So, I realize I haven't been doing the greatest job of keeping cyberspace informed as to our recent on-goings, and this certainly has not been due to our lack of exciting information to share!
For myself, teaching has been getting better and better - I finally feel that I am adjusted to the culture of my school and am improving in my ability to keep my pubescent crowd entertained long enough to actually absorb some French and be able to produce with the language. Granted, I still have my select few students that want nothing more than to waste time and start a power struggle with me... but I usually deal with that by making fun of them in French - most of the good students get the joke and the trouble-makers are left feeling out of the loop :) But as a whole, it's been a wonderful growing experience this year. Sure, I almost lost my job because an irate student nearly assaulted me, but strangely enough this is one of the first times where I actually feel like this is a job where I can see myself staying for longer than one or two years... of course, we'll have to wait and see what happens to our union now in the windfall of activity going on in Madison. Of course, I don't have a tractor that I can easily parade through the downtown of Denver in protest of any forthcoming bills that would hurt education, but desperate times call for desperate measures!
Amanda is continuing to grow roots at her job as well, as she will soon be moving into more of a managerial role in the clinical trials for blood cancers at the University of Colorado. Furthermore she is continuing to take nutrition classes and is learning A LOT, which translates quite rapidly into increased health benefits for both of us. We now get our meat from a grass-fed beef farmer in northern Colorado (delivered to our door!), and our milk and eggs from a certified organic raw milk dairy an hour north of Denver. It's really neat to be able to see and know exactly where our food comes from, and the process by which it arrives on our dinner plate - which is more than can be said for 95-99% of most Americans! Yes, some may call us hippies (not that there's anything wrong with that!), and yes, my cholesterol is consistently above 400 (I've had some interesting conversations with my statin-toting lipidoligist), but I don't think I've ever been healthier at any other time in m life.
Well, time for a little lesson planning. Amanda is away in Arizona this weekend with her family, watching her brother, Danny, play baseball with his college team. I hope that all three of my readers can find it in their hearts to forgive my long absence from the blogoshpere; keeping up on our blog certainly wasn't a New Year's resolution, but if it was I have failed miserably! At any rate, I bid you farewell until next time. Keep the rubber-side down as we head into Spring!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Four months and counting...
Well it's about time again for another update from team Vyn - once a month is pretty weak-sauce, but until someone decides to pay me for my quips you'll have to be satisfied with the incremental doses of dry sarcasm found herein :)
Now that we've been in Denver for almost two years - and married almost four months! - we're finally starting to feel as though we're growing some roots. Between the small group we joined and the couples community we attended recently, we're starting to meet some awesome folk from our church and are feeling more connected. It's nice to show up on Sunday morning and actually recognize some people, and not just share those awkward handshakes during the meet-and-greet part of the service.
Beyond the idea that we're actually starting to make friends, we also enjoying the Denver area more and more. We've been gradually exploring the city, mostly by way of its coffee shops - which are not nearly as plentiful as was the case in Portland, sigh. Nevertheless, we have been enjoying our study dates as we each work on our lessons and tests etc. - almost makes us feel like we're back in college again!
Amanda recently discovered the artist inside herself that she didn't know existed. She went to a painting class with a friend of hers and came home with an impressive piece that will soon be hung above our bed (picture to follow). It only took her one glass of wine to become so inspired and talented... imagine what she might have come home with if she had a few more glasses!
This weekend we're headed down to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with all of us siblings. We're very excited to see the latest addition to our growing family, and to just hang out as brothers and sister (+ spouses and offspring, of course) for the first time in quite a while. If you can get a sense for the level of dry sarcastic humour spewing from my pores, you can imagine what a reunion of this nature might produce :)
Well, I'm off to pick up my big sis, and then it's six hours down to the Lonestar state. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Americans!
Now that we've been in Denver for almost two years - and married almost four months! - we're finally starting to feel as though we're growing some roots. Between the small group we joined and the couples community we attended recently, we're starting to meet some awesome folk from our church and are feeling more connected. It's nice to show up on Sunday morning and actually recognize some people, and not just share those awkward handshakes during the meet-and-greet part of the service.
Beyond the idea that we're actually starting to make friends, we also enjoying the Denver area more and more. We've been gradually exploring the city, mostly by way of its coffee shops - which are not nearly as plentiful as was the case in Portland, sigh. Nevertheless, we have been enjoying our study dates as we each work on our lessons and tests etc. - almost makes us feel like we're back in college again!
