There's been a lot going on in the last few days: I will try and address as much as I can.
My week at school has been exhausting! Granted, I had returned Saturday from a holiday that left me feeling a bit under the weather and completely knackered. However, the kids did not make things any easier. Monday, my last lesson was a 'free,' so I put my head down in the Science Resource Area and napped for 10 or 15 minutes. Sad, I know, pathetic really, but I felt much better when I woke up! Luckily, the cold has all but disappeared and I think I have finally caught up on my sleep.
The house has been sold. I came home from Europe to a 'For Sale' sign in the drive. This was nothing new to me, they have been talking about selling the house for a while now. Of course, I wasn't expecting it to be quite so soon... One week on the market and their asking price!?! Not bad!! Looks like I need to plan on moving by the beginning of June.
R posted a link to a site on her page that has a bunch of quizzes. On the 'What Kind of American English Do You Speak?' Quiz my results were: 65% General American English, 20% Dixie, 10% Yankee and 5% Midwestern. I felt good knowing that Dixie does not dominate my vocabulary. Then I decided to take the 'How Normal Are You?' Quiz... The 20 questions were pretty basic: 'Can you roll your tongue?' and 'Do you button your shirts from the bottom, up or from the top, down?' Based on my results, I am 0% Normal!! I thought it was a joke, so I made The Brit take the quiz, too. He scored 60% Normal, 'a normal amount of normal' according to the website. On the other hand, I am a freak!! Glad my friends know me better than some internet quiz, or do they? :)
I had another wonderful weekend!! There seems to be a pattern happening here. I can't complain. I won't complain, I am really enjoying myself!!
The Brit took me to see the Rugby Powergen Cup Final on Saturday. It was fantastic!! Rugby really is an interesting game and great fun to watch! Nothing against Football (the American kind), but a game where the men tackle without padding and ears get tapped back so that they are not bitten or torn off sounds like a jolly good time! In all seriousness, a game where the ball can only be passed backward can be quite challenging (and loads of fun to watch).
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
And now for something a little bit different...
I was trying to think of a way to address everything that has happened in the last few days in a way that was not entirely boring or wordy... So, here it goes:
Amsterdam
Sites Seen: Canal Cruise, Tour up and down the alleyways of the Red Light District, evening entertainment at Casa Rosso, the Anne Frank Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
Favourite Moment: Walking along the beautiful streets and canals of Amsterdam, the houses were very unique (tall and skinny) and very picturesque.
To Make You Laugh: Crossing the streets in Amsterdam wasn't fun. First you would have to dodge bicycle traffic, then cars, then trams, then cars going in the opposite direction and finally the bicycles going in the opposite direction. I felt like Frogger!
There is something about walking up and down alley streets with glass doors exposing half-naked women... It just makes me curious. Then I saw a man (obviously a tourist) stumble out from behind red curtains, adjust himself, pull up his pants in a way that just screams, "I just had sex!" It was at that moment I thought, "Oh, God no! That's about as close as I want to get to the Red Light District!"
St Goar
Sites Seen: Nice view of the River Rhine, Winery in St. Goar (pronounced Go-are) and the Hotel bar.
Favourite Moment: Chatting and getting to know other people on our coach that night in the bar. It was nice to be the only ones in the bar for that reason.
To Make You Laugh: Typical 'A' Moment: Our roommate disappeared with the key, so I was locked out of the room before dinner. I wanted to change before our wine tasting, so I ran upstairs to change clothes quickly. By the time I made it to the meeting place, the group was gone! Luckily, I met up with two other 'late' people and we didn't have very far to walk.
The wines were nice, all white. There was a dry Reisling, a semi-sweet, a sweet and an Eisswine. I like the first one, but the others were too sweet for me. The Eisswine was interesting - very, very sweet.
The Rhine River Valley was spectacular, with vineyards squeezed on every mountain slope, no matter how steep.
Munich
Sites Seen: Marienplatz, Glockenspiel, Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Richard Strauss Fountain, Preysing-Palais and dinner at Hofbrauhaus.
Favourite Moment: Eating dinner in the Bravarian Beer Hall where we could not read the menu. We ended up just pointing to various plates on other tables.
To Make You Laugh: Was SO excited to learn German drinking songs that Becke and I approached a near-by group singing along to teach us... They were from Montana. They taught us how to mumble along to the majority of the words except "I'm Proosted, I'm Proosted". Funny, I didn't know that Germans used the phrase "I am?!"
We were warned that all of German uses half-litre steins, but in Munich they only used litre-size. It was wonderful!
Hofgarten
Sites Seen: Innsbrook was a beautiful little mountain town! We also stopped at the Swarovski Crystal Centre. The most impressive thing I remember about Austria was the Alps.
