Wednesday, December 31, 2008

The Last Day

Hi Readers: After spending so much time listening to stories on This American Life and TheDirtbag Diaries, I thought I would try something of my own.  I can't say that I've ever set out to write a story that wasn't an assignment and I wanted to get it on the blog before midnight, so it's rough, but here goes... 

Living in the land of no snow, almost nothing excites me more than flakes falling gently to the ground.  I awoke this morning around nine to see streets still black but the sky white with nascent flurries.  I was groggy.  A direct result of forcing myself to wake up on East Coast time, but not being able to fall asleep until normal West Coast time.  That's a cycle I have no desire to stay in, but for now, I'm at its mercy.

Usually, I hit the pavement as soon as I wake up in a desperate race against the school bell, but vacation gives me the luxury of running during the warmest part of the day.  Today, that time would be around noon, when the high would be twenty-four degrees.  The runners in Minnesota must be jealous.  I waited excitedly for three hours, gaining energy from my oatmeal, and failing miserably at the Year in Review quiz in the New York Times (sometimes, it's amazing how little you know or remember).  As I rechecked the weather, it was also around noon that "severe weather" was slated to start and apparently it would feel like nine degrees.  The snow started falling faster and I listened intently for the plows.  With no signs of stopping, I started to regret my grogginess and wished I had been out on the road first thing.  I was also growing increasingly nervous about sharing the snowy roads.  But after a quick email exchange with a runner friend, I was reminded that a treadmill is a lousy place to spend the last day of the year.  Or really any day of the year, but this is the last one I've got in 2008.  My excitement to run outside was renewed. 

Noon hit and I was throwing around every piece of spandex and technical fiber looking for the right combination.  Translation: how much can I put on my body and still be able to run?  I ended up as an advert for JL Racing,Sugoi, Smartwool, Mizuno, Patagonia, Nike, Arc'teryx, Craft, Hind, REI, GoLite, and Apple; a big melting pot of brands but also a physical timeline of my life as a cold weather runner.  I can remember each purchase, some go back to 2003, and what prompted each.  Each article of clothing has a story and very concrete reasons why it remains in the rotation.

I set out into the storm, following in the tracks of the plow, down, aptly, Winter Street.  My first car encounter was with a very slow-moving police car and I tried to look under control, strong, and responsible, afraid that I might be reprimanded for something.  Seeing someone of authority heightened my nervousness about being out, running on narrow roads made more narrow by snow drifts, sharing the road with vehicles that are either driving too fast or in the middle of the road or have a plow attached to them, and on uneven footing.

What might usually be a very average run (not boring, hills are never boring), is made much more interesting when you are trying to find the right footing.  The easiest decision is made when you see pavement.  If you see pavement, run on it.  And pray for more.  Any other decision is like walking through a strange house in the dark.  Just when you think things are going well, you run into a wall, or in my case, slip and fall.  Sometimes the soft powder at the edge of the road is a nice relief as there are relatively few surprises.  But no matter what, running on snow is unpredictable.  That nice powder can often disguise road irregularities and the sewer grates come at you with no regularity.  Complicating things on this day was the fact that it was still actively snowing.  For the first half mile, the snow was driving right into my eyes and I just put my head down and could only listen for cars.  After a while, the wind settled and I could run with my eyes up and taking in the winter beauty.

Most of the ninety minutes I was focused on my feet and listening to my body.  Three years ago, I injured myself running long after a snow storm, an injury that kept me off the roads for more than ten months.  When I felt some of that same pain going up Eli Whitney, I nearly stopped in my tracks.  The pain subsided at the crest of the hill and I glided down the other side, giddy but patient.  I did not feel the pain again, but was giddy at the crest of every hill, with the highlight coming at the top of my last hill, on Mount Pleasant street.  I had pushed up that hill, motivated by the sight of the only non-driving human who was out shoveling.  There is something about seeing someone up close and face-to-face when I'm running that makes me run faster, at least briefly.  I cannot explain this phenomenon, but it keeps me going.

It was a dance along New England roads.  Going back and forth to leave a clear path for the cars and plows, keep myself visible, and find the best lines.  Running in tire tracks gave the best footing and surprisingly there were a lot of cars on the road.  I spent a lot of my mental energy wondering what the car drivers must think of me.  For one, my eyebrows are frozen with snow and that's about all you can see.  It must be a sight.


The roads in my hometown were not built for SUVs and recreation.  They were built for two lanes of travel by average sized cars.  When it snows, especially during school vacation, the sidewalks are neglected and the roads lose a few feet of width on the sides.  It takes constant awareness to be a runner or walker or dog owner in the snow.  Some drivers are kind, slowing when they see you, some even stopping when the road is especially tight with other cars, and giving you plenty of room when they pass.  No doubt, many (or maybe most) roll their eyes or curse at me.  One man in his Jeep honked angrily and motioned for me to move over to the sidewalk.  I smiled and waved at him, as if I had misunderstood his intention.  I hadn't, but I had nowhere to go but home.  I wished I was wearing a bumper sticker on my chest that said, "That SUV makes you look fat," but that would only make me smile more and him honk more.



What will stay with me when I remember this year's New England running experience is not the miles or even the temperature, but the distinct color of the sky.  By some bizarre coincidence, the sky has been a light color gray for every run, with no sunlight at all.  It's a color that is a product of winter and a hue that, for all our overcast days, coastal California does not know.  It was three years ago when I was consistently running through the winter.  That winter left me injured by the end, but I remember this same sky.  

I had the roads to myself back then, as Somervillains (my loving word for the residents) refuse to move their cars once they have a spot on the even side of the road in a snowstorm.  That freedom of the roads is like nothing else I know.  I had a few moments of that road freedom this winter and have it nearly every morning in my neighborhood on the West Coast, and just like when you have the trail to yourself, there's a certain pep in your step when you know that you are the only one in that place at that moment, doing something that is not easily done.

And when I came to the end of this snowy run, I was still gunning for more and anxious to run further, longer, and happier.  This was the perfect way to end the year; a year that started with me wheezing through three miles in Connecticut, steamrolling through San Francisco in the spring, ignoring the noise in Nicaragua, anguished in Atlanta, and now resilient and ready to keep pounding the pavement.

Cheers and happy adventures.  And don't stop.


Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Something I Would Do

One day, I'll move past Fitz Cahall and his Dirtbag Diaries.  But for now, I feel like I've hit gold.  What put me over the edge is when I found out that Brandon taught him math at Chewonki when Fitz was a student in their Maine Coast Semester program.  My love for Chewonki grows.

I encourage you to read his tale of his wife Becca finding a way to waste less water and getting her husband on board.  I like Becca just as much as I like Fitz.  

One day, I'll get to convince someone to collect cold shower water in a bucket and use it to fill the toilet tank!

What A Funny Guy

David Sedaris cracks me up.  His latest book, When You are Engulfed In Flames, is just like his others.  He tells stories that are bizarre and funny, and could have happened to you if you were someone like Sedaris.  His books are also great for picking up and down, in case you tend to get in the middle of a book without finishing it more than you'd like.

On page 223 of the hardcover edition came one of my favorites: "The only funny announcement I've ever heard was made by a male flight attendant, a queen, who grabbed the microphone as we were taxiing down the runway in San Francisco.  'Those of you standing in the aisles should have an excellent view of the Fasten Seat Belt sign,' he said."  I would have loved to hear that one.  On my recent flight to Boston via Miami, most of the back of the plane was out of their seat and opening the bins as soon as we touched down.  It took two reprimands over the PA and then an in-person talking-to from the flight attendant to get them back in their seats.  It's hard to figure if they are very new to flying, very seasoned flyers, or do not understand English.  I don't have an answer there.

My other favorite was a quick story starting on p316 about DS being proud of beating obese disabled women and 9-year olds doing laps in the pool.  This is in case you're in the bookstore or airport and can only read a bit.  316.  Like 100pi, but just a bit more, so it's easy to remember.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Resolve

There are a lot of things I think about during the Jewish New Year as far as who I want to be.  But, as the other New Year approaches, I start to think in more concrete terms.  As in, actual items to check off a list.  Here are some goals:

Read at least 12 books.  This doesn't seem hard given that I can read, but when you also try to read the whole paper every day, run, and get nine hours of sleep, the time for books is the first to get cut.  So, I'll set a goal of a certain number.  Yikes, looks like something's got to give to fit all this in.  I've been reading quite a bit over break and it's just a great way to spend the day, especially a cold one.  I have a long list on my "to-read" list, but I'd love any suggestions.

