tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-173710342011-11-25T09:50:12.068-06:00The author's perspective on the life and times of the author. A selective autobiography and commentary. Suitable for ages 14 and over. Some language and adult situations.ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.comBlogger5711100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-2993594744309596452011-08-17T18:26:00.004-05:002011-08-17T18:36:41.106-05:00

One day of school (Freshmen Day doesn't really count), and already a few challenges. Apparently, my yearbook staff will be expected to gather a grand photographic record of the 2011-2012 school year with a total of four cameras (all of various models, with various degrees of quality, wear, etc.). That isn't going to cut it. So, what do I do, having no money in the budget and probably not

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-3403513721840607812011-08-16T20:47:00.002-05:002011-08-16T20:54:57.144-05:00

And so here is how it most likely will be for a while: dashed off communiques between work and sleep. First day for freshmen today, followed by open house meant getting home at eight. Currently, I am sitting on the sofa waiting for Monkey to bring me some leftover pizza. In an hour it's off to bed so I can get ready for tomorrow. I will let you know about anything exciting. Currently

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-74616207108998200332011-08-08T17:35:00.005-05:002011-08-08T18:15:03.347-05:00

Summer It turns me upside down Summer, summer, summer It's like a merry-go-round. --The Cars, "Magic" This is always a bittersweet time of year for me. Tomorrow is the first official day that teachers are to report for duty. Students will not arrive until next Tuesday, and I have actually been doing some form of "work" or another since last Tuesday, but tomorrow it is official. On one hand, I

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-33300586917701551552011-08-05T15:51:00.004-05:002011-08-06T17:28:37.150-05:00

As evening drew to a close the night before, the batteries died in the camera, so, while others were able to snap pics with their new-fangled iPhones, I was left with nothing to offer in the way of visual accoutrement.We arose later than I anticipated from our tents along Fern Lake, but, after breakfast and discussion, Laura decided to stay at the campsite, while Mike, Monkey and I trekked the

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-68018444622905482342011-08-04T17:29:00.011-05:002011-08-04T18:00:56.400-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } @font-face

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-2496053343390661202011-08-03T20:22:00.010-05:002011-08-03T20:43:58.557-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-42117313070865111192011-08-02T08:55:00.015-05:002011-08-03T22:57:59.103-05:00

@font-face p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 {  @font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Our Tuesday hike was planned to Sky Pond,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-62166349548431753572011-07-27T15:22:00.004-05:002011-07-27T15:32:26.001-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } You may have noticed that I haven’t posted in a while. As I write this, it is Sunday, July 24. Depending on whether or not I can cadge some connectivity in the next several days, this may not be

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-73285756849874644382011-07-15T22:30:00.003-05:002011-07-15T22:34:42.236-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } So I’m packing my bags for the Misty Mountains Where the spirits go, now. Over the hills where the spirits fly. --Led Zeppelin, “Misty Mountain Hop” Early Saturday morning, Monkey and I are

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-68925605590204890852011-07-13T10:51:00.004-05:002011-07-13T11:12:20.935-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio?A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.--Simon and Garfunkle, "Mrs. Robinson"Last night’s MLB All-Star game was a bore. It started with a “

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-89137058547354260662011-07-11T11:57:00.003-05:002011-07-11T12:23:10.012-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Should we talk about the weather? Should we talk about the government? --REM, “Pop Song 89” The sweltering of the plains has begun in earnest for the summer. Saturday was steamy hot--which did not

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-26781732784554110932011-07-06T18:06:00.005-05:002011-07-06T19:31:01.437-05:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Monkey and I spent the past weekend visiting our friends from the Long Haul Project in Boston. I was not only looking forward to spending time with our “new” friends but never having been to Boston made

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-4641781417922825302011-06-29T08:37:00.008-05:002011-06-29T09:36:41.045-05:00

And it's cool and clean asSugar free jazz--Soul Coughing, "Sugar Free Jazz"A beautiful summer night, the end of June. Monkey and I decided, with no real premeditation to head down to the Sheldon Museum's sculpture garden for the final performance of the Jazz in June concert series. Monkey was going to be out visiting a friend, but she was going to be downtown, so I biked down and met her.The

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-5516549172960594812011-06-27T11:15:00.004-05:002011-06-27T11:50:42.224-05:00

"Melissa wants to talk to you about blogging," she said after swallowing her first bite of the evening's meal."What about?" He tears another bite from his cheeseburger.Dipping her burger into a small lake of ketchup on her plate: "She was curious why you don't do it anymore. She hasn't gotten to know you this past year."Through a mouthful of food: "It's all there.""What's all there?""Me. It's

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-90098962884199695692010-09-21T18:54:00.003-05:002010-09-21T19:25:42.303-05:00

I had this thought this week, one among many--most of which I spare you (like the one about unmoored epiphanies--when you feel like you've made some momentous realization about life, but you have know idea what it is or what it is about...ever had that happen to ya?)--in which I realized that I am a living example of an original American icon. I sat at my desk, completely frustrated by a couple

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-17025226999049040132010-09-08T20:36:00.005-05:002010-09-08T20:51:27.170-05:00

