I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane!

Just want to wish everyone a happy holiday season!

I leave tomorrow AM for Chicago so I won't be blogging. I'll be checking email from IL but that's it.

I got all my correcting done so I don't have to worry about school work hanging over my head while I'm on break.

Flightline is picking me up at 5:30 am - yes, you read it correctly, 5:30 am!!! My flight leaves Manchester at 8:55 am and I want to make sure I get at the airport nice and early. Why? Because it's Southwest (open seating) and I would like to try and sit in the emergency row exit (my long legs get very sore when I have to sit in the regular seats).

Stay warm and I'll write in 2006!

Love Ya All!!! :-)

Happies - Day 4

This is it! The last day! I made it! I survived!

1) Today was the last day of school - I'm officially on Christmas break! :-)

2) One more day until I leave for IL! :-)

3) Got some great gifts from my boss at my part-time job and I've only been working there for three weeks! :-)

4) All the wonderful Christmas cards I received from family and friends. :-)

5) Did I say that I'm on break aka vacation???? :-)

Thanks to all that read and commented on my happies the past four days - it's been a rough week with my students. :-)

Scary Political Cartoon!

Happies - Day 3

OK, here goes the list:

1) Got some great gifts from my Secret Santa today - lots of scrapbook supplies, a gift certificate for a local bookstore, and some gourmet tea. :-) Thank you Cheryl Z. :-)

2) Two more days until I leave for IL. :-)

3) One more day of over hyper, silly, crazy freshman! :-)

4) Ellie Mae! :-)

5) A great part-time job that I not only enjoy working but also make some extra money! :-)

Happies - Day 2

List of Happies:

1) I found out today who my Secret Santa is so I won't be singing tomorrow at the faculty meeting! :-) Yeah!!!

2) Three more days until I leave for IL. :-)

3) I'm so blessed to have colleagues at school that are my friends and so very supportive of everything I do.

4) The washer and dryer were free when I came home today after school so I can do my laundry before I leave for IL. :-) (For some, this may not be a happie but for me, it is a happie!)

5) Today, a student told me what a great teacher I am and how much she enjoys coming to my class. Made me feel good! :-)

Happies - Day 1

The week has just started and my students are off the wall crazy hyper. The joys of the holiday season working in a high school. :-)

So, since I don't want to be in a negative or bad mood for the rest of the week, I will post a list of five happies to help me stay "happy" and to survive the week with 100 teenagers that want Christmas/Hanukkah to arrive early.

Here Goes:

1) On Friday, I fly to Chicago to see my family.

2) Ellie makes me smile.

3) Had my counseling appt today - need I say more? :-)

4) I'm so blessed to have such wonderful friends in my life.

5) I've been receiving wonderful gifts at school from Secret Santa - I find out on Wednesday who he/she is. (I have no clue so I guess I'll be singing this year in front of the faculty).

Ellie Relaxing on Her Personal Day

I took this picture of Ellie on Friday. I took a Personal Day and it seemed like Ellie was enjoying her Personal Day too!

:-)

Five Weird Habits About Myself

I saw this on another Blog and thought it might be interesting.

Enjoy!

Five Weird Habits About Myself:

1) I CANNOT go to bed unless the dishes are done! I will toss and turn in bed and just finally get up and do them. Bizarre????

2) I have to tell Ellie "Be a good girl and Momma loves her" everyday before I leave for school! I know Ellie is a good kitty. I know she knows I love her. But I just feel like saying it aloud to her. Strange??????

3) I have to talk to my Mom on the phone everyday otherwise my day is not complete! Since I moved to New England in 1994 from IL, my Mom and I talk on the phone almost everyday. It may sound like a strange habit to some (and expensive) but I NEED to talk to my Mom. My Dad finds it strange but Mom talks to both Mandy and I every single day. Mom is my "bestest" friend. :-) Love ya Momma!

4) I am a compulsive neat freak! As a teenager, I was not normal. I would always keep my bedroom so clean. As an adult, I am always cleaning and organizing stuff at home or at school. My students just watch me and tell me, "Ms. Marenda, you are soooooo weird!" I guess I am. At school, I'm always organizing my cabinets or desks and it truly bothers me if things are not in it's place. Ask Lauren - when I temped at her company back in August, she couldn't get over how organized and clean my desk was at all times. OK, I'm a freak!!!

5) I love tomatoes! Love them! Will eat them anyway I can get them! Except: Get this - I HATE catsup! HATE it! Hate the smell. Hate the look of it. Hate the sight of it.

Busy, Busy, Busy Day

Greetings blog world! It's been a very busy Saturday.

I worked at Pawsitively Best Friends 11:00 am to 4:45 pm. The store was so busy today. It was a gorgeous sunny day in Newburyport and everyone was shopping. The store is so small so when you get a ton of people in it, it feels so smothering. Add to it the folks that bring in their dogs, and it's absolutely nuts! I love it when people bring their dogs into the store. We have treats that we can give them. I gave a treat to this dog and 10 minutes later, the dog lifted it's leg and peed all over the floor and card display. Thanks Doggie! Guess who had to clean it up??????

I met Carla for dinner and a movie. We went to Not You Average Joes for dinner and saw The Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at the Loop in Methuen, MA. Dinner was delicious! Always great company with Carla Lou! :-) I'm not a huge fantasy/science fiction person but the movie was OK. I read the book when I was younger. The animation is amazing (thanks to Disney!). I'm not a huge C.S. Lewis fan to begin with (Carla loves all his books).

