OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! In case you haven't talked to me today, guess what?Can you even believe it? My dad called at about 7:15 this morning to tell me. Needless to say, I couldn't exactly focus on anything all day. Students? What students? Nah, actually they are all pretty excited that I'm going. It's so random, but because of the Jets I got to go to the first game of this amazing season, and now I get to go to the last game of this (HOPEFULLY) perfect season. Truly- a dream come true!!!! I can't believe I still have to go to work for 2 more days! Today I'm on camera concern. I'm trying to make sure that I have enough batteries and memory cards and everything to capture EVERY minute. Saturday I will leave here and fly to OC. Dad and I will drive to Phoenix and stay at his friend's house (my idea. good call- no hotel rooms in the city). Sunday I will literally float a foot above the ground for the entire day. I will be representing #12 (duh). I am so EXCITED!!!!! I have the best dad in the world, don't I?
(In case you haven't talked to me and what to know how this happened- my dad is doing a project with the Jets. Well, he took me to the opening game between the Jets and Pats in NJ. Well, each NFL team gets a certain amount of tix to the SB. The Jets had 2 people cancel this morning, and my dad's friend he does business with emailed and said he remembered what a big fan I was and wondered if we wanted them. Isn't that the nicest thing ever? So not only do we get to go, but we have seats from a team so they have to be decent, no? Unfortunately, I will probably be in the mix of a bunch of New Yorkers. Hopefully they will be cheering for the conference ties, not the city ties!)
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Look at those guys. Even in the freezing weather they look h-0-t. Well, Super Bowl week is finally here. Today at Open House at school I recruited 4 new fans. Good times. One of the moms also made fun of me since she said as a math teacher I should understand point spreads (which, no matter how many times Pete explains it to me, I still struggle...). 
Here's Pat the Patriot- team mascot. He's a little freaky, but thought I'd put him up to kick off the week. Oh, and I am very happy to report that even though Tamara is in enemy (NY) territory, she is still cheering on the Pats! Yay!!!
Well this is a super busy week. I think something is going on every night. I'll get on with the pic of the day and any breaking Brady/Pats news, but that's probably about it.
Today's Patriot of the Day is Junior Seau (say-ow). He's a San Diego guy and used to play for the Chargers. He even has a restaurant at the Mission Valley Mall. If we win the SB, perhaps I will visit there for a celebratory beverage when I go to San Diego in a few weeks...
Here's something that has been bugging me all week. At Staples they have a "one touch" stapler and they market what a big deal this is. Um, aren't staplers a fairly simple thing to use? I know I've never found them to be too complicated. Aren't all staplers pretty much one touch? Can anyone explain to me what makes this stapler so special? And what's more, I'm pretty sure for 20 bucks I could buy and break at least 4 other staplers. Actually, come to think of it, perhaps this is what we need at the Loft. We seem to have stapler issues a lot...
Anyway, last but not least for tonight I wanted to share with you my favorite quotes from "10 Things..." I meant to do it last night. These, quite frankly, crack me up. One of them should go on my tombstone...
Chastity: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?
Bianca: I think you can in Europe.
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Bianca: There's a difference between like and love. Because, I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack.
Chastity: But I love my Skechers.
Bianca: That's because you don't have a Prada backpack.
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Walter Stratford: Hello, Katarina. Make anyone cry today?
Kat Stratford: Sadly, no. But it's only 4:30.
One of my best, best friends sent me the book "Eat. Pray. Love." for Christmas. I am really enjoying it. I usually read it during lunch because I'm in the teachers' room by myself (unless of course it's raining, and then my quiet reading time is broken up by the other teachers). Anyway, I spent my prep reading today because I didn't feel like doing work. There were 2 quotes that really struck me. I thought I'd share them now, rather than waiting until I do a book review.
