Dangling My Feet into Saturday

[totally ripped off a student there - she did a great poem about what it feels like on Friday afternoon, waiting for the clock to hit 3.30pm at school]

So, Friday was ok. Period 1 I was with my Year 13s, trying to model how to propose a topic for a feature article. I'd had two Year 12 girls come in the day before for us to interview and we were seeing what we'd do with them. One is in the Wellington wrestling league (that's WWF styles - no kidding!). She was really interesting to talk to. The other one has started writing and singing her own songs.

Then I had one of my Year 9s, and quite of few of them were away so it was a cute little class. We did jigsaw-poems where they get a jumbled up list of words and have to make a poem out of them (much like fridge-poetry magnets). They were so nicely behaved that I sat down and figured out a few poems of my own (one about a lady sitting by her husband's ashes and another about a man giving a scarlet orchid in a box to a crush, and then getting rejected and smashing it up). The pesky childrens kept coming up to my desk proudly to show me their poems and interupting my creative flow though....

Then I had a non-contact and had two intersting phone messages to reply to. The first one was from some Health Dept looking into whether the indoor netball teams that played on Sunday had the same virus that a bunch of kids had gotten from the playground downstairs (and subsequently been shut down over). The second was from a TV reporter, from 20/20 or 60 Minutes (I forget which one) whose daughter is in my Media class and who volunteered to come in and talk to us about journalism. Sweet! I'm all for high profile guest speakers.

Then, lunch-time was Film Club. My two leaders have instigated a tradition of having turns bringing snacks. One of them secretly revealed to me that she was bringing afghans. She has this kinda unselfconscious enthusiasm and the way she whispered the word with this wide-eyed look made it seem like you couldn't ask for a more magical snack. And they were good. She promised to bring me an especially big one... which she did. I jokingly said to put a giant 'K' on it with cornflakes or something, so she did. Though, she improved my idea by making it 'KJ' and doing it out of silver balls. It was episode two of 'Donnie Darko'. We're having to watch in installations.

Then..... a fairly standard Media 200 class then watching 'A Bridge to Terabithia' on DVD with my class last period. Sweet end to the day!

As usual on a Friday, a small crew of English-ish teachers headed to the Tasting Room. Then, it was back to school for basketball duties. The Senior B lost but the Senior A won handily (they are 3-1, and in the top division so that bodes well).

Got home about 9.30pm and watched the tail end of American Idol with Reidun and Kyle. Then we watched that show where they have answered lie-detector questions.... we are becoming slightly addicted to that.

Today me and Reidun went up the coast to kite fly on Raumati Beach. It was fun.


I bought this brooch at a second-hand store. I like the curvy swirly bits.

I bought these two wee limited edition prints at a craft shop in Raumati. It had a bunch of little prints I would have loved to buy. Some with insects sketched, some with native trees sketched.... This is a makaka and a fucshia.

The End.

Marmite Sandwiches.

Pecha Kucha.

I liked my Pecha Kucha experience. I am looking for opportunities to force my brain to take in new stuff. There were 12 speakers. A couple of them wouldn't have passed Speechgiving 101 in NCEA ..... and thus we were glad of the 6 minute time limit. At least we had pretty pictures to look at (and they changed every 20 seconds to accomodate our short attention spans). The other 10 were all varying degrees of interesting. I liked the guy who talked about designing fonts the most. He was a pretty funny speaker, straddling a nice line between arrogant and self-mocking. He's designed fonts from scractch that are commercially used.... and stunned me with the actual number of 'glyphs' (letters, symbols or numbers) that you have to design for a complete type-face.... Somewhere over one thousand, if it's got bold, italic, bold-italic, small caps etc.........

I decided I could marry him, because he was funny and fonts are cool. On stage he appeared good looking (for a font geek). I thought as a courting gift he could make me a set of fonts based on my handwriting. That'd be cool! It would have to be my writing when I'm using a really good pen. That makes a differnece. To me, that would be about the most romantic present ever.

