Yes, college football started this week. Last night there was a game on TV, and tomorrow will be college football Saturday. I remember a few years ago, when I asked Stein one morning if he was excited. "For what?" he asked. "The start of college football," I said enthusiastically.
Preparations have already been going on for weeks around town. We hear and see the band practicing, witnessing the serious looks on the faces of the drum players as they practice beating their drums in unison (Amy and Colin, I don't know the technical names, sorry!). I went for a run this morning (the 2nd time in a week - I'm on a roll! ugh.) and noticed a lot of activity in and around the stadium. There were a ton more tents set up than there were a few days ago to sell food to all the hungry fans. There was a training session going on that must have been for the people who were working for the TV/video company. And there was a buzz that you could feel, the feeling of anticipation for another season.
College football is definitely a fall tradition, and a definite tradition in our house. Tomorrow morning, we will wake up and make some sort of dish to bring to Matt and Anne's house (my brother-n-law and sister-n-law's house). It will be anything from deviled eggs to cookies to football dip (a gross-looking, yummy tasting dip). We will also be packing our bloody mary cooler, the same one we've been packing for years, with the same ingredients: Sting Ray bloody mary mix, Clamato tomato juice, Absolut peppar vodka, Claussen pickles, worcestershire sauce, horseradish, hot sauce and celery salt. When we get to Matt and Anne's, we will be greeted by other family members and friends who also bring food to share. We will indulge in Anne's "orange dip", pigs in a blanket, and other tailgating goodies while we sip our bloody marys.
I like all the pomp and circumstance that goes along with college football, especially since Michigan is such a football school. And especially since I didn't have football games to go to when I was in college. (Marquette only had a football "club" not a team. Basketball was/is the sport). I'm always amazed to see the parties that are set up in the parking lots before and after games. Like clowns out of a Volkswagen, people suddenly set up tables and chairs, awnings, grills, and food that goes on for weeks. All of this in maize and blue, of course. God forbid you eat your hot dog on a plain white plate!
After being at Matt and Anne's for a while, we will walk to the stadium for the game. We always try to get there before the band comes out, because they all come out high stepping. It's quite a thing to see, especially when 107,000+ fans ("the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America" they announce proudly) raise their fists as part of "Hail to the Victors". I get goosebumps every time. We will watch the game, barely speaking unless we comment on game specifics or high five after a touchdown. When the game is over, we may go back to Matt and Anne's or hang out and tailgate with friends in a nearby parking lot. Normally we get home relatively early, turn on the TV and watch more football.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
And Vacation Comes to an End
Yep, as you probably guessed from my lack of posts, I have started my student teaching gig. Last week was spent getting the room ready, and this week more of the same. I went to a teacher meeting on Tuesday morning where I met most of the other teachers in the school. The rest of the time I spent in the classroom getting it ready.
It's funny about the first few weeks or months on a new job, at least with me. You go in, you meet new people, you slowly get to know each person and their intricacies, and then you start to feel comfortable. I get immediately back into a routine, down to packing the same lunch at the same time, passing the same people on the street each morning, and the same people on the street each evening. Kind of like the movie Groundhog Day in a way.
The people at the school are really friendly and welcoming. As I get older, I start to put people into groups and categories based on the people I already know. Most of the teachers at the school have already been put in categories of former teachers that I had, based on the appearance of themselves and their rooms.
Luckily Linda is a minimalist, so our room, while big, isn't cluttered. I always think cluttered room, cluttered minds. And Linda's personality is a combination of my friend Karen Clark and a former boss of mine. I think we're going to work well together. When asked about how she organized her room so well, she commented about her relationship with a former co-worker whom she team-taught with. She said, "Well, I'm a global thinker and Mary is a detail person. So it worked out well." I consider myself both detail oriented and global, but tend to lean more toward the details. I think we're going to be fine.
Next week I am told to "absorb everything". I will be following the students around the whole week, including to all their "specials" (gym, art, music, computers, library). I won't be doing much teaching, except for some early spelling or reading assessments. I am anxious to get started and watch Linda in action. From chatting with her while we've been setting up the room, I have learned that she cares tremendously about her students. I'm sure that it will be a treat to teach in her room.