Favourite Moment: Finding a bar (inside the hotel) that serves Jaggermeister and dancing the night away.
To Make You Laugh: Getting LOCKED OUT of the hotel and having to throw stones at windows the next morning to find someone to let us in!! I was furious at myself and a bit embarrassed, but my friends had a laugh and decided to give my story a twist. It seems that I spent the night in a barn in Austria with Mel Gibson... Moral of the story: Always stick with the group!!
That night a group of guys on our tour ran through the streets of Hofgarten, completely naked!! I couldn't believe that they did it - there was still patches of snow on the ground!! When I expressed my shock, I was told, "That's just typical Aussies for you!" I think I want to move to Australia next - Aussies are crazy!!
Venice
Sites Seen: Piazza San Marco, Campanile, Basilica San Marco, Ponte di Rialto, a Gondola ride along some of the city's 150 canals and dinner at a quaint little Italian Restaurant.
Favourite Moment: The whole Venice experience was amazing! The town is so quite without all of the motorized traffic and the gondola ride was very relaxing.
To Make You Laugh: I wandered off on my own for a little while, just to take in the city for a bit. I stopped in a glass shop to admire the pieces and the store owner yelled at me for saying "Hello!" I thought I said it in Italian, but he told me that we were "not in France." I guess I should just stick with the "Ciao" that Brad (the tour manager) taught us to say!
Italian public toilets do not have seats!! And, the lunch counters have wonderful sandwiches, but they are such a pain to order (you have to choose what you want, move to the till to pay for your item, then go back to the lunch counter to have the sandwich made)!
Rome
Sites Seen: Colosseo (the Colosseum), Foro Romano (Roman Forum), Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Venezia, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican City, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), Chiesa di San Clemente, San Pietro in Vincoli (Church of Saint Peter in Chains), Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth), Circo Massimo and a few shops along Via Del Corso.
Favourite Moment: Opting out of the Colosseo tour and spending the morning with Toni finding the hidden gems of Rome. San Clemente is an 11 century church that was built on top of 4th century ruins. Under those ruins are 1st century ruins! It was great!! Then we met up with the rest of the group at the Roman Forum and used a book I purchased to make our own tour, 'Then and Now.'
To Make You Laugh: I am not allowed to cross streets when there are attactive Italian men directing traffic... I almost fell in the middle of the street - for approximately 5 minutes! It just kept going and going and all the while I was pushing and knocking into people, unable to steady myself. Finally, I was able to catch myself on the hips of a woman at the front of the group. I think I scared the piss out of her!
I think I was still drunk that second morning in Rome. The bartender at the hotel poured a bit strong and I can't really remember why I needed to drink someone else's wine. Becke and I learned how to say "Fuck You" in Italian. That night I got locked out of my bedroom again, but I refused to leave the hotel, thinking that if worse-came-to-worse I could always sleep on the cushy couches in the reception area. Luckily, someone in our group was smart enough to nic the master key from reception and let us (I wasn't the only one locked out!) into our rooms.
My second night in Rome, I took it easy. We played cards (that was a lot of fun!) and I was in bed early.
Florence
Sites Seen: Piazza Santa Croce, Fontana del Nettuno, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, the Duome, dinner at a Firenze restaurant and dancing at a nearby night club.
Favourite Moment: No particular moment... The whole experience was amazing. I have found my next city... Just need to learn Italian first.
To Make You Laugh: Looking to do some serious Italian shopping, Toni and I decided to hit a market in town. Toni did an excellent job navigating us though the streets, only to find that the market was nothing more than 9 or 10 flea market booths. After that, we combed the streets for jewelry, bags and gellato.
You know it is time to go home when the Italian Night Club plays Bon Jovi at the end of the night. I passed out in my clothes for the umpteenth time because it was too much of a bother to search for pajamas in my suitcase.
Lucerne
Sites Seen: Stanserhorn (a gondola ride up the mountain), The Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge), and that's about it. I spent the rest of my time shopping for Swiss Army Knives, Swiss Army Watches and Swiss Chocolate.
Favourite Moment: The BEST hotel meal we had on the trip!!
To Make You Laugh: Happy Dances in the hotel room when Toni and I saw the size of our suite. It was monstrous and wonderful!!
Paris
Sites Seen: Tour Eiffel, Centre G. Pompidou, Musee du Louvre, Musee Rodin, Eglise du Dome (Napoleon's Tomb), the outside of the Catacombs, Musee D'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, dinner on the Champs Elysees, drinking the night away at a bar next to the Moulin Rouge.
Favourite Moment: There are too many to name 1) Seeing Jonathan propose to Karen at the top of the Eiffel Tower, 2) Enjoying the architecture of both the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay along with all of the pieces of art inside, 3) Dinner with friends - that was the BEST way to wrap-up the trip!!
