Sometimes, kids say the wisest things...

The other day, during a vocabulary lesson with a group of sixth graders who struggle in all areas of reading, I made an attempt to show them how to create their own defintion for the word enthusiast. 

"Forget the dictionary," I said.  "With a few simple strategies, you can efficiently use the text to discover your own defintions for words you may not know the meaning of."

I used my own example, and explained how I am an enthusiast of airplanes.  We talked about enthusiasts in general, and one student was able to explain how he was an enthusiast of cars, mirroring my likeness of airplanes, of course.  Providing examples of proper word usage is one step closer to mastering new vocabulary terms.  I was accomplishing my objective.  The imparting of knowledge was obviously evident, as I patted myself on the back.

And as we talked through it and a few moments passed, the student in the class with the lowest ability level turned to me and said, "If you are such an enthusiast of airplanes, how come you are working here?"  I paused.  That was a question I couldn't answer. 

Interesting, how hours of reflection are spent analyzing the trajectory of one's life, and yet the wisest, simplest, and most sensible question came from the thoughts of the sixth grade student with the most complex academic struggles.  That sixth grader may never know it, but for that moment, he became the teacher for a 32 year old student.

Priorities...

What do I do first?  Clean up the insulation in the basement left by the contractor, shovel, start and clean off the cars, exchange the cable box, assess the broken limbs of the dogwood tree that now have to be chopped up and dragged to the curb, clean up the broken patio table, handle the moisture issue in the basement before it gets worse, buy Advil, or ask the kids who built a snow ramp in my backyard to leave?  Homeownership.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

Well, it happened.  I finally went back to school today.  And then something else happened.  Less than an hour ago, they closed school for tomorrow.  I guess it stands to reason seeing there is currently somewhere between 2 - 3 inches of snow on the ground and, apparently, it is expected to get worse overnight with high winds.  I am going to have to visit News Channel 12's website to see what the situation is.  Notice how I said visit their website, as oppose to actually turning on channel 12.  There is a reason for this.  Yesterday, I received cable back, however, there was no signal to the TV from the cablebox.  After spending a less-than-productive, but friendly online chat with a technician (or so they call themselves), it was determined that the box was fried during the power outages over the past week.  I offered to drive to their store to swap it.  And so I did.  My Howell to East Brunswick journey took one hour and twenty minutes.  Proud of driving safely in the weather, I put on a devenir (sp?) smile and approached the lady at the window.  However, she didn't exactly have the 'how may I assist you' kind of face on today. She curtly said, "Go to Eatontown."  Interesting how the word 'curt', which is my name, means rude and brief.  I hope the vocabulary term doesn't correlate to the disposition of the people who actually possess the name.  Nonetheless, having a term that is a homophone of one's own name deserves a place in their lexicon.  Anyway, as I was saying, Eatontown had just gotten power back and were open, and apparently East Brunswick doesn't carry my type of box.  Interesting.  It IS all the same company.  And the website said nothing about specific models for specific stores.  So there is no TV until tomorrow or possibly Friday.  Oh well.  All in all, I got home safe and it really is not the worse thing in the world.  After hearing some of the stories from teachers at school who literally lost their homes, I am actually grateful for my broken cable box.

I have to say, although early in the season, the snow is quite beautiful.  It is a wet, sticky snow.  The kind that sticks to the tress, draping over the branches like delicate strips of white linen.  The kind of snow used for snow balls and building snow men...or snow people to be PC.  It suits Monmouth Avenue quite nicely.

I never really cared for winter or the cold.  The stinging of the wind against your face, or that moment of shock when you sit down in the car in a pair of cold jeans.  You know that feeling, admit it.  But I do love that crisp, cold, almost minty feeling you get when you take in a breath of air.  Or throwing on a sweatshirt or robe while having something warm to drink and stretching out on the couch.  And who can argue with sleeping in or catching a nap when school is called off.  One of the many benefits of being a teacher.  As I have gotten older, I have learned to appreciate winter in a new way.  Although it gets darker earlier and takes a little longer to warm up, there is something to be said for a warm home and a home cooked meal on a cold, snowy, winter night.  Those are the things we should be grateful for when life is pulling our attention in a million directions. 

With all this talk about snow, below are a couple pictures of the current state of Monmouth Avenue.  It will be interesting to see what is to come in the next few hours.

