dean reusser

last saturday busy

2012-01-09T20:04:00.002-06:00

Was pretty busy last weekend. Saturday morning I had a few errands to run and ended up going to Home Depot and got some potting mix soil, and some air duct sealant tape, flashlights, some countertop samples of formica, and a few brochures on silestone versus granite. I ran by Papa Angelo's pizza next for a quick lunch then back home to unload the soil. next I drove over to my sister Jennifer's for her daughter's baby's first birthday party. all the local family was there. I was hoping to use a computer at their house with Microsoft Word on it because a former student had asked me to proofread an application letter for him. Leo is hoping to get accepted to Parsons School of Design in the Lighting design program. I didn't bring my work laptop home last weekend and my personal laptop doesn't have Microsft office. Well I left my sister's place and went straight to my local bethany library. I signed up to use a computer and while waiting , grabbed last SUnday's New York Times paper. I was reading through and came across the NYT magazine. I had forgotten how much I loved reading that weekly magazine, before this bookstore closed downtown okc, they used sell the NYT magazine from the leftover SUnday papers. and it was just 75 cents! I'd pick up a few every other week or so when I made it by that store. no longer can I do so. so sad, and I can't subscribe to jsut that part of the paper, alas. of course it's all online but I'd rather read stuff in my hand and see the pics on the page. I finished my proofreading and suggesting on the paper eventually and returned home. went out to eat at Cafe 7, a new place on North May with my buddy Scott, and then watched some tv at his place "the dog whisperer" before coming home and crashing into bed before 10! sigh. SUnday went to church and then caem back home and got lots of work done. so far the new school semester is off to a great start. :)

fall break

2011-10-19T07:06:00.002-05:00

got a good start to fall break last weekend. had nothing planned and worked in the yard mostly all Saturday and picked up inside the house and such. However SUnday after church my pickup died a mile north after leaving my folks place in Mustang. UGH.
well we had it towed to a shop in town and then mom took me home. I waited around the house on Monday to hear from the mechanic about what could be done. It was a bit stressful because I had to teach class Monday night and I had trouble finding a rental car place with any cars available before 5pm. The mechanic called and gave me an estimate of $969 for replacing the timing belt, the water pump, flushing the coolant system, the serpentine belt, and oil change etc. I said go for it. ha
I've really been happy with my 2000 Ford Ranger. I bought it in 02 and it had only 12,000 miles on it. I have had the oil changed regularly and kept tires replaced. otherwise not the right maintenance as I should have.... so it's been super reliable up until now and it was time to have things taken care of obviously.
My sweet sister Jennifer took me to class Monday night, and my bud Scott gave me a ride home. Tuesday I checked out the outlet mall in OKC with a friend AMY and had a late late lunch at Republic on Classen Curve here in OKC. then mom and dad came to pick me up at my hosue and take me back to the garage to get my truck. :)
TOday I'll be grading some of the 20 essays that were turned in Monday night. I will try to get about 4 or 5 done before rewarding myself with some yardwork outdoor time. :) also hoping to get the house picked up and then maybe get to the gym for some cardio. no reason to put that off during fall break.

WASTELAND in okc

2011-02-19T19:16:00.001-06:00

man I made it to FRIDAY, woot woot. Went downtown this evening for the 5:30pm showing of "Wasteland" an Oscar nominated documentary. EXCELLENT film! Vik Munoz is a famous Brazilian artist who goes back to Brazil for a project of working with some people so poor they have to live and work at one of the world's largest garbage dumps in the world just outside of Rio. His project involves hiring them to help him incorporate the material they daily pick through from the dump into the portraits he's known for making out of various materials. Really inspiring and I was laughing and crying back and forth, such beautiful humble sweet sweet various people. If you get the chance to view this one coming through a town near you. SEE IT. :)

short films...

2011-02-13T13:03:00.002-06:00

Great selection this year...last night went downtown OKC to the art museum for the annual showing of short films. Friday night a friend and I saw the animated shorts and then again tonight we'll see the live action shorts. Not sure if I can make it to the Tuesday or Thursday night showing of the Oscar nominated documentary short films, but I may consider trying.. I like a good documentary after all. Of the films shown, Day & Night, The Lost Thing, Let's Pollute, Madagascar, and The Gruffalo I think my vote is going to Pixar's Day & Night. ALthough my heart really goes to The Lost Thing because for years I've had this beautifully drawn wordless book/graphic novel by Shaun Tan called The Arrival, which through pictures tells a story of an immigrant force to leave one country for another, all in a fantastically illustrated world. You can read more about the films here at OKCMOA website if in OKC and interested in the schedule... :)

new job

2011-01-30T20:40:00.001-06:00

well I got a new job at the end of last summer. They called me 2 weeks before classes started. I had applied to another school in the district in June but never heard back from that school. I had lined up a few classes to teach at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) and was preparing myself for another year of teaching at the college part time and substitute teaching now and then, scrimping and saving and very careful budgetting...etc. So when they called and it was a school I may have never considered ever applying at, I went for it. I knew it was God opening a door, 'cause I'd prayed all summer that He provide me the right job at the right time and had just been hoping in Him while looking. I got the job and began the next week showing up for the new teacher training meetings for teaching new to OKC school district.
Last semester was very interesting. When school began, the days were around high 90 and over 100. The ESL dept at my school was out in the former vocatinoal building and the building had NO AIR. so for weeks we worked with no air, turning on fans, leaving doors open, and many many times walking to the cafeteria and having class there. It was quite an interesting welcome to the new school. I'm teaching two NEWCOMER level classes (students' first year in USA) and then 3 hours of second year ESL students. as fall break approached, we were beginning to ues the classrooms regularly as the weather cooled. However, next we were told, do to the school's reconstruction all teachers from the vocational building would be moved to the old practice gym at fall break. AFter fall break, we'd been moved into 6 temporary classrooms built in the middle of the gym floor with drywall walls and no ceiling. We had to adjust to the noises shared echoing back and forth around the gym. The classrooms are nice and large, but it's sometime hard to hear a student at the back of the room read or ask a question. OF course I'm talking pretty loud because I don't know if they can't hear me or just not paying attention..
One nice thing is having a few of the OKC public school district facilitators visit my classroom a few weeks after fall break. Next they invited me to be a coordinator of the High School Newcomer Program curriculum review, which means I began working with them at the admin building after school to put together teams for each subject, including myself as the "team leader" of the Math section. Well I told the people I am working with at admin how it made me feel apart of something in the district when at the high school, we sometimes feel forgotten by the school at times out in our temp classes in the old gym.
I've made it almost to spring break and look forward to finishing the school year and back to gardening all summer again. ha. Some good news is that during spring break we will be moved out of the gym back into the renewed building. I'll have a classroom to myself again without noise from all the other classes going on at the same time, and I can't even imagine how nice that's going to be. ha
The school I'm teaching at, btw, is about 78% or more latino, mostly probably illegal immigrants from Mexico. Although this school is on the southside of OKC and considered a rough gangster type school, most of my students are pretty calm and are just here getting by until their parents or aunt or uncle or sibling or whoever they live with may or may not have to move again...
I am still teaching two college classes, one online, and one on Monday nights at OCCC. My goal in life right now is to continue to seek out full time work at a junior college, otherwise if I remain working at a public school, I will have to seriously consider going back to school for a doctorate so I can get into a college job eventually. I am also really tempted by job opportunities overseas constantly. but those days are prolly over for now. I like having health insurance now, and plus all my plants to care for in the summer. I'll be looking for God to open the next door definitely. :)

autumn beard

2010-11-20T21:24:00.001-06:00

art of life....

2010-11-09T18:33:00.000-06:00

I was reading this article about a performance artist who discussed "art pollution" saying that, "you understand the kind of work that will have success with your audience and you start making it again and again, and you lose yourself. The worst part is that you don't surprise yourself with your work, you don't get new ideas or take risks, because of the possibility of failure. But failure is an incredibly important part of the work. Life itself is what's important, not studio space." I had underlined that and another part of the article, "My favourite spaces in life are the prison, monastery and sanatorium, because they're dealing with regularity. I see my body like a tool, like a machine. The body has to have this regularity, like a Swiss watch, so that the mind can go free."
I like how the first quote encourages us to move forward, create anew and search out other limits and possibilties, and to welcome change... and the next almost seems like the opposite. but it's not. It talks about the physical and the creative. I see myself in that I'm very comfortable in a routine from day to day and week to week, although I realize that I do have the freedom to adjust, change, improve anything as needed/wanted... And I definitely love the times when my body is set to work as usual and the mind can go free. The article of course is applying this to art. but even as a teacher, I think that I'm most comfortable with sticking to what I know works when teaching, and then at times I might evaluate and think what needs a bit of adjusting or needs to be thrown out altogether, trying something completely new... I currently think these things when considering introducing positive and negative numbers to Mexican immigrant students who barely have a background of knowing their times tables. And then of course all the things I try to include for teaching a language. What is too much, what should be used and at what level, how many steps, what needs repeated or affirmed. etc etc...
overall, the second quote makes me feel less OCD about liking things the same way when it comes to my day to day work week, from now on I'm calling that the cushion to my creative mind to think freely! ha
( I think it can also be considered good discipline when that weekly schedule includes getting time to regularly go to the gym btw. )

2010-07-12T10:53:00.001-05:00

summer

happy 4th!

2010-07-04T12:05:00.006-05:00

so here we are in July......the 4th of July was mostly a cloudy rainy weekend, but this isn't bad considering how many less fires probably occured from everything being wet. also for my plant, the rain was welcome this time of summer. anyway rain in July or August for me in Oklahoma City seems a nice break, since it can be so hot and dry usually.
all the family met over at my sister Dana's for a cookout. lot's of niece and nephews and spouses and dates and babies. lots of fun.
came home to hear the boom boom of the Bethany fireworks show less than a mile away from my house at the park. I stood out on the porch for just a bit watching some of the flashes of light brighten up the sky. above all the neighborhood trees of course. Went down to Paseo district on Friday night and walked around the art galleries there after eating some pizza by the slice. they have this thing called art-walk on the first friday of the month. It was a good night for it with the cloudy and sprinkly weather. off today and planning to walk around the yard some and clean up the house a bit. also rented the dvd of the documentary Rape of Europa, which is all about how Hitler attacked places in Europe to steal the art from museums etc etc...

almost done with June 2010

2010-06-27T20:01:00.000-05:00

summer is moving forward. worked 5 days in a row lots of hours at the water park last week.....I had this Sunday off and was able to go to church where Pastor Carlon is preaching on Jeremiah. Was pretty uplifting about focusing on being a blessing to others overall, not focused on us us us all the time. anyway, that sort of stuff really helps keep me motivated in living day to day trying to serve God each day, especially when it is sometimes difficult to know what His purpose or plan might be for me in the future etc...
good things are happening outdoors in the yard where everything is growing and blooming nice enough. I'm also planning to put another bed in out front this summer.
At Whitewater they have a new item on their menu chicken soft tacos. so finally a sort of healthy choice besides pizza, fries, burger, fried chicken fingers etc.... although I've been bringing my own sack lunches which has really helped the budget overall.

class and waterpark...