I didn't get home until after midnight - late night for me! Very much past my bedtime! :-)

Thank you Carla for a wonderful evening - :-)

Personal Day Recap

I took today as a Personal Day from school. Not exactly the best day due to the ice/sleet storm that arrived in the area around 4:00 am and continued until 9:00 am.

But, I was able to start and finish my Christmas shopping all in one day! I arrived over at Rockingham Mall in Salem, NH around 8:30 am. I made a few stops at other stores in the Salem area and was finished by 1:00 pm! I was so proud of myself! The good thing about the icky weather was that there was no one out shopping. By noon, the weather switched to rain and more people ventured out to shop.

Had a minor issue with my bank this morning. There is a reason why I have direct deposit! I got paid today and knew that I would have enough money to do my holiday shopping. The online services and automated phone services were down (I tried speaking to a human but the lines were so long - no luck!) so I couldn't get any information on why the money wasn't in my account yet. When I went to the ATM, the available balance stated that I was in negative digits! I totally freaked! (Special thanks to Mom for listening to me rant and rave on the phone this morning :-) ) After five hours of not knowing what the heck was going on with my account, I finally was able to get some info through the automated services. I kept saying, "I'm not paying fees for overdraft because the bank messed up!" It ended up being all good and I tweaked for no reason at all. :-)

Did I say thanks to Mom?????? Thanks Mom!!!! Love Ya!

Observation Good

FYI:

Observation went well. I spoke with Peter after school today.

He noticed that the skill level in the class is really low. He was curious about that - but that is not under my control. This is the group of kids that I have in front of me.

Informal Observation Today

I was informally observed today by my department chair, Peter. I think it went well. I wasn't able to talk to him after school today because he had a meeting and I had to leave to go to my part-time job.

He observed my A2 class - which is a team taught class with a SPED teacher in the room with me.

The class went smooth. I'll talk to Peter tomorrow and let everyone know how it went.

This wasn't a formal observation. I'm supposed to get two formals a year - one for each semester. The department chair always does one of the observations and an administrator does the other observation. This year, I have my principal, Jim, doing my formal for second semester. Peter will do my formal for this semester.

This is a big year because it is my third year. I will get what they call professional status after this school year. Massachusetts did away with tenure for teachers back in 1993 (Ed Reform of 1993). This piece of legislation also mandated that new teachers get their Masters degree in order to teach (within a five year time period) and pass the Teacher's Test. Veteran teachers were grandfathered into the clause. And, certification for life was taken away from the veteran teachers so know they have to get recertified every five years like the rest of us.

Gotta love those politicians who make decisions for us they have no clue what we work/deal with on a daily basis.

Good thing I adore my job and my students! :-)

Tuesday - Nothing to Report

Nothing new here. Just cold. And, I do mean VERY cold! BRRR!!!!!

Stay warm kiddies - :-)

What have you been up to lately?

It's that time of the year. The crazy time of the year. You know exactly what I'm talking about. The time of the year where you are running around with your head cut off buying expensive gifts for everyone under the sun, working tons of hours to be able to pay for those expensive gifts, going to those sometimes uncomfortable Christmas parties and just wish you would've stayed home, and my personal favorite: visiting relatives that you only see once a year and there is a REASON why you only see them once a year! :-)

I have to be honest: I really don't like Christmas. I haven't enjoyed Christmas since I was a little girl. Why? Lots of reasons. My grandmother died around this time of the year in 1988. I think the holidays are full of phoniness. This is supposed to be the nicest time of the year, right? People should be kind and considerate of others. Have you shopped at a mall lately? People pushing and yelling at other people. It's such a joke. I have to travel every year on the holidays and it totally sucks to be flying during this time of the year. Again, dealing with people being rude at an airport is not my idea of fun.

OK, enough of the Scrooge complaining. :-)

What is going on in M-Dawg's world?

*Trying to get all my curriculum that needs to be taught before midterm exams (January 17th-20th). Can M-Dawg do it?

*Working at Pawsitively Best Friends in Newburyport part-time for extra money. I usually work around 10-12 hours a week. I adore it - folks bring in their dogs! It's great that I get to be around the animals. Oh, in case you wondering, PBF is a doggie/kitty boutique. :-)

*Working on a few "projects." I can't go into too much detail due to the fact that some of the recipients of these projects read this blog. :-)

*Holiday parties. I don't really like them but I go to be social. Aren't I the party animal?

*Bonus: Getting ready to go to IL on December 23rd. I look forward to going to IL to see my folks and sister. And, having 11 days off of school. :-)

Email and let me know what is going on in your world - make me feel good! :-)

Rough Class A3

My A3 World History class is a unique class. What do I mean by unique? Well, more like a pain in the butt! A few of the students in the class are very difficult to deal with in the classroom. The word seems to have spread that I don't like this group of kids - which is not the truth. The few that are difficult make it tough for the other kids to learn when those with behavioral issues are acting out. Don't get me wrong - most of the kids in this class are wonderful. It's just those few kids that like to act out and be difficult in the classroom. I've tried everything. Detentions. Calls home. Parent conferences. Sent them to the office. I'm know doing straight lecture classes because they can't handle doing any fun activity. Nothing is working. My next step is to put them on a behavioral contract. I feel like I'm back at Timberlane having to do the behavior contract thing. It's so ridiculous that I even have to contemplate this way of thinking.

My patience is running very thin at this point with the class. The time of the year doesn't help. With Christmas approaching, my students are very hyper and high strung as it is. And Saint M-Dawg is no longer patient and kind with this type of crappy behavior.

My goal on Wednesday is to go in with a positive attitude and try to play the game with the class. I will give the class one more chance and if they can't handle controlling their own behavior, out come those behavior contracts.

I do adore the kids individually - but as a class, they are just way to crazy!