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to write curriculum for an online learning company. It sounded like a good gig, and they asked me during the summer, so I agreed to contract on for a unit or two. Of course, by the time the ball really got rolling on this project, we were into the school year. Needless to say, it has been hard to find time to get the extra work done.I am not really

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-25140578134966228082010-08-27T13:22:00.004-05:002010-08-27T13:37:52.483-05:00

After a full week, it seems like we are in full-on school mode. I am pretty beat, today, after a summer of not really pushing myself everyday, the grind of the "waking at 5 and working til 5" week caught up with me about Wednesday. After Monday, I felt awesome. The day had gone really well, I had accomplished everything that I had planned to accomplish, I was remembering my students' names (

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-74523263645816698552010-08-12T21:31:00.006-05:002010-08-12T22:14:49.049-05:00

When I think back on all the crap I learned in high school,It's a wonder I can think at all.And though my lack of education hasn't hurt me none,I can read the writing on the wall.--Paul Simon, "Kodachrome"The school stuff (after just a few days) is already catching up with me. Thus my silence this past week. But, I've got my room set up, I've figured out how to get from the car to my room in a

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-79097851037976187702010-08-06T12:32:00.006-05:002010-08-06T13:04:18.720-05:00

Occasionally, in a workshop or a meeting or reading some article somewhere, I'll come across the idea of a "passion." "What is your passion," a presenter may ask. Or a writer might espouse the beauty of her passion in the pages of the latest glossy magazine. I used to think that I didn't have a "passion." I used to think that there were plenty of things I was interested in, but nothing that I

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-33308882405214721482010-08-02T09:14:00.011-05:002010-08-02T15:43:53.457-05:00

Monkey and I have always been fond of a quote from Hank Aaron, one of my all-time favorite baseball players. Now, the circumstances of the conversation in which this quote was uttered escape me, but we heard of it in the midst of Barry Bonds' tainted pursuit of Aaron's all-time home run record. As Bonds crept up on Aaron's number, Monkey and I heard of Aaron responding perhaps to questions

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-39181608229711036442010-07-23T20:01:00.003-05:002010-07-23T20:32:16.624-05:00

In Baltimore, a little way up Harford Road, you'll find Clifton Park. It's on the east side of the road, and stretches all the way over to Belair Road. There's a public golf course, and, nearby, you'll find what used to be called Lake Clifton High School. Clifton Park, if I am not mistaken, used to be the country estate of Johns Hopkins, the man who now has his name on a prestigious university

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-87175984240090361542010-07-21T10:56:00.003-05:002010-07-21T11:40:30.744-05:00

What are you? Are you more prone to identify yourself by some familial relationship (mother, father, brother, sister, aunt), or are you more likely to identify yourself by your profession (teacher, chef, truck driver, manager)? Are you the thing you practice (writer, musician, quilter), or the thing you have nearly perfected (scrap booker, reader, gardener)? Are you all of these things?Well,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-89333516045646808772010-07-19T12:39:00.007-05:002010-07-19T13:16:18.280-05:00

I have written about three versions of what went down this weekend, when the Long Haulers came to visit. Nothing captures what really went down. So, I have decided that, rather than twist in the scrivening wind a fourth time, I will simply give you a bullet pointed version of the weekend.--Meeting Melissa and Tom on Friday at Bread and Cup was great fun. They seemed really interesting and

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-39115392434642074382010-07-16T08:16:00.004-05:002010-07-16T08:55:19.912-05:00

So, hooray, they may have finally plugged the oil leak. That's great. It really is. But, I just can't get too excited over it. I think I am suffering from too much cynicism. Or maybe it's just reality. I mean, plugging up a deep sea gusher after three months and 200 million gallons is like signing a peace treaty after a mutually destructive global nuclear war. I mean, let the healing begin

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-45030082705070884162010-07-07T09:54:00.003-05:002010-07-07T10:28:49.599-05:00

In the dull morning light at the edge of town, Holly lifted the blinds and sighed. Out the window, the rain had doused the street trash and left it running in the gutter. Her face held the reflected gloom in the wrinkled corners of her eyes and the crags that traced her jowls from mouth's edge to chin. She hacked. She coughed. She got up out of the bed.She'd had a rough time of it the last

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-39749948334175593522010-07-05T10:16:00.006-05:002010-07-05T11:25:55.496-05:00

I never grew up with the fireworks tradition. Yes, we'd have a Fourth of July cook out every year. We'd swim and eat hot dogs and potato salad. Sometimes, we'd go to a parade. Sometimes, we'd make our way to Fullerton for some professional displays of glowing metal and gun powder flares. A couple of years, someone would even procure some bottle rockets or fire crackers and light a few off in

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-91237663044589977742010-06-30T13:06:00.004-05:002010-06-30T13:35:09.057-05:00

Don't let the rain come downMy roof's got a hole in it and I might drown.--Serendipity Singers, "Don't Let the Rain Come Down"Sometimes, a forty-one year old man can fool himself into thinking he is still a kid. It doesn't last for long, but there are those moments: the first day of vacation, an unexpected bout of inclement weather that keeps him from work, an exceptional ice cream cone on a hot

