My two boys

InStyle's Look of the Day

The InStyle editors chose this ensemble, worn by Ivanka Trump. I like it, too -- I've always been fond of the look of silk, and the actual words "gray silk" just sound so luxurious and feminine. I think this outfit is so smart-looking, girlish but with a businesslike touch (as one might expect from The Donald's Progeny)












This outfit was also in the running:

Beautiful Angie Harmon wears an outfit that's closer to something I'd wear. Gotta love those brazen leopard-print boots that set off the monochromatic black; it's a look she sports very well. This one might've gotten my vote simply because it's Angie Harmon and I'm easily distracted by whether I am fonder of the wearer... but I think that the InStyle folks probably pegged the Trump togs correctly this time.

Weather...

As my Aunt Patti has stated, the whole state of Oklahoma is closed until further notice. And now, North Ruralville and much of the rest of northern Texas is also closed. They sent us home from school at 11 AM in the midst of stinging sleet, freezing rain and snow mixed all together. In Iowa, it might've shut down the rural districts in the same manner, but in The Big City we rarely were let go for such events because the sand/salt trucks would've been out in force. They don't spend money on stuff like that down here. What would be the point?

Any-hoo, I'm delighted to report that I'm going to get a nap this afternoon instead of popping a caffeine tablet with my lunch to prop my eyelids open. Wahoo!

By the way, I need to clarify something: "North Ruralville" is not really the name of the city I live in, or the high school I teach in. It's a euphemistic term that I invented. I do not wish to be widely known as a blogger here in my community, not because I want to spy on people, but because I'd like to keep my job. I don't -- I can't -- blog from school, so that avenue isn't going to be a problem, but if someone reads something I've written and takes offense, misinterprets, or is uncomfortable with it, I could be in trouble. I'd rather be safe than unemployed. I love my school and I love my students, and I'd like to stay here.

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:

When Not to Use Commas

With Compound Verbs

Do not use a comma to separate the paired parts in paired compound subjects or compound verbs.

Incorrect: She lets me watch her mom, and pop fight.
(Compound subject. No need for comma with the word and already there.)

Correct: She lets me watch her mom and pop fight.

Incorrect: They would argue over money, and scream about his late nights.
(Compound verb. No need for comma to separate the words fight and scream.)

Correct: They would argue over money and scream about his late nights.

With Subordinate Clauses

Commas do not set off subordinate clauses unless some specific comma rule applies, namely they are clauses in a series, or the clauses are functioning as appositives, nonrestrictive modifiers, or introductory adverb clauses.

Incorrect: He told me that I had better come, so that they would avoid serious trouble.
(Not a series. Not an appositive, nonrestrictive modifier, or introductory adverb clause.)

Correct: He told me that I had better come so that they would avoid serious trouble.

With Nouns and Modifying Adjectives

Do not use commas to separate a noun and its modifying adjectives when the adjectives come before the noun.

Incorrect: The bright red, car was a Corvette.

Correct: The bright red car was a Corvette.

Today's fortune cookie

Classy Timelessness

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

The "little black dress" never goes out of style, does it? Jessica Biel looks lovely in the classic DvF wrap dress. Even The Great One agrees.

You can't make this stuff up

LAKELAND, Fla. — A 45-year-old man was hospitalized after four sheriff's deputies rescued him from the jaws of a nearly 12-foot alligator Wednesday , while he was naked and high on crack cocaine.

I kid you not.

Not only that, but the guy's last name is "Apgar." I'm guessing his mama was also naked and high on whatever illegal substances were available 45 years ago, when he was born, and that's the first thing she remembers hearing right afterwards.

The White Death

They're expecting SNOW here tomorrow... yes, that's right, the nasty white stuff we moved to Texas to escape.

Everyone's in a dead panic. This morning on the radio, I actually heard the reporter-ette asking some expert, "What is the best way to remove ice from your windshield?"

I'm all, like, DUH, send your husband outside to do it. Hel-LO.

They're all freeeking out because it's GOING TO GO BELOW FREEZING. Maybe even, like, TEN DEGREES BELOW FREEZING.

Everybody panic!!!! The sky is falling!!!!

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:



Adding Commas for Clarity

Sometimes it is necessary to add a comma to make a sentence clear.

Unclear: In the kitchen cupboards were empty.
(Make it clear that the phrase is "in the kitchen," not "in the kitchen cupboards.")

Clear: In the kitchen, cupboards were empty.

Unclear: The room was full of crying babies and mothers.
(Were the mothers crying, too?)

Clear: The room was full of crying babies, and mothers.

Clear: The room was full of mothers and crying babies.

