(First, 178.6. Stuck in a rut. Need a fat fast.)
So, we have a president-elect, and it is a surprise to many. Donald Trump, a man with no diplomatic experience, no military experience, and no political experience, is now the politician in charge of our diplomacy and our military. There's a lot of shock, anger, and sadness floating around on social media right now, as well as a lot of gloating douchebaggery.
I must admit to being surprised at this outcome. I absolutely expected to see Hillary Rodham Clinton as our next president. Trump rattled the establishment and somehow wrangled enough electoral votes to see his way through to the presidency.
Along with the anger, dismay, shock, and sadness I see in people's posts, I also see a great deal of irony. Many of my Clinton-supporting friends are PISSED OFF and looking for someone to blame, someone other than their candidate (who, sorry to say, was not a good enough candidate to garner enough support to win the election). I see people suddenly becoming bitterly intolerant, telling those who supported Trump and even those who voted for third-party candidates to "fuck off and die". I suspect the "unfriend" button is getting a workout today. Pretty ironic for a group of people who have been railing against the bitter intolerance of the Trump supporters for the entire campaign.
I understand, there are many people truly terrified at the outcome of this election. My friends in the LGBTQ+ community are worried about the status of their relationships and their lifestyles (to say nothing of their lives in some cases). I have friends with medical conditions, serious ones, who have come to rely on Obamacare for their insurance. They worry, with good reason, about what will happen to them if the AHA is tossed aside. I have friends who have experienced racism and sexism because of the color of their skin or their gender, who are afraid that those behaviors will not only continue but will be supported by a president who seems to be guilty of both.
I wish I could tell them that everything will be all right, but I can't. I didn't want Trump to be president.
But, here's the reason I'm backing away from social media for a while...I'm trying to avoid the backlash from all these friends of mine. Because I didn't want Hillary to be president either. I believe that her behavior regarding the emails was not only suspicious but inherently dangerous; she does not demonstrate the level or care and concern with sensitive and classified material that someone in her position should. I do believe that Hillary is responsible for the disaster that was Benghazi. I believe that she actively participated in the coverup surrounding her husband's infidelities. I believe she was involved in the Whitewater scandal. I believe that there is a suspicious trail of deaths of people who potentially could have provided damaging information around her. I don't feel that she was a good candidate for president, and obviously I was not the only one. I chose to vote for a third party candidate, because I believe that our election system is broken and that our two-party system only perpetuates the issues we face.
I heard many people say, "A third party vote is a vote for Hillary" or "A third party vote is a vote for Trump". I disagree. I think a third party vote is for many people either a vote for a candidate that more closely represents the values of someone than the main candidates do or a protest against the system. So many of my friends said, "Protest votes are great, but maybe this isn't the election to do so." Well, to that I ask, When IS a good time to protest, then? Nobody protests when things are going well. You protest when there is good reason to. I think this election shitshow was definitely reason to.
But now I face potential castigation from people because I exercised my right as an American to choose the candidate that I felt more closely aligned with my values. I am a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, like the libertarian party. I don't think government has the right to determine who marries whom or what we do with our bodies. I also think government has gotten us into trouble in the international business community with deals that have harmed our work forces and increased our energy dependency on foreign oil. I think we've shoved our military in places that they did not need to go. I think immigration needs to be reformed (not shut down). So I voted libertarian, and now I may lose friends because of it.
I'm angry at everyone. I'm angry at my conservative friends for not offering an olive branch to people who desperately need one, and at their lack of recognition of the damage that Trump can cause. I'm angry at my liberal friends who were so determined to try to shut down Trump that they were not willing to recognize the flaws in Clinton's candidacy. And I'm angry at all of them for trying to blame me, a third party voter who was trying to do what I felt was best for the country.
I admit to being a social media junkie, but I need to walk away for a little while. I'll acknowledge birthdays and stuff, but I need to stop reading people's posts for a while until everybody calms the fuck down. It will be interesting to see how many people drop me as a friend during that time. My friends are much more intolerant towards others than they think they are, I suspect.
Wednesday, November 09, 2016
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Oh, what a difference a year makes.
I haven't been very good at blogging, which disappoints me, because I really do enjoy writing. I just haven't felt that I've had much to write about. But here I am at an anniversary, so I feel like this is a good time for a post.
Today's weigh-in: 179.6.
This is not quite my lowest weight in the year I've been on the ketogenic (HF/LC) diet, but it's close. I think my best weight was 177.8, some time last week. One thing I've learned about this diet is that it has a lot of ups and downs, both literally and figuratively. My weight can fluctuate within three or four pounds pretty easily. That is really frustrating, but it's also usually pretty easily handled. I have also found that some foods don't work for me. Anything with ground beef, whether it's in burger form, tacos, chili, whatever, seems to trigger some kind of water retention. I typically gain a couple of pounds after eating something like that, and usually lose it in the next few days (side note: tomorrow will probably see such a gain, as I had a cheat day today: it was Indian taco day at school today, and hell yes I had one). Something that seems to help me lose quick weight is a fat fast. Unlike our regular ketogenic diet, which puts our fat intake between 60-70% of our calories, the fat fast is more like 80-90% fat. One that I had read about that seems to work well for me is to eat about a brick of cream cheese a day, and that's it. I know that sounds weird, but it works. Another thing that seems to work for both me and my husband is to have scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage for dinner. The mornings after those dinners, we usually find that we've lost weight from the day before.
Anyway, the upshot (or downshot, or whatever) of all of this is that I've lost about 50lbs in the past year. That's pretty impressive, considering it's entirely from the diet; there has been no change in my physical activity. I walk 2-3 miles almost every weekday, with the dog. That's it, though. I do feel that my physical activity level will have to increase, though, because my weight loss has slowed to a crawl. I doubt that I will be able to lose a whole lot more without a change in my exercise plan. I don't know what would be best, jogging, weight lifting, or plyometrics, but I don't have a lot of options because we don't have our gym membership anymore. I need to figure out how to work out at home, when the boys aren't here (because they must be involved when they're home. yay).
