Well, I have been on the early shift for the last couple of days and I just have to say that that, coupled with my tendency to not sleep through the night, makes for one tired teacher.  Yesterday I had it easy.  I left to a temperature outside over 40º colder than it was the night before, and on icy roads thanks to the rain the day and night before, on a slow trip all the way to middle school science.  The teacher did not expect to be out again and so another teacher set me up with a couple of videos.  One was a left-leaning news special titled Who Killed the Electric Car? True, it is a really good question as we could use them these days as I would expect the gas prices to go up significantly again.  Well, unleaded prices anyway as diesel hasn’t actually dropped all that much since the summer in comparison.  I say left-leaning as when it got to talking about government as a suspect (battery technology, consumers, oil companies, car companies, and others were also suspects) it pretty much painted Republican presidents like Reagan and Bush Jr. as evil, signing environmentally unfriendly bills into law, and praises Democratic presidents Carter and Clinton on their policies.  Again, this doesn’t erase the question about electric cars though- we really should be seeing more of them than we are.  A lot more actually since according to the video GM’s EV-1 cars were all destroyed back in 2004.  The closest thing we have at the moment I believe are hybrids like the Toyota Prius.  The entire video was 90 minutes so I only got to see a portion of it, four times of course…  Two classes saw a Bill Nye video on the atmosphere.  Oddly enough, this teacher teaches both 7th and 8th grades, a bit unusual for middle school.

Today I went to the other side of the brain to language arts.  It was an even easier day.  Two of the classes (four periods) were team taught, so I was reduced to helper status for these periods.  The other two periods were really small groups- one with six students and one with three.  The one with three was the most challenging as one of the students was in a very goofy mood.  Where the title of this post comes into play is in the book a teacher read aloud in one of the classes.  As the class started she was reading about Marley so I thought this was going to be about another story, play actually, the classes had also been working on fitting for this time of year.  Of course I mean Charles Dicken’s classic A Christmas Carol.  However I soon realized this was another story entirely- the middle school version of the book Marley & Me.  This movie is coming out Christmas Day and after today’s excerpt I can confidently say I will be skipping it.  The chapter started out talking about John taking Marley to Dog Beach (I think that was the name), but no dog ever messed on the beach so Marley would have to take care of business beforehand, which he did in a colorful description depicting the act.  While at the beach, Marley was playing in the water and drinking quantities of the salty liquid while running around, refusing the offered fresh water.  As a result, the dog upchucked and there was another lovely description of this event.  Naturally it didn’t stop there as the salt water also caused loose bowels.  Thankfully the teacher stopped before describing this event.  Now I realize this will likely take up only seconds on the screen, and knowing Hollywood those scenes will be there, but I have to ask myself if the author was willing to gross readers out by going into detail on these scenes, then what else is in this book?  I think I do not wish to find out.  Thanks for saving me $10 plus refreshments.

I’ve wanted a new pet for awhile, mostly since my cat passed away almost a year ago now.  What I want most is another cat – I love cats, and it would be the perfect type of pet for our household.  But unfortunately, I’m allergic to cats.  When I had my cat, it was a constant struggle to decide if I should pet her or not.  I always wanted to of course, but then I would itch for hours, my eyes would water, and sometimes I’d get hives.  And, my allergy symptoms were worse during my 4 pregnancies.  I just don’t want to go through that again – so no cat for us.  We have a Jack Russell Terrier mix, so any type of animal she’ll want to chase and bark at is out also – which means no rats, ferrets, small birds, etc.  So that leaves me with reptiles or bugs, I guess.  And the only reptile I’m interested in owning is a tortoise.  Those can be kind of costly and I’m not entirely sure that my Jerk Russell Terrier mix won’t want to hunt it, so I’m going to hold off on the tortoise for a little bit.  Also complicating the situation is that I really don’t have any extra time to spend with a pet, so that limits my options even further.  So lately I’ve been in limbo, trying to decide what to get.  But the other day, a new pet sort of fell into my lap.

