Domesticism

Long Time No Blog

2008-09-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

I guess I haven't been feeling very bloggy for a while. Summer quarter was insanely busy at work, in spite of my hope that things would slow down. I continued my streak of working with more students every quarter I work for CWU, seeing over 200 in three weeks fewer than a regular-school-year quarter. At the rate I was going, I'd have topped my record for the year if it had been a full-length quarter.

Add to that the fact that we successfully completed our move to Kent, and I have been completely exhausted and unwilling to do more than glance at my computer once a day to see if I have any email. Thanks to those of you who wrote to me, and I'm sorry I haven't written back yet--I promise, I will, just as soon as I can face sitting in front of a computer for more than a few minutes at a time. Some of the exhaustion is fading now, and I'm finally feeling like I can write again without second guessing every sentence (reading so many student papers really makes a person think about her grammar).

The new apartment is really great. Michael and I are really enjoying having "grown up" living room furniture. We continue to eat at the table on the balcony (thanks Dad for the terrific housewarming present!). It's so nice to have my own office (although I haven't used it much yet), and I know as the school year opens, I'll appreciate it more and more. I'm also enjoying the perk of living right next to the Green River Trail. I've been able to sleep in every morning, then get up and go for a nice long walk. It's been really rejuvenating and refreshing.

The biggest news on the work front is that I've just been offered a HUGE promotion. From simply being the faculty member in charge of offering writing center services on one of CWU's branch campuses, I've been made the Assistant Director of the CWU Writing Center (the WHOLE thing), in charge of ALL the campuses on the west side of the state. This means I'll have a staff of four, operating two full writing centers, and offering service to four campuses. In addition to a nice pay bump and a better contract, I get a nifty title that will enhance my resume in ways I hadn't even imagined.

Of course, there are new responsibilities as well. I will have to travel to all the campuses. Fortunately for me, they're all in the Seattle area, two within ten minutes of the new apartment, one about half an hour away, and the other a 45 minute drive. Only one of the campuses has a really established writing center (the one I spent the past year founding), so I'm going to have to go through the process again on the other campus that needs a full writing center. This time it will be easier though--the first thing I get to do there is hire a staff. I'll be spending less time on direct student contact this year, because I'll be training new staff members and doing other "directorial" things. I'll still continue to work with the graduate students (and other students with longer, more complicated papers), but I won't see as many of the undergraduates.

I still have a couple weeks of vacation time left before I have to head back, but I'll likely be spending some time on each of the campuses before then, starting to network and meet the people I'm going to need to meet. I'm trying to stay focused on relaxing because I know the upcoming school year is going to be insane, but I'm so excited about the new job that it's going to be difficult to not work during my vacation. Yesterday, I went to a craft store and picked up a bunch of beads, paint, and clay, and I'm going to distract myself by doing the creative little art projects that I haven't had the time to do in years. I spent the afternoon on the balcony, happily engrossed in beadwork, making Christmas decorations for the bigger tree we'll be able to have in the new apartment. See--I can relax!

Congratulations to My Boy!

2008-06-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

The Graduate!
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

With all the celebrating and house hunting of the past few weeks, I hadn't had the chance to put up a public post to congratulate Michael for achieving his first college degree. I couldn't be prouder of him--I'm in the unique position of knowing how hard he worked for this, how many late nights he spent studying, and how many fun activities he didn't attend because he had to either study or work. He's an absolutely amazing person, and I know he's going to do great things. I feel really privileged to be a part of his life. Congratulations, Michael! You deserve this happiness--you earned it!

CWU Graduation Pictures

2008-06-22T12:39:00.001-07:00

Me, Cory, and Sandy
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

I did take a few pictures at CWU's graduation ceremony, and I'm finally getting around to putting them up for everyone to see. Enjoy!

New Home!

2008-06-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

Michael and I spent most of the day on Friday touring apartments and trying to find a new one, closer to CWU and Highline so that we don't have to continue to spend a couple hours on the freeway every day. Michael and I had been screening buildings online for the past couple of months, and we'd narrowed our search down to four buildings that we thought would be acceptable. Michael had called all the buildings, made appointments to view apartments, and printed off maps to get us from each one to the next one in line (yes--he was ORGANIZED!). Our initial screening criteria was this: at least two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reserved parking spot, a washer and drier, and a pool.

The first apartment we toured was in a nice neighborhood, and the apartment itself met all the criteria. We felt the day was off to a good start--until we realized how far out in the boonies the apartment complex was. The neighborhood was nice because it was a million miles from anywhere.

As we exited the freeway to find the next apartment, we began to be worried. Off the exit, we found an industrial park, a string of used car dealerships ad auto parts stores, some pawn shops and sex toy stores, and a lot of graffiti--oh, and the building where we'd scheduled the appointment. We politely toured the building and told them we'd get back to them. Honestly, they wanted $300 more than we were willing to pay for an apartment the size they were offering, for an apartment in a neighborhood where I'd be afraid to wait for a bus.

The last apartment we looked at (I'm going to skip the one we picked) would have been the winner, had we not looked at the really awesome apartment first. It was in a quiet, residential neighborhood next to a dog park. It had two massive bedrooms and tons of storage space. It had a view of a gorgeous greenbelt. All the appliances were brand new (stainless steel)--we'd have been the first people to use them. But...

We'd seen one more apartment before visiting the last one, and once we'd seen it, nothing else could hope to compare. We put in an application, and this morning, we got the confirmation call: we're in. We will be moving to Kent in mid-July (we get the official move-in date tomorrow).

Our new apartment has three bedrooms and two bathrooms (on the top floor, so we'll never have to hear our neighbors stomping around). Michael and I will both get one of the smaller (still big) bedrooms for an office. Yes--I'll get my own room after three years of having an office in the living room! My office will be the official guest room, with the small guest bed that's been in Michael's office. I'll get a frilly new bedspread and make it a gorgeous, feminine room. Michael will get the futon couch that's currently in the living room in his office, and we're planning to shop together for a brand new set of living room furniture (our second major furniture purchase). Michael will lay claim to the larger of the two bathrooms, and I'll get the slightly smaller master bathroom, which will become a fluffy pink girl's bathroom. Mine! The master bedroom is plenty large enough for our king-sized bed and dressers and other bedroom paraphernalia. We're getting a corner apartment, so the master bedroom and the bedroom that will become my office each have extra windows. My plants will be very happy!

The kitchen is enormous, and while the appliances aren't brand new, there is a lot more storage space than we currently have, and a whole lot more counter space (important for someone who likes to cook). The kitchen connects to the living/dining area with a breakfast bar, so we're also going to be shopping for barstools. The living/dining area is giant. It has a sliding glass door that opens onto a large deck. We're going to need to get patio furniture! There's a huge storage closet on the deck where we'll be able to keep all our camping equipment, seasonal decorations, and luggage. In the living room, there's an absolutely gorgeous, old-fashioned brick fireplace. There's a small alcove on the deck that will be perfect for storing a small stack of firewood. We'll be able to curl up by a roaring fire on cold winter nights. In the hallway near the bedrooms is a laundry closet with a full-sized washer and drier and some additional storage space.

Let's talk about the complex itself: when we arrived for our tour, we walked into a professional looking office with big, dark desks and other impressive looking furniture. The smell of fresh cookies filled the air, and the girl behind one of the desks greeted us by offering us cookies still warm from the oven. Near the door, we noticed a large rack of DVDs, and she explained that they refill the rack once a month--tenants can borrow one movie (for free) every day! She then showed us around the fitness room, indoor racket ball court, sauna, tanning salon, and pool--state of the art everything. The complex also has several playgrounds, a basketball court, and a tennis court. The banquet room (where she'd been baking cookies) is available for tenants when they want to throw parties. It has a full-sized kitchen, a large dining table, and a living room with a big-screen TV. Movie night, anyone?

The neighborhood is absolutely amazing. The complex is bordered on the back by the Green River, on one side by an elementary school, and on the other by a golf course. It's set off of the main road in the front by a large grove of trees, but the main road is lined with sidewalks, and the neighborhood is incredibly well maintained, with prosperous businesses within easy walking distance. There were several interesting-looking restaurants in the area. We'll be within walking distance of a movie theater, a small mall, several parks, an ice skating rink, and the mini golf course connected with the big course is just steps out of our complex. Along the Green River is a 19-mile hiking and biking trail (completely paved) that will give us a beautiful place to exercise on nice days, without being on city streets breathing exhaust and wondering if we're about to be run over.

We're going to sign papers tomorrow, but we're planning to start packing tonight!

When Banking Goes Bad

2008-06-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, I was reviewing my back account and figuring out how much I could spend on Michael's graduation party. As I went over the recent purchases I'd made, I noticed the usual: groceries and gas. I saw the charges for the birthday shopping trip on which I'd taken Hope on Monday. Then I saw a charge to something called Gamma. There was no address, and my bank provided no information beyond the name of the theoretical company at which I'd purchased some service.

I wracked my brain for a while, pondering where I could have been and what I would have bought that cost only $9.25. I couldn't recall anything I would have bought in the past week that would have cost such a small amount (we typically never spend less than $30 when we grocery shop or hit Target for a "few necessities"). Every time I'd gone out recently, either someone else had paid, or we'd gone to one of my usual places. I paid cash for parking at CWU's graduation. I couldn't recall anything I I would have bought for $9.25, and I certainly didn't remember any Gamma.

I showed the odd line on my bank statement to Michael. He was puzzled as well, but he pointed out that the number next to the Gamma name had the same number of digits as a phone number. We gave the number a call: an answering machine with a man's voice, speaking in a bizarre accent, saying that he was unavailable to come to the phone, but that we should leave a message.

Completely baffled by this point, we Googled the number. What we found was appalling. Apparently I was not the only one who couldn't remember using my debit card to buy something from Gamma. There were dozens of people with similar stories. They too had found a weird charge on their bank statements, for around $9.00, to some company called Gamma from which they couldn't remember buying anything. The same phone number showed up on their statements. When they called, they got the same recorded message.

Some horrid, dishonest person had gotten a hold of our debit card information, and was fishing, making small charges, to see if we would notice missing money before making a bigger charge!

Michael and I immediately headed to the bank, where I closed that account and opened an entirely new one. I didn't bother to try to get my $9.25 back (it would have taken an hour's worth of paperwork), and there's no real way to pursue tracking down the ass hole who stole my debit card number, since he didn't steal enough to make it worth filing a police report.

I just spent the morning transferring all of the bills I pay through automatic payments over to the new account. What a complete pain in the butt!

I hope the jerk who stole my debit card number gets run over by a bus. Twice. Then dropped out of the medical helicopter that's attempting to save him, and falls 3,000 feet and is entirely squashed into an unrecognizable pulp. I work really hard for my paycheck, and I truly resent anyone stealing from me.

Everyone else out there reading my tale of woe, let this be a lesson to you: pay close attention to your bank accounts. I could have been out a lot more than $9.25. I was lucky. There are a lot of dishonest weirdos out there. Watch especially for charges from Gamma.

Congratulations CWU Graduates!

2008-06-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Last night, I attended CWU's graduation ceremony, held at Benaroya Hall in Downtown Seattle. Since I attended as a faculty member (hey--it's a great excuse to dress up in a robe and wear a funny hat), I was allowed backstage--probably the only time in my life I'll get to go backstage at a concert hall. Faculty were put into the musicians' greenroom to put on their robes and wait to go into the auditorium.

When I got there, there was some excitement backstage--a pigeon had gotten in, and the stagehands and staff members who were setting up were chasing it around, flapping brooms and waving towels at it, trying to either capture it or shoo it out the door. It was flying from one end of the entry hall to the other, trying to find a perch. Eventually, it perched on the drinking fountain (if you're even backstage at Benaroya hall, you might want to think twice about using the drinking fountain), noticed the open door, and flew out.

The ceremony itself was beautiful, and I couldn't have been more proud of the CWU students I knew who participated. I know how hard all of them worked to be there: the immigrant from Africa who earned his Master's degree while caring for a sick mother, the single mother who put herself through school while supporting two children, the lovely young woman who broke up with her boyfriend three weeks before finals and still aced all her classes, the pregnant woman who finished her Master's degree at the same time her husband finished his Bachelor's degree, the young woman who didn't think she'd finish this spring who spent at least two days a week in my office studying to pass her last class. There were hundreds of other success stories in the auditorium last night, and I feel privileged to have shared a small part in the success of some of them. To all the recent CWU graduates: congratulations! You worked very hard for your achievement, and you will go far.

Happy Birthday to My Boy!

2008-05-12T08:19:00.001-07:00

Michael Blows out the Candles on His Cake
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Yes, I know his birthday was last weekend, but he graciously agreed to celebrate this weekend, when I could plan a better celebration than a half-raw burger on the way home from the airport. Last night, Hope and Peter came over for birthday dinner and birthday cake, and we celebrated Michael's birthday properly--with candles and singing and everything.

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T08:37:00.001-07:00

A Pile of Cousins
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

...To my mom and all the moms out there: thanks for all you do for us!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-05-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

I'd like to wish my dad a very happy birthday today!

Pictures

2008-05-07T10:31:00.001-07:00

The Family at the Church Before the Service
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Last weekend, the family came together to celebrate Grandma's life and to mourn her death. Many of us took pictures of the various gatherings, and mine are posted on my photo page for anyone who wants to see them.

Click the picture on this post, and it will take you to my photo page.

If you want copies of any of these pictures, you should be able to download them and print them, or you can send me an email (prairie.brown@gmail.com) with your address (and which pictures you want) and I'll send you prints.

A Sad Afternoon

2008-04-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

My grandmother, Norma Lindberg, passed away this afternoon. I'll put up a full post later, but for now, please offer up some prayers, both of gratitude that Grandma isn't suffering any more and of healing for my grandfather, mother, and family, when you have a minute.

April Shower (of Snow)

2008-04-18T18:53:00.001-07:00

April Shower (of Snow)
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Here's the scene outside our building at this very moment. How bizarre is that?!

Who Turned off the Spring?

2008-04-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, my colleague in Lynwood called me to chat about the upcoming conference. As we were talking, she mentioned that it had been snowing all afternoon in Lynwood. I looked out my window (I'm about 50 miles south of Lynwood when I'm at work). The sun was shining. Sure, there were a few clouds over the water, and yes, they looked very black, but overall it wasn't an unpleasant day outside.

I hopped into my car at about 5:00 and headed north. I was about halfway back to Seattle when something thumped against my windshield. I figured it was a bug. Then I noticed the wet splotch. Something else splatted against the windshield. Then something else. It was starting to hail! As I drove further north, it hailed harder and harder. Small piles of it began to build up on the sides of my windshield. Traffic going into downtown slowed, then stopped, then began creeping northward again at a snail's pace. The sides of the road began to collect piles of hail. Then the road itself started to look a little bit white and slushy. I passed a sign that estimated the commute from that point to Lynwood: 58 minutes to travel what on a good day would be a 15 minute drive.

I got off the freeway at the next exit, watching the cars still on the freeway beginning to slip and slide a bit as the road got worse. I took the back roads the rest of the way home. By the time I got home, the hail had stopped. It was actively SNOWING! As I type this, it's starting to stick to the streets. Cars and trees in the parking lot outside the building are thoroughly coated.

You heard me--it's snowing in Seattle in the middle of April! Clearly, whoever is in control of the weather missed the memo about it being spring!

Some More Books

2008-04-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

This morning, I dropped Michael off at work and made it to the book sale in time to join the line at the door. The building where the sale is held (a former airplane hangar) is huge--and the line stretched around three sides of it! Today is half-price day, so all the paperbacks that were 50 cents yesterday are a whole quarter today. The dollar hardbacks are 50 cents today.

This morning, my mission was to browse the historical fiction room. They allow only 50 people into this room at a time, so it was important that I be one of the first people to get there, or I would have to wait in line after waiting in line. I was number 25 into the room. I was worried for a few minutes that I wouldn't make it in time. I got stuck behind a really slow old lady who would wander one way, then just before I could squeeze past her, she'd cut the other way. Finally, she paused to look at something for long enough for me to dart past her.

I found a stack of books, ranging from novels about British kings and queens to Mexican rebels. I even grabbed a few romances--not bodice rippers (never been my thing), but more along the lines of Bridget Jones (romantic comedies). Now I just need summer vacation, a swimming pool, a cold drink, and a nice hot afternoon (we're back to clouds and drizzle today).

More Books!

2008-04-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of the annual Seattle Public Library book sale, one of the few events I know of during which people stand in line to buy books. I thought I was getting there nice and early this morning (it opened at 9:00 and I got there at 9:30), but when I went to my usual parking lot, it was completely full--people were double parked! After nearly being hit a couple times by other people searching for spots, I decided I would go for a walk. I drove to a parking lot about half a mile away, on the waterfront, and walked back to the sale by going up the Kite Hill and through the Sports Meadow. I figured it's healthy to walk, and besides--it's the first warm spring day we've had this year.

