Bears win! Bears win!
I got to watch the Chicago Bears beat up on the New Orleans Saints today in the NFC Championship game. All eight of ESPN.com's experts picked the Saints to win, and in all honesty, I did not set my hopes too high. However, the Bears defense returned to its early season form and annihilated the Saints high octane offense. I watched the game in the apartment of some Jefferson friends, although they chose to study instead of watch (some claim about it being the weekend before an exam or something...). Sarah joined me for the 4th quarter, and we celebrated together. We'll see how many Philadelphia Bears fans jump on the bandwagon these next two weeks.
Sunday, January 21
Thursday, January 18
Fruit crisis
Have you heard about the major freezes in the West/South? Stock up on oranges! Or start buying more Vitamin C pills. Prices are expected to skyrocket by next week.
Wednesday, January 17
Hodge podge
I've realized that since my master's classes have started, I have done a poor job of blogging. =(
This year I had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day off for the first time in my life! I enjoyed it more than I ever did before, too--and not because I didn't have to teach. Instead, Philadelphia had a "day of service" where the city encouraged everyone to volunteer in their community to make the city a better place. Our school participated, and the city brought a ton of shirts, shovels, rakes, bags, and cleaning supplies in order to help us make our school more beautiful. You can see pictures here.
Tomorrow Brian Mulder, Scott Parrott, and Peter Van Wylen are coming to Philadelphia for the weekend! I'm very, very excited to have them here and to show them around my community. In all honesty, I am a bit nervous. I'm praying against wanting to impress them or to display some image that I'm not. I desire to introduce them to the community I'm a part of now, and I feel some inner need to prove myself or show off Liberti or my schools. May they get an accurate picture of my life in Philadelphia, without any of my doing.
Sarah had an hour-long lecture on types of diarrhea today.
The whole city of Philadelphia was depressed that the Eagles lost this weekend. I was at a birthday party for one of our home group members, and they had a TV setup in the kitchen. At one time, there were about 30 people packed in the kitchen watching the game, and about 5 others in the living room talking. This city loves their Eagles! I rooted for them too and actually felt bad when they lost. (especially now that they won't play the Bears...but maybe that's a good thing for my survival here!)
On Saturday, Seth and I drove out to the King of Prussia mall to see Hope play Calvin at the Fox and the Hound Restaurant. We had a great time! Dan and Krista came with some friends from Princeton, and we all enjoyed HOPE'S VICTORY! (their second over Calvin this year, actually) Randomly, I also saw a few people I knew from the Holland area--a former youth leader from church and a guy I had met at Hope game my sophomore year. Sing it with me now, "It's a small world, after all!"
This year I had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day off for the first time in my life! I enjoyed it more than I ever did before, too--and not because I didn't have to teach. Instead, Philadelphia had a "day of service" where the city encouraged everyone to volunteer in their community to make the city a better place. Our school participated, and the city brought a ton of shirts, shovels, rakes, bags, and cleaning supplies in order to help us make our school more beautiful. You can see pictures here.
Tomorrow Brian Mulder, Scott Parrott, and Peter Van Wylen are coming to Philadelphia for the weekend! I'm very, very excited to have them here and to show them around my community. In all honesty, I am a bit nervous. I'm praying against wanting to impress them or to display some image that I'm not. I desire to introduce them to the community I'm a part of now, and I feel some inner need to prove myself or show off Liberti or my schools. May they get an accurate picture of my life in Philadelphia, without any of my doing.
Sarah had an hour-long lecture on types of diarrhea today.
The whole city of Philadelphia was depressed that the Eagles lost this weekend. I was at a birthday party for one of our home group members, and they had a TV setup in the kitchen. At one time, there were about 30 people packed in the kitchen watching the game, and about 5 others in the living room talking. This city loves their Eagles! I rooted for them too and actually felt bad when they lost. (especially now that they won't play the Bears...but maybe that's a good thing for my survival here!)
On Saturday, Seth and I drove out to the King of Prussia mall to see Hope play Calvin at the Fox and the Hound Restaurant. We had a great time! Dan and Krista came with some friends from Princeton, and we all enjoyed HOPE'S VICTORY! (their second over Calvin this year, actually) Randomly, I also saw a few people I knew from the Holland area--a former youth leader from church and a guy I had met at Hope game my sophomore year. Sing it with me now, "It's a small world, after all!"
Friday, January 12
E-A-G-L-E-S
As a fellow teacher and I talked about today, one of the few words our students know how to spell is Eagles (the popular chant of fans is E-A-G-L-E-S. My middle schoolers can't spell Philadelphia or Pennsylvania, but doggone it, they can support their team!). Seriously, Philly bleeds Eagle green. I'm told that most of the state cheers for the Steelers, but here in Philly, you're in Eagle country. I have never seen so much apparel for a sports team on people. Even today at our teacher in service, four teachers were wearing Eagles jerseys...and they were all women! Amazing. My contribution was to go out and purchase a pennent from the dollar store and put it in our front window. What does it say? "Let's go Philadelphia...#1" So, okay, it's a cheap cop out, but hey, it's a start.
If the Eagles and Bears both win this weekend, they'll play next week! Here's hoping. Maybe it would be better for my teacher/student rapport if they didn't meet. I'd never hear the end of it if the Bears would lose. Good thing it won't happen.
This week has gone by quickly. I took Monday as a sick day to recover from a headache/sore throat/general soreness I felt from skiing this past weekend. Today was a faculty day--no kids. So, not much going on with school! My masters classes kicked into gear, and I'm figuring more on what to expect with them. Plus Liberti had a vision meeting for children's ministries. Good things, and they've been making what would have been a blase week a more busy one.
Hope plays Calvin this weekend. I'm thinking about attending one of the satellite locations!
