Saturday, December 20, 2008
All I Ever Wanted
There is no school (my 8 - 4 job) and no tutoring (my 4 - 8 job) for the next two weeks. I am on vacation, and as much as I hate being in school until the middle of June, I must say that I enjoy my long breaks. I have a large rolling crate, a big tupperware storage bin, and 3 filing baskets FULL of things that I have to deal with before January 5th. I have to revamp my math and reading programs to address the needs of myself and my students. I have a masters program that has been seriously neglected. And I have dogs who are so desperate for attention that we can't go outside without being attacked. Finally, I will have some time to address all of these things and more. I have plans to wrap presents as they come in (my overcrowded schedule kept me from Christmas shopping until about a week ago), knit a few scarves (a hobby I returned to this week during my snow-enforced free day on Thursday), and do a lot of sleeping in. It might be that I manage to do some more regular blogging, too, but I'm not making any promises. :)
Thursday, December 18, 2008
I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...
Yesterday we had a snowstorm that would have even impressed some of my MN relatives (a little, at any rate). It snowed all day, leaving a thick layer of slush/snow/water/ice mixture covering our entire yard. This morning the sun came out long enough to burn off the layer of fog covering the whole world, then went back behind the gray woolen clouds. CalTrans currently has the main road closed to anyone without chains or snowtires starting just about where we are and going up into the mountains. A friend reported seeing several cars and an ambulance in the ditch last night as she drove home. I am trying to balance my intense guilt at missing school with a healthy concern for my own safety. Luckily, I have Mikey (my voice of reason) to weight in on the side of safety. We used Mikey's new video camera (a birthday present) to take footage, and turn a tiny bit of it into a YouTube video. It can be found by clicking here. While I doubt it will stick around long enough to make Christmas white, it was certainly exciting.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I'm Not Dead Yet!
Wow. That was a busy 6 weeks! I honestly wanted to sit down and write several times and just couldn't. I have barely had time to shower, eat, or sleep, much less communicate.
I have lots to share, so let's play a little game...
In Ten Words
Tutoring
students progressing
reputation blossoming
recovering from summer losses
exhausting, yet exhilarating
School
student teacher
many responsibilities
not enough hours
love my work
My Class
young and enthusiastic
chatty
willing to work hard
somewhat needy
Home
dirty, so dirty
comforting
too rarely visited
too often left
Solar Panels
saving money
cutting energy use
voting Obama
doing our all
I have lots to share, so let's play a little game...
In Ten Words
Tutoring
students progressing
reputation blossoming
recovering from summer losses
exhausting, yet exhilarating
School
student teacher
many responsibilities
not enough hours
love my work
My Class
young and enthusiastic
chatty
willing to work hard
somewhat needy
Home
dirty, so dirty
comforting
too rarely visited
too often left
Solar Panels
saving money
cutting energy use
voting Obama
doing our all
Thursday, August 21, 2008
FYI
* The solar panels have been put on hold due to our inability to procure satisfactory funding. We're currently saving up as fast as we can (drat - no more eating out) and if we miss the current tax rebate window (they expire on 12/31) then we'll just wait for the bigger and better one that President Obama is going to put together. :)
* My back is at about 90%. I can still feel stiffness and my range of motion isn't what it once was, but the pain is under control. In fact, I haven't had one flare up since my appointment a week ago. I haven't been able to say that since the beginning of July.
* The new fridge is beautiful and does its job well. It was worth the wait.
Time to get to work. I have Back 2 School presentations to give this evening and I'm trying to get a PhotoStory set up so that all I have to do is press "play". :)
* My back is at about 90%. I can still feel stiffness and my range of motion isn't what it once was, but the pain is under control. In fact, I haven't had one flare up since my appointment a week ago. I haven't been able to say that since the beginning of July.
* The new fridge is beautiful and does its job well. It was worth the wait.
Time to get to work. I have Back 2 School presentations to give this evening and I'm trying to get a PhotoStory set up so that all I have to do is press "play". :)
School Days
I've been back at school for 3 days now. We're starting to get into the swing of things. A couple of notes about my class...
1. They are GREAT direction followers. I have been very impressed with how well they can stick with me as I am rushing through things trying to get everything done. When I ask for their attention, I get it.
2. They are still a little shaky on the organizational side, but I'm going to pick up some 3 ring binders and some dividers to share with some of them and then I think things will be better.
3. They seem to be able to handle a little extra freedom without letting it go to their heads. I can give them choices and trust that they will stick to the parameters I have set up and not go crazy.
