Cash Money

Well, on top of working I also workout. I do it for health reasons, both physical and mental. I really do feel good after my workout class.

Sometimes, when I'm squatting and sweating and aching and grunting, I can't believe I actually pay someone good money to make me do this. Last night, we ran, did pull-ups, and cleans-into-overhead squats. :-( My butt was still sore from Wednesday's workout.

Of course, it's all worth it. I know that I'll get stronger. And, while I may only have lost 6 of my 15 lbs gained during my year abroad (actually, 8.5lbs were gained on the trip and 7 lbs were gained during my first month back in America. *sigh*), I've already lost about 4 inches in my hips and waist. I can fit into some of my pre-trip clothes! :-)))

And going to the gym really does reduce a lot of the stresses one experiences as a new teacher. It's nice to be a student in a class, goofing off and making jokes with the trainer/teacher, knowing that I don't have to know anything.

Because I paid someone else to tell me what to do and how to do it better, so that I can become a better person in the end. :-)

Toto, Where Are We?

Ok, so I've been at this new school for a month now. I'm just trying to make it from one day to the next, celebrating each week's end.

Only 8 months to go then hello summer!

Anyway, it's a different school alright. First of all, the class time is longer so I've had to make adjustments to my pacing. Also, that means no more days of just lecture-- it's too much for them and for me.

This also means that it takes less time to cover the material.

Speaking of lectures, it's kind of neat to say, "get ready for notes" and see 80% of the kids not only take notes, but get their papers set up for Cornell notes. Amazing.

However, this school, which is very good, doesn't have a special day class.

I think this year is the first time the STAR scores have been broken down into groups (ethnic and socio-economic) which really offended some of the teachers.

But, the staff is awesome. They are so supportive of me and all the other new teachers. I'm not expected to head the department (no one wants it) or any field trips this year. And, if I do one differentiated lesson, then I win. :-)

We also have a lot of TGIFs.

But the cincher.... as a staff, we are learning the Thriller dance to perform at lunch time on Halloween. Yup, at this school, everyone gets dressed up.

Overall, seems like good times.

Back to School

Yup, back in the saddle again, as the song says. I feel just like a first year teacher and those of you who teach know exactly how SUCKY a feeling that is.

I feel like I have no bottom, that I'm falling and all I can do is hope to land on my feet. Over and over again.

I feel like I have no past, just newness in front of me. I don't know why all my past experience has left me. I guess taking a year off from work will do that.

I have to learn again. Where to put the projector. How to make copies. How to grade papers. How to pass papers back. How to talk to students. How to open up a can of whoop-ass. So much learning.

I don't like my kids. But, I never like them before Thanksgiving (sometimes Christmas, sometimes Spring Break).

Things keep popping up. A bunch of "oh, yeah" moments.

I keep wondering if someone's parent is going to call me out on something. I wonder if my contract will be renewed next year. Why am I thinking all these negative thoughts? I need to give myself permission to mess up and realize that when I do (no "if" about it) the world will not end.

A part of me is cringing, curled up in a ball and won't let me help myself. Won't let me be positive about teaching again, about learning how to challenge those in my classroom, won't let me enjoy the other happy staff members.

I don't know why I can't just relax and breathe. But, writing this out has made me feel a bit better.

For now, at least.

Man, You'd Better Hope So!

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Sites

I wasn't worried until they broke out the Earth Science questions. Go ahead, click on it and take the quiz yourself. I know you want to.

Last Chance to Boogie

Photo of my sister Dre in one of her many fabulous costumes.

It's 10"30pm on a Sunday and I just got home.

Tomorrow is my first official day of work with the San Carlos School District. It's an orientation, a day-long meeting for all their new hires, so it's no big whoop. Anyway, at 4:30 I was getting all settled into my normal, humdrum Sunday afternoon when I received a call of distress on my BatPhone.

My sister needed me, or someone, to shoot the vid for her dance revue. Ummmm....maybe I need to do some 'splainin'. My sister Dre is a professional bellydancer and the Tannourine Restaurant in San Mateo is one of her regular performances. Froody and I had been there before a couple of months ago for one of Dre's dance revues, where she and other local/national dancers perform throughout the evening. They are all very primo, and the food there is excellent. (OK-plugs are in, now on with the story.)

