Slightly Tarnished

Sun, 11 May 2008 22:35:15 GMT

Update on my reading...

Finished "Change of Heart." It pains me to say this, but I feel like Jodi is losing her touch in her push to get a book out every year. The story line was interesting, but it was rushed and she introduced a plot twist waaaaaay too late in the game. Also, I couldn't stand the majority of the characters and I cringed at the ending of it. Blech.

Then, I read "Dedication," by the same authors of the Nanny Diaries. A blah book...nice beach read, don't bother buying it. Ending sucked after all of the build-up.

And now, alichacco had lent me "The Kite Runner," so I am very excited to begin reading it!

In other news, I am chopping off my hair tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures.

Sir Winston of the Shadows: May 11, 1995-April 9, 2008

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:41:39 GMT

Today was one of those sunny, beautiful days where you would have enjoyed sniffing aimlessly around the backyard and plowing headfirst through the daffodils. You would have dragged me all over the neighborhood on an afternoon walk, wanting desperately to smell everything in sight and taunt the yappy dogs from across the street. Tonight there probably would have been spaghetti for dinner, and you would have been barking excitedly for some in your red heart food bowl. You would have curled up on your bed, snore your loud snores, and release some of your awful farts.

But you are not here anymore. After all the seizures, and weird gland things, and peely nose, your heart got weak. You spent the night in the care of some affectionate vets in an oxygen tented crate. I hope you weren't scared when Mom and Dad dropped you off there. This morning, you felt even worse when Mom and Dad came to see you and after some hard conversations, we decided we didn't want you to suffer anymore. Mom and Dad hugged you and kissed you and told you how much we all loved you and cared for you as you drifted off to nothingness and into a heaven of pasta, carrots, squirrels, and daffodils.

I will miss your velvety ears, your white tipped tail, and warm, wet kisses on my face.

I will miss your licking my feet, snuggling next to me in my bed, and banging the living room door to go out

I will miss your "cockroach pose" and other weird sleeping positions.

I will miss your inquisitive and emo expressions and your smiley happy face when you pant.

I will miss your dainty way of eating carrots and green beans. I will never understand why you always woofed down your food.

I will miss your constant presence of understanding everything I was going through even though you couldn't talk back to me.

I will miss the tip tap of your nails on the floor and the jingling of your Red Sox Collar.

I will miss you, my lovely, non-howling-except-for-food beagle. My baby, my Willy, my Winston.

I love you Winston and I will always hold you close to my heart and keep your memories fresh. I hope you knew that I was sending you a hug and a kiss as you entered the next great dog adventure.

Love you and miss you.

Love,
Jenn

A Broadway Evening

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:55:34 GMT

Last night was a special treat not only because I got to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with alichacco, but I also got to see the lovely Diana! She's in NYC visiting from California right now. It was so wonderful to see her and hear of the fantastic things she's doing with her class.

So the show...all star cast of Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls, Caroline, or Change), Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, and Phylicia Rashad. Simply put: outstanding production. I've never read the play before, but I was blown away by all of the performances. Although Alison and I had partially blocked seats, there were moments when the actors where ten feet away from us. A great evening of theater.

Oh, and while we were walking to the subway we saw Ron Clark and his current Academy! Not so often that you see a famous educator on the streets of NYC. They were standing in Times Square looking at the Panasonic screen because it was showing all of the members of the current Academy class.

