#23) Thank a teacher

      My sister and I both had an English professor during undergrad that looked like a hot, grown-up version of Harry Potter.  I think it was the Buddy Holly glasses.  You know the type: ironic cute with leather patches on the jacket? Beyond his quirky good looks, * Dr. Potter* was the most inspiring teacher.  He was the standard that all graduates strive to be when they finish student teaching and are bright-eyed and idealistic and fancy themselves to be Hillary Swank from Freedom Writers.  His classes consisted of hilarious lectures on Brit Lit poetry, each poem suddenly transforming from stuffy to scandalous.  I remember half the class blushing after he discussed a poem called "The Flea", which he made sound like the seventeenth century version of 50 Shades of Gray.  Tell me that isn't a class worth waking up for!

      Of course, that wasn't what made him so inspiring.  Instead, he made people feel smart and unique.  I remember him chirping, "Great point!" after anyone's contribution, and his Rate My Professor page was and is filled with comments like:  "Cool dude" and "He got me to change my major to English!"  Bethany took his class three years after I did, and we argued over whose essays he liked better, comparing his encouraging comments that we clipped from the bottom of the final pages.  At one point, she dubbed him a "compliment slut" because he made students feel like they were special, when really he doled out affirmations to everyone that crossed his path.  (At this point, I should mention that he did this to both genders and was not biased to girls, lest you think he had some ulterior motives.)

       Fast forward nine years later, I was at my college taking a summer class the other day when I walked by the building where he held classes.  For a second, I wished I had taken the time to send one of those “thank-you-for-being-an-inspiration” e-mails and wondered if it would be weird to write one now. Then, I eschewed that idea because I realized that the sentiment might be lost a bit with the e-mail being delivered almost a decade too late. What a slacker…

 
    That night, I was at a concert with Dan, pleasantly buzzed and crooning along to the Avett Brothers.  Guess who was standing directly in front of us and turned around to ask, "Your name is Christen, right?" None other than Dr. Potter himself!  I couldn't believe the timing.  We chatted pleasantly for a few minutes, and that was that.  The next day, I wrote him the insanely belated "thank you" e-mail, and he responded with (of course) the most affirming response ever, that included, "For the record, the reason I remembered you is that you were a great student!  Your students are lucky to have you!" 

Then, he wrote a nice comment about Bethany and asked me to tell her hi.  Dammit if he isn't still  a bit "compliment slutty" nine years later!

     I doubt anyone's still reading, but I guess the reason I'm writing this is because I've been thinking a lot about teaching lately.  Wondering whether I inspire my students.  Feeling intimidated, as I do at the start of each new year, that I have the power to encourage or deflate the creativity of these tweens that I teach each day.  Wishing that I could make all my students, at least once, feel special. 

#22. Make Homemade Ice Cream

The day after school lets out, I always have high hopes I'm going to have time to indulge in the perfect "Pinterest" summertime activities.  You know... like growing my own veggies and building flower boxes whilst using freshly picked strawberries from our backyard to make homemade ice cream. Or at least to make homemade ice cream.  That one is always on the summer list.

Many of you reading are those inspiring people who are just awesome at crafts and cooking and being domestic goddesses.  You all are completely inspiring because, while I have the best intentions, I usually end up taking on too much tutoring and teaching summer school and later crashing while watching Real Housewives with Dan instead.  

But yesterday, I did it!  I finally made homemade ice cream after three years of wanting to do it.  I'd like to take credit for finally getting in gear, but it wasn't me at all. We visited my parents for July 4th, and my mom actually said to me, "I saw that you posted 'Make homemade ice cream' on your blog, so I bought all the ingredients for it!" She's the sweetest.

She even set up her counter like a cooking show, with the measuring cups and cocoa and cream and all the fixens' ready to go, perfect for a lazy cook like me. 

I'm not rocking a new fashion statement; I just had my bikini on underneath for the pool afterwards. I'm pointing at the computer screen that Dan set up with the recorded episode of The Bachelorette that we missed. Yes, I have him (begrudgingly) into it too.

Side note: Still Team Arie. Just saying.