The first says, "Do not apologize for crying. Without this emotion, we are only robots." Now, if you've met me, you probably have seen me cry. [Funny sidebar: Labor Day 2004. I was down in Hollister visiting my friend Darien and her brand new husband and her family. They'd gotten married in July in Boston and had come home for a family party. Well, I went down for the luncheon to present them their gift- a scrapbook of their wedding festivities. I had moved home in July, so this was really our final good-bye. In July it had been- I'll see you at the wedding. At the wedding it had been- I'll see you in Sept. Anyway, I'm getting in the car to go back up to meet my mom in SF. I was, of course, bawling my little eyes out. I had gone to HS and college w/ Darien, so it was the first time we would be so far apart. Well, her sister Christine was so worried about me crying, saying they couldn't let me leave like that. She says, "I've never seen you cry before." Michael doesn't miss a beat and says, "ya, you and some guy in Mongolia." ba dum bum. Sorry- guess that was a long sidebar.] Some see tears as a sign of weakness and often I'm made to feel bad for crying. Why? It's how I relieve my stress. Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes (like every time I'm in the Principal's office it seems... ahem) I feel like I'm being judged by my tears. Last year when my job situation was, let's say, re-shuffled, the principal actually had the audacity to use my tears/ stress against me. Of course, when I spent most of the last week of the school year crying, she couldn't see that I was devastated that, oh, I don't know, my grandpa had died that weekend. She saw weakness in it. Dammit, I am NOT a robot. There. I feel better now.
The second quote is taken from the Bhagavad Gita. It says, "it is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else's life with perfection." I just liked that quote. Sit with it a minute...
Okay, our last topic is taxes. Only, by taxes I mean elections. I don't do politics. I don't care. The only "political" thing I care about are the plans for Jenna Bush's wedding. All I care about is keeping Billary out of office. This morning (this is when I wish I had a photographic/ sound recording memory) someone said something about the election on the Today Show to the effect of the difference between having our first African American president and our first woman president. I'm not opposed to either (just this particular woman). But I think the difference between those 2 milestones is enormous. Am I alone on this? Electing a woman would be a huge change in the country. Women are so different from men. You know, Venus, Mars and all that... The impact on history would be great if Barrack is elected obviously. But what bothered me about the comment is that why is it even an issue? Man/ woman- big deal. Black/ white/ purple/ green- who cares. Now, please don't misinterpret what I'm saying. put the politics aside since I pay no attention to that. Pretend for a minute that all the candidates had the same agenda- identical- but they were in the bodies they have. Billary v. the rest of the pack is a big deal. But why should we look at Barrack in any different light than the other males? Like I said- in terms of history it would be a huge milestone and that would be wonderful because maybe it would seep into other parts of life as well and equality would start to run rampant around the country and the world. All I think is that in the year 2008, I can't believe that the color of a candidate's skin is something we're even worried about. You know, the whole, "do not judge me by the color of my skin, but by the content of my character." That's all I'm saying.
Today I went to the gym just in time for "gilmore girls." (note- if you have never seen this show, WHAT are you waiting for? Best ever.) Well, in yesterday's episode Dean and Rory broke up. Today, after she kissed Jess she went to see Dean. Now, I'll have to consult Lisa about this and spend some time on freeze frame, but if I'm not mistaken, I do believe Dean has a poster on the wall of the one, the only, you guessed it- Tom Brady!!! It would totally work seeing as how GG is set in CT. But wow- would that just be the craziest co-ink-y-dink ever?
And speaking of my main man, today I'd like to introduce you to (one of) the heart(s) of the team, Mike Vrabel.
Aww... who doesn't love a picture of a man and his kid celebrating?
And, well, you know that other guy...
Totally random aside- Matt Ryan (BC QB) just received an award called the Manning Award. Love the recognition for Matty, but is it wrong that it bothers me so much that it is an award named for the devil and his satan spawn brother?
Well, that's what I've been thinking about for today. I think I'm going to read a little bit before bed. Thanks for stopping by. Sorry I've not posted anything really interesting lately- could it be that the world is pissing me off just a little less these days? Scary...
