Celebrate.

As Thursday was my Dearest One's birthday, today I drove the length of the distance between so that I could celebrate with her tonight at her pizza party.

We made goody bags for all the guests (just like back in the good-old days when you went to a birthday party and got little treats), and then went to Pizza Uno for some of the most fantastic deep dish pizza in all of Pasadena.

Lina opted for birthday candles on the inaugural pizza, which turned out to be a better idea in theory than in actuality, since the pizza melted all the candles, and then you couldn't really eat the crust unless you happen to enjoy the taste of candle wax...

All in all, a huge success! Afterwards, we went back to her house for a celebratory birthday bonfire. We stayed up too late, and got happily drowsy as the fire burned on and on into the littler hours of the evening/morning.

Watch.

My sister and I have a tradition (recently) of watching Degrassi together. After many such types of entries in this verb blog, I realize that I have many such traditions of watching shows with various people.

Tonight Degrassi was supa-intense! Only two more episodes left in this part of the season! :(

Exhibit.

I woke up this morning with a list rolling through my brain. Stantions, spotlights, stereo, set-up, pizza, clean, this that poster, the other thing. This is the spring season, and also the time for Festival del Sol, our school wide exhibition.

My students exhibited the model roller coasters they designed, as well as media and other artifacts. It'd odd to be here. It's odd to be finishing. This always marks the beginning of the end. We only have 8 more weeks left of the school year (after Spring Break)!

Long day, but exciting and fun, too.

Cheer.

I went to the Padres game this afternoon after school with my parents (and tons of people from their church that I don't know too well, or haven't seen in a while). Ball games are always satisfying. It feels good to shout out sometimes, and jump up and high five strangers just because you have a team affiliation.

I love watching people get super into it. Sing out "Take me out to the ball game" in the 7th inning stretch, and try to get other people to start the wave (not successful tonight, but I did my part).

Tonight I relished in my extravagant purchase of purple cotton candy (like a sugar cloud!) and I got to hang out with my mom & dad, who I do not see nearly enough. I am glad that this is one of our traditions, and I am glad that the Padres won! (if they don't win, it's a shame.)

Read.

Today was an odd sort of day off. I know it sounds odd, but the air felt clunky, even as I was driving to work. Passing Otay Ranch HS, I remember thinking about the wild fires of 2007, and the way things were cancelled because we had better things to do (stay alive, namely).

Black helicopters circled overhead, and I have never seen so many police cars in one place. People craned their necks to see what was going on, but didn't stop, and it wasn't obvious just from looking, so we kept going.

When I arrived at school, there were police cars there too, and Ray standing at the corner by the stoplight saying, "School's cancelled."

The threat level was lifted within half an hour, but they had to make the call quickly. There had been a "smash and grab" at the mall up the road, and from 7-8, the burglars were armed and somewhere nearby.

It was the right call, I think, even though things turned out to be secure before school was scheduled to start. But why gamble on something like that? No matter how important our exhibition is this Thursday, there are things that are more.

So instead, I came home, feeling a little guilty to be so happy about having the day off. I got over that, relatively, and I read all afternoon. I sat on my porch, and the sun shone down on me happily, and I read.

I finished the book, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, and I really liked it. I read it on the GoodReads recommendation from Heather. She recently posted a review of it, and it sounded intriguing, and I happened to have purchased a copy of it for my classroom library.

This is one of my favorite quotations from the book, and it reminds me of Jaymie:

"I finish this entry sitting on the stairs. I think it worthy of note that I never felt happier in my life--despite sorrow for father, pity for Rose, embarrasssment about Stephen's poetry and no justification for hope as regards our family's general outlook. Perhaps it is because I have satisfied by creative urge; or it may be due to the thought of eggs for tea."

Obsess.

While I was farting around on the Internet this afternoon (really, it was a lazy sort of Sunday), Naomi caught me online and chatted to me. This was very, very exciting, because I have not really gotten to "catch up" with Naomi in ages, and ages, and ages. Entire histories have passed between us since we actually had a conversation.

Well, we're back on the same page, and in the midst of our profound IM conversation, Naomi introduced me to Cimorelli (Naomi is extremely adept at discovering interesting things on YouTube, and she has a particular affinity to a capella groups). Cimorelli is a musical group of harmonizing sisters, ranging in age from 10 to about 19.

I have pretty much obsessed over it, and listened to every song they have ever recorded (exaggeration, but only slightly) since Naomi sent me the link to Price Tag. That one is, no doubt, one of the best, but this one catches my fancy, too.



They are so freaking talented!

Listen.

I had to finish that PowerPoint that I worked on yesterday, and while doing so, discovered my New Favorite Pandora Station! I guess it is the Glee episode hiatus that pushed me to it, or maybe just longing for a new mix from Amy, but I just was craving some good choruses.

Try it for yourself.
Go to Pandora and type in "Glee" as the artist.

This was the glorious randomized soundtrack inspired by the beat and tempo of the Glee Cast Soundtracks:

Marry You by Bruno Mars
I Want You Back by Colbie Callat
Crazy Love by Michael Bublé
Take Me Or Leave Me on the RENT: Original Soundtrack
Halo by Beyonce
Part Of Your World by Alan Menken on The Little Mermaid Soundtrack (I laughed, but did not skip this)
Everything by Michael Bublé
Let It Be by The Beatles
Hey, Soul Sister by Train
Thriller by Michael Jackson
Feeling Good by Michael Bublé
Over The Rainbow by Israel 'IZ' Kamakawiwo'ole
Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles
Any Way You Want It by Journey
Poker Face by Glee Cast

This was exactly what I wanted for a Friday night of PowerPointing. (You know you want to try it. Go try it.)