!!!

I’ve noticed recently that when I make comments on Facebook, other people’s blog posts, etc. I am using a ton of exclamation points.  It’s sort of worrisome, because exclamation points are not something that should be overused, and as an English teacher, I should know better.

On the other hand, maybe my use of many exclamation points just shows how energetic and passionate I am? When I use them, it’s usually after writing something supportive, encouraging, or congratulatory.  Or, to show how much I enjoyed something I’ve been doing.  I don’t use them a lot in my “normal” writing (emails and letters), but I do use them quite a bit on the blogs.

I know this isn’t hard-hitting stuff I’m writing about today, but I’ve been noticing it, and thought I’d write about it.

What’s your take?  Do you use a lot of exclamation points when you write?  Do you think they’re overused?

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Everyone is Beautiful – A review

I just finished reading Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center.

I absolutely loved this book, and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised. I wasn’t sure how much I could relate to the story of a married woman with 3 kids. But the story of Lanie Coates is the story of any woman who has seen imperfection in her own life. And really, which of us hasn’t?

One of the things I loved about this novel, besides the brilliant writing and laugh-out-loud humor, was the use of art (photography and music) to demonstrate the creative outlet we all need. I also appreciated the fact that Lanie admits that having kids isn’t all about baking cupcakes and smiling faces. She shows the real side, the very difficult side, that you sometimes wish you could get away from.

One aspect of the novel that I could completely relate to was the idea of reinventing yourself. Lanie goes on a quest to get her pre-mother self back. She starts taking time for herself, even when there doesn’t seem to be even one minute. She starts going to the gym, she starts taking pictures, and she starts being a little bit selfish. And in the midst of doing it, she not only regains her “self,” but she also finds the new woman who she has now become.

One of the quotes I love from this book comes from the last page, but it doesn’t give anything about the novel away:

Beauty comes from variety, from specificity, from the fact that no person in the world looks exactly like anyone else.  Beauty comes from the tragedy that each person’s life is destined to be lost to time.  I believe women are too hard on themselves.  I believe that when you love someone, she becomes beautiful to you (Center 233).

This quote made me think about myself.  So often I focus on the things about myself that I want to improve – weight loss, how to deal with my crazy, curly hair, a new foundation or lipstick that will make me look beautiful – and I forget to focus on the things about myself that I love.  My personality, my humor, my intelligence, and my lust for life.  I am beautiful, and this quote reminded me to think about that a bit more often.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well written story but I feel like it should be mandatory reading for anyone who is a mother.

I look forward to reading Center’s other books, because she is an author with a gift for expressing the everyday in an extraordinary way.

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38th Birthday – 2 Years ’till 40!

Today is my 38th birthday, and I guess it’s time for a bit of reflection.  38 is definitely in the “late thirties” category, yet I don’t feel that old at all.  I feel as though I’m in my late twenties, maybe.  I guess that’s because I don’t have a husband, children, or a mortgage, and all of those other things that go with being a responsible adult.

Being young-at-heart runs in my family.  My dad just turned 69 and he doesn’t look it or act it at all.  He’s still so full of life and vigor, and it’s wonderful to see him enjoying his retirement.  (Although he retired 3 years ago, he still substitute teaches because he says the kids keep him young).  My mom is the same way – she’s 62 years old and you would seriously never know it.  She has a really energetic personally that keeps all of us on our toes, and I love it!

This birthday marks 20 years since I graduated from high school.  The summer of 1989 was one of the best ever because it was the one between high school and college.  The summer on the cusp of growing up.  The summer when there were absolutely no responsibilities.  This summer feels very much the same way to me.  It’s the first summer in years that I haven’t worked, and I’m absolutely enjoying every minute of it – even the quieter ones.

So, what’s on tap for today?

• Well, I started the day with my WW meeting.  The news was good, and the meeting really helped me get on the right track for this week.
• After the meeting I got the car washed – I love the feeling of a spotless car.
• Then I came home and did the Wii Fit.  I don’t know what it was, but I broke all sorts of records today.  Maybe there were being nice because it was my birthday?  Or maybe I’m just advancing!
• I’m planning on spending an hour or so today just reading.  I’ve been really lax about reading this summer (too active, I guess), and it is going to be nice to just sit with a good book.  I’m reading Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani.  Love her writing and I’m sure this won’t disappoint.
• Later this afternoon, my mom and I are going shopping!  She said that the gifts that I mentioned to her (she still likes us to give her birthday wish lists) were ones that she needed me to be there to pick out.  I’ve asked for some silver hoop earrings, a new coffeemaker, and a few other items.
• After the shopping, my mom is making me a birthday dinner – pasta with pesto, barbecued Italian sausage, and a salad.

