Leaving Boog Behind

After my first visit to the beach in LA, I decided I needed to get a boogie board.  I went in the ocean and the waves were NOTHING like waves on the East Coast.  I nearly lost my bathing suit three times, and got completely knocked over several times.  ‘Playing in the ocean’ is a bit more serous when you’re dealing with waves like that.  So I decided it would be smarter to grab a boogie board and surf ‘em.

I lucked out when at TJ Maxx two days later I found boogie boards for only $9.99.  It was then Boog was born.  Affectionately named by Steph, he only ended up hitting the waves twice.  And it was a miserable failure both times.  Nonetheless I would have liked to have taken him home with me so I could try it out here on the East Coast.  Unfortunately two shipped boxes, one oversized suitcase, and two carry-on bags later there was no room for Boog.  I rate that a 2.  I saved a lot of money leaving him behind, and realistically I probably wouldn’t have used it again anyways.  But seriously, pretty awesome board.

Closing Ceremonies

Beth once taught me that the most important parts of any lesson are the Opening and the Closing.  Even though there’s no new material presented here, these sections singlehandedly impact students more because they determine: 1) are they intrigued and interested in listening the rest of the class, and 2) will they leave with the important key takeaways.

So it’s only fitting that two of my favorite parts of the 2009 LA Institute were the Opening and Closing ceremonies.  During the Opening Ceremonies there was an awesome speaker (totally wish I could remember his name) who spoke about the impact of being in a classroom.  It was a definite reminder of my desire to return to teaching, and motivated me to start looking more aggressively at possible teaching positions in the next year.

There were many things that were incredible about the Closing Ceremonies.  And while I’ve only ever been to two, I can confidently say this one was by far my favorite.

It started with the fact that it was outside. While this actually wasn’t part of the original plan, it just goes to show that everything happens for a reason.  Being outside added several things.

1) The obviously beautiful view, that set an incredible backdrop for everything else. 10

2) The somewhat more casual atmosphere.  While at times this did lead to a couple of things that may have been a bit too casual, overall it was great to see all the corps members joining in the festive atmosphere, chanting through almost the entire ceremony, and overall clearly having a great time.  There was even a family on a walk who stopped by to watch because they were so curious by what was going on. 7

3) The overall ceremony.  While sometimes school chants can get really long, I think all of ours were definitely manageable.  They were all creative, unique, and one school even brought a couple students who played drums in the band.  That was INCREDBILE, and brought me back to HS football games which always makes me happy.  The speeches were a strong, powerful finish, and weren’t too long.  The video at the end was great, and overall it left me leaving with a great taste in my mouth.  9

Care Packages!

9.

I have some fabulous family and friends, and have received two pretty great care packages while staying here in LA.  While spending the summer somewhere different has been an incredible professional opportunity, and saved me from the miserable NC summer heat, I’ve also found myself missing family, friends and dogs more than expected.  So it’s always nice to receive a little something in the mail letting you know they miss you too.

-1 because sometimes they actually make you miss home more.  But overall they’re still fabulous

I especially liked Bill’s Cookout ‘milkshake’.  A styrofoam Cookout cup, with Ghiradelli mint chocolates and peanut butter cups inside.  Also included were directions instructing me to just add ice cream…