News, news, and more news

After having nothing to post for the last couple weeks, and doing cop-out posts, including pictures of rabbits, I finally have some news to share with the world:

-I recently received two e-mails. I like to read the older ones first, so I did. It was a call for all teachers to sign up for CASC. That's Curriculum and Standards Committee, for those that don't speak BSSD acronyms. (That's Bearing Strait School District, same reason.) I responded that I would love to be involved, and that I would like to work on my own project, and some of what it entailed. I sent the e-mail off. Then I checked the newer e-mail. It turns out they already knew about my plan, and I was already on the list. So now, between May 23rd to the 28th, I'll be staying in Unalakleet, working on improving the BSSD standards, and how teachers relate to them.

-Today, I received two e-mails. In classic fashion, I read the older one first. It was a call for teachers to help out at the BSSD Welcome Wagon. The Welcome Wagon is where the school gets some rooms at the dorms in Anchorage, rents a couple vans, and some of the returning teachers show up, drive the vans, pick up the new teachers, and drive them to exotic places, like Costco, and the 24 hour post-office. To ensure that we have a well-rounded group of staff, it's going to work like this: everyone that wants to puts their name in. Then the guy in charge asks the principals for recommendations.
Having learned my lesson from last time, I read the second e-mail too. Turns out I'm already on the list.  Nice, huh? It does mean that I can't go to Myrtle Beach with Amy and her family. It also means that instead of spending money, I'll be making money. As for my long-term goals, that's really best.

-We are getting new teachers. Two couples and a single. The single is a transfer from Gambell, and the couples are new to the district. One couple, at least, is new to the state. We've been in a little bit of a housing limbo because "maybe we need a bigger house for a family." However, with no families coming in, Amy and I have been given Melinda (formerly Mary)'s house for next year. It has a much better layout, and actual shelves for supplies in the kitchen. Unlike in our current house, where they're in a bedroom. Melinda is taking the seniors on the senior trip the day after graduation, and is then going straight to Wales, where she's teaching next year. We can, therefore, start moving in a week before school is out. This is good, because of the short time I'm going to have between school getting out and CASC starting.

-My classes are not split up by anything. I've got all the grades and all the levels all mushed in together. I've tried to get them mostly with their own levels, but sometimes it just doesn't work. I tried really hard to get Matt (new guy) to not have more than a two level spread, which has left me with a strange assortment. I've built a system, and it works, and we all get things accomplished, but it does lead to some awkwardness in a couple situations. One such awkwardness involves Corey. Poor, poor Corey. Because he's in level 7, he got put in with one super-senior, four seniors, and two juniors. He's in 7th grade. Being in a class of significantly older kids has mellowed him a bit, so that's nice.
The point: poor, picked on Corey went to White Mountain (they have trees, and hills), where he won two awards: Most improved, and Skimyster (ski-master, I'd guess).  He got first in bi-athalon, second in skiing, and received medals for that. Anyway, here he is, with the other winners:

My other best friend

Amy and I are having a Harry Potter marathon this weekend. We've reached the part where the kids are running from Fluffy, the three headed dog. In honor of this fifteen hour endeavor, I though I'd share some of my other favorite shows, which make life up here more fun:

-House, MD.  Oh, I love this show. Angie has bought me the signed cast photo. The girl knows me. Amy and I currently own all the seasons, and while I am more than willing to watch the new episodes on hulu.com, Amy likes to wait for them to come out on DVD. I like this show because of the characters, and because the person gets saved at the end.

-Bones. No one gets saved at the end. The guest star is pretty much dead when the show starts. I'm just a big science nerd. Because of the vague attention I paid during my college Anat & Phys class, I know what they're saying before they explain it to the audience.

-Castle. More dead people, but I sure do love Mal. I mean Nathan Fillion. I care more about the characters than the crime of the week.

-Alias. It's over now, which is fine, since I own all five seasons. I watch them about once a year, since I've been getting new roommates, and that's just fine by me.

