List Of The Day

Was pointed to this blog by another blog I read. Meta-blogging is the best...blogging about blogs. Anyway, the post today is pretty awesome!

The Gossip

So I just got back from the engagement party of Bec and Adam, my west coast family. They are one of many friends who are diving into major life events in 2008. Consider this as close as I get to Perez:

-Ali is preggers!
-Terps is engaged!
-Nazli is engaged!

You may not know these people, but if you did, you'd be happy happy for them!

Happy Birthday Jebus!

I wish as many people followed the values of JC as celebrated Christmas, but as the Stones said...you can't always get what you want.

Hope you got some of what you wanted this holiday season!

Really?

I think that if you have so much food that you can't hold your wine, you may need to rethink things.

Faculty Fun Time!

Today for our 10 minutes of faculty fun, we had the first annual medley relay. This brought back memories of the Inter-departmental Olympics at FHS (2005). Today we had teams of five competing in a relay of sharpening pencils (with those hand-sharpeners), collating and stapling paper, grading a multiple choice test, running around the school with a coffee cup, and board writing. My team came in 4th of 5 or 6, but it was a riot. It really helped to end the first day of finals with something mindless.

Riding Off Into The Sunrise

Today is the day that's been on the horizon for the past four months. Today, Patagonia Boy leaves California, on his way back to the east coast. I realize details are a bit fuzzy on the Boy. The gist is that he was in Tahoe doing a co-op at a civil engineering firm and he's going back to finish his degree so he can graduate in August. Before you start calling me Mrs. Robinson, like JD did this morning, the Boy is 24 11/12 and three years behind the usual schedule of college graduation. I'm robbing no cradle.

Not sure what will happen from here on out, but we had a fun time while we were both on this coast. I'm certainly hooked on beautiful Tahoe and glad I had an excuse to play there this fall.

Finals start today. I give mine on Friday and I'm trying to write it as I type. It's going to be stress and sleep deprivation until I get on the plane Saturday morning!

My New Addiction

This website: http://www.travelpod.com/traveler-iq

The best thing for killing time during my free periods since Sudoku.

Hitting The Slopes

200th post!

I was talking to my aunt recently and she asked about Patagonia Boy and what sports he does. I told her that he is a hiker, rock climber, and skier. Her response was, "Skiing...that's not your most intuitive sport. We need to get you out on the slopes." I didn't ski until I was 18 (1998) and then again in 2004. I don't think I've skied more than that (I am convinced there's another time but it's not coming to me). So, Patagonia Boy has his work cut out for him.

It snowed in Tahoe on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I met Matt and his friend Willy as they finished night skiing at Boreal on Friday night (after a very tentative ride up the hill...clear roads but I've spun on black ice before and I've never driven Lighting in the snow. On Saturday, we got a late start (what can I say...he brings out the late sleeper in me) and went to Alpine Meadows Ski and hiked. I was on snowshoes...which did no good because the snow was totally powder and I sunk straight down. Matt hiked in his new tele gear and skied down. There was a "drizzle" of snow all day Saturday, which was totally what I was wishing for...no snow on my drive to or from but snow while I was there. Sunday, we got up at a reasonable hour and were about to ski for about five hours. I got a Learn To Ski pass, which was a beginner ski lift ticket, rental, and lesson. Despite being totally discouraged at first (it's not totally intuitive), I played around for a bit and finally got the courage to get on the lift. It ended up being great fun...it's not totally intuitive, but I'm not a disaster either. Hopefully, I didn't embarrass the boy too much. It was fun...maybe we'll do it again next weekend.

I Love California...but...

1. No Teddy peanut butter. I haven't bought peanut butter since I've been here because I can't find what I want.
2. No Fields of Mint tea by Republic of Tea (at least not at Whole Foods where I used to buy it).
3. No mint flavored No Pudge brownie mix (sources: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Save Mart).
4. No seltzer in cans. And definitely no Polar Lime seltzer. No where!
5. Can you get UNSWEETENED dried cranberries anywhere in this country?
6. Partial highlights for my hair cost almost 50% more.

There's more...it'll come to me during my next trip to the grocery store.

I've Been Tagged

Boo. I adore Amy and her blog but I hate the feeling of obligation from tagging. Here are the rules:

The rules of tagging are as follows:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven random facts:

1. I had a dream the other night about proving sin^2 + cos^2 = 1 with my junior prom date.
2. I have never seen any of the Indiana Jones movies, Lord of the Ring movies, James Bond movies, or Titanic. Patagonia Boy is gasping.
3. I have a fear that my arches will fall.
4. I didn't like having anything around my neck (turtlenecks, necklaces, hands, etc) until I was about 17.
5. I have a strict rule that I will not wear running shoes for anything other than running. Period. And I always run in the road against traffic...even if you flash your lights, honk and yell at me...I'm not moving.
6. My alarm goes off every night at 8:30pm reminding me that I should already be in bed.
7. When my students come talk to me while I'm doing work on the computer, I like to freak them out by looking at them while I'm still typing.

