I sit here tonight thinking of all that is currently happening in my life.
I think about my writing.
I love to write; however, you probably already know that, and I try to get my students to love writing, too.
Did I ever mention that I carry a small notebook with me wherever I go?
I probably have. I have about fourteen of them. Some are filled to capacity with single lines, random thoughts, and even lone words. Others are jammed with pages of thought that came to me at one time like the rushing of summer wind.
I will sometimes peruse through these books and recall the time in which I penned these reflections down. Some of the events are exultant, whilst others are despondent.
It all depends, really.
I was wondering…do you carry a notebook around with you? What type of things do you enjoy writing and/or reading about?
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It’s so strange, the feeling that a song can evoke. The memories it brings back of days passed.
It’s funny that I sit here working and a Christopher Cross song, “Sailing,” came on my random list of music via iTunes. As the opening sound of violins reverberated through the speakers, I was transported back into a far simpler time in my life.
It was a nice escape from all of the things currently vaulting about me, the tasks screaming to be completed, bills waiting to be paid as they sit surreptitiously on the counter, and upcoming preparations of my trip to visit my brother.
Always a day late and a dollar short as my dad would say.
I guess I should let you know that I’ve created a new button and added to the Blog Bling page; I probably should have told you about it a month or two ago when I created it, but I didn't.
Also, I should tell you about the old buttons that are still available if someone wanted to be the proud owner of a link.
I should also let you know that Joey still has two choices available.
I should admit that I discontinued a few of the buttons along the way (unless you got any of them back in the day...then they would still work).
I should undoubtedly let you know that I created and added a - well, whatever it's called - that allows you to be able to scan and then follow the Adventures via your mobile device.
Of course, I'm not sure if it actually works or not. I suppose I'll just wait until someone who uses it reports back to me.
As I think of heading off to New York tonight at midnight, I realize that shared little to no photos from my last trip so I'll tell you what, during my next 'cleaning and packing break,' I will make up for this slight oversight.
You know, those who read and are tuned in a regular basis; I guess you could call it my readership.
I recently logged on and found myself a bit bummed to discover that five people dropped me from their subscriptions. Of course, I guess I can’t blame them…life gets so busy and it’s probably hard to keep up with someone who you’ve perhaps never met in real life.
It’s kind of depressing how busy we get; nevertheless, I can fully understand why this might happen.
It appears that several sites are interested in helping me to ‘monetize’ my blog. All I have to do is to put a few advertisements and links on this site allowing you to shop to your heart’s content when you’re finished reading over the various and sundry aspects of my life’s adventures.
Now my friends, what could possibly be the better than this? You could do all of your shopping by wildly clicking away, and I will be raking in the big bucks.
Sounds like the Covey win-win to me.
Besides, you probably won't even notice them...they'll be SO discreet and cleverly situated that they won't deter from the site at all.However, I know that I personally can’t stand when a site has so many advertisements slathered all over it that you can’t even seem to breathe…but hey, that’s just me. YOU on the other hand would probably love it.
After all, what would be better than everything you possibly would never want right at your very fingertips?
Am I right?
Of course I am.
So, here’s to me bowing down to the whims of the corporate dollar and bringing us all closer together.
Okay, maybe no bowing quite yet, but perhaps sometime in the near future…
Until then, enjoy Adventures & Misadventures
of Daily Living ad free for just a little bit longer.
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Did you ever watch Diary of a Wimpy Kid II – Rodrick Rules?
I did.
Now, before you go off and start judging me, remember that I teach 5th grade; I have to keep up on the current slapstick media of the day or I find myself behind the times and can’t drop current pop culture references like the rain in classroom lessons.
Plus the first movie was pretty darn funny.
Remember that particular scene where Greg decides he wants a YouTube video that will go completely viral? He is convinced that if he gets his friend, Rowley, to be a complete dork lip-synching to Ke$a’s TiK-ToK, it will be an Internet sensation—as popular as the falling granny—and make them famous. He also believes that Rowley’s fake fall at the end (and the underwear on his head) will really be the clinchers to fame.
Well, I was thinking to myself the other day…just what is it that makes something go viral? I mean, what is it that causes media to hit society like a shockwave and rise like nothing else?
Well, in doing a little research I learned that going viral it is usually the result of something hilarious, cool, amazing, or completely stupid that is rapidly passed on by a lot of people. Now in the old school days it was usually done by word of mouth; you would tell a neighbor, friend, or family member...or perhaps something would be printed in the paper, or it would show up on the news or was heard on the radio.