To Make You Laugh: I was SO excited to do something 'different' my second time in Paris. At first I wanted to do the Sewer Tour, but Rick Steve did not give it a good review, so we decided to visit the Catacombs. The write-up says to be sure to bring a torch (flashlight), so I knew that it would be great!! [If anything my chicken-ass would keep the group entertained, jumping at everything in sight!] We made it all the way there to find out that it is closed until May 2005. Maybe next time!
Amsterdam
Sites Seen: Canal Cruise, Tour up and down the alleyways of the Red Light District, evening entertainment at Casa Rosso, the Anne Frank Museum and the Van Gogh Museum.
Favourite Moment: Walking along the beautiful streets and canals of Amsterdam, the houses were very unique (tall and skinny) and very picturesque.
To Make You Laugh: Crossing the streets in Amsterdam wasn't fun. First you would have to dodge bicycle traffic, then cars, then trams, then cars going in the opposite direction and finally the bicycles going in the opposite direction. I felt like Frogger!
There is something about walking up and down alley streets with glass doors exposing half-naked women... It just makes me curious. Then I saw a man (obviously a tourist) stumble out from behind red curtains, adjust himself, pull up his pants in a way that just screams, "I just had sex!" It was at that moment I thought, "Oh, God no! That's about as close as I want to get to the Red Light District!"
St Goar
Sites Seen: Nice view of the River Rhine, Winery in St. Goar (pronounced Go-are) and the Hotel bar.
Favourite Moment: Chatting and getting to know other people on our coach that night in the bar. It was nice to be the only ones in the bar for that reason.
To Make You Laugh: Typical 'A' Moment: Our roommate disappeared with the key, so I was locked out of the room before dinner. I wanted to change before our wine tasting, so I ran upstairs to change clothes quickly. By the time I made it to the meeting place, the group was gone! Luckily, I met up with two other 'late' people and we didn't have very far to walk.
The wines were nice, all white. There was a dry Reisling, a semi-sweet, a sweet and an Eisswine. I like the first one, but the others were too sweet for me. The Eisswine was interesting - very, very sweet.
The Rhine River Valley was spectacular, with vineyards squeezed on every mountain slope, no matter how steep.
Munich
Sites Seen: Marienplatz, Glockenspiel, Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Richard Strauss Fountain, Preysing-Palais and dinner at Hofbrauhaus.
Favourite Moment: Eating dinner in the Bravarian Beer Hall where we could not read the menu. We ended up just pointing to various plates on other tables.
To Make You Laugh: Was SO excited to learn German drinking songs that Becke and I approached a near-by group singing along to teach us... They were from Montana. They taught us how to mumble along to the majority of the words except "I'm Proosted, I'm Proosted". Funny, I didn't know that Germans used the phrase "I am?!"
We were warned that all of German uses half-litre steins, but in Munich they only used litre-size. It was wonderful!
Hofgarten
Sites Seen: Innsbrook was a beautiful little mountain town! We also stopped at the Swarovski Crystal Centre. The most impressive thing I remember about Austria was the Alps.
Favourite Moment: Finding a bar (inside the hotel) that serves Jaggermeister and dancing the night away.
To Make You Laugh: Getting LOCKED OUT of the hotel and having to throw stones at windows the next morning to find someone to let us in!! I was furious at myself and a bit embarrassed, but my friends had a laugh and decided to give my story a twist. It seems that I spent the night in a barn in Austria with Mel Gibson... Moral of the story: Always stick with the group!!
That night a group of guys on our tour ran through the streets of Hofgarten, completely naked!! I couldn't believe that they did it - there was still patches of snow on the ground!! When I expressed my shock, I was told, "That's just typical Aussies for you!" I think I want to move to Australia next - Aussies are crazy!!
Venice
Sites Seen: Piazza San Marco, Campanile, Basilica San Marco, Ponte di Rialto, a Gondola ride along some of the city's 150 canals and dinner at a quaint little Italian Restaurant.
Favourite Moment: The whole Venice experience was amazing! The town is so quite without all of the motorized traffic and the gondola ride was very relaxing.
To Make You Laugh: I wandered off on my own for a little while, just to take in the city for a bit. I stopped in a glass shop to admire the pieces and the store owner yelled at me for saying "Hello!" I thought I said it in Italian, but he told me that we were "not in France." I guess I should just stick with the "Ciao" that Brad (the tour manager) taught us to say!
Italian public toilets do not have seats!! And, the lunch counters have wonderful sandwiches, but they are such a pain to order (you have to choose what you want, move to the till to pay for your item, then go back to the lunch counter to have the sandwich made)!
