Teri Parris Ford's Blog

HAIM Concert with Monika

For Mother's Day, Monika got tickets to see HAIM, a favorite band of mine. On Tuesday, May 31, I left school as early as I could (not that early> 4:30pm) and drove out to Milwaukee in thick traffic. We stopped for dinner at the Milwaukee Public House for vegan sandwiches and then made our way to the BMO Center for an amazing concert. It had been so long since I'd been to a real rock concert. Monika's planning to take Jim to a Disturbed concert for Father's Day! I love having a daughter who's into going to lots of concerts!!

This Thing Called Life

Today was one of those fun days where I come home exhausted but I had a blast. Occasionally I am hit with realizing almost everything I do is so cool. I started the day early, getting the kiln hot and helping kids cast. Joe got a new drone with a camera and he's been teaching kids how to use it. I got a photo of him with the kids getting a photo of me! At lunch I ran out and got chicken from McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, Culver's and KFC. During my 6th hour, we had kids taste and rate each for flavor, crispiness, tenderness, appearance and the "it" factor (which I have no idea what that means). The kids had a blast, Joe helped out, of course. It all started with one student offering to write up an article for the newspaper. I can't wait to read about the results. Balt and I finished our day with a nice long walk. 

Today Joe was playing Prince in the photolab. We were both saddened by the news of his passing. Of course one my favorite Prince songs was Party Like It's1999. Joe told me he died of complications from the flu but I've read there are still an investigation pending. It seems like we've lost quite a few artists of significance this year, but I think it comes with age. Those idols we grew up listening to and watching are older and more vulnerable. I never got to see Prince live and certainly would have loved to. During the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl I saw that Prince's performance was one of the all time best. It rained while he performed and somehow made it all the better, especially while singing Purple Rain. While looking for videos and songs to post for this blog, I realized that Prince had made sure that all of his work was under his control-- not on Youtube, Pandora or Spotify! He was a savvy business man as well as amazing performer. 

Related articles

This Thing Called Life: Prince Announces His Memoir In Style

Move Out Day

Today was not just any lazy Saturday. It was the official move out day downtown as well as graduation. Erika decided to take a sublet for the summer with a friend next to James Madison Park, so today she packed up a box of my cleaning supplies with loads of stuff taken from my bathroom and then asked me to take her grocery shopping as well! I decided to unload 4 bags of groceries I had lying around-- lots of pasta, crackers and cereal that I can't eat and I'm not even sure why I have. I gave her a bag of paper plates, towels, napkins and plastic ware and off she went to clean her new place up. She will finish moving out tomorrow but it will make for an interesting summer. I have a feeling I will end up seeing her just as much between her needing to do laundry and wanting to eat for free.

My Saturday was very leisure. I got some cleaning and shopping in, but not a lot. I worked on my mom's album a bit more and did some calendar organizing with Monika. I gave her a list of chores I'd like her to accomplish this next week. I wanted to get to a yoga class but I got two good walks with Balt now that he is feeling better. I can tell the swelling is way down and I have yet to see any oozing at all. Once it is all healed, he will certainly have a distinguished look.

We met up with Erika later in the evening downtown for a concert at the Orpheum. I decided I wanted to start going to more concerts, so when I saw Chevelle was in town, I got tickets for Erika, Monika and me. Erika is a fan of The Used (one of the openers) and Monika ended up likeing The Marmozets (the other opener). It was a super a fun night out with the girls (we just needed Jessi & she would have come in handy when the mosh pit started). We saw three bands in five hours and I found out that Monika likes to camp out up front and watch as close as possible. It meant getting bumped into occasionally but made for a much more fun experience than just sitting in seats the whole night.

April Showers

There was thunder last night and heavy rains. This morning was grey and damp but not too wet for a dogwalk with Balt. The day at work was busy, with lots of stuff getting done. I stepped outside to check out all the metal furniture being sent away from the photo lab and I saw my daffodils for the first time! I planted them back in September for my birthday. Every year I buy bulbs, knowing I won't enjoy them until spring. The plants in my yard at home are barely starting peak out but at school, they are in full bloom and look so nice.  

