i love christmas music that isn't TOO christmas-y. this one is perfect - "little wood guitar," by sugarland:
Friday, November 30, 2012
a photo a day
Aaaaand I have a new favorite Mexican restaurant in New York! Amazing fresh corn tortillas, black beans, Mexican cheese, avocado, and all the usual tomato/lettuce toppings. Heaven!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
job search update
that subject line makes it look like i have actual news, right? NEGATIVE. ha! i fooled you.
my update is that i am applying for jobs. the kinds of administrative-level positions that i want have an earlier hiring season than regular teaching jobs, and thus far i've found 6 or 8 jobs that i'm interested in and i have sent my resume and cover letter and references out into the world, hoping the people doing the hiring for those positions like what they see. i am applying for some jobs that i am technically qualified for (master's degree plus eight years teaching experience...), but probably won't get, like upper school principal positions. there are a lot of very experienced and qualified people out there, but my hope is that i might be considered for one of those jobs at a small school (those are the ones i've applied for) that are seen as entry level principal position. i'm also applying for dean of students positions or the school's equivalent. i believe i'll be considered for those and hopefully someone will like me enough to call me up. CALL ME UP, PLEASE.
i think we can all agree that i'm a planner. so as soon as i apply for a job - before i even hear a single thing from a school - i have already begun to imagine my life there. (i know i'm not alone in this, as my friend jenny does the same thing when she's done job searches in the past. oh jenny, how alike we are.) i have already imagined what my life would be like in the 6-8 cities where i've applied for jobs. what would i do on the weekends? where would i go grocery shopping? what would the weather be like? what airport would i fly into? can i picture myself in my little blue toyota corolla driving around this town? i am also planning on getting two kittens when i move into a real grown up apartment again...so i picture getting the kittens and them snuggling with me on the couch.
i am ridiculous.
this is why you love me.
my update is that i am applying for jobs. the kinds of administrative-level positions that i want have an earlier hiring season than regular teaching jobs, and thus far i've found 6 or 8 jobs that i'm interested in and i have sent my resume and cover letter and references out into the world, hoping the people doing the hiring for those positions like what they see. i am applying for some jobs that i am technically qualified for (master's degree plus eight years teaching experience...), but probably won't get, like upper school principal positions. there are a lot of very experienced and qualified people out there, but my hope is that i might be considered for one of those jobs at a small school (those are the ones i've applied for) that are seen as entry level principal position. i'm also applying for dean of students positions or the school's equivalent. i believe i'll be considered for those and hopefully someone will like me enough to call me up. CALL ME UP, PLEASE.
i think we can all agree that i'm a planner. so as soon as i apply for a job - before i even hear a single thing from a school - i have already begun to imagine my life there. (i know i'm not alone in this, as my friend jenny does the same thing when she's done job searches in the past. oh jenny, how alike we are.) i have already imagined what my life would be like in the 6-8 cities where i've applied for jobs. what would i do on the weekends? where would i go grocery shopping? what would the weather be like? what airport would i fly into? can i picture myself in my little blue toyota corolla driving around this town? i am also planning on getting two kittens when i move into a real grown up apartment again...so i picture getting the kittens and them snuggling with me on the couch.
i am ridiculous.
this is why you love me.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
my cousin's boyfriend josh introduced me to this website when we were hanging out over thanksgiving - i love it! where has it been all my life?
http://punchfork.com
go there. admire the pretty food. maybe make something.
http://punchfork.com
go there. admire the pretty food. maybe make something.
a photo a day
Have I mentioned that I love my friends here? Pizza and board games tonight for Ben's birthday - hooray!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
snow #2
this time it's a disgusting rainy-snow mix. it did not deter me from making a trader joe's run, though! go me!
this morning we took a field trip for one of my classes to the google headquarters in NYC. um, can i please work there? free food and drinks EVERYWHERE, awesome lounge spaces, games everywhere. i don't appear to have any of the credentials necessary, but i do enjoy gmail. is that enough? no? in this class we have been talking about the culture of a school, and we visited google to observe and analyze their culture. my analysis is: i want in.
this morning we took a field trip for one of my classes to the google headquarters in NYC. um, can i please work there? free food and drinks EVERYWHERE, awesome lounge spaces, games everywhere. i don't appear to have any of the credentials necessary, but i do enjoy gmail. is that enough? no? in this class we have been talking about the culture of a school, and we visited google to observe and analyze their culture. my analysis is: i want in.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thursday, November 22, 2012
a photo a day, Thanksgiving edition
Yum! I conned my family into buying my favorite Thanksgiving item: canned cranberry sauce!
