current situation, we may be in serious trouble.

McCain on Downward Trend

Did you hear the one about McCain and David Letterman? He (McCain) was supposed to go on Letterman last week, but he called Letterman on the day of the taping to say that he was rushing to the airport so he could get back to D.C. to deal with the crisis. Letterman booked Keith Olbermann in his place. Later, Letterman was tipped off that McCain was not, in fact, in D.C., but was instead in the same building taping an interview with Katie Couric.

It seems McCain got invited to a "better" party, so he dumped his old commitments and lied about it. That's the sort of thing that middle school girls do to each other. How NOT very presidential of him! Letterman gave as good as he got. While interviewing Keith Olbermann (not exactly a McCain fan) he explained the situation and showed a live feed of McCain being made up for his Couric interview. You can just imagine the commentary. The latest polls show Obama up by 8%.

Sarah Palin's Suspicious Silence

Article after article keeps talking about it. Talking heads on television discuss it endlessly. Even Bill Clinton mentioned it on The View. Why isn't Sarah Palin talking to the press? The McCain/Palin camp says that she is simply "too busy" to give interviews, but this argument is holding less and less water as time goes by.

This week she met with several heads of state as part of a visit to the United Nations, but the press was kept almost entirely out of those meetings. Which reporters were allowed inside? Those taking still photos only. In other words, the Palin camp wanted a photo op, but did not want to risk having anyone hear what she actually said. The is an unprecedented move in such a situation. Surely the McCain camp must know how this looks to the public? Are they THAT worried about how she will come off when she opens her mouth? One can only wonder.

Seduced By Baby Animals

Yes, I admit it. Sometimes baby animals are so cute they get the better of me. I know, it's disgusting to be manipulated by big eyes and furry faces. I think my trip to Costa Rica left me extra susceptible because of all the cute, cute monkeys. Here's a wonderful pic from the New York Times, and this is the excellent story. Can you believe the color on that little guy? He or she will one day grow up to look just like mom in black and white.

Student Government

Today was the day in our class when we choose the new ASB representatives. ASB stands for Associated Student Body, and it is a sort of student advisory board for our school. Each class sends two representatives, and they weigh in on issues that are important to kids. It's a nice way to make the kids feel included, and it really does help the administration understand what kids really want and need.

This morning I asked all the kids interested in running to stand up, one at a time, and explain why they would make a good representative. Mostly their reasoning was kind of dubious. For example, one kid stood up and said "I will plan to make school more funner and less educational." Another kid said "I am a good reader, so I will be good at this." In other words, they were not exactly inspiring speeches. Then came one real knucklehead, he explained, with great seriousness why he wanted to be our "USB rep." He was not kidding around, and none of the other kids noticed his mistake.

Lucky for all of us, one girl gave a very thoughtful speech about her qualifications for the job. She spoke about being organized, determined, and having good listening skills. My faith in the youth of our country is moderately restored. Lucky the other kids saw it this way too and elected her as representative #1. Oh yes, position #2? That went to USB kid.

Return of the Lunch Box!

It's that time once again. In the evenings, just before M gets home and we start dinner, I have to decide what to have for lunch. No, no I don't eat lunch and dinner together, but I do pack my lunch for the following day. It turns out that if I try to make choices at 6am, I just stand there, eyes barely open, staring into the fridge/closet trying fruitlessly to force my brain to concentrate.

Thus the need for night-before decision making. What should I put in the yellow bag this time? I don't have any kids to pack for yet, but getting my own take-along lunch together is quite enough of a challenge. I make lunch by four important laws: Can I make it healthy? Can I make it inexpensive? Can I make it appealing? Can I make it in five minutes? Repetition is constantly a problem. Apple/lowfat cheese/soup or apple/pasta salad or apple/burrito/cheese. You get the idea. I really need to get more creative, but this is a challenge on busy weeks. At least I'm lucky in that I have access to a microwave.

I also miss the fun of picking out a new lunchbox every autumn. My mom used to take my brother and me, and we would spend forever choosing just the right one. My favorite was bright red with a panda on the side and a matching red thermos. Those were the days! I hate! hate! hate! even the idea of Lunchables or the grown up equivalent. They violate every lunch law ever made except the one about being ready in under five minutes. Ugh!

Costa Rica Part 6

Leaving Lapa Rios was not our favorite thing. How could anything else compete? We were driven to a tiny airstrip located right along the most beautiful stretch of white sand beach you could imagine. A horse grazed along the strip, and only moved out of the way as the small airplane came in to land. There was a moment of uncertainty when we realized that the pilot was expecting five, not six, passengers. The plane had enough seats, but the pilots are only given enough fuel to carry out the expected run. Nevertheless, he allowed us all onboard, and even put M, the tallest of the passengers, in the co-pilots seat. M seemed rather pleased with the situation, and I'm still annoyed that I didn't have the guts to jump down and take a picture. Very soon, we were off.

The town of Quipos seemed large to us after all our time spent in the Osa Peninsula, but really it is a small place that was originally built to house the workers who picked bananas for Chiquita. This is not a glamorous destination, and the only evidence of tourism are the shops and restaurants geared more to the backpacking crowd. Like in so many other places, it turns out that the "fancy" people live higher up the mountain.

Leaving Quipos behind, you begin to climb into the hills, and as you do so, you start to notice a change. The landscape is still beautiful, and the views get better and better, but the houses and shops begin to thin out. In there place are condos and hotels. Masses of condos and hotels. They seem practically to be stacked on top of each other, and by the time you reach the plateau, they've become so opulent and ostentatious that they can only mean one thing. Americans. A vanishingly small number of Costa Ricans can pay 600k for an Italianate condo with views of the ocean. An even smaller number can afford to live in the gated communities that feature homes in the millions of American dollars. Welcome to nouveau colonialism at its finest.

Don't get me wrong, our accommodations were very nice, the pool was astonishingly lovely, and you could take a private van down to the beach, but there was always an undercurrent of ickiness about the place. This is not really Costa Rica. The only actual Costa Rican people you see are the ones who serve you, and they've been taught not to chat with the guests.

That said, we did have some good experiences while we were there. One of our guides recommended a restaurant called Ronnie's Place. We took a taxi through the pouring rain, followed the long and very rutted driveway, and eventually ended up at a cute little open-air dining room with a roof but no walls. The food was a decent quality Italian, the ceiling was covered in teeny tiny lizards (geckos and anoles for anyone who cares), and a little gray kitten made the rounds of all the diners. Out over the ocean, a lightening storm kept giving us those split second illuminations of the valley and beach below us. It was a most memorable time.

The beach was also quite something. You know that classic clear blue water/golden sand/palm tree image on postcards and in movies? Yeah, they film and photograph a lot of that in Manuel Antonio. While some parts of our visit there were not great, the beach was the best we found on our whole trip. We lay on beach chairs, ran in the waves, and M even spent some time body boarding! I took one of my favorite pictures there as well. When it's cold and gray in Seattle, I'll be looking at that picture and remembering that beach.

All in all, Quipos and Manuel Antonio might be great places to stay if you don't mind being in tourism central, and you are very careful about the kinds of accommodation you get. The nature reserve and the beaches are great, and probably there are more nice spots for dinners and shopping and such. Just do a lot of homework before you go so you don't end up thinking that Costa Rica is just the land of the expensive condo.

Happy Constitution Day

Today is a national holiday to celebrate the 221st birthday of the United States Constitution. It really is an excellent old document, and the longest running such agreement of its type in the world. What a shame that it's been so beaten and abused in the last few years. The Constitution, like the economy is in need of some serious TLC. Perhaps a new president might be able to help us out with that?

