The footprints we leave behind.

I love going for walks in the snow, or on the beach. Not just because it is beautiful, but also because I love being able to stop after a while, and look back, and see where I was. Just by looking, I know what I was doing or thinking about as I took those steps. I love footprints, sometimes I even follow random sets just for fun, trying to imagine whose they are. Where were they going, what were they thinking. Like a shadow of the past, or a memory, you can see so much in such little things... long and short strides, full prints or partial, the size of the foot, the type of shoe... Just by looking you know who was out for a run, what caught someones interest, who was playing and who was in a hurry. There is so much fuel for the imagination in a set of footprints.

This is, of course, the time of year for memories, what with the beginning of a new year, 'Auld Lang Syne,' the traditional resolutions and such. As such, December 31st is the obligatory day for stopping and turning around to find out what kind of tracks we've left in our wake. Some of them have already been blown away, but there are enough left to tell a decent story.

Looking back at this year's path can be a bit confusing, it sprints and stalls, loops around itself and dashes around as if trying to catch a firefly, up and down hills and back and forth. All over the place really...

The logical place to start is with a look at last years resolutions. Looking at them is rather amusing actually. Turns out I only kept one of them (#3 - but I did TWO of those instead of the one I set as a goal). Most of them I worked at, but didn't make it, and then some I simply failed at. Miserably (#7 - I achieved an impressive .25/3). In spite of the overwhelmingly low grade, I liked having the goals in place because it kept me thinking about the things I wanted to do, and kinda forced me to think about them more often instead of ignoring them. So I will be thinking of more tasks to set for myself in the next few days.

The year itself started out with a cousin's wedding, and ended with a bout of (swine?) flu. In between were countless hours at the gym, my Grandmother's funeral, two certification tests, endless hours of scanning old photos, a chilly track season, multiple trips (White Salmon, Costa Rica, Philadelphia, St. George), lots of hikes, a cell phone, a new car, the beginning of a final year of work in this location, an exhilarating and heartbreaking soccer season, a HS tradition called Mr. PHS, tending the parent's basset hound and making lots, and lots of candy for our families caroling tradition. It's been busy to say the least.

Other things 2009 has brought into my life:

In February I started listening to 'This American Life,' now one of my favorite podcasts, up there with 'This I Believe' and 'Science Friday.'

I have developed an actual interest in government and politics this year while interpreting the Govt. class at work (I ditched mine and took some Poly Sci classes at the CC that put me to sleep instead).

The last half of the year had me spending a huge amount of time focused on soccer, and one of the byproducts of this years season was a new love for Real Salt Lake, the nearby MLS Soccer team that wound up winning the MLS Cup this year :) This made me very happy, of course. I have decided that if I end up moving to Utah next year, I am going to buy season tickets.

I haven't done much in the way of cooking this year, but in spite of it I have found some new favorite foods - Havarti cheese is a new favorite either with a sandwich or with kalamata olives on crackers. Lavender flavored chocolate was a new find as well - a double challenge because good chocolate is certainly not something that is easy to find in Idaho. Oh, and Del Monte's fresh grapefruit cups are hugely addicting!

This year introduced some new movies that made me happy: Star Trek, Up, Bella, Where the Wild Things Are, Harry Potter 6, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (new to me). Needless to say, there are several I haven't had the chance to see yet that would otherwise make the list.

I spent WAY too much money on iTunes this year, but that is because I have some new favorite musicians, the best of them being: Regina Spektor, Lenka, Sia, Meaghan Smith, Ingrid Michelson, Mika, Kate Nash, Michael Franti, Kate Earl, Eisley, and Missy Higgins. Audio books are another weakness... I won't even go there.

And of course, I have managed to find some new books worthy of being included on my main bookshelf instead of hidden away in a back room or stacked along the wall. Three Cups of Tea, Reading Lolita in Tehran, Peace Like a River, Coraline and Ifferisms are among the more memorable.

It's been a good year really. It has had it's ups and downs, but in spite of the meandering back-trail, I think I am (mostly) heading in the right direction. I guess we shall see.

Lets have a 'glurge' free Christmas

Glurge adj. 1. a term specific to snopes.com, coined in 1998. At a loss for words to describe the retching sensation brought on by a then-unnamed category of stories, Patricia Chapin fashioned the word that simultaneously named the genre and described its effect. 2. a body of inspirational tales which conceal much darker meanings than the uplifting moral lessons they purport to offer, undermining their messages by fabrication and distorting historical fact in the guise of "true stories" 3. often contains such heart-tugging elements as sad-eyed puppies, sweet-faced children, angels, dying mothers, and miraculous rescues brought about by prayer 4. likened to chicken soup with several cups of sugar stirred in 5. meant to be inspirational, but comes across as sickeningly sweet and emotionally manipulating.

Go ahead and follow the link above to get some good examples (Auburn, one of your favorites is about 8 stories down). Or, just think of almost any Country song (Christmas Shoes, Concrete Angel, The Little Girl) and you have a picture perfect example of glurge.

Alas, Christmas seems to be the time of year when the production and spread of glurge is at it's peak. These 'inspiring' and 'touching' stories are shared to help us all remember the 'true' meaning of Christmas (and those who are not touched are as cold hearted as Scrooge himself!) By pushing so hard for an emotional response, these stories often rebound - detracting from the message itself by focusing on the sentimentality of the made up situation.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth and life of one who did more for us than any other. It is a story that needs no embroidering, no flowery, sentimental ribbons and bows to make it worthwhile and meaningful. Such things detract from the true meaning of Christmas, not add to it. When we glurge Christmas, we put the focus on ourselves and our values, and take Christ out. Trying to produce an emotional high with unnecessary 'glurge' makes it more difficult to appreciate the profound sweetness and depth of the Christmas story. Like a crack addict needing a higher dose to regain that exquisite joy, people turn to more and more glurge trying to chase that emotional rainbow. People learn to associate that saccharine rush of emotion with feelings of spirituality, and start to believe that if they don't feel that same gooey rush, then it isn't meaningful.

