May 31st Photo of the Day - Sunset

"Sunset"

It's the end of the month.

My photo is of a Hawaiian sunset.  

Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world and I want to go back there badly.

Sunsets to me signify closure. Not only am I closing out the May Pic-A-Day challenge, but I'm also finishing up the school year. 

Yesterday I finished up my grades and posted them. We have three school days left and then it's on to Summer Break.

My June is pretty booked already.

The first week of June will be finishing up the school year - 3 days of school and then 2 days of professional development.  The following week we are having work done on the house, new siding. The third week of June finds me taking a group of students to Washington D.C. on a four-day tour. 

When I return from Washington, I have a one-day turnaround and then it's off to Minneapolis for a week. I was selected to take part in a week-long professional development program in the Cities. the district is paying for the whole thing, so no worries there. 

Then, it's the end of June. 

But for now, that's in the future.  Today, I'm relaxing.

I think I'll go take a nap. 

Love you awesome nerds!

Robert

May 30th Photo of the Day - Side View

"Side View"

I'm exhausted.

I don't know why, but I was sore and achy all day long. I spent a few hours at Cafe Diem posting my final grades.

They're done. They're posted.

Tonight, I'm relaxing with a good book and maybe get to bed a little early tonight.

Tomorrow - "Sunset"

May 29th Photo of the Day - Negative Space

Negative Space

I love my classroom whiteboard. 

For an example of "negative space", I wrote an asterisk on the board and then took the photo. 

We're getting close to the end of the month and with it, the Photo of the Day project.

I've been toying with the idea of continuing to take a photo each day. It's been a great way to inspire my blogging when I haven't been "inspired" to write something.

Thoughts?

Tomorrow - "Side View"

May 28th Photo of the Day - Unique

Unique

"The Juicy Lucy"

Minneapolis is home to my favorite burger - The Juicy Lucy.

What a makes a Lucy unique is that the cheese is in the middle of the burger.  Usually American cheese is cut up, placed between two 1/4 hamburger patties.  The two patties are "crimped" together, sealing the cheese inside.  As the burger cooks, the cheese melts, creating a core of ooey, gooey deliciousness.

Two establishments claim to be the originator of the Lucy - Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club. There's no in-between, in the Cities, you have to pledge allegiance to one or the other.

I'm a 5-8er. 

Over the past couple of years I've noticed various tv chefs showing how to create their own versions of the Lucy. Like it's some brand new creation.

Please.

The Lucy is a Minneapolis tradition and there's nowhere else I would get one.  

Tomorrow - "Negative Space"

May 27th Photo of the Day - Meal

"Meal"

This was my lunch today.

Yes, I know I'll pay for it later.  LOL

In June I'm taking a group of students on a 4-day trip to Washington D.C..  In preparation for the trip, I got the group together for a lunch meeting to go over things they'll need to know.

I treated them to pizza.  

I absolutely love taking students to Washington.

Because my old district was so small, we did the trip every two years. My new school is much larger, so now it will be a yearly trip.

It's a lot of stress on me to coordinate the trip, but I absolutely love doing it.

June 17th will be here before I know it!

Tomorrow - "Unique"

May 26th Photo of the Day - Pet

"Pet"

The hubby and I don't actually have any pets, but if we did, it would be a hedgehog.

The first gift Matt ever gave me was a small hedgehog stuffed animal. I had seen one on his desk in his apartment and thought it was so cute. So he got me a matching one. 

They became our "boys" and we take them with us when we travel. It's a lot more fun getting photos of them in front of famous places than us.  

Just the looks at the top of the Sears Tower were priceless.

We don't have pets because I'm allergic to most cats and Matt isn't a fan of dogs. Hedgehogs are VERY high maintenance pets and with our traveling and work schedules, we just wouldn't be able to devote the effort an energy needed to take care of it.

Tomorrow - "Meal"

May 25th Photo of the Day - Neighbourhood

"Neighbourhood"

Ames is a city of about 60,000 people. 

