An ingenious (?) proposal.
The J's membership director was asked to help a prospective member propose to his girlfriend this weekend. He called Giselle to set things up, and they rehearsed it. Basically, he was going to bring in his girlfriend for a tour and try to sign up. The guy got into an argument over their membership category.
He wanted a couple membership, but you would have to be in a single-domain or married for that to take effect. (We have a couple of kids with two mommies, and they get family/couple rates.) SO the argument wears on, and she says, "The only way I can give you the couple price is if you're married, I'm sorry." And the guy says, "So, if I would be to ask her to marry me right here, you'd let us have the couple rate?" And she says yes. So the guy says, "Well, it's a good thing I have this with me," digs in his pocket, pulls out a classy ring, gets down on one knee, and the rest is history. They set up a small camera ahead of time and had bottles of champagne and everything. Ta-da!
Ingenious, or idiotic? Points for creativity and originality...but...I dunno. It's not the most romantic place in the world. They aren't even Jewish, so it's not like it's a place with childhood memories or anything.
Snuggie Cult on My Street?
I went to pick up some Quizno's for dinner, and saw something odd that caught my eyes: A delivery guy from Pizza Hut handing over a box of pizza to a woman in a Snuggie. On my way back home with dinner, Snuggie lady was walking down the block with a slice in her hand following a young emo boy, STILL WEARING HER SNUGGIE.
WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO!!????!!!!!???!!!!!!???!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Some updates
Swift finger of justice....from the parents!!!!
When last we spoke (well, I wrote, you read), We'd busted the kid for alcohol and my 8th grade boys were so wide-eyed in wonderment as to the identity of the rat.
The alcohol bearer is still at school. His mom brought him to jail and had them lock him up for a few hours, then brought him to rehab at Children's. I don't think he'll be trying a stunt like that any time soon.
Oh noes...
But today, a much younger student was busted for the same thing. Sigh.
Luigi needs a 1up mushroom
As for the kid I wrote about earlier, the one who I want so desperately to save, well...
He's in school. An 8th grader. 15. He's said before that he can't wait until he's 16 so he can drop out. He's probably going to get his wish.
He started out okay. 4th quarter is research project time. He started out not great, but fairly on track. He was scared. Ish. And then....he trailed off. And I had to let him. He needed As in 3 classes to pass the year. One A in one class would have let him into summer school with an attempt to pass the year. He's not getting them. He did zero work and zero studying in all 7 classes...but will pass drama based on participation. I don't know what will become of him. I'm scared and nervous for him. I gave him all I had, and he took it all for granted. I wish him luck in whatever he does.
All of the kids are allowed to participate in graduation, but he will not technically graduate.
Ending another one
The final 8th grade final exam is tomorrow. On Thursday, they'll have their corrections, followed by graduation (excuse me, promotion ceremony) rehearsal, then field day. No school for 8th grade on Friday. Promotion on Monday morning, 12th grade graduation that night. Regular school for the rest of the week, then a week of exams, with school ending May 29.
CAMP!
Jess and I are ROCKING camp prep. It's approaching so quickly! CIT Kick-off party is May 31, Orientation begins June 2, and camp starts June 8. We won't discuss June 10th major significance. I'm having too good a day to think about it, especially considering...
I started off on the wrong foot today!
I don't know HOW I did it, but I rolled my chair onto my toes this morning, and the pain was so bad that I couldn't even stand up at first. Instead of a rollicking theater game, I had my kids continue watching "My Fair Lady" so I could sit down. Boo. One would assume that that meant that my day was awful, but...
Mission accomplished!
Contract talks finally happened today. Usual minor pay raise. I get to keep the bowling team. I'll co-teach journalism/yearbook with my friend Kristin. I'll teach some older students (Many of whom I've taught before, and including the seniors, who were my first 8th graders.) And, best of all: I get to direct the school plays!!!
When last we spoke (well, I wrote, you read), We'd busted the kid for alcohol and my 8th grade boys were so wide-eyed in wonderment as to the identity of the rat.
The alcohol bearer is still at school. His mom brought him to jail and had them lock him up for a few hours, then brought him to rehab at Children's. I don't think he'll be trying a stunt like that any time soon.
Oh noes...
But today, a much younger student was busted for the same thing. Sigh.
Luigi needs a 1up mushroom
As for the kid I wrote about earlier, the one who I want so desperately to save, well...
He's in school. An 8th grader. 15. He's said before that he can't wait until he's 16 so he can drop out. He's probably going to get his wish.
He started out okay. 4th quarter is research project time. He started out not great, but fairly on track. He was scared. Ish. And then....he trailed off. And I had to let him. He needed As in 3 classes to pass the year. One A in one class would have let him into summer school with an attempt to pass the year. He's not getting them. He did zero work and zero studying in all 7 classes...but will pass drama based on participation. I don't know what will become of him. I'm scared and nervous for him. I gave him all I had, and he took it all for granted. I wish him luck in whatever he does.
All of the kids are allowed to participate in graduation, but he will not technically graduate.
Ending another one
The final 8th grade final exam is tomorrow. On Thursday, they'll have their corrections, followed by graduation (excuse me, promotion ceremony) rehearsal, then field day. No school for 8th grade on Friday. Promotion on Monday morning, 12th grade graduation that night. Regular school for the rest of the week, then a week of exams, with school ending May 29.
CAMP!
Jess and I are ROCKING camp prep. It's approaching so quickly! CIT Kick-off party is May 31, Orientation begins June 2, and camp starts June 8. We won't discuss June 10th major significance. I'm having too good a day to think about it, especially considering...
I started off on the wrong foot today!
I don't know HOW I did it, but I rolled my chair onto my toes this morning, and the pain was so bad that I couldn't even stand up at first. Instead of a rollicking theater game, I had my kids continue watching "My Fair Lady" so I could sit down. Boo. One would assume that that meant that my day was awful, but...
Mission accomplished!
Contract talks finally happened today. Usual minor pay raise. I get to keep the bowling team. I'll co-teach journalism/yearbook with my friend Kristin. I'll teach some older students (Many of whom I've taught before, and including the seniors, who were my first 8th graders.) And, best of all: I get to direct the school plays!!!
Monday, April 06, 2009
Uh, you did.
Great moments in teaching, part eleventy-jillion:
7th period writing...7 8th grade males. I love the class...but boy do they drive me nuts.
Today, "Rick" came to class and almost immediately started asking what would happen if someone brought alcohol to school. In a water bottle. It started out sounding very hypothetical, and Rick's goal in life seems to be to see if he can get a rise out of me. But when "In a water bottle" got added to the mix, my curiosity was piqued. I said I wasn't sure, as I'd never seen it happen here before, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was, at minimum, a suspension and maybe an expulsion. Rick and Luigi exchanged a furtive glance (or so they thought) and Luigi muttered under his breath, "They're gonna be in troublllllle..."
I decided to play it cool. In an incredulous, joking voice, I asked, "Who's got a water bottle of alcohol at school?" Luigi started to say a name, but Rick started making noises and singing "NO ONE! NO ONE! NO ONE WOULD DO THAT< MS. M. YOU KNOW I'M JOKING!!!!"
I had my e-mail program open, actually, and I e-mailed the principal, the vice principal, and the guidance counselor. I detailed what I'd just heard and suggested that they check the situation out. Evidently, at least one of those people got the e-mail, and the principal went to investigate. He got a kid, not the one mentioned, in his office.
Rick returned the laptops to the laptop cart in another room and came back to our room. He grabbed Luigi and said, "Someone ratted them out!!! Mr. E came to get them!!! Someone ratted them out!!!" The two of them then got in a discussion wherein they were trying to figure who'd sold out their friends. I just sat there, biting the insides of my cheeks.
7th period writing...7 8th grade males. I love the class...but boy do they drive me nuts.
Today, "Rick" came to class and almost immediately started asking what would happen if someone brought alcohol to school. In a water bottle. It started out sounding very hypothetical, and Rick's goal in life seems to be to see if he can get a rise out of me. But when "In a water bottle" got added to the mix, my curiosity was piqued. I said I wasn't sure, as I'd never seen it happen here before, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was, at minimum, a suspension and maybe an expulsion. Rick and Luigi exchanged a furtive glance (or so they thought) and Luigi muttered under his breath, "They're gonna be in troublllllle..."
I decided to play it cool. In an incredulous, joking voice, I asked, "Who's got a water bottle of alcohol at school?" Luigi started to say a name, but Rick started making noises and singing "NO ONE! NO ONE! NO ONE WOULD DO THAT< MS. M. YOU KNOW I'M JOKING!!!!"
I had my e-mail program open, actually, and I e-mailed the principal, the vice principal, and the guidance counselor. I detailed what I'd just heard and suggested that they check the situation out. Evidently, at least one of those people got the e-mail, and the principal went to investigate. He got a kid, not the one mentioned, in his office.
Rick returned the laptops to the laptop cart in another room and came back to our room. He grabbed Luigi and said, "Someone ratted them out!!! Mr. E came to get them!!! Someone ratted them out!!!" The two of them then got in a discussion wherein they were trying to figure who'd sold out their friends. I just sat there, biting the insides of my cheeks.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
I'm not as insane as you'd think
When I'm frustrated, I do what everyone does: I vent. I've been very frustrated for the greater part of the year. We've had a very rough batch of 7th graders, who are sort of settling in...but may I please point out that 5 of the originals are no longer with us, for various reasons. Makes a lot of difference. So did rearranging their class schedules at midterm. Divide and conquer, you know?
And a lot of times, when I'm venting to people about work, I get suggestions that I move on to another school. Not at the moment, but the next school year. And I was with them on that until after the redistribution in January. However, I also ended up dropping my morning duty, which I'd had every morning for first semester, and traded out one of my 7th grade classes for one of the 8th grade classes in drama, which is a quarter-long course. This meant I now taught 4 8th grade courses and 1 tiny 7th grade writing course. Which, bonus, means in a few weeks when the 8th graders graduate, I will teach...1 class a day! WOOOOO!
Not only that, but I felt the administration take a large proactive swing. Some children, as I mentioned before, are no longer with us. Others were shifted around to levelize the classes.
My quality of life went up...even though the accident in January brought it way down.
And still, people kept telling me to get out. Go somewhere else.
But the day of the accident, I told my vice principal that I had thought about not returning, but feeling their support and having my own personal support network at work made me change my mind. I wanted to come back. And I meant it. I still do. I plan to. I didn't send any résumés out, which I had been planning to do come January. I decided to stay. And people think I'm crazy for it. I got my certification this year; I could make a lot more money in public schools (but I don't wanna get shot at work...) or many other Catholic and private schools. Yet, I decided against it, even though we desperately need more money right now. So I'd like to make a list of the things that are making me stay, because I feel like people need to understand.
1. The administration backed us. They generally do. They were proactive, and things have vastly improved.
2. I have a support network of coworkers, without whom I could not have made it through the last 4 years.
3. We have a kid who, while in the 5/6 classroom, was isolated from his peers because he has proximity issues. He would growl at kids and push them. He's probably our lowest performing student, to boot. They kept his desk away from everyone with a no-fly zone around it. The kids stayed away. He tried to do it with us, and we did not allow it. He now will sit next to other people and has stopped growling. He makes conversation with me almost every day. He doesn't wear his black leather gloves to school as often as he used to. (Yes, even on hot days....and I thought I had germaphobe issues!!!) He hasn't made much progress academically, which is not good. He has, however, become more functional for the real-world. He came with us to the Inauguration (the post is still coming) and stayed in a hotel room with three other boys, stayed with his chaperone at all times, and actually got to the point where he "snuggled" up with a group of kids in order to stay warm while we were waiting for the Inauguration to begin. He beat my foot at one point, but he didn't realize it was me and thought someone was trying to step on him, when in reality I was blocking him from being stepped on. But when I showed him whose foot it was, he mellowed. Point being, I am part of a team that really accomplished something major with this kid. That's an amazing feeling.
4. Back to my support network, these teachers have made every day worthwhile. Melissa (B)K (broiler?) helped me through Katrina. We both lost the same amount of stuff, and when I was paired with a God-awful she-beast after the storm, she and Kelly helped me cope. I can't thank her enough for what she did for me. Melissa B. helped me deal with the God-awful she-beast as well....because she also shared a room with her and helped me put things in perspective. She's also such a kind and gentle soul. I miss Sabrina dearly, especially her e-mails detailing her life in Japan (AHEM! I know you'll see this at some point!!!). We had a lot of great, goofy times, and she and Mark were like two peas in a pod. I had a hard time going straight home from Rock-N-Bowl without having to drop her off Uptown first. I also miss coercing her to just accept a ride home and shove her bike in the back of my Rav. I loved dragging Gal around New Orleans with Jen. Charlotte cracks me up sometimes...she's a bit ridiculous, no? Dawn I can talk to for hours about many subjects, including Sabrina. I've loved every minute I've spent with my new incarnation of my work posse. I've managed to suck New Jenn in to the JCC world, bwahahahhaha.... Kristin and I think alike a lot of the time... Michelle H.H. has reluctantly joined my #5 reason why I love my job.... The three of them are the greatest group to eat lunch with (more than likely that lunch is an Amy's organic vegetarian meal or peanut butter from my "grocery store..."), share a pint with, spend 3.5 hours in a book store with, attend a party with, blow off steam together after work, go to a festival with... Bernie turns everything innocent into something dirty. Terry is fun to make afraid of me, hahaha... Brendan wore a kilt on St. Patrick's Day...Nick tells amazing stories about the wrestling team...Michelle McM is hi-friggin-larious....Coach cracks me up, even if I can't understand half the things he says in that thick Mississippi accent....Chris was awesome until he left...Candice is a phenomenal thinker and has really helped me see things clearly....and Len is goofy as all hell, when he's not busy being principal...
5. We started a book club at work!!
6. Since we don't have a sub pool, we sub for each other. And when we don't have enough people to sub, Len does it. As principal, he shouldn't have to. But he makes sure to get in the trenches and help out.
7. My first 8th graders are going to be seniors next year. I want to be there for them.
8. We may be moving next year to a new campus. Superficial, I know, but I want in on it.
9. It's where I got my start teaching.
10. I love seeing what these kids accomplish. Some of them come to us so broken and beaten down from other scholastic experiences. To watch them blossom...wow.
11. Teaching is tough and demanding no matter where you are.
12. I'm established there. People want to be in my class. Or to not be, in some cases, hahaha.
13. I've been promised the stuff I have really wanted to teach these last four years as my areas next year.
14. I had an e-mail from a former student, who moved on to another school this year...he's been in touch off and on all year. Anyway, his last report card was all A's and one B. I taught him for two years, and I'd like to think that I had a small hand in that success.
15. I focused a lot on a lot of superficial things and adult-related things. But I can't even begin to properly detail all of the kid moments.
16. It's been really exciting building a school and establishing traditions.
17. I enjoy the small-school atmosphere a lot of the time.
18. I found something that many people strive for: a job that satisfies me (most of the time) with people I love working with, in a place that makes you feel appreciated most of the time. Parents are a different part of the equation, but once in a while, you get that parent that really backs you, and everything is amazing. Why would anyone give up the happiness quotient?
And a lot of times, when I'm venting to people about work, I get suggestions that I move on to another school. Not at the moment, but the next school year. And I was with them on that until after the redistribution in January. However, I also ended up dropping my morning duty, which I'd had every morning for first semester, and traded out one of my 7th grade classes for one of the 8th grade classes in drama, which is a quarter-long course. This meant I now taught 4 8th grade courses and 1 tiny 7th grade writing course. Which, bonus, means in a few weeks when the 8th graders graduate, I will teach...1 class a day! WOOOOO!
Not only that, but I felt the administration take a large proactive swing. Some children, as I mentioned before, are no longer with us. Others were shifted around to levelize the classes.
My quality of life went up...even though the accident in January brought it way down.
And still, people kept telling me to get out. Go somewhere else.