Amanda recently discovered the artist inside herself that she didn't know existed. She went to a painting class with a friend of hers and came home with an impressive piece that will soon be hung above our bed (picture to follow). It only took her one glass of wine to become so inspired and talented... imagine what she might have come home with if she had a few more glasses!
This weekend we're headed down to Texas to spend Thanksgiving with all of us siblings. We're very excited to see the latest addition to our growing family, and to just hang out as brothers and sister (+ spouses and offspring, of course) for the first time in quite a while. If you can get a sense for the level of dry sarcastic humour spewing from my pores, you can imagine what a reunion of this nature might produce :)
Well, I'm off to pick up my big sis, and then it's six hours down to the Lonestar state. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you Americans!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Yay for Fall Break!!
Right now is when it pays to be a teacher... well, sort of :) These two days off have been more than deserved, and while I'll likely spend most of the time either planning for next week or doing the chores around the house that I've been neglecting because of our busy schedule, it's nice to simply get away from school for a while. With any luck I might even squeeze in some time to go for a bike ride (something I haven't done much of lately, which is mildly depressing!)
The past couple of months of teaching have been interesting to say the least. Making the transition from teaching elementary one year to high school the next is challenging enough for anyone - however, switching from teaching in an upper middle-class, predominantly white neighborhood (with helicopter parents to boot!) to an inner-city high school full of pubescent teenagers of so many different races that I undoubtedly fall into the category of 'minority', has made things even more interesting! However, now that I've gotten over the culture shock I'm really starting to enjoy my job. Sure, it requires A LOT of extra hours each week (I'm teaching 6 classes when 5 is the norm), but it's been amazing to see how much these students are able to understand and produce after such a short amount of time - and that's why this job can be so rewarding.
Our foreign language program in the district has a very supportive network which I like to refer to as a cult. I fell into this cutting edge way of teaching which is very different than how I first learned the language. We do a lot of storytelling (with the kids being at the center of the story lines and adding in all of their personal details) and reading to build proficiency rather than learning vocabulary lists and taking chapter tests over material that will quickly be forgotten. I could go on for hours about this method, suffice to say it has been a very interesting journey learning the ropes and watching some of the masters of this teaching method show me how it's done.
Enough about me and teaching... Amanda is participating in a retreat this weekend for her nutrition class. She's very excited about it as she has been learning a lot and making some new friends too. She'll be here in Denver the whole time, but at classes each day. We're also hosting another student from out of town, so I'll be playing house-husband as she will be busy all weekend! Her homework load for the class is becoming more and more difficult to manage; thankfully, she will soon be getting some extra help at work so that her case load will be lessened.
Last weekend we took a quick trip out to Glenwood Springs, about 3 hours west of Denver. It's a quaint little mountain town, not far from Aspen, that has natural hot springs. We stayed at a Swiss-style motel and visited some vapor caves too. It was a short mini-vacation, with an afternoon study date too, but it's always nice to just get away for a few days.
Anyway, I need to get working on my To-do list for the day.
The past couple of months of teaching have been interesting to say the least. Making the transition from teaching elementary one year to high school the next is challenging enough for anyone - however, switching from teaching in an upper middle-class, predominantly white neighborhood (with helicopter parents to boot!) to an inner-city high school full of pubescent teenagers of so many different races that I undoubtedly fall into the category of 'minority', has made things even more interesting! However, now that I've gotten over the culture shock I'm really starting to enjoy my job. Sure, it requires A LOT of extra hours each week (I'm teaching 6 classes when 5 is the norm), but it's been amazing to see how much these students are able to understand and produce after such a short amount of time - and that's why this job can be so rewarding.
Our foreign language program in the district has a very supportive network which I like to refer to as a cult. I fell into this cutting edge way of teaching which is very different than how I first learned the language. We do a lot of storytelling (with the kids being at the center of the story lines and adding in all of their personal details) and reading to build proficiency rather than learning vocabulary lists and taking chapter tests over material that will quickly be forgotten. I could go on for hours about this method, suffice to say it has been a very interesting journey learning the ropes and watching some of the masters of this teaching method show me how it's done.
Enough about me and teaching... Amanda is participating in a retreat this weekend for her nutrition class. She's very excited about it as she has been learning a lot and making some new friends too. She'll be here in Denver the whole time, but at classes each day. We're also hosting another student from out of town, so I'll be playing house-husband as she will be busy all weekend! Her homework load for the class is becoming more and more difficult to manage; thankfully, she will soon be getting some extra help at work so that her case load will be lessened.
