May 28, 2009

1. All the world geo punks passed the test!  Hooray!  Now holding my breath til Monday for Ancient Civ.
2. I hate standardized testing. 
3. For my birthday I think I might make a cake with fluffly pink icing.
4. The honda fit seems to come in some sort of dark blue, and this makes it a strong contender.  But I do feel bad getting a new car when the old one is still running.  Maybe I should just repair it….hmmm…..I am tormented.
5. I’m about maxed out on church meetings.  It seems like for the past few weeks and for at least the next two I have at least two a week.  I’m about ready to SNAP!  I no longer feel like a good contributor, or even the charming yet annoying “crazy vestry lady.”  I am just the mayor of grumpytown, population: me.

May 26, 2009

1. At our school, we like to preserve some of our traditions that help give students control of their education.  One of these traditions is arena scheduling.  When you were young you might remember going into the gym and signing up for classes.  You know, in the days before computers.  We do this, and there can be some moments of panic for kids when they feel their classes are not working out the way they wished.  I had one of my gals come up to me rather sniffly, which progressed in to full out tears, as indeed, her schedule did not seem to be working.  We sat down in the center of the gym floor, and I said, “Yup, it does look like this turned to crap.”  Fortunately this made her laugh a little, and I told her we would go ahead and sign up for the few things that we could, and then hand it over to the powers that be and let them sort it out.  I’ll need to get on the phone with her parents and see if the deal breakers are really deal breakers, because what she wants doesn’t seem possible at this moment.  Anyway, we went to BFF the principal, and he gave her a hug and told her not to worry, and then he put it in the RED FOLDER.  So you know it is important.  Because the folder is RED.
2. Part of the interesting thing about arena scheduling is that you can see the classes forming before you and get an ideal of the sort of personalities that you will have next year.  My new ancient civ class is going to be very special.  Longtime readers might recall these 5 lads, and they ALL signed up!  At first I was glad to see that is was my last class of the day, because I was going to need a cocktail after.  But now I have decided, that the group of boys I have, is going to be very special to me, and I mean in a good way.  I had them in 8th and they were not awful, but no picnic.  They have a bad rep around the building, and don’t seem to have a lot of adult connections, or positive academic experiences.  I want to change that.  I think this is the perfect scenario.  I mean, my subject has swords, and samurai and stuff!  We WILL connect with ancient history my friends!  We WILL have positive experiences!  We WILL take field trips and execute battle plans on the soccer field!  As God as my witness, I am going to be these guys cheerleaders, and the whole class is going to have a great time.  This is my solemn vow.  Now who’s with me?! Let’s GOOOOO!!!!!
3. I was crew leader for the ascension service last Thursday, and had a few moments to myself in the hallway outside the sanctuary, and was grooving to some hymns, in which I feel very connected to God, and often think of what would be played at my funeral (on some occasions I consider what might be played at my inaguration to the presidency) because in those hymns I see the opportunity to state out what I believe, primarily in the ressurection.  I am very confident in that.  I don’t always understand how to talk to God in the day to day, but I think I am rock solid on the resurrection thing.  I would like to rely on God more, and think that particularly, the project in item #2 is going to need especial prayer and attention.
4. Testing week.  Always a joy.  Please pass punks.  Love you much.
5. I finally have a little money in savings, and two projects….One: personal training.  I am going to pay to have my behind seriously kicked this summer.  Two: a new(ish) car.  The windshield wipers stopped working today.  On the way to work.  In the rain.  That was fun.  The workouts are a manageble expense.  The car may require some thinking, but time is running out on the red menace, that is for sure.

May 21, 2009

1. Crying children at arena scheduling.
2. Ignored by the hamburger boy.
3. Alone in the church hallway, dancing and singing hymns.
4. Confident in the promise of the resurrection, but not of God’s involvement in my everyday life.
5. More on these later.

May 16, 2009

1. Another pretty good show last night.  Nice crowd.  I saw a couple kids I would have liked to talk to after, but it was hectic.  I wish there wasn’t a matinee today.  I am old, and need my rest.  Also, can’t imagine what kind of spazzing will be going on as they race about the building between the two shows!  I’ve got some papers to grade, but that sounds pretty boring, really.  Yesterday I went and had a nice sit on the porch at starbucks.  Maybe I’ll do that again.
2. My entourage came, mom, dad, Paul, AB and her mom, C and D.  That was very nice.
3. We tried the wig thing, and I don’t know how it looked, but there were a lot of laughs and I know the kid who did it really enjoyed it.  He kind of jammed it back on my head kind of crooked, but that made it even funnier.
4. I don’t know when it happened, but Prison Break snuck back on the air, on a new night, and last night was there series finale.  What?  I missed about 5 episodes I think.  Thank goodness for the internet where these things can be caught up on.  I need to do that show, Lost, and Heroes.  All these other activities are really interfering with my TV time!
5. Ali and I follow this blog, Adan and Lego.  Today in Taiwan, Michico and Arion are getting married, and I am absolutely excited about it!  I’ve been watching the countdown for weeks!  She seems like a sweet, kind of crazy artistic person, who loves her two cats so much, that they will have cardboard cutouts of them at the wedding.  That is a level of obsession I can totally respect!

