Rookie Reflections

I worked out every single stinking day this week and gained one pound. If I was the kind of person who said "FML" (which I'm not), now would be the appropriate time.

SO...

I'm making a list of my favorite things of the week. They are (in no particular order):

The Black Apple (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=991)

I am in love with this store. I want every single print they have to offer! This past week, they made some of their prints into wearable lockets, and I had to FIGHT myself not to order one (at $50 a pop, I just couldn't do it). It's so hard to choose favorites, but these are some:

Mysterious Genevieve
The Quiet Room
Telephone Girl

Kanye West - Love Lockdown

I first heard this song during the abs section of a body pump class. Although I hate working out my abs with a passion, this song was just the one to pump me up and keep me going.



Prom Night in Mississippi

I watched this HBO documentary tonight. It is about the town of Charleston, Mississippi, which had a segregated through the year 2007. In 2008, Morgan Freeman (a native of Charleston) offered to pay for the prom if they would integrate. The documentary interviews many of the students about the race issues in the town; it also explores the fight between doing what's always been done and making progressive changes. I could see my students in those kids, and of course I cried like a baby. It is a well-done, thought-provoking documentary.

Angels and Demons – Dan Brown

I am a fool for conspiracy theory stories. I also like stories that are rooted in history and present a trite subject in new light for me. In this case, Robert Langdon uses his background in symbology to unearth clues left hundreds of years ago by The Illuminati, an ancient secret brotherhood which values science and loathes Catholicism. Langdon must follow the clues along the “path of illumination” before The Illuminati strike the Vatican. Science vs. religion topics nearly always intrigue me, as did this one. That being said, I thought Brown could have gotten his point across without so many twists and turns. Many characters were introduced briefly and underdeveloped. I did go see the movie, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The “filler” parts (unnecessary characters and subplots) of the book were left out in the film. While the movie will not win any awards (for sure), I thought the film adaptation of the story was much more user friendly.

My Sister’s Keeper – Jodi Picoult
You know that feeling of exhilaration you got as a child when you awoke on Christmas morning? Reading this book gave me the exact opposite of that feeling. While the storyline is intriguing, [the parents of a child with cancer (Kate) genetically engineer a second child (Anna) to be a donor for Kate… drama ensues when Anna matures and decides to sue for medical emancipation of her body] there were some major flaws in this tear-jerker. For example, the character of Jesse, Anna and Kate’s rebellious older brother, seemed completely unrelated to the plot and did not add anything. I would have also liked to see the relationship between the parents explored more in-depth. Examining their discrepancies over what was best for their daughters could have helped increase the dramatic build up, but what the reader knew about them was on the surface. Overall, I thought the premise was interesting enough to keep me reading; However, I mostly just got depressed.

Goodnight Nobody – Jennifer Weiner
This was a typical “I am feeling hormonal and want to read something that will get my mind off of my life for a few minutes” book. In Goodnight Nobody, Kate Klein gives up her life and career in the city for the suburbs of Connecticut, an absent, boring husband, and kids I was never completely convinced she liked. Throughout the book, she struggles with accepting her new life when she has not left her old one behind. When a woman on her block, Kitty Cavanaugh, goes missing (dun dun DUN!), Kate swiftly appeases her boredom by taking the case. This book was an easy read and somewhat predictable. I did enjoy the parts where the Kate discussed the dynamics of work vs. home life. I also liked her humorous descriptions of the other suburban housewives/mothers/drones. Overall, Kate’s midlife crises helped me escape my quarter-life crises :)

House of Sand and Fog – Andre Dubus
This was easily my favorite read of the summer. Many thanks to Hayley for recommending it. In House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus tells the story of Kathy and Behrani, two characters from very different backgrounds who both have a legitimate claim to a piece of property. I do not want to say too much, because I do not want to give it away; However, Dubus takes this simplistic conflict and makes it explosive. He does a fabulous job of developing each character and allowing the reader to get inside the heads of all the major players. The characters were so relatable that I had a hard time figuring out who to cheer on and who to condemn. I still do not know whom, if anyone, I favored/disliked. I took my time with this one, and I have been thinking about it ever since.



Books I started reading but have not finished yet:
The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison (I love her books, but I have to be in a specific mood to read them. I would like to teach this to my advanced ninth graders this semester, but we will have to see.)

