tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9232750349666332292024-03-12T18:33:49.816-07:00Looking Forward and Backmsprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.comBlogger1151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-10824238567298186462024-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:002024-02-19T13:07:08.242-08:00Testing, testing...is this thing on??February 17, 2024
My students had to transition this week to a new platform for submitting their work. They are dual enrollment students, so they had to interact with and submit an essay to the community college platform, instead of the usual Google Classroom platform. After my first few students came in and reported issues with logging in and 'finding' the right place to go, I decided I needed to devote class time to ensuring students could navigate the site. Mind you, we already did a trial run a couple of weeks ago and I made sure everyone could access Canvas. Nevertheless, students were struggling, so I scrapped part of my planned lesson and backtracked to offer support.
In addition to devoting classtime, I also published a flier of Google Classroom with step-by-step instructions, and gave them reminders about how to navigate regular issues students were having. In class, I projected the flier and talked them through the steps. Still, I had students with issues.
--Ms. L, it still won't let me login. It says I don't have permission.
Me: Are you going to the webiste address on the flier, or another address? (She was not going to the website on the flier.)
--Ms. L, it says it doesn't recognize my user name! But I'm using my I.D. number!
Me: Which I.D. number? Remember that I said you needed to use your college I.D., not your high school one, since this is the college platform? (He was, in fact, using his high school I.D.)
--Ms. L, when I log in, it takes me to a page that's not our class!
Me: So, when I said when you log in it will ask you to update your communication preferences before you move on, this is that page. (It literally says, "Please update communication preferences before advancing to the next screen.")
--Ms. L, I have to put in all that information?? It takes so much time!
Me: It's verifying your name and email contact information. You can handle that.
--Ms. L, now that I logged in nothing happens!
Me: See the icon that says 'Canvas'? The one the flier tells you to click on? Click on it! (The icon wasn't even hiding from her; it was right out there in the open, just patiently waiting for her to click.)
--Ms. L, can I just email you my essay instead? I tried to upload it, but it says it doesn't recongize the file.
Me: I told you you can't share from your Google Drive, because this platform doesn't talk to Google Drive. Did you download the file as a doc or a docx so that you can upload it to the site? (No, he hadn't.)
--Ms. L, I DID download it, but it says it won't accept it!
Me: What kind of file? Is it a pdf? (Yes, it was.) Remember how I said NOT to download it as a pdf, because it would only accept doc or docx files? (She did remember. She just didn't think I meant it.)
Most of the time, the intelligent, diligence, and knowledge of these kids is impressive. On a day like this, however, it's a little less so. This is not to say I don't have those days myself--we all do. But the collective troubleshooting ability was definitely not functioning at its highest level. My only saving grace is I am sure it saved me from about 90% of the panicked emails I would have gotten this weekend without taking that time in class.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-57286167542771833862024-01-14T14:54:00.001-08:002024-01-30T19:52:16.033-08:00Leslie LeavesJanuary 14<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div></div>For the past several weeks, Brianna and Leslie have been staying with me while Bree had the opportunity to work remotely. Of course I was thrilled with the idea of getting to have Bree with me, but I had my reservations about Leslie. She is the happiest, friendliest little dog, but also pretty needy and occasionally anxious and nervous. And the hair! Let me tell you, one thing I have not missed about having a pet of my own is the hair everywhere. (Truth be told, I shed hair constantly. There is hair at my house. But at least I know it's mine when I'm living alone and I only have myself to blame for it.) But Leslie? That sweet puppy is a hair-making factory! Once she got here, though, she just endeared herself to me even more than she normally does. She's a cuddler and super playful, and I enjoyed having her here more than I knew I would. She mostly had the run of the house, but my room was my oasis, so at least I could have one space that was (mostly) pet hair-free. That was enough of a boundary for me. Leslie and I bonded quite a bit on her visit--she loves me and I love her. Today, as her mom wraps up her time her with me, so does Leslie. She has her own personal driver to take her back to Seattle--Leslie doesn't do well with flying, so she will not be airport-bound like her mom. This is our goodbye-for-now, but I will definitely miss her sweet happy greeting at the end of my workday each day. It's going to be an adjustment for me for sure!msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-15843845187040665442024-01-13T15:30:00.000-08:002024-01-30T19:58:58.880-08:00First Books of 2024January 13, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>I set my reading goal at 30 books this year, an increase of two books over last year. These were the first two entries for 2024. I enjoyed parts of both books, but didn't fall in love with them. I am also trying to do better about not holding onto to books I don't absolutely love when I read them, so I am currently trying to figure out just who I believe I know who will enjoy these next so that I can pass them on. It it really a lot of fun to play book matchmaker.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-29565573361993115272024-01-12T21:08:00.000-08:002024-01-30T21:34:20.913-08:00FridayJanuary 12, 2024