This is most humorously evident in the title of the book Eats Shoots And Leaves. If you put commas in the title, it might describe what a hungry gunfighter might do: Eats, Shoots, and Leaves. Without the commas, it describes what a panda's diet consists of: Eats Shoots and Leaves. Make sure you're clear and concise in these matters!

Today's fortune cookie

YESSSSS!!! [happy dancing]

Just a lovely day

Last Saturday, after I'd visited FrankJ and SarahK at Braum's in Decatur, Texas, I drove through Decatur's downtown area and stopped on the square at a couple of antique stores. I love browsing through them, even though I rarely make a purchase. I did buy one item for JoeMama, though -- they had these kewl little Christmas decorations made from glass bricks put together like a Christmas package with a bow wrapped around it, and there were Christmas lights inside it, and when you plugged it in it looked like a little present all lit up. Very inventive, I thought, and worth a 20-spot.

Decatur is the county seat of Wise County, and here's the awesome courthouse:
Isn't that awesome?

I also love it when downtown areas have those big advertisements painted all over a brick wall:


I think I'm going to drive back over there in the next few days and pick up one or two more of those cool glass-brick decorations -- one for me and one for my sister Hermanita.

Random photos

I thought I'd bore you with a few random photos I've managed to snag in the past week or so.
This is an interesting action shot I took while driving FM 922 west of Tioga, Texas. I wasn't aiming it or even looking at it, I just held the camera up with my left hand and took the picture while never taking my eyes off the road. There were several that didn't turn out to look like anything at all, but this one looked uber-cool, so I kept it. The lighted dial you see is really the reflection in my window, and the streak is a passing car.


Here's a Thanksgiving Day at Lake Texoma shot, looking up at the incredibly blue sky through some elm branches. That was some NICE weather, that's what.


And here are some oak leaves which had finally begun to blush a lovely shade of red.

I love taking pictures of things.

Pinko Libs In Charge Of News

Like that was a surprise, right?

Check out this headline, though:

Squirrel OK after fiery chimney surprise

Honestly!! That's a REAL HEADLINE. Of course, it's from Wisconsin, which explains the ridiculously liberal bent. Anyway, get this story:

The squirrel fell down a chimney at a Two Rivers home and landed in a fire in a fireplace Monday night, said Two Rivers Assistant Fire Chief Gary Shavlik.

The squirrel escaped the fire and ran around the house, Shavlik said.

Firefighters later caught it and called Wildlife of Wisconsin, an agency that helps wild animals. The squirrel suffered from bloody paws.

Yes, unbelievably, the durn rat SURVIVED and ran around the house. It would've been my luck that its tail would've caught fire as it escaped the chimney and would've set my house ablaze. How grateful the teary-eyed homeowner must've been to know that his house was not damaged AND the poor widdle skwerl had survived.

Bloody paws, indeed. A good fireplace screen could've solved this problem, and they could've had some roasted rat for a bedtime snack. Idiots. Gosh.

By the way, the hilarious skwerl pic was discovered on Flickr. Of course, the idiotic stupid squirrel was photographed in Austin, Texas -- the center of the known universe of idiotic and stupid liberalism.

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:

Commas with Quotations

Commas are used to set off the "he said/she said" clause. The comma always goes before the quotation marks.

Incorrect: Henrietta asked "Do you want to go with me?"
(Comma must set off "she said" clause.)

Incorrect: Henrietta asked",Do you want to go with me?"
(Comma must go before quotation mark.)

Correct: Henrietta asked,"Do you want to go with me?"

Incorrect: "I will go with you",Jane replied.
(Comma must go before quotation mark.)

Correct: "I will go with you,"Jane replied.

Correct: "Anyway," she said, "I have to go."
(Note the pattern when the clause is in the middle.)

A comma is not used to set off a "he said/she said" clause if the part of the quotation preceding the clause ends with a question mark or exclamation point.

Incorrect: "Why did you do that?," he asked.
(Comma not necessary)

Correct: "Why did you do that?" he asked.

Correct: "Hey!" he screamed. "Come back here!"
(Note that the question mark or exclamation point goes with the quotation, not with the "he said/she said" clause.)

Are y'all sick of commas yet? They're fascinating little critters and vastly misused... but try living without them and your writing will be strained and confusing. Better just to learn to use them effectively and appropriately.

Today's fortune cookie

I'm looking forward to it.