Put at least 600 commuting miles on my bike instead of my car during the next semester.  I can't plan much farther ahead than that, as I don't know where I'm going to live or work, but I'm excited about this goal.  Again, this takes away from the time to read and write letters (my stationery is so neglected!) and I'm feeling like I need a daily agenda to work all this out.  600 miles means about 3 school days a week on my bike.  This will be easy because, to be honest, I'm hooked on my bike.  Once I start riding, I just can't stop.  I just got a new saddle today that I hope will revolutionize the time spent off my bike (that is, the ability to sit down after the ride).  I'm also thinking that I might also put aside $1 for each mile I put on my bike, towards a single speed fixed flip-flop hub bike.  Masi, Speciale Fixed Bianchi Pista, Specialized Langster, Schwinn Madison...so many bikes to be excited about!

Run at least 1000 miles, injury-free.  The number of miles should be pretty easy, as I've done more than 960 this year, and that was with about 6 weeks off out of the 52.  Injury free is always a tight line for me to...run.  My left foot was injured shortly after the half marathon and now my right foot is "making some noise."  How does any injury just change feet like that?  It's been so darn cold here that I can't really feel anything.  And I'm about 30 seconds per mile slower here than California.  Maybe I'll have to stay there until I become a "sometimes runner."  I am not trying to be crazy addicted to running, but I try to live by the philosophy of consistency.  That's really all I want.

Get out more on the weekends.  This is a tough one as I usually spend Saturday in a post-run coma and Sunday drowning in the NYT.  Additionally, I've tried to cut back on my driving this fall, which has meant less time out in the world.  There were so many weekends this fall when I wanted to just drive to Yosemite or the coast or just hike somewhere, but didn't want to spend the fuel.  I anticipate one of two things will happen, that I will use my saved miles from cycling as get-out-there miles or I will become obsessed with using anything but my car.  Now, the thing I have to figure out is how to meet people while being out there.  Maybe I'll start with one weekend a month and work up from there.

Be happy turning 29.  This will be the hardest I think.  I have six months to feel good about it.

Half Dome.  After the marathon, I'm going!  And I have brandy-new hiking/snowshoeing poles to get me up there. 


What's on your list?

Friday, December 26, 2008

Reviews

1. Revolutionary Road - Good acting by DiCaprio and Winslet, but pretty intense content, therefore, not my favorite.  I actually got through this movie without having to hide my eyes, so it wasn't scary, but not the feel good movie that I'm usually looking for.  I also really don't like movies about unhappy marriages.

2. Slumdog Millionaire - This picture is absolutely excellent.  Of course, I love Indian music and culture, but I think this is a movie that everyone will enjoy.  I don't think I have any better words than have been said about this movie, so I will just advise that you go see it.
3. GoLite HydroSprint - I requested this from my sister for Chanukah, after reading about it on Runnersworld.com.  Once upon a time, I used a Fuel Belt, but it didn't quite fit right or sit still on my waist.  So, I thought I'd try this pack after reading the review and seeing lots of people wearing them.  Today, it was great for 14 miles (and what's great is that I didn't run more than 14), no slipping or discomfort at all.  I didn't even notice water sloshing around.  This is a great product!  Today was also a good test of my ability to hydrate.  For the past six months, I've been getting cramps whenever I drink water on a run (even the slightest bit).  Today, all went well on my Westborough tour.  It was a fun route, past all the houses of my high school friends, MG, MD, LO, CKB & AWB, AS and bros, AP & SP, RI, AD, and more.  It was a long run for me, and slow, but I was happy with my water and my Dirtbag Diaries.

4. The Long Green Line - This is a new documentary about a high school cross country team in Illinois and their famed coach, Joe Newton.  The team is followed for their 2005 season and their quest for the 25th title in the coach's 50th year coaching at York Community High School.  I was totally weepy watching this coach take everyone in who wanted to run.  Cross country is one of those sports that includes everyone but is probably the most honest.  The clock does not lie.  It's a great glimpse into what it means to be a great coach and what it means to be a team.  And the quote that I'll remember: "It's not about finding the right person, it's about being the right person."  It's not a movie for everyone, but if you like cross country, you'd like this.

5. The Dirtbag Diaries - I'm totally addicted to this podcast and it made my 14 miles today very enjoyable.  For a long time, I refused to run with my iPod, so I could just enjoy the running and hear the world.  I still feel strongly about the need to unplug, but I also need more hours in the day.  Listening to my podcasts while I run has definitely increased my efficiency.  The other day, I started my listening of TDD with "No Car, No Problem," "O Tannenbaum," and "Friendship is a Used Bicycle."  These are all great stories.  Fitz Cahall, the host, is nearly the outdoorsy version of Ira Glass.  Today, I enjoyed "Bedtime Stories for Wanderers," "Help Wanted," and "Earth Throne," among many more to get me through the miles.  I'm not a climber, never have been, but many of these stories are not about climbing, and the ones that are, are about life and what makes people want to do what they love.  And apparently, my friend Brandon knows about TDD (he's a friend of Cahall's on Facebook), but hasn't enlightened me yet.  Brandon, are you really friends with him or just Facebook friends?  Anyway, check out some of the stories I mentioned.  I don't think they will disappoint.

Boxing Day Miracle

My luggage just arrived.  So far, everything seems in tact.  I was worried that customs would have their way with some things in there.  Oh, did I mention that my luggage went to Brazil?  What am I most excited about: clean socks!  And my running jacket.  Off to try 14 miles in below freezing weather.  When was the last time I did that?  Never.  Now, I just need to figure out what awesome thing I will listen to: David Sedaris, Radio Lab, On Point, or Dirtbag Diaries (excellent podcast that I just found that is a lot about climbing, but about other things too, so it remains interesting to me).  I guess I'll be out there long enough to listen to some of each.  How excellent!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

It's a 3rd Night of Chanukah Miracle

Bag Tag Number(s): BOS AA 864155 has been located and is being forwarded to Boston BOS on Dec 24.

Woo hoo!

Is This The Straw?

I can't tell when I'm going to throw up my hands and figure out how to travel without checking bags.  One of my bags was lost again.  More than 12 hours later, it has not been located.  I was not on tight connections and I didn't leave the country.  It has presents in it as well as all my regular clothes.  What I do have: my running shoes, underwear, toiletries and three pair of running tights.  

But, when you're traveling to a cold climate for two weeks and expect to exercise for two weeks, it's tough to fit everything in the carry on.  I was fine yesterday when they told me to expect it today.  But, when it got to be 3pm with no word, I called to have someone tell me that after five days, I would have to submit a settlement.  Whoa!  Lots of optimism on her end.  

This is the second time this year that this particular bag has been lost.  That's two out of six times that I've traveled with it.  I wonder what they would say if I took it back to Patagonia and told them it was cursed.  I bet they would take it back.  I do kind of like the bag.  It's a cool color...that's really what I like about it.  It's a weird doctor bag style, that is awkward to lift, which is probably why it gets delayed.  It's too annoying to get off the belt.

I'm not sure if I can go in only a carry-on in the winter, but I probably will be more thougtful about what I wear on the plane next time.  I wore my old field hockey hooded sweatshirt because it keeps me warm.  However, it's not the greatest looking item of clothing in the world.  And it looks like I'm going to be wearing it for a few days. 

Joy to the World!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

A Plea


I just hit up the Trader Joe's and was asked if I was "ready for Santa Claus too?"  I said, "Actually, I'm Jewish, so I don't celebrate Christmas."  Maybe I should have just gone along with it, but it's at this point in the season when many of us Jews just get tired of being wished a Merry Christmas.  It's almost non-stop, especially on that last day of school (mostly by parents, my kids actually know better).  And it's not like I live in the middle of Utah, where there are very few Jews.  I'm in the Peninsula where there are a fair number of Weingasts and Goldsteins.  Apparently, my clerk at TJ's hasn't come across too many as he seemed a bit stunned and awkwardly tried to fill the check out time with chatter.  He said, "So you really don't celebrate it at all?"  I said, "When you're Jewish, you usually don't.  Actually tonight is the first night of Chanukah, so I'm ready for that!"  Now, yes, I do go to my dad's house for Christmas and Christmas Eve to partake in food an festivities, but I don't really consider that I celebrate Christmas.  There are people in my family who do, and so I am with them on the holiday.  I guess the equivalent could be to Gentiles coming over for a Passover seder.  It's not that they celebrate the holiday, but they are sharing it.  So, I am probably preaching to the choir, but during this season, it's good to wish people just a Happy Holidays.  Most people probably celebrate something in between Thanksgiving and New Year's.  Or you could just wish people a Good Day...no offense there.

