I don't have much of a list this year yet, but here's what I have:
* More of our "everyday" china: Woodhill (pattern) by Citation. We have 4 each of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and teacups (the original set he got from his grandmother), and then we have two "onion soup bowls". Anything else to finish off the set would be greatly appreciated, especially serveware! - can be found on ebay. (My current top priority is a butter dish) :)
* Button-down blouses - probably size M
* Cardigan sweaters, solid colors. I have 2 red and one white.
* Long cardigan sweater with pockets - anyone remember that pink one I used to have? I'm still looking for a replacement.
* Plastic spatulas that are a good shape for scrambling eggs.
* Metal spatulas: standard rectangular shape. (I have no meatloaf server! ACk!)
* Pizza wheel
* Victorian era clothing stuffs - blouses, gloves, proper hats, striped stockings, etc.
* Steampunky things!
* Swans
* Candle-snuffer
* Books by Mercedes Lackey:
-Aerie (last of the Joust series; I'm pretty sure I don't have this one.
-Children of the Night (from the Diana Tregarde books)
-The Sleeping Beauty (500 Kingdoms series)
-Beauty and the Werewolf (500 Kingdoms series)
-Intrigues (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles)
-Changes (Valdemar Collegium Chronicles)
-Sacred Ground (1994 standalone book)
-Tiger Burning Bright (with Marion Zimmer Bradley and Andre Norton)
-Gwenhwyfar: The White Spirit
That's all I can think of right now...
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
2011 Christmas Ideas - Adam
Wow, I clearly have abandoned this blog. Still, its a nice place to store wish lists, which seems to be all I use it for. Here are some ideas for Adam this year:
* Work Jeans size 40x30 (or 38x30 - he has some of each right now, and is still working on losing weight.)
* Dress slacks, same size(s) as above.
* Heavy-duty bib overalls, 40x30. (These are hard to find... the last few he got fell apart ridiculously fast. Dickies brand or Roebucks (not Sears) are two known good ones)
* Dress shirts, neck size 17.5 (or X-Large, for shirts that don't have numbers) - any colors are good. He likes blue, but I think he needs to diversify. ;)
* Vintage Railroading books - anything directly relating to the design and/or function of a steam engine is probably good.
* Gift cards to Home Depot and local hardware stores are often useful
* Geek stuff of the Engineer-variety.
* A webcam to clip onto his laptop
* Microphone-headset for laptop use (think video chat, not ubergamer)
* "See, I Told You So." by Rush Limbaugh, as an audio-book. (needs to be playable on an iPod)
* Fry Daddy deep fryer (available at sears, probably some other places too.) [I want the one with the scoop, but he'd probably want a bigger one] :)
And in case anyone wins the lottery and wants to share:
* Digital projector for computer (so we can watch laptop movies on the wall!)
* Wi-fi internet radio
* Work Jeans size 40x30 (or 38x30 - he has some of each right now, and is still working on losing weight.)
* Dress slacks, same size(s) as above.
* Heavy-duty bib overalls, 40x30. (These are hard to find... the last few he got fell apart ridiculously fast. Dickies brand or Roebucks (not Sears) are two known good ones)
* Dress shirts, neck size 17.5 (or X-Large, for shirts that don't have numbers) - any colors are good. He likes blue, but I think he needs to diversify. ;)
* Vintage Railroading books - anything directly relating to the design and/or function of a steam engine is probably good.
* Gift cards to Home Depot and local hardware stores are often useful
* Geek stuff of the Engineer-variety.
* A webcam to clip onto his laptop
* Microphone-headset for laptop use (think video chat, not ubergamer)
* "See, I Told You So." by Rush Limbaugh, as an audio-book. (needs to be playable on an iPod)
* Fry Daddy deep fryer (available at sears, probably some other places too.) [I want the one with the scoop, but he'd probably want a bigger one] :)
And in case anyone wins the lottery and wants to share:
* Digital projector for computer (so we can watch laptop movies on the wall!)
