Today is the first snow day of the school year. And technically, it would have come on March 1 if it weren't a freaky leap year.
After it stopped, we ended up only getting about 5" of snow. I think timing was everything with this one, as Pulaski was on the border of those who got snow and those who got rain. Green Bay, only 12 miles away, got less than an inch of snow and had mostly rain. Shawano, 20 minutes northwest of Pulaski, got about 10" of snow. Pulaski was left in the treacherous, slippery middle.
When I woke up at 2, I got nervous because it wasn't snowing or raining at all outside. At 3, it looked like one of those movie stock-shots of the North Pole; huge snowflakes, insanely windy, and I'm pretty sure I saw two polar bears walking down the street. It was about the same at 4, and by 5 a.m. the news was reporting that PCSD called school for the day. I went back to bed!
After a customary breakfast of snow day cinnamon rolls, I decided to polish off as much of Sopranos Season 4 as humanly possible. I could get ahead on work today...but what fun is that?
As I type this at 10:41 a.m., the precipitation has ceased and it almost appears as if we were given a gift today. The roads are cleared, and we probably could have managed a 2-hour delay start today. But, the timing was key. It looked like the winter apocalypse outside at 4 a.m., and that's good enough for me.
Now, for some gabagool, Bada Bing, and Feech LaManna.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Cool photo, Hansel.
As I've been advising the community/high school newspaper since last June, I've taught myself quite a bit about photography. We've got one of those nice Nikon cameras with a telephoto lens that looks like a small baseball bat, which I had never used before. But, after 7 months, I feel like I'm finally getting an eye for the shutter.
This pic is from Thursday night at the boys' Varsity basketball game. Lately, they've been dimming the lights for the team intro and flashing these giant spotlights around, similar to a professional lineup announcement. When the pep band is there, the drum corp lines up at half court and drums along to the intros, and it's pretty much the sweetest thing ever.
I love going to the games (whether football, basketball, anything...) because it's a chance for me to see the students outside of the classroom, and actually have some fun with them as a group. It's just...fun. Frankly, I don't understand why more teachers don't mingle in after-school activities. But anyway...when the kids are cheering and the pep band is also there, it's hard not to have a good time. The regional match for boys hoops is at Pulaski next Friday, and lemme tell ya, that place will be jumpin'.
Last Thursday was a definite warm-up. The bleachers were mostly full, the boys were amped, and the drums were loud. I love the light reflection off the gym floor and the bad ass silhouette of the drummers in the dark during the lineup announcements.
This pic is from Thursday night at the boys' Varsity basketball game. Lately, they've been dimming the lights for the team intro and flashing these giant spotlights around, similar to a professional lineup announcement. When the pep band is there, the drum corp lines up at half court and drums along to the intros, and it's pretty much the sweetest thing ever.
I love going to the games (whether football, basketball, anything...) because it's a chance for me to see the students outside of the classroom, and actually have some fun with them as a group. It's just...fun. Frankly, I don't understand why more teachers don't mingle in after-school activities. But anyway...when the kids are cheering and the pep band is also there, it's hard not to have a good time. The regional match for boys hoops is at Pulaski next Friday, and lemme tell ya, that place will be jumpin'.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Ghost Mouse
I’ve lived in houses before that I’ve believed to be haunted; hearing phantom creaks and noises that “could only have been created by a ghost” innumerable times. Most memorably, Adam and I were convinced that our east-side Milwaukee house had post-mortem attic neighbors. We’d hear them walking around, opening and closing doors, sometimes moving furniture that we couldn’t see or enjoy. At times we were convinced that there were ghosts; other times we thought that maybe our 18-year old downstairs neighbors were seriously messing with us.
Ghosts and anything paranormal can really freak me out when I start thinking about it. It’s scary stuff to me. Luckily, with my new apartment in Pulaski, I haven’t had to worry about the feeling of unwanted, phantom roommates. At least in human form.
I’m pretty sure that a ghost mouse lives in my kitchen. I don’t mind it so much; it doesn’t get into my food, it doesn’t leave droppings…in essence, it’s the perfect pest. But, every time I walk into my kitchen, I swear I see a mouse on top of my kitchen cabinets. It’s one of those things that I see for a split-second out of the corner of my eye, and upon further inspection, the mouse is never there.
