On My Plate

On My Plate

People say that I'm crazy
For not moving on to better things
Instead I'm sitting around trash
Talking with the onion rings.

But it's much too soon
To leave this easy life
Pass me the spoon
Pass me the analytical knife.

'Cause you about to get cut and get cut down
It's all about the wordplay
All about the sound in the tone of my voice
You gotta let me make my choice alone before my food gets cold.

Better shut up or get shot down
It's all about the know how all just a matter of taste
Stop telling me the way I gotta play now
Too much food on my plate. 

"Too Much Food"

- Jason Mraz

So we had our first major snowstorm of the season. From Saturday into Sunday, we had about 9 inches of snow fall at the house. A system that will surely make bigger news once it hits the Northeast, parked over Iowa for a day and blanketed the state in a winter blanket.

Shoveling the driveway would have taken quite a while, so we spent the money to have someone plow the driveway.  A few hours later, the Hubby and I got out and the new snow that had fallen, but it was a lot easier than if we hadn't had the driveway plowed. Then it was off to my Mom's place to shovel out her driveway (that was A LOT more difficult).

This week I plan on completing my application to be classified as a Mentor Teacher within my school district. Iowa has funded a program that allows districts to create Teacher Leadership positions. I've served as a mentor teacher for various teachers during my 14 year career, and I'd like the opportunity to serve as a mentor for the district.  It's a fairly involved application, but since I have a student teacher teaching my classes, I can spend a bit of my day getting the form completed.

Thanks to the snowstorm, our school district has already called for a two-hour delay tomorrow (YAY!). I've already taken some medicine to help my lower back recover from all the physical activity. It'll be nice to sleep in a for a few extra minutes tomorrow.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

On Top

On Top

If you love somebody
Better tell them while they're here 'cause
They just may run away from you.

You'll never know quite when, well
Then again it just depends on
How long of time is left for you.

I've had the highest mountains
I've had the deepest rivers
You can have it all but life keeps moving.
I take it in but don't look down.

'Cause I'm on top of the world, ay
I'm on top of the world, ay
Waiting on this for a while now
Paying my dues to the dirt
I've been waiting to smile, ay
Been holding it in for a while, ay
Take you with me if I can
Been dreaming of this since a child
I'm on top of the world.

"On Top of the World"

- Imagine Dragons

The snow is coming down outside.  It looks like here in central Iowa we'll get close to a foot of snow.

But unlike the northeast, we're not panicked about it. The hubby ran to the store and picked up a few necessities but that was about it.

We spent the early evening watching the ISU women's basketball team.  The lost - don't wanna talk about it.

Now it's all about watching the snow fall softly to the ground.  Tomorrow we'll worry about getting out and shoveling.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

Fave Food

Fave Food

He likes bread and butter,
He likes toast and jam,
That's what his baby feeds him,
He's her loving man.

Got home early one morning,
Much to my surprise, 
She was eating chicken and dumplings,
With some other guy.

No more bread and butter,
No more toast and jam,
I found my baby eating,
With some other man. 

"Bread and Butter"

- The Newsbeats

So today's theme is "Fave Food" and believe me, I struggled with what I wanted to post.  I have soooooo many different foods that I love.

So after much reflection and contemplation, I chose my favorite food - The Bobbie.

Capriotti's is a chain of sandwich shops.  Founded in Wilmington, Delaware, Capriotti's has expanded around the country.  Think of it as a little more upscale Jimmy John's.

The main reason to go to the shop is any of the turkey sandwiches.  They roast turkey overnight and then hand-pull it the next day.  It's fresh and flavorful and it's the main ingredient of the The Bobbie.

For the uninitiated, The Bobbie is ----- fresh hand-pulled turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a schmear of mayo on a french roll. It's delicious. To truly put it over the top, you order a "Hot Bobbie," where they heat the turkey and stuffing on a flat-top grill before assembling the sandwich. The heat from the grill releases the natural juices in the turkey.

It's about as close to a food orgasm as one can have. I seriously would eat one of these every day if there were a store near Ames.

Before I die, it's what I want for my last meal.

