Late-breaking News

So Amy and I were conversing over e-mail during 3rd period Friday about what exactly is in Anti-villain Goo besides Ranch. And the answer to that is: I don't know. Obviously one of the other ingredients is something really sticky. So I asked my 3rd period class, and they recommended syrup or sap. I have a giant White Pine in my back yard, and sap is perfect. So Garlic should probably be spraying nail-polish remover out of that hose....

Yard Anxiety

I've been having someone else mow my lawn for 6 or 7 years. This year I decided to take back the lawn. So I just bought an electric mulching mower. Now I feel all panicky about the purchase. I don't know why.

• Pros of having Raul mow my lawn: Not having to mow my lawn.
• Cons of having Raul mow my lawn: Being awakened early on a weekend morning by Raul mowing my lawn. Discovering my hose lumped on top of my fuschia, "Grumpy." Discovering footprints in my garden on top of seedlings. Gasoline usage. My yard waste can full of grass when I desperately need to fill it with copious amounts of pine needles or weeds. Weed whacker slicemarks on my trees and shrubs and/or flowers weed whacked to death.

Hm. Apparently I should be feeling no anxiety over the new mower at all. But now I have to mow. After it stops raining. Besides, I got this mower for about as much as two months of Raul mowing my lawn, so by mid-May, I will be saving money. Yay.

Also, while whining to my mom about the lack of hummingbirds, a hummingbird cruised the yard looking for the feeder. So double yay. Of course, I had taken the feeder down because it hadn't been touched and the syrup was old, so he immediately left. I put out a clean feeder with fresh syrup last night and even though I haven't seen hummingbirds today, the syrup level shows that visitors were here while I was at work. I'm sure the cats were poised by the window, binoculars in paw, watching intensely.

On the Lam

Just follow the trail of Ranch.

This is one of my favorites so far because it came out exactly as I pictured it in my head.

Jailbreak!

Anti-villain goo seems to have some drawbacks.

Non Sequitor

While the Red Radish and Garlic while away their time behind bars, here's a look at what "Socratic Seminar" would be like if they were in the class. For those of you who don't know, Socratic Seminar is where you arrange your class in a circle and have a practically unprompted intelligent and respectful discussion about whatever topic the students are studying. No arguing. No interrupting. Just kick off the topic and watch intelligent discussion bloom before your eyes! One out of my 5 classes actually does this naturally. I love them. My other 4 classes--not so much.

Yes, that is okra. The okra does not represent me. The above comic strip actually represents teachers learning about Socratic Seminar. I am probably Radish in the above scenario. I hate being told how perfectly something will work in every class and that something is an example of how fabulous teachers teach (except those of you who are completely subpar since this will only work some of the time for you, nyah nyah) knowing that it will a) only work a smidgeon of the time in my classes (which means I suck as a teacher) or b) the amount of work I'd have to put into getting it to work in my classes will obliterate any other learning for most of the semester when there are so many other things I am being asked to accomplish at any given time.

Hence the fork o' doom in my little Radish hand.

OK now I need a drink.

Incarcerated!

That anti-villain goo really sticks around! I have one more Red Radish planned, plus I'll post "Red Radish Goes to School" tomorrow--it doesn't fit in the current storyline. But then, I have no idea where this story is going.

We had a half-day of school on Friday. I came home and took a 7-hour nap. I must have still been getting over last week's ick. Yesterday I went out and cleaned out some of my gardens in an attempt to get some fresh air. I haven't seen any hummingbirds in weeks. I'm bummed. Some of my daffodils are beginning to bloom and so are the hyacinths I got from Grandma's garden last spring. Maybe some blooming things will bring back the hummers.

Sometimes Things Still Work Out

...just not how you imagined they would.

Pearseverance

Try, try again.

Fools and their Juice are Soon Parted

Or something like that.

Out of the mouths of...cherries

I was icky sick this weekend, but I did manage to ink my staff-meeting store of strips and start coloring them.

Anti-Villain Goo Trial Run

Yesterday was a planning day, which means it was a full day of meetings--one big meeting actually. So now I have several Red Radish strips to scan and color. I'm trying out inking over my pencils. We'll see how this works.

Target Practice

Spat

I went to a workshop today on conducting a Socratic Seminar. There may be a "Socratic Seminar with Radish & Garlic" vignette coming up. Just too easy to look at it from the cynical point of view.

Meanwhile, there are ramifications to Pearil's machinations.

Wistfully Oblivious II

Wistfully Oblivious I

I have a backlog of Radish strips. I swear, I do spend my work hours actually doing my job, but lately I've had quite a few odd minutes. Maybe it has something to do with my smaller class sizes this semester (sshhh, don' tell anyone). So here's the first of many.

On another subject: Flickers are beginning to drum. And this year I can feel secure in the knowledge that even if they drum on my chimney, they won't be falling down it.