Friday Faves: Lucky Friday the 13th Edition

I'm getting older.

I like how we cope with aging with yearly celebrations complete with gifts.

Four weeks ago, I saw this fortune cookie pinned to Pinterest.  I immediately repinned and following the link to an Etsy store:  Christina Kober.  I told my husband about it, and he came up with the fortune pictured above for my birthday gift.

Isn't it perfect?  And gorgeous?  Aren't I a lucky woman?

So fitting for a runner.  Ridiculously fitting for a runner like me.  Surprisingly applicable to more than running.

I may be getting older, but I am also getting wiser.

I may also be more affable and charismatic in my advancing age.  Observe:  A student made me cupcakes!

Mother Nature didn't neglect my birthday either.  She was a little late with the delivery, but she delivered some one "hail" of a storm.   

Hail yeah!  Even with the storm damage, it was another great week.

Friday Faves: Thankful for Spring Break Edition

This has been a very needed week of rest and rejuvenation.  In addition to celebrating my eleventh wedding anniversary with a proper date, I've read books and watched movies and played words games for smart people and laughed with the kid.  

Nice weather means that I am putting on the Vibrams more often.  I forgot how much I love these ugly looking shoes.  Here they are at the tennis courts.  My son is going to try to be the next big tennis player.  I tried to think of a name of a famous male tennis player and all I have is John McEnroe and Andre Agassi.  Clearly, this ages me.

Bird on a wire during my Wednesday run.  I'm trying to run to maintain my fitness.  In mid-May, I will start on like six months of training.  I'm trying to take it easy for now because I won't be taking it easy come training season.  So I have these lovely run with no purpose other than to maintain my fitness and allow me to eat more calories.  I happened to have my phone with me so that I could listen to podcasts on Stitcher.  I snapseeded the heck out of it and a drab picture suddenly looks as if I could sell it canvased on Etsy for $25.  

And it REI dividend time!  I know that you are curious as to what I would spend my dividend on! The answer:  

Socks!  I love Injinji.  I don't understand people who don't understand Injinji.  Also COMPRESSION socks!  Squeezy.

And another pair of overpriced but amazing Chaco flips.

Friday Faves: "I'm not Irish ENOUGH to celebrate" Edition

One of the drawbacks of social media is the fact it has lead to what I like to call conspicuous parenting (slight nod to Thorstein Veblen).  I will not lie.  I know that I have participated and probably will in the future.  It is simply what is done.  St. Patrick's Day is tomorrow.  I lamented to my husband that I felt like a bad mother because I have no plans to do ANYTHING to mark the holiday tomorrow.  Others on Facebook seemed into the spirit for the sake of their kids.  Not me.  There will be no leprechaun footprints.  No gold coins.  No rainbows.  No crafts.  No cabbage.  No beer.  

Well.  

Maybe I can arrange for beer.  

In sharing this with my husband he says, "We're not even Irish.  We don't celebrate."  I then pointed out that while I am not Irish, his Native blood has been spiked with some rogue Irish grandparents on both sides.  He then said, "I'm not Irish enough to celebrate!" 

I found this exchange delightful.  I love my husband.  He can be very charming.  

In face, earlier in the week he saved a bad day from certain disastrous melancholy by bringing home a bag of old postcards that he purchased at a flea market.  This look into the past stirred some strange longings for a simpler time.  A time when the post office would deliver a post card with only the name of the recipient and a town.  No address.  No street.  Simpler times.  But then after perusing what was written on the cards, I realize that these postcards are the old timey version of Facebook and/or Twitter.  I realized that humans have always had this need to share the minor details of their lives with others.  One hundred years ago it may have been news of the cow having milk fever.  

It is like Tobias Fünke's ancestor wrote holiday card copy.

Simply frightening.

Text:  Trimmer, Cal.
This may give you some faint idea of the sort of looking object who
writes to you--and also a hint as to who told me about you.
Excuse scrawl--Have an injured hand.
Kindest regards,
Alan

The front of Alan's card:  "No. 2 Yours truly"

But my favorite moment of the week was watching my son read from The Hunger Games and choose with his own free will to ANNOTATE THE TEXT with his thinking. 

I 

am

so

proud.

Interacting with the text.  heck yeah and stuff.  

  

Friday Faves: Eve of ANOTHER Presentation Edition

Good grief.  I must be hot stuff.  Another presentation gig tomorrow.

In looking back over this past week, in seeking my faves, I see nothing.

Only this.

And my unexpected discovery of a word problem for English:

You interviewed three people for your research papers on pineapple abodes.  First you interviewed Spongebob Squarepants on Leap Day of this year.  Then you interviewed Patrick Starfish the following day.  Just yesterday, you were able to secure an interview with Sandy Cheeks.  Write the works cited page for this.  

