Out like a lamb?

March definitely came roaring in like a lion and certainly seems poised to go out like a lamb. Hellooooooooooo, April! I am so eager for larger doses of warm weather. I am ready to mulch my flowerbeds and mow my lawn. Before we know it, the pool will be open.

38 more days of school, but who's counting?

Meetings!

There are many perks to being a teacher. They have been well documented in this space before. All weekends and holidays off. Summers off. Decent pay. Good benefits etc...

There are also a few drawbacks to being a teacher. Those have been chronicled in this space as well. One of the most annoying things about my job is meetings. Lots of meetings. Meetings for this. Meetings for that. Meetings to discuss what happened at the last meeting. Meetings to plan for the next meeting. I must say things have gotten better the last few years. Many meetings are now replaced by staff e-mails. I think as technology increases, the amount of meetings we have will decrease. Meetings are tremendous eaters of time. Time reserved for working in the classroom is often taken up by a meeting. It can be quite maddening sometimes.

I found the following photo amusing---

Student Testing

As a teacher I am not opposed to testing students to measure academic progress and to keep teachers accountable. These are both legitimate issues in public schools. However, students nowadays are being TESTED TO DEATH! There is testing in September to establish a baseline (starting point) score. There is state testing in late February and early March. There is more district testing in late March and early April. Finally there is End of Year state testing in late April and early May. In other words, education today is nothing more than testing and preparation for it. There is very little actual teaching (as opposed to "teaching to the test") that goes on any more. Testing definitely has its place in education, but our current system is overkill. Something MUST be done to lessen the amount of testing we are throwing at these children.

In addition, teachers are required to teach to the individual learning styles of learners. In teacher-speak it's called differentiated instruction. This means lessons need to be designed to accommodate visual learners, auditory learners, tactile-kinesthetic learners, students with learning disabilities, students with behavior difficulties, hearing impaired students and everything else in between. With that being said, keep in mind the tests we are administering are STANDARDIZED. Please explain how we must differentiate instruction, but all students are tested the same. Shouldn't the tests be differentiated as well? How would you feel if you were a visual learner and all of your school lessons were presented in a visual manner (your strength). Then when the test rolled around the test was presented in audio form. Would you feel blindsided or cheated? Imagine how these young students must feel. They are given a support system in class throughout the year, but then they are all expected to take the same test in the same way.

Does that make sense to you? No? Me either.

Welcome Home!

My girls arrived home at 8:30 this evening. I thank the Lord for safe travels that covered more than 4,000 miles. They came home with lots of stories and reports of good times. I am so thankful to have them safely home.

The last day

After 10 long days, my girls will arrive home tonight. They had a wonderful trip, but I know they are both ready to get home. I have missed them terribly and I can't wait to see them.

It's a major award!

Who can forget the leg lamp in the movie, "A Christmas Story"? The crate arrives and the old man is giddy with anticipation as he unpacks the contents. After much scrutiny and puzzling it is finally revealed that the crate contains a fishnet stocking leg lamp. The mother stares in horror at the smut in her living room. Ralphie is mesmerized by the titillating display. The old man proclaims, "It's a MAJOR AWARD!", and proudly displays it in the front window for the whole world to see. Hilarious and classic. Just classic.

Why all this talk about a major award? Well...

My boss recently informed me that I have been selected as my school district’s outstanding educator of the year. On Friday, May 15th, I will join other educators from around Hamilton County at an awards breakfast where we will receive the Hamilton County Educational Excellence Award. Anthony Munoz will be the Master of Ceremonies and presenter of the awards.

Here’s the link to the event:
http://www.hcef.us/celebrate-excellence/

I’m not really sure what to think of this sudden and unexpected award. I feel completely unworthy to receive it. I know my own shortcomings and I work with teachers who are far more deserving than me. Regardless, I will humbly accept the award and the half-day off work that comes with it (I don't have to go back to work after the breakfast concludes). I will say that it's an honor to be recognized.

Honestly, I do not hold any pretense that I did anything to earn this award. The Lord has blessed me with 25 years in public education and with colleagues that are more like family than co-workers. To God alone be the glory.

Soli Deo Gloria!

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1

Homeward Bound!

