One of the little bastards in my last period class stole my cell phone out of my desk drawer. I'm so frustrated with the amount of stuff that's been stolen from my classroom. (UGH!! Those little fuckers!!)
I have no phone numbers...so if you want to talk to me, either call or email me your info. (My phone number is out of service until I get a new phone.)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
The Flying Pig
Pigs have flown, and I have run a marathon (the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinatti, Ohio, to be exact!). That’s right, in just over a year of taking up running, Bethie has completed her very first marathon!
Now, this marathon had the potential to be the worst marathon ever. First of all, the marathon started late. Turns out that there was an extra alarm fire at mile 22 and the race course had to be re-routed, adding an extra quarter mile to it (No problem, after 26.2, why not make it 26 and a half!).
Then this awful woman yelled at me around mile 6. Now, I know I’m not the fastest runner in the world, so I run to the side of the course (this is a pretty common practice). This woman screamed at me and told me to get out of her way and that I didn’t belong on the course! I was so surprised, I couldn’t even move!! I’ve never seen a runner be that rude in my entire life!! Other runners started yelling at her because of her rudeness. Ugh. If this had been my first race, I would have been crushed! Fortunately I know that runners are a jolly bunch and that she was just an anomaly. But seriously, if she was that worried about her time, she wouldn’t have been passing me at mile 6, she would have been a head of me already. Second, it wasn’t as if there wasn’t an ENTIRE road blocked off for runners. Finally if she was that serious of an athlete, she would have been running Boston a few weeks ago. Besides, she was wearing head phones that were banned on the course. I think the running gods or karma are going to bite her in the ass later. Really, that kind of behavior is just bad juju.
Other technical problems included me loosing ALL the Cliff Shots that were pinned to my race belt. (Note to self, don’t pin them like that again!!) I’m used to taking one every hour/every five or six miles…so that put me a slight mental disadvantage. My inhaler ran out at about Mile 8 or 9; and on that hilly course that wasn’t fun. There was also some very really chafeage issues. I was walking funny more from the skin that was ripped off my body, than from muscle soreness.
Barb and I came upon this guy who fell out on the side of the road. The dude was seriously purple. It wasn’t good. Chest compressions were given and the paramedics came. I don’t know if the guy made it or not, but it sure was scary.
In spite of these negatives, I really did have a blast! First of all, it was an all new distance for me…I had never run over 20 miles before. Second, I wore a shirt that said “Bethie’s First Marathon”. It was great to have people cheering for me! So motivating! Barb and I also got the crowd into our singing…we started singing the chorus from Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” at mile 13… (“Oh, we’re half way there! Oh-O! Livin’ on a prayer!! Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear…) Many of the water stops had themes…parrot heads, pirates, and assorted bands. Girls on the Run gave me a balloon to wear. And of course, Barb and I spent the race entertaining ourselves through stupid comments and songs.
There was also several unsanctioned beer stops along the way. Mile 21 was run just like a regular water stop. Just grab a beer and run. J The one at mile 14 was awesome! They had the “Runner’s Lounge”. I sat on the couch and had a beer. It was great!
I did dedicate some of the miles to people as I was running…it made the race much more meaningful. But the last mile, was just for me. I hit my wall just after mile between 25 and 26. I kept telling myself that “Someday, I would not be able to do this, but today was not that day.” So, I kept repeating to myself “Today is not that day. Today is not that day.” I had so much crap on my sun glasses I couldn’t see the finish line. I thought I was going to kill Barb when she pointed out the finish line, and I couldn’t actually see it. But, lo and be hold, I took my glasses off and there it was! I finished strong…You would have thought I won the damn thing. I ran across the finish line with my arms up, Kenyan style. It was awesome!
Now, this marathon had the potential to be the worst marathon ever. First of all, the marathon started late. Turns out that there was an extra alarm fire at mile 22 and the race course had to be re-routed, adding an extra quarter mile to it (No problem, after 26.2, why not make it 26 and a half!).
Then this awful woman yelled at me around mile 6. Now, I know I’m not the fastest runner in the world, so I run to the side of the course (this is a pretty common practice). This woman screamed at me and told me to get out of her way and that I didn’t belong on the course! I was so surprised, I couldn’t even move!! I’ve never seen a runner be that rude in my entire life!! Other runners started yelling at her because of her rudeness. Ugh. If this had been my first race, I would have been crushed! Fortunately I know that runners are a jolly bunch and that she was just an anomaly. But seriously, if she was that worried about her time, she wouldn’t have been passing me at mile 6, she would have been a head of me already. Second, it wasn’t as if there wasn’t an ENTIRE road blocked off for runners. Finally if she was that serious of an athlete, she would have been running Boston a few weeks ago. Besides, she was wearing head phones that were banned on the course. I think the running gods or karma are going to bite her in the ass later. Really, that kind of behavior is just bad juju.
