ou in ny

Thanks to my dear old dad, I am spending New Years in NYC visiting my old Ohio U buddy Chris. He and Jeff are so nice to be hosting me as well as Jeff's Atlanta buddies.
So I arrived bright and early in the morning - I took a Continental Express flight and it was turbulant... but at least it got me here on time. Chris and I then decided to explore the "City's Best Grilled Cheese" at Resto. It was darn good, even if I did ask a million and two questions of our very cute waiter. Then we were off to explore the city and walk off the cheesy goodness. Out of all the neighborhoods, I liked the West Village the best. We ate a cupcake from Billy's Bakery which was unlike me to have a dessert, but how could I pass it up? We walked until it was dark, then headed back for some Jeopardy and drinking. And Wii playing. And more drinking. Then Jeff's friends arrived and we were off again! To B Bar, where I have never seen more men in a women's bathroom! It was great fun, and the night was topped off with 4a.m. burgers at a diner close by. Pictures are on their way!

thanksgiving to christmas and everything in between

Many of y'all have been wondering when I will be updating this... so, as I sit in Jersey City watching Jeopardy with my buddy Chris, I decided the time is now. Here goes: (by the way, I am totally impressed with Chris's Jeopardy skills)

Thanksgiving time was fun. Chloe took about a thousand pictures of Isis and I for our Christmas card.


Mom let me make some Thanksgiving dishes. I decided to make a Paula Dean recipe and give Sweet Potato Balls a go. They were very time intensive but very festive. Overall, I liked the standard SP recipe better, but it was fun to give it a try.




I had a fantastic reunion with my old buddies at Bobby Baker's Lounge in Waldo. This was the third year we've met there. Bobby remembered us and bought us a round of Hot Nuts. Yum. It was so great to catch up with the girls. It's sad we're down to just once a year. Hopefully next Thanksgiving I'll have a place in Waldo and we can have a sleep-over!


Family Scrabble is always a great time... so is Quiddler.

A trip to the Plaza was great. We went to the downtown cathedral... I hadn't been there in a while and the renovations are so pretty. Also, we stopped in Anthropologie... I'd never been there before and I LOVED IT. If I could vomit up a style for my future house, it would look like the home section of that store.





Chloe did my hair. She was really impressed with her work. I asked if she would like me to return the favor and she politely declined. Review the picture. Can you see why she wouldn't have wanted the same lovely style for herself!?

Back to Texas where I started playing volleyball with fellow teachers. We play against other elementary schools and so far it's been super fun. We practice once a week and have a game once a week.

Now it's almost Christmas time. The 3 weeks between holidays went QUICK! There were parties, and shopping for presents... and finishing up my class. I only have 4 classes to go until I have my Masters. Wah-hoo!

Since I love all of my school family, and it would be too expensive to get everyone an individual gift, I decided to make Turtle Pretzels. This turned out to be quite an endeavor. It took 4 days in fact.
Day 1: Unwrap 200 carmels.
Day 2: Roll 104 carmels and wrap them around pretzel nuggets.
Day 3: Roll remaining 96 carmels with a rolling pin and wrap them around nuggets.
Day 4: Dip carmel/pretzle nuggets in melted chocolate and roll in almonds.
Phew! Luckily, I had the help of my neighbor buddy Stephen come over and help days 2-4. He was a life-saver to say the least. He and I had a great time and enjoyed delivering the goodies to our aparment building.


Alright - Jeapordy is over. Time to play the Wii. I'll update more later. Resolution for 2009: stay more on top of blogging!

Whad'ya Know?

"Not much, you?"
Those of you that know me know I am a bit of an NPR junkie. I can't help it. In my days without television in Western Colorado, NPR became a staple for me. Nowadays, NPR is still as great for me as it was then. I LOVE waking up with Morning Edition... I'm happy when I catch The Diane Rehm Show (Friday she had Maya Angelou on and it was magical)... and I love weekends when I catch up on my most favorite programs when I'm out and about doing errands. Today I gave myself a present and went to see a live broadcast of Michael Feldman's Whad'ya Know at the Lourie Auditorium. Usually the show is broadcasted from Madison, WI but sometimes they hit the road and I was lucky that they came to San Antonio. The broadcast was a fun time... I didn't get picked for either of the quizzes, but that's okay. I mean, that was a one in a million shot anyway. I enjoyed the guest band The Krayolas... everyone in the audience was star-struck when Spur Bonner came by... and it was fun to see the owner of one of my favorite restaurants, (and site of this year's CVE Christmas Party) La Hacienda de los Barrios, cook up some delicious dishes! All in all, a great time.

jeans, scramble, and the austin half

Overall, the week has been going well! I registered for the Austin half marathon and am looking forward to getting back into a running regimen. Well, looking forward might be an exaggeration... but I am excited to have a running goal for my future.
Another reason this week has been great is because, by administrative decree, we have been allowed to wear jeans all week long! I don't know why this makes me so happy, but it does, and who's going to argue with happiness?
Another thing to add to the happy list is some very addictive, fun game on Facebook called Scramble. I love it. It is the perfect mini-break from homework, homework, homework.

