November 24, 2009

1. Chris, Melissa and Michael are all moved in. (unpacked no, but moved in, yes.)  They have a nice house, and I think there will be some fun hanging out times to come!
2. Opened yesterday going to the school community choir practice at 7:30 am and finished with the chamber concert at 7:30 pm.
3. So very glad that it is vacation time!
4. I’ve been enjoying seeing “V” back on tv, and was very glad I made it back home in time to catch most of it, though am now angered that it will not be on again until March.  I do hate the people who run the TV.
5. Our usual day before break flag football game had to be postponed because of the weather.  Instead, during that double activity period we had all the groups in the gym and had games.  Tug of war, cracker whistling, bubble gum blowing, crab walks, and a relay where they ran though the hall carrying an ear of corn that had been liberally slathered with butter.  Oh, and a yelling contest where each class screamed as loud as they could and the physics teacher measured the decibel with his handy decibel meter.  My favorite parts of it, aside from the beautiful joyful atmosphere, were the bicycle helmets that were issued for the relay, and that we opened by singing the national anthem.  And that, my friends, is what school should be about.

October 21, 2009

1. I spent more than one moment today wandering around in tired confusion.  I need some down time to recharge, because all is haze and nuttiness.  My headaches still linger and the water problem has not really been addressed.  Must drink more. (water.  Other drinking might not be as helpful.)
2. Just a little salute to my pal Liz, who makes staff meetings fun.  Also lunch.  If we could install some sort of dumb-waiter, or pneumatic tube system that would enable us to send jokes and odd objects back and forth between our classrooms, that would be great.
3. We probably won’t get to do that, since there will likely be pretty strong budgets cuts this year, I found out at  a county teacher meeting yesterday.  Could get a little ugly, and of course, pneumatic tube system innovations will be the first to go, I don’t have to tell you.
4. The chorus concert last night was great.  My favorite part was when the high school men’s chorus sang with the middle school men’s chorus.  The contrast between those little sixth graders, that are just pocket sized and the senior boys, was so amazing.  How can they grow so different in just 6 years?  The instrumental concert is tomorrow.  I am going for perfect attendance this year, so I feel committed to doing it, but it is not helping my overall frazzle level this week.  On the plus side, I have a little found time since our early release activity was postponed.  I hope a little lunch and coffee shop run will help me have some good productive hours before the concert.  My classroom is in serious need of cleaning.
5. Still waiting for my TV to come back from repair.  The store hints it may be soon.  That would be helpful.  I am actually going to bed extra early tonight, not only because I need the rest, but so I can get up early and watch Glee online before I go to work.  Yes, I am the saddest no tv havingest person ever.

October 15, 2009

1. I love the show Glee.
2. Last night I was feeling headachy and thought this was either plague, or that I hadn’t had enough water to drink.  Paul brought me a big glass of water that I was sipping on while I was dozing off, and sometime in the middle of the night I woke up suddenly, and poured it all over myself. 
3. I also got a crick in my neck. Or I am achy from the coming plague.
4. I stayed at work until 7 tonight.  If I could do that for a few weeks I might be able to get caught up.  As it is, tomorrow I will be only mostly behind, instead of completely behind.  Victory!
5. I have nice cats.  They are especially cuddly now that cold weather is around.

July 31, 2009

1. Sitting up tonight with a sick friend. Praying for a good healing night of sleep for him.  Makes me think of another friend whose son is having chemo treatments.  Wish I could spell her for a night too.
2. Garden growing great guns (G!) but I think I might have traumatized a couple of the tomato plants by trying to get them in a tomato cage.  Know now that that is the sort of thing that should go on at the beginning of the season.
3. Ali and I saw Harry Potter 6.  Not terribly impressed.  Just not a lot of story there.
4. Not sure what to watch on Netflix as the night goes on.  Why is so much trashy reality tv not available online?  Is this a punishment for not having cable?  I want to watch cooking shows and badly behaved brides, is that so wrong?
5. I got my 5×7 of Dominick Fortunato, sent personally by Charlene Butterbean!  WOO!

July 30, 2009

1. 19 days until I leave for Tanzania.
2. 32 days until I go back to work.
3. 40 days until the children come back to work.
4. Seems like alot when I look at it that way.  I really do need to start thinking about the trip and school.  Went to scout out a field trip today.  The western civilization section of natural history.  Needs dusting.
5. Nice dinner tonight with friends.  For a person without cable, I sure can talk about TV.  I’ve been obsessed for the last few days watching (online) clips from “Say yes to the dress” (wedding dresses are surprisingly ugly) Cake Boss and Ace of cakes. (Cakes are pretty, and very hilarious when they are accidentally dropped down the stairs.)