Other technical problems included me loosing ALL the Cliff Shots that were pinned to my race belt. (Note to self, don’t pin them like that again!!) I’m used to taking one every hour/every five or six miles…so that put me a slight mental disadvantage. My inhaler ran out at about Mile 8 or 9; and on that hilly course that wasn’t fun. There was also some very really chafeage issues. I was walking funny more from the skin that was ripped off my body, than from muscle soreness.
Barb and I came upon this guy who fell out on the side of the road. The dude was seriously purple. It wasn’t good. Chest compressions were given and the paramedics came. I don’t know if the guy made it or not, but it sure was scary.
In spite of these negatives, I really did have a blast! First of all, it was an all new distance for me…I had never run over 20 miles before. Second, I wore a shirt that said “Bethie’s First Marathon”. It was great to have people cheering for me! So motivating! Barb and I also got the crowd into our singing…we started singing the chorus from Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” at mile 13… (“Oh, we’re half way there! Oh-O! Livin’ on a prayer!! Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear…) Many of the water stops had themes…parrot heads, pirates, and assorted bands. Girls on the Run gave me a balloon to wear. And of course, Barb and I spent the race entertaining ourselves through stupid comments and songs.
There was also several unsanctioned beer stops along the way. Mile 21 was run just like a regular water stop. Just grab a beer and run. J The one at mile 14 was awesome! They had the “Runner’s Lounge”. I sat on the couch and had a beer. It was great!
I did dedicate some of the miles to people as I was running…it made the race much more meaningful. But the last mile, was just for me. I hit my wall just after mile between 25 and 26. I kept telling myself that “Someday, I would not be able to do this, but today was not that day.” So, I kept repeating to myself “Today is not that day. Today is not that day.” I had so much crap on my sun glasses I couldn’t see the finish line. I thought I was going to kill Barb when she pointed out the finish line, and I couldn’t actually see it. But, lo and be hold, I took my glasses off and there it was! I finished strong…You would have thought I won the damn thing. I ran across the finish line with my arms up, Kenyan style. It was awesome!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
My New Super Power
I think I have discovered my super power. Apparently, I have mastered the art of invisiblity. First of all, at work I was sitting at a table with my children and several people walked in my classroom and couldn't find me. (Yeah, because I totally look like an 8th grader.)
Then, I was in line at Panera to get dinner today. This couple walked in, and the guy walked right in front of me and stood less than too inches away as if I wasn't even there!! His significant other that he was with, finally noticed and scolded him.
If that wasn't enough, I was swimming (and I use that term loosely), I got out of the pool and the life guard said "Oh, Hi Beth, I didn't see you there." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Wow, that's comforting, didn't see me in the pool. Great. Good thing I didn't drown.
Clearly, my super power is the gift of invisiblity...maybe I missed my calling, clearly I should have been a spy instead of an art teacher!
Then, I was in line at Panera to get dinner today. This couple walked in, and the guy walked right in front of me and stood less than too inches away as if I wasn't even there!! His significant other that he was with, finally noticed and scolded him.
If that wasn't enough, I was swimming (and I use that term loosely), I got out of the pool and the life guard said "Oh, Hi Beth, I didn't see you there." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Wow, that's comforting, didn't see me in the pool. Great. Good thing I didn't drown.
Clearly, my super power is the gift of invisiblity...maybe I missed my calling, clearly I should have been a spy instead of an art teacher!
Monday, April 14, 2008
People are Animals
Today in Chicago a cougar was shot by the Chicago Police Department. What the hell?!?!
Ok, sure it's completely bizaro that there was a frickin' cougar wandering the streets of Roscoe Village, but I really think that this situation could have been handled differently.
First of all, the cougar didn't need to be shot. It hadn't eaten anybody. And it's not as if cougars are over run in the forest preserves like deer! In fact, not one officer was harmed by the animal. Not necessary to kill the animal. There's school shootings left and right. Those murderers are entitled to a fair trial, and Illinois hasn't had an execution in years! I say soooo not fair for the big kitty. Even dogs that actually attacked people are euthanized much more humanely than being shot several times by a police issue glock.
Furthermore, do you really think the best thing to do is to chase the animal on foot? It's a WILD animal. If it's chased, don't you think the odds are high of pissing it off? Is it not common knowledge that if you corner an animal, it's apt to fight back? I don't think chasing it would solve much. I mean, it's a cat. Eventually it's going to just sit and chill until it feels the need to hunt. And for those of you who are screaming at me about the safety of the children, I'm confident that if the cougar really wanted a snack, one of those kids would have been eaten. And if you are screaming safety, think of all the stray bullets that didn't hit the cat. Much more lethal than one cougar. Why on earth wasn't animal control called? I believe it's called a TRANQUILIZER DART. Hell, it's Chicago. I'm sure someone could have gotten a big juicy steak (I know places where I could get a whole pig!) to occupy him until he could be sedated.
