So. I am back and better than ever.

Well hello again everyone. I have had quite a hiatus, as all faithful bloggers sometimes do. I think it is perfectly natural. Who would be a good blogger if they had not fallen behind on their responsibilities? In this gap of time, my life has changed completely. It has changed for the better. I cannot even begin to tell of the elation I feel to now have a life back on track and once again, moving in the right direction.

In May, when I last wrote, I was doomed forever in a pit of HELL with Barnes and Noble and Gap. Well, not anymore. I am officially hired by Homewood School District in Homewood, Illinois. I am going to be teaching 5th and 6th grade General Music and Choir. I am really excited about being able to do this.

And I have fallen behind on responsibilities...

Wow...so since the last time I wrote...so much has happened...so much. I have had family visits, friends move and interviews. Time has flown these past few days and I have been reading...a lot...just all kinds of different things. The purpose of this blog is being defeated, but this is ok. I am not too worried about it at all. Things will get done. Oh yeah, and since the delay in writing, it is all of a sudden summer in Chicago. Wow. A lot has happened.

This past weekend, I had the party of my life. My cousin Eva and her friend Christie came into town. Now, initially, Eva said "There will be no sleeping while we are up there." I laughed it off. She said "Are you sure you don't mind toting around two 40 year old women? We might ruin your game." PSSH. I think I ruined their game. I could not keep up.
To highlight the weekend:
They got here at 7:10AM Friday morning...to spend the entire day in Chicago.
We ate at Toast in Bucktown. All of us had stuffed French toast which was AMAZING.
We then went to my place and they met Bridget.
After, they got manicures and pedicures at Jeff's spa in Old Town. They laughed because they have not had this done in years and Christie had never had a mani before. They were treated in Chicago. I also had a mani/pedi. I laughed so much because it tickled...I never have problems, though, when people tickle my feet.
After, we went to Uno, the original Uno Pizza, on Grand and had a Stuffed Numero Uno. It was NICE.
After, we went to Northbridge Mall to pee. We then ate Vosages Chocolate ($7 candy bars) to wait out the storm moving through. We got a Black Pearl Bar (ginger, wasabi, black sesame seeds, dark chocolate), a Bacon Bar (bacon, sea salt and dark chocolate), and a spicy bar with peppers in it.
After, we walked through underground Wacker.
Then, we went to Millennium Park. Then, after being worn out, we went back up North to home to get ready to go out. This was the beginning of the first night of fun. We were out til 4 in the morning. We ate at Nookie's with Tim and Jeff at 3. Then, sleep. For only three hours.
Then, Saturday began. Saturday was Baha'i Temple. We then went to Oak Park for Frank Lloyd Wright.
Following was Garfield Park Conservatory.
Following was an architectural boat tour which was awesome. We got to see all of the buildings along the Chicago River and learn the history of them. We also got to go through the Chicago Locks to get to Lake Michigan. I did not know they had locks. They had to close the back lock and let the water rise one foot to match the level of the lake, then we got to sail on in. The view was beautiful. I have been fortunate to see the view of the city from the lake through sailing, the Prom and now through the boat tour.
After, we went home to get ready for night 2.
We went to the Hancock Signature Room for drinks.
After, we went to a bar and danced. It was crazy. No sleep. Only three hours.
Sunday, I took them to Skokie to get real bagels made by real Jewish people.
Wow...six hours of sleep and a lot of fun.

Sunday night, Bridget and I had a get together for Jeff because he is moving to Alaska for three months to work on the railroad. We told him to get whomever he wanted to come over. He only wanted it to be the three of us, Tim and his friends Stefano and Sergio. He ended up cooking everything with Bridget while I entertained. HAHA. They made chicken, stuffed peppers, porkchops, ice cream brownies and more. We had cheese, crackers and grapes for appetizers. Tim brought French Toast cupcakes for dessert. Holy crap they were incredible. It was a fantastic time. And for the record, one of our guests was an escort. HA.
Monday, I had my hand sealed up in a nice brace. I had an orthopaedic appointment at 737 N Michigan for Chicago Hand Surgeons. They discovered I have de Quervain's Disease. It is an elaborate form of tendinitis. So, I got a steroid shot (too bad it doesn't go to my muscles because I have not worked out in a long time...haha) and a brace made to fit me. Fun, Fun.

Monday night, Jeff wanted us to come out again. We all went to a Thai restaurant and then out to a bar called Delilah's. On Tuesday, he flew out. All of us were bummed. Jeff has been a fixture in everyone's life. He is my roommate's personal assistant. So, we all went out drinking...me, Tim, Bridget and Fabiola to the Glenwood in Rogers Park. It was fun.

The Asians wanted the white people to be Asian, too.

Now, here I am today. I have an interview at Homewood at 10:45 in the morning. Round 2. They called today and told me that I could come tomorrow or Tuesday. If those didn't work, I could choose whenever. They want me to meet with faculty. I think tomorrow will be a wonderful day. :) Keep me in the prayers.

So, this is about all of the fun for now.

I have been reading The Cardturner, Me Talk Pretty One Day and a couple of other things. I will get back on track, I promise. :)

She decorates her home...

