Friday, March 30, 2007

Numb3rs

You know Stranger Than Fiction started out with numbers, so I decided today called for a day of numbers and blogging on such things:

2. The number of rehearsal sites which I am torn between.

3. The number of trips I have spent cleaning out my class and my office. Oy!

15. The number of days I have left to complete my taxes. Ay!

21. The number of students I have this year in room 2.

42. The number of minutes I slept past the alarm clock today.

80. The number of minutes I spend at school without kids to teach during school hours (aka Recess).

98. The number of days until I get married.

133. The number of days Orcutt School District has been in session.

280. The number or minutes I spend teaching each day.

300. Still a movie which resonates in my soul.

5 years, 9 months, and 12 days. The duration for which I worked at the Children's Center.

2039. I believe this is the time I worked at the Center in days. Ey!

Anyway, those are the numbers of the day. Enjoy. Hope they show up for your lotto, if not, just figure them to be some curse which will put you on a Science Fiction Island where a giant beast roams around and stuff.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Oh my gosh. My life is all about contrasts. Check it out:

I love living like a bachelor, but I can't wait until I am with my Fauf for the rest of my life.

All I can think about is July because of the wedding, but today all I can think about is Harry Potter in July.

My life is totally slowing down as I leave Hancock, but the days seem to fly by with amazing speed.

I am excited about counseling, but I feel like Fauf and I can do it on our own.

I love the first grade, but I don't---well there's no contrast there gotta love it.

I love the new cover for Harry Potter, but I am a little sad it only features two dominant characters and very few clues.

Here it is:



I rest my case.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Shooter

So I am not totally sure what I loved about this viewing... Perhaps it was my dahling, dahling on my side. Perhaps it was Chet, the delightful leprechaun, sitting behind us. Or perhaps it was Chet's delightful father walking the wrong way to the bathroom. At any case this viewing experience was delightful.

A delightful movie viewing pretty much makes for a delightful film. I really enjoyed this picture. It was a simple story, classic in government deception and conspiracy theories. The story was easy to follow and Mark Wahlberg's character was built up to be the hero among heros. I am becoming a Michael Pena fan, after Babel and Crash I've kept my eye on the guy. This film Pena had a chance to flex the goofy sidekick role. He did very well in this capacity. However, with exception to the two previously mentioned, I thought the casting in this flick was a little sub-par in a few areas. I understand the Angel's in the Outfield star, Danny Glover, is a good actor but just ehhh. I have this theory with his part. I think the casting director says, "I want Morgan Freeman." and they say, "We can't get him, he's too expensive. We'll go broke." So the casting director says "Get Danny Glover on the phone."

Nevertheless this was a great action flick which wasn't overwhelming. There were the classic shoot em down, blow it up, car chase moments, but somehow I felt it was balanced with thoughtfulness and tempo. It never was a debacle like Triple X or so totally ridiculous like the lovable, but very "yeah right," James Bond flicks.

So, Marky Mark does another great performance, solid action film with only a few annoying characters. One last comment on this movie--I hope I don't make this sound more negative than it is--but the musical score was stupid. It tried to be this Firefly BBM type of music which just didn't fit. It was a nice attempt and was good, but didn't do anything for me.

Nevertheless again, hooray for good movies in March---so unexpected.

Rice Cakes and Peanut butter with a big glass of Diet Coke

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Breach

So the other night Fauf and I went out to see the film Breach. You can always tell I think of a movie favorably when I call it a film. Last night she had the greatest idea for a "He Said, She Said" Movie Review team. Maybe our pseudonyms would be Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We could totally work it. I'm going to the SUN and SMTimes to ask them if they want us to write a column about it.

This movie was simple, had moderately good acting, a moderately good script, and moderately good plot. I think the overall feel was "OK." There weren't any stelar performances in this film, but there weren't any "bad" jobs. I left feeling pleased with the show, but in reality I could have done with a little more suspense. The few scenes where there was suspense sort of lacked suspense because of over run movie trailers where the end was shown.

Overall this movie was a Rice Cake with Peanut Butter film, because it was good, but not fully satisfying.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Get's rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute...

So I have been thinking about all the cleaning out I will be doing in the next two weeks and as a notorious messy person I shudder. However, the teacher inside of me is somewhat, surprisingly, organized. So I leap for joy to start a new like Sandra D and begin this cleaning process. Here is a list of the following places I will be cleaning:

1. J-12. I have three years worth of stuff packed in there. Mission: Find all the good stuff and leave the junk.

2. Office. I have this dumb office I hide all the papers I don't want to do. Mission: leave as much as possible in the office.

3. Trunk of Car: I have been carrying around a bunch of stuff in my trunk and this is just not functional. Mission: find a cabinet at the school which can house this stuff.

4. Room 2. Clean out the dust and the stacks of paper which I inherited from the previous teacher. Mission: Make it my own where allergies and headaches won't enter.

5. Laundry Baskets. I have some (somewhere) that are filled to the brim with laundry. The rest floats on the floor. I am like the phantom of the opera on the gondola, riding to my bed every night. Sadly mine is not a foggy ground, but a swamp of laundry. Mission: Talk Mrs. Hough into letting us move into the condo so I can do laundry and not live in a swamp of clothes.


