The In Between

After I got back from lovely, lovely Italy, I spent time longing to be back there. Italy changed me and it was hard to adjust back to normal life in Miami. The food here tasted gross for a while, and there was really no purpose to my days. I don't do well without purpose. Once I got back, there was about two weeks before meetings started up at school and I spent the days watching Netflix and knitting, mostly.

I went to the movies a few times, which is sort of different for me since I've sort of hated most movies for a couple of years now. First, I saw Stupid, Crazy, Love on a room mate date. I, as a rule, hate romantic comedies and movies about crap like true love and everlasting happiness, so I can't say I was a huge fan. However, the movie was worth the price of admission to see the scene where Ryan Gossling takes his shirt off. It's a thing of true beauty and I would like to personally thank Canada for their contribution to the world. Thank you, Canada. I want to hug you... and then Ryan Gossling. A lot.

I also saw Captain America for free ninety nine, which is exactly in my price range for movies. So it could have been a flaming pile of crap and I wouldn't have felt bad about it, but, as it was, it wasn't so bad. In general, I like comic book/superhero movies, and Chris Evans isn't too hard on the eyes, either. Plus Americans weren't portrayed as evil capitalists, or stupid money grubbers or anything stereotypical and negative. It was a little bit refreshing.

Harry Potter again was a good life choice, and this time I wasn't slightly distracted by the subtitles using different names for the characters. It was still pretty bittersweet to see, but worth it. I invested, like, ten years of my life into loving Harry Potter and all that that means, and now it's done. I know he will stand the test of time, but it's sad to know there'll be nothing new about him. And I also wonder what the next cultural phenomenon will be that affects so many people in that way--what will the next Harry Potter be? I certainly hope there will be one.

Midnight in Paris was a movie a friend told me about; she said I should see it due to the literary connections in it. I didn't really know anything about it except that it was directed by Woody Allen, whose work I could take or leave, and had Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in it. It turned out, my friend was right. I really liked it! First of all, it's sort of about Paris in the 20s, when all of these amazing artists were centered there. Let me just say that I love me some Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and Adrian Brody's Dali was hilariously awesome. The movie also had a nice message--which you'll have to see to get, given I don't want to spoil it--and beautiful Paris scenery, which only made my heart ache to go back to Paris. Finally, it's sort of about what I love about traveling--going off the main road, and just seeing what's out there; finding the magic of a city beyond tourist destinations and photo opportunities. Anyway, definitely rent or Netflix it.

The last movie I saw was The Help. I haven't read the book, nor do I really have the desire too. Someone told me it was hard to get into, someone whose opinion I trust, and I just don't have time to read books it'll take me ages to get into. So anyway, I saw The Help and enjoyed it as well, but it was tough for me. Civil Rights stories are always tough for me because I just wonder... I wonder if I would have been strong enough to do what was right or if I would have just gone along with society and tried to find peace with myself, as if that could be possible. Thinking about that time in American history is just sad and intense, but also powerful. I wonder what it's like to fight for something like that, to believe in a cause, to have leaders so powerful and articulate.

Emma Stone is great one of my new favorites, and I love me so me Allison Janney, too. Not to mention that the entire style of the movie--the south, the costumes--was just beautiful. If I could look like a southern housewife in the early 60s every day, I would not be mad... Except for the big hair, which just seems like a lot of work. At the end of the movie, yeah, I felt all warm and fuzzy about how this little white girl defied society and made her little piece of the world better and all that wonderful stuff, but I think ultimately I just took away that the smart, independent, writer chick ends up alone. What a shocker.

In the in between of Italy and school, my Russian Ballerina friend celebrated a birthday, which turned out to be the last one in Miami for a while. She recently moved to DC to pursue her dream, and I can't begrudge her for it. She had a birthday dinner at a place called George's in the Grove, a spin-off or whatever that's called in the restaurant world, of Le Beuchon du Grove, where Eric, T, and I ate amazing French food last year. It's this, like, fancy French place that, all of a sudden, turns into a club complete with Black Eyed Peas and a smoke machine when they celebrate someone's birthday. Weird. But the food was YUM (you can probably guess what I had... Hint: it used to have a swirly shell) and I had lovely conversation with some new people, and lovely wine, and it was a lovely evening all around. August birthdays are the best. :)

o far, the school year has been just meetings with one Freshmen/Senior day with kiddos. I'm looking forward to it, though. I've got high level and low level English kiddos, and then my journalism kids too. It should be another good year. This year is the first I'll be teaching all classes and levels I've taught before, so that is also a relief... every other year I've had to prepare from scratch. No. Bueno.

Our new principal seems good, similar to Sr. Pat, who is now in Naples. It seems like several people are doing some strange posturing or just behaving awkwardly, but I just figure I'll keep doing my job the way I know how and everything will be fine. So I'm going with that.

My classroom, my little kingdom by the sea, is all set up and ready to go. I even have four new computers for journalism, which is SUPER exciting. I can't even stand it! I'm a little obsessed with my "Jrnalism corner."

The biggest drama in my life upon return has been FIU drama, of course. For about a week I was in a craze; I didn't know if I'd be able to take classes or not. But after talking to several people, emailing like crazy, and having calming, if not necessarily helpful, lunches with friends, something worked out, as things like that tend to do, and I'm taking two classes this semester. One is Intro, which I should have taken, y'know, FIRST... but who's keeping track, really? The other is going to be an independent study project, so that'll work out perfectly. Excited to start back.

Finally, as I return from Italy another friend is moving there. I only wish I'd had the tip on this job before I came back! But a friend in Boca, who is also on Team D, is moving to Florence soon and had a Harry Potter-themed farewell. The party was very well decorated, due to some awesome *ahem* fans and decorators, but the real triumph of the night was a recipe for alcoholic Butterbeer which was a TOTAL win. :)

I'm glad to be back but I miss Lancelot. I'll get him back soon enough, though, when I get to see my fam on Labor Day weekend.

Until then...

Much love.

Climb Every Mountain

Since New York, I've been entrenched in life once again, but have managed to have a little fun.

