Well, hello

Umm...is anyone even here? I was reading some old posts tonight, since I am unable to fall asleep, and realized that I haven't posted a single thing since August of 2011. Oh my. Today seemed as good a time as any to try writing again.

Tonight I was honored to be selected as the Mile High Teacher from our school. It was nice to be chosen by my administrators, nice to have my work recognized. I got to shake the mayor's hand & chat with some friends from school, and generally enjoy being an educator. As we drove home after the event, I found myself reflecting on all the amazing students I have. On the respect our students have for me, and I for them. For the kids who make me smile with clever comments, who act as their true selves, who are resilient. Our school is not ADA-compatible, but a 2nd grader on crutches made it up and down all our stairs, day after day. I have a 5th grade student who tries to sneak into the library to scare me...and fails every time. Another 5th grader read ALL 13 of the Series of Unfortunate Events books in one week. Today, a 4th grader finished his computer work early, and volunteered to help other students get started on their own work. It warmed my heart to hear him asking questions just like I ask, to hear him practice being a teacher. We have kids with tough emotional/mental disabilities that show up everyday. That bring themselves here, both the good and bad parts. It warms my heart when they smile, just for a minute. Basically what I'm saying is, I am so grateful to have these kids in my life.

I haven't always felt this way. Many parts of my job do not match my personal interests and strengths. It can be frustrating, and leave me feeling helpless. But today reminded me why I go to work every day. Yes, my paycheck is nice, but I'm ultimately there for the kids. For the way I feel when I help a kid find just the book they wanted. For the way I feel when I make a silly mistake when I'm teaching and my class and I all laugh together. For the way it feels to read aloud to a group of kids who are hanging onto every word and fully loving the story. That's why I do this.

I feel that anyone reading also deserves a 90-second update on my life: James & I are moving away from Colorado. Everyone thinks we're crazy, and it seems that everyday I read a post from a blogger who is dying to move to CO. We're working on finalizing our destination, but moving closer to family (aka east) is the goal. We're hoping at least one of us finds a job before we move, but when our lease is up, we're leaving--jobs or no jobs. It feels good. It's time. Currently I'm lying on my couch, not sleeping. I need to be up in 5 hours. Thursday is my longest, toughest school day. Then I'll go home & clean the whole house because my mom is coming to visit! Wish me luck on my long, long day.

What I learned on my summer vacation

It is really hot & humid in Northern Indiana in the month of June, but it is all worth it to see two good friends get married, catch up with old friends, and visit all your favorite places in your college town.

Your college town will always sort-of feel like home.

Take any chance to observe the respect and love between your grandparents & work for the same attributes in your own marriage.

Kalona bars are delicious.

Having friends and family come to visit you is awesome.

Elk are really beautiful creatures, but don't get too close!

Finding a new house to rent is stressful.

When moving, make sure one of your friends is really talented when it comes to spatial relationships. Let that friend supervise the loading of the moving truck, and watch the magic of Moving Truck Tetris begin.

It is sad when good friends move away.

When visiting Alaska, it is a good idea to be quite aware of your surroundings when hiking on a trail. If you hear an animal snorting, turn around! Once a safe distance away, use your binoculars to discover the moose that was on your original path.

Whale blubber is an interesting food. Halibut, salmon, moose, and caribou are pretty delicious.

Spending a night in a yurt with 6 amazing, beautiful, talented women is...well...amazing.

If the dogs you are considering house sitting for come with a 2-page instruction sheet, don't do it!

Eating at an awesome vegan/vegetarian restaurant is a great way to celebrate your 2nd wedding anniversary.

Watching 8 seasons of That 70s Show is an accomplishment to be (sort-of) proud about.

Back-to-school time comes much too soon.

I am (sort of) back to blogging here! I can't promise full dedication to the blog with school starting up and our apartment still not unpacked after over a month here, but check back once and awhile for possible updates!

Thanks, karma

I was driving home from work feeling terrible about the following: a big decision, the fact that I blocked the sidewalk while turning left out of the school and a pedestrian called me out for it, and that I'd gotten so distracted I didn't notice a light had turned green, infuriating both a school bus driver and the driver behind me.

When I picked up the mail, I found yet another reason I love my dentist: He sent me a personally written thank you note and two movie tickets for referring a friend to them.

And it's warm enough that the ice cream truck is patrolling the neighborhood.

Thanks, karma, for reminding the world is not a completely terrible place.

A veces

Sometimes I think I am actually certifiably insane. Case in point: the next week of my life.

Monday-Wednesday: Complete inventory of entire library collection at work. Yes, that does mean 11,000 books. At least I have volunteer help?

Thursday: RIF distribution day at our school. I'll be in the auditorium all day helping every student pick out a free book to take home.

Thursday, 11 pm: Get on a plane and fly to Pittsburgh.

At least spring break happens at the end of this ridiculous week? If I still know my own name by Thursday night, I'll be lucky.

Up past my bedtime

Somewhere along the lines of the last few weeks, I have forgotten how to sleep. It is now 1 hour after bedtime, and my eyes are exhausted. My brain, unfortunately, stays awake.

One of my favorite parts of working in a library is reading out loud. I used to be active in theater, but now I save the theatrics for read alouds at school. I actually scared several children today when I yelled a line of Vernon Dursley's from the first Harry Potter book. The fourth graders groan when I have to stop telling Harry's adventures when we run out of time. The first graders die laughing when I read Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. It makes me so happy to share their joy as they listen to a really good story. I allow myself to be silly and read Fudge's lines in total and complete baby talk, which always makes the third graders smile, and I feel safe making silly animal noises with the kindergartens. Reading to kids makes me a kid again, too.

Yesterday I went to the Molly Brown house & the Capitol building on a third grade field trip. I learned all about Margaret Brown (which is what she was actually called) and how her family struck gold (literally), leading her to be aboard the Titanic (and survive the event). She was a generous humanitarian, and also an excellent decorator if you're into the whole Victorian look. The Capitol was fun as well...trekking up to the top of the inner dome with 30 nine and ten year olds is an experience I think everyone should have. I was glad to learn a bit more about Denver history along with the kids.

Tonight I made a vegan lentil walnut loaf. James keeps calling it meatloaf because that's the most efficient way to describe it, but I find it humorous, as there's not a single animal product in it. It was quite tasty with lots of ketchup and a side of roasted potato wedges and broccoli stems. I will no longer purchase the Kroger Value bags of frozen broccoli cuts. The trunks vastly outweigh the leafy tops...and I don't like to eat the broccoli tree trunks!

I had something else to write about it, but can't remember now. Such is the life of my addled, sleep-deprived brain. I think I will read a few blogs and try to get to sleep.

A funny thing happened...

I'm reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to the 3rd grade classes. They love pretty much anything Fudge says or does, and I'm loving the chance to read a childhood favorite aloud.

This week we were working on describing a character, based on what the book has told us about the character. We were thinking of words to describe Peter, the older brother and narrator of the book. I had students talking in pairs about words they'd use to describe Peter and why they chose them. When we got back together as a group, I asked for people to share what they'd talked about. I had heard several students saying Peter was jealous of his younger brother Fudge. The first kid I called on told me that Peter was jealous because Fudge gets special food when he refuses to eat. At the same time, another student right behind him held up his hands, scrunched up his face, and said, "Ugh, now I'M jealous!" [because he didn't get to share his answer, which was the same.] His teacher and I died laughing, and then I was able to take a moment to have the student dissect why he was feeling jealous so we could all understand the emotion a little better.

Man, I love a good teachable moment.

Confessions of a sometimes-blogger

• I cannot sew, so I've recently taken to using book repair tape to hem my pants.

• Sometimes I listen to pop radio (as in, the songs my 5th grade students listen to).

• I feel incredibly happy when I get to listen to three good songs in a row on the radio.

• I am a terrible water drinker.

• I am known to eat large spoonfuls of peanut butter topped with chocolate chips.

• I love to watch M*A*S*H episodes on DVD.

A feast! A feast!

Last night, there was a feast. We called it an Un-bleak the midwinter feast, in the hopes of increasing the joy in this generally sad, dull month. I do not love February...it always seems to drag on, even though it's the shortest month. This year, I wanted to do something about it, and I wanted to cook a really big meal with my very good friend, Kate.

