Making me happy

I've been siiiiiiiiick these past few days--like "chicken" (fake chicken since I'm a vegetarian) noodle soup/ice cream/sudafed/cough drop/bubble bath sick--and a super long day at work today didn't make things any better. However, there are four things that are tickling my fancy right now and making everything much, much better! In no particular order:


My cds arrived from my lovely cd exchange partner, Char, today! She decorated this adorable package and mailed it all the way from the U.K., and what a delight to receive new music on an otherwise not-so-great (i.e. SICKLY) day. I listened to one of them on my drive home from work today, and so far I love it! Thanks, Char!


OMG! Thanks for this one belong to the AMAZING Erika of Cafe Fashionista and her generous giveaway that I won! I can't believe I now own such an incredibly high-class flat iron . . . I will try to remember to post a pic of my stick straight locks when I use it tomorrow. Thank you SO much, Erika!

My favorite girl on the cover of one of my favorite magazines. SO excited to fill up my bubble bath in a few minutes, settle in the warm water, and read about SJP. I'll even forgive her for wearing a boring dress on the cover. Have I mentioned that I have a life-sized poster of her in my hallway? Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that. I think it qualifies as idolatry. :)

The peppermint ice cream I'm allowing myself to indulge in since my throat is raspy and sore from coughing. Not only is it yummy, but isn't it pretty?

Funny student update:
For the past month or so, my students have been working on personal narratives about their experiences being arrested and incarcerated, and/or having incarcerated parents. All but one have written incredibly brave, compelling accounts, and have become sharp critics of prison and society. Some have written about witnessing their parent's arrest, some have written about visiting a parent in prison as a young child, and others have written about their own arrests and time spent in juvenile hall. I couldn't be prouder!

However . . . my most incorrigible student, ZT, has not exactly complied. He's been too busy chanting and ridiculing and cursing us out and getting kicked out of class to write his narrative. This past Friday, literally at least three weeks in, he decided to start working on his story. He did not, however, choose to do the assignment. Instead, he opted to write a one paragraph "report" on . . . Malcolm X. While this might be perfectly appropriate for a history class, it had absolutely nothing to do with my assignment. Here it is, for your entertainment:

The truth of a black man

Malcolm x death has been a tragedy to me because he was my hero in his younger days. he later changed his life around and sence he changed his life around I want to be just like he was when he was in the nation of islam. I want to be just like Malcolm because he reminds me when he was younger. i studied the hol quran every day. The best black muslim was the honerble Elijah muhhamad. He tought Malcom x every thang it is to be a muslim. Him going to jail for pimping a pandering has effect me because i wanted to be a pimp but now looking at it is not worth it going to jail for saling somebody body for cheap sex. That's why I chose Malcolm x as my hero. That's why I chose him. he is the best hero ever and he change his life around from being a pimp a burgerler and started studing the nation of islam. I would want to be a muslim one day. They believe that you cant go with white people or eat pork.

Ummmmm, awesome ZT. Not quite sure what to do with this one. Except to put it through grammar boot camp. Oh, and other relevant information: ZT typed this "paper" on a computer in the classroom on Friday. Today, another teacher informed me that mere minutes after ZT finished on the computer, there were suddenly various PORN POP UPS on the screen. Again . . . awesome.