Year 2 - Day 287 - October 15

I totally didn't take this picture, Carl did. However, I was having fun at Oktoberfest so I didn't think about taking pictures. He always remembers to take pictures, so here we go. ;) That's my left hand doing a princess wave while Darra gets ready to take us on our hay ride! It was a little scary and that cart wasn't very stable, but we had fun and survived to tell the tale. :)

Year 2 - Day 286 - October 14

Tonight I attended the Maryland State Teacher of the Year banquet with some of my colleagues. One of my friends and fellow media specialists won the honor at our county level and was a top 7 finalist for the state. Due to those awesome circumstances, the higher-ups in our county paid for a table of media specialists to go and enjoy the evening. While our friend did not win, we had a great time and the person who did win will be a great voice for our state.

There was a tanker accident on 95 in Harford County, so it took 3 hours to get to Martin's West from Perryville. Ouch. Luckily we got there just in time to see the ceremony begin. Whew. If you ever have an opportunity to go, you should because it's a great evening. I saw lots of people I know from other counties, as well, and enjoyed a chance to get dressed up.

Years and years ago, our high school had prom at Martin's West. I have a picture with me and the same three guys from two consecutive proms in this room. (One was from my senior year and one from the year after since the guy I was dating was younger.) The pictures both have this chandelier in the background, and the pictures together in side by side frames made a complete chandelier. I always thought that was pretty cool (and random, because we didn't do it on purpose!) but tonight I realized the same chandelier is hanging in a few different spaces throughout the room, so our pictures were a little less random than previously believed.

Year 2 - Day 224 - August 13

For quite some time we've been hearing about the Baltimore Grand Prix which is coming on Labor Day weekend. To a non-race watcher like myself, it has been hard to comprehend the idea of race cars zooming around the inner harbor at high speeds. The race course has been paved and surfaced for almost a year which has made traffic worse than normal, trees have been uprooted to make sure people paying to watch the race cars can see them, and now they're putting up grandstands and race walls. This is a long term project. The race weekend is still 3 weeks away and already streets have these walls installed. The concrete portion was just about to my head level as I sat in the car and then the cages go many feet further. My friend worded it as Baltimore looking like it's in jail, and I agree!

I was downtown to take the SeaDog speedboat tour thanks to a groupon we got recently. We boarded near HarborPlace and went slow all the way to Ft. McHenry. Then they opened up the engines and bounced us around out past the Key Bridge and back before hitting the no wake zone again. I think I learned some facts about landmarks that I didn't know, but I heard him make mistakes about things I DO know, so hopefully I don't have incorrect knowledge. :) For example, he said the Key Bridge was made instead of adding a 3rd tunnel, but the 2nd tunnel is much newer than the bridge.

This afternoon we were going to swim but the weather changed our plans to an indoor cookout and board game day. At one point, the power went out. For those of us playing cards, a simple flashlight worked. But the boys playing Risk were more creative - they turned on their iPhone light and hung it in the chandelier over the table. :)

Year 2 - Day 145 - May 26

This is our new SmartBoard game. The 1st graders use a puppet to "chew the gumball." When the puppet touches the picture, the gumball disappears and a word shows up. I have to have them practice dictionary skills and ABC order - forward, backwards, beginning, middle, end, etc., and it turns out that letting them wear a puppet (and high five said puppet when they find the word) can actually make them want to do the (boring, boring) skill. It was hilarious how excited they were. This is the power of a Smartboard... ;) (P.S. the word shadows show on my laptop screen so that I can see them, but they don't show up through the projector on the board)

Second picture of the day (Which I totally didn't take, seeing as how I'm in it, and totally isn't from today, but rather 10 years ago today):

My friend Eileen posted this on facebook today in honor of the 10th anniversary since she & Steve were married. I am sad he's not here for today, but glad that she is happy and remembering the happiness of that day. There I am in the back right corner, in a light colored dress. I loved that dress (It was from American Eagle) right up until Dawson's mother wore it to graduation on Dawson's Creek. The MOTHER! (AE used to do all the clothes for that show.)

Year 2 - Day 136 - May 17

We went to Max's in Fells Point tonight for American Craft Brew week.  The local brewery on tap tonight was Heavy Seas, which Mike enjoys.  We hung out for awhile and also hit up Pitango Gelato across the street, which is delicious.

Totally pretending it's summer - out with friends on a school night! :)

Year 2 - Day 85 - March 27

I spent a lovely time today with 2 of my good friends from high school.  Well, one was my good friend from high school and the other was someone I talk to every day, but she was my friend in high school, too! :)

We splurged and had dessert.  This is their newest dessert - basically a chocolate lava cake, but with PEANUT BUTTER!  This is huge.  HUGE.  The plate in the picture is a dinner plate!  It was fantastic, but I didn't completely finish it. 

It was a lovely relaxing afternoon - I wish there were more of those in the world...