A flood's a comin'

It is, I can tell. How you ask? Well, it's been raining for almost five hours now. That's about four hours and fifty-five minutes more worth of rain then we've had in the past six months, maybe longer. It doesn't rain in the desert, hence it's name: the desert. So yeah, I am guessing tomorrow all the trailer parks and the grocery store parking lot will be under water. It's kinda like when it snows up north.

The kids were so excited for rain today, my curtain rod is broken in my classroom so they could see outside and they kept watching for drops. Rain is a big event down here. It's so weird. It feels normal to me. I have my window open right now listening to the patter on the roof. I love it!

However, something I noted today that makes my heart sad. The rain seems to bring out the homeless in Yuma. We saw more than one man walking today, near our apartment complex and around town, touting belongings in plastic bags, trying to get out of the rain. We have shelters here but they're a few miles from us so I hope they get there tonight as it's getting cooler at night. But it just makes me sad.

It's been a busy week. We are on the downslide before Christmas break at school, ten school days and counting left. I am excited, the kids are excited and we are all ready for it. But things are going really well inside my four classroom walls. Outside the door is another story. Word to the wise: don't go to work for a school that is in year four of a school improvement plan and about to be taken over by the state/federal government (worse-case scenario but a real possibility). The politics are nightmare-inducing, literally, just ask Ang.

Today we read and analyzed the poem "The Highwayman" about a stage coach robber in England in the 1700s who's love kills herself to warn him that the Redcoats are waiting for him. It's really a heavy poem, tragic and full of symbolism and unfamiliar language. But guess what? My kids loved it! I can say it's really the first selection from the text that we've read in fifteen weeks that they've gotten excited about. They asked questions and discussed theme and just totally rocked this poem! I loved it. And I was observed today (surprise!) and my kids and I were complimented which is very cool. So all in all, a great day to be in room 109!

Thanksgiving Weekend

It's almost over but it's been good. Not the same as being home in Michigan in the cold, visiting friends, watching the Fantasy of Lights parade, but it's been a nice weekend.

Wednesday we got out of work early, before 2pm which was great (the kids leave at 1pm on Wednesdays normall anyway) so Ang and I went out to lunch (we are calling it lunch because if we call it dinner at 4pm Ang insists were worse than the snowbirds). Then we went downtown and to the mall Christmas shopping. It was great, there was no one around and there were a lot of the same sales we saw Friday when we went back (yes, I know, a lot of shopping but mostly browsing, what else is there to do on Black Friday?!?!).

We also saw the movie "Dan in Real Life" which was great. We snuck pumpkin ice cream in from Coldstone and laughed and cried and enjoyed ourselves. A great movie - really, it's nonviolent, there's no swearing that I can recall, and no sex, just a good family movie! I give it an A+ (and so did EW and a lot of other critics, which is awesome).

Thursday we had Thanksgiving with our friends the Phelps and some British folks they know who are stationed here with the British Royal Army and their parents. It was quite the group. We ate good food, drank good wine, played apples to apples for over four hours, laughed at the kids (ages 3, 1.5, and 1) and just enjoyed the day.

Friday Ang and I made a quick trip to Mexico (under an hour, in and out) for vanilla that was being requested from up north and then hit the mall. And promptly left the mall. We didn't have a problem finding a parking spot at Kohl's but when we got inside (we were just looking for the $2.99 bath towel sale for Ang) the check out line was literally all around the store. Insanity!!! But we did get a few gifts at Target (surprisingly, not at all busy) and Sam's and then headed home to rest and shower before heading out Friday night with the girls, Julie and Christina. And guess where we went for Girls' Night? Yep, right back to the mall! Ah well, such is Black Friday!

Oh, and we also decorated for Christmas. Ang made the executive decision that we would not have a tree which is fine, I understand. But I also miss getting all Christmasy. So I put up our decorations anyway. And bought a super smelly vanilla candle and have been lighting candles all around the house every night and playing my new Charlie Brown Christmas music. (Yes, we have to open the windows because it's so hot but the cool breeze helps me think of snow).
Check it out:

A Quickie

I'm tired. Exhausted, physically and well, just physically. I have been at the Y 3 out of the last 3 days. Ang commented tonight that we aren't at home much anymore and I guess that's a good thing. I am really trying with this exercise thing but it's kicking my butt so far. And yes, I know that's a good thing.