lost maples

Today really made me happy. First, I spent HOURS completing my homework yesterday so that today would be free and clear of any responsibilities. I originally thought I would wake up bright and early and get a head start on the day... but when the alarm went off at 5a.m. I just couldn't make myself get out from under my cozy covers. So I slept in and Isis and I set off on our adventure around 8. Not too shabby!
What was supposed to be a 2 hour drive to Lost Maples State Natural Area turned into about a 3 hour drive because... well... I was behind the wheel. I didn't mind too much because 1) I filled up on $1.93 gas before I set out... the cheapest it's been in SO long and 2) the getting-lost part of the drive was very scenic and enjoyable... except for the smelly skunks. Isis and I ended up in Utopia, actually. Uh... I'm not sure why that place was EVER named Utopia. To me it just looked like a dusty, small town. Come to think of it, most of the little towns we drove through today, and the landscape surrounding them, really reminded me of Western Colorado. If only there had been a railroad going through, I may have really been confused. I digress...
Lost Maples has been on my "Texas To-Do" list since I've heard about it. According to locals, the best time to go is in the fall when the colors are at their best. Their website even posts weekly pictures of the changing colors! I had high expectations of this fall foliage wonderland. I was a little let down. I think the pictures that are posted on the website are of the only trees in Lost Maples that actually change colors. There really weren't too many. BUT... the park itself was absolutely stunning. The Texas Hill Country is really pretty and the trail Isis and I went on (East Trail) had great scenic overlooks... not to mention the pretty river/creek/stream that went alongside it for part of the way. Isis had fun walking across the water when the trail called for it and met lots of other doggies on the way.

The East Trail was full of surprises. One was a GIANT hill that seemed to go up up up for forever. So basically the trail started under tree-cover, but by the time we made it to the top of the hill it appeared like we were in a barren desert... complete with lots of cactus. Silly me forgot sunscreen (well... forgot may not be the right word. I didn't think I'd need it!) and found myself in the wide open Texas country for about an hour. Needless to say, I got a little sun. Nothing bad though, so don't worry mom. Another surprise was that there were so many people out and about on the trail. That's always nice for me when I'm going solo with Isis... she's really not much of a protector! I met some nice people from Dallas and Arkansas and even some San Antonians!

The drive home was much less eventful. I found my way out just fine... Isis was disgustingly dirty so my first priority when I got home was to give her a much-needed bath. When I grow up, it is a dream of mine to have a mud-room... or something similar. Some neutral place where I can hose her off without creating extra bathroom cleaning for me. Oh! I listened to NPR (what else) on the way home. Emmylou Harris, one of my faves, was on A Prairie Home Companion, so that gave me company on the drive back. I am SO SO SO looking forward to next Saturday when I am going to see Michael Feldman's Waddya Know before I drive home to KC.

visit from val

My good friend Val from my Cerner days came to visit me this past week. She was at a wedding in Houston and then swung over to SA to spend a few days! We had such a great time. I LOVE VISITORS! The night she arrived we headed straight for downtown to grab a margarita and some ceviche. Next we strolled the Riverwalk and ended up at Dick's Last Resort where there was a crazy group of older sisters having the time of their life. We closed that place down enjoying all of its atmosphere and headed home.

The next day we planned to go hiking at Lost Maples, but it was rainy/thunderstormy and we chose not to risk it since it's a 2-hour drive. Instead we traveled to Gruene. Gruene is a cute little historic-type German town with a lot of crafty and antique items for sale. Val and I had fun browsing through the shops and waiting out the rain. We went to the historic Gruene Hall which is, apparently, one of the oldest established dance halls in Texas where lots of famous country music stars (I don't know any of them) got their start. The bartender was cool and good to talk to. From there we headed to the Gristmill Restaurant, and I crossed it off my list of Texas to-dos! It's a really beautiful place, right on the Guadalupe River and had totally yummy food! After our outing in Gruene Val and I headed back to my place to just chill and relax. That night she helped me put up my Christmas tree! (I know... a little early... but I decided it's more fun to put up my tree with a friend than by myself...). Now my apartment feels very cozy!

For Val's last day (the visit went quick!) we did some typical San Antonio sight-seeing. We started off at the Alamo, which seemed fitting since it was Veteran's Day. I still don't really 'get' the Alamo... but it's a pretty place to walk around. After a quick lunch on the riverwalk we headed to El Mercado... we looked at all the Mexican wares and walked off our lunch. Finally - to the missions! We only had time to check out Mission Concepcion before we had to get to the airport. But if you only have time for one, Concepcion is a good one to see!

mariachis, mediation and more

Hey y'all. Well, I'm checking things off my "Texas To-Do" list left and right. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I did check off 'party with mariachis' this past weekend. I went to a friend's 40th birthday and it was quite the event... complete with live music in a beautiful backyard. Definitely fun times.
Let's see... what else has been new? My internship keeps plugging right along. I have really knocked a lot of my projects out of the way and am looking forward to what comes next. Yesterday I gave a professional development presentation to my school on Behavior Intervention Plans. It went really well and I always love to give a presentation... giving it on something I know a thing or two about and am excited and passionate about was a big bonus. Equally as exciting was the Peer Mediation training that I attended with kiddos and some teacher friends this past month. These kids are so wonderful... and the staff that participated are wonderful as well. Everyone gave up 3 of their afternoons, from 3-5pm, to be trained. It was great training and the students are super psyched about getting real mediations going!
My future-move to Kansas is about as on-track as it can be. I got my fingerprints done and sent off my completed licensure application to KSDE. I've been working on applications to school districts and once I get my last letter of recommendation in, I can finalize those. Phew! In other news, I've started a fun little project where I am creating design schemes for my future rooms in my future home. The binder of hopes and dreams is well under way.
Okay, so speaking of a future home... and design plans... I need a second job! Well, I need a second job if I have a hope of getting the cute new furniture into my new place. I've applied and been 'hired' at this call center by my apartment... but until they have evening training sessions, I won't be able to start. With the holidays coming up, I am guessing that my most likely start time will be January. And that's that.