As I walked toward the sale, I ran into Hope and Peter walking their dogs. They'd just come over the hill from the sale, and were shaking their heads at the craziness of it. Peter said he'd seen people camping outside the doors last night to make sure they were the first ones in!

In spite of this rather ominous warning, I continued on my walk, savoring the warm air and enjoying the site of bunches of kids playing what I think is some sort of competitive frisbee game--they were organized into teams, had team uniforms, and were throwing frisbees in some sort of keep-away game. Coaches were yelling from the sidelines and parents were cheering. It was all very festive. As I walked away from the Sports Meadow, several lacrosse teams were just arriving.

I made my way through the crowded parking lot and into the book sale building. It was insanely crowded, as usual, but since I've been to several of these by now, I knew where to go. Thank goodness they always organize them the same way! I headed to the reference book section first, because I wanted some books for my office. I found a great ESL dictionary, a wonderful book of American quotations, a terrific little grammar book, and a few others that I'm sure students will appreciate.

Then I made my way to the tables full of mystery books. Before I left the house this morning, I'd made a list of all the Agatha Christies and Mary Higgins Clarks (etc.) we already have. I browsed the tables until I'd filled my bag with books that aren't already in our collection, even finding a Stephen King we didn't have--the screenplay for Storm of the Century. Since I had all I could reasonably expect to carry for half a mile, I didn't browse the literature tables. I figure there will be plenty left on those tomorrow.

I walked back to my car, enjoying the sunshine, and stopping for a few minutes to watch the lacrosse games--it looks like a fun sport. By the time I got back to my car (lugging 40 pounds or so of books), my shoulders were aching a little bit, but it was worth it. We'll have plenty of books for summer reading. Especially after I go back tomorrow to browse the literature tables!

A Math Problem

2008-04-02T20:42:00.001-07:00

As I've been reflecting on my previous post, in which I claimed poverty, not flawed teachers, is the primary problem affecting the U.S. educational system, a math problem kept popping into my head:

8.07 X 40 X 52 X 18 = 302,140.80

(Minimum wage in Washington) times (40 hours per week) times (52 weeks in a year) times (18 years of responsibility for a child)

The current price of raising a child from birth to the age of eighteen, according to the U.S. government, is $204,060. Now, let's imagine a single parent home. In this home, there are three children and one mother. The mother hasn't graduated from high school. She holds a minimum wage job as a checker at a local convenience store. Even if she works full time, without ever taking a vacation or a sick day, for the next eighteen years, she will never meet the monetary requirement of raising one child at what the government considers an average standard. She has three children. Washington's minimum wage is the highest in the country. If she lived in Kansas, she'd be making $2.65 an hour. In Arkansas, $6.25. In Nebraska, $5.85 (the federal minimum wage). You heard me--the federal government believes the minimum amount of money one would have to make would be $5.85 an hour ($219,024 for 18 years of work).

We could compound her children's struggles by adding some of the other problems those in poverty often face. Perhaps she drinks or uses drugs to ease the pain of her poverty or to escape the stress she feels. Maybe she is frequently fired or laid off from the minimum wage jobs she is qualified to do. It's possible that she could have medical problems that cause the bills to build up. Heaven forbid one of the children should become seriously ill. Any number of unexpected events could put a strain on the family's already tight finances. The car could break down. The landlord could evict them. A relative could die leaving nothing but a funeral expense.

Are schools really to blame for the education crisis the country is facing? Do we really need more rigid standards? Will standardized testing really solve all our problems? Is it the schools we need to reform?

Will a child who comes to school hungry, who wears clothing (patched and torn) passed down through two older siblings, who's never been read a bedtime story, who is teased and humiliated when she arrives at school, and who has already witnessed her mother overdose on meth be likely to be prepared when the time comes to take a standardized test? Or will her priority be figuring out how to survive another day?

One Point Two Million Left Behind

2008-04-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

I've really had enough of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It simply doesn't live up to its name. Of course, how many people are going to be willing to stand up and say that? Who wants to be the one to say, "That's a stupid idea!" and run the risk of being accused of not wanting to help kids? (Ignore the fact that the law really isn't helping kids. It's hurting those who need the most help.)

This morning, graduation rates were announced. Nationally, around 70 percent of high school students can expect to graduate. In Seattle, 67.6 percent of students will graduate. Seattle schools, and schools across the country, will be punished for not graduating 100 percent of their students (the unrealistic goal set by no child left behind). They will receive less federal money, and that money they do receive will have to be spent on new, government mandated programs rather than community outreach, parenting classes, drug treatment programs, English as a second language classes, and any number of other things that might be beneficial. Teachers will be fired or demoted because their students didn't perform to NCLB standards.

One more thing was announced today: 1.2 million kids will drop out of school entirely this year. They won't finish high school. They won't get diplomas. They will be doomed to lives below the poverty level, scraping a living at minimum wage or working higher paying but dangerous manual labor types of jobs.

Here's a profile of the kids in Seattle who won't be graduating this year: They will be poor. All of them. They will come from primarily single parent homes in which that single parent likely does not have a high school diploma. Most of them will have been going to school without breakfast and an adequate winter coat since they were small children. (Notice that nationally, the schools with the lowest graduation rates are in cities where poverty runs rampant: Detroit, with a 24.9 percent graduation rate, Cleveland, with a 30.5 percent graduation rate.) Many of them will be African American. Many of them will be drug addicted. Many of them will have been abused. Many of them will have a learning disability. Many of them will not speak English. (According to Seattle's primary ESL school, not a single one of their students has ever passed the WASL--Washington's NCLB test--and they don't expect any of them to pass in the future. The standard of being able to pass it after one year of English instruction is simply too unreasonable. Students who grew up speaking English still can't pass the test! Even though they are legal immigrants, they will be punished for not being born here.) Many of them have children themselves, although they're teenagers (thanks abstinence education). Many of them will have already spent time living on the streets. Many of them will have already been involved in prostitution. Many of them will have already done jail time. And yet these kids are included in the 100 percent compliance goal the NCLB has set. NCLB is intentionally weeding out the so-called "undesirable" kids under the premise that it is encouraging an equal chance for all children. NCLB does not leave a single door open for these kids. If they are incapable of meeting its standards, they are turned onto the street. Period. But as long as they don't come from homes with money, who cares, right? No one is going to protest. (Until someone steals their BMWs--and then the protest won't be about lack of a diploma.)

I should point out that NCLB has no suggestions and gives no leeway for students who cannot meet its standards. The GED isn't an option: it's not considered an acceptable outcome under NCLB. Only a high school diploma will suffice, so school districts desperately trying to keep federal funding are doing all that they can to eliminate GED programs and encourage kids who will never pass the WASL (or other state tests) to stay in school. Career Link, the program I for which I taught, severed ties with Seattle Public Schools last year. On the surface, this was because of funding issues, but the reality of the situation is that they were fearful of losing money if all the kids in the district didn't take the WASL. Career Link just learned it will be forced to close in June of this year.

Remember all those kids in Seattle who will not earn high school diplomas (over 30 percent)? After June (when they don't graduate with their classes and Career Link is forced to shut its doors), they will have one less place to turn. They will actually have been left behind.

Something That Bugs Me

2008-03-29T15:12:00.001-07:00

Stuff you need to know before you read this part of the post:
1. Michael and I take a multi-vitamin with dinner every day.
2. We usually eat dinner around 8:00.
3. Our typical bed time is about 10:30.
4. I have been off of caffeine of any kind (except for chocolate) for almost two years.
5. I'm really sensitive to caffeine, even when it's part of my usual pattern. Even when I was drinking things with caffeine, I limited myself to one such beverage a day. Even that could give the the jitters if I wasn't careful.

The story:
Last time I ran out of multi-vitamins, apparently so did every woman in Seattle. The grocery store where I usually shop was out of my usual (One-A-Day Women's Health formula), but in the space next to the empty spot on the shelf was a package called One-A-Day Weight Smart. I don't know a single woman who doesn't want to be weight smart. I grabbed a package, deciding it would do to replace my usual. It's a multi-vitamin in the health food section of the store--must be good for me. Or so one would think.

Over the past week, I'd been noticing that I'd been having a lot of trouble falling asleep at our usual bed time. I just wasn't sleepy. I should have been. I went back to work after spring break this week, and it was a surprisingly busy first week back. Still, I tossed and turned and wondered what was going on. I wracked my brain for any change to my routine that might be keeping me awake. I should also mention that I was waking up in the morning groggy, with a splitting headache.

Finally, last night, as we were fixing dinner, I turned to Michael and said, "I wonder if it's the vitamins. That's the only change I can think of. Maybe there's something in them that I shouldn't have before bed time."

Michael picked up the bottle and squinted at the tiny label. His eyes widened, "The fourth ingredient on the list is caffeine! These things are full of it! You've got to stop taking these."

So, here's a consumer warning: avoid One-A-Day Weight Smart if you're sensitive to caffeine. The product is not clearly labeled, and it does not say up front that it contains caffeine. They ought to put that fact in bold print somewhere on the front of the package! I find it absolutely ridiculous that it's being marketed as a health food!

At any rate, I didn't take any last night, and imagine this: I slept just fine, and I didn't wake up with a headache.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T19:54:00.001-07:00

Hope, Peter, and Michael Dye Easter Eggs
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

We started the day with a little bit of spring cleaning--Michael was actually inspired and cleaned most of the apartment all by himself!

This afternoon, Hope and Peter came over for an Easter egg dying party. We dyed eggs, had snacks, and laughed at our rather meager artistic abilities as we attempted to paint our eggs. Michael took pictures of all the eggs, so expect those pictures to appear on his page sometime in the near future. (There are more pictures of our party up on my Flickr page as well.)

Michael and I fixed the traditional Easter ham dinner, and we're just about to sit down to chocolate eclair cake and a movie. It's been a really great Easter!

I hope the Easter Bunny was good to everyone this year!

Spring Break!

2008-03-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

This past week, I've been on spring break. I originally didn't have all that much planned, but I did want to go to Vancouver for a few days to be with my family. Last weekend, I spend three days with my mom and Kima. We went on several little shopping trips and celebrated Kima's birthday.

This past week was also finals week for Michael (drawbacks to being on different school schedules). He spent a lot of the week studying, but we've been enjoying the luxury of both of us being home at the same time. This hardly ever happens when both of us are in session. His last final was yesterday morning, and after the test, we hit Blockbuster, rented a stack of movies, and came home to unwind.

This morning, after sleeping in as late as we wanted (8:30--silly school schedule!), we headed Downtown, which we hadn't done for a long time. We had breakfast at one of my favorite bakeries in the Pike Place Market, then headed to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) to see the Roman exhibit that's there on loan from the Louvre. The artwork was absolutely amazing! Most of it was statuary, various portraits of emperors and their wives. I pointed out to Michael that he has a strong resemblance to a couple of the early emperors--he must have some Roman ancestors.

We still have one day of my break left. Tomorrow we're going to dye Easter eggs!

Tummy Troubles

2008-03-09T14:06:00.001-07:00

Michael woke up at about 2:00 this morning feeling sick to his stomach. He spent the next five hours alternating between the bathroom floor and the guest bed (closer to the bathroom). For the first time since I've known him, he agreed he was too sick to go to work, and let me call in sick for him. He never registers a fever, even when he admits he's feeling sick, so it worried me quite a bit when the thermometer read 100 degrees this morning.

Fortunately, the worst seems to have passed. A shower brought the fever down a bit. He's been able to keep down water and apple juice, and he just managed to eat some Jello and half a piece of bread. He's taking a nap now, and when he gets up I'll see if I can convince him to try some chicken broth.

Now, if only I can avoid catching this...

Flowers from a Student

2008-02-29T19:23:00.001-08:00

Flowers from a Student
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Over the course of the past week, three of the graduate students I've been working with all quarter defended their theses. I'd worked with each of them fairly intensely--two of them more than twice a week for the past month. Each of them invited me to her thesis defense, and both in the interest of supporting my current students and in furthering my knowledge so that I can better advise future students, I attended all three defenses.

I'm very pleased to report that all three passed their defenses: there are three new CWU Master Teachers out there doing wonderful things for their students. Each of these women (a fifth grade teacher, a sixth grade teacher, and an elementary school P.E. teacher) worked for several years to complete her degree, and all of them wrote wonderful papers. They each overcame personal obstacles (one had a baby midway through the graduate school process, another is currently eight months pregnant) to achieve the goals they'd set.

For the small part I played in their writing process, each thanked me in her own way. One thanked me for coming to her thesis defense by saying, "It felt like having a big sister there watching out for me." Another brought me a cup of my favorite peppermint tea. Another stopped by my office with a huge bouquet of flowers, and thanked me on the dedication page of her thesis. Their gratitude brought tears to my eyes--they're the ones who did all the work. I love that I have a job that people really feel is helpful!

To my graduate students: congratulations! You worked hard and you deserve your success!

Conference Proposal

2008-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Over breakfast (and I'll admit, a good deal of gossip) this morning, Sandy and I discussed the upcoming PNWCA conference. Sandy and I are in a unique position here in Washington because we run writing centers on campuses where there aren't any lower division composition classes to keep our centers full. Since we work at branch campuses of CWU, all of our students are juniors, seniors, and graduate students (most having completed Associate's degrees elsewhere before transferring to CWU). We've been noticing that students who visit our centers have writing issues that are unlike those of students who are taking composition classes.

We're calling our presentation for the conference "Re-Developmental Writing: Rediscovering a Lost Art." This morning we hashed out the basics (enough to put together the proposal) and came up with a few metaphors and a simple structure that should make our proposed presentation a welcome addition to the conference program. We plan to talk about strategies for working with student writers who have advanced beyond basic composition courses and who are doing well in their academic programs, but who have forgotten some of the skills they learned in composition classes, and who therefore need to be reminded of these skills so that they can adapt them for use in their own disciplines. Since the theme for the conference is "Are we having fun yet?," we've come up with a format for the presentation that I think people will enjoy, but which I'm not going to spell out right now because the proposals aren't in yet, and I don't want anyone to steal our idea!

Professional Growth

2008-02-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

Today I spent a day off-campus at a meeting called a DDO, which stands for Directors' Day Out. With the new job, I'm now a member of the PNWCA (Pacific Northwest Writing Centers Association), and since I am the whole writing center at CWU-Des Moines, I get to go to the activities this organization puts on for writing center directors. This quarter the meeting was held at Seattle University, which was really convenient for me as it shortened my usual commute by about 20 minutes to only have to go as far as Downtown. It was the first time I've been on that campus, and I was really impressed. Unlike a lot of inner city campuses where it's impossible to forget the city that looms just off campus, SU is very sheltered and enclosed, and doesn't feel quite as urban as a school like Portland State.

Today's meeting provided an opportunity for the three people who run the CWU writing centers to be together in the same room at the same time, which I'm finding is a rare pleasure. Teresa (the director in Ellensburg) and Sandy (my counterpart on the Lynwood campus) and I enjoy each other's company, and this afternoon was a treat because in addition to the meeting, we managed to steal a little bit of time to chat. I'm meeting Sandy again tomorrow so that we can discuss a conference proposal we're putting together. The two of them provide a peer base that I haven't had for a couple years, and it's lovely to be included in a group whose members "speak my language." At North, I was separate from the writing center staff because I was a faculty member, and separate from the other faculty members because I was the only writing teacher in my department. It's nice to really be included and to feel like I have a place.

I also enjoyed meeting the other writing center directors from the area and beginning to learn about the programs on other campuses. They're a friendly bunch, and I'm really looking forward to this spring's PNWCA conference.

It also made me feel really grown up to be touring a college campus as a faculty member and not as a potential student. Today was one of those days when I suspect that even though I feel like a kid, the rest of the world thinks I'm an adult.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Before I tell you all how Michael and I are celebrating the holiday, let's start off with some warm-fuzzies from other places in my world that I've been saving up for just the right time to blog about them.

Warm-Fuzzy One

I was sitting in my office one evening a few weeks ago. I still had an hour before it was time for me to go home, and a student had just cancelled an appointment, so I didn't really have much to do. The phone rang. I answered it, and the voice on the other end of the line asked, "Did you used to work in Ellensburg?"

Surprised, I told him that I had. He explained, "I was one of your students, and I saw your name on the faculty list here, so I called to ask you about this school."

He was a student in one of the first writing classes I ever taught, just after I'd finished my Master's work. Now he's graduated from school and is a track coach at one of the area community colleges. He's just accepted a job at the community college that's connected to my university, and he wanted to know more about the university programs so that when his athletes are ready to transfer he knows what to tell them. Our conversation ended with him saying, "You were one of two people I actually liked in Ellensburg. I'll tell all my athletes to visit you!"

