What In Tarnation?!?!?

See on more than one site, Jimmy, and I don’t remember where I saw it first. My favorite comedy (possibly of all time) is preparing to return so what did they do on their summer vacation?

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“Seven beautiful settings in white and one in transformers.”

Classic.

Class dismissed!

High School Musical 2 has taken over. Don’t believe me? Try the most watched show in cable-TV history or the second best album debut this summer. Nothing to shake a stick at. Everywhere I go at school, I can’t seem to get away from Zac Efron’s mug. It is plastered all over lunch boxes, back packs and messenger bags, notebooks, shirts, there seems to be an endless array of Zac Efron merchandise. I have mentioned here before that the original High School Musical is one of my guilty pleasures. So how does this second act stack up to the original?

Let’s take a look a HSM2 song by song. As any musical aficionado worth their salt know, the opening number is vital to the whole show. Most times it is upbeat and introduces the audience to the heroes of the show. The first song of HSM2 fills that role very well. What Time is It? sets the whole plot into motion. The gang is waiting for the final second of the school year to tick off the clock. The bell finally rings and school is out for the summer. The whole gang sings about their plans for summer break:

What time is it?
The time of our lives
Anticipation
What time is it?
Summertime
School’s out, scream and shout!

[Troy and Gabriella]
No more wakin’ up at 6 am
‘Cause now our time is all our own

[Sharpay and Ryan]
Enough already, we’re waiting come on let’s go

It turns out the HMS gang isn’t quite as carefree as the opening song would have us believe. They all want or need money. Troy (Zac) wants money for college, while others want money for a car. Thankfully Troy suddenly gets a call offering him a job at a nearby resort. He manages to get all of his Wildcat buddies a job too. Little does he know that the resort is owned by Sharpy and Ryan’s parents. Troy job offer was offered as a ploy of Sharpy’s to get Troy to pay more attention to her. This is where we enter the portion of the musical that closely resembles the summer job at the resort episodes from Saved by the Bell (Troy and Gabriella = Zack and Kelly).

We jumped forward to Sharpay’s grand entrance at the resort. During her song, Fabulous, the song writers let the audience know that they are going to completely ignore any character development that occurred at the end of High School Musical and reset the character back to her self-centered ways. Maybe even more so that in the first musical.

Sharpay:

I want fabulous,
That is my simple request,
All things fabulous,
Bigger and better and best,
I need something inspiring to help me get along,
I need a little fabulous is that so wrong?

See has of course set her eye on Troy because he is so fabulous. So she sets her plan into motion to woo Troy by offering him a chance to get a scholarship for college. Much to Sharpay’s dismay, the whole Wildcat crew including Troy’s beloved are now working at the resort.

The crew can’t wait to start their jobs until they discover that their new boss is a bit of a kill-joy at Sharpay’s request. Everyone starts whining about how bad their job is in Work This Out, except for Troy who actually has a good attitude about the whole thing.

Troy:
We’ve got to work, work
to work this out
We’ll make things right,
the sun will shine
If we work, work
there’ll be no doubt
We can still save the summer
If we work this out!

Chad:
(Dude, what have you gotten us into?)

Troy:
(Come on, we can totally turn this thing around)

This will be one of the last moments that Troy isn’t whining about something for the duration of the movie. My major concern during this song was that the boss was going to walk back into the kitchen while they are banging on all the pots and pans. I’m sure they wouldn’t last very long with that kind of behavior.

We find out about the resort’s summer talent show. In a reversal of roles from the first movie, Gabriella urges Troy to sing with her in the contest. Our spunky song writer has even worked up a little diddy, You Are the Music in Me, for our love birds, they even memorize the song within seconds of seeing the sheet music.

You know the words
“Once Upon A Time”
Make you listen?
There’s a reason.
When you dream there’s a chance you’ll find
A little laughter
or happy ever after
yeah harmony to the melody
It’s echoing inside my head
A single voice (Single voice)
Above the noise
And like a common thread
Hmm, you’re pulling me
When I hear my favorite song
I know that we belong
Oh, you are the music in me
Yeah it’s living in all of us
And it’s brought us here because
Because you are the music in me

We then speed off to the sports themed number I Don’t Dance. This song gives some of the second string players a chance to shine and gives Ryan some much needed character development. He begins to show that is more that Sharpay’s lap dog. Of course there are people who are reading into the lyrics of this song, which I think is really unwarranted.

(Ryan) Hey,batter,batter, hey battter,batter swing.

(Chad) I’ve go to just do my thing.

(Ryan)Hey,batter,batter, hey batter,batter swing.

I’III show you that it’s one and the same:

Baseball,dancing,same game.

It’s easy:

Step up to the plate, start swingin’.

Finally, Gabby (as I like to call her) finally wises up and realizes that Troy is an idot and has fallen for Sharpay’s games and decides to get the heck out of resort. The result is my favorite song of the show, Gotta Go My Own Way because I think is was kinda gutsy to do a break-up song in the show for tweens. I also enjoy that one of Troy’s responses to Gabby’s points is a selfish, “What am I supposed to do?”

