November Gratitude #5

November 5: I'm grateful for all things Hawkeye:

*Great fall days at Kinnick Stadium

*Time with the Mornin' Crew and my Hugunin family

*The fact that my boyfriend has become a rabid Hawkeye fan

*Today's win over Michigan

*Being in Iowa City to eat Japanese food after the game

*Memories of my mom yelling "All Right!" as she listened to the Hawkeye football game on the radio... I'd quietly go around and close the windows so the neighbors didn't think she was crazy

*My Hawkeye sweater that struck up a conversation with Mr. Hills, the nicest person at DeForest Elementary during the worst year of my school life.

Weekly Update

I started this week going to the Iowa Talented & Gifted Association's state conference in Des Moines. It's always so good and a major information overload. I was in Des Moines for Monday and Tuesday, and it messed with my head for the rest of the week. I'm glad it's finally Friday because maybe now, I'll know what day it is! I always room with my colleague, Ann, and it's a great time for us to powwow. It was also fun because the Iowa Technology in Education Conference was the same time, so several of us Fairfielders were in Des Moines. We all met with the Kurths for dinner at Red Robin on Monday. Plus, I finally got to go to Trader Joe's in Des Moines! Woo hoo!!! Iowa has had a Trader Joe's for almost a year, and this was my first visit. Shameful. My new Trader Joe's obsessions are freeze dried blueberries (they're like healthy crunchberries!) and dark chocolate nibs (one calorie apiece and a really cute tin!). OK... back to the conference...

The conference theme this year was creativity. I heard such good speakers on this topic including the amazing Dr. Sally Reis (if had all the money in the world, I'd go to UConn to do my Master's Degree with her and her husband Joe Renzulli... oh, for $100,000 dollars or so... sigh...) and artist/businessman/education advocate David Williamson. Creativity is NOT a buzzword in education right now, and it's a shame. I really feel that we're not preparing our kids to be competitive in the global economy. They don't think outside of the box, and they're not problem-solvers. They're becoming great test-takers though. :P

Last night, Andrew and I went to look at flooring. He's helping me make some changes in my house. It needs updating, and I'd like to refinance eventually. I'm very good at procrastinating these changes, and Andrew has been pushing me to get it done. I need pushed in this area. A lot. And, in case anyone was wondering, it is NOT possible to eat healthfully at Sirloin Stockade. What were we thinking???

This week, I've been playing catch-up. It's been frantic, and I'm behind, but the conference is always worth it. Tomorrow, it's Homecoming at the University of Iowa, so the Hawkeye Mornin' Crew will be there in full force. The tailgate theme is Walking Tacos. Mmm!

Weekly Update

I had a crazy work week this week. On Wednesday, I took 25 kids to the Class Act Comics conference at the University of Iowa. It was a great experience, and the kids got to meet published authors. Here's the link to my school blog for more details.

Thursday, I had a doctor's appointment in Iowa City, and Andrew went with me. My reward for the day followed, and it was Una Don at Oyama. Oh, how I love that eel! I enjoy it anywhere, but Oyama really has the best, in my opinion.

Andrew & I agreed that we enjoy the miso at Shokai better though, and I think the edamame is better there too.
Lucky for us, Shokai is in Fairfield! Now, we just have to patronize it enough to keep it in business! LOL

On Friday night, Andrew & I went to see the latest Shakespeare Ensemble show, Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. It was very enjoyable, and it made me miss being on stage with Steve White. We had such a blast bantering in Lion in Winter.

On Saturday, I got to sleep late, and then Andrew & I had a little Hawkeye party in his living room. It would have been nice to have a better outcome, but we still had fun watching it... as much fun as a Hawkeye fan can have when they're not playing very well. :P After that, we watched the Nebraska/Ohio State game. I was hoping the Cornhuskers would get creamed to make me feel better from the Iowa loss. No such luck. I really can't stand them.

Today, after church, Andrew and I drove to the Amana Colonies to have lunch with my Alaska family who are in town for my Uncle Bob's 55th dental class reunion at the University Iowa. I ate terrible things and enjoyed every minute of it. Back on the wagon tomorrow. I finished the night working at school, and I'm ready to start another week.

