Drum-a

What a week!

I won't get into the gory details, but let's just say it was a busy, hectic, exhausting, frustrating, wildly hilarious, nasty, interesting, batty week.

My Idol

My big American Idol-esque fundraiser went very well on Thursday night--except that it almost didn't go at all! Twenty minutes before house was to open, we found that the sound board had died. The drama/stagecraft teacher was still around so he took a look--the board is fried.

"Megan...we might have to cancel your show."



In show business, the show must go on, and it did--thanks to some quick thinking on the drama teacher's part, and the clever rigging of a microphone, a portable CD player, and an amplifier. I think my heart rate is just now getting back to normal!!

The evening after that was a success. We finished at 8:40--much earlier than expected, and I was in bed by 10:00.

Drum-a

One of the campus security guys worked my show, ensuring that everyone left in a timely manner and didn't loiter on campus. He was great. We sat by the parking lot together waiting for all kids to get rides home, until about 9:30.

Towards the end of this time, I learned of some possible drama between one of the kids on my drum line and some other kids. My student is a good kid--and it turns out that he's sort of an innocent bystander in a feud between his friend and another kid. But at first, I thought that he was getting some grief from other drum kids--and that was disappointing.

These are some great kids and they are a fantastic team. So the thought of silly drama between them made me mad, actually!

I saw a few of them on Friday morning and asked what was going on. They set me straight. "No, Miss C! We're all friends."

"Exactly--a TEAM."

So I felt better...and happy enough to quip to Larry, "So, if the drumline has drama, do we call it drum-a?"

*Rimshot*

Mom's Good!

Mom made it through her surgery and is actually off the pain meds already. She's keeping her foot up and only walking on it to go to the bathroom and stuff. I'm sure between Dad ("She's got me waiting on her hand and foot--I can't get any rest!!") and the Terrible Torties, Mom's got plenty of love coming her way.

Still, I'm sending mine, too.

I thought about going home this weekend, but frankly, the thought of driving to Lincoln doesn't appeal. And my apartment was filthy, so last night I cleaned.

Five Servings a Day

I am ashamed to admit it, but I will state this publicly--to shame myself into better behavior:

I had take-out five nights in a row this week.

Terrible! On the agenda for today is a massive grocery trip, so I can stock up on fresh veggies and fruits. I'm craving salad, and soup, and healthier fare. Now that this week is over, I have some time to prep some food. I think I'll make onion soup, a pot of chili, and the preparations for a big Greek salad. That way I can just heat things up throughout the week.

Sounds marvelous!

Disgusting

As I mentioned, I did some cleaning last night--and about time! There were balls of hair on the bathroom floor (from brushing and having a cat) the size of Ping Pong balls. I'm not kidding!

Last night I did the hard part--scrubbing down the kitchen and bathroom counters, the toilet, and then sweeping, vacuuming the debris, and mopping the linoleum.

This morning I will do a quick dusting and vacuuming in the living room and bedroom, start some laundry, and make sure everything is straightened up. That won't take more than an hour, so I'll still have plenty of time to sit on my rear end watching movies or reading a book. I've just been thinking it's time to do a couple of re-reads...

Hmm, Decisions, Decisions...

Now, am I in a Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice) mood, or a To Kill a Mockingbird mood? I'll have to think on that one.

In the meantime, the sun is coming up (yes, Meg had a hard time sleeping last night...again), and I have an urge to get started.

So...cheers!

Meg

Shout-out to Mom!

Just a quick little update as I sit here, bleary-eyed, drinking tea, and facing a long, long day. I need to give a quick shout-out to my Mom, who is having a hammer toe surgically corrected this morning at 7:00.

I'm thinking of you, Mom, and I love you!

In the mean time, I've got a very full day today--we've got a fire drill during 2nd period, I don't have my prep today, and I won't be home until well after 9:00. We've got a big fundraising event tonight.

So if you all could send Mom and I some good vibes today, I'd appreciate it!

Oh, My Legs...

I walked, walked, and walked some more yesterday.

