ragnar (our worst failure yet greatest accomplishment)

was more fun than I had even imagined.

Here are some pictures. More stories and details will follow. (There are some good ones, trust me.)

Me and my roommate Merry, heading out the door

Our van, looking happy and optimistic. (In other words, this picture was taken before any of the actual running started.)

Stretching our legs. There's only so much room in those vans, so you do what you can. (Notice Erica's disembodied face? I think that's my favorite part.)

As it turns out, nobody looks that cool wearing a headlamp, reflective vest, and tail light.

Still looking happy. I think this was right after I happily discovered that my friends found my obsession with Air Supply amusing instead of annoying. That's when I realized just how much I love these people. If that's not true friendship, I don't know what is.

At our post-race pizza party (minus Erica - she's still a newlywed, so decided that going home would be more fun.)

run, run, run

This Friday, I am climbing into two vans with 11 friends and driving the 193 miles to Cumberland, MD.

Then we are running home.

Don't worry, we're taking turns doing the running. I'm only doing about 18.7 of the miles. (I think.)

Then there's the National Book Fair in DC! If I'm not too tired, I may meander over to the mall to hang out with other book-lovers.

Up next: Philadelphia half marathon in November. (Right, Erica?!?)

Smrt

I showed this picture to my AP class last week during our discussion of circular motion and asked them what it was a picture of.

After an awkward pause, I finally asked Kevin to help us out.

After another awkward pause, he finally said "Um, a loop-the-loop"?

weird.

I ordered a book from half.com the other day for my class.

It ships from Gaithersburg, MD, which is about 5 minutes away from where I live in Kensington.

Yesterday, it shipped.

Today, it is in New York.

birth

Since about half the women I work with are currently pregnant, I obviously had to share with all of them the story of my niece's birth. (She was born in the front seat of the car while my brother-in-law attempted to flag down help.)

Since we were on the topic of childbirth, my co-worker Tom told me about when his wife was in labor with their first child. He put together an Excel spreadsheet that allowed him to enter the timing and duration of contractions and would signal an alarm when it was time to go to the hospital. Or something. I'm still not really clear why he needed an Excel spreadsheet, but at the time, it was his pride and joy.

I thought he was joking, because he has a tendency to make fun of his own dorkiness. (He wasn't joking.)

Unfortnately for him, by the time Excel let him know it was time to leave for the hospital, his wife was out the door and waiting in the cab. She almost gave birth in the car.

Lucky for her, they made it to the hospital in time to deliver.

leah bluebonnet

welcome to the family.

love your name.

can't wait to see you! promise me you won't grow too much in the next two months.

your favorite aunt,

poodle

welcome back

Today was the first day of school. It is good to be back.

I received exactly 12 compliments on my shoes, so I consider the day a smashing success. (Although my feet are in pain.)

The freshmen boys that I teach are each approximately 4 feet tall, but make up for it with enthusiasm. However, they are so not intimidated by me. I find that partly charming and partly scary.

My AP students blew me away with how much they remember from last year. Those kids rock my world.

more book reviews

The Book Thief: The middle 300 pages dragged a little bit. (or a lot...) But the ending was phenomenal, and totally worth the wait. I would recommend this to just about anyone.

The Time Traveler's Wife: I'm still trying to figure out how this book is a national bestseller. I have lost all faith in the American public. Sigh.

Funny in Farsi: It is pretty funny. Too bad it's not very well written. But it's short, and definitely an enjoyable read.

My Sister's Keeper: Overall, it was a quick, enjoyable read, but the ending was such a cop-out. You cannot write a book entirely about a major moral dilemma, and then avoid resolving it.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: While it was interesting, I have to admit I couldn't read it straight through. It's the kind of book I had to read small portions of at a time. It did, however, inspire me to support local farmers by signing up for Washington's Green Grocer delivery service.

up next:

The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao: Erica and I are starting a book club to make sure we still hang out even though she ran off and got married. Who wants to join?

Into Thin Air: I read and thoroughly enjoyed Into The Wild, so I'm looking forward to this one.

awesome

I am totally doing this in my class this year. (only on a slightly smaller scale. I'm thinking maybe a large plastic rectangular container.) Honestly, can you think of a better way to introduce non-newtonian fluids? I sure can't.

which poodle do you think i am?

Shear Poodle Madness!!!

because i'm feeling nice....

