Too Early
It's 7am on a Sunday morning and I stand no chance of going back to sleep. I woke up in pain again, and once my mind got going on all the stuff I need to do at work I knew the situation was hopeless. At least I got to sleep two more hours than yesterday. I had to get up at 5 and drive and hour to Giddings in the dark and rain for a student competition where I was useful for all of about 45 minutes and the rest of the time I sat in a huge cafeteria reading Anna Karenia feeling pretentious and bored.
Last night was the last Bat's game at the Expo Center. I typically don't write about this sort of thing in my blog, but it was a sweet enough game to deserve a mention. After a lacklust first 2 periods, they came back with a vengence in the 3rd and scored 3 goals. We were on our feet most of the time. A rockin' way to finish an era. They are now being kicked out for the rodeo and then the playoffs will move to Chaparrel Ice. All 5'4" of me really wants to play hockey! Perhaps I'm wasted as an educator. My real calling is body slamming large Canadian women on ice.
I've been applying for my jobs this week. It's slightly scary to have no idea where I am going to end up, but I'm sure the right thing will come along for both myself and for Eric. The crappy part about applying is that everyone demands an original transcript to even be considered. For my three schools, each job application costs me $19. Do you hear that giant sucking sound?
When E gets up we shall head to our weekend usual--Taqueria Aranda's where the food is cheap and they start our order when we walk in the door. As much as I want to move, I want to take my local Taqueria with me. O salsa-y goodness!

Dorky
I was standing with the kids after school, and they asked me why I only button one button on my denim jacket. I answered that when I button them all I look super dorky. One of my favorite students with whom I am always bantering responded, "a dorky look to match your personality." I've been called so much worse!
Went riding tonight. Despite the cold weather and almost drowning in my own snot, it was a great ride. The blue sky is back and I'm feeling better.
Clementine is practicing turning on and off the printer much to my chagrin. You never know when she might need to operate electronics.
Had my evaluation today, and the principal was extraordinarly complimentary, so I felt pretty good. He loved the lesson he observed and said a lot of nice things. We also talked about my trying to find another job, and he was very positive. I think I caught him in one of his rare good moods. He also gave me permission to plan a community serviceday where we will take the students to Down Home Ranch. I never thought he'd let me take the kids during school. A day of miracles indeed.
Tomorrow we go to the Alamo to see Mr. Sinus do Flashdance. 80s movies, live comedy, and drinking games: does Friday night get any better?

Swallowed
Some days I feel as if I have been swallowed up by responsibility and other bits of adult nonsense. I have piles of grading, lesson plans, the yearbook to finish as well as my own homework. I feel like staging a big protest. Then I remember it's always been like this and I would be bored silly if it were otherweise.
I am a sleepy lizzard though.
We've been under a fog (no, I am not being metaphorical) for the past few days, and it makes me dreary and prone to eating lots of sugar and then whining about it. My diet starts next Wednesday because I'm sick of feeling all gross and food dependent.
I'm re-reading Anna Karenina because i am ridiculously competitive. I am fighting with my students to see who can get the most reading points. Good old AK is worth 69 points. It's a sickness. Must return to the Russian WInter of My Discontent.
Toby has metamorphized into a giant poof of hair. you can't really even see his hair or body any more. We have reached critical mass. The next hair folicle might cause some sort of collapse and black hole effect.
I can hope.

Big Fat Nothing
That's exactly what we have been up to today. Nothing. It's about time we engaged in this much nothingness.
We went out early this morning, but we didn't even shower or get dressed for breakfast and church. Since returning the height of my activity has been showering and changing p.j.s a few minutes ago. We downloaded another book on my ipod, and we've been hunkered down under blankets and with plenty of snacks and alternately listening, napping, and snacking. The gloom and cold makes it easy to see advantages to hibernation.
Actually I had a tough morning, woke up in intense, screaming pain. I actually thought I was going to die. Five advil and 3 heating pads later, however, I was feeling much better. The pain has not come back, so I'm feeling like a dodged a bullet. All the drama, however, has further added to my need to hibernate and snuggle up.
My test yesterday was o.k. I am pretty sure that I passed, but I don't think I did very well. Luckily I just need a 70% to get this process finished. The test is a game of absurd non-choices and hypothetical ridiculousness. It kinda makes me sick that people consider this preparation for being in the classroom. Still, I am just trying to get through these hoops in order to get on with my life.
I had to fill out a form yesterday saying that I want them to hold my position but that I would be searching for another job. I hope that one is forthcoming. I will work on sending stuff out tomorrow. Surely something will come up.
I am going to go put on a pot of water because this is definately a mac and cheese sort of a night. Calories do not count when it is so cold and gloomy.

