Green Lights

Jeremy and I will be in Chicago this weekend on a little vacation. I am excited!!!! I must say, I REALLY need it after just 3 days at work this week. Needless to say, kids are a challenge to keep focused on lessons in the spring. My little darlings have been especially challenging this week. I love my job but when you are in charge of guiding 29 nine and ten year olds to the garden of knowledge (while many of them have attention/learning issues) you tend to ache for the end of the day to come. Today was one of those days. I will love 3:45 tomorrow. I will bask in it and smile all the way home. I sure need a break from the kiddos this year. Some years I am fine to keep teaching for months on end and other years breaks cannot come quickly enough. Depends on the class. 

I digress on a tangent (something my students remind me not to do). While J. and I are in Chicago, luxuriating in our expensive-but-we-got-a-great-deal hotel, we will sit in the dark Saturday night 8:30-9:30. If we are actually in the hotel. Hmm, I assumed we would be in the hotel but really, it will be a Saturday night; perchance we will be out and about? Okay, if we aren't in the hotel, I'll insist the lights go off no matter where we are. Because: IT IS EARTH HOUR!!! The time when leaving your lights on means you vote for killing the earth over loving the earth. I missed this wonderful occasion last year and was very sad (ask J.)

Here's Earth Hour's official explanation: 

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming. For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

That's right, this is when and where you can finally make a difference. Don't worry about recycling, using green cleaning products, buying organic, or driving less. Just vote for the Earth by turning off the light. Apparently world leaders will finally listen:)