It's Been A While!

It has been a long time since I have posted a new blog! I offer my apologies to the few folks who still attempt to follow what thoughts I choose to post. I will endeavor to keep you updated about what I am thinking. If you wish, you can become my "friend" on Facebook. (I would put a link here, but the school computer I am using blocks Facebook.)

I will try to update my favorite and dumbest movie lists over the next few days (I have moved these two lists to the bottom of my blog), as well as add "Currently Reading" & "Coffee of the Day" section.

So...what shall I make my first post of 2011 about?

Should it be about how colleges are now teaming up with the credit card companies to give students "debit cards" that uses funds directly out of their student loans and grants? Money that is supposed to go towards paying tuition, books and other educational expenses so the student can avoid debt, is now being spent on other things, leaving the students with more debt to pay once they finish college.

Should it be about how the United States finally caught up with and killed Osama Bin Laden (or Usama as Fox News likes to spell it.)?

Should it be about how my Texas Rangers finally went to World Series, but now are struggling to start the new season? (Yes, it has been that long since I have blogged!)

Should it be about how I am still only working part time and am still looking for full time work?(It has been over two years now.)

Should it be how my son, Caleb, is now 16 and is about to take his driving test to get his license?

Should it be how we now have two cats in the family? (We got a new kitty, Ramey-Jem, aka: Girl Kitty) Photos of both pets soon! OR how our dog, Schnitzel, has passed away.

There is so much, yet so little to say that I may just leave this post as it is and just start with brand new "thoughts" tomorrow.

Now, to keep Oliver (my nickname for my OCD) happy, I will update my movie, book and other lists first.

TTFN!

50 Books I've Read in 2010

At the end of last year I found out I was one book shy of reading 50 books of 100 pages or more. This year I set a goal of reading at least 50! So far I have gone above and beyond. (Sadly it helps when you are only working part-time)

Books I’ve Read in 2010

1. Elyon (The Lost Books # 6) - Ted Dekker & Kaci Hill

2. Strange But True: Cats, 444 Weird Facts and Photos - Sweetwater Press

3. Green - Ted Dekker

4. Grand Theft Childhood: the Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do -- Lawrence Kutner + Cheryl K. Olson

5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

6. Self-Coaching: the Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression - Joseph J. Luciani

7. Snakehead - Anthony Horowitz

8. A Ship Possessed - Alton Gansky

9. Leading With a Limp - Dan B. Allender

10. Seeking Spirits: the Lost Cases of the Atlantic Paranormal Society - Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Michael Jan Friedman

11. The Prisoner in the Third Cell - Gene Edwards

12. The Best Halloween Ever - Barbara Robinson

13. The Princess Bride - William Goldman

14. 90 Minutes in Heaven - Don Piper, w/ Cecil Murphy

15. Vanished - Alton Gansky

16. The Best School Year Ever - Barbara Robinson

17. Out of Time - Alton Gansky

18. The Tales of Beadle the Bard - J.K. Rowling

19. The Cat Whisperer: the Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat - Claire Bessant

20. Bone Man’s Daughters - Ted Dekker

21. 3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice - Les Parrott

22. The Control Freak: Coping With Those Around You, Taming the One Within You - Dr. Les Parrott III

23. Dark Moon - Alton Gansky

24. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

25. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief - Rick Riordan

26. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

27. The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing and Bench-Clearing Brawls; The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime - Jason Turbow, w/Michael Duca

28. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH -- Robert C. O’Brien

29. The Good Earth - Pearl S. Buck

30. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse -- Rick Riordan

31. The Love List: Eight Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Marriage -- Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott

32. Bleachers - John Grisham

33. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: the Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan

34. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan

35. The Mormon Mirage: a Former Member Looks at the Mormon Church Today -- Latayne C. Scott

36. I Never Had It Made: The Autobiography of Jackie Robinson -- Jackie Robinson

37. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules -- Jeff Kinney

38. Casino Royale -- Ian Fleming

39. The entire Junie B. Jones series (books 1-27) -- Barbara Park

40. The Hound of the Baskervilles -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

41. Live and Let Die -- Ian Fleming

42. Why You Do The Things You Do: The Secret to Healthy Relationships -- Dr. Tim Clinton & Dr. Gary Sibcy

43. A Year Down Yonder -- Richard Peck

44. Moonraker -- Ian Fleming

45. Compelled to Control: Recovering Intimacy in Broken Relationships -- J. Keith Miller

46. Diamonds Are Forever -- Ian Fleming

47. Praying Dangerously: Daring Prayers For Meaningful Faith -- Gary Holloway

48. Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive -- Richard Starks & Miriam Murcutt