In spite of my own participation in some traditions that border on being glurgy, I want to try to refocus on what Christmas is all about. A baby, born a few thousand years ago on a night much like any other night, far away from here. A child who grew to be a man. One who loved us enough to make a sacrifice so great that we cannot truly comprehend it. It is a simple story full of more than enough love. We don't need to add to it in order to make it mean more to us. We simply need to take the time to ponder it, to savor and appreciate it for what it is. A gift of life and love.

Those who teach must never cease to learn.

Working as an interpreter in a High School has brought a great many new adventures and experiences (both good and bad) into my life. For the last four years, one of the things I have been able to participate in as a result of working in a 'suburb' of Happy Valley is release time Seminary. It has been nice to see the other side of the coin. Throughout High School I attended early morning Seminary (6 am!) every morning, and was taught by various church members who had been called to to perform the monumental task of trying to teach and inspire a handful of half-awake teenagers. Tough work for anyone! But even more so because these brave souls received only basic training before starting, and while it required a great deal of study and prep from them, it was not what they did all day, every day as a full time job.

Release time Seminary has been a real eye opener. Other than the obvious difference in mental states (dead/wired) it has been interesting to observe the difference made by having a long term teacher who has received a greater degree of training than the average ward member. The conversations the teachers are able to draw from the kids are just fun to watch, with students who are interested, actively participating, and questioning. It really is very nice to see the teaching methods used, and to enjoy the benefits of learning from those with more experience.

However, the one issue I find myself struggling with is that the students in these classes often view the teachers as not just teachers, but as authorities on all topics. There are a few who notice the errors that slip in, but most unconsciously accept everything they are taught as correct. They don't seem to realize that good people can be misinformed. For the most part, instruction is in line with the Brethren, but once in a while opinions and fallacies slip into the lesson. Things like, "teachers shouldn't give homework because it takes time away from the family," "every government agency is lying to you," "'across the road' (at school) they teach [yadda yadda] but...," "evolution is a vain and foolish doctrine," etc.

I should add that I have the greatest respect for these men. They have all voluntarily taken a job that will never make them rich in order to teach what they love to the youth, because they care so much about them. We have all probably heard talks or lessons in church that leave us shaking our heads, confused or intently reading Something Else (the lesson about depression being a spiritual problem was my favorite.) We all know people with their pet theories. We love them for who they are, and we are pretty good at recognizing things for what they are. My concern is that the youth are often not as adept at recognizing the difference between statements of opinion and fact when voiced by authority figures.

Some things I find myself wishing Seminary teachers would remember...

1. LDS culture and the Church doctrine are not synonymous. They are in fact two entirely different things.

2. Opinions do not equate to truth. The fact that you don't agree with it doesn't mean it is wrong.

3. There are several issues on which the Church has not taken a stand, one way or another. Please don't teach that it has.

4. Just because it is published by Deseret Book, doesn't mean it is the 'be all, and end all.'

5. Other points of view are in fact valid.

6. Broad generalizations may sound good, but they do not prove your point, and may come back to bite you.

In spite of the frustration I feel when interpreting such things, in general they remain the exception rather than the norm. I still believe the Seminary experience to be valuable. It provides an opportunity for students to learn about their religion, and gives them the opportunity to begin forming their own beliefs rather than simply accepting what they have been told.

Of course, in stating all this I am expressing my own opinion, and as such, there is a possibility that it is incorrect or misinformed.

Just sayin'.

Dream the Impossible Dream

In Government the students are beginning their study of the Legislative branch, and as part of that they will be watching Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. I had never seen it before, so I picked it up and watched it this weekend to make sure I was ready for the discussions in class.

As much as I love classic movies, I wonder how could I have missed this classic for so many years? It was practically love at first sight. Besides starring Jimmy Stewart - it is the story of an innocent, idealistic youth leader who is hand picked to be the pawn of corrupt government officials. As his world is shattered around him he remains constant, uncorruptable and a sadder but more determined man. He stands tall, the everyman's David facing down the political Goliath while bombarded from every side, refusing to back down from what he knows to be good and true. "Liberty's too precious a thing to be buried in books. Men should hold it up in front of them every single day of their lives and say: 'I'm free to think and to speak. My ancestors couldn't. I can. And my children will.'"

Even as I chuckle at the inherent cheesiness and the main characters incredible naiveté, I can't help but be touched - because as pragmatic as I am - I am an idealist at heart. I know the world is full of greed and corruption, but that doesn't mean we can't give our all to make something better.

So many of my hero's are those who knew that one plain simple rule, love thy neighbor - Mother Theresa, Corrie Ten Boom, Gandhi, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Greg Mortenson, Nelson Mandela, Joan of Arc, Winston Churchill, Frederick Douglass, Desmond Tutu, Chief Joseph, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Albert Schweitzer... the list just keeps going.

Call them naive, foolish, blind, or whatever else you like. Like Don Quixote, they tilted with the worlds' windmills. And they brought down giants. They were fighting for those lost causes. They are the ones worth fighting for, even dying for. "Fighting for something better than just jungle law, fighting so's he can stand on his own two feet, free and decent, like he was created, no matter what his race, color, or creed. There's no place out there for graft, or greed, or lies, or compromise with human liberties."

Red card?

Wow. And ouch! Slightly intense game...

I think she must have been coached by one of our rivals, either that or she is related to Noah somehow, because some of those hits look familiar.

That was one thing I loved about our team, they played physical, but they played clean and had good sportsmanship. Coach saw to that.

Ms. Lambert only got a yellow in the game (for a different hit), but after the game when footage was reviewed, she was suspended. Oh, and BYU won the game, 1-0.

Is there an interrupter in the house?

I found this on a website not too long ago and it left me chuckling for hours. Interpreters get called a lot of things, but not often in print. When things get published there has usually been enough editing to catch the most interesting errors.