If the Eagles and Bears both win this weekend, they'll play next week! Here's hoping. Maybe it would be better for my teacher/student rapport if they didn't meet. I'd never hear the end of it if the Bears would lose. Good thing it won't happen.
This week has gone by quickly. I took Monday as a sick day to recover from a headache/sore throat/general soreness I felt from skiing this past weekend. Today was a faculty day--no kids. So, not much going on with school! My masters classes kicked into gear, and I'm figuring more on what to expect with them. Plus Liberti had a vision meeting for children's ministries. Good things, and they've been making what would have been a blase week a more busy one.
Hope plays Calvin this weekend. I'm thinking about attending one of the satellite locations!
Monday, January 8
News for the day
With the rate the Internet is a growing part of everyday life, I think that Internet search requests are an excellent way of assessing the eb and flow of our American culture. (granted, the Web isn't quite equal-opportunity, as many people can only access the Web through their local library). Look at this chart of search terms from Google, Yahoo, and AOL from this year, then compare them to terms from past years. I found it quite interesting, but then again, I am a computer teacher.
In other news, the man who invented the instant noodle died this week at age 96. Maybe I should make Ramen a bigger part of my diet!
In other news, the man who invented the instant noodle died this week at age 96. Maybe I should make Ramen a bigger part of my diet!
Patch Adams
I have a movie recommendation for you: Patch Adams. Sarah received the DVD for Christmas, and she and I watched most of it this weekend. (disclaimer: I haven't seen the last half our of the movie, as our viewing on bus ride was interrupted by the Eagles/Giants playoff game)
The movie was wonderful! Excellent themes about loving others, helping them, caring about individuals, creativity, and independent thinking. I'm excited to see it finish! Perhaps the coolest part of the movie is that it was based on a true story. There are many parallels to teaching in the movie as well, and I posted my thoughts about it on my masters program discussion board.
The movie was wonderful! Excellent themes about loving others, helping them, caring about individuals, creativity, and independent thinking. I'm excited to see it finish! Perhaps the coolest part of the movie is that it was based on a true story. There are many parallels to teaching in the movie as well, and I posted my thoughts about it on my masters program discussion board.
Thursday, January 4
Back in action
Greetings!
It's been a while since I posted. Christmas break is good for that! I had an awesome time going home for Christmas. My family went to visit my whole extended family in Chicago, where I met not 1, not 2, but 3 new second cousins! Scott, Matthew Mahaffey, Christen Van Slooten, AJ Laarman, Chris Marlink, and I had a homerun derby over break, too! the cool weather combined with our brute strength to allow us to shatter FOUR wooden bats! We had one on New Year's Day two years back, and the weather was wonderful for that one too. Gotta find a positive out of global warming somehow, right? =)
I also got to spend quality time with most of my best friends from Hope at Jim Sorge's bachelor party/paintball extravaganza and also at his and Teresa's wedding. I even got to see Sarah at the wedding in southern Ohio/northern Kentucky! The wedding festivities took place over three days--including a New Year's Eve party with the bride and groom! It was the first time I had been with a newly married couple on their honeymoon. Funny...they seemed the same! Guess not that much changes when you're married.
Despite what seemed to be a short break, being back in the swing of things has gone well. I've felt very peaceful and encouraged in the few days I've been back in Philadelphia. The break was refreshing--exactly what it's supposed to be.
Tomorrow Sarah and I leave with 90 other Jefferson students to go to Stowe, Vermont! We got a great group rate for skiing, and I'm excited for it. The current forecast calls for rain the first day, so at least we won't freeze our fannies off. Let's hope it holds off until we leave.
Philadelphia hit 62 degrees today! Same thing on Saturday before cooling off. God must know it would take weather like that to get me running in January. He did!
Here are some selected pictures from break:
The Bushhouse cousins.
The kids at Drury lane.
Bat shrapnel.
Jim wearing the cape Scott Parrott, Andy Huisman, and I made for him.
It's been a while since I posted. Christmas break is good for that! I had an awesome time going home for Christmas. My family went to visit my whole extended family in Chicago, where I met not 1, not 2, but 3 new second cousins! Scott, Matthew Mahaffey, Christen Van Slooten, AJ Laarman, Chris Marlink, and I had a homerun derby over break, too! the cool weather combined with our brute strength to allow us to shatter FOUR wooden bats! We had one on New Year's Day two years back, and the weather was wonderful for that one too. Gotta find a positive out of global warming somehow, right? =)
I also got to spend quality time with most of my best friends from Hope at Jim Sorge's bachelor party/paintball extravaganza and also at his and Teresa's wedding. I even got to see Sarah at the wedding in southern Ohio/northern Kentucky! The wedding festivities took place over three days--including a New Year's Eve party with the bride and groom! It was the first time I had been with a newly married couple on their honeymoon. Funny...they seemed the same! Guess not that much changes when you're married.
Despite what seemed to be a short break, being back in the swing of things has gone well. I've felt very peaceful and encouraged in the few days I've been back in Philadelphia. The break was refreshing--exactly what it's supposed to be.
Tomorrow Sarah and I leave with 90 other Jefferson students to go to Stowe, Vermont! We got a great group rate for skiing, and I'm excited for it. The current forecast calls for rain the first day, so at least we won't freeze our fannies off. Let's hope it holds off until we leave.
Philadelphia hit 62 degrees today! Same thing on Saturday before cooling off. God must know it would take weather like that to get me running in January. He did!
Here are some selected pictures from break:
The Bushhouse cousins.
The kids at Drury lane.
Bat shrapnel.
Jim wearing the cape Scott Parrott, Andy Huisman, and I made for him.
Sarah and me ringing in the New Year.
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