Random Pictures

Christy got very excited about our new bed set.

View of the river Cam, from Chris' punting expedition in Cambridge.

Content Smally in Tahoe.

Saturday - Sweet and Salty

First I wanted to make pancakes, but then I remembered the sliced sourdough sitting on the kitchen counter. Perfect for French - freggin - toast! That got me out of bed before 9am, but before I did that I offered to talk on the phone with my mom-in-law and put on a pot of coffee. You won't see any pictures on this post because the frawnch toast was eaten lightning-fast. Off the skillet into our tummies. Chris was even trying to be "good," whatever the hell that means, and succumbed to the power of my new and improved Eggy Toast (as they say in the UK).

French Toast (in memory of Grandma Boots)

Ingredients:

A loaf of sliced sourdough - a day or two old
1 egg & 1 egg white - beaten
A dash of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
Butter for greasing the pan/skillet
SNOW - Grandma Rice's code-word for powdered sugar served on the side in a crystal or glass bowl.
Maple Syrup

On the stove, heat the greased skillet at medium-high while you whisk/mix the eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and milk. Now bathe one of those bread slices in the sultry batter until it is saturated. Throw it on that skillet. Cook until cooked - I don't know, until it looks tasty.

You know, you could put the oven on low and cook all the slices you want, putting them into the oven to stay yummy warm. When they are done, serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar AND syrup. Let me know how it goes, Folks!

While I was stuffing sweet morsels of french toast into my gob, Chris said aloud that he wished to go to the beach. I seconded that motion and, after we did the dishes (what good little wives we are!) and showered, we hopped in our Corolla and took of, eh. To Half Moon Bay or more precisely, Montara State Beach. I imagined a windy, relaxing walk from one end to the other. Our fellow beach-lovers were out, sunbathing, skin-surfing, regular-surfing, boogie boarding, dog wrangling and the like. For November it was in the high 70's and I felt that the sun was not only warming my pink skin, but burning it. It felt nice. Chris noticed that the surf was coming in a lot farther than usual as we meandered along.

Since I am a California native and took a college-level course on OCEANS, I feel the need to help Chris understand the ins and outs of the beach's flora and fauna. I crouched down to prod some poor dead jelly fish, it was the size of a dollar coin, but rounder. I turned it over with a little bit of washed up wood. "Do you see that?" I said to Chris,"See the opening?" There was a wiggly little pink line that was around the opening on the creature's sack-like, opaque body. Suddenly Chris yelled,"Watch out!"Luckily, I am as spry as a monkey because I hoped up and ran the opposite way of an incoming wave. I am continually amazed by human instinct. Feeling so stupidly surprised, I giggled as I escaped a salt-water soaking.

A few hundred yards further on we noticed the waves would wash clear up to the cliffs. A few times we had to make a run for it, so as not to get a salt-water bath. Near the end of the walk, we both just stood, reflecting on the greatness and beauty of the California coast. By then we had compromised with the high-tide and rolled up our pants, and removed our shoes. There was a small grouping of seal heads poking out of the water, swaying out beyond the large waves and I pined for binoculars, but reflected that junk sometimes gets in the way of enjoying life. Then we were both woken up as water washed up to our knees. That was when Chris decided it was a good time to walk back to the car.

At one section there was not very much dry land, and we were already jogging along trying to escape the shoreline. Poor planning led to a wave totally enveloping us up to our chests. Chris and I both either yelped or squealed. When the water was at it's highest, breaking off the cliff's wall washing back onto us, he held on to me for stability and for moment I thought we were totally going to fall into the water. We didn't, but we were just as wet. Chris in rolled up jeans and a white t-shirt and me in draw-string pants and a stripped shirt, we were both drenched, but kept running now not to repeat what just happened. We reached a break in the waves where the bluffs were not connected, providing a dry section. There stood a family of adults, dressed in their J.Crew best for a day at the beach. Sensing we looked ridiculously unprepared for our wet encounter I announced that the waves were high and I recommending running. So we all ran and ran until we reached a wider portion of land. Their father-figure didn't run fast enough and got it up to his thighs.

We had a funny, pant-less ride home. And we did not go out for lunch in Half Moon Bay's downtown for obvious slightly under-dressed reasons. But it was a good silly adventure for two over-worked people.

Booties, Booties, booties, Rockin' Everywhere!