Jungle Boogie
Love was in the air last night. I sponsored the junior high Valentine's Day dance, and we had a blast. We sold roses, and it was adorable to see them giving them to each other and generally running around like crazed, hormonal clowns. The 6th graders dedicated a song to me and swarmed around dancing with me. It was too sweet, and I had a lot of fun. The reason I like teaching middle school is that I get to act like a complete idiot, waving my arms in the air, making stupid jokes and no one cares.
Today I await my ExCET test which begins in an hour or two. This will finally end the ridiculous certificaion process, and I can apply to schools and stand a better chance of getting hired. The problem is that the test is completely ridiculous. I am a pretty good test taker, and I've yet to score about an 83% in my practice book. Still, I guess a 70% will get the job done. That's just not how I roll. Must get over this ridiculous desire to exceed standards.
We got sad news this morning. Eric's parents had to put their poodle Wolfgang to sleep. He had lymphoma amongst other things. He was a sweet, fluffy pup. They're pretty distraught about it, naturally. Eric is going over for the funeral arrangements this afternoon. ON 5 acres of land, they have a rather sizeable pet cemetary.
Anyway, I have some time to practice my criterion referenced tests, my sensory motor strengths, my IEPs, ARDs, and Zones of Proximal Development. Amongst other crap.

Ache
I had a student come to me crying today, and he just broke my heart. I ache when I see them in so much pain.
Otherwise, however, it was a good day. The treasure hunt was so cute except tha tthe ants found the cupcakes I had hidden and were beginning their attack. The 6th graders ate them anyway. That's what 12 year olds do I guess. I love listening to them laugh and scream and run around. It's such a georgous day here--blue skies and 80 degree temperatures. For all of the days where I am lost and feeling like I don't know what I'm doing, I'm glad of these days.
Pete's coming over to bike. I need the wind in my hair.

Yee Haw
I had my observation today, and it all wnet pretty well. The principal left before the end of class, though, and as soon as he shut the door, one of the students screamed out "Yee Haw" at the top of his lungs. I am sure the principal heard him. I would have been mortified, but I was too busy laughing my butt off.
We had a ridiculously long meeting after work where we were all lectured on how to live in the proper Christian spirit. I actually put an end to the meeting myself after over an hour. I said, "we have a plan, and now we're just rehashing. I think we're done." Several people seconded, and we were saved. I do not need to be lectured to for an hour. grrr.
Valentine's Day, despite the 3 hours of John Calvin and the oh so romantic ramen dinner turned out pretty nicely. When I came home, Eric had flowers, candy, a sweet card, and gift certificates for manicures and pedicures. I had said I actually wanted to go toghether. It would do his circulation some good. I got him a night at a bed and breakfast in Gruene for our anniversary weekend. I was exhausted, but it was a nice day. If as Calvin says we're all going to Hell, I might as well go with chocolate and a nicely done pedicure.
Tomorrow my 6th grade class is having a treasure hunt. Have I lost my mind?

Love is All Around
Happy Valentine's Day, love birds!
Trying to teach hormonal kids hopped up on candy is really an exercsise in futility, but happily it comes but once a year. The rest of the year they are hormonal and hopped up on caffine.
Tonight I have class. I will spend Valentine's Day listening to a lecture on John Calvin, the most depressing theologian ever. We're all going to hell and the world is all sin and monstrocities. Lovely. Maybe I'll sit in the back and make paper Valentines.
I'd rather eat chocolate, drink the champagne in the fridge, cuddle, and watch the luge, but the bubbles will keep.
Clementine sends smooches. Me too.

They make it so easy
CNN.com - Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter - Feb 12, 2006

Lines Drawn
I forgot in my Olympic fever and shed fury to give an update on the Vietnam War. The student in question did not show up on Friday until 3:00 when they requested a meeting with the principal. They have drawn up a contract with the student's counselor to place her in public school. She will be leaving.
I have a few regrets on how I handled the situation, but in the end it was the best thing that could have happened. We'll see on Monday what the principal has to say about the situation. I think he is in agreement since this particular family has caused him nothing but incredible grief for two years. I would like to think that I would have handled the situation better if she had not just ambused me in the middle of the office without any sort of appointment and told me that I needed to tell her child that I love her. Her child is actually a sociopath, so all in all: Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish.
This may all change tomorrow. As for today--the Skeleton temas make the head first runs at frightening speeds down sheer ice. Life is good.

