Yeah, I'm home today resting my back. I guess I'd had so little pain for a couple of years that I'd forgotten I was no longer invincible.
Snow: 1 Me: 0
Yeah, I'm also slightly grumpy about it because it will now take months before it's back to where it was just yesterday. Grrr....
The only thing I don't feel bad about is that my students aren't missing anything today. They're scheduled for standardized testing YET AGAIN, and, although I do feel bad because this means another English teacher had to swap classes with my substitute because a sub isn't allowed to give the tests, the kids wouldn't be learning anything today anyway. They don't learn anything on standardized test days.
Thus, if I have to be out of school, at least it happened on what is pretty much a wasted day anyway. (And yet lawmakers and the public demand more and more tests! If they're going to do that, I think they need to add days back into the school year so that we can still teach.)
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Somebody Needs A History Lesson
We don't have all that many WWII vets left nowadays, and it shows.
The other day, I was absent-mindedly flipping through a mail-order catalog while I ate breakfast, and I found a section on "homestyle" foods. One of the items was for cans of creamed chipped beef. The description of the stuff was glowing and included a couple of testimonials from "reviewers." But what really made me raise my eyebrows was that the blurb read that creamed chipped beef was "lovingly called SOS by members of the armed forces during WWII."
Uh, sort of.
Dad (yes, he's a WWII vet) -- whenever someone makes a reference to this garbage -- still apologetically refers to it by it's "proper" military nickname, which was "sh-- on a shingle." Oh, that could be abbreviated to SOS, but not "lovingly." The stuff looked/looks like vomit and apparently is only one step better than starvation.
Yes, I know that sales people are supposed to make things look better than they really are, but either these writers need to leave their spiel at things like "fresh ingredients" or else they need a real history lesson. Pronto.
The other day, I was absent-mindedly flipping through a mail-order catalog while I ate breakfast, and I found a section on "homestyle" foods. One of the items was for cans of creamed chipped beef. The description of the stuff was glowing and included a couple of testimonials from "reviewers." But what really made me raise my eyebrows was that the blurb read that creamed chipped beef was "lovingly called SOS by members of the armed forces during WWII."
Uh, sort of.
Dad (yes, he's a WWII vet) -- whenever someone makes a reference to this garbage -- still apologetically refers to it by it's "proper" military nickname, which was "sh-- on a shingle." Oh, that could be abbreviated to SOS, but not "lovingly." The stuff looked/looks like vomit and apparently is only one step better than starvation.
Yes, I know that sales people are supposed to make things look better than they really are, but either these writers need to leave their spiel at things like "fresh ingredients" or else they need a real history lesson. Pronto.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Writing (or Parenting) The 13-Year-Old: You've Got An 8th-Grader!
All the time on the web I see articles about how to tell when a child enters such-and-such a stage -- and what to do about it. But these moms and articles always deal with children; no one wants to talk about puberty.
You see, any junior high teacher can tell you that age 13 is to adolescence pretty much what age 2 is to childhood: the worst.
Want proof? Ask yourself honestly which year of your youth are you most embarrassed about now? In which year did you have the most stress about yourself and yet do the most stupid things? Was it, by any chance, 8th grade/age 13? Over and over again, parents tell me that, yes, they would happily delete that year of their lives -- and, moreover, they'd like now to skip that year of their kids' lives.
And lots of writers avoid puberty, too. Sure, we can all name off Judy Blume and JK Rowling as brave souls who tackle pubescent teens, but most writers don't.
I suspect this is probably because we all like to block the memories most painful and embarrassing to us, and 8th grade is way up there on the list. If a writer doesn't want to remember age 13, the writer cannot write about being age 13. Thus, we have writers who try to stretch the Middle Grade level clear into junior high and writers who won't touch anything below age 16, claiming that Young Adult starts there. (It doesn't.)
Now, I've been in junior high and dealing with the trauma of puberty for more than half my life. I can tell you a few things to remember about the workings of the 8th grade mind:
1) At 13, your body is changing in weird ways. Adults tell you it's hormones and growth spurts and act like it's all normal. But your feet get too big and you get hair in weird places. Sometimes you gain weight -- and fat prejudice is still okay, so no one is going to tell you it's okay to be fat like it's okay to have a hearing aid. You get hyper and don't know why. You get super-tired and don't know why. You get sexually aroused and don't dare even think about it -- and sometimes you don't even realize that's what the new feeling is. All you want to do is scream because no one can tell you what's going on and you're too scared to ask anyway. And then your parents yell at you for being grumpy. Life is SO UNFAIR!