So we did it: a four course dinner using as many "seasonal" ingredients as appropriate. For us, this meant root vegetables, citrus fruits, and hardy winter greens like kale and spinach. We had SO much fun, and our feast (coupled with the sunny weather with temps in the 50s and 60s) has definitely boosted my spirits.

Course 1: Spinach Soup with Basil and Dill, yogurt drizzle, and Parmesan Crisp garnish



Course 2: Golden Beet and Blood Orange Salad with Fennel



Course 3 (Main): Baked Tofu with Root Vegetable Medley (carrot, parsnip, turnip, sweet potato, fingerling potatoes, onion, Brussels sprouts) and Roasted Kale Chips, served with Balsamic Reduction



Course 4: Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce



All recipes (except the cake) came from various Mollie Katzen cookbooks. I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen, even if you aren't a vegetarian (or if you're a sometimes vegetarian like me).

I'd laugh, if it didn't make me want to cry

Me: [while reading a book about animals to 3-5 year olds] Who likes to eat hamburgers? Where does hamburger come from?

Child: Burger King!

Sigh. If you know me, you're aware that knowing where your food comes from is a passion of mine. Friends, there is much work to do.

Three work stories

I was grateful for two things on Thursday: warm, gingery, spicy sweet potato soup (my bowl seemed to refill every time I looked down) & outside recess.

The words "indoor recess" strike fear in any elementary school teacher's heart. Kids are meant to run and play outside. This is basically the only way they can get their brains ready to work in the classroom. When they have to stay inside because it is too cold or snowy, they are miserable. They start to act in crazy, random ways. They spin in circles, stick gum on computer keyboards, and hide in corners. They cannot focus in the classroom. Teachers are miserable, too. Indoor recess means they not only have to supervise these now-crazed individuals while they attempt to play board games, read a book, or play a math game on the computer, but also have to deal with the crazy for the rest of the afternoon.

So today I am grateful that while there is snow on the ground, it is above freezing and the sun is shining. Thank you, Jesus.

*********
Yesterday was our second RIF distribution day at our school. RIF stands for Reading is Fundamental. It's a federally funded program that puts up 70% of the cost for every kid in a school to take home 3 free books a year. For many of our students, these are the only books they have at home. I'm working with two parent volunteers to coordinate it this year, and it's been such fun. I spend the whole distribution day in the auditorium, setting up books, helping students get settled when they arrive, helping kids look for books, stamping and writing names, and generally controlling chaos. Yesterday I was in my element. It's so great to watch the kids get new books and just enjoy themselves making crafts and eating snacks. It was also great for me to see that just 6 months into this job, I DO know most of the names of the students at our school. I CAN handle the chaos when 7 kids want me to listen to them/help them at the same time. I know what kinds of books our students love to read, and I love working with these kids. There were many highlights yesterday, but this is my favorite:

Me: "What's your name? I can't remember."

Kindergartner: [big grin] "Buzz Lightyear."

Me: "What? I know that's not your name! What's your name, for real this time?"

Kindergartner: "Jacob."

[Yes, I'm aware that I just said that I know most students' names. But there are literally 150 3, 4, and 5 year old students at our school. Needless to say, I'm still working on names.]

*********
I know that this new job is a much better fit for me, based on the fact that I am able to confidently put myself out there and try things I would have been loathe to do at the BP. Yesterday was a great example. We had quite a few parent volunteers yesterday, two of them being parents of 3 students. Spanish is their first language, and is the second language, if at all, for most of our volunteers. So I decided to greet them and introduce myself in Spanish. And I did it! (with just a few verb tense/article issues) While this seems so little, it's hard for me. I'm grateful for these chances to practice Spanish everyday, and for kind, patient parents who wait for me to finish my slow, poorly-constructed sentences. We also have some DPS high school students who do mentoring in our preschool/kindergarten. Today they came to help with RIF for a little. They read with our kids, and afterward, I struck up a conversation with them about future plans, since they were seniors. These young women were so full of life and confidence, with such great dreams! One wanted to work with kids in a school and eventually get a counseling degree. The other girl wanted to be a plumber. I replied with great enthusiasm that this was an awesome goal. She told me that most people are skeptical and doubtful when she states her plan.