Other fun things I have been called: the girl who comes in and signs, the interpretator, the interloper, the closed-caption lady, the signer, the sign lady, the one who works with the um..., the deaf signer, the sister, the mom, the translator, and best of all...

The girl.

New mantra: Interpreter shall remain fair and impartial... Interpreter shall not shed blood while engaged in an interpreting assignment... Interpreter shall not judge participants...

My Life is Average (and Awesome!)

Tonight I was given flowers for the first time in nearly 4 years (at least.) I am guessing this is due to one of two things. Either I am miraculously becoming popular, or I am getting old and now it's ok for boys to give me flowers again. I strongly suspect it's the latter. It still made my day. MLIA

And good times were had by all!

So, my birthday was this last Thursday, and I am officially 29 years old. I really hadn't planned on doing much to celebrate this year - I didn't even go running outside that morning so I could count shooting stars. Instead I planned on a nice quiet evening in with a frozen dinner, and perhaps a book. Instead, my mum conned me into driving up north for some AMAZING Thai food. Just thinking about it makes me start to melt all over again and start craving another serving of Masaman curry, or Tom Ka Gai. I will definitely be going back. I don't know how I managed to miss it in all the years I have been driving past it. I think from now on I will be going out of my way to ensure that I drive past it.

Then, as an added bonus, on Saturday my sister and I made plans to go to the Real Salt Lake soccer game - the last home game, and last chance for the team to make it to the playoffs. Guaranteed to be a fun game. I wound up leaving early and driving down alone so I could go to a girls soccer game (Utah High school girls state championship game) and also (and most importantly) so I could have a chance to hang out with my good friend Laura (from way back in the good old college days), her husband, and their new baby. I had a delightful time, lots of good conversation, and a rapturous couple hours of baby snuggling. Amazing! Once again, I am getting all gooey and sappy just remembering. Pathetic :)

After they had to leave, I had an hour or so to kill before my sister made it down, so I wandered through a nearby Target and made the discovery of a lifetime. TIM TAMS!!! I have been hearing about these amazing Australian cookies for years now, and specifically, about the fabulous Tim Tam Slam. Observe:

How can you possibly resist something so amazing? I couldn't, and I encourage you all to hit your nearest target and stock up on them (the words 'years supply' are now running through my head.)

On her way down, my sister got delayed (construction traffic was BAD!) and since she had the credit card with the tickets, I couldn't just ditch her and go to the game without. So, I patiently waited, and sent her really random texts to keep her amused on the ride down (no worries, she wasn't driving). After much confusion with the tickets, we finally got into the stadium at about the 77th minute of the game (it is only 90 minutes long), took our seats and had a blast - RSL beat Colorado 3-0, and luckily we got to see the last goal. Afterwards, we crammed our way through the shop, snagged a jersey (half off!) and then went to play with some of my sisters friends in Salt Lake. All in all, we had a great deal of fun.

Next day (Sunday) after we drove back to my place and got done with church, we put the finishing touches on celebrating the birthday - and devoured some amazing pieces of cheesecake that I picked up from Starbucks while killing time the night before. Best cheesecake I have ever had. Yup, that is a match I am using for a candle. More fun that way. MMMM!!

Overall, I had a fabulous weekend. Not a bad way to turn 29.

Also, I think that wherever I move next, they need to have a Starbucks, Target, Einsteins Bagels, Borders/B&N and a nearby soccer stadium. Ahhh, bliss.

Falling

Walking to work the other day I saw someone walking ahead of me swerve suddenly to the side and LEAP to crush an especially crunchy bunch of leaves. It made me laugh, and feel glad to know I am not the only one who does that. I love sound of crunching leaves, I almost feel like they are giggling with me.

My two favorite seasons are the in-between seasons, Spring and Fall. Summer and Winter are lots of fun, but nothing beats the thrill and excitement of the smell of change in the air. It is hard to say which of the two seasons I love more - in the fall, I claim autumn, and come May, I will say spring. I have always loved the saying that fall is a second spring, with every leaf a flower. Perhaps that is why I love it so much. Because I really do love autumn - the air has a unique flavor, tinted with both melancholy and euphoria. It is achingly beautiful, almost overwhelming in it's beauty, the grandeur almost breaks your heart- the land is giving one last hurrah, and celebrating the summer life they have enjoyed by throwing a party and wearing their best formal gowns.

I went for a nice long walk this evening, just to drink it all in - the aspen and birches are bright yellows, and look like flaming torches - lighting my way to my next adventure. The maples are just starting to turn, and are a funny mix of green, yellow and orange, like they have just been to the hair dresser and gotten frosted highlights - but it wont be long before they really burst into flame.

I read a poem once that I have never been able to find again that I always think of at this time of year, comparing fall tree's with Moses' burning bush on Mt. Sinai. Perhaps it the poem didn't even explicitly make the connection, but led me to make it myself - but now, in every firey autumn tree I see a miracle and remember God's love for us.

Fall is the brisk, smoky spiced air of late September afternoons. It is sipping cider around the burn barrel. Fall is the smell of the fallen leaves, decaying as their colorful corpses blanket the sidewalks.

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." Carol Bishop Hipps

Take the risk, take it seriously.

Wow. I feel like I really don't know what to write - there is just so much banging around in my head! It has been a wild and crazy month and a half - each week becoming more and more intense, hence the lack of posts for the last little while. I apologize.

I never thought I would actually care about any sport - I have gotten interested in teams in the past, cheered for players and felt some measure of excitement at a good play, but I have never really been emotionally invested in either a team or a sport. Basketball, football, baseball... they just don't hold my interest. (I fell asleep at last year's homecoming game.) But over the last four years of working with the High School soccer team I have become not just interested, but invested, fascinated and at times, more than a bit crazed (soccer is the only time I even come close to swearing). Soccer is the only sport I actively look for when I get the chance to watch TV, so you know I have truly been won over to the sport (I can't wait for the World Cup!)