Hello to those of you who read this blog! How's it going? Well, I thought I would post about how I finished some projects other then scarves. The lastest are these red booties that would be perfect for a baby elf. They were made for a baby who was just born yesterday (Welcome Alice!). She decided to come the same day we were going to go to her baby shower!

A while ago, I decided I needed a long-term project while I was in grad-school, and that is how the Knitted Quilt came about.

And then there is our ever-evolving garden of potted plants. Here is an aster I planted as a seed. Chris and I were both very proud with how it came out. As for my career as a Special Educator, it isn't always so simple, but then I always knew it wasn't going to be. I did "win" a little "battle" and the district allowed us to have our school's Fall break for the next too weeks. It's a long story, but I am happy that common sense won in this case. It will benefit all involved, especially the students. I just don't really trust that it is true and am waiting for it to be in writing. Always have it in writing, Girls and Boys.

Oh, and I'm happy to announce that I don't look like a Special Education teacher. Friday evening over a few beers with Chris, my coworker and her boyfriend, I informed him I was the SpEd teacher, and he responded with a shocked, "Really?" I guess Special Education teachers have stereotypes of their own. :)

I Am Job...

Literally the day after we got back from our Northwestern road trip, where we visited friends and family, I was placed at a school site in East Palo Alto or Ravenswood City School District. Oh, and in this school district we are not Special Education Teachers, but Teachers of Integrated Services. Their entire school district has all their students with IEP's (Individualized Education Plans) placed in general education classrooms. So most of their teachers, who would be Special Education teachers are Resource Specialist in a big way. I like to call myself an Inclusion Specialist. All these fancy long names still haven't solved the chaos that is Ravenswood and its Special education department. But, literally, the only way is up and I know my hard work and perseverance will make a difference.
At times I feel completely paralyzed in the paperwork and ritualized process that is supposed to be helping our students with special needs. What I call the "real" part of the job, or actually teaching them, planning out what they need according to their IEP's, is basically put on the back burner. We are scrambling to catch up with "past due's," pending IEP's and angry parents.
What I would love is someone to deal with the paper trail, basically a secretary, so I can really start implementing the crap out of all those IEP's. I have about 18 students and each one has a different IEP. Each one needs something different and we have been in school 4 weeks and I still don't feel like I'm where I need to be.
The cool part of my job is the school I am a part of and that I get to work with Kindergartners to 6th graders. And my supervisor is a ball-buster, so I'm hoping we can clean things up, so everything runs well year after year.

Batman

Don't have a good healthcare plan?
Better not mess with Batman

Did you pay for that flan?
Better not lie to Batman

Beaten up, thrown in the can?
Prolly cause of Batman

Too much sun, bad tan?
Nothing to do with Batman

Oregon and Washington Road Trip

A gorge somewhere in Oregon.


The Seattle Amphibious tour. Drive through the streets and then into the bay! Cool!!! Children equipped with quakers for the duration = not cool!!!


Portland beer Festival - good beer, good people.


Mount St Helens - Mr Chris wet himself in excitment. He is still sitting in his pee pee pants.


A tourist trap disguised as a tree!


Crater lake!


We have arrived.

Childrens Art - Levitating Helmet Christy

The Sweet with the Sour

Now that I'm teaching for profit, it is officially my first "real" teaching job and it is in East Palo Alto. Putting out fires is part of the job and let me tell you there are a lot of fires. But the pictures included here are from the breath of fresh air I earned this summer vacation.
The first picture is blackmail. Just kidding - it's my cousins and one cousin-in-law. From left to right there is Keri, Bri-guy, me and Mel. I made sure to visit Chico to see my family there plus my friend, Beth with her new baby, Maia.

There they are! Maia, being the incredibly cute baby that she is, had the most beautiful smile, but when I tried to capture it on film she would get the surprised look pictured here.

We enjoyed our time in Tahoe and had a visit from my school friends, Megan and the love of her life, York and Amy. We also got some more visits from Trebeca with her little girls, Talia and Taylor. We also had dinner at their new HOME in Dayton, Nevada! So cool - go Trebeca and Jesse!

And this is Chris in his sun hat on the deck at the Cabin doing one of his two favorite things in Tahoe: Reading on the deck or going hiking.