So thankful for all the family and friends in my life - I am a truly lucky girl!
So thankful for all the family and friends in my life - I am a truly lucky girl!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
a photo a day
9:30am, preparing to land in an INCREDIBLY foggy Chicago.
Half way to Iowa - can't wait to get there and let Thanksgiving begin!
Half way to Iowa - can't wait to get there and let Thanksgiving begin!
Monday, November 19, 2012
a photo a day
sore throat...headache...HARUMPH-A-SAURUS! i have no time for this! i have thanksgiving to celebrate!
willis swears by airborne...so i'm giving it a go...
willis swears by airborne...so i'm giving it a go...
Sunday, November 18, 2012
really interesting article with great graphics about the red-blue divide in america and how it's not as clear cut as the media makes it out to be:
red versus blue in a new light
red versus blue in a new light
Saturday, November 17, 2012
a photo a day
hundreds of tiny containers of prepared foods at my grocery store. hummus, pesto, other spreads so numerous and interesting you couldn't make them up on your own.
part of me wants to try every single one of them. another part of me realizes this is a bad idea.
part of me wants to try every single one of them. another part of me realizes this is a bad idea.
Friday, November 16, 2012
nerd alert
some grad school friends and i made a decision tonight that we are READING A BOOK FOR PLEASURE over thanksgiving break. the idea is thrilling. i pretty much can't wait. no one to tell me which pages to read, by when, and what guiding questions to consider while reading? i might be in heaven.
a photo a day
ice skating rink at bryant park!
i did not skate - i was there for the holiday market! didn't find anything great to buy, unfortunately, but it was fun to explore.
i did not skate - i was there for the holiday market! didn't find anything great to buy, unfortunately, but it was fun to explore.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
a weird thing about new york (an occasional series by miss claire)
on thursdays i walk half an hour into harlem for my field project, where a classmate and i are helping design a lower school social studies curriculum at an independent school. (is this an awesome project? yes. is it the subject of this blog post? not really.) the school is small and doesn't have a cafeteria, so for lunch my classmate and i walk to a nearby...okay, this is the point of the story.
facts, according to me:
1. harlem does not have many real restaurants. do you want a panera bread or something like it? doesn't exist.
2. harlem has a lot of...7-11s. but without the gas station part. little stores that sell all the foods you would find at a gas station (chips, candy, sodas, beer, cigarettes) PLUS they are apparently required to have a sandwich counter.
it is at this sandwich counter where we get our lunch. well dressed white people? ah yes, we stick out like a sore thumb. no one cares, though, which is awesome. so we go up to the counter and order a sandwich and of course there is nothing vegetarian, so i get (POINT OF THE STORY!) an egg and cheese on a roll.
that is what you say. "i want an egg and cheese on a roll, please." a roll is hamburger bun sized, but smaller than a hero. that is important to know so you don't get an absurd amount of food. but egg and cheese on a roll is available everywhere, even for lunch...no one bats an eye. the cheese is american (duh), and the sandwich is delish. today's egg and cheese on a roll cost $1.75. one dollar! and seventy-five cents! it is the only food item in this city that costs less than you think it will.
this post is inspired, and my lunch choice validated, by my new smitten kitchen cookbook:
facts, according to me:
1. harlem does not have many real restaurants. do you want a panera bread or something like it? doesn't exist.
2. harlem has a lot of...7-11s. but without the gas station part. little stores that sell all the foods you would find at a gas station (chips, candy, sodas, beer, cigarettes) PLUS they are apparently required to have a sandwich counter.
it is at this sandwich counter where we get our lunch. well dressed white people? ah yes, we stick out like a sore thumb. no one cares, though, which is awesome. so we go up to the counter and order a sandwich and of course there is nothing vegetarian, so i get (POINT OF THE STORY!) an egg and cheese on a roll.
that is what you say. "i want an egg and cheese on a roll, please." a roll is hamburger bun sized, but smaller than a hero. that is important to know so you don't get an absurd amount of food. but egg and cheese on a roll is available everywhere, even for lunch...no one bats an eye. the cheese is american (duh), and the sandwich is delish. today's egg and cheese on a roll cost $1.75. one dollar! and seventy-five cents! it is the only food item in this city that costs less than you think it will.
this post is inspired, and my lunch choice validated, by my new smitten kitchen cookbook:
gmail is genius
i just sent an email with the words "i have attached..." in the body of an email, but did not attach a file. GMAIL WARNED ME OF THIS BEFORE IT SENT THE EMAIL. gmail, you are genius and i totally appreciate everything about you.
love,
miss claire
love,
miss claire
a photo a day
corn chowder for dinner!