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-34737197452536908052010-06-27T12:36:00.004-05:002010-06-27T12:53:13.784-05:00

I took another lengthy ride last week, from our house, out east about 45 blocks, then north for several miles, then further east on the out of town extension of the trail that I had ridden earlier in the week when I was finding my way to my new school. I rode back home on the same trail I rode back on earlier in the week, too. The round trip was about twenty-six miles, I think, as I basically

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-65920979708259828082010-06-23T17:13:00.003-05:002010-06-23T17:47:05.714-05:00

Monday, after the morning gully washer had passed, after some R and R with the dogs, after soccer, lunch, and other trivial pursuits, I decided to pedal my wait out to my new work environment to see what the best way to bike there might be. Perusals of maps determined that it was possible to get from here to there using commuter trails, rather than on road routes, but the situation on the ground

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-73166502939974269212010-06-21T10:35:00.003-05:002010-06-21T11:33:06.101-05:00

What a weekend of camaraderie, sportsmanship (poor and otherwise), local travel, and frustration we had here at Central Standard. Our foray into the world of competitive rec league basketball left us with a realization that we really aren't as quick as we used to be, our Monkey is a good sport, and I play ball with a swell bunch of guys.Saturday's first game, against a team of sub-21 year olds,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-80705759628648168782010-06-18T19:37:00.002-05:002010-06-18T19:58:29.956-05:00

I play basketball a couple nights a week with some guys in a tiny gym that is part of a local church. It is not a full size court, by any means. As a matter of fact, it is most likely smaller than the small court I used to play ball on down in the bowels of the Columbia Daily Tribune complex. The guys I play with are as misfit as the court on which we play. We have an age range from late

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-52883548802186050802010-06-16T11:25:00.003-05:002010-06-16T11:52:53.920-05:00

In 2006, Monkey and I spent part of June in Maine. In 2007, Monkey and I spent part of June moving from CoMO to Lincoln. In 2008, Monkey and I spent part of Jun in Italy. Last year, Monkey and I spent part of June in OCMD. This year, we aren't going anywhere.For the most, we are staying put this month due to our new puppy. We will be heading to Colorado at the end of July, but, right now, we

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-48206669181543404812010-06-15T20:22:00.003-05:002010-06-15T20:27:51.685-05:00

I have always been a Brett Favre fan. He's always been an exciting football player, he seems to do a lot of good work for charity, he seems to be a decent husband and father. He just doesn't know when to quit. Apparently, I don't either.In the two months plus that I have been un-CS, I have felt something has been missing in my life. And, darn it, a lot has happened in those two months that I

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-33787593608060674852010-03-23T11:05:00.002-05:002010-03-23T11:10:20.807-05:00

This is it. The last post at Central Standard. It's time to retire this little bastard journal of my life, times, and mind.But, I am not done with blogging. I am just shifting gears, and focusing my recording on a new development in my life (and Monkey's, too). In a few weeks, we will be bringing home a new puppy. He is already named: Parker. So, I have decided, in the tradition of many

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-32961190627925706662010-03-01T18:18:00.003-06:002010-03-01T19:09:58.302-06:00

Every year at True/False, Monkey and I immerse ourselves in the doc film world. Ten to twelve movies each festival give us plenty to think about afterward. Each year we try to determine which films we liked most and least. Sometimes we disagree. This year, we are in total agreement.Of course, to say one film was the "best" is perhaps incorrect, or, at best, imprecise. Each of the films was

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-39563206625032918802010-02-26T12:44:00.002-06:002010-02-26T12:50:53.645-06:00

Monkey and I met Uncle Joe for sushi last night. It was awesome. Not only was hanging with the biggest dog lover in Missouri (if not the world) a great joy, but the sushi at Osaka was top notch. It made all of the rushing around yesterday in order to get out of town by 4pm worth it. Once again, comoprozac and RAD are being kind enough to put us up for the weekend.It's pretty busy around (The

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-5310118827580805812010-02-25T14:39:00.003-06:002010-02-25T14:49:52.913-06:00

I haven't watched much of the Winter Olympics this time around. I've sen a curling match here and there, and Monkey and I did watch most of the ice dancing, but I don't think I have sat down and watched a whole evening's worth of programming on NBC since the opening ceremony. I did get the opportunity to watch some ski jumping a few days back, and I have watched just a few minutes of half pipe.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-58519497523532391602010-02-22T17:36:00.003-06:002010-02-22T17:47:28.757-06:00

I know you all think I am the epitome of cool. The general consensus is that I am as trendy as they come, as hip as hip can be, as cool as the inside of Prince Pucklers in August. But, really, I am not.Case in point: I love doing crossword puzzles. Honestly, give me a whole day with nothing to do and a stack o' crosswords and I am a happy man. I will ignore food, sleep, and bodily functions

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-56840312009299621782010-02-18T17:20:00.002-06:002010-02-18T17:32:12.994-06:00