The only reason I will continue this is to share some cool blogs with you. However, I'm not going to leave comments on these blogs letting them know they have been tagged. Spam is not kosher. But here are the top 7 blogs I read every day: Perez Hilton, Blah Blah Blah, The "Blog" of Unnecessary Quotations, Crummy Church Signs, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, Ed and Marisa in Europe, and This is Framingham. Oh and let's throw in Good Magazine too.

Brian Boitano and Barry Manilow...finally

One of my colleagues, not a homosexual mind you, was invited to this event by a friend who won the tickets. From the SF Gate: On Wednesday, AT&T park will be the scene of a live show, "Aflac Presents Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular," starring Barry Manilow singing eight numbers. The skating will include performances by several other Olympic medalists: Dorothy Hamill, David Pelletier and Viktor Petrenko. The show will be taped for future airings on NBC and the Style Network. Costumes have been designed by American Conservatory Theater wardrobe whiz Beaver Bauer. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the George Mark Children's House, which serves children with terminal illnesses.

Did you ever think all your dreams would come true? I hope there are pictures...

Love Love Love...

Natalie Portman. I'm not afraid to say how much I love her. She's 26 and she's got that Jackie O-Audrey Hepburn kind of grace. She's well spoken, never gets negative press, and she has real-people eyebrows. There's a video from an interview with the Times here...just click the play button on the lower right.

Giving

The countdown is on: Chanukkah in two days, Solstice in 19 days, Christmas in 23 days, and Baby Jesus's B-day in 23 days too. While you're trying to get all the gifts on your list, don't forget to give to some organizations that make your life (or someone else's) a bit better.

Recycline Rules

One of my favorite companies, Recycline, has added to their product line. They've introduced cutting boards, storage containers, and colanders, under their Preserve line, made of 100% recycled #5 plastic and 100% recycled paper. Check them out here and at Whole Foods. I exclusively use their toothbrushes which are made from Stonyfield Farm yogurt containers. Wherever you buy the toothbrushes you can get a free mailer to send the toothbrush back to the company when it's done all it can for you and it will be made into plastic lumber. And they are based in Waltham, MA!

Crazy Videos

Mom emailed me this one. This reminds me of most young engineers I know. They just like to make crazy contraptions.



And this American Idol alum. One word: Wow.

Leaving Tahoe

Here are some pretty shots as we drove from Tahoe to Truckee to get Matt's car Sunday night. I had never driven this route to Rte 80 and it was great timing on Sunday night. I think this view makes a pretty good argument for living in Lake Tahoe. If only they had a Whole Foods and a progressive charter school.

Olympic Fever

Squaw Valley! Home of the 1960 Olympics and just a short drive from Lake Tahoe. Since there's no snow, it was a great opportunity for us to go to up the tram at the ski resort.

The round trip is $20 but it's only another $6 to go ice skating at the top. I was amused by the sign inside that said "110 + 1" persons. I'm not sure how that's different than 111 but I guess it is.

This is the view looking down from the tram at the resort and the horse stable area. The snow you see is all machine-made but there were some avid people out doing tricks on their snowboards and sledding on the bunny hills. I'm getting excited from some winter (one on coast or the other).

At "High Camp," there is a pool, tennis courts, restaurants, the ice rink, and the Olympic Museum. The Museum was pretty good, but more of a display. They had some pages from the official bid document. They committee had written things like, "Do the athletes want the Games to be in California? Ask them." It was so 1950's. We had a fun skate with a view of the lake. I'm not as stable on blades as I am on the box pattern of roller skates, but I worked up a sweat nonetheless. Being at Squaw and seeing all the pictures of the Games made me doubly excited for Vancouver in 2010. Now I just have to figure out how I'll be able to take off work for two weeks in a random February.

Mono Lake

East of Yosemite is Lee Vining, CA, a cute litle town of about 400 people and one big salty lake. This is Lake Mono which is very salty and makes these things called tufas. They are limestone structures that form as the calcium in fresh water under the lake comes in contact with the salty lake water. They kind of grow underwater, but that's all I can really tell you. I wasn't too smart on Saturday, evidenced by the fact that I asked Matt, "have you ever swam in salt water?" After he looked at me funny for about 10 seconds, I realized how ridiculous a question that is. I guess I was thinking of really salty water.

We stayed to watch the moonrise over the lake and headed back to Tahoe. We drove through Carson City and saw gas for $3.12! The latest update from the west coast is that we are spending about $3.50 a gallon. But, Matt did set a Lightning gas mileage record with a tank at 33.7 mpg! So, all the driving we did was at least done with some efficiency.