Today, before I went to Barnes and Noble, I went to the gym and cleaned. I had a great run outside. It felt so nice to run in the breeze along the lake on N Sheridan. The sun was out and the sky was so blue. I kept a great pace, which was nice, as well. I had a shit ton of laundry to fold. It took $18 at a laundromat on Broadway last night. That is a lot. There was so much to fold. I think it was around 150 pounds...this is not an exaggeration. It was depressing having to climb the flight of stairs to my apartment after having to walk to the building from my car. But, it is done.

Well, apparently before I went to Barnes and Noble today, there was a little shoplifting incident...or a big one...however you see it. The store caught a middle aged woman placing stuff in a bag. She was taking all of the sensors off. Overall, it was around $300 of merchandise. The mall security, Barnes and Noble management and the Skokie Police Department were all involved. I heard she started tearing up. It is sad when someone has to resort to stealing to get their kicks. The woman is a regular customer from what everyone told me...which is even sadder. I hope it is no one I bonded with at any time. The biggest kick: she said she has decorated her house in Barnes and Noble...which means she has been stealing a lot. How do you decorate an entire house in Barnes and Noble? Well, it must be possible. I think it should be a new show on HGTV. Decorating for free at the expense of corporate America. What a scandal.

Well, the evening ended in rain. I have continued reading The Cardturner and learned more about playing Bridge. Tomorrow morning, Eva will be getting in at around 7:20 and it is supposed to rain. So, now it is time to think of an indoors day. Won't be too hard to think of in Chicago. Well, I think it is way past bedtime...time for some sleep so I can wake up at 6:25 and trudge along the freeway to O'Hare.

:)

The Song that Never Ends

Today was one of those days full of errands and fun. I feel as though it never ended. I woke up and drove to Park Ridge to pay my dentist office for the x-rays I had a couple of weeks ago. I then went to Wal-Mart in Niles to look for storage. I then went to my Barnes and Noble in Skokie to check in on Bethany, the new Children's person, to see how her first Storytime went. I then went back to Chicago for an appointment with Olya, a personal trainer, for tips on working out with a gimp wrist. Then, I went to Addison/California for grad school. Then, I went to Bucktown. Then, I went to Target for storage containers, then I came home to Rogers Park. Here, I finished my closet. I knocked it all out. I then re-located Emma and got my dirty clothes ready for washing. Tim and Jeff came over this evening to hang out with Bridget and me. Now, I am just about ready to go to bed. I finished printing out cover letters/resumes and letters of intent for my interview with AUSL Elementary Turnarounds in the morning. Whew. So much.

The gym appointment was great. Olya did not charge me for one! WOOHOOO! She pointed me in many directions. I loved it. She then stretched me and scheduled me next week to make sure I was doing what she preached the correct way. So, I will have her one-on-one again. After, I got on the elliptical and read The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. I should not be reading it, but I got it last week in Homewood while I was waiting to interview. It was for my entertainment. The book is about the Salem Witch Trials. It is very interesting.

So, I have my interview at 9AM and it is close to 2AM and I have to wake before 7 to get down there.

Have a good night!!!

Louis Sachar

Author Louis Sachar

Today was a very LONG day. I woke up early to begin cleaning my closet out and preparing for the weekend of my cousin Eva and her friend coming to visit. I need to clean my closet out anyway and this is great incentive. Now, I need to find a professional service, Office Max for instance, to shred every last bit of my crap I do not need laying around. The other half of everything is going to the Brown Elephant on Halsted...Brown Elephant is basically a His House fro all of those things in your life that are ready for a new home. When I finished Phase I of cleaning out my closet, I found that most of the reason there is no room is because of dirty clothes and the lack of hanging things. Tomorrow, this will be corrected. I am taking a trip to Wal-Mart to find the most inexpensive option for keeping my closet organized...containers, hangers, etc. Then, I will clear out the shredables, take them to my car, drive them to Office Max and be done with that. The next step will be clearing out a hole to put Emma's cage. She needs to sleep more in the day. Now that I actually have an apartment I feel like I live in, I am up and about a lot during the day. She is not getting the proper amount of Chinchilla sleep. She is going to go into a crevice in my closet and I will bring the cage out at night. Phase II will encompass all of this. Hopefull there will not be too many other phases of cleaning it out.

So, with all of THAT being said, I don't even know what my point was by any means. I went to the gym after my first closet cleaning. I did a nice little stint on the elliptical. I need to start watching my eating a little bit more. I am healthily adding a couple of pounds that need to healthily come off. Tomorrow, I have a one time visit with a personal trainer, Olya, at Bally. She will get me on a nice eating routine and workout routine for the summer. This routine will also embody exercises that do not mess with my wrist too much. I am excited to see what will happen. Olya is soooo nice and I am looking forward to her helping me out tomorrow. She is so helpful and she is always pressing me anytime I am in the gym.

Today at work was eventful. Author Louis Sachar had a reading and signing. Sachar was born in New York and now lives in Austin, Texas. He has a wife and a daughter. Sachar's writing career has been going on for 32 years. He has written 25 books that are widely popular. Tonight, the purpose of Sachar's visit was to promote his new Teen book, Cardturner. Cardturner is the book I have been reading this past week to prepare for his visit. I wanted to make sure I had read most of it so I could be able to introduce him. The book is about a 17 year old boy trying to figure out life. Alton helps his great uncle Lester (Trapp), who is blind, play Bridge. They begin to develop a great relationship and Alton begins to learn Bridge. The book is not only about the card game Bridge, but it is about bridging parts of life together.
Sachar has also written the book Holes which was the winner of the 1998 (?) Newbery Medal. Holes has been in the school curricula ever since it won the medal. It is a great story about growing up and believing in yourself. Middle school students are able to relate to the book. I actually used it in my Service Learning classes to talk about character development. Holes was made into a movie by Disney with Sigourney Weaver and Jon Voight.