The Tony-Award winning musical In the Heights was here in April, and I really wanted to go. So I bought myself a ticket and took myself on a date. I got my ticket the day of the show, but it was still a great seat. It was, technically, and "obstructed view" but I could see everything fine. I think there was, like, a mic pole or something in my way. But the show itself was so great--I've had the soundtrack for a couple of years and I've listened to it some. There are a few songs I dig on, but it wasn't, like, life-changing for me, like Wicked. It seemed kind of cheesy--and not in that "all musicals are kind of cheesy" way but in a like, "Really? REALLY?!" sort of way. But it wasn't when I saw the whole thing. I just made me proud to be the daughter of an immigrant (well, half of me, anyway) and it made me miss my abuela.

Soon after the end of the semester at FIU approached, and I, luckily, had no actual final exams. I had one take home exam and a presentation, both of which, I think, went okay. I ended up with a B and a B+... I'm not thrilled about it, but I did what I could, I guess.

At the end of the semester, my professor had a little gathering at her house. It was a potluck, and it was fun to hang out with everyone outside of class. There was even a white elephant-style gift exchange, through which I got a game called Quiddler, a fun word game. And at 1 a.m. we ended up in the pool. It was pretty funny, and a great way to end my first year as a grad student.

I took my lack of exams as a sign that God Himself wanted me to get away and have an actual vacation, so I did. The Aussie, Tanya and I went to Curacao for a few days. All I wanted was a beach and a hammock and a beer, and I got all of that, although not at the same time.

Curacao is this little island off the coast of Venezuala, but is not Venezualan. It's part of the Netherlands Antilles, and it's linguistically fascinating because most people speak at least four languages if not more. I was having a ball! But that's nerdy news for another day.

We stayed at this little resorty place that was really lovely and had its own private beach, which we utilized on our last day there after exhausting all other beach options. Here I am at the resort...

Our itinerary was basically laying on a beach, snorkeling, eating, watching the sunset, and climbing a mountain, all of which were quite successful. Here we are the night I arrived, before we went to have a drink and watch the sunset. :)

That night we ate Indian food and everyone's was, like, one notch too spicy. Oops. But it was still delicious. Actually, we ate quite well in Curacao. I had THE BEST escargot I've ever eaten one night, when we went to the number one rated restaurant on the island. We were only the second party in the place, and the staff took really good care of us. We even got some freebies. Key. Another night, we ate at this tiny little place with an awesome vibe and I tried ox tail, which was different than I had anticipated. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing either... I did like it, though. The best part about that meal, though, was this...

I got my hammock! WOOTY WOO!

The downtown area of Curacao has a couple of distinctive features. There are the brightly colored buildings, which are apparently, like, Dutch architecture or something, this bridge that moves like a horizontal draw bridge, and this floating market, where people from Venezuela come over for the day with produce or what have you, and sell it. It looks pretty awesome... check it.


Let me discuss momentarily the mountain climibing situation and my lack of photos of said situation. My camera decided to be awesome and begin dying on this trip, so it was spotty which pictures I got and which I didn't. The mountain day, it decided not to work so I have no photos of the actual climb or at the summit. Let me say, though, that this was a LEGIT climb, not some hike uphill. Towards the top, we literally had to climb up rocks, hanging on to vines, trees, other rocks, whatever was there. It was kinda my favorite part. Climbing the whole thing was touch though, I can't lie. I struggled, but I made it! And it was so worth it at the top!

Poor Bree, though, decided to squeeze a cactus on the way down, and had spines in her hand for the rest of the trip and even after. Fail. But she still managed to use her magic brain GPS and get us all around the island, driving with an injured hand. Because she is amazing. Later that day we went to another national park and saw these natural water+rock formations, one of which was called La Pistola because it shot water up in the air like a pistol. Pretty cool! Again, no picks because of my stupid camera.

One day we took a trip to Klien Curacao, this even smaller island off the south bit of the larger island. It was so beautiful and the water was so blue, and there was even a shipwreck and lighthouse you could go explore if you wanted to. And we did. I wish I had pictures of it all, but again, my camera was experiencing its final, painful days of life.

Although Klien Curacao was lovely, it pales in comparison to the amazing sunset we saw on my second day. We went up north to Playa Kalki, and sat on the beach nearly all day. Then we went up to the restaurant at the resort there, and got THE outside table with a view. And we saw this...
It was out of control beautiful... This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice. It was really just perfect, and relaxing and wonderful, all of which I needed.

In other news, at work we put together a team for this year's Corporate Run, a yearly race in Miami. I didn't run, I walked, but here's just a little taste of how popular this run is...

There are people as far as you can see. And more in front of me. It was out of control. I wasn't in it to really compete, but I'm glad I did it. Our team did well, from what I understand, so that's cool too. All in all, it was really just a fun, bonding, healthy thing to do with colleagues and friends.

I also went to prom for the first time while working at ILS, but for some reason have no pictures of it; I think I just didn't bother taking my camera out. So I'll have to obtain some and then post them here. It was fun and lovely--the kids looked great and it was nice to see them dressed up and dancing and acting like kids for even a couple of hours. It was also fun for me to dress up and play pretty for an evening.

This post is so long overdue... I really just struggle with time to update, and waiting for pictures from other people and being lazy... Blah. I need to get it together!

Much love.

New York State of Mind

Last year around this time, there was an electronics recycling campaign at T's job--you brought in electronics to recycle and there were door prizes and stuff like that. Last year, we both recycled some stuff and ended up with two tickets to a show that was part of the South Beach Comedy Festival. Well, the same program ran again this year, only at Whole Foods, and T had heard about it and was nice enough to take the TV that had been living in our entryway for a couple of weeks to get it recycled. As luck would have it, we won tickets to see Wanda Sykes at this year's Festival.

Wanda was funny, but it was hard to relate a little because a) I'm not gay b) I'm not black c) I'm not a parent and d) I'm not over 40. Still, I enjoyed her jokes and, hey, free 99 is free 99. Our seats were surprisingly good, too, unlike last year where we ended up under this overhang where the acoustics weren't so good. I love the Fillmore, though, and just being there makes me happy. So yay.

The other big news lately is my "spring break." Spring break at FIU fell during CSPA (the Columbia Scholastic Press Association) conference held yearly at Columbia in New York. Each year, at least since I've been at LaSalle, we've taken students. I went for the first time this year because I teach journalism. I took five of my girls, and the yearbook teacher took seven of her girls, for a week in the Big Apple.