Best Day of the Year

Happy Solstice and Chanukah to all!  I can't think of a better night to light the menorah than the shortest day of the year.  (Why do I have to explain this concept to my students year after year?)  I love the Winter Solstice.  I love the promise of December 22 and the days that follow.

Here is a Solstice poem for you:

Just Delicate Needles

It's so delicate, the light.
And there's so little of it. The dark
is huge.
Just delicate needles, the light,
in an endless night.
And it has such a long way to go
through such desolate space.
So let's be gentle with it.
Cherish it.
So it will come again in the morning.
We hope.

Rolf Jacobsen
Translated by Robert Hedin
Copper Canyon Press

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Missing the Ritual

I just realized that because I did my long run yesterday, I didn't get to see my old guy biker friend around the neighborhood this morning.  I hope he was out there...and I hope I'll see him on January 10.  And I'll give him a thumbs up back.

Another Great Video

Last spring, I posted this video from Transport for London.  They have another one that I think you'll enjoy.


Dirty Fingernails


Today was a bonus day in Menlo Park.  While I'd much rather be making snow angels in Metrowest, there are some things that you only get around to doing when you have a bonus day (I do love this shot from bikeportland.org).  Today, I cleaned my bike!  I've owned my cute red Schwinn for 8 and a half years and I don't think I've ever cleaned it.  I've definitely never cleaned the chain and hubs (gear, whatever, I don't know the terminology).  Again, this is something I should probably be embarrassed about, but everyone has to start somewhere, sometime.  Kind of like when I used to hike the White Mountains in old running shoes.  People would always comment as they passed me and it drove me nuts.  Why call out the beginner?  Beginners already feel desperately awkward and out of place.  

Anyway, my chain was not rusty like the one pictured here, but if you replaced what looks like rust here to grease and gunk, you have my chain (well, my chain 3 hours ago).  More like this:


Gross, I know.  As a result of a gunky chain, my gears are a bit worn in places, which creates some interesting "surprise" shifts every so often.  Not what we're going for, and I will not buy a new bike until I learn to take care of the one I have.  So, I bought myself a chain cleaning tool and went out to the garage with podcasts in my ears and set out to clean the bike.  It was a lot of fun, especially having a garage as my work room.  I've never been the type who just takes everything apart to see how it works, but when I do take things apart, I realize that I like figuring out the mechanics and playing with things.  And a bike is a relatively simple machine to figure out.  So now, I have a clean back hub and chain.  The front crankset (?) is mostly clean, but I think I need to do more work, but I didn't have the right kind of brush to fully clean off all the spikey things.  So that's why my fingernails are dirty.  I scrubbed and scrubbed but couldn't get them clean.

The next thing I'd like to feel confident doing is changing a tire.  As I've said, I've never done this, I've only observed, but changing a tire doesn't seem to be something you just practice in your backyard.  At least, it doesn't make sense to me that I would purposefully take my tire off my wheel.  That seems like it will cause more problems than it will solve, at least in the moment.  I guess I'll just wait for my first flat, which I hope does not happen on my ride to school.

Shout out to Coleman, who once upon a time gave me a very basic bike repair book.  At the time, I thought, "he knows I don't ride my bike, that my bike is in pieces without tires, and that I only wished I rode my bike."  I didn't think it was a very good present.  Today, I was happy to have it for reference.  It even has a handy guide about what you should do every week, month, and half-year as maintenance.  Now I just need a few more bonus days to try all this out.

I've started watching the HBO John Adams miniseries.  If I take it to be historically accurate, lawyers would wear what looks like a graduation robe and hood (just open over their clothes).  So that's what they're for!  I have mine in my closet...maybe I should wear it to teach.  Just to remind the kids what they are working toward.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see Milk with Bec in the Castro, home of Milk himself.  More on that after the flick...

Friday, December 19, 2008

All The Roadrunning

I'm having blog deja vu.  I feel as though I've used this post title before.  I am about to fall asleep, even though I should be on a plane right now.  My flight back east was canceled and I can't get out of here until Monday.  Needless to say, I'm upset about this.  I was really excited to be at my mom's for Chanukah (the odds are not in my favor for the holiday to occur over my break) and the Solstice.  And it's always a scramble to try to see everyone, and now I have three fewer days. I was home for a month this summer and didn't get to see everyone!  Sigh...

Today I was up at 4am to put in my long run.  Given that I was supposed to take the red eye home, I figured that I would get the best run in if I did it before the flight, rather than trying to do it on Saturday or Sunday,when I'd be tired and less motivated and colder.  So, 10 miles in Mizunos and then 10 miles in Specializeds.  I'd say that's a pretty good day, but my legs are sore.  It has been rainy out here and this morning, I was the poster child for why you should have fenders on your bike.  I don't, and I was a disaster by the time I got to school.  I probably should be a little more embarrassed about it as I waltz into school with a completely soaked behind.  And my office mates probably don't love that I have to hang my cycling clothes around to dry out.  But soon, these problems will be over.  I'm sad to be hanging up the bike shoes while I'm home, but excited to attempt to be car free on school days during January.  So far, I've kept over 70 miles off my car in just the past 10 days.  So, these extra days in California will just be more opportunities to get on the bike and keep the miles off the car.

My neighborhood bike store is Menlo Velo Bicycles.  When I type this into my browser, I see "Men Love Lo Bicycles."  I needed that laugh.

I'm on vacation.  Pat Bagg is singing to me...

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Jack Frost and Bear Hugs

Two days in a row of near freezing temperatures.  Today, the temp was 34 for my run (by "felt like 30" according to weather.com).  There was ice on my driveway actually and car windows were frosty.  Again, I love the Californians who dump water on their cars to defrost their windows.  That's how my uncle shattered his windshield once upon a time in Colorado.  My bike ride to school was chilly...toes again, but not too bad.  I'm getting the hang of this whole thing.  The ride home was HOT!  It was probably in the mid 40's and I wore the same clothes home and was sweating like crazy.  Then I nearly blinded my dry cleaner when I walked in and forgot my lights were on.  Whoops!   Should be raining tomorrow.  They didn't have the right type of fender for my bike, so I'm going to get wet.

Today was the last "Student of the Month" for the semester.  I gave mine to a student who has a bit of Asberger's and thus, he is one of the most friendly, "I don't care what anyone thinks of me as I stretch so everyone can see my belly" kind of kids.  Today, I wrote him a limerick. I can't remember the first line but the rest was:

Your math is always done with such pride
Your classmates can attest
You're one of the best
Your enthusiasm will never be denied

The crowd went wild, the kid comes up to the front and has his arms wide open and says, "Come here," like I'm his granddaughter (he is about 4 inches and 50 pounds bigger than me, at least).  He gives me a huge hug and then lifts me up off the ground.  Think: grandfather or dad hoisting up a young child.  I have never been a part of something like that.  My students drove me absolutely insane today.  I had kids late to class and they didn't even care, kids defying me and blatantly eating whole burritos in class, swastikas and other hateful things written on our grade level evaluations, and it goes on.  The bear hug really helped. I really have never seen one of our students so proud and thankful to get Student of the Month.  I wish it was on video.  I love that the last line of my limerick was evidenced in full to the entire school.  What enthusiasm!

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

To Michelle

To My Readers: Yesterday, I got two calls from Framingham High School while I was teaching. It seemed peculiar because I do keep in touch with my former colleagues through email, but talk to them on the phone very seldom. I didn't see the missed calls until after my movie and as a result, I didn't sleep too well. I got to school this morning and frantically tried to call everyone at FHS to no avail. After some research, I learned that my dear colleague, Michelle Chouinard, lost her battle with breast cancer on Monday at the age of 31. My friend here at Summit suggested I write a letter to try to come to terms with the loss and also the trouble with not being able to be there. Here is my letter to Michelle.