* Wi-fi internet radio
Monday, November 23, 2009
Christmas Wish List - as requested
** Edited 12-3-09 **
To start off, (and make things easy), items left on any of the 3 wedding registries are great ideas for Christmas presents for both Adam and myself... (although items from Macy's should maybe not be sent to Adam, as they're mostly decorative stuffs). Target has cooking items (good gifts for Kari), games (good for either of us), and some household things (good for Adam). BBB has the usual kitchen stuffs, some cooking gadgets, and a few vaguely decorative things.
Since we just moved into an unfurnished, uncarpeted condo, other household items are also useful:
* Medium/Long narrow rugs that could be used in hallways or in the tiny strip between bed and dressers/walls. (Color coordination or at least non-clashing would be awesome, but not required) ;)
* Floor lamps that don't look like something out of a college dorm room. (The living room area has no overhead light.) (Floor lamps have been provided by Beth, our former landlady) :)
* a "cat condo" or similar type structure for Mika to be able to sit on or in next to a window without knocking things off tables.
* Wall mounting mirrors (especially a full-length mirror), since the new place doesn't have any.
* More of our "everyday" china: Woodhill (pattern) by Citation. We have 4 each of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and teacups (the original set he got from his grandmother), and then we have two "onion soup bowls". Anything else to finish off the set would be greatly appreciated, especially serveware!
* Hygrometer (to measure INDOOR humidity, specifically)
* Tap lights (or similar style button-lights) to go in the closets
*
Kari's list:
* Gaming dice: (d20, d10, d6, d4, any other commonly used role playing dice) Matched sets are nifty, but the only one I seem to need lots of at the moment are d10s.
* Any/all books in the Northwoods series (Kate & Anders, etc.)
* Mercedes Lackey books (any new ones)
* Downhill Skis (this is a good one for Adam too)
* Ski Goggles / mask (ditto for Adam)
* Well insulated (non-"driving") winter gloves
* Cat-who books
* Shinys from Lia Sophia
* Accounting software (for me OR Adam - either tracking household finances or for his attempted small business)
* Steampunk stuffs
Items on Adam's list:
* DLP projector
* DVR with DVD burner
* Monitor for Adam to hook his laptop to (same size as mine or larger)
* Downhill Skis
* Ski Goggles / mask
* Denim work shirts: size L, preferably with snaps instead of buttons
* Insulated denim coat for working outside
* Power tools (he's a fan of DeWalt and Milwaukee)
* 1TB+ external USB hard drive(s)
* Accounting software (non-Microsoft)
To start off, (and make things easy), items left on any of the 3 wedding registries are great ideas for Christmas presents for both Adam and myself... (although items from Macy's should maybe not be sent to Adam, as they're mostly decorative stuffs). Target has cooking items (good gifts for Kari), games (good for either of us), and some household things (good for Adam). BBB has the usual kitchen stuffs, some cooking gadgets, and a few vaguely decorative things.
Since we just moved into an unfurnished, uncarpeted condo, other household items are also useful:
* Medium/Long narrow rugs that could be used in hallways or in the tiny strip between bed and dressers/walls. (Color coordination or at least non-clashing would be awesome, but not required) ;)
* Floor lamps that don't look like something out of a college dorm room. (The living room area has no overhead light.) (Floor lamps have been provided by Beth, our former landlady) :)
* a "cat condo" or similar type structure for Mika to be able to sit on or in next to a window without knocking things off tables.
* Wall mounting mirrors (especially a full-length mirror), since the new place doesn't have any.
* More of our "everyday" china: Woodhill (pattern) by Citation. We have 4 each of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, and teacups (the original set he got from his grandmother), and then we have two "onion soup bowls". Anything else to finish off the set would be greatly appreciated, especially serveware!
* Hygrometer (to measure INDOOR humidity, specifically)
* Tap lights (or similar style button-lights) to go in the closets
*
Kari's list:
* Gaming dice: (d20, d10, d6, d4, any other commonly used role playing dice) Matched sets are nifty, but the only one I seem to need lots of at the moment are d10s.
* Any/all books in the Northwoods series (Kate & Anders, etc.)
