My school had a dinner this evening for two new teachers who have come to the school. There is a third that wasn't there or at least was not mentioned, because she will be taking over for Joe, one of the English teachers who is going to KNUE (Korea National University of Education - I think is the name. She is only scheduled to be here for the 6 months that he is gone, but it might have been nice to make mention of her. Oh well, perhaps they did and I just missed it.
The dinner was held at the same place we went to last fall. Ondal seating, (on the floor), a fair amount of Soju, and a great many Banchan (Korean side dishes). I had a new dish, or at least maybe if I have had it before, I didn't know what it was. It was Stingray. Felt kinda bad for the little guy, but it was pretty good. It was doused in a thick red sauce I was told was very spicy (it wasn't) and had two different veggies in the dish with it. It was a cucumber and something else. Either way, pretty good stuff. I focused on the Galbi and the Jjop jjae noodles and then hunted and pecked at the rest of it. It seems pretty rare when see something on a Korean table that I do not like.
It is often hard to fathom how so many restaurants can exist in one town, but I guess we are in a town of 160,000 people or so. I think that includes the surrounding area, but even so. There are simply so many restaurants, I think I could eat at a different one every day for two years and still not visit every one. There has to be 50 within a quarter mile of the bus station alone when you add in all the little tent restaurants that are line up along the back road. Many of them serve the same things which is why it seems odd that they can all co-exist, but I guess everyone has their favorites and people do seem to really love to go out to eat here. It's comparatively inexpensive versus the United States, especially for what you get. I am pretty much in food heaven.
Struggled with talking with the gym teacher and rowing coach tonight. He became very animated when he found out that I used to love to golf and had gotten down to as low as a 9 handicap. I am certain I would swing the club like one of Jerry's kids at this point, but I am excited to try again. I am in much better shape than I was two years ago so I think it would be a little easier to move the ball around the course. Now I need to have my golf shoes shipped over from the states. I would have my clubs sent as well, but I think that would be horribly expensive. Maybe I can bring them with me when I come back in August. We'll see.
I will go into more depth on the diversity and lack there of about all the restaurants later. Hope to add some photos of some of my favorites and definitely try out the steak place I found the other day. The sign said, "Steakuh, Winuh, Saladuh, Soupuh. 11,000 won". Wondering what that is like. Seems like I spoke with someone recently that said they had been there not long ago. Need to remember who it was...Sam maybe?

A few days ago in my teacher's room, where the majority of the teachers have their desks, they pulled a 'ya ya workshop'. It's a term my father always used when it came to a bunch of people running around looking busy, but pretty much getting nothing done. The powers that be had decided that with a new semester should come everyone switching desks. So, at 2 p.m., the ya ya workshop commenced with a lot of movement, but not a lot of results. I explained to my co-teacher Jude what was going on concerning a ya ya workshop, its definition and such, and she had a good chuckle. The next day, she asked me what the term was, because she had tried to explain it to her husband or a friend that evening and had forgotten the term.
Now today, as I am trying to learn Hangul and keep pestering her by asking about terms in my book, she showed me a new English book and it had three frame comics. On the outside were opposites, and the middle, I assume, was to be the mean. (As I later found out they were talking about "the Golden Mean" - whatever that is.) So the first frame was a fat guy like me with no caption, the middle was a healthy looking person working out, with the caption, "Fit", and then a gaunt looking person on the far right with the caption, "Under-weight". She asked if the first box should be labelled "Fat", and I said it could be, but what they were probably looking for was "Over-weight".
The next three frames: A person with bags under their eyes obviously working late with the caption "workaholic". The far right was a guy kicking back in his office chair with the caption "Lazy" and in the middle appeared a girl looking at a computer screen, typing with one hand, writing with the other and the phone stuck between her shoulder and her head with no label. Jude asked me what it should be. She asked, "Diligent?" I said, "Ohh, good word. But maybe ya ya workshop is better"

I have forgotten how to do everything on this. I suppose I should re-learn the lot of it...and actually do some writing...though I've done some....it's just been on Word and saved on my pute...hmmmmm

School is chugging right along. Cannot wait to student teach. Need to continue compiling ideas for lesson plans, but really wish I knew what grade I will be teaching. Somewhat essential information. Also wish I could hear from Alicia P. from Texas. She worked for a company known as Brice Legal in Dallas. She was good stuff. Lost her email and just dunno. Haven't heard from the Lisas either. Don't think it is good news. Oh well. That place had it's own dark soul.
Lifting again, and more than just going to go. Decided to include squats in the workout again. Didn't really want to, as they can be extreme, but they are simply too valuable for the entire body. Now I just need to incorporate power cleans and the workout will be nearly complete. Then comes the system. I am going to try to do Body for Life during the 12 weeks that I student teach. What better way to keep on task than to multitask! Gotta sleep. Test Wednesday, lots of work and crap tomorrow. Go dog go!

