Updates in Daba Town

I have been busy lately. When I stopped being as busy I took a break to rejuvenate. So I haven't been commenting on blogs (though I have been reading most of them) and I haven't been posting much other than Quotes from Class.

Here are some things you've missed because I didn't post about them:

Big Things:

• I passed my thesis oral defense (big sigh of relief).
• I turned in the 2nd to last draft of my thesis (bigger sigh of relief).
• My little brother passed his GED test.
• My big brother took care of all his license issues with the state of New Jersey.
• Two nieces/nephews on the way- one due Aug 1, one due Nov 24.

Medium Things:

• I bought my cap, gown, tassel, and hood for graduation.
• David signed up for summer school.
• Lee J (nephew) crawls like a mad man, makes the "d" sound, and stands for long periods of time without falling.
• I have been eating healthy foods and feeling good about it.
• Played catch and hit some softballs with my dad. He says I "still got it."
• Made a baby blanket (star shape through crochet) and I'm almost done making another one (patchwork of knit squares).
• I learned how to make some new things like baby hats.

Small Things:

• Tulips from our roommate to celebrate the thesis accomplishments.
• David found 12 long gray hairs in a section on the back of my head.
• Less than one month of being a student (for awhile).
• Our dryer broke.
• I still want a dog but it might have to wait another year.
• I want a new lens for my camera because I want to get back into photography this summer.
• Haven't read a book in almost a month (no time and using it as motivation to lose weight).

Traditions in Daba Town (part 1)

We have a lot of traditions in Daba Town. Some we established as early as December 2006 (when David and I became an official couple). There are some we try very hard to keep and some we have missed a few times, yet it is still in the back of my mind. We made a rule when we got married: "We're our own family now! We get to make our own traditions!"

Since we have just experienced the massive celebratory season (middle November to middle January) and since we have a couple celebrations coming up, I thought it would be fun to list some of our non-traditional traditions.

• Birthdays- David's birthday is coming up: Birthdays begin with sparkling Welch's grape juice at midnight. They are spent with spouse = slave of birthday spouse. Usually this day includes an expensive restaurant meal (on top of family home-made, birthday person's requested meal some day after actual birthday). Since we are impatient people here in Daba Town, we usually buy expensive presents "for each other" in mid November and call them our "Christmas/Birthday" gifts. By the time birthdays come around, we always like to spend a little more on a small token-ish present, usually a video game.
  
• Valentine's Day- We were very poor for our first couple of Valentine's Days, so we began the $5 limit rule. For Valentine's Day we exchange gifts worth $5 or less. We've decided that after every 5 years of marriage we will add $5 to our gift limit. (David wanted us to start at $50 and work our way down, but he knows we can't afford THAT every year.)
• Thanksgiving- When on our own in Kentucky and working at the movie theater on Thanksgiving, we made the traditional mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, deviled eggs, and pumpkin pie. We also included egg rolls and jalapeno poppers.
  
• Daba Day- January 26th, the average of our two birthdays. We didn't do anything special for Daba Day this year because on that particular day we were really busy with school. This day came about because of the Wii. We thought it would be fun to make a "Mii" character who was the average of both our features. It was just a joke. When they asked for the name, of course we put Daba, but then it asked the birthday and we realized Daba needed a special day! Why put our anniversary when we can come up with another day to make special- another "excuse" to have fun? Thus the average of our birthday became a Daba Town holiday. Sometimes it is celebrated with a date or just making time to spend together at home, but we always say "Happy Daba Day!"

To be continued... but... What are some of your non-traditional traditions?

First Day of Finals

This week is finals week. Always a week of stress and little sleep. Perhaps this is an example:

Today I was walking down the hall toward my office five minutes before the first final. I passed a girl sitting in the hallway. She said, "Good luck." She was very friendly and smiled.

Smiling, I said, "I'm not taking a final. I'm a teacher. But thanks anyway."

She explained why she made the assumption that I am a student. I smiled and said thanks again, then walked into my office.

I found it humorous. I hope she does better on her finals than she did in the hall... that is... assuming she is a student who has finals this week.

Math Trig Wheel / Lazy Susan

Ashley was doing some of her many arts and crafts this summer while I was visiting her in Lincoln City, OR. She wood-burned and painted a Lazy Susan for her husband's relative and had an extra one. I told her that I always wanted a wheel that converts radians and degrees but that I wanted it color coordinated for when I teach trigonometry someday (color coordination makes it easy to memorize). Well we both got brainstorming and I listed exactly what to put where, which colors for the degrees/radians parts, and a bunch of other trig-related concepts like special triangles and "SOH CAH TOA." Right away Ashley jumped on my suggestions and came up with this masterful wheel that has an application problem, three major concepts, and the conversion wheel all in one. It is beautiful and functional! I cannot wait until I get to use this wheel in the classroom! Thanks Ashley!