Progress

Instead of agonizing over my progress reports (like last year), I was able to whip right through them. This is largely because about 90% of my kids are performing at an A or B level (unlike last year) and behaving themselves on a regular basis (also unlike last year).

At the end of last year I was relieved to see my kids go. I stood in the door on the last day, hugged them good-bye, wished them well, and then breathed a huge sigh of relief. There was no sadness. With this new group, I am already dreading the end of the year when I have to let these kids go and await the next year's unknown with trepidation. I imagined waving good-bye for the last time and I had a catch in my throat at the thought.

Oh, the difference a year can make.

Peace Everywhere!

At our staff development day yesterday, the assistant principal asked for volunteers to help make our schoolwide community building program more effective. It is called PeaceBuilders, and I personally really like the idea behind it. Unfortunately, if only a handful of the teachers are participating, it doesn't really have the oomph it could have. When she made the request, my team members all looked at me, saying that I was definitely the one to represent the 4th grade. This felt good, as I took it to mean that I have done a good job of demonstrating how important peace/cooperation is to me. They think of me as the one who can get things done in this area.

Winds of Change

We went to another Not In Our Valley meeting last night and got to know the group a little better. This was easy because there were only 13 or so people there. This was a source of frustration for those of us who showed up. There were about 50 people at the first meeting, a new group of 50 at the second meeting and now this. Much of our discussion was around how to recruit AND KEEP people for our cause. This, of course, led to questions of what our cause is exactly and who we are trying to target.

Despite the one gentleman who seemed to be taking a very adversarial position, we pretty much agreed that we need to focus on gathering information (from the groups that are already working against hate crimes - law enforcement, civil leaders, educators, businesses) and find a way to share that information with the public. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, we want to help the programs that are already in place be more effective and communicative.

At the end of the night, I ended up on the committee that will start brainstorming the activities and programs that will take place. I am thinking that we need a combination of informative speakers (police chief, school administrators, etc) and fun events that get people interacting with their neighbors. We'll see how that goes. There is also a committee that is going to create our mission statement and possibly develop a new name. Since we are being proactive about avoiding hate crimes rather than reactive to ones that have already happened, we would like to have a name with more positive overtones.

I am really excited about where this group is going, and I am thrilled to be a part of the inception. It didn't bother me much that there were only a few people there. It allowed for a very relaxed, informal setting in which to figure out exactly where we are trying to go. Once we have the oars in place, we will start recruiting the rowers. :)

Dang.

Progress Reports go home this Friday. That means that our first trimester is 1/2 over. That means that my school year is 1/6 over. Woah.

You know the old saying...

"If you lie down with the dogs, you'll wake up with fleas."

It looks like the Green Party's Ralph Nader has learned this lesson the hard way. I lost respect for him the minute he started accepting republican funding, and this just strengthens my feelings. It's things like this that made me decline to state my political affiliation, rather than sticking with the Green Party. I prefer to have my options open for when politicians lose their freakin' minds.

I know it's just a song...

...but if everyone sang along

Mikey shared this with me after school. I found it very moving.

http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican/

Thanks for singing along. :) Peace.

Well Deserved

I would like to thank my darling husband for convincing me that it was okay to turn the TV off, even though there was still a (or should it be an?) half hour of the Lindsay Lohan version of Parent Trap left to go. Once out from under its grasp, I enjoyed our saunter around the neighborhood very much, especially the multitudes of cats who were gracious enough to permit us to speak to them.

Observations

*Standing in front of the fridge on a Sunday afternoon, looking for something to graze on, becomes less appealing when the most prominent thing in the fridge is your urine collection container.

*My mind is so focused on my bladder right now that it feels like I have to pee every 10 minutes. I know I have been drinking lots of water, but I suspect my darling kidneys are just doing their darndest to prove that they can pee for two.