Warm-Fuzzy Two

Two weeks ago, I attended an advisory committee meeting for Career Link. Belinda told me a story about one of my former students, who had been acting up in class every day this quarter. I was surprised, because I'd never had a behavior problem with this kid. She had called him into her office to ask what was going on, and he'd said, "I want Prairie back!"

It's nice to be missed.

Warm-Fuzzy Three

For the past couple days, Valentine cards and gifts have been arriving at our apartment. We got lovely cards from Hope and my mom, and our gifts to each other came in the mail, and Michael got a mystery package from one of his blog admirers.

Our Valentines

Michael and I decided that since we're going on six years together, we wanted to mark our relationship in some sort of a more formal way this year. We did some research into symbolism and rings, and discovered a neat kind of ring called a "posey ring." During the Middle Ages, these rings were given "as a romantic gift or a token of friendship." The particular rings we chose are replicas of one made in the 15th century. The original is in the British museum. Posey rings have a message engraved on them that, when it touches the skin, is supposed to "have a particular power." Our rings say, "Of my love be sure" (in French, because French was the Court language in England at the time the original was made). This message seems really fitting for our relationship: if there's one thing I can be sure of in this world, it's that I know at the end of the day, no matter how tired and cranky I am, Michael will love me. I can always count on him, and he can always be sure of my love. (Michael has a picture of the rings up on his site that's far superior to anything I could get with my little camera.)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Best Boyfriend Ever!

2008-01-31T22:16:00.000-08:00

While watching the first episode of the new season of Lost this evening, a commercial came on for something I'd forgotten was coming out: a new Stephen King book. I was impressed initially because there was a commercial for a book during prime time TV. That's a very big rarity (more's the pity). I like seeing an occasional commercial for something I'd actually buy. I was further impressed because I never forget when a book I want is coming out. I always have my pre-order in to Amazon as soon as something I want is announced. I'd been so caught up with everything going on in my life that I'd actually forgotten about the book release.

Fortunately, Michael hadn't. After the show was over and we were talking about how hard it would be to go a whole week before another episode (did anyone really get off the island?), Michael turned to me and asked, "So there was a Stephen King book you didn't know about?"

I admitted that it was true. He grinned and walked back to the office and came out beaming with a big box from Amazon.

"I didn't forget!"

This qualifies him as the best boyfriend ever! He knows me so well that he anticipates my little whims before I even know I'm going to have them. He knew I'd want it as soon as it came out, and he noticed I'd forgotten, so he ordered it for me. He was saving it for the perfect moment, and boy did he find it! I wanted that book so much I was going to suggest driving to the grocery store to see if they had any yet. He's amazing! I need to go kiss him again (he's studying like a good school boy) and hop into bed and start reading!

Weekend Fun

2008-01-21T18:09:00.001-08:00

Peter, Hope, Kima, and Michael Enjoy Tea and Dessert
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

My sister Kima was in Seattle visiting this weekend. Saturday night, Michael and I had a lovely dinner at Hope and Peter's place, and last night it was our turn to host the dinner party. Everyone (Kima, Hope, and Peter) came over here for an "Asian feast." I learned to make egg-flower soup, we bought some different types of dumplings at the Asian market, I created a coconut-pineapple curry, and we found an assortment of Asian cookies at the market. We all watched the last episode of Amazing Race (yay for TK and Rachel for winning), and much fun was had.

Kima stayed the night with us (another pleased visitor for our little guest room), and this morning I tried a new waffle recipe: buttermilk coconut waffles. Hope couldn't resist when we told her what was for breakfast, and she came over to eat with us. The waffles were pronounced a success by all, and there's enough batter left over for Michael and I to have them again tomorrow. Kima is headed back to Vancouver and her work week, Michael is at work this evening, and I'm catching up on my weekend lounging.

Second Week Review

2008-01-19T17:25:00.001-08:00

Me at My Desk
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

The second week seemed to go faster than the first although I don't have much to report. The biggest development of the week was probably that I got a bit more settled in to my office. There are pictures on my walls (thanks Michael!) and I learned how to use the fax machine. Students are figuring out I'm there, and quite a few have filtered through my office. I've actually seen more students that I have any right to expect given how new my position is. I'm feeling very optimistic that things are soon going to be very busy. (Pictures of the office developments are up on flickr.)

Wacky Weather

2008-01-14T20:33:00.000-08:00

When I left home this morning, the skies were clear and it looked like it was going to be a gorgeous day. Thirty minutes later, just as I was pulling into the faculty parking lot in Des Moines, it had clouded over and begun to pour buckets. I made a run for the building, and then when I looked out fifteen minutes later it was sunny again. Later this afternoon, another faculty member mentioned to be that it was snowing in Bellevue, and I rushed to check the traffic report to make sure the freeway was clear so I could get home. The freeway report looked normal, so I put it out of my mind. Much to my surprise, just as I came upon Downtown Seattle on my drive home, I noticed that the sides of the freeway were white with snow. There was slush here and there on the road, not enough to really slow traffic, but still noticeable. When I left the freeway here in North Seattle, the ground was covered with about an inch of slushy snow. I got out of my car and could see stars shining in the sky, and it's apparently warmed up a few degrees, because the snow is already melting away. Weird day!

First Week Reflections

2008-01-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

I started out the week by comparing everything to the Loft, and by Wednesday I was feeling sort of inferior:

"By this point in the quarter in the Loft, I'd have already seen at least ten students! What's wrong with me?"

I had to stop and force myself to reflect on why I was comparing two programs that shouldn't really be compared. The Loft is a well-established program that has existed for years and years; CWU-Des Moines isn't even three years old yet, and the writing center was only really established there last quarter. Most students don't even know it's there at all (yet). The Loft is open six days a week, while last quarter at CWU-Des Moines, the consultant was only on campus two days a week. Students aren't used to someone being available five days a week. The Loft has many tutors; at CWU-Des Moines, there's only me, and I'm not a face the students recognize yet. Everything about my new job is, well--new--so why was I beating myself up because students weren't knocking down my door? It's not like I'm stepping into a well-established writing center, and all I have to do is make sure it keeps running. I'm starting from scratch, and that's going to take a while.

When I reached this point in my reflections, I began to compile a list of the week's small successes, and within a little while, I was starting to feel much better. On Monday, I had no email, no access to the shared files on the computer, no voice mail, no faculty contact list, and no appointments for classroom orientations of consultations. I had an empty office that none of the students knew was there, and there was no real way for me to contact anyone to let them know where I was. By the end of Monday, I had email and a faculty contact list, and two faculty members had invited me in to talk with their classes. On Tuesday, I talked with two more classes, reaching nearly 100 of the 700 students I'm supposed to be serving. On Wednesday, I gained access to the shared files and was able to put my name on the official brochures and print them off so I had something official to give to students. A student actually signed up for a consultation on Wednesday. On Thursday I visited more classes, and as I went, I started to notice more how many students were smiling and nodding at what I had to say. More students were grinning at me in the hallways or when I was sitting at my table in the study hall, with my basket of candy and stack of brochures. On Friday, I had three student consultations and I finally got voice mail, so that next week, students and faculty members will have all the contact possibilities they're supposed to have for me. All things considered, I think I've had a pretty successful week. I think things will continue to improve in the upcoming weeks and months as students get to know me better.

I'm completely exhausted, of course, after worrying all week about how to get students' interest. To prove this, let's look at last night as an example. I'm normally an extremely light sleeper, so light that any little noise will wake me up, and I've slept in ear plugs since high school just to get a full night's sleep. Last night, not only did I conk out at an embarrassingly early hour, but when Michael spilled a soda, cursed, turned on the light to mop it up, rearranged his night stand, and turned out the light again ten minutes later, I didn't even wake up. I'm enjoying my new job thoroughly, because the challenge of starting a writing center is thrilling, but I think the first few quarters will make me very ready for summer vacation!

On Commuting

2008-01-11T18:31:00.000-08:00

With the new job comes a new commute to work. Instead of five minutes on back streets, I now spend 35 minutes (each way) on the freeway to get to work. I don't mind spending the time in my car. It gives me a chance to sing along with the radio without torturing anyone else with my tone-deafness and to plan out my day or reflect on my day. I don't mind the drive in the least because it's a gorgeous drive, with Rainier towering in the distance and the beautiful Seattle skyline, Space Needle and all, beside me most of the way. I don't even mind being stuck in traffic, because it gives me more time with my thoughts, and I so rarely get time all to myself. In fact, I wouldn't mind commuting in the least, if it weren't for one thing.

People are jerks. Heaven forbid anyone yield to let anyone else merge onto the freeway. And don't even attempt to change lanes during rush hour--you're stuck in the lane you're in, whether you want to be there or not; no one will let you in to another lane. Never mind that traffic is moving at 5 miles an hour, and one more person going in front of you will delay you by approximately three seconds. It also appears to be imperative to follow the car in front of you so closely that the driver of the car in front of you cannot see your headlights, and indeed might not even know you're there--and to continue this whether traffic is moving at 5 miles an hour or 60. I was almost rear-ended tonight when traffic momentarily sped up to 40 then abruptly slowed to 15, and the moron behind me, who I hardly knew was there because he/she was following so closely, had to drive onto the median to avoid smacking into me. (When I learned to drive, Mom told be to imagine a pole four car-lengths, separating me from the car in front of me. The pole is unbendable. If someone cuts between me and the car in front of me, a new pole automatically appears, and I adjust. That way I always have enough space to stop, and no one needs to cut me off. Not that this stops people from cutting me off--oh no. Even though they don't need to, they seem to enjoy cutting as close to my bumper as they can, perhaps to show their driving skill.) People are selfish when it comes to freeway driving. Yes, we all want to get where we're going. That's why we're on the freeway in the first place. Still, behaving like we're the only ones on the road isn't going to get us where we're going any more quickly or safely. I'd rather be delayed by two minutes than cause an accident. I only wish other people felt the same way. I'd enjoy my commute thoroughly were this the case. I'm not going to hold my breath though.

Cozy Evening

2008-01-06T18:22:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting here in bed next to Michael, both of us with laptops in our laps, contentedly surfing the web and writing emails. With the addition of my new school computer and the wireless connection, we can both be online in the same room at the same time. It's pretty nice! I suppose we'll have to get up eventually and fix dinner, but right now we're not really motivated to do very much. It's nice to occasionally have lazy moments.

Home Again

2008-01-05T18:13:00.001-08:00

I spent the past two nights in Ellensburg on the CWU main campus, signing my contract and picking up things like my new laptop and a few books I didn't already have that I feel every writing center should have. I've never had such a warm reception to a new job in my life. I felt like a movie star the whole time. Teresa introduced me to the Ellensburg writing center staff by telling them how excited she is to have me joining their team. Then I had a meeting with the vice provost of undergraduate studies (one of the most powerful people on campus), which I was nervous about, because this is the man who signs my paychecks. He's actually a very nice man who greeted me with a friendly handshake and a huge smile before ushering me into an office with Dr. Seuss books on a table near the door.

I wondered if it might feel weird to be back on the CWU campus after over two years away from Ellensburg, but the moment I set foot on campus, it felt like I'd never left. I felt right at home again immediately, which I'm taking as a sign that CWU is the right place for me to work.

On Thursday afternoon I had time to wander around the campus because I didn't have any meetings scheduled until Friday morning. I'd come over the pass a day early to avoid the snowstorm that was predicted for Friday morning, and I'm really glad that I did. Sandy (the CWU Lynwood writing consultant) hit the inclement weather Friday morning and missed the first faculty development activity entirely. On Thursday, I was able to see a lot of my former professors and catch up on some of the campus gossip. I had really nice visits with my writing center mentor, Rob, and two members of my thesis committee. It was fun to hear about everyone's new projects, especially Lila's (she finally had a paper accepted for presentation at the MLA conference, a HUGE deal in the English studies world). I got lots of hugs from people who didn't have much time to chat, and there were many congratulations.

Friday was the movie star day, and I spent most of the day in a happy daze, shaking hands and making new friends right and left. The day ended with a party at Teresa's house where there was great food and wonderful conversation. One of the things that impresses me most about the writing center faculty Teresa has put together is the great diversity of areas of study among the staff members. So many writing centers employ mainly English majors, but Teresa has recruited from all over campus. I had interesting conversations with graduate students from the history department, the animal psychology department, and the theater department in addition to some really great literary conversations with the English majors.

This morning, I got up early for a meeting with Teresa in order to finish going over all the new procedures I'll be following, and so that she could finish showing me how to use the functions I'll need on my new computer. She's going to be absolutely wonderful to work with; she has a personality that I really click with, and we laughed at the same silly little things all morning.

Now I'm home again. I think the only drawback to the whole trip was how much I missed Michael while I was away. I've not often stayed in a hotel by myself, and it was really creepy to go back there at night and be entirely by myself when I'm so used to having Michael there at the end of the day when I want someone to hug and talk with. I had a great time in Ellensburg, but I'm really happy to be home.

My First Day

2008-01-02T18:35:00.001-08:00

My New Office
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Today was my first day in my new job, and I think it went really well. The building that houses CWU Des Moines is not even three years old yet, and everything from the floor up looks brand new. My office is on the third floor, and it's by far the nicest, biggest, newest office I've ever had. I don't have nearly enough stuff to fill it, and I'm hoping my students will overlook the lack of color until I can get some posters up. I'll just have them look out the window at the incredible view of Puget Sound if they complain about the lack of decoration. It's absolutely stunning! (There are lots of pictures up on Flickr.)

I spent much of the afternoon meeting the other faculty members and touring the campus trying to orient myself. I found the cashier's office to buy my parking pass, and I've located the student union in case I get hungry sometime. The other faculty I met were all very welcoming and extremely supportive, with all whom I met offering to send their students to me for writing help. I think I'm really going to like my new job!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T08:59:00.001-08:00

The first day of the new year is upon us. What does the year hold in store for us? What new adventures are approaching in the coming days? It's time to put up the new calendar, full of empty squares whose stories have yet to be written. To all my friends and family, I hope you're looking forward to the upcoming year as much as I am, and I hope that each of you has a wonderful 2008!

2007 Reflections

2007-12-31T15:47:00.000-08:00

As the year comes to a close and we're just a few hours away from 2008, I thought I'd take a little while to reflect on the past year. Overall, I can say that it's been a much better year than 2006, in spite of a few troubles here and there.

The year started off as Michael and I had just arrived back in Seattle after my first trip to Alaska, and I spent a quiet New Year's Eve at home, getting ready for the start of winter quarter at school. Michael was at the Vogue for the last time before they closed their doors for good.

We jumped into a winter quarter that was a bit less hectic than the fall of 2006 had been (thank goodness!), and we've spent the year strengthening our relationship as well as working on ourselves as individuals. Michael has excelled in his studies and is about to graduate with his first college degree this spring (I'm so proud of him).

I spent much of the past year trying to decide what direction I want to take my career, and during many days of this search, I was frustrated and a little bit depressed. The biggest blow of the past year was being passed over for the directorship of the Loft, and it took all of my courage to continue in the job search after that slap to my confidence. However, I have the most amazing and supportive boyfriend in the world, and he told me that something better would come along. His faith in me kept me going when I wanted to crawl into my comfortable little hole at North and give up. And he was right--something much better did come along.

Some of the highlights of the past year:

March: We took a spring break trip to Long Beach, and I got to show Michael the fun little beach town where my dad spent all his summers while he was growing up, and where I spent many of my school vacations.

April: I taught huge load of classes for Career Link, including an art class and an English class in which I convinced my little gangstas and punks to not only read but also to enjoy Shakespeare.

June: Sixty-five of my Career Link kids earned GEDs and walked in the college graduation ceremony. I got the privilege of going on stage to introduce them.

Berta, Emily, and I met in Denver for the first ever Women Who Love Hanscom Men vacation.

August: Kevin and Emily announced Emily's second pregnancy, and we began eagerly awaiting the newest Hanscom.

Hope and Peter got married on the Big Island in Hawaii.

September: We were forced to move to a new apartment so they could do emergency repairs on our old apartment.

Berta and John visited Michael and I and got to see our cute (new) little apartment for the first time. They were our first visitors.

October: I went to Vancouver for Mom's birthday and spent a wonderful weekend with Mom, Kima, and Hope.

November: Mom visited us for my birthday, and Hope, Mom, and Michael made it into the best birthday I can remember in recent years.

Dad visited us for Thanksgiving.

December: One of my favorite Career Link kids finally earned his GED and thanked me for pushing him and encouraging him to work so hard. He's enrolled in the auto mechanics program at Shoreline Community College for winter quarter, and I have all sorts of confidence that he's beginning an excellent career. (He's just one of the several examples of student success stories from the past fall.)

I was hired by CWU to be the Des Moines campus writing consultant.