The way I opened for Sachar was very simple. I gave a quick background and talked about his Newbery Medal. But then, I changed things up a little. I talked about how reading Sachar is a developmental process. I talked about how I grew up hearing his Wayside School stories in elementary school, reading Holes in middle school, watching people write lesson plans for Holes in my teacher education program in college and then actually writing my own lesson plans based on Sachar's books as a certified teacher. I have grown with him as he has with me. Today, I got an e-mail from Sandie Moore saying how her students always wanted her to read one chapter a day of Wayside School; she said it usually turned to three or four. I was very pleased to have Sachar come to the store. It was really refreshing meeting such a humble author. He signed The Cardturner, Holes, Wayside School and Small Steps for me. Other books by Sachar include Marvin Redpost and There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom; he has also written more.

I am excited about the prospect of having more authors come to the store in the future. I am so fortunate to have met some really cool people since I have worked there. It is nice to work in a big events store. By the way, someone asked if we sold Communion wafers today. Go figure.

Well, tomorrow is going to be a big day. I am going to the dentist in Park Ridge, Wal-Mart, Olya's appointment, the beginning of Summer Session in grad school and laundry!

Have a wonderful night! :)

Green Market

Today was such an amazing day in Chicago. Although I worked, I felt like it was productive and a lot of fun. I learned about a couple of things in the city in which I had no clue. I like to think of myself as an expert on the goings-on of Chicago, but apparently I am not completely up to date. There is so much to do that I did not know about, obviously. Today, I went to the Green Market in Lincoln Park with Dena. It is basically a farmer's market amidst the skyscrapers. They sell everything. Green Market happens every Wednesday and Saturday during the summer. Dena bought potatoes, basil, onions and apple cider; she bought me a sage plant. To the eastern corner of the Green Market is the Lincoln Park Farm. The farm is a farm in the middle of the city. It is fascinating to see a farm with the John Hancock Center towering above it. The great part is that it is a fully functional farm. They have cows, pigs, chickens, horses, rabbits, etc. There is a windmill, a John Deere tractor, a General Store and a cow milking building. I was completely surprised. I knew it was somewhere within Lincoln Park, but I did not know it was actually hidden in the middle of everything. It pops up on you pretty quickly. It is a traditional farm with a silo and it is all painted red. The rabbits there are gigantic. The chicken is gigantic, as well. Nuclear waste must be disposed of somewhere within the farm.
Backing up to right before Green Market...I went to the Lincoln Park Zoo yesterday morning. As I was walking through the fields on the way to the zoo, I came across the ending of a walking marathon. Well, I witnessed a couple of the celebrations. One such celebration involved a girl around 15 years old. She was doing these amazing backflips...Olympic gymnast style...through the grass. As she landed in her final stance, her pants fell down! She still had her hands in the air and was smiling. She noticed everyone laughing and looked down. She realized her pants were around her ankles. She started screaming. To top it off, it was the traditional pink polka dot panties. Oh sad. SCHADENFREUDE.

So, I kept walking. There is an interesting area of the Southeastern corner of the park where the park officials have painted tree trunks and all of the limbs blue, orange and yellow. It is pretty cool to see a blue tree with very bright green leaves sprouting out. I am not sure the reason why they are like that, but they are. They are sitting right on the channel next to Lake Shore Drive; I always see them and their reflections in the water when I am driving by. Every time, I want to stop and look at them.
In the zoo, I saw wolves, monkeys, flamingos, tigers, otters, swans and MILLIONS of seagulls, mallards and CANADIAN GEESE. I watched them bite a little girl. SCHADENFREUDE. It was such a productive day before work. I am really glad I got to get out and about. I am going to check out the Green Market on Clark and Division next week. I saw it as I was walking to the zoo.
Last night in Barnes and Noble, I put a couple of teen girls in their places and told them they will learn how to respect other people and time. They walked in right at close and said "We gotta pee" and brushed past one of my co-workers. It was the rudest thing. I CHEWED their asses out. They ran.

Time for work!

:)

I will get more consistent in writing blogs again.

Assigned an Interview

This morning I woke up and had an e-mail from AUSL...Academic Urban School Leadership. They are the group that is turning around some of the Chicago Public Schools. So far, they have had their hands on about eleven schools in the Chicago area. AUSL, I believe, is a little more successful in Turnarounds than CPS...which does not surprise me at all. They probably have a few more resources they can find than CPS since CPS has to work within the budget of...CPS. Well...the e-mail stated You have been assigned to an interview. I have been assigned. I don't think I have ever been assigned to an interview. It sounds like I was sent an e-mail from a robot. Who assigns interviews? I always thought there was a "Does this day work better for you than this one?" No, not AUSL. They have assigned it. I guess it ensures that if someone is really interested in a job, they will make the effort and time to take off of work to get to their interview. I am supposed to work Barnes and Noble next Wednesday...the interview is on the 19th at 9-11:30. I guess I will have to switch shifts with someone...and that is no problem with me. I can handle that. I really have an amazing feeling that I will have a good job next year.