2) At 13, you are the center of the universe. All this new weird stuff is happening to you, so the world should focus on your new experiences. Period. Nothing else really matters. People are watching you, even when you don't see them. Yes, it might be God or angels who know when you have sexual dreams and feel guilty or when you really lied to Mom about the homework. And it might be parents and teachers who are still these mysterious beings who can TELL when you're hiding something or having a mood swing! How scary is THAT??? And how the freak do they DO it?? (Note: kids this age have no clue about body language or facial expressions that tip off adults to such things. It is therefore still somewhat magical to them how we know what we know.) But it's also about your friends who might turn out to be frenemies and post pictures of you on facebook when you're looking stupid at a slumber party. Or they might send pics of you to that one cute person you really like -- and then you'd just DIE! Life would be OVER!
And because you are the center of the universe, you believe everyone notices if you get a huge old zit on your nose or if your hair didn't work out right or if you get your period and your pad is slipping around and oh my gosh it might show lines through your skinny jeans! And if other people don't notice how awesome you look in your best moments or when you made that basket or got to sit with the cool people at lunch, what is wrong with them?! Why are they not making a fuss when they're supposed to be?
And then your parents yell at you for being moody! Life is SO UNFAIR!
3) When you are 13, the world is indeed your stage. You think the world is watching you; your hormones are running high, and this affects your emotions. Ergo, drama is the word. You drop your books in front of someone cute: humiliation. The teacher has you work with that person who is so not as cool as you are: rage. Dad makes you stand outside with a hose to water the dry spots on the lawn when you were skyping with your friends: no one understands you. But the cute neighbor comes out to ride a bike and says hi: super-elation because s/he SPOKE TO YOU!!!
All this happens in a 3-hour block of time. Then your parents yell at you for being over-dramatic. Life is SO UNFAIR!!!
For some of you readers, this may have been a painful experience as you remembered your past. :D However, I hope that it will help a few more writers who try to deal with this age in a believable way. (It may even explain a few things to a few parents as well.)
And other junior high teachers will just be nodding their heads and smiling. We've seen it all, people. We've seen it all.
You see, any junior high teacher can tell you that age 13 is to adolescence pretty much what age 2 is to childhood: the worst.
Want proof? Ask yourself honestly which year of your youth are you most embarrassed about now? In which year did you have the most stress about yourself and yet do the most stupid things? Was it, by any chance, 8th grade/age 13? Over and over again, parents tell me that, yes, they would happily delete that year of their lives -- and, moreover, they'd like now to skip that year of their kids' lives.
And lots of writers avoid puberty, too. Sure, we can all name off Judy Blume and JK Rowling as brave souls who tackle pubescent teens, but most writers don't.
I suspect this is probably because we all like to block the memories most painful and embarrassing to us, and 8th grade is way up there on the list. If a writer doesn't want to remember age 13, the writer cannot write about being age 13. Thus, we have writers who try to stretch the Middle Grade level clear into junior high and writers who won't touch anything below age 16, claiming that Young Adult starts there. (It doesn't.)
Now, I've been in junior high and dealing with the trauma of puberty for more than half my life. I can tell you a few things to remember about the workings of the 8th grade mind:
1) At 13, your body is changing in weird ways. Adults tell you it's hormones and growth spurts and act like it's all normal. But your feet get too big and you get hair in weird places. Sometimes you gain weight -- and fat prejudice is still okay, so no one is going to tell you it's okay to be fat like it's okay to have a hearing aid. You get hyper and don't know why. You get super-tired and don't know why. You get sexually aroused and don't dare even think about it -- and sometimes you don't even realize that's what the new feeling is. All you want to do is scream because no one can tell you what's going on and you're too scared to ask anyway. And then your parents yell at you for being grumpy. Life is SO UNFAIR!
2) At 13, you are the center of the universe. All this new weird stuff is happening to you, so the world should focus on your new experiences. Period. Nothing else really matters. People are watching you, even when you don't see them. Yes, it might be God or angels who know when you have sexual dreams and feel guilty or when you really lied to Mom about the homework. And it might be parents and teachers who are still these mysterious beings who can TELL when you're hiding something or having a mood swing! How scary is THAT??? And how the freak do they DO it?? (Note: kids this age have no clue about body language or facial expressions that tip off adults to such things. It is therefore still somewhat magical to them how we know what we know.) But it's also about your friends who might turn out to be frenemies and post pictures of you on facebook when you're looking stupid at a slumber party. Or they might send pics of you to that one cute person you really like -- and then you'd just DIE! Life would be OVER!
And because you are the center of the universe, you believe everyone notices if you get a huge old zit on your nose or if your hair didn't work out right or if you get your period and your pad is slipping around and oh my gosh it might show lines through your skinny jeans! And if other people don't notice how awesome you look in your best moments or when you made that basket or got to sit with the cool people at lunch, what is wrong with them?! Why are they not making a fuss when they're supposed to be?
