Spring Break (Winter Interruption)

Last year at this time I believe I published a post called Spring! where I posted some pics of my daffodils blooming and was so excited for the start of some nice spring weather. Then, we had another round of snow. Well, much to my dismay, history repeats itself. . . although my daffodils aren't quite up yet. That's right, it has snowed on the first day of spring once again. What's up with that?!?



Ah well, at least I was able to enjoy some awesome weather this week in ARIZONA on spring break. It was beautiful, 80's every day, and tons of sunshine. My sister now lives in Scottsdale, AZ, just across town from my aunt and uncle who live in Goodyear. For the third spring break in a row I've taken my golf clubs and headed out to The Grand Canyon State, land of the cactus wren, rattlesnakes, and scorpions. The 48th state admitted to the union in 1912, Arizona has been home to baseball spring training since 1947 and it's where one of my favorite movies, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, was filmed. Some famous Arizonans include: Stephen Spielberg, Sandra Day O'Connor, Zane Grey and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Anyway, I spent my spring break staying at my sister's apartment and my aunt's house. I played 3 rounds of golf, went to a spring training game (Mariners v. Rockies), and attended the Arizona Broadway Theatre production of Cats thanks to my friend Joe Martinez. Yeah, Cats. . . I know.



During my first round of golf, my aunt and I played with two gentlemen from Chicago. Of course, I hadn't swung a club since October, so I was a little rusty.


But on the 14th hole (par 4, 326 yards ) I hit driver-eight iron for Eagle! YES! It was pretty sweet. I documented the feat with a picture of the ball in the hole. . .and my playing partners signed my scored card so it's official. I was pretty psyched.

On Wednesday I played another round, this time with my aunt in her ladies league. I didn't play quite as well, but I sure had a nice time. Here's a couple of pictures from the day--Palm Valley Golf Course is beautiful and fun to play.


My playing partners on day two were Jackie, Mary and my Aunt Evelyn. Obviously, I'm the one with the super-white legs. I think I reapplied my sunscreen about 5 times during the round. (Sunburn is not my friend, so I try to avoid it whenever possible.)




I also did some touring around Scottsdale with Ari when I arrived in the Phoenix area. She's within walking distance of a lot of cool stuff: the Giants spring training complex, a neat little park with fountains and such, the city library, and her church. Here are a few pictures we took on our walk. (By the way, I gave up soda for Lent --in solidarity with a good friend--and this street sign was a cruel reminder that it has been over 25 days since I last had a coke!)




On my first night in town we had dinner at a little place that serves some great, authentic Mexican food. It was muy delicioso.



I also had a chance to go to a spring training game, as I do every year. My schedule was kind of tight with the golf plans, but my "step-cousin" Scott and his girlfriend Karie attended the Mariners v. Rockies game with me on Thursday afternoon. Spring training baseball is just a good time. It was quite warm, but I do enjoy the environment--and ballpark food of course. :)




Finally, I did have to fly home. And, yes, I was greeted by snow. But overall, I had a terrific time in Arizona and I think I'll make plans to go again next spring break! Now, it's time to go take a nap and get ready for 9 more weeks of school! Let's hope that "Senioritis" doesn't rear its ugly head until May. (Yeah right!)

Oh. . . and GO AWAY SNOW!!!!!!

President's Day

So, those of you who know me, know that I have this thing with trivial information--like I can't fill my head with enough of it. I'm also very curious. So, on this day off I thought I would do a little research to answer some questions that I have. Then, of course I will share my information with you.

President's day. . . hmmm.
This morning I asked myself the following:
Why do we celebrate this random day? How was this specific day selected when only 4 of our presidents celebrated birthdays in February, yet 6 of them were born in October. Shouldn't President's day be in October? or even August when 5 presidents have birthdays? Why February? This month is the shortest and it already has "The Day that Shall Not Be Named" (having to do with flowers, candy and hearts). If it's true that we celebrate President's day to honor the birthday of our first president George Washington, then why in the world don't we call it George Washington Day (you know, like MLK or Columbus)?

I did a tad of research and found out that President's day is indeed meant to honor the birthday of good ol' George Washington. His birthday is February 22nd. . .which means that we never actually celebrate President's day on his birthday since on January 1, 1971, the federal holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act." This date places President's Day between February 15 and 21.