"If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun, if you do take it seriously, it breaks your heart." Arnold Daly might have been talking about golf, but his words are true on so many levels. I always thought it was ridiculous to get all worked up and upset over a silly game, but he is right, it is no fun if you don't take it seriously. To really enjoy it, you have to let yourself become invested and become passionate and allow your hopes to build up.

Hope is one of those emotions that I try to keep in check, well, at least keep it reasonable - I am naturally an optimistic person, but I figure if you let your hopes fly too unreasonably high, chances are good that you get bit in the bum when they crash and burn. I am no Anne Shirley. But hope is one of those emotions that arouse a passion for the possible - and as our season progressed my hopes soared on exhilarating thermals - going to state became a very real possibility, because when our team was on form, I can honestly say we were the best in the district. The more of a possibility it became, the higher my hopes flew and the more excited and passionate I became.

It has been an emotionally intense, exciting, exhausting soccer season - the first winning season our school has had for a long time (8-3-2), and one of the best Varsity teams the school has seen since the program began. We had our ups and downs, our team has a history of inconsistency, and we struggled a bit with it in the middle of the season, shutting down either offensively or defensively, or on a few (horrifying) occasions, both.

We made it three games into district playoffs, winning the first in an emotionally draining battle, and loosing the last two. But if we had to loose our last game, at least it was one to be proud of. The boys fought the good fight, they gave it 110% and left their hearts on the field. It was an amazing game with great ball movement and strong defense, and a lot of good opportunities. Our only struggle was in finishing. We held the score to zeros though overtime, and went out with a crap shoot - PK's. PK's pretty much come down to luck, which Keeper guesses right. Basically it's Fate sitting around and tossing dice, laughing at our cries of anguish when the ball brushes off our (phenomenal) keepers glove and into the net.

It was an emotional end to the season, especially for the seniors - you sometimes forget that guys really care because they so rarely show their feelings. They weren't the only emotional ones out there, I was having a hard time holding my own tears back while I interpreted, and I wasn't entirely successful, because a few leaked out.

I doubt I will ever have this kind of an opportunity again - to work so closely with a HS soccer team composed of such high caliber

players - both in skill and character - and lead by one of the best coaches I have ever had the privilege to work with. I have worked with a lot of other coaches in this district, and observed many others through the years, and there aren't many of them that I like, even fewer whom I respect. He is one of the few. Passionate and knowledgeable about the game, he honestly cares about the players and is willing to do whatever he needs to do to help his team pull together and give their best.

I know I was probably a bit of a nuisance, the lone girl among 35 or so guys, always tagging along, butting into the middle of the 'inner sanctum' of the team like an annoying little sister. But because I was able to invade, I was able to witness first hand some quality coaching, I got a taste of what it must be like to be part of an amazing team, and I now have some of the best memories of my life. I will always be grateful for these last four seasons, and in my book this team will always be the best.

I Passed...

Last spring (end of Feb) I wrote an entry talking about how I had signed up and taken the EIPA performance test, and promised I would let you know my score when I got it. I never did follow through on that. It wound up taking more than the 90 days estimated by the company for them to finish the evaluation, and I didn't get the results till after I had returned from Costa Rica - then, after I saw my score I was so disappointed in my limited progress that I didn't feel it was worthy of any celebration. So I ignored it.

You'll mock me (and rightly so), because I did improve - I got a 4.1 (up from a 3.8) - but I wanted a 4.2. I read somewhere that the average certified RID member scored a 4.2 when they took the EIPA performance, and that was my goal, and it became some kind of mental sign that if I got it, then when I took the NIC (RID's certification test) I would be able to pass that. Because I didn't get it, I sulked instead.

Shortly after I took the performance portion of the test, I signed up to take the written portion in May. Frustratingly, one week before I was supposed to take it, (after studying my brains out)the test was suspended in order to deal with some breach of confidentiality issues. So it wasn't until this afternoon that the schedules of both me and my proctor finally aligned and I was able to take the test.

I don't know how I did it, but somehow, I passed the test. I was exhausted - the test was almost 200 questions long, there were technical difficulties (my computer shut down in the middle and I had to restart!!) and I had gotten up early to make the drive to the testing location and I had just finished with a very long week at work. There were times during the test when I would sit and read a question 4-5 times, trying to figure out what on earth it said, my brain would just freeze up and I would have to sit back and try to reboot myself. 'Tis true, miracles still happen.

So what does passing these tests actually mean? Well... "as of the fall 2006, RID began to recognize individuals who passed the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) written and performance tests at the level of 4.o or higher as certified members of the association."

It means that I am a certified member of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. I am not certified to work in all settings (legal, medical...), but I have got Educational settings (k-12) covered. I have been qualified to work Educational settings in the state of Idaho for the last 5 years, (they only require a 3.5) but it sure feels good to be nationally certified. Give it another several hours of sleep and I might even have enough energy to feel excited about it, lol :)

Two tests down... two left to go.

Red Socks hat at a Yankees game.

I said it before, and I will say it again. I am far more immature now than I ever was in High School. I think this is partly to do with where I work and who I work with. Spending large amounts of time with high school boys will do that to a person. Part of that is a total enjoyment of very juvenile practical jokes, and an absurd amusement with teenage melodrama. But also, lately I have been noticing a tendency in myself towards annoyance with a couple of things that tend to lead to some rather immature impulses welling up in me. Things like little nit-picky, controlling rules, extremism and stereotypes.

Nit-picky rules: The more the 'powers that be' try to dictate what can or cannot be done, the more I feel a desire to rebel. Definitely a sign of regression. I used to not care, or just think that it was stupid. Now when the school sends out an email informing us that having streaks of brightly dyed hair is against the dress code, I just want to go dye a chunk of my own hair. Not because I want pink hair, but because I don't think that is something that should be regulated by a public school.

Extremism: Last week I interpreted what was supposed to be a discussion about various perspectives, but was in reality a RANT against 'the left' (activist, environmentalists...) that was so full of stereotypes and narrow-minded, self-righteous prejudice that while I actually did a really good job of interpreting it, (I got the affect, innuendos, and slurs just right!), I left the class feeling a very strong desire to return the next day dressed in my most 'granola' clothes. I am still resisting that impulse. [I must remain professional!]

