Monday, May 31, 2010

Random Monday

1) More big news from Disneyland! The Disneyland Hotel will be adding a new Tahitian theming in the area between their three towers. New pool areas. New landscaping. The bad news is my favorite quiet restaurant, Hooke's Point, will be taken out to make room for a new fast, casual restaurant with a tiki bar theme. I was really excited when I found Hooke's Point a few years ago. It is a really quiet place to enjoy some really good food and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the park. Hopefully the new place will be just as good.

2) Stress sucks. Still hoping to get a dean job, but haven't heard from any of the principals about the jobs. Supposed to be more of them showing up, but only 4 more days until transfer period ends.

3) It was great to visit with John this weekend. Not enough time, but always good to see him. The boys enjoyed having Sylvana here as well.

4) Fast Frames rocks! I plan on doing my first photo blog about them this week once I get the last picture back. Great place to get good quality frames and service.

5) Still getting used to the new grill. Overcooked the chicken a bit last night. Grrr.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Tired

So, yesterday was the culmination of a long, drawn out process of getting the United Blood Services Blood Drive done at school.

What should have been done by February kept getting rescheduled and rescheduled. Finally, we were able to lock in a date and get it done.

I even donated blood for the first time. It was pretty painless and I plan to start donating on a regular basis.

However, I am just dead tired even 24 hours later. I came home last night, had dinner and was asleep by 7:30. Today, I just couldn't wake up. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day.

Monday, May 24, 2010

I'm Lost

Hey...get out my shower, Bobby!

I guess they all died happily ever after.

Not bad, but so many questions left unanswered. I guess I will go back and look at some stuff and see if I missed it the first time through.

Flyers vs Blackhawks

Blech.

Could always hope the finals get cancelled due to a flu epidemic or something.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Sharks Swept

Looks like my prediction for the NHL Finals was wrong on at least 1 team. San Jose just lost their series in a sweep. Philly is 1 game away from beating the Habs.

Blech. Who will I root for then? Chicago? Blech. Marian Hossa? Blech. Philly? Blech. I'd have to pull for Chicago I guess.

Life, the Universe and Everything

Just watching Stephen Hawking's show The Story of Everything. Holy cow! It totally boggles the mind thinking about the creation of the universe.

All the material of the Universe contained within 1 single atom? Inconceivable!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Now we are cooking...

Today, we got a new grill due to the old one being about 8 years old and no longer regulating the flame. It was either off or HIGH HEAT!!

Started putting the new one together at about 4 PM, just in time for it to start snowing. Quickly moved everything back into the house so we could keep working on it.

About 3 hours later it was ready to go. Good thing we had a back up plan for dinner since Malia was sick! Gotta love pizza night!

Best part: Noah was a HUGE help. It was good to spend some quality time with the boy without arguing or yelling at him. He was able to get his hands into places I couldn't. Guess there was something to child labor back in the day! ;-)

Tomorrow night's dinner is Steak and Veggie Kabobs!

Toy Story Mania

One of the best rides currently operating at Disney's California Adventure is Toy Story: Midway Mania. The game is very cool. You get to throw darts, baseballs, rings, etc at various targets to earn points.

Today, thanks to my in-laws, I got the home version of the game for the Wii.

While not as immersive as the actual ride in DCA, it is still a lot of fun! Breaking plates, popping balloons, throwing pies, and tossing rings are all included. Plus, there are new mini games that add some more depth.

Each level has objectives you need to complete to move on. Complete all the objectives, and you unlock the game in free play mode.

I've only spent about 15 minutes playing it but so far, so good.

I told the boys that in order for them to play it, they have to walk slowly around the house for an hour or so to simulate the whole ride experience. They didn't seem too interested in doing that! ;-)

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Some days...

Today was a fun day! Had two girls start a fight right as I was trying to keep them from fighting. Felt bad for one girl who got a big goose egg on her head. I could have done things differently like try to get backup, but by the time anyone else would have gotten there, the fight would have broken out and there would have been chaos. As it was, no big crowds gathered around and I felt I handled the situation as best I could.

Then I had another student get suspended for dropping the "F-Bomb" in my class about 5 times. Oddly enough he and one of the girls from the fight are dating! True love means getting suspended together I guess.