Rome
Sites Seen: Colosseo (the Colosseum), Foro Romano (Roman Forum), Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele, Piazza Venezia, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Vatican City, Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps), Chiesa di San Clemente, San Pietro in Vincoli (Church of Saint Peter in Chains), Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth), Circo Massimo and a few shops along Via Del Corso.
Favourite Moment: Opting out of the Colosseo tour and spending the morning with Toni finding the hidden gems of Rome. San Clemente is an 11 century church that was built on top of 4th century ruins. Under those ruins are 1st century ruins! It was great!! Then we met up with the rest of the group at the Roman Forum and used a book I purchased to make our own tour, 'Then and Now.'
To Make You Laugh: I am not allowed to cross streets when there are attactive Italian men directing traffic... I almost fell in the middle of the street - for approximately 5 minutes! It just kept going and going and all the while I was pushing and knocking into people, unable to steady myself. Finally, I was able to catch myself on the hips of a woman at the front of the group. I think I scared the piss out of her!
I think I was still drunk that second morning in Rome. The bartender at the hotel poured a bit strong and I can't really remember why I needed to drink someone else's wine. Becke and I learned how to say "Fuck You" in Italian. That night I got locked out of my bedroom again, but I refused to leave the hotel, thinking that if worse-came-to-worse I could always sleep on the cushy couches in the reception area. Luckily, someone in our group was smart enough to nic the master key from reception and let us (I wasn't the only one locked out!) into our rooms.
My second night in Rome, I took it easy. We played cards (that was a lot of fun!) and I was in bed early.
Florence
Sites Seen: Piazza Santa Croce, Fontana del Nettuno, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, the Duome, dinner at a Firenze restaurant and dancing at a nearby night club.
Favourite Moment: No particular moment... The whole experience was amazing. I have found my next city... Just need to learn Italian first.
To Make You Laugh: Looking to do some serious Italian shopping, Toni and I decided to hit a market in town. Toni did an excellent job navigating us though the streets, only to find that the market was nothing more than 9 or 10 flea market booths. After that, we combed the streets for jewelry, bags and gellato.
You know it is time to go home when the Italian Night Club plays Bon Jovi at the end of the night. I passed out in my clothes for the umpteenth time because it was too much of a bother to search for pajamas in my suitcase.
Lucerne
Sites Seen: Stanserhorn (a gondola ride up the mountain), The Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge), and that's about it. I spent the rest of my time shopping for Swiss Army Knives, Swiss Army Watches and Swiss Chocolate.
Favourite Moment: The BEST hotel meal we had on the trip!!
To Make You Laugh: Happy Dances in the hotel room when Toni and I saw the size of our suite. It was monstrous and wonderful!!
Paris
Sites Seen: Tour Eiffel, Centre G. Pompidou, Musee du Louvre, Musee Rodin, Eglise du Dome (Napoleon's Tomb), the outside of the Catacombs, Musee D'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, dinner on the Champs Elysees, drinking the night away at a bar next to the Moulin Rouge.
Favourite Moment: There are too many to name 1) Seeing Jonathan propose to Karen at the top of the Eiffel Tower, 2) Enjoying the architecture of both the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay along with all of the pieces of art inside, 3) Dinner with friends - that was the BEST way to wrap-up the trip!!
To Make You Laugh: I was SO excited to do something 'different' my second time in Paris. At first I wanted to do the Sewer Tour, but Rick Steve did not give it a good review, so we decided to visit the Catacombs. The write-up says to be sure to bring a torch (flashlight), so I knew that it would be great!! [If anything my chicken-ass would keep the group entertained, jumping at everything in sight!] We made it all the way there to find out that it is closed until May 2005. Maybe next time!
Sunday, April 10, 2005
I'm Home!
This has been SUCH an amazing experience!! I am exhausted, sick and am dreading real life. I have seen, touched, tasted and felt things in the last 12 days that I have only seen in textbooks and movies. It's like I have been on this terrific 'high' for two weeks and, some how, setting my alarm for work tomorrow is such a buzz-kill.
Will write more later before reality completely sets in. Below are a few pictures from the trip...
Will write more later before reality completely sets in. Below are a few pictures from the trip...
Saturday, April 02, 2005
Venice, Italy
This is the most beautiful city I have seen so far!! I absolutely LOVE it. I keep thinking about the movie, The Italian Job. I won't say much now because the keyboard here is really difficult to use. We are going on a gondola ride later today, then dinner in a Venician Restaurant. Tomorrow we head to Rome, which could be quite interesting depending on the Pope's health. I'm off to check out the sites.
