Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow is the last day of school for 2009.. YEEEEHAWWWW.. I've done my lesson plans for my Extended Learning class, and almost finished are my lesson plans for LA. I am sooo excited to get it all done tomorrow, so I can sit back this weekend (and the rest of the break) and act a fool.

i am excited for my trip home.. an ackie event where i can see the cool kids...

Soooo I might wake up tomorrow like most kids do on Christmas Day.. cause GUESS WHAT!?! Its the best day ever...

AND we are getting bonkers after work :-) Margs in Charge

2 days without

ever felt like you wanted to spill your soul to someone... the same old story you need to get out to provide you with some relief, but you are afraid because if it's a pang you don't want to deal with... why would you expose anyone else to it? So you swallow it, and wait for the moment, however long, to pass. I've had this same cloud forever, and sometimes I want it to go away and let the light in, and other times, I just wish someone was in the rain with me, so that I would know that just one other person knew what this storm feels like.

101 in 1001 Update #1

Okay, so my 101 in 1001 hasn't been super productive.

#82. I deleted my MySpace, which was definitely necessary. Though not on my list, I have done a good job of cultivating my relationships with my mentees.

#43. I have also joined some MeetUp groups in hopes that I will meet my new homies, but I haven't been to those events yet.. sooo its in the beginning stages. One of the meetings is a book club meeting for Hill Harper's The Conversation, which I definitely don't want to read, so I'm trying to decide if it's worth it as a means to an end.

#74 and #7 Today I am on my way to get some stationery so that I can get my letters out to my PenPals.. and I am super excited about this. I have always loved writing letters and feel like I might write some letters to different folks, not just my cross the world penpal.. so you may have one coming to you. I also am getting thank you cards, so I can have the available to write when have a service I appreciated. Regarding gratitude, I did leave an excellent survey for the guys who helped me get my phone working at the Sprint store. But that doesn't count... gotta do a bonafide thank you.

#36. I am also going to do some volunteer work tomorrow and prolly Monday. I am thinking of changing my Volunteer goal to volunteer 101 hours, because that's more manageable and means long term volunteer vs. just 3 saturdays in one month. I think that's more geared toward my goals. That will be modified after this post.


#34. I have written one creative writing prompt, and I think i am going to add more to it. I realize I like writing about myself... and not making up characters.. but I will probably do 10 of each, to expand myself. I make my students do all kinds of writing, so I am going to attempt to do all of the things that I have them too. That will better my craft as an educator too. I shared my one prompt with one person. also.. def in progress, harder than I thought though. I'll continue this.. and wholeheartedly so I won't rush.

I am also thinking about which goal I will coordinate with the New Year. I would love to see what goals my friends have for the future, cause I still have 19 spaces to fill on my list and would love some worthwhile things to accomplish.

Life! :-)

Hoarders and the future of our nation.

I think i have already posted about this... but Hoarders is my show.. It's a profile of people who hoard stuff and thus their homes are unlivable and so are their lives. It's a sensational show, but it always makes me sad because their lives must be so awful when they live like that. I don't know if there is such thing as a happy hoarder. This lady today lost her dentures in the hoard. She also had 2 dead cats in her hoard.. She also had a bathroom full of excrement because her toilet was broken for..... 6 years. I feel bad. Her daughter was crying. Her son was unattached. I realize I know some pseudo hoarders and i just hope their lives don't end up as empty as this lady right here.. cause I love y'all but I am not cleaning up your 8000 pounds of crap. Thank you


Now on to the future of our nation..
according to my students:

The Pilgrims came to the Americas for corn and to celebrate.
The flag has 51 stars because there are 51 states... Panama, Mexico, Canada are all possibilities for the 51st state.. they aren't sure.
50% of my students plan on voting at 18... some are jaded by the process already. One wants to vote for McCain... ha. The others will only vote if they can vote for Obama.. sorry shawties.. no chance.
Benjamin Franklin invented the kite, and was the 18th president


hahahaha.. Hoarders and my children intrigue me for every different, yet similarly tragic reasons. Another great day at work tomorrow.

:-) <----me at 4:10 today. :-( <---me at 6:30am tomorrow when the alarm goes off.

soooo I was going to post tonight but realized I would be whining about the same wack stuff.. waa waa waaa Spidey wants new friends.. waa waa waa.. teaching is hard.. waa waa waa.. I'm not sure if I am reaching my potential.. yadda yadda yadd but who wants to hear that again.. so I figured I'd flip the script for my 2 and a half readers... and do something I haven't done in a while.. make a list of random ish I heart!!!




1. Til Debt Do U$ Part... a show about broke folks getting un-broke!

2. Kelly Clarkson.. that white girl can sang.. goodness gracious. My fave song is "Because of You" and "Breakaway" oooh yeah and "Since You've Been Gone" and "Already Gone!" okay I love them all.. She is what American Idols are supposed to be.. Unlike that damn Rubben Studdard.. He should be sorry for 2004 and 5 and 9. I bet his mama is sorry cause they still broke. Anyway.. K-Clark is da bomb! her videos- http://kellyclarkson.com/index.htm?id=17788&sid=17772

3. Dru Hill.. those boys can SANG! I feel bad though cause I barely know anything about the members of this group.. I mean there is Sisqo of course, then Big Man (who is surprisingly agile as seen in the "Sleeping in My Bed (Remix)" video, Dark skin dude and Nokio (who really did turn it out on the "You are Everything (Remix)" (N-O-K-I-O Baby!!)) and did you know that N.O.K.I.O. stands for Nasty On Keys In Octave?? WHAT? idk either.

