Random Thoughts

Take the girl...

2007-12-14T20:14:00.000-06:00

There is definite truth to the old saying... you can take the girl out of the newsroom but you can't take the newsroom out of the girl. Recent events have once again held that up.

It's been nearly a year and a half now since I left the news business. I'm in my second year of teaching. Yet, my antennae still twitch when I notice something newsworthy, at least potentially. I immediately start thinking of how quickly a news crew could make it to the scene, how many should be sent, can I get video or still pictures now without waiting for the crew, etc.

For example, when driving home and I see swat teams with really big guns swarming a local farm house (turned out to be a training exercise), or it starts snowing at the beginning of what's predicted to be a major snow storm, or I see cars that have slid off the road during an ice storm. It doesn't take much.

The thing is, since I'm no longer an official member of the media when I do see these things and call the local TV stations I'm often brushed off as another crazy viewer who's seeing things. It's only when I get ahold of someone I once worked with that I'm treated like a reasonably sane person.

I doubt the folks on the other end of the phone ever realize I know exactly what they're thinking of me as they fob me off with an, "I'll be sure to pass that on" or "We'll check into that". But see, I used to use those same lines on folks who would call in about seeing UFOs or political conspiracies, etc. So, I recognize when it's being done to me.

Highly frustrating. I can see now, why so many journalists who leave the business eventually do return. Not that I have any such plans. I'm committed to teaching. But, it's easy to see why others do.

Nimitz' Lady

Halloween, Part Deux

2007-11-03T15:29:00.001-05:00

Check out more Halloween pictures on Flickr from actual Halloween trick or treating. Also, pictures from the guys latest experment, Mentos and pop. They got one nice eruption. JBP wants to try again.

Halloween, Part Un

2007-10-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

We had our first taste of Halloween today. I've spent more on JBP's costume this year than I've ever spent on any Halloween costume. Ever! But he was so in love with it I just coulcn't refuse. I remember too often having to go without something I wanted so desperately. I don't always say yes, but this time I did.

The costume is Sir Peter of Wolfsbane, from the Chronicles of Narnia. Of course, being the contrarian that JBP is, he prefers to think of it as Sir Edmund. For some reason, JBP identifies much more strongly with the fallible Edmund than with the near-perfect Peter.

However, since we spent so much, I told him he has to get our money's worth out of it. That means wearing it as much as possible.

Tonight, we attended the trick-or-treating event at the local zoo. Wednesday at school they have a costume party. And then, of course, is the big night itself.

Check out Flickr (link to your right!) for the latest photos. Of course, we'll be updating with each new event.

Nimitz' Lady

Weighty Matters

2007-10-14T21:08:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Nimitz' Lady's Mom:

All's Quiet on the Home Front

2007-10-14T20:38:00.001-05:00

After a weekend of hectic activity due to four kids 16 and under in the house, all seems waaaay too quiet. BRING THEM BACK!

The good news, a good time was had by all.

Die Spielerin and La Moldova, another exchange student at our church from the eastern european country of Moldova, tried to go to a movie last night. The whole project didn't turn out so well. Their first choice movie ended up being sold out when they got there. They're second choice ended up being Rated R and the theater was actually checking ID's and rejecting patrons under the age of 17. Very rare. So, they spent an hour or so at Freddy's Frozen Yogurt next door to the theater, and then called for a ride home.

JBP and his friend, Soccer Boy, got to stay up late and watch a movie at home. Then, they slept on the sofabed downstairs. We also baked sugar cookies. They had a great time.

Today, the boys decorated their sugar cookies, played computer games, had pillow fights, went swimming at the Y and generally raised heck.

The girls did Die Spielerin's homework. She's in a Foods & Textiles class and had a homework assignment to plan, shop for and cook a meal for the family. She and La Moldova spent most of the morning cooking up a storm.

They prepared chocolage chip cookies, sweet potato bread, fruit cocktail with vanilla pudding and German pancakes.

For the pancakes they used my Der Deutscher's grandmother's recipe. It was the height of irony, as Der Deutscher, to have an American teaching a German how to prepare a traditional German dish.

The meal, and the weekend, was a great success.

Full House

2007-10-13T15:55:00.000-05:00

I have a full house this weekend. Both Die Spielerin and JBP have friends over for sleepovers.

The girls are fine. They're old enough to take care of themselves.

However, two young men, in the 7 to 8 year old range, is quite a challenge. Mostly, they keep each other occupied, except when their rough-housing ends up with one injured and the two arguing, or they disagree over what to do or what to watch, or, or , or.

You get the idea.

I'm about ready to forcibly drag the two of them to the park so they can work off some of their energy.

Nimitz' Lady

Explosive Fun

2007-10-10T21:55:00.000-05:00

JBP finally got to carry out a Mythbusters science experiment he's been waiting to do for weeks.

It has to do with chemical reactions (baking soda and vinegar) and pressure (mixed in a corked bottle). The idea is to build up enough pressure inside the bottle to pop the cork in an explosive manner. Needless to say, this was carried out under close adult supervision. Or, to put it another way, Der Deutscher ended up doing most of the work.

Here's a visual tour of the experiment.

Step #1: Mix the ingredients.

Step #2: Shake things up.

Step #3: Marvel at the explosion.

Step #4: Sit back and enjoy a job well done.

Nimitz' Lady

Popping up for air

2007-10-06T21:17:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the long absence folks. This fall has been busier than I'd ever imagined teaching could be.

It's not just the teaching, like last year. I'm also taking courses in education to eventually get a full license. Right now I only have a license to teach Spanish at my high school. I can't teach anything else, anywhere else.

Plus, I was trying to help a group of my students raise money for a trip to Spain next spring. Yes, I said "was".

I started out with a group of nearly 20 kids saying they wanted to go. Once they found out the cost, it fell to about 13. Then, I lost about a student a week for a few weeks. Finally, I was down to what I thought was a solid group of seven students. Then, three more dropped out. I told the kids they had to sign up with the program online and make their downpayment by midnight Friday. They didn't. I cancelled the trip. I wasn't about to start fundraising for an event that might not happen. I'd feel like I was defrauding the public.

In other news, I got to hang out with some old friends from my last TV job last weekend. On Friday, the sports guys came out to my high school for Football Friday. I was always close to the guys in the sports department. Probably my tom boy roots showing. Then, on Saturday, I attended the Race for the Cure, which is a big event for the female evening anchor.

JBP, Der Deutscher, Die Spielerin and I are all proud to say we completed the 5K walk. Die Spielerin is to be especially commended as we completely forgot to tell her about the annual event until we rousted her out of bed that morning!

On Monday, I had a student who'd seen me hanging out with the sports guys on Friday, ask me why I wasn't in news anymore. "You looked so happy!" she said.

I told her being in the field, liveshots, etc, were what I'd liked the most about the TV biz and I never got to do it anymore and wasn't going to be able to do it again in this market and had no chance of moving on to a station outside this market.

I also told her teaching makes me just as happy!

Meanwhile, last week was Homecoming at our high school. Die Spielerin (the exchange student living with us) chose to go to the game and dance afterward. Her opinion of the whole event, the festivities were lots of fun, the game was boring. She so fits in with us. She's going to love basketball season.

On that note, I'm signing off for the night. Don't know when I'll be back, so check in regularly.

Nimitz' Lady

One down...

2007-09-09T20:14:00.000-05:00

My second class on my way to an official teacher's license begins tomorrow. I've already completed assignment number 1.

While I'm still a little worried about the technology holding up and not screwing up my work I do like the fact that I was able to get online and do all the work required for the first assignment a day before the class officially starts.

And I wasn't the first one to do so. Okay. So I was the second one.

I figure if I can keep this up I should be able to finish the class in about a week or two. Of course, that depends on how detailed the rest of the assignments get.

Wish me luck.
Nimitz' Lady

Ouch!

2007-09-09T20:08:00.000-05:00

I took the kids rollerskating this afternoon. JBP had been asking to go for a few weeks and I figured it was an All American sort of activity Die Spielerin should be exposed to.

She took to rollerskating pretty quickly. Only one or two falls. I think previous ice skating experience stood her in good stead.

JBP's skills on skates are rapidly improving. Despite numerous falls, on his rear, elbows, chin and every other body part you can name, he was grinningly ecstatic to be there.

I, however, appear to have the most lasting war wound from our afternoon. It's been more than a year since I'd been skating, and only sporadic before that. Plus, these skates were different from what I'm used to. More like the height of tennis shoes than high tops. I need that extra support (I can sprain an ankle by looking at it angled!).

I only took about three falls, all told. But on one of them I landed quite hard on my left glute. It's still aching more than four hours later. I have a feeling tomorrow's gonna huuuu-rrrrt!

Nimitz' Lady

p.s. I've got photos which I'll post later. Unfortunately, I took them on my cell phone and it ran out of juice. It's currently on "life-support", or the charger as it's more commonly called.

A Little of This....

2007-08-29T20:29:00.000-05:00

a little of that.

*Observation #1: Today was the first time I had to have an observer from my university in my classroom. It's part of the State's requirement to allow me in a classroom at all. I have to have someone come "observe" me at least twice a semester. I wasn't nervous about that, until she told me she'd need a copy of my lesson plan for the day. Then I started sweating bullets. I just jumped into this teaching thing feet first. NO training! So I pretty much do lesson plans like a Newscast Rundown -- a bunch of slugs indicating what each "story" (lesson) is about.

The good news, she was happy with what she saw. Wrote a note on the top of my observation sheet: What a model classroom.

This, despite the fact I was late getting class started because printers weren't working and I had trouble getting quizzes printed. Then, when I passed the quizzes out a student asked, "Are there supposed to be two Es and two Fs?"

I had mislabeled the pictures as: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, E, F, H.

If today is what she considers a "model" classroom I'd hate to find out what she considers a badly run one!

*The Rain in Spain... : Tomorrow I find out how many of my students will, perhaps, experience said event. I hold the first organizational meeting tomorrow after school for a trip to Spain next Spring/Summer.

I'm hoping at least 12 students will sign up for the trip. For every six students the program takes a chaperone for free. Twelve students means another adult can come with me.

I'm excited, scared and hopeful all at the same time. Mostly I just don't want all the students who are interested in traveling to give up because of the cost.

*Dancing in our Seats: JBP and I did the seat dance today on the way home from school. He's been in school more than a week now. No (major) behavioral problems, only a couple minor ones.

Today he had a sub, last year a sure sign of major trouble, and he didn't have to pull a single tab (in other words not even a warning!). So, we did the Happy Dance in our seats.

He also took three AR (accelerated reading) tests and got 100% on all of them. My boy is growing up and learning loads!

Nimitz' Lady

Dangerous Apathetic-ness

2007-08-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

Went to get my driver's license renewed today. You'll never guess what happened. The lack of caring about quality by government workers reached a new high. Or is that low?

In my state, to renew a driver's license you're mailed a test along with an instructional booklet with all the answers in it. All you have to do is take the test, at home, bring it in and have it graded to get your new license.

Me, being me, lost the test. So, today I went in expecting to have to take a standard written test, closed book. When I got there the lady at the first window told me I would take it open book. Ok. Whatever.

Then I moved on to the second window and paid. From there I went to the third window and got my picture taken.

At which point the lady at window #3 told me, "That's it. You're new license will be mailed to you."

Duh-wah? When I reminded her I was supposed to take the test, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, I already took your picture, so I guess you're done. Have a great day."

I remain flabbergasted!

Nimitz' Lady

Using Your Brain

2007-08-25T13:08:00.000-05:00

Today, as part of lunch, we had Challah. It's a traditional Jewish bread served on Sabbath, similar to German eggbread. JBP loves it. So did Die Spielerin.

JBP had already eaten a huge chunk of it and was working on his lasagna when Die Spielerin took a second piece of bread. In fear he wouldn't get any more, JBP lunged to grab another chunk for himself.

"Unh-unh! Finish your lasagna first," I told him.

He responded, "If I were a king in the old days I would just tell someone to keep some for me for later. If I were a king."

"Might does not make right," I said.

"What does that mean?"

"Just because you have the power to do something doesn't make doing it the right thing. Just because kings in the old days had the ability to be spoiled brats doesn't make it right."

Subdued, JBP responded, "Oh, I think I see where you're going with this."

Smart little thing, ain't he?

Nimitz' Lady

Enculturation

2007-08-24T16:36:00.000-05:00

Or Americanization. Whatever you want to call it, it's well underway for Die Spielerin.

By the third day of classes she was wearing flip flops to school, just like all the other teenage American girls. This is something on student in Germany (or most of the rest of Europe) would ever even consider doing. But here it's de rigeur. And now it's de Die Spielerin.

Nimitz' Lady

It's a Small World....

2007-08-22T20:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, okay you can finish the song without me.