October is beautiful in Iowa. It's a little warm for my taste, but Iowa in October should be experienced by everyone. Glorious!

Hawks Win!

What a game! What a day! Most of this game was just pure ugly, but when the Hawkeye Mornin' Crew puts on its rally caps, enemy beware! Greatest Hawkeye comeback in history!

A Full Weekend

Jeff came down from Minnesota this weekend, and we had a wonderful time. Friday night we went to Vivo for dinner (How could they take the asparagus/goat cheese/prosciutto/balsamic appetizer off the menu without consulting me first????), and then we chatted with Andrew for a good long while (and when I say "we chatted," I mean that the 2 of them talked about BBC television shows, and I yawned and played Tetris and surfed the net and occasionally gave a polite smile or nod... LOL).

Saturday Jeff & I were up & ready to do some serious damage in Fairfield. We started with coffee at Revelations, and then we hit the square. Thymely Solutions was having a birthday sale, and they had 20% off the entire store. It was absolute chaos, and we waited in line to check out for over half an hour, but it was worth it. We walked around the square (it was SUCH a beautiful day), and then we headed back to Revelations for lunch. From there, we went to Wal-Mart for yarn for my crochet-along, to Goodwill, to Everybody's, and to the MUM bookstore. The low point of the morning was when a guy behind the counter actually thought I was Jeff's mother. Yes, you read that correctly... Jeff's MOTHER! Upon leaving the store, I asked Jeff to just get in the car and run me over to put me out of my misery.

Do I look like his mother?????

The Hawkeye game was a heart attack that ended badly. Thank goodness I was with Jeff and didn't waste 4 hours of my life watching it. I just ended up watching the end of the 4th quarter and the 3 overtimes. Oh well, what can you do? Back to the drawing board, Coach Ferentz!

For dinner, we met up with Andrew and Holly and ate at Top of the Rock. I had a delicious filet mignon, and I felt quite virtuous, replacing my potatoes with steamed broccoli. Guess I ruined the virtue by having a glass of wine, but it evens out, right?

the whole gang at Top of the Rock

After dinner, we went to hear the Beautifully Broken give their hometown concert at the Sondheim Center. These are Fairfield girls who have left home to make it in life and in the music industry. 2 are former students, and 1 has joined me on stage several times. It was a great concert, and we were so proud of them!

Jeff & I ate at George's for breakfast, and then he headed on his way. I love it when Jeff visits Fairfield, and I was sad to see him go. The visit was too short! Avery was sad too. He just sat in the doorway watching him pack that morning... he didn't even want to play. Come again soon, Jeff!!!

I had bells at church, and then Andrew and I went to Ottumwa for some shopping. He needed new clothes because he's dropped 20 pounds, and his clothes are dropping off of him. I've only lost 10. It's so unfair that boys lose weight so easily. :P I'm proud of us though... we're totally trying, and it's so much easier to do together.

We had swordfish steaks for supper, and I made sesame spinach. I'm sort of obsessed with this recipe right now. I've tweaked it a little, but this link shows the basic idea. It's SO good! Andrew is making his Kenny Nelson-inspired roasted turkey tonight, and I'm making my mouth water just thinking about it!

Last night, I thought a lot about 9/11. I watched some of the coverage on TV, and it's sobering to feel those feelings again. Whenever I see video of that plane going into the second tower, it makes my stomach clench. In watching the coverage last night, I heard two things that I'd never considered before: 1. The passengers on Flight 93 knew they were going to die when they burst into the cockpit. It's one thing to be heroic when you think there is a chance for a happy ending, but they knew what was happening with the other planes and sites. I think they went into their mission knowing they were going to die. That is bravery beyond measure. 2. The "pile" at ground zero was basically dust. All those offices with all those desks, phones, chairs, equipment... dust. The firefighters said when they realized that, they knew they weren't going to find lots of survivors like they'd initially hoped.

Today I talked with some of my classes about the anniversary. My students were four years old and under, and most have no memory of the day. I teared up when I talked about the fear I felt that day... that I'd been scared before, but never scared for my whole country. I talked about how I didn't sleep right for weeks because I felt if I turned off the TV, I would miss something. What a terrible time.

