The weatherman should call me

The rain last night was poetic, the rain this morning was tragic.

I had class again today, the fourth time I've made my way to the Med Center since January and it was the fourth time that it rained. I will say however, I've learned to a) avoid fun runs and rodeo parades; b) I've found yet another shortcut through M.D. Anderson.

I have one class left. It will rain again on April 16th*.

By April 16th I mean April 14th, the point being it will rain the next time I have class which is always on Saturdays.

The streak is over

Tonight I watched the baseball team lose their only home game and then I watched the soccer team lose in their tournament. My winning streak is over.

It was an exciting game, good, solid high school soccer. We lost one of our best defenders to a (unfair of course) red card early in the game, which was our downfall. In a poetic moment as we walked away from the field it started to rain.

Sometimes it seems those that are have so many obstacles and have been so defeated over and over and over again need a chance to win at all. I root for the underdog.

I'm falling behind

Plenty to write about, no time to do it... or watch the second half of the movie Sonni lent me (sorry). But here's a helpful tip: If you want your house to smell like grape Kool-Aid buy Grapples and put them in a fruit dish in your kitchen.

Payday Loans

I'm shocked you all don't seem to be "into" my little budget project. I'll give you a sticker.

I'm going to assume that I don't need to warn you of the pitfalls of pawn shops, payday loans, checks cashed places, rapid refunds, and rent to own plans. If you can avoid them you should. You can avoid them by planning ahead with a little savings, putting off purchases, and opening a checking account.

Then comes the minor problem that some of my students simply can't open a checking account.*

* CORRECTION, now you can, since you don't need a social security number anymore. So no excuses.

Public Service Announcement II

For all of you out there working on this budgeting project my seniors are doing (it could be your final exam) I have another step in the process.

Collect all your receipts, and keep a record of all cash transactions (yeah including the cookies you just bought from the NYC Junior Achievement kids and the coke you just bought out of the machine). You'll be working on this for a month...

You got to know where to start right?

NetFlix University

I'm applying for an internship at the Museum of Fine Arts here in Houston. I know a little bit about art. There is a difference between Manet and Monet and I know a Homer from well... a Picasso. I said I knew a little.

So I figure I need to learn a little bit more about art. So I'm going to create my own little course based on DVDs I rent...

I thought it was a good idea and I figure I'll sell it to NetFlix and see if I can get a job running "NetFlix University" and write their bibliographies for them. They'll probably steal my idea so I figured I'd write about it now so I can take credit later.

On getting knocked up

Based on my observations this week I think getting knocked up is all the rage. It is everywhere this year. Everywhere. I don't know how real this number is, but "rumor has it" that there are 176 pregnant girls at the school this year. There are 1900 students. I don't think half of them are female, but we'll assume they are.

Which puts the pregnancy rate this year at 17% so far. 17%.

Beliefomatic

I took another one of those religion tests:

Couple things:
1) I thought Methodists and Presbyterians were a lot closer than that.
2) What exactly makes me a Baptist? American Baptist, cause I ain't Southern Baptist Convention fo' sho.
3) I know for sure what makes me not a Presbyterian, good thing I haven't spent 85% of my life there or anything.

(100%) 1: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene

(91%) 2: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic)

(88%) 3: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.)

(86%) 4: Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist

(85%) 5: Lutheran

(82%) 6: Congregational/United Church of Christ

(76%) 7: Seventh-Day Adventist

(75%) 8: Church of Christ/Campbellite

(75%) 9: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God

(66%) 10: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England

(61%) 11: Eastern Orthodox

(61%) 12: Presbyterian/Reformed

(52%) 13: Roman Catholic

Flying High

Last night I went four for four in teams I was rooting for (silently or otherwise) in the NCAA tournament. Tonight I'm two for two (so far) and we won our homecoming game and were champions of something for our season (I couldn't hear it). I'm now beating Sam

So... with the exception of one Astros loss and not winning the hall decorating competition I'm doing pretty well right now. If you want you can rub my hair for good luck.

Oh and if you are wondering about the homecoming being in the spring... we play soccer. Futbol, not football. So homecoming is in the spring, which is alright with me because the weather is nicer. I might teach at the only 5A high school in Texas that doesn't have a football team, and I probably went to the largest college in the country without a football team.

The obligatory update and credit counciling

If you assumed that everything going on in my world right now was posted on my blog you would think I'd spent the last two weeks taking pictures of facial hair and watching basketball.

That would not be entirely true.

In truth I'd planned to spend a lot of time this Spring Break praying about what I was going to do next year. I didn't as much as I wanted to, or rather I don't think I heard any answers. Yeah yeah yeah, you've heard it all from me before.

So the prayer request: for you to pray that I pray; and that I keep praying until I hear something concrete. Last year it all came into focus in May and I stayed. That turn of events probably happened in thirty minutes. I stopped teaching AP classes in exchange for more sanity. It was a good choice. So cheers to listening and hearing that voice again this year.