Last weekend we took a quick trip out to Glenwood Springs, about 3 hours west of Denver. It's a quaint little mountain town, not far from Aspen, that has natural hot springs. We stayed at a Swiss-style motel and visited some vapor caves too. It was a short mini-vacation, with an afternoon study date too, but it's always nice to just get away for a few days.
Anyway, I need to get working on my To-do list for the day.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Where to begin
It's been a while now since I've posted a blog and a lot has been happening... so rather than rambling on about each separate episode which could very easily spawn into its own separate blog post, I'll spare you the details and go bullet point on this one:
- My jury duty came and went. My juror number wasn't called - in fact none of the 200+ jurors were needed and we all got dismissed early!
- We made almost $300 dollars at our first ever garage sale (not selling the wedding gifts, but rather the old things they are now replacing!)
- We joined a small group at our church which we're very excited about. Almost half of the group are Calvin alumni - strange coincidence since we go to a non-denom church :)
- I had a coronary artery scan done and the results show zero calcification (plaque build up). So much for the "modern medicine" theory that elevated LDL = heart disease!! I'll keep eating my red meet and other cave-man foods thank you very much!
That's the cliff notes of what we've been up to. For the full digest give me a call or send me an e-mail!
- My jury duty came and went. My juror number wasn't called - in fact none of the 200+ jurors were needed and we all got dismissed early!
- We made almost $300 dollars at our first ever garage sale (not selling the wedding gifts, but rather the old things they are now replacing!)
- We joined a small group at our church which we're very excited about. Almost half of the group are Calvin alumni - strange coincidence since we go to a non-denom church :)
- I had a coronary artery scan done and the results show zero calcification (plaque build up). So much for the "modern medicine" theory that elevated LDL = heart disease!! I'll keep eating my red meet and other cave-man foods thank you very much!
That's the cliff notes of what we've been up to. For the full digest give me a call or send me an e-mail!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Routine?... What routine??
After coming back from the honeymoon I think we were both looking forward to settling into something of a 'normal routine'... you know, working Mon-Fri and relaxing in the evenings and on weekends... Well, this hasn't exactly happened as of yet, but we're getting there!
So when we got back to Denver our house became an instant disaster and since both of us had to get back to work without much time to unwind, our house remained in disarray for several weeks. Slowly but surely we began tackling one room at a time, starting with the kitchen of course (we both love to eat, and boy do we eat well!). We have now organized ourselves to the point of need to have a garage sale! So if we can get our act together amidst our strange schedules and lack of time for anything remotely social, we will be having a garage sale next weekend :)
I'm slowly settling into my new job and am loving the new challenge. When I got to the high school, I found out I was taking over from an older lady who left me a decorated class and many resources. This was both a blessing and a curse as I was told that I could develop the program however I wanted. I didn't realize when I took the job that I AM the French department (aside from the French International Baccalaureate teacher who pretty much lives in another world with the IB program), but I am grateful to have fallen into a fantastic network of foreign language teachers in the district, including my fellow Spanish teaching neighbors. I joke around with Amanda that they're a cult (since they're not only passionate about what they do and how they do it, but they're also somewhat elitist and exclusive!), but they are extremely supportive and a very like-able group of people. I'll write more on the chaos of making up a curriculum as I go later - meaning, once I'm out of the smoke and in the clearing... so maybe by next June? :)
Anyway, jury duty round one came and went unceremoniously for team Vyn. Amanda reported for duty this past Wednesday (on her only day off, might I add) and came prepared with a good book. The Denver Post hasn't given the official count on the number of pages she read that day, but rumor has it it was nearly 1000 pages. She waited patiently while dozens upon dozens of others were called, and then at about 12noon she was released. We're betting this was because none of her current information (new last name, new address etc.) matched what was printed on the jury summons. While she was excited to be let go, she was also feeling well prepared to analyze and deliberate the local court proceedings, having just finished the first two books in the series by Stieg Larsson. Well, I'm next up to bat on Sept. 14th, and somehow I'm suspecting I won't have the same fate as my bride (nor will I break her record of 1000 pages read).
Well, I'm off to work another valet shift at the country club where I'll again be driving cars that are potentially worth more than my own house! A bientot.