Happy Blogging!

-Kurt

What is up with the cat?

As you may know, Casey and I travel a lot.  Sometimes for pleasure, perhaps a family trip or weekend getaway, but most often, traveling tends to be for work.  Something interesting happened upon my return from California last week.  Apparently, our cat finds his accomodations, while we are gone, less than stellar.  You see, I found a set of instructions on the table and he demands we provide them to his next caretaker.  So, if you happen to be the one we choose to take care of this high maintenance animal, please make sure you obey his request.  I am not sure what consequence he would impart.  It reads...

Ah, hello, sexy people.  Hello from Hemingway.  I am, how do you say, de sexy.  Welcome to my sexy kitty cat lair.  I see that my human has left me in your care.  Fool.  Probably went to visit blonde lady, who I hear is working for a mouse.  Who would work for a mouse?  I spit on mice, I eat them.  Ptooie.  Anyway, back to my sexiness. 

I will require nutritional substance twice a day.  ½ cup of dry sexy kitty cat food, and one spoon of canned food from my sexy monkey spoon.  De monkey, he is sexy too.  I also must have fresh cold water twice a day to maintain my sexy coat.

I am happy to say I am content to be with you and not at de spa.  Last time I went there, it was not de spa.  Stupid humans.  Ah, what can I say.  They clean my, how do you say, my poopy stinks.  Speaking of poopy stinks, please clean mine once per day.  Brown bags are available for you to put my poppy stinks in.  If you do not clean it once a day, I will punish you.  Not with lack of sexiness, but I will be forced to play with my poopy stinks and you will be cleaning poopy stinks all around de sexy kitty lair.  Haha.

I sleep, on de bed.  On my blue blanket.  I like to stretch out and fill the night air with my sexiness.  Please carry me around the apartment and pet me so I may spread my sexiness to all the rooms.

My human is a generous man.  Stupid, but generous.  You may use anything in this sexy kitty lair.  (Check expirations dates, my human, he does not clean the fridge).  We may share in spirits, food, and sexy company.  Clean towels are in the skinny closet.  Skinny and trim like myself.  Open the windows if you would like so I can spread my sexiness around the world.  A clean towel and wash cloth are available for you on the towel rack by de toilet.  Clean my bowl after every meal and remember, throw my poopy stinks in the garbage can outside, not de kitchen garbage.  Remember I am de sexy.  I look forward to your company, sexy people.  Now, give me a sexy kitty massage.  Oh yes, and I dig de plants all over the carpet (cue evil laughter).

De Sexy,

Hemingway

What I Have Learned from Hurricane Sandy and Happy Halloween (I think)!!!

So, here I sit, on a Wednesday evening, merely 48 hours since the coming and going of Hurricane Sandy, as my week long journey without power continues.  Now, I know what you’re thinking. “How can the man be posting a blog if he has no power?”  No, JCP&L has not fixed the power issue.  No folks, Starbucks is not open, and I am not able to warm up with a cup of their delicious dark roast and prey on their wireless.  Fortunately, my neighbors are always a step ahead of the game and have a generator.  And seeing that they are friendly, (and since their tree fell on my patio table and I am asking for no compensation in return) they have allowed me to use some of their electricity for my fridge and to charge my laptop, as well as borrow their internet.  But I thought now would be a good time to share some things that I have learned during this event.  I attribute my new founded knowledge to Sandy.

1.      It may be a smart idea to invest in a generator in the future.  Since we have moved here (which has been less than a year), we have lost power for multiple days on more than one occasion.

2.      I will probably be going to school (work) until mid-July.

3.      The water in my electric water heater will stay hot for approximately 24 hours.  After that, you will freeze in the shower, as I did this morning.  Note to self, invest in gas.

4.      Apparently, the great State of New Jersey has the ability to actually move the date of Halloween.  We will be celebrating festivities on Monday.

5.      You might think, with a hurricane-a-coming, you may be in luck for some free tree or old shed removal (providing there is no damage to anyone’s home or car).  After all, I do need more sunny areas for my future garden.  Nope, every single one of those damn trees are still standing proud.  And that rickety, old, horror movie-like shed in my backyard…yep, that’s still standing too.  How did they build that thing?  I guess with old telephone poles as its structural support, you can’t go wrong.  So I will still have to pay to have them removed.

