| (no subject) |
[Nov. 17th, 2007|09:14 am] |
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Hello Live journal, its been a long time! Here is a picture on me on a hike this summer. . . It's Saturday morning, I'm sleepy. Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving. I am going to make bbq tofu for my contribution to the feast. I found a great new recipe. :) |
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| community |
[Nov. 18th, 2006|08:25 pm] |
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This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the many communities that I am part of: my family, my neighbors, a growing sense of community among the adults and children that I work with, the community of teachers I have found at graudate school, my queer friends, my straight friends and my long distance friends spread out accross the country. :) |
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| May Day |
[May. 1st, 2006|09:10 pm] |
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If I was going to post a picture right now it would be to scare you all (or maybe make you laugh, or sympathize if you are really nice) with my bright red lobster face. I have a life time record breaking sun burn aquired at the "We are America" march today. The march was cool but now I am trying to figure out how to avoid being seen in public for the next 4-5 days. |
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| some numbers |
[Apr. 21st, 2006|09:02 pm] |
It's not the end of the school or calendar year but for some wacky reason I feel inspired to count things from the past year.
number of resignation letters written to school boards: 2
Number of traffic tickets: 3 *@&!
Number of first dates: 3
Number of mocha lattes: about 20
Number of new friends (narrowly defined): 1
Number of new friends (broadly defined): 8
Number of times I've totally lost it with students: 3?
number of kickass barbie doll high heels I've bought: 1
Number of times I've gone to bed before 8:30 pm: too embarrassing to admit
Number of L-word episodes viewed: about 30
Number of nights gone out dancing: 14
. . . |
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| advice |
[Apr. 8th, 2006|04:21 am] |
If you take life too seriously, then it's not fun.
-from the guest book in "there" coffee shop |
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| tired but happy |
[Mar. 27th, 2006|09:11 pm] |
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the roads on the map with the little dots denoting "scenic road" intrigue me. I got to drive on some of them the past few days in the stunning Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Southern Colorado. Unbelievable scenery. Went with Sabina and Sara and her girlfriend and stayed with an older lesbian couple who my friend Sara knows. They are working on opening an inn on the top of this beautiful mountain. We got to stay there before it officially opens. I learned to say star in Macedonian (it is a bloody hard word), built fires, feasted on scenery, played cards, gossiped, drank too much wine, chased escaped chickens, listened to Dolly Parton singing folk songs and forgot Denver and work existed. |
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| poetry |
[Mar. 18th, 2006|11:09 am] |
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair.
-Kahlil Gibran |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 16th, 2006|09:47 pm] |
Connecting to Jessica's entry, I would like to note the three year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq this weekend. Last week I went to hear an unembedded journalist (most journalists these days take the U.S. military's sanctioned tour and call that journalism, there is a special name for the few who go out there and find another perspective) speak about his experience in Iraq. Very informative and of course, terrible.
I mentioned to my students that we have now been in Iraq three years and their response was basically, huh? we're still in Iraq?
And of course, several of my lovely boys pretending to shoot people with their fingers.
In other news, "Pope Joan" is a good book if anyone is looking for a read. |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 3rd, 2006|08:56 am] |
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The excitement of the day is that I have left behind my spartan days of living without internet at home. I write this message from my very own, cute desk. |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 10th, 2006|04:08 pm] |
I know it's time to take a break from teaching when I find myself thinking that when I have my own children I WILL smack them if they act the way some of my students do. Good thing it's Friday afternoon. I made a boy cry this afternoon. And he deserved it. Wow, I don't see the vengence side of me come out very often but apparently I have one.
By the way, season 3 of the L word sucks. I agree with you Erin that there are certainly some hotties, but its going way down hill. |
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| Rosa Parks |
[Nov. 6th, 2005|07:33 pm] |
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One of the (many) amazing qualities of Rosa Parks is how many people consider her a hero. I know of no other person who my students (first graders-eighth graders), myself, my fellow teachers, random strangers, my friends and my family all admire so much. Maybe Martin Luther King compares. |
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| (no subject) |
[Nov. 6th, 2005|07:30 pm] |
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The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Micheal Chabon is one of the best books ever written in the history of time. |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 14th, 2005|05:30 pm] |
I have been working my heart out and my ass off teaching 5th graders about decimals. . .and how to read. . . In an effort to lead a slightly balanced life I also visited the new lesbian owned and operated coffee shop that opened up a few blocks away from me. . . chatted with a few old guys off the street who apparently come in their often and the 21 year old mohawk posessing woman who was working that night. She was going out partying soon and asked me what my plans for the night were. Unfortunately my plans were to go home and go to bed. . . teachers can't party on Thursday nights. . . it was a revelation to me this summer to discover the whole world that is out there on Thursday nights after 10:00. . . Not complainging really. . . I don't feel much need to party on Thursday nights. . . just rambling. . .
