Keeping my Good Dog Good

Man, I'm bad at blogging regularly. I've done so much in the past year it's hard to even know where to start. I went to New York! I was in a play! I'm in another play! I taught full time! There is no way I could write about all these things in one post so I'm not even going to try. That being said, I do want to talk about something that has been on my mind lately.

My dog, Chewie, as many of you know who are reading this, is my best friend. He is a big furry ball of amazing and I wouldn't trade him for the world. That being said, I never thought I would get a big dog. I always pictured myself having an animal more in kinship with my own personality, little and lazy. Chewie is big, and not lazy and I've learned a lot having him for the past almost 3 years.

One thing about having a big dog is that you just can't ignore some of the behaviours little dogs have. If your dog is little, and they are growling, people aren't usually scared. If Chewie growls at them, people can be terrified. I can't pick Chewie up and remove him from the situation that is making him growl. So, when he started showing some signs of being nervous, and had a few small to medium incidents with humans and other dogs, I decided to consult a trainer from Cowichan Canine.

Now, Chewie graduated from the Foundation Program at Cowichan Canine with distinction. He is one smart puppy. But his anxiety has gotten to the point now where he doesn't always listen to me, and sometimes he is so fearful it overrides his better nature. He has never drawn blood or hurt another human. He has never bitten another dog, though he has gotten into altercations (barking, snapping, growling etc).

Bottom line here, I want to keep it so he doesn't EVER bite any person, or any dog.

So, when the trainer came on Tuesday I was really nervous. So nervous that Chewie picked up on my anxiety and really didn't like the trainer. He reacted pretty much as badly as he has ever reacted to a person, with his teeth bared, his hackles raised and vocalized his discomfort. He is always nervous of people coming to the front door, but this was extreme.

My heart dropped.

I then spent 2 hours in my living room, without Chewie, talking to the trainer about his history, what the problems were and how we move forward. My heart dropped a second time when she said that maybe this was genetic, and no matter what we did he may always be a nervous or reactive dog.

So, I've spent the last 2 days thinking to myself, where do I go from here? I know Chewie may never be "cured". He may always be nervous of people, and other dogs. Just because he wasn't that way for the first 2 years of his life, doesn't mean he won't be for the rest of it. How do I manage a 100 pound scaredy dog? Do I constantly isolate him from people, and only walk him in the dark or out in the boonies? Do I put him in his pen when someone visits, and do I never introduce him to new people or things? This is a dog I used to take camping and with me pretty much everywhere.

With the help of the trainer, and one or two sleepless nights, this is the plan:

Step One: I'm muzzle training him. After speaking with my friend who had a people aggressive dog for 8 years, this is something I've come to terms with. If I can get it to the point where Chewie sees wearing the muzzle as a good thing, what's the harm in him wearing it?
I'm muzzle training my dog for the following reasons:
1) To keep him safe as much as the people and other dogs around him safe
2) To be able to take him places and to be able to relax while doing it
3) So I can bring people up to my front door and have them not worry about Chewie scaring them
4) To control that initial greet so that after he becomes comfortable with people/dogs, we can take it off

What I'm worried about: people will be more scared of him and then he will feed off that fear. People will think he is a biter, or a killer, or aggressive. He is not a mean dog, just anxious. How can I communicate that when we are out? Maybe I'll wear a sign around my neck or something.

MY DOG IS WEARING A MUZZLE FOR PREVENTATIVE MEASURES! Please be calm.

Maybe that's a lot to have on a neck sign.

Step Two: Counter Conditioning. We are currently working on counter conditioning him to be fine with people walking in front of our house. This involves many treats and seems to calm him down. If you want to watch a video on what this looks like, click here and see. I'm hoping this helps with managing people being in our yard, coming up to the front door, etc.

Step Three: Manage his fears, and manage my own. I know Chewie feeds off my energy, and I know that I have to work on my anxiety so that we can work on his. And I am. I truly think the muzzle will help. Writing this blog post is a substep within this step. Being vocal, being honest about what I'm going through helps me process and helps me to realize that what Chewie and I are experiencing is normal. I think I'll have to talk to my neighbours, too. Maybe I'll post a letter up near the mail boxes.

Step Four: Continue the training and try to follow the trainers instructions as best as possible. I want to be proactive instead of reactive. The best thing for Chewie is the best thing for me, and visa versa.

Step Five: Still do stuff he thinks is fun! This is again, where I'm hoping the muzzle will help. He does love people, and dogs, once he knows that everything is safe. I'm hoping maybe he can meet some new dog friends and be social. He loves going for hikes, and it's my own fear that is stopping us.

So I guess that's it for now. I would do anything for Chewie, so I hope that we can move forward positively and proactively, and educate along the way!