Oh- a quick SB update. Really, I'm ready for it to be over. I mean, don't get me wrong- I'm super excited and ecstatic we are going. But already the talk is wearing me out. I don't think I can take it for 2 weeks. I think it's time to also make a promise to myself to stay off message boards and sports radio. I'm sick of the world calling us cheaters and the back and forth of who is going to win and why. Oy vey... (of course the picture of the day will continue anyway- that whole jinxing thing... bad karma). Reports are in that Tommy has a high ankle sprain but will be good to go. His back-up, Matt Cassel, is a looker, but can't come near Tommy with his arm. And finally, I'm happy to announce that Kelly has let me choose a new honorary God-husband. The winner is.... (drumroll).... please, do I really have to say? In case you don't speak Caseyism, Kelly's son Kyle is my Godson. That would make his Godfather my God-husband... and I chose a new one.
Here's my little guy:
Well what do you know. Tommy just can't stay away from the PotD...
And as a bonus, here is today's uh-oh picture.... Tommy swears he'll be ok for the big day. And no, I didn't hear voices whispering that to me, it said so on Boston.com.
Let's just put it this way. Philip Rivers has no advantage on Tommy. Especially not in the looks dept. Philip Rivers looks like a 12 year old. I'm off to get some game food, so let's get this out of the way.
I thought it would be good to post a picture of Tommy and friends today. Found this one on a google search. Looks like it's from their last SB appearance. I'm in no way trying to jinx them, I just wanted to show some team love for the night before the big game. I'm still slightly on edge. Can you imagine how the next two weeks will be if all goes well tomorrow? Yikes, I don't know if I'll be able to take it!
Ok, so not the best TB pic ever, but I'm in a hurry to change and get to work and I'll probably too tired to pop on later... Everyone seems to be picking the Pats, but I'm still pretty nervous! More thoughts on the game tomorrow. I know- you must be so excited!
I haven't been feeling too hot this week so I haven't really had too much to say. Here's the Tommy pic of the day for you though. I have to work on my speech for College and Career Day, and if I finish before I fall asleep I'll be back with some thoughts on a different (in every sense of the word) Tom and some leftover stupid people... If I don't make it back, wish me luck at Career Day, I'm sure I'll have interesting thoughts after a day in high school!
The Chargers beat Satan and the Colts today, so a re-match with the Chargers is all set. There is a lot of bad blood between the two teams, but I'm still glad the Colts are out.
Here's the Tommy pic of the day...
Happy game day folks! In honor of the Pats' first play-off game, it's time to tell you about my love affair with the boys, and, in doing so, hopefully bring them extra luck (not that they need it... hopefully).
But before we begin...
As I write this, it's just about to go into the 4th quarter of the Seahawks v. Packers game. The Hawks are sort of getting crushed and that's disappointing to me. Above is a picture of Matt Hasselbeck (brother-in-law of Elisabeth Hasselbeck if you are a View fan). He was the quarterback at BC when I was a freshman. If I ever have to choose an NFC team or a back-up team, the Seahawks are the team I choose because it's cool to see someone from BC have success. Not that he's the only BCer in the NFL, he's just the most well-known. Today on the preview/countdown shows they showed a lot of clips of him and I decided that I really like him. He seems to have a great sense of humor. So Matt, if you can't turn this game around, I can't wait to see more of you next year!
Now, on to my "Patriotic" love affair.
Once upon a time (6 years ago this weekend actually) I was at a bar with Tamara (my old roommate and one of my best friends) along with her brother and some of her other friends. The bar was crowded (I don't do well with crowds) and loud (I don't do well when I can't hear people). Not wanting to look like a total loser, I pretended to be paying attention to the game on the tv. I had been going to BC games for a few years, so I understood the basics enough to watch and sort of get what was going on. The Patriots were playing the Oakland Raiders and it was the play-offs. I'd been hearing about some new stud quarterback named Tom Brady. He had taken over earlier in the year for Drew Bledsoe. Anyway, there was about a million feet of snow on the ground and the game was sloppy. Something happened in the game that I didn't really understand, and before I knew it, the Patriots had won and everyone was so happy. At some point, Tom Brady's face finally came on-screen and I knew that I would watch more Patriots football after that! This game became known as either the Snow Bowl (if you are a Pats fan) or the Tuck Rule game (if you are a Raiders fan). To this day, I still don't know what the tuck rule is- just that it has something to do with whether or not Tom was throwing when he lost the ball. Anyway- that part is history. This is Adam Vinatieri (traitor!) kicking the game winning field goal in that game.
