Happy New Year!

I made it back safe and sound, but was too wrapped up in life and updating my website to post anything. Dane and I went out a couple of times while I was back home. He knows about as much as what's going on in Center as I do.

I have yet to run into anyone I recognize while in Center... outside of family, I mean.

Had fun bowling New Year's Eve, and then went to a party that wasn't my traditional New Year's Eve party. I had a good time, but I did miss my old NYE gang.

PLJ&T had their traditional NYD gig, and it was fun (I got there very late... I woke up somewhat early (for NYD, anyway), and decided to lay down for a nap around 11:00. Leigh called and woke me up at 3:40. I'm such the loser...)

We had a work day at school yesterday, and today we dismissed early because of this lovely ice-storm we're having. I'm looking forward to the loss of power and freezing cold house. With luck, there could be some frozen water pipes in the mix! Hooray!

I have something akin to the flu. I don't know how to tell a cold from the flu, so we'll just call it either/or. It's yucky, but what are you going to do.

Here's hoping for a snow day tomorrow, so I don't have to call in sick!

We're starting fractions this month. I need to go figure out some activities to use. Everyone have a good January... and there are only 25 more shopping days until my birthday! Or is it 24? Do I count my birthday or not?

Two Funerals an Open House... and Some Bowling... and Some Singing

This was a busy week. I'm sure that's why whatever this sinus/congestion crud is that won't leave my system felt welcome to stay.

I had my first chorus rehearsal this week. The word is "OVERWHELMED". Lots of music to memorize... but then again, memorizing music is easier than memorizing lines, so I guess I can take some of the "whelm" away. Met lots of nice people, and a couple of people I've... um... met before. Always fun.

After-school activities started this week, so Tuesday and Thursday I got to stay after school... and on Thursday I was there until 7:30-ish for Open House...

But wait, there's more!

Right after Open House the team from last year went to a funeral home for a visitation. One of last year's students had a mother who was fighting cancer. They thought things had turned around, I guess, but then they hadn't after all.

I would say that 13/14 is too young to lose your mother, but really, when is it a walk in the park to lose your mother?

Still I felt for the girl. She seemed to be holding up okay, but I think part of that is some strange cultural leftovers where we expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth or something. So when you see a total lack of wailing and very little teeth-gnashing, you think, "Wow, they're holding up great."

So that was my Thursday. Then on Friday and went to the visitation and part of the funeral for Alice's grandson, who was one week away from making it into this world when he passed on to the next. In retrospect, I wish I would have just taken the afternoon off. Somehow I got it in my head the funeral was at 11:00, and I figured I could make that on my planning time and be back to school in time for the first class after plan time. It started closer to 11:30, so I had to leave shortly after things started.

Luckily for me this sinus/congestion/sore throat thing was making my throat all "hey-you-need-to-cough-y", so it made for a sensible reason to get up and leave the room.

The parents seemed to be holding up okay... again with the whole, "What did you expect? Wailing and gnashing of teeth?"

And I'm sure there's been much wailing... much teeth-gnashing... much in the Deep Sense of Loss department.

And here's something about when something like this happens: It makes you appreciate life more, and that appreciation of life makes you sadder about what happened. Kind of a vicious circle, really.

Meaning, I had the thought "Well, this world is one crappy place most of the time, so maybe skipping is not the worst thing that could happen to a person." Then this thought was followed by my thinking of all the things he's going to miss out on, and thus the appreciation for the good things this place has to offer... which is immediately followed by a sense of sadness for all this person will be missing... which brings you back to "What a crappy place this is most of the time." And around and around we go.

Which is to say, what a week.

Luckily I had my first week of Friday Night League, and I bowled much and laughed almost as much. Back to the good things of this world.

And I bowled too well for my first week. I set my average much higher than it was before.

Oh well.

Everyone have a good life until (and even beyond) my next post... and see how many things you can think of that are "Okay, life is crappy except for THAT".

Happy Holiday Weekend!

Two weeks down... 34 or so more to go...

Don't get me wrong: I love the teaching part of teaching. But these days that's only about 5% of my job. The rest of it is a messy combination of jumping through hoops, dealing with the latest "attempt to improve education" (in quotes because it's usually more of an attempt to look like the elected official in question is trying to improve education, while really causing more problems than solving), last-minute policy change announcements, policy changes teachers are apparently left to guess at, and general bullcrap.

Anyway, this post in my non-blog was supposed to be about the holiday. Not all that crap.

It's been fun. I'm house-sitting... and dog-sitting... which is why I haven't returned e-mails sent to me after Friday.

It's nice being in a home much cleaner than my own. Plus, they have central air, and I don't have to sleep with a window open. I think that's where part of my sinus nightmare of this week came from.

Oh, by the way... I had a sinus nightmare this week. Not the real kind, but the real kind.

It makes sense if you remember that nightmare's aren't supposed to be real. Okay, sort of makes sense.

My sinus problems seem to be on the way out. You know, several health plans ago (my first or second year of teaching, I think... and as this is my 7th year of teaching, that would be 5 or 6 health plans ago), my doctor wanted me to undergo some tests to get to the bottom of all my sinus issues. There was potentially going to be a head scan and surgery. Then we changed health plans and he couldn't be my doctor any more. I've never seen my current doctor. Perhaps I should schedule an appointment... but his first available appointment is always like 6 weeks or 6 months away, and I have trouble enough knowing what I'm going to be doing in 6 minutes.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a stellar holiday weekend. I know mine has been enjoyable... mostly due to the over-the-counter sinus meds I've been taking!

One week down...

35 to go...

It's been an odd week at school. I miss having Martin around. Campbell's not around. It's just an odd thing. But we've finished the first week, and the kids seem like a good bunch, overall (since I think I believe that people are basically good with the potential for evil, this is usually how I think of the kids anyway...).

The show closed last night, and I'll be glad for the free time... but I'll miss doing that show and I'll miss the cast (although there wasn't a lot of backstage bonding, since I was onstage just about the entire show). I did have a dream last night about the show. The actress portraying Julie was onstage, and we both lost our place in the script, so we were making up stuff until we could figure out where we needed to be. It was very odd.

I was going to go see The Wilders today, but I decided with gas prices as they are, maybe a drive to Kearney is not such the wise choice. I'll do my walk here in a few minutes, then I'll watch a few Buffy episodes, then I'll go to Ben & Tricia's for dinner... and yes, I'll have a shower somewhere after the walk, but before the dinner.

Hope your life is going well, whoever and wherever you are.

Summer's out for school...

Well, we're back. I'm at loose ends because my friend, my own personal Cordelia Chase, my lunch buddy, my chum, my... I'm out of ways to refer to her... but she's not there this year! It's making me not enjoy the year as much... okay, maybe it's just because it's the first day.

I'm noticing my emotions seem to be on major hold these days. The other night when the show opened, I didn't get nervous until the call for "places" came. Then all of a sudden: BAM! nervous.

And I wasn't dealing with this absent friend at all until this morning on the way to school, when I realized I wasn't as excited as usual about the year starting up, and then I realized why.

I went into her old room this morning to give someting to the teacher who took her place, and I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown or something.

Oh well, I'll get over it. So it goes.