Well that's my life. Call me Mr. Clean.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Houston, we have lift off...

I've been reading through the gospels this past week, I am ending Luke, so allow me to illustrate my life with a parable:

Once there was a boy who was in kindergarten who desired to be an astronaut. When he would go home he would pretend he was in a spaceship and think like an astronaut. As the young boy grew up he even went to school hoping to learn everything he could about being an astronaut. He grew up and tried to reach for the stars, but only touched the clouds. So the young man decided he loved the art of going through the skies so he would settle for working as a pilot for an important airline. There he was loved, named the golden boy, and taken care of like a star. But he always longed for more.

One day after working at an astronaut training camp the young man received a phone call from NASA. "Can you come work for us? We can offer you a position for the next three months, and we'll try to get you in for the next mission." The young man felt excited, but could he leave the airport? They depended on him there. Then he remembered his dream since he was 4 years old--- to be an astronaut. After careful thought, insights from those he loved, and prayer he called NASA and said a resounding, "Absolutely. I'm there."

And from this day to that, he never regretted following his dreams.

In case you can't figure this out--I have decided to leave Hancock and teach Elementary School as a fill-in for a teacher who took ill this year. I'm so happy. First grade here I come, baby!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

300

And we all fall down... Like a toy soldier.

300.


Yup. I saw it today. It was in a few words:

MANLY
RIDICULOUS
AMAZING
GLORIOUS and
SPPPPARTTTTTTAAA!

I loved the blood bath, epic war story. Ok. Please don't see this movie if graphic images offend you. But to me... I really liked it. It was a total guy movie. Ridiculously ripped men running around bashing each other's heads in and stabbing the living daylights out of each other. It was like a realistic superhero movie. This stuff could actually happen---ok not totally, but yes they could battle this way.

The filming of this feature was rockin'. I loved the weird hugh that saturated the film and the blood splatters were actually beautifully artistic. I can't explain it. But it was ten times better than the filming of Sky Captain, and not as colorfully annoying as Sick City (worst movie ever). The actors were totally disciplined for this one. I mean... They must have had a five to ten hour work out each day. They were sick.

The one part they could have done without was the nudity. Men and women the same. A little over the top. Also that Smiggel character was over done. But alas, somehow this movie made me want to work out in a barn and become a hulking soldier who storms into combat. This is saying a lot, especially seeing my views on war and violence.

The moral of the movie: Kill them all or die--but while you die-- kill them all.

Loved it. Girls will hate it.
Heaps of spaghetti sauce on noodles.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Old Habits are Hard to Make

Yes, I know this isn't the phrase. This isn't one of those "from the gecko" and "doggy dog" moments. But I was looking at some old pictures of me and I was thinking it would be lovely for me to start rehashing some old habits... Here it goes...


1. Theme-ing my blogs around songs. I use to start off every blog with a song. I think I'll start that with my next blog.

2. Using my lunch break for exercise. I know believe it or not I use to run on the track at Hancock during my lunch break. I'm bringing that back.

3. Eerkershmeek. This is a phrase I use to use ALL the time. It's coming back.

4. Flinstone Vitamins. I need to eat these again, some partial healthy goodness in a package with one million strong... and growing? How can you beat that?

5. Going on IM. I haven't done this since November or so. I need to totally bust out AOL and go online. What a joke.

6. Patricios! Ahh! All I can think about is that beautiful pizza.

7. Watching movies on Sunday afternoons. Not good ones in the theatre, but really stupid movies from the 80's.

8. Writing. I haven't written anything for my story in well over three months. What a joke.

9. Hanging out with Kaleb. Yeah, I love Team Whitney, but I would like to be on Team Kaleb.

10. Dancing. I use to dance at least once a week. Sure it was by myself, but I haven't gone dancing in over seven months now. What a joke.

So none of these are resolutions, rather they are reminders and echos of the past life I once lead. But these echos, they call to me and remind me... I CAN DO IT. I suddenly feel inclined to wave a flag. Alas, I will ignore such urges and go to bed. I'm out.

Oh--holla STEW. I guess you check this blog now.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

CURTIS

Ok for most of you this will make no sense whatsoever. But hey. To at least one of you, you will laugh.

Realize I am being odd. Enjoy.

Woman

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Saturday, March 03, 2007

Marching into a New Month

Ok, this blog is just getting more random by the day, so I will refocus again and get back to those resos of mine.

1. I am absolutely in love with a girl named Fauf. I can't get enough of her. I miss her when I don't see her, and I've been learning to prepare for the life of the married man. Ready, set, let's get married.

2. Movie watching season is coming to a close. I fear movies in March will crumble in comparison to February and January. Alas, Oscar season is done but I will still continue my mission of documenting the silly movies I see. Here comes 300.

3. Totally supported my Biblia goals this month. Slower than January, but hey I'm picking up the speed. I love it. Very insightful to go page to page, cover to cover.

4. I have been noticing some of the beauties in my friends here are some of the ones documented thus far (just the qualities): relational, verbally affirming, realistic, honest, brotherly. I'm watching you...

5. I honestly haven't done anything this month with media for the classroom. Oh well.

Here's to March. I really am looking forward to a green beer on the 17th. Click your heels. Yippie!