But the day of the accident, I told my vice principal that I had thought about not returning, but feeling their support and having my own personal support network at work made me change my mind. I wanted to come back. And I meant it. I still do. I plan to. I didn't send any résumés out, which I had been planning to do come January. I decided to stay. And people think I'm crazy for it. I got my certification this year; I could make a lot more money in public schools (but I don't wanna get shot at work...) or many other Catholic and private schools. Yet, I decided against it, even though we desperately need more money right now. So I'd like to make a list of the things that are making me stay, because I feel like people need to understand.
1. The administration backed us. They generally do. They were proactive, and things have vastly improved.
2. I have a support network of coworkers, without whom I could not have made it through the last 4 years.
3. We have a kid who, while in the 5/6 classroom, was isolated from his peers because he has proximity issues. He would growl at kids and push them. He's probably our lowest performing student, to boot. They kept his desk away from everyone with a no-fly zone around it. The kids stayed away. He tried to do it with us, and we did not allow it. He now will sit next to other people and has stopped growling. He makes conversation with me almost every day. He doesn't wear his black leather gloves to school as often as he used to. (Yes, even on hot days....and I thought I had germaphobe issues!!!) He hasn't made much progress academically, which is not good. He has, however, become more functional for the real-world. He came with us to the Inauguration (the post is still coming) and stayed in a hotel room with three other boys, stayed with his chaperone at all times, and actually got to the point where he "snuggled" up with a group of kids in order to stay warm while we were waiting for the Inauguration to begin. He beat my foot at one point, but he didn't realize it was me and thought someone was trying to step on him, when in reality I was blocking him from being stepped on. But when I showed him whose foot it was, he mellowed. Point being, I am part of a team that really accomplished something major with this kid. That's an amazing feeling.
4. Back to my support network, these teachers have made every day worthwhile. Melissa (B)K (broiler?) helped me through Katrina. We both lost the same amount of stuff, and when I was paired with a God-awful she-beast after the storm, she and Kelly helped me cope. I can't thank her enough for what she did for me. Melissa B. helped me deal with the God-awful she-beast as well....because she also shared a room with her and helped me put things in perspective. She's also such a kind and gentle soul. I miss Sabrina dearly, especially her e-mails detailing her life in Japan (AHEM! I know you'll see this at some point!!!). We had a lot of great, goofy times, and she and Mark were like two peas in a pod. I had a hard time going straight home from Rock-N-Bowl without having to drop her off Uptown first. I also miss coercing her to just accept a ride home and shove her bike in the back of my Rav. I loved dragging Gal around New Orleans with Jen. Charlotte cracks me up sometimes...she's a bit ridiculous, no? Dawn I can talk to for hours about many subjects, including Sabrina. I've loved every minute I've spent with my new incarnation of my work posse. I've managed to suck New Jenn in to the JCC world, bwahahahhaha.... Kristin and I think alike a lot of the time... Michelle H.H. has reluctantly joined my #5 reason why I love my job.... The three of them are the greatest group to eat lunch with (more than likely that lunch is an Amy's organic vegetarian meal or peanut butter from my "grocery store..."), share a pint with, spend 3.5 hours in a book store with, attend a party with, blow off steam together after work, go to a festival with... Bernie turns everything innocent into something dirty. Terry is fun to make afraid of me, hahaha... Brendan wore a kilt on St. Patrick's Day...Nick tells amazing stories about the wrestling team...Michelle McM is hi-friggin-larious....Coach cracks me up, even if I can't understand half the things he says in that thick Mississippi accent....Chris was awesome until he left...Candice is a phenomenal thinker and has really helped me see things clearly....and Len is goofy as all hell, when he's not busy being principal...
5. We started a book club at work!!
6. Since we don't have a sub pool, we sub for each other. And when we don't have enough people to sub, Len does it. As principal, he shouldn't have to. But he makes sure to get in the trenches and help out.
7. My first 8th graders are going to be seniors next year. I want to be there for them.
8. We may be moving next year to a new campus. Superficial, I know, but I want in on it.
9. It's where I got my start teaching.
10. I love seeing what these kids accomplish. Some of them come to us so broken and beaten down from other scholastic experiences. To watch them blossom...wow.
11. Teaching is tough and demanding no matter where you are.
12. I'm established there. People want to be in my class. Or to not be, in some cases, hahaha.
13. I've been promised the stuff I have really wanted to teach these last four years as my areas next year.
14. I had an e-mail from a former student, who moved on to another school this year...he's been in touch off and on all year. Anyway, his last report card was all A's and one B. I taught him for two years, and I'd like to think that I had a small hand in that success.
15. I focused a lot on a lot of superficial things and adult-related things. But I can't even begin to properly detail all of the kid moments.
16. It's been really exciting building a school and establishing traditions.
17. I enjoy the small-school atmosphere a lot of the time.
18. I found something that many people strive for: a job that satisfies me (most of the time) with people I love working with, in a place that makes you feel appreciated most of the time. Parents are a different part of the equation, but once in a while, you get that parent that really backs you, and everything is amazing. Why would anyone give up the happiness quotient?
Friday, March 06, 2009
Another one for the books....
I made a bust in class today that has my head reeling....
My friend Kristin was out sick today, and so I had to sub one of her classes: 7th grade science. Just had to watch a video on baby animals. Awesome. I like animals...especially when they're babies!!!
So we're watching the video, it's on VHS, and there's a long section where the sound drops out. About 1 min. in, the sound dropped out, and I hear something make an electronic noise.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
I THOUGHT it came from "Q," who had his backpack on the table, but he's a really good, really bright kid, and I thought, "Nah...can't be him!"
No one will own up to it...although the sound came back on the video and apparently N was trying to say it was her iPod. She listens to that thing so loud that I can hear the lyrics, so it probably WAS her...turns out, it wasn't a phone, but was the iPod, as I learned later...it was in her bag and she bumped it. I let her slide because she owned up to it and inadvertently helped me catch a serious problem.
I said if no one would own up to it, then everyone would have to turn in every electronic device. They could get them back with no consequences at the end of the period if someone would woman-up or man-up and admit they were guilty.
No one admits it, and I collect a Play Station Portable, a CD player, the iPod, and 7 cell phones. Seventh graders are way easier to control in some ways than the other kids. Oh, I KNOW there were more that weren't handed over. I did this once with 8th graders when a phone rang, and no one turned anything in except the guilty kid, who didn't even admit he was guilty until I turned his phone on and it repeated the exact sound I'd just heard.
Q actually gave me his phone, but his was the last one I wanted to check.
Bernie was there and heard it when it went off...he'd come to ask me something and just happened to be in the most awesome place at the most awesome time.
S immediately gets on the defensive swearing loudly that it wasn't him...so I start thinking it WAS! I checked his phone first, but it wasn't him. He did, however, have it on in his pocket, so there was some Catholic guilt weighing in on him.
I get Bernie to help figure out which phone went off, and I grab Q's phone off the top of the pile. No missed calls....and a text message from "A's dad." At 12:06 p.m. March 6. BINGO
I get A to give me her phone, which is in her hand, and she hasn't erased her messages.
Q sent her one that said "porn," another one that said "dick..." and a few more one-word texts. Texting from your pocket mustn't give you much time to text more
I scroll through and find out they've been texting since 8:30 this morning! I think, hmmm...I wonder how many days THIS has happened at school! Seeing such questionable messages sent between two 13-year-olds nearing the end of 7th grade is concerning. There's probably cause which allows you to search a bag, so I figure this extends to phones....and the texts are completely visible as I scroll. Not like I'm prying.
THEN I find he has another one he sent her that says, "i only have one condom now." With worse spelling than that, though. There's one that says his dad is passed out drunk, and another one that says he was so drunk that he "just threw up whatever the hell he just drank."
WAIT FOR IT
So I look at her phone...on application day, she was wearing jeans with patch letters that said "a boy's name starting with 'T'" on them, and she wrote, "i love t" all over them in marker.
Anyway, there's a text to a kid named T: "i can't wait to suck your **** or f*** again"
I KNOW!!!!!!!!!
Disturbed, I ask Bernie to watch the kids, write them up, and go to the principal...who's meeting with the VP. I censor the messages, because while I can say it to VP, I think Principal's ears would fall off to hear those words, hahaha.
Later, I was was eating lunch, and the principal came in in his goofy, jovial manner and said, "Want to hear the best thing of all?!?!?!?!" He says he called A's mom to tell her the phone was taken away. You can only pick up confiscated items on Thursday afternoons...so if you lose something on Friday, you're pretty much SOL. He called her mom, who says that her dad has been in the hospital or is sick or something, and so they've been letting her use his phone because something happened with hers (Taken away? I don't know. Maybe broken? Not important to the story, really...) I don't know if, in these circumstances, he had them pick it up earlier. he didn't say if he did or not.
He didn't actually see them...but my write-up for Q said that he was sending vulgar text messages to a female classmate in 5th period. Hers just said she was texting a male classmate during 5th period. So...it'll get out somehow...I'm pretty sure that they are having great weekends and that I'll TOTALLY get teacher of the year for the second year in a row, since the students vote, hahaha.
Oh, and true to my word, all electronics were returned with a warning to keep it in their lockers (school policy). No consequences other than the mild heart attacks they all probably had when I picked them up in the first place.
My friend Kristin was out sick today, and so I had to sub one of her classes: 7th grade science. Just had to watch a video on baby animals. Awesome. I like animals...especially when they're babies!!!
So we're watching the video, it's on VHS, and there's a long section where the sound drops out. About 1 min. in, the sound dropped out, and I hear something make an electronic noise.
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
I THOUGHT it came from "Q," who had his backpack on the table, but he's a really good, really bright kid, and I thought, "Nah...can't be him!"
No one will own up to it...although the sound came back on the video and apparently N was trying to say it was her iPod. She listens to that thing so loud that I can hear the lyrics, so it probably WAS her...turns out, it wasn't a phone, but was the iPod, as I learned later...it was in her bag and she bumped it. I let her slide because she owned up to it and inadvertently helped me catch a serious problem.
I said if no one would own up to it, then everyone would have to turn in every electronic device. They could get them back with no consequences at the end of the period if someone would woman-up or man-up and admit they were guilty.
No one admits it, and I collect a Play Station Portable, a CD player, the iPod, and 7 cell phones. Seventh graders are way easier to control in some ways than the other kids. Oh, I KNOW there were more that weren't handed over. I did this once with 8th graders when a phone rang, and no one turned anything in except the guilty kid, who didn't even admit he was guilty until I turned his phone on and it repeated the exact sound I'd just heard.
Q actually gave me his phone, but his was the last one I wanted to check.
Bernie was there and heard it when it went off...he'd come to ask me something and just happened to be in the most awesome place at the most awesome time.
S immediately gets on the defensive swearing loudly that it wasn't him...so I start thinking it WAS! I checked his phone first, but it wasn't him. He did, however, have it on in his pocket, so there was some Catholic guilt weighing in on him.
I get Bernie to help figure out which phone went off, and I grab Q's phone off the top of the pile. No missed calls....and a text message from "A's dad." At 12:06 p.m. March 6. BINGO
I get A to give me her phone, which is in her hand, and she hasn't erased her messages.
Q sent her one that said "porn," another one that said "dick..." and a few more one-word texts. Texting from your pocket mustn't give you much time to text more
I scroll through and find out they've been texting since 8:30 this morning! I think, hmmm...I wonder how many days THIS has happened at school! Seeing such questionable messages sent between two 13-year-olds nearing the end of 7th grade is concerning. There's probably cause which allows you to search a bag, so I figure this extends to phones....and the texts are completely visible as I scroll. Not like I'm prying.
THEN I find he has another one he sent her that says, "i only have one condom now." With worse spelling than that, though. There's one that says his dad is passed out drunk, and another one that says he was so drunk that he "just threw up whatever the hell he just drank."
WAIT FOR IT
So I look at her phone...on application day, she was wearing jeans with patch letters that said "a boy's name starting with 'T'" on them, and she wrote, "i love t" all over them in marker.
Anyway, there's a text to a kid named T: "i can't wait to suck your **** or f*** again"
I KNOW!!!!!!!!!
Disturbed, I ask Bernie to watch the kids, write them up, and go to the principal...who's meeting with the VP. I censor the messages, because while I can say it to VP, I think Principal's ears would fall off to hear those words, hahaha.
Later, I was was eating lunch, and the principal came in in his goofy, jovial manner and said, "Want to hear the best thing of all?!?!?!?!" He says he called A's mom to tell her the phone was taken away. You can only pick up confiscated items on Thursday afternoons...so if you lose something on Friday, you're pretty much SOL. He called her mom, who says that her dad has been in the hospital or is sick or something, and so they've been letting her use his phone because something happened with hers (Taken away? I don't know. Maybe broken? Not important to the story, really...) I don't know if, in these circumstances, he had them pick it up earlier. he didn't say if he did or not.
He didn't actually see them...but my write-up for Q said that he was sending vulgar text messages to a female classmate in 5th period. Hers just said she was texting a male classmate during 5th period. So...it'll get out somehow...I'm pretty sure that they are having great weekends and that I'll TOTALLY get teacher of the year for the second year in a row, since the students vote, hahaha.
Oh, and true to my word, all electronics were returned with a warning to keep it in their lockers (school policy). No consequences other than the mild heart attacks they all probably had when I picked them up in the first place.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
I'm really wrestling with something
I know we can't save them all. And you can only help those who want to help themselves. But I just had to make a painful decision with one of my students. I'm not helping him any more.
What kind of teacher is that?
It's my second year with him. He's from a bad family situation...a dad with more kids than I can count, a mom with a few kids, and one stable adult: his grandma. But to put him in our school, grandma, who kicks ass and has a high value on education, drives charter buses. Which means half the time, he's with her and sort of on track, and half the time he's with mom, who has zero boundaries. He's from a rough neighborhood and his cousin made headlines recently as a perpetrator in a heinous crime. He's a brilliant kid, great artist....and he doesn't give a damn about school. He says we're all out to get him.
I challenged him on that recently and said that we bend over backwards for him. Honestly...any other school would have kicked him out for behavior by now. But we give him chance after chance after chance. He must think I'm a complete idiot. He doesn't finish a test, I pretend to have not given him enough time. He doesn't turn in a project, I pretend to have lost it. He recently took a test. Literally. He stared at it and did nothing, then left without turning it in. I followed his schedule and said "You must have just grabbed it absent-mindedly...can you grab it for me?" He made a big show of digging in his bag, then not seeing it. I asked him to check my room. He didn't see it. I got stern and said it had 5 minutes to appear on my desk...or it was a zero. Guess what he ended up with? We've called grandma, who is very much on our side. She is wracked with guilt because she can't be with him all the time.
Anyway, when I called him on that, and said that we do so much for him...he thought for a minute and said, "Well, nobody but you cares. You all don't understand." I told him, no, that I can't empathize with him. I can sympathize, and I can listen, but I won't understand his neighborhood, or his family situation. He said he doesn't care anyway...his plan is to drop out at 16 (He's 15 now) and then basically follow the path of so many in his neighborhood. It breaks my heart. I love this kid. I ache for him and his situation. I want to save him from that life. But he's old enough now that he has to make the totally conscious effort of accepting help and saving himself.
I once asked why a bright child like him allows himself to fail, and he said that he wasn't doing well in "regular" school, and he made an "A" on his first test with us. He showed it to his dad, who promptly asked who he cheated from, because there was no way his son would make an "A." Now, I took that with several grains of salt...but...is there some truth hidden in there?
We tried to get him into NOCCA, the arts high school. But he wouldn't get his art portfolio together, and he failed classes. No way could he get in. Every "out" we've given him has been thrown in our faces.
He also mentioned one time that he wanted to just fail out of us so that his grandma will do with him now what she did when he failed his other school: move him somewhere else. He's already a 15-year-old 8th grader. But sharp as a tack and talented to boot!
