Road Trip!

Tomorrow we drive to Niagara Falls, NY, for a short trip.  Neither of us have been there, and it's about an eight-hour drive from Cincinnati--not too bad.  I finally get on full time with benefits, and the first thing I do is use my vacation hours.

I'll consider it a present to myself :)

On an unrelated note, "The Hunger Games" open this weekend.  I reallyreallyreally want to see it.  I've been mildly obsessed (is that an oxymoron?) with all things related to the movie, but I'll have to wait until I get back.

Tennessee (in pictures)

Our chalet in Pigeon Forge was a short distance from the many buffets, souvenir shops, and amusement parks that line the street leading (eventually) to Gatlinburg. But the view from the back didn't suggest any of that.

My boyfriend and I arrived Friday afternoon; his dad and step-mother (and her mom, 83-years old) were already there, and his sister, her husband, and their two daughters got there just after the pizza that evening.

Saturday, the nine of us headed into Gatlinburg. We rode up the Ober Gatlinburg then took a chairlift even higher (and for another $7) to get better views.

(As usual, I got carried away with the panorama function on my phone.)

That evening, all of us (minus 83-year-old Hilda) went to the Dixie Stampede. I should say, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. After a 45-minute warm-up act by a blue grass trio playing everything from "She'll be coming 'round the mountain" to "Sweet Home Alabama," we were herded to an arena where we sat in rows and were served a four-course meal sans silverware. This included a Cornish Game hen.

Pictures weren't allowed once the show started, but I did get a couple before and after:

There were horses and chicken races and buffalo and lumberjacks and singing (including a giant image of Dolly Parton telling us in song that America is beautiful). My favorite part? When Scarlett O'Ham-a won the piglet race. Those piglets were pretty cute.

The next day my boyfriend and I headed into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to do some hiking, the Alum Cave Bluff trail. We had to hold on to a cable as we walked up these narrow stairs through the bluff:

We went a little nuts on the trail with another cool function of my camera, the "action shot." Hit the shutter once and it snaps a picture whenever something in the frame moves:

The hike took a little over two hours. After that we found the only Indian restaurant in Pigeon Forge (a buffet!) and then went on... a helicopter ride! For a small fee, a pilot flew me and my boyfriend, as well as a man and his young son, over the Douglass Lakes for about twenty minutes. I'd never been in a helicopter before, so it was a pretty cool experience. I asked if we'll be that high up when we go sky diving this summer; my boyfriend replied, "We're probably at 1000 feet now; we'll be at 10,000 feet when we jump." (Dad, did I mention I'm going sky diving?)

Each night (three in all) we saw the sun set behind the mountains in back of our chalet (I'll miss being able to use that word). I probably took sixty pictures of it in all, but my favorite came the last evening:

Finishing Up

Finishing up the winter quarter, today, submitting final grades. I feel the most organized I've been since I started teaching these classes, but that's not saying much. We start again next week. I'll know where everything is! I'll give quizzes back the next class period, and essays within a week! When a student asks about his/her progress, I'll be able to give an answer right then and there!

(Ah, and this is the first quarter break in a year that I haven't tried to leave the country -- unsuccessfully last April, successfully in July and October; alas I'll be working in the library most of the break, so no extra time to do "nothing").

But I'm itching to travel again. I've never been to New England, the Plains, or the Pacific Northwest. Places in the south, Texas and New Mexico, I've only driven through as a child. I love getting stamps in my passport - I'd go back to Europe or Australia in a second - but I do need to see more of my own country.

Home Sweet Home

I say that ("home sweet home"), but I'd rather not be here, sitting in my chair, surrounded by my stuff. My fridge is empty and my suitcase isn't unpacked. Why not hop on the next plane to Miami or Vancouver or Jakarta? (Oh right, I ran out of money...)

I'll feel better about being home once I see friends and family, or tomorrow once I get the new quarter started. Right now, in between printing the new syllabus and tweaking tomorrow's lesson plan, I'm uploading my pictures to flickr: To start, images from our fourth day in Australia, when we took a day cruise to the outer-banks of the Great Barrier Reef.

Ma Vie en Rose

Restlessness manifests itself in different ways, some more constructive than others. This time, it was an impulsive purchase of round-trip tickets to Australia. I won't go until October, but I'm psyched. And knowing that I have this huge expense looming on my credit card will force me to be more sober and practical these next few months (i.e. fewer self-indulgent complaints).

Next month, Paris! I have my travel books, and I'm going to watch "La Vie en Rose" in preparation.

I love Paris in the Springtime

In class I talk about "strong" sentences and words vs. "weak" sentences and words. Always opt for the stronger choice when there is one, and use active voice instead of passive voice. Saunter instead of walk. Be jovial instead of happy unless, of course, you are merely content and not, in fact, jovial. Use strong, specific words that are closer to the meaning you wish to express. Carry instead of being carried. Drive instead of being driven. Control your words and thoughts, instead of letting them control you. (It's easier said than done).

My senior year of high school, my French class took a trip to Quebec. We spent a couple days in Montreal and a couple days in Quebec City. Both were lovely cities, but I especially liked Quebec City. It felt so old and European with its narrow streets and overwhelmingly French language. I'm going back to Paris next month. It's going to be a really short trip, but I'll definitely reserve quite a few hours to sit with a journal and cafe au lait.

London fun - Part 3

Big Ben!


That big circular contraption is called the London Eye. Or, as Jonah refers to it, the Joyless Wheel.

London fun - Part 2

Trafalgar Square was much prettier on Friday. I think we ended up back there four or five times throughout the long weekend!


The National Gallery has a great Van Gogh collection.

Fun times in London - part 1

From the balcony of the National Gallery, looking over Trafalgar Square. I'm not sure what was going on, but there were newscasters and well-dressed interviewees.






Brother standing near Nelson's Column at Trafalgar Square. We're descendents of Lord Nelson.

















Pretty daffodils at St. James's Park (I don't see flowers like this blooming, yet, in the states!)

My brother, standing outside Buckingham Palace. It was quite crowded. There was a large group of French students (maybe 13, 14 years old) on a field trip, dressed way too fashionably. I kept looking at everyone's shoes.