As per a previous blog entry, I went to Santa Cruz with the marching band yesterday. It was a great day, and I'm glad I tagged along. For starters, the weather was gorgeous--sunny, blue skies, temperatures in the 70s all day. The kids were in good spirits and everyone had a great time.

We left the school at about 8:15, arriving in Santa Cruz a little after 10:00. The kids started getting uniforms on and unloading instruments. I helped my drum kids get sorted out a little, and even carried an extra bass drum (not particularly heavy but those harnesses HURT!) for a few feet.

After warming up, the band stood in formation while waiting for their turn to go. One highlight at this point was an adorable little girl emulating the marching bands that passed by. She was in black pants, a white shirt with a little red plaid tie, and a black vest. A red and black marching hat was perched crookedly on her head. She stood at perfect attention with a recorder in her hands. She couldn't have been more than 6 years old, and she was adorable. The band moms and I all went gooey over the sight. At one point she ran into a nearby house, so I assume she lives there and was showing her excitement over the visiting bands.

The parade route covers a good couple of miles and includes many different sections the students have to pass through. The first is Inspection, where they stand at attention and a judge inspects uniforms, how straight the lines are, etc. After inspection, they march a little ways, playing the march one time. Then they enter the competition zone, where they are judged for their overall march--music, marching, formations, color guard, etc.

Finally we entered the drum line zone, where my drum kids (many of them didn't play in the band march, and a couple of girls are also on color guard, so they had to run over and join the drum line very quickly, grabbing their bass drums from some awesome band parents who carried them all that way for them).

This was the part where I felt like a nervous momma! Larry laughed at me because I was standing on my toes with my fingers crossed, looking worried.

Can I just say that my kids were AWESOME? They played their song, "Walk the Walk," better than they've ever done it, and the countless hours of hard work they've put in, both in class and after school, really paid off. I wanted to shout out, "That's MY drum line!!!" I refrained, but I did cheer like mad when they were done.

Unfortunately they didn't place in the drum line category at awards, because there are bigger drum lines playing harder music...but what we all took away from it is that they beat their own personal best, and exceeded the goals they had set for themselves. So all in all, it was a great day.

And I think they liked having me there. : )

We finally marched down Front Street (by the beach and Boardwalk), playing the march and a few drum cadences for the happy crowd there, before finally making it back to the busses.

I waited with Larry while all the kids got their instruments and uniforms put away, then we set off for the pier to find a good restaurant for lunch. We were both hot, sweaty, exhausted and famished. We pretty much inhaled our lunches. When the bill came I pulled out my wallet and he said, "No, this one's on me." I gave him my patented "one-eyebrow-raised-make-the-students-shudder" look, and he put his fists up and said, "Believe me, I know what your paycheck looks like. Besides, I want to thank you for coming today." : P He won, so I gratefully accepted a free lunch.

After this he had a band director's meeting so I furthered the workout my legs were getting by walking along the beach and the boardwalk. I got about halfway down the boardwalk and decided to turn back. Well, the park is pretty crowded, and I hate crowds. I considered my options: I could weave my way through the crowds, making slow progress and dealing with all the idiots who steer strollers into my legs or stop directly in front of me for absolutely no reason. Or, I could make somewhat slow progress on the beach, with fewer people to deal with.

I chose the beach. My thighs need toning, anyway.

Pretty soon it was time for awards. We didn't get any trophies but apparently the scores were higher than they've been, so Larry was pleased with the progress. I high-tailed it out of awards a few minutes before the end to avoid the massive crush of everyone leaving, making it back to the bus in relative peace.

The best part of the day was being able to show my drum kids some love. They're a great bunch--genuinely nice kids--and I was so proud of them. They in turn, seemed happy that I came along. They all seemed eager to hear what I thought of their performance. One of the band boosters even thanked me for coming, saying, "It means a lot to the kids that you're here--and it means a lot to us parents that you'd make the effort to come." Her son is not in drum line, but her daughter is in one of my choirs, so that was nice.

It was a great day--I fell into bed last night, exhausted, but I'm so glad I tagged along on the trip. I think it will further strengthen the relationship I have with the drum kids, so when it comes time for Winter Drum Line (which I'll be solely in charge of, as it's not affiliated with the band), we will have a trust in place already.