the past month or so

It's been a busy last month. Not enough time to sit around and blog about it... so here it is in condensed/list form.
1. ACL - fun! Alison Kraus was a little disappointing though.
2. Birthday - good times with Zombies and La Tuna!
3. Avenue Q - so hilarious I almost peed my pants.
4. Weekend in KC - bachelorette party, catching up with old friends, Irish Fest, Reggie and Holly Jackson
5. Back to Tejas - busy busy busy. Practicum, grad school, our first (successful) COOL Night

priest holmes

The administrative practicum continues! This time I was approached by my principal after she attended the district principal's meeting. She had two new projects for me. Apparently, Priest Holmes was at her meeting. When she mentioned it, I was like... "Hey! Isn't he a Kansas City Chief!?" Shows how much I know. I guess he retired from football last year. As it turns out, he grew up in San Antonio and that's where he now lives doing, among other things, a foundation for kids. And now I'm in charge of pushing this foundation on our campus and creating some sort of nomination form for kiddos to get selected for a chance to attend a Spurs game. So there you have it.

My other project is something called Education on Demand which I'm still awaiting details on. From what I understand it will involve loading a bus full of kiddos and staff (and me!) and heading to the AT&T center for some education rally. I think it should be fun... now if I only knew more.

Speaking of the AT&T center, my friend Robin asked me to volunteer for a project she works on called "Math Counts" or something like that. Some weekend in October I'll be headed down to the AT&T center for a riveting day of math... and there you'll find me grading math tests. Good times.

Anyway, that's it for now. Hope everyone's having a great week!

cha cha

Well, life is busy and I like it. I'm into my next grad class full swing although due to Hurricane Ike our class has been extended two weeks which means that I don't REALLY have to get started until Oct. 5! But... I think it's best to get things out of the way, and so I've been working hard. School is busy busy busy. Sometimes I feel like I'm back in high school with all of the zillion activities I've got going on... Peer Mediation, Yearbook, C.O.O.L. night, PTP, and getting going on my 140 practicum hours I need of administrative work. Yikes! I like to have a full day though, so it's all good.

The other day I read an article on a cool new service called "Cha Cha". Basically, it works like this: You have a question. You text Cha Cha (242242) your question. You receive a text with the answer to your question... in 160 characters or less! How fun! Apparently, there are real people on the other side of your question that research the answer and then text you back. And according to the article, they receive all kinds of questions! So, the next time you're out with friends and you just can't remember the name of the actor in that one movie... text Cha Cha. They'll help you out!

dick n janes

Chloe was looking for a study break and alerted me to the fact that my blog has not been updated recently... so what was she to do with her study break? Well, here you go Chlo... my week in list format.

Monday: I decided to start wearing a watch to work. My days at school never really follow any real schedule and I have to know what things different grade levels are doing at all times of the day, so I think the watch will help. I also started receiving emails from Lamar about our final grades and how they were supposed to have posted but are now under review by the university. That doesn't make me feel too confident about the grade I may get for my tough class.
Tuesday: Went to the vet to get Isis her thyroid medicine. At her yearly vaccine appointment I found out she had gained 3 pounds in 4 months. Not ideal for a 50 pound doggie. After throwing down $90 on a blood test, it was revealed that Isis is, in fact, suffering from some thyroid problem which could explain her laziness of late. The thyroid meds I got her were more expensive than anticipated... $24 a month! But Isis is my best bud, and hopefully this will get her feeling better soon.
Wednesday: I will not be an administrative intern at my school. Basically, budget cuts across the district and my position being hard to fill are the reasons it will not work out. So now, I will find 140 hours of my own time to complete my administrative practicum. It's okay. I overall enjoy my job and today I helped create a behavior plan for a 3rd grader which was fun. Also, I met with our part-time VP Mr. Large to begin work on setting up the elections for the campus Site-Based Decision-Making committee. There's a lot of work to do, but I'll learn a lot, so it's all good. As I was leaving work, one of the kinder teachers asked me if I'd be interested in subbing for one of the girls on her softball team. I said sure. So, as of 7:50p.m. I suited up as a player on the Dick N Janes softball team. It's co-ed and some of the teams are pretty hard-core. I got out twice at bat and made a base hit after hitting to left field... that was fun. Balls did not come my way in the outfield, but I think if they did I'd have trouble. I signed up for vision insurance and when the new plan kicks in (January) I am getting my eyes checked pronto. I think I have some depth perception issues.
Thursday: Had a dentist appointment with a new dentist. She was kind of a wild lady, and I liked her! She didn't use that traditional pick thing... instead it was kind of like a mini jack-hammer taken to my teeth. The whole thing was done in about 10 minutes! Amazing! My teeth are healthy and that makes me happy. I didn't want to fork over any more cash on cavities or whatnot.
Friday: Busy day at work. I had to write, then label and run off 210 envelopes/letters for our campus C.O.O.L. Night. C.O.O.L. stands for Community Of Ongoing Learners. It's an awesome program our school has to bring together parents/students/communities in an effort to continue the education process. We have Parenting 9-1-1 courses, parent volunteer training, gang awareness classes, as well as instructional prep courses for kids and parents. Anyway, I am a coordinator for the program this year and had a lot of work to get done before our first Oct. 16th meeting!
Saturday: That's today! Well, I slept my heart out last night. I think I may have allergies. I like to say I'm allergic to Texas. :) Anyway, I've been pretty run-down and congested all week and last night I just needed to hit the sack early and get some rejuvinating sleep done. And I did. Today I woke up to a clean apartment, work for school done, and my next grad class not starting until Monday. Isis and I did our normal 3-mile walk and then I decided to just relax and read a book. I am reading "Three Cups of Tea" that my mom sent, and it's good. I only got through the 4th chapter before Chlo-Bug called and convincd me to blog... but now that I'm done, back to the book I go!
Have a great weekend!