Other than that things are normal. School is good. I feel caught up and am getting stuff done for the next few days. Including tomorrow we only have 19 more school days left until Christmas break. I am way too excited. I'm dealing with a few discipline problems and a few Fs but other than that it's great really. We made these really great projects after we finished our last novel - Tangerine - and I thought they looked so cool so here's a peek:



I'm still fretting about the Writer's Strike which is nearing week three. Here's an interesting take on the issue if you're so inclined and wonder what's going on (it might not seem like a big deal but if you are a fan of any nonreality show, it will or already has affected you): http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20159387,00.html

Oh, and I'm really homesick. I miss everyone and I can't wait for Christmas break. I am just really feeling the need to be around family right now. So yeah, Thanksgiving will be interesting:-)

Ok, off to sleep - 5:30 comes awfully early! Hugs and kisses all around.

P.S. - My email is not working properly which is ticking me off! I can read all your messages but can't reply. So I'll try from work tomorrow or from Ang's computer tomorrow night. So don't think I'm ignoring you all. Ang has decided my PC is just angry about the new Mac in the house. Whatever:-)

I can see clearly now...

I could before but you know, it's a catchy tune. Yep, these folks, are my new glasses! I didn't need new glasses, my prescription didn't change but I do have vision insurance which pays for about 75% of new glasses so I thought what the heck! Who knows where I'll be next year when it comes time for an eye exam so I'll get them now!

It's been a good long-weekend. Today has been really good. Ang, my ever-trusty assistant, helped me all morning work on getting the paperwork ready for two more grad school applications - USC (University of Southern California, a private school) and UT Austin (University of Texas - where a certain Texas family is really pushing for!). It's a lot of filling out online forms, the printing them, then copying them and mailing them tomorrow - when the post is actually open! (Watch Ang's blog for a rant about the lovely post office!) But right now I am really happy. Here's why:

It's something about the air. We have all of our windows open, something we haven't been able to do since oh, February. It's in the 70s and perfect. And it feels like fall. It feels like those days when the leaves just start to crunch (though we don't have any leaves - so thank you for the picture mom!) and the tree frogs sing. It's a night I don't want to end. I really can't explain, it's perfect. It's just a feeling. It's like knowing something really great is going to happen soon and you just can't wait.

And yes, fall is here and that means the holidays. And I am really excited to be going home to Michigan soon. I mean really excited. Like I am already thinking about what to pack and how I can't wait to curl up on the couch (yes, I hate our futon here) and look at the Christmas tree. Yesterday I bought myself a pre-Christmas present, pj bottoms with snowmen on them:-) I can't wait to go home and wear them (it's too warm here for long pants). So yeah, it's just perfect right now. Anticipation - my favorite word. My favorite feeling. Only a few more weeks...

Travelogue 4 - The Final Installment!

On Wednesday, October 17th we began my 30th birthday celebration a little early by checking in to the Bellagio! Can I just say, money well spent? A true luxury experience! I felt like a princess. A princess not allowed to touch anything from the sensor-controlled minibar but a princess nonetheless.

We headed out to Harrah's to check out Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" which turned out to be a great hangout. I had the best chicken and dumpling soup. There was a live band playing, Lefty Lucy, and I even got asked to dance. Granted the guy was about 75 and a half foot shorter than me but it was fun anyway:-) And I was the only one of us who was brave enough to accept his offer. We headed back toward the Bellagio near midnight and it worked out perfectly, I got to watch a fountain show as I turned 30! Very cool!

On Thursday, my actual birthday, the girls let me sleep in and then gave me presents! I got an awesome frame from Susie that lists 30 Reasons Why I am a Superstar. Yes, I teared up! And I had a whole bag of rockin' gifts from Ang!

We ate lunch poolside and went swimming (mostly hot tubbing as it was only in the 70s) and then headed to Fashion Show where we browsed and Ang became a proud owner of a Macbook! Then it was back to change and we headed off to New York New York.

We had the best dinner here, at Il Fornio, Italian food and Italian margaritas. We had such fun that the gentlemen next to us struck up a conversation and bought us a second round of drinks! Then we played a few slots, headed to MGM (shots and slots), and Ang and I stopped off at Paris where we visited our favorites - the piano bar and the bakery. We topped the night off with one last fountain show and then headed back to our hotel where I discovered computer blackjack and free drinks just for betting a dollar! Hooray for Vegas.