Gone, baby, gone
The shed is no more.
The Homeowners' Association sent a letter to Eric last week saying they were coming by on the 17th to check to make sure we were up to code. We had decided that what we were planning to do was take down the shed and leave a patio instead of painting and shingling a metal shed. Eric wrote an email asking if this woudl be an ok alternative. Cut ahead to Thursday. Eric noticed that his inspection sticker was up, and so he took his car in. $800 later I had to pick him up at Firestone. As we returned to the house I saw something taped to our door; it was a letter from the Homeowners' Association. The letter was really nasty telling us that they had contacted thier lawyer and that the time for alternatives was passed and we needed to get in gear or else. After I read it, I handed Eric the paper and raced to the kitchen to get him a beer. I was too late, however, as I heard a blood curdling scream emmanating from the living room. He was not amused. Understatement.
Anyway, we worked all day today to first clean out the garage to make room for the stuff from the shed and then doing demolition on the shed itself. When we finally had the thing in pieces, we realized we had no idea what to do with it. I called the dump which had closed. They are only open till 5 through the week and not at all on Sunday. So we had to tkae the cars out of the garage for the week while hunks of metal and plywood take up our parking spaces. I think I'll keep back a piece of the jagged metal to cut up the Association Ass who is coming to see our house on Friday.

I also fell during this process and strained my ankle so I'm doubly irritated. I won't even be able to chase them when they arrive.

In other news I am once again addicted to the Olympics. The highlight of the day has been watch the Candaian women's hockey team take on Italy. They won 16 to 0. Completely, deliciously ridiculous. And the luge. . . is there a greater way to get down a mountain than feet first going 87 miles per hour? I think not.

Vietnam War
I had what came close to a shouting match with a parent in the office today. She Vietnamese, hence the title of this post. Her daughter is possibly the nastiest, worst little girl I have ever met, and she never does her homework. Anyway the mother wanted me to tell her daughter that I loved her and to give her incentive to do her work. I told her I had already said everything I could possibly say adn that what the girl needed was an attitude adjustment. This woman refuses to be a parent to her child and wants me to be one for her. I flat out refused.
Besides that thorn in my side the week has been fairly pleasant because the principal is on retreat. It's like a fresh wind has swept throuhg the campus since he's been gone. It's like working at a different place but still for the below poverty wages.
We are having an Olympics watching party tomorrow. Basically it's an excuse to eat Italian food, watch t.v. and drink wine, but there will be Olympics involved. I don't understand it, but I become a complete nut when it comes to this sort of thing. I discover my hidden passin for the luge, and I suddenly become a weepy patriot. Manipulative and silly but kinda sweet in a way.
It has come to this: we are tearing the shed down this weekend. They may have won the battle. . .

Before the Cock Crows
We had to get up at 4:30 this morning because Eric had to be at work early. Tonight we wander around the house grunting at each other. Conversation is rather beyond us right now.
The doc yesterday scheduled us with a nutritionist. He is going to try a new kind of insulin therapy which will either be permanent or a stepping stone to the pump. I think it will really enable him to have so much more control. We are pretty excited about the possibilities.
My classes played Spelling Bee Baseball today, mainly because it was beautiful and I wanted to be outside. Such loveliness. The blue sky goes on for miles down here and I realize that I love this state.
Tomorrow we go back to the relative luxury of getting up at 5:10 a.m. Living the good life.

Only One
I think I can safely say that I am probably the only employee of the Diocese of Austin that danced on a bar last night. We decided we had had enough of the tame life and went to 6th street last night. I hadn't been since the smoking ban, and it was so nice! I could have fun all night and not cough, wheeze, or tear up once. The whole night was most excellent. We also found an all you can eat sushi place by the house.
I had to go out and have fun because I had one of those you know you're old moments. We bought new faucets for the bathrooms and I got ridiculously excited. But they really do make the whole bathroom pop. Next pay check we buy new vanity lights. After that I"ll probably have to go out again!
Sometime during all of our errands yesterday Eric lost his wedding ring. It's either in a drain, in the trash can stuffed with branches, in the soil and mulch we laid out, or in the back alley amidst all of our weeds. We are planning on tearing up everything to try to find it. Pete is lending us a metal detector. I can't really be upset because Eric is more than upset enough for both of us. He feels so bad. I keep saying at least it wasn't my ring. We can afford to replace his but mine would be a different story. Still I am sad about it because it was special. Hopefully we can find it today and stop freaking out about it. Luckily it's just a symbol and not the marriage itself.
WE made cherry pancakes and coffe this morning. So yummy!
People are coming over for the Super Bowl tonight and I have niether cleaned nor cooked. Oh well. This is how we roll.

This is Just to Say
Just when I have no clue what I am doing I get reminded. One of my 7th grade tudents wrote me a note today about how I was the greatest teacher and how much he liked me. It was the sweetest thing I've ever read. This poor kid has had so much trouble and has many writing difficulties, and he was so careful not to make any mistakes. It made me cry.
Somedays a little appreciation makes all the difference.