Mackenzie, you haven't written in ages. How are you? |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 10th, 2005|03:24 pm] |
Much better mood today. :)
I have spent this Saturday doing two things:
1. helping Sabina move furniture by driving my dad's 1984 toyota pickup around. This is a trip because it such an old beat up truck and it does not have power steering.
2. creating a work of art. I am attending a fundraiser tonight for some alternative progressive television programing that I don't entirely understand. (My connection is that they are friends of friends) Anyhow, everyone is supposed to bring some art that they created and the art will be silent auctioned off. I think it is the most cool fundraising idea I have heard of in ages and a wonderful excuse to muck about in glue and magazines and nail polish and such. |
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| (no subject) |
[Sep. 9th, 2005|08:07 pm] |
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As I am reading people's postings I notice a pattern of people having a cruddy week this past week. Mine was cruddy too. (nothing terrible, just feeling discouraged and annoyed and sick) I wonder if part of it was the backdrop of hurricane Katrina that we all shared. I can't even wrap my mind around what it is like for people from New Orleans right now. |
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| update |
[Aug. 29th, 2005|06:54 pm] |
So, a while back Erin English asked me how my new school is and I've been intending to answer so here it is:
The positives: 1. Everyone is disgustingly nice.
2. The principal has already been in my classroom more times than all the principals combined last year. Every time she has been in she has made a positive comment! I'm about ready to faint to the floor especially since all the principal(the one who made a room visit or two) did last year was tell us how bad we were.
3. The other teachers I am working with are experienced and good and funny and I am already learning from them.
4.The kids are urban but well behaved. For those who are not there is reasonable and helpful support. (Again I'm about ready to faint to the floor after what I've been around recently.)
The negatives:
1. Being the newcomer sucks. It is overwhelming learning a new curriculum, new school policies, new people. . . Also I feel like a charity case always needing the other teachers' help to answer my questions.
2. I have a sign that says "We welcome all families in our school" in five languages and among other families that it welcomes lists gay families. My principal asked me not to hang it up because of the controversy it was likely to create, which would be harmful to the school. On the one hand I understand; I am not real eager to become embroiled in controversy myself. On the other hand it sucks. Also, for all that my last school was awful, it did have some good queer safe business going on. It was great that my second grader with two moms last year was able to be open about it. |
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| (no subject) |
[Aug. 8th, 2005|12:44 pm] |
Today is my last day of leisure. Work begins again tomorrow. I am excited to meet the people I will be working with and find out how things are going to be. I am hopeful. I just hope this isn't one of those times when the anticipation is better than the reality.
I spent yesterday with my aunt and cousin from New York who I hadn't seen in 5 years. They are very nice people. However they did lead me to consider that if I ever live surrounded by only people who only talk about clothes, money and boys I may have to kill myself. I am awash with guilt for writing this about my relatives who are as I said, very nice people and very nice to me. Maybe if I spent more time with them I would be able to connect more. Or maybe not. . .
We did have a fun experience on our extended family outing. While walking in Boulder we stopped to admire a garden that had among its decor shady trees strung with necklaces, statues and several globes as in maps of the world. An old man with white hair looking strikingly like Einstein then invited us to come inside the gate of the garden to see it better. Turns out my dad knew the guy as he knows an amazing amount of people everywhere. Anyhow this man proceeded to talk much about education as we were 3 educators and a young women about to start college. He said reading, writing and math are important tools but the basics are fairness, beauty and playfullness. I like that romantic notion. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 27th, 2005|04:27 pm] |
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For those of you whose local mainstream media did not report this event (aka all of you) I feel the need to give some time and attention to the fact that two gay teenage boys were publicly executed in Iran today. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 30th, 2005|07:15 pm] |
Today was the last day of school. One of my co-workers put it well when she said, "it's like getting out of prison. You know you'll miss your friends but you don't ever want to go back to that place."
As I reflect on my year I feel depressed about the state of public education in Colorado in general. . . my now ex-school would make quite a case study and I am sorry to have been part of an instution that was such a mess. But let me see if I can't end on a lighter note. . .
Do you know what game is fun? Dance, dance revolution.
Do you know who suck? People who mow their lawn before 8am on the weekend.
Do you know who's a badass? Amy Goodman
Do you know how much it costs to get legally married in Colorado? $10
Do you know how much it costs to get divorced? $500
Happy Fourth of July weekend! :) |
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