Fervent Verve

Beer Brewing Apprentice(s)

2012-01-29T19:49:00.013-09:00

I brewed my first beer today (with the great guidance of the Przybylskis)!
Recipe: "Old Wobbler" with honey, Mexican hibiscus, and citris peels.

And the boys... (Isaac & Henry). Mamma Sara was hiding.

I know this one's blurry, but Henry is too damn cute "footing" his food.

Frequency Matters!

2012-01-25T07:31:00.014-09:00

Why has the Internet been freaky lately?

What made them redirect all of those flights?

More Northern Lights?

It's the sun's recent (01-23-12) coronal mass ejection, which amplified the solar radiation more than any other time since September 2005.

You Tube has lots of videos.

Strollin' Down Memory Lane (circa 1970-80s)

2012-01-24T16:54:00.085-09:00

These photos make me think of my childhood. The blonde guy with the hat lived across the street from us when I was growing up, and his kids are close to my age. Richard established the neighborhood I grew up in, termed "Weird Acres" and it was on the outskirts of Love Valley, North Carolina. The Love Valley Rock Festival was there in 1970, which caused a lot of hippies to roll in and settle. Now, and when I was growing up, it's termed the "Cowboy Capital" a.k.a. Podunk Cow Paddy.

These were some of the hippies that my mom and step dad hung out with mostly. Yes, there really were more of them. Many were musicians and/or balloonists. I can recall counting once and there were about 30 musicians. They drank a lot... and smoked buckets (literally) of pot... and a few were hashers & who knows what other drugs. They tried to "hide" it from us kids... but we were sneaky. There wasn't any fighting that I can remember, and I don't remember any stupid-ness because of drugs either. Just people enjoying each other, having a good time, and making sure we kids were having good ol' fashion fun too (a.k.a. playing outside, getting dirty, and being imaginative).

Not too many were balloonists, but they worked with balloons in some way like building them (sewing envelopes, weaving baskets, fashioning burners), and if they didn't fly, they were likely to be part of a chase crew. Tracy Barnes moving into town changed the dynamic of aeronautics in Statesville, NC... and in some way the world, really. When my mom moved to NC from Boston at 18, she worked for The Balloon Works.

This is my step dad, Lewis. Apparently, he just chased down this run away horse.

Tracy (mentioned above) had two leopards - I forget the back story with this photo.

The left over hippies, circa 1980s. I remember several of these folks from my childhood. Lewis is to the right of these photos.

(All of these photos may have been taken by Ken Powers, the infamous photographer from "back in the day.")

P.S. This was a favorite pose for photos. (Look on the top row above.)

32nd Kuskokwim 300 Results

2012-01-22T21:08:00.018-09:00

(This first photo was taken by a K300 volunteer. The rest in this entry are mine.)

Rohn Buser is this year's winner of the 32nd Annual K300! His time? 41 hours, 12 minutes, and 2 seconds, finishing at 11:42 this morning. It was sunny and -51 F, with windchill, today when they were trotting in. All 10 of his dogs were in good condition and before talking to any press, Rohn made sure to give all of them a thankful pet.

His mother urged the crowd to cheer for him as he was coming down the shoot. Judy is one of the statewide mentors that works with our local school district, LKSD. She has two from her family in this race; her husband Martin has taken the K300 trophy fours years and was running in this race along with their 22 year old son, Rohn.

While Zach Fansler, the K300 manager, interviewed Rohn he asked how he and his father, choose dogs when they have them all in the same kennel (Happy Trails Kennel). Rohn replied, "Basically, we just take turns. He chooses one. I choose one."

John Baker, last year's Iditarod winner, came in second at 12:13 p.m. today.

Paul Gebhart was third, in at 12:29 p.m. He's last year's champ. I took a friend, Vicki, home & barely missed him in the shoot. But, when I got back to the river I just sat in the car at the finish line to watch Gebhart be interviewed & put his dogs away. I was so pampered sitting in the truck listening to the interview on the radio, as I watched through my windshield.

Richie Diehl from Aniak, last year's humanitarian award taker, came in 4th place, arriving at 1:42 with 12 dogs. He aspires to run the Iditarod next year.
(missing photo)

It was nice to be able to stay updated about the race with the GPS tracker system, new this year. Otherwise, KYUK on the radio, official website, FaceBook pages, and headquarters were littered with updates. This has the two remaining mushers, of 16 total, Mike Williams Sr. (finished at 8:48 p.m.) and Isaac Underwood (scratched).

Tomorrow is the banquet where prizes will be given. Because I volunteered a four hour shift, they gave me a ticket to go. I'm excited to hear some of their trail stories.

Bogus Creek & Akiak Dash Dog Race Results

2012-01-21T19:43:00.005-09:00

Bogus Creek 150
Jennifer Peeks, who resides in Bethel, is the first woman ever to win this race! To boot, she was a rookie for this one too. (Jenn used to be the social worker for Nunapitchuk when I worked at the school there.)

Akiak Dash (~68 m.)
Ray Nose from Akiachak takes the win for the second year in a row.

(These two photos were stolen from the K300 official website. A volunteer took them.)

Sleep is for the Weak

2012-01-21T07:04:00.001-09:00

12:30 a.m. - home
1:20 a.m. - phone
5:30 a.m. - dog outisde
6:00 a.m. - back to sleep
6:30 a.m. - alarm
7:00 a.m. - work until 3:00-4:00
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. - volunteering

Who needs sleep?

K300 Sled Dog Race, Bethel, Alaska

2012-01-20T12:26:00.007-09:00

K300 official website

The 32nd Annual Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race is tonight at 6:30pm, Bethel, Alaska time. Additionally, the Bogus Creek 150 and Akiak Dash races will kick off this weekend. For those of you unfamiliar, the K300 is a qualifying race for the Iditarod race that goes from Anchorage to Nome (1100 miles). A couple of mushers that will be here have already won the Iditarod (Lance Mackey, John Baker).

If you want to stay updated, you can visit the official website. This year the mushers will have GPS trackers, which should be fun to watch. Don't freak if you see them off trail, it happens.

You can call into headquarters at 907-543-3300 with questions or for updates. If you want to talk to me, I'll be volunteering there midnight to 4:00 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning. It's possible I'll extend my shift to 8:00 too.

Headquarters is open to the public. So, if you're in town come into the Long House to visit with us, see the leader board, buy raffle tickets (for $50,000), buy K300 paraphernalia, etc. Food donations are always welcomed too.

There's also a FaceBook page that will be updated with the local rumors.

Mush!

K300 Sled Dog Race, Bethel, Alaska 2012 from Carey Steele on Vimeo.

This is all on the frozen Kuskokwim river, sometime betweek 6:30-7:00 p.m. Shot right when Lance Mackey was leaving. Just take these 18 seconds to bask in the sounds of excited dogs, snow machines, an announcer, spectators, passing cars, perhaps a river's sigh. No photo could communicate this unless you've been here.

Temazcal in Teotitlan del Valle

2012-01-14T23:17:00.010-09:00

As my friend and I lay here naked, Gloria switches our right sides with the green leafy branches. Josefina said that she and her mother’s sister-in-law had to walk up the mountain to collect them. They don’t have a car. Even if we offered, I don’t think they would have allowed us help.

An adjacent dome encases the radiant orange and red coals. Before we began, Josefina helped Gloria arrange the branches to bed the dirt floor of this mud and stone hut. Gloria’s face and arms illuminate because of the near coals. First, we wash with the small lavender soap. Gloria poured the warm water to rinse us.

Each time the switch hits Deanna’s body a wave of warm vapor floats my way. I bask in it. Likewise, when the leaves touch my side, I feel the sultry steam eddy around them, penetrate my skin, and lift away following the branches.

Seething volcanic stones protest as water is splashed on them to make our space warmer. Gloria isn’t used to this heat. Deanna and I have been trained with Alaskan-style maqiis.

We flip sides and bring our knees towards our stomachs, heads still towards the door. I am excited to feel the kiss of the leaves again. There is a definite rhythm - constant thumping and a precise halt. More thumping. Another halt. Intermittent splashing to tease those stones.

The floor of our bathhouse slants downward towards the door, just slightly. It is enough that when we sit up in the still humid bath that the blood rushing down makes us dizzy. Coupled with the cold air and trying to stand, despite my warm blanket and escort (and best efforts) I find myself reaching out for a wall to lean on. Just for a second.

Within minutes we reached our destination, a place to rest and equalize with the temperate night. Cooling off and letting the blood flow normalize. Time to just be.

Our guide, Norma, took her bath after us. So, we had time to regulate, get dressed, and chat. As she came in, the steam flowed from her face and hands. Everything else was covered by a blanket. Her eyes were mostly closed, as if she was sleep walking. She leaned against the back of the couch, smiling with rosette cheeks and steam laden glasses.

“How do you feel?”

“Like I just came out of the womb… a baby, warm and cared for,” she sighed.

=====
Deanna also wrote a blog entry about this experience, A Ritual as Old as Time, which will fill in some of the gaps from this narrative.

Zapotec Temazcal, The Traditional Mexican Sweat Bath

Bethel = Home

2012-01-08T13:39:00.013-09:00

Upon returning to Bethel it was -20 with no wind. I just left Teotitlan del Valle, Mexico where it was 70, remember? The trees were encrusted with the hoarfrost and I needed to get used to the cold again, so Bakes and I went out for a stroll.

(My camera battery died because of the cold so I only got a few photos.)

White

2012-01-03T16:32:00.001-09:00

Yellow

2012-01-01T22:52:00.003-09:00

Each photo has a haiku. I don't know if this is how haikus are supposed to work. But, I like to make one complete sentence in the three lines, sometimes two.

End of the Year 2011

2012-01-01T01:26:00.045-09:00

Breaking the tradition of going to Asheville to bring in the new year, I went South - yes more South than NC. A friend and I wanted to go somewhere warm. Thanks to her cunning search skills, she found a Photojournalism workshop in Teotitlan del Valle and Oaxaca, Mexico. It didn't end up being Photojournalism, rather photography and writing. But, it brought like-minded, adventurous, intelligent, interesting women together.

Our instructor June directed us to think of a theme for our final product to show on Friday (the 6th). I had written down things I wanted to focus on before stepping onto Mexican soil, so that my mind would be free to think of other things to try. But, once she said "theme," my immediate reaction was COLOR! For those of you who have traveled in Mexico, you know what vibrant and daring colors I'm talking about.

C-mas Break in C-arolina

2011-12-30T01:26:00.001-09:00

The visit home in NC was precisely what I needed - Low-key. I got to see most everyone I wanted & spend a lot of time with Tess, me parents, and some friends.

What's Carey doing these days?

2011-11-22T10:40:00.008-09:00

If you've asked yourself this question, read on. If not, read anyway.

This fall is going well all & all. Busy-ness at work has come to a lull. In-services don't gear back up until January & meetings have ceased. I have been out visiting villages and school sites as well. My third semester of ceramics has been challenging with our projects & my having to miss classes for work & rehearsals for a musical I was in, "The Rocky Horror Bethel Show." Though, I've tried some new things & like a lot of what I have made.

We've had a weekly writing group where we all write something during the week & share on Sunday mornings also - those have been posted on here too. I've also taken to cooking a lot, in spurts. Pinterest has so many great recipes and crafty things to do. As far as crafts, I've only sewn one pair of baby booties for Sara.

The weather has been rather cold with wind chill, but we've had some nice snow dumps. We didn't get hit with the flooding and big winds like the coastal villages. Lots of mornings with the hoar frost. Lots of evenings with the wood stove crackling.

I'm going to Juneau with a friend, Deanna, to stay with Ryan for Thanksgiving. Coming home to North Carolina for Christmas for about a week. Then, Deanna (again ^_^) & I are hitting up Oaxaca, Mexico for a week-long photojournalism class during the Three Kings festival before heading back to Alaska early January. Saying all this makes my life seem exciting. Mostly it feels ordinary, but I'm happy to have it. ^_^

Flat Stanley - From North Carolina to Alaska!

2011-11-22T10:37:00.000-09:00

LKSD Recruiting Video

2011-11-22T10:34:00.002-09:00

This video is old, but a lot of the things they're referring to are still true today.

More information about the Lower Kuskokwim School District can be found on the LKSD homepage.

Piles of Yarn

2011-11-20T09:48:00.000-09:00

4 December 2009, 20 November 2011

It sat in two distinct piles behind my desk on the bookshelf’s ledge, linked only by a few strands, hovering for a couple of weeks. I did attempt to start the repairs on several occasions, only enough to get frustrated and repeatedly put it back on the bookshelf to loom over me daily. A visible conscience.

The goal was to return this mass of disorder back into a tidy wound ball of yarn. This tidy wound ball of yarn has been a visual representation of the combined efforts of fourteen seven to nine year old children, plus a couple adults here and there.

I sat down ready to mend what I’d let become a huge pile; this twisted, colorful mound of 460-foot knitted yarn. Thinking of the daunting task, a huge sigh released from my mouth. It was already 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and despite my limited options for an evening, motivation had not found me. If I didn’t mend it, why should the students endeavor? What would I communicate by not fixing this twisted, colorful mound of knitted yarn they had such pride in? I had to persevere. I had to follow through.

Fortunately, a friend saw my eyes glaze over as I stared at the mass on the classroom floor. She decided to help me. Thirty minutes in, Maria said, “If I could only find the end!” Many people spend their whole lives trying to do that, trying to find what they’ve been looking for or why they’ve been looking.

It was routine the last time we measured this continuum of finger knitting. One selected child rolled the ball around their classmates who acted as stakes so that the yarn would stay close to the black line for an estimated measurement. The black line makes the perimeter of the basketball court – easily measured at 60’ the long way and 20’ the short way, 160’ all the way around. In wanting to give them the opportunity to run given the time we had, it was recess after all, I neglected to demand our usual regiment of re-winding the ball of yarn together. The yarn was allowed to be scooped up, disheveled, and placed on the bleachers. Later moved to bookshelf, where it sat.

Maria and I shook the strands, trying to untangle them section-by-section. It made me think about the strands tangled within my life. The intermingled merriment with efforts to continually learn. The time spent trying to understand how to untangle the obstacles I came to, that I continue to come to. And seeing beauty in the colors.

At first, we dedicated specific time to learning the skill of finger knitting and slip knots. It wasn’t long before the students could multi-task, like listening to a story at the same time. They continued the privilege, as long as they were engaged during questioning – truly being able to multitask. It became something the students did when they are finished with their work. They took great efforts to perfect their work. Pleasure and high self-esteem came when they’d knitted their small ball of yarn into a long braid. The task took several days for the fastest and over a week or two for some. They could only knit for minutes at a time, ten at the most during story time. We did have some issues with “sneak knitting” too. Those students ambitious enough even took theirs to lunch to work on after they ate. Students had reverence for finger knitting and all it encompassed.

This made the efforts of my friend and myself meaningful. And I was certainly appreciative of the help!

Our class tradition was that at the end of the day if someone had finished their knitting they were knighted. I’d found a plastic sword outside in the snow and adopted it. A student with finished finger knitting knelt on the floor with their yarn encircling them. The class would surround them in deafening silence, something unheard of during the regular day. I would tap each shoulder in timing with a chant something along the lines of, “On this sixth day of September two-thousand nine, Jaden Olsen knitted super fine!” or “On this twentieth day of January two-thousand ten, Carla Waska, knitted like she could win!” All of the students clapped in rejoice as I tied the finished braid to the end of the growing class yarn ball. And the student was awarded with a new little ball of fresh yarn to knit.

Our determination paid off – the twisted, colorful mound of 460-foot knitted yarn became tidy again. Motivation came from wanting to be a model for the students. But, I discovered in the piles of yarn we could find ourselves, our frustrations, delights, our efforts and hard work, mischief, pride, a community, joy.

Pet Peeves

2011-11-13T09:47:00.001-09:00

Dastardly pet peeves!
They’ve been known to drive men mad.
Women and teens too. It’s sad.

Some, give fit; protest at little things.
Chewing with a gaping mouth.
Picking their teeth.
Men opening doors,
Or sleeping with whores.

Not speaking direct.
Saying anything on their mind.
Brushing, brushing their hair.
Not wearing underwear.

Talking in the third person.
Hitting a pencil. Tap. Tap. Tap!
Flossing in your zone.
Talking on the cell. phone.