I'm going to try to keep up with the posts, but with this change in my regular routine, I may need some time to breathe instead of type. Bear with me and I will try to work blogging into the mix. Working out may take precedence too. But then again, it really needs to. I feel so out of shape.
It's funny about the first few weeks or months on a new job, at least with me. You go in, you meet new people, you slowly get to know each person and their intricacies, and then you start to feel comfortable. I get immediately back into a routine, down to packing the same lunch at the same time, passing the same people on the street each morning, and the same people on the street each evening. Kind of like the movie Groundhog Day in a way.
The people at the school are really friendly and welcoming. As I get older, I start to put people into groups and categories based on the people I already know. Most of the teachers at the school have already been put in categories of former teachers that I had, based on the appearance of themselves and their rooms.
Luckily Linda is a minimalist, so our room, while big, isn't cluttered. I always think cluttered room, cluttered minds. And Linda's personality is a combination of my friend Karen Clark and a former boss of mine. I think we're going to work well together. When asked about how she organized her room so well, she commented about her relationship with a former co-worker whom she team-taught with. She said, "Well, I'm a global thinker and Mary is a detail person. So it worked out well." I consider myself both detail oriented and global, but tend to lean more toward the details. I think we're going to be fine.
Next week I am told to "absorb everything". I will be following the students around the whole week, including to all their "specials" (gym, art, music, computers, library). I won't be doing much teaching, except for some early spelling or reading assessments. I am anxious to get started and watch Linda in action. From chatting with her while we've been setting up the room, I have learned that she cares tremendously about her students. I'm sure that it will be a treat to teach in her room.
I'm going to try to keep up with the posts, but with this change in my regular routine, I may need some time to breathe instead of type. Bear with me and I will try to work blogging into the mix. Working out may take precedence too. But then again, it really needs to. I feel so out of shape.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Pictures downloaded
Thanks to Stein and Bryan, I now have pictures on two previous posts: A Fun Day of Celebration, and Bravo Bryan! Check them out to see the accompanying pics!
Sights and Smells
I went running this morning for the first time in a few weeks. I have nothing to blame but laziness for the lag in time. I have been going to the Y almost every other day, so that's been my saving grace. I'm hoping the schedule of being back in school will help me get back into a regular workout schedule.
On my run this morning, I paid attention to the sights and smells as I went on my merry way. I put on my iPod, closed the front door of the house and ran down the steps. I was on my way. I have been running the same route for a long time, and I really need to change it up. But it's easy to know that when I'm done, it will be 3 miles. If I try another route, I have to track it all over again. (Again, the laziness factor creeps in.)
As I turned the corner onto Stadium Blvd., cars rushed past me on the street and I smelled the exhaust of a big construction truck. Up the hill of the bridge over State St., I always smell a plant that I remember from Hawaii. This instantly puts me back in Hawaii with the warm tropical breezes blowing constantly. Those thoughts quickly disappeared as my legs screamed out toward the top of the bridge. I made it, I think, as I looked down onto the soccer and field hockey fields, just waiting to be filled with players practicing or playing a game.
My legs breathed a sigh of relief, as did I, as I made my way down the other side of the bridge. The parking lot was filled with cars of commuters that then wait for the shuttle in to campus. Crisler Arena is ahead on the right where the sidewalk starts going up in a little hill. This is where I usually see other people riding their bikes or running too. Some of them will give a little wave or smile, and some will look the other way. Either way, I'm challenged to go further.
Up ahead on the right is Michigan Stadium. Today I noticed that most of the vendor tents are set-up for the opening game next week. Tents that will be selling philly cheese steak sandwiches, roasted almonds, nachos, and other football fare. As I rounded the corner onto Main Street, I smelled apples. For a minute I thought it may be the remnants in one of the tents that normally sells apple cider, but then noticed that a crab apple tree had dropped a bunch of its fruit on the ground. The smashed apples on the ground smelled just like cider. A sure sign of fall.
Down the hill and then up again along the stadium on Main St., I spotted signs that said the sidewalk was closed. I wondered why they needed to close the sidewalk, but quickly realized that they were putting in a new sidewalk and curbs. Everyone seemed so serious when I looked at the men working. I'm sure the rain last week slowed their progress and they have strict orders to have the project completed by the opening game.