Friday Faves: Motherhood in Full Effect Edition

My general weekday experience:  Wake up.  Get ready.  Rouse child from bed.  Rouse child again from bed.  Rouse child yet again from bed.  Physically remove child from bed.  Return to room and physically remove child from bed.  Drive kid to grandma's.  Converse en route.  Drop off kid.  Commute.  Work.  Work.  Work.  Work.  Try to sneak in a bathroom break.  Work.  Work.  Work.  Work.  Question sanity.  Work.  Realize that I need to drink more water if I am going to run.  Work.  Work.  Try to sneak in a bathroom break.  Drive home.  Change into running clothes.  Realize something isn't charged like iPod or watch.  Run anyway.  Become victimized from random honks.  Run.  Shower.  Observe kid's karate class.  Face palm.  Drive home from karate.  Converse en route.  Homework Battles:  he with third grade assignments; me with grading.  Greet husband upon his return.  Dine.  Read.  Worry.  Worry.  Worry.  Sleep.

Therefore, my weekdays tend to blur together.  Imagine the above paragraph sans spaces and punctuation.  That's my Monday morning through Friday afternoon.

There were a few highlights this week.  Most involved my kid.

Fantastic Car Conversations
One morning car conversation involved my son asking me how he could know if a girl liked him.  I enjoyed those ten minutes immensely.  It was a wonderful little moment that will not likely repeat.  You only get those kinds of questions for the first time once.  For the record, these were the answers that I gave him to that question.  He rejected each.

1. You can never know if a girl truly likes you. 
2. Fine.  Send a friend to one of her friends and to ask if she likes you.  

Arts and Crafts:  Boy Version

Picture says it all, I think.

Hunger Games Book Club

Eight daring teens joined the Hunger Games Book Club and we discussed Part I of The Hunger Games after school.  It was a joy to hear these kids discuss books--not for a grade, not because they had to--but because they wanted to.

I had a moment during my reading time one night.  I designed this T-Shirt on Customink.com.  The back says my last name above a large number 12.   Going to wear it to the next book club meeting if it arrives on time. 

  

Surprising Awards

Sometimes I wonder, usually during training runs, what my boy will grow up to be.  I was listening to the Nerdist podcast featuring the interview with Conan O'Brien, and I had an epiphany.  O'Brien, in talking about the creation of his humor style, mentioned the dinner table as his first sort of place to experiment in making his father and brother laugh.  I saw my son in that comment.  

I'm not claiming that my son will be the next Conan O'Brien, but he definitely is the type of kid who purposely attempts to get a laugh out of people.  

This means that he generally doesn't impress the teachers.  His humor isn't always appreciated come multiplication time.  

He's never been Student of the Month.  He likes to remind us of this fact after every Awards assembly.  Last month, he informed me that he has not earned Student of the Month 35 times.

Today was the Student of the Month assembly and my boy took home the award.  The school failed to tell us, so my husband and I couldn't attend the assembly.  I'm saddened by not being able to see his face once he heard his name called, but in the end, this is about him and not about me.  

Finally.  He is Student of the Month.  It is likely he'll never be again.  His humor is getting more purposeful and blatant.  I'm seeing more detention in his future. But today, he gets to feel like the school system is proud of him.  

Applebee's for dinner.  His choice.  The large bucket of sangria helped me get through.  

Mother-Son Drawing Time

The bargain books section of the local Barnes and Noble had a copy of Illustration School:  Let's Draw Cute Animals.  It sounded like a worthy plan.  I bought the book and the kid and I sat down to learn to draw cute animals.  

I like his platypus best. 

My version of a cute koala! Let's call her Sheila!

I have no grown-up presentations this weekend that require professional clothing.  That was the previous weekend and that will be next weekend.  This weekend I have a long run and a date with a nap.

Divine.

Friday Faves: The-OMG-When-Did-I-Become-A-Grown-Up-Presenter-Consultant-Type-Girl? Edition

Tomorrow I have to wear fancy grown ups clothes.  Heels will probably be required.  I have a three-hour presentation in front of 30 people in my field.  I'm, I suppose, somewhat important.

Downton Abbey.  I'm upset that I resisted for so long.  I love this show. Thank goodness for Netflix and the PBS app on the iPad.  My iPad become my TV friend for many hours this week while I dived into the lives of the Crawley family and their servants.  I so want a happy ending for Anna and Mr. Bates.  I'm not quite through Season 2.  I have until the 6th before PBS yanks it.  

My husband took photos of me on the Vespa.  This is 2012 after all.  I must obsessively record my life.  I love my little orange Vespa.  