It was a full year, and for the most part an enjoyable year. There were a million little moments that didn't make my list of highlights, picnics and theater date-nights and movie nights and cuddles on the couch while watching snowflakes. We're building a lovely life for ourselves, and even with the struggles, I'm the happiest I think I've ever been in my life.

So, what will the new year hold for us? A new job for me, a new college degree for Michael, and a summer road trip for the two of us so that we can explore some more national parks, for sure. Beyond that, it's a blank slate right now. It's an adventure, one that I'm looking forward to with great anticipation.

Cell Phones

2007-12-30T19:20:00.001-08:00

My new boss, Teresa, the director of the CWU main campus writing center, asked if I have a cell phone number, and I had to confess the embarrassing truth. The following is part of the email I just sent to her:

"Theoretically, I do have a cell phone, but I don't even know the number. I have resisted the cell phone craze as much as possible, and only last winter finally bought a very simple phone that lets me pay $10 a month for 30 minutes that I've never used, but which make my boyfriend feel safer on the rare occasions I travel somewhere without him. Let me see if I can figure out how to make it give me the number...

Ha! I found it! (Okay, I asked Michael, and he gave me a weird look, but he did tell me the number.)

(number omitted)

You're welcome to give it a try, but I warn you that I rarely turn it on, and it spent most of the month of October lost in the bottom of a school bag that had become too small for all the stuff teachers seem to gather in order to properly do our jobs and had therefore been regulated to the bottom of the coat closet. I think I know how to check the voicemail. (Honestly, I think email might be the best bet until my office phone is set up.)"

I just have never been able to see the need that anyone might have to get a hold of me 24/7. If I'm not home and I don't answer the phone, leave me a message and I'll call back later. Cell phones all too frequently offer (in my opinion) an excuse to be rude in public and to drive unsafely. I refuse to buy into the theory that I need to be in constant contact with everyone. I have a home phone, an office phone, and three computers with Internet access. That's enough! (And for the few times I do actually need a cell phone, I'll admit, it's nice to have the little emergency phone. It's there for me when I need it, but it's not built into my ear.)

A story about cell phones and earpieces: On campus one day last quarter at North, I walk approaching the library. Outside the doors, a woman who I know very slightly was standing, apparently lost in thought. I prepared to smile and nod as I passed her, when to my surprise she said in a very friendly manner, "How you been doin' girlfriend? I haven't seen you in forever!"

I was surprised, because I thought we had a smile and nod relationship. I started to respond, "I'm... um... okay..."

She looked at me like I was nuts, then continued the phone conversation she'd been having on the tiny little phone that was shoved in her ear (and hidden under her hair). I should also note that she was wearing dark sunglasses, so there was no way to see whether she was talking to me or not. I felt like a complete moron, and I've avoided eye contact every time I've seen her since then.

Coming to an End

2007-12-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

The holidays are slowly coming to a close, and it's been such an absolutely perfect holiday season that I'm a bit reluctant to let it end. Michael had the past three days off, and we've spent every minute of those three days celebrating. We slept in until 10 every morning, and took afternoon naps two of the three days.

Over the course of the vacation, we've seen four movies, which is unusual for us these days. We hadn't been to a movie in the theater since last summer. It's been a complete luxury to have the time to go to movies!

We highly recommend Elizabeth: The Golden Age as a great sequel to the first Elizabeth movie: the acting is superb, the costumes and sets are exquisite, and the script continues to closely follow the book I Elizabeth (and theoretically, history as well).

We both enjoyed The Golden Compass for its visual effects, although Michael, having read the book before we went, was a bit disappointed with their handling of the story. I, not having previously read the book, didn't know how much had been omitted or changed for the purposed of the film portrayal, and I was able to get caught up in the story. I'd recommend seeing the movie before reading the book, as I found it enhanced my enjoyment of the book when I got around to reading it last weekend. Doing it the other way around was slightly irritating for Michael and my sister Hope.

We have very mixed feelings about Sweeney Todd. On one hand, Tim Burton's vision of the story is incredible to watch: it's the perfect musical for him to choose to direct. The costumes and sets are incredible and the acting is very good. However, the singing (especially on the past of the major characters) is weak. As much as I love Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, they're not trained singers, and as a result a lot of the show's songs had to be cut down to compromise for their voices. The only really good singer in the show is the young actor playing Toby. The actress playing Joanna appears to have been cast for her looks. I wish Burton had cast a few more really talented singers in some of the smaller parts to compensate for the stars' lack of singing ability. Additionally, while we both knew the show was going to be violent, the violence seemed a bit more gratuitous that it needed to be, and the element of dark comedy that pervades the stage version was entirely absent. Depp's Todd is brooding to the point he's frighteningly malevolent, which detracted some from our enjoyment of the show.

We ended our holiday movie-fest on a very high note with National Treasure: Book of Secrets, which we encourage everyone to go and see. It's worth it (if for nothing else) for the Disney short film that begins the picture. How long has it been since you saw a movie that began with a short? And this is a good short: Goofy learning to set up a home entertainment center. The movie itself is an action-packed roller coaster that glides from one impossible situation to the next, with witty banter and lots of laughs in addition to the action. It's not the brainiest movie out there, but it's well written, and we both agree it's the most fun of the movies we've seen this holiday season.

I don't head back to work until next week, but I did spend most of the day today making notes on my Career Link students and writing a letter to the teacher who will replace me there, so that whomever he or she is, he or she will not be entirely overwhelmed at first. I have some initial planning to do for my new job too, of course, and I will be spending much of the weekend working on that.

Michael should be home soon from his first day back to work, and we're expecting our friend Rick to visit for dinner this evening, so the holidays aren't entirely at a close yet. We still have some Christmas money from Grandpa Don (my dad's father) to spend, whenever we feel like braving the mall for a bit of shopping. Still, it's a bit sad for the vacation to be ending.

The Christmas Puzzle

2007-12-26T20:54:00.001-08:00

A Family Scene
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

One of my family's Christmas traditions has always been that Santa brings a puzzle, and during the holiday vacation, everyone chips in and we all work to put the puzzle together before the end of the break. Traditionally, this meant that since most of the people in my family have education related professions, we had around a week at least to fit the puzzle together.

This year, however, as in many recent years, we found ourselves, due to grown up children's busy schedules, with only one weekend in which to do the puzzle. Additionally, Santa had chosen a very challenging puzzle: a hundred brilliantly colored butterflies, broken into a thousand tiny little pieces.

Fortunately for all of us, my sister Kima is a puzzle expert. She sat right down to the task and inspired the rest of us to dig in as well. In 48 hours, the puzzle was complete.

It was my job this year to document the task, as I've never been terribly good at putting puzzles together (some visual-spatial gap in learning, I suppose). There are more photos up on my Flickr page, both of the puzzle party and of my holiday weekend with my family in Vancouver.

Christmas Afternoon

2007-12-25T16:16:00.000-08:00

Michael and I didn't get up until around 10:00 this morning. Then, while the cinnamon rolls baked in the oven, filling the house with their delicious scent, we opened the gifts "Santa" had left in our stockings (lots of cute socks and stilly stuffed animals in mine, plus huge amounts of my favorite Christmas candies). After munching the warm cinnamon rolls, we decided it was too early to be up, and went back to bed for a couple hours of nap time.

When we woke up, we came out to the living room to find it snowing, the first real "white Christmas" I can remember having in Western Washington. We opened the "big" presents while watching the snow come down. My favorite presents include a great waffle iron (with reversible grilling plates, so it functions as a griddle as well), a hot pot for my new office so I will have hot tea at school all winter, and a collection of Bram Stoker's novels (all of which, except for Daracula, have been out of print for forever and are really hard to find). Michael also found me Season Two of the Muppet Show, and a copy of Stardust, which for those of you who missed it in the theaters, is now out on DVD (and everyone needs to see it because it's the best fantasy movie in years).

After present time, we put together a lunch of some of our favorite snack food treats (little sausages in barbecue sauce, mini bagels, and vegetables with ranch dip) and settled down to watch an episode of Lost, which we've been getting from Netflix. When we finished lunch, Michael decided he needed yet another nap, so he's currently snoozing. I cleaned the kitchen, and now I'm watching dusk close in on the snow covered day. I'll let Michael sleep a little while longer, before I wake him up to help me make the traditional Christmas lasagna.

White Christmas!

2007-12-25T14:24:00.000-08:00

For the first time in the 31 years of my life, it's snowing on Christmas in Western Washington! And it's actually coming down hard enough to stick! It's amazingly beautiful, and a completely wonderful Christmas surprise. Michael just went out to snap a few pictures to prove it's really snowing, and I'm in the midst of making a Christmas lunch. More later, I'm sure, but now it's time for me to get on with this lovely holiday.

Bittersweet Moments

2007-12-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

As with every time I've started a new phase in life, I'm finding myself a little bit sad to be leaving the old one. It's scary to think about leaving a job that I've done for the past two years for a new one that is as of yet completely undefined. (Don't get me wrong--I totally want the new one, and I worked hard to get myself to a point I could have a job like it.) It's just that there are many parts of the old job that I'm really going to miss. I should clarify: I will miss the security of having a job I am already comfortable doing, and I will miss the people who have been so helpful and such great friends to me.

Yesterday I put out an email over the Loft list-serve to tell all the other tutors I won't be coming back for winter quarter. Within half an hour of sending the email, I already had emails back from a couple people, congratulating me and wishing me well. Today, the emails keep coming in, and I'm reminded of how many wonderful friends I've made in the Loft. There's such a wealth of knowledge and experience in teaching writing and reading there, and I'm hoping that I've learned enough from them to carry it with me to my new job. I know they're all happy to see me moving on to something that will advance my career, but I'm going to miss them greatly.

I will really miss my Loft students as well. They have shown me so much more of the world than I'd ever imagined I'd get to see. From the life stories of a single mother from Peru, an exchange student from Japan, a refuge from Ethiopia, an immigrant from Russia, a 55 year old American-born man returning to school for the first time since high school, a young Iranian wife and mother learning English to fit into her new country, and countless others who have so kindly shared their stories with me, I've gained insight into more cultures than I can even count.

Today I spent the afternoon in my little office at Career Link, going through my files and lesson plans, and putting together my classes for the next quarter, classes I won't be teaching. I couldn't leave the amazing people who'd employed me for the past two years struggling to figure out what to do with the kids, and I couldn't let the kids' education suffer because I'd had to quit before a new teacher could be hired. I still have to look at my grade book and put together notes on all the kids to send to Nancy (who will be teaching my classes until they can hire a new English teacher). As I looked around, sitting at my nearly empty desk, and I realized that it was the last time I'd be there as a Career Link faculty member, I'll admit, I cried a little bit. Career Link has given me so much, and helped me to grow as a teacher and a human being.

From the great administrators, Nancy and Belinda, from Sara, the amazing office assistant, and from Deanna, the incredible math teacher, I've always felt the warmth of being included in something larger than a faculty. This loving group of women has created a family at Career Link, and in many ways I feel like a child leaving home as I move on to advance my career. I will never be able to thank them enough for their support and guidance, as well as their acceptance into their group.

My students at Career Link have helped me to grow as much as I've helped them. My little "gangstas" and "punks" at Career Link showed me the incredible importance of educating each and every young person. I never thought I'd want to work with teenagers, but they showed me how much fun it can be to let go and play while I'm teaching. They taught me patience and self control (often giving me lessons on a daily basis). They also taught me about helping people (with much bigger problems in their lives) to learn when sometimes they really don't want to. They taught me that people have incredible amounts of strength, and they can survive just about anything and still be really great people. They taught me that the kids who are being left behind don't deserve to be left behind.

As the euphoria (and last night's champagne) wear off, I'm still as excited and thrilled as ever to have my new job. It's going to be great fun figuring out how to make this next phase work, and I know I'll be meeting wonderful new people along the way. However, I'm still going to be a little bit sad to be leaving the old phase behind me. How could I not: the people there are awesome.

Early Christmas

2007-12-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

For the past few days, I'd been feeling a little glum, because I hadn't heard back from CWU after what I'd thought had been a pretty awesome interview. Then, yesterday afternoon, when I'd nearly given up all hope, the phone rang. It was Teresa (the director of the CWU main campus writing center), telling me that they'd narrowed the field to two candidates, and I was one of the finalists! We talked for about 45 minutes, sort of a mini follow-up interview, clarifying a few final questions. She hinted during this phone call that I was her first choice, and she said she'd call back as soon as the committee had made its decision.

This afternoon at about 12:00, the phone rang. Michael and I nearly jumped out of our seats, as we'd been sitting for the past half hour or so staring at the phone and willing it to ring (apparently that really does work). Teresa offered me the job, and as of about 12:15 this afternoon, I'm the new CWU Des Moines writing consultant. I'm THE person to go to with writing questions on that little campus. It's my job to get this new writing center off the ground and flying. I'll be the entire writing center for the first few quarters, but as the center grows I'll be training new tutors to help me. I can't even begin to try to explain how ecstatic and excited I am (or how close to being in complete shock). Teresa had all sorts of complementary things to say about how well my interview had gone and expressed enthusiasm for my tutoring abilities. She sounded genuinely thrilled that I'd accepted the job, and I'm honestly thrilled to be working with her as a director. She's done amazing things for the CWU writing center, and I hope that with her mentorship I'll be able to help grow the CWU Des Moines writing center into something great as well.

I am heading to Ellensburg shortly after the new year for a new faculty orientation (and to get my new laptop--one of the perks of the job). While I officially start January 3, I'll likely be spending some time on campus before then, figuring out where my new office is and setting up everything so that I'm ready to jump right in to tutoring.

I'll be a little bit sad to leave Career Link and my kids, of course. The hardest part of today was going to North to tell people I wouldn't be returning for winter quarter. They're all so great and supportive, and they made it easier on me that I thought it might be, but it is still pretty sad to think that I won't be working with them anymore. I am going to stay in touch with the program though. Nancy said I could become a member of the Technical Advisory Committee, and I told her to definitely sign me up, so I'll still be going to meetings and staying a part of the program in a volunteer capacity. I'll go back for a morning during the first week of classes to say goodbye to the kids, and I'll spend a few days in my old office there before I start at CWU, organizing and setting things up for the new teacher, so there will be files on each of my students' programs and the kids won't be set back in meeting their goals.

Mostly, right now I'm in a sort of happy daze. I got the job! A real, career building, life-changing, challenging, amazing job! I can hardly wait to get started, even while I can't quite believe it's happening. The little dream I'd been building in the back of my head is becoming a reality: when Michael graduates in June, we'll be able to find some sort of perfect little place for us south of the city somewhere, and I'll start to build my career in earnest, as he finishes his education at the UW. It still seems very unreal, but I suppose very shortly it'll start to sink in: I got the job!

Through the Interview

2007-12-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

My interview with CWU was yesterday morning, and I think it went pretty well (although it's always difficult to tell about these things). It was one of the most comfortable academic interviews I've been through yet, with a small (three-person) committee, reasonable questions, and really friendly people. It didn't have that "witch hunt" feeling many interviews have, where the candidates leave feeling like they've been released from a horrible, personal, kind of humiliating examination. I left feeling like I'd spent two hours having a nice conversation with interesting people.

After learning more about the job, I'm even more convinced that it would be something I'd like to do. The person who is hired will be responsible for further establishing the writing center at a CWU branch campus. The center that's there right now is only open two days a week. It will be the job of the new writing consultant to increase the hours of operation, and to do the marketing necessary to encourage the center to grow. It is a great opportunity for someone to get introductory administrative experience while continuing to meet with students, and I think it would be a really great job for me (not that I wouldn't be really sad to leave my students at Career Link).

I should (hopefully) hear back from the committee sometime in the near future. They want to hire someone before they leave for the holiday break. Send me good vibes, everyone!

Intestinal Rebellion

2007-12-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

I seem to be having a problem staying healthy this fall/winter. The latest in the string of aliments is what I will call "intestinal disgustingness" (I'll spare you the gory details). I'm surviving on saltine crackers, toast, and ginger ale at the moment. Thank goodness all my students skipped today because of the storm, and Nancy sent me home early. Hopefully whatever this grossness is, it will be gone by tomorrow.

Rain Again

2007-12-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

It's warmed up to a whopping 47 degrees, and the snow has turned back into Seattle's usual rain. The inch or so of snow we got this morning has been melted away by the steady drizzle that's been coming down out there all afternoon. It actually looks like there's a bit of a storm blowing in for the evening. The clouds are rolling along very quickly, and the sky is an eerie sort of grayish-yellow. I hope Michael gets home before it really starts to blow! It looks like it's shaping up to be the perfect evening to light some candles and curl up in bed with hot chocolate and books and listen to the storm. Yes, I'm one of those weird people who enjoys a good winter storm (as long as the power isn't knocked out for too long!). It always feels so cozy to be secure in a comfortable, warm place, listening to the weather outside.

