Ms. Taylor Says

So while I've been home, I've been driving my dad's car. He graciously lets me drive his lovely vehicle since I flew home, and calling Razorback Cab isn't really a good option. As I drive his delightful mid-sized SUV, I think to myself, "Self, this is a really nice car. It is so nice to drive this lovely vehicle." Then the pleasant feeling changes to the following realization, "Self, your career choice guarantees you will never drive such a nice automobile." Then I take a moment, attempt to be a gracious and charitable person, channel the last cheesy teacher bumpersticker I saw, and say to myself, "That's okay. You do it for the children." And with that note, I am off to bed.

I have recently discovered the long lengths I will go to for a chance to run down hill.  Yep--that's right.  I am sure a more experienced runner would appreciated the value of uphill, but I'm not there yet.  I am starting to learn my environment which means I am learning where the good hills are and how to get the downhill without having to run up the full-force hill.  I'm sure someday I'll take on the challenge of running up.  But that day is not today.  Today I am just putting in the miles. :)  Even if those miles are in search of more downhills.   Sunday I am running my first 10k.  I survived my first 5-miler; it just seemed like the next thing to do.  It also means that I can try to qualify for the National Marathon in March.  Wish me luck.  This will be the first time I've actually had to run fast...in my whole life... So here's wishing you a lovely holiday season full of family, good food, and (down)hills.

I'm off to Trot in the Turkey Trot.  This will be my first race--which is sad since I've been "running" on and off since college.  It really should be fun, but right now I'm just really nervous.  I'm not even sure why.  If I hate it, I can just walk.  Oh well--now I have to go walk to the start line (how awesome is that?).  See you when I am no longer a racing virgin.  Yippee!

So, I've never been tagged before.  I am supposed to post my fourth picture in the fourth photo file on my computer.   So here you go: I took this at Youth Writer's Camp 2 years ago.  I loved that camp.  I was really involved in the Middle Tennessee Writing Project for 3 years, and this camp is one of the main things I did.  Every summer I spent two weeks helping young writers between the ages of 11-16 to really work on their craft.  More than anything, we just gave them a place to work, time to write, and peers to give feedback.  I learned so much from watching these young writers invest in their own writing.  I always came away with new ideas and a renewed passion for working on my own projects.  PS-- A cat is currently curled up on my lap.  If you know me, you know that I am NOT a cat person.  But this little one just might win me over.  My friend Megan is making a pit stop in my apartment on her journey from NYC back to Nashville.  While here, her sweet cat is making friend

Therefore, lack of water is your enemy.  This is something I was vividly reminded of while doing fartleks tonight. (Yeah, I know.  It totally sounds like a name middle school boys would call each other.)  As I was running my guts out, my lovely workout came to a screeching halt when my body finally realized I didn't really give it enough water to do what I was asking of it.  As my stomach started to cramp, I realized how little water I had consumed today.  So, lesson learned--I will make sure to put more water in before running it all out.  

or at least the debut of my skirt.  So tonight I was spending some quality time with Tim Gunn. (That guy cracks me up--I am currently working on mastering his voice!)  As I'm watching him tear apart and rebuild a woman's wardrobe, I notice he is taking her to my beloved Banana Republic.  (I worked there for 6 months last year.)  I was so excited because I kept seeing clothes I had spent plenty of time with.  And then the coolest thing happened--the girl was wearing my skirt (not actually mine of course--but I had to bust out an "I own that!") on the fashion show "runway."  For a brief moment I felt like a fashion genius.  This feeling will fade tomorrow morning when I stare at my closet while trying to decide what to wear to school (this decision may be heavily influenced by which items require the least amount of ironing...and will be drastically limited by the fact that I can't pick up my dry cleaning until after school tomorrow).

Two posts in one day--clearly I do not have enough to do! Or I'm just really excited about having a functioning computer.  So the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies were a success (if I do say so myself).  I've never cooked/baked with pumpkin before (at least not that I remember), but I will definitely have to spend more time working with fall foods.  I think I would really like to try to be more seasonal in my cooking--taking advantage of the fruits/veggies that naturally grow during each season; it seems like a fun challenge to take advantage of what's out there at the moment.  We'll see how that works.  In the meantime, I have a whole other can of pumpkin to play with!  I am leaving you with a few attempts at taking artsy picks of my Veteran's Day accomplishment.  Unfortunately cookies are not very photogenic.  Bummer! 

