Back in the Swing

I have been back at school for three days now and I am glad. It went well and I really did miss the kids although they had a hard time believing that. We are back in the normal routine now and everything within my four walls is perfect, I love it! Now, as for the outside of the four walls, that's a different story! The school staff is a mess. The administration keeps changing things which is really hard on the kids to start new things and then change again. The staff doesn't react to well either so there is lots of griping and yelling behind closed doors. It is so frustrating to love what you do and then hate the climate you do it in.

T.V. has started again! It is exciting in our house. I am glad Sarah is back again to tape and keep things on track so I get to see everything and I don't miss any of the good stuff. Grey's Anatomy was wonderful, The Office was hilarious and the show after Grey's was not good. That's all I've seen so far because we both fell asleep while watching NCIS last night at 9 o'clock. ON A FRIDAY NIGHT!!! We felt sad this morning!

Today is a new day and we may do some shopping, Sarah got some new plastic and I need some new skirts and pants. I also need a new haircut. Have a good weekend everybody!

Do-It-Yourself-Surgery

At least that it what it sounds like from the bill I got from the hospital today. I paid for things like a scalpel and cath tubes and glue (skin adhesive) and face masks and sutures. There are all kinds of things on the list that is very itemized I must add. Anyone looking at the list would see a list of things needed to do surgery so why shouldn't I do it myself? I know, I can't. But it still doesn't explain why I had to buy the scalpel. All of this amounts to the grand total of $18, 375.44 and this has no charges for the private room I had either. The insurance hasn't paid their share yet so I have to wait and see how much I will pay but I am sure it will be a lot.

Word to the wise: If you have to have surgery it might be cheaper to get the supply list from me and then find someone who can do it for free. Maybe we should find some pro bono surgeons, they have lawyers, why not surgeons.

Thieves among us

I hate missing working. Now, I know most people don' t say that but I have a special job. See, the way I see it is that there is never enough time when you are a teacher. There are always benchmarks to reach and books you want to read and fun things you hope you get to. When you are gone there are not enough chances to do the rest. For this reason, most teachers will tell you they don't like being gone. Also because inevitably (not anyone's fault) things get messed up, stolen, dirty, unorganized and there is major chaos upon returning.

I went to school today to get lesson plans ready for the sub this week and I am distraught. But it will be my students who will be distraught when I return and they experience the wrath of Ms. Knapp for stealing my stuff. The stuff I buy. The stuff I allow them to use. I am very angry now so I will quit before I say things I will regret. Let me just say this, any bad day at work for me is better than missing work unless of course Mc. Dreamy whisks me away to Hawaii.

A Whole New World

I have entered a whole new world and please somebody take me back to the old one!!!! About a week ago, the 7th of September, to be exact, I had an emergency. Now, this is familiar territory for me but this one was a bit scarier as it resulted in surgery and the doctor removing something permanently from my body that I may or made not need later on (depending on the possibility of eating raw meat??). Anyway, I had my appendix out. They say I had acute appendicitis. The pain I had was not acute because two doses of morphine didn't even help a little. So anyway, for more on that refer to Sarah's blog linked to this page. She gives a nice blow by blow of the weekends events and my inability to save myself in even the most dire circumstances.

What I want to talk about or rather write about is the world. I have been watching a lot of news this week because there is not a lot to do when you are in pain and laying in one position. And I have decided that there is a limit to how much Law and Order I can watch in one day. The world scares me! In one day this is what I learned:

*Whitney Houston filed for divorce after 14 terrible years
*Brittany Spears had another boy who was supposed to be a girl
*Anna Nicole Smith lost a son and gained a daughter
*A 23 year old beautiful teacher is serving 3 years house arrest for sleeping with her 12 year old student
*No one did a news story on a very homely looking woman who also slept with one or more students
*People in South Korea are angry and chaining themselves to fences because the government is bulldozing their homes to make way for a new U.S. military base
*The Today Show spent way too much money making their studio high definition (I don't get that at all..)
*Brad Pitt won't get married again because same sex marriage is illegal...but he wants to marry a woman...he was already married once... this was always illegal...
*Barbara Walters thinks her dog spoke to her
*People are mutilating and killing sting rays because one accidentally killed Steve Irwin
*People are more upset that the new Survivor is segregated than that there is genocide in the Sudan
*600 + American civilians have died in Iraq as contractors under Haliburton since this drive for freedom started
*More soldiers and Iraqis died but whose counting....


This is an outrageous world we live in, how are we supposed to keep up and what is supposed to be important? All I know is that I need to get back to work where I know I can make a difference, a small one, but a difference still.

Thanks for all the well wishes that have flooded in, you guys are great.

Calm

Today I feel calm, it took me a while to figure out what I was feeling, but I think it is calm. Let me explain. Normally I feel tired, anxious, or ill. I know, I know, I am probably also insane but indulge me. We had a three day weekend and didn't do very much, in fact I talked Sarah into staying in bed until 4 p.m. yesterday watching 24 season 3. Then I cleaned the house and we cooked and hung out and then today I read a book and made tuna casserole and hung up a sun outside. It was very quiet and nice. Then a little while ago I was painting Sarah's toenails and watching season 1 of Grey's Anatomy and I thought something was wrong. I had this weird feeling in my stomach. At first I assumed it was anxiety but this was a new feeling.

Then I got to thinking, what if I have finally reached a point in my life where I am happy, clam and enjoying myself, not always trying to catch up or figure out what is next. I am content to go to work and teach my kids and come home and cook or watch T.V.

This is a good feeling and I hope it lasts for awhile. And for those of you who are wondering, I didn't even have to take extra meds to write this! Night!

Sickness Has Struck!

Sarah had the plague last week with the stomach thing and now I have it with the sore throat and achy chest thing. I was feeling pretty bad all weekend and got to rest alot. I was feeling better until Monday night when my throat started hurting really bad. By Tuesday morning I could barely talk (which was great since I had a formal observation scheduled) and I was in serious pain. I made it through the day without much voice and my throat felt like their was broken glass in it. Sarah made dinner and we watched 24 for a while (we have joined netflix - which is fun!) and I went to bed early.
I am happy to report that I am feeling better today, throat's still a little sore and I am coughing alot but it doesn't hurt so bad - guess I'll live to fight another day!!

Wet Spot

When I used to teach I n the elementary school it was not uncommon for a student to have an "accident" - to wet their pants. Now, while this is not uncommon in smaller children, it is not expected in older children. So imagine my surprise when a girl in my last block peed in her seat yesterday! Now, she didn't just let a little out by mistake, she all out made a puddle under her seat. It was really strange. I loaned her a jacket that I keep in my room and she tied it around her waist and went to the nurse to call home.

No one has mentioned this incident since but I really wonder why she didn't just ask me to go to the bathroom. I allow the students to go when they need to and I never get on them about it. So it was just weird. Anyway, I still haven't gotten my jacket back, I hope it is being washed!

On Top of Things

So today I had a student, who has struggled a little, finish his work and asked if he could get a book to read until we moved on. I told him he was on top of things (meaning he was doing well and getting things done on time) he started picking up his feet to see what he was "on top of". It was very funny and also a reminder that I teach alot of second language learners who have a hard time with slang and catch phrases!

Pamper thy self

Or at least that is what I imagine God would say to a couple of exhausted teachers with an hour to kill before bed. Sarah and I had a "spa" tonight as we like to call it. What it really was was we took turns helping each other pumice our feet, do satin hands and then paint fingers and toes. It is fun to just doing something mindless once in a while. I have a light day at work tomorrow with the kids writing essays so I could relax a little.

Take my advice and pamper yourself!

Week 3

This is the third week of school and one thing that is already different than last year is that I am aware of what is happening. I cannot remember what happened these weeks last year. Seriously, no recollection of the first few weeks. I think I was in shock or something! I was just telling Sarah today that I don't think I can go back to teaching elementary school, I really like this age group and it is a bit less work than elementary. By that I mean that I don't have to sit on the floor all the time or physically carry a child (at least not yet)!
Now I am just rambling because Sarah is reading her student's essay answers aloud for me to help grade, I will be glad when Rikki Tikki Tavi is no longer part of my vocabulary!

60 Inches

Yesterday, a student was showing me a project he did for FACS class (home ec) and he had a drawing of his house. There was a 60 inch television in his bedroom. I asked him if that was true and he said it was. He has a 60 inch televsion in his room that he shares with no one and there is a 90 inch in their living room! I was really taken back by that!!!! I never had a televison in myroom when I was growing up - not until college. I guess times are changing though I wonder if this has anything to do with his severe ADHD and his inability to write. One of his accomodations is to have everything dictated for him. I am not really blaming the TV but I wonder if there is a connection.

Happy Birthday to Me!