I don't have an official goal as far as my weight loss is concerned. I honestly didn't think I'd manage to hang on this long. I struggled with the ketogenic diet mightily at the beginning (I just went back and reread my posts from a year ago, and they were hilarious in a sad, depressed sort of way). Having done it for a year now, I do think it is something I can continue, with occasional cheat meals (like Indian taco day at school). If I can get below 174, I'll beat the lowest weight I achieved back in 2007 when we worked out so much. If I could get below 155 (which I doubt very much), I'd be down to the weight I was at when I graduated high school. My lowest ever adult weight was about 123, but of course that was through very unhealthy means, so it doesn't really count.
I'm proud of myself for working through the difficulties at the beginning of the diet, and sticking with it this long. I've found lots of resources, mostly on Pinterest, for recipes that we've been able to use. I have high hopes that I'll at least lose a few more pounds, and that I'll be able to maintain my weight after that. Now I intend to improve my fitness...stay tuned.
Today's weigh-in: 179.6.
This is not quite my lowest weight in the year I've been on the ketogenic (HF/LC) diet, but it's close. I think my best weight was 177.8, some time last week. One thing I've learned about this diet is that it has a lot of ups and downs, both literally and figuratively. My weight can fluctuate within three or four pounds pretty easily. That is really frustrating, but it's also usually pretty easily handled. I have also found that some foods don't work for me. Anything with ground beef, whether it's in burger form, tacos, chili, whatever, seems to trigger some kind of water retention. I typically gain a couple of pounds after eating something like that, and usually lose it in the next few days (side note: tomorrow will probably see such a gain, as I had a cheat day today: it was Indian taco day at school today, and hell yes I had one). Something that seems to help me lose quick weight is a fat fast. Unlike our regular ketogenic diet, which puts our fat intake between 60-70% of our calories, the fat fast is more like 80-90% fat. One that I had read about that seems to work well for me is to eat about a brick of cream cheese a day, and that's it. I know that sounds weird, but it works. Another thing that seems to work for both me and my husband is to have scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage for dinner. The mornings after those dinners, we usually find that we've lost weight from the day before.
Anyway, the upshot (or downshot, or whatever) of all of this is that I've lost about 50lbs in the past year. That's pretty impressive, considering it's entirely from the diet; there has been no change in my physical activity. I walk 2-3 miles almost every weekday, with the dog. That's it, though. I do feel that my physical activity level will have to increase, though, because my weight loss has slowed to a crawl. I doubt that I will be able to lose a whole lot more without a change in my exercise plan. I don't know what would be best, jogging, weight lifting, or plyometrics, but I don't have a lot of options because we don't have our gym membership anymore. I need to figure out how to work out at home, when the boys aren't here (because they must be involved when they're home. yay).
I don't have an official goal as far as my weight loss is concerned. I honestly didn't think I'd manage to hang on this long. I struggled with the ketogenic diet mightily at the beginning (I just went back and reread my posts from a year ago, and they were hilarious in a sad, depressed sort of way). Having done it for a year now, I do think it is something I can continue, with occasional cheat meals (like Indian taco day at school). If I can get below 174, I'll beat the lowest weight I achieved back in 2007 when we worked out so much. If I could get below 155 (which I doubt very much), I'd be down to the weight I was at when I graduated high school. My lowest ever adult weight was about 123, but of course that was through very unhealthy means, so it doesn't really count.
I'm proud of myself for working through the difficulties at the beginning of the diet, and sticking with it this long. I've found lots of resources, mostly on Pinterest, for recipes that we've been able to use. I have high hopes that I'll at least lose a few more pounds, and that I'll be able to maintain my weight after that. Now I intend to improve my fitness...stay tuned.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Riding the Rollercoaster
A coworker of mine, who has put in far more years of teaching than I have, was muttering under his breath the other day, "The end of the school year is NOT a good time to ask if I want to retire." My next-door neighbor at school was asked by a student last week, "Do you just LOVE your job?" She looked him dead in the eye and responded, "Ask me in September."
Teaching is one of many professions (surely) that experiences tremendous and emotional highs and lows. I know the medical profession experiences something similar (probably much more powerful as life and death are frequently involved). Coming into the end of the school year, the highs are pretty fabulous, but the lows are pretty crappy.
This has been an interesting, and rough, few weeks for me. I received word a little over a week and a half ago that a member of my original class ('06) had passed away. She had lived a lifestyle that unfortunately included many excesses, and that contributed to her death. It was not an ending that I would have chosen for any of my girls, and it saddens me that she essentially chose it for herself, through her addiction.
While I was (and am) heartbroken over the loss of yet another student (bringing the total to six), it made me feel wonderful to think back over the many students I have had. I got to see those girls all come together to comfort each other and remember the good times, and it reminded me of all those things that I value so much about being a teacher: the joy of learning, the fun that happens in my classroom, the crazy and varied perspectives my students bring to the table, and the relationships they have all formed with each other. All these things make me so proud and happy to be a teacher.
But in the middle of this warm fuzziness I am experiencing, I am so over some other things. I've got a group of students this year that I just have not bonded with. I did not have a good experience last semester or this semester with the current sophomore class. Lots of students asking to leave my class early, or going to the bathroom or library and not returning. A couple students actively trying to drop out (their parents obviously won't let them) so they are putting forth no effort to prove a point (what point that is, I just don't know). A group of relatively smart kids who do as little as possible and are actively disruptive to the rest of the class. A couple of kids who struggle severely who would rather be perceived as slackers than have people know that they really, truly can't do the work. Two former students who have ended up in the news for very, very bad things (one got arrested for firing a gun in the air while intoxicated--at age 19--and one who is being hunted by the police for punching a girl in the face and breaking her jaw). I wish I could say that these behaviors surprised me when they ended up in the news, but sadly, they had doomed themselves long before these things occurred. I wish kids could see that they paths they choose pretty early in life, long before they fully recognize their consequences, will dictate where they head as adults. For way too many of them, it's either prison or an early grave.