Who is embarrassed? Unaware? Annoyed?
Who really cares?
Some whine, fight, scoff, or flee.
What am I saying? They’re just like you, and me.

"Get over it." - JPB

Winter

2011-11-06T09:45:00.000-09:00

{Sonnet attempt}

When branches bend, the tree leaves shake.
Wind brings dancing snow to my door.
Frozen and wet it slaps my face.
Drifts move from place to place.

Crackling wood hisses in sweet
lullabies and when the
warmth wraps around like a blanket
napping becomes prospect.

Deserted Pacific island.
I run into the sea.
The cat’s upon a flying cow.
Thought a whisper, “Wake now.”

Waking brings the tender embrace
of cold upon my face.

Sunday Morning Poetry

2011-10-30T09:43:00.000-08:00

{Practicing 4 feet, 3 feet}

The cow roams desperate on hills
To find the grass that’s green

He rubs his head to stroke the hair
But never finds it there

Upon her lap he lays his head
Basking in forever

The thought may come when you do stroke
a shiny hairless head

The bird doth strike his head upon
my closed window glass pane

Fret not because he flew away
once again this morning

I do proclaim he will return
When light refracts again

Flight

2011-10-23T09:40:00.002-08:00

Flames from the bonfire ascended to meet the branch of a nearby tree. Though, fire morphs into smoke by the time the lowest branch touched it. Plump snowflakes come in their downward spiral to meet the seething flames with a hiss. Although they are going in opposing directions the fire and snow are both in flight.

Those scintillate flames captivate my attention. Enamored, I find it hard to look away, even though my eyeballs burn from the heat. Feeling the cool kisses of snow on my face makes it even more bearable.

Food

2011-10-16T09:39:00.001-08:00

This is a delicious mess.
Upon first sight, saliva dripped down the walls of my cheeks.
This recipe devised. Tried. Modified each time.
With each bite, the taste seemed richer.
Driving my thoughts.
Holding my cravings.
Unwavering from the yearning.
“This could be the only food I eat for the rest of my life.” (thought bubble)

Though, awakened, I realize.
There are merits in nutrients,
And this is void.
Despite the interminable desire,
The craving,
Now I must to vomit.

Visualize

2011-10-09T11:04:00.001-08:00

“Visualize a place that you really love, be there, see the details. Now write about it. It could be a corner of your bedroom, an old tree you sat under one whole summer, a table at McDonald’s in your neighborhood, a place by a river. What colors are there, sounds, smells? When someone else reads it, she should know what it is like to be there. She should feel how you love it, not by your saying you love it, but by your handling of the details” (Goldberg 20-21).
I digress from the prompt…

Blue

Alaska, Arizona, & Mongolia skies filled with clouds.
The Colonial pictures & flowered wallpaper in my Grandmother's old kitchen.
Bordering Mexican tiles, piled on the side of a street.
Blue.

Baker's dog tag clinking as he runs.
Water lapping onto shore while the tide comes in.
Johnny Winter singing “Be Careful With a Fool.”
Blue.

Tundra blueberries - as sweet as the sunny day they were picked.
Metal camping cups filled with coco & coffee, on a brisk morning – readying for a day of hiking.
Blue corn muffins with hot soup.
Blue.

The down blanket nestled under my chin on a cold night.
Soft clothes next to a baby's skin.
Silky Forget-me-not flower pedals.
Blue.

Blue does help me remember.

Oak
Climbing limbs,
Safely supporting me,
In light or dark,
Tree.

White toaster oven
Warming thin toast & cheese
In Grandma’s kitchen

Warm pine sap always
Sticks to my hands when climbing
To my vantage point

-unfinished-
A tree
The scent of pine is immediate, especially on warm days.
Stickiness binds my skin to the rutted and course sheath.
My skin separates from the bark as I climb, but the film binds, even for days after.
It gets on my clothes and makes my shoes adhere as I walk in the house.
*shhhrriippp* *shhhrriippp* *shhhrriippp* *shhhrriippp* *shhhrriippp*

All are reminders of the feeling of independence. The pleasure of studying the life that continues whether I’m watching or not.

…

One of my favorite places -

Hairstory

2011-10-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

Prologue:
It’s not easy being hair. Well, it is easy. All I really need to do is sit there, grow out where I’m supposed to, don’t grow where I’m not. What isn’t easy is dealing with all of that stuff people want to do with me. I suppose people think of me with reverence. I suppose people associate me with their lifestyle, their personality, their class, their creativity, their inherited genes. Now that I think about it I control a certain part of everyone’s mind every day of the year. I control a certain part of your mind too. I might as well share with you some episodes I’ve observed. Behold my power – the power of hair!

Bald:
Usually it’s men that are bald. Some of them have complexes about it. From many a woman’s perspective it’s really quite sexy. The simplicity. The raw baring of the face. Nothing to hide. A lot is told about a man’s confidence in the way he accepts the hair he was given, or for what he was not. The same could be said for women who are balding – women! Hair thin enough to see the scalp. …

1980’s:
To be a teenager in the 1980’s meant a lot of time spent on your hair. There has always been a sector of the population that spent a lot of time on their hair. But, in the 80’s the small sector was those who did not adamantly style their hair. The problem with those who did is that instead of recognizing that the styles were bizarre, they became fashionable. This I suppose could be said for the centuries of hair styles. So, if you were a female styling your hair in the 80’s you may remember some of these “fashions.”

The crimp iron. For those unfamiliar, the crimp iron is like a wavy curing iron. Once heated the iron is just squeezes the hair section by section until all of the desired hair is “crimped.” This makes for pronounced rollercoaster waves, obvious that you took 30 minutes frying your hair. Followed with hair spray to hold this effort in place for 10 hours.

Perms were also of utmost fashion. Many born with straight hair envied those with divine curls – like those on a Victorian porcelain baby doll. Perms usually happen at a beauty salon, but are also optional using over the counter perms in boxes. Mainly what you needed to decide is how kinky you wanted the curl. There varieties range from wavy to rolling curls to the distinct spiral curl. The process involves applying warming chemicals to the hair, wrapping in rollers of the desired diameter and covering in aluminum foil. After sitting for an hour, inhaling the toxic aroma, the rollers can be removed and the hair washed. That will be the last washing for a couple of days so that the hair can soak in the fine chemicals designed to fight the hairs’ natural intent. Once styled, hairspray was applied.

The flat iron. For those with curly hair the top desire was to once again do the opposite of the hairs’ natural intent. The flat iron was used to make those with naturally curly hair straight.

One of the most famed fashions was that of the side splash. If a person had a “cow lick” they had an advantage. If not, one used a curling iron to pull up straight on one side of the face. Then, inordinate amounts of hairspray were applied.

The case:
How could the hair have gotten to that place, so private, so inward? It could not have without a specific action. And since this woman had no recollection, drunk as she was, something happened to place it there without her consent. A witness saw him there. The witness saw him, on her limp body. The photo showed that single hair on her cervix. “Beyond a reasonable doubt.” Consequences unknown, it was the deciding factor for his verdict.

We Bethylvanians have started a writing club. This is the first prompt from the last weekend of September. These stories are unfinished. My idea behind this style was to write vignettes so that it would be like opening a door into someone's life, listening in, and then closing the door. It didn't quite turn out like that, but oh well.

Here are some other ideas for vignettes: growing old, body hair, models, dyed:, natural, afro, animals... And I wanted to add an epilogue.

Introducing my Digital Portfolio (xtranormal flick)

2011-06-23T16:53:00.007-08:00

This is the introduction to my ASWC Digital Portfolio on our Ning site. You won't get to see my portfolio there, but I will be putting a lot of the pieces on here - some are already posted.

Click here - I couldn't embed the flick.

On xtranormal, there are preset scenes and actors to choose from. The creator does have to write a script for all of the actors and choose what facial expressions or body movements the actors are doing. Because the audience is primarily teachers in my Summer Institute group, I thought this would be a good resource to show that might be useful in the classroom. Students would have to write a script and think about pacing, voice, timing, body movements, etc. As well, the computer reads the scripts phonetically and rigidly follows punctuation. It would be a good mini-lesson on fluency and how punctuation changes meaning. I forgot to take that whistle at the end out and you can't edit after publishing. This would be a good way to get students to be mindful about their final pieces (scripts) before publishing. You can preview and save along the way.

Volunteers for Peace (Animoto Promo)

2011-06-22T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am from... (Prezi)

2011-06-21T23:03:00.004-08:00

I am learning how to use Prezi (emerging). This is the I am from... poem I posted earlier this month in Prezi form. Hit the gray play arrow to move forward - when you're at the end, the triangle will just be an outline.

I am from... on Prezi

Try as I may, I could not embed YouTube videos of sliding rock or an audio clip of the ocean. So, just imagine it. ^_^

There are a lot of cool things you can do with Prezi that aren't represented here.

Cinch IS a cinch!

2011-06-19T18:22:00.001-08:00

This is a fun little tool that can be used anywhere from the classroom, to letting friends & family hear your voice on FaceBook, to recording an audio journal for your children as you notice things about them as they grow up. And it's free!

Then & Now

2011-06-19T09:59:00.004-08:00

1927?

I remember using a rotary phone & I preferred it to the new button system. Ours was this gross pea green color. How fast technology has changed in the world! If only human equality and egalitarianism were so ubiquitous.

In some regards we've come a long way (i.e. women in the workplace).

1959

In other ways, we have a long way to go (i.e. homosexuality, racism).

3:18:01

2011-06-18T19:03:00.006-08:00

I was among 2,500 half-marathoners at the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage today. There were people from all 50 states attending. Of the 13.1 miles, I probably jogged 30-40 minutes off and on, walking the rest. It was an absolute perfect day - sunny, 44 degrees to start us off at 9:00! Just lovely!!

I know this isn't a particularly flattering photo of my feet. But I had to show the nasty bruise I acquired on my second toe - that nail is not staying on for long.

Views

2011-06-17T15:16:00.006-08:00

This is the view I have from my window. Frequently, I stare out the window when I write. I ignore the buildings, except when spying on people through their windows at dusk - it's easier to see inside that time of day. Usually they are oblivious to being watched and carry on their ordinary tasks of taking something from one room to the next, reading on a couch, opening or closing the window, eating dinner, etc. Some apartments only bear pictures on the wall, the shades blocking my view, or there is black vacancy, camouflage never revealing movement. It is an omnipresent feeling from my end, nonetheless. Someone is probably watching me too.

Most days I leave the window open, even though it's a little chilly. The chill reminds me why there are still patches of snow atop those mountains even though it's June, mid-June. The wind slides along my cheeks and sinks into the bones in my hands. I involuntarily take deep breaths more often than I used to whilst inside. My body appreciates the oxygen. And the blanket and laptop keep me warm. A shiver sneaks in every now and then.

There are urban sounds, but those too get lost when my other senses take over. When the magpies and seagulls' raucous cries fitfully surge into my ears, it washes the sound of traffic away. It is a juxtaposition of a shocking piercing sound and the pleasure of knowing that nature carries on. One evening a seagull flew by. As it approached, it's mouth widened, almost in slow motion, and I could see into it's dark throat, surrounded by a pale yellow beak. It seemed to be so near. It was, only twelve or so feet away. As it swooped upward that agape beak voiced a long shriek surely calling to it's following mate. They were flying on the same invisible line.

Trees in the foreground rustle with the gentle daily breeze and serve as a lounge for those aforementioned birds and others that are not so vocal. There are the translucent leaved Birch trees, my favorite on the planet. The young ones have a shiny copper bark that flakes, a stark contrast to the scratchy white of mature elders. Deep opaque evergreen trees are everywhere, some taller than my four story dorm. The air is accompanied with downy plumes of the seeds from cottonwood trees that are like dandelions all over campus. Chokecherry trees adorn their white flowery regalia and refresh the air. Those intertwine within the bounds of University housing. Many more birch and evergreens frame outside the court. I do enjoy these trees, rarely seen in my ordinary life on the Lower Kuskokwim delta.

As you see, sky fills over half of my window prospect. Today, as many have been, revolves between being sunny and overcast with the bulbous fluffy clouds. Light still washes over the landscape. The mountains illuminate: golden in the morning, bright in the middle of the day, and sometimes they are the only object spotlighted at sunset donning a pink and orange sherbet hue. This picture makes them seem insignificant. From my view, I am close enough to see the brown soil mixed in with those snow patches and the lighter shades of the green tree-line that slither into that dark opaque evergreen as it melds into the birch and evergreens around the perimeter of these buildings.

Breezes drift into my room. Often. Most of the time, the crisp air brings with it a bouquet from the chokecherry trees. It is sun warmed floral decadence. I cannot help but wish for the scent to stay - so I keep breathing in, and slowly out still trying to hold some of it. Sweet grass, fresh cut grass whirls through my window too, though not as often as the floral reign. Chill even has a certain scent to it.

Sunday morning, a bell chimes to welcome it’s patrons - every hour. In between, the persistent songs of a modern organ, apparently from a church near by, accompany the sun licked verdure tree leaves as they shimmer and twist, resembling a couple on the dance floor. Likewise, and just now, a single white feather waltzed in front of the window, moving from side to side and then continuing on to the left in sweeping curves and twisting out of my view. There is a new squeak today coupled with the clatter of several other unseen birds. Dandelion tufts continue to hover over spots in the courtyard and their yellow kin.

I have to pause now an again, as my senses are tapped. It's good to let that sink in, I think. After those moments, and during most of them, I contemplate what to write next and continue the rapid pressing of fingertips on computer keys t-y-p-i-n-g_s-e-n-t-e-n-c-e-s_t-o_t-h-i-s_s-t-o-r-y_a-n-d_o-t-h-e-r-s.

Planes soar beside the ridge line of the sparsely shadowed West face of the mountains. The propellers’ drone manifests before the small white 207s, looking to be the same size as one of those seagulls closer to my temporary home. A hum of traffic remains, interjected with a siren, barking dogs in the distance, birds chirping merrily, or the faint footsteps of passers chattering about the days prospects. Every now and then laughter bellows from a couple on the lawn grilling burgers and obviously enjoying each other.