But at this point I will note that Reidun and I decided to flag the 50 minutes of mingling at the beginning, and to go shortly before the presentations began. Apparently (as the flustered seating-guy told us) they had been told to accommodate 90 or so people and ended up getting closer to 150, so they were having to haul benches out into the back of the theatre, behind the pillars..... We had what you would call 'partially obstructed' views. Reidun could only see the speaker if she leaned into me, but at least there were big pretty slides projected onto the wall.

Anyhow, I saw the font guy closer up later in the night and decided I would not marry him. He was this close and didn't even know it. Also, when me and Reidun went out for some fresh air (and cigarettes for her) I saw him talking to a blonde font-groupie. I had competition.

I also liked the commercial photographer who showed us pictures of them erecting the 55 wind-tower thingies up north somewhere. And the guy who did an interactive art installation where you went into a full covered (dark) bouncy castle type thing (made in Levin!) and had to creep across a crevace at one point.... and the only way to get across was to grab the hand of an actor (which mysteriously pops through a hole in the wall - like in a horror movie). If you don't hold the mysterious hand, you fall off the ledge onto a bouncy bit. And this was all set up so that people had no idea what was in the installation and had to go in alone. I like that concept that it's a solo experience.

As a side note, Pecha Kucha uses viral marketing....... and I noticed on my site-meter that someone from that site had checked out my blog on the day I talked about it. I am now recognised as part of the virus (unsuccessfully, as nobody who viewed my blog came along.....). I felt a bit odd about that.

Basketball.

We had two games of basketball tonight. The second game was kinda in slow motion. It was odd. It might not have helped that in the hour long gap between games we all had a pack of lollies each (one of the ladies in the team was selling them as a fundraiser for a kindy). I may have been on a post-lolly-low. I could actually smell my own sweat, which is rare. But on the plus-side, I scored a decent amount of points in both games. I have low expectations (on offence) and was pleased to get about 8 points in both games. In the first one I went on this odd roll of hitting jump-shots from the top of the key. Swishes. I was in some kinda zone. In the second game they were mostly from offensive put-backs. The game we sat and watched between playing was painful - 45-2 (and that 2 p0ints was in the last minute and a half). And, even given that scoreline, the team that was up actually put on a full-court press for most of the second half. That's cruel!

I am New Zealand.

I walked into the Costume Cave on Friday afternoon at 4pm. I had decided to not be a stick-in-the-mud (aka Sam-type) and that instead I would go tot the costume dance at school in the true spirit of the theme, Around the World.

I walked in and explained my situation, and the always enthusiastic lady there was doubly-excited because there was this gem of a kiwi-flag dress that there had been no takers for. She accessorised me with red gloves and a stole and I went as a kinda Lorraine Downs Miss NZ figure.

I got the coveted award for 'Best Dressed Teacher'. I now proudly own one Gold ticket to Readings as my prize.

I needeed help getting OUT of the dress, which could have proven tricky..... because the person who laced me into the corset had done a double knot. Hard to undo on your own....

Kite Flying

Me and Reids are joining the Mighty Kites (anyone seen that Scrubs episode? Season 3, episode 11). She got introduced to kite flying by her friends and has now purchased two large kick-ass kites of her own (1.5m and 3.5m). She took me for a spin with the little one today. It was fun. Kinda cathartic. You just fly the kite and kinda forget about everything but yourself and the kite and the wind for a while. I see what she enjoys about it.

She is a kite-evangelist and is keen to introduce more people to kite-flying if you're interested. Sounds like the park by St Pats in Kilbirnie and a park on the Esplanade in Petone are the top-notch windy places with lots of space for enthusiasts.

