We are off to our friend Tom's house for a New Year's Eve celebration tonight, our last as DINKs (Double-Income-No-Kids). So that is good excuse to party hard all night long, right? On the other hand, Rachel can get as crabby as a toddler nowadays once it gets past her bedtime. So perhaps an early exit will be in order for us tonight.
Be safe and have a wonderful night, everyone!
-alan
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Housing 2.0
Is 2011 the "year of the move" in the Allmen family?
During our time in Michigan, we heard a fair share of housing wish lists from family - and that on top of the condo that my parents will be moving into this spring.
Today, we took one step closer to realizing our own wish.
After a morning drive through one of our target neighborhoods, we met with 2 different mortgage lenders to talk about financing a loan. We had a lot of questions answered, and now have mortgage pre-qualification forms in hand to talk to a Realtor...when the time comes. We would ideally close on a house in the early summer, but the question is when to start looking. Look too hard now, and we may find something too soon. Wait too long, and we may be left homeless come July 1.
We have given some thought to neighborhoods - whether to stay in our current location or move elsewhere in the city. I feel satisfied in staying in the neighborhood, if we can find something in our price range. We may not, though, because property values remain high and there are less single family homes in the area. Our experience working in CPS also makes us picky about schools, so Rachel's pregnancy has led us to weigh the performance of the local schools as a factor.
As we have heard time and time again lately, now is the time to buy! Happy house hunting in 2011!
-alan
During our time in Michigan, we heard a fair share of housing wish lists from family - and that on top of the condo that my parents will be moving into this spring.
Today, we took one step closer to realizing our own wish.
After a morning drive through one of our target neighborhoods, we met with 2 different mortgage lenders to talk about financing a loan. We had a lot of questions answered, and now have mortgage pre-qualification forms in hand to talk to a Realtor...when the time comes. We would ideally close on a house in the early summer, but the question is when to start looking. Look too hard now, and we may find something too soon. Wait too long, and we may be left homeless come July 1.
We have given some thought to neighborhoods - whether to stay in our current location or move elsewhere in the city. I feel satisfied in staying in the neighborhood, if we can find something in our price range. We may not, though, because property values remain high and there are less single family homes in the area. Our experience working in CPS also makes us picky about schools, so Rachel's pregnancy has led us to weigh the performance of the local schools as a factor.
As we have heard time and time again lately, now is the time to buy! Happy house hunting in 2011!
-alan
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas in Chicago, 2010
The Christmas season in Chicago has come and gone, but not without a fair amount of excitement and activity. As Rachel likes to say, "You're so much fun on vacation!!" I am hoping that this is a compliment to the amount of fun I initiate on vacation, and not an indictment of my boring non-vacation life...
We got dressed up on Sunday to go downtown for Messiah at the Harris Theater. It was a lovely performance - Rachel's first time to hear the whole thing. We loved the quality of the music and the uplifting content (entirely Scripture refering to Christ). Just the right message in time for Christmas - though it is interesting that tradition has shifted to have this performed at Christmas instead of Easter, since the content is more closely aligned to that holiday. But I digress.
Since we were downtown, we walked over to State Street to see theMarshall Fields Macy's windows, which are traditionally decorated with some kind of fairy-tale, Christmas-themed story. I wondered if there was some subtle advertisement embedded, because when the boy in the story who was trying to prove the existence of Santa asked his father, his father replied that if it is in the newspaper it must be true. Phil, did your people have anything to do with this?
We also went to Chinatown to visit with Solomon, Rachel's co-teacher from China who has since enrolled at a Catholic university in Iowa. He was in town for the day and it was a pleasure to see him. He is off to do some work at a Chinese parish in Los Angeles for the holiday, and is thinking now about doing some work in Chicago during the summer. However, some people are telling him that the south side of Chicago is too dangerous and he must stay away....so we will see.
The only problem? The bitter cold. But Rachel is well prepared for that these days.
On Monday night, we went to see Sarah and Dave and take part in the "Miller Family Christmas 2010." We are not traveling this year to see Rachel's parents for Christmas, so this was the opportunity for there to be some Miller fun in Chicago before we went to Michigan.
It was a lovely dinner - turkey with all the fixin's. Their Dad would have been fat and happy to eat that food.
We exchanged some gifts, and got some sweet PJs. I do not think mine fit.
The night was not without some drama. Shortly after arriving, the CO detector started chirping. Sarah paced the apartment, confused as to whether she should be preparing to evacuate the building or get started on the green bean caserole. Dave then called the city, and the fire department sent a truck over with its lights blaring. The massive, stereotypical lieutenant barged in and assessed the situation while his sidekick trailed him with CO detector in hand. They stayed for 10 minutes or so, but clearly were not overly concerned with the potential health risks. They recommended opening a window, having the gas company check the oven, and left with some passing remarks about the dangers of new windows locking up a house too tightly not allowing fresh air to circulate.
Merry Christmas!
We got dressed up on Sunday to go downtown for Messiah at the Harris Theater. It was a lovely performance - Rachel's first time to hear the whole thing. We loved the quality of the music and the uplifting content (entirely Scripture refering to Christ). Just the right message in time for Christmas - though it is interesting that tradition has shifted to have this performed at Christmas instead of Easter, since the content is more closely aligned to that holiday. But I digress.
Since we were downtown, we walked over to State Street to see the
We also went to Chinatown to visit with Solomon, Rachel's co-teacher from China who has since enrolled at a Catholic university in Iowa. He was in town for the day and it was a pleasure to see him. He is off to do some work at a Chinese parish in Los Angeles for the holiday, and is thinking now about doing some work in Chicago during the summer. However, some people are telling him that the south side of Chicago is too dangerous and he must stay away....so we will see.
The only problem? The bitter cold. But Rachel is well prepared for that these days.
On Monday night, we went to see Sarah and Dave and take part in the "Miller Family Christmas 2010." We are not traveling this year to see Rachel's parents for Christmas, so this was the opportunity for there to be some Miller fun in Chicago before we went to Michigan.
It was a lovely dinner - turkey with all the fixin's. Their Dad would have been fat and happy to eat that food.
We exchanged some gifts, and got some sweet PJs. I do not think mine fit.
The night was not without some drama. Shortly after arriving, the CO detector started chirping. Sarah paced the apartment, confused as to whether she should be preparing to evacuate the building or get started on the green bean caserole. Dave then called the city, and the fire department sent a truck over with its lights blaring. The massive, stereotypical lieutenant barged in and assessed the situation while his sidekick trailed him with CO detector in hand. They stayed for 10 minutes or so, but clearly were not overly concerned with the potential health risks. They recommended opening a window, having the gas company check the oven, and left with some passing remarks about the dangers of new windows locking up a house too tightly not allowing fresh air to circulate.
It's a boy!
Last week, Rachel and I went in for her doctor's appointment, during which she had her second set of ultrasounds. It took a good hour to take pictures, mainly because the baby was uncooperative with the ultrasound tech. I don't blame the kid, because she kept jabbing him with the wand to try and get him to flip over. So even though a few shots were missing, we did see enough to learn that we are having a boy.
Since we are on vacation, we (Rachel) are using the time to do some research about potential baby products. We registered some gifts yesterday for upcoming baby showers, and Rachel continues now to look at various Youtube clips of reviews of baby products...let the consumerism of parenthood begin.
And here is the updated pregnancy photo...just do not call her fat! (she is getting some of that already!)
-alan
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Hallelujah!
That title has more than one meaning - but everything going on in life of late gives one reason to celebrate.
First, Christmas break has arrived. I had a half day at school yesterday, during which I announced to my Honors class that I was having a baby boy.
Speaking of - we went to the doctor on Tuesday and learned via the ultrasound that we will be having a boy. Everything is going well, and the baby is healthy. Great news, right?
I did not make any other "announcements" to my other classes, but the news spread like wildfire through the rest of the grade.
We kicked everyone out, literally, at 11:30 and freedom was upon us all. I stayed to clean up my classroom and finish grading the science fair boards. I was pretty close to the last person in the building when I left at 4.
The other reason for the title is that we will be attending the Apollo Chorus' live performance of Handel's "Messiah" tomorrow afternoon downtown. I am very excited to see it; the last time I saw it live was when my brother performed it when he was in a choir in Michigan. But the most memorable part of that was being super tired and not appreciating it; I cannot remember how long ago it was or what led me to stretching out on the pew in the audience mid-performance. Perhaps it is best that my memory is hazy.
Finally, we enjoyed attending the taping of this week's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me." It gave us a greater appreciation for the show and how it gets put together. We did tune in this morning as we ate breakfast, just to hear how much creative editing they do - it is more than you think! It was a funny show, and we have faces to put with the voices we hear on the radio. Best part? We each got a free travel mug, with Carl Kassell and Peter Segal's faces on the sides. Jealous?
-alan
First, Christmas break has arrived. I had a half day at school yesterday, during which I announced to my Honors class that I was having a baby boy.
Speaking of - we went to the doctor on Tuesday and learned via the ultrasound that we will be having a boy. Everything is going well, and the baby is healthy. Great news, right?
I did not make any other "announcements" to my other classes, but the news spread like wildfire through the rest of the grade.
We kicked everyone out, literally, at 11:30 and freedom was upon us all. I stayed to clean up my classroom and finish grading the science fair boards. I was pretty close to the last person in the building when I left at 4.
