1. Dan's Knee Surgery
On September 9th, Dan had a tumor removed from the back side of his knee. The tumor was discovered originally as a mass blocking the MRI pictures that were to determine if knee replacement was necessary. Only as they got into his knee to remove the mass, did they discover this almond-sized tumor. They removed it and cleaned up some torn cartilage. It was determined that he doesn't need total knee replacement at this time, just partial. So for now we wait and try to determine the least intrusive time to have it done.
2. Books
I had a goal this summer to read 5 books, and as of last week, I did it. I know it isn't exactly summer anymore, but these books bear mentioning. First I jumped on the Hunger Games bandwagon. I thoroughly enjoyed these books. They were a fast read, action packed, and well written. I'm an adolescent literature junkie, so I'm not surprised that I enjoyed them.
My former Mountain Ridge colleagues and I perpetuate the nerdy English teacher stereotype by having book club once a month. In June, we read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand , a charming little romance about an old British soldier's second chance at love and about overcoming cultural perceptions. Most recently, we read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbury about a concierge in an elegant Parisian hotel. This was a delightful book. It is beautifully written and profound. I've marked more passages in the book than I can count. Not sure how I feel about the ending, but definitely worth my time. Makes me want to speak French again...
3. 4.0!
This summer I spent 4 nights a week in class with these dudes:
"Uncle Cliffy"
and "Buddy"
Uncle Cliffy taught us about curriculum and what an acid trip was like in the 60's (somehow there was a link to curriculum). Buddy lead us out of the proverbial cave and discussed all things pertaining to educational philosophy. It was one of my favorite semesters, maybe because it was a much needed break from writing papers and making presentations. I managed to complete the 5th of 7 grad school semesters with my 4.0 in tact. Even though Uncle Cliffy and Buddy both renounce the whole concept of G.P.A., I'm still proud of it!
4. Pioneer Crossing
Pioneer Crossing is the new road that provides a quick route from American Fork to Saratoga Springs. It also happens to be right behind the houses at the end of my street. I've prepared a Haiku to record my thoughts:
Construction was lame,
Driving is much quicker now,
Road kill abounds.
That's all for now. Hopefully I'll do a much better job in the future of documenting our story while it is happening rather than much after the fact...
