July 17, 2008

1. I saw someone today who reminded me of “he of whom we do not speak,” and as much as that is very old news, and well over etc, it still pisses me off that he never said goodbye. Loser.  Yeah, I just spent about 20 minutes googling, trying to figure out who he married, and if the scrap of information I found in a wedding registry is him, I just have to say dude, that is some damn ugly china.  Now go away, and never enter my thoughts again. 
2. Chris and Michael reappeared in town and we went to the Washington Monument together.  I haven’t been up there since I was a kid.  Great view of course.  What is really interesting to me, from the air, is the same thing I have been noticing on the ground that Arlington is full of trees, and has very little high rise action.  Just in three spots really.  You can have a lot of views that are just tree tops.  I like that.
3. Like it would have killed you just to say goodbye?  That hurt.
4. Pennie and I went to the signature theater tonight and heard a guitarist and this woman, who was funny and interesting.  It was sort of a poetry, lyrical essay kind of thing.  I liked being there, at a live performance.  I might get season tickets for the theater.  It is neat to have it in walking distance, and I always enjoy going to performances, but I forget about that until I am at one, so consequently, I don’t go very often.
5. There was all sorts of running in the workout yesterday.  Horrible.  I hate running.

June 23, 2008

1. I’ve rbeen thinking the last few days, about very sad things, how devastating it must be to lose someone you love, especially early in life.  The sister of a girl at our school died.  She was only 13 and I just can’t imagine how it is even possible to function after something like that.  The teacher next door to me went to the funeral, and told me she hated it when people said “God wanted another angel.”  I agree with her.  I think that is just bad theology.  I mean, I know what people are trying to say, or rather the sentiment or sense of purpose that they are trying to convey, but it is a terrible phrase.  What does it imply for those who are left behind?  That God wants their suffering?  I believe that accidents and sickness happen.  God welcomes everyone who dies, and weeps with those who remain and mourn.  It is really terrifically sad that such a thing happened.  There is no action, no cliche that can make it anything other than tragic for those who must live with the loss.
2. Today I visited my doctor about the migraines. (The Ophthalmologist ruled out any retina problem on Friday.)  I have the chattiest doctor in the universe.  I’ve learned it is best to take the first appointment of the day, that way you don’t have to sit and wait while she chats with the patients before you.  I mean it is very informative and all, but she do ramble on.  In addition to explaining how the mirgraine is different from a regular headache, I learned about what happened in Tim Russert’s heart attack, how to sleep with a pillow a certain way, the value of a memory foam mattress, and why patients get bedsores.  Among other things.  But she is nice, and so far has not steered me wrong.
3. I am very glad I have insurance, since the prescription she gave me (along with a lengthy explanation of why they might not cover it and what I should do if they didn’t and by the way the insurance companies should only be staffed by doctors, who know understand the reasons for certain prescriptions and possible alternatives) cost 257 dollars!  They did cover it, thank goodness, and I hope I never have to use it!
4. Accomplishments: Vacation Day One: Required: Doctor and cleaning my room at school. For Fun: Movie, The Happening.  Bonus:  Sorted through and reloaded all my music on itunes that I needed to reload after the Great Hard Drive Crisis of 2007.
5. Tomorrow a day trip to the beach.  Hooray!

February 20, 2008

1. I’m making A CD for AB, for a friend of hers, and mine really, who is pretty ill.  She and her parents wrote out a list of songs and I downloading them on itunes and making a CD.  Here is the thing:  I only have eyes for you, sung by Doris Day is marked “Explict.” What?  Did I miss the album, “Doris Day, The Punk Rap Years,” or her epic “Sit Down and Listen to the Music You Fifties DooWop MoFos!”
2. I need the people in line at Starbucks to pay attention.  When the nice man by the pastry case asks you, “can I get you any pastries,” he wants to know about food.  To respond by giving him your drink order screws up the system.  I worry about the future.  My students are these people, not paying attention and slowing down the line, troubling the nice people who are trying to get us coffee.  I emphasize following directions in my classes, for precisely this reason.
3. I’d like to get through a meeting with the superintendent without some teacher asking him about snow days.  It makes us look bad.  Believe me, I love a snow day as much if not more than the next guy, but we just need to lay off the topic around this guy.
4. Chrissie is the bomb lady, because she already donated to my walk.  The only downside, is now I can’t quit!
5. And snow?  Needs to come.  Right. Now.

February 15, 2008

1. Time to grade again.  I’ve got a more organized system, and even the desire to get it done.  but it is still going to take hours.  I don’t know where that time is.  I broke down the hours I work, trying to understand where the time goes.  Of a 37.5 hour week (that’s contract time, I probably average about 8 hours a day.)  anywho, of the 37.5 hours that are there, about 20 go to teaching, 4 1/2 – planning, 2 1/2 meetings, 2 1/2 to town meeting and TA time.  The time that is left is lunch, which I am usually doing some sort of chores during most days, (except Mondays, hooray for salad day!) and in between classes, which are for the bathroom and putting away one set of things and getting out another.  There are no many stretches of time that aren’t interrupted, or longer than 45 minutes to do things.  I don’t see how I can plan and grade in 4 1/2 hours a week.  This grading I do periodically will take  4 or 5 hours, and where is that time?  It just can’t happen in the regular hours, there is too much to do to get ready for the classes.  So that means it needs to be fit in somewhere else, and there is nowhere else except after school.  3 days a week I have commitments right after, so that leaves Monday and Friday.  I know I should stay and grade all this stuff, but I just find it very difficult to summon the wherewithal to stay here late on a Friday.  I am beat!  I need a coffee and a pedicure!  I can take home the tests, but I’d need a tractor trailer for the notebooks.  Maybe I could just take 2 classes home…I do see a box there in the corner.
2. The drawback with taking things home, is that sometimes, they just end up getting a ride in the car, which I am sure the notebooks enjoy, but it doesn’t really get to the heart of the issue.
3. I fear I am shallow. I know just a bit about many things and not enough about everything.  I read a little, I listen to music a little.  I wish I knew much more, so as to engage in better conversation.
4. A pleasant night tonight, out with Paul and AB and Ali.  Now home, drinking a nice Zero (Sprite Zero that is.)  But the Red Zero, she is fading now, and ready for bed.
5. Why is it that the day I strip the bed and wash the sheets is the night I am all tired and hate to contemplate putting them all back on again.  Has happened before.  Have I ever just wrapped up in a blanket and slept right on top of the mattress?  Yes.  Yes I have.

January 1, 2008

1. I’ve been fairly obsessed, in a contented way, about this new knitting piece.  I’ve worked on it most of the day.  It would be exciting to get it into the wash yet today, but this may not be possible since I still need to knit the i-cord handles.
2. The fury of knitting was broken up by some recording on the 8 track recording machine.  No it does not make giant tapes for your 1970s car.  That was pretty fun.
3. On my way to write today, I was drawn in by some fat acceptance sights (there was a blurb with a catchy title on the wordpress home page) that just confused me mightly.  Yes, I love myself.  No, I do not like my fat ass.  Accept that.  Somehow the fat acceptance sites made me feel, fat and guilty all at once, which I think is the opposite of what they want.
4. Speaking of fat, I have determined that I have to start writing my food down again.  A bore, but generally effective.
5. The movie I am Legend and the book have little in common.  The title, the name of the character, a virus that lays some bad mojo down.  That’s it.  The story was written in 1954.  It is like someone just to the title and ran away with it.  However, they are both good stories.