Aboot that book...

I was expecting Relentless Pursuit to be a realistic picture of the training and two year teaching experience for four [acronym] recruits. What I was NOT expecting was an equally in-depth look into the staff member experience.

So when I skimmed ahead a few chapters and read:

"Cuesta then announced a new program she wanted to pilot in Los Angeles: Co-Investigating the Co-Investigations. She explained that her informal pop-ins to observe PDs at work would continue. But a much more formalized process--straight off the Co-Investigation rubric--would be put in place to observe PDs proficiency."

I just about died.

I mean, this has been my last three years. Sort of. In my experience, the program staff throw themselves headlong into acronyms and investigations and rubrics and matrics and meanwhile the people who raise the money are left scratching their heads and asking, "So... what is happening here now, exactly?"

It takes a special person to figure it out and be able to explain it to a wider audience. I'm not even halfway through, but I think and hope that is what Donna Foote has done in her book. You should read it. It's smart and sassy. I will explain the acronyms if you need me to.

AND ALSO

O MY HECK

Many changes afoot.

The biggest is ---

wait, that's sort of a tie.

One of the biggest that I can talk about at the moment is that Jason is temporarily moving in with me over the summer.

He got a job for someone on maternity leave, and will work said job until mid-September. At which time, he will either: 1) find another full-time job in Houston; or 2) return to Denton.

You really have to give the boy props, mostly because he is just so awesome, but also because Jason's world view goes something like this: "I DON'T WANT ANY CHANGES YOU CAN'T MAKE ME I AM GOING TO GO THROW UP." And my world view--though it may take some time to get there--is basically: "LET'S MAKE AS MANY CHANGES AS POSSIBLE ALL AT THE SAME TIME WHEEEEE ADVENTURES!"

Neither of us has any interest in jumping out of an airplane, so there is some common sense -- I mean ground.

We are going to need it, because it is a very small apartment.

But you already know how I feel about that. Adventures!

That Was Really Nice of You.

Yesterday, I went to an event in a building downtown, which is probably the last frontier I have to conquer in the Houston landscape. Let's just say that basically the part of town where I live/work runs North to South except for this ridiculous downtown part which for some reason runs on a diagonal:

See?

So, not surprisingly I park in the wrong parking garage, and the nice desk clerk tells me how to get to the right building, because even if I can kinda sorta MAYBE get myself around downtown by car, once on foot it's a totally different story. It's so VERTICAL.

On my way back, I pass the same desk clerk and I'm like "I found it!" and he's smiling at me and we're sharing this great moment. And I ask him if the parking garage takes a credit card, which they do not, and he directs me to the nearest ATM, and as I'm pulling out my debit card thanking my lucky stars that I *have* a debit card (since some hipsters stole mine and I just got the replacement this morning) he motions for me to come back to the desk and gives me a parking validation sticker.

"Let's just say you were here to visit management."

Yes! Let's!

And I just thought it was a nice culmination of things happening at the right time for the right reason: that I was invited, that I made it on time, that I thought to ask, that I had the means, and that I made it out, still smiling.

Instant Gratification, Delayed

Yo, bookstores.

When I say "We provide 330 teachers to the Houston area," I am not kidding around. They live here, and they want this book. They want it immediately, otherwise they would have bought it already off of amazon.com.

Barnes & Noble and Borders, your respective "0" and "2" copies (the latter of which could not be found on the bookshelves) are re-dunk-ulous. Wise up, and stock up. This is going to be a bestseller.

Yours,
Mary

To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn

Oh, my.

Let's stop and take a deep breath.

THAT was sudden. And that, and that. And when I say "sudden," I mean "a long time coming."

And the permeance of any of the above referenced "things" questionable at best.

But, I do want to live with you. The cat makes a lousy jigsaw puzzler.

All Your Outlook Dreams Come True

J: two important things you should know about:

m: yes
is one of them that you love me?

J: three things you should know about:
i love you.

m: yesssssssss!

J: meeting at --- on thursday at 3:30.

m: yessssssssss!

J: OMFG I TOTALLY FUCKING HAVE OUTLOOK AND IT IS TOTALLY FUCKING WORKING AND BEEPING

m: i just spurted coke
coke zero
all over my desk

"Only In This Neighborhood"

You need milk.
And cat food.
And to dance!

SexyATTACK get busted at the Disco Kroger in Montrose, not living up to its nickname. I love the quote at the end.

Here they are at the "Hot Chick" Kroger by my house, where apparantly this sort of thing happens all the time: