Year 3 - Day 182 - June 30

In previous years, the Melting Pot birthday and anniversary emails sent a certificate for free chocolate dessert course. Now, they're for a box of chocolate covered strawberries to take home. There were 2 each of milk, white, and dark. We may or may not have had them for a breakfast appetizer this morning. Couldn't rightly say. ;)

Year 3 - Day 181 - June 29

Today is our 4th anniversary. I got flowers!

Then for dinner, we used our Melting Pot gift card. They have changed a little since we were there last. The meals have gotten slightly larger and believe it or not, slightly cheaper.

It used to cost an arm and a leg to go to Melting Pot which is why we rarely go. But tonight, we got this dish for 2 (we swapped food so he could have my shrimp and I could have something that used to walk on land) plus cheese plus a salad for just $30 a person. That's much more reasonable than before. I also like the new white dishes - much nicer than the old metal style.

Year 3 - Day 180 - June 28

My virtually unlimited supply of red Gatorade has kept me going this week. I have never used my brain in the way we're working (we all feel that way!) and while we're being productive in the long run, there has been much head banging on the desk along the way. We are a good team though, and we will get there! (Hopefully.) ;)

Year 3 - Day 179 - June 27

Last Monday, my mom mailed a box of books and cookies to us. She tried to time it so it would arrive on a day when my brother was here so all 3 of us could share. We have been wondering for a week where it might be, and today it appeared. Now we feel a little bad that we blamed the post office in our minds, because the address was a little tweaked from ours. :) Since the box sat in the hot sun all day, the cookies were actually soft when we opened them.

Then we drove down to Columbia for my friend's final Columbia Orchestra concert in the park. Good times!

Year 3 - Day 178 - June 26

As our work continues, we had to switch to different chart paper. Today we did chart paper AND color coding. That's how you know we teach elementary school. This chart is the progressions in the Language Arts Common Core Curriculum. The differences in reading, writing, speaking & listening, and language between 2nd/3rd, 3rd/4th, and 4th/5th. Our brains still hurt, but this was one of the most useful things I've done when it comes to understanding what we have to teach!

Year 3 - Day 177 - June 25

I'm working all this week on a project with some other teachers. We are all tech friendly people, but we resorted to chart paper and sticky notes because we needed a new visual! Our brains hurt. Big time.

Year 3 - Day 176 - June 24

Oops. It's sideways. Oh well.

This is another BES book for this year. (I like to read them in the summer before we got back so I can book talk them early.)

Another historical fiction book, another girl main character. This one is set during WWII. The girl longs to grow up and be a fighter jet pilot. Her dad believes she can do anything whereas the rest of the town kind of rolls their eyes at her. Of course dad gets called off to war after Pearl Harbor and shortly after that, a Japanese American boy comes to town. At first she's glad he's there because the bullies pick on the boy instead of her. An unlikely friendship ensues and I really thought that was going to be the heart of the story.

It was, until the book turned into a terrible Indiana Jones movie at the end. (I seriously compared it to the most recent one, where the UFO comes out of the ground. There was no UFO in the book, but it was JUST ABOUT that unbelievable.)

I'm curious to see the kids reaction when they read. I wonder if they'll think it's a great adventure story or if they'll be rolling their eyes too. (I never tell them when I roll my eyes at one of the BES books, because I hate the skew the voting!)

Year 3 - Day 175 - June 23

This is one of the Black Eyed Susan chapter books for this year, grades 4-6. It is FANTASTIC. It won the National Book Award for young readers and absolutely deserved it. (Interestingly enough, it only won the Newberry Honor rather than the top award.) I hope that my students like it, because it's a little heavy at times. I think they will. (Especially because it's written in verse rather than novel form so there's barely any words on a page.)

The basic gist is that the main character lives in Vietnam during the war. She and her family escape on the refugee boats just before the fall of Saigon. Through various (though quick in the book) events, they wind up in Alabama. A new world, new foods, new cultures and customs, new language - everything is overwhelming. We know from early in the book that she was at the top of her class in Vietnam and once she gets to Alabama she says things like "This must be what it's like to feel stupid." I hope it will really make the kids think about other people's perspectives.

Year 3 - Day 174 - June 22

Since my brother was here earlier in the week, I'm catching up with all my DVR shows tonight. "Bunheads" is a recent addition to the ABC Family lineup. If I had just read "Ballet show" I wouldn't have tuned in. However, the cast and creative team hooked me immediately and I have been looking forward to the show for awhile. (There was even an extended commercial at the movie theater before Avengers, which made me laugh.)