Contrary to what it may seem, I am not trapped, wishing for freedom held on the other side of these walls. As I am here, I am also there, free and in love with all of it, sharing views with you.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Purpose - I started to write an e-mail for a friend of mine, based on the photo I took of my dorm window. As I was writing, it morphed into a story for everyone. Then, I thought it an appropriate reflection of my time in this room, writing. The paragraphs are organized by sense. I rely heavily on description when I read and tap into my imagination more often than not; many people do. Something I like about writers like Seth Kantner, author of Ordinary Wolves, is the craft of rousing the senses - a way to bring nostalgia or provoke the imagination to make the reader feel like they are there with the writer, experiencing it together.

~~~~~~~~~~

I am open to, in fact welcome, your feedback about writing pieces like this.

Press me! ^_^

First Impressions?
Sentence fluency - where can I break up my long-winded-ness & vary sentence length?
Do you feel writer woven in with the tale of the view (esp. beginning & end)?
Constructive criticism advice?

In honor of Father's Day

2011-06-17T09:49:00.003-08:00

Yes, I actually heard about this via my rigorous, studious writing class.
It was a side note. ^_^

Adam Mansbach's "Go the F**k to Sleep" as read by Samuel L. Jackson.

By the way, given that this blog has been a place for my pre- & published writing,
expect some of more to show up here soon.

I am from…

2011-06-09T23:29:00.012-08:00

I am from blue jeans, from Coke, and gravel dirt roads.

I am from the Tobacco Barn with open beams and extension cord electricity.

I am from the Dogwood trees, the Pine needles and bark covered in sticky, gluey sap.

I’m from salty air at Pawley’s Island, and tall threads, from Regina Catherine and Jeffrey Boggus, Hill and Steele.

I’m from working days; and quiet nights; and a Poplar tree that allowed the black snakes to get into the attic, one which liked to slither down the window pane in the moonlight, making me quiver.

From Beth’s letters and forbidden drawers.

I am from Freedom church. Floundering self-direction.

I’m from the Piedmont of North Carolina, blackberries, meat loaf, and Funeral Beans.

From the wicker baskets, the musty nylon, and propane burners, with the sunrise chases of hot air balloons.

I am from snapshots on developed film and printed on Kodiak paper, fading on the stairwell walls in Grandmother’s house.

An egret at Pawley's Island, SC - place of 20 years of Steele beach trips.

Shadow poem, modeled from George Ella Lyon's.

Note: My grandmother's sister, Beth threw her love letters down the well in Mississippi. My grandmother fished them out & read them while watering the lawn. Beth's letters remind me of all the stories my grandmother has told me, this one being a favorite.

Wood Flooring - Yahoo!!

2011-05-05T00:16:00.003-08:00

The wood flooring I've been talking about forever was finished this week (yesterday)!! It's been a long two weeks with lots of cleaning (sweeping-my least favorite chore), shifting, more people in the house, walking around new pathways, piled out counter tops, wood junk on the porch, trash in the boat, hauling & hauling trash... (Notice the blue light outside - this was taken just after midnight.)

White oak from the living room to the bathroom. Hickory in my room.

Nulato, Alaska

2011-03-21T21:41:00.001-08:00

Next stop, Nulato!

The route? Bethel - Anchorage - Fairbanks - Nulato.

Ceramics (Spring 2011)

2011-03-17T22:19:00.001-08:00

These are some of my completed ceramics pieces.

Fall 2010:

Spring 2011:

These last bowls were fresh off the wheel... to be donated to the "Fill the Bowl" fundraiser for the Bethel Food Bank.

Brain Map

2011-03-17T21:32:00.006-08:00

I just finished spewing everything that I have on my mind currently for work and personal endeavors onto a giant Post-it.
(Don't try to read the fine print. ^_^)

I realize my family and non-Alaska homies might be forgetting what I look like. All the books I'm surrounded with at work are lovely! Aren't they?

Baker aka Best Tricks Maven

2011-02-25T21:51:00.006-09:00

I realize that I should write on here more. By now, probably the people who actually know me have stopped checking this site. This is no long update blog post, which is probably what is deserved at this point. What can I say, I've been fortunate, living life and "being here now."

This is to brag a lil' bit about my puppy (almost 2), Baker, who dominated the 8th Annual Bethel Dog Show on 02/20/11. His trick? - sign language. He knows about 20, but showed the crowd: sit, left and right shake, roll over, wait, and eat.

Here's KYUK's post about it. There is a short blurb from the broadcast at the top. These photos were on there too.

KYUK - Bethel Dog Show
Photo Gallery

While we're talking about dogs, K300 is a pretty badass Iditarod qualifying race blasting off from Bethel. KYUK has a lot of snapshots from this year, and probably past years too. But, this is the year that I actually got to see the teams take off.

Hallelujah Chorus -Quinhagak, Alaska

2011-01-03T15:21:00.000-09:00

No Photos During Naps!

2010-05-15T02:12:00.008-08:00

Perhaps this is what the thought bubble would say for Baker. Last night, I tried to take our picture while he was so cuddly on my lap. All the while, notice he's falling more & more asleep. I woke him up by laughing as I watched this transpire on the screen though.

"Breaking Up is Hard To Do"

2010-05-08T15:56:00.014-08:00

Updated map... Notice all of the openings.:

NOAA website
I love maps!

The Kuskokwim is the long river you see running in the middle the SW. It's the second largest river in the state, next to the Yukon (the enormous river running in the middle of Alaska. Bethel, LKSD's hub, is the second-ish dot up the river from the coast. You can hover the arrow over dots to see the place names and average break-up dates. Bethel's average date since 1970 is May 12th. Nunap. is NW of Bethel by 26 miles.

Ice in the Johnson River can't move out until the Kuskokwim breaks. Right now, some areas on the Johnson within Nunap. are sketchy. But, mostly it's solid ice in the center. There are very few spots with "needle ice," a sure sign of a weak spot.

It's exciting to see that there are some parts of the Kuskokwim River that are open in the east. We have not had a lot of precipitation this year and it makes me wonder if this is contributing to a semi-late break-up. My fingers are crossed for break-up by May 15th, May 20th at the latest, with no interruptions to our school days of course.

{I'm moving to Bethel by boat on the 23rd. I want plenty of water for that trek. ^_^}

Dawg-gone-it!

2010-04-22T17:40:00.007-08:00

If you are familiar with the Southern U.S., then this expression may be familiar to you. It is not a happy expression. It's a replacement for cussing kind of expression. Let me express this. It's not water proof anymore.

The day after my return from Anchorage, Monday, I left Baker out and the phone on the desk. Perhaps he was attracted to the shiny red. I do realize he sneaks a peek at the desk from the couch when I am gone. From time to time he likes to help himself to various receipts, spark plug boxes, and my desk calendar. This is the way he shows his detestation b/c I leave him alone. All I know now is that 1) I am glad it still works, aside from the de-waterproofing and the flashlight has ceased to function and 2) now he's on lock down when I go to work (in his kennel).

I guess this is the true "Rugged" version. ^_^

E.L.A.S.

2010-04-14T20:52:00.012-08:00

You are looking at the new "Elementary Language Arts Specialist" for LKSD. {Insert mental photo image.}

After much trepidation and persuasion from others I decided to apply for this position in the district office. So, next year I won't be teaching children directly, which is going to take some getting used to. I'll be the "go to gal" for K-5 Reading and Writing for all of the schools in the district. There are a lot of responsibilities, including teacher in-services and training, implementing a new testing system that might replace our current one, introducing & coordinating training with our new curriculum, data entry onto Rubicon, random tasks... I'm going to have to be a humble bee and soak up the wealth of talent that is the coherent DAPs curriculum department, while keeping my own "stinger" sharp.

The job offer came less than 24 hours after my interview. I literally jumped in the air like you see in the movies after accepting it, and hanging up the phone, at the prospect of the shift in my life. I'm nervous, but very excited too.

Tundra Turbulence

2010-04-12T07:59:00.007-08:00

You can see my stairs, a storage shed, the steam house & the trash house. I can't see past the pole from the school dock less than 200' away, just past the trash house.

This is the same view as that photo taken yesterday. Basically, it's useless but kind of fun to see the snow so stuck on there.

Our forecast?
The wind is coming from the SSE, which means that it's wet.

For now, we have a delayed start at school. I really think the last time I saw a storm like this John W. was our principal, which means it's been five years.

[P.S. That photo taken of me yesterday is a typical posture when I'm looking at the computer. I realized it when I was looking through photos on Photo Booth and the camera was still on. In fact, I'm sitting like that now. ^_^]

"Food, Glorious Food..."

2010-04-11T17:41:00.017-08:00

Today I woke up with the ambition to cook. Sunday seems to be the day when this most often happens to me. I just wanted to make the mac & cheese from scratch & zucchini bread b/c I needed to use the cheese & zucchinis. I ended up making those & I pickled some cucumbers & carrots; fried a couple of zucchini w/ butter, salt, & pepper; broiled BBQ chicken; made 2 salmonberry/raspberry sour cream pies; chopped cabbage for the asian salad & soup to make later ... I also set out some salmon burger to thaw, but I need onion and more eggs before I can make that.

The only explanation is that it's almost mid-April & I have a lot of food in my freezer. I don't want to leave a ton of it over the summer like I have in the past. Besides that, cooking can be fun. The good news is that I'll be sharing & not eating all of it on my own. ^_^

{The recipe links are here, but I always modify w/ my own ingredients. Heed my changes:
* mac & cheese - used multi-shells instead of elbow pasta, powdered milk, asagio cheese, & no eggs w/ flour as a substitute
* zucchini bread - added butterscotch chips, cinnamon, powdered ginger, 1/2 c. more zucchini than called for, & a little wheat germ
* salmonberry/raspberry pies - added lavender flowers, rose hips, lime juice, & mint leaves, plus cinnamon to the topping}

Pie, pre-topping:

Here's the scope of food prepared today.

You can't really see, but it's starting to snow (big wet snowflakes). That's Maria, my dinner guest, going to cover her snow-go.

}{appy Birthday, Puppy.

2010-04-05T08:22:00.009-08:00

Today is Baker's birthday. I just chose it arbitrarily based on the former owner saying that the people he got him from thought Bakes was born in April. I guess it was kind of contrived. I thought if I chose 4/5... 4 + 5 = 9. He was born in 2009... So, this date will be easy for me to remember. Tricks for the memory. Anyway, that's more detail than you need.

I can remember when Baker was meek, timid, and bony. He has since turned into an assertively friendly, snugly, and muscular champ (consistently running 15-20 mph w/ my snow-go). I'm so thankful to have him! Some people (other dog owners) might beg to differ, but I have the best puppy in the world!

{He's munching on his b-day bone in that photo. Isn't he so stately?}

"Good Day Sunshine"

2010-03-29T21:59:00.007-08:00

Does everyone have the aforementioned Beatles song in their head? You should!

We've been fortunate to have lots o' sunny days around here. Coupled with the sun and long walks, I've managed to bring a little color back to my cheeks after a while with little exposure to the sun. Nothing else has been kissed, b/c it's still cold enough to wear a coat and gloves. In fact, it's getting to be a little too cold to take a nice long walk right now. (It was 9 degrees today, without the windchill factor.)

One of the things I really love about living in the Tundra Triangle is the potential trails for a walk/hike/run. While I'm still not running, my knees have been fantastic with all the snow walking I've been doing. Baker gives me more motivation to go out, b/c he's a dog that needs a lot of free play.

There are so many little nooks right outside my door and down the block. The "Tundra Triangle" is the shape that connects Nunap. to Akula to Akiuk and back. Round trip it's about 6.5 miles. Baker & I have walked it a few times recently. Duane went along last Friday. Maybe a couple of weeks ago I took an impromptu hike of about 13 miles. I need to go onto Google Earth to see. I walked to Akula (3 m.) to drop off an NYO roster. Afterwards, I decided to go out to Fox Lake (3.? round trip) b/c I haven't been there for a long time and it's really a wonderful get away. Then, I still had time in the day, my body was urging, my mind was still wound, and the dog was still prancing. So, we took the long route via the river back to Nunap. If I remember correctly from a friend's measurement it's 9 m. (Akula loop past NUP and back). Maybe it was more like 12 m. overall. At any rate it felt good, good, good.

I don't have many photos. Most of them are on my cell. phone and I haven't been patient enough to plod through Bluetooth hoops. But, I'll post a couple once I get them onto the computer.

Ransom Jameson {03-26-83 to 03-16-10}

2010-03-17T21:41:00.006-08:00

I love you.

...Genius, quirky, gentle, silly, kind, creative, true...

Owed to my brother/cousin Ransom.
You will forever be alive in my heart.

Creativity = Fulfillment

2010-03-07T22:14:00.033-09:00

Moderation Is Not A Negation of Intensity, But Helps Avoid Monotony
John Tagliabue

Will you stop for a while, stop trying to pull yourself
together
for some clear "meaning" - some momentary summary?
no one
can have poetry or dances, prayers or climaxes all day;
the ordinary
blankness of little dramatic consciousness is good for the
health sometimes,
only Dostoevsky can be Dostoevskian at such long
long tumultuous stretches;
look what that intensity did to poor great Van Gogh;
linger, lunge,
scrounge and be stupid, that doesn't take much centering
of one's forces;
as wise Whitman said "lounge and invite the soul." Get
enough sleep;
and now only because (as Cocteau said) "poetry is the
literature of sleep";
be a dumb bell for a few minutes at least; we don't want
Sunday church bells
ringing constantly.

When Deanna read this I was reminded of a quote on a Yogi Tea bag, "A relaxed mind is a creative mind." {That quote is also part of another art project I did on C-mas day using a bunch of Yogi Tea quotes.} Relaxation must be a mindful thing; it seems often neglected in lieu of other tasks.

Friday Deanna & I decided to get together in the evening, eat & be creative. So, I packed my dog on the snow-go & we zipped over to Akiuk, 2.5 m. away. She also has a dog that Baker is friends w/, Lola.

I haven't been keeping my initial "do something artful weekly" promise to myself. This filled the void, for both of us. It was really satisfying to spend hours being creative, listening to music, & in good company. I ended up staying the night b/c I was going to spend some time w/ another person in Akiuk the next day. (Plus, it was -30 w/ the wind chill & I was too lazy to drive home.) She ended up going to Bethel, so Deanna & I spent the better 1/2 of Saturday continuing our creativity, adding in some poetry reading & "The Office" watching. #_#

The products...
The first one here was practice using the "How To Draw Graphic Novels" booklet I have. It was the first time I used Sharpie markers to shade though.

This Korean flutist should be finished now. The inception of it dawned in 2002 & remained a head w/ partial torso & the moon w/ clouds in the background. I completed most of it by Jan. 1st this year. Saturday I went back to touch up some shading, mostly w/ the plants & clouds.

I want the door to look weathered w/ deep cracks in between the planks. It's not working so far. I think I like it better the way it was w/ more red coloring. It was started in 2004, returned to in 2009, and now again. This one is still a work in progress.

Deanna used some photos she'd taken during her AlCan Hwy. trek last summer as models for her watercolor pencil drawings. One was a landscape scene seen through tree branches. The other was the sunset in her side view mirror. They turned out really nice.

What's next? --- I need to practice proportions of the head more. Then, I'll go back to practicing the expressions. So, I went ahead & set up the book so I can dive right in next time.

To top the great weekend off, Maria hosted a belated Lunar New Year mini-feast Saturday evening. She & Jacquie served maybe 30 people a variety of Asian delectables: wonton soup, egg drop soup, stir fry (a few kinds), salun'aq (raw, salt cured salmon), & salmon dip.

I love chores!

2010-02-25T22:01:00.003-09:00

I'm not kidding. Chores are the fabric of what makes my life meaningful. They remind me that nothing comes to exist w/o at least a little elbow grease.

B.F.F.s

2010-02-25T19:26:00.012-09:00

I can actually remember telling kids in elementary school, "I don't classify my friends." That's kind of funny when I think about it now. While I am not into B.F.F.s (best friends forever), I guess it's okay for dogs.

We have a neighbor dog Cuddles, who is a typical village dog with stubby legs, a long body, and shaggy hair. She and Baker have taken to playing rather frequently and fervently. Baker usually tries to dominate bigger dogs by wrapping his paws around their neck and snapping at the ears and jowls. He also takes advantage of his shorter stance and nips at the fleshy legs and bony ankles. Cuddles shares a house with a pit bull/boxer mix, so she's used to a romp. Her small body and experience make them a good match for rough play. It's quite cute. To boot, I can also see them play outside my window.

However, no B.F.F. can replace the tasty morsel of Pilot Bread.* Baker's former owner used this as an external motive for potty training, etc. I've bribed Baker with bits of it so that every time I say "inside" he'll come. Sometimes he pretends that he can't hear, looks at me, turns around and runs to play some more. Those days have dwindled thanks to Pilot Bread. We've been practicing while he plays. So, tonight when I said "Baker, inside", he dropped jowl and ran full force to the door.

* Pilot Bread (a.k.a. hard tack) is a big unsalted round cracker, commonly eaten in Alaska. I read that Alaska was among the last to add Pilot Bread to a regular diet. It's definitely ubiquitous today. I had never even seen it until I moved here and now I don't see it anywhere outside of AK.

CHAMP Camp

2010-02-22T17:44:00.039-09:00

Our school district is embracing CHAMPS*, based on the book Champs: A Proactive & Positive Approach to Classroom Management by Randall Sprick, et al. (including Keba Baldwin).