I went to the doctor today to have some of my med levels tweaked. My blood pressure, which had still been sky-high red-zone-level (200/150 was an average reading for me -- the nurse kept trying over again and finally said, "Don't you feel horrible with BP that high?" and I'd say "Why yes, yes I do feel like pigpoop, thanks."), was resting comfortably at 108/80 (wow!). I think that's the lowest it's been all year. This is a Very Good Thing; I'm quite sure that the severe bout of depression and confusion I began experiencing about a year and a half ago was just a symptom of my health going out of whack, and I didn't have the wherewithal to advocate for myself and actually deal with it. I know I hadn't felt right for a really long time. I sometimes wish I could rewind the past two years and re-do them as a healthy non-depressed person. Alas, that isn't possible.

I'm still not out of the woods, but things are surely looking up, regardless of what a little piece of paper baked into a stale cookie says. I say "looking up" because that's what you do when you're sitting at the bottom -- you look up. You look up, and you dodge what people are dumping down the hole.

Guess I'd better start climbing.

Thatsa Lotta Carrots

26.62, to be precise. I saw this photo on Reuters today and thought it was amazing. The diamond apparently belongs to a Belgian company and is on "tour" in China.

WOW. That's a hunka ice, no lie.

Cool party

It's the Marie Claire fashion awards in Spain, and Mischa Barton and Claudia Schiffer are hanging out with uber-weirdo Karl Lagerfeld. Yes, those are silver gloves he's wearing. Don't ask; I have no idea.

Mischa Barton is really, really pretty. She looks sweet in that white satin dress.

Claudia's got on a nice Chanel white silk that's quite classy and which defers to its designer standing next to her. For some goofy reason her face has always reminded me of HotLips Hulahan; why is that?

I tend not to care for Lagerfeld's style, which leans toward pretentious and stuffy country-clubbish, but I like that dress Schiffer's sporting. Of course I could never wear it myself, but the artist in me appreciates beauty and aesthetic merit when I see it. I actually could see my little sister wearing it and looking even more stunning than usual...

Res-what?

Resveratrol... pronounced res VEH ruh trawl... and as I was catching up on some back podcasts of The Naked Scientists today during my conference period while grading papers, this piqued my interest (scroll down to the first item under the heading "Text Transcript.") Dr. Chris isn't the only one I've heard mention this recent study, but I don't remember where else I heard it. Nonetheless, I thought it worth a mention here.

CBS also put up an article about it: More On Resveratrol

It's tempting to rush right out and grab up the Resveratrol supplements, but I can't find on the internet anywhere what a proper dose of the stuff should be -- and until someone gives me that information, I'll wait on that GNC purchase. For all I know, I'd need to take an entire bottle of one brand each day, and another brand might overdose me with half a capsule.

At any rate, it's an extremely interesting study and I look forward to hearing more about this substance and its possible health benefits in the (hopefully near) future.

Help Wanted

[snicker]

Wonder if they'd let me join the group with my Daisy pellet gun so I could eliminate any greys we saw? I'd be happy to oblige.

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:

Commas in Numbers

In numbers of more than three digits, use a comma after every third digit from right to left.

Incorrect: The area of North America is approximately 9435000 square miles.

Correct: The area of North America is approximately 9,435,000 square miles. (This is much easier to read.)

Numbers which normally do not take commas are ZIP codes, phone numbers, page numbers, serial numbers, house numbers, and dates of years.

Many European countries use a comma in place of the decimal point and use periods or blank spaces to separate every third digit.

United States: 2,367.48 francs

France: 2.367,48 francs or 2 367,48 francs

Today's fortune cookie

Hmm. I could argue with this one, but then, I'm the one whose personal motto is "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission." But in general, no, I don't think this one's right at all. But it depends on your interpretation of "wrongdoing." If it's a moral sort of question, then no. But if I'm Chinese and the government of China decrees "one child only" and I get pregnant with my second, I'm going to do everything within my power to make sure they don't force me to kill that baby.

I Heart Derb

John Derbyshire of NRO, that is. He's a mathematician, an author, and an incredibly interesting (if dorky-looking) guy who seems like he'd be a hilarious person to have as a neighbor.

His Notes On Power-Washers, from today's NRO blog.

Trying to overcome the nagging feeling...

I'm trying to kick this nagging thought that's been in the back of my head for a while now... the thought that somehow this whole thing -- the move, the job, the church -- is a punishment. I think -- no, I know -- that I've been in a funk for a while, and this is one of the symptoms.

It's difficult to put my finger on it, mainly because I'm so foggy-minded and unsure of myself. I don't know "how to be", I guess. I'm living in a constant state of fear and depression. This small town, is it going to be my home for a long time? Can I let down my guard and actually get to know someone, make a friend and develop a lasting relationship? I think that the fear of doing this is what's driving me further downward. Kind-of like a mild form of attachment disorder, maybe. Are these people going to let me down and reject me and make me feel even more like a loser than I already do? Obviously, an unstable environment is not a healthy one for me.

