More pics

What I like about Yellowstone is that you walk right over acres of geothermal activity.








Grand Prismatic Spring--soooo eerie. You walked right over the runoff.









There was so much wildlife! And even more idiot tourists who walked up to it to take a picture, and blocked traffic!









Steve overlooking the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone.









Does this dad not care that this boy has broken through earth's crust and exposed his weak flesh to boiling water, acid, and giant crocodiles? And what's with the chick, just standing there, useless?









Bones! This is what fate awaits that poor young man pictured above.




















Great Fountain Geyser: our first geyser, and home to Thermus Aquaticus!









Ah, the Mud Pots...










Our spot to watch Old Faithful. crowds and hot sun were replaced by comfy chairs and ice cream.

Gettin' your nerd on

James and I just got back from Yellowstone with my college buddies and seeing Grandma and Grandpa. James had never been to Driggs, and it was great to spend a couple days there.

While with the BYU crew, we held an "Iron Chef" contest. The goal was to have great food every day, not necessarily to win a prize. But, while we're on the topic--I won the prize! Well, technically, so did James and Brent and Danica, as we were all on the same team. But I fixed most of the main course (sushi), so I ended up with the apron.
On the apron is a star, an atom, a spoon, and a bear. Sometimes, it's best not to ask.













These are some great classroom/geek finds from Yellowstone and Driggs.
This one's a slice of Thunderegg.












Dinosaur poop! Quite a nice specimen, too.












Here's a fossil (duh), pyrite (fool's gold), and purple mica.












On the drive back, I picked up a "Wire Jewelry" magazine. I got inspired, and completed these this afternoon.























Also of note: Toby was healthy and happy to see us. Kadra did an awesome job with him, and I heard he cuddled and played with her, so I know he was happy. Good surprises were also waiting in the mail: a check for car insurance reimbursement, my first paycheck from the school district, and the car payoff money from our insurance. I didn't think I'd see that one for quite a while. Woohoo!

Yellowstone pics on their way. Must filter through Photoshop first. :)

Watch out, Thermus Aquaticus, here I come!

So, we're leaving on our trip tomorrow. It's a much-needed vacation. Today I spent seven hours taking care of legal paperwork... including bank loan blah-blah, student loan blah-blah, insurance blah-blah, school blah-blah, and police department blah-blah. Funny enough, the trip to the Portland Police Bureau was the least painful. Oh, and I took the rental car back. Faxed two documents, and got my school ID, which required a drive down to McMinnville.
Oh, and Toby isn't feeling too well, but I don't think he's really sick either, but the vet is keeping cautious. He just hasn't been eating well lately, which is pretty much appalling for a skunk.

At any rate, it will be very hard for me to leave the little guy. Kadra is gracious and kind enough to skunksit for us, and I know Toby will really appreciate having some company, as he gets terribly lonely. He's been very affectionate lately, more than usual. And cuddling extra close at night, and sleeping in, and burrowing into the pillowcase. I will really miss him.














PS: I am really looking forward to seeing my grandparents and spending time with the BYU SNCP: Janeal, Dave, Katrina, Blair, Steve, Danica, and Brent. In no particular order. Sunday night we're making everybody dinner: Sushi! No raw fish, but everything else you could think of. :) Oh, and I found my camera battery cord! Woohoo!

Pictures, finally!

On the 9th, I was fortunate enough to take a few students on a hike up Horsetail/Ponytail Falls. Bill Maher was the saint who drove the short bus for us, and sponsored the trip. Without him, it wouldn't have happened. Nor would I have these pictures, so... thank you, Bill!









Along the way, we stopped at a little dripping waterfall/spring. The moss was soft and cool, and we took a few moments to cool our faces off in the water. I think I was talking about water tables when this picture was taken. I think the kids look bored, but I could tell they were deep in thought, absorbing all the priceless jewels of wisdom I was bestowing upon them.










Here we are in the cave under Ponytail Falls.
Left to right: Lauren, Emma, Ashley, Nicole.
Ashley's the one who drew the skunkie drawing on the upper righthand side of this blog. She sprinkled little skunkies and moles in her notes, which I found while grading her notebook. I was delighted.

I Heart "Blossom"

Somewhere out in Portland is a car thief with very clean carpets. I can only assume they have clean carpets, because for some reason, they stole my mini carpet cleaner.

...and my Joey Lawrence tape! *Whoa!* I hope they're enjoying it the same way I have for the past few years.
I'll always remember you, Joey, and the Goodwill where I found you...

