C-Train Station

Just because I should...

2007-06-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Update the blog. Here goes...

#1 - Going to see Pirates 3 today. I have already seen the third Shrek and the third Spiderman. Neither was as good as the first two. I'm really hoping that Pirates will break this pattern, but have my doubts. Maybe if I keep the expectations low, I will be pleasantly surprised. I'm also waiting for Harry Potter to come out. Yay! Trailer looks awesome. I wonder if I will get to see an "original" movie this summer. So many sequels, so many money-hungry studios execs trying to take my money using old ideas... but I guess, it works, doesn't it?

#2 - Only two weeks of class left before exams. It has been a very long semester and I am not sad to see it end. I'm sure my students are thinking the same thing.

#3 - I just can't keep up with both facebook and blogger. I can't/don't update either one very regularly but then again, I just don't really care. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I feel like I just can't be bothered most of the time. Don't get me wrong... I have connected with a few people I haven't seen or talked to in years which is really cool but I just feel there are so many other things to do with my time. So I'm not ignoring you if I don't get back to you right away, I just don't check these things very often.

#4 - I would be very surprised if anyone still checks my blog to see if I have updated.

#5 - I have been feeling very uninspired with cooking lately. I have so many good cookbooks (collecting them is a bit of an obsession) but have just not felt the energy to do anything with them. I look to read them, but just haven't made anything from them recently. Maybe I should make a commitment to make at least one new recipe every week over the summer and see what happens.

#6 - I have a plan to de-clutter my house this summer. There is so much "junk" around here that Andrew and I do not use that it needs to be turfed or given away. And I still haven't gone through the the FOURTEEN boxes of Christmas decorations we were given last year. Just as a note, if you happen to be offered Christmas decorations, find out how much stuff you are going to get before you agree.

#7 - I am looking forward to seeing my family this summer. My aunt's family is hosting a mini-reunion this summer which should be really fun. Lots of games and good conversation.

#8- I don't know when I will update again. Sigh.

Birthday dinners and sickness

2007-04-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was my birthday. To celebrate, Andrew had reserved a fancy restaurant for Saturday night and we were to have a five course dinner with wine pairings. On Tuesday of that week, I decided to get sick again. Well, actually, I went to the farm for a week and my mother thought that a good going away present would be a fever, chills, sinus pain, headache, and chest cough. So the entire week before this dinner, I felt awful and couldn't eat anything. The most I was eating was Lipton's chicken noodle soup - the best thing to eat when you are sick. I don't know why, but it just seems like good "sick food".

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was feeling better, but still not wonderful. I didn't want to miss dinner, though, so got myself together, put on my Christmas bling (the very beautiful diamond studded heart necklace that Andrew gave me), and we went to dinner.

Dinner was awesome, but I wish I could have tasted it a bit more. Andrew and I each got five courses, unique to us. Six if you count the amuse bouche that we got first. So this is what we had...

Amuse bouche
- Pork tenderloin confit with arugula and a cherry tomato (confit just means slow cooked in duck fat - very, very tasty)

Course 1 - The first appetizer
Andrew - Clams with proscuitto and rosemary
Me - Soba noodles in dashi broth with halibut, scallops, mussels, and crab

Course 2 - Salad
Andrew - Blue cheese from Agassiz, Apple, and Frisee with a sherry vinegrette
Me - Roasted beets, walnuts, and Agassiz brie cheese on local baby greens, with maple balsamic vinegrette

Course 3 - Appetizer 2 (Which I thought was dinner)
Andrew - Duck confit with foie gras on a lentil ragout
Me - Pan roasted sable fish on a sunchoke and brown butter puree in a red wine/sundried tomato reduction

Palate cleanser - a red wine and pear granita (slush) - so tasty

Course 4 - Dinner and by this point I was already stuffed
Andrew - Roasted squab on a mascarpone polenta (and if you're wondering about squab - it's pigeon)
Me - Roasted lamb loin on roasted potatoes, hazelnuts, and prunes in a wine sauce

Course 5 - Dessert - finally
Andrew - Very fancy ice cream sandwiches with chocolate cookies, frangelico ice cream, and crushed pistachios
Me - Warm chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice cream (By this point I could only eat half of my dessert which makes me very sad, because it was soooo good)

And along with all these courses, there were wine pairings. We started with whites and then moved along to reds, and port at the end. All very nice wines and complemented the food very well.

I would like to do this again some time, but I would like to be healthy when I do. It would be an even better experience. We had wonderful food, wonderful service, and an all around fantastic evening.

Thanks to the Seasonal Experience in Langley for a great time.

They say I have to use the new Google blog thing

2007-03-03T13:45:00.000-08:00

So I was reading some friends' blogs and saw that Brent had a new post... well relatively new... anyway, I also saw the comment left by Rob. This prompted me to want to post something. So I went to sign in to blogspot and "they" said I had to change to a google account. I'm not really sure what that means and frankly I don't care, I just wanted to post something. So apparently I now have a google account.