We're Walking...We're Walking

We got to the trailhead to North Dome around 11am and after putting our food in the bear box, we commenced walking. I was a little worried that the first 0.7 miles was downhill (i.e. it would be uphill on the way back), but Matt reminded me that we would actually have to lose elevation to get to North Dome. One thing about the Sierras that makes it very different from East Coast hiking is that in places you don't really need a trail because you're hiking on granite or you can easily navigate to the peak because the trees are a lot less dense. We left the trail to get a nice view of the valley below and didn't actually make it all the way to North Dome but enjoyed our time in the sun for a few hours.

Here's the view we got of Half Dome. While I'll definitely make that hike some day, it was cool to see it and its enormity on this trip.

And here's how Matt ended the hike...climbing this rock by the bear boxes. I'd like to pretend I could have followed suit, but after seeing him work at it, my chances of falling seemed likely and my calves were kind of yelling at me for all that I've been making them do for me lately.

Taking Nothing For Granite

When I picked Matt up on Wednesday night, one of the first things he said was, "do you want to go to Yosemite?" Obviously, I want to go to Yosemite and he meant that we should go this weekend. His friends from Boston had blown into Tahoe and suggested that we meet up there after Thanksgiving. Well, his friends didn't actually get around to coming but we went anyway, despite the fact that they were supposed to bring Matt's duffel bag of tent, sleeping bag, and more warm clothes. I was nervous that the place would be crazy with tourists enjoying a long weekend, but we were able to get an unheated cabin in Curry Village, which is right in Yosemite Valley, underneath Half Dome and Glacier Point. The picture of the village is looking west at North Dome, which we hiked on Saturday.



We arrived at Yosemite, after about a four hour drive from the East Bay and I got my first glimpse of the place. The drive itself was pretty spectacular with lots of farms for the first three hours and then climbing up to 7000 feet for the last hour. We came in on 120, headed east, which leads you right into the Valley where you look up at Yosemite Falls (no running water right now), El Capitan, and Half Dome. It's just crazy to see these rocks looming around, the setting sun keeping Half Dome lit up, and the nearly full moon rising. There was just too much beauty, especially looking up outside our cabin to see Glacier Point lit up by the moon.

There were lots of signs about campgrounds being full and the penalties if you sleep in your car, so I was relieved when we were able to score a cabin. It came with sheets and wool blankets and towels, could sleep five in beds, and was only $53 a night. Not too bad. Below is a picture of Matt on Saturday morning, trying to get warm. We were pretty warm sleeping under lots of blankets and snuggled in my sleeping bag, but it was very chilly once you tried to do anything vertically in the cabin. Since it was dark at around 5:30 pm, we tried playing Rummy 500 before bed...I'm glad Matt decided we should play Rummy 225 and then beat me quickly because I was having trouble holding the cards my hands were so cold. We had aspirations to wake up early and hike the 8 miles up to Half Dome, but we just couldn't force ourselves to get up. We slept in, had a nice breakfast at the lodge, and drove to the other side of North Dome and hiked toward the Valley from the north.

Turkey Trot

The good news is that I've started running again. It's relatively painless, which is probably a result of low mileage and an every-other-day routine. It's been fun to run again, even though most of my miles are on the treadmill since daylight is so limited when I'm not in school. I do relish the days when I can run outside. Thanksgiving Day was one of those days. Patagonia Boy came down on Wednesday night and despite the fact that he keeps much later hours than me, I was able to get out of the house early for my own Turkey Trot (while Matt slept for another two hours). It was a fun run...even more fun because I didn't have to race anyone (but I also didn't get a free t-shirt...boo). I saw THREE corgis too! What a great way to start the day.

After some yummy omelets, we cooked the sweet potatoes and headed off to the West Coast Bagg's. We had a great dinner, heard things like, "is a frog's butt watertight" and had a nice passagiatta under a nearly full moon on a night that felt pretty much like Thankgiving should...just a bit nippy.

How To Save An Egg

Here are some shots of my students trying out their egg drop projects. I didn't get all the details about the requirements, but it's basically your typical Physics project: keep the egg from breaking. I saw about 16 drops and only two breaks. Both of these designs passed the test. The one with the plastic bag parachute was totally unexpected. The egg was in a water bottle wrapped in a washcloth. When it hit the ground it bounced up at least two feet and we thought for sure that the egg would not survive the impact. But, it did! Pretty cool.

Ah To Be 17 Again...

If you knew me in high school, you also knew "Volksie," our 1976 Gold Bug that my parents bought to take the chauffeuring burden off my mother. As I drove back from my Sonoma weekend, I saw this on the side of the road in Menlo Park. It's a 1972 Superbeetle going for $4100. Trust me, I considered it. But, having two vehicles that have no buisness going to Tahoe if it snows might not be the best move. It's rare to see this color on a Beetle. I didn't get a look at the mileage but it was in pretty good shape...except for the new radio installed. There are some things that just shouldn't be modernized.

