Making Up For Yesterday

Most of today was spent frantically trying to make up for all the leisure time I took yesterday.  As much as I love (lovelovelove) the weekend, a good deal of it is spent working on homework and lesson plans (grading grading grading).  When I skip out for an entire day, I feel it.  And I have to make up for it.

But!  I did have a bit of fun.  M-Dawg and I went to the marvelous wonder that is the Pearl Street Farmer's Market.  I am a rock star because I spent a whopping total of $8 and got an entire carton of heirloom tomatoes, two cucumbers the size of kayaks, several fresh carrots, and a head of lettuce the size of a hubcap.  Score.

We are keeping up our tradition of eating a gourmet brunch every single time we get together.  Priorities.  Let me draw your attention to the pulled pork, green chili eggs benedict, topped with goat cheese.  There are no words.

As we walked through the neighborhoods back to the car, I saw this bird feeder made out of a license plate.  Isn't it cool?

And in my feeble attempt not to succumb to a 100% sedentary lifestyle, I have started grading papers, reading, doing homework, etc., on the treadmill.  I walk reallllly slowly, but tonight I burned 300 calories when ordinarily I would have been sitting on my arse.  So there's that.  When I'm feeling really hardcore I go all out on the stationary bike.  It nearly kills me.  All this to cancel out that &^%$# eggs benedict. 

Here's to getting up at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow so I can finish grading papers before my class.  I have learned my lesson about waiting until the last minute (i.e. the last 72 hours before handing them back) to start grading.  Never again.  I mean, never.

Yellow

Today we got up early (meh, but necessary) and hit the road for the first of the 2014 Fall Drives!

First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season!  Woo Hoo!

We headed North West, about two hours past Ft. Collins, to a town called Walden.  The drive there wound through a different part of the Rocky Mountains than we've seen before.  I always think September is too early to catch the leaves turning, but in Colorado, it's the perfect time.  The Aspens turn a golden yellow and in a couple of weeks, all the leaves will be gone.

There's just something about a road trip.  The bunny and all the responsibilities left at home, we can talk and catch up in a way that never happens during the chaotic week.  When I'm exploring a whole new (to us!) part of the state, I'm not thinking about grading papers (or writing papers!) or doing homework or doing laundry or vacuuming or preparing for the week.

I'm just thinking about fall.

We stopped for lunch in the tiny town of Walden, and sat outside for a couple of hours drinking wine (ahem, me) and just taking it all in.  There's about a 5,000 ft elevation gain on the drive, so we were over 10,000 feet eating lunch, and LET ME TELL YOU the alcohol goes a long way up there.  I was like, this is some strong wine!  And G was like, I think it's the altitude. 

All you guys at sea level?  I can drink you under the table.  (Jesus is so proud of me right now.  I'm not a raging - or any other kind of - alcoholic.  I just sound like one on the blog.)

Apparently the mountain passes and high-level plains we drove through are popular spots for viewing moose, especially this time of year.  We didn't see any, though, because we passed through in the middle of the day.  Next year, we're going to time the drive so we'll pass through at dusk and hopefully they'll be out and about...

We hit a little traffic on the way home and have been catching up on college football scores (and grading papers - holy crap it's time consuming) ever since.  Not a bad Saturday.

Lucy is taking it easy after a grueling day of laying around doing nothing.  Here's hoping you're taking it easy, too!

TGIF, people!

Lately (aka random bullet points)

* Monday through Wednesday is a complete blur for me.  I feel like I go to bed on Sunday night and the next thing I know, I'm waking up on Thursday morning.  No complaints about that!

This is what Lucy looks like right before she gets into big trouble for messing with something.

* In addition to tutoring one-on-one with students at the K-8 school, I have been assigned my own reading group!  This means that I lead the same group of students through a fluency poem and book portion in the mornings, discussing vocab, plot, etc.  They are one of the higher reading groups and I'm having a lot of fun.  Third graders are cool.

* It's almost time for fall drives around Colorado.  Sooooo my favorite time of the year.  Other than Christmas.  And Thanksgiving.

Fall begins.

* I think I'm finally getting into a rhythm with the college students.  We are forming a group/class dynamic and I'm learning that even though I know a lot about writing, teaching it is an entirely different monster.  I think I'm getting better at addressing different learning styles and a whole different generation altogether.  I think this is what I want to do.  I have a meeting with my TA adviser tomorrow to figure out a path to make that happen after grad school.