Jesus Land – Julia Scheeres (This one is in progress, and it is very interesting so far. Excerpt: “On the horizon, heat lightning dances along a column of towering thunderheads. The air is suddenly sweet and cool, refresing. It’s perfect weather for a tornado.” OOOOoooOOOOoOooOOOoo


Books I want to read when I finish the above stragglers:
The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffeneggar: I saw someone on facebook recommend it to someone else. Could be good?


Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert: I have been meaning to read this for the past year. Why can’t I get motivated?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling: I saw the Half-Blood Prince movie and was sucked back in. I want to re-read this one to remember all the things that happen.

Yesterday, I remembered I had chalkboard paint. Today, I went a little crazy.

BEFORE:








AFTER:

I must say that this past week has been one of the best weeks of my summer. Blaine's brother asked if we wanted to come stay with them at the beach. Ok, being honest, we sort of hinted around until they said "ok, come."

We had the best time! We played in the ocean, swam in the pools, got tanned but not burned, ate a bunch of yummy food, rode in a helicopter, saw a movie, laughed, and spent some time relaxing and being goofy.








It was great. After that, I feel ready to start turning my mind to teaching and preparing for the upcoming semester. We got a letter in the mail telling us our schedules for next year, and this is mine:

1st Semester:
1st Block - Prep
2nd Block - Adv English 9
3rd Block - Adv English 9
4th Block - English 10

2nd Semester:
1st Block - English 10
2nd Block - Prep
3rd Block - Adv English 10
4th Block - Adv English 10

I am completely stoked! I requested to have some 10th grade classes, and I got them! Although I'm not crazy about the literature in 10th grade, that is my favorite age of students. They have been in high school for a year, so they know what is expected of them, but they are not old enough yet to have the "too cool for you" attitude. Also, that is the year most of them get their driver's licenses, and you can really see them begin to mature.

I am going to really try to find a way to present the literature of 10th grade (American Lit to 1900) in an interesting way. Can it be done? What are your favorite American works/authors before 1900?

I would also like to work up a way to have a class blog or wiki this year. I may do it as a place for class announcements and/or ongoing response medium or else just use it when we write longer pieces. They could use it to peer edit or see other students' work. Any suggestions?

Things I am NOT doing this year that I did last year:
-accepting late work
-putting up with attitudes
-skipping workouts/not being healthy
-bringing work/grading home
-getting in a funk towards the end of the semester

For some unknown reason, my favorite deodorant (Secret Scent Expressions: Vanilla Chai) decided last week it was going to give me an allergic reaction. Why did this happen? I don't know. We've had such a good relationship up until this point, and then it just pulls the rug out from under me. Whatever.

So, I did the worst thing imaginable, which is look online to do some research about my medical condition. It turns out that deodorant is made up of a significant amount of aluminum. According to the internetz, everyone on planet earth knew that but me. It was a little scary to read/think about.

Links to Alzheimer's, breast cancer, brain disorders? Oh my! After significantly freaking out about it, I picked up some Tom's Natural Care of Maine Long-Lasting Aluminum-Free Deodorant.

I feel relatively good about halting my aluminum intake, but the ingredient list for this one doesn't seem much better:

Propylene glycol, water, sodium stearate, organic aloe barbadensis leaf juice, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel), zinc ricinoleate, glyceryl laurate, chamomilla recutita flower aqeous extract, apricot fragrance, humulus lupulus (hops) [CO2] extract, caprylic/capric triglyceride, ascorbic acid, silica shells

WITCH HAZEL?! I may have to start going tout naturel.

Our cat is ridiculously spoiled. I was on the computer about an hour ago, trying to waste enough time to be sleepy, when little miss priss jumps in my lap, onto the computer desk, and plops herself down directly on top of the keyboard. She then begins to give herself a bath. The sad thing is that I didn't make her move... I just got up and started to do something else before I thought, "You know what, that cat just dealt with me." I sure do love her though!

I have compiled a list of her nicknames, which should say something about our obsession:

Piper
Pitter
Pit Pat
Pitter Pat
Pitter Pat Kitter Cat
Pitter Patter Kitter Catter
Whiskers
Boots
Squirrel Tail
Fluffin Muffin (ok some of them don't even make sense)
Hitler (because of the moustanch and sometimes the temperament)
Chrismas Kitty
Special Kitty

More to come, I'm sure!