Update:

Went out again today (Sunday) with Sam and Damon in tow. Petone was a no-go, so we headed up to the abandonned school up in Maungaraki. Perfect! I love the 'whooosh' sound the kite makes when in full pendulum-like motion. I started off roughly, putting a few dents into Bumble and making Damon fear for his life as I dive-bombed the ground..... But got the hang of it as winds picked up. I still feel a little like I'm trying to tame a wild mustang...... Reidun, on the other hand, looks like she and the kite are as one in a blissful zen-like state. Sam and Damon, being more aerodynamically minded and having greater spacial awareness than me, caught on quite quick. You would think that my name (Kate) being only one letter away from the word 'kite' would give me some kind of advantage.... a kinship of sorts.... but, no.

* * *

On being newly single.

[blather deleted]

I'm ok with it. Feeling very much myself! [don't read any unintended inuendo into that]

Because I am my Father's Daughter

.... I shall detail some food events of my own (see my dad's pudding commentary below).

I have started to delve into the world of soup-making. I have always found this a mysterious and foreign thing. Why would one need that much soup? Soup is kinda yucky. It's slimy and full of vegetables (I have flashbacks of being the only one of the family who would not be served a helping of Mum's perennial favourite homemade-vege-soup as I stubbornly made the crabby-face any time it was pushed my way). But having gotten into the habit of buying packet soups from the fridge at the supermarket (not the tinned soups - I had a bad experience with one of those a year or two back and can't stomach them now), I have a newly awakened appreciation of soup. I discovered a delicious tomato soup, even. This has never been something I was fond of.

Anyhow, on our weekend tour of Levin, Reidun, Marty and myself discovered big pumpkins for $1. They decided to buy one each to make soup with, and I (not liking to miss out on things) got one too.

Then I looked up a recipe on the internet for carrot and pumpkin soup (beings as I had some carrots in the fridge) and away I went, after getting advice from various sources. I even put in my own home-grown parsley (part of my holiday plant-buying spree).

And it was nice.

I had it for lunch every day last week, in my specially bought tupperware containers. With two pieces of Vogels toast. I enjoyed it very much. Even more so because it was the fruit of my labour. It was quite a thick, sloppy texture, but that made it ideal for mopping up with the toast.

My most favourite bit of the whole process was using the blender-wand thing to turn it all into mush. My least favourite bit was the endless chopping up of pumpkin. The whole process produced a pleasingly low amount of dishes (I do not like dishes).

So tonight I made some leek and potato soup. I don't like it as much. It's green and slimy. Apparently that is the usual consistency of it. I actually don't think I like this flavour much, come of think of it. But it seemed the logical progression from pumpkin. And leeks are cheap. Is it actually anybody's favourite flavour???

My second point to make is that it is perfect weather to buy (or bake, if you're so inclined - I am not yet into the baking as it is not as fail-safe as soup-making) date loaves. Yum! With a bit of butter, it makes the perfect buddy for a sweet cup of tea. Pak 'n Save makes a good one.

Also, I have resorted to a favourite winter treat of buying a three-pack of Sante bars to stir into my hot drinks and lick the melted chocolate from. Mmm.

It is no longer salad weather.

I shall put on my winter layer of fat.

That means the skirt I have worn to work twice this year, due to having bought it over the summer with the genuine intention of losing 5kg at some stage which would have meant it would fit just right, may never fit me ever again (I wore it today and had to take tiny little lady-steps for fear of ripping the seams).

* * *

On a different note again, I bought the sound-track to Juno and am rather enjoying the 'Anyone else but you' song that ends the film. I can now play it on the guitar because it only has two chords...... Jolly nice! My students from the FC (Film Club) tell me the singer is actually black, which is very surprising.

FC will be watching 'Across the Universe' this week. On the down-low. It's going to be a word-of-mouth club that only cool kids can join (by our own definition, in which cool=quirky). At the moment, to not overestimate the popularity of the FC, it is just me and two students. But we talk fast like the Gilmore Girls. It's a fast-talking club. Slow-talkers need not apply. Future requests at FC include 'Donnie Darko' and 'Amelie'. I shall also force them to watch 'I am Not Scared', which they will love (they always do!). It's art-house all the way, baby. If only 'Magnolia' wasn't R18 I would show them that (but just watching the first scene with Tom Cruise reminded me of why it is R18, given the reckless abandon with which he uses the 'c' word).