...we'll always have The Dalles!


PS: They did, in fact, total the car out. We're getting a small amount of cash, which we will use to get another old car that will probably be stolen for my Debbie Gibson tape (which was left behind...this time...). Let me tell you, Debbie has really eased my nerves on countless job interviews. This is the best advice I can give to anyone jobhunting: on your way to the interview, listen to something really cheesy, and sing along with all your heart, and it'll be your little secret during the interview. I find that something like that really allows me to focus on the important things... like "Shake your love! I just can't shake your love! Shake your love! I just can't shake--shake your love!" The really important part is the singing with all your heart. It's not hard to do that with Debbie.

Car update

There was not "no damage."

The steering column needs a complete replacement, the back hatch needs to be replaced, and the brakes need replacing. Estimated cost of repair: $1900. Estimated cost of the car: $1995, according to Kelly Blue Book's Private Party value. So, my insurance is sending some guy out there to check the car out and see if we should just total it. He'll probably be there on Monday. How many of you think I'll have transportation by the time I start my summer job, July 2nd?

The Samples, again

Sean Kelly and crew came to pdx again last night, and played the Doug Fir. Fantastic venue, fantastic set. I cannot express enough how fond I am of this band, and I'm glad Hubby shares the same sentiment. They played Indiana (a rare treat), Streets in the Rain, Little Silver Ring, and Birth of Words, to name a few faves. Two spontaneous musical guests were included, so we got a fabulous fiddle addition to Did You Ever Look So Nice? and a fun version of Heart of Gold (Neil Young) with a harmonica (a must, of course). For more Samples info, click here.













I was, however, frustrated by a few fellow concert-goers. They obviously have never heard of the Concert-Going Commandments, or were too drunk to remember them (see below). Many rules were broken. I have never wanted to walk up behind somebody and push them down so badly before. Just give a good shove. To avoid getting shoved down by me at a concert, obey these rules...

*Don't spank your girlfriend in public.
*Don't wear sunglasses at 11:30 PM in the basement of a nightclub, unless you're Bono. Your eyes will be fine.
*Don't get so drunk that you forget these Commandments.
*Don't get so drunk that you forget basic rules of decency.
*Stop humping your girlfriend on the dancefloor.
*Do not let your drunk girlfriend climb on your shoulders and play drunk Chicken with members in the audience. (I don't think they were really playing with anyone else, but that's what it looked like, since they were both drunk.)
*The grinding must stop, seriously.
*Don't set cocktails on the dancefloor, and then knock them over onto unsuspecting concert-goers feet and jeans, especially if they're wearing their favorite pair of leather sandals and they don't really appreciate having ice-cold alcohol spilled on their toes during their favorite song.
*Your hair looks dorky, especially when you flip you collar up like that.

News, again

Well, they found my car.

I haven't seen it yet. The officer that found it listed it as "no damage," but who knows what the electrical or brakes look like, so the insurance people will tow it to a mechanic to have it looked at. Still playing phone tag with them. Ugh. I'm curious to know what they took. My apron with Attila the Hun on it? The carpet cleaner? The bike basket? Or maybe the circa-1994 tape deck? I'll be heartbroken if they take my Joey Lawrence tape! "Whoa!"

Cursed

My car was stolen.

On Hubby's birthday.

:(

Happy Birthday, Hubby!

I love you so much, Hubby! Happy 30th!

19 days and counting!

I'M DONE!

So, I'm done with my Work Sample (turned it in Wednesday, along with my final evaluation)... I'm done with student teaching (even though I still show up for some classes; I'm hooked on the kids!), I'm done with classes.... I'm done!!!!!
I just have to wait for my license to come through, maybe sign a paper, and that's it! I'm a full-fledged teacher! Ahh.... it feels so good to be done.

The picture has nothing to do with this post.

Happy Birthday, Ginny!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful wonderful wonderful sister, whom I love dearly and miss a lot. I hope you have a really fantastic day, and I'll be thinking about you!

I can see the light....

Quick update:
Finished teaching my worksample, writing it up this weekend to turn in Wednesday morning. So much work, so little time!

I'll probably be teaching one sesson (10 days) of summer school for MHS the beginning of July. Also, possibly be the teacher on staff for a two-week student film class. Sweet!

Looking forward to vacation to Yellowstone, Driggs, Jackson, Island Park with Hubby, Grandparents, and the Solid Nucleus (you know who you are!). Thank you, Mom and Dad!

