Some people run marathon races - 26 grueling kilometers. Some people bicycle 50 + miles - avoiding cars, pot holes, and other road dangers. I, on the other hand, am a marathon AP teacher. The AP test is coming up on May 10th. Last weekend (and the next one) I went to school both Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 in the afternoon and hosted a practice session for my students. Going to school throughout the weekend can be quite peculiar. Today, Monday, for example, I really had trouble deciding WHAT day it was.
What added to the oddness of the weekend was Charlie's field trips to the desert for his Earthquakes class. He decided to get both field trips in on one weekend. This meant that he left the house at 7 am both mornings to drive to USC.
To sum it up, he and I have been getting up at dawn non-stop for two weeks straight and going off to work. Although I have the practices next weekend too, we won't have the early morning wake up calls for desert trips. After that week end, things really calm down. I'll be ready.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
It'll be so quiet around here
The past week we've had lots of company. First Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley came to visit. Kayley, who's eight months old, crawls around like a commando and finds things that are dangerous. Our job is to turn her around. They stayed Sunday through Wednesday. Kayley wasn't so sure about strangers picking her up. All my explanations about being her grandma didn't get me very far. She's fun to watch anyhow. Fortunately, it was my spring break so I had time to watch Kayley and take little trips about. We went to Old Town Pasadena by the Gold Line. We went to Target and Costco.
On Thursday, the Vancouver Sammises went to the other grandparents house, and Thursday night, very late, the Hayward Sammises showed up. Ian, Sarah, Sean and Harriet came to visit. We hung around on Friday morning. Friday afternoon we all went to see "How to Train Your Dragon". Since Harriet is only three, we didn't try the 3-D version of the movie - the glasses just don't fit. I think she liked it - I'm sure the rest of us did.
Saturday everybody came by. We had lunch for all the grown children their wives, and all the grandkids. Harriet and Sean had a chance to meet Kayley. It was very sweet. After lunch, Ian, Glenn, Krysty, and I (with Glenn toting Kayley in a front carrier) went for a walk to Union Bakery for sweets. My brother Gary and his wife showed up a little later - so sweets and coffee - and, of course, chats.
Sunday Ian, Sarah, Sean and Harriet drove back up to Hayward. Monday evening Glenn, Krysty and Kayley came for a good bye supper. This evening Kayley had her dinner here, then off they went. They'll be driving back - slowly - to Vancouver starting tomorrow.
This evening just Charlie and me. After Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley left this evening it seemed exceptionally quiet even though we've had quiet evenings during the last week. Just knowing everyone is back to their respective home (or on the way at least) made it seem quieter.
On Thursday, the Vancouver Sammises went to the other grandparents house, and Thursday night, very late, the Hayward Sammises showed up. Ian, Sarah, Sean and Harriet came to visit. We hung around on Friday morning. Friday afternoon we all went to see "How to Train Your Dragon". Since Harriet is only three, we didn't try the 3-D version of the movie - the glasses just don't fit. I think she liked it - I'm sure the rest of us did.
Saturday everybody came by. We had lunch for all the grown children their wives, and all the grandkids. Harriet and Sean had a chance to meet Kayley. It was very sweet. After lunch, Ian, Glenn, Krysty, and I (with Glenn toting Kayley in a front carrier) went for a walk to Union Bakery for sweets. My brother Gary and his wife showed up a little later - so sweets and coffee - and, of course, chats.
Sunday Ian, Sarah, Sean and Harriet drove back up to Hayward. Monday evening Glenn, Krysty and Kayley came for a good bye supper. This evening Kayley had her dinner here, then off they went. They'll be driving back - slowly - to Vancouver starting tomorrow.
This evening just Charlie and me. After Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley left this evening it seemed exceptionally quiet even though we've had quiet evenings during the last week. Just knowing everyone is back to their respective home (or on the way at least) made it seem quieter.
Monday, April 5, 2010
being a grandma
Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley have been staying here for the past few nights. Kayley is eight months old and is adorable. She crawls around checking things out. We put toys on the floor that are nice and safe. She checks them out for a few seconds, then goes on to much more interesting things - like electric cords and fireplace pokers. The human race is fascinating. It's amazing anyone grows up beyond a few months.
Glenn and Krysty feed her, bathe her, and try to get her to try to go to sleep. She really likes their company and isn't so sure about sleeping in a room alone. As I sit and write this note, she's downstairs, sleeping away on Glenn's chest. She had been in the room upstairs, but woke to discover no one was about. So, she's now downstairs with company. When you can't talk to someone and have any sort of conversation about how "big girls" would go to sleep, you just have to make do.
As a grandma, (grandpas get equal privileges) we get to buy her toys, ooh and aah, and best of all find her parents when things go awry. Sean and Harriet provided equal memories of life with babies. Sigh. They are awfully cute though.