*CHAMPS is an acronym for Communication, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success.

Last week, we, along w/ our site administrator (a.k.a. principal), all of our district's social workers, and sparse SAs and teaching staff from other sites attended a two-day training (conducted by Keba and Joel, someone from LKSD).

Our SA bequeathed the title of "CHAMPS Gurus" to a co-worker & myself, giving us the responsibility of learning about the methodology and conducting all of the site in-services this year and next.
I'm feeling like a beached fish 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the water. Lucky for me, my partner did her SpEd masters' work regarding emotionally/behaviorally disturbed.

Saturday, after a 1/2 day of school, we did a couple of exercises. Then, today we were responsible for 2/3 of our site in-service. It is a world of difference between teaching teachers and teaching children. Obviously, some things are the same, like saying "cheap." This we heard on Sat., understandably b/c it was the 6th day in a work week. But we literally had two practical exercises, and it was our third week requiring 6 working days each. Boo hoo. ^_^

We spent 12 hours planning for the six-hour in-service today. We had to make sure the info. and exercises were relevant and effective. It's quite challenging knowing that many of the people in the room will be resistant to taking an objective look at themselves, let alone the idea of change. We also know that our school is in dire need of school-wide consistency and behavior management, beginning with the adults, or the school just might spontaneously combust.

Anyway, today's in-service "went off without a hitch," to abuse another cliche'. People were engaged, w/o grumbling, there were some honest discussions, and time went quickly (always a good sign). Wish us luck for the continuation of this and that we, as a staff, will continue to evolve into being more consistent, managers of behavior through positive communication, structure, observation, and evaluation of our practices.

Erudite Squadron of the Tundra Triangle - exploring "The Road"

2010-02-17T01:14:00.007-09:00

I think I have failed to mention that our super cool local book club now has a fancy blog. I offhandedly called our club "Erudite Squadron of the Tundra Triangle" (<-- click me) in an entry on here about doublethink in 1984. Vicki thought to create a blog and Deanna, who set-up the collaborative blog, liked the name. Here we are. Up to this point there hasn't been too much activity.

Our current book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I know there are folks out there that aren't in our neighborhood (Shaun, Sara, Erin, Jenny, people we don't know...) who have read the book. We don't discriminate. If you'd like to leave some comments, click this link --> The Road. Three, meself included, have left comments hitherto. If you'd like to join us and you know where Deanna lives, the meeting is there today at 6:30 p.m.

Sidenote: I may have coined the term "Tundra Triangle" too. I remember calling it that when I first moved to Nunap. and discovered that this area likened to the Bermuda Triangle. Storms would frequently be a locked in vortex here and surrounding areas were flyable, even Bethel. You could even see blue skies above, the ultimate hint that you are locked in a ground flurry. Now, we're all wishing for snow around here!

My Little Nimrod

2010-02-12T22:35:00.017-09:00

I'm temporarily staying in Bethel, "the big city," with a couple of friends, their 21-mon.-old son, and chocolate lab. Because I'm here so long, I brought my dog, Baker, too. Yesterday we all had to leave at the same time, which meant leaving the pups to their own motives. Upon returning at lunch, Shaun discovered that Baker had locked himself in the bathroom, the above crime scene. Evidently, undetected, a bird got into the house and managed to make it's way into the bathroom with my dog in it's wake. There were no meat, bones, or blood to be seen. Just cleanly licked feathers, everywhere, and toilet paper shreds. I'm kind of proud of my little nimrod.

Below are some random recent pictures...

I bet you can't guess who that president is. You may not be able to see he's holding some books in hand: Superhero Comics and Easy Guide to Being President. On the front there are "bad Guy Cards" in the lapel pocket. The sign on the back says, "If found return to the White House."

Isaac and Baker

Loki and Baker

Night Fright

2010-02-09T03:45:00.004-09:00

It's still unsettling when I see that I am the only one logged onto the FirstClass network. Freaky!

Full February

2010-02-07T11:19:00.019-09:00

It just happened. Things keep coming up and I keep scratching the pencil across my calendar. Here's what's gone down and what I'm in for, at this point, for the month of February.

Week 1:
--- 1-4, M-TR --- Taught. You read about the smothered larynx. ^_^ The whisper continued another day. I went to the clinic to discover that I was in the early stages of Strep. Good thing I was already taking the next day off! I had a Thursday evening flight to Bethel w/ dog (1st flight). Baker enjoyed trying insatiably to sew his wild oats w/ my friends' dog Loki. I let him get it out considering ...
--- 5, Fri. --- Baker's ball lopping (aka neutering) and regular vet. tormenting ensued. All went well really. He was quite doped up on Morphine and ACE (sedative). I also did errands around Bethel and visited w/ some friends that night.
--- 6, Sat. --- Reading Committee impromptu meeting to review textbooks (2 more down).
-----I tried to go out on the evening flight, but it was canceled due to weather. My principal and I called our local river taxi person, Steven, to come get us. It took him two hours to get there, so we ended up leaving at about 7:00 and getting home at 9:00. Besides slipping often, it was a good ride. He's a good driver. If we stayed in Bethel, we wouldn't have been able to leave until 12:30 today.
--- 7, Sun. --- One of the artists contracted w/ our district for workshops is going to stay the night w/ me. Today, I'll be making regular teaching plans, sub plans for a week, and doing domestic things before packing for the sabbatical.

{Side note: I caught Baker napping in his "house" (kennel) today. Only yesterday, he had outstretched paws at my insistence that he go into his house at Yute Air, after pissing on a trash can. Once his head and front legs are in he complies, but this napping sign is encouraging that he is getting used to it.}

Week 2:
--- 8, M --- The same artist, as well as one other person from LKSD will be staying the night at my house. There is a family night workshop w/ them I'll be attending too.
--- 9, T --- Regular teaching day. Fly out on the evening flight w/ dog. We're going to be in Bethel for a week, unless I decide to come home for Sat. night.
--- 10-11, W-TR --- AIMSWEB training. This is going to be the new mode of online summative testing for reading in our school district, starting next fall.
--- 12-13, F-Sat. --- Reading Committee meeting. - Talk about AIMSweb training and reviewing more textbooks and materials. Planning our final meeting and an additional follow-up ones in the summer.
14, Sun. --- free (I take that back. I'll be planning for the upcoming week.) .... Also the first day of Lunar New Year. It's the year of the Tiger.

Week 3:
--- 15-16, M-T --- CHAMPS training. This is a "positive behavior management" methodology that LKSD is adopting. I'll be taking the evening flight back to Nunap. Tuesday. The 16th is also Elizabeth Peratrovich day. I'm sad to miss the actual day w/ kids at school, but I'm putting something in the sub plans and we'll talk about her when I get back during our Civil Rights class.
--- 17-20, W-Sat. --- Teaching. I'm just going to start the Lunar New Year celebrations on Wed. The evening of the 17th we have a book club meeting planned too, for The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I have an audio/Internet class on the 18th and prep. before our meeting too. I forgot about that. Yes, we have Sat. school to make up for one of those no sewage days. It's supposed to be a "cultural day" which usually equates to a craft day. We have had some good things to do w/ the kids that seem relevant though. For the young grades this means switching crafts every 30-45 minutes.
--- 21, Sun. --- Planning for the next week of school.

Week 4:
--- 22, M --- Site In-service day at school... Co-leading CHAMPS at site training. (I just found out this was going to happen after our training in Bethel.)
--- 23-26 T-F --- Regular teaching. We'll be celebrating Lunar New Year still, as it shouldn't end until March 1. The Civil Rights unit will still be in force.
-----Friday, I'll be flying out on the evening flight w/ dog to Bethel. More likely, I might wait until the a.m. to fly out; I'm just going to see how I feel. I also might try to drive to Bethel on the snow-go w/ Baker in my coat. ... New plans: The pooch is staying & I'm driving down.
--- 27, Sat. --- Sara's bachelorette party beginning at 5:00. But, some friends and I will be cooking & prepping much of the day.
--- 28, Sun. --- Noon flight back to Nunap. to plan the next week's lessons.

Whew!

I'll start March off with a bang. ~ 3/1, M = SRA (reading intervention program) training in Bethel.

Smothered Larynx

2010-02-03T16:00:00.011-09:00

Yesterday I awoke with a muffled voice. This I discovered when I tried to talk to my dog. Today the same thing happened, except I was unable to get my voice above a whisper.

So, I decided to use the wipe board w/ an Expo. It was so successful right away that I was able to use it all day, even with the first-graders, which kind of surprised me. I had to rearrange some lessons, like art b/c there are a lot of steps that need to be followed. Sometimes I had to interject w/ a whisper for clarification. Otherwise, all comments, reprimands (some public, some private), praises, and directions were given on the board.

Fresh veggies. Delivered today. Divine invention.

2010-02-02T19:58:00.014-09:00

Talk about salivating satisfaction! Upon opening my box of organic veggies from Full Circle Farm I was beckoned. The two fluffy bags of spinach among a variety of other vegetables and fruits arrived unscathed from the traveling and cold. I chopped and steamed the following foods that activated most of the major tastes, all slight and balanced. Cooking is such meditation too. Chopping, simmering, steaming, melding, stirring, pouring, washing/rinsing...

The ingredients (all organic, except for the almonds): zucchini, yellow pepper, celery, button mushrooms, spinach, dried cranberries, coconut oil, soy sauce, garlic, onion, ginger paste, some ghee & sugar to candy the almonds. I was a bit concerned about flavor but fought off the urge to add spices, thank goodness. The melding of the foods' flavors made it just perfect.

Yum! I'm so lucky.

It looks a bit messy. But, I guarantee Anthony Bourdain, Julia Child, & Alton Brown would approve w/ a kiss of the finger tips.

Tribute to Zinn and Salinger

2010-01-28T22:33:00.026-09:00

Unannounced to me until I attended a history class tonight, Howard Zinn died yesterday suddenly from a heart attack. He was 87, born in 1922.

Usually I am indifferent to death, people and pets alike. I was not always this way, but close. I grew into accepting that it’s just part of the way things go. Every now and then I am faced with the compelling sense of sorrow. Today, it has crept in (a bit ^_^).

Howard’s death is most certainly a historical loss. He, unlike many of his historian counterparts, was not intimidated by people or policy and sought the truth and to inform the public of it. A true polarizing entity, he was not revered by all as with many movers and shakers. Howard voiced support for “Shministim, Israel's young conscientious objectors who waited in jail for refusing to serve the occupation. He spoke frankly about the intolerable subjugation of millions of Palestinians, and how it hurt(s) both peoples*” of Palestine and Israel. Howard was (is?) Jewish. He researched and shared the lesser-known stories on a variety of injustices in the world. He was vested with a vision for true justice and spoke out for equality of peoples everywhere. He has inspired many, and inspires me, to further endeavor down the road towards egalitarianism.

Zinn wrote in his autobiography, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (1994), "From the start, my teaching was infused with my own history. I would try to be fair to other points of view, but I wanted more than 'objectivity'; I wanted students to leave my classes not just better informed, but more prepared to relinquish the safety of silence, more prepared to speak up, to act against injustice wherever they saw it."
* Penny Rosenwasser, Jewish Voice for Peace.

As I was looking for photos of Howard I noticed the cover of The Catcher in the Rye in the mix. This made me curious about J.D. Salinger and his death or if he was still alive. Upon looking it up I discovered he died Today! Wow! Talk about a double wammy. He was 91 and died of “natural causes.”

This is a great J.D. quote, and apt. "I hope to hell that when I do die somebody has the sense to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddam cemetary. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you're dead? Nobody."

I haven’t had quite as intimate relationship with J.D.’s texts that I would have liked after the one I have read. I delved into The Catcher in the Rye (1951) late in life, last year in fact. I have a special affinity for J.D.’s invention and use of double contractions. So fun! I don’t know if that’s typical, but it was a first for me. What stood out to me about his work is the lack of pretense, the rawness, and simplicity. I was in that story, on Holden’s shoulder. I knew him. I wanted to know him better so much that the end of the book made me mad, because it was over. Look out Franny and Zooey.

The last time I felt sorrow about a death it was my grandfather who died 05-07-95, which happened to be the same day as when my little sister was born. Both occurrences happened in the same hospital. I was there, in the birthing room with my mom. Now, I cannot be anything but happy on that day, even in remembrance of its genesis, because I now have a beautiful little sister who has impacted my life in more ways than I ever knew possible. Like the phoenixes and death, sorrow moves on.

Dog Owner

2010-01-24T18:05:00.013-09:00

As of yesterday, I'm officially a dog owner for the first time in my adult life. This is a dog that I've watched monthly for the past four months. When I was asked if I wanted to take him, I could honestly say "Yes" knowing that I wasn't being rash. He's a super dog!

Name: Baker (He was named before I got him and actually has a full name, including a "Dr." and an "IV" on the end. But, Baker is what he goes by, among varied other nicknames, like Asparagus.)

Sex: Male (All parts attached until I can contact the mobile vet.)

Age: Maybe 9 months. The guess is that he was born in April 2009.

Breed: Village dog aka mutt. You can look and guess for yourself. Let me know if you're good at guessing; I'd like to read more about it.

Size: 29" long (snout to rump) x 18" tall x 20.5" chest ^_^

Here are some more old photos:

Haiti Earthquake Relief + P.S.S.

2010-01-17T12:59:00.060-09:00

Below is a list of some NFP organizations that can be donated to for relief in Haiti. They might ask you to specify where the donation is supposed to go to, like ICRC (Red Cross). If you choose another organization to donate to, make sure it's a grant and not a loan. Their economy does not need any more stress or debt.
American Red Cross - International
UNICEF
Doctors Without Borders
OXFAM-America Inc.

As I view the news, I recall and learn more about occurrences that have exacerbated the effects from the recent 7.0 Earthquake on the 12th effecting Port au Prince residents. Haiti was the first independent nation of color in the world, which got into the US's craw given that we still supported slavery at that time. I am leery of the Clinton-Bush donation organization. Both administrations were instrumental in keeping the oppression of Haiti. In Feb. 2004, Bush called the coup ousting the former President Amistead, when Haiti had a democratic system in place, despite it being against International Law to forbid him from going back. Clinton encouraged Haitian residents to abandon independent skills, like farming, to go to Port au Prince for factory work (aka sweat shops) for a more "stable economy." With the country being impoverished, the infrastructure is shanty and was more easily destroyed by the earthquake. People desperate for heat, logged trees on the same hills where housing is, making it susceptible to land slides. Structural integrity was sacrificed so that buildings could be erected w/ the least amount of stress on the economy at the time. Obama did decide to donate $100,000 towards relief efforts. This, of course, is wonderful. He also solicited Clinton and Bush for the donation organization. "Tit for tat." 30,000 Haitian immigrants are on a list to be deported from the USA; a Rep. in CA said that this has been temporarily put on hold. Maybe it could be abolished. This way they can continue to support people at the home island.

Pat Robertson had the gall to say that Haiti "made a deal with the devil" and that is why they have been suffering after their Revolt against the French for that independence in 1804. What a joke! Naomi Klien discovered that the Heritage Foundation announced this crisis as an "opportunity," as is often an excuse to take advantage of people in distress. This should not be an opportunity to minister to or democratize peoples of Haiti or for "corporate vultures" to move in, as Naomi stated. They need help to live, to repair the physical damage and to be able to rebuild their community while coping with bereavement.

Anyway, alternate motives aside, Haitian people are suffering and hopefully the help they need is there or getting there a.s.a.p. Communication lines have been down. Petrol is in shortage making it hard for relief workers and basic supplies to be transported, as well as roads being blocked. Clean water and sanitation systems have been down. Keep them in your thoughts, if you choose. Volunteer or donate, if you can.

I haven't meant for this to be a portal for my personal interest in relieving others' plight. Though, this is a vehicle for mass communication, so here it is. Thanks for taking the time to read. ^_^

P.S.S. (Post Solipsistic Script):
As far as my own life, I'm good. I'm reading a lot and enjoying that; I would do it in lieu of everything else if I had my choice about it. The book club is still active and we're meeting this Wed. to discuss our third book 1984 by G. Orwell. This weekend I did some household maintenance and carpentry chores, modeling after Kari Byron, of course. I've vowed to do something creative or artistic weekly. Also, I'm trying to keep my ears open for news and current affairs every day, a little bit at least. I never feel fully abreast. But, something is better then nothing. Ignorance is Not strength, maybe it's still bliss. ^_^ I have various podcasts and music that I listen to as well as purchased TV shows (Mythbusters, Mad Men, & Deadwood) and Netflix movies I watch arbitrarily. Oh, I'm still taking the history class, Egalitarianism and Evolving Democracy; that will end in April.