And with their work ethic and strong group dynamic, I don't see why we can't bring home a few trophies while we're at it. : )

Send Me Good Vibes!

Tonight is my first performance with any of my groups. I'm taking my top choir to a local college to participate in a concert there.

We are singing only one song, as the director there asked me to just have a few minutes' worth of music. There is a guest tenor from the San Francisco Opera, so that will be great to hear.

Anyway, if you think about it, at 7:00 tonight (PST, of course), send some good vibes my way!

Cruisin' Down to Santa Cruz...

I'm going to Santa Cruz on Saturday!

I've volunteered to help Larry with a marching band trip. They'll be competing in a parade competition, and since I teach drum line, I want to show the kids some love and support my colleague. Besides, it's in Santa Cruz and it's been ages since I've been on a marching band trip...since high school, in fact.

We leave from the school at 8:00 in the morning and will return at about 9:00 that night. I'll help out as much as I can, but also take some time to have fun on the Beach/Boardwalk, taking pictures and stuff.

Speaking of pictures...

Eighty bucks later, I have a year's worth of digital pictures ready to be archived in my scrapbook. With my first paycheck I decided to order prints of photos dating back to August 2005, when, a week after returning home from England, I went on a road trip with my parents to Idaho and Utah. Shortly after that, we were adopted by the Kindergatos, so I got prints of all the baby pictures, too.

Well, another busy day. I'm exhausted! I'm going to heat up some potato soup (made it from scratch yesterday) and then put in a movie while I sort out my photos (all 600-somthing of them!).

Cheers,

Meg

Summer Time

Yes, yes, I'm aware that it's actually Autumn! The turning grape leaves of Napa Valley reminded me of that.

But I had Summer Time today, in that I drove up to Napa to see Summer, and spend an afternoon driving through the wine country, smelling the gorgeous smell of grapes being crushed, and poking in and out of various shops in the adorable town of St. Helena.

Mostly, though, it was just soooo good to catch up with Summer and talk, talk, talk. Just as it was awesome to catch up with Heather last weekend. We are all so busy with our jobs and other pursuits, that sometimes whole months go by without me seeing my girlfriends. And believe me, I need my girlfriends!

So it was a lovely afternoon, and I can't wait to visit Summer in Napa again. What a gorgeous part of the world! I'll try to upload pictures soon...I'm going to replace my dialup with wireless internet soon, which will make things much easier.

Cheers,

Meg

Huh.

On the surface, it doesn't seem like much of a punchline. But it just might be the one little uttered syllable that made me human to a group of kids. That and being drenched in sweat.

Those of you who have spoken to me know I've had a few struggles with some of my groups. Face it, I've just replaced a much-loved teacher. The kids miss her, they don't know me, and I am quite different. This doesn't excuse some of the little rudeness I've encountered, but it does help me understand where the kids are coming from.

So my show group has been one of the harder groups to "crack," if you will. They're normally much further along than we are now, and they are worried that they won't be ready to perform on time. I'm coming from the never-had-a-show-choir standpoint, and frankly, I'm learning how to run it as I go.

So Wednesday we met and I, as usual, braced myself for 100 minutes of kids not listening, or at least not taking me seriously. Wednesday we sat down to dig into the music, but before we started, I decided to discuss our theme, Sister Act 2, with the kids:

Me: So there are two main conflicts in Sister Act 2. The first is the Lauryn Hill character, who's mom won't let her sing in choir.

Assorted students: Yeah.

Me: The second one is the teacher and the students...struggling to get to know each other.

Assorted students: Yeah.

Me: [Deadpan] Huh. [pause]

I actually got some laughter from them...and it was a proud moment for me, because suddenly, the whole tone of the rehearsal turned around, and for once, I feel that I accomplished something with them.

Of course, in my previous teaching experience, a little bit of progress can go down the drain the next day, so I approached this afternoon with cautious optimism. Especially when I came back from lunch to find that in the 40 minutes I'd been in the staff lounge, the heater had come on (our school's system is a mess right now) and my room was about 95 degrees.

