... to go until we get Spring Break. And it couldn't come quickly enough.
I got back into town last night from the Fraser Valley after coaching our first real club volleyball tournament of the year. The drive was a bit of a mess and after a long week last week, I was almost thinking of just staying home to relax, mark homework and catch up on my Z's. This was balanced with an urge to get out of town to do something completely unrelated to school, so in the end, coaching won out and it turned out to be a really rewarding weekend. The boys I'm coaching played well, I was complimented on my coaching by my coaching mentor, and we placed 10th out of 17 teams, which was good considering our "A" team only placed 7th. We actually lost a really tight game in the Consolation final which was a bit heartbreaking, and should have placed Top 8 (we were in a 3-way tie for 1st in our round robin pool, and came in second due to points scored) but the guys really played well nearly all tournament, so I have absolutely nothing to complain about.
Things around the valley are still crazy busy, though, and I don't think they'll slow down until March 10th. Obviously I teach all week, and the weekend coming up features yet another coaching clinic for 3 days, and then I get back here to the school all of next week (again, very obvious). But, it's winding down and it's going to be wonderful to have a few days to sleep in and relax, as well as to take some time to get back to Alberta to visit the families.
On a completely unrelated note, here's a great quote from Salman Rushdie on writing...
"What one writer can make in the solitude of one room is something no power can easily destroy"
- S. Rushdie
- T
Monday, February 26, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
We all have a bad test from time to time...
I received these pictures from one of my fellow staff members, and they definitely perked up my day. Hope you enjoy!
Click on the pictures to see a more clear view...
Click on the pictures to see a more clear view...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Some days are just longer than others..
... and this may be one of those long ones.
After teaching all day, knowing that I have volleyball practice for 2 hours, as well as a boatload of marking, prep, and course work that was due a month ago, I'm just dreading the next 6 or 7 hours. This doesn't include the work I need to sort out for Friday, since I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for my first big club volleyball tournament. It also ignores the long day of dealing with 16 year olds who can't even handle 10 minutes of responsibility. But, I guess I just need to suck it up. Everyone's busy and stressed and overworked and underpaid, so I guess I should simply quit my excessive whining. Tomorrow's another day, and it's wonderfully sunny outside. Sure, there's plenty to do, but there's also plenty to enjoy.
On a side note... Hey you! That stranger from Airdrie who reads my rants here.... you should leave me a message to let me know who you are!
I'll hopefully have something more fulfilling to write about soon. Until then...
- T
After teaching all day, knowing that I have volleyball practice for 2 hours, as well as a boatload of marking, prep, and course work that was due a month ago, I'm just dreading the next 6 or 7 hours. This doesn't include the work I need to sort out for Friday, since I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for my first big club volleyball tournament. It also ignores the long day of dealing with 16 year olds who can't even handle 10 minutes of responsibility. But, I guess I just need to suck it up. Everyone's busy and stressed and overworked and underpaid, so I guess I should simply quit my excessive whining. Tomorrow's another day, and it's wonderfully sunny outside. Sure, there's plenty to do, but there's also plenty to enjoy.
On a side note... Hey you! That stranger from Airdrie who reads my rants here.... you should leave me a message to let me know who you are!
I'll hopefully have something more fulfilling to write about soon. Until then...
- T
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Crazy animals doing funny things...
I got a good chuckle out of this. It's almost like a "Best Of" for clips of animals from AFV. Enjoy!
- T
- T
First Friday of the week
The weekend is coming and it couldn't be soon enough.
It seems like this week has been dragging on. Much of that has to do with the fact that I had my coaching clinic all weekend, which didn't really provide me with an opportunity to get some much-needed rest. It was actually moderately stressful, since I wasn't sure if I was in over my head or not. Nonetheless, I'm excited that the weekend is here as of 4:00pm today. Tomorrow being a PD Day, I'm heading out to the mountains for a seminar on BC's forestry industry, which should be enjoyable. Outdoors, free lunch, no students to worry about... la dolce vita, I'd say.
On a somewhat related but otherwise unrelated topic, I hate being overtired. Interestingly, I act similarly when I'm either tired or really hungry, which means I manifest a serious attitude of jerkface. I can definitely be pleasant, but it's pretty easy to set me off in a negative direction and I've been known to, from time to time, take my fatigued bitterness out on those around me. Not typically at work or with friends, but usually on family. Why is it that we (or more specifically, I) direct antagonism toward those we really love, and not strangers? I don't know if everyone's like this, but I definitely am. I can be upbeat and chipper (maybe in a false way, but chipper nonetheless) to a total stranger, even if they anger me, but when I get home and I'm in a bit of a mood, I take it out on K or other family members far too easily. This has pretty much always been a character fault of mine, and I really hate it. At the time I lash out, I can justify my anger 6 different ways, but give me 10 seconds to think about it, and I realize that I just treated the love of my life like a piece of rubbish. I guess that's why it's love... these important people stick around even after you treat them like an enemy.
You may be picking up on a tone of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Still, I hate this fault. I was actually talking to one of my intern compadres about something similar, and mentioned that I'm terrible at disengaging when it comes to arguments. It gets even worse when I need to catch on my beauty sleep. I guess we all have our battles... this is just one of my most obvious ones.
On a much more unrelated note, K and I watched "The Departed" last night and I have to say that I loved it. Sure, it may be a bit on the violent side and the actors drop the F-bomb like there's going to be a massive lockdown on profanity in mainstream media, but it was extremely well put together and I always appreciate a good Shakespeare reference which makes sense when it's used and isn't just thrown in as an attempt to make the writing seem more intelligent. Rent it. Seriously. Rent it.
- T
It seems like this week has been dragging on. Much of that has to do with the fact that I had my coaching clinic all weekend, which didn't really provide me with an opportunity to get some much-needed rest. It was actually moderately stressful, since I wasn't sure if I was in over my head or not. Nonetheless, I'm excited that the weekend is here as of 4:00pm today. Tomorrow being a PD Day, I'm heading out to the mountains for a seminar on BC's forestry industry, which should be enjoyable. Outdoors, free lunch, no students to worry about... la dolce vita, I'd say.
