Today was hard. Yesterday was hard. I had a harsh reality check - I got called out for missing my lesson plans at one of my placements.
SLOs. Data notebooks. Grade books. Lesson plans. Calendars.
I missed one staff meeting too many - I got the magnifying glass hovering over me shining a hot beam of light under me... the flame is burning at both ends. I am struggling to make up my work.
I understand that all teachers within this school are under the same expectations. I am not surprised but I flew under the radar for 2 years before they decided to look in on my teaching practice. Maybe it was a failure to communicate. They never directly talked to me. Passing greetings but an exhausting pre-service week led to nodding off in a staff meeting led to concerns. It didn't look good on my end to miss two staff meetings in a row.
Attendance is my mission now. You say "jump," I say "how high?" Great.
I need to be on point. Walking on egg shells. I am a ninja. Must excel this year to make things balance out better. Especially with travel in the horizon. Done.
Eustress. I missed Samba but this made me sit down and get some work processed. Good.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Where in the World is...?
I just remembered how obsessed I was with Carmen San Diego... maybe I read too much as a kid - 2015 is going to be insane.
Coming soon -
SAWA SAWA KIZOMBA FESTIVAL DC/NYC Embrace Event
CHICAGO - MCA David Bowie Is
BOSTON Brazilian Dance Festival
First ... SLEEP.
Then... WORK.
Eventually... PLAY.
I need to work on my space and build relationships. Open doors for myself - Take steps - Welcome whatever I seek.
Coming soon -
SAWA SAWA KIZOMBA FESTIVAL DC/NYC Embrace Event
CHICAGO - MCA David Bowie Is
BOSTON Brazilian Dance Festival
First ... SLEEP.
Then... WORK.
Eventually... PLAY.
I need to work on my space and build relationships. Open doors for myself - Take steps - Welcome whatever I seek.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
AWAY MESSAGE
Nothing is wrong.
Take me away
Who?
Go away
Where?
I am away
When?
I am a way
Truth.
Why do I seek companionship? Am I seeking someone? I feel like I am armed with spikes all around like a rambutan. Mangosteen, please! I need to let someone crack through the rough exterior. I have much to give but I'm so busy guarding myself that I cannot let myself crack. Sweetness.
I know my power. I know my strength. I know my weakness. When will I control it?
When will I let go and trust the path before me? When is that time going to arrive? Now I feel like I am impatiently expecting and awaiting that arrival that I cannot enjoy my present. I feel disappointed.
Last time was a surprise. I wish I could have experienced more time in that relationship. Now I refuse to permit myself to regress because I have convinced myself that there is nothing there. However, in terms of travel, I am beginning to return to previous places in search of new experiences. Should I revisit past opportunities if the door is still open?
Keep traveling wandering soul. There is no place like home.
Take me away
Who?
Go away
Where?
I am away
When?
I am a way
Truth.
Why do I seek companionship? Am I seeking someone? I feel like I am armed with spikes all around like a rambutan. Mangosteen, please! I need to let someone crack through the rough exterior. I have much to give but I'm so busy guarding myself that I cannot let myself crack. Sweetness.
I know my power. I know my strength. I know my weakness. When will I control it?
When will I let go and trust the path before me? When is that time going to arrive? Now I feel like I am impatiently expecting and awaiting that arrival that I cannot enjoy my present. I feel disappointed.
Last time was a surprise. I wish I could have experienced more time in that relationship. Now I refuse to permit myself to regress because I have convinced myself that there is nothing there. However, in terms of travel, I am beginning to return to previous places in search of new experiences. Should I revisit past opportunities if the door is still open?
Keep traveling wandering soul. There is no place like home.
Friday, September 19, 2014
So in related news... Easton, MD & St. Michaels
So... apparently... the iPhone 6 was released today. - history - in- the - making -
Like every single release of NOW... that's what I call music. The marker of this generation.
I discovered this after I attempted to return to the AT&T store to purchase a new phone but was confused by the locked doors before me. I walked around the corner and the other set of doors were also locked. I decided to read the sign on the door. it didn't quite process - something about returning tomorrow - the store would open back up at 8 am. There were people inside and then I noticed all the people waiting in the line outside the door behind me.
Naturally, I asked the closest person in line and they gave me the popular news that the iPhone 6 was released ... today.
right... SO I NEED A NEW CELL PHONE BECAUSE IT TOOK A QUICK DIP IN A POOL IN EASTON, MD. I was too excited to return to a beautiful house that hosted a wonderful birthday weekend for a good friend of mine. We came and were blessed with a delicious Indian dinner and birthday cake. We spent the night talking and relaxing in the pool. The next day I woke up and reflected at the end of the dock. I relaxed in the sunlight. Water flowed beneath me and the breeze blew above me. I felt good. I could hear the leaves moving on the trees in the nearby shore. It was a beautiful Sunday day. I spent a lot of time in a hammock.