My knee is healing and I'm excited to do things I was not able to a couple of weeks ago. I have been able to use the stationary bike for a week b/c I now have enough bend in my knee. It's going slowly, but I'm increasing the degree of movement with that leg. I still have fluid, but it's moving out more, which helps with the bend, shown by the more prominent indentations on the sides of the patella (kneecap).

We were supposed to start school on the 13th. I had two students and many of the other classrooms had the same turn out due to the Russian Orthodox New Year Slaaviq ending the night before. This meant people were up until the wee hours of the morning and not out of bed for school. We held school Thursday. Fri. and Sat. we canceled because of frozen and broken sewer lines. This means that toilets have not been flushed in the school or teacher housing since Thursday. Ick! We have water, but can't let it drain. This means no dishes or showers can happen unless you have an alternate way to store the waste water. The maintenance guys just found another break in the line today, which they have covered and are heating. The plan in the air right now is thinking about putting honey buckets (5 gal. port-o-potty, beautifully lined w/ trash bags to be dumped into a lagoon) at the school, so that we can conduct classes and not miss more than a week of school, which we need to make up at some point. We have three to make up so far and it's looking dim for tomorrow. I'm excited for when we do start having school again, because we're beginning a Civil Rights and Feminism unit.

Weather: It's been gale since before I came back from winter break. We have hardly any snow on the ground and temps. have been in the negatives even without windchill. Windchill has been as low as in the -50s F. I stole a friend's snapshot from their blog (You know who you are by now. If you want me to give you credit, I will. Otherwise, you'll stay the preferred anonymous "friend.")

Reading Feeds the Soul

2010-01-06T06:20:00.015-09:00

-----Here's my book list for 2009. I missed some here and there, but I'll go back later to edit. Really, this is to help me keep track. If you see something that peeks your interest, just ask me about it or go check it out for yourself. I already know my 2010 list will blow this one out of the water! ^_^:

January
Chicken With Plumbs, M. Satrapi

April
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

June
I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, M. Chow
clips from the CORE book (reading pedagogy)

July
Epileptic, David B.
Post Office, C. Bukowski
Four Agreements, M. Ruiz
Sweet Thursday, J. Steinbeck
Slumdog Millionare, V. Swarup
Flush, C. Haaisen

September
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Ever Seen- C. McDougall (audiobook)

October
Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, F. Peeters
The Eternal Sunshine, G.L. Yang & D.K. Kim
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames, Thich Nhat Hanh
Bluesman: complete edition, R. Vollmar

November
The Beats: A Graphic History, H. Pekar, et al.
Life of Pi, Y. Martel
Black Hole, C. Burns

December
Raising Ourselves, V. Wallis
Burma Chronicles, G. Delisle
The Road, C. McCarthy (audiobook)
The Quitter, H. Pekar
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall, B. Willingham

+ articles/papers/websites for H523 class; dabblings in: understand your dreams-parker, random... health sci stuff, animal speak-andrews, current affairs, & various things that come up (teaching/planning info., articles, etc.)

Check my profile to see what I'm currently reading.

Doublethink

2009-12-29T10:23:00.006-09:00

"To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget, whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again, and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself - that was ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed."
~ Orwell, George. 1984. 1949. Page 35.

Now that's a sentence! 1984 is our third book in the Erudite Squadron of the Tundra Triangle aka book club. This book has long been on my "To Read" list, yet it hasn't substantiated until now. My immediate impression of "doublethink" and "doublespeak" is how I feel trying to make sense of news, politics, and current affairs, as well as history. But, maybe "doublethink" is more like Zen and the art of controlling the ever active minds to be still, in nothingness. The quote is from chapter III, so I'm just tickling my toes in the water right now.

Crux

2009-11-22T21:54:00.009-09:00

We just had our first Tundra Triangle book club meeting, or Eggheads as my Grandmother would call it. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (2001) was the book of choice. Often, I wonder about where the author is coming from and what hints they give to the reader of that while supporting ideas/plot/themes in the text... Sometimes this causes me to loose my focus on the story itself. It is what it is. I delved into both aspects with this book, I hope. I won't go into a review just yet; though, among other tidbits this passage is what stuck with me.

"Our encounters always leave me weary of the glum contentment that characterizes my life. What were those words he used that struck me? Ah yes, 'dry, yeastless factuality', 'the better story'. I take out a pen and paper and write:
Words of divine consciousness: moral exhaultation; lasting feelings of elevation, elation, joy; a quickening of the moral sense, which strikes one as more important than an intellectual understanding of things; an alignment of the universe along moral lines, not intellectual ones; a realization that the founding principle of existence is what we call love, which works itself out sometimes not clearly, not cleanly, not immediately, nonetheless ineluctably." (80)

"After the fire,

2009-11-04T21:56:00.003-09:00

"After the fire, the earth is replenished; after the storm the air is clear. Try to watch the destruction with detachment, almost as if it were happening to somebody else. Say yes to the process by meeting it halfway."

"The world will end but the mirror will remain, mirroring nothing."

These are good current mantras pour moi...

photoconductor

2009-11-01T00:01:00.026-08:00

Pause the player and allow it to buffer all the way before playing. It will only take a few seconds. If you don't, you'll get some freaky mixed photos.

This kind of thing is what happens when you live in a village, the river is freezing, you have a wig, Photo Booth, and time. It was the day before Halloween and I wore my Vietnamese Aou-ai along with this wig to school. I was enjoying having long hair again. *_* Basically, I went down the line w/ Photo Booth's effects.

Random captions:
* Unite!
* Prom queen series...
* Funky Punk wants You!
* fish eye lens
* If only my waistline were truly this. It's the "squeeze."
* Really, I'm not having knee surgery. I need a bust reduction. ...back problems.
* Now you all know I have a sister. But, did you know she's visiting me... and we're twins? (I'm the oldest.)
* "What tha?!"
* This is meant to bounce back & forth with the next one. ... "Oom-pa... oom-pa!" at the disco.
* This photo makes me think of myself as a ghost viewing our world. (Yes! The imagination is active.)
* Weeeeeee!
* Just... 30... more... seconds!
* Get ready for this set! It's going to be a pseudo Kung Fu reel! I'm a little fascinated. Step back, lest you might get smack...ed! AI-ack! sha-BLACK!

If only I could snap my fingers and have long hair again and not have to go through the awkward years to get there! This was fun anyway.

P.S. }{appy birthday, Laurel... Cuz, you're super!!!
P.P.S. All music credits go to Gogol Bordello - "Illumination"... I wish it would play the whole song.
P.P.P.S. This was my first iMovie. Yay!

09-09-09

2009-09-09T21:40:00.005-08:00

How could I resist posting on a numerically special day like today?

Incontrovertibly, a lot has happened since the last time I posted with the end of the summer and beginning of the school year.

*Carey will fill-in-the-blank later.* (cue telephone hold music)

Right now, there is a beautiful sunset outside that I must watch dwindle. There are blue-gray clouds covering the top half of the sky I can see. It's hot pink on the lower half with sherbet orange underneath and on the horizon. The colors look like a Hibiscus flower. The lighting is enough to make the green look vibrant and the yellow grass in the river stand out. The water is calm and the boats are concealed. Only a couple people are riding their bikes on the boardwalk. The West window in "my" new house is wonderful!

CHINPERSON THEATRE 2

2009-08-06T10:26:00.005-08:00

CHINPERSON THEATRE

The underlying theme for this teacher centered arts institute I've been attending is story telling. One of the attendants' husband has embodied this as quite a "Chingenius" (Chingenius Productions.)

... Pop some popcorn, pull up a chair, and prepare to fall out of it. Make sure you don't miss the outtake. All credit goes to Matt Overmyer.

Beijing to Ulaanbataar

2009-07-09T08:19:00.014-08:00

Sainw!

It's always weird to follow a post like my last one. Though, this is where I am in my life right now.

To backtrack, most of you know I spent a little over three weeks in Alaska, post school releasing. The first two I was in Bethel for reading training and Curriculum Committee meetings. I spent a little over a week back in Nunapitchuk after that painting (with help) and doing a marginal bit of organizing in the classroom... and tinkering with the new boat. Then, Tesia and I took a spontaneous trip to Gasquet, California (far NW, just East of Cresent City) for a wedding. The following three weeks I stayed in NC visiting family and friends.

I arrived in Beijing on the evening of 4th. In Chicago, I had a 5-1/2 hour layover. Though, when I went to get my seat, and I was the last person to be issued a ticket, I had a surprise. It wasn't until I was boarding the plane that I found out I was bumped to business class, free of charge. This meant no plastic dishes, free booze, a c-u-s-h chair that included loads of leg room and reclining, and a bubble at the low back that pressed in and out, giving me a massage the whole time. It was worth the wait!

During one of the three days in Beijing we visited The Forbidden City (massive, impressive, and repeatitive). Another day we hiked the Great Wall, away from the usual tourist trap at Badaling, on the 10 km trail to Simitai, a largely unmaintained, delapidating portion of the wall. It was quite beautiful, and a good work out! We took 3 hours to hike that distance on the constantly rolling waves of the dragon's spine. We were all sweating buckets & lucky that it was overcast. There is a highway to Mongolia being built now that will pass under the wall in two places. I don't know when it will be finished. That's a long way from the original plan of the wall, eh?

Another day we bartered for souveiners (and spent a couple hours in the bookstore). Our last night we went to the City Market. There was a strip about a block long with all kinds of foods to buy and try. Some of the more exotic ones included (most all fried in a huge wok): scorpian, crickets, water beetle, silk worm, centapeid, sheep penis, snake skin, eel, cow stomach, organs, fried banana, fried ice cream, pumpkin cakes, candied fruit, bubble tea, cold noodle soup... and the regular chicken, lamb, beef wraps, etc.

Two words I used a lot in Beijing were (she' - shae') meaning "thank you" and (bouy yeow) meaning "no," " I don't want it" or something similar to detour the never ending hagglers. Vicki was pushed a few times, a couple times she pushed back. Her Chinese skills also came back nicely, I must say. It was fun listening to her carry on conversations with people, and she was complemented several times on her inflections being good.

Another enjoyable aspect about Beijing was the parks in the evenings and early morning, when things weren't so hot. We saw a massive (17 x 23 rows of people) practicing Tai Chi, or two in another park, "bomb" card games, eryu music along with fertive singing, some style of birdy hacky, Kung Fu warm ups including cracking chains in the air (this by a 70 something year-old man). I could people watch for months.

I'm in Ulaanbataar, Mongolia as of 2:00 this afternoon. We're meeting our director in the morning (Sat.); then we'll be heading out for the Volunteers For Peace workcamp. Vicki and I were able to take the train from Beijing after all. The Needam (men's games) festival begins tomorrow and there are trains running up here four days a week, as opposed to two. All & all the 33 hour ride went smooth. Our roomates were cool & the beds were comfortable (4 inside each "soft sleeper" room, which is about 6' wide at best). They would randomly locked the bathrooms though, like at the Mongolia border and always at stops. Also, at the border we had a scheduled delay because the gauges on the tracks differ from China in Mongolia, and again in Russia. So they took the train down, changed all the wheels and brought the train back. It took about two hours.

Going through the Gobi Desert was quite dusty. The countryside just outside of Ulaanbataar is gorgeous! There are prominent tall hills just outside of the city even. I love seeing the gers (yurts) among the rolling green hills and livestock scattered about. There really are a lot out there. The gers are even mingled among buildings outside of Ulaanbataar here. A fence runs alongside the railroad from as far as I can remember, maybe the Gobi Desert. It's quite unobtrusive though, a meek bobbed wire fence with posts. Closer to Ulaanbataar they were repairing it. Aside from the cattle herders I saw a woman seated in the grass cutting the square around her. For some reason, I am reminded of the Navajo Rez. Maybe it's the sheep and the desert. I'm excited to get to spend some time with people on a low key level, unlike the rushed bustling city life. It will be nice to interact on a more intimate level with people... and pull weeds (exercise). I've seen enough buildings and cars to last for a while. I'm ready to get out of the city and to the work camp.

I memorized and practiced two words this evening: "sainw" (san oo) meaning "hello" & "bayarlaa" (buy iRtlh laah) meaning "thank you." Many of the sounds we've heard so far seem related to the way Yup'ik sounds are.

A'ite I need to split to shower and sleep, neither of which have been abundant, but that's ok.

I'm wishing productive, happy summer time to all of you out there!

Israeli Occupation Forces attack Free Gaza Movement boat again

2009-06-30T20:54:00.021-08:00

Is this the third time in the last six months? They abducted 21 human rights workers including Mairead Maguire and Cynthia McKinney. These are people working towards change.
Al Jazerra - Israel Stops Aid Ship to Gaza
BBC - Israelis Intercept Gaza Aid Ship

It's the same old story, nothing new... Israelis deserve to have a state to call their own so let's displace a million Palestinians to create one for them; Israelis build settlements despite borders; Israelis enforce embargos on food, water, and fuel; Israelis create blockades; Israelis restrict Palestinian employment; Israelis arrest people for trivial things like breaking the 8:00pm curfew; Israelis rip acres of olive trees out of the ground to make the "green line" for protection - nevermind the destruction to Palestinian economics and heritage; Israelis pound Palestinians in self defense of mortars that have killed 9 people in 5 years; Israelis stop humanitarian aid; Israelis need the outdated U.S. military weapons and ever flowing U.S. financial aid and U.S. international support for genocide labeled "self-defense"... Enough about the Israelis! What about the Palestinians who are trying to live?

Simply, I have mixed feelings about the results of acting out from where I stand, safely in the United States. I refuse to become inured to the violence. Denying people their rights to basic needs of safety, food, and shelter is violence. I hate this feeling of wanting to stop people from treating others like they are nothing, unworthy of being dignified as human beings. I feel my body pulsate with rage and I just want to lash out. I don't know how. It seems nothing I say or do will change anything; I'm acting on such a small scale talking to people I know about this or wearing a stupid sticker for 5 months. And I don't even know half of the b.s. that's gone down over there to be able to communicate with you more. Is 60 years not enough time to sit on our hands and wait?

This is the trying to find a "solution" mentality. I know one person can make a change; that's been proven. Those e-mail petitions to beg for humanitarian aid or for the U.S. to cut off funding, marches and protests, calling Congress... Does any of that do anything? Can it really be so futile? Sometimes I wonder if I even know what justice is. I'm a safe distance away. I'm living off the grid with my consumerist lifestyle, sleeping in a comfortable bed, eating too much food, exercising my right to free speech. I'm able to laugh with my friends without looking over my shoulder for guards or dodging bullets. Part of me feels guilty for living a full life and silly for feeling the way I do sometimes; I really have no idea what emotional strife is compared to what people wake up to every day elsewhere. Or I feel like a coward for not buying a plane ticket to Gaza and risking my life to make some sort of stand. Aren't I being compliant by not moving towards some sort of serious fight against this? Am I contributing in all the ways that I'm able?

I don't even know why the Palestinians have become so dear to me, besides the exposure I've had. There are thousands of other instances of this kind of plight, hundreds of other countries with people in need... I seriously think I can understand why people want to martyr for the sake of some form of justice or recognition or vengeance.

I have to believe that however minuscule I feel the things I'm doing are, some sort of pro-activity is better then only raging within myself. Talk to your children or a neighbor if you want to make them aware. Call or write your Congress person if you're feeling the urge. Call Secretary of State Clinton; The main switchboard for the State Department is 202-647-4000. Sign petitions if you agree with them. Blog to get the word out. Volunteer for the Red Cross or UNRWA or Amnesty International. Make human rights a priority in your mind and in your life. At least the sound will be louder with more voices.

Bang, Bang... Shoot 'em Up

2009-06-27T18:23:00.005-08:00

Pops showed me how to shoot a couple of hand guns Thursday. The black one is a .38, and the smaller silver one is a .45. Both of them have a lot of kick for little things. I only hit the 25' target once for each out of maybe 10 tries; though it was on the first try for the .45. Those aren't such good odds, at any rate. A Load of practice is to be had. :-p

Side note: I'm usually so excited to jump into the cute summer clothes I have. Then, I end up wearing the same 1-3 outfits all flipping summer. This is the outfit of choice #1 this summer. I swear I've worn it at least 8/10 days.

}{appy Birthday Mom & Pops!

2009-06-27T14:46:00.018-08:00