enchanted rock

After a rough first week at school and a weekend filled with homework (thank God there's only a week left for these two classes... then I'm halfway done with my program!!) I decided to have a day dedicated to (at least one) thing(s) I love. Isis and I got in the car bright and early and headed out on an hour and a half long drive to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. On the list of things I need to do before leaving Texas, Enchanted Rock was near the top. I've heard so many great things about it! So, on our way we went... until something nearly catastrophic happened! Out in the middle of nowhere (aka the Texas Hill Country) the air conditioning in my car stopped working. I was cruising along at about 75mph so I turned off the A/C and cooled off with the windows down. Then I looked at my dashboard and did a (Scrubs) J.D. head-cock and wondered what could be wrong. Something didn't look right. Then I noticed it. I was overheating. I immediately put my hazards on and started crawling down the interstate at 45mph. A quick call to my dear old dad and I knew I needed help soon. Lucky for me, my exit to Enchanted Rock was right up ahead!
Now, I'm typically lucky with stranger-kindness and today was no exception. Some lady approached me at the gas station and told me her boyfriend was a mechanic and maybe he could help. Turns out he was doing some work on a transmission and I'd have to wait for 4 hours... it also turns out that that very same boyfriend also had a wife that showed up about an hour later... also willing to sign him up for the job. Not to fear! Another lady (not involved in the previous, strange, relationship) appeared and told me to wait; she'd go home and get her husband. And that's exactly what she did! Her hubby Shawn really helped me out. We filled up my radiator tub-thing and chewed the fat while he messed with the A/C and stepped on the gas. Turns out my car was just thirsty... and really... could you blame it in the hot, Texas heat? So I went on my way confident that neither I, nor my vehicle, would blow up... at least today.
This encounter brings me to a surprising revelation I will share with you. While I am not a fan of Texas, I am a fan of the hill country. First, it's beautiful. Second, the people are helpful and friendly. Third (and this is my favorite reason of all), when you are driving down the road and the person in front of you is going too slow, THEY WILL MOVE INTO THE SHOULDER FOR YOU TO PASS! It's very fun and exciting and a country practice I took part in today both as a passer and a pasee.
But I digress. Enchanted Rock was enchanting. I met some nice people on the Summit Trail and Isis drank more water than I did. The view from the top was very pretty and also very windy. She and I sat at the top for a while enjoying the scenery and a call to mom. Then it was time to head down. And I'm glad we did when we did because, unfortunately, I am a little sunkissed from the day's events. So, Enchanted Rock really is just a giant rock (I think) and some of you may know my fear of slipping and falling when I go down hills. I tried to overcome this fear on a snowshoeing trip with the boys once upon a time, and glissading is a useful technique (and fun!) when you're in the snow! As it turns out, sliding down over normal earth is not too overwhelming either... and I again practiced that skill this past summer. Making it down a sheer rock face through gliding or glissading or whatever you want to call it is impossible... but once I got a rhythm going I was able to make it down the hill just fine. Phew! The next time I head to Enchanted Rock I think I will make a plan to stay the day, or weekend, in Fredericksburg. Don't get me wrong... it was a great hike with great views, but a little too short of an adventure for the drive. And there you have it!

amigos in mediation

Today was an exciting day for me. Last year, I worked closely with my AP in beginning the discussion of having a peer mediation program on our campus. Although Mr. U isn't at our campus anymore, the program is something I feel strongly about so today I approached my principal and informed her that I would be moving forward with it. Amigos in Mediation, developed by the Bexar County Dispute Resolution Center, is a comprehensive program that enables STUDENTS to resolve their own problems... under the guidance of their teachers... but through their own process. How cool!! I have a terrific group of educators from my campus that are excited to be involved with the project and today we met to hash out some of the basics. I really am so blessed to work with amazing people that do what's best for kids... even if it means giving up a Saturday for training or their conference period to monitor mediation sessions. Clap clap! So I spoke with my contact at Bexar County and it looks like we're set to go. The next steps will be to nominate and select our students, make a presentation at the Parent Organization meeting and get going with the conflict resolution. While I don't think that my elementary school will see significant mediations requested... I am super excited about the ramifications for the program in the future. We'll be one of 2 (of 14) elementary schools in the district with the program... but 2 of the middle schools and both of the high schools currently have AIM in place. Our students will be one step ahead with their knowledge of conflict resolution! I am thrilled to be developing these skills in the kiddos early... I'm sure it will come in handy as they grow and develop and face all of the challenges that secondary schools bring.

perspective

Today during the most boring and pointless of all professional developments I have ever attended, my colleagues and I discussed Texas musts. The conversation began when I admitted I had never indulged in a frito pie. Like never hearing of Pat Green, this too was absurd to my Texas-bred buddies. What else has Erin never experienced in Texas? What else MUST she do before she leaves the Lone Star State? Among the list came going to the coast. This is a time-honored tradition and one I have never participated in. Although I've never been invited to a weekend at one of the many coastal-city-hotspots, my friends knew there was something else keeping me from the sea. After all, I do lots of things by myself... so why not the beach? Well, I AM prone to sunburn. But the sun isn't the real problem - I do, after all, know how to apply sunscreen. I DO have a fear of underwater ocean animals. But that's probably more of an excuse than anything serious. The real reason, I confided in them, is that I don't quite feel comfortable tooling around in a swimsuit... whether or not I know anyone at the beach. I have some body esteem issues. And that's that. I really did anticipate some nodding heads of understanding and/or some similar stories pertaining to bathing-suit self esteem. Instead, my friend Sheri nearly knocked me upside the head in the kind way that she has and exclaimed, "Erin! You completed a marathon and you have a body esteem problem?! Get real!" And that is when some things kind of clicked in my head. Maybe I don't look exactly the way I want to. Perhaps I don't have the figure I'd ultimately like to have. When it all comes down to it... while it still matters to me... it doesn't REALLY matter. After all, my body - no matter the size or shape - did something that other bodies (even some more svelte and chiseled frames) never have. And that is catapult itself 26.2 miles. A quote I became especially fond of on the race course stated "I run because the mind is stronger than the body." I always thought that applied to me given the body that I have. And while my mind did help get me across the finish line, it was ultimately my body that moved me from the start to the finish. So thanks Sheri for saying what you did. I'm not completely cured by any means, but it is funny how a quick comment can begin to change your perspective.