* Mercedes Lackey books (any new ones)
* Downhill Skis (this is a good one for Adam too)
* Ski Goggles / mask (ditto for Adam)
* Well insulated (non-"driving") winter gloves
* Cat-who books
* Shinys from Lia Sophia
* Accounting software (for me OR Adam - either tracking household finances or for his attempted small business)
* Steampunk stuffs
Items on Adam's list:
* DLP projector
* DVR with DVD burner
* Monitor for Adam to hook his laptop to (same size as mine or larger)
* Downhill Skis
* Ski Goggles / mask
* Denim work shirts: size L, preferably with snaps instead of buttons
* Insulated denim coat for working outside
* Power tools (he's a fan of DeWalt and Milwaukee)
* 1TB+ external USB hard drive(s)
* Accounting software (non-Microsoft)
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Get your signals straight!
Students at my school need to get their signals straight.
If it's cool to be stupid, then when someone calls you stupid, or childish, you should be eating it up! "Yeah, you know it!" "that's me!" "you've got that straight!"
And if it's not cool to be stupid, or childish, or dumb, or any of those other unflattering terms for intellectual incompetence, then STOP ACTING LIKE IT!
If it's cool to be stupid, then when someone calls you stupid, or childish, you should be eating it up! "Yeah, you know it!" "that's me!" "you've got that straight!"
And if it's not cool to be stupid, or childish, or dumb, or any of those other unflattering terms for intellectual incompetence, then STOP ACTING LIKE IT!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Happy Easter
In honor of the recently passed holiday, I'm attempting to ressurect this blog. Again. LOTS has happened since Christmas... lets see.
The last "news" post discussed my interview in Ferndale and my frustrations with finding bits and pieces of my portfolio. Since then:
I was offered the job, and accepted it. I moved in with DarkAngle and Ninja, who were kind enough to put up with me bringing my cat along. I came in just in time for 3rd quarter Count Period, which is one of the most evil times of the year. For funding reasons, the district superintendent requires that our program keep enrolling right up through Count Day, even when our classrooms are filled to overflowing and our class lists have twice as many students as could ever fit in the room. His theory is that each room holds 30, and "never" do more than half of them show up on a given day, so every class should have 60 people on the list! This because the district gets money for each enrolled student. Not only do we have to enroll them, but we then have to make phone calls and pester them if they had the poor taste not to show up on Count Day - we have 30 days to get them to sit in all their classes and "make good".
Note that I said the district gets money for each enrolled student... they stuff our program dangerously full (come on - 30+ kids in a classroom in a high-risk Alternative School setting?), but we don't see any - or at least precious little - of that funding. But somehow the regular high school has a GREAT band program...
3rd quarter, aside from the craziness of Count, I got myself rather swamped with grading. It was not entirely unmanageable, especially with the help of Superman (and sometimes his family), and it certainly wasn't as bad as last year's grading ocean was, but it was still far more than healthy.
Count period is over, and we've begun 4th quarter. I have a new way of grading things that gets the majority of the workload off me - the students get "points" (daily percents, really) for participating - doing the work, participating in class, reading aloud, etc. Very little of this ever has to get turned in - we correct it in class, and they get credit for doing it, not for the answers. This may sound like iffy teaching techniques, but here's how it works - EVERYTHING in daily work points to a test. Whether it's actually information, or practicing skills, it is all something they will need to know/be able to do for the unit tests or exams. 50% of their grade for the quarter is in these tests. 25% is their daily participation, and 25% is the midterm and final exams. This means that for the most part, all i have to take home and grade are the tests - and many of those I'm able to do at school! That lightens my workload incredibly, and I've actually had time to do some relaxing, read some books, and even go out and do fun things. Huzzah!
I love my classes, and most of my students... and the ones I dont' particularly like are rarely in school anyway for various and sundry reasons. I'm having a lot of fun with my lit classes this quarter: Contemporary American Lit (Coming of Age stories), Women in Lit (currently studying the poetry of Dickensen and Plath), Lit of the 60's (come on, that's just a fun concept!), and American Lit B (meta-fiction; currently Monster by Walter Dean Meyers - if you haven't read it, go do so. Now.) My 4th hour class (Am Lit B) is REALLY into the novel; it's written in the format of a screenplay. I read the "stage directions" (Camera directions, really) and the students are actually fighting over who gets to read what parts out loud! I actually had to tell some of the boys today "You can't have more than FOUR parts!"