2010-06-21T21:15:00.002-05:00

summer going well. I have begun teaching the summer class of Comp 1 at OCCC and just finished grading my first round of assigned essays. The first assignment is Shared Experience essay. This way they begin writing about something they choose and want to share and know about etc... and then I can grade and see how they write, amount of effort, and if they can follow most basic of instructions by using MLA style. You'd be surprised how many refuse to bother using 12 pt Times New Roman font and double space the page right.
After grading the essays, I've found I have a really diverse group, but a very manageable likeable number of people. The added bonus is they can all basically write an essay. Now to just fine tune their voice for a formal essay, and get the to pay attention to conventions of writing in the English language ( that's a nice way to say GRAMMAR RULES, ha). the telling experiences so far speak of surviving tornadoes, a car wreck, extreme drug abuse ending up in hospital and practically paralyzed, drug abuse and working as stripper, having a "blonde" moment, going to the lake as a kid, snowboarding, etc..... after this assignment I go into class and share a bit of my history so we can all have a get-to-know-you moment. I feel it's only fair since I get to know all about them from the essays.
I'll be grading essays every other weekend unitl the end of July (3 more essay assingments to go). I'm also working five shifts this week at Whitewater which is going to be good hours. Especially since OCCC doesn't have an August pay period, gulp. I'm hoping for a good schedule next semester of 4 classes like I had last year. I will continue to strive for excellence in the classroom until they can't bear not having full time at that place! OR whatever God brings next, I'm open and willing. I was just thinking today why hasn't Dep of Defense called with an overseas military school job, although I have become rather comfortable back in my home and what with all the gardening and planning for what's coming up where in future springs and summers, it would be funny to up and move again. I'm not sure I could do it in fact. But God knows our hearts desires so perhaps I'm meant to stick around OKC for a while.
just finished up watering outside and now am ready to finish up the last four essays and watch my usual 930 pm star trek generations episode.... make it so!

summer house

2010-06-12T15:55:00.003-05:00

here are pics of the front and back side of my house, I played around with the white picket fence this summer and put little color squares along them and on the planter boxes in the front of the house. my idea is to change out the colors with the season, but we'll see... things are really beginning to bloom in the gardens.

June is here

2010-06-01T14:09:00.001-05:00

just got these shoes in the mail today. My favorite brand of shoe MEDIUM brand footwear. which actually went out of business 2 or 3 years ago but I found these at an online site....woot woot.. They're so comfortable, I got these two pairs while I had the chance. it's the leather inside part of the shoes that makes 'em so comfy to wear, normally I wouldn't have bought this white shoe, but it was the only color left, well , it's sumemr anyway so white shoes...
I had a busy memorial weekend. working at WHitewater water theme park most of the weekend. I"m off today and Tuesday though and then work again tomorrow am. really hot hot weekend since the wind wasn't stirred up much. a bit better today. I had an interview at Mayfield Middles school in the Putnam city school disctrict this morning... for a Math opening. the interview went pretty well, I have also applied at Cooper and Capps middle school. I am looking forward to a challenge in any new school because nowadays the class sizes are 28-32 students in a room.. . ugh. I REALLY belong teaching in a college classroom though. That's my new love since teaching at the community college last year.. I will be setting my goals on that in the future most likely.. right now ANY job is better than no fulltim job. and there are not many openings to begin with since the recession etc...
verse for the week, month, summer lately is James 1:4." Perseverence must finish its course so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing..." Somehow I don't think I ever would have imagined that at my age I'd still be persevering and settin gup to face the next challenge, although I suppose Christians are set to persevere to many things in the modern world today.
Meanwhile, my garden is growing and I'm watering and mowing regularly, and the rain last weekend really helped set some buds into gear, so there should be some nice blooms coming forth this week and next out in the gardens. I was driving to the interview this morning thinking..."don't I really want to be a landscaper or event planner?"... but then I thought I should stick with what I know HOW to do at this point. Doing something for your self versus doing stuff for others for pay are probably very different experiences.
but someday.......

get this summer started right...

2010-05-18T20:39:00.002-05:00

well I'm off work until summer classes start June 7th at OCCC, not counting whitewater shifts of course which I'll be working starting up memorial weekend. So I decdied to start morning swims this week. I was on campus yesterday turning in final grades, and then today my first day off watching some morning television and walking around the yard and picking up the house a bit... but I felt like I should be doing something a little MORE.. as in my future... I have been to two teaching job fairs, and have had one interview at a high school for an ESL job, but that's all I can do other than keep checking school websites for openings... there was one at Hefner middle school for a math teacher so I went ahead and applied for that one today online. I've decided that fulltime is fulltime regardless what I'm teaching. the cool thing is I can always teach a night class at OCCC whatever job I find this next year... Mr Reusser just MAYBE might be able to travel again SOMEDAY.....
busy weekend coming up, I have a meeting with the local Hemerocallis Society on Friday night and then up to Siloam Springs Saturday morning.. should be a fun getaway..

spring weekend

2010-05-08T21:40:00.002-05:00

wow only week left of community college classes where I"m teaching ENglish Composition I classes. 4 each day, 3 days a week... and next summer at Whitewater Bay, water fun park here in OKC. I'll be working cash control counting money all day and accounting for each dollar and cent!
things are moving slow for me these days. not really sure where God wants me to end up working at this point in life, but I just have to keep depending on Him to put me where I can best be used, whether that means making more $$$ or not. ALthough I have to make myself stop thinking about how much I'd love to teach fulltime at my current community college since an English faculty member jsut retired... and how less excited I am about going back to public school. I have to remind myself there may not even be an opening at OCCC, and there may be 50 people ahead of me anyway that could be hired. so I have to take WHATEVER I can find at any public school for the benfits! ha ... I'm even considering looking for middle school math openings here in the city.
of course being more practical and spend thrifty means making do with what I can find to entertain myself without travelling or shopping or updating or decorating etc etc anything. I suppose that's why I find myself quite content to preen the yard of weeds and walk aroudn to see how things are growing and water and care for them. that comes cheap. of course I am constangly aiming to clean and condense inside my house as well. I decided I should try to condense so that if that perfect job came up overseas, it would be a simple task to put things in boxes and move right away.. ha that's my goal in thinking when cleaning and organizing the house.
I did have some fun while getting some plants at Home Depot last week, by checking out paint chips and colors. One of the things about getting hired fulltime again in OKC means I'm signing on to live here a few many more years in OKC, and that would mean in this same house, so the prospect of a new job means I can start brainstorming what new floors and walls and colors etc... actually I have this project I'm thinking of to ornament the house a bit outside this summer. more on that later.
It's been a very nice weekend. mainly jsut grading lots of "writing to convince" papers. and they are not really all that convincing but the students are learning how to cite sources using MLA style. finally! the worst one to grade are students who never come to class and then turn in a paper, and I"m slashing right through it correcting all the things we've talked about many times in class, and if they'd been in class for the TWO peer review sessions, even their classmates would have marked some errors made. ahh well. one more week and I'm FREE until June 7th! :P

chill........

2010-05-08T21:09:00.001-05:00

no traveling...

2010-05-04T16:11:00.002-05:00

no john I have no travel plans this summer....I should be coming through Siloam in May at some point to visit while Kara Edge is also in town. Otherwise it's a Whitewater summer. I am also teaching a class on Tuesdays and Thursday from 1030 to 1pm. so between that and the water park I'll keep pretty busy. Although I am going to consider the American Hemerocallis Soceity Regional meeting in St. Loius in June, and then I'd also like to visit some friends up in Michigan if possilbe this summer. Depending on what sort of full time job God provides will determine my calendar and funding of any trips. For now any fun money is going to landscaping the yard and improving the house. by improving the house I mean cleaning and finding storage for things and getting rid of others. I working outdoors as much as possilbe right now while the weather is nice and before the mosquitoes make their way back north.
I've had word this week that a OCCC professor has retired and I'm hoping perhaps another fulltime position will be posted which I could throw myself into trying to get. otherwise I had the interview at the high school which went well. and I'm still checking on other city schools for ESL openings. I applied at a local Bethany school today but I don't think they even have a need for an ESL teacher there. alas.
today I did not sub and took the whole day off. got up early for swimming laps at 7am.(this was more about getting rid of the itch on my ankles and legs from something in the garden than it was about exercise, I thought the chlorine water might help). then ran some errans this morning, including shopping at a local nursery, Home Depot, and lots of container planting and mixing of soil and setting in of annuals here at home. now I'm on the porch swing with the wind blowing and about to change up for the gym. I'll come back and water the flowerbeds before settling down to grade papers while watching tv tonight. so far, a very nice spring beginning...

2010-04-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

month off from posting I guess.... well let's see what's happened in the last month-- I went to the Putnam city job fair and spoke to a middle school principal. also the ESL person for the district, but they don't have any ESL openings right now. I've been teaching at OCCC and subbing a lot at Mustang North Middle school on Tuesday's and THursdays. I volunteered at a booth for the Memorial Marathon at the runner's convention, and then last Saturday at the Museum and then last SUnday morning I was at the finish line handing out medals from 10am to 1pm. I wasn't there early enough to see my sister run by from running the half marathon though... last week I had a pretty good interview at NW Classen High School for an ESL position. theysaid I may hear from them in a couple of weeks. I'll be busy finishing up with my last two weeks at OCCC these next 2 weeks anyway. they all have their last essay to turn in due Monday, a Persusive essay. so I'll be grading papers all next week. ha TOday I'm going to the Whitewater Bay orientation for the employees working up there this summer. then back home for some yard work and picking up the house and relaxing time. :)

april fools

2010-04-01T21:01:00.002-05:00

not much to write about going on lately. I;m just waiting for the putnam city schools job fair in April and then from what I've been told, in April is when the Oklahoma City public schools might start to call... we shall see... I'm hoping for an ESL teaching job at some school, get my life back on salary and benefits.. ah yeah.
I have been subbing every Tuesday and Thursday off from teaching at OCCC so that helps out tons with bills and costs for now which is excellent,, I'm saving most of it 'cause I'm not sure if I'll be teaching a class this summer at OCCC or not, of maybe jsut do the Whitewater job only.
Easter Sunday is coming so I plan to be singing in the choir for tomorrow night's Good Friday service and then also Sunday. watching a lot of American Idol this season which is fun during the week. Lot of red tulips blooming in my front yard that I put in the ground last November. and something is in the mulch when I weed that makes me itch not sure what it is yet, but something, even like my knees if I get my knees to the ground will itch. I think that the ground up leaves I got from a neighbors curb side might have ground up poison something no telling...

spring break 2010

2010-03-17T20:16:00.002-05:00

I'm having a little cardio training week while off work. I've been getting up every morning and swimming laps at the gym before breakfast. and then running at the gym before afternoon workouts. ..also grading through 75 papers that were turned in last wednesday...I hope to return them when we get back to school Monday.

I am loyally watching American Idol this season. just enjoy the performances and the competition of it all. Of course the main reason I like the show is I never watched it before last season since I worked night before going overseas. so this is my second season and I enjoy what they come up with every week.

I'm doing lots of yard work/clean up this week. One main thing I did was take out about 8 hedges surrounding my front porch. it just began to look too conventional. the four that I left I trimmed sort of circular shape instead of square and it really softens it up. next I'll be mulching before the snow coming Saturday, and then maybe dig up some bermuda grass our front of the sidewalk for a new bed.

I'd rather be in Austin for SXSW this weekend coming up of course. but until I get a full time job, no more travel! I did go to a job fair last week at OKC public schools and there were at least 5 that I left my resume and certificate with. ESL teacher was actually the one thing that they were looking for considering the many job cutbacks for teachers in OK this year. my goal before spring break is over is to fil lout an application for Bethany Schools and Peidmont schools. and then I also have Putnam City schools in mind. I MUST find the school in need of an ESL teacher.

Lord willing, just the right job where I can be used jsut right will come up. I continue to enjoy teaching at OCCC, but I must get back to salary!!! woot woot.

One thing I pray most for is finding purpose, and the more you spend time in prayer and His word, you will find you have to purposely live for Him each day, day by day, etc etc.. that's what's been on my mind lately anyway. It is sort of the best way to live when you are unsure of what's in the future anyway. that way I'm not worried just have to do my part in finding that next step. for now my next step is get the papers graded before end of spring break, and continue to put forth my best effort in teaching my students how to WRITE! ha

oh yeah, the pic is my 88 Ford Ranger loaded up on a trailer. My dad came over this week and took it back to his workshop to see if it will run again. I really liked driving that old pickup...

almost spring!

2010-03-07T13:10:00.002-06:00

I'm ready are you?
I've been subbing a lot this month which is a plus and will help with bills. I printed out a salary schedule of OKC public schools and put it on my fridge to remind me to look look look for jobs. no plans for spring break. travel is out, so I plan to really get the place in order around here. outside too.
this weekend my sister Paula and her family was in town. I had a blast going to visit on Thursday night and playing with the kids. Friday night I went and saw the movie ALice in Wonderland with some friends, and then Saturday to the Car show at the fairgounds. went back over to mom's to see Paula and kids on Saturday night and eat home made pizza. yum. today I went to see the movie Secret of Kells. very awesome animation film. tonight I'm watching the Oscars and grading papers before work tomorrow... one more week and SPRING BREAK. woot woot

catching up

2010-02-19T20:17:00.002-06:00

had a good time in Houston last weekend. drove down with a friend from Oklahoma, Scott, to visit a friend of ours, Jay that has a condo down there in the inner ring. we went out for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Saturday morning late breakfast and then out for some shopping and walking around the galleria mall. major big mall with tons of people. next we saw a play that night after dinner at Barnaby's. drove back Sunday after a late breakfast at 59 Diner.

when I got back Sunday night I took a shower before bed and the water slowly went lukewarm, then without cold water very lukewarm to cold. drat no hot water. I went to bed thinking I'd just used up the hot. I was up before the alarm and checked the faucet, still no hot. went back to bed and laid there thinking through it and that perhaps the basement was flooded....walked down and checked and sure enough 7 or8 inches of water... was gone all weekend and perhaps all the melting snow...I had my sump pump unplugged cause the switch had worn out a few months ago and wasn't shutting off. I'm down there barefoot freezing cold and plugging in the sump pump to at least drain the place... well guess what the pipe that goes out to the vent meets an old iron 90 joint that was cracked and busted and water just poured back onto the floor over by that wall.... ugh.Instead of office hours Monday, I came home after lunch and met my dad. we plugged up the pipe to the vent. turned on the pump and water came out of the pipe up near the clothes washer inside. ughhh we went and bought a sump pump that he rigged a garden hose up to that went outside and we got it drained. apparently the check valve had given out quite a while back in my old sump pump.
the water heater lit up a few times but kept going out. I blow dried it with a hair dryer Monday night for a while and kept trying to no avail. Tuesday Brian the handy plumber came back(he's been over twice since I"ve had my house). he's honest, hardworking, and has used extra parts in his truck before when he had to repair my sink. anyway, we discuss it all and he roots out from outside into the basement and takes out the clog. $99 dollars poorer but worth the fix.
Plumber Brian also told me about taking out the burner in my water heater and either getting the filter dry inside or replace the burner if needed. I removed the burner and could see it was fine.
Dad comes back over tuesday after lunch and we returned the sump pump because it had this lousy switch that was not turning on or off like it should. we took back the $84 pump back to Lowes to exchange for a heavy duty $137 version that has a float switch like my old one. it's connected up and awesome. while we were at lowe's, we left a hairdryer going into the base of the water heater. we put everything back and the burner lit up and stayed on this time what with air flowing through the now dry filter. YEAH hot water again! sump pump working.
next project at some point this spring or summer will be take out the old cast iron 90 joint and replace with a pvp type and get the vent hooked back up. possibly replace if needed. the important thing now is that the water drains and doesn't come up from the washer drain pipe.
oh yeah, I could have had a sub job Tuesday but was busy. I did get to sub at the High School in Mustang on Thursday. All my Comp 1 classes went well this week and I'll be grading papers all weekend.

Monday morning barefoot in freezing water...

2010-02-16T19:05:00.001-06:00

yeah when I got back Sunday night I took a shower before bed and the water slowly went lukewarm, then without cold water very lukewarm to cold. drat no hot water. I went to bed thinking I'd just used up the hot. I got up Monday morning before my alarm to take a p and checked the faucet, still no hot. went back to bed and laid there thinking through it and that perhaps the basement was flooded....walked down and checked and sure enough 7 or8 inches of water...I was gone all weekend and perhaps all the melting snow...I had my sump pump unplugged cause the switch had worn out a few months ago and wasn't shutting off. I'm down there barefoot freezing cold and plugging in the sump pump to at least drain the place... well guess what the pipe that goes out to the vent meets an old iron 90 joint that was cracked and busted and water just poured back onto the floor over by that wall.... ugh.Instead of office hours yesterday, I came home after lunch and met my dad here. we plugged up the pipe to the vent. turned on the pump and water came out of the pipe up near the clothes washer inside. ughhh we went and bought a sump pump that he rigged a garden hose up to that went outside and we got it drained. apparently the check valve had given out quite a while back in my old sump pump.
the water heater lit up a few times but kept going out. I blowed with a hair dryer last night for a while and kept trying to no avail. This morning Brian the handy plumber came back. he's the nicest guy, and this was his third time over. he's honest, hardworking, and has used extra parts in his truck before when he had to repair my sink. anyway, we discuss it all and he roots out from outside into the basement and takes out the clog. $99 dollars poorer but worth the fix.
Plumber Brian also told me about taking out the burner in my water heater and either getting the filter dry inside or replace the burner if needed. I removed the burner and could see it was fine.
Dad comes back over today after lunch and we return the sump pump because it had this lousy switch that was not turning on or off like it should. we took back the $84 pump back to Lowes to exchange for a heavy duty $137 version that has a float switch like my old one. it's connected up and awesome. while we were at lowe's, we left a hairdryer going into the base of the water heater. we put everything back and the burner lit up and stayed on this time what with air flowing through the now dry filter. YEAH hot water again! sump pump working.
next project at some point this spring or summer will be take out the old cast iron 90 joint and replace with a pvp type and get the vent hooked back up. possibly replace if needed. the important thing now is that the water drains and doesn't come up from the washer drain pipe.
oh yeah, I could have had a sub job today bus wasn't able to take it since all the home projects. such is life. although I will hit the gym now before dinner. also grading papers all this week!! just had my students turn in their personal experience essays yesterday... woot.

ground hog

2010-02-02T14:20:00.002-06:00

I'm about to head out to the gym before lunch. the usual Tuesday where I can work chest in a long workout and then deserve a cheesy meaty lunch of new york style pizza at Papa Angelo's here in Bethany . THis morning I've been watching "Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain" series on youtube. I started it this weekend and am now finishing the second half of the episodes. also grading papers today, watching the stock markets just for fun, my GNW stock is up and NCS stock is just sitting there.
I am looking forward to some mail today, something I "won" on ebay. It's a deck of playing cards from Icelandair airlines. They were noted as the "best take-away" in an article in Monocle magazine of the best of international travel. I liked the illustrations of nordic gods in place of the royalty, and went straight to ebay and said to myself "I'll have that, thank you."($5) all other purchases on strict hold. I also plan to get my some letters written today to some people I need as references. I'm going to send them some reference forms with addressed stamped envelopes to DODEA, which is where Im' applying for a DOD military school overseas possiblilty for next year. I figure I should get at least some interest being certified to teach secondary English, and up to 10th grade math. also master's in TESOL. experience of 3 years teaching in central america, 10 months with the USAF teaching in Kabbul and DLI trained etc..I am sort of just getting my name in there, and will also look at a local public school this spring for full time work. we'll see which door God opens in the long run.

when I think about long term goals, I figure I could either go overseas a year or more and save money to come home with and get my doctorate, OR work full time again and go to night school slower route to my doctorate... but somehow end up with a college prof job somewhere.
the ice is melting a bit today and i keep hearing it fall outside, most alarming is the sudden thuds against the storage shed on the side of my house from the ice falling off the neighbor's tree above.

back in the swing of things...

2010-01-28T19:31:00.002-06:00

well no classes tomorrow due to the ice storm that came through today. but ahh well. the new roomie left wednesday. I got back from my day teaching at school,a trip to the apple store, then the gym downtown for leg day, and then finally got home around 630pm to find a note saying he moved in with his grandparents. ok.
It's kind of funny cause the extra room is super clean right now and looking good, so I have to resist putting boxes and junk piled up in there again as an extra put stuff out of the way place.
count on OKC to change back and forth like this, in HOndruas they call February the crazy month, so true for okc. last week I was digging up some shrubs and moving them towards the fence on the side of the house and outside mulching and weeding some. today icy freezing rain. I've been watching some tv and a few movies, a documentary called "beautiful losers" and tonight maybe Star TRek or Bottle Rockets. or tomorrow since I'm off work all day.
I was going on about the 4 areas of writing, and one of them is Critical Thinking, reading, and writing... This is when I get the chance to inspire people to make that choice of thinking once and a while and not just take everything face value, i.e. believe everything you hear/read/see. ALthough, yeah there's a time and place for that. For example, I discussed the recent election of the Republican senator in MA. The next day CNN was reporting how "fast American poliitics can change, and how they just as quickly change back!", and on NBC today show that morning Meredith was reporting how "Stunning!" it was... so we discussed these choice of words and what's behind it. Just as Fox news was reporting the "clear message" this was meant to be to the current administration as if it was so obvious... we discussed what different channles would have said differently if they'd been reporting a Dem senator win during a Rep admin. SO we discussed the option of thinking critically or not. But overall to do so when they read, especially in regard to research for thier writing.
This next week I'll include a discussion on how although I check closely on grammar and puncuation, and will include acitivities throughout the semester to improve these thing, that this has nothing to do with being a good writer. Writing is communicating regardless of your spelling or grammar, that's why authors and journalists have EDITORS. what I have to do is get them communicate ideas but in a formal writing manner with paragraphs and a plan presenting those ideas. blah blah.

Alex Katz............ahh

2010-01-21T08:15:00.002-06:00

almost back to work....