As I ran past the car wash I smelled the car soap mixed with grime and dirt. I had to pass a few people walking to work or the bus stop, and tried not to startle them in the process. The smell of fresh lumber came to me as I reached the railroad tracks right next to the lumber yard. And then the smell of Murphy's Oil Soap came to me as I passed Leopold Brothers bar, getting cleaned from a late Sunday night of debauchery.
The last "big" hill was ahead of me, and I heard my legs moan their usual moan as I ran up. The evergreen bushes on my right gave off a pine scent and helped to keep my mind off of the pain. I made my way down Packard and was thankful when the road took its downward slope. I passed Cottage Inn Pizza already cooking some pizza, the smells making me want to stop and have breakfast right there. Jimmy John's was next and I could smell their bread being baked for a day of sandwich making.
I turned the corner at State St. and noticed the usual signs of a good weekend in the student section of the neighborhood. Tables with cups still set-up for beer pong, couches and chairs on porches and front lawns, grills for barbecuing abandoned after the last hot dog was eaten. Some students staggering to work or home. Some who were sleep deprived, some who had too much fun the night before. The smell of garbage was there too, it was garbage day today. All of the houses along State St. had their garbage cans at the curb waiting to be emptied by the garbage trucks. Inevitably a critter or garbage picker would get into a garbage can and leave remnants of the contents strewn on the lawn or in the street.
Rose St. I was finally near home. My momentum picked up a little from the sight of that street sign. I ran past the park where someone was cutting the grass. I took in that smell and held it because that is a true summer smell. As I rounded the corner to our house, I smelled exhaustion and triumph. I was home.
On my run this morning, I paid attention to the sights and smells as I went on my merry way. I put on my iPod, closed the front door of the house and ran down the steps. I was on my way. I have been running the same route for a long time, and I really need to change it up. But it's easy to know that when I'm done, it will be 3 miles. If I try another route, I have to track it all over again. (Again, the laziness factor creeps in.)
As I turned the corner onto Stadium Blvd., cars rushed past me on the street and I smelled the exhaust of a big construction truck. Up the hill of the bridge over State St., I always smell a plant that I remember from Hawaii. This instantly puts me back in Hawaii with the warm tropical breezes blowing constantly. Those thoughts quickly disappeared as my legs screamed out toward the top of the bridge. I made it, I think, as I looked down onto the soccer and field hockey fields, just waiting to be filled with players practicing or playing a game.
My legs breathed a sigh of relief, as did I, as I made my way down the other side of the bridge. The parking lot was filled with cars of commuters that then wait for the shuttle in to campus. Crisler Arena is ahead on the right where the sidewalk starts going up in a little hill. This is where I usually see other people riding their bikes or running too. Some of them will give a little wave or smile, and some will look the other way. Either way, I'm challenged to go further.
Up ahead on the right is Michigan Stadium. Today I noticed that most of the vendor tents are set-up for the opening game next week. Tents that will be selling philly cheese steak sandwiches, roasted almonds, nachos, and other football fare. As I rounded the corner onto Main Street, I smelled apples. For a minute I thought it may be the remnants in one of the tents that normally sells apple cider, but then noticed that a crab apple tree had dropped a bunch of its fruit on the ground. The smashed apples on the ground smelled just like cider. A sure sign of fall.
Down the hill and then up again along the stadium on Main St., I spotted signs that said the sidewalk was closed. I wondered why they needed to close the sidewalk, but quickly realized that they were putting in a new sidewalk and curbs. Everyone seemed so serious when I looked at the men working. I'm sure the rain last week slowed their progress and they have strict orders to have the project completed by the opening game.
As I ran past the car wash I smelled the car soap mixed with grime and dirt. I had to pass a few people walking to work or the bus stop, and tried not to startle them in the process. The smell of fresh lumber came to me as I reached the railroad tracks right next to the lumber yard. And then the smell of Murphy's Oil Soap came to me as I passed Leopold Brothers bar, getting cleaned from a late Sunday night of debauchery.
