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:

One Day, Dear,

Someone is going to ask me when I knew we were meant to be together. And I am going to have to tell them about walking up to this scene and how you said, "Look! Kids in cages!"



Yes, I am definitely going to share that story with our children right before they put you in a home.

Attn: Zoo zoo

Get a job.

All You Really Have to Do Here is Not Fug Up.

John McCain,

I heard part of your speech on NPR today, and even though my entire political paradigm revolves around "The West Wing" I have always maintained that you are a stand up sort of guy. Maybe even a little Alan Alda-esque, and he wasn't so bad as the middle-of-the-road Republican.

When I was in Philadelphia and they called Texas for Hillary, for one little moment I thought "I am voting for McCain." But I didn't say anything. And then my pal turned to me and said "I am voting for McCain" and I was like I KNOW, RIGHT? (And then my boyfriend yelled at me.)

So today when you said:

"There must be no forgotten places in America, whether they have been ignored for long years by the sins of indifference and injustice, or have been left behind as the world grew smaller and more economically interdependent. In America, we have always believed that if the day was a disappointment, we would win tomorrow. That's what John Lewis believed when he marched across this bridge. That's what he still believes; what he still fights to achieve: a better country than the one he inherited."

I was totally on that bridge with you. Well, your speechwriter.

And then you said:

"Hope in America is not based in delusion, but in the faith that everything is possible in America. The time for pandering and false promises is over. It is time for action. It is time for change; the right kind of change; change that trusts in the strength of free people and free markets; change that doesn't return to policies that empower government to make our choices for us, but that works to ensure we have choices to make for ourselves. "

And then came the walk of shame back to the shore.

It's not that I don't like you; I just can't vote for a Republican. Any Republican, apparantly. Even if it appears that I agree with you on education; even if you and that Democrat I don't want to vote for keep calling my man "delusional."

P.S. Thanks for the shout-out.

The Largest Cities in the World

List by group consensus, after several plates full of meat and two bottles of wine at Fogo de Chao:

1. Toyko
2. Mexico City
3. Denton, TX
4. Argentina
5. Tomball, TX
6. New York

What We Talk About When We Talk to Strangers in the Elevator

The Weather
-How it's really starting to come down (the rain)
-Hot enough for ya?
-How humid it is
-How nice it is that the sun's still out at 6pm

The Elevator
-How it makes us nervous when it makes those noises
-How we know this person who got stuck/almost got stuck

The Day of the Week
-How close it is to Friday
-How at least it's Friday
-Mondays, boy I don't know

Those Bradford Kids
-How annoying it is when people ride the elevator from the lobby to the basement
-How they are always getting on in packs

SKIN CONDITIONS
-"Oh, so I think this rash on my neck is poison oak."

Mind Games

Here is the progression of my mindset this weekend:

Wednesday: Anxious
Thursday: Accomplished
Friday: IDENTITY QUAKE
Saturday - Sunday: 24-hour board game induced euphoria
Sunday: Totally jammin' to Randy Jackson's pop music top hits p.s. when did Linkin Park completely change their sound?

Again, I brought home as a souvenir a game called "It Was A Dark and Stormy Night" that is completely unplayable (trivia game based on first lines of famous novels, many obscure) but every now and then I can pull out a card and say "ahhh yes! Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence!" and feel ridiculously literate.

If you are in the market for a new party game, I recommend:
Zombie Fluxx
Aunt Millie's Millions
Eye Know
GiftTRAP
What's Yours Like?
Be-Rhymed
Man Laws & Woman Rules

If you would prefer a smart word game, I recommend:
AmuseAmaze
Jumbulaya
Orijinz

If your mom is a huge Sudoku fan, get her:
Spectrum Challenge
Black Box (logic puzzles)
Think Outside the Box
Pixel
Set Cubed (You know how much she loves Set the card game)

If you are a teacher, make your school fork over the money for these enrichment games:
Camp Board Game (nature/ecology)
Eye Know (general trivia)
It Was A Dark and Stormy Night (reading/writing teachers -- make your own cards! from books in your classroom library)
Mind Trap Geometrical Riddles Genius Level (math)
Reaction (chemistry)
StoryTellers (writing)
Think Outside the Box (problem solving)
Top This! (geometry) <--bonus! invented by 2 middle school students in Japan

Here are some games other people seemed to like, but I didn't get a chance to play:
Art of War
Senet: The Ancient Tomb Treasure Game
Tiki Topple

I couldn't find links to all of these.
Here's a list of last year's games.
I imagine this year's game will be up soon.
If you need instant game gratification, try here.

Over and out.

Identity Quake

I dunno, man.

It's like -- Monday you're feeling rested and rejuvenated and you have a brand new action plan and things are calendared and when the guy at Jimmy John's asks you how things are you tell him that today is a good day, because you heard that once on NPR and thought it sounded great. Sure, today is a good day. They're numbered, aren't they, and comparatively this one is a'ok.

And by the middle of the week you've discovered online pictionary and you're kicking some serious internet butt, and things are ok maybe not going exactly how you planned but it's all under control.

And then the next thing you know it's like bam, bam, bam -- and you're a terrible employee and you've forgotten how to talk on the phone and you can't even get the neighbor's dog to pee when it is time to go out. And you turn to online pictionary to boost your confidence but it doesn't work -- you have to pass on "shrimp" -- when anyone can draw a shrimp, right? God. It's like, so simple. And you're thinking, "Today is a good day!! Please?" and wondering why you can't seem to have a normal conversation with your boyfriend before bed.

And meanwhile, the laundry's piling up and the cat box is full and there's a container of burnt popcorn in the trash even though you bought asparagus on Sunday, and ever since you turned 22 you really looove asparagus.

So, I dunno. I've forgotten what shrimps look like. But I feel like tomorrow is going to be a good day.