{Rubber-Sol: Why, hello there!}

a.m. PANIC.

FRIDAY, 7:20 a.m.
I wake up feeling refreshed and content.

My I must have really slept well. I feel so rested.

I roll over to look at the clock.
Hmmmm 7:20 a.m. Oh it's so early! I'll just close my eyes and rrrres...

"Rest my ASS! It's SEVEN FRICKEN TWENTY!!!!!"

Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.

I fling the duvet off, leaping out of bed.

"It's SEVEN FRICKEN TWENTY ONE NOW! Class starts in forty minutes! Oh lord, oh lord, oh lord!"

Scramble, scramble, scramble.

7:40 a.m.
I speed down the 405. My tire hits a bump and my steering goes berserk for a few seconds. I slow down a tad. Only a tad.

7:50 a.m.
A stranger in a white car trails me for miles. He eventually gets off the same exit as I do.

Ewww what a creep! God. Who is this guy?

The stranger continues trailing me, and as I enter the school parking lot, his car follows. He honks at me, and I'm about to give him the finger. He motions for me to roll down my window.

"Yeah right PAL. I ain't gonna roll down my window for no one...." I saw in the safety of my locked car. I mean, I'm already late, and this guy wants to chat? Come ON.

"Excuse me, ma'm..." I hear him faintly through the glass, he again motions for me to open the window.

"Err... yes?" I say in irritation. I open my window a crack. "Yeah?"

"Um....I've been following you...because you have a flat tire...I just wanted to make sure you arrived safely!"

Red embarrassment rushes over me. "Oh...um....Th..thank you. THANK YOU" is all I can manage.

7:55 a.m.
The first bell rings. I'm about to be late to class, but I don't care. I'm overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness of a stranger.

This and That

Hank is a super sweetie. I came home today (after a long week of state testing), and Hank presented me with a gift bag filled with Clinique makeup! I had been scraping away at my worn blush and eyeshadow, and I've neglected to make it to the closest department store. He sneaked off today with the babes, and replenished my supply. And he even shopped during a Bonus Days giveaway!!!

And yesterday I opened my purse at work and found this from little Allie. On the back of the card it read, "Good for 1 Free BBQ Chicken Sandwich with the purchase of 1 Kids Meal." How sweet is that? Oh I look forward to our lunch date. She was so excited when I found her "pize" (surprise).

***Okay now PREPARE YOURSELF for some MAMA BRAGGING ***

Alison has done quite well her first year in preschool. She not only knows all of her letters (uppers and lowers), she has also managed to learn their corresponding sounds (yes! ALL OF THEM!). She's even experimented with invented spelling. Just yesterday she wrote a note to "Daddey." It was so very sweet.

And um...could I just continue bragging (just a little?). Um...Alison's pal, "Little Tormentor" only knows only A - F...and then he chokes after that! And he's already completed 2 years of preschool. (Okay this comparison game can get wicked...but if you only knew Little Tormentor and his Family.....more on them another day).

***OKAY...BRAGGING SESSION OVER....WE WILL NOW CONTINUE WITH OUR NORMAL PROGRAM***

On another note, I'm busy baking a 100 cupcakes for my nutty students. The testing schedule has dislodged some cerebral wires, and today I found myself bribing them with cupcakes. Today I was willing to do ANYTHING to get them to SHUSH UP!!!! They had better be good tomorrow, or else!

I checked out this link from MagpieB's site. What a trip! I only stumped them once, and they guessed the other 9 sitcom characters! How crazy is that?