I am sad and tired of these proceedings. On top of all this, I have all the usual rigamarole to accomplish: testing to administer, assignments to grade, assignments to create, lessons to teach, quizzes to give, and way too many phone calls regarding students failing my class. All this, and I'm dangerously low on f*cks to give at this point. I just want to call it a day, go home, drink about four beers (which is way more than my low carb diet would allow) and start my summer break. But we still have 3 1/2 weeks to go, so I need to keep on keeping on. Each morning, I'll hop back on the rollercoaster for another round. But honestly, I'd rather go on the lazy river ride instead.
Teaching is one of many professions (surely) that experiences tremendous and emotional highs and lows. I know the medical profession experiences something similar (probably much more powerful as life and death are frequently involved). Coming into the end of the school year, the highs are pretty fabulous, but the lows are pretty crappy.
This has been an interesting, and rough, few weeks for me. I received word a little over a week and a half ago that a member of my original class ('06) had passed away. She had lived a lifestyle that unfortunately included many excesses, and that contributed to her death. It was not an ending that I would have chosen for any of my girls, and it saddens me that she essentially chose it for herself, through her addiction.
While I was (and am) heartbroken over the loss of yet another student (bringing the total to six), it made me feel wonderful to think back over the many students I have had. I got to see those girls all come together to comfort each other and remember the good times, and it reminded me of all those things that I value so much about being a teacher: the joy of learning, the fun that happens in my classroom, the crazy and varied perspectives my students bring to the table, and the relationships they have all formed with each other. All these things make me so proud and happy to be a teacher.
But in the middle of this warm fuzziness I am experiencing, I am so over some other things. I've got a group of students this year that I just have not bonded with. I did not have a good experience last semester or this semester with the current sophomore class. Lots of students asking to leave my class early, or going to the bathroom or library and not returning. A couple students actively trying to drop out (their parents obviously won't let them) so they are putting forth no effort to prove a point (what point that is, I just don't know). A group of relatively smart kids who do as little as possible and are actively disruptive to the rest of the class. A couple of kids who struggle severely who would rather be perceived as slackers than have people know that they really, truly can't do the work. Two former students who have ended up in the news for very, very bad things (one got arrested for firing a gun in the air while intoxicated--at age 19--and one who is being hunted by the police for punching a girl in the face and breaking her jaw). I wish I could say that these behaviors surprised me when they ended up in the news, but sadly, they had doomed themselves long before these things occurred. I wish kids could see that they paths they choose pretty early in life, long before they fully recognize their consequences, will dictate where they head as adults. For way too many of them, it's either prison or an early grave.
I am sad and tired of these proceedings. On top of all this, I have all the usual rigamarole to accomplish: testing to administer, assignments to grade, assignments to create, lessons to teach, quizzes to give, and way too many phone calls regarding students failing my class. All this, and I'm dangerously low on f*cks to give at this point. I just want to call it a day, go home, drink about four beers (which is way more than my low carb diet would allow) and start my summer break. But we still have 3 1/2 weeks to go, so I need to keep on keeping on. Each morning, I'll hop back on the rollercoaster for another round. But honestly, I'd rather go on the lazy river ride instead.
Sunday, May 01, 2016
My dreams used to be exotic
My dreams used to be exotic: visiting new places and even new countries, stuff like that. Now, my dreams are of cleaning and organizing my house. Sad.
Pinterest does not do good things for my fantasy world. Instead of pinning fantastic places to my Places to Go board (which I have), I pin ways to organize my refrigerator, and ideas for building shelves in the wasted space under my stairs.
What happened to me? I swear I used to be more interesting than this.
Anyway, I have a bunch of ideas for projects this summer.
This first list is school-related:
1) I am moving back to my previous classroom (which is awesome because that room is bigger, has more windows, only shares one wall with another classroom, and has tile on the floor instead of nasty carpet). This means I need to do the following:
a) empty out my file cabinets--I've been working on a plan to change over all my files to binders and just keep extra copies of the important things (like short stories that are too costly to reprint). When I clean them out, I can take off all the hardware, repaint them, and make them look really cute. I'd like to keep one for actual files and the other for storage for things like videos and personal stuff.
b) redo my bookshelves--I have a classroom library that has gotten pretty extensive, and I've got several bookshelves that are already black. I'd like to spray paint the rest of them black and then modge-podge the shelves, maybe with pages from a dictionary or something. Or maybe I can wrap the shelves with contact paper or something. Or they can just be black. But it would be really nice to have the shelves all kind of match each other. I also need to finish tagging and alphabetizing my books.
c) I need to redo the TARDIS in the classroom--I'm pretty sure it's still covered with contact paper, which is good, but I may have to do some repairs. Then I need to transfer the decorations from the old classroom back to this one. Lots of posters to hang, but I can't really hang them until I have all the bookshelves where they need to go.
d) I'm starting to think that having my tv mounted on the wall isn't very practical (since it's had to be moved and remounted twice now). I might see if I can get a long dresser with some drawers that lock. I might be able to keep the video game consoles in there, if the drawers lock. And I can keep board games in the drawers too. I could put both tvs on the top of the dresser (if I can find a base for the one that is wall-mounted right now.
I have more plans, but this is the first list. I'll be back with some home-related stuff.
Pinterest does not do good things for my fantasy world. Instead of pinning fantastic places to my Places to Go board (which I have), I pin ways to organize my refrigerator, and ideas for building shelves in the wasted space under my stairs.
What happened to me? I swear I used to be more interesting than this.
Anyway, I have a bunch of ideas for projects this summer.