Troy, heartbroken and not completely understanding what it is he did gets the cheesiest song of HSM 1 or 2, Bet on It (though others are calling it a show stopper). Troy prances around the golf course mulling over what he should do. At one point, he jumps into a sand trap, angrily picks up two handfuls of sand and throws it down with great gusto. Now I like part of Troy’s conclusion, that he needs to grow up and do the right thing but he also decides to follow his heart which can lead a person astray in my experience.

I’m not gonna stop, that’s who I am
(Who I am)
I’ll give it all I got, that is my plan
(That’s my plan)
Will I find what I lost?
You know you can
(You know you can)
Bet on it, bet on it
Bet on it, bet on it
Bet on me

Talent show time and again Troy learns a new song in record time. This time it is the rousing Everyday. Nice song but I am still a bit baffled about what faith they are keeping while they are young or what they are celebrating.

[Troy]
Everyday
of our lives,

[Gabriella]
wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight

[Troy]
Gonna run

[Troy and Gabriella]
While we’re young
and keep the faith

[Troy]
Everyday

[Troy and Gabriella]
From right now,
gonna use our voices and scream out loud

[Gabriella]
Take my hand;

[Troy]
together we
will celebrate,

[Gabriella]
celebrate.

Finally everything turns out the way it should be and everyone joins together yet again to celebrate summer vacation with All for One.

Everybody all for one,
A real summer has just begun!
Let’s rock and roll and just let go,
feel the rhythm of the drums
We’re gonna have fun in the sun
Now that all the hard work, work is done!
Everybody, one for all and all for one!
All for one, one!

There is another song that is on the soundtrack and it sounds like it was wise to drop the song from the movie.

HSM2 did everything that HSM1 did so in my book it is yet another guilty pleasure and another

Class dismissed!

Each year when the third and fourth grade classes are taking the standardized tests (MAP), the younger grades rally around us. The younger kids write letters, draw pictures, make posters, get snacks for our classes. It is aways appreciated.

Just last Thursday, I was talking to one of our Kindergarten teachers and she said something that made me think. She said that she loved the upper grades and that she thought it was important that the younger grades support the upper grades during two of the more difficult weeks of our school year but she got upset of the beginning of the year. The beginning of the year can be extremely difficult for Kindergarten teachers and their new students and she was wondering why there wasn’t any rallying around the Kindergarten. I had never considered that. But I set my mind to changing that.

I e-mailed my fellow third and fourth grade teachers and organized Kinder-tastic-a-palooza Week.

We started out with the following e-mail that went out to the building:

Each year the younger grades have been so supportive and generous with third and fourth grades during MAP time, arguably the most difficult part of our year.

Third and Fourth Grade would to return the favor starting with Kindergarten. Welcome to Kinder-tastic-a-palooza week.

Here now, the top ten reasons why Third and Fourth Grade Teachers aren’t Kindergarten Teachers. (Or Why We Love Our Kindergarten Teachers).

10. We like to work to make students cry, not to have them brought to us crying.

9. We run at the sight of camo underwear. (See my post entitled: “Reason #5,898” for the reason behind this)

8. We love dealing with the MAP test. *Ahem*

7. Very rarely do we have to ask, “Who made the poo?”

6. We get very few “Teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher… teacher!” (Now they just use our names.)

5. Fewer conversations that go something like this, “Teacher (see #6) my momma went to the store and then my brother bited me and Dora the Explorer runs fast but my, my, my, my, fast… my toof comes out.”

4. There is just something wrong with lunch at 10:30 am.

3. (We are a little envious of nap time.)

2. Pee, poop, snot, mucus, vomit, and other bodily excretions.

1. The first week of school! (And the second for that matter.)

Thanks for all the hard work you do Kindergarten!

Tomorrow I am sending a care package to one of our Kindergarten teacher with the following letter:

Dear Mrs. Teacher,

Enclosed, please find some items that hopefully you will find useful during your second week of school with your little darlings.

• First we begin with a large container of coffee. Just the thing you need to get psyched up for the little sugar dumplings. You will have to share this with other teachers however, namely, Mr. W.
• Next we have some Dove dark chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? We hope that you like the dark variety. When center time is getting too loud, just POP one of these and take a mini five minute vacation. WARNING: Do not feed to the little rascals, chocolate does not pass health guidelines of the Rolla Public School District.
• Just on the other side of the bin is a bag of minty Lifesavers. They are in there for no other reason than we always get a bag or two around MAP time. We are just returning the favor. Hope you like them.
• For those moments that the little squirts just won’t leave you alone, you have two ginormous bags of low-fat animal crackers. Just throw a handful of these at them and enjoy your 45.2 seconds of peace and quiet.
• Finally, and most important of all you will find two cans of poo spray. For those moments when saying, “Who did a poo?” just won’t cover it. May those times be few and far between for you this year. (But we don’t have high hopes.)
• Oh, and keep the tub. It might make for a good vomit catcher.

Please remember, we do love our Kindergarten teachers. Not only do you do a job that Mr. W wouldn’t want to do, but you do it with grace, style, and a sense of humor that are unparalleled. (BTW, all the desk jobs are taken for next year, sorry.)