*I can't help but wonder how my bladder is comparing to everyone else today. Each time I pee I question whether I am peeing too much or too little. Is the Vampire Lady at the lab going to think "Is that all?" or "All that?" when I hand her my collection of liquid gold?

*It is very strange to have to stop by the kitchen on my way to the bathroom. It just feels wierd.

At What Point?

At what point do you pack up your things and move to a different country?

At what point do you confront respected adults about their inappropriate behaviors?

At what point do you go from being helpful to being obnoxious when trying to advise your siblings?

At what point do you give up on trying to retrain a cat to use the litterbox?

So many questions today. And so few answers.

Sacrifices

I sure hope that Amy appreciates what I am doing for her. No, I'm not talking about the kidney. I know she appreciates that. And besides, I don't really have to DO anything for that.

I'm talking about getting dressed and going to the gym on a Saturday morning instead of lounging in my pj's eating cookies. 'Cause that's the hard part. :)

Weekend Fun for You

While I am peeing into a jug, you can do something really fun. Below is a silly little meme that Mikey found somewhere.

1. Think of a word you would use to describe me.
2. Go to Google Image Search and search for that word.
3. Select the picture you see as most fitting, and post it here as a reply.
4. Post a copy of this meme in your journal.

I can't wait to see what pictures show up. :) And be sure to let me know if you are participating so I can find a picture for you, too!

Have a good weekend.

PeaceWorks

We attended our second PeaceWorks meeting this evening. This meeting had a speaker on the topic of hate crimes in America. There were some very good questions/issues brought up and I enjoyed myself (as much as you can "enjoy" talking about hate crimes). We are having another Not In Our Valley meeting next week and I am going to copy flyers and give them to all the teachers at my school in an attempt to up the attendance. I'll let you know how it goes.

Weekend Fun

After numerous frantic phone calls and runs to the clinic/lab, I am finally set to do my 24 hour urine completion. I haven't been broadcasting my intention to collect and save my urine to my co-workers, but I am sure they would be glad to know that I am not going to have to store my collection in the staff fridge. Instead, I will collect Sunday and turn it in first thing Monday morning.

Aren't you glad you know all this? :)

SO Worth It

We don't usually go out on school nights, but tonight we ignored our scheduled work-out to have dinner and a movie together. Shyamalan's The Village was playing at the cheap theatre and it was worth every single cent. I think Shyamalan's films are best seen in complete ignorance of what the film is about, so I will say nothing more than "Go see it". And remind you that his movies are most moving and meaningful when seen with a thoughtful mind and an open heart.

The world moves for love. It bends it's knees to it.

Or something like that. I tried to remember the exact quote, but I was too caught up in the story.

Plans

I have scheduled my 2 day kidney evaluation. (Dependent on getting my 24 hour collection finished, of course.) I will report to Mayo at 6:30 am on Monday, October 18 th and it should be finished by 5:00 pm the next day. I have arranged for a sub for Wednesday as well, to allow myself some travel/relaxation time afterwards. My current plan is to arrive sometime early in the weekend, so as to do some visiting. Anyone willing/able to pick up/drop off at the airport would be greatly appreciated. We may also be looking for a place to crash Saturday night in an attempt to avoid one night in a hotel. Depends on the schedule that gets worked out.

If all goes well for this round of testing, we will have a green light for the transplant. After talking with the coordinator, it looks like this will most likely happen around Nov. 22. Things could most definitely change between now and then, however. I'll keep you all posted.

Go Between

You would think that the people who do transplants for a living would have a good grasp on what you need to do to prepare for one. You might even suspect that they know what problems or questions will pop up along the way and be able to warn you of them or possibly even steer you around them. You would think.

Instead of getting my appointment made after being on hold for 15 minutes yesterday, I found out that I need an order form telling what particular kind of urine collection is needed. I would guess that this is a nation-wide thing. There probably aren't very many labs around the country who will do lab work for the fun of it. So, why wasn't this mentioned when I asked "So how do I go about getting this urine collection done?"