And then your parents yell at you for being moody! Life is SO UNFAIR!
3) When you are 13, the world is indeed your stage. You think the world is watching you; your hormones are running high, and this affects your emotions. Ergo, drama is the word. You drop your books in front of someone cute: humiliation. The teacher has you work with that person who is so not as cool as you are: rage. Dad makes you stand outside with a hose to water the dry spots on the lawn when you were skyping with your friends: no one understands you. But the cute neighbor comes out to ride a bike and says hi: super-elation because s/he SPOKE TO YOU!!!
All this happens in a 3-hour block of time. Then your parents yell at you for being over-dramatic. Life is SO UNFAIR!!!
For some of you readers, this may have been a painful experience as you remembered your past. :D However, I hope that it will help a few more writers who try to deal with this age in a believable way. (It may even explain a few things to a few parents as well.)
And other junior high teachers will just be nodding their heads and smiling. We've seen it all, people. We've seen it all.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Where Am I, Cincinnati?
We had an ice storm today. That NEVER happens in Salt Lake.
We're in the middle of the worst temperature inversion since 1982 (which was worse by far), today was the first day to get UP to freezing in weeks, and the air quality resembles that of a casino in the 1970s. But today it rained -- because it was warm enough to do that above the inversion. Unfortunately, when the rain hit the cold air below the inversion, it didn't shift to snow; it just froze.
The roads, the sidewalks, and everyone's windshields turned to sheets of ice. Cars were sliding off the roads everywhere and getting to school was like watching goats with skates strapped to their hoofs.
By the time I got home this evening, the driveway looked like someone had hosed it down and let it freeze. I seriously had ice half an inch thick in several areas. It took me 45 minutes and ten pounds of ice melt (not an exaggeration) to get it to the point where it was safe to drive my car into the garage.
I hope it's not that bad again in the morning because I'm nearly out of ice melt now!
We're in the middle of the worst temperature inversion since 1982 (which was worse by far), today was the first day to get UP to freezing in weeks, and the air quality resembles that of a casino in the 1970s. But today it rained -- because it was warm enough to do that above the inversion. Unfortunately, when the rain hit the cold air below the inversion, it didn't shift to snow; it just froze.
The roads, the sidewalks, and everyone's windshields turned to sheets of ice. Cars were sliding off the roads everywhere and getting to school was like watching goats with skates strapped to their hoofs.
By the time I got home this evening, the driveway looked like someone had hosed it down and let it freeze. I seriously had ice half an inch thick in several areas. It took me 45 minutes and ten pounds of ice melt (not an exaggeration) to get it to the point where it was safe to drive my car into the garage.
I hope it's not that bad again in the morning because I'm nearly out of ice melt now!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
On The Urgency Of Christmas Light Removal
So, Monday evening I was just ready to crawl into bed when I heard a good deal of banging and clanging coming from outside. I went to the window and saw one of my neighbors setting up a ladder against his house. As I stared, he climbed up and noisily began to dismantle his Christmas lights, which had been up since mid-November.
It was 10:30 PM.
In January in Utah, sunset is about 6:00 PM.
It was also in the single-digit temperatures. Farenheit, not Celsius.
?????
As far as I know, there is no fine imposed upon people who leave their Christmas lights up past Civil Rights Day. At least, we have not been fined, and our lights are still up -- BECAUSE IT'S TOO FREAKIN' COLD AND THERE'S TOO FREAKIN' MUCH SNOW TO TAKE THEM DOWN RIGHT NOW.
Ahem.
I went to bed anyway, but the noise continued for nearly an hour afterward.
Geez, I sure hope he's happy about getting those lights down. Maybe his were set to turn back into pumpkins at midnight or something.
I may never know.
It was 10:30 PM.
In January in Utah, sunset is about 6:00 PM.
It was also in the single-digit temperatures. Farenheit, not Celsius.
?????
As far as I know, there is no fine imposed upon people who leave their Christmas lights up past Civil Rights Day. At least, we have not been fined, and our lights are still up -- BECAUSE IT'S TOO FREAKIN' COLD AND THERE'S TOO FREAKIN' MUCH SNOW TO TAKE THEM DOWN RIGHT NOW.
Ahem.
I went to bed anyway, but the noise continued for nearly an hour afterward.
Geez, I sure hope he's happy about getting those lights down. Maybe his were set to turn back into pumpkins at midnight or something.
I may never know.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Update: Becoming Brigid
I will not kid you: January's been rough.
I've been dealing with the end-of-semester grading, getting ready to train a student teacher, and the sudden death of my friend's son. I've been dragging home in the bitter cold at 6:00 PM for days now, after working close to 11 hours a day. Really, I haven't had much time for writing, and I'm WAY behind.