Today is my parents' birthday. They're six years apart, plus some minutes, I'm sure. Pops was born in 1950 and Mom in 1956.

This morning Pops and I took the RV-8 to a "Fly-in," hosted at a Wilksboro municipal airport. Folks fly their planes there for others to look at. Some of the planes on display were training planes from WWII; there were also others on display that were towed in (one was segmented). Additionally, there was a little antique car show with about a dozen cars, a live folk/bluegrass cover band, kids' games, fund raising food booths, and a couple craft tables.

{Lots of leg room in these experimental planes. *_*... I only take these shorts off to swim, bathe, & sleep... just in case you were wondering.}{Landing at Pop's house. You can only see the hanger on the left though.}

It was about 12:30 when we returned home from the Fly-in. Then, I went to a neighborhood pool to chill for a bit. A friend of ours, Robin, and her two teenagers were there. Mom & Tess were supposed to meet us but were waylaid. Mom, Tess & I went out for dinner and then back to their house.

P.S. It was still 93 degrees F at 5:30, when I drove by the bank thermometer. Southern sun.... ssssss!
P.P.S. I forgot to take a girls' photo and now my mum is asleep. I'll update that later.

Tarheel State

2009-06-15T18:23:00.011-08:00

Well, I don't have tar on my heels, but I am in North Carolina. I started yesterday at 12:30 pm, really 10:30 if you count the boat ride. Then, the wheels skidded on the runway at about 10:00 am today. Pops and Tesia were right there when I turned the corner at the baggage claim.

Tess took this photo of herself once back at Pops' house. This is me, after maybe 1.5 hours of sleep and the traveling. (Look, brother K, I'm wearing a seat belt in the back seat!)

Painting Projects galore #2-3, partially #4

2009-06-15T13:49:00.012-08:00

I went back to Nunap. after the two weeks in Bethel for the reading class and committee meetings. During that time, a lot of painting happened. Here's the before and after photos. I didn't work alone (except for most of the kitchen). Thanks for the help, guys! (Only one will probably read this.) Somewhere around 40 hours was spent on these walls.

Living Room

(One window frame needs to be stripped and both of them stained like the bedroom. Other than that, the living room is done.)

Kitchen

My Bedroom

(The other three walls are going to be a light sage color. That's a fall project.)

Keep Off Grass

2009-06-13T20:58:00.021-08:00

No, this is not a drug awareness advertisement. In retrospect, I wish it was.

Yesterday, I left around 8:30pm to go over to Akula (3 miles away) for another jog around Fox Lake and some reading on the tundra. Remember, I was driving a boat because we don't have a road or a bridge between here and there. (Never mind, neither of those between here and Anchorage 400 miles away.)

I did not bring the ore

because I had a box

of painting supplies to bring to a friend and a bag with boating stuff. Plus, I had a bag for myself with my book and coat. Ores have a tendency to "grow legs," as the guy who sold it to me said. So, I didn't want to have to carry all of it. I suppose I could have just risked it and left it in the boat. I looked at that ore and justified not bringing it because of all the other junk. It won't happen again.

The sun was shining in my eyes and I got into a little bit of grass. Yes, I was probably daydreaming too. It seemed like a little bit of grass until I realized it was flanking me. The grass was 6-8 inches below the surface of the water and it's a continuous circuit of roots and mud for who knows how far. It was too close to the propeller to start the engine, even with it pulled up. Those of you not familiar with boats, the engine's angle in the water can be adjusted. My Yamaha 20 HP weighs about 100 lbs., so to adjust mine upward requires me pulling up while pressing my knees against the transom, the back part of the boat supporting the engine. As I was figuring this out, the wind pushed me into even higher, aka more dense, grass. I used a 3 foot, ~10 lb. (heavy) steal bar to push out of that grass some. Luckily, That was in there for weight in the bow (thanks Pete).

Once out of that muck, then, I got turned around again. This time the grass was ten-fold, taller, and adjacent to some bushes. I was thinkng there was an opening, a path between the grass. Obviously not. The wind kept pushing me further into the thicker grass. I stood on top of the seat for a few minutes contemplating my next move, kind of hoping someone in the nearby houses would see me. They couldn't have done anything differently then what I did next, lest their boat be in a jam too.

In that bag of boating supplies there was a rope, in case a tow be needed. I tied myself to the boat so the wind didn't pull it away from me. Then, what would I do? It was Southern wind, so at least it was warm, but it still didn't favor me at the time. Rather, I didn't favor it! Remember the sun was out too. The water might have been 50 degrees.

Anyway, I tried to go one way, but I couldn't pull the boat over the grass. I trudged back the other way about 200 yds. I was in the water up to the top of my thighs most of the time, sometimes my waist. As I walked along the top of the grass it would give way; it is floating after all. I could feel the roots pressing in the bottom of my tennis shoes. It felt strong, but I had to be aware that I might punch through at any given point or I could walk off the edge of one of the plots. I've never walked on it before and it is in the middle of a river. Maybe I was in a lake at that point. The wind steadily blew at my side.

When I tried to get back into the boat the first time I fell in, not all the way, but up to my waist, getting my cotton sweatshirt wet. It was kind of a high climb for me to swing my leg and as I did the wind pushed the boat back about 5 feet. Finally, I pushed it out further, to what I thought might be the edge of the grass, and I made it in (aka rolled over the side hoping not to bust a knee cap). I had to quickly start the engine, which meant pushing in this key clip, putting the engine in the water (not all the way, another adjustment), and pulling the rope. I meandered my way out of there.

I made it to Akula just before 10:00pm. At my granny pace it has been taking me just under 30 minutes to get over there. I must have been in the water close to an hour pulling that boat, maybe 40 minutes.

I didn't jog around Fox Lake. I was wet and uncertain of how my return would be. I also didn't see my friend to deliver the box. It's a good thing that there are construction guys staying in the school, so I just left it in their room. I wrung out my shirt and headed back for the boat.

I ended up almost going right back into the same trap. The water has gone down slightly, but I'm still a little perplexed about how I got so disoriented, twice, no thrice. Usually, I'm Miss Magellan.

So, I turned around and went the long way home, which I knew would be deep water. It's twice as long though; that is another hour in the boat. I was shivering and my finger dexterity wasn't top-notch by the time I made it inside. It probably took me an hour to warm up, which included doing jumping jacks, jogging in place, and drinking hot tea. ^_^

It was a good experience, but I don't want to have another one like it. Once is enough.

Maybe we need a few of these signs out here on buoys, "Keep Off Grass."

Ahoy Matey

2009-06-09T10:06:00.003-08:00

I bought a boat! I had been thinking about it for a couple months. When the opportunity came up to purchase a perfectly used one, in the end I had to invest.

Some might say, "You'll only be able to use it 2-3 months, and you're not staying in Nunap. this summer." To me, that 2-3 months of being able to go where I want, when I want to makes it absolutely worth it.

Feline Commemoration

2009-06-05T23:46:00.009-08:00

Last November you did appear
Prior owner sneezed and coughed here

You did run as I chased behind
Nestle in the evening with me

Flipped on your back, you did not move
White and black, your coat was so smooth

Sister Jade came, causing mischief
Frisky, frolic, wrestle, cuddle
Whence Jade did clean your cheeks freely
You'd be calm and lie there meekly

When I did leave you two to fend
Though under care of my young friend
As I returned, so I did hear
One laid stiff, upon her great fear

Zane doth not meow, confirming
Here this day, only Jade can play

Whoooahh, yaaaaaaaiii, hhhheeeeeaaaaa....

2009-05-19T01:02:00.010-08:00

{{{Those are supposed to be Kung Fu chopping noises, as I have to be a warrior these days. See photo and imagine me standing atop a drumlin contemplating my next attack, spear in hand readied to scythe my enemy, secretly hoping the action is superfluous.}}}

You all have no idea how many times this year I have thought about posting a blog entry and then gotten waylaid. As another year rolls off the calendar, I begin to feel the shift. Most of the time I think that my life would seem mundane to many. Nothing really extravagant has happened. Though some of you may have been wondering how I bide my time (mostly those not in the pseudo-commune I like to call the “Tundra Triangle.”). At any rate, here are tidbits, in my usual winded diction.

Weather: It’s 9:27pm and I’m finally feeling sun on my face for the first time today. I awoke to wet snow falling fervently and sticking to boot. Who-WHAAA!? It’s melted off the boardwalks now, but it snowed most of the day and momentarily seemed like the beginning of winter again. Then, I remembered it’s May. Yesterday, it was rather gale along with cold rain. Some friends attempted to paddle over here on kayaks from neighboring villages. They tried, but turned around in vain. As Sara said, it was “several degrees of nasty” out there. CHA-dang! Saturday was quintessential: sunny, 54 degrees, a faint cool wind, birds fluttering about, kids playing... That’s how Alaska likes to share the elements… (I’m an ellipsis floozy. Can you tell? It’s all about the implication assuming what you know already or how lofty your imagination is to fill in the blank and, lets be honest, my laziness to wrap up a sentence.)

As the daylight hours wax the sun doesn’t rise and fall insomuch as roll around in the sky. When it’s not rolling around, there’s still twilight. Extra sunlight also fosters this innate energy, where I constantly think, “Sleep… sleep is for the weak. I can keep going.” I guess the sun looking like it's rolling around the horizon is indicative of how I feel this time of year. I know I'm not alone on this one. It’s still neat to think about being on top of the world. Each summer’s approach I also recall when I first moved to Alaska, squatting/camping and working in Seward for six weeks with no clue that I would end up being here for six years so far. I wonder if those feelings will ever fade.

The whole school year: * I’ve been blessed with an abundance of wonderful folks in the “Tundra Triangle” this year (Joolee & Bill, Kyle, Jim, Deanna, Sonya, Vicki, Pete & Tammy, Shaun & Sara, Maria, Shannon, Garry, b-ball ladies…). Our Thursday dinners, Sunday basketball, sporadic poker and game nights, sports traveling, and Bethel encounters have all kept me entertained and sane this year. A couple of times I’ve been able to see old cronies who now live in Napaskiak and Oscarville (Sara, Christina, Erin...), outlying Bethel. I love you all… thanks.
* The class that has finally congealed this year has been interesting. That’s all I have to say on that right now. I’ve been exceeding my capacity with schoolwork with end of the year testing, grading, and finalizing things. In other words, I’m inundated with school tasks throughout the day, so talking about it afterward can be a bit draining at times. I have to say in short though that I love my little friends at school and what we experience together drives me and makes up part of who I am.

January-February: No recollection refreshed. Coincidence? Blah-PLOW!

March: * Mt. Redoubt erupted and it looks like there is some activity going on now to. Foom-PASH!
* I served on a jury for the first time. It was a sexual offence trial that lasted a week, plus another half of a week it took to choose the jury. I could tell that the defense, state prosecutor, and judge were ascertaining whether or not to pick me. I had the premise that I would be selected and I was actually wishing for it. I chronicled the first three days and I never did finish the last two! It had gotten really intense and there was a lot to weigh to measure evidence, by those last days I needed to let things settle rather than rehash, enough of that was done in deliberation. We ended up deliberating for six and a half hours coming to the verdict of guilty. I do feel like we had a fair and impartial jury panel. I now know why people debate; it’s exhilarating.
* I’m participating on the Reading Curriculum Review Committee and our first meeting was in March.
* Camai-i: This weekend is beginning to make its mark as executing the monotony that begins to seep in that time of year. This year some of us stayed at Maria’s Pops’ vacant apartment and practiced what is prohibited in the village: drinking. This was also my first introduction to Apples to Apples, taking one win with “messy” for providing the card the “U.S. Constitution.” It’s trifle, but nice to win a game every now and then. Kee-YOW! I was unimpressed with and somewhat frustrated by the actual dance festival that was taking place and so I won’t elaborate on my experiences with that.

April: * Akula hosted a Yurraq dance festival, which was much better than Camai-i. It was more intimate, the people dancing seemed genuine and the crowd was definitely there because they liked the dancing. The same week they hosted the district NYO meet, which meant 21 schools, 172 athletes, as well as coaches and chaperones came together to facilitate the 10 events over a two-day period. We made record time for a record high # of athletes. Erin wrote a nice entry on this.
* I remember that on the 11th it was -8 F. That following week was the most extraordinary out of the whole year in weather terms as far as I’m concerned. I took full advantage of skiing opportunities on the sunny cool days, average temp. just at freezing. I went to Akula (3 miles one way) a couple times in addition to trying different trails on other days.
* Alisha wrote up a lovely retelling of a HS play that I too went to see, Pippin. I went in for another Reading Committee meeting, driving my snow-go down for the last time. I planned on driving back too, but it became increasingly slushy outside and there was a couple missing from Kwig (safe now), so I was talked into leaving it there for the summer in a friend’s garage. It was a happy happenstance really, because that meant I could enjoy another night in Bethel with friends.

May: * This has been a hard month because most of it has been the process of the river breaking up. That means that my freedom is infringed. I have to say that the introspective side of me takes over at this time and it seems like the river impeding my travel for so long was a good thing. Sometimes forced reflection is good for perspective. Krow-KRAK!
* I’m moving to a different house next year, about 50’ away, as you were privy to b/c of the bathroom painting photos. I’ve been packing, giving things away, purging, and cleaning. It’s tiring, especially with end of the year madness at school. But it’s also renewing and I’m glad to lift the feeling of stagnation because of it.
* We had two graduates. The school year with students ends on Thursday. Ja-BLACKK!

It feels good to write... Here’s a photo I took when I started this. The sun is down now, but there’s still a blue-gray glow in the sky. I've taken to leaving my bedroom window open at night. There is a symphony of bird calls outside: duck, swallow, geese, seagull, crane, swan, sandpiper, raven. If my body didn't need sleep I'd be content to stay awake and listen to them all night.

Daily practice: Enjoy the rapture of the ordinary.

{{{No one was harmed during the making of this post. The attack noises are strictly for my entertainment, and yours if you so choose. Shh-PING!}}}

These are some photos from April.

Those girls are standing in a hole they made to collect ice, which is melted to use for water in their houses. They made it into the shape of a skull with a bone on one side. The teeth were a step down so that they could chip more ice.

That's Jim, my nomadic roomy of 3 months.

It's also him to the right of the mostly snow picture. The tiny black dot on the horizon to the left is those girls collecting ice.

}{appy Birthday, Sister!

2009-05-07T08:59:00.005-08:00

Tesia, I can't believe you're 14 already! I'm envisioning when mom was pregnant with you. ^_^ ...I love you...

{P.S. If you want me to put different photos on here, you have to Send me a new one. I'm sure you look so much more mature now.}

Painting Project #1

2009-05-07T08:49:00.008-08:00

Last night I painted the bathroom in the house I'm moving into next year. I left a majority of it white, because it is those industrial plastic panels. I have no idea how they would take paint. The sink is an experiment (*fingers crossed for it not peeling!*) The green tape is still up but you get the idea. Isn't it beautiful?!

Civil Rights unit success

2009-04-15T17:46:00.017-08:00

The are some random photos from our 8-week long Civil Rights unit. Really, it was 10-1/2-weeks including making the books and the presentation for the parents. The unit began on Dr. King's birthday (15 Jan.), but we started learning about Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Thereafter, we continued learning about some of the significant people and events of the US Civil Rights Movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sit-ins, Elizabeth Peratrovich, Ruby Bridges, and Freedom Riders. My hope for next year is to include more of the courageous and significant movements within (concerning Alaska Natives, from Birmingham to Selma, March on Washington, the summer of 1964, civil rights today). I need to learn more myself. I didn't want to stop, but we have to cover other things before the end of the year. Next year, hopefully things will go smoother & we can fit more in. We covered a lot of ground, given that I had 30 minutes a day, four days a week with them.

This is 1st and 2nd grade, kids ages 7-9, so we didn't get into great detail. The things they've remembered, the shock at some of the filmage and photos they saw, how they act towards each other, and the pictures they drew all tell me that they recognize racism and discrimination as wrong. I didn't spare them from seeing the horrid footage of children being sprayed with water hoses, people being beaten, racist police officers, or Dr. King's assassination (I actually cried when I saw that part again). I showed photos & told stories about bus bombings and sit-in humiliation. I'm not in favor of desensitizing kids with things like horror flicks, but I felt it was important to expose them to what can come of true hatred so that they can make the conscious choice to stop it and learn that tolerance is the way to go. That's my hope anyway. As we progressed, I realized that this unit fit perfectly with behavior management, with emphasis on equality, fairness, and non-violence. All the more reason to extend it next year. ^_^