And because my school gave me a new laptop (even though I knocked mine off of the table last year with my high heel. Apparently they were amused by my "high price of fashion" email.)

We started off the trip with a long (very long) flight to Dubai. Jana slept. Phil and I caught up on the past 4 years. At the beginning of the flight, we were looking happy and alert. (for probably the only time on the trip.)

Jana was convinced (really, truly convinced) that if she looked cute, a Frenchman would take pity on her and lead her to the front of the security line. She got all dressed up for the occasion, but alas, we still had to wait in line, just like everybody else. Poor Jana.

i know, i know

I promised i would be back on Monday with pictures and stories.

Today is Wednesday. No pictures, still.

But yesterday, I went on a faculty bonding retreat that involved ropes courses and swimming through some rivers. Which was great. I love our back-to-school "meetings."

I get to go back next week with the freshmen. I am thoroughly looking forward to watching 75 ninth graders carry their overnight packs through a river. And sleeping in a treehouse.

Tomorrow, I actually have some free time in my schedule, so I will post so much more.

back

I'm back, and still recovering.

I go back to work on Monday, and couldn't be more excited.

Rome is unbelievable. If you get a chance, go. Paris is totally lame compared to Rome.

I'll be back with stories on Monday.

tomorrow

i leave for dubai tomorrow.

right now, i am trying to solidify plans with troy, pack, and watch cake boss all at the same time. sometimes being me is really hard work.

i promise to come back with plenty of stories and abundant pictures.

school

The new school year starts in just one month.

Today, I got my new schedule. This is going to be a great year for several reasons:

• My largest class has 12 students. What a dream!
• The one student that I absolutely did NOT want to teach this year decided to drop my class. I usually love my students, but hey, I'm only human.
• I talked to my boss and convinced her that it would be a really bad idea to make me coach track next year. That was quite possibly the most liberating conversation I have ever had.
• One of my classes consists of my 12 favorite, hardest-working students from last year. I'm pretty sure they're already my favorite class.
• I get to teach freshmen this year!! They're adorable.
  

6

That's the number of days until I leave for Dubai. The reasons I am excited are listed below, in order of importance:

1. I get to see Ashley. Who in their right mind would not be excited about that?
2. I get to see Phil.
3. I get to go on a desert safari on which I will ride a camel. And ski down the sand dunes. And eat good food. And ride a four-wheeler over the sand dunes. And take pictures with my new, indestructible camera.
4. The shark waterpark.
5. I just bought 5 new books to read on the airplane.

Numbers 2-5 are all pretty close, but the #1 reason I'm excited about Dubai is that Ashley will be there. Everything is more fun that way.

tween

Now that she has learned the fine art of self-portraits, Caroline is officially ready to be a teenager.

the end

Today is the very last day of summer school.

I am never doing this again. Ever. It makes me want to crawl into a hole and hide.

But now that it's done, I have an entire month of freedom! Which means I get to take lots of trips, spend lots of time in the sun, and stay away from school. I can't wait.

new

Here is the final product. I decided to go with cut #1, so that I could wear it wavy to look like cut #2 when I felt like it. It needs to grow a little before I can do that, but so far I love it.

word verification

as found on blogger's word verification thingy:

fucling.

um....

short

So I think one of my students accidentally put her underwear on this morning thinking they were shorts. How embarrassing.

in case you were wondering

500 Days of Summer is an awesome movie.

Trader Joe's tomato and roasted red pepper soup is delicious.

P90X rocks my world. So much that I don't even care that my family will make fun of me for saying "rocks my world."

My waterproof/shockproof digital camera came in the mail yesterday!! I haven't tried it out underwater yet. For the first time in my life, I am reading the instruction manual just in case there's something special I have to do before putting it underwater.

My books also came today! I am starting with The Magician's Assistant.

Only 7 days left of summer school, and it can't go by fast enough. If I have to listen to one more argument over whose idea it was to name their robot Wall-E first, or another kid who thinks its really clever to name their program "Bob" or "Fred" and then act shocked when every other 12-year-old in the class also named their programs "Bob" and "Fred", I might lose it.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is hilarious. And probably a lot funnier if you were a kid in the 50s.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was pretty good. It's a 9/11 story, which I was worried about, but it took a surprisingly different angle than I was expecting. I hate it when books (or movies) take a tragedy and turn it into an awful made-up love story with a bizarrely happy ending. (Did anyone else see Pearl Harbor? Seriously. )

The Wednesday Wars blew me away. After about the first 40 pages, it was just okay, but after that it gets better with every single sentence. And by the end of the book, you want to go back and read it again. I love Mrs. Baker. (Partly because she's a teacher and partly just because she's secretly awesome.)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is also a good read. I didn't start to love it until the last 3 pages, though, and then it was over. Overall, though, a good story with loveable characters.

dear asher,

You're right, you are the coolest.