Friday Ang and I were lazy while Susie had to head home. We stayed in bed until 9:30 and then ate gelato for breakfast before headed out of town. We got home just before 7, completely exhilarated and exhausted. What a trip!!!!!

Travelogue 3

Angela, Susie, and I spent most of Saturday, Oct. 14th in the car. About 10 hours and we didn't even take the long route to San Francisco. We cut across California and avoided the coast. All in all a good drive which was helped by lots of laughter, singing, and listening to Harry Potter on CD. When I have the time I so want to listen to all the HP books this way. It made the time fly by! We got into SF at 6:59pm, it was 63 degrees, and we found our way to the hostel at Fort Mason without too much hassle (one phone call, several trips around the wharf and block).

The hostel was great. We had a private room for the three of us and it was just over 300 bucks for four nights, what a steal! The bathroom was right across the hall, there was a kitchen, free parking, etc. We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf, found Ghiradelli Square and ate sandwiches at Lori's Diner before going to bed. Sleep we did until I woke everyone up at 3:45am when I quickly realized I had either the stomach flu or food poisoning. Needless to say, Sunday was a wash for me.

Monday I felt better and we went to Alcatraz. This was the best part of the SF trip for me. What a cool experience. We took the ferry to the island and spent hours touring the cell house and grounds of the prison. Then Ang and I spent a small fortune on souveiners for our classrooms. Last year I got a class set of the novel "Al Capone Does My Shirts" (so so good, read it even if you aren't still in 7th grade!) which is about a family living on Alcatraz in 1935. I'd been telling my kids about my trip over break and promised to bring back cool things to start our novel with and I didn't let them down. We got convict flashcards complete with mug shots and rap sheets of every prisoner ever housed there. We got books and maps and escape plans. We got posters. We even got a piece of the "rock" - a hunk of cement from the prison for six bucks!

Once we made it back to the mainland we headed for lunch and then back to the hostel as I was feeling worse than Sunday. I rested and then insisted we go out sightseeing again. I made it to the top of Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world) before almost passing out so we went back to the hostel and had soup. Ang and Sus were so great, making sure I was well taken care of!

Tuesday we hit the Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum and then went to Fisherman's Wharf. We took it easy and I was feeling a bit better. We got souveniers and ate at the famous Boudin's Sourdough Bread Co. And we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. We'd intended to walk over but missed the exit (note to travelers, the guidebook is not lying when it says it comes up quickly) and ended up in Sausalito. But it worked out well - as we drove we watched walkers who seemed to be freezing. I was happy to be in the car!

Wednesday we were back in the car by 7:05am and oddly enough, it was 63 degrees, the same temp it had been when we arrived and about the same temp it had stayed all week. I can't say I wasn't glad to be heading back toward Vegas, this trip to SF was fun but it was also a bit tainted by that dumb stomach issue. However, when I go back someday, and I will, I am going to ride a cable car! Mark my words:-)

P.S. - My kids love the Alcatraz stuff. They can't get enough of the prisoner cards and I even had to make a copy of one for a student to take home to show her dad because she swears he looks just like her uncle:-)

Travelogue 2

On Monday, October 8th we got to Vegas a little after 4 and it was almost 90 degrees, perfect Vegas weather - hot but not too hot (the last time I was there it was about 120 in the shade, no joke). We checked into our room at Bally's and settled down for the week, a nice change of pace. We unpacked and spread ou which was easy to do as they put us in a handicap-accessible room, the only one left with two queen beds. So we had tons of space, seriously, enough room to do yoga next to the beds. The bathroom was huge as well with one minor set back: the shower had not tub, just a drain in the floor. So every time one of us showered, the entire bathroom flooded. Needless to say we went through a lot of towels over the course of the week.

We quickly headed off to dinner - another buffet, this time the Bellagio. I'm not sure if it was that we were all so hungry (we'd been eating mostly PB & J out of the trunk all weekend) or that it really is an amazing restaurant but it was some of the best food I've ever had. Well worth the near $30 a person price. And I made it my goal to try new foods that night. I ate quail (I did not know it actually looked like a bird when they plated it), buffalo (a little tough), veal osso bucco (some awesome stew!), sweet potato mash (heaven on a plate), pesto mashed potatoes, etc. Then we hit a fountain show outside the Bellagio and walked down the strip visiting the Monte Carlo, New York New York, and the M & M Factory before collapsing into bed.