***I find it highly amusing that the longer I live in a strongly conservative, republican community, the more liberal and democratic I feel. Granted, I am very much a moderate. Always have been, and always will be (I think), I can see both sides of almost any situation. Every issue has pros and cons, and there are two sides to every coin - what annoys me is when people refuse to acknowledge the other side or tries to impose their opinions on others. ***

Stereotypes: The only time I really let myself 'have fun' is when I am playing with stereotypes. This is usually when I just want to get a good reaction out of someone based on their prejudices - it is why whenever I go to Institute I carry a Starbucks cup (they make the BEST hot chocolate and apple cider!) and why I wear a soccer shirts to football games. It is never anything big, but I do like to make the point that things aren't always what they seem, and that our (usually cultural) perceptions of right and wrong aren't necessarily correct. And sometimes, I do it just to annoy people.

Granted, I am not likely to break down and give into all these impulses just to make a point, so if one day you see me with a streak of purple hair, carrying a Starbucks cup and wearing an Obama shirt, don't worry. I am probably just trying to annoy someone and get a good reaction.

Yup, I am definitely less mature than I used to be.

A question for the masses.

Ok, so I just put up my first poll, and wanted to draw everyone's attention to it, 'cause I want you to actually respond. I got some great ideas when I asked for TV show recommendations (I am getting Freaks and Geeks for my night time runs) but now I am looking at some shorter comedies for my mornings. You can vote for more than one, and if you have any other suggestions feel free to send them on. Anyhow, let the voting begin!

8 seasons, 201 episodes.

Wahoo!!

I have FINISHED the Cosby Show. That's right, finished it.

It has taken a while, but I watched/ran to every single episode of the Cosby Show. All 8 seasons worth. That is two hundred and one episodes. Not half bad, if I do say so myself. And I enjoyed every minute of it. After all, Cliff Huxtable is the worlds second favorite dad - second only to my own! And lets face it, Cliff and Clair make the best TV couple... I loved watching the show every morning, and love that I enjoyed it even more as an adult than I did as a kid. Just like with M*A*S*H (which I also own and watched/ran to all 251 episodes).

So now that I have finished M*A*S*H and the Cosby Show, I am in need of a TV series to start watching as I run in the mornings. Personally, I think I have good taste in TV shows - but I didn't watch too much TV as a kid, so my exposure was limited and I'm not sure what else there is out there that can measure up and be just as awesome - so if you have any recommendations I am wide open. And hurry up - I need something to run to now!

Good grief!

This morning I arrived at work to find an email in my inbox, effectively making the point that the school would not be watching President Obama's back-to-school speech because of some disgruntled parents. Several feelings hit me as I read through the message again. Incredulity, disbelief, frustration and disappointment were only a few. Isn't it supposed to be a privelege and an honor to have the President of the United States of America spend time talking to the country's students? Reagan spoke to students about the war and we cheered. Bush addressed the schools about the war, and we applauded. Obama talks to students about staying in school and the American people are up in arms.

Whoever our president happens to be, whether I agree with him or not, he is still the leader of our country. For various reasons, I didn't vote for our current president (though I was pleased as punch that he won). But though I don't agree with everything he does, that doesn't mean I don't have a great deal of respect for the office he holds. How is it that, to quote a teacher from Maryland, "the country has become so polarized that we believe that our president is an enemy and not our leader?"

Honestly, what is it that these 'concerned parents' are afraid of? Are they afraid that their children will learn to think for themselves? Are they worried that the students will be brainwashed into getting an education? Heaven forbid they should work harder or take responsibility for themselves.

Perhaps we should take a step back and take a look at what kind of a message parents are sending to their children. That idea's are not valid if you don't like the speaker? That the elected leader of our country is not worthy of our respect? That if you don't agree with someone, you can throw a fit and get your way?

Strange how we bemoan the lack of support for education and mourn our faltering system, and yet this is the example we set?

Good grief. If this is socialist propeganda, I would hate to see what Stalin would say.

Hubris

Once upon a time, I mocked people like me. Not overtly of course, but I was rather smug.

I enjoyed every season of the year, but most especially spring and fall, I could sleep soundly through the night, and I relished every breath of fresh air.

They say hindsight is 20/20, and looking back perhaps I should have knocked on wood more often, or been a bit more sympathetic. This time, karma seems to have caught wind of my "superiority," and has brought it back to bite me in the backside.

Now, I can't wait for fall to hurry past in hopes that winter will bring relief. My sinuses fill up during the night, waking me nightly. And I am always half afraid to breathe deeply, fearing that I will be breathing in whatever the heck it is that I am allergic to.

Allergies!!!

I never used to have allergies - I very much enjoyed that fact!! But over the last few years I have slowly become aware of an ever increasing response to something. Probably several somethings. At first it was just a tickle, a few sneezes and a short term runny nose... I was able to maintain my state of denial and later I blatantly lied to myself, refusing to believe I could succumb. However, given a few years to stew, that minor annoyance has morphed into a full blown reaction that makes denial impossible. Puffy eyes, clogged sinuses, post nasal drip, and worst of all, the eternal itching of my nose and throat. I could handle all the rest, but my throat itches!! It is honestly insane! Ok - Uncle! I give! Mercy!! I admit I have allergies and all the allergy sufferers of the world have my most sincere apologies for my previous lack of sympathy.

I know I need to get in and see a doctor, and get things figured out, especially since Claritin and Sudafed don't touch it. But admitting this online is still not quite real. Admitting it to a doctor makes it official. I guess I still need to be humbled some more. Meanwhile, because I get to sleep in tomorrow I am going to go take a Benadryl and hope it helps.

Uno.

Two anniversaries on one day! Hooray!!