The other reason for the title is that we will be attending the Apollo Chorus' live performance of Handel's "Messiah" tomorrow afternoon downtown. I am very excited to see it; the last time I saw it live was when my brother performed it when he was in a choir in Michigan. But the most memorable part of that was being super tired and not appreciating it; I cannot remember how long ago it was or what led me to stretching out on the pew in the audience mid-performance. Perhaps it is best that my memory is hazy.
Finally, we enjoyed attending the taping of this week's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me." It gave us a greater appreciation for the show and how it gets put together. We did tune in this morning as we ate breakfast, just to hear how much creative editing they do - it is more than you think! It was a funny show, and we have faces to put with the voices we hear on the radio. Best part? We each got a free travel mug, with Carl Kassell and Peter Segal's faces on the sides. Jealous?
-alan
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Glee?
The members of my school's newly-formed cheerleading squad all received their uniforms today, and have since changed into them for the school day. Looks like a TV show around here. Actually, there is probably as much drama here as on any show...
We will be going to the doctor today, where Rachel will be having an ultrasound. If the baby cooperates, we will know the gender by 4pm this afternoon!
-alan
We will be going to the doctor today, where Rachel will be having an ultrasound. If the baby cooperates, we will know the gender by 4pm this afternoon!
-alan
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Cookie extravaganza!
The Christmas season is here for sure. Our social schedule is full to the brim with various engagements - holiday parties, musical events, and the like. Add to that Rachel's Model UN conference this week, and we are busy folks. So, we had to add "Alan and Rachel Cookie Baking Extravaganza" to our shared Google calendar, so that we could be sure to have time to bake for the holidays. We are well underway in baking a variety of treats for our coworkers, Bible study, and other friends.
Don't let the picture fool you. Rachel actually did some of the work.
On the menu are walnut cookies, peppermint bark, sugar cookies, and peanut butter kiss cookies.
I like baking, but I still feel the lingering effects of a trying few days - science fair, Rachel being gone downtown, and some church meetings all took a toll on me. I would like some rest, but alas the December sprint is on. A somewhat full week of work begins in the morning....along with an NU basketball game, Rachel's OB-GYN appointment, a taping of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", some holiday parties, and who knows what else. Much fun but the week feels daunting at this point.
In other news, our lamp broke. It is one of those floor lamps that comes in several sections and screws together. Problem is, the metal piece holding the bottom section to the base practically disintegrated. Ideas, anyone? Eric??
-alan
Don't let the picture fool you. Rachel actually did some of the work.
On the menu are walnut cookies, peppermint bark, sugar cookies, and peanut butter kiss cookies.
I like baking, but I still feel the lingering effects of a trying few days - science fair, Rachel being gone downtown, and some church meetings all took a toll on me. I would like some rest, but alas the December sprint is on. A somewhat full week of work begins in the morning....along with an NU basketball game, Rachel's OB-GYN appointment, a taping of NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me", some holiday parties, and who knows what else. Much fun but the week feels daunting at this point.
In other news, our lamp broke. It is one of those floor lamps that comes in several sections and screws together. Problem is, the metal piece holding the bottom section to the base practically disintegrated. Ideas, anyone? Eric??
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Pregnancy pictures - a few to see
Once Rachel's pregnancy was confirmed, I was sworn to electronic secrecy. For the weeks that followed her first OB-GYN appointment, we would tell people about the pregnancy, but then quickly swear them to e-secrecy in fears that some distant acquaintance would find out from a 3rd party and get offended. It was a prudent practice, but as the weeks dragged to months the silence on the blog on the subject became the norm as I awaited the green light from Rachel to let all the world know. Given her insistence on waiting, I informed her that when the time came, SHE needed to be proactive in posting some pictures because other people were waiting for updates. After her last doctor appointment, she did just that - but only on Facebook. [Sadly, she has again forsaken this blog. Perhaps I should change the name to reflect its status as Alan's blog??] So I had been waiting for her to post, but as one not-to-be-named reader not-so-subtly complained, the statue of limitations on e-secrecy have been passed and specific mention of the topic is in order. So with that, I bring these pictures as Rachel is on the eve of the halfway week of her pregnancy.
The big update for week 19 (which is now ending) is confirmation of the baby's kicking, which has become noticeably more frequent with each day. The baby's little feet have produced a prodigious amount of giggling in the past few days.
Baby shower plans are well underway, and Rachel is hot on the consumer trail....trying to figure out which products she would like best. She has sworn that year 1 with a child does not have to be expensive, but listening to her speak of the bevy of available products on the market, can I trust her frugality to overcome the overwhelmingly cute marketing forces out there??
So in all, hooray for the baby. Let it be official in blogdom. Just say no to e-secrecy.
-alan
The tree revealed!
Here are some pictures of our tree - a 7' Fraser fir we got from Home Depot. I suppose we should have bought one from a corner lot in the neighborhood somewhere to support local businesses, but for the price, selection, and prior good experience it seemed like the best option. Throw in a $5 wreath, and you can't beat it.
This weekend we also went to see a play called the "Book of Liz," a comedy about a woman from an Amish-like community and her process of self-realization. It was a very small theater, and we attended with a large group of NU alums - part of the "Holiday Kick-off" thrown every year by our friends Angela and Chris. Prior to show, we had eaten a tasty meal at a Latino steakhouse...but were late in arriving to the theater. They told us to use the bathroom prior to the show, because the show was 90 minutes with no intermission. Come to find out, there was only 1 bathroom and it was behind the stage. Hmmmm. The show started 20 minutes late because of us. Oops. But...it was a fun night and a good time to spend with old friends. There was even a special guest in from out of town, and an engagement announced!
This week is the school science fair. I suppose I should be excited being a science teacher and all, but I would be lying. Between this and Thanksgiving break, I have not taught much chemistry since early November.
-alan
This weekend we also went to see a play called the "Book of Liz," a comedy about a woman from an Amish-like community and her process of self-realization. It was a very small theater, and we attended with a large group of NU alums - part of the "Holiday Kick-off" thrown every year by our friends Angela and Chris. Prior to show, we had eaten a tasty meal at a Latino steakhouse...but were late in arriving to the theater. They told us to use the bathroom prior to the show, because the show was 90 minutes with no intermission. Come to find out, there was only 1 bathroom and it was behind the stage. Hmmmm. The show started 20 minutes late because of us. Oops. But...it was a fun night and a good time to spend with old friends. There was even a special guest in from out of town, and an engagement announced!
This week is the school science fair. I suppose I should be excited being a science teacher and all, but I would be lying. Between this and Thanksgiving break, I have not taught much chemistry since early November.
-alan
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Celebrate!
The first snow of the year is always a festive occasion. The flakes outside are huge, yet are drifting lazily as the breeze sends them to and fro. I am sure than come March, I will detest the late winter snow flurries....but right now it is fun to watch.
-alan
-alan
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
New love - basketball?
Rachel and I opted in to buy season tickets with our friend Tom to Northwestern basketball. (as if our obsession with all things Northwestern could not be pushed any further) We thought of going to a few games this year, but with the price of season tickets so low, it was hard to pass up. We have been to two games so far, and it has been fun. The games are shorter than football (less than 2 hours, often), and require much less time and energy commitment from the fans. Plus, you can park near the stadium.
The real fun will be during the Big Ten season, when students actually decide to show up for the games.
And sorry Mom - we will try to be more conspicuous next time, so you can see us on TV!
-alan
Christmas time is coming!
Thanksgiving break is over - and after a long holiday it is always a chore to wake up early and head off to work. But we are back in action, and the annual school science fair competition is coming up next week for me. Now all the kids are scrambling to get things done.
With the end of Thanksgiving, that means I can officially welcome the Christmas season. Rachel and I scurried around last night, buying our Christmas tree and lights. The tree is up but not fully decorated yet. Pictures to follow.
-alan
With the end of Thanksgiving, that means I can officially welcome the Christmas season. Rachel and I scurried around last night, buying our Christmas tree and lights. The tree is up but not fully decorated yet. Pictures to follow.
-alan
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving break!!!
I have the pleasure of having an entire week off for Thankgiving.
I had a half day Friday, during which all the teachers showed movies as part of our "International Film Festival." That was followed by the weekend and an entire week off of classes. What joy.
I took Rachel to work today (ha!) and drove home in a thundering downpour. But now it is balmy - long sleeve T-shirt weather. Crazy November.
So what am I doing with my time? I attended an econ brown bag lunch at the University of Chicago today - that's right, using my time off to refamiliarize myself with the finer points of academia.....using statistical analysis to make shaky conclusions about how the real world works, and free food. Oh, and if the catering service at UChicago follows the principles of supply and demand, then business school students there prefer diet to regular at a 2-1 margin. Interesting!
-alan
I had a half day Friday, during which all the teachers showed movies as part of our "International Film Festival." That was followed by the weekend and an entire week off of classes. What joy.
I took Rachel to work today (ha!) and drove home in a thundering downpour. But now it is balmy - long sleeve T-shirt weather. Crazy November.