The memorial looks beautiful. Once the museum opens, I want to make a pilgrimage. I want to stand on that ground and remember those people. We can never forget that day.

First Hawkeye Game of the Season

It was great to be back with the Mornin' Crew this morning. We rolled in a little after 7:00, and it was a little piece of tailgating heaven. Rain was in the forecast, and it threatened all morning, but we managed to only have a few sprinkles out at the Hawkeye Commuter Lot.

On the way to the game, the rain started. We (most of us) broke out the ponchos, ready to tough out the weather. I can say that, hands down, this was the single rainiest game I've ever been to. We had a small break for about 45 minutes or so, but the crowd at Kinnick was a sea of ponchos and water-logged fans.

The team looked good. There are still kinks to work out, and everyone was devastated by the injury of true freshman running back Mika'il McCall. He looked great out there, and now he's done for the season. But a lot of good things happened on the field, and the Hawks came away with the win.

The rain was something else. It got so bad that the hood blew and eventually ripped clear off my poncho. My whole poncho was blowing around like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon. I rescued the hood and just tied it on like a bonnet (classy, eh?), and by that time, we (the few of us Mornin' Crew faithful who stuck it out) were just laughing hysterically. The ponchos were completely useless at that time, and we were soaked completely through. They called a rain delay (no one ever remembers that happening at Kinnick every before), and that's when we decided to leave.

The theme for food this week with the Mornin' Crew was sliders. I was skeptical, but it turned out to be inspired. Sliders are small, so you can sample quite a few. Andrew and I brought barbecue pork & coleslaw sliders (inspired by this recipe). We also ate potsticker sliders with Asian slaw, pizza sliders, pulled creamed chicken sliders with bacon, chicken breast wrapped in bacon sliders, and I think there were others too that I didn't even get to try. There were even dessert sliders... yellow cupcakes split in half to form the "bun" with a round brownie in the middle. They were decorated with frosting to look like different condiments. SO CUTE! I also, for the first time, had two bites of something I've always wanted to try... the Krispy Kreme slider. This is a burger with a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut as the bun. I could have eaten ten of them. It was the perfect combination of savory and sweet. Delicious. Unfortunately, I'm currently on Weight Watchers, and I've lost 9 pounds in two weeks, so I didn't go too crazy. I did eat more than I should have, but I was very restrained compared to how I've tailgated in the past.

After filling our bellies, Heather, Andrew, & I put our water-logged selves in the van and headed home. Not ideal conditions, but still a great first weekend of Iowa Football at Historic Kinnick Stadium!

My Favorite Hawkeye

Dallas Clark on TV? Wait, I mean... Dallas Clark on TV not in an Indianapolis Colts uniform? I don't know how or why it came about, but I like it!

Fun & Busy Weekend

Andrew & I started the weekend off at a beautiful wedding on Friday night. Thank you, Margo, for inviting us. We felt so honored to be there.

Saturday, I finally had some quiet time. Andrew was working, so I was at home resting, listening to the Hawkeye game, doing laundry, cursing the Hawkeye game, loading up my new gigantor recycling bin, pleading with the Hawkeye game, and actually cleaning some house because I was so sick of the Hawkeye game. I'm over it now. We'll get 'em next week. But, you know it's bad if I'd rather clean house than listen intently to the game.

After a nice dinner at Top of the Rock, Andrew & I went to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Sondheim Center. It was another wonderful Way Off Broadway production. The show is hilarious, and it made me look forward to being a guest speller next Friday night. I don't plan on getting a single word right, but it will be fun to be on stage with good friends and new friends alike in this great show. After the show, my adopted little bro Stephen invited us out to Torino's with the cast & crew. It was a lovely evening.

Today, bell choir played at church. Andrew & I left right after that for Ottumwa. We went to see the movie Red. Now, this is my idea of a movie. It had everything... great stars, dynamic action, and tons of laughs. I was completely entertained. Why can't every action movie be like this? I think this was a movie for everyone. Well worth the money. Or, I should say, well worth Andrew's money. :) I'd also just like to say, for the record, that Helen Mirren is a goddess among mere mortals.