At the moment we are a two-income family and proud of it. But it doesn't come without the occasional headache, like how SFSU's computer registration system doesn't think I am a student any more because I got a Master's in May. Yeah, that's great (please note the sarcasm). For those of you who haven't been "in the loop" I have to remain a teacher credentialing student in order to complete my special education credential and earn my Level 2's. Joy to the world, is all I have to say. It's not like my new job is without stress. Well, it definitely is without resources, but I'm sure I'll have more to say about that later. Cheers!

Honest to blog?

After two years of agonizing course work, I now have my two credentials and a masters in Special Education. Weee!!!

So, at first I thought a spa day with Chris would be a nice graduation reward, but after our weekend in Jackson with Joy and Brian, a weekend away sounded so much better. Get me outta the Bay Area!

So Carmel here we come! Luckily we were able to go two whole nights and stayed at the Carmel Valley Lodge - an accommodation I gave kudos to on Yelp.com. Great, quiet and cozy location. Upside was that they bumped us to a room or rooms (the place was bigger then our half of the duplex) with a fireplace. Most other guests brought their multiple pure-bred dogs making the place seem like a sort of dog show. My favorite was the long-haired dachshund named Lulu. The long-haired variety is said to be more friendly, so-said her owner lady. If you are wondering and I'm sure you are, I failed the Constitution Test for a third time. So I asked to meet the Dean of the university that the test was given, hoping to strike a deal since I missed the cut-off by two points. The Thursday I was meant to meet the Dean was also Open House at my student teaching placement, so I came in my teacher's best business clothing. Complete with kitten heels - watch out! When I sat down with the woman, I explained that I could not see how I missed so many when I felt I studied so hard. I also mentioned that I thought there were a few questions whose content was not provided in the study guide that they supplied. Even so, she stood by the results saying that her hands were tied and that the exam was standardized and no strings could be pulled. When she said she could introduce me to the test-prep person, I started crying and had to excuse myself for a few minutes. I did not want to sit yet another exam. When I emerged from the restroom, red-faced, I went back into the Dean's office and told her I was ready to meet this other test-prep individual. By that point, I felt hopeless - so what was a few more minutes of my precious time? Sure, let's go and see how horribly I had studied the test booklet and how inept I am at making flashcards.

After a short walk down the outside corridor we went in to see another middle-aged lady surrounded by piles of books and "Achieve your Dreams" posters. That was when the Dean said introduced me as a very intelligent new teaching candidate who only needed to pass this Constitution test in order to finished. She then looked at me and said, "What does your schedule look like because I thought you could study with So-and-so here then retake the first page of the test so you can make up those two points." I was so happy and of course finally passed. When the Dean corrected the test that morning and announced I had passed, everyone in the office cheered. I couldn't help but give the Dean a hug.

We spent most of the day in Big Sur on Sunday mostly at Chris' desire. Here is Chris in front of the Henry Miller Library which is actually an old house of Henry's friend, Emil. Chris wants you to know in reading this post that Henry Miller did not solely write sexually explicit novels, but pieces about living life simply and about doing what you love. Mr. Miller loved women, art, writing and France. I cracked up at a poster mounted on the door to the bathroom that had a picture of Henry in a lounging position and the words asked, "Freedom, is French?"



Here we are, skin-cancer wary and enjoying our time away from the hustle and bustle. At Pfeiffer Beach there were some beautiful rock formations, to Chris's delight, and tide pools, and a little more tourists that we cared for. But how else would we have gotten our picture taken without other people?The tide pools had a colony of little hermit crabs, crawling happily here and there. They looked so much more active and content in there than any other captive hermit crabs I have met.

That evening we met up with Mom and her boyfriend, Chris (that is not a typo) and had a lovely meal at Il Fornaio. We also made sure to partake of Barnardus wines in their tasting room the first day we arrived, only after going to Jeffrey's for breakfast. We definitely have our favorite eateries in Carmel.

Next on the "To Do" list is to apply for my teaching credentials (the pieces of paper that state you are recognized by the state of California that you are, indeed, a teacher), and apply to different special education positions. Just today I was asked to come in for an interview Friday morning. That interview will be for a Special Day Class for KINDERGARTEN! Love it!

Ok- since we just had a vacation we thought it was time for another. We go to Tahoe this weekend. Wish us luck!

Hills and Valleys

Gardening is a pastime I took on after we had an enclosure behind our duplex and a pretty front porch. I view it as experimental; the seeds I plant can either flourish and thrive or not. If I view it as such, it isn't too disappointing when pretty flowers don't emerge. But, I have to say I find so much pleasure when my flowers bloom and stay healthy.