Alright, I'll admit it, I am a sucker. Today is an excellent day on my annual calendar, as Spring Training begins for my old hometown ball team, the Baltimore Orioles. Another sign that spring is soon to arrive has been reached, as the tradition of Spring Training leads into the anticipation of Opening Day, a sign, itself, of summer's impending arrival. I am sure I am not the only person who

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-78227984608133875112010-02-15T17:13:00.002-06:002010-02-15T17:21:25.461-06:00

Weirdness here in the Plains, yesterday. About 9am or so, we started getting some snow. A few hours later, the snow shower was over, and we had about two inches or less on the ground. And then, the wind really kicked up, blowing in gusts of 40 mph or more. The Interstate was closed due to white out conditions, and multi-car wrecks of up to thirty cars occurred on highways all over the state.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-63531821130678507842010-02-11T18:13:00.006-06:002010-02-11T18:38:19.084-06:00

When we pass each other in the halls, sometimes we teachers, as most folks do, ask each other how its going. You know, a time honored way of acknowledging each others' being as we move through the atmosphere. Sometimes, we might respond, "Living the dream!" Of course, we are being facetious, to some extent, right? Is this the dream? Is this the life we imagined for ourselves? I guess it

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-19805521202990993542010-02-08T17:40:00.003-06:002010-02-08T17:48:23.247-06:00

Woke this morning to new snowfall. Nothing like recent big storms in other parts of our nation, but still another in a long stretch of frozen water torture. On the drive home this morning, the temperature was reported as seven degrees. Old Man Winter and Mother Nature have certainly teamed up to put the screws to a large portion of the land since December. Folks around these parts (as I have

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-51785398009537056182010-02-07T10:30:00.004-06:002010-02-08T17:51:37.839-06:00

While the East Coast got hammered with Biblical amounts of snow this weekend (which apparently most denizens of the region seemed to enjoy, according to an unscientific anecdotal study), we here in CS land got anything ranging from four inches of really wet snow to "janky" gray slush (sorry BE). Emotions here are ranging from angry disappointment to angry weariness. We here in Cornopolis have

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-85705830017288962362010-02-02T17:40:00.002-06:002010-02-02T17:45:46.435-06:00

I will spare you an extended homage to the groundhog. It has been done before, and I don't want to be too predictable. Today, after all, is merely the spectacular end of a long and difficult year for whistle pigs everywhere, a year in which they are mostly disregarded, or hunted and killed, with no real in between. On this day, they are paid tense attention to, with many celebrating, and some

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-78371130141732342892010-01-30T09:53:00.003-06:002010-01-30T10:13:44.319-06:00

There's this whole big to do here in Cornopolis over Miss Nebraska (a newscaster on one of the local channels), and her experiences out in Las Vegas, where she is participating in the Miss Universe pageant. The front page of the local rag has a teaser of the story in the "insignificant news" section (which is cleverly (and annoyingly) titled "The (402) 411" (as in, the information for the zip

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-52356009912954858212010-01-29T20:00:00.003-06:002010-01-29T20:07:36.315-06:00

Yeah, so, January is just clipping along, right? And I am posting, like, every other day, keeping tabs on the ramblings and perambulations of myself, you know? And then, WHAM! Everything just stops. No posts. No nothing. What the hell, man?It's the same old story, all this stuff that needs to get done. All these other distractions. The other interactivities. But, we can't just let

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-20359875392081512942010-01-20T19:36:00.004-06:002010-01-20T19:58:20.775-06:00

Yet another post, making January the busiest month of the year, so far!Today was somehow an awesome day. The portended freezing rain never materialized, due to the lack of freezing temps (funny how that happens). As a result, I didn't have to scrape my windows for the first time in at least four weeks (except for those days when I didn't have to scrape my window because I didn't have to go

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-68973128645572976282010-01-19T19:41:00.006-06:002010-01-19T20:04:59.801-06:00

Mr. Horrible? Mr. Horrible?There's a phone call for Mr. Horrible.--They Might Be Giants, "Someone Keeps Moving My Chair"Did you ever have one of those days when you worked for ten hours or so, and, when you looked around at the end of the day, you seemed to have accomplished not one thing? That was my day. We start our second semester on Wednesday, so today was a workday. I had one section of

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-11123982570017624802010-01-18T13:42:00.003-06:002010-01-18T13:48:35.048-06:00

It is one of the little joys in life, walking the dog on a Monday at noon. It's one of those things one doesn't get to do often (admittedly I get to do it more often than most, especially in the summer months, but I digress). So, as Ripken and I trotted through the fog-beshrouded neighborhood, tenuously picking our way through icy patches and climbing the vestiges of snow mountains left by

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-42764159003911931882010-01-17T19:05:00.003-06:002010-01-17T19:14:35.539-06:00

Winter is really wearing on me, right now. After a three week period in December/January that dumped a couple of feet of snow and some bone-chilling temps, things have been dry (but gray), and warmer (like 35). So, that leaves us with slushy roads, monstrous potholes, and massive piles of dirty snow. It's not pretty, anymore.I know that winter happens every year, and that each time I welcome