Oooh! A big puff of wind just rattled the windows and shook the tree outside!

Snow and Christmas Lights

2007-12-01T15:22:00.001-08:00

Snow and Christmas Lights
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Snow in Seattle!

2007-12-01T13:38:00.001-08:00

Michael and I just spent the afternoon decorating our apartment for the holidays (putting Christmas lights in the windows, decorating the kitchen table, etc.). As Michael took the first string of lights out of the box, the first few flakes of snow started to fall from the sky. We popped in our newest holiday CD (Christmas Swing), and started putting the lights in the windows. It's a regular winter wonderland outside right now, and it really feels like the holiday season has begun. I think I'm going to go eat a candy cane...

Boy with Handful of Pie

2007-11-24T16:58:00.001-08:00

Boy with Hand Full of Pie
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

On Thanksgiving, Michael had a few problems eating his lemon tart. It crumbled halfway to his mouth, and though he made an admirable grab for it, he ended up with a handful of whipped cream as the wayward tart (topped with whipped cream itself) tumbled into the topping on his pumpkin pie. As he fished the tart back from the top of his pumpkin pie, I snapped this picture. He did eventually manage to get the tart into his mouth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T16:15:00.001-08:00

Dad and Michael are still napping, so I'm stealing a few minutes to write a little note wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I have a lot to be thankful for this year: a wonderful boyfriend, a great family, students I enjoy, friends and coworkers who support me, an adorable apartment, and a job interview that could lead my career to new heights, to name a few of the things I'm grateful for.

It's been a lovely day so far. We slept in this morning, then Dad and Hope came over for breakfast, and then Dad and Michael worked on our car, fixing up a few little things, while Hope and I learned how to make lemon tarts (they turned out perfectly). The pumpkin pies are made, the turkey is cooking, the rolls are rising, and it's about time for me to start peeling potatoes.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you're having as good a day as we are.

Thanksgiving Eve

2007-11-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Eve is a truly bizarre time to be at the grocery store. The parking lot was completely packed full. Every cart in the store was in use (thank goodness I only needed one small box of jello). People were jammed into every aisle, zombie-like as they scanned the picked-over shelves looking for the perfect ingredients for their holiday traditions. One man was standing in front of a huge case that used to be full of frozen turkeys, looking bewildered at the three semi-frosted turkeys left in the ice at the bottom of the case. A woman on a cell phone shrilled, "I can't believe they're out of pumpkin pie filling!"

I grinned as I grabbed the last box of lime jello on the shelf and scampered to the check stand. The clerk snapped out of her holiday-rush glaze to give me a strange look as I got in line behind people with carts piled high, with my one small box of lime jello. I paid my 85 cents and practically ran back to my car. The grocery store is scary the night before Thanksgiving!

Pre-Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T20:23:00.001-08:00

I just got home from a lovely pre-Thanksgiving dinner at Hope and Peter's house. Peter played chef tonight and made a wonderful Chinese chicken meal that was thoroughly appreciated by everyone.

Now I'm looking at tomorrow's arrangements and realizing that I'm going to need to make yet another trip to the store. I distinctly remember putting lime jello on my shopping list. I remember putting the jello into the cart. I remember seeing the jello at the checkout stand. I do not, however, remember where I put the jello once I got it home. In the cupboard, there dwells every other flavor of jello in the book, but no lime jello. Well, there was a very old package of some generic store brand stuff. I did take it out and mix it up, but it's been three hours since then, and it's not even slightly firm. In order for it to be Thanksgiving, there must be lime jello salad. I cannot have Thanksgiving without it. Therefore, I must make a brave and adventurous run to the store for lime jello. The things I'm willing to do for holidays...

Interview!

2007-11-20T21:29:00.001-08:00

Last week, I applied for a job at one of the Central Washington University branch campuses here in Seattle. It's a full time faculty position in the writing center, and it sounds like a really great job. Today, they called to offer me an interview! Cross your fingers hard everyone--I'd really like this job!

Brief Update

2007-11-16T17:32:00.001-08:00

When I talked to my mom a few days ago, she said that her visit with my grandparents went as well as it possibly could. Grandma was awake and alert enough to have thoroughly enjoyed the CD of pictures from Hope's wedding that Michael had made for her and Grandpa. Although she continues to struggle to breathe, she remains in fairly high spirits and enjoys visitors (although Mom says that anyone who is even thinking about getting a cold is forbidden to visit). She and Grandpa appreciate all the prayers and well-wishes from everyone. Mom is planning to visit again around Christmas.

Sniffling But Hopeful

2007-11-12T21:55:00.000-08:00

I've spent the entire long weekend pretty much in bed with a bad head cold. I'm sniffling and oozing and fairly disgusting at the moment (thank goodness Michael knows what I look like when I'm not sick!), but Michael has been his usual wonderful self through all of the grossness, bringing me tea (he learned to boil water all by himself!) and orange juice, and encouraging me to take lots of naps. Now that the weekend is drawing to a close, I'm naturally feeling much better, just in time to go back to work tomorrow. Sniffle!

On the up side, my one accomplishment for the weekend (aside from changing the table decorations from Halloween to Thanksgiving) has been to apply for a new job. I had emails from three people in the past couple weeks, pointing out that Central Washington University's branch campus in the South Seattle area is hiring a "writing consultant" for their writing center. This is essentially the same job I did when I worked for CWU in Ellensburg, tutoring students and designing writing workshops. It is a full time faculty position with a yearly contract (instead of quarter to quarter like my job at NSCC), and even though it would be a commute until Michael finishes school and we could move, housing prices are a bit more reasonable in South Seattle. Thus, the final piece of my application is ready to mail in the morning, and I'm hopeful that I'll at least get an interview. Cross your fingers for me and send some positive vibes out into the universe!

Report Cards

2007-11-08T09:12:00.000-08:00

My students this quarter are, quite simply, great. Three of my students passed the writing GED last week (and one passed social studies). One of my students from last year, due to her success in her college classes, was just hired as a tutor in the Loft, and I know once she's done at North, she'll be off to great things (she wants to be a journalist). I'm so proud of them!

This morning, we all need to be sending good vibes out into the universe for a couple more of my students. One of them is taking her first of the five GED tests, and she's really nervous, although I know she's well prepared. Another is taking his last two tests, and by Monday he could have his GED (I'm crossing my fingers really hard for him).

Prayer Request

2007-11-04T17:45:00.001-08:00

Shortly after we woke up this morning, my grandfather called from California to say that my grandmother's condition is deteriorating. Her lungs were already bad before the fires, and breathing the soot from the fires has been horrible for her. For those of you who don't know the whole story, my grandmother has been under hospice care for a year now, as her lung condition grows slowly worse. My grandfather called this morning to let us know that she's been coughing up blood, probably a result of the exposure to the ash, and she wanted her family to know she's worried but is not in pain, so Grandpa stayed home from church (and choir practice--something he never misses) this morning to make the phone calls.

Mom is headed to California next weekend to be with Grandma. It's been a really rough year for my mom and her family as Grandma gradually gets sicker. When you have a minute, please say a little prayer for strength for Grandpa, and my mom and her siblings (and the rest of the family) as they (we) prepare for the loss of my grandmother, and continue to pray that Grandma not be in pain.

A Successful Birthday

2007-11-04T17:44:00.001-08:00

I Blow out the Candles
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

I'm now officially a thirty-something. I've moved into my thirties. Of course, I must still look pretty young, because I still got "carded" when I bought the pink champagne for the birthday celebration.

I had an absolutely lovely birthday. We started off yesterday with a birthday brunch when Mom got here bearing a big bouquet of flowers and some darling new shoes (Danskos!) in just my size, along with a card and a fun book of poetry by one of her favorite contemporary poets. Hope came with a singing card that played "The Bear Necessities" when I opened it. After we ate, Michael and Mom and Hope took me birthday shopping to find a collection of perfect birthday presents.

Hope concentrated on keeping me warm this winter, and got me new flannel sheets for the bed (blue, with fat little penguins waddling all over them) and adorable new gloves to keep my fingers from freezing (they match my everyday winter coat).

Dad (who sent birthday money my way) got me beautiful earrings with little stones that sort of pick up the color of whatever I'm wearing and shimmer with that color. They have all the colors of the rainbow in them. Dad also got some salt and pepper shakers from Williams Sanoma, a store that I love to browse, but in which I can rarely afford to buy anything. Did you know there is such a thing as pink peppercorns? My new pepper mill is full of naturally bright pink peppercorns!

Mom got me a new watch, a sort of birthday tradition. I've worn the last watch she got me since my 16th birthday, and it was starting to look a bit shabby, so we decided it was time for a new one. It's absolutely the most lovely watch I've ever owned, silver with gold accents, and a dark blue face that is reminiscent of the night sky. It has only a 12 and 6, with tiny star-like dots representing the rest of the numbers.

Michael concentrated on things I wanted for the kitchen, most importantly a new teapot. I've been complaining for a while that our teapot wasn't big enough for two people who like warm drinks on cold mornings, and Michael found me the perfect replacement for the one I'd had for years (perfect for one, not big enough for two). The new pot is silver and has a pretty, antique shape that I really like. Michael also found some wooden salad tongs (similar to the ones my mom has that I've wanted since she found hers) and some pretty new serving spoons in sizes we didn't have yet.

Kima is planning to come up to Seattle later this fall for a sister shopping trip, so she just sent her love with Mom. My grandparents send a card and a birthday check that next week will be turned into another pair of birthday earrings (I had trouble deciding in the store, and now I can have both pairs).

After shopping, we stopped back home with the loot then headed out to the Chinese restaurant Michael and I discovered in Shoreline a few months ago. It's a very typical American sort of Chinese restaurant, with place mats with the Chinese zodiac printed on them, where they serve a multi-course pseudo-Chinese dinner that is always yummy and fun to eat.

We came home from dinner for birthday cake and a movie (As You Like It--the newest Shakespeare movie from Kenneth Branagh). The cake, while slightly lopsided, was really delicious, and the movie was thoroughly enjoyable (I'd highly recommend it).

Thanks everyone for making it such a great birthday!

Birthday Preparations

2007-11-02T18:05:00.000-07:00

Since I had the afternoon off, and because my mom is visiting for my birthday, I've spent much of the day in the kitchen making treats for a birthday brunch tomorrow. I just took a banana bread out of the oven and popped in a lemon cake. I also just finished a spiced citrus salad. The whole apartment smells like cake, banana bread, oranges and grapefruits, and cinnamon and cloves. Absolutely heavenly! I think it's going to be a wonderful birthday!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T08:15:00.001-07:00

A Finished Cookie
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Today should be an enjoyable day at North. We've encouraged the kids to wear costumes, and we're taking them to North's costume party and Halloween dance. I hope everyone else is doing something fun (and spooky) today!

Spamalot

2007-10-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Last night was the night we'd been waiting for all fall: the night we had tickets to Spamalot. We'd bought our tickets as soon as they went on sale last summer, and we'd splurged on really good seats because we'd been waiting for Spamalot to tour since they'd announced they were turning Monty Python into a Broadway show. We've been singing the songs for a couple years now, and we could hardly wait to see how the show would be staged.

After the show, we're left with mixed feelings. We both enjoyed the sets, from the Vegas-like Camelot to the Andrew Lloyd Webber-esque lake from which the Lady of the Lake emerges. We agree that it was a lot of fun to hear the songs sung live, and to see the dancing that is supposed to go along with them. Several of the performances were outstanding. My personal favorites were Patsy, The Lady of the Lake, and Sir Robin. Lancelot's performance was also notable. We also thought it was great fun how much of the original dialogue from the "Grail" they'd incorporated into the show. We were able to mouth the words for much of the show just because we've both seen the movie so many times. The French knights and their taunting were very silly, and we were impressed that they managed to get the cow gag in. Another plus to the show is the way they managed to add in things I wasn't sure they'd be able to do, such as the dismemberment of the Black Knight. The bit I think I laughed the hardest at would have to be the killer bunny. Again, I didn't know if they'd be able to get it in, but they did, and in such an imaginative manner that it's still making me giggle to think about it now.

On the more negative side of things, I think the biggest disappointment was that the actor playing Arthur was a real dud. He was lackluster from the beginning, and seemed to be wandering around the stage without any enthusiasm, just waiting for his next line, then delivering the line with little emphasis. Then, in the first number of the second act, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," he botched a very important line, and if you didn't know what the line was supposed to be, the rest of the song wouldn't have made any sense. Yup--he forgot a line! It screwed up the background dancers/singers so much that one of them fell over.

Another problem with the show was that the sound system seemed to be screwed up. The sound was tinny through the whole show, sounding more like a recording than a live performance. We've heard much better sound in that theater, so we're wondering if maybe paying for expensive seats isn't really worth it. Perhaps the theater is built so that the better sounds go to the higher regions. Or maybe the guy running the sound wasn't doing a good job last night. Hard to tell.

Finally, let me say a few words about theater etiquette: there ought to be some sort of class people are required to take before they attend live theater. Live theater is not like a movie, where you only paid $9.00 for your ticket, and there's squished popcorn and spilled soda underfoot, and you can wear what you feel like wearing. It is a formal occasion, and people should dress accordingly. It is not okay to wear jeans, flannel, short shorts (or any kind of shorts), or grubby tennis shoes. When I pay $80 for my seat, I find it offensive to be seated next to some flannel and jeans wearing oaf who would look more at home at a Saturday afternoon barbeque. And for the record, it is definitely not okay to take out a cell phone before the show and take pictures of the stage. How tacky!

Next etiquette point: even if you've seen the Grail a thousand times, it is NOT okay to spend the entire show whispering the lines to the person next to you and explaining the jokes. I don't care if the person next to you is a complete moron, someone who can't possibly understand the jokes without your help. Keep your mouth shut, because some of us would rather hear the professional actors perform the lines than some random person who thinks he's smart. That is just as annoying as the person who goes to a musical and sings along. The guy sitting next to me last night talked through all the speaking bits, but apparently he hadn't heard the songs, so at least he didn't sing along. Still, I wanted to gag him by intermission.

Point three: Remember that you are not the only person in the theater. Find a comfortable position and hold it for as long as you can. The woman in front of me wiggled so much that at times I really couldn't see the stage because I couldn't figure out which direction to dodge. The oaf sitting next to me elbowed me in the side a number of times. The woman sitting behind me managed to catch my hair as she wildly applauded (goodness knows how far her hands had to be in front of her for her to manage that).

Final point: a standing ovation is supposed to be for a stellar performance. Last night's performance was certainly not a stellar performance. It was good. It was enjoyable. It didn't deserve an ovation. The lead actor forgot his lines, for goodness sake! Applaud, sure, but don't stand unless it's actually an outstanding show. I always end up standing out of self defense--it's the only way to see the actors take their bows. People seem to think it's polite to give a standing ovation, but in reality not every show deserves one. What will we do for a show that's actually worthy of an ovation? Stand on our chairs? Ridiculous!

And I think I'm done with my rant now. I actually did enjoy the show very much, and I'd recommend that anyone who likes Monty Python go to see it when it's in your city.

Plague!

2007-10-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Michael has been complaining since last week that he has a very sore throat, a really bad headache, and a hacking cough. These symptoms hadn't seemed to get any better, no matter how much juice and cold medicine I force fed him, and we all know he's not the sort of person to slow down and rest (although I did convince him to stay home last Thursday). This morning, he woke up with the same symptoms and said, "Cough! Cough! Groan! When will this end? My sinuses really hurt!"

I finally convinced him that it was time to consult a doctor, and we found a local drop-in clinic that opens at 8:00, so we were able to drop in and Michael was their first patient of the morning. This meant we didn't have a very leisurely morning, but we were able to consult a doctor before we had to be on campus, and it turns out that poor Michael has been suffering for the past week from a sinus infection. The doctor prescribed antibiotics, and hopefully he'll be feeling better soon.

I'm still planning to make sure he takes his vitamins and drinks lots of juice for the next few days...

The Halloween Cookies

2007-10-27T15:57:00.001-07:00

The Halloween Cookies
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Hope came over today for a sister visit, and we decided that the time was right to make a batch of Halloween sugar cookies (Michael and Peter's favorite). We're pretty proud of how they turned out (yeah, we sampled quite a few during the making).

I think the oak leaves and the gargoyle are my favorite shapes (upper right corner), but the ghost and pumpkins and little acorns are pretty cute too.

When Michael comes home for work, we'll frost a few of them (I'll try to remember to get pictures of the decorated ones).

The whole apartment smells like cookies right now. Yummy!

Through the Fire

2007-10-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report that all my Southern California relatives made it safely through the fires. Grandma and Grandpa, even though their house wasn't in the direct path of any of the fires, evacuated because Grandma was having trouble breathing with all the smoke (they were in the direct path of a lot of the smoke).