I learned today that grandma has agreed, against her will, to allow him to go wherever he wants, based upon his ability to pass this year. He has a 28.28 F in my social studies class. He takes no notes. He puts his head down, refuses to read (and he's an excellent oral reader!)He draws during class. Now...some kids process better if they have something to do with their hands...I had one student, over the course of the week, make over 100 beautiful, delicate snowflakes during class instead of taking notes...could contribute to discussions, would stop and read without complaint when asked, and made an "A" on his test. So when that kid does something else, I don't worry. I know he's processing.
My troubled child only fills in his study guides, then doesn't study. He complained that he's failing my class because the tests are too hard. I said he should try taking notes. He said no, that it all comes on his study guide. I can't argue that point...but when I asked if he studies once he fills in the study guide, he said no. Well, gee...no wonder my tests are too hard!!!
I'm so afraid of what will come of him. When I see violence from his neighborhood in the news, I read it while holding my breath.
I know I can't save him. I went to the vice principal...numerous times...and she told me, "The teacher shouldn't put out more effort than the student." And so I stopped. I let him in on that. I told him it was up to him to decide to save himself, because I was working too hard, and he was doing nothing.
But why do I feel like a failure?
What kind of teacher is that?
It's my second year with him. He's from a bad family situation...a dad with more kids than I can count, a mom with a few kids, and one stable adult: his grandma. But to put him in our school, grandma, who kicks ass and has a high value on education, drives charter buses. Which means half the time, he's with her and sort of on track, and half the time he's with mom, who has zero boundaries. He's from a rough neighborhood and his cousin made headlines recently as a perpetrator in a heinous crime. He's a brilliant kid, great artist....and he doesn't give a damn about school. He says we're all out to get him.
I challenged him on that recently and said that we bend over backwards for him. Honestly...any other school would have kicked him out for behavior by now. But we give him chance after chance after chance. He must think I'm a complete idiot. He doesn't finish a test, I pretend to have not given him enough time. He doesn't turn in a project, I pretend to have lost it. He recently took a test. Literally. He stared at it and did nothing, then left without turning it in. I followed his schedule and said "You must have just grabbed it absent-mindedly...can you grab it for me?" He made a big show of digging in his bag, then not seeing it. I asked him to check my room. He didn't see it. I got stern and said it had 5 minutes to appear on my desk...or it was a zero. Guess what he ended up with? We've called grandma, who is very much on our side. She is wracked with guilt because she can't be with him all the time.
Anyway, when I called him on that, and said that we do so much for him...he thought for a minute and said, "Well, nobody but you cares. You all don't understand." I told him, no, that I can't empathize with him. I can sympathize, and I can listen, but I won't understand his neighborhood, or his family situation. He said he doesn't care anyway...his plan is to drop out at 16 (He's 15 now) and then basically follow the path of so many in his neighborhood. It breaks my heart. I love this kid. I ache for him and his situation. I want to save him from that life. But he's old enough now that he has to make the totally conscious effort of accepting help and saving himself.
I once asked why a bright child like him allows himself to fail, and he said that he wasn't doing well in "regular" school, and he made an "A" on his first test with us. He showed it to his dad, who promptly asked who he cheated from, because there was no way his son would make an "A." Now, I took that with several grains of salt...but...is there some truth hidden in there?
We tried to get him into NOCCA, the arts high school. But he wouldn't get his art portfolio together, and he failed classes. No way could he get in. Every "out" we've given him has been thrown in our faces.
He also mentioned one time that he wanted to just fail out of us so that his grandma will do with him now what she did when he failed his other school: move him somewhere else. He's already a 15-year-old 8th grader. But sharp as a tack and talented to boot!
I learned today that grandma has agreed, against her will, to allow him to go wherever he wants, based upon his ability to pass this year. He has a 28.28 F in my social studies class. He takes no notes. He puts his head down, refuses to read (and he's an excellent oral reader!)He draws during class. Now...some kids process better if they have something to do with their hands...I had one student, over the course of the week, make over 100 beautiful, delicate snowflakes during class instead of taking notes...could contribute to discussions, would stop and read without complaint when asked, and made an "A" on his test. So when that kid does something else, I don't worry. I know he's processing.
My troubled child only fills in his study guides, then doesn't study. He complained that he's failing my class because the tests are too hard. I said he should try taking notes. He said no, that it all comes on his study guide. I can't argue that point...but when I asked if he studies once he fills in the study guide, he said no. Well, gee...no wonder my tests are too hard!!!
I'm so afraid of what will come of him. When I see violence from his neighborhood in the news, I read it while holding my breath.
I know I can't save him. I went to the vice principal...numerous times...and she told me, "The teacher shouldn't put out more effort than the student." And so I stopped. I let him in on that. I told him it was up to him to decide to save himself, because I was working too hard, and he was doing nothing.
But why do I feel like a failure?
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My temper tantrum ended. It's safe to look again.
So, co-curriculars for the 7th and 8th graders at school changed this year. They go to drama, art, P.E., and Spanish every day for one quarter each. I had no textbook, and so I bought a book on the history of theatre and wrote my own guide. I give the kids notes, then I have them perform in the style they learned. We also pop in some theatre games and exercises.
This being the end of the third quarter (just Mardi Gras week, which is a holiday next week!, followed by one regular week, a dead week, and exams), I've done almost everything three times.
Today was one of my favorite lessons...I finished giving them the notes for the quarter so we can just sort of play the rest of the quarter until they take their final, then I show them a music video.
The song is "Love Me Dead," and it's by a group called "Ludo." Interestingly enough, they also have a song called, "Lake Pontchartrain." This makes me smile.
I grew very fond of "LMD" over the summer, even though it sounds like it belongs in a musical. I hate musicals. I think that's because I can't sing or dance, and therefore was never able to participate in them. Plus, I'm a creative person with an overactive imagination and all, but the Suspension of Disbelief just shuts off when I see choreographed moments interrupt the natural flow of things.
Anyway, digression over.
After 1st quarter started, Mark found the video for the song, and I fell in love with it. Why? First of all, the singer kind of reminds me of Josh from the Nicholls Players. Second, it shows EVERYTHING (for the most part, just go with that) that I teach throughout drama history. I show the video once, all the way through, without discussion. I ask the kids what they saw that they learned about. They instantly pick up crude humor, Greek masks, and stage combat. Then I show it again, setting it up with running themes, such as costumes and props, and pause it 25 or 26 times to point out different theatre styles. Then, I show it to them a third time, no interruptions. Kids from first quarter still talk about it.
Today was that day in class, and so I was pretty happy. Not only that, but they are the first class to get this far this early in the quarter. God, I love 8th graders more than 7th graders!!! What a difference one year makes! Also, I only teach 1st and last periods on Tuesdays (making up for it with no breaks on Thursdays) and had a doctor's appointment with the orthopedist (muscular strains/sprains confirmed, physical therapy prescribed) today, so I left before lunch and missed teaching last period. Teaching only drama once a day? AWESOME!
While I was a little over halfway through the second viewing, one of my students interrupted me with, "How do teachers think?" I asked what he meant. He said, "I would NEVER have watched this and thought of any of that. But teachers always find things like this." I laughed. I told him I watched the video about 10-15 times, minimum, to find what I found, and had to back it up, move almost frame by frame, etc., to find it all. And, each time I watch it, I find a new subtle thing. I found one today. It wasn't anything theatre-related, but it was funny.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCU1JYmGxcA
This being the end of the third quarter (just Mardi Gras week, which is a holiday next week!, followed by one regular week, a dead week, and exams), I've done almost everything three times.
Today was one of my favorite lessons...I finished giving them the notes for the quarter so we can just sort of play the rest of the quarter until they take their final, then I show them a music video.
The song is "Love Me Dead," and it's by a group called "Ludo." Interestingly enough, they also have a song called, "Lake Pontchartrain." This makes me smile.
I grew very fond of "LMD" over the summer, even though it sounds like it belongs in a musical. I hate musicals. I think that's because I can't sing or dance, and therefore was never able to participate in them. Plus, I'm a creative person with an overactive imagination and all, but the Suspension of Disbelief just shuts off when I see choreographed moments interrupt the natural flow of things.
Anyway, digression over.
After 1st quarter started, Mark found the video for the song, and I fell in love with it. Why? First of all, the singer kind of reminds me of Josh from the Nicholls Players. Second, it shows EVERYTHING (for the most part, just go with that) that I teach throughout drama history. I show the video once, all the way through, without discussion. I ask the kids what they saw that they learned about. They instantly pick up crude humor, Greek masks, and stage combat. Then I show it again, setting it up with running themes, such as costumes and props, and pause it 25 or 26 times to point out different theatre styles. Then, I show it to them a third time, no interruptions. Kids from first quarter still talk about it.
Today was that day in class, and so I was pretty happy. Not only that, but they are the first class to get this far this early in the quarter. God, I love 8th graders more than 7th graders!!! What a difference one year makes! Also, I only teach 1st and last periods on Tuesdays (making up for it with no breaks on Thursdays) and had a doctor's appointment with the orthopedist (muscular strains/sprains confirmed, physical therapy prescribed) today, so I left before lunch and missed teaching last period. Teaching only drama once a day? AWESOME!
While I was a little over halfway through the second viewing, one of my students interrupted me with, "How do teachers think?" I asked what he meant. He said, "I would NEVER have watched this and thought of any of that. But teachers always find things like this." I laughed. I told him I watched the video about 10-15 times, minimum, to find what I found, and had to back it up, move almost frame by frame, etc., to find it all. And, each time I watch it, I find a new subtle thing. I found one today. It wasn't anything theatre-related, but it was funny.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCU1JYmGxcA
People I want to punch, part 2
14. The lady who totaled my car and has me missing work for pain, doctor appointments, and physical therapy.
15. The cop who didn't test the idiot who totaled my car, even though she was OBVIOUSLY drunk. Or had been drinking. Why? Because, as we discovered minutes later, he picked up food at P.F. Chang's. HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! This woman is only going to do it again. She should have been locked up. My only consolation is that she totaled her own car and doesn't have anyone else's insurance to help her out.
16. People who let their kids have TVs and video games in their bedrooms, keeping them up at night, rendering them useless at school, and are then surprised when the school calls to inform them of mood changes in the children and suffering performance in school. I would be SO MORTIFIED to tell the school that I was an unobservant parent who didn't keep an eye on my special needs child....especially after telling the school that he comes home wiped out and is on all sorts of meds. NO WONDER he's so wiped out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
17. Insurance company people who talk down to you.
18. I'll preliminarily say my physical therapist, because I've been through therapy for my ankle before, and I know I wanted to punch them then. I can only imagine what will happen for my back.
15. The cop who didn't test the idiot who totaled my car, even though she was OBVIOUSLY drunk. Or had been drinking. Why? Because, as we discovered minutes later, he picked up food at P.F. Chang's. HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! This woman is only going to do it again. She should have been locked up. My only consolation is that she totaled her own car and doesn't have anyone else's insurance to help her out.
16. People who let their kids have TVs and video games in their bedrooms, keeping them up at night, rendering them useless at school, and are then surprised when the school calls to inform them of mood changes in the children and suffering performance in school. I would be SO MORTIFIED to tell the school that I was an unobservant parent who didn't keep an eye on my special needs child....especially after telling the school that he comes home wiped out and is on all sorts of meds. NO WONDER he's so wiped out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
17. Insurance company people who talk down to you.
18. I'll preliminarily say my physical therapist, because I've been through therapy for my ankle before, and I know I wanted to punch them then. I can only imagine what will happen for my back.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
From raining to pouring...
I went to buy some groceries today...needed bread and water and a Coke. Went to check out. Australian guy with an amazing accent (who wasn't much to look at) had trouble with his card. After a couple of swipes, he was ok. So when it was my turn and the same thing happened, I just switched payment methods and didn't think anything of it. Chalked it up as a machine error.
Went to buy cat food tonight and was denied. Checked at the ATM to see if there was just a problem with my card. It's the end of the pay period, but I had an adequate amount in my account and should not have bounced cat food. I was grossly overdrawn, though.
I got home, logged in online, and discovered that some assclown paid their Sprint/Nextel bill with my account.
All this after practically reaching through my phone and tearing out someone's rectum because no orthopedists in this city will look at my back....I finally found one who does backs and they can take me on Tuesday. I've had ENOUGH!!
UPDATE: Card is canceled. BUT....the money won't be in my account until at least TUESDAY because of the weekend and the bank holiday Monday. My mother kindly deposited some money in my account to cover any charges that were pending and to help me through the weekend. She gets the full amount back after the credits go through. I also won't get a new debit card for another 10 days. Next step is to call the cops tomorrow. I want this investigated and the person prosecuted.
UPDATE #2: My check for my car bounced and was returned to the bank. GREAT. And it's the weekend with a bank holiday attached to it. EVEN BETTER. Can't do anything about it until Tuesday.
Went to buy cat food tonight and was denied. Checked at the ATM to see if there was just a problem with my card. It's the end of the pay period, but I had an adequate amount in my account and should not have bounced cat food. I was grossly overdrawn, though.
I got home, logged in online, and discovered that some assclown paid their Sprint/Nextel bill with my account.
All this after practically reaching through my phone and tearing out someone's rectum because no orthopedists in this city will look at my back....I finally found one who does backs and they can take me on Tuesday. I've had ENOUGH!!
UPDATE: Card is canceled. BUT....the money won't be in my account until at least TUESDAY because of the weekend and the bank holiday Monday. My mother kindly deposited some money in my account to cover any charges that were pending and to help me through the weekend. She gets the full amount back after the credits go through. I also won't get a new debit card for another 10 days. Next step is to call the cops tomorrow. I want this investigated and the person prosecuted.
UPDATE #2: My check for my car bounced and was returned to the bank. GREAT. And it's the weekend with a bank holiday attached to it. EVEN BETTER. Can't do anything about it until Tuesday.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Woe is we
I was planning to write a blog detailing my trip to Washington, D.C., to witness Obama's inauguration. I got back at midnight on Wednesday, slept on Thursday, which was Mark's birthday, and got in a bad accident Friday night. I have not been able to sit at a computer comfortably for some time. I'm doing better, but the D.C. wrap-up will be lengthy, I feel. I'll get back to that soon.
I've been having some flashbacks lately. To fall of 2005, to be exact. Right after Katrina, when people would try to comfort me after going through a harrowing ordeal that still haunts my dreams and which I see daily reminders of still, and losing all of my possessions. I've detailed this problem ad nauseam, so I'll cut to the chase: people are saying, "Well, it's just stuff. It can be fixed/replaced."
I don't know why people feel this is something to say to someone in the grieving process. If your child or parent or best friend died, would you want people to say something similar? That's not comfort. That's crass.
After Katrina, I was told this many times. And now, I'm hearing it again. "At least you're alive. You can just get a new one."
Two weeks and two days ago, we were going to dinner to celebrate Mark's 30th birthday. We got in my lovely little Rav4, which I bought to replace my sweet little Corolla, who died in Katrina. We stopped at a redlight at Veterans and Causeway, right in front of a Payless. We were third in line and had been there for a while. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. We jerked forward rapidly, then back, then forward, then back. The guy in front of us got out and looked angry. He thought we'd caused it. But we didn't. A woman slammed into the back of us. Part of a car (turns out it was mine) was caught between the body of my car and the rear tire. The guys in the Dakota in front of us said to pull into the Payless lot, so we did. The Accord that slammed us stayed where it was and appeared undrivable. We were in shock. We'd been at the light, for a while, and there was no squealing tires as she slammed her brakes. Why? Because she didn't.
I'm 95% positive that she was drunk. She had a friend following her home. The friend came up to us and said, "Let's just swap our numbers and talk in the morning, okay?" I said, "Not with the police on their way." She said, with a dismissive wave, "Did anyone even call the police?" We all said we had, as soon as the moment of impact ended. She was pissed, went out to her friend, and talked to her for a minute. The woman started her car, which was leaking fluid everywhere, and started driving. One of the people said, "Don't worry, we wrote down her license. And...she's not going to get very far like that."