when i was in vermont a couple weeks ago we stopped in a little store that sold, among other things, soup mixes! i bought the corn chowder one, and today followed the directions to make some DELISH soup. i doctored it up (as suggested on the back of the package) with half and half, creamed corn, and onions. hoo-ray.
and there's plenty left over for a couple lunches this weekend!
when i was in vermont a couple weeks ago we stopped in a little store that sold, among other things, soup mixes! i bought the corn chowder one, and today followed the directions to make some DELISH soup. i doctored it up (as suggested on the back of the package) with half and half, creamed corn, and onions. hoo-ray.
and there's plenty left over for a couple lunches this weekend!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
a week old - oops
oops - these are a week old and i never got around to posting them. my birthday week was chock full of fun - no time for blogging! here they are now - photos from my birthday weekend in vermont!!
kelly and mike at the ben & jerry's factory:
q and becky love ben & jerry's, too! look how cute becky is with her milkshake.
tickets to go on the tour at ben & jerry's!
group shot outside ben & jerry's! (i promise we did things on this weekend other than eat ice cream...it just had the best photo opportunities!)
q at the cabot creamery gift shop after a tour of their cheese making facilities...and LOTS of cheese tasting:
awesome picture of me and beck before a DELICIOUS dinner on saturday night:
it was SUCH a fun weekend with good friends. and then the american people gave me an obama victory as a birthday present. hooray for birthdays! exclamation points everywhere! life is good.
kelly and mike at the ben & jerry's factory:
q and becky love ben & jerry's, too! look how cute becky is with her milkshake.
tickets to go on the tour at ben & jerry's!
group shot outside ben & jerry's! (i promise we did things on this weekend other than eat ice cream...it just had the best photo opportunities!)
q at the cabot creamery gift shop after a tour of their cheese making facilities...and LOTS of cheese tasting:
awesome picture of me and beck before a DELICIOUS dinner on saturday night:
it was SUCH a fun weekend with good friends. and then the american people gave me an obama victory as a birthday present. hooray for birthdays! exclamation points everywhere! life is good.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
a photo (from yesterday)
the election watching party was a success! this is the joy we felt after all the channels declared obama the winner:
sometimes i wonder who these other people are who call themselves americans, as we seem to stagnate or move backwards on gay rights, abortion, women's issues. how can my fellow americans see things SO differently?
last night was a great comfort to me as a majority of voters elected obama, voted for marriage equality in several states, voted down candidates who talk about rape and women's issues in shocking ways. every day we get closer to the america i believe in.
here's my favorite part of obama's speech last night:
What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great.
love and charity and duty and patriotism. my grandma norma would be very proud of america for the way it voted last night.
today i'd like to wish a big happy birthday to marie curie, leon trotsky, morgan spurlock, and my girl joni mitchell. as has become a tradition, here's some joni to celebrate the day:
WHAT. A. VOICE.
additionally, mark your calendars: november 7th = first day of snow in NYC! flakes are coming down as we speak...
sometimes i wonder who these other people are who call themselves americans, as we seem to stagnate or move backwards on gay rights, abortion, women's issues. how can my fellow americans see things SO differently?
last night was a great comfort to me as a majority of voters elected obama, voted for marriage equality in several states, voted down candidates who talk about rape and women's issues in shocking ways. every day we get closer to the america i believe in.
here's my favorite part of obama's speech last night:
What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on earth. The belief that our destiny is shared; that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations. The freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights. And among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That's what makes America great.
love and charity and duty and patriotism. my grandma norma would be very proud of america for the way it voted last night.
today i'd like to wish a big happy birthday to marie curie, leon trotsky, morgan spurlock, and my girl joni mitchell. as has become a tradition, here's some joni to celebrate the day:
WHAT. A. VOICE.
additionally, mark your calendars: november 7th = first day of snow in NYC! flakes are coming down as we speak...
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
another great email
in my continuing series, "awesome emails from people i love," my dad sent me this email last night:
Nate Silver has Obama with a 92% chance of winning. Barack's giving a rocking speach in Des Moines right now. I'm voting first thing at the Halls Mills Community Center.
dad
on the phone just now he proclaimed that he had done exactly zero work today because he was so excited about this election.
i love my family.
gobama!!
Nate Silver has Obama with a 92% chance of winning. Barack's giving a rocking speach in Des Moines right now. I'm voting first thing at the Halls Mills Community Center.
dad
on the phone just now he proclaimed that he had done exactly zero work today because he was so excited about this election.
i love my family.
gobama!!
Monday, November 5, 2012
a photo a day
Day 3 of the best week ever: Susanna Hoffs (of The Bangles) at City Winery, the cutest venue EVER. And yes, that's Fred Armisen, inexplicably, on drums!