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Munich, Germany
Okay. German Keyboards are not easy to use, especially when you have had a couple of litres of good Bavarian Beer. It has been a wonderful trip so far, very busy but lots of fun! Amsterdam was amazing (including the sex show we saw Tuesday night - who knew you could do THAT with a banana!) especially the Anne Frank House. Yesterday we slept in a small town in the Rhine Valley of Germany, tonight I am in Munich. It has been pretty much non-stop and I don't expect much of a rest between now and April 9, but I can not complain. We are really seeing a lot and having a great time! Today we wandered around Munich and found our way to the Beer Hall, and eventually found our way back to the hotel via the Munich Underground. Lots of fun!! Miss everyone!!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Okay folks, this is it!
I am heading for London now. My suitcase is packed full and I hope I have included everything. For the next 13 days I will be touring Europe. I will try and stop in to say "Hi," but I won't make any promises. Expect lots of pictures when I get back.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Happy Easter Everyone!
I have just had an amazing weekend!! Funny, the things that start out as something simple, "let's just spend the day together," turn into an entire weekend of fun! Not that there was anything particular to do, just a lot of hanging out and enjoying each others' company.
Friday we went to Kew Gardens. It was a beautiful day! We walked around the grounds, enjoying the Palm House (think large Victorian atrium that is very humid and houses tons of plants), the Japanese inspired gardens and the Rhododendron Dell. There was also a Badger Mound for kids that was fun to crawl through and a petting zoo that we didn't actually make it into, but got to appreciate the baby goats from the other side of the fence. After Kew we had dinner at an Indian Restaurant. Now, you may be thinking, "Indian is Indian, US or UK," but you are wrong! There were so many delicious items to choose from, it was a truly wonderful experience! Not like any I've ever had in North Carolina or in Tennessee!! Mmm!!
Saturday we hung out, shared music and went to Reading. He isn't quite sold on my favourites, but I think they will grow on him. [I have a 'Three-Listen Policy,' you must listen to a song/artist three times before passing judgment.] We also rented 'The Village' - which I really liked. That man (M. Night Shyamalan) has a very different way at looking at things and he translates it into suspense in such a crafty way. This is probably not my favourite of his films, but it was still really good, just because it is never what you think... Never what you expect.
It was hard to leave this morning, but I have laundry to tackle and a lot of packing to do. And somehow, through it all, I can't seem to wipe this silly grim from my face.
Friday we went to Kew Gardens. It was a beautiful day! We walked around the grounds, enjoying the Palm House (think large Victorian atrium that is very humid and houses tons of plants), the Japanese inspired gardens and the Rhododendron Dell. There was also a Badger Mound for kids that was fun to crawl through and a petting zoo that we didn't actually make it into, but got to appreciate the baby goats from the other side of the fence. After Kew we had dinner at an Indian Restaurant. Now, you may be thinking, "Indian is Indian, US or UK," but you are wrong! There were so many delicious items to choose from, it was a truly wonderful experience! Not like any I've ever had in North Carolina or in Tennessee!! Mmm!!
Saturday we hung out, shared music and went to Reading. He isn't quite sold on my favourites, but I think they will grow on him. [I have a 'Three-Listen Policy,' you must listen to a song/artist three times before passing judgment.] We also rented 'The Village' - which I really liked. That man (M. Night Shyamalan) has a very different way at looking at things and he translates it into suspense in such a crafty way. This is probably not my favourite of his films, but it was still really good, just because it is never what you think... Never what you expect.
It was hard to leave this morning, but I have laundry to tackle and a lot of packing to do. And somehow, through it all, I can't seem to wipe this silly grim from my face.
It's times like these...
Read this in an article the other day:
"A stone's throw from Beale, meanwhile, the new Peabody Place is a a big, ugly shopping mall featuring all the usual suspects: Starbucks, Gap, Victoria's Secret and so on. It has a legally enforced dress code. No baseball caps worn backwards, no hooded tops, no sneakers, no baggy pants. Segregation, it would seem, lingers on."
It is referring to a new mall in Memphis, TN. Funny, if I was still at my school in Charlotte, this dress code would limit every single student in my school. Why would they not prohibit the non-existent mini skirts and the midrift-bearing tops that are in fashion? Are they not just not as offensive?? Even more so, if you ask me.
"A stone's throw from Beale, meanwhile, the new Peabody Place is a a big, ugly shopping mall featuring all the usual suspects: Starbucks, Gap, Victoria's Secret and so on. It has a legally enforced dress code. No baseball caps worn backwards, no hooded tops, no sneakers, no baggy pants. Segregation, it would seem, lingers on."