WAIT A SECOND!!! Did you know that we have something called the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act?" Yeah, me either. . . . I guess I'll save that little nugget for later. Right now I think it's important to actually celebrate President's Day the way it was originally intended.


So, here's to George Washington. . . and a few things we owe to the man.
Our democracy as we know it is owed to GW. After the revolution he could have "ruled" like a dictator but essentially, he established our Presidency as we know it (he refused to run for a third term which is why we have 2 term limits). He was an influential founding father, valued the will of the people, and his foreign policy kept the US out of a lot of skirmishes that would have threatened our countries new-found freedom.

By the way, he didn't have wooden teeth (dentures, yes, but they weren't made of wood), the cherry tree story isn't exactly factual (more of a legend), and he was the first of the founding fathers to free his slaves. How 'bout that.

So Happy Not-Exactly-George-Washington-or-Abraham-Lincoln's-Birthday Day. Hope you enjoy the day off. :)

Parent Teacher Conferences

Good ol' parent-teacher conferences. . . the time of year often dreaded by both students and teachers, and some parents too-depending on the news they receive. It's a crazy time for those of us who are also in the middle basketball season, with the added stress of preparing progress reports. (I'll be honest though. . . I don't mind so much. I actually enjoy having a bit of a chat with the parental units. They always give me some added insight into just why their children act the way they do.)



Anyway, I just thought I'd post some random thoughts (and advice) about parent-teacher conferences.

1. Teachers do not want to hear that "_____________ wasn't my favorite subject either." It's not a good excuse for why your kid isn't turning in his homework.
2. The phrase, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," is applicable (in both good and bad ways) more in this one day than any other.
3. The parents of the students who are struggling are rarely the parents who show up for conferences.
4. If your student has an A in a class, the teacher doesn't really need to hear a speech about why he/she should be receiving an A+. They're doing FINE, believe me; I'm the teacher.
5. Just because a student CAN do the work doesn't mean he/she WILL do it.
6. A few positive comments (for teachers and parents) can do wonders.
7. When your class is a graduation requirement (like mine), parents take you more seriously when you say the diploma is on the line. . . Don't order those announcements yet!
8. Bring the hand sanitizer and do some facial stretching beforehand. You're going to shake a lot of hands and smile a lot.
9. We also don't want to hear, "So, when is my kid ever going to use this again?" Believe me, they'll use English. Communication, reading, writing, and general personal skills are important. I promise.
10. Thank a teacher when you have the opportunity. They work hard.

Take it or leave it, but there you go. See you at graduation. . . hopefully. :)

Facebook. . . Finally. . . I guess.

Well, I did it. I finally joined the Facebook world. I broke down and succumbed to the insanity. Over the Christmas break I decided it was time. I suppose the fact that my 61-year-old dad has been a Facebooker for over a year was part of the motivation. My sister helped me navigate the set up and all of the craziness with settings etc. And now, well, I'm resisting the urge to become an addict.

Addiction to Mt. Dew, mashed potatoes, McDonald's Cokes, and General Hospital. . . yes.

Addiction to Facebook. . . not yet. :)

I'm also avoiding any "friending" of my students. . . not wise, not wise at all, and I certainly don't want to know what they're posting on their home pages or each others' walls. Too much information for sure!

Anyway, for those of you who read this, well, we're probably already Facebook friends, but in case we're not. . . let me know. And we can catch up with "sound bites" of our lives. Good Times!!!

Losing a Loved One

My grandma passed away yesterday. The "Cookie Granny" as she was affectionately called, would have been 92 years old on December 24th. She suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and eventually succumbed to pneumonia and kidney failure. She obviously wasn't her true self for the last five or six years because of the Alzheimer's, but I avoid thinking of her in those terms and try to remember her the way she was when I was a kid. This post is a tribute to my granny. . . Emelia Robinson.

First of all, I was named after her. . . my middle name, that is. I inherited her love of Cubs baseball and playing cards--especially rummy. My sister and I used to play with my grandpa and my cousins, betting everything from jelly beans and Hershey's kisses to packs of baseball cards. She had an infectious laugh that, it seems, my sister, aunts, and cousins have inherited. . . but not me. I laugh like my mom. :)

Granny loved to work in the garden and go on long walks with Grandpa. They used to get up every morning before dawn and walk for miles and miles. She also used to drink that instant coffee stuff, like Cafe Francais and Swiss Mocha. (I can't stand coffee at all, but my sister started drinking that with Granny when she was younger. I used to tell her that it would stunt her growth. . . was I right? I mean she's barely 5'1.)

