Twas the Night Before

'Twas the night before school . . . and I'm feeling a bit blue. It's funny, but I get like this every year. I really like my job and I like to think that I'm a good teacher. Yet every year I get those "post vacation blues." So, here I am again at 8:40 pm on the night before the first day of school and I'm feeling a sadness come over me. Okay, I've been feeling it all day (ask Sean, I'm pretty sure he's been tip toeing around most of today). But I need to be thankful. Sean reminded me that I have a job and there are those in this country who have been out of work for some time. I also am reminded that this year I start out with a smaller class size than the past few years. Of course, I work with a fabulous bunch of teachers in a wonderful school. So, on this night before school, I am changing my tune and counting my blessings. Go away blues!

Big Dog

Winter is 8 months old today and around 60 pounds. She has truly become a little beast. Lately she has reverted to some of her not-so-acceptable behavior . . . digging holes in the flower beds, eating my petunias, stealing socks, carrying around the lawn sprinkler, chewing the watering can, chewing open a motor oil can and spilling oil everywhere. But in spite of it all, we love her. We keep saying that she's getting by on her looks. Here are a few new pictures. They prove that she sure is cute and that's why she's getting by. Enjoy!

Link

Happy "coming to america" anniversary, to me.

My mom reminded me earlier this week that we very recently celebrated our 16th year living in the USA. The exact date we arrived here was August 3rd, 1993 - or something close to that anyway. Every year at this time, a few memories glance across my mind as I recall those early days of us moving here.

1. Landing at JFK after a 24 hour flight from South Africa. We stepped out of the plane into the summer humidity, and for some reason the only thing I remember about that moment was hearing the Concorde take off behind us. It sounded like 100 tons of dynamite going off.

2. Seeing my Dad for the fist time in a few months. That was cool.

3. Feeling too tired and jet lagged to really absorb the moment, and the realization that I was in a different country on the planet.

4. MTV - the first season of "the real world" remember?

5. Beavis and Butthead. Funny no matter where you are from.

6. Thinking a big mac was just a huge meal, too much food. Now I supersize em.

7. Remembering that every time I spoke a word, my accent would give me away as a foreign person.

8. Remembering that every time my accent gave me away, I would soon be answering the craziest questions about where I was from.

Top 5 questions asked of a person from South Africa, now living in America.

1: Are your parents missionaries?

2: Are you from Australia?

3: Do you know (so and so) She/he lived in South Africa too!

4. Why did you come to Lancaster County?

5: Are you British?

6: Are there like, Tigers and stuff in Africa?

Here are the answers:

1. No. White people have been living in South Africa for 5 generations. Imagine that.

2. No. If I was from Australia, my name would be Bruce, and I'd be putting shrimp on the "barbee"

3. No. I don't have a clue who you know, or who you are even talking about. When we left, there were 42 million people in the country.

4. Because we just did.

5. No. But they sure do make great breakfast over there.

6. There are no Tigers anywhere in Africa. Tigers live in Asia.

So there you have it. I am now a taxpaying, voting citizen of this great land.

God Bless America.

Sean.