On a somewhat related but otherwise unrelated topic, I hate being overtired. Interestingly, I act similarly when I'm either tired or really hungry, which means I manifest a serious attitude of jerkface. I can definitely be pleasant, but it's pretty easy to set me off in a negative direction and I've been known to, from time to time, take my fatigued bitterness out on those around me. Not typically at work or with friends, but usually on family. Why is it that we (or more specifically, I) direct antagonism toward those we really love, and not strangers? I don't know if everyone's like this, but I definitely am. I can be upbeat and chipper (maybe in a false way, but chipper nonetheless) to a total stranger, even if they anger me, but when I get home and I'm in a bit of a mood, I take it out on K or other family members far too easily. This has pretty much always been a character fault of mine, and I really hate it. At the time I lash out, I can justify my anger 6 different ways, but give me 10 seconds to think about it, and I realize that I just treated the love of my life like a piece of rubbish. I guess that's why it's love... these important people stick around even after you treat them like an enemy.
You may be picking up on a tone of guilt, which may or may not be the case. Still, I hate this fault. I was actually talking to one of my intern compadres about something similar, and mentioned that I'm terrible at disengaging when it comes to arguments. It gets even worse when I need to catch on my beauty sleep. I guess we all have our battles... this is just one of my most obvious ones.
On a much more unrelated note, K and I watched "The Departed" last night and I have to say that I loved it. Sure, it may be a bit on the violent side and the actors drop the F-bomb like there's going to be a massive lockdown on profanity in mainstream media, but it was extremely well put together and I always appreciate a good Shakespeare reference which makes sense when it's used and isn't just thrown in as an attempt to make the writing seem more intelligent. Rent it. Seriously. Rent it.
- T
Monday, February 12, 2007
The things in my life
School: really, the most time consuming part of my life. Even more so than spending time with my wife and sleeping, which I don't do often enough. The stories I hear about students and about teacher's experiences makes me think that this job takes a massive amount of both patience and responsibility. Cliched or not, we're in the people-making business, and there's little room for error.
On a completely separate note, even though my sponsor teacher is running me ragged with reflection and lesson-planning and big idea stuff that I can barely get my head around, I think she's going to do a world of good for my career. And, as I hoped, I just really love being with the kids. There's always something surprising that comes up, whether they drive me bonko or not.
Coaching: Taking up a massive amount of my spare time. Mainly, weekends. I finished my Level 1 Technical three weekends ago, and my Level 2 Technical this past weekend over 3 days (both for volleyball), and I have another 3-day clinic on March 3/4/5 to go to to get my Levels 1/2 Theory. Not to mention that I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for a tournament at the end of February, and to Calgary in May for Nationals. Although the weekday schedule is fairly light, it's still plenty time-consuming.
Everything else: I'm heading back to Alberta twice in March. The first trip will be to see one of my old teachers (and someone I hold in hugely high regard) who is retiring this year back in Alberta. Another former teacher and now VP of my old high school has organized a sort of secret send-off for him and another retiring teacher, and has invited many old theatre alumni back for it. I received an invite... for those of you who don't know, I did my high school musical in my senior year, acting as the mischievous Tommy Sloane in Anne of Green Gables. It should be fun.
The second trip is on the following weekend with my in-laws for a bit of a weekend getaway. K's parents, her brother (and his wife), and her sister (with husband and kids) are meeting us in Edmonton for some West Ed. action. We don't get together very often, so it's a chance for us to all be in one place at the same time.
K and I are also heading for bit of a resort getaway (only for one night, but nice all the same) in April, and then I'm back in AB in May for volleyball Nationals. Not to mention that I'm a certified teacher as of May 4th! Weeeee. My intern friend N.T. figured out that there's only about 45 teaching days left before certification. Crazy stuff, I know.
Okay, I've bored ya'll enough. Hope that update was sufficient, and I'll try to write more clever things soon. And I hoped you enjoyed the last post with my itsy story. Thanks for reading, K and L!
- T
On a completely separate note, even though my sponsor teacher is running me ragged with reflection and lesson-planning and big idea stuff that I can barely get my head around, I think she's going to do a world of good for my career. And, as I hoped, I just really love being with the kids. There's always something surprising that comes up, whether they drive me bonko or not.
Coaching: Taking up a massive amount of my spare time. Mainly, weekends. I finished my Level 1 Technical three weekends ago, and my Level 2 Technical this past weekend over 3 days (both for volleyball), and I have another 3-day clinic on March 3/4/5 to go to to get my Levels 1/2 Theory. Not to mention that I'm heading to the Fraser Valley for a tournament at the end of February, and to Calgary in May for Nationals. Although the weekday schedule is fairly light, it's still plenty time-consuming.
Everything else: I'm heading back to Alberta twice in March. The first trip will be to see one of my old teachers (and someone I hold in hugely high regard) who is retiring this year back in Alberta. Another former teacher and now VP of my old high school has organized a sort of secret send-off for him and another retiring teacher, and has invited many old theatre alumni back for it. I received an invite... for those of you who don't know, I did my high school musical in my senior year, acting as the mischievous Tommy Sloane in Anne of Green Gables. It should be fun.
The second trip is on the following weekend with my in-laws for a bit of a weekend getaway. K's parents, her brother (and his wife), and her sister (with husband and kids) are meeting us in Edmonton for some West Ed. action. We don't get together very often, so it's a chance for us to all be in one place at the same time.
K and I are also heading for bit of a resort getaway (only for one night, but nice all the same) in April, and then I'm back in AB in May for volleyball Nationals. Not to mention that I'm a certified teacher as of May 4th! Weeeee. My intern friend N.T. figured out that there's only about 45 teaching days left before certification. Crazy stuff, I know.
Okay, I've bored ya'll enough. Hope that update was sufficient, and I'll try to write more clever things soon. And I hoped you enjoyed the last post with my itsy story. Thanks for reading, K and L!
- T
Friday, February 09, 2007
A postcard-length short story I penned last night
For my English classes, I thought it would be a good idea to come up with an example of what a descriptive paragraph could look like, using some clear imagery and engaging with sensory-related experiences. So, I wrote this last night so my students could see what I meant in the directions. Let me know what you think... enjoy!