Sonomaluma

I am seriously behind on the blog. I'll do my best to catch up here in the next few days. Two weeks ago, Matt and I headed to wine country. We spent a rainy Saturday at the Cline and Benziger Wineries. Sonoma is beautiful almost any time of year, but I really liked seeing it in the fall. The vines are all turning yellow and things are slowed down a bit in terms of wine production. The Cline winery had a free tasting room (bonus). The wines there were quite good, especially the Carignane (pronounced Karen-yawn but not in a way that sounds silly). We headed up to Benziger and watched the tour go by us, went back south to Gloria Ferrer for a tour (they were not running due to the rain), and then back up to Benziger. I was determined to do this tour because of their biodynamic practices. Biodynamic grape growing is kind of like organic. They don't use pesticides but they do a lot more than that. They have insectaries, which are gardens that attract the bugs and species that eat the bad bugs. They make and use their own compost from the unused parts of the grapes. They are thoughtful about what varieties should be planted where based on soil, sun, and micro-climate. They also grow other crops (on a very small scale) and have animals on the property to keep the land healthy. Matt and I were totally happy at this place, learning about how to take our ideals about how you should treat land and still be able to make a good product for a wide audience. I also like that this winery is educating a lot of people about eco-friendly practices...people who were probably just there for the wine. We tasted a bunch of wines and bought two whites.

We went to Petaluma for the night and found a great restaurant called Dempsey's. They have a farm a bit north where they grow a lot of veggies used in their dishes and I think raise animals for the restaurant (perhaps including Matt's pork chop). I highly recommend this restaurant and hope to return...one of those places whose menu changes with the seasons. We drove back to Tahoe on Sunday and I got to meet some of Matt's "real" friends from Boston who had just moved to Tahoe. I guess there's a bug going around back east that's making people itch for the west. We had a nice big dinner, which made me miss having roommates and friends around. It was a great weekend.

10K!!!!

Today is my 10,000th day! Not teaching, not in California (as my students guessed)...on this planet. Today was my 10,000th morning, my 10,000th sunset, my 10,000th day that I've known my parents. It was a great day. I started out with a killer Spinning class that almost killed me, four hours of fun with students (watching kids work on proofs with intense persistence is awesome), lots of good talk about education with colleagues, and then a calming but tough Pilates class. It was one of those days filled with things that I love to do. It felt like the perfect 10,000th day...it was just classic me.

It's been a while since I posted. Obviously, life is busy. I've been a regular at the gym when it opens, getting my workout in before I race to work in time for class at 8:15. That means that I'm in bed at an ungodly hour (Aaron used to say..."you know it's still light out, right?") and getting as much done in between as possible.

I recently joined some of my students in reading "Under the Banner of Heaven," Krakauer's book about Mormons and Mormon Fundamentalism. Some of the early history was tedious at times, but the book focuses on a murder case about two brothers who killed their niece and sister-in-law under orders from God. I'm not sure if I would have survived this book if it not for the three young women in my discussion groups (some of my students) who had awesome questions about the book and about religion and what makes people leaders. I am so appreciative to have had the opportunity to interact with my students over something other than math and see how they think outside my classroom. Ahhhh!

I've had four months without homesickness but as Thanksgiving nears, I'm getting close. I'm grateful that I have friends out here to spend the day with, that I will get to have mom's bourbon sweet potatoes (even though it means I have to make them), and that Patagonia (looks more like Mountain Man) will be with me! I've been reading this cute blog called "Confessions of a Pioneer Woman" and she refers to her husband as Marlboro Man (he is totally a cowboy). I think it's cute to have blog names for people. Despite the fact that that the Boy currently lives 230 miles away and will soon be about 3000 and I would love to have him around more, having a long distance relationship has allowed me to maintain some balance with what's important to me: my work, writing letters, reading, getting the sleep I need, and getting my sweat on every morning. I too easily can get wrapped up in a relationship and lose track of myself for a while (also happens when I move). Ideally, we wouldn't have to do this long distance, but I think it's afforded us both the time to do what we came to California to do...to get to know ourselves a bit better and come to be the people we aim to be.

Those are my thoughts at 10,000. I kept thinking today about when I turned 5,000 days (even though I didn't know it at the time). It was shortly after my bat mitzvah. I was starting 8th grade. While there's a lot that's changed, it's funny to think about what hasn't...still have the skin of an adolescent, still pretty much a nerd, still can't see when I open my eyes in the morning, but I still aim to Carpe Diem.

I'll try to write more updates soon and take pictures of the week (I definitely have to share the pictures of my kids and their egg drop projects for Physics). Hope everything is grand wherever you are. I'm appreciating all of you this week. l, m

My First Earthquake!

Holy mackeral! My house shook. It wasn't a bad one, as it didn't shake as much as I'd expect, and I didn't even feel inspired to get out of bed. The glass framed painting over my bed did not come crashing down on me. At first, it felt like when I used to babysit for people and the garage was under the house and the house shook a bit when the garage went up. But then it just kept going. Only about 10 seconds though. Crazytown!

