Chocolate Covered Apples with Sprinkles

Today at school the food was out of control.

Our principal bought the staff lunch which consisted of spiral ham, mac n’ cheese, salad, and breadsticks. Thank you principal. Then I head to my office to be surprised by my secret snowflake gift which was a mug filled with chocolate kisses. I go to get a cup of coffee from our office kitchenette where I find the counter completely filled with food. Platters of fruit and veggies, chocolate covered apples, homemade snowflake waffle cookies, frosted and sprinkled cookies, a box of chocolates (from the local pharmacy, no less!), and of course, the original sought after coffee. 

I suppose I should not even bother bringing a lunch from home during the week before Christmas vacation. 

Bookshop Casanova

I don’t normally do these things, but curiosity and a need to post helped make my decision. Play along if you are also curious or if you have a need to post on your blog. Thanks to Becca for the idea.

Here’s how it works:

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle. 

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

4. Make a fun/silly/witty comment on your answer. (Don’t feel pressure to do this step…I probably won’t)

5. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing the same as well as the person you got the note from. (see side note above)

• What is your motto? We’re the Trees by the A Sides - I’m a treehugger? I suppose it isn’t that far off…
• What do your friends think of you? Hoarding it for Home by Mates of State…I’ll try not to have my feelings get hurt by what my itunes answers for me. 
  
• What do you think about very often? Hanging by a Thread by Nickel Creek - no comment here.
• What is 2+2? New York by U2 - I’m sure they would agree.
• What do you think of your best friend? In State by Kathleen Edwards
• What do you think of the person you like? C’mon Billy by PJ Harvey - Sorry, Tim! I swear, I don’t know anyone named Billy!
• What is your life story? Since I Lost my Baby by the Temptations - again, no comment.
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Shiny by the Decemberists - this is perfect, I love shiny things!
• What do you think when you see the person you like? Free Life by Dan Wilson - not far from the truth. 
• What do your parents think of you? I Almost Forgot by Matthew Sweet - again, I refuse to let the computer hurt my feelings!
• What will they play at your funeral? track 07 - sorry, that’s all I got. A nameless song from some nameless mix CD someone made for me years ago. 
• What is your hobby/interest? The Wall by Johnny Cash - not sure which wall they are referring to…
• What is your biggest secret? California by Brenda Weiler - referring to one of my favorite guilty pleasure TV shows? 
• What do you think of your friends? Love by Sixpence None the Richer - ahhhh
• What’s the worst thing that could happen? Let’s Build a Home by The White Strips - I suppose we are not the handiest people around…
• What makes you laugh? Loose Summer Clothes by Storyhill - are we talking bathing suits? 
• What makes you cry? Walk Away by Joe Walsh and the James Gange - no comment
• What scares you the most? Tidal Wave by Clear - I don’t know about “the most” but that does sound scary
• If you could go back in time, what would you change? The Story of What Was by Ani DiFranco - hmmm
• Now for the title of this blog entry… Bookshop Casanova by The Clientele - seems to fit Tim more than me, but I’ll take it. 

Election Plans

On my 50 minute drive home, I kept thinking about getting my free scoop of ice cream then heading to the polls to vote. Eating something with peanut butter swirls and voting in this historic election was going to be perfect combination. Too bad I get to the Ben and Jerry’s and there is a hand written sign on the door saying they are not participating in the free ice cream promo. I had to settle for the free coffee from Starbucks. The lines were not that long, but I was glad to wait a bit before voting. I like knowing that people are taking time out of their lives to vote.  

Either way, it’s fun to celebrate election day. I’m glad to have some recognition of election day beyond the “I voted” sticker (which are great). After 2 years of daily hearing about the election, I want a party. I want some big recognition of the election. I want my vote to go through the scanner and some big lights and buzzers to go off. I think that with each vote there should be an excited computer voice saying, “Congratulations! You are the _______thousandth voter to vote for__________!” 

Metal vs. Plastic

My political car magnet that I have been checking my mailbox for daily, has finally arrived. I ripped open the package and went to the car to stick it on. My first car magnet, how exciting! 

Except my car seems to be made of plastic. Blerg.

Time Management

I don’t know what’s better. One project a weekend leaving lots of time to party or getting everything done in one weekend so you have many weekends of project free bliss. As of right now, we have opted for a few projects a weekend - but now the project we did a few weeks ago needs redoing. Ever feel like those projects will never end?

Doggie DNA

Interesting story I meant to blog about long ago.

Wouldn’t it be great if dog owners were held responsible for not picking up their doggie left-behinds? Unfortunately, you volunteer to have your dog’s DNA stored on file…who would volunteer this information just so to be fined at some later date? 

Embarrassing photos mom brings out at inappropriate times?

Things I didn’t Twitter

Gas has dropped at least $.03 - $.04 cents a day since last Monday. We are down to  $3.39. Fabulous. 

Snake signs are still up…I still have to avert my eyes from the telephone pole.

Why can’t I ever hail the Cash Cab?

We went to two phenomenal concerts this weekend. You would not assume that I live in New Haven, CT when you hear about my weekend. 

Dinner time. 

Signs Around Town

A few blocks from here is a house that usually has quite a few people hanging around outside the place wearing white tank tops and bandanas. Recently, they hung four “No Trespassing” signs up on the tree outside their place and around their front porch. As if they already didn’t look suspicious. 

Scariest sign seen on the block…”Lost pet snake. Please call if found.” and there is a picture of a huge scary looking snake. I was out on a walk when I noticed the sign and suddenly my walk was not so peaceful. First of all, who in their right mind has a pet snake and B) who loses their pet snake. That is something right out of The North Avenue Irregulars (you remember the part where the mom with all the kids is taking her kids to a pet show and she gets in a wreck and the snake gets loose on the street) - pretty much my worst nightmare. My fear of snakes greatly increased when my sweet brother told me snakes could climb stairs…and thinking of a loose snake popping up anywhere along my walk was not very relaxing…yes, I pictured it getting in my house and climbing the stairs behind me. Ahh…nightmares might occur tonight.

Seriously, if I found their “pet” snake, I would most certainly not call them to come pick it up. I would get out of their as fast as possible or kill it somehow. Sorry snake owners - I don’t think you are going to find your pet anytime soon. And please come take down the signs when the situation is remedied…I want to take walks in peace around the neighborhood.

I’m an 8th grader and I don’t know where to go next period.

School started on Wednesday.

We have a brand new beautiful building which has to be more than twice the size of our old building. The building is free of mold, asbestos, and bad air quality rooms. The best part is my office can actually hold more than three people. It’s funny to talk to the kids about what they think about the new building. Most kids think it is cool, but the common reply from an 8th grader is “it’s huge” said with a big sigh. I can’t decide if they like the hugeness or not. I think we have toppled the typical “rulers of the school” mentality with this new building. The 8th graders look more panic stricken than our 5th or 6th graders. 

Today, as I was thinking about my poor confused 8th graders, I thought back to my time as a junior high camp counselor and how one year we didn’t do something the kids had come to think of as tradition (even though it wasn’t really a tradition). The camp kids almost rebelled because we weren’t doing that activity - even though the new activity was way better. My current students are acting the same - wishing for the old rooms so they can be on top and confidently run through the building. 

It also seems our teachers are almost wishing for the old. The teachers have started to complain that they don’t feel homey in the new place and they don’t know where to congregate in the mornings. We do need art on the walls and we do need some major kinks worked out, but hopefully we will be able to appreciate the new $32 million dollar building soon.