So when we got back to Denver our house became an instant disaster and since both of us had to get back to work without much time to unwind, our house remained in disarray for several weeks. Slowly but surely we began tackling one room at a time, starting with the kitchen of course (we both love to eat, and boy do we eat well!). We have now organized ourselves to the point of need to have a garage sale! So if we can get our act together amidst our strange schedules and lack of time for anything remotely social, we will be having a garage sale next weekend :)
I'm slowly settling into my new job and am loving the new challenge. When I got to the high school, I found out I was taking over from an older lady who left me a decorated class and many resources. This was both a blessing and a curse as I was told that I could develop the program however I wanted. I didn't realize when I took the job that I AM the French department (aside from the French International Baccalaureate teacher who pretty much lives in another world with the IB program), but I am grateful to have fallen into a fantastic network of foreign language teachers in the district, including my fellow Spanish teaching neighbors. I joke around with Amanda that they're a cult (since they're not only passionate about what they do and how they do it, but they're also somewhat elitist and exclusive!), but they are extremely supportive and a very like-able group of people. I'll write more on the chaos of making up a curriculum as I go later - meaning, once I'm out of the smoke and in the clearing... so maybe by next June? :)
Anyway, jury duty round one came and went unceremoniously for team Vyn. Amanda reported for duty this past Wednesday (on her only day off, might I add) and came prepared with a good book. The Denver Post hasn't given the official count on the number of pages she read that day, but rumor has it it was nearly 1000 pages. She waited patiently while dozens upon dozens of others were called, and then at about 12noon she was released. We're betting this was because none of her current information (new last name, new address etc.) matched what was printed on the jury summons. While she was excited to be let go, she was also feeling well prepared to analyze and deliberate the local court proceedings, having just finished the first two books in the series by Stieg Larsson. Well, I'm next up to bat on Sept. 14th, and somehow I'm suspecting I won't have the same fate as my bride (nor will I break her record of 1000 pages read).
Well, I'm off to work another valet shift at the country club where I'll again be driving cars that are potentially worth more than my own house! A bientot.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Amanda got a hair cut and I got a new job... and we both got jury duty!!
Wow, where do I begin... First, I should tell you about the wedding and honeymoon (I'll give you the skinny on the title a little further down the page. Just trying to keep a captive audience all the way through the post!).
The wedding went off without a hitch. I remembered my lines and put Amanda's ring on the right hand, eventually :) Honestly, it was a very smooth and memorable service - many thanks to Amanda for being so meticulous with the program, Dave and Tom for the touching sermon and reading respectively, and of course to the musicians who did a fabulous job! Thanks to our wedding party for standing behind us (and a little to the right or left, depending on the gender), and enduring the picture parade through downtown La Crosse. Thanks also to Megan our photographer - the pics we've seen so far look amazing! I feel like I'm writing an acceptance speech for receiving a Grammy award...
On to the honeymoon... We stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It felt a little strange at first to be served hand and foot, but we got used to it! We quickly assimilated to a life of luxury and relaxation where our most difficult decision was whether to sit by the pool or lay out on the beach (that, and "should I order a pina colada or a margarita?"). We did venture out one day to visit a natural aquarium and tour some old Mayan ruins, but otherwise we were quite content to stay at the resort and make sure we ate at every restaurant at every possible meal.
Now, for the lead stories:
Amanda had been growing her hair out for the wedding, and it certainly paid off - with help from our sister-in-law, Sarah, her hair looked great! Nevertheless, she was very excited to get it chopped off to a more manageable length now that the wedding is over. She waited till we got back to Denver (we didn't want to pay 5000 pesos at the spa in Mexico!), and is quite happy with the new do.
I was just offered a job today as a French teacher at a local high school in Denver, and guess what - I start tomorrow! This was a long story with about as much drama as your local theatre company - don't worry, I'll spare you the details. I applied for the position about a week before the wedding, and when I called to follow up, the Assistant Principal said they would like to interview me. My two options for interviews were either Friday (the day of our wedding) or Tuesday (while on our honeymoon). I chose Tuesday and purchased a Mexican calling card. The phone interview went well, and after a few days I heard back that I was a finalist. I then had an interview with the principal the morning after we returned to Denver, and that also went well. This is where things got a little sticky though, because I was still under contract with the elementary school in Colorado Springs and teacher work days began Wednesday. Well, after several phone calls and e-mails with licensing programs, the department of Ed., and HR folk, I was finally offered the job today. I said my goodbyes to the staff, turned in my letter of resignation to the principal and drove back up to Denver for the last time. It is a great relief not to have to commute that distance anymore. My new high school is within 5 miles, so I may even be able to bike to work :)
Oh, and upon our triumphant return home, we both opened our mail and found out that we've been summoned for jury duty - what a nice way for the state of Colorado to welcome us home! I thought jury duty was a random selection... I think it's less than a coincidence that we're both summoned at the same time, and we both got our driver's licenses on the same day... Anyway, I'll fulfill my duty as a citizen of this nation - but I won't do it with a smile on my face, unless of course Joe Pesci happens to be representing the defendant!