So what am I doing with my time? I attended an econ brown bag lunch at the University of Chicago today - that's right, using my time off to refamiliarize myself with the finer points of academia.....using statistical analysis to make shaky conclusions about how the real world works, and free food. Oh, and if the catering service at UChicago follows the principles of supply and demand, then business school students there prefer diet to regular at a 2-1 margin. Interesting!
-alan
Wrigley wrap-up
The day began with a bleary-eyed 6:30 wakeup on a Saturday morning, which was compounded by staying up way too late the previous night. I grabbed my bagel and a Coke Zero, and headed for the red line to take me up to Addison.
There were already people milling about prior to 8am, decked out in purple and orange as they took photos by the redecorated Wrigley Field. I followed the crowds to the parking lot of McDonald's, where ESPN's GameDay crew had set up shop to tape their 3 hour college football pregame show. Students were bused down from Evanston at 4am to be the first ones in line on the set, so purple was firmly entrenched in the front of the cameras. I had no desire to get there so early, and was pleasantly surprised when the ESPN officials ushered me in with no wait at 8am as the show went on the air.
I watched the first half of the show alone, as Rachel was busy with a Model UN program at school and other friends were too lame to wake up on a Saturday. After some time, my east coast sports fanatic friend, Dave Kalan, arrived in a spiffy black trenchcoat and kept me company for some time with his endless supply of sports-related banter. The whole event was a fun experience - except for NU-hater Lee Corso, who donned an Illinois helmet at the end of the show. Sigh.
Afterwards I headed to "Wildcat Way," a heated tent decked out with food, drinks, and TVs. The team came through on their way into the stadium - all wearing suits, and looking very nice. Coach Fitz was a little scary though. He did not even crack a smile as fans cheered the team on.
The crowds were THICK at this point, and it took considerable effort to get anywhere. I headed outside to listen to the band play (and a good thing I did, because the band could NOT be heard at all during the game from where we sat) as I waited to meet Rachel.
Once Rachel was there we snapped some photos and headed into the stadium.
Giant Fitz bobblehead!!
I would say that at this point, the day started going downhill. It was a tremendous pregame atmosphere. Tons of purple, great decorations, people were festive and excited about the game. ESPN gave NU lots of publicity. It was everything I could ask for in a gimmicky game like this.
Inside the stadium, I have more problems. Our seats were okay - but paying $100 each for where we sat is pricey by any standards. We could see, but it felt like we were watching something way off in the distance, because we were behind home plate in the corner of the stadium. Great baseball seats, lousy football seats. In general, I was not thrilled with the atmosphere inside. No replays, people were way too drunk, and the announcers could not be heard on the speakers very well. Plus, we could not hear the band or the students cheering. Finally, the sun going down made it dang cold to sit there for 3 hours. It is a lot of little stuff, but given the added cost, I would have far rather watched this game in Evanston - or even on TV!
That is to say nothing about the actual outcome of the game - of which I will choose to forget and say nothing at all.
-alan
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Adventures in Africa
Okay so I never went to Africa, but 2 weeks ago I did get a chance to visit family in Texas while we celebrated the life of my late grandpa, Thomas Kennedy, who spent over 20 years in Africa.
We went through thousands of pictures and I learned a lot of things I never knew before. It was a great trip for the history teacher in me because I brought back a lot of great artifacts to show my students. No, I didn't bring back any tusks, but I did get to hold them....
Overall the highlight was having goofy moments with family members. My favorite was when we busted out the African garb and played dress up. It was Halloween but no we did not go trick or treating....
We went through thousands of pictures and I learned a lot of things I never knew before. It was a great trip for the history teacher in me because I brought back a lot of great artifacts to show my students. No, I didn't bring back any tusks, but I did get to hold them....
Overall the highlight was having goofy moments with family members. My favorite was when we busted out the African garb and played dress up. It was Halloween but no we did not go trick or treating....
-rachel
Lost and found
This blog title could have a lot of meanings, particularly due to my long-awaited return to the blog scene. I (Rachel) want to share how a couple of strangers have recently made my day.
The first instance came over a month ago. Alan and I were having some Hecky's BBQ on the lakefill before the Northwestern football game and enjoying the beautiful weather. We ate our fill and started playing catch right along Lake Michigan. So I threw a pass, it bounced near our camp chairs then off some of the rocks then more rocks then SPLAT...yes the ball was well on its way to Michigan....
I was determined to get it back, but was unwilling to jump in after it. So I set out on a quest to find a kayaker (we had seen a few) to assist me in the ball's retrieval. Luckily, after less than 5 minutes of searching, my hero paddled by and tossed me the ball. It was a victory, even though NU's game didn't turn out so well.
My next case of lost and found happened Friday. Alan and I ate a delicious meal at the Polo Cafe in our neighborhood. We left without my leftovers so I ran back in to get them. In my rush my wallet flew out of my pocket somewhere on the street. Of course I didn't notice its absence until we were already home. We returned to the scene of the folly but it was gone. I was sad and annoyed that I would have to cancel cards and get new IDs. As I was in the middle of a call to cancel a credit card the doorbell rang. Someone had my wallet and was hand delivering it! I was so thankful!
-rachel
The first instance came over a month ago. Alan and I were having some Hecky's BBQ on the lakefill before the Northwestern football game and enjoying the beautiful weather. We ate our fill and started playing catch right along Lake Michigan. So I threw a pass, it bounced near our camp chairs then off some of the rocks then more rocks then SPLAT...yes the ball was well on its way to Michigan....
I was determined to get it back, but was unwilling to jump in after it. So I set out on a quest to find a kayaker (we had seen a few) to assist me in the ball's retrieval. Luckily, after less than 5 minutes of searching, my hero paddled by and tossed me the ball. It was a victory, even though NU's game didn't turn out so well.
My next case of lost and found happened Friday. Alan and I ate a delicious meal at the Polo Cafe in our neighborhood. We left without my leftovers so I ran back in to get them. In my rush my wallet flew out of my pocket somewhere on the street. Of course I didn't notice its absence until we were already home. We returned to the scene of the folly but it was gone. I was sad and annoyed that I would have to cancel cards and get new IDs. As I was in the middle of a call to cancel a credit card the doorbell rang. Someone had my wallet and was hand delivering it! I was so thankful!
Midweek check-in
It is a Tuesday morning, and hopefully a better day. The Mondays back after a long weekend are always tough, but I was also a little under-prepared for my classes. The hostility I got back from my students' in response was tiring. All was going to be okay, until I realized I wanted to make a pie for Tuesday's Bible study - which meant staying up a little later baking, instead of going to sleep early as I should have. Ah well.
This week should be fairly straight-forward. Mostly review, talking about science fair, and a test. No problem, right? It will be Thursday before I know it. And not that I want to be a chronic weekend-wisher....but next week is Thanksgiving vacation (for me, but not for Rachel) and so it is hard not to look forward to it with great anticipation!!
-alan
This week should be fairly straight-forward. Mostly review, talking about science fair, and a test. No problem, right? It will be Thursday before I know it. And not that I want to be a chronic weekend-wisher....but next week is Thanksgiving vacation (for me, but not for Rachel) and so it is hard not to look forward to it with great anticipation!!
-alan
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Big news for NU
It was a day of good news / bad news for Northwestern. We happily stormed the field following the big win over Iowa on Saturday, as it was the first big win for the team all year. It was an anxiety-inducing game, as NU had to come back in the closing minutes. It was our second time on the field, as we also went down to celebrate following the win over Ohio State in 2004. That one was a big upset - this one was not. We have owned Iowa in recent years, so despite the ranking it did not feel like an earth-shattering win. We were also safer this time, choosing to walk down the stairs instead of jumping over the railing. Given their inability to win big games of late, I am quite proud of the team, and especially their quarterback - Dan Persa.
The downside was hearing, upon returning to the car, that our star QB will be out for the year with a ruptured achilles. Sad.
But more good news - ESPN Gameday is on its way to Chicago. The Saturday morning college football preview show will broadcast from outside Wrigley Field. This will be huge marketing for NU. Of course, the bad news is that I had scheduled my first bowling team practice for Saturday at 9am - the same time as the TV program. I think this is more important. Sorry girls, practice is moved. Coach is going to Wrigleyville!
-alan
Friday, November 12, 2010
Veteran's Day
The joys of teaching! Actually, in China we missed out on most of the random government holidays - so it was a real treat to wake up Thursday and not have to trudge off to school. Those days of rest are an irreplaceable part of a balanced work life, because sometimes the weekend alone is not enough.
I needed the rest after burning the midnight oil on Monday, when I had to finish my quarter grades. That was followed up by a failed attempt to construct a homemade conductivity tester on Tuesday morning for a lab - I proved I know nothing about circuits after shorting several bulbs. Oh well, the kids had fun with hammers....testing if various elements were malleable or brittle.
Thursday afternoon Rachel and I went out for one last round of frisbee golf over at iit - Rachel nearly bopped an army guy in the head, while my errant throw caused an unsuspecting engineer to do a 360 and head back inside for his own safety. I will use the excuse that we decided not to keep score, thus causing our attention to waver at times.
From there we wandered down to the new development south of 35th street - the former home of high-rise housing projects and current home to a mixed-income new construction development. This visit was predicated by my attendance at a first-time home buyer class on Tuesday evening, when thoughts of low interest rates and tax incentive programs cast a spell over my more sober judgments. We toured a 3 bedroom / 3 bath townhouse that reminded us quite a bit of the condo that my parents recently bought in Michigan. It was not a "ohmygoshwehavetogettothebanktogetpreapprovedandbuythisrightnownownownow" moment, but it was certainly a great value if we wanted to stay in the same part of town. I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this topic.