It was a spectacular and busy week, but I think everyone had a great time. The first three days were consumed with the conference--sessions, lunch with other advisers/teachers, some swag, and some amazing ideas. I learned so much from the sessions--mostly what I've been doing wrong and how much I just plain don't know. It was eye-opening, and, I must admit, slightly depressing too. But I think we all learned some valuable information that will help make the ILS Royal Courier more successful. So we'll see what next year holds for us.

The first thing I was obsessed with was the fire escapes. This is the one I often contemplated from our hotel room.

I dunno... they're just so novel and cool. I just picture them in, like, musicals and stage shows. So many magical things would happen to me, I believe, if I only had one. *sigh*

The trip isn't all work, though. We had plenty of time to explore NYC. For example, our first night we ate at this lovely Asian restaurant that put all fourteen of us at a huge table in the back. It was... cozy. I had pad thai that was delicious and spicy (and turned a child onto the wonders of said dish). It was basically a win.

We also at the the Hard Rock Cafe one night, where I snapped this lovely photo:

I'm such a total rock star! lol

My personal favorite part of the trip was after the Hard Rock dinner, when we went to see our first show. We got tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe. Yes... THAT Daniel Radcliffe. I pretty much was dying the entire month before knowing I'd get to see him in the show. PLUS, as if Harry Potter weren't enough, John Laroquette of I Night Court fame was also in the show. I know... I was jealous of myself.

The show was at the Hirschfeld theater, which had a bunch of Hirschfeld's drawings inside (shocker!). It was really beautiful and cool.

The show itself was, I have to admit, much better than I thought it would be. My only criticism is that he doesn't point his toes when he dances, but it's hardly noticeable. His voice sounded great, he moved well, even the ladies on stage with him were placed so that he still appeared taller (he's a tiny guy). His comedic timing was excellent as well. Not to mention the entire aesthetic of the show was just so mod--very Mad Men or something. The set was beautifully designed.

I'd never seen the show or even knew much about it except that it was an old school musical (think Guys and Dolls), but, even on its 50 year anniversary, it's extremely relevant. I think maybe even moreso. In a culture of getting rich quick and manipulating our way to the top, or even just charming the pants off of people to get ahead, this musical, I think, spoke to that. It was just spectacular, and funny, and satirical all at the same time.

After the show, I headed (And by "headed" I mean bolted. With a child dragging me behind her. Through the theater and outside like a train of crazy people.) outside to a place where there were parade gates. We were waiting for Daniel Radcliffe to come out of the theater. Which he did, eventually, after a very tall black man asked me, in front of the children, if I smoked weed ("No. I'm a teacher. I'm their chaperon!"), and I befriended some random teenagers (who probably thought I was one of them). I could barely see him, because I was further back and, as I said, he's a tiny guy, but thanks to my Go-Go Gadget legs, I managed a glimpse of his hair. And thanks to my Go-Go Gadget arms, I managed a picture.

Pretty. Damn. Awesome. The two students who went with me into the fray even got his signature. Lucky bums!

The second show we saw was Stomp!, which I've already seen (twice, kind of) but is always a cool experience. It actually ended up being in the East Village, which was this very different part of town where I felt like "my people" were. There was just a really cool vibe about the area, lots of cool people who don't really seem to care about much, some cool little shops and, probably, restaurants. I'd like to give that area much more of an explore in the future.

The last day of the conference, we made sure to take some group photos on the beautiful campus. I found this lovely lady outside the library, and we all had a great time doing this exact shot.

After the conference, we headed to the MoMA and saw some art (the best was Ringo Starr's gold drum!!) and had a lovely walk through Central Park. We saw the statue of Alice (like, of Wonderland), a street show (which was pretty impressive and cool for the kiddos), and this, in Strawberry Fields.

After that we hit up Magnolia bakery (amazing sugary treats features on Sex and the City) and to the Top of the Rock, where a beautiful Eric Dane look alike and I fell madly in love for about five minutes. It was out of control. We caught eachother's eyes three times and THEN he rode down in the elevator with us. I was pretty much dying and the girls all became convinced that men in general are obsessed with me (after having observed several incidents they claim were "pick ups" or people "flirting" with me). If only they knew. lol. Precious angels.

The Saturday we were there was devoted to sight seeing. I think I saw more of New York that day than I'd seen in my previous three trips! We started the day with Lady Liberty herself, who was looking lovely, I might add. It was totally worth FREEZING outside for three hours to see her up close. She's spectacular.

We even got to go up in the base (although not up to the crown, which was closed that day) and look out. This gave plenty of opportunities for reflection photos, some of my favorites.

We also spent some time shopping on Saturday, everywhere from Chinatown (scary!) to SoHo (expensive!). At one point, I was so bored that I either needed to scream and start throwing things, or dress up. Luckily for everyone, I chose the latter. Here's my Lady GaGa inspired outfit.

She would TOTALLY wear those leg warmers on her arms. Don't even try to say she wouldn't!

We ended our trip with crossing something off my Bucket List: ice skating at Rockefeller Center. When I pictured myself doing it, though, it was with a beautiful man who is hopelessly in love with me and I, likewise, with him, not with twelve teenage girls and my female chaperone and friend. But, hey, you take what you can, I suppose. It was super cool to just skate around and be in NYC after having spent a great week there with some good, good girls. And just to prove to you all it really happened, a picture.

See? Legit. :)

Teaching journalism clearly has its benefits, like a week long trip to NYC right around the time I needed a break. KEY. Plus, something happened to me this trip to New York that never had before: I fell a little bit in love with it. I finally GOT why people love that city; why many consider it the greatest city on Earth. I see their point and would like to head back--without teenagers in tow--soon.

Much love.

Holiday Happiness

Since we last met, I've celebrated Thanksgiving, finished a semester, and gotten into the holiday spirit, which is a rarity for me.

I spent this Thanksgiving as I did last year. Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in the morning, followed by cooking, and then a trip to FIU, where my friend and fellow piano bar lover and Michigander, Eric lives. Last year, he made a delicious Turkey and this year he did the same. There were a couple other misfits there--those who didn't or couldn't go back home to their families, and we shared a delicious meal together. Check out our spread...