It is referring to a new mall in Memphis, TN. Funny, if I was still at my school in Charlotte, this dress code would limit every single student in my school. Why would they not prohibit the non-existent mini skirts and the midrift-bearing tops that are in fashion? Are they not just not as offensive?? Even more so, if you ask me.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Late Night Entry
It's a bit late, but I have too much energy to sleep (and yet not enough energy to move to my bed). I just hung up the phone with my sister. Yesterday was my brother-in-law's 30th birthday and I really haven't had a conversation with my sister in ages (I think December was the last time we spoke), so a phone call was necessary, right? I do this every time I hang up with my sister, the cheesy grin and the "I love my pookie" attitude (that's what I call her). With all of the warm-fuzzies she leaves, I should call her more often.
Tomorrow is the last day of the second term. Yippee!! I have officially made it through a second term at a British school. This one was a bit easier than the first (not including the Ofsted preparation/inspection). That leaves hope for the third term...
Next Tuesday I leave for my big Contiki Tour of Europe - 8 countries in 12 days!! Should be quite an adventure - lots of time on a coach (we travel on average 250 miles a day!)!! We will be sleeping in the following cities: Amsterdam, St. Goar (Germany), Munich, Hofgarten (Austria), Venice, two nights in Rome, Florence, Lucerne (Switzerland), then two nights in Paris!! I am really starting to get excited about this trip - I have dreamed of seeing Italy since I was a kid!
Until Tuesday I will be shopping, packing, muddling through my 2004 Income Taxes, relaxing and spending some time with the Brit (as Little A so nicely dubbed him). Whatever I do, school will be the last thing on my mind (at least for the next two weeks) - this is why I love my job!! [This is not the only reason I love my job, but after the Ofsted week we all need a bit of a break - kids and teachers!]
Anyway, I should really get to bed. Despite tomorrow being a half-day, I will be worthless if I don't get at least some sleep.
Tomorrow is the last day of the second term. Yippee!! I have officially made it through a second term at a British school. This one was a bit easier than the first (not including the Ofsted preparation/inspection). That leaves hope for the third term...
Next Tuesday I leave for my big Contiki Tour of Europe - 8 countries in 12 days!! Should be quite an adventure - lots of time on a coach (we travel on average 250 miles a day!)!! We will be sleeping in the following cities: Amsterdam, St. Goar (Germany), Munich, Hofgarten (Austria), Venice, two nights in Rome, Florence, Lucerne (Switzerland), then two nights in Paris!! I am really starting to get excited about this trip - I have dreamed of seeing Italy since I was a kid!
Until Tuesday I will be shopping, packing, muddling through my 2004 Income Taxes, relaxing and spending some time with the Brit (as Little A so nicely dubbed him). Whatever I do, school will be the last thing on my mind (at least for the next two weeks) - this is why I love my job!! [This is not the only reason I love my job, but after the Ofsted week we all need a bit of a break - kids and teachers!]
Anyway, I should really get to bed. Despite tomorrow being a half-day, I will be worthless if I don't get at least some sleep.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Come Gather Round...
Imagine 1992 and MTV's 120 Minutes. I fell in love with a man and his guitar that year. His name was John Wesley Harding and the video was "Kill the Messenger." I quickly bought the tape, "Why We Fight," and memorized every song. He told amazing stories, very imaginative and a bit odd (I think that's what I liked most about his lyrics). There was "The Original Miss Jesus," where lyrics claimed "Born before her more famous little brother Mister Christ. Sure, there were miracles but out of the public eye. So they didn't think even to have her crucified. She just wrote some novels and then she died. And only her family cried for her, The Original Miss Jesus." And my favorite line of all times comes from his song "Come Gather Round, "We're so convinced we're different, it makes us all the same."
In 1993, this British Modern-day folk singer came to Knoxville with Joan Baez. My sister and I went: my sister excited to see Joan Baez, myself excited to see JWH. It was an amazing show and the little theater venue (Knoxville's Bijou) made it quite memorable. Eventually, my JWH tape wore itself out (it was eaten in my car stereo) and I had a hell of a time trying to replace it. Last year, Krissie found a CD version for me (isn't she wonderful?!) so that now I again have access to my favorite songs.
Last week, while looking for something interesting to listen to while I marked papers, I visited Nashville's Lightening 100 website. They have a radio show on Sundays that broadcasts live from 3rd and Lindsley and they have mp3s from previous shows. John Wesley Harding was on that list. He has a new album, "Adam's Apple" out. So, in my attempt to find something to listen to while being productive, I spent the rest of the evening playing on John Wesley Harding's website (which was quite interesting - we're talking hours of entertainment!). The man is very creative and has recently published his own book under his real name, Wesley Stace. It sounds like a fun read, Misfortune. It is described in an LA Weekly article as a “Gothic soap opera, but clever, one that uses the conventions of 19th-century fiction and gives them a modern twist." (The website even has audio excerpts read by JWH! It's great!)