About me in the last few weeks:
1. I have been sick twice in as many weeks. Kids are full of diseases and germs and with my stress levels right now my immune system is not the best so I have been catching everything. And attendance in my classes have been just decimated so I KNOW there are sick kids around sharing their nasty little germs.
2. I have gone to full time teaching since the beginning of the semester hence the profound dropoff in postings. I sometimes feel I hardly have time to think let alone keep up with this. There are so many other things I have let slip and this is at the bottom of a very long list.
3. After having watched An Inconvenient Truth for the first time and watching a documentary series called Planet Earth on CBC Newsworld (an absolutely stunning visual array of life forms on our planet, co-produced by CBC and BBC) I am feeling depressed by how much humanity has destroyed our natural world. I mean the Planet Earth documentary is beautiful and magestic but there is an underlying sadness in the narrator's voice as he talks about the wonders on the screen and the fact that in fifty years many of these creatures will be gone. I am saddened by the fact that humans have caused this destruction. We have not been good stewards of our resources and we consume and consume and consume. As a result of my reflections, I can't help but relate to the author of Ecclesiastes who says:

"Meaningless! Meaningless!"

says the Teacher.

"Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless."

What does man gain from all his labor

at which he toils under the sun?

Generations come and generations go

but the earth remains forever.

My hope is that the earth DOES remain forever, but will it remain the way I know it now? With icecaps and polar bears? Jungles and pandas? Or will it be a barren, overcrowded cesspool of pollution that is too hot for people to live near the equator and has millions of refugees displaced from their homes due to flooding and tropical storms?

Now that I have depressed any of the last few readers that have stayed with me thus far, I must tell you that I have to go to the stacks of marking I have to do before Monday when interim report marks are due.

I hope you have a happy weekend and a pleasant rest of your week. Don't let my despondent ramblings bring you down. They are merely what I have been thinking about lately when I happen to have time to think.

I have readers!!

2007-01-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

Today I felt a little thrill inside to see comments on my previous blog. I only put in up yesterday and today I have comments. Yay! It's nice to see not everyone has given up on me...

In other news, it's back to school tomorrow and I still do not know what I am doing with my classes for the day. 5 hours and counting before I have to go to bed so I better get to work.

Tag... I'm it.

2007-01-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

So I have been tagged with blogging 6 weird things about myself. Here goes... and please don't judge me.

6 Weird Things About Me:

1. I am a shark-o-phobe. I lived in a land-locked province until 2004 so this fear does not make much sense. When I was five, I was watching a TV show that showed two kids appearing to be eaten by the Jaws shark at Universal Studios. I haven't been the same since. I even had issues with Bruce in Finding Nemo. I looked up the term for someone with a fear of sharks. Interestingly enough there are two terms used, Selachophobia and Galeophobia. The term, galeophobia, is also used for a fear of cats. I love cats. Go figure. (The fact that I looked up the term on a number of different sites, just for reliability, could be considered weird thing 1a.)

2. When I eat my Smarties, I do eat the red ones last. Actually, I save both the red and blue ones for last and then even them out so I have equal numbers of each. I don't know why, but they are my two favorite colors that come in the box and I like to have the same number of each.

3. My cat has asthma so I have to give him an inhaler. I had to take the prescription to a real pharmacy and explain to the pharmacist that I am not actually a mean parent who named their child Simba. Simba is my cat. In the act of doing that, though, I become one of those pet owners. You know the ones I mean. I'm a sucker but I love my cat. See #1. At least I don't throw him birthday parties.

4. When eating a meal, I save a piece of my favorite item for the last bite. I just like to have my last bite before I finish eating to be something I really enjoy. I try to eat my least favorite items first, just to get them out of the way. This way I have good memories of the meal.

5. This weird thing is something that my husband bugs me about, however, I don't think it's weird at all. Apparently when speaking, I pronounce the word "won" incorrectly. You see, I choose to distinguish between "one" and "won" by pronouncing the latter like you would when talking about a wonton.
Eg. I have one (pronounced wun) cat but I won (pronounced juan) the contest.
This differentiation causes no end in laughter from my husband (who thinks I'm talking about a Spanish boy) but I have since discovered where this little eccentricity comes from - my mother. She pronounces won the very same way. Score one for the nurture side of the debate.

6. I enjoy lists. In fact I wrote up a list to make sure that I could come up with 6 things to put on this list. And finding lists helpful isn't inherently weird, but I wrote out the list on paper before typing it up and have done things like that before. I will also rewrite a list if I think it is in the wrong order or if it is too messy. A messy list just doesn't look right and how can it help a person organize if it, itself is not organized.

So there is my list... I don't really have anyone to tag that Andrew hasn't already tagged, so I will just end here.

How to get three days off in the middle of a week

2006-12-07T15:48:00.000-08:00

So this past week, I went to work on Monday - and that's it. Friday (tomorrow) is a day off for us. How did I manage such a feat, you ask? Well, without going into great detail, I decided to stay up all Monday night re-living my dinner. Not pleasant and really not by choice.

