Beep me... my love/hate relationship with technology

My love/hate relationship with technology(namely cell phones) goes WAY back...to middle school. The year was 1995 and I had just earned a pager after a summer of baby-sitting. I was pretty stoked about it, since pagers were the "new thing." They were a much better option than the giant "Zach Morris Cell phones" available at the time.

My pager was a shiny, light-blue shade and it allowed me to receive archaic text messages from friends. Now, I would know who was trying to get a hold of me and I could call them back (sometimes from a pay phone). I loved the freedom of people being able to reach me when I was not at home. And, as a 13-year-old, I often was not at home.

Since I did say this was a love/hate, let me tell you the hate part. Not only could my friends track me down...so could my parents! And, I was expected to call back when they beeped me.

This relationship with technology continues today, but now it is much more extreme than a simple beeper. People can now contact one another ALL THE TIME! While this is sometimes really cool and helpful (when you are lost trying to find some body's house, during an emergency, etc) mostly it is just annoying.

Two of my favorite memories were when I traveled through Europe. Obviously the trips were amazing but so was the lack of technology. When I was there I did not have my phone. It was heaven. Nobody could reach me and I could only search the web or check email from the REALLY OLD computer in the hotel (MOTEL/HOSTEL) lobby. And I survived. Thrived even. No cell phone...no problem!

Since I cannot always use the excuse that I am in Europe, I know have to purposely leave my phone at home when I am running errands, walking Teddy, or out to dinner. This gives me just a piece of the technology-freeness (not sure if this is a word, but oh well) I felt in Europe.

Since obtaining a new cell-phone last year, I now have a new issue...the Internet. Now that the Internet is available on my phone, I often find myself online and randomly searching the web. I will check facebook, look for Groupons, "Google" things I am wondering about. Not only is this rude to the people I am with (or unsafe, if I am in the car) it is flat-out annoying to me too!

Don't get me wrong, sometimes the Internet is fabulous to have at your fingertips. Sometimes it cures the boredom of sitting in a waiting room. Mostly though, it is absolutely not necessary to be online.

Another irritant that cell phones and technology have brought upon us all... people now assume one should be able to reach anybody, at anytime, in any format (text, call or email) and said recipient should either answer or respond immediately.

Is this fast-paced society we have created more effective? Or just more annoying? The jury is still out on that one. I do no that once in a while, we all need a break from being connected at all times.

So, I challenge you... go "retro." Try leaving your phone at home when you are out running errands. It will be just like back in the 80's and 90's. You know, when you could only be reached AT home and everybody just had to wait until you returned to reach you...

Getting the artificial stuff out of my life...

Growing up in the 80's, I learned that sugar was bad for you. This was reinforced all the time (low-sugar cereal, reduced sugar juice, etc).

It was only natural that I was drawn to all things artificial... if they contained less sugar or fat (or none)the assumption was that they must be better for me, right? I regularly searched out all things fake...syrup for pancakes, whipped cream, creamer, ice cream (yuck, I know)and Popsicles.

Two of my main addictions, used daily, were spray butter and sugar-free sweeteners (for my coffee). In fact, until I made the decision to stop using "fake food products" I could not even recall the last time I had used REAL butter. On anything. Seriously.

For those of you who are wondering, "what hell is spray butter?" I am not even sure how to describe it properly. I guess you could call it: a mix of chemicals that are combined to mimic the flavor of butter.

Oh, and you can spray the chemicals right onto your food...no knife required. This in itself should have scared me. I was literally spraying chemicals onto my food! My husband was particularly not a fan of the spray. He thought it sounded like I was putting cleaner on my toast.

My other vice was sugar-free sweetener in coffee (splenda, syrup, equal, etc). Not just a little bit either. I would unload the stuff in there, pleased that I was cutting out 100 calories and making a healthier choice. Or was I?

A couple of weeks ago, I started getting headaches at work. Like, REALLY bad ones. Bad enough that I had to take Advil nearly every day. This was not normal, so I decided to pinpoint the cause. A friend had mentioned once that she could not use "fake sugar" as it gave her pounding headaches, so I decided to cut those out.

And, what do you know...NO MORE HEADACHES! Plus, I found that when I used real sugar, I did not need to use as much.

My next challenge was to start using real butter...not nearly as fun to use, but probably much healthier.

Last Friday, I accepted the challenge and spread an English muffin with honest to goodness REAL butter.

It was delicious...and I actually felt more satisfied. Not hungry right away like I was with the fake stuff. The best part though? I could actually taste the English muffin. The spray butter's artificial saltiness had been completely overpowering the taste of the bread.

Even though it has only been a couple of weeks since my life-style change, I already feel much better. Headaches are gone, I can taste my bagels again, and I am not creeping Adam out anymore.