So, here I am, awaiting yet another call-back from the coordinator, who (because of the time zone difference) always manages to call at the most inopportune times, and getting antsy because nothing is getting done. I thought this would be the easy part.

What's a Quarter Worth, Anyway?

My day started out so well. I woke up refreshed and ready to face the day. (Falling asleep at 8 pm could have something to do with that.) It amazes me how quickly it all went sour.

I blame the lady at the clinic who put me on hold for 15 minutes. I called to make my appointment (that didn't get made, btw) shortly before I was supposed to leave for work. I expected to call, tell them what I needed, and get a date and time for my appointment. No. I sat on hold for a quarter of an hour. By the time I found out that I didn't have enough information for the appointment, it was 8:35. I rushed to school, knowing that all the good parking spots would be taken. I was just thankful that I had gotten so well prepared over the weekend.

Or so I thought. I ended up making copies and taking care of little things all the way through my recess break, through more than half of my lunch and for nearly 2 hours after school. Sheesh. I just couldn't catch up and it's all because of those 15 lost minutes in the first hour of my day.

Can't Laugh, Can't Throw Something...

So what the hell are you supposed to do when THIS happens?

A student was having a hard time buckling down to his writing assignment so I said, "I want to see pencil to paper!" When I looked over, I saw that he had the tip of his pencil pressed to the middle of his paper. Now, although I could tell that this was blatant defiance, I chose to ignore it. Instead, I encouraged further, "I want to see you write, Bob!" I watched as he wrote something in tiny letters at the top of his paper. When I walked over it was confirmed that he had, in fact, written "BOB".

Dammit.

It ticked me off that he was being so defiant, but a little part of me was a little bit impressed by his refusal to cave to authority. I still made him finish the assignment though.

Speaking of Blogs...

Who have I been reading lately? Let's take a tour.

After I have checked my own blog for comments, I head right over to Amy's to see what's happening in her world, especially now that we're going through the transplant process together. This is quickly followed by The Back Forty and Mikey's Journal, providing more insight into the lives of family members. Next, All Blogged Up, Coffee Achiever, Defective Yeti, Munkay #9, Not So Simple and Utter Wonder are where I go for my daily wacky. And I do mean Wacky. Confessions gives me a peek into teaching - Japanese style. Maineline, when it has been updated, presents the saga of a true Nor'Easter. I then flip through Dooce, Dragonfly, the blog formerly known as LOD, Moody Mama, WWdotN and A Little Pregnant for often humorous, but sometimes heartbreaking tales of parenthood in all its glory. Rotting Dead always has something interesting about horror movies, horror games or horror stories...oh, the horror! And of course, my minimal interest in politics is satiated by Daily Kos, FARK, and Over/Spun. If I have the time, I end my travels at funnies - Penny Arcade being my latest fave.

On the weekends, I usually surf the rest of my blogroll as well. I'm always looking for new, well-written blogs to check into. What are YOU reading these days?

I feel old.

Yikes. Is it just me, or does it actually, physically hurt to read this stuff? It can't actually be faster to type like this, can it?

Hello! I no twas ages ago, bt im gonna tell u bout my summa coz this is the 1st time i've actually had a chance 2 rite on here. the problem is, i cnt reli remeber wot i did ne more! well ill hav a go neway. 1st woz the skl music tour 2 austria. I no sum of u were there so ull no wot twas like, bt 4 those hu werent, twas reli kl. 23hrs on a coach jst 2 get there wasnt 2 much fun, espeshly wen i cudnt sleep, bt twas worth it coz the tour was reli gr8. lots of shoppin, slides in salt mines, loadsa other gr8 times bt i cnt list em all (mainly coz i hav the memory of a goldfish). reli nice grp of ppl 2, thnx guys if ur reading this, i hope u enjoyed it as much as i did.

*Borrowed from Sealgirl's blog. Not that I am recommending it...just giving credit where credit is due.