My girls had a wonderful time in California and are now on their way back to Indiana. They decided to take a different route home to see some different scenery. The route home has taken them through Las Vegas including a trip down the strip (No, they didn't stop to gamble). They are now driving through Utah and have seen some gorgeous sights. This is certainly different than the flat desert of California. I'm so happy that Abby has gotten to see so much of our beautiful country. Who knows when she'll ever get the chance to go out west again. I can't wait until they get home!

No Regrets

It's been said no man on his death bed ever wished he'd spent more time at work. I'm sure when my time comes I will have certain regrets in my life. Who doesn't? However, I don't think one of those regrets will be wishing I had spent more time at school grading papers or writing lesson plans.

I recently came across this short speech from the former CEO of Coca Cola. I wouldn't necessarily say this is the mantra I want to live by, but I thought it was thought provoking enough to post here. I would replace the word spirit with Christ and would put that at the top of the list. If Christ is the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. I'm not saying you won't experience trials or tribulations... you definitely will. But with Christ as your solid rock, your foundation, you always have something to hold onto (or more accurately, HE will hold on to you).

You know you've had it when...

A husband always knows when he's in trouble with his wife. Most wives are fairly vocal when they are displeased with their husbands and it's not easy to deal with. However, it's not nearly as bad as when the silence hits. You husbands out there KNOW what I'm talking about. Admit it guys. Your wife gets eerily silent and you think, "Oh crud! I've really had it now!".

Hello? Florist shop? I'd like to order a dozen long stem red roses...

Hollywood!

Here are the latest photos from the California trip. Abby has always wanted to visit Hollywood.

I'm a genius!

This explains it.

I must be a blasted genius!

This is me

I couldn't help but think of myself when I saw this:

If playing Trivial Pursuit was a job, you could sign me up today. If grilling meat could make me some money, I'd quit my job tomorrow. If maintaining a pool would bring in more than minimum wage, I'd be all over it. You get my point. Anything that could make real money I'm no good at.

Soakin' it up!

Here's Abby soaking up the California sun while wearing her Uncle Tim's hat and sunglasses.

We are having snow flurries in Cincinnati. Abby wouldn't rub that sunshine in my face, would she? Yeah, I guess she would.

Say it ain't so! SNOW?

At the time of this writing, Tami and Abby are enjoying time in a beach house in Laguna Beach, California. The weather there has been clear and sunny, the temperatures have been in the mid 80's. Here in glorious Cincinnati, the weather this afternoon calls for falling temperatures and a rain/snow mix. Oh joy of joys! My mom and sister are in Florida. My wife and daughter are in California... and here I am slogging away at home. *SIGH*

Alone

Tami and Abby have been gone for three days. A small part of me has enjoyed the peace and quiet (a very small part). A very large part of me misses them like crazy. I have learned that my need for my family far outpaces my need for peace and quiet. Solitude and serenity are fine in small doses, but it hasn't taken long to realize I am not cut out to live alone. Loneliness didn't take long to creep in. It will be a whole week before they get home and I sure will be glad to see them.

I like being alone, but not for too long.

“Everyone needs someone to make them feel like tomorrow is more than just another day.”- Anonymous

They made it!

After two and a half days of driving, Tami and Abby arrived safely in Laguna Niguel, California. Thank the Lord for travel mercies! I haven't heard much other than the view is breathtaking. I have no doubt about that. I can't wait to see photos. I wish I was out there with them.

Welcome Spring!

Hallelujah! Spring has arrived! The season of new life and rebirth! I can only hope winter died a slow and painful death. Farewell Old Man Winter! I wish I never knew you!

Welcome sweet springtime!

Red Riding Hood

In honor of Abby's stellar performance last weekend, I thought the following cartoon was worthy of posting.It's not hilarious, but enough for a smile or a chuckle.

California here THEY come

Abby is graduating from high school in a few months and she has been talking all year about taking some sort of Senior Trip. Several ideas have been floated, but none have materialized. Last weekend, Tami and Abby started toying with the idea of going to Florida to visit my mom, the snowbird. Abby wasn't thrilled with that idea because she's been to Florida several times and wanted to go someplace she'd never been before. With it being her Senior year, we wanted to give her something special. So, where are Tami and Abby traveling? Well, hold on to your hats, folks. Tomorrow they are hopping in the car and driving to CALIFORNIA. That's right. More than 2,000 miles one way. My brother-in-law lives in a beach house in Laguna Beach, California. Laguna Niguel is south of Los Angeles and not too far north of San Diego. I've seen photos. The house is gorgeous and sits right on the beach. The entire area is gorgeous. The weather is perfect this time of year too.