However, I'm pleased to announce that I finished my fourth edit of Becoming Brigid since I got the first proof last June, and today I submitted the files for the updated cover and interior to create space. Soon, there will be a new proof copy available. It's now time for me to hand it over to someone to copy edit. And then, about 5 more edits/copy edits, and it should be ready!! Yea!
So, soon I'll be ready to reveal the actual cover of the book online. (Okay, so my students have already seen it -- since I've been dragging the old proof around for months now.) I spent an hour today (yes, it takes THAT LONG) researching possible bloggers to ask if they'd do a cover reveal sometime in the spring, but if any of my readers happen to be interested in doing a cover reveal for Becoming Brigid, do leave a comment so I'll know.
In case you've forgotten, Becoming Brigid is a paranormal adventure book with a hint of romance, aimed at girls 14-17-ish. I began work on it not long after I started Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire, but Brigid doesn't have any vampires in it; it has Celtic gods.
Here's the (current) blurb:
Pepper Kircy has definite plans for her future. And she thinks she knows everything about her life -- at least until she meets Dougal, a man with way too much knowledge about a past she doesn’t remember. Suddenly, her geeky, ghost-hunting dad and her mortician neighbors aren’t quite as ordinary as they seem. But then, neither is Pepper.
Dougal’s tempting. He quotes poetry and insists on calling Pepper by the name she never uses: Brigid. Soon, she can’t get him out of her dreams. So, in spite of all his weird talk about a missing goddess and a long-lost stone, she could really like this guy. Maybe even enough to change her precious plans.
If he'd just stop trying to kill her....
I've been dealing with the end-of-semester grading, getting ready to train a student teacher, and the sudden death of my friend's son. I've been dragging home in the bitter cold at 6:00 PM for days now, after working close to 11 hours a day. Really, I haven't had much time for writing, and I'm WAY behind.
However, I'm pleased to announce that I finished my fourth edit of Becoming Brigid since I got the first proof last June, and today I submitted the files for the updated cover and interior to create space. Soon, there will be a new proof copy available. It's now time for me to hand it over to someone to copy edit. And then, about 5 more edits/copy edits, and it should be ready!! Yea!
So, soon I'll be ready to reveal the actual cover of the book online. (Okay, so my students have already seen it -- since I've been dragging the old proof around for months now.) I spent an hour today (yes, it takes THAT LONG) researching possible bloggers to ask if they'd do a cover reveal sometime in the spring, but if any of my readers happen to be interested in doing a cover reveal for Becoming Brigid, do leave a comment so I'll know.
In case you've forgotten, Becoming Brigid is a paranormal adventure book with a hint of romance, aimed at girls 14-17-ish. I began work on it not long after I started Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire, but Brigid doesn't have any vampires in it; it has Celtic gods.
Here's the (current) blurb:
Pepper Kircy has definite plans for her future. And she thinks she knows everything about her life -- at least until she meets Dougal, a man with way too much knowledge about a past she doesn’t remember. Suddenly, her geeky, ghost-hunting dad and her mortician neighbors aren’t quite as ordinary as they seem. But then, neither is Pepper.
Dougal’s tempting. He quotes poetry and insists on calling Pepper by the name she never uses: Brigid. Soon, she can’t get him out of her dreams. So, in spite of all his weird talk about a missing goddess and a long-lost stone, she could really like this guy. Maybe even enough to change her precious plans.
If he'd just stop trying to kill her....
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Most Difficult Book Signing Ever
Last summer, when her adult son graduated from a university to start a second career, my long-time friend and colleague gave him a copy of Confessions of an Average Half-Vampire, as he had always had teenage-like energy and enthusiasm (and also enjoyed my sense of humor). He quite liked the book, so my friend bought him a copy of All in the Half-Vampire Family for a Christmas gift.
With the first book, she'd purchased it straight from me, so I happily signed the book to her son, who was a favorite of mine anyway. But With HV Family, my friend purchased the book from Amazon, and it was shipped straight to her house, so I hadn't signed it.
Her son was in town for the holidays and had intended to return home on January 6, but, on a whim, decided he needed five more days with his family. So, as he left his parents' home Sunday evening to go visit some friends, he put the book on the piano and told his mom, "Take that to school Monday and have Lisa sign it for me."
It was to be one of his last requests of her.
Very early Monday morning (January 7), he had a massive heart attack. His friends, the paramedics, and the hospital staff all tried to save him, but it couldn't be done.
By that afternoon, I was standing with his mother at his hospital bed, rubbing his arm and listening to the life support machines beep and whirr while we waited for the rest of his loved ones to say goodbye before they took him off the machines and let him go.
He was 33.
The family held a lovely celebration of life for him on Friday night.