A birthday spent with family – shopping and eating well – how much better can it get?!

Now to explain the title.  I know all of you can add, but to me, turning 38 is really a wake-up call to me to get back on track with my life list (aka Bucket List, only these are things I want to do by the time I’m 40).  So, I have two years to complete the following:

Things to do before I turn 40:
1. Lose 100 lbs. Working on it, but the progress is slow.  I’m vowing to do this, though.  It’s the most important thing on this list.
2. After weight loss, go on a shopping spree at Anthropologie and Ann Taylor Loft, knowing the clothes will look great!
3. Sky dive.
4. Own a convertible. I should complete this one in August, when I buy the new VW Beetle convertible!
5. Find balance in my life. (I’m so bad with the work/personal life balance). As I wrote earlier this week, I’ve got a great handle on this one.
6. Make spirituality a part of my everyday life.
7. Try yoga. I have not only tried it, but I discovered I LOVE Bikram yoga.  I haven’t been in a while, though, so I’m going to go this month.
8. Start meditating. I tried it a couple of times, but couldn’t seem to quiet my mind long enough.  It might be worth another shot.
9. Get a Brazilian bikini wax.
10. Go to the beach in a bathing suit and feel proud of how I look.
11. Go to NYC.
12. Go to Boston/Connecticut CTLB’s wedding in August ‘08. I’m hoping to go back next summer to see CTLB’s new house.
13. Run a 5K. (Maybe even a 10K). I’ve walked two 5Ks, and have another one coming up July 19th.  Not sure if running one will be realistic.
14. Meet “The One” aka “Mr. Right” and be engaged, or close to it.
15. Own a home (condo/townhouse), even if I’m still single.
16. Go on an exotic vacation to Bali or Morocco.
17. Learn to speak Italian.
18. Get some of my writing published.
19. Use my masters in educational leadership, either in school administration at my school or on the district level working with the new teacher program.
20. Adopt a dog.

So, you can see that I still have several of the items to work on.  Some of them are a bit unrealistic, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try.  You never know what you can do until you attempt it, right?

38 is definitely going to be a great year, I can just feel it.  There is no doubt that I will feel better than I ever have with my increase in activity, focus weight loss, and quitting smoking (July 15th).  There are so many things I want to accomplish, but like you know by now, I’m a girl who loves a goal, and I can’t wait to take some of these on!

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Update: Getting a Life

Ever since I started my weight loss blog, I’ve been writing much less frequently on this one.  Because weight loss is my main focus (almost like a part-time job), it makes sense that I have more to write about that topic than any other.  Still, sometimes I feel badly that this blog, the one I started blogging with, gets pushed back to second-class citizen status.

One thing that seems appropriate to write about here is how I’ve been doing on my quest to “get a life.”  Last August, I wrote a post where I vowed to take back my life and stop living to work instead of just working to live.

I’m happy to report that I am now a reformed workaholic.

It wasn’t easy.  At first I felt like I was really sloughing off on my duties at work.  “I really should go to the play this weekend.” “The students would really like it if I went to that football/basketball/soccer game,” etc.  Instead of feeding into this guilt trip I was laying on myself, I just said no.  I took myself off of the numerous committees I had been serving on and kept only those that I felt were the most important.

Did I feel like I was out of the loop?  Yes.  Did I crave being “in the know” the way I was when I served on lots of different committees and attended tons of school events?  Sure, sometimes.  But that feeling of being slightly out of the dialed in group was well worth the time and energy I found now that I wasn’t spending so much time and effort at work.

It was a strange year for me because CTLB, my best friend at school and one of my best friends in life, left.  I felt a lot lonlier than I had in the past 4 years, when were were “joined at the hip.”  But before you start feeling too sorry for me, I do have an amazing group of friends at school, and we all eat lunch together every day, so it’s not like I sit alone in my classroom and grade papers while I eat a stale sandwich.  (That would never, ever be me, by the way).  We also had a new principal this year, and that made for a lot of changes.  Good changes, but still, there were a lot of things going on this year that left me feeling out of sorts a lot of time time.