2010-01-19T11:20:00.002-06:00

today is chest day at gym and I'll be going before lunch since I'm off all day. after that, Angelo's Pizza in bethany for some awesome pizza and sit down and read a magazing time. I'll bring last week's New Yorker to read and then Architectural Digest to flip through depending what I"m in the mood to look at or read.
Got a new paying roomate yesterday moved in. a yonger guy who's working nights so hopefully our schedules will work out as I can't just sit around and be quiet on my days off while he's sleeping in. ha
Tomorrow begins another semester of teaching Comp 1 classes, 4 of 'em so that will be a lot of papers to grade again. hopefully the class sizes will go down like they did last semester as kids drop out or quit coming for whatever reasons...
I clearing out the back room of my house which is full of boxes and junk and a piano and you could barely make your way to the clothes washer and dryer. SO I dragged everything out onto the table in here and this afternoon I plan to empty all the stuff. put like stuff together and get rid of stuff I forgot I was keeping and don't care about anymore. The majority of the stuff is school supply and desk stuff from teaching, other teaching materials and then memoribilia from travelling stuff. etc etc. lot's of stuf stuff stuff. ugh. will fill good to condense it all down.
I'm also going to iron some things today for work. I like to start out dressed professionally so they no I take myself very seriously when it comes to teaching grammar/writing/mla!!! ha ha. after srping break i will MAYBE wear a polo shirt or colored jeans instead of slacks but not until them. I have to appear proffesorial if not for the students' sake then for my own, to remind myself I actually know what I"m talking about and can do the job.
I plan to have my name and resume out to any overseas job searches by the end of this month, and then in Febuary I plan to get my application updated and in at Mustang, Yukon, Bethany and maby JUST maybe OKC schools, but only as ESL teacher at OKC not a classroom. Sun's out going to go look at the beds before heading out to gym..

January halfway

2010-01-13T14:47:00.003-06:00

In Roman history Janus is recorded as a god of doorways, beginnings, and transitions, thus the first month of the year is named January. The only other English word that is still in use today which comes from Janus is what we use to call that not so respected worker who's in charge of keeping all those doorways and entrances clean and in spit-spot shape. Have you thought of it yet? It's the Janitor. true story.
I'm about at the end of my winter break from college professoring...classes begin back up next week. I plan on rewriting my syllabus on campus tomorrow so I can get it turned in for enough copies made for first day of class. One thing I'm definitely setting as policy is late work, I'll not accept anything late after one week UNLESS the student has contacted me about the assignment and we've discussed the reasons why it wasn't turned in on time etc... I mean after all with email nowadays there is NO reason not to be contacted within a week. In which time I can put my zeroes in the gradebook and tarry on never to look back. ha
I've already decided to go over a few pet peeves the first day of class. Usually we just go over the syllabus and discuss purchasing the book if you haven't already done so. HOWEVER, I will use all my time possible to discuss certain things like putting a comma between two independent clauses in a sentence, possibly discuss commas after introductory clauses, and then discuss not using the word "then". Students like to begin sentences with the word "then" a lot, and I need to make clear that it's unneeded and how the reader knows that following sentences continue the sequence of thought when included after one another in a paragraph with out the word THEN! anyway...
I need to record on my blog about the death of Miep Gies. She died Monday at the age 100. She was one of a pair of office workers who hid the Frank family and others during the holocaust. I am interested in this because I taught Anne Frank's Diary to 8th graders for three years in a row at Pinares and I always got involved in the story and the life in that attic apartment etc..trying to get the kids to understand their life, the unfairness, and what freedom they enjoyed etc..
I look forward to getting back to routine once work starts back up. One thing I want to focus on as the new year begins is Philippians 1:6;

he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

I'm hoping I'll remember this as I struggle to find a job and search the next step in my career path this spring. I'm also excited to see what "works" I can involve myself in beyond just my career. regardless of what I"m doing to earn money, what am I doing away from work in my free time to serve Him. that sort of thing.

year ends, 2010 begins!

2010-01-05T22:58:00.003-06:00

long CHristmas break. I don't go back to work until the 18th when classes start back up at OCCC. I'll be teaching another 4 classes of COMP 1. I won't be doing this next year. My goal this spring will be to decide what career steps to take next. I want to get back to a full time job doing something, so this means getting back on at a public school like maybe in Yukon or Mustang. and also pursue teaching at a DOD school overseas (Europe), and I am still holding on to the idea of lackland Airforce base in San Antonio and teaching at DLI. God will have a plan, I have to make mine fit and seek His will. that's all there is to it.
CHRISTMAS holidays were wonderful. All my family got together at my folk's place in Mustang. Paula stayed with her family in Beaver, but she and the kids and husband all visited the weekend before Christmas. My brother Neal had planned to come down but the snow kept him in Kansas. SO it was me, my aunt Judee, the folks, and my sisters and all their family. Lot of fun, great food, good times, and a long relaxing day. THe neice and nephews are all old enough that they stick around enough for some visit time without just running off after dinner. which is really nice.
record of 14" fell Christmas eve day on OKC. I saw cars on the side of the road about every half mile while driving from Bethany to Mustang. I stayed the night that night so I wouldn't be on the roads at night coming back. enjoyed mom's food, their cable tv channels, comfy home and bed. ahhh
New YEars was spent in Dallas. My friend Randy was moving from an apartment to a house with more room for his 3 kids. Had new years at the restaurant he worked at NYE, and then we went to a friends condo downtown, crazy party and we got back to his place by 4 am. whoosh. Friday was spent getting stuff moved out of his old place iwth my pickup and his Jeep suv. then over to a Chef friends house, where the chef and his wife were having a lunch and movie all day party. was a great relaxing time. we were there all day and night. except I left during the second movie ( we watched 4) to make an errand up to IKEA in Plano. Saturday was spent cleaning up the apt and throwing things out and turning in his key then lunch with an Architect friend of Randy's. he worked that night and I burned CD's on my laptop for Randy, and then CD's on Randy's laptop for me. ha came home SUnday. It was a good getaway weekend to Dallas. had been a while.
now I"m jsut waiting to throw myself back into my job and then find that next step in life. I'm also cleaning the house all week with my extra time, and have invited my fam over for dinner Thursday night to motivate me to get that done. ha

2009-12-22T10:42:00.001-06:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

NYC, december trip

2009-12-13T13:41:00.010-06:00

arrived to NYC last Thursday around 2pm and got into Manhattan about an hour later, and to my hotel from grand central by 4pm. I got all checked in to my hotel and then back into the city and TIME SQUARE woot woot..by 5:30..and then picked up my tickets at the St James theatre and back there by 7pm to see a broadway show, the revival of Finian's Rainbow. I was right smack in the middle about row N. Excellent show, perfect song and dance experience on broadway. The guy playing Finian was an absolute genius with ever word, move, gesture, and turn. WOW, the guy playing the leprechaun also did an excellent job, complete cream of the crop up on that stage. I have to say Finian and the Leprachaun really stole the show for me. Through a connection of a friend, I got the chance to go backstage after the show. I was a bit nervous and excited and hyped up after the show... the cast was walking all around back and forth. The connection who worked backstage introduced me to each one saying how I'd come from OKC to see the show and I was saying "wonderful job, loved the show" to everyone. ha ha.

Friday I woke up and headed up to Rockefeller center, to see the tree and all...stood outside of the NBC studio for a little while. The end of the Kathy Lee and Hoda hour was going on and you could kind of see them inside so that was cool. walked around shopping after that, taking pictures and all. My friend Heath was in town for work and called and we met up for lunch. We walked back up to Rockefellfer center , then down to bryant park, and then said our goodbyes... he had to get back to his friends in town and was going back to Austin the next morning.
I went back to my hotel to drop off some things, then walking back uptown through the meatpacking district on my way to the Hell's Kitchen area for dinner at Arriba Arriba on 51st and 9th.
Saturday!! Soho and Financial district on my list. walked down greenwich to photograph the former house of Robert Isabell , he was an event planner who died last spring and Sotheby's is having an auction of his furniture and stuff this December. Next I shopped in Soho eventually getting on a subway down to Century 21 dept store for a bit more shopping and then Seaport to check it out and also buy a ticket for Hair. got a taxi back to my hotel to unload all my bags and get ready to meet up with a former Honduran student in Brooklyn. Leo is living in Brooklyn just now and another girl student, Lisa L, was in town from Philly. I met with both of them for dinner in Williamsburg, so much fun! Leo showed me a furniture gallery he's interning at, and then we met up with Lisa in town from PA. I've known them since teaching them in 7th and 8th grade and couldn't be more proud of all the steps they're making in life. Leo took me by one of his favorite bookstores on the way to the substop and bought me a book "Design as Art" by Bruno Munari. I'm slowly but surely reading it... we left Lisa on the L train and took a sub north towards the Al Hirschfield theatre for Hair. I had only bought one ticket earlier, but told Leo to come and I'd get him whatever ticket was left to see the show with me. 3 months in NYC and he hadn't seen a broadway show yet. get this! my ticket was orchestra 8 rows back furthest left seat, which wasn't too bad really although a side view. So we get there before the show and I ask them for one ticket whatever they have etc. the ticket they sell me is orchestra 5 rows back center!!! ha ha, well of course I'm nice and let Leo have the ticket. excellent seat. to his right on the other side of the aisle was Kate Beckinsale. I liked the performance, having seen the movie and owning the soundtrack in college. what a night.
ok so SUnday morning basically got packed and slowly made my way back to grand central etc.... back home Sunday night. what a trip!!! maybe I'll get back there someday...

everythins up to date in kansas city...

2009-11-20T22:42:00.012-06:00

I want the two mission side table you see here stacked in the middle....

this was a handmade high chair that would lay flat and make a sort of horse rocker toy. and if you turned that upside down it made a sort of little desk for a child to sit at on the back side.

went to Kansas City last weekend. my bud Jeff had ordered a twin bed, night table, and dresser from an Amish furniture store for his daughter. So headed up there thursday night, stayed with the claybergs. and was off by 11am to Kansas City with Jeff in his dad's truck. we got into town by 4ish and checked in to the INtercontinental hotel, cleaned up and went out to the plaza to shop around a bit and then dinner at Figlios. good times. next morning we drove up across the border to Davis City, Iowa. picked up the furniture at "the Hitching Post" from Eli. turned back south to Kansas City, and went through the Kansas side this time for lunch at Dean and Deluca's. and back to ARkansas in time for dinner with Jeff and his wife and kids. excellent weekend, and lots of good conversation and catching up with Jeff during the trip.

volunteer banquet with my sis

2009-11-20T22:08:00.002-06:00

nov 6th, that friday, I went to the annual volunteer banquet for the museum where I volunteer every other saturday morning downtown. I took my sister Jennifer with me this year. It was a lot of fun. This year they had the banquet at the Historical Skirvin Hotel downtown. We arrived an hour early for a tour of the place, and then the reception, then dinner with a nice rare filet of steak. awards and then we got out by 9 or so..

on working the haunted house.....

