Mike I really like how you described your anticipation for the new fire theft world.

Being a devoted fan to whatever band.....there's just that amazing feeling of finally getting their new stuff!

I downloaded (bandwagon-esquely) the song you guys love. High quality. There's certainly something about that guy.

His lyrics pierce right through to the core. No matter what his intentions, the music combined with his gift in lyrics. Man!

Tonight was a Chowchillian Halloween fright night! Whatever that means. Casey and I helped the FFA collect cans for the needy! We drove the FFA kids around our "assigned parts" of town, and it was a competition betw vans.

Who won other than Sanford, MARY'S VAN! Who ever said my aggressive, yet extremely safe driving with 7 h.s. kids in the van, was useless in this world!

Today I was a pay phone. Casey was truck driver, "Carl Akey", posing as a substitute teacher to his kids. They were scared of him with hair exploding out of his hat.

We'll throw a picture up or over some day!

HI!

Unbelievable evening going on here in Chowchilla USA! A bunch of us teachers decided to stay overnight at the school for a slumber party. We figured we're having so much fun sitting.....and....waiting....and then procrastinating, ..or oh I'll do a lesson plan!

NOT! AND HA! If you believed we would spend the night here. Together? Come on now! We're not from Alaska where they bring a sleeping bag for school district meetings. Wahlah! We're sleeping on the floor.

CRAZY SAVOONGA KNOCK on, rip session!

Yet an interesting life to think about, complete 24/7 adventure and unknown. Even danger....scary. It's all so mystical and inviting, in an African-esque way. I can see why my parents are drawn to Africa. AND ...I can see why Casey is drawn to Alaska.

To take Casey's advice, everyone should live without the wonders of this nation. YUP! Gotta run, parents are here to gab with me about their student.

It's almost 7p.m.14 minutes left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotta love the new pink!

Cats.....though....heh

I finally got my links settled! Thanks mike-o!

P.s. Casey started a blog a few weeks ago, but lost track of it and didn't notify anyone to read it! Trash not needs to come across to that hilarity! HA!

Matt, the new koufax rules! It stinks we can't be at that smoke infested disgusting Howards tonight, with a little koufax beegee style!

Something immediately gross was already hearing "social life" on one of mtv's stupid college crib shows. Why do I watch that s!

Mike stop laughing at my blog link dilemas! jk, ......help!
Tracey, I forgot to mention how much I related to your non-college life depression. Toooooooo old, stop it time!
Amanda! Good to hear from you today! More of that now ya stranger!

Trying it again:

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES!

Hours of just sitting and pretending to do lesson plans, all the while dreaming of doing other things! HA!

Is it wrong to refer to the "daily blog" as my daily newspaper?

It's so relaxing to read about my families lives. Ah to miss a great fam :( Everyday I go down through the bookmarks of blog in my internet "favorites". And after Tracey our newest blogger, I think, "OH STINKO, that's the last one to read today", unless I go on to Andrew or Joel's which are refreshing as well!

So to all who are writing, just know that you make my day with your words and it really is an unseen support blessing from God!

Extra-sentimentality there can be blamed in delight on my Bruce dad. I enjoy cherishing my family! Thanks to my parents, who taught me to love God and my family!

Anyways, Audio Adrenaline crept into my life with a random catch of their newest song. Ocean Floor. Such a cheesy, simple song that reminds us to let Jesus free the guilt.

"They're all behind, they'll never find you......you're sins are forgotten, they're on the bottom...of the ocean floor."

AWESOME! Sometimes you wish you could stop being so retarded or obsessed, worried....or better said sinner. But then reality sets in:

This is a fallen world. I am human. That's how it will be until heaven. Remember that sin, look what you did there, here, ooops, oh...

YET NOooooo to that! AND DUH! Jesus died to clear us of that nature. If you think how huge the ocean is......GIGANTIC!! Really think about it, and the overwhelming power of it! Only God can get to the bottom of it where all our sins may be. But He's not going there!

WOoo to that! --------------Thank you Jesus! -------peace out.

Flugtag, man-made airplanes off Pier 32 San Fran, was pretty funny! We saw about 1/2 of the 40 entries, but it was hard to see the take off the 30 foot (fake) pier AND the landing. The landing was the funniest! A highlight of that event was seeing a gigantic skillet trying to fly off the pier, and a "Bat-man" go for it with just plastic bag, bat wings.

One of the characters, or entry teams, was called "Bruce La Bruce". Whatta great name!

An extra hour! Can't beat that! Chowtown's homecoming = crazy non-existent lesson plans and slop time at escuela!