Tomorrow I'm really looking forward to Dr. Tomlinson's workshop at TC. What a great opportunity!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:59:22 GMT

Your Period Drama Life -For Girls (Lovely pictures, very long and detailed)

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You were startled out of a daydream when your mother loudly announced that an extremely wealthy gentleman was taking residence in an estate not too far away. All the ladies within fifty miles went nearly mad over his arrival, as eligible men were scarce in your area. Soon enough, you met this man of interest at a picnic lunch, and he'd already been informed that every single girl in the county wanted to marry him. This was a bit unsettling for him. Not because he didn't enjoy the attention, or had any objections to matrimony; there were just too many choices! He befriended you at once and requested your help in selecting his bride. You were happy to oblige, thinking it would be an amusing way to pass the time as well as a chance to see how well he'd really take your advice.
Whenever you'd be in the same company, the gentleman would pay his complements to each of the ladies in turn; dancing with one, sharing favorite musical pieces with another, and at the end of his advances, he would come to you and ask your opinion of each of the young ladies there. You gave your pure and honest opinions of everyone. You praised where praise was due and criticized their unforgivable failings, though never too harshly. The gentleman kept your comments in mind, and you both shared more than a few secret jokes over some stuffy fortune hunting ladies. Everything was going "jolly well," until you fell for him yourself. (Oops!)
Suddenly, you found fault with all the other girls, and began telling the man how none of them would really do. One was too proud, another too plain, a few were disgracefully flighty, and yet another had no shred of elegance about her person. If the gentleman argued in their favor, you'd find some miniscule fault based on hearsay to judge them by. Your gentleman was not pleased, and since he was a man, he had no idea why you had become so picky. (Someone turn his light bulb on, please.)
At a picnic luncheon he shocked you by claiming he had finally decided on the woman he was going to marry; a Miss ___ of ___. You were outraged! Why, the girl was so stupid and dull! Besides, her nose was shaped funny. The two of you argued for some time until the man was so furious that he left ere the luncheon was over. The next word you heard of him, he had left the country and moved back to... wherever the heck in England the dashing ones come from. Now, you were heartbroken. (Who wouldn't be?)
Months went by, and not a word was sent from or about your gentleman love. You stopped eating full meals. The pink left your cheeks, and all your friends thought your new tendency to mope was odd. A few were suspicious of your melancholy attack coinciding with the gentleman's hasty disappearance. But if they thought you'd had anything to do with it, they held their tongues. (Not literally, because that would be gross.)
One day, (it was a very lovely, sunshiney day, because it's too cliche to make everything drizzly and rainy just because the main character's gone emo) you were sitting on your knees in your favorite country chapel, crying your heart out for being a silly twit and driving away the man you loved so dearly. Something moved behind you. When you turned around, the gentleman was standing there, wondering how to approach you. (Crying women even frighten the manliest men, you know.) Hastily, you wiped your eyes and tried to compose yourself, but it was already apparent that you had been weeping. (That's a better word than crying. Weeping. It sounds so nineteenth century. Praise me, dangit!) The gentleman sat by you, passed you a handkerchief, and waited for you to be perfectly calm again. When you had voiced your wonder at his sudden reappearance, he told you where he'd been the whole time. He was at his brother's, daughter's, school teacher's, widow's, cousin's house where he related the entire story in full to his brother's, daughter's... his friend. His friend had his light bulbs on, and he suggested the idea that maybe you were in love with the gentleman yourself. That put everything in a new light, (Haha, pun!) and the gentleman had to stay away long enough to decide what this meant for him. He declared that he'd been a fool, but a fool in love, and if you really did love him, he would forget about all the other girls and marry you, instead. You accepted his proposal and the two of you kissed at the altar. In a church! You should be ashamed!

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Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:32:09 GMT

Just finished Book #8- Marley and Me

Thank goodness I finished this book at home, because i needed about half a box of tissues in the last few chapters. It just really hit home with me with my experiences with my dog, and the difficulties that come when a dog gets to his golden years. But wow, what a wonderful memoir about a family pet. So many amusing anecdotes and you just feel the love that the family had for this dog.

Pick for Book #9? Atonement. Yes, I've seen the movie already, but I do want to read the book. I've heard it's fantastic.

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 20:08:54 GMT

A lovely lovely weekend :)

Last night, I met up with Drew, Carol, and alichacco at The Evelyn Lounge. It's on the Upper West Side, which was great for me because it was only a quick bus ride over cross town. The cocktails were delicious and the place was very comfy...candlelight, fireplaces, and plush couches. It was nice to catch up with everyone, especially Drew because I haven't seen him since December.