49. Dr. No -- Ian Fleming

50. The Cases That Haunt Us -- Mark Olshaker & John Douglas

51. Hood (King Raven Trilogy: Book 1) -- Stephen R. Lawhead

52. The Godfather -- Mario Puzo

53. The Book of Useless Information: Thousands of Things You Didn’t Think You Needed to Know…And Probably Don’t -- Noel Botham

54. Bigfoot Casebook updated: Sightings And Encounters from 1818 to 2004 -- Janet & Colin Bord

55. Goldfinger -- Ian Fleming

56. For Your Eyes Only -- Ian Fleming

57. My Life -- Bill Clinton

Can't Wait!

Now What?

I finished my long-term teaching assignment (teaching Math) last week. Now what? I have drawn considerable interest from a couple of principals who want to hire me for next school year; so things are looking up for me starting in August (actually Sept., that's when the paychecks start for a full-time teaching gig). My concern now is for the summer months. I am trying to find some full-time summer work to keep an income flow until I start drawing a new full-time salary next school year.

Any suggestions?

Teaching Math

25 + years ago; I was staying up late most school nights crying, because I couldn't understand the Algebra homework I had assigned to me. I would go in during tutorials and beg for help, but I could not "get it." My Algebra I & II teacher, Mrs. Stewart would get so frustrated with me because I couldn't "get it." I was so worried I would fail for the year; after all I had already failed at least 2 Six Weeks. Somehow I made it through High School Algebra and even squeaked through a year of College Algebra. I graduated High School and a College Degree. I even became a teacher; just not a Math teacher.

About 2 years ago I was hired to teach GED Math at Kilgore College to students who were trying to obtain a GED Certificate. One of the subjects I had to teach was Math (Pre-Algebra-basic Trigonometry). I informed my new employer that Math was not my best subject. I was told, "You will learn it and you will be good a teaching it within 3 weeks." Skeptical, I embarked on trying to teach Math. Much to may amazement, about 3 weeks later, something clicked in my head. Suddenly, all of this math that had been driving me to tears for years started to make sense. It was literally like a light bulb went off in my head and it all made sense. My students told me that I was one of the best Math teachers they had ever had; that I was helping them understand math for the first time. I became so confident in teaching Math that I took the teacher certification test to teach it. I passed!

Today, I start a six week teaching assignment, teaching 8th Grade Pre-Algebra. So far I am loving it.

I wonder if Mrs. Stewart (my HS Algebra teacher) is proud of me, or rolling over in her grave in amazement?

50 Books in a Year (Update)

In my goal to read 50 books in one year hear is how I'm doing so far...

In January I read...
1. Elyon: The Lost Books #6 by Ted Dekker
2. Strange But True: Cats. 444 Weird Facts and Photos by Sweetwater Press
3. Green by Ted Dekker
4. Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do by Lawrence Kutner & Cheryl K. Olson
5. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
6. Self-Coaching: The Powerful Program to Beat Anxiety and Depression by Joseph J. Luciani
7. Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
8. A Ship Possessed by Alton Gansky
9. Leading With a Limp by Dan B. Allender
10. The Prisoner in the Third Cell by Gene Edwards
11. Seeking Spirits: The Lost Cases of the Atlantic Paranormal Society by Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson & Jan Friedman
12. The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson
13. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
14. 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, w/ Cecil Murphy

So Far in February I have read...

15. Vanished by Alton Gansky
16. The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson
17. Out of Time by Alton Gansky
18. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
19. The Cat Whisperer: The Secret of How to Talk to Your Cat by Claire Bessant
20. BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

Currently Reading...

21. 3 Seconds: The Power of Thinking Twice by Dr. Les Parrott

My bride, Jamie, and I just went to see Dr. Les Parrott this past weekend. We bought several of his books at a discount; so expect to see several of his, and his wife's, books on the list soon. I also have a copy of Fireproof by Eric Wilson coming my way.