weekend fun

My roommates and I decided to host the Backyard Olympics this weekend. We were kind of missing the Olympics spirit. Luckily, the remnants of a tropical storm hit to make our water competitions possible.

We started with the opening ceremonies. Erica got to carry the Olympics torch because she was injured. Poor Erica.

Then we had an archery competition.

Troy totally dominated the handstand contest.

There just happened to be a pool in our backyard, so we had some swim races.

I won bronze in the floor exercise. This is my opening pose. I would have won the hula-hoop competition, but Toys-R-Us does NOT SELL HULA HOOPS! Of all the rudeness.

The closing ceremonies involved some slip-n-slide and ribs (prepared by Troy and Rochelle).

back to school

School started yesterday. So far, it's fantastic.

Except that I have a student named ET. No joke.

But besides that, school is great. My robotics class is especially fun. The kids love it, my boss thinks it's the coolest thing that's ever happened to the school, and I find brilliant new things to teach them every day.

One thing I really love about this school is that they really know how to ease us into the school year. This is only a two-day week. Tomorrow I get to go camping with the seniors. And then take them rafting on Friday. "Senior bonding." Love it.

For those of you who were wondering, I found a fantastic first day of school outfit. White pencil skirt, green shirt, and brown sandals.

website update

Check out my Class Webpage! Much better than before, no?

I finally figured out that I was working with an old version of our web publishing software. The new version is so way easier to work with. Isn't it pretty?

Dear Katie and Garrett,

It's a shame you couldn't make it down to Mexico this week. Not to make you jealous or anything, but it has been way fun. It would be more fun if you were here. Maybe next time.

Love,
Poodle

i love living with a chef

Today Rochelle made cinnamon-swirl bread that gives Great Harvest a run for their money. And she's always more than happy to share. Man, I love her.

camping

I probably had more fun this weekend than I have had in years. Laura (my roommate) came home from California this week and we stayed up until 3 am watching the Olympics and catching up. As crazy as she sometimes is, she adds fun to everything.

Friday, we picked up our neighbors (Ryan and Troy) and headed down to a Brazilian barbecue for lunch. The food was only okay, but it's always fun to try a new place. Then we loaded up the car and headed to Antietam for our campout. The drive was only supposed to be an hour, but with Friday afternoon rush hour traffic, it took about 2 1/2. This would have been a major problem if it weren't for the fact that Troy and Ryan are two of the funniest people I've ever met. And they're even funnier when they get together. Needless to say, the drive was more than enjoyable. We met five of our other friends there, made foil dinners and smores, played cards, annoyed our neighbors, then went to sleep. (By the way - Laura talks in her sleep. A lot.)

Saturday morning we woke up, tried to make breakfast, failed, and went to McDonald's instead. This wasn't exactlythe most "rough" campout I've ever been on. Then we drove to Harper's Ferry and went tubing down the Potomac. We rode the rapids, played water tag, got a little sunburned, and left happy. We had lunch at a little Italian restaurant in town (it was fabulous) and headed home.

Saturday evening, Laura and I went down to Virginia with some of our friends for some shopping. There were some great sales, so I bought my mom lots of clothes, since Mexico doesn't have Ann Taylor or Banana Republic. Now I'm packing up and heading to Mexico for a week of fun.

so much to do

I'm planning another camping trip this weekend. We're camping at Antietam Creek campground, and then heading down to Harper's Ferry to rent tubes for a whitewater tubing adventure. I'm very excited.

Then next Monday, I'm headed down to Mexico City to hang out with my parents. They miss me. I miss them, too.

I also bought tickets to see the Warsaw Philharmonic in October, and to see the Peking Acrobats in February. I really love living here.

I made some Blackberry-lime sorbet this week that is to die for. This ice cream maker I bought was one of the best purchases I've made in a very long time. It was cheap and has been put to very good use this summer. Next up is nectarine sorbet, then maybe another batch of the lemon-buttermilk sherbet that was such a hit.

We are getting a new couch! A nice one! For free! This means that the LuvSacs will finally be banished to the basement. Halleluiah. Rochelle's friend is moving, and in typical DC fashion, her apartment complex charges a fee for moving furniture into the apartment, plus an additional fee if you want to use the freight elevator. (It's a highrise apartment, so NOT using the freight elevator is a little out of the question.) These fees, however, are waived if your furniture is bought new and delivered by the store. So it's cheaper for her to just give the couch away and buy a new one than pay all of the moving fees. We are the lucky winners.