5 Types of Teachers

Cassie just got another job at a new school (boooo!), and after she returned from a retreat with her new staff, she called and said, "They are a lot of nice teachers....but there's no Leslie." And that got me thinking. Teachers are interchangeable in a sense. Drive on over to a school across town, and you just may find Mr. White's doppleganger. We've all had teachers, right? Take a look at my list below, and see if you could recognize any of them. *

1. The Newbie
A.K.A. "Eager Beaver"
Common phrase: (While in the teacher's lounge) "Today my students are going to construct an exact replica of an Egyptian tomb....and then we're going to mummify a cornish hen with 5 lb bags of sea salt....." **
Traits: Usually arrives on campus first and leaves last.
Commonly found: In the copy room, xeroxing like it's going out of style

2. The Bully
A.K.A. "Der Fuhrer"
Common phrase: "I'm better, bigger, smarter, stronger, wiser than YOU....ya punk ass!"
Traits: Invests heavily in whistles (for attention getting)
Commonly found: In the hallway, yelling at anyone walking by.
Impact in your life: Uou have zero self-esteem, and you pee in your pants everytime a whistle blows.

3. The Veteran
A.K.A. "Boca Raton...Here I Come!"
Common phrase: "The kids never acted like this thirty five years ago. Oh woe! The world is going to hell in a handbasket!"
Traits: Has had the same hairdo for the past thirty five years. Oh yeah. And sensible shoes too.
Commonly found: In the principal's office.....demanding that things operate like they were back in the day.

4. The Pal
A.K.A. "The Easy A"
Common phrase: "Okay kiddies....today we'll start off with a movie....followed by a CANDY BREAK...and guess what? NO HOMEWORK TODAY! Yay!"
Traits Maintains "Gold Membership" status at Blockbuster Video
Commonly found: Moonlighting at Chuck E. Cheese
Impact on your life: While you didn't learn a damn thing all year, you can easily recite every word to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by memory.

5. The Perfectionist
A.K.A. "Type A"
Common phrases: "Please leave a 1 7/8" margin around the perimeter of your paper...college-ruled only, please." or "Do not by any means crumple up any paper in class....it stresses me out....simply FOLD your paper and PLACE it at the corner of your desk. You may dispose of it on your way out of the room...."
Traits: Maintains a minimalist, barren room with nothing more than boring computer-generated posters
Commonly found: Refolding the towel display at your local Target

* This list was heavily inspired by Matt Groening's cartoon series, "School is Hell." I will be adding to this list soon! Or better yet....why don't you give me suggestions?

** Okay, okay I have to admit. That was actually a lesson that I taught my first year teaching. The hens didn't fare so well after a few weeks in a stuffy, hot classroom. Oh the flies!

Happy Father's Day

Dear Querido -

Wishing you a very Happy Father's Day!
Loving you and cherishing you always! We love you tremendously.

- Me, Allie, & Henry

Dorky Driver

This morning I grabbed my purse and dashed out of the house. Out of habit, I threw on my sunglasses and started my morning drive to work. Turning up the radio, I heard the d.j. announce, "Goooood mornin' L.A.! Are you enjoying the sunny skies? The heat's........."

Sunny skies? It's really misty over here, Mr. D.J.

Feeling somewhat spirited, I stopped by the drive-through donut shop to pick up a baker's dozen for the faculty at work. I greeted the donut woman, and she took a double glance at me.

"Are you hiding red eyes today, Miss?"

"What?"

"I mean, are you hiding tired eyes?" she repeated while motioning to my sunglasses.

What the hell is she talking about?

Grabbing my change, I cranked up the music and sped off to work. I sang all the way. Today was the day to be chipper. Since I had such a crappy day yesterday, I was intent to fulfill my C.Q. (chipper quota) today.

Yes! Today was a grand day! A fresh start!

On campus, I unloaded my car, waved to several students. Some waved back; others pointed at me and whispered to each other. Then they giggled.

Heh heh. Silly kids. They probably think I brought these donuts for them. Himpf. Let them think that. I'm too busy being CHIPPER.

After handing out the donuts to gracious co-workers, I headed back to my classroom for final preparations for the day. Entering the class, my eyes quickly scanned the room for signs of preparation. Warm-ups xeroxed? CHECK. Chalkboard erased? CHECK. Agenda in order? CHECK. Hair intact? CH..CH...OH.MY.GOD!