And now for the bad news.
Yesterday I got beige-slipped. They call it "preemptive layoffs" or something like that... the State Education budget hasn't been published yet, so the school's claim is that they don't know if they'll be able to afford to have us as teachers next year (4 other new teachers at my site got the same lovely beige letter). In reality, they do this every year, they ALWAYS hire the people back unless for some reason they got a negative performance review or something, and the timing of this is particularly suspicious: the union's supposed to vote on whether to accept the tentative contract agreement, sometime next week. So the school board issues the layoffs, so we'll vote to accept the contract, and then they'll recall everyone. It's dirty politics (is there any other kind?) and I HATE being caught in the middle of it.
Oh well, fair enough - if Superman gets his dream job on the West side of the state, I won't feel bad about sending out resumes over there - and look for a school system that doesn't pull this kind of political BS with people's livelihoods.
Ok, I will feel bad about leaving. But that's because I love teaching here, I love the students, and I love my coworkers. It's quite possible that this school qualifies as my dream job.
But, we'll see. It's all in God's hands anyway.
The last "news" post discussed my interview in Ferndale and my frustrations with finding bits and pieces of my portfolio. Since then:
I was offered the job, and accepted it. I moved in with DarkAngle and Ninja, who were kind enough to put up with me bringing my cat along. I came in just in time for 3rd quarter Count Period, which is one of the most evil times of the year. For funding reasons, the district superintendent requires that our program keep enrolling right up through Count Day, even when our classrooms are filled to overflowing and our class lists have twice as many students as could ever fit in the room. His theory is that each room holds 30, and "never" do more than half of them show up on a given day, so every class should have 60 people on the list! This because the district gets money for each enrolled student. Not only do we have to enroll them, but we then have to make phone calls and pester them if they had the poor taste not to show up on Count Day - we have 30 days to get them to sit in all their classes and "make good".
Note that I said the district gets money for each enrolled student... they stuff our program dangerously full (come on - 30+ kids in a classroom in a high-risk Alternative School setting?), but we don't see any - or at least precious little - of that funding. But somehow the regular high school has a GREAT band program...
3rd quarter, aside from the craziness of Count, I got myself rather swamped with grading. It was not entirely unmanageable, especially with the help of Superman (and sometimes his family), and it certainly wasn't as bad as last year's grading ocean was, but it was still far more than healthy.
Count period is over, and we've begun 4th quarter. I have a new way of grading things that gets the majority of the workload off me - the students get "points" (daily percents, really) for participating - doing the work, participating in class, reading aloud, etc. Very little of this ever has to get turned in - we correct it in class, and they get credit for doing it, not for the answers. This may sound like iffy teaching techniques, but here's how it works - EVERYTHING in daily work points to a test. Whether it's actually information, or practicing skills, it is all something they will need to know/be able to do for the unit tests or exams. 50% of their grade for the quarter is in these tests. 25% is their daily participation, and 25% is the midterm and final exams. This means that for the most part, all i have to take home and grade are the tests - and many of those I'm able to do at school! That lightens my workload incredibly, and I've actually had time to do some relaxing, read some books, and even go out and do fun things. Huzzah!
I love my classes, and most of my students... and the ones I dont' particularly like are rarely in school anyway for various and sundry reasons. I'm having a lot of fun with my lit classes this quarter: Contemporary American Lit (Coming of Age stories), Women in Lit (currently studying the poetry of Dickensen and Plath), Lit of the 60's (come on, that's just a fun concept!), and American Lit B (meta-fiction; currently Monster by Walter Dean Meyers - if you haven't read it, go do so. Now.) My 4th hour class (Am Lit B) is REALLY into the novel; it's written in the format of a screenplay. I read the "stage directions" (Camera directions, really) and the students are actually fighting over who gets to read what parts out loud! I actually had to tell some of the boys today "You can't have more than FOUR parts!"