Costa Rica Part 5

Our first view from the balcony at Lapa Rios Lodge made the whole trip entirely worth-while. The lodge is built on the crest of a hill so you have nearly a 360 view of the land below. On two sides are jungle-covered hillsides complete with parrots, howler monkeys, and toucans. On the third side is a breath-taking view of the ocean. All the architecture is designed to blend in with the jungle, and so you feel like you really are a part of your surroundings.

Sometimes you go to a hotel or resort, and find the grounds to be lovely, but your room is then a disappointment. This was not the case at Lapa Rios. We actually had the room used in the promotional pictures. I shouldn't actually say "room" since each bungalow is stand-alone with a balcony over the hillside complete with hammock. The beds are large, white, and draped in yard upon yard of white mosquito canopy. The effect is incredibly romantic. Why am I trying to describe this place in words? Here is the website complete with pictures. Keep in mind that the reality is better than the pictures.

The food was the next pleasant surprise. Many vegetarian options were available at every meal, and the quality of the food was excellent. We tried all sorts of new things. My favorite recipe was something called Volcano salad which involved native greens (a bit like spinach only tougher and more flavorful), red cabbage, peanuts, and tofu tossed in sesame lime dressing. I still dream about it at unexpected moments. M was very happy with the seafood offerings as well. Probably being close enough to see the ocean help quite a bit in this department.

As for entertainment, Lapa Rios is well-prepared for those travelers who are willing to be at least a little energetic. Many different hiking opportunities, both guided and un, are available. M and I did some of both, and we were amazed by the number of animals were got to see on the one mile self-guided tour near the lodge. Monkeys (that one above is an actual pic I took near the lodge), Poison Dart Frogs, Agouti, and Toucans just to name a few. The guides at Lapa Rios are also quite incredible in just how much they know about the ecosystem of the area. We went on night hikes, coast hikes, and hikes along the Osa Trail. It was the kind of experience where you stop yourself part way through and think "Wow, I'm really here doing this!"

If you ever have the chance to visit Lapa Rios, TAKE IT! This was, by far, the best accommodation on our trip. The only people for whom I would not recommend Lapa Rios are those who want to shop and see city life, or those who cannot handle a lot of walking. We loved the lodge, we loved the staff, we loved the jungle, we loved the animals, and we didn't want to leave.

Congrats Bellevue Teachers!

It seems to be back to class for the Bellevue school district. The teachers reached an agreement with the district yesterday evening, and both sides seem very pleased to have the whole thing over. The word in the paper (and from other sources) says that both curriculum and pay remained sticking points for some time. However, both sides were eventually able to come to an agreement. I believe that the Bellevue Teachers Union has made great strides for all of us standing up against rigidly controlled common curriculum. Returning professional judgment to teachers and principals is something that is way over due in many districts around our state. Thanks again Bellevue for fighting the good fight.

Signs of Autumn

The weather has been so beautiful of late that I can't help but blog about it a little. Right now, outside my window, the sun is producing that incredible golden light that you sometimes get at this time of year. The sky is a perfect, clear blue, and I can't see a cloud in the proverbial sky. Best of all, the temperature has been in the 70-75 range for several days. Absolutely wonderful. I just snuck out on my prep time to take a few turns around the track. Who could resist on a day like today? Fingers crossed that it lasts a while longer.

Nevertheless, there are certain signs of fall in the air. Last week, on the first day of school, a thick blanket of mist covered our neighborhood as I left for work. You could certainly tell that the sun would win out later in the day, but for that moment, there was a definite edge of something colder in the air. I'm ashamed to admit that I actually had to turn on the car's heater because I was wearing a light, summer skirt and sandals.

The days are also getting noticeably shorter. If I want to take a walk before dark, I pretty much have to do it on my own. If I wait for M to arrive, it is usually during blue twilight. All too soon, daylight savings will bring home that point all the more forcefully. Add to all this the pumpkins and chrysanthemums in the stores, the overflowing farm stands, and the return to school, and you have sure proof of the end of summer. This is not necessarily a bad thing since autumn has some very nice feature too. However, if it could just remain a sunny fall...

Bellevue Teachers' Strike Continues

Well it seems that Bellevue teachers are still out on the strike lines. I got so much traffic from that last post; it actually startled me a bit. It seems that many people are out there looking for information, and I just hope they realize that I am NOT an inside source. However, I can provide some information that is commonly available or is true of most teachers. For example, how about a lesson in education funding policy? Doesn't that sound like fun? Here's my simple-minded understanding of the situation.

In the state of Washington, all teachers are paid on a state-mandated pay scale. That means districts must pay the same regardless of where the schools are located. Equal pay is a good thing right? Not always. In most industries, employers link their compensation offers to new employees to the cost of living for the local community. In other words, if your employee has to pay $2000 a month to rent a decent apartment near work, you know you will have to offer more in his/her paycheck. In other words (again) you have to pay people more in Manhattan than you do in Columbus.

In Washington, everyone gets the same base pay. Period. There are some sneaky ways that districts can offer more if they have it, such as the extra duties contracts that many districts have. However, a state cap on the amount of money a district can raise in taxes also hobbles the ability to offer more pay. You can see where this is going.

A teacher in a small town in Eastern Washington earns enough pay to afford a comfortable standard of living. A teacher in a pricey city like Bellevue will have a much harder time affording a house, a car, and groceries at the same time. We lose so many excellent teachers every year who either leave the city for cheaper homes in the outlying areas, or simply leave teaching so they can afford to stay in the Seattle area. My school lost one of its top teachers to this very effect just this year.

Now many people would argue that teachers should vote with their feet when it comes to pay. If they don't think they earn enough, then maybe they should quit and go somewhere else. However, I don't believe it is right to ask teachers to make huge personal sacrifices just so that they can continue to teach in certain areas. If you don't want to pay teachers more, then offer subsidized housing, mortgage vouchers, or any of a number of programs to offer non-cash assistance. In the end, this is as much a state level problem as it is a district one, and I sincerely hope that Olympia is paying close attention to the situation in Bellevue.

Costa Rica Part 4

The next part of our journey required us to fly back from Tortuguero to San Jose. This is often the case in Costa Rica because the roads are not very good (or completely non-existent) in many places. Sometimes, even if you only want to travel 100 miles up the coast, you still have to go back to San Jose, in the center of the country, and take a plane. We took our plane from San Jose to a place called Golfito in the SW of the country. This town was not our destination; in fact it was not even the place where we were supposed to land, but the air strip in Puerto Jimenez was closed, so Golfito it was.

Our plane this time was huge and modern boasting at least ten seats and TWO, count em, two pilots. Of course they still organized the seating arrangements based on the size of each passenger, but this one felt a lot less like a box kite with an engine. We were supposed to fly to another location to drop off a few people and then head to Golfito, but a most impressive bank of storm clouds turned us back. By the time we landed in Golfito, the weather there was sunny, warm, and of course, incredibly humid.

A taxi took us the mile or two from the airstrip to the ferry. The only exciting this about this bit being the way the taxi driver drove at full speed to the very end of the rickety wooden pier in his 20-30 year old conversion van. Stopping on the proverbial dime, he tossed us and our stuff into the speedboat that would take us the rest of the way across the bay.