Dear Michelle,

I'm not sure I ever completely expressed what you meant to me as a colleague and a friend. As Joe (next to me in the picture) always said, you were a big part of the heart and soul of our department. You were always showing your spirit for math and the Flyers. You opened up your classroom and your house for department gatherings and were always available to chat during our free periods. You were and will continue to be an inspiration to me for putting kindness above all things and for embracing the Framingham community completely. And, of course, you were one of the strong women from whom I learned how to keep Paul in check. This picture is from the Fall of 2004...the first Friday of the year that we had our new math shirts. It seems like yesterday. Mr. Lee doesn't look any older now than he did then.

Last year, when I was no longer teaching at FHS, I was heartbroken when I heard you were diagnosed with breast cancer. We exchanged lots of email that year and you kept us all up to date on your surgeries through the hospital's care website. It was hard for me to be so disconnected from the community that embraced me so much during my first four years of teaching, but every time I came back, you were all there to welcome me home. On each visit, I was always amazed at your resilience and how hard you were fighting cancer and not at all surprised that the school was supporting you so completely. The whole department was amazed and inspired as well, dying their hair pink and raising money for cancer research. I think it was in April when I came back and got to see you. I was surprised you were there on a Friday, as you usually were at the hospital, but you were the picture of positivity and optimism. I had a long talk with Paul about you and he said, "You never really know how strong someone is until they go through something this hard. I always knew Michelle was tough, but she is tougher than anyone else I know. She is the one keeping everyone here positive about her fight with cancer." I can't think of a higher compliment than this. Of course, you were a great teacher, a dedicated coach, a collaborative colleague, and a loving sister, aunt, and daughter, but what I will remember most about you is that when things got hard, you were the person that everyone hoped they would become when faced with something difficult. I know I have a long way to go in that respect, but I will think of you often and try to channel your strength during hard times.

It's hard to imagine the FHS community without you, but we have all learned so much from you about how to be good people that I know you will be remembered for years to come (especially if Paul and Sarah have anything to do with it!).

I will miss you greatly and think of you often. Thank you for everything you gave to me during our time together.

Math love,
Maura

Monday, December 15, 2008

My Day, So Far

1) I need a rear fender. You probably understand why if you know that the roads were wet this morning. Now I know.

2) I need better exercise tights. I am so cold every morning in the ones I have. The thin ones are too cold for running and the thick ones are too cold for biking. I sound like Goldilocks. I don't remember this being a problem in Boston, but then again, I was rarely running in the dark.

3) I have all my finals copied and organized for Friday!! You never know when the copy machine is going to be an issue, so I thought I should get the copying off my list.


4) I'm going to see "Sabrina" tonight!!! One of my school friends and I are going to the lovely Stanford Theatre where each month-ish, they show the movies of one actor. This month is Humphrey Bogart. Forget temple...this is what I should do at least once a month. I love old movies.

5) The rest of my day will consist of grading revisions, writing my last three rec letters, and doing some athletics stuff.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Really?!?!

Okay, so I've stolen the title of this post from Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers from SNL.  They did a hilarious thing on Blagojevich this weekend.  There's a lot to be confused about in this crazy, crazy world, but one of the craziest, in my opinion, has to do with laundry.  I am a pretty committed line-dryer.  I haven't always been so good about it, but every since I heard how horrible home dryers are for the environment and the longevity of our clothes, I have tried to at least limit my use.  I've used a dryer for only 20 minutes since last April or so.  Why 20 minutes?  Well, you see my friends, the Bay Area is now deep into the soggy, wet winter season.  Even when it's sunny, it's just damp here and my clothes are just not really getting dry.  Even after being outside on the line for a week, they still feel damp.  So, my cotton stuff got 10 minutes this weekend and last.  I'm not psyched about turning on the dryer.  I actually hate the machine as I equate it to an SUV, but I know that my view is nearly completely shaped by my ability to line dry things most days of the year.  I am not here to convince you to stop using your dryer.  I am here to remind you that people are crazy.

Some facts: 
Florida's state legislature has granted broad rights to homeowners to hang their clothes.  Others aren't so lucky.  In fact, I think my mom is going rogue in her neighborhood, where she's not "allowed" to hang laundry.
There's an organization called "Project Laundry List" to advocate for people to be able to hang their laundry.  

I honestly feel like this is a sign of The Apocalypse.  When did seeing laundry on the line become "unsightly?"  To be honest, I'd love to see people's underwear out on the line with everything else...that means they are actually wearing it and then washing it!  I think the problem is that there are a good many places in our country where the following things have happened: people are living too close to each other, all the trees have been cut down in order to build houses, and/or people do not know their neighbors.  First, I believe that when people don't have enough personal space, they have a hard time when other people try to do "personal" things near them.  I know I feel this way.  Second, when you live in a house with no trees, everyone can see everything. If we all had more of the original forest surrounding our houses, no one would be able to see our laundry.  And finally, When you know your neighbors, it's not that big of a deal to see their laundry.  

Next thing you know, people are going to be required to close their window shades at all times, lest we be able to see anyone living life.  How am I going to grow up and not be cynical?

Some Favorites

There's nothing more exciting than when one of your favorite artists comes out with a new record because they are out and about promoting it. I've written a few times about the fabulous Joshua Radin and I'm doing it again. I love his new album and it's been fun to see him on Conan, hear him on The Mountain Stage, and just this week he was on Carson Daly's show. The song he sang that night is my favorite, called "You Got Growin' Up To Do." He recorded it with Patti Griffin, who is another great singer/songwriter, and their voices work perfectly together. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to this track in the past two months. My car's CD player is almost permanently on track 9 and what I miss most about driving around in Little Miss Lightning is belting out this song. It's illegal to wear headphones on a bike and so my commute is now quiet. That is kind of bumming me out.  I mean, how much alone, quiet time do I really need in my life?!?!

You can see Mr. Radin signing my favorite song (it's his favorite too apparently) with someone else on Carson Daly here. I like the album version better, but not everyone can be Patti Griffin. JR is going on tour starting in January with Dar Williams, but alas, he is not touring his own state of residence. That gets a big thumbs down from me.  If only the Ft. Laudie concert was on a weekend...

This American Life seems to be in reruns, but this week's podcast is my all-time favorite show.  "20 Acts in 60 minutes" is the show that got me hooked on Ira Glass.  I suggest you take a listen by downloading the podcast on iTunes.  Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I give this episode a listen and have a laugh about Pasta Batman and babysitting.  And while you're at it, give them a few bucks to keep the stories coming because last week's "Heretics" show was also excellent.

Tomorrow I'll be running a "new" course around the neighborhood.  It's only "new" because I've never done a 7 mile course using the beloved Bay Laurel St. so I've done some adaptation to get the right mileage.  Now you know what I'll be listening to as I run what I think is my first run in the rain since April in Boston.  

And a shout out goes to the band "Vampire Weekend."  They are getting a lot of press these days and it's deserved.  The song "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance" is my recommendation.

It's Been Quiet

You know there are those viral emails and videos that you hear about from friend after friend.  For me, there is an email forward about someone being stopped in the airport because he has protractors and calculators..."weapons of math instruction."  I can't tell you how many times I've received that one.  Anyway, I thought that many people would have told me about this video.  But no one did, except for Keith Olbermann.  It's pretty fun, even though it's about a depressing topic.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Back In The Saddle

Oh man, am I having fun on my bike.  I didn't ride on Friday because I got the cold that I suspected was coming two weeks ago.  I was very achey and tired, so I drove to school and remained in a stupor for much of the day.  I even had to take a nap during my prep.  It wasn't a full on nap, but I did put on my hood and closed my eyes for a while in my office.  One of my students seemed a bit disappointed in me...he rides every day and our bikes are our new bond.  But, Friday was also a good idea to give my seat (the one on my body) a rest.  I forgot what it's like to be on a bike seat all the time.  I don't have a great bike saddle and I felt it on Day 2 as soon as I settled in.  After a rest day yesterday, I was comfortable while I rode around town doing my Saturday errands.  The more I ride my bike, the more I want a single speed.  I never ever change gears, so what's the point of having more than one?  I'll have to investigate the funds and decide if I deserve an Inaguration Day or Half Birthday present.  Here's the one that caught my eye this week.