According to this website, it's a 5.6.

Perfect

I don't understand. Ignoring the missing "o." So how does this work? Can you compromise with them about anything?

"Seniors"

Potentially Leah's last game at Homewood, in its 100th year. Here are some picture of "Senior" day. Leah's not a senior, which is why it's in quotes.

One Word

Absolutely!

The Sea Was Angry That Day

The waves in Tahoe were crazy last weekend. So crazy that the crayfish were out of the water and on the shore. We spent about 20 minutes watching them crawl around and then the ducks came along and ate them! So wild!

More of Pretty Tahoe

Last weekend (Oct 20-21), I was supposed to go to Baltimore, but as I sat in the airport, I found out my sister's game was canceled. So, change of plans. Moved the flights to the next weekend, ran home, repacked for Tahoe, and taught two periods at school (while all my students were wondering why I wasn't on a plane). Here are some pretty pictures from a hike up Alpine Meadows (a ski resort just north of the lake). We (mostly) followed one of the ski lifts up to Ward Peak, bushwhacking as much as possible, just like Matt likes it. On our way up, we saw the snow kissed bushes/trees. They are literally covered in snow on just one side (approximately the west side) but totally green on the other side. It's really pretty. I should have paid more attention to what Matt told me about it so I could say more.

The second picture is the view of the lake from the summit of our climb. I've been so lucky to be in Tahoe for such great weather! On the way up, we found some bamboo poles that (again, don't have all the details in my memory) ski patrollers or rescuers use on the mountain. They are flexible and so you can use them to steady behind you as you slide down the mountain. More bushwhacking occurred as we made our own path down the mountain and the poles came in handy. I was very nervous at first, going as slow as one possibly can, but I think I adapted pretty well and picked up the pace as I got more comfortable. Props to Matt for putting up with my nervousness and evil looks and for making me do something that pushed me a bit. Yay for Tahoe fun!

Wicked Busy!

I've neglected posting because things have been very busy around here. Last weekend I was in Tahoe, bushwacking up and down a ski mountain, and this weekend I'm off to Baltimore for some field hockey (postponed from last weekend). So, in between, I'm scrambling to figure out my curriculum and get healthy. Claritin helps and so do the early morning sessions at the Y. Oh yeah, and the Red Sox winning is good too. There will be more soon...

Bad Toyota

On October 3, Thomas Friedman wrote this op-ed in the Times. Here's an excerpt:

"Toyota, which pioneered the industry-leading, 50-miles-per-gallon Prius hybrid, has joined with the Big Three U.S. automakers in lobbying against the tougher mileage standards in the Senate version of the draft energy bill.

Now why would Toyota, which has used the Prius to brand itself as the greenest car company, pull such a stunt? Is it because Toyota wants to slow down innovation in Detroit on more energy efficient vehicles, which Toyota already dominates, while also keeping mileage room to build giant pickup trucks, like the Toyota Tundra, at the gas-guzzler end of the U.S. market?"

So, Toyota is lobbying against a bill that would increase U.S. fuel economy standards for passenger vehicles to 35 m.p.g. by 2020. This doesn't really seem consistent with the message they put out in commercials. If the Big Three are involved, it also doesn't jibe with Chevy's new campaign "gas friendly to gas free."

Go here to tell Toyota to get on the right side of this bill.

Hate Mail

I also think these are kind of awesome. You know it's good when you laugh out loud.

Post It A Day

How awesome is this? See more here.

No Complaints

Here is lovely Pacifica (looking at the hills north of San Francisco). This is where I've been surfing and where I go when I just need some ocean time. Pacifica can often be socked in with fog, but when I went, a few weeks ago, it was the kind of day that the residents brag about to all their landlocked friends.

Busted!

Here's my roommate, Yurtle (Marge and Dorian's tortoise who lives in the back yard). Look at his fig face! He totally ate the figs that fell off our tree. As far as I understand it, he can eat figs, they won't kill him, but they aren't exactly a natural part of the desert tortoise's diet. So, I threw some lettuce at him to distract him. He thinks he's so sneaky, but there's figs all over his face and "arms". I'm totally going to tell on him!

Why My Job Is So Awesome

I sent this article to some of my former Stats students and told them their assignment was to prove the numbers in it. I got the following response on Sunday night (series tied 1-1) from one of my kids who is a sophomore now (absolutely diehard sox fan):

"hahaha i like it, because we are the best team then we will win. I'm so pumped for the rest of the playoffs. I just returned to school after a weekend home in Boston for the two games at Fenway. fridays was a great one to be at and last nights was a great game with a horrible ending. But im still confident that my Sox will take it all....... and less importantly I am taking another stats course this semester and breezing through. I am like the Manny Ramirez of the class. 100 on 2 quizzes and 97 on the test. So it has taken some time but finally all of that hard work you put in teaching pays dividends. hope your enjoying yourself out in Cali and i hope your keeping up with the Sox... keep in touch."