Once everyone was awake we had a nice breakfast. Afterwards, we explored nearby town of St. Michaels. We wandered through shops a little exhausted from the previous night. We had some food at a Ava's Pizzeria.
It has been 2 weeks. I stil need a new phone.
Sidenote: I listened to Kasbian - LSF and wished I could be walking down Camden in London now.
Like every single release of NOW... that's what I call music. The marker of this generation.
I discovered this after I attempted to return to the AT&T store to purchase a new phone but was confused by the locked doors before me. I walked around the corner and the other set of doors were also locked. I decided to read the sign on the door. it didn't quite process - something about returning tomorrow - the store would open back up at 8 am. There were people inside and then I noticed all the people waiting in the line outside the door behind me.
Naturally, I asked the closest person in line and they gave me the popular news that the iPhone 6 was released ... today.
right... SO I NEED A NEW CELL PHONE BECAUSE IT TOOK A QUICK DIP IN A POOL IN EASTON, MD. I was too excited to return to a beautiful house that hosted a wonderful birthday weekend for a good friend of mine. We came and were blessed with a delicious Indian dinner and birthday cake. We spent the night talking and relaxing in the pool. The next day I woke up and reflected at the end of the dock. I relaxed in the sunlight. Water flowed beneath me and the breeze blew above me. I felt good. I could hear the leaves moving on the trees in the nearby shore. It was a beautiful Sunday day. I spent a lot of time in a hammock.
Once everyone was awake we had a nice breakfast. Afterwards, we explored nearby town of St. Michaels. We wandered through shops a little exhausted from the previous night. We had some food at a Ava's Pizzeria.
It has been 2 weeks. I stil need a new phone.
Sidenote: I listened to Kasbian - LSF and wished I could be walking down Camden in London now.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
7.27-30.14 Long Drive Home to NC & MD
Day 40-
We left Colorado and jusr drove east. I listened to Pink Floyd's "Darkside of the Moon" the whole time we drove through Kansas. I really wanted to check out the Wizard of Oz museum but it was a little out of our way and I felt that it would mostly be a collection of memorabilia.
We got dinner at R.J.'s Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission, Kansas just before we entered Missouri. It was really good barbeque. It helped get us through the night. I was awake when we drove by St. Louis at night. The Stan Musial Veteran's Bridge was beautiful! I would like to come back and explore St. Louis.
Day 41-
We drove through the night. I thought we were going to go Asheville in the morning but plans changed. We have to drive through thick fog in the Smoky Mountains at dawn. We went to Hooker Falls by Brevard, NC. We were travel weary and ready to go home. This was a quick stop. We swam under the waterfall and even learned how to crawl behind it and slide under the waterfall into the base. There was a daring family that taught us. They were diving from the top of the waterfall into the bottom. It was cold and after our previous jump in California I had enough of silly risks.
We got to the Chapel Hill area that evening and reunited with Christina's old room mate. We had dinner at The Pig Restaurant. We enjoyed more barbeque and I tried their gumbo and mac-n-cheese. We went out that night but I was pretty finished with being social.
Day 42-
Last day. We finished watching Season 2 of Orange is the New Black. I wandered down Franklin Street while we finish some last business in Chapel Hill. We completed the tradition of ordering food from the Mediterranean Deli to take home.
It was the hardest part of the trip to come home. I sat in silence in the passenger seat as I reflected. I had no where to run to. I would come back home and face everything that I had left behind. I was sad. We also hit the worst traffic in our entire trip during the last ride. There was traffic on I-495 between Northern Virginia and our destination. Eventually we made it through and arrived home.
It was an intense six week period. We did a lot. All I wanted to do was get home and do nothing. The traveler's depression was creeping in with the exhaustion. I wish I had a happier homecoming. I had a happy trip.
We left Colorado and jusr drove east. I listened to Pink Floyd's "Darkside of the Moon" the whole time we drove through Kansas. I really wanted to check out the Wizard of Oz museum but it was a little out of our way and I felt that it would mostly be a collection of memorabilia.
We got dinner at R.J.'s Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission, Kansas just before we entered Missouri. It was really good barbeque. It helped get us through the night. I was awake when we drove by St. Louis at night. The Stan Musial Veteran's Bridge was beautiful! I would like to come back and explore St. Louis.