She pulled into the parking lot, to our amazement and stumbled around. She came up to the victims and slurred, "Don't worry. I do this 24-7." I couldn't control it. "What? You rear-end people 24-7?!?!?!" She stared at the space between me and the wall and gave a dismissive wave, then stumbled off. I wish I'd let her speak. I'd love to know what she does 24-7....
The cop came, got out of his car long enough to gather licenses and registrations, then stayed in his car the whole time. He finished the Dakota first and sent them away. Then he finished us. Mark asked if he would please test the woman, and he said he would. My parents were there, and Stan checked my car to see if it was safe to drive. Some things had moved, but he deemed it workable. Still hungry, shaken, and cold, with stiffness settling in, we went ahead to get dinner. We were at our table when the cop walked to the bar to pick up an order. We doubt that he tested her and are livid. We haven't seen the police report yet.
Long story short, I went to the ER for pain on Sunday night, spent a week of working half-days and floating into and out of comas from painkillers, and had my car totaled.
Everyone says be thankful that we weren't more seriously hurt. I am aware of this. We are so very thankful that we always wear our seatbelts. It could have been much worse.
But here's the thing about my car. I truly, truly, truly loved her. She was with me the day I was leaving work and got a phone call from my dad, who'd driven past our Lakeview home and saw that they'd finally towed away Lucy, the Corolla. I cried in the school parking lot. "It's over, baby. You can move on now," he said.
She was my escape when life at my parents' house got too heavy to deal with. I could get in, drive around, park in my old driveway or at the Lakefront, and clear my head and tearducts. Yup, guys, that's where I would disappear to. Sorry to have caused you worry.
She was where I went when I thought I was losing my job at a school that I loved, where I truly felt appreciated. That was something I'd never felt before in a job. I remember standing in the St. Laurence parking lot, key in hand, taking deep breaths and thinking fast. We had to save the school. But how? She brought me to school that jubilant day when Reggie Bush came to sign over $50,000 to keep us open, and didn't mind being put in the grassy area so that the media and dignitaries could park in the parking lot. She was with me when we moved from the Metairie campus back to the Mid-City campus in an effort to stay open.
We took her to househunt. We drove past our house for many months, stalking the place we wanted so desperately. She drove us to all of the places we needed to go in order to buy the house. She lugged tons of paint and glass and tools to fix the house. She was a valuable member of our moving fleet. She looked so proud parked in the driveway and under the carport.
She was our home away from home during our exhausting 36-hour evacuation to Indianapolis from Hurricane Gustav. She was a trusty, quasi-comfortable place for us to sleep when there were no rooms at any of the inns.
Most of all, she was a symbol of my adulthood. My '94 Corolla was a used car, a gift from my parents upon graduating from Nicholls. Rava, so named because way back when the car was first on the market, my dad thought that was what the logo said, was different. She was the first thing I'd ever bought with my own money. She was mine, all mine, and I loved her. I couldn't afford fancy carwashes, but I kept her in fantastic condition on the exterior. No wrecks, no nothing. I might have left some junk in her from time to time, but always changed her oil, got her brake tag on time, and made sure she didn't get too far below a quarter of a tank of gas. I removed the antenna to do the cheapo carwashes at gas stations from time to time. I didn't take her offroad, even though she could have. Lakeview is as offroad as she got.
She was my one true possession immediately following Katrina.
I had 2 years and 11 months until she was totally mine. When her note was done, we were going to buy Mark a new car. He drives a '97 Mercury Mystique. Or, as Les the mechanic calls him, the Mercury Mistake. Never heard of one? That's okay. No one has. My father is a third generation service station owner, and he had never heard of one until he met Mark. His car is falling apart daily. And we can't afford another note. We can barely afford our regular bills each month. More than anything, this wreck is a symbol of despair. What are we going to do?
So, please. Withhold the, "You have a nice new one now!" and the "It's just a car!" comments. Because now we're 6 years away from him getting a car. Not less than 3. So buy him something before you make those crass comments, and understand how much I'm hurting, physically, emotionally, mentally, and fiscally.
Goodbye, my baby Rava. You served me well, and I'll always miss you.
I've been having some flashbacks lately. To fall of 2005, to be exact. Right after Katrina, when people would try to comfort me after going through a harrowing ordeal that still haunts my dreams and which I see daily reminders of still, and losing all of my possessions. I've detailed this problem ad nauseam, so I'll cut to the chase: people are saying, "Well, it's just stuff. It can be fixed/replaced."
I don't know why people feel this is something to say to someone in the grieving process. If your child or parent or best friend died, would you want people to say something similar? That's not comfort. That's crass.
After Katrina, I was told this many times. And now, I'm hearing it again. "At least you're alive. You can just get a new one."
Two weeks and two days ago, we were going to dinner to celebrate Mark's 30th birthday. We got in my lovely little Rav4, which I bought to replace my sweet little Corolla, who died in Katrina. We stopped at a redlight at Veterans and Causeway, right in front of a Payless. We were third in line and had been there for a while. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. We jerked forward rapidly, then back, then forward, then back. The guy in front of us got out and looked angry. He thought we'd caused it. But we didn't. A woman slammed into the back of us. Part of a car (turns out it was mine) was caught between the body of my car and the rear tire. The guys in the Dakota in front of us said to pull into the Payless lot, so we did. The Accord that slammed us stayed where it was and appeared undrivable. We were in shock. We'd been at the light, for a while, and there was no squealing tires as she slammed her brakes. Why? Because she didn't.
I'm 95% positive that she was drunk. She had a friend following her home. The friend came up to us and said, "Let's just swap our numbers and talk in the morning, okay?" I said, "Not with the police on their way." She said, with a dismissive wave, "Did anyone even call the police?" We all said we had, as soon as the moment of impact ended. She was pissed, went out to her friend, and talked to her for a minute. The woman started her car, which was leaking fluid everywhere, and started driving. One of the people said, "Don't worry, we wrote down her license. And...she's not going to get very far like that."
She pulled into the parking lot, to our amazement and stumbled around. She came up to the victims and slurred, "Don't worry. I do this 24-7." I couldn't control it. "What? You rear-end people 24-7?!?!?!" She stared at the space between me and the wall and gave a dismissive wave, then stumbled off. I wish I'd let her speak. I'd love to know what she does 24-7....
The cop came, got out of his car long enough to gather licenses and registrations, then stayed in his car the whole time. He finished the Dakota first and sent them away. Then he finished us. Mark asked if he would please test the woman, and he said he would. My parents were there, and Stan checked my car to see if it was safe to drive. Some things had moved, but he deemed it workable. Still hungry, shaken, and cold, with stiffness settling in, we went ahead to get dinner. We were at our table when the cop walked to the bar to pick up an order. We doubt that he tested her and are livid. We haven't seen the police report yet.
Long story short, I went to the ER for pain on Sunday night, spent a week of working half-days and floating into and out of comas from painkillers, and had my car totaled.
Everyone says be thankful that we weren't more seriously hurt. I am aware of this. We are so very thankful that we always wear our seatbelts. It could have been much worse.
But here's the thing about my car. I truly, truly, truly loved her. She was with me the day I was leaving work and got a phone call from my dad, who'd driven past our Lakeview home and saw that they'd finally towed away Lucy, the Corolla. I cried in the school parking lot. "It's over, baby. You can move on now," he said.
She was my escape when life at my parents' house got too heavy to deal with. I could get in, drive around, park in my old driveway or at the Lakefront, and clear my head and tearducts. Yup, guys, that's where I would disappear to. Sorry to have caused you worry.
She was where I went when I thought I was losing my job at a school that I loved, where I truly felt appreciated. That was something I'd never felt before in a job. I remember standing in the St. Laurence parking lot, key in hand, taking deep breaths and thinking fast. We had to save the school. But how? She brought me to school that jubilant day when Reggie Bush came to sign over $50,000 to keep us open, and didn't mind being put in the grassy area so that the media and dignitaries could park in the parking lot. She was with me when we moved from the Metairie campus back to the Mid-City campus in an effort to stay open.
We took her to househunt. We drove past our house for many months, stalking the place we wanted so desperately. She drove us to all of the places we needed to go in order to buy the house. She lugged tons of paint and glass and tools to fix the house. She was a valuable member of our moving fleet. She looked so proud parked in the driveway and under the carport.
She was our home away from home during our exhausting 36-hour evacuation to Indianapolis from Hurricane Gustav. She was a trusty, quasi-comfortable place for us to sleep when there were no rooms at any of the inns.
Most of all, she was a symbol of my adulthood. My '94 Corolla was a used car, a gift from my parents upon graduating from Nicholls. Rava, so named because way back when the car was first on the market, my dad thought that was what the logo said, was different. She was the first thing I'd ever bought with my own money. She was mine, all mine, and I loved her. I couldn't afford fancy carwashes, but I kept her in fantastic condition on the exterior. No wrecks, no nothing. I might have left some junk in her from time to time, but always changed her oil, got her brake tag on time, and made sure she didn't get too far below a quarter of a tank of gas. I removed the antenna to do the cheapo carwashes at gas stations from time to time. I didn't take her offroad, even though she could have. Lakeview is as offroad as she got.
She was my one true possession immediately following Katrina.
I had 2 years and 11 months until she was totally mine. When her note was done, we were going to buy Mark a new car. He drives a '97 Mercury Mystique. Or, as Les the mechanic calls him, the Mercury Mistake. Never heard of one? That's okay. No one has. My father is a third generation service station owner, and he had never heard of one until he met Mark. His car is falling apart daily. And we can't afford another note. We can barely afford our regular bills each month. More than anything, this wreck is a symbol of despair. What are we going to do?
So, please. Withhold the, "You have a nice new one now!" and the "It's just a car!" comments. Because now we're 6 years away from him getting a car. Not less than 3. So buy him something before you make those crass comments, and understand how much I'm hurting, physically, emotionally, mentally, and fiscally.
Goodbye, my baby Rava. You served me well, and I'll always miss you.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
4 1/2 years later...
I got word from the Louisiana Department of Education finally:
They have finished yanking my chain.
They finished processing my June 2008 application for my teaching certificate.
I am an honest-to-God secondary English teacher after all of this time, all of these headaches, and 4 years of jumping through hoops at UNO. Could have had another BA in all this time.
Now for a break, and then maybe I'll finish the master's...
They have finished yanking my chain.
They finished processing my June 2008 application for my teaching certificate.
I am an honest-to-God secondary English teacher after all of this time, all of these headaches, and 4 years of jumping through hoops at UNO. Could have had another BA in all this time.
Now for a break, and then maybe I'll finish the master's...
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Did I fall into Bizarro World this week?
So, I teach in a school for kids with learning differences -- dyslexia, ADHD, and Asperger's are our biggest draws. I tend to forget that some of them are socially inept. They seem really normal until we take them in public, or until days where something really bizarre happens. Don't get me wrong. I love them. But social skills are not their strong points.
This week has been ripe with such days... Make sure you read all the way through. The second story is way better than the first.
Tale the first: Sticky Buns
A few months ago, a former student came to my classroom and said he had a little tiny present for me. Every year, he brings me a Christmas present still. He's a nice boy. A little while later, he shows up at my door with a 2-liter of root beer. I'm not a fan of root beer, so I try clever dodging strategies. He thought it was a day where you could wear jeans to school if you brought in two 2-liter soft drinks. Well, it was, but only for the grammar school. Instead of just donating the bottles anyway, he and his friends drank one bottle, and he decided to bestow the other one on me. I was touched. Slightly weirded out, but touched. I run out of avoidance strategies, and end up stuck with the root beer. I stick it under my desk, where it stays for the next couple of months.
Fast-forward to the other day, when we had to rearrange my classroom to make room for this massive AV closet they brought for the 12" flat screen. I notice that I bumped my big stack of Scholastic Book Order catalogs under my desk, which knocked the root beer over. I straightened the stack, then pushed them further back, and put the root beer right next to it. Why? Because I didn't want kids fooling with it.
Tuesday afternoon, I teach last period down the hall. I return to my room, only to discover that Terry, the teacher using my room at that time, left a note on my desk (name changed to protect the guilty):
Aimée --
Bob "accidentally" knocked over your 2-liter of root beer. I told him he has to bring you a new one tomorrow.
Terry
I walk to the front of my desk, see no spots on the ground, shrug, find the bottle in the trash (which, by the way, looked like it was squeezed by Andre the Giant and has an unscrewed cap. Interesting. Not being a fan of root beer, I have never opened it. I kept it at school so that the next time there was a 2-liter collection, I could bring it to the donations. "Oh, well," I think. "At least I no longer have to worry about the root beer."
Now, I have a very wide desk. To get the bottle and "accidentally" trip on it requires you to "sweep the leg!" under my desk and kick it out.
I sit at my desk and discover that I'm sticking to it. Then I notice that my butt feels damp. I look around, and my purse, the shoes I was originally wearing until I walked to the store and changed into flip flops but forgot to change back into, my candy jar, the arms of my chair, the legs of my chair, the charger for my laptop, and the seat and back of my chair are coated in sticky goodness.
And now I seethe.
I took Germ-X and Kleenex and did my best to remove the stickiness for now. I then filled out a write-up form with a VERY wordy yet detailed explanation, attach a recess detention to it, and wait.
Bernie comes in to talk to Jenn and me, and I pushed back in my chair a little bit to pick up a pen I dropped. I reach under my desk to pull myself closer to the desk again, and what do I discover, Wet, sticky, brown finger tips. I scream, "ROOOOOOOOOOOOOT BEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in anger, then rant about how Terry must have run away scared, haha. I'm kidding, of course, and I'm not mad at him, but I am mad at Bob and the situation.
The next morning, Bernie starts baiting Terry with tales of my wrath over the situation. Meek little Terry, who is an easy blusher, comes in and stammers an apology as I'm heading to my off-period and Bernie teaches in my room. Bernie is loving every second of this. I manage to convey my non-Terry directed anger to Terry, and figure out that Bernie has scared him. Am I that intimidating? Or is Bernie that good at lying?
Tale the second: "I Have a Cat. His Name is Bony."
As if the root beer explosion isn't crazy enough, I get pushed to the limits this morning.
We have a kid with some communication difficulties and some form of autism spectrum. He's very bright, but he can be hard to understand. He adores me....he's the one who so fiercely defended me against the kid who made lewd remarks about me and attempted to grab my rear earlier in the year. Anyway, I was recoding some grades on my computer when "Mickey" starts rambling to me. I'm trying to concentrate on not screwing up grades, and I'm half listening. All I hear is, "I have a cat. His name is Bony. Want to see why his name is Bony?"
Expecting to have him shove a wrinkly photo of a skinny kitty cat in my face, I say, "Sure." He knows I love cats. He asks me about my pictures of my cats on my desk (What? I don't have kids. I have cats.). I figure he's got a picture of his.
Mickey says, "Look. It's on the desk." I look up to find him pointing at a desk with a Ziploc freezer bag on it. "Where?" I say. No photos are on the desk. "In the bag," he says.
I look closer and am horrified to discover that Bony the cat IS, in fact, rather aptly named. Bony the cat is a decomposing bag of fur and bones. I decide now would be a good time to freak out on the kid.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?!?!?!??!?!"
"For science class."
"DOES YOUR TEACHER KNOW YOU HAVE THAT?!?!??!?!??!?!"
"Yeah. I asked her."
There's only one "her" who teaches 8th grade science: my friend, Kristin. Kristin, who only eats organic food and cruelty-free meat. Kristin, who planned a mock protest in front of my room when I wore my Cruella De Vil costume at Halloween. Kristin, who does not believe in dissecting animals and took a "C" in high school biology because she refused to dissect. Kristin, who takes in foster animals. Kristin, who is an environmentalist. Kristin, the closest thing I've found to a real-live member of PETA. This story doesn't add up.