This first list is school-related:
1) I am moving back to my previous classroom (which is awesome because that room is bigger, has more windows, only shares one wall with another classroom, and has tile on the floor instead of nasty carpet). This means I need to do the following:
a) empty out my file cabinets--I've been working on a plan to change over all my files to binders and just keep extra copies of the important things (like short stories that are too costly to reprint). When I clean them out, I can take off all the hardware, repaint them, and make them look really cute. I'd like to keep one for actual files and the other for storage for things like videos and personal stuff.
b) redo my bookshelves--I have a classroom library that has gotten pretty extensive, and I've got several bookshelves that are already black. I'd like to spray paint the rest of them black and then modge-podge the shelves, maybe with pages from a dictionary or something. Or maybe I can wrap the shelves with contact paper or something. Or they can just be black. But it would be really nice to have the shelves all kind of match each other. I also need to finish tagging and alphabetizing my books.
c) I need to redo the TARDIS in the classroom--I'm pretty sure it's still covered with contact paper, which is good, but I may have to do some repairs. Then I need to transfer the decorations from the old classroom back to this one. Lots of posters to hang, but I can't really hang them until I have all the bookshelves where they need to go.
d) I'm starting to think that having my tv mounted on the wall isn't very practical (since it's had to be moved and remounted twice now). I might see if I can get a long dresser with some drawers that lock. I might be able to keep the video game consoles in there, if the drawers lock. And I can keep board games in the drawers too. I could put both tvs on the top of the dresser (if I can find a base for the one that is wall-mounted right now.
I have more plans, but this is the first list. I'll be back with some home-related stuff.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Thoughts on a Dress Code
Once again, school dress codes are in the news in Montana. I read a story in our newspaper this morning about middle school kids in another town who were staging a peaceful protest regarding the dress code at their school. Chiefly, they were protesting because the dress code is sexist because there are more regulations regarding girls' clothing than boys' clothing, and that the regulations seemed to suggest that boys' education was more valuable than girls' because the boys were "easily distracted" by girls' clothing and therefore the girls needed to be the ones to change.
A few years ago, Billings (and my district and school specifically) made national news because the school had added a ban on leggings and yoga pants if not worn with an appropriate-length top. A student wrote a lengthy complaint, it got heard by the district board of trustees, the story got picked up by several local news sources and then forwarded to the national news sources, and suddenly we're viral. Eventually the school eased up on that particular issue, but there are still elements of our dress code that students find frustrating: boys can't wear muscle shirts or tank tops where there is a gap under the armpit, girls can't wear shorts or skirts shorter than their fingertips or strapless or spaghetti strap tank tops.
I am of two minds on the whole issue of dress code. On one hand, I think it's great that the kids are willing to stand up for something they believe in, and that they are constructing solid arguments to back their cause, instead of just saying "I want to wear this and you aren't letting me and I'm gonna whine about it..." I agree with them that it is unfortunate that girls are treated as objects and somehow inferior to boys. I taught at an all-girls school for seven years, and it was an enjoyable experience because we didn't have to deal with the drama and annoyances that high school boys tend to contribute to the whole picture. I also agree that kids should be able to dress comfortably in order to afford themselves the best educational opportunity.
But this is where I grind to a halt. Because I really, truly do believe that many girls dress inappropriately for school (and for a lot of other situations, as well).
Many students argue that they should be allowed to express their personalities through their clothing. Well, at the school where I used to teach, the students couldn't do that, because they had to wear uniforms. So guess how they expressed their personalities? Through their actions, through their words, through their art, through their music, through their writing. Through all different ways that are so much more important and so much more lasting and so much deeper than the superficiality that is one's clothing. Clothes don't actually make the man, or the woman.
Many students also argue that they should be allowed to dress in a manner that is comfortable to them, which will enhance their educational experience. I fully agree. However, I also call bullshit. Because there is no way in hell that a short skirt, tight top, and heels are comfortable. Those don't enhance one's educational experience. If kids truly wanted to be comfortable, they would wear baggy t-shirts and sweatpants. Seriously. I don't believe you when you tell me that you are wearing that because it's comfortable; you are wearing it because you think it makes you look cute. And if you want to look cute, you should expect that others may find you cute as well.
I agree that no one should objectify females. Boys should be taught to behave appropriately. However, it must also be noted that boys' and girls' brains develop differently. Boys do not mature as quickly with regards to their behavior. They act impulsively and often do not handle decision-making well. This is why boys continue to pay higher insurance premiums into their mid-20s. So, while boys certainly need to learn to behave appropriately, they aren't at the same point in their emotional development as girls, so it's true that they'll have some difficulty with it.
While it's great that kids are expressing themselves and finding their voices, at what point did modesty become a bad thing? Why is it somehow OK and even someone's right to dress in a manner that is inconsistent with and inappropriate for the situation at hand? I often tell my students that there are different forms of writing for communication, and that those different forms are all various levels of formality. I make the comparison between those forms of writing and the way people dress, that the way you text your BFF is much the same as you would dress for the beach, casual and extremely informal. The way you write an essay is the same as you would dress for a job interview, professional and proper. But these kids don't see any difference in the way you dress for situations, so why would they understand that there are differences in the way you write?
What I'm saying is that both sides have a valid point. There are aspects of the school's dress code that are sexist, out-dated, and silly. But kids should be a little more modest and understand that shirts with pot leaves, curse words, and naked ladies are not appropriate for school. Seriously.
A few years ago, Billings (and my district and school specifically) made national news because the school had added a ban on leggings and yoga pants if not worn with an appropriate-length top. A student wrote a lengthy complaint, it got heard by the district board of trustees, the story got picked up by several local news sources and then forwarded to the national news sources, and suddenly we're viral. Eventually the school eased up on that particular issue, but there are still elements of our dress code that students find frustrating: boys can't wear muscle shirts or tank tops where there is a gap under the armpit, girls can't wear shorts or skirts shorter than their fingertips or strapless or spaghetti strap tank tops.