When we moved to Iowa, I didn't have this much trouble, mainly because I had a built-in support system with the church we went there to assist.

Here, I don't have that. Yes, my family is nearby, but it's not the same.

I have made attempts to be friendly and to ingratiate myself with those around me, but in a way I think they've "steeled themselves" against me as well... I'm just another one of the teachers who are just passing through on their way to somewhere else, so why get to be friends with me?

The students aren't that way, I'm grateful to say. They've been terrific. But Rick and I need some other couples to befriend and spend time with; this little church just can't offer that. The isolation is almost unbearable.

Special Music!!

Very, very special indeed.



In Baptist churches in the South, for as long as I can remember, whenever someone sings a solo during the worship service it's been labeled "special music" in the program (or, as it was called when I was younger, the "bulletin").

I'm not a huge fan of "special music" as it's usually manifested itself, mainly as a performance vehicle in which the person performing seeks the attention and approval of the captive audience in the church building. It's like Holy Karaoke most of the time; they hear a cool song on the Christian radio station and run right out to the Christian bookstore and buy an accompaniment track so they can show everyone at church how much they can sound like the Famous Christian Singer.

I'd rather actually go to a karaoke bar; at least those people tend not to take themselves seriously when they're up there, and everyone gets the equal chance to participate. Plus, if it's really bad, you can hoot and laugh or even leave for a few minutes until they're done -- but why leave when you can be entertained by the sheer badness? In church, you have to pretend it's lovely, because it would be so unGodly to hurt the performer's feelings, you know.

I tend to view church music... or rather, worship, encompassing music as well as other forms of sincere praise aimed only at God and not at anyone else... with deep respect and a passionate desire to do it free from the piddly aims of human approval. I don't get to do that at this church, nor at many churches I've ever been in... which has unfortunately resulted in an unconscious "steeling myself" stance whenever I go to church. It's a coping mechanism, I suppose.

Anyway, back to the photo at the beginning of this post. This gentleman came to our church a few Sundays back and played his bagpipes for us. Not well, mind you. I'm sure he's a genuinely nice fellow, and maybe he's actually really good -- how can you tell, with bagpipes? -- at any rate, I suffered through it with a smile and the thought that this would make great blog fodder, if nothing else.

Cool new gadget

An idea whose time has come (in my opinion, anyway)

For only $10K, you can install a wind generator in your yard which could potentially supply all the electricity your home will need, according to Popular Science magazine.

More kitchen fun

Here's a pic of the wallpaper in the kitchen.



There's a similar border in my bedroom, only the walls are pink (what else?) and the border is of mauve-y pink cabbage roses.

If they have to commit me to a long-term mental health facility, you'll know what pushed me over the edge.

Cleaning an oven

I don't know if you can quite tell, but this was a very nasty, disgusting oven. It was so gross inside that I was afraid to use the self-cleaning feature for fear I'd set off all the alarms and have to call the fire department. So instead I sprayed it copiously with Easy-Off Fume-Free Formula, waited the prescribed amount of time, and began wiping.

Words can't describe the vile nastiness of this. The only thing that would've made this worse would have been if it were sewage... but it was definitely slimy, sticky, and tarry brown. GAG!!!

At least we didn't have to buy a new one, right? A little elbow grease and it's good as new.

[shudder]

Now for the carpets... we haven't even begun to tackle THAT nastiness.

FYI

The man who fell into the upholstery machine? He's fully recovered.

The InStyle Look of the Day

Gwyneth Paltrow, looking smoov in a black trenchcoat and knee boots on a London sidewalk.

I don't have a black trenchcoat, but I did manage to pick up a terrific black corduroy double-breasted jacket a few weeks ago at a total steal. I also have some terrific knee-high boots, but I don't know that they'd go together per se.

I don't like her hair in this shot, but London weather probably isn't conducive to perfect coiffures, so I won't fault her. Mine would look a fright, I'm certain. Particularly if I had paparazzi snapping photos of me at every spare moment. I might have my picture plastered somewhere with the caption, "MANGA HAIR!" or something equally horrifying.

(Photo from InStyle magazine's web site)

Corn Casserole

While living in Iowa, I was blessed to be able to spend many Thanksgiving Day celebrations with my best friend Cindy. One of the traditional dishes in her house is Corn Casserole. An unassuming name and a very simple-to-make dish, but it sure is good. Since we were apart this year, I made two pans of it this year, one to take to each one of our family celebrations. It was a new addition to our families, and as I expected, I got several requests for the recipe.