4. They need LOTS of encouragement to participate in class discussions. This class seems to be made up primarily of those kids who normally just watch what's going on. They are paying close attention and they are learning, they just aren't being as overt in showing it. I'm working on changing that. Gotta get 'em verbalizing more (especially the English Learners).
5. On the other hand, in a very wierd paradox, they are VERY chatty. Lots of sharing ideas with neighbors and talking amongst themselves. I can already tell that I will be fighting a losing battle if I try to stop it completely. Since they seem to be able to get work done while they chat, I am going to plan lots of group work for this bunch. We just need to work on volume at this point.
This was an odd beginning of the year for me. I spent TONS of time in my room beforehand, but felt very unprepared on the first day. It took me nearly 2 days to get into the groove of being "the teacher" again. Conversely, I learned the names of my students by the second day. It typically takes me at least a week know remember all of them correctly. Of course the fact that I only have 29 students helps some.
I tend to be very individualistic when it comes to teaching. I am somewhat picky about how things are done (I can just hear Mikey saying, "SOMEWHAT?" when he reads this!) and I am not great at delegating work. I don't usually have a ton of support, so I have learned how to do it all myself. This year, I have an aide in my room full time AND I am going to have a student teacher starting Monday. YIKES! I'm having to learn how to include other adults in my own private little party. I'll keep you posted. For now, I can sum it up by saying that I am having a SUPER year.
1. They are GREAT direction followers. I have been very impressed with how well they can stick with me as I am rushing through things trying to get everything done. When I ask for their attention, I get it.
2. They are still a little shaky on the organizational side, but I'm going to pick up some 3 ring binders and some dividers to share with some of them and then I think things will be better.
3. They seem to be able to handle a little extra freedom without letting it go to their heads. I can give them choices and trust that they will stick to the parameters I have set up and not go crazy.
4. They need LOTS of encouragement to participate in class discussions. This class seems to be made up primarily of those kids who normally just watch what's going on. They are paying close attention and they are learning, they just aren't being as overt in showing it. I'm working on changing that. Gotta get 'em verbalizing more (especially the English Learners).
5. On the other hand, in a very wierd paradox, they are VERY chatty. Lots of sharing ideas with neighbors and talking amongst themselves. I can already tell that I will be fighting a losing battle if I try to stop it completely. Since they seem to be able to get work done while they chat, I am going to plan lots of group work for this bunch. We just need to work on volume at this point.
This was an odd beginning of the year for me. I spent TONS of time in my room beforehand, but felt very unprepared on the first day. It took me nearly 2 days to get into the groove of being "the teacher" again. Conversely, I learned the names of my students by the second day. It typically takes me at least a week know remember all of them correctly. Of course the fact that I only have 29 students helps some.
I tend to be very individualistic when it comes to teaching. I am somewhat picky about how things are done (I can just hear Mikey saying, "SOMEWHAT?" when he reads this!) and I am not great at delegating work. I don't usually have a ton of support, so I have learned how to do it all myself. This year, I have an aide in my room full time AND I am going to have a student teacher starting Monday. YIKES! I'm having to learn how to include other adults in my own private little party. I'll keep you posted. For now, I can sum it up by saying that I am having a SUPER year.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Solar Flares
Just for the record, I hate Bank of America. They apparently have baboons setting up their programs. I have yet to try to accomplish something beyond basic deposits and withdrawals without ending up in a blind rage.
This time it's because we spent 3 weeks jumping through hoops, faxing various bits of information, and WAITING...always waiting before they told us that we couldn't have a home equity line of credit due to the fact that our home is of the manufactured variety. When asked why it took them so long (and 3 phone conversations with us) to come to this decision, they told us that it was because they had just gotten the paperwork that stated it was a manufactured home. DUH. I could have told them that. If this is something that automatically excludes you, shouldn't it be one of the FIRST things you ask about? I would prefer not to share all my tax info with the baboons running your office just for the fun of it.
Anyway. This all means that we are starting over from step one. Although I now know to ask them if they will work with our manufactured home status right up front. Mikey and I are going around and around on how much of a financial cushion we need to have, who we should talk to next, how much money we really need to borrow, how long it will take us to pay things back, etc, etc, etc. We have several options open to us (none that make us both happy) and I guess I should consider this a learning opportunity. The thing is...I never really WANTED to learn about this crap.