putt putt and sunflowers

I am one of the luckiest girls in the world. I have a great school family... but better than that I have an awesomely wonderful family. I'll begin with the former. School is back in swing... literally and figuratively! On the teachers' first day back to work, we arrived to load a school bus which took us to a putt putt golf center! The heat and humidity (and sprinkles which turned into a downpour) didn't stop us from acting like a bunch of kids running around the place and seeing who could cheer loudest when 'holes in one' were made. My throat is a little sore... either from the yelling or crazy Texas allergens. Regardless, it was quite a fun time with my team, the green team (go figure!), coming in 1st! Wah-hoo! After, we were treated to the most delicious lunch at Outback which is certainly a treat for us teachers. I couldn't ask for a better school than Coronado to work at... which is saying a lot given that kids arrive on Monday and I currently don't even have a room, or an office, or a nook or cranny for that matter to call my own. Oh well. I guess we'll redirect and deal with any melt-downs that may come in the hallway. Hey! The name of the education game is: Improvise! Be flexible! Remain positive! Luckily, I'm pretty good at all three. I will say though that it IS kind of a bummer to not have a room. My family of Toros have all offered various spots in their rooms that I can call home until I move in to my own, so that's great. Just great. After this bit of disheartening news it sure was nice to have my principal hunt me down today, all excited, because I had received flowers. I knew the second she told me that it was my mom and dad that had sent the sunshine along... and the sunflowers sure did put a smile on my face. Of course the sunflowers made me think of Kansas and how I will be in KC next school year... which conversely made me reflect on the great school I already have filled with wonderful people and wonderful kids. But KC has one thing that SA does not (okay... let's be real... KC has TONS of things SA does not have!) and that is my great family minus Chloe. Chloe will be closer though, so that's another positive for the chart. In all seriousness though, I hope I will find a school that has an environment of fellowship and learning close to what CVE has. It's bound to be out there. This year though, I will appreciate what I've got and make the best of every day. And the sunflowers will be a great reminder of all the great things to come!

mandala

As many of you know, I have a fondness for henna. When I moved to San Antonio I spent a while searching out a henna artist and stumbled upon Pramod Goshai and his shop, Mandala. Pramod does beautiful, traditional design but has always allowed me my own taste and used his artistic gift to tattoo my Aspen tree. Well, it was probably a year ago since I visited his shop - it became too far away for casual henna stops once I moved up north. Regardless, I still receive emails from Pramod about events that his shop is having. Tonight, I got my friend Tina to attend an "Aangan". According to Pramod, Aangan means "courtyard/frontyard" and his email said the idea behind organizing an Aangan was "to celebrate diversity, to know each other and most importantly to celebrate ourselves, rejoice have fun in our hectic lives and to taste something new." Indeed, it was all of that. Mandala has beautiful artwork on display, the smells of the Indian and Nepali food were delicious and of course Pramod's henna was awesome. I was so surprised to walk in and have him look at me and say... "You're Erin... Erin Long, right? Would you like another Aspen tree?" Ha ha! Of COURSE I would. I got my Aspen and Tina (whose leg is in the picture above) got a butterfly. So fun. There were interesting people to meet at Mandala and Tina and I pledged to each other that we would come back. We are definitely looking forward to the next event!

one goodbye, more than one black and tan

Things in education are always changing... and a big change for this year will be the absence of my school's Vice Principal, Mr. U. He was a huge supporter of my behavior program and an enormous help to me throughout last year and I know I will miss him and his big personality around our school this year. He won't be far... just at the junior high down the street, but who will take his place on our volleyball team!? Or placing pictures on the "T-Drive"? There are a lot of questions left to be answered. In all seriousness, our school family turned out tonight to say our goodbyes and good-lucks at Mama's Cafe.

It was a great time and made all the better by an after-farewell fiesta at BW3s for some black and tan action. A drink I was introduced to in KC this summer... it is quickly becoming a favorite of mine... delicious taste and even more delicious appearance! Do you see how there are two colors present... one black, one tan? That's Bass on the bottom and Guinness on the top. Really any pale ale will work as the bottom and any dark beer, stout or porter, will work on the top... but in my limited experience the Bass/Guinness combo is a winner. Bottoms up! Enjoy!