The Magic of Disney and Friendship

Disneyland is one of my favourite places in the world. It is so magical to me that I can still have one of the best vacations ever, even after the dirty underwear debacle. 

Sami and I--who happens to be my brothers girlfriend for those who don't know--have made good traveling partners, as it turns out. We were able to leave the Days Inn behind us (until Friday morning when we call them before the airport) and make sure we both had the best time ever.

She has also been getting along swimmingly with the others. With a large group of fifteen, twelve of whom she did not know, I was worried. But sometimes she chooses to ride rides with them, and not me! I'm not bothered though, I like to share my Disney joy. 

I've fallen very behind in my blog writing, and my journalling. Usually on a trip I am very diligent about writing every night in my journal. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that we have been staying in the park until almost closing every night. By the time we get home we essentially fall into an immediate coma for five hours and then wake up early to do it all again the next day.

However, tonight we are home early because we spent the day in Universal Studios. I also love Universal, but not as much as Disney. It just doesn't have as much to offer. I enjoy the Studio Tour, the Waterworld show, and some of the rides, but it just isn't as magical. That being said though, next year they are opening a Harry Potter section to the park. Nothing says added magic like wizards. We could see Hogsmeade being built today. I didn't think I would be sad that it wasn't ready, but seeing the tower of Hogwarts with scaffolding had a somewhat adverse effect on me. I just wanted to explore! I think I may have to go to Florida.

My favourite rides in Disneyland are Peter Pan's Flight and Star Tours. I rode Peter Pan's Flight our second day, and it was amazing. They've refurbished it and it's brighter and better. They added things, but nothing new looks out of place. Star Tours has been a hilarious experience, as it seems every time I ride it we end up going to Hoth (the ice planet). I long to see some Ewoks, I won't lie. I hear rumour that there is a tour that goes there, but I never get to go on it. We actually went on Star Tours with the full group of fifteen, and I asked every robot to please not send us to Hoth. To the amusement of everyone, my friend Cody ended up being the Rebel spy, and it was Hoth again.

It's been a really amazing celebration for my friends Cody and Carrera. Tip: if anyone wants to get married and go on their honeymoon to Disney, make sure you get a pin that says Happily Ever After or Just Married, because you get some really amazing attention from cast members. It makes me want to take my honeymoon in Disney! I briefly considered getting the pin and wearing it with one of my friends, but that would be a lie. And lying in Disneyland is a sin, just like line cutting and running into people with your stroller.

It must be really special for them to have so many friends that want to celebrate their love with them in the Happiest Place on earth. Sometimes all the love and all the magic gets overwhelming and then you get Disney dust in your eyes and they water. It isn't crying though, definitely not crying.

Tomorrow is Sami and my last day in the parks. I will try to write a blog post on Friday in the airport or something, just so that there isn't only 3 writeups about Disneyland and one of them is primarily about stolen underwear. I think I need to write an entire blogpost about my encounter with the loves of my life, Peter Pan and Captain Hook.

Unfortunate Adult Experiences

Sami and I have decided to look at our time at the Days Inn Anaheim as "Unfortunate Adult Experiences". You know the ones, where you are thrown into a situation that is so far out of your wheel house that you don't really know what to do, but at the same time you have to figure it out because you are an adult. Adults can't always call their parents to come bail them out... Well in my case I can, but that is besides the point.

This blog post could be called a few other things. A possible title could be "The Panty Pirate", or "The Invisible Underwear", or even "I Hope No One Sold Them Online". Those would all be appropriate. 

We arrived at the Days Inn on Friday. After exploring Downtown Disney for a while, we were given room 222. I was impressed by the (deceiving) cleanliness of the place, and was blinded by the free wifi and shuttle to the park. We were lulled into a false sense of security. What we should have looked at was the dated decor, the lacklustre staff and the fact that the seatbelts did not work in the van that drove us to the park. But how were we to know what was on our horizon? No one could anticipate the turn of events. 

On Saturday we spent a full day in Disneyland. It was magical. I will write an entire blog post about the magic later. That is not what this particular blogpost is about, however. This blog post is about the horror, and I'm not talking about the Haunted Mansion.

We arrived home around 12am. I began writing in my journal (still haven't finished that entry) and Sami got ready for a shower. She started rummaging around the room. I looked up from the brilliant prose I was writing to insightfully ask "What's up?" 

She says "I can't find my underwear I wore last night." We proceeded to scour the room for the green chevron undergartments. They are nowhere to be found.

I laughed, because I thought that Sam somehow misplaced her panties. Silly Sami, said I. But then I thought, wouldn't it be weird if mine was missing too? So I looked in my luggage and (you can probably guess) my two pairs of dirty underwear were no where to be found.

