September 29, 2008

1. My poor sweet Kevin.  He had a trip to the vet today, and now he is home with a cone on his head.  I picked up a tranquilizer from the vet, and Paul gave it to Kevin this morning.  I came home and picked him up and he was very groggy, so I had high hopes he would not become a howling beast at the vet, and indeed, he did hold off until he got onto the table. (Normally he starts freaking the moment we walk in the door.  He must have gotten fired up with adrenaline, because he started to yowl and hiss.  We went to our back up plan, which was that they would give him a general anesthesia.  I left him there, and went back to school.  Well, not right back. I already had a sub in the room, so I went and had a cup o joe, to try and calm down. (I needed a tranquilizer too.)  The vet called later, and while he had the hood up, he did it all: removed the small lump on his front leg, cleaned his teeth, took blood, gave him all his shots.  He even sewed up the place on his leg with the stitches on the inside, so thy will just dissolve and I won’t have to bring him back.  But, so he won’t lick the site, Poor Kev has the cone.  He is wandering around now, still pretty drugged, trying to find a good way to sleep.
2. My poor boy!
3. I’m going to a wedding this weekend, and I am starting to have party anxiety.
4. Nice pile of grading waiting for me.  Blah.
5. Had dinner with AB, who always makes things better.  Thank goodness my friends put up with me.
6. Coney is sleeping on the ottoman beside me.  Violet is totally freaked out by the cone, and doesn’t know what to do.

September 25, 2008

1. I wore a sweater and hard shoes today.  It must be fall. 
2. I might volunteer for the Obama Campaign this weekend.  Out of my comfort zone, but I’d like to get involved, especially with something like registering voters.
3. The first test of the year was today.  I’ve already graded over half of the notebooks.  I may try to get in a few more before the workout.
4. So I took the car to the shop and it need a new battery.  And new tires.  And had some sort of terrible gunk in the coolant system.  So nice big repair bill.  Hooray.
5. Fortunately, Ali let me borrow her car, so I have been able to get around to my various activities (many) this week.  But now it is time to pick up the car.  So here is my plan:  After the workout and weightwatchers, drive Ali’s car to and park at Fairlington Pizza (stay with me)  order veggie subs, walk the half block to the car place.  Pick up my car, drive it to Fairlington Pizza, park it there, pick up the subs and Ali’s car, drive home.  Later, when Paul comes home, get him to come with me, and pick up my car, drive to Ali’s, feed her cats, leave her car, drive home.  If Paul goes out with his friends tonight, walk to Fairlington Pizza, get my car, go feed Ali’s cats, then drive home and do the Ali car drop off tomorrow.
6. Somewhere in that sequence I will eat the veggie sub and watch the season premiere of Survivor.

September 22, 2008

1. Back to school night was great.  10 minutes telling about all the best things, good times.  Even I want to take the class after that.
2. The car was sluggish on the start today, so I took it to the shop.  It’s the bus for me tomorrow!
3. I need to go buy some new shoes for the wedding next weekend.
4. Went to dinner with some teachers and had a very lively politcal discussion.  One of the teachers is volunteering for Obama.  I may join her on Sunday.  That feels kind of exciting.
5. My eyes are very heavy.  I must go to bed!

September 21, 2008

1. The Egg-O-Ganza, went very well, all the eggs were completed and consumed for the lovely wedding.  It took me a little longer than I eggspected, and I don’t really want any deviled eggs for a long time, but it was fun.  The bridesmaids were killing time before and came into the kitchen and one helped me.  It was fun, though I had a vision of egg filling squirting out of the pastry bag all over her dress. 
2. What all happened this weekend?  It is a blur Eggs of course, wedding,  grading, laundry, cleaning.  Finished a scarf.  I’m actually pleased with all that I accomplished, but I am a bit tired. 
3. This week will be a blur too.  Back to school night, School board, assorted meetings, and stupid me agreed to chaperone a dance!
4. I’m becoming tired of always reciting a litany of events.  What happend to my anecdotes?  My wry observations of the foibles of my coffee shop visits?  Oh, yeah, that’s right, haven’t had time to do any of that stuff.  So when exactly does all this organization pay off?
5. Quit complaining Complainy McComplainersons.

September 17, 2008

1. I imagine most jobs are like this, you can work hard all day long, but there is always more to do.
2. School is (other than the constant work, and the sense I am always behind schedule) going very well.  The kids are nice, and I vaguely seem to know what I am doing. 
3. Though, I do wish that I hadn’t said I’d chaperone a dance next Friday. oh well.  That will be one down of the three I mentally commit to doing each year.
4. I seem to be in a little cycle of daily headaches, and I wish that would go away.  I think I’ll go back ot the optometrist, and check my prescription again, because I feel like things are a little blurry.  Of course, let us not forget that the children made my head explode last June, so I guess I should try to get more sleep and less stress, so as to avoid that!  Clearly, nice as it is, my school makes me sick.
5. Oh enough about school.  I’m making 200 deviled eggs for a wedding of one of our (former) “Yutes” (Youths) at chuch.  Friday night and Saturday morning are going to be an egg shucking, devil filling hoedown! Awesome!

September 11, 2008

1. I feel a little like I am on an out of control train.  Events almost every night this week.  I really want things to settle down to some sort of calm rhythm.
2. School is going well.  I’m staying pretty organzied.  The new class is hard.  I must admit, I feel a little intimidated by the size of the class and the older kids. 
3. The 8th graders are good though,  They laugh in all the right places.
4. The workout group started Tuesday.  Just a light workout…the “roaring circuit” – 100 push ups, 100 situps, 100 squats and 1600 steps.  I’m a ball of pain, and now it is almost time to go and see  what torture the trainer has dreamed up for today. 
5. I’ve got to go tidy my counters.  That is what is on the organizational list for today.  “Tidy Counters.”

September 8, 2008

1. School started really well.  Kids nice, felt good last week.
2. Unfortunately, I’ve been quite grumpy since coming back from ShrineMont.
3. Maybe my mood will be better tomorrow.

September 2, 2008

1. My initial impression of this group of 8th graders is pretty good.  They seem cheery.
2. The juniors and seniors are another matter.  They were staring alot.  The class is huge.  I tried to be scary to get some to drop, but I’m just not that scary.
3. I try to get things done, but at school or at home, there are all these little tiny steps.  Literally.  Try to label notebook, oops, need scissors, back to the desk.  Need some cardstock over to the paper trays, there’s a piece of paper on the floor, pick that up, now I need to go to the bathroom, come back from that and now I am thirsty, go fill the water bottle, and so on and so one.  Same at home.  Trying to write a few letters to three trips to the living room and one upstairs!
4. Left the house at 6:15am, got home at 6:45 pm.  That’s not going to happen everyday, believe me!
5. Can’t really think.  Brain overloaded.

September 1, 2008

1. A great day at the ballpark today.  I won seats in a raffle.  Padded seats in the 200 section, in the shade, and free chili from Rich!  Right on the presidents race finish line.  And the Nats won!  Hooray!
2. Trying to get my house in order with some lists of chores.  It is will be nice if they become natural over time, rather than frenetic list checking, as it is now.
3. Prison Break started again tonight.  I missed the first half hour, and all of the sudden everyone has busted out of the joint!  What?   But exciting that it is back.  And they’ve added a mouthy computer hacker to the mix!  Excellent.
4. Argh!  Tomorrow the children arrive.  Stop!
5. I hope I can sleep tonight.  That’s my big dread about what begins tomorrow; Being tired for the next nine months.