But my life outside of the work day was fantastic!  I found that I had tons of free time, and I used it to try new activities, reach out to old friends and make some new ones, spend lots more time with my family, and just enjoy myself by doing whatever I wanted to do – riding my bike, reading a great (or trashy) book, watching movies, cooking, etc.

It seemed idyllic until the school said they were looking for someone to teach a “summer school after school” class.  I saw dollar signs and knew that if I taught the class I would have the money I needed for a down payment on my new car AND I wouldn’t have to work this summer.  So, beginning after February break, I gave up 60 hours+ of free time and taught the class.  (This may not sound like a lot, but this is on top of teaching 5 other classes.  Not to mention grading and prepping for 6 classes).  It is something that I’m glad I did (for the money), but will never do again.  It’s just not worth giving up that much of my life.

All in all, I loved having my life back.  I felt like I was a better teacher because I could look at things from a well rested, happy point of view.  I plan on doing more of the same this coming school year.  Actually, it should be even better because I’m only teaching one honors class, which will dramatically cut down on my paperload.  Can’t wait.

Ok, enough writing, time to get out there and LIVE!

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So, What Are Your Summer Plans?

Lately, I’ve been hearing that question a lot.  This is the first summer where I haven’t signed up to work, and I couldn’t be happier.  I’m looking forward to actually getting one of the full benefits of teaching – an entire 2-month period of time off.

My mom in particular is worried that I’ll get bored.  She knows me too well, because when I get bored, I start to spend money.  What better way to ebb boredom than to go shopping, right?  Well, not this summer.

This summer I plan to do nothing.

And by “nothing,” I mean that the plan is no plan. Nothing too specific. Mornings spent reading the newspaper while sipping coffee. Walking. Working out. Swimming. Biking. Lots if activity & focus on weight loss. Keeping the house super clean and organized. Feeling like every day is a Saturday, even when it’s Tuesday.  Thursday morning WW meetings. Seeing friends. Buying produce and flowers from the farmers market every Friday. Overusing my Netflix queue. Music in the Park. Cooking healthy, delicious meals for myself every day. Laying in the sun reading a captivating book. Shopping, but trying not to spend too much $.  Starlight Cinema.  Buying a new car in August when my current lease is up.  (I’m thinking a VW Beetle convertible would suit me perfectly).  A tiny bit if tweaking my current curriculum. And lots and lots of writing on this blog and BellaOnTheBeach.

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

— Henry James

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Book Review – I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti

I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time.  It’s called I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci.  I could relate to everything in this book – the bad dates/relationships, the love of cooking, the Italian-American (half Sicilian, mind you) culture – all of it.

The book is a combination smart chick-lit, recipe book.  The pairing works fantastically well, as do the menus she provides throughout the book.  Anyone who knows an Italian will tell you that one of the ways we show our love is through food.  The idea for the book was inspired.

Melucci’s style is a great mix of sarcastic, self-deprecating, and so, so humorous.  Her down-to-earth style reminds me a bit of myself.  This is the type of book I would have loved to have written.

The recipes in the book sound divine, and I’m definitely going to try many of them out.

I just found out that Giulia Melucci is going to be giving a book signing in SF on July 11th, and I’ve made plans to be there.

Here’s a little bit from the author, just to entice you:

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Pretty in Plaid Review

I will start this review by saying I’m completely biased, and I love Jen Lancaster. I’ve seen her twice in person at book signings, and I am a huge fan.  The most recent book signing I attended was last Wednesday at the Borders at Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco.  I came to the signing rockin’ a popped collar on my polo shirt and sporting a side ponytail.  The signing was ’80s themed, because the book is a look back an Jen’s life growing up in the ’80s.  It was such a treat to hear Jen reading from her book, answering questions from the audience, and then taking the time to sign books and take pictures with everyone.  Jen Lancaster is such a class act; she really shows her appreciation of her fans by making herself so available to them at the signings.

This book definitely didn’t disappoint. I could relate to almost all of it (although I was never in a sorority, I did go to an all-girls Catholic school and Mean Girls are Mean Girls, know what I mean?). Lancaster improves her writing with each book, and this one was engaging. I love Lancaster’s wry, witty style and her sarcasm is fantastic. This book was number 8 on the NY Times Bestseller list for a reason, people.

One of my favorite parts of Jen Lancaster’s books is the end, when she starts to reflect on what she’s learned by going through the process she’s described in the 250 pages or so that you’ve just read. I finish each book not wanting it to end, but knowing that I’ve been completely entertained, inspired, and might have learned a thing or two about myself in the process.