It’s a ladybug I found in the house – normally I’d let any bugs go outside that I find in the house, but it’s way too cold out for a ladybug, and I don’t want him to suffer while he froze to death.  So I looked up what ladybugs eat, and I found out that their favorite food is aphids, which are an even smaller group of insects.  Knowing I couldn’t get any of those easily, I put a drop of honey in a little container with the ladybug.  He went over to it and started eating it!  So I put a little drop of water in there too, and he must have smelled that or something, because he left the honey and went over to the water – it was really interesting to watch.  He’s survived in captivity about a week now, and I have to say I’m getting a little attached to him as a pet.  It started out as just a fun little project, and I didn’t expect it to live more than a few days.  But he did, and I’ve named him Francis (like the ladybug from A Bug’s Life), and he is my secret pet – the kids don’t know about him.  If they did, he’d be dead already because my 4-year-old adores bugs and often smothers them with love – literally.  I think today I’ll go out and get Francis some grass for his container, because earlier when I fed him, he REFUSED to go back into his container!  I’m not kidding; he was sticking to my finger and just doing everything possible to not get locked back in there.  Finally, I put him on a Q-tip and cut it to fit in the container and locked him in.  I feel a little badly that I’ve kidnapped this ladybug, but I think I’m his only chance at life.  Outside, he’d freeze, and if I let him go into my house, I don’t think he’d be able to find food and water and he’d either die or go into hibernation until a kid or a dog got him.

So anyway, I guess I have my new pet.  I still don’t expect him to last very long, but for now it’s fun just taking care of an animal, especially since he’s my little secret.  If he’s still around in another week or so, I’ll take his picture and post it.  Say hi to Francis!

Last summer, I posted on the story of a young little leaguer who was snubbed because he was TOO GOOD.  Well, maybe he can take a lesson from Ken Mink who at 73 years young is the oldest living college basketball player.  Mr. Mink is a 6′ shooting guard for Roane State Community College.  At first when he initially tried out for the team the other players, coaches, everyone involved though it was some kind of hoax and the man just escaped an insane asylum. However, there is more to the tale.

In his earlier days after a successful Freshman season (1955-56), Mink was excused from Lees Junior College in Jackson, KY.  He was called to the President’s Office and was expelled from the institution for soaping the basketball coach’s office and putting shaving cream in his shoes… although Mr. Mink denies it more than 50 years later.  No due process in those days so the youngster had no recourse but to go home, but was never far from the courts (basketball).

Along with Ken is his wife of 11 years, Emilia (68), who can be seen at every game wearing a retro- cheerleading outfit of poodle skirt, sweater, saddle shoes, and pom-poms.

You can watch Ken Mink in action here… number 54.  Although he is eligible for three more seasons, the athlete feels that one will be enough.  Way to go!!!

It started with the Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” in the car this evening. Darling youngest wanted to hear the whole thing, but we need to get out of the car.

So here I am finding old songs and listening to a few tunes.

Anyway there are a few Beatles songs that just hit a certain part of my being… This one hit tonight..

The Beatles “I Will”…

Who knows how long I’ve loved you
You know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime
If you want me to–I will.

For if I ever saw you
I didn’t catch your name
But it never really mattered
I will always feel the same.

Love you forever and forever
Love you with all my heart
Love you whenever we’re together
Love you when we’re apart.

And when at last I find you
Your song will fill the air
Sing it loud so I can hear you
Make it easy to be near you
For the things you do endear you to me
How you know I will
I will.

————————

Just one song that brings back so many memories.

This weekend was really weird.  It started off Friday morning when I was asked to work on my day off (now I am working like 12 days in a row).  Later, I went to the game night that I previously described (in my newly repaired automobile..l brake problems) where I learned that some friends were looking for a sitter for Saturday night.  The next morning, I contacted them and said that I would be happy to watch the four kids.  I get off at 4.  The plan ALMOST worked out.  Instead of a 12-4 shift, it was a 12-9 shift.  I felt horrible.  I immediately called and explained the situation.  Hopefully, there will be other opportunities when I ACTUALLY know my schedule.