In other news, my roommate lost her job because she thought that it would be okay to email her corporate office telling them how awful her boss is and demanding that they switch her to a different project or find her a new boss. They didn't take that very well. Now she thinks that we should pay her rent for her since she's woefully unemployed. I have one word for that. No. Rochelle had some much more colorful words to share.

mud run

I am entering this team race in September. It's going to be awesome.

the weekend

Friday night, Rochelle and I went to Five Guys, then watched Arsenic and Old Lace. Strange movie.

Saturday, I went up to Baltimore for an Orioles game. They were playing the Rangers. Turns out the Rangers aren't very good.

Sunday, the neighbors came over and we made Japanese gyoza, miso soup, watermelon gingerale sippers, some sort of vegetable salad, and a Japanese dessert that Rochelle calls almond jello. It's way better than regular jello, though.

Rochelle demonstrating the proper gyoza technique:

Sara was very proud of her potsticker:

Mary and Julie hard at work:

We made over 100 potstickers. They were delicious:

The spread:

The drinks were delicous. Watermelon, gingerale, and mint:

Sometimes we got a little distracted by the olympics. Did anybody else see the the freestyle relay last night?

what i'm reading

Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen

Sarah's Quilt - another story about Sarah Agnes Prine, my hero from These is My Words

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac

The Promise - sequel to The Chosen by Chaim Potok

weekend(s)

The "Emerging Man" statue at the National Harbor:

WWII Monument:

Washington Monument (you can barely see it in the background. Kind of a dark picture. Oops:

Thursday was Julie's birthday, so we took her out for crab cakes:

And then to the symphony:

Then we came home to enjoy the lemon tarts I had made for dessert. They were fantastic!

Friday night, we drove across the Chesapeake Bay to attempt a camping trip:

It got rained out in the morning, so we did a lot of driving for not a lot of camping, but the drive was fun anyway. And we decided to stop at the outlet malls on the way home (since we had already driven all that way.) I found a fantastic skirt on sale at White House Black Market.

this weekend,

i am going camping on the beach. yay! after just a week of freedom, i'm already ready for the first day of school to get here already. however, camping is a good alternative for now.

my webpage

Check out my AP Webpage! I realize it's not the prettiest, but the web editing my school uses is difficult to work with (to say the least).

Click on some of the links. I have them all formatted with Review Materials, Web Resources, and Labs and Handouts. There's not a lot there yet, but I'm planning on posting review sheets, class notes, labs and other things they might need throughout the year. And some of the web resources I've found are fantastic!

What do you think? Any recomendations? Comments? Praise? (haha)

Where to eat in DC

In Alexandria:
Bombay Curry Company - not really metro-accessible, but they have the best naan I've ever tasted. SO worth the trip.

The Scoop: Homemade ice cream that (from what I hear) is to die for. I've never eaten there myself, but my roommate is always looking for excuses to go to Alexandria just for the ice cream.

At Dupont Circle:
There's a greek restaurant at Dupont Circle (very metro-accessible). I can't remember the name of it, but it's GOOD. If you get off at the Dupont Circle metro stop, it should be the closest Greek restaurant.

In Bethesda: Bethesda is a little ways outside of the city, but you can get there by metro, and they have hundreds of restaurants all within a few blocks. You can easily find whatever it is you're looking for.

Bethesda Crab House - great crabs, just a block from the metro

Faryab Restaurant - it's an Afghan restaurant on Cordell. Small, great service, and the flavors are fantastic. Even the vegeterian dishes were really good.

Brasserie Monte Carlo - I went during Bethesda's restaurant week. You have to try the asparagus soup, and all of the entrees we tried were great. The waiters and chefs are French, so they're a bit on the snobby side.

Moby Dick - I'm pretty sure they have Moby Dick in the city as well. It's an informal, cafe-style kabob house. Perfect stop for lunch or a light dinner.

Guapos - If you're craving Mexican food, this is the best we have to offer. It's not the best Mexican I've ever had, but I haven't found anything else around here that has anything better.

Lebanese Taverna: Don't order the rotisserie chicken - it's dry and not all that flavorful. However, just about everything else on the menu is great.

