Student Art Work

As co-sponsor of the Art Club, I frequently look for ways to encourage students' creativity in my English classes.  Starting yesterday and finishing today, I've had all students in English IA and English II do drawings of various Shakespeare scenes or the Globe Theater.  We have a lot of really talented students . . . and we have more than a few who draw like I do . . .   ;)

Julius Caesar

We finally got started on reading the Shakespeare classic in English II yesterday.  I find it quite impressive that "Ol' Bill" could be so good at writing plays in so many different styles.  He could do it all . . . comedy, tragedy, history, political intrigue/war stories . . . He was no "one trick pony," for sure.

Winter months

Now that I've made it through my big events for January, I don't have much on my calendar. I guess it's time to get serious about getting in shape.  In two months, Spring will be nearly here, and I'll be suffering from cabin fever, ready to get out on my bike.  I'd like to be much less of a man, by twenty pounds or so, before that time comes.  No more excuses or delays, it's time to buckle down and accomplish something during these winter months that I dislike so much.  In the immortal words of country legend Roger Miller, "Knuckle down, Buckle down, do it, do it, do it."

Birthday Bash and Battle of the Bands

Today is my wife's birthday, so we'll probably go out for supper tonight. Tomorrow, we're meeting her mother and grandmother at a Cracker Barrel near their homes in Southern Illinois for a double celebration since her grandmother's birthday is in late January also.

On Sunday, at 5 pm, I'll be performing in the Battle of the Bands at Grace United Methodist Church. The praise band, which plays rockin' contemporary music, will "compete" with Eagles' Wings, a traditional quartet.  We did this last year and had a great time.  After the concert, there is a chili cook-off. So, for all who have been clamoring to hear me play guitar, this is your chance!  I hope to see you there.

Sick and Tired

I woke up yesterday with a sore throat and pounding headache.  Add total exhaustion to the equation and the only solution is a sick day.  I slept until noon, with a couple of short excursions to the medicine cabinet and refrigerator.  I feel a lot better today, but I'm still really tired.  After school, I'm headed straight to my recliner.  I plan to cover up with a fuzzy blanket, pet my dog, and go to sleep watching TV.

It's Cold!

I don't like it.  Cabin fever is already getting to me.  I watched some show about islands and beaches on the Travel Channel this weekend.  I wish I could be in some tropical paradise right now instead of living in a deep-freeze!

100 Posts and Crazy Drummer

Yesterday, I hit 100 posts on this blog.  Woo Hoo!  Today, here's a link to the most entertaining drummer on the planet.  Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DVbt5W-DNc

As always, I'm not responsible for any inappropriate content you might see in the Youtube comments or ads.

Art/Poetry Club

The guitar raffle is going along nicely . . . we've already sold several tickets. In addition, club members are doing face painting at home basketball games.  For 50 cents, you can really show your school spirit!

Bridger on Ice

A few posts ago, I told you of Sarah B.'s dog, Bridger, who went on an ice-fishing expedition with Sarah's dad and brother.  Bridger doesn't like his paws getting cold, so his gracious and compassionate fishing buddies gave him a nice rug to sit on while they were trying to catch their supper.  As promised, here's the picture of Bridger and his nice, warm rug.

Romeo and Juliet

English IA students are finishing up Act I of Romeo and Juliet today.  So far, we've read a pretty good fight scene and listened to Romeo whine a lot about a girl, Rosaline, who doesn't return his affection.  I'm ready for him to move on from her and stop whining!

How To Speeches and Road Rage

I'm looking forward to one of my favorite weeks of the year.  Starting tomorrow, English II students will begin delivering their How To speeches.  We have a wide variety of topics scheduled, and several of them promise to be quite interesting.  Also, several of them promise to be quite tasty!

On Saturday, while returning home from an outing to Terre Haute, I was unfortunately in close proximity to a dangerous driver with intense road rage on I-70.  Luckily, there was no accident, but I'm not quite sure how there wasn't one.  This person was speeding by a significant amount, whipping between lanes, passing on the right, and putting the lives of many people in danger.  So . . . if you are a person with road rage, do the rest of us a favor and stay home.

Guitar Raffle

It's on!  This year, the electric guitar raffle is being held by Poety/Art Club.  A total of three hundred tickets will be sold at $5 each, and the drawing will take place on February 9th at the last home game for Boys Basketball.  The prize this year is a Squier Strat from Sound Source Music.  Much thanks to them for throwing in a hardshell case and t-shirt.  The case is going to be custom painted by members of the club.  So, you have one month . . . you'd better get those tickets quickly!

Here's a link to an online retailer's listing for the same guitar.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/squier-vintage-modified-stratocaster-hss-electric-guitar/h78850

Here's a pic from the same site.

How To Speeches

Students in English II have been taking notes on how to construct a speech. Tomorrow, they'll start putting the notes to use when they begin preparing their How-To speeches.  I look forward to a wide variety of interesting topics and enlightening speeches.

Bridger and Ice Fishing

Sarah B.'s dog Bridger has engaged in a wide variety of outdoor activities, and since I just heard of a recent one, I thought I'd share it with you.  On Saturday, Sarah's dad and brother went ice fishing, and Bridger went with them.  At first, he enjoyed the idea of "walking on water" at their pond, but before long, his toes got cold.  I can understand that.  Fortunately, Sarah's dad brought a rug and spread it out on the ice for the unfortunate canine.  Be sure to ask Sarah to see the picture.  It's quite unusual to see a dog on a rug on a frozen pond.  If I get the picture file, I'll upload it here so you can see it.

Keep an Open Mind

Students in English IA are starting on Shakespeare.  Keep an open mind!  Claiming to dislike his work before you've actually read it is not a valid opinion.  If it wasn't any good, it wouldn't have survived 400 years or so.  Keep an open mind, and give Ol' Bill a chance!

Calendars

Calendars are greatly overlooked yet quite important in our lives.  To stay organized, I have a desktop calendar on which I enter various items such as faculty meeting dates, early dismissals, etc.  For years, I've duplicated the information in a pocket calendar, and I've kept all of my old ones for some unknown reason.  Now that I've upgraded to a smartphone, I'm trying the calendar on it instead of the old fashioned pocket calendar.  We'll see how it works, but I might miss having the ability to save it in the drawer with all of my other old ones.