Next weekend: overnight retreat for MACA. Lots of trainings, meetings, and possibly a ropes course or canoeing. Probably will be just what it sounds like.

Just bought a huge hunk of Citrine/Quartz, and a hunk of Silicon. Yay for geekdom! Or geekicity?

Blast! Still can't find my digital camera cord.

I'm Edumacated!

Last Saturday, the 5th, I walked in Graduate Commencement. Now, I sorta have a Master's Degree! (the diploma says differently)


















Claire and Noah playing in the background. Mom, Ginny, Claire, Noah, and James came to cheer me on. I'm certain that the more advanced degrees a person earns, the sillier he/she looks on graduation day.














I spent the previous Wednesday with Mom and Dad. We went all over the place! Cannon Beach (ate at Mo's), the cheese factory, the Spruce Goose, MACA's open house, and out to eat with Hubby. It was a really great day.

Before PhotoShop...

...there was cut and paste.

(That's my old darling tarantula, Fluffy. And my first car--the yellow one.)

Congratulations, Dani and Paul!

You two are beautiful! I'm so privileged to be a small part of your lives and your ceremony. You'll have an extraordinary life together.

I HAVE A JOB

Yay!
The past two weeks have been a crazy rollercoaster of job offers, interviews, school visits, job offer declines, and this evening: job offer acceptance. I was offered a job in Anchorage, Alaska--James and I wanted it, but no pet skunks allowed. :( Corbett, then, sounded perfect (the school owns 13 acres in the mouth of the Columbia river--and they're building a mini observatory to house their new telescope. They wanted me to teach the Astronomy class. Suh-weet!), and I had my heart set on it. Then I interviewed (and subsequently was offered a job) with MACA--the brand new Media Arts and Communications Academy down in McMinnville. Next year will be their first year. It's a small charter school that focuses on integrating all subject areas and technology. In the end, that's what I chose. It's exciting to be part of the process of creating a school--I feel like I'll be part of a real team, and the school will be small (which I like). I feel fortunate that I even had the choice between two fantastic schools that both seemed right for me. Never did I hope that I could find a job in a small school with proper funds and really great support--but everything came together, and I'm so thankful.
Check out MACA...

**Addendum**

That comic might lead you to believe that Josh secretly hated me. That might be true, but that didn't stop him from asking me to prom. We didn't go together, but it was a nice thought. Josh and I were great friends.

Once upon a time, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho...

In high school, I had a friend named Josh Montreil. He was a fantastic artist. In Senior English one day, he whipped this baby out in about 10 minutes. I'm not sure where the final draft went (it was in ink, and involved a gruesome scene with white-out) but I liked this one better anyway.

In case you can't decifer the dialogue, it goes like this:
"The blessedly brief adventure of Audrey, wanna-be Queen of the Universe!
...Once upon a time in the village of Coeur d'Alene, in the kingdom of Idaho...
...there lived a poor comic book artist named Josh...

One day, Josh was minding his own business, when suddenly...'I am AUDREY...QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE!'...an annoying pixie bust in...

...and Josh said... "Holy freakin' bloody motherlovin'sweet merciful CRAP!"

"You seem to be an artist, Draw me a comic starring me!"
"...I must be drunk..."

Josh tried to ignore Audrey, but everywhere he went, she popped up and went off about how she was the Queen and must be drawn.

"DRAW ME" "Shut up" "DRAW ME" "Shut up" "DRAW ME" "Shut up"

Suddenly, Josh had an idea! "She's just a drawing!" So he got an eraser.

"NO!"

And he lived happily ever after.


I like the part about being a pixie.

Once a Queen of the Universe, always a Queen of the Universe... right James?

I heart herbs and pots and pans

Hubby gave me one of the most thoughtful gifts I think I've ever received for my birthday. I came home to discover that he had installed a very cute shelf in the kitchen and bought pots and herbs! He even accounted for "morning sun" so our lovely kitchen garden will grow strong. Yay! He knows how sad I've been about not having a garden of my own, so he brought one to me. How sweet is that!?






















Also, Toby is super cute. He's found himself a new favorite hidey-hole: behind some pots in a kitchen cupboard. This is him peeking out. I woke him from a nap. He was using some stored-away plates as a pillow.










He says, "I'm coming out now!"

Change of plans

I was so so so looking forward to our backpacking/fossil hunting trip this weekend.

Alas, my plans were thwarted--by a terribly painful sinus infection!












And rain, to boot!









