I took these in Toronto last summer - if only construction sites in Calgary were as interesting...

Who wants to run away for the weekend? I do!

Seriously, I want to go to this. And if anybody wants to join me I would love it. And the tickets are $56/day (US). It's a steal! 10 hour road trip, end up in Washington state, surrounded by mountains, good music, picnics, good times. Quite a few years ago, Iain and I were going to go to this INSANE lineup of bands (Radiohead etc) for this festival in NY state and then a week before it was supposed to start it was cancelled because they didn't have the right permits for their magical field in the middle of nature. It was going to me amazing. THIS is going to be amazing. Its just as insane of a lineup. I'm almost going to explode, this is so exciting.


How to get there

I'm going to start saving my pennies starting this very second.

It is in my opinion

that everybody should watch "Bringing Up Baby". The costumes are great, the script is endearing, the acting is a-1 and it's unlike anything produced these days. Three cheers!

Random story from my day

Today I wore a skirt to work and one of my kids kept saying "you look like a statue" and rubbing his hand on the calf of my stocking-ed leg...

I love it when they're true

Disclaimer: I don't *really* believe in horoscopes but I do read mine regularly, because I find them interesting and diverting....

Horoscope A:

Discussions with others are definitely intense today. Everything is black-and-white. Nothing is grey. You're trying to maintain some kind of equilibrium but things seem to be slipping away between your fingers. You cannot ignore the fact that everything changes; nothing is static.

Horoscope B:

In solidarity with eternal flux and in the name of all that's both rowdy and holy, I hereby declare change to be a good thing. Furthermore, in accordance with the astrological omens, I announce that change is especially healthy for you right now. I mean it, Aquarius. Change is not only not a bad thing. It's downright wonderful. So let's rise up bravely, you and I, and proclaim that change is the essential nature of the universe--that it's one of the most prominent and resplendent qualities of God Herself. From now until forevermore, let's agree to celebrate change, to welcome it, to revere it--starting this week. Amen, namasté, blessed be, shalom, and hallelujah!

This is why I love Kindergarten

Alternate title could be: Me procrastinating some more ("taking a break") from my dumb dumb dumb report cards. I am bored with them already and I only started this morning. I get distracted with things like pictures my kids drew.... They have already come so far and it makes me glad when I'm feeling down in the dumps about what they can/can't do to look at these pictures and see how beautiful they are, especially to see where they came from.

Mauve background is from October.
Pink background is from February.
They are in pairs (i.e. same kid did mauve and pink pictures, if you can believe it).

Apparently I'm an Idealist

After two days of Teachers Convention I've picked up a few ideas here and there - not all of them terrifically new or exciting, but I just went to a session that was supposed to be about learning styles but instead just made me think about my tendency towards introversion.

Apparently introverts attract extroverts, and organized people tend to attract flexible ones..... You know, opposites attract. So then I start thinking about whether or not I'm an introvert. I'm pretty sure I am - apparently 75% of teachers ARE, we just stand up all day and pretend we're not, and then we need two months of summer vacation to recover from it all. ANYWAY.

Then I start thinking of my relationships, with my family, friends, and so on and I realize that I do not usually find myself attracted to extroverts - for friends or otherwise - so I'm finding it all rather confusing. Amy made me make a list once of t.v./movie personalities I would date. I won't get into the list, just let it be known that it was short, and they were all definitely what I would categorize as introverts.

Anyway, I'm not sure where that leaves me when it comes to sharing my life with someone, but it's interesting in terms of the kind of person I am and the kind of person I want to be with.

Then I did a personality test called the Keirsey Personality Sorter - II online. And according to the so-called-diagnosis, I'm a rare breed - the Idealist.

Idealists, as a temperament, are passionately concerned with personal growth and development. Idealists strive to discover who they are and how they can become their best possible self -- always this quest for self-knowledge and self-improvement drives their imagination. And they want to help others make the journey. Idealists are naturally drawn to working with people, and whether in education or counseling, in social services or personnel work, in journalism or the ministry, they are gifted at helping others find their way in life, often inspiring them to grow as individuals and to fulfill their potentials.

Idealists are sure that friendly cooperation is the best way for people to achieve their goals. Conflict and confrontation upset them because they seem to put up angry barriers between people. Idealists dream of creating harmonious, even caring personal relations, and they have a unique talent for helping people get along with each other and work together for the good of all. Such interpersonal harmony might be a romantic ideal, but then Idealists are incurable romantics who prefer to focus on what might be, rather than what is. The real, practical world is only a starting place for Idealists; they believe that life is filled with possibilities waiting to be realized, rich with meanings calling out to be understood. This idea of a mystical or spiritual dimension to life, the "not visible" or the "not yet" that can only be known through intuition or by a leap of faith, is far more important to Idealists than the world of material things.

Highly ethical in their actions, Idealists hold themselves to a strict standard of personal integrity. They must be true to themselves and to others, and they can be quite hard on themselves when they are dishonest, or when they are false or insincere. More often, however, Idealists are the very soul of kindness. Particularly in their personal relationships, Idealists are without question filled with love and good will. They believe in giving of themselves to help others; they cherish a few warm, sensitive friendships; they strive for a special rapport with their children; and in marriage they wish to find a "soulmate," someone with whom they can bond emotionally and spiritually, sharing their deepest feelings and their complex inner worlds.

Idealists are rare, making up between 20 and 25 percent of the population. But their ability to inspire people with their enthusiasm and their idealism has given them influence far beyond their numbers.

The Four types of Idealists are:
Healers (INFP) | Counselors (INFJ) | Champions (ENFP) | Teachers (ENFJ)

Something for me to chew on for a bit. Where will it take me? I'm not quite sure. But it is kind of fun!

It's like Internet cocaine - very addictive and most certainly bad for you... yet completely enjoyable

Autopilot

My horoscope: Do Aquarians have some kinda distraction autopilot? Every time you near your goal, it's like a li'l person pops up and says "hey pal, feast your peepers on that!" Then you look away, lose your momentum and fall flat on your face. Well, you've gotta keep your eye on the ribbon this week to win the race!
Ack! The pressure!

A continuation

I have good friends. They pay their share of the tab, even if they leave before it comes. They bring nice wishes and hugs and occasionally gifts for my birthday. They plan fun trips (Whistler anyone?). They don't mind when I have more dark rum and cokes than usual and eat nachos with cheese still hanging from my mouth. They put up with my musings about my trip to the snowboard park (and beyond) even though sometimes I know I ramble. They are swell and I love them. I have good friends.

Events of my 26th Birthday (to be continued)

• Got up, enjoyed hot bath
• Ate breakfast, cranberry-orange-pecan bread toast and my favourite Liberte yogurt
• Loaded aquarium from my living room into my car
• Drove to work, anticipated busy day
• Art club: HeART collage inspired by the work of Jim Dine - first day of art club
• Introduced the letter B, helped 2 kids draw Batman together as a team (it starts with letter b, don't you know?)
• Ate snack - grapes
• Did my first show and tell of the year
  
• Ate lunch on the run, gave aquarium away to a student who is VERY excited
• Boring school stuff
• Tea party with kids incl. "summer berry" tea and chocolate cupcakes
• Sat in waiting room of pedicure lady for 1/2 hour and then found out she had to go to Edmonton for an emergency so there would be no Birthday pedi for me
• Came home and had a nap
• Opened present from my mum and read a few birthday emails
• Put birthday Mac&Cheese in the oven
• Anxiously awaited birthday Mac&Cheese
• Planned on dark rum and coke at Drum & Monkey in less than an hour, complimented by some sort of delicious appetizer...................