Jen Lancaster is my Candace Bushnell (if you’ve read the book, you’ll get the reference).

If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend you pick up a copy today.

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Finally Friday

I know I haven’t written a real post on here in a while.  Not sure exactly why that is, other than the fact that I’ve been writing a lot more on my weight loss blog, and sometimes it’s hard to come up with content for both.  Or, the other obvious reason, because there hasn’t been a whole lot worth writing about going on in my life. 

So, I thought I’d do a quick recap/update of some of the things I’ve been doing

• I’ve been sticking to my Back to School Plan of staying 2 hours everyday after school to get my work done, rather than grading at home, on the weekends, and pulling all-nighters.  So far I’ve been really successful.  We just had grades due on Monday, and normally my weekend would’ve been stressful and I would’ve spent hours and hours grading.  Instead, I only spent about an hour grading my last 10 book reports that I hadn’t finished. It’s so nice to get home around 4:30 or 5pm everyday knowing that I have left school at school.  I know I have the entire evening stretched out ahead of me, and I can do whatever I want to with the time.  Weekends too.  It’s been great!
• On that note of having more free time, I really need to get some hobbies.  The last two years I have had almost no free time, so this idea of having idle time is sort of getting to me.  I know that I could/should use the time to workout, and I want to do that.  It’s just that reading a book on the couch sounds so much more fun than working out, ya know?  I think I’m going to tell myself that once I’ve been going to the gym or doing some other form of activity (bike riding, doing exercise DVDs, going for a walk, etc.) at least 5 days a week to start, then and only then can I entertain the idea of doing some other hobby.  Because the main goal I have in my life right now is to lose weight, so I feel like most of my efforts should be focused on that, if at all possible.  Ok, this bullet point was a good little pep talk for me.  🙂
• I joined eHarmony, but so far, the results have been nothing to write home about.  Or write a blog about.  None of the guys that are my “matches” are people I would want to go out with.  Not that they have anything wrong with them, per se, but they either live too far from me, are too old for me (11 years older is too old, I think), and seem to be in a different place in life than I am.  I paid for 3 months, so I’m hoping some diamond in the rough stands out and he and I decide we want to at least go on a date.  So far, I haven’t even entertained that idea with any of my so-called matches.  Ugh. 
• Any ideas of other places I can meet a nice guy? 
• The library has become my new favorite haunt.  I’ve been going at least once a week to return books and pick up new ones.  I’m like a reading machine.  I’ve always been an avid reader, but over the past two years I didn’t have as much time to devote to reading for pleasure, because I had so many things to read for my Masters program.  It’s so nice to read anything I want again.  You can click on my Goodreads link in my sidebar to see what I’ve been reading lately.  Mostly chick-lit because sometimes you just need to get lost in the fantasy, right?
• Now that I joined Weight Watchers, and I’m  eating real food again, I’ve been able to start cooking!  I’ve come to find out how much I really love cooking.  I want to start spending more time pouring over recipe books, creating meals and showing off my culinary creativity.  So much fun!!
• I’ve been enjoying spending time with friends and family.  Every weekend since school started I have been able to spend time with my parents, my sister, my nieces, and/or my friends.  It’s been great.  I’ve spent spa days, had cocktails, hosted a book club, gone to several dinners, and had lots of quick coffee/catch-up sessions.  I love reconnecting with all of my favorite people. 

So, that’s what’s been going on with me.  Nothing overly exciting, but all good things.  I’m enjoying the quieter side of life right now.  I’m learning to live life at a bit of a slower pace and enjoy each day.

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The Smile Award

Geggie gave me the Smile Award.  I was completely surprised, and I have to say, when I read her blog and saw that she’d given it to me, I did smile from ear to ear.  So sweet!  I have learned so many things from reading Geggie’s blog – I found Goodreads.com, a simple way to make homemade body scrubs, and too many scrumptious recipes to count.  

These are the characteristics of the Smile Award, and I feel so great knowing that Geggie thinks this about me.  

1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times–we are all human)
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids

And, now I get to pass it on!!

These are the rules:

1. The recipient must link back to the award’s creator (http://www.geggieblog.blogspot.com/)
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere.
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.

And the Smile Award goes to…

Joy because she is a friend, not just a blogging buddy.  She remembers my birthday with e-cards, and we’ve always enjoyed a special bond.  When I get to NYC someday, I definitely want to meet up with Joy for coffee or a drink!