There was beer bread, salad, butternut squash, rolls (which were really buns, lol) mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and, of course, turkey. I dunno, maybe it's because it's been my way for the past few Thanksgivings, but I kind of like spending the day with people who are bound by the similarity of not having a place to go; I like just opening an invitation and allowing any misfit or out-of-towner to come in. It's the second best thing to being with family.

After dinner, Eric and I played American Idol Karaoke on his Wii. Not gonna lie--it was pretty awesome. I feel a new tradition coming on... especially since I was pretty decent at it.

My semester at FIU ended much as I had hoped it would. I got a B and B+, which is really what I was aiming for. I think a B in two classes and a full-time job is more than remarkable, and I'm quite proud of myself. I did learn quite a bit, although it's sort of tough to work phonetics or language acquisition into normal conversation, but I'm working on it. Next semester I'm excited about the classes I'm taking; one of them is a historical linguistics class, which I'm so interested in I already started reading the text book. It's okay--I'm a nerd. I'll own it. :) Five more semesters to go!

The week of finals at FIU was stressful, but I had a few holiday gatherings to look forward to. First, I went to a "cookie party" which I'd never done before but turned out to be kind of cool. Everyone brings a dozen or so cookies and the recipe, and then everyone sort of trades. I made almond cookies, otherwise known as Mema's Best Cookies in the Whole Wide World, but they didn't turn out like hers do. It's okay, I guess, she DOES have several decades of practice that I don't have. I think my problem was the eggs... Here's hoping they're better next time.

Our becoming-annual Dadeland Family Christmas Party was the following week , plus the yearly Christmas luncheon, where I win booze. It's what I do. This year was no exception--I won eighteen Guinness (score!) and enjoyed some holiday merriment with friends I'm blessed to also call co-workers. I was getting to think I wouldn't win anything--it was down to the wire and all the Garcias had won, as had most of my department members, AND most of the people at my table, but luckily I pulled it out at the end. Yes!

The family party was a good time. All the usual suspects were there--beer and cheese soup, hot schnocolate, beer, Christmas cookies, pie... oh yeah, and some cool people were there too. :) It was a delicious and fun evening, and we even managed a bit of flippy cup, where, I believe, the girl's team was the big winner, although some may object to that.

Here's some of our reverie... Eric and Sparty, who made the rounds in his Christmas shirt and green bow.

And our annual picture by the tree, which turned out super cute thanks to an awesome photographer... ;) Don't we look festive and full of holiday cheer?

And I couldn't resist posting this, possibly the cutest picture of Lancelot that I have. He, of course, enjoyed the party, possibly more than anyone else, considering his big, brown eyes, still wield great power over other people, even if they no longer work on me.

The Aussie had a bonfire that same weekend, with all of her "Shakespeare" friends, but I joined in anyway considering my great love for the bard, my boredom, and my overwhelming desire to procrastinate instead of pack. I had met some of them already at other various gatherings, and knew I was in for a nice evening when I walked in and started quoting "Sassy Gay Friend" to a dog named Ophelia, and people knew what I was talking about. And then we made s'mores, and performed the monologue from The Sandlot in tandem with another guest, which was basically awesome. Too bad I smelled like fire for, like, three days afterward. lol

I left to come to Michigan on the 20th, and arrived with only one small incident. Chicago, which had been bombarded with what airline folks like to call "weather," had to re-route a few planes, which were sent to DTW. And arrived just before we did. And were taking up ALL THE GATES. For me, the worst part of any plane ride is the minutes between landing and getting off. I hate it. You're there, where you wanted to be, but you're still so far away. Needless to say, sitting in the airplane buckled in, on the runway, for an extra half an hour was NOT enjoyed by anyone on the flight, especially at 11:00 at night. Still, I arrived, I'm in Michigan, and all is well. I'm home for Christmas.

Since I've been home, I've been playing. Tuesday I saw Black Swan, which I still think I'm recovering from. Definitely worth seeing, and definitely stays with you for a while. I think I liked it; I certainly think the performances were outstanding, and I love Natalie Portman. That's about all I can say about it. lol. Yesterday, a few Holt kids went to Beggar's Banquet for 1/2 off bottles of wine and some nibbles and laughs. It was great to see The KG, who is a baller, and my sister as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of my time here, and a New Year's back in MIA.

Much love.

Mysterious Miami

I think sometimes the wonders of Miami will never cease. Just yesterday afternoon I took Lancelot out for a walk--the sky was lovely and blue, a flew fluffy white clouds over head; it was hella hot and the sun was beating down something fierce. Not an opportune time to take him out, I realize, but some things need to be done. So we get outside, and I start to feel these tiny, wet drops on my skin as we begin to walk. Must be washing something nearby, I think. Maybe the 7th floor balcony or something. But the drops were a little too infrequent for that. I continued to walk and continued to feel drops. It can't be raining, I think looking up, it's sunny as anything! As I walked, the drops got bigger and bigger until it was legitimately raining...WITHOUT A RAIN CLOUD IN THE SKY. I felt like that kid in the YouTube video, "Is this real life?"

About two hours later, as I'm looking out over the mall and seeing a cloud that looks like it could usher in the apocalypse and hearing thunder and lightning, Tiffany asked me to take the dogs out again in case it started to pour before she got home. Funny thing was--IT NEVER EVEN SPRINKLED. I don't understand this place. For realz.

Then today we had an adventure to El Palacio de los Jugos (The Juice Palace, lol) where it was really like a different country. She and I both managed to get food, and a beverage. I went for the "muddle your way through some Spanish" plan of attack, and Tiffany did the "find a friendly native" approach. It was awesome. And we had some delicious blackberry juice for dessert. Yum!

In other news, I've been dealing with FIU and ILS stuff pretty much non-stop since I got back. I'm ready to start class on Wednesday, minus one book that will hopefully arrive Monday. I even have a parking pass and student ID after an epic morning of trying to obtain both.

At ILS, my room's set up, minus a few posters I can't get to stick to the wet walls, my syllabi and policies and written up, I'm ready to tackle another year of American lit and my first year of journalism. I'm excited for the challenge, but nervous that I won't know what the heck I'm doing. But it's cool--I can fake a whole lot.