The only real area of town, other than downtown, that has a "name" is Campustown (the area just south of the university.

Our neighborhood is known as "Parkview Heights". Most people in Ames refer to it as "The Presidents" as all of the streets in the area are named after U.S. Presidents. It was developed in the 1960s and has a lot of interesting and unique houses. It truly feels like a neighborhood.

As much as we love our house, we're doing upgrades on it in preparation to sell it in the next couple of years. We're ready for a bigger place.

Tomorrow - "Pet"

The Royal Wedding

Yesterday we had two conflicting weddings to attend - one in Ames, one in Italy.

I kept telling That WomanTM that we simply could not make the trip to whatever Renaissance castle the wedding was going to take place.

"Kim's gonna miss you.  Khloe loves the way you make her laugh..."

"And the other one will miss you as well."

But I told That WomanTM, "you know Kanye hates how I steal the spotlight from him. Plus, I still think Kim has a thing for me."

Special thanks to Bob Slatten at I Should Be Laughing for providing the inspiration for this vignette.  


We did attend the wedding of our friends Kelsey and Josh. Now it was us and about 400 other guests, hence why we referred to it as the "Royal Wedding."

And I'm a little hung-over this morning.

The ceremony was beautiful, simple, and most importantly, fairly short.

Plus there weren't any screaming kids (Halleloo!).

After a quick drink, a Long Beach Iced Tea (so deadly), we headed off to the reception.

Now I have to say, having an open bar for the cocktail hour, however expensive for the couple, was very appreciated.

The reception itself was pretty standard - heartfelt speeches, decent buffet food, along with the requisite bad DJ/Emcee (seriously, this guy was bad), bad dancing, and even more alcohol.

On the tables were anniversary cards that we were encouraged to sign with messages for the happy couple.  My message for the 10th anniversary card - "Wow! Ten years?! I only had you guys making it 5! I lost $10 in the pool."

They know my sense of humor.

They also had a photo booth for guests to have group photos taken. Matt and I had the requisite photo set taken.

There were a lot of hot guys at the reception, unfortunately, none of them were on Scruff. Although we did get a few longer than average glances from some guys.  lol  Wishful thinking on my part.


Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

20,000 Thank Yous!!!!

This morning "Welcome To The Middle Ages" hit the 20,000 page view mark....

Thank You!

Thank You!

THANK YOU!!!!

I am beyond honored that so many people would take time out of their lives to take a peak into mine.

It's been a great day so far. After my EARLY morning bike ride to capture the sunrise, I headed down to the downtown farmer's market.  I had a craving for Indian Samosas with Tamarind sauce, served with a hot, chai tea......

Sooooooo Goooooood!

Later today we have a graduation reception to go to and then a "royal" wedding. I use the term "royal" in that it's gonna be a BIG wedding.

I'll give you the low-down tomorrow.

I Love You Awesome Nerds!!!!!!

Robert

May 24th Photo of the Day - Sunrise

"Sunrise"

It's a new dawn.

It's a new day.

It's a new life, for me.

And I'm feeling good. 

This was the day I was looking forward to most (and a little nervous about).

Today's theme - Sunrise.

I got up waaaaaaay early - 4:45 to get out to Ada Hayden Park.

I knew the shot I wanted and planned to give myself plenty of time to get there. 

It was a quick (if not chilly) bike ride out to the park. I took the upland trail to get to the highest point in the park. It was then I realized my mistake.

The sun was rising more to the north than I had planned. The sunrise was going to be obscured my a grove of trees.

Plan B

I rode around the lake taking photos every so often. I found the spot I wanted and just hung out. There was only one other person who I saw, another cyclist. Older, but he had great legs.

But I digress.

I took about 40 shots of the sunrise. This was my favorite.

Today is going to be an incredibly busy day. 

And this was a great way to start.

Tomorrow - "Neighbourhood"

May 23rd Photo of the Day - Black & White

"Black & White"

I'm dusting off the bike and getting out to ride.

I gotta admit, I really like this photo. 

