HeHeHe

I almost forgot to tell you about the funniest part of my week...I still laugh out loud when I think about it.

We started the project presentations that I told you about (in an earlier post) in grad class this week. The first person got up and started talking about science, mathematics, technology, and our understanding of global warming. She began with a quick "pre-test" she created on her power point presentation. She asked us to pick all of the following answers that applied. Her question was what human actions contribute to the increase of carbon dioxide in our environment. One of her answers...the use of arousal cans. We sat in stunned silence as we registered her mistake. I almost fell out of my chair when my professor piped up and asked where he could find one of those cans. (We all agreed High Street would be the most likely place.)

P.S. I am positive she meant aerosol can. Good times in grad school.

Cirque du Soleil

Recently T took me to see a Cirque du Soleil performance as a late birthday present. It was great...just as I expected. This was my second Cirque performance and in my opinion it was as wonderful as the first. If you haven't seen a show, I would highly suggest it. It is a fabulous combination of fantasy, music, humor, and acrobatics. My favorite part was the women who performed on the chandeliers pictured above. It was absolutely, stunningly beautiful.

Back to Blogging

It seems as if it has been forever since I blogged. And I have missed it. I have missed writing about random things that happen in my day and miscellaneous thoughts that I have as I observe life. As I have committed myself to a partial solitary confinement this week and last, please know that catching a few minutes here and there to read comments that you have posted about former blogs has been a highlight.

My self - imposed solitary confinement has come about because of a grad school project. It is a project that looks at how science, mathematics, and technology effect our understanding of quilting...yep, you heard it correctly, quilting. Yes, it is crazy, and I have been consumed by it for the past two weeks. I even had to get a little tutoring help in chemistry from a science teacher/friend at work. (Side note - Chemistry is a lot more interesting than I remember from high school!) Now the project is 95% done and I am relieved. I must admit, though, I had fun. But as the old adage goes, all good things must come to an end. And in this case, I am MORE than OK with that.

Happy Mother's Day

To my own Mother - Thank you for all you have done. You are a wonderful mother and friend.

To Mama S - Thanks for being a great MiL and for raising a wonderful son.

To all the other mothers out there that are not my own, but are dear to my heart- I hope you have a wonderful day. You deserve it.

Circle Game Saturday

A dear and beloved friend is moving out of the heartland soon. This circle game is in honor of her upcoming transition.

What place in the world would you like to live for a period of time? Maximum of four locations, please :).

My locations will be in the comments section.

The Forever Stamp

The USPS has raised its rates again for the 13th time in 32 years. The new rate for a first-class stamp is $0.41, up $0.02 from the $0.39 we currently pay. The new rates take effect on Monday, May 14th (better get yourself to the post office).

Good news! The United States Postal Service has come up with a great idea for any disgruntled customers out there who are tired of buying the $0.01 and $0.02 stamps to make up for their under priced stamps. Introducing...the forever stamp. Buy it for $0.41 now and use it any time in the future no matter what future rate hikes we might endure. Thanks USPS...good idea. No more throwing money away by doubling up on the $0.37 stamps or spending frustrating minutes trying to figure out where I put the $0.02 stamps from the last rate increase. FOREVER stamps here I come!

Life is good

I am content.

Thank you, A, for this wonderful bear hug.

Amused

My dad sent my mom, my brother, and I an article today from the New York Times that talked about the essential items needed for a kitchen and how much (or little, actually) you should spend on them. I am amused by this article for two reasons.

1) I am not sure that I've ever seen my dad hold a pot besides to dry it after it was washed. (No offense, Dad. It's just that the kitchen never seemed to be your realm, I picture you more in the electronics area...perhaps that's changing?) So I was shocked when the article was not his typical math/science/world event article that he usually sends to us but instead was a cooking/kitchen article. It gave me a small chuckle. I do appreciate the fact that even though he was probably not interested in the article, he sent it on to the three of us knowing we probably would be.