As a side note, I'm being informally observed on Wednesday in A2 by Peter, my department chair. It should be an interesting class because I have a SPED teacher in the room that is supposed to be team teaching with me and she doesn't contribute to anything in the classroom. Peter is observing me but I'm sure it will come out of the observation on how my teaching partner does nothing. It is a little frustrating but I've spoken to her about the expectations and she clearly doesn't want to do her part of the job. It's really sad. I got so spoiled by working with Carla and Donna in World Studies at Timberlane. They were the "bestest" teaching partners ever!!! :-) I miss the true concept of interdisciplinary team teaching - especially with the English teachers.

Ellie and I

Believe it or not, this is the first picture I have of Ellie and I. Thanks Lauren for taking this pic and emailing it to me. :-)

I've always wanted a picture of Ellie and I but just never seemed to get around to having someone take our picture.

Isn't my baby girl a cutie pie? Ellie hates her picture taken - after this photo was taken, she ran away! She also doesn't like to be held either. She's more of a lap cat. Ellie adores to sit or lay on my lap or chest and cuddle. She HATES being held or picked up.

Enjoy the pic folks - :-)

I'm a Survivor!

Here are pics of the day after the storm -

The first photo is the front of my condo complex. The window to the lower left in the corner is my condo - as you can see, I can't see out of the window anymore. :-)

The second photo is an inside perspective. This is what Ellie looks at when she sits at the window. :-) Not much of a view, is it?

Saturday! Yup! Survived the storm! Hard to believe!

Got a knock on my door last night to move my car so that the plow could clean up the lot. I've already moved my car twice - here goes a third time. I was told to move the car to the back of the complex lot with everyone else. I sat in my car for over 45 minutes until the plow moved all that snow. Everyone sat in their car waiting. We looked like we were all in line for the car wash - except it was winter time! :-) Finally, I could park my car in my spot. I'm so glad of where my parking spot is located. Some folks lose their parking spot in the winter because people don't know how to park correctly so it messes everyone else up. I have no one on either side of me so I don't have to worry about it. My second parking spot in the back of the building is buried under a huge pile of snow right now. Good thing I don't use that spot.

On a positive note: the roads are clear. Everything is open again. I don't feel stranded anymore. Yah! :-)

Over a foot of snow in Amesbury!

Make it go away! I can't see out of my windows (My condo is at ground level). White out conditions. Roads are horrible. The parking lot is a parking lot of craziness because there is no where for folks to park their vehicles.

Ellie doesn't know what to do. She looks out the window and sees snow. She hears new sounds - a snow blower and a snow plow. Ellie doesn't like these new noises. Poor Ellie!

I've unburied my car twice today. And, I can guarantee that I will have to unbury it on Saturday too. Good thing I don't work tomorrow until 2:00. Hopefully, that will give me enough time to dig myself out again. I guess I should invest in a snow shovel like other folks in my complex.

I never thought to take photos of this lovely weather we are having here in New England. Tomorrow, I'll take some pics and post them so all you folks out there that don't live here can see all the excitement that you are missing! :-0)

The good news is that I got a ton of stuff accomplished today. The bad news is that at some point I will have to leave the comfort of my home and risk it out there in the cold.

Is it too late to move to Florida? :-)

Still No Contract

Negotiations did not go well on Tuesday night. We are still without a contract. The meeting ended at 12:30 am.

Still trying to keep the faith -

We will do another rally on December 19th at the next school committee meeting. We will continue doing this until the contract is established.

Special thanks to Susie, our union rep from the high school, for all that she is doing for the interest of the teachers of Newburyport. Go Susie Go! :-)

Snow Day!

I have my first official snow day today! It seems too early in the winter to already have a snow day. According to Channel 7 News, there are over 325 school closings in the Boston area! Crazy stuff!

I got the phone call at 5:25 am - the snow hadn't even started yet and the superintendent already made the call to cancel school.

So, what is a gal to do on a snow day? I'll do some school work (correcting World Religions Exams), laundry, and some scrapbooking. Oh, and at some point, I'll probably have to dig my car out of the parking lot! :-)

For those of you that are out driving in this crazy weather, be safe!

Janet & Lauren - be careful going into Boston tonight for the Bon Jovi concert! Give Jon and Richie a hug for me! :-)

Pearl Harbor

December 7, 1941. A day that will live in infamy.

Of course, the history teacher will remember this day. Such a vital date in our history. The beginning of the US entry into World War II.

I watched the movie Pearl Harbor last night. OK, the romantic in me loves the film! The historian in me doesn't like it due to the inaccuracies. The 45 minute bombing scene in the film is actually pretty decently done.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of loved ones who lost someone at Pearl Harbor. There are still a few veterans floating around from Pearl Harbor.

And, my thoughts and prayers go out to our men and women overseas - those that won't be able to get home for the holidays. My cousin Danny is in Kuwait as I write this blog.

Stay safe cousin! Love Ya - :-)

Quick Post

I trust everyone had a good day???

It's Hump Day!!!

Had a Department meeting after school today. Nothing too exciting there.

One of my colleagues (Aileen) is remodeling her loft and asked if it was OK to for me to watch her cat, Buddy for the evening. Aileen didn't want Buddy to be in the mess of the construction and noise. Poor Buddy! He was not a happy camper at my condo tonight. Buddy was also traumatized from the car ride over here. We kept Buddy in the second bedroom with the door closed to separate Ellie and Buddy.

Ellie didn't like having another cat in her house! She hissed at Aileen and me! Poor kitties! Aileen just picked up Buddy - he's going home.

