Acupuncture and acupressure are like those things in life that are good for you, but you semi-dread (because the actual experience can be stressful/painful/etc/etc), semi-look-forward-to (because the results are so worthwhile). I returned to the bizarre word of the acu's today after a month of muscle spasms and aches. During treatment besides the swabbing, the dry mouth (from laying in a face cradle for more than an hour and from stress breathing), there was blood from my neck needles. That is not supposed to happen, just fyi.
So I came home after my 75 minutes of tui na acupressure massage and acupuncture feeling sore and completely out of it. That's when my sister showed me this fabulous youtube clip from Nick Pitera [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-CS2v8wcc]. That definitely is not supposed to happen when someone sings, but it made my afternoon. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Happy Tuesday!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Everyone should...
Everyone should take a walk in downtown Danville...
Random, I know, but I have fallen in love with Danville in recent months. It's so fun working and hanging out in town. It would be great to move back to this area someday. The picture doesn't do justice, but google images can only do so much. I'll take some of my own soon so you can see why I love where I live.
Everyone should laugh more....
"17 Again" cracked me up. I would definitely recommend it. I cannot explain entirely why via print, but if you need more specifics on why you should go, give me a call.
Everyone rotate their mattress more often....
It makes sleeping the night through much more possible. I realize this is not me, but Mae looks a lot cuter while sleeping so...
Everyone should just do the thing they've been putting off....
[There is no picture of the "Missing Pieces" stories my sophomores wrote because (PTL) they've FINALLY been graded and handed back! So nice to not be feeling guilty about not being finished with these. They really weren't as hard to grade as I thought they were going to be!]
Everyone should be so loved.....
If everyone was adored as Mae is, the world would be blissful. These are a few of her new fabulous pictures taken by Skye Johansen. (There are even more on Jewels' facebook if you care to peruse Mae's portfolio.)
Lastly, everyone should know that I think you're great....
[Seriously - you're fantastic - don't let anyone tell you different!]
Random, I know, but I have fallen in love with Danville in recent months. It's so fun working and hanging out in town. It would be great to move back to this area someday. The picture doesn't do justice, but google images can only do so much. I'll take some of my own soon so you can see why I love where I live.
Everyone should laugh more....
"17 Again" cracked me up. I would definitely recommend it. I cannot explain entirely why via print, but if you need more specifics on why you should go, give me a call.
Everyone rotate their mattress more often....
It makes sleeping the night through much more possible. I realize this is not me, but Mae looks a lot cuter while sleeping so...
Everyone should just do the thing they've been putting off....
[There is no picture of the "Missing Pieces" stories my sophomores wrote because (PTL) they've FINALLY been graded and handed back! So nice to not be feeling guilty about not being finished with these. They really weren't as hard to grade as I thought they were going to be!]
Everyone should be so loved.....
If everyone was adored as Mae is, the world would be blissful. These are a few of her new fabulous pictures taken by Skye Johansen. (There are even more on Jewels' facebook if you care to peruse Mae's portfolio.)
Lastly, everyone should know that I think you're great....
[Seriously - you're fantastic - don't let anyone tell you different!]
Monday, April 20, 2009
Columbine Remembered
I know it's not a typical topic for public forum, but today marks the 10 year anniversary of the Columbine high school shootings. The events of that day have been on my mind as I have watched the days of April fly by. We all can remember where we were and what we were doing on September 11th. I can also replay April 20, 1999 with almost the same clarity. Watching the events of that day unfold changed me forever. It was the first time I realized how devastatingly cruel people could be to each other, and a piece of that innocence that accompanies youth slipped away. I was running for student government and spent night crying as I listened to first hand news accounts and colored campaign posters - such stark contrasts between the respective realities of Columbine and Clayton Valley.
I would have been a good study participant then in vicarious grief processing- filling an entire journal in the month that followed Columbine. In that journal, an angsty 15-year-old filled the pages with probing questions about why people hurt each other and why God could let something happen to good people like Cassie Bernal. The angsty teenager has been replaced by the introspective adult. I still shudder when someone refers to the lock on my classroom door as a Columbine lock - the type of lock installed on most school doors in recent years so that teachers can lock them from the inside instead of having to open the door to lock it- something that cost lives at Columbine. And I think about my kids - the 174 that I have this year and all that they're capable of - and the kids who lost their lives in a matter of minutes. I can't fathom it on any level what it would be like to experience that.
I have no great moment of clarity or summation to accompany this memory and my past few days of pondering. It is what it is, and I just needed to write it down. I needed to say that I remember, and that I pay closer attention to my students has individuals because of what happened that fateful day.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Oh wow - the writer's strike has ended after a solid five weeks of intense talks (I'm not schizophrenic - it just sounds more interesting that there's been inner drama). Besides being really busy, it's hard to write about what's going on in life when you've lost your job and you're sure what you're doing next (especially when I'm one of the lucky ones that can say that I love my job and the people I work with). So finally, an update and a few pictures from the last couple weeks.