"I seriously doubt that Ms. O would want you to bring that to her class. ARE YOU SURE that she said yes and ARE YOU SURE that you asked her about it?????????"
"Yes. We're studying about mammals and bones and teeth and I told her I have this and she said I could bring him."
At this point, Jenn steps in and suggests he put it away, as I'm bordering on hysterics and absolute disgust. Kristin was in her off-period in the teachers' lounge. I march in there, and apparently have one awesome expression on my face, because Bernie is in there and greets me with, "Hello. Are you okay?" and a concerned expression. I point at Kristin and say, "I have an important head's up for you. Did you by any chance give Mickey permission to bring a DECOMPOSING CAT IN A ZIPLOC BAG TO SCHOOL TODAY!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?"
Now it's her turn to look ill. "NO! Why would you think I would do that?"
"Well, maybe because DECOMP ZIPLOC CAT IS SITTING ON A DESK IN MY CLASSROOM!!!!!!!"
Poor Terry was sleeping on the couch in there, and he woke up. He's as red as the couch, Bernie is practically crying, and they are laughing up a storm. Brendan is there at some point during my freak-out episode, and all three are rolling. Physically rolling, in Terry's case. Kristin and I are near nausea, both yelling and dumb-founded.
Apparently, during class, while they were, yes, learning about mammals and their teeth and bones, and said he had a skull at home, could he bring it. Kristin asked what kind. He said a cat skull. She said she guessed he could.
What he failed to mention was that said cat skull was still attached to the cat's other bones....and its fur...and resided in a Ziploc freezer bag.
Bernie kindly ran interference for us and convinced Mickey to put Bony in his locker for the rest of the day.
I went to Guidance and said, "I need a Guidance Counselor for myself, STAT!" Candice looked up and laughed and asked what was wrong. I told her my tale, and she said, "Oh yeah, he's bringing it for science class." Apparently, he brought it in Guidance and showed it to her while she was meeting with a parent and a student and couldn't really deal with it at the time. She said he has had it for a few years and found it outside. EW EW EW EW EW EW EW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Add these parents to my "List of people I want to punch." They're number 14, correct?
This week has been ripe with such days... Make sure you read all the way through. The second story is way better than the first.
Tale the first: Sticky Buns
A few months ago, a former student came to my classroom and said he had a little tiny present for me. Every year, he brings me a Christmas present still. He's a nice boy. A little while later, he shows up at my door with a 2-liter of root beer. I'm not a fan of root beer, so I try clever dodging strategies. He thought it was a day where you could wear jeans to school if you brought in two 2-liter soft drinks. Well, it was, but only for the grammar school. Instead of just donating the bottles anyway, he and his friends drank one bottle, and he decided to bestow the other one on me. I was touched. Slightly weirded out, but touched. I run out of avoidance strategies, and end up stuck with the root beer. I stick it under my desk, where it stays for the next couple of months.
Fast-forward to the other day, when we had to rearrange my classroom to make room for this massive AV closet they brought for the 12" flat screen. I notice that I bumped my big stack of Scholastic Book Order catalogs under my desk, which knocked the root beer over. I straightened the stack, then pushed them further back, and put the root beer right next to it. Why? Because I didn't want kids fooling with it.
Tuesday afternoon, I teach last period down the hall. I return to my room, only to discover that Terry, the teacher using my room at that time, left a note on my desk (name changed to protect the guilty):
Aimée --
Bob "accidentally" knocked over your 2-liter of root beer. I told him he has to bring you a new one tomorrow.
Terry
I walk to the front of my desk, see no spots on the ground, shrug, find the bottle in the trash (which, by the way, looked like it was squeezed by Andre the Giant and has an unscrewed cap. Interesting. Not being a fan of root beer, I have never opened it. I kept it at school so that the next time there was a 2-liter collection, I could bring it to the donations. "Oh, well," I think. "At least I no longer have to worry about the root beer."
Now, I have a very wide desk. To get the bottle and "accidentally" trip on it requires you to "sweep the leg!" under my desk and kick it out.
I sit at my desk and discover that I'm sticking to it. Then I notice that my butt feels damp. I look around, and my purse, the shoes I was originally wearing until I walked to the store and changed into flip flops but forgot to change back into, my candy jar, the arms of my chair, the legs of my chair, the charger for my laptop, and the seat and back of my chair are coated in sticky goodness.
And now I seethe.
I took Germ-X and Kleenex and did my best to remove the stickiness for now. I then filled out a write-up form with a VERY wordy yet detailed explanation, attach a recess detention to it, and wait.
Bernie comes in to talk to Jenn and me, and I pushed back in my chair a little bit to pick up a pen I dropped. I reach under my desk to pull myself closer to the desk again, and what do I discover, Wet, sticky, brown finger tips. I scream, "ROOOOOOOOOOOOOT BEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in anger, then rant about how Terry must have run away scared, haha. I'm kidding, of course, and I'm not mad at him, but I am mad at Bob and the situation.
The next morning, Bernie starts baiting Terry with tales of my wrath over the situation. Meek little Terry, who is an easy blusher, comes in and stammers an apology as I'm heading to my off-period and Bernie teaches in my room. Bernie is loving every second of this. I manage to convey my non-Terry directed anger to Terry, and figure out that Bernie has scared him. Am I that intimidating? Or is Bernie that good at lying?
Tale the second: "I Have a Cat. His Name is Bony."
As if the root beer explosion isn't crazy enough, I get pushed to the limits this morning.
We have a kid with some communication difficulties and some form of autism spectrum. He's very bright, but he can be hard to understand. He adores me....he's the one who so fiercely defended me against the kid who made lewd remarks about me and attempted to grab my rear earlier in the year. Anyway, I was recoding some grades on my computer when "Mickey" starts rambling to me. I'm trying to concentrate on not screwing up grades, and I'm half listening. All I hear is, "I have a cat. His name is Bony. Want to see why his name is Bony?"
Expecting to have him shove a wrinkly photo of a skinny kitty cat in my face, I say, "Sure." He knows I love cats. He asks me about my pictures of my cats on my desk (What? I don't have kids. I have cats.). I figure he's got a picture of his.
Mickey says, "Look. It's on the desk." I look up to find him pointing at a desk with a Ziploc freezer bag on it. "Where?" I say. No photos are on the desk. "In the bag," he says.
I look closer and am horrified to discover that Bony the cat IS, in fact, rather aptly named. Bony the cat is a decomposing bag of fur and bones. I decide now would be a good time to freak out on the kid.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT!?!?!?!??!?!"
"For science class."
"DOES YOUR TEACHER KNOW YOU HAVE THAT?!?!??!?!??!?!"
"Yeah. I asked her."
There's only one "her" who teaches 8th grade science: my friend, Kristin. Kristin, who only eats organic food and cruelty-free meat. Kristin, who planned a mock protest in front of my room when I wore my Cruella De Vil costume at Halloween. Kristin, who does not believe in dissecting animals and took a "C" in high school biology because she refused to dissect. Kristin, who takes in foster animals. Kristin, who is an environmentalist. Kristin, the closest thing I've found to a real-live member of PETA. This story doesn't add up.
"I seriously doubt that Ms. O would want you to bring that to her class. ARE YOU SURE that she said yes and ARE YOU SURE that you asked her about it?????????"
"Yes. We're studying about mammals and bones and teeth and I told her I have this and she said I could bring him."
At this point, Jenn steps in and suggests he put it away, as I'm bordering on hysterics and absolute disgust. Kristin was in her off-period in the teachers' lounge. I march in there, and apparently have one awesome expression on my face, because Bernie is in there and greets me with, "Hello. Are you okay?" and a concerned expression. I point at Kristin and say, "I have an important head's up for you. Did you by any chance give Mickey permission to bring a DECOMPOSING CAT IN A ZIPLOC BAG TO SCHOOL TODAY!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?"
Now it's her turn to look ill. "NO! Why would you think I would do that?"
"Well, maybe because DECOMP ZIPLOC CAT IS SITTING ON A DESK IN MY CLASSROOM!!!!!!!"
Poor Terry was sleeping on the couch in there, and he woke up. He's as red as the couch, Bernie is practically crying, and they are laughing up a storm. Brendan is there at some point during my freak-out episode, and all three are rolling. Physically rolling, in Terry's case. Kristin and I are near nausea, both yelling and dumb-founded.
Apparently, during class, while they were, yes, learning about mammals and their teeth and bones, and said he had a skull at home, could he bring it. Kristin asked what kind. He said a cat skull. She said she guessed he could.
What he failed to mention was that said cat skull was still attached to the cat's other bones....and its fur...and resided in a Ziploc freezer bag.
Bernie kindly ran interference for us and convinced Mickey to put Bony in his locker for the rest of the day.
I went to Guidance and said, "I need a Guidance Counselor for myself, STAT!" Candice looked up and laughed and asked what was wrong. I told her my tale, and she said, "Oh yeah, he's bringing it for science class." Apparently, he brought it in Guidance and showed it to her while she was meeting with a parent and a student and couldn't really deal with it at the time. She said he has had it for a few years and found it outside. EW EW EW EW EW EW EW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Add these parents to my "List of people I want to punch." They're number 14, correct?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
People I want to punch
I'm not normally a violent person. I don't believe in spanking and I hate war (but support the poor men and women sent to do other peoples' dirty work). However, there are people who make my blood BOIL. I just want to punch them. Here's a partial list:
1. People who drive the wrong way down the one-way parking garage aisles at J.C. Penney's and honk at YOU when you are driving the right way and take the spot they were speeding up to get.
2. People who get off escalators and STOP, causing you to run into them because it's not like you have much of a choice...either you run in place on the moving stairs that you can't control, or you run into them because you can't control the stairs. I always choose to run into them. Except the one time when that kid's shoelace was stuck. Then I chose the run in place method to keep from landing on him.
3. The girl with the obvious implants wearing the Monopoly "Community Chest" T-shirt. I wondered to myself if that meant I could run up and poke them, because she had them labeled as belonging to this community, of which I am a member...
4. Parents who shelter their children from competitions.
5. The O.D.D. (Oppositional Defiant Disorder... "Time to take notes!" "NO!" "Time to turn in homework!" "NO!!" "I've brought you a cookie!" "NO! I hate you and want you to die!")
6. Parents who believe everything their children say and blame everything on the teacher.
7. That guy who was standing in a good parking space so his friend speeding the wrong way in the parking garage could take the place, then finally moved, waving me in with a disgusted look on his face while his friend honked at me.
8. The cashier at Macy's today who kept trying to force a guy to get his shirt on a hanger so it wouldn't wrinkle, but the guy just wanted it in a regular bag, and no, he didn't want to keep the hanger, either!
9. Myself for not resetting my alarm so I could get my hair cut.
10. People who think they can bully adults around.
11. The woman and two little girls dancing down the aisle in the parking lot, RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE!, who wouldn't move even though I was driving immediately behind them.
12. The man at Rouse's who kept asking me if I needed help just because I had my hands full...of a shopping basket...
13. Mark's supervisor
14.
1. People who drive the wrong way down the one-way parking garage aisles at J.C. Penney's and honk at YOU when you are driving the right way and take the spot they were speeding up to get.
2. People who get off escalators and STOP, causing you to run into them because it's not like you have much of a choice...either you run in place on the moving stairs that you can't control, or you run into them because you can't control the stairs. I always choose to run into them. Except the one time when that kid's shoelace was stuck. Then I chose the run in place method to keep from landing on him.
3. The girl with the obvious implants wearing the Monopoly "Community Chest" T-shirt. I wondered to myself if that meant I could run up and poke them, because she had them labeled as belonging to this community, of which I am a member...
4. Parents who shelter their children from competitions.
5. The O.D.D. (Oppositional Defiant Disorder... "Time to take notes!" "NO!" "Time to turn in homework!" "NO!!" "I've brought you a cookie!" "NO! I hate you and want you to die!")
6. Parents who believe everything their children say and blame everything on the teacher.
7. That guy who was standing in a good parking space so his friend speeding the wrong way in the parking garage could take the place, then finally moved, waving me in with a disgusted look on his face while his friend honked at me.
8. The cashier at Macy's today who kept trying to force a guy to get his shirt on a hanger so it wouldn't wrinkle, but the guy just wanted it in a regular bag, and no, he didn't want to keep the hanger, either!
9. Myself for not resetting my alarm so I could get my hair cut.
10. People who think they can bully adults around.
11. The woman and two little girls dancing down the aisle in the parking lot, RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE!, who wouldn't move even though I was driving immediately behind them.
12. The man at Rouse's who kept asking me if I needed help just because I had my hands full...of a shopping basket...
13. Mark's supervisor
14.
Monday, December 29, 2008
I'm copping out
So, I was thinking about how I never had time to really blog this past year. I had been so regular when it was all doom and gloom, back when I was relaying the Katrina experience. I typed for hours at a time. We all know it's easier to point out the bad than the good. While things are still pretty rotten for us, I tried to think of the good stuff. That's pretty hard as of late, without getting into too much detail. Those who need to know know what's up, and I'd like to keep it that way.
I was thinking of summing up my year in a couple of posts, and then my wonderful pen-pal, the incomparable Anne-Girl, sent me this via e-mail. And since I've been so lax in posting, and I'm so scatter-brained sometimes, I decided to take the cop-out and fill it in. Forgive me.
What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Painted my bathroom cabinets and redid the furnishings all by myself, fixed the thermostat with minimal help from Mark (ok...I did everything but the electrical), swam with the manatees, voted for the winning presidential candidate, refrained from expressing political leanings in the workplace (because I was not allowed to do so, but I still stayed so neutral!), contributed to the saving of someone's life, stood up loud and clear for something I believed in, was threatened by a student who wanted to throw a desk at me in reaction to being written up for slapping another student in the face, drove in the snow, drove to another state, visited the Central Plains, visited a few new states, even if I just drove through them, attended a convention on the school's dime, went to the Renaissance Faire in Hammond
Did you keep your New Year's resolution, and will you make more for next year?
1) I didn't make any and 2) I won't
Did anyone close to you give birth?
This was quite the year for that question! Courtney had Sophia in February, Tree had Phoebe this summer, Monica had Daniel and Madelyn this summer, my cousin Kelly had Julia this summer, Calie had Clover and Mary had Gracelyn in October, and Michelle will have a baby next month. Also, a girl I worked with in college had Joshua yesterday.
Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no, and let's hope it stays like that the next few days.
What countries did you visit?
None, but wait'll you see my list of states....Louisiana, of course, Florida, Arizona, then a drive through Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee-Kentucky-Indiana to evacuate, Texas, Missouri. Three of those are new. I think I'm missing one. I thought I rembered 11...this is only 10. OH! Illinois, because we took the train from St. Louis. So, yeah...11.
what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Good health. A better financial place, a gainfully-employed-in-a-job-he-enjoys spouse. Some good luck.
What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 11, the day we got 2 inches of snow in New Orleans!
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going against a superior to stand up for something I believed in, navigating the St. Louis Metro system successfully, swimming with the manatees.
What was your biggest failure?
That's not something I want to discuss.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
This is almost as lengthy as the people who had babies this year question....
Geoff was hospitalized with the flu; I had at least 2 sinus infections; I started the year off on New Year's Day by stepping in a a pothole, in front of my house, in flat shoes, stone-cold sober, and dislocating my knee, which left me teaching on crutches in a second-story classroom with no elevator for two weeks, while kids I loved hid them from me if I put them down; I sewed through my finger while making Mark's vest for his Halloween costume and went to the emergency room,; Exactly one week later, went back to the emergency room with Mark because Shazbot, our beast of a cat, ran in front of him, tripped him, and left him unconscious on the floor in the hallway for 7 hours with a slight concussion; got Tonsillitis for the first time since I was like 10,; and now Mark has a death rattle cough. It's been a fun year!
What was the best thing you bought?