They first went to Sonja and Art's (my aunt and uncle, for those of you not familiar with my family) house, because it's up on a hill, but then Sonja and Art's whole neighborhood was told to evacuate. The family headed for Palm Springs, where they spent the past few days in a hotel before getting the okay to go home. Carl and Carolina's (another uncle and aunt) family stayed in Carlsbad, and they report that there's a lot of ash to wash away, but everyone is safe and settling back in at home this morning.

Everybody say a prayer for Grandma though, because the smoke was not good at all for her lungs. Send her some good vibes, if you have a minute to do so.

Raspberry M&Ms

2007-10-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

This morning, I had to go to in to campus even though I don't usually work on Fridays because there was a faculty meeting at Career Link. Since the meeting (of course) was scheduled right in the middle of Michael's class schedule, this meant I had to go onto campus an hour before the meeting and stay around for an hour after the meeting if we wanted to carpool. I don't mind spending a little extra time in my office, so I headed in with Michael. Of course, after about ten minutes of paper grading, I was completely bored, so I wandered down to the bookstore to look at the new arrivals, snoop to see what books everyone else is teaching this quarter, and generally kill a bit of time.

On my way out of the store, carrying the newest edition of The Best American Short Stories--2007 (the one edited by Stephen King--gotta keep our King collection up to date), I saw a bright pink M&M display, which I at first figured was advertising the pink breast cancer awareness promotional. Upon a closer inspection, it turned out to be a display for the new "limited edition" raspberry (Razzberry) M&Ms. Intrigued, I bought a small bag of them, and Michael and I shared them after lunch this afternoon. We both agree that they're yummy, and I would highly recommend them to anyone who likes flavored chocolate (although chocolate purists might turn up their noses). The raspberry flavoring is subtle and doesn't overwhelm the chocolate, but it's a nice compliment to the usual M&M smooth milk chocolate. Worth a try, in my opinion.

Mom's Birthday

2007-10-21T18:55:00.001-07:00

Hope, Mom, and Kima
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

I just got home from a weekend in Vancouver, helping my mom to celebrate her birthday. It was a fun-filled weekend with both of my sisters and my mom, which is something that we rarely get in these busy days.

We spent much of the weekend helping my mom with home improvement projects (painting the guest bathroom and cleaning out the rain gutters), walking Hope's dogs (Max and Loodie came along for the trip, since Mom hadn't seen the "grand-pups" in a while), and chatting like crazy to catch up on everything. It is really nice to get a weekend with my family!

Pictures of the weekend can be seen on my flickr page.

Now, I'm glad to be home... On to the next work week!

Proud Teacher Moment

2007-10-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last week, my first student this year earned her GED. She'd started the program last spring, and had one test left to go. Last Thursday, she passed that last test with flying colors. I should also mention that ALL of the students who I sent to test last week passed the tests they were taking, so quite a few of them now have only four more tests to go. The year is off to a great start!

A Visit

2007-10-14T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last night, Michael and I went on a little adventure. My friend Sarena, who I met when we were both living in Ellensburg, who now lives in the Bellingham area, was in the Seattle area catching up with friends. We'd agreed to meet her (and her two kids, Amanda and Dillon) at the Everett Olive Garden for dinner. She's one of the best friends I've made as an adult (I just don't seem to pick up real friends--plenty of acquaintances, but real friends are few and far between), and it's always a joy to see her and the kids, even just for a short dinner party.

And before people start to roll their eyes about the Olive Garden, let's clarify the choice. Firstly, none of us knows our way around Everett, making it impossible to suggest a four-star restaurant for this meeting. Secondly, with a five year old and a ten year old (both well behaved but still active little kids), a large, family-friendly chain restaurant is always a good choice. They greeted the kids with crayons and coloring books (not just place mats, but actual little coloring books). Finally, Michael had never eaten at an Olive Garden before, and it seemed a good chance to let him have the experience, since there isn't one in Seattle anywhere near us anymore.

The kids greeted us when we got there with a small wicker pumpkin filled with fresh flowers, and were thrilled when we handed them the goody bags full of cute school supplies we'd gotten them as a back-to-school present (light-up Tigger pens and such). Since it's the only Olive Garden in the area, we had to wait for over half an hour for a table, which is a trial even for really well behaved children. When we finally got to the table, Sarena asked that the breadsticks be brought out immediately, so the kids could snack. After two breadsticks (and half the croutons from the top of the salad bowl), Dillon was getting tired of snacking and really wanted his chicken strips and French fries. Sarena suggested that he have another breadstick, to which he responded, sounding like a tiny adult instead of a five-year-old boy, "I want my FOOD!"

When the food did finally make it to the table, Dillon was happily distracted by the large dish of ketchup in the middle of his plate, promptly turning his French fried into a doomed army: "Die, French fry, die!"

Sarena and I used to get together once a week at a little restaurant in Ellensburg, for lunch and gossip. One of our traditions has always been that we order a dessert to share (we used to try a different one every week). Last night, deciding (with Amanda's avid encouragement) that we should continue the tradition, we tried a couple different kinds of cheesecake, one chocolate and one pumpkin. The chocolate one was soon claimed by Amanda, but the adults at the table were more impressed with the pumpkin one, which is something that I'm now going to need to learn to make for Thanksgiving (Michael is completely hooked).

It was a really fun evening. I wish they lived closer!

About Whining

2007-10-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Some people say that whining is a foolish thing to do. They say that people should go through life without ever complaining about anything. Just "tough it up" and go on, no matter what happens, and never stop to analyze anything that's happening to you. Why whine--it's not going to change anything. (Ever notice that these are the people who tend to be the biggest whiners, who can't stand for even a second to have the attention taken off of them and put onto someone else? The sort of people who will make up a problem in order to one-up your own real problem.)

Psychologically though, whining fulfills an important function. What those uneducated people term whining is actually the process of venting, whether it's done in private in a journal or with a trusted friend, or publicly on a blog like this one. It's a way to work through emotions that will do a person more damage if they're kept inside than if they're released in some form. Therefore, when I'm stressed out about something, when I'm feeling gloomy and a bit sorry for myself, expect to see a few "whines" here on my blog. It helps me to focus on my problems and to work my way through them. I've chosen to make these entries public because I appreciate the support and helpful comments I get from my friends and family. To those of you who have suggested that I (and others like me) stop whining, here's my advice to you: Stop reading my blog!

Looking Southward

2007-10-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my career seems to have stalled here in Seattle. I've known this for over a year, but I've been hopeful that something would miraculously change. It doesn't seem that I'm going to get my miracle. I'm unhappy about this, but I can't let myself mope about it indefinitely. I need to move on with my life. Michael and I have spent the past couple evenings brainstorming about a positive new direction that might give my career the jump start it needs while at the same time being good for his academic goals.

We've decided that after he graduates this spring, I'll expand my job search. For the past two years, I've been looking (and applying) for jobs only in the Seattle area, easily commutable from North Seattle. As they come up this year, I'm going to start applying for jobs in other places in the state (anywhere that also has a decent sized city and a university as well as a community college). I'm also going to check opportunities in Oregon and California.

We went online a couple nights ago to check out housing prices in the Portland/Vancouver area (our first choice if we have to leave Seattle), and we were really pleased to discover that housing in that area would actually be in our price range as soon as we're both into career-type jobs. Within the next couple of years, we'd be able to buy a house that we'd never be able to afford in Seattle. That alone makes moving to a different city worth thinking about. We don't want to live in an apartment forever!

Vancouver has WSU Vancouver (with a great education program) for Michael, and right across the river is Portland, with Portland State, Reed, University of Portland, and Lewis and Clark. He'd have his pick of really good schools, and we wouldn't be giving up the city lifestyle we enjoy. We'd just be gaining the opportunity to explore a new city together.

Besides, I grew up in that area, and it's always going to feel just a little bit more like home than Seattle does. I'm familiar with the people and the politics, and I understand how schools work there. Seattle has been a baffling nightmare for me with regard to my career, and I think it's time to see what I can do in a more familiar setting.

So, cross your fingers that there are some opportunities in the Portland/Vancouver area this spring! I know mine are crossed tightly. If I keep telling myself I only have to spend one more year here, it seems a lot more bearable. Not that I don't like my job at Career Link--I'm going to miss my friends, colleagues, and students here a lot. It's time for a change though.

Work Woes

2007-10-10T19:14:00.000-07:00

While I've been doing my best to move on with my life after not getting the Loft directorship, I'll admit that I've been pretty down in the dumps so far this fall. It's seemed that everyone on the hiring committee is doing their best not to cross my path, and I've been trying to walk lightly so as to not upset anyone. Those committee members who I've seen have been cordial, but I've still been feeling sort of invisible. Until today, no one even acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation (not hiring someone with whom they'd been working for two years, then having to continue to work with that person). I had considered not going back to the Loft at all this fall considering the discomfort it would cause a lot of people, but in the end my concern for my students won out, and I decided to swallow some pride and return to the Loft. I don't regret that decision, because I think I'm still helping people by staying. However, my confidence has been severely shaken by the experience, however, and I've been trying to think of some way to ask some of the committee members exactly what went wrong. Am I simply not cut out for education? Am I a horrible teacher? Am I giving students bad advice when they come to me for help? Have I chosen the wrong career? Or was the person they hired simply superior? What went wrong? I've been plagued with doubts and uncertainties for the past couple of months, and over the past couple week or so, the spiral of self-doubt has been leading steadily downward as everyone continued to refuse to acknowledge the situation. I don't know how to approach the people who rejected me and ask them why--but it's driving me nuts not to know.

This afternoon, much to my initial relief, one of my Loft colleagues who was on the committee finally approached me and said, "Let's acknowledge the elephant in the room, shall we?" I can't tell you how good it felt to hear someone on the committee admit that it's been weird this fall. Unfortunately, her explanation for why I wasn't chosen fell a bit flat: they didn't like the font my CV is in because it's hard to read. THAT'S a reason to not hire someone? She couldn't remember any of the other things they'd said about me. But at least someone is admitting that everything isn't peachy, and I really appreciate her willingness to initiate a conversation that I know was difficult for her to have with me. However, her explanation shakes my confidence a lot more: the font of my CV was so bad that it overshadowed my qualifications? How bad of a font is it?! There MUST be a deeper reason than that. I suppose I'm going to have to go searching for someone who will be willing to share a bit more. I'm not sure who to go to though, since everyone else is still pretending I never applied for the job.

I feel completely stuck, as if my career has stalled and I can't get it started again. I've hit a brick wall at North, and I'm not sure how to find a door through to any sort of advancement. Even if I stay at Career Link for this school year, where will I be at the end of the year? Exactly where I was three years ago! Looking for a teaching job at a Seattle-area community college that pays me enough to pay my bills every month. After seven years of teaching, I'll still be working from quarter to quarter (if I'm lucky) without knowing if I'll have a job the following quarter. I'll have absolutely no job security, no guarantee that I'll be working three months after the quarter starts. Is this really how I want to live my life? Did I work so hard to earn an advanced degree that is essentially useless in the real world? What the hell else am I going to do with an M.A. in American literature? I still love teaching, but maybe I suck at it, and this is North's not-so-subtle way of letting me know. Anyone know how to grow back one's self confidence once it's been trampled?

Sick Me

2007-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to avoid Michael's cold, but last night when I lay down in bed, my nose started running. Yesterday morning I woke up a little bit stuffy. This morning I woke up with a full-blown cold. Stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, the works! Yuck. And it's only Wednesday. The weekend is a long way away. Colds are just so annoying. I'm not sick enough to stay home from work, but I'm sick enough that I'll be uncomfortable all day. Whimper!

A Really Great Day

2007-09-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

Today has been (as the title suggests) a really great day. I haven't done anything that is amazingly exciting or anything, but today has been probably the least stressful day in the whole month of September. (Yes, I know there were a lot of days I enjoyed in September, but with the lingering stresses of the move and going back to work, even those good days had complications.)

Today started with a phone call to my sister Hope (after I woke up at 8:45--yay sleeping in!), who suggested that we meet for breakfast at Panera before we headed for the book sale half price day. Over yummy bagels (I highly recommend the French toast bagel with honey-walnut cream cheese) and orange juice, we exchanged gossip and caught up on each others' lives. Then we went to Target to get scrapbook supplies so that she can make a scrapbook of her honeymoon pictures. From there, we found our way to Magnuson and hit the book sale, finding another stack of fun-sounding books. We stopped back by Michael's and my place to drop off the books, and Michael had finally managed to get out of bed. By then, we were hungry again, so we had a bowl of homemade chicken soup with him while we showed him our loot from the book sale. Next, Hope and I headed to the mall to print the honeymoon pictures. Hope dropped me off back here around 2:00, and Michael and I took a nap. Yes, an actual nap. In the middle of the afternoon! When we got up, we popped some leftover pizza in the microwave and settled down to watch not just one but two silly movies. Michael is now taking a soothing bedtime shower, and I'm about to curl up with a book until he gets out, then we're going to bed early. Talk about a luxurious day! Now, I just need about a week of days like this one...

Library Book Sale

2007-09-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last summer, by random chance, Michael and I discovered that the Seattle Public Library holds a book sale twice a year. They fill one of the old warehouses in Magnuson Park almost entirely to the brim with books, and then sell the books for the most reasonable prices out there: 50 cents for paperbacks (75 cents for oversized paperbacks) and $1.00 for hardbacks. And those are the first day prices--the second day of the sale, everything is half price! Michael and I wandered around on the first day of the summer sale and were impressed by the selection, and ended up stocking our shelves for summer reading that weekend. We were both impressed by the turnout at this event. Seattle's record of being the best educated city in the country really shows at things like book sales. Seattle is the only place (other than a Harry Potter book release) that I've seen people line up around a block to get books.

This weekend, the library is having its fall book sale. I discovered last summer that it's best to be there when the doors open, so that I can be the first person in the line in front of the tables. I get less jostled that way. I was a bit bruised during the first-day rush last summer. The line this morning was once again around the block, but when I got inside the huge building, I managed to head straight for the mystery tables and stock up once again on silly mystery books (my fun reading). I spent $14, and walked out with 24 books, including two Stephen Kings that weren't in our collection (amazingly--we've been pretty thorough). Tomorrow, I'm planning to go to half-price day with Hope and Michael, to see if there's anything else we need. I have a hunch I'll manage to find another bag of interesting-looking books, and I'm sure Michael will find an armful. I didn't even scan the science fiction tables this morning.

And yes--I remember that a month ago I was whining about how many books we have. Now that we're not trying to move them, it hardly seems we have enough. There's nothing like curling up on a cold winter day with a mug of hot chocolate and a mystery book!

Sick Boyfriend

2007-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Poor Michael came home from work last night violently sneezing. This morning, he woke up aching all over, with a sore throat and a very stuffy nose. He's come down with the first fall cold to turn up in our house. He's in the shower right now with something called a "shower soother," which is supposed to help with the stuffiness. I hope it works, because he looks pretty wiped out. Don't worry though--I'm making chicken soup, feeding him orange juice like crazy, and doing everything I can think of to make sure he rests.

Now, if only I can think of a way to avoid getting the bug myself...

CASAS Testing

2007-09-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

So, since Career Link is now part of the ABE (Adult Basic Education) program at NSCC, making us an "official" GED program this year, we're required to give our students the state-mandated CASAS test. This probably works fine for older students, but try explaining to a room full of 17 year olds that in addition to the five tests that make up the GED, they're also going to have to take an additional five tests every quarter for no apparent reason other than the state demanding that they do. I gave my students the first test today, I'll give another on Monday, and a third at the end of the quarter.

Already today, they were demanding to know what the point was, and I couldn't give them a really good answer. They have to take both the math and the reading tests, without taking into account that many of them have already passed the GED tests in one or both of those subjects. I ended up telling them that today's math and reading tests were just for placement purposes, to help Deanna and I figure out which reading and math groups they should be in. Still, there were many bitter complaints about how many tests they have to take. I agree with them that if they've already passed the GED tests, there really isn't any point in making them take more tests in those subjects.

We really need to reform the testing system (the whole education system) in this country, to do away with a lot of the useless crap and really educate our population!

Back to School

2007-09-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

While Monday was the first official day of fall quarter at NSCC, Career Link didn't start until today, because yesterday was taken up with faculty meetings and last-minute student registrations. Thus, today was my first day back in the classroom this fall. Even given all the budget cuts and financial woes going on (thanks again President Bush), it felt really great to be back at Career Link. We have a fresh crop of around 40 kids, which is smaller than last year's bunch, and means I won't have 50 kids in each class I teach (whew). With 20 kids in each class, all of them are going to get a lot more individual attention, from which I think most of them will benefit a great deal. The new crew seems like a really bright group of young people. Both classes asked good questions, and since they all know this may be the last year of Career Link, they're all very motivated to pass their GED tests before the program shuts down. After talking to them today, I don't think we have a single student who I think won't be able to earn a GED. I'm anticipating a very pleasant school year.