On top of the unpleasant reason for staying home, when you realize at 2:30am that you need to call in sick and then email teacher-on-call notes to school, it's really quite a chore. So in addition to being sick and tired (quite literally), you have to have enough brain power to write up plans for the day in between the bouts of - how should I say - "discomfort".

So that was Tuesday. I was hoping to go back to work on Wednesday, but after being up all night on Monday, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I slept most of Tuesday and was hardly drinking water. Wednesday was now out. Trying to write TOC plans on Tuesday (for Wednesday) was almost a bigger chore than the ones I wrote in the middle of the night.

Finally, yesterday, in the afternoon, the Lab TA at our school - she's awesome - phoned to tell me to just stay home one more day and rest. I followed her advice and have now been home for three days. I finally ate some soup today. Yay! It's a small victory, but I'm so tired of texturally devoid liquids - water, powerade, stale gingerale (because you leave it too long and it goes flat).

I realize this is an odd post after such a long drought, but it's what has been happening lately. And when I'm teaching, I feel like I have no time for anything else. Just about everything I have goes into doing a good job in the different aspects of my life - at home, with my husband (my first priority), and at work. Such things leave me little time to blog. To be honest, I don't even get to read blogs as much as I would like anymore. I need to find balance and perspective.

Maybe that's why I'm home right now. My body said "You're done. Deal with it." So after six days off of school, I will go back on Monday for just two more weeks before Christmas break. Two weeks of break before the big push to the end of the semester. Which gives me one more thought... Christmas... I should be buying presents...

Still a bad blogger

2006-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

Well, at least no one is hassling me about my lack of posting. However, maybe this just means people have given up on me. . . Anyway, I haven't even really been reading any blogs lately. I feel like all of my time is being taken up by school work and the gigantic pile of marking that I always seem to have. It's this neverending pile of student work that I have to go through. And there is always more of it. Fun, fun.

In the remaining time that I have, I have been teaching first year confirmation at the church (over for now - starts up again in January), co-leading a youth girl's bible study, and trying to see my husband as much as possible. We are getting away next weekend and going to Leavenworth, WA. Since we are so close to the border, getting away to the States is actually quite easy. The irony is that this is the first time since moving down here that we are doing that. Leavenworth seems like it will be a fun place to visit - it's a small Bavarian village in the Cascade mountains with lots of neat little shops. I think we will have fun.

bad, bad blogger

2006-09-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

I've decided I'm a terrible blogger. I never feel like I have anything to say and then I never have the motivation to write when I do. But here are a couple of stories from my first three weeks of school. Just so you know, am back at the same school and I have two Science 8 classes and one Science 9. Although teaching sci 8 again, the government implemented a new curriculum this year, so I have to develop everything myself and the teacher resources that correspond with the textbook are on back order. And I haven't taught sci 9 before BUT a colleague gave me a CD with the ENTIRE course on it (his notes, worksheets, tests). It's awesome. I love computers. But back to the stories:

1. "Is kryptonite real?" - an actual question I was asked in the first week of school. First, I clarified that she was, indeed, asking about the bane of Superman's existence, and sure enough, she was. Then I told her that no, kryptonite is NOT real. She replied, "You mean, they make stuff up?" At this point, I am crying on the inside about the future of our society and ask her if she means that comic book writers make up the things they write about. "Yeah, they make stuff up?" she says again. Apparently flying men in tights are a normal occurrence in her world. So I assured her not to believe everything she sees and changed the subject back to lab safety. On a side note, there IS an element (number 36) on the periodic table name Krypton, but it is a noble gas, NOT a green glowing rock that is the remnant of some distant planet.

2. Busting a skipper - Do you know how satisfying it is to catch a skipper? I do. This past week, I had a student missing from my class. It was the last block of the day and it was a miserable day outside. Raining buckets. This comes into play later. I had a suspicion that he was not supposed to be missing, checked his attendance for the day, and sure enough, he had been at school for all his other classes. We happened to be having a quiz that day, which he knew about, and missed. Now I had a logical consequence (see those uni-ma-versity edu-ma-cation words?) to apply. Did not write quiz + no good reason to be missing = no mark on said quiz. So that afternoon, I phoned home about 5 minutes after class ended, and his mom picks up. Perfect. Long story short, he had no ground to stand on and neither did his mother. It was a somewhat frustrating conversation, but I can't really get into that here. Apparently rain is an ok reason to come home from school if your mom thinks you have phys ed in the last block of the day. Ugh.

So, hopefully I will start being a little more regular about blogging. We'll see.

Not much to say

2006-08-15T09:58:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm home from vacation, I don't really have a lot to say. Andrew is posting about all the adventures we had - from crazy bus lady to driving to O'Hare. I really enjoyed our time away. It was relaxing and exciting at the same time. I had never been to the States longer than an evening (to have dinner in Lindon) so seeing anything different from here was cool. Now that we have our passports, I think I will feel more comfortable crossing the border. It is WAY easier to cross the border with a passport (at least that has been my impression so far) even if my passport picture looks like I am a hardened career criminal. Seriously, it does. Anyway, I'm now glad to be home, trying not to think about school just yet, but realizing that my days of freedom are slowly dwindling.