Day 41-
We drove through the night. I thought we were going to go Asheville in the morning but plans changed. We have to drive through thick fog in the Smoky Mountains at dawn. We went to Hooker Falls by Brevard, NC. We were travel weary and ready to go home. This was a quick stop. We swam under the waterfall and even learned how to crawl behind it and slide under the waterfall into the base. There was a daring family that taught us. They were diving from the top of the waterfall into the bottom. It was cold and after our previous jump in California I had enough of silly risks.
We got to the Chapel Hill area that evening and reunited with Christina's old room mate. We had dinner at The Pig Restaurant. We enjoyed more barbeque and I tried their gumbo and mac-n-cheese. We went out that night but I was pretty finished with being social.
Day 42-
Last day. We finished watching Season 2 of Orange is the New Black. I wandered down Franklin Street while we finish some last business in Chapel Hill. We completed the tradition of ordering food from the Mediterranean Deli to take home.
It was the hardest part of the trip to come home. I sat in silence in the passenger seat as I reflected. I had no where to run to. I would come back home and face everything that I had left behind. I was sad. We also hit the worst traffic in our entire trip during the last ride. There was traffic on I-495 between Northern Virginia and our destination. Eventually we made it through and arrived home.
It was an intense six week period. We did a lot. All I wanted to do was get home and do nothing. The traveler's depression was creeping in with the exhaustion. I wish I had a happier homecoming. I had a happy trip.
7.24-27.14 Boulder, CO (Denver, CO)
Day 37 (PM)-
We drove through the day and the one thing we most looked forward to was eating at the first Chipotle in Denver, Colorado. We held off eating Chipotle the whole summer because we really wanted to make this experience special. I ordered a quesarito. They took a tortilla and made a quesadilla and wrapped my burrito within. There was melted cheese in every single bite of my burrito... so delicious.
I got in touch with my old friend from high school, Fidel. We met up at their brother's house. He took us to the Flatirons overlooking Boulder, Colorado. We saw the sunset and then explored downtown Pearl Street. We saw a street performer that juggled fire. Fidel took us to a few fun places in downtown. We went into a candy store that has nearly every soda flavor imaginable. It is called Rocket Fizz. They had fun toys and gadgets too. We checked out Pearl Street Pub and tried their fried mac-n-cheese. It was good. It had a dive bar feeling with low basement ceilings and games like darts and pool. We met with some of the taco tribe at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub & Restaurant. There was a reggae band performing. There were a lot of young drunk people. I was happy to spend sometime with the lovely taco family. They had been exploring Colorado and fell in love with Boulder. We still didn't have a place to stay in Boulder but hoped for the best. I figured I could try the taco route and befriend their hosts. All we needed was some floor space. Eventually we pieced together some couchsurfing hosts. We ended up sleeping in my minivan that night. We quickly checked out one more place before we left downtown Boulder. Press Play is an arcade theme bar. They had walls lined with video game machines and arcade games. There was a live karaoke band playing that night. I don't sing karaoke and we had a long day. Their decor was really cool.
Day 38-
We went to Red Rock Amphitheater early in the morning outside of Denver. I know that I will return and experience a concert at this venue one day. There were so many people there exercising on the steps. Christina took the opportunity to run. It was insane! Afterwards, we went to the Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium where the Broncos play. Christina explored their sports museum. We went to Masterpiece Deli for lunch. We split a Beef Brisket Sandwich and a salad. They even had horchata in their fountain soda machine.
We connected with our couchsurfing host. He hosted many travels and was also a traveler. He was into bicycles and had several in his garage. It was a great opportunity for Christina to learn how to ride a bike. It was the first time I rode a bike in possibly over 10 years. We decided to try the local option of riding bicycles to Avery Brewing Tap Room. It was my first time riding a bike on a main road. Christina rode a tandem with our host. At the brewery we enjoyed several rounds of samplers. I really enjoyed their "The Reverend Belgian-Style Quad." We befriended a couple that recently moved to Boulder from Northern Virginia. We invited them to join us for a hike the next day.
Day 39-
We met the next morning at Moe's Broadway Bagel. Fidel would be our guide to the top of Bear Peak. The summit as at 8460 ft. we began our hike near 5000 ft. It was intense. There were large rocks to climb. I am afraid of heights so that was something else I had to deal with as we got higher and higher. It was totally worth it. The view was amazing. We saw the entire city and the Rocky Mountain range. We stopped inside NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research after our hike. The had really cool exhibits. You could feel what a cloud felt like in one of the exhibits.
We went to Odd 13 Brewing for dinner in Lafayette, CO. Our bodies needed carbs. They had an amazing pizza food truck in their patio that day. Odd 13 has a food truck rotation. We were lucky that there was pizza that night. I learned that I really like the pineapple, pepperoni, jalapeno styling. As for beers, Odd 13 creates brew personalities like superheroes and villains. I really liked the "Big Jim." Fidel's family came and joined us at the brewery.