Thanks so much,

Mr. W’s Class

So don’t forget to hug a Kindergarten teacher this week and wish them a wonderful Kinder-tastic-a-palooza Week.

Class dismissed!

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Now playing: Billy Foote & Cindy Foote - You Are God Alone (Not a God)
via FoxyTunes

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Found via BCC is Broken.

Yes boys and girls, it is the first day of school for students. Another new year. Got a few butterflies. Does that ever stop?

Prayers appriciated.

Off I go.

And now the first one of the new school year:
Class dismissed!

Regular posting will resume after the school year gets underway. Until then, this little nugget from Assorted Stuff.

1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they’ve been tagged

Here we go:

1. I was three hours short of having a music minor when I graduated college. Actually, I had the needed hours from another school, but SBU was picky about the credits that they transfer in. A little upsetting.
2. I love Mr. Bean and I am looking forward to the new movie Mr. Bean’s Holiday even though it appears to recycle bits from the TV show.
3. On a fourth grade field trip, I got to pilot an old fashioned steamboat on the Mississippi River. I didn’t even run the boat aground.
4. During the Missouri Tax Holiday, I purchased a 15″ MacBook Pro. Only problem, they charged me tax. I had to go back and get that reimbursed. I wasn’t too pleased with that. I love the MacBook Pro.
5. I made the highest score on my Honors World Literature final exam over Macbeth in high school without reading the play. I have always thought I should go back and read it.
6. I very rarely watch DVDs anymore. I rip them to my iMac and then upload them to the Apple TV. I don’t know how well the AppleTV is selling but I hope that they don’t drop it from the product line.
7. WAL-MART generates $3,000,000.00 in revenues every 7 minutes!
8. As a Kindergartener, few friends and myself would use a Fisher Price tape player to assist us in recreating the Thriller music video during recess. I  had never even seen the music video.  I’m sure it was quite entertaining.

Now wasn’t that fun.

If you want to lay, just let me know in the comments.

Later taters!

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Now playing: Godspell (2001 National Touring Cast) - All For The Best
via FoxyTunes

As is the tradition, I went to see my one show at St. Louis’s Muny, the nation’s largest outdoor theater. This time I went to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which I have seen at the Muny once before back in 2002 I believe. I had the added pleasure of taking some of the youth from my church as well. For most of the youth it was their first time to visit the Muny which is always and experience.

This trip certainly not as bad as a few past experiences but it had the potential to get that way. First we left church about thirty minutes later than what I would have liked to have left, but thankfully we got there in plenty of time. The whole group found our seats.

These seats were quite entertaining because we were located directly below one of the four large fans that they use to cool down guest before the show and during intermission. I was thankful because Friday night was quite a warm and steamy St. Louis summer night. I didn’t realize how lucky I was until the first unsuspecting victim tried walking down our aisle with a large bucket of yummy popcorn from the somewhat overpriced concession stand. A down draft would hit the popcorn and send kernels of popped popcorn flying in all directions while the person who had spent their hard earned money frantically trying to contain what few kernels remained in their tub. This happened several times over the course of the evening. My favorite was the young boy, about second grade, and his rather daffy mother. The boy was holding the popcorn and when their popcorn went a flyin’ the mother started yelling at the poor boy. “Stop that right now!” “Why are you doing that?!” The boy was actually doing a better job than most of the adults who were in that situation and it wasn’t his fault at all. The fans where also a hinderance to older more frail people who literally had to hang onto something to get out of the aisle. Then along came four teenage girls wearing these little dresses that hardly covered everything that a dress should cover. They received the surprise of their life with the first big gust of wind came down and caused them to show off even more than what they wanted to show off.  And all that was just the pre-show.

The show started. It was very well executed. Joseph was amazing. The whole show was very similar to the one I saw in 2002. The issue was the weather again. For most of the show there was lightening and thunder off in the distance. I prayed that the rain would stay away, I have had too many experiences with rain at the Muny and I didn’t want to add another one to my list. The storm came closer and closer until it was directly over use. Thunder and lightening were sounding and flashing at the same time. Yet no rain but for the occasional sprinkle. The little lights illuminating the stage were no match for the light show that God was putting on in the sky. The thunder and lightening even coordinated with the lyrics that I used for the title of this post. I could tell that the conductor was even speeding up the music to try and get the whole show in before there was more rain. A standing ovation was given in the middle of the bows as people started hurrying out of the theater to get to their cars.  We got back to the vans without any rain and hit the road home. We got a little turned around while navigating out of Forest Park, which isn’t difficult. But soon we were heading in the correct direction.

The one difference in the show that I noticed from the 2002 show was the 2007 show seemed to make Joseph complicit in his temptation by Potiphar’s wife. In the 2002 show she just chased Joseph around the stage until Potiphar bursts in. In the 2007 version. Joseph seems to give up and and give in to temptation.  Interesting…

It was a good time, a good show, and the changing weather didn’t get me very wet, in fact it had the positive impact of cooling down the temperature.

Later taters!