Today was blur, which is great for a Friday. Mary is listening to an Aimee Mann Christmas song. This Christmas cd I made last season is really good!

We made "mud pie" and nacho cheese dip for the teacher's lounge today. Every Friday someone's suppose to set up a small meal for fun, and for teacher's to pig out! Good times, and everyone was intrigued with the weirdness of my mudd pie creation.

The nacho dip really hit the spot (Casey made it), and thanks mom edwards for the hints!

Mike did you ever finish those three articles in time? Justin, I know what you mean about not wanting anything for Christmas, but then again I was able to come up with several things for peeps to look for.....heh.....small things though! Come on to that credit, sureness!

Dad I liked your blog today! Fun, interesting, informative, fun! And fun!

Matt and trace, I'm sure your weekend is going blastful, check ya in cali later. Tracey has left me with my own rusty math skills to figure out Bob Barker counting down. Um 2 weeks or so.

We're going to watch High Crime, and Changing Lanes tonight. Rented on DVD PEACE OUT!!

This weekend we're going to San Francisco for this Red
Bull (sponsored) human powered aircraft competition.

Something like 40 teams build a craft, bring it to the
32nd pier, and take their turn flying it off the pier
into the now freezing water!

Sounds hilarious to us, and supposedly that's their
draw to it too. On this fun little Saturday "day"
trip, we're also going to find the REI store in San
Jose!

So that is what's on my mind this morning. more later!

"going down to chow town....chow's a friend to me"........the kook who rewrote that entire song gets the best blog award for the day!

Today after the cheers of 6th period being over, I was running from my main classroom (one of four,YES!) to the gym. Then one of my students was like, "why are you running?" With a hint of sarcasm, humph about it.

It hit me too........when have "I" really ever seen one of my teachers running. Also, I remembered Casey saying, "I saw Lori (our school secretary) running the other day....it was weird." Yet, I thought, why is a secretary running weird....she seems young and fit enough, I presume.

Seriously, think about like Jim Barth or George Loper running? Mr. Keller at BGHS or Mrs. Rucker or Mrs. Klein. And did we ever see our gym teachers run? No, we didn't.

The clincher for me now was when I actually did the C-H-O-W-C-H-I-L-L-A, R-E-D-S-K-I-N-S, synchronized jumping jacks with my gym class!

There were snickers from some of the peeps, in shock at the weird movement of their teacher.

It IS true, teachers moving more than a normal stride walking across the room, or chalk movement of the arm......it's just too much for students to realize.

Settling in on this Monday evening, I have the Corrs "Live in Dublin" on the VW bug stereo (did you know I have a mini-bug that's a stereo? YES!). The window allows a nice draft into the hottest room in our duplex, the office. In addition, our existence right on 5th Avenue holds the most traffic besides the main street of "Robertson Blvd". Regardless, I am able to thoroughly enjoy down time!

Bono and the Corr chick are singing this song, "When the Stars Go Blue" very beautifully! Dad is probubly the only one to know this song :)

Anyways, I'm feeling creative after such a Sunday evening of scrapbooking last night. I decided to look over my essay on this great move out west! I started writing this a few weeks ago, and it's still a really rough reflective piece.

Now, did I just call it an essay? And did I actually admit I wrote an essay since being out of college for 3 years? OH MY! Out of college for 3 years now, that alone............

-------anyways, here's a sample thus far. Perhaps it shall hook some fam members into catching each part of the essay. Or maybe I'll just put a few paragraphs on, and forget entirely to finish posting it. We'll see.

Here goes:

**********"CHOWCHILLA" (we need a better title than that!)

Goal: To describe the move, marriage, state, day to day, dreams and avenues that come to mind being here.

Chapter I: The Trek West

The urgency to move out west seemed justified when we stepped tire across that Needles border of California. The time was darkness, and our weary eyes felt the sense of relief. This big arrival had come to settle our whirlwind of change. Meanwhile, all this good change was just beginning.

The upheaval of our material possessions was heaped into that 5 x 9 Uhaul trailer, launching from Defiance at a nice August 7 A.M. It was a commencement of wide eyes and dreams to unfold. Bidding our farewell a couple days earlier to some Ireland-bound Edwards, the Jeep was checked one last time as waving hands, and ecstatic “see ya’s”, flew from Sanford to new Sanford. We were off in great anticipation across the country. *******more to come******

A good Monday morning, with the sun shining and blazing already!

