Mother Theresa

Spring

I'm on Spring Break from class at UIC and from work; I feel very lucky to still have built in vacations as part of my job. I suppose this is one of the perks of being in education! I have been indulging in late mornings, lattes, walks with Sadie, and time with friends. As a teacher there is an absurd amount of anticipation for each approaching break: President's Day, Good Friday, Christmas, summer; teachers literally count down the days. When I'm back to work on Monday there will without a doubt be a countdown to our next big break, summer. There is nothing better than the rejuvenation that a break from work brings but it is also a balance to learn to enjoy these vacations and still enjoy each day that leads up to them.

So my house is cleaner than it's been all month, Josh and I have spent some belated quality time together, I've caught up with dear friends, and Sadie is reveling in days outside with me rather than locked in the guest room. On Monday, I'll be bombarded by the smiling faces and hugs of my students accompanied by "I really missed you Mrs. Fosburg" really the best of both worlds!

Oh shoot

As what appears to be a funny joke by Apple, when your iPod finally dies a frowning faced iPode pops on your screen. Hilarious Steve, why don't you just poor a little more salt on the wound.

Awareness Test

Last week I hopped off the el, onto my bike and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some things for the fish and chips I was going to make. In addition to the tartar sauce, cod and potatoes I picked up a couple boxes of mac and cheese. For those evenings when Brooke is at class and it's just Zelda and me.

I quickly made my rounds and hopped on my bike with a plastic bag of groceries hanging from the handle bar. I began to peddle my way home, trying to pay attention to my surroundings, cruising along at top speed, when CRACK! a car door swung open...luckily hitting only my oversized bag of groceries. Crunching a box of mac and cheese while amazingly sparing the glass bottle of tartar sauce. If I had been riding a few inches closer to the car it could have been much worse...which leads me to this. (don't worry, no puking cats)

take a hike

The other day, when the temperature reached 35 for the first time in years, I took a stroll around town with my little point and shoot. One day I will invest in a nice digital SLR but for now I will make due with this and edit the crap out of the shots on the computer. I have learned that these days anybody can click there way into a good photo.

This is the el stop I hop on in the evening (Clinton/Lake). I like the teal color and the tube-like walkways. It reminds me of something that would be in the big, future predicting, Epcot golf ball structure.


More teal. My office building sits atop the Metra station for the western suburbs. Some days, after a week, I think it sure would be nice to be a train conductor. But if I'm being honest, really I just want to wear the conductor hat.


There are a lot of these downtown. Putting things up, knocking things down. This one in particular is building the new modern art wing at the Art Institute of Chicago.



Millennium Park. Howard Roark would be proud

Tomorrow's word of the day? Duck

Really Webster? Wooden? That's the best you can come up with? You have a billion words to choose from and you pick Wooden. Great, building the vocab by leaps and bounds this week. I suggest not letting Pinocchio pick the word of the day again Mr. Webster. Oh, and it's time to let go of the four year olds you have on staff. The writers strike is over.

fight!

Today, the guys at work began forwarding around emails with YouTube links to hockey fights. Big brawls with guys getting their teeth knocked out. People in the crowd shouting. Kids crying.

So, feeling a little left out, I forwarded on my own link.



PS: be sure to watch the whole video

the wachenblog

Our friends Adam and Carrie are having a baby and it's a little girl! Brooke and I are so excited for them and guess what, they have a blog too. So feel free to keep track of Carrie's belly size and Adam's witty perspective on new fatherhood....guaranteed to be a fun journey.

http://www.wachenblog.blogspot.com/

it's uno the beagle day today!

In case you missed it, today is Uno the Beagle Day here in Illinois to honor the pup that won Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club show and yesterday it was Casimir Pulaski Day. I know the latter as "Brooke and her teacher friends have the day off day but nobody else." Day. And this they totally deserve because I will be the first to say teachers have a job more difficult than any other.

Unless it is your job is to lift really heavy rocks everyday, all day, all night. I'd find that tough. But even then, you would have to add a 3rd grader kicking your shins, 5 others breaking all your pencils, and half a dozen more just spinning around in circles bumping into you and everything else in the room...just to be in the ballpark.

in case you forgot

We have a dog and her name is Sadie Squishy Face.

on repeat - bluegrass

Avett Brothers - Paranoia in Bb Major


Old Crow Medicine Show - Wagon Wheel

dr. macintosh will see you now

Two weeks and two visits to the Apple store has given me insight into Steve Job's business model for his retail shop: doctor's office.

Like a visit to your family practice doctor you are advised to make an appointment ahead of time with an Apple Genius. I make my appointments for 5:45pm, this should be enough time to get to the store after a long day of work. But, riding on the bus I feel stressed about not getting there in time: What if they tell me I'm too late? What if they can't see me today? Will my Mac survive? How will I make it through the weekend with this problem?

Walking into the store I hear U2 playing overhead. Impressive pieces of technology are neatly arranged about the office, the shop is spotless and without a speck of dust. An employee is wiping down the stainless steel beam, like an operating table.

It is 5:40 when I walk up stairs, early as requested. A girl is walking around taking the names of those in line, a clipboard is replaced with an iPhone. "Oh hi Josh, the Genius is running just a little behind and your wait will be a little longer than expected."

25 minutes later my name is called. I can now see the Genius.

"Hi Josh, what seems to be the problem?"..."My hardware is making some funny noises when it wakes up and gets started. It randomly crashes and makes another wheezing noise, then I start seeing spots on the screen"..."Ok, hmmm, ok, well, let me turn it over and we'll take a look inside. Now, turn and cough"

At this point, the Genius walks away and is gone for at least 15 minutes. I suspect he is taking a smoke or playing Doom on a PC.

The Genius returns, "The problem was your memory was not seated correctly. I gave it a nice little push and that should clear things up. If not, we may have to schedule a follow up and run some diagnostic tests."

It's 6:45 and I am on my way home, relieved. At least it wasn't a virus.