Tuesday Mom surprised us by taking Ang and I to the spa in Bally's. We all had massages and then had full use of the spa for the afternoon. We hot tubbed and showered and were completely pampered. Dad enjoyed himself at several casinos but met us for a trip to the new Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile shopping mall. Then we got all gussied up to go to the Venetian to see Blue Man Group. Here's an interesting fact: we actually had tickets for Wednesday but luckily the customer service there rocks and they got us the same seats for that night. What a show! It's not even possible to describe it except to say there are men in blue paint making music, making us laugh, and covering the entire audience in paper. You have to go if you ever get a chance. And pay the extra for good seats, it's worth it.



Wednesday we discovered the wonder that is Paris in Las Vegas. Paris is where we would eat many a snack (i.e., exquisite, expensive, so worth it pastries), meal, and spend a lot of our time. Paris is connected via walkway to Bally's and guess what, we never ate at Bally's. Not one meal.

This was the day we went to the top of the Stratosphere, well part of our group did. Dad hung out with the slots, then we went to the Wynn buffet for lunch. Three words: homemade coconut ice cream. So worth the price. The food was okay (I know, I know, I've now become a BIG TIME food snob if I'm saying the freaking Wynn has just okay food) but what most impressed us was the actual dessert chefs making the dessert as we watched. And the array of sugar-free options for Mom. Rock on Wynn! (Just don't expect us to play golf there - $500 greens fees and the woman didn't even offer to make us a tee time.)

To burn off our millions of calories we spent the afternoon shoe shopping (while Dad worked the slots): we found out that Vegas has not one but TWO zappos.com outlet stores. Hundreds of pairs of shoes in our sizes. It was great. Mom and I walked away with a pair each but don't worry - at the mall Ang made up for it. We found magnalite pans that we just had to get (mom swears by hers thirty years later) so into our already small and fully packed car we added two large boxes of cookware! And by the way, this would be the only day that I'd make a profit at the slots - I put two bucks into a quarter slot machine in Paris later that night and walked away with twenty. Didn't pay for the shoes or much else but it sure was fun!

Thursday we managed to get in line early enough to actually eat breakfast in Paris at the Village Buffet. Good food but a bit pricey for what we ate but I did have a fresh crepe so why am I complaining? This was also the day of the naps. Exhausted from walking and eating and pushing slot machine buttons we all crashed and either slept or read for a while before heading to the Palms for our second buffet of the day. A decent meal for the cheap price, I had Thanksgiving dinner as every buffet has turkey and potatoes and the stuffing here was so good. But the Palms underwhelmed me. Not sure if I was expecting more of what I see on tv at the celebrity poker tournaments but it wasn't anything too exciting, at least not at three o'clock in the afternoon. From there we parked at New York New York and trammed down to Mandalay Bay then walked through the Luxor, Excalibur and then MGM where the lions were sleeping. Glad that exhibit was free.

We decided to go out that night and headed down to Napolean's piano bar in Paris. While singing along to old favorites and sipping cosmos we celebrated being together and of course, headed next door for some dessert.

Friday, our last day in town (for a few days at least). We were preparing to go out walking when the fire alarm went off. Now, if anyone out there knows my sister Angela, you'll know that this caused a certain amount of panic in our room. Having been through a fire, she was understandably upset, especially when we opened our hotel room door to be greeted by fire fighters in full gear asking us to stay IN our room. So we did, for an hour while the alarm sounded and a voice told us loudly over the intercom in our room to stay calm and await instructions. Over and over and over again. Turns out it was a faulty motor in a shaft somewhere. All I can say is it's a good thing we all made it out of that room in one piece!

Once the fire trucks left we headed to Caesar's to browse and then to the Bellagio for a goodbye lunch buffet (by far the best in town). Then we got all dressed up to go back to the Bellagio to see Cirque de Soleil's "O". Again, a show that's almost indescribable. There was acrobatics and diving and swimming and a story involving audience members and clowns and again, well worth the price of great seats! It's no wonder the show's sold out every single night. We concluded our evening with dinner in Paris, where I had a hamburger topped with brie. Amazing.

On Saturday we took my parents to the airport (seriously almost as easy to navigate as Yuma's or Howell's airport - well designed) and picked up Susie Hanner, our friend from Howell and hit the road for phase two - road trip to San Francisco.