This school year is going to be an exercise in balance and focus. I know I'm a good teacher, and I know I was once a good student, I'm just not sure if I can be both, at the same time. So pray for me, if you're so inclined, and if not, send good ju ju my way. I'll take both. :)

I'm glad to be back to my regular life, to see my clothes and shoes and bed again. I missed my friends here in Miami, and I missed my job. I'm glad to be back, which is a good feeling. Hopefully I'll remember what this feels like when I've had it with Miami.

I signed up for Netflix when I got back; it was a deal through one of the zillion emails I get. I've been watching movies practically non stop (while I do other things, of course) and I have to say it was a good life decision. I've watched everything from the Leondard Cohen documentary Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man to a season and a half on Dexter, which I have to take a break from because too much gives me nightmares. The "Watch Instantly" feature is pretty darn amazing. I'm diggin' it. So yeah... I'm back to the movie world in a big way, friends. Watch out.

Please forgive me if updates are even less frequent from here on out... I've got a lot on my plate. :o)

Much love.

Why My Life, Both Literally and Figuratively, Rocks

This blog has been heavy on the concert news lately, and this entry will be no different. One of the many reasons my life rocks is because, well, lately anyway, it has rocked. See, last weekend was awesome.

Friday night was our department party, which was both delicious and fun. I get my tri-annual baked brie fix and I shook things up a little by bringing something other than taco pie. I made those appetizers my mom makes--the little breads with mushrooms, cheese, and crispy onions. They were a hit. :)

Two people in our department are leaving, one retiring and another moving to another school. It's sad to see them go--they're both wonderful people and teachers, and ILS will seem... strange without them. But it already seemed strange without this year's seniors so I suppose I'll have to deal. Schools are like that, I suppose--they have to change and I have to deal with it. But, our two dearly departed members will be missed, and I'll hold memories of our retiree smashing an alarm clock with a ball peen hammer close in my heart...mostly because it was hilarious and brilliant.

Now for the best part--the department party was moved from Saturday to Friday because of me. You see, I campaigned hard to change it so I could go to the James Taylor/Carol King concert on Saturday. I made GOOD choices, as I always encourage my students to do.

I went with my concert buddy Drew, and our seats were the cheap ones, so they were pretty far away. But, the way the stage was set up, they weren't bad. The stage was a circle in the middle that rotated, so everyone in the arena had a good seat at one point. It was pretty awesome.

We got there right as it was starting, and I had to pee during the first song, which was James singing "Something in the Way She Moves." Then Carol sang, "So Far Away" which was in my head for two days after. She sounds and looks better than she ever has, and "So Far Away" basically made me transcend to another plane of existence. It was so beautiful.

The pair sang all the big ones ("Up on a Roof," "Smackwater Jack," "Natural Woman," "Sweet Baby James," ) but had this really weird dynamic of a sad song ("Fire and Rain") followed by an earth shaker ("Steamroller" or "I Feel the Earth Move"). It was an emotional roller coaster! I'm crying about "Fire and Rain" and before my tears are even dry, Carols feelin' the earth move... And homegirl was FULL of energy. It was amazing.

They ended with "You've Got a Friend" like I knew they would. They came back for an encore as well, then outstayed everyone else in the band to do one last song, "You Can Close Your Eyes" which is one of my favorites. It's my lullaby.

It was an amazing night and I'm so happy I went. Drew and I both had an excellent experience just basking in the glory that was JT/CK. *sigh*

Here's the stage, with Carol at the piano and James rockin' some sweet guitar.

And here's the entire set up. I loved the photos in the middle just rotating... it was awesome.

The next day was Sunday, and my church held a service at The Fillmore, (where I saw The Swell Season and New Kids recently), and Jon Secada came for a free little concert. Even though it started 45 minutes late (UNacceptable!), it was a cool evening. The service was good and seeing Jon Secada was pretty cool. He didn't sound quite as good as I remember, but for a free show, it was cool. I can't believe I remembered those songs!

I couldn't manage to get a very good photo, but here it is.

The following "week" at school was fairly uneventful--it was finals week. My schedule worked out perfectly this year--I had the last two exam blocks off, so all my grades were in and done by Wednesday, and I had time to pack up my room and get everything squared away. The faculty lunch on Tuesday came out nice--my last event as part of Student Council. It'll be nice to not have to do it next year, and I won't have time anyway with school, but it'll be so weird to not be a part of some major events at LaSalle. I guess I'll still have to go, though, to get my fix. lol

Our gift this year was a laptop case, since we're all getting lap tops instead of desktops for next year. I kind of wish the school'd just given me $600 to pay for the laptop I already have, but whatever. The case fits mine so all is well.

This weekend was also pretty awesome. Friday night I had a little "going away" party, even though I'm coming back. A group of us went to Hollywood (up north a bit) to a restaurant called Taverna Opa. I've heard quite a bit about the place, including the words "belly dancers" and "dancing on tables." These statements turned out to be the truth.

The place is a Greek restaurant and the hook is that there are women--belly dancers--who dance on the tables, and encourage patrons to do the same. I rarely need encouragement to dance on a table--an invitation's really all it takes--but a little Uzo didn't hurt...

And with that, I climbed up on a table!

The restaurant is right on the water, so our view was beautiful, and the food was absolutely superb. I had roasted lamb that was so good, I asked our waiter if he could legally marry us (the lamb and I, not the waiter). I wanted to eat so much more of it than I did... not to mention the hummus (sooooo good!) and "Flaming cheese" we got as appetizers. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it!

After dinner we headed to the boardwalk to have a stroll and see the beach. I went down to the water for a minute and stuck my feet in, and we sat outside a country bar and watched semi-trashy tourists line dance. Priceless entertainment, my friends.

On our stroll, I found the other love of my life, my new boyfriend...

You can be jealous, I would be too. :)

Saturday my Russian Ballerina friend and I went to the ArtWalk in the Wynwood Art district. It's a pretty cool event, and it's free! You see, on this particular street or area are several art galleries. Every second Saturday of the month, they all open their doors and you just go and walk around them. There are all types of art in the galleries--paintings, sculptures, photographs, and each gallery is different. Some have free food and drinks, others have music or entertainment, and it's really cool and artsy. I even ran into some co-workers!

