States I will travel through

On my way to L.A. we will drive through
1. Illinois
2. Missouri
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. New Mexico
6. Arizona
7. CALIFORNIA!

Things I notice watching CNN's Reclaiming the Dream

1. It annoyed me that they cut off Juliane Malveaux in the opening panel about the lack of married black couples with children when she suggested that maybe the effort shouldn't be about getting these couples to marry.
2. In fact it annoyed me every time Malveaux brought up that there were larger issues that often get swept under the rug for short term solutions and people would cut her off. She brings up really good points. I really liked the points she brought up.
3. I DVRed this so I'm not watching the commercials (and I DVRed the 3 am version) but certainly with the next new Black in America I'll be interested to see what commercials they have.
4. It annoys me that the website cnn has for this show doesn't have their panel.
5. The principal of the Excellence Charter Schools, Jabali Sawicki, refers to all of his students as scholars. While I don't believe that schools by gender are the answer, I was really fascinated by this. Also I found his reasoning for why his school will work the best I've heard for this kind of separation- (loosely quoted) "When you walk into my school, you find a black male as first chair violin, and a black male is the smartest kid in the class..." and then goes on to talk about how that changes culture.

I realized I grossly underestimated

I couldn't remember the movies that I watched in the theaters the other day and I've seen twice as many as I remembered...
1. Iron Man
2. Indiana Jones (Raiders of the Lost Ark and Crystal Skull)
3. Wall*E
4. Get Smart
5. And just last night The Dark Knight

(Tomorrow Mamma Mia)

so far, only one on the list I probably won't bother to see ever again in my life. Can you guess which one?

Place to live crossed off...

Important Dates coming up:
1. July 23rd math night at the migrant school.
2. July 25th UI visit for migrant school.
3. July 31st last day of classes for the students.
4. August 1st day I get in the car and start driving to LA
5. August 4th my parents' anniversary and the day we should arrive in LA approximately

My mind is a little one track these days.

Things to consider in my current teaching job

1. The kids really need the social time. While they can talk in the fields, it's not really a lot of time to be social.
2. The kids need math help, but they already feel like they've failed it.
3. The kids can use writing help, but they wouldn't know it since they can pass the TAKS test.
4. Many of the kids are there because they have nothing better to do at night.

The simple pleasures

It's the time for simple pleasures, so what makes my list of simple pleasures?
1. Sprecher's Root Beer.
2. Ice cream that has chocolate chunks in it.
3. Seeing my suitcase when I arrive at an airport.
4. The salsa at Dos.
5. My washed car (the washed part being the simple part)
6. Random facebook wall posts.
7. A good purple pen.
8. When students remember to say Ms. rather than Mrs.
9. My mom making dinner.
10. When people don't talk to me in the morning.
11. When people talk to me at night.
12. Spelling a word correctly- especially when I spell lots of words correctly.
13. Going out for custard after a game of softball.

Things that need to happen before I move

1. I need to find a place to live.
2. I need to finish this grant for I-CHASS.
3. I need to clean/pack.
4. Mikey needs to have a birthday.
5. Katie and I need to celebrate the end of her night shift and the end of my time in Illinois.
6. I have children's sermon duties three more times.
7. I need to teach at the migrant school.
8. I have to put in three more weeks of being the church janitor.
9. I have to clean up the room in Rantoul.
10. I should read at least Tipping Point.

That's not too bad of a list in a month....

Summer Music

I'm not as good at knowing cds/songs/artists as you would think I am with how musical I am, but a few cds have come into my life this summer. Here is the list of CDs most likely to be playing in my car this summer.
1. In the Heights: The latest winner of the Tony for Best New Musical. It's about a Latino/a communitiy in NYC and great beat. (I'm still a musicals junky and now my job gives me full reason!)
2. Spring Awakening: Yes this is a little old but I finally have had time to listen to it. Another musical, this one about adolescents in Germany discovering sex.
3. Ben Folds: I've been meaning to get into Ben Folds for a long time. Finally someone got around to getting me the music.
4. Kenneth's Catchy Break-Up CD: When my brother was in town, he made a CD of music so he didn't have to listen to central Illinois radio stations. It's all very catchy and like 75%-95% of it is about breaking up or not being right for each other. True juxtaposition as you want to dance about breaking up.
5. The Lion King: Yeah seriously another musical? This one makes the list since my copy of the cd was broken and I thought I had lost it forever. Turns out I did not!
6. Doug's latest summer CD: This one is new to the list (seeing as he came out with it like last week) but listening to it so far has been very entertaining.
So only half musicals and half mixes. I'm working my way out of total musical nerdom.

It's been too long

How about a few fourth of July favorites...
1. Driving back from Sante Fe with my mom and dad after a family reunion. We could see all of the fire works everywhere around us (you can see for miles and miles on that trip) and I narrated the music for the various shows.
2. Helping out with 1776 at New Salem. Great show and we had a really kick-ass cast.
3. My first 4th here in Rantoul/Urbana area. There are celebrations in Springfield, but I think because the city is big enough that you can avoid all of the July 4th activities, but my first 4th here with the pancake breakfast, the parade, and the fireworks etc. I'm up for almost any activity that brings people together as a happy community.

Happy 4th of July! (especially to Simon)