I ended up watching the game the following weekend. I wanted to see that cute Tom Brady again, and besides, my whole school was getting excited. The Pats won the next weekend (and maybe the next- I don't know which round it was) and they were off to the Super Bowl. Well, at my school we decided to have a Patriots' spirit day and I found out that we even had our own 2nd grader named Tom Brady. It was so fun because the kids were so excited. I couldn't help being caught up in it. What can I say- I was hooked. We won the Super Bowl that year -- the year of 9/11. What better story that after such a tragedy, the PATRIOTS won!
The following year I watched the Pats every Sunday as I corrected papers for school. The season didn't go as well. I still remember that on the last day of the regular season, we needed to win and the Dolphins needed to lose to make the play-offs. We did our part, but sadly the Dolphins won and we were left out. I was going to the movies and I literally cried when my dad told me the Dolphins won. The next year we came back and won the next two Super Bowls.
I don't know what it was that made me fall so hard for the Pats. Obviously Tommy was a big part of that, and most people think that's all it is. I mean football is probably the least girly sport to get into, but I just love it. It's easy to watch baseball or basketball and figure out what's going on, but football is so much more intricate. It has to be so well planned out and can be a real thing of beauty. After watching BC somewhat frustratingly, I fell in love with this team that played so well. I also loved how much of a team they truly were. Brady's story of coming out of nowhere was amazing and if there were egos on the team, they usually didn't last past the year. At their first Super Bowl, they came out as a team- not by who was the best. I loved using them as an example of teamwork when talking to my students.
Last year I had the opportunity to go to the Pats v. Chargers game in the second round of the play-offs. It was in San Diego and it was such an amazing game. Throughout most of the game, it looked like we would be toast. However, at the end of the game we came back and pulled off the most amazing win. I could not stop jumping up and down. I was so lucky to have the chance to be there for a truly amazing game.
Sadly, the next week we went to Indianapolis and the Colts beat us. Ugh- heartbreak...
Over the off-season we got Randy Moss to come to our team. It only cost us a 4th round draft pick. I didn't know much about Moss, but I had heard he was a headcase. We'd had people like that before, but there was something magical that happened. It's like when these guys come to NE, they forget the past and totally subscribe to the NE way of playing (and winning!).
I was so lucky again because my dad took me to NJ for kick-off weekend in the NFL. I saw the Pats play the Jets in what would become a much discussed game in a very historic year. The game was so great. I was thrilled it was football season again, my team started with a win, and I was there to see it.
And then I heard about it. I started hearing on tv something about the Pats cheating. I was so sad because I knew that meant that now everyone would start to hate my team. I still don't really know what the Spygate issue was about specifically. As far as I'm concerned, I could be sitting in the stands video-taping the Jets' coaches. What's the big deal? We heard about Spygate all year and we kept winning. Then it happened- 16-0! Wow! Now a lot of people will tell you that 16-0 doesn't mean anything without 19-0. I get that, but I don't care. I think there is something pretty darn special about 16-0. That's amazing! But I still really, really, REALLY, want to see 19-0.
Well, that kind of sums up my love affair with the Pats. Sorry if it's boring, but it's fun (for me anyway) to take a trip down memory lane! Before I get ready for the game, let me just say:
GO PATS!!!!!
And here's a bonus Tommy pic for today.