Penang Malaysian Cuisine: This is a great alternative to the same menu that every asian restaurant seems to have. Order the mango chicken. It's good. But if you aren't in the mood for mango chicken, they have a huge menu, and everything was delicious.

At Eastern Market:

Banana Cafe - seriously, you HAVE to try the calamari. It comes with a mango sauce, which I was skeptical of, but I will go back over and over again just for the calamari. I ordered the stuff plantains (which are ENORMOUS) and my friend ordered the Bistec Encebollado, which is definitely a favorite. The Fritas are also good. They taste more like meat loaf than hamburgers, on little toasted buns.

In Georgetown: There are plenty of restaurants and shopping in Georgetown (and you can walk up the Exorcist stairs).

Zed's - Ethiopian food is not for everybody. It's served on a huge platter and looks a little like mush. You scoop it up with a spongy bread and eat with your hands. I love it. There's another Ethiopian restaurant that I liked better than Zed's, but I can't remember the name and it's in kind of a sketchy part of town (down by Howard University and the 930 Club, if anyone wants to venture down there). Make sure you order the vegetable platter, and be sure to ask the waiter for recommendations. They know what's good.

Other Tips:

The restaurant at the Kennedy Center is supposed to be excllent (although I've never tried it myself.)

If you run into a Vive la France, stop and buy a chocolate croissant. I didn't think I liked chocolate croissants until I tried theirs. The only one I know of is in Potomac, but I'm sure there are others.

If you like hamburgers, you have to eat at Five Guys. Unlike most hamburger joints, they ONLY serve burgers and fries. While the menu is limited, they are probably the best hamburgers I've ever eaten. I crave them. The regular hamburgers have two patties, so if you want only one, you have to order the "junior".

Cosi is one of the better sandwich/lunch places you'll find in the city - their bread is fantastic.

If you are at the national mall and don't want to eat overpriced street vendor food, start walking towards the Metro Center metro stop, and you'll find some restaurants and a food court type place. If it's hot outside (which it definitely will be in the summer) you'll probably want to go inside anyway to cool off.

high school - revisited

1.Who was your best friend?
Meagan
2. What kind of car did you drive?
a 1992 Ford Festiva appropriately named Pudge
3. It’s Friday night. Where were you?
If it was my senior year, I was at work at la Madeleine.
4. Were you a party animal?
No.
5.. Were you considered a flirt?'
I still don't know how to flirt.
6. Were you a nerd?
Yup. Probably still am.
7. Were you ever suspended or expelled?
No. I never even got a detention.
8. Can you sing the fight song?
I could. Now all I remember is "So we'll fight fight fight with all of our might, for the mustangs blue and the white, so come on team do your best you can stand the test we're Taylor, Taylor better than the REST!!!"
9. Did you go to the Prom?
Yes
10. If you could go back, would you:'
Nobody should ever have to re-live high school. Even those who loved high school. That's why I teach it.
11. What do you remember most about graduation?
My dad forgot to put film in the camera
12. Where were you on Senior Skip Day?'
At school. I skipped a lot of days my senior year, but made sure to show up on Senior Skip day, because it was the one day out of the year they actually checked attendance.
13. Did you have a job your senior year?
la Madeleine
14. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Um, the school cafeteria?
15. Have you gained weight since then?
a little. I prefer "filled out" thank you very much.
16. What did you do after graduation?
I worked that summer and then went to BYU
17. What year did you graduate?
1999
18. Are you going/did you go to your 5/10 year reunion?
Um, no.

dear mom,

Could you send your lemon tart recipe please? I promised I'd make them this week.

Love,
Poodle

ps - I bought you a pair of jeans last week. They were on sale for $8. They're cute.

weekend fun

(Pictures will be added soon...)

Summer school is finally over! Friday was our last day of class, and it couldn't have come soon enough. Friday evening, Rochelle and I went to the asian market and bought food we wanted to try out before our upcoming trip to Hong Kong. The Dragon Fruit was pretty good (very kiwi-esque, but hot pink), although I'm pretty sure the ones in Hong Kong are much better. Then we watched The Dish (about the first walk on the moon) and continued reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.

