Students Must Get Bored Without Toys

For those unaware, I have been on occasion teaching a class or two at a local university that is also my alma mater (I guess I've officially been accepted as faculty because lo and behold I've even been listed on their website).  I had some business to take care of at school yesterday so after my day job, I picked Lil Bit up from her grandparents' house and we headed to school.  She was eager to see where I taught as she understood I was a teacher of big kids.  (She has made her own declaration that she wants to one day be a teacher, but a teacher of small kids and not big kids).

We walked over to the new Art Building where I hold class and looked at the classroom...a large room with stadium style desk seating and a large white board and projector screen at the front of the room.  We walked in and she looked around; I could see the disappointment on her face.  She had formed her opinion of the room and that was that, she was ready to go.

Later that evening as we were preparing for bed she asked me, "where do they put the toys?"  I asked her what toys she was talking about and she clarified that she was asking about the toys for my classroom, inquiring, "don't the big kids get bored?"  I laughed, of course they do...that's why they play on their phones half the class.  I mentally took a step back and looked at my classroom through the eyes of a four year old whose experience with school was preschool, a place where there isn't an inch of space not covered in a colorful and fun manner.  I told her that my kids didn't get toys in school...she couldn't hide the unmistakable expression of sympathy on her face.  She promptly spoke up and said, "I'll sell you some of my toys so the big kids can have something play with at school."  I again had to laugh, it was such a sincere and kind thought (and have I not already paid for those toys?). I of course told her it was a good idea and she should tell me which toys I could buy.  She pondered and decided she couldn't really part with many of them and said, "I can sell you one toy and the big kids can share!"  In the end though, she decided she couldn't part, just yet, with any of her toys and the big kids will just have to be bored...but I have always heard it is supposed to be the thought that counts.

A 2 Mile 5K Run

Today I ran what should have been my second 5k. Turns out we only ran 2 miles. No one knew the actual route we were supposed to be taking and so we all aimlessly followed the runners before us taking the wrong path, thus not actually running the full 5 kilometers we were predestined to go!

You might be wondering why I would wake up early on a Sunday to go out and run in 20°F weather (or -6.7°C for those using SI units). It was for a cause, the Arthritis Foundation. It wasn't my idea, in fact, I would never encourage those with arthritis to go out into cold weather and run. Both running and the cold irritates arthritic joints; for this I can speak first hand as both of my knees have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Again though, I agreed to run with a friend who in the end was unable to make it for very understandable reasons. I did have two people with me though, my teammates Andy and Amanda. Andy was top runner in his age bracket; all three of us won raffle prizes as well. So despite the route error, it was all in all, a decent morning!

Proposed and Actual Routes Taken

I should at least have one more picture to come (of me and my crew). Oh, and for the record, I was under 23 minutes for the 2 miles I ran...so getting better I dare say!

PostScript ... My Team including Amanda Sutter, Steph Spann, and Andy Sutter (shown with all of our prizes)

NaBloPoMo Day 20 Post 17 - Run Away With Me

First up to bat......HAPPY BIRFDAY BABY BRUDDA! Twenty-Four, hurts nothing like 30, enjoy it while you can! [Sniff sniff, my widdle baby brudda is growin' up so fast, it seems like just yesterday I was picking him up at school]

Next at the plate, I'm doing this in December, you should join me! Kim Estes is actually the person that asked me to run with her, and I thought it would be very enjoyable [ok ok ok, as enjoyable as running 5k can be]!



And now the third, your word...
turkey drop: This happens when a dating couple try the long-distance relationship thing when they go off to college in September. Typically, when thanksgiving rolls around and everyone goes home for the holiday, someone gets dumped.

You're The Last Thing That's On My Mind

Driving home to be with you ... the highway's dividing, the city's in view ... As usual, I'm almost on time ... You're the last thing that's on my mind ... Wish I could tell you, the way that I feel ... but tonight is the night I fell asleep at the wheel ...

