Amanda

I went skiing for the first time this season today.  It was fun and I always under- estimate my skiing abilities.  I’m no black diamond skier but I am pretty comfortable with a blue as long as "the conditions are right."  Not right conditions include ice, rain, and stupid people.  Today, I had two out of three and let’s just say there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  So, on the way up the chair lift theirs a big sign that says "Advanced skiers to Expert Only at Top" and once I was bored with the green, I headed up to the top.  So, I am heading down, sharp corner and there it was.  It looked like Jones Town the day after.  People were littered everywhere.  Babies were crying, boys were laughing, and one woman was scutchin down the middle of the slope on her butt.  I had no choice.  What goes up……so I began the decent.  Swoosh past the first obstical, swoosh past the second and then it happened.  Two people came around either side of me and slammed right into each other and then snow-balled down the hill.  My first reaction was, "You idiots." Then, "Hope they’re okay." Then, "Oh shit, I am going to run into this ball of human inertia."  So, in my panic I did a forward face plant in the snow. The Wolfe had conquered me. 

I write this blog from New York City.  You’ve got to say that last part like you are in an Pace Picante salsa commercial because country mouse has hit the city.  We landed in Laqurdia airport ( I know I spelt that wrong ) and lugged ourselves and our luggage a good two hours from bus ( through Queens ) to subway and finally getting to Manhattan and Greenwich village where we finally made it to our sleeping place, the Theological seminary.  By this time we were about to eat our own arms and headed out to get some food.  It was good food but pricey and then we hit the subway again to go to ground zero.  Very humbling was this sight and the people (lots of people) standing around it were quiet..all of them -which was quite the moment.  We left there and walked around aimlessly.  We finally headed back to seminary and stopped by La Bergamote and had some of the best chocolate and coffee ever.  I sit here in the library getting ready to take another trip to the streets to find the upright citizens brigade sketch comedy and watch a show.  It is so exciting but I am way out of my league.  I was trying to order the chocolate we had and it was all in French and I had to just point at stuff because I didn’t quite know what to do.  We also had to get off the subway and get back on to get to our locations.  Well, it’s all a learning expereince and who knows, I might end up living here in a few months so I better start getting used to it!

Later ——-

I have returned home and have traveled in all forms of transportation except for boat.  I feel like maybe I should have just stopped by the lake,hopped on the boat, road around the cove and set some record for myself that will hopefully never be set again.  New York was amazing.  Lots of people all the time and they were, for the most part, very friendly.  Talk about busting stereotypes….we did over and over.  Of course I saw some stereotypes that were true but there are stereotypes about the south that are tried and true.  Wil loved NY so if I am on board…it looks like a major possibility so I have to decide what I want.  Do I want to stretch my comfort zone and grow and learn or start another chapter of life somewhere familiar and family bound.  Tine will tell……

When I was visiting my girl Marcy in LA (shout out to the minty one), we went to a restaurant that had a saloon feel and a mechanical bull. One person rode the bull while we were there and was thrown off it in a matter of seconds.  Neither Marcy nor I gave the bull a run for it’s money and at the time I tried not to make direct eye contact with the black beast.  The more I think about that evening, my last hours in LA, the more regret I feel at not trying it.  So what if I had gotten thrown and landed on my head?  So what if people laughed or worse, didn’t laugh?  I admit I should have been a little bit more drunk and if more people had sattled up I would’ve been more inclined but why oh why didn’t I try?

There’s nothing good about going through life with regrets so I have decided this event is not regret but a prelude……mark my words:  the next time I meet a mechanical bull in a bar, I will buy it a drink and ride it until it has had its way with me.

I want to end my rant by encouraging those of you faced with your bull to go for it.  You haven’t got shit to lose! 

Well, I officially hate someone.  I don’t know if I have ever truly hated someone before.  Usually I forgive them or I decide to be peaceful about it and realize that I am not perfect either but this time, there is no forgiveness in me (yet) so therefore I hate.  I vent this to you friends knowing that the story is too long and too complicated and a little too personal to write about.  Someone set out to screw my husband over and I think they actually succeeded a little bit.  We still haven’t had our final words but the situation is such a slap in the face and so ridiculous that it is so hard to believe.  I keep wondering if WIl and I did something wrong to deserve the crapiness but we didn’t and I am confident in that.

