Recipe for the Week

How a Friday feels like a Monday, but is fortunately followed by a feel of Friday once again...
1. Begin with three days of the school week. (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday work best.)
2. Add in one Federal Holiday. (In this case Veteran's Day.)
3. Stay up too late watching your favorite football team lose in the last 3o seconds of the game.
4. Toss and turn throughout the night.
5. Return to work feeling like the week just began.
6. Try your best to teach students who are also suffering from the usual "Monday Blues."
7. Work until 4:30.
8. Smile, it's really Friday.
9. Say hello to a proper two-day weekend.

Check Engine

When presented with a car repair issue my first response is ignorance. Of course, that doesn't help with something like a flat tire or a dead battery--those issues need immediate response. If the car is unable to run then the problem must be solved. What I'm talking about is that strange noise one may hear, or that little light that is illuminated on the dashboard. I had one of those lights show itself on Saturday. It was the dreaded, "check engine" light.

The check engine light is the one that the car manual insists requires immediate, expensive attention. The manual states when that little rascal shows itself it's best to get it to the dealer right away.

I first noticed the light on Saturday. I noted it and mentioned it to a friend who was sitting in the passenger seat. She too knew her car manual rules.

"Everything I've heard says you need to take the car in as soon as possible."

"Yea," I smiled. "But look, if I put my hand right here on the steering wheel I can't even see it, so there's really no problem at all."

And so I ignored it. On Monday I filled up the tank, but decided to give the engine a little taste of the premium fuel. Maybe the more expensive fill up was the spinach my little engine needed.

Tonight I was driving home after dinner with friends. While waiting at a stoplight my hands fell off the steering wheel for a moment. I was happy to see the engine no longer needed checking. Problem solved.

An Enchanting Afternoon

Now that the clocks have fallen back to where they belong I'm feeling as though autumn has truly arrived. I felt it on Sunday afternoon. I headed out around 4:00 for a long walk and was enchanted with the late day sun and then way it lit up the colorful treetops in the neighborhood. The yellow, red and orange oaks were simply stunning, framed in a perfect, deep blue sky.

On the ground level I smiled as I listened to the playful shrieks of children as they ran-- kicking up every fallen leaf in their way.

Got Spinach?

I don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. I know that and am trying to work on it. Cooking for one can be challenging. Should I really whip up a protein filled dinner with veggies on the side, or isn't just easier to have a bowl of Raisin Bran? I used to eat a lot of frozen meals but at some point I decided I can cook and I should try to do a bit more of it. I've been working on that with some sporadic success.

Friday night I plated up a nice piece of salmon with a side of spinach. It was delicious and healthy too. I woke up on Saturday feeling energetic and laced up my running shoes for a 3-mile jaunt. I didn't run the entire way but returned home feeling refreshed and healthy. Later in the day I went for a ten-mile bike ride along the canal.

This week I will eat lots more spinach.

Hip, Hip, Hooray...Here's to the Cardboard Box

So I did a bit more browsing of the Toy Hall of Fame inductees. Above all my favorite has to be the cardboard box, with the stick running a very close second.

Years ago, my best friend and I were sitting on my sister's patio watching the kids play in the backyard. There was my nephew, his cousin and my friend's young son dragging each other around in a large cardboard box.

"Don't ya love kids who can entertain themselves with a cardboard box?" She remarked.

Yup, I did...I still do.

This Year's Winners

Who knew there was such a thing as the "Toy Hall of Fame?" I sure didn't. The local news ran a quick piece on the newly inductees for the year, they included playing cards and The Game of Life. It got me thinking about what other toys may have been honored with such a prize, what classic games are there that have withstood the passage of time and the introduction of computer generated fun?

Playing cards, of course. It's hard to believe it took this long to be inducted. I try to have a deck of cards in my purse at all times, especially when I'm traveling. They're perfect for unexpected layovers or traffic jams. What about Dominoes? I see them as a classic game, but to tell you the truth I've never been sure how to play. I played one game, Mexican Train, a few years back but don't remember how to play anymore.

When I think of classic games I think about my own childhood and the games we played. There was Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Checkers and Operation. As we got older my dad taught me how to play chess. Once I got to college we were all about Backgammon.

Of course there was also the Yo-Yo craze and the Frisbee. Do you think they made the list? See for yourself here.

Round Two Begins

Today's teacher workday allowed me to sleep an extra hour. By contract, I should be in my classroom at 7:20, but there's something about a workday that allows for a little flexibility. I arrived at school at about 8:00 AM to a mostly empty parking lot.

Even with the extra slumber I moved through the day in a state of exhaustion. Perhaps it was the early morning chill that greeted me when I walked out the door. Maybe it was the culmination of a particularly tough start to the year, it's hard to say. No matter the reason I got a good deal of work done throughout the day and am ready to get started on the second quarter of the year.

I'll be in bed early.