Cammy because she is one of the most positive bloggers out there.  She shares so many wonderful tips, and always checks in to my Bella on the Beach blog to check out my weight loss progress.  She’s a great cheerleader to have on your side!

Jen Lancaster because she is sassy, amazing, hilarious, and I can relate to so much of what she writes about.  I know she and I would be friends if we lived near each other.  (On a side note, the other night DRMK told me that Jen Lancaster’s writing style reminds her so much of mine.  I was blown away and very flattered by the thought, although I think Jen is a much better writer than I am.  Still DRMK’s comment inspired me).

Kalyn is an amazing cook, and an inspiration to me as I take on this weigh loss journey.  Her site offers so many cooking tips and delicious recipes, whether you’re following the South Beach Diet or not.  I look at her site several times a week to figure out new ideas for dinner.  

Michelle because I think it’s so cool that she moved to Italy and lives with Italian man whom she met when she moved there.  Plus, she always posts such interesting stories, beautiful pictures, and just seems like a wonderful person.  And the name, Bleeding Espresso?  How can I not love her blog?!!!

So, go check out these bloggers, because once you do, you’ll be hooked!

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“New” Author I Love – Laurie Notaro

So Laurie Notaro isn’t new, in fact she’s been writing for over 10 years, but I recently found out about her.  I was searching another book on Amazon.com and one of Laurie’s books came up as a “people who bought that book also bought this book” selection.  I loved the retro image on the cover so much that I decided to click on it for more info.  (I know the old saying about not judging a book by its cover, but in this case, I was drawn in).

Laurie must be hot right now, because Cammy mentioned her in a recent post, too.  In the post Cammy mentions that she can’t wait for Laurie’s book signing in Memphis.  I’m so jealous, because as of now, Laurie doesn’t have any tour dates scheduled for the Bay Area at all.  It’s a pity, too, because I think they’d love her here.  

Laurie is snarky, ill-tempered, hilarious, sarcastic, quick-witted, and an all around fun author to read.  Add to that the fact that she’s Italian, and I could totally relate to so much of what she writes.  

So far I’ve read  Autobiography of a Fat Bride: True Tales of a Pretend Adulthood

and  There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell.  There are several other books that I have in my queue in the library and in my cart on Amazon.  

I think I love Laurie’s non-fiction more than her fiction, but I’ve really enjoyed everything I’ve read by her so far.  Her down-to-earth yet intelligent writing style really draws me in.  She’s not pretentious, yet she makes allusions to literature and pop culture that you might have to be “in the know” to follow.  I like reading books like that – they make me feel smarter after I’m through reading them, somehow.  

Reading authors like Notaro (and Jen Lancaster) inspire me to pursue my own writing career.  I feel like I should look into taking a non-fiction writing class in order to hone my craft a bit more.  I have the ability to write, and the creativity to come up with some interesting topics, but I think I need a bit of instruction about how to organize all of it into a format that could fit into a book.  (One of my goals in life is to have a book published).  

So if you find yourself at the bookstore or library, I’d highly recommend picking up a book by Laurie Notaro – I’m sure you’ll be glad you did.

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I may just explode!

This is, by far, the best summer fellowship I’ve ever had! I can’t believe that I was thinking about not doing a fellowship this summer — I would’ve missed out on so much. 

Not only are the people here all really warm and welcoming, but they gave me a MacBookPro to use – exactly like the kind I have at home. Oh, how I love Macs! Not only that, but I have an office, not a cube. It has a door and everything! Mind you, it’s between my boss’ office and the department conference room, but hey, the door does offer some modicum of privacy. So, when I’m chomping on my noisy carrot and celery sticks, the people all around me don’t have to grit their teeth and be annoyed. I can just close the door! (It’s the little things, folks). 

Yesterday I went to a “dialog” which is basically a department meeting in which they explain some new project or technology that one of the people in the group is working on. The dialogs are open to everyone, from any department, and I thought about how wonderful transparency like that is. 

Then today, I was asked if I wanted to sit in on a teleclass about how to write better headlines. How cool! The class was hosted by Michael Stelzner and featured Michel Fortin as the guest. The class was full of amazingly straightforward information and tips that I can definitely take back to my journalism class. The woman who asked me to attend, who writes most of the copy for the website at the company I’m working, also loaned me several great books, including: On Writing Well by William Zinsser. It’s THE preeminent book on how to write non-fiction. I can’t wait to browse through it and see what I can learn – maybe you’ll even notice a difference on this blog.   