I am having one last summer adventure too. My Nanny (my maternal grandmother) is turning 90 in November. My aunt and her daughters thought it would be nice to have everyone gather in the summer time to celebrate the event. For the longest time I didn't think I could go, but just discovered that I can! I am very excited. I haven't seen my cousins in 3 years and one of them has a two year old now, whom I've never met. Unfortunately, Andrew can not go because he is preaching that Sunday and he needs to save his remaining holiday time for spring break (I think). So I get to go home this summer after all! It will be very fun.

I love meatloaf - but not of the beef variety.

2006-07-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

A while back Shannon asked people to comment on her blog with secrets from their past. I could only come up with a really lame secret that isn't much to be embarrassed about. In reading Neal's latest blog regarding inappropriate song lyrics, I thought of a much more personal, secret guilty pleasure that I have. I have dubbed it "Secret Shame Music". It's the music one listens to but would tell nobody else about. It's the music you enjoy but you feel too embarrassed to share it with anyone else lest they call you a freak. For some it may be Backstreet Boys, for some it may be Black Sabbath, for some it may be Barney's Greatest Hits, but for me, you ask? It is Meat Loaf.

At this point you are probably asking yourself, "Why?" Well, when I was a child, we used to take long, roadtrip vacations during the summer and this was the music my parents listened to. My brothers and I would ride along in the back seat while my parents sang the tunes from "Bat out of Hell". When you are seven, you have no idea what any of the lyrics mean, you just remember thinking how cool you were to be listening to "grown-up" music. What is so wrong with the lyrics? Here is a small sampling and you can judge for yourself:

Paradise by the Dashboard Light (a song for young lovers ;)

ain't no doubt about it
we were doubly blessed
'cause we were barely seventeen
and we were barely dressed

Radio Broadcast (Bjorn and I thought it was actually talking about baseball)
ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here,
two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth,
there's the windup, and there it is, a line shot up the middle,
look at him go. This boy can really fly! he's rounding first and really turning it on now, he's not letting up at all, he's gonna try for second;
the ball is bobbled out in center, and here comes the throw,
and what a throw! he's gonna slide in head first, here he comes, he's out!
No, wait, safe-safe at second base, this kid really makes things happen out there. batter steps up to the plate, here's the pitch-he's going, and what a jump he's got,he's trying for third, here's the throw, it's in the dirt-safe at third!
holy cow, stolen base! he's taking a pretty big lead out there, almost daring him to try and pick him off. the pitcher glances over, winds up, and it's bunted, bunted down the third base line, the suicide squeeze is on! here he comes, squeezeplay, it's gonna be close, holy cow, i think he's gonna make it!

Then later on in the song - it was probably seven minutes long:
I couldn't take it any longer
Lord I was crazed
And when the feeling came upon me
Like a tidal wave
I started swearing to my god and on my mother's grave
That I would love you to the end of time
I swore that I would love you to the end of time!
So now I'm praying for the end of time
To hurry up and arrive
'Cause if I gotta spend another minute with you
I don't think that I can really survive
I'll never break my promise or forget my vow
But God only knows what I can do right now
I'm praying for the end of time It's all that I can do
Praying for the end of time,
So I can end my time with you!!

Bat out of Hell (a song about commitment - I think my parents used to fast forward this one)

like a bat out of hell
I'll be gone when the morning comes
when the night is over
like a bat out of hell I'll be gone gone gone
like a bat out of hell I'll be gone when the morning comes
but when the day is done
and the sun goes down
and moonlight's shining through
then like a sinner before the gates of heaven
I'll come crawling on back to you

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad (for the true romantics in the crowd)

And all I can do is keep on telling you
I want you
I need you
But there ain't no way
I'm ever gonna love you
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad
Now don't be sad
'Cause two out of three ain't bad

So there you have it. If for no other reason than sentimentality, I love Meat Loaf. It is oozing with cheesy goodness, it is smarmy in a good way (if that is possible), and the dude looks like he could sweat an ocean into existence, but I love Meat Loaf. The second Bat out of Hell didn't really do it for me, and apparently there is a third one coming out this fall, but for me it's all about the first one.

So on that note, let me end with a challenge - what is YOUR Secret Shame Music? What do you listen to that you want no one else to know?

And then they made me their chief

2006-07-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

Andrew and I watched Pirates of the Caribbean last night (the first one). Such a great movie.

Anyway, I am glad that I am finished for the summer. And BC teachers also have a negotiated contract! An improvement over the government imposed contract that we got last June. I get to go back to my school in September too, which I appreciate. It's nice to have some continuity.

Here's to a great summer!

Two more days!

2006-06-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

That's right folks! I have two more days of class and then two days of exams and then no more kids for this year! I have really, really enjoyed my job but I am so tired right now and can't wait for summer break. I still have to be at school until the 30th but that week is going to be so relaxing.