* Along those lines, I think I am adding two certificate programs to my MA degree.  It will most likely tack on a couple of extra semesters, but let's be honest, I'm in no rush to graduate.  I'm not on some kind of accelerated career plan.  It looks like I'll pursue a certificate in Women & Gender Studies and also Teaching to ESL students.  Wish me luck!

Also?  I have become a Sherpa.  I can't simply grab my purse and run out the door.  There are books and papers and grids and plans and notes...and more books.

* I'm soooooo happy it's fall.
* Hello, college football!
* Upcoming fall brunch!
* Decorations are the best!

I got this honkin' Jack-o-lantern to put out in the yard.  Classy.

* If anyone has a pill or something I can take to lose 45 pounds I would really appreciate it.  Thanks.

The Honeymoon Is Over

So after a little over a month of school, my students turned in their first big paper for a grade this week.  Which means that our honeymoon period (as it were, and that's a stretch) is coming to an end.  Once they see their grades, they won't like me as much.  And I'm starting to realize I'm a fairly lenient grader!!  It's not that they're all bad, they're just not all A's, and that's going to be a real shocker to those who think of themselves as stellar writers.

{Do any actual stellar writers on Earth think of themselves in those terms?  No.  Writers are the most insecure of all people except for possibly the Real Housewives of the Bravo channel.  Not judging, just saying.}

My view twice a week (minus the students).

Lately there has been a whole lot of homework and yet also a whole lot of procrastinating going on around dawrighthouse.  Procrastinating from grading.

But don't worry.  There's still this:

See?  I'm so not joking about how she gets on my papers and books.  The worst is having her rat tail all up in my face, but I gotta hand it to her, she's a little love bug.

Also, it occurs to me that the *&#$%^* half marathon is in about a month.  A little less than, actually.  There's no way in hell real chance that I'll jog even half of it, so this is me resigning myself to the thought of spending an entire Saturday walking 13 miles.  It beez what it beez.  I'll blame The Sinus Infection From Hell but we all know about 1.5% of it is my lack of discipline.

Speaking of lack of discipline:

Loo Loo Bell is still a surly beast in case you were wondering.  And now I have to work on a paper that's due tomorrow.  See?  Not joking about the procrastination!

Meals on Wheels

Today started with a couple of unique Meals on Wheels deliveries.  We usually spend one Saturday morning each month delivering for 2 routes.  One route typically takes an hour, and combining a couple together takes about 3 hours (factoring in at least one coffee and bathroom stop, of course).  If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity, I highly recommend this one, through Volunteers of America.  You can sign up for one route or more on any weekend and most holidays.  Your volunteer coordinator puts together a route of houses and apartments in a close general area, and all the addresses are arranged "in order" so that you finish not far from where you started, if that makes sense.  One address conveniently leads to the next, and all the information you need is provided for you.  Most of the people are at home waiting on you, and many have adorable dogs to love on.  :)

Fresh Market Deliveries - a unique treat!

Usual routes involve one large box of frozen meals.  Because we live in Colorado, we have to use the month of September to plan for winter (!) so our deliveries today included emergency pantry meals for home-bound seniors to use if volunteers are not able to get to their houses due to inclement weather.  Our second route included a fresh market delivery, which we have never done before.  In addition to a box of frozen meals and a box of pantry goods, it includes an enormous bag of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread, milk, yogurt and juice.  It looked very fresh and healthy, and was delivered in a re-usable bag.  Many of the seniors gave us their previous bags to return to Meals on Wheels to be used again. 

I am very impressed with Meals on Wheels and the services they provide.  Their volunteer coordinators are nice and helpful; their volunteer opportunities are used to meet important community needs, and are set up in a streamlined and organized way.  All beneficiaries are home-bound, unable to get out and about easily on their own.  During the last couple of years of Papa's life, this program really helped him and Gama.  Though they were not considered low-income, they were not able to leave the house to go grocery shopping or to buy meals.  Not only did Meals on Wheels provide for them, but the volunteers were extremely nice to my grandparents and continued to drop by, voluntarily, to check on Gama once Papa had died.