Those are the lyrics from a Barenaked Ladies song called "Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep At the Wheel". In replacing my Zune (and thusly losing all music so refinding all music), I found this song that I had not heard in ages. I've always loved it because the song itself means something. "You're the last thing on my mind" is something I want someone to think of me in their few last moments. To know I had a wonderful and loving effect on someone so dearly that they want me in their last thoughts is just endearing! The second reason I like the song is because it has this soft melodic music that makes you think the song is about something other than dying in a car wreck ... ha, not funny, but really funny!

Anyway...Yesterday I met Amanda at the gym at SIUE and the deer were out in forces. In fact, at SIUE, they've gotten so used to the humans, they just hang out in the open with the humans. I have a picture of one the fawns that was hanging out in the grass! I saw two others hanging out in the open on my out as well!



I am yet again consuming the breakfast of champions! Yum-um-um!

- Which yields this fine looking superhero to your right -

Now, if you were paying attention, you'll see my really cool friends at work in that picture. Didn't see them? Okay, well here, I'll point them out!


One more thing, today is Canada Day. As you likely know, my blog crush Justin is in Canada! So to him I say, "Happy Canada Day", may it be a merry day. Do whatever it is you do today with great joy! [Ed. Note: I suggest doing whatever it is you do everyday with great joy!] Be sure to check out his blog post, The Story of Canada Day.

Word-
on chill: Having a relaxed state of mind. In chill mode.

10 Questions with Steph

I'm doing something different today, an interview with myself! I could interview someone else, and maybe I will later, but for now, this is my blog, I think I should interview myself. So, ten questions taken from various interviews I've recently read:

Q: Tell us about your background.
I am Steph. I was born in 1979. I didn't have what I would consider the greatest childhood, but I had always thought it was the norm, so I never knew anything different until I was an adult. I became an overachiever at an early age, which is what I believe instilled me with the strength to do things that are scary. I was a shy kid from the beginning, gaining my only friend Eva because her mother told her to be nice to me. We are still great friends, best friends even! I went to SIUE where I gained skills for becoming a structural engineer.


Q: What is it that you do for your job?
Good question, few people know what a structural engineer does. I have two ways to describe this to people: architects make buildings look pretty, they make them functional, make them livable. I make them stand up. OR, you know when you buy a shelf that you have to put together, it comes with instructions on putting it together? Well, I make the instructions for putting a building together.


Q: What do the letters HOK stand for?
This is a question that people at HOK get asked all the time as a getting to know you thing, a sort of "make up your own verbiage" for HOK. My answer is Hellmuth, Obata, and Kassabaum. I'm not clever or witty, I am literal. Sorry.


Q: What kinds of projects are you working on?
Confidential!


Q: What makes design great?
Functional! Seriously, I love art, I love to look at art, I love to use art. But design of structures is different. I believe they can both be artistic and functional.


Q: What do you do outside of work?
Play on the Internets, blog, read, listen to music, travel, daydream


Q: Who or what inspires you?
Seeing my faith in humanity being restored. I get inspired when people do good things, make choices while facing the fears of the unknown, for making the right choices when the wrong one was so easy.


Q: What advice would you give to young people?
Make your own mistakes, make regrets, but be sure to listen to what everyone has to say. Do something before you die. Just try to be a good human!


Q: What is the best trip you’ve ever taken - where and why?
Ireland; I got to go with Eva to one of the most beautiful places known to mankind, and I got to see my Shane Brain


Q: What was the first space that you noticed?

I've always found this question amazing. Now trying to answer it, I find it difficult. My first thought is the old two family dwelling I lived in as a small child. Brick, Victorian. But what I recall about that space was the partial turret that created a sort of bay window. I loved that the space was not square. As I grew up and started seeing the functionality of space, I became appreciative of Frank Lloyd Wright's work, very functional, simplistic and elegant. That would be the first time I really noticed space. Chris and I still really enjoy just going for car rides and looking at houses and neat buidlings. It's a passion for which I hope to never lose.

Word of the day-
derection: What a guy gets when he looks at somebody really ugly.

You Are A Jerkkk...kyyy Is Bad

So I walked yesterday with Amanda at SIUE where we both decided it is a beautiful campus! While there we had a few conversations, and one of them was about winning. There are many things that she wins, that no one else wants to win. For instance, we were talking about dreams and I told her about my onomatopoeia dream; she told me about hers (that I will choose not to share since it's not mine). Her dream was way more bizarre than my own, so I told her she won that contest. That is how we got to me saying "it's not anything that anyone else would want, but you're a winner"! I never know, was that a good thing to say or a bad thing to say?