Awesome! I told him how much this made my day but I hoped that he wasn't so much like Manny that he wore his pants awkwardly and had braids/dreads.

But Work Still Leaves Me Brain Dead

First, my kids are awesome. I can only hope to be the teacher that does them justice. I am amazed every day at how open they are to learning math (at least 80% of them). And you may recall that I am teaching four sections of Pre-Calc, which means I'm teaching the same thing four times a day. It's so much better than I anticipated. Each class has such a different feel that it doesn't feel repetitive and it's a good day when I don't have to change too much as I go along.

I had a tired Sunday of trying to get healthy and organized around the house and I just didn't feel like going to the store. So I went today after the field hockey game. This was one of those times when I felt like a moron. I wandered around for at least 30 minutes having no idea what I was doing there. I knew I needed milk (that's easy...no decisions..I've been buying my milk glass bottles and loving it) and maple syrup. I probably spent 10 minutes trying to decide which type of maple syrup I wanted. I know it when I taste it, but I can never remember if it's grade B or A light or A medium or A dark. And after some phone calls and leaving messages, I was no better off. Then it was 20 minutes of literally wandering the aisles looking for lunch inspiration. I have made soup for seven straight weekends before this, all very yummy concoctions, but that wasn't what I was going for this time, but I had no other ideas. It was painful. I was literally laughing out loud in the store at my total lack of brain power. I guess I should stick to shopping on Saturday morning when I'm at my peak.

Happy Camper!

I spend my early evening at The Farm watching #3 Wake Forest field hockey win over the Stanford Cardinal. It was awesome! I can't even begin to say how much I love watching field hockey...I literally forgot about every other thing that occupied my brain the rest of the day.

I will say though how much I miss coaching and playing (sports in general, but definitely field hockey). There's something about being involved in the game that is so exciting to me. Another good consequence of that is that you're away from the parents when you are playing or coaching. I don't know if it's because I played the sport or just who I am as a person, but it's really challenging to sit in the stands and listen to what parents say...they way they say bad things about the other team and the refs, how it should have been this call or someone should get a card. I also found it frustrating to watch Wake beat Stanford 8-0 (it was 5-0 at the half and Stanford was not without their chances but really, 8-0 because you're the #3 team with four losses and you need to make a statement?). As a former athlete, I plea to to spectators...encourage and cheer for good play, no matter who makes it. Be positive. The players learn sportsmanship from you in a lot of ways.

I'll soon be off to Baltimore for the weekend, to see more field hockey action. What a great week!

Do You Have Your Costume?

This is courtesy of cuteoverload.com and I can't look at it without giggling. I was going to wait to post this on Halloween, but decided you all might need a little inspiration for your costumes. I feel like the three on the right have very awkward arms and for that reason, the Krispy Kreme guy totally wins for realism. It really looks like he's going to eat that doughnut as soon as they are done with the picture. I have so many questions about this picture. Did someone make these costumes or can you get them in a store? Would it be a dog store or a Halloween store? When you make or buy the costumes, do you have to specify the breed? How were the costumes assigned to each dog? Was this taken right before they all went trick-or-treating? Are the neighbors prepared with dog friendly treats?

In related news, I don't have a costume yet. I guess it's traditional for the faculty at my school to dress up. If I still have a sore throat at that point, maybe I'll have to be a mime. Or maybe Lindsay Lohan...since she's been in rehab she's been pretty quiet but loving the hair extensions.

Mmmmt. Tallac

Known for its stunning views, Mt. Tallac did not disappoint. We had amazing weather...warm, calm, and clear. The view from the summit (9,735 ft) gives you a nearly unobstructed view of the whole lake, which is nothing short of breathtaking. We started at the Mt. Tallac trailhead (6,480 ft) at 11:30 and summited at 2:30, which is not too bad given that I was dealing with the combination of exercise-induced asthma and only 20 hours to acclimate to being above sea level. My calves made a little bit of noise on the way up (running injury), but did not persist, which made me optimistic until I dealt with extreme soreness in them Sunday and Monday. Matt set the pace well for me and having him in front of me kept me focused and moving.


Here we are...Matt's pretending he's taller than me and I'm happy that the altitude didn't kill me. We spent an hour at the summit enjoying "lunch" (Chewonki style), the views, and a crazy chipmunk who was totally unafraid of me while I freaked out everytime it came within three feet of me. I'm not sure why I don't have the instinct to scare animals away...I am ridiculously bigger than a chipmunk, but it's not what I think to do. Matt spent most of the hour dreaming about skiing down the this mountain when the snow comes. He hopes it comes really soon, while I wouldn't mind a bit more time to get more hikes like this in. We hustled down in two hours, as fast as our knees would let us. It was so much fun! The round trip is about 9.6 miles, so not too crazy, but you do have to work for it. We elevated our legs when we got back to the car...something I try to do whenever I hike or run...I guess to speed the recovery. It worked for my knees and quads but not the calves. We drove back to Tahoe City by finishing the counter-clockwise loop of the lake, driving through South Lake Tahoe and Nevada. It's very touristy in that part and of course, the casinos indicate the state line. Tahoe City, where Matt lives, is smaller and more mellow than the south and it's an easy drive to anthing you'd want (except Whole Foods and an independent movie theater), which makes it pretty ideal as a place to land if you like to be outdoors. Overall, great weekend. Maybe next time, I'll have a use all those sweaters I brought.