That's why I volunteer.  I use one Saturday a month to hope that I'm helping other people as much as some once helped my grandparents.  And loving on other people's animals ain't bad either.  :)

TGIF, people!

A Little Noise

I'd like to point out that I'm finally over the sinus infection.  It has taken me a thousand years, but I'm on the mend.  Breathing!  Talking without double fisting the cough drops!  Sleeping!

That said, on to more philosophical issues.  I think I'm going to live my entire life learning, forgetting, then painfully re-learning the same lessons over and over again.  One of which - and this is minor so you'd think I could get a handle on it - is that things are so situational.  I need perspective.  I spend like 99% of my time, teaching, tutoring, driving around the world, and dreaming of the quiet bliss of the house.  In the midst of my daily chaos, all I do is think of The Quiet.

Today at the K-8 school I was talking to another tutor about this.  She's older, doing this as a retirement gig, and she lives alone with a couple of cats.  (Which I guess isn't living alone, is it?  :)  We were on cafeteria duty, shouting at each other over the noise, roaming around, when I mentioned my constant yearning for quiet.  She nodded and told me that she spends her evenings reading (bliss!) but that after a couple of hours, she turns the TV on, in the background, for some noise.  Not to watch, but for the company.

And I know exactly what she means.

Whenever G is gone, or when I used to travel for work, I would do the same thing.  I've been thinking today that the only reason I value the quiet is as a nice balance to the activity and stimulation of my day.  And it has made me thankful for the noise.  The constant questions, the chatter, the lectures (giving and receiving), the conversations, the buzz of it all.

I prefer this over the alternative.

Remind me of this when I start complaining about the stupid questions from my students.  **sigh**

It Begins...

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

I'm excited to say that we got out and about in CO today.  We visited a 200+ acre animal preserve, a few hours south west of Denver, called Mission Wolf. 

They take care of rescued wolves and hybrids (wolf and dog mixes) as well as some horses.  Although some of the wolves have been rescued from communities (found injured on the side of the road, etc.) many have been dropped off by caring families who tried to raise them in a home environment and discovered how different a wild animal is from a domesticated one.  All domesticated dogs are actually bred from wolves (not the best specimens, either, according to wolf fans), but true wolves these days are unable to adapt to a traditional American home life; they are meant to be part of an animal pack, outdoors.

Mission Wolf is in the middle of nowhere, and has created huge enclosures for various (carefully planned) pairs and packs of wolves.  The entire place is designed to mimic the wild, "natural" environment as much as possible, so these wolves (who are unable to succeed in the real wild) can live out their lives as realistically as possible.

We took this picture from the dirt road as we left Mission Wolf.  You can barely see the buildings.

Excuse me.  Is that a fat rabbit I smell?

The staff grows their own food and uses solar power to pump their water (giving the wolves priority access if there is a water shortage).  Some of the wolves have bonded with some of the staff, but mostly the wolves keep to themselves.  To (again) mimic their "natural" environment, the wolves are fed on a famine/feast schedule, which sounds like complete hell to me but, as I think of it, is how things go in nature.  Each morning they are fed a bit of breakfast, mainly so the staff can check them out and distribute any medicine or care that may be needed.  Otherwise, they are fed a fresh (dead) animal every three days or so.  In real life, they don't catch an elk or deer every day - they do every few days, then spend their time gorging and napping.  Many of the farms around the area donate (in a gentle and humane manner) cows and horses who have passed.  These animals are processed on site and then distributed to the animals.

We watched them process a horse today and then use it for The Feed.  It was a fascinating display of using all resources to their full capacity in order to achieve a (human-affected) circle of life kind of experience.

The pack is anxious to be fed.

We even got to interact with some of the animals!  In order to introduce yourself to them, you have to sit down, get on their level, make eye contact, and - get this! - let them sniff your mouth, even lick your teeth if they want to.  Not joking.  I got licked on the mouth and chin while staring directly into the eyes of a wolf, in order to say "hi" and let her know that I'm a friend not a foe.  It was precious.  Not for everyone, I realize.  Not exactly hygienic, either, considering the fading sinus infection and the fact that the wolf was going from person to person.

So, you know.  I try not to think too much about that. 

Don't pet a wolf - or an unknown dog - on the head.  After you are introduced, stroke their chin and/or chest.