-Big Bang Theory. We just found this one (thanks Steve) recently. It's a half hour comedy, unlike all the others. Nerd humor. I don't get all of it, but I get enough.

-Dead Like Me. Only went 2 seasons, the whole thing is available on hulu. Did you love Daria on MTV back in the day? You'll like this girl then.

-Psych. I have no excuse for this. I just love it.

-In Plain Sight. Oh, I love Mary Shannon. She's just so angry. And she gets to carry a gun. Why don't I get to carry a gun?

-Better Off Ted. Ted is in charge of the research department of a major, soulless corporation. I feel for him.

I know, this is my second cop-out posting this month. If something fun was going on, I'd post about that instead.

Looking at the archive

I've found that since I started reading other peoples' daily blogs, I feel the need to blog more. This may help explain why I've posted 12 times in the last 23 days, but only 45 times last year.

Umm, and because this post is pretty lame, here's a picture of a bunny:

And a giant rabbit:

I don't know why either.

Archive

I was cleaning out some files on my computer, and found some e-mails I'd sent my mom a long time ago, some stories I'd started, and some papers I'd written as examples for my kids. I also ran across something I wrote in an attempt to calm myself. Some of it is interesting, so I thought I'd post it for everyone here. 

   Here I stand, in a shower 1975 miles away from my parents, and 300 miles away from my house, getting ready to wash my hair. I’m standing in a high school locker room, and it has a shower that’s nicer than most of the ones in my village back home.

   I reach for the shampoo, and suddenly remember who used it last. His name was Kevin Hunt, and he was a volleyball player visiting my school. He’d finished playing, and was getting ready to shower himself when he realized that he’d forgotten his own shampoo. I went to my locker and looked at my choices. I had half an inch left of my very girly, expensive shampoo, left by an old roommate, or a brand new bottle of the cheep, unscented, generic stuff. I took the generic stuff, and, on an impulse, grabbed the conditioner.

   He took them, but refused to use the conditioner. When he came back into the gym where I was talking to his coach, he had the goofiest grin on his face. “Feel my hair,” He said. I shot him a questioning look that he responded to verbally, “I used the conditioner.”

    We had a good laugh. I told him he could keep them. I always seemed to buy a set whenever I needed to make the last three dollars for free shipping on an online drugstore site. He laughed and said he had his own back at home. Then he helped me carry some boxes back to my classroom. A really classy kid.

    He went home the next day and killed himself. No one told me the details, and I didn’t push them. I’d known this kid for a day and a half; they’d probably known him their whole lives. I had no business to pry. It’s not uncommon up here, where the sun barely rises for weeks at a time, and fresh fruit is something seen on TV, along with tall trees and clean running water.

   I pick up the shampoo again, and continue on with my cold shower. I am only one of 350 teachers here for the conference, and all the hot water has been gone since we got here. I use the shampoo. It’s all I’ve brought with me to use. I watch the bubbles run down the drain and think about the kids up here in bush Alaska. What life must be like for them, cut off from everything they see on TV and think is how it’s supposed to be?

   I can’t ban them from watching television, and I can’t convince them that not everyone is like the characters on the OC, but maybe I can convince them that life is a wonderful thing.

    I rinse off and get out of the shower.

Blogs I follow

For those of you who don't know, the blogs I like to follow are on the left-hand side of this page. Due to my own inability to remember things, I've got their blog name, post name, and update time all showing. This way, I know which ones I've read. It's also set up to move new ones to the top.

I'd suggest checking some of them out. A couple are daily, and dare I say "professional." The rest are just like you and me. Here is the rundown based on their current position, which will change soon:

Sorority Girl in a Frozen Tundra: This is my roommate Amy. It's her first year up here, so she's a bit better about the new and weird things that happen up here. She is the new preschool teacher, a Delta Zeta, and adorable.

Cake Wrecks: Remember those e-mails we got with the REALLY ugly wedding cakes a couple years ago? Or the "Good Luck, Under Neat That, We Will Miss You" cake?  Jen does. She's created an entire website around professional cakes that have gone horribly wrong. And on Sunday, she does adorable ones.  She loves nerd-things too, which is always a bonus for me.

