Details, Details

It seems to me that there are a variety of ways to atone for sins. A very Jewish way to do that is repentance: you acknowledge your sin, you try to fix it (I think), you apologize, and you try very hard not to do it again.

A less Jewish way to atone for sins is what I think would be called penance - maybe I am using the wrong word, but this would be the idea of giving yourself some sort of consequences/punishment for the sin you did. (Along with the acknowleding the sin part, of course).

Well, what I did yesterday was a bit more like the latter. In my apartment, I am not so good about keeping my stuff out of the public spaces. I am not so good about doing my weekly cleaning job. People pick up the slack for me often.

I should try to work on that (repentance) - but it is hard! I do work on it... really... but not with much success.

So, instead, I cleaned the fridge. It took an hour and a half. And was desperately needed. And we were going to split it up among all of us, but really, there was no way to take out the bottom shelf without getting the top ones out of the way. So I did all of it. Took an hour and a half. But it needed it, my apartment mates deserved it, and I felt good when it was done.

Now, I just need to work on the actual problem: my own mess...


In other news, I saw an entire flock of Monarch butterflies yesterday. Twice. Something I have never seen before in my life. And here I am, in the middle of a major city...

I eat lunch in a community garden near one of my schools. They were all over this flower bush with purple flowers. Every time the wind stirred the bush, they'd all fly up and change places.

And then I got to see them again at the end of the day. That school has the class where I work with two students. The class has been doing a unit on moths and butterflies, because they caught a moth in the classroom. Well, the assistant teacher saw the butterflies on her own lunch break, and caught one. At the end of the day, the students let it go. And saw all the other butterflies. Very cool.

Nice thing about being a teacher instead of a student: less homework
Nice thing about less homework: time to hang out with friends (and occasionally give up a few hours of sleep to do so)

Benefit to being able to hang out on weeknights: saw HARRY POTTER last night.

Big thank you to mbarr for getting tickets to an advance screening. It was two days before it really hits theaters, and it didn't even have any coming attractions attached - not even a fandango ad or a cell phone warning. The screen turned on - and there it was.

No spoilers. Don't worry. I will only say it was a good movie. Well done. Wonderful job making a 700 page book into a 2.5 hour movie. In fact, I think I liked it better than the book.

Anyway, it was fun.

Another nice thing about being a teacher: on occasion, it feels really great to realize that I am actually good at it (at least in some ways).

Today, we had one of our new teacher orientations. Near the end, the presenter did an activity with us. After having discussed lesson planning, and doing last-minute lesson planning for related services (one on one with the kid - or a max of 3 kids, but usually one - for 30-40 minutes each session), she made us each take one of our handouts and put together/start teaching an on-the-spot lesson during which she played the role of the student.

After I went, I got all sorts of compliments.

They (the presenter and the supervisors present) said I came alive. They did not expect that - I guess my teacher mode is different from my interacting-with-adults mode. So that was interesting too - to know that I have a distinct teaching personality.

But anyway, it felt good to be complimented. It felt good to be able to pull off a lesson that way too, to know how to do it.

Oh, and one more nice thing: I discovered that my new (as in, from last year) eye doctor is on my insurance plan - so as long as I have a "medical" reason to see him, it will be covered.

Now I just need to make an appointment...

So the other night, I was in the supermarket, looking for kosher graham crackers - and I noticed the Keebler ones had a heksher (kosher symbol) on them. I looked further to the left, where the Keebler cookies are, and noticed that many of the cookies also had the symbol. I have been looking on and off for six years, since I got back from Israel, where Keebler has been kosher for a while. All I can say is, yay for another food I've been wanting to eat becoming kosher. (First M+M's, then Oreos, now Keebler... and people say keeping kosher can be a healthier way to eat?) Interestingly, most of the cookies had the heksher, but the ones I wanted most - the plain chocolate chip cookies - did not. Now, if the fancier chocolate chip cookies can have it, I am guessing there is nothing wrong with the plain ones, and that they just haven't used up the old packages - or the old packaging - yet. This says to me that the heksher is fairly recent.

My observations led to the following conversation - at least, this is how I remember it. Of course, I forget who the conversation was with...

Me: So I found out Keebler is now kosher
Other person: Keebler? You mean the elves?
Me; Yes, the elves are kosher. Well, not the actual elves - but their cookies are.

I also discovered more kosher food yesterday - of a much healthier variety - while on a quest for kosher rice cakes. I couldn't find them in the supermarket, because, of course, why should Quaker rice cakes, which have apparently taken over the rice cake world, be kosher? Oh well. So after visiting Associated and Food City and coming up empty-handed, I noticed/recalled the "Natural Foods" store across the street. Literally, right across the street. I can see it from my window. So I crossed the street. (There you have it - why did taylweaver cross the street? To get kosher rice cakes.) Anyway, it's amazing how much organic food is also kosher. Not all of it, of course, but a whole lot of it. And the word "organic" makes it sound all healthy and good for me. Anyway, all I bought were the rice cakes, but I think I will go back there and see what other healthy snacks they have to offer.

So that was a good find.

As for the tote bags... well, it's amazing how many tote bags a teacher can accumulate. I already have three, and I have only taught for six weeks. Granted, one is from my sister - and still my favorite - but I also got one when I began grad school - the Teachers College logo is beginning to peel - and yesterday, I got one for free at Staples - along with all sorts of other free goodies. Can I just say, yay free gifts! So I got a red Staples tote bag (I specify because they actually came in other colors, but by 3:30 PM, all that was left was red and orange - and the red looked much nicer) and it had all sorts of interesting stuff inside. Like a single marker and a single colored pencil - white, alas - and a pack of post-its and a pencil/crayon case and lots of smiley face stickers - scented ones. And a catalogue, of course.

But Staples is smart - after I got the tote bag, I stayed, and spent $20.

Which reminds me, I have a $10 online rebate to fill out...

And if anyone hears of someone looking for a place to live who is willing to share a room, please, please, please let me know...