Kate is short for Bob

My hair sure does dry a lot quicker now. That's a bonus.

* * *

Today with my Year 13 Media Class I had my first day of term holiday-media-report-back lesson. We talked about films we'd seen, grind-house, the Austrian guy and why we were fascinated by it, the Obama-Hilary race and how it's been covered and the sympathetic view of psychopaths in 'Dexter' and how that links into the current state of mind. That kinda lesson will not get them any credits in NCEA ... but is always fun.

* * *

I'm gonna invest in a kick-ass heater this winter. I'm sick of being cold in stupid old Wellington flats. I bought two new heaters last winter but they're both pretty useless.

* * *

Tomorrow is bagel-breakfast at Wholly Bagels. Yum.

School Night

Tonight is a school night - gotta get up early tomorrow. As per usual, I have put off all school work that could have been industriously done during the holidays until today. I shall take on Reidun's attitude of just accepting my procrastination patterns for now, rather than trying to resist them. They are semi-functional!

* * *

Tomorrow lots of people will likely comment on my new hair-cut. It is rather shorter. I am hoping for comparisons with Katie Holmes (because we have the same name anyhow - and I will even settle for a 'poor-man's-Katie-Holmes' comparison), though I only really got the hair-cut because I had a bob in Standard 3 and 4 and quite liked it, looking back at the photographs. There are few haircuts that suit my thick hair! And straighteners help it suit even better :)

I went to the hairdresser and said, "I'm thinking of some kind of bob...." and at that point he took over and said, "I think that would look a-mazing on you!" and starting gesturing his hands about indicating how long it would be and said to just leave it to him.....

At this point I got nervous.... especially when he cut the first bit of hair at the back and it was up to the bottom of my hairline (which he tidied up with clippers at the end). Eek! It was like a scene from Edward Scissorhands where hair was just flying around and the hairdresser seemed to get some euphoric pleasure from it. My face may have been frozen in fear.

Might I add that I do not look at all attractive when in the middle of a haircut, wet hair sticking to face and starting to form cow-licks and bright lights highlighting the bags under my eyes. Luckily my hairdresser is not one for small-talk (which is why I keep going back) and just let me watch in horror rather than trying to engage me in inane chatter to mask my shock and distract me from his destruction of my hair.....

Anyhow, by the time he finished I was.... still not sure about it. Hairdressers insist on showing the finished product without letting you put your hair behind your ears, so it frames your face in this rather dramatic and un-natural way..... Oh, and he gave me a fringe. Ever since high-school where I had The Fringe (which I realised the faults of in later years) I have mostly avoided such things. But before I could open my mouth to protest he had gone from shaping the sides of the front to snipping me a fringe in one fell swoop without any warning.

Once I got home and inspected it properly.... and experimented with putting it behind my ears.... I liked it better. A good change, anyhow.

I shall now be trying to appeal to that minority of the male population that likes freakishly tall girls with short hair......

* * *

Thanks to Ant for cooking us (me, Cass and Ange) dinner last night. We played Buzz and Singstar while he toiled away in the kitchen. He pointed out that we are perhaps better at Singstar (or at least more tolerable) when drunk. Or perhaps that was when the audience was drunk. Anyhow, we were quite terrible and I do believe there is video footage out there to prove it which may be used against us at a later date. At any rate, I proved time and again that rap is not my genre. I still don't even get how Singstar scores a song with rap in it - I felt like I was doing a good job with Summertime, then it kept telling me I was 'awful' and 'bad'. Harsh judge!

Honey, the new puppy, kept jumping up on me and Ange. She got cuter when she tired out and just sat on the floor at my feet shaking my hand (it's one of her two tricks). I got her to shake my hand five times in a row before she tired of it.

* * *

I have learnt two new songs on the guitar, for the first time in ages. I forget how fun it is! I learnt 'New Soul' (the song from the Apple ads) and 'Hey There Delilah'. Both very easy.