Ketchup and a Question

Hey there! It's been a while. Way too long, in fact! So here's a quick ketchup* on me. (*or catch-up, update)

The summer was good. Camp is over, but I'm okay with that. The beginning of the school year is always so exciting that it makes the end of summer bearable.

Our wonderful waterfront. A favorite pic from the summer.

All the Lakewood 2012 staff. Being ridiculous, of course :)

 I've started a new "diet" plan. It's more healthy eating than anything. But, I've lost 3 lbs in about 2 weeks! That seems like a good thing to me. Plus, I don't have to exercise like crazy. It's sorta like Weight Watchers (I think, I've never actually done WW, but have read about it). I'm looking to lose 30 lbs. by the new year. If I lose 3lbs every 2 weeks, I'll be just shy of that goal (and I'm okay with that). Oh, and I got a great bike! I've been trying to ride or walk daily for some exercise.

My bike :)  It's really nice and comfortable. I just need to ride it MORE!

College football has begun! Woo-hoo! And for that, I am thankful (Roll Tide, Roll!!!)

Roll Tide!!!! We sat in the nosebleed section at the AL vs W. KY game, but it was still fun! Alabama won!

Brad was trying to pay attention to the game. I was trying to take pictures!

I'm officially a resident of Georgia! Got my license in the mail the other day. It makes me feel like I really have moved here and am working as an independent adult. Yes, the apartment and job helped, but the license just made it all that much more official!

Now for a question: Who was your BEST teacher, and why? Doesn't matter the grade, school, etc. I'm just doing some research on effective teachers/teaching and would like to hear what you say!

A Solution: Part 2

I believe most health experts these days would say taking some time for yourself-a vacation, if you will-is a good health move. We live in a world where we never stop; or at least I do. I'm fortunate enough to have a schedule which allows me to take more time off than most people. I usually have weekends free and don't actually have to go to the office more than 2-3 days a week. Even with all the "free" time I have, I'm still bogged down with school work (grading papers and planning classes), volunteer work (which I'm glad to do and feel I owe it to my community), and taking time to visit and help my grandparents. Also, I have a tendency to overbook myself and not say "no" when I should.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about my life, schedule, or all of the incredibly awesome things I get to do. But, I do know that it is time for me to take a break, even if for only a few days. The past weekend was exhausting. Between finishing the semester, driving (10 hours) from Georgia to Texas, celebrating my brother-in-law's graduation and driving 10 more hours from Georgia to Missouri (I should mention, up to this point, the driving has all been solo), I'm beginning to feel stretched thin. I noticed this when I snapped at my wonderful boyfriend this morning.

There is a bright side to all this, we (my boyfriend and I) left Missouri last night and have begun our 13 hour drive to the North Carolina beach! Although we will be spending some of our time visiting his parents and our friends in NC, we will also be spending a few days at the beach. There is something so relaxing and rejuvenating about being on and near the ocean. Luckily, we will be both near and on the ocean since there is a boat accessible. 

Hopefully with this little vacation I'll be refreshed and renewed. Ready to exercise and take on the summer. Vacations are always a good thing...usually!

A Solution

As you know, I've been trying to lose weight and work out. I will admit I haven't kept up with P90 like I wanted, but I've been doing other exercises. Also, I've started reading a book Blood Sugar Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman. Basically, he discusses the world-wide epidemic of Type 2 diabetes and how this can be stopped by getting to the root of the problem--general overall health. I'm hoping to slowly add his health method to my exercise regime. Read the book, or check him out. I really believe in this stuff.

My boyfriend has Type 1 Diabetes, and I want to do all I can to support him. Not that his diabetes can be reversed, but it can be managed with a healthy diet and exercise regime. When we are around each other, we tend to overeat rich, delicious foods! I'm not complaining, but since I'll be spending most of my summer with him, I want us to work on a healthier eating regime--together.

Also, the food at camp isn't the healthiest (and I'll be with Brad at camp for most of the summer), so this is another reason for me to start working on my eating habits.

So, here are a few things I cooked the last two days. I included links as well as the recipe. At the bottom of each recipe, you'll see where I've added my comments.