My mirror told no lies. No, there was nothing wrong with my hair. My sunglasses were the problem. I mean, Alison's sunglasses were the problem. All morning I had been wearing her TOY sunglasses!!!!
"Oh JESUS H. CHRIST! What kind of joke are you playing on me?" I said to the sky
I was just trying to be CHIPPER.
"Those damn glasses were FILTHY with fingerprints!"
Lord, I even sang all the way to work today. Doesn't that count?
"And the glasses! The glasses were CROOKED and BENT!"
Lord weren't you watchng? I bought donuts for the staff.
"And the damn things were HUGE! For God's sake! They didn't even FIT!"
And I was wearing them! I WAS WEARING THEM. AND PEOPLE SAW ME.

Oh Lord, please don't let this be another crappy day. Please.

Wednesday Blahs

SEE the GROUCH!When I woke up today, there was a slight, eerie mist in the air which threatened to frizz out my freshly straightened hair (I'm the girl with the fickle hair -- not quite straight, not quite wavy). Not even Frizz Ease and my flattening iron could combat this mysterious mist (Grouch-Inducing Incident #1). Arriving to work, I realized that I forgot to wear my flag shirt, so I found myself surrounded by chipper, patriotic co-workers (Grouch-Inducing Incident #2). Our fearless leader even added to this fiery inferno of grouchiness by snapping, "Ms. Saito.....where is your flag shirt?........We told you about it yesterday....."

....Uh excuse me? Wasn’t “Flag Day” on Monday?

So yes, I admit it. I'm kinda grouchy. If my husband were here right now he would mostly likely remark, "Are you on the Grouchapalooza tour today?" Then I would most likely giggle.

Instead of giggling, I'm here at work (G.I.I. #3). We have this crazy-a** testing schedule which forces me to entertain my students for loooong stretches of time (on Monday I had my students for 105 minutes). They're busy taking their tests right now, while I rant in this here blog.

To add to the circus fun, there has been a helicopter (G.I.I. #4) circling above our school grounds for the past four hours. FIVE HOURS!!

Oh not to worry, it’s just a gunman roaming around town.
That cop over there by the cafeteria? He’s here to protect and serve.
Just mind your own, now.
We're gonna have a lock down soon. You'll have to stay with your last class until the coast is clear. We'll send snacks around if it gets too close to dinnertime.

Grouchy Girl font provided by dinc!

Successful Sunday

Beautiful weather and the company of good friends and family made my mother's retirement party quite a success. My mom enjoyed mingling with her friends, and we all enjoyed each other's company (a heavy amount of the conversation was dedicated to the LAKERS! After all, we live and breath in the city of Angels! How could we avoid being Lakers' fans?)

After everyone gave their farewell speeches, we all enjoyed sampling the yummy flavors (French Vanilla, Lemon, Chocolately Chocolate Chip, Coffee Crumb) of the stacked cakes that I brought from Creative Cakery. I was flattered when people asked if I had made the cakes myself (I wish!). The magnets and tins were quite the hit (as was Henry.....he walked straight into the microphone stand, knocked it over, and sent the microphone flying across the lawn!).

The beautiful weather permitted me to wear my new capelet from The Walrus and The Carpenter. After fretting over what to wear underneath the capelet, I was quite excited when I found the perfect double-layered sheer tank (it was hidden in the darkness of my closet!) (In case you're wondering, I am looking down at Henry as he ran up to me just as the camera snapped this shot!)

Our Curb Appeal Project has been rolling along quite nicely. I am so pleased with the outcome, and oftentimes I want to go sit on my front lawn to gawk at my newly refreshed house! Yury, the craftsman, has been über dedicated. He stayed at our house until 1:45 a.m. on Friday working, working, working on our windows; he left only because one of our neighbors complained of the noise (BAH!). Anyway, photos will be posted soon.

Hope everyone had a fun weekend!

Busy Bee

We're planning a retirement party for my mother this weekend, and I've been über busy creating the favors for this grand affair. I decided to make the ever-so-famous marble magnets so popular these days; and the instructions on Megan's site helped out tremendously (as did her reader's posted comments). So over the past few weeks, I've been punching out photos and cute pictures for the marbles, and then I've spent quite a time glueing them to the magnets, getting a mighty high all the while! Hank and I found an old photo (circa 1972) of my mom (complete with cat-eye glasses), and we scanned it, shrunk it down, and we're using them for some of the magnets too. She will certainly be surprised!