Speaking of back to school, I don't think Michael has bragged about this anywhere yet, so I'll do it for him. When he registered for classes for fall, he finally checked his grades from spring quarter, and guess what? He got a perfect 4.0 and made the dean's list again! I knew that he'd thrive in college once he convinced himself that it was time to go back! My boy is awesome! He's taking another full load of classes this fall: anthropology, logic, and Spanish. I have full confidence that he'll get through this quarter with flying colors.

We're starting to get back into the school-year routine. Tonight was probably our last night for a while to have time to sit down together at the dining room table for a real dinner, as we're back on the schedule where Michael works until 10:00 most nights, and I don't get home until 7:00. I have to remind myself that this arrangement is only until Michael is through with school. Besides that, it makes me appreciate the little moments we get together all the more. (And I'm really looking forward to Thanksgiving break!) Michael is in the office now, diligently working on his homework, and I've just finished cleaning the kitchen. I'll call Michael back to the table when I finish this post, so that we can have some dessert, and then it will be about bedtime, because tomorrow is a school day.

A Family Portrait

2007-09-23T09:56:00.001-07:00

A Family Portrait
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Michael's parents were able to visit us shortly after the move was complete. We had an enjoyable couple of days visiting with them before they were off in the Turtle (their new RV), driving back to Alaska in their new toy.

Boy Relaxing in the Park

2007-09-23T09:54:00.001-07:00

Boy Relaxing in the Park
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

During the moving process, we did steal one gorgeous afternoon and head for Magnuson to pick some blackberries and enjoy the tail end of summer.

Moving Pictures

2007-09-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

How Much Stuff Do We Have?
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

For anyone who would like to see pictures of what our apartment looked like before it was organized and beautiful, I took a few during the moving process. Michael will post the "after" pictures on his page. Trust me, it looks a million times better now! I'm so glad to be done with moving!

Welcome Back, World!

2007-09-23T08:50:00.000-07:00

The month of September has been a really frustrating month so far, and with classes starting tomorrow, there doesn't seem much possibility that things are going to become less stressful. Coming home from a tropical island vacation to an unplanned move is not how I'd recommend anyone spend the last few weeks of summer vacation. In fact, these were going to be my only vacation time this summer that was unplanned by anyone else (not that I don't thank those of you who planned vacations for us). I was looking forward to sitting by the pool with a book, which I didn't get to do once before they closed the pool for the fall!

Yesterday we finally got the apartment up and running entirely. I think one of the hardest parts of the whole move was the incompetence of out Internet provider, who stalled and stalled on installing our service. It shouldn't have taken nearly three weeks for us to move from one building to another. Our address barely changed, for goodness sake! It felt like we were having a bad conversation on repeat.

Us (On Sept. 4th): Is there any way to speed up the process? This move was unplanned, and we couldn't call you before now to set things up.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out there on the 21st. How would that be?

Us: Would it be possible to have anyone out here sooner than that? You see, the move was unplanned.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out there on the 21st. How would that be?

Us: Yes, but could you make it sooner? We'll be without phone and Internet for a month by then.

Them: Yes, we'll have an installer out on the 21st. How would that be?

At which point we just gave up and agreed that the 21st would be lovely, and spent the next three weeks checking our email at the school when we had time (sorry to anyone whose email I didn't respond to). On the morning of the 21st, the conversation changed.

Them: Good morning. How are you today?

Me (suspiciously): Fine. Why are you calling? Why aren't you here?

Them: Well, one of our technicians called in sick this morning, and we were wondering if it would be possible to reschedule your installation.

Me: It would be impossible. I took the day off from work to stay home today in order for the installation to happen today. It has to happen today. There isn't any other option.

Them: Oh. Well, let us see what we can do. we'll call you back in a few minutes.

(Half an hour later...)

Them: We think we can give you an appointment sometime between 4:00 and 7:00 this afternoon. (Our original appointment was between 8:00 and noon, and it was now about 10:30.)

Me: That will be fine, as long as it happens today.

Them: We'll call you back once we confirm your appointment.

(45 minutes later...)

Them: It's all set. We'll have a technician there between 4:00 and 7:00.

Me: Great!

(At around 5:00...)

Technician: I'll be there in about ten minutes.

(45 minutes later...)

Technician: Hi, I'm here to install your modem.

Me: Don't we already have a modem?

Technician: Oh, yeah, it looks like you do. Well, just let me fiddle with a few wires.

Me: Okay.

(Fifteen minutes later...)

Technician: That's all I can do. It looks like you have a short in your phone wiring somewhere near the street. The phone company will be out sometime in the next couple of days to fix it. Goodbye.

Me: (Jaw dropped silence.)

At that point, Michael got on the phone and negotiated by telling them that we wanted to cancel our account, at which point they did some negotiating of their own and the problem was fixed by 10:30 yesterday morning, and now we're back online. I have to say, during our next move, we're very likely to switch Internet providers! At least everything is working now. Whew! I was starting to think it wasn't going to happen.

Getting There

2007-09-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

We spent yet another full day packing things, moving things, and unpacking things. I'd say we're mostly moved. There's a little bit of stuff left in Michael's office, and my clothes still need to be moved over, but overall, things are mostly in the new place. NOw we just have to find places for all of them. Michael worked most today, so the crew of Dad and Hope and Peter and I were the movers. We hauled boxes until around noon, when we ran out of empty boxes to put more stuff into. Then Dad and the newlyweds headed for Hope's place for lunch, and I started the tedious chore of unpacking all of the things I'd spent the morning putting into boxes. I really hate moving! And I wish we'd been given more notice that we were going to have to move. Moving requires a certain mind-frame, I think, and it takes longer than a day or two for me to get used to the idea of uprooting everything and causing complete upheaval and chaos. I've been pretty miserable for the past few days, although I freely admit that I like the new apartment, and once everything is settled it's going to be wonderful.

This is likely the last post I'll make for a while, because our Internet service won't be transfered to the new place for a week or two, and we're planning to move my computer over tonight.

It's a Start

2007-08-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

After spending the last few days packing boxes and planning out the move, Michael and I finally have the keys to our new apartment (yay). We moved over a few things this morning, but then Michael had to leave for work. Fortunately, my sister Hope was able to come over and help me this afternoon, and we got most of the kitchen and bathroom stuff moved. I'm planning to spend the rest of this evening (Michael is at work until 10:00) packing over as much of the rest of the kitchen stuff as I can, then unpacking it all and seeing if I can have a working kitchen by the time Michael gets home. My dad is coming tomorrow to help us with the big furniture, and Hope and Peter will be back to help. Still, it's going to be an exhausting couple of days, and I'm already tired! I'll be glad when we're settled again!

The Next Step

2007-08-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked about what I will do now that the Loft directorship is no longer on the table. The simple answer is this: I'll look for another job. I don't really have any idea what that new job will be, nor do I have a lot of time to think about it right now as I'm getting us ready to move. Fortunately for me, my current work situation is such that I have a whole year to research and find the perfect next job for me.

I'll remain in my current teaching position at Career Link for the school year, and I did accept a full tutoring schedule at the Loft (although I'm still waiting to see if I like the new director). Even without the Loft hours, my teaching job will pay enough for me to be comfortable while I look for something else.

Why not just stay at Career Link indefinitely? I might, if I knew it would be guaranteed employment. Sadly (mostly sad for the kids this is going to hurt--shame on you President Bush and No Child Left Behind!), the funding for the program has been cut. This is a direct result of No Child Left Behind, which stipulates that a GED is not an acceptable outcome--only a high school diploma will satisfy the requirements. Career Link has enough budget surplus from the past few years to operate for one more year. What will the kids do when Career Link closes? According to the president and his cronies, they'll go back to high school and finish their diplomas like they should.

Forget that there are a lot of kids out there for whom high school is such a toxic experience that there's no way they're going to attend often enough to satisfy the requirements of a high school diploma. They don't have the right clothes. They don't have the right body type. They don't listen to the right music, watch the right movies, say the right things. They don't have the money popularity requires. They're picked on, bullied, and tormented to the point that they're afraid to go to school.

Forget that there are kids who come from single parent homes where no one has EVER tucked them in at night and read them stories. Their parent(s) are too busy trying to survive that they don't have time to provide a so-called normal childhood for their children. About three-quarters my class last spring didn't know the Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid, and when I asked them what their favorite bedtime stories were when they were kids, most of them replied that no one had read to them. No one is there when they get home from school, with milk and cookies and help with homework. No one makes sure they eat breakfast before they leave for school in the morning. No one takes them on family vacations every summer. No one takes them to the zoo or other enriching places on weekends. No one makes a big dinner on Thanksgiving or plays Santa on Christmas. The adults in my students' lives hardly have time to remember they have children most of the time.

Forget that many of them come from houses where the so-called responsible adults in their lives are entirely drugged out of their minds. I have students who come to school hungry because their mothers have used all the food money to buy crack. I have students who come to school and complain that their fathers smoked all their cigarettes, and they need a nicotine fix or they won't be able to pay attention in class.

Forget that many of them have drug problems of their own to contend with. I have students who come to school so high they fall asleep in the back row of my classroom, and when I wake them they are so stupefied they don't remember where they are, and their glazed over expression and the scent of pot tells me all I need to know about the problem. I have students who are in and out of rehab on a regular basis, never quite managing to get completely clean before their beds are given to more severe cases.

Forget that a lot of them are too scared to go home, because home is where they're physically, sexually, mentally, or otherwise abused. They live on the streets or with friends who have slightly better circumstances than their own, sleeping on floors, in cardboard boxes, and under bridges. These kids fall asleep in my classroom because it's the first safe, warm place they've been after a weekend on the streets. Quite frankly, I let them sleep because they're too scared and exhausted to stay awake.

Forget that many of them are teenage parents, both fathers and mothers, trying to finish a GED after they've been forced to drop out of high school to support babies. High school is a full time job for a teenager, and my students don't have time to pretend high school is important while they're learning to be parents and working real full time jobs to support their children. They're hoping to get a GED, which will allow them to get slightly better jobs than flipping burgers at Mac Donald's, so that maybe their babies might have a better childhood than they did.

Forget that many of them have learning disabilities that, because of lack of money and health insurance in their homes and insufficient social services and overworked school employees, have never been diagnosed or have been misdiagnosed. They suffer in high school classrooms, falling quietly behind their peers or acting the part of class clowns to cover for their insufficiencies. No one ever notices that they're struggling until they give up and drop out, at which point they're so credit deficit and behind in their studies that they could work until they're 35 and still not get that high school diploma.

For my students, a high school diploma is as far out of reach as an all-expense paid trip to the moon. Life has dealt them a really crappy hand, and while they're doing all they can to cope with all their other problems, it isn't realistic to expect them to succeed in the candy-coated world of cheerleaders and football players, popularity and proms. That they're willing to attend classes and try to get a GED is enough of a miracle. I wish the pristine, black business suited politicians, who send their own children to the best private schools in the country, would be forced for just one month to live the lives my students have led since birth, and then say to my students that they should attend a regular high school and graduate with a high school diploma. It's disgusting that No Child Left Behind is leaving behind so many young people. What will these kids do when GED programs are gone? Tell me they won't be left behind. It's not like any of them are going to suddenly decide to return to high school and get high school diplomas. No Child Left Behind is further contributing to the poverty and lack of education that is bringing the United States further and further down the world scale, both socially and economically. It is an act that purposely leaves behind a whole lot of children: the poor, the abused, the drug addicted, the less academically gifted, those who don't fit in at a high school. President Bush and his friends would rather pretend that these "undesirable" children do not exist, that every child in the United States is as lucky as their own children. I don't know how people of such privilege can ignore the suffering of so many children, but it seems that they can.

What will I do next, when Career Link closes its doors next June? I'm hoping I'll find a job as a youth advocate (or education advocate) in some way. Someone has to keep fighting for people who are too downtrodden to use their own voices! I'll look for another GED program, an adult education program, a youth center, another teaching position that will allow me to continue to help those who are being left behind every day, from the minute they're born. I definitely want to continue to work with marginalized populations in some capacity. This summer's ESL classes and my work in the Loft have shown me another route that is open to me, which would be helping the immigrant population, much of which lives in situations as atrocious as my Career Link students'. I think there are a lot of options out there for people who want to help other people. While these jobs might not pay a lot, I don't require a mansion and a beach house and a fancy car with a driver. Helping other people pays enough to keep healthy food on the table, a sound roof over my head, and so many of life's little luxuries that I seem really rich when I compare myself to most of the rest of the world.

I might have whined about not getting the Loft directorship, but in the end, I still have a great job, an amazing education that no one can ever take from me, a wonderful and stable family, an incredible boyfriend who supports me unconditionally and loves me even when I'm stressed out, and a comfortable home. I'm luckier than most people. I think I have a responsibility to share some of that with people less fortunate than myself.

Books!

2007-08-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I've spent the past few days packing our books, and I'm still not through them all. I keep running out of boxes. I knew we had a lot of books, but wow--I didn't know there were quite this many! And I still have several shelves to go. But I'm out of boxes again. Fortunately, Michael will be around tomorrow and the next day to help with the effort. Our living room looks really sad like this, with depleted shelves. I'll be really glad when we're all moved in to the new place and everything is organized again. It' impossible to walk through the living room at the moment, because there are stacks of boxes everywhere. I despise moving, although I know I'm going to like the new apartment. This part is a pain though!

Disappointment (?)

2007-08-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I (finally) got an email from the Loft hiring committee, and as I suspected, I didn't get the job. While I was pretty sure this was going to be the news I got, it's still a disappointment. I know all the people in the Loft really wanted me to get it, and I feel like in some way I'm letting them down, even though I know I tried my hardest. I'm not used to trying as hard as I can to get something, then not getting it. Maybe I've been spoiled. But I know that I've been good at every job I've ever had, even those I didn't like very much, and I would have been an awesome director for the Loft. Whoever they hired had better be spectacular, or I have a hunch the Loft might lose a bunch of tutors.

Now I have to decide if I want to go back this fall as a tutor. Part of me does. I mean, I do love tutoring. And my students like being able to come to the Loft and work with me. On the other hand, it might be wisest to cut my losses and move on with my life. I'm 30 years old. That's a little bit too old to be fiddling around with a dead-end career, in my opinion, and there doesn't seem to be much of a chance I'll be upwardly mobile at North. It's frustrating. Maybe I'm being impatient. Maybe if I stick it out a little longer, something great will open up. Maybe I'm not management material--maybe I'm a teacher, and I should stay with what I know I do well. I don't know. I seem to be having a low confidence evening. I can tell myself as many times as I want that I'm good at my job, but when something like this happens, I always question my abilities and wonder if I've chosen the right career, even though my chosen career has been teaching and not administration.

Of course, the money and the title would have been nice with the director job. But would I have really wanted to do the job? I'm not sure. Sometimes I think that I would be really good at it, and other times I think it would be a waste of my creativity and teaching talent to go into administration. The part of education I like best is getting my students to believe that learning can be fun, and administrators have very little contact with actual students, as I learned from watching Pappi. I don't think I'm the sort of person who would be happy managing employees and balancing budgets. I'd rather come up with new lesson plans. Maybe not getting this job is the right thing for me. Maybe I was just enticed by the title, and I didn't give enough consideration to whether I really wanted the job or not, and the hiring committee noticed this. (Please let it be that, and not that they think I'm incompetent. Ack! Insecurity!)

I'll be returning to my teaching position this fall, at least. Back to good old Career Link. It will feel good to work with the kids, and I always feel very successful as they start to get their GEDs and feel better about themselves. They're fun to teach, and I enjoy the challenge. It would have been sad not to have a classroom in the fall, I suppose. I know I'll like it when I get there. All I have to decide now is whether I'll continue to tutor. Probably. I did promise my ESL students I'd see them in the Loft this fall.

My Wedding Dinner Toast

2007-08-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

While they didn't ask everyone to do this, I had two stories that I wanted to tell at Hope's wedding, so in addition to the blessing, I also wrote a toast to give at the wedding feast. I chose not to give it to the whole table (there were simply too many people to hear me), but I did read it to the bride and groom (and a few others who were close enough to hear). Here's the text:

In our family, Hope is the youngest. This means that for her whole childhood, she worked as hard as she could to keep up with me and Kima. If we got roller skates, she wanted roller skates too--and never mind that she'd hardly learned to walk yet!

When she was about five years old, one of the things she desperately wanted was to be able to ride her little red bicycle without training wheels. Long after Kima and I had gone inside, tired of our bikes and on to our Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Care Bears, she'd be outside practicing so that she'd be ready for the training wheels to come off.