It wasn't meant to be, I suppose. We were even invited to a "Stache Bash" (party celebrating the glory that is the moustache--James was going to shave down to a gnarly Fu Manchu), but sinus ickiness prevailed.
I tried to make up for my party-pooperness by making banana pancakes Sunday morning! Made with an organic, genetically modified banana and a little fingerling banana thrown in there too. Possibly the fluffiest pancakes I've ever made.

This week, on "Fossil Hunter"

Today was a teacher work day, so we could enter semester grades. Ken is awesome and organized, so we were 100% done yesterday. I questioned the point of coming to school at all today, besides getting my mid-term evaluation... but I'm glad I went. For a couple of hours, I explored Ken's fossil and amber collection... which is expansive, to say the least.















Boxes and boxes! I pulled out a dissecting scope and examined a group of ants and a dragonfly in amber and dino bones. Below is dino-bone cross-section. He has a few very good specimins, several polished. They look like this--very beautiful, and colorful!














This is coprolite: dinosaur poop. If you ever see a chuck of rock that looks like poop that's been fossilized, it probably isn't. It's probably a mud formation. Ken has many of both.











He also told me all the best places in Oregon to find stuff just lying around! Most of his collection he's gathered himself, on the weekend, just hiking around. So, from now on, my backpacking trips are now FOSSIL HUNTS!

The fossil hunt for next weekend is still on, by the way. Anyone else coming with us?

Backpacking anyone?

This picture was taken last year on the last camping trip I've taken. James and I went with Kelli + her date, Bryce, and Kadra to Trillium Lake. It was beautiful, and we took our little Toby. He was just a little baby then! He could fit in your jacket pocket or up your sleeve.

My spring break is the last week of March, and I'd love love love to go backpacking (just for one night). For convenience's sake, I'd leave March 31 and come back the next day (Saturday-Sunday) and I'm open to suggestions as to where to go. I'm thinking perhaps the Clackamas River Trail? Anyone ever been? I guess there's places to camp right on the beach, and we'd only hike in about a mile or so. Nice!

I'll drive. Oh, and I don't have a tent (I prefer open air) so if you need/want one, you're on your own. Other than that, I can supply most everything else. And if anyone wants some great warm-up hikes, my beautiful Marquam Nature trail is a convenient 1.5 blocks from my house, so we can warm-up together!

Anyone? Anyone?

Busy busy busy!

I just realized that not only have I not posted for a while, but I also hadn't been checking anyone else's blogs much either. School is totally wiping me out!

...but I must confess, I'm having a great time. Oh, so many differenced between middle school and high school! And student teaching is supposed to be a truly terrible experience! I mean, I'm really busy, and overwhelmed, yadda yadda, but the students make it worth while. I'm surprised I've become this attached to them, after only three weeks. And they make me laugh so hard! Every class period, every day--laugh laugh laugh! There's a saying among teachers, "Don't smile until Christmas." You've got to show them who's boss, and get them used to it, before you can show real personality. I can try doing that, but these kids are so hilarious that I physically would not be able to stop myself from laughing at some of the things they say.

And I'm so impressed with how smart and inquisitive they are! We'll be discussing meiosis, and question after question--all valid, all important--is asked from all the students. "I'm sorry, but we can't talk about genetics, or eugenics, or vegetative propagation, or neurobiology right now." Every day! They're so curious! They will be little genius biologists soon.

That's not so say they're all so smart. Really. But at least they're curious, which is what really matters.

And even learning how to address learning disabilities, like autism, has been less of a struggle than I thought. We have one delightful, mildly autistic girl that most other teachers didn't think could do much--but Blacksmith (my mentor teacher) proved them all wrong by holding her to the same standards but letting her have a little more time than others, and she has an A in the class. And it's a HARD class. But she can do it.

Some highlights:
Two other of my Concordia cohorts teach at Milwaukie--on the same hall, too, so we have some good support.
I have learned more in the last three weeks than I ever did in any other Biology class I've ever taken. Part of this is because I'm helping teach a Bio 2 class, and I've *gulp* never taken a Bio 2 class in my life. Lots of studying and faking confidence.
It's fun to make the students uncomfortable. We're starting a genetics unit, so of course, we have to talk about sex. I try to nonchalantly remind them that their parents did it, and I delight in their squeamish responses.
My work sample, we've decided, will be the Evolution unit. I'm up for a challenge.
Ken Blacksmith, my cooperating teacher, has given me enough material to teach an entire Biology 1 class, September through June. Including notes, materials, worksheets, and a daily breakdown. Woot!