Want to play with me in a few weeks? That would be awesome.

Love,

Poodle

love, poodle

Dearest Shademaster,

Check the mail. You won't regret it.

Love always,
Poodle

Dear Bexie,

Start with The Hunger Games. You'll know what I'm talking about in a few days. Just wait.

Your favorite sister,

Poodle

ps - I'm flying in on August 1.

Dear Caroline,

When I come to see you, will you teach me how to be cool? You have it down.

Love,

Poodle

Dear Mabel,

Want to come have a slumber party with me and Caroline in August? Annie can come too, if she wants, but you're probably more fun at slumber parties.

See you soon,

Poodle

Dear Annie,

You are the cutest thing I've ever seen. Don't grow up.

Love,
Poodle

all in a day's work

This is what I have been doing all morning while my students are happily building their robots.

I think I need a new hairstyle. I have finally realized that my hair is not thick enough to pull off a long hairdo, and the fact that my hair is now 50% gray (thanks a lot, dad) means that it frizzes. A lot. Especially when it's long.

So I'm thinking of something like this:

Because I could easily make it nice and wavy if I get tired of the straightness. (I don't really like the layer thing with this cut.):

Maybe some swoopy bangs? I am a huge fan of this haircut, but I'm not sure it would work for me:

But I kind of love this cut too:

Although I'm not sure that I would love it when I couldn't put my hair in a ponytail. Or when I'm having a bad hair day. And it could easily turn into a mushroom poof if I don't find a really good stylist.

I'm pretty sure I could never pull off these bangs:

But maybe something like this? With a shorter hair cut (because I can't do the long hair thing anymore.)

(Thanks to the In Style makeover page.)

right now

I have a batch of apple cider sorbet in the ice cream maker. I made up the recipe myself. (I'll let you know how it turns out. It smells like heaven, and I let the apples steep in the cider mixture for several hours before freezing, so I think it's going to be good.)

I am booking hotels for Rome. I found a great one!

I am waiting anxiously for my waterproof/shockproof digital camera to come so I can try it out. I'll probably take about 100 pictures in the kitchen sink. Just to make sure it's actually going to work when we take it to the shark water park.

I am also waiting anxiously for my next batch of books to arrive from Amazon. I bought The Magician's Assistant, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and The Book Thief. Although I will definitely need several more before I leave on my trip.

philly

Last weekend, a group of us drove up to Philadelphia for the weekend. We saw lots of interesting things while we were there. (In addition to exorbitant amounts of PDA)

The Liberty Bell:

Rocky Statue:

A group of people rallying to "love your body." Which apparently equals wearing absurdly inappropriate clothing in public. (Did you notice the denim haltar in there?)

Some dude who stole a horse and was riding it through the park:

The LOVE sculpture:

In the end, we went to Franklin Fountain for some delicious homemade ice cream. I bought the soy variety, (not expecting much) and was blown away. Best soy ice cream ever. See how happy I look? Way happier than the non-vegans.

the results

Iron Chef July was delicious, as usual.

We had Jana's apple honey goat cheese tarts:

Katelyn's zucchini bread:

Cat's Iron Chef debut was impressive with her honey lime enchiladas:

Laura's honey walnut shrimp almost won her the crown:

And I loved Erica's honey banana walnut concoction.

Wait. Never mind. What I meant to say was that I would have loved Erica's honey banana walnut concoction if she had come. She didn't. We were sad.

But, much to my delight, my grilled peaches won me a second consecutive title. Wahoo!!

PS - The orange honey sherbet was gross. And I made a double batch.

Next month: apples.

iron chef july

Iron Chef July is coming up this Sunday. I'm going for a second crown. Wish me luck.

First up: Grilled peaches with mascarpone and honey

Backup: orange and honey sorbet

help

I have finished all of the books I recently bought from Amazon, and need to buy some more. Problem is, I have no idea what to get. I'll probably order 3 books (at least). What do you recommend?

favorite books of all time

A Separate Peace: There's just something about this book that makes me want to read it over and over and over.