I walked out of the conference room toward the parking lot, shoving myself through the weighty door as I swung my backpack over my shoulder. I felt the hard thump of my laptop slam against the small of my back as I inhaled a cold, crisp November breath. The smell of diesel exhaust filled my mouth, heavy and bitter, like sucking on the gray sky that hung over the valley. But the gray above was so much sweeter than the pollution invading my lungs and causing me to hack. Stepping past a rusty Buick and a sloppy, muddy flower bed (which would be blooming with fragrant tulips in a few months), I could feel the pulse of my phone vibrating through my jacket. After being bombarded by voices all day, I needed a few minutes of solace and silence before I battled another request for attention. The partially frozen doors of my jeep creaked open, and I tossed my pack violently on to the passenger seat as I sat down on the cold, vinyl seats. My raspberry car freshener needed to be discarded. Flicking open my cell, I checked the number: home. I probably needed to grab a barbequed chicken or some salty take-out on the way home. Maybe she wanted to grab a sandwich at the jazz café up the road, listening to Duke Wellington and enjoying a glass of pinot noir. Checking the rearview, I backed out slowly, drifting in my mind to Dizzy Gillespie, hearing each note of the trumpet bleet out while the sax kept time in the background. It was like I was already there, as if it took only a moment to transport myself to the dark mahogany and rich maroon and yellow walls of the café. I pulled out on the main drag with a lurch and a grind, thinking about the sticky first gear. I heard a short burst of sound; a quickly-approaching screech, or something similar. As the sheet metal and fiberglass and vinyl and plastic crumpled around me and glass fell about my face, I was thinking about her in that café, smiling, laughing; she was thinking that maybe the day wasn’t as long or as hard or as bad as she originally thought.
I walked out of the conference room toward the parking lot, shoving myself through the weighty door as I swung my backpack over my shoulder. I felt the hard thump of my laptop slam against the small of my back as I inhaled a cold, crisp November breath. The smell of diesel exhaust filled my mouth, heavy and bitter, like sucking on the gray sky that hung over the valley. But the gray above was so much sweeter than the pollution invading my lungs and causing me to hack. Stepping past a rusty Buick and a sloppy, muddy flower bed (which would be blooming with fragrant tulips in a few months), I could feel the pulse of my phone vibrating through my jacket. After being bombarded by voices all day, I needed a few minutes of solace and silence before I battled another request for attention. The partially frozen doors of my jeep creaked open, and I tossed my pack violently on to the passenger seat as I sat down on the cold, vinyl seats. My raspberry car freshener needed to be discarded. Flicking open my cell, I checked the number: home. I probably needed to grab a barbequed chicken or some salty take-out on the way home. Maybe she wanted to grab a sandwich at the jazz café up the road, listening to Duke Wellington and enjoying a glass of pinot noir. Checking the rearview, I backed out slowly, drifting in my mind to Dizzy Gillespie, hearing each note of the trumpet bleet out while the sax kept time in the background. It was like I was already there, as if it took only a moment to transport myself to the dark mahogany and rich maroon and yellow walls of the café. I pulled out on the main drag with a lurch and a grind, thinking about the sticky first gear. I heard a short burst of sound; a quickly-approaching screech, or something similar. As the sheet metal and fiberglass and vinyl and plastic crumpled around me and glass fell about my face, I was thinking about her in that café, smiling, laughing; she was thinking that maybe the day wasn’t as long or as hard or as bad as she originally thought.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Well well well... time to breathe
Well, I guess not a lot of time to breathe, but time all the same.
I'm taking a day off today, because I've been pretty nutso with work as of late. One of my sponsor teachers has had me running ragged getting ready to teach her class. I think maybe her expectations are a little severe, but I'm hoping that the fact that she wants to micro-manage my learning is going to pay off in the long run. I hope.
The new semester/practicum of teaching started this past Thursday, and I think I lucked out with my classes. I'm not perceiving any major issues beyond chattiness and a little bit of rambunctiousness, but the term is still young, and there's plenty of time for things to go wrong. I'm still coaching a bit of volleyball, which has been good, and I was able to get my Level 1 coaching certification partially done last weekend. The first part of my Level 2 comes up next weekend as well. The club I'm coaching for has volunteered to pay for my certification clinics, so I'm happy to let them rack up the $500 bill that will need to be paid when all is said and done. But, I figure it's a good way to get some experience under my belt, pad my resume a bit, and reward myself for helping out beyond the classroom. Not to mention, it may introduce me to some people that may help me get a job in the new year.
It looks like I'll be heading back to the prairies for a few visits in the next few months, and my big brother's coming out for visit as well. In the 4 years that I've been away from AB, he is the only one of my family who hasn't come out for a visit and finally it looks like he's coming at the start of May. It's kinda bad timing because I'm in the process of finishing up my semester of teaching a 75% load and in the middle of being certified, but he's coming out all the same and both K and I are excited. I'm also heading back to the 4-0-3 a few times. My old English teacher and pseudo-mentor is retiring from teaching this year, and the school is providing him with a bit of a send-off, to which all the old theatre alumni are invited. I only participated in theatre in my senior year, but I got to know P.M. pretty well in those formative years and used to go back to visit him fairly often. Ironically, the school is even performing an adaptation of the very play I performed when I did the musical. For a little added (and obvious) irony, I'm receiving my certification for teaching in the same year he's retiring. Meant to be??? I'm not quite sure. I was never really sure what I wanted to do for a career before I actually entered the teaching program, but I think I found a good fit.
I don't really know if there's anything worthwhile to add. My beautiful wife is doing well as always, and it seems as though any major natural disasters have avoided this part of the world as of late. Other than ripping a 6 inch hole in the ass of my nice khakis about 2 weeks ago, I don't think I have anything else to share. But I'll try to keep you loyal readers reading by posting a bit more often... ciao for now...
- T
Oh... I decided to remove my profile from the public view to create a bit more privacy... I've had some strange experiences with people having my online information as of late, so I'm going to try to keep a bit of a low profile.
I'm taking a day off today, because I've been pretty nutso with work as of late. One of my sponsor teachers has had me running ragged getting ready to teach her class. I think maybe her expectations are a little severe, but I'm hoping that the fact that she wants to micro-manage my learning is going to pay off in the long run. I hope.
The new semester/practicum of teaching started this past Thursday, and I think I lucked out with my classes. I'm not perceiving any major issues beyond chattiness and a little bit of rambunctiousness, but the term is still young, and there's plenty of time for things to go wrong. I'm still coaching a bit of volleyball, which has been good, and I was able to get my Level 1 coaching certification partially done last weekend. The first part of my Level 2 comes up next weekend as well. The club I'm coaching for has volunteered to pay for my certification clinics, so I'm happy to let them rack up the $500 bill that will need to be paid when all is said and done. But, I figure it's a good way to get some experience under my belt, pad my resume a bit, and reward myself for helping out beyond the classroom. Not to mention, it may introduce me to some people that may help me get a job in the new year.