At the house where we lived at the time, there was a path along one side that led nowhere but a rather steep and rocky drop to the river that flowed in front o four house. One day, little Hope was out practicing on her bicycle. Bicycles were meant to go fast, in her opinion. She roared down the path... And forgot to use the brakes.

Of course, she fell off the bike before it went into the river. My mom found her sitting on the bank, crying.

Was she hurt? No, not really.

Was she scared? Sort of.

Why was she crying?

She was ticked off that her bike was in the river and she had to stop practicing!

After dinner, Dad fished her bike out of the river, and she hopped right back on like nothing had happened.

A few weeks later, the training wheels came off the bicycle. Unlike Kima and I, who both rode straight across the road and crashed into the bushes, Hope hopped right on that two-wheeled bike and rode perfectly.

Hope and Peter, I think your relationship has been similar to this little analogy. You fell off the bike once or twice while you were learning to ride, but you knew you had something great, so you kept working on it. You have always approached your relationship with the same determination and dedication as little Hope showed when she learned to ride a bike.

Today, the training wheels came off of your relationship, and I'm confident that you're going to be able to ride smoothly. So, here's my toast: "To riding without training wheels!"

P.S. Michael is working on the wedding pictures. They'll be up on his site as soon as possible, for those of you who are curious about the wedding ceremony. I was too distracted by the beauty of the ceremony (and my gorgeous little sister) to take any pictures of my own.

My Blessing for Hope's Wedding

2007-08-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Hope and Peter requested that each guest at their wedding prepare a short blessing or bit of advice for the couple. As the photographer, Michael was let off the hook. I, however, wracked my brains for a few weeks preparing my blessing for them. I thought the blessings from their friends and family were one of the best parts of the ceremony. While I can't recreate them all here for you, I can at least give you the text of my blessing:

When Hope was a very little girl, she and Kima and I shared a bedroom. Hope was scared of the dark. Well, to tell the truth, so were Kima and I, but we were far too grown up to protest. Hope, on the other hand, protested loudly enough that a night light was produced.

That small night light, christened "Mickey Glower" because of it's Mickey Mouse shape, comforted us through many scary nights with its soft orange glow.

Now, we're all grown up, and my little sister Hope is getting married today. My wish for Hope and Peter is that their relationship will be blessed with bright and happy days and comfortable and safe nights as they bask in the glow of their love for each other.

Housing Update

2007-08-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

Michael and I just toured the other apartment in our complex that's up for grabs, and we're going to take it. It's actually better arranged than our current apartment (and we thought this one was great). It's on the ground floor, so no stairs to fight with. It's close to both of the doors into the building, close to two parking lots, and on the same floor as the laundry facility and the storage lockers. It has better in-apartment storage areas, more closets, and newer appliances, not to mention that as I type this they're painting the walls and installing new carpet! The linoleum in the kitchen is even a better color and will match more of our stuff. The windows don't have a view of a cherry tree, but they do face a big maple tree and a gorgeous evergreen tree, and we won't be facing the front parking lot anymore, so people won't be constantly peeking in our front windows. We'll also be much closer to the new pool (it'll be right outside the front door--just walk down the hallway and jump in the pool, basically). In spite of the pain of moving (and I don't think this will be all that painful a move), I think we're really going to like the new apartment.

Hawaiian Sunset at Kona Airport

2007-08-21T10:46:00.001-07:00

Hawaiian Sunset at Kona Airport
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Hawaii gave us one last treat, right before we got on the plane to head home: the most beautiful sunset of the entire trip. Goodbye Hawaii! We had a great time!

Boy at Kona Airport

2007-08-21T10:44:00.001-07:00

Boy at Kona Airport
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

We had a couple hours to kill at the airport after we returned our rental car, so we picked up informative coloring books with pictures of Hawaiian animals and plants and fish, and spent the time learning about all the things we'd seen on our trip (and coloring in a few pictures).

Boy at Crater Rim (Kilauea)

2007-08-21T10:42:00.001-07:00

Boy at Crater Rim (Kilauea)
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Berta, this photo is for you. I thought you'd appreciate the nice, floppy sun hat we found to keep Michael safe under the tropical sun. Isn't it great? (Michael has pictures of my new hat for you too.)

Boy and Turtle (Black Sand Beach)

2007-08-21T10:41:00.001-07:00

Boy and Turtle (Black Sand Beach)
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

One of the things Michael most wanted to do while we were in Hawaii was to see a sea turtle, up close and personal. We encountered our first sea turtle at the Hilton in their fabricated lagoon. The turtles there are so used to people that it came right up to us and let us feed it leaves and pat it on the head!

Later in the trip, we had a chance to snorkel with wild sea turtles (Michael has pictures). On our last day, we stopped for a while at a black sand beach, and were thrilled to find a group of sea turtles basking in the sun on the beach. Michael flopped right down in the sand and got acquainted with one, as you can see.

Boy in Bed (at Our Cabin)

2007-08-21T10:35:00.001-07:00

Boy in Bed (at Our Cabin)
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

On our first night in Volcanoes National Park, we found a campground immediately. When we got there, we had intended to set up our tent for the night, but we noticed a row of darling little cabins nestled in the woods on one side of the campground, and wondered how much it would cost us to rent one. Camping in the park is free with admission to the park, so we didn't think it would be too expensive to upgrade to a cabin, if one was available. We quickly found the Volcano House (the hotel in the park) and inquired about the cabins. Because it was a Thursday night, there turned out to be one cabin available for one night, for $50. We snapped it up, and were given bags containing sheets, blankets, pillows, along with towels and soap for the campground showers.

It turns out that the cabins are just as cute on the inside as they are on the outside, especially with the addition of the personalized touches we'd brought from home to make our camping trip comfortable (a Playboy bunny blanket for Michael and a Tootsie Pop blanket for me). We had a great night in the cabin, reading and giggling and really feeling like we were on vacation, and glad to be away from the Hilton where we'd spent the first couple nights of the trip.

In the morning, we headed for the campground showers, available to cabin customers. Much to our delight, the showers, while rustic in appearance, had more plentiful hot water and pressure that was more reliable than we'd had at the Hilton! On our way out, bemoaning the fact that it would be our last morning of hot showers since we'd be tent camping for the rest of the trip, we noticed a small sign announcing that tent campers could rent a key to the cabin showers for $3 a day. Deciding to splurge, we eagerly rented a shower key and enjoyed steamy showers for the remainder of the trip.

We were still on Seattle time, not having adjusted to Hawaiian time, and we were waking up at 5:30 every morning (felt like 8:30 to us). After finishing our showers that first morning, we snagged a prime campsite for our tent before any of the weekend campers arrived in the park, then set out to explore the park.

Coconut Syrup!

2007-08-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

Coconut Syrup!
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

Here's the first batch of Hawaii pictures! You'll notice that I didn't take any pictures while we were at the resort. It just wasn't our sort of thing. The morning after the wedding, we went to the Kona airport to drop my dad off so he could head home. After that, we were faced with the decision to go back to the resort to eat breakfast at the huge buffet (for $30 per person) or to explore Kona a bit and find someplace for breakfast there. We chose to explore, thinking we'd eventually find a Denny's and get a reasonably priced breakfast.

We drove around for a while without any luck. Then, by random chance, while we were in an industrial park looking for a place to turn around, we saw a sign for the Blue Sky Cafe. Since we were hungry and sort of lost, we decided to give it a try. When we pulled up in front of the tiny restaurant surrounded by warehouses, we almost didn't go in. It looked like sort of a dive.

But we were hungry, and we hadn't seen anything else (other than Starbucks) that looked like it might have something for breakfast. We decided to give it a try. We opened the door and gaped in surprise. A small, gorgeous restaurant, beautifully decorated with tropical plants greeted us. After being greeted by a cheerful waitress, we chose seats next to the indoor waterfall and proceeded to order the best French toast either of us had ever eaten, served on a plate with an orchid.

The toast was made from Hawaiian sweet bread, which we both know that we like, and is difficult to find in Seattle. We later learned, when we found a Safeway to get the groceries for our camping trip, that in Hawaii, the bread aisle has a supplemental row, almost as long as the regular aisle, for this Hawaiian treat. Along with the toast came three pitchers of syrup: maple, strawberry, and coconut. Coconut? We were intrigued. We tried it on the corner of one piece of toast in case we didn't like it. It was so delicious that we were soon pouring it on the rest of our toast and devouring it. We asked the waitress where we could find it, and she replied that any grocery store in Hawaii would have it. (We found a bottle at Safeway, and it's tucked into our as yet unpacked luggage, waiting for us to decide to recreate our Hawaiian French toast.)

To anyone considering a trip to Hawaii, here's our advice: get off the beaten path! Avoid the big resorts. You'll have a better time, and you'll get much better food!

Home! (Less?)

2007-08-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Well, we got home yesterday from a wonderful trip to Hawaii. Hope's wedding was a huge success, and Michael and I had a great time in Volcanoes National Park. I'll write more about that later, but I wanted to post a few thoughts about our homecoming before I get to the vacation, because the homecoming was far more traumatic than the fun vacation.

Let's start with the disappointment on the job front. I should have heard from the interview committee while I was in Hawaii. Of course, no one called or emailed, and finally, on last Friday, convinced I wasn't part of the final interview group, I called the school to ask. It turned out that they hadn't selected the final interview group, and I was assured that the decision would be announced on Monday. Monday has come and gone, and now it's Tuesday morning, without so much as a hint of an announcement. I'm starting to wonder if I'm not in the final interview group. Would they tell me? I'd like to hope that they would. A couple people on the committee are people whom I consider friends, and all of them have been my colleagues for the past two years. I'd hope that they would let me know, and explain their decision. It would be simple professional courtesy. And basic communication. It's starting to feel like that might be too much to ask for. We'll see. I've stopped holding my breath, at any rate.

Now, on to the home front. Firstly, we'd requested that our landlords hold any packages that might be delivered for us while we were gone. I'd ordered a book and a movie from Amazon for Michael, and they should have been delivered while we were gone. We requested this because the mailboxes in this building are ridiculously small, and there was no way our mailbox would hold a book and a movie and a few day's worth of junk mail. Unfortunately, our mailman apparently decided to cram as much into the box as he could--including the movie, which Amazon's tracking department assures me was delivered on the 17th. By cramming the movie into the mailbox instead of taking it to the landlords as he should have, he rendered the mailbox incapable of closing. He just left it there, unlocked. When we returned, it had naturally been cleaned out by our less than scrupulous neighbors, and now one of the nasty thieving creeps we live with has the movie I ordered for Michael, and who knows what else of our mail. All of our financial information comes to us electronically, so there's not a major concern that the mail thieves took anything more than junk mail and the movie, but there's no real way of knowing what we lost. More importantly, there's no way of knowing which of our neighbors is a thief. I suspect the lunatic right down the hall from us, but it could be just about anyone. It's disconcerting to be living with mail thieves. We knew before that there was someone low enough to steal mail in the building when our Netflix movies started to disappear... Some days really make me hate people!

After discovering the mail theft, we were told by our landlords that because of the construction going on in our building, we're going to have to move. They're going to need to rip our apartment apart to fix all of the problems. They've offered to help us to move to another apartment in a different building of the complex. Naturally, I'm less than thrilled about this. I don't know if I'm going to need to be job searching in the next few weeks. I certainly wasn't planning to spend the last couple weeks of summer packing up and moving, even if it's just to a different building. Our landlords seem to think they're being nice by offering to let some of the scuzzy construction workers they've got working on the project help us move.
These are not exactly the sort of people I'd want to let know that we have nice computers and TVs. Besides, this apartment has been our home for the past two years, and I had thought it would continue to be our home for at least the next two years, while Michael is finishing school. I find it very disgusting of our landlords to expect us to be okay with just packing up and moving away from an apartment we've called home for the past two years. The sentimental value of the apartment alone is enough to make me really sad when I think about leaving. It's the first home Michael and I have shared. While I know that there will be many other homes in our future (not that we're planning to be nomatic--moving is just a part of life), this one will always be special because it was the first. I'm not sure I want to stay in this apartment complex, but I'm also feeling a little bit trapped, because we certainly don't have the time to put into a big hunt for a new place. I think we're stuck here, and we're going to have to make the best of it. Sigh.

And so, this has been the homecoming. I could potentially be unemployed and homeless by the end of the month. Okay, so that's a large exaggeration (I still have my teaching job and we've been offered a new apartment), but it doesn't feel so exaggerated right now, when I'm tired and upset about it!

Onward!

2007-08-13T23:01:00.001-07:00

Today was my interview. I'm completely exhausted (it's HARD to talk about myself for that long!). Academic interviews are so difficult! It was me, in a room with a committee of eight people, and they fired questions at me for an hour and a half! But I made it through, and I feel like it went really well. I guess I'll find out sometime in the next few days if I made it to the next round of interviews!

Now, on to Hawaii! Michael and I just finished packing our bags. We'll need to make one quick stop at the school in the morning so that I can turn in my grades, and then we're off to the airport. Keep your fingers crossed that Flossie won't get any closer to the islands! Hawaii here we come!

And oof! Off to bed for me!

Young Frankenstein

2007-08-09T20:41:00.001-07:00

Young Frankenstein
Originally uploaded by Prairie Brown

The Show That Almost Wasn't

2007-08-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, after the horrible long day I'd had with the interview that I thought was lost and the ensuing change to our travel plans, when I got home from the writing center that afternoon, I was ready to crash and not move (preferably for at least two days, although I knew that wasn't a reality). I was starting to feel the stress of the interview growing inside me. I was also frantically trying to plan lessons for the substitute who will teach the last two days of my morning class (decided to let him show one of the Harry Potter movies, but I needed to write a worksheet to go along with it--gotta be educational about this, after all). So, all these things were floating around in my already exhausted little mind. Oh, I should also mention that I hadn't eaten all day. I got the phone call about the interview in the morning right before breakfast, used all the potential lunch time trying to fix the problem, and had been slammed with students in the writing center.

Michael and I had planned to go out to dinner to celebrate the interview, but when I got home and flopped on the bed in the guest room, face down in a pillow, Michael took one look at me, went and got the phone, and asked, "What do you want on your pizza?"

I mumbled something about pepperoni before burying my face in the pillow again. Half an hour later, the pizza arrived, and I emerged to the scent of bubbly cheese and spicy toppings. Michael popped in a disk of Star Trek (we finished Next Gen. and have moved on to Deep Space Nine, which I don't like quite as well, but it's still pretty good), and we sat down to eat.

We'd mostly finished our food, and the episode was reaching its end as well. The alien woman on the screen was babbling to her lover (who'd just had surgery and was waking up to find her at his bedside, when he'd thought she'd desert him), and saying that she'd always be by his side. Her voice reminded me on the voice of the Lady of the Lake from Spamalot, and I giggled and turned to Michael and whispered, "But you're not alone, Arthur. I've been with you all the time..." (or something like that).

Michael snickered, and we turned back to the show.

Then it clicked in my brain. Spamalot--tickets in October--going to Young Frankenstein this month--ohmygod! I turned to Michael again.

"It's TUESDAY!"

He looked blank.

"Don't we have tickets tonight? You know--Young Frankenstein?!"

He looked confused, then shook his head and stared at me with widening eyes.

"You're right! Oh crap! What time is the show?" he exclaimed as he raced to the office to find the tickets. "It's at 7:30!"

It was 6:30. We had an hour to get downtown, find parking, and get to our seats before the curtain rose for the opening night of Young Frankenstein.

Declaring, "No time to primp!" we dropped everything, abandoned the last couple pieces of pizza underneath the coffee table, and ran for the door. I was still in my work clothes, which while perfectly presentable for teaching, are not exactly appropriate opening night gear (the bright pink Converse really stood out in the crowd of heels). Fortunately for us, the traffic on I-5 was minimal, and we made it downtown with plenty of time to park, and with time to spare.

We got to the theater, showed out tickets, and were told, "Ah--third mezzanine--your tickets have been upgraded to the second mezzanine!"

That's right--a free upgrade in tickets! So we ended up about 20 rows closer to the stage than we'd thought we would be, for a show we nearly forgot we were going to see. We gratefully found our seats about ten minutes before the scheduled curtain-rising.

I assume everyone who reads my blog also reads Michael's, so you've already read his review of the show (and my opinions run along the same line as his), so I'm only going to say that the show is incredible and well worth the price of tickets (even if you forget you have them until the last second). We're still celebrating the miracle that is my quirky brain, which allowed us to make it to the show. I can't even begin to express how disappointed we'd have been to miss it!

Wedding Cake and Eating It Too

2007-08-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

It turned out that it wasn't hard to change my airline ticket, even if the interview date couldn't be changed, so that I can do both activities! Hurray! I'll be able to have the interview on Monday, fly out on Tuesday, and make it to the wedding on Wednesday. Whew! It'll be exhausting, but it's possible. And I'll make it work!