Ellie is now really pissed off at me - how dare I bring another cat into her house? So, her momma is on the shit list for the time being - ughy!

Teacher Contract Negotiations Continue

My union has been in negotiations with the School Committee since March to work on a new contract. We are currently working without a contract.

Tonight, the NTA (Newburyport Teachers Association) had a rally to support the negotiating team. We met at the Elks Lodge for a meeting and buffet. At 5:30, we all drove over to the Middle School (which is where the School Committee has their meetings) and rallied our support for the contract negotiations. We had over half of the entire teacher population of the City of Newburyport show up for the rally - it was so cool!

We are trying to show the School Committee that there are human faces to this contract. The negotiating team has done an amazing job and has worked so hard to get this far for us. Two major issues of the contract: increase in salary and health care.

Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well tonight - :-)

Great Night Out w/ the Girls

Had a fabulous time last night with Janet and Lauren. It was wonderful of them to drive up to my neck of the woods for the evening. This was the first time they've seen my new place so I gave them the tour.

Afterwards, we headed to Newburyport for dinner at The Grog. Had a yummy dinner - started out with Clam Chowder - for dinner, steak tips with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. For dessert, I had a slice of pumpkin pie - just can't resist that pumpkin. Janet had the chicken caesar wrap and Lauren had the lobster roll. Both meals looked so yummy!

Thank you ladies for the nice evening out -

I Love Ya's :-)

Comments on Silly Kitty

This is Sadie - my friend Cheryl's kitty. Sadie is almost nine years old and she lives in IL. Isn't she an absolute doll??? :-)

Thank you to everyone that commented on my blog regarding silly kitty! I'm so happy to read that Ellie is actually a normal cat. I don't know what is normal since Ellie is the first cat I've ever owned. It's so reassuring to know that her crazy behaviors are normal. :-)

No - I won't commit Ellie to the Funny Farm! :-)

My Silly Kitty!

Ellie is obsessed with my bathtub. And, I don't know why. Ellie will sit in the tub and play and pounce on"things." I don't know what "things" she pounces on but it is cute. I think she likes the sound of her claws on my tub! She also likes to sit in the tub after I have taken a shower. I think it's because she likes the warmth of the warm shower. I decided to capture the moment - after the photo was taken, she ran and hid under my bed.

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Please let me know so I don't have to send Ellie to the "Funny Farm. "

She's such a silly kitty! :-)

Rob Thomas

A special comment to my sister: Enjoy the show! He's amazing in concert!
http://www.robthomasmusic.com/

She is seeing Mr. Rob in Concert on Monday with her friend Jen in Chicago. Mandy has seen Rob with Matchbox Twenty and on his solo tour as well. Mandy has wonderful seats - 1st row!

Take lots of pics sis and send them my way so I can post them on my blog! Love Ya! :-)

Learning a new thing is good.

Last night, I took this scrapbooking class (http://www.ascrappersheaven.com/) at a local store. I can't go into too much detail about the actual class itself (Remember, it's a gift!), but I learned so much from it! Learning all of these techniques is such a good thing - I own so much stuff and I don't know how to use a ton of it. The instructor showed us how to do all of this cool stuff such as eyelets. For you veteran scrapbookers out there, you are probably thinking that this technique has been around forever. It has. However, I've never done it and I have all the materials for it. When I first bought the materials, I went online to see if I could get the directions on how to use eyelets. The web sites weren't helpful at all. I guess I needed someone to show me how to do it. That's my learning style anyway.

Scrapbooking is so much more crafty and creative today compared to back in the day when I used to do it as a young girl. I find the hobby very relaxing and fun. The best part: making beautiful gifts for loved ones!

FYI: After I give the gift to that special person, I will post photos of the finished product. :-)

TGIF Baby!!!!

YES! FINALLY! It's Friday!!

It's tough to work a full week when you haven't worked a full week in over a month.

Positive thoughts for the Day:

*TGIF!

*Pay Day!

*Scrapbooking Class tonight!

*Get to sleep in tomorrow morning - hopefully! I tend to have an automatic alarm clock of waking up at 5:30 AM!

Grateful!

Went to that Seminar today in Boston on the Bill of Rights. Can I just say how grateful I am for having my car?

Let me explain. There was this girl that I met today that had her car stolen in Cambridge! At first, she thought the car was towed by the city (she was illegally parked). After calling around, she finally realized that her car was stolen! Can you imagine? I feel so badly for her. She's only 24 years old and she's only been teaching for 1 year. She makes no money because she works at a private school and still lives at home. She called her insurance company and they told her that they can't do anything about it until 48 hours!

So, she has to wait two days until she can even get a rental car so she can at least drive around and get to work.

Ughy!

Happy Thoughts! :-)

Just some happy thoughts for today:

*I've received some great feedback from friends on my blog. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful "peeps" in my life.

*Worked at my second job today - still enjoying it!

*I have a Professional Development Day tomorrow in Boston on teaching the Bill of Rights (http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/).

*Book Club tomorrow with the girls - The book this month was called My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult (http://www.jodipicoult.com/sister.html). Fabulous book!!! Very controversial topic! Check out the book!

*On Friday, I signed up for a Scrapbooking class. This will be my second class that I have ever taken on scrapbooking so it should be fun! I can't tell tell ya's about the class yet because a certain person reads this blog (It's a gift!).

*Looking forward to my night out on Monday w/ Janet and Lauren - They are heading up to my neck of the woods for the evening (Thanks ladies!). I'm still deciding where I should take them for dinner - probably somewhere in Newburyport.