Again, this job has given me confidence and hope in ways that I couldn't have imagined 6 months ago. It isn't my dream job, but what I'm realizing more and more is that LOTS of kinds of jobs make me happy. If I'm educating, working with people (preferably kids), and not sitting at a desk all day, I can be happy.

This Just In:

I have officially finished my first semester as a school library worker!

We celebrated with leftovers for dinner, followed by buying a new camera at Best Buy (our Christmas present to each other) and wrapping it up with a trip to Yogurtland. (Taro froyo is amazing!)

Now settling in for a little Mad Men and chamomile tea. Hooray for winter break!

Well, at least I'm not bored?

My work week started off with a bang: someone (a student, I'm betting) stuck gum to the output feeder on the copier in the library.

I can honestly say I never expected to solve THAT technical difficulty in my life. Not to worry, I've pried off the gum and scrubbed my hands thoroughly.

Also, on Monday, I solved the sound problem we'd been having with two Promethean boards in the building....I pushed one button. It's nice to have it fixed, but a little ridiculous that it took half a second to solve, yet this solution has evaded me for weeks.

Today I chaperoned for the third grade field trip to Confluence Park to learn about Colorado history. We were outside in 30-40 degree weather, floating pool noodles/"logs" down the South Platte River, playing games that simulated panning for gold, learning some wilderness skills we'd need to survive in the 1860s, learning about the flood in Denver in the 1960s and the hill of trash (covered with dirt and grass) that was created because of it.

I spent the day asking students to stay with the group, to face forward, to walk in line with their partner, to listen to directions, to please stop rolling down the hill...things that I say (almost) every day. But today I got to do it outside, and I also got to ask students questions about Colorado history and what they'd learned.

All in all a good day. I can only imagine what the rest of the week will include.

Why I love my food co-op

For lunch yesterday, I ate delicious beef borscht with local beef and beer bread with cheese and Italian spices. The best part of this lunch, other than the taste? I didn't make any of it.

Back in September, Erin shared an idea she'd been working on that summer--the idea of a food co-op. She wanted to can, freeze, make jam, dehydrate fruit, make her own tofu, peanut butter, yogurt, bread...and was exhausted by the prospect of doing it all herself. So, she asked a group of us like-minded folk if we wanted to join her in creating "shares" of homemade food items and sharing them with a group of people. James and I were totally in--we are just two people with one tiny freezer and no canning skills. We'd chosen to freeze one thing each year, be it strawberry jam or applesauce, and just buying the other things we wanted.

There are 9 "shares" in the group (we are 14 people, but many of us live in pairs) and we meet twice a month. On the first Sunday of the month, 5 groups bring their shares--9 total, for the full group. On the third Sunday, the other 4 groups bring their shares. This way, each group is only making one item per month, but we all receive items twice a month.

Items have varied, from jam to pasta to homebrew, pesto, yogurt, soup, bread, granola, cheese, beef jerky, all homemade. The only rule is that you must bring 9 shares and that each month, there should be some kind of bread item. Determining how much of each item counts as a share is tricky, and we base that off of the materials, time, and energy that goes into a well-made loaf of bread. This means that pesto shares are significantly smaller than soup shares.

So far it's working out great. It helps me look forward to Sunday evenings again, and gives James and I a chance to make a lot of the things we've always wanted to, but have never gotten to. Next week, I'm tackling homemade peanut butter--I hope my food processor stands up to the challenge. :)

I am happy to see how well our co-op seems to be going, and love talking about it. If you want to start your own group, let me know--I'd be happy to share more details. I also hope to take this idea with me wherever we may go next, and start a new group in a new place. And really, the main reason I love our food co-op? I get to EAT tons of delicious things I would have never attempted to make myself. Yum.

What I Ate, Tuesday edition

I'm going to be volunteering at Ten Thousand Villages tomorrow evening, so dinner will most likely be random leftovers from the fridge. That means What I Ate night comes early this week!

No pictures of dinner because it was SO delicious there was no time. :)

Tonight's menu was rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, with side dishes by me: roasted purple potatoes from our CSA share and green beans (frozen from you guessed it, our CSA share) cooked with a little butter, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic.

And, since dinner didn't take much work, I made dessert: homemade apple crisp with ice cream. Yum.

The perfect meal for a day that was supposed to be warm and sunny, but it turned out to be cold and snowy, just in time for our students to leave school today (funny how that works!).

