You would never have these happen at a suit & tie job

On Wednesday, during homeroom (my advisees are now seniors) , one of my advisees, Ryan P., was rocking out on his portable CD player. Not an Ipod mind you. We could hear the music blasting out of his earphones. Someone asked what it was and Ryan answers without any hint of irony or humor or whatever says "The new Russian National Anthem". We were all like WHHHAAAAATTTT. It turns out, the ENTIRE CD that Ryan was listening to was anthems of the world. Of course we all wanted to listen to the new Russian Anthem which the majority of my advisees, and I included, was a letdown after the grandeur of the old Soviet Anthem.

Yesterday, Thursday, we all file into the the regularly scheduled 10:10AM all school meeting. After the crowd settles down, the curtains open and we see one boy on drums, one boy playing an electric guitar and two boys performing their self-written Hanukah rap. This rap was up their in quality with Adam Sandler's Haunakah Song that is now a staple around the holidays.

And today, oh Friday December 10th, 2004, will forever be a dark day in music history. It stems from the policy that I have with my students that if they are tardy to class, they can choose to sing a song of the classes choosing to have me not report the tardy. It is always a source of high comedy until it happened to me. Last week, I walked into my infamous/beloved A-Block Geometry class after the bell had rung. Nailed!!! So the students chose my song to be Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman". Well, the CD they brought for me to use as my backup music didn't have that song, I instead I ended up singing "UP!". The mental images you have? Worse.

Weekend in Monterey

This past Saturday, I spent the entire day attending seminars on the Asilomar grounds while attending the Northern California Mathematics Teachers' Conference. I tend to find that if I get nuggets of information and knowledge, I am pleased. This year, however, look what I made...

A 20-sided polyhedron (called an icosohedron) made from 4 paper plates

You can't beat that. After the conference, I stayed down in Monterey and hung out with my Lakeside friend, Colin B. Colin moved to Monterey last year to take a job that is a "perfect fit" for what he wants to do and to improve his resume. He lives in a complex that is right on the beach and you can hear the waves crashing right from his living room. How cool. He and I took a drive up the coast to Santa Cruz to hang and have dinner with Carlos. Carlos and Colin, from two very different parts of my life, hit it off. It's great when friends hit it off. We had dinner, and then drinks at The Dakota.

This morning, Colin and I hung out, I took a walk on the beach, we had brunch in downtown Monterey and then walked along Fisherman's Wharf. It was a beautifully clear, crisp day. It's too bad I had to get in the car and haul myself back to SF and all the work that is in front of me.

Final Thanksgiving Memories

Alas, I know that this posting and these pictures are a week late, but that's what happens when one's computer dies and needs to be fixed. I have lived this past week without my laptop and at first I felt naked, but I grew accustomed to not having it pretty quickly. It's back in my possession, but hmmm, it's still acting up. I hope it gets me through the next week.

Anyway, on my last day, family Chen was scheduled to the hilt, with everything planned and car trips coordinated. Until right off the bat, my Dad's Mercedes decides not to start. Apparently, the fuel injection system crapped out. Luckily, I had my AAA card with me and so got Dad towed to the dealership. He was so impressed the the AAA service, I got him a membership for Christmas. Gotta love the easy and useful present for Dad.

Mom, Marl and Dad pushing the Benz

The Benz on its way to the Mercedes dealership

After the Benz was delivered to the dealership, we all took a jaunt down to "Gingerbread Lane" to view the winning design in the gingerbread architecture.....Zimmer Gunsal Frasca's (Marlene's firm) prize winning representation of Rockefeller Center.

Rockefeller Center in Gingerbread and candies

My last day in Seattle had Marlene and I eating Pho at the #25, splitting the cable at my grandparents house, me getting a haircut (a good one too) and then hanging with Vickie as she and I drove out to Monroe to see and have dinner with Dean. A fun visit, to say the least.