While most weeks, I wouldn't be able to hit up Who Fo on my bike, this week I have plenty of food in the house to get me through and I need to eat all the perishable stuff before I leave town.  Although, I guess I could do what UPS Portland is doing and trick my bike out with a trailer big enough for my all my usual groceries.  I have long wanted to pledge to ClifBar that I'd bike if I was going less than 2 miles and I think I'm getting closer to that ideal.  What's holding me back?  It makes me nervous to ride my bike with a glass bottle of milk in tow.  Most of what I do is within a five mile radius of my house, so I should do more of it on my bike.  Today, I explored the Menlo Park/Palo Alto bike friendliness...bike lanes, bike bridges, and places to lock up your bike abound!  Even when I got into some trouble trying to cross a few lanes of traffic, the drivers were very friendly.  When I stopped in Patagonia, the woman there was excited to see that I had cartons of Soy Nog on each side of my backpack.  We both lamented that it is not available for more of the winter.

On another bike note, there is an older gentleman who rides around and around my little neighborhood every Saturday morning.  He just circles the whole place.  The first weekend I saw him, I said hello, like I do to everyone.  Last weekend, he gave me a thumbs up when he saw me.  Today, I saw him three times (I did two loops myself), and each time, he gave me the thumbs up.  The funny part is that every time I see him, we pass each other going opposite directions...apparently, while I prefer the counter-clockwise route, he prefers clockwise.  I also have seen a few people I know while I've been out on the roads...a woman from the Obama office, a parent from school, and two of my students.  It's taking a while, but I'm starting to feel like this is where I live.  In so many ways, I'm glad I ditched the gym.  While I'm not getting as much strength training as I'd like, and I take three days off when I used to take only one, running outside has really improved my relationship with where I live.  

Oh, and did I tell you that I won the "Name That Husky" competition?  I am shocked, not that I won, because I know all 405 students at my school, but that my opponents each misnamed a student.  I really thought we were going to go into sudden death overtime.  My stomach hurt nervously the whole time.  How funny is that?  While it's taken a lot of extra time (that I really don't have), it's been really nice to walk around the school and be able to say hi to anyone I see.  And like I said before, there are a bunch of 9th graders who are genuinely excited that one of the upperclass teachers knows their name.  The little ones are cute!

Update: The ClifBar 2 Mile Challenge requires one trip a week to be replaced with a bike.  Done!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

My Blog is Branching Out

There are many things about the Internet that I don't understand.  One of those things is how anyone would end up on my blog unless I gave them the address.  Well, apparently there are people out there who are waiting for you to write about fixed gear bikes.  And apparently my blog is trying to make more friends.  Yesterday, after my post, I received two comments from "strangers."  When I clicked on the hyperlinked names, one went to UK fixed gear blog and one went to a single speed website.  Welcome strangers.  I am sorry that my one post talk of fixies and single speeds lured you here, only for you to find that I really don't talk about bikes very much.  Mostly, I talk about...what do I talk about most often.  I guess probably my school is the top subject.  But I probably also talk a lot about what I am cooking, baking, or eating.  And maybe the trials and tribulations of running.

Right now, I'm waiting for the NyQuil to kick in.  I've never taken the stuff before, but two nights in a row of lying awake for more than an hour have lead me to desperation.  I want my sleep!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Name That Husky!!!

As a faculty, we commit to trying to know all students in the building and try to do as much community building as we can so that our students know each other better.  

This Friday, I am going head-to-head against our principal and a history teacher - who has a reputation for knowing the most students on faculty - in "Name That Husky."  We're going to go around the school during lunch and each person will have to name 10 students, chosen by the other teachers.  Right now, I know 372 of our 405 students by name, many by first and last names.  The 33 who I don't know include three sets of identical twins (I can correctly identify the other three sets of identical twins) and also include kids whose names I sometimes know and sometimes confuse.  To that end, I've been going into other classes during my prep to quiz myself on the students.  It's been pretty fun since many are reviewing for finals and I can talk to them about what they are studying.  I had a few kids ask me for help on their history essays and some ask me where the arabs live, in Palestine or Israel.  Most of the kids whose name I don't know, don't know my name either, so we get to meet each other a bit.  And today, so many kids got excited that I remembered their name from earlier in the week.  They are really cute.  Now, when kids see me on campus, they excitedly ask me, "What's my name?"

Next Friday, the students have a chance to compete to see who knows the most students.  I'm helping plan that and in the meantime, giving my mentees practice quizzes during our 1o minutes together each day.  My kids don't really stand a chance as they have made no effort to know the freshmen.  But I will work on it with them so at least they know a few more.

Being Cold While Sweating

Today, it was 37 degrees when I went out for my run.  And dark...but it's always dark.  Of course I have run in colder and Schlotty is not even reading this right now because she's shoveling herself out of her house so she can get her run in, but this is the first time it's been below 42 for my morning jaunt.  My legs were chilly!  Good thing I was moving quickly.  I have been loving my runs recently because I have a new 6-mile route that goes down some really cute streets and I get to catch up on "On Point."  It's just grand.  My foot still hurts, but not while I'm running and not all the time...but I can feel a little pain now...I'm just sitting down.  My calves hurt during my runs, but also not all the time.  I love how I have these intermittent injuries that are mysteries.

Today was also the first day commuting on my bike.  It was the best thing ever!  I was much happier for much longer into the day than usual.  My commute, which takes about 15 minutes when I leave in the 7 o'clock hour took around 25 minutes on the bike.  I actually didn't look at the time this morning to know for sure, but I do know that it took less than 30 minutes this morning and 23 minutes this afternoon.  Holy cow!  

It was light out when I left at 7am and I left school at 3:45, so I will be interested to see what riding in the dark is like tomorrow night when I come home at 5pm.  I was cold on the morning ride despite the fact that I try to bundle up as much as possible.  It was my toes, thumbs (weird), and my legs that were cold.  Of course my torseau was nice and cozy.  I was wearing my school pants, which I may have to adapt if it gets much colder, but I had thick wool socks on and my windstopper gloves over my cycling gloves.  Once I fix that stuff, I think I can make this happen at least 3 days a week.  I have to figure out how to schlep more of my stuff when I need to so that I can bike five days a week.  I also need to get myself ready for the rain that's coming next week.  I'm lamenting the idea that my bike will turn into a commuter.  I really don't want to put fenders on it, but I might just have to or I might have to go to school in actual cycling clothes or else adapt my clothes to be more bike friendly.  I just have to remind myself...this is so much better than using petro.  

I saw one beautiful Masi fixed gear at the bike store when I went to buy more safety lights. By the way, I better be glowing for the money I've spent on this stuff.  I also better be alive.  Anyway, I have always wanted a single speed.  I don't really care if it's fixed or not, but I do want a single speed and this bike had me at hello and right now, Bianchi's line-up does not include a single speed (what? but I want a Pista mommy).  I want to make it perfectly clear that I have about no business riding a fixed gear bike or even a single speed.  That's way out of my league.  These bikes are for people who know and ride bikes.  They are for people who look cool when they roll up one pant leg.  They are for people who can name some parts of a bike.  I don't even know how to change a flat (yes, I've seen it done, but given that my engineering degree failed me today when I tried to put batteries in my new light, I'm not sure I'd be able to change a bike tire on my own), so I don't think I have any business owning a nice new bike that I would also have no idea how to maintain.  I missed that lesson.  But I can dream...as I've been doing for the last 5 years or so.  Maybe one day.  In the meantime, I will hope my cleats stay screwed into my shoes and that my tires stay unscathed.

On another note, I have now heard Mike Huckabee twice in the last week: once on NPR and once on the Daily Show.  Now, I don't really know too much about him and I do not agree with his politics per se, but he seems like a really honest, straightforward guy.  How did JMc beat him?  Politics confuses me.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Alas, Five is More Than Two

I'll make a long story short and just tell you that the Everest School petition was denied tonight, by a vote of 5-2 by the San Mateo County Board of Education.

I am quite disappointed in what I see as a passive aggressive arguments and conversations that had little substance on the part of the county board members.  Some of them asked questions as if they had never talked about this concept before (which is entirely possible...they are just board members in their spare time), but the vote was quick and quite meek.  We could barely hear them voting.

