Why a good nights sleep is important

So, today started out interestingly. I woke up late because yesterday I took a mid afternoon nap and therefore wasn't tired enough to fall asleep until midnight. In the midst of rushing to get to work this morning, I got dressed without adequately checking my clothing. Usually this just results in mismatched socks or a tie that clashes with my shirt. Today, it resulted in putting on a pair of pants with a rip that extended from approximately my right hip to my left shoelace. Seriously, there is no describing how bad this rip was in any language that would do it justice. I can not explain, either, why it wasn't until 7:50, 15 minutes before students walk in my classroom, when I finally discovered the rip. I found ten safety pins to put my clothes back together, but that only lasted until the first time I sat down (which was approximately 10 minutes after my students came into class). My pants literally began to disintegrate! I survived without major exposure (largely because I hid behind my desk for the first 3 periods). I am eternally thankful for Jennifer who bailed me out.

In other news, I have found a couple of interesting links for the comic book geeks in my audience. Check these out if you get a chance:


Comics should be good! - A weekly updated site that lists various comic book myths. An interesting examination of some of the more obscure parts of comic book history.


Comics Make No Sense - This site appears to largely be a chance to make fun of the Fantastic Four, but it is pretty funny and it is updated nearly everyday.


Living Between Wednesdays - This is the blog that I would write if I were a 26 year old Canadian girl. It is updated more often than mine, and hers contains some great and witty comics observations.


Last new business for the day: Wade is always making these great questions of the week that I am a little envious of, so I thought I would throw one out there. Several of you have heard that the only big fight that Jennifer and I have really ever had in our marriage is over the thermostat in our home. You see, I prefer things a little chilly, and Jennifer likes to not pay $300.00 a month on our electrical bill. It is still true that this is the only major fight we have had, but I discovered a new difference between us. The picture is my current desktop background. It may be some undiagnosed ADD on my part, but my background changes at least monthly, often times more frequently. A few weeks ago, quite innocently on my part, I changed Jennifer's desktop background to something I thought was cute. The response I received from Jennifer was not exactly a sign of gratitude. It turns out that Jennifer has a fanatical loyalty to the "bliss" default background that most people reserve for charismatic cult leaders and Diet Coke. In her own words, I moved her cheese. So my question is, how often do you change your desktop background? And what background are you using right now for your desktop?

Some Random Topics

Okay, I lied. I told you that as soon as I was done with TAKS that I would have a, "much more thoughtful post" for you, but it turns out that there is very little going on upstairs right now. The honest truth is that I am tired and counting the days until school is over, and will be beyond busy until then.

This Friday, my students will be going on their big annual field trip to Ripley's Believe it or Not! / Palace of Wax. Of course, annual is a relative term since this is the first time in three years that my students have managed to stay out of trouble long enough for them to keep their field trip. I'm sure it didn't slip your attention, but we are going to one of my favorite places in the metroplex (which is why several of you have been forced to go at one point or another). Ripley's was, of course, my idea, and this was my first opportunity to organize a field trip. Let me tell you, it is a lot more effort than I thought it would be. Currently I'm torn about whether or not I will volunteer to head this thing up in the future. Part of me thinks that it would be alot easier in the future because I know what pitfalls to avoid. Another part of me is tired of getting the blame for the trip not being perfect and none of the credit for pulling it off. It's a little bit of a thankless job.

Of course, I could have the decision taken out of my hands if a certain high school in Lewisville would get off of their duff and fire a Social Studies teacher and make an opening for me. Last week I went to the LISD job fair and had a positive experience overall. One interview went exceptionally well, but the campus unfortunately wasn't hiring my content area at the time. There are still a few weeks until most people who won't return next year make that fact official, so be praying that God opens a door for me in Lewisville if that is his will. I've been impressed with what I see in the district, and feel that I have a tremendous amount to offer as well. Plus, exchanging my 45 minute commute for a 10 minute one would ease my stress levels a bunch.

Last little comment in my stream-of-conscious post: Are you watching Drive on FOX? If you aren't, you should be. It has Nathan Fillion, for those of you who enjoyed him in Firefly, and it has a lot of the Lost vibe of things going on behind the scenes that you try to figure out with the characters. Also, it is about this super secret, cross country race, which gives it some of the feel of Amazing Race. So in other words, it has everything you could want in a one hour show on Mondays at 7:00 (It doesn't even conflict with Heroes). If you have missed some episodes you can catch them here. Just scroll to the bottom where it says "Drive on Demand.