Today, his mom came back to school. And she brought me the book to sign for him -- because what mother could ignore her son's final requests, even if they involved something as simple as a book?
Oh my.
I managed not to let the tears splash all over the page as I wrote.
Dear [name],
I suppose this book may end up standing for many things you could not finish. Nevertheless, I will write the words on the page as you wrote on our hearts.
Love you.
Miss you.
Lisa
With the first book, she'd purchased it straight from me, so I happily signed the book to her son, who was a favorite of mine anyway. But With HV Family, my friend purchased the book from Amazon, and it was shipped straight to her house, so I hadn't signed it.
Her son was in town for the holidays and had intended to return home on January 6, but, on a whim, decided he needed five more days with his family. So, as he left his parents' home Sunday evening to go visit some friends, he put the book on the piano and told his mom, "Take that to school Monday and have Lisa sign it for me."
It was to be one of his last requests of her.
Very early Monday morning (January 7), he had a massive heart attack. His friends, the paramedics, and the hospital staff all tried to save him, but it couldn't be done.
By that afternoon, I was standing with his mother at his hospital bed, rubbing his arm and listening to the life support machines beep and whirr while we waited for the rest of his loved ones to say goodbye before they took him off the machines and let him go.
He was 33.
The family held a lovely celebration of life for him on Friday night.
Today, his mom came back to school. And she brought me the book to sign for him -- because what mother could ignore her son's final requests, even if they involved something as simple as a book?
Oh my.
I managed not to let the tears splash all over the page as I wrote.
Dear [name],
I suppose this book may end up standing for many things you could not finish. Nevertheless, I will write the words on the page as you wrote on our hearts.
Love you.
Miss you.
Lisa
Sunday, January 13, 2013
A Hilarious Take On Religious Philosophy
I love Robert Kirby, columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune. And his column today had me snorting laughter over my laptop keyboard.
Read on. It's great.
Read on. It's great.
Kirby: Imagine being the son of the Son of God
It’s a fair (though admittedly irreverent) question in light of a recent discovery. On an ancient bit of papyrus, Jesus reportedly mentions having a wife.If you think being the Son of God was tough, consider what it would be like to be the Grandson of God. Or worse, the King of Kings Jr.
According to a Religion News Service story, “the fragment is from a fourth-century codex written in Coptic that may have come from an earlier, unknown gospel. The receipt-sized slip of papyrus contains just 33 words spread across 14 incomplete lines and quotes Jesus referring to “my wife” before the sentence is cut off.”
Note: You can find out all about this scrap of papyrus on the Internet, so I’m not getting into the specifics here. The point is that it raises the question (once again) as to whether Jesus was ever married (or for that matter divorced).
The idea of a married Savior bothers some Christians. They don’t like the idea of seeing the Lord in a marital setting, having to do common man chores around the house before he could go drive the Pharisees nuts.
Also, if Jesus was married, it opens the question of whether he and his wife ever had children. Being the Lord’s kid would have been awful.
Fortunately, I have a mortal father. I was 27 percent successful when it came to lying to my father, which means I had a 3-1 chance of getting away with something.
Imagine being raised by someone who didn’t have to ask what time you got home last night because he knew before the world was even formed that you were going to blow curfew on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013.
And the Lord wouldn’t have to just ground you if you were bad. He could cast you into worse places than your room. Imagine spending a time-out inside a pig.
Being the Lord’s wife would be tough. In the middle of a marital “discussion,” she would never be able to scornfully say, “Oh, you just think you’re so perfect.”
It wouldn’t be much fun for the Savior, either. Being without sin, he could never lie when his wife asked, “Do these jeans make my butt look big?”
But the real problem is the kids. What percent celestial would they be? Could they perform lesser miracles? How would you ever be your own person if you were the child of the Prince of Peace?
There’s worse. If the Lord had children, those children had children, and those children had … you see where I’m going, right? Yeah, genealogy.
I volunteered at an LDS Family History Center for years. I know how fascinated some family researchers are with connecting their lines to various forms of royalty.
If the Savior of the World had progeny, you can imagine the scramble for a personal link to that particular branch of humanity.
Patron 1: “I’m related to Brigham Young through his 15th wife.”
Patron 2: “Big deal. I’m three-millionth percent divine on my mother’s side.”
A betrothed Jesus bothers some Christians. It’s OK with me because it’s none of my business. Furthermore, it doesn’t change anything about all that “love one another” stuff that I still don’t do.
rkirby@sltrib.com
Saturday, January 12, 2013
And Yet More Snow
Another 3-4 inches on my driveway this morning. That makes roughly 28 inches in my yard -- all from one storm!
However, I think it seems to have let up now and might actually be stopping.