I am amazed at how much this position is going to help me inform and improve my teaching. Now, I know that’s supposed to be the whole point of these fellowships, but up until now it hasn’t worked that way for me. All of the fellowships I have had in the past used skills I already had, and didn’t really help me learn any new ones. Yes, I got to practice different things, but I never truly learned anything at my fellowships that I could directly use in my classes. I guess it’s also because I teach English, and most of the jobs are so closely related to math, science, and technology. This year, though, EVERYTHING seems to apply. The redesign of the internal marketing site is going to help me with my yearbook and journalism layouts, as well as my new task of keeping our school website up-to-date. And this writing element… well, it’s just phenomenal. 

I’m sorry if I seem like a loon for getting so excited, but I think I am actually experiencing what most of the other teacher fellows in my program usually do each year – strong applications to the classroom, as well as building a skill base that is useful for the future.

So, did that headline grab you? Maybe the class I just took paid off? 😉

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I met Jen Lancaster!

Tonight I went to SF (two nights in a row!!) to go to Jen Lancaster‘s book signing for her new book, Such a Pretty Fat.

I was so excited to go to the Books Inc. in the Marina district of SF because it’s been over 2 years since I’ve gone to a book signing, and I love meeting authors and hearing them read from their newest books. Hearing the words spoken by the person who wrote them is like nothing else! Plus, I love hearing their thoughts on life and their interactions with the crowd.

And what a crowd! Lots of big girls who were all about girl-power, the typical SF-types who are overly politically correct, and a bunch of book lovers who couldn’t wait to hear one of their favorite authors speak. The room was buzzing in the minutes before Jen came out. Everyone seemed to know every detail of her life, and were regular readers of her blog.

I myself accidentally happened upon Jen’s blog through another blog I read. How glad I am that I discovered her, because she’s witty, sarcastic, a bit cynical, and struggling to lose weight — all the right ingredients to make a fun night and a great read.

CTLB joined me and told me that this was her first book signing ever! What a cool experience for us to share. Jen Lancaster has to be one of the funniest people I have ever heard. The whole crowd was laughing non-stop as she read from the new novel and answered questions from the audience afterwards. I couldn’t have asked for a better time.

Hearing Jen speak inspired me. I really hope that someday I’ll be able to write a book about some of the funny, touching, and intense things that have happened to me in my life. Why not?! This blog is a good starting place, and I’d really like to take some writing classes to hone the craft even further.

When it was finally my turn up at the signing table, Jen said, “Wow, you look just like every member of my family.” I asked her if she was Italian, and she said yes. “Well, half Sicilian.” And I said, “the best half. Or, at least, that’s what my mom would say!” She laughed and chatted a bit more with me. How cool is that? I told her I bet we were probably somehow related, as all Italians seem to be.

CTLB took some great pictures of the book signing, although it was hard to get good shots through the crowd of people who were there to hear Jen.

Here’s one of Jen signing the book for me. (Those eyebrows, black hair, and nose, wearing black? That’s me!! Nice cropping, huh? Gotta maintain the anonymity).

I thought it was cute that Jen was standing under a book called Smile, and a bunch of books from the ultra-princess-y Nancy series.

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Saul Williams is a poet & prophet

This week I started a poetry unit in my classes. Some students can’t get into poetry, so I always assign a poetry slam day, where they can bring in poems that they write or that others have written and perform them. I also showed them a DVD of one of my favorite poets of modern times, Saul Williams, in order to inspire them.

Did it ever! One of my students (who sleeps through every class) woke up, watched the DVD, and even came up to me after class and asked me to give him Saul Williams’ name so that he could look him up. That’s powerful!!

Saul Williams is a man on another level. He is before his time and before our time. He is a poet for the masses and a prophet for all. I’m sure “they” won’t know the gravity of his genius until he is gone.

The first clip, Ohm, is one of my favorite pieces that Saul has done, and the one that I played today in class. The second and third are newer pieces that I found today, but just as brilliant as his older work.

Enjoy:

Saul Willliams – Ohm

Saul Williams – Coded Language

Saul Williams – Not In Our Name (The Pledge of Resistance)

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Week off wrap-up

I had this last week off, and I had all sorts of plans for how I was going to fill my time. Some of them fun, some of them work, but all of them helping me get organized and ready for the long haul that I have ahead of me before Spring Break. (At this point in the school year, it’s all about living for the next week off!)