Today going viral appears to happen when something is broadcast (perhaps in the same ways as before) but it seems to travel much further and faster through the mediums of social networking…you know, Facebook, twitter, Blogs, email, and that new-fangled Google+ (that new network that we’ve all heard about, probably been invited to, but perhaps haven’t plunged into just yet).
Rebecca Black’s “Friday” is an example of something that went viral. It was a relatively unknown video that showed up on YouTube and then—before anyone really knew what was gong on—it became an Internet sensation. All because of social networking.
Yeah, I hated the song at first, too…but now? Yeah, just like you…I can’t get enough of it—it’s like my own, personal version of crack cocaine; besides, because of it I now know all the days of the week.
Speaking of Friday...I couldn’t sleep this morning, and when I woke up I was struck with the idea that I wanted to go viral.
Well, not really me, myself…but a few of those people I have tucked way in Google Reader.
So here’s what I’m asking.
I know that I don’t have nearly enough cyberspacular clout to try to get any of these folks enough exposure for their blogs, but if there was a post amongst these 8 that struck you, would you be willing to pass it onward? You know, share the love? Send it on to somebody else with the same petition: to send it on to someone else as well?
What I would love is to see each and every one of these people to go viral with their post.
I also just know that revisiting dozens of each of your posts via your blogs in the early of this morning was wonderful.
I was able to reacquaint myself with your lives for several hours via archived posts in Reader and found myself smiling at the reminders of things in your lives; the events that brought you to today, even those events I reread over the months that were sad. I won’t lie about this; some of the hardships you are/were enduring in your lives brought me to the realization that we are all living such varied, exciting, and difficult lives.
Now, please also don’t think anything like, “Man, Teachinfourth didn’t choose anything from my blog, that must mean that he doesn’t like ME.” Far from it. Believe it or not, I read through close to 500 posts this morning all to choose between 5-8 that stood out to me. There were a few others that did as well, and then it came down to narrowing the field.
It was hard.
Your lives are so amazingly awesome.
Please don’t be offended if yours isn’t in this particular grouping; after all, if I could give out medals and awards at the Olympics, everyone would get the gold. However, I guess that would kind of defeat the purpose now, wouldn’t it?
I guess that's why I teach 5th grade...
But, if one of these posts rings a chord with you, would you do a bit to try to help it to go viral?
So, just how could you help it out?
Tweet it
Blog it
Email it
Google+ it
Facebook it
Del.icio.us it
Digg This it
Buzz it
Stumble it
Forum it
Blogher it
Bloghim it
Blogfrog it
I just know that I can’t get something to go viral all on my own, I simply don’t have the power. Also, just know that there was something particular in each of these posts which jumped out to me, but if there was somebody/something else you liked, would you do the same for them instead if you’d rather?
Great, now let’s go viral...and thanks, in advance.
Think Stew - I Had No Idea. A few thoughts on what it's like being a dad.
Gerb - I So Totally Rock, Dude! As an adult - and after having a family of a few kids - Gerb decided to finally learn to swim.
Natalie - Where Sasquatch Really Comes From. What happens after a baby shower, a long ride home, and a discussion with a kid not even in the second grade yet? Yep, it's pretty much all about the hair.
Karen - Shuffled. A an argument on a long drive with an uncooperative iPod.
Kelly - Stages. We all experience moments along the roadway known as life. We all have bumps and - at times - we see the turmoil and wish to pass by it. Maybe we should just hang on to these moments and enjoy them.
Mindee - All You Have to do is Ask. Just why do parents name their kids what they do? She gives some helpful advice in this one.
Wendy - One Dream. Would we really trade the dream for the reality we have?
Everybody loves comments. Everybody loves to see that somebody else has subscribed to his or her blog. Everybody loves to see that they’re being followed (in a totally non-creepy way via Blogger…not in real life by the mustached man driving in a windowless van claiming to have lost his puppy, and that he needs your help so that he can find it...or the man claiming that his real name is Willy Wonka and he has bagfuls of your favorite kind of candy if only you’ll climb into the back of his vehicle to get them).
It was about a year ago that I first challenged my readers to help everyone out there feel the magic of blogging and truly live a little piece of the dream. So, here’s the deal...