2009-11-20T21:58:00.001-06:00

I made some extra cash working at a haunted house in the city for the 4 weekends of OCT. after the first night, I was beat after getting home at 12 that night and up to volunteer at 9 the next SAT morning...
I was made up with white face and black around my features and eyes etc, and wearing some torn up clothes as a costume, and basically it's exactly what you'd imagine. you're hiding around a corner in wait of a group to come through to jump out and scream etc...meanwhile a bunch of noise,smoke machines, screaming and slamming going on all around etc..crazy haunted house music playing loud etc...the usual I guess for a haunted house. i got about every other group coming through pretty good. some groups just sort of stay on the target of getting out of each room, and some are dopey kids jsut going through going hey dude I see you etc...whatever. overall it's pretty exciting and goes by pretty fast.
the third weekend and... whoooooie, was aloso a lot of work, but I have to say it's definitely a lot of fun jumping out and trying to scare people. I got about every 2 out of 3 groups pretty good. I don't even bother with the morons who are carrying a flashlight or some sort of cellphone device, shining around the corners etc, like why bother. I'm also ignoring the few idiots who call me an a-hole when I scare them, mainly high school kids feeling pretty big for their britches with such cursin freedom I guess... but anyway, same deal. dude! this is about having fun. come on! why bother going in if you're going to get upset when you're surpised.
the last weekend, I was in the "organ room" which is a room the groups sort of just walk through, there is a dummy propped at a fake organ in the room whch they must walk around to get to the other side, lots of organ music from an amp in the room, lots and lots of fog machine smoke... and then there's me all dressed in black, jumping out from behind a black curtain in the back of the room. ...and the best part of the last weekend is I wore fabric on my head covering my face completely. and then I wore a sort of white bandit mask over that. I sort of looked like a fake dumb with a mask thrown on it's head..and thos were th best scares people walking right by me as a group and suddenly all I did was move and shift to the right or let and I got the best scares from a group or couples, also better way getting the guys. cause when you jump out from somewhere he girls will scream, but the guys react more to the subtle surprise of something being not what the though it was going by.
The effect worked a little too well. twice someone tried sticking their fingers in my eyes, and many times peope poking me in the arm, chest, or grabbing my arm and feeling to see if it's real or not.. however, that always tells you there is some doubt, and as soon as you move, they jump!.
the last night was pretty awful though, a few of the managers were gone doing hallowen with their children or at the osu game and we only had one security working. I got hit in the shoulder at one point, and then a second time a guy put his hand in my face and pushed on my face back into the wall. I tried to get security after him, but good luck finding security... it got me pretty wound up, and so I left my room wanting to just go home, but a monster leader talked to me and cooled me off, and I finished out the 30 minutes remaining. but overall an interesting experience.

here goes october

2009-11-03T09:19:00.001-06:00

flew buy what with working every weekend and teaching and grading etc...
the weather this week has been much nicer and I hope to take advantage and get outdoors on my day off tomorrow , dig around a little, pot some plants to bring back inside over winter, clean up a bit out there etc..
looking forward to this weekend. I am going with my sister to a volunteer banquet Friday night at the Skirvin Hotel downtown which includes a tour of the hotel. fun! and then I volunteer Saturday morning, and then nothing much more planned other than church SUnday morning.

-------U2--------

2009-10-21T22:15:00.002-05:00

went to the U2 concert Sunday night. was OUTSTANDING and AWESOME! the stadium was PACKED out down in Norman at the OU football stadium. Trish and I got down there just before 7pm when it started. I got to park a half block away from the stadium thanks to Pam's son Jake living down in Norman. We get inside, and notice the $40 tshirts, screw that! Black Eyed Peas opening like the party band they are....absolutely all FUN. opening with "Let's get it started"... ahh yeah did they ever, and eventually Fergie sang "big girls don't cry" was cool hearing live. and more songs ending with Boom boom Pow, and then of course, Tonight's gonna be a Good Night!! not everyday you can see the currently number one band with a number 1 and 2 song on the charts!! woo!!! next U2--------every song, the new ones and every single former HIT!!! incredible the stage set was surreal, an entire stadium singing along, light show, some new songs with words to the lyrics going across the huge circular screen, late in the show a political message with some world leader speaking to us from the screen, a floating head and all these graphic speaking of one people, we are one, we are the same etc etc....2 encores, final song With or without You....SWEET!!!

haunted housework

2009-10-14T22:15:00.004-05:00

no not the mess around my place. but last weekend and the next three I'm working at the Frontier City haunted house called Frightfest. the work is open to anyone who was at Whitewater during the summer, and since I'm part-time these days at OCCC, I figured I could use the work.
I showed up last Friday night for our first night, was assigned to a group with a monster leader, and was told I'd be in the room called "the mausoleum." We put on our choice of costume which is basically a lot of torn up old clothes, some with red paint slopped on like blood. Everyone shows up wearing black. Over my clothes I wore a sort of medical jacket, with rips and cuts all about it and sort of dirty looking. We all stand in line wear they have a professional guy airbrush paint on our faces. It's quite effective.
And then basically the rest of the night is as to be imagined if you've ever been through a haunted fun-house. we go to our rooms, the smoke is on and everywhere, lights are flashing in some other room, lots of noise and sounds and screaming and crashing noise from all the various rooms. And I'm standing in a corner just behind the path that groups take through the room, they can't see me, but I can see them coming, and jump out usually sometime after the first one or two people walk by me. if it's a large group I continue running by the line bobbing up and down trying to take them by surprise and making some sort of growl noise or wave of hand etc...
you sort of just have to throw yourself into it. hey, it's a job.
my legs sure were sore by the third night though all that crouching and running back and forth. But overall I have to say a fun different sort of work. the loser idiot kids that come through with a flshlight device on their phone or something and like to find the people there to surprise them, I tend to ignore. what a waist, why bother if you're not into it for the fun. likewise for the idiots kids who like to cuss you or call you a name for scaring them, duh, it's a haunted house. have some fun already! ha

great college homecoming weekend

2009-10-05T07:08:00.002-05:00

I had a nice weekend. and although I have to say it was a pretty slow year as far as people comoing into town. The slowness made the few people I spent time with the more valuable.
This year I went up Saturday morning. arriving in time for lunch at Fatigas with Jeff Nichols, a walmart grad who I also worked at Wal Mart with during my college years. we've continued to be best friends ever since. Next was the homecoming soccer game. I went with Trish and we found the "90s" tent. very few people. we saw the GUmms, Matt and wife Hollie, and brother Mark. that was pretty cool. also I spoke with Jeff Anglin and his wife and their beautiful daughters. John and Kara Lasater were there with the kids, and scott angling came by and although Craig Kelly didnt' make homecoming, his son did! I saw Dave Murray and Joseph Odima. and that was about it. other than the gloriously beautiful Genevieve Jaeger. who I love running into at homecmoing in Siloam. the cutest kids and she couldn't be happier in NM where she's raising her family. I had the best conversation with her, the lasaters, trish and i looking at an old yearbood. it was fun overall. Saturday night went to the Lasaters for a "campfire" although it was just me and them and Tony and Jane. but even then a smaller group really led us into more downtime good conversation. great time.
came home sunday morning first thing and graded papers all day, and I'm nbow returning to work this monday morning with papers checked and grades in hand! yes. only 2 more weeks until I have 80 papers to grade again.... ahhh

the shoes I wore to mow in Tuesday

2009-10-02T15:25:00.002-05:00

FROM LASST TUESDAY EVENING ----

I blame it on the shoes, my former roomie's one size too big for me old pumas that I use for mowing the yard. after I finished such task today i stepped wrong into the space between the curb and pavement where there is a sort of gutter, and OUCH twisted or landed sidways or something wrong. didn't feel too bad, and I was inside getting my shirt and shoes changed for my night class at 5:30. drove to said class. a couple hours later, we're walking around the grounds (it's a trees and shrubs class) and I start to fell a little pain like I need to limp. then I progress to limp a bit more and more so that by 8 we're taking a break and I'm quite painfully limping back to my truck to get my sandwich and then to the classroom inside. I sat there for about a half hour before finally I put up my notebook and pen, put on my jacket and hopping out and down the hall on one foot. it was painful just sitting there with it elevated on another chair. I limped outside the building and could barely move at this point just slowly hobble step by step. some guy in the parking lot drove his car over and said, hey can I take you to your car? and I'm feeling like an idiot cause I'm so proud and independend and feel like I have a strong tolerance for pain and say, well it's just over there but thanks, and he says, hey come on it's that much less pain for you. SOLD. I get to my truck and start driving home. oh by the way, it's my left foot and my ranger is standard. the pain every stop and shift. dang! about 5 miles away back home and in the door, crawling to the phone and getting my folks on call in the morning in case I work up in pain and can't drive to work....ugh.. well I've been laying with it elevated and iced and I took a vioxx so hopefully I'll wake up feeling better and not wors. so much for leg day at the gym tomorrow, possibly any running this week. dang it all.

AND NOW --- feeling better but still a bit of limp and stiff in the morning. but the foot is getting a lot better. I was able to drive to work Wednesday and get around with a bit of a limp, and Thursday I mowed the backyard all right, otherwise just been sitting and grading papers and moving around the house some. definitely no gym this week so that is pretty awful, i hate taking a week off then going back and barely able to keep up with the weights or reps I worked up to before. one week makes a big difference! also the soreness when you miss a week of working out.l yuck.
this weekend is college homecoming at my alma mata JBU. I am trying to finish up 10 or so more essays to grade so I can drive up there tonight, but probably I'll have to wait and just drive up first thing tomorrow morning...

school job opportunity continues...

2009-09-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

4 comp classes!! I had agreed to teach a writing class on tues and thurs starting mid oct. BUT today I was asked to take over an afternoon class on Mon and WEd that I've been subbing the last couple weeks for a sick teacher. this means I won't be teaching the writing class since adjunct can't teach more than 4 classes. the good news is I won't have to drive to occc every day, and will stick with going on Mon and Wed.. God really let that work out nicely, and I'm thankful!
I won't need to drive on those extra days, AND no extra prep cause it's the same class so I welcome this extra paid job. was 51 this morning, cool cool morning so fall has definitely arrived, I'm grading papers all this week, trying to have them all finished by next Monday. ughhhh
Another reason I"m glad that I won't be doing the Tues and Thurs class from 130 to 4pm is that I like having my Tuesdays free to prepare for my night class on Tuesday night, the Deciduous trees and shrubs class I'm taking at OSUOKC.

rainy day tuesda

2009-09-22T09:04:00.002-05:00

well I had one morning no rain, but now we're back to rain just like all last week! ha
today I'll be studying trees and shrubs for the test tonight in my Deciduous plants class. We're up to 30 trees or shrubs now that have been introduced and each weekly quiz is cumulative. We must identify 10 on the quiz and write down the scientific and common name. so I'll be memorizing the 10 from last Tuesday.
I'll be starting to grade essays from the 3 Comp 1 classes I'm teaching. Their first essay packet was due yesterday, so I have 70 to read between now and next Monday (I'm aiming for a week to get them all back). It should be a pretty busy day, I'm obviously not getting any yardwork done today with all this rain. :)

My first year teaching at Mustang...

2009-09-11T21:55:00.004-05:00

I returned from teaching in Honduras and took a job at Midfirst bank selling equity loans via the use of the new online Lending Tree service, but during that "year off" I missed being a teacher. I was hired at Mustang Middle School less than a month before school started, teaching 8th grade Math, English, and Reading. Classes began the last week of August. This was the year 2001. It wasn't but a few weeks into the semester that I had already gotten accustomed to having first hour planning period, meaning every now and then arriving to school after school began for the day.
I remember quite clearly walking down the empty hall after entering through the side door of our 8th grade hall. Jason Speaks was the History teacher Who's classroom and door was next to mine. He had his t.v. on and called me in before I could get my door unlocked notifying me of what had just happened, the news on t.v. about a plane hitting a building in NYC. Crazy stuff...we asked ourselves what in the world was going on and how it was something out of a movie. I went to my room next so I could watch my own tv and flip back and forth between news channels. And then another plane. I walked back next door as we stoof in disbelief and began discussing that this was BIG, very BIG, UNBELIEVABLE. This was a disaster movie taking place on tv but happening in real life, no special effects, the news continued, other planes etc...horrifying.
Eventually first hour was over and the school requested we not have out tv's on in the room but of course between classes we all kept checking, just as parents throughout the day kept checking out their children from school to come home. I remember the craziness of long long lines at all the gas stations with prices above $3.00 (unknown at the time). I thought it so untimely and surreal to see the red white and blue American flags the city put out on the street lights on the main highway through town. It was September not July!
And the nation stood still for quite a while, indeed in disbelief. The saddest thing I remember is the many many hopeful people, parents, children, siblings, spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, all shown on the news walking around with or posting flyers of their missing loved one. None of them willing to yet accept the horrific possibility that the loss of victims could come so suddenly, in a way so unheard of.
and things were never the same, the nation was forced to become more world aware, pushed into the politics of the world's religions, poverty, powers, envy and mistrust. We became more self aware that we are nation made of people from all of them.

