I just love my publisher, Tate Publishing. They just put together a great radio advertisement for my book!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Picnic ON La Jolla Cove
On Sunday I decided that the day was way too beautiful to do anything but kayak. Since I had a lot of time on my hands, I set off for La Jolla Cove for a leisurely paddle and picnic on my kayak.
P.S. To my blog readers: If you want to support a struggling math/engineering teacher and author, please buy my first book, "The Romance of Kilimanjaro," soon to be followed by my second book at: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781613464960 Thank You!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Prodigal Daughter Returns!
When I dropped my daughter, Sara, off to CalArts for her first time in college, it was the beginning of many heartbreaking years of estrangement. Tonight, after 2.5 years the estrangement ended. Nothing can hurt me now. I've got both my kids back! My broken heart is healed!
Writing my books helped me stay connected to my precious Sara while I gave her time to work out whatever it was that made her unbearably angry with me. All I could do to have some connection to her was write about our life together. I'd relive when she built her first snow cave all on her own, when we went for an evening walk on the beach during a storm and later waited for pizza delivery to our tent, when we stood in the once-in-a-lifetime salt lake in Death Valley together, when…
All I had of my daughter were in my journals that I transposed into my books. Thank God that I had them to carry me through this! As I’d write or edit a passage about her, I’d break her rule about no communication and text her that I loved her, I’m so proud of her, and other kind words about her to her. At Christmas I sent her a limited edition hardback of my first book, "The Romance of Kilimanjaro," in hopes that she would remember some of the great times that we had together. I was bent on getting my daughter back! Recently, I started praying that God surround both Drew and Sara with angels to keep Satan and his demons away from them.
Tonight I texted Sara after my phone call was forwarded to her mailbox, “Hi, could you please call me. I would like to discuss your college. I would appreciate it if you would make sure that my phone numbers are not on auto forward. Thank you!”
She called! We talked and talked about her college strategy. She explained how it would take three years to finish nursing school and then she had two more years to get her nurse anesthetist degree.
“What year are you in college as far as credits?”
“A junior.”
“If you’re always on the Dean’s list, why don’t you graduate premed and go to medical school and become an anesthesiologist? You’d finish in 2017 which is the same year you’d finish becoming a nurse anesthetist. They only use anesthesiologists around here, not nurse anesthetists.”
“I’d really like to become a doctor.”
“Then do it. We’ll find a way financially. Your grandma died telling me how much she wanted to be a doctor. Her parents could only send one child to medical school. Even though she was a better student, they chose her older brother to become a doctor. They told Grandma that she needed to raise a family.”
“If I can become a doctor, I’ll be able to take care of you. I love you Mom. I always have. I will always make sure that you’re O.K.”
I was caught completely off guard and started crying. “Sweetie, that is so touching! Tears are coming to my eyes! I love you, too!”
Then as a team, we went through the financial logistics about getting her through medical school.
Thank you God for reconciling my daughter and me!!!
Thank you God for reconciling my daughter and me!!!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Interstate-5 Highway Dangerously Eroded
When I first started kayaking to loosen up the tightness under my arms from my mastectomies, I kayaked in safe Agua Hedionda Lagoon. I thoroughly know that lagoon now. Unfortunately, I've watched broken irrigation and drain pipes along the west side of Interstate-5 Highway dangerously erode the hillside closer and closer to the asphalt of the highway.
Many years ago I contacted state and local officials about this issue with the pipes and erosion. I never received a response nor saw any effort to repair this dire situation. Who needs terrorists when the government doesn't have funding or the ability to do their basic job?
For your own safety don't drive in the slow southbound lane of I-5 between Tamarack and Cannon at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The situation is much worse now. This is a video taken of the erosion on January 26th, 2012.
www.isoldeulrich.com
Many years ago I contacted state and local officials about this issue with the pipes and erosion. I never received a response nor saw any effort to repair this dire situation. Who needs terrorists when the government doesn't have funding or the ability to do their basic job?