isis and the cat

Isis is lonely. It's true. She misses her best bud Phoebe in Kansas, her friend Jabber in Keller, and her boyfriend Tanis who has recently moved from San Antonio. Ever since we've been back from Kansas, she's kind of moped around. I originally thought that it was because she was too hot to do anything (ugh, Texas heat!) but tonight's adventure has made me think otherwise.
On our nightly potty-walk, Isis trotted ahead of me, tail wagging. (She's such a good girl that I kind of break the leash-rule at my apartment and let her roam free... she always follows me around anyway, and comes when I call her!). Back to the story. Where was Isis going, I wondered? I hadn't seen her so sprightly in weeks! Well, turns out she was anxious to get a sniff of one of the feral cats that makes my building its home. It was so cute... she walked right up to the cat, tail wagging, and went nose to nose with the wild thing. The cat looked at her, curiously, then at me, then back at Isis. Isis just wanted a friend, but I don't think the cat was interested. The cat entertained Isis's sniffing for just a brief moment, then was off! Isis just looked longingly after it. So sad! The rest of our potty trip Isis was back to moping. I gave her two treats when we got upstairs... I probably shouldn't get Isis in the habit of emotionally eating, but I just felt so bad for her! She's in definite need of a doggy friend... or kitty friend, she doesn't discriminate! So, my plan for tomorrow? Dog park. Let's hope we don't melt or scare away potential friends by smelling and/or sweating too much!

welcome to the family

It has been a long time since I've been boxing, and I've missed it! I really enjoyed my Title Boxing experience so I was searching for a similar club here in San Antonio. Did I have any luck? No, I didn't. That is why today I gathered my guts and gave Sniper Boxing Gym a try. Sniper. Did you catch that? Sounds intimidating... and it was. Unlike Title, I was the ONLY girl and the boys/men at the gym were more scary than cute. Boxing is fun though, and once I got over the fact that there was NO AIR-CONDITIONING and a very rugged vibe, I had a great time. The owner/coach John had me work on the basics for quite a while (he claims that one day I will want to fight, and he wanted me to be prepared!) and I even got in the ring to work on my footwork. Jumping around the ring was harder than I expected. Then I got to hit a bag, working on my footwork and my 1-2. Next came getting BACK into the ring where John put on these mitts and moved all around the ring and I had to practice good form and follow him and then he would yell "1!" or "1-2" or "2-3" or "1-2-3!" ... you get the idea... and I'd get to box the mitts. I especially loved that part of my workout 'cause it was really great to be hitting an animate object instead of a bag for a change. Another fun part of my workout, and then I'll stop rambling on and on... was the tire. It was giant. I had to step on it, with the proper stance, and bounce back and forth and move around the tire, all while jabbing the air. In the last 30 seconds of the 'round' I remained stationary and then jabbed my fists into the air. So it was fun. And I'm glad I'm signed up. As the owner told me when I left, an hour and 45 minutes after I'd arrived,... "Welcome to the family". Welcome to the Sniper family... Eek!

teachers reunite!

Well, the start of the new school year is fast approaching. And because we like each other so much, the teachers at my school just couldn't wait until our training week to get together. This week brought a 'book study' (aka catching up over some cervezas at the local Taco Cabana) where we (ahem) discussed the second half of the book "Reading with Meaning". The book is actually really good, and if you're a classroom teacher it offers a lot of tips and tricks for developing great readers at the primary level. Anyway, I was pretty amazed that there were like, 12 teachers that showed up to the book study fiesta. It's nice to work with such great people.
And then the party continued... Happy Birthday Tricia! Tricia was the teacher I worked with most at the beginning of last school year. She's a great girl and had a big day to celebrate... so 4 of us from school joined she and her husband... and lots of her family... for a wild night at the bowling alley. :) We had such a fun and funny time - it was a great way to begin wrapping up the wrapping up of summer.

ginger-soy pepper steak

Enticed by stories of my friends' Asian-cuisine adventures, I decided to give an Asian-style dish of my own a go. The below is the DE-LISH! recipe I used. This sat in the crock pot all day, and believe you me... the smell I walked into when I got home was heaven-sent. Bon Apetite!

Ginger-Soy Pepper Steak
Serves 8

2 lbs lean round steak, cut into strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 cup nonfat beef broth
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add steak to skillet and cook over medium heat until browned on both sides. Spray inside of slow-cooker with cooking spray. Place pepper and onions in bottom of slow-cooker; top with meat. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over meat and vegetables. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or high heat for 4-5 hours.

Nutrition Facts per serving: 237 cal., 7.1 g total fat, 95 mg chol., 322 mg sodium, 4 g carbo, 1 g fiber, 37 g pro.

fun in texas? can it be true?

Monkeys at the zoo! On Friday I got up bright and early and met my friend Natasha and her 3 great kiddos for a San Antonio Zoo adventure. Thankfully we made the right call and got to the zoo as soon as it opened... it turned into quite a hot day! The boys had a great time taking pictures, I had a great time searching out air conditioning and catching up with Tosh. Something a little distressing about the zoo was the state of the animals. Now, the SA Zoo is nothing like, say, the San Diego Zoo. I knew that going in to it. But the zoo was really lacking in a lot of ways. Tosh said that in the years that they've been here the facility has improved... but I was still sad to see animals without visible water in their pens (hello! it's hot in Texas!!), and without greenery around- Basically, animals existing basically on a slab of cement. Saddest of all was the way the animals paced around. I don't think that's natural. So, while zoos are cool because we get to see animals that we wouldn't get to see otherwise, something inside just made me feel icky about being there and watching them in captivity.