Travelogue 1

I know I'm a month behind but I am finally feeling caught up. I've balanced the checkbook, done all the mail, cleaned the house, read a few of the magazines, gotten all the photos organized and prints ordered, and settled back into the pace of seventh grade. It's taken a while. So now I get to blog. I'll do it in pieces, like Angela is (she stole my idea!) and hopefully I'll get it all out in the next few days. Here goes:

Fourteen days, 2200 plus miles, the stomach flu, a birthday, my parents, our friend from Howell Susie, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and more Vegas. It was amazing. Exhausting, relaxing, wonderful. I am so fortunate to have been able to travel so much since I moved down here. I really am.

Angela and I headed to Vegas on Friday, October 5th. We'd had three days of parent-teacher conferences at school and were so ready to be done. We hadn't made it out of Yuma when I told Angela I had to go to sleep. I had a headache that wouldn't quit and I knew it was due to lack of sleep. Even though I'd started packing Monday night, I had been busy every night until after 11 and up by 5 most mornings. I was running out of steam.

Sleep I did, instantly and for several hours before a semi almost forced us off the road and we swerved and I woke up. Ang was awesome to keep driving even though we were both a bit shaky (and bruised from our seat belts). Five and a half hours after we'd hit the road we arrived at the Golden Nugget downtown Vegas. It was a beautiful 62 degree night and though Mom was fast asleep (it was after midnight their time) Dad took us to dinner in the hotel and we played some nickel slots. The hotel is lovely even though we didn't get to spend much time there. I'd love to go back when it's warmer as the pool looked really cool, you can take a slide down through a shark tank!

Saturday morning we enjoyed our first of what would be many buffets on this vacation, at the hotel and then headed to the Grand Canyon via a sightseeing drive down the Strip and across the Hoover Dam. About six hours later headed into the Grand Canyon National Park which is a beautiful place, even before we reached the Canyon. It was 48 degrees that evening and while it was a beautiful sight, it was chilly and we walked a bit but headed back to town to eat and catch the IMAX movie which was different. It contained amazing footage of places we'd never be able to see within the Canyon but also interwove stories about people who've called the Canyon home over the years.

Sunday we spent all day in the park. It was 35 degrees outside when we headed in but warmed considerably as the day went on. We attended a Ranger Program about the geology of the Canyon and learned a lot. Do you know how the Canyon was formed? DUDE! Which stands for deposition, uplift, downcutting, and erosion:-) We had lunch at the gorgeous El Tovar Lodge. It's a toss up as to which was more striking, the view or what we ate. Excellent food and a pumpkin creme brulee I'm sure no one will ever top. Then we drove the 28 mile Desert View Drive and saw sunset at the edge of the Canyon. Spectacular.

Monday we headed back to the Canyon to say goodbye. It's really a spiritual experience, hard to describe. It's just so unreal and yet it's right there. It was windy (and as a result, incredibly cold) so we headed out. We stopped at the Hoover Dam this time through and toured in the lovely 87 degree sun before heading on to Vegas.

Pencils down means pencils down

Monday at 12:01am the Writers Guild of America will go on strike. Now this might not seem like a big deal to the average American living outside of Orange County. And yet it's freaking me out a little. And Ang even more than a little. You see, the WGA is the screenwriters' union. And just this past week I sent in my first application for film school. That's right, I want to be a professional screenwriter. See the trouble brewing?

The WGA voted today, they've been negotiating for a long time. They want a fairer contract regarding residuals dealing with DVD sales and new media (internet, etc.) and the studios won't budge. I feel very strongly about this because hopefully, God-willing, I'll be a member of this union in just a few years. I know I will need to be a part of the guild because of the structure they provide - health insurance and the like. And I appreciate the members who've spoken out so far saying that they're not doing this for themselves only but for the next generation of writers - essentially for me.

Angela is worried, rightly so, because we are looking to move to LA in about eight months. A WGA strike will have severe, trickle-down effects on the whole city's economy. The last WGA strike was in the early eighties and it apparently affected everyone right down to waitresses and chauffers. I'm worried because while a strike will require screenwriters to not write anything for studios, it doesn't mean they can't write spec scripts (screenplays written without a contract that one hopes to sell - I have my own spec scripts). And when the strike is over, the market will be saturated with spec scripts. Fan-freakin-tastic.

I know I can't worry too much about it. It's not my strike, not my fight, not yet anyway. But I'm interested. I'm about to go into a great deal of debt to get an education that will help me get into a profession that is about to go on strike. Tens of thousands of people who do what I want to do are going to be walking picket lines. So yes, I'm interested.