Some people just shake their heads when they hear things like that and thank God they are not an administrator, but not me. I want to do that job even more on these kinds of days. Not because I like it when kids get in trouble, but because I get to do something different. Being in the classroom is fun, but the real challenge in education for me is when I get to do the admin stuff!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Lost

Malia and I started watching Lost about a year ago. I know, I know. Very late to the party, but TV was not a big priority the past few years! We started with the first episode and watched every single one in order. Thank you Netflix! By the time season 5 was released on DVD, we had seen all the way through season 4. So, when season 6 started, we were all caught up.

Time travel, polar bears, pressing buttons, smoke monsters, you name it this show had everything! Now that the show is one episode away from being over I can say I honestly enjoyed it. I wasn't sure where it was going, but I like where its ended up.


(Spoiler Space)




If you are in to the TV show Lost, and have not seen the next to last episode, go watch that before you read any further!

Go! I can wait.

Commercials? Really?

Ok, finished? Good.

At this point, I find it ironic that in one timeline, Jack is trying to help Locke, while in the other, he is trying to stop him. I was not surprised to see Ben turn on the others. He is one messed up little man!

However, I was sure that Hurley was going to be the one to take over for Jacob. Maybe he still will, but for now...Jack it is.

I can't wait to see how they resolve both timelines. Will there be a convergence? Will people who live in one timeline die in the other? Will Jack stop Locke and save him? What is Jacob's brother's name?!?!

I have a feeling not every question will be answered, but I look forward to finding out!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Tuesday Morning

An early wake up does not always equal a jump on the day.

Tired. Long day ahead. Only get to see my PRIDE time kids today, which is good in a way.

Meeting with the new principal this morning, and then getting to go back to our rooms to work on finals.

Good stuff.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Great Shirts...sometimes

My favorite T-shirt place on the net is Shirt.Woot. One shirt style available for sale each day. Techy. Artsy. Fartsy. Weird. You name it. You can get a shirt for $10 with free shipping each day. Some older shirts are available on the Reckoning list. They are $15 with free shipping.

Good stuff, but not always. For an even better deal, if you are not picky, they occasionally do a random shirt sale. Each shirt is $6.66 (for sales tax purposes apparently). Not a bad deal usually. I usually get 3 on the random days when I feel like buying. 1 shirt is always good. 1 is ok. The other, if you are lucky, can be traded. Or given as a white elephant gift!

Threadless is another great site. More shirts, more options. Get them when they are having a sale for an even better deal!

NHL Conference Finals

Today starts the conference finals.

Prediction time!

Sharks in 6.
Habs is 7. (To keep it alive!)

Saturday, May 15, 2010

NeverAgainBlog

Earlier in the year my Leadership partner thought it would be a great idea to have the kids do a sleepover at the school.

Well, last night was the night. It was actually a very fun evening with lots of games, food, fun activities, food, movies, food, and little to no actual sleep.

By 3:30 in the morning, I had 4 of the 6 boys asleep in one part of the building. Sadly, my partner was not so lucky. She had girls up all the way until 5 or so. The plan was to get up at 7 to start making pancakes. I of course was up at 6 since my body will not allow me to sleep any later, no matter how much sleep I get.

The best part of the evening was the scavenger hunt. We ran them ragged for about 20 minutes going up and down the stairs. Sadly, they had to pull out their phones to Google what "Old Glory" meant.

Well, actually, the best part was them all leaving and letting me go home so I could take a nap...eventually.

Would I do it again? Eh...it wasn't the worst thing I've ever done, but since it looks like I am not teaching Leadership next year I guess it is Never Again.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Shave and a haircut

For the last few years, I have followed a hockey tradition by growing a playoff beard. Malia thinks I am crazy for doing it, but hey...I didn't grow a beard for the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals and the Pens lost. I grew one for the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals and the Pens won. Coincidence? Well...probably, but it's a good excuse to grow a beard! Not that I need an excuse, but still...

Anyway, with the loss tonight, I dusted off the razor and shaved off the beard. While I was at it, I took the trimmer out and gave myself a haircut as well.

Nothing like feeling the breeze blow across your scalp. :-)

Going to take grief tomorrow at work, but live by your team, die by your team!