And now for the bad news.
Yesterday I got beige-slipped. They call it "preemptive layoffs" or something like that... the State Education budget hasn't been published yet, so the school's claim is that they don't know if they'll be able to afford to have us as teachers next year (4 other new teachers at my site got the same lovely beige letter). In reality, they do this every year, they ALWAYS hire the people back unless for some reason they got a negative performance review or something, and the timing of this is particularly suspicious: the union's supposed to vote on whether to accept the tentative contract agreement, sometime next week. So the school board issues the layoffs, so we'll vote to accept the contract, and then they'll recall everyone. It's dirty politics (is there any other kind?) and I HATE being caught in the middle of it.
Oh well, fair enough - if Superman gets his dream job on the West side of the state, I won't feel bad about sending out resumes over there - and look for a school system that doesn't pull this kind of political BS with people's livelihoods.
Ok, I will feel bad about leaving. But that's because I love teaching here, I love the students, and I love my coworkers. It's quite possible that this school qualifies as my dream job.
But, we'll see. It's all in God's hands anyway.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Christmas list
Prep: Author, Curtis Sittenfeld
Soldier's heart: Author, Elizabeth Short
A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity: Author, Kathleen Gilles Seidel
Lady Silence: Author, Blair Bancroft - (yes, I know this one is a romance; I want it primarily for the title, and the synopsis doesn't look terrible.)
From Baghdad, with Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava: Author, Jay Kopelman
I suppose I can add other things to this list too, as Christmas approaches - like any and all Blackthorn music - but I wanted to write these down before I forgot them.
Sequels to "Peter and the StarCatchers" (sorry, don't recall the titles...)
Foundation: Author, Mercedes Lackey
The Phoenix Unchained and The Phoenix Endangered Author: Mercedes Lackey
Also by Mercedes Lackey: This Scepter'd Isle and By Slanderous Tongues (in that order, a new series I haven't read),
and Spirits White as Lightning, Mad Maudlin, and Music to my Sorrow (in that order, they're part of a series I haven't caught up on in a while.
Cardigan sweaters -preferably not the baggy kind. I wear size Medium tops, generally.
Check out thinkgeek.com and find my wishlist, for other ideas.
OOO - someone sent me this fun link: http://bags.cafepress.com/item/book-wyrm-tote-bag/62444883
Another book: "Song in the Silence" by Elizabeth Kerner (first of a trilogy)
Soldier's heart: Author, Elizabeth Short
A Most Uncommon Degree of Popularity: Author, Kathleen Gilles Seidel
Lady Silence: Author, Blair Bancroft - (yes, I know this one is a romance; I want it primarily for the title, and the synopsis doesn't look terrible.)
From Baghdad, with Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava: Author, Jay Kopelman
I suppose I can add other things to this list too, as Christmas approaches - like any and all Blackthorn music - but I wanted to write these down before I forgot them.
Sequels to "Peter and the StarCatchers" (sorry, don't recall the titles...)
Foundation: Author, Mercedes Lackey
The Phoenix Unchained and The Phoenix Endangered Author: Mercedes Lackey
Also by Mercedes Lackey: This Scepter'd Isle and By Slanderous Tongues (in that order, a new series I haven't read),
and Spirits White as Lightning, Mad Maudlin, and Music to my Sorrow (in that order, they're part of a series I haven't caught up on in a while.
Cardigan sweaters -preferably not the baggy kind. I wear size Medium tops, generally.
Check out thinkgeek.com and find my wishlist, for other ideas.
OOO - someone sent me this fun link: http://bags.cafepress.com/item/book-wyrm-tote-bag/62444883
Another book: "Song in the Silence" by Elizabeth Kerner (first of a trilogy)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Frustrations
As many of you know, I recently had a job interview. (No, I haven't heard anything back from them yet.) In preparation for that job interview, I went on a hunt for my portfolio, only to find it missing: lost in the move.