Good grief.

Bloggety Blog

I just checked my hit counter for the first time in a very long time. According to the counter, I am getting an average of 25-30 hits per day. This is way up from the average 10-15 I was getting previously. I can't help but wonder who these people are who wander through. What do they think of the site? How many of them are regulars? Not many, I suspect, but I don't really know.

I also just checked at all the meme blogs I used to borrow from - Friday Five, Weekly Wrap-Up, This or That Thursday, etc - and not a one of them is still running. I guess that is a fad that has passed. And obviously, a blog with nothing but questions can't stand on its own. There has to be someone willing to answer the questions. Anyway, I deleted the links I had to those particular blogs.

Speaking of deleting links, if there are links you typically follow from here you will want to bookmark them for yourself. I am going to do some housecleaning of the blogroll sometime soon. There are a few links that I just never click anymore and they have to go to make room for some of the interesting things I have run across lately.

There You Go

Dory: Everything's going to be alright.

Marlin: How do you know? How do you know something bad isn't going to happen?

Dory: I don't!



Finding Nemo is a GREAT movie.

It Takes Two

I am always slightly impressed with my relationship when we come out of a disagreement or otherwise unpleasant conversation having worked together to solve the problem in a way that is productive, fair, and hopefully do-able. Yay, us! :)

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Wow. I was never worried about the monetary aspect of donating a kidney. On the practical side, we made sure we could afford it. I checked on my available sick leave, and Mikey checked on our finances. We would have dipped slightly into our savings, but we could definitely afford it. On the more spiritual side, I figure that what you give comes back to you ten-fold (can you imagine? 10 kidneys?), so I knew that no matter what, things would work out for the best.

Now I don't have to worry at all, because my aunt and uncle have offered to cover the costs of flying and housing during the testing and surgery. Since my cousin's insurance is covering everything else, we aren't going to have any trouble at all. Wow. It is amazing how generous people can be. Thanks muchly, Paul and Lynn! :)

The Politics Test

I ended up right between Hillary's left shoulder and Ghandi's right shoulder. No big surprise there.

Where were you?

All I Will Say on the Matter

You know you have been too accomodating to someone when they don't hesitate to suggest that you plan your major surgery at a time when visiting you won't interfere with their other plans.

You know you love that person very much when you figure you probably would have done so anyway.

You know you are going to get an ulcer when you only comment vaguely about the subject rather than ranting like you should.

Whatever. We now return you to the regularly scheduled up-beat, cheerful Soleil already in progress.

With Flying Colors

I have always done well on tests - partly because I am just a good test taker, and partly because I am driven to succeed. I was one of those kids who asked to take a make-up test if I got a B-. Monday, I took a test for which I was totally unable to prepare. I sat in my chair during the test wishing I had studied more or prepared a bribe for the "teacher" or something that would assure me a passing score. All week, the question of my score sat in the back of my mind, quietly biding its time. Had I passed? Had I even come close? How was I going to handle a failure?

This morning the waiting came to an end when the transplant coordinator called me at about 8:30. As we exchanged pleasantries my brain was fidgeting like a hyperactive 4th grader, dancing around and tugging at our sleeves. She first re-affirmed that we were a blood type match. Then, instead of the "But..." I was so afraid I would hear she said, "And when we did the crossmatch there was no reaction between your blood and hers." No reaction. My heart skipped a beat as I double checked my brain files for what that meant. No reaction = good.

WWWWWWhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Had I been at home I would have been dancing and shouting. As it was, I just gave "D" the thumbs up and a big grin. We finished our conversation and I hung up. No reaction. This was the only test I had ever taken and gotten a score of zero. And I was thrilled.

So suddenly, this kidney transplant thing is a discussion in reality rather than hypotheticals. I need to make some appointments on Monday - one for a 24 hour urine collection here in Temecula and the other for a 2 day battery of tests evaluating the health of my kidneys in Minnesota. Barring any unforseen problems, we will soon be talking transplant. Keep me and my kidneys in your thoughts...