(One more time!) Go Pens!

Irony Blog

The first game Pittsburgh played in the Civic Arena (now Mellon Arena) was a loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

The last game Pittsburgh played in the Mellon Arena (formerly Civic Arena) was a loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Handshake coming up.

Congrats to the Habs for a great series. I wouldn't be surprised to see them play for the Cup and win.

Now, I guess it's pull for the Sharks against the Blackhawks.

Congrats to the Pens for another great season.

Next season starts in October in a new arena. Maybe I will get to go see a game there.

NotlivebloggingBlog

Well, congrats to the Habs for handing it to the Pens so far. 4-0 with 14:46 left in the second.

Fleury out, Johnson in. Goalie change help? Maybe, but scoring 5 is going to be tough.

Pens/Habs Game 7

Game 7 about to start. Excited to see what happens. Sid has yet to have a break out game in this series. Is tonight the night? Let's hope so. Winner moves on to the Eastern Finals. Loser goes home.

Go Pens!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Nice

Ah...what a difference a new hard drive makes. I just upgraded from a 150 GB to a 1 TB (1000 GB) drive. I never thought I would fill a 150 GB drive, but I was at 135, and could no longer defrag the drive.

Lots of room left to fill.


Hurm...

Wet Morning

Snow.

Snow?

Really?!?!?

Snow falling even as I type this. Good thing I re-seeded the lawn on Saturday.

Sigh...

Hopefully some of it takes.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Random Thoughts 3

1. No jobs worth applying for posted today. I'm really hoping for a Dean or an AP position, but I doubt those will be forthcoming. I am ready to move out of the classroom and in to admin. Patience is a virtue?

2. Ugly game for the Pens. One goal disallowed because the ref lost sight of the puck and blew his whistle. 3 pucks off the post. Game 7 on Wednesday night. GO PENS!

3. Got a new hard drive for the desktop. 1 TB! Woot! Currently getting that system set up, so posting from the laptop.

4. Got a Drizzt Do'Urden book for my birthday and realized I am missing several before that one, so I must get them! Probably going to start from the beginning since it has been YEARS since I read them.

5. Rain/Snow/Sunshine all in the span of 20 minutes today. Good times.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Slight Change

I had to adjust the name of the blog after watching the episode again.

Originally, I thought it was "What's so bad about bootblacking?", but then I found a quote that said "What's wrong with bootblacking?". It turns out I was wrong, and the actual line is "What's the matter with bootblacking?"

So, there ya go. New title, same address, same inane chatter.

...or Not

Didn't make it to the Arts in Bloom. By the time we got ready, the clouds, wind, and rain rolled in.

Malia got to spend a quiet day at home resting and reading while I took the boys to Colt's Birthday Party.

Good times.

CloudyDayBlog

Clouds moving in. Rain/Thunderstorms/Snow expected.

Or maybe not.

Gotta love the weather here.

Getting some lunch and then taking Malia to Arts in Bloom down at the Marina.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Pens Win!

Game 5 in the books and the Pens hold on to win by a score of 1-2. The guys looked good and had some great scoring chances that Halak had to stand on his head to stop.

Hopefully they wrap this up on Monday.

Go Pens!

Pens/Habs Game 5

On the road for the start of the game, so I got to hear the great Mike Lange calling the start of the game. Sadly, no goals scored until after I got home and turned on Versus.

Pens can take a 3-2 lead if they win tonight. Then a game 6 in Montreal on Monday.

Pens in 6.

2 Great Things...

Peanut butter and chocolate?

No.

Well...yes, but not this time.

1 of the best things from my childhood was LEGOs. Granted, I didn't have that many of them, but I remember my friends, Chris, Brett, Tracy, and Lucas Weiss, who had a TON of them. Whenever possible, I would convince them to build with me. Mostly Chris and Brett.

The other favorite thing was Star Wars. I remember standing in line with my Dad waiting to see The Empire Strikes Back.

So, this video is full of greatness.

What a great mix of two of my favorite things.

CreepyGuyForGovernorBlog

Here I sit eating my lunch and the phone rings.

A creepy voice begins to tell me he is sorry for disturbing me, but he wants to tell me why I should vote for him for Governor.