It looks like I'll be heading back to the prairies for a few visits in the next few months, and my big brother's coming out for visit as well. In the 4 years that I've been away from AB, he is the only one of my family who hasn't come out for a visit and finally it looks like he's coming at the start of May. It's kinda bad timing because I'm in the process of finishing up my semester of teaching a 75% load and in the middle of being certified, but he's coming out all the same and both K and I are excited. I'm also heading back to the 4-0-3 a few times. My old English teacher and pseudo-mentor is retiring from teaching this year, and the school is providing him with a bit of a send-off, to which all the old theatre alumni are invited. I only participated in theatre in my senior year, but I got to know P.M. pretty well in those formative years and used to go back to visit him fairly often. Ironically, the school is even performing an adaptation of the very play I performed when I did the musical. For a little added (and obvious) irony, I'm receiving my certification for teaching in the same year he's retiring. Meant to be??? I'm not quite sure. I was never really sure what I wanted to do for a career before I actually entered the teaching program, but I think I found a good fit.
I don't really know if there's anything worthwhile to add. My beautiful wife is doing well as always, and it seems as though any major natural disasters have avoided this part of the world as of late. Other than ripping a 6 inch hole in the ass of my nice khakis about 2 weeks ago, I don't think I have anything else to share. But I'll try to keep you loyal readers reading by posting a bit more often... ciao for now...
- T
Oh... I decided to remove my profile from the public view to create a bit more privacy... I've had some strange experiences with people having my online information as of late, so I'm going to try to keep a bit of a low profile.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
M.I.A.
I haven't really been around much lately and I'm sure my 6 person/day readership has severely declined. Not that the 6 people who read this aren't important, I've just been ridiculously swamped with school as of late. Luckily, things are at least moderately under control and I think that by the weekend, I'll feel kinda okay about where I am with my workload.
I officially finished the last university classes for my program yesterday, even though I still have some assignments to submit for one class. I still have another 5 months of student teaching to do, but I don't have to jump through any more university hoops to complete this program anymore! I can't jump for joy quite yet, since I still have a boatload of planning to do before tomorrow and before next week, since I take over a 75% teaching load as of next Thursday. Pretty intense, I know. And really, it's mainly intense to me because I had a hard enough time handling a 50% load, let alone 3/4 blocks. Oh well, I have to just suck it up and do it.
In other news, I'm getting my Level 1 volleyball certification this weekend, paid for by the volleyball club I'm coaching now, and I'll probably even get my level 2 in a few more weeks. I'm also playing a game in a rec-league tournament tomorrow night, so hopefully I don't make a total fool out of myself there. I haven't really played since the summer (or at least October), so it might be ugly.
I should be back to more regular posts after this weekend. T-T-F-N.
- T
I officially finished the last university classes for my program yesterday, even though I still have some assignments to submit for one class. I still have another 5 months of student teaching to do, but I don't have to jump through any more university hoops to complete this program anymore! I can't jump for joy quite yet, since I still have a boatload of planning to do before tomorrow and before next week, since I take over a 75% teaching load as of next Thursday. Pretty intense, I know. And really, it's mainly intense to me because I had a hard enough time handling a 50% load, let alone 3/4 blocks. Oh well, I have to just suck it up and do it.
In other news, I'm getting my Level 1 volleyball certification this weekend, paid for by the volleyball club I'm coaching now, and I'll probably even get my level 2 in a few more weeks. I'm also playing a game in a rec-league tournament tomorrow night, so hopefully I don't make a total fool out of myself there. I haven't really played since the summer (or at least October), so it might be ugly.
I should be back to more regular posts after this weekend. T-T-F-N.
- T
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
How I've been unwinding
When I need a break from University classes and lesson planning and being generally overwhelmed, I've been enjoying short video clips from a wonderful website called "Will it Blend?", which features the Blendtec Blender in all it's pureeing, chopping and smoothie-creating glory. This simply must be the most powerful blender ever!
Check out the videos here. Pick one from the list, sit back and enjoy!
- T.M.
Check out the videos here. Pick one from the list, sit back and enjoy!
- T.M.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Bathroom Bards
When I moved out to the coast four years ago, I had a romantic idea of what my choice of University stood for, and of how the intellectual nature of the institution would literally shine from the walls and rooftops. And then I had to relieve myself between classes.
At an intellectual institution, you'd suspect that you would be awash in maturity and reason and liberal ideas, and so on and so forth. Again, my naive idealism is shining through. To contradict myself, if you ever want to see what a University really has to say about itself, visit the bathrooms on campus. Take a seat in a stall and look at the walls around you to see what these poverty-stricken intellectuals have to say about the world in which they live. If you follow these steps, you'll immediately enter a world that is strikingly familiar to childhood experiences in a middle-school washroom.
The walls are adorned with topics ranging from who slept with who's mother, to bigoted verse about who is inferior to who, to the most mature comments about which professional hockey team is more heterosexual than another professional hockey team. There's the odd insightful poem about making poopie or of wetting oneself, and the less-than-anomalous reference to phallus size (sometimes if you're lucky, a scale model will be provided). And all of these wonderful comments come forth in an array of sharpie felt pen. Or, if none is available, then such references will be made simply with a sharp object used to scratch it's wisdom through the stall paint to be profound for all eternity (or until maintenance has a chance to repaint the place).
Now, I don't know if I should really be bothered by such nonsense, but it seems strikingly odd that such things take place. People hope that higher education will enlighten and force maturity on the masses. However, this may not be the case. Maybe the hijinx of Mr. Belushi in Animal House was closer to the reality of University or College than anyone actually believed. Or maybe I've simply been fooling myself for a very long time.
- T
At an intellectual institution, you'd suspect that you would be awash in maturity and reason and liberal ideas, and so on and so forth. Again, my naive idealism is shining through. To contradict myself, if you ever want to see what a University really has to say about itself, visit the bathrooms on campus. Take a seat in a stall and look at the walls around you to see what these poverty-stricken intellectuals have to say about the world in which they live. If you follow these steps, you'll immediately enter a world that is strikingly familiar to childhood experiences in a middle-school washroom.