Saturday I hung out with two gals, Tina and Jen, from work. In the evening we went to some place out in the Texas country to hear a guy/band named Pat Green. The place, Whitewater, was actually really cool. I'd never heard of Pat Green, which apparently is unheard of. Even my friend Jaleen in Colorado had heard of him. Who knew!? Okay, so back to Whitewater. We drove and drove and drove somewhere way out by the Guadalupe River State Park. Then we kept driving. Then I felt like I was REALLY in Texas. Dusty roads, pretty woods, little honkey-tonk shops on the side of the road and Whitewater. The venue was small and beautiful. There were trees all around and a river right behind the stage. There probably weren't more than 300 people at the show so that made it cozy also. I'm not really a huge country fan, but the music was fun and the people were good... I even two-stepped a little!
Now the realities of life are setting in... I've got a week-long math training to attend this week... then a week free... then back to school for teacher training. Summer is coming to an end. :(

dirty martini

Tonight I helped my friend from the theater, Robin, celebrate her birthday over martinis at Coco... the Chocolate Lounge Bistro. It was pretty girlie, and a little overpriced... but overall fun. Robin really got into the chocolate theme with a chocolate ice-cream type martini and a white chocolate salad. It sounded so UNappealing to me, but Robin really liked it and that's what matters. My dirty martini was de-lish, I especially liked the olives! After, we went to the movies and saw Mama Mia. It was the hokey-est movie I have ever seen. I like ABBA and so the music was good... the scenery was great and the acting was decent, especially that Streep lady. She's talented.

spirited away

It was very difficult to get motivated to come back to Texas. My initial plan was to leave Friday but that didn't happen. Then I thought Saturday would be the day. Nope. By Sunday I was left with no choice... I HAD to drive back, or else I would not make it to my STAR Autism training.
I watched the movie "Spirited Away" with a new friend. I had never really seen 'anime' before and didn't know what to expect. Although I was sleepy, I stayed awake for this entire movie. All of you close friends know how big a feat this is for me... and so that should tell you something about the movie. Watching it, I was struck with how much realism there is in our Western animations. This film really had fantasy that I had not experienced before. While the plot was a little thick, and I kept thinking there was meaning behind much of the action, I walked away enjoying it very much. I would definitely like to watch it again... I think I would get a lot more out of it the second time around.

In other news, I am attending a two-day training on teaching Autistic students. The course is called "STAR" or Teaching Based on Autism Research. The training is appealing to me on a research-based/scientific level. Also, it is making me feel more comfortable with the possibilities of working with Autistic students in the future. It's one of those great programs where you walk away learning something new and actually have new tools for putting what you've learned into practice. I find with education there are so many different things you can specialize in... and learn a lot about... it's hard to think of picking just one to focus on. I remember when I got done taking my "English as a Second Language (ESL)" certification I felt the same way. I never knew then that there was so much to learn about teaching ESL properly. With Autism, I knew I had a lot to learn... Our schools and our teachers definitely wear many hats in order to best serve our diverse student population!

NPR is continuing to keep me in the know. Have y'all checked out www.cuil.com yet? It's pretty rad. I like it that there are little icons next to all of the searches. However, sometimes the site has a hard time taking on broad searches. Oh, to backup... cuil is a rival google search engine. Check it out. What do you think? I like that cuil is Irish for "knowledge". I definitely feel like I get a lot of information these days from browsing around the internet. Cuil (pronounced "cool") is just that, cool, because when you search, it will provide a menu for related searches. For example, I typed in Autism and - voila!- it will show you a 'browse by category' box with links to further sites on Autism Researchers, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, People on the Autistic Spectrum and more. Anyway, I don't think I am switching to it as my primary search tool yet, but it is rather awesome.

for you, daddy dearest and mama-dahlin'

Last night I hung out with an old friend and some new friends at Charlie Hooper's in Brookside. I hadn't actually SEEN my friend Katie since the days of Cerner, although we've managed to stay in touch through emails. She's a great woman and had super nice friends. It was import night, so I enjoyed some de-lish Oatmeal Stouts. I also enjoyed a heated game of Shuffleboard. Now, I didn't know this, but maybe you did... There's shuffleboard like the elderly play and then there's shuffleboard like you find at the bars. Distinction? One is played on the ground and the other is played on a 22-foot table. It's real name is Table Shuffleboard. It was a pretty heated game. I'll be honest... I'm kind of competitive. So much so that I told my opponent that if he knocked my puck off the table I would knock him out for real. I was just kidding but it might, MIGHT, have been the intimidation factor that Patty and I needed to win! :)

So, my mom and dad are out and about cruising the world, and I am watching their great dog Phoebe for them while they are gone. Phoebe is good for Isis because she helps Isis to break out of her scared-dog-persona and become, well, a real dog. When Isis comes to KC, she loves wrestling around the yard with her Phoebe-friend. That aside, this trip, something miraculous has happened. I already alluded to it in one post, but for those of you non-believers, here it is for your very eyes. Isis... chasing a ball. Now, this video was taken after about half an hour of playing in the hot afternoon sun, so there was less enthusiasm than I was hoping for once I thought to capture the fun on video. But it is still pretty exciting, don't you think!? Also... mom and dad, don't you think it was so nice of Phoebe to let Isis get the ball (you KNOW she wanted it!!). You have such a giving dog! Love you guys; hope you're having fun!