So, the moral of the story is: getting rid of the fake things in your life (whether it be people or food products)feels fabulous...

Happy Father's Day! Or...Sh*t my dad says (and does)

Hi there. Long time, no see (or write). The reason? Well, as all of my teacher friends know, the end of the school year is quite a busy time. Plus, Adam has been using the computer for work...leaving me with only my phone to post from, which I have decided takes WAY too long!

I have had this post in mind for weeks now, however. Longer actually. Since my "Mother's Day" post, I knew I also had to honor my dad with a blog entry (although he will never see it, since he has not yet picked up on "The Facebook" of online blogs...one of things I LOVE about him)

So, this is a list of humorous things my dad has said, done, or taught me throughout the years! Love you dad... We will begin with things he has SAID.

1) "Hit the fish over the head!" (said to me prior to me having a nervous breakdown over having to kill the fish. And, ironically, fish if one of my favorite dishes. I just could not stand to actually slaughter the little guy myself.

2) "Stay away from the Alderwood Mall. It is full of fat people in vans trying to find close parking spots." This is a CLASSIC line from my dad. But...as blunt as he might sound...he was correct. The mall WAS in fact full of fat people, trying to find close spots. Thanks for the warning pops!

3) At L.A. Fitness last year: "Hey Allison, do you know ____________? (as he is introducing me to a teenage boy)He goes to Jackson High School and plays baseball there."

Dad...if I KNEW this 17-year-old boy, I would hope you would be HIGHLY concerned, considering that I graduated from Jackson over 10 years ago!

4) "I think it is fine that Teddy is spoiled. Dogs are supposed to spoiled and played with. They are NOT just pieces of furniture." Finally, somebody condoning the fact that we have a very spoiled puppy!

Now...sh*t my dad has done...

1) Once again...at LA Fitness, in front of a sign reading "please keep your shirt on. No cell phones" I glance over and notice my father wearing NO shirt and talking on his cell phone! Classic!

2) My dad despises when people are late...but what is funny is that he is often late himself! When I call to say I am arriving late, he cracks jokes about how I am always late...completely ignoring the fact that he is also late the other half of the time.

3) Saying things TOO loudly is another trait my dad has. While this is sometimes funny, other times it is embarrassing. He will say things like, "boy is that server stupid" loudly enough for the server to hear. I swear, when I am with him at dinner, we probably get our food spit in half the time.

Important Lessons that my dad has taught me (besides to stay away from the mall):

1) My dad always encouraged me (and my sister)to be athletic and competitive. I thank him for the fact that I can throw a softball (HARD)..like, not a rainbow throw. I also thank him for completely understanding the rules of baseball.

2) Never letting me use my size as an excuse. I inherited my height from my dad's side, but I never let it stop me. Even when I was cut from the Volleyball team, I still managed to play basketball for years!

3) To try to stay calm in all situations. I swear, I have almost never hear my dad raise his voice. He handled things rationally. One particular situation comes to mind where he had to pick me up from the Mill Creek Police Station (way TOO long of a story to explain here). Although, I did have to push his car up the hill in the snow...he still did not yell at me. Although, getting frostbite was most likely punishment enough!

4) My dad instilled in my to always be supportive of others. As I played MANY sport and participated in many activities throughout the years, my dad could always be found at all of them, cheering me on (or sometimes umpiring or coaching). When I switched from softball to tennis, I thought my dad would be disappointed. Instead, he came to as many of my matches as he could and complimented my playing, even when I lost!

So...dad (even though you will not see this)here is a toast to you and all of the little quirks that make you the father that you are!


Thanks!

Lessons learned...from my mom!

Since it is Mother's Day, I thought I would let my mom know all of the things that she taught me without knowing it. These were mostly things (like rules) that I would argue with her about (or roll my eyes at) when I was a teen-ager. At this time I, of course, thought that I knew it all and that my mom was clueless. However, now that I am "grown-up" I appreciate these little things and even (gasp) find myself trying to embed them in others!

1) Never leave wet towels on the floor, bed, or in the laundry basket for too long or they will get mildewy. I used to mock this rule and carelessly toss my towels all over the house. Now, I make sure mine are hung up.

2) Too much make-up will make you look like a prostitute. Okay, so I don't think my mom worded it quite that way when I was 11, but she did tell me that I was beautiful without make-up and to save it for when I really needed it. Looking at a photo of myself at age 12 after having a friend give me make-over, I can see she was right.

3) Stop laying in the sun covered in oil. Use sunscreen. Wear sunglasses. You will regret it when you are older and look all wrinkled. True. Totally true. Should have listened to that one!