Summer school done and paid for. Don't know how. Wasn't much of a summer either. What a weird one. Two friends finalizing divorces, one had a massive heart attack at the age of 40, uncle of a friend in the hospital and it doesn't look good, and other weird stuff like that. Top it off with the summer now reaching us in September and I believe all we have to look forward to from here is locusts, blight, and the mississippi turning to blood. I took a full week and went up to my cabin in Canada in mid August to go fishing. It snowed. (The locusts must be next).
On a lighter note, the Northwoods Writers Conference held this spring was amazing. So many incredible people, whether they were authors, students, or speakers. Really impressed with all. And Judith Ortiz Cofer. Wow. A new deity...
School is now in session, and I see that there are new methods people with their wikis and new blogger people with their blogs. I am jealous. It helps one stay on task when you are in a class. Definately MY problem that I have to deal with there. Just tough to do when you are fighting time for the all mighty dollar. I do, however, have a somewhat light schedule this semester, other than the fact that they are all Education core classes, so I am certain I will be kept busy jumping through those hoops. Just lots of paperwork to get done concerning graduation and finalization. This should all be a labor of love...and I guess it is.
Part of the pain is hearing the voice of the poet, writer, Derek Burleson, in my head when he said, "Look, I am a writer, and a teacher...and most of the time I would rather be fishing."
How true. Back soon. Must keep on task.

So here i sit in the mac lab in the ed arts building, cruising websites and looking for various resources for teaching writing and content area reading. I wish that I had my notebook from last semester with me as I had alot of information and websites listed in there from both Pedagogy and Developmenal Reading in the Middle School.

Such is life.

What is it with school, that I need it to keep me going and yet when it was on this semester, it was handing me my sizeable ass. Wow. Don't know that I have ever experienced a semester of school like that. Many a day I went to school without ever having gone to sleep the night before. That can't be healthy, and I didn't do that when I was partying. My kingdom for a schedule that is workable. Oh well, it's all good. The spring cleansing of opening fishing in Canada is upon me, even though they received a fresh dusting of 10 inches of snow three days ago. The walleyes better be hungry.

It's, been a long time, man, since I rocked and rolled...It's, been a long time, man, since Sammy Davis Junior, has done this thing they call the stroll...
Well, school is again about to start, and I have some stuff I have to get done in short order. Very glad it's on its way, cause I feel that as much as I needed the break this time, it seemed way too long. On the 10th, we held our yearly Dead Pool draft, and here is my new roster for the year...The Ungrateful Dead.

Joan Riudavets (114 years)
Hendrikje Van Andel (113 years)
Emma Verona Johnston (113 years)
Ura Koyama (113 years)
Bettie Wilson (113 years)
Maria do Couto Maia (113 years)
Susie Gibson (113 years)
Mise Ito (113 years)
Catarina Carreiro-Pascoal (112 years)
Grace Thaxton (112 years)
Julie Winnefred Bertrand (112 years)
Gladys Hawley (112 years)
Virginia Dighero-Zolezzi (111 years)
Agnes Rich (111 years)
Ruby Drakeford (111 years)

Hopefully I will fail and all these peeps will see another year, and Ruby has a B-day coming up January 25th. She'll be 112...wow...think of all the things you would have seen come into being...flight, cars, electricity, advances in plumbing, medicine, heating/cooling, computers...damn near everything...

this is a link to the msn hompage

It's been a while since I posted here. Wish I could post more, but I find I am busy and when I do write, it's not so much the creative sort, as I use my English Methods wiki alot. I will be posting here more frequently perhaps, as I get to explain, teach, and theorize a bit about blogs and wikis at Bemidji High school on Monday and perhaps Tuesday. I have the lesson plan pretty much done, and got some information on MUs from Morgan. It appears they are simply the general formulae for MUDs. No big deal.

I am beat. I have class tonight, then must study for a Spanish test in the morning, then do another student teaching practicum after that. The Spanish test, unless I suddenly grasp it tonight, will be painful. I will do it though. Just gonna have to go over about 3 chapters to regain what I have lost in a summer. Some of it is there, just can't formulate responses like I could before, even though that was my weak point last year as well.
Back to it.

Just a quick note today. I did my first student teaching practicum at the middle school today. Sixth graders it is, and I was handed some of the students that have trouble either in certain subjects or maybe even behavioral areas. The little guy I worked with was amiable enough and was diligent in his studies as we pieced through a book to work on his reading skills. I think I will like this. Hope it continues to go well. Drew, the Assistant Principal, and a man I have worked with previously while he was going to school, spoke with me afterward and gave me a few facts about grade school-middle school aged children as opposed to high schoolers. I think I would definately like high schoolers more, but for scheduling purposes, this is what worked out best--and the license I am headed for is for grades 5-12. We'll see.