We went back to school this week after two weeks off. I actually love the first week back in January because I spend time with my students reconnecting and reestablishing community, as well as giving them a workshop on goal-setting, which many of them find really useful, since it focuses on something much more concrete than the 'goals' most people usually create. (For example, instead of saying I want to eat healthier, which is vague and general, saying for the month of January, I want to eat at fast food restaurants only twice a week.) They actually always tell me this whole lesson I give them on goal-setting is really beneficial, plus it's a pretty engaging and low-stakes way to ease back into our school year.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-24680000365932463642024-01-11T14:53:00.000-08:002024-01-16T21:08:25.975-08:00NextJanuary 11, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Before break, as I always do every year, I asked how many of my students had families who make tamales at Christmas time. We live in the valley, so I often have several students who make that part of their family tradition. I told them, as I always do, that I would not be sad if someone decided to bring me tamales as a Christmas gift. Sadly, no tamales appeared before the break. After break, however, one of my students brought me some, and I cannot even tell you how excited I was! Lunch that day was delicious, homemade tamales. Thank you, Rebecca!</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-74008810951671388062024-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:002024-01-16T20:56:57.601-08:00One of My Least Favorite Tasks at WorkJanuary 10, 2024<div><br></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In addition to jumping right back into work with a four hour night class on Tuesday, I also started off my week back with yard duty in the morning and in the afternoons. Nothing like standing out in the cold to supervise students who are too cold to stick around and start any trouble. I do have this pretty view, at least, and I don't think it's supposed to rain until the weekend. It could be worse. (That doesn't mean I don't detest this task.)
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</div><br></div><div>First day back to school. I knew it was going to be a long day, but I still don't think I was ready for it. I took on a night class again this semester, but instead of two nights a week for two hours, this class is one a week for a four hour stretch. (This was not my choice; it's the only class that was available this semester.) That makes for a really long day after working my day job all day! Since we have been off for two weeks for Christmas vacation, it really felt like jumping right into the fire the first day back. However, my class size seems reasonable and the students seem like they are going to be a good group. I just hope I can keep up my momentum throughout the semester! Since I'm a silver-linings kind of girl, I can at least look at the bright side and be thankful that I am only giving up one night a week this semester. But today? Y'all, my feet hurt! I have been on them ALL DAY.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-88258984281034108522024-01-08T19:44:00.001-08:002024-01-16T20:43:51.717-08:00A Visit to Sacramento January 8, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Since Mia was in town on Sunday/Monday, we decided to make an overnight trip up to Sacramento to visit Rafe's brother Josh and his family. We were able to go to a local brewery and listen to some live local bands, and spend time playing, laughing, and talking with Beka, Josh, and the kids. It was a quick turn-around, but totally fun!</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-9188196484682595242024-01-07T15:20:00.000-08:002024-01-14T15:26:56.877-08:00Trying to Get Back in the Writing GrooveJanuary 7, 2024
I love to write--really, I do. When I write something good, that I'm proud of, it gives me such a strong sense of satisfaction. However, I'm not good about carving out time to write. Sometimes I can't figure out what to write about, and sometimes, I feel my writing is only for me, but mostly I struggle with balance--my job, travel, reading, my family, my friends, my boyfriend, exercise, experimenting with cooking--all of these things are important to me and deserve my time and energy. Writing does too. I just need to do a better job of being intentional about how I spend my time to make sure I devote time to all of the things that are important. My goal is to write at least two chapters of a book I'm working on within the first six months of this year, and to write on my blog at least five days a week as well.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-17160366706941092282024-01-06T11:39:00.001-08:002024-01-14T15:14:19.421-08:00More of this PleaseJanuary 6, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>We spent New Year's Eve day sitting around a fire, talking and just enjoying the feeling of having no place to be and nothing pressing on our to-do lists. While we can't have that all the time- of course there will be papers to grade and laundry to be done sometimes- I'm striving to carve out more of these days in 2024 for us.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-1612646540875365292024-01-05T15:02:00.000-08:002024-01-14T15:12:00.305-08:00Binge-Watching BridgertonJanuary 5, 2024