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-10305838238255638652010-01-15T06:28:00.005-06:002010-01-15T06:32:22.379-06:00

You read it here. I'm just happy to know that the end of the world is still on schedule. How messed up would that be, if it showed up late (or early).Side note to La Fashionista: You keep David Hasselhoff out of my living room. I don't care what time it is.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-14996587886659764692010-01-14T08:43:00.004-06:002010-01-14T08:49:09.689-06:00

After being sent this link by my boss today, I am wondering if his intention is to suggest that not enough of we teachers are doing our part to sustain the Earth. Should we die faster? Walk more? Feed our overweight people to our undernourished? Should we turn out the lights? Turn off the computers? Publish fewer newspapers? Stop making cars?All of these things might be good things to do (

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-20964184587705136842010-01-12T15:40:00.005-06:002010-01-12T22:01:18.003-06:00

I am not a consistent watcher of late night TV. I am usually in bed by the time the late local news comes on, and if I do stay up to watch something on past 10pm, I am probably watching a sporting event or The Daily Show (and that not often). I used to be a Letterman devotee, back in the twentieth century, and I never liked Leno or Conan that much. Well, truth be told, I can stomach Conan in

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-49587632303982552382010-01-11T16:03:00.003-06:002010-01-11T16:07:55.154-06:00

It was announced today that Mark McGwire has admitted to using steroids. All I can say is: "Well, duh."At least now we know that the 1998 home run race between him and Sammy Sosa was evenly matched: one 'roided meat head vs. another. Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals were heard to exclaim, upon hearing the news, "At least our 'roided meat head won."And so it goes.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-68982418889363990432010-01-10T12:16:00.002-06:002010-01-10T12:20:41.052-06:00

Monkey thinks she needs to get the dog out of the house. It's Sunday. I will be watching the Ravens. That means I will be screaming at the TV, most likely. They are playing the Patriots. That means I will be screaming at the TV more than usual, most likely. It is a Wild Card Playoff game. That means...well, you get the picture.You might recall last year, I resolved (sort of) to not get so

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-91609293702413825132010-01-08T10:09:00.003-06:002010-01-08T11:31:14.724-06:00

So, it's ten below here, colder than yesterday, and the third day that our school district has canceled classes due to the most recent weather unpleasantness. For those keeping score, this is the second three day stretch this school year. For you mathematically challenged readers, that is six inclement weather days, which is one more than our calendar can absorb. As well, finals are supposed

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-47156081338655616012010-01-06T09:44:00.003-06:002010-01-06T09:51:15.947-06:00

So, here I sit in my comfortable sun room chair, at 9:44 am, tapping away on my laptop, instead of preparing for second block. Why, you might ask? Because we have been granted our fourth snow day of the school year, due to forecasts of day long snow, heavy winds, and ridiculously low temperatures. The highs for the next two days are at or near 0 (yes, that's right: HIGHS). As we hitch and

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-19820791271843937162010-01-02T21:44:00.002-06:002010-01-02T21:48:05.256-06:00

I used to really get a kick out of these Honkworm animations. Ah, who am I kidding? I still get a kick out of them.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-11188041068723782252010-01-01T11:01:00.004-06:002010-01-01T11:20:53.039-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!Things that are different this morning:--dog is much better--everything is one day older--I am now a person who has seen AVATAR (in 2D)--we are dangerously low on pie and cookies (the holidays must be coming to a close)--Mizzou is embarrassed after dismantling by Navy--about a million other thingsThings that are the same this morning:--it's snowing here (just flurries)--

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-82005261533795196962009-12-29T14:13:00.003-06:002009-12-29T14:30:56.532-06:00

Ripken was pretty sore yesterday after returning from the vet. His surgery consisted of the removal of six tumors (all of the fatty, benign variety). Some were located in such a position that he could not lie down with any comfort for most of the night. He was given the recommended dosage of baby aspirin, and he did lie down for an hour from 8 to 9 and from 11 to 12, but for the rest of the

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-89477869035365119032009-12-28T15:10:00.004-06:002009-12-28T15:27:05.809-06:00

The last Monday of the old year has been a memorable one, for sure. First, it has finally stopped snowing here, and we are almost finished digging out (as a municipality). One side of our street has been plowed, and we expect the other side to be done sometime before spring. Our own walkways and driveways have been cleared and re-cleared over the course of the last four days or so. I am

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-39426231322203743852009-12-24T12:50:00.004-06:002009-12-24T21:51:02.725-06:00

So, yesterday we got the ice. The streets were passable, but the trees and shrubs and other such vertical and semi-vertical stuff all got a nice sheen of frozen beauty to click clack in the wind with. Today comes the snow, which some reports say we should get 10 inches of by Friday night. I hope all the Kris Kringle's and Jessica Kringle's, all the reindeer, and all the elves take special care

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-1328040719030832652009-12-21T07:55:00.002-06:002009-12-21T08:10:59.869-06:00

Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac--Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer"(I apologize if my opening lyric today causes anyone shock or illness.)I know I JUST said, "Don't look back," but, upon a request from a fellow Blogoshpherian, I compiled a short list of the top ten albums of the year. If you are at all interested, you may access it here.Plans for today include a short