But, yet another sign of just how small the world now is... in one class I have one student who's from Dubuque and a Hawkeyes fan (I told her I wouldn't hold that against her!) and two students who just moved here from Ames, IA.

They all appreciated all the ISU stuff in my classroom.

Nimitz' Lady

Little Man

2007-08-22T20:35:00.000-05:00

I knew there was something I left out of last night's post. Monday, the day before school started, JBP had a frenectomy.

The frenum is that little piece of flesh that connects your upper lip to the muscle along the upper jaw.

Turns out his was preventing his two front teeth from growing together properly. So, a quick laser cut of the frenum Monday should prevent the need for expensive and painful braces or retainers in a few years.

I was so proud of JBP. They gave him laughing gas, or nitrous oxide as he insisted on calling it. So, he was awake during the whole thing.

He held still as a rock. Even when we could smell his flesh burning! I could only watch parts of it but sat on the foot end of the dental chair holding JBP's hands.

Even the dentist was impressed with how well JBP handled it. He said he'd had adults who didn't deal as well with the pseudo-surgery. After it was all over he gave JBP a grown-up brush "because he'd proved he deserved it!"

Of course it's still healing, and will be for a few more days. So, JBP's had to restrict himself to soft foods that won't poke it. And he's brushed his teeth with hot salt water. He can't wait until he can use the toothbrush again and use his new, grown-up brush.

Nimitz' Lady

First Day of School

2007-08-21T20:57:00.000-05:00

One day down, 179 (or so) to go. And, although I haven't had any classes yet I'm quite optimistic about the coming year.

Die Spielerin appeared to get along well. She spent a lot of time with the other exchange student at our school this year, Miss Hong Kong. Today was mostly about the freshman, so other new students who weren't freshman didn't have as much to do. Tomorrow (Wednesday) classes actually begin. I'm not sure, but I think she's a bit nervous. I am sure she'll do fine.

JBP had a great first day. Unlike at the high school, it was a complete school day for him. Although, his day did start at 3:30 am! That's when he came into our room, fully dressed for school, and said he couldn't sleep anymore. I made him go back to bed.

His teacher, Mrs. A, called me about 1pm to ask if he could go to bed earlier as he was tired and it was affecting his behavior. When I informed her he goes to bed at 7:30pm she was shocked. It wasn't until after school I thought to let her know about the early morning incident.

But, when I called after school she was nothing but praise for his behavior. When given a choice of behaviors and outcomes he made the right choice every time! He finished the day with NO problems. She and I are both very upbeat about how this year should go.

She made a very astute observation after only one day with JBP, something I kept trying to convince folks of last year. In her words, JBP is like a balloon. At the least negative word he deflates. But positive praise fills him up like helium! I really think she's the right match for him. An answer to prayer.

Nimitz' Lady

(Early!) Arrival

2007-08-03T09:21:00.000-05:00

Die Spielerin made it in safe and sound yesterday afternoon. Not only was her plane on time, it was early by about 20 minutes!

Why is this such a big deal? She flew United which, in our family's experience, is not exactly not for being on time.

For a few minutes it looked like her luggage hadn't arrived with her (which would've undone United's early arrival glow). But, when we went to the counter to put in her claim they had the luggage there.

In an effort to help her deal with the jet lag, we kept her up until about 8pm last night. JBP did his part by playing with her and talking her head off. He's so excited about her presence he's barely left her side since her arrival. We also took her out to eat, an early birthday meal for Der Deutscher. (He's 36 today! Frohe Geburtstag!)

Today, we get her enrolled in school and just hang out. Since she's going to the school I teach at classes won't start for her until August 21st. So, she has a couple of weeks to shake off the jet lag.

Unfortunately, she still has no peace to do it in. Our house is currently a zoo. On top of Theresa's arrival, my mother is visiting (with her two cats, which brings the pet population here to 1 dog and 5 cats!), and we have a gentleman in re-doing our downstairs bathroom -- right across the hall from Theresa's room.

Welcome to Grand Central Station!

Nimitz' Lady

Breathing Again

2007-07-31T18:49:00.000-05:00

For awhile today I thought our exchange student, Die Spielerin, was going to have to go to another host family.

When we agreed to host her we were told the exchange program had a place reserved for her at the neighborhood high school who's district we live in. Only problem, when we went to begin enrolling her we couldn't.

A long story short, there was some paper work that according to the regs was supposed to be filed with the district by July 1st. Except Die Spielerin was an emergency, last minute placement. Not all that unusual with international exchange programs.

The old guy who was in charge of enrollment at the district knew this and would've just signed the paperwork and been done with it. Problem? He retired over the summer and the new guy was a real *()&&*^^%^%$#@!

I've never been treated so rudely in my life. Rudely, with contempt, as if I weren't worth scraping his shoes off on. Der Deutscher plans to file an official complaint over his treatment of me with the district.

In desperation I went back to my school (where I teach, a separate district) and ask my principal, again, if he would accept Theresa. He had original said no due to the number of students expected to enroll this year.

Well, with all the delay, about 10 minutes before I asked him, he got updated enrollment numbers that were lower than the projections. So, he accepted her.

¡Gracias a Díos!

So, long story short, everything worked out. Die Spielerin will attend the smaller school I teach at, rather than the gigantic school I live near. And I am now recovering from near heart attack level palpitations.

Man I need some chocolate! Except it is verboten on my diet. Danged diet!

Nimitz' Lady

My Personality

2007-07-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

Advocating Leader

Al(most) done!

2007-07-28T20:24:00.001-05:00

It took several days of hard work, and the welcome aid of several friends, but we have a room cleaned up and basically ready for Die Spielerin's arrival later this week.

We do still need to hang a few pictures. Plus, we're trying to figure out where to put a couple of extra unused end/coffee tables and an extra TV. We are SO American!

Meanwhile, all the work to clean up that room has basically left the rest of the house looking as if a tornado had just torn through.

So my goal for the rest of this week, besides finishing up my teacher class, is to get the rest of the house into a reasonable amount of order.

Nimitz' Lady

Chaos Uninterrupted

2007-07-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

***I tried to post this two days ago but my computer kept freezing up. Enjoy!***

So, after much deep discussion of the pros and cons Der Deutscher and I decided to take the plunge. We're hosting an exchange student from Germany. From here on out we'll refer to her as Die Spielerin. She's really into sports and, for those of you not the German know, Die Spielerin means The Sports Player. More or less.

We only filled out the paperwork last weekend. Part of the host family application process is a background check. Gotta make sure we're not criminals or anything! =) That went in on Monday. Today, we got an e-mail with here itinerary -- she's arriving August 2nd!-- and us listed as her host parents. At which point we assumed we were official.

This evening we got an e-mail from her, as well.

This has put what was already a rush to get her room ready (it was a complete mess as the included picture makes obvious) into overdrive. We've pretty much got everything figured out, now we've just got to buy the required supplies and get them put in place.

This, while I'm still taking teaching classes, volunteering at our church's Vacation Bible School and trying to sneak at least a little bit of sleep in.

Why is it, no matter how hard I try, my life always turns into a circus?

Well, here's hoping all goes smoothly and Die Spielerin feels warmly welcomed into our family for the next year.

Now, I've gotta go finish my homework.

Nimitz' Lady

Half-way There

2007-07-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

Well, the week's half gone and I'm still alive. I've completed all the required essays and assorted homework. Now I just have to survive two more days of classes from 8 am to 4pm! Then, I'm outta there.

Of course, I have another, two week, class starting next week back home!

Nimitz' Lady

Sizzle

2007-07-16T17:42:00.000-05:00

I'm in Kansas City taking the first of about a dozen classes I'll have to take over the next three years to become an officially certified teacher.

Class started at 8 am today. It's currently almost 6pm. So far I've hand-written one 4 page essay and typed another half page essay. I still have about 20 articles to read tonight and some math to do.

What?! Math?!?

Yep! It's that whole grade thing and they want to know I can do basic averages, percentages, etc.

So, it's off to do some homework I am.

I figure by the time class ends Friday afternoon I'll be completely brain fried! Why can't I ever do anything the "normal" way?

Wish me luck!

Nimitz' Lady

Weighty Thoughts

2007-07-16T17:38:00.000-05:00

I've been desperately trying to lose weight for more than a year and a half now. Working out with a personal trainer hasn't helped. Working out two to three hours a day now that it's summer hasn't helped.

So, in my desperation I've done something I once swore to myself I would never do. I've signed up with one of those weight loss programs you see advertised on TV.

I picked this program because there are no pre-packaged meals to buy, you meet three times a week with a nutrition counselor, and the program sticks with you for a year after you reach your goal to help you transition into maintenance.

I actually managed to lose a couple pounds in the first week. The first sign of weight sheddage in months.

So, overall I'm cautiously optimistic. However, the plan also includes eating six "mini-meals" a day. I feel like I'm constantly eating.

Maybe that's their idea, to make me so sick of food I won't want to look at it, let along taste it, ever again?!

If so, it ain't gonna work. This chica likes to eat too much for that.

Nimitz' Lady

Mirror Image

2007-07-13T06:01:00.001-05:00

In my recent efforts to fix up the house for sale I've spent quite a bit of time carting large lots of materials around in my mini-van.

Yesterday I bought two gliders to replace a cat-ruined love seat in our upstairs. We did manage to cram both of the gliders and both of their hassocks into the van. But it left me with absolutely no view out of my rear view mirror. I had to use the side mirrors.

Now, I didn't lose any visibility overall, as I do have two side mirrors properly placed. But, that doesn't take into account habit.

You never realize how accustomed you are to using something, or doing something, in a particular way, until you can't. I must've looked into that rear view mirror a hundred times on the 15 minute drive home.

It reminded me of when I had to drive the live van at WOI around the state of Iowa. With all the microwave and editing equipment in the back you might as well have completely removed the rear view mirror. It was completely useless.

Of course, that wasn't the only problem with driving that ancient monster (I think it was on a first name basis with such other ancient creatures as the Loch Ness Monster, Grendel and Gollum). It had the worst steering I've ever felt in my life. If you even looked at the steering wheel the van would move 15 feet to either your left or right.

That's before you even start talking about all its mechanical difficulties. It was officially monikered Live 5. We who had to drive it, oh so affectionately, referred to it as Death 5.

And that's why you go into TV News. For the war stories you get to tell!

Nimitz' Lady

Off to School

2007-07-13T05:56:00.000-05:00

Well, I may not have to go back to teaching school until mid-August, but I go back to school as a student next week.

See, when I was hired I was a TV News Journalist. I shot, reported, edited, produced and managed the news for 13 years. I did NOT have any sort of teacher certification. In fact, I taught the entirety of last year on an emergency substitute's license.

This must be changed.

The good news is, I do have a college degree in both Journalism and Spanish. This means I can go through a special restricted licensing program in my state. I can enter the classroom immediately, or last year as the case may be, and teach under another instructor's "supervision" while I'm taking the necessary education courses.

It will take me three years to complete full certification. That process starts Monday.

Most of the classes will be online. But the first one I actually have to show up for in person. Which is something of a problem since the university which administers the program is a 2.5 hour drive away. (Remember my thing about long commutes?)

The good news, the class only lasts a week and I have a college friend who lives in the area. So I'll be camping out at his place for the next week.

Nimitz' Lady

Designing Woman

2007-07-13T05:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, I had this post 90% complete when I somehow managed to completely erase it! (*&*&%^$$#@@#! computers!

It's time to sell our house and I've spent much of my summer working toward that goal.

See, when I switched jobs last August (from TV News to High School Teacher) my daily commute went from 12 minutes, one way, to approximately 35 minutes, depending on traffic. I don't like that.

Back when I was a cub reporter at WOI-TV in Iowa my commute was a whopping 45 minutes, one way. I drove that for eight freakingly long years. When we moved here I swore I would never live more than 20 minutes from work again.

Which means I've spent much of this summer doing things like finding contractors to do the things I can't do, like remodeling a bathroom and painting the house (inside and out!).

I've also been trying to fix the place up to "showcase" the house, as they put it on all those design shows.

This has had Der Deutscher sniggering at me for at least a solid month now. He says I'm starting to sound like those "frelling design shows".

So far, I've re-arranged the table in the dining room/common area upstairs to create a "reading nook", changed out the curtains, bought new blinds (haven't put them up yet) for all the upstairs public areas, pasted up paint color samples, replaced mattresses in JBP's room and replaced a love seat in the public area upstairs.

Today, I clean out the garage. Then, I'll tackle the family room, spare room and utility room in the basement.

We're not planning to put the house on the market until things warm up in the spring, but we need to get as much work done this summer, while I'm NOT working!, as possible. Thus the rush.

Just call me "Julia".

If you don't get that reference, you're too young to be reading this blog!

Nimitz' Lady

Tennis, Anyone?

