The Summer Wind...

...came blowing in, from across the sea. Ahh yes....I can hardly believe that summer is nearing it's end. I had many intentions to do some posting but it seems that I've been away since May. Well, for anyone interested here is a quick update of my summer...started with more family "fun"...taught summer school for 4 weeks...celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary...saw the Mets beat the Reds.....saw Testament at the Chance....took the family camping (an experiment for our 2 year old that didn't work)..painted the bathroom...
Overall it has been a fun time. I did have a surprise last week when I found out very last minute that I wasn't going to be working at the fair. For those of you who don't know I have spent the last 11 years selling fudge at the Dutchess County Fair. The folks I work for called last minute and they cancelled. No more fudge! The bad news...money I was counting on and didn't get (I don't even want to think about money)...the good news...I got to actually go to the fair with Alice, Doug and my mom. Doug got to try his first 4H milkshake, some cotton candy, meet a pig face to face and go on some rides. He had such a good time, I am so happy I didn't miss it. Now as I start to get ready for school to restart we are heading up to Vermont for our annual end of summer relaxation. I am really looking forward to getting away. I do have some ideas for some other post...so perhaps after school gets back in swing.

Out with the old...in with the "certified pre-owned"

This past Monday was a day of sadness and great joy. On March 17, 1998 I bought my very first new car. It was a Saturn and I managed to drive it 161,000 miles in just over 9 years. On Monday I left it at the car dealership. A sadness came over me. The memories....I have lived 4 different places with that car. I took Alice out on our first date in that car. I drove Doug home from the hospital in that car. The list goes on and on. The concerts, camping trips, vacations, etc. It is amazing how much time a person can spend sitting in one place. Now it is time to get over the sadness. It didn't take me too long. Now, we didn't get another new car, we got a used one, but we are quite pleased. We now have a 2003 Jeep Liberty Limited Edition. Yes, Limited Edition! That means that we have a sunroof, heated leather seats and a little readout that tells us if we are going north or south. It is nice to have a little more room and my mind is at ease about dependability. My Saturn had become less reliable and I was always nervous traveling any distance with the family. Now I can enjoy the ride. I am greatly enjoying having power windows. That is a first for me. Yes, it is the simple things that I truly enjoy.
See you on the road!

A thought to ponder: "If you ever fall off the Sears Tower, just go real limp, because maybe you'll look like a dummy and people will try to catch you because, hey, free dummy".-Jack Handey

Out of the Ordinary

I'm about to do something rare. Politics is a topic you won't find me discussing. I feel that if I disagree with someone our conversation will be frustrating and no one will change an opinion. I tend to avoid these discussions. Before I continue I do want to mention that I do not belong to either political party. I vote for individuals, not a party. Being a teacher, education is a big part of my decisions. I read a quote the other day that infuriated me. I decided to post....

We are all familiar with the entire Don Imus situation. Clearly an ignorant man making an ignorant statement. I was glad to see Russell Simmons call out to rappers about leaving certain words out of their lyrics. Don Imus, however, is not the situation. Rush Limbaugh is. I have spent some time listening to the likes of Rush and even Bill O'Reilly. The discussions are interesting, also frequently based on ignorance. Time magazine published a quote from Rush regarding the massacre at Virginia Tech. (I cannot imagine what this must have been like for the students, faculty and families. A truly sad day in America.) This is the statement from Mr. Limbaugh "If this Virginia Tech shooter had an ideology, what do you think it was? This guy had to be a liberal." Are you serious? You are going to blame this horrible situation on a person's political beliefs? I cannot believe that anyone listens to this man and takes him seriously. Don Imus was fired for ignorant racial slurs against a basketball team. Mr. Limbaugh makes a statement like this and still has a job? Sometimes I don't understand.....

No thought to ponder this post......something funny doesn't seem right.

