Thursday, November 26, 2009

The list is pretty much complete

Sipping Spuds with a Spoon

The only thing that was left on my list of items to acquire was a vita mix blender.
I haven't named it yet, but it is sitting in my kitchen, waiting to obliterate what ever I feed it.
Maybe I'll call it Seymour...

Day three...
My teeth, or at least the holes where they used to be, hurt.
I was doing good for the first few days, not needing anything to get along, but over the last day or so I have finally started to notice the throbbing and am looking forward to the end of it.

I got to keep two of my molars, which I know sounds odd... But that was just the last thing the nurse asked...I thought well if I am going to have a $2,000 procedure, I might as well have a keepsake...
So I said I would take the bottom ones.

I handed the bag to Autumn when I came home, she freaked out slightly and dropped the bag onto the floor.
I was worried they would break, but so far so good, they are hanging in there...

I suppose they will probably go in the curio cabinet, seeing as the coffee table might not be the best place for them...

Thanksgiving should be an interesting one for me...
I just want to sleep, sip smoothies, and watch movies... And I feel I have earned that privilege. It hurts to talk, so why would I want to socialize. I have plenty of potatoes around the house... So that is my plan.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Week in Review

Hey there,
I have fallen off the wagon, and it seems that the topic of all my posts as of late have been on my lack of posting...
But I suppose that is better than nothing at all...

This week I have started a new round of classes and met my newest batch of students...
So far so good. We are still in the honeymoon phase where they are slowly testing the limits and seeing what will fly.

The first thing I had my new students do was to write me a letter and tell me more about themselves... I had the opportunity to read through the first batch and found out some very interesting facts about my groups... I found out that many of them have chickens and interesting home lives, some of their families own businesses, and a few of them are thrilled to have a change of pace and be in a new class...

I have also started a new term of video productions and am quite sure that this group will be keeping me on my toes, as demonstrated by the first day of filming and a group that has already announced that they have finished the first project and are ready for a new one...
Of course they are not done, and I will go into all of the tedious little steps that are required before completion, but it is just great to see that I have a batch of students that are chomping at the bit and trying to torture me so early on...

In other news I am all set for my upcoming dental experience and have signed up to have my class commandeered by a veteran sub who I am sure will fine that my students are a thrilling group to behold.

Other than that this weekend I will begin my latest side project of helping other schools to get their equipment up and running. This will entail heading out to schools on the weekends and getting their equipment reimaged and ready for the year that is very much underway.

This week we received our latest batch of laptops and will be using them to replace teacher machines with the newest models and pass their old machines back onto the students to help classes have a higher ratio of machines and do more interactive projects...

That is all... Signing off...

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Absent Minded Baking

I have been trying to get back into the kitchen to create anything these days, and have been sliding off the radar after each attempt. So today, I am trying to focus a little more time to this small feat and accomplish anything at all...

Aiming small with the modest goal of no less than 160 cookies, and that is all they are going to get...

In other news, I messed up royally at work the other day...
I blame my phone and inept assistants...
I knew that I had a class to teach down town, like I do most weeks...
So in preparation I printed out all me handouts and reviewed the topics to be taught.
All seemed ready to go and I reached my class with time to set up and get started...
I distributed the handouts and got going with no troubles...
Only half way through the class one of the members mentioned that she had thought we would be covering podcasting... I informed her that we were learning about podcasting, just through some new mediums, such as cell phones and video conferencing, and recommended that she sign up for my class that specifically covers the basics of recording and publishing... She apologized for not reading the course description more carefully and in the end, everyone had a nice time and walked away learning some new things...

So one of my teachers at school asks if I would be available to help her after school, and I tell her that I will check my calendar and see if I am free or teaching another class downtown...
You can imagine my surprise when I see the class I taught last week scheduled for next Tuesday....

Yup, you guessed it, I taught the wrong class and the lady that had seemed so confused by the handouts had been right... The class that I recommended for her had actually been the one she signed up for...

Well that was a first and I will be sure to take my calendar out of agenda mode to make sure that doesn't happen again...

The bright side is that I am definitely ready for this week's class and that everyone learned something new weather they meant to or not...

Whoops.

Got the Penny

Hey Dad,
Thanks for the penny.
It has been credited to your account and will post in two to three business days.
Your confirmation number for this transaction is 7002954.
Please keep this number for your records.
If there are any issues with your payment, you will be contacted at the number listed in your account.
Here at Gardner Inc. we value your business and look forward to many more payments to come.
This completes your transaction, if you have any questions about your account or current bill, please feel free to contact our agency during business hours or via email at your convenience.

Thank you and have a great day...

I like the penny...
I added it to the curio cabinet and even changed the bulbs again so it can really shine.
I am really surprised by how clean and shiny the penny is, surely after traveling for nearly 100 years, it would have become worn and dulled by passing hands, but it seems just as you had suggested that this little coin must have been loved and forgotten in the bottom of a piggy bank.

Now it can be put in a place of honor and forgotten behind glass, where it belongs...

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Happy Halloween

Pirate Cupcakes
Making the Rounds

So this Halloween we made the annual pilgrimage up to Corvallis to Diana's house for cupcakes and bonfires, while being entertained by the entire cast of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, complete with everyone's favorite reporter, April, the bad boys of pizza, and of course, our hostess, Shredder.

Autumn and Steve came as the H1N1 Virus, and I walked out the door in my usual attire as a pillaging pirate... Like ya do.

All went well, and the evening wasn't complete until we all had our pizza, with extra anchovies, of course... (on a side note, I wouldnt have wanted to be the delivery man that night, seeing as the entire house rushed the car, dressed as giant turtles with sticks, swards and knives... I am sure the guy totally deserved his tip...)