three on thursday

 

Thing one:  today was the last day of school, a half-day.  Every year I complain about what a complete waste of time it is.  This year I took it off.  I don't think I've ever had such a delightful day.

Thing two:  mostly, I spent the day prepping and packing for my trip. I had ChatGPT put together a capsule wardrobe based on four pairs of shorts and a pair of linen pants.  It suggested five different T-shirts and a chambray shirt that will mix and match.  I did add one dress for just in case, but that's what I packed.  I didn't overpack.

Thing three:  it's really hot here (for Maine to be in the mid-80s in June is rare), and I don't have my air conditioner in.  I hope I can sleep tonight!  Tomorrow's an early start!

gotta do what I've gotta do

I had high (unrealistic) hopes for my ability to participate in The Gal's Gratitude Challenge.  But the school year ending, a month-long trip to prepare for, and a doozie of a cold, I just can't keep up.  

finished reading

On this road trip adventure, there are deep issues such as redemption, dysfunction, healing, and second chances, balanced by humor and outrageous situations. This book is full of delightfully quirky characters.  Starting with the antihero, PJ Halliday, who is approaching rock bottom at an alarming pace.  His heart is mostly in the right place as he makes questionable decisions galore.  PJ's younger daughter Sophie, who has sort of failed to launch after her older sister's death. Add in two grieving siblings who are smack in the tween years, who are wise beyond their years in a naive way.  PJ's ex-wife Ivy and her boyfriend Fred (who PJ calls his best friend) add the dash of normal to this cast of characters. And rounding out the motley group is Pancakes, the sentient ginger cat whose special talent is sensing death.

From the publisher:

A darkly comic and warm-hearted novel about an old man on a cross-country mission to reunite with his high school crush—bringing together his adult daughter, two orphaned kids, and a cat who can predict death—from the beloved author of Rabbit Cake and Unlikely Animals

At sixty-three years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. Since then, PJ spends both his money and his time at the bar, and he probably doesn’t have much time left—he’s had three heart attacks already.

But when PJ reads an obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. Filled with a new enthusiasm for life, PJ decides he’s going to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back.

Before PJ can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. Anyone else would be deterred from the planned trip, but PJ figures the orphaned kids might benefit from getting out of town. PJ also figures he can ask Sophie, his adult daughter, adrift in her 20s, to come along to babysit. And there’s one more surprise addition to the roster: Pancakes, a former nursing home therapy cat with a knack of predicting death, who recently turned up outside PJ’s home.

This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for—a second shot at love and parenting—but does he have the strength to do both those things again? It’s very possible his heart can’t take it.

currently

 I am...

Reading: Whistler by Ann Patchett

Listening to: the fridge hum

Thinking: I have so much to do to finish up the school year and get ready for my month-long trip to Virginia

Feeling:  this cold has really kicked my butt!  I'm still without full voice and coughing and very tired

Celebrating:  there are two days of school left for me this year!

Grateful for:  I was able to make a nail appointment at a different salon. I'm relieved to get any appointment anywhere!

Enjoying: putting together a capsule wardrobe to hopefully prevent me from overpacking

Weather:  66° and mostly cloudy

A quote I want to share: 

sunday stealing

 

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10 Questions You Aren't Used To

1. What celebrity would you never want to meet? George Clooney--I'd be afraid the mystique I have for him wouldn't survive

2. What do you label yourself as? a voracious reader and social studies teacher

3. You can only have one sandwich for the rest of your life. You have every sandwich-making ingredient known to man at your disposal. What sandwich do you make? well, it would really depend on a lot of things: would I have to eat it daily? I've been craving a BLT lately, but I never turn down chicken salad with craisins and pecans

4. An angel provides you with a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. What's it gonna be? well... I don't drink so there's that...

5. Have you ever built a snowman? yes

6. If you could ask your future self a question, what would it be? how long does it take me to adjust to retired life?

7. Have you ever baked your own birthday cake? yes

8. Which are cooler: dinosaurs or dragons? dragons

9. What do you like about babies? how they smell so sweet, and when they reflexively curl their fingers around yours

10. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. What's the first rule you put in place? a well-rounded education is free

INSTEAD OF STEALING, LET'S BUILD OUR OWN MEME. Think of a question you'd like to ask and insert it here. If we get at least four good ones, we'll do our own DIY meme in a week or two.

What takes up most of your time when you're not doing this?

Would you rather have every traffic light turn green or always get the best parking spot?

finished reading

This story focuses on Cassie Hanwell, a glass-ceiling-shattering star in the Austin Fire Department who moves cross-country to live with her ailing, estranged mother. While Cassie is a rock star as a firefighter, she’s a bit of a dud on a personal level-stubbornly refusing to open herself up to the possibility of love or affection. Watching her character grow over the course of the story was incredibly satisfying.

The rigorous, intense life in a firehouse was much more than I expected. Firefighters are true heroes! The makeshift family Cassie builds among her initially reluctant coworkers feels completely genuine. Her healing process with her mother is equally realistic; it certainly didn't happen overnight.

Ultimately, the novel’s big themes are handled sensitively yet realistically. No character experiences a sudden, magical epiphany—the changes are earned, making the story all the more impactful.

From the publisher:

Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.

finished reading

This is an icky book.  But I couldn't stop reading.  The lengths these people will go to are so far over the top that it became laughable.  Was that the point?

From the publisher:

An insanely competitive housing market. A desperate buyer on the edge. In Marisa Kashino’s darkly humorous debut novel, Best Offer Wins, the white picket fence becomes the ultimate symbol of success—and obsession. How far would you go for the house of your dreams?

Eighteen months and 11 lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the overheated Washington, DC suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian — and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track — Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, Margo will prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing. The most unsettling part? You’ll root for her, even as you gasp in disbelief.

