Neuron Firings During Tech Week

- The pic above shows what I "won" during door prize giveaway time.
- I LOVE pens.
- DISD rocks for handing out classroom digital cameras to each teacher that attended "Jump" this week. [above pic courtesy of said camera]
- The community of Decatur rocks for donating so many useful and equally impressive gifts.
- Troy's talk of eggrolls when speaking of Moua Asian Cooking made me really hungry for that place:)
- I love our English department already.
- Teacher humor is completely funny to me.
- There's as much teacher jargon as in any other profession out there.
- Moving the beverage/snack table to and fro from the cafeteria to the lecture hall-hall was an awesome idea...thanks to whoever did that:)
- Lots of teachers have i-Phones, and I'm kinda jealous.
- A couple of former teachers/administrators approached me asking my maiden name, and one already knew it. They were as kind as I remembered them from my Intermediate days...
- Blogging and podcasting are uber-cool.
- Wiki-ing is still a bit over my head.
- I'm attending New Teacher Orientation again...I should be sooo prepared come August 25th:)
- Bring on Staff Development week.

Nostalgia Revisited

Having a little girl is an amazing, exhausting, ever so surprising experience. She was kinda sickly at the beginning of the week - fussy and at times, just downright mad. But, thanks to her pediatrician, she has the Amoxicilin to make her feel better, and tonight she was herself again. She had me laughing a LOT. After she went "night-night" I began to prepare her bag for Mother's Day Out tomorrow. Whilst I was restocking her favorite snacks I realized that having a little one inevitably gives one the opportunity to revisit forgotten favorites such as...Froot Loops, Gummi Bears, and Graham crackers. [Regarding the crackers...buy Honey Maid, not Keebler, blech.] Also, raisins have become a regular snack...forgot how good they can be when you're in the mood for somethin' chewy and sweet:) Does the fun just never end?:)

Shedding Light on Lovelit

During our end of the day get together at the high school today Troy Bagwell pulled up this blog and pointed out that yes, I'm a teacher at Decatur. No point to the secrecy, I guess. My name is Sarah Durham, and I'm teaching English at the high school again after having taken a year off to stay home with my Baby Girl, Ella, who is now 16 months old. I love the people at Decatur, and it's been great getting reacquainted with many.

I started this blog in June, with the gracious help of Barry Green. I e-mailed him to ask him how to begin, and he e-mailed back a couple of times with simple instructions, and after a day or two of fiddling I got better at it. There's still lots I haven't done...notice I have no widgets, but thanks to Randy Rodgers' and Jeff Womack's explanations of them I will soon. Who knows, maybe someone from Saskachewan has visited...how would I know without the little map widget? Blogging is a blast for me...just jotting down my thoughts now and then, talking about life and literature. If you're reading this, then you're visiting, and for me, who has always dreamed of being a published writer of a "real" novel, it's exciting. Thanks for stopping by:)

Tech Training

Currently sitting at the school in a "Wiki" training session...good stuff. Life's been crazy lately...electricity zapped my router and modem so I'm currently waiting on my new one, hence no posts for the past five days. Our next session is blogging...woohoo!

Random observation: On the table where I'm sitting is written: "Caus my anger wouldn't let me feel for a stranger". [Spelling error included] Interesting.

Lavinge Lagging

I hate the fact that the Avril Lavinge song, "Hey, Hey, You, You, I Don't Like Your Girlfriend" has a crazy effect on me, making me want to listen to it for just a second longer, while at the same time giving me a slight headache. I may not be the only one needing an Ibuprofren post-Avril because it appears she's now the opening act for folks like..."Daughtry" and "The Jo-Bros" (to you non-tween-speakers, that would be "The Jonas Brothers":) The DJ this morning speculated that maybe it's because she confuses people...is she punk, wearing Converse and T's or is she grown up, wearing Gucci? Is she a singer, or an actress? When one finds their niche, stick with it, and pleeeease stay out of other entertainment fields. I would like to make this suggestion to: Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, Lindsay Lohan, Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, and the list, I'm sure, goes on. Referring again to the words of Dash in "The Incredibles"..."if everyone is super, then noone is".