Today is report card pickup - so I will be meeting most parents for the first time. Given how the lack of progress on their science fair projects affected many of my students' grades, I imagine many of the meetings will not be as pleasant as they could...
-alan
I needed the rest after burning the midnight oil on Monday, when I had to finish my quarter grades. That was followed up by a failed attempt to construct a homemade conductivity tester on Tuesday morning for a lab - I proved I know nothing about circuits after shorting several bulbs. Oh well, the kids had fun with hammers....testing if various elements were malleable or brittle.
Thursday afternoon Rachel and I went out for one last round of frisbee golf over at iit - Rachel nearly bopped an army guy in the head, while my errant throw caused an unsuspecting engineer to do a 360 and head back inside for his own safety. I will use the excuse that we decided not to keep score, thus causing our attention to waver at times.
From there we wandered down to the new development south of 35th street - the former home of high-rise housing projects and current home to a mixed-income new construction development. This visit was predicated by my attendance at a first-time home buyer class on Tuesday evening, when thoughts of low interest rates and tax incentive programs cast a spell over my more sober judgments. We toured a 3 bedroom / 3 bath townhouse that reminded us quite a bit of the condo that my parents recently bought in Michigan. It was not a "ohmygoshwehavetogettothebanktogetpreapprovedandbuythisrightnownownownow" moment, but it was certainly a great value if we wanted to stay in the same part of town. I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this topic.
Today is report card pickup - so I will be meeting most parents for the first time. Given how the lack of progress on their science fair projects affected many of my students' grades, I imagine many of the meetings will not be as pleasant as they could...
-alan
Sunday, November 7, 2010
No luck....
My blog pace is clearly down in this new season of life, and all attempts of mine to cajole Rachel into filling the void with the various stories, adventures, and life tidbits have been met with good, though altogether unfulfilled, intentions.
Today we "fell back" in time, and the change is a bit shocking. Chengdu winter, though depressing and awful in its chilly humidity, still brought 10-11 hours of daylight at its apex. We could count on leaving school at 4 or 5pm and having the light of day guide us home. But at 5pm today, some neighborhood vagabonds knocked on our door and lured us outside under the guide of a "progressive walk"....and we had not been out much more than 15 minutes by the time darkness fell. It will be a race all next month to make it home before it is dark.
Tonight I feel pulled by competing interests. On one hand, first quarter grades are due Tuesday and I have not finished my work. On the other hand, there are only 2.5 days of classes and so I feel like this will be an easy week. (Wednesday - special "homecoming" activities for the second half of the day; Thursday is Veterans Day; Friday is parent-teacher conferences) Thursday will be a good off day for us - we need to unpack winter clothes (currently strewn about in the 3rd bedroom/office/current junkroom) and maybe fit in a little shopping.
Our social calendar, which we have been neglecting other than NU sporting events as of late, is filling up! We have various parties, concerts, and events scheduled for November and December. It will be an exciting time....not to mention trips to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe even an NU bowl game?? Hard to believe that the "holiday" season is here, but we certainly confirmed it yesterday, as we purchased a Christmas tree stand and a nice looking tree skirt from Target. Woot!
-alan
Today we "fell back" in time, and the change is a bit shocking. Chengdu winter, though depressing and awful in its chilly humidity, still brought 10-11 hours of daylight at its apex. We could count on leaving school at 4 or 5pm and having the light of day guide us home. But at 5pm today, some neighborhood vagabonds knocked on our door and lured us outside under the guide of a "progressive walk"....and we had not been out much more than 15 minutes by the time darkness fell. It will be a race all next month to make it home before it is dark.
Tonight I feel pulled by competing interests. On one hand, first quarter grades are due Tuesday and I have not finished my work. On the other hand, there are only 2.5 days of classes and so I feel like this will be an easy week. (Wednesday - special "homecoming" activities for the second half of the day; Thursday is Veterans Day; Friday is parent-teacher conferences) Thursday will be a good off day for us - we need to unpack winter clothes (currently strewn about in the 3rd bedroom/office/current junkroom) and maybe fit in a little shopping.
Our social calendar, which we have been neglecting other than NU sporting events as of late, is filling up! We have various parties, concerts, and events scheduled for November and December. It will be an exciting time....not to mention trips to Michigan for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and maybe even an NU bowl game?? Hard to believe that the "holiday" season is here, but we certainly confirmed it yesterday, as we purchased a Christmas tree stand and a nice looking tree skirt from Target. Woot!
-alan
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Scrooge of Halloween?
Those who know me well know that I do not like dressing up, and so Halloween is not a holiday that I get particularly excited for.
As a result, this Halloween afternoon I am in the back room, with the door closed and blinds drawn. I was thrust back here by 2pm, at which point the doorbell started ringing. Wondering what was going on, I snuck out through the alley and walked around the block.
A lot of kids are out and about, getting in their trick-or-treating while the sun is shining. Makes sense - it is nice weather out and there is no element of danger being out on the streets at night with the kids. There may not be the same "spooky" element, but most that I saw were young kids.
So no, I do not have candy. I am not dressed up. I am a prisoner in my own house. But the landlord is not giving out candy either, so if the house gets egged it is his fault, heehee.
In my defense, I baked cookies for the party at church, so I did do something for the kids in the neighborhood.
-alan
As a result, this Halloween afternoon I am in the back room, with the door closed and blinds drawn. I was thrust back here by 2pm, at which point the doorbell started ringing. Wondering what was going on, I snuck out through the alley and walked around the block.
A lot of kids are out and about, getting in their trick-or-treating while the sun is shining. Makes sense - it is nice weather out and there is no element of danger being out on the streets at night with the kids. There may not be the same "spooky" element, but most that I saw were young kids.
So no, I do not have candy. I am not dressed up. I am a prisoner in my own house. But the landlord is not giving out candy either, so if the house gets egged it is his fault, heehee.
In my defense, I baked cookies for the party at church, so I did do something for the kids in the neighborhood.
-alan
Friday, October 29, 2010
Diverging paths
This weekend, Rachel and I will be on different paths.
The sad news is that Rachel's maternal grandfather passed this past week. She will be traveling to Odessa, TX to visit with family. Her parents are flying in from Taiwan as well, so the upside is that she will be able to see a lot of family from out of town.
I will be left here in Chicago to fend for myself. There is no home NU game, no major social obligations....so I get to catch up on whatever school/house work that has been ignored of late.
Today is a half day at school, our first of the year. We have only 20+ minutes per class, so the day is flying by. The benefit is that students do not have time to get bored. The downside is that I am like a boulder when it comes to doing work - unstoppable once I get going, but it takes awhile to get momentum. But once 11:30 rolls around, I will be on the train home and can worry about all that over the weekend.
-alan
The sad news is that Rachel's maternal grandfather passed this past week. She will be traveling to Odessa, TX to visit with family. Her parents are flying in from Taiwan as well, so the upside is that she will be able to see a lot of family from out of town.
I will be left here in Chicago to fend for myself. There is no home NU game, no major social obligations....so I get to catch up on whatever school/house work that has been ignored of late.
Today is a half day at school, our first of the year. We have only 20+ minutes per class, so the day is flying by. The benefit is that students do not have time to get bored. The downside is that I am like a boulder when it comes to doing work - unstoppable once I get going, but it takes awhile to get momentum. But once 11:30 rolls around, I will be on the train home and can worry about all that over the weekend.
-alan
Monday, October 25, 2010
The gas is on
Today in school, I used flame tests to teach about electrons and modern atomic theory. A flame test is a tool used by chemists, in which they burn the salts of various metals and use the color of the flame produced to help identify the type of metal involved. This was cool because it was the first time I hooked up the new bunsen burners to the recently repaired natural gas line in my classroom. Also, playing with fire is fun...for a man of any age.
It worked great, but the reaction of my different chemistry classes was very symbolic of their general attitudes towards learning. They ranged from pushing each other out of the way to get in a good position to video tape it with their camera phone while "ooooooing" and "ahhhhhhhing"......to using my distracted attention as an opportunity to send some texts to friends in other classes......to expressing passive disinterest at the colorful glowing flames and remarking when I was finished, "Can I spray some Axe [Body Spray] on that now?"
Oh, for all children to show a thirst for knowledge....
-alan
It worked great, but the reaction of my different chemistry classes was very symbolic of their general attitudes towards learning. They ranged from pushing each other out of the way to get in a good position to video tape it with their camera phone while "ooooooing" and "ahhhhhhhing"......to using my distracted attention as an opportunity to send some texts to friends in other classes......to expressing passive disinterest at the colorful glowing flames and remarking when I was finished, "Can I spray some Axe [Body Spray] on that now?"
Oh, for all children to show a thirst for knowledge....
-alan
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Baseball fades to purple dreams
The TV in front of me has the Giants-Phillies game on. I have a passable interest in baseball in general, but I am struggling to care much about this particular series...other than the fact that my friend Evan is a lifelong Giants fan. I guess I will root for them, for his sake. (Full disclosure, the game is close and so it is actually fairly interesting. But really, I am just pooped from cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, and need a rest. When I went in the shower, I felt like an animal. But now it is all white and shiny and bleach-y.)