I went for a long walk today, and stopped into Bloomingdales along the way. Apparently, they were filming segments for Make Me a Supermodel there!!!! Unfortunately, I didn't see any of the models, Niki, or Tyson. Boo. I would have loved to see Ronnie and Holly.

Now, cleaning up the apartment and getting ready for the week. Only two more weeks until my spring break!!!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:14:17 GMT

Today was a productive day. I did three loads of laundry this morning AND put it all away. Major accomplishment, I know. Then, I arranged my kitchen things so that food and pots and pans were more accessible. After that, I cleaned out some clothes to donate to Goodwill, since I realize that I don't wear the majority of my wardrobe anymore. I really need to start replace some of the stuff I;m donating, but clothes are so fricken expensive!!

Oh, I watched Across the Universe the other day. I think it was a beautiful film and I loved the singers. The story, I could care less about, but I LOVED Eddie Izzard and Bono's cameo. Absolutely fabulous.

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:09:16 GMT

Book #6- Anybody Out There is finished. Really loved it, which is nice because I don't like all of Marian Keyes' books. I definitely cried several times during the book.

Now am on Book #7: Water for Elephants. I'm a little more than half way through it and I'm enjoying it. Definitely not the kind of story I was expecting, but so far, I highly recommend it.

P.S> And i changed the look of my journal :P

The Lottery

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:38:56 GMT

The Lottery is at 270 million right now, so I bought a $5 ticket. I always think it's fun to think about what you would do with all of that money. This is what I would do.

Pay off my grad school loans
Pay for my sister's grad school
Help my parents settle down and hire my mom a full time cleaner
Meet with a talented investor
Buy a house in Nantucket
Buy a house in Vail
Travel around the world (maybe purchase property in France or Italy)
Save a portion for my (eventual) wedding
Set aside money for my future children for their education

Favorite Super Bowl Commericials

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 00:44:41 GMT

The Dalmatian training the Clydesdale Horse
The Doritos commericial with the Mouse Trap
Justin Timberlake and Pepsi
Prince Caspian!!!
The Baby eTRade Commerical
BudLight commercials (especially the fire breathing one)
The Coca-Cola Commercial with Charlie Brown

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:31:38 GMT

I saw Atonement last night with alichacco. Wow, was that an amazing film. The set designs and costumes were simply mesmerizing, especially the scenes shot in the English countryside. I really want to get the soundtrack too since the music beautifully complimented the story's action.

And wow, James McAvoy...you're so cute. I wish I was stuck in a library with you in a slinky emerald green dress. Le sigh.

Today, I'm going to a tap dancing class with alichacco at Steps on Broadway. I haven't taken a dance class in years, so I'm a little nervous, but excited too to start dancing again :)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:47:07 GMT

Long weekends rock.

Today was a lazy Monday and I took advantage of it by sleeping 12 hours. Wow, I haven't been that well rested for a loooong time. Then, I got to meet alichacco and Carol for a delightful breakfast at Penelope, a cute little cafe on 30th and Lexington. I had French Toast, which was made with baguette bread. Mmmm.

Then, alichacco and I checked out the new Apple Store on 14th and 9th. Swanky store with three stories in an old loft. I would definitely go back there to shop for Apple products.

I'm about a quarter of a way through Stargirl and I really like it. It's my first Jerry Spinelli book and I love his writing style. I'm anxious to see where the plot takes Stargirl and Leo.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Book #3

Sun, 20 Jan 2008 21:07:44 GMT

So I didn't read the Boleyn Inheritance. I read How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward instead. It's a lovely little book of about 300 pages, but the story goes quite fast. It reminded me a little bit of Jodi Picoult and Alice Sebold, especially with the subject matter of the story. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time in this story of a family broken apart after the abduction and supposed murder of a young girl. The story structure is interesting, being told from the main character's point of view, letters, and flashbacks. I highly recommend it.