I would like to challenge you to do two things with the reading of this post...especially all of you secret lurkers. Heavens, I know that there are over 350 of you out there who subscribe via email, Google Reader, or carrier pigeon (no, I don’t know who you are, your secret identities are safe...I only am appraised of numbers); however you who are of a silent majority...I’m calling you out and asking you do do something totally and absolutely unprecedented up to this point...
I'm asking you to make a comment on this post, indicating that you’ve been here. Then I’m going to ask you to click over to at least threeother blogs via the links in the comments, leaving a comment on a recent post on their sites as well.
Heaven knows we all love to find out that somebody else has read over what we’ve written, and appreciates us for doing it.
Let’s spread a little blogger magic this week, shall we?
By the way, if you’re one of the first few people to comment on this post, return in a few hours/days to check out a few others’ blogs as well…you never know, you just might find your newest favorite blogger—only you never knew that they existed up until now.
To help facilitate this magic moment, comment moderation has been temporarily suspended, probably until...oh, maybe Sunday?
Also, I’ll be visiting everyone’s blogs who leaves a comment to poke around a bit (unless your blog is set to private...you sneaky little devils).
P.S. For those of you who still haven’t reached a point in our relationship where you feel comfortable dropping your cloak of invisibility as of right now, that’s okay, too, Teachinfourth still loves ya...secret insecurities and all. Heck, I’ve got a ton of them myself; maybe one day I’ll blog about the non-creepy windowless van versions someday...
So, for some of you I hope to see you again, for others I hope to meet you for the first time this week.
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Did you know that you could like this blog? Yeah, I figured that you already did because - most likely - you’re pretty savvy like that AND you’re on Facebook, too. But did you also know that you could like Backroads Photography?
Well, if you didn’t know this before, then I just wanted to let you know now…after all, we’re probably friends in the real world and that’s what friends do; and really when you think about it, why shouldn't you like me in the cyberworld as well?
Okay, now go and share this juicy little tidbit with each and every one of your other friends, because these are delicious, just like your favorite something-or-other slathered in butter and cream, and then baked into golden perfection.
I should probably mention that I'm needy, too...but only because we're friends; just don't tell anybody else, okay?
By the way, comments are off for this post...you know, just if you were wondering...
Pin ItThere are times I find myself judging blogs by their header and general layout—the cardinal sin in some of my teacher’s eyes while taking part in my own adolescence.
“Never judge books by their covers, you just might be surprised by what you get.” I can recall several teachers saying—most of them sounding like Mrs. Flickenger, from 7th grade homeroom on the third floor of that worn-out brick, middle school building.
I remember making our weekly excursions to the school library; I’d find myself perusing titles, pulling out a few which sounded interesting, but then putting them back if the cover didn’t look quite interesting enough. Rarely would I give a story a chance if it couldn’t catch my eye long enough for more than a quick once-over.
I find that blogs seem to do the same thing for me. There are those that I give the author a chance with one or two posts, but if the layout doesn’t catch my eye, then I find myself clicking over someplace else.
I found myself on the threshold of decisions this morning as I rolled over and looked at my alarm clock. I blinked unbelievingly at the time displayed: 3:30.
Should I get up or just lay here?
As I stared up at the ceiling fan, a thousand questions rattled about inside my head, like pennies in an empty coffee can. I knew if I were to get up, I would most likely become tired early in the day – probably being spent by lunchtime. This was doubtless not the best alternative when one has a class of 26 rambunctious students, and faced with the likelihood of an inside day if the temperature is too low…
There are times when I have great difficulty in trying to find something to write about. I know that others face this same dilemma from time to time so I decided to put together a list of 101 ideas that may (or may not) help to cure you of your own blogging block.
Write a tutorial – Tell your readers how to do something.
Write a review about someone else’s blog that you like.
Tell about your favorite childhood book and why it means so much to you.
Give advice to someone just starting out in ______________.
Write about what respect means to you.
Write a post where you use as much descriptive language as you can to draw your reader in.
Share wisdom you’ve gleaned over the years (why the sky is blue, why leaves are green, etc.,) You know, give people a little sompthin-sompthin for their ‘gee whiz’ collection.
Talk about an idiom you’ve heard before and what you used to think it meant.
Write a secret.
Share a joke or story to make others laugh.
Write about a narrow escape you had from trouble.
Write about something you’ve done that nobody else has done.
Your first encounter with (or as) a bully.
Write about a time you really put your foot into your mouth.