Today was supposed to be purple day - there were announcements at both of our schools (and nationwide??) to wear purple as a sign of support for the LGBT community, in response to the recent streak of suicides. Given how much purple Rachel and I own, it should have been a no-brainer. Yet both of us managed to forget. Well, I forgot. Rachel did not seem to know about it. If she had, I am sure she would have gone head-to-toe in purple.
Speaking of purple, this weekend is homecoming at NU. As any reader of this blog knows, we are somewhat obsessed with our alma mater. But can you blame us? I got a great degree and a wife there. Anyway, I was on the NU Alumni website looking at the homecoming schedule, and I found a book called NU Rock Art. It is a coffee table book filled with pictures of rocks from the lakefront along the NU campus. I clicked on "gallery", and there I saw the rock that Rachel and I painted together while still students (was that in 2002?) We will have to check that out in the bookstore when after the game on Saturday.
I also looked at the class rings. It is ironic, because I talked my parents out of buying me one when I was a student. "No.....I do not need one. There is no reason to buy it. Really. Don't." But now as a teacher, it has a strange appeal to me to get one. I had a literature teacher in high school, a Notre Dame grad, that wore a big class ring. I did not particularly love his class - perhaps that is why I do not really read fiction today - and I really did not like having to stare at that big green ring everyday. I am not sure why despising my teacher's class ring would make me want one...there is no reasonable explanation. It is kind of old-fashioned to get a ring, buy hey....I'm the kind of nerd who would!
-alan
Today was supposed to be purple day - there were announcements at both of our schools (and nationwide??) to wear purple as a sign of support for the LGBT community, in response to the recent streak of suicides. Given how much purple Rachel and I own, it should have been a no-brainer. Yet both of us managed to forget. Well, I forgot. Rachel did not seem to know about it. If she had, I am sure she would have gone head-to-toe in purple.
Speaking of purple, this weekend is homecoming at NU. As any reader of this blog knows, we are somewhat obsessed with our alma mater. But can you blame us? I got a great degree and a wife there. Anyway, I was on the NU Alumni website looking at the homecoming schedule, and I found a book called NU Rock Art. It is a coffee table book filled with pictures of rocks from the lakefront along the NU campus. I clicked on "gallery", and there I saw the rock that Rachel and I painted together while still students (was that in 2002?) We will have to check that out in the bookstore when after the game on Saturday.
I also looked at the class rings. It is ironic, because I talked my parents out of buying me one when I was a student. "No.....I do not need one. There is no reason to buy it. Really. Don't." But now as a teacher, it has a strange appeal to me to get one. I had a literature teacher in high school, a Notre Dame grad, that wore a big class ring. I did not particularly love his class - perhaps that is why I do not really read fiction today - and I really did not like having to stare at that big green ring everyday. I am not sure why despising my teacher's class ring would make me want one...there is no reasonable explanation. It is kind of old-fashioned to get a ring, buy hey....I'm the kind of nerd who would!
-alan
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
It's raining!
...Under our sink!
There's water under the sink. A slow trickle has turned into a significant problem. Anyone know a good plumber? Oh wait, we rent. That's the landlord's job, right?
-alan
There's water under the sink. A slow trickle has turned into a significant problem. Anyone know a good plumber? Oh wait, we rent. That's the landlord's job, right?
-alan
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Weekend away
That post about last weekend never quite got finished. Perhaps I should take the high road and blame myself for farming off the responsibility to Rachel. However, I am not that big of a person when it comes down to it. She just never finished it. Too bad - there were some funny stories :)
Rachel and I made a quick trip to Michigan this weekend - just to see family. Apparently Northwestern football dominates our weekend social schedule to such a degree that we had to sneak this weekend getaway in during their bye week. I think we have a sickness.
Being there reminded me yet again of how much I miss the season of fall - I have written about it before, but the trees were approaching their height of color (as opposed to Chicago, where the lake effect keeps us still relatively green for the time being). The sunshine was warm, while the air was cool and clear. The farmer's market in Farmington was still in surprisingly good swing - still lots of produce and tons of people. Rachel bought a big squash and a pumpkin, which reminds me of China - she would buy some pumpkin almost every week, and make pumpkin puree for herself (I stay away from anything that looks like baby food, whenever possible). It was fun, because our local farmer's market has winded down, and we have never traveled up to the North side to visit the big one there.
At church this morning there was mention of the upcoming elections and all the political ads. I have kept myself immune from the ads thanks to the fact that I almost never watch TV live - but on the flip side, I feel that I have been avoiding making decisions about who to vote for. I find myself underwhelmed with most of the statewide and federal candidates from the major parties. Illinois is in serious financial trouble, and no one seems to know what to do. I should do some homework on this.
The chill is in the air - I programmed our new thermostat today. I am still questioning whether the thermometer on it is reliable - it seems to be over-reporting temperatures...I should bring a thermometer home from school to verify, because my mom questioned my use of a meat thermometer in earlier attempts to gauge if it is correct.
Rachel is in bed, so I should end my Sunday procrastination, finish up my work, and join her.
-alan
Rachel and I made a quick trip to Michigan this weekend - just to see family. Apparently Northwestern football dominates our weekend social schedule to such a degree that we had to sneak this weekend getaway in during their bye week. I think we have a sickness.
Being there reminded me yet again of how much I miss the season of fall - I have written about it before, but the trees were approaching their height of color (as opposed to Chicago, where the lake effect keeps us still relatively green for the time being). The sunshine was warm, while the air was cool and clear. The farmer's market in Farmington was still in surprisingly good swing - still lots of produce and tons of people. Rachel bought a big squash and a pumpkin, which reminds me of China - she would buy some pumpkin almost every week, and make pumpkin puree for herself (I stay away from anything that looks like baby food, whenever possible). It was fun, because our local farmer's market has winded down, and we have never traveled up to the North side to visit the big one there.
At church this morning there was mention of the upcoming elections and all the political ads. I have kept myself immune from the ads thanks to the fact that I almost never watch TV live - but on the flip side, I feel that I have been avoiding making decisions about who to vote for. I find myself underwhelmed with most of the statewide and federal candidates from the major parties. Illinois is in serious financial trouble, and no one seems to know what to do. I should do some homework on this.
The chill is in the air - I programmed our new thermostat today. I am still questioning whether the thermometer on it is reliable - it seems to be over-reporting temperatures...I should bring a thermometer home from school to verify, because my mom questioned my use of a meat thermometer in earlier attempts to gauge if it is correct.
Rachel is in bed, so I should end my Sunday procrastination, finish up my work, and join her.
-alan
Monday, October 11, 2010
Highs and lows
It is Monday (really? already?) and the 3-day weekend has come to an end. Rachel and I lived the good life from Friday-Sunday, with lots of activities and times with friends. There are pictures and funny stories to share....perhaps I can coax Rachel to do so in this forum? Then today I spent the day inside catching up on work, and did not actually finish all I wanted.
Ah well.
Tuesday approaches, and a new week. I am starting my second unit, on atoms.
-alan
Ah well.
Tuesday approaches, and a new week. I am starting my second unit, on atoms.
-alan
Friday, October 8, 2010
Some first's at work
Today marks a variety of milestones.
1) The first major chemistry test of the year. Reactions ranged from, "Eh, that was it?" to "Oh my gosh I totally failed." We'll see when the grading is all done.
2) My sinks work in the classroom for the first time. No more going down the hall to do dishes after lab! The students can do it themselves!
3) I forgot my lunch, so I had to walk to Jimmy John's for the first time. Really, every other day I packed in my lunch! Oh, and alfalfa sprouts are yummy on sandwiches. (sorry Rachel, I couldn't resist)
Tomorrow we will definitely be going up to Evanston early to tailgate. It is absolutely perfect weather outside in my opinion, and I am not going to miss out on the chance to chill by the lake. (which brings up another point - for living less than 2 miles from the lake, we sure do not take advantage of it...)
-alan
1) The first major chemistry test of the year. Reactions ranged from, "Eh, that was it?" to "Oh my gosh I totally failed." We'll see when the grading is all done.
2) My sinks work in the classroom for the first time. No more going down the hall to do dishes after lab! The students can do it themselves!
3) I forgot my lunch, so I had to walk to Jimmy John's for the first time. Really, every other day I packed in my lunch! Oh, and alfalfa sprouts are yummy on sandwiches. (sorry Rachel, I couldn't resist)
Tomorrow we will definitely be going up to Evanston early to tailgate. It is absolutely perfect weather outside in my opinion, and I am not going to miss out on the chance to chill by the lake. (which brings up another point - for living less than 2 miles from the lake, we sure do not take advantage of it...)
-alan
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
We have a winner!
Thanks to Phil for correctly identifying the wax as the fuel of the candle. However, he is disqualified from the grand prize because he is the brother of 2 chemistry teachers. Next time read the fine print.