Started my Second Job Today

I know . . . a few of you are probably wondering how, why, and what the fudge! :-)

I've been looking for the past month for something part-time. I didn't want anything stressful or any job that I had to work late (I get up at 5:00 am folks!). I could use the extra money so I thought that a part-time job would be nice - added bonus -it would keep me out of trouble. So, about a week ago, I was walking around downtown Newburyport and saw a business that was looking for someone - flexible, permanent new hire. It's called Pawsitively Best Friends. It's a doggie (and kitty) boutique. I adore animals so I applied. I interviewed and the owner offered me the position a few days later.

Today was my first day. There is so much to know but since I adore animals, I thought this part-time gig would be fun. I think that I'm going to enjoy it. People can bring their pets into the store (and for all of those folks out there that really know me - I'm in heaven with the dogs!). They sell everything you can imagine for dogs and cats. I think it's going to be a fun place to work.

To my fellow pet lovers: I get a 20% discount folks so let me know your wish list of goodies for your pets - :-)

Strike a Pose! JK :-)

Am I asking for too much?

Another vent session:

A few weeks ago, I thought I would try the Internet dating thing. I heard some good stuff about EHarmony so I figured, what the hell! I'll try it. It took me three hours to fill out the online questionnaire. At the end, I clicked on the final box to submit my answers to EHarmony. What was the response? This! "I'm sorry! But you fall under the 20% of the population that is considered incompatible!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! I mean, in some ways, it is funny - but in other ways, it's sad.

So, I figured, what the hell again! I'll try another online dating thing - Match.com. I just checked my account and I've had 21 views. 21! No emails of interest though -

So, my lovely low self esteem starts to work in overdrive! What is wrong with me?? OK, I'm not gorgeous! I'm not thin. But, I think I have other things going for me???? I'm not asking for much. Just a nice guy to hang out with - dinner and a movie. Go into Boston. Check out some concerts. Apparently, even this is asking for too much.

I really don't know how to met anyone. I'm not into the bar scene anymore. Not exactly a healthy environment for me for personal reasons. I figured that I would try this Internet thing again.

I've asked my friends and colleagues if they know of a nice guy. They all tell me the same thing - they don't know anyone. I'm starting to think they are just telling me this so they won't hurt my feelings.

I haven't been on a date in over five years!!!! Yes, you read it correctly! Five Years!!!!!!!! I'm going to be 35 in Feb. I'm being to realize that maybe it's just meant for me to be alone. Maybe I'm just meant to not be in a relationship. Not have children. It's a sad place to be - alone. I know I have family and friends that love and care about me. So, what is wrong with me?

Thanks blogging world for listening to me vent about my lack of a love life -

RENT - You have to see it!

Just saw Rent - you have to see it! It was absolutely amazing!

I never saw the musical but I thought this movie was done rather nicely - you'll be singing the songs as you leave the theatre!

Shopping Hell!

Random Thoughts - Part II

Every once in awhile, I get these random thoughts in my brain. I sometimes just want to talk about them but who is here is listen? Ellie the Cat? So Blog World, here it goes!

*Why is it that I'm so addicted to Pumpkin Pie? Why is it this time of the year, we eat the most pumpkin pie ever? Ask my Mom - I adore Pumpkin Pie!! Being my b-day is in February, I would have Mom make me a Pumpkin Pie for my B-day instead of a cake! How wrong is that? Bless Mom - she would run out and try to find that Pumpkin so she could make her Pie for me. I'll eat anything with Pumpkin in it - yes, I'm an addict!

*Testing! As in state mandated testing. Living in MA, my students have to pass the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) to get their high school diplomas. Currently, the content areas consist of English and Math. Within the next three years, it was consist of Science and History (my area). Now, our students are Newburyport High School are doing very well on MCAS. Last year, we only had 4 students who didn't pass MCAS and need to retake it. However, according to the No Child Left Behind crap, our high school is considered below average. I don't get it! Read this recent article in the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/26/education/26tests.html?hp&ex=1133067600&en=0aeb43a99bc04144&ei=5094&partner=homepage). I just wish the government would keep their noses out of education and let the educators run the schools. These bureaucratic idiots (who, by the way, the majority of our legislators were educated in PRIVATE schools!!!!), are trying to telling us how to run and what to teach to our youth! They just don't get it! I would love to have our two senators (Kennedy and Kerry) come in and try to teach my classes for just one week! All of this testing bowls down to one thing: the state and national governments need to get their shit together and realize that they both have to have common assessments and testing. I'm not an advocate of testing but sometime needs to be done! If not, the government will take away money from our schools that test below national standards. Now, that's the answer folks! Let's take away money from a school system that is already struggling. Gotta love our politicians! They just don't get it! UGHY!!!!!!! And, what do you do with the kid that simply doesn't test well?????? OK Mr. Politician, let's just encourage them to drop out of high school since they can't pass this test! UGHY!!!!!!

*Are you ready for the cold weather???? I have to say no. On Thanksgiving Day, we already had about two inches of snow on the ground. Made for a very cold New England day!

I guess that's all for the venting. Please feel free to comment. I really want to hear from folks! :-)

Took Ellie to the Vet Today

Ellie was NOT a happy camper today - I had to take her to the Vet for her annual check-up and shots. The Vet is located in Atkinson, NH.

Once Ellie is at the Vet, she is fine. She checks everything out in the office. The Vet Tech adores her - she thinks Ellie is cute (Of course my baby girl is cute!). There was actually another cat in the office walking around. Well, this cat decided to introduce itself to Ellie by hissing at her! Poor Ellie! Ellie is still in her carrier and looks terrified at this other cat.