1.) Toasted Quinoa Salad with Scallops

• 12 ounces dry sea scallops, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or dry bay scallops (see Note)
• 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari, or soy sauce, divided
• 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed well (see Tip)
• 2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup trimmed and diagonally sliced snow peas, (1/2 inch thick)
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions
• 1/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. Toss scallops with 2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce) in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Place a large, high-sided skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil and quinoa. Cook, stirring constantly, until the quinoa begins to color, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover and cook over medium heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. (Do not stir.) Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in snow peas, cover and let stand for 5 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, whisk 3 tablespoons canola oil, the remaining 2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce), vinegar and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and snow peas, scallions and bell pepper; toss to combine.
4. Remove the scallops from the marinade and pat dry. Heat a large skillet over medium-high until hot enough to evaporate a drop of water upon contact. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons canola oil and cook the scallops, turning once, until golden and just firm, about 2 minutes total. Gently stir the scallops into the quinoa salad. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

My comments:
Not my favorite. Too much vinegar. BUT, I did find out that after cutting up the scallops and mixing it around in the quinoa salad, the vinegar flavor was a bit less overwhelming. In the future, I may try to leave out the Asian elements (sesame oil and vinegar).
Favorite: Toasting the quinoa before boiling it!!! Really gave the quinoa a much deeper flavor. Also, the quinoa in general. It is feeling but doesn't settle in your stomach the way rice does.

Toasted Quinoa Salad with Scallops

2.) Lemon Dill Salmon with Asian Snow Pea Salad


Lemon-Dill Wild Salmon

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp fresh dill weed
• ½ tsp. fresh parsley
• ½ tsp. fresh tarragon
• 1 lb. wild salmon

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mince the garlic. Combine the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs in a bowl. Mix.
3. Rub a cookie sheet or spray with olive oil to prevent sticking (or cover the pan with parchment paper). Place salmon, skin-side down, on the sheet pan. Evenly spread the herb mixture over the salmon. Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork: internal temperature of the salmon should be 155 degrees.

My comments:
FAVORITE salmon recipe. Ever. Simple, delicious. Don't overcook the salmon (I cooked it for 15 minutes. Let it sit for about 5. Perfection). No need to add any more oil than what it calls for. Make sure to use the full amount of lemon juice.
Change I made: I didn't use wild salmon. I'm not a fan of wild salmon (too fishy), so I tried to cut out a little bit of the oil (wild salmon is less fatty than other salmons).

Asian Snow Pea Salad:

• 1/4 pound snow peas (generous 1 cup), stem ends trimmed and strings removed
• 2 cups shredded Napa or Savoy cabbage
• 1/3 cup julienne carrot
• 1/3 cup julienne red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup julienne cucumber
• 3 tablespoons minced scallion (about 1 medium scallion)
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced mint
• 3 tablespoons light sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium wheat-free tamari
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snow peas and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. Remove the snow peas from the ice water and pat dry.
2. Mix together the snow peas, cabbage, carrot, red pepper, cucumber, scallion, cilantro, and mint.
3. Whisk together the sesame oil, tamari, rice wine vinegar, lime juice, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix thoroughly.

My comments:
Great salad. I used lemon juice since I didn't have lime juice.
Future changes: less sesame oil; more lime juice. 

Lemon Dill Salmon with an Asian Snow Pea Salad

 

 

 

 

Reflections

As the semester is winding down, I've been doing a lot of reflecting on the past year. For those who don't know, this past year was my first year as a full-time college instructor. Basically, I'm on the path to fulfill my dream career, which is to be a full-time tenured college/university professor. I still need to go back to school and get my final degree (PhD), but for now I'm gaining valuable experience that will hopefully aid in my getting accepted at the university of my choice (for PhD work). I'd also like to have a chance at getting an assistantship so I don't have to pay for school.

Anyway, I've really enjoyed this year. It's been frustrating and challenging, but I'm happy. Here is what I've learned about teaching college:

1.) For the most part, college freshmen are lost and have no concept of what it means to study outside of class. They need LOTS of guidance or most of them will fail.
2.) It's not always about teaching the subject material (in my case, Music Appreciation). It is also about teaching skills that will come handy later in college and life.
3.) On that note, there are a lot of students who really care about what you (as a teacher) say. There are also a lot who don't care. Don't take it personally, just understand you're helping some. The others will learn eventually. If they don't at least you tried.
 4.) You may feel like you're having a bad day teaching. You probably are. But, generally speaking, the students don't know that. Bear through it. There will be better days.
 5.) Don't be afraid to use media (youtube, for example). The students love it and you connect with them. It's also easier ;)
 6.) Stick to the rules you've established. If you bend for one student, others find out and begin creeping in on your weakness.  Generally, students will accept your answer without argument. They just ask to see if they can break you down. Don't break!
7.) Have fun and be human. Students like knowing you can talk to them as humans and not like they are beneath you. But, refer to number 6: don't cross a line that makes them think they can get whatever they want.
8.) The more work you give your students, the more work you have to grade. Not that it's a bad thing, but keep it in mind.
9.)As a university employee, you get a lot of perks. You get to use the library, gym, go to speeches and presentations by people in all different scholarly fields (for free!!), attend sporting events, take classes, etc. Take advantage of it.
10.) Listen to your students. They've got some really great ideas and things to say! They are so young and excited. Let them help keep you grounded yet excited about what you're doing.
11.) Being a college teacher is the best job. Ever. Period.