Monday Musings

To put it mildly, I am not a fan of the person who invented Silly Bandz and the like. Just what elementary school students need: one more thing they can fiddle and play with during class. They come to school with a 2-4 inch wide layer of Silly Bandz on each arm! It would drive me crazy, but they love to play with them. This also drives me crazy. Just thought you should know. :)

I spent my evening eating, singing, and talking with a lovely group of folks from church. Good food, good wine, and beautiful singing. I love how singing makes me feel awake and inspired--I drove home feeling pretty good about life.

I LOVE puffy vests. I just bought a second one (from the boys section of Old Navy) and have worn it pretty much every chance I've had. I just wish puffy down vests were acceptable work attire. I should've been a lumberjack, after all!

Your 17-year old self

Today's sermon at church was about dreams. Vern posed the question--what did your 17-year-old self dream of becoming or doing? Are you fulfilling those dreams and living them now?

This got me thinking--I was 17 from 2002-2003, spanning my junior to senior year. I can't really recall what my dreams were. I think mostly I wanted to leave northwest Ohio and go to college. I wasn't sure where yet, and I didn't know what I wanted to be, but that I would probably major in biology. My other dreams weren't really about the future. They were about wishing for a boyfriend and wishing for my friend problems to end and wishing for my 100 meter dash time to improve in track.

I was an avid blogger in high school. I started my first blog on Teen Open Diary at the end of 2001 as a junior in high school. So tonight I looked at some blog entries from age 17, and decided to share a few excerpts. Enjoy!

(names are all changed to first initial to protect the innocent/guilty)

January 2002:
"you know, i've actually begun to tolerate all the seniors i used to "hate". i can deal w/ M now, and i've actually been having fun with T and E lately. i guess i've just come to be able to accept everyone for who they are...and at least try to deal w/them. i guess i'm just one of those ppl that can have fun w/ whoever they're w/, which is a definite good thing!"

February 2002:
"homecoming was on friday, and i GUESS it was ok...no guys ever dance w/ me...i HATE that!!!"

February 2002:
"first of all, i have the lead in the musical. all the seniors are made at me. i hate ppl. everyone is annoying. i failed my chemistry test today. i have a huge crush on M that i thought i was over, but i'm not. i'm never going to get him. school sucks. i don't want to go back. i hate my life. i want to go crawl in a hold and just not talk to ppl anymore, except M of course :)"

Yes I was real band nerd--August 2002:
"marching band is important to me, it's something i can take pride in. i LOVE the feeling of being cheered for EVERY SINGLE TIME we go on the football field. we're instant celebrities...ppl go crazy when it's our turn at the fair show...we're the best band in the county! i can't even describe the adrenaline rush i feel during and after a band show. i can't understand not caring about this at all."

How to stay warm at a soccer game when it is 32 degrees outside

1 pair knee-high Smartwool socks
1 pair of regular smartwool socks
1 pair of running tights
1 pair of jeans
1 black tank top
1 long sleeve shirt
1 Techwick shirt
1 lightweight fleece
1 puffy down vest
1 giant red puffy down coat
1 Mongolian hat with fleece lining
1 pair of gloves
1 pair of mittens
1 pair of boots with the fur
1 Rapids scarf
1 Thermos of warm hot chocolate

Put this all together and what do you get?



One mostly warm and incredibly happy Colorado Rapids fan! We are now the MLS Eastern Conference champions!!

Looking at Leaves

Have you ever truly looked at a leaf? Analyzed if its edges have teeth or are smooth, categorized it as compound or single, noticed its variations in color? Grouped leaves that you collected by their color, edge shape, or other features?

I did that today.

I attended a Project Learning Tree workshop. We trudged through the park to examine damaged trees and collect leaves. After categorizing our leaves and discussing their features, we made figures or sculptures out of them. There were turkeys, people, moose, and other creative leafy designs.