Cold Sassy Tree: I loved reading as a kid, but high school English classes had the unique talent of sucking the joy out of almost every book we read. This is the first book I read for a class that I loved.

Jane Eyre: As I was reading this book, I kept thinking "Hey! She's writing about me!"

The Secret Life of Bees: just because of the part about the pepto-bismol pink house.

East of Eden: Remember at the end how Cate talks about being Alice in Wonderland? If you don't, you should re-read the book, because you are missing out.

These is my Words: I am in love with Captain Jack Elliot.

The Power of One: I am also in love with Peekay.

Mindset: This book is simply brilliant.

The Schools our Children Deserve: It completely changed me

Stargirl: It is sad for me to admit that I would probably act just like the boy in this book.

Atlas Shrugged: I read this right after I finished college, and thought it was just brilliant. I started re-reading it a few years ago, and it annoyed me. But it still makes the list, becuase at the time, it was one of my favorite books ever.

My Name is Asher Lev: Made me want to be an artist.

Tale of Two Cities: It's been a long time since I've read this, but it's a beautiful story.

Bridge to Terabithia: Loved it back in 4th grade. Still love it.

recently

A few weeks ago I went rafting with some friends up in southwest Pennsylvania. It was fun, mostly because everybody fell out of the raft at some point. What made it even more fun was that Jana wore her jellies on the raft, fully expecting them to make it to the end of the river. They did not.

Last weekend, my friend Matt took me to his parents house for the weekend. (Matt is my neighbor whom my sister refers to as tiny dancer, for reasons that would be obvious if you were ever to meet Matt.) Despite the fact that I made it very clear to Matt that this in no way means that we are dating, he was more than happy to let his parents believe that we are. And his brother. And his sisters. And his aunt and uncle. Awkward. That's all I have to say about that.

Now, I know that there's not much more awkard than spending a weekend with a family that thinks you are dating their brother (and who also, by the way, live next door to each other on a road named after their family), but watching your roommate's boyfriend feed her peanuts and milk just might beat it. It's a close race, I know, but I think Laura and Zan take the cake on this one.

But on a brighter note, I am going to Philadelphia this weekend with some friends, and am thoroughly looking forward to some baseball, sightseeing, and good food.

For those of you who were wondering, our trip to Dubai is looking to be one of the best vacations I might ever take. We are going to a waterpark that involves sharks (check it out), learning how to windsurf, riding camels and four-wheeling on our desert safari, going to an ice bar (until I get hypothermia), high tea at Burj al Arab, mall of the emirates (with the indoor ski resort), Burj Dubai water fountains, possibly a day trip to Abu Dhabi, and overall making sure that Troy gets close to zero sleep all week. I'm not sure he knew what he was getting himself into when he invited us. Good thing he's so nice.

Besides, any vacation is bound to be awesome with Jana and her jellies and Phil. (Oh, and Ashley.) And Troy.

And although Dubai is going to be hard to beat, I'm sure going to try. Next summer: maybe Greece?

Dubai/Rome trip

Who is coming:

Troy: He is invited mostly because he lives in Dubai and is letting us stay with him. He's nice. Plus, he knows all the cool stuff to do while we're there.

Jana: She's pretty excited to see Troy. And she is funny.

Phil: We decided it's been too long since we've hung out, so if we're going to get together, we may as well do something cool.

Ashley: She invited herself because she was jealous that I was planning a trip without her. Miraculously, she got the time off of work. And she promised to be nice.

Me: Because it wouldn't be nearly as fun without me.

What we're doing:

Desert Safari: Hopefully, Ashley won't die.

The Palms: pretty, pretty beaches.

Jumeirah Mosque: Sounds cool.

The Mall: Troy promised it's way cooler than it sounds. I'm trusting him on this one.

The waterpark: There are waterslides that shoot you uphill!!

and whatever else sounds cool

in Rome:

Visit the Pantheon, Vatican City, Colosseum, Trevi fountain, eat gelato, etc.

happenings...

I just bought a plane ticket to Dubai, with a 3-day stop in Rome on the way home. I realize that three days is not enough for Rome, but I'll make do.

I registered to run in the Ragnar Relay in September with team: Dude, Where's My Van? I will be taking a day off of work for the first time EVER. So worth it. (And yes, I know the team name is cheesey. I don't care.)

Last week, I solidified dates for a road trip to Vermont and Maine for some fly fishing, tubing, camping, hiking, and lobster.