After the movie, we ran a few errands at the mall and at Target (oh, Target, I'd give anything to have you in Fairfield), and wrapped up with a nice dinner at Applebee's. Now, I'm procrastinating starting my school work. But since I have a ton, I better get to it. Hope you all had a great weekend too... my only complaint is I wish it had been longer!!!

Chicago Weekend

Andrew and I made the most of my 3-day weekend after parent/teacher conferences, and we escaped to the Windy City. We stayed at the Ambassador East Hotel, a grand old monument to glory days gone by, and I mean that in a good way. You could just feel the "see and be seen" quality of the Pump Room, and the whole place just had a stately, dignified charm. It was fairly reasonable, pretty close to everything we needed, and it had wireless internet access, unlike the modern Marriott where we stayed in California!

My mission for Friday night was to eat Ethiopian food. I'd eaten Ethiopian food with college friends many times, and I was hungry for it! If you've never eaten Ethiopian food, I highly recommend it. It combines Middle Eastern/Indian flavors with the fantastic experience of injera, a bread that is also your silverware! I'd researched a place called Ras Dashen, and it totally delivered. DELICIOUS!

The next morning, Andrew and I set off for Michigan Ave. We hoped to find a sports bar along the way where we could catch the Hawkeye game vs. Indiana. We were decked out in our Hawkeye finery, of course. A guy walking his dog called to us from across the street, "Hey! Where are you going to watch the game?" We struck up a conversation, and it turns out he was an Iowa grad in sports medicine. He told us about a place across from Second City where we could watch the game. That's how we found Wells on Wells... a Hawkeye bar in the heart of Chicago!

Andrew outside Wells on Wells

me inside Wells on Wells

Our dear Hawkeyes almost gave me a heart attack (if the Hawkeyes didn't give me a heart attack, my Grilled Cheese from Hell might have... 3 kinds of cheese and actual mozzerella sticks in the sandwich!), and I was going to be pretty ticked if they didn't pull off a win after I'd spent over 3 hours of my getaway weekend sitting on a hard stool in a pub watching them. Luckily, and by the seats of their pants, they came through. We were more relieved than anything, and we went to sightsee on Michigan Ave.

We caught a quick bite at the Original Pancake House, where I finally got to try the Dutch Baby that I'd seen on Food Network. Andrew wasn't impressed. I liked it!!!

Then, for the highlight of the weekend. We drove to the Steppenwolf Theatre to see our friend Claire Wellin play Mayella Ewell in their production of To Kill a Mockingbird. This is my favorite book of all time, if you didn't know that. I also read it out loud to my 8th grade GOAL classes every year (we're on Chapter 3 right now). The whole production, from the set to the actors to the adaptation, was stellar. Andrew & I were so proud to know Claire. We've seen her on stage in Fairfield with Way Off Broadway many times, and it was so cool to see her making it big in Chicago. She was sensational... such emotional range! We were also super lucky to meet up with her in the elevator before the show, so we got hugs too. Bonus!

We took our time getting out of Chicago on Sunday, having a leisurely breakfast in the Pump Room. Before leaving the city, I wanted to see the Bean in Millenium Park. If you have never stopped at this sculpture (it's official name is Cloud Gate), you NEED TO! It's fascinating, amazing, incredible, mind-boggling, beautiful... how many more adjectives do you want? I could probably come up with a thousand! I had seen it on TV and in friends' pictures. I'm so glad I've seen it in person now. It's wonderful. It was fun seeing it and also watching other people experience it... I could have done that all day! The day was so beautiful, it was hard to believe we were in November. If you ever have some time to kill in Chicago... head to the Bean.

Cloud Gate, aka: the Bean

Trying to take our picture in the Bean's reflection... not as easy as it sounds...

Another try...

Finally, someone took pity on us and took our picture!

Reflecting on our trip... literally!

It was a quick weekend, but it was totally worth it. I feel recharged for the week and for the month of November. The holidays will be here before we know it... crazy thought!