I knocked a few things off my long list of things to do today and felt productive. There was a staff meeting after school and my tennis team photo shoot was postponed due to the damp conditions. I made myself a nice dinner after giving Balt a second walk and then made a fire. I did a bit of paperwork, but dozed off. I am still recovering from my lack of sleep Sunday night as I am not sure why I'm so tired. I should have gone to a yoga class but I stayed home and watched Survivor instead and hope to get to sleep early tonight. I'm in for a long day tomorrow.

Yes Concert

A couple of months ago I purchased two tickets to see YES, a band I have seen several times in my life time. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them once again, for the first time in Madison and was very impressed with musicianship of the older members of the band. I missed Jon Anderson but the new guy sounds enough like him to make it sound good. I would say more than half of the audience was older then me but seeing that two of the members of the band are as old as my parents, it makes sense. It was kind of cool seeing young kids there. Although I did not discover them until the 80's, their music from the 70's is what distinguishes them more, I believe. They played everything from Fragile (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972), a couple of new hits and closed with a few of their bigger hits, ending the show with "Owner of a Lonely Heart", their biggest commercial hit. 

Who's a Genius?

Today was one of those day I felt I had a million things to do and about 4 different things going on all at the same time all day. It was nice to delegate a few things to my student teacher. Although coordinating with him adds to the complexities of the day, it also helps to have another adult helping out. After school I had somehow scheduled 4 different meetings. I did not go to the technology meeting, I started up at that newspaper meeting, then went to the student government adviser meeting. I rushed out to pick up Balt and the went late to my writers meeting with Melissa and Josh. I absolutely love meeting with those two. There are times when our conversation turns to pure silliness and fun that makes our meetings always a good time, but our conversations are always informative, intellectual and creative. I love the ideas they give and the feedback I get from them after they read the stuff I write. I love reading their writings & how smart they are! We've begun a new tradition of eating nachos when we meet. I think I started that... that makes me the genius.

I had to rush away from our meeting to get Monika to her band concert. She performed her Percussion Ensemble peice that won a spot at the State Solo & Ensemble Festival. They performed a new percussion drum song I put onto Youtube below. 

The Ensemble

The day passed by pretty quickly. My metals classes have begun the transition into glass. There was a code red drill during 2nd hour that went off without a hitch. I had a leadership lunch meeting that seemed to be quite productive and a semi quiet 4th hour. During my prep I ordered supplies, made copies, did some clean up and paperwork. I met with a parent after school and then took Monika shopping. She was nervous for her concert this evening and needed black shoes. I needed t-shirts. We picked up Chins, then picked up Balt. Dinner was wonderful but before I knew it, it was time to get back to school for Monika's concert. I recorded her performance so that her dad could hear it. I thought she did well. She claims to have messed up near the end but my ear did not pick it up. I'm so proud of her musical endeavors. I wish there was a way for her to continue in college.

Play the game

At 3:30am this morning a very happy dog woke me up ready to go on a walk. Balt has gotten into this crazy schedule (since time change?) of getting up too early. This morning I put him in his crate and got another two hours of sleep. At 5:30am I woke up to get Jessi to basketball tryouts. She loves the game but isn't sure it's the right way to spend her time. She probably should keep swimming in order to get her faster and stronger for state next year with possibilities for bigger opportunities... but that would be mean a private club with lots of extra expense and time outside of the school. I like her staying active and basketball is relatively cheep and easy to deal with because practices are at school, not all over the city. BUT is it the right thing to do? I just don't know. For now, she's trying out. Getting cut would be an easy way to decide what to do, but I don't think that's going to happen. The team isn't that good so quite a few girls that are good athletes in other sports have decided to not to play in order to strengthen their other sports (like what Jessi should probably do!). When I sent her on her way, I told her to have fun. She had nothing to lose. She came home tonight after two try out sessions with aching feet and shin splints... gravity reminding her she's not in the water. I promised her new basketball shoes if she make the team. 

So the students of Memorial stepped up to the challenge and got to class on time for the most part. For the first time in my professional life I saw students RUNNING in the hall to class. The mass round ups were not for large groups of students as some might have predicted. During 3rd hour, the sweep only caught 6 kids. I'm sure 1st hour was the worst with 4th, coming in second, but the data is not in yet.