See those teeth?  They have been kissed by wolves!  They even noticed the "fur" on G's face.  Yes, that's a real tipi in the background.

It was my favorite kind of fall day!  Getting up early (meh, but necessary), stopping at Starbucks for the necessary fuel, going for a long drive and looking at the landscape, and exploring something new.  Grabbing lunch, walking around small towns, window shopping, and breaking up the long drive home with a Sonic stop.  

Does it get any better than that?  No.

TGIF, people!

Of the colleges, some of the very best testify that it is more difficult to retain instructors in English composition than in other subjects.  Others report that instructors wear out, suffer from indigestion and nervous exhaustion, lose their efficiency, impair their eyesight, become the prey of shattered nerves, break down and find their ways to the hospital or cemetery, because of the "killing" work in English composition.

{1913 Report on the Cost and Labor of English Teaching}

Cold

OK, seriously, it's in the 40's here.  WHAT?  It's not even officially mid September yet!  I'm in full on flannel pj's as I write this.  Crazy CO.

The thing is, if I'm being 100% honest (as opposed to how I usually am, which is only 20-30% honest.  Kidding, it's at least 50%.), I don't mind the chilly, rainy weather.  I mind working in it.  If I could stay home and sleep read all day, it would be perfect.

I took more pictures tonight.  I couldn't help myself.  You are welcome.

Look at that wrinkly neck.  It kills me.

We do our work at the dining room table and the cat will not stay away.  She's all over our books and papers, and halfway into my purse, and in my lap, with her rat tail in my face.  I kid you not.  She's a sweet little thing, but looks like a science project gone wrong.  Petting her feels like stroking a baked potato.

Also?  The OCD continues.  I had to fix the lid after I took this because the hole (to drink out of) was off-kilter from the labels.  It has to directly align in order for me to drink it.  This, coming from someone who does not fix her hair some mornings before work.  From someone who doesn't try overly hard to match her clothes.  It makes no sense.

But!  I can breathe now, and have slept the past two nights, and can sometimes hear out of one ear or the other, although never both simultaneously.  My voice is starting to come back and I no longer feel like dying.  I may just pull through in time for the weekend, hallelujah and praise God.

One more day.  I can do this.

The Value Books

One of my favorite childhood memories is reading with Gama.  She did the reading, of course.  I looked at the pictures.  In thinking about it now - which I often do - I realize that I learned much more than simply how to read.

Fingerprints of a younger B.  Stickers on (and ripped off) the book.

Mostly, Gama read me these "Value" books, and I highly recommend them for younger kids (K-4).  The pictures are interesting, and the stories are about historical figures who have overcome some sort of obstacle in order to be "successful."  Success is anything from believing in yourself and developing a cure for rabies (Louis Pasteur) to being determined and learning how to "see" and "hear" and "speak" by alternate means (Helen Keller).

These books always begin with the historical figure's childhood, which makes it fun and easy to relate to as a kid, and they end with a printed biography of the person's life, which could be used if the kiddo is writing a paper for school, etc.

I use these books with a couple of kiddos that I'm tutoring, because the stories are simple and engaging enough to get their attention, and make them want to know what will happen next, but the words and concepts are complex enough to make them really work on decoding, predicting, and inferring meaning.  Also, the books don't sugarcoat bad things.  They include details about abuse to slaves, and people stealing and saying cruel things to each other.  They do this in a cartoon-y way, to soften the blow for a young audience, but they include enough content to allow for conversations about why that is wrong and how much it would hurt to go through something like that, etc.

Plus, they're just fun!  Kids can't believe they're actually about real people who did these real things.

When Gama read these books to me, I learned that obstacles are a part of each person's life.  Though they are difficult, they can be overcome.  I learned what is involved in being a good person - kindness, compassion, intelligence, adventure, determination, courage.  I learned how to read a book - that we can sit down and read half of it, then get up to put the clothes into the dryer, run a couple of errands, and come home to finish the rest of it.  I learned that a book can be picked up and put down and picked up again later.  I learned that books are fun, and some books have boring parts (and that's ok!), and we can read books for entertainment, and for learning, and for company.  These lessons are so ingrained in my literacy that I never even think about them and actually had to pick them apart for this post.

I don't know if these books are available anymore?  All I know is that I treasure mine!

Other recommendations for kids' books?