Punk!

This is a colleague's week-old baby. I kid you not, this child was born with a natural blond streak running across the top of his head! How cool is that?! He's got built-in mohawk material. He's a born punk! (One of our admins called it his 'racing stripe.')

He also has pretty strong motor control in his hands; he was manipulating the handle on his pacifier rather deftly today. I told his dad (my colleague) that his kid already has good hands, which warmed his heart as he is an avid sports fan.

It was a fun lunch.

Life, lately.

Indecision

The sun and clouds were dazzling at 7:00 this morning. In my usual shade of indecision, I cannot decide which of these four is the best representation of each of those factors. Your input would be greatly appreciated!

Sunrise over campus trees, with clouds

(and may the jacaranda bloom soon -- it is one of my annual symbols of hope)

Pics

Thanks to y'all for your kind comments about the Old Man Dog. We'll keep you posted as we learn things. My inexpert theory is that he has a tumor that's pressing on things inside, making it difficult for him to breathe. We haven't confirmed that with his doc yet. More as we know.

jo(e) talked about it looking a lot like summer in her neck of the woods. Well, here it IS summer. We've had a weekend in the 90's-100's. The fans are in full force, and we expect a couple more days of this before it mellows into the 70's. Lemme tell ya', it makes teaching (and testing) difficult. We're all ready to check out.

I owe you (and myself) some pics. I took a few today. The sun, at least, was cooperative.

In the Target parking lot today. The yellow tree; the clouds.

I call it soft-focus. This rose bush is kicking in for the season.

I call them her Mark Twain jowls. Aren't those fab whiskers? She's trying not to melt.

"Don't think I don't see you! I'm keepin' an eye on you, missy!"

"God, it's hot, Mom!"

Persian lilies

It was sunset, upon reflection.

The chore that could not be done in 100-degree heat.

Riveted by the sun

Through water-colored glasses

Random Bullets of...

...madness (a term which, unfortunately, some of my students use when they mean 'anger').

• The speedometer on our car decided to stop working tonight. It worked on the way there. It stopped working on the way home. Grr.
• Day two of testing. Sixth period was the hardest; they were just so exhausted, and none of them wanted to be there. They marshalled on, though.
• Is that the correct way to spell "marshalled" in this context?
• (Asked the English teacher)
• Went to a taping of the NPR show, Says You, at the Skirball Cultural Center tonight. It was hilarious fun...and long. They taped two shows; it started at 8 p.m. and didn't finish until 11 p.m.! But these guys and gals are just so quick-witted! I could've stayed all night...though I would certainly have fallen asleep.
• The traffic was ridiculously light this evening. We allotted over two hours to get from the OC to Skirball. It took us about an hour and ten. Weirdness. Not that I'm complaining!
• Must go back to school tomorrow for the first of two full-length mock AP exams that I give my students for the practice. Pizza follows. So...tired.... But at least these sessions are somewhat fun. They're certainly eye-opening for the students, as to the length and difficulty of the full test.
• Family game night tomorrow evening! Grew up doing those, but haven't done one in at least a year or two. Looking forward to it.
• Just got an email saying that my runaway student is planning to come home and should arrive in a few days. (?) Don't know why yet.
• The old man dog is starting to go downhill. (Sniff.)

All right; I'm off to bed before I fall asleep on my keyboard. Night, all. Sorry for the skipped post and tonight's no-pic post. I'll make up for it. I always do.

Testing 1-2-3-

4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14...or something like that. Mandated state testing is upon us, and we've chosen to draw it out over three and a half weeks. The reason for this is it allows us to test our own students in our subjects in our regular classes. It means block scheduling four days each week. While it sounds grueling, I'm ready for something different. It's what will keep us sane in this long stretch to Memorial Day. Also, once I'm finished with my four days of testing (English gets to go first), I don't have to worry about it anymore and I can just concentrate on my classes. The AP test is causing me a little more consternation -- it's coming up on May 14, so quickly -- but I have a plan, and anyway my kids will perform as they will perform.

No pix today, so I'll pull one from earlier this week. Took this in the morning. It's not great, but it's good enough to get the effect across. Note my neighbor's awesome pink tree, too.

Squawk

The parrots paid a visit to our seed-pod-laden tree today. Messmakers. They're actually quite bashful if you get too close. And they're so funny with one another. Talk about personality! They're such social creatures, and yet they're such cantankerous old men!

