California vs. Florida

It's hard to believe that it's been almost 15 years since I moved to California from Florida.

Things I Miss About Living in Florida

• Cuban food
• Sweet tea & Sonny's BBQ
  
• Lightning storms (when I'm safe inside)
• Seeing all the Dolphins games on TV
• Having my extended family close by
• 85 degree ocean water. In December.
• No income tax!
  

Things I Do Not Miss About Living in Florida

• Mosquitoes and lovebugs
• Humidity
• Lightning storms (when I'm NOT safe inside)
• Hurricanes
• Churches where it's still frowned upon for women to wear pants
• Skylines where the garbage dump hills are the tallest hills until Georgia
• Boring coastlines

Currently reading: Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

Swim Update

Well, I'm struggling to improve my freestyle stroke, but apparently I have a perfect (albeit slow) breaststroke.  I like that one much better as it's much more peaceful (not a lot of splashing) and slower.  Also, it's harder and I feel like I'm getting a better workout.

Friday's lesson was canceled because of a problem with the water (ew). 

I'm really excited to watch the Olympics this year since my junior-year RA from Azusa Pacific, Bryan Clay, is a favorite for the decathalon.  Bryan won silver in the 2004 Olympics and I'm hoping he gets gold this year. 

This weekend: Winchester Mystery House with Megan and Jill and the San Jose Jazz fest!

Currently reading:
Serve God, Save the Planet by J. Matthew Sleeth

Swim Lesson, Day 1

I loved swimming when I was a kid.  I just hated swim lessons.  I couldn't float very well, and this was during the years of my coke-bottle glasses, so I was blind as a bat and often swam out of my lane or in the wrong direction (not kidding).  I remember locking myself in the bathroom at home before it was time to leave for the pool, crying and begging my mom not to make me go.  I also remember hanging onto the side of the pool during lessons, pretending I was asleep so the teacher wouldn't make me swim when it was my turn.  I don't know if she really thought I was asleep, or if she just didn't want to deal with me, but sometimes it worked!

Consequently, I never was a strong swimmer.  This never really bothered me much since I rarely went in the water as I got older.  I've had issues with my back and feet since I was pretty young, and doctors always recommended swimming to help it.  But I never gave it serious thought since Salinas has gross pools and cold weather.  Then two years ago, my uncle drowned in the off the coast of Florida.

My uncle had serious health issues that contributed to his drowning (and he wasn't wearing a life jacket), but that's when I started to seriously think about becoming a stronger swimmer.  I still wasn't willing to brave the Salinas pools, but when I saw that a pool near my apartment in San Jose was offering a two-week session at a decent price, I signed up.

I was a little nervous, worried that I would utterly humiliate myself.  But my fears disappeared once the other student (it's just two of us) stated that he could never figure out how to breathe through his NOSE while swimming.  At least I know that when you take a breath, you use your MOUTH!  I actually enjoyed the class, and the instructor really gave me some great things to work on.  Apparently I've been kicking underwater my whole life, but you're supposed to have your legs at least break the surface.  Who knew?  Also, I guess my arm sort of stops mid-air when I take a breath.  Ha- I'm sure that's funny to watch.  So I'm working on keeping my arms moving continuously.

I'm already sore from one lesson, but it's a good sore!  I'm looking forward to the rest of the week.  My goal for the class is to be able to swim a decent enough freestyle that I could join a gym and go for lap swim without looking like a total klutz.  We'll see...

July update

It's been about a month since I last posted so I figured I'd post a brief update.

I've been working at my new job for about a month now. It's been nice to start during the summer school session so I can ease into things. Most of my colleagues are on summer vacation, so I've only met a few people but they are all very helpful and very welcoming. One of my (three! woo hoo!) assistants worked with me during my first week on the job. After that, she went on her summer break along with my other two assistants. I'm sure I've spent a lot of time figuring out answers to questions they could have told me, but their absence has given me the chance to ask questions of other staff and faculty and get to know them better.

I'm still checking out local churches. I spent the last two weekends in Salinas since my grandmother was visiting, so I'm looking forward to getting back to visiting churches here in San Jose. I found one I really like, but it's about a 30-minute drive. I'm not sure how involved I could get with a place that far away. Hopefully I can find another one that's a little closer.

I know I promised pics of the apartment, but I'm still trying to save a bit more money before I furnish the rest of it. I still have unpacked boxes and blank walls. I'm working on it...

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks since I'll be having visits from a few friends and my brother and the band will be in town for a show.

Oh, and I finally got the book I blogged about awhile ago: The Dumbest Generation. Couldn't make it through the first half. Too boring- just a bunch of summaries of research studies. I guess I fit the author's stereotype of people under the age of 30 with a short attention span. :)

Currently reading:
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Perfumes: The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez

Pennies or Plastic?