On another note, there is a movie being filmed here in Cloverdale on Main Street. Andrew and I walked down there the other night to look at the set. The whole main street is dressed up to look like a Christmas festival. There is fake snow everywhere, Christmas lights, fake fronts on a lot of the buildings, and a "skating" rink in the middle of the street. It's really cool. Apparently the movie is called "Deck the Halls" and stars Matthew Broderick and Danny Devito. It's supposed to come out at Christmas time (go figure). At certain times, the public is allowed to wander down amongst the sets and just look at everything. There is a table in front of one of the stores that is FILLED with chocolate bars (just a set piece) and a big sign that says "Don't eat the candy - It's very old" - made me laugh. Some of the people from our church are also extras in the film. Just right place at the right time, I guess. This is probably the biggest budget production that has been filmed here (and there have been quite a few - Slither, Muppets Wizard of Oz), and Cloverdale also plays home to downtown Smallville. It's quite fun living so close to a common movie location. Andrew was almost in Dr. Doolittle 3 but he isn't actually shown in the crowd. He spent an afternoon one day watching a "rodeo" at the Cloverdale fair grounds but I guess you can't actually see him in the crowd. I haven't actually checked for myself, though. It would mean watching that movie, which I'm not really wanting to do.

Wow, this post has turned into quite the stream of consciousness jumble. I should end it here and go work on the PILE of marking I have left to do before Tuesday.

While the iron is hot

2006-06-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

That's right. Strike. It's never really a word that teachers want to hear (at least not me). We would like our democratic (i.e. bureaucratic) bargaining system to actually work - the first time. We would like to see adherence to class size limits, adherence to composition limits, and we would like a fair salary. And we would like all this to occur, in a timely fashion, where the two negotiating parties come to an actual agreement. But maybe I'm being a little idealistic.

I am talking about the BC education system. In the fall (before I was hired), teachers fought for students' learning conditions and teachers' working conditions and won. Now, we are trying to reach a fair salary settlement. At the maximum level on the scale (11 years) with 5 years of education (what most BC teachers have) BC teachers are currently making $10 000 to $12 000 LESS than teachers in Alberta and Ontario. In a few years, we will likely be making less than teachers in Saskatchewan. The problem? In the lower mainland, living expenses and inflation are out of control (and I don't see that changing in the near future - we filled up with gas two days ago for $1.22/L) and BC is a HAVE province. There IS money in the budget. We would just like to be closer to what Alberta and Ontario teachers make.

As a result of stalled negotiations, the BCTF is taking a strike vote tomorrow. This means there is a possibility of "job action" (going on strike) in September if a settlement is not reached by June 30. The last time negotiations stalled, the government legislated a contract and then extended it without going back to the bargaining table. That is what made teachers angry in the fall. Hopefully, we reach a solution this time. I guess I'll see what happens.

I should be working...

2006-06-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

Do you remember being in school? Do you remember feeling how the last possible thing that you wanted to do in June was go to school? Well, this feeling is not limited just to students. So, instead of doing something productive for my job, I'm blogging. Not that I have anything to say right now.

Random thought #1 - My cat has multiple personalites, I think. Or OCD. He can't decide whether he is an indoor cat or an outdoor cat and as a result, I have to get up from whatever I'm doing every 20 minutes to let him out or let him in. He also has a weird habit of walking across a room, stopping very abruptly to lick his hind leg twice, and continuing on as if nothing had happened. At least that part is entertaining.

Random thought #2 - We went to an advance screening of Cars yesterday. It was free. It was more entertaining than I thought it was going to be (I'm not much into talking machines - especially robots) and I laughed out loud a few times. Pixar's trend of making quality movies continues. Very funny credits, too.

Random thought #3 - I realize that a lot of my blogs about teaching seem really negative. I actually do like my job but I guess I use my blog to let out some of my frustrations with students, the system, or "the man." There are still a lot of positives to my job. The other day, a student brought me a cupcake from cooking class. He was very sincere about bringing it especially for me and would have put icing on it except they are not allowed icing. Of course now I have to decide "Do I eat the cupcake or do I pretend to eat the cupcake?" Well, I ate the cupcake. It's three days later and I have suffered no ill effects. It was very sweet of him to share.

Random thought #4 - Now I really have to go get some work done. Two weeks and two days left of classes followed by two days of exams - I can do that. After that, it's just working around the school, cleaning up my classroom, and then wondering what to do until June 30. Then two months of freedom.

A post for Neal

2006-06-01T22:31:00.000-07:00

Teachers are really busy towards the end of May and beginning of June. The last two weeks have just been a smidge crazy. Therefore no blogs.

For all you math people out there, here's an equation for you:

Lots of marking + very full weekends = No blogging for me

Oh, and a word of wisdom to any students out there... The beginnning of June is TOO late to start caring about your mark. I could say I told you so... over and over and over and over...

"Do you know what you are doing to my mark?"

2006-05-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

This is a comment I have heard from a few students. My response? "I'm only marking what you give me, so you are responsible for your own mark. If you don't hand things in or put in any effort, that's not my responsibility."