I had to crop the hell out of these, and my 70mm lens isn't cutting it for my needs, and the lighting blows since it was coming on dusk...but you'll get the idea. Wild green parrots, in the cities of SoCal. Who'd'a thought?

Obvious

Oh, and I finished the Jodi Picoult book last night -- stayed up to do it. I was right. I had figured it out, by page 8. Disappointed about that part, but I still enjoyed the book. Certain lengthy sections of explication about religion dragged. She always manages to be easy to read and still give you something to think about.

'Round the House

Depth, not breadth. It's the same approach I prefer to take my teaching. Do fewer things, and do them deeply and well. Really saturate, delve, get to know something thoroughly.

I've been having fun this year taking pictures around the house. I am reminded of how many things change on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly basis, and how many different angles and perspectives one can use to look at the same thing and re-see it. Nothing is ever really exactly the same.

Of course, some of you, at this very moment, are thinking, The hell they're not the same! If I have see another picture of her damned dog...! Well, sorry to disappoint, but the wildflowers are still beautiful and the dog is still precious, and these are my two offerings for the day (and a make-up for yesterday).

Lazy

That's me on a Saturday. Slept in, surfed the blogs, petted the dog, watched a flick (A Man for All Seasons -- had never seen it before; found it really enjoyable and more modern than I'd expected; really good acting, star-studded cast, most in their youthful days), watched an episode of The 4400 (I am really liking Netflix!), ate, and read the rest of the day (Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult -- brain candy but thoughtful brain candy; I'm wondering if I'm right about my prediction for the twist; I never usually am, so when I'm right, I'm torn between being proud of myself and disappointed that it was so obvious).

Not a big picture day (in several ways, I suppose). I'll post two tomorrow.

Home

'Nuff said.

Moonshine

No! Not the 'likker!' (Gasp!) It's a school night!

A warm evening, a bright waxing moon, and a yen to take pictures led to experimenting with the long exposure possibilities of the DSLR. Sometimes I have to say, "God bless technology." I love pushing the limits of low-light situations.

Click to make them large; they look better that way.

Moon and fence

Moon, pole, wires

The faery came in a ball of light,
descending from the heavens, to deliver me a message.

Palm and Pine

Taken in the credit union parking lot late this afternoon.

Third quarter grades were due today. So exhausted. Off to bed.

Makin' it up to ya'

Two for today, to make up for not shooting yesterday.

The colors of the afternoon

The colors of the evening, or what flew in

(My kingdom for a macro lens.) (Oh, wait, I don't have a kingdom.) (Sigh.)

I'm in make-up-for-it mode in a lot of aspects of my life. I'm definitely making up for -- or perhaps paying for is a better description -- not grading enough. I'll be making up for the six or so days I've had to be out of the classroom for various trainings and workdays. I'm going to have to make up for not posting a month of pictures to Flickr; I haven't even made my March mosaic yet. I'll be making up for sleep deprivation if I don't get off this computer and go to bed. Night, all.

I was actually glad

It felt so good to go to church today. After having to attend another church last week (family obligation, different denomination and practice), it was nice to truly be able to say, "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord."

It's been in the nineties here this weekend. Not good for a teacher who has tons of grading to do (quarter ended Friday, grades due Wednesday a.m.). Not good at all.

25 Years of Service

My dad is officially retired! Even the sheriff said so. He only had twenty-five years on the force because he was a pastor before he settled into his true calling. Photography, travel, and service projects -- here he comes.

Puppies

No, he's not ours. My colleague and friend brought her new addition to school yesterday -- end of quarter, minimum day, etc. He's adorable! And mouthy/bitey -- puppies will be puppies. Aren't puppy butts great?!

POM's brother also got a new little one (in addition to the one-year-old human and the other human on the way). This one is part dalmation, part beagle -- whatta combo! This one snuggles with a teddy bear dog. (Melt!)

Bonus Photo

Photo 6 of 6 Owed

Retirement setting

Photo 5 of 6 Owed

Jesus garden

Photo 4 of 6 Owed

Stained glass beauty

Photo 3 of 6 Owed

Doors, Windows, Ladder, and Light

Photo 2 of 6 Owed

Antique browsing in the most incredible antique store on the West Coast.