I'm late to the party, but since Bree has been home with me AND she's been telling me for MONTHS that I need to watch Bridgerton, we decided that would be a perfect binge-watch for the two of us. While I was home for Christmas break, just breezed through both seasons, plus the off-shoot, Queen Charlotte. Such a fun series! The accents made it a little tough for me so we used subtitles, which I know bugs some people, but it doesn't bother Bree and I think I catch so much more of the dialogue this way. I feel like I need to get the books and read those, as well! There's another season coming soon, so obviously we'll watch that one when it comes out. Unfortunately she'll be back at her own place by then, but I think we can remote-watch it togeter. Can't wait!msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-25811342573134606732024-01-04T21:44:00.001-08:002024-01-04T21:45:17.975-08:00Thursday Night Social Hour January 4, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Since Bree is still on her extended stay with me, we decided we needed a social hour get-together with Mo. It is just a wonderful feeling when your daughter is old enough to become friends with your friends. Talking, laughing, eating, and drinking together with these two brings me all kinds of happiness, and I am here for anything that brings happiness to me and to others. If we aren't actively seeking that in our lives, then what are we even doing?</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-19230124384477944062024-01-03T18:26:00.001-08:002024-01-14T15:12:55.649-08:00Life Is Better When You're LaughingJanuary 3, 2024<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>This is the perfect house-warming gift from Carrie and David, with whom I have spent many long days and late nights in love and laughter.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-67501464999452154792024-01-02T18:06:00.000-08:002024-01-02T18:06:14.502-08:00EmbraceJanuary 2, 2024
For the past several years, I have chosen a Word of the Year for myself--a word that would be my guide. This year I have chosen Embrace. I plan to embrace all that I am--my strengths and weaknesses--and to celebrate that self while striving to better myself. I can acknowleged and embrace that which I need to work on and still accept myself. I also will continue to embrace those people in my life who have been my strength and my support by giving them time and my full presence when we are together. I will embrace new opportunities, and embrace lessons that come my way. I have a tendancy to embrace that which is good and positive in others, but I am not always quick to give myself that same grace. That's one of my goals for this year--to allow myself to embrace and acknowledge and celebrate the positives about me. msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-65766312638973481722024-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:002024-01-02T17:57:38.074-08:002024, Here I ComeJanuary 1, 2024 <div><br></div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div></div><div>Six years ago, I had no idea that there was already set in motion a series of actions that would completely alter the the trajectory of my life. Ultimately, when everything came to light I was faced with a future I couldn't begin to fathom, so clearly and wholeheartedly had I envisioned the years ahead which shattered into unrecognizable and irrecoverable fragments. It sounds dramatic. It was dramatic. But at this time six years ago, I had no idea what was coming.
Since that time, much has passed--personally as well as globally. In addition to gradually reimagining what the future could hold, we as a society endured the pandemic, which also changed the landscape of what all of us thought our world could look like. Together we weathered that unfathomable storm as well, and came out the other side a little worn, a little wiser, a little changed. But okay, as it turns out. Many of us came out stronger, more resilient. We had the opportunity to reconsider priorities and shifted our perspectives. We allowed ourselves, eventually, to see our way to a better future.
This is where I find myself personally now, as well. Having had to re-examine everything I believed my future would hold, I realized that my future still holds the core of what I believed it would have. The shape of it is different; when I imagined my future I imagined very specific details which no longer hold true. But the path still holds love, truth, acceptance, and beauty. I came out of my own personal storm a little worn, a little wiser, a little changed. But I also came out of it knowing that I deserved the future that held love, truth, acceptance, and beauty. And seeking it, I have found it. And the life ahead of me is one I look forward to more than I ever have. On the other side, I am more than okay, and my future ahead is better than I dreamed it would be.