I am of two minds on the whole issue of dress code. On one hand, I think it's great that the kids are willing to stand up for something they believe in, and that they are constructing solid arguments to back their cause, instead of just saying "I want to wear this and you aren't letting me and I'm gonna whine about it..." I agree with them that it is unfortunate that girls are treated as objects and somehow inferior to boys. I taught at an all-girls school for seven years, and it was an enjoyable experience because we didn't have to deal with the drama and annoyances that high school boys tend to contribute to the whole picture. I also agree that kids should be able to dress comfortably in order to afford themselves the best educational opportunity.
But this is where I grind to a halt. Because I really, truly do believe that many girls dress inappropriately for school (and for a lot of other situations, as well).
Many students argue that they should be allowed to express their personalities through their clothing. Well, at the school where I used to teach, the students couldn't do that, because they had to wear uniforms. So guess how they expressed their personalities? Through their actions, through their words, through their art, through their music, through their writing. Through all different ways that are so much more important and so much more lasting and so much deeper than the superficiality that is one's clothing. Clothes don't actually make the man, or the woman.
Many students also argue that they should be allowed to dress in a manner that is comfortable to them, which will enhance their educational experience. I fully agree. However, I also call bullshit. Because there is no way in hell that a short skirt, tight top, and heels are comfortable. Those don't enhance one's educational experience. If kids truly wanted to be comfortable, they would wear baggy t-shirts and sweatpants. Seriously. I don't believe you when you tell me that you are wearing that because it's comfortable; you are wearing it because you think it makes you look cute. And if you want to look cute, you should expect that others may find you cute as well.
I agree that no one should objectify females. Boys should be taught to behave appropriately. However, it must also be noted that boys' and girls' brains develop differently. Boys do not mature as quickly with regards to their behavior. They act impulsively and often do not handle decision-making well. This is why boys continue to pay higher insurance premiums into their mid-20s. So, while boys certainly need to learn to behave appropriately, they aren't at the same point in their emotional development as girls, so it's true that they'll have some difficulty with it.
While it's great that kids are expressing themselves and finding their voices, at what point did modesty become a bad thing? Why is it somehow OK and even someone's right to dress in a manner that is inconsistent with and inappropriate for the situation at hand? I often tell my students that there are different forms of writing for communication, and that those different forms are all various levels of formality. I make the comparison between those forms of writing and the way people dress, that the way you text your BFF is much the same as you would dress for the beach, casual and extremely informal. The way you write an essay is the same as you would dress for a job interview, professional and proper. But these kids don't see any difference in the way you dress for situations, so why would they understand that there are differences in the way you write?
What I'm saying is that both sides have a valid point. There are aspects of the school's dress code that are sexist, out-dated, and silly. But kids should be a little more modest and understand that shirts with pot leaves, curse words, and naked ladies are not appropriate for school. Seriously.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Random Thoughts
1. Stalling out on weight loss is no fun. I had really hoped to be under 190 lbs by the end of the school year in 6 weeks, but I most definitely have not been losing a lb a week, which is about what I'd have to do in order to achieve that goal. I've been stalled out in about the same place for several weeks now. I need something to kick the weight loss back into gear. Really need to review what I've been eating and make adjustments. What seems to work best is eggs and bacon or sausage for dinner...weird, right?
2. Today was kind of a wasted day, on several levels. 3-year-old has a bad cold and was pretty woeful this morning, so I decided to stay home. I haven't managed to accomplish much of anything today. That isn't to say that I haven't gotten anything at all done; I did drop off the rental skis we had for the boys, bought some birthday presents for my hubby's birthday tomorrow, and ordered a birth certificate for the 5-year-old who needs to be registered for kindergarten. But there's a ton more I could have done, and instead I've mostly sat on my butt. It was also a wasted day for my students; thanks to the last-minute absence and some kind of snafu on the side of the program that arranges our substitutes, I didn't get a sub for today, which means that my classes spent their time sitting in the commons at school, probably doing nothing. They could have been reading their books, I suppose, but I doubt it. They were supposed to be working on their rough drafts, but since I wasn't there, that didn't happen either. Bummer. It means we are behind schedule. That's nothing new, but the pressure is on because we are so close to the end of the school year. With the sophomores it isn't that big a deal; they have an extra week of school, and I have a little extra time to play with as far as planning is concerned. But the seniors are under the gun. They have to finish this paper, finish a novel and take a test over it, and a presentation to prepare and give, and only five more weeks to do it. Whew!
3. Some progress has been made on the potty training front, although today hasn't been great. The 3-year-old has finally started saying "I need to potty", but he doesn't just go back there on his own, and he still often needs prompting, cajoling, or downright forcing to do his business. He's pooping in the potty now as well as peeing, which is great, but he's had a few times that he hasn't caught himself in time. He still wears a diaper at night; I really hope we'll get past that soon as well. But today, for some reason, he wanted to wear a diaper (I put him in a pull-up, hoping that he'd associate it with underpants, but he's peed in it several times today). I keep trying to convince him that he has to use the potty in order to go to school in the fall, but he doesn't seem super excited about it. Oh well.
