Shang Dynasty

I am soooooooooooo tired. We (Hannah and I) have been working the last few days on her project. I, unfortunately, know more about the Shang Dynasty than I really ever wanted to know. On top of all of this we've also been trying to catch her up on her Geometry and Advanced Biology. My wonderful tutors at work have pitched in and have helped ... Courtney is a jewel sent from the gods.

If all of this weren't enough, my hands (and brain) have been wrangling with Eli's teachers ... he's not having a good year even though it is his second year of inclusion ... so I've been working with his teachers to understand what they're doing (and NOT doing). It's been a rough week.

And when it rains it pours ... I'm taking two classes of my own. One will transfer to a doctoral program I'm considering (Research Methods and Models - don't ya love stats?), and the other (Enhancing Literacy through Literature) won't transfer, but I can use the information on reading strategies for working with non-trads. Of course I had two article critiques due this week, a quiz ... all on Thursday ... and I didn't get a chance to study, read, or write until Wednesday evening. Ugh.

I'm am sooooooooooooooooo sleeping late tomorrow ...

My b-law

Allow me to introduce my favorite brother-in-law, Jerry. I've known him since I was 19 ... ever since D.D. fell in love with the guy. He is a quick wit, and LOVES to try and embarrass me. He used to when I was younger, but I think he may have a hard time now! D.D. and Jerry have been, and will be, married forever. Together they have produced two incredible kids ... and I've been thankful to have had a sister I can look up to and learn from ... and her sense of commitment has certainly rubbed off on me.

Here are two pictures from their latest vacation at High Island. This island holds great memories for me, too. When Amanda (their 21 year old daughter) was about a year old, I went with Jerry and Amanda camping to High Island ... even without D.D.!! My sister and I have always been very close ... and to be that close requires trust ... so she trusted me to go out of town with her husband. Heck, I think MY husband would like to go out of town with D.D.! Ron loves my sister!

As one can see from the photos ... HE IS THE GREAT WHITE (Polish) FISHERMAN. As long as I've known him he's been an expert fisherman ... he must be good - he caught D.D.

J

Hannah's self portrait

Beeeeeeeeeeeuuutiful! For most, that's enough ... but she's funny, intelligent, compassionate, and creative. Oh, and she has lips I'd have to pay for ...

That's my kid ...

Proof that I'm old

So I was looking for something in my office upstairs and I stumbled upon the box of photos. I stopped in my tracks when I saw this one. Why? Well, this picture is of my nephew Tyler, my daughter Hannah, and my niece Amanda sitting on my mom's couch in 1992. Now Tyler is almost 20, Hannah is almost 16, and Amanda is now 21.

If that's true ... that makes me ... how old?

For D.D.

So ... D.D. requests a photo our wedding ... here it is. 19 years ago ... I had a tan, I was thinner, and it was definitely B.K. (before kids). Ron still looks the same. Well, maybe not completely ... his waist is not a size 30 anymore ... it's a 32 ... and he is becoming a Mr. Muscle Man. Other than that, he looks the same.

The other picture is of D.D.'s wedding day. This is me and D.D. clearly posing for the camera. We're pretending to discuss her bouquet ... fooled ya, huh? Yeah, not so much ...

There ya go, D.D. ... and there ya go, Will. This is my sister D.D. ... she looks the same, too (ahem ... I'll be expecting that check soon, sis ;-)

J

Shea Stadium and the INCREDIBLE game

Well, here are a few pictures. We (Karli and I) took quite a few, but I didn't want to share ALL of them. Although it's been 3 weeks since I returned from New York, I remember every microsecond of my trip to Shea. Karli and I acted like a couple of schoolgirls ... we dressed in our Braves red and blue, made posters while we waited for the game to start, and took pictures of the players warming up. At one point, when all of the players were in their respective dugouts, we held up our "ALL THE WAY FROM CAIRO, GEORGIA TO SEE WILLIE PLAY" sign. Yunel Escobar, the amazing substitute shortstop while Renteria heals, saw our sign and summoned Willie to the top steps. Once Willie read our sign he actually waved at us!!! Karli and I acted like those girls on the Ed Sullivan show seeing Elvis shake his hips! Well, we didn't cry, but we were silly. It was so cool ... surreal even.

There were a few times we felt a bit scared. Met fans are not the friendliest group of people, especially if you're wearing the jersey of the team that is beating them. We yelled and cheered for our Braves ... and we jeered the Mets when they made a good play (which, on that day, wasn't many times). There was a woman behind us and to the left that clearly lived for the Mets. She was sooooooooo pissed at us. And of course, if none of you heard about "the catch," allow me to educate you. Even though we were ahead going into the 9th inning, there was a point when there were two outs, two men on, and a Braves killer at the plate (Carlos Delgado). We were ahead by 3 points, and if Delgado hit a jack ... well, it wouldn't have been pretty. Met fans would have killed me and Karli just by trampling on us. So ... anyway ... Delgado is at the plate ... the count was 1 and 2 ... 1 out ... and BOOOOOOYAAAAHHHH ... he hits a slammer! Well, he hit it, but little Willie Harris was NOT gonna let it leave the park. He jumped up ... all 160# of him ... and leapt into air seemingly 5 feet ... and TOOK THE JACK AWAY FROM DELGADO! You could have heard an ant fart in Shea it was so quiet ... well, all except for the noise coming from me and Karli!!! The looks on the faces ... P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S.

After the game Karli and I followed the enormous herd onto the train. Of course, here we were ... surrounded by a sea of orange shirts ... all alone on a train with absolutely no escape once it leaves the station. It was a rough ride ... but the funniest part was when we got to our stop. We are departing the train and someone says, "Let's go Mets!" ... so as Karli is stepping off the train, she turns around yells, "Let's go BRAVES!!" It was an incredible moment ... and I'll never forget that moment.

Back to "the catch" ... the day after the game I left to come home (short trip, I know). I had so many people say to me, "did you see that catch?" The bus driver who was driving as I traveled to the airport, the Delta ticket counter chick, the bus boy in the airport bar ... more than that, but that gives you an idea. My plane was delayed (of course), so I found the airport bar where there were games on the televisions. As I sat there ... drinking a very tart glass of vino ... watching the Yankees lose ... the busboy came up and started talking to me (I've been cursed with this all my life ... not only do I not know a stranger ... but I must send some kind of vibe that signals EVERYONE to talk to me). When we started talking about "the catch," two guys sitting by the door got their beers and came and sat down with me. They were Braves fans, too! They were just kids ... early to mid twenties ... but it was cool to have a chat about baseball and have these two completely forgot they were talking to a 43 year old, married mother of two. We exchanged e-mail addresses so we could keep in touch ... you know, to discuss how badly the Braves are blowing it and will most likely not make it into the postseason. I have yet to write either of them ... they both live in Atlanta so I promised to let them know if I could get a hold of some tickets. Two different people have told me that they could get me some free tickets, and I'm so busy this semester that I know I won't make it to any more games. If by chance I can get some, those two kids will go. The only stipulation for free tickets is that they write and let me know all about it. Fair trade, right?