It's a celebration

A little Kool & The Gang to accompany your Sunday afternoon, ladies and gents.

My dear friend (plus an original road dog) Jamie traveled with me recently to New York City in an effort to celebrate her 40th birthday.  And, as my campus teammates know well by this catch phrase, "Effort Produces Achievement."  We had an absolute ball.  You know you're in a true friendship when you travel with someone and afterward know you can happily travel with said person again in the future.  Thank you for a spectacular time, allowing me to share in your birthday celebration, Jamie!

Here are the top moments, from my perspective:

1. Flying with Jamie on her first ever air travel experience!  That's not something to take lightly.  The older a person is, the harder it is to try something new, especially something like flying - the physics of which never fail to utterly creep me out if I ponder too long...
2. I've been to NYC previously, but Jamie introduced me to Broadway!  We took in two shows, The Fantastiks & NEWSical the Musical. Both shows were off the charts entertaining, and one of the photos below is a bootlegged image taken inside The Kirk Theatre.  Jamie and her clan are community theatre directors, actors, singers, etc., and I jokingly refer to them collectively as the von Trapps.
3. The New York Public Library - another destination I had not yet explored.  Gorgeous!  Vast! Historic!  Regal!  Grand!  Jamie is a librarian and sweetly purchased NYC library bags, with the iconic lion's profile on them, for each of her library colleagues back home.  One of the photos below was taken in a free photo booth set up in the library.  There was also a marvelous children's exhibit that we took in:  The ABC of It:  Why Children's Books Matter.  Did you know that in the beginning days of libraries, children's books were not included?
4. M&M Explosion:  a theatre guest at The Fantastiks brought her own 16 ounces of peanut M&Ms to the show.  In fumbling around, unsuccessfully trying to open the bag, the bag seemingly said, "Oh yeah, you wanna poke around on me, well I'll show you, lady!" and, well, you get the picture.  The theatre barkeep dropped his head into his hands, appalled.  I wondered later why I didn't get up to help clear the candy explosion, but thinking back, neither did the M&M launcher herself.  Well all just silently watched the M&Ms roll about to varied destinations on the lobby floor.  I watched the barkeep retrieve the vacuum cleaner, thinking that plucking the candies off the floor by hand would be much simpler, but then I watched, mesmerized, as the barkeep sucked up each M&M, one by one, with the vacuum attachment.  Place, suck, ping.  Place, suck, ping.  Place, suck, ping.
5. Little Italy.  Always a favorite.  I'd like to spend more time in that area in the future, explore the museums there, check out the streets off of Mulberry, take in more hearty Italian food and people watch.  One of the photos below is of a gal walking her Standard Poodles in Little Italy.
6. Miscellaneous:  "Stop with ya horns!" - NYC traffic cop, yelling (justifiably so).  "We're trying to take off, here!"  - Heather, teacher command voice, directed at a passenger still using his cell phone, after a weather delay.  "I'm just a gay boy in Times Square, don't be afraid of me!" - a gay boy in Times Square, handing out NEWSical the Musical flyers and sensing that I was steering Jamie away from what I was just sure was merely another tour guide sales pitch.  I'm glad he said what he did - to capture our attention (and Peppermint Patty Laughs) because it was the motivation we needed to decide upon which show to see that day - and it was stellar! "Gimme that other ten!" - jazz musician on the streets who earned a sale from Jamie, upon seeing she had more cash in her wallet after she paid him for his CD.  To which Jamie replied, paraphrasing, "Hey, I have five kids to feed, you got your money from me!"
7. Gyro from a "roach coach."  Delicious meal.