First, its been an entire YEAR since I started this blog, and mostly, I have managed to keep it going. Pretty good for me :) Especially since this is post #69. That means I have averaged more than one post per week. Weird!

Second is only notable because of this morning. 5 years ago today I lit my hot water heater for the very first time, the day before school started (my very first day), and I burned all the hair off my arm in a small gas explosion. This morning I had to light it again, the day before school starts again. BUT, I didn't burn any hairs at all. I have progressed!

Trivial, I know. But I thought I should at least make a nominal effort to celebrate the whole 1 year thing. Now lets see if I can make it to two...

Meh.

I really haven't felt like posting much lately, even though there are (semi) post worthy things going on. I feel more like I have slowly slipped into a quietly simmering vat of apathy and am content just to stew in it. I just don't care enough to actually do anything. Well, anything productive that is...

But anyways, some of what I have been doing over the last two oh-so-exciting weeks. Soccer has started back up, and we won our first game. Always a good thing. Work is starting up again as well - I managed to survive the first two days of staff meetings, and while our new Principal isn't my favorite new person (he really likes the cheesy motivational stuff), I think he will do a pretty good job. I am working on finishing up my presentation for the teachers, which I will present tomorrow. I have been working with some colleagues from the East coast on a work related project. And I have been spending all sorts of money I don't have, partly on back to school shopping, and mostly on a new toy tool.

That is really the most exciting thing. I have a new camcorder. Not that I plan to do too much with it, mostly it is a work tool. It is the only way I can do any sort of self analysis, and in order to get better, I need to get to work! I decided to break down and buy one while I was in Philadelphia. So once I got back, I hurried out and went through with it before I could chicken out or decide to indefinitely postpone the purchase while I did some 'research.' (I am very good at that, research is a GREAT way to postpone a decision!)

And, even though it is mostly a work tool, who knows... maybe one of these days you might see some video posted up here... frightening thought!

Dr. Horrible

Bwahahahahaha! I know, I know, this just proves how nerdy I really am sometimes. But this just made me laugh. So I thought I would share it.

If it has started to suck you in, you can watch the whole thing on Hulu. (I need to find an appropriate curse for whoever introduced me to Hulu. Big trouble.) It even has captions there :) Happy thoughts!

A rather intense week...

Philadelphia was amazing. It was also depressing and inspiring, exhausting and invigorating, painful and yet oh, so comfortable. No wonder I was drained at the end of it though, what with so many conflicting emotions and feelings crammed in all at the same time. I am rather surprised my head didn't explode - it felt like it would sometimes. Why these particular feelings? Let me tell ya :)

Comfortable: It was so nice to be able to interact with colleagues at last. I don't think I had seen another interpreter face to face in over a year, and I was suddenly dropped into a crowd of nearly 3000. It's hard being so isolated, because interpreting is such a huge part of my life, and not to have anyone to be able to discuss issues with, someone who actually understands what is going on and who values and studies the same things is frustrating, and rather lonely. It seems that every time I get students coming to observe I practically turn into a chatterbox. Bizarre - I mean, this is me we are talking about. Really, the closest I come to professional interaction on a regular basis is yahoo groups and vlogs. Oh, the joys of small town life. Honestly, it was hard to leave. One week was far too short. It will be another full year at least before I have the chance to get back together with any kind of interpreting peer group.

Painful: There were some points during the week that I nearly thought my eyes would melt from the strain and that my head might actually be better off if disconnected from my body. Going from limited exposure to sign one minute, to full blown 100% ASL the next was a big shock to my system. It takes a while to build up a 'tolerance' to taking in so much information visually (your eyes require muscle use, your ears don't), and my eyes were so fatigued by day three that they would start twitching every time I closed them or tried to rest. Seriously amusing. Plus, I turned off my brain at the beginning of the summer, and it hurt when I jolted it awake with a week of intense classwork!

Invigorating: It really was exiting to be surrounded by so many skilled people, and to think that I am part of that group, even if only on the fringe of the organization. We had so many fun presenters and entertainers come to perform: D-PAN, Lillian Beard (at 100 years old she is the oldest living certified interpreter!) and Alan Abarbanell. There was an awful lot of cheering and laughing and yelling and clapping. I almost lost my voice! The funniest part (this is where you will realize just how odd I am) was the business meeting. I had never really seen Parliamentary Procedure in action, and this meeting strictly followed Roberts Rules of Order. I couldn't help laughing and giggling throughout the entire 8 hours that it went on (it was split into two days...) every time someone would get up with yet another Point, or with a motion to amend the amendment under discussion... it felt so incredibly ridiculous to be spending so much time on so many tichy little details... but I could see the value of the process at the same time.

Exhausting: Like I said before, it is really hard to suddenly switch from focusing on auditory input and focus on visual input - and it is really tiring. Every time I go to these conferences I expect to be bushed from the first morning on. Even when I was an ITP student and we would spend a week at the 'local' Deaf school, just spending half our days fully immersed would wear us out so that we were taking naps on a regular basis, and going to bed rather early considering we were college students. Plus, being in classes from 8am till about 9-10 every night... it wears you out a bit. Of course it didn't help that my dad got to sleep in every morning, and then liked to watch TV while I tried to sleep at night. The second night, I invested in a eye mask and some earplugs, and I swear there were times when I could have interpreted the TV show right through the earplugs AND the pillow I had over my head. Eventually I was just so tired from everything that I got to the point that I could just sleep.

Depressing: Shocking I know, but I did find myself feeling discouraged and depressed for the first few days of the conference. Seeing SO MANY amazingly skilled interpreters all together made it very difficult not to recognize the limits of my ability. Every time I tell people the reason why I found the conference so discouraging they don't seem to understand - because I am the only interpreter they really have the chance to see and because they are rather biased (family... of course they are biased) therefore, I must be the best ever. I can do no wrong. In reality, it is rather frustrating to hear that, especially when I can see very clearly what level my skills are at, and I can see where so many others are, where I should be. Rather like musicians - to a lay person with no classical exposure, average and great musicians seem equally talented and impressive, but the more training and exposure you posesse, the more sharply you recognize even the subtle differences. At this point, I at least have enough training to recognize how very much I don't know, and how very far I have to go. It can get depressing to see so clearly how "bad" or "not as good" you are, and it kind of feels unethical to accept a job interpreting for a student when I know he should have a MUCH better interpreter. But, ethical or not, I am not leaving my job, especially when there is only one year left of it.

