Night at the Movies

Lee and I went to see a late movie in the city last night. We saw Traitor and although it was a great movie, I do have a complaint. Why are we making movies which give terrorists more ideas on how to get us?  The acting in the movie was great. I just wish the didn’t introduce any new terrorists ideas.

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Blogging Meme

I was tagged by Lara for this meme.

1. How long have you been blogging?
I originally started blogging ten years ago on Livejournal (wow time flies).  I was 27 and friends with a lot of geeks who blogged there. I eventually deleted my blog there. It was a crazy and very dramatic time.

2. What are the good things has blogging brought to your life?

I’m grateful that blogging has brought me new friends. I’ve also learned so many new things and get to see other people’s views and perspectives.

3. What would you consider the pitfalls?

I deleted my old blog on LJ because friends in real life would search through old entries when they found my blog. If I wrote about them, they would get so upset.

4. Tell us about your blog name. Ever think of changing it? If so, to what? Why?

The name Queen of the Click was given to me by Lee. I click fast and on everything. I love reading and can read at a very fast pace. I’ve gone by several names online, but Queen of the Click fits. My friends call me Marlene. Most people I work with call me by my last name because it sounds catchy. When I go to conferences, most people call me Queen of the Click!

5. Knowing what you know now, was starting a blog a good thing for you? Why or why not?

Sure! I’ve met some amazing people online and in real life because we started talking about something in a blog. Also, I’m pretty opinionated and blogging has helped me join other NYC bloggers to discuss important community concerns.

6. How do you think blogging, bloggers, or the blogosphere has changed since you started?

Years ago, there was a lot more drama and craziness in the blogs. I’m glad it cooled down, but honestly most of it made me laugh.

What happened to question 7?

8. Ultimately, what would you like your blog to accomplish for you or others? Nothing in particular. It’s just a blog.

Who are you Really?

1. Name something or a few things that bug you and expound. We want your unfettered opinion(s). Shouldn’t be blog related.

People who pick their nose or ears in public grosses me out.

2. Tell us about one of your best childhood memories.

I have great memories of summer at my grandmother’s house in Long Island. Going to the beach, gardening with my uncle, washing the dog (German Shepard Mix) in a garbage pail and reading as many books as I could made for many sweet summers.

Ironically, running through a field with white sandals (and socks too because my Mom didn’t want my feet to get cut by glass that could be on the ground) as a child  is what I see when I close my eyes and remember childhood.

3. Describe your perfect day.

Hanging out with friends in my backyard having a cookout and drinking margaritas on a cool day.

4. Do you have a hobby that you love?

I’m an technology junkie and feed my obsession often. I obsess over Pottery Barn often too. Other than that gardening, playing with my dogs, movies, reading and cooking. I like crafts too, but haven’t had the time for them lately.

5. Tell us the best and the worst thing about being you.

I am very passionate about most things I do and can easily get others around me to participate. I’m already ready to try something new – I love learning. Worst – I’m impatient, quick to judge, etc. etc. etc……that’s why I am always praying.

6. What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? We want all the details.

PLEASEEEE….so many things. I am easily embarrassed and it’s so obvious because I have very light skin.

What blog related thing bugs you? Spam & Spammers…some people need to find something better to do

Personal stuff

How old are you? 37 – no one ever guesses that so I am happy Children? None yet……..soon……

If so, homeschool, private, or public? I am a public school teacher. I attended private school, but after seeing them both, I would love to homeschool.

Favorite season? Fall and Spring – My allergies are the worst during these two seasons, but I do love them.

Favorite pass time? Computers, working on exciting lesson plans (told u I was a geek), shopping – especially at Pottery Bar

Favorite color? blue, gray and black

Favorite movie?The scarier the better.

Favorite song? Anything by Billy Joel, Elton John, Counting Crows, Casting Crowns. I love must by angsty women artists.

Mac or PC? PC – Macs aren’t real machines. LOL sorry Mac users. I’m a MCSE and I network PCs.

Dog or Cat? I love and have both.

Salt or Pepper? Pepper – my Irish background makes me love it.

