adventures in today

There was purging of bookshelves, reorganizing of rubber stamps, downloading of music, recycling of old papers, and some labeling.

Later, I enjoyed the Teacher Appreciation Reception at Borders (freebies = happy me), followed by a perusal of the checkout area at Wild Oats (alas, no Secret Crushes today). Among my fabulous finds in the bookstore (all at 25% off! Bargains = more happy me):

• Photo book of American women
• Bunny key chains
• Cute & fancy black & white tote
• Tour guides for Paris, Amsterdam, & London
• Portable Thoreau
• World's Greatest Buildings book

Then I came home and outlined my BIG PLAN for having students create blogs. I started a new one with Blogger (not connected to my private grown-up blogs, because teen students knowing about my secret boyfriends, drinking habits, underwear, and/or sex life = bad news) dedicated to my classes - part of the BIG PLAN being that I will post assignments weekly (requiring me to plan ahead more; what a novel concept) and also have links to helpful sites for students. Here, take a look at the very rudimentary Mrs. Spencer's Domain and tell me what you think. If you think nice things, that is.

And then, because very good friends have taken our children away for awhile, Stu & I went out to eat and planned to see a movie. However, we wanted to use an Olive Garden gift card we've had for almost a year and getting into that restaurant on a Friday night at 7 pm takes, well, almost a year. So we first scored a table in the bar area (after hovering around a lingering couple like starving hyenas), then decided to grab a video on the way home. Because I have apparently dominated the movie-choosing role for too long, Stu decided we had to watch Idiocracy. I wanted to see it some time ago when I was in love with Dax Shepard (and sent him two e-mails; unanswered. Whatever), but I've gotten over it. Yet I am fair and reasonable (this week), so we rented it. Honestly, it was very funny - ridiculous, to be sure but a terrific parody of stupidness in society. If you're not in the right mood for absurdity, it could be quite depressing though. Know thyself and choose wisely.

In the spirit of Planning Ahead, I wanted to rent Stranger than Fiction to show my Creative Writing class this week. It was not in New Releases, not in Comedy, not in Drama - even when the Blockbuster clerk tried looking in those exact places right after I did. But magically, it was on the Previously Viewed sale table - for $3.99. I now own it and figure I will have the cost-per-viewing down to .50 in no time. Awesome!

I hope your Friday was half as adventuresome as mine. Happy weekend!