I'll make the short story long sometime this week.  It's a doozie!  I'm so proud of my school and my students.  We are fighting the good fight and thinking about students first.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Soy Nog!!!


It's the most wonderful time of the year.  Despite the fact that my laundry takes way longer to dry on the line, I can now get all the Silk Soy Nog I want!  I grew up drinking egg nog with nutmeg, but Dad always diluted it with milk.  Soy Nog tastes just like what I grew up with.  And as much as I love all things dairy, this stuff is just the greatest.  I suggest you give it a whirl...but quickly, because it doesn't exist into the New Year.  Last night, I had it on the belt at the Who Fo.  The guy in front of me was so envious that I remembered to pick some up and he hadn't.  We had a big talk about it and after me convincing him that I was in no rush and the clerk telling him that she could ring it up and he could just get it on his way out, we had another happy Nog drinker.

Enjoy!

Change Your Wheels

Some of you may remember that a few years ago that I tracked down a boy using the internet and only the phrase on his hat: "Change Your Fuel, Change The World."  Now, I often drive by a banner at the Gold's Gym that says "Change Your Body, Change Your Life."  And then there's Obama who just says "Change."

Alright already...I get it.  I need to change something.  I have been thinking for nearly a year that I'd like to start commuting on my bike.  Last year, I really wanted to, but it seemed unfeasible because I needed to take so much stuff (school clothes for after the gym, shower stuff, school bag, and lunch).  The entire back seat of my car was filled with my stuff every day.  I could have done this I guess:


I never did buy a trailer, as much as I kind of wanted one.  This year, I've stopped going to the gym (for better or worse) and started doing my running from home so I can get used to running in the cold.  So now, I shower at home, eat breakfast at home, and dress for school at home.  It is now more possible that I could use my bike to get to school.  

This will take some effort for me.  The last time I was commuting on my bike was in the hot New England summer of 2006.  At that time, I was commuting to BU for a math class.  Every morning, I'd ride over to the BU gym, work out, shower, and then ride the few blocks to class.  It really didn't matter what I was wearing as it wasn't my job, so things were a little easier.  My current job does not have showers on campus (or near campus for that matter), so I think my strategy would be to bike in my work clothes (I have two coworkers who do this and a bunch of my students do as well).  This presents a bit of a problem, as I tend to wear mostly dress pants, and I'd have to figure out how to keep them respectable in my backpack.  Or I could look like this guy:

I've been wanting to make my wardrobe a bit more casual for a while, but I'm a horrible shopper and can't really seem to find anything I like out there.  Either that, or I just need a cruiser of a bike.  But I know the road bike, skirt, and heels won't be pretty.  Before I commit to too much too soon, I'm going to try the commute this Wednesday and see how it goes.  I'll set everything up so that I have my school stuff and lunch already at school and Wednesday is my day to leave at 3:15, so I won't have to deal with the dark.  I'll just need to worry about getting there with my clothes in one piece.  We'll see how it goes and then I can start worrying about getting the bike commute compatible and my wardrobe as well.  And, in the meantime, I can chat with some of my favorite bike commuters about how they make it work.

Scrambled Zip Codes

My mom sent me a funny email yesterday with a list of places she could move to if she'd just scramble her zip code.  So, I decided to try it.  Of course, I'm a total math nerd, so the first thing I did was to come up with the 120 combinations when rearranging my 94025 zip in an excel file.  I saved it so I don't have to do that again. 

Here are some of my favorite finds:

95024 Hollister, CA  Like the clothing company.95240 Lodi, CA  Like the CCR song.  
90245 El Segundo, CA  The second!
92054 Oceanside, CA  I've driven through here.  It is relatively oceanside, but not pretty, as far as I'm concerned.

02459 Newton, MA  Yay Mass!
05492 Waterville, VT  I could probably live in a farmhouse here.
09524 Military...on a ship somewhere  Really...I looked this up.

24059 Bent Mountain, VA  I like the name of this and would like to see the reference.
24049 Comfort, VA  Sounds really nice, doesn't it.
20549 DC  Our country's capital!  I would love to run among history.
24095 Goodview, VA  Also, a great name for a place.  I hope it's pretty there.

49502 Grand Rapids, MI   I've never been to Michigan.  I'm not sure Grand Rapids would be my style, but I'm sure they've got something there to see.
40295 Louisville, KY  Also never been to Kentucky.  I could see how the bats are made!

59024 Custer, MT  Oooohh...this place is in Yellowstone County.  I would love to live on a ranch or a farm.  They only have 145 people in this town.  That's amazing!
52409 Cedar Rapids, IA  I could caucus!!!!
54209 Egg Harbor, WI  Another great, great name.  This place is on a finger of land that faces the Green Bay on one side and Lake Michigan on the other.
54902 Oshkosh, WI  They have some decent cross country teams at UW here.


So those are my favorites on the list.  I think I'd enjoy a road trip following my zip code combos across the country.  I'm not sure how I'd get to the military ship, but I'm okay with leaving that out.  

Oh, and did you know that there's a place called Dairyland, CA?  I found this out by looking up where my beautiful eggplant came from.  They were from Madera (one of the most beautiful places to drive through in March), and when I looked it up on the map, I found Dairyland right nearby.  Both are right along the route I take home from Yosemite, but I've never actually seen Dairyland.  I think I would love whatever happens there.

My eggplant became this today:


RATATOUILLE!!!  One of my favorite dishes, this one is Nigella Lawson's with butternut squash.  It is the perfect dish to keep you cozy on a winter day and it makes everyone jealous at lunch.  I like it served over whole wheat couscous.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Sometimes, You Just Get Lucky

I hemmed and hawed about whether to eat at Borrone's tonight. I'm trying to keep my spending as low as possible each month, but I'm also trying to get out of the house on the weekends to at least be near other people. Besides, I hadn't yet finished the paper today.  So I stopped there on my way home from the day's other adventures.

As I pulled up to the garage, I saw hundreds of people standing on the south train platform.  There's no way they all want to go to San Jose, I thought.  What is there to do in San Jose on a Saturday night, by train?  Nothing, as far as I know.  As I stood in line, I overheard people talking about what the crowd was for. I asked and they told me that the "Holiday Train" was coming at 7:10pm.  I had to go see what this was about.

When I got there, I had taken my paper and sandwich to go.  Most every kid seemed to be on someone's shoulders.  Check out the little blonde boy in the center, blue homemade sweater, and not on shoulders.  He was briefly enchanted by me.  He didn't seem to speak English, but we got "choo choo" and he pointed to where the train was coming from and going to.  Actually, he seemed to be staring more at my sandwich than me.  I'm not sure he would have liked the spicy chimichurri sauce though, so I didn't offer.  
At 7:10 on the dot, the train pulled up.  I'll share some pictures to give you the gist.  I can imagine this is a great Peninsula tradition, with families coming out year after year (although I guess it started only in 2001...it will be a great tradition).  The Salvation Army also has a toy drive at each train station.  
Of course, Santa was there.  Most kids seemed to enjoy this part...although I did hear a lot of crying when Frosty, a nutcracker, a gingerbread man, and Rudolph went by.  Kids don't like it when you can't see a human face.  Neither do I.  One day, if I ever have to teach my own kids about Santa, I 'm not really sure how I'd handle it.  My first thought tonight was that I'd say, "Isn't it nice of Santa to take time out of his very busy schedule to see everyone?"  I mean, really...if kids believe that Santa is making lists and toys for every Gentile in the world, shouldn't they be amazed that he has any free time?  I sure am.  I think I'd be pretty honest with my kids about Santa, knowing that it's likely they won't have much interaction with the guy...but then there's school and you can't have a kid who's telling everyone else that Santa is just an "idea," not a real guy.


The train car that I was stading in front of was called "Yosemite Falls."  How awesome is that?  It is a Pullman sleeper/lounge car decorated in the 1950's style.  See the cool upholstery in the window?


Off they go...look at the parents wave!  One of the cars was an open one, where a chorus sang holiday songs while they were stopped for the 18 minutes.  I became truly happy when I heard "White Christmas."