At this point, because we are both now missing our britches, I begin to panic. What the hell happened to them? Where could they have possibly gone? I went through every pair of clean underwear I had packed, we checked in every nook and every cranny that that room had. The underwear was gone. 3 pairs, stolen.

Sam called the front desk and asked if it was possible that the cleaning staff had put them in the laundry. They said we had to wait until tomorrow to ask. Sami was embarrassed talking to a stranger about the Case of the Missing Panties, but handled it like a champ.

I continued to search the room. And freak out.

Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night. I made the mistake at taking a closer look at my bedding, and when I brushed my teeth I ran my toothbrush under the hottest of water. Nothing felt clean.

We went to the front desk the next morning to encounter the most useless concierge in all the land. We never saw his computer screen but were fairly certain that he was playing some form of Candy Crush Saga as he was dealing with us. He kept repeating "I understand" but I really don't think he did understand. Sami handled it calmer than I did, I kept repeating "violated" and "disgusting" and I even threw in "call the authorities" for good measure. Paul (we asked for his name, he wasn't pleased to give it) remained stone faced. He was very unhelpful, but did tell us to come back later after he checked with housekeeping. We asked for a manager, but were told it wouldn't be until the next morning that he would be available.

At this point we went back to the park. Nothing solves utter disgust and terror like a little Disney magic. We stayed until about 3:30 and then headed back to the Days Inn for more "fun".

This was when we encountered a slightly less useless concierge. I didn't ask for his name, but he informed us that the cleaning staff had not cleaned our underwear by accident (which we had already figured on our own) and that again, the manager would be in tomorrow. He got us to write a statement, and offered to refund us our money for the 5 remaining nights. This meant two things, we could leave, but we were also essentially receiving zero compensation. We took it, because we were uncomfortable and unhappy. Our plan is to call and actually speak to the manager in the near future, though I think Sami and I are hesitant to continue dealing with the debacle that is the "Great Panty Crisis of 2015".  

We've found refuge in the Travelodge. It is farther away from the park, but that is the price one pays for peace of mind. It was quite difficult finding a new hotel, because it was so last minute making everything either unavailable or very pricey. We are happy with our new home, and I plan on getting a very good sleep, free of fear that my underwear will be stolen and sold to someone on the internet.

Sami and I have got a great story to tell out of the situation, and the reality is that we are still in Disneyland. We are safe, we are positive, we are surrounded by amazing friends, and we are determined to continue enjoying the magic. All future hotel stays will be graded on a scale from 1-10, 1 being underwear security issues, 10 being full panty safety. 

All who read my blog, heed this warning though, if you stay at the Days Inn Anaheim, lock your underpants in your safe along with your passport.

A Year Has Passed and Much has Changed

This blog has been neglected for a long time, almost a year in fact. I went to New York in that time, and also Cabo, Edmonton and Whistler. I became a full time teacher. I became single again. I moved back to my Dad's house with my sweet (badly behaved) dog in tow. I took a summer course through Queens University. I saw two beautiful weddings. Now, I'm going to Disneyland.

New York was amazing. I saw many things, and was totally overstimulated by it all. I loved Broadway (surprising, right?) and the Met, and Yankee Stadium and Central Park and the Chrysler Building and even kind of the subway because it was a new experience. If anyone watches The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt on Netflix, that was basically me but more tired, because walking around NYC is pretty exhausting.

Cabo San Lucas was also pretty swell. I saw one of my very best friends get hitched in a gorgeous beach ceremony where she looked content and in love. I'm so friggen happy for her. Also she bought a puppy, but that is another story that does not involve Mexico, but puppies are worth mentioning. I also went snorkelling, and did some bartering to buy some Mexican booty. It was beautiful there, and really cool to see the world famous Cabo arch. 

If anyone wants to read further about these adventures, you can go to the http://hotdogtravelblog.blogspot.ca/ to check it out. I will say that that I will be writing on this blog, and not The Hot Dog Blog (even though the name is incredibly clever) due to my new romantic independence. That doesn't mean it shouldn't be available for perusal though. 

So, onward and upward! New adventures. DISNEYLAND.

My friends Carrera and Cody got married, and are currently on their honeymoon in Disneyland. They wanted a few days on their own, but after that they felt that sharing their love (of Disney, and each other) with their friends was the best way to commemorate their vows. I thought this was a peachy idea, and my friend Sami decided to join me! We are most excited. Currently it probably doesn't look like it in person, because it is 5:20am and we are running off of roughly two hours of sleep. But the excitement is there, disguised by the bags under our eyes.

As is my tradition, I will be blogging about my California experience. Stay tuned. I believe tonight we are going on a city tour! LA, baby. 