I figured this would spell disaster, as the kids would whine and complain and feel they didn't need to get anything done. On the contrary, it didn't really mess us up at all. Of course we were all sweating profusely, and fanning ourselves with the music, but no one made a huge deal out of it. We just pounded out some music and chose people to do the solos.

Eventually we moved to the band room, which is vacant during that class period and has more room for the dancing part of things. It was cooler in there (somehow, though our rooms are connected, Larry's is always cool and mine a sauna...), and we got started with some dancing.

It was a productive afternoon, and I'm quite...cautiously optimistic about how things are going.

And so ended another crazy/busy week, on a high note. As Larry joked with me after school, "The group that sweats together, stays together..."

The days absolutely fly by. My contract hours are 8:00 to 3:00, but I'm usually at school at 7:30 each morning, and I leave anywhere between 3:30 and 4:30, depending on what I need to get done, or if we have meetings, etc.

My colleagues are great--I am lucky to have supportive, friendly, interesting people to work with. The performing arts people, in particular (there are five of us) seem to mesh very well. We're all very passionate about our particular subject areas, but willing to work with everyone else, too. It's a great team.

And that's it, really. I have half a million things running through my head at any given moment, and I'm alternately very pleased with myself and very unsure of what I'm doing. I suppose that's normal. I'm sleeping better after a few bad nights earlier this week, so that's good.

The weather is slowly turning cooler, and the trees with it. It is getting close to my favorite time of year, as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. Pretty soon all thoughts will be on Thanksgiving and the holiday season, which is my favorite time of the year.

Huh.

Just What I Needed...

A girl's night with Heather!

Heather drove down to Antioch on Saturday to have a Girl's Movie Night with me. I think, for both of us, it was just what the doctor ordered. I am so glad we were able to get together. It had been almost two months since we'd seen each other!

Of course, there was much girl talk, and a few moments of hilarity (I have a rather disturbing habit of taping things to my butt...). There was good food (Indian curry) and plenty of vodka Lemon Drops. We had Paul Bettany (adorable Brit in Wimbledon) and a young, shirtless Richard Gere in An Officer and a Gentleman. Good times!

On Sunday we had lunch at Mimi's and a short but effective shopping spree at a local mall. Then Heather had to get on the road back to Sacramento.

So yes, my weekend was just what I needed--a break from thinking about school and a chance to catch up with a friend. Next weekend I'm off to Napa to see Summer. Good times!

Friday Night Whalloping

GO WOLVERINES!!!!

Tonight was Homecoming, so I donned my black and teal garb and went to the game. What a great time! I'd forgotten how much fun these high school games can be.

Four girls from one of my choirs sang the National Anthem--I was very proud of them; they worked hard to prepare and it's not an easy thing to sing this very difficult song in front of so many people.

My drumline class looked great in their marching band uniforms, and they were pleased to see me before the game, and a few times during. I wanted to show them som support. I genuinely like them; they're a great group of kids.

And the football! Holy cow! We have quite a team this year--undefeated and very, very fast. There are two guys who are so fast, no one can catch them. They dodge defenders and run like hell to the end zone--it's so exciting to watch. We trounced the other team, 41-21. The only reason the other team got those last two TDs is because our team got a little lazy in the last quarter--we were so far ahead. The team is now undefeated, but we're up against a difficult team next weekend.

There were a lot of teachers there. I sat in the teacher section, cheering like mad, eating a Polish hot dog (teachers get one free food item and drink), and showing my school spirit.

One thing I also noticed was the terrific sportsmanship. One of our boys went down on a play and took a few minutes to get up. While the coaches and medical guys ran out to assist him, all of the boys on our team knelt down on one knee in a show of support--and even half of the opposing team! I was touched by that. Everyone cheered when he got up. It was such a great show of team unity and healthy competition. The kid was okay; I saw him jogging a bit a few minutes later, but I think he sat the rest of the game out.

What a great evening...that's one thing I love about teaching high school--the sports, the school spirit, etc. It's good for the kids, and it's fun for us teachers to support them.

Cheers,

Meg

Another Week Flies By

Zzzzzziiiiippp. Blink and you miss it.