The RevGals inspired me to try this on for size. Heh.

Photo 1 of 6 Owed

Local town circle. Many movies are shot here.

Hiatus Ended

Well, I looked at the date of my last post and shocked myself. I knew I hadn't posted in a few days, but really...it was longer than I had thought. I have perfectly good reasons. My dad retired. We threw a ginormous party. All his family from the Bible Belt flew out and attended. It was a mini family reunion. (He has seven sibs, and both his parents came, as did some of the cousins.) It was a great party in a beautiful setting with tasty food. I was a mean (but, alas, not lean) photo machine. He's going on a cruise to our northernmost state, which he's excited about. We had several events with the fam before people started leaving yesterday. In the meantime, I still had school (unfortunate) and grading (untouched) and sub plans (necessary). Late night gabfests with the aunties meant little sleep, but they were so good and so natural and so fun that the sleep deprivation was worth it.

On Monday, however, I lived an entire day before 8:00 a.m. I got to school early to take care of sub plans, as I had a training session at a local university. After rushing to make hundreds of copies and resurrect myself from a sleep haze, a student arrived to show me the bruise someone had made on her face. I rushed her up to the office, sat with her and the admin for a bit, was holding up my carpool to the training event, and learned (as I was rushing out the door) that my sub had no-showed. O. M. G. And then, at the training event, I proceeded to binge on pastries and whatever else they laid out for us on the table -- it was totally stress eating, and I haven't done that in a while. (I'm sure the hormones didn't help, either.)

After the training, parts of which were pretty good, I went back to school to hear the rest of the abuse saga. Some of what the student said was accurate, but then she started changing her story as the day dragged on. I'm beginning to wonder about the possibility of the emergence of mental instability, or least some pathology, in this one; the game-playing and story-manipulation and bizarrely selective details have risen to new and afore-unseen levels (I've known her for two years), and I'm getting worried.

I will be happy when April is over, I've decided. I've had to be out of the classroom two days per week since we returned from spring break. And the AP test approacheth. Stress!

I have a lot of penance to do for not posting daily, so I'll do those under separate posts. Sorry 'bout the big gap.

Bullets of update and photos of catch-up

• Internet went down last night, just minutes before I came up to post. Grrr.


• Rain here this evening. Lovely! We always need it, and I always welcome it.


• OldManDog's vet appointment was pushed off to tomorrow. He seems to alternate days in how spry or old he feels.


• Out of the classroom today for training on our all-in-one student management system: attendance, referrals, contact, data repository, and gradebook. Sounds cool, right? Except their gradebook SUCKS! I am so disappointed. I shall practice civil disobedience next year if they try to force us to use this gradebook. And how am I supposed to be a good salesperson to other dyed-in-the-wool Easy Grade Pro users (it's a heavenly program, comparatively speaking) if I myself hate the beast? If I have to keep two sets of books, I will, but I will not use their gradebook program. Why can't districts actually consult the teachers who have to use the programs before they decide on which stupid company to go with?


• Out of the classroom tomorrow for cleaning of this filthy house before family members come from the bible belt to stay. Nice to have another day away from the kids (I love them, but come on -- it's a day away), but lots (lots) of work to do.


• POM is starting a calculus for teachers class. (She teaches junior high pre-algebra! But she needs it for her credentialing stuff.) Her textbook is entitled, Calculus Made Easy. If that's not a classic oxymoron, I don't know what is. (Heh.)


• Catch-up photos below:

Scar. They came and took the tree yesterday. I hope they replace it soon; apparently they're dealing in sycamores these days. Sigh. (Sniff.)

Series: Old Man Dog.

Being awfully interested, sticking his tongue out, and look terribly cute.

FatKitty panthers in the garden in the afternoon sun, plays coy, then prepares to pounce on LittleKitten (whose tail can be seen in the corner of the second photo).

It's poetry month, so I shall attempt more poetry this month, though I won't commit to the daily thing, because it's already a big enough commitment to doing this photo blog thing every day. Here's a hasty haiku. Caveat: It's crappy; but it's a beginning and Annie Lamott says we're all allowed to write shitty first drafts, so...

SoCal Rain

pavement dusty dry;

drops begin, slow, then harder;

my heart fills, rises.