4) Always make your bed, no matter how rushed or tired you are in the morning. It makes your bedroom just look a little more put together. Plus, it feels WAY better to get into a made-up bed at night.

5) Some of the kids you hang out with are bad news and will get you into trouble. I honestly hated when my mom told me this. I could make my own decisions. I didn't have to follow anybody. However, now I find dolling out the same advice to my 6th grade students when they have friend issues. And, my mom was right. Lots of the kids she was speaking of did turn out to be "bad."

6) Always wear your seat belt. My mom actually would refuse to start the car until all passengers were safely belted. I am actually surprised today just how many people do not buckle up.

7) Eat healthy foods, not junk. As a kid I despised my lunches. All of the other kids would get to enjoy cookies, chips and soda. Meanwhile, I would have a sandwich, crackers, an apple,and a fruit roll-up (the 100% fruit kind)with a (100%) juice to wash it down with. My family also never went to Costco to purchase pallets of muffins, doughnuts, or chips. We actually ate organic food before it was popular. Now I am glad that I was encouraged to eat healthy and still try to today. With the exception of ice cream of course!

8) You are not too short. Your feet reach the ground, right? After completely missing out on the whole "growth spurt" that my peers got around 8th grade, I would often complain about wanted to be taller. It never happened and my mom made me appreciate myself the way I am and to stop comparing myself to others. I may not ever model runway fashion, but I can bust out more double-unders than most people at my gym!

Thanks mom, for making me the person I am today, and I am sorry for not listening to your advice when I was growing up!

30 before 30

The other night, my friend, Kelly, told me about a book given to her as a gift prior to her 30th Birthday...called "30 Things to do before you are 30." Being that I myself am about to reach this milestone birthday, thought I would come up with my own list of 30 things I hope to accomplish or do before July 6th. I realized as I was coming up with things, that I had already completed some of them (those are in bold) Here it is:

1) Backpack through Europe
2) Get a puppy
3) Go on a Redhook Brewery tour- I worked there for several years, yet never once went on the tour.
4) Run on a beach (perferably someplace warm)
5) Visit my college town of Pullman and go to: The Coug, Sella's, The Bookie, Pita Pit, and Gamma Phi Beta (for a picture opp)
6) Have a night out in Seattle that is reminiscent of my 23-year-old nights out. This would include going to Chopsticks, Ozzie's, Pescos, The Ballroom, and perhaps Tia Lou's and the Red Door.
7) Going back to my roots-meaning my real hair color, which I have not seen since I was in Middle School.
8) Purchasing a house
9)Squeezing an entire tube of toothpaste into the sink. This was something I read about in a "Ramona" book when I was little...I have wanted to do this ever since.
10) Go horseback riding again. Have not been since I was younger.
11) Bake a cake with more than one layer.
12) Learn to change a tire.
13) Sing Karaoke
14) Fall in love and get married
15) Run a 1/2 marathon. No, I have absolutely ZERO desire to run a full one.
16) Randomly break out into a dance number like they do in the movies (perhaps a "flash mob"). I have secretly always thought this would be amazing!
17) Buy a ridiculously expensive purse for myself. Like, not one from the Brass Plum where I usually get them.
18) Get a tattoo...
19) Plant vegetables in my yard that don't die and are actually edible
20) Go Sky-diving. Kidding, that is DEFINITELY not on my list...the idea terrifies me and I could care less if I ever do this.
21) Go wine-tasting in Napa/Sanoma
22) Take dancing lessons (I guess I would have to get Adam to agree to this one as well)
23) Write and publish a book
24) Dive in the mud again. Have not done this since I played softball in high school. Will be able to check this off when I compete in the "Warrior Dash" this summer...it will be technically after my 30th, but only by a few days!
25) Visit my sister in the Big Apple
26) Rollerblade around Greenlake...and ignore the weird looks people give me
27) Purchase a bike and try to ride it places...maybe to Redhook to go on the brewery tour? However, I will not attempt to ride it on the streets. Trails or sidewalks only!
28) Go Kayaking. Again, preferably some place warm (maybe I could fit this in the same day I run on a beach)?
29) Go on an unplanned road trip
30) Keep setting goals for things I want to do/accomplish even after I turn 30. After all 30 is the new 20, right?

Reasons why I should be paid more (and be allowed to keep my National Board Stipend)

In the following week or so, these are the issues I had to deal with at work:

1) A student who is a potential gang member was expelled for threatening to stab another student in his math class. Said student was let back into school the next week (because he did not actually have a weapon) causing us to have to move the student who was threatened out of my class and into another.