Now, things I want to improve for next year:
1.) Being more prepared for lectures. This should be easier if you consider that last year I stepped into this job with all of one week to leave summer camp in Missouri and move all my stuff from Louisiana to Alabama, unpack (find work clothes, mainly), and attend 3 days of new faculty orientation/meetings. Then classes started. It was a hectic beginning, but was much smoother this spring.
2.) In keeping with number 1, I want to step into the fall semester will all lectures planned, tests made, and assignments developed. Understandably, things will change and I'll have to make adjustments, but I think it would be nice to have something to change rather than just coming up with plans as I go. I may not like this setup, but I'd like to give it a try.
3.) Work on creating my own book to teach this class. I don't particularly like the one we use and no publishers have sent anything that seems worthy of change. It needs to cover all the important facts and aspects of music, discuss female composers, and be affordable!
4.) Register for classes. Not sure what classes, but I get 9 hours (free of charge), so might as well take advantage.
5.) Attend more university events. Now that I'm not living 1 hour from the university, I should be able to attend more things; like sporting events, presentations, concerts, etc.
6.) Get a CV together that includes test examples, lectures, student evaluations, etc. I want to be prepared for applying to grad school.

All this being said, I need to leave this blog and head over to my emails and the pile of assignments that need to be graded. How's your school year been?

Worth the Wait

I'm not sure this blog is entirely worth the wait, but I'm back; but only for a brief visit.

Things are BUSY (I know, you're busy too!). The end of the semester always keeps me busy. Between averaging grades, grading papers, meeting with students...did I mention grading papers?...I stay really preoccupied.

Anyway, for fun I decided to talk about my new apartment. It's so cute and coming together nicely. One day I'll be finished decorating, but for now it is all mine and I love it. Here are a few pictures to let you get a glimpse of my favorite place:

1.) My bathroom. Of course, there are actually toiletries in there now, but I really love the shower curtain. What you can't see is the clear curtain on the inside of the shower. It has pockets!! I can put my shampoo, soaps, etc. in the pockets! I looove it!!!

2.) The front door. It's purple and there are LOTS of plants outside. You may notice the two trees on the left. They are fig trees! I love figs!!!

3.) My two favorite chairs in my tiny living room. I found these chairs at a second hand store in town. Great deal and great condition. Can't complain...and again, I love them :)

 
4.) My bedroom. Eventually I will add some curtains over the closet space so it doesn't look so cluttered, but I do love the storage space. Plenty of room for all my clothes, shoes, accessories, etc.

5.) Last, my favorite room: the KITCHEN!!! I love so many things about my super tiny kitchen. First, it's cute. Second, I love the pie safe and kitchen island (bought them both at local stores). Third, the appliances (refrigerator and oven) are brand new. Can't complain about that!

Pie safe with wine rack, of course!

 

Kitchen island. Absolutely necessary due to VERY minimal counter space

A bit sloppy, but there you have the other side of the kitchen! Did I mention I love the original 1930s sink??

There you have it, folks! My very first apartment! Quite the stepping stone in my life. Maybe one day I'll actually get to spend some time there!

Granddad 1

Some of you reading this blog (if any) may know my maternal granddad. He's an incredibly impressive man and has succeeded more in his lifetime that most people ever will. That statement doesn't give him the credit he deserves, but I feel it's the best, most efficient way to sum him up. However, in an effort to preserve his legacy, or MY view of his legacy, I'll spend some time telling you more details about him.