Lastly, I love Evernote and Dropbox.  I plan on using both with my phone during my presentation tomorrow.  I love having my presentation in the palm of my hand while it is projected behind me. Today local university.  Tomorrow TED?  

Friday Faves--The Weekend Arrived at a Snail's Pace Edition

It seemed like the longest week ever for no discernible reason.  The promise and perceived future ecstasy that comes from a three-day weekend slowed the week down.

Saturday meant another day hanging with The Writing Project.  I love those people.  One of my favorites distributed fortune cookies.  Mine delighted me to no end.  I giggled.

Sunday brought a PR.  I have to Instagram it!  I adore Instagram. 

On Valentine's Day my son brought home the best story.  I'll bullet it for posterity.

• My husband allowed him a small spray of cologne for Valentine's Day. 
• My son was jumping rope at school.
• The object of his affection ran in and began jumping rope with him face to face.  
• My son's male friend grabbed the jump rope and ran.  
• My son caught up with the rope thief and said, "Why did you have to ruin the moment?"
• In retelling the story to his father and I, my son said, "She must've been attracted to my scent."

Then the next day, this popped up on his door. 

My kid is the best.  

I've been relaxing on the couch at night watching television.  I've been waking early and getting to work 45 minutes early all week.  This means falling asleep early.  I feel old.  My precious Paul decided that he wanted all eyes on him.  Nathan Fillion looks shocked. 

Friday Faves

TypeDrawing:  I love this app.  It lets me add words to pictures, thereby opening up some awesome opportunities for concept and vocabulary development for my students.

Today's Run:  I had a Category-5-Call-FEMA-It's-A-Natural-Disaster Migraine on Tuesday.  Wednesday and Thursday meant a lingering aftershock of a headache.  I was out of running commission for three days.  Getting out to run today was so good for me.  It was a little tough, but I was just what I needed after the week of work related stress I endured.  I did some intervals.  It felt right.

Flipboard:  Good gravy!  I love this thing.  I really love this thing.  I love waking up and going to my Flipboard to check on news, iPhoneography, social network happening, and what not.  The future is here and it is so much better than what Jane Jetson had to deal with.  I have a certain degree of autonomy and don't have the deal with the misogyny of the Jetson world.

Pinterest Find: Singin' in the Rain is my all time favorite movie.  I found this on Pinterest. I must have it.  I'm ready for love!

Last, but certainly not least:  My first ride on the Vespa.  I'm in love. I'm also the Queen of the Dorks.

Friday Faves

I'm heading out of town early tomorrow morning for business.  I'm procrastinating and delaying the pain of packing.  I've been inspired by Graham Hill's TED Talk called "Less Stuff, More Happiness."  I'm determined to pack as minimally as possible.

I was forced to play with Play-Doh this week.  Forced!  Worse--I was observed playing.  So I opted to be as twisted as possible. 

I made this!  It's a beauty.  Croque-Madam.  A poached egg makes everything more amazing.  Gruyere is worth the extra money.  Oh my, is it!

My new arm warmers came in the mail.  Lovely things.  Completely lightweight and orange.  

Now if only, I could get that orange Vespa, I've been desiring.  What an orange dream that would be!

I really hope that my whirlwind conference down in SoCal will inspire me and give me new faves to share.  

Friday Faves

I need to focus on the good and delightful more often.  So each Friday,  I will sum up the best of the week.  

Tuesday was freezing.  Twenty-three whopping degrees when I took this picture.  I tucked my hair into my coat's collar which I had to put up in order to stave off the uncontrollable shivers.  Yay for cold days that let me bust out my coat.  This is the first time that I've worn a coat in ages.  

I'm on this quest to figure out how to tame my hair.  Somehow I did something different or the weather was just right so that my waves cascaded in this amazing way.  I had to take a picture because my natural hair NEVER.  LOOKS.  THIS.  GOOD. 

I had an unexpected excursion into an area where SHOES ARE NOT ALLOWED.  Check out how fortuitous my sock choice was that day.  All of the other karate moms were probably so jealous.  Injinji's are superior for running, but when you are not amongst runners, cute socks are better.  

The bestest, most favoritest moment of the week?  The little man passing his karate test and getting his first belt.  He also earned the Most Improved Award.  It's about time.  The poor kid needed some uplifting moments.  And this one, he earned!  

Oh hey!  Is that a meal?  Yes.  And I made it.  I don't make anything.  Ever.  I am quite clumsy in the kitchen.  I never really liked cooking.  But Pinterest is changing my attitude towards food.  This is called a Baked Egg Boats.  It involves some of my favorite things:  bread, eggs, and cheese.  

All in all, a solid week.  My husband had stellar Friday as well.  A haircut and a motorcycle license in ONE DAY!