Luckily the message was short, but oddly enough I was drawn to listen to the whole thing. He won't be getting my vote, unless it is for creepiest phone call of the year.

Friday, May 7, 2010

MST3K History Lesson

MST3K is my favorite TV show.

What...? Oh...MST3K? MST3K is short for Mystery Science Theater 3000 for the uninitiated. The premise of the show can be boiled down thusly:

A man and 2 robots are forced by "mad scientists" to watch movies which in many cases are really bad. To survive the "experiment" the trio riffs, or makes fun of, the movie. Many of the jokes are bad, but they make the movies bearable. Some episodes are better than others, but all usually have something funny to offer.

The show started on KTMA in Minnesota in the fall of 1988 featuring Joel Hodgson, Trace Beaulieu and Josh Weinstein. Joel played the human subject Joel, Trace and Josh played the Mad Scientists and also provided the voices for the robots Crow and Beeper (and eventually Tom Servo). Weinstein also did the voice of the robot Gypsy.

The show was a success and (eventually)moved to Comedy Central. Josh also moved on after the end of the first Comedy Central season and he was replaced by Kevin Murphy as Tom Servo and Frank Conniff as the new "mad". Losing Josh was not a bad move, though I will talk about him more later. Kevin and Frank added much to the show.

Halfway through season 5 Joel left the show and was replaced by Michael J. Nelson, who was the head writer of the show. Mike went on to "host" the show for the rest of its run and the move to the Sci-Fi Channel. A few seasons after this move Frank left the show and was replaced by Mary Jo Pehl in the role of Dr. Forrester's mom. Later, Trace left and was replaced by Bill Corbett in the role of Brain Guy and Crow. In season 10 Mike and the Bots crash land back on Earth and we are left with a scene of them sitting on a couch, watching a bad movie and making fun of it.
One of the hottest debates over the years was Mike vs. Joel.

So....Mike vs Joel.

I, as the saying goes, like Mike. Mike was the host I saw originally, or at least the one that I remember most. He brought such episodes as Prince of Space and Invasion of the Neptune Men. Two of the best episodes ever.

As I have gone back and watched the Joel days, I feel more and more of a Mike supporter. Both men did a great job, but I just like Mike better. His timing and delivery was more to my liking.

But the other changes caused some debate as well.

Josh vs Kevin? Kevin by a long shot. Beeper was annoying and poorly designed. Tom Servo was funny and witty. As Servo, Josh had this deep voice that didn't seem to fit with the design of the 'bot, while Kevin matched up perfectly and gave him a depth that was missing.

Josh vs Frank? Again, Frank by a long shot. TV's Frank was funny, Dr. Erhardt had this nasally, whiny voice that annoyed me so much, I would skip through any segment with him in it.

Trace vs Mary Jo? Trace by a hair. I always liked Dr. Forrester. Mrs. Forrester started out annoying, but eventually came to enjoy her.

Trace vs Bill? Bill by a hair. I liked the new direction that Bill added to the show, especially in his role as Brain Guy.

So, 11 years after the show has been off the air and I still think it was the best show on TV.

Look for more on this show as well as the various side projects that have cropped up over the years.

Plus, I'll give Josh Weinstein some love.

NotMST3KBlog

Ok, I said the next post would be MST3K related.

I lied.

I'm going to talk Ikea.

Not the store, the song about the store.

Darn funny song by Jonathan Coulton. Go down to the album Smoking Monkey. You can hear it for free or download it for a buck!

Lots of funny stuff there!

PercyJacksonBlog

My kids HAD to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Longest movie title ever? Not even close. That goes to: Night of the Day of the Dawn of the Son of the Bride of the Return of the Revenge of the Terror of the Attack of the Evil, Mutant, Hellbound, Flesh-Eating Subhumanoid Zombified Living Dead, Part 3!)

Malia was cringing throughout most of the movie, but I thought it was pretty good at the time. Action packed, some funny lines, great special effects (especially the water effects with Poseidon), good acting, silly at times. A good Chad-movie ©.

On the advice of my 8 year old, I read the entire Percy Jackson series of books after we saw the movie. After finishing the first book, I was a bit puzzled by the changes that were made in the movie. So many in fact, that it will hamper the future (if any are made) movies. Small changes are to be expected, but when you change the main villain who later in the book series plays a heroic role, you handicap future plans.

