I'd Like to Thank the Academy...

I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned this before...but I am obsessed with the Academy Awards. Ever since that day in the fourth grade when my mother told me to go get dressed up in my Sunday best, we were watching the Academy Awards, I haven't missed a show. In fact, I've been kind of tempted to find a way to fly into the states on February 24th so I can find a television that will broadcast the show in English for this year's show. Once Jon Stewart was announced as the host, that seed of an idea turned into a full blown obsession. (I have a huge crush on this man, mostly because I find it incredibly attractive how much he loves his family. And I have always loved a guy who could make me laugh, have you met my husband?)

Alas, the reality of my current living and financial situation--teacher in a developing nation--I had to give up the dream of seeing the awards live. It won't even stream in on my computer, the detested "This Program is Not Available At Your Location" will be sure to pop up. So what is a girl to do?

She travels to Hollywood during Christmas time, that's what she does.

Dave's mother, brother, and sister-in-law, agreed to pick us up in LA when we came to visit for the Christmas holidays. After our plane touched down and our luggage was all accounted for, they took us on a whirlwind tour of the Hollywood hotspots. We first went to the Chinese Theatre where all the greats cemented their hands and feet in cement. It's true--I couldn't stop myself from being a complete tourist and had to take pictures of Jimmy Stewart's, Dean Martin's, and Clint Eastwood's squares. We then walked down the sidewalks with the Hollywood star's of fame. Alfred Hitchcock's star was the highlight for me. We watched street performers (I might have had to dance with a couple and there might be video but that is in someone else's hands), and cruised through Bel Air. And of course, we made a stop at the Kodak Theatre, home of the Academy Awards. Touristy? Yes. Fun? Absolutely.

As much fun as Hollywood was, we had an even better time with Dave's mom, brother, sister-in-law, and grandmother. The California Richert Clan took us to Santa Barbara to show us around Heather's ol' college town. We went on amazing hikes, visited Cambria for the Main Street Grill, and played a lot of Nerts (best. card. game. ever). It was wonderful time and made us even more excited for them to visit us in Ecuador.

Our states-side visit really was amazing, and we loved every minute of it. It was a difficult thing for me to get back on the plane if I'm going to be completely honest. And yes, right now I'm missing the luxuries of home; I'll just have to catch snip-its of Jon on YouTube and once again curb my coffee addiction. But Ecuador has luxuries all of its own, why don't you all come and experience them? :)

Años Viejos, Pyromaniacs, and Fireworks...Oh My

I have to admit, it has been quite awhile since I have actually been awake to ring in the new year and say goodbye to the old. Dave and I have always been a bit more concerned about the eight hours of sleep necessary to enjoy life rather than seeing the ball drop. But this year...is different. It is 12:58 and the neighbor's hired band just started, there are rapid fire explosives (aka fireworks) going off in three minute intervals, and the car alarms throughout our block seem to be answering the loving call of said fireworks. There will be no eight hours to start off the year for the Richert's this time. Nothing about our experiences in Ecuador could be classified as typical, and New Year's Eve is proving to be no exception. The evening started out quite and low key, dinner at home with a movie. There were the occasional firework, but that isn't anything atypical. I was even contemplating continuing the tradition of snuggling into bed by 10:30. Before I called...

Christmas in Colombia (The post is better late than never...)

As promised, here is the Amazing Richert Christmas Adventure 2008, with special guest star, Sherry Silvers. Bogota, Columbia. As you can see...this city and I were obviously made for each other. Bookstores, libraries, and coffee shops were on every block. Yes, the majority of the books were in Spanish which causes some slight difficulties, but I don't like to focus on those kind of details. I'm more of a cup half full kind of gal. Also, the city is bike crazy. There are hundreds of miles of bike lanes; we saw bike lanes throughout the city and even along the highway. They just created a bike/walking lane in the middle of the highway, incredible! They even close off some of the major streets every Sunday and holiday so people can ride their bikes through the main arteries of town without dealing with the potentially dangerous obstacle of cars. The city had me at hello. Dave found a wonderful place for us to stay that was right in the heart of the historic district of ...

I'm Feeling a Teacher Geek Out Comin' On!

There are four weeks left of school (28 days counting weekends), and usually this benchmark is characterized by complete and utter exhaustion. A little of the "I just need to make it through this day" attitude. Past April/Mays of my teaching life have been filled with days where I am just trying to keep my head above water. I'm tired, the kids are tired, we are all a little bit irritable, and patience doesn't seem to be a virtue that makes it on my list. By the end of the year, I am so thankful for the break to just physically and emotionally recoup. But, this year....this year is proving to be different. Thanks to some of my rockstar co-workers, I have been energized in an unaccountable way. I'm talking a full-fledge teacher geek out, usually only experienced in the first few months of the school year. Technology people, best motivator ever. Here's the top five technology wonders currently making appearances in the Richert classroom: 1. Voicethreads: ...

Living The Good Life

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