Abby has never been to California and has ALWAYS wanted to go. She has an interest in show biz and wants more than anything to visit Hollywood (which is in the plans). They are going to go to the Hollywood Walk of Fame and may even see Will Ferrell get his star. They may even "people watch" and hope to see some famous celebrities (not my cup of team, but hey, it's not MY trip). Other plans include time on the beach and swimming in the blue, blue Pacific Ocean, sight seeing in Los Angeles and San Diego and just relaxing in the hot tub on the deck overlooking the ocean. And just think about the scenery Abby will encounter as they drive all the way across the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Meanwhile I will hold the fort here at home and keep my nose to the grindstone. I have to work and could never take that kind of time off school. I am glad they are going, but I have never been away from Tami for such a long time. I will miss them both terribly, but I will certainly survive. Please pray for them as they travel such a long way across the United States. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Doing more with less

I would never be so snooty to think that the teaching profession is the only one that has problems or has fallen victim to difficult economic times. Every job out there has experienced change and has stress caused by budget shortfalls. But Because I only know about the field of education, that's the only one I feel qualified to speak to. In 25 years, I've seen my share of changes to public schools. Most notably is the reduction in the number of individuals used to staff a school building. Bureaucrats will tell you they merely trimmed the fat. They will tell you schools had far too many staff members and it is a luxury that simply can no longer be afforded. As a teacher I will tell you that's NOT the case. Our school has been cut to a bare bones staff. No teaching assistants (in the past these people have offered tremendous support to all teachers). A part-time nurse, part-time librarian, part-time art, music and gym teachers etc... In short, teachers are now asked to do so much more, but are given far fewer resources than before. Bottom Line- Teachers are now doing more with less. This is not a complaint, but a simple observation and statement of fact. It's just the way life goes. You deal with circumstances as they are thrown at you. However, the big deal is this--- the government still demands results. They put more and more on your plate, give you less support than ever before and threaten punishments and sanctions if you don't deliver. No pressure there, eh?

This picture says it all:

Row faster doggone it!

A serious post

I don't make many serious posts on this blog. It's light-hearted and fun most of the time. However, sometimes terrible things occur that demand a mention in this space. A murder occurred in St. Bernard over the weekend. This is particularly distressing because this is the small town where I grew up and the place where I teach. In fact, the homicide happened only 3 blocks from the front door of my school. I don't fear for my own safety, but it is certainly an indication of what the area is like where I teach. This is definitely NOT the same town in which I grew up. The area has been in a constant state of decline and this crime is an indicator of that.

Here's the news story. I'm sure it's a developing story and I will report more as I know it.

The suspicious death of a St. Bernard man has been officially ruled a homicide. Carl Engel, 73, was found dead in the home on Greenlee Avenue Sunday afternoon. A concerned neighbor called police to say he couldn't get in touch with Engel and a basement window was broken. St. Bernard Police Lt. Bill Ungruhe said that investigators believe the death occurred overnight. Investigators haven't said how they think he might have died.

Regrets

We've all said things we regret. We've all said things we've needed to apologize for later. Here's my apology. Winter does crazy things to a person.

As spring approaches I just want to say:

It's all over!

That's it. The end of Abby's high school acting career. Into The Woods wrapped today and Abby sadly said goodbye to her high school stage. It was quite the weekend. Each performance nearly 3 hours long. Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Sunday's performance was followed by a dinner out with family. We are all thoroughly exhausted after this bittersweet weekend.

Bravo, Abby!

Into the Woods

Last night was opening night for Abby's senior musical. East Central High School is performing a delightful version of "Into the Woods". It's a really good show and it involves a lot of kids. I have to say how pleasantly surprised I was at the talent level of the kids and how entertaining the performance really was. Most of the leads sang well and on pitch (unusual for high school kids). The scenery was the best I've ever seen for a high school and the high school orchestra was surprisingly adequate. Honestly, I expected less, but I was wrong and for once I didn't find myself glancing at my watch every few minutes.