I find it sad and disturbing how much people need to blame someone else or something else for their problems. Take responsibility for yourself because excuses will only get you so far... and with me, excuses don't get you very far. You know, I understand that you have a learning disability, but you still have to hand in SOMETHING. I understand you have a crappy home life, but you still have to behave in class and be respectful to your classmates. At a certain point in time, people have to realize that they are directly responsible for what happens to them and they are responsible for what they happen to do. Truth is not relative no matter how much you have deluded yourself into thinking so. I just hope that my students can learn this earlier rather than later.

Thought this was cool

2006-05-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved.

You'd like your lover to think you are stylish and alluring.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was insecure and in constant need of reassurance.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something precious. You'll treasure marriage and treat it as sacred.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

What Are The Keys To Your Heart?

Val says...

2006-05-10T20:47:00.000-07:00

We have a science teaching assistant at our school. Basically what she says, goes. Period. And I'm ok with that.

She is awesome. She knows the science store room inventory like the back of her hand and if I say "Do you know where ________ is?" she always has an answer for me.

It's quite a luxury, though. Not all science teachers have the privilege of having someone to set out lab equipment, set up labs, yell at children who are playing with fire, etc. I feel very lucky to have someone to do that. My students get to do more labs because it frees up some of my time.

Our TA also listens when I'm frustrated with my students. For instance, I related this scenario to her today. I gave an assignment and had 4 handed in out of 18. Now in my opinion, that's pathetic. You probably agree with me. But what am I to do? I gave time in class, let students take it for homework, and even gave them an extra day. If they choose not to do their assignments after all that they deserve the 0 they get. If they want to be lazy, there is nothing I can do to change that.

But hey, I look at the bright side. Assignments sure are easy to mark when I only have 4 to do.

Scaredy Class?

2006-04-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

So today I was told that one of my classes is scared of me. Really?!? I found out this tidbit from a student in one of my other classes. She apparently has friends in this class and they say that I am strict and mean and that they are scared of me. To anyone who knows me, does this make sense? Do I really come across as terrifying? I mean I breath fire like a dragon, can roar like a lion, and shoot lasers from my eyes, but is that really all that scary?

But then I remember... the class who apparently thinks I am scary also thinks that I mark too hard, I give them too many assignments, too many tests, and the the list goes on and on. The whining never ends.

I never take stuff like this seriously, though. If I did I'd already have a complex and I've only been teaching for 3 months.

Evening rendezvous in the church parking lot?

2006-04-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

What a romantic way to spend an evening with a special someone and on Easter Sunday no less. I'm referring to the spectacle that Andrew and I witnessed as we drove home from Easter dinner on Sunday night. We had forgotten to take videos back to the store so we first stopped at home, picked up the videos, and went to Rogers. On the way home, as we tend to do, we drove by the church to do a security check. We noticed two vehicles in the parking lot and thought that was odd. Usually, the parking lot is empty, especially on a Sunday night and this was EASTER! So, we drive into the parking lot to take a look.

Much to our surprise, there were people in one of the vehicles. (An SUV) First, we saw a female face looking back at us in shock and as we turn our car around in the parking lot, I see a bare-chested, half-nekkid dude turning off the interior light. Not really something I was expecting to see. Hmmmm... What were you doing in there people? A little sump'n sump'n, I think. My first question: Why have the interior light on? My second question: Why a church parking lot? Honestly people, WHY? But perhaps you've done it many times before and not been caught. Who knows?

Anyway, Andrew and I are left in a bit of a pickle. What do we do? If we stop and try to "talk" to these people, what if we know them from the church? If we don't, how do we politely ask them to leave and never do that again? I think we were both so surprised we didn't think to get license numbers. I mean, really, it's not that often you catch people in a potentially very awkward position (take that how you wish). Anyway, there is more to this story, but you can read about it on my husband's blog. See the full account there and if it's not there yet, it's on its way. Be patient.

And yes, this is a true story.

Really amazing medical story

2006-04-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was reading the news today (online because we can't get newspaper delivery where we live) and came across this article. The human body is so amazing... I just see this as more evidence for our Creator.

Five years ahead of my time...

2006-04-12T20:32:00.000-07:00

You Are 32 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Donut or doughnut?

2006-04-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

You Are a Powdered Devil's Food Donut

A total sweetheart on the outside, you love to fool people with your innocent image.
On the inside you're a little darker, richer, and more complex.
You're a hedonist who demands more than one pleasure at a time.
Decadent and daring, you test the limits of human indulgence.

What Donut Are You?

Weekends

2006-04-09T18:11:00.000-07:00

I really like my weekends. I like the freedom to do what I want, I try to get some sleep, I like to spend time with my husband, and I try to get at least a little bit of school work finished. I don't always get to have my weekends to myself, though. It feels like this weekend went by way too fast.

Friday nights are already taken up by Friday night alive. By the time I get home it's already almost 10:00pm. At least it's been almost ten the last two weeks because people don't pick up their children on time. It's over at 9 o'clock people!!! I am not a baby-sitter. I am a volunteer who would like to go home on time.