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-42986577398630104922009-12-20T17:50:00.002-06:002009-12-20T18:07:28.253-06:00

All we have is now.--The Flaming Lips, "All We Have Is Now"As the year draws to a close, it is natural that we wish to look back, to gauge the year just past to see what was good and what was not, to see how we progressed as we made our way down the road of life. This year, we might feel even more tempted to look back and measure the decade that is drawing to a close (depending on whom you talk

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-67828823967726077022009-12-18T15:20:00.001-06:002009-12-18T15:22:36.044-06:00

Technically, I am on break. Actually, I am sitting in my classroom waiting for a student to finish a make up quiz. But, in the next ten minutes or so, I am tearing out of here!Just thought you'd want to know that I had survived in one relatively healthy and sane piece. I'll be shouting at you again soon.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-20662029171118441162009-12-17T18:55:00.002-06:002009-12-17T19:09:36.483-06:00

There are a few things we have to look forward to this holiday season.First, Monkey has been on her special (and very annoying) no iodide diet to prepare for her latest scan to check her thyroid. She has been eating roasted vegetables and oatmeal since the day after Thanksgiving. She is very excited to be able to eat whatever she wants. That begins tomorrow afternoon.Also on tomorrow afternoon

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-3084674748876947442009-12-16T06:34:00.005-06:002009-12-16T06:45:21.195-06:00

Ye Ole Hump Day hath arrived. Plans are looking pretty solid and feeling pretty realistically survivable. When you get into this particular week of the school year, you have to ask yourself, "What can we seriously expect to accomplish today?" The trick is not to scrap everything that is worthwhile, but to maintain expectations that are achievable. But then, isn't that always the case? I

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-12330016717181224762009-12-14T15:50:00.004-06:002009-12-14T15:58:02.248-06:00

This Monday marks Day One of the Five Days To Winter Break Countdown. In reality, this countdown is part of a larger December Countdown to Winter Break, which, in turn is part of the Post-Thanksgiving Countdown to Winter Break, which, again, in turn, is part of the Post-Fall Break Countdown to Winter Break. You may notice that we do a lot of counting down around here.It was a pretty manageable

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-47727480754506545612009-12-12T08:27:00.004-06:002009-12-12T08:48:12.169-06:00

It's been a while since I have done a top ten list, so.....Top Ten Reasons There Should Be a Mammoth Snow Storm Every Monday Night (from the home office in Savage, MD)10. I've got all this firewood. I need time to use it.9. My shoveling skills get out of practice.8. People don't wear (or say) things like "long johns" enough.7. I love the smell of snow blower exhaust in the morning. It smells

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-86450902322303944782009-12-10T10:37:00.002-06:002009-12-10T10:45:07.992-06:00

I really can't explain it, but, just as Monkey and I headed to bed for a long winter's nap, we got the news that school was canceled again, today. I know that three days off is going to play heck with the end of the term (especially since this is an already too-short eight week term), but, like I have said before, we'll just have to deal with that. The residential streets are still pretty hard

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-15479924054447319752009-12-09T13:29:00.003-06:002009-12-09T13:37:25.517-06:00

The blizzard has passed. The driveway is cleared. The walks are cleared. The cars are dug out. The sun is shining, making it abundantly bright and clear what makes us love snow, even when we are humping our three thousandth shovelful onto a pile as tall as our head.The dog has carved out a thin path from the backdoor to an acceptable post, but the depth of the snow has made him reticent to

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-36304721984035584982009-12-08T17:19:00.002-06:002009-12-08T17:24:31.077-06:00

Snow day is drawing to a close. Spent the day reading, sitting by the fire, shoveling the drive way--you know, those sorts of snow day things. Monkey and I are currently watching AWAY WE GO (Monkey has taken a snack break). No word on tomorrow, but I expect we'll be back to school tomorrow.*****NEWS FLASH*****Monkey just checked the LPS website, and they just posted that we have NO SCHOOL

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-85309098346399080302009-12-07T22:15:00.003-06:002009-12-07T22:28:30.658-06:00

It has been snowing for only a few hours, but LPS has called school for tomorrow. That is a nice treat, knowing about a snow day ahead of time. It's also nice to have a snow day on the day after PT conferences. It's a long day, and I appreciate not having to scurry around to get things ready in the morning after having left the building less than 12 hours before.Monkey made a scrumptious

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-2078828513295041872009-12-06T17:55:00.006-06:002009-12-06T19:19:12.588-06:00

December arrived determined to wipe away any memories of a balmy November. Global warming is not on any one's mind today, here in Cornopolis. It's pretty chilly out there, and the snow has been falling slowly since about ten this morning. The next couple days could bring us six inches or so, all told. It probably won't close schools tomorrow or Tuesday, but it might be enough to make Parent

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-612787032380735162009-11-28T16:08:00.002-06:002009-11-28T16:12:04.073-06:00