The train makes its rounds again tomorrow night.  It was probably the cutest thing I've ever seen.  Since I'm totally a water works lately, I definitely teared up when I saw some of the little faces of pure joy.  What a nice complement to dinner al fresco.

Friday, December 5, 2008

'Tis Summit

Every Friday, we have Community Hours after school.  Any kid who is tardy to class has to serve 30 minutes for every time they are tardy.  As a result, I have very few tardies.  In fact, I have only one class when I ever have tardies...and it's the same three kids.

Today, my colleague had a brilliant idea for community hours.  During the week, he asked families if they had any strings of lights that they wanted to donate to the school.  Lots of people brought in decorations and we spent two hours after school stringing the beams in our school with lights.  I want to point out that it was mostly my juniors who were doing the decorating, although most of them were just there to hang out, without having to serve community hours.  The school looks amazing.  We have beams across our hallways and they are all wound with twinkling lights.  I will definitely take pictures next week.  All the kids after school kept saying how great it looked and how they'd never seen a school decorated with lights.  It really looks pretty.  I know that lights have a Christmas connotation, but I hope we can talk with kids about how it doesn't have to be that way.  We have lights in our school because we want to feel good about it in these last two tough weeks.  We have only 5 more days to teach curriculum before our 5 days of finals.  Everyone is busy and stressed.  And on top of the school work, there's the county hearing on Monday.  We're having an after school pizza party on Monday before the hearing for kids who are going to the meeting and for them to make posters.  How cute!  My school is a great place for kids.  

I had such a great time with my students after school.  They were up on chairs and tables, stringing lights through the ceiling tiles (plugs are very hard to find in my school as it turns out), checking strings for dead bulbs...and we had to kick them out of the school.  It's become a thing at my school where we actually have to ask kids to leave at the end of the day.  At 5:15 on a Friday, there were still kids hanging out.  Many were helping with lights, but there was a crew of kids just there.  I love that about my school.  A bunch of kids got up to talk at school meeting about why they are planning to be at the hearing on Monday.  Listening to kids say that, at Summit, they are comfortable hanging out with students of other races, that despite major learning disabilities they are conquering their AP classes, and that they want their voices heard loud and clear to this county.  They love Summit!  

Thursday, December 4, 2008

'Tis The Season


So I guess you could call me an environmentalist...at least in lifestyle (I still haven't turned the heat on...I just put on more clothes and maybe one of these).  And I'm a Jew.  But, for some reason, I love Christmas lights.  The best thing about my runs these days is seeing the lights around the neighborhood.  I'm not really sure why one needs to leave them on all night, but I'm not really complaining.  It makes my dark morning runs a lot more interesting.

By the way, what am I going to do in New England?  Currently, the coldest I have run in is 42 degrees.  How can one prepare to run in colder weather?  I can prepare for warmer weather by wearing more clothes...I can't imagine wearing less clothes to prepare.  The good thing is that I won't have to run at 5am, so I can wait for the high of 36 degrees each day.  I'm excited to see what the coldest temperature I will run in this California winter will be.  Will it be below 32?  Doubt it.  I think the coldest it's ever been in The 'Lo is 15 degrees.

Despite what you might think, it does seem like winter out here.  Nowadays, most mornings are incredibly foggy and moist.  After my runs, my clothes are damp...but it hasn't been raining and I'm not sweating all that much...the moisture just sits in the air.  The fog and clouds linger into mid-morning.  Most days, it gets sunny eventually, but the mornings...ahhh...I love them.  I love running the streets, through the low, rolling clouds of mist.  And I'm glad to be in the dark, even though dawn is my favorite time.  While I don't see too many people, there are a few "regulars" out there every morning.  I hope I don't weird them out too much.  I have been wearing my running headband so that it is angled down to cover my mouth and goes up above my ponytail.  Not only does this still keep my ears warm, but it also warms the air that I'm sucking in, which makes my asthmatic lungs a lot happier.  Last year, I ran for months at a warm gym and when I went home and ran in the freezing Connecticut weather, I was wheezing for the next 24 hours.  My lungs were not prepared for the cold air.  Thank goodness my sister drives around with a nebulizer!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

I Wish It Was a Wordless Wednesday

My previous post told a bit about the charter petition in front of our county.

Yesterday, the superintendent of our district had a guest editorial in our local paper.  If you watched the video, you will find the following quote of his ludicrous:

Moreover, it is our moral imperative to ensure no further advancement of the racial isolation that has been creeping back into our nation's schools.

My response is on the webpage.

Awww...Summit Kids

Right now, the Summit Institute has a charter proposal before the county for another high school just like Summit HS. The charter already was denied by the district and many, many people spoke against the charter at the first county hearing. It's incredibly hard for me to understand the opposition. Today, some of the Institute folks made a video to showcase the best part of our school: our amazing students. From the video, you get the gist that the opposition thinks that we're a white, elitist school that does not serve special education students well. You don't have to watch the whole thing or even watch it at all, but I am proud to say that I GET to teach most of the students in this video.



I'm totally teary right now. I wish I could tell you the stories off all these kids in the video. The kid who struggled through everything I gave him last year...and we had a tough time for a few months, but at some point he became incredible positive about math and trusted that I would help him get through...and he is one of the sweetest kids to walk our halls. The student who is in a group home and doesn't know what to put for "parents" on her college application and yet she makes everyone feel happier just by seeing her. The student who saved for months to have the money to apply to two colleges ($110). The student who stands during every class because she can't sit down for very long and the doctors don't know why. The student who is working with me every day at lunch so that he can master the material that has been so tough for him and so that he might get to go on a service trip during January.

I believe these kids..that Summit is a different kind of school and has given a lot of these kids a different high school experience...allowed them to know people outside their neighborhood, know their teachers and open up to them, and have a say in their education. I often think: if so-and-so went to a big public high school, they might not be in Pre-Calculus right now proving the Law of Cosines...they might not be in school right now period. I've had students tell me this: that they would have dropped out long ago if we weren't around. There are a lot of parts of my job that are really tough and most days I don't take a break between the hours of 8am and 6pm, but seeing my kids when they get a college application or to hear about a successful conversation they had with another teaching...that's why I'm there.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

How Time Flies

7am: wakey wakey!
8-1:30: Grading projects at Borrone's.  My rearend hurts.
1:30-2:15: Grocery shopping
2:15-2:45: Put away groceries, fold laundry
2:45-3:15: updated finances and paid some bills
3:00-7:00: recommendation letters
7:00-7:30: catch up on email
7:30pm: nighty, nighty...

A day in the Sunday of a teacher.

...wait, that makes no sense.

A Sunday in the life of a teacher.  No time for the NYT or thinking today...except when I was writing those amazing rec letters.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Battle of The Bands 2008


I love marching bands.  While I only lasted one year in my high school's, I have always been a huge fan.  This, along with loving to watch running events...it's a shocker that I'm single, right?  I was thinking today on my run that at least when I'm single I can do whatever I want.  I get to go to bed when I want, wake up when I want, and watch any internet video I want.  I'm pretty happy about those perks on this four-day weekend.  Lots o' sleep and lots o' nerdy videos.  Sure, it'd be nice to have someone to do stuff with, but would they watch marching bands with me?

Here is Southern in the Bayou Classic Battle.  Mom thinks they win because they spelled out "Obama" and "Jan 20."  No one really noticed the Jan 20, but when they spelled Obama, everyone went crazy.  However, the costumes the dancers wear are the kind that are all skin-colored nylon on the back, so as to seem like they are bare-backed.  I don't love that.  The drum major is pretty great though and the MCHammer redux is awesome!  Especially when half the band puts down their instruments to dance.  Are you watching this yet?


Grambling is the competition as usual.  Oh, their drum major did the same back bend.  Bring it!  I love the diamond stuff, which is totally mesmerizing me.  I don't know what they spelled first (BCFX), but they have Obama in their act too.  Just looked it up.  Black College Football.  Their dancers are wearing some pretty revealing vests and they are the center of attention for a while.  Get back to the marching people!



Finding a female in these bands is kind of like finding a minority at the RNC.  They are there, but it's really hard to tell because you can't see their faces all that well and the get-up pretty much covers up any indication of the female form.  Sure does look fun though.  I might have to watch "Drumline" now.  Who wins in your book?

Shout out to "Camel" from FHS who ran at VanCortlandt Park today in the Northeast Foot Locker XC Regionals.  