Oddly, the ski resorts didn't get all that much, from what I hear from my ski-fan neighbor.
However, I think it seems to have let up now and might actually be stopping.
Oddly, the ski resorts didn't get all that much, from what I hear from my ski-fan neighbor.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Still Snowing
The snow has not let up in roughly 30 hours. The mounds of snow shoveled from people's driveways are now several feet high. Residential streets -- if they have been plowed at all -- have been narrowed to one lane.
I shoveled snow higher than my knees this morning, then snow above my ankles this afternoon when I got home from school, and another couple of inches had fallen by the time I arrived home after an evening outing.
I noticed a tree in the backyard that really needed to be shaken free of the extra weight, lest it collapse, so I trudged into the yard with a rake. Afterward, I measured to where the snow came on my pants: just over 2 feet. That's quite a bit for one storm.
I shoveled snow higher than my knees this morning, then snow above my ankles this afternoon when I got home from school, and another couple of inches had fallen by the time I arrived home after an evening outing.
I noticed a tree in the backyard that really needed to be shaken free of the extra weight, lest it collapse, so I trudged into the yard with a rake. Afterward, I measured to where the snow came on my pants: just over 2 feet. That's quite a bit for one storm.
Oh, Snow.
Oh dear.
So much snow overnight.
I'll have to shovel twice just to get out this morning: once to get the worst of it off, then again just before I'm ready to leave for school so as to drive over as little of it as possible (frozen snow on the driveway = not a good thing).
Then the roads will be horrid, not just with snow, but with idiots who aren't properly equipped to drive in it.
So much snow overnight.
I'll have to shovel twice just to get out this morning: once to get the worst of it off, then again just before I'm ready to leave for school so as to drive over as little of it as possible (frozen snow on the driveway = not a good thing).
Then the roads will be horrid, not just with snow, but with idiots who aren't properly equipped to drive in it.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Awesome Literacy Promotion
Check out this link. Major coolness is afoot in the UK, with McDonald's restarants' intent to replace the toys in happy meals with BOOKS! (at least for a while)
McDonald's branches in the United Kingdom will include a book with each Happy Meal sold as part of a promotion called "Happy Readers," starting Wednesday.
With one book per Happy Meal in the U.K., McDonald's estimates that they will become the largest children's book distributor in the country, with a total of 15 million books handed out by the end of 2014.
The initiative was inspired by data complied by Britain's National Literacy Trust, which recently revealed that out of a group of 21,000 children, only 50 percent of them said they enjoyed reading "very much" or "a lot."
For the next five weeks, Happy Meals in the UK will feature non-fiction books from DK Books' Amazing World Series, with categories of Stars and Planets, Big Cats, and Oceans. Children can also redeem a voucher from their Happy Meal if they'd prefer to choose their own book at bookseller WH Smith.
McDonald's branches in the United Kingdom will include a book with each Happy Meal sold as part of a promotion called "Happy Readers," starting Wednesday.
With one book per Happy Meal in the U.K., McDonald's estimates that they will become the largest children's book distributor in the country, with a total of 15 million books handed out by the end of 2014.
The initiative was inspired by data complied by Britain's National Literacy Trust, which recently revealed that out of a group of 21,000 children, only 50 percent of them said they enjoyed reading "very much" or "a lot."
For the next five weeks, Happy Meals in the UK will feature non-fiction books from DK Books' Amazing World Series, with categories of Stars and Planets, Big Cats, and Oceans. Children can also redeem a voucher from their Happy Meal if they'd prefer to choose their own book at bookseller WH Smith.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
A Moment Of The Surreal
A few minutes ago, I looked up from what I was doing to the clock on the wall (one which, oddly enough, I STILL haven't switched back into MST). As the time registered with me, the first thought that formed in my brain was, "The bell will ring in 2 minutes."
Well, no, it won't. It's Sunday. And I'm at home. The bell doesn't ring here.
I suspect that the sheer number of years I've been teaching has done some damage to my psyche.
Well, no, it won't. It's Sunday. And I'm at home. The bell doesn't ring here.
I suspect that the sheer number of years I've been teaching has done some damage to my psyche.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Why I Haven't Gotten Too Much Grading Done In The Last 24 Hours
And now I MUST GRADE papers. Now.
(Okay, I'm going, I'm going.....)
Friday, January 4, 2013
Cold
So, Wednesday morning, when the alarm went off at 4:15 AM, I awoke with the memory that I had turned the heating system off in my relo before the holidays (when the temperature was in the 50s F.). Oh my.
I rushed to leave the house by 6:15 (earlier than usual) and fought surprisingly bad traffic all the way to school. (I had no idea the traffic would be so bad at that time of morning, but it was worse than at the time I usually leave for school.)