Great, now I'm really hungry for one.  Hmmm, it's only a 2 hour drive to Cedar Rapids, where the closest location is.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

Summer / Winter

Summer / Winter

BooBerry Shake from Zombie Burger and
Sticky Toffee Pudding from the Cafe

If the sky above you should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow,
keep your head together and call my name out loud.
Soon I will be knocking upon your door.

You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there. 

Hey ain't it good to know that you've got a friend? People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you. 
Well, they'll take your soul if you let them,
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.

You just call out my name, and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call and I'll be there. 
You've got a friend.  You've got a friend. 

"You've Got A Friend"

- James Taylor

So I kinda misunderstood the subject today.  I kept thinking "how am I gonna come up with something for both summer and winter?"  But of course I didn't realize that the list comes from Australia, where it's summer right now. The theme meant "summer or winter where ever you are".

Whoops.  Oh well, I'm giving myself props for having photos of a summer and a winter dessert.

Because I do love a good dessert. :-)

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

Strange

Strange 

You're sailing softly through the sun
In a broken stone age dawn.
You fly so high.

I get a strange magic,
Oh what a strange magic,
Oh it's a strange magic,
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.

You're walking meadows in my mind,
Making waves across my time,
Oh no, oh no.

I get a strange magic,
Oh what a strange magic,
Oh it's a strange magic,
Got a strange magic,
Got a strange magic.

"Strange Magic"
- Electric Light Orchestra

It's been a long day.

A LOOOOOOOOOOOONG Day.

Just needing to go to bed and get some sleep.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

Morning

Morning

The morning sun shines on a chair in the waiting room
at the doctor's office. 

Sunday morning rain is falling
Steal some covers, share some skin
Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable
You twist to fit the mold that I am in
But things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do
And I would gladly hit the road, get up, and go if I knew
That someday it would lead me back to you
That someday it would lead me back to you.

That may be all I need
In darkness, she is all I see
Come and rest your bones with me
Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave. 

"Sunday Morning"

- Maroon 5

This morning was my follow up visit from the sleep study that I did earlier this month. I already knew that I didn't have severe sleep apnea, but I was hoping for some understanding of why I have been snoring.

The doctor told me three things were the probable causes of my snoring - my weight, my palate and my tongue.  The weight issue wasn't a surprise to me, and I was pleased to learn that the more weight I lose, the more exponential the strain on my throat will be. I'm teaching growth and decay functions in my Algebra class, so I was chuckling that I had real world example for my kids.

The other two factors were a surprise to me.  The doctor told me that my palate was lower than normal and that my tongue was too large for my mouth.

I'll wait for you all to stop laughing.....

Okay.  This actually started to make sense to me. I have a tendency to bite my tongue, and hearing that it was too large was completely logical. I asked the doctor if there were remedies for the palate/tongue issue. He told me that there were surgical options, but that the recovery was rough and it was no guarantee to solve the issue. The best option for right now is to work on getting healthy. If the snoring doesn't get better, then we go to look at the other options.

I also had physical therapy for my back this afternoon, so I was only at school for a few periods. Fortunately my student teacher is taking care of most of my classes now, so it made it easy to be out today.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert

Three Things

Three Things

With the past and the present and the future
And faith and hope and charity
And the heart and the brain and the body
It'll give you three, it's a magic number.

It takes three legs to make a tripod
Or to make a table stand
And it takes three wheels to make a vehicle
And call it a tricycle.

Every triangle has three corners
Every triangle has three sides
No more, no less
You don't have to guess
That is three, can't you see?
It's the magic number.

"Three Is the Magic Number"

- Bob Dorough (Schoolhouse Rock)

Today I had professional development, so I wasn't at school, but that didn't mean I didn't work.  LOL  With most jobs, if you're out for illness or conferences, you are simply gone.  For teachers, we still have to have plans for our substitute.

I'm also going to be gone for part of the day tomorrow, which meant that I needed to run by school and get my plans ready for tomorrow. Tonight I have papers to score and grades to post. No rest for the weary.

Tomorrow, I have more physical therapy for my back - yay!

Oh, and I submitted my official registration for RAGBRAI last night.  Due to the large number of people who apply to ride RAGBRAI, entry is done by a lottery. My friends and I entered as a team, which means if any of our numbers are chosen, then everyone gets in for the ride!

Alright, time to get grading.

Love you Awesome Nerds!
Robert