Glenn and Krysty feed her, bathe her, and try to get her to try to go to sleep. She really likes their company and isn't so sure about sleeping in a room alone. As I sit and write this note, she's downstairs, sleeping away on Glenn's chest. She had been in the room upstairs, but woke to discover no one was about. So, she's now downstairs with company. When you can't talk to someone and have any sort of conversation about how "big girls" would go to sleep, you just have to make do.
As a grandma, (grandpas get equal privileges) we get to buy her toys, ooh and aah, and best of all find her parents when things go awry. Sean and Harriet provided equal memories of life with babies. Sigh. They are awfully cute though.
Friday, April 2, 2010
It's a holiday!!
Today was the last day of school before our spring break. There is something very exciting on the eve of the first day of a vacation. The week will go by so quickly, I'm sure I won't have a chance to revel in just being home. The one nice thing about working, even, possibly, past my prime, is the excitement a week off can bring. If I were retired, it'd just be another week home.
Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley are coming down from Vancouver, Canada! This is the first spring break where Charlie and I haven't made a flight to where ever Glenn and Krysty were living - Boston, Princeton, Vancouver.... They're going to be coming here.
Thursday evening, Ian, Sarah, Sean, and Harriet are coming down too! Then Saturday we can get everybody together. I'm very enthusiastic about all the cousins meeting each other for the first time! I know Sean and Harriet will think it's nifty - I suppose Kayley will just view it as another crowd of strangers. But they will be enthusiastic strangers, none the less.
Glenn, Krysty, and Kayley are coming down from Vancouver, Canada! This is the first spring break where Charlie and I haven't made a flight to where ever Glenn and Krysty were living - Boston, Princeton, Vancouver.... They're going to be coming here.
Thursday evening, Ian, Sarah, Sean, and Harriet are coming down too! Then Saturday we can get everybody together. I'm very enthusiastic about all the cousins meeting each other for the first time! I know Sean and Harriet will think it's nifty - I suppose Kayley will just view it as another crowd of strangers. But they will be enthusiastic strangers, none the less.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
said the "Bells of Rhymney"...
Last April we began the expansion of the den. It had always been too small. Now that we have three grandchildren, it was obvious that room would be hopeless. And now that it's done, the expanded version of the room is wonderful. In the spirit of improvement, along with the expansion, we've been updating things in the house as well. While I'm still working it seemed like a good idea. We bought a new toaster oven, a new washer, a new dryer, a flat screen TV in the den, and a smaller flat screen in the kitchen. All these things have bells attached. Last Saturday, it was like living in a bell factory. When the washer was done, it played a little tune, as did the dryer. The toaster oven chimed when it was finished, so did the microwave. Strangely, so did the coffee maker. The little flat screen in the kitchen chimes when you turn it off or on. The old folk song "Bells of Rhymney" came to mind - "Ah, what will ya' give me, said the sad bells of Rhymney..."
This week-end we decided to celebrate the return of our upstairs porch for human habitation - and put up all the spinners and chimes that we had outside. One set of bells I bought ages ago never really responded to wind. LA doesn't have big gusts - but I think short of a tornado - these bells would never sound. We hung a dryer clamp by a string and put a round paper wind catcher under the clamp. They now ring very nicely even in a gentle breeze. Now outside - "said the bells of Rhymney...."
This week-end we decided to celebrate the return of our upstairs porch for human habitation - and put up all the spinners and chimes that we had outside. One set of bells I bought ages ago never really responded to wind. LA doesn't have big gusts - but I think short of a tornado - these bells would never sound. We hung a dryer clamp by a string and put a round paper wind catcher under the clamp. They now ring very nicely even in a gentle breeze. Now outside - "said the bells of Rhymney...."
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Lost and Found
This school year has been exhausting. I agreed to teach a math class for the first time since I arrived at South Pasadena. The class is Honors Math Analysis, and, although I've taught both math analysis and Calculus A, B, and C, I never taught 1/2 and 1/2 before. Adjusting to the level of students at South Pasadena, and getting the pacing of the class correct, not to mention writing all the quizzes, tests, and practice pages from scratch has taken an amazing amount of time. This is my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.
In November, I went out back to repot one of my house plants. I had on gardening gloves. After my gardening, Charlie and I began dinner, and I realized my small gold ring was missing. I reconstructed where it might be. To leave out most of the details, Charlie found the ring at the very end of one of the fingers of my gardening glove. Then in January, I had gone to the teacher's lounge during my prep period and was grading up a storm. The air conditioning in that room is always on 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was really cold. I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed that the gold ring (yeh, same one) almost fell off. I then went to my class room and spent the last hour of school straightening out lab supplies. When I got home that night, Charlie and I sat down to have a cup of coffee and I noticed my ring was gone, yet again. We retraced my school steps, and it really seemed to be missing. I even took the unprecedented (and disgusting step) of going through all the paper towels dumped into the bathroom trash. The next day, still hoping against hope (I really like this silly ring) I began looking in all the boxes I had gone through. To my absolute amazement - I spotted my ring at the bottom of a large carton filled with smaller boxes of slinkies. Charlie and I went for a walk that afternoon straight to a jewelry shop where I had the ring sized. No more drop-offs!
