Star Struck

Very rarely does a person get to meet the author of a book she enjoys. Even more infrequently does a teacher get to meet the author of a book she teaches becuase of our inclination to teach books by dead people. I recently got to meet Orson Scott Card, the author of Ender's Game. At the end of the previous school year, I was searching for a book that would appeal to the boys in my classess. Girls will read anything, but if a boy doesn't like the book we're reading he'll just stop. I finally came to Ender's Game. A week before school started, Mr. Card was in town to speak at the Utah Shakespeare Festival and was scheduled to do a book signing later that day. I found out the day before, and was planning all of the things I was going to say to him. I was second in line, I approached the table, and...and...I couldln't think of anything to say! And after a moment of stuttering - during which time he is signing my books - words just started spewing from my mouth. I "gushed," said one of my friends who attended with me (I attended with my English teacher friends from work). It was pretty embarassing as there were many many people behind me in line, including my colleagues, but he was very gracious about it and kindly obliged to take a picture with us. Nice man and fabulous book!

The Crusade

I am on a crusade - a crusade to get the best parking spot available at work without having to camp out the night before. Becuase of this, I painted "staff" on the first row parking spots in one of the parking lots. We used to have assigned parking (teacher's got first dibs) but for multiple reasons - all student related - that step of the parking process was skipped. So students have been parking where teachers traditionally have had assigned spots. How they found out that teachers didn't have assigned spots I don't know, but they did. I even got yelled at by a student for parking in "her" spot...ironically, it was the spot assigned to me for the past two years. So I snapped. I got permission from the principal, made templates, purchased white spray paint, and last night set to work. "But Erin, is this a job for a teacher? Shouldn't maintinance be in charge of the maininance of the school?" I'm glad you asked that question, and the answer is no to both questions. But in public education, sometimes if you want someting done you have to do it yourself. That's how we roll. I guess in the grand scheme of life, this really isn't that big of a deal, but when you are carrying all the papers I carry, or when you have students leaving their lunch trash and smearing fry sauce on the side of your car, you get a little fired up. Obviously, as evident by how long this entry is, I am. UGH!

Escape to Wisconsin

For the past few summers I have gone to Green Bay to spend time with my family. This year was no different. Claudia was kind enough to drive out with me in June, and Beth, the baby, and Mike came out in July and drove back with me. I decided to extend my visit from two weeks to two months when I acquired an internship at the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay. I spent a few hours a week there giving tours, putting together a trunk program, and making crafts with the daycare centers that visited the museum.



Of course there were multiple trips to Door County. In addition to bike rides and visiting the beach, we did a few things this year that we don't usually include in our summer repetoire. In July, we went to a fish boil, a traditional Door County meal which includes boiled white fish, potatoes, rolls, and cherry pie. And becuase that cherry pie is so good, we also went cherry picking one afternoon. I made a fresh cherry pie (minus fresh made crust -thank you Pillsubury!). Pitting the cherries was the hardest part, but it didn't end up being that bad and the end result was fabulous!



Of course, the best part was just being with my family and friends. My family is doing well, and it was fun to be with my sisters this summer, but also that I got to have them to myself (even though we would have loved to be together too). Baby Michael is growing up so fast, so it was fun watching him pick up new tricks all summer long. Grandma and Grandpa loved it too. It was sweet to watch them experience the baby becuase they get to see him so little. My friend from Cedar City, Laura, is attending school in Wisconsin, so I also had a friend to visiti with. We went camping, to Summerfest to see John Mayer and Ben Folds, and visited in Williams Bay where she is currently living. Even though there were torrential downpours most of the time we were together - is that a sign or something? - we had a blast. This trip concluded with a stop in Nauvoo, IL to visit historic LDS church sights. This summer trip will not be quickly forgotten.

Highlight of the Year

I am a nerd and don't share my pictures with people like most humans do who discovered what email and internet is all those years ago. In an attempt to share some important moments of the year, permit me to share some older images with you all. In April, my brother Mark was deployed to the Middle East and Asia. Claudia, Beth, baby Mike and I were able to travel to San Diego to see him off. We are all very proud of him and it was a touching moment to watch the mothers with their small childre wave goodbye to their loved ones. We often see members of the National Guard, Army and Marines in these moments, but all members of the military and their families are affected. We are so grateful that Mark is safe and having an adventure!

Selling Out

Ok. I don't know if I am actually selling out by getting a blog. I guess there is just a false sense of importance by creating your own blog- like there are people out there who I think will actually care about the inner workings of my mind and life. So if you are reading this right now, thanks for contributing to my self-esteem.
E