A hint of Iowa blogs to come!

My two favorite things about Iowa: My family and wild bunnies everywhere!

I want to make the world a better place...blah blah blah

My husband called in the middle of the work day today. He NEVER calls me in the middle of the work day. I'm thinking something bad has happened to his car or his job. Nope. He had his review today out of the blue. He was promoted and got a raise. Most competant people do and is nothing new to all of us. Here's the kicker....his yearly increase was half my yearly income! It was a 25% raise!!! Now I am not telling you this to brag (otherwise I'd actually put up the numbers), I'm telling you this in disgust. I'm thrilled for him and hope this means a Disney trip next year and every year following. However I've spent half my summer taking courses, planning new science lessons for the district and trying to learning new math, phonics, computer and test taking programs to teach next year. Do I get a bonus? No. Do I get a promotion? No. I get a 2% raise after fighting for it and even fighting for my job. I enjoy teaching, but for a 25% raise I'd find a way to enjoy sitting in a cubical. Of course, one more raise like this one and I may not have to worry about working at all (I wish). Word of advice to all those who haven't settled on a career: find something you enjoy doing that will ALSO make you a ton of money. You can't live on "doing good for others".

Disney News: See above about Disney trips. Also saw the first preview for High School Musical 3. More importantly, I heard the music. Director Kenny Ortega has done it again! I think it will be a box office smash!

They grow up so fast.

The ducklings are getting big. We also have 2 turtles who have joined the wildlife. I knew they were in the pond but we've never seen them before. Rick has named them the Slowskis from the Comcast commercials. It's easier to observe all the wildlife when you're home all day. Rick says I have to go back to work in September anyway.

Disney News: High School Musical: Get in the Picture TV series debuted on Sunday. It's like American Idol except the judges offer helpful advice if you don't make it to the next round. The winner gets to be in HSM3 (I assume this show was taped last fall since HSM3 finished taping in May) and get a recording contract with Disney records. It's really cute. Check it out Sunday at 8pm on ABC.

BABY DUCKS!

That's right! For the first time in almost two years we have sighted four baby ducks with their momma right outside our back door. On Thursday night Rick suddenly got up, ran to the door and said, "Baby Ducks!" I ran to open the door and go out on the deck as Rick got the camera. There they were toddling along the bank of the pond being pushed behind by mom. They moved too fast so we did not get a picture. However, when I came home yesterday I saw them again. I grabbed the camera and ran around the block to get a better view. There is nothing cuter than baby ducks! As a bonus, the blue herring was fishing in the pond as well. The momma and babies walked along the bank. Then mom swam over to the island. The babies did not swim, but did a really fast walk on water and scooted over to the island as well. They even stayed on the rock island, which is right behind our house, long enough for Rick to see them. Now I know we sound strange, but the ducks are like our pets since we can't have any. We've been waiting and waiting for babies and here they are! It's the closest I'll come to being a Grandma!

Disney News: All this excitement happened after I came home from seeing Wall-e....again! It was an excellent day.

Wall-E the environmentalist

Disney has made many some what undesirable characters into our favorite personalities: a mouse, a bear, monsters, bugs and now a robot. Wall-e is endearing! He's a robot of few words and yet gets his message across perfectly through actions. For example, when his girlfriend Eve (or Eeee-vaaaa) appears to be incapassitated, he shelters her from the rain and dirt, makes her pretty with Christmas lights and tries to save her from the ship who takes her away. Shouldn't we all do that for each other? It's does have a hit-you-in-the-face environmental message which Disney was worried about. It protrays people in the future as fat slobes who float around in lazy boy chairs and have polluted the earth so badly that they can't go back until life (a plant in this case) is substainable. While most will disassociate themselves from these characters, some will find it a scary look int the future and maybe start cleaning up their act. I know I will (of course I'm susteptable to all Disney brainwashing anyway). Go see it! I'm going again tomorrow. Check out the real Wall-E roaming around LA in my youtube clip over there -------> Note for all those who buy me presents: I want one!

P.S. There is a trailer for Madagascar 2 before Wall-E where the navy seal-like penguins fly a plane. I will break my Disney animation only rule and go to see the penguins. Come on, penguins flying a plane?!?!?!? Even Rick found it hilarious!

A marriage made in Disney!

Four years ago yesterday Rick and I were married in (where else) Disney! Every year we watch the wedding video which is only half an hour long. Every aspect of the wedding was Disney from our picture taken with the castle in the background to our wedding certificate being signed by Mickey and Minnie. An hour and a half after our wedding we were in Epcot. Four year later Rick bought me a Mickey fountain that sits on our deck. I married the most tolerate man on the planet. He's happy to make me happy as long as the Disney stuff stays out of Manada. So I would just like to say I love you hunnie....even more than Mickey himself.

P.S. Four more days of school!

Bring on the heat!

I'm a princess. Shocking I know. Last summer we found it difficult to keep the house cool because we couldn't put an A/C in any windows per the condo association. We bought a portable A/C for the bedroom. I also bought one for the 2nd floor loft which is attached in a uninsulated room. There was no way to cool the main den/kitchen area without cutting a hole in the wall and installing an A/C there. So I offered to pay for the A/C if the landlords would pay for the hole. $300 dollars and 15,000 btus later, I am cool this weekend. All hail, modern conveniences...and the princess.

Of course, that won't help tomorrow as I sit in a 2nd floor classroom of a school built of roasting cinder blocks with 17 second graders melting into puddles who'll look at me pleadingly as if there's something I can do. Sorry, kids. No one wants to practice cursive while becoming human goo, but it must be done. 14 days to go!

Disney News: NASA took Buzz Lightyear up in the Discovery space shuttle last weekend as part of their Toys in Space program. It just so happens this coincides with the opening of the ride Toy Story Mania at WDW. Who else but Disney could tie a ride opening and a space shuttle lunch together?