Abby's role of Little Red Riding Hood is one of four or five lead roles. I knew the part was big, but it turned out to be even bigger than I expected. And let me tell you, her performance was amazing and unbelievable. I am not just saying that because I'm a proud dad (which I am), but because I know a little something about high school theater. I was an actor in high school plays myself and Abby's portrayal of Little Red blew out of the water anything I ever did (and I had lead roles myself). I'm kind of a tough nut to crack when it comes to amateur theater and I came away totally impressed. Abby has worked hard and has really developed into quite the actress. She has come a long way in four years and her dedication and effort has paid off in this culminating role of her high school acting career. All I can say is Bravo, Abby! Bravo! I am looking forward to the remaining two performances and will be sad for her when it's all over. I know the feeling of finality when that last curtain drops and you realize you will never perform on a high school stage again. Tomorrow will be a bittersweet day for all of us.

Thanks for making your Daddy proud, Little Red.

Mick the mechanic

A few weeks ago I noticed I had a headlight out on my car. Fearing a costly citation, I wanted to replace it ASAP. I picked up a replacement bulb, watched a Youtube instructional video (thank goodness for the internet!) and installed the new bulb. Not being the handiest guy in the world, the installation was not without its snags, but all in all it went pretty well. A few days later, Michael informed me he had a headlight out on his truck. He asked if I'd help install the replacement bulb. I agreed to help (and I use the word help lightly). Michael did most of the work and again, the job was not without its difficulties. Car companies do not exactly put things where they can easily be reached. Basically you have to be a contortionist to reach the area on the car you need to work on. As Michael was struggling with the replacement project, I heard him mutter, "I should have taken it to a mechanic!". I took this as a cue to teach my son a valuable lesson. A replacement bulb is $10. As difficult as the job may be, it's worth the time to stick with the job and do it yourself. To take a car to an auto shop for a headlight would be foolish. First you'd pay more than $10 for the bulb and then you'd pay outlandish labor costs. In the end, Michael completed the job and was happy the only money he paid was for the bulb. That's the end of the story, right? Nope! A few nights later, I noticed a headlight was out on Abby's car. Holy cow! Three headlights on three different cars in the span of a couple of weeks! Weird. So, in the interest of safety for my youngest driver I wanted to get the bulb replaced as soon as I could. I made a trip to NAPA on my way home from work, watched another instructional video and was ready to make quick work of this seemingly simple task. Notice I said SEEMINGLY simple. As is usually the case with me and auto repair, nothing is ever easy. Try as I might, I could not get the old bulb out of the socket. I depressed the tab that was supposed to release the bulb. No success. I twisted, turned, pushed, pulled, yanked and pried the bulb. Nothing was working. Finally in frustration and heeding the lesson I had attempted to teach my son mere days earlier, I got a screwdriver and "forced the issue". With a virtual explosion of plastic and glass, the bulb was gently coaxed out of its socket. Great! It's all downhill from here, right? NOPE! A quick look at the new bulb and the old socket revealed the geniuses at NAPA had given me the wrong bulb. No problem. It's just a minor bump in the road. Just run to NAPA and make an exchange for the correct bulb. Easy, right? Wrong again! By this time, NAPA had closed for the evening. UGH! Now what? Enter Auto Zone! Thankfully they were open later than NAPA and I was able to get the correct bulb. Finally the job was done and Abby had a new headlight.

I am no mechanic. I will never win the handyman of the year award. However, as I grow older, I am trying to learn more skills that will allow me to fix things myself. So far, I know this: Righty tighty, lefty loosey. It hurts when your thumb gets in the way of the hammer. Measure twice and cut once. If you cut a piece of wood too short, it will still be too short if you cut it again. I know how to check a car's oil and I know how to replace a headlight. My skills are extremely limited, but I'm working on it.

Conferences

I have parent/teacher conferences tonight and next Thursday. My school conducts conferences four nights per year. I am in my 25th year of teaching and this means the upcoming conference nights will be my 99th and 100th. I don't know why numbers like this interest me, but they do. It boggles my mind to think that I have worked through a hundred nights of meeting with parents. Each conference night is about 4 hours long. Over 25 years that's 400 hours, which works out to roughly 50 school days. I've spent the equivalent of 50 work days meeting with parents. It sure seems like a lot when I put it in those terms.

