Sunday, August 19, 2012

Sunday Stealing: Our Players' Meme

Ah, Sunday Stealing, it's been awhile ... The bonus of doing a regular weekly meme is that it gives you some really interesting ideas for future blog posts.  Oh, and it's a great way to wake up on a Sunday morning while you drink the requisite coffee :-)  

1. You have been awarded the time off from work and an all-expenses paid week anywhere in the United States. The catch is that it must be somewhere you have not been before. Where do you choose to visit? 
Somewhere in the south, where I've never been in reality (other than driving through on the way to Florida as a kid) but have been extensively through literature.  Is South Carolina what Pat Conroy and Anne Rivers Siddons made it for me?  And how about Alabama, where I grew up alongside Scout Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird?  

2. Name three of your guilty pleasures.
Coffee, cheeseburgers, and reading.

3. The best kind of Girl Scout Cookie is:
Tagalongs.  Oh my gosh, I can put those things away by the box ... I am not buying ANY Girl Scout cookies this year.  It never ends well ...

4. What do you value most in other people? 
Humor.  Even if you're an asshole, I'll find some sort of redeeming value if you can make me laugh.

5. Be honest. Do you sneak some raw cookie dough when you’re baking cookies?
I don't cook, but what I have been known to do is worse.  Yeah, you know the pre-made cookie dough they sell at the grocery store?  I've been known to buy that for the sole purpose of ... well, not baking it. Haha, I don't think I've ever admitted that before ;-)

6. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise?!

7. What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever visited? 
I think it would have to be Bar Harbor in Maine.  I love my little tiny slice of New Hampshire ocean, but seeing the ocean in Maine surrounded by mountains and forests, and the water is this unbelievable shade of blue, and it is just the most beautiful place ever.  

8. Are you more of a thinker or a feeler? 
I feel first and think later.  I do both equally, but it's more of a sequential thing with me than with many people, I think.  It's something I'm working on ... not a great way to be.

9. Name three things you are thankful for right now.
My family, having a job I love, and coffee.

10. Have you ever participated in a three-legged race? 
Haha, yes.  It was a drunken college thing.  It did not end well.  (I seem to say that a lot...)

11. When you are at an event that plays the National Anthem, do you place your hand over your heart?
This is going to sound really stupid, but I didn't know you were supposed to.  The Pledge of Allegiance, yes.  "The Star Spangled Banner"?  I thought standing and removing your hat were sufficient to show respect.  Since I've started attending more events where this comes up, I've started placing my hand over my heart because half the audience does, and I don't want to look disrespectful.  However, I'm still not sure if this is right or not ...
 
Second meme: 

12. What kind of work do you do?
I am a high school English teacher.  That means I'm a psychologist, a psychic, a clown, a philosopher, a referee, a coach, a technology expert, a cheerleader, a warden, a facilitator, and about a hundred other hats.   

13. During the course of your lifetime, which job or career has been your favorite or most fulfilling?
Teaching, no question.  Of course, the other options include things like wearing the rat costume at Chuck E. Cheese's and working third shift at Cumby's, so it's kind of a no-brainer ;-)

14. Do you think it’s necessary in your life to have a day-to-day “career” that is meaningful and service-oriented or do you function better in “just a job” with a steady paycheck?
Absolutely.  If I didn't love my job, I would certainly find something that paid better.  I discovered last year that I made more money bartending than I do teaching, which is scary.  Teaching is far more than a job to me, and the stories you collect are just amazing ... even better than the ones you get while bartending.  

15. Was there ever a time in your life when you wanted to stay home with your children instead of working, even if it meant less money in the household?
Of course ... although I still think I am a much better mother because I work.  It makes the time I have with my girls a hundred times more valuable, plus dealing with kids all day makes me appreciate them more.  I have really enjoyed this summer, actually, since I've gotten to spend a lot of time home with my kids ... where Addie basically asks for money to go out with her friends and Belle's incessant chattering begins to wear thin after awhile to the point where I direct her to the television (I'm exaggerating, of course, but I've found that it's not exactly all it's cracked up to be)

16. Tell us your worst boss story.
I have to plead the fifth on this one.  Make sure to read my memoir when it comes out, though ...

17. Have your ever been the boss?
Not the BIG boss, no way.  My skill set is not exactly suited for being a boss.  I'm great at being a high school English teacher, so why would I want more than that?  Some of my colleagues are all about going back to school to get certified as administrators, and I am honestly puzzled by that.

18. What is your dream occupation?
A published author.  But "high school English teacher" is the ultimate fallback :-)

13 comments:

  1. I guess I didn't know you were a high school English teacher. Great, now I am going to be worried about my many grammatical errors each time I post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, don't worry ... I think your grammar is fine (consider that my freshmen provide an interesting basis for comparison ;-))

      Delete
  2. I'm always impressed with people that work as teachers, it's not something I could do and I am truly grateful that there are people out there wanting to do it. Especially when they're like you sound like you are; truly enjoying it! You are making tomorrow's heroes :)

    Have a great Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Teaching is fun if you let it be ... it's incredibly challenging, but the humor and pleasure definitely weigh it out.

      Delete
  3. Your cookie dough answer made me smile. I thought you'd like this link. A friend had it up on pinterest a while ago. What you wrote reminded me of it.

    http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/05/cookie-dough-for-preggies.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think you don't have to hold your hand over your heart but it is a bit more respectful to do so. I guess it's best to do it just in case. If I could visit any place in America I think the south would be interesting. Depending on which part it is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. charleston is a great place to visit in the south!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been known to also buy pre-made cookie dough for the same reason. :-) Your secret is safe with me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I hate memes, but this one caught my attention (must have been the raw cookie dough). I had no idea you were a teacher! :) I have been to bar harbor, and must say it is incredible. My favorite so far though is a tie between Marathon Fl (the keys in general) and Pompeii. One has natural, unspoiled beauty and the other has historical solemn beauty. In the end though, there are so many more I'd love to visit...

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've always said that you write way too well not to get publishedd. Hope all's well... :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. When I bake cakes, I always make more mixture than I need to so I can east it raw. YUMMY!

    ReplyDelete
  10. My favourite teacher of all time was my high school english teacher!

    ReplyDelete

Are Minorities Discouraged from Taking Upper-Level Classes?: The Elephant in the Room

As a public school teacher for sixteen years, I sometimes feel like I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen Standards come and go (and despite the brou...