6.      A homemade coffee bag does NOT make for a good cup of coffee.  I suggest following Cathy’s advice…pour some boiling water through the drip coffee maker.  It works and gets rid of any coffee withdrawal headaches.

7.      Tea does not take the place of a good or bad cup of coffee…EVER!  You will still get withdrawal headaches.  To rectify, see #6.

8.      The piano can make for some nice entertainment when there is no power.  Unfortunately, I only know three songs from memory and I don’t have any music books.

9.      The range on the stove makes for a comfortable heat source.  Nothing like curling up with a good book next to the oven.  Ah, home sweet home.  (Exactly how do you have a 100 year old home without a fireplace?)

10.  If you are the outdoors-y type, curl up next to the grill for heat!

11.  Sometimes sitting in your car just to listen to the radio and keep warm isn’t so bad.  It also helps pass the time.

12.  No!  You cannot use the hairdryer to warm up or dry your hair.  You have no power fool!

13.  Peeing in the dark does not always work out no matter how much your eyes try to adjust.  Sometimes it is just best to let go your pride and sit down.

14.  I now know why the Amish go to bed at 6:00.  What the hell else is there to do?

15.  And finally, Hemingway’s life (my cat) doesn’t really suffer without power.  In fact, I think it improved.  He is happy to have me home and most of my attention, still gets his treats and nuggets for dinner, and now gets bottled water instead of water from the tap.

So there you have it folks.  There is something to be learned in all of life’s events.  As far as I am concerned, this is about as close to roughing-it as I would like to get.  Happy Blogging and Happy (Pre)-Halloween (I guess, since NJ has decided to move it to Monday…is today Halloween or not?)!

Yours truly,
Kurt

Last week in Toronto

Hey everyone. I know its been a while since my last post, but a bunch has been going on. A few weeks ago we went to the Blue Jays baseball game, which was awesome. The Yankees won, but that's not really surprising. It was a nice day and I had an awesome time.

Although rehearsals have kept us all pretty busy, I have had time to carve pumpkins, bake some autumn goodies, and even go to a haunted house (which I hated).  It is weird to be away from home during the fall, but all these activities have kept my mind busy.

                                                                 My Tinkerbell pumpkin


The best thing to happen here in Toronto was Circus School. A bunch of us went to the Toronto School of Circus Arts for our own private master class in 4 different Aeriel acts. It was 2 hours long and was so much fun. We got to do Lyra (Aeriel hoop), silks, static trapeze and flying trapeze which was my favorite. I can not wait to come home and take trapeze again and this time take Kurt! It was just a unique experience and definitely created a memory I will hold for a long time.

As we approach our final week here in Toronto, there are many more events to keep us busy. We are having a night out with our creative team and our own Halloween Party. We miss the ship one because they have it early. We are finishing up all of our rehearsals and our last show. Its kind of crazy to believe we have learnt 5 shows and 2 dance extras in only 2 months. Time does fly when you have to learn it all. Hahaha. Until next time! I hope you enjoy the photos!!

All the best,
Casey

Kurt's Visit

Hello again.

 I know I haven't written in some time, but it's crazy here like always. Kurt came to visit last weekend and we had a great time. It was so nice to actually spend time together and take a walk, get a latte, and just go out to dinner. It's funny how life takes over sometimes and you get caught up in everything. The days we have together are few and far between for the next 8 months so its great when the world gives you a good weekend. The weather was amazing up here in Toronto and I was even off for most of the day on Monday so we had even more time. We dined at the CN tower and took a walk to the water. All of it was picture perfect. The harbour is actually very close to the airport, so he got to watch the planes go by all afternoon. I think that makes it a stellar date in his eyes. :-) It was a really great visit and I was very sad to say goodbye.

It's always more difficult after a visit. In the beginning, we said goodbye and we were strong and it was going to be fine and everything would be just life. Then you get those moments of pure happiness and letting it go again is more difficult. I am so lucky and blessed to have a love that is true and once in a lifetime. I know many of you will read this and think "oh newlyweds", or maybe you don't care, but I know that I will be as in love 10 and 40 years down the road as I am now. It is something I pray others can have in their lives. Now I'm just going on, but it's ok. I am completely in love with my husband. I miss him everyday. I found this quote on pinterest today and I thought it was appropriate...
"Distance is not for the fearful. It's for the bold, for those willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It's for those who know a good thing when they see it, even if they don't see it nearly enough."