Saturday, we tried to go to the national harbor to celebrate my freedom, but it was nothing more than a dock and lots of construction sites. Turns out the website lied when they said it would be done by now. So we took a few pictures with the Emerging Man statue (coming soon) and headed up to Cleveland Park for dinner at an asian restaurant. The entrees weren't my favorite ever, but the calamari was divine. Then we went down to the Roosevelt Memorial (by far my favorite memorial), the Benjamin Franklin memorial and the WWII memorial, where we ran into an enormous high school tour group.

The best part of the weekend, however, was when I got my class schedule for next year!!! I get to teach all of my favorite students from last year again, and I flipped through this year's yearbook to figure out who some of my new students are. Things are looking good.

something you don't see every day

Yesterday I met a man who bears a striking resemblance to Jack Black. And is a professional figure skater.

lists

Things I accomplished yesterday:

• Sat out on the front porch and finished These Is my Words. I feel like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. This is one of those rare books that effected me emotionally. I woke up feeling really sad this morning.
• Picked up Peace Like a River again. (Remember how I left it at school one day and decided to start These is my Words instead?)
• Ate a delicious (lemonade/rock n roll) shaved ice with sweetened condensed milk drizzled on top.
• Deposited my paycheck for the extra summer sessions I've done.
• Paid all of my bills.

Things I need to accomplish today:

• Finish reorganizing my closet so that I can call the donation center to come pick up all of the clothes I don't wear anymore.
• Write college recommendation letters for my students. I have a feeling I'll be writing a lot in the fall, so I need to get a headstart on the ones I'm already aware of
• Buy a new pair of running shoes and go for a jog along the trails by my house.
• Eat another shaved ice
• Finish writing my AP syllabus to submit to the College Board.
• Clean my bathroom again. I've realized that I can't count on my roommates to do any cleaning on the bathroom.
• Order some more books from Amazon. Any recommendations? (I'm thinking Sarah's Quilt and On the Road. Or maybe Me Talk Pretty one Day? But I'm open to suggestions.)

Dear Bexar,

Let's start a book club.

Peace Like a River will be first. I'm excited.

Love,
Poodle

confession

I have a crush on Captain Jack Elliot. This is only my second book crush of all time (the first was Peekay - how could anyone not love him?) *sigh*

things i learned this weekend

1. Shenendoah is really beautiful.

2. Camping is always fun.

3. I make a mean foil dinner.

4. Most people do not know the proper foil dinner pouch technique. Sad.

5. I really need to do a backpacking trip sometime soon. While the "fluff" camping I did this weekend was a great way to spend time with friends and be outside, I much prefer backpacking.

6. Sleeping next to two people who feel the need to display their love for each other in a ten-man tent equals not much sleep at all.

7. So does sleeping next to someone who snores.

8. So does sleeping in a tent that has not been staked down and therefore falls on you at night.

9. Roasted starbursts are pretty darned good.

10. But you can leave them in a hot car all day and get the same effect.

11. I still enjoy rollerblading.

12. Even in the rain.

finishing the 100(ish) things about me

35. My mom thought it was cool that I made a list of things about myself, so she copied me. (Go over and read hers. They're pretty funny.)
36. She went a little overboard and went to 101.
37. I only made it to 34.
38. this pretty much typifies our personalities
39. I consider it a triumph to not finish a book
40. This is because it means I have better things to do with my time than finish something that turned out to not be of much worth.
41. I will NOT finish a book that I don't think is well-written.
42. I LOVE finishing a really good book.
43. My favorite vacation so far was Costa Rica last summer
44. My long-time dream of going to Asia might come true this winter.
45. If not, it will definitely come true next summer.
46. my roommates are a little bit crazy
47. I still really love living with them
48. I love making ginger bread houses at Christmas time
49. one year we made gingerbread houses and I accidentally sat on one.
50. everybody laughed at me, and I vowed that I would never find it funny
51. snickerdoodles are the best cookies of all time
52. they might be trumped by oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from Great Harvest. maybe
53. I inherited my mother's sweet tooth
54. thanks a lot, mom
55. I hope Bexar saves me a spot in heaven, because she is definitely going.
56. when I'm an old widow, I'm living with my sister so we can be the crazy old ladies together. (right, ashley?)
57. maybe i'll finish this later

good news, ashley

You might be out of the doghouse. I might no longer be mad at you for bailing on our Christmas trip. Because I might be going to Hong Kong this Christmas with my roommate! Her brother is moving there next month and has invited us to come out to visit.