E.T. Phone Home

Exciting news from some European scientists today....they have discovered a planet about 120 trillion miles away that is similar to Earth! They predict that the temperature on the surface is between 34 and 104 degrees. It appears that the planet doesn't rotate and that it could actually have water on it. This discovery leads to the discussion...is there life "out there"? This is a step in the direction of answering yes. I have discussed this topic with friends, family and students. My friend Dan is probably the only person I know that says that it is totally impossible for any other life to exist. My feeling is that the universe is so large, we don't even know how large, there has to be something living somewhere. Of course, I like to pick on him and point out any time a person sees a UFO or Roswell is discussed. So what do you think? Have you seen a UFO? Do you believe there could be other living "beings". Let me know.

Finally...a thought to ponder:
"Better not take a dog on the Space Shuttle, because if he sticks his head out when you're coming home his face might burn up."-Jack Handey

Blogs that are actually updated....frequently

I wanted to take a moment to share two new blogs with you that I have recently been enjoying. Our local paper, the Poughkeepsie Journal, recently added a blog section and people in the area are the authors. Unlike my blog, these blogs are actually updated a few times a week.
For those of you with young children, or thinking about getting some:
Daddy Diary
http://runhed246.blogspot.com/
For those of you who follow the world of professional wrestling:
Under the Ring
http://pojoslam.blogspot.com/

A thought to ponder:
"Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad. And then I think,"Aw, who cares?" And then I think, "Hey, what's for supper?"-Jack Handey

Sometimes the Snow Comes Down in June

I am confused as to what season it is. Baseball is on tv, the barbeque is out, Easter has come and gone....yet today I had a 2 hour delay for school. I wish that the seasons would work themselves out. This past Christmas was warm, Easter was cold. I wonder if we'll have snow during the 4th of July events.
On to other topics.
Has anyone seen "Survivor Man"? I recently discovered this show on the Discovery channel and it has me hooked. Les Stroud is the star of the show....check out his blog from the following link:
http://www.survivorman.ca/
Les tries to survive a week in some remote location (desert, arctic, jungle etc.) without food and water. He has a few small items and has to create a shelter, find food and water and beat the elements. It reminded of the Gary Paulson book "Hatchet". (A great book, yes it is a kids book, but a wonderful quick read.) As I watch the show I wonder how I might do. I think I could definitely start a fire and create a shelter. I'm not sure what would be worse though....extreme cold or extreme heat. If you get a chance check out the show.
Now....the anticipated thought to ponder.
"If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying". And if he asks why God is crying another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did.""-Jack Handey

I'm Not Really That Old...Am I?

In my classroom the other day we had a discussion about remote controls. I forget how the topic came up but I mentioned how when I was a 3rd grader "I" was the remote control. I remember sitting in front of the TV and changing the channel and volume to my parents delight. Of course, we only had channels 2 through 13 so there wasn't much choice. This brief comment lead to a discussion on technology and I got to thinking about how many things my son Douglas will have that weren't around when I was a boy. It is truly amazing. We did have the color TV, however, the only way to see a recent movie was to watch it on HBO. If you had HBO. It was a little pricey and the only movie station. Our kitchen had no microwave, popcorn was made in a pan with actual oil. All condiments came in glass jars, no squeezing! As far as music goes I lived with my record player and would go to Caldors every Friday to pick up the latest song on 45. I was so excited when in 1980 I got a cassette recorder. I would hold it up to the TV to record theme songs. We did have an 8-track player in the car! Oh yeah....who needs satellite radio and an I-pod when you have Barry Manilow Live on 8-track! There were no airbags, heck, we didn't even have shoulder belts. Power windows and door locks....nope. I won't even discuss computers and video games except to mention that Pac Man RULED and I just loved to type my name on the TV screen with my Commodor Vic-20!
I think about how much I enjoy all of the current technology, even though I am a bit behind with it. I have yet to upgrade to HD TV, my TV isn't a flat panel and my games systems aren't any of the new ones. I love having an I-pod and my cell phone and XM radio and a laptop. I just wonder what Doug will have in about 20 or 30 years. Will all of these things I just mentioned seem as old as 8-tracks and Vic-20's? It should be exciting.
Now for a thought to ponder....."To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kinda scary. I've wondered where this started, and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad." -Jack Handey

A New VH1 Reality Show...