Check him out for yourself: www.johnwesleyharding.com or www.wesleystace.com
In 1993, this British Modern-day folk singer came to Knoxville with Joan Baez. My sister and I went: my sister excited to see Joan Baez, myself excited to see JWH. It was an amazing show and the little theater venue (Knoxville's Bijou) made it quite memorable. Eventually, my JWH tape wore itself out (it was eaten in my car stereo) and I had a hell of a time trying to replace it. Last year, Krissie found a CD version for me (isn't she wonderful?!) so that now I again have access to my favorite songs.
Last week, while looking for something interesting to listen to while I marked papers, I visited Nashville's Lightening 100 website. They have a radio show on Sundays that broadcasts live from 3rd and Lindsley and they have mp3s from previous shows. John Wesley Harding was on that list. He has a new album, "Adam's Apple" out. So, in my attempt to find something to listen to while being productive, I spent the rest of the evening playing on John Wesley Harding's website (which was quite interesting - we're talking hours of entertainment!). The man is very creative and has recently published his own book under his real name, Wesley Stace. It sounds like a fun read, Misfortune. It is described in an LA Weekly article as a “Gothic soap opera, but clever, one that uses the conventions of 19th-century fiction and gives them a modern twist." (The website even has audio excerpts read by JWH! It's great!)
Check him out for yourself: www.johnwesleyharding.com or www.wesleystace.com
Monday, March 14, 2005
Another damn survey...
This is totally not my idea. I have nicked it from someone else (thanks, D), but I thought it was such a good one that when someone sent me one of the damn things, I just couldn't help myself.
1) Ever been so drunk you blacked out? No, but I have done many other things while intoxicated. Some I do have to be reminded of the next day... "Oh. I did what?!?"
2) Missed work because it was raining? No, that's hard to do that around here. I'd never make it into school!
3)Put a body part on fire for amusement? Not on purpose, but I have caught hands, nails and arm (hair) on fire by accident...
4)Been hurt emotionally? Hasn't everyone at this point in our lives?
5)Kept a secret from everyone? I am horrible with my own secrets, everyone knows in a matter of hours!
6)Had an imaginary friend? I had "pinch bugs" when I was little that I used to feed by tearing up tissue and leaving it all around the house. Mom loved that!
7)Wanted to hook up with a friend? Oh goodness, yes!
8)Had a crush on a teacher? I always had old, ugly teachers. But if I had to answer the question based on co-workers, that's another story.
9)Ever thought an animated character was hot? I so loved G.I. Joe!
10)Had a New Kids on the Block tape? No! Never! Well, okay maybe one, but I never had the buttons pinned to my denim jacket...
11)Been on stage? Other than dribbling beer down my face at a Uphonik show?
FAVORITES--------------------
1)Shampoo: Found a new favourite brand over here - Tony and Guy Fizz Reducing Shampoo. [I am sure this is really the type of stuff you want to know about me]
2)Body Wash: I miss Bath and Body Works!
3)Hair Color: I've always been a fan of red hair - even though mine doesn't look red anymore.
4)Day/Night: I am such a night person it is not even funny! I have such odd sleeping patterns - How do you think I can watch such crap tv? Hooray for 2 am HBO!
5)Summer/Winter: Too hard to choose. Can I call myself an autumn/spring person?
6)Lace or Satin: I guess lace.
7)Favorite cartoon person: Dot from the Animaniacs.
8)Favorite Food: Anything ethnic: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Indian, and especially Ethiopian!
9)Favorite Movie: Sliding Doors, Time Bandits, Amelie, Jaws, Indiana Jones (all three), Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there are too many to name.
10)Favorite Book Anne Rice's Interview with A Vampire will always be my favourite, but I also like Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Murakami) and The Time Traveler's Wife.
11)Favorite Ice Cream: coffee flavoured. Mmmm!
12)Favorite Subject: Anything that's not maths.
13)Favorite drink: Beer!
14)Favorite drink with alcohol: Beer! Or a Stoli Vanilla with Diet Coke.
15)Favorite Word(s): "road trip?" and "adventure"
16)Words that bother you: "No" and "I can not"
DO YOU BELIEVE IN------------------
1)Your friends: Of course.
2) Santa Claus: Does Hanukkah Harry count?
3)Tooth Fairy: yes.
4)Destiny/Fate: no doubt.
5)Karma: more than anything.
6)Angels: yes.
7)UFOs: yes.
8)GOD: I believe in something, whether you want to call it God, Allah, Buddha, or any of the other millions of names world societies have given her.
FRIENDS AND LIFE-----------------
1)Like anyone? Yup.