2007-07-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

So, my right elbow's been bothering me for a little over a month now. I first noticed it when I tried to stretch my shoulders one morning by clasping my hands behind my back and lifting them upward. In the process the elbows turn outward. This is a stretch I do regularly.

Well, that morning my right elbow suddenly hurt as it was twisting. At the time I just figured I'd slept on it wrong and the muscle was stiff.

But, the soreness didn't go away. In fact, it fluctuates in just how sore it is. Some days I barely notice it, while others I can barely use the right arm as a load-bearing aparatus.

Anyway, after a month my personal trainer at the gym asked me to get it checked out. Today, I went to the doctor. An x-ray showed I have an inflammation in the joint. Tennis Elbow.

My first reaction, "But I don't play tennis!"

The doctor says it's a typical, repetitive stress injury and the only way to heal it is to keep the stress off the joint.

So, now I'm sitting here with a pressure bandage sitting two finger-widths below my right elbow, driving me nuts!

Tennis, anyone?

Nimitz' Lady

Carpet Cleaner

2007-07-09T12:05:00.000-05:00

It looks like our newest and youngest family member, Squiggles, has found his life's calling -- Carpet Cleaner!

This young, approx. 11 month old, kitten has taken to licking the carpets.

Some say this could be from boredom (he has two older cats to play with, a tall cat-tree to attack at will and free access to the out-of-doors) or OCD (not seeing it).

Personally, I think he just likes the taste.

Nimitz' Lady

An Exchange?

2007-07-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

Our church is trying to find a host family for a 17-year-old Seventh-day Adventist German girl who's planning to study in the States this next school year.

I'm trying to convince Der Deutscher that this would be a great fit for us. With Grammy having moved out we have an extra room. It would be a great chance for JBP to get daily contact with someone who embodies a part of his heritage, not to mention just get used to dealing with people from other countries (a major must in this day and age).

But Der Deutscher is coming up with all sorts of "why nots".

1. What would we do with all the stuff in the spare room, which is currently being used as a store room?

2. Hosting a German would be "cheating" since he's German.

3. We're fixing up the house for sale and it wouldn't be fair to put an exchange student through that.

4. Where would she go to school? Where I teach? Or at the neighborhood school?

I keep trying to tell him, that as with much else in life, if you wait for the perfect conditions you'll never do anything. We'll see if he changes his mind.

Nimitz' Lady

Promoted

2007-07-09T11:40:00.001-05:00

This last Sabbath, JBP was promoted to the next level of Sabbath School. In our church, the Sabbath School classes are separated by grade completed, not age, and promotions are only done twice a year, once in July and once in January.

Since JBP completed 1st grade this last school year, he was promoted from the Kindergarten to Primary Class.

I had told him it was going to happen, but that we were going to miss the actual promotion ceremony while we were at the family reunion in Colorado. So, he'd been shrugging the whole thing off, pretending it didn't mean anything to him.

Well, at the end of the church service this last Sabbath, Surprise! Surprise!

Turns out too many of the kids being promoted had missed the weekend we missed. So, they'd delayed the promotion ceremony.

JBP was tickled pink to be called up to the front of the sanctuary to receive his promotion certificate along with all the others. He jumped out of his seat and grinned from ear to ear the entire time! Then, after church he scampered off quite happily to Primary class.

Nimitz' Lady

That's Gross

2007-07-09T11:28:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's the story of why the comment "That's gross!" was so hilarious.

JBP was watching a show on animal babies (development and birth) on the National Geographic channel. (Free preview, we don't have digital cable. Yet.) The show moves from elephants to dolphins and begins talking about the process of conception. You know, s*x.

JBP turns to me and asks, "What's see-men?"

Now, he understands the basics of reproduction fairly well. He just needed a definition for a word he hadn't heard before as I've always referred to it as the seed.

When I explained what see-men was, he said, "Does that mean we do it like dolphins do?"

I responded, "Yes."

He thought for a moment, digesting the information and decided, "That's gross!"

Although this is a comment relatively common among his peers and agemates (notice I don't necessarily believe these two groups are one and the same) it is not a comment I'd ever expected to hear from JBP.

This is the same young man who's been flirting with the female half of the population since he was old enough to hold his head up on his own. Who, at the age of 5, turned to a waitress and said, "You have very pretty eyes!". Who, when he has a choice, will almost always choose to play with the girls (unless only the boys are playing a sport).

So, while I firmly expect to have major "girl troubles" when puberty hits, I never expected male/female relations to be termed as "gross" by him.

He is at an age where he is voraciously interested in the conception, development and birth process, but, most obviously, from the solely scientific point of view. So far. Thank God!

We've also had to have the discussion of babies outside of marriage this month, as one of his cousins at the family reunion was eight months pregnant and sans husband.

One thing I'm trying to fervently impress on him is the seriousness and spiritual aspects of s*x (it's not a sport, like so many of today's young people think it is). I really hope he'll be able to avoid the pitfalls I tumbled into in my youth. But what parent doesn't?

Nimitz' Lady

@#^&$%@#!

2007-07-05T20:12:00.000-05:00

I had a whole list of posts sitting on our computer desk, just waiting for when I had time to actually write and post them.

Well, big surprise, I finally get the time and someone (Der Deutscher?) has 'cleaned' up the desk and my list, written on the back of a piece of scrap paper, is gone!

I'll never remember all of them ,but bear with me as I try to paste my memory together here.

1. Swimming Reflections
When did I become a prude? Get old? Whatever you want to call it?

I made the horrendous error of promising my Eveready Bunny of a son that as I had the summer off I'd take him swimming practically every day.

So, as I've spent almost every afternoon this summer sitting by the pool (in it whenever the lifeguards are looking my way since JBP hasn't yet reached that magical age of 8) I've had plenty of time to people watch... and think.

And what I've thought is that it's obscene to put a 6 month old, or even a 6 year old, in a bikini. Don't get me wrong. Two piece swimsuits have their place. On adult women trying to catch a certain someone's attention. Where I have decided they DO NOT belong is on children.

It's similar to my husband's reaction to young pre-pubescent girls wearing make-up. "What, you've given up on keeping the pedophiles away and are just hoping to attract a high class of sexual predator?"

On the other hand, all the time I've spent at the pool has alleviated much of my own self-conciousness about appearing in public in a swimsuit. It's not that I now enjoy it, but I've realized it's a losing proposition to try to hide and have given up. So, here's hoping the rest of the world is enjoying all my jiggles (even those places BELOW the bustline!)

2. Seeing Red
I'm sunburnned! How did that happen? Turns out when the manufacturers say don't use sunscreen that's more than a year old they really mean it.

It wasn't a horrible burn. Never peeled or anything. Just enough to get my attention. I still was completely baffled.

To compound matters, two days later when we returned to the pool I FORGOT to put sunscreen on my chest, you know -- the burned area, and got burned again!

3. All 'Rung' Out
JBP caught ringworm at the Boys and Girls Club this summer. Not a huge deal, but a pain in the but.

He'd had a mosquito bite that wasn't healing normally and I'd been keeping an eye on it.

We get to Colorado for our family reunion (the Puerto Rican side of my family) and are at breakfast. I'm checking the mosquito bite yet again, trying to figure out what's going on, when JBP pipes up, "My teacher (at Boys and Girls Club) thinks it's ringworm."

At which point I remember a notice they'd put up that there'd been a kid with ringworm at the Club the week before. I rush to the hotel computer and google ringworm.

JBP's mosquito bite could've been the model for the pictures I found.

Treatment is relatively easy, but it meant JBP couldn't go swimming for the next seven days, i.e. not at all during the family reunion. That was tough for my little fish to handle. But, all in all, he did quite well and is now clear of the infection.

4. ¿Qué?
Ok, by all the tests I've been able to find, I'm fluent in Spanish. In fact, most native speakers have to be told that I am not one of them. However, I rediscovered one glaring deficiency in my Spanish abilities this last week in Colorado.

My family is Puerto Rican. Puerto Rican is probably the most difficult form of Spanish to understand. They drop practically all internal "s" in words, speak atrociously fast and slur everything together.

Add to that the fact that at least half of my family (of those who do speak Spanish) speak said Puerto Rican Spanish with a Southern accent.

I spent the week feeling like a fraud for even thinking I could speak/teach Spanish with/to anyone!

5. The Next Contestant Is....
Me! I hope. At least I'm trying.

I spent years wanting to get on such quiz shows as Jeopardy!, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? and The Weakest Link. All of which, unfortunately for me, aired on stations I worked for. This made me ineligible to even try out to be a contestant.

The standard time limit is one year. That year is up at the end of this month. In the meantime, I've been assiduously watching these shows, training for my chance.

Today I started checking out their websites to find out how to try out. Oh my G*d! And I mean that quite religiously. Just trying out for these shows is a major production.

Both Deal or No Deal and 1 Vs 100 want a VIDEO along with about a 5 page application. For Who Wants to be a Millionaire? you have to actually show up at a try out -- the nearest of which this month is a 3 hour drive away on a day that I'm not free to go. Jeopardy! isn't taking new applicants right now. Although they do now have an online test I can take. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? is the simplest. Only a seven page application to fill out and send in, along with a non-returnable photo.

But I will not give up the dream! So, I'm off to find (or take!) a good photo and a black ink pen to start filling out applications. Wish me luck!

-------------

Well, that's all I can remember right now. Hopefully I'll think of more later. But still ahead, an entire post on why "That's Gross!" is so hilarious. Can you tell I used to write for TV?

Nimitz' Lady

Worth More Dead Than Alive!

2007-07-04T12:35:00.001-05:00

$4975.00

Mingle² - Online Dating

End of Year 1

2007-05-30T11:02:00.000-05:00

As of last Friday I have completed my first year as a high school Spanish teacher. While the last month was a bit hectic, it was still nothing compared to TV News.

I am currently exhausted and enjoying sleeping in and reading a lot. JBP is impatient to begin our summer sojourns to... the pool, the library, the science museum, the zoo, the park, etc. But bearing with his lazy mother.

I have 12 weeks off, supposedly. Three of those weeks will be partially consumed by classes I must take to begin working on certification. Two more are taken up with family trips to Iowa and Colorado. But there's still plenty of time for lazing around in between.

Unfortunately, my joy at the end of the first year has been taken away by a tragic accident. If I had posted my end-of-the-year post in a slightly more timely fashion this would've been a separate post. But I didn't and it isn't.

A head-on collision killed one of my students on Memorial Day in a head-on collision. He was in my Spring Spanish II class and my homeroom all year. His girlfriend, who was driving, remains in serious condition at this time. Her five-year-old brother, who was in the car with them, died Tuesday morning from injuries suffered in the accident.

These are the types of stories I left TV News over. I was tired of covering all the tragedies and horrors of our world. Now I'm living it from the other side of the camera.

To top it all off, I have electronic versions of the kids' yearbook pictures. I wanted to pass them on to my colleagues at my old TV station, so they wouldn't have to bother the kids' families trying to get them. My new boss wouldn't ok this (the pictures officially belong to the school, not me) because he wanted to "protect" the family, even though the news crews would indubitably get the pictures from someone else in town.

I walked away from the whole thing rather than try to argue my side (the families would've not been bothered at all yesterday, if we'd just provided the pictures to the news media) because I was afraid I'd completely lose my temper. I'm still simmering over it.

Nimitz' Lady

Big Weather and Bigger Longings

2007-05-06T14:09:00.000-05:00

For the first time in the nine months since I left the TV biz, I truly feel the desire, undiluted, to go back.

Over the last two days there've been a series of massive tornado spawning storms tracking across the entire Midwest. They've completely flattened at least one town in Kansas (Greensburg).

This is the type of event I got into the TV News biz for, to help others by passing on important information. I'm not a police officer, a firefighter, a trained medic or search and rescue person. So, passing information is the only way I could help in this situation. And now, I can't do that. I've been quite frustrated all weekend.

I did e-mail my old boss offering to come in and help if they needed an extra pair of hands. I never even got a "Thanks, but no thanks" response from him. I'd thought our parting was amicable. I'd warned him a year and a half before I left that I was burned out and wouldn't be signing another contract. He seemed cool with that. But now, I wonder.

And the thing is, it's not like I'm planning on going back. At least not anytime soon. I love teaching and am ecstatically looking forward to summer vacation. It'll take me at least three years to complete my certification and I figure I owe at least that amount of time, if not more, to the school that hired me last fall untrained and uncertified.

Despite all that, I still find I don't like being on the sidelines when it comes to major events like this. I feel a strong desire to get out there and be a part of history. But I guess that's all history for me and I'll just have to resign myself to enjoying the benefits that the sidelines offer (i.e. more time with my family, summer vacations, uninterrupted vacations, etc.)

Nimitz' Lady

Angels Among Us

2007-04-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

Every once in awhile something happens to remind you that there are truly angels among us. And, they're not always the ones in need.