Anyway, enough with the I love my husband shpeal. I am now sick with a wicked cold that has now knocked me on my tush for 4 days. I am hoping it goes away and am drinking orange juice and taking cold meds to help get rid of it. This has been going around the cast so I figured I would get it, but its really annoying. I just want it to go away. Blah!

As for rehearsals, they are going. Ha! We have strength training every other day which is difficult so I better be in the best shape of my life in another month. We started learning Toy Story, which is very challenging because of all the puppets. Lets add more skills to the resume. It is fun though, just a lot of information and parts to learn for us swings.

I hope everyone at home is doing well. I miss you all and hope to see you on a cruise soon!!

All the best,
Casey

Cats, Bats, An Agitated Vet Tech, and Ghost Underwear

Hello all,

Let it be known, this is not Casey Schmacey, but her mentally grounded husband...chiming in.  Some of you may have heard about a recent visitor that stopped by unexpectedly.  Here are some clues...it is a mammal, it flies, and it rhymes with cat. 

At approximatley 5am on August 25, I awoke to find a bat flying in my bedroom being chased by the cat.  So naturally, I hiked up my ghost boxer briefs and ran like hell out of the room.  I phoned home and asked my sister to take the cat to the vet a week early to get his rabies shot.  Meanwhile, with the bat closed in the bedroom I tried to go back to sleep.  But moments later, I heard pouncing in one of the spare bedrooms.  That little bugger managed to slip under the crack from the door and head to another room...and of course, Hemingway had joined in the hunt.  The soft pouncing I heard, was Hemingway's clawless feet.  I am sure he was cursing me that morning.  I ran downstairs, and moments later so did the bat.  Well, I leapt and the bat flew, and Hemingway pranced.  My sister was walking up the path to get the cat.  As she walked in the door, all I could yell was, "Get Down!"  The last thing we needed was to get smacked in the face by the bat.  The cat had heard Courtney so he ran under the couch, which has never protected him in the past.  I don't know why he thought it would work now.  She grabbed the cat as the bat flew around the living room.  The cat got loose and ran to the basement.  So, in our quick thinking, we army crawled to the basement and shut the door.  Luckily, somehow, before my sister arrived, I managed to find pants.  She demanded I get the carrier which was on the porch.  The bat was pacing back and forth between the stairway window and front door.  He wanted out and I needed the pet carrier.  I carefully opened the basement door, the bat exhausted still flying back and forth.  I grabbed my keys, left through the back door, and let myself in the front porch.  I grabbed the carrier and gave it to Courtney.  I then realized that our guest was hanging by the front door because he wanted to leave.  I then went back to the front door and used our Easter flag to carefully open the front door in which he flew out, circled the house, and then zoomed into the neighbor's tree.  He had overstayed his welcome, and at that point, both of us felt socially uncomfortable. 

Hemingway successfully made it to the spa...well, the vet, to receive his early rabies boosters since he saw this creature as his nocturnal game.  Which left me to make a decision.  What does one do to protect oneself when having a bat encounter?  Well, the wild life handlers recommend letting it out the window.  The CDC recommends capturing it, killing it, and have it evaluated for rabies.  That was not an option.  And I certainly would not harm my company.  The bat was free.  I was paranoid.  As I continued reading the literature, it suggested that any person who is asleep and awakens to find a bat in their room begin the post exposure prophylaxis treatment for rabies.  And that I did.  Seven shots later, I have one more to go on Saturday.  The exterminator could find no evidence of his return, his family, or friends.  So it was determined this was a fluke incident. 

However, with Halloween just around the corner, and with an evening of cats, bats, an agitated vet tech, and ghost underwear, I still wander through the hallways of our antique house ever so cautiously, should another bat stop by for my warm hospitality.  Oh yes, I almost forgot.  This bat did not end his visit without bringing a gift.  He pooped all over the upstairs bathroom.  At least he was in the right room.  Unfortunatley, it took quite a while to disinfect the floor. 