-alan
-alan
Beautiful fall
Perhaps the best thing about being back in Chicago is the weather. Now, it might sound strange to claim Chicago weather as a perk (have you ever lived here in January? Bleak, windy, and cold??) But the truth of the matter is that I love fall. Crisp air in the morning - cool, but nothing that a light jacket cannot take care of - sunny, bright, and warm in the afternoon. You can take a walk and not sweat from the humidity. You can still feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, but feel comfortable in a sweatshirt. The past week has been gorgeous, and I do not even mind that I had to run the windshield wipers when I got in my car after work to clear away the leaves that had accumulated. It is way better than snow.
Rachel is feeling better, but her sickness got her in the habit of going to sleep before 9. I am reminded of life in 2005, when we first got married. My memory is fairly hazy, but I do remember being on different schedules as a result of our jobs starting at different times. (I needed to be at work by 8:30, but my first class was not until 9:15. Sweet!) Now we get up at roughly the same time, but it seems that she is sleeping an hour or so sooner. Hmmmm. How did we resolve the situation back then? I could sleep earlier, but then how will those I-am-not-quite-ready-to-go-to-bed-yet blog posts get written?
Friday is test day - the first big one of the year. Then a long weekend (thank you, Mr. Columbus!). I would be lying if I said I was not looking forward to having Monday off. But grades and other things are due by Tuesday, so I actually have a mountain of work to get caught up on. A day off is just what I need.
Rachel has her seminar day tomorrow - she is assisting in a cooking class. I wonder if she is the sous chef? A couple weeks ago they made biscuits...but she has not put that recipe to practice at home yet. C'mon, practice makes perfect!
-alan
Rachel is feeling better, but her sickness got her in the habit of going to sleep before 9. I am reminded of life in 2005, when we first got married. My memory is fairly hazy, but I do remember being on different schedules as a result of our jobs starting at different times. (I needed to be at work by 8:30, but my first class was not until 9:15. Sweet!) Now we get up at roughly the same time, but it seems that she is sleeping an hour or so sooner. Hmmmm. How did we resolve the situation back then? I could sleep earlier, but then how will those I-am-not-quite-ready-to-go-to-bed-yet blog posts get written?
Friday is test day - the first big one of the year. Then a long weekend (thank you, Mr. Columbus!). I would be lying if I said I was not looking forward to having Monday off. But grades and other things are due by Tuesday, so I actually have a mountain of work to get caught up on. A day off is just what I need.
Rachel has her seminar day tomorrow - she is assisting in a cooking class. I wonder if she is the sous chef? A couple weeks ago they made biscuits...but she has not put that recipe to practice at home yet. C'mon, practice makes perfect!
-alan
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Field trip!
Tomorrow I head to the Illinois Institute of Technology as part of my first field trip....ever? Outside of the school trips in Chengdu, I have not led a science-based field trip before. There is not really any planning from my point of view, since the university has the day completely programmed. So in that regard there are no worries. Hopefully it will be fun - I get to meet an astronaut (well, technically a chemical engineer who went to space) so that is pretty cool.
Rachel has the stinkeye. Her left eye is puffy, leaky, and seems to be pulsating if you look too closely at it. This is her standard symptom for a head cold, which leaves her fairly lethargic. If we had sick days yet, she would probably take one. I am guessing her students will be keeping their distance tomorrow.
Yesterday in class I was teaching about density. I was explaining how dense metals meant (like iron) are often used in construction because of their strength. One student said, "Mr. Allmen, you must be really dense." The student meant this in all sincerity as a complement, and was shocked that I might take it the wrong way.
-alan
Rachel has the stinkeye. Her left eye is puffy, leaky, and seems to be pulsating if you look too closely at it. This is her standard symptom for a head cold, which leaves her fairly lethargic. If we had sick days yet, she would probably take one. I am guessing her students will be keeping their distance tomorrow.
Yesterday in class I was teaching about density. I was explaining how dense metals meant (like iron) are often used in construction because of their strength. One student said, "Mr. Allmen, you must be really dense." The student meant this in all sincerity as a complement, and was shocked that I might take it the wrong way.
-alan
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Men in uniform?
I should have seen it coming.
For years, I wondered what sparked Rachel's obsession with Northwestern football. After all, she was a casual sports fan at best when I first met her. She passed up the opportunity to attend the Michigan/NU game in 2000 (which NU won in dramatic fashion, 54-51, in one of the best NU games ever) to go to the mall with her friends.
But at the game on Saturday, I put the pieces together. Rachel has continually oogled one of Evanston's finest, a uniformed policeman who stands guard on the sidelines in front of the band. She describes his look as "classic." There was a twinkle in her eye this week, as she realized that despite two years absence, he has not abandoned his post.
So perhaps this NU love has all been a charade, to condone her near-daily wearing of purple clothing and jaunts to Evanston to catch some eye candy at the stadium?
In less gossipy news, I am pooped from making apple crisp. Peeling and slicing 10 apples is far more labor intensive than I remember. However, it tasted good. Sometimes a nice tart Granny Smith hits the spot. We had decent apples all year in China, but never the same variety as you get here. It was a nice after-dinner complement to Rachel's lasagna.
Rachel has a half day tomorrow, as the students are taking their practice ACT exam. My school is doing the same, but having them take the test over several days during their English class - so I do not get the same break. No fair!
Most of my students could not correctly identify the fuel for the fire in a burning candle. Can you?
-alan
For years, I wondered what sparked Rachel's obsession with Northwestern football. After all, she was a casual sports fan at best when I first met her. She passed up the opportunity to attend the Michigan/NU game in 2000 (which NU won in dramatic fashion, 54-51, in one of the best NU games ever) to go to the mall with her friends.
But at the game on Saturday, I put the pieces together. Rachel has continually oogled one of Evanston's finest, a uniformed policeman who stands guard on the sidelines in front of the band. She describes his look as "classic." There was a twinkle in her eye this week, as she realized that despite two years absence, he has not abandoned his post.
So perhaps this NU love has all been a charade, to condone her near-daily wearing of purple clothing and jaunts to Evanston to catch some eye candy at the stadium?
In less gossipy news, I am pooped from making apple crisp. Peeling and slicing 10 apples is far more labor intensive than I remember. However, it tasted good. Sometimes a nice tart Granny Smith hits the spot. We had decent apples all year in China, but never the same variety as you get here. It was a nice after-dinner complement to Rachel's lasagna.
Rachel has a half day tomorrow, as the students are taking their practice ACT exam. My school is doing the same, but having them take the test over several days during their English class - so I do not get the same break. No fair!
Most of my students could not correctly identify the fuel for the fire in a burning candle. Can you?
-alan
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Warm summer day
Well, the heat outside this week makes me think of summer, but wearing pants and working all day does not. One reason for returning to the US this year (though perhaps not the primary one) was the desire to have a job that required less hours. And actually, I think I have been somewhat successful in that. In China, I worked on average from 7:15 - 4:30 or 5. So far, I have been working in the US from 7:15 - 4. And I have not done much work at home.
Each day is different as the year settles in - some good, some not as good depending on the events of the day. It is now Thursday, and that weekend itch has come upon me. Uh oh. I am hoping it is caused by anticipation of football on Saturday, and not work-related.
Rachel's open house was yesterday, so she did not get home until after 8. I was hoping to get a lot done, but of course I went home early and sat around :)
-alan
Each day is different as the year settles in - some good, some not as good depending on the events of the day. It is now Thursday, and that weekend itch has come upon me. Uh oh. I am hoping it is caused by anticipation of football on Saturday, and not work-related.
Rachel's open house was yesterday, so she did not get home until after 8. I was hoping to get a lot done, but of course I went home early and sat around :)
-alan
Sunday, September 19, 2010
A new week begins
The start of the school year has seemed to hurt my posting rate, considerably. As it stands, I should be in bed this Sunday evening so that I can get off to a good Monday start. Rachel was not feeling well, and has been in bed for an hour already.
This weekend brought to mind the nice part about working - when you work, you appreciate the weekend so much more. When we were in summer mode, Friday night is really no different. But now, the weekend brings time that we do not have during the week. On Friday night we tried to go bowling, but the lanes at iit were occupied and we played darts instead. On Saturday we walked to the farmers market and bought some produce (only to be caught in a downpour on the walk home). In the evening we went to a bar in Lincoln Park so that we could watch the internet feed of the NU-Rice game. I was particularly jazzed for NU to win, as Rice served me the indignity of waitlisting me as a potential undergrad. They won handily, but the night was odd as we were forced to watch the game on a comically small screen with no audio. However, the crowd was rockin' and purple.
Tomorrow brings week 3 of school. Bring it on!
-alan
This weekend brought to mind the nice part about working - when you work, you appreciate the weekend so much more. When we were in summer mode, Friday night is really no different. But now, the weekend brings time that we do not have during the week. On Friday night we tried to go bowling, but the lanes at iit were occupied and we played darts instead. On Saturday we walked to the farmers market and bought some produce (only to be caught in a downpour on the walk home). In the evening we went to a bar in Lincoln Park so that we could watch the internet feed of the NU-Rice game. I was particularly jazzed for NU to win, as Rice served me the indignity of waitlisting me as a potential undergrad. They won handily, but the night was odd as we were forced to watch the game on a comically small screen with no audio. However, the crowd was rockin' and purple.
Tomorrow brings week 3 of school. Bring it on!