Today was a fun day.  I only worked until 2 so another great friend and I went to see Four Christmases which was kind of cute.  You can read taylhis’ indepth review.  Some laughs, not the best movie ever made but it was worth seeing with a friend.  We then went to Wal-Mart and spent an hour there wandering around.  I ended up completing my  Batman movie collection (yes, I even am the proud owner of the horrendous Batman and Robin travesty; however, I still lack the original big screen adventure from 1966).  Along with my The Dark Knight DVD is a reproduction of the original comics in which the Joker and Two-Face are introduced.  One strange thing about the comic originally published in Detective Comics Issue number 66 (1942) the District Attorney who became the scarred supervillain was named Harvey KENT.  I’m not sure how long it took to change the name to Harvey Dent but this took away any confusion that might have been caused with Superman‘s alterego of Clark Kent.  That would have made for an interesting story.

Remember that CNN.com article I wrote about the unusual names?  The article spotlighted a little girl named Indiana Elizabeth Jones and her brother, Dow.  Well, this post is not going to be about them.

Rather, it’s an excuse to post a cute photo of my 4-year-old daughter wearing an Indiana Jones-like costume.  For the real buffs out there, I know it’s not exact, but it’s still cute…

Went to a show today. The WCCT put on their version of “Don’t Hug Me”. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so much and so hard. Our little theater knows how to put on a good comedy, and this show just hit the right cord for me. I don’t think there was a time during the show I was without a smile, and most of the time I was laughing.

Now most of my family and a lot of extended family was there. Three of 4 daughters, 1 son-in-law, 1 fiance, 2 grandparents, and my sister-in-law enjoyed the show. I was able to see friends before the show and during intermission. Fun time and a good show, good friends and family, can you ask for more?

After the show the family went to the local Pizza Hut and enjoyed more good times and food. We spent over an hour sharing Pizza, and family stories.

We then went to a Christmas Cantata that was being performed at my daughter’s church. I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I do enjoy watch my daughters sing. The youngest two daughters have a wonderful presence when they sing, and it all starts with a smile.

So my day was full of family, friends, fun and music. Not a bad way to end the weekend.

I am not a huge movie buff.  Sure, I enjoy movies, but it is not my primary form of entertainment and a good 80% or more of movies I read about in the paper are just a big yippee in my book.  That said, every once in a while a gem comes out that almost requires me to buy the DVD, er- if I actually bought DVDs (let’s just say I’m chea-, um… frugal and leave it at that 😛 ).  The movie I’m referring to is titled August Rush.  Released in 2007, it stars Freddie Highmore (Spiderwick Chronicles, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Finding Neverland) as a Evan Taylor, a musical super-prodigy who seemingly puts ordinary prodigies like Mozart to shame.  Any instrument he picked up in this movie he was able to play just a short time later.  He never saw musical notation before, yet started writing music while the girl who brought him in at one point was at school.  Wait- why wasn’t Evan at school?  Well, this is a key point of the story.  He is a runaway orphan.  Only he shouldn’t be an orphan.  Conceived in a one night affair between two musicians (Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers) his father never knew about him and his mother, through the machinations of her wealthy father, though he died at birth.  Evan ran away to find his mother, who he believed he could find through the music he could hear in his mind.  Not unlike a certain Charles Dickens tale, he finds himself in the big city of New York and meets a child street musician who eventually takes him in to meet the Fagin of this movie, Robin Williams as the Wizard, who quickly latches on to Evan as a means to make money once he becomes aware of Evan’s talent at playing the guitar in a .

Continuing the Oliver Twist Theme Evan soon finds himself under another roof, and a bed that clearly makes another connection to our 19th century story with a sign above it that says “God is Love.”  Here his composing talent is now discovered by a minister who wastes no time getting him into Julliard where Evan composes a symphony.  However, remember what happens to poor Oliver after he gets himself away from Fagin’s gang?  Well, Evan is found by the Wizard, who claims to be Evan’s father and promptly removes him Julliard, though the symphony he composed is still set to be played in Central Park (I think that’s the park).