If I don't go to Hong Kong, I promise I'll go to Mexico, mom. And remember, you're still invited to come visit me out here in DC! (So is everyone else.)

shaved ice flavor of the week

lemonade/watermelon - the tartness of the lemonade goes great with the milder watermelon.

sad story

So I started reading Peace Like a River on Monday. It's a brilliant book. So I obviously brought the book to school with me in hopes that I could get in some reading while my students were working on their robots. (Who was I kidding?) This isn't the sad part.

I got home yesterday afternoon and head out to the front porch to sit and read when I realized that I had left my book all the way back at school. I cried a little inside. Luckily, I remembered that I also wanted to start These is my Words, which is equally brilliant. If you haven't read either book, buy them now. You won't regret it.

DC traveler's guide

Age: 27

Occupation: HS physics teacher.

I've lived here for: about one year

I live here because: I got a job here. And Georgia was getting boring

My neighborhood: Just north of the district

My favorite restaurant: ooh, this is a tough one. Depends on what you're looking for. Maryland Crab House is good. So is Hollywood East Cafe. And so many others.

If you go to this restaurant, be sure to order: (Hollywood East Cafe) Honey Walnut Shrimp and the Crispy Beef. Or go during lunch for dim sum, and order pork rolls, custard buns, and just about anything else they're offering. It's all delicious.

My favorite museum: Currently, the National Gallery of Art or the Holocaust museum. That might change after I go to the spy museum or the crime and punishment museum

My favorite tourist destination: The Tidal Basin during the Cherryblossom Festival.

Best insider spot: The biking trails that lead from the suburbs down into Georgetown. You'd never know you're in a big city.

My favorite area: The monuments.

Best place to go shopping: Montgomery Mall or Georgetown

When you visit, don’t forget to pack: If you're traveling in the summer, a summer skirt and an umbrella. It rains in the evenings a LOT.

But leave room in your suitcase for: Fresh jam from one of the farmer's markets.

The one local cuisine you should try when you’re in town is: Crabs, from the Maryland Crab House in Bethesda

The best way to get around: The metro. Easy to use and just about everything is within walking distance. If somebody tells you that anything in the city is not metro accessible, don't listen to them. It just means they're lazy and don't want to walk a few blocks.

If I had to describe this city in one word, it would be: busy. There's always something going on, and always people running around.

I tell my friends to stay at: My house. Or a hotel in the suburbs. Staying in the city isn't worth the cost, and hotels have shuttle services to the metro, making it easy to get where you want to go.

The one thing most outsiders don’t know about this city is: The fall is beautiful and much less touristy. Almost every tourist attraction in the city is free.

What do you want to do that you haven't done in your city yet? The Spy Museum

love

can i just say that Bridge to Terabithia is one of my favorite books of all time. it gets even better when you're older.

100 (ish) things about me (updated)

no promises that i'll actually make it to 100

1. I will probably live in the DC area for the rest of my life.
2. I am going camping this weekend!!
3. I ate an entire plate of bacon for breakfast yesterday morning (Give me a break, it was the 4th of July)
4. I want to learn to play the cello.
5. I used to want to be short, now i want to be tall.
6. I wear long jeans with heels to make me look taller. It's working.
7. I love reading fiction novels.
8. I love reading books about education.
9. I don't really love reading history books. I've tried.
10. I really like changing my hair color. When I get my next paycheck, I'm going blonde.
11. I love Level 99 jeans.
12. Level 99 jeans are sold for $120, which I refuse to pay.
13. Good thing I'm such a bargain shopper, because I found a pair for $10 and two pairs for $20 each. I am in love with them.
14. I know the lyrics to just about every cheesey love song on the radio.
15. I love traveling.
16. Europe is not my favorite travel destination. There are so many other places that are just as cool (or even better) for much cheaper.
17. I'm going to Japan next summer with my roommate.
18. I am spending my time off this summer building (attempting to build) a hovercraft.
19. My roommate is giving me cooking lessons.
20. I am obsessed with shaved ice.
21. my favorite flavor is strawberry/wedding cake
22. I also love tigers blood
23. my economic stimulus check should be here any day now!
24. I love teaching high school
25. I learned this summer that I most certainly do not love teaching middle school kids
26. I tried yoga for the first time when I was 16.
27. I hated it because I had a huge cast on my arm and thumb. It's hard to do yoga in that condition.
28. I tried yoga for the second time ever on Saturday.
29. I am officially hooked. I have vowed to do yoga every night with my roommate.
30. It is power yoga.
31. Sometimes I check my email while I'm teaching. Only when my students are working on something that doesn't require direct instruction.
32. Sometimes when I'm reading my email during class I don't hear them when they ask me a question. They make fun of me for that.
33. It's okay because I frequently make jokes at their expense.
34. I'm still angry that Ashley is going to England without me this Christmas.