-alan
Sunday, September 12, 2010
School week 1 fades to football fall weekend 1
The first days of school are behind us. Like any new year, it had an eventful beginning with its own ups and downs. But it is always nice to get into the rhythm of teaching, after all the anticipation of summer. And good news, my chemistry equipment has arrived.
Rachel and I are carpooling to and from work, which has worked well thus far. The only downside is having to brave the highway, which is predictably slow no matter the time of day.
Yesterday was Northwestern's home opener, which we went to with my mom and dad. NU crushed its opponent - an unusual event for NU, who tends to play down to their opponent. After two years away, it was fun (despite the preseason rain) to be at a game in person. Our seats are right next to the band, and one section over from the student section, so I think the energy will be high once we get into the big ten schedule.
Now we are watching the Lions frittering away a potential season opening win against the Bears. Some things do not change - the Lions choke (even if due to a questionable call), and the Bears show they are pretty mediocre.
-alan
Rachel and I are carpooling to and from work, which has worked well thus far. The only downside is having to brave the highway, which is predictably slow no matter the time of day.
Yesterday was Northwestern's home opener, which we went to with my mom and dad. NU crushed its opponent - an unusual event for NU, who tends to play down to their opponent. After two years away, it was fun (despite the preseason rain) to be at a game in person. Our seats are right next to the band, and one section over from the student section, so I think the energy will be high once we get into the big ten schedule.
Now we are watching the Lions frittering away a potential season opening win against the Bears. Some things do not change - the Lions choke (even if due to a questionable call), and the Bears show they are pretty mediocre.
-alan
Monday, September 6, 2010
New classroom, new school year
This is my new classroom at Ogden. I've had 7 official work days thus far (plus I went in for one extra day to get things done). The school year starts officially tomorrow - though my high schoolers will really have an orientation day. No classes until Wednesday.
This weekend I have been balancing many things - seeing friends (people from NU on Saturday, from church on Sunday, and later today, old colleagues from CDIS), watching football (NU is 1-0 as they beat Vandy), and doing some prep work for the upcoming school year. There are an endless list of little things I could be doing, but only some will certainly be finished by tomorrow. Speaking of, I probably need to iron some shirts today.
I vacillate back and forth between nervousness and confidence regarding the school year. I want to do a good job, but I do not want to work 80 hours a week. I am nervous about teaching a new subject (chemistry) but then I remember that I handled teaching 5 different classes last year...so having 1 does not sound too bad. I wonder if I will be tough enough to handle discipline, but then I remember that a lot of my students came to this school to escape the craziness of their own neighborhood schools. So really, I should be feeling good about the year.
Maybe after week 1 is done, I will actually FEEL good about it.
-alan
Saturday, September 4, 2010
It's fall!
Thursday afternoon, I was at work, sweating despite the AC in my room. Today, I am wearing a sweatshirt. It was an unexpected though not entirely surprising turn in the weather, that immediately brings to mind the pleasures of fall - long-sleeve T-shirts, leaves changing colors, a new school year, and football. Fall is a wonderful season, undeniably my favorite. Not too hot, not too cold, not too rainy. The temperature fluctuates, but the sun tends to shine. We somewhat missed fall in Chengdu - the leaves did not change, and the humidity meant we never got that crisp, clean fall air. So for those reasons, I am excited.
Today is the beginning of the Northwestern football season, and as such will be the first time since 2007 that we will not have to watch the game via internet broadcast. Can't wait!
-alan
Today is the beginning of the Northwestern football season, and as such will be the first time since 2007 that we will not have to watch the game via internet broadcast. Can't wait!
-alan
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Week 1 of work, in retrospect
I have finished my first "week" of "work." It was actually only 3 days, and it was mostly PD meetings. So nothing to stress about. Good news - I survived the first days. Starting the new job brings back those memories of school - it is somewhat like reliving your first day of high school. Walking in to a strange place, not really knowing anyone, or where to go to the bathroom, or where to eat, etc. etc. Thankfully I am a grownup now and can overcome such trials. Plus there are lots of new faces in the high school, since all the 10th grade teachers are new. Only problem is that my face is apparently a little too young-looking, since I had to answer the question, "So is this you first year teaching?" a few too many times for my liking.
This coming week I will be able to go to my own school building and get accustomed to my classroom. Hopefully we will have some free time in the coming days - and I hope my lab equipment is arriving soon!
In other work news, Rachel has a full time job now. Yeah, that's right, she's full time. She was called and asked to take on more classes, and decided to go for it. Teach 2 more classes for 2x the pay. Alright! So she will have 3 classes of World Studies and 2 classes of American History.
Finally, I have been taking full advantage of our new neighbor - IIT. This small university offers some fun perks. 1) Their 9 hole disc golf course is a fun diversion which I have played on ~5 times so far. Friday I played twice, and scored +3 and +4 over par, respectively. I need to work on my putting. 2) They have a little known bowling alley / bar in the basement of one of their academic buildings. It is only open Thursday and Friday nights (really...that's it) but it is cheap and we can walk there. We find ourselves walking over there enough...maybe I should enroll! Second masters?
-alan
This coming week I will be able to go to my own school building and get accustomed to my classroom. Hopefully we will have some free time in the coming days - and I hope my lab equipment is arriving soon!
In other work news, Rachel has a full time job now. Yeah, that's right, she's full time. She was called and asked to take on more classes, and decided to go for it. Teach 2 more classes for 2x the pay. Alright! So she will have 3 classes of World Studies and 2 classes of American History.
Finally, I have been taking full advantage of our new neighbor - IIT. This small university offers some fun perks. 1) Their 9 hole disc golf course is a fun diversion which I have played on ~5 times so far. Friday I played twice, and scored +3 and +4 over par, respectively. I need to work on my putting. 2) They have a little known bowling alley / bar in the basement of one of their academic buildings. It is only open Thursday and Friday nights (really...that's it) but it is cheap and we can walk there. We find ourselves walking over there enough...maybe I should enroll! Second masters?
-alan
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Sleep troubles?
For the past weeks, I have been setting my alarm even on days I could sleep in, because I did not want to be too sluggish once I returned to work. I woke up today with no trouble, though my body is feeling a little worn. I should be sure to get to bed extra early.
But perhaps the larger sleep troubles have been with Rachel? Yesterday morning I had to carefully tiptoe my way to the bathroom...because Rachel's bedside table was toppled on its side, drawer splayed open, lamp pulled out from its socket. And she awoke with no memory or recollection of what happened...
-alan
But perhaps the larger sleep troubles have been with Rachel? Yesterday morning I had to carefully tiptoe my way to the bathroom...because Rachel's bedside table was toppled on its side, drawer splayed open, lamp pulled out from its socket. And she awoke with no memory or recollection of what happened...
-alan
Monday, August 23, 2010
First day...
Tomorrow is my first day of work. It is teacher meetings - and my first introduction to the staff.
To prepare, we went back-to-school shopping today to fill some holes in our professional wardrobe.
Exciting times!
-alan
To prepare, we went back-to-school shopping today to fill some holes in our professional wardrobe.
Exciting times!
-alan
Purple scavenger hunt
Being big NU fans, our eyes are always open for anything NU. Rachel's favorite past time of late is looking at the rear windows of cars - because any NU employee has a small purple sticker there for parking purposes. She found one car on our street, and now she is pointing them out to me everywhere we go.
But in Target the other day, we found a bonanza. Which is a shock, because big box retailers never carry NU gear - they usually only have pro team and maybe some Notre Dame stuff.
So when I sauntered into the shoe department, I was shocked to see a half aisle of purple staring back at me. Flip-flops and slippers. Lots of them. And all on clearance! Needless to say, we stocked up.
-alan
But in Target the other day, we found a bonanza. Which is a shock, because big box retailers never carry NU gear - they usually only have pro team and maybe some Notre Dame stuff.
So when I sauntered into the shoe department, I was shocked to see a half aisle of purple staring back at me. Flip-flops and slippers. Lots of them. And all on clearance! Needless to say, we stocked up.
Strange transition
A common question asked of us this summer has been, "How are you doing transitioning back to life in America?"
The truth of the matter is that we have easily eased back into life here. Familiar neighborhood, same church, many old friends, and nearby family have made our move largely stress-free. We also do not get some of the adjustment issues faced by some who return to America from destitute areas - our day-to-day interactions were with a very materialistic Chinese middle class. Walking into an American grocery store, or into a mall does not cause us to freak out, because on certain levels it is not that different from what we experienced in China.
One strange thing, however, is the adjustment to light. Daylight, in particular.
In China, I did not own sunglasses until I had already lived there for 6 months. I actually bought some because we were traveling out of the country. The cloud cover simply made it unnescessary.
But since moving back to Chicago, my sunglasses have hardly left my side. Situations where I would not have given sunglasses a second thought a few years back, I now find myself squinting without them. I think my eyes have not yet adjusted to life in a land of sun.
-alan
The truth of the matter is that we have easily eased back into life here. Familiar neighborhood, same church, many old friends, and nearby family have made our move largely stress-free. We also do not get some of the adjustment issues faced by some who return to America from destitute areas - our day-to-day interactions were with a very materialistic Chinese middle class. Walking into an American grocery store, or into a mall does not cause us to freak out, because on certain levels it is not that different from what we experienced in China.
One strange thing, however, is the adjustment to light. Daylight, in particular.