After the ArtWalk, we headed to a bar called The Electric Pickle to see a band play. The band was pretty good and did a rockin' cover of "Steal My Kisses" which I tried to explain, in Spanish, to a dude sitting near us who was commenting, in Spanish, about how good the band was. It was pretty funny, but I think I got my point across. :)

Well my friends, I'm about to embark on another adventure as I pack for Michigan and then head to Boston on Saturday. I'm looking forward to a summer of new experiences, people, and places. Stay tuned here to see what I get up to!

Much love.

Memorial Day 2010

Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend to be exact, was a lovely, long one for me. We had Thurday-Monday off from school and it was glorious. Granted, we had to go to graduation on Thursday, but that wasn't too bad, especially since the cool kids (really, just anyone who wanted to go, lol) went to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) afterward for lunch. I think it's becoming tradition. Eating some delicious pizza tends to soften the blow. Graduation was also slightly less painful because a) I sat by awesome people and not the scary creeper I've somehow ended up near every other year and b) I knew most of the kids. Turns out, those two elements help the time pass much more quickly.

Friday, we had some people over for nachos and we played some games, and after that I went out in Brickell with The Russian Ballerina. I'm trying to go to different places instead of the same old ones, so it was a good experience. I had a fun, chill evening, so that was awesome.

Saturday I didn't do much--graded some papers, went to the pool, watched a movie. It was nice to just relax a bit.

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, The Aussie and I decided to have an adventure to Marco Island, over on the Gulf side of the state by Naples. We got a magical parking space after leaving the only parking lot and coming back to it. Then, we headed to the beach.

We spent a good part of the day on the beach, just sitting in the sun and enjoying a good friend and a lovely location. Plus, we had to make the two hour drive worth our while. I forgot my camera (dumb, I know) so all the photos are thanks to The Aussie. This one in particular is awesome because I have some sort of laser beam coming out of my eye like Cyclops from The X-Men. Basically, if the government finds out I'll be taken for experiments.

The sand was made of shells, which means it's virtually impossible to remove from human flesh, but the water was so nice and warm, I actually went in a few times. Oh, and it has been decided that salt water+my hair=hot beach hair. Win! Anyway, here's a view of the beach where we spent our time...

The Aussie drove us home (I drove us there), but not without a stop for ice cream. We stopped at, I think it was, a 7-11, where we discovered a magical treat called the Twix ice cream bar. Soooooo good...

When we got back to Miami, our friend and co-worker Tanya (the one I went to Ireland with, remember?) made us hamburgers on her brand new grill. And honestly, what's Memorial Day weekend without hamburgers on the grill? The Aussie and I had spent a good portion of the day taunting Tanya about the meal, since we both wanted her to come to the beach with us instead of staying home. The meal was delicious, and the company equally so.

Yeah, it was a good day. :)

Much love.

Trip to Tampa!

I know, I know. You all want to hear about Ireland. But all things in due time. First, I want to talk about the Junior class trip to Busch Gardens. I arrived at school at 4:25 a.m. That's in the morning. I was AT SCHOOL at 4:25 in the cotton pickin' morning! I clearly made a bad choice by going! But we pretty much have to do that, so we can maximize park time. You see, Busch Gardens is in Tampa, which is anywhere from 4-5 hours away. It took us about 5 to get there, with one breakfast stop somewhere along the way.

We stopped for breakfast at a Chick-Fil-A/Burger King and I chose the Chick. It was my second Chick-Fil-A experience, and everyone raves about it, but I've never found it that impressive. Ahh well, fast food breakfast is fast food breakfast, and there was a biscuit involved, so it wasn't so bad.

We got to the park around 11 or so, and had until 6 to explore. I'd never been before, and it was free since I was a chaperon, so it was basically all good. When I first entered the park, I was greated by this guy, one of many, many topiary throughout the place.

Now, Busch Gardens has nothing on Disney as far as story is concerned--I didn't really "get" the park. The three roller coasters all had these weird names, and there were all sorts of motifs happening as far as landscaping. This is probably my favorite. :)

We didn't get to ride much because we had to eat lunch and check in with the kids. Eating lunch wasn't so bad, but the kids take forever to show up and we have to wait for all of them, and call the ones who don't show, and give detentions to the ones who are late. Plus, the group of teachers I was hanging with was a bit too large to be conducive to productive decision-making, so we wasted time just deciding what the heck to do. I rode two roller coasters, one called Montu and the other called SheiKra (which I secretly called "Shakira"). They were both pretty intense, but SheiKra was the "new" one and it has, basically, a 90 degree drop, at the top of which they let you sit for a few seconds to ponder your life and make yourself right with God. But it was super fun. I've only recently gotten back into riding roller coasters; I was scared of them for a long time. But now I realize they're actually kinda great. Even so, the anticipation of the fear is always the worst... As you can see!

It turned out to be beautiful weather as well, so that was a blessing. I had a great time, even though I was exhausted and leaving for Ireland the next day and my life was not my own for about four days. I wanted to go on the trip last year but couldn't for some reason so I'm glad I finally made it.

Here's me on my way out of the park, by one last topiary. There are tons of them!


Okay, so I've been admittedly horrible about updating both this blog and my pictures lately, but I just made an album on Facebook with pictures from January-March of this year. If you're not on Facebook, you can view it here.

I'll update about my amazing Ireland trip soon!

Much love.

Gettin' My Culture On

I've been getting my culture on lately. I've gone to several performances in the past couple of weeks. It kind of makes my nerd heart happy.

The first was an event my Russian friend invited me to. She's a Russian ballerina who works, at least at one of her jobs, for a non-profit that promotes the arts. Through her work, she got tickets to the Presidential Scholar's performances here, and I went to the dance/film one with her. It's basically a gathering of amazingly talented high school seniors that are up for the President's prize--apparently a very big deal. There were, if I recall, about fifteen dancers and five film makers who showcased their talents that night.

The film makers, for the most part, seemed pretty cool, and the dancers were mostly awesome. There was one kid who choreographed his own piece, and it was spectacular. As he was dancing it with his partner, I knew that something special was taking place. They were perfectly, and I mean EXACTLY, in sync with each other. That kid has amazing talent. If there is a single winner (a point I'm still unclear on), I hope it was him. There were even two tappers! I loved them, of course. The best part was the finale of "Single Ladies." You haven't lived until you've seen "Single Ladies" done in a tutu. Life. Changing. :)

Then that Sunday, I went to see a co-worker, The Aussie, perform in The Taming of the Shrew for Shakespeare in the Park. The performance as at The Barnacle (if you can remember that far back, I went there two Independence days ago). The show was great (and free), and even if the evening didn't go exactly as I planned (I got stood up... awesome), I had a great time with a friend, a bottle of wine, and my love, Willy S.