Too many summaries!

I know it is time to stop grading when the little notes I write stop making sense.


And on a completely different subject, I am going to start calling the transplant coordinator to find out the results of my crossmatch. Keep your fingers crossed.

Spooooooooky.

Friday night, I had a dream that I was wandering up and down the halls of a large, meandering building looking for my best bud from school (We'll call her "D"). I was desperate to find her because she was supposed to give me a kidney (gee, i wonder where that is coming from...) and I couldn't find her anywhere. Near the end of the dream, I was just wandering up and down the halls yelling her name in a sad, forlorn little voice. I turned a corner, and there she was, lying in a hospital bed with her hubby by her side and a newborn in her arms. As I woke up, I thought, "Well, of course she can't give me a kidney. She's having a baby."

Monday morning, "D" came into my room, all aglow, saying that she had news she couldn't keep a secret any longer. Yup. She's due in April. I wonder if I will be able to forsee the sex of the baby, too? :)

*Interesting Sidenote*
Although I maintain my belief that we should not have kids, I have to admit that there was an INTENSE rush of maternal longing for about 30 seconds after she told me. All I could think was how fun it would be to share the experience with her. Then I came to my senses. I have told her that I am going to experience pregnancy vicariously through her. So if I start to act crazy, blame it on the hormones.

Let Me Go Oouuuuut...Like a Blister in the Sun....

Somehow in the course of doing yardwork Sunday, I managed to get a big honkin' blister on my middle finger. It doesn't really hurt, but I am totally creeped out by what is going to come oozing out when it pops. Shudder.

Vampire Lady

Yesterday morning I stopped at the lab before school to have my blood drawn. Although all we needed was three small vials, I left with two puncture holes and two bruised elbows. (Is the inside of your elbow still called your elbow?) The vampire who drew my blood failed to impress me much, what with the talking on her cell phone, digging around in my arm with the needle, telling me I should ship the results myself ("There's a UPS store just across the street. It wouldn't take you long." Like I wanted to walk in with a box marked "Attention - Human Blood"! And of course, she was still charging me for the handling.), losing the vacuum seal in the vials, and all. Eventually, it got done, it got shipped, and I got bandaged up and on my way.

Now I just sit and wait. I hate that.

Finally

For those who are wondering, I just got my blood draw kit in the mail yesterday. I will be going to the lab first thing Monday morning. From what they tell me, we should have numbers within the week. I'll keep you posted.

In Memory

September 11, 2001 was a life changing day for many Americans. Hell, for many humans. The reprecussions of that day are still being felt in cities all over the world. Many beliefs crumbled along with those massive towers. Many lives are being cleaned up, redesigned and rebuilt along with Ground Zero. In some instances, people have been bonded together with the strongest of ties. In others, people have become more polorized than ever. There is no doubt that it was a turning point.

I remember taking my break in the teacher's lounge, watching the television as people around the world attempted to make sense of the chaos we were seeing. I remember flinching and turning away as they showed footage of that plane hitting the building one more time. I remember having to get up and return to work - which at the time was caring for and teaching preschoolers with autism. They didn't have a clue what was going on and wouldn't have understood if they did. Having to focus my thoughts on those 7 boys kept me calm that day. Immersing myself in the act of love that teaching must be, prevented me from dwelling too long on the hatred that I had just seen. I will forever be greatful for those boys, because in their innocence and need they insulated me from the obsession so many experienced. I am relieved that I was unable to sit in front of the television that day and watch that footage the hundred times it was played. I wonder what I would be today if not for those boys.

So what AM I today? I am a teacher. I am a vegetarian. I am a pacifist. I am an activist. I am a patriot. I am aware of my beliefs on a whole range of things that I had never even thought about before 9-11-01. I am the person who wants to actually get a recycling program for our school, rather than just draw pictures about how good recycling is. I am opposed to capital punishment and abortion and war. I am ready to fight for my right to carry a camera, speak out against the government, and refuse to say "Under God" in the pledge. I am an American. I am a human. And I am proud of who I am.