The books were good for what they are. A nice introduction to Greek Mythology with a modern day twist. I laughed at the Party Ponies. Cringed at the bad puns. Enjoyed the drama. Guessed who the spy was about half-way through the last book. But it was a nice diversion.

If they make anymore movies, Rip Torn has to play Mr. D. From the moment Mr. D was introduced, I heard Rip's voice. Sadly, I doubt he will be up for playing Dionysus. Maybe a bit too close to home?

Next up for reading? Not sure. May put the books down for a bit and get back to working my way through Seasons 5-6 of MST3K. Next post I will compare Mike and Joel.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Blech.

Series tied 2-2. Game 5 in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Pens in 6!

CatchingUpBlog

Does 5 posts in one afternoon make up for not posting for 4 days?

Maybe...maybe not, but it gives me something to do while commercials are on!

Red Wings vs Sharks

Ugly game for the Sharks tonight. Looks like a Game 5 for them is in the works.

Penaltyblog

Apparently Montreal fans think that anytime one of their players gets hit it should be a penalty. Watching Sid trip Hal Gill and not get called, but seeing a Pens power play off of a tripping call right afterward is pretty funny.

Go Pens!

Jinxblog

Well, as soon as I posted the score for the game, the Habs score two in a row to make it 2-3 Habs. Grr.

Still 14:45 left and a 4-on-4 followed by a Pens power play.

All Quiet...

Been a busy week, but not really much happening oddly enough.

Pens win game 3 with a shutout on Tuesday. Jordan Staal back for game 4 tonight. Pens winning 2-1 as I write this. Good stuff, but still 20 minutes left.

At this point, I am teaching only 2 classes for next year, Exploring History through Film and Geography. Glad I don't have the World Culture class, but I will miss the Leadership class most of all. Monday is the exclusive transfer period for SIG schools, but with no idea where principals are going or what jobs will be open, it is another wait and see moment. I'd really rather have an AP or Dean job, but not sure how those are going to play out this year because of all the changes district wide. If I stay at O'Brien it won't be the worst thing to happen (not having a job would be worse), but hopefully something interesting comes my way.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Game 2

Blech. Pens lose. No Jordan Staal was probably a factor. Team just couldn't get it together today. Game 3 in Montreal on Tuesday. Go Pens!

FreshCoffeeBlog

Not much beats a fresh cup of coffee. Thanks to the Wongs and the Thaxtons, I get to make one at home anytime I want.

Last night Malia threw a surprise 40th Birthday Party for me. I thought maybe something was going on, but wasn't sure. So I was a bit surprised when I walked into fix the leaking faucet and found a bunch of friends waiting for me.

Great food, great fun, and great presents. Including coffee, a coffee grinder, a reusable coffee cup, and a French Press. Also got 2 ties, some chocolate, a book (6 point font? Really?),a gift card, and money!

The moment of the night happened thanks to Brian. Whenever you get a bunch of teachers in the same room, you get school stories. We were talking about an incident with a teacher who placed a video recorder in the staff bathroom. Brian, dead serious, said "Man, the place I work is conservative by comparison." Instant laughter sprang up from those of us in the know. Someone asked, "Where do you work." Appropriate pause to allow the laughter to build even stronger. And then..."I work for Penthouse."

Instant classic.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Pens vs Habs 2

Game one went well for the Pens except for the loss of Jordan Staal. A lacerated tendon on his foot which required surgery. Bad news for the Pens, but hopefully they will be able to step it up a notch and pick up the slack. Good time for Max Talbot and Craig Adams to play like the beasts they are!

Game two tomorrow on NBC at 11 AM. Should be a good game. Go Pens!

The Axis of Awesome

John is the man. Earlier in the week he linked a video by the band The Axis of Awesome. Very funny and you can find it here: The Axis of Awesome 4 Chords Video.

The band is quite funny, but again, not kid friendly. Added them to my list of geek/comedy bands.The Axis of Awesome.

Oops!

Missed a day! Bad blogger!

Not like I have much interesting to say anyway!

Exclamation point!