Monday, September 22, 2008

Weekend Update

I spent so much time on the fishing trip blog yesterday that I didn't get any time to do the weekend update, so here it is, belated as it may be.

Musical Artist of the Week: Zach Gill from his first solo album "Zach Gill's Stuff." This album is on the Brushfire Record Label (Jack Johnson's Label) and Gill is one of the founding members of A.L.O. (Animal Liberation Orchestra). It is the perfect transitory album to usher you softly from the waning summer into the coming fall. Its got funky poppy morsels and sentimental juicy melodies and lyrics. Gill's sleepy voice kind of seduces you to let go of your stress and laugh at yourself. Please let me know if anyone else has picked up this gem? Also I have a ukulele by Lanakai the same company as the one he has...how cool!
Old Person Phrase of the Week: "Rarer than hen's teeth" First of all, I'm a biology teacher, and hens have beaks not teeth, which means for a hen to have teeth they would have to be a mutant chicken crossbred with some sort of lizard/mammal or something. This makes hen's teeth very very rare. Let me make an example: A WSU Cougar football team win this year is Rarer Than Hen's Teeth.

Weather on Nunivak: The NOAA Mekoryuk weather station is reporting mid to upper 40's with wind gusts up to 30 mph today, it certainly is windy. The fast moving skies have an ominous feel lately as fall is deteriorating and winter is close by.
This Week in Politics: I can honestly say I don't have a clue about whats happening in America. Even with a TV and full satellite cable it has been over 9 days since I've heard even a single nugget of information on the elections or America. I vaguely feel like I heard something about a failing economy and Federal intervention but out here the economy has always been failing and times have always been hard (and intervened) for these people so I'm not sure its so different.

Art Update: I worked on my short story "Leonard K. Humple" a little this weekend. Its been so long that I don't imagine anyone even remembers what its about, but I do, hopefully I can keep the story going...be weary though, its a dark story with drugs and murder. I'm probably going to try and write some poetry tonight too.

I've decided we are going to have an end of the semester art show, with sparkling cider and cheese and stuff, student showcases, like a mock gallery opening before the Christmas break. The students lit up when I told them about it, so I am excited for that. I definitely need to step it up on the music though, I'm slacking heavily.
Lack of Fitness Update: Still not working out. I'm active though, open gym basketball on Mondays with the HS kids, fishing and long bumpy 4-wheeler rides on the weekend plus fishing, and being on my feet all day teaching these knuckleheads. I need to find some sort of inspiration to take it to the next level. Any thoughts?

Kale's shi**y bush recipe of the week: Awesome Chicken Salad Sandwiches
So this seems pretty simple, but here are some things you can add to your basic mayo and chicken breast chicken salad to make it a special moment for you and yours.

-Curry Curry Curry, add this spice into your chicken salad and transform it into a whole new thing
- Finely Chopped apple: add these little nuggets of joy to and you have a odd but satisfying combo, try reds or greens for different results
- Nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews as work in chicken salad if they are chopped up
- Chopped bacon, you kidding me? Its a slam dunk, especially if the bacon is crunchy
- No mayo, use ranch instead and add lots of ground pepper, hey this is for ranch diehards only
- Cranberry sauce, can't wait for Turkey day? Jump the gun...c'mon go ahead

By adding all these or some of them in combination to some good healthy toasted bread, cheese, and lettuce/tomato, you can make a Chicken Salad Sandwich that far surpasses what a homemade sandwich is usually expected to live up to. Go ahead, try it!

In School News: I think I am in danger of becoming the "Mean" teacher. Because I learned all my high schoolers tricks last year, I don't put up with their tricks for getting out of work, laziness, apathy, sleeping or bullshit. This makes me less liked than last year when I was just the compassionate, student-first, softer side of the high school wing. Last year I consoled the poor babies when they got scolded for something I now realize was probably justified. Now as the high school veteran at our school I constantly find myself in the role reminding our rather aging high school students that their time to goof off has already passed and the time to start getting their shit together is now (or be a 18 year old freshman again). I guess this makes me the mean teacher. I don't think I've made this transition all the way but one of the parents of one of my students says I'm more "serious" and that I look like I've cleaned myself up. Who knew wearing a collared shirt and having expectations made you serious and clean. Kale Iverson: the serious educator, I don't like how that sounds. I just can't sit idly by and watch these little monkeys piss away another year dooping more transitory educators into letting them off the hook for their responsibilities.

Monday is in the books, and I should have gotten more sleep last night. Some key personalities have returned to school this week once again changing the atmosphere of the high school (or what I'm beginning to call it: "The West Wing"). I'll need to be sharp, on my toes, and ready for anything to make it through this one without incident. We have some fireworks coming up next week too. I really wish I could write about all that, but for now I'll leave it off the record.

Have a great week you goobers.

4 comments:

writer said...

Waning summer? Lest you have forgotten, you have one or two readers in the southern hemisphere...Sounds good, i'd like to check that album out.

Brett Ortgiesen said...

'Who knew wearing a collared shirt and having expectations made you serious and clean.' Not a truer word spoken my friend.

Hal Iverson said...

Kale,
I miss you. About your lack-of-fitness update...have you thought about yoga? I know it is hard to get out and exercise when its so cold out. I can send you my yoga DVD's if youd like. I haven't used them in a while and would like it if they were being used. ALso Michael Franti's Yoga DVD is pretty badical(yes I did combine bad and radical). Just a thought...

Hal Iverson said...

p.s. Do I get partial cred for recommending Zach Gill? You have some good CD's coming your way bro!


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