4. I'm really excited and honored by an invitation I received. Last summer I attended a scoring conference for the National Writing Project's College-Ready Writer Program in Chicago. There were seven of us from Montana who went, and we had a great time. When I received another invitation for this year's conference, I applied and was accepted. There are only three of us going this time; some of the others didn't apply and others weren't accepted. It will be in Chicago again, and I'm excited to go back. Now that we have some idea of what's available to us in the city as far as activities and sight-seeing, we'll be a little more prepared. But then, I received ANOTHER invitation to a different conference. This is the same program, NWP's CRWP, but it's a hybrid conference, meaning participants are in a variety of locations, and I was invited to a be a table leader. That means I will be in charge of a group of scoring teachers. The location I will be in is St. Joseph, MO, just north of Kansas City. Not sure what other locations are involved in the event, but I know the leaders of the conference will be in Berkeley. I was the only one of the group I went with to last year's conference to receive this invitation. I'm assuming it has something to do with my scoring ability from last year's conference; I'm guessing invited people had to have some level of reliability and consistency to get selected. Whatever it is, I'm really excited about the opportunity. There's some training involved, and unfortunately it also means I'm going to be out of town on the last weekend of my summer vacation, which also happens to be my 17th anniversary. That's a bit of a downer. But between the two conferences, I'll make $1500 this summer, when I usually would be without an income. Not too shabby.
5. I need to start getting a list together of the things I'd like to accomplish this summer. Some of them are fitness-related, like continuing the weight loss (I'd love to be under 180 lbs by the time school starts up again) and paddling a couple times a week (even if it's just on the nearby lake); some of them are school-related, like organizing all my teaching units, constructing some new assignments for some of our texts, and getting my classroom library under control; and some of them are home-related, like getting the boys' bedrooms and bathroom redone in some fashion, getting all our closets reorganized, and reorganizing the kitchen cabinets. I want to get some kind of schedule together where I tackle one project each week. I also want to get my Magic cards sorted and put away; that's going to be a beastly task. :)
6. Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I can't believe it has been 9 years. In some ways, it seems like it's been much longer than that, and yet at the same time it seems like hardly any time has passed. Daily I find myself wishing that I could talk to Mom about some problem, run some idea past her, or ask her some question about something going on in my life. It really doesn't ever get easier, does it?
2. Today was kind of a wasted day, on several levels. 3-year-old has a bad cold and was pretty woeful this morning, so I decided to stay home. I haven't managed to accomplish much of anything today. That isn't to say that I haven't gotten anything at all done; I did drop off the rental skis we had for the boys, bought some birthday presents for my hubby's birthday tomorrow, and ordered a birth certificate for the 5-year-old who needs to be registered for kindergarten. But there's a ton more I could have done, and instead I've mostly sat on my butt. It was also a wasted day for my students; thanks to the last-minute absence and some kind of snafu on the side of the program that arranges our substitutes, I didn't get a sub for today, which means that my classes spent their time sitting in the commons at school, probably doing nothing. They could have been reading their books, I suppose, but I doubt it. They were supposed to be working on their rough drafts, but since I wasn't there, that didn't happen either. Bummer. It means we are behind schedule. That's nothing new, but the pressure is on because we are so close to the end of the school year. With the sophomores it isn't that big a deal; they have an extra week of school, and I have a little extra time to play with as far as planning is concerned. But the seniors are under the gun. They have to finish this paper, finish a novel and take a test over it, and a presentation to prepare and give, and only five more weeks to do it. Whew!
3. Some progress has been made on the potty training front, although today hasn't been great. The 3-year-old has finally started saying "I need to potty", but he doesn't just go back there on his own, and he still often needs prompting, cajoling, or downright forcing to do his business. He's pooping in the potty now as well as peeing, which is great, but he's had a few times that he hasn't caught himself in time. He still wears a diaper at night; I really hope we'll get past that soon as well. But today, for some reason, he wanted to wear a diaper (I put him in a pull-up, hoping that he'd associate it with underpants, but he's peed in it several times today). I keep trying to convince him that he has to use the potty in order to go to school in the fall, but he doesn't seem super excited about it. Oh well.
4. I'm really excited and honored by an invitation I received. Last summer I attended a scoring conference for the National Writing Project's College-Ready Writer Program in Chicago. There were seven of us from Montana who went, and we had a great time. When I received another invitation for this year's conference, I applied and was accepted. There are only three of us going this time; some of the others didn't apply and others weren't accepted. It will be in Chicago again, and I'm excited to go back. Now that we have some idea of what's available to us in the city as far as activities and sight-seeing, we'll be a little more prepared. But then, I received ANOTHER invitation to a different conference. This is the same program, NWP's CRWP, but it's a hybrid conference, meaning participants are in a variety of locations, and I was invited to a be a table leader. That means I will be in charge of a group of scoring teachers. The location I will be in is St. Joseph, MO, just north of Kansas City. Not sure what other locations are involved in the event, but I know the leaders of the conference will be in Berkeley. I was the only one of the group I went with to last year's conference to receive this invitation. I'm assuming it has something to do with my scoring ability from last year's conference; I'm guessing invited people had to have some level of reliability and consistency to get selected. Whatever it is, I'm really excited about the opportunity. There's some training involved, and unfortunately it also means I'm going to be out of town on the last weekend of my summer vacation, which also happens to be my 17th anniversary. That's a bit of a downer. But between the two conferences, I'll make $1500 this summer, when I usually would be without an income. Not too shabby.
5. I need to start getting a list together of the things I'd like to accomplish this summer. Some of them are fitness-related, like continuing the weight loss (I'd love to be under 180 lbs by the time school starts up again) and paddling a couple times a week (even if it's just on the nearby lake); some of them are school-related, like organizing all my teaching units, constructing some new assignments for some of our texts, and getting my classroom library under control; and some of them are home-related, like getting the boys' bedrooms and bathroom redone in some fashion, getting all our closets reorganized, and reorganizing the kitchen cabinets. I want to get some kind of schedule together where I tackle one project each week. I also want to get my Magic cards sorted and put away; that's going to be a beastly task. :)
6. Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I can't believe it has been 9 years. In some ways, it seems like it's been much longer than that, and yet at the same time it seems like hardly any time has passed. Daily I find myself wishing that I could talk to Mom about some problem, run some idea past her, or ask her some question about something going on in my life. It really doesn't ever get easier, does it?
Thursday, April 07, 2016
What Really Grinds My Gears: Fandom Edition
So, I have a somewhat random rant to embark upon.
I saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One this morning, and was suitably pleased. I felt that the look remained reasonably true to the original trilogy, as much as a movie that was made nearly forty years after the original using mostly CGI could.
I am a child of the original trilogy. While I don't believe I saw the first movie in the theaters, as I was not even three years old when it came out, I did see it later, and I remember seeing Empire Strikes Back at the local drive-in. My brother and I had the action figures and other assorted toys; somewhere in a box of toys my Cloud City Princess Leia may still reside, without her blaster but still in her plastic sleeveless robe. I love the original trilogy. It had a tremendous impact on my lasting love for science fiction.
I will admit to being disappointed in the prequels. I just didn't really get attached to many of the characters. While I don't revile Jar Jar Binks, as many of my peers do, I didn't feel the same swell of emotion for Padme, Anakin, or any of the other characters as I did for Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie. I've watched them a few times, certainly not as frequently as I have the originals. And that's fine. Here's a key point: I don't denigrate anyone for their enjoyment of the prequels. I know there are plenty of kids who grew up on the prequels in the same fashion as I did on the original trilogy, and that means it's part of their childhood. Perhaps they saw magic in the story that I did not. AND THAT'S FINE.
I enjoyed The Force Awakens, although not as much as the original trilogy. I was happy to see the old familiar characters (older, but still as comfortable as a pair of slippers or R2D2 Underroos), and I liked the addition of Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8. I did not fear Kylo Ren as I did Darth Vader and the Emperor, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the story. I felt that the storyline was, in fact, a little too similar to the original trilogy, but I figured they did so to pay homage to the original trilogy and "ease" the fans of the previous two trilogies into the new storyline. I started to cry when the Lucasfilms logo hit the screen and continued through the initial screen crawl. I teared up when Han and Chewie hit the screen for the first time. I sniffled a bit when (spoiler!) Kylo Ren killed Han. I enjoyed the movie, but I know some other diehard fans didn't. AND THAT'S FINE.
So, here's where my gears start to grind: I made the mistake of reading comments viewers had made about the trailer, and I saw the same sentiment repeated several times: "This isn't Star Wars." The gist of it seemed to be that, since it wasn't part of the initial storyline and/or since it is a female protagonist when the viewers don't remember seeing any female pilots or rebels in the original story (except, you know, PRINCESS LEIA, but whatever), this story shouldn't be considered canon. Several people said the same thing about The Force Awakens, and about the prequel trilogy, and some people complained that The Force Awakens had uncanonized Star Wars novels that had previously been considered canon. And blah de blah de blah, ad infinitum.
What I took away from all of this is that a lot of people seem to think this: "I didn't like [insert whatever it is], and therefore no one else should either."
This is part of a larger issue that I have noticed lately with regards to many participants in what we call FANDOMS (a fandom is a collective group of fans and subculture surrounding a particular subject, whether that subject is a person, a show, a movie, a music genre, etc.). I repeatedly see people post things like, "Well, I've been a fan since the beginning; you're a n00b compared to me" and "People think they are fans of [whatever], but they only know the songs from one album/the characters from one season/one book/etc." "You've only watched three seasons of [whatever]? I've watched the entire show seventeen times."
I don't understand why people feel the need to belittle others and the things those others like, especially when they like some of the same things. Doctor Who: "Oh, you like the Tenth Doctor best? Have you EVEN SEEN the Ninth Doctor? He's definitely the best, hands down." Harry Potter: "You say you like Harry Potter but you haven't read all the books? Whatever. You aren't a real fan." Star Trek: "You like ST:TNG? It wouldn't even exist without TOS. Kirk is a way better captain than Picard."
Here's the thing. Why can't people be fans and enjoy things the way they want to? Just because one person has the opportunity to cosplay a character and attend a convention doesn't automatically make them a bigger fan that someone who doesn't. Just because you happened to be born at a time when you could watch the original Star Wars when it first came out doesn't give you superiority or authority over someone who was born at a different time and couldn't. Just because you've seen a particular band in concert doesn't make you a bigger fan than someone who hasn't. And your fan-ness isn't required for that movie or that show or that actor or that band to continue existing. While it is true those things all require audiences, you alone aren't the hinge upon which these things turn. You are one in thousands, in MILLIONS. GUESS WHAT, BUTTERCUP? YOU AREN'T THAT SPECIAL, despite what your momma has always told you.
If you decide that, IN YOUR MIND, the original Star Wars trilogy is best and you won't watch any of the other movies, that's fine, but you do not have the right or the privilege to tell anyone else that their opinion doesn't matter. Their opinion matters just as much as yours does (and in the grand scheme, that is NOT AT ALL).
So get over yourself. Stop telling people what to like and what to dislike. Let them find out about it in their own way, and let them enjoy it in their own way. That doesn't mean you can't recommend something to someone, but if they happen to not like what you like, THAT'S FINE.
End of rant.
I saw the teaser trailer for Star Wars: Rogue One this morning, and was suitably pleased. I felt that the look remained reasonably true to the original trilogy, as much as a movie that was made nearly forty years after the original using mostly CGI could.
I am a child of the original trilogy. While I don't believe I saw the first movie in the theaters, as I was not even three years old when it came out, I did see it later, and I remember seeing Empire Strikes Back at the local drive-in. My brother and I had the action figures and other assorted toys; somewhere in a box of toys my Cloud City Princess Leia may still reside, without her blaster but still in her plastic sleeveless robe. I love the original trilogy. It had a tremendous impact on my lasting love for science fiction.
I will admit to being disappointed in the prequels. I just didn't really get attached to many of the characters. While I don't revile Jar Jar Binks, as many of my peers do, I didn't feel the same swell of emotion for Padme, Anakin, or any of the other characters as I did for Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie. I've watched them a few times, certainly not as frequently as I have the originals. And that's fine. Here's a key point: I don't denigrate anyone for their enjoyment of the prequels. I know there are plenty of kids who grew up on the prequels in the same fashion as I did on the original trilogy, and that means it's part of their childhood. Perhaps they saw magic in the story that I did not. AND THAT'S FINE.