I am in Lincoln this weekend. : ) A couple weeks ago, I decided that once Mom and Dad returned from their Alaskan cruise, I'd come home for some of Mom's cooking, a bit of relaxation, and some quality time with the folks. So far, it's been marvelous. But I have stories from this week, so I'm going to back up a few days.

Stylin'

Thursday morning I woke up at 4:30 AM with butterflies in my stomach. I had a To Do list a mile long and Back To School Night to look forward to.

I gave up trying to catch a few more Zz's and got up at about 5:15. Because I was up so much earlier than my usual 5:45-6:00, I was ready to go by 7:00. I decided to leave early, get some caffiene, and go work in my classroom.

I pulled into Chevron near the school and went inside for a hot chocolate. As I served myself, I thought, "Dang...it's drafty in here!"

Turns out that actually, I had a six-inch rip along the side seam of my blouse! Good thing that I was only a couple of miles from home.

Back To School

Back To School Night, I must say, went very well. For those not familiar with the concept, Back To School Night usually happens about 3-4 weeks into the school year, and it is a chance for parents to come meet the teachers. Being the "newbie" in a high-profile department, I was nervous. I really wanted to make a good impression.

The evening was quite a success. Everyone offered their support in every area from fundraising to accompanying the choirs on piano. I mentioned that I want to start a choral booster program and faces lit up. These parents want to help; and one thing I have learned is to never turn down that offer.

So things are progressing nicely. I felt very good about how Back To School Night went for me.

What's The Point??

Yesterday was a minimum day. All classes were 20 minutes long. Just enough time to warm up before leaving class! I basically had all of my classes do a couple of simple ear training exercises. Show Choir danced. It was quick, easy, and the kids (and I!) were just ready to get out of there for the weekend...it seemed a little bit pointless, having 20 minute classes, but Ed Code demands the students be in school a certain number of minutes and a certain number of days.

Happy Dance

Snoopy has his Supper Dance; I have my Paycheck Jig.

Yes, my friends, yesterday was my first payday. It would be impolite to tell how much my first check was for (and just how much the state and federal governments took out--YIKES!) but I will say it was the largest paycheck I have ever earned.

Woohoo!!

The other great thing is that I don't have to pay rent this month--I got six weeks free when I signed my lease, and chose all of October and half of December for my free time.

Not having to pay rent this month means...

Even More Stylin'

As soon as I pulled in to Mom and Dad's yesterday, Mom and I made a Target run. Almost $200 later, I have new pajamas, a bunch of toiletries I needed to stock up on, a boxed set of all four movies Bogie and Bacall made together, and a new blender.

Today Mom and I hit the massive Galleria mall in Roseville because I am in dire need of cute clothes for work.

Many hours later, I am the happy owner of several darling blouses, a new LBD (Little Black Dress, a staple in any woman's wardrobe), and some new bras. My feet hurt, but I am very, very pleased. Especially as the Border's at the mall had a book I've been looking for--Lauren Bacall's memoir (are you sensing any patterns at all?).

Hallelujah!

I mentioned above that I bought a blender. This is a Big Thing. You see, I love smoothies, and being without a blender these last couple of months has been hard. Now I can buy all the bananas I want! (I love bananas in stuff, but the texture of them makes it impossible for me to just eat them on their own.) And guavas, and mangoes and pineapple, and berries.

Who needs cereal for breakfast?

Let's Talk About Fuzz

Of course, one of the big draws in coming home to Mom and Dad's is the Terrible Torties. Last night I had a tub of fuzz (Duchess) glued to my side all night. At one point it got kind of cold so she crawled under the covers with me, curling up in the crook of my arm, purring madly.

She and Bella have grown into beautiful (if a bit bottom-heavy) adult cats. I can't believe that just a year ago, they were still itty bitty kitties. "Kindergato" is hardly an appropriate description anymore--they're fully grown!

Millie is a little bit disgruntled because she had to sit in her carrier for two hours yesterday, but she'll get over it.

Tamale Pie and NASCAR

Tomorrow I'll watch my favorite driver, Dale Jr., start from 12th position at the Kansas race. Hopefully he'll do well, and gain some spots in the points.