Delphic - The Momentary

2009-08-27T11:02:00.002-05:00

District 9

2009-08-17T22:10:00.005-05:00

saw this movie tonight with my college buddy Andrew W.G. and it is an awesome MOVIE!
science fiction. aliens came to earth and their ship was stuck hovering over johannesburg, South AFrica. and all these aliens end up living in a shanty town and then at some point, things are going wrong etc etc. EXCELLENT job done by the main actor. and the plot moves and changes and turns and it's going back and forth. there is some graphic violence involved in people getting shot, but they don't show much more than red/pink liquid gunk splashing around off the camera and some limbs now and then etc.
Oh yeah, it's shot sort of half and half documentary style. The alines are a bit insect looking, which makes you feel almost uncaring what happens to them, but by the end, you sort of see their as Jean Luc Picard would say "sentient beings". very good film. go see it.

the day that man first walked on the moon.....

2009-07-20T14:11:00.003-05:00

having a great summer day today. I slept in instead of my usual wake up at 7am and go swimming. walked around my flowerbeds outside then had a nice big breakfast while watching Regis and Kelly. doesn't get better than that. Next I sprayed myself down with Cutter and went back outside to paint the picket fence in the backyard. It's coming along nicely little by little. I got about ten more pickets done before coming back inside for lunch. now I"m picking up the house a bit, and next is the gym and then work at whitewater tonight. I'm planning to get the house as clean as possible this week before going on vacation to Texas and New Mexico all next week. I thought it'd be nice to come to clean instead of thrown apart. also hope to pack for the trip and maybe go shopping some tomorrow for a brown pair of dress shoes.

hello, man I've fallen behind in posting this summer

2009-07-14T09:11:00.003-05:00

that's because I'm working at whitewater, and then otherwise I'm at home looking at stuff I should be cleaning up and putting somewhere, or out in the yard looking at things growing and imagining what to grow where next. then there are stops at the gym, or citybites, or grocerystore. and that's my summer
so far so good.
I am still waiting on a phone call from either a junior college or the state department where I've applied for jobs. also waiting to see about the DODEA website and if my referrals will follow through and do my evaluation etc..
SO who knows what's ahead for me this fall...no idea at this point. THe water park job is good part time and pays the bills enough for now.

simmer summer somber sober

2009-07-05T11:25:00.002-05:00

well it's officially almost the middle of summer and I'm stil looking for work. I hadn't been looking too aggressively since I wasn't really sure what I even wanted to do with the rest of my life. I have imaginings of working as a landscaper or event planner in some other city but my degree is teaching therefore... to make that fit just right....
The difficult part is making good pay, albeit way overseas, for something I really enjoyed doing, which was teaching English to adults. It wasn't even work to me, it was like play to go to class and come up with ways of teaching those pilots English. Unfortunately, right here at home the same sort of job just ain't out there for the same pay. ahh welll...
I have applied at two junior colleges in the area for adjunct professor positions..so that is something, although you don't really make a living off of being an adjunct professor.
and I have pursued again teaching overseas at a DOD military school, although I'm having trouble getting my references to follow through with the online evaluation.
and then this week I think I"m applying at the state department for a Bilingual Education Coordinator II position, but mainly out of spite because the posting looks like they really just want a hispanic person on the job, but also because I want to know what the job is really like and if I could even fit or not.
I intend to start searching OKC schools for ESL teaching positions just in case nothing else pans out. at this rate I have to realize that a job is a job is a job, and really just getting back to work on the school calendar will be worth it no matter what school I may end up at.
I'm working at Whitewater Bay water park this summer and sort of missing the summers when I didn't have to work but just had my teacher paycheck rolling in..... sigh.
I'm going to try and make ti to ARkansas to visit soon. and also I have plans to go to Santa Fe New Mexico the last week of July.

from last year on base

2009-07-04T21:45:00.001-05:00

guess I got pretty bored, I found all these pics from a year ago while living on base, so I thought I'd try them in a little video. :)

wow

2009-07-02T14:52:00.000-05:00

bad news from Honduras yesterday......

2009-06-26T06:43:00.002-05:00

TEGUCIGALPA, (Reuters) – A constitutional crisis in Honduras deepened yesterday after the supreme court rejected President Manuel Zelaya’s firing of the top military officer in a dispute over Zelaya’s quest to allow presidents to serve more than a single four-year term in office.
Zelaya, an ally of Venezuela’s socialist President Hugo Chavez, vowed to push ahead with an unofficial vote on Sunday to gauge public support for lifting constitutional limits on presidential terms despite objections by courts and the military.
He rallied supporters in Tegucigalpa, capital of the Central American coffee and banana-exporting nation of around 7 million people, and told them the court’s move amounted to a “coup” against him.
Zelaya and his supporters stormed an air force base to take hold of ballot boxes being stored for Sunday’s vote.
“No one can stop the referendum on Sunday,” he shouted to a cheering crowd, promising to proceed with the vote.

more about it here on BBC's website

here he is in Cuba March 2009... gee whiz...

Please pray for this nation.....

last day in DC monday

2009-06-24T13:02:00.008-05:00

what I did monday in DC

2009-06-24T09:04:00.003-05:00

woke up and slept in a little... had breakfast, then headed down P street to FLorida and then over to the New York ave Metro stop on the red line. next to the national gallery for more photography and art. text from Jose saying meet him at Pentagon Row so I took the green line over to that stop. got out at the mall there and then we met up for lunch at a Thai restaurant with his friends Daniel and Megan, and David and his sister and friend. went back to the house for a while while they walked soccer and I chilled and emailed, then we headed back out to pick up Leo who was in the city, and went again to Georgetown to the Potomac so we could Kayak again, (Leo hadn't been with us the day before). Jose and Daniel biked down the river as Leo and David and I rowed down and back. we followed that up with a Mexican Restaurant for dinner. good time.... back in OKC today and watering watering everything.

more pics from dc

2009-06-23T14:12:00.017-05:00

about day 3 in DC!

2009-06-22T09:50:00.003-05:00

woke up Sunday and got to the Metro stop by 11 am and made my way to the Farragut West stop in order to walk over to the Corcoran Gallery. Here they have an exhibit of Maya Lin, the architect who designed the Vietnam Memorial, and then another of Photographer William Eggleston. walked over to the white house and washington monmument next. called my dad, and then headed to the nearest metro to get back to the jose and Leo's townhouse near P st and 1st.
We left promptly for a Salvadoran restaurant for a good lunch including Honduran pupusas. yum
next to the Potomac river near Georgetown for an hour of kayaking with some friends of Jose and then went to Giffords for icecream and next the Old Post office, but the tower was already closed.
We came back and changed into shorts and took Jose's bike over to Alexandra VA where we parked at the Teddy Roosevelt memorial and walked out to see it on the island there, then got out the bikes and biked up the river to a bridge over to the Jefferson memorial, then back down to the WOrld war II memorial which was awesome, and then Lincoln and then biked back as it got dark to where we parked. came home by 11 and chilled. great day

what the younger generation does best...

2009-06-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

day 2 in DC

2009-06-21T08:31:00.004-05:00

woke up by 11 and made some eggs for breakfast, some cereal, then went over to the Florida street Metro stop to head in the diretion of the capitol ( Judiciary stop) to see the BOtanical gardens. It was raining so I walked in the direction of chinatown first to see if there was a place to get an umbrella but eventually it stopped so I jsut walked over to the botanical gardens and started enjoying everything and taking pictures. this was from 12 to 1pm and then a little after 1 Leo called saying he was up and ready to head out to MD. We had made plans to go to Mt Airy MD to see some artist friends I know from Tegus.

I got back and called and we weren't able to manage a good time to meet up Saturday. Instead Leo and I decided to go walk around Georgetown and see the shops and just the atmosphere in general. We ate a sandwich cafe on M street then walked around for a while, including a nice stroll along the historic canal there.
came home and chilled on the couch some, next Leo left for a cookout at his uncle's and Jose called to say he was on his way home from work so about 6 I decided to take the Metro from Florida up to the Rhode Island stop and walk over to Giant grocery store there. got back before 7 when Jose arrived, we left for Ben's Chili place and then the Iwo Jima monument, next to a hookah cafe back over in Georgetown by the river. got home by 1 and asleep by 2. yikes.

Washington DC first day

2009-06-19T23:16:00.009-05:00

in the folk art gallery, there was this "Throne of Christ the King" made out of cardboard and foil and other materials. this was done by a janitor working in DC who died in 64 and this was found in his garage afterwards, a complete surprise to anyone who knew him. He was an avid believer in Christianity and created this in expectation of the return of Christ the Messiah.

slept in today really late, walked around the block a few times then eventually Leo and I took the Metro to the National ARt Gallery, where they have the portrait and American art gallery. Leo did a 4 month internship there this last spring and gave me a nice tour of the place. next we helped a friend of his move from one student housing to another near Washington University. next we went to a place called 'The Diner" at Adams morgan and now came back to the house for some adult swim cartoon. and Jose came home from work an hour ago an said we're going to see the monuments at night, but I think I'm crashing in for sure....zzz

summer gardens

2009-06-19T12:56:00.002-05:00

If you click on my profile, there is a link to a blog I am putting all my garden photos on.... if interested. after all it is SUMMER!

Washington DC

2009-06-19T09:27:00.002-05:00

I am on vacation, although I'm not really on vaction from much going on this summer. just my Whitewater job, but still I'm traveling again so that is FUN.
I am in the nation's capitol visiting 2 former Pinares students I taught 7th and 8th grade to in Honduras. they are both now 23 and graduated and working and looking for work etc etc.. so at the moment I came to catch up and see DC this weekend.
yesterday had a flight out early from OKC to Atlanta, and then because of the weather in Baltimore,we sat on a plane on the runway in Atlanta for about 2.5 hours until finally we could take off. arrived at 7pm at BWI and then took a train to Union station here in DC. I am staying with Jose I. and Leo L. , and it was Leo who picked me up at the station and then we went for a burger at a bar/grill he likes near U street. and we sat outside and talked about school and what we are doing and what we are not doing with our lives. ha
Last night Jose came home after work around 10pm and then we got ready and went out to a club near georgetown area I think, for a birthday party of a friend. Afew different Central Americans were hanging out there with us so I"m trying to get my Spanish going again...

summer yawn

2009-06-04T13:15:00.001-05:00

summer!

2009-06-02T20:00:00.002-05:00

a van stopped while I was outside in the yard today, and a grey-haired couple said hello from within. I sat there and talked to them while the husband driving pulled to the side of the road and they chatted with me. He had grown up in my house as a boy, and the wife had met him while attending the college down the street and they both remembered stuff about my place.