I get to see an old college friend next month for the first time in about 4 years!!

travel

So the other day, I was flipping through my contact list on my phone, and ran across a number I haven't called in 2 1/2 years.

So I called it. And had a delightful chat with an old friend.

And found a new travel partner.

Now my entire mont of August is booked solid with trips to London, Maine, NYC, Houston, and possibly Dubai.

Dear Mabel,

Do you want to be my new bff? You could wear your sparkle shoes, and I'll wear my shiny silver ones. Then we can eat blue slushies together. It'll be awesome.

Love,
Poodle

recipes

since you asked so nicely....

You should probably just go ahead and make a double batch of the sherbet. You will thank me:

Lemon-Buttermilk Sherbet

David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop

1/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 lemon, preferably unsprayed

2 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

• In a medium, non-reactive saucepan, mix the water and sugar.
• Grate the zest of the lemon directly into the saucepan.
• Heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from the heat and let stand until the syrup reaches room temperature.
• Then chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• Whisk the buttermilk into the syrup, then whisk in the lemon juice.
• Freeze according to ice cream maker’s instructions.

For the Parisian Macarons, I used this recipe. They turned out delightful.

more books

Middlesex: Surprisingly engaging. It can be kind of graphic at times, but overall I really loved it.

Me Talk Pretty One Day (by David Sedaris): So far, not my favorite. He makes fun of himself a lot, which usually I am a huge fan of, but it's more depressing than funny.

up next:

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid (by Bill Bryson): I haven't started it yet, but I'm expecting it to be light and funny. Good summer reading.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: I hear it's good!

proof

That I actually did win Iron Chef. (Just in case there were doubts.)

Tasting some of the dishes. I was stuffed.

The Iron Chef winner gets to take home the voting box. Yup, we go all out.

amazon

There are three reasons I love ordering books from amazon:

1. They are cheaper than books at Barnes and Noble

2. I always have to order at least three books to qualify for super saver shipping! I'm always looking for excuses to buy more books.

3. Sometimes I forget which books I've ordered, so I get to surprise myself when they arrive.

book reviews

Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli (5/5 stars): I'm not sure you will ever find a book that so accurately captures human nature (particularly teenaged human nature). This book is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once.

How to Win Friends and Influence People: Not the most enthralling book you'll ever read, and you could probably sum it up in about 1 paragraph, but not bad overall.

Farewell Summer, by Ray Bradbury: I didn't love it as much as I loved Dandelion Wine. Same characters, same author, but somehow not as good. Overall a nice story about growing up and growing old. (Strange ending)

Middlesex: So far, so good. As long as you don't mind reading a book about an inbred family producing a hermaphrodite, you'll love it. Surprisingly funny and refreshing.

iron chef

I made two different items for last week's Iron Chef, to assure myself the win. It totally worked.

First up: Parisian Macarons. I've never tried them before, and had no idea what they were supposed to taste like, but it seems like everywhere I look, people are raving about them. So I gave them a shot.

I loved them so much, I made a double batch for our faculty potluck so that I would have plenty of leftovers to take home and share with Katelyn. (She loved them, and I'm totally a sucker for flattery.) Too bad my coworkers ate all of them!!!

The winner: Lemon Buttermilk Sherbet. I considered making my own cones to go along with it, but didn't have time. If you do not own an ice cream maker, go buy one. If you have never had lemon buttermilk sherbet, make some. (In fact, make a double batch. You won't regret it.) This is probably the 5th time I've made it, and it gets better every time.

Next month's ingredient: honey! Any ideas?

hey, Asher,

want to hang out this weekend?

Love,
Poodle

PS - who thinks we should find Ashley a new job so she can have a life again?

awkward

So my roommate just started dating a guy who is almost ten years younger than she is. (She's 32. He's 23.)

He is an intern. He is not finished with college yet. He completely reminds me of one of my students.

Awkward.

dear luvsac,

Sorry to say, but the dining room is so much better without you. You will not be missed.

Love,
Poodle

end

Tomorrow is officially the last day of school. (Which means that I am already acting as though I'm on vacation - lots of reading, staying up late, and as much sunshine as I can get.)

To celebrate the end of the school year, I started a new workout regimen. The plan is to get in great shape by the time school starts in the fall. Let's just say that I'm not sure I'll be able to lift my arms tomorrow. This one is even better than The Firm. Hard to believe, I know. But so true.

what i'm reading

School is ending. In fact, today was the very last day I taught my students anything new. Which means that I now have time to do my own reading. (Yay for summer!) I have already started in on my reading list (and some books that are not on my list, but I read because there was nothing else available.)

