Slice of Life Challenge

    • Can I bum a cigarette?

      Have you ever been a smoker? ___Yes ___NoHow often? For how long? Whenever I see those questions on the heath survey you get at the doctor’s office, I never know how to answer. Technically, I did smoke cigarettes… when I was twelve. But does a few cigarettes a week or…

    • Getting caught in the rain

      I recently started listening to the audio version of the YA novel Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. [MILD SPOILER ALERT] A friend had recommended it to me and told me a bit about it so I knew there was supposed to be an element of romance…

    • Lyrics that hit different

      Yesterday I wrote about mondegreens, which got me thinking about how I don’t really pay good attention to lyrics, period. At least not usually. I mean, there are some songs I know all or most of the words to, but that doesn’t mean I’ve taken the time to really think…

    • Mondegreens

      Do you know what a mondegreen is? In a nutshell, it’s a word or phrase that comes from mishearing a song lyric. One of the most famous ones is “wrapped up like a douche” for “revved up like a Deuce” in the song “Blinded by the Light” by Manfred Mann’s…

    • A forever student

      “Good morning, gorgeous…🎶” Mary (as in J. Blige) sang to me this Saturday morning at 5:15 am. Before 6 am on a Saturday is still nighttime. Not feeling very good, nor gorgeous, I dragged myself out of bed, got dressed enough to get in my car, and drove home, still…

    • I want to ride my bicycle

      For the last five years maybe (I’ve lost count), almost every full moon, my husband and I join a community bike ride called Moonlight Mash. It’s an easy ride along the beach path and through the streets of Long Beach. My husband stumbled upon this event somewhere on social media…

    • Out of alignment

      A quick, random wondering… I was just recently on a Zoom with a group of literacy coaches and leaders and a question I brought to the group was, “How do you support teachers when your values don’t align?” This led me to thinking about how there are people who have…

    • Thank you and I’m sorry

      I started this challenge by thanking the slicers who read and leave comments–the people who keep me going each day. Now that we’ve passed the halfway mark, I need to send gratitude once again. I wouldn’t have made it to this point without you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! But I also have to…

    • Where are you in the birth order?

      Today I was visiting a fourth grade classroom where students were writing personal essays. They were looking back at older writing entries to see if they might find some ideas for their essays. “I have a lot of stories about my brother,” one writer said. “Oooh, me too! What do…

    • What I overheard…

      My assignment this week is out of town, so instead of sitting at my own dining table for breakfast, I headed to a local coffee shop nearby the school I’m visiting. As I was sitting at the counter, sipping my coffee and making a flaky mess with my almond croissant,…