First of all, the creator is Amy Sherman-Palladino who created/wrote Gilmore Girls. That's a big bonus. The leading actresses are Sutton Foster, who is a broadway girl (and fantastic) and Kelly Bishop who was the grandma in Gilmore Girls. (She's a completely different and awesome character here.) In addition, the 2 episodes so far have managed to include Cameron from Ferris Bueller, the piano player from Glee, Gypsy from Gilmore Girls and Billy Riggins' wife from FNL. 


I am sure it has low ratings, but I'm hoping that they're high enough for summertime on an outlying network to survive.

Year 3 - Day 173 - June 21

On my way to and from the post office today, I noticed that the tower of the realtor building was covered in something white. I got a red light going back, so I had more time to figure it out. There is a GIGANTIC bird nest up there and the white is just "evidence" that birds live there. I couldn't quite figure out what type of bird it was, but it was giant. What a crazy place for them to perch, seeing as how there are lots of trees right on the water like 200 feet away!!

Year 3 - Day 172 - June 20

I know what you are thinking. "Is that meat floating in water in an ice chest?"

Why yes, yes it is.

My brother is here for a couple days and did this with his friends. It sounded so hilarious that we had to try. And we just so happened to have a few steaks in the freezer. It's called Sous-Vide cooking. You put the meat in a vacuum sealed package (like the freezer vacuum things - or in our case, ziplock bags with the air out) and then put it in hot hot water for a certain amount of time. Then you finish them off on a super hot grill, just searing them quickly on both sides. They did come out amazingly good.

Here's a website that gives the basic gist of what we did.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/cook-your-meat-in-a-beer-cooler-the-worlds-best-sous-vide-hack.html

Year 3 - Day 171 - June 19

I recently got the cat a new scrating post thingy with a stand on top. He has always liked laying in the sun beam in this window, so that's where I put it. However now, he lays in the shade that the perch makes. Go figure. He sticks his nose up in the perch a lot, but doesn't jump up there. If Mike puts him up there he'll stay and get comfortable but he doesn't take the initiative to get up there himself. The good news is, he has definitely lessened the scratching in inappropriate places. (He loves the berber carpet on the stairs!)

Year 3 - Day 170 - June 18

I had a follow up appointment today. Since I had to put a gown on and walk to more than one room, they gave me these super attractive slipper socks. AND, they let me keep them. Classy! Heh. ;)

Year 3 - Day 169 - June 17

Every year around this time, these signs start popping up all over our area. On our way back from the family Father's Day lunch I had a chance to take a picture because I wasn't driving. They are always on light poles, street signs, or stuck in the ground at intersections. They are looking for host families for students from Spain. There's a 908 phone number to call if you're interested. Every year it bothers me for a variety of reasons.

#1 - Do the families in Spain know that THIS is how host families are found? Just anyone sitting at a red light who can read the number can call up and offer out their home? Creepy.

#2 - There's no way of knowing what they're here for. Is it an organization? Just a random person who sends  Spanish kids here every year? Mysterious.

#3 - Why is it a out of state phone number? Granted in the days of cell phones, you can have any number anywhere, but still. Odd.

Year 3 - Day 168 - June 16

We stopped at the store to pick up a couple things today and couldn't resist buying these. Tagalong and Samoa Nestle Crunch wafer bars. They were really good. However, the peanut butter one tasted just like the Tastycake or whatever brand makes the standard peanut butter wafer things. Mike said the Samoa one had some good coconut flavor. There was a Thin Mint one too but we didn't get that one. Interesting to note that the mint one was actually called Thin Mint. These two were more generic. I'm guessing that's because no matter where you get your cookies, the mint ones are always Thin Mint. Tagalongs and Samoas have different names in different places. Keep your eye out!

Year 3 - Day 167 - June 15

In the middle of our hideous rose bush, there is one stem that produces regular style salmon colored roses. It just bloomed today. I wish all our roses were this pretty.