I will forever be saddened by the losses that were suffered on Sept. 11. I will forever regret the actions that were taken in the name of patriotism and freedom. However, I will also forever remember 9/11 as the day I began to develop my beliefs. I will not forget.

Rocking the Boat

Or How to Alienate Your Mother-in-Law in One Quick Step

Last night, we had a birthday party for our little nephew who turned 3 on Thursday. As we were getting dressed, we were talking about how it's important to show your beliefs even in situations where they might not be readily accepted. In fact, that is where they need to be shown the most, otherwise you are just preaching to the choir. So, I decided to wear the t-shirt that says "If your aren't OUTRAGED, you aren't paying attention.". Although it is political, it isn't overtly "liberal". It all depends on your perspective.

Anyway, we got to the in-law's and no one said a word. I changed into my suit and took a dip in the pool (you should see that little boy jump off the diving board!), while preparations were being made. It was only after we left the pool and were sitting around chatting, that the subject of my shirt came up. A friend (hi, I!) commented that she hadn't seen the shirt and my MIL replied something along the lines of "Maybe no one else should see that shirt." This was the point at which I realized that I was treading on thin ice. She had invited another couple (very conservative in their politics) over and she was worried how they would react. My MIL does NOT like confrontation.

After much discussion and speculation ("Does it have cuss words on it?") I put the shirt on. I offered to turn it inside out (it is her house, after all), but since the esteemed friend proclaimed it perfectly alright (thanks, I!), I was allowed to leave it. My FIL arrived and promptly said, "I like your shirt". The other couple arrived and didn't comment at all. Although the rest of us made vague references to it throughout the night ("I am paying attention, and I have noticed that there is no more corn." "You must be outraged!"), there was no heated political battle and no one got hurt. I did get a briefing on the infamous letter, but that turned into a discussion on how you can't trust any media these days - something we all agreed on.

I am afraid I have upset my adorable mother-in-law, though. I hope she can forgive me for daring to have beliefs and, even worse, daring to wear them on my chest.

To Breed or Not To Breed

*DISCLAIMER*
This post is in now way critical of my parents and any conversations we may have had regarding this subject. My parents not only have the right to wonder about the possibility of grandchildren from my neck of the woods, they also have been very understanding and accepting of our feelings.
*/DISCLAIMER

This is the ultimate question. Except that it usually isn't a question. It is an assumption. People always say "Well, when YOU have kids...". Usually, I let this go, but sometimes it is a situation where I have to declare/admit that we are not planning to have kids. This is inevitably met with "But you are so GOOD with kids! You would make a great mom." Which causes me to remark on my patience levels and how much I like sending my students home at the end of the day and how little I like dealing with temper tantrums, vomit, and diaper bags. Even as I say this I know what is coming next. The one sentence that every parent uses. "Well, it's different when their your own." I can usually manage to finish out the script politely saying, "I'm sure it is. But I would rather not take that chance with a child's life."

I have played this scene in so many places with so many people that I can do it in my sleep. Usually, these other cast members will grudgingly allow that we have the right to make this decision. Sometimes, it ends with "You're still young. I bet you change your mind." which always sets me on the defensive, although I try to stay relaxed about it.

People don't seem to recognize that our decision to be childless, much like our decision to eat vegetarian*, is our own. It isn't a whim or a lark or a momentary insanity. It is a choice that we spent much time talking and thinking about as we design our lives in the way that suits us best. We are adults, dammit. And we are both more thoughtful and more mature than many people our age. So give us a little credit!

*Hmm...having written this post, I now suspect that our decision to be veggie (which has been difficult for some people to accept) is actually what I am talking about. But I have no desire to rewrite this whole thing. So take it as you will.