Vanilla or Chocolate? Both – I liked chocolate more when I was a kid, vanilla now that I am older

Diet Coke, Sweet Tea or Evian? Tap water will do. A glass of wine or margarita is great as well. :)

Steak, Chicken or Shrimp? Chicken, steak or shrimp with  a plate of delicious veggies

* * * * *

I tag BrooklynSweetie, Vicky at My Full House, Kim at Accidental Mommies, Janera at My Garden Hat and Jaime at Just Your Everyday Blessed So and So and anyone who is hard up for blog ideas or just wants to do it.

Here are your marching orders:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively.
2. link back to the person who tagged you
3. link back to this parent post
4. tag a few friends or five, or none at all
5. post these rules— or just have fun breaking them

For the complete list of questions, or to see an example of how to do this meme properly, go visit Dawn. If you do the meme, come back here and leave a comment with a link so I can read all about you.

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Seven Years Later

Today is the anniversary of 9/11 – a somber day for people in NY and across the US. Terrorists struck the Twin Towers on 9/11/01. I was in school at the time. I was teaching a class when I got a phone call. “The World Trade center has just been hit by a plane and is on fire. You may want to call Karen.”  My co-worker knew that my best friend worked in the area. Although she didn’t work in the towers, I called her cell to check if she was okay. I couldn’ t get Karen on the phone for hours. Meanwhile, my principal told the students what happened. I saw the fear on their faces as they began to understand what happened.  Terrorists was a word we hadn’t heard in NYC.

The day was spent calling everyone you knew and finding out that some friends/family had not checked in. It felt like a bad dream. That day, we found out that many friends and friends of friends died in the World Trade.  Many of my students lost parents.

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Easy Dinner for My Man & Your Family

 I hunt down awesome recipes online and make the most incredible dinners. Lee was a chef at a restaurant many years ago so I try to impress him with my cooking. His dishes are  always  delicious. We have a lot of parties at our house because Lee likes to prepare grape leaves and other great dishes.

So I made this dish over the weekend that took no time or energy. Lee and friends LOVED it. Lee doesn’t like carrots, but he loved these. Seriously, it was soooooo easy.

Ingredients: potatoes, carrots, 1 head of garlic, grapeseed oil, lemon juice and chicken legs

Directions: Peel the potatoes, carrots and garlic. Quarter the potatoes and cut the carrots into 1 inch pieces. Put the potatoes and carrots into a long baking dish. Put the chicken on top of the potatoes and carrots. Drizzle lemon juice over the vegetables over and then drizzle grapeseed oil over the chicken and vegetables to cover (be generous and be sure to cover all the meat and veggies). Put cloves of garlic on the top of the chicken. Add salt and pepper.  Place in a 350 degree oven and cook for one hour (or longer if you prefer crispy chicken and veggies as my peeps do).

Put on a big serving dish and serve with a side salad.

For more great tips, check out this week’s Works For Me Wednesday at Rocks In My Dryer.

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Olphine’s Birthday!

Olphine, the child I sponsor through Compassion celebrates her 9th birthday today. This little girl that I never has a place in my heart. Hopefully, one day I will have a chance to meet and hug her. For now, I am just glad that Compassion allows sponsors to send gifts.

Clever people of the web (that’s you), Compassion allows me to send Olphine paper items in an envelope no thicker than 1/8 inch. I’ve sent cards, bookmarks, paper dolls, thin books, a pin the tale on the donkey game, oragami and stickers. What other items made of paper can I send a nine year old girl?

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Making someone else’s day – Great Charities

When my life is going going crazy and not falling into place, I try to do something to make someone else’s day.

When I need to do something quick, I go online to Kiva. Kiva is an organization that allows people to adopt other people and support them as they build their business. Most people make donations for $25.  After a person receives their loan from Kiva, they are able to start or build their dream. Hopefully, this makes their business more productive and bring more money into the home.  Every once in awhile, I look at a page on Kiva to see My People and their progress. When the businesses are up and running, they pay back the loan and then Kiva allows me to reloan that money to someone else.

