Sunday, January 16, 2011

L. E. S. Artistes

So the other day I was starting to write a new blog and all of a sudden I start having trouble with my blogger website. It won't save. I can't get the internet to work.

Ironically my husband had just done something with the Wi-fi in the house so I totally blamed him but instead it was Comcast's fault...it was an outage in our area.

I'm still going to blame him...

That blog went into the trash bin...literally.

I was writing about prepping to teach an art history lesson. I had been CONSUMED with preperation for the lesson as was my teaching partner. I mean, I had literally spent hours and hours learning about Bernini, Carvaggio, Rembrandt, and David. It was a lot of stuff...a lot of European art.

But it is some very cool art.


On the other hand, the lesson plans were...terrible. When we teach these lessons to the kids, we go into their classrooms (in middle school we teach during their history period) and use a power point that has been designed by some sort of art history person.

Well, that person took a day off when he/she did this lesson...

First, it was covering too much information, too many years of art, and really, too many artists...

But they also were focusing on the wrong stuff ABOUT the artist.

So my teaching partner and I revamped it. We just went rogue and did our own thing. We used the old lesson as a framework---in other words, we just covered the artists the lesson covered...that was it...we did the rest.

I know have a new appreciation for those artists and I did enjoy all the research and study, but I'm glad it is behind me.

Here is a sample of Bernini's work: Pluto and Persephone...AMAZING




We taught the lesson, kept the kids (fairly) interested, and even survived having a fire drill in the middle of it all. We talked non-stop for 48 minutes.

I told Bacchus it exhausted me and I was happy that I didn't have to do it every day. He LOVES to talk...even more than me. I LOVE to talk, but I felt a heavy responsibility to the children and the material to get it right.

In the middle of all of this teaching I got a text from a friend that she/he had lost her/his job. I'm not saying anything more here to protect her/his privacy but she/he was fired unjustly and I really felt bad for her/him. Normally I wouldn't disclose somthing like this but it will come into play later. All you, my dear readers, need to know is that a friend lost a job that she/he had held for 7.5 years and was fired unjustly.

After my teaching I texted Dimples and asked if he was in the mood to put up with his favorite pain in his arse and he agreed to meet me for a de-stressing workout. See why I love him? He's there when I need him...

I followed the workout with 4 hours of watching my son and his team at the city-wide wrestling championships.

Boys in leotards grappling each other.

lovely...

Between art and wrestling I needed that workout...literally BETWEEN art and wrestling...because they both scared me...

Several of our boys won medals but alas The Cutest Boy in the World did not...but he had fun trying. Some of my mommy friends expressed disbelief and joy at my weight loss...I luv luv luv them for it...and I happily told them that I give Dimples a lot of credit for being trainer/therapist/hand holder and that they could have him as their own trainer/therapist/hand holder if they wanted.

Because we are having a boot camp starting next week...if you live in Houston and want to join us, email me!

Anyhoo...

After wrestling we went to my fav fav fav restaurant (George's Pastaria)and ReRe (the owner's wife and mistress of the vine at the restaurant) was truly a goddess in my book because she had a delicious glass of muscato poured and placed it in my hands just as I walked to my table.

That is why I love George's Pastaria...ReRe KNOWS what wine I love and just when I need it...personal service to their customers is top-notch

I had asked Dimples if I could have some pasta that night and he told me:

No

And then I asked about garlic bread and he told me:

No

(he told me to imagine it was a big pile of sugar and wouldn't do my body any good...when I got up this morning and the scale was down I sent him a mental kiss and hug...)

And then I told him about the wine and he told me:

Go for it

Yet another reason why I love Dimples...he knows when Mama needs her fruit of the vine.

So ReRe and George (ok, there is no disguising his name...I mean, come on, the restaurant is called "GEORGE'S Pastaria")suggest I have the rainbow trout cooked "bodybuilder" style with veggies.

That is why I love George's Pastaria...the owners want happy customers...and happy friends...not just people who come to eat...

I'm telling you, you need to make this your favorite place...great food, great wine, great service...need I say more? 1/2 the price of Carrabbas and so much better...

Anyhoo...

I had a great dinner, kept to my diet, only had 2 glasses of wine and headed home.

Got up yesterday at 5:00 so I could chaperone the middle school choir and Region Choir auditions. The kids work so hard learning their music and it takes quite a bit of coursage to get up there and sing before the judges. I'm super proud of them.

I was super proud of me because I managed (with the help of 4 other moms) not to lose any of our kids and I only had to intervene/fight with the people running it about 3 times...that might be a new low record for me. GOTT was proud...

My son did not get into the Region Choir. As he describes it, he had an "epic voice crack" in the middle of "Come Travel With Me" so he knew he was out before he was even done. Oh well...

I came home from that and took a nap...it was GLORIOUS!

Then I went to chaperone a middle school party that some friends were giving...and I didn't behave so gloriously there...

