A Few Quick Notes

Dear Jonagold Apple-

I'm writing to express my displeasure in your general state of being. An apple should be crisp and break off into big chunks in my mouth when I bite into it. When I bite into your reddish-gold flesh I instead get a less-than-satisfying slushy pull of apple-ness. Boo. Shape up, please. SHAPE UP.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sacramento Cab Company--

The airport is really close to my hotel. Really. It took us all of 15 minutes to get there. So why the $40 fare, cab company? That's ridiculous. I took a no-name white van shuttle service back to the airport for less than $20--in case you wondered why I didn't call for a ride back to the airport on Saturday. Boo on you and your ridiculous fares.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Philadelphian--

Your restaurant is gross. There is grease and all sort of nasty all over the place; I fear I'll contract a disease when I'm still 20 feet from the front door. Be that as it may...I will still be darkening your door regularly because you make one dang good sandwich! I applaud you for that and offer my most fervent thanks for an absolutely incredible meal Saturday night. I still might suggest cleaning the place up a bit...but then, it does give y'all some character.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear SyFy--

I adore your new show Being Human. The combination of ghost, werewolf and vampire is absolutely absurd and I should be embarrassed by this but I seriously LOVE IT. What do I not love about this? Explain the silly block on Hulu, Syfy. Why do I have to wait 30 DAYS for a new episode? 30 DAYS! I thought we were better friends than that. Lame, Syfy. LAAAAAAME.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Cream Cheese frosting--

Never change.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Disneyland--

I miss you. I miss your churros, Toy Story Mania madness, parades, and overall happy vibe. Its been far too long since we've been friends. I think we both agree this is a tragedy. Do you have any ideas on how to remedy this situation soon?

Keep on with the magic--and see what you can do about having Corn Dog Castle open next time we get together.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Sydney Carton-

You are the Bomb-Diggety--especially as fictional characters go.

*me*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Universe--

Life is currently AWESOME (minus a few bad Jonagold apples and things of that sort). Your focus and attention to detail is exemplary--the UFO "coincidence" was BRILLIANT. Keep up the good work!

*me*

Fist Pump

Word of Warning: Video does contain a few colorful words. But my overwhelming reaction to this is a fist pumping, barbaric YAWP! Right on, Mr. Mali. RIGHT ON.

That would be the Life!

Yesterday morning I was perusing a story from last year's Washington Post. The story highlighted the life of touring Broadway performers. A few of the actors interviewed had been touring for years with certain shows. And as I read I just kept thinking, "That would be an AWESOME job! They're so lucky!" Taking a step back, I realized how often I look at other people's lives and professions and feel a teeny bit of jealousy over what they have. It could be their hours, their benefits, or even their actual responsibilities but I'm so often comparing my "boring" life to somebody else's.

But why?! Sure--teaching 200 middle school students the big ideas of American History might not be the most glamorous option for employment. But doggone it, I like it! And there are things about my job that should make other people pause and think, "That would be the life! She's so lucky!"

First and foremost, as everyone knows, teachers get the summer off. Woohoo! Now, I actually would prefer to teach a year-round schedule getting 3 weeks off here and there, but STILL. Loads of time off during the calendar year.

Second, my job is never the same. Yes each day is "teaching," but each day is actually a different format. One day I could be lecturing, another day we're doing a guided reading assignment in the book, and the next day we're reenacting Ellis Island. Its kind of awesome.

Third, every now and again you get a total boost from somebody--a student, fellow teacher, or a parent--sending along a sincere thank you for what you do. I'll emphasize this may be rare, but its kind of like seeing Mecca when it does happen.

Finally, being a middle school history teacher gives me opportunity to talk every day about one of my great loves--History. I really do love it. I love that I get to study what I love over and over again, and unlike in college--there's not really a test at the end. At least, not for me, I guess.

So really--life is good. I may not be up singing "Aida" every night in front of a well-paying crowd, but I do get to stand in front of a captive audience each day and perform a "dog and pony show" about US History. The only real difference is that my show rarely garners a standing ovation. And I think I'm okay with that.