This last Friday, since JBP and I had the day off school, I decided to take him to the movies.

I had one credit card on me for the tickets and about $10 cash for snacks and the arcade.

What I forgot about until we were walking in the door was that the credit card I had on me isn't universally accepted, including at this theatre. The theatre also does not accept checks.

I made a desperation attempt to get a cash advance on my credit card at the ATM, but had never set up a PIN for it. So, I ended up borrowing $2 from JBP in order to buy the tickets in cash. That left us with no money for nibbles or arcade games.

JBP wasn't happy about that, but willing to lend me the money.

Afterward, the guy who'd been behind us in line came up to JBP and handed him a $10 bill, telling him to buy something for his mother. It was more than enough for a snack and money for the arcades.

JBP and I both said a little prayer of thanks. And I "gave" the money back this Sabbath at church.

The incident was as embarrassing as anything for me. But, a good reminder of how little such random acts of kindness take and what a big difference they can make in someone's life.

Nimitz' Lady

Nimitz In Training

2007-04-08T18:29:00.000-05:00

The Nimitz family has grown by one more member. My mother came to visit over Spring Break. She brought with her her two cats, one a formerly wild male kitten she'd caught and had fixed. She was trying to find him a permanent home. He chose ours.

When it came time to pack up and leave, he hid in the utility room (with access between the floors!) and didn't come out until my mom was home -- a 2.5 hour trip!

The new young one reminds me so much of Nimitz when he was a young-un'. Similar coloring, same catitude, everything. And he's not afraid to demand attention.

We "kept" him on a trial basis. If after a couple of weeks we decided the other cats weren't dealing well with him, in other words if they were expressing their displeasure with bodily discharges!, then I'd make an extra trip to return the little imp to my mom.

Some three weeks later he's still with us, and learning quickly. He's dealing well with the 81 lb dog and still trying to make friends with Nimitz and Chicken Cat. They're still not so sure about the whole thing, but haven't let loose with any maloderous comments.

Of course, due to his wild heritage, he's still having trouble adjusting to two-leg hours, i.e. awake during the day and sleeping at night. So, we have to lock him, and consequently all the cats, out of our room at night if we're going to get any sleep. Otherwise, we're awakened around midnight by a small black furry monster playing Chase-The-Tale on our legs.

My mother had dubbed him Squiggles, because he's constantly in motion. But he looks and acts so much like Nimitz I've taken to referring to them as Old Man and Young Man. Not sure if they approve, though!

Nimitz' Lady

My brain is Purple

2007-03-04T11:17:00.001-06:00

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic.
You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense.
Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries.

You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Brain?

A Little Bit Of Everything

2007-03-04T10:21:00.000-06:00

Here's a sampling of some of the posts I've mentally written over the last week or two. Sorry I can't remember more. Unfortunately, even when I have time, I can no longer access my blog from work. For some reason (notice the touch of sarcasm) the school I work at thinks blogs are too dangerous for our youth to read at school and has blocked out all blogging websites.

Anyway, here are the aforementioned posts.

2/24/07 LUCKY CHARM

Move over Cy! My JBP is the new mascot of the Iowa State Women's Basketball team. At least when they're playing K-State in Manhattan.

Last night we traveled to Manhattan to attend the game between ISU and K-State today. We had intended to make it a day trip, but threats of blizzard-type weather changed our minds for us. Said weather never developed in our part of the country.

The game was great. One of those nail-biters from nearly beginning to end. Anyone who's not an Iowa State fan may not have thought so. But then, they would've been quite surprised by the end! The Cyclones got out to a slow start, falling behind by as many as 14 at one point in the first half. But, they kept climbing back into the game. They finally tied it up with just 2:00 left, then took the lead for good at :27 left in the game.

During the warm-ups before the game, a couple of the assistant coaches let JBP join them on the bench. One even walked him out onto the court so he could get a picture of the ladies warming up. They also shared Skittles with him and gave him a pop.

Afterward we were talking with the same coaches about the exciting finish and it came to our ttention this was the first time we'd won at Manhattan since 2002! The coaches then went on to declare JBP to be their new good luck charm and demand that he must attend all ISU games at K-State, sit on the bench during warm ups, share skittles and drink a Sierra Mist!

Jocks and their superstitions! But JBP was eating it up.

3/1/07 PERSPECTIVE

Tonight, as I was leaving Wal-Mart after a quick grocery trip, a woman came up to me in the parking lot asking for money to fuel up her car.

As she was walking up to me I could tell she was going to ask me for something and all I wanted to do was, quick! get my stuff in the van and get out of there before she reached me.

But, when she started talking something said I should help. I had no cash, and in general don't like to give cash but things, so I said if they'd follow me to the gas station I'd fuel their car up the same time I fueled up the van.

When we got the station and I started swiping my credit card at the pumps, I noticed the woman was walking a little strange and repeatedly putting her hand to her stomach as if she were holding it. I suddenly realized she must be pregnant. She later told me she was six months along.

She kept thanking me, saying at least now they could keep the car running for heat overnight. They had nowhere else to go. At this point I felt the need to do more than just fuel up their car so I rummaged through my grocery bags and found some food they could keep in the car and eat without heating up. Not much, but some. I also told them about our church's Dorcas program and when and where it was operated.

As I left I still had the feeling I could've/should've done more to help. But what? I'm not the only "owner" of my house so it's not up to me to invite folks home without checking with my husband. I didn't think of the idea of at least getting them a night (or a week) at a motel until after I'd left. Nor did I think of going back to the grocery store and buying them some more food until it was too late.

All I know is by the time I got home and found myself scraping my son's half-eaten supper into the trash I felt the waste in a way I haven't in years.

We have so much, even when we think we don't. We've got a house and two cars we wouldn't lose even if both of us were fired this week. We've got enough food we could eat for a couple of weeks without ever going to the store, yet we go shopping at least once, sometimes two or three times a week. We can afford cross-country trips for basketball games.

All this couple had was their car, the clothing on their backs and a baby on the way.

I've spent a lot of time since praying that they find the help they need. And if there's anyway I can, or should, help them more that they find their way back to me.

3/3/07 REJECTION

One reason I haven't blogged a lot lately is a general depression I've been suffering. Although many good things have happened to me in the last year they've been generally outweighed by the bad and difficult to handle things.

Part of depression for me, I've found, is a regression to emotional responses I thought I'd left behind along with my teens. Among them a horrible self body image and a tendency to interpret any and all negative comments as a personal rejection of me. I know conciously that my reactions aren't logical. But, that doesn't mean I can stop having them.

This hasn't been helped by recent events in my life.

For example, getting in an argument with a lady from church over how I raise my son. She was upset that I wasn't helping him through the line at potluck. This, despite the fact I hadn't been helping him, because he hadn't needed help, for several months.

In the process things were said that I took quite personally, such as:

"That's because he's stubborn and does it anyway."
"As a responsible parent I always...."
"I was just trying to get you to help your son!"

(her emphases, not mine)

Then, Der Deutscher nearly lost it this morning when Nimitz got upset with us for not getting up to let him out at his regular time and urinated on some dirty clothes on my closet floor.

I don't think I've ever seen Der Deutscher that mad before.

My first reaction, and still lingering one, was to take it as a personal rejection. Nimitz is 13.5 years old. He's an old man. When he says he needs to go out, we need to let him out or suffer the consequences.

When Sedona aged, got sick and was eventually dying, Der Deutscher never got furious about any mess. He just calmly got the needed materials and cleaned it all up.

So it was hard not to take this morning's reaction as a personal indictment against me.

It wasn't until much later in the day I realized the date and it's significance. March 3rd was my mother-in-law's birthday (she died last September). An emotionally significant date for my husband who's extremely tied to such anniversarial celebrations (as well as gifts).

But even knowing that hasn't completely changed my gut reaction to the incident.

Then, during Sabbath School today, one of the participants basically called everything I'd said or brought up a "dangerous distraction" from biblical content.

We'd been discussing the flood and questions were raised such as:

"What about the dinosaurs?"
"What does it mean when it says 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men'?"
"How did they do that?", etc.

I brought up some theories that I have heard and studied, never implying that they were the definitive answer or that we would ever have the definitive answer.

But then one of the other members came out with a whole soliloquy on how it's essentially dangerous to speculate on what's not explicitly stated in the Bible as that can be a distraction from the essential truth we're supposed to learn from it. What was important was what Moses wrote in Genesis, not what he left out.

I'd basically had enough and packed up my stuff and left. I still haven't decided if I'll return to that class.

Add that to the fact that that was the first time I'd been to church since the second week of January and only One Person from the congregation had ever checked on me, and you can see why I'm dealing with some major rejection issues right now.

Nimitz' Lady

Here a Little ....

2007-01-30T20:24:00.000-06:00

There a little.

I've written a dozen or so posts in my head the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately I never made it to the computer in time to get them down in bits and bytes.

We in the Nimitz' household have been sick, all of us, over the last couple of weeks. Nothing serious, just what we call the creeping crud. Plenty harsh enough to make you want to die, but nothing bad enough to even warrant a trip to the doctor's office. Needless to say, that means every spare moment I've had has been spent in bed, not playing on the computer.

My photography class is underway. I'm actually enjoying it (when I'm not bored to death during the "lecture" portion). And so far the "homework" hasn't been a burden. Here's hoping it stays that way.

The big news however is on the JBP front. My little boy is READING! Remember, he started the school year a little behind becfause he didn't go to kindergarten.
Well, in the last week he's read four books, FOUR, to me. All the way through. Without me prompting him or helping him sound out a single word. I'm sooooo proud of him. We keep telling him how smart he is. I think he may actually be starting to believe it.

Also on the JBP front: he's getting reading glasses. The teacher has reported that he consistently balks at doing writing work. Before school started I'd had his eyes checked and the doctor said he was a little far-sighted but might still grow out of it. If we saw any reluctance to do close-up work, however, we should bring him back in for another check-up. We did so. He's still mildly far-sighted. He should have his new reading glasses by this Friday.

Our other big news, all the furniture Der Deutscher had shipped out from his mother's place in Germany has arrived in our town. It will be delivered this Friday. Der Deutscher took the day off work for the delivery. Now, of course, that means we're feverishly trying to empty some rooms, moving furniture about, etc, trying to make room for the new stuff coming in. In the long run I think this will really make the house look good. In the short run it's going to be a real pain in the patoot. However, we knew it was coming. Just not when. Now we know.

So, that's the latest from the Nimitz' Household.

I'm sure there's other stuff I should mention, but like I said I've been a little out of it recently. Time to hit the hay (at 8:30pm!) and dream up some more great posts that'll never hit the 'net.

Nimitz' Lady

Unique

2007-01-21T20:43:00.000-06:00

I always new I was a one-of-a-kind. At least in the States.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Nimitz' Lady

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-21T20:28:00.000-06:00

Since I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions - they never end up going where you really want them to go - I started my new healthy living quest after Thanksgiving.

I'm really trying to eat better (sweets only as treats, a salad a day, etc.) and work out more often, and smarter.

Overall I feel like I'm doing pretty well. But, it didn't seem like my body was budging. So, when the New Year hit and all the gyms, as always, offered giant discounts on things like personal training, I took my gym up on it.

So, for the last two weeks I've been working out with a personal trainer once a week and following the workout plan she sets up for me the rest of the week. While I have managed to do the number of workouts she's set, I haven't always managed to do the style. See, there are these pesky winter storms that keep interrupting my ability to get to the gym. So, I workout at home to one of my TaeBo DVDs, of which I now have almost two dozen - and that's a whole 'nother post!, or, as I did today, I just shovel the driveway.

As good a workout as TaeBo is, and I'll hype it to just about anyone!, it just can't hold a candle to shoveling out a 20 foot long driveway! Especially when you follow that up with taking your 6 year old sledding with his Christmas sled. He had a great time, by the way. But I'm so sore I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Time to take a hot bath, followed by a mediocrely warm shower, a half dozen or so aspirin (tylenol, advil, poison of your choice!) and try to get some sleep.

On top of the workout aches and pains, I think I may be coming down with the creeping crud. Der Deutscher's had it since last weekend when HE shoveled the driveway. It's just enough to make you miserable without being bad enough to let you stay home for a day, or two, or three.

Here's hoping a good night's sleep, lots of orange juice and the will of Atlas will keep the crud away.

Nimitz' Lady

The "Right" Thing

2007-01-21T20:16:00.000-06:00

I can just hope I've done the right thing by one of my students.

He was one of two students of whom I was particularly proud. They were failing my class but really worked hard and turned their grades around. They attended study groups, got help from me, etc. Did what they had to do. In the end they both got C's. But they worked harder for those C's then did the kids who got A's in my classes last semester.

So, when the opportunity came around this month I nominated them for Student Of The Month. They deserved some recognition for their hard work. Evidently the principal agreed with me because he picked the young man as Student Of The Month.