Tonight I'm getting some of Mom's awesome tamale pie (it's cooking now and the smell is making my mouth water), and some much-needed relaxation after a busy week and a trek around a large mall.

Here's to weekends at Mom and Dad's!

Cheers,

Meg

*Sigh*

I have now seen three of the four movies that Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall made together, and let me just say that the chemistry between those two was enough to knock my socks off! More and more I agree with all of the polls that list Bogey as the best male actor ever. He really had a presence and charisma that the Brad Pitts and Tom Cruises of the world lack now.



Today I watched Key Largo and To Have And Have Not. Both were excellent, but I have to say that I liked To Have And Have Not best. Especially seeing as how they met making this movie, and the attraction and chemistry just screams from them in every scene.

Bacall was 19 years old, and Bogey 44. Despite the age difference and the fact that he was married when they met, they fell in love, and it was one of the romances of the century.



I've said it before and I'll say it again: these classic movies are brilliant. Most of today's movies have nothing on them, even with improved special effects. We've become so desensitized to nudity and sex scenes, it is a shock to the system to see how sexy one kiss between Bogey and Bacall can be--fully clothed, no [visable] tongue, and lasting no more than a few seconds.

And the dialogue! Who can top Bacall's Slim looking at Bogey's Steve through her eyelashes and saying, "You do know how to whistle...you just put your lips together, and...blow."

The look on that man's face made my heart flutter in my chest.







*Sigh*

Fabulous.

This 'N' That

Just a few bits and pieces from my world this week.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I swear, the days fly by! Even with classes being 100 minutes each, they absolutely fly by, and I find myself in constant motion from the time I get to school each morning (about 7:30) until the time I leave (usually about 4:00). Sometimes I find I need to visit several different offices. As the school is spread out over 60+ acres, and it's built on a big hill, with stairs everwhere, I do sometimes get my exercise!

I am getting more and more comfortable with my job and the kids. I still have some things to learn, and I am still building a trust and rapport with the kids--it all takes time. But I'm coming along, and I have to say, I've got some really great kids. There's a small group of juniors and seniors who like to hang out in my room after school playing the piano and singing. A couple of boys sometimes bring guitars, and they all sit around playing, singing, and even rapping (it's all clean). I really enjoy listening to them. The creativity is astounding.

Schedules and Stuff

For future reference, I want to lay out how the school works because I will sometimes make reference to block scheduling and other things.

First off, the school is huge. Not only is it on 60+ acres of land, it educates somewhere around 3,500 kids. This requires about 165 teachers, and I don't know how many aides, secretaries, maintenance, custodians, food service workers, etc. I've truly lost count!

Because the school is so huge, we have a principal, an associate principal, and four vice principals. The principal and AS are housed in the main administration building. The four VPs are each in charge of a house (think Hogwart's). Each house is a group of classrooms with it's own administration office. Each kid is assigned to a house, as is each teacher. For example, I'm in House 3. My mailbox is there, I use that staff lounge (though I am more than welcome to visit others), and that's where I go if I need disciplinary help.

Next is the schedule. There are seven class periods, with first period being an optional period for students who want an extra class (especially Advanced Placement classes and specialized classes). First period starts at 8:00; most teachers do not teach that period. This period also meets every day; it is the only class period that does.

The official school day begins at 9:00. On even days, periods 2, 4 and 6 meet. On odd days, we have 3, 5, and 7. The school day runs from 9:00-3:00. Each class is 100 minutes long, and we have 8-minute passing periods (long, yes, but when kids have 60+ acres to navigate, and crowds of 3,500 to navigate through...). Lunch is 30 minutes, but with two passing periods on either side of it, it ends up being more like 46 minutes.

I don't teach a first period, and my prep is 5th period. Therefore, on even days, I teach straight through from 9:00-3:00. On odd days, I get almost 2.5 hours of prep and lunch time.

This week we had 3 odd, 2 even days. As yesterday was an odd day, Monday will be even. It's confusing at first, but once the pattern is established, it's pretty easy to follow, for students and teachers.

Are you confused yet?!