For the most part, this wasn't horrific, because I could print off the portfolio again, with some minor updating I should have done anyway to include last year's teaching. However, the one thing I couldn't replace was the "letters of recommendation" section, since those who wrote them for me gave me hard copies only, and I had no digital copies to reprint.
Knowing it was very short notice, I nevertheless sent out an email to the people who had written those letters, asking if they could find them and resend. Only one person responded, and that only to say that she had no record of the letter, since they cleaned out their network drives at the end of the school year. I also asked my principal last year if she would write me a letter of recommendation/reference that I could include in my portfolio. She said "yeah, i can write you a letter talking about what you did here.." and said she'd email it to me. I know that I told her when the interview was, but Tuesday came and still no letter from her. I was a little disappointed, but I knew it was short notice, so oh well.
I just got the email from her. It is a listing of my duties more sparse than on my resume! It ignored the teaching jobs I'm not certified for, which will suggest to prospective employers that I'm padding my resume. There is no mention of my character as a worker, my ability as a teacher, anything. Not even a backhanded comment about me working hard to improve. "She taught this. She came here on this date, she got engaged, she resigned to be closer to family."
I admit that I was not the best teacher when I started working there- inexperienced, culture shocked, and homesick do not make a great environment for creating a good impression. Eventually, after months of struggle, I was finally presented with a list of "these are things you need to improve on," and a deadline by which I would be evaluated. When that evaluation came around, all involved expressed being impressed by the drastic improvements I'd made in every area required. However, those improvements had not boosted parental confidence the way they thought they would, and that was a factor in my choosing to resign.
This "letter of reference" - actually a letter of employment verification - in omitting saying ANYTHING positive about me at all, implies that I was an entirely unsatisfactory teacher 100% of the time. And that... hurts.
So... both of the people I was able to talk to about letters of recommendation declined. I guess I always suspected that they truly disliked me, and were just trying to be nice... now that I'm not there anymore, I guess they stopped trying. And, unfortunately, these are also both people that I must have on my resume as references, as they are my only "prior employers" in education.
I guess I'm a more horrible teacher than I thought...
For the most part, this wasn't horrific, because I could print off the portfolio again, with some minor updating I should have done anyway to include last year's teaching. However, the one thing I couldn't replace was the "letters of recommendation" section, since those who wrote them for me gave me hard copies only, and I had no digital copies to reprint.
Knowing it was very short notice, I nevertheless sent out an email to the people who had written those letters, asking if they could find them and resend. Only one person responded, and that only to say that she had no record of the letter, since they cleaned out their network drives at the end of the school year. I also asked my principal last year if she would write me a letter of recommendation/reference that I could include in my portfolio. She said "yeah, i can write you a letter talking about what you did here.." and said she'd email it to me. I know that I told her when the interview was, but Tuesday came and still no letter from her. I was a little disappointed, but I knew it was short notice, so oh well.
I just got the email from her. It is a listing of my duties more sparse than on my resume! It ignored the teaching jobs I'm not certified for, which will suggest to prospective employers that I'm padding my resume. There is no mention of my character as a worker, my ability as a teacher, anything. Not even a backhanded comment about me working hard to improve. "She taught this. She came here on this date, she got engaged, she resigned to be closer to family."
I admit that I was not the best teacher when I started working there- inexperienced, culture shocked, and homesick do not make a great environment for creating a good impression. Eventually, after months of struggle, I was finally presented with a list of "these are things you need to improve on," and a deadline by which I would be evaluated. When that evaluation came around, all involved expressed being impressed by the drastic improvements I'd made in every area required. However, those improvements had not boosted parental confidence the way they thought they would, and that was a factor in my choosing to resign.
This "letter of reference" - actually a letter of employment verification - in omitting saying ANYTHING positive about me at all, implies that I was an entirely unsatisfactory teacher 100% of the time. And that... hurts.
So... both of the people I was able to talk to about letters of recommendation declined. I guess I always suspected that they truly disliked me, and were just trying to be nice... now that I'm not there anymore, I guess they stopped trying. And, unfortunately, these are also both people that I must have on my resume as references, as they are my only "prior employers" in education.
I guess I'm a more horrible teacher than I thought...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)