The monolith has finally left my chest . . .

Something finally lifted from me on Saturday night. Something that's been lurking in the back of my brain and evading all my attempts to corner it and kick it out (much like my pesky cat when she gets under my bed. you think you've got her, but no. she simply rushes out and around to the other side.).

It's taken four months, but my bitterness has finally lifted and true forgiveness has settled into its place.

A few caveats for you:

1. Four months, you say? That's nothing! Well friends, let me tell you, that's like a lifetime to me. I am literally incapable of keeping a grudge or holding things against others. Usually bitterness just slides off me overnight, and I don't think I've ever dealt with it for more than a week--and trust me, that was tough. So imagine how hard four straight months has been.

2. I am 100% aware that the person I've forgiven doesn't even need to be forgiven. He technically did nothing wrong. But, you know, hearts just don't care about technicalities, do they? Can I get an amen?

3. I'm not going to go back into the details of the situation. One of the great things about true forgiveness is the fact that the book on that particular time is closed. I've learned my lesson, and I've stored it away, but I'm not going to rehash it here for your entertainment, so back off. Love you!


And now, on to the good stuff!

--

A lot of my readers don't know this, but this was what my life has looked like for almost the last seven years:

Looking at these pictures no longer pains my heart. 

I cherish the times we had. Life has moved us forward without each other, and I'm excited about that now. 

Honestly. 

New York Trip: Chris

Perhaps my favorite part of my trip to New York (which took place a full MONTH ago!) was the opportunity to see my bestie from high school. 

There was a time that Chris and I were inseparable. Joined at the hip. Finished each others' sentences. We've laughed together, cried (tears of laughter) together, and acted together. I've helped him postpone the heat death of the universe and he's raped me.

Wait, did she just say that? What does that mean? How are these people friends? What kind of site IS this? Unfollow, unfollow!

Calm down, people. It was in a play we did together, and my dad even showed him how to do it, so look: Dad approved!

. . . and then I just lost the last few who were hanging on. 

Either way, Chris is incredibly dear to my heart, and I was dying (and a little nervous) to see him after SIX whole years without actually being in each others' presence. 

I tell you, that first hello was awkward.

A stilted hug, figuring out what to do with Chris in a beard, dealing with the fact that we're both working ADULTS (yikes), and wondering why his voice sounds weirdly different. Not to mention that our reunion was happening in the press room at New York Comic Con, which, of course, made things even more awkward.

Also, the first night out was a little tough. Blaring music can make catching up with a long-lost friend difficult for even the most dedicated reminiscer.

But things leveled out, and Saturday evening and Sunday were so great. We argued over who would cover the checks, ate Pad Thai, drank some delicious beverages, hung out with his coworkers and (perhaps) friends, enjoyed the city, and talked about all our favorite subjects: love lives, food, TV and film, people from high school, and the Chiefs.

I finally got to meet his lady, but the first meeting was awkward. I was holding down the floor of their living room, so my first night in the city I bunk down AFTER she's already gone to sleep upstairs. So my first meeting with his pretty girl was uncomfortable. But things finally even out on Saturday evening. She's everything I'd imagine for Chris.

Repping the Chiefs shirt at the Potato Famine Memorial in lower Manhattan. That's how we do.

It will doubtless be awhile before I see my friend again, but hopefully it won't be six years. 

The best part about the weekend? Falling back into the familiar banter which defined our friendship during our time at LSHS. 

Some things never change, and I am so incredibly grateful for it. 

New York Trip: The City

Ah, the city. The City. I love the city.

The first step out of the subway station was an instant onslaught of dirty pavement, rushing crowds, old grease, new grease, honking horns, and so much more. The smell of old asphalt. One hundred different aromas from one hundred different eateries. Barely a sliver of blue in the sky.

Instant. Love.

I found myself telling people that I either need a tiny town or a gigantic city. I've discovered that suburban life does not suit me. I need to feel connected to something.

*Small town: connected to people, community, values, and school.
*Huge city: connected to culture, life, events, the world on a large scale.

*Suburbs: connected to . . . my house, my SUV, and my kids' activities.

You know, part of the reason I do not connect with the suburbs seems to be their focus on material things. Shopping? Acquiring things? Upgrading? Not for me.

Now, you might think this would make someplace like New York City a difficult place to love, for it's a very status-driven place, but honestly, I love it. I felt no pressure to fix my clothing or my status.

I love being able to walk block after block and see every skin color, hear dozens of languages, and find something new on every corner. I love the opportunity to see the newest, most independent films and hear the freshest music in person.

My word, and the food. The food.

My favorite foods in the entire world are not easy to find in Kansas, especially Western Kansas. Sushi and Pad Thai are not easy to find here, and I doubt anyone has even heard of Pho (much less knows how to pronounce it). And all of those can be found on practically every street in the great city of New York. I don't have to drive an hour to get Pad Thai and three to get sushi. And besides sushi, I managed to eat all of my favorite foods while I was in the city.