The Weather Confused Us...

On Friday, it snowed in Tahoe, so Matt gave me a revised packing list...which included lots of thick socks, long underwear, puffy warm jacket, 2 hats, gloves, etc. And it might look like all that was necessary. But this was the most snow I saw while I was there.


There was snow, but as Matt's back demonstrates, it was not cold on Saturday. We were quite toasty on the hike up Mt. Tallac, although at this point, Matt actually had his shirt on. You stay classy, Tahoe.

Beautiful Emerald Bay

This is Emerald Bay, which juts off the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe. Another reason why Tahoe is so lovely. I mean, look at the color of that water. I am totally in support of keeping Tahoe blue.

Snow!

I spent the weekend in Tahoe and this was the view as I drove (about a mile from the Emigrant Gap exit off I-80, 30 miles from Truckee). It snowed in Tahoe on Friday (this is Saturday afternoon), which made some people (Matt) really happy. I think I would be more excited about the possibility of snowshoeing this winter if I wasn't so scared about driving my car on this road in anything other than the weather in this picture.

More Faculty Fun Time!

Sorry this is a dark picture, but here's a David taking his best shot at the Diego pinata. One of our teachers, who is named Diego, received this pinata for his birthday. I can't think of a better way to celebrate than to beat up a miniature version of him. Big Diego was the one who finally busted open little Diego. It was quite fun indeed and the bar is raised higher for Faculty Fun Time.

Why I Haven't Called...

Many of you have heard that my phone doesn't work in my house (I think this has something to do with a) Verizon being shut out of the towers here near Stanford and b) the materials that make up the houses here). If you call me, I have to stand outside to get reception. I am the Verizon commercial (can you hear me now)...except no one can actually hear me. It's actually getting a bit cold here at night, so sitting in my car talking on the phone isn't high on my list of desirable things to do.

I did come up with some solutions:

1. While I'm at my house, my calls are forwarded to my house phone. As far as I can tell, when you call me, Verizon thinks you're calling my cell phone and so if you're in my network, this is a great solution as the chatting is free. The down side is that I can't call you unless I stand outside and ask you to call me back.

2. Skype. I've got it. So, if you like to sit in front of your computer and talk on the phone, we can talk there.

I know...these aren't the best ideas ever. I've been to Verizon and they updated my software. That didn't help too much. When my contract is up with Verizon in February, I'm hoping that a new phone may help or maybe a local number. I really have no idea how this works. Since most people I talk to are on Verizon, I'd rather not leave them as a company, but I wish it didn't feel like they own me.

Giddy Weekend!

So, I had a few days being as giddy as I get. Thursday I saw #2 Stanford women's volleyball beat #4 USC in straight sets! They were pretty dominant, continuing their win streak. Then on Saturday, I got to run around the golf course, following the Stanford XC teams win at the Stanford Invitational meet. Arguably, many of their Pac-10 rivals were up in Oregon competing, but the Cardinal looked to be in very good shape. I love cross country meets for many reasons: I have a clear use for the cowbell (although I was shocked that I only saw two other people with one), you are basically running around yourself, going back and forth between different parts of the course to catch the leaders as much as possible, and everyone there loves runners. I was in heaven.

Last Lecture

What would you say in your last lecture?

Randy Pausch gives his. This might just have to be required viewing for my mentor group.

If Only It Came In Black...

...then I'd totally get one. This is me, totally awake at 9pm, after my ride in the Tesla Roadster. It's Lotus meets Electric Vehicle. It's been in the press lots in the last few months for its sleek looks and lack of a petroleum habit. It's not even being produced yet (just prototypes) and yet they've already sold a bunch of them, including one to George Clooney. You can get one too for $100,000. Dorian, battery master, was putting the car through its paces this weekend and we definitely worked it on the streets of Menlo Park. 240 horsepower, 0-60 in 4 seconds. Yeah...that's what it felt like. We didn't quite get it up to 60 because of all the darn stop signs, but over 40, really really fast. Feel the G force fast. The little top comes off so it's like a Honda del Sol (sorry Tesla for that reference) and there's a lot of legroom. I would totally recommend this car. The gas mileage is great! And we look cute together, right?

There's a Holiday Every Day

September 24th is National Punctuation Day. I'm not really sure what one is supposed to do in order to celebrate, other than make the official meatloaf of NPD. Go here for details. I can't even begin to figure out what makes any particular meatloaf recipe worthy of being an "official" meatloaf.

