Pennies from Las Vegas

I'll get to the meaning behind my title towards the end, after my update...

It's been a few weeks. I'm now in Florida visiting my family here. I got here two days ago.

Media-wise, here's the latest greatest:

-Saw Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and loved it. Definite 10/10! I love the hard work and details that go into movies these days. As an educator, I couldn't stop thinking about how to incorporate this into the classroom (until I remembered my assignment next year is strictly math and science- thank God!) I will be passing the movie idea along to a collegue because it can coincide with the Great Depression unit they do quite nicely. I hope to someday be able to use it. :-)

- Still working on A Thousand Splendid Suns and the only reason I haven't finished it yet is because I've fallen in love...

- With Neil Gaiman!! I read/listened to Anansi Boys and was magically whisked away. Almost literally. I began listening to the audio book, then quite miraculously found it at a thrift store for fifty cents. It was one of those it almost fell off the bookshelf into my hand things... Quite odd, but wonderful. So back to my friend Neil, whom I'm certain will become my new best friend. His writing style is so easy to read and so British. His story was brilliant. I wonder if it was intentional or not, probably intentional, that his story (about the spider-god Anansi) weaved, pardon my intentional pun, like a web. It began with a broad picture, then slowly, but surely connected the seemingly vast plot to a small island in the Carribean. It was just genious. The characters became my friends. It was one of those that eventhough I had 30 pages to go, it took me 2 days to finish it because I felt like I'd be saying good-bye forever to my new buds. I'm sure I could be committed somewhere in the world for such inane thoughts... What gives me hopein my newly found despair is that they will be coming out with a movie (or so the crazy guy that works at the local Waldenbook Store says...) It would make a fantastic movie! I went to a cute little book shop in downtown Melbourne (that a plump woman like myself could barely fit down the aisles) and found another one of his books, Neverwhere and this time paid $4. I'm also reading one of his graphic novels 1602 which incorporates the Marvel comics. I know, the man is brilliant. I have heard about him for years and finally decided to see why his name always popped up in the oddest of places. I'm thrilled that I did.

*Paste Puffery break!! I mean, Puff Pastry break!! *

I said that out loud to my aunt, so I feel like it's not too cheesy to repeat it in type. I love when I do that, although I'm sure when it happens more frequently as I age, I won't so much. It's always funny how my brain will switch the beginning of the words and create 2 other valid words... I wonder if there's a technical name for it...?

I've also occupied my time with a PLN graduate course. It was quite fun actually! I came up with at least 40 new ideas for next year! I also met Terri Metz (an English teacher at John Harris) and we had an awful lot in common. It's nice to meet a kindred spirit- someone you connect with instantly or are mystically drawn to and find out later fate must have been toying with you. :-)

Gram stayed at my house for 3 and 1/2 weeks. It proved trying for both of us. She doesn't eat anything except chips, danishes, cookies, fried chicken and anything else that is saturated in saturated fat and all of those things happened to be everything I was/am desperately trying to avoid. I mean, I know self-control has to come in at some point, but it's like giving a crack head that's attempting to quit the habit a free 3-night stay in the slums a week after his decision. I'm desperately hoping to get into good habits when I get home. I'd like to start a Biggest Loser competition with a group of my friends. I need some external motivation. I'd like to comfortably fit into my summer clothes from last year by August 14th- the first day of school. With as much as I have to lose, I don't think it will be too hard and I don't think it'll be too fast. I don't want to join a program because I want to begin life-style changes that I can incorporate for the rest of my life. I don't mind putting money in a pool with my friends because I could (and will) win it back!! :-) We will see...

*Cringes at the sounds of my racist family bashing Obama...*

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but when I hear the N word fly, that's when a line has been crossed. Talk like that is malicious and evil. No good will EVER come from people with such rotten hearts.

*Sighs*

Alright, I'm getting too distracted anymore to keep writing, so I'll elaborate on my title. My grandmother is obsessed with the song "Pennies from Heaven" because it helps her cope with my grandfather's passing. Essentially it's talking about missing your loved ones and how when you find a penny on the ground it's really them placing it there for you to find so you know they are near you. It's a cute and comforting thought and it's something my grandma hangs on to. So where the Las Vegas part comes in is that my "cousins" (I'm Italian and everyone, no matter how young or old happens to be my cousin) from Vegas are here visiting. I really should learn their names... anyways. They remind me of my papa. It was so intense at moments that I had to excuse myself from the table because tears were forming in my eyes. These men have his mannerisms, his looks, and his sayings. They sound like him. I looked at the one from the side and could have SWORN it was my papa. The details down to the pores in his face were eerily similar!! So, I am dubbing them my "Pennies from Las Vegas". I can't really find too much peace in pennies, but relatives that resemble him, yes.

Until next time, fair well!