One more thing, I realize I'm getting a little windy here.

Bookmaking: Throughout the unit they drew pictures to help them remember what they learned. I tried to expose them to different art media for this as well. As a final project they combined these and made a book from scratch. This consisted of making the covers with cardboard & gluing tissue paper down, then duct taping the spines. They hammered holes into the paper & sewed the pages with embroidery thread, and glued those pages into the book. In addition to their pictures, I typed summaries about the people or event we studied for their families to read & they glued them on the back of the corresponding pictures. (Next year, this will most likely be personal reflections.) They also drew pictures we used to help them remember their vocabulary: non-violence, boycott, protest, courage, racism, segregation, integration, assassination, sit-ins, etc. Slap on a title page & vuyalla. The finally consisted of making cookies and assigning lines that the students would say during our "Freedom Tea." 15 parents and our principal came to hear some information about the Civil Rights Movement, drink coffee and tea, and look at the students books. All but one student, out of 30, did their part and contributed to the "Freedom Tea." It was a great success!

...... "That's all folks!"

(Also, the girl in the pink shirt did the Freedom Riders, Martin, Ruby, and sit-ins drawings. I don't think I can write her name here, but I want her to have some sort of credit. The other artists aren't pictured.)

"Ladies'" night #1

2009-03-02T21:05:00.004-09:00

This was our first stab at "ladies' night." We began with more guys than gals.

All of these photos were taken with Christina's camera, palmed by many.

Patience

2009-02-24T20:13:00.012-09:00

Time and patience go hand in hand, right. Sometimes they conflict, when we want to move things along faster, for instance. Other times they compliment, as when something unexpected happens. I received a cloaked message today from a visitor.

About *3* summers ago I took a class about ArcMap, which included assisting some Jr. High students in a project utilizing the program and them presenting their product at a Science Fair Symposium in Juneau the following spring. Parents of one out of two students that made it all the way to the symposium asked if they could borrow $200 to let her buy things whilst there. I agreed. They never paid me back or mentioned it. And I wrote it off as a loss, knowing good karma would be the gain. In all honesty, I could take the loss and they couldn't.

So, today I get a knock on the door (at school). The dad of that student walks in and hands me two chrisp $100 bills. I responded with a "Wow! Quyana!" for obvious reasons. He stood there for a minute. Then, he sedately said, "Well, we owe you. I'm not sorry. But, you know, my wife, she is." Another half a minute pause went by. "Thanks for your patience," he said as he walked towards the door.

Never mind the sweet bonus. The reminder I received was just as valuable. Everything that is meant to happen shall on its own time; I need only be patient and keep pursuing. When I'm ready to receive those gifts they will be bestowed upon me.

Food, Glorious Food

2009-02-15T22:48:00.003-09:00

This is Shaun's photo. (See Shibby's AK Journal.)

I too received this gorgeous lot of organic food last week from Full Circle Farm. I'm signed up to receive a box full of goodies to the likings of this every two-weeks. As many of you are aware, in "bush Alaska" we have irregular access to fresh fruits and vegetables, let alone organic.

I have to admit that I do feel a sense of guilt about affording such privileges, when there are people across the globe dying of hunger. May those with empty hands and stomachs feel them full. I would be a lie if I denied this truth of leading a favorable life. This is a part of my life and I'm thankful and happy to be blessed with it.

FREE GAZA

2009-01-07T06:15:00.018-09:00

I am not going to go into the minimal history that I have learned about the conflict between Palestine and Israel in the past few months. You can inquire on your own. In short, this is day 12 of the current warfare on the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is the most densely populated area in the world, busting 1.5 million in a 45-mile zone. Israeli casualties are currently at 10, with around 42 injuries. Palestinian casualties rapidly surmount, currently at 670 (300 civilians according to AP, 45% women & children-Democracy Now!), with 3,000 wounded and a hospital busting at the seams that had little supplies to begin with. Never mind the lack of provisions of food, fuel, electricity, and basic medical supplies before 27 December. Really this is skimming the surface as far as the inhumane acts accrued. I do not exactly agree with the Hamas’ tactics. In this situation, I advocate for Palestinians as a whole and certainly any innocent bystanders on all sides. Currently, I am wondering at what point and who enforces the “international humanitarian law”. Is there possibly a resolution that will satisfy both parties, without the desire to simply kill the other off entirely?

Al-Ahram Weekly (Egypt) made an obvious, valid point in a recent article. The same point a friend of mine made at the onslaught. They ended the article with, “beyond the internal politics of Israel -- why this attack has been allowed to occur: the complicity and silence of the international community.

Israel cannot and would not act against the will of its economic allies in Europe or its military allies in the US. Israel may be pulling the trigger and ending hundreds, perhaps even thousands of lives this week, but it is the apathy of the world and the inhumane tolerance of Palestinian suffering that allows this to occur.”

There have been a number of peace demonstrations across the world (some of which have been met with water hoses and tear gas, arrests, etc.). It’s broadcast that many world leaders are holding meetings and phoning in urgent messages. Particularly, France and Egypt have been bold advocates for mediating the current situation. This courage is wonderful! Their bravery is impressive and commendable. Ultimately, it is up to Israel’s president, Hamas leaders, and our world leaders to prosecute towards a cease-fire and serve as mediators to come to some sort of consensus.

Here are some news sites to get more of the Middle Eastern perspective:
Jerusalem Post, Haaretz (Israel)
Ma'an News Agency, The Electronic Intifatah (Palestine)
Tehran Times (Iran)
Hurriyet (Turkey)
Syria Times
Times of India (India)
The Daily Star (Lebanon)
The New York Times, Associated Press, Democracy Now! (US)

... Now I need to update myself on the current news.

2008 book list

2009-01-02T13:52:00.015-09:00

Thanks to Jenny, I now list the books that I read every year. My goal is to read more than the previous year. Here's the 2008 list... I'm not bothering w/ reviews. If you wonder about any of these, just ask.

January: "The Lovely Bones" (A. Sebold), "Slaughter-house Five" (K. Vonnegut)
February: "Structure and Function of the Human Body" (G. Thibodeau & L. Swisher) - sections + various articles {Feb.-July}
April: "Maus I" (A. Spiegelman)
May: "The Children That Time Forgot" (P. & M. Harrison)
June: "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" (D. Adams)
July: "The Teachings of Don Juan: a Yaqui Way of Knowledge" (C. Castaneda), "Sydney Encounter" (Lonely Planet)
August: "Maus II" (A. Spieglman), "American Born Chinese" (G. Yang), various comics (maybe 10)
September: "Warrior in the Light" (P. Coelho), "In the Shadow of No Towers" (A. Speiglman)
October: "Palestine" (J. Sacco), "Embroideries" (M. Satrapi), "Blankets" (C. Thompson), "Teach Like Your Hair Is On Fire" (R. Esquith)
November: "Number the Stars" (L. Lowry), "Persepolis (1 and 2)" (M. Satrapi), "Night" (E. Wiesel)
December: "The Bunny Suicides" and "The Return of the Bunny Suicides" (A. Riley), "Gashlycrumb Tinies" (E. Gorey), "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic" (A. Bechdel), The New Yorker Book of Cat Cartoons", "Peanuts Guide to Life" (C. Schulz), "Numerology" (D. Brooks), "Incognegro" (M. Johnson)

Dabbled in:
* "Understand Your Dreams" (A. Parker) {always}
* "Animal Speak" (T. Andrews) {occasionally}
* Random... health science and natural remedies stuff, astrology, current affairs, and various things that have captured my interest

Currently Reading: "Stiff" (M. Roach), "Heavy Words Lightly Thrown" (C. Roberts), "Chicken with Plums" (M. Satrapi), "The People's History of American Empire" (H. Zinn)

Donations?

2008-12-28T13:07:00.034-09:00

In case you've been wondering about some places that could use some of your extra Christmas money, these are some great organizations. If you've donated before, you know that anything given before the 31st will be tax-deductible for this year (*subliminal motivation*).

Invisible Children is trying to help people in Uganda, Africa living in the middle of a 23-year civil war. Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has been kidnapping children in efforts to vanquish the government. The children are brainwashed into becoming vicious soldiers while loosing their childhood. IC, like all of these organizations, strives to foster empathy and global awareness.

KARA (Kids At Risk Action) tries to influence the public agenda regarding children who have experienced abuse and/or neglect. Mike Tikkanen apparently is one of the advocates. KARA focuses on promoting support programs for those involved in the child protection system including: mental and physical health, legal and criminal justice, and education.

WildAid has acquired grants to pay for their administrative costs, so that 100% of what you donate is used for their programs. The current programs include conservation awareness, Samlaut, Cambodia (MJP), Galapagos island ecology, activist training, and shark conservation. Their motto is "when the buying stops, the killing can too," advising that people should stop buying items made at the expense of endangered species.

National Council for Support of Disability Issues (NCSD) seems like a very informative and active organization. They are advocates by facilitating employment, legislative improvements, encouraging voting for candidates concerned about people w/ special needs, informing the public about current issues, and promoting recreation.

Greenpeace is currently addressing the issues of global warming, oceans, forests, nuclear energy, and toxics. You don't really have a choice about which of the issues you want to support; you're funds just go into the whole pot. It seems there are always side projects & petitioning to policy makers for law changes. GP has a laundry list of accomplishments from the beginning of their endeavors in 1971.

Kiva organizes micro-loans to people trying to get a business off the ground gaining economic independence. Some of the loans are $175, some $600, etc. Several people can contribute to one loan or you can devise a "team" for lending. These are 0% interest. Entrepreneurs profiles are on the website for you to choose from.* Journal updates are posted on the site & e-mailed to you regarding your personal loan. This is a loan system, so you'll receive repayments, which can be recycled into another loan or cashed out. To date, Kiva has facilitated raising over $540,000,000 worth of micro-loans. ----- *Aparently, Kiva has had a great influx of donations and all of the loans have been met as of right now. However, this is temporary, so keep checking back as new loans are updated hourly. You can also contribute to Kiva for overhead expenses.

Prosperity Rings focuses on helping women become entrepreneurs. They facilitate micro-financing, which is where we come in. Like w/ Kiva, these women are trained in creating a business plan and form groups that keep each other accountable for monitoring their monies and repaying the loans. They do charge interest though.

My friend Sue is participating in "Climb Tampa" 03-21-09; She is going to climb 42 flights! This is a fund raiser for the American Lung Association which helps to "fight against diseases such as lung cancer, asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease." CLICK HERE to visit her personal web page and contribute towards her fundraising goal of $200. If you're in Florida and feel up to it, go climb with her!

Folks at Stuff White People Like have a list of 17 charities to donate to, 11 w/ descriptions, some which are listed here. A handful of the org. they highlight I am familiar w/ and their work is impressive. They're also planning on donating proceeds from t-shirt sales to one of eleven org. and you can vote about which one you think should get the proceeds. They also have a link to Charity Navigator if you would like to look for more non-profit groups in need.

There are a variety of ways to also help these organizations without donating money. The websites will certainly tell you how. These are just the tip of the iceberg; all you have to do is look for org. in need and you'll find them. If you have any others you like to support, please leave a comment. I'll check it out, at least. ^_^

All of the above are classified as "non-profit 501(c )3 organizations."

African Proverbs

2008-12-26T22:59:00.004-09:00

Grassroots is a fair trade store in Anchorage. I bought a friend a desk calendar that has African proverbs in it. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order. Enjoy!

"Every door has its own key." (Swahili)

"The horizon will not disappear as you run towards it." (unknown)

"The heart is a market place." (unknown)

"A butterfly that flies among thorns will tear its wings." (Liberia)

"Never was good work done without much trouble." (Sudan)

"A good wind is no use to a sailor who doesn't know his direction." (Zambia)

"When one mountain is climbed, another one is seen." (Ethiopia)

"If while climbing a tree you insist on going beyond the top, the earth will be waiting for you." (unknown)

"The bird which flaps its wings too much will drop its feathers." (Kenya)

"Where there are two people there is double wisdom." (Zambia)

"A single ear of corn can produce a whole shed full of corn." (Ghana)

"The fuel of the lamp is consumed, yet it provides light for others." (unknown)

"Never compete with the elephant in defecating." (Kenya)

"There is not a tree which has not been swayed by a breeze." (N. Africa)

"A feather is a delicate thing when removed from a bird yet it carries the bird anywhere in the world." (Sudan)

"When the drumbeat changes, the dancers must adapt." (Burkina Faso)

"The heart that truly loves has no room for grudges." (Ghana)

"If you dream of moving mountains tomorrow, you must start by lifting small stones today." (Muritania)

Ten Thousand Villages {Compiled by Annetta Miller 2005. Paulines Publications Africa, Nairobi}

Back in the Saddle

2008-12-21T23:03:00.004-09:00

No, I'm not playing Aerosmith. Well, now I have the song playing in my head. But, lets face it, that's one snazzy subject title.

Yes, it's been 4 months since thine eyes have glanced upon MySpace. It's kind of a strange feeling. Almost as strange as partaking of the fruits of this Root:1 Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile (now 2/3 down the bottle & quitting) or driving or streets or going to a movie (I watched "Seven Pounds") or people watching in a mall. Some of these experiences I'm content to live without, really I could do without all of them. Yet I still find the need to "check" every now & then. Anyway, I'm enjoying exploring what is daily life to some, a spectacle to me at this point.

Long story short, I'm in Anchorage for almost 4 more days than I expected. Seattle had some bunk weather & crosswinds. By the time we were back on the plane, after de-boarding prior, the crew had timed-out, literally it was a matter of less than 10 minutes, & our flight was canceled. This was a 9 hour ordeal. I was able to visit w/ some folks also waiting to get out + get a mini-European history lesson from Duane. The next available flight is the 24th, which I'm re-booked on. I'd rather be in NC, but Anchorage is a pretty nice town.

Oh, happy winter solstice! Here in Alaska, this day marks the upslope towards seeing our friend, the sun, return. It will only be about 1 minute a day, moving towards up to 10-15 minutes a day increase until we are once again "the land of the midnight sun".

"Unbearable Lightness of Being"

2008-12-15T07:58:00.007-09:00

"What fell to her lot was not the burden but the unbearable lightness of being." ~ Milan Kundera

This has to be my new mantra! I've started to reflect on this semester. Admittedly, I have been rather heavy; in how I have viewed my personal growth & "catching up", my actions w/ others, my pedagogy, school as a system, etc. I realize that the "burden," as Milan points out, can simultaneously, or in the end, intensify the benefit or fulfillment. *fingers crossed* I'm sure everyone reading this has undergone something that was quite difficult: grad school, heartbreak, the challenges of child rearing. I'm not saying I'm going through things That difficult. Though, in short, now I need to be on the flip side, to lighten up. As our holidays are approaching, this lighter mentality has started to seep inside of me, though I'm still feeling the weight. I'm sure some time away from AK will give me more perspective and increase my "lightness of being," though hopefully not as far as being unbearable. ^_^

... I'm not usually one to count down to breaks, but upon winter solstice I'll be in NC. Hip, hip, hooray!

crunch time

2008-12-13T12:59:00.008-09:00

No, I'm not eating cereal. Wrong again, I'm not walking in the snow. Nope, sorry, I haven't taken up wrestling. My fellow teachers probably know what I'm referring to.

It's the end of the first semester; 81/190 days under our belt now. So, over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of assessing to make sure these little troopers are on track for their academics. The results? We're doing ok. We are approaching the 1/2 way point in their math. Reading "scores" are varied; many are behind, though progress has been made. More are reading at home to supplement what we do here. This is a huge help. And they are kicking tale in writing! This is a subject I think is quite challenging to foster, especially when getting them to write anything is an issue. But, upon grading papers this week, which I have neglected for a while, some of them blew me out of the water & are ahead of the game. *jumping & clicking heels to the side*

Also, we are practicing a mini-musical for the school c-mas program. This is a first for me & definitely a first for them. It's very simple with 9 short songs to familiar tunes along with narration. We have been making some props & they are really getting into it. My fingers are crossed for audible voices & calm nerves once they're on stage this Thursday.

... Friday is the last day of school for 3 weeks. I fly out on Saturday en route to NC. So far, I have a one way ticket. I may be able to go to Korea to visit a friend, given airfare has dropped. Or, I might try to visit a friend in ND {Jenny, expect an e-mail from me soon. *_*}. I may come back to AK a bit early to prep for the 3rd quarter. Decisions, decisions...

swish, swish… slide… swish, swish... swish, swish…

2008-11-30T21:31:00.011-09:00