The last "big" hill was ahead of me, and I heard my legs moan their usual moan as I ran up. The evergreen bushes on my right gave off a pine scent and helped to keep my mind off of the pain. I made my way down Packard and was thankful when the road took its downward slope. I passed Cottage Inn Pizza already cooking some pizza, the smells making me want to stop and have breakfast right there. Jimmy John's was next and I could smell their bread being baked for a day of sandwich making.
I turned the corner at State St. and noticed the usual signs of a good weekend in the student section of the neighborhood. Tables with cups still set-up for beer pong, couches and chairs on porches and front lawns, grills for barbecuing abandoned after the last hot dog was eaten. Some students staggering to work or home. Some who were sleep deprived, some who had too much fun the night before. The smell of garbage was there too, it was garbage day today. All of the houses along State St. had their garbage cans at the curb waiting to be emptied by the garbage trucks. Inevitably a critter or garbage picker would get into a garbage can and leave remnants of the contents strewn on the lawn or in the street.
Rose St. I was finally near home. My momentum picked up a little from the sight of that street sign. I ran past the park where someone was cutting the grass. I took in that smell and held it because that is a true summer smell. As I rounded the corner to our house, I smelled exhaustion and triumph. I was home.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
I Sat There Like a Dummy
When I was little, my grandpa got a haircut that apparently my grandma didn't like. She said, "He just sat there like a dummy in the chair and didn't tell them they were doing it wrong." I don't remember the haircut, nor do I think it could be that bad, since he was bald with a comb over hairdo. Regardless, after that incident, my family would inevitably use that line.
Well, on Friday when I got my haircut, I sat there like a dummy. I have been going to the same woman for about 5 years now. When she asks me what I want done each time, I usually say I just need a trim. The past 3 times I've gone, she's given me a really nice cut. So this time, I said, "I really like what you've been doing, so we can still go with that. But I still need to be able to put it in a ponytail." She started telling me what she was going to do and asked if it was okay. It sounded like the same cut I've been getting, so I said fine.
Halfway through the haircut, I looked down on the floor and saw hair clippings that were 4-5 inches long! I thought, this is not the same haircut. Then she dried my hair like usual. But she didn't use the brush as usual while drying. Out came the hair straightener. As she turned the chair toward the mirror, I looked up and saw it. It was a short bob. Yep. The hair hits my jawline. I can't put it in a ponytail. Totally different haircut.
She asked me if I owned a hair straightener and I said no. Then she went on to tell me where I can buy one and what kind I should get. She also sold me on some hair product that will work well on this haircut. So not only did I get a totally different haircut, I now needed accessories for the haircut. I sat there like a dummy.
I did get a "It looks good!" from the owner of the salon, which was nice. I'm sure I'll get used to it, and I don't know if I'm going to buy the hair straightener. It's only hair, after all. It grows back. And no, I'm not going to post any pictures.
Well, on Friday when I got my haircut, I sat there like a dummy. I have been going to the same woman for about 5 years now. When she asks me what I want done each time, I usually say I just need a trim. The past 3 times I've gone, she's given me a really nice cut. So this time, I said, "I really like what you've been doing, so we can still go with that. But I still need to be able to put it in a ponytail." She started telling me what she was going to do and asked if it was okay. It sounded like the same cut I've been getting, so I said fine.
Halfway through the haircut, I looked down on the floor and saw hair clippings that were 4-5 inches long! I thought, this is not the same haircut. Then she dried my hair like usual. But she didn't use the brush as usual while drying. Out came the hair straightener. As she turned the chair toward the mirror, I looked up and saw it. It was a short bob. Yep. The hair hits my jawline. I can't put it in a ponytail. Totally different haircut.
She asked me if I owned a hair straightener and I said no. Then she went on to tell me where I can buy one and what kind I should get. She also sold me on some hair product that will work well on this haircut. So not only did I get a totally different haircut, I now needed accessories for the haircut. I sat there like a dummy.
I did get a "It looks good!" from the owner of the salon, which was nice. I'm sure I'll get used to it, and I don't know if I'm going to buy the hair straightener. It's only hair, after all. It grows back. And no, I'm not going to post any pictures.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
David Steinhowever
My friend Amy just commented that she finds it funny that I call my husband "Stein". She said it sounds like a name that his college buddies would call him while playing poker. It is sort of funny, I think. Most of you know the story, but I'll tell it here in case you never heard it.