</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-88776252709166374622022-07-12T00:19:00.000-07:002022-07-12T00:19:32.970-07:00Random Questions in the Midnight HourJuly 12, 2022
We encounter so many people and experiences and opportunities in our lives. Some of them are one-time experiences, some are destined to be short-term--a person or opportunity that serves a vital role, but then moves on, and then some become permanent fixtures in our lives--vital, inextricable, parts of our future. How do you know which is which? How does one change a mindset from assuming a person or experience is temporary, with the possibility of becoming permanent in the future, to assuming that something has now become a permanent part of one's life--stable, dependable, deeply ingrained as part of the fabric of our existence? When do we become that for someone or something else?msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-57771066114414205172022-03-29T09:04:00.001-07:002022-03-30T09:16:15.501-07:00Bree is Coming Back to the West CoastMarch 29, 2022
Brianna decided a couple of months ago that the East Coast life is not for her. As her mama, I am not at all sad that she'll be moving back to this side of the country, but more importantly, I am very happy that she is making a career decision that is going to serve her skills and desires. It is just as important to be reflective enough to recognize what you don't want to do as it is to understand what you do want to do. She came to the decision that continuing to pursue studying law would not be fulfilling for her in the long run, and she has chosen to move forward in her previous career path. I am so glad she chose to make that change now, rather than continuing to try to make something fit just because she started down that path, and then finding 20 years later that she regretted that life. Changing your path, or quitting something because you realize it's not for you is not a failure, but rather a sign of reflection and maturity, and I am so proud of her for her choice.
Next week she'll be heading back to Fresno for a week or so, then she'll be headed up to Seattle to reunite with her former roommate and bestie, Kaci. They'll be sharing an apartment again and working at the same place (albeit different departments). I am thrilled that Seattle Children's Hospital will be her new home as she begins her new journey as an Executive Coordinator in the Office of the CEO. Hooray for new adventures (and a much closer flight to Mom!)
msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-25330203551292353192022-03-28T14:33:00.001-07:002022-03-29T16:56:03.431-07:00Well, I Didn't See THAT Coming...March 28, 2022
Like a lot of people I know, I love to watch the Oscars every year. I love the glamour of all the dresses and unique suits, the love letter to the art of film and the craft of story-telling, and the speeches that never fail to make me cry. The past couple of Covid years gave rise to unprecedented changes to the ceremony, like it did to nearly everything else. This year, I was looking forward to a return to a more normal Oscars.
Initially, it felt like it was going to be just that. There were some beautiful moments, there were some humorous moments. There was the celebration of movies that made me want to plan a movie marathon in the near future. And then...
Chris Rock came up to present, and he did his brand of humorous banter. Topical, a little edgy but relatively tame, appropriate for the audience and moment. And then he turned his eye and wit to Jada Pinkett Smith. His flippant joke referenced Jada's medical condition, alopecia, about which she has recently spoken publicly. She has struggled with hair loss and has made peace with it, it seems, and showed up looking positively regal and beautiful at the awards show. Chris rock saw her sitting near the front of the stage, and took his shot.
Will Smith appeared to laugh at the joke at first, but Jada did not, and immediately after his initial reaction, Will Smith quickly and boldly strode on stage and slapped Rock across the face, hard. On live, national television. It was so surreal that at first it seemed it had to be staged. Rock's reaction, as he carried on after Smith stormed off stage, was professional but he was clearly stunned and rattled. Smith continued to rail and rage from his seat before the show continued on as before. Smith would later accept his Oscar with a tearful apology to the Academy, to his family, and to the other nominees, among others. Chris Rock was not among those who would receive an apology on the stage (though it would come a day later).
There's a lot to unpack here. First of all, although comedy does push boundaries, it is a particular brand of meanspiritedness that seeks to find laughter at the expense of those with medical conditions or issues about which they have no control. Chris Rock says his joke was in reference only to a movie, rather than her condition, but her condition is the thing that made Rock reference that particular movie (G.I. Jane). I don't buy it. You want to make fun of people's choices? Sure. But a difficult medical condition? Not okay. And honestly, even though Pinkett Smith had made a post about her acceptance of her new look on Instagram, that doesn't make it public fodder for someone's amusement. Her call, not anyone else's.