And thanks to a very good friend, I'm feeling more confident about how I can improve my riding.

It's been a very long week and on a Friday night, I'm exhausted.

We have 7 days of school left.  Lots to do, but I'm grateful to have a three-day weekend.

Tomorrow - "Sunrise"

May 22 Photo of the Day - "Free"

"Free"

I kept knocking around the word "free" in my head all day.  So many ways to picture what the word could represent.

And I kept coming back to one thing...

"Free" by the Zac Brown Band.

I'm not a "fan" of the group, but there are songs of theirs that I like. Overall, Brown's vocals remind me of James Taylor and Jimmy Buffet.  

This song gets stuck in my head in a good way.

Tomorrow - "Black and White"

May 21st Photo of the Day - "Card"

"Card"

"Card" is a very broad term.  So many different ways to interpret it.

Taking a page from Jim, I dug out a set of Baseball Tarot cards that we have on the shelf.  I've never really used them, but just bought them for the fun of it.

I asked the question - "Why am I struggling to stay motivated in my weight loss plan?"

After a thorough shuffling, I picked one - "Eight of Bases" - Eye on the Ball. I would have cracked up if it had been the Ace of Bases.  lol

"The quintessential baseball advice: Keep your Eye on the Ball. This is the central wisdom revisited in every offensive and defensive play. Eye on the Ball represents the necessity of dedicated apprenticehip. The development of self-discipline is the key to eventual mastery."

The Signal: Your single-minded attention is required by the task at hand. Get back to basics. Recall the fundamentals and uphold them through your deeds. Dedicate yourself to your craft. Learn to enjoy the satisfaction of slow-and-steady improvement. You must maintain your focus over the long haul.

I was really surprised at how accurate the card is.  Honestly, I lose focus pretty easily and to reach my goal I need to buckle down and FOCUS!  

Eyes on the prize!  Eye on the Ball!

Tomorrow - "Free"

TMI Questions - Memorial Day Weekend - The Official Start of Summer

I'm attempting to postpone grading paper for as long as possible!

Thanks Sean for the diversion!!!!

Memorial Day Weekend

1. Memorial Day is a day of remembrance but it also signifies the "Official" start of summer. What are your plans for the weekend?

Saturday two of our very good friends are getting married. There are A LOT (upwards of 400) of people coming, so we're expecting a fun and festive evening. And a lot of alcohol.  I'm really looking forward to the party as there will be many people there that we know. It'll almost be like a family reunion.

On Sunday, a childhood friend of the hubby's will be in town and she's coming over for a visit on Sunday night. I think on Monday we might be barbecuing with our trivia buddies.

2. What is your most and least favorite thing about summer?

Hands down my favorite thing is the 10 weeks off that I get from school.  People ask if I ever consider getting a part time job over the summer.  Nope.

I use the time off to recharge my batteries. Teaching 7th grade takes a lot out of me both mentally and physically. I am very grateful for the opportunity to just relax and refresh.

I guess my least favorite thing in the summer is excessive heat. I grew up in the south, so I know heat, but when it's that brutal, oppressive heat that makes you feel miserable. The type of heat and humidity that soaks you in sweat the moment you set foot outside.

3. What do you think of when I say "Bar-B-Que"?

As much as I wanna say a backyard cookout with good friends and good food, I can't.  When I hear Bar-B-Que, I immediately think of Jethro's Barbecue in Des Moines.  It's a local chain that is absolutely amazing.  Their beef brisket is simply the best I have ever had. And the side, Oh....My.....God, they are insanely good - jalapeno creamed corn, candied smashed sweet potatoes, barbecue beans, cornbread muffins.

Soooo hungry.

4. What is your favorite summer food?

I love watermelon. Especially when it is ice cold. I get a lot of strange looks when I salt my watermelon. But seriously it really brings out the flavor!

Oh, and when a core has been cut out of the watermelon and a bottle of vodka allowed to drain into it - So Good!