MARCH!

With our recent bout of warm weather, I hope this is not the case this year...

Nag Nag Nag

I have a wonderful marriage. I have a beautiful relationship with my wife who also happens to be my best friend. She is quite simply the best thing that ever happened to me. Obviously we have disagreements and differences of opinion, but we always work things out with love, respect and communication. When we want something, we never feel the need to force our will on the other. We discuss the matter and come to a mutual decision. We certainly don't have a perfect marriage (nobody does), but I challenge you to find a better one than ours.

Tami and I enjoy watching TV shows that feature the funny side of marriage. We especially enjoy Everybody Loves Raymond and The King of Queens. However, these shows are not realistic. They depict a woman who is much too pretty to be with her less-than-dashing husband. The wife is depicted as the one in the marriage who does all the work and makes all the smart decisions. The husband is depicted as a bumbling idiot who only wants to watch sports on TV and shirk all his marital and parental duties. In these shows the wives have to nag their husbands to fulfill any semblance of his responsibilities. Again, these shows are fictional. These shows are entertaining because they represent things married couples deal with, but they certainly are not documentaries. These shows are funny because we, as a married couple can relate to issues such as finances, in-laws, children, shared household chores, aging parents and intimacy.

Marriage is a God ordained institution and it is a gift the Lord has given to mankind. It is sacred and deserves to be cherished.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.

Ephesians 5:25

And I will leave you with this chuckle:

Hungry Students

Students coming to school hungry has been an issue since I began my teaching career 25 years ago. There were always those students who came to school without eating breakfast. This happened despite public schools offering free and reduced price breakfasts to eligible students. The schools also offered breakfast at full price to students who were not needy. Some students also ate breakfast at home. No matter what the case, all children were given the opportunity to have a good breakfast before the school bell rang.

25 years later nothing has changed. All students still have the opportunity for breakfast no matter what their family financial situation is. Why all this talk about students and breakfast? Because I have recently noticed an increase in the number of students complaining of being hungry. The exchange usually goes something like this:

Student: Mr. Meyer, I'm sick. My belly hurts. Can I go see the school nurse?

Me: Did you eat breakfast this morning?

Student: No.

Me: Why not?

Student: I dunno.

And there you have it! In most cases, the student is not sick at all. He/she is hungry. I guess I shouldn't be surprised in this day and age students are coming to school hungry. Given all the opportunities to get a good breakfast, it would seem breakfast would be the least of their worries. This is not the case at all. This is a problem I deal with many times every day.

You might think the solution is easy. Keep some simple breakfast foods in the classroom (granola bars, dry cereal, Pop-Tarts etc...). That's not as easy as it sounds. First, I'd go broke providing breakfast food to many students a day. Second, the students who did have breakfast whine that it's not fair some students get to eat in class. They view this eating as a "snack" and not a necessity for someone who had no breakfast. You can probably imagine how it would sound:

Student: Hey! Why does Johnny get a Pop-Tart?

Me: Johnny didn't have breakfast and you did.

Student: So what! I want a snack too!

Me: You had breakfast. Johnny didn't.

Student: That's not fair! Why does Johnny get a snack and not me?

Me: It's not a snack. Johnny didn't have breakfast.

Student: I don't care! I'm still hungry. I want a Pop-Tart too!

Me: No. You can't have one.

Student: Why not?

You get the picture, right? It's not as simple as providing food for kids who didn't eat breakfast (even if I could afford it). It opens lots of cans of worms in the classroom. I won't get into expectations of teachers as elated to their instructional time and how dealing with the basic need of food can interfere. Suffice it to say our "time on task" as teachers is highly scrutinized. All I can tell you is this. There are more and more students coming to school hungry and it causes real problems and I honestly don't know what the solutions are.

Ventura Highway

The temperature eclipsed 50° today, but it may as well have been 85°. At least it FELT that way. After the brutal month of February and the rough beginning of March this 50°+ day felt like spring. I know spring doesn't arrive for another couple of weeks, but with temperatures forecasted to be above 50° all week, it seems like it's already here. I was so pumped with the warmth of the day that I opened my sunroof on the way home from work. The sun was shining and the air was warm and pleasant. Where do I sign to get more of this?