The most frustrating thing about this whole process is that we are just trying to do the right thing. We aren't doing it for the money (we'll be saving a whopping $50 a month). We just want to be doing something that will have a positive effect on our world and our fellow human beings. Using the sun to power things in Southern California is just the RIGHT THING TO DO. Why does it have to be so damn hard??
This time it's because we spent 3 weeks jumping through hoops, faxing various bits of information, and WAITING...always waiting before they told us that we couldn't have a home equity line of credit due to the fact that our home is of the manufactured variety. When asked why it took them so long (and 3 phone conversations with us) to come to this decision, they told us that it was because they had just gotten the paperwork that stated it was a manufactured home. DUH. I could have told them that. If this is something that automatically excludes you, shouldn't it be one of the FIRST things you ask about? I would prefer not to share all my tax info with the baboons running your office just for the fun of it.
Anyway. This all means that we are starting over from step one. Although I now know to ask them if they will work with our manufactured home status right up front. Mikey and I are going around and around on how much of a financial cushion we need to have, who we should talk to next, how much money we really need to borrow, how long it will take us to pay things back, etc, etc, etc. We have several options open to us (none that make us both happy) and I guess I should consider this a learning opportunity. The thing is...I never really WANTED to learn about this crap.
The most frustrating thing about this whole process is that we are just trying to do the right thing. We aren't doing it for the money (we'll be saving a whopping $50 a month). We just want to be doing something that will have a positive effect on our world and our fellow human beings. Using the sun to power things in Southern California is just the RIGHT THING TO DO. Why does it have to be so damn hard??
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Update
Thought y'all might be interested in how life is shaping up around here.
1. Masters Class
I managed to slam through the essays needed for my Models of Teaching class. They are all sent off. Now I am just waiting for the final exam to show up so I can get it finished for reals.
The textbook for my next class, Career Development, arrived recently. I started working on it today, but I am having a little trouble getting into it. For one thing, I can't quite figure out why I have to be taking a class about how to be a better career counselor. The kids I work with are 10 years old for crying out loud. They all want to be sports stars or firefighters at this point and I am not going to tell them that it's time to think otherwise. Let 'em have their dreams through their first decade at least. I think I might have to email the school and find out what the point of this class really is, or I am going to have a hard time taking it seriously.
2. Fridge
We are now on Day 15 of The Great Fridge Wait of 2008. (Hey! That rhymes!) I called them yesterday and they have me attitude. "There is a 14 day window for delivery. This is the 14th day. We'll probably call you within the next day or two." Um. Yeah. When you tell someone that their fridge will arrive in "7 to 14 days" that kinda implies that 14 is the MAX. But that wasn't the worst of it. When I admitted that I was a little stressed because I had been without a fridge for 2 weeks he said, "You should have bought one that was in stock." If we had been having that conversation in real life I might have slapped him. He did have the good graces to admit that I might have had a reason for buying the one I bought, but still. Jerk. Anyway - The new fridge should be here any day. I am SOSOSOSOSOSO looking forward to not having a dead fridge in the middle of my kitchen (we pulled it out fro m its little hidey-hole so we could clean up the melted Popsicle puddle) and being able to drink all the cold beverages I can handle.
3. My Back
Well, I finally went to the chiropractor a week ago. He adjusted my back and it felt GREAT. In fact, in the course of popping everything back into place he made it so that I could once again touch my chin to my chest - something I hadn't even realized I could no longer do.
I really wish the story ended there.
The next day I was at a district training I leaned over in my chair to pick up my computer bag and POING! I finally understood what people mean when they say, "I threw my back out". I could feel how the part of my back that had previously stretched slowly out of place had gone from 0 to 60 in a fraction of a second.
I spend all last weekend on ice and the floor. On Monday, the chiropractor put things back into place again and told me a horrifying story about a guy who leaned over and threw his back out so hard that he paralyzed himself. Eeegads! I have been faithfully doing my exercises, and I have tried to be very careful about how I move my back. I see the chiropractor again on Friday, but I am feeling quite a bit better already.
4. Solar Panels
Did I mention before that we were hoping to go solar? I can't remember, and I don't feel like looking it up. Anyway. We are, and I called a couple of places. The BP Solar folks are coming out tomorrow, but I am not really very excited about it. This is mostly because the other guy I talked to gave me some bad news. It turns out that our electric utility - Anza Electric Cooperative - is one of only 2 utilities in the entire state of California that doesn't participate in the PV incentive program. Being a cooperative, they aren't obligated to do so. This means that a PV set-up in Anza costs 10 grand more than almost anywhere else in the state. Bastards. If the BP guy verify this tomorrow, we will have to put our solar plans on hold. We just can't swing $30,000+ at this point.