Then came yesterday's step-walk. Charlie and I walked to a local bakery. We walked down Garfield, along Mission, I stopped at Rite-Aide for balloons. We then walked down Fair Oaks to the bakery, along Monterrey up Milan, Mission, then Garfield to home. When I got inside, I realized my scarf was missing. What is this??? I really was too tired to re - walk the whole thing so we drove our walk backward. I went back into Rite-Aide - Nothing. At that point, I began to rationalize why I didn't care about the missing scarf, yeh right. As we turned onto Mission, I spotted the scarf lying on the sidewalk across the street! I leaped out of the car and grabbed it. I'm hoping that will be our last missing pieces re-trace. I like the walks - not the searches.
In November, I went out back to repot one of my house plants. I had on gardening gloves. After my gardening, Charlie and I began dinner, and I realized my small gold ring was missing. I reconstructed where it might be. To leave out most of the details, Charlie found the ring at the very end of one of the fingers of my gardening glove. Then in January, I had gone to the teacher's lounge during my prep period and was grading up a storm. The air conditioning in that room is always on 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and I was really cold. I got up to go to the bathroom and noticed that the gold ring (yeh, same one) almost fell off. I then went to my class room and spent the last hour of school straightening out lab supplies. When I got home that night, Charlie and I sat down to have a cup of coffee and I noticed my ring was gone, yet again. We retraced my school steps, and it really seemed to be missing. I even took the unprecedented (and disgusting step) of going through all the paper towels dumped into the bathroom trash. The next day, still hoping against hope (I really like this silly ring) I began looking in all the boxes I had gone through. To my absolute amazement - I spotted my ring at the bottom of a large carton filled with smaller boxes of slinkies. Charlie and I went for a walk that afternoon straight to a jewelry shop where I had the ring sized. No more drop-offs!
Then came yesterday's step-walk. Charlie and I walked to a local bakery. We walked down Garfield, along Mission, I stopped at Rite-Aide for balloons. We then walked down Fair Oaks to the bakery, along Monterrey up Milan, Mission, then Garfield to home. When I got inside, I realized my scarf was missing. What is this??? I really was too tired to re - walk the whole thing so we drove our walk backward. I went back into Rite-Aide - Nothing. At that point, I began to rationalize why I didn't care about the missing scarf, yeh right. As we turned onto Mission, I spotted the scarf lying on the sidewalk across the street! I leaped out of the car and grabbed it. I'm hoping that will be our last missing pieces re-trace. I like the walks - not the searches.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
STEPS and the MEGA STEPPERS
Several weeks ago, Kaiser Permanente offered companies in the Southern California area incentives to get people to exercise more. They suggested the companies form groups of 9 to 10 employees who would receive free pedometers. Then the groups would attempt to have each group member walk 10,000 steps a day. The group in the company with the most steps after 10 weeks would be the winner and get some sort of prize. For some reason, the idea struck teachers (et al) in South Pasadena and over 200 of us decided to try it. I'm in the Mega-steppers, a group of science teachers. At first it seemed impossible, but it's been entertaining seeing how far I stomp around each day. I average about 2000 steps in each of my classes. Walks around the neighborhood average 2000 to 4000 steps. I got Charlie to walk around with me. Since exercise is supposed to be good for you, and numbers appeal to me, this is the nicest way to exercise I can think of.
Today we took the "sleepy house" walk. It's a home in San Marino with two upstairs windows that have pull shades. The original owners used to leave the shades in varying levels of up and down - making the house look like two sleepy eyes. The new owners leave the shades down all the time which isn't nearly as much fun. Yesterday, we took a stroll down to the local bakery and bought sweet rolls for our coffee. Yes, a tad self-defeating on the keeping your weight down purpose of all this walking. Sigh.
More on yesterday's walk tomorrow.
Today we took the "sleepy house" walk. It's a home in San Marino with two upstairs windows that have pull shades. The original owners used to leave the shades in varying levels of up and down - making the house look like two sleepy eyes. The new owners leave the shades down all the time which isn't nearly as much fun. Yesterday, we took a stroll down to the local bakery and bought sweet rolls for our coffee. Yes, a tad self-defeating on the keeping your weight down purpose of all this walking. Sigh.
More on yesterday's walk tomorrow.
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