Overall health report for Ellie: Ellie weighs 7 lbs 4 oz. - she hasn't gained any weight since her last visit. Ellie's heart, stomach, ears, teeth, etc. looks great. The Vet said Ellie is in great shape!

The car ride is the worst part for Ellie. She just doesn't like riding in the car. Usually, she makes a mess in her carrier. This time, no mess! I was so proud of her for not messing in her carrier. As I drive, I talk to her and try to comfort her. The whole ride, Ellie is meowing in that painful meow that no one wants to hear! :-(

When we got home, I rewarded Ellie with a can of tuna! :-) Now, Ellie is a happy camper!

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families!

Color Day 2005

Freshman - An original cheer.

M-Dawg T-Shirt for Color Day 2005

Top Ten Thankful List - In No Particular Order

*My family! My Mom, Dad, and Sis are wonderful - if it wasn't for them, I'd truly go crazy!

*My friends! Over the years, I've been so fortunate to have some wonderful positive folks in my life who really love and accept me for me. I do the same for them.

*Ellie the Cat! Ellie is my baby girl - :-)

*My job! I have finally found a school that has a positive working environment, supportive administration, and great student population.

*My blog! I'm starting to like this online journaling thing. It's very therapeutic! :-)

*My students! For making me laugh and enjoy my job!

*My MP3 Player! Just love listening to music at all times! Currently have over 1,300 songs downloaded into it - still have 13,700 more to go! :-)

*My friend Pat! She invited me over to her house for Thanksgiving. :-)

*My condo! It's a great place to live! :-)

*The New England Patriots! Go Pats! :-)

What does NHS look like from the sky?

About a month ago, I went flying at Lawrence Airport with one of the visiting German teachers, Armin. He received his American pilot's license a few years ago and really wanted to get some flight time in while he was visiting the United States. Armin has been flying small planes for over 15 years. I'm a pretty daring individual so I said that I would go up with him. Sarah Ledbeater, a colleague of mine that was hosting Armin, also went up in the plane. An avid photographer, Sarah took some great shots with her camera as well from the air. Claudia, the German teacher that was staying with me, opted to stay on the ground and just watch. :-)

We flew over Newburyport (Plum Island) and Amesbury. The bottom picture is an ariel view of my high school. You'll notice the football stadium at the bottom of the picture - there was a freshman football game going on that day. The top photo is a shot of Plum Island. If you look to the left of the photo, you will notice the Merrimack River dumping into the Atlantic Ocean. The day was perfect for flying - not bumpy at all. Sunny. Clear skies. Gorgeous! And, Armin had a perfect take-off and landing.

Being up in the air brought back memories of when my Dad used to fly and I would go up with him. I guess I was his co-pilot. :-) It's such an amazing experience being up in the air and feeling like you don't have a care in the world. So freeing! Exhilarating!

The Meaning of Life

OK, it's a serious question to be asking this early in the day. My students were studying the five major world religions and today we were focusing on Buddhism. I was doing my wonderful PowerPoint presentation on Buddha and one of my students asked me if I knew the meaning of life.

My response: I feel it's different for everyone. For me, the meaning of life is acceptance of self, happiness, and laughter. I like the idea of Buddhism - being at peace with yourself and the world. I also like the idea of a lack of interest in materialism. Society today is way too materialistic! I asked my students if they could live without their IPods and computers - response: No!

Does the suffering of the world upset me? Of course it does! Do I do anything about it? Probably not as much as I should. Encouraging others to practice those random acts of kindness or donate their time to a charity more often may be the answer.

Don't worry . . . . Be happy! :-)

Short Week

Three day week! We have school today and Tuesday. On Wednesday, we have Color Day. For those of you that don't know what Color Day is or means, it's a day of school spirit! Craziness! Yelling! Screaming! Cheering! Going deaf!

The four classes compete against each other. Freshmen make up an original cheer, sophomores do a poster parade, juniors do an original song, and the seniors do a skit. In between all of these acts, you have the cheerleaders perform, the coaches get up and talk to the school, and the classes cheer and yell! The auditorium is decorated by each of the four classes with a theme. The whole point of Color Day is to support the football team for the Thanksgiving Day game against Amesbury. The whole school is in the auditorium for two hours of this craziness. School spirit will be at an all time high during this event.

Go Clippers! :-)

Artwork in Amesbury

Today, I went to the Amesbury Cultural Center to check out some local artwork. A colleague of mine from the art department had some of her photography on display - it was amazing! I also checked out some other art studios in the area. We have some amazing talent in this town - photography, jewelry, baskets, oils, acrylics, etc.

The above picture was completed by a local artist - Sue Earabino.

Congrats to Aileen and her hardwork for working on the Cultural Center. :-)

Ellie the Cat

No, this is not Ellie the Cat. I haven't had a chance to take the pictures of Ellie off my digital camera yet. I have been taking pics of my baby girl! Why? Because there have been a few requests to see some pics of her on my Blog. I guess she is a popular kitty with my family and friends - OK, I do talk about her all the time, I know! :-)

I saw this pic online and decided to steal it. This is the exact pose that Ellie does when she stretches on my floor - it's so adorable!