The only thing missing today was hearing one of my favorite warm weather songs. "Ventura Highway" by America puts me in a really good mood every time I hear it. It just reminds me of driving down an open road with the windows and sunroof open, the warm wind blowing into the car and an all around good feeling about what's coming. Here's the first part of the song:

Chewing on a piece of grass
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air

See what I mean? Just look at these lines... This town don't look good in snow. Ventura Highway in the sunshine. Where the days are longer and the nights are stronger. Free wind blowin' through your hair, days surround your daylight and no despair. It sure does paint a pretty picture, doesn't it? I'm not sure about alligator lizards in the air though. I have never known what that line means and I just accept it because I like the rest of the song so much.

I really felt like I was driving down the Ventura Highway today.

Into the Woods

For those interested, Abby's play, Into the Woods is coming up this weekend. Friday, March 13, Saturday, March 14th and Sunday, March 15th. It's hard to believe this is her last high school performance.

Breakfast in bed

I laughed harder than I should have...

Little Red!

Next weekend, Abby will star in her final high school play. She will portray Little Red in East Central High School's production of "Into the Woods".

Here she is in her costume:

Record Low

It's March 6th and we set a record low temperature for this date. Zero degrees, people. Zero blasted degrees!

Hopefully this is the last gasp of winter. For as cold as today is... temperatures will soar to near 60 by next weekend. I guess you could say spring is right around the corner. Yes... yes... it's true. There it is... spring right around the corner.

Off Again

I'm off school again today. The snow just keeps on coming. I don't think there's anything left to be said. I'm done!

Snow Divide

Old Man Winter is showing no mercy. He’s kicking us while we’re down. Tonight and tomorrow could bring the worst storm of the season. Memo to Old Man Winter… It’s March! You shouldn’t be doing this!

You know, I spend a lot of time lamenting the cold, snowy weather. Much of it is in jest, but there is a part of me that pines for the warmth of spring. My biggest complaint about the snow is that it is keeping me from seeing my grandchildren. Several weeks ago we were supposed to keep them all night, but those plans were cancelled due to heavy snowfall. Last week we were scheduled to keep them for a few hours in the evening and those plans were cancelled because of snow as well. Tomorrow plans with my grandchildren may be affected for the THIRD time due to snow. I can handle bad weather, but when it starts messing with plans to see my grandchildren, things get serious. I don’t like anything coming between those precious babies and me.

Swimming Upstream

If it wasn't so sad, I'd laugh hysterically.

At school we are in the midst of state of Ohio standardized testing. Sadly these tests are what the state uses to measure the success of all students and the effectiveness of all teachers (regardless of socio-economic status or any other factor that may influence the education of children). So, with that in mind, you can probably imagine how seriously teachers take these tests. Today was the first of three sections of the reading test (my particular subject). The amount of time given for today's test was 75 minutes. One student finished in 10 minutes. One student finished in 15 minutes. One student finished in 20 minutes (and he fell asleep during the test to boot). Two others finished in 25 minutes and more than half were finished after 30 minutes. To do the test properly, the students should have taken 50-60 minutes minimum. So, my effectiveness as a teacher is measured by these students who are putting forth no effort on this high stakes test.

And to make matters worse... The state of Ohio (in its infinite wisdom) has scheduled a statewide tornado drill for tomorrow morning. Please tell me how in the world the state could have a statewide drill during testing week. Is anybody in Columbus paying attention? Sheesh!

And you wonder why I am exhausted at the end of the day? Swimming upstream all the time takes its toll on a guy.

The Lion and the Lamb

No, this is not a biblical post. It's true that Jesus is the Lion of Judah and the spotless Lamb of God, but this post is much shallower than that. it's about the month of March. We all know the saying: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Whoever came up with this old adage sure knew what s/he was talking about. March has certainly come in like a lion. And I am certainly looking forward to it going out like a lamb. Some lamb-like weather would be a welcome change to what we've been through the last 5 or 6 weeks.

The Dress

I'm sure you've seen it. THE dress. The one that has caused the internet to lose its collective mind. Is it blue and and black or is it white and gold? Apparently it's different for everyone. Some see a blue and black dress while others swear it is white and gold. What about you? What do you see? I can tell you I always see blue and black and Tami always sees white and gold. It's just crazy.