Next pick for Book #4: Stargirl, by Jerry Spinelli

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:34:03 GMT

Book #2 Nineteen Minutes is finished.

Ok, I am a Jodi freak, but this book really disappointed me. First of all, she needs a new editor or something because there were so many erros not just with grammar, but with the time line of her story. For example, she says on one page that one of the characters got a dog when he was five, and a few pages later, the mother has a fond memory of her son as a two year old riding the dog like a pony. Annoying.

And the ending? Too neatly tied up for a Jodi book. It seemed very rushed to me given all the events that occurred in the story and the final twist at the end.

C'est La Vie.

On to Book #3, a book I've had on my shelf for a year now: The Boleyn Inheritance, by Phillipa Gregory.

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:09:57 GMT

I finally hopped on the bandwagon and got some Bare Minerals. And wow, am I satisfied with this product. The finish on my skin looks gorgeous and it feels so light weight.

In other news, I hope we get a snow day tomorrow. Yes, I know I am a teacher and I shouldn't want snow days. But I am a kid inside and I want to see tons of snow in the city :)

I'm trying out a new church tonight: St. Peter's Lutheran Church on Lexington. One of my dad's colleagues works as a minister at the church. Hopefully this will be the start of something good.

Le New Year

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:06:13 GMT

Brand Spankin New Year. Wow

So, one of my goals is to read 100 books this year. The first one of 2008?

1. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Yes, a chick lit novel to start off, but next I have Jodi Picoult's 19 Minutes, which I'm really looking forward to reading. Given the way that I read, I imagine that I will be able to accomplish this goal.

Other resolutions?

Start going to church more
Live a healthier life
Let love in a.k.a. find a guy who is not an asshole/icky/stalker

We'll see how these go. I only have a few more days left of vacation before I see the kidlets again! Which means I need to start planning this weekend :P

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 21:06:25 GMT

So, I am home for the holidays. Woohoo.

Christmas was fun, as usual with Christmas Eve at my Grandmother's house, presents at home on Christmas Day, and Christmas dinner at my uncle's house. I received some awesome gifts, including new books to read, a pearl bracelet, and some gift certificates for the after Christmas sales.

Unfortunately, I am sick right now. Ick. Hopefully being away from the students for two weeks will help me recuperate.

That's all for now

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:10:37 GMT

Wow, some girl has having a major screaming match on the phone in the floors above me.

Anywhoooo, wow it has been a long time since I updated this thing. I had a birthday (yay 24!). It was a spectacular birthday weekend. I celebrated with my NY friends at Flute, a champagne lounge down in Gramercy. I had some lovely pink champagne and chocolate cake. Yum! Then, Scott arrived for a NY weekend! We had a delicious Italian meal on Restuarant Row, walked a little through Times Square (where we saw Bob Saget!), and then ventured down to the Flatiron Lounge for some delicious cocktails. On Sunday, my parents and uncle came into the city for a birthday lunch at Cafe Mozart with Scott and me. The whole restaurant sang happy birthday, but alas, I did not get to wear the Mozart wig. After saying good bye to the rents, Scott and I visited Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Part, NYU, Washington Square PArk, and Union Square. Whew! We ended the weekend with dessert at Max Brenner, where Scott displayed his acting and restauranteur talent in full force :P

So the birthday haul:

Checks from the relatives (yay for after Christmas sales!)
A nativity scene from my Grammie
Awesome supersoft pj's from the sister
a New iPod!
A supersoft white scarf from Scott (that he knit!)
A TKTS gift certificate from my aunt and uncle
A Spa Gift Certificate from my godparents

And now, I am eagerly awaiting Christmas break...

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 19:56:41 GMT

Totally procrastinating while I'm trying to write my narratives :P

Last night was uber cool...I got to go to Jay-Z's 40/40 club for a friend of a friend's going away party. I loved the music and the ambience was nice. Definitely not the model and bottle vibe I get from a lot of these exclusive places. Had some tasty drinks and fun fun dancing.