So far, so good, right?

Last Friday the announcement was made over the P.A. during homeroom. My homeroom class (of which the young man is NOT a part!) hooted with laughter and derision.

Now I'm worried instead of providing him with some well-earned praise for all his hardwork all I've done is opened him up to a month full of teasing and other sorts of high school chicanery.

I just pray, with him being just a sophomore, that this turns out to be a school career highlight, as it was meant to be, and not a low-light.

Nimitz' Lady

Busy, Busy, Busy

2007-01-04T20:04:00.000-06:00

Wow! My last post engendered more responses, cumulatively, than any other post I've made. Maybe I should write about controversial topics more often. Of course, at the time, I didn't consider it controversial.

Oh well. No time to blog right now. I've got to go put together my church's bulletin for this Sabbath.

Nimitz' Lady

I've been MADE

2007-01-03T20:25:00.000-06:00

To steal a phrase from MTV.

In the world of journalism they say you're not a pro until you've made someone mad at you.

It appears not much is different about blogging. I've finally managed to upset a reader by, gasp!, voicing my opinion about freedom of speech and separation of church and state.

This is the comment she left. I assume it's a she, since she failed to leave a link of any sort, just an apparent first name.

kit said...
It is scarey that you are a teacher in the wonderful state I grew up in. You are way to liberal and I personally would pulll my child out of your class or be up your a** weekly!

This was my response:

There are several things I could say, but am too adult to post on my own blog.

I'll settle for a simple, if you don't like what you're reading here you are welcome to find something else to read.

That's the beauty of this country, free speech and free choice.

I briefly considered unloading but decided to take the high road. Then I considered simply ignoring "kit", but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.

Nimitz' Lady

Oh, and one other thought. "kit", are you psychic or something? I've never stated exactly which state I live/teach in. I only mention places I travel to, not where I'm coming from. So how do you know I live/teach in your native state? Just wondering.

Don't ask, don't tell!

2007-01-03T20:21:00.000-06:00

But JBP is wearing, shhhhhhh!, girl shoes!

He'd outgrown his old shoes so I took him shoe shopping yesterday. Just like the rest of him, his feet are long and slender. Turns out that of all the shoes he tried on the only three that fit him were girls shoes. The good news, tennis shoes are tennis shoes. Like it makes a whole heck of a lot of difference.
The ones JBP picked out are all black, with a touch of red in the treading, and attach with a velcro fastener.

As we were trying to purchase them I thought the clerk was on the verge of tossing me out of the store! She looked at me and whispered, scandalized, "But these are girl shoes!"

I looked right back and... paid for them!

JBP wore them out of the store.

Nimitz' Lady

Not so much posting

2006-12-31T07:50:00.000-06:00

Ok, so my plans to post more often during break didn't exactly materialize. So sorry. See I have this problem. When presented with great stretches of empty time I feel compelled to find ways to fill it. So, if I have vacation time I end up being busier than I am during a normal week.

All that is to say, I've been busy, busy, busy.

I'm writing today from Ames, IA. Der Deutscher, JBP and I have made our annual trek to the Home of the Cyclones for some awesome basketball. The ladies won the annual Cyclone Classic tournament in handy style.

But what was supposed to be three games in three days turned out not to be for us. JBP got sick on day two and threw up an hour before game time. Of course, he really only had a mildly upset stomach and never would've thrown up if he hadn't pulled his fake coughing routine (which he pulls anytime he's not getting his way!). The coughing triggered the reflux reaction in the body.

We rushed JBP back to the hotel and popped him into bed, from which he managed to spend the next two hours complaining he couldn't sleep and would I pleeeeeaaaaassseee turn on the teeeee-veeeee. I refused. He eventually fell asleep about a half hour AFTER his normal bedtime. He was NOT that sick. Der Deutscher was furious.

On Sabbath we did get to see lots of old friends at the Ames SDA Church. They all oohed and aahed over how big JBP had grown. Many hadn't seen him since we moved away in 2001! And there were kids for him to play with and a potluck after church during which he could play. JBP was happy.

During the first game, JBP came up with a real doozy of a question. I wish the folks who come up with uniforms could've heard it. "Mama, why do we have to see the cheerleaders' belly buttons?" (his emphasis, not mine).

I could only respond, "I don't know." I mean, how do you condense thousands of years of treating women as chattel and sex objects into a quick, pithy answer that's understandable to a 6 year old who sees no difference between male, female, black, white, cardinal or purple?

Last night, before the game, Der Deutscher was flipping channels and came across a showing of Dances With Wolves. He left the TV there since we weren't going to be around more than another 20 or 30 minutes. It started just before the great buffalo hunts. JBP was fascinated and asked all sorts of questions. So, he had a real nice anthropology/history lesson this weekend.

Well, I need some breakfast and then we've got to pack and head home. Checkout's at 11! So I'll sign off wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

Here's hoping it's at least better than last year.

Nimitz' Lady

Christmas Wishes

2006-12-17T18:04:00.000-06:00

So, once again folks have been asking me that question I hate the most, What do you want for Christmas?

As I've said before, I always feel a bit selfish putting together a wish list, but then I feel selfish not giving folks an answer for an honest question.

So, here's an idea of what I'm oh, so longing for:

*charity donations
*soft, warm, fuzzy pyjamas
*house shoes/slippers
*flannel sheets, queen
*a bread machine
*PERSONAL TRAINING (to help me get back on the fitness track. I'm not doing so great on my own.)
*an elliptical machine or treadmill at home
*the latest cd from Toby Keith, Martina McBride or Carrie Underwood
*house cleaning
*sweaters/sweatshirts

I'm sure there's more stuff, but that's kind of the cream of the crop, so to type.

Hope that helps those who were wondering.

Merry Christmas all. Expect a few more, and more regular, posts once finals are completed this week.

Nimitz' Lady

Another View

2006-12-17T17:59:00.000-06:00

Last night Der Deutscher and I attended the staff Christmas party for my school. I'd heard a few stories, so I was not intellectually surprised by what I saw.

However, emotionally was a whole 'nother story.

Growing up you always think of your teachers as sober, responsible, did I say sober?, adults!

Last night what I saw was a gathering of humans who'd apparently never matured past adolscence. From the fuss made over one secretary's ability to free jello shots from their containers to the constant swiping of alcoholic white elephant gifts during the gift exchange, I couldn't really see any difference between this batch of teachers and the kids they're supposed to guide to adulthood.

Oh, and did I mention one teacher brought as his white elephant gift a contraption his grandfather had that's used to light farts on fire?

Children teaching children!

Don't get me wrong, adolescent hijinks weren't the only things going on at the party. They're just what stuck in my head. We didn't get home until after midnight and had a lot of fun. What can I say, there's still a bit of adolescent left in Der Deutscher and I as well.

Nimitz' Lady

I want...

2006-12-10T19:11:00.000-06:00

JBP just told his dad he wants and XBox 360. He doesn't even know what it is!

Der Deutscher asked me if it would be wrong to compare our son to Jessica Simpson. "I totally don't know what that is, but I want it!"

Nimitz' Lady

One Nation, Under God

2006-12-10T18:48:00.000-06:00

Every Friday, my school district says the Pledge of Allegiance. I choose to say the Pledge as it was originally written, without the words "Under God".

I hold very strong Separation of Church and State beliefs. And saying the Pledge the way the Knights of Columbus changed it in the 50s violates many of them. So, rather than not say it at all, I say it the way it was originally intended.

This last Friday, JBP came home with a sheet that had the Pledge written out on it. He's also obviously been learning it in his class as he can now recite the entire Pledge, ad nauseum, without referring to the sheet.

At that point I felt I needed to sit down with him and try to explain WHY I choose not to say two little words in the Pledge. I explained it was a personally choice and there's nothing wrong with saying the words, Under God. In fact there are some good reasons a person might choose to do so. But, my personal beliefs preclude my doing so. Now, he'll have to make his own choice.

I'm not sure what he'll decide. Or if what he decides will be his permanent choice. (Yes, you grammarians out there, I know I just wrote in a fragment. It's called being conversational.) But, I am now sure he'll at least be aware of making the choice, rather than just blindly repeating what others teach him.

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. JBP has been "reading" over my shoulder as I write this (that means he's been making me read it to him as I write) and says he'll be saying it my way. We'll see if that decision holds up to peer pressure.

And the cute thing is, Dennis doesn't even know he's being funny

2006-12-10T18:43:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite cartoons, and my mother's too for that matter, is a Dennis the Menace cartoon. Dennis parents are talking about one of the situations he's just gotten himself into and one says to the other, "And the cute thing is, Dennis doesn't even know he's being funny!" Of course, the other part of the cartoon is Dennis hiding just around the corner covering his mouth with his hand, apparently giggling.

This is soooooo JBP. Today, while we were cleaning house, even as JBP was saying he couldn't wait for summer so there wouldn't be any school, he was typing up, again and again, words from his recent spelling lists.

At this point, I think the whole I-don't-like-school-thing has just gotten to be a habit with him. Because everytime I turn around he's doing something school-work related, mostly even when it's NOT required. Personally, I think he doth protest too much.

Nimitz' Lady

If it's not the cats, it's the kid

2006-12-10T18:36:00.000-06:00

Long title for a simple scenario. We've been dealing with what seemed like a peeing war between our two cats. Turns out it was just a case of Nimitz getting old and not being able to hold his bladder through the night. And Samantha felt that she had to keep up with the "territory marking" Nimitz was doing.

The addition of a second litter box in the upstairs bathroom, just steps from our bed, has apparently solved that problem.

So, imagine my surprise when I got up in the middle of the night one night this week and found my pyjamas soaked with urine.

JBP had crawled into bed with us about a half hour earlier. His little hands and feet were like blocks of ice, so I'm assuming that's what woke him up. Our policy is he can stay with us for up to 45 minutes, then it's back to his own bed. Otherwise he'd spend all night, every night in our bed and we'd be black and blue from all his thrashing around.

So, I got up to put him back in his own bed. But, when I slipped an arm under his knees to pick him up I discovered he was soaking wet. In the short time he'd been huddled up next to me he'd managed to wet the bed.

So, we stripped him and put him back to bed in his clean, dry bed. Then cleaned up our bed, as best as possible. Der Deutscher spent the rest of the night on the couch and I spent the rest of the night clinging to the opposite side of our bed trying to avoid the wet spot, not covered with a bath towel.

If it's not the cats, it's the kid!

Nimitz' Lady

Snow Day!

2006-11-30T21:21:00.000-06:00

I got my first snow day today as a teacher. JBP got his first snow day ever. It's been a long time since a storm of any sort has meant anything to me other than overtime. It felt good to just crawl under a warm blanket and watch TV with my son, drink cocoa and bake cookies.

All told we only got about 3 inches or so of snow. Der Deutscher and I spent quite a bit of time joking with others transplanted to this area from real Snow States -- how this is nothing. In Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, etc, it wouldn't even get a second thought. Here it shuts down half the state. Oh well, I got a "free" day.

And what a note to end it on. Der Deutscher has been wanting to get me into a newer car ever since I started teaching. My new commute is about an hour a day, half an hour each way. He doesn't feel comfortable with the reliability, or lack thereof, of my 1998 Nissan Altima.

We'd test driven a couple of vehicles and pretty much decided which one I liked. But we wanted to drive it again in bad weather. Like, oh say, today? See, when we bought the Altima we got it in the Spring. Didn't find out until six months later that it sucked on snowy and icy roads. We did NOT want a repeat of that experience.

After the second, successful, test drive tonight we learned there were several attractive incentives and deals available on the Mazda 5 mini-van... this month. Which ends at midnight tonight. So, we ended up driving it home, tonight.

I'm still in shock. (And a little bit afraid to breathe in my own vehicle now! =)Are all snow days this good?

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. The only reason we got a brand new vehicle was because I insist on driving a stick shift and the chances of finding the Mazda 5, or any other decent vehicle, used in a stick are next to nil.

Beaten Down

2006-11-29T18:45:00.000-06:00

I got my grown-up patootie beaten at basketball -- by my SIX YEAR OLD SON!!!

And you shoulda heard him crow! I took him to the Y to shoot some hoops and next thing I knew I was out there with him playing defense. He ended up beating me 16 to 4 in a 45 minute game.

And that, despite the fact I got about triple the looks at the basket he got!

It's rather humbling to get your rear kicked by a six year old. But, in my defense, we were playing with a hard to handle youth ball. Of course, there's also the fact I've never been that athletically talented and have no real training in basketball -- up against his ability to hit an adult height basket, accurately, without looking!

I don't know where he gets it but it sure gives me something to look forward to bragging about when I see the Iowa State Ladies next month.

The family's headed to Ames, IA, between Christmas and New Year's for a little b-ball OD -- three games in three nights. Whoopee!!