5. Are you in swim suit shape yet?

If beached whale is swim suit shape, then yes I am.  LOL









6. Given the choice, which do you prefer: ocean, lake or pool?

Of the three I would say ocean because I love the smell of the salt in the air and the feeling of sand between my toes.

But.

I really enjoy floating down a lazy river in an inner tube. Preferably with a vodka soaked watermelon floating in the tube next to me, getting ice cold.

7. Which summer blockbuster movie are you most looking forward to seeing?

"How To Train Your Dragon 2". There isn't a lot that I'm itching to see this summer, but I really am looking forward to this movie. I really enjoyed the first one and I'm hoping the sequel will be just as good.

8. Summer reading - What? Recommendations?

In my May 13th Photo of the Day post, I listed the books that are on my summer reading list.  But the one book I'm really excited to read I haven't gotten yet - The Lincoln Myth by Steve Berry.  I absolutely love the Cotten Mather series of novels and I pre-ordered this one. I got an email from Amazon that it should arrive this weekend.  Yay!

9. Vacation Plans? If you can't, what would you do if you could?

Yeah, I'm hitting the road this summer.  In June I'm taking students on a 4-day trip to Washington D.C. This is a yearly trip that I do and I love it! The kids have a great time and I always get a kick out of traveling to the Nation's Capital.

Almost immediately after getting back from Washington, I turn around and head to Minneapolis for a week of professional development.  Now I'll technically be there on business, but I love being in the Cities, so it will be a vacation.

In July, the hubby and I head to Las Vegas to see Olivia Newton-John in concert. It's my birthday present to him. We've both wanted to see her perform and this was the perfect opportunity.

Finally, the weekend before I head back to school, we're going down to Kansas City to see the San Francisco Giants play the Kansas City Royals.  The plan is to go to all three games so Matt can see his Boo - Buster Posey, and I can lust over my guy, Brandon Hicks.

10. Did you ever have to go to summer school?

Thank goodness No!

Bonus - Sex on the Beach?

As a drink - HELL YES!  As an activity - uh, No.  Too much sand in places where it should NEVER be.

May 20th Photo of the Day - "Waiting"

"Waiting"

Taken at 7:35 in the morning - 15 minutes before the students flood the hallway.

I'm waiting for my day to begin.

Waiting for the highs and lows that come with every school day.

Waiting to see my kids, the ones who make teaching a joy, and the one who make teaching a challenge.

Waiting to start an exciting learning day.

Waiting for June 4th. :-)

Tomorrow - "Card"

May 19th Photo of the Day - "Alone"

"Alone"

It's my planning period.  A time for me to enjoy a few minutes of peace and quiet while I correct papers or plan lessons.

I cherish my 50 minutes of quiet as sometimes it's the only chance I get to hear myself think during the school day.

(And for the record, I used the CamMe app to take this selfie.  No one else was in the room)

Tomorrow - "Waiting"

May 18th - Photo of the Day - "Something I Drew"

"Something I Drew"

Ok, it's not something I drew, but just colored.

I can't draw.  Never have been able to.  I have not been blessed with the artistic gift.

But I do enjoy coloring. (And I stay in the lines)

It's relaxing.

So why this image?

Of all the superheroes, I kinda dig Hulk the most.  

He's the smart guy who when he loses control gets all big and beefy.... and green.

And I kinda envy that.

I'm working towards unleashing my inner Hulk (in a controlled way). 

Tomorrow - "Alone"

A Wedding Rant

I love weddings.  I enjoy getting dressed up and celebrating two people committing to spend their lives with one another.

I love the receptions - the bad food, the bad dancing, the occasional hot groomsman (looking for a quickie in his hotel room).

I especially love wedding cake.  It's practically the only reason I go to a wedding.

But there's one thing I hate at weddings.

Kids

Yesterday the hubby and I attended the wedding of a friend. It was at a Catholic church, so we were expecting a LONG ceremony.  Fortunately it was only about 40 minutes long.

Not that I was able to focus on any of it.

Throughout the entire service, all I could focus on was the infants and toddlers who were bored and were making loud noises or crying.