Huge thanks to Ben for inviting me along!
OMG she just played Manic Monday. Life is so good.
Huge thanks to Ben for inviting me along!
OMG she just played Manic Monday. Life is so good.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
a photo from yesterday
last night at 11pm we found out that our friend wendy had her baby - a week early, so we weren't even expecting it. surprises are so fun! this is the photo we texted her to visibly show our excitement.
wendy is a blog reader and a dear friend - i couldn't be happier for her and her new baby girl!!
flying into new york tonight on a tiny little plane from vermont:
as we were descending towards our landing, i look on the window of the plane, and it looks like we're right above manhattan. the view out the window is gorgeous: skyscrapers all lit up at night, bright lights that mark the road, all seemingly SO CLOSE - maybe we were 3,000 feet up at most? (my only measure is that the new world trade center memorial building is going to be 1,776 feet tall, and we didn't seem too much above that.) it's breathtakingly beautiful, new york city at night from the air. i am talking to the city through the airplane window like a loony person.
as we get further south i realize i should be confused, since laguardia airport is now north of us. i realize later that we must have been asked by air traffic control to circle for a couple minute to buy time - i can't imagine any other reason we would have taken this route.
then manhattan is dark - huge buildings on the south end of the island are totally black - the power outages that remain because of the storm. poignant at night.
then we're over brooklyn and queens and i can still see the city (those people on the right side of the plane MISSED OUT), though it's further away at that point. then we swoop into our landing.
i made you a pretty picture (i am basically a professional artist) to show our path - it was SO COOL to be able to figure out where we were as we were doing it - i felt like i was a real new yorker.
as we were descending towards our landing, i look on the window of the plane, and it looks like we're right above manhattan. the view out the window is gorgeous: skyscrapers all lit up at night, bright lights that mark the road, all seemingly SO CLOSE - maybe we were 3,000 feet up at most? (my only measure is that the new world trade center memorial building is going to be 1,776 feet tall, and we didn't seem too much above that.) it's breathtakingly beautiful, new york city at night from the air. i am talking to the city through the airplane window like a loony person.
as we get further south i realize i should be confused, since laguardia airport is now north of us. i realize later that we must have been asked by air traffic control to circle for a couple minute to buy time - i can't imagine any other reason we would have taken this route.
then manhattan is dark - huge buildings on the south end of the island are totally black - the power outages that remain because of the storm. poignant at night.
then we're over brooklyn and queens and i can still see the city (those people on the right side of the plane MISSED OUT), though it's further away at that point. then we swoop into our landing.
i made you a pretty picture (i am basically a professional artist) to show our path - it was SO COOL to be able to figure out where we were as we were doing it - i felt like i was a real new yorker.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
a photo a day
Free bus ride to the airport - thank you, New York City!
Smooth time getting through security!
The tarmac isn't underwater!
I think this weekend in Vermont is going to happen!!!
Exclamation points everywhere!
Smooth time getting through security!
The tarmac isn't underwater!
I think this weekend in Vermont is going to happen!!!
Exclamation points everywhere!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
october: 28
yep, that's right: just one book for fun this month:
central park: an anthology, edited by andrew blauner (a great book - a collection of essays about central park. other claire gave it to me as a going away present, and it was the perfect gift - the stories are short enough to read one before bedtime, and i love getting more perspectives on central park. my favorite part about this book is that it is filled with great essays that just happen to feature central park - not stories whose entire focus is central park. the latter could get a little dull, i think, but this book was really interesting. hooray!)
central park: an anthology, edited by andrew blauner (a great book - a collection of essays about central park. other claire gave it to me as a going away present, and it was the perfect gift - the stories are short enough to read one before bedtime, and i love getting more perspectives on central park. my favorite part about this book is that it is filled with great essays that just happen to feature central park - not stories whose entire focus is central park. the latter could get a little dull, i think, but this book was really interesting. hooray!)
i am a lucky girl - my grandma norma, who died in june, was a diehard lifelong democrat and my grandma jane is a big obama supporter living in a republican-heavy retirement community in florida. i got this awesome email from her today:
Hello fellow democrat,
Have you heard of the October surprise? – something unexpected that shifts the election one way or another. I think maybe Obama’s performance since the storm has helped him. Also his great relationship with Christie.
Grandma
LOVE IT.
Hello fellow democrat,
Have you heard of the October surprise? – something unexpected that shifts the election one way or another. I think maybe Obama’s performance since the storm has helped him. Also his great relationship with Christie.
Grandma
LOVE IT.
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