Some photos:

New York Public Library photo booth

Above:  post office

Above:  parade, reason for parade, unknown

Above:  Chinatown

Above:  lunch on patio in Little Italy

Above:  lunch location

Above:  Mulberry Street, Little Italy

Above:  Little Italy pooches

Above:  I really like these lights seen in some of the subway platform areas

Above:  Children's annex at the public library

Above:  genealogy research area of library

Above:  Jamie, in the library children's books exhibit

Above:  Jamie, taking a photo of Dean & DeLuca (Jamie just finished watching all seasons of Felicity)

Above:  Jamie, with New York's finest

Above:  Jamie and Heather, at The Kirk Theatre

Above:  best little accidental stop in New York City.  Beer Authority Bar & Grill, and fun patio band

Above:  mailbox

A weekend send-off

1) For students, parents of students, and educators:  http://fedupwithlunch.com/ It's a blog written by, I believe, a teacher who accidentally arrived at school one day with no packed lunch*** and was prompted to buy the cafeteria lunch for fuel.  The blog, I think, chronicles a year long journey of observing what is served by our nation's school cafeterias as she intentionally bought cafeteria lunch each day, for the remainder of that year.  I by no means dig at the cafeterias themselves, as they must comply with federal and state laws in their daily menu offerings, while wrestling a bone dry public school funding stream.

2) This photo and its highlighted information will tickle anyone who has supervised in any capacity a wily toddler simply not interested in staying in bed:

3) This photo, I believe arranged by a secondary school classmate of mine, is innocent animal humor at its very best.  As an animal advocate, I wholly approve of this 8 second engagement:

***Beware of photos the blogger logged, if you're weak of stomach.  Also, for those who are well aware of my school day lunch preparation failings, I will just say this:  my food organization flunky status did lead me to one of my dearest friends and golden humans, Ms. Sharby/Tharrrrby Jo.

Barkaline

You can thank my clever and kooky Mudda for that term.  She coined it when I mentioned that Char and I should start compiling dog waste, produced by the 3-6 dogs present in our home at any given time, and use it for alternative fueling.

In other news, in case you missed this one ---> A colleague's response to my mention that I have a student named God in one of my classes:

"...And I thought I was special because I had Beyonce and Shakyra in my class."

I hope you enjoy this commentary from a precious childhood - and - now - precious - adult - close friend:

“I had to run to Wal-Mart at lunch today and I must say it was the most entertaining trip I have had in quite some time. In fruit and veg we have the sweet little lady with a handicap whose cart died and she can't get herself out of the cart. She had others assisting her so I went on my way as they were trying to figure out how to "help" her. Then I was entranced by the married couple who decided the meat section was an ideal place to have an argument. As I make my way from dairy I run into the young mom who has her 5 year old strapped into one of those car seat apparatuses that are built into the buggy. I mean this kid couldn't budge. The kicker was her (I am guessing here) 6 month old was sitting in the buggy seat chewing on the buggy handle with nothing to hold him in. No seat belt what so ever, just slobbering away. Lastly I get to the check out where there are gobs of folks at the bank. There are black and pink balloons and a big sign that reads Happy Birthday, etc.. The check-out lady informs me the bank is 15 years old, and as she is finishing her sentence out walks one of the very pregnant employees in a tight fitting hot pink prom dress, with a big crown on her head. As I was leaving the parking lot my thoughts were this: only in Palestine, and, how much easier it would be to find salad dressing if the bottles were on the shelf in alphabetical order...”

Lastly for today, are a few images that struck a banjo chord with me this week, including what I feel is one of THE best photos of Mr. Green, ever.  He is super photogenic of course - hmph - but this one, where he is seen with Fuzzy Cakes, our sixth foster success, mesmerizes me.  You be the judge of which is Mr. Green and which is Fuzzy Cakes (A. Brim - I'm still thanking you for that laugh.).  One of the images below will tickle those of you who are sisters in second-hand shopping with me.  

Enjoy your Sunday, folks!

I don't always request friends to vote on a random school fundraiser website...

...but when I do, it involves my school, money, and Target.  Please click here if you're inclined. No log-in is required, and feel free to vote - as they do in Louisiana - often: http://givewith.target.com/school/15789