A walk on the beach

Photo by Emi

This photo was taken in Monterey, California, this summer. The students and I had a really nice time playing volleyball, eating burgers, doing yoga and playing around on the beach.

When I was in high school, one of my good friends was a gymnast. We spent a lot of time hanging out in parks. She could do all kinds of crazy flips and walk around on her hands. I decided to learn, too.

Now, I love to kick off my shoes and throw up my feet. It is a good test of balance to see how long I can do it or how far I can walk. I would still really like to learn how to do a back flip and back handsprings. It looks like so much fun to flip around so freely. Can you do it? If so, will you teach me?

French Bread

This weekend my wife and I made French bread. We used to make bread often, but recently we have been too busy or too tired. I forgot how easy it is. I also forgot how much better bread tastes when it is fresh.

All work and no play makes Craig a dull boy. So, I decided to start and finish my days with something interesting. I moved a few books and made room for pull ups! I can't do that many, yet. But, I do as many as I can when I arrive at work and again before I leave. My short-term goal is to work up to sets of 10. I might do pull ups more often during winter because I sometimes get sleepy or cold. I think exercise is a good way to warm up quickly.

The metal bookshelf is nice because I can use a magnet to hang something in front of me. I can review articles for my research or look at outlines of papers I have to write. I find looking at outlines helps me organize my thoughts. Today, I decided to hang a copy of motivational teaching practices by Dornyei (2001). He has many great ideas about how to help groups stay motivated.