Slobber Cat

Bonsai has taken to climbing on my chest during the night and purring as though he's trying to wake the dead. This of course, wakes me and I proceed to love on him - petting and talking in soft tones. This has become a bit of a ritual for us and as long as it doesn't go on too long, I don't mind it. In fact, it's kinda nice. Especially, since I was worried that he would never forgive me for the lack of food and the trip to the vet that one day last week.

So, like I said, it's kinda nice to have warm, rumbly kitten giving me kitteny kisses. Or it was.

I don't know if it is because of the pain meds he's been on since his surgery, or because he's tired, or because he's happy, but whatever it was, it caused him to drool excessively. At first, it was just a little dampness on his fur. Then it was a wet muzzle when he snuggled my face. The last straw was when he shook his head and drool flew from it in huge St. Bernard-like strings. Ick.

I had to turn on the light and wash my face! Not that this bothered Bonsai. The light woke Mikey up and Bonsai snuggled with him until I got back.

Sweet Mother of Pearl

To fully appreciate the full importance of this prophetic Onion article (written in the year 2001), you must understand that those are links peppered through-out. Links that lead to evidence that the highlighted item has, indeed, come to pass.

Oh, the horror.

Baby Bonsai

Poor little Bonsai had to spend the day at the vet today. He recently finished his final round of kitten vaccinations and it was time to have him neutered. He seems to be doing very well, although his eyes are very dialated and he's a little groggy. I think the most traumatizing part for him was having to go without food for most of the day. They told us to not let him have any food or water after midnight (like a Gremlin!), and he didn't get back home until about 5:00 or so. I guess he was still too drugged to eat while in recovery because they said he didn't touch the food they offered...but once he got home he pigged out. I am a little concerned that he's going to hurl all over the carpet! Anyway, he's home, he's sleepy, and we won't have to worry about him knocking up the neighborhood cats in the future!

M-I-C-K-E-Y....

Every once in a while something happens to me that is so far outside my realm of imagination that I couldn't have made it up if I tried. You wouldn't think this could happen - after all, I can think of some pretty weird things - but it does. And today, it did.

I was driving along the road, already late for a meeting I was supposed to be at, when suddenly there was a mouse (yes, you read that right, a MOUSE) running back and forth on my windshield wipers. The poor thing looked scared to death and I was freaking out, frantically chanting "Please don't fly off into traffic! Please don't fly off into traffic!" over and over in my head. I managed to pull off into a parking lot where I popped the hood and went in search of an object with which to encourage the little guy to vacate my car. By the time I returned, he was out of sight. I can only hope that he went OUT of the car and into the nearby grass. I would hate to think that he went INTO the engine and became mousey mush.

Going to the Beach

Happy Labor Day! I hope everyone is having a loverly time full of sun, friends, grills, and cold drinks. If you are lucky, you might even be near some water! We're headed over to Carlsbad in about an hour to spend the day with an adorable neice and nephew by the shores of the Pacific Ocean. See you later!

Big Jerk

It is a good thing that Mikey doesn't let me be in charge of customer services. Most of the customers he deals with are great - they send adoring letters and thank him for his speedy responses to their problems. This is to be expected since he is pretty much available to them 24/7. One of the reasons that I rarely get to go on a vacation is his need to cater to his customers. (While I occasionally resent this, I do know that it goes a long way towards increasing sales and getting his name out there.)

Every once in a great while, however, he has to deal with one of those idiot Neanderthal ones who couldn't be bothered to read any of the information he provides (in the multiple places on the website) and decide to take it out on him. In those cases, he is calm and respectful, often thanking them for their mindnumbingly stupid advice and always offering them a refund. Where I would resort to name calling and obsene suggestions, he takes the high road with courtesy and respect. I don't know how he does it.