Rationally, I think that all I’m seeing is a dark spot from my eyeglasses against the corner of my kitchen cabinets. (Yes, I’ve put a lot of time and thought into these ghost mouse theories.) It’s driven me crazy enough to actually get a chair and investigate the top of my cabinets for evidence of real mouse or ghost mouse existence, which I’ve done twice now.
I’ve even tried to sneak up on this invisi-mouse, hiding around the corner and then jumping out to see the upper cabinets. The mouse isn’t real. This I’m sure of. However, it doesn’t explain why I’m always seeing what I believe to be a mouse every time I enter my kitchen.
Ghost mouse doesn’t leave signs of his or her existence; I feel at times like it’s my little guardian mouse-angel, keeping an eye out for me. As long as I don’t find a young family of mice living off my breadcrumbs, I guess I’ll allow ghost mouse to coexist with me.
Ghosts and anything paranormal can really freak me out when I start thinking about it. It’s scary stuff to me. Luckily, with my new apartment in Pulaski, I haven’t had to worry about the feeling of unwanted, phantom roommates. At least in human form.
I’m pretty sure that a ghost mouse lives in my kitchen. I don’t mind it so much; it doesn’t get into my food, it doesn’t leave droppings…in essence, it’s the perfect pest. But, every time I walk into my kitchen, I swear I see a mouse on top of my kitchen cabinets. It’s one of those things that I see for a split-second out of the corner of my eye, and upon further inspection, the mouse is never there.
Rationally, I think that all I’m seeing is a dark spot from my eyeglasses against the corner of my kitchen cabinets. (Yes, I’ve put a lot of time and thought into these ghost mouse theories.) It’s driven me crazy enough to actually get a chair and investigate the top of my cabinets for evidence of real mouse or ghost mouse existence, which I’ve done twice now.
I’ve even tried to sneak up on this invisi-mouse, hiding around the corner and then jumping out to see the upper cabinets. The mouse isn’t real. This I’m sure of. However, it doesn’t explain why I’m always seeing what I believe to be a mouse every time I enter my kitchen.
Ghost mouse doesn’t leave signs of his or her existence; I feel at times like it’s my little guardian mouse-angel, keeping an eye out for me. As long as I don’t find a young family of mice living off my breadcrumbs, I guess I’ll allow ghost mouse to coexist with me.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Super Bowl halftime review: MADONNA
[Note: the following is a rough review in a sort of "stream of consciousness" as I watched it unfold on NBC.]
The show opens with "Vogue," and showcases the typical Madonna/diva spectacle you'd expect. Everything in gold, Roman gladiators dancing, and Madonna is sporting thigh-high stiletto boots. All is well by me. There is a bit of a DJ remix to Vogue before she hit the main verse, which confuses me because it's obvious she's not singing -- so why is she lip syncing it? Awesome dance moves, Madonna at 50 is spectacular.
Music: Well, the choreography is certainly cool, but the show itself is just kinda...boring...in some way I really can't put my finger on. Woah, there's a guy doing trampoline bounces on a tight rope. It looks like Madonna has missed a step or two throughout the first two songs. I can't tell if it's from age or her 4-inch spike heels.
LMFAO has just come out and they're doing a type of DJ mash-up between Madonnna's "Music" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," which they just segued into, and then a few bars of "I'm Sexy And I Know It." If only old people knew what LMFAO means.
"Give Me All Your Lovin" with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Frankly, I'm surprised both Minaj and M.I.A. are in on this track, which is OK. A bit corny if anything, since they're chanting, "L-U-V, MADONNA!" over and over. But, the chorus is decent, although I don't especially care for the lyrics. F me, Nicki Minaj tears her verses to shreds, as she does everything she touches, best (female) rapper alive. M.I.A., aren't you like the Brett Favre of divas? You retire, come back...have a baby, come back...please, just continue making music, especially mix tapes. I feel like this song was made especially FOR the halftime show, which is kind of gimmicky -- even the music video has a football theme to it. Obviously predictable that this would be the centerpiece to the halftime show.