Lazy Weekend

I rented a couple of Bogey and Bacall movies to watch this weekend, and Sister Act 2 (you know, Whoopi Goldberg as a music teacher nun?). Sister Act 2 is the theme my show choir and I finally settled on, so I need to see how the story line goes, etc. Plus get ideas for costumes.

That's all I plan to do--watch movies and NASCAR. Maybe go to the bookstore. I'm having a teensy bit of vocal fatigue and want to rest and relax. Maybe make some tea.

Next weekend I'm making the drive up to Lincoln. Thursday night is Back to School Night, so they're giving us a minimum day on Friday. This means I can get on the road and miss rush hour on I-5 and I-80. Woohoo! It will also be payday (double woohoo!!) and, due to an incentive I received when I signed my lease, I don't have to pay rent in October (triple woohoo!!). So...quadruple woohoo...Mom and I are going shopping. : )

...And that's all, really. Nothing too exciting to report!

Cheers,

Meg

Lazy Girl Lasagna

So yesterday I made one of my favorite meals, a pasta bake. Every once in a while, I throw one together (pasta, zuchini, mushrooms, green pepper, onion, pasta sauce, ricotta cheese) and it makes a good, hearty, mostly healthy meal that lasts for days.

I took some to school today and a colleague commented that it looked really good. I was telling her how I make it and she said, "It's sort of a last-minute lasagna."

"Yeah, for lazy girls. Yeah! Lazy Girl Lasagna."

My colleague laughed at that, and I thereby decided that I'll no longer call this particular dish "pasta bake."

Well, Now I'm Crying

Just finished the last two episodes of "Band of Brothers," which always leaves me a bit weepy. I can't describe just how moving and well-done this miniseries is.

And that's it for today!

Cheers,

Meg

The Jury's Still Out

I've never really decided whether I love or loathe "The Gherkin," but I do admit it has some sentimental value. Located almost right next door to Liverpool Street Station in London's East End, it was always right there to greet me when I took the train in from Burnham.

Anyway, it's for sale, interestingly enough.

I'm Not Dutch

Nope, definitely no Dutch in me.

Nothin' Much to Blog About

Well, I've known my kids for a week now, and so far, it's going well enough. There are always bumps in the road when a new teacher takes over for someone who was much loved by the students. I know in time the program will become more of my own, and until then, I just roll with it.

Any frustration I'm feeling today is more due to the fact that I'm getting a cold, and I walked into my classroom this morning to find the heater on. The band teacher put a thermometer on my piano and it climbed to 92 degrees...and this was at 8:30 this morning! The A/C is completely broken in our wing, but the district has guys working on it.

At least it's not 100 degrees out there. : ) And as one colleague said, "Hey, things could be worse. We could be in Afghanistan!"

So yeah, I'm a bit stuffy and sneezy today, and my throat has been threatening an all-out mutiny for a couple of nights. That, of course, could be overuse--teachers talk a lot, and choir teachers talk, sing and make funny noises a lot!

The good news is that I'm eating pretty well and even managing to swim a bit some afternoons when I get home. A typical day consists of Raisin Bran for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and any two of soup, sandwich or salad for dinner.

I am meeting some nice people and even have a social engagement on Friday night (going to listen to a colleague play guitar at a coffee shop, and meeting up with some other teachers, probably). I'm still loving my little apartment--it is truly my haven, and I enjoy my quiet evenings here. I try to get out of school by 4:00, and once I'm home I've imposed a "no work after 7:00!!" rule for most evenings (concerts and special functions excepted, of course). The computer gets turned off and I am either reading or watching a movie. I learned the hard way in England that my "me" time is vital.

So how are things, really? I've been busy, amused, crazy, frustrated, relaxed, challenged, homesick, and feeling like I can do it all--all at the same time. But that's teaching for you. I'm doing just fine. : )

It Still Stings

Have you ever had a splinter or a papercut, that, even after you've doctored it a bit, still stings? Or a bruise that lingers on and on, ever-so-slightly sore and noticable, long after you got it.