Stein and I met through mutual friends while we were both living in Chicago. At the time, Stein was living with Shark, a friend that he has known since grammar school. (Yes, I say grammar school. Is it a Chicago thing?) Anyway, Shark had always called Stein, Stein, so anyone that was introduced to him came to call him Stein. So when I was introduced to him, I called him Stein.
A few weeks after we first met I had to call him at his office (he was wooing me at the time and left me a message to call him back). I assumed his last name was Stein, since everyone called him Stein. So when his message said, "Hello, this is David Steinhauer, I'm not at my desk so please leave a message after the beep," I thought he was saying, "Hello, this is David Stein. However, I'm not at my desk so please leave a message after the beep." A few nights later, while talking with friends, his "real" last name came up in conversation. I blurted out, "You're last name is Steinhauer? No it's Stein." I didn't believe him and actually had him take out his license to prove it.
Then it came time for him to meet my family. I introduced him as "Dave" since I thought David sounded too formal. Why I thought it too formal, I don't know. He actually introduces himself as David. To this day, my family calls him Dave, with the exception of my brothers who call him Stein. So when I'm talking to people about him, I have to switch names depending if it's a friend or family member that I'm talking to.
It doesn't get confusing, until we're around his brother's friends who also refer to his brothers as Stein. Sometimes at parties, if all the brothers are there, you say Stein and it's guaranteed that at least two of them will turn around.
Stein and I met through mutual friends while we were both living in Chicago. At the time, Stein was living with Shark, a friend that he has known since grammar school. (Yes, I say grammar school. Is it a Chicago thing?) Anyway, Shark had always called Stein, Stein, so anyone that was introduced to him came to call him Stein. So when I was introduced to him, I called him Stein.
A few weeks after we first met I had to call him at his office (he was wooing me at the time and left me a message to call him back). I assumed his last name was Stein, since everyone called him Stein. So when his message said, "Hello, this is David Steinhauer, I'm not at my desk so please leave a message after the beep," I thought he was saying, "Hello, this is David Stein. However, I'm not at my desk so please leave a message after the beep." A few nights later, while talking with friends, his "real" last name came up in conversation. I blurted out, "You're last name is Steinhauer? No it's Stein." I didn't believe him and actually had him take out his license to prove it.
Then it came time for him to meet my family. I introduced him as "Dave" since I thought David sounded too formal. Why I thought it too formal, I don't know. He actually introduces himself as David. To this day, my family calls him Dave, with the exception of my brothers who call him Stein. So when I'm talking to people about him, I have to switch names depending if it's a friend or family member that I'm talking to.
It doesn't get confusing, until we're around his brother's friends who also refer to his brothers as Stein. Sometimes at parties, if all the brothers are there, you say Stein and it's guaranteed that at least two of them will turn around.
Friday, August 24, 2007
A Fun Day of Celebration
Last night we celebrated our anniversary by going out to dinner. We are always leery of going to new places on special nights, because if the place is bad, we don't want to have that as our memory. But we go back to our standard places on a regular basis, and we really wanted to try something new. At school, I asked Linda for suggestions on where to go. She listed off a bunch of places we've already been to, but then said that Logan On Washington was supposed to be great according to her friend. When I mentioned it to Stein, he agreed that we should try it.
Before we went to the restaurant, Stein came home from work carrying a big bouquet of beautiful flowers. He knows exactly what I like, and the bouquet shows it. There are lilies, a couple roses, and some other non-standard flowers that are purple, white, yellow and orange (I'm not good with flower names). A very colorful and cheerful gathering. So pretty. Here's a picture of it:
Before we went to the restaurant, Stein came home from work carrying a big bouquet of beautiful flowers. He knows exactly what I like, and the bouquet shows it. There are lilies, a couple roses, and some other non-standard flowers that are purple, white, yellow and orange (I'm not good with flower names). A very colorful and cheerful gathering. So pretty. Here's a picture of it:
I had already bought some Gladiolus, since they were on sale at the grocery store that morning. I had gone to the store to buy ingredients to make Stein a chocolate cake (my grandma's "secret" recipe) and the red gladiolus caught my eye. As did the price tag, $3.99 a bunch! So when Stein came home with my bouquet and I put it out in a vase, we had a house full of flowers. They make me smile.