Well, I don't know what I will do with myself for the rest of the month, but I am finished with this year's awful first draft! Just made it to the end, and, if my last novel-in-a-month is any indication, this one needs about five more years of work before it even makes sense.So, maybe I will be blogging a bit more frequently. Take that as a promise or a threat, but for today, I am tired of

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-35342550775474632392009-11-25T22:01:00.004-06:002009-11-25T22:06:41.964-06:00

As I furiously try to catch up from my unproductive (writing-wise) weekend, a fortnight ago (I hope to sail past 40,000 words tonight and continue until I am at least on schedule, or ahead--time is getting short), I thought I would take a short break to update you on the one thing that I am able to do simultaneously with writing--growing facial hair.This picture was taken yesterday. I decided to

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-76389913323775449402009-11-18T06:50:00.003-06:002009-11-18T06:56:14.970-06:00

The fatal injustice of it all. The true end of an era. The cosmic angle CA to Michael Jackson's AB and John Hughes' BC. The rule of three (sorry, Farrah, but you were of a different time). I refer to the startling news this morning that Ken Ober is dead.Yet, Colin Quinn lives...go figure.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-7382845457411062202009-11-17T21:00:00.003-06:002009-11-17T21:07:58.408-06:00

Hey! As I said earlier, I have been dedicating my writer muscles to NaNoWriMo, but I thought I would send out an update to those who might wander by here while I am occupied. This evening, only two days behind schedule, I reached the mid-point of this year's writing marathon. At 25,000 words, I don't know if I am at the midpoint of the novel itself, but I am at the midpoint of the prescribed

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-61169689103918071582009-11-04T17:18:00.003-06:002009-11-04T17:25:59.118-06:00

November is a month without a rep. The Great Pumpkin has forsaken us again, and left us drunk, wet, and cold, shivering in the pumpkin patch to welcome All Saints' Day alone. Kris Kringle is still many weeks away, with his thin reeded pipe, his coal-black boots, his snowy evenings, and his merry freaking self.What does November have? The broad-breasted white turkey? Perhaps one of the

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-53223089231551468752009-10-29T22:05:00.004-05:002009-10-29T22:18:52.593-05:00

Our recent trip to visit the Ambassadors took us to several rural-type spots, as well as the more metropolitan haunts of the Twin Cities. One particular spot, Aamodt's Apple Farm, in Stillwater, was a festival of apples of many kinds. We couldn't help but bring back sacks full of Honeycrisp and (Monkey's new favorite) Keepsake apples, and we also loaded up with new candidates for pie-making, the

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-78647442472796914352009-10-27T19:38:00.003-05:002009-10-27T20:02:48.460-05:00

As I am on Fall break, it was a better idea for me to take the Civic in for new tires than for Monkey to do it. After all, when I checked my calendar, today yawned with a galactic emptiness. When Monkey checked her calendar, she had an eye doctor's appointment (and some other stuff). Of course, that all changed when a co-worker invited me out to lunch with a crew. Mind you, this was no ordinary

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-80679018774096544292009-10-20T17:47:00.002-05:002009-10-20T17:55:47.103-05:00

The title of today's post is attributed to a master of linguistic humor, Groucho Marx. Another favorite of mine from him: "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." Funny, huh?This is the last week of term one. Finals begin on Thursday. It has been a whirlwind start to the school year, some of which has been documented here. I will be glad to

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-58870564918533775322009-10-15T06:43:00.004-05:002009-12-20T18:08:25.171-06:00

This is not the kind of news to start a day with, but I must make note of the passing of 80s wrestling icon (and video actor) "Captain" Lou Albano. Growing up, I don't think I ever saw Albano actually wrestle, he just barked into the mike and made wierd faces at the camera, but he was a huge personality in that world. In addition, he forever linked himself with 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-17947059680911371112009-10-14T18:53:00.002-05:002009-10-14T19:14:18.238-05:00

I can't help but feel like this some days.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-49727974145437877792009-10-12T17:31:00.003-05:002009-10-12T18:23:28.804-05:00

In the chill of an early October morning, dark except for the glow of streetlights and their reflections on the low-hanging clouds spitting rain above, a vehicle navigates its way through the desolate streets. Its headlights peel back the night before it, as it passes a hedgerow on one side and a burnt out lamp on the other. Suddenly (as is always the case) a small brown rabbit leaps from the

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-66667094070912230922009-10-11T10:06:00.002-05:002009-10-11T10:08:47.557-05:00

Monkey and I are off to local restaurant, Venue, to sample their new breakfast menu...for free. Our reservations are for 10:30, so I gotta go. I'll give you a review later, perhaps.Hooray for free breakfast!

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-81465547263122559902009-10-10T11:27:00.002-05:002009-10-10T11:32:03.334-05:00

This was the view from our back porch this morning (notice the white stuff covering the grass).