Inspiring: The best part about these conferences every two years is that they renew my ambitions. I am not normally an ambitious person, but when I see the potential - when I see how good I might become in spite of how average I am now... it makes me rather ambitious. I am an adequate interpreter. I do my job, and I do it fairly well. But I want to be a great interpreter. I believe that if I am not doing the best I can, I am doing a dis-service, and if I am not willing to take the opportunity to become better when I can, I am being unethical. So as I sit in these classes I start thinking... Hmmm. I should go to Gallaudete and get a MA in ASL Interpreting (only university in the world to offer one). Then I should go to another grad school and get a second MA in Interpreter Teaching. THEN I should certify as a Master Mentor. AND THEN (or somewhere along the way...) I should become fluent in Spanish too. A little over the top perhaps, but as they say "if you reach for the heavens, you get the stars thrown in." So maybe I won't get all of these. Maybe I won't get any, but at least in my pursuit of "greatness" I might become a bit better. I think maybe that would be a good thing.

Amazingly, I did get out of the hotel once or twice. The first night we were there, my dad and I went for a short walk to find some dinner, and the next morning we walked to china town for breakfast - but after that... I really didn't even leave the hotel for a breath of fresh air. Thank goodness there was a Starbucks right in the hotel - their pastries and hot chocolate kept me awake and alive. It wasn't until the conference was over and I was done with the last forum that I got out into the air - on the shuttle back to the airport. Luckily, from there we rented a car and drove a couple of hours north to visit my Aunt for a couple of days. It was so nice to be able to get out and see the real Pennsylvania, not just the middle of the big city (from out a window). And you want to know the best part of all? (other than seeing family, nothing beats that!) The fireflies. I am crazy about fireflies, and I got to sit out on her back porch and watch them sparkle to my hearts content. Yay!

"Not all who wander are lost"

That is one of my favorite sayings. In fact, I like it so much that I am even wearing it on my shirt right now.

Well, I am off again on yet another trip. It kinda feels like that is all I have been doing this summer, coming and going. And even though right now I kinda wish I could just stay home and rest from my travels, I know that once I am on my way the excitement will creep back in and fill me to overflowing. And just think, you all missed out on the chance to go with me and play while I work. You could have come!

I won't be able to do much sight seeing on this go round. Instead I will be spending almost my entire time in Philadelphia in classes, trying desperately to cram two years worth of exposure into six days. I already know from past experience that I will have an almost permanent headache from the eye strain and the information overload. But coming from a small town with no Deaf community and no peer support, this conference is invaluable. Certainly not to be missed. And with luck, I will also be able to do some networking and make some good contacts while I am there. Maybe I will even get very lucky, and get a heads up for a job after this year.

I have gone to the last two conferences, but this is the first time I will be staying in the hotel where the conference is being held - that should be nice. Instead of waiting for classes in the lobby I will be able to go back to my room and perhaps recover a bit with a short nap... bliss!

So I am wandering around, half dazed, trying to pack and get everything ready for the week. Hopefully my plants will survive the summer heat while I am gone, and hopefully I haven't forgotten anything vital. (Knock on wood!)

And when I get back, summer will be over. Sadness! Soccer starts that next Monday, and school will follow soon after. Guess I had better enjoy this last day of relative freedom while I can.

"The fault, my dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves."

Why?

That is the cosmic question we all want answers to, isn't it? Why is that, just as I have saved up enough money to begin the projects I dreamed of starting last year, and just finished drawing up the plans for my deck, the transmission in my not-so-trusty oldsmobile decideds to force me to spend my hard earned money elsewhere?

I've spent the last two weeks trying desperately to blame my bad luck on something. Anything. Just so I can have some place to focus and vent my frustration at the twists and turns of life. Something to shake my fist at. I wondered for a while if I should blame fate, or maybe karma. But then I thought - I really don't think I can blame the Fates for making me indefinatly postpone my projects. I just can't see the three weavers of greek mythology worrying about whether or not my doors shut. And really, it can't be karma either. Contrary to popular belief, I only pretend to be mean. I would never actually take someones hopes and crush them in my hands right before their eyes. That's just rude. I can't even blame the car itself. Blaming inanimate objects just doesn't make sense to me.

No. There is only one place I can lay the blame, and that is squarely at my own feet. For not buying my materials sooner. For not being willing to go into more debt. For listening to that annoying voice of reason that insisted I trade in my olds before the transmission failed. For getting my hopes up that I might finally be able to redo my deck and enjoy more privacy. For daring to dream of new doors and a draft free winter. I should have known better.

Meanwhile, I have some rather conflicted emotions. On one side, I have a really cool car that I really like and it should last me a while. On the other side, I am now in debt (I hate debt!) and I am stuck with a really ugly deck and bad doors. Grrr!

Resistance was futile.

I have fallen.

Joined the dark side.

Gone astray.

Left the fold.

I tried so long, and so hard to resist, but in the end... I was blind sided by a slide tackle that completely took me out.

There is no escape. No redemption is possible for one such as I. Whats done is done.

No. It isn't what you are thinking.

I haven't read the Twilight books and become a ravening Edward fan.

It's much, much worse.

After six years of resistance, procrastination, and denial I finally jumped on the bandwagon, and figured that since everyone else was doing it, I might as well do it to.

I got a cell phone.

Only 2 miles or so...