'People' Bias

The latest 'People' magazine features the Obamas on the cover...lovely family by anyone's standards, HOWEVER, McCain and his family should grace the next cover...to be fair. I try to stay away from politics because I don't know just a whole lot about them and because verbal attacks ruin my day. But, I will write a letter to the editor of the mag if McCain doesn't show up soon...booya.

P.S. I realize the pic above is 'Rolling Stone' magazine. I need to start paying more attention because I thought they were about music.
P.P.S. I also realize that the vast media machine has dedicated more time to B.O. (hehe) than to J.M., but I will write nonetheless.
P.P.P.S. I still don't know who I'm voting for.

Thank You Franklin and Edison

These guys deserve a round of applause for, you know, electricity and the light bulb. My "electric woes" have already been blogged, however, even at Mom's last night the electricity went off for a while, and as I walked to the restroom in the pitch black I seriously thought about what life would be like without these guys. Electricity, something the majority of us take for granted daily, has been a big part of my week, so again, thank you Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison:)

"The Secret Life of Bees"

The first novel of Sue Monk Kidd did not disappoint. From page 1 until the end I was engrossed and entertained. Not only does the book captivate its reader, but it makes one think and ponder various issues from race relations past and present to the love between mothers and daughters, daughters and fathers and humans in general. As I stated before Kidd's use of figurative language is beautiful, and she seems to take a metaphor one step further than what you think she will, and she does it with grace, for sure. The "life of bees" is the foundation the story is built upon, and I learned a lot about beekeeping, which is really a fantastic process. Honey is likened to the "windex" in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in that it cures all, and after finishing the book Kidd has me believing that it just might. The only drawback or remotely negative thought I had about "Bees" was that it included an eccentric, femininely elevated form of Catholicism (best I can describe it), which was intriguing and genuine at first but became a little cumbersome and over the top by book's end. Also, the anger I had toward one of the characters wasn't completely satiated by the end either, but I think I understand why Kidd went the way she did. All in all, worth every page and, may I add, one sweet read.

Enjoy these snippets:

"You think you want to know something, and then once you do, all you can think about is erasing it from your mind. From now on when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I planned to say, Amnesiac."

"Looking at her eyes, I could see a fire inside them. It was a hearth fire you could depend on, you could draw up to and get warm by if you were cold, or cook something on that would feed the emptiness in you. I felt like we were all adrift in the world, and all we had was the wet fire in August's eyes. But it was enough."

Coldplay - Violet Hill

I can't stop listening to this song. Favorite line..."when the future's architectured by a carnival of idiots on show, You'd better lie low"...obviously talking about politicians and not educators...right?...either way, LOVE it.

Good 'Ol College Days

When I think about my years at college I think of the Trace Adkins song, "You're Gonna Miss This". Life is funny in that you're always kind of wishing away the present to what you think will be a better future. I really try not to do that. While in college I was always looking forward to graduation, marriage, children, career...and I'm happy to have them all, but sometimes I wish I would have savored those moments a bit more...going to the lakehouse with all of my girlfriends and acting crazy, playing intramural softball, staying at the library until I couldn't hold my eyes open, envying those that could sleep on library couches:) I miss our "rug picnics" in the dorm, which consisted of eating awful cafeteria food while sitting on our floor. I even miss the yucky smells that eminated from the microwave room on our hall! I miss watching movies, sneaking in the CamelPack under our coats with our own "beverages". I could go on and on.

I keep in touch with a few of those college buds, and they're the forever friend types. I miss them too. Oh well, I will be sure and tell Baby Girl to savor those moments and to live her life fully...taking it all in. Ahhhh, good times.

Electric Woes

I'm currently sitting at my Mom's computer, with Baby Girl in my lap. Why aren't we at our own house? Excellent question. Around 1:30 I was just sitting down to doodle on the laptop while Baby Girl was napping. All of a sudden lights started flickering, and there was a god-awful buzz throughout the house. Then, from underneath the buffet, which is below our wall-mounted television, smoke starts pouring out. The smell was awful, and as I looked behind the buffet I saw actual flames. I freaked. Luckily my brother was there or I would have freaked out even more. I started yelling for him to "Come quickly", and I opened the doors to let the smoke out. The fire went out on its own...thank God, and the source of it was a power strip that was partially melted. The strip itself burnt into the wood floor, and there's now a nice black blob on the baseboard. Electrician should be calling me any minute...insurance claim? I hope so.

The Cost of Cool

My little brother informed me tonight that he purchased two items at The Buckle and paid over $150 for them. His gf, whom is gorgeous and itty bitty bought a pair of jeans for close to that...what the what? That's a grocery bill for me these days. I used to be that girl buying expensive jeans, but I'd wear them out I tell ya. These days I'm lucky to step foot in a department store more than a few times a year:) That's it. I'm going shopping. www.whatscheapandlooksgood.com

No Mas Buble n' Blunt

I am exceedingly saddened to report that Michael Buble has split from gf of three years, English actress Emily Blunt. She was in The Devil Wears Prada, and she was fantastic. Buble is, of course, the greatest voice on the radio. I've informed Hubby J that if Michael shows up asking me out a moral dilemma is sure to ensue. Poor Emily.

Edit: Emily is British, not Australian, oops...thanx Anon poster.

Watching the Weight

Ok, ok, ok...for the past few years the only "weight watching" I've done is watching the weight, my weight, stay at an unacceptable number. I, as do so many other women (not an excuse, I know), gained 22 pounds with Baby Girl. However, I was wanting to lose at least 10 before that, so my number to lose is now at a whopping 32, if I do that math correctly. Soooo, cousin Ash and I are joining the gym this week...gonna start aerobic-ing, which I do actually enjoy, so now I reeeaaallly don't have an excuse. So, for any out there struggling with the same issue...I feel ya! And I should buy stock in 'Smart Ones' and 'Lean Cuisine'.

P.S. Sugar-free doesn't equate to low calories by any means...fudge graham crackers...BAD.

Speaking of Baby Girl

Painting by: Thomas B. Kennington
She is 16 months old today. She's our little firecracker with her red hair, sparkling personality, and yes, fiery temper! I still tiptoe in her room to watch her sleep every night before I go to bed...two reasons; 1. to make sure she is, in fact, breathing...does that "just in case, wonder" ever go away? and 2. to marvel at how beautiful she is.

I Encourage

anyone interested in books of any kind to recommend what you love, kinda loved, or hated so the rest of us can benefit! An anonymous poster listed some of her favs on the "Wrong One" post, so check them out if you'd like...and thanks to that Anon:) I'll write 'em down and give 'em a shot!

For the past few days I've been reading the above pictured book during my spare time, which consists of BabyGirl's naptime or before I "hit the hay". It is the first novel produced by Sue Monk Kidd, and wow did she do a bang up job!!! It's an easy read in that she keeps the story moving, and I fell in love and/or hate with the characters very quickly. I've already laughed, cried and made note to write down some of her metaphors that just knocked me out...really...they're beautiful. I usually highlight or underline or write page numbers in the back of the book regarding great sentences, scenes, etc., but I checked this one out from the library, and they don't appreciate that:) Anyhoo, I can't wait to finish it because I'll be moving right along to her second novel, 'The Mermaid Chair'. Kidd has a new reader!

Monogamy a Myth?

Last night, after helping my Mom hang some curtains I put Baby Girl to bed and sat down to blog, of course, and watch a bit of TV. I turned to 20/20 where Stossel was doing a special, "Sex in America". It was one of those, yeah, yeah, heard it before things, but there was a guy on there being totally blatant about being a "bad boy", or as I like to refer to him, pig. Sooooo, he claims that evolution decrees that men and women cheat. Men cheat more, and he says rightfully so...spread the seed, yada, yada, yada. I've only been married 3.5 years, and neither my husband nor I are close to spousal perfection, BUT, if we went into the marriage with the thought that monogamy was a myth?...what's the point? Some may feel that way, but I think I'll go ahead and continue giving monogamy a shot, ya know?

Sweeeet

This is the National Aquatics Center, a.k.a. "The Water Cube", in Beijing where the Olympics will be held...the water involved ones that is. The facility is breathtaking, kinda like The 5th Element meets Finding Nemo meets The Bee Movie; I like it.

'The Cleaner'

Benajamin Bratt is starring in a new drama on A&E with the above mentioned title. I'm gonna record [hopefully] the first few, see if it's worth the watch. I like Bratt from his Law & Order days, and the premise of the show...recovered addict saving other addicts whether they like it or not...original and intriguing. Plus, chic from Battlestar Galactica is on it, and I like her too.

Re: Galactica...I know many things SciFi thanks to my Star Trek, Stargate, Battlestar loving husband;) SciFi can be likened to eating spaghetti with french fries...don't knock it 'til ya try it!

Edit: Apparently I've already missed the first episode, or two. I'm not dissuaded...will still record.

Amazon Kindle...Library in Ya Pocket

Mom reminded me of this little gem today. Hubby J promised that I get one for Christmas;) Read all about it here.

The Last Three Letters in Principal Spell...

The DHS homepage reports that Decatur has hired Jason Cochran as the new principal!! The winds, they are a'changin'.

Dish Dip

We have Dish satellite, and I'm a Dish novice, so I'm still trying to figure out how to record a show before it actually comes on. Right now, I wait until the time I know it'll be on, turn on the television, push record, then turn it back off...not so convenient. Not to mention I have a hard time remembering that I can fast forward commercials...I had regular cable for too long:)

Wrong One

I went to the Decatur Library to check out "The Alchemist" as recommended by Jarhead, as I said I would. I typed in the title since I couldn't remember the author. I came across "The Alchemyst", and it was in the juvenile fiction section which surprised me. I started reading the book jacket and thought, "Surely not". Although reading about a long lost book that must be found or else the universe will perish is intriguing, I didn't think that was up Jarhead's alley. Decatur doesn't have Paulo Coehlo's "The Alchemist", but I asked them to order it. Will write a brief "what I thought about it" once I finish.

Welcome to Our World

My new baby cousin was born yesterday morning @ 2:17 a.m. He was born with lotsa hair, reminiscent of Ryan Seacrest's faux-hawk....very, very cute! The new mommy was dubbed a rock star by the nurses as she gave birth without the use of any pain meds whatsoever. Her labor progressed too quickly to administer the meds. I tip my hat to that girl because quick labor or not...that epidural was my saving grace:)

I'm Confused By...

veganism. I read a very short snippet the other day in People magazine about that kid who used to play Mark, the youngest son in "Home Improvement". He's a vegan and runs a vegan company called "Play Food". The premise of veganism, if I'm not mistaken, is to not eat, wear or think about anything remotely having to do with animals. What struck me as "eeewwww" was the fact that they make their vegan cheese out of cashews...really? That doesn't sound remotely appetizing. To each his own, but I just don't get it.

Michael Bublé - Everything

Buble fix. Enjoy.

Adele - Chasing Pavements **IN SYNCH**

Love it!! And as for Adele's being compared to Winehouse...no contest.

God's Hand Firsthand

Hubby J sent me some pics from Alaska as he and a buddy went site seeing this past Saturday. In a few of the pics he was wearing a hoodie because it was downright chilly...I'm jealous. However, come October...not so much:) Regardless, if one ever doubted the presence of God, after looking into the face of a newborn, beautiful landscape is the next best evidence.

Library Lull

As I was perusing through Jarhead's blog this morning I decided to take his advice and get "The Alchemist", although, instead of getting it on iTunes I'm going to go to the library later today to pick it up. The library is so underused by today's society, and it's a shame. Now, I'm one who likes to own my books so I can build up my own library for my daughter to eventually enjoy, BUT, the public library is a great way to test out different authors without breaking the bank, as books can get darned expensive these days. I've had a library card since I was really young and keep it current, which prompted a snide comment from my brother as he came across it in my wallet the other day...whateva ATOM. So, if you find a couple of minutes in your day, go to your local library...lotsa free, educational programs, books, movies, etc. You may be surprised at how much you're missing:)

Idiot Savant

That's me!! Who needs instruction manuals or an MIT degree to set up their Internet?...not me:) I sat down this morning, looked from this plug to that, from this filter to that, and if it fit...that's where it went, and voila! I am currently tap, tap, tappin' away on my own laptop with our own Internet service. My sense of accomplishment is sadly overwhelming!!

Have You Ever...

wondered how grocery stores choose what items to list on the aisle banners elevated above the aisles? You can have an aisle with 50 things on it, yet there are 6-8 items on the overhead sign. But it always seems that what I'm looking for is listed on the sign...CRAZY:) I'm sure it has something to do with "consumer's most hunted items" or what have you, but whoever does the choosing...kudos to that guy.

Pseudo Book Report

Augusten Burroughs' "Running With Scissors"...I made it to page, oh, 85 or so. The book is supposed to be refelective of his actual screwed up childhood, so I feel for the guy, but I probably won't finish it. I know that real life is not Leave it to Beaver, squeaky clean, and is in fact far from it most of the time. But I personally couldn't stomach one more "c" word...blech, not to mention the outrageous scenes of homosexual, errr, encounters. I just think that good writing can be done with fewer in your face profanities and graphic depictions of events that could be described in a more abstract way. Great writers say more with less and don't rely on cheap words for shock factor. Case in point: Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants".

Procrastination

I'm slowly but surely getting everything in order post-move. I chose Embarq for Internet and phone service. Yep, I'm going to have a land line for the first time in almost a year. Anyway, Embarq mailed me the modem with the DSL cable and other filter thingys...it's "do it yourself". What the what? Needless to say, it's still not set up:( Wish me luck.

Idiot

Whilst I was driving this morning, listening to the radio, minding my own business and enjoying the sunshine...some idiot on College Street swerves toward me and throws up his hands as if to say I had encroached on his lane, which I did NOT. So, little man compensating by driving your big white truck with the big white sticker on the back...calm down, have a glass of iced tea and stay in your own flippin' lane.

One Wicked Whirlwind

So, the moving is done...kind of. Little brother and me are going to storage this afternoon to grab the office furniture, and then I'm done until I transfer storage facilities. Everything went rather smoothly, as smoothly as any move can be expected to go, I guess. But let me share with you some "sporadic revelations", if you will:

TXU sucks in every way that it's possible to suck...Reliant has a new, always pay on time customer. TXU...get some CSR's that speak clearly and know what in the Hades they're doing; just sayin'.

Cutting costs on movers isn't really worth it. I mean, they move really fast, but our buffet lost a leg [thank God for Elmer's], one of our chest of drawers has a non-life threatening, yet ugly wound, and it took me 3 loaded Expedition trips to gather what the movers left in the apartment...sheeeesh.

More about movers...whether it's a gazillion degrees or not, some should just leave their shirts on.

Last thing about movers...at least when they pass gas while going up the steps they say, "Excuse Me"...I'm still laughing about that one:)

To sum it up, I'm happy, happy, happy to be in a house again, and Baby Girl loves her room and working in the flower beds with me. Hubby J will enjoy it more when he comes in from the big AK next time. All in all, these are very good times.

Million Dollar Password

I want to go on this gameshow. I really want to go on Jeopardy, but I swear, too many of those categories are hit or miss. Anything about rivers or Presidents, and I'm out. But, I think I'd be good at Password if I didn't get too nervous and I wasn't paired up with a dense celebrity. My perfect gameshow experience...Million Dollar Password paired with Hugh Laurie and Kyra Sedgwick...I think they'd be good. I think I may look into it:)

Good People

We got the keys to our house today, and we spent the evening walking around, making decisions about future repairs/renovations. Hubby J's dad is a seasoned carpenter, and he gave us lots of good suggestions. As we were talking outside one of our next door neighbors came over to say hello. She explained why she had little kittens running around her front yard. The story goes that the neighborhood cat has her babies in our front yard bushes, then, when they get older, Mama Cat takes them to her front porch to be fed and hang out until said neighbor puts an ad in the paper for free kitties. She said that she knows she should get the cat spayed, but she just loves having the kittens around every year. That's sweet, I don't care who ya are.

I Wonder

I take BabyGirl to Mother's Day Out in Decatur every Thursday now, and on my way to that wonderful program at the First Baptist Church I pass by a sign outside the Church of Christ on the opposite side of the street. The sign reads, "Free Conversational English Classes", followed by a phone number. Doesn't one need to be able to recognize/read/comprehend some English before being able to read the sign that offers to teach them just that? Maybe their English speaking friends will tell them, or maybe, just maybe, the sign should be printed in English and Spanish...ya know, just in case.

For Those Interested...

We signed the papers on the house today and were at the Title Company, in Arlington (don't ask), until 7:15. But, yay, hallelujah...the papers are signed. We're waiting on an out of town seller to return some "documents" then the keys are ours. Whew.