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-27686383609674685392009-10-09T18:15:00.004-05:002009-10-09T18:33:01.743-05:00

A rough day for Missouri sports fans yesterday, as Matt Holiday booted the game-ending out, giving the Trolley Dodgers a chance to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Being down 0-2 with your best pitchers waiting their next turn is not a good position for the Redbirds to find themselves in. Let's hope they can mine Busch Stadium for some comeback magic of their own.As that game was coming to

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-84040805665045031622009-10-07T18:02:00.006-05:002009-10-07T18:44:06.148-05:00

A big weekend is brewing here at Central Standard. After navigating another week of shepherding the churlen through the world of critical thinking, close reading, and developed writing, Monkey and I will be heading to a local book store to hear former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser read from his latest. Monkey is especially excited about this, since she has been desultorily stalking the diminutive

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-29102313832039226422009-10-06T18:20:00.005-05:002009-10-06T18:46:42.796-05:00

Another long week (and it's only Tuesday) got me to thinking about alternate plans...

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-4333108151210572962009-09-30T18:26:00.003-05:002009-09-30T18:35:16.996-05:00

Tonight, I am picking up a new bike I just bought! Okay, it's not new, but the guy I am buying it from bought it in April, so it's practically new. It's a Giant FCR1, a flat bar road bike. I think I am going to love it! The guy I am buying it from is a friend whom I play basketball with. He is moving back to Philly (shout out!), and he is only taking what he can carry in his Jeep. So, I offered

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-84134498926312919492009-09-24T16:35:00.004-05:002009-09-24T16:45:55.152-05:00

On Wednesday, as you recall, I woke up thinking it was Friday.This afternoon, as I left my classroom, I had a "V8" moment, realizing I forgot to hand out something to my students that they were going to need to do their reading OVER THE WEEKEND. Yup, I thought it was Friday, again.Finally, tomorrow will be Friday, and this interminable week will be over. I'll probably spend all day thinking

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-44382825130480987702009-09-23T17:38:00.004-05:002009-09-23T17:47:41.762-05:00

A good number of rail road tracks run through Cornopolis. Many of them are still in frequent use. A corridor through the north of town is a high frequency rail stretch, and residents have been complaining about train whistles for some time.See, these trains, they cross a number of roads in the area, and, each time they approach an intersection, the trains sound their whistles to warn approaching

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-82530677107468893072009-09-23T17:26:00.003-05:002009-09-23T17:29:02.188-05:00

Parent-teacher meetings were on Monday of this week. Ugh. A long Monday makes for a long week. Probably another reason why no posting.I was busy with meeting for three solid hours after school, but that helped the time to pass quickly. Unfortunately, I think it also had something to do with me thinking that today was Friday when I woke up, this morning.That's a nasty trick to play on oneself.

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-36926089669665836752009-09-23T17:20:00.003-05:002009-09-23T17:26:06.498-05:00

I really like Fall. I mean, I like all of the season's, but I probably like Fall the best. Cool days, crisp nights, rustling leaves, football, World Series, the preparations for the winter ahead. It puts me in mind of school (which I am obviously kind of fond of) and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" (which I am also kind of fond of) and a million other things (like "It's The Great Pumpkin,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-91626928450108715792009-09-23T17:15:00.003-05:002009-09-23T17:19:55.194-05:00

I have been incommunicado for many days, yes, but with good reason. The first reason was that some time last week, my computer contracted an evil little trojan. I spent three days trying to figure out where it was hiding and what I needed to get rid of it. After many hours, I finally wiped it out.Coincidentally, it tried to come back a couple of days later, but I caught it before it could

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-8233386204178182672009-09-14T18:54:00.003-05:002009-09-14T18:58:43.664-05:00

Today sucked! I don't know why. It started out just fine. But, fifteen year-olds sometimes just have a way of being total dicks, even when they are not trying to be total dicks. But, they do sometimes try to be total dicks, and they usually succeed. However, let me be clear, today, no one was TRYING to be a total dick. But, well, they just were.Fiddle-dee-dee. Tomorrow is another

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-22956580422477078702009-09-13T12:15:00.004-05:002009-09-14T18:53:59.357-05:00

The Monkey and I celebrated our eleventh wedding anniversary on Saturday night. Being rebellious, we jumped the gift list. Traditionally, eleven is the steel anniversary, but last year, Monkey got me tickets to see the NCAA basketball tournament opening rounds (the rim is the steel). The modern list says this year should have been fashion jewelry, but that's what I got her last year. As a result,

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-20758126836476527912009-09-07T15:24:00.000-05:002009-09-07T18:28:43.065-05:00

I have been so fired up about the stupid controversy over the president's speech tomorrow that I have not known what to say. I still don't. So, I am not saying anything, except %^$#@*&^!I spent about four hours at school today, getting ready for the week ahead. A short week that starts with a short day should be easy enough, but, believe it or not, mid-term grades are due next week, so, no

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17371034.post-18783190228477309352009-09-06T18:13:00.000-05:002009-09-07T18:24:24.000-05:00

The end of an era drove Monkey and I to the state fair today. After Labor Day, the Nebraska State Fair is packing up and leaving its once "permanent" home in Lincoln and is travelling west a piece to Grand Island. So, we figured we'd best discover the glory of fried food on a stick Cornhusker style this year, since the odds of us making the multi-hour trip to GI next year is slim.I spent many

ATRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15116878596007440093noreply@blogger.com5