When I think of ferries, I'm usually imagining the goliaths that carry cars around the Puget Sound. This ferry was, as I mentioned, a speed boat with some rough seats for passengers, and the luggage arranged to provide ballast against the heavier people. A boy who looked about eight took our fares, and then proceeded to chat up one of the other kids who was also a passenger. The ride was great fun. We went quite fast, and we were traveling over the kind of clear blue ocean that appears in the movies. The only sad part was not seeing the whales that sometimes frequent the gulf.

After reaching the town of Puerto Jimenez (motto: We're the "big city" around here even if we don't have any paved roads) we were bundled into an SUV driven by a friendly ex-pat German, and we began our trip up into the mountains. The travel agency warns female tourists to bring along a sports bra for this leg of the trip. The reason becomes immediately clear. The roads are not just rutted; they are full of huge holes that would toss you from one side of the car to the other if you weren't wearing the seatbelt. In places, small rivers wash over the road, and the car is past its tires in water. It was a very good thing that we hadn't had the chance to eat much that day because I was feeling fairly green by the time we arrived at Lapa Rios. Fortunately, one look at the view from the lodge, and any ill feelings were quickly forgotten.

Bellevue Teachers' Strike

Many people have heard about the teachers' strike in Bellevue, and opinions from the public seem to range from rabid anger to fervent support. Having been on the strike line myself I can say, first hand, that being a striking teacher sucks. It is not fun, and anyone who goes around suggesting that a strike is a way to lengthen summer is WAY off the mark. Both teachers and students will have to make up the missed days, so don't worry; "educational opportunities" will not be harmed. Most teachers actually like their jobs quite a lot; they want to be back in the classroom more than anyone else. The only thing that can draw a teacher to vote for a strike is a serious issue. In Bellevue, they have an issue of the gravest importance.

Any newspaper story you read that says the strike is "over pay and curriculum" is only half right. Pay really is not the issue (I have inside sources who are quite clear about this). The district likes to say it's about pay because that makes the teachers sound mercenary. In fact, teachers are striking over the question of who will determine exactly how curriculum is delivered to students. For the last ten years or so, the Bellevue School District has been implementing a "top-down" model of curriculum design. This means that teachers get little or no say in what they will teach and how the will deliver instruction.

This may not seem like such a big issue to someone on the outside. Bosses the world over tell their workers exactly what to do on the job. What's the big deal? The big deal is that no two classes and no two kids are exactly the same. Even if we leave aside questions about creativity and personal strength (it turns out no two teachers are exactly alike either), the piece about pacing cannot be ignored.

A huge part of being a good teacher is in gauging what each kid needs, and in finding ways to challenge that child correctly. There is plenty of research available to defend this perspective. In Bellevue, slowing a class down or speeding one up is not just frowned upon, it can actually get you into trouble with administration. I've heard stories of teachers actually papering over their windows so that administrators can't observe them straying from the set curriculum by offering enrichment activities. A climate like that cannot be good for kids.

Administrators in Bellevue need to trust more in the professionalism of their staff, or they will certainly see more strikes. Not only that, but the more subtle effect of their micro-management is clear to me every day I go to work. In our district, we are lucky enough employ many excellent teachers who used to work in Bellevue.

Costa Rica Part 3

According to our guide, Tortuguero is a place where pirates used to come to hide out and bury their treasure. Who knows if any of it is actually true, but seeing the silvery beaches, the river that snakes back into the jungle, and the shadowed mangrove swamps, you half way expect to see Long John Silver-type people looking out at you from behind a vine. We never did see any pirates, but we were still amazed by the way the ocean and the river seem to weave themselves into everything that happens in Tortuguero.

In fact, there are not any real roads at all (at least none that we saw), and I can't recall seeing a single car or truck. The river provides the only sort of transportation that matters. Just a few short steps from where our plane landed we discovered a dock complete with the sort of flat-bottomed motor boat that is so common to the area. Boats do take the tourists to their inns and on wildlife tours, but they are not just there to amuse the foreigners. We saw boats full of locals going to work, boats laden with all types of groceries, building supplies, and other goods; we even saw a boat that was ferrying dirt from one building site to another. It turns out that Venice does not have a corner on the water highway lifestyle.

The first thing you notice about Tortuga Lodge is the fact that it actually hangs out a little over the river. The second thing you notice is the noise. The wall of sound created by an unseen cloud of cicadas is unbelievable. There can be no doubt that the jungle and the swamps are all around. The lodge itself is not meant to be overly glamorous or impressive. Instead, the surrounding gardens and the setting on the water are the main attractions.

The first thing we did upon arrival was go up to the dining room for some food (it was only about 8:30am). This is where we had our very first taste of Costa Rican breakfast. The main dish is something called Gallo Pinto which is made from the rice and beans from last night's dinner. They are cooked together with another Costa Rican specialty, a sauce called Salsa Lizano. Both gallo pinto and salsa Lizano are most delicious especially when paired with the eggs, fried plantain, and sliced avocado and tomato that complete the breakfast. Did I mention the fruit? Oh the fruit!

The main entertainment at Tortuga Lodge is taking the boat to view the wildlife. On our very first visit out we saw a crocodile almost immediately, but our guide told us that, at about six or seven feet long, it was considered a small one. We also saw turtles, layman, hundreds of birds including a very friendly Brown Pelican, and even some monkeys swinging from the vines just the way monkeys should. We also managed, on that very first boat ride, to get fairly impressive sunburn. Why, oh why, didn't I remember the sun block? I blame lack of sleep and lack of caffeine.

The other big attraction at Tortuguero is the GIANT sea turtles. Remember the surfer turtles in the movie "Finding Nemo?" These are the very same ones only without the comic relief. They never come to shore except to lay their eggs, and they only do so at night. Therefore, we left the lodge at about 10pm, took a short boat ride to the village, walked through the village and jungle for half an hour, and ended up on the beach. It just so happened that a lightening storm was coming in over the ocean, so a sudden flash of lightening illuminated the beach from time to time. This was pretty much the only light we saw since flashlights and other white light are not allowed around the turtles.

It was kind of a surreal experience with a long line of people waiting on the dark beach for their turn to look at the turtles up close. The tiny red lights held by the guides gave the turtles a kind of strange glow, and I felt a bit like a voyeur looking up the back end of the turtle as she tried to lay her eggs into a hole in the sand. They looked exactly like leathery, cream-colored ping pong balls, and each turtle was capable of laying hundreds in various different places along the beach.

Tortuguero is not the sort of place you forget in a hurry. The boats, the turtles, the breadfruit, all combine for that classic image of tropical life. However, one of the most memorable incidents of our visit did not have anything to do with the local area. Most of the rooms in Costa Rica do not actually have windows, or at least they don't have glass. Instead, shade cloth is used to keep out the bugs but let the air flow through. This means that you hear every single thing that happens outside your room. One night, with the curtains drawn, we lay on the bed and listened to American teenagers trying to shock each other by discussing drug use. Now you might be horrified (teens and drugs!) but it was so obviously a show meant to impress, that M and I lay there laughing silently in the dark.

Back to School

Sorry folks, I know I should be done with Costa Rica by now, but the start of the school year just keeps getting in my way. Once all the hubbub dies down, and all the kids are safely back in their seats, I should have the time to take it up again. At least my classroom is looking quite spiffy if I do say so myself. I'm also glad to say that I've reached the point in my teaching career where the first day of school no longer has my heart in my throat. Still, wish me luck tomorrow.