Today I went skiing for the first time this season! (Cross-country… just in case you’ve forgotten that I live atop flatland.) There have been so many opportune days that I’ve missed so far and I wasn’t going to let that happen today, another windless day. I’ve skied maybe ½ a dozen times, self-taught, and I still feel like I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. It’s not difficult; it just seems I should be using some sort of technique, besides keeping myself from sliding around on the crusty snow. Pederson informed me that I should push back on the skis and just use the poles for balance. I do this, however I’m still seeking the glorious glide. My quest remains.

Around 4:00 I aimed towards Akiuk, 2.5 miles mostly W of Nunap. My plan was to just ski as far as I could for 30 minutes and then come back. By the time I reached my goal, I wasn’t satisfied with the dump being my turning point. Akiuk was just one more lake away really. The air was crisp; everything so still and clear.

Deanna, I stopped by to visit you, but you must have been at school. Subsequently, Vicki was a host for me for about 30 minutes. That was a fun, quick visit. Thanks, Vicki! ^_^ I haven’t seen you in person for a while anyway.

Initially I was thinking that the sun would set around 5:30. Though, on my way over I quickly realized that it was happening at 4:30. I dressed adequately enough, but a little too sparse, especially for the trek back. The hair and part of my hat next to my face became enveloped in frosty ice, my thumbs were a tad numb, and my eyelashes kept freezing. I had to close my eyes to warm them up enough to blink. It was a bit chilly; surprisingly I was still comfortable. The return journey was all during twilight with a blue tint, ground to sky, and still clear. I made it back just before pitch black dark befell around 6ish; my thermometer says it’s -12.5 F. Good times!

P.S. You may already do this, as I do, including reading comments on other's pages. {I'm not a stalker; people are just fascinating & lets face it, I love my friends.} If you haven't looked at the "good vibe bloggers" sites on my list, it's worthwhile to take a peek. They're writing some pretty good stuff these days. Many are relevant to the area where I live: from 'musings from afar' to 'getting there from here'. Enjoy!

Put your warm 'dogs' on

2008-11-18T16:33:00.013-09:00

A friend of mine sent me this e-mail today w/ this picture taken from what looks like where the steps to my old classroom are. I had forgotten about the Yup'ik saying "akerta-gguq aliimatengqertuq, nengllipiaqatarluni (the sun has gloves on both hands)." In other words, it's going to be cold. Quyana, Liz for the reminder!

This also makes me recall a time when we took the class out for recess & there was this nice slick sheet of ice that we were enjoying sliding on. I noticed a doll frozen beneath, except for it's face & the tips of it's hands. I still have a photo in my Dirty Dolly Collection. The aide, Jamie, working w/ our class told me that this meant there was going to be a long winter. Well, it was.

"A sun dog or sundog (scientific name parhelion, plural parhelia, for "beside the sun") is a common bright circular spot on a solar halo. It is an atmospheric optical phenomenon primarily associated with the reflection or refraction of sunlight by small ice crystals making up cirrus or cirrostratus clouds. Often, two sun dogs can be seen (one on each side of the sun) simultaneously." - James Barthelman wrote this to Liz.

Amendment: I just read someone's blog (Alisha whom I still haven't met) that said the temp. today (11-19) at 12:01 am was 10 below zero in Bethel. This sets a new record, as the old one was set in 1973 at 9 below. The info. came from the Ntl Weather Service. Expect more broken records this year. I just hope it warms up enough to give us bountiful snow. Behold the sundog. =)

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-11-11T21:28:00.006-09:00

Get Fuzzy has decided to tackle this invariable question, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Finally, I think the world can set their mind at rest knowing the conclusion.

S = Satchel, the dog
B = Bucky, the kat

S: Hey, Buck! Why did the chicken cross the road?

B: That's an interesting question. I've done some thinking on the subject and I've come up with a theory.
You see, a chicken's perception of the definition of "space' is very different from yours or mine.
Whereas we understand the linear definition of the boundaries of the pavement and can make judgments on the future direction of the moving objects... vehicles, if you will ...
The chicken may only see an unconnected patchwork of shapes and movements.
It is my contention therefore, that the chicken doesn't even know he's crossing what we would call a "road."

S: My juice cap says "To get to the other side".

B: Well, sure, sometimes the other side is just cooler.

The above script is copyrighted 2005 to Darby Conley.

P.S. Did you see the video below? That speech makes me aspire to be a better person.

Can I get an amen?

2008-11-05T11:28:00.006-09:00

AMEN!

The president-elect of the US is Barack H. Obama!
He will be our 44th and first minority president!

"You've gotta fight, for your right..."

2008-11-04T08:38:00.002-09:00

to VOOOOOOOOOOTTE!

(That's close to what the Beastie Boys were singing about, isn't it?)

It's election day in the US. If you're 18 & registered, go vote... even if you don't think your vote will matter.

Picture It

2008-10-22T20:43:00.024-08:00

I've been semi-regularly going over to the (sha-bill-ski) Przybylski abode during the week to watch The Daily Show (I *heart* John Stewart) & The Colbert Report (crush on Colbert). Finally, I remembered to ask to borrow their camera cord, b/c I don't have one. I've intermingled some in a couple of prior posts where it seemed fitting (dream a little dream of
me & bits of bliss). Above is Little Shibby-Mac, Isaac, one night when we were playing. Mama Bear took this photo.

Random back photos from August to now henceforth...

This is Nunap. back in August. If I were to take a photo now, you'd see snow & ice & houses camouflaged by both.

This year I tried my hand at coaching cross country (X-C) running again. It went better than last year with about the same # of kids committed. Practices start off with 15+ kids & then dwindle down to 3-ish. This is fine. I'll hold a practice for 1 committed athlete & our SA allowed us to travel more w/ low #s. X-C has a short season, at around a month, but we made the most of it. Photos: #1-Christopher, Stephanie, & Byron in Tooksok Bay (OOK). #2- The boys sneaking up on some of the 100+ birds we saw on our morning hike. #3- This is my little friend, Eric, who followed me when I was out on the Akula course to cheer them onward. #4- Bethel, our "hub," usually puts on a big meet with 15-20 schools. They're at a central location so it costs less to fly there & the course is difficult being a literal sand pit.

Why is there a tiller at a tundra village? I didn't see any garden near by.

These are some cold air funnel clouds, part of what was three. They came about on 11 Sept. Everyone was yelling, "tornado" & excitedly watching outside. This isn't a regular occurrence. Shaun, who is a storm chaser, was quite excited for this too. Thanks for the photo Shibby. :-)

I have acquired two cats w/in the last month. One of Zane's owners was allergic to him. Jade's owner's were going to put her on the tundra to die, even though they willingly bought her. Both are Vern cats with white coats, patches on their head & tails & a spot on their left side. They came from two different places. Maria theorizes that they came from the same litter, which is possible if they both came from Bethel. Zane has the black top & Jade has the tabby markings. The only photo I have of both of them is this one where they are feuding. Yes, Jade has decided to make the litter box her fortress.

Bits of Bliss

2008-10-15T08:22:00.018-08:00

Just before I was about to start adding layers to my attire yesterday, one of Maria's speech friends came in to hand me a box I've long awaited. It was the order with 4 graphic novels & "Brain Compatible Activities" by Eric Jensen. I made a hard, but easy decision. How do you like that oxymoron? I decided that I would forgo b-ball for a night of reading. It was wonderful.

I went home at 6:00; this is my recent goal time to leave school. I poured myself some tea left over from the day, still steaming, and settled into the recliner by the window to embark upon Marjane Strappi's "Embroideries." Right after that, I began "Blankets" by Craig Thompson.

When I stood up from my readerly world I noticed how beautiful it was outside. The river is now a path of ice with flat swirls & jagged upward ice skewers. The ground has a nice layer of clean white snow and the golden grass was blowing in the Westwardly wind. The sky was illuminated in the pink glow of the sunset beneath a layer of puffy gray clouds with the slightest bit of light atop those gray clouds. I could see the lights flicker at the neighboring villages 2.5-3 miles away and sent out an imaginary "hello" to my friends. :-)

Around 8:00 I decided that I should do some domestic duties & make dinner. After settling into my delightful place again, I just kept reading "Blankets" until the end. By midnight, I was nestled in for the deep sleep ahead.

Photo #1: This was from a pretty sunrise a while back (Aug. maybe), taken on my walk to school. Photo #2: Nelson Island tends to collect 'stone people' atop their lovely hills; These are in Tooksok Bay (Aug. too).

Day 1 as SA (site administrator aka principal)

2008-10-07T19:25:00.013-08:00

As some of you know today was my first of four days as acting SA. All & all it went well. I knew I'd be all over the school. But I literally went into every single classroom, some more than once, except for the kindergarten class (which is in another building). I'm just going to make a running list of the tasks accomplished today, in no particular order. Some of these tasks were divided throughout the day.

* Backtrack to yesterday... We had a scheduling, warm body, mini-crisis. 7 staff members were out today & we were scrambling to find enough folks to fill the bill; 5 subs were found. The librarian being out just meant that teachers or aides would take over the role, easy.

* The last unfilled spot was for an aide. I managed to make it to 2 of the teachers/3 different times in her schedule, 1 additional teacher denied help. The other 2 teachers said they wouldn't need her.

* I cut apples & served for K-8 classes during their PE periods & some at the end of the day. Our cook said he was too "busy." This is one of those tasks spread out throughout the day. As part of a grant our school receives fresh fruit & vegetables pro bono. mmmmm...

* I stood in for a teacher while they went to get coffee.

* I was going to fill in for a 2nd aide that was out & we didn't have a sub show yet, but she came in just as we were dividing groups. Her boat motor had a hard time starting, hence the late arrival.

* Almost every hour, with the exception of an after lunch siesta break, I needed to tend to some sort of incident, mainly of disruption to the classroom environment. There were 7 incidents, involving students 3rd through 6th "grade".

* Those incidents were duly logged either after the occurrence or at the end of the day.

* Some aides looked bored & I just so happened to have some file folder games that need to be put together. They gleefully cut things out until it was time to go to another class.

* I e-mailed one of the polycom class teachers for a sub who needed plans. After he replied, I played delivery girl & brought the lesson plans to her.

* Lots of hall walking accrued.

* While Elaine & Matthew were gone to lunch, I answered the phone & distributed lunch tickets.

* I e-mailed & called our dean to try to get a list & an answer about wrestling eligibility. We're hosting a tournament this weekend. I set up our boat drivers for airport transport (this involves a river crossing & it's just not nice to make them swim).

* At one point, I had to tell some subs to suck it up & just deal. I was much nicer than this in person. But really, do I need to tell adults to first tell the kids running around to "stop" or that yes, they have to finish the day even if they're tired. I did let another sub go early, after clearing that with the person she was supposed to be with in the afternoon.

* Some of the wonderfully social 6th grade students needed some watchful eyes as they were having a hard time making it to the restroom without pawing someone of the opposite sex. I also realize that it's hard to resist running or wrestling the 10 feet that it takes to walk to the restroom, alas resist they must.

* For 30 min. I covered Sara's ELD class (2/3 of my class :-) while she took her wee babe to the clinic.

* One class in particular needed to be checked on several times. Let's just say that the subs forte is not discipline. I helped the same class with the VCR in the library. It's the small things we do that make a difference, really. Everyone was quite happy.

* I made & passed out eligibility forms to 2 students who are leaving on a trip Tomorrow. Why wasn't this done earlier? All the while, the teacher taking them had no clue who the forms are supposed to go to. Re. the same trip: signed master eligibility form, e-mailed asking where these forms go, stared at teacher sarcastically bewildered as to why she sent me a condescending e-mail yesterday saying that she knew what she was doing & she'd been talking to 3 ppl for 2 months, so why was I asking her questions, yet she didn't have her $#^t together the day before they leave ... & set up airport ride for tomorrow. This same teacher I saw out of the classroom no less than a 1/2 dozen times. Once, she was looking for flipping markers for a poster. Yes, for this trip she's been dutifully planning for 2 months. Rraarrr!

* Last, & not least, I managed to eventually clean out Garry's desk. He's given me full reign to clear out & organize his office. These are some of the things that were confined in his desk, for who knows how long: a magnifying glass, darts, nails/screws/alan wrenches, a measuring spoon, Nag Champa incense, knives, year old prescription bottles, projector slides, a tiny metal hand, batteries, a car adapter for a walkie talkie (very useful in a boardwalk village), shower rings, plus the usual office stuffs though in no order whatsoever & more than he will ever use. Now the drawers are mostly barren & all sparkle-ly inside.

* I lied. That wasn't last. I let the ladies in for open gym & collected the cash at the end. This was the easiest task, given I was going to be here anyway to kick tail on the court.

* That was another tiny fib. I managed to smile all day, except for when I was talking to those who had issues in class. ~_~

"Dream a Little Dream of Me"

2008-09-30T08:24:00.011-08:00

I spent the night in Akula (a neighboring village, 3 miles away) last Friday at a friend’s house. It was a watch the foreign policy presidential debate(I actually took 4 pgs. of notes & then left them :-(), eat yummy food, play Settlers, talk about animal guides slumber type party. The next day Julie, Deanna, & I went for a tundra mossy, dip & bump kind of hike. We sloshed through some muddy spots, jogged a little, picked/ate berries, saw ravens, felt the crisp air, smiled in the sun, watched Lola have a blast, then went back & ate breakfast before heading over to a gathering at Akiuk for Oktoberfest. I recalled a dream I had the previous night while we were picking berries, which I totally thought was confirmation that I’ve been thinking about relationships & eventually love will find me again. Silly romanticism. The dream was rather short, but intense. You know the kind; those early morning dreams that make you want to stay in bed so that it can keep going. These are a few photos from the tundra trek. Lola is Deanna's dog.

Dream: A friend introduced me to a very attractive man. He was blond with intense blue eyes, an awesome face (I *am* a sucker for a cute face), and smooth creamy skin. He was proportioned & lean, wearing a white shirt & blue trousers. We met in one living room & then moved into another one where we were alone, sitting on the floor & talking. Our legs were intertwined as we sat perpendicular to each other, I kept adjusting & he was stable. There was a table beside me; a couch was behind us. We fell instantly into talking & had comfortable moments of silence. Now that I think of it, his eyes kept looking about, not like he was avoiding me, but as if he was conscious of our surroundings while listening. At the end, we were just laying with our heads on the floor, staring at each other & talking.

According to Alice, overall the dream seemed not to be about a relationship, but about this internal structure & a desire to learn about the world at large that I’ve been grappling. Some of these associations I already identify with & the others I’m semi-pondering. I could over-analyze things until I’m blue in the face. Though, most of the time with this sort of thing, I think “that’s cool” & go about things as I usually would. In short, I think I’m on the right path. Notice how there is sort of a 'self' theme, even though some images seem unrelated. I appreciate Alice’s insight. :-) Alice Anne Parker wrote all of the following associations & questions, found in her book “Understanding Your Dreams”.

Image – Associations – Ask Yourself
Friend – Aspect of self-ready integration. – What part of me is being integrated?

Male – Yang aspect of self. Assertion. – What action am I ready to take?
Adult – Maturity. Wisdom. Full size. – What part of me has grown up?

Blond – Glamour. Artifice. Frivolity. – What part of me wants to enjoy life more?
Hair – Protection. Attraction. Sensuality. – What am I covering? What do I display?

Eyes – Vision. Consciousness. Clarity. – What am I aware of? How do I see the world?
Blue – Harmony. Spirituality. Inner Peace. Devotion. – What is the source of my inner peace?

Face – Identity. Ego. Self-image. – How do I appear?
Skin – Surface of the self. Sensitivity. Connection between inner and outer. – What is on the surface?
Buttocks – Humility. Stupidity. Power. – Am I being an ass? What do I need to forgive in myself?

White – Purity. Clarity. Coldness. – What do I seek to purify?
Shirt – Upper, as opposed to lower, self. Emotions. – What feelings do I consider appropriate?
Trousers (blue) – Lower self. Passions. – What signals am I sending?

Living room – Central space of the house of self. – What is central to my being?
Floor – Foundation. Basic elements. – Where in my life do I want to create stability?
Table – Place of activity. – What am I ready to examine or to do?
Wood – Growth. – What is my natural form?
Furniture – Identity. Attitudes. Beliefs. – How do I furnish the house of my self?

Legs – Support. Movement. – What supports me? Am I getting somewhere?
Knees – Flexibility. Humility. – Where in my life do I need to bend?
Mouth – Nourishment. New attitudes. – What am I ready to take in? What am I ready to express?
Lips – Invitation. Communication. – What am I offering or what is offered to me?
Talking – Communication. – What am I ready to express? To whom or what do I want to communicate?