I enjoyed The Force Awakens, although not as much as the original trilogy. I was happy to see the old familiar characters (older, but still as comfortable as a pair of slippers or R2D2 Underroos), and I liked the addition of Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8. I did not fear Kylo Ren as I did Darth Vader and the Emperor, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the story. I felt that the storyline was, in fact, a little too similar to the original trilogy, but I figured they did so to pay homage to the original trilogy and "ease" the fans of the previous two trilogies into the new storyline. I started to cry when the Lucasfilms logo hit the screen and continued through the initial screen crawl. I teared up when Han and Chewie hit the screen for the first time. I sniffled a bit when (spoiler!) Kylo Ren killed Han. I enjoyed the movie, but I know some other diehard fans didn't. AND THAT'S FINE.
So, here's where my gears start to grind: I made the mistake of reading comments viewers had made about the trailer, and I saw the same sentiment repeated several times: "This isn't Star Wars." The gist of it seemed to be that, since it wasn't part of the initial storyline and/or since it is a female protagonist when the viewers don't remember seeing any female pilots or rebels in the original story (except, you know, PRINCESS LEIA, but whatever), this story shouldn't be considered canon. Several people said the same thing about The Force Awakens, and about the prequel trilogy, and some people complained that The Force Awakens had uncanonized Star Wars novels that had previously been considered canon. And blah de blah de blah, ad infinitum.
What I took away from all of this is that a lot of people seem to think this: "I didn't like [insert whatever it is], and therefore no one else should either."
This is part of a larger issue that I have noticed lately with regards to many participants in what we call FANDOMS (a fandom is a collective group of fans and subculture surrounding a particular subject, whether that subject is a person, a show, a movie, a music genre, etc.). I repeatedly see people post things like, "Well, I've been a fan since the beginning; you're a n00b compared to me" and "People think they are fans of [whatever], but they only know the songs from one album/the characters from one season/one book/etc." "You've only watched three seasons of [whatever]? I've watched the entire show seventeen times."
I don't understand why people feel the need to belittle others and the things those others like, especially when they like some of the same things. Doctor Who: "Oh, you like the Tenth Doctor best? Have you EVEN SEEN the Ninth Doctor? He's definitely the best, hands down." Harry Potter: "You say you like Harry Potter but you haven't read all the books? Whatever. You aren't a real fan." Star Trek: "You like ST:TNG? It wouldn't even exist without TOS. Kirk is a way better captain than Picard."
Here's the thing. Why can't people be fans and enjoy things the way they want to? Just because one person has the opportunity to cosplay a character and attend a convention doesn't automatically make them a bigger fan that someone who doesn't. Just because you happened to be born at a time when you could watch the original Star Wars when it first came out doesn't give you superiority or authority over someone who was born at a different time and couldn't. Just because you've seen a particular band in concert doesn't make you a bigger fan than someone who hasn't. And your fan-ness isn't required for that movie or that show or that actor or that band to continue existing. While it is true those things all require audiences, you alone aren't the hinge upon which these things turn. You are one in thousands, in MILLIONS. GUESS WHAT, BUTTERCUP? YOU AREN'T THAT SPECIAL, despite what your momma has always told you.
If you decide that, IN YOUR MIND, the original Star Wars trilogy is best and you won't watch any of the other movies, that's fine, but you do not have the right or the privilege to tell anyone else that their opinion doesn't matter. Their opinion matters just as much as yours does (and in the grand scheme, that is NOT AT ALL).
So get over yourself. Stop telling people what to like and what to dislike. Let them find out about it in their own way, and let them enjoy it in their own way. That doesn't mean you can't recommend something to someone, but if they happen to not like what you like, THAT'S FINE.
End of rant.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
And so it goes...
Today's weigh-in: 204.8
This isn't quite my lowest, but it's only .2 off. I am happy I finally lost all the baby weight. It only took almost six years...sheesh. I'm also happy to be down 25 lbs since I started this journey back in October, but I sure wish the weight came off faster. I'm definitely jealous of my husband, because he's lost twice what I have, and he's only been doing this diet for about a week and a half longer than I have.
I need to start working out. I guess what I also need to do is get back into the habit of actually walking the dog. I've just been putting her on her lead in the backyard since it's been cold and snowy. That really isn't fair to her, either, because she's so hyper that she needs more exercise than what she's getting. I've ordered her a harness, because she pulls something fierce when she's being walked.
I need to do some arm workouts too, because my arms have gotten seriously flabby over the years. I miss the days of being too muscular thanks to swimming and water polo.
This summer I hope to get my boats out on the lake a bit, since I should hopefully be fitting into them by summertime. I can do some paddling...finally.
Anyway, fingers are crossed that the weight loss continues.
This isn't quite my lowest, but it's only .2 off. I am happy I finally lost all the baby weight. It only took almost six years...sheesh. I'm also happy to be down 25 lbs since I started this journey back in October, but I sure wish the weight came off faster. I'm definitely jealous of my husband, because he's lost twice what I have, and he's only been doing this diet for about a week and a half longer than I have.
I need to start working out. I guess what I also need to do is get back into the habit of actually walking the dog. I've just been putting her on her lead in the backyard since it's been cold and snowy. That really isn't fair to her, either, because she's so hyper that she needs more exercise than what she's getting. I've ordered her a harness, because she pulls something fierce when she's being walked.
I need to do some arm workouts too, because my arms have gotten seriously flabby over the years. I miss the days of being too muscular thanks to swimming and water polo.
This summer I hope to get my boats out on the lake a bit, since I should hopefully be fitting into them by summertime. I can do some paddling...finally.
Anyway, fingers are crossed that the weight loss continues.
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