He asked about my "basement" and if it still collected rain water and was the sump pump still working. yes. I mentioned the silver maple trees (that I hate) in the back yard, and she remembered his mom watering them daily after planting them as young twigs. (if i had the money I"d have 'em both removed today, never plant one, the roots go everywhere growing in to beds on the surface, and the branches break and fall through out the year in Oklahoma winds)

they mentioned the young couple they sold it, which are the people from my church I bought the house from.

I have gone swimming every morning this week so far, right out of bed and to the Y pool here in bethany, Iplan to do this the rest of the summer. I'm really glad to be out of school from teaching the 6th graders I had. ALthough it's worriesome not knowing what I will be doing next. God keeps us on His timeline not our own, and right now I"m not meant to know and have everything planned out. I have applied for an ESL job at Yukon but haven't heard from them yet. So next week I'm going to start getting my name in a few other places, then do some deep thinking and praying about do I really want to teach in a classroom again anyway.

I spoke to a friend last weekend who mentioned I should consider Organazaional Development, which is like doing training for businesses and corporations, sort of like writing and doing training. It piqued my interest but I'd miss the school calendar. even though I feel I'd rather work with adults as I get older. for now its' Whitewater cash office. a nice summer job to pay the bills....

a lot of rain in May

2009-05-19T20:03:00.005-05:00

I've been really busy with the sub job but the good news next week school is OVER for the summer.... ah which could be a good thing or a stressful thing. depending on when and where I can find a real steady job.
I had 3 moles appear over a weeks time dead on the grass out in my front yard during all the rain about 3 weeks ago. Sun this week is good.
I applied at one school for a job, but I'm not going to stress much about it just yet, there may be something for me in my district, and also there is always San Antonio to consider with DLI.
this morning I read a great verse that really encourged me. I mean you hear it all the time about God having a plan etc etc...but it's nice to run into it while reading the bible. When I get to bed at night I try and pray and give thanks for the day, but sometimes I just lay there and think, big deal another day. blah.
and then when I get up in the morning I also sometimes feel like, here we go again....and why am I doing this again and what joy is there in it? but this morning I read in Psalms 138, verse 8 when David says "the Lord will fulfill His purpose for me" and then I can read the falling verse as my own prayer to God, " your love, O lord, endures forever- do not abandon the works of your hands."

last weekend at the memorial

2009-05-02T07:19:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd post some photos of last weekend's memorial. I was down there all SUnday morning til after noon, as a volunteer handing medals out as the runners came across the finish line. Including my Sis! congratulation Jennifer you finished before your goal time!

the one of me is from the Memorial's website.

spring garden....

2009-04-26T21:49:00.012-05:00

last weekend was the 14th anniversary

2009-04-26T21:44:00.005-05:00

I volunteered a lot last weekend at the Memorial, Saturday was my usual every other weekend time to volunteer that morning, and then Sunday Morning I volunteered at the special morning service and then inside the museum because they had a big crowd. The tickets to the museum are free on the anniversary dates. Well anyway that was from 8:45 to 12:45 and then I went back at 4:30 for a Reporting Terrorism forum with Ann Curry from NBC. here are some pics from the memorial last weekend. THe governor spoke and Jami Smith played lots of songs including the new one she wrote just for the occasion at the service.

work work works

2009-04-19T22:18:00.002-05:00

somewhere along the line I lost the pure joy of teaching these 6th grade kids. maybe it's because 6th graders are new, or maybe cause I'm out of my subject area teaching science. But I know I'm a teacher at heart, maybe I'm getting too old and lazy to have to deal with the "babysitting" it feels like sometimes.
well regardless, things are going really well in most all my classes and all the students, but my last hour of the day has a lot of unruly kids and it's my biggest class, so I'm definitely still learning about teaching. I had some difficult situation come up last week that really discouraged me to continue teaching kids anymore. I had decided to up and move to San Antonio where I could teach adults Engish at lackland air force base, get paid well, opportunity to travel, and with amazing govt benefits. but moving is a hard choice to make although nothing is really keeping me in Oklahoma except for my house and garden.
anyway, I was feeling pretty down most of last week but then God really spoke out to me pretty clearly in the devotional reading I had Friday morning. It was about stopping something too soon, based on a verse from II Kings 13, about having faith and courage to go so far but not enough to go all the way. Basically I've been praying that the students will see God in me, but I have'nt been taking enough time to be putting God's word INTO me. daily, and I'm going to start trying harder to do that. I can't just rely on what I've already lived and learned and experienced as a Christian, studying the word is an ongoing thing I believe I'll need to take much more seriously.
I try to remain optimistic as ever, and I will still consider working in San Antonio, but I am also going to look into the junior colleges in OKC about jobs, my career future hopefully will be teaching something older than middle school. ha

spring 2009...

2009-04-19T15:03:00.005-05:00

here are some pictures of the yardwork I got done Saturday. You can see the before and after, where the beds were mainly just for the shrubs, so I had to extend to make room for plants. now I will be adding more soil then some plants next weekend, also going to trim back the shrubs....

so good

2009-04-15T19:53:00.001-05:00

great weekend

2009-04-13T21:47:00.002-05:00

did a lot of things this weekend, sang in the choir at the church's good friday service, a plant sale saturday morning at 8am, then volunteered at 9:30 and then came home after the gym for lunch, and outside for some yardwork, inside to rest for a while, and Sunday Easter service at church singing again, and then a nice long afternoon at my parents with the extended family. great lunch.
this week I'm back to work trying to decide how to best keep the kids QUIET, it's only one hour that really gets to me, the last hour of the day. all the rest of the classes are great great kids actually, well........overall. I took a job at Whitewater today, it will only be 3 or 4 days a week in the office there during this next summer. but I told them I'd still be open to finding a job that paid more etc etc.. but I dunno.
the most difficult thing at this point is just not knowing what I want to do after this summer, or what or where I should look for work. But I know something will come up eventually, at least I got money coming in this summer.
also I am planning a trip to Washington DC either in May or when school gets out. I am also considering a trip to Guatamala this summer for a week, something I saw in the church bulletin about a mission trip. now off to bed because I plan to wake up early and swim!

still teaching on...

2009-04-09T21:25:00.002-05:00

still teaching them 6th graders. today after my last hour I told myself, I have no idea what I'm doing, why am I looking for another teaching job, I hate being in the classroom with a bunch of kids. UGH!! but then I remember the previous 4 classes I taught were actually good kids, it's just that last hour that can really get me going! man!
so 3 weeks down and about a month and a half to go. yoo hoo.
I still have NO idea what I want to do this summer or next year, I guess I'm satill pursuing an overseas job, but sometimes I have to ask myslef why. at this point I think I'd really like to work in Germany, south america or Spain or somewhere Spanish speaking like that, and then other choice is middle east. THose would be really interesting places to see I think.
I was just thinking the other day I haven't been on a plane since february, I also haven't seen a helicopter take off or land or plane take of or land while waiting on the runway in a long time, and that used to be part of my every single day experience a year ago! So I am happy to be back home completely...looking forward to Easter Sunday this weekend. a lot planned, Friday night I'm singing with the church choir at the Good Friday church service, and then volunteering Saturday morning, and then Sunday morning singing in the choir at church again and probably some family time after church? I don't know.

no longer going to singles group

2009-03-31T19:22:00.002-05:00

I've decided today that I"m no longer going to the group I've been going to every other tuesday night. It's a good decision I've been putting off for too long, maybe I was afraid of crossing that line of all grown up, but the thing is , I don't look forward to going or connected to anyone in the group and the actual study was somewhat fulfilling but nothing I think I'll miss overall.

I guess I'll start looking at what the church has to offer for Sunday school classes or during the week bible study, although mostly you only find stuff for married people but ya never know.

Tonight while driving home from the gym I was enjoying the sun and everything turning a little green, and getting excited for summer, and began to remember about how I was gone a year ago and missed all this season change. really great to not be working evenings, and so I have more time after work for workouts and then walk around the yard

spring snow in okc

2009-03-28T23:27:00.005-05:00

church

2009-03-26T20:28:00.003-05:00

I was sitting in church, the non denominational Christian chuch I attend, Covenant COmmunity Church in Yukon, trying my best to enjoy the music and not think critical thoughts. and maybe I'm old or too old timey traditional but I dunno, I just wish it were somehow something different. I just can't get used to the rock band sound or the repeated lyric and chord praise song music. I figure if I'm told only to tithe when I'm giving from the heart, then my worship should feel like its from the heart, and most songs, it's fine, the music is fine, and the lyrics are praising God. but sometimes it's not feeling right at all and so I just listen. I've stated before that at times I'm sensitive to it sounding as if they're trying to force that "feeling". which is all the worse.
but probably I'm just not used to it overall. so last weekend I was sitting there thinking, man I wish I could come with some worship songs, some meaningful verse based lyrics, and really interesting musically arranged tune.. sometime in the future I hope someone really talented invents that, something that's meant for worship and then maybe heard on the radio years later, not released as a radio hit first then brought into the church.
THe best thing about heaven is it will most likely be like the perfect church, whenever I feel like there is an attitude or feeling or motivation that should somehow be better in the church family, instead of imagining how I'd like the church to be instead I have to tell myself, well when we're all in heaven, it's be perfect. ha
I know there'll be some hymns, and praise songs too, and maybe some chants and worship styles of music from the past or future we've never heard before.
and don't even get me started on male leadership in the church and family. I'm always quizzical when or why Christianity missed out on that compared to the Muslim or Jewish culture. I don't knwo why, but every Sunday I started counting in the bulletin the number of women meetings and activities compared to those for men.

of course overall, I remind myself don't complain. and instead of nit picking ask myself what's really bothering me about me! :)

2009-03-21T14:42:00.003-05:00

i shaved the beard

2009-03-19T11:18:00.002-05:00

canadian differences

2009-03-18T16:43:00.001-05:00

car show last weekend at the fairgrounds

2009-03-14T22:48:00.004-05:00

here's a new Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang, Toyota Forerunner, and a Ranger in the parking lot. I'll take the Ford Ranger.. ahh yeah!

last weekend

2009-03-14T22:26:00.006-05:00

I haven't posted about last weekend, mainly because I was busy with the funeral Friday monring. but before that I wanted to mention that I volunteered at the memorial last friday morning, the 6th. because of a performance going on because of the National Choir Director's association having their 50th anniversary convention in OKC. there was a choir performance that started at 8:45 with a prelude and then began at 9:02 in observance of the time of the explosion at the Murrah building April 19th, 1995. there is video link of "an Amazing Morning at the Memorial" here. There were almost 4,000 people from the convention on the grounds, and the performance was great. I was greeting and directing people where to go, and passing out guides. here are some pics.