After a pretty good week at school, we all ran out of the building Friday night and headed to my birthday party. Which was really a party as such but we ate greasy food and had a blast dancing the night away at one of Yuma's finest establishments. I won't go into anymore detail except to say that it was fabulous and I was glad to spend my birthday eve with all my Yuman friends.
Saturday, my actual birthday I got a massage and then Sarah and I went to Ihop and rented Entourage and watched the whole first season before I passed out at ten, still tired from the late night out. Today, Sunday we went to church, had lunch with "the girls" getting caught up form the summer away and then came home to watch the second season of entourage and I just mopped the kitchen floor. So I was a little productive today. I still have two sets of tests to grade for work but that won't take long.
Friday, I also got 2 dozen pink roses from my parents (thank you Sarah!) and earrings from that are beautiful and dangly. She always picks out the perfect thing. But the best gift was the three get out of Wal-Mart shopping coupons in my card. This is fantastic for me as many of you know I hate grocery shopping more than anything!
All in all it was a great birthday weekend and anyone who hasn't scene entourage it is very funny and I recommend it!

Interest Does Not Make A Specialist

So yesterday I packed a duffel bag and drove to El Cajon (just outside of San Diego) where I stayed in a hotel by myself. I wasn't robbed or raped or caught in a fire so this in itself was a feat for me. This morning I got up and drove (very slowly due to traffic) to the city of La Jolla (pronounced La Hoya if you were wondering) and successfully maneuvered the parking garage and found the right doctor's office. All of the above are things that give me incredible anxiety so I was feeling pretty good as I sat in the waiting room reading Joey Pigza Loses Control (phenomenal reading by the way).

They called for me and I anxiously awaited Dr. Aung who I was sure was going to be my savior in this land without good or even mediocre doctors. He came in, didn't want to look at the history I had brought from the Chicago clinic, in fact, he barely looked at me. He asked me several questions and then with no preamble stated that he could not help me. That was it. He was not a specialist in migraines. This came as quite a shock to me as I was told when I asked his secretary that he was, in fact, a specialist in migraines. When I told him this he said that the practice is interested in migraines but does not specialize in them.

Now, were I quicker on my feet, I would have said: I am interested in biking but I would never say I was Lance Armstrong. Or something equally sarcastic. As it was I started to cry and told him I didn't understand. He just kept repeating over and over that he couldn't prescribe or change any medication for me. The man didn't even offer me a Kleenex. He did however graciously agree to wave any charges for the office call. Which is nothing when you consider I spent over 6 hours in the car, $79 on a hotel room and $60 on gas to get there and be told that I had wasted my time. I walked tearfully to my car through the crowded waiting room where I am sure many people thought I had just received terrible news like I was dying from a brain tumor or something.

So I went and ate french toast and got my car fixed and came home. I did discover that my students were perfect angels just as I had expected and there will be no yelling tomorrow. This is such a change from last year already.

Whew!

Wow, the first week of my second year at Crane Middle School is over! It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Instead of setting up my room, which moved locations, I also helped Sarah set up hers and got her ready to teach 7th grade. She is doing great although she is exhausted and sound asleep on this Saturday night at 10:00. I can't blame her, we have been going nonstop and spent the night with our friends in Mexico last night and then were at work for 6 and a half hours today.
I am going to San Diego tomorrow to spend the night. I have an early appointment with a new migraine specialist Monday morning. I think it will be good to get a check up and see if there are new drugs out there I can try just for the heck of it!
I hope everyone out there in blog land is having a good summer and check back, I will be back writing frequently now that things have settled a bit.
Here is one story to keep you waiting: the copy machine has been down all week at school. This is a major problem. Even though we don't do a lot of worksheets there are still a bazillion copies of things to make and it makes it hard to plan. The Xerox man came twice today (Saturday) and it is still broken. I think we should go back to using slates for everything like they used too:-)

The Library

Today we went to the Yuma County Library and I got a library card. Sarah could not get one because she is in fact an illegal alien and is not afforded the rights of those of use who have waited the 14 or so hours in line at the DMV.

The librarian told me that I could check out two items today because I had not been deemed trustworthy to have access to the entire library. Sarah chose "The Truth" by Al Franken and I chose a book that claims to cure anxiety, panic attacks and other problems by reading it. I figured it was worth a try. I started reading the book tonight and discovered 1.) it is not interesting and 2.) it increased my anxiety while reading and 3.) toaught me step by step how to hypervenilate should the need arise.

I am supposed to have a studt partner for the book (this person does not have to have any of the disorders being cured) and Sarah reluctantly said she would do it. I am going to have her read it and see if she thinks it is a bunch og bullhockey and then I will determine how much stock I will put it into reading and following this woman's advice.