Yesterday was all sorts of fun. Really. I blistered my toes, scraped up my leg, sunburned my scalp, got attacked by killer mosquitoes, killed the dog (well, almost) and didn't even get to where I was going. But I also went on a GREAT hike. I have been asking everyone in the area to recommend good hikes, trying to learn my way around here and find places I wouldn't know about otherwise. A friend recommended a short, ~2 mile jaunt up to Lake Bloomington that sounded fabulous, so I got geared up for a short hike (Keens without socks and 2 litres of water) and took off.

Ooops.

Turns out that the hike was slightly more challenging than originally described. If I had actually thought about it, and done a bit more checking on my maps, I would have at least realized that there was an intense elevation climb involved (nearly 3000 feet to the top of the ridge). I had to stop quite regularly to catch my breath, some of those climbs felt nearly vertical! I am SO out of shape! Also, it turns out that it isn't about 2 miles to the lake. More like 6. Six miles through an overgrown trail (Ouch! Those branches were whippy!). I only made it four miles, to the top of the ridge. The view was great from the ridge (see above), and you can even kind of see where I started from - in the center of the picture, at the bottom of the valley is a white speck that is the campground I started from.

At that point I was actually still feeling good enough that I could have gone the extra two miles down the other side to get to the lake, but I knew I didn't have enough water with me to keep me and the dog hydrated. He was already dead - we had to take a short side trip to a patch of snow so he could cool off. Poor thing, he is still sleeping it off and creeping around on sore muscles.

So, wisdom and a tired dog prevailed, and we turned around and headed back, with the determination to come back with more water, and lunch, another day. For the most part, down was faster. Except for the parts that were covered in loose rock. And the steep parts. Most of the trail actually. Down was the part of the hike where rocks and dirt worked their way into my sandals (which had been fabulously comfortable till this point) and started forming blisters on my big toes. OUCH! It was also the part where I started slipping. Yikes. Luckily I only actually fell twice (I never fall), and only got scraped up once. Not bad when you think about it.

The most beautiful part of the hike, other than the view from the top, was the part of the trail at the bottom that went along side the river. Beautiful, cool, wet, shady and green. I loved it!

There were three foot bridges going over the river like this one, but the best one of all looked more like this:

HAHAHAHA! Talk about an adventure... the whole day was one unexpected, funny surprise after another. Five hours after we started out, we limped back to the car and wound our way back home to get some cold water and some Ibuprofen. Next time I will be prepared! Hiking shoes, doubled socks, 5 litres of water, bug spray, lunch and an earlier start should make things less unexpected and even more fun!

No place like home.

St. George was fun. Hellishly hot, no doubt about it (people actually live there on purpose?!?), but still fun. I was down there to help out with a soccer camp held by the local college for high schools from the region. No, I don't really know enough about soccer to actually be useful; I went as an interpreter/driver. Luckily, even though I don't play, soccer does happen to be the one sport I watch for fun, so the work was highly enjoyable.

Every team played at least two games per day (sometimes three), and games were held in the morning and evening in an attempt to avoid the mid-day heat (up to 104°F most days). Even so, it was a blessing that there was almost always a lot of water available, helping everyone stay hydrated and sweaty, because the heat never really went away. The first afternoon we spent there we had skills practice with the College's head coach, but it was cut short because of the heat, and due to players getting sick from heat, the next session of skills and tactics was canceled. That left the next two afternoons free. All I had to worry about was shuttling the boys to and from the cafeteria for the mediocre (but free) food.

The first free afternoon I spent most of the time napping. The heat really saps energy out of you until you get used to it. Thank goodness the hotel room had AC. Luckily the second afternoon I was more alert and less desperate in my need for sleep, so I was able to spend my afternoon at the St. George temple. What a lovely place. It was really neat to go through there because some of my family (way back) helped to build it.

As much fun as I have when I travel, there is nothing I love more than coming home. Especially when home means cooler temperatures, eating ripe strawberries out of my garden, having internet access and being able to work on my own projects. Now that I am done with Costa Rica and St. George I have about one month to enjoy my summer and get all my projects done. Unless a miracle happens, I probably won't finish (especially if I keep blogging about everything instead of working). But I can make a good effort :)

On the road again...

Just to warn you, I am off the St. George for the week to help out with a soccer camp. So no, I am not slacking when I don't post anything. I am working. And I probably don't have internet access. Sad life.

¡Pura Vida!

I'm home! I know you have all been sitting on the edges of your computer chairs, waiting anxiously for word of my safe return. Not to worry, all is well! We got back late Tuesday night, and instead of assuaging your fears I have been lounging around enjoying myself ever since.

I know, I know... if I were a good blogger I would have sat down that very night and written every detail of our amazing/crazy adventure before it slipped through the cracks in my fragile memory - but... I am a well documented slacker, and thus here I am, four days later when everything has already begun to take on the hazy feel of a fabulous daydream and trying to focus my thoughts into coherent words. The sights were so fantastic, so different from my normal, mundane existence that even now they hardly seem real. Already the activities of each day, at the time so vivid and sharp, are bleeding together like the colors of a Polaroid carelessly left in the rain. Trying to think of a way to fit what feels like a lifetimes worth of adventures into a few blog postings feels simply overwhelming...

However, I took well over a thousand pictures to try and capture the experience, and I did upload a bunch (nearly 200!) of my photos onto Facebook and left a comment or explanation about each photo, giving a pretty good outline of everything we did (and, it's all in chronological order)!

If you aren't a Facebook friend of mine (shame on you!) here are some links to the photo albums that you can look through :) You will have to click back and forth from the main album page to each individual photo, but if you want to take the time, it is all there.

To view images from the first week (while we were with the tour group) click here.

For images from the second week (after we went crazy and struck out on our own) click here.

These should give you a pretty good idea of all the trouble we got into :)

Costa Rica was (obviously) pretty much amazing, and I would go back in a heartbeat if I was able to (but not before I learned a bit more Spanish!) Thank heavens my sis was there to lead the way with her amazing language skills - and that Spanish and Italian are so closely related!

I will try to write up more of the stories in a few days, but for now, the links to the pictures and the stories told there will have to suffice.