The school load at times seems oppressive. The beginning of the week is usually tough, but by the end of the week I typically have it somewhat under control. Unfortunately though, I usually have alot of homework to do Thursday through Sunday, and I do a decent job of getting that done, but Monday through Wednesday my days are longer and it's much harder to get everything done.
I love my Spanish class but I feel extremely stupid right now. I lost so much vocabulary over the summer, and some of the conjugations of the verbs, so for the next two or three weeks I am going to have to do some back learning and some power catch up. I am determined to do this though, so I am hoping that with the dedication I will be able to rock this out.
I will, I will, I will.
The new Iron Maiden has moments, but it just isn't the same as Killers, Number -o- the Beast, or Piece of Mind. Mmmmmm. Piece of Mind. They were impressive live again, though. Saw them in Chicago this summer with Motorhead and Dio. Very nice. 2nd time for Motorhead, 3rd time for Dio, 12th time for Maiden. Dave Murray is a magician.

It is nice to see that some of my old classmates from the blogs and wikis class are still updating their blogs. At the same time, it makes me feel like a complete slacker, but not all of them have been doing it all summer. Some, like me, have just recently started posting again as they have prepared to return to school. Either way, it makes me want to keep up with the Jones' and continue posting, and continue posting I shall.
I am also excited that I get to work with Wikis again. Dr. Christensen's Methods class has a class wiki and also sub pages for everyone in the class to have their own. I started working on mine last night, just to make sure that the passwords and such would allow me to, and I got caught up in it and worked until nearly 3 in the morning. Wikis are definately addictive, at least for me. Now if I can just make it so that my blog becomes moreso. I guess I just don't know if I like public journalling, and that's what it seems like a blog is.
Perhaps I need to say more about more or more about less.
I will figure this out.
Haven't seen Matti for too long. Last time I saw her, she had black hair. Wonder if she's changed it yet. Ha~!

Hmmm. It didn't take my links on my last post. One more time?

and


hmmm. It's not taking it. Going to have to go and talk to the guru.

The last time I tried to place an entry, it did not post correctly. Blogger had changed some of their format, and in trying to respond to something that Dr. Morgan had posted concerning an online novel, it simply didn't go through. I feel somewhat sad that I didn't keep up on my blogging throughout the summer, and perhaps I can get back into the habit now that school has started once more.
On a great note, I am working with wikis once more and for whatever reason, I find them much more addictive. This perhaps seems much more like journaling, whereas the wiki feels more like academia, more purposeful. Either way, it's keeping me writing again, and learning ever more and more, which is really what this is all about no?
Dr. Morgan is awesome for moving forward with that class that i had last year, for it really did open up a new world for me and I want to keep digging away. So without further ado, here's the link!

The first is for my newest class, and the second is mine specifically~





Ciao!

Doc Morgan just posted a groovy link, the world as a blog...crazy.

Feeling pretty daffy. Got straight A's, (never tried that before) got two new jobs, and hope to work diligently all summer long. Thinking ahead to a Senior Project for my B.F.A. program in Professional Writing. Pretty awesome that it's one of only 13 Universities that has the program. Unsure what exactly it would truly qualify me for in the working world other than setting my mind in order concerning getting thoughts down in writing so that the work of patching things together can begin. Likely more of a degree in Professional Editing, not that I want to be an Editor, but I think most of the best writers are voracious in both reading and the practice of writing, but are much more concerned with the process of editing what they've regurgitated. I know some of that doesn't apply to contemporary literature, Tom Clancy for instance. I have heard that he now does not have an editor, and his books are much more muddled because of it. Either way, the battle rages.
Just bought a new Graham Masterton book, A Terrible Beauty. He's an old favorite of mine. Ikon rocked my world, shortly after my time in the service, I think it was...

Went to Canada with the boys last weekend. Absolutely crushed the walleyes. Averaged 3 limits per hour. (A limit is 4). We ate them twice, brought a limit home for each of us, and released the rest. Good lord is that fun. We would have had another limit the night before we left, but a pretty wicked storm came in and forced us off the lake. Went from being anchored to being blown into the bay. Pretty nasty. Thankfully we weren't far from home, cause you couldn't even see to Hatfield Island a half a mile away. Mother nature...she's got an attitude problem...

Well. It's been too long. Perhaps I can begin a somewhat regular schedule on this now. And it seems I have come full circle. The very first entry on this blog I did from class, being that this was what the class was all about and I had never heard of a blog or a wiki before.
Recently, I had tried to add my fantasy baseball teams in, The Billion Pound Shithammer is the N.L. and the Purple Headed Yogurt Slingers is the A.L. Somthing went goofy though and after a while of trying, I decided I would wait until I had more time.
Adios muchachos.
Hasta pronto!