So, without further ado, here it goes:

1 can whole-kernel corn
1 can cream-style corn
1 package of cornbread mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick of butter

I also add a handful or so of shredded cheese, but that's optional.

Dump all of those into a baking dish (don't drain the corn, just dump it juice-n-all) and bake it at 350 degrees until the middle cracks and the sides pull away from the pan.

I always double the recipe at least; this time around, I tripled it for each pan and used a roaster pan instead of a regular oblong baking dish. When you double or triple it, though, you might want to decrease the baking temp to 325 and keep an eye on it; when it begins to brown, cover it with foil. Take it out every so often and give it a little jostle; if it's still liquidy in the middle, give it a little more time.

Soooooo yummy!!!

Oklahoma Sooners Win!!

Boomer Sooner!

OU 27, OSU 21. Smackdown!!!
And thanks to that bee-YEW-tifull whuppin' that Texas A&M delivered to the short-horns yesterday, we're headed for the Big 12 Cham-peen-ship game in Kansas City.

In an interesting aside, I just read on ESPN that the replay official for the OU-Oregon game back earlier in the season admits that he knew that last onside-kick call was bad... we'd be 11-1 now instead of 10-2 if they'd've called that game right. I was hoppin' mad that day; it was blatantly wrong and the officials had seemed to spend the entire day jerking the rug out from under the Sooners.

Nonetheless, we're going to deliver some hiney-kickin' to the New-braska Cornyboys.

And a little something for my bestest pal EVER...

GIG 'EM AGGIES!!!

Texas A&M beats the short-horns today, 12-7

Guess who I got to have lunch with today?!?!?

[happy dancing]

I got to see SarahK and FrankJ!! Wheeeeeee!!!



They were here from FLAH-ri-duh to visit all the kinfolk on HER side of the tree, and I managed to snag a Braum's limeade and an order of fries with them. Of course, Sarah's still not feeling well -- I sincerely hope they get her ailment figured out and treated properly, because it is no fun to be miserable.

Nonetheless, it was awesome to see them and visit with them; it's been almost a year since I saw them (at their wedding, where I played the pi-anner). They're as hilarious as always.

I heart them. :)

Did you know...

Did you know that there's a Muslim Cemetery on Highway 380 west of Denton? I didn't... not until today, anyway.

I was on my way to Decatur to have lunch at Braum's with a couple of dear friends (about whom I'll blog next) when I drove by this:



Of course, you know this meant that I had to stop and check it out for myself. I turned north onto the road beside the cemetery and drove to the entrance:



And I noticed that there was a sign next to the gate:



If it's too hard to read, here's a transcription for you:

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

MUSLIM CEMETERY, INC.

Rules Of Cemetery

1. Islamic laws govern all matters concerning this cemetery.
2. Only a Muslim male, female or child is allowed to be buried at this cemetery.
3. The deceased or family has only interment rights to be buried, but they don't own any part of this cemetery.
4. Family of deceased agrees to abide by all rules issued by the board of directors of this cemetery.
5. Visitors must respect privacy of occupants of the graves, avoid making noises or walking on top of graves.
6. No monument or other memorial tree, or plant of any kind shall be placed on any grave.
7. Walking, standing or sitting on top of graves is prohibited.
8. Tanned leather footwear is prohibited, only shoes made of synthetic materials can be worn among graves.
9. Burial at this cemetery is forbidden at these times: during sunrise, during sunset, at high noon, at night.
10. No Muslim is buried at this cemetery without being bathed and prayed for.

The car-sized gate was locked, but I could've gone through this little turnstile and visited the "occupants" if I'd wished, but I figured it would be better if I didn't.



Just thought you'd find it as interesting as I did. Not that folks don't get to have their own cemeteries or anything... but it's just not every day a yokel like me comes across something like this.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all

Happy Thanksgiving

from the
Wood Family

The Soundtrack of Your Life

Saw this interesting meme over at Purple Fish Guts some time back and wanted to do it, but I had some housekeeping to do with my iTunes, so it had to wait until now. Here's the deal:

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here's how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.