For your own safety don't drive in the slow southbound lane of I-5 between Tamarack and Cannon at the Agua Hedionda Lagoon. The situation is much worse now. This is a video taken of the erosion on January 26th, 2012.
www.isoldeulrich.com
Friday, January 27, 2012
A Simple Poem
A Simple Poem
By Isolde Ulrich
A simple question
Erupting a torrent of exchange,
A torrent of laughter,
A torrent of smiles.
A simple dance
Leading to bridges of trust,
Bridges of intent,
Bridges of spirit.
A simple kiss
Igniting tender discovery,
Tender tasting,
Tender burning.
A simple race
Dominating transient time,
Transient connection,
Transient spirits.
A simple walk
Revealing beauty about us,
Beauty above us,
Beauty between us.
A simple mistake
Slashing at hearts bonding,
Hearts yearning,
Hearts trusting.
A simple poem
Remembering passion’s nascence,
Passion’s flowering,
Passion’s pain.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Kayaking After Work
Since I was finishing up the last day of my teaching assignment at CVA and was near the Agua Hedionda Lagoon, I decided to go for a paddle after work! I was fortunate and got to see a lot of birds up close today. The videos are of the giant egret, blue heron, cormorant with a pelican, and coots which are really goofy birds that are fun to watch!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Carlsbad Village Academy Closure
Today I continued my multiple-day guest teaching assignment for a Carlsbad Village Academy (CVA) teacher on bereavement. This is an alternative high school for students who are expelled for violence, drug dealing, academic nonperformance, etc. Since I've taught there as a guest teacher occasionally for 5 years and many of the students are my former summer school math students, I was requested for this opening.
The day started at Carlsbad High School in the new buildings in which I've never taught. I was teaching ROP beginning computers in a pristine computer room. The teacher for the class before me looked at me with wide eyes and said, "There are a lot of behavior problems in your class. Most of these kids are heading to CVA. They're worse than CVA students, too." She tried to take roll for me as I went around and got students' attention for her. She handed out their final, not telling me that the semester grades were already input---it was a dummy final.
Once I got the class to myself, I continually walked around redirecting students.
"Your teacher will not give you a good grade on the final if you insert a picture of surfer girls wearing G-strings. Please take that off and chose a more school appropriate picture."
"The final is an individual activity. You are acting like a codependent. It is a kinder thing to let your friend solve his own problems."
"I hope that you're a good talent scout. Identical wrong answers are a dead giveaway that you're cheating!"
"The cut and paste letters might not go over well. If your teacher is a stalking victim, you'll get a bad grade. It's hard to read, too."
"Stop biting the computer screen. That's disgusting."
"If you're going to use your own poem, you need to make the words socially acceptable." The student changed bitches to beaches, for example.
"Let's not, and say we did."
Fortunately, my classes were at CVA the rest of the day. Two of my former summer school students are about to graduate. One told me yesterday that he was trying really hard not to give up, but he works at a grocery store and kids with college degrees are working right next to him. He didn't see the point in going into debt with college loans, if he wasn't going to be able to get a job. I told him that I could see his point. I had $45,000 of student loans to become a math teacher and never got a long term contracted teaching job. Substitute teaching and selling my home cleared up that debt.
Today I gave him a signed bookmark telling him to never give up. He had no idea that I was an author now. He immediately had me pose with him for a picture while holding the bookmark. "I've never known a real author before! I'm sending this to all my friends!"
"Well, all these years that I've been a misfit math teacher that only guest teaches, I had time to write my book, 'The Romance of Kilimanjaro.' Sometimes our paths aren't mainstream paths. They are more awesome!"
I also gave my other former student a bookmark. When I first had him as a freshman student during summer school, he had no passion. His poorly-repaired cleft palette ruled his self esteem. His first after school assignment that I gave him was to decorate his room. By the following semester he had finally found some inner passion and told me all about his posters.
Now he is a senior, has purple hair, a pleather-spiked jacket that he made, a lip piercing, and bright yellow pants. Over the years I've loved his custom jean designs that he created and encouraged him to pursue clothing design. On his bookmark I wrote, "You must get Hot Topic to buy one of your designs. Reach for the stars!" He shook his head that he would.