Now lest you think I was falling down drunk in front of the kids, re-boot your brain and focus on these words:

Mexican food

Oh, it wasn't pretty.

Because thus far I have only been faced with Mexican food when I am at a restuarant and able to choose what I was eating.

But this was a buffet of snack type things and not one of them was going to make Dimples smile and not one of them was something I could alter to be less fattening.

Nachos.

Queso.

Tamales.

Beef flautas.

and...

my downfall...

quesadillas

Really really good quesadillas.

I lost count after 4...

It was basically a night of beer and quesadilla overload for me.

I was starving and I had made a huge mistake because I should have eaten before I went.

But I didn't...

And those quesadillas? Really really good...

but a lead balloon in my stomach and left me feeling pretty gross this morning.

But wait! There's more...

CRAVE CUPCAKES

curses!

There they were...CRAVE cupcakes. Sitting on a cute little stand all ready for me to grab one and eat it.

So I did.

It was chocolate.

It was fantastic.

Dimples is going to punish me good for that little forbidden food orgy.

My girlfriend told me that when they went to pick up the cupcakes that the line was out of the door. Her husband asked her:

"What are they selling there? Crack?"

Yep, that has always been my word for it...CRACK. They are CRACK cupcakes.

A deadly drug that you cannot resist once you have had one...

But I learned a lot these last few days and I will share my little lessons with you since I am in a teaching mood...

1. I would have been totally hot in the 17th century. Look at this detail from Bernini's Persephone and Pluto.

That looks like my thighs, people...

It is pretty amazing that he was able to carve that rock to look like such soft, supple flesh. AMAZING...

So yeah...I would have been a hot chick just as I am...soft round curves, thick thighs. And I am totally in love with Bernini's sculpture.

2. OK, so #1 isn't really a lesson...but this is. And it is one we all know...when God closes a door, He always opens a window. In my case:

Door Closed: terrible power point and lesson to teach the kids
Open Window: we had the time and energy to make up a new lesson

Door Closed: my friend losing her/his job
Open Window: she/he can now pursue the career she/he REALLY wants to do

Door Closed: I coulnd't eat my favorite dish at my favorite restaurant
Open Window: great restaurants have options...and they fed me a GREAT alternative to my favorite so I could stay on my diet

Door Closed: "epic" voice crack that derails my son's audition
Open Window: I don't have to deal with all the Region Choir stuff (but congratulations to the parents that do!)

Door Closed: no scheduled workout with my favorite trainer when I was stressing
Open Window: he totally rocks and made time for me...even if it meant he had to shiver in the cold...

Door Closed: Mexican food buffet with no redeeming food
Open Window: Crave Cupcakes...because who the hell cared by then...

I guess what I am saying here is that I have found it a lot easier to be flexible these days and to not be so rigid.

3. My third lesson is in not beating myself up. My son didn't beat himself up for his voice crack in the middle of his singing audition, so I shouldn't beat myself up for falling off the "eating clean" wagon.

Food orgies happen

Yes, I should not have had that really bad food last night but I behaved the day before and I am behaving now so it's not like I had a week-long or even weekend-long undoing of my diet...it was 3 hours...

I have to say that a year ago I would have taught that lesson, come home and taken to my bed for a few hours and then slogged myself to the wrestling thing where I would have sat on my fat behind and watched the boys and then followed it with some wine-fueled eating at George's Pastaria (where I would have indulged in some really amazing and sinful Rigatoni Alfredo...if you want to be "bad" they can do "bad" really well there). The next morning I would have been sluggish and slow and sat in my chair during the Region thing, followed IT with a nap and then headed to that party in a tent and black stretchy pants and lived by the buffet and eaten much much more.

Instead...I taught my lesson with energy and enthusiasm, did my favorite workout---A Dimples Training---went to wrestling and ran all over the gym taking photos, got up early and with energy and took care of choir kids and, yes, took a nap (50 minutes...perfect), and then rocked leggings and stilletto boots at the party and misbehaved (with food) just a little.

It's not that I am so great or good...it is about changing how I handle my days that makes things better for me. Seeing Dimples instead of napping on Friday I KNOW gave me the energy to get through the rest of the weekend.

I took yesterday off from exercise but today I'm hitting it hard at the gym with spin and body pump. And tomorrow the bootcamp starts so I'll pay for my sins of last night and move on.

And not do it again...for a while...

Today is a new day...clean slate...gonna do it right and not look back...

Oh, and teaching that lesson on Friday taught me more than just art...it confirmed my resolve to get my teaching certification...I'm going to do it. I told GOTT and he was excited for me...see why I love love love my GOTT? Support when I need it...and so much more...

I don't know WHAT I think I can teach...but it is something to work for...

Inspiration Song: "L.E.S. Artistes" by Santogold...she's pretty cool...

Bye Darlings..."Re-boot" if you need to...it's a new week...

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