wedding pictures

no, not mine. but check out my sister's blog to see her wedding pictures. they turned out GREAT!

weekend update

Thursday night the restaurant club went to a fantastic Afghan restaurant, where I picked out the best meal on the menu. It had lamb and vegetables in some sort of delectable sauce.

Friday, it rained buckets so we took advantage of the situation and put on our swimsuits and rain boots (and clothes - not really sure why we bothered with those) and splashed around in the rain. Laura tried boogey boarding down the hill, but there wasn't quite enough water.

Then our Brazilian neighbors got jealous that we were having so much fun and came out to play soccer.

I also made lots of shaved ice with my new gourmet shaved ice syrups that already arrived!!! (I decided to go with package #2.) And when my package arrived, I also received a note from the seller (I bought them off of ebay) letting me know that next time I order, I can pick whatever flavors I want! My favorite 15 out of hte 99 options available!!! I'm already excited for next summer.

Saturday, my roommate and I made strawberry-rhubarb pie and lemon buttermilk sherbet. It was quite possibly the best combination of dessert flavors ever. I'll have to post the recipe for the sherbet. It made my little heart go pitter patter. Saturday night, we tried to go to the National's game but the cheap seats were sold out (who knew the Nats were popular?) so we went down to the mall for the folk life festival, which was over. But we saw enough to know that we are going back. Mission accomplished.

ps - read my mom's blog. sometimes my family blows me away. in a good way.

dear brother,

thanks for not killing me when we did the paper route together. I owe you my life.

and happy birthday.

love,
poodle

my books are here!!!

I ordered a book from Amazon last week all about robotics and designing and building sensors and what not. So it turns out that when my school asked me if I'd like to teach a robotics class, I forgot to mention that I really don't know that much about robotics. Lucky for me, everybody else in the school knows exactly zero about robotics, so when I tell them that I can program a robot to look for objects and pick them up, they think that's really fancy. This book should help me turn my class into an actual high school/pre-college class as opposed to something along the lines of "Fun with Legos".

invoke your right to vote

So, a few weeks ago I bought an electric shaved ice machine, which is just about my favorite purchase of all time. So, since shaved ice is no good unless you have some shaved ice FLAVORS to go along with it, I found some syrups on sale that I am debating. One package has 14 flavors ($14) and the other has 15 flavors ($15). The problem is, the flavors are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. So it is your job to tell me which package you think I should go with. I may or may not listen to your suggestions, but I want to hear them anyway.

Package 1 includes the following flavors:
Blue Raspberry,
Cherry,
Pink Cotton Candy,
Grape ,
Root Beer ,
Watermelon ,
Sassy Green Apple ,
Banana ,
Strawberry ,
Blue Bubble Gum ,
Orange ,
Lime ,
Pineapple ,
Tigers Blood (Red Fruits & Coconut)

Package 2 includes these flavors:

Wild Cherry (Red, tangy cherry)
Rock n Roll (Blue Fruit Punch)
Black Cherry (Dark, Sweet Cherry)
Wild Thing (Wild Cherry & Black Cherry mix)
Red Apple (Red, Candied Apple)
Blackberry (Just like the fruit without the seeds)
Peach (add a little evaporated milk to have peaches & cream)
Red Hot (Red, Hot Cinnamon)
Kiwi (Tangy)
Coconut (White - no food coloring)
Pina Colada (Pineapple & Coconut)
Red Raspberry (Just like the fruit without the seeds)
Margarita (Bright Green)
Strawberry Daiquiri
Pink Lemonade (Pink, Sour)

So what do you think?

the weekend

Overall the weekend turned out to be pretty fun. Friday night, I watched Freedom Writers, which always makes me feel inspired about being a teacher. I think it might have graduated to the title of favorite movie of all time.