Anyway.. they are coming to ATL in some kinda come back tour type Blast from the Past ish.. I'll be there. Until I just noticed the tickets cost 93 dollars.. HAHAHAHAHAHA yeah right.

4. Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan (the Snuggnut fave) and Euphoria by Calvin Klein.. ahh I get compliments whenever I wear them.. soo smellicious!

5. Waffle fries from Chic-Fil-A

6. Advice Columns- I love Ask Amy, The Ethicist and Dear Abby (even though her advice is usually super wack).. but it's interesting to see what random (white) folks think should be done in random situations.. its also hilarious to see what situations cause some folks problems. I mean "my brother acts crazy at every family event, how can I control him without hurting his feelings?... Easy.. forget his feelings.. cuss him out! Naaah,. just kidding.. kinda.

7. I also love Geekologie -my new favorite site!! From dumb stuff I dont have a clue about, to dumber stuff that I love.. this pleases me everyday. I love that it's on my Google Reader.

8. I love Google Reader... I love that I can go one place and see when all of my fave sites are updated... yay Google. even though i do fear how much google knows about me... but lets be real. every one knows everything about everyone these days.

9. I love Niecy Nash.. she's so hood but soo loveable! I would kick it with Niecy any day of the week.. i would roll with her anywhere.. She's like that ignant cousin that you can't get enough of!!

10. I love that everyone cool has a blog these days!!!

11. Ooh i thought of a real number 10.. I clearly did a generic one cause I couldn't think of an idea.. but i LOVE the movie School of Rock.. if you haven't seen it.. I mean who are you.. its on TBS every month like 5 times. I am watching it for the 3rd time this school year.. and if you have seen it and don't like it.. who are you??? this movie is the best. Jack Black is HILARIOUS!! so that's my vote for movies that make ya feel good.. every single time.

The Season of Giving and Thanks

Thank you Pilgrims for killing that fat turkey and starting this holiday. :-) Thank you George Washington for choosing the eagle as our national bird, so we can continue to eat the turkey!

JANET JACKSON!!!

Janet Jackson!!!!

Janet Jackson is performing on the AMAs tonight. If you know me, you know I love Janet Jackson. I love janet more than any other celebrity.

She is the only celebrity I google stalk (well I google stalk Michelle Obama, but its not as ridiculous cause I learn alot by google stalking the first lady.. I mean it's actually current events.. one might even call it cerebral) Anyway.. I google stalk Janet.. before Google.. I bought every single magazine Janet was EVER in..including Architectural Digest, when her Malibu home was shown. I heart Janet for so many reasons.. because she puts on a good show, because her songs vary in their topic, and I'm sure everyone has a favorite Janet Jam.

I think I would probably pass out were I ever to meet Janet Jackson in person, but it's on the top of my wish list. And with all my Janet-palooza of the past few weeks... Beginning with her interview on GMA and ending today with her AMA performance... It made me think about the reason why I became a janet fanatic.

It all started so so many years ago, when I was jammin to Rhythm Nation 1814 and found a song called "Lonely" on the B-side.. (ahh good ole cassettes). Have you ever read or heard anything and wondered how that person had read your thoughts? Been freaked out that someone could know exactly how you feel and put it into words that you have never known how to express.. Well that's what I got when I read the words to "Lonely" in the liner notes (aside.. digital media that makes me miss getting a new album and l

aying on my bed reading all the liner notes and being sad when they didn't have all of the words to the songs).

Anyway.. that moment is when I realized Janet is someone I should mess with... And she continued to crank out hits that made me feel great.. one day I skipped school so I could watch my janet. vhs, and I learned the whole "You Want This" video that day. I am excited for the opening in 13 minutes... and though it sounds super lame... I'm grateful that I found those liner notes, and glad that my obsession made me feel less lonely when I was an adolescent. I think knowing how good it feels to realize you are not alone, and to know that at least someone understands you, is what makes me so good with my students, so open to listen to them when they are upset, and concerned about them when they just don't seem themselves...

Alright enough.. GO JANET!!! 12 mins and counting

When you least suspect it...

Spam saves your life. I got an email with a link that told my future...


http://www.gse.harvard.edu/academics/doctorate/edld/faq.html

YES!!!! A doctoral program in 3 years, fully funded, with no dissertation and at Harvard.. geared towards people who are working towards being leaders in K-12 education.... Was Harvard reading my mind or searching my dreams? Must be. Not this year. Not next.. but I am so excited that I know where I want to go after I leave the classroom... Now, just to get my test scores to the top of the heap and have the data back up everythign I believe in.

YES YES YES!!!