That being said, Smith was absolutely out of line. I like Will Smith. I always have. His every-boy charm is one of the things that make him so relateable and charming for so many people. So this side of Smith was so out of the norm that his behavior was shocking. It would have been shocking from anyone, of course, in that arena of general goodwill and decorum, but especially so for Smith. Everyone in the room collectively gasped. Even when he won his Oscar twenty minutes or so later, and he issued his tearful apology, it lacked what it really needed to garner a true acceptance--accountability. He apologized, was shamefaced at his behavior, but said he was doing it to protect his wife, his family. He chose to excuse his behavior by justifying it, couching in terms of loving his family. He wanted to be a beacon of love, a model of standing up and protecting those who need it. But no, Will Smith, one does not become a model, a beacon of love by assaulting someone. That does not a beacon of light make. That does not justify the actions. To be a true model is to act and speak in love, which is much harder to do with those with whom you disagree. I do not mean to imply he should have sat impassively by while he felt his wife was being attacked, but there were many other ways to handle it. To address Rock man-to-man after the event, or back stage, and for him to demand a public apology from Rock at the event would be one way to handle it. To have made his point deliberately, openly in his acceptance speech and to denounce that kind of mean-spirited 'comedy'. I know he didn't know if he was going to win, but it certainly would be a possiblity. He could have made some public commentary (as he did subsequently) through his social media, which would of course have a wide and far-reaching audience. His behavior was inexcusable.
Lastly, I am appalled that Smith was allowed to remain in the audience after the assault. He should have been escorted out. I can think of very few others in that room who would have been given the same sort of grace in that moment. I am guessing many people thought it would be too awkward to figure out on the fly how to address his potential win if he had only minutes before been removed for his behavior, but that is not reason enough to look the other way at a physical attack. If they were worried about lack of decorum and awkward recovery, Will Smith had already crossed that bridge. He was allowed to save face because it was too uncomfortable to have to address it outloud, and that is no reason to close one's eyes to an assault.
In the aftermath, both Smith and Rock have come out, most assuredly with the help of their publicists, to make public apologies, as they should. Calmer heads are prevailing, and they are each owning their poor behavior and choices. Certainly some of the apology is an attempt to regain their status as affable, loveable entertainers, rather than pure, true contrition, but it's a start. They both played their role in sullying what might otherwise have been a beautiful and momentous night, and they will both have much work to do, publicly and personally, to regain what they lost on Sunday night.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-8890581111554810022022-03-27T14:07:00.001-07:002022-03-30T08:33:30.877-07:00Play Ball!March 27, 2022 <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Last week I was out of town for Rafe's first baseball game of the season, but this week I was able to go watch. I don't love watching baseball on T.V., but live and in person, I can definitely get behind. (It doesn't hurt that he looks cute in his uniform!) We were out at the Roosevelt field, which unfortunately has no bathrooms and no shade. I'm going to have to keep that in mind for the next time we go out to that field. It is a lot of fun to watch him play, as well as to listen to their banter during the game. It will be even more fun as I start to get to know who all the players are. One of his teammates has a wife who comes to the games, so we hang out and chat during the game, which is great. The only down side to Sunday's game was that although there was a bit of a lovely breeze, the sun was shining brightly which means that by the end of the three hour game, I had developed quite a sunburn on my shoulders. I'm going to have to remember to bring sunscreen to future games; it's not going to get any cooler out there as we move into summer.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-14134588563076519792022-03-26T17:16:00.001-07:002022-03-30T08:33:06.705-07:00Fresno Foam Glow RunMarch 26, 2022 <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Danielle pointed out to me that it's been since she was in high school the last time she and I did a Color Run together. (She has since graduated from college.) I didn't realize it had been that long! I think in the past we have done 4 Color Runs, and they have always been a lot fun--vibrant, loud, energetic, and of course, colorful. I also like that the runs (I should put 'runs' in quotation marks, since I do not run the full 5k--there is very definitely a lot of walking involved, too) give back to the community here in Fresno. The ones we have done in the past have benefitted Valley Children's Hospital, which I am all in for.