The wedding went off without a hitch. I remembered my lines and put Amanda's ring on the right hand, eventually :) Honestly, it was a very smooth and memorable service - many thanks to Amanda for being so meticulous with the program, Dave and Tom for the touching sermon and reading respectively, and of course to the musicians who did a fabulous job! Thanks to our wedding party for standing behind us (and a little to the right or left, depending on the gender), and enduring the picture parade through downtown La Crosse. Thanks also to Megan our photographer - the pics we've seen so far look amazing! I feel like I'm writing an acceptance speech for receiving a Grammy award...
On to the honeymoon... We stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It felt a little strange at first to be served hand and foot, but we got used to it! We quickly assimilated to a life of luxury and relaxation where our most difficult decision was whether to sit by the pool or lay out on the beach (that, and "should I order a pina colada or a margarita?"). We did venture out one day to visit a natural aquarium and tour some old Mayan ruins, but otherwise we were quite content to stay at the resort and make sure we ate at every restaurant at every possible meal.
Now, for the lead stories:
Amanda had been growing her hair out for the wedding, and it certainly paid off - with help from our sister-in-law, Sarah, her hair looked great! Nevertheless, she was very excited to get it chopped off to a more manageable length now that the wedding is over. She waited till we got back to Denver (we didn't want to pay 5000 pesos at the spa in Mexico!), and is quite happy with the new do.
I was just offered a job today as a French teacher at a local high school in Denver, and guess what - I start tomorrow! This was a long story with about as much drama as your local theatre company - don't worry, I'll spare you the details. I applied for the position about a week before the wedding, and when I called to follow up, the Assistant Principal said they would like to interview me. My two options for interviews were either Friday (the day of our wedding) or Tuesday (while on our honeymoon). I chose Tuesday and purchased a Mexican calling card. The phone interview went well, and after a few days I heard back that I was a finalist. I then had an interview with the principal the morning after we returned to Denver, and that also went well. This is where things got a little sticky though, because I was still under contract with the elementary school in Colorado Springs and teacher work days began Wednesday. Well, after several phone calls and e-mails with licensing programs, the department of Ed., and HR folk, I was finally offered the job today. I said my goodbyes to the staff, turned in my letter of resignation to the principal and drove back up to Denver for the last time. It is a great relief not to have to commute that distance anymore. My new high school is within 5 miles, so I may even be able to bike to work :)
Oh, and upon our triumphant return home, we both opened our mail and found out that we've been summoned for jury duty - what a nice way for the state of Colorado to welcome us home! I thought jury duty was a random selection... I think it's less than a coincidence that we're both summoned at the same time, and we both got our driver's licenses on the same day... Anyway, I'll fulfill my duty as a citizen of this nation - but I won't do it with a smile on my face, unless of course Joe Pesci happens to be representing the defendant!
Friday, July 30, 2010
The day is upon us!
Well, it's our big day - the one we've been looking forward to and planning for a LONG time :) Despite some last minute panicks, it appears as though things will go smoothly.
We enjoyed a beautiful boat tour with family and friends last night, along with a couple heart-felt speeches thanks to Eric, Rob, and Randy. Be sure to bring your handkerchiefs tonight - not for the emotional sobbing but rather for the fitful laughing due to unending cheesy jokes and embarrassing stories :)
Well, after a light round of golf with the boys, it's time to go to the chapel. I'll see you all there!
We enjoyed a beautiful boat tour with family and friends last night, along with a couple heart-felt speeches thanks to Eric, Rob, and Randy. Be sure to bring your handkerchiefs tonight - not for the emotional sobbing but rather for the fitful laughing due to unending cheesy jokes and embarrassing stories :)
Well, after a light round of golf with the boys, it's time to go to the chapel. I'll see you all there!
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