Cee-Lo Green for the intro to "Like a Prayer," along with a huge drum line. Cee-Lo, why are you sitting in on this track? Oh yeah, because NBC has a new show called "The Voice" (perhaps you've heard of it) premiering after the Super Bowl...so let's push Cee-Lo into the halftime show so people continue to have this new show, called "The Voice," shoved down their throats. Perhaps you've heard of it. The candle-lit background and on-stage choir are pretty cool additions, but again, why is Cee-Lo there? Oh yeah, isn't he on some show premiering after the Super Bowl? Madonna disappears under the stage via a cloud of smoke to end the show...pretty cool. The stage reads the generic message of "WORLD PEACE" after the show. Completely unadulterated cheese.
Overall, slightly entertaining, not 100% predictable. (Why was LMFAO there? Probably because they're the hottest thing on the planet right now. Understandable. Why was Cee-Lo there? Isn't he on some show after the Super Bowl?) The show itself featured a decent setlist, although I would have liked to have heard more classics. Good choreography, and strangely, Madonna is still slightly hot at age 50. 7/10.
Post script: Shockingly, the first thing to run after the Super Bowl Halftime Show was an ad for, you guessed it, "The Voice." Although I am a fan of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and a fan of Christina Aguilera's looks, I suddenly hope the show fails miserably.
The show opens with "Vogue," and showcases the typical Madonna/diva spectacle you'd expect. Everything in gold, Roman gladiators dancing, and Madonna is sporting thigh-high stiletto boots. All is well by me. There is a bit of a DJ remix to Vogue before she hit the main verse, which confuses me because it's obvious she's not singing -- so why is she lip syncing it? Awesome dance moves, Madonna at 50 is spectacular.
Music: Well, the choreography is certainly cool, but the show itself is just kinda...boring...in some way I really can't put my finger on. Woah, there's a guy doing trampoline bounces on a tight rope. It looks like Madonna has missed a step or two throughout the first two songs. I can't tell if it's from age or her 4-inch spike heels.
LMFAO has just come out and they're doing a type of DJ mash-up between Madonnna's "Music" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," which they just segued into, and then a few bars of "I'm Sexy And I Know It." If only old people knew what LMFAO means.
"Give Me All Your Lovin" with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. Frankly, I'm surprised both Minaj and M.I.A. are in on this track, which is OK. A bit corny if anything, since they're chanting, "L-U-V, MADONNA!" over and over. But, the chorus is decent, although I don't especially care for the lyrics. F me, Nicki Minaj tears her verses to shreds, as she does everything she touches, best (female) rapper alive. M.I.A., aren't you like the Brett Favre of divas? You retire, come back...have a baby, come back...please, just continue making music, especially mix tapes. I feel like this song was made especially FOR the halftime show, which is kind of gimmicky -- even the music video has a football theme to it. Obviously predictable that this would be the centerpiece to the halftime show.
Cee-Lo Green for the intro to "Like a Prayer," along with a huge drum line. Cee-Lo, why are you sitting in on this track? Oh yeah, because NBC has a new show called "The Voice" (perhaps you've heard of it) premiering after the Super Bowl...so let's push Cee-Lo into the halftime show so people continue to have this new show, called "The Voice," shoved down their throats. Perhaps you've heard of it. The candle-lit background and on-stage choir are pretty cool additions, but again, why is Cee-Lo there? Oh yeah, isn't he on some show premiering after the Super Bowl? Madonna disappears under the stage via a cloud of smoke to end the show...pretty cool. The stage reads the generic message of "WORLD PEACE" after the show. Completely unadulterated cheese.
Overall, slightly entertaining, not 100% predictable. (Why was LMFAO there? Probably because they're the hottest thing on the planet right now. Understandable. Why was Cee-Lo there? Isn't he on some show after the Super Bowl?) The show itself featured a decent setlist, although I would have liked to have heard more classics. Good choreography, and strangely, Madonna is still slightly hot at age 50. 7/10.
Post script: Shockingly, the first thing to run after the Super Bowl Halftime Show was an ad for, you guessed it, "The Voice." Although I am a fan of Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" and a fan of Christina Aguilera's looks, I suddenly hope the show fails miserably.
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