2009-03-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

check out this short film and comment

2009-03-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

clara with deprssion era cooking

2009-03-05T14:18:00.001-06:00

2009-03-02T21:52:00.002-06:00

last week I had 3 good days off from subbing and got a lot of things done. first of I finally got a plumber over to fix the pipes under my sink, and then he discovered the faucet was also leaking. so I went out and bought a new faucet for the kitchen sink and then he came back after lunch and installed that, plus the new disposal that I had waiting for a couple of months.
lots of fun walking around the yard last week seeing what's poking up out of the dirt.
I lost a friend in OKC last week, an aquaintance I'd made through my friend Scott in okc. he was 55 and had a stroke at 8am and wasn't found until 11 am. although he was conscious for a day and a half and able to visit with friends and family while in intensive care, he passed on early Saturday morning. extremely kind man who had kept up with my blog and emailed a few times while I was in Kabul.
I subbed Thursday and Friday in Mustang, and then Saturday morning I volunteered back at the Museum downtown. Coraline movie sat evening. this week I subbed today and then not sure about the rest of the week, I'm doing a special volunteer service Friday morning at the memorial for a concert performance and then my friend Bruce's funeral will also be that morning.
I'm glad it's going to be warmer this week... 2 weeks til spring break!

spring...hello

2009-03-02T21:24:00.003-06:00

2009-02-28T18:29:00.003-06:00

2009-02-24T21:10:00.000-06:00

andrew wyeth lecture

2009-02-20T15:51:00.003-06:00

I had a lot of fun wednesday night going to a lecture on the late American Artist Andrew Wyeth. THere was an expert named Anne KNutson who spoke all about the man. I had listened to her radio interview on public radio, which you can listen to here, and she had defended Wyeth up against another New York art critic who spoke about wyeth as an illustrator not an artist. Knutson handled the conversation brilliantly. During the lecture she spoke of Wyeths career, his early success, and continued success in the sale of his work regardless of the apparent rejection of the art world in the early 60's. She disccussed the show she had curated that she had divided into three groups, and I forget what they were, I think objects and vessels and maybe landscapes. but the fun thing was seeing the comparison of early works with later works and how refined his way of painting, also the thing she used over and over in them, what fascinated him to keep including in his art.
what a mystery, regarding how he lived, painted and the control of his wife over the sell of his artwork etc.. completely interesting.
It had been on my mind recently the idea of artist vs illustrator because of a current New Yorker article on the artis Walton Ford, whose exhibit "wrath of the tiger" I had seen in San Antonio just over a year ago. THe article also spoke of Ford's work with watercolor and overcoming the label of an illustrator. I had recently met an artist in Austin who is a classical realist painter, and he strongly spoke about the amount of work that goes into his painting, and how there is more of a market for the "abstract" or "untrained" art of modern times. He had painted a 9/11 memorial painting for the new england art museum that stirred up all sort of controversy a few years ago. art controversy. hmmm

for my mom

2009-02-18T21:52:00.001-06:00

spring ready

2009-02-17T21:30:00.002-06:00

well I don't know how I got to posting just once a week on here, I guess now that I'm not traveling as much, i don't feel like saying much., ha
last week was good, I went to the movie Wall E saturday night. very good film.
I subbed every day last week, and am again doing so this week.
today it was 6th graders at mustang middle, man that wasn't bad. I learned a lot about gregor mendel today, born in 1822 and lived in Austria, and he was a monk. after reading it out loud 5 times, you know.
the interesting thing about today's job was this class is the same I'll be subbing for the rest of the year after spring break. only thing is the last hour of the day there were 8 kids absent and 22 kids were there... YUCK I can't even imagine 30 kids in a class last hour of the day. blech! but I say bring it on! I'm ready to see what I can do. ha
tomorrow I'm looking forward to attending a lecture at the art museum downtown about ANdrew Wyeth.

from stormy okc......

2009-02-10T20:15:00.002-06:00

last weekend had a lot of fun watching some movies at the art museum downtown. Friday night I saw the Oscar nominated animated short filmes, and then saturday night saw the Oscar nominated short films. was a nice weekend.
Monday I was BACK to substituting at the alternative school in Mustang, and today I subbed 8th grade math and will again tomorrow.
we had a tornado alarm go off beginning of last hour, but my class was already in the basement hall so they all just stayed seated while other classes came down to the rooms and hallway. after about 15 minutes it was over. then after the bells rang to let the students go to the buses, everyone was made to go back to the basements. what a bunch of confusion. ugh.
lots of tornados lined up all through OKlahoma this afternoon and some hit many businesses and house in northern okc. and tonight there are breaks in prgramming throughout which is usual for the news here.
one good thing is it's a sign of spring..... just ... around... the corner. i can't wait to see what my yard does after being gone all last year.
other news is I have been hired for a long term sub position from the day after spring break until the end of school teaching 6th grade science at Mustang middle school. that should be interesting, and after the first 4 weeks it will be teacher pay the rest of the year (2 months worth).
I haven't found a job overseas next fall yet, but I'm hoping something lucrative comes up in some interesting part of the world. I have been thinking if I stay away for one or two years maybe I could save some money to put into finishing classes towards a doctorate in education since my long term goal is to teach at a college anyway, not middle school the rest of my life, God willing!
I might end up working at WhiteWater this summer jsut for something to do and pay bills. I'm considering driving to San ANtonio for spring break and visit my Afghan students if they are there by then.

2009-02-07T20:17:00.001-06:00

2009-02-05T22:55:00.002-06:00

good week so far, I've been busy, I subbed at the high shcool Monday and then Tuesday and wednesday no subbing but busy with gym and just cleaning the house all day etc. Wednesday night I went to the preview of the "Harlem Renaissance" at the art museum, that was pretty cool. and then today I subbed at the North Middle school and afterwards I went to volunteer at the Memorial Musem

2009-02-05T22:32:00.002-06:00

got away from the COLD

2009-02-01T18:27:00.003-06:00

just got back from Austin, what a weekend!

Flew out of OKC Wednesday morning and arrived by 3pm, in town to visit my good buddy Heath from OKC. We had dinner with some friends at a place called "The Clay Pit" a contemporary Indian cuisine restaurant in downtown Austin. Thursday I got a haircut and went to the grocery store. then ran 3 miles at the gym before lunch. went with Heath to the channel 8 tv studio to tape an interview about his work for the news. went to a Thai restarant for dinner and then a meeting with Heath where he received his one year pin. Yay! next on Friday I got the car to drive around AUstin and shop some places and then Friday night we saw the show "Aint Misbehavin" at the Paramount theatre downtown austin featuring Ruben Suddard and Frenchie Davis from American Idol, was a great show. Saturday we went and checked out the ELizaeth Ney Museum with an artist friend, G. Parrish. went to some landscaping nursery and then the mall. and that night Heath had been invited to a dinner before the opening night of "Rigoletto" It was in a special room upstairs at the performing arts center with an awesome skyline view of downtown Austin. 3 course meal beginning with a butternut suash ravioli w/ pinenuts and a prosciutto sage sauce, then some marinated lamb chops and mushroom crusted veal loin with a parmesan polenta and rosemary glace sauce, next a desert of zabaglione, which was sort of like a vanilla mouse with fruit and a cookie, I didn't eat the fruit. During dinner which was all formal and black tie event, I sat next to a lady named barbara who is pretty well known on Austin theatre stages. we talked about my time in Kabul and her 16 yo daughter in hs. etc... pretty interesting experience. the opera. words were in English across a banner screen above the stage. there was one long act about an hour and I knodded off a few times, then intermission, then a shorter 27 min act, another intermission then the end about half an hour left and no happy ending in this opera. but the voices were excellent and the symphony orchestra etc..

flew back to OKC today at 12 and got back to home sweet home by 430 and am now watching the football.....another week of subbing and back to the reality of waiting for the next step in life.

it might have been 80 in OK last week, but it's full on winter today

2009-01-27T08:10:00.005-06:00

when your house is on a corner lot, you notice when the morning traffic is dead. my room is on the side of the house that faces the street, and this morning I woke to complete silence. I awoke and before opening my eyes, I was aware of the lack of any sound. Somehow sensing it must have been like that for hours, and even the heat furnace wasn't running at that moment. I opened my eyes, noticing the dim grey glow breaking through the shades and remembering how the streets were completely iced over the night before. And then as my ears tuned into the stillness, I began to hear the ever so faint ping ping of scattered icy/snowy drizzle hitting the windows.
I sat up attempting to keep covered in blankets as much as possible, with my head feeling a bit heavy from being all stuffed up, and searched the bedstand for a tissue with which to blow my nose. and the silence was broken.
I got up and stuck my finger between two window blinds and sure enough the streets are completley covered in white, and indeed not a bit of traffic.
I subbed yesterday and had another job today scheduled but even before last nights evening news the school had posted they'd be closed. so I'll be home today, cleaning the house when not distracted by the tv or email. I'll also be packing for my trip to Austin this next weekend. I'm out of bread so for lunch and dinner I'll have ravioli for one and City bites for the other (if I feel like adventuring out in my ford truck in this mess). For now it's breakfast, my laptop, the couch and my remote control with Regis and Kelly.

this is awesome

2009-01-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

beautiful losers

2009-01-24T14:38:00.002-06:00

i saw the movie "beautiful losers" last night. this video was drawn by geoff mcfetridge, one of the guys in the documentary.
it was about all these skater dudes who were into art and became a huge part of the design mainstream these days.

afghanistan dreams

2009-01-22T21:45:00.002-06:00

I'm watching a travel special on PBS tonight and the guy is going through Pakistan. at first it reminded me of India but then as he got up towards the afghan border with a shot of all the mountains,i began to reminisce about living in Kabul surrounded by the hindu kush mountains, and awesome they looked in the winter covered in snow. I was just watching the show tonight thinking how I wished it were easier to visit the place, however the reality it is on the other side of world, quite literally from where I live in Oklahoma. I was invited once by a student named Dastiab to go with him to the mountains some weekend, and I regret that we never followed through. although to be honest, you had to be very careful just leaving base into the city so I can't imagine the danger of going outside the city into the hills so to speak. perhaps some other day..... however, all my students asked me when I was coming back, and it was difficult explaining I did not have plans to ever return to Afghanistan exactly. THey had such little hope for their countries future, and I suppose my own doubt might have been heard in my response at the difficulty in ever returning there unless it became a stable safe country.
I am looking forward to seeing which students end up in OKC this March though. I've already confirmed with my former boss at Metrotech that there ARE students coming in March and he's keeping me informed for when they arrive. yeah! that will be awesome.

sub sub sub sub

2009-01-21T19:50:00.002-06:00

phone rings at 7 am this morning, waking me up, and reach down to the floor from my bed to answer the black corded phone there. It's the computer sub system from Mustang asking me to sub at Creek Elementary. what? I don't sub less than 6th, no thanks and I hung up.... ahhhh back to sleep......... then, at 715am it rings again and its the bethany high school secretary. highschool English? sure...
SO I got up and had some breakfast and walked over to the high school.
Great great kids and Bethany and a great school. always prefer subbing there cause the kids are a lot of fun and its closer to my house, like 2 blocks. ha.
today i was a little discouraged while subbing and actually started thinking am I even in the right field, education, and teaching and dealing with crazy kids etc etc.. the rest of my life?
2nd hour class I had some kid get up and walk out of class. called the office and they said he was there and fine, later the principal told me he was special case and i was better off with him leaving the room etc etc... so I guess I learned next time that the student sleeping with his head on his desk and wearing an ankle bracelet is better left alone and just let one sleep.
next class, I kid asked to leave and work in the library where it was quiet, and I was at the time talking to another kid about what she was writing etc etc, and so I asked the class to be quiet all around. after class she said she was able to complete her work etc etc. the rest of the day went very well though, and all the kids did their work and were quiet and well behaved etc. although I remain unclear on the school's actual ipod in class policy, on one hand it keeps them quiet and working but then I then the kids playing the games when done I doubt is allowed. At this point I'm sort of learning the balance of when to care or not, since I am just substituting after all and not in the role of an actual teacher at this point.
Oh another big difference is between high school and middle school. There are so many opposite sort of pros and cons to both.

2009-01-20T20:59:00.001-06:00

2009-01-14T22:44:00.002-06:00