In other news my economics class is currently working on budgets. I have to spend four weeks or so on personal finance, so I'll be doing the whole "Miss isn't a total hypocrite and she's actually going to work on these things again... " This time start from scratch. Or you know, as much from scratch as you possibly can. I also thought I'd budget my time (heh, yeah right... remember 9th grade strategies, counting our hours up with Cheerios?)...

So for those of you who might like to play my little game I'm following a lesson stolen from the Visa corporation. What are your goals?

What are your educational goals (this could be anything from tuition to reading to leisure learning)?
What are your occupational goals? (cause you got to get there somehow)
What are your lifestyle goals?
What are your social goals? (cause yeah, that's important too)
What are your financial goals? (Neal was going to be a millionaire by the age of 30 so he could spend it before he couldn't enjoy it anymore... wonder if he made it)
What are your health/fitness goals? (other than the classic "lose ten pounds" and don't have zits)
What are your recreational goals?
Other things that are important to you?

The little worksheet I have asks for six in each category (though that just seems like a nice round way to figure it all out), though you can be as specific as you want to be. Or not. So I'll be praying though that (and the job thing and all those miscellaneous things).

It might seem a little high schoolish, because it is... but were you really paying attention in high school? Do you still have your Cheerios time budget on your wall? You do? I hate to say it, but that's just gross.

16 days or 18 minutes

Honestly, sometimes I just get a really bad case of deja vu. Now I'm wondering which is worse, 18 minutes of phone conversation or 16 days of e-mails.

The Chronicles of Pogonology

This might be the last entry in our log. I'm sorry.

NCAA pool

Lennie - 51

Sam - 48

Tony - 46

Katie - 46

Amber - 44

Paul - 44

Bev - 43

Justin - 43

Ann - 42

Tracy #1 - 41

Tracy #2 - 40

Nick - 43

Brock - 39

Ben - 39

Lennie missed giving me credit for choosing Boston College. Weird, I didn't even call it CHU, (Chestnut Hill University). It's been corrected so now I'm tied for third. Grins.

Kate

The Contest

The top one is Sam, the runner up and rightful winner of the beard growing contest. The other one is a character who 80% of my readers will recognize. That isn't to say everyone knows Ben, its just to say the Wymans make up 80% of my active readers. It is also partial proof that he didn't follow Bethany's advice. Had Sam had Ben's gimmick, we would be Wii athletes by now.

The next picture will be of the mutton chops. Then I'll stop posting pictures of my brother's facial hair.

Patties and Pattys

Today in church there were three birthdays. Pat, Patty, and Patti. Apparently the Presbyterian Church is more of a shelter to former Irish Catholics than I'd realized.

Sweet Sixteen

Standings as of March 18th:

I had 24 of 32 for the first round.
I went 11 of 16 for the second round.
I've lost Louisville who I had going to the Elite Eight and Wisconsin who I had winning it all.
Dammit.

Sam's doing better than I am, and since he's the only one I'M competing with in my world I'm in 2nd.

My post on sexism for Jonathan II

This is merely an anecdote and one of those "day in the life" moments that you could ponder what the impact might be.

Your brother and I went cliff jumping with a couple of other friends and a pack of 18-19 year olds. I say they were 18-19 because they all had tattoos, so I'm giving them a few more years than what otherwise would have been my guess. There was another kid there who claimed to have been there the previous day and claimed that he would be sitting on the rock all week, apparently talking strangers into jumping off the rock. We'll call him "George" because "fat-faux-bad-ass" just seems so unfair.

There were two levels of cliff jumping. One was fifteen or so feet above some very cold water. The being psyched up to jump was the worst part, followed by the cold water. It wasn't the fall.

My dear friend Brenda went up to the 25 foot one, which was less than what she (and we) have done before, sans the lower levels jetting out a bit from the rocks below. She jumped, twice. In the background was a very annoying George who promised that a) a twelve year old had done it yesterday b) a forty year old had done it yesterday and c) they would all jump if someone else went first. None of which did Brenda believe.

In any case no one else jumped but Brenda returned to "man, you have bigger balls than I do." Repeatedly, as though balls either mean a) stupidity or b) courage. I hate that phrase, along with "that will put some hair on your chest." I don't want hair on my chest.

George promises he'll jump by Sunday, when he leaves the lake. Convenient.

Daytime TV

My mom is retired these days, and while she certainly has found other things to do with her time she has started watching the talk shows. Or at least they are on and she pays attention when there is something relevant on. This has shown up in a number of conversations involving my attire and "what Oprah says." Among them that I'm not tall enough to wear those ankle strap heals.