We had to leave to connect with a different host for this night. They were at work and their friend who is also hosting and made the connection would meet to give us his apartment key. He was really welcoming and made us feel at home. We binged on "Orange is the New Black before going to sleep. Out host had previous plans that night. We didn't connect for long since we had to leave really early in the morning.
Day 40 (AM)-
The last place we checked out in Colorado was Glazed & Confused Donuts in Denver, CO. We bought a box full of donuts for the long ride back east. They have so many different flavors and styles. They even have their version of the cronut called puffy nut. It was sweet.
We drove through the day and the one thing we most looked forward to was eating at the first Chipotle in Denver, Colorado. We held off eating Chipotle the whole summer because we really wanted to make this experience special. I ordered a quesarito. They took a tortilla and made a quesadilla and wrapped my burrito within. There was melted cheese in every single bite of my burrito... so delicious.
I got in touch with my old friend from high school, Fidel. We met up at their brother's house. He took us to the Flatirons overlooking Boulder, Colorado. We saw the sunset and then explored downtown Pearl Street. We saw a street performer that juggled fire. Fidel took us to a few fun places in downtown. We went into a candy store that has nearly every soda flavor imaginable. It is called Rocket Fizz. They had fun toys and gadgets too. We checked out Pearl Street Pub and tried their fried mac-n-cheese. It was good. It had a dive bar feeling with low basement ceilings and games like darts and pool. We met with some of the taco tribe at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub & Restaurant. There was a reggae band performing. There were a lot of young drunk people. I was happy to spend sometime with the lovely taco family. They had been exploring Colorado and fell in love with Boulder. We still didn't have a place to stay in Boulder but hoped for the best. I figured I could try the taco route and befriend their hosts. All we needed was some floor space. Eventually we pieced together some couchsurfing hosts. We ended up sleeping in my minivan that night. We quickly checked out one more place before we left downtown Boulder. Press Play is an arcade theme bar. They had walls lined with video game machines and arcade games. There was a live karaoke band playing that night. I don't sing karaoke and we had a long day. Their decor was really cool.
Day 38-
We went to Red Rock Amphitheater early in the morning outside of Denver. I know that I will return and experience a concert at this venue one day. There were so many people there exercising on the steps. Christina took the opportunity to run. It was insane! Afterwards, we went to the Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium where the Broncos play. Christina explored their sports museum. We went to Masterpiece Deli for lunch. We split a Beef Brisket Sandwich and a salad. They even had horchata in their fountain soda machine.
We connected with our couchsurfing host. He hosted many travels and was also a traveler. He was into bicycles and had several in his garage. It was a great opportunity for Christina to learn how to ride a bike. It was the first time I rode a bike in possibly over 10 years. We decided to try the local option of riding bicycles to Avery Brewing Tap Room. It was my first time riding a bike on a main road. Christina rode a tandem with our host. At the brewery we enjoyed several rounds of samplers. I really enjoyed their "The Reverend Belgian-Style Quad." We befriended a couple that recently moved to Boulder from Northern Virginia. We invited them to join us for a hike the next day.
Day 39-
We met the next morning at Moe's Broadway Bagel. Fidel would be our guide to the top of Bear Peak. The summit as at 8460 ft. we began our hike near 5000 ft. It was intense. There were large rocks to climb. I am afraid of heights so that was something else I had to deal with as we got higher and higher. It was totally worth it. The view was amazing. We saw the entire city and the Rocky Mountain range. We stopped inside NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research after our hike. The had really cool exhibits. You could feel what a cloud felt like in one of the exhibits.
We went to Odd 13 Brewing for dinner in Lafayette, CO. Our bodies needed carbs. They had an amazing pizza food truck in their patio that day. Odd 13 has a food truck rotation. We were lucky that there was pizza that night. I learned that I really like the pineapple, pepperoni, jalapeno styling. As for beers, Odd 13 creates brew personalities like superheroes and villains. I really liked the "Big Jim." Fidel's family came and joined us at the brewery.
We had to leave to connect with a different host for this night. They were at work and their friend who is also hosting and made the connection would meet to give us his apartment key. He was really welcoming and made us feel at home. We binged on "Orange is the New Black before going to sleep. Out host had previous plans that night. We didn't connect for long since we had to leave really early in the morning.
Day 40 (AM)-
The last place we checked out in Colorado was Glazed & Confused Donuts in Denver, CO. We bought a box full of donuts for the long ride back east. They have so many different flavors and styles. They even have their version of the cronut called puffy nut. It was sweet.
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