Costa Rica Part 2

The plane* that took us from San Jose to Tortuga was small. Actually, that's quite an understatement. You know those planes that Horizon uses to do commuter flights? The ones with the two props? Those are small. This plane was several sizes down, and would best be described as frighteningly tiny. In fact, the only way to find a smaller aircraft would probably be to get an ultra-light or maybe a hang glider.

When we first arrived at the private airfield early in the morning, we saw many small planes around and made all sorts of guesses about which one would be ours. In fact, our plane was nowhere in sight until the last minute when we were asked to walk out onto the runway. There it was in all its four-seater glory, the smallest airplane I'd ever seen up close.

Needless to say, there wasn't any jet way or even a set of roll-away stairs. There was only one small door. The pilot actually had to fold his seat forward to let us get in the back, and we were asked to pitch our luggage in the narrow space behind our seats. It smelled like the inside of a 1968 Dodge Dart.

The pilot climbed in (I could have reached up and tapped him on the shoulder we were so close) and began his pre-flight check. All of a sudden there was a yell, and the pilot opened his door again to admit a last-minute passenger. This person actually climbed over the pilot in order to take the co-pilot's seat. He handed back his backpack for stowage, and we were off.

I know I should have been scared by the whole situation, but sometimes, when I know I can't do anything to impact the things, I just stop worrying. This meant that I was actually able to enjoy the flight quite a bit. It was fun watching the city disappear, giving way to farms, and then nothing but mile upon mile of jungle. We remained low enough to see much more detail than on the average flight.

By the end of the 25 minutes, we could see the island on which we would land including the grass/dirt landing strip. It was truly like something out of Indiana Jones to climb out of that tiny plane and see nothing but jungle and river beyond the airstrip. And the humidity, did I mention the humidity? It slaps you like a wet towel and reminds you once more that you are not, in fact, still in Seattle.

We'd arrived safely on the island of Tortuguero.

*Plane in first pic is obviously not our actual one. How the heck would I take that pic?

Soup Anyone?

Taking a break from my Costa Rica fest, I just had to pass on the link to this incredible article about a trip to a soup kitchen. First of all, the author lives in my hometown, so the experience she's writing about is something I can easily picture. Second, it's just an amazing piece of writing about what it's like to hit bottom and need help. We often assume that those who use social services are somehow not as smart or "together" as the rest of us. However, hard times really can come to anyone.

Costa Rica Part 1

Costa Rica is a place I have always wanted to visit ever since I read about it in my History of Latin America class in college. The country's two claims to fame are unparalleled biodiversity and an incredibly stable and peaceful political system. Of course that second one may not seem like a very romantic reason to visit, but when you consider the history of the region, it really does make a difference. Add in the ease of getting there from the U.S. and the comparatively cheap price for the trip, and you have a package that is hard to resist. We were not remotely disappointed.

The flight from Seattle to Houston, Texas is really no big deal in that it takes only about 3.5 hours. It is sort of scary to land at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Intercontinental?!) especially when you come across the life-size statue of the former president. However, it is actually a decent, modern place, and I can't really complain too much. We arrived very early in the morning, and spent about three hours mooching around before boarding our next flight to San Jose. Again, the flight was only about 3.5 hours, and before you know it, you're there in Costa Rica!

San Jose is, well, a city. It is not particularly lovely or exciting as far as we could tell. We did get a certain thrill from driving on the Pan-American Highway (Alaska to Chile), but otherwise there isn't much to tell. We did get to stay in a very nice, historic hotel, Grana del Oro which means "golden grain" this refers to the huge importance of coffee in years past. The best part about the hotel was the restaurant which featured an open central courtyard and the most incredible stained-glass windows. Granted, the food was more French than Costa Rican, but we still enjoyed dinner very much.

Tackling Costa Rica

Well I've been a bad blogger this past week. This is largely due to the mental block associated with describing something as exciting as our Honeymoon. No, no I don't mean the romantic moments. That should remain, I'm sure you'll agree, quite private. The bits I want to share are associated with the incredible people, animals, and places we saw while we were away. I think I will simply transcribe the more interesting bits of my travel journal, and see how that goes. If I can manage to pull down some of our pictures, that will be a bonus. Fingers crossed that it all comes out well.

Our Wedding

Not long after we got engaged, I was talking with our friends, J and T, about their wedding which took place a few years ago. I asked them how the day actually went from their perspective, and I was surprised to hear J (the man no less!) say something like "Oh it was perfect. It was absolutely the best day we could have had. The only problem with it is that it didn't last longer." I thought that was incredibly sweet, but how could a whole day be perfect? Especially with all the million pieces that need to come together for a wedding? Something has got to go wrong. There had to be stresses and difficulties right? Nevertheless, when our day came, I knew exactly what J was saying.

Our day felt perfect too. It really did. From the moment I got up to the moment we went to bed everything seemed to go smoothly. Breakfast with the girls was excellent, our hair and make-up experience was incredible (more on that later), and then there was the actual ceremony and reception. Honestly, I can't think of anything that actually bothered me or caused me to feel anxious. Everyone was so kind to us and so helpful that I really don't think I had a moments worry.

Just a few of the memorable moments were (in no particular order):

--- My little brother staying with me the night before to "protect my honor"
--- Eating tasty sushi lunch with my three lovely bride's maids
--- Seeing those beautiful flowers for the first time
--- Hearing the distant sound of "You Can't Hurry Love" and "Going to the Chapel"
--- Seeing all those handsome boys dressed up so beautifully in their tuxes
--- Walking around the corner with my parents to the sound of "Valkyries"
--- Seeing M at the end of the aisle
--- Two little flower girls with rosebud crowns
--- Seeing not one, but two brothers tearing up
--- The way elder niece read the poem
--- The rings, the words, the look on his face
--- Signing the certificate
--- The sun-washed image of all our family and friends
--- The first peep into the beautiful reception room that so many people helped to create
--- The simple, sweet, green-and-white cake with its serene wedding couple on top
--- Bubbles from all, but especially pesky brothers
--- Oh the toasts
--- Delicious food and everyone seated around us
--- Dancing with my dad, dancing with my brothers, dancing with everyone
--- Dancing the first dance, many middle dances, and the last dance with M
--- The classic British Taxi that took us away
--- The love, the elation, the excitement, the amazement that this was all really real

I would have married M in a courthouse in jeans and t-shirt if needed. I would have been happy just to have him. In the end, married is married no matter how you get there, and that is the part which is really important. However, the fact that we got to have our very own perfect day is something for which I will always be grateful. Reader, I married him. I actually did! Can you believe it?

MARRIED!

Can you believe it?! More on that later. Right now I have to dig myself out of a pile of honeymoon laundry the size of Texas.

Unhappy Hair

We only have a few days left before the wedding, so I was happy to go and get my wedding hair trial done earlier this week. I went over to Seattle one morning with my mom and nieces, and arrived just a little early for my appointment at the Etherea Salon. From the moment I arrived there was trouble.

To start, the stylist seemed harried. He was very concerned about having enough time to get the hair done even though I warned them when I called that I have "challenging" hair. First he told me that he really only does one wedding "do" and that it was the best choice because it would stay put all day. Then he said that I would have to have my hair straightened if he was going to have any chance of putting it up in the time allowed. Then, as if all that weren't enough, he started to use the Aveda products on my hair.

I have never been a huge fan of Aveda products because of their smell, but some are worse than others. The Brilliant Oil is actually very nice. However, some of the products have a distinctive, unpleasant smell. I think it may be things that include Sap Moss, but I'm not completely sure. From the moment he sprayed this smell on my hair, I knew I was in trouble. After a day of smelling my own hair, I decided I couldn't go through my wedding smelling this way. Who wants to associate the day of their wedding with an awful smell?