I didn’t get as much accomplished as I had hoped, but mostly this was because I made sure to take plenty of time for me.

I watched movies: Once, Dogfight, Jane Austen Book Club (from Netflix) and Juno (in the theatre).

I read: Lucia, Lucia and Rococo (I was on an Adriana Trigiani kick), and more of Into the Wild. Plus all of my daily blog reads (found on the blogroll).

What I didn’t read and should’ve: my book club pick Water for Elephants (I guess my Tuesday evening is suddenly free now) and some articles for grad school. I will make sure to get to the articles before I go to bed, since class meets tomorrow.

I did grad school work: CTLB and I spent 5 hours on Tuesday working on our action research project (thesis). It was great to accomplish so much, and just reinforces what a great team we make.

I forgot to pay my grad school fees: The 2nd installment of my fee payment was due on Monday, but it totally slipped my mind. By Friday the university completely dropped me from all of my classes! Yes, you read that correctly – I’m disenrolled. Ugh! So now I have to pay a $150 fine and go through some rigamaroll to get re-enrolled, but I guess I have no one to blame for myself. Good thing I have the money, including the extra for the fine, so this should just be a matter of going to the student services office and turning in paperwork and a payment.

I dined: I went out with friends twice this week. Thursday night to the Afgani restaurant and last night to a great Mediterranean place with CBCB (who was just back from Paris) and BeachGirl. I also went to The Counter, but since I ate that at home, that probably doesn’t count. Tonight I’m headed to my parents’ house for a mini-Oscar party. My mom has all sorts of “small bites” that she made for us to eat while we watch the Oscars (and judge the dresses).

I worked out: I went four times this week, which is a lot for me. I never made it to Club One as I had planned, but that’s ok. I’ve decided that I don’t need to join a chi-chi club; 24 Hour Fitness is great for my needs, plus it’s a whole lot cheaper.

I cleaned: I did the normal house chores and laundry, but I never made it to fully organizing all of my files and my new bookcase. The books are all organized, but I have a bunch of stationary and binders that I wanted to get set up. This will be finished before the end of this week — it sounds like a great weeknight project.

I cooked: I tried a couple of new recipes that turned out really well. I didn’t go through all of my great new recipe books and mark the ones I’d like to try, but again, this sounds like a great weeknight project.

I blogged: I wrote quite a few posts on this blog and my weight loss blog, and it felt great. I love having the time to write, a luxury I rarely have during the hectic work week.

I erranded: Ok, so I know this isn’t a word, but it seems like it should be. I ran a bunch of errands this week, which was great.

I decided: I made the decision that I will work this summer again. I was looking forward to having the summer off, but practically and financially it makes a lot more sense for me to work again. After I pay my parents back, the rest of the money will be fun money, which is always nice. Hopefully I’ll have lost so much weight by August that I need to buy a whole new wardrobe!!

I relaxed: Most days I slept in until at least 9:30, which is so strange for me. Even on the weekends, I’m usually up by 7:30, so this was really a treat. It also caused me to go to bed really late, but hey, that’s what vacations are all about, right?

All in all, I feel good about how I spent this week. I was able to find a nice balance between work and play. I can’t ask for more than that.

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Bloganniversary

Today is my Bloganniversary. 1 year ago today I started this wordpress blog, and it has been such a joy for me. I’d been blogging for a couple of years when I decided to start this new blog here. I’ve always loved to write, and it started out with long emails to my friends about things that had been going on in my life.

Once blogging became more accessible, I decided to start one, and loved it. It was a way for me to connect with so many people, most that I’d never meet. Even though so many of the people who read this blog (and my previous one) are people I don’t know, I feel like we’re kindred spirits. I read their blogs and feel like I know a bit about them from what they’ve shared.

I don’t feel that anything I say is that profound, but to me, it’s a creative outlet. I love coming up with things to write about, even when life is rather dull and dreary. Blogging allows me to look at my life from a different perspective and share it with others who may find some glimmer of themselves in the words I write. That’s powerful.

I’ve written 136 posts (137 with this one), and my “best day ever” according to the stats counter was then 189 people viewed my blog. That doesn’t seem like a lot to people with huge, well-known blogs, but for someone like me who started this as a way to express what I was thinking and feeling, it seems remarkable.

So for those of you who have read this blog for a long time, thank you. To those who have just discovered it, welcome.

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