I was fortunate to find great tin containers at SKS Bottles (Gnomeg, you might like this site as it has fun lip balm containers!); I opted for the round containers instead of the Altoid-style boxes. Conveniently My Own Labels has an exquisite, enticing line of labels in lovely, luscious colours. I couldn't resist and bought several sheets of the round, mint green stickers. I've made about 40 little sets so far....only 60 more to go! Oh my! I had better get crackin'!

In the meantime, our house is getting a facelift. I've longed for crown moulding on the outer windows and doors, so we have a handyman (er....I mean craftsman, as he prefers to be called) who is busy crafting those for us right now. When he's done with all of that, he's going to paint our home. Colours: Monterey Gray, Suisse Coffee, and BLACK (for the doors). I can't wait for this whole process to be done. I've taken plenty of "before" photos, and as soon as the "after" has occurred, I will be sure to post all the photos here.

Rock On Mama and Daddy

To celebrate my birthday, Hank took me to The Glass House to see The Shins in concert. After fighting the awful L.A. traffic (L.A. traffic positively sucks), we arrived in time to grab our wrist bands which granted us countless entries and exits from the venue. We sneaked out for a quick bite for comida mexicana, and after making a quick call to the grandparents ("Hi Allie! What are you doing? Are you having fun? We'll be home soon...promise...Love you..."), we returned to a swelling crowd.

As I predicted, the audience was quite young, and in a strange way it felt reminiscent of my teen years as many sported eighties revival garb (plastic bangles, vans, vintage tees). "So you guys were just the 'cool older couple' then, right?" a friend commented today. "I guess so," I replied, remembering that the bartender wasn't clamoring to check our I.D.s, although I would have gladly presented it. Actually I was so wanting him to ask for it.

Rogue Wave opened with sonic tunes of a new indie band, followed by The Fiery Furnaces. The Shins played for nearly an hour (with an encore!), and I couldn't help but compare their music to The Beatles. In the middle of the concert a teenage girl answered a call from her mom (her mom! oh the shame!), and I felt a prick of relief that it wasn't me having to answer the inevitable, "Where are you?" question.

Hank and I, youthful in mind and spirit, rocked on with the best of 'em and had a blast. Heck! We had no curfew, no worried parents waiting up for us at home! But we were, however, the only ones driving home in a mini van.

••••••••

On another note, here are our avatars (site found via Gnomeg) This site was tons of fun, and these avatars look (kinda sorta) like us! Hank's hair is off, but it captured his gorgeous green eyes!

Nemo, Live!

Okay, so like, I'm a liar. I admit it. Of all people, I lied to my little, sweet Alison. But, you see, I had to because her first* pet died three weeks ago.

After the whole Nemo fanatacism, and several visits to Sea World this year, we were bound to end up with an ichthyological pet. "At least they're cheap," we said to ourselves as we plonked down $30.00 for 2 fishes (1 orange and 1 black), a small tank, fish food, and decorative pebbles.

Alison took interest in her new pets, "Nemo" and "Black Nemo" for a couple of weeks, eagerly feeding them once, twice, sometimes thrice daily. She even displayed extreme interest in her pets when Mama mistakenly put the tank in the Bay Garden window and green algae threatened to cut off their oxygen supply. But lo and behold, the tank was cleaned, and the fish were free to flit about in the pristine water.

And wouldn't you know it, one day, JUST ONE DAY after I uttered, "Boy these guys are hearty fellas, huh?", the damn orange fish had to call it quits? Hank (mistakenly) chose to tell Alison about the death of Nemo right before dinner one evening, and we (he) spent the entire dinner soothing her and comforting her. Hank even took her outside to have a quick burial service in the backyard. Not wanting to relive this moment, that night I prayed to the Fish God, "Oh holy Fish God....puhleeze let Black Nemo live....please!"

Talk about a bad omen.

The next day, Black Nemo was dead. Perhaps from a broken heart. Perhaps to taunt me.