The performance was interesting, considering the subject matter of the play. At the end, Katarina gives a speech about how women should submit to their husbands and blah, blah, crap, so it's pretty tough for modern audiences to get it, or to relate to it and not hate it. The way it was played in this show was that Katarina was sort of in on the bet at the end--she was saying all that chauvinistic stuff to win the bet, not because she believed it. It made the play go down a little better. And The Aussie was great in the show--she seemed to play an Elizabethan, cartoon, version of herself. It was brilliant. And I loved her GIANT orange wedding hat. That thing was brilliant!

The next day, Monday, I went to the Panthers vs. the Thrashers at the Bank Atlantic Center, which some of you will remember is the site of realized dreams, where I met Donny, Danny, Jordan, Joey, and Jonathan. *sigh* Anyway, I heart hockey, and even though the Panthers are a far cry from my Wingies, it's still hockey. Or something like it. Unfortunately, Tiffany and I missed the only goal of the night because we were in the bathroom (bad decisions, clearly). We did, however, get nachos--the magical sort of "nachos" that are sold at sporting events and movie theaters that are really just chips and "cheese"--so all was well with the world. I was very grateful for another fun, free night of entertainment.

The next night, I went to see Eric and he showed me a magical little treasure of a place called SpecialTEA, a tea house out by FIU's campus. The place was brilliant. I had a decaf grapefruit tea that was DELICIOUS, and the food was good as well. It was great! If I went to FIU, I'd probably move in.

That Friday was Winter Formal, where, of course, I was a chaperon. Despite the dance floor smelling like Caesar dressing and teenagers sweating (you can't imagine how gross it was), the dance seemed to go well and the kids seemed to have a good time. We had to kick them out at midnight (a good sign) and didn't have to stay too late picking up. I didn't even take a picture, although it's sort of a tradition that I do. It really wasn't that exciting, I guess, and I was just happy to bring home a few roses and leave the hotel before 1 am.

The next day (I know, I know. The fun is exhausting, but stick with me!), Tiffany and I went to the South Beach Comedy Festival show called "Friends of the Daily Show." It was three stand-up comics: Rory Albanese, Rob Riggle, and John Oliver. Tiffany won free tickets to the show for recycling electronics on campus (I won a canvas bag and a DVD!), so it was awesome. I've been here three years now and always meant to go to a show for the Comedy Festival, and never managed it. But this year the stars aligned or something and I made it! The show was good, and it was great to see three comics instead of the standard one. All the guys were funny, although the acoustics of our seats were kind of... awkward. And I was sitting next to THE RUDEST people EVER. This one dumb you-know-what kept talking AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS about asinine garbage that had NOTHING to do with the show. AND she was on her cell phone CONSTANTLY. I just want to meet that girl's mother and slap her. And then slap her daughter. Luckily, they left after two comics.

The last guy, John Oliver, is British so I had a bit of a hard time understanding what he was saying, due to a thick accent coupled with the aforementioned awkward acoustics. I'm pretty sure he was funny though. A good laugh is always a welcome friend. :)

Then last Sunday were my last two culturally enriching events. My friend The Russian was performing in a show called "The Steadfast Tin Solider" at a children's theater here. She played The Ballerina (Remember I mentioned she is one?) and so we went to see her show. She did a great job (duh) and it was a cool show, definitely for kids, but a cool show. Although the mimey emo puppet guy was kind of creepy... Anyway, the best part was when she came to the side of the stage trying to look all somber, and then saw us and started smiling. :) It was cute.

After the show, we went to RA for some eats and drinks, but I couldn't stay too long because I promised a friend I'd go see his band, which turns out to be awesome, play. They played at a "Battle of the Bands" show at a pub called Churchill's, which I fell in love with immediately. It's this crappy little dive of a place, and apparently where Marilyn Manson played his first show ever. It's sort of historic for punk music, I guess.

So anyway, I headed out there with a friend and watched The Albany (this is me starting the buzz...) rock out. Turns out, they're great. I totally dug their stuff... Now if they'd only play on less school nights I could maybe become, like, a groupie or something. lol

I've had an amazing last week or so. I love being busy, and it's great that we had midterms all week and I don't have any grading at the moment because things are just getting started again. I need to take advantage of it!

See you all soon.
Much love.

The REAL Disney Magic

Going to Disney at Christmas was the BEST way to start my Christmas vacation. It was perfect--although a bit cold.

Friday after the Faculty Christmas Luncheon (I won beer again, woot!) Tanya and I headed to Orlando. I bought a Disney vacation package about a year ago and couldn't book it when Liz was in town, so I decided to save it for Christmas, and I'm SO glad I did. It was three nights at a resort and two tickets for two people to two parks at Disney. The drive up was a little intense because it had been raining ALL DAY and it continued to rain into the evening, but we got there in about 4 hours and had an early and relaxing night at the resort.

The next day we decided to hit the park in the afternoon and stay until the fireworks at night, so we needed something to do in the morning. The front desk recommended this place called WonderWorks, which was like a sciency play place. It was pretty fun, I have to say. It was a perfect morning.

Here's me in a space suit... My shoulders were too broad to really fit inside. lol

And here's me laying on a bed of nails. Surprisingly comfortable!

Yay for nerdiness on vacation!

After lunch at WonderWorks, Tanya and I headed to the Magic Kingdom where we were planning to meet Lora and her friend Sammy. Tanya and I got to Disney just in time to get a prime spot for Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Parade. Yay Disney Christmas magic!

Here's me on a decorated light pole. Can't resist the cheesy photo ops!

Once we met up with Lora and Sammy, we headed to Space Mountain (new and refurbished!). It was worth the 90 minute wait! We also rode The Haunted Mansion (it was kinda special and delayed, lol), the Jungle Cruise (pun-tastic!), and I think that was all! I just wanted Disney Christmas magic, so the rides didn't matter that much.