The walls are adorned with topics ranging from who slept with who's mother, to bigoted verse about who is inferior to who, to the most mature comments about which professional hockey team is more heterosexual than another professional hockey team. There's the odd insightful poem about making poopie or of wetting oneself, and the less-than-anomalous reference to phallus size (sometimes if you're lucky, a scale model will be provided). And all of these wonderful comments come forth in an array of sharpie felt pen. Or, if none is available, then such references will be made simply with a sharp object used to scratch it's wisdom through the stall paint to be profound for all eternity (or until maintenance has a chance to repaint the place).
Now, I don't know if I should really be bothered by such nonsense, but it seems strikingly odd that such things take place. People hope that higher education will enlighten and force maturity on the masses. However, this may not be the case. Maybe the hijinx of Mr. Belushi in Animal House was closer to the reality of University or College than anyone actually believed. Or maybe I've simply been fooling myself for a very long time.
- T
Monday, January 15, 2007
Hilarious video...
I received this video from a friend of mine in Victoria a couple of years ago. I hadn't watched it for a while, but I figured it was worth sharing. True, it's absurd and strange, but after the confusion you may feel following the video, you'll probably laugh heartily. If not, I guess I just have a warped sense of humour. The title of the video short is "The Boy Who Could Smell the Future". I'm sure I've shown it to some of you, but you still have to check it out a second time if you've already seen it.
See the short video here...
Thanks to Kurt Nellis (the author/director/stranger) for sharing his videos...
- T
See the short video here...
Thanks to Kurt Nellis (the author/director/stranger) for sharing his videos...
- T
Friday, January 12, 2007
Sometimes I just wish I wasn't a bonehead
Yeppers, you guessed it... I'm an idiot. Well, I don't take complete responsibility for this, but I definitely take partial responsibility.
So here's the reason why I say I'm a bonehead...
I arrived at the bus stop early this morning to head out to my sponsor school, and since the bus that heads out that way only comes about once per hour, I caught an earlier bus up to the connector at the University so I could warm up before waiting again. In all reality, I was just excited that I was early and not (as per usual) running late.
I enjoyed my ride out here to the University, drinking my coffee and taking in the scenery... the sky was clear and the sun hadn't yet woken up the city. Sure, it was -20, but it was the nicest -20 you could ask for. I waited a patient 5 minutes at the University terminal for the connector out to the school, and watched it pull up in front of me. At the same time, I reached into my jacket pocket to grab my wallet/bus pass to make sure I was fully ready for the driver. However, my pocket was strangely empty (other than an empty pack of Excel spearmint). Frantic, I frisked myself to see if I had transferred the wallet to another pocket with no success. And I didn't open up my bag on the bus so unless it was immediately behind me on the ground, I realized that it must have fallen out of my pocket and was sitting in the seat I just left a few minutes before.
Shamefully, I still walked onto the bus and told my story to the driver heading out to my sponsor school. Luckily, he's driven me on a number of occasions and other than laughing at me, he had no problem getting on the radio to contact the driver that was running back into the city with my goods. After the story was told yet again, the first driver pulled the bus over, found my wallet, and said that he would be back at the University at 8:45 and that he would hold it for me if I wanted to pick it up there. Shame, shame, T.M.
If this was another day, I probably wouldn't have been worried. But I'm supposed to be meeting one of my Term 2 sponsor teachers at the school at 9am, and I won't even get out there until the bus that stole my wallet comes back and I catch yet another connector up the road!
When things like this happen, I wonder if there's a puppet master out there pulling my strings just so other people can laugh at me. Maybe that puppet master is my own daftness. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I feel like an idiot like this somewhat regularly. Oh well, if not me than someone else, right? Well, maybe not.
- T.M.
So here's the reason why I say I'm a bonehead...
I arrived at the bus stop early this morning to head out to my sponsor school, and since the bus that heads out that way only comes about once per hour, I caught an earlier bus up to the connector at the University so I could warm up before waiting again. In all reality, I was just excited that I was early and not (as per usual) running late.
I enjoyed my ride out here to the University, drinking my coffee and taking in the scenery... the sky was clear and the sun hadn't yet woken up the city. Sure, it was -20, but it was the nicest -20 you could ask for. I waited a patient 5 minutes at the University terminal for the connector out to the school, and watched it pull up in front of me. At the same time, I reached into my jacket pocket to grab my wallet/bus pass to make sure I was fully ready for the driver. However, my pocket was strangely empty (other than an empty pack of Excel spearmint). Frantic, I frisked myself to see if I had transferred the wallet to another pocket with no success. And I didn't open up my bag on the bus so unless it was immediately behind me on the ground, I realized that it must have fallen out of my pocket and was sitting in the seat I just left a few minutes before.
Shamefully, I still walked onto the bus and told my story to the driver heading out to my sponsor school. Luckily, he's driven me on a number of occasions and other than laughing at me, he had no problem getting on the radio to contact the driver that was running back into the city with my goods. After the story was told yet again, the first driver pulled the bus over, found my wallet, and said that he would be back at the University at 8:45 and that he would hold it for me if I wanted to pick it up there. Shame, shame, T.M.
If this was another day, I probably wouldn't have been worried. But I'm supposed to be meeting one of my Term 2 sponsor teachers at the school at 9am, and I won't even get out there until the bus that stole my wallet comes back and I catch yet another connector up the road!
When things like this happen, I wonder if there's a puppet master out there pulling my strings just so other people can laugh at me. Maybe that puppet master is my own daftness. I'm not sure. What I do know is that I feel like an idiot like this somewhat regularly. Oh well, if not me than someone else, right? Well, maybe not.
- T.M.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Quick One
Just thinking about my attitude of teaching and (as always) reflecting on what I'm doing and not doing and what I should be doing to become better at this thing I'm calling a career.
1) More planning. I've got to stop being so damn lazy and satisfying myself with the lame idea that I actually need to unwind for three hours in front of the t.v.
2) My attitude will effect how my students will react to my teaching. I've realized that I've made some mistakes in class when I bring a crappy attitude to my students. If I don't seem like I want to be there, they won't either. My attitude is directly related to the enthusiasm of my students.
3) Realizing that I'm no different than anyone else in this job. The more I talk to teachers, the more I realize that we're all introspective freaks for at least the first few years of the job. I just need to make sure I learn from the mistakes I make rather than dwelling on them and repeating them.