Dark, biting, and laugh-out-loud funny, Best Offer Wins is a propulsive debut and a razor-sharp exploration of class, ambition, and the modern housing crisis.

finished reading

I wanted to love this book, but it fell a little short for me.  While I thoroughly enjoyed the magical realism and the inner workings of the One & Only business, the main character, Cassia, was a tough sell.  

On the bright side, the love triangle felt fresh, and both men were entirely swoon-worthy, making the relationships feel believable.  Ultimately, though, I just couldn't quite get past Cassia's entitlement and brattiness. 

 From the publisher: She’s seen what her happily ever after looks like. And it’s not him.

Cassia Park believes in soul mates. Fated love stories. It’s her family business, after all—for centuries, from Korea to Los Angeles, the Park women have peered into clients’ past lives to find their one true love, their “fated”. This magical secret is why One & Only Matchmaking has a 100% guarantee … for everyone but Cassia. 

Enter Ellis. He’s twenty-eight, indecently handsome, and not destined to be the love of her life. But destiny has more than one curveball ready, and her surprising connection with Ellis might be the key that unlocks finding her fated—and reveals a family secret that will make her question everything she’s ever known about her family, her belief in love, and truth itself. 

Cassia will have to decide if she’ll follow her fate… or make her own.

postsecret

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

gratitude days 4-6

 

Days 4, 5 & 6:

Something I do every day has become my hobby:  driving.  I love my morning commute, which is about 30 minutes of driving Route 1 with fields on either side and rolling hills in the distance.  The fields are filled with potato crops, and it's lovely to see the season's bounty.  I love my afternoon commute because it's my opportunity to rehash the day and really leave work concerns in the car, so that I don't overthink everything when I'm home.  It's a neat little trick I developed during my therapy journey and it serves me well.

Driving has become one of my hobbies, too.  It's how I relax, how I unwind, and there's nothing more fun than a leisurely drive with no destination in mind.

saturday 9

For You

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Rick Nelson tells us he'd give his girl the stars from sky or a string of pearls. Have you more recently given or received a gift? What was it? I gifted a "blind date with a book" gift to my work bestie for her birthday.

2) By the time this record was released, Rick was already a show business veteran. He had been a regular on his family's sitcom, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, since it began airing on radio when he was just 8. Most of us weren't child performers but many of us had chores around the house. When you were young, did your parents give you an allowance? $3 per week

3) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet moved to TV, where fans saw Rick grow into a teen who drove a 1932 Roadster. The car really belonged to Tony La Masa, who collected classic cars and rented them out to TV and movie producers. Have you ever earned or raised money with your hobby? no

4) Paul McCartney has called Rick Nelson an "underrated singer who could really carry a song" and said Rick was one of his influences. Who do you believe you have influenced, professionally or personally? as a high school teacher, I'll say I've influenced over a thousand kids

5)  This week's song was already an oldie by the time Rick performed it. "For You" was recorded the first time by Casa Loma Orchestra in 1933. In those days, most records were 78 rpm discs, thick and usually only able to hold 3 to 5 minutes of sound per side. Most record companies stopped producing them in the 1950s. Have you ever seen a "78?" yes, we had quite a record collection as a family

 

6) The lyrics to "For You" were written by Al Dubin. After Al left college he supported himself as a singing waiter. That's really two jobs in one. Which would you do better at: singer or server? server

 

7) The music was written by Joe Burke, whose last hit song was "Rambling Rose," recorded in 1948 by Perry Como. Have you ever heard of Perry Como? oh--yes!  "Catch a Falling Star" was very, very popular in my elementary music classes

8) In 1963, when Ricky's recording was on the charts, the Zip Code was introduced. How many different Zips have you lived in? 3

 

9) Random question: When you were in high school, were you taller or shorter than your classmates? Or were you the average height? I have been the same height since I was in middle school, so I've gone from being one of the tallest to being one of the average (I'm 5'5")

three on thursday

 

Thing one:  my cold is finally starting to clear up, and my voice is slowly making a return to normal

Thing two:  the graduating seniors did a school walk-through in their caps and gowns.  I love seeing them walk through the halls.  I think it's even more fun at the elementary school, though

Thing three:  since I teach mostly seniors, I don't have many classes going right now.  I hate to complain, but I've completed my end-of-year classroom chores.  

gratitude: day 1-3

 

Days 1, 2 & 3:

It's not that I don't practice gratitude but I've been really sick and lax on writing on my blog.  So Day 1 is about "Home," Day 2 is about "Nature," and Day 3 is about "Something I see every day."  I'm combining them:  outside my second-story window in my apartment is a birch tree.  I love watching the seasons change via the tree and love living among the leaves.  I was thinking about the tree late Monday afternoon because I crashed into bed as soon as I got home from school, and the leaves were almost glowing from the sun shining through them, casting a light green around the room.

gratitude challenge

 I saw this at The Gal's and am joining in.

currently

I am...

Reading: One & Only by Maurene Goo

Listening to: the Spotify Bruno Mars station

Thinking: I had a poignant day with my Advanced Placement Psychology seniors; not only the last day of class together but also the last day I will teach this course--due to a scheduling conflict, the course will not be offered next year, and after that I am retiring.

Feeling:  satisfied:  I did some of my most creative teaching with this AP Psych class this year.  Physically?  I feel horrible; this cold has me in its grips! I don't think I've been sick this year, so this is a doozie!

Celebrating:  the end of this school year is upon us! 😀

Grateful for:  I submitted a request for the last day of school off.  It was granted!  Traditionally, it is a "step-up" day for the underclasses.  It's an unstructured clusterfuck of a half-day, and I've always dreamed of taking the day off.

Enjoying: all in all, I have had a terrific school year

Weather:  47° and clear

A quote I want to share: