At the Ballet

If I could pick any two people in the world to see a ballet with, it'd be these two.

The Bean, The Field Museum, Cafe des Architectes, and The Joffrey

The rest of Friday in photos. Narrative version to follow when I get home.

Chicago Architecture Tour

Rolling My Stockings Down

Off to Chicago!

I'm on the plane with Rachel and Jack (well, kind of. We're 14 rows apart), heading to Chicago for a three day weekend with the parents, the grandmothers, and Jason.

Whoo!

Snow Delay

Last Tuesday was a delayed start. They cancelled school altogether the Tuesday before. And today (Tuesday) is a delayed start that ought to be a snow day. I mean, just look at our commute (at a whopping 8 mph) at the moment:

Projects

Lisa invited me fabric shopping yesterday. This was actually the second Saturday we spent combing shelves.  She's making a crib set for her daughter's upcoming baby and it is surprisingly difficult to find grey and yellow fabric in boy-appropriate patterns (i.e. not floral).  Last Saturday neither of us bought anything, although I was tempted to get this funky ribbon-looped grey fabric to make some new curtains.  I resisted, though, and we both went home empty-handed.

Not so much yesterday.

Lisa found this adorable fabric at Fancy Tiger:

...and we matched those particular shades of gray and yellow with several other cute patterns of polka dots and chevron stripes from other stores.  I, on the other hand, had intended to only come along for the company and for lunch at Cafe Rio, but five fabric stores later I wound up with supplies for four different sewing projects.

Whoops.

Conversation Among My Students After Adv. Drama Class on Thursday, as Reported by the Spanish Teacher

"Ms. Waterhouse was mad about the bus canceling the field trip!"

"Was she?"

"Oh, yeah. She was playing it cool, but you could tell. She had those big Waterhouse eyes."

"I bet she was all mad at home, punching walls."

"No, I bet she's a kicker."

"Yeah!"

"Can't you picture her kicking holes in the wall with her boots?"

"Definitely!"

The Miserable Ones

A series of snow storms has hit our area in the last week or so bringing with them erratic school schedules. In addition to the snow day last week, we have had two late starts, one early release, and one day with no adjustment to the schedule despite a drive home so perilous that my fellow car-poolers and I counted 17 cars that had slid off the road.  The students tasted freedom last Tuesday, so now every day that goes by without another snow day is the cause of much complaining.

Today was supposed to be a field trip.  My Advanced Drama class and I were supposed to attend a student matinee of the DCTC's Sense and Sensibility (a brand-new musical adaptation).  They were excited, I was excited.

Then the district called for a delayed start and the transportation department announced that they would not make any trips to Denver today.

Naturally, I protested this decision, pointing out that if the district felt that the roads were safe enough by 9:00 AM to drive to school, they are likewise safe enough to drive to Denver.

They responded that "this is the policy".  End of discussion.

The group sales people at DCTC were incredibly understanding and refunded the cost of our tickets.  I spent the time before school started looking up other possible shows to see.  My students staged a sit-in outside the main office to protest the cancellation of their field trip.  Our VP empathized with them, then sent them on to class (another reason why I like my administrators).

"We're not going on a field trip," they said to me as the bell signaled the start of class.  "What's even the point of being here today?"

"To learn?" I offered.

They groaned and vehemently disagreed.

"To watch Les Mis while I make you popcorn?"  I offered, holding up the DVD I had purchased just in case.

That cheered them up a little.  Then Catwoman died, and Samantha threw up her hands.  "What?!"  she exclaimed.  "She DIES?  As if my day doesn't suck enough!"

Doorstop Surprise

For the second time in the last year, I have opened my front door in the morning to discover a dead pigeon tucked up against it.

 Appalled by the other possible causes (Practical joke? Cruelty of nature?), I choose to assume that Natasha has a gentleman caller.

 (Photo not included because ew.)

Springtime in the Rockies

Slowly driving home from school....

Everything Stays the Same

Re: Update on Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program

Dear Ms. Waterhouse:

We regret to inform you that the funding available from the U.S. Department of State for the academic year 2013-2014 Fulbright Classroom Teacher Exchange Program does not include support for exchanges with the United Kingdom. For this reason, we are not able to provide you with a fellowship for your exchange in the UK.

They go on from there.  It's really a very polite rejection of my application.

So.  I finally know.  After putting all future planning on hold since last October, I finally know where I'll be this summer, this fall, this year and the next.

I do feel some relief from that.  The frustrating part of all of the educational applications I make is the waiting, the apply-in-October/find-out-in-April cycle that government programs operate on.  I am a planner, not just to satiate my control issues but because I take a great deal of comfort in looking forward to what I have planned, to my next adventure.