At 6:15, they have a Castle lighting ceremony that was perfect. I almost cried it was so beautiful. And I found out Tinkerbell is actually a Tinker-tranny (she's played by a boy), which was kind of magical in it's own way. lol.

So anyway, Cinderella's Castle gets all lit up for Christmas, and it's so pretty and magical it makes me want to cry. This picture doesn't even do it justice at all, but here's a group photo.

*sigh*

The next day, Tanya and I went to Animal Kingdom, which I wanted to see because I've never gotten the chance. Here's the Christmas tree that greeted us.

I actually ran into a high school friend in line for Everest, the first ride we made it onto. She gave us the scoop on what to see, so we had a plan for the day. Everest was fun (a roller coaster type ride), and I wanted to be sure to go on the safari, and the "It's Tough to be a Bug" show in the Tree of Life, and the dinosaur ride was a must as well. We actually tried to do the dinosaur thing first, but it was broken so we had to wait and come back. The lines, though, weren't bad at all. I don't think we waited more than an hour to do anything.

Okay, so the safari was cool. You basically ride around and, like, see animals and crap. There's a story line to it, just like with every ride at Disney, but I just wanted to see the animals, and see animals I did. Here's one of the giraffes next to a Baobab tree. Awesome.

After the safari we managed to make it onto the dinosaur ride, and here's our souvenir photo to prove it. :)

By far the coolest thing at Animal Kingdom is the Tree of Life. It's the central focal point of the park, kind of like Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom, and I'd seen a special on it on the Travel Channel. Up close, it's beautiful. It's intricately carved and extremely beautiful.

After our animal-filled morning, we headed back to the resort to chill for a bit. I napped and Tanya watched the end of the Dolphins game. That night, we went to Downtown Disney to play at Disney Quest and eat dinner. Disney Quest was fun, it's a bunch of virtual reality type games and activities, and I got a cute little boyfriend from Honduras who told me I was cute on the Magic Carpet game. We were in love for two minutes and it was awesome. lol

We ate dinner at The House of Blues, then went back to Disney Quest until 9:45, when we went to see The Princess and the Frog. I kind of love the fact that I saw a Disney movie at Disney. And it was a good movie, too. I really enjoyed it!

The next morning, we ate breakfast at a Waffle House, which makes me so happy. Waffle House brings happiness to my soul, I can't even lie. We were back in Miami by 2 after a great weekend.

I'm currently back in Michigan for the holiday and I'll be here til the 30th. I'm excited to be here and can't wait for it to snow!

Merry Christmas and much love.

The Holidays are Upon Us...

I know... It's been too long. I'm sorry about that, but I DO have a lot to update about, so get ready!

First of all, I meant to mention in my last post that, well, a while ago now, UM had an advanced screening of Precious and Tiffany and I went. That movie... was brutal and beautiful all at the same time. It's hard to describe it--it's almost so shocking you don't even react to it. I dunno... I'm really happy I saw it, and everyone in that movie or that had anything to do with it deserves a nomination of some variety. It was definately an experience, and I would reccomend the movie. But be prepared for brutality.

Now onto my Thanksgiving celebration. I went to Eric's house on FIU's campus and he made an amazing turkey. It was only his second bird, but man, was it good! He's a winner, ladies and gentlemen! In fact, here he is with our little friend...

I contributed pumpkin pie (which Rent-A-Husband ate four pieces of) and rosemary, garlic, and goat cheese mashed potatoes, which were DElicious. Rent-A-Husband made stuffing (enough that I ate it for the next two weeks) and sangria which was like the nectar of the gods. Here's our little bartender doing what he does best...

Eric's friend Lora was also in attendance, and she's super fun and awesome. It was a tiny but lovely little party. Afterwards, we played Apples to Apples and this happened...

There is no coincidence, my friends. :)

Also in the holiday spirit, Tiffany and I had a Winter Party to celebrate all things winter. We had our tree up and made wintery food (cheese and beer soup, ham, hot chocolate) and had people over for a potluck. However, we had to clear some counter space to put out all the food (there were crock pots, plural, involved) so we put the liquor in my bathtub. I thought it would be hilarious to take a picture with all of it so... I did!

Nothing says "Joy of the Holidays" quite like a bathtub full of liquor. Nose and horns provided by Tiffany.

And this is our happy little holiday crew, minus Bubba, who's still in Michigan. :(

The night ended, as so many good nights do, with Apples to Apples. But for some reason, I wasn't winning like I usually do. Totally disappointing. Anyway, it was a great time and thanks to everyone who was there! :)

Oh, and just for good measure, here's our tree this year. Tiffany did it in purple. Quite pretty.

Let's see, what else? Two weekends ago I went to Orlando to with Eric to see RENT with the original Mark and Roger. I actually met Anthony Rapp (Mark) in college; he came to Grand Valley for a talk and he signed my CD and sang and talked for a bit. It was awesome. And seeing Adam Pascal (Roger) live has been a dream of mine since I first saw the show in 1997 or 8. I LOVE his voice--I want to liquefy it, put it in a tank, and shower in it every day. That's how magical it is to me. Seeing the both of them was a dream come true--no lie--and I enjoyed it so much. Plus, it was great to spend a day in Orlando with Eric and Lora, and even Lora's mom. It was so, so, so great.

Last weekend I spent at school for ETC #59, which was, as usual, great. I'm always blown away by the ETC experience and the kids that attend. This one was particularly emotionally exhausting for several reasons, but we all made it through and are better for it. I gave the talk on trust and it went pretty well, and a kid was actually able to open up to me about some stuff that was going on with her that she doesn't share, so that was awesome.

Speaking of... one of my kids stayed after school twice this week and, like, poured her heart out to me. It was great, in a way, because I think she really just needed to talk and have someone listen, but in another way it was so tough on me because, like, how do you convince a 17 year old girl she's not in love? Or that there WILL be other boys who will love her? It was hard, but I was there for her so hopefully, that's what she needed. She said to me before she left that she'd heard that sometimes God speaks through other people, and that maybe I was one of those people. I really hope that's true.

Anyway, at the moment I'm killing time before Tanya gets here because we're going to Orlando today! I want to see Disney at Christmas, so I'm really excited.

Wish is safe travels and I'll be in Michigan on Tuesday!

Much love.