I couldn't get into the equipment room for P.E. so my gym kids chose to run today instead of our normal Friday timed mile run. Then they slop jogged, or walked the whole time. LECTURE TIME FROM ME to them on effort. We'll run Friday too :) HA!

I was just listening to the classic Seasons album, Jahreszeiten. Still lovin' many waters!

Jone needs a blog now :) Miss you all and sad on the Vegas, Christmas is soon though! Remember waiting through Africa to see each other again! We are an odd, unique, awesome family!

Giants and Anaheim on tv
Casey's pizza in the stomach
Christmas shopping underway
Such a fun, anticipating Saturday

Bob Barker in the house!
Vegas soon to erupt
With school's first quarter complete
Such a fun feeling

The house is spotless
Two teacher friends over to scrapbook
Hilarious!
No lesson plans, YAHOO!!

FRIDAY!!!!!!

It smells like Bakersfield or San Bernardino this morning....I'm petrified at what's going into my sinus caivities. YUK!
Other than that, a special day schedule is happening at school, meaning shorter classes and chaos :)

Nothing interesting to say today! That stinks!

Justin! Awesome camera, can't wait for the exploits!
Super Casey! As he works on Lesson plans.
Joan the quilter, jenny says thanks for the twins (twin quilts mom, not ....you know.)
Tracey, any other bday ideas as well?
Mike thanks for your list! We'll work on that :)
Matt! Foosball! YES!
Dad, you know I want a mouse pad! YEAH!
Mary, I know you are but what am I

"I wanna be a Barker Beauty!" for guys, and for girls...........um.....

Just Barker Beauty...nah...too bad my brain's fried right now

Any other ideas?

Wednesday was fast and productive, including lots of whining high school students. I laugh inside at the torture I bestow upon them. "Reading: It's what's killing the youth of America!", or some headline from an agnsted teenager from Mrs. Sanford's English classes.

What else is new in this world here or there? I talked to the bg parents, oh and the defiance parents also were contacted by us other life forms called Californians.

Did any of you know that Casey and I are now on a two year plan to Anchorage? It's getting more and more apparent to our hearts, for such a move. In the two years here in Cali, there's plenty left to do and explore. And I for one will be up and down this state's adventures until the bug has driven through a gigantic sequoia.

Have we mentioned the PRICE IS RIGHT!??! ! OR NOT!! WOOOooooo!!!!

Snowboarding season is commencing shortly! Matt and Trace, you up for that?

Talk to yous later!

Hello on a Tuesday!

Casey and I are about to eat tacos, after a solid, productive day. Ahh....still several hours before hitting the hay! Always a good feeling, when you're battling that "oooh I've got to work tomorrow....again" feeling.

I'm wearing my new Texas university shirt compliments of J, and at the grocery store tonight so worker yelled in horray to it. Odd.

Unfortunately, my new Mr. Spots shirt is currently being grown into. HA!! HA!! Heh...well not a good goal I presume.

Matt! Playing some bball, mary's jealous! Missle story: freak-out! Us here in the valley have had that "missle test" twice now in the last month. Very spooky. Yet then closely followed by a friendly news report. As if the fact that they're even getting those out for testing is scary enough, we have new casters pretending like its fun to look at it in the night sky.

Next topic: The question really is.....will Casey let Mary move the bedroom into the spare room, just for flat out fun!? HA! Teacher by day! Interior design by night!

Taco time! peace.

It only took us 6 and 20 to get home and that's with a gas stop, and a "Panda Express sit down, relax, and eat in Burbank" stop!

It's good to be back and with a little prayer and that fun weekend, I seem to be full of way creative ideas for school.

Unfortunately, my classes have turned into hoe-hum-drum BORING! Boring for me to teach, and for sure boring for my freshman and juniors.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Matt and Tracey THANKS! Justin, it was refreshing to see you as well! Have a great week yo familia!

Oh my, this place is an oasis of fun, even with that 6 hour drive!

Thank God for San Diego! And my family!

We left school about 4 p.m. and hit a lot of people in L.A. We were probubly in traffic there for one full, long and slow hour. Who knew the Angels were in Anaheim and not Minnesota :)

I personally enjoyed the city and people of both L.A. and northern San Diego. Casey drove the first 5 hours, and I hit the later night finale. Encinitas itself was like: ahhhh....what a cute little and clean beach town. And actual San Diego is just a stone skip away.l

Today we plan to hike a little at Torre Pines, go to IKEA (Mare, Trace, and Just), then we don't know what else. It's only 9 a.m. LET THE FUN BEGIN!!! :)

P.s. Is it logical to wear retro boot sandals, disguised as Shirley Temple plastic sandals, to a gym class. Soccer and Shirley Temple? I don't think so chick minus 10 for NS (no shoes). Grading a gym class: a highlight for Mary Sanford seriously!