Therefore, I did something kind of unusual for me. I jumped ship. I called another salon, made appointments with them, and cancelled our time at the smelly place. Now there is not enough time for another trial, so I'm placing all my faith in the new stylist. I guess I'm thinking almost anything would be better than what I had. Wish my hair luck.

Bachelorette!

There is no question about it; my friends are awesome! On a recent day, they took me out for a bachelorette party that I will not soon (ever!) forget. First, three (CC and KD and I) of us started out by meeting up for buffet lunch at one of my favorite Indian Places. Once we were finished filling up on sinfully delicious food, we spent a pleasant hour looking at cars (not for me!) before the next event.

By late afternoon, we arrived at the salon, and began our nail treatments. I have recently discovered a fondness for pedicures, so it was quite fun to choose a new nail color and get my feet bathed and massaged. It was during the pedicure when something very exciting happened. KM arrived! From all the way across the country! It was SO good to see her after three months away. At that point, our little gang of four was all set.

Once our nails were beautified, we all set off for the big city for the rest of our adventure. The 520 bridge was closed, so we did hit some traffic getting over, but that didn't matter to me because I got to use the time catching up with KM. A lot can happen in three months, so we had plenty to chat about as the cars crept along. Eventually we did reach Seattle, check into our hotel (the 31st floor with a fabulous view of the water!), put on our fancy clothes, and run to our dinner reservation.

Lola restaurant has been one of my favorite Seattle landmarks for a few years now. That was where we had dinner the night before M proposed. Besides being sentimental about it, the food there is absolutely fantastic. Greek food is usually good, but this place takes it to high art. The menu is constantly changing, so it is impossible to state a favorite. However, every single time I've gone in, I have had an excellent meal. This visit was no exception, and the cherry and Haloumi cheese skewers cooked in ouzo vied with the eggplant (which I usually don't like) tagine as the most delicious things on my plate. More and more ladies joined us until we had a table of eight enjoying the food.

As if tasty food and friendly company were not enough, there was a bonus. Two of my sneaky friends saw the locally famous owner of Lola, Tom Douglas, heading through the restaurant. Without my knowing, they arranged to have him come to our table! He was very friendly and congratulated me, posed for pictures, told us the story of Lola, and gave M and me a signed copy of his new cookbook. It was quite exciting for the food geeks in the group, and I think maybe M was impressed when I got home and told the story. We always see a celebrity when we do bachelorettes, and this one was no exception.

After leaving Lola, we returned to the hotel, and my incredibly kind friends gave me a lingerie shower. It was lovely and thoughtful and incredibly generous of them, and I got some beautiful things. M is going to have quite a show on our honeymoon, and that is all I'm going to say about that!

Next we headed out for drinks and dessert at a place called The Purple Cafe. We often go there after the symphony, so we were prepared for the extensive menu of two and three bite desserts. We ordered all 14 items from the menu, and I got a lovely, fizzy glass of champagne. There was much trading of plates and conversation. The party only broke up as it got too late for many people to leave their cars parked any longer.

It was quite late when the original four girls got back to the hotel. We changed into our PJ's, had a brief pillow fight just so we could say we did, and then settled in to tell bedtime stories about the handsome and successful man, CC, was going to meet. It was hilarious, and a great way to end such a memorable day.

Thanks a million times to my kind and wonderful friends for giving me such a remarkable time. It will certainly go down in my personal history as a much-cherished event.

Wedding Countdown

This morning M and I went out to our local city hall and got... drum roll please... A MARRIAGE LISENCE!!! It was a VERY trippy feeling to fill out the papers and swear we weren't fibbing. We had to promise that everything on the form was true and also that we were not diseased or related. It's getting more and more real all the time. After nearly six years together, it's about time :)

One Day Sale

A few days ago, when I went to get the mail, I noticed a flyer for a major department store. In large, cheerful letters, the flyer announced a "One-Day-Only" sale event! Then, in slightly smaller text it said something like: Saturday, July 9th from 9am to 11pm and Sunday, July 10th from 11am to 6pm. I guess the definition of "one day" has changed slightly since I last checked.

Wall-E

What a cute, funny, interesting little movie! M and I went to the late show the other night, and I was amazed to see a theater full of adults going to see an animated movie. Pixar has really built up a reputation for making "cartoons" into something worth seeing. Wall-E did not disappoint. The first half was mostly just there to be cute, but there were some good funny moments. However it was the second half that I found really entertaining. The most surprising part was the edge of social commentary about certain human tendencies. The credits at the end were almost worth the price of admission on their own. My only complaint about the experience was the fact that one robot was obviously made to look like an I-Mac. Ugh! I guess you would have to expect that from a bunch of Apple people.

Wedding Madness

Well it is only about two weeks until the wedding, but don't worry, the pressure isn't starting to get to us or anything. The millions of small tasks that need doing aren't weighing on my mind, and I am absolutely certain that I haven’t forgotten anything important. I'm completely confident that the weather will be perfect, the guests will behave beautifully, my hair will look stunning, and all the vendors will arrive prepared and on time. After all, what could really go wrong? No, no that crazed, maniacal laughter is not me! That's someone else! Really! Like I said, I'm completely relaxed and confident.

No More Garden Box

For the last two years M and I have been re-affirming our yuppy-ness by having a garden box delivered each week. It was like Christmas on a small scale. Each week I got to open the flaps on that plastic crate and see what crispy, sweet, flavorful presents were inside. Fruit actually smelled like fruit, and carrots tasted like carrots. It was really something of a revelation.

Pioneer Organics offered a service where you got to choose your own goodies. I loved going on their very useable website and picking all sorts of tasty, organic, and mostly local items. Not everything was always perfect. Things were occasionally green or bruised, but no more than what you would find in the grocery store. The prices were often high, but since most of the produce was such good quality it seemed worthwhile. We ate so many more fresh things when we had the box coming all the time.

Unfortunately, everything passes, everything changes. Our dear Pioneer was bought out by a rival company called Spud! In many ways Spud! offers the same type of service, but not everything was the same. For example, you could not exactly choose your own items, and when they did arrive they were often not up to the quality standards we were used to getting. Price was also an issue, and the day we received a cauliflower that was the size of a softball and cost $4, we were done. We'll just have to be twice a diligent about getting out to the farmers' markets now.

Hooray for High Gas Prices

Recently, NPR had yet another piece about how high gas prices are changing the behavior of consumers. This time they were discussing the massive shift in priorities when the average person goes to buy a new car. Four years ago it seems that fuel efficiency was, on average, the 28th most important factor considered by purchasers of new cars. Today that has changed quite a bit, and while no one has yet had time to do another survey (that I could find) the proof is in the proverbial pudding. The Toyota Corolla has unseated the Ford F-150 pick-up series to become the best-selling car in America.

I am old enough to remember a time when gas occasionally went down to $.99 per gallon, and certainly older people remember paying even less. In comparison, the $4.41 I paid last week is quite the shock. However, economists have long said that the only true way to change the behavior of the masses is to hit them where it hurts. In that sense the high prices seem to be working wonders. For the first time in more than 20 years, people are driving less than they did at the same time last year. Public transit ridership is up around the country, and there actually seems to be a bike shortage in some parts of the country.