First of all, you need to understand that we don't always get along. He can drive me bat-shit crazy. Why, you ask? Because he is stubborn, relentless, opinionated, pessimistic, realistic, practical, and incredibly self-motivated and driven. This wouldn't be a problem if I possessed these characteristics as strongly as him. However, I'm almost always optimistic (at least outwardly). In fact, probably annoyingly optimistic-which is completely opposite of him. I'm also a dreamer. His realistic and practical view of life frequently clashes with mine and we often disagree on what I should be doing. I have a hard time with self-motivation (just making myself keep up with this blog has been a challenge), while he can't seem to stop going and succeeding. And, just when you think he's hashed out all of these issues with you, such as your opposite view of politics, life choices, outlook, etc, he comes back and hits you with this relentless effort to change your mind and impart more of his opinion on you. But, what I have to admit, is that these characteristics are largely what have made him so successful in life. And that makes me feel so many different ways: proud of him; frustrated because he's probably right; motivated to succeed; scared to fail; intimidated; and worried about a future without him.

I've been lucky. I'm the oldest grandchild on my mother's side and the second oldest on my dad's. Because of this (and the fact that my parents had me in their early 20s), I am fortunate to be 30 and have all four of my grandparents still alive. I have a close relationship with each of them, maybe closer than some of the other grandchildren have. This being said, my granddad isn't afraid to critique me and had admitted to being tougher on me than the others. There have been times he's hurt my feelings and all I wanted to do was either run away crying or cuss him. He can be so tough, but I guess it's because of the life he had.

See, he was born in a time when life was tougher than it is now. People who couldn't keep up didn't make it. There were no governmental handouts and society didn't feel sorry for you if you were lazy and didn't try. I think you've probably heard about these people-some refer to them as the greatest generation that's ever lived. They may be right. My granddad helped his dad keep their farm operating and raise the younger siblings (which is no easy feat to accomplish) while also maintaining excellent grades in school so he could later be accepted at Cornell University in New York City.  He says it's no big deal-Cornell had to accept some people from the south to keep up with quotas, and he just happened to be the one. I think it's a big deal. First, did they really have quotas and such during the 1940s? Second, he is smart. Really smart. And got into a school that was producing some of the leading doctors of the early-mid 20th century. That in itself is cool-and another one of those things that intimidate me. Fortunately, I'm not going to be a medical doctor, so I won't ever need to compare my medical practice to his!

He's tough because of his childhood and everything else that ensued: He went to war, fought, came home and continued to study medicine, married, had 5 children, lost his wife to cancer (which was pretty tough for a doctor), started raising 5 children/preteens on his own while maintaining a medical practice, remarried, had a 6th baby and started sending the other 5 off to college, continued to successfully practice medicine while becoming active in philanthropic organizations, became the granddad to yours truly and 12 others, eventually retired (hard, hard decision), became INCREDIBLY active in philanthropic organizations and started opening clinics for underprivileged children, got cancer, beat it a few different times, and travelled to every continent on the planet. All the while, he's maintained a successful home, kept a large family together without any tragic incidents, and still hasn't given up. However, the cancer he has now is doing it's best to bring him down. And that's pissing him off.

(More to come later. Gotta sleep now. Hope you enjoy learning about my granddad!)

Oh, hey there!

I'm sorry, I'll admit that I almost forgot about you, dear blog. However, just before you fell off my radar, I remembered some of my friends' blogs and that prompted me to remember my OWN blog. So, here I am, after a very nice spring break, getting ready to finish the semester.

About 10 days ago I left for Missouri and got back yesterday! Classes resumed today!! Ahhhh! It's nice to be back in the swing of things, but I'll admit it took a little while to remember how. Breaks like this always remind me of afternoon naps. They're really nice, but more often than not I wake up feeling slightly groggy and a bit disoriented. When I flew back yesterday, I had to take a few minutes to get my thoughts in order and figure out what I needed to do to get ready for the week. This included trying to recall my schedule, classes, obligations, and everything else you disregard when on a vacation.

But, after a successful day, things are back on track. Whew! The only thing that isn't exactly on track is my exercise regime. Yeah, about that, I didn't do everything I had planned while on vacation. That's not to say I did NOTHING--I just didn't do the norm. So, starting tomorrow I'm going to get back in the swing of things. Summer is so close (swimsuits and cute summer clothes!!) and my pretty Easter dress would look so much better on me if I would shed half an inch (or a few pounds).

Last thing to note is I spent my first night alone in the new apartment last night. It was nice; nothing overly thrilling, but it did feel good to stay at my own place. There are still several boxes lying around, but things are organized such that I can walk around and get to what I need. The boxes mainly contain books and winter clothes. They will be unpacked as I go along. I've got the important things: a bed, a bathroom, towels, soap, toothbrush, coffee and coffee maker, bread, peanut butter, warm water and electricity. I'm not sure I NEED much else :)

Tomorrow it's back to working out, eating right and finishing the last 4 weeks of my first year as a college teacher! Yaya!