A Quick TAKS Poem

I have sunk low enough to steal from mass emails I've received. The reason for my degradation, as I'm sure you know, is that this week is the TAKS test. My life gets much better next week, so expect a much more thoughtful post then.

NOT ON THE TEST

Go on to sleep now, eighth grader of mine.

The test is tomorrow but you'll do just fine.

It's reading and math. Forget all the rest.

You don't need to know what is not on the test.

Each box that you mark on each test that you take,

Remember your teachers. Their jobs are at stake.

Your score is their score, but don't get all stressed.

They'd never teach anything not on the test.

The School Board is faced with no child left behind

With rules but no funding, they're caught in a bind.

So music and art and the things you love best

Are not in your school 'cause they're not on the test.

Sleep, sleep, and as you progress

You'll learn there's a lot that is not on the test.

Debate is a skill that is useful to know,

Unless you're in Congress or talk radio,

Where shouting and spouting and spewing are blessed

'Cause rational discourse was not on the test.

Thinking's important. It's good to know how.

And someday you'll learn to, but someday's not now.

Go on to sleep, now. You need your rest.

Don't think about thinking. It's not on the test.

Fifteen Minutes of Geek

I've been toying with the idea of creating another blog (the fourth that I would be associated with), that would serve as a weekly opportunity to review the best comic books I read in a week. I haven't made up my mind about that, but since I have nothing to talk about in this space, I thought I would give it a trial run here. So, here are two issues I enjoyed this week (Note: I am flying without a net here, as the issues in question are actually at home. Forgive any minor errors.) (Note Two: Spoilers Ahead)

Justice League of America #7

This was hailed as the issue that would finally pull the league together, and it delivered on that promise. The cast was solidified, although without surprise if you had been reading the previous six issues. This was a missed opportunity in my opinion, since it is always good to do something unexpected in the era of the internet where there are no more surprises. A member that they have been building up (such as Red Tornado) choosing not to join would have created some drama and given the new League something to prove in a sense, as Reddy would serve as the voice of the naysayers on the message boards. Also in this issue, the league gets a new headquarters, which I'm partially happy with. The JLA will be stationed in the brand new Hall of Justice (looking exactly like it did in the old Super Friends cartoon). However, not all is as it seems. Apparently there is a teleporter set up at one door that transports the JLA to a satellite orbitting 22,300 miles above the earth. The exact mileage is an homage to the satellite era JLA, which is cool, but the satellite itself looks like the one featured in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon, which is not cool in my books. It is a pet peeve of mine when the comics are adjusted to make them fit in better with the popular media (Spider-Man being put back in his black suit to match up with the upcoming movie is another example of this). Finally, the issue introduced some future storylines to us, as Geo-Force has reappeared, more than a little nuts and with the power of his dead sister, T.O. Morrow is being chased by a Starro proxy, and the revelation that Trident is apparently Karate Kid from a version of the Legion of Super Heroes that ceased to exist twenty years ago. That is alot to fit into a comic book, and it was handled very well.

Avengers: The Innitiative #1

Just to keep things fair, I will look at a Marvel book as well. The Innitiative is another of the books that follows the fallout of the recent Civil War in the Marvel Universe. In this series, we find out that a training camp has been built on the grounds of the recently destroyed school in Stamford, CT, and all the newly registered heroes are sent there to learn how to be real super heroes. We are quickly, but adeptly, introduced to a ton of new heroes, including Armory, whose weapon arm can take the form of any weapon, Cloud Nine, who can fly using her mastery of a gas of unknown content, and MVP, a "Captain America Jr." whose heightened strength and reflexes stem from being the great grandson of the guy who made Steve Roger's super soldier serum. There are countless others, but these guys are most important in this issue. There is a really great use of humor in this opening issue, as each character is allowed to bounce off one another and develop their personality. The humor, however, is just a set up, as one of our new recruits will be tragically killed and one recruit will wash out of the program!

Okay, thanks for indulging me this week. Let me know what you think of a weekly review blog, and chime in with reviews of your own.

Meet Jeff!

Sorry, but I've got another brief post for you. TAKS is kicking my butt, so don't expect much deep thought right now (that sort of thinking is discouraged by the current state mandated testing system anyway). However, my good friend Jeff Emery commented on my last post, therefore giving me the opportunity to visit his exceptional blog. If you are looking for deep thoughts, give him a visit.

His entries are the deeper thought type of stuff I have hoped you would see at the P.E.A.K. brothers blog. Speaking of which, you really ought to stop by and contribute to my "Better know a VRCC'er" game, which has really been enjoyable for me at least.

Alright, back to coming up with an idea to teach for tomorrow. I'm getting evaluated.