My interview in Homewood at Millennium School went extremely well yesterday. The principal and assistant principal both interviewed me. I think they have an excellent program from what it sounds. There is a PMA (Parent Music Association) at Millennium that ensures music will not get cut. The parents do all of the fundraising which is amazing. Last year, the parents bought a grand piano. WOW. I cannot believe it. The principal also said everyone goes to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra every year. That is quite a feat for a public school and a music program in this day and age. The part I love most about the job is that everything meets within the school day. NO MORE SHOWCHOIR!!!! How wonderful. So, at the end of the interview, the principal said I am so happy we called you. That should be a good sign. Right? So, in two weeksish, I will find out whether or not I made it to round two of the interview process. I have all good feelings and reason to believe I did. I felt very comfortable at the interview and I think the two ladies really liked me. Unless my judgment is off...which it could be. But it is not.

I have been enjoying my days off from Barnes and Noble. It has been wonderful lounging around the apartment and going to the gym to get my cardio and abs and legs on (since I cannot lift at the moment due to my wrist). Today, I went to IKEA with my roommate and Jeff. We had a great time, except all three of us were overwhelmed by the end. They don't like being in there too long because it gets a bit overwhelming. I can feel them on that 100%. We ate lunch there, looked at what we needed to see and got out!

Last night, a group of us went to a bar to watch and hear people sing karaoke. It was fun. I want to sing karaoke from Avenue Q. I think I will do that when Stephanie gets up here this summer. She and I could blow that out of the water. I know we could.

So, I have not been reading that much lately. I have been in Sachar's Cardturner still. I have to introduce him on Monday. So, I need to make sure I know what I am talking about. I tell ya, I never would have thought the game of Bridge could be presented so interestingly in a book. Well, it is.

So, that is all to report for now. Sorry I have been slack in the blog. I am tired. Time for bed! :)

Vacation!

Today begins my time off until Friday at 4PM. I am so excited I get time to chill out and sleep or do whatever I want to do. Tomorrow is my day to interview with Millennium School in Homewood, Illinois. I am really excited about going. I think the interview is going to be successful. I have no doubt I will be able to land a job there. I think it will go well. I will be heading down there at around 11 in the morning to get there about 1.5 hours early to explore Homewood and be there right on time. I don't think it is supposed to rain, but even if it does, it should not be a bad commute.

I continued reading Cardturner by Sachar. He is very creative to have written a book about bridge that flows. I wouldn't have realized. I made sure not to read any of the back cover or flaps before reading it so I did not get set up for anything. I like the fact I knew nothing about it. That way, I could form no opinions prior to reading. Like I said, it is worthwhile.

Well, that is all to report today!

Sachar break...

Today, I started Louis Sachar's Cardturner. It was just released this morning. It is about the game of bridge and a teenager...it is better than it sounds. Sachar is the author of the Newbery award winner Holes, which became Disney movie. Next week, on Monday, Sachar will be signing books at my Barnes and Noble. I will be doing his introduction and need to read his newest book by then so I can talk about it. I am really excited to introduce someone I read when I was younger. It is so inspiring to have these types of interactions. :)

Today, I scheduled my interview for Millennium School in Homewood for Wednesday at 1. I cannot wait!!!!

Well, I have to be awake at 6:50AM tomorrow. I have tomorrow night off, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning all off. I am super excited. In that time, though, I will have to go see the orthopaedic doctor to look at my bad wrist. I am wearing a splint at the moment.

Ok, have a lovely night!!!

:)

Happy Mother's Day

I am finally finished with my papers, etc. I can now concentrate on working on reading more and just having fun. I have two weeks before I begin summer courses at Concordia. I also find out, soon enough, what it will take for me to be endorsed in elementary education in Illinois. I got a phone call yesterday from Homewood School District #125 for an interview; the message said the principal had reviewed my resume and wanted to speak with me. Tomorrow I will get to call them and schedule an interview. I feel good about this and really cannot wait to speak with someone in person.

What I do want to say is Happy Mother's Day. I have been slack in blogging because of paper writing and going out last night to celebrate! But, now I can get back on schedule and write, write, write. I want to thank my mom for being so supportive and so wonderful in all of my endeavors in Chicago. I know a lot has happened up here and I am so sorry to stress you out when I get ruffled or something happens. I appreciate you listening and I cannot thank you enough. A lot more has happened here than I ever would have thought while in Chicago. There have been many good things to share on top of the hard things and thank you for listening to it all. Although it has been difficult at times, thank you. I know everything is going to look up. Thanks for taking care of me as if I were at home even though you are 900 miles away. I love you so much and thank you for everything! :) I cannot wait to fly you up here this summer and celebrate Mother's Day with you in some of my favorite places in the city!

Love you so much! Happy Mother's Day to my friend Sarah, as well! It is her first Mother's Day and I am very happy for her new family! Happy Mother's Day to all of the experienced mothers, too!

Barnes and Noble has been crazy because of the holiday. All of the crazies have come out lately. It has made work a little nauseous, but I will get through it.

Gotta be at work at 8:45AM...big day tomorrow...workout at 5:45. I only got three hours of sleep last night, so I gotta get on! Sleep well!