2) I never realized that I was a kitchen essentials snob until I read this article. (What does the author mean that a $10 plastic handle knife is ok? I've ALWAYS heard one should go with the stainless steel.) The aritcle was certainly informative and interesting, although I am not sure I can break out of my ways. My favorite quote: "The point is not so much that you can equip a real kitchen without much money, but the fear of buying the wrong kind of equipment is unfounded. It needs only to be functional, not prestigious, lavish or expensive." Thank you, Mr. Bittman. Point well taken. I will try to remember this in the future and break free from my kitchen equipment bias that I seem to possess. Click here if you are interested in reading the rest of the article.

HAPPY COOKING!

Favorite Cartoons

As a math teacher, I love the cartoons by S. Harris. Click HERE to see more of his work. At some point I would like to buy some various prints to decorate my walls. I know, dorky, but I can't help it. It's my nature.

Confessions

1) I really enjoy my job, but I have started a countdown for summer.

2) I have a love-hate affair with Ann Taylor. Love the clothes and the fit, hate the prices.

3) I bought candy for my students for field day tomorrow...I ate some already.

4) I've turned the air conditioning on in my car already.

5) A student "passed gas" (loudly) in my class today. After several attempts to keep a straight face, I had to laugh. I couldn't help it...I also couldn't look at the student for the next 5 minutes for fear that I'd start laughing again.

Book Review - Einstein's Heroes

Ever have those feelings of "I wish I would have paid more attention in (fill -in the blank with a high school/college subject)________________________ class"? If you've ever had those feelings about science or math, I've got the book for you. I will not pretend it's another Lord of the Rings or Chronicles of Narnia. It is probably not a book that you'll stay up until 3 in the morning to finish. However, it does a very good job of making math and science discoveries interesting. It has a nice combination of personal stories intertwined with the nitty gritty details of science and math. One does not feel as if she/he is laboring through a 300 page physics text with no pictures, and one does not need to be a PhD to understand the phenomena being described. So, if you'd like some good, educational reading this summer, pick up Einstein's Heroes by Robyn Arianrhood (yes, I spelled this last name correctly). If you do, let me know what you think. Happy reading!

Circle Game Saturday

I spent 30 minutes of this gorgeous day inside cleaning our shower. I got out the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, got out the clorox (sp?) shower cleaner, and even got the old toothbrush out to scrub the caulking. It needed it, but I hated doing it. In fact, cleaning is always something I am glad I did but never enjoy doing.

In honor of my sparkling (kind of) clean shower...here is the circle game question. Format is different. It's fill-in the blank this time.

"I'd rather kiss a pig than clean _____________________."

For me...I'd rather kiss a pig than clean my refrigerator. It's messy, cumbersome, and it never seems like a good time to do it.

P.S. As a side note...I badly burned a pot this week for the first time in my life. I didn't put much water on the green beans and then covered them with a lid. 30 minutes later when I dished out the beans the bottom of the pot was BLACK! We were able to scrub off the charred mess, so the pot looks normal. Is it still safe to use? I didn't melt off any protective covering that will poison us or anything, did I?

Curry-Cajun Spiced Chicken

I've found another recipe I like. I have to, once again, give a hand to my Menno folk who created a recipe book that I am currently investigating. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Yields 6 servings.

1/3 c of honey
3 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons prepared mustard
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
2-3 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
2-3 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced, or garlic powder
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, or about 1 1/2 pounds
hot cooked rice

In 3-quart rectangular baking dish, combine honey, water, mustard, margarine, Cajun seasoning, curry powder, lemon juice, and garlic. Mix well.

Add chicken breast halves, turning to coat. Arrange in single layer.

Bake, uncovered, at 350F for about 30 minutes or till chicken is tender and no longer pink.

Serve chicken and pan drippings with hot cooked rice.

YUMMY!

ONE WEEK FROM TODAY!

Free next Friday night? Come hear the Boondogglers play! Check out their link on the left.

