I pinched a nerve in my back yesterday when I was cleaning up after Thanksgiving. Yes, I know yesterday was several days after Thanksgiving. It hurts way worse today than yesterday, and nothing seems to help.
Serious Pain!
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Monthly Archives: November 2009
Roku Player
For anyone who hasn’t discovered the joys of the Roku Player allowing you to wirelessly stream Netflix to your TV, there are now new reasons to purchase this $80 goodie. Now you can connect to a host of web sites and stream them to your TV, like Pandora Internet Radio. Check it out at Roku.
Senta and the Steel Dragon – Illustration
Images Copyright 2009 by Clipart.com
I’m glad that’s over.
Wow! When did Thanksgiving become way more trouble than it’s worth. Oh yes, I remember– yesterday! Worst Thanksgiving ever. Next year, if I am captured by Apaches, buried up to my neck next to an anthill, and have honey poored over my head… it will only be the second worst Thanksgiving ever. Fighting. Stress. Heartburn. Stress. Making freaking green bean casserole that I don’t even like. Hey, four more weeks till Christmas.
Happy Thanksgiving
Senta and the Steel Dragon – Illustration
Doh!
Eaglethorpe Buxton and the Sorceress – Chapter 6 Excerpt
“Oh varlet, villain, and false friend,” I said, and felt my lips crack as my swollen tongue moved around to form the words.
“Do not speak Eaglethorpe,” said Ellwood, pressing the brim of a glass of cold water to my lips.
“You must know that I love you.”
“In a very manly way, no doubt,” I croaked.
“Yes. Very manly indeed.”
He took a clean white cloth and dipped it in the water, using it to bathe my brow.
“I only belittled you because I thought that it might make the sorceress let you go. You know I have the highest respect for you.”
“And my storytelling?”
“And your storytelling.”
“And my heroic adventuring?”
“Heavens above Eaglethorpe. If I did not love you so much, I would hate your guts.”
“What happened anyway?”
“She turned you into a toad, a quite ugly one at that. It took me all of a week to locate you and three bags of silver to get an apothecary who was willing and able turn you back into yourself.”
“What happened to you?”
“Oh I managed to escape her after a few hours.”
“A few hours?”
“Yes.”
“A few hours?”
“Yes, a few hours.”
“A few hours?”
“Yes, a few hours. Did you damage your brain while you were a toad?”
“So you were with her for a few hours?”
“I believe we have established that.”
“So… she made you do things.”
“What?”
“You spent time with her?”
“A few hours!” Ellwood rolled his eyes in exasperation.
“She… you know.”
“Know what?”
“She quenched your fire?”
“Campfire?”
“The fire of passion.”
“What? No!” He stood up and began pacing back and forth across the room. “Well, I’m sure she would have liked to, but I got away long before that could happen.”
“Why?” I asked.
“What do you mean why?”
“Why didn’t you wait till after the quenching before you escaped?”
“Because she’s a sorceress.”
“So?”
“And she’s evil.”
“So?”
“Well, she’s a… She’s just not my type.”
“Why not,” I wondered.
“She’s… too pale… and too blond… and too short.”
“What complexion do you prefer for your woman?”
“A complexion about like yours.”
“That’s too dark. What hair color do you like?”
“About like yours, with little streaks of grey.”
“Then she would be too old for you,” said I. “A young man like you should have a beautiful young woman. How tall do you prefer?”
“About your height.”
“That is way too tall for a woman.”
“I know,” said Ellwood, and then turned and rushed out of the room.
Paper Chase
I got the word from the administration this week that I used 4100 sheets of paper during the month of October. That seems like a lot to me too, until I divide it among 170 students. Then it works out to about 25 sheets per student during the course of a month, or about 1.2 sheets of paper per student per day.
We use papers to give students information sheets with material they need to know, either to supplement or replace the textbook. I passed out a four page reading on Manifest Destiny, for instance. We use paper for tests. My kids took an eight page test on the American Revolution. We print out graphic organizers for the student to fill in. And we use them for worksheets. We’ve heard a lot about worksheets lately, and some of them are pretty lame, but we spent our very limited money last year to find some that taught the many individual objectives we had to teach and also presented the information the same way that the CRTs (Criterion Referenced Tests that students must pass for the school to be listed as adequate under No Child Left Behind) do. There are many topics in History that lend themselves to some really fun activities– “Taxation without Representation” and the Civil War. But we also have to teach Marbury v. Madison and Joseph Walker.
One wonders whether carpenters are told they use too many nails or doctors are told they use too much suture. My guess is that they are probably respected enough as professionals to know how much to use.
Senta and the Steel Dragon – Illustration
Saba led the seven uniformed police officers, each of them armed with rifles into the back door of Mayor and Mrs. Korlann’s house.
Images Copyright 2009 by Clipart.com
Senta and the Steel Dragon – Illustration
“What do you want?” asked the sailor, the emphasis on the word “you”.
Images Copyright 2009 by Clipart.com
City of Amathar 