COMING SOON!
Updated Photos of Our New Pad
Stay Tuned!
(These photos have been taken but need to be uploaded, and this may very well be my procrastination method for this evening!)
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I just gotta say...
I am procrastinating now. My grades are due for the second marking quarter this Friday and there is still a stack of research papers needing my red pen's flare piled on my desk. I just can't seem to find the grading-drive right now. I just completed flaring a huge pile of Midterm Exams (which my scholars performed well on for the most part), and the drive has exited my entire being. Maybe on the MARC I can knock some out, or maybe I will fall asleep.
Sleeping on the way home is a newfound joy. I like commuting on the train, for its gentle rock ebbs me to dreamland with ease. The regular conductor, Mark, rouses me at Penn Station and we gently smile each other a good night. But, grading papers produces no such ease. Grading is undoubtedly the most dreadful part of a teacher's job. At my ambitious school teachers design their curriculum basically from stratch, teach multiple classes a day containing non-tracked scholars, incorporate public policy into daily lesson plans, meet with colleagues to collaborate, attend meetings on the regular, and then ARE EXPECTED TO GRADE EVERYTHING in a timely manner. This is not out-of-the-ordinary and I don't want to come across as negative towards my challenging job, but my MUST BE DONE by FRIDAY TO DO LIST is daunting and has me cringing constantly.
Sleeping on the way home is a newfound joy. I like commuting on the train, for its gentle rock ebbs me to dreamland with ease. The regular conductor, Mark, rouses me at Penn Station and we gently smile each other a good night. But, grading papers produces no such ease. Grading is undoubtedly the most dreadful part of a teacher's job. At my ambitious school teachers design their curriculum basically from stratch, teach multiple classes a day containing non-tracked scholars, incorporate public policy into daily lesson plans, meet with colleagues to collaborate, attend meetings on the regular, and then ARE EXPECTED TO GRADE EVERYTHING in a timely manner. This is not out-of-the-ordinary and I don't want to come across as negative towards my challenging job, but my MUST BE DONE by FRIDAY TO DO LIST is daunting and has me cringing constantly.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Picking himself up indeed!
CV finally made his way into the spotlight of one small town. Here, my dear friend demonstrates one of his many talents (and not a shabby photo either). Dreams of life back in Bend, Oregon flood when I see such photos. As of late, my seasonal recreational choices have been rudely interrupted with global warming's production of springlike temperatures followed by the hope of a snow day. I don't know if I should crave a long run with shorts, or a day on the hill with icicles glistening on my eyebrows. But, seeing Chris dangling from a snow-capped peak has reminded me of the glory of what once was known as "winter"...and, more importantly, of my amazingly simple (yet complete) life in Oregon.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Thankful is me
To my family and friends,
I wanted to publicly thank all of you for your tremendous support over the long moving weekend and for making my birthday so special!
Thanks include (but are not limited to):
Xav, you are the uncle of the year, a million thanks to you!
Janet, you let me know what section of the house is yours, for I have the house thanks to you!
Maggie, the basement is awesome, thanks to you!
Mom, the kitchen feels like home, thanks to you!
Dad, I never had to return to the DC apt., thanks to you!
Brina, the furniture and plants look lovely, thanks to you!
Jay, the pizza on Friday was great and our first night was magical, thanks to you!
Jason, the end tables glisten, thanks to you!
Vic, the heavy pieces of furniture love being out of Pikesville, thanks to you!
Liz, we have new tunes for the new pad, thanks to you!
Kristen, there will be no more hackneyed evenings, thanks to you!
Jaime, colors swirled as laughter filled the house, thanks to you!
Jeanne, the first night was a blast, thanks to you!
Mommalou, we have new locks on all the doors, thanks to you!
Thanks for taking such good care of me and for sharing in this exciting new step in our lives! Some things do get better with age, and my family is certainly one of those things.
Undoubtedly I have the greatest clan around!
I wanted to publicly thank all of you for your tremendous support over the long moving weekend and for making my birthday so special!
Thanks include (but are not limited to):
Xav, you are the uncle of the year, a million thanks to you!
Janet, you let me know what section of the house is yours, for I have the house thanks to you!
Maggie, the basement is awesome, thanks to you!
Mom, the kitchen feels like home, thanks to you!
Dad, I never had to return to the DC apt., thanks to you!
Brina, the furniture and plants look lovely, thanks to you!
Jay, the pizza on Friday was great and our first night was magical, thanks to you!
Jason, the end tables glisten, thanks to you!
Vic, the heavy pieces of furniture love being out of Pikesville, thanks to you!
Liz, we have new tunes for the new pad, thanks to you!
Kristen, there will be no more hackneyed evenings, thanks to you!
Jaime, colors swirled as laughter filled the house, thanks to you!
Jeanne, the first night was a blast, thanks to you!
Mommalou, we have new locks on all the doors, thanks to you!
Thanks for taking such good care of me and for sharing in this exciting new step in our lives! Some things do get better with age, and my family is certainly one of those things.
Undoubtedly I have the greatest clan around!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Birthday Blast!
Nothing beats a great birthday morning! Today begins the end of my 20's and supposedly the beginning of my sexual peak (at least according to one reliable source). This morning I was greeted by smiling 9th graders with birthday hugs and smiles, a note on my desk, lovely cards from colleagues and overall joy. And, it is only 10 am!