The Pad Thai was probably my favorite. It was a tiny hole-in-the-wall place with only four tables and the second-best Pad Thai I've ever had (no one can beat Siam in my ICT, what, WHAT?). The Pho was excellent as well (it was duck), but I'm a sucker for Thai noodles.

After leaving the Con around noon on Saturday, I decided to wander around the city. I didn't get too far before noticing a movie theatre. Well, you know me; I can't pass up a movie--especially if it's one I really want to see. And this one was, so I popped into the theatre to watch Buried.

So good. So raw. Terrifying, but not in a horror movie way. It's two hours of one man in a box. Sounds awful. Is actually amazing. And it's Ryan Reynolds. Not looking beautiful, just being an incredible actor.

Besides that, the rest of the time was spent just walking the city. I love walking. My feet became raw from all the walking, but it was more than worth it. Just seeing the skyline, the harbor, Lady Liberty, Ground Zero, and many other things made my trip fabulous.

And now, some pictures!

The city would be tough alone, though, so the next post will concern the last part of my trip: seeing Chris and reviving an old friendship, probably the best part of the entire trip.

Stay tuned!

New York Trip: Comic Con

My trip to New York began well. I flew on my own and with minimal fuss. I discovered that I love to travel by myself. Sometimes I can be a little anti-social, so the ability to move quickly from gate to gate, bury myself in a book on the plane, and not worry about losing my party was great for me. It would have been terrible to die alone, but luckily--no death.

Actually, I'm zombie MB and I'm writing this to you while I'm sitting here eating BRAINS.

Ok, lame. Sorry.

So, made it to the Big Apple. I was a little hesitant when it came to getting from Jersey into Manhattan (because I flew into Newark instead of JFK), but I made it quickly to the city and with relative ease.

After leaving Penn station, I decided that I would explore that side of town (middle West side) and ended up on the edge of the island about an hour later. I still hadn't found the convention center, however, which worried me. My phone was low on battery and my backpack was starting to get awfully heavy.

I decided to give it one last go, so I hopped onto the next street headed East and lo and behold, there it was. The conference center. Finally.

After waiting in line for about fifteen minutes, I finally had my press pass. Turns out that a press pass only gives you permission to enter everything; it does not give you a guaranteed seat to any event. Luckily I didn't have my sights set on any event that would be too difficult to enter.

Panels and Workshops


1. Justifying using graphic novels in the classroom

This was a great workshop, and I am so glad that I made it into the Con in time to attend. The presenters were regular educators and librarians (who probably felt a little out of place among all the costumes and booths) who had used graphic novels in their classroom successfully. Their students had really enjoyed the entire process and learned much more about literature throughout than most people might assume. I took an entire page of notes and cannot wait to get them typed up and put together. I don't think I'll be able to incorporate anything until next year for my regular English classes, but I can't wait to try some things with my Creative Writing kids. I think they'll enjoy it!

2. Trailers

I wandered into a screening of the latest trailers from some major studios. It wasn't necessarily what I would have chosen to attend, but I was actually waiting for the next panel (see event 3!). I saw a great trailer for Battle: Los Angeles, and the newest Harry Potter trailer. I also saw the trailer for Sucker Punch, which looks like it's going to be just that, but I'd already seen the trailer this summer. Once that was done it was finally time for the event I'd originally come to see.

3. Hanna panel

This panel was for a new movie coming out next March called Hanna. It's directed by Joe Wright (Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Soloist) and stars Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, The Lovely Bones) and Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down, Troy, Time Traveler's Wife). I will admit that I went to go see Bana in person, and he was even more handsome in person--even if he did have short hair (I prefer longer hair). What I wasn't expecting, however, was how good Hanna looks. I think it'll be a very interesting movie, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it since I've enjoyed everything wright has done so far.

4. The Floor

The Floor. Capital "f." Seriously, it was just one big maze of gaming and company setups, booths, shops, and other exhibitions (like a crazy section for the re-release of the Alien movies on Blu-Ray). To be honest, I found this the least interesting part of the Con for me. I wasn't really there to shop or to meet any artists, so I basically wandered around looking at everything. I did stop by Her Universe though, a shop I've loved for awhile now. I finally got my Empire Strikes Back thermal hoodie, my new favorite piece of clothing.

5. Sherlock screening

By far my favorite part of the Con. As soon as I saw the it was screening I made sure to have my butt outside and in line a full hour-and-a-half early. Since it's written by Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis (two people behind Doctor Who) I was quite excited for the quality of the writing. BBC America approached me to do an interview (I think the guy chose me because he thought my shoes were cool), and I even signed a release, but the doors opened early. I decided to forgo the interview so that I could get a good seat. The show started, and I was in heaven. I've never watched a movie with such a responsive and fun audience before! These people knew when to laugh, appreciated all the inside jokes, and clapped at all the right times.

That screening made me so excited I decided to invite my students over for the American premiere on PBS tomorrow night. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did, but if not, at least I tried.

Here are some pictures from the convention for you all:

I enjoyed my time there very much, but I realized that I'm positively mild compared to other fans. It helped put my geekiness in perspective. I spent my day there on Friday and half of my day on Saturday. That was plenty for me, and I feel like I got to see all that I wanted to see. All in all, I'd say it was a success.