I will not be making this meatloaf. I haven't actually posted about this, but I've been doing my best to eat entirely local for the month of September (within a 100 mile radius of my house). I've done a good job, except for food that people give me (namely the parents at school) and when I've gone out to eat. But my school day meals are pretty local. It's been great because it certainly cuts down on snacking and my September has been filled with lots of tomatoes. Last week, I discovered that I can get soup tomatoes at the farmer's market for $1 a pound! That is awesome! I've been making summer squash and tomato soup and straight tomato soup. Both SpecialTeas favorites. I've been flexible with salt, pepper, and other spices and I cheated to make brownies waffles last weekend for Matt, but I'm mostly sticking to the 100 miles. I've accomplished my biggest goal, which is food awareness. I wanted to think about where my food is coming from and do what I can to support local farmers and businesses. I technically only have a week left for my local challenge, but I'm sure I'll keep up with it throughout the year as much as I can.

What The?!?!

Check the puddle behind the black car...yeah, that's rain. The last time I lived here, I didn't see rain from June to November. It's been so cool here in the peninsula that I even had to put my down comforter on my bed. This area averages .19 inches of precipitation for the month of September and it looks like we'll get that all today. Tahoe is even getting snow in the mountains this weekend. The best part about this weather was the lightning show last night. The worst part is that I'd rather sit around all day watching movies, but alas, I have to do schoolwork and be Jewish. I guess it makes for a good day to fast and atone, with nothing too tempting going on outside.

So Much for "Environmentally Friendly"

I took some things to the environmentally safe dry cleaner nearby. This is how my dress came back...on this 3-D carboard mannequin-like structure with stuffed breasts...looking better in the dress than I did (I would like to remind you all how much I was sweating the night of Ali's wedding). What's the point of going to a place that doesn't use perc if they are just going to stuff the chest of my dress with paper? I'm not impressed.

Save These Guys!

Okay, so this picture is just ridiculous. I mean look at this guy...is he trying to be that cute? And the ones in the background? I feel like this has to be posed. Anyway, it's on the cover of the latest Patagonia catalog and their website to continue to raise awareness about the situation in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Reserve). The topic has been floating around Congress for some time but it seems as though they might be getting close to permanently protecting the area from oil drilling. Click on the picture to get to a website for more information and to contact your representative. Or, just stare at these cute bears...and try not to think about the fact that they are in danger for so many reasons.

Rooting Real Hard From This Coast

Okay Red Sox...you have 9 games...9 games to keep the magic going. Some people are really superstitious about talking about when a good thing's going in sports. I'm just trying to let the boys know that I'm pulling really hard for them from out here and expecting results. I'm actually starting to miss "cowboy up."

Yay for Insurance!

Some of you know that I've had this weird sore throat thing since Sept 2. Yuck! I've wanted to go to the doctor and get it checked out, but, while insured, I had no active insurance cards. Today was a great day (in many ways), but mostly because my insurance cards came today! Yay! I scheduled an appointment for my throat immediately. Cross your fingers.

Faculty Fun Time

Every Monday and Wednesday, we have full faculty meetings for 70-90 minutes and we make a lot of big decisions. But, we also get 10 minutes at the end for just fun. Someone's role at the meeting is as the "fun coordinator." Their job is to plan what we'll do for the fun. On Monday we played "What Not To Name The Baby," where we were in teams of three trying to think up what our expecting colleagues should not choose as names. Today, we had a hula hoop contest (and I learned that I haven't made any progress on that front since I was eight). I won't be the fun coordinator until 2008, but I'm looking for ideas now. Ten minutes...something cool. Leave your comments!

Hopkins Hockey

The Blue Jays are #11! Check it out here.

Hours of Amusement

On Sunday, Matt and I went down to Santa Cruz for a little boardwalk action. I like Santa Cruz...they have great beaches, a really cute and walkable downtown, an old fashioned boardwalk with rides, yummy Mexican food, and a Patagonia outlet. So I was happy. My favorite ride has to be the old wooden roller coaster (which you can see in the picture)...I love the sound it makes because you get a really broad sensory experience.


Matt was pretty bummed when this lady told him she'd rather ride by herself.

What Kind of Dog?

I'm trying to figure out what type of dog we saw...black, lab sized, "skinnier" than a lab, white on the chest. Anyone?

Stinson Beach

Whoa...crazy beautiful. This beach is just to the west of Mt. Tam...just a few miles on Route 1. I've wanted to get there for a while, as it's where my dad first put his wheels in the Pacific after his cross country cycling adventure. There's a break about 20 feet out and then the water comes onto shore as flat as glass. It was pretty amazing. It doesn't seem like this could be naturally occurring, but I can't find anything that says it's not, so I spent my time at the beach being completely in awe of the natural beauty...and watching some really cute dogs romp around.