The house continues to please! Last night Jaime commuted with me from DC thankfully, for Aaron had plans in DC for the night. We ventured around the new hood with Keba, dined in a hip spot, met a new friend from the hood, and then thoroughly discussed paint. We stumbled to bed late and woke early to freshly brewed coffee and a glorious sunrise on the MARC (Oh my, this morning the pinks of the sky were vibrant!). The commute still involves some frantic running, for my timing is off. But, with practice these unwanted morning runs will diminish. We boarded the 7 am train and I made it safe and sound to work before 8am. Which was just enough time to finish my coffee and make my To Do list for the day!
The house continues to please! Last night Jaime commuted with me from DC thankfully, for Aaron had plans in DC for the night. We ventured around the new hood with Keba, dined in a hip spot, met a new friend from the hood, and then thoroughly discussed paint. We stumbled to bed late and woke early to freshly brewed coffee and a glorious sunrise on the MARC (Oh my, this morning the pinks of the sky were vibrant!). The commute still involves some frantic running, for my timing is off. But, with practice these unwanted morning runs will diminish. We boarded the 7 am train and I made it safe and sound to work before 8am. Which was just enough time to finish my coffee and make my To Do list for the day!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Commuter Lessons Cont.
Lessons Learned on Day Two:
1) Penn Station's beauty is mesmerizing before sunrise.
2) Irony defined: It becomes bitter winter when we need to start biking to the station.
3) Sometimes the MARC conductor does not announce stops.
4) The conductor certainly doesn't wait to see if everyone is safely off of the train before departing.
Other house news: Our amaryllis busted open to greet us on our first work day in the new house. Our bedroom is clean and set up (Brina, We used your suggestion and it looks great!). We had our first meal together last night and laughed out loud at how close we sat next to each other out of habit. We still like to run upstairs (or downstairs) and yell, "Can you hear me?" (I think I will like this game for many months.) Keba's tail has not stopped wagging since we moved in. Our new neighbor had a healthy baby girl. For some reason, our morning coffee tastes better when brewed in the new house. We are surrounded by glorious trails and my running routine reconvenes (I am teaching alliteration today too.)this week.
1) Penn Station's beauty is mesmerizing before sunrise.
2) Irony defined: It becomes bitter winter when we need to start biking to the station.
3) Sometimes the MARC conductor does not announce stops.
4) The conductor certainly doesn't wait to see if everyone is safely off of the train before departing.
Other house news: Our amaryllis busted open to greet us on our first work day in the new house. Our bedroom is clean and set up (Brina, We used your suggestion and it looks great!). We had our first meal together last night and laughed out loud at how close we sat next to each other out of habit. We still like to run upstairs (or downstairs) and yell, "Can you hear me?" (I think I will like this game for many months.) Keba's tail has not stopped wagging since we moved in. Our new neighbor had a healthy baby girl. For some reason, our morning coffee tastes better when brewed in the new house. We are surrounded by glorious trails and my running routine reconvenes (I am teaching alliteration today too.)this week.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Our New Pad!
Whew! This past weekend was nonstop family, friends, fun, frockling, and food in our new house! We settled on Friday morning (remind me to write about that experience) and Aaron and I went straight to the new house to celebrate!
Over the weekend, we cleaned, organized, dreamed of projects, and debated what should go where while surround by loved ones. The apartment in Adams Morgan has been completely vacated, thanks to Xav, Dad and Aaron (thanks again guys!) and the new house is starting to feel like our home. This was the first morning we woke up alone, got geared up for work and commuted on the MARC.
The commute was virtually painless, but we learned a few lessons:
Lesson #1: The train schedule is a "guestimate" for when the train will actually leave.
Lesson #2: Sometimes a train will be cancelled (like our train this morning!).
Lesson #3: Once on the train, it is a great workplace full of interesting people. I am sure there will be numerous more MARC train lessons to share.
I will post some photos as the house transforms into our living space!
Over the weekend, we cleaned, organized, dreamed of projects, and debated what should go where while surround by loved ones. The apartment in Adams Morgan has been completely vacated, thanks to Xav, Dad and Aaron (thanks again guys!) and the new house is starting to feel like our home. This was the first morning we woke up alone, got geared up for work and commuted on the MARC.
The commute was virtually painless, but we learned a few lessons:
Lesson #1: The train schedule is a "guestimate" for when the train will actually leave.
Lesson #2: Sometimes a train will be cancelled (like our train this morning!).
Lesson #3: Once on the train, it is a great workplace full of interesting people. I am sure there will be numerous more MARC train lessons to share.
I will post some photos as the house transforms into our living space!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Happy New Year!
You know it is a going to be a good year when the year begins with the most exciting event of your past 28 years*. There is so much excitement with the purchase of a house, especially when you stumble across such news. For the past weeks we've escaped the bustle of D.C. plus the cramped lifestyle we have established there, and this has seriously fueled my desire for change. I am so ready to make some choices, run up and down our stairs, host parties and exhale in the house we just bought! Luckily, my job returns tomorrow and that means the days before January 12th are going to fly.
Note: That last sentence does not follow this colloquialism: "Time flies when you are having fun." But, a part of me is armed for the challenge...
* = Our settlement date has been set for January 12th!
Note: That last sentence does not follow this colloquialism: "Time flies when you are having fun." But, a part of me is armed for the challenge...
* = Our settlement date has been set for January 12th!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