Mindset, by Carol Dweck: I know I said this already, but read this book! Especially if you are a parent. Or work with kids. Or know kids. Or know people in general. If you want a copy, I will send you one, that's how much I think you should read it. Best of all, it's research-based.

How to win friends and influence people, by Dale Carnegie: I've never read it because it sounds so cheesey (seriously?) but my therapist friend recommended it. (He's not my therapist. Just a friend who happens to be a therapist.)

Testimony, by Anita Shreve: Mediocre, at best. I bought it at the airport bookstore because it's about drama at a ritzy private school, which I love reading about since I work at a ritzy private school (and they had approximately 3 titles to choose from). It's overly dramatic, even for a high school drama. Don't waste your time.

The Wednesday Wars, by Gary Schmidt: I heard it was good. It was cheap. I'll let you know how it goes.

Farewell Summer, by Ray Bradbury: I loved Dandelion Wine (and Farenheit 451). Hopefully this one will be as good as his other books.

Work Hard, Be Nice, by Jay Matthews: About two men who created phenomenal schools and the philosophies they used to establish them. (The KIPP schools. I hear great things about them.)

Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli: also heard that it was good, but really know nothing about it.

any other recommendations? I have all kinds of time this summer.

weekend

So I thought that my weekend, full of reading and swimming and getting a spotted sunburn was really fantastic until I came home and found out that Erica ran off and got engaged!!!

Yay, Erica!!! (and Ben. We like you, too!)

Mindset

Read it. You won't regret it.

Moral of the story: If you want your kids (or students) to be smart and talented, do not tell them that they are smart and talented. Instead, tell them how great it is that they're working so hard to accomplish something difficult.

a million little pictures

I just signed up for this project. (Anne recommended it.) Now I need to decide what I want to document.

looking forward

a few things i am looking forward to:

• Memorial Day Weekend. With Ashley!! It will involve rollerblades, lakes, and Mexican food.
• Summer break. (To be kicked off with a nice long nap in the sun)
• Meeting Asher
• Iron Chef June! (Lemon tarts + lemon buttermilk sherbet)
• Lots of long runs through the woods. (I finally started running again - that hasn't happened since last November. Yikes!)
• Reading Mindset by Carol S. Dweck. (It's our faculty summer reading, and looks fabulous!)
• Working my way through my reading list as much as possible this summer
  
• A pedicure. I may get one on my way home from school today. My feet are currently ugly.
• A trip to Maine (also with Ashley)
• 
  

loss

I did not win iron chef on Sunday.

Someone else did. They also made cinnamon rolls. They were not cooked.

To redeem myself, I brought the leftovers to my students. They told me they were the best cinnamon rolls they have ever eaten. (Sometimes they lie, but sometimes I'm okay with that.)

so...

1. I have this student. He's brilliant. (And totally socially awkward.) He just got rejected from his three top colleges. (Mainly because he's totally socially awkward.) He got mad and put a virus on the school computers that replaces all files with documents named Satan1, Satan2, etc. I think one day this kid is going to completely snap.

2. Today was our very last track meet of the season! (Which is good, because I was about ready to snap.) I almost crashed the bus on the way home from Alexandria. (Don't worry, everyone's okay.)

3. I really think I'm going to win Iron Chef this month. II know I said that last month, but I really mean it this time...) I'm making cinnamon rolls. Who would not love cinnamon rolls?!?

4. I had no idea that The Office started at 8:30 this week!! Good thing I can watch it on NBC.com!!

5. My students took their AP exam on Monday. Some of them did really well. Some of them didn't study. They did not do so well.

question

Would you still be friends with me if I wore this shirt in public? Because I totally want it:

happenings

One of our students brought some sea monkeys to school a few weeks ago, and they have since been living in my classroom. The male sea monkeys grew (very noticeable) testicles last week which has been a source of never-ending entertainment for my students. (So glad I don't teach health.)

The mud run a few weeks ago was quite fun, but not nearly as muddy as the Roanoke run.




I did not win Iron Chef April. I thought for sure I would, but no luck. However, the peanut butter fondue was a little piece of heaven in a bowl. Next month's ingredient: potatoes. I need to find a winner. Sweet potato ice cream, maybe? Who knows.