I just wanna stand up and yell at the parents to be respectful of everyone else and take their kids out of the room.

Better yet - HIRE A BABYSITTER!

I know the kids are just being kids. I'm more upset with the parents who are under the impression that everyone should focus on their kid and not the "happy" couple.

I mean really, I know our friends are just going to love watching their wedding video and hearing the dulcet tones of screaming kids in the background while they are reciting their vows.

Ugh.

And don't even get me started on kids in restaurants.  That rant will take up a lot more space.

Love you awesome nerds!
Robert

May 17th Photo of Day - "Bag"

"Bag"

12:12 a.m. - I just got back from a wedding and I'm just now able to post my photo.

I'm also a little tipsy.

You should have seen me earlier - I was a LOT tipsier.

The bag in the photo is from early this afternoon.  My mom had locked herself out of her house and I knew we had a spare.

Um, somewhere.

I didn't have the key labeled, so I had to grab every one of the keys that we had lying around, throw them in the Target bag and take them over.  Hopefully, one of them would be the spare.

One of them was. :)

The rest of the day was spent involved in wedding festivities.  

And there was much alcohol consumed.

Tomorrow - "Something I Drew"

May 16th Photo of the Day - "Create"

"Create"

I have this cup sitting on my desk at school. 

I'm not an artistic person, I was not blessed with the gift of drawing, painting or other creative pursuits.

But I was able to make this.

There was a do-it-yourself pottery place here in Ames and a few years back I "created" this. I used a template to trace the Iowa State logo and then painted over it. 

I gotta admit, it's one of the best things I've ever created. 

I don't drink coffee, so I have it on my desk as a pencil/pen holder. 

Tomorrow - "Bag"

May 15th Photo of the Day - "From Where I Walk"

"From Where I Walk"

I have often walked down this street before; 
But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before. 
All at once am I Several stories high. Knowing I'm on the street where you live. 

I love the musical "My Fair Lady". In fact, I'm pretty sure I should have known I was gay when I asked for the video of the movie for Christmas when I was in high school.

Ah my days of youth.

I don't actually do much walking around the neighborhood, but there's just something so inviting about a sidewalk, trees and green grass. 

It's been unseasonably cool and wet here the past few days, so I haven't had a chance to get outside much. I'm hoping this weekend will be warm enough for a bike ride or a walk.

Tomorrow - "Create"

TMI Questions - Potty Humor

I've often been accused of having a potty mouth, or having my mind in the gutter.  

So thanks to Sean, I get to answer questions about the Loo. 

Remember to Courtesy Flush!

POTTY HUMOR

1. Toilet Paper - over or under?

No brainer on this one - OVER. It just doesn't make any sense to have it going under, it's hard to tear and then you have to roll it out to get more.  

2. Who replaces the empty roll in your house?

The hubby does because in all honesty, I don't use toilet paper anymore. Last year I had an issue with an external thrombosis around me bum (look it up). It was severe enough that I even had to make a trip to the ER to have the clot removed. It was bad.

Because of this, I started using wet wipes. Frankly, I don't know why I waited so long to make the switch. I also now use wipes that I get from Dollar Shave Club. I love DSC. Plus the ads are hilarious!

3. What do you use if you run out of toilet paper at home?

See answer #2. :)

4. Seat up or down?

Seat up. But when I'm done, I've been trained by the hubby to put the lid down. 

5. Do you leave the door open?

I close the door, but I don't always shut it. 

6. Does your love leave it open?

Nope, he's always the gentleman.

7. Do you wait until you are alone in a public restroom?

Nope. I'm comfortable doing what I need to do in a public restroom. As long as it's clean.

8. Do you always check for toilet paper first in a public stall?

Yeah. As much as I hate to use a public stall for a #2, I make sure to check there is paper.

9. What do you use if you run out of toilet paper in a public restroom?

I've never had that happen. But I would hope the person in the stall next to me would have a "square to spare".

BONUS

Sex in a public restroom?