Anyway. Daytime television told her to go out and get a book about curly hair. So she did. She read it, and then passed it on to me. So in summary:

1) I don't have to wash my hair every day like my mother told me to.
2) I don't have to blow dry my hair like my mother told me to.
3) I don't have to brush my hair like my mother told me to.

It also didn't say anything about eating the crust of your bread to make your hair curlier.

Thank you Oprah.

Madness I say, madness!

The current standings in this little NCAA poll:
I've got 14 out of 16 right, with only Duke (sorry Anna & Mark) and Gonzaga failing me.

In other news, for great fishing footage I recommend the film Okie Noodling. Then ponder why there is only one competitive female noodler in the state of Oklahoma. I don't think it is because the man keeps the ladies down.

Evolution of Dance

My post on sexism for Jonathan I

Guess the sex of the zebra.

Peanut aka Sam's beard before grooming

Spring Break

It is now officially SPRING BREAK!!!!!!!

It is Spring Break

... or will be in 20 hours.

Praise the Lord

On Last Names

I was greeted this morning by one Mr. Davis.

"Miss Wright, what is your first name?"

Mr. Davis had gotten an e-mail from me yesterday requesting the baseball roster. I signed it "Kate." I've known him for three years. We testified in a trial together for three days, we ran a ComedySportz club for a couple months (before our lead student was kicked out of school... hence the trial). We talk baseball together.

Yet he didn't know my first name until today. He likes it though, and thinks my logo should be a cat. You know, since I'm so chill all the time.

What can I say? He's a Cardinals fan.

Letter from Heather

"As you all may or may not have heard, there is a new addition to the Geiger household. His name is Stanley. He was born in 1983 in Germany, but has lived in California since. I met him online in January, and he came to Texas a few weeks ago. He has already changed his license to Texas, and has passed a Texas inspection! He just got a complete check-up by a specialist, who says that he will be fit for years to come!

He likes camping, long drives, and will listen to any music I put on. He even carries around his own camping gear!."

-Heather

Honestly this threw me. I couldn't figure out when Heather would have started dating a guy from Germany or why in the world she would get him checked out by a specialist. Then I thought, oh... I bet she got another dog. That seems like Heather, but wait, how can a dog be 24?

Turns out it was a VW bus she's named Stan. Silly me.

Everybody Loves M&Ms

Remind you of anyone?

John Prendergast

Tonight I took two of my Model UN kids to a "conversation" and lecture by John Prendergast. I enjoyed it (they didn't cause he "wasn't that great a speaker") and thought it was useful for the kids, given that they were at least highlighting sanctions and options and policy that could guide any foreign policy decision. No doubt it was biased, but I thought I'd share these:

The International Crisis Group website, Predergast's think tank
and this op/ed from the Washington Post.

The church school class of one

This Sunday my class took a hit. The confirmation class started up, now much of my class is gone. Not that it was ever really big to start with. So today it was Ethan, Bruce (the other teacher), and myself.

By Parker's request (Parker who wasn't there Parker) we watched a clip from the Matrix. You know, that classic "blue pill" vs. "red pill" clip that was the faith-in-the-real-world/mainstream-media outreach tool in 2004.

So it was Ethan. Quiet Ethan. Ethan in sixth grade who plays tennis and has a turtle habitat cause his mom doesn't like dogs. Ethan who exists, says some stuff sometimes, drinks coke and looks at me like I'm crazy. So really the class was Bruce and I talking to each other, trying to give Ethan something to relate to. Somehow it wound up sounding a lot like my economics class.

Ethan picked Mission Impossible II for next week, that lesson from the book is all about "personal relationships"... that should be fun.

Middle Ages Tech Support

Reason 257 Brenda's awesome.

The Little Black Dress(es)

I've received the ultimate decision on this groom's maid dress business. Black dress, sleeveless, kneeish in length, and able to be worn with a sash. "Anything you get Katie, that will work." Thanks Neal.

So now I'll be up to four black dresses and a witch costume.

You would think I was goth. Still, it is better than tafetta and toole.

The Swiss are coming! The Swiss are coming!

My brother pointed me to this article.

You really have to wonder about the harmlessness of the Swiss. I really think they might be up to something grand, denying their so called claims to "neutrality."

Do you think those little knives will come with a compass standard now?

Cutting school to go to school

Today I called in. I left my precious children with enough work to keep them occupied if the substitute actually gives them the work that was left on my desk.

I'm working on my midterms, both of which are now well over halfway done. One is a powerpoint and a paper. The other is a multiple choice test on management.

I'm not really sure how you can give a midterm that is A) untimed and B) open book and C) for librarians. Between the index and the fact that every question has a major heading in the textbook (and that this test is in order that the book presents them in) it would seem impossible to fail.

And now it is time to play "Think Like a Communist"

We got our assignments for Model UN:

Guatemala
Finland
and the Democratic Republic of North Korea

Guess which one is the misnomer?