AT&T wants their money. Today I received a bill from them for a whopping $0.04. Yes, you read that correctly- 4 cents. Apparently, they over-credited me way back in February and they want what is rightfully theirs. They are willing to spend $0.42 in postage plus ink and paper in order to get their $0.04 from me.

I'm debating between sending them four pennies in the mail or using my credit card (and making them eat the credit card fees all companies pay). Help me decide by voting in the poll below

It's a good week

It’s a big week for me and my family.

On Saturday, I found an apartment in San Jose. It’s a beautiful one-bedroom apartment and less than two miles from work, so I’m super stoked about it. Can you say walk-in closet?! It also has a washer/dryer inside, so for the first time in two years I won’t have to haul my laundry down the stairs to a Laundromat or my parents’ house. (Good thing, because my apartment is on the 3^rd floor and there are no elevators!).

Tuesday is a big day for my brother and Say No More. Their album, What You Thought You Knew, is making its in-store debut. That’s right- you can now walk into Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Sam Goody, FYE, Borders (I don't know why two of these stores says the album has explicit lyrics- it does not) and buy their album. If you want one you better go get one before I go buy them all. If you see me walking around Best Buy showing the album to everyone in the store (“That’s my brother!”), you’ll know why.

And finally, Wednesday is my parents’ 25^th wedding anniversary. That’s a big deal these says and worth mentioning.

Are We Part of the "Dumbest Generation?"

This morning, an article posted on School Library Journal.com caught my eye. The author, school library guru (and one of my professional heroines) Joyce Valenza , talks about a book reviewed in today’s New York Times. Like the Valenza, I have not read or even seen the book, but the title has made me think. The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30), by Mark Bauerlein, apparently discusses how today’s young people are “dumbed-down” and superficial, largely due to all the technology in which they are fluent. While conceding that "social networking enforces some negative behaviors," Valenza counters Bauerlein's ideas in what I think is a spot-on analysis of technology and youth culture. I think anyone who works with youth (educators or otherwise) will appreciate what she has to say. Read her article at http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/890026489.html?nid=3714

Here comes the part where I will get on my school librarian soapbox. If you’re not a librarian, teacher, or someone who’s interested in teaching methods, you could probably stop reading now! Bauerlein’s claims only illustrate the need for professional, certified school librarians who teach information literacy (to both students and teachers). The technological tools themselves are not the problem ; rather, it is the way in which they are used. Students who spend hours upon hours randomly searching the internet do so because they have not been taught how to utilize tools that will search and deliver the content for them. Teens who only use MySpace and Facebook for social purposes do so because they haven’t been shown its other uses. This is why it’s such a tragedy that many of California’s school librarians recently received pinkslips. Like it or not, technology is now part of our culture now, and students need guides to help them make sense of it and use it in productive ways.

The good news is that there ARE young people out there who are becoming increasingly fluent in information literacy and are using technology for purposes other than mindless chatting. Since I’m under age 30 (and apparently can’t be trusted, according to the book’s title), I guess I am a part of this group. For example, I did not stumble across Valenza’s article this morning by going to the School Library Journal page. It was delivered to me via my RSS feed that I access in IGoogle. I have several feeds, all delivering me the content I want, without having to visit every individual blog site. Another example is the hundreds of students who get their homework assignments sent to them on their MySpace, Facebook or RSS feeds from their teachers. Or students who post book reviews on YouTube and their blogs, and more. I’d be interested if Bauerlein investigated the thousands of teachers and students who are using social networking technology in wonderful, educational ways before he wrote his book. I guess I should read it!

Two Best Moments

Two favorite work moments this month:

1. A few weeks ago a girl looked at what I was wearing and said, "Ms. Gonzalez, I wish I had your closet." Yes!

2. Today, one of the funniest students I have ever met brought me a printed-out list of her Christmas wish list. She made several dozen copies and hung them up all over campus. Her list included an Easy Bake Oven, an IPod, Candy Land, and $54,000 BMW. Apparently she did this last year and some people actually bought her some of the items. Too funny.

Currently watching : Hope Floats Release date: 14 January, 2003

4 Reasons Star Trek Rules

1. Where else can you be entertained by stories actually based on scientific theory? I understood the basic theory behind time travel by age 10.

2. Ultimate female empowerment- all the chicks on Star Trek are hot AND smart.

3. With all the TV series and movies, you can almost always find something Star Trek to watch on TV.

4. Two words: Captain Picard

I'm particularly enjoying reruns of Star Trek: Enterprise. I don't remember all the episodes like I do Next Generation. Please spare me all the emails & comments pointing out my nerdiness in this blog.

Another Shameless Commercial

Download my brother's band's new song, Long Drive Home. They just put a free single on their MySpace page. Just make sure you still buy the rest of the album when it comes out on Oct 30th. :)

Get the free single from the MySpace player at the Say No More MySpace page.