Write about coping with ________________ (brothers and sisters, headaches, etc.,)
A light dusting of snow coved the sidewalk as I left my home yesterday in the early morning light. In the orange cast of the streetlamp outside my home, the snow glistened like the diamond sands of a California beach. I hefted my things into the car, and at once noticed that the tiniest slivers of silver were still drifting from the heavens, like a child sprinkling glitter over a picture covered in Elmer’s glue.
As I started the ignition and shifted into reverse, it made me think of Pink’s song, “Glitter in the Air.”
I drove to work thinking about blogging.
I recalled a response I made to a fellow blogger’s comment. This particular writer answered back, and it wasn’t long before an email was exchanged several times with additions to the message over the course of two or three days.
It felt wondrously strange. In all truth, I’d never met this person before. I’d never seen them (not that I know of anyhow) not on the streets or at the local grocery. It was peculiar in a way – and yet I felt a kinship to this (and many other) people I’d never had the privilege of meeting in the real world, but instead been introduced to through the medium of blogger.
I think of this method of communication and sharing which did not exist five or ten years ago, and I see what a huge impact blogging has made on this massive world. It has made the boundaries a little bit smaller, the borders not quite as distant, and made certain individuals more personal, more real. It’s bridged a gap, allowing you passage into my little world, and a road for me into yours.
In fact, if we were to meet in some distant (or not so distant) future, I’d probably not call you stranger, but instead take you warmly by the hand as a friend I’d not seen for just a little while.
I arrived at work, stepping out of my car as the silvery glitter still drifted and tumbled lightly in the air like cotton on summer wings.
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Have I ever mentioned that I appreciate you?
Really.
I love reading what you write. I feel that I have come to know many of you over the past few months/years—months in the case of some of you, while it is years in regard to others.
I have been weighing a decision lately. I feel that at the present time it is the best one I could make. This is largely due to the long hours required of being a teacher – more specifically, the hours it takes me. This time is about to go up yet again as I take on the role of remedial Reading and Math instruction with students after school and an extended day schedule this year. Basically, it means leaving for school at 7ish in the morning and not returning home until 6ish or later at night.
I have discovered that I am faced with a choice: I can be a good teacher and have a bit of a life, I can be a good teacher and have no life, or I can be a terrible teacher with a life.
Something has got to give.
You guessed it…I’ve decided to go with blogging. Though this is something that I absolutely love, it is going to need to take a backseat for the time being. Oh, I still plan to write, and I still plan on reading what you’ve got to say, but I realize that I can’t comment on your posts like I had over the summer. I simply cannot do it all without something suffering. I don’t wish to give up my own life as then I’ll have nothing to write about, and I don’t wish to shirk on my responsibilities as an educator—after all, I love my students far too much.
Just know—as some of you have probably noticed over the past week—that I will be commenting much less than I have been…probably not that often for the time being. Just know that I am still reading your words, and will make my presence known every once and again.
Thanks for understanding. My students thank you, too.
Pin ItThe streets twisted and turned through the suburban neighborhoods as I drove past the variety of houses, following the directions preprogrammed into my TomTom device – let’s call her Vicky.
On the seat next to me was the biggest cake wreck I could find. After all, my dad had made it a point to let me know that you never show up to a monumental event like this empty-handed; Faux pas to the infinite degree. So I scoured the bakery department at the local grocery down the street, and found this little beauty…German chocolate with buttercream frosting (and there just might have been some Wookie hair in it too, I can’t really be too sure). A better housewarming gift I could not have preplanned any better.
It was to be a red-letter (not to be confused for a scarlet letter) day for sure; this was the day I finally met Em-Cat, the family of Utah Tib, and the notorious Cheeseboy. What can I say about these three bloggers that you don’t already know? Maybe that they’re amazing? No, I suppose that you already know that.
Curses.
You know, I do find myself in awe at some of the amazing people that are out there, just waiting to be met and work their way into the realm of friendship. I experienced Em-Cat’s sassy mannerisms, Cheeseboy’s awesomeness, and Tib’s views on tapeworms and Rob Thomas (not together, of course). I was even challenged by Ethan to a game of basketball in the front cul-de-sac.
The food was great, and the company was even better. I just wish that I’d have taken more pictures than I did.
It always seems to happen to me. I find a new blog. I’m excited. Then I see that they have somewhere in the vicinity of a thousand posts. I read five or six of them going back. I feel overwhelmed. I give up on the archives and start to read from this point forward with the new posts and will maybe go back and read the archives when I have time. Yeah, like never…
Sound familiar?
In thinking about this dilemma I always seem to encounter, I wonder if others feel this same thing.