Year 3 - Day 166 - June 14

Sorry, squeamish people. He was supposed to take a picture of the cool view outside of my pre-op room, but somehow this showed up instead. Gross. But you should know that I didn't even wince when I got it placed. Go me! Every time I need an IV, I ask (in all seriousness) if the procedure is going to hurt more than the IV. Because I HATE IV's. I think part of the problem is that whenever I need one, it means I'm going to sleep, which means I haven't had anything to drink since before midnight. So yesterday, I super super hydrated. I figured if I started off super full of liquid, maybe I wouldn't get all the way to parched by 9am. Maybe it worked, because this one was a breeze. I still don't like them though. Seems so silly to take an hour to ask me a million questions, put in the IV, and then sit there waiting to be asleep for 15 minutes. Since this was a minor thing, I actually walked into the OR instead of getting wheeled. First, I saw doctors scrubbing in. I asked if they were really going to come in with their hands up like they do on TV and they promised me they would. (I fell asleep before getting to see it!) Then when I got in there, the table was set up with the arms out to the side - execution table in the movies style. I made a comment about that and they all laughed, but I wasn't kidding! So after the hour plus in pre-op and 15 minute nap, I got to spend an hour in post-op with ginger ale and graham crackers. Want to know a secret? In case you ever have to be knocked out? They let you leave as soon as you ask to pee. They even crank up your IV when you're done to super flush you to make you ask for the bathroom. But if you ask sooner, they get you up and ready to go. I just forgot this time until I had been sitting there for awhile. Last time, the nurse reminded me of that just before they put me under. That should be the last thing they say to you every time! But still, just conk me on the head with a frying pan, cartoon character style. Let the birdies fly around my head, do your thing, and wake me up. :)

Year 3 - Day 165 - June 13

It's not even 11am on the first day of summer. I've already done a thousand things. One of them was giving the maple tree a haircut. It had a ton of little new branches dangling around the grill and they were driving me nuts. I also went down and snipped the ones that were dangling towards the yard so that Mike doesn't get smacked in the face while mowing. Now that I've exerted myself, I believe some couch laying is in my future!!

Year 3 - Day 164 - June 12

Hooray! It's the last day of school! Granted, I'm doing a lot of work this summer starting next week, but it's good for me to have small bursts of time off rather than the straight 7 weeks. I get antsy if I don't get to use my brain at all. Speaking of brain, this is my new time wasting app. :) Such a waste of time and brain cells, but fun nonetheless. Pet peeve though, and that is people that refuse to play. They just write the word on the screen so that they can earn coins. Lame! I always delete those games ASAP. I also find it a little amusing when someone ends a game with me because I actually try to draw the stuff!

Year 3 - Day 163 - June 11

The vet said we could try the dry version of Moose's prescription food so that he isn't begging early in the morning. He loved it. Sadly, it caused the same problems as the grocery store dry food. Sigh. I guess we're back on wet food now. :( This is so frustrating for us, and I'm sure for him since he doesn't feel good. Stupid reaction to stupid rabies shot. Poor guy has been messed up ever since.

Year 3 - Day 162 - June 10

This is another picture I've been wanting to snap for awhile, however, I had to wait until I wasn't the driver to get the shot. This is on 95 near White Marsh where they're putting in the "Lexus Lanes." (I love that moniker - it's the express lanes that will have a toll as opposed to riding on 95 for free. They're thinking people will pay to skip the traffic. I'm thinking what if there's an accident on them, then people paid for nothing. But time will tell) There are barriers up between the existing lanes and what will eventually be the new lanes. (They're paved and have been for quite some time, but they're not connected to anything yet so they are just sitting there.)

Why, why, WHY are the street signs up so high? There are no U-turn signs, one way signs, speed limit signs, etc and they're all on these super high poles. (The smaller pole to the left is the one I'm talking about.) I understand that you have to put the big ones up high because they're wide and could hit cars, but why the little ones? Regular speed limit signs on the side of the road are a normal height. I just don't understand, and I've never seen it anywhere else. Ideas?

Year 3 - Day 161 - June 9

Mike would like to profess his love for this new (at least to us) product. I grabbed it randomly at the grocery store because it was on sale with a coupon and sounded like something he would like. I'm pretty sure he'd melt it and drink it with a straw if it didn't mean it'd be gone sooner. :) He suggests you try it on EVERYTHING.

Year 3 - Day 160 - June 8

I got an email offer for another free month of Netflix streaming so I decided to use it for June. Breaking Bad has been on my list for awhile. I saw the pilot awhile back after I caught up on Mad Men but never continued with it. My favorite part of Netflix streaming is using it with the XBox and the Kinect. The Kinect is more commonly known as a motion sensor for games (really fun for dancing and sports games) but I was unaware that it made you able to control the XBox with voice commands. If you say "XBOX!" it pops up a menu of things you're allowed to command. While in the Netflix app, you can do everything that the remote can do. "XBOX! PAUSE!" "XBOX! PLAY!" "XBOX! NEXT EPISODE!" I know that's not that exciting, but it's pretty cool. :) Today was our last day of kids. We just got back for a couple days next week to wrap up, and then I have a week off before starting my summer activities. If I finish Breaking Bad, then I'm going to watch SportsNight. I have heard of that Aaron Sorkin show before, but I never read a cast list and I never actually saw an episode. I watched the pilot and loved it so that's next!