So far I have learned that when I feel anxious about something I have to assess the risk in a ratio. For example, there is a 50 percent chance I will faint at this event. But, people with anxiety disorders tend to assess risk on what they THINK will happen not what has happened in the past. So if I say there is a 75% chance I will faint and someone says well how many times have you fainted in the past and I say never then in reality there is a 0-5% percent chance I will faint. The book says that worriers are the worst fortune tellers so I don't really know why they say to assess the risk when it will always be larger than the actual risk.

So I guess my point to all of this is that we are all better off reading fiction rom the library!

Mr. Bush

Normally I do not participate in political debate as I do not really like confrontation and I do not feel that everyone has to believe the same way I do. However, I found myself in a conversation with a colleague (it sounds really old to say that!) today at school about President Bush. We started talking about Al Gore's movie and how people don't take education (or educator's) seriously. And then someone brought up Bush's off the cuff comment to Tony Blair about Syria that was caught on CNN by accident.

Now, I do not believe that it is a secret that I do not like our President, however, I do respect the office and the duties that go along with the office. Last week, our Commander and Chief vetoed a bill that given the go ahead could cure several diseases and push medical research into a place where the doctors determine more of our fate than ever before.

I do not pretend to know all of the facts about stem cell research or being President of the United States. My beef is that Mr. Bush stood up and said that he vetoed the bill because life is precious, the sanctity of life is precoius and we need to protect that. The very next question asked by a reporter was "How many civilian lives have been taken since we went into Iraq?" Bush's response was give or take 30,000. Give or take coming from a man who is in charge of protecting the sanctity of life and in this case the lives of eggs that don't already know their families, their mothers, fathers, children or anything of the world they are to enter given the chance to develop.

I don't know about you but I can't imagine any family who has lost a loved one in the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Isreal, Lebanon or any other military engagement being ok with their loved one being the margin of error in the President's view.

Sin City!

We have been having great fun here in Las Vegas Nevada! This city is bigger than life - the architecture amazes me inside and out. I wanted to share a funny sign I saw today at the Flamingo casino, it read - "Responsible gambling means keeping track of your children" I found this highly amusing but we know that they never put up warnings unless someone has doen it before.

Also, we saw live flamingos and had a great Italian dinner at Ceaser's Palace. I am exhausted, off to watch Law and Order while we wait for a sand storm to move through. Night!

Grammar

So we went to Mexico yesterday which is always a great time with food and shopping. Yesterday - for the first time- I noticed a sign when entering the country (Mexico) that said "The guns not allowed in Mexico" I am glad that the Mexican government has a proofreader, otherwise we might be able to make fun of their grammar:-)
Off to Las Vegas tomorrow for 6 whole days! I can't wait to hang out and see all the sights. I really want to see the Hoover Dam and visit the Venetian again (that was my favorite). Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Dirty Hermit

Wow! Today has been a long day. I went and had a deep tissue massage, which, if you have never had one, I don't recommend it. It is very painful. I know it will help me in the long run but it zaps all my energy which is tough with so much to do around the house. We got Sarah's clothes and shoes unpacked and moved our rooms around to accommodate the extra furniture.

We are watching 24 on DVD. This is a very good show but Sarah fell asleep so I am waiting to see if she is going to sleep in her own bed or mine. She is so tired but she doesn't know when to quit, hopefully she will get some rest.

Today after moving furniture, cleaning and sorting, Sarah gave me a new nickname - the dirty hermit. This is apparently what I have turned into. I disagree but Sarah is ALWAYS right:-)
Tomorrow is more unpacking and then to Mexico to buy some stuff to send to Jaime in Iraq. It is 110 degrees here and it is 9:50 p.m.

Ouch!

I am home. Back in Yuma that is. We had a very long vacation - you can check out Sarah's blog for info on that as she already wrote it and I don't want to be redundant. So here's a funny story. The washing machine repairman came today and while he was here I fell down the stairs. Now, I know this won't surprise any of you but it hurt and now I think I should move my bed to the living room and not come up stairs anymore as I cannot appear to handle it.

Further more, the upstairs toilet is broken. Really broken. And maintence still hasn't come to fix it. It is a good thing we have two.

The house is in disarray, there is stuff everywhere and while we should be unpacking we are blogging and catching up on e-mail. Even though we are leaving for Vegas on Saturday for a week. Oh well, all in good time I guess.

Oh yeah... we stopped in St. Louis to see the Arch! It was so fun to see it in person and go up in it. When I get the pictures back I will post them.

Now to open a box - the fun begins.