All aboard...the Random Train of Thought...

where it stops...nobody knows:)
·It's 34 degrees...and my kids are playing outside for the sheer fun of it. For what it's worth, I think they are nuts....but I won't tell them that, cause exercise is always good for little kiddos! And just in case you are sitting there wondering what the big deal is, let me show you how kids in Alaska dress to play outside in 34˚ weather.........


Short sleeves, even some shorts...but by golly don't forget the stocking cap. And the only reason my child (the one in the middle) isn't wearing a cap is cause she has all that stinking hair & she claims it's "too warm for a hat".
And no it's not just me...some loser mom who allows this. This is this Alaskan standard. This morning I went to the grocery store & I must have seen at least 10 adults in shorts. Mind you several of them were wearing shorts, a polar fleece jacket & flip-flops. Go figure.

· I am working on yet another paper. This one is for History of Alaska. Blech....I guess I have had a crappy attitude about this class since before it even started. Why? Uhm...the instructor required 11 texts -8 of which he authored. Uhm....let's see......if your book is so crappy that it doesn't sell on its own merit don't force your students to buy it just to make a buck. My method to avoid padding Prof. Jerk-boy's pockets......the public library, thank you very much.

·I can honestly say the state of Alaska doesn't contain enough diet Coke to get me through the next 2 years. K. keeps reminding me that if I stick to it that in 2 "short" (doesn't seem short right now) years I'll have not only my post-baccalaureate Teaching certificate but my M.A.T. (masters of arts in teaching)...but right now I just wanna give them a wad of $$$ and get it over with. ***Yes, in case you are wondering...this is Whine-fest 2007***

·Tomorrow is R.'s first school field trip. We are driving....an hour into Anchorage (& back, obviously). Please pray that they put nice little boys in my car...not the ...well, you know...the ones......cause if they put the ones in my car, it'll be one long-long drive :)

Shhhhh!!! Don't tell anybody....

What I am doing right now: randomly blog surfing and indulging in yet another diet coke

What I should be doing right now: writing a paper on the African practice of Female circumcision that is due by midnight tonight...eewwww....

There are no words to describe how badly I am dreading this......

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I'm am sure you are all acquainted with the infamous line from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" where the teacher played by Ben Stein is truly the most boring man on the face of the planet. Well, not anymore. I am privileged (please insert massive quantities of sarcasm here) to been reading a book that makes Stein seem utterly charming. It is for my Philosophy 301-Ethics class. Pardon my French but Introductory Ethics is the most bogus piece of bullshit I have ever read. As I sit hour-upon-hour trying to weed my way through this boring text I imagine the author, Fred Feldman to look & sound just like the man above. I literally hear that monotonous voice droning on & on in my head. It is truly painful. I begged & pleaded with K. today to read my assignment for me. I mean seriously, isn't it the least a husband can do for his wife? But do you think he'd come to my rescue....oh no!.....he'd rather go to the archery range. As if....

So here I sit, racking my brains to trying to make sense of egoism, act utilitarianism and a bazillion other theories that just seem to contradict themselves. Besides you know it's bad when your text was written & published in 1978 and there hasn't been a new edition since.....now what does that tell ya....

**side note-Krystyn if you see this, please e-mail me at akscraps@yahoo.com I miss reading your blog & would love to be 'authorized'!!

Just pluggin along.....

Nothing much going on here, and yet I am crazy busy at the same time.....

· First of all, I am insanely swamped with school work. To put it mildly, this semester is a killer! I am sharing this photo of some of text books this go round. Yes, I said just some...there are more but honestly I am just too lazy to round of the rest just for a photo op.......... C'mon, I know you're jealous. And I won't bore you with the list of papers I have to write (believe me the it's lonnggggggggg, the maps & a bazillion points on them I have to memorize, the films and documentaries I have to watch, blah, blah, blah........ Go ahead...just shoot me now!

· I am getting everything together for Battle of the Books for D's school. I am coaching grades 3-6. It's a phenomenal program, but you guessed it...more reading. Atleast these books are a piece of cake for an old fart like myself. Our first meeting is next Wednesday to fill the parents and students in on what to expect between now & January. Then we'll have our first practice the following week. So as I start to hypervenilate from it all, I just remind myself that "it's for the kids" and that it'll all be okay. I put "it's for the kids" in quotes because it has essentially become the moto of our school. It's a Charter school and we are tremendously dependent on the volunteer efforts of the student's families. And considering that my kids are getting a top notch education , I have no reason to complain....... As Dorie in Little Nemo would say just keep swimming......

·Oh, let me give a little 'horray' that Cross Country season is over for another year! I am so proud of my girl for having the drive to do it (cause I sure as heck am not a runner) but I am always a little relieved when we have a break and the mom-mobile isn't on the run quite as much. She did great at her race, finishing her 1.5mile with the pack. If you have ever seen a XC race, there are those runners who come in way ahead of the pack (the super fast kids), there is the 'pack' (the majority of the runners seem to finish within a few minutes of each other) and then there are the runners who bring up the rear...the race is harder for them but my hat is always off to them. Here's a little secret...I always cry when the last runner comes in. I try not to let anyone see my tears, but I have to stay and watch that last kid come in. Talk about determination, to know you are last & still have the perserverence to cross the finish line. To me that is real strength. Anway...back to D. Last year she was not last, but she was farther back than she was this year by far. We'll have her final times today.... *here's a funny little fact, last year & this year she wore bib #1 for the entire district. We have no idea why, but she thought it was pretty cool.*
·As I mentioned before, I am not a runner...never have been & I don't know if I ever will be. But my daughter seems to be rubbing off on my son. Weekend before last, D. wanted to run the Titan Trail Run, a race sponsored by a local middle school. So I sign her & a friend up. And sure enough little R. decided he wanted to do it too..... Well of course that meant I got to walk the trail with my little dude. Seriously, no matter how much I dislike running, I simply can't throw my 5yo out on a 1.4mile trail by himself. So we got up uber early on a Saturday morning, but it was so worth it. And we did it.....but the best part of all was watching R's face light up when they gae him a medal for crossing the finish line. He said "Mama..this is my best day ever. I never-ever-ever got a medal before!"

And he was so bummed on Wednesday at D's race that he couldn't race too. He is only & Kindergarten and XC doesn't start until 3rd grade. So to pass the time and satisfy his need to run, this is how he spent the afternoon......

running up & down the sidewalk that bordered the starting line....in Crocs nonetheless. Crazy kid!