My students take their AP exam on Monday. My job is just about done.

rubiks

I bought a Rubik's cube a few months ago for $1. Then promptly forgot about it.

This week, I found it and brought it to school with me, just for fun.

My students are obsessed with trying to solve it.

I am obsessed with trying to solve it before they do. (I think I'll win...)

favor (pretty please?)

If any of you need something fun to do this afternoon:

Go to this website.

Save all of the documents and powerpoints on the website. (Make sure you save as and rename them)

Email them to me.

You will receive a prize. And be my new best friend. (What more could you want?)

robot

Speaking of robots, this is what we're currently building in my robotics class. (Not exactly a robot, but still....)

roboman

This is me standing with my co-worker. He decided to dress up like a robot. I just finished track practice. Classy.

dear students,

Whining and trying are so not the same thing.

Love,
Ms. Reed

numbers

13 - school days until the AP exam. I seem to be the only one concerned about that.

19 - school days until the seniors are gone forever. I am definitely not the only one excited about that.

3 - days until the mud run.

5 - times I have lost my keys in the past month.

0 - number of track meets this year involving good weather

4 - days until Iron Chef April! (I'm making peanut butter filled chocolate-covered pretzels - I even found a recipe that promises to make the peanut butter taste just like reeces peanut butter cups. I think I might win this one!)

prom.

So I chapheroned our school prom this weekend. Mostly it was very fun, for several reasons.

First, the food was fantastic. That's all that need to be said about that.

Second, I love high school drama. It is quite possibly the best thing about my job. This year, there was only one visible couple fight (I think this is a record) and only one girl ran out crying. (Typical.) So I would call prom a smashing success.

hate

Yesterday, the weather was like this:

Today, this is what it looked like outside:

We were supposed to have a track meet today. What a perfect day for a meet! Instead, they decided to move it to yesterday. Remember how yesterday it looked like this? And did you notice that that is hail and not just rain? (I did.)

So why did they change the met to yesterday, when today would have been perfectly pleasant?

Because they hate me, that's why.

addict

This game is totally addictive. Seriously. We played it in my class today, and it was a hit.

I had to pretend to be mad that my kids were playing it during psychology. (I wasn't really mad.)

Tomorrow, we get to play again to see how forces, fields, velocity, and energy are related. Stay tuned.

remebering

So, remember how nice and sunny and beautiful it was during the Cherry blossom 5k last week? Remember how I was running in a tank top and capris?

Yeah, me too. Sunshine makes me so happy.

But then yesterday during our track meet, it snowed. I was not prepared. I'm pretty sure I almost died.

The end.

PS - I need a nap in a bad way. And some hot soup.

cherry

This weekend we had the most beautiful weather I've seen in months. We all headed downtown to run the Cherry Blossom 5k. (Katelyn and Anne ran the 10-mile run because they are actually in shape. I am not.) My time was slow. That's what happens when I don't run for six months.

See how pretty the cherry blossoms are? And how warm and sunshiny it was outside? ahh...

Ben came along to be our photographer/packmule. I am totally nominating him as my full-time photographer. You can't even tell what a funky stride I have when I run. (This was right around mile 3)

Nobody looks quite as awesome after a race as they do before. Except for Erica, thanks to her pose.

coveting

I am totally coveting this house. I want to buy it. According to Ashley's economist friends, now is the time to buy.

Holy crap.

I need to buy a book on how to buy a house. Turns out I know nothing about it. And live in a pricey area.

in case you were wondering

Coming back to school after spring break is way harder for teachers than it is for students. Trust me on this one. It has been a long week.

It started off when, thanks to the fact that I insist on wearing heels to work every day, my laptop fell from the table and went splat! on the floor. I cried a little bit inside. My students laughed a lot (not inside).

Luckily, my school was kind enough to serve vegan breaded nuggets for lunch that day! Things are looking up. (I tried to take a picture for my scrapbook, but I forgot to bring my camera to school. Oh, snap.)

But it has been cold and rainy all week. Cold and rainy means the kite festival was not as festive as usual. (It's hard to fly kites in the rain.) Cold and rainy also means that track practice is less than fun.