Chinatown

Today was unproductive in the sense that I did not read for fun like I usually do. I totally took it easy and did nothing. I went to Chinatown for lunch and then came home and slept. Hmmm. I only venture to Chinatown once every few months. Today's venture was to buy a little stalk of bamboo to replace one I killed. My bamboo trip cost me $1.65 for two stalks. I love how stores rip customers off by charging like ten bucks for bamboo when you can get it from Chinatown for nothing. This is one piece of evidence for positive reinforcement of living in the city. Down there (being Chinatown is just South of the Loop), everything is cheap. Cheap food, cheap plants, cheap whatever. It really goes to show that it does not cost much to manufacture goods. Inflation is a biotch. I also bought a bobblehead porcelain panda for nothing. My total trip cost around $7. What a day.
When I got home from Chinatown, I put a third coat of paint on the entryway wall. Bridget and I (primarily Bridget), are painting everything. Today, she hit up a couple of coats in the entryway and painted the bathroom. We are both going to get the kitchen soon. I am excited about having all of this painting. I feel like I live in my apartment now. :) It is so nice to come home to all of this during the day. I actually took a nap on the couch which has happened only once before. A lot of positive energy here. A job is next!!! :)
I have some visitors coming this summer and I am really excited. Eva and her friend are coming May 22 and my friend Matt from California is coming in June (I think 16th). My mom is coming up, too! I am so excited about company! It will be great, especially with a newly redone apartment.
Tomorrow, I work at Barnes and Noble at 8:45AM...so, I guess I should say today...and it just started lightning outside. Storms are pretty bad at night here. I never see storms during the day, they always happen at night here...but since I live on the lake, it is pretty spectacular to watch it above Michigan.

Check a few blogs back, too, to the one about my day at the Conservatory. I have FINALLY posted some really nice pictures. :) I am happy about the summer because it is time to have adventures and share them!

Have a wonderful night!

You live on Avenue Q

Today was a very productive day. The weather was beautiful and I did so much. I started out by taking a trip to Concordia in River Forest to get my Financial Aid in line for the summer; I overshot my book voucher for books and ended up going on a shopping spree in the bookstore with my voucher since it was already pulled for books. After, I drug my friend Jeff out to Oak Park to walk around the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio and to look around ten other Wright homes on Forest Avenue. I never get tired of seeing Oak Park. The scenery is gorgeous and being able to see so much Wright is fascinating. I would love to eventually live there, especially since it is right off the Green Line; it is nice to see that CTA extends so far out. After picture taking, I had a grueling trip back North. There is no convenient way to get from Oak Park back to Rogers Park. The freeway only does so much good before you have to get off and end up taking a hundred different major roads to get there...even though they are major, they have thousands of stop signs and stop lights.Tonight was the highlight of my week, month, year/etc. I had the opportunity to see Avenue Q with friends that were generous benefactors. Our seating was really close to the stage. For those of you who do not know about the show, it is about breaking past what is routine and learning to accept the things in life that are unavoidable. It is about overcoming barriers and loving everyone. Half of the cast is puppets and the other half is people. The people do control the puppets right on stage and use a lot of facial expressions as they are singing. They are just as much of it as the puppets in which they control.

Basically, Avenue Q is a dumpy part of New York City. It focuses on Brian and Christmas Eve (a married couple), Rod and Nicky (the closeted gay and his roommate), Princeton and Kate Monster (lovers learning their way), Trekkie Monster (a pervert), the Bad Idea Bears (always show up to help everyone make bad decisions), Lucy the Slut and Gary Coleman (the superintendent of Avenue Q...I am Gary Coleman from TV's Different Strokes, I made a lot of money that got stolen by my folks). The plot deals with all of these people, especially Princeton, trying to figure out who they are and what they are supposed to be doing. Princeton is set on his purpose the entire time. In fact, every few minutes, two TV screens descend from the ceiling and show purpose on it...it shows his ideas and what he wants to do. The screens also express their emotions...I cannot even describe it at all. I guess you have to see it...to make it easy to understand, what is shown on the TV screen will make you laugh...a lot. Instead of having the cast act during the opening song, the screens descended and showed a cartoon of what they were singing about. It was riot.

So, back on track here, there were a couple of things that really stuck out to me in this musical. The first is that the actors/singers sounded exactly like the CD recording of the Tony Award winning cast. I was so impressed. You always fear what it might sound like if there is a certain expectation. Seeing as I know the words to every song in Avenue Q, I was worried I might be disappointed. I was not. Then, there were the things they did and said. There was a woman, a kindergarten teacher in it whose name was Ms. Thistletwat...she was old and bitchy. Kate is a kindergarten assistant for her and ends up sleeping in one day. Thistletwat says that she is no good and is a disgrace like all other monsters. Kate quits, but the woman says she is fired. Kate says she cannot be fired if she quits and tells her to shut it "old bitch." The woman tells her she is going to Hell; Kate simply responds "I'll see you there." So, Kate is out of a job. Well here is the best part that is parallel to me. She says I got cut from teaching and I work at Barnes and Noble. I make less money than I have ever made...but I am happy. I thought I was going to choke when I heard that. She and I are doing the same thing. HAHA.

So, during the madness of the musical...Christmas Eve (a Chinese who mixes her L's and R's) and Brian get married. Everyone wore yamacas and they strung up Chinese lanterns all over the stage. Gary Coleman married them and said "By the powers invested in me as a former child star..." Christmas Eve was wearing a dress that was made of a lot of what looked like tool on the bottom and then this red get-up as a top. The bottom lit up with Christmas lights and the back of the top opened up and displayed a little light show. It was hilarious. Once again...cannot describe.

