INNER

Last week there was a fantastic New York Times crossword puzzle which made me feel all warm & fuzzy inside.  The Times crossword puzzles are a bit of an institution around, um.... my institution.  Some of us teachers (the coolest or perhaps the dweebiest ones) work together to "get 'er done".  Often we are successful.  

Though i didn't work a whole lot on the puzzle i'm talking about which made me feel fantastic, it really did make me feel great!  And thusly, i'm sharing it with the blogosphere.

The theme's  across clues ended up being the 2nd half of the answer to one of the down answers.  The down answer was "INNER".   So putting them together the theme answers read:

INNER BEAUTY

INNER STRENGTH

INNER PEACE

INNER CHILD

:)

Draw Your Swords!

Maybe it's from a lot of recent LOTR in film form, who knows?, but for whatever reason on my bike ride to work this morning the phrase "Draw your swords!" popped into my head. I was compelled to say it aloud in a British-like accent. Olde Englishe if ye wille.

Anyway, i then imagined some whimsical comic book character, perhaps the three Bone cousins from sinister to clueless hearing the phrase shouted by Grandma Ben: "Draw your swords !"

Or maybe a meek Scott Pilgrim (after realizing his enemy has a sword and running away like the p*&^@ he is) facing a challenge from his opponent who cries out: "Draw your sword!"

...after which SP or the Bones immediately draw a sword, as in whip out a pencil and sketch a sword on a sheet of paper and then hold it up with a huge grin across their faces.

That's what i want to do. That's how i would like to think about life, things.

But no.

This week is a real battle, this life a real war.

And we must draw our swords for realz.

And stand.

No $#@%!

From Plug-In America, if you care to read the fine print and for more links.
"As the Solar Taxi winds down its American tour and heads north from the east coast into Canada, we want to wish inventor voyager Louis Palmer and his talented tech team the best. If you haven't had a chance to witness bits of this remarkable journey, enjoy its complete documented trip. ... And for an insider visit and a "spin" behind the wheel, Plug In America documentarian Stefano Paris video-taped his ride.

Solar Taxi is a battery-operated solar electric vehicle that has logged thousands of miles driving across America -- north to south, west to east -- the ultimate road trip. Its mission is to circumnavigate the world to raise awareness about solutions to climate change. When Solar Taxi was in Los Angeles, it captured the attention of Jay Leno, Larry Hagman, Tony Shalhoub and James Cameron who came out for rides. While en route to the east coast, Solar Taxi made a stop at General Motors and when it reached New York, it drew the attention of the United Nations Secretary General. We wave a fond goodbye and look forward to its return!"

mejor en bici

-For the entire month of August my bike computer registered 180 miles in commuting distance.*

-Last week I registered a new personal best of 30.8mph! I've taken 'er up to a close second at 30.7mph and a few others over 30mph...

-...you know it! Speeding without a motor.

*This figure, of course, does not include various leisurely trips taken on my cruiser, nor the times i either forgot entirely or forgot to hook in my computer display/info receiver.

...but in zee Munich Zirkus I was known as zee Incredible...

Nightcrawler.  Now his skillz would be a good trick for getting across busy intersections and trouble spots.  A real time saver!  Plus it would just be lots of fun.

P.S. are people aware that the actor portraying that "Teutonic wall-walker" in X2 is Scottish?!

golden deliziös MutterWurst / Schrei nein zum Winter

"There's a snake in my boot!"* and by that i mean, "Someone's been sleeping in my bed! ... "** and by that i mean, "Someone's been messing with my Deutsche Magnetpoesie!" ...finally!

Well done. Very well done, whoever you are. I have a few suspects, but if you'd like to come forth and identify yourself, O Mystery Dichter, please do! If you'd rather your identity remain a mystery...um, fine. Be that way.

That being said, i'd like to put out a call to all German-speaking, and/or Deutsch-attempting goons out there to come over and make their mark on our refridgerator! It's been far too long since the Magnetically Poetic Days of Olde back in the War Room. Slim to no prior knowledge of German required!

wunderbar! Thor and his Enchanted Hammer make half of a cameo appearance in the bottom-left corner of that shot.

essentially the same photograph as the first, but i liked how the light came through redhandlightcolored when i blocked the flash w/my hand.

And whatever you do, always ALWAYS: benutz eine fantastische Dschungelstimmung.

* Toy Story

** Goldlöckchen und die drei Bären - or if you're feeling like a more colorful and entertaining versionette (and the end to this quote), check out (RIP) Burgess Meredith's rendition of the tale as Grandpa Gustafson in "Grumpy Old Men"

Yikes!

?!?!?!??

The lady at the front counter said it was because of the bleach or detergent or what-have-you that they use in the dishwashers and whatever chemical residue may remain on the groceries they buy and use in their fares. Scary...

Also: so many "Or"s! Which parts should i believe?!

mejor en bici

Last week on my bike ride to work i reached a velocity of 30+ mph!