My Town

In the book What My Mother Doesn't Know, all of the main character's friends go on vacation during Christmas vacation. She decides to take a vacation in her own town. I find that to be a wonderful idea. With that in mind, Matt and I went to the Norfolk Zoo yesterday. It was a beautiful day with a gentle breeze, and the sun didn't constantly beat down. We saw the traditional farm animals, reptiles, amphibians, owls, lovebirds, zebras, rhinos, lions, giraffes, ostrich, and a ton of exotic animal of which I can't remember the names. One goat (I think it was called a pygmy) had these creepy eyes. They reminded me of those contacts kids now buy to freak people out. They were a golden color with a black slit through the middle.

I would also like to go to Chrsyler Museum of Art and the Backbay Refuge, but I think I'm on my own here as Matt really has no interest in birdwatching or looking at art.

The Trash Heap

My flashdrive has found a new home...the trash.
I realized this afternoon I lost more than my thesis and TWP scrapbook, although those two were enough. I also lost the list of quickwrites I wrote for my other grad class. (Thankfully, I found my rough drafts in the trash can up in the loft.) I lost the pre-survey I created to give to my students at the beginning of the year before I start collecting data. At this point, I have washed my hands of the flashdrive.

Why I Hate My Flashdrive

1. My entire thesis draft was lost in less than a second due to a corrupt file.
2. My entire powerpoint presentation containing a 50 page scrapbook detailing the summer of the Tidewater Writing Project was lost in less than a second due to a corrupt file.

*I can now be seen sitting at the kitchen table recreating the 20 pages I lost. I am almost back to where I was two days ago. Once I hit that point, I can continue on like I never lost it to begin with.
*It is quite amazing how much the brain remembers.
*I guess that is why it is recommended to back up files in more than one place.
*At least I have a week and a half left until the thesis is due.

Fresh Cut Grass

Things I Love Today...
1. Fresh Cut Grass
2. Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Cran-Apple Juice
4. Laughter
5. Getting new ideas from fellow teachers at the Tidewater Writing Project
6. Finding books on www.half.com for $0.75.
7. Writing
8. Reading
9. Planet Green on Channel 286 (DirectTV)
10. Relaxing in either my rocking chair or hammock outside.

Happy Anniversary

Three years ago, I married the man of my dreams. I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday. It was over 90 degrees and humid. The U.P. is never supposed to be that hot, but it was on our wedding day. I remember Father Joe pronouncing us husband and wife. I remember Colleen, the photographer, having us trek through the woods for the 'perfect' spot for a photo. The heat was making people grumpy and irritated, but I have the BEST wedding pictures. I remember people talking about the food. All I remember is the Italian turkey sandwiches, but the food was a hit. Thank goodness, my husband wasn't in charge of the food; he only wanted vats of cheese and chips. I remember the groom's cake I secretly added a few days before our wedding. It was a 3-D football with my husband's football number and high school name, so he could relive the glory years. I remember Garrett and Annie dancing. Let's just say, if it was on t.v., it would be on the late late shows. I remember dancing, and dancing, and dancing some more. I remember dancing with my husband even though he hates to dance. It really doesn't seem like this all happened three years ago. I hope we can create more memories throughout the years that will be as vivid as our wedding day.