After the wedding, Christmas tells Kate she will throw her the bouquet so she could show Princeton (Kate and Princeton are dating now). Princeton overhears and the TV screens pop down again. The word Purpose pops up. All of a sudden the U and the R switch spots. PRUPOSE. Then, the middle of the. U moves up to form an O. It says PROPOSE. Then, the lights flicker on stage and smoke comes out. Princeton is screaming...A large Princeton (one of the human cast members comes out with a Princeton head on...it was the guy playing Brian since his tuxedo was still on) comes out on stage. All of a sudden, a GIANT puppet hand comes down over the set...then a gigantic Kate Monster head with a vail on rises above the buildings on stage. She lets out a MWUHAHAHAHA laugh and is holding a bouquet the size of my bedroom. It was funny how it was depicted. I know this blog makes no sense to anyone reading it, it will help me with my memories, though.

The last thing I will comment on is the finale. The song is titled For Now. For Now is something I should listen to everyday. These are the lyrics:

PRINCETON: Why does everything have to be so hard? GARY COLEMAN: Maybe you'll never find your purpose. CHRISTMAS EVE: Lots of people don't. PRINCETON: But then- I don't know why I'm even alive! KATE MONSTER: Well, who does, really? Everyone's a little bit unsatisfied. BRIAN: Everyone goes 'round a little empty inside. GARY COLEMAN: Take a breath, Look around, BRIAN: Swallow your pride, KATE MONSTER: FOr now... BRIAN, KATE, GARY, CHRISTMAS EVE: For now... NICKY: Nothing lasts, ROD: Life goes on, NICKY: Full of surprises. ROD: You'll be faced with problems of all shapes and sizes. CHRISTMAS EVE: You're going to have to make a few compromises... For now... TREKKIE MONSTER: For now... ALL: But only for now! (For now) Only for now! (For now) Only for now! (For now) Only for now! LUCY: For now we're healthy. BRIAN: For now we're employed. BAD IDEA BEARS: For now we're happy... KATE MONSTER: If not overjoyed. PRINCETON: And we'll accept the things we cannot avoid, for now... GARY COLEMAN: For now... TREKKIE MONSTER: For now... KATE MONSTER: For now... ALL: But only for now! (For now) Only for now! (For now) Only for now! (For now) Only for now! Only for now! (For now there's life!) Only for now! (For now there's love!) Only for now! (For now there's work!) For now there's happiness! But only for now! (For now discomfort!) Only for now! (For now there's friendship!) Only for now (For now!) Only for now! Only for now! (Sex!) Is only for now! (Your hair!) Is only for now! (George Bush!) Is only for now! Don't stress, Relax, Let life roll off your backs Except for death and paying taxes, Everything in life is only for now! NICKY: Each time you smile... ALL: ...Only for now KATE MONSTER: It'll only last a while. ALL: ...Only for now PRINCETON: Life may be scary... ALL: ...Only for now But it's only temporary Ba-dum ba-dum Ba-dum ba-dum Ba dum ba-dum Ba-da da da da ba-da da-da da da-da Ba-dum ba-da, ba-dum ba-da ohhhh- PRINCETON: Everything in life is only for now

The only part that changes of the song is the fact that instead of saying "George Bush" they scream Glenn Beck...which is so appropriate...ahahah. The song is a great way to realize that everything will work out. The cast was so phenomenal at performing and really made you feel good by the end. For Now has made me realize I will be out of all of this soon. Soon, I will be working at a school...it's only temporary. :) This is a recording of the London Cast of Avenue Q performing For Now (just click on the link). I think you will enjoy it.

So, that is my rant about Avenue Q. Tomorrow I will be heading down to Chinatown early in the morning. Enjoy the evening! :)

Moving fast

Today was a busy, busy day. The reading I completed was about a particular debate held in South Carolina hosted by Brian Williams. Apparently, all of the Democratic leaders ganged up on Hillary and cornered her. It was the first time she had shown any weaknesses at all during the whole campaign and the nominees were loving it. They were scornful and harsh. Even Obama was not too cheery when he found her weak spot. Fortunately, she was able to cover her tracks somewhat even though the press had a field day with her.

That was it for reading today. I had a lot of graduate work to finish for the end of the course and I worked.

Work was nuts. I wanted to leave so badly. Mondays are harsh, but we were scheduled so lightly. So many Strict on Sales come out tomorrow. Be prepared...just about every author is releasing a new book tomorrow and we had to set them all tonight before we left. I feel like everyone in the world wrote a book and had its release date set to this week. This is a good sign of being able to tell the beach season is here and that people are vacationing or going on plane rides. Most of the population of Skokie is Jewish and many will be making birthright trips to Israel over the summer, so all of this reading material will be perfect for a plane. Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief, released a new book...well it will come out today...Tuesday. It is about Egyptology and Egyptian Gods. It is a new twist on is other books. Should draw some people to the store...

Tomorrow is a big day. I go to Barnes and Noble at 8AM...after I just got home at midnight and work til 3. I have to pay rent and then go to grad school. After grad school...gym. Oh gym. Tomorrow is my last day of grad for two weeks. Concordia wants to help me get certified in Elementary Education, too. They said I am so close to having an elementary degree and want to help me out. This will be great! More to come on that soon!!!!

Well have a wonderful day!

