stupid spam

okay, just so you know: from now on when you comment (and comment you will) on my blog, you have to type in a word that you'll see on the screen because i've started getting spam comments (see the first two under the posting "lies! its all lies!"). i'm sorry for the extra step, because i know it's annoying, but so is spam.

i realized (thanks Heidi) that many of you may not know my address. i was going to post it on my blog, and then the safety part of my brain told me that might not be the best idea ever, so if you would like my address, let me know and i'll send it to you. please send me lots of stuff. good things to send include but are not limited to: money, flowers, new cars, a robot to cleam my house, a robot to grade papers, lots of movies, a personal trainer, and a naked orlando bloom. (a naked vin diesel would suffice if orlando bloom is otherwise unavailable).

last week, i had my students read the poem "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann in class (thanks Ms. Sharpe), and then afterwards, they drew a picture of their favorite image from the poem. some of them were crap (mine) but some were actually really good. there was one which illustrated the quote "gracefully surrendering the things of youth" and had a hand pushing a way a box of kid's toys: crayons, a teddy bear, etc. but here's the one that absolutely cracked me up: one of the lines from the poem is "be yourself." several students illustrated this rather well. one girl, however, did not. she drew a picture of someone standing outside of the mall surrounded by Gap bags. i almost laughed out loud when i saw it. "Be yourself, but only as long as you can do so while wearning name-brand clothing. aren't high schoolers grand?

it's still strange to hear myself called "ms. nolan." i should be used to it by now, but i'm just not. more often than not, i want to giggle when someone says that, but i usually hold myself in check. even funnier is when i get called mrs. nolan. just checking--did i get married recently to someone in my family? i didn't think so. good.

someone was really thinking when they designed palo verder high school. each department has its own lounge. within said lounge (at least in ours) is an office for the department chair, tables, a fridge and microwave, couches, two copy machines, water fountians, a sink, two bathrooms, and the bookroom. it's amazing!!

so anyway, today we were sitting in the workroom (why we call it that instead of the lounge i can't say) eating lunch and the creative writing teacher was saying that she heard a rumor that someone was complaining because "all they do is write in that class!" we all thought it was hysterical (english teacher humor) and she said she was going to make an announcement about it during class. upon hearing this, i (always ready with the witty retort) replied by saying, "tell them that it's not called 'creative discussion' for a reason," after which everyone begain offering other possible class names (including but not limited to: creative sleeping, creative staring out the window, etc.)

i took an IQ test this weekend (the internet really takes my procrastination to a whole new level) and i discovered that i'm not the mensa candidate i always hoped i was. *sigh* and here i thought i just wasn't living up to my potential all these years. some of those questions are wikked hard too! those of you who know me (and if you don't know me, why are you reading my blog you freak!) won't be surprised to find out that i had the most trouble with the spatial reasoning questions. this did not come as a shock to me, as i have no spatial reasoning skills (you should see me try and arrange furniture--what a disaster). i did do well on the verbal reasoning, and was linked to the likes of plato and...some other people. for the low low price of $9.95, i could have gotten a complete breakdown of my scores, but i decided not to.

i had the worst frappacino ever today. my blended coffee drink was not quite as blended as one might hope. jerks.

there are picketers in front of the walmart grocery store (i know, right?) in my neighborhood and i feel guilty every time i go in there to shop, because i know that the walmart corporation is a greedy, selfish, uncaring business, but it's so cheap!!! and i know that they achieve those low prices by not paying their employees enough, BUT IT'S SO CHEAP!!! stupid guilt.

i found out something not-so-fun today: there is a new teacher training (or new teacher torture, as one of the administrators calls it) on saturday october 8. now thursday, october 6 is my birthday (shameless birthday plug), which means that i can't go out on my birthday because it's a school night. but, i can't go out on friday night because i have to get up early to go to the training. and it lasts all day--9:00 am to 3:30 pm. and i can't go out saturday night because sunday is church... maybe i'll go to saturday night church. but still, they've ruined my birthday weekend. stupid ccsd.

i should go now. i have a whole heap o' grading to do tonight.