New York, New York

James and I have created our itinerary for New York. It's funny, because I feel like like calling it "busy"  just doesn't give it any justice. I need a thesaurus for a better word.

I don't have anything good to wear. I really don't. I'm not just saying that. I think about going to Hedwig and the Angry Inch in any of my current outfits, and I grimace. That is what happens when you only buy clothes you can wear teaching. #teacherproblems

I wrote two blog posts on The Hot Dog Blog . They are pretty short, which I think is due to overstimulation. I'm too excited. There are too many things to think about. I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR. We are leaving in two weeks. I'm torn between buying a new outfit, and saving all the money for the trip.

James is going to write a daily update on the different activities we are going to be participating in. To my millions and trillions of readers, make sure you stay tuned for that. 

Under the Pear Tree

I have not been blogging very often.

I have, however, been busy doing other things. For one, I'm almost done the book I've been writing. This is very exciting and more than a little terrifying. What do I do with a completed manuscript? My writers group insists I send it away, and I mostly agree with them.

I've looked at agents. I found one in Canada that I think I'll send it to. She seems like a kindred spirit and someone who may be interested in my book. But should I send it to more? My friend Carol Anne Shaw is very wise in these types of matters. She told me if I fancy this one agent, I should try her first but put "Exclusive Submission" somewhere in the pitch.

Someone asked me if I will use a pseudonym, a question to which I did not have an answer. I changed my Facebook name when I became a teacher and I am particularly fond of my alias (which by the way does not keep students from finding and "friending" me) and have considered using that as my writers name.

I guess I should finish the book before I start making these kinds of decisions.

One day I will write a blog post about what my book is actually about. Probably after I write a synopsis.

My current favourite spot to write is in my orchard in front of my house. It isn't a large orchard, but has a few trees for me to sit under. I bring my dog, who happily munches away on deer poop. I type furiously (or not so furiously, dependent on the day) on my laptop. Sometimes Chewie (the dog) escapes into the neighbours yard and I have to run after him. But other than that there are few interruptions. He is currently digging a hole. I hope he finds treasure.

Summer has also been a time for visits. I've had lots of them already. This afternoon I pick up my good friend and she will stay for two weeks before heading off on an adventure to China, where she is teaching for a year.

Carol Anne Shaw--the wise author woman I mentioned earlier--has hired me to write a Teachers Guide for each of her novels "Hannah and the Spindle Whorl" and "Hannah and the Salish Sea". This is very exciting for me, as I love her books and revel in the task of helping a friend using my teacher skills.

James and I leave for New York, New York in approximately one month. We have started a blog, which I may or may not have already mentioned. It is called "The Hot Dog Blog", it only has two entries at this moment, but considering our trip is fast approaching, it will indeed have more soon.

That is all for now, I have work to do, you know.

Update

The end of the school year has two very distinct feelings attached to it. One is panic. If you are in Grade 11 or 12, teach Grade 11 or 12 or know someone who is in Grade 11 or 12, chances are you are feeling the side effects of panic. Take a deep breath. This too, shall pass.
The other feeling is one of distraction. The side effects of distraction are procrastination, day dreaming and talking with ones friends when one should be doing other things.
I blame the sun. I don't think classrooms should have windows. The pull of the outside world is too strong. It is May, but in everyone's heads and hearts it is already June.

I looked at my last blog post, which I wrote before spring break. In some ways, spring break was a long time ago--in others it was just yesterday. I had a very productive time, I painted walls, slept a lot and starting Foundation Class with my puppy.

Easter weekend was pretty fabulous, also. I went to Disneyland with some of the boarding girls. I frolicked down Main Street. I hugged Goofy, and Minnie (Mickey was somewhat illusive) and I rode essentially all the rides. I finally experienced Space Mountain. The first time I went, it was closed. The second time, I left it until the last possible minute and it broke down when I was on it. Having rode it now, I don't really know how to describe it. It was kind of all a blur--not just in my memory but an actual blur. The ride was really fast.
The girls were all very well behaved. They were so busy doing what they were supposed to do to have any energy left to misbehave. They also rode all the rides. And acted like kids, which is awesome because now-a-days high school girls seem to think they need to dress and behave like adults.
I spend all my time acting like a kid, not just in Disneyland.

School is insanely busy at the moment. Outdoor Education week is coming up, where I get to go camping with a bunch of 13 year old girls for 4 nights. This may seem like torture to some, but I am excited about it. After Disneyland, I realized how vital it is to get out of the classroom and spend time with my students.

Enough bloggin' for now.

Sleep.

I have deleted three different paragraphs that I've written in the last ten minutes. I know I want to write something, but I can't really access the words to express any of the ideas I have floating around in my head right now.