Of course you do…
As a remedy, today I read through my previous 722 posts and picked out what I felt was the best of what I’ve written over the past three years. Then, I created a link below the topbar photo which provides additional links narrowed into categories. The link is titled, ‘The Best of Archive.’
In reality, this is just like a Greatest Hits CD, but without the music.
I present to you the following categories:
Humor – Stuff that I thought was funny (or made me smile) when it happened.
Thoughtful – Things that made me think. Deeper stuff.
Favorites – A collection of those posts I just really enjoy.
Moments with Joey – A link to the boy who makes us all smile.
Summit Valley Memoirs - Stories of growing up in the Pacific Northwest.
Taking Better Photos – A link to all of the lessons in one easy click.
You’re welcome.
And since I posted this new page with all of the links, I’ve decided that I will be taking a week off from the blogging scene. This’ll give you a chance to catch up.
So, until a week or so, happy reading. But don’t feel obligated to do so. After all, why read over the best stuff you’ve already missed out on at least once?
It was a great afternoon. Tib brought these, I brought these, and we all had a ton of fun. It was awesome to spend a little time with (and to finally meet) Tib, Stacey, and Rachel.
Addendum: I guess I should have explained this at the outset. It only works if you copy the code after entering in your link and adding the blog hop to your own blog…this in turn gets it out there and it makes it possible for more people to sign up.
Yeah, I am new to this, too.
So, I've never done one of these before.
Mostly just because.
So why now? Well, I guess it's because everybody else is doing it.
My mom once asked me if I'd jump off a cliff if everybody else was doing it.
We’ve never actually met in real life now, have we?
Kind of sad, really.
So here’s your chance to turn cyber stalking and online buddyism into a real-live meeting, and a chance at being friends in the real world.
(Cue deep breath).
One week from tomorrow (June 12th) I have decided that I will be driving up to Draper, Utah and will be having lunch at 1:30 at either the Chuck-A-Rama or Texas Roadhouse; I’d love it if you were there, too. Would you join me? Could we be friends in real life instead of merely acquaintances via the anonymity of the Internet?
That would be awesome.
Please feel free to send me an email if you think that you’d like to attend this particular blogger lunch at teachinfourth@yahoo.
But teachinfourth…what if nobody shows up? Are you still going to go? Would you really eat all alone? Which of the two places will it really be: Chuck-A-Rama or Texas Roadhouse? How will I recognize you?
It’s still okay. Yes. Yes. I don’t know, I guess I’ll let the vote decide, just check out which place it will be when the voting ends at noon on Friday. Look for the guy with the spiky hair and the lack of B.O.
Hope to see you there…and tell you what, I’ll even blog about our meeting.
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Is your website looking down in the dumps? Is it a stark environment that needs a little whip of cool icing to spruce it up? Do you find that your blog is nothing but a bleak wasteland of nothingness? A sterile place that reminds you of time you had to go to the hospital for that procedure?
For a limited time (and all for the price of free) you—yes YOU—can have the patented ‘Blog Bling’ added to YOUR site. That’s right…guaranteed to not only increase the overall aesthetic look, but also the resale value of your blog.* Act now - Blog Bling is currently available in several mouthwatering flavors; there’s sure to be something for even the very pickiest of bloggers.
Don’t be the last on your blogroll to take the plunge and get the bling. You’ll either be a leader or a follower…which will YOU be?
Besides, all cool kids are all doing it.
* Not responsible for direct, indirect, incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect, error or failure to perform in regards to Blog Bling. Avoid prolonged contact with skin and keep out of the reach of children. Use only in well-ventilated area. All warranties are subject to change without notice.
Everybody loves comments. Everybody loves to see that somebody else has subscribed to his or her blog. Everybody loves to see that they’re being followed (in a totally non-creepy way via Blogger…not in real life by the mustached man driving in a windowless van).
So, to help us all feel the magic and live the dream, here’s the deal.
I would like to challenge you to do two things. Firstly, make a comment on this post, indicating that you’ve been here. Then secondly, click over to two others’ sites via the link on their comments, leaving a comment on their site as well.
Heaven knows we all love to find out that somebody else is reading over what we’ve written, and appreciates us for doing it.
Let’s spread a little blogger magic this week, shall we?
By the way, if you’re the first few people to comment on this post, return in a few hours/days to check out a few others’ blogs as well…you never know, you just might find your newest favorite blogger—only you never knew that they existed up until now.