Opening Credits: P. O. D. - Execute The Sounds
Waking Up: Scott Joplin - Weeping Willow Rag
First Day At School: The Beach Boys - Fun Fun Fun
Falling In Love: Giorgio Costantini - Tempesta (oh, yeah, definitely... that's some seriously emotional and turbulent piano music, no doubt)
Fight Song: James Brown - Think
Breaking Up: Shakira - Whenever, Wherever (bwa ha ha!!)
Prom: John Studebaker - For Lovin' You
Life: MercyMe - My Heart Is Spoken For
Mental Breakdown: The Police - Invisible Sun (oh. my. word. that is incredible... "I dont want to spend my time in hell / Looking at the walls of a prison cell... There has to be an invisible sun / It gives its heat to everyone / There has to be an invisible sun / That gives us hope when the whole days done)
Driving: P. O. D. - Set It Off (oh YEAH, that song is dangerous to drive to!!)
Flashback: Coldplay - Amsterdam (wow... that's appropriate)
Getting back together: Debussy - Tarantelle Styrienne (snicker... that song always sounds like little frolicking mice dashing around a meadow)
Wedding: Sarah McLachlan - Drifting (wincing...)
Birth of Child: Sam Salomone - Big Chief (fer sure... some smokin'-hot B3 action... dunno how that corresponds with childbirth, except that it's great party music)
Final Battle: Bryan Adams - Right Here Waiting (hmm...)
Death Scene: Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D (Andante), Op. 35 (perfect!!)
Funeral Song: Allele - Misunderstood (holy smokes... that's pretty hard stuff for a funeral.)
End Credits: Chuck Berry - Route 66 (wheeee!!!)

David St. Hubbins Wins at Jeopardy!

Okay, actually it's actor Michael McKean, the guy who portrayed rocker David St. Hubbins on the hilarious mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. But he's super-smart, dude! And he beat out Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to win Celebrity Jeopardy... hee hee!

It's such a fine line between stupid and clever, you know.

Template frustrations

Yes, I can see that my titles and my posts are all now coming through in a justified format whenever they're long enough to make a wrap. I made a couple of tweaks a few weeks ago, but I didn't think I'd added that little gem to the mix. Now I can't figure out where in the gobbledygook HTML that's coming from.

Anyone out there an HTML expert who can fix this danged issue for me? Assume I'm really, really stupid when it comes to HTML, k?

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:

Commas with Geographical Names

When a geographical name or location has two or more parts to it, use a comma after each different type of part. A second comma follows the last item, unless it comes at the end of the sentence.

Incorrect: I meant Pittsburg Kansas instead of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
(Commas needed to separate city and state)

Incorrect: I meant Pittsburg, Kansas instead of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
(Comma needed after last item, Kansas)

Correct: I meant Pittsburg, Kansas, instead of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

If the parts are joined by a preposition, no comma is needed.

Incorrect: I meant Pittsburg, in Kansas, instead of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania.

Correct: I meant Pittsburg in Kansas instead of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.

Today's fortune cookie

Thanksgiving Break

I have to work tomorrow, but the students of North Ruralville are out for Thanksgiving. I can't begin to adequately express the relief I am experiencing at having a break. I desperately need to play catch-up with lesson plans and grading and such.

The holidays will be spent doing a Day-Long Drive-By through southern Oklahoma. First stop: Madill, Oklahoma, at the Baptist Retirement Village where my dad's mom lives. Dad's whole family will be gathering there for the noon meal.

Afterwards it's a few miles east, to Kingston and our family's cabin on Lake Texoma. There, a number of my mom's side of the family will be gathering to share the evening meal.

My kids left with JoeMama this afternoon for the Texoma cabin. Mom's going up there a couple of days early to start getting things ready, and she offered to take the kids up there. I can't believe they agreed to it, actually, because there's no HOT TUB at the cabin, but I think they were lured away by the novelty of "going somewhere else" besides home. Hey -- just means more peace & quiet around here. Besides, I might actually get a few things done.

Because it's Tuesday evening

Here are 100 things... you take the meme for your blog and boldface the ones that you yourself have done. Here's the ones I've done:

Still Speaking...