I think it might be because spring break starts in two days. My brain is on vacation, no matter how many times I tell it to get its act together. My lessons this past week have sucked, and that takes talent because I've shown a movie for three of them.

I have many a plan for spring break. I'm going to  paint walls, have a clean house and take Chewie all types of fun places. I also need to do a huge pile of marking. I've procrastinated marking many things, which was poor planning on my part. My "To-Do" list is very long. That being said, I have a feeling that the first day I spend off of school will be spent in bed, sleeping. I read somewhere recently that an average human spends 25 years of their life sleeping. I think I'll probably have slept for about 40 when everything is all said and done. The funny thing is, I don't feel like I've wasted anything. Sleep and I have a strong relationship that will eventually be 40 years in the making. I love sleep, and sleep loves me.

Quick Post Calling the Sun

It is March, and therefore I want spring. I want flowers and sunshine and allergies. I want to wear a t-shirt with NO jacket.
I know, I know. I live in Western Canada. Currently the rest of Canada is reading this post and telling me to shut up. That doesn't mean I can't wish for more though, does it? Just because right now where you are living it is -35 Celsius doesn't mean that you have the monopoly on missing sunshine!
Okay, maybe it does but I'm too self centered to acknowledge it at this moment.

Hats

I am a wearer of many hats. The one I wear the most is the teacher hat, which I talk about a lot in this blog. Another is an actress--also something I refer to quite a bit. These two hats I am comfortable wearing.

There are other hats I am less comfortable wearing, at least when I am in front of people. One of these is the artist hat. I love to paint, draw and photograph the nonsensical world that surrounds me. Do I necessarily consider myself an artist though? Not particularly. The art teacher at my school, she is a real artist. My friend, Carol, and her husband Richard--they are artists. Me? I play at art.

I feel the same way about my writing. I had a conversation at the literary festival this past weekend about how difficult it is to refer to yourself as an author. Maybe some people don't have this particular mental block, but I certainly do. Someone asked me if I was an author and I skirted the question as best I could until James interrupted me and said "Yes. Kim is a writer."

I suppose the main reason I don't call myself a writer or an author is because it isn't something I work at every day. I write when I feel like it or, more appropriately, I write when it is convenient.

If it wasn't for FRANK (my writers group) I would probably have tossed away my manuscript a long time ago. But having a weekly meeting with people who ask about my work in progress has pushed me to write more, and write more often. Sometimes when I don't write they understand me, and accept my excuses. Sometimes they kick me in the ass. Sometimes they let me teach them the lesson I have planned for the next day because that was the only thing I could accomplish and they appreciate that.

If not for them, I would not have written 20, 000 words on my current project.

Tonight is FRANK night. We are eating nachos. I actually have something to read, thanks to my leisure weekend on Galiano.

Maybe one day I'll be comfortable wearing my authors hat. Maybe one day I will tell strangers, without a hint of irony, that yes--I am an author.
Not tonight though. Tonight I'm just going to eat nachos and read some words.

Bad Blogger Etiquette

I'll admit, I am not longer on Galiano. We have returned home. In fact, we got home yesterday and--even then--I failed to update my blog.

But today it is snowing and I did not have to go to school. I could not, in good conscience, leave my blog post to another day.

There were many positive outcomes to the Galiano trip. James and I spent some much needed quality time together. I slept for 11 hours on Friday night, and had a nap on Saturday. I also wrote 2, 600 words for my Work In Progress (sometimes I play at being an author) and spending time with the ladies from our writers group was very fun. The cabins James and I stayed in were very cute. We ate good food at a few Galiano establishments and though the weather was only good on the first day, we enjoyed the scenery.

Though I loved much about the Driftwood Cottages, I did not love how their bath water was not hot. I enjoy turning the colour of a Canadian flag whilst I bathe. I did not have this experience at the Driftwood. Though, they did have a hot tub. If I had of had the foresight to bring a bathing suit I would have gone in. Our cabin had a wood stove, which was delightful and the bed had a very cozy duvet, so all was not lost.

I didn't attend any seminars provided by the Galiano Literary Festival, so hopefully James will guest blog and talk about that aspect of the trip. I did, however, attend the dinner where I met a nice man named Fraser who used to be a teacher. He now is an author and won the "So You Think You Can Write Contest" with the Times Colonist. Check that out here. He and his wife were delightful. I talked mostly with them. James talked to many people, as it was his job to network the night away.

Sunday was travel back day. It had been snowing on and off all weekend so we were worried about the ease of returning home. We all decided it was best to catch an earlier ferry. Unfortunately this meant that James, Carol and Kristine had to miss Raffi's seminar. Good thing they spoke to him enough over the weekend that they are all now all BFF's.

