First Day of School

Started today with students, spent most of last week prepping. So far off to a pretty decent start, but I'm realizing that I really don't like this part of the school year. I can't wait for the part of the year when I know who everyone is, and know what to expect from them. Right now, it seems like every little thing might be a test, and it's difficult to know what to squash and what to let go. So far so good. Read the cat in the hat twice (the cat is symbolic of the Id, and the fish is the superego...) three more times to go. Oh, and this year I get third period prep, which means, early dismissal two days each week. Woo hoo!

Bottle Shock

Saw the movie Bottle Shock last night with Tisa, and snuck in a fine water bottle full of 2 buck chuck's cabernet from 2005. It was aged perfectly, and tasted amazing, with hints of blackberry and chocolate, and a suitably strong cab finish. Not that I really know that much about wine tasting or being a wine connoisseur, but the movie definitely made me want to be a little more knowledgeable about different tastes of wine. Enjoyed the movie, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the mood for a feel-good, go-california listen to the doobie brothers, based-on-a-true-story sort of movie. Great scenery too, reminded me of Sideways. Clearwater would really enjoy it, as would Drew Solitieri, especially after working in Napa.

Lolita

Just finished reading Nabokov'sLolita two nights ago. Was always so scared to read the book. Figured that if I felt a tingling in my groin while reading about some explicit scene involving a pre-teen that I was perverted and doing something gravely wrong. This time, just figured that hell, if some part of it turned me on, it's because it's erotica--it's supposed to turn people on. That being said, I ended up appreciating a lot of the book; it was exciting to read, and kept me anticipating the next scene or chapter. I felt many different emotions while reading it... of course my groin tingled, but I also felt disgusted (of course) by the blatant dirtiness of Humbert Humbert (the main character), and I also felt slightly sympathetic toward his overwhelming love/obsession/utter depravity/minutely redeeming parts of his character. Overall, I'd recommend the book, it definitely has it's really despicable moments, but Humbert's voice is so interesting that you have to keep reading. Also, I always assumed it was such a "European" book, only to find that it actually is mostly set in America, and has some sense of being a "Great American Novel," with some chapters that sum up the family road trip so well (except in Lolita, there's a molester involved). Looking forward to seeing the movie at some point to compare it with the book.