Also, I saw Enchanted with Alison on Friday, which was HILARIOUS! I definitely want to go see it again. All of the cast is absolutely amazing in it, especially the yummy Patrick Dempsey.

That's all for now!

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:59:46 GMT

As I was walking back from Bloomingdale's this afternoon, I decided to stop and get a coffee and pain chocolat at a little bakery. I turned down 64th street to head over back to the far east side. As I sip my coffee, I notice two tall blondes standing in a group with several men. I am first amazed by the proportions of their stiletto heels. Then, I notice that they surround an older gentleman who has a devilish grin and black sunglasses. I continue walking, but do a double take when I hear his voice.

Freakin' Jack Nicholson on 64th street between Lexington and Third.

I laughed and kept walking, only then noticing the two photographers taking pictures of the celeb and his entourage.

This city is amazing.

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 23:28:19 GMT

These are the top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing's users (as of today). As usual, bold what you have read, italicise that you started but couldn't finish, and strike through what you couldn't stand. Add an asterisk to those you've read more than once. Underline those on your to-read list.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and punishment
Catch-22
One hundred years of solitude
Wuthering Heights
The Silmarillion
The name of the rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
~~Great Expectations~~
American Gods
A heartbreaking work of staggering genius
Atlas shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha*
Middlesex *
Quicksilver
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West
The Canterbury tales
The historian : a novel
A portrait of the artist as a young man
Love in the time of cholera
Brave new world
The Fountainhead
Foucault's pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A clockwork orange
Anansi boys
The once and future king
The grapes of wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & demons
The inferno
The satanic verses
Sense and sensibility
The picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
To the lighthouse
Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Oliver Twist
Gulliver's travels
Les misérables
The corrections
The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The curious incident of the dog in the night-time
Dune
The prince
The sound and the fury
Angela's ashes : a memoir
The god of small things
A people's history of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A confederacy of dunces
A short history of nearly everything
Dubliners
The unbearable lightness of being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-five
~~The Scarlet Letter~~
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye*
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics : a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an Inquiry into Values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity's Rainbow
The Hobbit
In cold blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The three musketeers

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:53:25 GMT

You're on my friends list. I'd like to know 27 things about you. Just copy and hit reply and paste in the comments section with answers. Thanks! You'll be surprised how much you didn't know about your friends after this! Then copy the meme and see if anyone answers you. (All comments are screened)

1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in color?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. Hipsters or Hillbillies?
8. How did we meet?
9. What's your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be? (this is the most hurtin' internet question ever.
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like musicals?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat ?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What's your favorite day of the week?
22. What's your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:36:08 GMT

I made French Toast for dinner tonight.

It was delicious

It's official...

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 19:40:14 GMT

I was offered a job yesterday at The School at Columbia University as an Associate Teacher in either Kindergarten or 3rd Grade.

The Head of School only called me on Thursday when they suddenly lost an employee. We chatted briefly about BU and found out that she knew one of my math ed professors.

I met with her yesterday morning, at which time she told me she talked to the professor last night and heard wonderful things about me! We chatted for about forty minutes about my teaching philosophy, background, interests, and other things. Finally, she basically said she wanted to hire me, but needed to call a reference first. So, she sent me up to the school library to wait while she called my TC professor, then came back to tell me that I had the job.

I'm so excited! I get to stay in New York for at least another year now. I'm still waiting to hear from P.S. 166, but the job at The School sounds fantastic. Since it's part of Columbia, I get to take classes At CU and TC for free, which is fantastic. All of the teachers get $1200 for extra professional development and workshops as well. We even have a chef at the School for the teachers!

So...anyone in NYC looking for a roommate? :P

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 12:32:28 GMT

Two interviews today...

Second interview at P.S. 166, the Richard Rodgers School of Art and Technology

First interview at The School at Columbia University.

Eeeeeeee