Story #1 "Seeing New Colors"
In February, I found out that I would be part of that group who can say they have been affected by the economic downturn. At first, I thought I was totally fine. I had semi-expected it since I'm relatively new to my school district. But as reality set in, and I told my students that I wouldn't be returning in the fall I got angry and so sad about losing a job that I love. All I could see was pink (the color that had tagged to teachers losing jobs because of pink slips. But now, while my horizons still burn with a tinge of pink, I am mostly seeing blue - Cougar blue to be specific. As of August 31st, I will officially be a student at BYU again seeking a Masters degree in Public Administration (to do non-profit or HR work or just go back to teaching once with a higher degree). I'm excited to be transitioning from one place I love to another.
Story #2 "Living the Good Life"
Everyone should have a spring break. It makes everything better and the week preceding and after it much more relaxed. Here are a few pictures of what I did with my week of freedom (besides grade of course).
Someday Jewels and I will take pictures together, but for now here's Mae. I flew into Utah to attend classes at BYU to make sure I liked the feel of the program. Of course, spending time laughing with Maezers and hanging out with Ryan, Jewels, and Brett were great too.
Let's be honest - one of the reasons I live and breathe is baseball. I know, I know - the Giants are horrible. But on Opening Night, they honored Tim Lincecum and for a brief few hours, we believed that this season could be the one.
If you haven't been to the Giants ballpark, give me a call. I will gladly play tour guide. Before our game, we hit up a great Indian food restaurant, but for tourist friends, a Giants hot dog is a must (vegetarians need not apply - kidding, sort of).
I finally finished my project - books and pictures of people/places I love. Random, I know, but I'm glad to be finished. I love walking by it when I get home at night.
Some of you may be thinking, how could I tear up my beloved books? It was harder than you might think - I am so weird about my books...
The Easter bunny came a bit early and to celebrate my parents, Cameron, Jenessa, and I went to a fabulous dinner in a private room San Francisco's acclaimed "Boulevard" and saw Wicked. Phenomenal night - best performances I have seen in a long time. I could have sat through another show immediately following the completion of the first.
It was Tim's last Saturday in the Bay Area, so a few friends and I decided to make the trek to city so show him what why everyone secretly wishes they were Californians.
Admit it, you wish you were here. I wish you were--
Story #3 "Yes, She Defies Gravity"
This is a reference to my fabulous niece who, as you can see from above, is sitting up and in the first stages of crawling. She "sings" all the time - Pre-School Musical (the Disney channel's next project) will star her in 2012. Be excited!
Did you make it through all that? Wow - well done.
Story #1 "Seeing New Colors"
In February, I found out that I would be part of that group who can say they have been affected by the economic downturn. At first, I thought I was totally fine. I had semi-expected it since I'm relatively new to my school district. But as reality set in, and I told my students that I wouldn't be returning in the fall I got angry and so sad about losing a job that I love. All I could see was pink (the color that had tagged to teachers losing jobs because of pink slips. But now, while my horizons still burn with a tinge of pink, I am mostly seeing blue - Cougar blue to be specific. As of August 31st, I will officially be a student at BYU again seeking a Masters degree in Public Administration (to do non-profit or HR work or just go back to teaching once with a higher degree). I'm excited to be transitioning from one place I love to another.
Story #2 "Living the Good Life"
Everyone should have a spring break. It makes everything better and the week preceding and after it much more relaxed. Here are a few pictures of what I did with my week of freedom (besides grade of course).
Someday Jewels and I will take pictures together, but for now here's Mae. I flew into Utah to attend classes at BYU to make sure I liked the feel of the program. Of course, spending time laughing with Maezers and hanging out with Ryan, Jewels, and Brett were great too.
Let's be honest - one of the reasons I live and breathe is baseball. I know, I know - the Giants are horrible. But on Opening Night, they honored Tim Lincecum and for a brief few hours, we believed that this season could be the one.
If you haven't been to the Giants ballpark, give me a call. I will gladly play tour guide. Before our game, we hit up a great Indian food restaurant, but for tourist friends, a Giants hot dog is a must (vegetarians need not apply - kidding, sort of).
I finally finished my project - books and pictures of people/places I love. Random, I know, but I'm glad to be finished. I love walking by it when I get home at night.
Some of you may be thinking, how could I tear up my beloved books? It was harder than you might think - I am so weird about my books...
The Easter bunny came a bit early and to celebrate my parents, Cameron, Jenessa, and I went to a fabulous dinner in a private room San Francisco's acclaimed "Boulevard" and saw Wicked. Phenomenal night - best performances I have seen in a long time. I could have sat through another show immediately following the completion of the first.
It was Tim's last Saturday in the Bay Area, so a few friends and I decided to make the trek to city so show him what why everyone secretly wishes they were Californians.
Admit it, you wish you were here. I wish you were--Story #3 "Yes, She Defies Gravity"
This is a reference to my fabulous niece who, as you can see from above, is sitting up and in the first stages of crawling. She "sings" all the time - Pre-School Musical (the Disney channel's next project) will star her in 2012. Be excited!
Did you make it through all that? Wow - well done.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Stay Tuned
Your regular blogging programming will return shortly after the writer's strike ends. Stay tuned for "Living the Good Life" - a tale of the spring break phenom, "Seeing New Colors" - the transitional update of what goes on after seeing only pink for a few weeks, and "Yes, She Defies Gravity" - a fabulous coming-of-age story. Now back to the hum-drum writer's strike talks. Contracts should be signed within the week...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)