I very much missed my dog. It is interesting that in such a short period of time he has become so very important. He was well taken care of by our neighbours so at least I was able to relax knowing that he was safe and happy. Currently, Chewie is sleeping by my feet because he is tired due to running around in the snow.

Here are some pictures to please the eye:

He is thinking about his next novel.

 The ferry.

Before the snow.

This cat is really fat (the camera took off 10 pounds) and loves books. We are kindred spirits. The bookstore was pretty cool, though they did not have a large enough fantasy or sci fi section.

This cat wants the grocery store to open, too. But the owners are on island time, man.

That is it! My blogging duties for the weekend are complete. Now I shall go do something productive, maybe.

Day One on Galiano

My day in chronological order:

Wake up

Shower

Take dog to pee

Feed dog

Get ready

Take dog out to poop

Leave house

Pick up my coworker whom I carpool with

Go to Tim Hortons

Eat Tim Hortons in car

Get to school

Greet girls in advisor

Make pretest during spare block

Have English class, show Olympic hockey game

Have Drama class, show Olympic hockey game

Leave school

Drive home

Hug and fawn over my puppy

Worry about leaving my puppy

Hug puppy again

Say thank you and bye to neighbours who are taking care of puppy

Grab clothes

Drive to ferry with James

Board ferry

Take some pictures

Read book

Dock ferry

Drive to Driftwood Village Cottages

Check out cottages

Take pictures

Go to Galiano Inn

Meet up with author friends and say hi

Go to pub with James

Return to cottage

Bathe

Write blog post while James networks at wine and cheese night

Here are some pictures of the day:

Drama Class

My drama class has been particularly successful this semester. I believe this is a result of numerous factors. 

1) I'm more experienced. 

2) I've relaxed a bit but also set stronger boundaries in terms of class etiquette (especially when it comes to electronics)

3) This semester my class list is primarily made up of students who want to be in drama, not students who couldn't get into photography. 

4) We are studying improv

5) I've been participating in games and activities (more fun for me!)

6) The grade 8's have joined and they are full of piss and vinegar. 

7) Slightly smaller class. 

8) Drama is the best. 

It is very good to feel successful. It wasn't as though I didn't experience success in last semesters class, but I feel as though this is now a course students look forward to participating in. I know I look forward to the periods I get to spend in the drama hall. 

We are going to be producing a one act play as well, which I am excited (and nervous) about. I'm wondering how to approach it though. I need something with an all girl cast, that allows for 20 students to participate. I think I may have to do short vignettes. Maybe about the treacherous jungle that is the hallway? I'm not sure. 

I've got some time to mull it over, though. 

Upcoming Weekend

James and I are going to Galiano Island next weekend. There is a literary festival there that James wants to attend. Raffi will be there. Raffi, as in Baby Beluga Raffi. THE Raffi.

I haven't purchased a ticket for the festival, even though I am going to stay at Galiano for the weekend. I haven't quite decided yet if I want to get out of my pajamas. I mean, meeting Raffi sounds amazing, but so does sleeping all day.

We aren't bringing the puppy. It will be the first time I will be away from Chewie for more than a night. Should be interesting. I've grown quite attached to the fluff ball.

I will take many pictures. I will blog about it, using the free wifi provided for my convenience.

I look forward to relaxing. Moving into James' house, getting a puppy, writing course outlines and completing the second round of report cards have taken a lot of my time. I shall lay in a bath for a ridiculous amount of time and watch an obscene amount of television.

I won't do any work. Don't tell my school, but I don't want to work at all.

Report Cards

Report Cards are only fun if you are in Grade 4 and Grandma gives you a toonie for every A you receive.

 Even then, it depends.

Why am I on my blog when I could be productive and edit the last of my report comments? The answer to that question is quite simple.

My head may explode.

Grades are so superficial. I think the one thing we (as teachers) should mark is effort and participation. That is how kids learn. If they don't try, if they don't buy in--they don't retain any knowledge.

I just want to send a quick note to parents once a month being like "Yo. Your kid listens really well and she also gave a girl a hug when they were sad. It was pretty top drawer of her."

Isn't that enough? Why should I spend 20 hours over my weekend giving numerical value to each and every assignment a kid hands in? What does that number matter?

But I'm a hypocrite, really. When I was in University there were some ungraded courses. I hated them. "Why should I put in maximum effort if all I get is a pass or a fail?" I said. "Why not scrape by if that is all I require to move on?" I said.

I am a Grade junkie. Yet I want something better for my students. I want something better for my kids, if I have them.

I want school to be about the friggen journey, not the grade at the end of the tunnel.

Puppy Fever

Let me list the reasons why I have sucked at doing a weekly entry in this blog.