Gotta remember to bake some cookies before we leave or the ladies on the team will never forgive me. That's ok though, I'll just hide behind my son who considers a 5'11" forward to be "little"!

Plus, we've been to so many away games the last few years they pretty much consider JBP to be their good luck mascot. They'd never harm him!

Nimitz' Lady

Makes Sense

2006-11-23T15:04:00.000-06:00

You're totally like 50% California!

You've been here before, haven't you? Wasn't that you I saw stepping into Brad Pitt's cement footprint at Mann's Chinese and telling your mom to "Take my Picture!"? I thought so!

How California are You?

Scary Convenience

2006-11-23T14:47:00.000-06:00

Cash, check or finger?
Fingerprint technology allows consumers to pay without cash, credit cards

The "Pay By Touch" program at Cub Foods allows customers to purchase their foods by just scanning their fingerprint. Users must register with the system by supplying a blank check and a government-issued ID. When a customer checks out with the Pay By Touch, the system accesses his or her checking account and withdraws the amount they owe.

This recent article on the Iowa State Daily's website is just scary. Can you imagine how easy it would be for the government to completely control who was allowed to buy and sell things when you do all your transactions electronically, authorized by a fingerprint? Eeww. Worse than any scary movie at the theater.

Nimitz' Lady

Re-named

2006-11-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

JBP is so taken with his reading/spelling/phonics lessons that he now goes around spelling everything. Either words he has learned in school or reading off letters from words on signs all over town.

In the process he has also renamed Der Deutscher and I. We are no longer Mom & Dad, nor Ma & Da, nor Mama & Dadda, nor Mommy & Daddy, not even Muh-ther and Fah-ther. No, we are now ... M-O-M and D-A-D.

In self defense I have begun calling JBP... S-O-N.

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. The Lady Cyclones just pulled off a big win at UNI in Cedar Rapids, IA. Down most of the game they came from 16 down in the last few minutes of regulation play to tie it up and put the game into OT, where they won 80-76. Great game.

"Mistaken" Anger

2006-11-07T19:29:00.000-06:00

I've actually been battling a case of mistaken anger toward Der Deutscher recently. He did nothing.

I got a text message Monday morning at school, "I Love You! :)" Of course I assumed it was from Der Deutscher. After I casually TM'd him back, "I Luv You Too" (the 3 button is busted on my phone) I looked at the number and realized it wasn't his phone.

Monday afternoon I discovered the TM had been from a woman I didn't know to her son. Wrong number.

Der Deutscher had nothing to do with any of this. But for me, emotionally, it's like the instant of warm, fuzzy feeling I got from thinking I had a TM from him had been cruelly yanked away from me, leaving me cold and bereft. So, I've been struggling not to blame him for what happened. For not even thinking to send me a random I Love You TM.

¡Así es la vida!

Nimitz' Lady

What's wrong with this...

2006-11-07T19:28:00.000-06:00

"Record high voter turnout is expected nationwide today, with more than 41% of registered voters saying they plan to cast a ballot."

Nimitz' Lady

Election Night Fever

2006-11-07T19:24:00.000-06:00

For the first time in the three months since I left the TV News biz I actually miss it. It's election night with all the attendant excitement in the air.

This is the first election since I could vote that I've watched as a "civvie" -- taking part in neither party politics nor news coverage of the election. And with so many possibilities floating in the air tonight I actually feel the pull to join in again.

Of course, part of this feeling is this is the first election in 5 years where I don't have to deal with a TV station that doesn't know Jack about covering elections, but tries to pretend it does. I came to the NBC affiliate in this time an award winning elections producer. C-SPAN had even chosen to air MY elections show LIVE NATIONWIDE! in 2000! But my station here never even asked for my help with elections coverage.

I'm sure this renewed feeling of excitement over "news" will pass, but in the meantime I'm kind of enjoying the fact that I've recovered enough from my burnout to actually feel it.

Nimitz' Lady

Not much to say, but New PICTURES!

2006-11-05T09:14:00.000-06:00

The last month or so has been pretty bad for us, which is why I haven't posted, at all. Unlike some who write when they're depressed in order to feel better, I write when I feel good, mostly. When I get really down in the dumps I just want to forget about writing anything and lose myself in a good book.

Things are starting to look up for us now, and hopefully I'll be back to my foolishly blogging self soon.

In the meantime I've posted a whole bunch of new photos from the last couple months on Flickr! Check out the link on the right side of your screen and Happy Viewing.

Nimitz' Lady

What to say?

2006-09-28T02:19:00.000-05:00

Sorry I didn't post yesterday. It was a day full of running around town but not actually doing much worth talking about.

We did start to go through my mother-in-law's apartment and decide what we're going to have shipped to the States. There'll have to be some major rearranging at home to make room for everything.

JBP has overall handled all this well. Although the last couple of days, especially right after visiting his Oma's apartment, he's started getting willful, defiant, etc.

We've talked to him about it several times and I think he's starting to get the point. When you're having strong feelings talk about them, don't bury them and then start acting out.

Every night after story time and prayer, before going to sleep, we've started having question time. That's when JBP can ask anything he wants, about anything.

Obviously his questions have mostly been the tough kind, like, 'What's it like to die?' and 'Why didn't we take any pictures of the coffin?' and 'Why didn't we open the coffin to look at Oma?'

Sometimes we find ourselves struggling to answer him. But we promised honesty, even if that means telling him we don't know. It seems to be helping him deal with everything and I'll probably keep up the tradition once we get home.

Last night during question time he finally admitted he didn't like going to his Oma's apartment and didn't want to go back. We told him he didn't have to. There's a play area in the garden behind the building and he can go there when we have to go back.

He also has decided he wants to keep her scarf. I had crocheted it as a Christmas gift for her last year and we came across it yesterday while going through her apartment.

Well, Der Deutscher and JBP have several pages worth of math homelinks to do together today (JBP refuses to do them with me!), so it's my turn to go shopping by myself. Yippee!!!!

Nimitz' Lady

The Funeral

2006-09-26T13:44:00.000-05:00

It was a very surreal experience and for the most part was not overly emotional, for me. Obviously Der Deutscher was crying, very manly tears, throughout the ceremony. It didn't get to me until the very end, but first -- the beginning.

We arrived with Der Deutscher's paternal aunt and uncle. Many members of his paternal family attended the ceremony even though his parents are, were, divorced. Overall however the ceremony was small -- only about 20 people or so. That's the way Der Deutscher wanted it because that's the way he believes his mother would've wanted. He said he could've packed a cathedral if he'd advertised the funeral, which I don't doubt. His mother lived in the same city most of her adult life and knew a LOT of people.

The thing that struck me first as so unusual was the flowers. Each basket of flowers had two ribbons, about a foot wide, with a greeting or wish on it. The flowers on her coffin, a simple blonde wood coffin, said "Our loved mother and grandmother" on one ribbon and Der Deutscher's, JBP's and my name on the other ribbon. All the others were like that too.

After a short service in the chapel at the cemetery, we followed the coffin out to the gravesite. There had been a small spray of four yellow roses on the seat for me, but I'd handed them over to JBP to keep him occupied during the service which was in German. Although JBP did ask a few questions he hadn't yet seemed to really realize what was going on.

But JBP was then the first to follow the coffin out to the gravesite, walking slowly and carefully, carrying the flowers before him like a bride.

At the gravesite, the six pallbearers lowered the coffin into the grave the old-fashioned way -- using ropes and muscle power. When they were down, they removed their white gloves (folding them over each other inside out like doctors do) and tossed them into the grave with the coffin.

Then, some more short words from the pastor. After which we all tossed a small, ceremonial shovelful of dirt onto the coffin -- Der Deutscher first, then me, then JBP.

That's when it call became real for JBP and he broke down. It was the first time he'd cried since we'd told him his Oma had died. Otherwise he'd pretty much tried to avoid the subject, except to say occasionally that he wanted to go home.

But that was it. A few minutes later we all gathered at Der Deutscher's paternal uncle's house for brötchen, wurst and käse -- and lots of talk. Pretty typical post-funeral stuff. Memories, family, even the coming birth of one cousin who's baby is due Oct. 3rd.

Nimitz' Lady

Walking Into Exhaustion

2006-09-25T10:41:00.000-05:00

Once you've been to Europe you never truly forget just how much walking is involved to get anywhere. But you also never truly remember until you have to do it again.

The good news is, between a very careful eye on how much I'm eating and all the walking I've got to be losing weight. Although the local scales are no proof, seeing as how they all measure in kilos! And being as non-mathematically enclined as I am forget translating to pounds.

I'd also forgotten what it was like to be in a country that appreciates a real woman. You know, one with a curve or two to distinguish her from a 14 year old boy?

If I hadn't been walking around with JBP today *and* wearing a wedding ring on *both* hands I think I'd have had at least three or five propositions. As compared to a similar number per *year* in the States!

Nothing really special happened today. Just took JBP to the park then went shopping for something to wear to the funeral tomorrow. The real work has all fallen on Der Deutscher who must prove to all the German bureaucrats that he's his mother's only son and heir. Plus, he had to meet with the pastor who'll be conducting her funeral tomorrow.

My main job has been to keep JBP busy and out of Der Deutscher's hair.

Yesterday we went to Oma's apartment and started going through things. Der Deutscher plans to ship several items of furniture to the States, family heirlooms and all. The good news is style-wise they should all fit into our home. The bad news? I don't know where we'll find room for it all.

Please pray for us, especially Der Deutscher, tomorrow as that's the funeral. It will most likely be the most difficult day of this trip.

Nimitz' Lady

All mixed up

2006-09-23T03:52:00.000-05:00

Halo alles aus Deutschland!

Well, we safely arrived, on time despite 30 and 45 minute delays at home and in Chicago. We literally had to run from our arrival gate to our departure gate in London and still just barely made the connection -- as in we raced to the gate and right onto the plane! Needless to say, we may have made it but our luggage did not. We got into Duesseldorf around 10am local time. Our luggage finally arrived at 9pm!

We spent most of yesterday with Der Duetscher's aunt and uncle. At one point his cousin-in-law stopped by with her 10 month old son who shares Der Deutscher's full name. The cousin spoke Spanish pretty well, better than her English or my German. So we spent several hours switching back and forth between the three languages.

Add to that the fact I've been speaking Spanish daily for the last month and am still trying to keep a blog for my students in Spanish and I am truly linquistically all mixed up. I never know which language is going to pop out of my mouth next.

Then, of courese, there's the whole keyboard difference -- which is reallz messing up my typing. What should've taken me about three minutes to write and post has already taken me ten!

I really feel for Der Deutscher right now. He's handling all the funeral arrangements himself and I can't be with him because he just wants me to keep JBP occupied. JBP is currently out buying flowers with his Onkel Mika, his step-grandmother's brother. And Der Deutscher thinks my family is confusing!

Ok, time to give my poor confused brain a break.
Nimitz' Lady

The Wind and the Fury

2006-09-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

We're all packed and ready to go. Some friends from church will be picking us up here in about an hour to take us to the airport.

Unfortunately, it's a dark and stormy day with lots of thunderstorms and high winds. We face travel delays both here and out of Chicago.

Once (if) we can get out of Chicago we should be okay, though. So, please pray for smooth traveling. I'm not sure how much aggravation Der Deutscher can take right now.

Nimitz' Lady

Nimitz Household in Mourning

2006-09-19T18:41:00.000-05:00

We received a long dreaded phonecall this morning. My mother-in-law, aka Oma, passed away overnight. She'd been suffering from some sort of cancer for years, but was unwilling to share the details with most of us.

Due to this expected yet unforeseen development, we're making an emergency trip to Germany. There, Der Deutscher will begin handling her estate, while I will help JBP say goodbye to his Oma.

At the same time, JBP and I will be staying in contact with our classes through a couple of new blogs I've just set-up.

I'll be using Pensamientos en Español to give my students a view of what it's like to travel overseas. JBP will do the same with his new Blog, World Traveler.

This may well be my last post until we're in Der Vaterland, as we leave Thursday and have very little time in which to get all paperwork gathered, everything packed and enough lesson plans set out for my sub!

While this is sad for me, it is a much more devestating development for JBP and Der Deutscher. Please keep them in your prayers.

Nimitz' Lady

Style Tips for the Young and Masculine (wanna-bes)

2006-09-14T21:16:00.000-05:00

In class today I had the kids working on the dry-erase board (whatever happened to go ol' chalkboards?). They started complaining about their hands getting all black from the pen ink. I told them that's one of the many reason I prefer to wear black, or at least dark colored clothes.

One of the young men pipes up, "What are the others?"

I just looked at him and said, "'Cause I'm a woman. 'Nuff said."

Nimitz' Lady

p.s. Tomorrow I take part in a pep rally contest that pits the teachers against teams from each class (year). I'm to represent the teachers in the cartwheel competition. That'll be a sight!