:)

Oh Mr. Edwards

John Edwards is a little more fiery than I would have thought being that he is a Southern man. I figured by now he would have been a pushover considering his wife is a bia, he has a mistress, his wife has cancer, his campaign staff is falling over and clearly, he was not in the lead. But, he steadily moves right on. Now, there are some requests that he stay away from Rielle Hunter. She has already caused enough "pain" in Elizabeth's life (Edwards did not seem to be in any pain from attacks about Rielle...he fired one of his assistants because of his accusations). He called the Enquirer on Elizabeth's behalf to stop an article that was going to come up. He claimed she was going to be in too much pain and it might kill her since they had a family. Elizabeth called them and blessed them out and said she would die if they printed anything about Edwards and Hunter. One of the directors of the Enquirer felt bad and it was not run. So, they gave in. Her maliciousness and mind games got her just about anywhere from what I have read. People at work were talking about her being such a hot-headed ass. I realize she was sick, but that is no excuse to treat people like they are nothing at all.

Today was an eventful day at work. We had Keshet sponsor a book fair. Keshet is a not for profit Jewish school for special needs. They usually make thousands of dollars. Keshet is Hebrew for rainbow. Their way of raising money today for the bookfair was by having Southpaw, the Chicago White Sox mascot come to Barnes and Denis Savad, former Chicago Blackhawks Hockey player and NHL Hall of Famer. We also had a children's author stop in to do a special Storytime. It was quite eventful. I am tired. So, I will leave you with a couple of pictures.

Southpaw and me...I know it is blurry...
Savad and me

Gooooooooodnight!

Slackadaisical

I have been slacking at blogging lately, but I have been reading. I have taken a little vacation from writing papers and have been reading, running, lifting and doing stuff I want to do. I have really enjoyed it. But, paper time is going to come today!

So, as far as Game Change, I have moved from the Obama/Hillary section and have ended up in Edwards Land. It has been really interesting. I have learned that he used to be really down to earth. Apparently, he is from North Carolina; this would be the obvious reason he was ever down to earth, anyway!!! Around the same time Edwards decided to run, Elizabeth, his wife, found out she was developing cancer. This complication probably came about, as some doctors thought, because she had their youngest daughter at the age of 49 and their son at 50. (WOW). Instead of being humble and happy to be alive, she was always angry and mean to Edwards. She called him a hick in front of people and referred to his parents as rednecks. She considered herself educated and him a mere mongrel. She was not a nice lady. He was once asked what he was reading and she intervened and said "I do all of the reading." She was ugly to his staff, ugly to the campaign, ugly to donors, ugly to him and just mean to everyone. The woman was not joyful and it showed to everyone.

As time progressed, John became a little egotistical...well actually, very egotistical. The book says he became obsessed with money and started becoming rude to donors and his campaign staff. He also became a little whiny. How nice. He began requesting to do things that cost a lot of money. He would pick his flights based on what in-flight movies were playing and would only fly first class. He wanted to do everything that cost. Champagne taste with a champagne pocketbook, though. He could afford it. Elizabeth's family was worth millions.

During one trip to the Regency Hotel in New York City, a girl named Rachel Hunter approached he and one of his staff in a hotel bar. She couldn't believe it was him and commented on how much better he looked in person. His staff member drove her away from him. But, they ended up running into each other again. The staff thought it was pre-arranged and that he had met her before and had arranged for this (another political affair). Eventually, they became really good "friends." He always requested Hunter to be around and would never go anywhere without her. She tagged herself as a sort of medium that could help out with the election. She would talk New Age crap all the time and openly flirt. She was an embarrassment to the staff, but John loved having her around. Of course, as we all know, this developed into something...there is a book about it. Now Edwards can join the ranks of Bill Clinton and Mark Sanford. Last night, I was in Dominick's and saw a tabloid with a picture of Obama and a woman that was not Michelle. They are trying to make it look like he came out of a hotel with her. Amazing. And they say Oprah is a lesbian.

The book is moving away from Hillaryland and Obama for the moment. When it closed out of their chapter, the authors expressed Obama's new found confidence in the campaign and the election. He was sure he was going to win!

Time, or some derivative, used Hillary Clinton as their cover girl this month. Underneath her stern look is a caption that says Obama's Bad Cop. I think it is classic. If she were our president, she would be our bad cop. I think she is going to take care a lot of our little underlying issues with foreign policy, wars, etc, to help build our relations with others. Hopefully, the gesture will be a little more than sweeping our issues under the rug.
After seeing this picture, I sometimes wonder what the relationship is between Hillary and Obama. I wonder if they get along, if they are snarky to each other or if they are friendly only because they have to be...well I guess they really don't have to be. She is the reason he is our president. If it were not for her initial support, we probably would not have Obama...but at the same time, she lost her spot because of him. I think if he were not in the picture, she would have been president.

Lately has been pretty busy. Like I said, I have been making some time for myself and have been enjoying such beautiful days. We did have some thunderstorms last night, but today turned out to be a beautiful overcast day. I had lunch on the lake with Tim and Bridget. Bridget is now in my apartment. We actually have cooking utensils and the apartment feels as though it it is lived in. She is also getting acclimated to the Subway next door. I think they are really going to like her. She has already started learning names. They recognized her as being my new roommate when I walked in with her.