Anyway, another conversation we had was about being mean (which I am apparently good at being). Not so much about being mean, but saying what needs to be said even though it might sound mean and hurt another person's feelings (I have an inability to sugar coat things). I won't elaborate on who we were talking about, but I told Amanda that I would use a teleprompter and type the things she needs to say when she is on the phone with the person that needs a good chewing out! So I say that I will write "you are a jerk", and she said she can't say that, so I laughingly played out what she would have said as "you are a jerkkk...kyyy is bad"! We decided that her ad lib would ruin my plan and therefore she will never be able to be mean to the people that hurt her feelings.

I intend on borrowing her phone, finding the number, and making a call myself. Jerk.

I wanted to say thanks to Drew for his explanation of "screaming at the top of my lungs"! It's in MySpace, so if you are my friend, you can read it there. Other people have asked this question and got an answer like this!

It's another day that I need to get to work and focus (which seems impossible most days), so I will leave you for the moment with the word of the day:

spit game: To flirt or mack on somebody, but usually not very seriously.

In Use: I think I'll go out and spit game at some ladies tonight, but I'm not looking to take any home.

Your Crush

Today will be a short blog. I have a lot to do for work, and I need to prepare notes for the lecture I am giving this afternoon at SIUE.

Last night I left work at 9 pm, meaning I was at work for 14 hours! It was exhausting! BUT, Justin mentioned me in his blog! It's like when your crush acknowledges you exist! I'm still floating on a cloud!

Here is your word of the day:
breezy: A woman who is easy. The word "broad" (slang for a woman), is combined with the word "easy", creating the derogatory word "breezy".

In use: Don't worry, you're not her baby daddy; she probably doesn't know who the daddy is. She ain't nuttin' but a breezy!

[Editor's note: If Justin's link is inadvertently removed for the MySpace readers, go to stephysite.blogspot.com to access this blog and link]

BFF

So let me start this blog by saying I had a great weekend, that promptly ended on Sunday when I saw the e-mail from co-worker Ruben that informed me of the rough week ahead. Yea, always a good thing to see!

So to say the least, I'll be writing this blog in between splitting columns in the REVIT model. I'm drafting at least, a task I enjoy. Also, having known this week was going to be long, I chose to wear jeans today, so shove that in your pipe and smoke it Corporate America! I also asked to postpone my guest speaker/teacher gig. I was supposed to teach at SIUE on Tuesday about sustainability to the senior design class. With this impending deadline that I still don't think is feasible, I need all the time I can get. Why am I blogging then, oh right, my therapy because if I don't get this all out, I will literally explode and spew guts, blood, and diet pepsi in every direction.

So I'll rewind and tell you all about Mardi Gras. For those of you that are unaware, St. Louis Mardi Gras is the second largest MG celebration in the US, second only of course to New Orleans. That being said, I threw on the long johns, two pair of socks, hefty boots, and my coat; and brave the cold with some friends and my sister. Good old Tim organized the whole ordeal and got a bus! We piled on after tying on a few at the Pub, headed west and got dropped off into the freezing wind and crowded streets of Soulard!

Once there, we promptly found our heated tent at Joanies's Pizza. I danced a lot, shouted a lot, and drank a lot of hurricanes. It was a great time. Holly and I walked around a bit. We even saw her friend's band play, and they rocked! Before the day was over, I had a scary guy give me beads and want to dance with me, and I was ever so thankful my sister stepped in to save me. There was another fella who claimed he was waiting all day to dance with me, that was nice of him. I left though, without even saying good bye because I was being called to grab Shawna, my new BFF and dancing buddy, to go to the bus!

So that was the weekend! Today though has been rough, like a shaken soda can waiting to be opened. I don't think there are enough tears for me today. It's one of those, "I'm going to throw up" sort of days. I'm at the point of just giving up, so I'm not even going to write anymore.