Granny was a tough woman. Grandpa always told stories about the first time he met her. . . when she was working in the fields or carrying 50 lb sacks of grain to the feed the animals. She grew up just outside of Chicago, Illinois until her family moved to rural Washington state. Granny was the oldest of 11, and really helped raise some of her younger siblings. Her native language was Lithuanian and we always tried to get her to teach us some phrases--although she'd say she lost most of it and could only remember how to count. As the Alzheimer's got bad, some of the Lithuanian language came back to her. She could sing songs that her dad had taught her, that had probably been locked up in the back of her mind for over fifty years.

Finally, I will always remember my granny's cooking, baking and quilting abilities. Nobody could bake a cake, a pie, or a batch of cookies like Grans. Part of that is a granddaughter's bias, but she did win first prize at the county fair for everything from her sheet cake to her "crack cookies." And I also have some blue ribbons she won for quilts over the years. I will treasure the three Granny-Originals that she gave me when I was younger. One of the saddest days was when she had to admit that she couldn't see well enough to continue with the fine quilting detail and "retired" from her sewing machine.

Anyway, it's a sad day for the family, but I will cherish the memories forever.

Homecoming!

Fort Hays State University Homecoming!!! WoooHoooo!!

A month or so ago I traveled across Kansas to Hays, America for Homecoming. Actually, I was headed back to Hays to attend a wedding reception for my good friend Stacie. She married this summer in the Pacific Northwest and then held a reception in her hometown over homecoming weekend. Here's the happy couple--now living in Washington state--(I'm so jealous.)



I left after school on a Friday and drove the 4 hours from Olathe to Hays. I drove through a rain storm about 30 miles outside of Salina and took this picture from my car. Thought it was kind of cool.



On Saturday I met up with friends, attended Chris and Stace's reception and then went to the FHSU vs. Emporia game. . . BIG WIN for the TIGERS!!!! Interestingly, one of my former students from ONW is the mascot (Victor E. Tiger) at Fort Hays. Dawna is a great kid and she's doing a wonderful job at my alma mater. If you ever get the chance, you need to check out the Tiger in person! Her mom Debbie was in attendance as well and here's a pic of the two of them as well as the scoreboard as I was leaving the game. (It always feels so great to beat the Hornets. . .YES!!!)




The rest of these pics are shots of friends and my "family" in Hays: basketball buddies, the Nehers, and the Timkens. Hopefully I can get back again soon.

Aussie Party

So, a number of weeks ago, my friend Shannon threw a little "Aussie Party" at her house to celebrate our trip to Australia this summer. In order to show folks what we experienced down under we put together a photo slide show and made some Australian delicacies for all to enjoy.



We decided to present our friends with scones (Rachel), meat pies (Shannon) and pavlova (Me). What follows are just a few of the pics from the party, including my 1st ever real pavlova success. (I even had a little pavola-making lesson this summer.) Oh, and I included the recipe in case any of you want to give it a try. :)

My mom talked me through the process--I called her 3 times in about 2 hours. Turned out better than I could have hoped.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup of Castor sugar, also known as "Berry sugar"
1 tsp of white vinegar
1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1/2 cups of whipping cream
Fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, kiwi fruit, passionfruit, bananas, blueberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

*Preheat the oven to 275F (140C) and place the rack in middle of the oven. Line a baking tray with foil and draw a 7 inch circle on the foil with the blunt edge of a knife (don't tear the foil). Set aside.
*In a clean, medium-sized metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the whites form soft peaks.
*Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, one teaspoon at a time. Don't just lump the sugar in the bowl and never stop beating the eggs until you finish the sugar. Your egg whites should now be glossy stiff peaks.
*Sprinkle the cornstarch and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.
*Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the foil to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher then the center so you have a very slight well in the middle.
*Bake the meringue for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it goes a very pale, pinkish egg shell color.
*Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.
*Just before serving, take the meringue out of the oven and remove it gently from the foil and place on a plate.
*Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it forms peaks. Prepare the fruit by washing and slicing.
*Gently spread the cream to the top of the meringue with a spatula and arrange the fruit on top.

Here are Shannon's meat pies with a little Vegemite as a table decoration (because no American I know will eat the stuff):



And, here's me enjoying my pavlova with ice cream, kiwi fruit and strawberries. Yum.