Back to dinner at Logan. What a great place. And what great food! When we got to the restaurant, I noticed that a table for two in the window had opened up. Perfect! And apparently we got there just in time before a regular missed her "favorite spot". Oh well!
We started with an appetizer of truffle gnocchi. It was a lot bigger and different shaped than traditional gnocchi and had a cheese sauce with shaved truffles on the top. Delicious. Then our entrees came. Stein ordered a Cowboy Steak that came with asparagus. It just melted in your mouth. In fact, the waitress told us that the chef stands by the steak while it cooks for ten minutes, continually drizzling butter over it. What's better than steak? Steak with butter, of course! I had a beef roulade, which came with an Indian-inspired sauce. Very tasty. And the potatoes on the side were smashed potatoes with cashews. I would never put the two tastes together, but it was really good. The creaminess of the cashews added to the taste of the potatoes. We each had a glass of wine (hand-picked by the sommelier to accompany our meals).
We kept talking about how we weren't going to have dessert because we had chocolate cake at home. But close to the end of our entrees, the sky grew dark and the lightning started. The sky opened up and started pouring. It was coming down in sheets. We joked with our waitress that it was a great tactic for anyone who was just thinking about dessert. The rain would make up their mind to stay a little longer. So out she came with the dessert tray. Goat cheese cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee, poached peaches, and cookies and milk.
The rain continued, so we ordered dessert. The chocolate cake at home could be eaten tomorrow, we decided. Stein ordered the cheesecake and I ordered the cookies and milk. There were 2 each of chocolate chip, peanut butter, and snickerdoodle cookies, baked fresh and gooey. And in the middle of the plate was a glass of cold, whole milk (we only drink skim, so whole milk is like cream to me). Stein's cheesecake was an individual cake that had a sour cream sauce on the top. Good, but I think the cookies and milk were better. It was perfect to eat and drink and watch the people passing by on the sidewalk or the rain pouring down. About halfway through dessert, the rain stopped and the sky turned blue and grey.
It was a perfect night of good food for a great occasion. Chocolate cake, anyone?
We started with an appetizer of truffle gnocchi. It was a lot bigger and different shaped than traditional gnocchi and had a cheese sauce with shaved truffles on the top. Delicious. Then our entrees came. Stein ordered a Cowboy Steak that came with asparagus. It just melted in your mouth. In fact, the waitress told us that the chef stands by the steak while it cooks for ten minutes, continually drizzling butter over it. What's better than steak? Steak with butter, of course! I had a beef roulade, which came with an Indian-inspired sauce. Very tasty. And the potatoes on the side were smashed potatoes with cashews. I would never put the two tastes together, but it was really good. The creaminess of the cashews added to the taste of the potatoes. We each had a glass of wine (hand-picked by the sommelier to accompany our meals).
We kept talking about how we weren't going to have dessert because we had chocolate cake at home. But close to the end of our entrees, the sky grew dark and the lightning started. The sky opened up and started pouring. It was coming down in sheets. We joked with our waitress that it was a great tactic for anyone who was just thinking about dessert. The rain would make up their mind to stay a little longer. So out she came with the dessert tray. Goat cheese cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake, creme brulee, poached peaches, and cookies and milk.
The rain continued, so we ordered dessert. The chocolate cake at home could be eaten tomorrow, we decided. Stein ordered the cheesecake and I ordered the cookies and milk. There were 2 each of chocolate chip, peanut butter, and snickerdoodle cookies, baked fresh and gooey. And in the middle of the plate was a glass of cold, whole milk (we only drink skim, so whole milk is like cream to me). Stein's cheesecake was an individual cake that had a sour cream sauce on the top. Good, but I think the cookies and milk were better. It was perfect to eat and drink and watch the people passing by on the sidewalk or the rain pouring down. About halfway through dessert, the rain stopped and the sky turned blue and grey.
It was a perfect night of good food for a great occasion. Chocolate cake, anyone?
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