Back to the Grindstone

After winter break, work was slow. Few teachers take days off right after a two week vacation, so I only had a handful of jobs. Things are starting to pick up though, and I'm working four days this week. One of the week's highlights happened on Tuesday at an elementary school. I was supervising indoor recess (due to freezing cold temperatures and icy sidewalks) when a small 2nd grade boy came up and asked me if he could ask me a few questions. When I said he could, he grabbed a stool and took a seat in front of me to proceed. It was quite the funny interview. After finding out that I have colored my hair in the past (both blonde and red), he asked, "Do you have Britney in your name?"
"No," I said.
"Well, do you have Spears in your name?"
"No," I replied holding back laughter.
"Oh, because she has brown hair that she dyed blonde and red one time."
Yup, folks. I have something in common with Britney Spears.

"How old are you?" he asked next.
"29," I confessed.
"Hmmm.... that's one year under my mom. She's 30. But you don't look 29. You look 18."
Ah, I love little kids! Though I can't imagine having my own kid in 1st or 2nd grade already. Yikes!

P.S. Today an 8th grader asked "Who's O.J. Simpson?" (The teacher used him in example of double jeopardy/5th amendment on a quiz)

Avatar vs. Jurassic Park

One of the schools I was subbing at last week was on a really strange schedule due to testing. The day ended with a two hour study center, so the teachers chose to show a movie. The options were Jurassic Park or October Sky, so naturally (like anyone didn't see this coming) the kids picked Jurassic Park. Though I tend to have a poor memory, I do remember the first time I saw this film. It was the summer after sixth grade (1993), and my best friend, her mom, her sister, and I went to the drive-in. Even though the drive-in is probably not the ideal location for viewing intense, graphic, action films, I was still impressed by how real everything seemed in the movie. It was like John Hammond really did discover a way to bring dinosaurs out of extinction with DNA found in fossilized amber, and someone was there to film it.

Yesterday, Michael and I went to see Avatar in 3D. It just blows Jurassic Park out of the water. I know filmmakers have come a long way (technologically and graphically) since the days of T-rex and velociraptors chasing Dr. Alan Grant through the jungle, but seeing these two movies in the same week really hit home how advanced the tech is becoming. I wonder what movies will be like in another 17 years. I really enjoyed the movie and am glad I finally saw something in 3D, but I don't think it's worth the extra money to see future films in 3D. I felt a little like I was watching a Magic Eye movie and had to keep unfocusing my eyes to see it right. The action sequences were especially difficult for me to follow in focus. It was amazing though.

Mozart can make you smarter

I read a very brief, but very fascinating article, while subbing today: "Does Music Make You Smarter?" adapted by Adrienne Hathoway. I feel I just have to share this new knowledge. After reading the article, I naturally Googled to find out more. I discovered that David Merrell, a teenager, won the Virginia State Fair with an experiment where he subjected mice to either heavy metal or classical music to see how it would affect their ability to run a maze. With 72 mice divided into three groups, Merrell ran each group through the maze and timed their progress. Their final time averaged about ten minutes. Then, he played heavy metal music for one group, classical music for another, and no music for the control group. After four weeks, the control group's average time to finish the maze was down to five minutes, and the classical group finished in just over a minute and a half. Shockingly, the heavy metal group increased their time. It took them half an hour to finish! Not only that, the first time Merrell performed the experiment, he had to cut it short because after three weeks the heavy metal group only had one mouse left. They had become so aggressive that they attacked and killed one another. Though I don't know what research has been done to see what the implications are for humans, I know what music I will and won't be playing for my kids.

Playing with Christmas presents

On Christmas morning in Arizona, there was a present under the tree for Polo from my mom. It has become one of his favorite toys to bring us for playtime. It's great for a little tug-of-war and for retrieving.

Date Night and Robin Hood

How about this? Ridley Scott is making another Robin Hood movie. This one has Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett in it.



I mentioned back in October that I saw this preview for Date Night. The trailer is now available online. Looks good!