And came out looking like this:
I’m going to ignore the happenings of the past 3-4 months and move right on into the present! Summer vacation plans!--we’re going to Mexico for two weeks to look at Mayan temples, sit on various beaches, and buy some Oaxacan crafts. When we return, we’re taking two sets of parents to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival for our annual dose of culture (or is it couture?). I’m going to Boston to visit mi hermano, along with some very awesome ladies in my life. I’m also going to be reuniting with some very important formative years peeps at an undecided location (yurt? tent on beach?) in OR. After that I have two conferences to attend—a NASA one that’s being held within walking distance of my house and ironically pays more money/day than I currently make, and an AP conference where I learn how to be a teacher of AP environmental science (widely known as APES). Why am I teaching APES, you ask?
Because I’m going to be working at an all-girl’s Catholic school next year, which is a dream come true! Girls! Science! High-achieving school! Teaching an AP class! It’s going to be awesome and feels like a feminist education dream come true. I’m totally working for the pope now, which seems appropriate as I did spend a good amount of time in Vatican City around the year 2000, and still remember which bedroom window belongs to the guy (from an awesome free tour, which included a complimentary placard with the Lord’s prayer in English, Italian and Latin).
In other news, there are two weeks of school left, and I’m trying to keep the lid on the chaos, but I’m very tired, and 15 year old boys are very energetic, which makes for a lot of shrillness. I feel like the tone of my voice has become higher and more strained as the semester has worn on. I also did not enjoy having to explain why violence (aka school fighting) is never justified (relativity of morality and punishment was the explanation I gave).
At the orientation for the NASA workshop we had to introduce ourselves by writing one sentence “headlines” for our own personal newspaper: the main page (something that happened within the last day to us), the business news (something happening at our work), the local section (something from home), and the travel, entertainment or sports section. It was actually a really good icebreaker and I think it’s a shame that these things aren’t employed in broader circles. I sort of feel like I should do a personal reflection/journal entry everyday with the “headline” technique. BREAKING: Albert got a new summer ‘do.
Finally, new invention alert!—yesterday we played Old Maid with our friends (who have a kid) and came up with a novelty old maid gift that uses family members as characters! Can you imagine sitting around with your family, hoping to draw the match for “Uncle George”? Or not wanting to get that funny picture of Grandpa frowning that is the “Old Man”?