1. School is busy.

2. Report cards are imminent.

3. Sometimes I forget I even have a blog.

4. We got a puppy.

Chewie. Short for Chewbacca. He is fluffy, he is sweet, he loves to Chew (which is basically our fault as we named him Chewie) and he is all ours.

I am completely in love, and completely overwhelmed.

Everyone tells you having a puppy is a big deal. Everyone says it is like having a baby. Everyone says it is time consuming. Everyone says you have to be ready to dedicate a huge portion of your life to this little animal.

Everyone was right.

Getting a puppy is a big deal. For an undetermined amount of time you have to clean up poop and pee.

It has been 4 days since our last in house accident.

Getting a puppy can be stressful. For the first two weeks we didn't sleep through the night, and the crate training was not exactly what I would call successful.

Now he sleeps in the hallway in his crate with a sheet draped over top. We had our first full night sleep last night.

Getting a puppy can be a wonderful bonding experience for a couple. And an opportunity to learn. James and I have had many discussions about how this is good practice for when we decide to have kids.

Thank all that is holy we haven't got children also. Chewie is our fur baby and that is good. That is enough.

Cats do not like puppies. Especially when the dog barks and chases the cat. I want them to snuggle each other but that may just be a pipe dream.

Suggestions for people getting a puppy: 

Take them to puppy class. 

Tire them out with play time. 

Introduce them to kids who are good with dogs and let them run around. 

Introduce them to other dogs and let them run around.

Tire them out with car rides.

Cuddle them when they are tired.

Listen to the teacher in puppy class.

Take them out to poop a half an hour after they eat their food.

Take them out to pee, a lot.

Buy a good jacket if it is winter.

Buy easy to slip on shoes.

Read books, but don't believe everything you read.

Listen to advice, but don't believe everything everyone says.

Look on the internet, but don't freak out if you are reading too much.

Love.

Love.

Love.

Cry if you have to.

Ask people to play with your puppy so you can have a nap.

Leave the puppy in a safe place while at work with nothing to destroy.

Buy toys.

Live your life, and love the dog.

Be nice to your spouse.

Try to talk about something else to your friends and family.

And take lots of pictures.

Adopting a Puppy

"Let's just meet puppies" I said. "We will wait to take one home until we find the right one" I said. 

This is easier said than done. 

What James and I want: a medium sized puppy, good temperament, and we want to adopt it. Preferably from an organization called "Victoria Humane Society"(check their Facebook group). We have filled out an application and we went to visit some puppies today. 

We knew that these doggies were going to be a bit too big for our needs, so we decided to just go meet them and talk to the foster parents. 

Then they were adorable. They had wonderful, sweet personalities and I wanted to take them both home. 

When we left the foster parents, my heart hurt. I could hardly tear myself away from them. 

James and I talked at length. Then I texted some friends. Then I was sad. We decided they would be better with a family that wanted a big dog. 

What scares me is how hard it was to NOT adopt the first dog we see. This process may be more difficult to complete with a clear mind. My emotions are pretty strong when it comes to sweet little puppies. 

Anyways, here is a picture. As you can see, this puppy isn't really little...

In The Effort to Post More

Happy New Years (Eve) friends!

Today I slept in until 11. This is because I'm on holidays and can do such things. Plus I spent all yesterday planning and marking and sitting in front of a computer trying to get my life organized. So I deserved to stay up watching British television.

I am all caught up with Downton Abbey, which is delightful. And by delightful I mean heart wrenching, beautiful and really really well done. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes television. I could write a whole blogpost detailing the high points of Maggie Smith's acting. That woman is probably my hero, and not just because she played Wendy in "Hook".

Because of my whole (not-so) new love for British television, I am watching a show called Doc Martin. It is a cute little series about a surgeon who moves to a small town in Britain to be the local doctor because he develops a phobia of blood. It isn't Downton Abbey, but it is easy to do my homework while it plays in the background. In fact it is playing in the background right now.

New Years Eve. 2014. Woah.

 I believe one of my resolutions was to write more blog posts. I think a result of this resolution will be that I end up writing more, but writing about inconsequential things. Hence the current subjects of this particular post.

Usually if I write something that I can justify as being even remotely interesting to other people I write something to let them know. I probably won't mention this post on Facebook. 

Off to shower!

New Years Resolutions

Christmas has come and gone but the turkey weight remains. I wouldn't be female if I didn't have a resolution that had something to do with being "healthier" or "losing weight". Though I do have these thoughts, I think I want to phrase it differently. Keeping this in mind, my first resolution will be:

-I won't let my body weight effect my happiness.-

In a way this is no different from saying I want to lose 10 pounds or I want to go on a diet. It is just a more positive way of looking at it. All about the packaging, I say. I'm determined to have better energy levels and a more active lifestyle. In doing this I will probably lose weight, but I refuse to stress about that cookie I had 2 weeks ago. 