That I bought? Hm. I can name awesome things people bought for me, like my sewing machine of doom and my jewelry armoire, but I haven't really spent any money this year on anything fun.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
First, thanks, Anne. That meant a lot.
I have a few students who have come really far since they entered my classroom. Many have not, but a select few are rockin' it this year.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The girl who was a promising student but brought a knife to the winter semi-formal to use on another girl, 98% of my 7th grade students, and the kid who threatened to flip the desk at me, and was finally expelled for assisting the knife girl.
Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, car note, clothes, beer. In that order.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Manatees, Obama, booking the Inauguration as my class trip, not losing anything in Ike and Gustav, JEA Convention in St. Louis, the St. Louis Bread Company, that kid getting expelled.
What song will always remind you of 2008?
Unfortunately, Flo-Rida, "Low." I think I've heard that way more times than I cared to count. I rarely listen to the radio, too! Also, the song from the Twilight movie that New Jenn played on repeat when she found it online. :o)
Compared to last year, are you:
- happier or sadder? Sadder, for sure.
- thinner or fatter? Fatter, for sure.
- richer or poorer? Poorer, for sure. This survey is not making me feel any better, either...
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Ignored other people. Honestly. I care too much sometimes. Then I take on their problems, and I have enough of my own.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Too many things to list.
How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve in Morgan City, Christmas Day with my parents, Christmas night at Parlay's with the gang.
What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in 2008?
Went to the emergency room about my finger and had the receptionist laugh at me. Explained how I ended up on crutches. Fell down and bumped into things, but that's pretty par for the course.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
MANATEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many one-night stands?
Not enough, ha!
What was your favorite TV program?
Scrubs and Dexter and How I Met Your Mother.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't last year?
Why, yes. I can think of a minimum of 3.
What was the best book you read?
"The Red Tent" comes to mind. Thanks, New Jenn! Also, I have a deep guilty pleasure for the Twilight series, and I don't care what you think about that or if it lowers me in your esteem, either, nanny nanny boo boo.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hm. Can't think of anything.
What did you want and get?
A jewelry armoire and the 25th anniversary Trivial Pursuit.
What did you want and not get?
Happiness.
What was your favorite film of this year?
"Stepbrothers" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." TOO BAD, HARRY POTTER! YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 29 and spent the actual day shopping with over $300 worth of gift cards I didn't know I had been holding on to. Threw a party at our house that weekend.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Mark getting a good job, an easier time with finances, better students in 7th grade (or teaching older students), being in charge of the plays at school since I am the drama teacher, gotten to keep the morning duty station I'd picked out for myself in the beginning of the year but was told by the other person that she preferred it and not buckling to her wishes, having something personal play out a lot differently than it did.... having another personal issue stop being so annoying and crappy....you pick.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"At least it ain't from the fat lady store!"
What kept you sane?
Kittens and Facebook. No lie.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy most?
I really don't follow any of that stuff any more.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Obama, of course, and stupid gay marriage bans.
Who did you miss?
My old life. And Li at camp. And now Sabrina!
Who was the best new person you met?
New Jenn!
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Eliminate the negative people from your life. You'll be much happier without them.
If you could sum up 2008 in three words, what would they be?
Thankgod it's over.
I was thinking of summing up my year in a couple of posts, and then my wonderful pen-pal, the incomparable Anne-Girl, sent me this via e-mail. And since I've been so lax in posting, and I'm so scatter-brained sometimes, I decided to take the cop-out and fill it in. Forgive me.
What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Painted my bathroom cabinets and redid the furnishings all by myself, fixed the thermostat with minimal help from Mark (ok...I did everything but the electrical), swam with the manatees, voted for the winning presidential candidate, refrained from expressing political leanings in the workplace (because I was not allowed to do so, but I still stayed so neutral!), contributed to the saving of someone's life, stood up loud and clear for something I believed in, was threatened by a student who wanted to throw a desk at me in reaction to being written up for slapping another student in the face, drove in the snow, drove to another state, visited the Central Plains, visited a few new states, even if I just drove through them, attended a convention on the school's dime, went to the Renaissance Faire in Hammond
Did you keep your New Year's resolution, and will you make more for next year?
1) I didn't make any and 2) I won't
Did anyone close to you give birth?
This was quite the year for that question! Courtney had Sophia in February, Tree had Phoebe this summer, Monica had Daniel and Madelyn this summer, my cousin Kelly had Julia this summer, Calie had Clover and Mary had Gracelyn in October, and Michelle will have a baby next month. Also, a girl I worked with in college had Joshua yesterday.
Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no, and let's hope it stays like that the next few days.
What countries did you visit?
None, but wait'll you see my list of states....Louisiana, of course, Florida, Arizona, then a drive through Mississippi-Alabama-Tennessee-Kentucky-Indiana to evacuate, Texas, Missouri. Three of those are new. I think I'm missing one. I thought I rembered 11...this is only 10. OH! Illinois, because we took the train from St. Louis. So, yeah...11.
what would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Good health. A better financial place, a gainfully-employed-in-a-job-he-enjoys spouse. Some good luck.
What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
December 11, the day we got 2 inches of snow in New Orleans!
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Going against a superior to stand up for something I believed in, navigating the St. Louis Metro system successfully, swimming with the manatees.
What was your biggest failure?
That's not something I want to discuss.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
This is almost as lengthy as the people who had babies this year question....
Geoff was hospitalized with the flu; I had at least 2 sinus infections; I started the year off on New Year's Day by stepping in a a pothole, in front of my house, in flat shoes, stone-cold sober, and dislocating my knee, which left me teaching on crutches in a second-story classroom with no elevator for two weeks, while kids I loved hid them from me if I put them down; I sewed through my finger while making Mark's vest for his Halloween costume and went to the emergency room,; Exactly one week later, went back to the emergency room with Mark because Shazbot, our beast of a cat, ran in front of him, tripped him, and left him unconscious on the floor in the hallway for 7 hours with a slight concussion; got Tonsillitis for the first time since I was like 10,; and now Mark has a death rattle cough. It's been a fun year!
What was the best thing you bought?
That I bought? Hm. I can name awesome things people bought for me, like my sewing machine of doom and my jewelry armoire, but I haven't really spent any money this year on anything fun.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
First, thanks, Anne. That meant a lot.
I have a few students who have come really far since they entered my classroom. Many have not, but a select few are rockin' it this year.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The girl who was a promising student but brought a knife to the winter semi-formal to use on another girl, 98% of my 7th grade students, and the kid who threatened to flip the desk at me, and was finally expelled for assisting the knife girl.
Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, bills, car note, clothes, beer. In that order.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Manatees, Obama, booking the Inauguration as my class trip, not losing anything in Ike and Gustav, JEA Convention in St. Louis, the St. Louis Bread Company, that kid getting expelled.
What song will always remind you of 2008?
Unfortunately, Flo-Rida, "Low." I think I've heard that way more times than I cared to count. I rarely listen to the radio, too! Also, the song from the Twilight movie that New Jenn played on repeat when she found it online. :o)
Compared to last year, are you:
- happier or sadder? Sadder, for sure.
- thinner or fatter? Fatter, for sure.
- richer or poorer? Poorer, for sure. This survey is not making me feel any better, either...
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Ignored other people. Honestly. I care too much sometimes. Then I take on their problems, and I have enough of my own.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Too many things to list.
How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve in Morgan City, Christmas Day with my parents, Christmas night at Parlay's with the gang.
What was the most embarrassing thing that happened to you in 2008?
Went to the emergency room about my finger and had the receptionist laugh at me. Explained how I ended up on crutches. Fell down and bumped into things, but that's pretty par for the course.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
MANATEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How many one-night stands?
Not enough, ha!
What was your favorite TV program?
Scrubs and Dexter and How I Met Your Mother.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't last year?
Why, yes. I can think of a minimum of 3.
What was the best book you read?
"The Red Tent" comes to mind. Thanks, New Jenn! Also, I have a deep guilty pleasure for the Twilight series, and I don't care what you think about that or if it lowers me in your esteem, either, nanny nanny boo boo.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Hm. Can't think of anything.
What did you want and get?
A jewelry armoire and the 25th anniversary Trivial Pursuit.
What did you want and not get?
Happiness.
What was your favorite film of this year?
"Stepbrothers" and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall." TOO BAD, HARRY POTTER! YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 29 and spent the actual day shopping with over $300 worth of gift cards I didn't know I had been holding on to. Threw a party at our house that weekend.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Mark getting a good job, an easier time with finances, better students in 7th grade (or teaching older students), being in charge of the plays at school since I am the drama teacher, gotten to keep the morning duty station I'd picked out for myself in the beginning of the year but was told by the other person that she preferred it and not buckling to her wishes, having something personal play out a lot differently than it did.... having another personal issue stop being so annoying and crappy....you pick.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"At least it ain't from the fat lady store!"
What kept you sane?
Kittens and Facebook. No lie.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy most?
I really don't follow any of that stuff any more.
What political issue stirred you the most?
Obama, of course, and stupid gay marriage bans.
Who did you miss?
My old life. And Li at camp. And now Sabrina!
Who was the best new person you met?
New Jenn!
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Eliminate the negative people from your life. You'll be much happier without them.
If you could sum up 2008 in three words, what would they be?
Thankgod it's over.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
There are two things I can't stand...
...Intolerance, and stupid people.
Yeah, I'm voting for Obama today. I am a registered Independent who loves being one. But I want a viable third party candidate. It bothers me to say that. But Ron Paul is only popular because of his views on marijuana, which I only agree with when thinking of Dana Carvey's line about making things like that legal and taxing the hell out of it, and I think Nader is an idiot, and not enough people know any of the other candidates to make a difference. I want a third party candidate with the profile of whack-job Ross Perot, but with more sense, and then I'll be the first in line to vote for that person.
Picking one of the "big two" was much easier. I fear we'll be under the leadership of one of the VPs. We live in a very racist country. I cross my fingers that Obama gets his full term. While I think Biden is wooden and unimpressive...but because the thought of ending up with Pres. Palin scares the crap out of me, Obama is the clear and easy choice.
I also don't like when people make the presidential race (or any race, for that matter) about pro-life vs. pro-choice. HELLO!!!!!!! That ain't gonna be on the forefront of the guy's mind!!! This war, the economy, etc. are all going to happen first. Get over yourselves.
junk.
Ha!! My cat just walked on my keyboard and that's what came up. There were a bunch more k's followed by some i's, but I feel like he just stated his opinion. It IS junk. Wake up, people....abortion isn't what makes the country go 'round. That's never the issue I look at when voting. I find it interesting, sort of, to see the stance, but I base my vote on other things.
More important things, like not letting some little girl who gets by on being "adorable" sit in the big seat. I have nightmares.
My mom tried saying how she doesn't trust Obama. I asked why, and she blamed his past.
Well, none of us are perfect. Like I tell my students, if you are completely perfect, let me know so I can call the Vatican and tell them that the second coming has happened. I mean, even Jesus got angry!!! I have a great many people I wish I'd never befriended. I'm dealing with that right now about someone.
I just saw a bulletin from someone with whom I attended college, and it's so ignorant. Allow me to paste it here:
His subject was, "An important message before you vote!"
"How long is the beast allowed to have authority in Revelations?
"Revelations Chapter 13 tells us it is 42 months, and you know what that is.
"Almost a four-year term of a Presidency.
"All I can say is 'Lord, Have mercy on us!'
"According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will
be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with
persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy every thing..
"Do we recognize this description??
"I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to post this as many times as
you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet, do it!
"I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere who refused to share his public records.
"From: Dr.
John Tisdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I was listening to a news program last night, I watched in horror as Barack Obama made the statement with pride. . .'we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . .' As with so many other statements I've heard him (and his wife) make, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd hear something like that from a presidential candidate in this nation. To think our forefathers fought and died for the right for our nation to be a Christian nation--and to have this man say with pride that we are no longer that. How far this nation has come from what our founding fathers intended it to be.
"I hope that each of you will do what I'm doing now--send your concerns, written simply and sincerely, to the Christians on your email list.
"With God's help, and He is still in control of this nation and all else, we can show this man and the world in November that we are, indeed, still a Christian nation!"
Back to me....
'we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . .'
What's wrong with that? Aren't we a melting pot? Our forefathers came here for religious freedom, then forced the natives to convert to Christianity. Are we to continue forcing others to another way of thinking? Are we to oppress those different from us? At least let the Jews stay here...they follow our Bible to a T....the Orthodox moreso than most Christians....all the way up until the end of the first testament. My social studies class was horrified to read that Columbus and the Europeans brought disease upon the Natives. In 75 years, it is estimated that 90% of the natives of Mexico and the Caribbean were dead from diseases foisted upon them by the Europeans.
This made me sad...sad, sad, sad....
I knew this guy was very conservative and very religious, but I never expected ignorant hate speech blindly cut and pasted into a bulletin.
And I keep seeing pampered rich kids with statuses on Facebook about preventing socialism, and share the wealth being bad. Sorry your lifestyle might change a bit. But didn't the current Republican administration just pull a socialist trick with their 80 kabillion dollar bailout of fat cats who couldn't manage their businesses and money? Where was my cut? I teach in a Catholic school and have to work in the summer in order to make ends meet. My husband works a lot of overtime, is 6 days a week every other week, and we barely make it. In fact, we usually don't. We earn every penny, but it's still not enough. We didn't go spend it all irresponsibly like the big businesses did. We put it into a house, a car, food, clothes, etc. He's getting by on the dumpiest car imaginable, because we can't afford another one. Too bad mine flooded in Katrina, or he could have had another one. We all know how much we poured into gas this summer. Did anyone else have an energy bill go from over $300 to just $88 from August to September? Where's MY bailout?
You know, maybe capitalism isn't working so well. We learned bad moves in socialism..it's why history classes exist: To learn from the bad and not repeat it. I'm not a socialist, nor do I think that we SHOULD be socialist. But maybe we need to try things from a different angle.
I don't agree with handouts. Not for the poor, not for the rich. Definitely not for the rich. I don't even want them for the middle class or whatever I am. But I don't want to bail out rich old guys. If my business failed, I'd have no one to help me. I'm not a Fortune 500 corporation. So I don't deserve it, never mind the fact that those in control do very little every day while I may work 7 days a week to be able to pay insurance for my employees.
EDITED TO ADD: I do agree with socialized healthcare. Also, I didn't complete my thoughts because I was heading to a meeting and rushed this post, but not only do we work our asses off for so little, we have owed in taxes EVERY SINGLE YEAR since we've been married, have changed how we file a couple times, and only received returns when we were working off our Katrina loss sheet for '05 and '06, and even then, the returns were less than $200 each year. So don't give me that whole "getting money for not working" argument. I work in the summer...partly because I love it there and want to be there, and partly because we'd never make it if I didn't. Mark worked two jobs for a while, but since he was Christmas help, he was laid off after a bit.
There's a reason I rarely cover politics, but that bulletin just really made me angry. I am not as thought-out or researched as my brother when it comes to blogging about politics. I just got very emotional and needed to pour something out.
Yeah, I'm voting for Obama today. I am a registered Independent who loves being one. But I want a viable third party candidate. It bothers me to say that. But Ron Paul is only popular because of his views on marijuana, which I only agree with when thinking of Dana Carvey's line about making things like that legal and taxing the hell out of it, and I think Nader is an idiot, and not enough people know any of the other candidates to make a difference. I want a third party candidate with the profile of whack-job Ross Perot, but with more sense, and then I'll be the first in line to vote for that person.
Picking one of the "big two" was much easier. I fear we'll be under the leadership of one of the VPs. We live in a very racist country. I cross my fingers that Obama gets his full term. While I think Biden is wooden and unimpressive...but because the thought of ending up with Pres. Palin scares the crap out of me, Obama is the clear and easy choice.
I also don't like when people make the presidential race (or any race, for that matter) about pro-life vs. pro-choice. HELLO!!!!!!! That ain't gonna be on the forefront of the guy's mind!!! This war, the economy, etc. are all going to happen first. Get over yourselves.
junk.