Next post: 

The city

Keep your britches on.

Remember how I was going to post about my New York trip and Comic Con?

Ok, it was supposed to happen over the weekend, but I got a little over-ambitious on Saturday and Sunday and decided to paint my fireplace instead.

Before

After

Now that is a beautiful thing, is it not? I would say that is well worth skipping a post about New York and Comic Con. I mean, I can post anytime for all two of my rabid readers, but I can't get my fireplace painted at just any time.

I'm actually going to have real company from the town in less than a week, so I've got to make sure that the house is looking its best, right?

Speaking of, I finally purchased the last items for my bathroom. Once those are in (should be this Thursday), the room will be complete. And if I say so myself, it's going to look super fetch.

Want some New York and Comic Con stories? Well . . . you'll have to wait just a bit longer! It's late and I need to get some sleep if I'm going to be able to deal with the crazies tomorrow--it's spirit week, which means something has snapped in the kids' brains and they're all acting like they're infected with the 28 Days Later virus--but not the 28 Weeks Later virus because as far as I can tell no one has gouged out a classmate's eyes with his thumbs.

Yet.

I'm teaching in a teen movie . . .

She's back!

*crickets*

Yes, well, for the two of you who noticed, I have returned from a rather long hiatus. I think two weeks is the longest I've gone so far without blogging. 

In my defense, I was away from blogging capabilities last weekend, and I usually make all my posts on weekends since that's when I seem to have TIME.

Coming up will be a few posts about my trip to New York and my first visit to Comic Con. It was definitely great, and a little less epic than I anticipated (but in a good way), and it will take quite awhile to post it all.

But, in the meantime, I'll leave you with a wonderful story about one of my students. 

Imagine this situation for me, if you would. 

You're in class. Let say it's science class. Your teacher is a pretty tough teacher. Doesn't take any crap from you. Makes you work hard. Disciplines with a firm hand. 

You've got to pee. And in a bad way. 

He tells you that you can't leave the room to use the restroom.

What do you do?

Well, if you're a rational adult, you might simply say to yourself, "Well, I need to make my situation a little more clear to him so that I do not have an accident here in class."

But if you're a teenager, you say to yourself, "He won't let me out of the room. Guess I better find a place to go."

So you look around the room, and then remember that this is a science classroom with an adjoining lab. And this lab is empty. And labs have these awesome things with drains called sinks.

PERFECT!

You duck into the lab while the teacher is occupied with his other students, you sally right on up to a sink, and you do your business quickly and efficiently. Some of your classmates know what you're up to, and let's face it. What you're up to is pretty funny. 

What you don't realize, however, is that Miss M is apparently a teacher that other students trust, because this information travels quickly to her ear via one of those students who knows what you're up to. And when she brings it to your attention that she knows about your little escapade, well, let's just say it's all you can do to save face.

-

Little does this student know that I'm still laughing about it. 

The best part? 

His rationale for why it was OK:

"But I washed my hands afterwards!"

Wasn't going to, but . . .

Fall is in the air. 

I can smell it.

Like, literally smell it. Someone's burning something outside and I'm hoping it's that nice Fall kind of burning instead of something terrible. Because then I'd be a terrible person for enjoying the smell of someone else's horror.

But besides that, it's so beautiful outside that I'm considering heading outside and doing some yard work. And those of you who know me also know that I am not a gardener. Never have been, and probably never will be. Unless something drastic happens like I actually do fall off of my kitchen counter, get knocked into a coma, and then wake up with a green thumb.

Until that time I'll be a perpetual disappointment to womanhood because add to my dislike of gardening my inability to sew, my distaste for scrapbooking, my aversion to talking at length about feelings, and having as of yet never baked a cake from scratch. 

Ah, well. 

Either way, it's beautiful today. I'm also feeling a bit listless because I love going to our football games on Fridays, but the game today is over two hours away. It's a bit far to go on my own, and I didn't want to impose on anyone else, so I'm chilling at home tonight. 

It's hard to believe that I'm headed to New York City in only one week! My first time going on my own. I cannot wait!

In other news, I'm finding a real family at my church here in Ashland. They've taken me in, and rather quickly I might add! It feels good to be part of something and part of a group of people again. I find myself wishing Sunday would come so that I can see everyone again. And it'll be here in less than two days! Can't wait.

Last, but not least, remember how much I like (ahem, adore) Bill Hader and his eyebrows? No? Want a reminder? No? Well, too bad. Here you go.

Strange looking? I tell you that you are blind.

Perhaps you might not think I am so blind for this next one. Who knows. Based on what little looking into this I've done, more women seem to find this other man quite the looker. 

But, of course, you know what has me hooked? The eyebrows. 

Sigh. 

Lovely.

Ladies and ladies, I give you Mr. Lee Pace's eyebrows. 

And the man himself, naturally.

Will he ever replace Mr. Hader? Probably not.

But if you do not know who he is, I suggest you immediately remedy that fact and watch a TV show that was sadly cancelled two years ago, Pushing Daisies. Watch it instantly on Netflix.

And . . . you're welcome.