In the Element

Early Morning Celeb Sighting: While on my Tuesday morning run past Grant's Tomb, (see 2009 post), I passed a filming crew right in time to hear "Rolling!" I gazed over at the action as I was silently motioned back out of the monument area. It turned out to be the filming of "Gossip Girl", - a show I have never seen. Blake Lively was the blonde woman in the center of the production herd. I only know this because I asked a staffer at the edge of the shooting what it was and if I was watching anyone famous. When he told me I was a little embarrassed to have to ask if Blake was a man or woman, and what type of hairdo did he or she have.

BTW, the very same intense, black hooded ninja dude who does martial arts sparring with the lamp post at 114th and Riverside was still working out where I left him last year. Very consistent - my kinda celebrity hero.

Hilarious and heartfelt keynote by Lester Laminack who asked us to consider whether we were inviting readers to be Tourists, Adventurers, or Residents in the their reading.

Tourists look for a check list of items that have been predetermined, (usually by the teacher)

Adventurers have no expectations, open to anything, look for possibilities

Residents live in the experience, linger in the moment, hear the music in the background...

Morning session worked on the process of planning a unit of study.

My afternoon session is with Shanna Schwartz, who wrote, "Making Your Teaching Stick", a handy little book I've perused. The focus of this

section is comprehension and understanding the component skills of comprehension. We have been examining how the comprehension and coping skills we use in everyday life can be translated to reading comprehension, noticing our strengths and weaknesses, and when/how we succeed or struggle. Fascinating.

In the evening I joined forces with S, my

fellow Banana Slug turned Columbia local for

dinner at her house in Washington Heights, a locale far beyond the comfort of my usual turf, (she graciously drove me to her house AND cooked). Lovely visit and dinner outside at the picnic table veranda overlooking the Hudson River.

On the way back to my pad, my informative car service driver, told me that George Carlin grew up in the building right next to my digs on 121st ST. That would be the Miami building, with entry beyond the Jeep. My place is under the blue awning. Could be true - I googled and indeed he was from this block.

Speaking of my home away from home, I so loved my room last year with it's Gothic Willy Wonka-town rooftop view out the

window, (again, see 2009 entry), that when I applied for housing I requested my old room if it was available. Upon checking in I was let down to see that not only was I in a different room, it was a different tower, meaning totally different view too. However, as soon as I unlocked the door, I realized I had scored an upgrade. I have an unconventionally shaped, corner dorm room with a hallway and windows all along the back wall of the building, affording me an awesome view of the Harlem projects skyline, supplemented with a slice of the Hudson

River, a sliver of the Harlem River, and at night, the neon red A-P-O-L of the Apollo Theater sign in Harlem.