 

 

I love Sundays

My favorite part of the weekends lately have been the 3:30pm yoga classes. The time is perfect as it gives me all morning to get stuff done and all evening as well. One of my favorite poses lately has been Gorilla Pose (Padahastasana - pah-da-has-tahs-anna). It stretches the hamstrings and lower back and improves circulation into the wrists and hands. It also relieves mild anxieties somehow. Stepping on my hands used to be difficult and somewhat painful but now I can knead all my weight down on each hand one at a time (like a cat that kneads at bedding). On Sundays my favorite yoga teacher at Inner Fire teaches at 3:30pm she plays good music (see below) and will usually mention an interesting article in the New York Times. Today's mention was about rejection. According to the article, "...bad breakups and hot coffee elicited a similar response in the brain, at least as measured by fMRI machines." That's spilled hot coffee. Hot coffee makes me think of love and acceptance, not rejection! 

As I thought on the real pain of rejection, I wondered if in the end it makes us stronger, thicker, and more able to tolerate it. BUT if the pain is as real as being burned in our brains, then it makes more sense that rejection hurts every time the same or perhaps even worse? It still hurts when I find that a student doesn't like me or my class, when my daughters don't want me around, when I find a bunch of friends have gathered socially without inviting me. I react with maturity now, roll it off like it doesn't matter. That doesn't mean I don't feal it anymore, I know. 

Jim came home this afternoon after a week away training. We all had dinner together and now the girls are watching a movie with him. It was a good day for relaxing, getting a few things done. I spent time outside with Balt, weeding dandilions. It was a small taste of summer...

Ben Folds Fun

Today was a Thursday I kept thinking was Friday. I made it into the pool during lunch today, in part because Jim was home with Balt. My students are all busy with their first projects, so the day was calm and easy going. After school I ran a couple of errands and got Balt for a quick walk around school before Jessi was done with basketball. I took the three girls out to dinner and then to the Ben Folds concert at the Overture Center-- it was a ton of fun although both Jessi and Monika were not happy about the homework situation they were going to be in once we got home. I am always amazed at how different the three girls whenever I spend time with them together, but it just warms my heart to see them having fun together.

I discovered Ben Folds when his third CD came out in 1999, The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner which included the hit, Army. I listened to that CD over and over again for months. I suppose there was a strong attraction to the keyboard, song-writing, male voice that made me think of Jim at times. Erika brought home other CD's of his, so our iTunes collection of his music was pretty fat. His CD from two years ago, Way to be Normal, was one I purchased shortly after Erika moved out-- I gave her a copy of it for her birthday when we were not really speaking to each other. Ben Fold Five had been one of the first bands that the two of us really enjoyed listening to together. Folds ended his concert with his Army hit, but then returned for an encore of One Angry Dwarf. BUT the highlight of the concert for me was Effington, from his Way to be Normal CD. 

During the concert Ben Fold worked on a little project and has been posting his progress on youtube. Here's Madison's bit... I am in the middle of the center balcony.

 

Let the weekend begin!

The Sword and Shield became available on line today. The teacher who is the webmaster for the school emailed me to let me know it was on line and then went on to say how great it was. It's not perfect but it's exciting to see the strides. Today the seniors were all at a picnic. It was the most perfect day for a picnic. All of my classes were smaller, but not empty, so it was pretty mellow. I began cleaning up my metals studio again today. I will be sharing this studio next year, so I have started some overhauling. I also need to make sure everything can be locked up over the summer since I will not be teaching summer school. I have a stained glass window to finish by graduation day or else I will have to pay $50 to kid who bet me I would I not finish it by the time he graduated and that was 2 1/2 years ago. I may end up paying up... 

After school was a staff picnic at a local pool that one of the teachers manages. We had the pool all to ourselves. I was one of three teachers to get in the pool and the only one to do laps.I made my way from group to group... it wasn't a very big turn out so it was easy to mingle. There was the group around the keg, the group around the food, a group playing beer pong, and a group in the kiddie pool with kids. I did not even attempt the beer pong party action. Melissa and Joe were there which made it more enjoyable. I left to go see Shrek 4 with Monika and Jim (who did not want to hang out with teachers).

Jim passed on this live acoustic version of Rush's Subdivisions which I absolutely love... I thought I would share it with you. Jacob Moon is a Christian musician from Canada, perhaps an up and coming John Mayer type?