Like my hydrangea (the green, leafy plant in the front pot pictured above), which I purchased at Trader Joe's in plant form, withered away during the winter. So I pruned the dead growth right above the tiny green buds, that were beginning to emerge. Now it has come back with abundance and I can see the beginnings of the large flowers it will hopefully develop.




This previous fall, I wanted to plant some tulips and the garden center, across the street, sold them by the dozen. So I bought a variety in all different colors and shapes. I know, boorrrring, but as they have bloomed it has been somewhat exciting to see who they will become. The tulip here on the left was gorgeous and I loved its more rose-like petals.


This last weekend I was invited to Joy's baby shower in Jackson and, essentially, asked if Chris and I could come and visit for the whole weekend. I hadn't been out to the Sutters Creek area since Joy and Brian got married around five years ago. It was only two hours away, but it felt as if we were in another state. Rolling green hills and livestock was a welcome contrast to the Bay Area's cramped conditions and pollution.
As you can see below, Joy and Brian's newly built home is in the middle of a large plot of land, or really, a ranch. Another rancher leases the land for his cows, horses, and miniature donkeys. It was truly lovely and I hope we visit often, even if when we go back out there there will be a fussy baby to break up the lowing of the cows and stillness. When we have our own kids, it will be fun to go to Joy and Brian's "Ranch."

As you can see, the boys had fun with Brian's guns, using the ground squirrels as target practice and going turkey hunting (unsuccessfully) Sunday morning. While Joy and I were getting ready, putting together a friend's house for the shower, the boys also panned for gold in the property's natural spring.

In other news, I am in the last weeks of my course. May 16 is my graduation date and I will earn a Special Education Credential, a Multiple Subject Credential and an additional Master's degree. Right now I'm putting out yet another "fire" because I haven't passed the US Constitution test for a second time. This is very disappointing and coming at a time where my time is best spent doing my other studies. I.E.: My master's creative works (like a thesis). It is almost insulting that I have not passed because I know I am smarter than this exam. I passed the RICA the first time around, and that was awfully hard. First of all, this "hoop" is the most frivolous and asinine, in my opinion. I have had four semesters of student teaching and feel very competent in being able to man my own class, but I won't be able to apply for my two credentials without this requirement being fulfilled. So pray that I can pass the next scheduled test. I can't afford to not pass it.

Babies, Babies, Everywhere

I thought I would blog about how some of my closest friends are being blessed by little human beings. Here are my dear friends, Luke and Beth and their little baby girl, Maia! Yay, Maia (pronounced Mya or Maya). She was born March 11th to two very excited parents who will be amazing.

Chris also has a good friend, Josh, who has his own little Maya. Who is going to turn one at the end of the month. This month included, all our invites have been to baby-related events. I love it, but I'm sure it makes Chris nervous.

Another great friend, Lara, just had a little girl (and now her and Scott have a girl and a boy) and you can see their pictures at their family website here. I wanted to post a picture Lara put up on their January 2008 album of her two days before she gave birth to Addison and I thought she looked so big and beautiful with her pregnant belly.

Here's me, Trebeca and Talia, visiting in Tahoe. We get to see Trebeca and her husband, Jesse, when we vacation in Tahoe because they live near there. She is precious to me and I am excited to meet her second baby who is coming this May.

Here are Nikki's precious little girls, Layla and Isabelle, who are some of the cutest little girls in my world. I met Nikki because she was the little sister of my boss, when I was a nanny. I love this picture because you can see Layla talking to her sister - too cute!

So now, along with waiting for Trebeca's baby in May, my other friend, Joy is expecting. This little baby is a little bit of a surprise for her, but God doesn't make mistakes. I hope and pray her baby girl will bless their family.

Look at these two - aren't they too cute? I think they will have a lovely child. I'm invited to her shower in April, so Chris and I are going to try to make it out there. It is always nice to have a little getaway (it's three hours away).

Babies, babies, everywhere... God be with you, my dear friends! Hugs and Kisses. I'll have to try and visit in the summer before I start teaching.

Let's not forget my family's new additions! Here on the left is Thomas, Gabriella and Liam. I made Thomas a red baby blanket when we were eagerly awaiting his arrival. To the above right is my cousin, Mya's family. Their youngest, Morgan, was born around the same time as Thomas, and it said to be even more adventurous than her big brother, Jack. We are surrounded by the babies! Love you all!