I've never had sex in a public restroom, but there was a heavy make out session in the Memphis airport. 

May 14th Photo of the Day - "Lines"

"Lines"

After work I got out and mowed front yard. I'll do the back yard on Saturday, but the front REALLY needed it. When I finished, the lines from the mower look really good. 

I actually find that mowing the yard helps to relax me. There's something very satisfying about getting the lawn looking nice, plus it allows my mind to rest after a busy day at school.

After finishing the lawn, I bust out my bike, dusted it off and filled the tires. I did a quick ride around the neighborhood just to see how it felt.

It felt good.

I plan on getting out and doing much more biking this year. I've got a friend who does RAGBRAI (the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) and it's something I've always wanted to do. 

I'd love to go on it next year. 

Tomorrow - "From Where I Walk"

May 13th Photo of the Day - "I Spy"

"I Spy"

I Spy my Summer Reading List!

I went a little crazy on Amazon a few weeks ago and got books that I've been wanting 

Everyone Wants To Be Me or Do Me - Tom & Lorenzo's Fabulous and Opinionated Guide to Celebrity Life and Style by Tom Fitzgerald & Lorenzo Marquez. I've loved their blog for years (especially the "Mad Men" recaps) and they've now put out a book about celebrity style and how be fabulous. 

Veronica Mars - The Thousand Dollar Tan Line - by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham. I'm a huge fan of Veronica Mars, including donating to the Kickstarter campaign to finance the "Veronica Mars" movie. This is the first, of hopefully many, novel to be written using the characters from the series.

But Now I See: My Journey from Blindness to Olympic Gold - by Steven Holcomb. Holcomb is one of the top bobsled drivers in the world, including bringing home a gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.  Holcomb unfortunately was going blind during his rise to Olympic glory. Plus Holcomb is a bear who likes to wear a whole lotta spandex. 

Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel - by Jason Padgett. The story of a man who was once just an average, underachieving guy. A decade ago a mugging left him with an injury that turned him into a mathematical genius. 

The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom - by Katherine McKnight. I had the opportunity to meet Ms. McKnight last year at a conference. I'm hoping to use some of the strategies in this book in my classroom. 

Differentiation by Rick Wormeli

Summarization in Any Subject by Rick Wormeli

25 Quick Formative Assessments for a Differentiated Classroom by Judith Dodge. Our school is very involved in the differentiation movement of education. These books are chock full of ways to integrate differentiation into my classroom. 

The Body You Want in the Time You Have by Myatt Murphy. I found this on the bargain table at Books-A-Million this afternoon. I've been looking for short, effective workouts that I can do in the morning. This book seems to have some great plans that I can use. 

Tomorrow - "Lines"

May 12th Photo of the Day - "Ready"

"Ready"

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

read·y

  [red-ee]

adjective, read·i·er, read·i·est.

1.

completely prepared or in fit condition for immediate action or use: troops ready for battle; Dinner isready.

2.

duly equipped, completed, adjusted, or arranged, as for an occasion or purpose: The mechanic called tosay that the car is ready.

3.

willing: ready to forgive.

4.

prompt or quick in perceiving, comprehending, speaking, writing, etc.

5.

proceeding from or showing such quickness: a ready reply.

This had to be the hardest word to think of a photo idea.  How does one put "ready" into pictorial form?

Today was an awful day. I felt like I was putting out fires that I didn't start. By 9:30 I was wondering what time the nearest bar opened. I was tense and I couldn't wait until dismissal at the end of the day. I had even texted my trainer and rescheduled my session for this afternoon. I just knew that it wasn't gonna happen.

Funny word "ready". It has different meanings, but when you really think about it, what does it truly look like?

Ready for dinner

I'm getting Ready

Ready for the World

Ready, Willing and Able

Rip Roaring and Ready To Go

And after today - I'm Ready for the School Year to be Finished

I also think about being ready for a change and being ready to MAKE a change. 

Making a change means taking that first step. 

Tomorrow - "I Spy"