Don't get me wrong, I hate paying those high prices for fuel. My little tank costs more than $40 to fill, and even with my efficient car (about 36-38 mpg) I still feel the pinch. Nevertheless, high gas prices HAVE to be a good thing when they produce results like those above.

4th of July, 2008

Happy 4th of July!

I recently heard a snippet of an interview on NPR that I really enjoyed. I didn't catch the name of the speaker, but the main point he was making at the time was so great I just had to repeat it today. To paraphrase heavily, he said that, traditionally, liberals have criticism of the system down to a science, but they forget or even refuse to think about the positives of our country. Conservatives, on the other hand, are such shouting nationalists that they forget or even refuse to engage in reflection about the negatives. True patriotism, according to this mystery guy, is in remembering to celebrate the good while still addressing the bad. "Yeah, no duh" you may be thinking, but I still think it bears repeating.

Summertime and the Living is Easy

As you may have guessed, the school year did end without incident. I got all my boxes checked on my exit ticket, and the principal sort-of-kind-of-but-not-really apologized for what a tough year it was. Then he checked my final box, and I was free. My teaching partner and I immediately went for lunch and drinks to celebrate. Ever since then I've been wandering around in a happy fog. What day is it? What time? Who knows? Who cares?

I won't go into the nitty gritty details because I don't want to make anyone too jealous. Let's just say that I don't get up at 6am any more. I'm getting some (but not too much) housework done. I'm getting some (but probably not enough) wedding stuff done. I move slowly, and no one cares. I can go a whole day without talking to ANYONE. I'm no longer falling asleep at 8pm, so I can actually go out in the evening and still be reasonably social. May summer last forever.

To-Do List

Completed Items:

about 700,000

Outstanding Items:

about 7

Hours remaining until freedom:

about 22

Patience left:

about 2%

Light

This is the last Friday of the 07/08 school year. Only four more get-ups before we are done, done, done! I am personally very happy to the see end coming so close. I am sick, sick sick, of all the papers, all the book inventories, all the grumpy co-workers, all the stuff that needs stowing, all the computers that need breaking down, all the icky nasty parents, and all the manic kids.

A few nights ago, I had a dream that I was trying to crawl through a tight cave/tunnel full of jagged rocks. Every time I tried to move forward, rocks would catch on my clothes and hair and sometimes skin. I kept having to stop and untangle myself, and it ended up being one of those really frustrating dreams where a lot of time seems to pass but nothing really happens. I could see the light up ahead, but I just couldn't manage to get there. Don't need much deep analysis to understand from where that came.

Vegas Baby

Okay I have to admit that M and my friend C were right, Vegas can be fun. Recently, while M was away on his bachelor weekend, C took me to Vegas for the first time since I was nine. I have vague memories of playing "bop the mole" at Circus/Circus, but that was about it. Thus, this trip was a whole new experience.

We left on Saturday morning which turned out to be a great choice since we breezed through check-in and security. The flight was on-time and without incident, and we even got the luxury of a first class up-grade! It seems as though the airlines are having much more trouble selling full-price first class tickets because they were offering $50 upgrades on all three of our flights going and coming back. With such a short flight, it didn't make that much difference, but I can really see why it's so nice for a longer trip.

We arrived in Vegas in the early afternoon, collected our bags, and caught a cab to our hotel. Did I mention that our hotel was the huge black pyramid that you can see from the airport? Yep, we stayed at the Luxor for our first night. It was thick with kitsch, but absolutely perfect for a first Vegas experience. Once we'd dropped off our bags, we went off in search of food. What we found was a casual lunch place on the strip with the best Mexican food I've had in a very long time.

After a few hours of goggling at all there is to see on the strip, we made our way back to the hotel for spa treatments. It turns out that good spa treatments are wonderful no matter where you find them. Completely relaxed, we headed out to dinner and a survey of some of the more interesting hotels. The Bellagio is quite impressive with its fabulous gardens in the middle, and, while we were leaving, we happened to have our one and only celebrity spotting of the trip. Mini-Me (aka Vern Troyer) was there with a group of average-sized body guards. We were too amazed to snap any pictures, but there can be no doubt that it was him.

Caesar’s Palace went on for miles, but eventually we did come out sort of close to The Venetian. Now this was the place that M stayed last time, and he raved about its more dramatic touches. I have to say, the fake Italian neighborhoods complete with "blue skies" were quite something. We had dinner at a "sidewalk" cafe, and then began the trip back to our hotel. I'm afraid that I cramped C's usual Vegas style with my wimpy internal clock. We were in bed by 1am.

The rest of our trip followed in a similar mold. We relaxed by the pool, had an amazing dinner at Red Square, and C even got hit on by a perfectly nice drunken Californian. We lost about $7 each a nickel slot machines, and our entire gambling session lasted about half an hour. I now believe people who say that Vegas can be fun for those who don't gamble. On the whole, this trip was a great way to forget about everything stressful in life. Next time I want to go with M, and I want to make it to a few of the millions of things we just didn't have time to do on this visit. Thanks very much to C for the opportunity!

The W Word

Several months ago M and I checked with a local restaurant about hosting our rehearsal dinner. They quoted us a nice, reasonable number for 30-40 people. I breathed a sigh of relief. However, a few weeks ago, M called to confirm the number and hash out the details. All of a sudden the dinner would be SIX times more expensive than the original quote! Why so much? I think it was because M used the "wedding" word to describe the event.

The restaurant claims that they have to charge so much because it's a Friday night, and their restaurant would be full without our party. However, I've done the math, and this place would need to turn over these tables at least five times in one evening to make anywhere near as much as they would like to charge us. Given that their dinner service starts at 5:00 and ends at 9:00, that would be quite an impressive feat. The old adage about never using the word "wedding" with vendors really is true. It causes them to get dollar signs for eyes. We will be taking our large party elsewhere.

Unusual Genetic Traits

A health teacher at our school was doing a short unit on genetics with her students. Part of the unit was a survey of the more obvious physical traits that are inherited. This survey asked students to go around the room and look for peers who had certain traits, and then ask them if their mother, father, or grandparents had the traits as well. A grid was provided for students to record the collected information. Some of the traits included dimples, curly hair, blue eyes, a cleft chin, and the "Hitchhikers' Thumb."

Another trait that teacher meant to mention was the "Vulcan Signal" from Star Trek. You know this one, it's the "live long and prosper" hand sign. However, the teacher must have been in a big hurry because when she typed up the paper she made a slight error. She swapped a second v for the c in the word "Vulcan" to create the heretofore unknown "Vulvan Signal" from Star Trek. This may help to explain why Captain Kirk was always so distracted by all those alien ladies! Luckily, this was a 6th grade class, so not that many students noticed. However, if any 8th-graders happen to get hold of that paper...

Businesses of the Future

Last week my class was studying economics. We always have fun discussing the who, where, and why of money, goods, and services. One of the projects we tried out for this year was the build-a-business plan. Kids were asked to fill out a business proposal, present it to their peers, and then try to solicit "investments" in the form of votes. Here are a few of the more amusing/creative ideas:

---Jewelry that changes color according to your outfit

---A flavored French fry restaurant where the food has no fat or calories

---Sunglasses that play music

---A chore-doing service for kids (can you tell we're in an affluent area? Ugh!)

---Hovercars that run on "organic" fuel

but the best one by far:

---A genetic mutation company in which you can order plants, animals, or even people with special genetic mutations. Paris Hilton is the spokes model because she loves her new wings.

