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Tuesday, February 09, 2010
I was thinking about this while I was driving to school. My classes have been working on the mural - enlarging. My new class was learning to use a grid - staying the same. Now that we're working on the ketchup packet contest, we're learning about shrinking.
Kind of like life here at Spark People. We're mostly concerned with losing weight or size - shrinking. But then we hit goal, we get into the maintenance phase - and we work at staying the same. At the same time, we focus on strengthening our muscles - enlarging. We also have pregnant friends, who need to enlarge for a while, gain weight, to have a healthy baby. And we all gained weight and grew as we went from being a kid to an adult - but we're all fighting enlarging now.
No insights - just musings. I shrank for my first year here, I've stayed the same for the following two years. I'm still working on shrinking, but I plateau a lot, and then get lazy and don't break through the plateau.
But hey - staying the same is a whole lot better than enlarging. So I'm happy that I'm staying. I know I need to get back to losing, I'm working on keeping the cals about 1450, and getting increasing cardio. I've gotten better. I just need to stick with it. Staying the same with the program to get to shrinking.
And don't enlarge.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Think about it. Football - American football - has teams, many of which are named for animals. Fast, strong, predator animals. The Jaguars. The Bengals. Even the Wolverines. (And yes, the Colts.) Big, mean, strong, swift, deadly animals, with the symbol on the helmets the players wear. Almost like an avatar, bringing the attributes of the animals. Imbuing the players with those attributes, scaring the other team. (I did an art ed project in college based on sports teams' animal symbols, set to Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" - it was great.)
Then we have other teams, like the Saints (YAAAAY) who use a symbol of royalty, one of the earliest stylized symbol in civilization. We think of the fleur-de-lis as essentially French, but the design is similar to symbols found in Mesopotamian, Mycenean, and even Egyptian artwork. The fleur-de-lis has been used by French royalty since the 1100s, and as European royalty inter-married, the symbol moved to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, etc. It's the symbol used in Florence, Italy, as well as the coat of arms of the Spanish king. And it has come to be the symbol of many former French colonies, most notably Quebec and New Orleans.
But my favorite part of football is how it enhances and exaggerates the male form, celebrating that V shape with the huge shoulder pads and slim hips. The tight uniform (spandex?) allows ease of movement, but also enhances that male form in a way we haven't seen since the early Greek Olympiads, performed in the nude (now that's an idea), or the Middle Ages and Renaissance eras when men wore tights. We haven't seen the celebration of the male form as a symbol of our humanism as well as our vulnerability since the Renaissance, and the Greeks and Romans before that. Ever since trousers were invented, men have hidden in baggy pants, as women have often done in long full skirts. In basketball, we have huge baggy shorts. In baseball, we have ugly somewhat baggy uniforms. But in football, as in swimming, we celebrate and even enhance that male form, showing it off. (And I say YAY to that.)
Anyone watching last night's Superbowl could have seen the ballet-like leap of Colson as he jumped up and caught the ball - Baryshnikov and Nureyev would have envied his lift! His grace of movement! And they wouldn't have had the precision to catch that ball in the midst of that leap, and then run with it. Grace, precision, lift - I could easily see football as ballet. (Well, minus the tackles, but in the co-ed football I played in jr high, that was the whole point.)
Yeah, I think football is my game. It was a great game, I had a wonderful time watching it, both teams played their hearts out. But you know, royalty always rises to the top.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
DH brought back a nice cup of decaf from his morning coffee and errand run, and we chatted as we both drank our coffee. Went down for breakfast (yes we could cook at home, but then we need to clean up, so this is just easier) and ran into the guy who played sax at our family dinner the night before our wedding - big hug from him, chatting about what he's up to, etc. (He was recently performing at a jazz festival in Italy, and he's playing with Maxi Priest next weekend. He's getting famous!)
Then we went to check mail at the post office - but DH parked at the marina so he could get a brownie, and I could get in a short walk to the PO and back. I ran into a bunch of friends and acquaintances, there's now a farmer's market (with arts and crafts) at the marina, plus the scholastic chess tournament team was doing exhibition games - two of my students were there. More hugs, hellos, etc.
I continued walking - and ran into one of the security guys at the marina, who is a former student and "adopted" kid of mine - from one of those dysfunctional families, he just needed some extra caring and support, and he became my "son" - so big big hug from him.
Turned out the post office was closed, despite two cruise ships at the dock. I managed to walk back without major slowdowns.
I think that's the part I like best about teaching, running into former students who are doing good things with their lives, who are happy to see me and want a hug. That makes it all worthwhile.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
First, the shade in the bedroom blew sideways and knocked the lamp off my nightstand. I saved the pieces for our mosaic, and then DH and I went shopping. I found a cheap and not-so-ugly one at KMart, bought it while DH stocked up on soda and such. Home to put our stuff away, then off to brunch at our fave hang out.
But now, even though it's a beautiful day, sunny and breezy and not so hot, I have a headache (for no apparent reason) and I'm not sure the beach is the best thing right now.
So - that's the Saturday report. Relaxing. Maybe napping. Catching up online and with newspapers and magazines. Decluttering that stuff once read. More relaxing.
Friday, February 05, 2010
Yup. That simple. Over the weekend, they have to draw a ketchup bottle.
Of course, the two morning classes looked at me like I was crazy.
I explained that one major ketchup manufacturer is having a contest - students are to draw designs for the ketchup packets - grand prize winner gets cash plus their design will be used on the individual packets. Another 12 students win cash, their school gets cash for art supplies, plus the school gets $1K worth of ketchup. (Which made us all crack up laughing.)
The website has tons of ketchup trivia - how many lbs of tomatoes Americans eat in a year; another company tried making ketchup ice cream but didn't think it would sell (duh!); fun trivia if you're 11 to 14 yrs old.
So next week, info packets in hand and ketchup sketches, my students will learn about product design and marketing, and they'll spend a few days drawing ideas for the ketchup contest.
I'd love $1K for art supplies!!!!!!! And I think the cafeteria could use some ketchup...........though I don't think schools count it as a veg anymore, LOL!
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