What about his parents?  Well, neither of them found happiness and in fact quit their music shortly after their fling.  Twelve years later they find themselves in separate parts of the country, neither place New York where Evan is.  Meyers’s character gets an urge to find his lost love again, and after finding her phone number but not being able to get a hold of her, and going to her home where she is nowhere to be found, he tries New York since that’s where they first met.  And where is she?  Come on now, just one guess.  That’s right, she went to New York too, but for a far more logical reason.  Her dad finally ‘fessed up to what he did and she is searching for her child who of course had already run away.  By the end of the movie it turned out Evan was right- through music, his music, he found his mother.  Or rather, she found him.  And she in turn was found by her ex at the same time.  He must have been shocked to find out that he had a son (who he coincidentally had met just a short time earlier- see picture above- as he was playing with his guitar, having no idea just who he was talking to).

I guess I enjoyed this movie so much in part because of the ties to Oliver!, which was at one time my favorite musical.  Plus, it deals with music which I understand, having been a musician of sorts since 5th grade.  The road to their eventual but clearly obvious meeting kept me glued to the screen as well.  The plotline was a little ridiculous at times- I mean, his gift is really a bit over the top, and neither the preacher nor the staff at Julliard called the police or child services after discovering him which would realistically set them up on some sort of criminal charges- but then they do call this movie an urban fairy tale so a little unrealism is expected.  If you enjoy music, Oliver Twist, or stories of separated people finding each other, see this movie.  If you don’t, then see it anyway.  🙂

You are all alone, and there is a light, from what looks like a campfire, in the distance….

That is how the evening started. As I expected, the group of theater regulars were up to the task of playing a character. In that there was never really a doubt in my mind. The problem for all came when the small polyhedrons were needed (variety of dice for those not in the know). The comments, “Do I use this? No, that one. This one? No the one just in front of that.” were in common usage the entire evening.

All of this is common when starting this type of game. There are 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 20 sided dice used in this game. Knowing how and when to use them is a bit of a learning curve. It seems that teenage boys and some young adults are much better at learning this, just like video games. 😉

Well, I think most of the group had fun. I certainly had fun. It has been than a few years since I ran any sort of game, and I certainly had fun doing it. Thinking on the fly, running people through a part of a world I created are enjoyable to me. But the complexity of the characters, and multiple dice rolling, sometimes slows down the game play. What to do, what to do?

Me, I started thinking of games with no dice at all. There are a few on the gaming market, but the character creation is just as complex if not more complex. How do you determine winners and losers of confrontations without randomizing effects of cards, spinners or dice… How complex do you make your rules?

Well, I’m thinking of just such a game. Role Playing for the actors in all of us, and no dice to confuse the situation. Designing it in my head as I write this. In few weeks, I will be looking for a group of volunteers to run through this game.

For those who want to know the setting. Think current time period, and ghost hunters…

Last night was my first foray into the world of role-playing games.  It was really fun not knowing what you are doing at first but diving right in and going with it.  Our leader (who instructed us and narrated the adventure as well as assumed a role… although he was limited to what he actually did) has been doing this for years although life has limited the amount he has been able to participate in groups.  He even said that one game lasted from the time he was 18 until he was 25.  NOW THAT IS A LONG GAME (not all at once, but still…).

The role I decided to tackle was a thief in the medieval time of the Dungeons and Dragons setting.  I chose the name Zarf.  The quest led the players on the search for an old man’s daughter.  We eventually came to a large, battle-scarred castle and soon became separated.  After climbing down a seemingly endless flight of stairs, my three companions (the strong Ivanhoe, the cleric Lothario (I think he was a cleric), and Faramir – the damsel’s intended) and I came to a pit.  We discovered that the route we had taken was totally useless and we ended right back with the other players.

There were battles aplenty with goblins, hobgoblins, and wererats.  Magic (of which I had none).  Secret passages and lots of other exciting elements involved.  Now if I could just learn to throw something more than a 1 on an icosahedron (my new 25-cent word for the day)… although I do recall throwing at least a 10 on a few occasions.  But happily, we all survived the quest and rescued the fair maiden.  Even if Lothario denied my gift (and they say there is no honor among thieves) of rocks for his sling (which eventually broke.. HA!)  A great intro into what appears to be a fun world.  I’m curious to actually see a centagon…