Here are you words:
geotard: A person who is incapable of figuring out how to get from point A to B without instructions like "turn at the pretty blue house", does not know which direction in north, and/or points in the wrong direction when talking about a place. Combination of geography and retard.

nice ups: A way of throwing props to some one, saying thank you, or showing respect. Similar to Big Ups.

Sweet Jeff Tweedy

I was going to write about one of the following: the apocalypse (and my preparedness), Mardi Gras, Teaching at SIUE, or guitars (redemption song and crazy little thing called love). Perhaps I will since I just started writing this today, and since I am really bustin' a move to get a shop drawing submittal out, I will randomly write parts of my blog when I need a break from my yellow hi-liter and red pen. Drew, you recall those days of transferring redmarks for me? Yea, well, I don't have to transfer those marks anymore, I make them once and get my copies scanned these days. It's really a sweet deal going green and all. Anyway, so back to what I was saying, I don't know what I'll get time to write about, it's sort of a crap shoot. For those readers unfamiliar with a 'crap shoot', it refers to a dice game called Craps, where everything is random and based on chance. I know this because my Urban Dictionary from which I give you the word of the day has a website where you can look up such things as crap shoot!

So I did at least want to talk about music for a brief (or rather not so brief) moment. I wanted to say that I really want to go to both Bonnaroo and the NO Jazz Fest this year. Now I have to admit that I really am NOT, let me specify NOT a fan of either. Let me elaborate. Bonnaroo is a smelly music festival for hippies and hordes of unbathed men who travelled in a shoddy van for hundreds of miles to great Tennessee where scary things are bound to happen. I am neither a hippie (another blog, another day), nor a smelly man from a scary horde! The NOJF takes place in possibly one of the smelliest cities in the world, New Orleans. I like it there, it's nostalgic and architecturally rich, and even a little spooky, but ungodly smelly. Not to mention that I think Jazz is A.D.H.D. for music. I love just random odd stuff, but sometimes Jazz is hard to listen to, nothing to follow, no organization, no structure. Jazz that HAS structure is great, without it, oh, my brain spins in all directions trying to make sense of the world! Anyway, now you know how I feel about these festivals, and you are wondering, "if you dislike them so much, why do you want to go"? Let me tell you some people that are playing: Beastie Boys, NIN, WILCO, Elvis Costello, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, Coheed and Cambria, and Robyn Hitchcock. THAT is just Bonnaroo! Now I would travel a ridiculous length for Wilco, Robyn H. and Elvis C. Seriously I can't say that enough! The others would just be perks so to speak, but damn, Wilco, oh sweet Jeff Tweedy! I just can't say that enough, do you believe me yet? Okay so NOJF: Joe Cocker, DB-Truckers, Wilco, Etta James, B.t Ezra, and enough Zydeco to drive a person batty! Did you see Wilco in that list? I thought you did, do I need to say o' sweet Jeff Tweedy again?? Ok, oh sweet Jeff Tweedy! So there, now you know my over-exhilaration for Wilco and Jeff Tweedy.

So back to the fest's. I won't be going to either of these. Another year perhaps? Anyway, you might be wondering what brought this on, well, I have my Zune on shuffle, and Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah came to play. If you've never heard it, you should, I'll even let you borrow my headphones. Close your eyes, listen to the breath he takes at the very beginning, listen to the strain in his voice, and the lack thereof as well. Listen to the guitar. I don't even know who plays the guitar in this song, but it's heavenly, if such a word can be used to describe it! Oh sweet Jeff Buckley! He unfortunately died because he was stupid enough to step into the Mighty Mississippi and drowned. But I was thinking what a treat it would have been to see and hear him live. I don't want to miss those chances with other musicians such as Wilco.

So that should have been much shorter but I got on a tangent. So I will save my topics, (the apocalypse (and my preparedness), Mardi Gras, Teaching at SIUE, guitars (redemption song and crazy little thing called love), and now hippies) for another day and another blog!

Here's to wishing Rachel yet another 'get well soon'. Shane, stay out of the hospital unless it is of course absolutely necessary. Drew, stop worrying about the piggies. Go out and blog!