This month marks the anniversary of when I adopted her at the MSPCA in Methuen, MA (http://www.nevinsfarm.com/). It was November 2001 and I was living in my apartment in Derry, NH. I was feeling a tad lonely - I really wanted a pet. According to my apartment complex, I was not allowed to have a dog or a cat. But, the rebel in me said, "Screw that!" I am more of a dog person but I thought a dog would be high maintenance and more obvious than a cat. I thought having a cat would be easier. I asked my friend Annette and her daughter Jordanne to come with me to help me with the adoption process. As I walked around the facilities, all I wanted to do was adopt all the animals! As I got to the Cat Room, I walked around to see what kitties they had available. I slowly walked by one cage and this black and white kitty stuck their paw out of the cage at me! I couldn't believe it! I thought that the cat picked me - so, I opened the cage and took the cat out to hold it. The card on the cage stated it was a female and a year old - the name was Spaz. She was so tiny! She had gorgeous green eyes that looked like jewels. As I talked to her, she kept looking straight into my eyes. It was almost eerie the way she looked at me - so, I decided to adopt her! I had to use Annette's address and name to adopt her since my apartment complex didn't allow pets. Technically, Ellie belongs to Annette! :-) Actually, I paid Annette the $75.00 for the adoption. That $75.00 has been best money spent!

I took my new kitty home and renamed her - Ellie. Short for Eleanor. Yes, I named my cat after Eleanor Roosevelt - only a geeky history teacher would name a cat after a First Lady! I didn't like the name Spaz - it didn't really fit her. I thought of what a powerful person Eleanor Roosevelt was and thought that my cat should be named after her. Ellie is her name. I don't think cats understand or know their name anyway.

I took her to the vet after the first week and he told me that Ellie was actually around 6 months old - not 1 year old as the card at the MSPCA originally stated. So, I really don't know Ellie's true birthday. I use the month of November as her birthday.

To my baby girl Ellie- I love ya!

TGIF

Fridays. What can one say about Fridays? For some folks, it's a pay day. Others, it is the start of a weekend. For me, it is the start of relaxation. No worries over the next few days. No setting the alarm clock - although Ellie the Cat will make sure that I am up at 5:00 am. :-)

The big plans for the weekend:

• I have an annual meeting for my condo association on Saturday morning. The main topics will be fees and assessment. I'm sure with the energy costs going up my condo dues will be going up too. Currently, my dues pay for maintenance of the building (inside and outside), snow removal, trash removal, landscaping, swimming pool upkeep, heat and water, and master insurance.
• In the evening, I will be attending a play. My friend Carla is the assistant director for the play at her high school. I enjoy plays and musicals so I told her that I would like to see her students perform. The plan is then to go out to dinner after the play.
• On Sunday, another friend of mine is doing an art exhibit in Amesbury and I'm going to check out her art work and some other talented local artists. The various forms of art to be presented will be photography, paintings, jewelry, and baskets.

Students Taking a Survey

I'm in homeroom right now. The students are taking this Risk Assessment Survey about drugs, alcohol, and sexual behaviors. I'm almost afraid of some of the responses they are writing down. The school community I work in is quite affluent. However, that doesn't mean that kids don't do drugs or alcohol here. They do. We've been told that our school does have a problem with drugs. Every high school in the US has a problem with alcohol.

The kids were making jokes about the survey as they were responding. I had to intercede and explain to them to take this survey seriously.

I know they are kids - and, kids just behave like crazy kids. But, just answer the questions! They don't put their names on it so it's anonymous. Be truthful about it.

It really scares me that these kids are so sexual active at such a young age. I don't think they get it. I'm not being a hypocrite. I didn't have sex until I was in college. All my friends were sexually active in high school - I felt that I wasn't emotionally ready to handle all that responsibility at such an early age. Even having sex in college (I was a junior in college by the way) was a huge issue. I was educated by my parents on the topic of sex. I was not educated by my friends. I saw so many of my high school friends get pregnant at a young age.

OK, maybe all of these statements should go under the random thoughts entry. :-)

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

A special birthday wish goes to my Momma -

Mom-

You have been such an inspiration to me. You are one of the strongest people I know and no matter what the obstacle you may encounter in your life, you overcome it! You are always there for me whenever I need anything. You accept me for me - no questions asked! The support you provide to "your girls" is incredible!

Thank you for all you do -

Love Ya Momma-

Random Thoughts

OK, here are my random thoughts for today:

*Why does our military have to be in Iraq? I obviously know this answer but I don't agree with it. My cousin Danny is now stationed in Kuwait. The next move will be Baghdad. Our idiot of a President is trying to prove a point and it's costing our country the lives of thousands of men and women. Some members of our congress are trying to get our troops out - good! Some of our members of Congress are wanting our troops to remain - bad! Historically speaking, the war in Iraq is another Vietnam. There will be no winner! The sooner our government and the public realizes this, the sooner our men and women can come home.

*Kids say the darnest things! I adore my students!!! Whenever things get crazy or stressful, my students will say the cutest things to put a smile on my face. I guess this is one of the many reasons why I adore my job. :-)

*Congrats to my cousin Jenny - it's a boy! Congrats to her and her husband Matt.

*Practice random acts of kindness! :-)

Garfield Mondays

Mondays. Ugh! I'm not a huge fan of them. Luckily, this is a B Day so I had a Senior study in the cafeteria first thing this morning. Not exactly a challenging way to start the day. I did get a ton of correcting completed.

I sometimes wonder if we could start our week on Tuesdays, would we feel the same way? The feeling of "Oh my God, this sucks that I have to be here." I have no reason to complain for the most part. My day at school starts at 7:15 am and I go until 2:20 pm. I usually stay after school for at least an hour or so to do work or stay for extra help. I will go home and relax for a few hours. Then, I will start my school work. I either will do correcting or work on curriculum until I go to bed at 10:00pm. I work hard for 10 months a year. Those two months off, it's playtime baby!

The only thing that gets me through Mondays is to know that all my colleagues are feeling the same way! Luckily, my students make the days good (most days).

I am looking forward to the Thanksgiving break.

Sunday - Play Day?

