Tips for filling a beanbag

OPTION 1:
Equipment needed: piece of wire, kitchen knife, bag of beans (or old beanbag), beanbag.

Procedure:
* Start with the beanbag in any old place, perhaps where you left it last.
* Open the zipper of the beanbag using the piece of wire.
* Slash a hole in the bag of beans/old beanbag with the kitchen knife (or use any preexisting hole).
* Aim the hole at the zipper opening.
* Squeeze until you give up in frustration.

Beans spilled: Countless.

OPTION 2:
Equipment needed: scissors, pen, bag of beans, beanbag, bathtub, plug, knee, elbow.

Procedure:
* Put the plug in the empty bathtub and then place the beanbag inside.
* Open the zipper using the pen.
* Cut open a small corner of the bag of beans using the scissors.
* Put one foot on the edge of the bathtub and use your knee to keep the bag of beans in position with the cut-off corner inside the zipper opening.
* Use your elbow to squeeze the bag of beans like a bagpipe until the bag is empty.

Beans spilled: Zero.

How Times Have Changed

I read this online today, and it's so sadly true.

Scenario:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his gun rack.
1957 - The vice principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car, and gets his own shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - The school goes into lockdown, the FBI is called, and Jack is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors are called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario:
Jeffrey won't be still in class and disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey is sent to the office and is given a good paddling by the principal. He returns to class, sits still, and does not disrupt the class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie and is tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his dad gives him a spanking with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom falls for the psychologist.

Scenario:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in state prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy.

You've Got Mail

I have a friend (you know who you are!) who is very excited about most things postal. Now I am the one who will be watching the letter box with great expectation for the next few weeks. I'm waiting on some important mail, not the least of which is a sandwich press that I won!

Interestingly enough, I made a blog post with the same name almost exactly a year ago...

Slice, slice, baby

The title pays homage to the many delicious slices, not to mention a tonne of savouries, that my dear mother whipped up for the engagement party last Saturday. Although, many a guest, while sampling the delicacies, posed that tired old question, "So, has your mother taught you to cook this good?" With any luck, the thus far recessive allele might emerge sometime in the next thirty years...

The brief event was a blur, but a great one. And such lovely, generous gifts! But best of all was catching up with so many people from all the circles of our lives.

A new year, a new look

At the dawn (or at least early morning) of 2009, I return to my very neglected blog with much news to share. It is a year of many new beginnings and many exciting developments, some of which are well-known by now and others which I may reveal later. To reflect all this newness, I thought a fresh new colour would suit (although blue is perhaps not that far removed from blue afterall...).

Let me bring you up to speed. The last you heard of me, I was whinging about yet another self-inflicted work load. I was on the verge of report writing, final exams and end of year routine. In short, it was even worse than I thought it would be due to many unforseen interuptions (not all of which were unpleasant!). But I made it through, surviving my 'first year out' and completing all study for good (or at least until a future lapse of judgement).

Much more importantly, I've finally traded in my boyfriend for a fiancé after the most romantic proposal of all time on November 22. Stoz and I will be getting married on the 19th of September! Yay :) Keep up to date with the new countdown on the sidebar.

So, 2009 sees me teaching Indonesian, Music, Maths and Humanities, and planning a wedding on the side. This will certainly be a very interesting year!

The mountain just got bigger

Not long ago, August in fact, I wrote about the ever-growing To-Do Mountain, and how it appears an even more insurmountable obstacle each time it rears its head. I rather naively thought that would be the biggest mountain I would face for this stage of my life. Somewhat unexpectedly, due to a fairly severe bout of influenza, that mountain is back with a vengeance.

In light of the earth science unit I'm teaching in year 7, I'm wondering if perhaps this mountain could more aptly be described as a volcano. With each eruption, it grows a little bit higher. I just hope it's not one of those volcanoes that violently blows itself apart!

Coursework, exam, reports, curriculum writing... I'll see you on the other side.

A Jamie Oliver Moment

My mum put on the usual spread of delicacies for our family dinner last night. You know, just the usual for a simple Saturday meal: Soup, a roast, salad. And for dessert apple and pineapple slice, Viennese Sachertorte (chocolate sponge cake), cherry cheesecake slice and fresh cantaloupe. (I bet you're wishing you were of German heritage now.)

My grandfather asked why my mum had cooked so much (I think she just likes to cook). Then he asked me if I also cooked, to which I sadly had to reply no. Highlights of my own cooking career include crumbling cakes, raw 'baked' potatoes and my all-time favourite, cheese a la flames. I feel like I'm a disappointment to my lineage! When experiencing my cooking, people frequently comment in utter puzzlement, "But your mum is such a good cook..."

My own cooking abilities can be summed up in the Jamie Oliver moment I had a couple of days ago. I'm pretty sure it was Jamie Oliver that had the show where he'd come into someone's kitchen and cook up something restaurant-like from whatever was on hand in the pantry. Feeling a bit inspired, I attempted my own fanciful dish from what I could find in the fridge. Pumpkin soup and leftover pasta, with a little help from the spice rack, became the very classy herb and pumpkin penne with chives and parmesan.

Tasty, but still a clear distinction from my Mum's cuisine.