WHAT an odd day!

The bigger boss at school wanted to know if I was riding my (awesome brand new Jeep) bike through campus last night. I was like, man what did I do wrong. In case you don't know, we're finding this school to be very VERY interesting in handling things. Anyways, apparently it was nothing to do with me. Pfew, I'm not fired yet! HA!

Anyways, Mary got to give 2 couselor referrals today, and 2 detentions. What a mean teacher! Can't stand disciplining when it's NOT MY KID! Certainly God is teaching me how to handle my own kids whenever that time comes.

Other than that! Another day completed and Casey and I are ninja turtles tonight in the pizza department.

Good morning peeps! Another blue skyed day here in Chowchilla. The mind is certainly on that Friday night adventure that's less than 2 days away! WOoooo! peace out

WOW! WHOA! I'm a blogger! Whatta feeling!

My name is Mary and I live in Central California. I not only live, but I teach. The local high school resides here, and my official teaching title is as follows: Freshmen and Junior English, with a side of Math and Girls Physical Education taboot.

By far the best class is my girls physical education class. As a rule it shall solely be known as "gym". You know how long it took to read it twice, so it's sure as true that we don't want to call it by it's full name given at birth.

The other types of classes range from hard work to "just making it by the skin of our teeth" (academically and behavior trying to balance each other daily). Having that two years of other teaching experience certainly is paying off as far as work ethic! PFEW!!

Onto other realities: Life is certainly good being just newly married to the good guy Casey, and just plain old being in California. The outdoor activity and entertainment possibilities are endless. Although it is a matter of going out and actually doing them. STOP WORKING SO MUCH HUMANS!!

My bro Matt was saying on his blog how we spend too much of our lives working. So true! College...oh college you piece of cake sleep-a-thon, where are you!? Apparently, we even have a band singing about a 5 day weekend and a two day work week. Wouldn't we want a one day work week, and a 6 day weekend next? What would we become if it were true? Who knows, who cares, keep dreaming.

And as my gramps would say, "You're never satified!" Come on now, can you really be satified with only one Swenson's cheeseburger or grilled cheese gramps. True, a great grease pit, and could it be compared to more gourmet grilled cheese from Sonic? Now that's a dissortation for a pop culture grad student if I've ever seen one!

Speaking of dreaming...

I myself have been exploding at this teaching world. Feeling the time and energy put in is so miniscuel (horrible spelling) And of course, that's totally forgetting the process of education, being that the rewards are far and few away. Yet, God's got our back placing us precisely need be. Why worry?

I'll bet God often laughs at us humans. Us: fretting, frowning, stressing, pooping, fitting, obsessing. It's an endless list of exactly what He asks us not to do. I find myself rolley polley-ing around in it weekly. That flesh of us humans! Oooh that flesh!!

While we basque in an all out war with our boiling flesh, the Lord waits. Sometimes sad and disappointed, even of course angry. Yet truly I believe He laughs with us. At us! In our face. If I let myself realize I would be laughing with Him. Can you see Him in violent convulsions of sillyness. Stomach wrenching, occular cavity producing, drooling flings of hilarity rolling out of Him as He laughs at some of our actions and thought processes.

I presume, it's because when we truly know Him and are His, He knows you'll make it. You're His entirely and forever, so there is plenty of room to laugh at our flesh throwing it's fits. "We are the champions" -a true Queen once sang.

A perfect example, is obsessive compulsive disorders that I have self diagnosed. One, I know my sister law Tracey relates, is called "Paper-picker-itis(ppi)". Constantly picking up the same paper, roll sheet, clipboard, folder, note, post its, YOU NAME IT! In a given day I pick it up 10-20 times. And the actual use of the paper equalling zero. Just a robot walking along in a whirlwind of teaching. IT'S NOT FUNNY! I HAVE A DISORDER YOU KNOW! Are you prejudice to ppi's?

To me it's all representing my control and focus, and the control part trips me. It's certain that we can only do our part each day, not take on the whole world x 50, such as Mary attempts. Ask Casey, the husband, on that one. Poor guy :) Good guy!

SAN DIEGO THIS WEEEEEEEEKEND! YES! YES! YES! YES!

One last time to make sure! :)

Let's see. Smarter than this blogger. I'm smarter than this blogger problem.

I'M A BLOGGER AND I'm a cusser! I posted a whole beautiful piece of writing, and it got deleted! ANGRY!