The Girls
A Toast to Friendship
When I announced the first stupid person of the day award, Shaina told me that I should have a self-absorbed person of the day award as well. I've been looking for the first person deserving of the award. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you our first winner. As any teacher will tell you, heck, anyone who has had to sit through any kind of staff meeting can tell you, there is always THAT person who asks stupid questions and makes all the attention fall upon himself. Well, where I work, we have a doozy. Unfortunately, this person has one position that requires him to give a report at every staff meeting. Each and every single time he speaks, he defines the kind of person who makes a short story long. Well, lately, he has decided to tell us about his son at every meeting. Ok, I get that he's proud, and that's wonderful. His son is in the service and is in Iraq. He should definitely be proud of his son- no doubt. What this person needs to learn is that he needs to focus his pride on sharing it with people who want to hear it, not people who are anxious to get out of a staff meeting and start their weekends. He goes on and on (and on and on) about what his son is up to. Now, the funny thing is that each time he talks about his son, he mentions his son's blog. So, if any of us actually wanted to hear about it, we could - duh- go read the blog. The worst is that I already heard the story once this week because he already told it to everyone. So why he had to share it with everyone AGAIN is beyond me. I truly want to stick a fork in my eye every time he starts to talk. Grr.... I know, I sound like a be-yatch again, but really, spend 5 minutes with him, and you would SO understand why this person not only wins the inaugural S-APotD Award, he goes straight to the Hall of Shame!
Before I head out to a scrapbooking night with Lisa, I present to you today's Tommy pic of the day. And just for good karma, I'm giving you a bonus pic of Tommy and some of the boys. At the time I'm writing this, we're just under 28 hours till kick-off. I read the predictions on Boston.com and Espn.com today, and it seems we should be good to go. Tomorrow morning I will post about my love affair with the Patriots :-)
Dr. Shaina
A little office rivalry...
... but it's all in good fun!
Here's a bonus picture of the Newlyweds because I was looking at her pictures today and they are so gorgeous!
Here it is ladies and gentlemen, your Tommy pic of the day. That's right Tommy, eat up those Wheaties... get ready for the big game. I know you're going to be awesome :-) Let's just say, if I was at that breakfast table I'm pretty sure you could feed me dog food and I wouldn't notice (but, um, EW). That smile, that chin... swoon...
Laura, Maricel, Melissa, and Katie start looking at some fun bridal magazines.
Two beautiful new diamond rings. So fun!
A toast to friendship, a birthday girl, and the brides to be!
Bride to be Katie
Bride to be Laura
Look at that- do I have mad chopstick skills or what? Please, don't be jealous!
Happy (almost) birthday Maricel! She got to spin the birthday wheel. We sat right next to it and I'll be honest, it was a little intimidating for my first Mikuni experience.
Sadly the brides to be were not able to spin the wheel o' fun.
Congratulations Katie and Laura (and Aaron and Paul too!) We love you!
You can't just be the smartest. You have to be the most athletic, you have to be able to have the most fun, you have to be the prettiest, the best dressed, the nicest, the most wanted. You have to constantly be out on the town partying, and then you have to get straight As. And most of all, you have to appear to be happy.” – CJ, age seventeen
High school isn’t what it used to be. With record numbers of students competing fiercely to get into college, schools are no longer primarily places of learning. They’re dog-eat-dog battlegrounds in which kids must set aside interests and passions in order to strategize over how to game the system. In this increasingly stressful environment, kids aren’t defined by their character or hunger for knowledge, but by often arbitrary scores and statistics.
In The Overachievers, journalist Alexandra Robbins delivers a poignant, funny, riveting narrative that explores how our high-stakes educational culture has spiraled out of control. During the year of her ten-year reunion, Robbins returns to her high school, where she follows students including CJ and others: Julie, a track and academic star who is terrified she's making the wrong choices· “AP” Frank, who grapples with horrifying parental pressure to succeed· Taylor, a soccer and lacrosse captain whose ambition threatens her popular girl status· Sam, who worries his years of overachieving will be wasted if he doesn’t attend a name-brand college· Audrey, who struggles with perfectionism, and· The Stealth Overachiever, a mystery junior who flies under the radar.
Robbins tackles hard-hitting issues such as the student and teacher cheating epidemic, over-testing, sports rage, the black market for study drugs, and a college admissions process so cutthroat that some students are driven to depression and suicide because of a B. Even the earliest years of schooling have become insanely competitive, as Robbins learned when she gained unprecedented access into the inner workings of a prestigious Manhattan kindergarten admissions office.A compelling mix of fast-paced storytelling and engrossing investigative journalism, The Overachievers aims both to calm the admissions frenzy and to expose its escalating dangers.
MVP