Anyway, we watched it while I made the ice cream.  For those with an ice cream maker, the recipe was easy and sinfully rich. Skip over the blue part if you don't want the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1-1/2 cups whole milk

3-1/4 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

NOTE:  You can put in up to 1 cup of mix-ins

Instructions

Place the cocoa and sugars in a medium bowl; stir to combine. Add the whole milk and use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine until the cocoa and sugars are dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Turn machine on; pour mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened. At the end, pour in a cup of mix-ins, if desired.  The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

***

I just chopped up a ton of Giaradelli chocolate and threw some mini marshmallows in.  My mom owns the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker which makes AMAZING ice cream and gelato.  None of this rock salt and gritty ice cream mess.  This stuff turned out like a five star restaurant "food with height" dessert.

Can you tell I'm psyched?

I also knocked #9 off my summer list:  Go to a baseball game

I just have to share one more picture from that.  A guy was launching free t-shirts from one of those guns, and Dan caught a balled up one!  With one hand!  You would have thought they had just launched a ball of cash at him.  There was much screaming and fist pumping.  I think he felt like the man:

Truth time: I'm glad for my summer list because it's kind of reminding me to schedule fun in, as nerdy as that sounds.  I think I've taken too much on this summer, and I've got no one to blame but myself. I said yes to teaching summer school, yes to tutoring several students, yes to taking two college classes, when I should have been saying "Another mojito, please" and chilling out.

I also somehow persuaded myself that I have tons of time to take on house projects, which is why I now have a half painted living room, a strip of peeled off wallpaper in bedroom, and three pieces of furniture still in boxes. At least I'll hopefully be able to share some house updates later in August. Or I'll just get used to the open paint cans and bolts and screws under my feet. Either way.

Anway, more summer list and house updates coming soon.  How was your 4th??

21. Give a wedding toast

As mentioned on Friday, I was asked to give a toast at my godsister Meghan's  wedding.  I was pretty nervous about being the center of attention until I finally realized a few days before:  All eyes would probably be on this pretty lady instead:

I would just be "that girl with the microphone".  That made me feel better. :)

Anyway, I practiced my short speech like I was headlining SNL.  I read it in the car to my friends Missy and Mali when he headed out to dinner the night before, where they raised invisible glasses up at the end.  I recited it over the phone to my sister.  I posted it on my blog.  I had Dan listen to it on the car ride up. I ran through it with my parents.  I was ready as I would ever be!

Until I got violently sick that afternoon.

I have no idea what was in my breakfast burrito or the salad I ate that afternoon, but I felt like death. (My bet is on that damn breakfast burrito.) Don't think it was "just nerves" either.  No way.  It was a pretty miserable three hours, ending when I burst into tears while envisioning me sweetly pronouncing, "To the happy couple!" followed by the pea-soup scene from The Exorcist. 

Somehow, thank goodness, by loading up on medicine and refusing to eat anything but plain bread at dinner, I rallied and made it to Meghan's big day.

Spoiler alert:  the speech went great!  I had an awesome audience, eliciting a few chuckles and a chorus of "awwws" at the end.  I didn't even feel like I was the the center of attention.  No, that honor went to another person...

My dad.

But perhaps I should back up.  My dad is quite the extrovert and managed to make friends with all the groomsman during the rehearsal dinner.  By the end of the reception, everyone was loosening their ties and the music was pumping.  I was finally able to exhale and have a drink, grateful my role was over.  Suddenly, Dan and I heard the entire dance floor chanting, "Go, Steve!  Go, Steve!  Go! Go! Go, Steve!"

There was my Dad busting a move in the middle of the wedding party. :) I guess I didn't get my shy streak from him- ha ha!

Anyway, I'd say this "just do it" challenge went pretty well!  And the wedding was fun and crazy to boot. 

I'll leave you with a progression of the night.  Here is my family (and Bethy's boyfriend far left) at the beginning:

And here is our photobooth pic near the end of the night:

I'll toast to that.

Can I get a "Here! Here"??

So my cousin Meghan asked me to give a toast at her wedding this upcoming weekend.

My response? "Uhh... sure! (nervous laugh), I'll just need a cocktail first! (nervous laugh)."

In my head:  *nervous laugh*  Eeek! 

Then:  What will I write?  I don't know anything about her relationship at all... Man, I wish I just had one story I could weave into my speech!  Should I try to be funny?  No, I don't want to hear crickets chirping...  Should I talk about how I know her and how our familes have spent almost every Thanksgiving with her family?  Nah...  Maybe I'll just read a sappy poem?? 