You know you are an adult when, on your day off from work, you spend your time taking your car to get new brakes and dropping off your dry cleaning.  I am now heading down to my apartment's office to tell them that the water coming out of my shower smells funny---and no--it's not me...it's the water.  I promise!   But after that I am going to get supplies to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  Now that's what makes a day off totally worth it.  That's all I have to say...

Tonight was a delightful night.  I went to a lovely coffee shop with a new friend--Sarah.  We sat and chatted about life, work, human nature, and the likes over some yummy bruchetta and hot chocolate.  I had a delightful time.  Before we made it to the bruchetta, as we were walking from our parking spot to the coffee shop, we spotted a cake store.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am incapable of resisting cake, so we popped in.  I decided to pick up a cupcake for later--white cake with raspberry icing.  I was especially excited about this particular purchase because the girl working behind the counter reminded me to wait about 10 minutes to eat the cupcake so it would have a chance to reach room temperature--cold cupcakes are criminal.  This kind of instruction made me think these people understand cake!  So...I took my new treat with me to the coffee shop and put it on the table.  We were halfway back to the car when Sarah says, "You got your cupcake, right?"  I simultaneou

Due to some unfortunate events in 3rd period (high schoolers sometimes think they are taller than they actually are and more agile as well...that's all I'll say about that...), I was in need of a new clock. This is how to get a clock: 1. Take clock to the assistant principal's office at the end of your hall. Here you will find you need to speak to someone in the main office. 2. Take clock to the main office. Here you will discover that you need to meet someone at the loading dock. 3. Walk towards loading dock. Realize you are not completely sure you know where the loading dock is. Take clock to the security desk to ascertain where the loading dock is. 4. After the kind folks at the security desk confirm that the people at the loading dock have a clock, head to the loading dock according to your newly acquire directions. 5. Trade in broken clock for shiny, new, accurate clock. 6. Take new clock to classroom. Here you will find that the screw in the wall doesn't like the

So...I'm a girl. Sometimes people forget this, but it's true. I am currently sitting at a fabulous coffee shop/bakery--eating cake, grading papers, listening to good music..and I'll admit it, occasionally eyeing the cute boy sitting at the table across from me. I can't help it, he's cute. I think he might be eyeing me too. But I'm really bad about picking up on clues like that. And even if he was checking me out, how do you make a move on that? The sad part of this story is how little game I have. You wanna know what I just did in response to the cute boy looking at me? I decided to add some of my strawberry lip gloss to my lips. How sad is that? Awe--he's just so cute with his Sunday scruff, blazer, and baseball cap. :) Okay--back to giving my students constructive responses to their thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird .

So, once again, I am starting a new blog. I kind of think blogs should be focused on specific phases of life. Although I do need to rekindle my relationship with vocab words and start up my vocab blog again...oh...right...back to what I was talking about. So I am starting this new blog for a new phase of my life. I recently moved to a new area, started a new job, and am in the process of forming new friendships. I thought this blog might be a good way for my friends from far away to see what's going on in my life. This will also, I hope, give me a place to play with words and thoughts as I head out on this new adventure. The next blog entry is actually old--I wrote it on the first day of school but delayed posting it for various reasons. So here you go...Thanks for reading.

The older I get, and the more I teach, the more I realize that teaching (in its truest form) is a selfless act. I am not saying that all of us are selfless or that every moment we teach we are caring for the future, but I am talking about teaching in its ideal state--what I strive for as I develop as a teacher. I choose to give up my goals in life to help someone else reach theirs. Time I would spend writing my own short story I spend reading a student's essay. I choose to think less about what I want to do and more about what will most benefit my student. Today I had a kid walk out of my class. And the real kicker was that he waved his hand in front of my face as he was doing it. I don't know about other people, but I am a "no touchy" kind of person. I don't like people in my personal space, let alone in my personal space for a hostile reason. So the selfish part of me wanted to call him out in front of the whole class--to humiliate him and let everyone