Ha!! My cat just walked on my keyboard and that's what came up. There were a bunch more k's followed by some i's, but I feel like he just stated his opinion. It IS junk. Wake up, people....abortion isn't what makes the country go 'round. That's never the issue I look at when voting. I find it interesting, sort of, to see the stance, but I base my vote on other things.
More important things, like not letting some little girl who gets by on being "adorable" sit in the big seat. I have nightmares.
My mom tried saying how she doesn't trust Obama. I asked why, and she blamed his past.
Well, none of us are perfect. Like I tell my students, if you are completely perfect, let me know so I can call the Vatican and tell them that the second coming has happened. I mean, even Jesus got angry!!! I have a great many people I wish I'd never befriended. I'm dealing with that right now about someone.
I just saw a bulletin from someone with whom I attended college, and it's so ignorant. Allow me to paste it here:
His subject was, "An important message before you vote!"
"How long is the beast allowed to have authority in Revelations?
"Revelations Chapter 13 tells us it is 42 months, and you know what that is.
"Almost a four-year term of a Presidency.
"All I can say is 'Lord, Have mercy on us!'
"According to The Book of Revelations the anti-Christ is: The anti-Christ will
be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with
persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, will destroy every thing..
"Do we recognize this description??
"I STRONGLY URGE each one of you to post this as many times as
you can! Each opportunity that you have to send it to a friend or media outlet, do it!
"I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere who refused to share his public records.
"From: Dr.
John Tisdale
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I was listening to a news program last night, I watched in horror as Barack Obama made the statement with pride. . .'we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . .' As with so many other statements I've heard him (and his wife) make, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd hear something like that from a presidential candidate in this nation. To think our forefathers fought and died for the right for our nation to be a Christian nation--and to have this man say with pride that we are no longer that. How far this nation has come from what our founding fathers intended it to be.
"I hope that each of you will do what I'm doing now--send your concerns, written simply and sincerely, to the Christians on your email list.
"With God's help, and He is still in control of this nation and all else, we can show this man and the world in November that we are, indeed, still a Christian nation!"
Back to me....
'we are no longer a Christian nation; we are now a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, . .'
What's wrong with that? Aren't we a melting pot? Our forefathers came here for religious freedom, then forced the natives to convert to Christianity. Are we to continue forcing others to another way of thinking? Are we to oppress those different from us? At least let the Jews stay here...they follow our Bible to a T....the Orthodox moreso than most Christians....all the way up until the end of the first testament. My social studies class was horrified to read that Columbus and the Europeans brought disease upon the Natives. In 75 years, it is estimated that 90% of the natives of Mexico and the Caribbean were dead from diseases foisted upon them by the Europeans.
This made me sad...sad, sad, sad....
I knew this guy was very conservative and very religious, but I never expected ignorant hate speech blindly cut and pasted into a bulletin.
And I keep seeing pampered rich kids with statuses on Facebook about preventing socialism, and share the wealth being bad. Sorry your lifestyle might change a bit. But didn't the current Republican administration just pull a socialist trick with their 80 kabillion dollar bailout of fat cats who couldn't manage their businesses and money? Where was my cut? I teach in a Catholic school and have to work in the summer in order to make ends meet. My husband works a lot of overtime, is 6 days a week every other week, and we barely make it. In fact, we usually don't. We earn every penny, but it's still not enough. We didn't go spend it all irresponsibly like the big businesses did. We put it into a house, a car, food, clothes, etc. He's getting by on the dumpiest car imaginable, because we can't afford another one. Too bad mine flooded in Katrina, or he could have had another one. We all know how much we poured into gas this summer. Did anyone else have an energy bill go from over $300 to just $88 from August to September? Where's MY bailout?
You know, maybe capitalism isn't working so well. We learned bad moves in socialism..it's why history classes exist: To learn from the bad and not repeat it. I'm not a socialist, nor do I think that we SHOULD be socialist. But maybe we need to try things from a different angle.
I don't agree with handouts. Not for the poor, not for the rich. Definitely not for the rich. I don't even want them for the middle class or whatever I am. But I don't want to bail out rich old guys. If my business failed, I'd have no one to help me. I'm not a Fortune 500 corporation. So I don't deserve it, never mind the fact that those in control do very little every day while I may work 7 days a week to be able to pay insurance for my employees.
EDITED TO ADD: I do agree with socialized healthcare. Also, I didn't complete my thoughts because I was heading to a meeting and rushed this post, but not only do we work our asses off for so little, we have owed in taxes EVERY SINGLE YEAR since we've been married, have changed how we file a couple times, and only received returns when we were working off our Katrina loss sheet for '05 and '06, and even then, the returns were less than $200 each year. So don't give me that whole "getting money for not working" argument. I work in the summer...partly because I love it there and want to be there, and partly because we'd never make it if I didn't. Mark worked two jobs for a while, but since he was Christmas help, he was laid off after a bit.
There's a reason I rarely cover politics, but that bulletin just really made me angry. I am not as thought-out or researched as my brother when it comes to blogging about politics. I just got very emotional and needed to pour something out.
Friday, October 17, 2008
My Milton Day, in a nutshell
Today, my alarm didn't go off, I was almost late to work, I didn't get to stop for my Thursday morning coffee treat, I left my lunch home, I didn't have any off-periods, half the laptops in my classroom laptop lab are missing, the other half weren't charged, I got threatened in writing and verbally by a 13-year-old with a borderline personality and oppositional defiant disorder, and a 15-year-old spectrum kid announced to the class that he hoped I would re-enter the room naked, then tried to grab my ass, all just a month after he said I could work at Hooters, then another kid sprayed smelly-ass cologne in another kid's face, and you haven't lived until you've seen a large child licking a Kleenex in a frantic attempt to rid his mouth of stanky cologne. Then...as if the day couldn't get any better...
Hey...it's 1:20 a.m. on Friday. Why am I still up on a school night? Because my totally awesome day just got even more awesome.
I was getting ready to jump in the shower, and I heard tires squealing and a loud crash. Some stupid drunk nurse bimbo drove through a stop sign and slammed into the tree in my front yard!!!!! Unfortunately, she was not hurt.
Cops just left, ambulance and fire engines left (there was a small fire in the car about 20 minutes after the crash), her carload of douchebag friends who got loud when they reunited left, and the tow truck just pulled her totaled car away. Now there's peace and quiet. And now, I'm going to bed. Sleep? I hope. But now I'm all keyed up from storming around my house cursing and yelling about how she's supposed to be saving lives, and she just endangered some.
Luckily, my tree is okay. I heart that tree. It's old and gnarly and apparently sturdy. If it hadn't been there to stop her car, she would have hit Mark's car (not that I would have minded....he needs a new one desperately) and pushed it into mine or the kitchen. This is the third car that the tree has saved us from. In the year and a half we've lived here, you wouldn't believe the number of people who have driven through that stop sign and into our yard.
We were outside, and I gave her death glares as she stumbled around my yard. A cop made us go back inside, and I didn't even say anything! My neighbor pulled out his camera and started taking pictures. That's what ticked off the cop, who yelled, "Who ARE you people?!?!?!" at the three of us, hahaha.
But I muttered "LOCK HER UP!" as I went back in. Mark was mad at me because he said the cop glared after me as through trying to decide whether to cite me for it, hahahahhahaa. I thought it was only loud enough for Mark to hear, but oopsie.
Only way it could have been a worse day would be if I had crashed my car in her yard. All I wanted to do was sleep....
Just thought you'd like to start your day with a hearty chuckle. I never did consume an adult beverage. Nothing was cold. Perhaps, in light of my faux pas with the cop, this is a very good thing. I'll just make up for lost time this weekend.
Hey...it's 1:20 a.m. on Friday. Why am I still up on a school night? Because my totally awesome day just got even more awesome.
I was getting ready to jump in the shower, and I heard tires squealing and a loud crash. Some stupid drunk nurse bimbo drove through a stop sign and slammed into the tree in my front yard!!!!! Unfortunately, she was not hurt.
Cops just left, ambulance and fire engines left (there was a small fire in the car about 20 minutes after the crash), her carload of douchebag friends who got loud when they reunited left, and the tow truck just pulled her totaled car away. Now there's peace and quiet. And now, I'm going to bed. Sleep? I hope. But now I'm all keyed up from storming around my house cursing and yelling about how she's supposed to be saving lives, and she just endangered some.
Luckily, my tree is okay. I heart that tree. It's old and gnarly and apparently sturdy. If it hadn't been there to stop her car, she would have hit Mark's car (not that I would have minded....he needs a new one desperately) and pushed it into mine or the kitchen. This is the third car that the tree has saved us from. In the year and a half we've lived here, you wouldn't believe the number of people who have driven through that stop sign and into our yard.
We were outside, and I gave her death glares as she stumbled around my yard. A cop made us go back inside, and I didn't even say anything! My neighbor pulled out his camera and started taking pictures. That's what ticked off the cop, who yelled, "Who ARE you people?!?!?!" at the three of us, hahaha.
But I muttered "LOCK HER UP!" as I went back in. Mark was mad at me because he said the cop glared after me as through trying to decide whether to cite me for it, hahahahhahaa. I thought it was only loud enough for Mark to hear, but oopsie.
Only way it could have been a worse day would be if I had crashed my car in her yard. All I wanted to do was sleep....
Just thought you'd like to start your day with a hearty chuckle. I never did consume an adult beverage. Nothing was cold. Perhaps, in light of my faux pas with the cop, this is a very good thing. I'll just make up for lost time this weekend.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Latest and greatest....
Written August 29:
Mark's got an offer for a hotel room free through work in Hammond, and they accept animals up to 50 lbs. He has to work tomorrow, so we'll see then.
Also August 29:
The in-laws just told us there is a mandatory evacuation this weekend in MC. They're trying to convince their stubborn parental types. But if Nanny, Maw-Maw, and Pops don't want to go, I don't think they are, either. When we all get old, let's make pacts to not be so stubborn.
We are changing our plans....and going to follow the Saints, haha. We're going to Indianapolis to stay with Devon and her husband. Sal and his wife are also going up there with their dog. Sal has to cover the Saints.
The Hammond deal just keeps getting sketchier and sketchier, and we're afraid it may not be a great plan. I researched and discovered that it's a $45 a night motel. Yeahhhhh.... and we don't have the room until 11 a.m. Sunday. We don't want to wait around that long.
STM and Kath are going to go up more than likely. Where up is, they don't know.
Written Sept. 1:
We spent 34 hours, starting at 4 a.m. Sunday in Old Metairie. With two cats, one of whom pulled a Houdini from his carrier. Twice. But we fixed his butt. My parents are also in Atlanta, and took almost 24 hours, but they stopped to sleep at a rest stop like we did. We had maybe 2 hours total of sleep/break time. But we're here in Indy, awaiting Broussard's call on return days. I hope it's through the weekend...I don't wanna drive back Wednesday. I haven't recovered from the past day and a half...
Also written Sept. 1:
To quote our parish president, "I don't like Ike."
I am safely at our friend Devon's house in Indy. I'm a little more worried about my in-laws' homes and business in Morgan City. Apparently, one of my parents' neighbors stayed home and said their house looks fine. Metairie is pretty large. I'm actually on the other side of the 17th Street Canal...the very one that ruined my home in Lakeview. We're in the Old Metairie neighborhood in Jefferson Parish, which is next to Orleans Parish. My parents are closer to the airport, but not really near it. Aaron Broussard, our JP pres., is making a pronouncement for when we can return. Rumor has it he doesn't want anyone in until the weekend. Which is fine, as we drove 34 hours to get to Indy...more than twice the amount of time it would normally take. To get from Old Metairie to Hattiesburg, MS, usually takes 2 1/2 hours. Instead, it took us FOURTEEN HOURS to get there. No bathrooms, no food, no nothing until the Mississippi welcome center, which was overrun and disGUSTing.
They say over 1 million people are without power, and we're assuming we're in that number.
I'll update more later...I only had about 2 hours of sleep the entire time. My cats are hiding somewhere in Devon's house. We had to sleep in our car in three rest stops. It was awful. We're so exhausted and so stiff.
Written Sept. 2:
No school until Monday, and we find out around 5 p.m. when we'll be allowed back home. Lots of power outages, so I guess that is the biggest factor.
Mark will find out about his job after that announcement is made.
My in-laws haven't heard when they're allowed back. Apparently, there was a lot of damage to sewerage, water, and electricity in Morgan City. Thankfully, they convinced their older generation to evacuate with them.
Also Sept. 2:
We're allowed back in Jefferson Parish at 6 a.m. tomorrow...but it's a "we're allowing you here, but we don't recommend it" situation. There's no power and that has rendered sewerage null and void as well. It is just too hot and humid to go down there with no air.
My parents are in Atlanta, and are hoping they don't have to evacuate from their evacuation due to Hanna...they plan to stay until Friday. Schools are closed until Monday throughout the area. We still haven't heard about Mark and when he needs to return to work, but we're hoping for Monday, haha.
We'll probably leave Indy on Friday, and are turning our evacuation into an evacation. It's just the break I needed, actually, after my super busy summer, which overlapped with my super busy school year.
My hurribrain, as I have termed it, has settled down, and now I'm trying to just enjoy things up here.
I am concerned for Mark's family, though. I hope everything is okay. Their mayor has said do not attempt to come home due to the things in my previous post. Apparently, a tornado hit the sweerage plant, so there is no sewerage or water there. In addition, the generator at the hospital there is blown, so there's no medical assistance. His grandparents were not going to evacuate, but they convinced them to go to San Antonio with his parents. However, they are planning to go home tomorrow. They're big in the community, and they are convinced that they will be allowed back in the city. To quote Ron Burgundy, sort of, they are very important people. People know them. And so they are basing this on their ability to return. His parents are trying to convince them to stay, because what happens when they get there and are turned away? They aren't exactly spring chickens, and it would not be safe. They spoke to a neighbor who stayed, and the neighbor said their house looks ok. So there's really NO reaso at all to return, other than that they are ridiculously stubborn. The rest of his family is staying put for the time being, in Mitchell, LA, which is northern LA, and Little Rock, and San Antonio. They're all tryig desperately to convince his grandparents to not return. We'll see.
Also Sept. 2:
My friend from work's husband does something with JP. Chamber of Commerce maybe? They live in our neighborhood, and he said they are without power and that it looks like it could be a few days. Says there's no reason to go back. But in half an hour, we get the proclamation, so we'll see!
Also, Morgan City got raped. Their generator at the hospital is down, so no medical services are available. Their sewerage plant was hit by a tornado. It's not clear when they'll be allowed to return. His whole family did end up evacuating, though. So the people and pets are all safe. I just hope they didn't get tooooo much damage...
Later Sept. 2:
Listening to Broussard's press conference. JP is opening at 6 a.m., but nop electricity in 80% of the parish. We already know our neighborhood has no electricity. In that 80%, that includes sewerage pumps, so you can't flush your toilets.
There was a tornado touching down in Marrero and the storm system bringing it is hitting in City Park and Old Metairie right now.
Plan that party for Saturday. We will have a long ride ahead of us either Thursday or Friday, and we want to be there for it. Haha.
Written Sept. 3:
Our neighbor texted us a little while ago to let us know that he went home, and there's no water or electricity at our homes. We kind of knew that already, but it's nice to have confirmation.
He also said there are no trees laying on our house, so this is very positive!! We won't know how our roof fared until we get inside. Blech. Can't wait to tackle our fridge..... but this time, I wrapped everything in tin foil, then put it in Ziploc baggies, then in a trash bag, then another trash bag. All leakable items did that. Except my little container of Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream, which was half empty. I had planned to eat it before leaving, but ran out of time. Should be a savory mess in my freezer!
Mark spoke to his supervisor. His job has a generator, and they are looking for people to work, but the supervisor doesn't have lights or water, either, so it's fine.