After school I tutored my regular math student for his final and found out from him that they're closing CVA due to the budget crisis. I thought of my students who would just graduate beforehand and was relieved for them. I thought of those who would just land in Juvenal Hall without CVA---no academic purgatory with teaching angels. I thought of the beautiful new Carlsbad High School buildings that would be damaged by some of the former CVA students who make colossally bad choices. I thought of the future classroom disruptions caused by these students and how normal teachers wouldn't be able to teach as effectively. I thought of the mainstream students and the influence some of these former CVA students will have on them. I thought of all the students who will give up and drop out of high school without the nurturing, yet crusty teaching environment that CVA provides.
P.S. To my blog readers: If you want to support a struggling math/engineering teacher and author, please buy my first book, "The Romance of Kilimanjaro," soon to be followed by my second book at: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781613464960 Thank You!
The day started at Carlsbad High School in the new buildings in which I've never taught. I was teaching ROP beginning computers in a pristine computer room. The teacher for the class before me looked at me with wide eyes and said, "There are a lot of behavior problems in your class. Most of these kids are heading to CVA. They're worse than CVA students, too." She tried to take roll for me as I went around and got students' attention for her. She handed out their final, not telling me that the semester grades were already input---it was a dummy final.
Once I got the class to myself, I continually walked around redirecting students.
"Your teacher will not give you a good grade on the final if you insert a picture of surfer girls wearing G-strings. Please take that off and chose a more school appropriate picture."
"The final is an individual activity. You are acting like a codependent. It is a kinder thing to let your friend solve his own problems."
"I hope that you're a good talent scout. Identical wrong answers are a dead giveaway that you're cheating!"
"The cut and paste letters might not go over well. If your teacher is a stalking victim, you'll get a bad grade. It's hard to read, too."
"Stop biting the computer screen. That's disgusting."
"If you're going to use your own poem, you need to make the words socially acceptable." The student changed bitches to beaches, for example.
"Let's not, and say we did."
Fortunately, my classes were at CVA the rest of the day. Two of my former summer school students are about to graduate. One told me yesterday that he was trying really hard not to give up, but he works at a grocery store and kids with college degrees are working right next to him. He didn't see the point in going into debt with college loans, if he wasn't going to be able to get a job. I told him that I could see his point. I had $45,000 of student loans to become a math teacher and never got a long term contracted teaching job. Substitute teaching and selling my home cleared up that debt.
Today I gave him a signed bookmark telling him to never give up. He had no idea that I was an author now. He immediately had me pose with him for a picture while holding the bookmark. "I've never known a real author before! I'm sending this to all my friends!"
"Well, all these years that I've been a misfit math teacher that only guest teaches, I had time to write my book, 'The Romance of Kilimanjaro.' Sometimes our paths aren't mainstream paths. They are more awesome!"
I also gave my other former student a bookmark. When I first had him as a freshman student during summer school, he had no passion. His poorly-repaired cleft palette ruled his self esteem. His first after school assignment that I gave him was to decorate his room. By the following semester he had finally found some inner passion and told me all about his posters.
Now he is a senior, has purple hair, a pleather-spiked jacket that he made, a lip piercing, and bright yellow pants. Over the years I've loved his custom jean designs that he created and encouraged him to pursue clothing design. On his bookmark I wrote, "You must get Hot Topic to buy one of your designs. Reach for the stars!" He shook his head that he would.
After school I tutored my regular math student for his final and found out from him that they're closing CVA due to the budget crisis. I thought of my students who would just graduate beforehand and was relieved for them. I thought of those who would just land in Juvenal Hall without CVA---no academic purgatory with teaching angels. I thought of the beautiful new Carlsbad High School buildings that would be damaged by some of the former CVA students who make colossally bad choices. I thought of the future classroom disruptions caused by these students and how normal teachers wouldn't be able to teach as effectively. I thought of the mainstream students and the influence some of these former CVA students will have on them. I thought of all the students who will give up and drop out of high school without the nurturing, yet crusty teaching environment that CVA provides.
P.S. To my blog readers: If you want to support a struggling math/engineering teacher and author, please buy my first book, "The Romance of Kilimanjaro," soon to be followed by my second book at: https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=9781613464960 Thank You!
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