Here's the word of the day:
Leave Britney Alone: An exclamation made when your friends or family are teasing you to a point where you can't handle it anymore and a hissy fit is in order. Derived from a YouTube user's famed outburst following Britney's lackluster performance at the 2007 VMA's.

In use:
Chic 1: OMG Susan, I can't believe you wore that skirt two days in a row, and everyone knows what you did with Kevin. And, you are looking a little fat today!
Chic 2: LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE

Dead Version of Him

So this morning, as I wait for others to get to the office, I will write my daily blog. The problem with getting to work early is that often when things need to be done by others, I must wait. Anyway, so I had a lot of thoughts about what I wanted to write about today, so in my most awful penmanship, I jotted them down.

For starters, when I walked in today, I had to weave through a massive crowd of athletes all waiting to climb the stairs of my building. Here at Met. Square, is this crazy thing called, Master the Met, where individuals climb the stairs to the 42nd floor. Yea, I briefly thought about doing it, but when exercise without the stair climbing makes my knee swell to the size of a cantaloupe, I think maybe I should avoid this obstacle in life! So to the elevators I go, "Elevator going up"!

So speaking of hellish things like stair climbing, last night I had some nightmares. Actually two nightmares, but the same one twice (if that made sense). The basic premise of the dream is that my father killed my grandparents, chopped up their bodies and put them in a clear plastic trash bag stuffed in a closet in the basement of my house. Well in my dream the house that was "mine", was actually my family's (we're a happy family; me, mom, and dad) but actually took place in what is today my grandfather's house. In the dream, the guy who was my father was the dead version of him, the guy from the casket anyway. My mom was herself, but young like in her photos. My older brother and I were as we are today, but my younger brother was small, like 3 or 4, when I used to take care of him in those family crises that meant my older brother and I would sneak, with baby brother to the car (sweet Nova), get into the back seat, slink down real low and hide! Anyway, that's a whole different nightmare I called reality that doesn't get discussed; so in the dream, I find out that my father did this and I have to get my brothers out of the house so they don't find out. Well I don't know how the dream ended in this version, but the smell was very real, and awful. I cried a lot in this version of the dream, imagine that, I cry a lot all the time! In the second version, the basic same thing happened, but I had to tell my mom what happened and show her the body parts. I had to sneak us out of the house, I had to get clothes for everyone, I had to get our valuables. At the end, before calmly walking out the door, I told my dad not to take all of this personally, that he would always be my daddy, no matter how old I was. I got in my car with family and things in tow and started to drive off when my older brother jumped out of the car to get, of all things, the hose! By this point we were fleeing for our lives so I had to run out and help him as fast as I could and I was falling and trying to move without being able to do so. I was wakened by my alarm, so I'll never know how that dream ends, thankfully.

Since I woke up with what felt like little sleep because of nightmares, I got dressed half asleep. What was I thinking, red and white striped socks with pink and gray plaid loafers. Really what was I thinking??!!??!! Anyway in addition to my "getting ready soap box", I realized as I brushed my teeth, that I will be a really overburdening mother. I'll always be saying things like "stand up straight", "tie your shoes", "eat your food", "take your medicine", "stop slouching", "squeeze the toothpaste from the end of the tube", "pull the shower curtain out to dry", "clean up your mess", "wipe up your crumbs" . . . . etc. That could a really frightening thing to do to another human being. Poor children! Speaking of moms and children, I'd like to wish my preggo friend Rachel a speedy recovery. Such an enigma she is indeed!

Okay, so I've written a lot already, so I'll save the following topics for another day this week, the apocalypse (and my preparedness), Mardi Gras, Teaching at SIUE, and guitars (redemption song and crazy little thing called love).

I'd like to give you the word of the day and finish this with a tiny list of small things that make me happy.

tramp stamp: A tattoo above a woman's ass crack. In use: Her pants were so low cut, you could see her tramp stamp

A few of my favorite things:
-The sound of a guitar, more specifically when you can hear the finger glide along the strings of a guitar.
-Lyrics, especially the kind that mean something to you
-Being so sleepy that there is no lying awake thinking and staring
-The way Listerine kills germs, and anything inside the mouth, I'm amazed I still have a tongue!
-My favorite T-shirt, the Airstream T-shirt!