March 5, 2009

1. Watching Survivor.  I think if you have to pick a leader, it isn’t going to work out.
2. Disappointment today that the numbers didn’t come up for me to get a second section of Ancient Civ, and thereby drop Sociology.  Just don’t enjoy Soc. all that much. Blah.
3. Did a painting yesterday.  I call it Despair No. 17.  I also toyed with the name Roadside Diner No. 64.
4. It’s possible I may be over painting.  Either that or I need to satisfy the urge to sculpt tin using hammers before I can return to more traditional forms of expression.
5. Items are beginning to pile up on my to do list.  The wheels are wobbling…threatening to come off….I have such trouble concentrating.
6. Clipped another 2 minutes off of my scary workout challenge time.  Am still fat, however.  And why when the kids pass us (we workout in the hall) does everyone say Go Rebecca or Go Neil, but never say anything to me?  Many many years after I graduated, I still wander unnoticed through the halls of high school.
7. Violet is my little familiar.  She follows me everywhere, and even now is resting on my wrists, purring, as I type.  Sweet and tiny little thing.

March 1, 2009

1. What’s this?  A forecast for snow?  Lots of snow?  Hello!
2. I had a crew leaders meeting today, and that was pretty fun and informative.  The new carpet ordering and storage of various items in on the march!
3. Caught up on 24 yesterday.  An excellent season thus far.  Set in Washington DC.  Someone from Television without Pity said that it would be great if there were a scene in the metro where Jack was on the chase and had to push people out of the way who were standing to the right on the metro escalator
4. Maybe tomorrow I can catch up on lost, though I may be tempting fate to say that.  So, ahem, “Tomorrow I will go to school early and stay late and grade papers (oh crud, midterm grades are due Wednesday!) and I will work very hard and be excellent, and a credit to all teacherkind.”
5. Pajamas on inside out people!

January 27, 2009

1. Hello to the snow.  Early release.  That.  Is what i am talking about.
2. We are working our way into some prime TV season after a long dry spell.  Heroes, 24, Lost, Amazing Race, and Survivor.  Hooray!  I really do like my stories.  24 is shaping up well so far, but we are only 6 hours in.  It takes place in Dc this season, and that means that it is entirely possible that Jack could spend hours 7-9 on the beltway and 10-12 trying to figure out how to work the metro farecard machine.  Stand to the right, walk on the left, Jack.
3. When we are on a project deadline, as the 8th grade is now, trying to do some writing and a display for the anniversary of integration at our school, I become a bit of a drill Sargent.  “Move it move it!”  “Why are you looking at me?  Keep typing!” “Are you done there?  Then come over here because I have got a job for you!  Pick up your feet and MOVE!!”   This is fairly funny in my head, but is probably incredibly annoying to my team mates, not to mention the children.  I just wish one of them would give me a nice Gump answer every now and then.  “Because you told me too Drill Sargent.”
4. Someone in this blog put off doing their Altar Guild schedule, banking that she would have tomorrow off in which to do it.  And cruel experience, children, tell us that she will get totally burned by tempting fate like this.
5. None the less, pajamas on inside out again.  Hey, just following the forecast, Ice tonight.  It’s not me of course, it is all about the safety of the children.  Just kidding, it is totally about me.

January 3, 2009

1. Tea party today.  I ate more than my share of tiny sandwiches.  Why are tiny sandwiches more tasty than regular size sandwiches?
2. Then another party. Fun kids running around.   Took the last of this season’s gingersnaps.  Fair well sweet gingerness.
3. Must face reality that work is going to resume on Monday and cannot be avoided by praying for snowstorm or boiler explosion.  Really really hoping that the student teacher contacts me soon! (you know, for her benefit.  Snort.)  No, seriously.  There are just some years in teaching that are harder than others, and this has turned out to be one of those years, and what with the whole Altar Guild presidency coming up, it would really take the pressure off to be able to have a little wiggle room for a few months. 
4. And really I would love the planning time for the high school classes.  Argh.  I am tired of having the same old problems.
5. January 11   – 24 starts, January 21 – Lost.  At least I have that to cling to!

October 29, 2008

1. Very long, but good weekend, busy with altar guild. Also watched the whole of a football game.  Washington, not Sooners.  Someone told me today that they (sooners) lost to Texas.  How is this possible?
2. Still sick Tuesday and my frail spirit made me weaken and stay out another day, even though I went in Monday.
3. I watched about 12 episodes of Heroes, which I just discovered and it is a very entertaining show, and available to watch on demand on Netflix.
4. So I parked in the big chair, with two cats on me and rested.  I was feeling much better today and my pitiful mood has lifted at last, and I only have the tiniest cough left.
5. The knit along Saturday was fun.  This general came only with his aide and driver in tow.  He takes a bunch of these helmet liners with him when he goes to Iraq and Afghanistan.  I had made the one helmet liner too big, so I gave it to them to give to some big headed marine and began another.  The General did make the Sargent try it on. I am working away on the new one to try to get it done before Chris leaves.