And I think that's where most of my disappointment is coming from now.  Now I know that everything's going to stay the same.  Same job, same house, same speech meets and drama plays and cycles of crazy-busy months after months of gaping nothingness.  It's a good life, but I was really hoping for a change.

Now I know.

Snow Day!!!

AND they called it at 9:54 the night before instead of after I leave for work tomorrow at 5:45! Boo-yah!!!

Oh, man, I am going to sleep in so hard.

Easter in San Diego

I've been slow to write about our trip last weekend to San Diego in part because I've had a full week and in part because whenever I sit to write about that trip I am reminded that what I really want to write about is the outcome of the Fulbright thing and I can't write about it yet because I still don't know. Even though I found other teachers on Facebook posting about hearing last Monday, I still don't know. And so I avoided blogging most of the week.

When I put off writing an entry, I inevitably fall back to a short picture-based post.  For the record, I will note the following:

1. Nathalie and George throw one heck of a brunch.

2. Sitting on comfortable patio furniture in the shade on a sunny San Diego day with a light jasmine-scented breeze watching a hummingbird flit through the surrounding giant birds of paradise while enjoying good company is about as perfect a way to spend a Sunday morning as I've ever experienced.

3. I like my California side of the family quite a lot. We don't get to see them too often, but I always enjoy the conversation, the wit, and the affection.  Plus, Pepere's family stories are pretty hard to beat. I think my favorite this time around was the "black widow" who threw one husband down the well and did the other one in with mushrooms.  We never did hear what happened to the third husband.

Photos!

Lexie and Sadie, checking one of their Easter finds

Sadie very nicely shared some of her treats with her cousins

Nathalie and Lexie

Memere, Dad, George, Sadie, and Sylvie

Mom, Larry, and Pepere

Two generations of grandchildren
Me, Rachel, Andy, Sadie, and Lexie

And one more of the Waterhouse clan at the beach, just because I like it
(even if Andy's eyes are closed).

Grocery Stores are the Best!

What do Waterhouses on vacation with a day with no plans?

We go to two grocery stores and a farmer's market, of course!

You long-time readers of the blog may recall that visiting foreign grocery stores is one of my favorite travel activities.  It is an inherited trait.

After visiting with the grands for a while at their home, we felt the collective compulsive need to Be More Productive (i.e. continuing visiting while walking around a new location).  We've been to San Diego enough times to eschew the typical tourist destinations and would have been at a loss had Dad not noticed a sign for a farmer's market on our way over.  A farmer's market on a sunny San Diego Saturday morning?  Perfect.

After sampling the produce, flowers, and paella there, Grandpa suggested we check out "The Arab Store."  This turned out to be North Park Produce, and it was gobs of fun.  Walking in the front door we encountered many hookas, some delicious sample goat cheese, and signs advertising specials in Arabic.  This bodes well.  Here are some of our finds:

A dignified Andy peruses the aisles.

Various Cans of Meat

I got to practice my Cyrillic alphabet a bit
(It's Ukrainian Borsch, by the way)

Not just rose water, but dillweed water, willow water, fenugreek water...

Eggplant #1 - American
Eggplant #2 - Indian

Eggplant #3 - Italian
Eggplant #4 - Chinese

Several varieties of Pomegranate Molasses
(Which will always remind me of Hamdi's)

Dad found that favorite Peruvian drink, Inca Cola

"El Autentico Chao Mein"

Bread longer than my torso!

Whew! It was quite the store. We sought refreshments afterwards at a Greek place, then stopped by Trader Joe's just because we could.  We had about an hour before meeting with the rest of the family for dinner, so we swung by the beach as you saw previously.  We capped off the day with a dinner at the 94th Aero Squadron restaurant, which was delicious.

Whan That Aprille With His Shoures Soote

"You should hear from us in early April," they said.

While I knew that I wouldn't be getting any word last week, that little flutter of hope that I would see a (1) in my rarely-used Business Gmail account showed up every time I checked my email.

Now it's getting worse.  As of yesterday it's officially April.  Moreover, it's early April.  Any second now I will slide down my mailboxes, the timer wheel will spin, a (1) will show up in that fourth slot, and I will finally be able to move forward with my plans for the summer and for the next school year, whatever they may be.

I'm really showing admirable restraint in not being too obsessive with my checking.  I'm only looking between classes, at lunch, and after school - times when it's totally kosher for me to have my cell phone out.

Granted, at 4:42 AM, that moment right after I click the "Okay" notice for the alarm to turn off, I also press the envelope icon and look for news even before I can actually see out of my sleep-crusty contacts.  I know they wouldn't email me outside of normal business hours, but I still check and hope still flutters.

"Early April," they said.