ARDIRI

Ardiri--Sicilian for taking a risk or being consumed by fire.

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"Whole-Paycheck" Yoga Gear and Resolutions

In order to ensure that I fulfill my resolution to do Bikram yoga on a regular basis, I decided to get a workout/work-crap multitasking bag.  Essentially it came down to two choices, and although I would've loved to have bought this 'Whole Paycheck'-type of bag from Lululemon:

Lululemon.bag

the rational part of my brain couldn't rationalize $128+tax for a workout bag.  Insead, I found this little jewel from Zappos for $60:

Dakine.Sarita

And, I must say that I am quite pleased with this bag so far!  I'll let you know if I change my mind!

P.S. I fulfilled my resolution of 3 Bikram workouts for the first week of January!  According to a New York Times article by  John Tierney, I am more likely to hold fast to my goals because I've made a "formal resolution" and if I continue sticking to that resolution through January, I shall "last a lot longer"!  Let's go, Holly!   

Finally, do you have any New Year Resolutions you'd like to share with the blogosphere?

Posted by hollyarn on January 11, 2012 at 10:59 PM in Bikram, Retail Therapy, Worker-Bee, Yoga | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Back to School

Summer vacation ends soon and then it is back to work for me!

Back to school

(Image credit: bottomoftheclass.com)

Thankfully I will not be doing any phonics this year as I have 7th graders, freshmen, and seniors--wahoozicool!

Posted by hollyarn on July 30, 2010 at 02:32 AM in Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Eraser Cairn

Found one morning on my desk...an Eraser Cairn:

Eraser Cairn

No one shall ever get lost in my 1st grade classroom; the eraser cairn marks my desk!

Alas, I no longer teach 1st grade!  I'm movin' on up to 8th grade English!

Posted by hollyarn on June 18, 2009 at 11:13 PM in Randomnalia, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

"Kids say the darndest things*"

*Kids say the darndest things* (Thanks to Art Linkletter.)

Our school started in late August and I teach 1st grade in a school that is primarily Asian  (as in 99% and all of the same ethnic group of which I will choose not to name in order to retain confidentiality).  Anyhoo, today it finally happened.  Today the question of race/ethnicity came up in this form:

"Ms. Holly, why is your face so white?"

I immediately thought that I had white chalk on my face, but further questioning revealed that that was not the case.  Luckily this question came up while we were lining up for lunch and so I was able to reply that we would talk about it later.  "Lucky" because I am not sure how to even "go there".  I grew up in a primarily "white/Caucasian" community and only truly began to understand and see the diversity of races, ethnicities, cultures, sexualities, and genders when I moved away from home at the age of 18.  My issue is that I want to approach this in the best way possible and ensure that I best explain why I am so different looking to these children (many of whom spend almost all their time outside of school around people of their own ethnic group).  Any suggestions (especially books for children on race and ethnicity)?  Have you dealt with this before?  Help, please!

Posted by hollyarn on September 20, 2008 at 04:01 PM in Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

You know you work with kids when...

You are pleased as punch to find this MetaFilter thread.  Gross, huh?

Posted by hollyarn on September 14, 2008 at 05:20 PM in Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

RNC Confetti

Rnc_confetti
(Image found via Digg)
See you soon!  Very busy with work--so much work goes into being a teacher!!!

Posted by hollyarn on September 05, 2008 at 08:09 PM in Politics, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Randomnalia, again...

  • Wahoozicool!  I got a job!  This year I'll be teaching first grade at a private school.  So I'll likely be MIA with the blog for a bit as starting a new school year is stressful and I am nervous as I can nearly be!
  • The Best Latte in the Bay Area, in my opinion, can be found at Oliveto in Rockridge (essentially the "Gourmet Ghetto" of Oakland).  Their Goat Cheese Tarts rock , too!

Olivetto_goat_cheese_tart_aug_200_3

  • I've always said I'd be a Hybrid Woman if I got a car, but this damn obsession with the original Mini Coopers continues; they are just too cute!

Red_mini_front_aug_2008_0001_3

Red_mini_side_aug_2008_0001_4
Of course, I'd probably would never get an old Mini as I'd want the safety features of a new car.  However, my first car was a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle (a VW Bug)--not the safest car on the road.  I've rode in a new Mini Cooper with a coworker and it was divine--especially the heated seats!  Anyhoo, I am pretty much a public transportation type of person--I like to leave the driving to someone else.

