Shoutout to Great Friends

July 2009 - my Month of Awesomeness - began fabulously with a visit from two of my favorite people. I'm sure you all don't want all the details of the week they were here, but let's just say that I didn't actually think it was possible to fit in everything that we did in such a short amount of time. (recap: lots and lots of touristy DC stuff, a whirlwind 2-day trip to NYC, a small-town parade in Harper's Ferry contrasted by DC's 4th of July Fireworks, the DC Temple and a beach trip). But what I really loved was being with the girls again. We were roommates on and off all through college, and Amanda and I have been friends and travel buddies since high school. I've come to realize lately how blessed I have been in my life to have people that inspire me to be better - both of these girls do that constantly. Motivating me to do the best at whatever I'm pursuing. Setting an example of constantly building a personal relationship with our Savior. Reminding me to always continue learning. And of course still being the friends that can get me rolling on the floor laughing. I have some incredible friends these days, but there's nothing like spending time with old friends.

Me, Amy & Amanda.

A & A. Amanda found this beach volleyball tournament at Coney Island. So fun!

Me and Amanda at Times Square

A and A. We found this awesome little parade in Shepherdstown, WV.

Chris, Me, Russ, Amy, Amanda. I think we forgot to tell Chris that we were going to a church service.

Russ, Amy, Amanda and Chris at the White House.

Amy, Amanda and Me. You can sort of see the Washington Monument in the back.

Amy and me the day she left :(

Let Freedom Ring

Text from my co-worker yesterday morning:

"U hear that... no students!"

This is why I love being a teacher.



I'll stop gloating after today, I promise.

Arlington Rap

Sorry to all of you Arlington-ites who have already seen this, but it's pretty hilarious. To the rest of you who are all under the illusion that I live in the ghetto, this is much closer to my reality. :)

No more pencils, no more books... (almost)

Dear Students,

Please do not come to me AFTER you failed 3 advisories and got a D on your final to ask me if you can do any extra credit. The answer will always be no.

If I can't tell the difference between "d" and an "a", I will mark the question wrong.

Yes, Life Is Beautiful is in a different language (about 25 minutes into the movie).

No, you may not leave the classroom with your whole bookbag in the middle of a test. Nor may you come back and finish it tomorrow.

"King of England" is not a sufficient description for Henry VIII, so don't try to argue for extra points.

Yes, I love you all, but I will probably not miss you one bit over the summer. And let's be honest, you won't miss me either.


Signed,

A still-Grumpy-but-slightly-Amused teacher.

Am I being unreasonable?

Dear administration,

Next time you create a final exam schedule, please don't hold an assembly at the same time as one of the tests.

Signed,
Grumpy Teacher

Summer Vacay

In approximately 288 hours, I will be released from my voluntary captivity and free to enjoy my summer! In case you're wondering, I really do like my job... but when you're this close, you can just taste summer... It turns out that teachers are just as excited for summer break as the students. I didn't realize that growing up - I thought they just LOVED spending all day every day with us. Turns out I was mistaken. Somehow I don't think I'm going to miss the daily arguments: "You stole that pen from my desk!" and "Ms. Chamberlain, Rakim is still singing under his breath". And if I ever start to get nostalgic for the impromptu dance parties that break out in the halls periodically, I'll just remind myself that I'll be back here soon.

But in the meantime... I've got a pretty rockin' summer planned.

First, these two lovely ladies are coming to visit me:

Well, ok, there would be a picture if I could find one. A &A - why don't I have any pictures of the three of us?

We'll be touring DC for a week (just ask them about The List... let's just say I'm a compulsive trip planner) and maybe even making a jaunt up here:

Then at the end of July, Emily and I will be heading here:

and here:

and here:

And on August 13, my favorite sister gets home from her mission to Brazil!

Add in a few camping/backpacking trips, a weekend at Virginia Beach, trips to Kings Dominion or Six Flags, a road trip or two and plenty of extra sleep, it's going to be pretty fabulous.

June 16th can't come soon enough!


P.S. If anyone wants to join me on any of my adventures / come visit me in DC / more suggestions, let me know!

Why I Love Savannah, a Photo Essay

Forsyth Park.

Who's the biggest celebrity to come out of Savannah? That's right, Paula Deen. And don't worry, Marci and I waited in line for an hour to get reservations at her restaurant. I can feel my arteries clogging just thinking about it.

So happy to have a roommate who loves cemeteries as much as I do. The Bonaventure Cemetery was filled with these beautifully pathetic figurines.

Ooh look! A pretty house! This city is GORGEOUS.

Nathan, Becky and Emily at the beach at Tybee Island.

The Mercer-Williams house. A beautiful old Civil War-era home. But more importantly, a major setting for the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say I was sorely tempted to rip up the rug in the study to look for bullet holes.

A voodoo mask? I have no idea really what this is, but that was my dad's first reaction when he saw the pics, so we're going to go with that.

Savannah charm.

Wandering through the squares of Savannah we ran into this wedding, so of course I needed a picture. I'm pretty sure that the groom was at least 20 years older than the bride. And I'm really sorry you can't see the dresses. It was a little white trash.

Yes, we're happy to be in the South. And we look beautiful.