May 14, 2009

1. Wow, I am tired and sick, but I had a good time tonight at the opening night of the show.  During one bit, my wig almost got lifted right off my head.  We might work with that for other nights…
2. Longest. Week. Ever.
3. The power went out at school today, so instead of Planet Earth, I got out my box of Geography riddles.  They are awful!  What city would you go to if you had a bad back?  Cairo!  Ba da bing!  They took turns reading the worst ones.  Where can you find an uncomfortable matress?  Hot Springs!  Zing!
4. falling asleep in from of the computer.  Signing off.
5. zzzzzzzzzz…………….

May 12, 2009

1. I’m having a good time with the rehearsals this week.  It is nice to do the whole show, and even though I wish we could do it about 50 more times for qualities sake, I think that the whole backstage panic will kill me in about 5 more runs, so since that is about what we have, that works out perfect.  It is just standard teen nuttiness, but when I was that age I was more into the execution of a play rather than the backstage part, and to boot I am now old and have a hard time not seeing trash on the floor instead of youthful exuberance.  But I am trying to make a concerted effort to save my hectoring for final cleanup of the night and for politeness to the parents in the pizza line, and the  rest of the time, I am trying to have fun.  Just like when I was young though, I like standing in the back watching the play, so that is alot of what I do.
2. I also spend additional time, since my wig arrived yesterday, putting on my wig cap and giant Marie Antionnetette giant cotton swab wig.  It is fairly awesome, and requires its own trailer.
3. OH, and whose idea was it that I should get a COLD!  This week!  Argh!  I just took some nighttime cold medicine. And I stayed dosed during the day.  All I can do is try to repress the symptoms, but right now my nose is sniffly and my eyes are watering and I am pitiful.
4. I miss reading the paper.  I feel very out of touch with the news lately.  I had a teacher tell me about some geography article, and all I could think was “When did you find time to read the paper?
5. But summer is coming, after all the play and scheduling, and tests and projects and prom and  graduation, and make the 8th grade video and plan the teacher skit and clean the classroom….summer is coming!

May 10, 2009

1. Who is it out there who keeps searching “5 things eleanor?”  That is the most popular search leading to this blog.  People, please, bookmarks!
2. I was a scone making machine yesterday! 12 coming out of the oven every 15 minutes for four hours.  Reviews were very good.  Having the  girls prep all the dry ingredients into bags was very handy.  The food processor and I worked though our getting to know one another issues and are now boon companions.
3. This play is in four days. AHHHHH! (I have tickets.  Call me!)  I don’t feel very ready, and need more practice.  This week is going to be pretty tiring I think, but I hope fun.  One of the problems is that I don’t want to be a teacher backstage, but I can’t help but notice things like people leaving trash around, or not being ready to go.  I just need to let the stage managers handle that stuff and try to losen up.  On the other hand, I think the director is hoping I will ride herd a little.  But I am tired of people looking nervous when they see me coming!  I don’t want this to be more of that.  I want to be happy fun time girl.
4. My dear kevin the cat hung very close today, as I hung pretty close to home, napping beside me or on me, and that was very comfortable.
5. I did go out to have coffee with my mother for mother’s day.  We talked about The Magnificent Seven, which was on PBS last night, and both agreed that that Yul Brenner was one fine looking fella.  Also he went through the whole movie and never got a spec of dust on his snappy black outfit, not one spec, for the whole movie.

May 8, 2009

1. My legs are tired.
2. Tomorrow I have to stand  on them alot.  First to bake the scones for the Altar Guild Tea, the for play rehearsal from 1-6.  The play opens Thursday.  Hoping miraculous things happen at the rehearsal.
3. Some friends and a few girls(students) from school came over for a little scone testing, and helped me prep the ingredients, by measuring the dry ingredients into small paper bags.  I cut up the butter afterwards, and it is chilling in the fridge.  It should be a matter of dump it in and go.
4. I am not completely pleased with my new food processor, but perhaps some quality time spent together making 200 scones will help us come to an understanding.
5. I need to keep it together thought this weekend and week by any means necessary, then dedicate my self to getting my life in order, and writing or otherwise contacting those family and friends I have been shamefully neglecting.  Going to write one of them right now….ok, done.
6. Love my friends. Love my roommate.  Lucky to have them.

May 4, 2009

1. Lost Boys of Sudan – lonliness, not knowing anyone in a neighborhood full of people.
2. Play rehearsal – miracle imminet one hopes.
3. Clean classroom – Invited parents in this week for the mapping lesson.  Only one so far.
4. Rain – skies dark all day today.  Gloomy.
5. Letters – Must write by brother and cousin, friend with sick kid, Friend with new baby.