4) Have fun. High school students, to a certain extent, just need to be entertained a bit in order to go through the motions of school with any sort of positive outlook. Sure, this isn't universal, but it's definitely more prevalent than I realized. And I can't simply be selective about this... I have to distribute this through all of my classes.
That's all the insight for now.
- T
1) More planning. I've got to stop being so damn lazy and satisfying myself with the lame idea that I actually need to unwind for three hours in front of the t.v.
2) My attitude will effect how my students will react to my teaching. I've realized that I've made some mistakes in class when I bring a crappy attitude to my students. If I don't seem like I want to be there, they won't either. My attitude is directly related to the enthusiasm of my students.
3) Realizing that I'm no different than anyone else in this job. The more I talk to teachers, the more I realize that we're all introspective freaks for at least the first few years of the job. I just need to make sure I learn from the mistakes I make rather than dwelling on them and repeating them.
4) Have fun. High school students, to a certain extent, just need to be entertained a bit in order to go through the motions of school with any sort of positive outlook. Sure, this isn't universal, but it's definitely more prevalent than I realized. And I can't simply be selective about this... I have to distribute this through all of my classes.
That's all the insight for now.
- T
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Additional Links
I've been wanting to play with my template for a while, but I'm not sure I want to leave the glitzy and uber-sexy world of a black background with white and green text. Come on, admit it... you think it's sexy too.
Okay, maybe sexy is the wrong word. Maybe I'm looking for something more akin to "neat-o" or "okay". Still, I've been considering what I can do to make it more sleek and modern and, dare I say it, "cool".
In reality, the only changes I've made lately are a few additions to the links sections... I've added Mr. John Mayer's blog site, because he's a clever s-o-b and, whether you like him or not, I don't care... he's much cooler and more witty than I'll probably be, and you're in the same boat, whoever you are. Okay, maybe not all of you, but most of you for sure. If I was suddenly blessed with a glowing and attractive tenor voice and more hair and some musical talent, I'd like to be a sleek version of John Mayer. Or Dave Matthews. Damn... now I'll have to see if Dave has a blog that I can stalk from time to time in hopes of hearing more about his plans to tour the central Okanagan.
I've also added "Nature's Mighty Pictures" to the side links, which is simply fun and interesting... if I had some photography-based artistic talent, I'd like to take pictures the quality of many of the ones that find their way onto this site. Neat-O!
I'm not actually much more excited about my position as a teacher when compared with yesterday's very ominous and somewhat melancholy post, but I've just finished marking one stack of Grade 9 projects, and after staring at a good deal of mediocrity with moments of brilliance, I need to let my frontal lobe take a break before diving into grade 10 research projects which I'll have to scan for plagiarism very closely. Still have a long night ahead... but there's light at the end of the tunnel... this is the only marking I'll have to do until February! Weeee... Peace out....
- T
Okay, maybe sexy is the wrong word. Maybe I'm looking for something more akin to "neat-o" or "okay". Still, I've been considering what I can do to make it more sleek and modern and, dare I say it, "cool".
In reality, the only changes I've made lately are a few additions to the links sections... I've added Mr. John Mayer's blog site, because he's a clever s-o-b and, whether you like him or not, I don't care... he's much cooler and more witty than I'll probably be, and you're in the same boat, whoever you are. Okay, maybe not all of you, but most of you for sure. If I was suddenly blessed with a glowing and attractive tenor voice and more hair and some musical talent, I'd like to be a sleek version of John Mayer. Or Dave Matthews. Damn... now I'll have to see if Dave has a blog that I can stalk from time to time in hopes of hearing more about his plans to tour the central Okanagan.
I've also added "Nature's Mighty Pictures" to the side links, which is simply fun and interesting... if I had some photography-based artistic talent, I'd like to take pictures the quality of many of the ones that find their way onto this site. Neat-O!
I'm not actually much more excited about my position as a teacher when compared with yesterday's very ominous and somewhat melancholy post, but I've just finished marking one stack of Grade 9 projects, and after staring at a good deal of mediocrity with moments of brilliance, I need to let my frontal lobe take a break before diving into grade 10 research projects which I'll have to scan for plagiarism very closely. Still have a long night ahead... but there's light at the end of the tunnel... this is the only marking I'll have to do until February! Weeee... Peace out....
- T
Saturday, January 06, 2007
Again, with the insecurities
I'm in the process of getting ready for the next term of teaching, and I'm finding myself very pensive and nervous and battling feelings of insecurity. Part of this is probably due to the fact that I went on ratemyteachers.com and didn't really get a resounding review. And that was from a student in my English class, which I thought was the better of the two classes that I taught last term. And I never seem to be able to shake this feeling of being overwhelmed at the sheer mass of qualities and skills and expectations that go along with the job.
Like I've mentioned before, I did relatively well in my first term as far as my sponsor teachers and univeristy advisor were concerned, and everyone seemed to be happy with what I had accomplished. I'm just not sure whether it's just the nature of this job or if it's my own incessant feelings of insecurity that I keep returning to, but I feel singularly inadequate when thinking about what I'm doing in the classroom. There are so many things I feel I need to change for term #2, but I can't even seem to pull a course outline together for this coming term! I don't even know where to begin, and I keep feeling like I've bit off more than I can chew... and anyone that knows me can vouch for the fact that I can fit a lot in this mouth.
K left for work today puzzled at my mood. I woke up and was just edgy all day. We ate a nice breakfast, watched a taped episode of "Numb3rs", hung out, went for a nice walk through the park outside our apartment, had a tasty lunch, and she headed out to work. But the whole time we were together, I was battling this nagging sensation of frustration and bitterness... not at her, but at how I've been feeling in general. I have these big ideas of what I'd love to do for teaching, but I have trouble laying down an adequate foundation for how to carry out these big ambitions. And then there's the question of where I'm going to work, and where K and I are going to settle down, and there's pressure to get back to the prairies and to get closer to our families... and I don't even know if I'm up to what this job expects of me. Some of my friends and family have mentioned that I'm going to be a great teacher, or that I have the perfect personality for a teacher. I don't even really think that I'm sold on this. But even if I was, the personality is only one piece to a complicated puzzle. Some of my character flaws have come through in the classroom, and I hate the fact that I think and rethink things I've said or done to the point where I obsess over my mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've realized that I'm just an obsessive over-analyzer, but this doesn't make me feel any better about much of anything.
