The Grapefruit and the Frog Principal

I just returned home from a long, two-part test on being a school building leader (a.k.a., a principal).  Won't know the results for a month or so, but I'm hopeful.  The leadership program I went through last year was through a small college in New Hampshire, so I already have a license to be a principal in that fine state.  But, since I have no foreseeable plans to move there, I thought it best to wade through the piles of bureaucracy that the state of New York has to offer and get licensed here as well.  I'll let you know how it turns out.  I'm currently in a battle with the state over my teacher's license (apparently they've spontaneously decided I don't meet the requirements to be a teacher?), so I'm not overly optimistic about the speediness of this principal process.  Not planning to be a principal anytime so soon though, so it shan't be too much of a stressor.

A few odds and ends for you:

First, I lost my voice three days ago and continue to sound like a creature who is equal parts mutilated frog, valley girl, and pubescent boy smack dab in the middle of his voice-cracking era.  I had the pleasure of teaching my classes in this condition on Thursday.  At the beginning of class I wrote on the board, "Sarah lost her voice.  She can't talk.  Please listen."  I proceeded to write most of my communications on the board and enlisted the help of a few students to lead class discussions.  It was one of my best and most favoritest days of teaching.  My most rambunctious and talkative student announced that if I could not talk, neither should he.  Surprising?  Yes.  Quietest he's ever been?  Definitely.  I'm hoping to be mostly back to normal by Monday, but the voice is indicating it's planning a slightly longer vacation.

Second, remember the pie-baking-fundraiser for BK Farmyards I wrote about a while back?  Well, whoop-de-do, they met their Kickstarter goal!  Ten-thousand dollars to start up a major school farm in Brooklyn.  How excited am I to watch the development of this project?  Oh so excited.  Do you think they would help us start a garden on our school's roof?  Does that count as an urban nook and cranny?  Perhaps an urban alcove...  Apparently they'd like to raise an additional $2,500 for a greenhouse, so feel free to throw some electronic cash their way, if you're interested in that project.

Finally, I feel the need to pay a bit of homage to my favorite winter citrus: the grapefruit.  These luscious ladies have served to perk up many-a blustery and snow-filled day for me over the past several weeks.  I know that a lot of people own a grapefruit knife/spoon, and prefer to slice, sugar sprinkle, and scoop their grapefruits.  But, not I!  I like to get down a dirty with mine.  Half the pleasure for me is the grapefruit's scent which lingers on the fingers long after the fruit itself has been ingested.  The sticky of the pith, the irresistible juice, the tiny pouches of goodness.  Removing the filmy layer of skin from each sector is incredibly time consuming, but I feel that eating a grapefruit should be an event.  Plus, without the skin or pith, the fruit is sweet and needs no additional sugar.

Can you believe that when I was in high school (my senior year, specifically), I used to bring a grapefruit to class and denude and devour it in this fashion?  Right in the middle of class.  That's ridiculous.  I apologize to my high school teachers.  Such appalling behavior.  I would never.  never.  never. allow that in my classroom.  Nonetheless, it's still my favorite citrus activity.  Yum.