  • Speaking of public transportation, John and I spotted this couple on the bus.  Look at their matching Converse shoes!  It was awfully adorable to see, but I don't think I could ever pull off such a thing with a straight look on my face.

Couples_converse_aug_2008_0001

Hi, ho it's off to work I go.  Must plan, plan, plan!

Posted by hollyarn on August 17, 2008 at 05:24 PM in Randomnalia, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

More Randomnalia--All Over the Place!

  • Despite being car-free for a little less than ten years now, my slight-obsession with tiny cars continues.  Submitted as Evidence: Another picture of vintage Mini; this one in the Haight with a parking meter for perspective on size.

    Mini_in_the_haight_june_2008_0001_2

  • The upside of high gas prices?  Shopping locally and supporting small-business owners!
  • **Uh, hello, anybody there Reverend Jesse Jackson???**  Could you possibly be more of an ignoramus?  Really?!  I think not! 

Where the hell was your brain when you said (supposedly off-Mic) that Obama should be castrated? 

Why in the world would a black man suggest that another black man be castrated in light of the fact that black men were often castrated before they were lynched?

Ugh, and so much more that I dare not say here...Let me just say, that the Rev. Jesse Jackson made a fool of himself.

  • In a related vein, I am nearly finished reading Toni Morrison's Beloved and am thinking that perhaps the Rev. Jesse Jackson might do well to (re?)read this novel as it provides a graphic, haunting, and all-together disturbing refresher course on the horrors of slavery.
  • I am tired, oh-so-tired, sleepy-sleepy.  Teaching  English Literature and Language Arts to 33--yes, 33!--6th-8th graders can sometimes feel like taming lions after being dipped in vat of gazelle blood.

    On the other hand, today's sleepiness is a "rewarding tiredness" earned from getting those same kids to be really excited and engaged with what we're learning.

  • The 1975 edition of the Vogue Sewing Book rocks!  So much information!  So concise! Such clear directions!
  • I had lunch last weekend with a friend and her husband at Zazil Coastal Mexican Cuisine in the Nordstrom's shopping center and was pretty disappointed.  The food is so-so, but not worth the price, and the ambiance of the restaurant is more suited to a fast-food environment.  The three of us spent $158 dollars on lunch and dessert (luckily, we had $100 in gift certificates to spend there!).  I'm of the opinion that one should never feel as if they are eating in an upscale-cafeteria-like-environment when you're paying $50+ to eat lunch.  Give me a break!  Puh-lease!
  • My Princeton Review Career Quiz results are:

My INTEREST color is BLUE:  People with blue Interests like job responsibilities and occupations that involve creative, humanistic, thoughtful, and quiet types of activities. Blue Interests include abstracting, theorizing, designing, writing, reflecting, and originating, which often lead to work in editing, teaching, composing, inventing, mediating, clergy, and writing.

My USUAL STYLE is YELLOW:  People with yellow styles perform their job responsibilities in a manner that is orderly and planned to meet a known schedule. They prefer to work where things get done with a minimum of interpretation and unexpected change. People with a yellow style tend to be orderly, cautious, structured, loyal, systematic, solitary, methodical, and organized, and usually thrive in a research-oriented, predictable, established, controlled, measurable, orderly environment.

So shocking!  Not! 

Some of the suggested careers are: philosopher (got that covered with my Bachelors degree) and teacher (been there, doing that), professor (perhaps someday?).  The quiz also suggested I look into working as a Media Planner, Web Editor, Book Publishing Professional--all of which I would find interesting.  I am definietely intrigued by the Media Planner career as I L-O-V-E to critically tear apart advertisements and their often inappropriate placement.  However, I do not see myself becoming an optometrist, a Rabbi or Imam, or an antiques dealer. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Posted by hollyarn on July 10, 2008 at 08:55 PM in Books, Food and Drink, Living, Philosophy/Philosophers, Politics, Randomnalia, Sewing, Undeniable Reality, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

Money, money, money...it's a rich man's world.

Smart Little Article on Getting the Salary You Deserve!
(All props go to ABBA for the title!)

Posted by hollyarn on June 29, 2008 at 11:19 AM in War of the Sexes, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

I'm an Undercover Agent

Undercover_agent_june_2008_0001

Posted by hollyarn on June 23, 2008 at 08:32 PM in Games, Humor, Living, Undeniable Reality, Worker-Bee | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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