Today, he actually had someone imply that it Mikey's fault that he (the customer) had to yell at his kid. In fact, there was the implication there that it went further than yelling at him. This man's poor parenting skills were Mikey's fault because there was nothing for him to do besides getting more and more angry when he couldn't make the game work, never mind the fact that he hadn't bothered to read the directions or Mikey's first attempt at helping him. Grrr.

It is just a good thing that I am restricted to cutting and folding, while Mikey handles the people. Because people are stupid difficult and I have very little patience for them outside of the classroom.

While listening to a news report by a guy named Matthew Chance.

"Boy, I bet he doesn't get mentioned in many wills."

Hehe

I wonder what the Young Marines in their camo outfits thought while they were washing my car and came across the bumper sticker that says "You can't kill for peace"?

Saturday Stuff

* I slept in this morning, ate a huge breakfast, and then lounged in the hammock, reading and napping, for several hours. It was bliss.

* We are once again going to the gym on a regular basis. Although the little voice whispering "you really could stand to lose 5 pounds" wasn't enough to motivate me, the one whispering "so, how well ARE you going to recover from surgery?" was.

* I better hussle if I am going to get the car wash I have already paid $5 for. It was a good cause, and it wouldn't be the end of the world if that turned out to just be a donation, but my car really is filthy. Plus, I would get to heckle the little guy who sold me the ticket. That would be fun.

2 Weeks Down

And I am still in love with my wonderful class. They aren't perfect - they learned on Friday that when I say "Clean off your desk before you go out for lunch", I mean it - but on the whole we are getting along smashingly. We are covering our curriculum smoothly and quickly. They are actively engaged in their learning PLUS we often have time left over for unrelated discussions and explorations. The difference between this and the tooth-pulling I had to do last year is still enough to have me floating on air every day. I wake up EAGER, not only to get to school (I always enjoy the environment of the school), but for the kids to join me.

321...Contact

I talked with the transplant coordinator today at lunch. Thank goodness I had studied because I had to pass a verbal exam before I could play. There were some real doozies on it...like "Have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure?" and "Do you do recreational street drugs or marijuana?" I must have gotten a decent grade because she agreed to send me a blood test kit which should be arriving in the mail in about a week.

I also spent some time talking with a coworker today about the transplant process. Her daughter was born with kidney problems, had a transplant when she was very young (3 or 4 years old?) and they have been dealing with infections and rejections for the past 10 years. I guess her daughter had a cadaver donation instead of a live donor. Anyway, since she had experience with the medical aspect of it, she was able to be very blunt (she's like that anyway) about the risks I would be facing. She also reminded me to be very involved and knowledgable about what was happening, since not all doctors are as worthy of complete trust as others.

My brain is obviously busy processing this whole thing constantly, since the word kidney pops into my mind on a regular basis now. I don't think I have ever thought about a body part this much! I suppose that will wear off as I come to terms with the reality of this, but for now it is just silly. "Okay kids, I want you to list 5 nouns on your paper. Pick anything you want - desk, pineapple, armchair, kidney - just as long as it is a person, place, or thing." Sheesh.

Odds and Ends

*I never thought I would be a coffee-shop regular. But I find myself hitting the Old Pacific Coffee place more and more often these days. They have smoothies that are just devine and on Sunday they only cost $2.00. ($3.95 on a regular day, but if you buy 10 you get one free.)

*Our class fish have now been named. In fact, this afternoon, when the PRINCIPAL came in to talk with a student, she found all the kids sitting ON TOP OF their desks while we discussed the merits of different names. I just hope (and I am pretty confident) that she understands the worth of this kind of thing. (And that I do occasionally discuss academic things!) Anyway, the fish are now named: the blue one is Sharky, the yellow one is Bubbles, and the orange one is...get this...Little Porkchop. And I was worried that I wouldn't like the names. I should have known better.

*I know have Making The Grade on my laptop as well as my computer at school, making grading and recording a snap. Loverly.

*It is hotter than "anything in the world" (Mikey's lame metaphor, not mine) here in Temecula these days.