On the way, I had the radio on, and the DJ (John Carter, one of my longtime favorite DJs in the area) said, "Welcome to the Wednesday that feels like Monday!" He was right.
I arrived at my relo at 6:35 AM. It was 24 degrees F. in the room. More than an hour later, when school began, I still had to make my 1st period kids get their coats to wear to class.
Believe me; I did not turn the programed heat off that night.
Yesterday, when I arrived at school (at 7:00 AM), my room was a nice 65 degrees (PLENTY warm once you get it filled with 35 sweating adolescents), the thermometer in my car read 4 degrees F.
Yeah, 4. Gotta love a temperature inversion.
I recall that when I was living in Scotland, there was one day in January where the temperature dipped down to 0 degrees centigrade/ 32 F. I cannot tell you how many people bothered to tell me that day that it was "literally freezing!" Yes, it was. And I laughed every time they told me.
Finally, one lady was aghast that I wasn't stunned by the freezing temperature. I explained it to her this way: "When the temperature gets UP to freezing in Salt Lake in January, we tend to think of it as 'getting warm.'"
And, of course, I know this is nothing compared to places like Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Still, I don't mind the cold. I can always layer on more clothes to keep warm -- unlike the extreme Utah summer heat where one cannot peel off layers of skin to cool down. And cold keeps people quieter. It's peaceful, which I really appreciate.
I rushed to leave the house by 6:15 (earlier than usual) and fought surprisingly bad traffic all the way to school. (I had no idea the traffic would be so bad at that time of morning, but it was worse than at the time I usually leave for school.)
On the way, I had the radio on, and the DJ (John Carter, one of my longtime favorite DJs in the area) said, "Welcome to the Wednesday that feels like Monday!" He was right.
I arrived at my relo at 6:35 AM. It was 24 degrees F. in the room. More than an hour later, when school began, I still had to make my 1st period kids get their coats to wear to class.
Believe me; I did not turn the programed heat off that night.
Yesterday, when I arrived at school (at 7:00 AM), my room was a nice 65 degrees (PLENTY warm once you get it filled with 35 sweating adolescents), the thermometer in my car read 4 degrees F.
Yeah, 4. Gotta love a temperature inversion.
I recall that when I was living in Scotland, there was one day in January where the temperature dipped down to 0 degrees centigrade/ 32 F. I cannot tell you how many people bothered to tell me that day that it was "literally freezing!" Yes, it was. And I laughed every time they told me.
Finally, one lady was aghast that I wasn't stunned by the freezing temperature. I explained it to her this way: "When the temperature gets UP to freezing in Salt Lake in January, we tend to think of it as 'getting warm.'"
And, of course, I know this is nothing compared to places like Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Still, I don't mind the cold. I can always layer on more clothes to keep warm -- unlike the extreme Utah summer heat where one cannot peel off layers of skin to cool down. And cold keeps people quieter. It's peaceful, which I really appreciate.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Predicting Temperature Inversions
A temperature inversion occurs in the Salt Lake Valley when cold, dirty air gets trapped under warmer air. If there is no wind or a storm, the inversion can last for weeks. Snow doesn't melt, the air gets difficult to breathe, fog builds up and crystalizes on everything, and it stays bitter cold. I recall one winter when I was 16 when the inversion didn't lift for roughly a month; some days we couldn't even see across the street clearly.
Well, today in the Salt Lake Tribune, this article claims there is now a center that can predict these inversions a month in advance.
But most Salt Lake residents have always been able to predict temperature inversions. We call it "January."
Well, today in the Salt Lake Tribune, this article claims there is now a center that can predict these inversions a month in advance.
But most Salt Lake residents have always been able to predict temperature inversions. We call it "January."
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
What I Read In 2012
In 2011 I managed 130 books + 16 manuscripts with an additional 68 books partially read and then rejected. This year the total was far less: 78 books and 17 manuscripts (read and revised or edited, all my own work) and only 19 books partially read and then rejected.