5. The Letter "M"
The M key on y keyboard had decided it is only going to work if I REALLY MEAN IT. Apparently, unless I a looking at the screen and hitting the key really hard (somehow I think this is the ore iportant of the two) it doesn't believe that I really want the letter M to appear. It's starting to drive e crazy!
Okay. That's all the news that's fit to print. Time to put the dogs in and head to bed. Nighty-night, all.
1. Masters Class
I managed to slam through the essays needed for my Models of Teaching class. They are all sent off. Now I am just waiting for the final exam to show up so I can get it finished for reals.
The textbook for my next class, Career Development, arrived recently. I started working on it today, but I am having a little trouble getting into it. For one thing, I can't quite figure out why I have to be taking a class about how to be a better career counselor. The kids I work with are 10 years old for crying out loud. They all want to be sports stars or firefighters at this point and I am not going to tell them that it's time to think otherwise. Let 'em have their dreams through their first decade at least. I think I might have to email the school and find out what the point of this class really is, or I am going to have a hard time taking it seriously.
2. Fridge
We are now on Day 15 of The Great Fridge Wait of 2008. (Hey! That rhymes!) I called them yesterday and they have me attitude. "There is a 14 day window for delivery. This is the 14th day. We'll probably call you within the next day or two." Um. Yeah. When you tell someone that their fridge will arrive in "7 to 14 days" that kinda implies that 14 is the MAX. But that wasn't the worst of it. When I admitted that I was a little stressed because I had been without a fridge for 2 weeks he said, "You should have bought one that was in stock." If we had been having that conversation in real life I might have slapped him. He did have the good graces to admit that I might have had a reason for buying the one I bought, but still. Jerk. Anyway - The new fridge should be here any day. I am SOSOSOSOSOSO looking forward to not having a dead fridge in the middle of my kitchen (we pulled it out fro m its little hidey-hole so we could clean up the melted Popsicle puddle) and being able to drink all the cold beverages I can handle.
3. My Back
Well, I finally went to the chiropractor a week ago. He adjusted my back and it felt GREAT. In fact, in the course of popping everything back into place he made it so that I could once again touch my chin to my chest - something I hadn't even realized I could no longer do.
I really wish the story ended there.
The next day I was at a district training I leaned over in my chair to pick up my computer bag and POING! I finally understood what people mean when they say, "I threw my back out". I could feel how the part of my back that had previously stretched slowly out of place had gone from 0 to 60 in a fraction of a second.
I spend all last weekend on ice and the floor. On Monday, the chiropractor put things back into place again and told me a horrifying story about a guy who leaned over and threw his back out so hard that he paralyzed himself. Eeegads! I have been faithfully doing my exercises, and I have tried to be very careful about how I move my back. I see the chiropractor again on Friday, but I am feeling quite a bit better already.
4. Solar Panels
Did I mention before that we were hoping to go solar? I can't remember, and I don't feel like looking it up. Anyway. We are, and I called a couple of places. The BP Solar folks are coming out tomorrow, but I am not really very excited about it. This is mostly because the other guy I talked to gave me some bad news. It turns out that our electric utility - Anza Electric Cooperative - is one of only 2 utilities in the entire state of California that doesn't participate in the PV incentive program. Being a cooperative, they aren't obligated to do so. This means that a PV set-up in Anza costs 10 grand more than almost anywhere else in the state. Bastards. If the BP guy verify this tomorrow, we will have to put our solar plans on hold. We just can't swing $30,000+ at this point.
5. The Letter "M"
The M key on y keyboard had decided it is only going to work if I REALLY MEAN IT. Apparently, unless I a looking at the screen and hitting the key really hard (somehow I think this is the ore iportant of the two) it doesn't believe that I really want the letter M to appear. It's starting to drive e crazy!
Okay. That's all the news that's fit to print. Time to put the dogs in and head to bed. Nighty-night, all.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Procrastination
Okay. So, I'm supposed to be working, but I thought I would fill you in on the chaos that is my life these days.