2) I discovered that a group of girls in my class had essentially started a "fight" club and would meet to beat on one another in the restroom during their passing time. In addition, they would try to distract their math teacher, allowing them to do this in class as well. All of their parents are in denial that their "angels" would ever do such things, although the Vice-Principal has gathers a couple dozen witness reports from other students citing exactly what they were up to.

3) One member of the "fight club" group took things a bit too far, nearly strangling another member in the bathroom. I was the one who ended this fight and now the mother of the "strangled girl" is pressing charges against the other...completely ignoring that her own precious daughter had a very big part in the whole situation. Said mother is currently harassing me with emails, in attempts to now appear to be a caring parent who is involved with her daughter's schooling. I am guessing this is to prepare for when her and her daughter's character are in question during the hearing?

4) Oh, did I mention that the girl whose mother is pressing charges was suspended for 45 days for bringing a knife to school back in October? Yup, quite a model student.

5) Two boys in my class are now suspended for fighting before school. One of them ended up in the hospital with a broken arm. That mother is also pressing charges against the other boy, even though they were equally involved in the fight.

6) Because of all of the the suspensions, I was left with a class of only 21 students for two days last week. While it was nice, I am still expected to give these students the opportunity to make up any missed work. Oh, and I will also be judged on whether or not they pass the state test.

7) Tomorrow, I am getting a kid with major behavior issues in my class, because there were so many problems with the teacher of the class he was in. But don't worry, I am sure I can change his entire attitude even though his parents don't seem to make the effort.

8) Two girls that I have in my class forged notes as to get out of their Science class early and go home. One got out, the other note was caught by the office. They didn't seem to understand why this was a big deal.

9) Did you notice that I have even mentioned any challenges that have to do with actual "teaching?" This is because the actual teaching is the easy part.

10) I am still teaching amidst all of these problems. While all of this was occurring, we: Studied the Aztec and took a quiz (which every kid got an A or a B on), learned about the Literacy elements of theme and character, figured out strategies for reading non-fiction text, and used metacognition to think about reading.

With all of these challenges, I feel that I should definitely be allowed to keep my Board Stipend (which will probably cease to exist next year) as should other NBCT's. However, the "solution" currently in the works is to take away my stipend and add more kids to each class (since I am considered "highly qualified").

The question I have, and have pondered for a while is: When will we as a nation start holding parents more accountable? It is not my job to teach kids manners they should have learned at home. It seems like everybody thinks the schools are the way to handle any major problems with youth. Schools are where we try to change gangs, nutrition (school lunches), childhood obesity, family problems, friendship and social issues, and more...

Your kid is fat? Blame the school's and their "unhealthy lunches" and only "two trimesters of PE" without bothering to take a look at what they are eating at home and sheer number of hours they spend playing video games, rather than moving. Isn't it time to take a good hard look at why just turning to schools to solve all of our problems is NOT working.

All the pieces of the puzzle have to be in place to see any real change- Schools, parents, and the community. Right now, unless something changes, I have a real concern for the future of our county.

Although, maybe I can sue these parents for giving me wrinkles before I should have any?

The white hat trick

When I was in high school, there was this thing that my friends and I referred to as "the white hat trick." It was basically a theory that all guys looked better when wearing white hats (even better if they were backward).

Then, when the hats were removed, said boy could be completely average looking, or (gulp) ugly.

White hats, for some unknown reason, just caused the attractiveness of males to increase tenfold. Perhaps it was because they covered strange hair, an odd-shaped head, or a peculiar face (previously shaded by the hat).

Seriously. This theory tested to be true time and time again. In college, I discovered friends from other schools who also knew of "the white hat trick" and it's effectiveness to woo girls. It was being done all over the state...maybe even the country!

Alas, white hats went out of style when I was in college, replaced by a new trick...the "long hair trick" (I know, I am pretty clever with names).

In college, the "frat cut" finally went out of style and long hair became trendy. Long hair on guys showed that they were laid-back, carefree, and "different" (even though the majority of males thier age had the same style).

Instantly, men with longish hair were deemed to be more desirable and attractive.

Then, similar to the removal of the white hats, college boys might cut their locks for the summer- and reveal their true appearance. No longer could they hide behind their hair.

Today, the girls I teach site "skinny jeans" as a prerequisite for a boy to be "attractive" (perhaps a Beiber influence)? If a boy does not wear said jeans, he not considered cool by the female teenage population.

I sort of get the "white hats" and "long hair" as a way to hide who they really are...skinny jeans do not really fit this idea. Sorry guys. Nobody looks good in skinny jeans, even the Bieb. And they certainly do not hide anything either.

Maybe they will put away the skinny jeans when they learn of the "white hat trick" from their fathers?

I guess, the bottom line is, if we girls have make-up, push-up bras, and highlights, guys deserve to have some tricks of their own too?