It is coming together...at least today.

As my previous blog entries have demonstrated, being a graduate student and earning your teaching credentials is, at times, very stressful. So it is nice when you have a day where the hard work feels like it is paying off.
Today I had, what people in the teaching field call, a Solo Day. This is where the student teacher (that would be me.) plans for the entire day, even the minute details. Like how many copies to make for a certain activity or, exactly who I would like to call on for an answer, finds its way onto my plans. I planed for three whole school days and it seemed to take forever Friday and Saturday - making me stamp my feet and pull my hair a little bit. But all that planning, once it was done and printed out with all the other prep-work done, allowed me to sleep soundly on Sunday and have a smooth day today. Thank you God.
I know Mondays are usually brutal and not-so-fun, especially after “Springing forward” this last weekend, but I am on point the first day of the week. It is Wednesdays and Thursdays I find my energy waning and my caffeine addiction intruding into my thoughts. “Maybe I can get to a Starbucks during lunch recess…”
But today I was on top of it: I had my plans and I was teaching and things felt like they were coming together.
So maybe all those tears cried over homework were worth it? I am not so sure about crying over homework, but I do feel like Student Teaching has been a valuable time of learning for me. Thank to my five-week computer class, that all credentialing students have to take at State, I have taken the Multiple Intelligences online assessment. It showed that I mainly learn by “doing” or kinesthetically. Possibly I’m a boy, like I always thought I was, or the world has come to grasp that girls, too, like to learn via hands-on activities. For example, in my samba class the instructor was yelling at me to turn right and since that didn’t compute, I shouted back to him, “Show me!”
I am a very competent copier. Watching then being able to practice is the best way to learn for me. And I thought I learned best through silliness. My intelligence is being ridiculous. Well, at least that is how I like to see it.
Chris also surprised me with bedside tables today! Today was a really good day. It is incredible how grown up you feel when you get bedside tables. And they are matching. Before these two wonderfully crafted tables we had been using two wooden folding chairs, who did their jobs great, except they were slightly tilted. I could not have a glass of water next to my side of the bed and that was not cool in the flu season. The story behind those previous bedside tables, I mean, chairs, was that were some of our first furniture -- ever. In our first rental, a little 1907 detached cottage in Chico, with a slanted kitchen floor and no insulation, we lived out of our suitcases for a while. Some friends of Aunt Lo and Uncle Greg let us borrow a blow-up bed, meant to make camping experiences pleasant, for what had to be 6 months. We eventually popped it, not due to any newlywed activities, but because Chris was trying to make it as firm as possible. So it blew a seam, giving it a hump in the middle.
You cannot imagine all the goo-ing and gaa-ing sounds that have come from my mouth since we brought these bedside tables in. We are getting there and making our duplex a “home.” Those bedside tables were definitely a figurative “piece” of my home “puzzle.” Like you never knew what you wanted until it is sitting there next to your side of the bed and you are arranging your bedside books, oh, and finally have somewhere to put your alarm clock. Things are coming together, for sure.

And before I forget, here I am with Beth at her baby shower (she should be in labor or holding a cute little baby by now). I made her this blanket. Super fun because she taught me how to knit in the first place. So, sorry to all my other pregnant friends. I would love to knit everyone's new bundle of joy a blankie ala Christy, but they take 4-6 months.

My Dad (Blow Me Down)

Chris and I were watching Gone, Baby, Gone and for some reason the last scene reminded of all those tender times I sat next to my dad on the couch in the comfort of my childhood living room. The story line to the movie has nothing to do with my dad or family in anyway, but lately I have been trying to accentuate the positive and remember all those warm, fuzzy moments. Especially, since my parents divorced not so well, and the bile seems to come up every so often and I have seen each of my grandparents buried (not to mention seeing them in some form of death, when I’ve never seen any dead person before) in the past three months or so. Those moments that bring joy and thankful thoughts and fill me up with happiness carry me through some dark times. Not that I don’t lose it and cry at random times and scrawl “You are okay” in my day-minder because things get very clinical, but I try to maintain with these aforementioned happy little thoughts.
Dad was a big bear of a man, in a small child’s perspective and he still is, but has turned into Santa instead. If you are a fan of the live-action Popeye movie in the 80s, featuring Robin Williams, then you will know what my dad looks like because he looks a lot like Popeye. No, just kidding. He looks just like Bluto, the villain. You know, “I’m mean, he’s mean, he’s mean, he’s mean. You know what I mean,” as the song went in the movie and he stomped forward with a menacing look, bent on smashing Popeye’s or whoever’s face in. That’s my dad! He was your polo and Dockers wearing dad that could silence you with a stern look. But what I have been remembering lately are the memories I have from early childhood. They happy years of Laddie our incredibly short-legged Scottish-terrier, Father-Daughter square dances and before the stressful house add-on.