kosher subway

I'm not gonna lie. The last two days have not been very productive or exciting. Kansas turned into San Antonio the second the work week began and I no longer had someone (i.e. my dad) to pal around with during the day. Part of me wonders if teaching is really the right profession for me. Don't get me wrong, I dig kids and I like my job... but summers off just don't necessarily jive with me. All of you year-round-workers must think I'm crazy... but really, I like to work! More than that, I like to have something to do, and people to interact with, during the day. Maybe it would be different if I had a pocket full of teachers to play with during the summer months... but since I don't, believe me... it's not all it's cracked up to be. That being said, I spent some time updating my resume today... for a KC teaching job. I figure teaching is the most likely way I am going to be able to move away from Texas, which I would like to do pronto.
So, beyond the thrill of resumes, cover letters, and figuring out how to obtain a teaching license in the Sunflower State, I have continued my boxing regime. Tonight I was delighted to introduce the wonder that is boxing to my friend Seth. He seemed to enjoy it. I think his favorite part was all of the cute girls... so much so that he bought a membership. :) We both had to awkwardly participate in some weird partner routine. It basically involved sitting on each others' feet, then grabbing on to each others' legs and, in my case, cheering "up Up UP!" while Seth tried his best to stand straight up from a laying down position. Then I had to do it. We both agreed that we're awesome because we were able to actually stand up... even though we weren't the most graceful.
After the class and Seth giving his next year to boxing, we went to a Kosher Subway. Yep, you heard right. Kosher. Subway. It was great and fun although there was no cheese to be seen. And I love cheese.
Okay, that's all for me. I'm sleepy and I've got another round of boxing in a few short hours.

oldies but goodies

I spent Friday night with one of my dearest friends. Holly, who I've known for forever, is moving to KC before her wedding this October. I hung out with she and Reggie on Wednesday and, although I love Reggie, I was excited to get some alone time with my girl. We spent some time looking at her new house and meeting her new neighbors, cruising around my 2009 neighborhood (it's becoming a favorite hobby and also, I feel, good for positive visualization!) and ended up at Bobby Baker's Lounge in Waldo. It's a total dive, but that's my favorite kind of place. We had fun catching up and sharing war stories of our social service jobs. Amazingly, after a night of many, many drinks our tab came out to just $15 a piece! There's nothing better than that!

Saturday was a lovely day. It started with a 9:30 spinning class with my friend Kim. Okay, first - she goes to the most gigantic gym I have ever seen in my life. It was like a small city, I swear to you. Second - I'd never been spinning before and I LOVED it! They had these screens and you pedaled along watching a "Coach Cam". Yesterday we cycled around the pacific northwest which is one of my favorite areas of the country. Anyway, it was kind of fun to be sitting in suburban Kansas City and make-believe I was somewhere else. After spinning, Kim and I chewed the fat at Starbucks. The Starbucks we went to was like, infested with spiders. They were everywhere! It was a beautiful day though and really, they're just spiders, so we toughed it out. :) Oh my gosh! Isis has become a real dog! After Kim time I went home and played outside with the dogs. Isis started chasing after the tennis balls and even brought them to me. I was one proud mama!

The family pottery was ready Saturday, too. And this is the end result. Cute, huh!?
Anyway, back to Kim. That night we went to Barley's Brewhaus on 119th. It was close by and delicious. They had so many great beers. Our waiter tried to get me to drink some banana beer but it was gross. The initial flavor was tasty... and then there was way too much banana-y aftertaste. Kim and I probably could have talked all night about everything and nothing. I love that girl. So, overall it was a great night.

a week (or so) in the life

I thought I would be blogging every day. Well, it's hard to do when you're so busy having fun! The past week has been a whirlwind. I will give a little snapshot of the fun...


My mom gave a little tour of BVNW, my old school. They're doing a lot of upgrades including, but not limited to, a new broadcast technology wing and a separate workout room for teachers. Must be nice.



I got to catch up with my old Naismith neighbor, Seth. One night we palled around Town Center and another summer evening was spent getting some ice cream!


Chloe and her boyfriend (aka 'friend') Wyatt came to town. You won't see any pictures of my beautiful sister here because she wants veto power over any photo used of her and I just don't have time to keep switching things up. Anyway, they got to town and we took a family trip to Paint, Glaze, and Fire for some ceramic painting fun. Ithought it might be a little nerdy, but it turned out to be a REALLY good time!

The next day, everyone was a champ and went driving around Waldo with me, checking out my 2009 neighborhood. A visit down there wouldn't be complete without a stop at 75th Street Brewery where we shared a sampler of delicious brews.


After a quick family round of Par 3 golf, we headed to the Royals game. I swear, Kansas City is so much fun! The game was great, although hot Hot HOT! I got a souvenir weird sunburn patch on my knee... and we all got free visors! The Royals lost, but that's okay. The night ended with some Alhambra and family videos of Chloe and I as small children.



Apparently, critters are a problem in my parents' yard. My dad has set some trap and he and I went on an illegal adventure to let the little guy (opossum) go. The opossum was kind of gross. Not as cute as the ground squirrels and rabbits that have also been caught.

I hung out with my good Cerner friend Val this week, too. After a quick visit to my old desk at the Associate Center we were off to Parkville, MO. The day was hot, even at 5:30p.m. so we opted to do some wine tasting instead of walking around window shopping. We went to a cute place called Wines By Jennifer and had fun tasting and catching up. I bought a really great wine stopper made from the pod of an Australian Banksia tree. The seed holes are unusual and make me happy. Unfortunately after wining all of the shops were closed so we went straight to The Power Plant Brewery for some okay beer and okay food. We closed the Power Plant down and our reunion was over. It was great to see Val though. Oh! She taught me something new. There's an online community called Couch Surfers and she's trying it out while she's in Portland. It sounds awesome and fun so I signed myself up as a host. I wish my life had more traveling in it, but until it does, I will welcome anyone that wants to come crash in San Antonio!

One of the highlights of my week was getting to go to my favorite artist ever (Laura Nugent)'s studio. I bought my first piece of real art from her about 5 years ago at the Westport Art Fair. We've kind of stayed in touch. Visit her site... her work is absolutely beautiful and it makes me so happy. I am especially fond of all of her birds and trees.


In other news, I have been boxing everyday and loving it! I've made some friends boxing, too... and more people to know can never be a bad thing!