I think the Quizno's Coyote (which, btw, was right around this time last year) really got a better deal. He was trapped by animal control. Next he was taken to the suburbs to a wildlife refuge and then re-introduced to the wild.
What's a cat gotta do to get a break?
Ok, sure it's completely bizaro that there was a frickin' cougar wandering the streets of Roscoe Village, but I really think that this situation could have been handled differently.
First of all, the cougar didn't need to be shot. It hadn't eaten anybody. And it's not as if cougars are over run in the forest preserves like deer! In fact, not one officer was harmed by the animal. Not necessary to kill the animal. There's school shootings left and right. Those murderers are entitled to a fair trial, and Illinois hasn't had an execution in years! I say soooo not fair for the big kitty. Even dogs that actually attacked people are euthanized much more humanely than being shot several times by a police issue glock.
Furthermore, do you really think the best thing to do is to chase the animal on foot? It's a WILD animal. If it's chased, don't you think the odds are high of pissing it off? Is it not common knowledge that if you corner an animal, it's apt to fight back? I don't think chasing it would solve much. I mean, it's a cat. Eventually it's going to just sit and chill until it feels the need to hunt. And for those of you who are screaming at me about the safety of the children, I'm confident that if the cougar really wanted a snack, one of those kids would have been eaten. And if you are screaming safety, think of all the stray bullets that didn't hit the cat. Much more lethal than one cougar. Why on earth wasn't animal control called? I believe it's called a TRANQUILIZER DART. Hell, it's Chicago. I'm sure someone could have gotten a big juicy steak (I know places where I could get a whole pig!) to occupy him until he could be sedated.
I think the Quizno's Coyote (which, btw, was right around this time last year) really got a better deal. He was trapped by animal control. Next he was taken to the suburbs to a wildlife refuge and then re-introduced to the wild.
What's a cat gotta do to get a break?
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Morbid Curiosity
I was puttering around the Internet and I stumbled upon this site, Energy Fiend (Because, let's face it, I consider caffeine to be a food group!). On this site is a special section called Death by Caffeine. It will calculate how much of a food or drink, based on your weight, it would take to kill you due to caffeine consumption.
Simply choose your drug of choice from the pull down menu, enter your weight, press "Kill Me"(seriously, not making that up) and volia! How much of that substance it would take to kill you. Apparently, I'll be pushing up daisies after 536.69 cans of Diet A & W Cream Soda (Hold me back!). There are much more caffeinated things on the list besides creme soda, but I wonder, just what is "Howling Monkey"? They've got most of your main stream caffeinated foods and beverages.
So if you've always wondered how many Mountain Dew's or Jolt Cola's it would take to take you down...have fun figuring your LD of Caffeine!! As for me, I think my coffee cup needs a refill...and now I know I can have at least 75 more cups of joe before any lethal side effects occur!
Simply choose your drug of choice from the pull down menu, enter your weight, press "Kill Me"(seriously, not making that up) and volia! How much of that substance it would take to kill you. Apparently, I'll be pushing up daisies after 536.69 cans of Diet A & W Cream Soda (Hold me back!). There are much more caffeinated things on the list besides creme soda, but I wonder, just what is "Howling Monkey"? They've got most of your main stream caffeinated foods and beverages.
So if you've always wondered how many Mountain Dew's or Jolt Cola's it would take to take you down...have fun figuring your LD of Caffeine!! As for me, I think my coffee cup needs a refill...and now I know I can have at least 75 more cups of joe before any lethal side effects occur!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Last Lecture
Petra forwarded me this video clip. All I can say is WOW.
If you have the time, I Googled "Randy Pausch Last Lecture" and found the original lecture in its entirety. The original lecture is much longer than the 12 minute Oprah one, but it's definately worth your time.
It definately makes you think. I wish there were some way to make my students watch this, it would be worth it if it just got through to one of them...
If you have the time, I Googled "Randy Pausch Last Lecture" and found the original lecture in its entirety. The original lecture is much longer than the 12 minute Oprah one, but it's definately worth your time.
It definately makes you think. I wish there were some way to make my students watch this, it would be worth it if it just got through to one of them...
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I've got a fever...
I saw a spot for Saturday's all new SNL...Hosted by Christopher Walken! You know what that means...
More Cowbell from mLink on Vimeo.
...MORE COWBELL!!!
More Cowbell from mLink on Vimeo.
...MORE COWBELL!!!
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