Get out the Map

Today I took the long way home from meeting my family for lunch because I could. I did it because I needed the reminder that as I grow older and my personality and sanity seem driven more by routine and to-do lists, I can still be (or become, depending on your view, I guess) a spontaneous person. I didn't completely ignore the big highways, but I did not confine myself to them. I got off the highway and visited a college I had never seen before, drove past a couple places that I never knew existed, took some highways that I typical don't drive, and took the "country" roads around my city. It was a beautiful day and a great reminder that I love maps and lazy Sundays. Maybe I should plan more outings like this for myself...but then again that might take away the spontaneity...

Quote of the Day

"...Higher education — especially at the graduate level — involves learning more and more about less and less until one knows everything about nothing."
- David Barash, University of Washington (not a unique quote to him...just found it in one of his papers)

Circle Game Saturday

My birthday is soon. I might blog about it later because it's a weird one as far as ages go, but in honor of getting older here is my circle game question...What age do you feel? Forget your chronological age...

Me? Energy-wise I feel 23 years. My self-image unfortunately does not match my reality. Is that normal?

NPR

I have been exploring the AM dial and lower numbers of the FM (Thanks, Brent and M). I have been entertained by the various talk shows, but I am always drawn back to NPR. It's amazing how much smarter I feel just listening to NPR for 5 minutes in my car. Perhaps smarter is not the correct word, perhaps I feel more exposed to my environment ....more cultured...even if it is sometimes related to the absurd. For instance on my 22 minutes drive home from work tonight I learned three interesting things...

1) There is a book on the best seller list called "The Black Swan". I am not sure of the content, but the author is a professor at the school of uncertainty at U Mass. Huh?!?! Seriously, is someone pulling my leg? Did my not-so-good hearing fail me in that moment?

2) The "grime" is a new music scene springing up in England. It's a combination of rap, techno, and dance hall with an English accent.

3) A man in Nevada (Dr. Hope) has been selling plots of the moon for the past 26 years. He has a couple billion to sell and he has sold $9.3 million dollars worth so far. He plans on building an edifice near the Sea of Tranquility that will house the Galactic Government. Awesome. Any takers?

Ah...Too Be Young Again

Since the beginning of November I have had constant hip pain and sporadic back pain. Finally after pitifully limping around one weekend in March, I decided to go to my trusty nurse practitioner who referred me to a "spine specialist". The spine specialist told me I had something similar to tendinitis and gave me the fashionable SI Loc pictured above.

Here are the lovely advantages of wearing the SI Loc...

1) It seems to be helping, although there are some days that seem better than others in regard to pain. (Unfortunately yesterday and today were not some of them.)

2) It's a constant hug.

Here are the unfortunate disadvantages of wearing the SI Loc...

1) It does not fit nicely under the dress clothes I wear to work. Everyday I have to wake up and make the decision as to whether I am going with function or fashion.

2) No woman wants more "girth" around her middle section.

3) I am a restless sleeper. I toss and I turn. Unfortunately as tight as I may tug on the SI Loc before I go to bed so that it says around my hips, it never stays in place. It usually creeps up somewhere around my shoulders by morning. It's not a pleasant thing to wake up to.

But regardless of the disadvantages...today I make a vow to wear my SI Loc 23.5 hours a day as my doctor told me to. I am tired of pain and I realize that in order to fix this thing, I am going to have to do as I am told. I will try to swallow my pride and pick function over fashion every day until the six weeks is up. For those of you that I see and talk to, please keep me accountable. Thank you in advance for your help.

Sadness

I am very saddened by the events that occurred in Blacksburg, VA at Virginia Tech today. My heart goes out to the victims, families, students, and community.
As I walked across my seemingly serene campus today, I tried to picture what it must have been like, but my brain refused to create the scene of something so horrific. I can not imagine the terror. I take for granted my safety when I am walking around the university of which I attend part-time. I think occasionally about my personal safety when walking alone in the parking garage but never in my wildest dreams do I concern myself about my safety when I walk into my classroom. Instead I think of it as an academic haven...a place to share my thoughts with people who are interested in similar topics. That image of the classroom - as a place of comfort, of community, of safety - has been shattered for the students at Virginia Tech. My thoughts will be with them all in the following weeks.