In China, I did not own sunglasses until I had already lived there for 6 months. I actually bought some because we were traveling out of the country. The cloud cover simply made it unnescessary.
But since moving back to Chicago, my sunglasses have hardly left my side. Situations where I would not have given sunglasses a second thought a few years back, I now find myself squinting without them. I think my eyes have not yet adjusted to life in a land of sun.
-alan
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Food attack
A few pictures, highlighting Rachel's highs and lows for the week:
Rachel cooked Indian food for Sarah and Dave - including the fabulous Tandoori chicken seen above. My favorite, though, was the fresh, homemade naan. Both were grilled outside. We love our grill!
Feeling particularly adventurous, Rachel made pasta. I applaud the effort, but the 1/4" thick pasta was a little chewier than either of us could stomach. Now she knows why pasta makers are key.
-alan
-alan
Friday, August 20, 2010
Officially employed!
I turned in my paperwork on Monday, and I am now officially employed for the 2010-2011 school year. Hooray!
Rachel has had some snafus, but got it cleared up and registered her paperwork yesterday.
Now, it is time to turn my attention towards the upcoming school year. I will begin teacher inservice next week, as I will have 3 days of teacher meetings. I already traveled up to Evanston to meet my coworker, so that we could talk about supplies for the lab. The new chemistry lab needs a lot of stuff, and I am worried about getting everything I need - and in a timely fashion. If I REALLY knew what I was doing, I could have done this weeks ago.
alan
Rachel has had some snafus, but got it cleared up and registered her paperwork yesterday.
Now, it is time to turn my attention towards the upcoming school year. I will begin teacher inservice next week, as I will have 3 days of teacher meetings. I already traveled up to Evanston to meet my coworker, so that we could talk about supplies for the lab. The new chemistry lab needs a lot of stuff, and I am worried about getting everything I need - and in a timely fashion. If I REALLY knew what I was doing, I could have done this weeks ago.
alan
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Back in town!
Our final summer 2010 getaway is in the books - another week spent in Michigan, this time in Farmington Hills with my parents. It was a nice, relaxing week on the whole. There were tentative plans for me to attend a week-long chemistry training, but there was not room for me. It was a somewhat a relief, because otherwise I would have been around much less. So instead, I played golf; Rachel picked blueberries; I went to see my sister's chemistry lab; Rachel went shopping.
Back in Bridgeport, we got a wild "welcome home." On Sunday, there were 2 parades (yes, TWO) that went down our street. The first one had floats and marching bands - it was a celebration put on by St. Jerome's, the Croatian church up the street. We missed it, but my parents were here and took some pictures. Later we walked up to the church festival and enjoyed some yummy sausages and fried dough. I love the summer in Chicago!
More bizarre (but not unusual for this area?) was the St. Rocco's parade. This parade was sponsored by a men's club that runs out of a church in Chinatown. The church, though it is half Chinese nowadays, was started and is still attended by the Italian immigrants and their descendants. The parade is a fundraiser, as the men carry a statue of St. Rocco around to parishioners' homes and collect donations. For each donation, the band plays a little ditty in celebration. Apparently this goes on for hours. The house across the street set up a big party, and we were alerted to the parade's presence when we heard an incredibly dangerous amount of firecrackers being set off outside. Our backyard is littered with red paper that the wind blew in. Reminds me of China at New Year's time! Best off all - think of the membership of this very exclusive club: a bunch of old Sicilian guys...you catch my drift.
Oh Bridgeport, our crazy home.
alan
Back in Bridgeport, we got a wild "welcome home." On Sunday, there were 2 parades (yes, TWO) that went down our street. The first one had floats and marching bands - it was a celebration put on by St. Jerome's, the Croatian church up the street. We missed it, but my parents were here and took some pictures. Later we walked up to the church festival and enjoyed some yummy sausages and fried dough. I love the summer in Chicago!
More bizarre (but not unusual for this area?) was the St. Rocco's parade. This parade was sponsored by a men's club that runs out of a church in Chinatown. The church, though it is half Chinese nowadays, was started and is still attended by the Italian immigrants and their descendants. The parade is a fundraiser, as the men carry a statue of St. Rocco around to parishioners' homes and collect donations. For each donation, the band plays a little ditty in celebration. Apparently this goes on for hours. The house across the street set up a big party, and we were alerted to the parade's presence when we heard an incredibly dangerous amount of firecrackers being set off outside. Our backyard is littered with red paper that the wind blew in. Reminds me of China at New Year's time! Best off all - think of the membership of this very exclusive club: a bunch of old Sicilian guys...you catch my drift.
Oh Bridgeport, our crazy home.
alan
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Grill!
We had our first meal prepared by the new Weber - blue cheese burgers with grilled onions on a pretzel bun. Almost all of our meal was provided thanks to local farmer's markets, which make Rachel giggle/smile/cry/skip/dance all at once. The freshness was definitely key, though. Good taste, and the grill make it super easy.
Rachel also loves food pics.
Today was a flurry of household activity, as I painted bathroom #2 and Rachel turned our junk room into a respectable office / guest room. I can say now that we are officially unpacked and moved in.
Huzzah!
Check out our clean hallway!
-alan
Friday, August 6, 2010
Back on the blogosphere
I noticed that it has been a couple of weeks since we have been on the blog. I suppose that means we have been having too much fun this summer!
One of those weeks, we were gone and without internet and phone. So I will use that as our excuse. [Our phone service is through Cricket, which is new but cheap. Once we went north of Grand Rapids, we had no service. You get what you pay for!]
We spent some R&R in northern Michigan. First we camped at a state forest near Interlochen, which is the site of the famous fine arts camp. I think we did it just so we could take a picture worthy of a magazine ad with our Prius.
Actually, it was also nearby the Cherry Republic, a cherry-themed restaurant/shop that we had been 3 years prior; this afforded us the time to stock up on cherry jam, cherry salsa, cherry BBQ, etc... Yum!
It was not only about shopping, though. We did enjoy being in the woods again. It is no Boundary Waters, but it is worlds away from Chicago.
We had some encounters with wildlife, though not the way we expected. It was not in our walks in the woods, or out on the lake near our quiet campsite. At a beach near Traverse, we stopped for a snack. There was a lone seagull walking, but it was soon chased off by a mother duck and her 3 ducklings. Surprisingly, they headed straight for us, and circled our feet as they squawked for food. Just a bunch of city ducks, begging!
We also had a nice fire as we read from our spooky story book.
From there, we went on to spend a few days at Karen and Phil's cabin in Bellaire. We got a good re-introduction into Midwestern life, thanks to several games of bags [aka "cornhole"]. It was a competitive time all around, as we played a lot of cards and some Catan. Phil proved that Allmens cannot be beat, as he won several times despite being a rookie at the versions we played.
I also tried to water ski....unsuccessfully. It was not pretty.
This week has been a continuation of our home-making adventure. We have moved more into the decoration phase - pictures, artwork, shelving, mirrors, clocks - there has been a lot of work getting things on the walls. Add to that some more new furniture to put together, and you get the idea of what's been going on here. There are tools everywhere and the junk needs to get put away. Hopefully we will be cleaned up by Sunday, when we leave for a week to visit Michigan.
Finally, a fun purchase - our new grill!
I can't wait to eat tomorrow :)
Also on tap, I will paint our bathroom tomorrow. That is the FINAL part of the apartment that we will be painting. I can't wait to dump all these paint cans and supplies.
-alan
One of those weeks, we were gone and without internet and phone. So I will use that as our excuse. [Our phone service is through Cricket, which is new but cheap. Once we went north of Grand Rapids, we had no service. You get what you pay for!]
We spent some R&R in northern Michigan. First we camped at a state forest near Interlochen, which is the site of the famous fine arts camp. I think we did it just so we could take a picture worthy of a magazine ad with our Prius.
It was not only about shopping, though. We did enjoy being in the woods again. It is no Boundary Waters, but it is worlds away from Chicago.
We had some encounters with wildlife, though not the way we expected. It was not in our walks in the woods, or out on the lake near our quiet campsite. At a beach near Traverse, we stopped for a snack. There was a lone seagull walking, but it was soon chased off by a mother duck and her 3 ducklings. Surprisingly, they headed straight for us, and circled our feet as they squawked for food. Just a bunch of city ducks, begging!
We also had a nice fire as we read from our spooky story book.
From there, we went on to spend a few days at Karen and Phil's cabin in Bellaire. We got a good re-introduction into Midwestern life, thanks to several games of bags [aka "cornhole"]. It was a competitive time all around, as we played a lot of cards and some Catan. Phil proved that Allmens cannot be beat, as he won several times despite being a rookie at the versions we played.
I also tried to water ski....unsuccessfully. It was not pretty.
This week has been a continuation of our home-making adventure. We have moved more into the decoration phase - pictures, artwork, shelving, mirrors, clocks - there has been a lot of work getting things on the walls. Add to that some more new furniture to put together, and you get the idea of what's been going on here. There are tools everywhere and the junk needs to get put away. Hopefully we will be cleaned up by Sunday, when we leave for a week to visit Michigan.
Finally, a fun purchase - our new grill!
Also on tap, I will paint our bathroom tomorrow. That is the FINAL part of the apartment that we will be painting. I can't wait to dump all these paint cans and supplies.
-alan
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