Ah, Sunday. A day of rest. Sleeping in feels great! Except when Ellie the Cat wants to play with her Mommy. :-) She is my baby girl! When Ellie is up, EVERYONE has to be up!

Plans for today: Do some school work, work on scrapbooking my Europe trip, and make dinner. I have one of my colleagues coming over tonight for dinner. She's had me over to her place numerous times so I felt that it was my turn to host a dinner.

It's a beautiful New England day - this weekend has been nice - a typical sunny, cool Fall day. The leaves are "leaving" us. The air is crisp. It's just one of the days that you are happy to be alive and enjoy! :-)

In a funk

I've been in this funk lately that is really tough to get out of for some reason. Professionally, I like where I am and where I am going. Personally, it is a different story. I realize that my life revolves around my job. Not a good thing. This year, my goal is to work on having a more personal life. With a few exceptions, I'm not staying late every single night after school like I have in the past. I know that I need to get a life outside of school. It's so tough. Most of my friends now are married or in serious relationships. Trying to meet new people is difficult.

For the dating scene, a few years ago, I tried Match.com to try Internet dating. Not into the bar scene - not a healthy environment. I had a few dates. Nothing too spectacular. Recently, I tried EHarmony because I heard of few success stories from some of my former colleagues at Timberlane that tried it and had great luck with it. So, I spend three hours answering the questionnaire. The questions pertained to every topic: finances, relationships (past and present - men, friends, family, etc.), career, etc. The end result: I fall under the 20% of the population that is considered "incompatible"! Ughy! Maybe Dad is right - maybe I am too damn picky! I feel I have to be picky - I was in a miserable relationship for seven years (too much drama and personal to get into it - all my close peeps know what and whom I am referring to). I tend to be attracted to assholes and abusive men so I'm trying to be smart about this dating thing. It's an endless cycle!

I've been getting active with organizations to meet other people outside my normal circle: I joined a professional educator's association for women. I'm in a book club. Any other suggestions from folks would be appreciated too - :-) I think it is important to have friends from all kinds of backgrounds.

I do admit it is hard for me to open up. I have major trust issues. A lot of this stems from my childhood.

Such a drama! I'm just feeling lonely - I know I have a lot of family and friends that love and support me. I'm not questioning that - it's the companionship issue that I'm missing the most right now.

Happy Veteran's Day!

A special thanks to all of the Veteran's of past and present conflicts!

Dinner in Portsmouth with a Good Friend

Last night, I met one of my friends for dinner in Portsmouth. I met Carla when I was teaching at Timberlane Regional High School. Carla and I used to team-teach a course called World Studies - an interdisciplinary course in English and History. I really miss teaching with her. Even though we both have gone our separate ways in our teaching, we still have maintained our friendship.

We ate at 43 Degrees North - a yummy restaurant located on Pleasant Street in Portsmouth. We started out with a salad and some bread. I had this wonderful beef dish - pan seared 9 oz. cherry bacon wrapped filet, Yukon gold potato terrine, creamy gorgonzola sauce, apple cider caramelized onions & brussel sprouts. Exquisite meal! Carla had a yummy fish dish that was the special. For dessert, I had Creme Boula and Carla had this unique Candy lollipop cheesecake thing. Great food -great conversation - great company! I would highly recommend this restaurant - a little pricey but definitely worth it!

It's always so great to catch up with Carla. She is teaching and going to graduate school at UNH so her schedule tends to be a little on the crazy side - I remember those days very well of having no quality YOU time while in grad school. Hang in there and all your dreams and goals will come true! :-)

Thank you Carla Lou for the wonderful evening out - :-)

St. Mere Eglise, France - July 2005

This photo was taken at the Paratroopers Museum in St. Mere Eglise, France.

On D-Day, the paratroopers of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were dropped into the St. Mere Eglise area. St. Mere Eglise was the first French town to be liberated by the Americans.

As you can see, it was an absolutely gorgeous day! On this same day we saw the American cemetery, Utah and Omaha Beaches, and a German cemetery.

While touring the beaches, one can't help but think about the thousands of men that were killed or wounded that day for our freedom. A few members of my tour group had loved ones that were present at D-Day so I'm sure it rather emotional for them.

Grades are Due!

I am so proud of myself! I have been a correcting fool the past two weeks. My students did a huge project - the World Religions Scrapbook Project. It was turned in on Oct 28th and I officially finished grading all 90 of them today! :-) A project of this capacity normally takes me at least a month to correct it. Plus, in the middle of this correcting craziness, I hosted a visiting German teacher. And, I also graded the Islam quizzes.

Why, you may ask, did I grade everything? Well, I wanted these projects and grades to be on this next report card. For some of my students, it would make or break their grades. They worked so hard on the projects and I really felt that their hard work should be shown on this report card. Grades close on Thursday.

I am very impressed with this freshman class this year. They are very motivated and well behaved. They are just sweet kids. :-)

Professional Day from Hell???

OK, I get that I need to be professionally developed. I get that according to my contract, I have to attend these professional days. However, can't the administration make them a tad more interesting???

Ughy! Total waste of time! Hours of waste! All I kept thinking about was all the correcting and grading that I could be working on. Grades are due on Thursday by Noon. The pressure! I just can't stand it.

Positive note: Parent Alliance arranged for the us to be fed - they created quite the spread for lunch today. And, as a faculty, we were able to eat our lunch together! I sat with folks that I hardly ever see in the building - which is a great thing!

M-Dawg In Cologne, Germany - July 2005

Just thought I would share a photo of my trip this past summer.

This is the Dom which is located in Cologne, Germany. Over 90% of the city was bombed during WW II so most of the city has been rebuilt. The Dom is currently being renovated.