1. FRIDGE
Our crappy, electricity guzzling (668 kWh/yr) fridge is dying a slow death. It seemed like it wasn't cooling properly before I left for my trip, and while I was gone it became evident that there was something wrong with it. Immediately upon returning, we went out in search of the most energy efficient fridge we could find. We had settled on a nice one from home depot and had gone through 99% of the process of actually buying it when we were told that the delivery service would bring it to our front yard. As in NOT the kitchen. Since Mikey's back is very touchy and mine has been acting up for some time now, that was a deal breaker. We ended up at Lowe's getting a cheaper, more efficient (440 kWh/yr) fridge that will actually be delivered and installed right into our kitchen. YAY!
Unfortunately, they had to order it from the factory for us. This means a 7-10 day wait, during which we are living out of a cooler full of ice and trying to eat everything in the freezer as it thaws and before it goes completely bad. I am embarrassed to admit that we still have the old one running, albeit poorly, in an attempt to slow the thawing process. I suspect in a couple of days I will no longer be willing to risk the potential salmonella just to avoid wasting a few bucks and we'll turn it off and empty it out for good.
This has not been good for my snacking options. While I usually pull out a stick of string cheese or suck down a glass of ice tea, lately I have been eating a ton of carbs - chips, crackers, pretzels, etc. - because that's what we have that is edible. We've also been eating out A LOT. I will be very happy when this new fridge shows up.
2. BACK
My back is killing me. I don't know what caused it to start hurting but it happened before I left for MN. It was somewhat painful during the trip which I attributed to sitting in a cramped airline seat, lugging around heavy carryons, and sleeping in a bed different from my own. However, since I got home it has continued to bother me. The only time it doesn't hurt is when I am lying flat on my back. Sitting with my back nice and straight is okay for a few minutes. Walking is alright as long as it is slow and easy. Bending over is impossible and sitting in just about anything (EZ chair, couch, car, etc) hurts like the dickens. I can stretch it easily to the sides or backwards, but anything forward is out of the question as are rapid movements of any kind. I keep trying to tell myself that I just need to rest it and it will get better, but I'm getting seriously frustrated at how this is hampering my summer plans.
3. Class
I am getting closer to finishing my latest masters class. Of the 10 questions that need to be sent out next, I have 3 finished, 4 outlined, and 3 yet untouched. Speaking of which - I am supposed to be working on them RIGHT NOW. Time to get back to work.
1. FRIDGE
Our crappy, electricity guzzling (668 kWh/yr) fridge is dying a slow death. It seemed like it wasn't cooling properly before I left for my trip, and while I was gone it became evident that there was something wrong with it. Immediately upon returning, we went out in search of the most energy efficient fridge we could find. We had settled on a nice one from home depot and had gone through 99% of the process of actually buying it when we were told that the delivery service would bring it to our front yard. As in NOT the kitchen. Since Mikey's back is very touchy and mine has been acting up for some time now, that was a deal breaker. We ended up at Lowe's getting a cheaper, more efficient (440 kWh/yr) fridge that will actually be delivered and installed right into our kitchen. YAY!
Unfortunately, they had to order it from the factory for us. This means a 7-10 day wait, during which we are living out of a cooler full of ice and trying to eat everything in the freezer as it thaws and before it goes completely bad. I am embarrassed to admit that we still have the old one running, albeit poorly, in an attempt to slow the thawing process. I suspect in a couple of days I will no longer be willing to risk the potential salmonella just to avoid wasting a few bucks and we'll turn it off and empty it out for good.
This has not been good for my snacking options. While I usually pull out a stick of string cheese or suck down a glass of ice tea, lately I have been eating a ton of carbs - chips, crackers, pretzels, etc. - because that's what we have that is edible. We've also been eating out A LOT. I will be very happy when this new fridge shows up.
2. BACK
My back is killing me. I don't know what caused it to start hurting but it happened before I left for MN. It was somewhat painful during the trip which I attributed to sitting in a cramped airline seat, lugging around heavy carryons, and sleeping in a bed different from my own. However, since I got home it has continued to bother me. The only time it doesn't hurt is when I am lying flat on my back. Sitting with my back nice and straight is okay for a few minutes. Walking is alright as long as it is slow and easy. Bending over is impossible and sitting in just about anything (EZ chair, couch, car, etc) hurts like the dickens. I can stretch it easily to the sides or backwards, but anything forward is out of the question as are rapid movements of any kind. I keep trying to tell myself that I just need to rest it and it will get better, but I'm getting seriously frustrated at how this is hampering my summer plans.
3. Class
I am getting closer to finishing my latest masters class. Of the 10 questions that need to be sent out next, I have 3 finished, 4 outlined, and 3 yet untouched. Speaking of which - I am supposed to be working on them RIGHT NOW. Time to get back to work.