Registry Madness

As I mentioned before, M and I found the process of registering for wedding gifts to be quite unnerving. First of all, it's not like we are a pair of poverty-stricken teenagers who've never had to think about housekeeping before. Let's just say we own one or two pots already, and we're not so sure about asking or friends to get us more.

However, several friends tell me that if you don't register people still buy you gifts, only they have to guess about your taste. I do not want to get any gigantic commemorative Disney clocks like some poor people I know. And so we gritted our teeth and went. Making all those choices should be fun, but after a while it gets kind of overwhelming. Nevertheless, we created two registries, and we were most happy to be able to check that task off our list. Then came the email.

It seems that one of our choices, Linens n' Things (I should have known not to trust a company with such bad punctuation), is feeling the effects of tough economic times. In fact, they've filed for chapter eleven, but, the email assured us, it's "just for restructuring purposes. Your registry is perfectly safe with us!" they claimed confidently. Ha! One friend just brought me a copy of our wish list, and about half the items are either "unavailable" or "out of stock." It seems we must make a new registry once more.

Therefore, we are now registered at Macy's and Amazon.com. I am VERY much hoping that we can now be done with this whole gift list thing, but I guess you never know. Macy's could suddenly start carrying commemorative Disney clocks.

Status Report

The brief run-down of my tiny life in no particular order:

1. M --- Great! He's still the nicest one around.

2. Health --- Good! No complaints here.

3. Wedding --- All in hand as far as I can tell. Still some things to take care of, but I think we're on track. See item #1 :)

4. House --- Not exactly perfect, but nothing to terrible pressing in on me.

5. Friends --- Lovely! Did I mention that my fabulous friend C took me to Vegas this weekend? (more on that another time)

6. Family --- All well and happy as near as I can tell.

7. 1000 other nice things --- All good.

8. Work --- Still bumpy. Kids are great, but some days the co-workers are pretty tough going.

The purpose of this little exercise is to remind me about all the wonderful/satisfying/exciting things going on. That last item is really only one small part of the whole, so I really should try to keep it all in perspective. Maybe this will help me to quit whining so much (ha! ha! I promise to try). Besides, only 16 more days, only 16 more days.

Getting Through

Life at work is quite an interesting thing lately. Ever since the big blow-up, I've been struggling to find a mind set that will allow me to get through. Previously I just worked as hard as I could, tried to keep things on my team running smoothly, and tried to keep my leadership position on track. However, since the bad thing occurred, I'm less inclined to get involved with projects and concerns outside my classroom.

In fact, since others complain that I am "bossy" I've decided not to do a single thing for/with my team that is not specifically spelled out in my duties (is this immature? I don't know, but I don't feel that I have a choice). This means that all those little details that I used to take care of (just because they needed doing) such as booking rooms for meetings, organizing subs, creating agendas, distributing materials, are not my problem any more. I won't steer the conversation back to the task at hand. I won't double-check that the speaker is booked for the correct day and time. Well, what do you know, the fall-out from my stepping back has already begun.

One day per year, each team is allowed to have subs for the day, so the entire group can get together and work on curriculum. That means you have 7.5 hours (not counting half an hour for lunch or the two .5 hour blocks before and after school) per year to get everything done (otherwise it has to take place in .5 hour chunks). Needless to say it's kind of important to use that time wisely. This is why I have always created an agenda using the items of importance I solicited from the team. This is also why I always tried very hard to keep everyone on task during the actual meeting. Not this year.

This year's meeting was roughly divided into four segments. Part 1 lasted for about an hour, and consisted of the group discussing what things we might want to tackle for the day. Part 2 lasted for about 1.5 hours and consisted of one teacher passing out "getting to know you" activities. The main activity was a page on which were written the names of each team member. Every person was supposed to go down the list and write a paragraph of positive traits for each individual. Then we read our paragraphs aloud to each other. Lots of really really fun and meaningful personal stories were shared. I won't even bother to explain the next part where we had to tell each other what personality type we thought they were.

By the time we finished part 2, it was time to go to lunch. Again, in an attempt to not be bossy, I did not comment on lunch plans. It was assumed that everyone would go, and that one person should choose because "he likes food." We ended up going to Japanese. I hate Japanese, and so does one other member of the crew. Lunch lasted nearly 2 hours. This was part 3.

Part 4 of our day, which began just before 1pm, was the actual work. The bell rang just after 2:00pm. We got through two, count them, two work items. Nevertheless, the day was considered a big success by some because "it was such a fun time with everyone." I just keep repeating in my head "only X more days! only X more days!" I'm viewing the whole thing as an exercise in self-control. Granted, I nearly lost my composure during the long story about body surfing with an angel, but I didn't, and that's what will get me through without bloodshed.

Cake Tops

Okay, I must confess that I like cake toppers. You know those horrible fake brides and grooms and stare out from the tops of wedding cakes with fixed smiles on their little plastic faces? Something about the cheesiness appeals to me, so after we ordered our cake, I started hunting for one that would suit. My first attempt was too cheesy even for me. The little people were so poorly painted that their faces appeared sort of deranged (perhaps that was intentional because brides and grooms often do look that way?), and the bride had a fountain of real netting glued to the top of her head. Not good.

That is why I was so happy with the second attempt. The next bride and groom arrived just a few days ago, and they are so much the opposite of the previous pair. First of all, they are made of porcelain, not resin, and the paint job on them is excellent. They have nice serene smiles on their faces (as if they are actually happy to be married!), the clothing is in a timeless style, and the bride is even carrying a bunch of tiny, perfect, porcelain roses. They are, dare I say it, even kind of elegant. I'm looking forward to keeping them as a memento, and I don't even think I have to be embarrassed of them. Now our only trick will be to paint the grooms head blond without ruining his good looks.

Invitations

We finally got our acts together and managed to send out the invitations. It was very much a group effort with several kind people helping out. Some stuffed, some stamped, many addressed, and eventually we were done. Fingers crossed that we didn't mortally offend anyone by misspelling their name or leaving off their S.O. The actual invitation card is quite lovely if I do say so myself. M took them all to be posted. Now I have the fun of going to the mailbox each day to see who else has sent back a reply. It feels so good to get each thing checked off the list!

Dress Success

A few weeks ago, my mom, my two nieces, and I all took a trip to the bridal salon. My mom was in the market for a mother-of-the-bride gown, I wanted something to wear to the rehearsal, and Big Niece was in need of a junior bride’s maid gown. Yes, you read that correctly; Big Niece has agreed to wear a dress.

Now I was all set to have Big Niece wear pants and a nice blouse because I am well aware of her life-long hatred for dresses. However, a few subtle comments from her seemed to imply that she might want to wear a dress, but not want to admit to that desire. I posed the question to my brother over the phone one night. He promised to speak to her about things, and only a few minutes later he called back. "She wants to tell you herself" he said. Big Niece came on the line, and without any greeting she said "don't expect me to wear it EVER again and NO pink or sparkles or bows." I agreed that these seemed like quite doable requests.

When we got to the store, she tried quickly identified the dresses that were unacceptable. Some were too frilly or fluffy, others came in the unmentionable color, and a few she found too revealing (shocking cuts for kids I have to agree with her!). This left us with three choices. She tried on all three, chose two she liked, and finally selected one after receiving reassurance that Grandma could remove the one objectionable bow/sparkle from the strap. What she doesn't know is that I got her a Lord of the Rings leaf pin to replace the unfortunate bow. I think we've come to an excellent agreement. Now we just have to deal with shoes.

By the way, the rest of us were successful in our searches too, but that hardly seems worth mentioning after the triumph of getting Big Niece into her gown.