I also believe in the work of Compassion International and the Figure Skating in Harlem.   I met my girl Olphine through Compassion!

Figure Skating in Harlem offers homework tutoring and then a skating lesson to a group of girls in Harlem. Thirty percent of the girls scored straight A’s, while most of the other girls kept true to their commitment of a B average.  What a great incentive to offer ice skating lessons to girls.  I can’t think of anything more proactive then supporting young women who are our future. Sharon Cohen started the organization twelve years ago and I think they are a model for other not-for-profit organizations. I love when an organization that supports children really understands children!

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Life gets busy in September

I forgot how busy everything gets in September. I don’t have as much time to read blogs and enjoy myself online. Besides school taking up many hours of my day,  real estate agents are calling as  more houses in Bay Ridge seem to have become available and prices keep falling. I just I had more hours in a day. September is filled with parties, family events and Fall cleaning! I have to get the garden and outside of the house in shape.

I laughed so much today as my wonderful sixth graders humored me in Spanish class. I was teaching them to say numbers. Then I put them into groups and each group had to perform an activity while counting in Spanish (hopping, dancing, cheering, etc.) They were too cute and so excited to get up and perform for their new classmates.

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Mr. Owl in my classroom

I got these adorable wall decorations from the Scribble It Etsy Shop and put them up in my classroom. They were so easy and fun to put up. You just rub it into the wall – too cool.

Some cute chicks

And a very sweet bird which I got from a very cool shop online.

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Week one down

School started out well this week. I’m glad my students are so happy and ambitious. Although the day goes fast, I’m not in the swing of things yet and I feel very tired at the end of the day. I need a nap, but we are having some friends over so sleep will need to wait.

Last week, I was working in my classroom with my buddy Karen. I have no idea what I did, but I pulled a muscle in my right middle/lower back.  I kept thinking that it was going to be better, but I was bent in a C shape one morning and ran to the doctor for help. I got pain killers for the first time in my life – Percocet. I have no idea why people say they get a high from percocet. It takes away most of the pain, but it also makes my feet swell. I debated whether to take it the second day because I didn’t want swollen feet again. The pain won and I took it, but I put my feet up on a chair when I had a prep period. Swelling is down now and hopefully the pain will leave me sometime over the weekend.

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Why Thor Equities Stinks

Astroland is an amusement park in Brooklyn, NY.  You may know Astroland better for the huge roller coaster that is houses – THE CYCLONE. Today will be the last day that Astroland is open.

Thor Equities purchased land in Coney Island including that which houses Astroland for over 30 million dollars. Thor Equities has a vision for urban development -> to put up condos and remake Coney Island while pushing out the people and any history that exists there. And OH BOY the big business has even promised some rides to hush opponents of their plans.

This year, Astroland owner Carol Hill Albert asked Thor Equities for a lease for next year and they didn’t reply. You would think that such a large company would be able to offer Albert some answers. Astroland is part of Brooklyn’s history and Thor Equities has no interest or respect in the people or the history here in Brooklyn. Money is the name of the game. Domenic Recchia, a Brooklyn Councilman tried negotiating with Thor Equities, but it proved fruitless. Recchia’s not a typical politician and he often sticks up for the underdog. The usual question by most Brooklynites is ‘Where is Marty Markowitz?’  Not backing Brooklyn that’s for sure.

Over 300 people that work at Astroland will be out of work. Whenever big business comes into Brooklyn, bureaucrats love to claim that more jobs will be created. *Incidently, Thor Equities actually has ONE job open for a Executive Assistant.

Brooklyn loses a bit more of its history as it’s unemployment rate continues to rise.

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Pottery Barn Shower Curtain 2

Pottery Barn shower curtain with a purple rug from Linens and Things. What do you think?

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Pottery Barn Makes My Bathroom Smile

When I saw the Pottery Barn catalog, I know I couldn’t resist the fall colors of this shower curtain. My bathroom is beige tile and the purple brings a nice change to the room.  (Yes there is a plant in the shower. I like clean air and the shower is a perfect place for a plant. If you look on the right, you can see a bit of the plant there too.)

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