Next I want to talk about my career. Being a teacher is incredibly rewarding, but can also be time consuming and stressful. I am determined to be better prepared for lessons and assignments so that I avoid any kind of extra stress. So my next resolution sounds a little like this:

-Only fake it till you make it when absolutely necessary-

Any new teacher knows what I'm talking about with that one. 

The following are other resolutions that don't need much of an explanation:

-Go on more interesting dates with James-

-Write one blog post a week-

-Write more in general-

-Nap less, sleep better at night-

-Manage my money more efficiently-

-Drink more water-

-Finish renovations on the house-

-Take more photographs-

-Garden-

There are so many more that have escaped my memory, but really that is probably plenty for 2014. I know so many people that have wonderful intentions in January but by February they are stuffing their face with chocolate (okay maybe when I said "people" I meant me) because they have deprived themselves. This is what I hope to avoid. I don't want to delete or ignore any aspect of myself, but add positive goals and actions so I can feel like a more rounded person. 

Fill your life up with the positive and the negative will take care of itself. 

Now I'm off to nap (remember, nap LESS, not never.... Moderation being key with that one). Now, to leave you, one of my favourite gifts this Christmas...

Anniversary Weekend

As promised, I will write a blog post about my romantic weekend with James.

I will simultaneously watch "Alien" because my brother bought it on Bluray. You wish your Monday night is as exciting as mine.

So, a few weekends ago--James and I traveled a whopping hour to the city of Victoria. Growing up in the area, I have always realized that Victoria is beautiful however I'm not sure I appreciate it 100% of the time. It is nice to have a vacation in your own city as it essentially reminds you how lucky you are. Or I am. Because we don't all live in Victoria.

Excuse me while I pause, the man in the movie just had an alien extract itself from his stomach.

James is an author. I've mentioned this before, but it is worth bringing up again. James being an author means that we like to find inspirational spots where he can write. This means that a regular hotel room really doesn't float our boats.

I love anything with a Victorian/Edwardian feel. Basically anything before the 1950's I enjoy. When James and I found the Beaconsfield Inn on the Expedia, we fell in love. Built in 1905, on the website it says "Named after a luxurious London Hotel frequented by King Edward VII in pre-World War I England, the Beaconsfield Inn turns the clock back to a gentler time". The inn was built as a gift from a daddy to his daughter. This of course, played at my heart strings as I am a daddy's girl.

We arrived in Victoria and decided to go shopping downtown as to try to get ahead of the Christmas chaos. James and I strolled near the harbour, I drooled over books at the Russell Books (they have a whole new antique section) and we accomplished quite a bit in the Bay Centre Mall.

At 3pm we checked into the hotel. Instead of napping (which is usually my go to) we went into the library to have tea and freshly baked cookies. James wrote while I read. It was a bibliophile's haven. We did this until it was time to go see "Enders Game". James and I have both read the book and in order to fully explain how I felt about that movie I need to write another blog post.

Sigourney Weaver just made sure she saved the cat. Good woman.

After "Enders Game" we went to Il Terrazzo by the inner harbour. Note to self, do not eat popcorn before going to a five star restaurant. I had the most delicious food, which is good because James spent more than I have ever spent on sustenance in one seating. SCALLOPINI di MAIALE Panko breaded scaloppini of pork tenderloin with pulled pork, smoked cheddar and tomato chipotle sauce, served with three cheese fusilli.

Doesn't that sound amazing? Because it was. I even drank wine. Like a friggin lady, I had wine with dinner.

We went "home" (because Beaconfield feels like home) and basically went for a swim in the jacuzzi tub. Okay, it wasn't that big but I pretended to swim. After that we watched an episode of Doctor Who in bed.

The next morning we had a three course breakfast. It began with a warm, fresh croissant. I had coffee and orange juice as that is how I roll. Then we had cinnamon apple puree with lemon whipped cream. The final part of the breakfast was french toast but it was so much more than french toast. It had cranberries in the middle and strawberries on top. I'm not quite sure, but perhaps it was a brûlée? I was too enrapt by the look of it to listen very well.

We spent the rest of our morning at the inn, in the library. Where else? James wrote and I read and took pictures. We met the owners little dog, Mindy. It was a comfortable, romantic trip and I would recommend the inn and the restaurant. Five stars, people. Any place full of books with delicious tea and food is good by me. Plus I got to spend time with James, whom I love. 

Please note the following pictures are from my cell phone and are therefore crappy by nature. Check out the website for far better quality.