Longfellow

I'm still on my poetry kick. Here's one of my absolute favorites from Longfellow:

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! ?
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

Poem for the Day

I've been sifting through a lot of poems lately because we're working on a Poetry Slam in each of my classes. This is a competitive form of poetry reading, and the kids have really gotten interested. Originally I'd only planned to have the slam in my highly capable block. I made a competition bracket for them and posted it on the board so they would know when their turn was coming.

Then, my small, TLC block saw the bracket and begged to be allowed to do their own! I found myself saying "I don't know kids; you'll have to read a lot of poems..." This only made them beg harder, so I finally "relented" and they are having their own little competition. All the kids come prepared with poems, and then they compete in pairs. After the second reader is finished, the audience votes to decide who will go through to the next round.

I created a blog so they would have a "safe" source of poems from which to choose (lots of sites on the web include some really, ahem, mature material). The nice part is that I can see which poems they're looking at, and which ones they ultimately choose. Of course not everyone uses the site, and I've had to nix one poem about boobs and another about toilets. It's a weird thing to be the censor, but there you are.

The great part about all this is watching the kids discover poems for the first time. One boy ran up to me in a panic before class one day and said "Miss X I think I picked a dumb poem! Have you ever even heard of a poet called Emily Dickenson?!" I reassured him that "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is not a "dumb" poem by any means. I swear I'm not making this stuff up.

Another boy chose the poem "War is Kind" by Stephen Crane. He has always been an angry and difficult child who often refused to do the simplest tasks. For a while, none of his peers would sit next to him because he was so unpleasant. However, when he read this tragic piece about the horrors of war, all the kids were transfixed. His hands were shaking as he went up, but he did such a beautiful job that no one said a word when he was done. Who knows what that moment might have done for him, but it certainly made an impression on everyone else.

Here's the poem he read, and don't worry, we spent quite bit of time discussing the use of irony. We also talked about how the ultimate message of the poem was very much an anti-war sentiment.

War is Kind

by Stephen Crane

Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die
The unexplained glory flies above them
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Swift, blazing flag of the regiment
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die
Point for them the virtue of slaughter
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind

Band Class

Recently, I did one period of emergency subbing in Band class. Now I've subbed in the orchestra room several times, but this was my first exposure to Band. There is no question that band and orchestra kids are not the same kinds of people. Don't get me wrong, both groups of kids are quite wonderful, but there is something very different in the feel of the class and the attitudes of the students.

Having both kinds of kids in class, I've been noticing over the years the differences in these two groups. Orchestra kids are confident, sophisticated, and very well-spoken for their age. They are the kind of people who are always on time, always willing to help, but perhaps with a slight tendency to be humorless.

Bad kids, on the other hand, are cool. They may not always remember their homework, they may be late sometimes, but they have a certain sense of creativity. They often seem wise beyond their years, and they definitely have more street smarts than some of their peers. All this seems doubly true of kids in jazz band.

Am I over-generalizing? Of course. Nevertheless it is kind of fun to notice the different cultures that exist within a given group of people. There is nothing so reassuring (especially to a young person) as feeling that your personal quirks and oddities are simply proof that you belong to your own special club. Young adult literature is full of stories about this effect because it is so enticing to kids of all ages.

A Moderate Vegetarian

What a great article on Slate about being a vegetarian. If I had more time and better writing skills, I could have written this almost word for word since my opinions match with his almost perfectly. I need to print out a copy, keep it in my pocket, and use it to explain myself when I can't come up with the correct response. Just two days ago I had one of those "oh you're one of those" moments while waiting in the lunch line with a bunch of co-workers. The crowd really does go quiet as everyone listens for the story on why you're such a freak. Bravo Taylor Clark.

Election

Okay, I am officially sick and tired of it all. There needs to be choice made. This whole thing is taking away from the momentum of the Democratic party. The primary portion of things should be over by now, and we should be deeply immersed in the actual election. I think there need to be systematic changes to the way we hold primary elections. For example, it might be worth moving all primaries to the same day so that everyone's vote counts equally. I know this causes problems for the candidates (how should they divide their time and money etc.), but I think it might be worth doing to end this kind of endless campaigning. I do not want to see another debate between these two, or listen to another round of primary results. Enough already!

Iron Man

M and I saw this last weekend, and I would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone. I must confess that I've liked Robert Downey Jr. since his stint on Ally McBeal (embarrassing guilty pleasure I know), and I was very disappointed when his drug arrest led to the downfall of the show. Now that he's back in form, it's nice to see him doing something that's this much fun.

The comic book feel of Iron Man is preserved, but it's not too cheesy. I don't like it when they turn a fun comic into a dark and brooding story (Spiderman), so I was pleased to see that the fun was still intact. There is a fair amount of corny humor, but it never goes too far. What really makes the movie are some great flying/fighting scenes. Of course, there's always a little "hmm how exactly does that work" kind of doubting, but if you just let that go, it's quite a fun ride. The NYT even has a feature right now about the conceptualization of the robot that builds his suit. It turns out most people like some good stupid fun every once in a while. Go see this movie!

DJ Yes Planner Maybe Not

On Friday evening M and I headed downtown to meet up with a young couple who work as wedding DJ's. There was some confusion as we played the "which of these five Starbucks do you think she meant" game. However, without too much wasted time, we found the correct place. Bamboo Beats is a husband and wife team who DJ for weddings and other kinds of parties like proms and sweet sixteens. They seemed very nice, very knowledgeable, and good at helping us figure out what exactly we were looking for. We are reviewing the contract, but I think we will sign with them. Now the only part left to this is to figure out which songs should go where.

On Saturday, we met with a wedding planner. She seemed very young, and her portfolio of events was quite limited. The only reason we were even considering a planner was to help get all the decorations put up, and to ensure that everything and everyone is accounted for. As it turns out, she won't do a major portion of the decorations we wanted. Therefore, I think the odds of us hiring her are quite slim. It may be more of a trick to get in all together, but the things she was willing to do were just not worth the price. Hers was the least expensive of all the quotes we got from planners, and by my estimate, she was still earning about $125. Under no circumstances should 22 year old wedding planners with no education earn that kind of money. Go figure.

Hallelujah!

Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster and pass me a cup of tea because this is a great day indeed!

You know how it often happens that most parts of your life are going fine, and then one of them just has to fall spectacularly apart? Lately a certain portion of my life has been quite unhappy. This has been especially hard because I'm just not used to being unhappy. Of course, everyone has their moments, but usually they are just that, moments. With most things I can just mentally put it aside when there's nothing I can do to change it. This one, however, was such a problem that it kind of followed me around. Lucky I had M, and my family and friends, to keep me balanced or it would have been really tough.

Good news on the subject arrived this morning. The problem is not 100% cleared up, but the central issue has been resolved. I expect that most lingering effects will sort themselves out as time passes. The thorn in my side has resigned, er, been removed, and now we should be able to get back to business in a more constructive mode. Hooray! hooray! hooray!

Ring!

Yesterday I finally made it to the jewelers to pick up my wedding ring. It was there to be re-sized (jeweler oops) and I was anxious to see if the engraving would survive the process. When I actually got to see it again, I was delighted to discover that it looks nearly perfect. It's just so pretty! Trying it on was a surprisingly surreal experience.

As we go through the wedding planning process, I have this feeling that it's all for some distant event. Every once in a while, though, it all comes sharply into focus and I realize "we're actually getting married soon!" I can't hardly wait.