Yesterday, Andrew and I had invitations to two different events. I ended up going to only the afternoon event because I was just too peopled-out and I needed to do some marking. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am an introvert who gets stressed out by being with lots of people for too long. It's really the noise that gets to me. Anyway, I did not attend the evening shin-dig but at the same time, people were asking Andrew where I was. I know that people appreciate when both Andrew and I attend their special celebrations, but I can't possibly go to all of them. Especially now that I have started teaching. I don't think that people understand how much work it is to be a beginning teacher - unless they have done it and even then I think that some of them forget. I like what I'm doing a lot and I really want to do a good job but it takes up lots of time.

This morning I went to church and I discovered there was a meeting after church that I didn't know about. I also wanted to stay to listen to the Bible study that Andrew was leading for the young adults on the Sacraments. But this meant that I wasn't home until 4:00pm. I was supposed to go play softball at 5:30pm but I just couldn't bring myself to go. I have school work to do and I am stalling right now.

I guess the point of the story is that I wish I could do it all, but I can't. I just hope that people understand that I have my own life and can't do everything that my husband does. It's not that I don't want to, it's that I just physically can't...

Thinking makes me feel sick...

2006-04-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

So I had a student the other day who actually told me that. The funny thing is, I think she was serious. At that point I'm thinking "Why were you able to eat a giant plate of poutine at lunch, then?" Apparently, students think that teachers lack the ability to detect lying. OR students think that teachers will believe anything they are told. Hmmmm. I'm sorry but go sell crazy someplace else. We're all stocked up here.

A quick post

2006-03-30T19:38:00.000-08:00

Updating my blog during the week is going to be hard. I don't really give it much thought when I'm up to my eyeballs in marking and planning. It's like treading water but instead of water, it's paperwork. I'm supposed to be working right now...

108.5/190 movies

2006-03-25T10:54:00.000-08:00

Andrew got this from Neal so I thought I would put it on my blog too. I don't think I'll score very well.

There are 190 movies on this list. Put your score in header:

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) The Mexican
( ) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) Young Frankenstien
(x) Anchor Man: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
(X) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( )White Oleander
( )Anger Management
(x)50 First Dates
( ) Jason X
Total: 6

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
(x) American Pie
(X) American Pie 2
(X) American Wedding
Total: 6

(x) Harry Potter
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil I
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
( ) Donnie Darko
(x) Lilo & Stitch.
( )Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch
Total: 8

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
( ) The Grinch (jim carrey)
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(x) Thirteen Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
Total: 6

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
Total: 8

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumb & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
Total: 2

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
(X) The Whole Nine Yards
Total: 6

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
(x) Child's Play
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
(x) Coach Carter
(x) Bad Boys
Total: 8

( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(1/2) Se7en
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Identity
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
(x) Predator II
TOTAL: 6.5

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Boss' daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
( ) Frailty
Total: 5

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon (wish i hadn't)
(x) Ever After
(x) Forrest Gump
(x) Big Trouble in Little China
Total: 9

(x) X-Men
(x) X2
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
( ) The Others
( ) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
Total: 6

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle
( ) Old School
(X) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
(x) A Walk to Remember
( )Boogeyman
Total: 6

(x) Hitch
(x) The Fifth Element
(x) Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Episode II Attack of The Clones
(x) Star Wars Episode III Revenge of The Sith
(x) Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Episode VI Return of The Jedi
( ) Troop Beverly Hills
( ) Swimmig with Sharks
Total: 8

(x) Air Force One
( ) For Richer or Poorer
( ) Trainspotting
( ) People Under the Stairs......
( ) Blue Velvet
(x) Sound of Music
(x) Parent Trap
( ) Parent Trap Re-make
( ) The Birds
(x) The Terminator
(x) Terminator-2
(x) T-3
Total: 6

(x) Empire Records
( ) SLC Punk
(x) Meet Joe Black
(x) Nightmare Before Christmas
( ) The Silence of the Lambs
(x) Sleepy Hollow
( ) I Heart Huckabees
( ) 24 Hour Party People
( ) Blood In Blood Out
( ) Nowhere
Total: 4

( ) Thirteen
( ) Manic
( ) American History
( ) Deep Blue Sea
(x) George of the Jungle
(x) Canadian Bacon
( ) Big Black Titties
( ) How High
( ) The Jacket
( ) My Little Ponys Grand Adventure 2
Total: 2

57% - At least I passed!

I thought this was funny, not that I believe it

2006-03-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

March 25

Your Birthdate: March 25

You excel at anything difficult or high tech. In other words, you're a total (brilliant) geek.It's difficult for you to find people worth spending time with.Which is probably why you'll take over the world with your evil robots!
Your strength: Your unfailing logic
Your weakness: Loving machines more than people
Your power color: Tan
Your power symbol: Pi
Your power month: July

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Funny - I had a stuffed Scooter as a child

2006-03-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick.You're always willing to lend a helping hand.In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going."15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Lutheran identity crisis 2

2006-03-23T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty well steeped in what it means to be a Lutheran - to understand that my salvation comes only from the grace of God - and here's why. I was baptized in a Lutheran church, grew up in a Lutheran church, confirmed my faith in a Lutheran church, went to CLBI (the L stands for... wait for it... Lutheran - shocking!), went to U of A and attended a Lutheran church, and then married a Lutheran pastor. Here' s where things for me hit a cross-roads.