So, for any bat who is reading this blog, please visit someone else should you require human contact.  Although I find you entertaining and kinda cute, you have sent my anxiety and OCD through the roof and my therapist will be getting a call this week. 

Happy Blogging!

And now, in the most calm and mentally grounded fashion, I bid you goodnight.

Yours truly,
Kurt

I have to go, I feel the urge to stand on the roof, flap in the moonlight, and catch insects.

A Disney Birthday

Yesterday was my 28th birthday and it was actually a nice day. I find it weird to be away but the people around me, as well as back home still made it special. I was awoken by a phone call from my mom followed by my dad and Sam wishing me a happy birthday. About an hour later, Kurt called. It really is awesome to have such a wonderful family and support group at home. I had a birthday coupon for a free drink at Starbucks which they took here in Canada so that made me very excited. I wasn't sure if they would take it, and was pleasantly surprised. Rehearsal was routine until right before lunch when I went to the greenroom to find a BEAUTIFUL display of red roses. My husband is something special. It was really amazing and I definitely teared up a bit. Thank you again, hun! A few of us went for crepes for lunch and the other cast members bought mine, which again was very sweet and awesome of them. I feel very thankful to be around such generous people. After lunch, I got to skype with Kurt, Elizabeth and Matthew and it was nice to see them. Those kids can always make me smile. So darn cute. That evening I made myself some Kraft Dinner and cupcakes. Perfect. A few people came over to watch a movie and it was a lovely evening at "home".

I am constantly overwhelmed by the birthday wishes on facebook. Some of them make me laugh because I haven't spoken to some people in ages, and others make me amazed by the people I have been lucky enough to work with. (Yes, Harriet Harris wished me Happy Birthday) All in all it was a great birthday. Thank you again to everyone who made it special and although it seems like an anti-climatic year, I have a lot to be thankful for. Much love and enjoy the pictures!

All the best,
Casey

 My morning latte...yum

 Nutella Banana Crepe...more yum

 Amazing roses and vase from Kurt

cupcakes!!!

Welcome to Toronto!

Hello all! This is my first post on a blog ever. I hope I am doing it correctly. LOL. Anyway, I hope this is a way to connect with everyone at home and to keep everyone informed about events and adventures we are having!

I arrived in Toronto on Friday afternoon and I am in yet another beautiful apartment right in downtown Toronto. I really love this city and the weather is amazing. I got to meet most of the cast here and there and everyone seems really nice and excited for this contract. We didn't really do much on Friday except hand in contracts and get situated in our place. I went to get some groceries to get me started and then just watched some TLC and went to bed. I do have my address for those interested. While I am in Toronto my address is:

Letters/ small packages
Casey Abel
c/o DCL
Canadian Broadcasting Centre
PO BOX 500, Station A
Suite S4E100
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5W 1E6

(There is a different address for packages which I can give if interested)

View of the CN tower from the rehearsal studios.

 View from my apartment up on the 19th floor.

My lovely living room

 

Saturday was our first real day of work, if thats what we call it. I will admit my job is pretty awesome. Don't get me wrong, being away is difficult but dancing and singing is way better than making coffee. The new rehearsal facilities are right across the street which is awesome. I can go back to the apt for lunch which is just a great money saver. In the morning we did a bunch of dance combinations for tracking purposes. It seems silly for the swings because we have to cover everything, but we did them nonetheless. After dancing, we did spanish web which is one of my favorites. I loved it last time and I still love it. It is just something you don't get to do often, and a circus act at that. I have the typical rope burn from first day at web and my body is aching today but it is all good pain. They told us they are giving us strength conditioning classes this time to help us stay in shape. I better be in amazing shape after these 2 months. After lunch we sang a bit and did some paperwork. Good day.

Oh and I was woken up by Kurt in the am because we had a bat. Never a dull moment.

We had today, Sunday, off which we will have off every week. I am missing home a lot today. I know it is just the beginning, but on the days off it is difficult. When I am working I have a lot to concentrate on. It is a beautiful day here in Toronto and there are some exciting things happening here in the next month. The Toronto International Film Festival starts Sept 6 and apparently it is a big deal. Maybe I will run into a star or two. We will see. Well, thanks for reading and we will see what week one has in store! Love and miss everyone at home.

All the best,
Casey

Just paperwork with an awesome sticker!