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink - I'm a musician. They're supposed to give me free ones; I don't buy. LOL they always look at you funny when you ask for a Pepsi.
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain - in Estes Park, Colorado
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive - I'd be afraid I'd never bring it back
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it!
9. Hugged a tree - Duh! I read "The Giving Tree" and believed it.
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris - Paris, France AND Paris, Texas. Actually lived in Paris, Texas and even graduated from Paris High School in 1985. How cool is that?
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights - spectacular thing to see
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables - You haven't lived until you've tasted your own home-grown produce... waaaay better than store-bought.
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper - too many to count... sheesh... been peed on AND pooped on, too. All in a mom's job description, I believe.
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Drunk tequila - not straight! gag! Only in a margarita, I think.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - during a funeral
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Scored a winning goal - I'm not so good at sports
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day - I used to do this kind of thing when I was really little. I had a record-player and a lot of those little read-along books, and one of them was some British guy reading "The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter" and I imitated him pretty well.
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Visited all 7 continents
40. Taken care of someone who was drunk
41. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
42. Watched wild whales
43. Stolen a sign
44. Backpacked
45. Taken a road-trip
46. Gone rock climbing
47. Midnight walk on the beach
45. Gone sky diving
49. Taken a train through Europe - took a bus, but not a train.
50. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
51. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table, and had a meal with them
52. Milked a cow
53. Alphabetized your CDs
54. Sung karaoke - with the lovely and talented SarahK
55. Lounged around in bed all day
56. Gone scuba diving
57. Kissed in the rain
58. Gone to a drive-in theatre - I saw the original "Superman" at a drive-in theater back when that movie was first released.
59. Started a business
60. Taken a martial arts class
61. Been in a movie
62. Crashed a party
63. Gone without food for 5 days - I think I went for seven days once.
64. Gotten a tattoo
65. Got flowers for no reason
66. Performed on stage - Oh, yeah, baby! Loved it, too!
67. Been to Las Vegas
68. Recorded music - Yep!! One of the highlights of my life.
69. Eaten shark
70. Buried one/both of your parents
71. Been on a cruise ship
72. Spoken more than one language fluently
73. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over - I think we just did that.
74. Walked a famous bridge - The Golden Gate Bridge... the London Bridge... the Brooklyn Bridge
75. Had plastic surgery
76. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
78. Wrote articles for a large publication
79. Tried to lose weight seriously
80. Piloted an airplane
80. Petted a stingray
81. Broken someone’s heart
82. Broken a bone
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Parasailed
86. Skipped all your school reunions - I hate school reunions. I didn't like school that much when I was in it, much less now that I'm out of it.
87. Shaved your head
88. Caused a car accident
89. Pretended to be “sick” - Does taking a "Mental Health Day" count?
90. Swam in the Pacific Ocean
91. Saved someone’s life - my two-year-old was drowning and I got to her before the lifeguard could
92. Fainted - five times in the two days following my last surgery; they should NOT have sent me home so soon.
93. Been in the room while someone is giving birth - My own son's, of course, but I also assisted a good friend during her delivery as well. It's an awesome experience.
94. Hitchhiked
95. Adopted a child - Twice!
96. Been caught daydreaming - Tcha! I have ADD; daydreaming is a specialty of mine.
97. Been to the Painted Desert - Absolutely... it's amazing.
98. Called off a wedding engagement
99. Donated your blood - I'm A-positive; what are you?
100. Had an out-of-body experience

Today's English lesson

From EnglishPlus:

Just Being A-Comma-Dating

Commas with Dates

When a date is made up of two or more parts, use a comma to separate the parts when the parts both are words or both are numbers. A second comma follows the last item unless it is at the end of a list or sentence.

Incorrect: We will meet Friday July 15.
(Word Friday followed by another word, July--comma needed)

Correct: We will meet Friday, July 15.

Incorrect: October 31, 1517 is one of the most significant dates in history.
(The comma between the two numbers is OK, but a second comma is needed after the last item, 1517.)

Correct: October 31, 1517, is one of the most significant dates in history.

Incorrect: October, 1517, was a major month in history.
(No commas needed because word October is followed by a number, 1517.)

Correct: October 1517 was a major month in history.

If the parts of the date are connected by a preposition, no comma is needed.

Incorrect: On a Sunday, in December 1941, the U.S. found itself in World War II.
(No comma needed since the preposition in is there.)

Correct: On a Sunday in December 1941, the U.S. found itself in World War II.

Today's fortune cookie

Anything sounds better in Latin

There are moments -- particularly during my third period or my sixth period -- when such a phrase would bear great significance:

Antiquis temporibus, nati tibi similes in rupibus ventosissimis exponebantur ad necem.

(Or, translated: In the good old days, children like you were left to perish on windswept crags.)

Sneak-Teaching

Notice the intense focus of these two freshmen boys as they strive to complete a magnetic Tangram puzzle... what's fun is that they think they're goofing off during their Activity Period. Ha! I put out these magnetic tangram puzzles and a boatload of little magnetic words, and my filing cabinet is now the Center of the Known Universe. I can't get the kids to leave them alone, frankly, and I think it's wonderful. The ones who spend time working on this usually end up being more focused once class actually starts.

It's a beautiful thing, being a Sneaky Teacher.

Spa Kids

Just a little fun in the hot-tub on these cool, crisp November evenings... it's becoming a nightly ritual, I think.

Quote

From Cicero:

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.

My Volleyball Girls Have Won State!!!!

The varsity girls' volleyball team from North Ruralville have done it! They've won the state championship!!