Lovely Listings: While trying to buy a house near Seattle a couple years ago, Sara came across some truly horrible listings. She decided to share them with the world, and has moved onto a daily blog posting. The listings are now international, and she has a bit of a hang up on plastic lawn chairs. It's good for a laugh. Especially when someone tried to sell a remodeled missile silo for TWO MILLION DOLLARS.

Life as a single professional trying to find joy in the simple things: This is my sister Crystal. She's 27. She's funny. And her blog has a REALLY long name. What's with that Crystal? Also, where is the link to you decorating a cake on Youtube? And did you use a Julia Childs voice?

Darth Logan: Friends little sister, or little sisters' friend. (Small town.) Logan takes turns being funny, truthful, and outright bizarre.  Love you Logan!

Lookin' for Somethin' I Couldn't Find Nowhere Else. . . My BEF (that's Best Enemy Forever) Amanda Pasonen. She's a high school teacher in Golovin. Amanda write about the stress of teaching up here, dealing with narcolepsy, and her puppy-sitting duties.

Jennsylvania: Jen wrote "Bright Lights, Big Ass" "Such a Pretty Fat" and "Pretty in Plaid." She's snarky, irreverent, and I think we'd be friends if we were in the same town. She writes about her adventures, husband, desire for livable housing, and hawking her books.

Moore or Less: Kelly Moore, a buddy from college, writes this blog. She talks about kids, maintaing a household, and the soon-to-be new member of the family. Kelly is funny, and we are friends, even though we're in different cities.

Cowboy Boots and Basketball Shoes: Haley (boots) explores life with her new husband (shoes), her personal trainer (okay, it's a DVD) and her job. Haley sees the funny side of everything, and is a great story-teller.

Alaskan Hughes': I know the Hughes family through church. I haven't actually "met" them, but who ever said that was important. The Hughes family has several children, and enjoys outdoor activities. It's just plain fun to follow their lives.

The View From the North: Ah, the one that started it all. Angie Alston, the social studies teacher here in Shishmaref, and a friend from college, started her blog back in early 2008. She takes wonderful pictures, and tells stories about life up here in this tiny town. She also cooks, and has what can only be described as "madcap adventures." My favorite post involves a bacon tart.

NorthBound River Rat: Anna used to teacher here, then in Elim, and is currently trying to function away from Alaska. I know, right, why? I love Anna's blog when I want to see trees.

Malus domestica: Annajean grew up in the same area I did, went to the same college I did, and then came home and got married (not like me). Annajean is trying to be a "domestic goddess," and reading about her efforts is amusing.

Don't mind me. . .: Sarah and I grew up together, and she's still bumming around the old homestead. I just found her blog a couple days ago, and haven't read through the archive yet.

The Escapades of No Magic Marshall: Remember Haley and Logan? This is one of their brothers. (What, Captain? Too good for a blog?) Marshall only has a half dozen posts so far, (or 3, if we're counting). They've been funny so far, so I'm looking forward to more posts.

Okay devoted followers. If any of those looks like fun, then go follow them too. Also, I thought about making links out of all of their names for you, until I realized that I'm writing about them because they are RIGHT THERE. Wander left and click yourself. You're a big kid, you can do it.

Spring Break - Official Tally

What's that? You want to know what I accomplished this spring break?
Well, let's look at the plan:

-Get my classroom put together
-Wash all the dishes
-Muck out under my bed
-Do all my laundry
-Go to Nome for a couple days
-Play

What I actually accomplished:
-Wash all the dishes
-Be sick
-Mourn the loss of my body wash (and it was NEW! And my mom gave it to me for my birthday!)
-Watch 2 seasons of "Dead like me" Good show. A little morbid. It reminds me of Daria.

Maybe I'll accomplish the rest of my list next weekend.

Spring Break

Umm, here's the update on my life, in a two word poem:

Froggy
Foggy

Yup, that's all I've got.