Weekly Update, and Then Some

* Sunday, October 17, I attended the Belin/Blank International Center for Gifted Education's recognition ceremony at the University of Iowa. Two of my student were being honored, and every student gets to choose a teacher that has impacted their education to be honored with them. It was a lovely ceremony, and each of the approximately 400 students being honored were called across the stage to receive award. We teachers were called with them. It was a wonderful honor to be recognized by these two boys. Another student of mine chose our elementary TAG teacher to honor, so the two of us drove up together. We were proud to be there. Nine guests gave speeches including Senator Charles Grassley and the National Teacher of the Year, Sarah Brown Wessling. It was a lovely afternoon.

* After the ceremony, I hightailed it with my colleague to Des Moines. We spent Monday and Tuesday at the Iowa Talented and Gifted state conference. There were some really big names there in the world of gifted education like George Betts, Nick Colangelo, and Marcia Gentry. It's always such a great conference. It not only gives me new information for the classroom, but it helps restore my vision & beliefs. There are so many things that chip away at what I believe as a teacher of gifted students... No Child Left Behind, being a School in Need of Assistance, building rules, day to day obligations... they all take a toll. I sometimes need to be refreshed among people who have a passion for gifted ed. I always come away invigorated and ready to take on the world. :)

* That same week, I learned of the death of my high school choir director, Lee Spann. This man really influenced my life. I LIVED for choir and drama in high school, so I was with him at least once a day (sometimes 4-5 times a day) for every single day of my high school career. His wife, Idella, is my second favorite teacher of all time. She taught my 8th grade honors English class, and she's probably THE reason I fell in love with teaching middle school. The two of them together made more of an impact on my life than any couple other than my parents. I was honored to be asked to participate in Lee's service last weekend in Omaha. I sang with a couple of different groups. It was great performing with my friend Travis from high school and seeing so many former choir members and A.L. teachers. Lee fought the brave fight against cancer, and his legacy will live on.

* The Hawkeyes made it tough on us against Wisconsin, but Saturday against Michigan State more than made up for it. It was a PERFECT day at Kinnick Stadium with beautiful, sunny fall weather, a raucous crowd, and a huge win for the Hawks. Only one home game left for the Hawkeye Mornin' Crew, and we'll be celebrating in style with steaks before the Hawkeyes play Ohio State.

* This week is conference week... it's always crazy, but I enjoy meeting the parents of my students. I also enjoy having Friday off! :)

We're almost done with Monday, everyone! Have a great week!

Dallas Clark - The Next Level

My favorite Hawkeye of all time... DALLAS CLARK!!!!

4 Things I Love About Tailgating

1. I love that Andrew is learning to love football. He's becoming a huge Hawkeye fan, and it's so fun to enjoy this with him along for the ride. Here we are at last week's season opener in Kinnick Stadium.
2. The Hawkeye Mornin' Crew is a bunch of seriously fun people. We like to eat, drink, be merry, and cheer for our Hawkeyes. We meet every game day in the Hawkeye Commuter Lot, decked out in our finest flair. It's fun to laugh and be together.
3. I love the Iowa Hawkeyes, and so does everyone else around me. I've loved the Hawkeyes since I was 8 years old and we moved to Iowa City. My Halloween costume in 6th grade was Hayden Fry, for heaven's sake! It's fun to be around all these people who love football and who love the Hawkeyes.
4. I love being with my family. My family is weird and complicated. Technically, my mom and Mike were only married for 2 1/2 months before she died. Hawkeye football keeps me connected with my stepbrothers, Tim and Travis, and all of their families as well. I never dreamed I'd have such a fun pack of brothers. I love them, and having our football tickets together helps us to not grow apart. Even if we don't talk often throughout the year, we know we'll see each other several times during the fall.

Yesterday was a great win against the Iowa State Cyclones. The tailgate theme was bacon, and I'm sure the increase in our collective cholesterol count would scare off any health insurance provider. I tried a new recipe for bacon crackers that went over VERY well. See it here. The Iowa State game is always a big rivalry, and it was a good warmup for the upcoming Big Ten Season. 2 home games down, 5 more to go. GO HAWKS!