So, I get this call for help and I decide to go. After all, what else was I going to do but cook chicken for Froody and I and then sit in front of the computer working on school stuff and stressin' out over it. This sounded much better and it was so much fun! It was one of the few times this summer where I got to be social without the husband. I met some of Dre's friends, worked the video recorder, which really consisted of turning it off and on. I also got to eat some awesome food. For free. Man, I wish you all lived up here, 'cuz then I'd tell you to go there and eat.

Oh, and my glasses of wine were also free. Can you tell I've been drinking? Maybe a bit? Dre was the final performer and at the end of her set she and some of the other dancers got pretty much everyone in the restaurant up and dancin'. Even me. (It's been a long time since I took any belly dance lessons, but I remembered a move or two.) That was fun! I think the owner got dragged in for a song. It was like being part of "teh dance party" at the end of a movie. I must have been pretty good, because a couple of people came up to me and asked if I was a dancer, too, like my sister. Me! Can you imagine?

The perfect way to end the summer.

Crock Pot Belly

I've heard people say on the WeightWatchers boards and meetings that they've dug out their old slow cookers and have made many low-calorie meals. I've read blogs (OK- one blog) where people raved on about the glories of their crock pots. Even the FLY Lady recommends using a crock pot to make your life easier.

So I finally gave in to my curiosity and bought a crock pot. A Rival, which regards itself as the "original" crockpot. Right now, it's kinda nice to cook dinner out of the Joy of Cooking and serve it up to Froody, but the first day of school is looming ever closer and that usually means stir-fry for dinner. Now, don't get me wrong; stir-fry is great. But not every day. Five days a week. 36 weeks a year.

In my mind's eye, I see myself chopping up veggies and stirring up sauces on Sunday or Saturday. Then, sometime during the ensuing week all that is tossed into the crock pot along with some sort of meat and the baby is switched on. Lastly, I arrive home to the sweet, sweet smell of my dinner being cooked for me. *ahhhhh*

My first recipe for the CP was one from the WeightWatchers website for what they call Chicken Paprikash. I would call it Hungarian Inspired Chicken. It was OK, not bad, but Froody wasn't asking me to make it again. Tonight I decided to use a recipe from the interwebs- Apple Sausage with Onion and Mustard Sauce. I did a little switcheroo, replacing some bratwursts for half the chicken apple sausage called for in the recipe. I hope it turns out.

Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?

Being a summer housewife leaves me much time during the day for observation, especially when walking. I'm always curious who else doesn't have to go to work. I guess you wouldn't be surprised to learn that there are other stay-at-home wives, most of them mothers. I also see nannies pushing strollers about, sometimes collected in a small knot as they chit-chat in front of the library or playground. Retirees also abound. Most of them are older but a few are about my age.

If I go walking in the morning before 10am, then I see the bike-commuters. Now, I'm going to use a stereotype here, but they do look like computer programmers. For one thing, they're all dressed like Froody. And, since we now live in/near Silicon Valley, it probably isn't a bad assumption. Especially when they're biking around with backpacks that say "Google" on them.

Anyway, besides road bikes some of these commuters also use fancy-ish bikes like recumbent bikes or folding bikes. I have never seen so many folding bikes in my life! I used to associate them with RVers, but a folding bike makes sense for urban commuters as well. They fit neatly in your office or cubicle.

Of course, there are those who drive to work. A lot of these commuters do own fuel-efficient cars like the Toyota Prius, Honda Fit, and Toyota Yaris. I have even seen a Tesla parked in someone's driveway, all plugged in for the night! (And, yes, it was the roadster. Did you see the pricetag on the website???)

The people in my neighborhood seem to enjoy drinking coffee and eating Indian food. They also like gourmet pizzas, Hagen Dazs, and buying organic groceries. They don't like using plastic bags. Except at farmers markets. But, they do clean up after their dogs, a big plus. :-)

In the end, these people, my neighbors, seem to be alright. They are a lot like me, I suppose.