Saturday, we went down to the mall (national, not shopping). The weather was SO perfect in the shade, and the barbecue festival smelled perfect. However, the barbecue festival required a large fee, and nobody wanted to pay it. So we just stood and stared and smelled. But boy, the smell was worth it. Ahhhh....

We then went swimming, ate dinner, and went down to a party at the French Embassy. The party wasn't quite as cool as we had hoped for, but the strawberry lemonade smoothie I bought in Georgetown was definitely as good as I had hoped.

update

So this is what we've been doing this week in my summer robotics class. I now have a strong testimony that I should never, ever teach twelve-year-olds. I just don't have the patience for pre-adolescent antics. They love the battle bots, though. The real fun starts in the fall. Stay tuned.

During my free time, I finished reading this book:

Nice story, great ending, and after the first two pages I was already worried about the main character.

I also started this book:

So far, it's interesting and pretty funny. It's a great summer book because it's easy to get through, but still thought-provoking. What a great combination.

I also bought The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down and Peace Like a River, which I am excited to start:

belize

Occasionally, companies, rich parents, or other philanthropists donate items to our school that are given via random selection to faculty members. Usually these prizes involve football tickets, ballet tickets, or tickets to other local attractions. However, as a grand finale to the school year, someone donated an all-expenses paid trip for two to BELIZE!! And guess who won?!?!

Molly.

I hate her.

only in baltimore

as heard at the airport:

"Paging airport patron Ghetto Hood. Ghetto Hood, please press zero on one of the airport courtesy telephones."

Dear Mom,

No, a lack of blog posts does not equal a boyfriend.

All it means is that I'm not that clever.

Sorry to disappoint.

Love,
Poodle

Dear Students,

Thanks a lot for demanding so many clever stories. Now I have nothing left for my blog.

This is all your fault.

I miss you,
Miss Reed

Dear Ashley,

I'm glad somebody has finally recognized my crown as fashion queen.

Love,
Poodle

hey

remember back when it was teacher's day, and six whole people boosted my ego by telling me i'm a great teacher?

yeah. me, too.

and remember how i was wishing and hoping that the parents' association would bring in some chocolate croissants from the french bakery down the street? well, guess what i found in the workroom the very next day?! that's right, chocolate croissants!

and guess what i found in the workroom a couple weeks later? MORE chocolate croissants!

that was almost as exciting as the last day of school. almost.

it's official

My baby sister is married, and is now off honeymooning in Yosemite and San Francisco. (I think.)

The wedding turned out to be fantastic, mainly because Shady was stubborn and planned everything exactly the way that she wanted, regardless of what anyone (and by anyone I mean Mom) thought.

They pulled off the alligator-shaped groomscake. How cool does this look? I had no idea little Brandon was such a cake artist:

The wedding cake had a layer of rice krispie treats (which I didn't have a chance to try) and two layers of cheesecake. They also made this themselves. Pretty, pretty:

Little Brandon is the oldest of the Harpdogs, and he and his siblings all look alike. Even the 5-year-old. I'm told my family looks alike, too, but whatever:

And she danced to Freebird, which I don't really understand. But I'm pretty sure dad was excited:

I'm pretty sure the kids had fun:

And her dress was beautiful. It's pretty in the picture, but it looks way better in person. Trust me:

so i married an ax murderer

Has anyone ever seen this movie? Because the ax murderer bears a striking resemblance to my roommate. Minus the murderer part. Seriously.

so close

There are only three days of school left. And then it will no longer be my first year at this school. It hasn't really felt like my first year since about the third week, but still...

In other news, my five days of freedom are over. My roommate is back. Not that I don't love her or anything, but sometimes I really miss living alone.

I still have not received my economic stimulus check. Unlike Ashley, most of mine is going into the bank. But having a lot of money in the bank makes me very happy. So much for stimulating the economy.

tourist season

As of this weekend, it is officially tourist season here in DC. Sometimes it's just fun to go downtown and watch the tourists look lost and confused. I have learned that there are some rules that all toursts must follow:

Rule #1: Every time you cross the street, stop and block the sidewalk to make sure that everyone is with you.

Rule #2: Speak loudly enough for everyone (whether they're in your group or not) to know where you're going and how you're getting there.

Rule #3: Always double and triple-check the map. It doesn't matter if you looked at it two minutes ago, it may have changed. Or the museum may have moved.