I write you all this to remind you to always get the full story.  Never accuse someone of anything until you have seen them do it with your own eyes.  People can be out there with the sole purpose of making lives miserable and sometimes they succeed.  I actually feel a little sorry for the liar … they need help.  But the people who believe it I don’t feel sorry for, they are just stupid.

Let the Karma begin…………

Today at my school, we had a few new students.  Nothing new really except that they are victims from the hurricane with no home to go to.  The tradgey is being felt across the nation.  We tend to want to point fingers.  There’s no doubt things could have  been handled differently, quicker, more humanily.  I find myself asking,"Why did this happen to so many children,animals, and innocent people? Why did God let this happen?"  I truly believe everything happens for a reason.  Somewhere something or someone became stronger or learned something from this disaster.  There’s a divine plan…and the earth is so much greater then we will ever know or comprehend.  I did not lose anything in the disaster except a slight sense of security.  So many people lost so much.  I have donated some money but that act feels so empty.  In many ways I would like to go and be an extra set of hands and in many ways I am glad I am far away.  It is sad how America thinks.  We embody,"It won’t happen to me" and I must say I have been embarassed to be American more then once.  We are more then blessed, we are spoiled and blind.  This eye opening occurence has changed people:  the way we will prepare, the way we see the leaders, the way we see each other.  So, if you can’t be there in person to lend a helping hand, just be there in thought and prayer.  We are red,white and blue dust in the wind…………….

I had a great day at school today!  I mean it, I really did.  I have great students for the most part.  My subject area just screams interesting.  Even boys can get into nutrition since they get to eat.  And I get to learn a lot too.  I am well informed on the New Food Guide Pyramid and know exactly how calories work.  I also can make one mean color wheel and know some basics of feng shui.  Now, let’s put all these things aside.  I have actually caught myself saying,"These kids today" which is not aloud unless you’re old and angry.  You’re probably wondering, "But Amanda, you just said you had a great day.." yes, yes I did and that’s because I have lowered by expectations.  Kids:absolutely no respect for anyone or anything.  If someone leaves something on their desk, it is free for the taking since no one is actually using it.  Listening to others does not happen.  And so I wonder why things are like this, why students are becoming worse and then….we have open house and it all becomes clear.  Parents are CRAZY!

Parents are befriending their kids instead of being disciplinarians.  They are feeding them fast food every day and asking us why they haven’t done their homework.  It is baffling really.  As a teacher, I have learned more about parenting then I care to know right now.  So people out there: anyone with children, buns in the oven, or a glimmer in someones eye….please, spend a day in public school and be afraid, be very afraid.

This is it.  My maiden blog voyage and from here the water is lookig a little mirky but just fine.  I am not the most computer saavy person but I manage.

To begin, I would like to inform you that America is going to you know where in a you know what.  Now, I am all about this country (freedom, speech,elections…blah blah blah) but people, we are seriously whack!  Take the old man who lives on the corner of my block.  I was out walking my ridiculously cute dog (not to be compared with Mr. Chips) and I rounded the curve when my dog went to sniff a small plant in the mans yard.  I do not like shit in my yard any better then the next person and that is why I have trained Sylus to go in a certain spot and not in yards of people who mow or weed or any of those yard keepy things.  So you will imagine my surprise when the man yelled at me from his porch: "Would you mind keeping your dog from going on my lawn.  It is hard to clean up."  You must say that last sentence not in a kind way but with the tone of a man who has probably been through Vietnam, has high blood pressure, never has sex anymore, is losing his drivers license and is out to get "those kids today."  So, I naturally ignored him and kept walking down the sidewalk.  Old Man became scary old man when he proceeded to get up from his lawn chair, walk out onto the sidewalk and watch me (hand on hip) proceed to the next street. Why do people become this bitter?!  AT another time, I would also like to rant about Middle Schoolers but I will wait for the time when there are no holidays in sight, no teacher work days left, and my hair has finally bgun to turn grey.

I would like to end my first blog with a wish, a wish for America:  I hope that when I am 78 years old, I have joined an old person club that takes bus trips to places like the Arboretum and the Mineral Museum, that I wear shaws even when the temp is just right for any other human being, that the wrinkles on my face are due to hours of laughter and smiling, and that when a dog ( a cute dog) trots into my yard- my even cuter dog runs out to play with it.