So for the time being, it's the land of Tom Petty, John Cougar Mellencamp, and the Colts...although the Saints are here, too. We hung out with Gus in the swanky Conrad hotel. He's staying in the same hotel as the Saints. It was fun. What a nice hotel...he has a flat screen TV in his bathroom. And a separate shower and tub, and the nicest bed EVER. We also ate at a restaurant called Yats. It's run by a guy from Marrero. They were actually closed for 3 miuts when we got there, but Devon said, "I have Gustav refugees here and wanted to show them your restaurant!" They said come on in, we still have some food. We got chili cheese crawfish etoufée. Doesn't sound like something good, but it was AMAZING. And, they gave it to us for free. The owner was there and chatted us up for a long while. I totally recommend Yats if you're ever up here. Also, we left a tip that equalled the cost of our food, because there are people much worse off than us this time, and we didn't feel right accepting it free.
Tonight: an '80s night, maybe watching Devon at Roller Derby practice, hanging out with Sal, and also hanging out with some Indiana boys on an Indiana night.
Mark's got an offer for a hotel room free through work in Hammond, and they accept animals up to 50 lbs. He has to work tomorrow, so we'll see then.
Also August 29:
The in-laws just told us there is a mandatory evacuation this weekend in MC. They're trying to convince their stubborn parental types. But if Nanny, Maw-Maw, and Pops don't want to go, I don't think they are, either. When we all get old, let's make pacts to not be so stubborn.
We are changing our plans....and going to follow the Saints, haha. We're going to Indianapolis to stay with Devon and her husband. Sal and his wife are also going up there with their dog. Sal has to cover the Saints.
The Hammond deal just keeps getting sketchier and sketchier, and we're afraid it may not be a great plan. I researched and discovered that it's a $45 a night motel. Yeahhhhh.... and we don't have the room until 11 a.m. Sunday. We don't want to wait around that long.
STM and Kath are going to go up more than likely. Where up is, they don't know.
Written Sept. 1:
We spent 34 hours, starting at 4 a.m. Sunday in Old Metairie. With two cats, one of whom pulled a Houdini from his carrier. Twice. But we fixed his butt. My parents are also in Atlanta, and took almost 24 hours, but they stopped to sleep at a rest stop like we did. We had maybe 2 hours total of sleep/break time. But we're here in Indy, awaiting Broussard's call on return days. I hope it's through the weekend...I don't wanna drive back Wednesday. I haven't recovered from the past day and a half...
Also written Sept. 1:
To quote our parish president, "I don't like Ike."
I am safely at our friend Devon's house in Indy. I'm a little more worried about my in-laws' homes and business in Morgan City. Apparently, one of my parents' neighbors stayed home and said their house looks fine. Metairie is pretty large. I'm actually on the other side of the 17th Street Canal...the very one that ruined my home in Lakeview. We're in the Old Metairie neighborhood in Jefferson Parish, which is next to Orleans Parish. My parents are closer to the airport, but not really near it. Aaron Broussard, our JP pres., is making a pronouncement for when we can return. Rumor has it he doesn't want anyone in until the weekend. Which is fine, as we drove 34 hours to get to Indy...more than twice the amount of time it would normally take. To get from Old Metairie to Hattiesburg, MS, usually takes 2 1/2 hours. Instead, it took us FOURTEEN HOURS to get there. No bathrooms, no food, no nothing until the Mississippi welcome center, which was overrun and disGUSTing.
They say over 1 million people are without power, and we're assuming we're in that number.
I'll update more later...I only had about 2 hours of sleep the entire time. My cats are hiding somewhere in Devon's house. We had to sleep in our car in three rest stops. It was awful. We're so exhausted and so stiff.
Written Sept. 2:
No school until Monday, and we find out around 5 p.m. when we'll be allowed back home. Lots of power outages, so I guess that is the biggest factor.
Mark will find out about his job after that announcement is made.
My in-laws haven't heard when they're allowed back. Apparently, there was a lot of damage to sewerage, water, and electricity in Morgan City. Thankfully, they convinced their older generation to evacuate with them.
Also Sept. 2:
We're allowed back in Jefferson Parish at 6 a.m. tomorrow...but it's a "we're allowing you here, but we don't recommend it" situation. There's no power and that has rendered sewerage null and void as well. It is just too hot and humid to go down there with no air.
My parents are in Atlanta, and are hoping they don't have to evacuate from their evacuation due to Hanna...they plan to stay until Friday. Schools are closed until Monday throughout the area. We still haven't heard about Mark and when he needs to return to work, but we're hoping for Monday, haha.
We'll probably leave Indy on Friday, and are turning our evacuation into an evacation. It's just the break I needed, actually, after my super busy summer, which overlapped with my super busy school year.
My hurribrain, as I have termed it, has settled down, and now I'm trying to just enjoy things up here.
I am concerned for Mark's family, though. I hope everything is okay. Their mayor has said do not attempt to come home due to the things in my previous post. Apparently, a tornado hit the sweerage plant, so there is no sewerage or water there. In addition, the generator at the hospital there is blown, so there's no medical assistance. His grandparents were not going to evacuate, but they convinced them to go to San Antonio with his parents. However, they are planning to go home tomorrow. They're big in the community, and they are convinced that they will be allowed back in the city. To quote Ron Burgundy, sort of, they are very important people. People know them. And so they are basing this on their ability to return. His parents are trying to convince them to stay, because what happens when they get there and are turned away? They aren't exactly spring chickens, and it would not be safe. They spoke to a neighbor who stayed, and the neighbor said their house looks ok. So there's really NO reaso at all to return, other than that they are ridiculously stubborn. The rest of his family is staying put for the time being, in Mitchell, LA, which is northern LA, and Little Rock, and San Antonio. They're all tryig desperately to convince his grandparents to not return. We'll see.
Also Sept. 2:
My friend from work's husband does something with JP. Chamber of Commerce maybe? They live in our neighborhood, and he said they are without power and that it looks like it could be a few days. Says there's no reason to go back. But in half an hour, we get the proclamation, so we'll see!
Also, Morgan City got raped. Their generator at the hospital is down, so no medical services are available. Their sewerage plant was hit by a tornado. It's not clear when they'll be allowed to return. His whole family did end up evacuating, though. So the people and pets are all safe. I just hope they didn't get tooooo much damage...
Later Sept. 2:
Listening to Broussard's press conference. JP is opening at 6 a.m., but nop electricity in 80% of the parish. We already know our neighborhood has no electricity. In that 80%, that includes sewerage pumps, so you can't flush your toilets.
There was a tornado touching down in Marrero and the storm system bringing it is hitting in City Park and Old Metairie right now.
Plan that party for Saturday. We will have a long ride ahead of us either Thursday or Friday, and we want to be there for it. Haha.
Written Sept. 3:
Our neighbor texted us a little while ago to let us know that he went home, and there's no water or electricity at our homes. We kind of knew that already, but it's nice to have confirmation.
He also said there are no trees laying on our house, so this is very positive!! We won't know how our roof fared until we get inside. Blech. Can't wait to tackle our fridge..... but this time, I wrapped everything in tin foil, then put it in Ziploc baggies, then in a trash bag, then another trash bag. All leakable items did that. Except my little container of Ben and Jerry's Americone Dream, which was half empty. I had planned to eat it before leaving, but ran out of time. Should be a savory mess in my freezer!
Mark spoke to his supervisor. His job has a generator, and they are looking for people to work, but the supervisor doesn't have lights or water, either, so it's fine.
So for the time being, it's the land of Tom Petty, John Cougar Mellencamp, and the Colts...although the Saints are here, too. We hung out with Gus in the swanky Conrad hotel. He's staying in the same hotel as the Saints. It was fun. What a nice hotel...he has a flat screen TV in his bathroom. And a separate shower and tub, and the nicest bed EVER. We also ate at a restaurant called Yats. It's run by a guy from Marrero. They were actually closed for 3 miuts when we got there, but Devon said, "I have Gustav refugees here and wanted to show them your restaurant!" They said come on in, we still have some food. We got chili cheese crawfish etoufée. Doesn't sound like something good, but it was AMAZING. And, they gave it to us for free. The owner was there and chatted us up for a long while. I totally recommend Yats if you're ever up here. Also, we left a tip that equalled the cost of our food, because there are people much worse off than us this time, and we didn't feel right accepting it free.
Tonight: an '80s night, maybe watching Devon at Roller Derby practice, hanging out with Sal, and also hanging out with some Indiana boys on an Indiana night.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Gustaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaav!
Here's where we are in our evacuation plans:
1. Started laundry and packing over the last few nights. All photo albums, yearbooks, college newspaper bound copies, school-mandated items, and favorite summer clothes and shoes to join us.
2. Packed winter clothes in trunk of Mark's car.
3. Dropped Mark's car off at a warehouse his boss owns out in Harahan. Four feet off the ground, never flooded before, here's hoping that holds true.
4. Bought disposable, covered foil baking pans to use as travel litter boxes, plus cat food.
5. Spoken with parents numerous times.
6. Exchanged numbers with next-door neighbors.
7. Picked up items in the yard.
8. My favorite, most bizarre activity ever: wrapped all meat and other icky items, such as eggs, in tin foil, placed in Ziplock bags, placed in garbage bags, placed inside other garbage bags. Tied tight. Will turn fridge and freezer temps up completely before we leave. Allegedly, this will keep foods good for the first 12 hours after losing electricity.
9. Printed out directions to Indianapolis.
10. Cried a lot.
11. Dropped my back seats off at my parents' house.
12. Started loading my car.
13. Panicked a bunch.
14. Contacted out of state loved ones to update them as necessary.
15. Set a timeline to leave between 3 and 4 a.m., with a bedtime around 8 p.m.
16. Change bedtime to maybe an hour from now...10:30?
17. Find little mementos that can't be replaced
18. Bag up jewelry
19. Tthrow remaining clean laundry in trash bags because we're out of suitcases.
20. Check in with in-laws and see what their plans are.
21. Finish loading car by playing suitcase Tetris.
22. Attempt to sleep.
1. Started laundry and packing over the last few nights. All photo albums, yearbooks, college newspaper bound copies, school-mandated items, and favorite summer clothes and shoes to join us.
2. Packed winter clothes in trunk of Mark's car.
3. Dropped Mark's car off at a warehouse his boss owns out in Harahan. Four feet off the ground, never flooded before, here's hoping that holds true.
4. Bought disposable, covered foil baking pans to use as travel litter boxes, plus cat food.
5. Spoken with parents numerous times.
6. Exchanged numbers with next-door neighbors.
7. Picked up items in the yard.
8. My favorite, most bizarre activity ever: wrapped all meat and other icky items, such as eggs, in tin foil, placed in Ziplock bags, placed in garbage bags, placed inside other garbage bags. Tied tight. Will turn fridge and freezer temps up completely before we leave. Allegedly, this will keep foods good for the first 12 hours after losing electricity.
9. Printed out directions to Indianapolis.
10. Cried a lot.
11. Dropped my back seats off at my parents' house.
12. Started loading my car.
13. Panicked a bunch.
14. Contacted out of state loved ones to update them as necessary.
15. Set a timeline to leave between 3 and 4 a.m., with a bedtime around 8 p.m.
16. Change bedtime to maybe an hour from now...10:30?
17. Find little mementos that can't be replaced
18. Bag up jewelry
19. Tthrow remaining clean laundry in trash bags because we're out of suitcases.
20. Check in with in-laws and see what their plans are.
21. Finish loading car by playing suitcase Tetris.
22. Attempt to sleep.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
That's a new one...
So my group of friends and I like to frequent an establishment late on weekends. It having been July 3rd and all of us being off of work on the 4th, we decided to take a rare Thursday night foray. This establishment is in Lakeview, my former neighborhood. We like to do our part, you know?
Anyway, tonight, my cousin Alicia and I were sitting further down the counter on our own. We were talking for a while, and since there was karaoke going on, our musical friends were actually participating and were far from us. We'd been the only two near each other for quite some time, and we were discussing a great many things, including our summer employment (as we're both teachers, I'm her boss at camp this summer, haha...), our families, our friends, and the idiots attempting to scream into the microphone in the stupid karaoke (that was not our friends...at least...not at that point....). Whatever she was talking about had her pretty animated. In her story, she was irritated, and she was kind of reenacting that. I felt someone elbow me on the spine. Thinking it was one of our husbands, or another friend, I turned a little. Instead, it was some guy. He said, "Tell her she's pretty." I thought maybe he was trying to hit on her through me. I kind of rolled my eyes, didn't answer, and turned back to Alicia. She continued her story and now looked very irritated, because some guy was randomly interrupting our conversation. He leaned over, tapped me again, and said, "You need to make her feel good about herself. Tell her she's pretty."
Again, I ignored him and returned to our conversation. How odd. Why would I need to make her feel goo --- OH MY GOD. HE THOUGHT WE WERE LESBIANS! I guess he just saw what looked like a lovers' quarrel, and he was trying to give me advice on how to smooth things over.
I'm pretty sure that's one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me.
But here's the thing...why do men in establishments such as these feel that they can touch girls all they want? I don't appreciate being elbowed in the spine, first of all. I don't appreciate the old crusty guy (where did he come from, anyway?) who rubbed Alicia's arms to get her attention in order to get her to let him up to the counter. I didn't appreciate the guy who rubbed my back. In fact, I almost slugged a creepy lascivious guy one night for repeatedly touching my back. I told him I was not pleased, I told him I was married, I told him to leave me alone, and when I asked him to quit touching me, he cursed at me, then kept it up. The bartender tried to get him to stop, the random guy on the other side of him tried. I moved my chair. I finally screamed at him and threatened to cause bodily harm. A male bartender came over and got him to leave. I don't understand why if I'm in a place like this men feel that I, and other females around them, are like part of the decor. That we want to be touched.
And people wonder why I am not a fan of going out...
Anyway, tonight, my cousin Alicia and I were sitting further down the counter on our own. We were talking for a while, and since there was karaoke going on, our musical friends were actually participating and were far from us. We'd been the only two near each other for quite some time, and we were discussing a great many things, including our summer employment (as we're both teachers, I'm her boss at camp this summer, haha...), our families, our friends, and the idiots attempting to scream into the microphone in the stupid karaoke (that was not our friends...at least...not at that point....). Whatever she was talking about had her pretty animated. In her story, she was irritated, and she was kind of reenacting that. I felt someone elbow me on the spine. Thinking it was one of our husbands, or another friend, I turned a little. Instead, it was some guy. He said, "Tell her she's pretty." I thought maybe he was trying to hit on her through me. I kind of rolled my eyes, didn't answer, and turned back to Alicia. She continued her story and now looked very irritated, because some guy was randomly interrupting our conversation. He leaned over, tapped me again, and said, "You need to make her feel good about herself. Tell her she's pretty."
Again, I ignored him and returned to our conversation. How odd. Why would I need to make her feel goo --- OH MY GOD. HE THOUGHT WE WERE LESBIANS! I guess he just saw what looked like a lovers' quarrel, and he was trying to give me advice on how to smooth things over.
I'm pretty sure that's one of the greatest things that's ever happened to me.
But here's the thing...why do men in establishments such as these feel that they can touch girls all they want? I don't appreciate being elbowed in the spine, first of all. I don't appreciate the old crusty guy (where did he come from, anyway?) who rubbed Alicia's arms to get her attention in order to get her to let him up to the counter. I didn't appreciate the guy who rubbed my back. In fact, I almost slugged a creepy lascivious guy one night for repeatedly touching my back. I told him I was not pleased, I told him I was married, I told him to leave me alone, and when I asked him to quit touching me, he cursed at me, then kept it up. The bartender tried to get him to stop, the random guy on the other side of him tried. I moved my chair. I finally screamed at him and threatened to cause bodily harm. A male bartender came over and got him to leave. I don't understand why if I'm in a place like this men feel that I, and other females around them, are like part of the decor. That we want to be touched.
And people wonder why I am not a fan of going out...
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