Maybe I just need some bloody exercise. And maybe I just need to figure out a way to get over myself and deal with everything as it comes. And maybe I just need a pint of Jack Daniels and some inspiring movies to change my mood.
Wow, I guess that's enough verbal catharsis for one night. The funny thing is, I'm sure I'll be feeling radically different tomorrow. C'est la vie... ma vie.
- T
Like I've mentioned before, I did relatively well in my first term as far as my sponsor teachers and univeristy advisor were concerned, and everyone seemed to be happy with what I had accomplished. I'm just not sure whether it's just the nature of this job or if it's my own incessant feelings of insecurity that I keep returning to, but I feel singularly inadequate when thinking about what I'm doing in the classroom. There are so many things I feel I need to change for term #2, but I can't even seem to pull a course outline together for this coming term! I don't even know where to begin, and I keep feeling like I've bit off more than I can chew... and anyone that knows me can vouch for the fact that I can fit a lot in this mouth.
K left for work today puzzled at my mood. I woke up and was just edgy all day. We ate a nice breakfast, watched a taped episode of "Numb3rs", hung out, went for a nice walk through the park outside our apartment, had a tasty lunch, and she headed out to work. But the whole time we were together, I was battling this nagging sensation of frustration and bitterness... not at her, but at how I've been feeling in general. I have these big ideas of what I'd love to do for teaching, but I have trouble laying down an adequate foundation for how to carry out these big ambitions. And then there's the question of where I'm going to work, and where K and I are going to settle down, and there's pressure to get back to the prairies and to get closer to our families... and I don't even know if I'm up to what this job expects of me. Some of my friends and family have mentioned that I'm going to be a great teacher, or that I have the perfect personality for a teacher. I don't even really think that I'm sold on this. But even if I was, the personality is only one piece to a complicated puzzle. Some of my character flaws have come through in the classroom, and I hate the fact that I think and rethink things I've said or done to the point where I obsess over my mistakes. I can't tell you how many times I've realized that I'm just an obsessive over-analyzer, but this doesn't make me feel any better about much of anything.
Maybe I just need some bloody exercise. And maybe I just need to figure out a way to get over myself and deal with everything as it comes. And maybe I just need a pint of Jack Daniels and some inspiring movies to change my mood.
Wow, I guess that's enough verbal catharsis for one night. The funny thing is, I'm sure I'll be feeling radically different tomorrow. C'est la vie... ma vie.
- T
Friday, January 05, 2007
Did I tell you about the chicken?
I was driving down the street here in Kelowna in December. The roads are a bit slick, and since Christmas was swiftly approaching, people seemed more impatient and more erratic on the roads than normal. I made a few stops to pick up a few odds and ends, picked up one of K's Christmas presents very sly-like, and was heading to another location for more Christmas shopping adventures.
I was approaching a turn and a fellow driver nearly drove me off the road... he was obviously a bit more hurried than I was. Luckily, I was feeling pretty calm, and let the incident roll off my back. As I come up to the next turn, I look into the parking lot of the Canadian Tire that I was passing by, and I saw something out of place. It was as if the song, "One of these things is not like the other one... one of these things is not the same" came into my head. I slowed a bit and narrowed my eyes into a stiff squint to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Nope, no hallucinations here. There was a damned rooster running around in the Canadian Tire parking lot!
Now, if there was a petting zoo on, it wouldn't have seemed strange. And I'm from the prairies, so it's not like I haven't seen a bloody rooster before. Hell, even if it were in the parking lot of Safeway or Costco, I probably would've laughed and thought, "Wow, at least you know they carry some fresh poultry!" But Canadian Tire isn't exactly the place you go for tasty fruits and fresh-from-the-butcher meats.
The strangest thing was that there were absolutely no people around! It was as if this rooster departed the Greyhound after an overnight from Cranbrook and said, "Hmmm... looks like my destination", hopped off and decided he needed some power tools or a new crock pot. He probably left after realizing that he didn't have the necessary opposable thumbs to create a wonderful stew or to frame a house.
After seeing this very out of place creature, I did the first thing to cross my mind... I called one of my fellow interns who has a true appreciation for random events. The message was a bit redundant, and featured me yelling (repeatedly) into the receiver, "I just saw a frickin' rooster in the Canadian Tire parking lot! A bloody rooster! What the hell is a rooster doing in the Canadian Tire parking lot?!?"
And then I almost plowed into another holiday shopper because I was a little distracted. Moral of the story? Don't indulge in your amazement at out of place poultry when driving a hatchback.
- T
I was approaching a turn and a fellow driver nearly drove me off the road... he was obviously a bit more hurried than I was. Luckily, I was feeling pretty calm, and let the incident roll off my back. As I come up to the next turn, I look into the parking lot of the Canadian Tire that I was passing by, and I saw something out of place. It was as if the song, "One of these things is not like the other one... one of these things is not the same" came into my head. I slowed a bit and narrowed my eyes into a stiff squint to make sure I wasn't seeing things.
Nope, no hallucinations here. There was a damned rooster running around in the Canadian Tire parking lot!
Now, if there was a petting zoo on, it wouldn't have seemed strange. And I'm from the prairies, so it's not like I haven't seen a bloody rooster before. Hell, even if it were in the parking lot of Safeway or Costco, I probably would've laughed and thought, "Wow, at least you know they carry some fresh poultry!" But Canadian Tire isn't exactly the place you go for tasty fruits and fresh-from-the-butcher meats.
The strangest thing was that there were absolutely no people around! It was as if this rooster departed the Greyhound after an overnight from Cranbrook and said, "Hmmm... looks like my destination", hopped off and decided he needed some power tools or a new crock pot. He probably left after realizing that he didn't have the necessary opposable thumbs to create a wonderful stew or to frame a house.
After seeing this very out of place creature, I did the first thing to cross my mind... I called one of my fellow interns who has a true appreciation for random events. The message was a bit redundant, and featured me yelling (repeatedly) into the receiver, "I just saw a frickin' rooster in the Canadian Tire parking lot! A bloody rooster! What the hell is a rooster doing in the Canadian Tire parking lot?!?"
And then I almost plowed into another holiday shopper because I was a little distracted. Moral of the story? Don't indulge in your amazement at out of place poultry when driving a hatchback.