Currently reading : Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia By Elizabeth Gilbert

It's only September...

and my neighbors have their Christmas tree up. Am not kidding.

Currently reading : The Story of Ferdinand By Munro Leaf Release date: 01 January, 1936

Library Fashion, continued

I stole this from a blog called the.effing.librarian- an effing hilarious blog if I do say so myself. Apparently, a style expert offered to speak at a librarian conference in New Zealand about ways librarians could update their wardrobes. I guess a bunch of the NZ librarians got offended (librarians are always offended about something, according to the American Library Association). Here is a 6 minute video from the New Zealand news about it. Yep, 6 minutes devoted to library fashion (or lack of). Hilarious.

Currently listening : Reba Duets By Reba McEntire Release date: 18 September, 2007

Fred, Cuban pastries, and Tuesday night jazz

I'm pretty stoked about going to L.A. next week. I haven't been in about two years, which seems weird to me. After living there for three years, I was ready to get out. But I've been missing all the variety there lately. This may be my last trip for awhile, because who knows what kind of vacation time or schedule I will have at the new job.

Anyways, I'm excited because I'm finally going to see the infamous house where my brother lives. I'm also salivating at the thought of going to Porto's Bakery in Glendale for some guava & cheese Cuban pastries. Plus, this will be my longest road trip yet with my new car, Fred. Yes, I named it Fred. And of course, I'm stoked to finally visit the Tuesday night jazz restaurant my brother has been telling me about for the last two years.

Currently watching : Hot Fuzz (Widescreen Edition) Release date: 31 July, 2007

Library fashion

I thought it would be a good idea to buy a suit for my upcoming very-important interview. I had visions of buying a sexy, yet professional, perfectly-fitting suit that makes me look authoritative but still young. Apparently they don't stock those kind of suits at the Salinas Macy's. I bought a suit that fits well, but I think I'm going to return it. It ages me about 10 years and makes my shoulders look unnaturally wide. Plus, I can't stand the thought of matching head-to-toe.

Maybe I should just wear this to my interview.

Currently reading :
Listening to Love: Responding to the Startling Voice of God
By Jan Meyers

a new one

've heard all kinds of comments about my appearance in the years I've worked with students. Everything from "You don't look Mexican," (duh) to "You're pretty." Today, while subbing at a middle school, I heard one I've never heard before:

"Ms. G, you have small ears."

Currently watching : Star Trek - Nemesis (Full Screen Edition)

studio update from my bro

My bro's band is still in the studio finishing up their album. Here's a video update from them. My favorite part is when my brother falls off the toy horse at the end.



Currently watching :
The Queen

At least I'm not blogging about gout

I think I broke a toe today.

It's been a bad week for my feet. My podiatrist told me they look like they belong to a professional dancer- a nice way of saying they are really screwed up. (I'll admit that I kind of took that as a compliment seeing as how I used to be obsessed with ballet). I forked over $100 for shoes that supposedly are more supportive. They gave me horrible blisters today.

While I was limping down the cracker aisle in Safeway, trying to prevent my heel skin from touching the inside of $100-piece-of-crap shoes, I noticed my favorite crackers had been moved to the top shelf. Now, being short sometimes has it advantages. I never have to worry about wearing heels and being taller than the guy I'm dating (Actually, the real reason I don't have to worry about that is because I never seem to be dating anyone). I can buy kids' jeans and they are cheaper. But being short is NOT an advantage in the grocery store.

I really wanted this box of crackers. You know them- Vegetable Thins. They were my favorite when I was a kid. I haven't had them in years because I now read food labels and know they contain PHOs (partially hydrogenated oils)- heart attack in a box. But everyone once in a while, I will double check to see if maybe, just maybe, they've removed the PHOs.

I tried standing on my tippy-toes. Still too short. I tried standing on the bottom shelf. Nope. I decided to jump for it. Bad move. My $100 blisters made me hesitant when I came down to land and I ended up jamming my left second toe into the ground. Six hours later, I still can't bend it. And I never got the Vegetable Thins.

Currently Reading: Faith and the City

how to make a librarian smile

One of my 11th grade students said this to me today.

"Before you came here, we had really stupid books. No one wanted to read."

That was probably one of the best things a student has ever said to me. I've worked real hard to revamp our book collection. When I arrived the average date of our fiction books was 1978. Gross. I've pushed it up now to 1995 and what that student said to me was a huge validation for me.

it's enough to make any librarian proud

This is what one of my students said today after looking at some research I helped her find online:

"This is boring. All it has is words."

Funniest moment of the week

Little Hunter Plumb (who is at the beginning stages of being potty-trained) squatting in the middle of the church lobby and yelling, "I toot! I toot!"

That, my friends, is kid-humor at its finest.