I am a Lutheran but for some, the difference between the Synods causes people to act strangely. You see, I grew up in the ELCIC and when I got married, I married an LCC seminarian who would later become an LCC pastor. I now get a "stuck in the middle with you" kind of feeling from both sides. Why does the difference matter to people? Probably because they don't understand the other "side." The thing is, it's not the other "side". Both Synods subscribe to the exact same documents and most importantly, the Bible. There are jokes made about going over to the "dark side" but both ELCIC and LCC people make this joke. ELCIC people get called hippie-Lutherans while LCC people get called uncaring, stuffed shirts. It's not right, but it happens. People like to judge what they don't understand.

In the LCC churches I have attended, I have been asked how I liked Concordia. Why is it assumed that I went there? When I mention I grew up in Grande Prairie, people ask if I know so and so. My reply: "Well, no because I grew up in the ELCIC congregation." To which the person says, "Oh." As though that changes how they feel about me. Sometimes I even feel that I should be embarrassed. I'm not.

Conversely, in the ELCIC I now feel like I wear a sign on my back that says "Synod jumper." People find out that my husband is an LCC pastor and I get the same "Oh" and feelings of awkwardness by the other person. I just wish people would base their opinions on who I am, and not on my affiliations. It's stupid and petty and frustrating. Thankfully, it is only a minority of people.

For the most part, people accept me for who I am and it doesn't matter where I grew up or where I am now. I know who I am in Christ and I know what I believe. I am totally confident in that. I just wish people wouldn't get so hung up on labels when clearly they don't understand the differences.

I am a proud Lutheran (most importantly a proud Christian) - I grew up in the Lutheran church and continue to attend a Lutheran church. I know there are differences between the church of my past and the church of my future, but that doesn't make me any less or any more, better or worse. I do not naively believe that the Synods will one day fully agree. Truthfully, they will most likely become further apart. But at the same time, I can pray for God's faithfulness to His church and the continued faithfulness of His people.

Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen - Martin Luther

Lutheran identity crisis 1

2006-03-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

I went to Edmonton over the weekend. Saw some friends and had some great visits. It was interesting though, because it turned into quite the Lutheran-fest. I knew I was going to a worship service on Friday night with my friend. What I found out later, was that Marty Haugen - the Lutheran contemporary liturgy writer- was going to be the worship leader. Hmmm. Well that's really cool. He's done many different services and settings (e.g. Holden evening prayer, Now The Feast and Celebration) and has been writing new ones. The worship service was kind of like Lent over the course of an evening. We started with ashes and brokenness, moved through healing, and ended with joy. I enjoyed it a lot.

The next evening was the Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) banquet. I was part of the Lutheran Student Movement (LSM) on the University of Alberta (U of A) campus for many years so the banquet was a reunion of sorts. Wow, lots of abbreviations! Anyway, LCM was celebrating 50 years of existence this year and as part of the celebrations had Marty Haugen and his writing partner Susan Briehl come and do a two-day worship conference. Apparently it was very good. But man, I realized sitting there, I have spent a lot of time in the last two days hanging out with Lutherans. To quote Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

Now we come to Sunday where I attend church with my friend Kristine. First, we almost didn't get there and we were late because of heavy snowfall and frequent occasions being stuck in the middle of the road or intersections. Fun. We always managed to get out, thankfully. Well, we get to church and there is a guest pastor. Kristine's pastor was there, of course, but the congregation had apparently asked Bishop Steve Kristenson to preach that Sunday and give a presentation after the service. What was the presentation about you ask? "What does it mean to be a Lutheran?" Too weird because as many of you know, I'm married to a Lutheran pastor.

But more on this later.

A stain on my blog

2006-03-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

So after just starting my blog, there was a really distasteful comment on my first post. Thankfully, my husband alerted me to the situation and thankfully I have the ability to remove said comment. I have now turned on comment moderation so hopefully this kind of thing won't happen again. Now I get to choose which comments are publish-worthy. For the record, anything offensive or just plain rude, will not be posted. And for those of you wondering what was said, I am not repeating Mr. Rude-blogger's comment.

As I'm thinking about this distasteful comment, though, I'm saddened by the fact that people need to be that disrespectful. Did this blogger (some guy I don't know who lives in the States) really think that I wouldn't be offended? Or did he just do it to be funny? Regardless, there is no excuse for rudeness. What I had hoped would be an innocent first foray into the blog world turned into an opportunity for a jerk to be a jerk. Boo urns on you Mr. Rude-blogger. Good day.

What have I gotten myself into?

2006-03-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

So, I'm new to the whole blog thing. I read lots of blogs so I figured it was about time to start my own. As a matter of fact, I'm not really sure what I'm doing, so this is an interesting experiment for me. Andrew convinced me that I should give it a try, so that's what I'm doing. Who knows? Maybe having an outlet for teaching frustrations will be cathartic. I've never been good at journaling, though, so hopefully I keep up with blogging. As I said... interesting experiment for me.

Catch you on the flip side.