Rule #4: Walk in rows of at least 4 so you take up the whole sidewalk.

three days

until ALL of my roommates go out of town. for FIVE DAYS. five blessed days basking in the glorious sunshine of freedom.

food

one great thing about living in DC is the food. there are thousands of restaurants with thousands of different types of food. so far i have tried the following:

Ethiopian. Excellent, as long as it's a good restaurant. But if you don't like eating mush, this isn't for you.

Korean. Also delicious. The spicy tofu soup is excellent, and they had some ribs that melted my heart.

Chinese. (Real chinese) Custard buns are my new favorite dessert. Honey walnut shrimp is my new favorite meal. If there's a restaurant near you that serves dim sum, try it out.

Lebanese. Not my favorite, but I need to give it a second chance. I think I made a poor choice when I ordered, because everybody else's food looked way better than mine.

Indian. There's a place 45 minutes away from my house that is SO worth the drive just for the naan.

Japanese. I could eat sushi every day for the rest of my life and die a happy woman.

Maryland Crabs. Yum.

Vietnamese. Not bad, but if I'm going to pay for soup, I'd rather have the korean tofu soup.

French. We tried out a nice French restaurant during restaurant week. Great deal, good food, snobby waiter. What more could you expect from a French restaurant?

happy teachers day!!!

tell your favorite teacher (ahem) how awesome he or she is. sometimes we really need to hear it.

the parents at our school are providing a luncheon for us today. they're pretty much the best parents association ever. they make me want to jump for joy. now if only i could convince them to bring in more chocolate croissants from the french bakery down the street.

great week

The crabs Thursday night were delicious. Quite possibly one of the best meals I've eaten in a very long time. Yes, they're a lot of work for just a little meat, but the flavor was great, and the restaurant put a spicy rub on them that gave them a little kick. Perfecto.

I also stopped by the mall on Thursday to pick up the vacuum we bought for our apartment, and obviously needed to check in my favorite stores just to see what the sales were like. Good thing I did, because I bought a 100% cashmere sweater that was originally $100 for only $10!!! Don't ask me how I do it, I'm just lucky.

weekend recap

My weekend was enjoyable for so many reasons:

• I joined the DC Restaurant Adventure Club. Every Thursday night, we try out a new local restaurant just for fun. This week is Maryland Crabs.
• We made cinnamon sugar popcorn. Easy to make and tastes absolutely heavenly.
• We ate cinnamon sugar popcorn while watching Waitress. Funny movie, with a great ending. No matter how crappy your life is, being dishonest will not make it better.
• I chapheroned prom and the prom after-party. I was supposed to make breakfast for the kids Sunday morning, but they all got tired and left before I had a chance.
• I made a magnetic rail gun. I went ahead with the JB Weld, and it works beautifully. I'm so excited to show my classes tomorrow.
• I found a website with an unbelievable amount of resources for my class. It took me about 10 minutes to plan my lesson for Monday. What a relief.

post #3 (for bexar)

I'm having my students build little stirling engines this week. I spent the majority of my weekend building my own for troubleshooting purposes. I'm pretty sure they're going to be awesome.

And we built marshmallow blow guns last night for the forthcoming summer marshmallow wars. I can't wait.

I also recently discovered instructables.com. It's the best website known to man. It even trumps craigslist. What a miracle! My summer will now be filled with project after fun project.

gauss accelerator

I'm trying to build one. It looks like it should be easy, but it's not working! I'm thinking I need to use some JB Weld to secure the magnets to the rail. Any suggestions?

Dear Bexar,

I am sorry for the lack of posts recently. I will do better.

Love,

Your most fun sister

summer is coming

And because summer is coming, there is an obvious need for homemade ice-cream. So I bought this ice cream maker:

Only $25! And it got great reviews. All it has to do is last me through the summer and it'll be well worth the cost. First up is ginger ice cream, to go along with the citrus-marinated shish kabobs we're making this weekend.

This weekend will be spent basking in the sunshine with a book (Winter of our Discontent), lots of ice cream, and a grill.

more spain

The Easter bunny came all the way to Spain! How did he find us there?




The Alhambra had lots of pools. Once we finally got in:



Spainiards celebrate Easter in a BIG way.

While we were hiking, we found a hidden passageway.

Traveling with Brian wore me out.