2)Who have U known the longest of your friends? Kristin - met her my freshman year.
3)Who do you go to for advice: Everyone!
4)Who do you cry to? Mostly my mom, sometimes my friends.
5)When did you cry the most? Dealing with a break-up almost four years ago. Looking back, I wouldn't be the person I am now without having gone through it. I also wouldn't be where I am now without having gone through it.
6) When are you (happy) laughing: My mother and my sister put me into laughing fits! Plus, my friends - they are always make me crack up!
7) Best feeling in the world: Spending time with good friends.
8) Worst Feeling: Making someone else late when you know how much they hate it.
9)What do you do when it rains? Not much else I can do, grab a brolly and walk out the door!
10)What do you do when your favorite song comes on: Sing
11)What's the newest thing you have done or tried lately: I watched my first Rugby match on Saturday.
1) Ever been so drunk you blacked out? No, but I have done many other things while intoxicated. Some I do have to be reminded of the next day... "Oh. I did what?!?"
2) Missed work because it was raining? No, that's hard to do that around here. I'd never make it into school!
3)Put a body part on fire for amusement? Not on purpose, but I have caught hands, nails and arm (hair) on fire by accident...
4)Been hurt emotionally? Hasn't everyone at this point in our lives?
5)Kept a secret from everyone? I am horrible with my own secrets, everyone knows in a matter of hours!
6)Had an imaginary friend? I had "pinch bugs" when I was little that I used to feed by tearing up tissue and leaving it all around the house. Mom loved that!
7)Wanted to hook up with a friend? Oh goodness, yes!
8)Had a crush on a teacher? I always had old, ugly teachers. But if I had to answer the question based on co-workers, that's another story.
9)Ever thought an animated character was hot? I so loved G.I. Joe!
10)Had a New Kids on the Block tape? No! Never! Well, okay maybe one, but I never had the buttons pinned to my denim jacket...
11)Been on stage? Other than dribbling beer down my face at a Uphonik show?
FAVORITES--------------------
1)Shampoo: Found a new favourite brand over here - Tony and Guy Fizz Reducing Shampoo. [I am sure this is really the type of stuff you want to know about me]
2)Body Wash: I miss Bath and Body Works!
3)Hair Color: I've always been a fan of red hair - even though mine doesn't look red anymore.
4)Day/Night: I am such a night person it is not even funny! I have such odd sleeping patterns - How do you think I can watch such crap tv? Hooray for 2 am HBO!
5)Summer/Winter: Too hard to choose. Can I call myself an autumn/spring person?
6)Lace or Satin: I guess lace.
7)Favorite cartoon person: Dot from the Animaniacs.
8)Favorite Food: Anything ethnic: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Indian, and especially Ethiopian!
9)Favorite Movie: Sliding Doors, Time Bandits, Amelie, Jaws, Indiana Jones (all three), Lord of the Rings trilogy, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there are too many to name.
10)Favorite Book Anne Rice's Interview with A Vampire will always be my favourite, but I also like Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Murakami) and The Time Traveler's Wife.
11)Favorite Ice Cream: coffee flavoured. Mmmm!
12)Favorite Subject: Anything that's not maths.
13)Favorite drink: Beer!
14)Favorite drink with alcohol: Beer! Or a Stoli Vanilla with Diet Coke.
15)Favorite Word(s): "road trip?" and "adventure"
16)Words that bother you: "No" and "I can not"
DO YOU BELIEVE IN------------------
1)Your friends: Of course.
2) Santa Claus: Does Hanukkah Harry count?
3)Tooth Fairy: yes.
4)Destiny/Fate: no doubt.
5)Karma: more than anything.
6)Angels: yes.
7)UFOs: yes.
8)GOD: I believe in something, whether you want to call it God, Allah, Buddha, or any of the other millions of names world societies have given her.
FRIENDS AND LIFE-----------------
1)Like anyone? Yup.
2)Who have U known the longest of your friends? Kristin - met her my freshman year.
3)Who do you go to for advice: Everyone!
4)Who do you cry to? Mostly my mom, sometimes my friends.
5)When did you cry the most? Dealing with a break-up almost four years ago. Looking back, I wouldn't be the person I am now without having gone through it. I also wouldn't be where I am now without having gone through it.
6) When are you (happy) laughing: My mother and my sister put me into laughing fits! Plus, my friends - they are always make me crack up!
7) Best feeling in the world: Spending time with good friends.
8) Worst Feeling: Making someone else late when you know how much they hate it.
9)What do you do when it rains? Not much else I can do, grab a brolly and walk out the door!
10)What do you do when your favorite song comes on: Sing
11)What's the newest thing you have done or tried lately: I watched my first Rugby match on Saturday.
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