So when I saw an email not long ago about an upcoming Foam Glow run, I asked Danielle if she would be back in Fresno during that time and if she'd like to do it with me. She was game, so I got us registered. Well, let me tell you, this event was definitley NOT run by the same folks who organize a good Color Run. It was out at the fairgrounds on the horse track at night. This was because, presumably, there would be glow-in-the-dark foam throughout the course. Nope. Turns out, when we go to a color run, they provide the color that they shower down on us as intervals as part of the fun. Here, they had five stations set up around the (very poorly marked, and mostly not paved) 5k path. The stations had two towers each of suds that rained down in soapy streams of pretty standard white foam that slid right off the body--no staying power. Also, it was not in the least glowy. There was nothing that glowed in the dark except for the glow sticks of the people who had purchased them on their own to bring to the event. (There was nothing indicating that we should do this on the website or in the registration. I assumed there would be something about the Foam Glow event that did, in fact glow. I didn't know I had to provide it myself!) Each of those tower stations had tiny speakers that meekly played a slightly thumping beat that faded out of earshot about 20 paces past the towers. No water stations along the way, and no humans helping to direct the zig-zagging path. The huge dance party at the finish line? It was nowhere to be found. The organizers and the DJ's hyping the event and making sure things were fun and ran smoothly? I saw literally one dude at the starting line, portioning off the runners so we didn't trample each other out the gate, like a herd of wild horses on the track. That was it.
That being said, Danielle and I have a habit of snark and sass, and this provided a perfect opportunity for us to provide running commentary that at the very least amused us. As Danielle said, we make our own fun wherever we go, and this was no exception. Recently I said that sass was the love language between the two of us, and it was definitely in full force at the Foam Glow run. Not much foam, almost zero glow, but lots of good bonding time between my kiddo and me. No regrets.</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-13753353822242445402022-03-25T11:57:00.002-07:002022-03-29T12:04:55.788-07:00Oscar Contender: Movie NightMarch 25, 2022
In my quest to see as many Oscar nominated films as possible before the Academy Awards (at which I will fail miserably this year), I wanted to have a movie night tonight. I have only seen West Side Story so far, and we were limited to what was available for streaming. That left us with Don't Look Up as our option tonight. I invited Rafe over to join Danielle and me for dinner, and then we watched the show. Honestly, JenniferLawrence, Leondardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Jonah Hill were all very good in this film, as one would expect them to be. It was a pretty strong social satire, albeit quirky and odd. I enjoyed it, as did Danielle and Rafe, but I also suspect it was too non-traditional to take away Oscar gold on Sunday night.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-79334974727198850232022-03-24T14:59:00.001-07:002022-03-25T16:05:11.062-07:00My Boy VisitsMarch 24, 2022<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In addition to getting to see both of my girls this week, Nicholas also came home on his days off. That's a trifecta!</div>msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-22358711261841037182022-03-23T15:58:00.014-07:002022-03-25T16:03:43.757-07:00Hanging With DanielleMarch 23, 2022
Danielle's spring break is this week, so she's off from teaching and decided to come home and spend the week with me. Sadly, it is not my spring break, so I don't get quite as much time as I would like with her. Wednesdays are my long days, since I teach at night in addition to my day job, but I still told her if she didn't mind eating late I would make us dinner and we could hang out after class. I set something up in the crockpot so that I could spend less time in the kitchen, and so that a lot of it would be ready by the time I got home from class. We dished it up and curled up in front of the t.v. to watch the live-action version of Aladdin, with Will Smith, and then we watched tik toks together. I feel bad for her because she's been a little sick on this vacation, but even getting to spend quiet relaxing time together was really nice.msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-15824945119173656462022-03-22T15:01:00.002-07:002022-03-25T15:58:08.392-07:00Girls' NightMarch 22, 2022<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div>Girls' Night</div>
Tonight we were supposed to have dance class, but we have been trying to schedule a Girls' Night Out for a long time now, and our night schedules are making it nearly impossible! I teach on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Francie teaches on Mondays and Thursdays. I've been a traveling fool on the weekends, and Tuesday night is our dance class night. Mo graciously offered up that we could skip dance this week and just go have a cocktail together. (Ha ha--Mo was not sad about missing class. She's a trooper, but it might not be her favorite thing I've ever dragged her to.) Anyway, we needed to catch up and give updates on what's happening in our lives, which is a lot right now, apparently. You just can do that in counts of eight on the dance floor!msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-923275034966633229.post-58294474945930534072022-03-21T15:46:00.002-07:002022-03-25T15:53:39.655-07:00Cherry Blossoms Around the NeighborhoodMarch 21, 2022 <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Cherry blossoms around the neighborhood</div>
Before heading out on the plane, we took Leslie out on a walk in the neighborhood to check out the cherry blossoms that D.C. is famous for this time of year. Flowers were everywhere!msprimadonna67http://www.blogger.com/profile/04987221270784648882noreply@blogger.com0