- T
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
And just because Cibi did it...
I'll do the same... here are the titles and first sentences from the first post of each month since I've been blogging... cheesy, I'm sure, but here ya go... a little blogging Nostalgia for everyone! I think Cibi actually put only the first line, but my need for complete sentences will override this expectation...
First post of April, 2006 (my first post ever):
Dear diary, I met the nicest girl...
Okay, maybe this isn't so much a private diary with stars on the cover where I muse on the juvenile influences of eighth grade.
May 3rd, 2006:
Getting screwed...
Another warning... work rant... only for those who care about how pissed off I am...
June 11th, 2006:
My life isn't really that interesting...
It's definitely been a couple weeks since the last posting.
July 5th, 2006:
A world of similarities...
I've been thinking a good deal lately about the differences among people, and the relationship of our identities in contrast to the identities of others.
August 4th, 2006:
Sometimes you start to lose hope in the media
Okay, I guess it may be more than sometimes.
September 1st, 2006:
Goodbye home, hello home
It's the same area code.
October 12th, 2006:
Fatigue, Stress, and anxiety... I love this job...
Did the title come off as sarcastic?
November 2nd, 2006:
And the season comes to an end...
Our volleyball team finished the final game of their season last night.
December 4th, 2006:
Entry 60... T.M.'s Guide to a Great Internship
Three more weeks to go! Weeeeeeee!
That's all, folks.
- T
First post of April, 2006 (my first post ever):
Dear diary, I met the nicest girl...
Okay, maybe this isn't so much a private diary with stars on the cover where I muse on the juvenile influences of eighth grade.
May 3rd, 2006:
Getting screwed...
Another warning... work rant... only for those who care about how pissed off I am...
June 11th, 2006:
My life isn't really that interesting...
It's definitely been a couple weeks since the last posting.
July 5th, 2006:
A world of similarities...
I've been thinking a good deal lately about the differences among people, and the relationship of our identities in contrast to the identities of others.
August 4th, 2006:
Sometimes you start to lose hope in the media
Okay, I guess it may be more than sometimes.
September 1st, 2006:
Goodbye home, hello home
It's the same area code.
October 12th, 2006:
Fatigue, Stress, and anxiety... I love this job...
Did the title come off as sarcastic?
November 2nd, 2006:
And the season comes to an end...
Our volleyball team finished the final game of their season last night.
December 4th, 2006:
Entry 60... T.M.'s Guide to a Great Internship
Three more weeks to go! Weeeeeeee!
That's all, folks.
- T
New Year's Resolutions and the like
I don't actually have any New Years Resolutions. And I've never really been interested in making them either. I appreciate the sentiment of grandiose declarations of change and improvement in one's life, but I'm highly suspicious as to why these changes don't happen at other times. Why not March 22nd? I'm sure it would be as good as any other day.
Okay, maybe this is a bit cynical. I know we all have good intentions to change something about ourselves when we get reflective, but it seems that a simple change of calendar year is just as arbitrary a holiday as anything else. Funny how this calendar thing affects us. Rather than indulge in this "I'm going to be a different person" thing for 2007, I'll look back on some of the more momentous things that took place in 2006 in the year of me...
10 "Big Things" that have happened in the past year:
1) Graduating with my University degree (my first one, anyway).
2) Having my 1 year marriage anniversary and my 5 year overall anniversary with K
3) Getting into the Internship program for teaching
4) Finishing my summer classes and my Term 1 practicum successfully
5) Selling "Grimace", my beloved purple Sunbird that gave me many memories and many times where I needed extra strength antacids for the stress that bloody purple beast gave me
6) Embracing the fact that my hair is not going to become any more plentiful, and shaving it down to stubble
7) Organizing an enjoyable and successful pub crawl for my fellow Interns at the end of the summer (I don't get out much, so this was a big deal!)
8) Working as a Trainer for College Pro in Calgary for a month... I'd never actually been contacted for a job I didn't apply for, and had never been flown out to a place for a job. Although I didn't make my million, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
9) Coached my first volleyball team... though not exactly successful in the W/L department, it was fun all the same
10) Heard about my first close friend to have a baby. Again, Congrats Mr. T, and Mrs. T as well!
These aren't really in order, but it pretty much recaps the big events of 2006. I've been filling out applications today for my acceptance into the BCCT, and on almost every sheet, I've had to scratch out "Jan. 2nd, 2006" and edit the year to read "2007". Although a big cliched, the year has flown by, and I guess we look forward to the next! I'll try to add some new pictures to the "My Pictures" section soon as a tribute to the year.
Bonne Annee, mes amis.
- T
Okay, maybe this is a bit cynical. I know we all have good intentions to change something about ourselves when we get reflective, but it seems that a simple change of calendar year is just as arbitrary a holiday as anything else. Funny how this calendar thing affects us. Rather than indulge in this "I'm going to be a different person" thing for 2007, I'll look back on some of the more momentous things that took place in 2006 in the year of me...
10 "Big Things" that have happened in the past year:
1) Graduating with my University degree (my first one, anyway).
2) Having my 1 year marriage anniversary and my 5 year overall anniversary with K
3) Getting into the Internship program for teaching
4) Finishing my summer classes and my Term 1 practicum successfully
5) Selling "Grimace", my beloved purple Sunbird that gave me many memories and many times where I needed extra strength antacids for the stress that bloody purple beast gave me
6) Embracing the fact that my hair is not going to become any more plentiful, and shaving it down to stubble
7) Organizing an enjoyable and successful pub crawl for my fellow Interns at the end of the summer (I don't get out much, so this was a big deal!)
8) Working as a Trainer for College Pro in Calgary for a month... I'd never actually been contacted for a job I didn't apply for, and had never been flown out to a place for a job. Although I didn't make my million, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
9) Coached my first volleyball team... though not exactly successful in the W/L department, it was fun all the same
10) Heard about my first close friend to have a baby. Again, Congrats Mr. T, and Mrs. T as well!
These aren't really in order, but it pretty much recaps the big events of 2006. I've been filling out applications today for my acceptance into the BCCT, and on almost every sheet, I've had to scratch out "Jan. 2nd, 2006" and edit the year to read "2007". Although a big cliched, the year has flown by, and I guess we look forward to the next! I'll try to add some new pictures to the "My Pictures" section soon as a tribute to the year.
Bonne Annee, mes amis.
- T
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