That's sort of how today is for me. It still causes pain to think about what happened to our country on September 11, 2001. I can recall with perfect clarity where I was and what I was doing when I heard those dreadful words, "A plane has hit the World Trade Center. We think it must be a terrorist act." That fist-in-the-gut feeling of fear and sadness, and so many questions: Who would do this? Why would they? How can someone hate us so much--just for being American? Is my family safe? Will they come to California, too?

Most of those questions are still unanswered, five years later, especially the "why." It's so much more than the American agenda in the Middle East. It goes deeper, beyond political and military acts, deep down into the impossible-to-understand mindset of religious fanaticism.

I can't imagine how it is for all of the many thousands of people who lost a loved one on 9/11. I can't imagine the grief and pain they go through on this anniversary. All I know is my own pain--so small in comparison, but still there, nonetheless.

Today, five years later, I can still feel that bruise on my heart, nagging me. I still feel anger towards the people who thought that killing innocent people--here, in Spain, in London--the world over--would bring them to a reward in heaven. Not in my heaven! Murder is murder, no matter how you spin it--September 11th was cold, calculated, and designed to show no mercy. The hurt and the anger might make me wish terrible harm on the men who delight in the death of innocent Westerners. But for one thing:

Hope.

I have hope. Such a simple thing, really, but so profound in its possibilities. I have hope that the terror will subside, and knowing that it will never die out completely, I have hope that We The People will stay united in our desire to keep terror out of our home. Hope that we will pursue peaceful solutions to violent problems, before we pursue retaliatory violence.

Great Story

A friend of mine brought this to my attention (thanks, Shae!) a few minutes ago, and it was so uplifting, I had to share.

Ray Ray McElrathbey is a 19-year-old Clemson football player who has taken custody of his 11-year-old brother. The article goes into detail about this young man's awesome outlook and attitude. His little brother his lucky to have him.

Anyway, it made me smile.

First Day Report

Well, I made it!

Thanks for all of the good luck wishes by internet and phone, by the way. : )

I arrived at school at 7:30 this morning to find the band teacher getting out of his car. I walked over to say good morning. He smiled and said, "Are you ready?"

"I have some serious butterflies, here."

And I did--which is good. I think teachers should be prepared for anything to happen. The good news is, by the end of 4th period, my butterflies were gone.

The first day was hectic, of course, but it went quite well. The kids were respectful and quiet (though the after-lunch classes were a bit more "excited" because they'd just eaten, but that's normal). The kids seem to be really excited, especially in the top-level groups that are made up of kids who love to sing and have worked hard to make it into these audition-only groups.

In the end, my only complaint is that my feet are killing me. : P I wore "professional" heels and spent much of the day on my feet. I had to go to the grocery store on the way home and must have made a sight, leaning on the shopping cart with a weary expression on my face, moaning ever-so-slightly each time I put a foot down.

Tomorrow we start the block schedule, in which we see three classes a day, for 100 minutes each. With the administrative stuff (Policies, grading, rules, etc.) behind us, tomorrow, we'll sing. I have a few pieces picked out to start off, and I'm ordering more as I can. The big thing for tomorrow is to find out what I've got to work with. So far, it looks like I've got a lot of talent. Very exciting!

Right--I've got some planning to do and then, it's to bed with a book for a bit. I'm exhausted! It's a good exhausted, though. I think I'm going to enjoy teaching high school.

Cheers,

Meg

How To Clean a Piano

I am willing to bet none of you had so much fun this week. : P

Step One: Open Lid and Find Massive Dust and Debris



As you can see, there was a lot of debris under the strings, and dust everywhere.



Step Two: Remove Keyboard

I had to have help doing this, as I've never taken a baby grand apart before, and it's not reccomended when you don't know what you're doing. Hammers can break and all that.



So the band teacher came to my room and took the keyboard out, setting it aside so we could clean the box.

Step 3: Rev Up the Shop Vac

Here's the box without the keyboard--kind of funny to see it empty.



And finally, here's the band teacher wielding the Shop Vac, blowing all of the debris out from under the strings. The dust flew, I sneezed like mad, we both squinted our eyes against the onslaught. Then we switched the Shop Vac to the "suck" mode and cleaned up all that flying dust.



Anyway, there's the pictures. It was definitely an adventure!