Yikes!

I haven't posted in over a month! This hasn't happened to me since I first started my blog seriously in 2005. My humble apologies to my devoted readers, where ever you are! My postings have become fewer and father between because my workload at school has increased. The effort it seems to take to post a visually appealing blog entry with pictures uploaded and an interesting story has seemed daunting with all of my other responsibilities at school.

Ok, enough excuses. Here's what I've been up to since I last posted. My brother and sister-in-law came up to Salinas to celebrate Thanksgiving with me. We had a very active four days while they were here. We returned to Pinnacles National Monument for a day-long 8 mile loop hike. We learned that it doesn't matter which side of the park you enter, it is still the same loop. We didn't see any Condors this time, although we had a nice chat with a Condor-tracking Park Ranger who knew our cousin Jessica from the Ventana Wilderness Society.

We played 9 holes of golf in Pacific Grove. It was painfully frustrating for me because I couldn't drive the ball in the air for more than 30 yards. I had a nice walk out on the greens however. This was my opportunity to try out the golf clubs that my brother was giving to me. With all the other sports that I'm good at, why should I bother picking up one that many people spend their entire lives being frustrated with?

As for our Thanksgiving meal, we spent it with some family friends in Santa Cruz. They cooked the bird and stuffing, we made the mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. Pumpkin pie for dessert was followed by a walk on the sea cliffs as the sunset. It was a nice way to wrap up the day.

From Thanksgiving to December 14th, we had three weeks of school. I was behind in the curriculum, so I decided to use that time to finish it up. I could tell that my students and I were a bit tired and looking forward to our break. Yet, I had a job to finish. At times it wasn't pretty, but we came to a point of closure where we could enjoy three weeks of holiday without loose strings dangling over our heads that we would have to tie up when we return on January 7th.

Gilda and I went to San Francisco for the day so she could take the CBEST test. She's thinking of other options for work, and substitute teaching is one of them. While she took her test, I went for a run in Golden Gate Park and went shopping at an art supply store for my Christmas presents' material. After the test, we went to the Presidio for a nice view of the Golden Gate bridge. The drive home on 280 was congestion-free and scenic.

I'm starting to think of New Year's resolutions. The end of 2007 has snuck up on me. I couldn't wait for 2006 to be over. 2007 has been filled with plenty of transitions, it has seemed like a long year. Perhaps 2008 will afford some routine and stability to accomplish my goals. Stay tuned. I'll be back before a month has passed this time!