Friday, November 28, 2008

History

For those of you who have never seen a false start in cross country (basically everyone I would guess), tune in to the men's national race.  You'll see it in part one, of four.

Full coverage of the races are here (on the left side).

For The Running Nerds

I'm just catching up on the NCAAs.  I know I'm behind, but when things happen on weekdays, I often don't know about it for a while.  And I know there's a significant portion of my readership (?) that loves them some running (I think it's somewhere around 4 out of 10).

Here's a fun video from Saucony:
Great pictures:

I've got the College World Series knocked off my list.  Now I just need to get to the NCAA XC Nationals one day...and then the Olympic Trials...then the Olympics.  I'll just keep working my way up the list.  Hopefully I'll get to see the "modern" "pentathlon" when I'm there.

You Can Stop Fretting About The Elites

I'm not sure why I was so worried about the elite runners regarding yesterday's course.  They were doing the 5K, rather than the donkey show 10K.  I wish I had stuck around for their race, but it started more than 45 minutes after I finished and I still had to go to the grocery store.  I had no idea what to expect there.

The men's race was won by Scott Bauhs.  This guy is amazing.  He won yesterday's 5K in 13:37.  That's 4:24 pace (which means he was running at about twice the speed of me)!  He won by one second, in front of a Kenyan!  Bauhs is a Senior at Chico State and from nearby Danville.  He broke four minutes in the mile last spring, won the Div II Cross Country Nationals a week ago, and was named the Div II Cross Country Athlete of the Year (among many other great running accomplishments).  He is forgoing the rest of his eligibility in order to turn pro.  Good luck Scott!  I'll be looking for your name.  Olympian Gabe Jennings was also in the race, finishing 22rd at 14:43.

On the women's side, the African women won the day.  A Kenyan was first with Ethiopians in second and third.  I was most interested to see that Teresa McWalters was back home for Thanksgiving.  McWalters is a local, ran at Stanford ('07), and is now residing in Cambridge, MA (I suspect at Harvard).  I often saw her name in Boston results, so I guess I've been following her career a bit.  McWalters finished in 5th yesterday with a time of 16:12.

So, I guess they had no trouble with the course.

Seemingly Simple Math

There was a great article in yesterday's Times.  There are so many reasons why I love this article, let me count the ways.

1. The title.  "Modern Pentathlon Gets a Little Less Penta."  Genius!

2. The premise.  The Olympic event of the modern pentathlon will now combine two events: running and shooting.  So, technically, there are four distinct competitions for the gold.

3. The first paragraph.  The author calls out the event for not being so "modern" anymore.  Fencing, shooting, and horse jumping?  The running and swimming make it only 40% modern.  Maybe they combined events to make it more like 50% modern.

4. The ridiculousness.  There are no plans to change the name of the event.  And the reminder that the Big Ten conference has 11 teams.  But, never fear, they have an 11 in their Big Ten logo.

5. The reach.  A former competitor says, "it's really three events plus a biathlon."  I guess 3 + 2 is still 5.

6. The linguists shaking their heads.  "This is crazy."  But then continuing to say, "There's a fine line to fuss about."  How does the linguist let this slide?  I think it's ludicrous.

7. The near perfect rebuttal.  The author writes: "But just try to remove an event from the decathlon, or write a trilogy with two books, or draw a rectangle with three sides."  Shoot.  He was so close.  Deca- is ten, tri- is three, but recti- means right or straight, referring to the, duh, angles of a rectangle.  Rectangle does not mean four angles.  

8. The article leaves both math teachers and English teachers giddy.    

And, yes, I do like counting things.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  This has turned out to be a long post, detailing the donkey show that was the race I ran today.  I'm documenting it for the sake of posterity.  And for some reminders if I ever decide to organize a road race.

I just got back from turkey trotting, something that I barely managed to do this morning.  I awoke at 8:22, after making the poor decision to turn off all my alarms.  I woke up, looked at my watch, and decided that running a race today would probably not be in the cards.  But, I had to get up to go to the bathroom.  Somewhere along the way, I decided I should at least go for a run in the neighborhood.  As I got dressed, I realized that this was a chip race, so I could be a few minutes late.  

I was in the car at 8:35 and running the race by 9:02, while the mob was still crawling across the starting line.  The first mile (oh wait, I never saw the first mile marker, the second time that has happened this fall--Hiccup #1) was slow.  There were so many people and as the 5K runners came back on the turn-around, no one seemed to get the point that we should not be in their way.  Hiccup #2.  We got to the turn around and all the sudden, everyone slowed even more.  I said outloud, "What's going on?"  No answer.  Then I found out.  The 5K was turning around while the 10K was going straight.  No notice, just a sign on the ground, blocked by all the people. Hiccup #3.

We ran on a beautiful multi-use path in San Jose, but at some point, the 10K turn-around came back on itself and we were all on the path, that was only four runners wide.  We were hardly running.  Hiccup #4.  Then, I saw the 3 mile mark.  My watch said 12 minutes for that mile.  I was totally confused.  I knew I had slowed at the bottle neck, but it didn't feel that slow, but what do I know.  Hiccup #5.  I hit mile 4 at 5:26.  Hiccup #6.  Okay, so it seems like the 3 mile mark was in the wrong spot.  I wasn't going crazy, especially since my Nike SportBand almost always shows 9:07 on my easy runs.  Trotting along, I got to 5 mile marker.  6:41 on my watch.  Hiccup #7.  So, far, this race is not exactly going as advertised.  The Pacific USATF was running a 5K championship right after our race...I hope their mile markers were correct and that the 1 mile mark was visible.  

Right after we hit the 5 mile marker, we turned the corner to see a stream of 5K walkers.  As I am processing all of this visual information, I see that we are merging with them onto the path.  The same path that fits 4 runners across.  I don't mind walkers in races one bit, but in the last mile of a race, when I'm trying to push the pace, I would like to be able to run.  So, another bottleneck.  We were hardly running again, and the guy behind me was audibly upset.  He kept asking the walkers to stay to the right (actually his tone was always friendly).  Then, there was a point on the trail where there was a trailer (like a small truck trailer) that  you had to go through.  Most of the runners opted to go through the mud to the left of the trailer.  More bottleneck.  As we were running up a rise, next to the trailer, under a bridge, lots of people were warning us to watch our heads.  We were at a standstill and people were yelling to keep moving.  Then we all saw a woman on her back with a dozen people surrounding her.  She must have hit her head.  She looked completely out of it, but she was conscious.  Hiccups #8 (trailer) and #9 (low bridge and walking again).  Then were were back on the narrow path.  But now, finishers were walking against us back to their cars, I assume.  I was not happy about that, but was happy to see a bike medic going to help the woman who went down.  We weren't on the congested path , but getting on the road wasn't too much better.  There were walkers all over the place.  Usually by the end of a race, things have opened up and you are with people of similar pace.  But, this felt like the beginning of the race...dodging people left and right, people walking right in front of you, people stopping right in front of you.  Finally, I saw the 6th mile marker.  11:44 on the watch.  What do you have to do to get correct mile markers around here?

Coming down the home stretch, when I could finally see the finish line, there was more slowing down.  Almost at the finish, I finally saw someone telling the 10K to stay right, 5K stay left.  Information that would have been helpful a while ago.  

I crossed the finish line just under 9 minute pace.  I was happy about that, given all the hiccups.  For some reason though, most of the people who had finished already, were just standing at the finish, making it frustrating to, again, have to dodge people left and right.  Then, we saw a table with only the remains of packaged water bottles.  There was no water left.  Hiccup #10.

But, I did it. My first race back in the saddle.  While I didn't race and had no plan to, it was nice to have something to do this Thanksgiving.  I am whipping up some more bourbon sweet potatoes to take to my old supervisor's house for a small dinner.  It was nice of her to include me, as I had no plans until a week ago.  I look forward to a time in my life when I can be the person who makes sure to provide a seat for Thanksgiving for those who need one.  A year ago, I was lucky to have a place to be and someone to spend the weekend with.  This year, I'm only half as lucky and I'm very sad to be on the opposite side of the country as my family.  I think this will probably have to be one of the last Thanksgivings without them.

I hope all of you are surrounded by great people today and that your turkey trot was better organized than mine.