But it's supposed to get sunny this weekend! Things are looking up again.

take the good with the bad

The Good:

• I am still on spring break!
• Troy is coming home in two weeks! (I had to put this under 'the good' because, although Troy really pretends not to miss us, I know deep down he does. And it totally boosts his ego when we pretend to miss him.) Hi, Troy.
• In exacly 1 month and 14 days, I will no longer have to deal with seniors.
• I am competing in another mud run in less than a month!
• I called my friend a fartbucket today. Instead of accusing me of being immature (which I am) she laughed so hard she cried.
• Everybody is pregnant. (Not me, but everybody else.)
• Certain people make me laugh really, really hard.

The bad:

• I woke up early this morning (6:30) because I had an appointment to get my car checked. Too bad they forgot to tell me that their workers are on vacation.
• It is rainy here. And cold. Is a warm sunshiny spring break really too much to ask?

trip

San Francisco was fun.

There was lots of sunshine.

More wind than I really cared for.

Not quite as much food as I had hoped for. (But the food I had was delicious.)

And yes, I am still a vegan. It is delightful.

break

Spring break started yesterday. It is glorious.

And in just one hour, I am headed to the airport for a trip to San Francisco. If I have things my way, my vacation will consist mostly of food and sunshine.

Dear Bexar,

I am back, and better than ever.

Although the "better than ever" part is debatable. But I am back.

Don't worry, I didn't really go anywhere. I've been here the whole time.

Love,
Poodle

Dear February,

Where did you go?

Love,
Poodle

imagine

One of my students came to class today with an imaginary friend. Just because he knew it would annoy me.

It worked.

update

because it's been a while.

1. Swim team is officially over. I got thrown in the pool. Twice. I was ready for the first one and wore my swimsuit. I was not prepared the second time. All I can say is, it's a really good thing the other coach brought me some clothes to change into. Really. If I had to drive the bus home in 20 degree weather in soaking wet clothes, somebody would have died.

2. Track season starts Tuesday. I bought myself a new pair of pants to wear to practices. They're awesome. I'm actually a little excited about track.

3. Today was our first monthly Iron Chef: Connecticut Ave competition. Everyone made a different dish that somehow incorporated strawberries and we all voted on the winner. The meal was surprisingly delicious. Katelyn won with her apple/cheese quesadillas with strawberry dipping sauce. So good.

4. Ryan came over and offered to carry my strawberries and banana concoction to the dinner. Then he claimed it as his own. Charming.

5. I bought a plane ticket to visit Ashley in Dallas. It's going to be awesome.

6. I'm going to see the Peking acrobats on Friday. We have great seats.

stretch

So, good news. This is our last week of swim practice.

Which means we have had some super productive practices recently. Ahem.

So, my kids have been wondering if it's really possible to fit an entire person inside of a swim cap. Rumor has it, you can. But they just don't seem quite stretchy enough. Now, since I'm an educator and all, and want to encourage curiosity, we obviously had to test it out ourselves. What kind of self-respecting scientist relies on wikipedia to answer these kinds of questions?

Turns out, they are stretchy enough. Awesome.

on being a vegan

It's official. I've crossed over to the dark side, and have officially followed a vegan diet for two whole days. It's not as bad as I thought it would be. Claire has all kinds of vegan recipes that she's sharing with me, and we're checking out the vegan bakery next week.

First up: vegan chili. It's cold here, I love chili, and it's easy. I'm easing myself into the whole vegan cooking thing. I think this is going to be fun.

my weekend

So this weekend is going to be super awesome. I can't wait. Let me tell you about it.

Tonight, I get to stay at work until 9 pm to watch our school's winter musical.

Tomorrow, I get to go to a swim meet until 9 pm.

Saturday, I get to wake up at 5 am for another swim meet. (Yay!) The meet will last until about 2 pm, after which I will head over to my student's house for a team luncheon. After which we will head back to the pool for more swim meet.

I'm practically giddy with excitement.

dear friends who wear shoe size 9.5

I have a sad story for you. But this sad story just might have a happy ending.

So JCrew was having an awesome sale last week. Really, totally awesome.

So awesome, in fact, that these boots, which normally sell for $350, I bought for $50!!!! And even though the only size was a 9.5, and I wear a 9, I bought them anyway. Because who in their right mind would pass up a deal like that?! Not me, that's for sure. (Aren't they beautiful!?) I love them a lot.

But here's where the sad part of the story comes in. As hard as I tried, they just don't fit me. And trust me, I tried really, really hard to make them fit.

So, if you wear a size 9.5, and you want a pair of really nice, genuine leather boots, they're yours for a mere $50 (plus shipping)! (They look great with jeans and skirts.) Otherwise, I'm selling them on ebay for a profit.