One of the reasons I chose biology as my college degree was that biology forces you to stop and pay attention. To learn about leaves, trees, ecosystems, habitats, cells, etc you have to notice and observe. You cannot successfully study biology with a textbook alone. You have to go outside and get dirty. You have to manipulate cells and experiment. I navigate life as a biologist--I ask questions, I explore, I stop suddenly and look down at the ground to identify the insect walking in front of me. I choose to be an environmental educator (yes, I count myself as one, even though my current environment is a library) because environmental education happens outside, where you have to be quiet and look closely to see the bird nest in the tree or the pattern the branches of a tree have or the ant carrying a piece of leaf across the forest floor. I choose to be an environmental educator because environmental education is holistic. Is it not just science. It is social studies, current events, language arts, math, visual arts, and skills-based.

I challenge you to pick up a leaf today and really look at it. Then pick up another one, and compare the two. Stop and focus on something natural outside yourself. I am always amazed at what I learn.

Cincinnati Chili recipe

Somehow, I forgot to blog yesterday! I wish I could tell you it was becuase my life is incredibly stressful and my crazy brain forgot. But that's not even true--I had the day off yesterday and I was sitting and watching Community, 30 Rock, and The Office while eating homemade vegetable soup and garlic bread. So I have no excuse for forgetting. Perhaps (hopefully?) today will be a double post day.

This post will be an easy one--my mom's recipe for Cincinnati Chili, which I believe came from Sesame Street magazine. I've chosen to scale down the amount of meat and increase the beans in the recipe, but have also included the original. Enjoy!

Cincinnati Chili Emily-Way

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground beef or buffalo (original recipe calls for 1 lb)
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chili powder
1 t cinnamon
1/4-1/2 t cayenne
1/4 t allspice
1 t cumin
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 oz tomato paste
1/3 c water
1 can red beans (the original recipe calls for using the beans as a topping, rather than part of the chili)
spaghetti noodles
grated cheddar cheese
diced raw onion
oyster crackers

Method:
1. Put the beef, onion, and garlic in a skillet with tall sides (or a medium saucepan) and cook on medium heat until browned and cooked through.
2. Add all of the spices and continue to cook for one minute to lightly toast the spices.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and stir to combine.
4. Add the can of beans and stir again.
5. Cover and simmer on medium/low for 30 minutes-1 hour, stirring occasionally. (The time is not important..the longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor will be. I generally start to boil the water for the pasta once it begins to simmer and then wait until the pasta is done to turn off the chili).
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain.
7. When chili is done, serve it on top of spaghetti and top it with onions, cheddar cheese, and oyster crackers, (and red beans if you made it the traditional way, not the Emily way).

Enjoy!

What I Ate Wednesday

Winter came to Denver this week. We don't mess around in these parts--transition between fall and winter? That stuff is for sissies. No, we prefer to go from 70 degree weather to snowy and 30-40 degrees in a matter of 24 hours. Yesterday snow flurries fell for much of the afternoon, and even turned to hail for a few minutes on my drive home from work. Today it is cold in the way that gloves and a light down jacket did not keep me from shivering on my drive into work. Thank goodness for warm coffee, an efficient car defroster, and the knowledge that if there's one thing I know about Colorado winters, it is that anything can and will happen. It will be 70 again this winter. And 10. We just have to wait for it.

And now, on to What I Ate Wednesday! Wednesday is reason for celebration, as tomorrow DPS is celebrating Veteran's Day with a day off from school, and it's finally cold enough for soups, stews, and chili, my favorite things to cook. Tonight's meal, in all its iPhone 4 glory, is below:



A definite favorite, this is my mom's recipe for Cincinnati Chili, which came from Sesame Street magazine. I am from Ohio, where this chili over spaghetti is taken very seriously in some parts. But, as I hail from rural northwest Ohio where my beloved CC is taken less seriously, I have taken a few liberties in preparation at which purists will cringe. My chili layer uses just a 1/2 pound of ground beef and a full can of red beans. (The "real" Cincinnati chili is meat-only. Red beans are meant to be a topping.) The traditional spices of chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne are added and then we simmer until it smells irresistible in the kitchen.

Then it's served over a bed of spaghetti noodles and topped with onions and cheddar cheese. We had no oyster crackers, or we would've added those, too. We served it with a side of (unpictured) steamed broccoli and last night's Glee episode. Looks like Puck's reappearance brought back the Glee I dearly loved from last season--Mr. Schue as a non-terrible person, awesome music (how great was Teenage Dream?), and thought-provoking themes.