Actual Funny Remembered

2006-09-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

After school today, I was lying on my stomach grading papers while JBP watched TV. Popular Mechanics for Kids (PMK): Slither and Slime to be precise.

When he noticed my supine position, JBP quickly slithered onto my back, one of his favorite TV viewing positions.

Unfortunately, that hurt my lower back, and at my request JBP scootched (is that actually a word?) down a bit. He ended up with his head resting on my gluteus maximus as a pillow.

A moment later he raised his head and indignantly announced, "You farted in my ear, Mommy!"

After taking a moment to digest this comment I cooly responded, "That's what you get for laying your head on my butt."

He thought about this, then carefully slithered back up my back just far enough to get his head off my rear and returned to watching Alicia and Jay discuss frogs, worms, leeches and other slithery and slimy things.

Ah, motherhood.

Nimitz' Lady

Greetings from South Korea!

2006-09-09T20:42:00.000-05:00

No, unfortunately, not from me.

My (formerly) Colorado Cousins have moved to South Korea. They've taken a two year position teaching at a Christian International School in the city of Taejon (or Daejon) with their three boys (all within about a year in age of JBP!).

I think I may have spoken of this before, if not I am now. =)

Anyway, I am about as jealous and in awe as it gets. Not that I could imagine making a move that grand at this time. But I can imagine doing it sometime. Now I just have to convince Der Deutscher!

They have started a blog to keep friends and family updated on their antics in the Republic of Korea. I won't share the address right now, as I'm not sure if they would like that, security concerns and all. But, if they don't mind, I may link to it later.

Meanwhile, good news on the JBP in school front. Although, by no means, is his behavior now model, it has improved greatly. And, he no longer goes around saying he hates school and there's nothing fun about it. Instead, he'll ask to do his homework! And if there isn't any, he'll ask to practice writing his letters with us. So, all in all things are going well.

Now, if only I could get enough of a handle on the teaching (and kick whatever bug has been infecting me for the last couple weeks) not to be totally and completely mentally and physically exhausted everyday when we get home.

Come Sabbath, it's all I can do to get through Church and lunch. I pretty much simply collapse then for the rest of the day. And that doesn't make for a very enjoyable Sabbath for JBP, who would be on the go every minute of every day if we let him.

Plus, between the change in jobs and trying to get used to it, I haven't been to the gym in a couple months now and am really feeling it. Backaches the likes of which I haven't had in years! Because my ab strength is back down to nothing.

On the other hand, I may actually have still managed to lose a few pounds. With the new schedule, I have little time to eat during work and my daily calorie consumption has fallen drastically. At least on workdays. Of course, to make up for that, I tend to eat more than I should on the weekends.

I'm hoping to start working out at home to my Taebo tapes after work this week. I need the physical exercise.

If you're the praying sort, please pray for my physical well being (exercise and illness) and that I'll be able to get this lesson planning thing licked.

Overall, I've been doing ok. But, I'm still having trouble gauging where my students are academically, either working well below or well above their current language levels. Plus, with an 84 minute block to fill I'm having trouble gauging exactly how much to plan on each day. And, to top it all off, I'm doing my best to do most of my lesson-planning during my planning period at school. I don't want to get in the habit of working all sorts of extra hours. I want to start the way I mean to go on (at least for the next 12 years -- when JBP graduates high school).

Nimitz' Lady

JBP Funnies

2006-09-07T20:33:00.000-05:00

The thing is, JBP has done/said a couple really funny things this last day or so. However, I am so exhausted at this point that I can barely remember my own name, let alone anything anyone else has said to me.

Outside of the funny, my boy got his first bee sting today. A lot earlier than I did. He was on a walking field trip to a park with his class to take some pictures. Within 10 minutes, both he and another boy had been stung by bees. JBP got stung in the back of his oversized little head.

When he got to my room after school he was still holding the remains of an ice bag to his head. Then proceeded to talk about how much he hated bees.

When he got home, he repeated the entire diatribe for Der Deutscher. Who then reminded him bees aren't very smart.

JBP has since spent the rest of the evening, at odd and unrelated moments, reminding us all that bees aren't very smart. In fact they're pretty dumb.

Nimitz' Lady

Hee Hee Hee

2006-09-04T21:00:00.000-05:00

(sound of maniacal giggling)

It's a Holiday and I am NOT working!!!!!! Nor did I use up a vacation day to get the time off.

That's a first in 13 years.

And I get Thanksgiving off. And the day after. And Christmas Eve. And Christmas Day. And New Year's Eve. And New Year's Day. And the time between Christmas and New Year's. !!!!!!

Tee Hee Hee!!!!

Nimitz' Lady

Update

2006-09-04T20:53:00.000-05:00

Just to keep all interested updated on what's going on, since I've pretty much NOT been in evidence the last couple of weeks.

1. JBP's first week at school was horrid. His second was much better, though far from perfect. His Grammy visited over the holiday weekend, so I fear a regression in behavior. But I'm prayin things will continue on our overall upward course.

2. The teaching's going pretty well. I love my 4th year class and my homeroom class. My 2nd year students are ok. My 3rd year class is the largest and the least responsive. Much of it is, I think, due to just a couple of students in the class. But it puts a real damper on my day. Everyday.

3. Since I'm not a certified teacher, I have to get an emergency substitute's certificate. Which means fingerprints and a background check. Not a problem, just another hassle I don't have time for.

4. ISU remains as reliable as ever. I faxed over a request for more transcripts (for my high school, the local university's alternative certification program and the state for the sub cert). They said it should take about a week. They arrived in less than four days. Yeah ISU!

5. We finally have books for the 1st and 2nd year Spanish students. But I'm still waiting for books for 3rd and 4th year.

That's the last week or so, in a very, very tiny nutshell. Once I figure out how to spend less time grading papers on a nightly basis I'll try to start posting more regularly -- including all of JBP's latest hijinks.

Nimitz' Lady

Getting in the Groove

2006-08-23T20:34:00.000-05:00

With all the changes in his little life this summer, JBP's not been handling things well. However, I do believe we're starting to see the light at the end of this tunnel.

I met with his teacher and principal after school yesterday to discuss strategies for dealing with his defiant, check-outist behavior. We couldn't have found a group more interested in helping him, finding what's best for him, not just getting him to shut-up and go along with the group, but to actually get settled, happy and learning.

Today, his third day of school, was the first day I didn't get a call about his behavior during the school day.

He also, tonight, willingly sat with me and did the "homework" the teacher had sent home that he wouldn't do during class. It took us an hour (he was eating while I read to him for a good 20 minutes of that) but he stuck with it until it was all finished.

Then went to bed with minimal fuss.

I finally have hopes that things are looking up, that he'll get used to the set-up, learn to trust his teachers, etc, and start to enjoy learning again.

Right now he complains it's all boring. He doesn't understand that he's got to do theboring stuff to get to the fun stuff (like computers, science, math, etc) the older kids are doing.

Meanwhile, I'm dealing with some pretty freaked out kids in my classes. Turns out my predecessor's Spanish 3 class was 90% writing papers (in English) about Spanish culture. So, the students know next to no Spanish. It's like my Spanish 4 students are where I'd expect Spanish 2 students to be with grammar and vocabulary.

So, I'm having to completely reconfigure how to teach the upper levels. But if I do nothing else, they'll be speaking Spanish comfortably by the time they leave my classroom. Maybe elementary levels, but they'll be speaking it!

Well, I've got homework to check in.
Nimitz' Lady

P.S. Day 2 in the classroom was much more comfortable on my part. And the principal (who's dropped by several times) says I looked comfortable from the first (all those years in front of a TV camera came in handy after all!).

First Day

2006-08-22T20:53:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day in front of a classroom. I thought I was prepared, right up until the kids started showing up.

I've got enough experience at public speaking that I didn't "show any fear", but by the time I got out of that class I was shaking so badly I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it to the teacher's lounge without falling.

Thank goodness I have lunch right after my first class (actually, my schedule goes: planning, Spanish 4, lunch, Spanish 3, Spanish 2, Homeroom). I needed the time to get myself back together.

The good news, I made it through the first day without falling on my face. The bad news? I've still got three more days to survive. I'll keep you updated.

Nimitz' Lady

Oh, and I've still got to figure out how to dual teach a class where half my students are taking it for college credit and half aren't (and where I still don't understand exactly what it is I'm supposed to be teaching for the college credit!).

Also, I waaaaaay overestimated how much Spanish these kids would know. I wasn't expecting college level Spanish, but certainly more than this. I'm hoping much of it was just rustiness from a summer off. But somehow I doubt it.

Back to School

2006-08-21T20:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm officially a teacher. Can't remember if I posted that or not. The last few weeks have been so hectic I'm not even sure I remember my name. You'll let me know if I forget, right?

Anyway, things couldn't have worked out better. JBP is attending the elementary school literally right next door to the high school I teach at. It's a smaller, rural district near a big city. Which means it has lots of the big city options without the big city problems.

And, to top it all off, the placement exam for JBP (to determine if he'd attend 1st grade or kindergarten) showed he has some tendencies toward dyslexia. I only just last January learned that other close family members have dyslexia, and it tends to run in families. The good thing is, if he has it, which is by no means a certainty at this point, it's been caught well before JBP could suffer any scholastic damage.

And this never would've happened if we hadn't decided to move him over to the school district I'm teaching in. God cares for us even when we don't know there's a problem!

My first day of classes is tomorrow (today was just Freshman orientation and I don't have any freshmen level classes) so wish me luck. JBP's first day was today. Overall he had a good day, enjoyed school, etc. There was one incident that led to the principal calling me (mainly because JBP pulled his typical mute routine) that boiled down to a misunderstanding. Hopefully that's the worst we have to deal with. Pray for JBP. The last thing I want is for him to hate school.

Well, I'm tired, and frankly can't think straight enough to relate any "stories" of what's going on right now. Hopefully I'll be able to think better later this week. I must say the marathon does appear to be finally slowing down. I might even be sighting the finish line on the horizon.

Nimitz' Lady

Odds & Ends

2006-08-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

Sorry so long with no news. We had no internet access while in L.A. But there's a lot to pass on and I don't have much time.

1. My father is improving, slowly. But he's not cooperating well with the nurses and rehab folks. It'll be awhile until he gets out of the nursing home, in my opinion.

2. I'm now a high school Spanish teacher. I interviewed Monday, flew to L.A. Tuesday morning and had an offer on the voicemail when we landed. I'm now frantically trying to get everything in line to begin my new job on the 14th!!!!!

3. We finally got the basement carpet put in the week before we left for L.A. So, needless to say, we never got the chance to get everything put back in its proper place and it's still sitting in stacks upstairs. With the new job, who knows when I'll get it done.

4. Did I mention I've got a new job? =) Just checking.

5. My mom's (Grammy) got a new job too, teaching English as a Second Language at Kansas State University. So we're rushing to get her all packed up so we can move her out there this weekend.

6. JBP may be starting 1st grade instead of Kindergarten. He's doing a skills assessment tomorrow afternoon at the elementary school right next to my high school. If he does well enough he'll start 1st grade there (age appropriate). If not, he'll start Kindergarten as planned at the neighborhood school around the corner from our house. All things considered, I'm praying he ends up at the school next to where I work. I'll let you know how it goes.

I'm sure there's more. But I'm starting to eye the corner with some blubbering in mind. Best get back to the grindstone before I just plain quit!

Nimitz' Lady

Sad Week

2006-07-28T16:33:00.000-05:00

This has been a sad week for our family. Der Deutscher's stepmother's father died, Der Deutscher's aunt died and now news that my Great Aunt (on my mother's side) is dying of cancer. It's so far advanced doctors say there's nothing they can do but make her comfortable.

My mother and Aunt Wowis (as I used to call her)have rented a car and are headed cross-country to say good-bye.

I'd be going with them if it weren't for the already planned trip to go visit my father -- who is also in the hospital dealing with problems with a shunt in his brain. The consensus is he's too stubborn to stay in bed until it heals properly and keeps re-damaging the wound.

But, if he's still in the hospital we'll be getting a hotel room (financial ouch!) rather than messing up my stepmother's home.

At any rate, what was supposed to be a simple trip to visit my father has become fraught with all other sorts of nuances, innuendos and details.

Here's hoping all goes well. At least as well as can be expected. Almost time to go home and pack.

Nimitz' Lady

Interview Time

2006-07-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

The principal has decided to go ahead and interview me while we're waiting to find out on the pay/certification issues. I get the feeling he really wants me, he's just got to figure out how. Anyway, I interview for that position Monday at 7AM, seeing as how I have to be at work by 8:30.

And, because I refuse to put all my eggs in one basket, I applied for a couple more positions this morning -- a reporter job at a local Spanish station and a pr job at another local University Medical College.