[happy dancing]

Funny site of the day

The SlangSite

Need an all-purpose expletive that won't get you in trouble? Try "Agamemnon eats toast!"

Or have you ever heard something that was so ASININE that it could only merit an ASINEIGHT?

Ever met an "attritionist?" It's someone who's intentionally abrasive and rude in an attempt to make you go away.

There is some funny, funny stuff there... go check it out. Just don't blame me if you're still sitting in front of the computer six hours from now, doubled over with laughter.

Put me in the cockpit; I'm ready to roll!!

You scored as Air Force. Cross into the blue, soldier, because you belong in the U.S. Air Force. With technology that is years ahead of anyone else, your service has reigned supreme and undefeated in the skies since the late 60s. But you tend to be looked down upon by other branches as elitist and even a little cowardly.

Air Force		86%
Marines		75%
Navy		54%
Army		25%
Coast Guard		14%

Which branch of the Military are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

The Father of our Country

The original George W. had a lot of interesting things to say. I stumbled across this quote this evening and felt its truth to be transcendent:

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.

--George Washington

Warm Tub

I couldn't really call it a "hot" tub... perhaps a "Tepid Tub" might've been more accurate. I obviously have a lot to learn about how to run the Hot Spring Portable Spa in the sun room... but I did actually give it a try tonight, and it wasn't bad. I hope I can coax it to warm up a little more, however. I'll hunt around online for an owner's manual for this model, since the actual original one would have been LONG gone by now.

One thing about moving into a house where senior citizens have lived is that you begin to realize the difficulties created by people who can't see well. I know that these two folks aren't filthy people by any stretch of the imagination, and that if they could've actually SEEN the crud they wouldn't have lived with it.

I'm going to think that way, anyway.

And I'm going to spend some time with the mop tomorrow. I wish that I could spend more time with it, but there's only one room with vinyl flooring -- the laundry room. No, not even the kitchen. It's carpeted. And it's gross. Beyond gross, really. I'm at a loss about what to do about it, too. I'm thinking perhaps of just laying down some of those plastic mats so that I don't have to walk on it.

The oven is truly horrendous, too. I'm not sure it's ever been cleaned in its entire life. We have a LOT of work to do, and I don't even begin to have time to do it. I should be spending several hours at school tomorrow in my classroom, but I doubt that I get around to it.

The kids are spending the night with my sister and her husband in Fort Worth tonight, so life's pretty quiet here -- hence the spa experimentation. Rick has his DISH network and all his channels to surf, so I'm truly having a peaceful, long-sought isolation. As I've said before, I am by nature a solitary person and must have some private alone-time to recharge my batteries. I'm not a misanthrope, but I can appear to be so IF I am feeling drained of reserves.

As I drain the last bit of warm coffee from my snowman mug, I bid you all a warm Good Night.

The Manolo, he has done it again

The Shoeblogger himself, he has discovered THE SHOES that I wish I could have, yet again. Just LOOK at these terrific little Fluevogs:
Can these possibly be any more awesome? Tough, yet oh-so-feminine at the same time... it's the Harley-Davidson Goes To Sunday School shoe! Perfect for me! hee hee

Happy Ides of November!!

These leaves belonged to a lovely tree near our hotel room in Nashville last weekend. Aren't they lovely? They positively glowed, they were so bright. It's impossible to capture that, I think. Or very difficult, at least.

This week, my freshmen are beginning a unit on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I'm giving them some background information on the author first; Madame Shelley had a rather tragic life. I was talking to one of my classes today about the hardships that go along with being raised in a stepfamily, and one of my girls was quietly wiping away tears. I happen to know that she's in a very repressive and unhappy stepmom relationship and I think our class discussion touched a raw nerve. Poor kid. Anyway, there's a lot of interesting background on the story; I'm hoping it will make up for the exceedingly difficult 200-year-old English that it's written in. It's worse than Shakespeare, in my opinion, even though Shakespeare is quite a bit older. At least in Shakespeare, it's almost a complete other language altogether, so you can go about it like you're translating it. With this, it's got a lot of familiar words that don't mean the same thing anymore. Plus, it's just denser; there's something to be said for the brevity forced upon one when one must write everything in blank verse.

I've been incredibly busy this week... I apologize for the appalling lack of goofy, dorky posts. I want so badly to do a good job teaching English here in North Ruralville, and I'm so afraid I'll do something else to screw it up. I feel like a paramecium under a microscope... squished flat between two slices of glass and examined under very bright light. It's not a position I relish, particulary when I'm still a bit unfamiliar with everything and everyone and I don't know what to expect next. Plum skeery, it is. But I love my students dearly and feel very responsible to give them my best. Hope the administration sees it.