Finally:  Oh! And I need to get Dan to be that guy that calls out "Here! Here!" after I say "Raise your glasses to the happy couple"!  This girl doesn't want any awkward silence when I finish!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, the below pic is from this year's holiday outside Maggiano's.  (Our moms wanted a year off from cooking- ha ha!)  See the glowing bride in the middle? Side note:  look at the bottom.  The red hat? That was her son, who tried to photobomb us at the last second, but was too short to make it in the shot.  :)

But back to the speech.  Ya'll, I hate public speaking. I realize this is kind of random phobia for a teacher who has to speak in front of three classes of 30+ kids daily, but that's so much easier. Those kiddos are fourteen and half tuning me out anyway. This will be to drunk adults!  And again, while I know that they are a very happy couple, I don't have much of an idea about cutesy stories or anything.  I got nothing.

Well, not nothing.  I have a start, and it will do, I think.  Mind if I share with you and you can send feedback?  The one thing I know about her relationship is how he proposed, which is cute.  So I'm milking that one story for all I can.

Here's what I have so far:

Hi, I’m Christen, Meghan’s godsister. When she first asked me to make a toast, I thought to myself, “Boy, do I have some stories I could tell about Meghan!”


I’ve known Meghan for many years and almost every year for the last three decades our family has spent Thanksgiving together. Instead of telling you all my stories, I’ll just tell you one tidbit you may already know about her: Meghan loves her sleep. I know after the big turkey meal, Meghan always, no matter what, is sure to take her nap. Anyone who knows Meghan knows that she really enjoys her sleep, whether it’s a holiday or not. And this brings me to the story of Meghan and Tremayne’s engagement.

They were on vacation when one morning Meghan was awoken by Tremayne when he turned on all the lights. Of course, she didn’t want to wake up because she loves her sleep, so she begged him to turn the lights off, but he told her to open her eyes. And when she cracked an eyelid, she saw him waiting with a ring and a proposal. You know, I can’t think of a nicer way to wake up than that.

So, if you would, raise your glass! To waking up to love each morning! We love you and wish you all the best!



Okay, all toastmasters out there.  What do you think?  Any tips for nailing this thing?

Just do it #19: Win a costume contest!

Well, win a small costume contest of about 30 people.

But still... it counts! Right?

Can you guess what Dan and I dressed as for Halloween?

You would have had to seen a certain movie involving an old man and his floating house that is guaranteed to make you cry during the montage about marriage, that is, provided you are not dead inside. Kidding. But seriously, when Dan and I saw Up in the theater that scene got both of us a little sentimental.

Anyway, when my sister Bethany invited us to her Halloween party and told us that everyone would vote for their favorite costume, it tapped into Dan and my competitive sides. We were in it to win it.

After much brainstorming, we decided to pay homage to Up. Dan dressed as Mr. Frederickson by buying the big glasses and a bow tie, sprayed his hair white, and wore his grandfather's tweed jacket (complete the grape soda pin on the lapel.) We ordered the cane for $12 online, which we're going to donate to a nursing home later, and added the tennis balls. My costume only cost $12 for the helium balloons, as I simply used my glue gun, construction paper from home, and two old boxes to create my house.

Confession: I spent way too long on that damn house and burned two of my fingers on my glue gun, but this nerdy, arts and craft project was kind of fun. And, of course, I loved showing the final product.
Of course, no one can out-Halloween my sister, who looked freakin' perfect as the Black Swan:


Somber ballerina close-up:


You can't really tell from this picture, but she had the movie Black Swan playing in the background as guests arrived, and I just had to snap a side by side:

There was too much cuteness at the party to recap, from pumpkin beer, spooky punches, and jello shots, to themed foods, to flip cup and a costume contest. She did a great job!



My mom and dad dressed up for the first time as a couple and stopped by for a little Halloween fun. Aren't they cute as a bee and beekeeper?





Getting scary:

Bethy received the most votes for best costume, and we were pumped to take home a "best couple costume" ribbon, especially considering some of the cute competitors, like Stay Puff and a ghostbuster, look-alikes from Sons of Anarchy, and...
Sue Sylvester and Puck from Glee:


Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter


and the-taking-one-for-the-team award that should have gone to this guy, whose wife convinced him to don matching adult leopard print onesies. Notice how he's drinking heavily to bear the shame:

You might this this costume was my idea, but it wasn't. Dan was all about it. He likes to win at everything, costume contests included. In fact, after he won, he fist pumped and made the most random comment to me...

"You know, Christen, I thought our best costume days were behind us. But we're like the Beatles! You know...when everyone thought they were fading out, they suddenly make Abbey Road and the album is a huge hit!"

Uhh... sure, babe. That's an accurate comparison.