The University just called me asking to do a phone interview next week. So, that's set for Tuesday afternoon.

Who knows, by Wednesday I may have a new job. Wouldn't that be nice?

At any rate next week will be a big one for me. Trip to California to see my dad, two job interviews and the possibility of getting out of my current position, which I am burned out on.

Wish me luck and pray hard!!! Cause I'm relying on God to show me which (assuming I get two offers) is the "right" job for me.

Nimitz' Lady

Finally Got One Right

2006-07-27T17:24:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last hour or so doing Blogthing quizzes to keep from being bored to death, and from freaking out about my possible job change.

Most of the quizzes have not only been wrong, they've been waaaay wrong. Andy Warhol should paint my portrait (hate his work)! I should weigh 145 lbs (haven't seen that since middle school)!

But this quiz actually got me right.

Your Inner European is Spanish!

Energetic and lively.
You bring the party with you!

Who's Your Inner European?

Nimitz' Lady

Still in Danger

2006-07-27T15:42:00.000-05:00

Turns out I spoke too quickly when I said my frieds from Beirut had made it to the States safely. They haven't all made it.

The Husband stayed behind. He still had a job to finish for a Japanese firm. So pray he'll finish quickly and get out safely.

He is staying in the mountains outside Beirut, but still. As of the latest reports (from around noon) the bombing has killed 600 civilians and injured another 1,500.

So, please keep praying for him.

Time to go listen to some classic Bon Jovi for me.
Nimitz' Lady

Hopes and Fears

2006-07-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

Well the high school principal got my application and resume today. He called over the lunch hour.

Since it's too late for me to get into the local University's certification-while-teaching program, I'd have to be hired as a long-term sub, which means less money. I'm already looking at a paycut just to get out of the TV news biz.

So, the principal is busy crunching numbers. If he comes up with something we could both agree on, I'll interview.

Right now I'm filled with hopes and fears.

I'm really hoping this works out. If it does, it means by the time I get back from L.A. I'd be at a new job.

I'm relieved I wouldn't have to worry about certification until next summer, which makes me hopeful I might actually be able to handle the job.

I'm afraid I'll get my hopes up too high and something won't work out and I'll be right back at work writing a newscast come Aug. 10th. We'll see.

Pray for me.
Nimitz' Lady

Perchance to... Teach?

2006-07-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

That's right, teach. I have been invited to apply for a local high school's still open Spanish teacher position.

As I am not a certified secondary teacher this is only possible because the position is still open. Classes start mid-August, about three weeks! In other words, they're desperate.

If they offer me the job (duh! Of course, I'm applying!) and if I accept the offer it would, under state law, have to be contingent upon my then beginning to work toward certification.

I checked out what that would mean and: I would have to take three undergraduate classes (college algebra, basic statistics and general psychology) before I'd even be eligible for the local University's teacher certification program!

I don't know. I'd love to be a high school teacher. I've pretty much always seen that as my second career. And Spanish! La lengua de mi alma! In that way it couldn't be a better match.

It's the going back to school thing, while working, that has me concerned. I'm trying to get out of the TV News biz to get away from the awful hours/schedules and be able to spend more time with my family.

Just don't know what I'll do -- assuming this goes beyond the "Sure, send us your resume" stage.

Nimitz' Lady

Safe

2006-07-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

I just heard from my friends who lived in Beirut. They've gotten safely out and are in the States. Praise God!

This is what she had to say about the trip:

"I made the horrible evacuation with my children and parent's. It was like going to hell and back."

Thanks for your prayers and support.

Nimitz' Lady

Daddy Time

2006-07-24T16:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'm scheduled to visit my dad in L.A. next week.

Slight problem, I've tried calling him several times over the last few days and gotten no answer. On Friday, an aunt told my mother he was back in the hospital. But, when I called the hospital they said he'd been released. Meanwhile, I keep calling and leaving messages at his house that never get any responses.

I don't know what's going on.

Is my father seriously ill? Only slightly sick? Dying?

Will he be there for me to visit? Or do I need to book a hotel room (rather then stay with just my stepmother and her sister)?

I don't know what's going on and am starting to get extremely worried.

Nimitz' Lady

Unprofessional

2006-07-24T16:49:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple links to video of some of the most unprofessional news anchors I've seen in a long time (even if I do agree with their opinions).

Hawaii: This guy is dealing with the same new production system my station got earlier this year. I feel his pain, but you never let it show on air!

Fox News: I feel both her anger and pain every time I have to write a story about these folks. But if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen. In other words, if you can't keep your cool at the anchor desk, find another job!

And here's what other pro's think about these clips.

Nimitz' Lady

Congratulations/Felicitaciones

2006-07-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza, a fellow Boriqua who just won the 2006 Miss Universe title. Not my cup of tea, but to each her own. And it's always good to see a Puerto Rican finish well.

Felicitaciones a Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza, una boriqua como yo quien ha ganado esta noche el titulo de Miss Universe 2006. No es algo que me gustaria, pero a cada persona sus preferencias. Y siempre es bien ver a una puertorriquena se cumple bien.

Nimitz' Lady

No Word

2006-07-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since I've heard anything from my friends living in Beirut. The last I heard -- they were trying to get out with the U.S. evacuations.

I just pray that in this case no news is good news and that they're on a ship headed for Cyprus, or on a plane headed to the States, safe and sound.

Nimitz' Lady

Bye-Bye Mommy

2006-07-23T21:32:00.000-05:00

My mother, aka Grammy, has been living with us since my son, JBP, was about three months old.

It was never planned to be permanent. First she was just going to stay with us until she could find her own place. But then we figured, we were only going to stay in Iowa a few more months so why waste the money? We ended up in Iowa another year.

And then, when we moved here, we figured it was only temporary until she found a full-time job.

Five years later, she's finally found a full-time job. It's at Kansas State University (so we'll get to visit her when we go to watch the Iowa State Ladies play basketball there) which is about a two to three hour drive from us.

I love my mother. For the most part we're best friends. But we're also mother and daughter and I know we've gotten on each other's nerves occasionally over the last few years.

And I have to admit there will be certain advantages to "being on my own" again.

At the same time, my live-in babysitter is moving out! No more spontaneous runs to the movies, or the grocery store, or anywhere else for that matter!

But when all's said and done, we'll just plain miss her while she's off at college having fun.

Is this what they mean about "raising your parents"? I'm too young to be suffering from Empty Nest Syndrome, dang it!
Nimitz' Lady

Weight Loss

2006-07-23T21:27:00.000-05:00

Alright, let's try this again. (For those who didn't catch the goof, I managed to publish the title to this post before writing a single word!)

You may (or not) have noticed a new ticker at the top of the screen. This ticker is how much weight, give or take five pounds, that I need to lose.

Personally, I'd be ecstatic to lose half of that. But given all my other health issues, I really need to try to lose as much of that as possible.

I'm hoping the ticker sitting there at the top of the screen, mocking me every time I log on, will help motivate me to work out.

Since the great schedule switch-aroo that has been this year began I've had trouble keeping up a regular workout schedule. And my eating habits have been execrable.

The last week or two I've gotten the eating in hand, and now I think I've figured out a decent work out schedule. 30 to 60 mins cardio at home in the morning, 30 to 45 mins strength training at the Y over my lunch hour (not as much sweaty mess to clean up after before going back to work).

So, we'll see how it goes. I'm especially feeling the need to lose with the way my joints have been aching (Thyroid Doc thinks weight loss will help alleviate that) and my 15 year high school reunion coming up sometime next year.

Wish me luck.
Nimitz' Lady

Cute Hair

2006-07-23T20:52:00.000-05:00

Given I'm not the best judge, but I think my new do will turn out pretty cute.

I got my hair relaxed (chemically straightened, whatever)and styled last Thursda. Due to the relaxing process this morning was the first time I got to wash and style it myself.

It's supposed to look something like this.

Which is a pretty good match for my face, in my opinion. So far, at least, I think it worked.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the next few weeks.

I'll try to get an actual picture of me posted before I leave for L.A.

Nimitz' Lady

Five Things Meme

2006-07-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged, informally. So here it is, the Five Things Meme.

Five things you have but you do not want
1. 45 pounds of fat
2. dirty floors
3. my job
4. emotional scarring
5. an addictive personality

Five things you want but you do not have
1. a new job
2. a sleek, fit body
3. a daughter
4. peace of mind
5. more time to spend with my son & husband

Five things you would like to know more about
1. parenting
2. adoption
3. translating
4. the Bible & God
5. German

Five important lessons you have learned
1. If it doesn't endanger your eternal life it's not worth getting upset about.
2. I had a decent body when I was a teen. Too bad I didn't realize it until it was gone.
3. Children and family are more important than money or position.
4. Physical beauty will only get you unwanted attention.
5. I can do anything if I try hard enough.

Five of your favorite memories
1. Being pregnant and my son's birth
2. Meeting my husband (and any time after that spent cuddling with him)
3. Traveling overseas (any and every time)
4. My time at WOI-TV
5. The 1999-2000 Iowa State Women's Basketball season (any and every game!)

Five things you are looking forward to
1. The Second Coming
2. Not caring anymore about my weight
3. Bringing a daughter home (assuming Der Deutscher ever agrees to adopt)
4. Traveling to L.A. to visit my dad in August
5. Retirement

Five things you would like to forget
1. The emotional torment that was most of high school and the people who inflicted it
2. The times I've hurt my husband
3. My sins
4. The Serial Killer hearings last summer
5. My love of food

So, that's it. Now, you're it!
Nimitz' Lady

The Early Nightly

2006-07-18T10:52:00.000-05:00

NBC main anchor Brian Williams has landed in Tel Aviv to broadcast live from Israel during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Lebanon. He's headed to Haifa this afernoon for tonight's broadcast.

Each day during his trip, he'll include a Vlog giving a behind the scenes look at what it takes to broadcast from what is essentially a war zone.

Check it out. I found it interesting.

Nimitz' Lady

P.S. If you know of any other just glimpses of life in the Middle East right now, please leave me a link.

Oh, and I haven't heard back from my friends in Beirut. I'm just hoping that means they're headed for the port to catch the cruise ship to Greece.

Trapped

2006-07-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

One of my best college friends lives in Beirut with her husband and two little girls. She's a dual citizen, American and Lebanese.

Needless to say, they've been trying desperately to get out of the country for the last week. They have hopes of an American evacuation on Wednesday.

I've had a few e-mails from her. This is what she has to say about the situation.

"We are safe in this mountain house. It is in a Christian area away from the battle, but let's hope that the Israelis don't lose it and start bombing left, right and center."

"The US government really needs to do more for their citizens. This situation is really bad. Everything is so slow."

"It's hard to restart my life all over again, but it's better to leave then to die."

"I am scared especially that now I have babies I have to worry about."

She's a journalist like me, who's freelanced for several publications, writing most often for the Daily Star in Beirut.

Please include her and her family in your prayers. I've been praying for her non-stop for the last few days, as well as putting her name on our church prayer list.

The worst thing about situations like what we're seeing in Lebanon and Israel right now is that it's always the innocent who are hurt the most.

Nimitz' Lady

What's In a Name?

2006-07-17T15:38:00.000-05:00

The other day, Grammy and JBP were driving along. Grammy making a song out of JBP's name, including his middle name "S".

He vehemently declared, "S" is not my name. My name is "J" "B" "P", then proceeded to spell out "B".

He wouldn't accept that "S" was his middle name.

Poor kid. He's a little Boriqua boy being raised in a white bread town. He thinks children are only allowed to have three names.

When in latino society *four* is the minimum. First, Middle & two Last names (one from your father, one from your mother).

Grammy reminded JBP of how his name is written in his birthstory book. He still isn't sure he's too fond of that "S".

Found & Lost

2006-07-11T13:07:00.000-05:00

Just 11 hours after finding the "stray" I'd hoped would be the newest member of our family, despite the many times I told myself we'd find his "family", we found his family.

In the end it didn't take any of the two dozen Found posters we had ready to post. It was the simple text e-mail I'd sent the local Humane Society.

It turns out this beauty's name is Kodiak. His parents had been frantically searching for him all day and came across our note while searching at the Humane Society.

So, Der Deutscher and JBP returned Kodiak to his home before I even got off work last night and my brief moment of hope was over.

No new puppy for moi. Back to my doldrums.

Nimitz' Lady

CHEERLEADERS

2006-07-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

A lesson on how easily stereotypes are passed on.

Der Deutscher, JBP and I are in the car at a stop light. There's this group of high school aged kids, mostly girls, playing around like elementary schoolers on the corner then racing across the street.

I turn to Der Deutscher and ask, "What's with the pack of kids?"

Der Deutscher, "I don't know."

JBP, "They must be cheerleaders." (emphasis his)

Stereotype passed on without even trying. And that's with me having been a cheerleader! Go Cyclones!

Nimitz' Lady