Barnes and Noble has been a little tense lately. All of us know something is up, but we are not sure what. The customer base has been pretty quiet amazingly. Last night, a group of girls walked in as soon as close came. They were probably 13-15. They bolted down the stairs. I immediately told them to leave because we were closed. But we have to pee. I said: Well that's not my problem, pee outside. They protested but I told them that I didn't care and that it was raining, so no one would know. Oh teenagers.

Tonight, I close the store. I am sure it is going to be a quiet night...knock on wood. The weather is overcast, as I said. Yesterday, even on a sunny day before the storms, there were no customers. I was able to get some stuff done and I was able to talk about books with interesting customers. I like it when I can actually take time to engage in conversations with customers...who are interesting; I learn a lot about books that I might want to read at some point in time.

Well, for today, this is it. I think I am a couple of steps closer to being able to quit Gap and start a new job...or at least transfer to a more positive Gap that is not filled with such assanine people.

Have a wonderful afternoon!

Today I finally finished my Letter of Intent

Today, I finished my letter of intent for yet another teaching set of positions in general music. These positions are from AUSL, another branch of Chicago Turnarounds. They wanted this fancy letter of intent. I think I can give it to them. Since I only wrote today and did not read anything formally, I will post my intent:

As a music teacher, I understand the importance of delivering a well-rounded musical curriculum to all students. With this well rounded curriculum comes the need to design and implement lessons that cater to the diverse needs of each child versus one learning style. A holistic approach which harnesses the intellectual and emotional facets of each child must be utilized to maximize learning. For all of this to occur, students must gain trust from teachers. The teacher has to communicate a passion for their trait and for each child.

Music encompasses every sense of the mind and heart. Positive instruction enables children to perform to their highest potential. Since music is so personal, as it is something created (unlike being able to produce the answer to a math problem), children must not be held back. When a child senses any form of negativity, resistance to showing creativity and musical expression occur. Eventually, the student will shy away from creating music and may never again choose to partake. My teaching style is one that harnesses the strengths of every child and one which allows for a weakness to become a teachable moment, not a regret on the student’s part.

Within this caring environment, I utilize a holistic approach to instruction. This allows for emotion to become part of musical understanding, comprehension and composition. I ask students to think beyond their normal skill levels and analyze music at a deeper level. Half of the appreciation of music comes from the abilities to be able to interpret it and make it one’s own; a composer writes music for our enjoyment. Teachers who allow students to make their own judgments about music in turn help them make their own story whilst listening or composing. A good teacher invites creativity and does not push past original thinking.

Encouraging a child’s creativity comes from the teacher’s fearless ability to cross the curriculum to teach; music teachers have the advantage of being able to fit any subject within their criteria. Every lesson I have ever taught involves cross-curricula planning. Math, science, history, English, foreign languages and art are just touching the surface of how I a manage this. I also like to address cultural studies. Various holidays, traditions and cultures are the best way to teach about music across the globe. Teaching in this style reaches all of the multiple intelligences within one classroom; this is also a way to encourage students of special needs and English language learners. When a teacher crosses the curriculum to bring something new and exciting to the music classroom, it is important to collaborate with other teachers. Having an open relationship with other faculty is important for students to see, as well. If they know faculty communicates openly, they feel more comfortable. A well established system of communication with faculty also brings more resources forward. Faculty peers are sometimes the greatest source of information a teacher can have within a school.

Each day, a successful music teacher must set learning goals. This can be managed by displaying them in a prominent place in the classroom. A focus question is also a good way to connect lessons to goals, as well. This ensures instructional time is maximized and there is a purpose set to what is being sung, played or explained. These goals and learning objectives and content objectives also specify how class time will be delegated thus maintaining focus and fluency. Without goals, students cannot be so sure as to what they are trying to accomplish or retain for a particular day.

To tie all of this instruction in music together, students must have an opportunity to perform. I have worked on many performances in my teaching career. I directed middle school choir in quarterly performances and a Spring Arts Festival; my children also had to sing for the State Superintendant of Education. At the high school level, my students sang for special events, concerts and many competitions. My elementary students performed in a county-wide competition held at my university. Allowing so many outlets of performance encouraged excitement in music and built steel nerves. All of these performances once again break down to collaboration. The teacher must work with the school to reserve facilities, maintain working relations with the custodial staff and keep parents informed (parents are sometimes the backbone of a good music program if communication is clear). Finally, organizational skills are necessary to make all of this possible.

A caring, respectable, talented teacher can ensure all of the above is possible. Music teachers are becoming few and far between. It is important to preserve such a delicate subject in schools with only the most compassionate educators. Teachers willing to get their hands and feet dirty and work with the kids are sure to create a successful music education curriculum and classroom environment.

Earlier today, I went to Garfield Park Conservatory, again, with one of my friends. We also went to the Cultural Center. He had never been to either of these places. We then went to visit my friend Chuck at JP Morgan in the Chase Tower which was nice. I had a great workout and I cleaned most of the apartment. Tomorrow, Bridget will begin moving some stuff in. I am really excited she is coming in. I think it will be a good thing. Today, I did read a little bit on the elliptical, but it was something I could hold in my hand (Game Change is pretty big); I read Butcher’s Storm Front. It is from a series of books that are about a wizard who lives and works in Chicago with the CPD.

Tomorrow, I will post pics from Garfield Park on there. They turned out really nicely. It was such a beautiful day. I am so excited I have off from work, as well. Oh...and I will get to see Avenue Q next Wednesday night!!! I am very excited.

Night. :)