I know he doesn’t have the affinity with younger children like I do, or maybe he pretends he doesn’t, but I know he tried or at least did a great job with Mike, my bother, and I.
Sitting on the couch does not sound like a great memory, but sitting smushed up beside my dad was special to me. I remember I was not very old and I fit right in next to his big belly under his heavy arm. And as we both spaced out, watching the television, I would listen to his breathing and his heartbeat. Soon enough my breaths would match his and we would breath in and out together. My dad’s side was one of the safest places to me as a little girl.
Going swimming with Dad at the Cabana Club was a rare treat. Looking back at it (don’t hate me Dad!) it was like bringing Bigfoot to the pool. I’m sure the joy of having a parent actually going swimming with you, versus just enjoying Adult Swim while you kick your feet on the wall, can resonate with some of you. It was pure joy when Dad got in. Dad would slowly walk into the pool and center himself in the middle of the 5-foot deep end. It was like having our own personal, hair-covered island! We used him like a jungle gym and it gets better, he was very strong. So with not too much begging and badgering, he would “launch” us into the air and we would fly for a few seconds before slashing down into the pool water. I’m sure the lifeguards loved us.
While life can get particularly complicated with growing up, new family members, death, and masters degrees, but those old memories only get sweeter in hindsight. Thanks Dad!

Winter Limbo

We were very lucky and spent 10 glorious days in Tahoe for Christmas and New Years. It was fabulous and I loved being in the mountains, cozy in the Rice family cabin. One thing it could use is a treadmill, but who is going to pay for that? I think we got in one good walk to the Hyatt, down the street, but after that the walking path was super icy. I didn't feel like getting injured or having a bruised bottom (I always have good luck and fall on my gluts, but after a while it gets sore.). Chris had fun, taking Smally out for walks in the snow (she is more privileged then a lot of people!), skiing, and shoveling snow. Chris and I watched 95% of the Lost series and I got a lot of knitting done.

Sorry to say, I came down with a Sinus Infection and, no thanks to Bluecross, we found a doctor that wasn't hours away. Medication is very good when you cannot sleep.

Christmas: Imagine sitting on a couch with your family surrounded by gifts while a toasty fire crackles in the fireplace. We practiced all our family traditions, such as yelling up the chimney to Santa Christmas Eve, and reading the story of Christ's birth from the Book of Luke. It was unbelievably relaxing. After all the death and drama that followed that it was nice to have Tahoe and Christmas to look forward to.

I invented a new tradition with a gift from Chris. Amy Grant's old Christmas album with "Eeeemmmannuuelll, Emmanuel!" Well, I think the track that sounds remarkably like the Manhattan Steam Rollers is great, so improvized an entire dance to it. There is no greater joy, but to dance while everyone just laughs at you, not to mention that your sweats are pulled up to your breasts.

So, as you can imagine, coming back to the Bay Area and reality can be gruesome and ugly. We get grumpy and don't like life. At least Chris does not because he works regularly. I scrounge for work these days. At my aerobics class I announced to whoever was left (like five sweaty middle-aged ladies) that I babysit, house-sit, pet-sit, what ever you need legally. For some reason one of the ladies translated that as I was a life coach and asked me to help her to focus her life. And another talked to me about organizing her garage. Luckily, no one has followed up on those needs.

Now, I have about two weeks before grad-school invades my existence again, so I feel like I should be doing something, if it's not contributing to society. So I'm reading Opting Out by Pamela Stone - very well written and researched. I also need to read the file full of articles I have on my hard drive about Mother's Rights! Yay! This next semester will be my last. Oh wait - Special Ed teachers are kept on a short lease and we have to go back for our "Level Twos." I think it is a conspiracy to keep us in school and paying tuition - mfs! It's really hard to see a motivating light at the end of this school tunnel because of all the red tape that keeps tripping me up.

After "graduation," I hope to return to Tahoe with my cohorts to party hardy! TGTT = Thank God There's Tahoe! Save the Rice Cabin!