Here's the list of what I read (or re-read, as many of the books are ones I'd read previoiusly):
That breaks down into:
40 YA fiction = 51% 19 "grown up fiction" = 24% and 15 non-fiction = 19% and 4 MG fiction = 1/2%
By genre (some books qualified as more than one thing):
9 mystery = 11% 2 dystopia = 0.02% fantasy 19 = 24% steampunk 9 = 11% paranormal 14 = 17% realistic 4 = 0.5% historical fiction 10 =12% action/adventure 5 =0.06% and sci fi 3 = 0.03%
in non-fiction: biography 3 = 0.03% craft 2 = 0.02% travel 1 = 0.14% history 6 =0.07% cooking 2 = 0.02% humor 1 = 0.14%
# of books where I couldn't recall anything about them and had to look them up = 6
# of self-published books = 3
Here's the list of what I read (or re-read, as many of the books are ones I'd read previoiusly):
2012
1. The Angel Makers by Jessica Gregson 1/5/12
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer 1/16/12
3. Fashionable Food by Sylvia Lovegren 1/27/12
4. Fairy Metal Thunder by JL Bryan 1/2712
5. Five Very Good Reasons To Punch A Dolphin In The Mouth by Matthew Inman 2/7/12
6. The Crowfield Demon by Pat Walsh 2/12/12
7. Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney 2/18/12
8. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges 2/18/12
9. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George 2/19/12
10. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson 2/21/12
11. Heddy’s Folly by Richard Rhodes 2/27/12
12. Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen 3/4/12
13. Extra Virginity by Tom Mueller 3/16/12
14. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvator 3/21/12
15. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 3/27/12
16. Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer 4/1/12
17. Storm by Brigid Kemmerer 4/6/12
18. Babe In Boyland by Jody Gehrman 4/7/12
19. Forgotten Bookmarks by Michael Popek 4/12/12
20. Re-Creative by Steve Dodds 4/13/12
21. Secrets of Rusty Things by Michael de Meng 4/14/12
22. Timeless by Gail Carriger 4/15/12
23. All About Emily by Connie Willis 4/26/12
24. Monster High 4: Back and Deader Than Ever by Lisi Harrison 5/2/12
25. The Agency: A Traitor in the Tunnel 5/5/12
26. Women Explorers of the World by Margo McLoone 5/3/12
27. Women Explorers of North and South America by Margo McLoone 5/5/12
28. Scandalous! by Hallie Frid 5/14/12
29. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers 5/19/12
30. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins 6/3/12
31. You’d Better Knot Die by Betty Hechtman 6/5/12
32. The Selection by Kiera Cass 6/13/12
33. Hy Brasil by Margaret Elphinstone 6/16/12
34. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo 6/17/12
35. Croak by Gina Damico 6/21/12
36. The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats 6/24/12
37. Sleeping Handsome by Jean Haus 6/24/12
38. The Humming Room 6/30/12
39. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood 7/7/12
40. Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace: the Private Diary of a Victorian Lady by Kate Summerscale 7/7
41. The Real Elizabeth by Andrew Marr 7/14/12
42. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 7/28/12
43. Take A Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg 7/29/12
44. Spark by Brigid Kemmerer 7/31/12
45. Closet Confidential by Mary Jane Maffinin 8/5/12
46. Ringing in Murder by Kate Kingsbury 8/5/12
47. All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen 8/11/12
48. The Unnaturalists by Tiffany Trent 8/24/12
49. Found by Margaret Patterson Haddix 8/26/12
50. Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel 9/2/12
51. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman 9/6/12
52. Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough 9/8/12
53. Dracula by Bram Stoker 9/9/12
54. The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron 9/12/12
55. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan 9/21/12
56. Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 9/26/12
57. Crown of Embers by Rae Carson 9/30/12
58. Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah ed. by Claudia Bushman 10/2/12
59. The Diviners by Libba Bray 10/7/12
60. A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont 10/10/12
61. If Mashed Potatoes Could Dance by Paige Shelton 10/12/12
62. The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling 10/19/12
63. The Entertainer by Margaret Talbot 11/3/12
64. Thirds by Michelle Davidson Argyle 11/17/12
65. Corsets and Clockwork ed. by Trisha Talep 11/22/12
66. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling 11/23/12
67. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling 11/25/12
68.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling 11/25/12
69. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 12/1/12
70. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 12/6/12
71. The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress 12/9/12
72. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling 12/10/12
73. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart 12/15/12
74. The Jewel of Seven Stars by Bram Stoker 12/23/12
75. Killer Maize by Paige Shelton 12/25/12
76. The Orkney Scroll by Lyn Hamilton 12/27/12
77. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling 12/29/12
78. Walking Salt Lake City by Lynn Arave and Ray Boren 12/31/12
That breaks down into:
40 YA fiction = 51% 19 "grown up fiction" = 24% and 15 non-fiction = 19% and 4 MG fiction = 1/2%
By genre (some books qualified as more than one thing):
9 mystery = 11% 2 dystopia = 0.02% fantasy 19 = 24% steampunk 9 = 11% paranormal 14 = 17% realistic 4 = 0.5% historical fiction 10 =12% action/adventure 5 =0.06% and sci fi 3 = 0.03%
in non-fiction: biography 3 = 0.03% craft 2 = 0.02% travel 1 = 0.14% history 6 =0.07% cooking 2 = 0.02% humor 1 = 0.14%
# of books where I couldn't recall anything about them and had to look them up = 6
# of self-published books = 3
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