I recently realized that I no longer watch any sitcoms. TV for me seems to revolve around sports and reality television. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing, it is just a switch. After watching a number of reality shows I have decided that I have an interesting idea for a reality show. Actually, I guess it really isn't an idea, just a desire to unite some interesting folks. So here goes....let's put Danny Bonaduce, Gary Busey and Ted Nugent in a house and just see what happens. There doesn't need to be a goal, just sit back and watch. I am hoping for your sake you know who these three individuals are. If not...check out "Surviving Nugent" "Super Group" "Breaking Bonaduce" & Season 2 of "Celebrity Fit Club". Each of these individuals added quite a unique flavor to the show they were on and would be an awesome trio. Any further suggestions? Leave me a post!
Now...for a thought to ponder (keep this in mind Corey):
"When you go for a job interview, I think a good thing to ask is if they ever press charges." -Jack Handey

Shufflin' Along

I recently read a magazine article where celebrities were asked to put their I-Pods on shuffle and tell something about the first 3 songs that came on. This sounded like fun so I thought I'd give it a try. I am a bit nervous about what might come up, but here goes:
1. Divertimento No. 17 by Mozart (Wow! I don't think I've ever played this and I don't recall putting Mozart on here)
2. Angel of Harlem by U2 (A cool song, not my favorite of theirs. I really enjoy "One" and the entire How to Dismantle and Atomic Bomb album. We saw that tour and it was awesome!)
3. Hyde by Savatage (Again, a song I have never heard before. Alice's friend Jessie is a huge Savatage fan and let me burn all of their Cd's. I have some favorite tunes "Hall of the Mountain King" but "Hyde" is unfamiliar.
Okay...I'm curious....here are the next few songs..
4. Think About an End by Anthrax
5. The Black Halo by Kamelot
6. Once Upon a Dream on the Jekyll & Hyde soundtrack
7. Me & Julio Down by the School Yard by Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees
8. Your Horoscope for Today by Weird Al Yankovic
9. City of Blinding Lights by U2
10. The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota by Weird Al Yankovic

There you have it. Not bad. You should give this a try and let me know what you got. Feel free to post it here.
Now for my thought to ponder:
"It's not good to let any kid near a container that has a skull and crossbones on it, because there might be a skeleton costume inside and the kid could put it on and really scare you."-Jack Handy

Reinventing the BLOG!

A warm welcome to my new readers and welcome back to those who have been waiting patiently for me to do something with my blog. I decided it was time to redesign things and invite some new readers. Take a moment to read some of my entries from last year. I'm sure you'll find something amusing.
I have decided to add a new blog entry on a weekly basis. Yes, I am going to do this. I have a list of things I have been wanting to blog about for a while now. I am hoping to get all of you involved. Please take a moment and leave a comment when stop by to visit. I will try to include some thoughts to ponder in my blog that you can respond to.
The year 2007 is off to a great start for the family. Douglas is getting ready to turn 2 and keeps us on our toes. He is such a happy little man, his smile is contagious! Alice is doing well. She has been taking a fencing course and has yet to injure me with her foil! Joslin is preparing to be spayed. She was scheduled to have this done 2 weeks ago but she went into heat a few days before. I won't go into what occurred, just be glad you weren't here. She will now go in at the end of March. I am doing well also. I have been eating better and exercising more. I have lost 17 pounds since New Year's and I feel great. I am getting excited about baseball season. I just signed up for a fantasy baseball league and can't wait for April.
I have been doing some work learning about podcasting. I am hoping to have a podcast up and running in my classroom sometime in April. Perhaps I will find a way to add a podcast to my blog. For those of you interested in an interesting podcast check out my link for Grammar Girl. You can go directly to her site or listen at i-tunes. I have to admit I feel a little bit like a geek but grammar is quite interesting. Her blog about lay and lie is priceless. Enjoy!
I'll be posting again in a few days. Until then here is a thought to ponder:
"The face of a child can say it all, especially the mouth part of the face."-Jack Handey