Year 3 - Day 159 - June 7

My doctor's office is done in a very swanky decorative style. Hardwood floors, frosted glass doors, and, as seen here, brushed metal fancy style faucets. At least the counter tops aren't granite, then I'd really start to wonder where my money is going. :) The randomly cool thing they have though, is moisturizing hand sanitizer. It goes on like a cream instead of the liquid alcohol style. I'm sure when you use it a thousand times a day it is much nicer on your skin, but even as a casual visitor and user I appreciate the difference.

Year 3 - Day 158 - June 6

We experienced the weirdest thing today. A torrential downpour sun shower. You can see the overflowing gutters here on the left, the bright sunshine, and the blue sky with white puffy clouds on the right. Holy cow. Even weirder, at Sarah's house 15 minutes away, there was not a drop of rain. I tried to get a picture of the double rainbow (DOUBLE RAINBOW!) but it didn't work with the phone.

Year 3 - Day 157 - June 5

Our dinner tonight. It's crop share day and it's June which means lettuce. I consider it a success that I managed to eat lettuce that looks like backyard weeds. (That's just creepy!) There's also chicken and croutons on mine, with a little cheese. (I did get extra veggies and fruit through my grape V8 fusion!) He on the other hand had to upsize to a mixing bowl after his plate got too mounded to hold any more food. There's  a million different things in there...avocado, cucumber, tomato, I forget what else. It took him a lot longer to eat his mixing bowl of dinner than it did for me to eat my salad bowl!

Year 3 - Day 156 - June 4

What is this thing? It was on the outside of my window this morning at work. I should have put a pencil or something in the picture for size perspective, but it's almost 3 inches from top to bottom. Ew.

Year 3 - Day 155 - June 3

Someone in the Keebler company family must also live in a divided household. You know what I mean. Cake cones vs sugar cones. While I will never turn down a cone, the cake (flat bottomed) kind are my favorite. Mike thinks they are a waste of space. Imagine our excitement when we saw this box! I don't even know the last time we had cones in the house, but ice cream was on sale to the point where it was almost free with a coupon so we splurged. Exciting stuff. Also, Prego made me a happy person. When I was little, my favorite (meaning the one I least despised, since I don't really LIKE any of them) spaghetti sauce was Sausage and Green Pepper. What they really meant was a jar of green peppers with a few bites of sausage. Now they've nixed the green peppers and they're just calling it Sausage and garlic. Much better!

Year 3 - Day 154 - June 2

I have been meaning to take this picture for a couple months now, but I never remember because I'm dealing with the annoyance! I got this brandex plastic wrap at Christmas Tree Shops in November. It was SUPER cheap, as most stuff is at that lovely store. However, I managed to completely fail in the "prep the box for usage" category. I don't know how I did it, but I ripped the whole part off that holds the plastic wrap up so that it's easy to start the next time you need it. I guess it was supposed to get threaded through a slot or something, but as you can see half the top is missing now. It still has the metal teeth that cut it, but every single time you use it you have to scrape off the corner so that it starts to pull. It drives both of us bananas. But here's the thing. IT IS THE GREATEST PLASTIC WRAP EVER. It sticks exactly where you want it to with minimal effort, but doesn't stick to itself in the way that makes it useless if you pull it off wrong. That's why we have stuck with it for 6+ months. We're within a week or so of finally finishing the box and even if our next one is easy to use, there's no way it will be quite as awesome. It's totally time for a Christmas Tree Shop run. :)

Year 3 - Day 153 - June 1

We were supposed to go to the food truck gathering in Hamden tonight. I was really excited that it was happening on a day I could go! However, the weather didn't cooperate. When we saw the giant storms that were headed our way, we decided not to drive to the city. Turns out we probably made the right choice. It was still a bummer. Instead, in between storms, we grabbed dinner at Red Robin. We used to go there all the time, but we hadn't been in awhile. I have been on a "medicine holiday" (Well, medicine and doctors in general - nothing that makes alcohol illegal!) for the last several weeks, and so I've tried a few different drinks. This one was just like a Sonic Cherry Limeade, but it had some kind of alcohol in it. It was good, but I could have 6 at Sonic for the same price, so I'll stick with my Sonic. :)