On the road. Tomorrow will be again.

It feels a little silly to check into a hotel at 3:00 after five hours of driving. Greathusbandbob said "now what are we going to do?" But I'm still glad we've done it this way. Four and a half hour drive tomorrow.

Lots of fun texting with the kids yesterday and today. On the flight here-

 

They're only about twenty miles away but are going to a baseball game in Charlotte tonight. Other family members have been checking in from NY and GA. All very much looking forward.

After some initial slobbering and frothing at every rest stop, the puppers has settled down. She's not even barking at the people outside the hotel room. Just watching a little tv. And has already dug herself under the covers.

 

Because the big guy did all of the driving, I was on meal recon. I had to drive into downtown Mt. Airy to check out the Mayberry factor. There was a kitschy souvenir shop that I probably would have liked. Lots of burger and shake shacks. This time tomorrow twenty people will descend together. Oy. I'm going to try really hard to fight the introversion. How else am I going to convince one of them to take care of me when I get old!

 

Seriously?

So I'm giving the dog a bath before leaving and my feet start to spontaneously and urgently itch.

I've been moisturizing dutifully.  Perhaps have some rare condition.

I have a condition but it's not so rare- apparently an outlying symptom of menopause is itchy feet.  What. The. Hell.

Rather than share a photo of that, I will instead post the delightful comments I got from strangers (because your friends have to say nice things) about the blanket.

On your mark...

It's that time again my friends.  Vacation blogging.  This year should be a good one. We are going here with the whole gang (dog included)  There should be about 20 of us.

https://www.vrbo.com/759718

I believe I mentioned earlier that the favorite niece 

is pregnant, due in October.  I have been working on the CAL Atlanticus by Hooked on Sunshine  (ravelry link)  I'm calling it a belly blanket for baby because the cotton texture is delightful.  So much so that a baby will be happy to be on her belly.

It is the first crocheted pattern that I've wanted to get married to.  I've started two others. One in a sock weight cotton and the other in leftover Monroe Sweater eco-wool (I'll probably have to order more at some point.  Crocheting uses so much yarn.)  I have now imagined every single skein of my stash in some form or other of this pattern.  I'm seriously addicted.

One thing that makes this vacay something to look forward to is that there is enough familiar and therefor less high anxiety. We know the beach, we know the grocery store (which is walking distance from the house!) we know the drive, we know the guests.  And while we are going to miss Greathusbandbob's Trump loving brother, we will be glad to be able to speak freely.

Whilst composing this post a package arrived- a bag from the mochithings store.  I allow myself one new purse/bag change a year.  It usually comes in summer.  When this year's arrived, the logo said:

Summer as it should be

The house is quiet.

1970 made for TV movie streaming on YouTube. Apparently Stefanie Powers was in every single one. Today's selection is called Paperman and is about credit card fraud.

Dog is resting up against me.

Atlanticus baby blanket ready to be attended to.

Quiet until it's not. Here's what arrives on the 17th. We'll have him for breakfast. Which will be easier when it's no longer vacation "how can I help make this memorable" mode.

 

 

There it goes...

Summer, that is. We've had a hitch.

Grandson of greathusbandbob has been making poor choices.

Last month he was taken to the ER unconscious with alcohol poisoning (3.38) after a hazing ritual that he very willingly participated in.

He has always been quite willful. One needs only to revisit summer vacation posts on this blog to get a hint of what it's like.

I am fairly certain his way of being would at least register on the anti-social behavior spectrum. Blood relatives say he's making poor choices. After knowing him for all of his 14 years I think it's pretty safe to say that he's not terribly interested in making good ones. But I wisely say nothing and wait for what happens next.

In an effort at rehabilitation, he alone will be returning with us after the week at the beach. It is under the guise of "helping grandfather" but really is just to give him (and his family) a break and a city with nothing to do and nowhere to go (except the occasional AA lead) seems the right thing to do.

He'll be staying for a month which leads right up to when school resumes. It's not a matter of wanting or not wanting to do it. It's what we have to do.

That being said, greathusbandbob naively believes that his explanation of the situation (helping grandfather) and the incentive of money sent home for work well done will be all that's needed to straighten him out. I, on the other hand, have begun to steel myself for the fireworks I believe are on the way desperately hoping to be proven wrong. (And knowing that if I visit my GP with this added to my list it's a guaranteed Xanax script)

On the up side, there is sure to be a good blog post or two out of the whole experience.

In other news, the humane society has been less than humane in handling our special needs request of a new kitten for cousin. Greathusbandbob points out that many of the workers there are doing court ordered community service. Each encounter has someone saying "it will be approved and you can come in,,." Only to have to call the director this afternoon and have to explain the situation yet again because the repeated story never made it to her. I should have expected that when I saw the county probation officer hanging out in the front hallway.

As for summer plans- Zumba continues. Walking has stalled but there was a MONUMENTAL moment in Spanish this evening. Fear of the Walking Dead had many English subtitles for the Spanish spoken in the show. I easily recognized the words that matched the English translations. Not to the point of not looking at the subtitles but to the point of "oh yeah, that IS what he said."

Short back story- we play a watching TV game where we try to get the next line before the character speaks. Bob is the master. I don't do as well because I don't concentrate hard enough and rarely think ahead,

On the episode we watched this evening a sentence began "si habla.." (if you talk) and the character proceeded to list the consequences. There was a dramatic pause and in it I thought "si no habla..". (If you don't talk...) and I was totally right. It was awesome. But I never said it out loud. It felt kind of showy offy. BUT I CAN TOTALLY PLAY THE GAME IN SPANISH!

Prior to studying the language I used to joke that I hoped one day I would wake up and be able to speak and understand Spanish. In a Jesus kind of way. Now it's happening only it's mostly studying and not so much Jesus.

Tomorrow we go forth in search of chairs so that three people can sit comfortably in our sitting areas without invading one another's personal space (hey ma, you just visited too early-the next time you conme you'll get a comfy chair!)

Here she comes

 

One of my school bff's. We know she's one of my friends when just before she starts down the aisle she panics and says "someone take my gum." It was such a lovely wedding and I was truly happy to be there which, when I thought about it hasn't happened all that often.

The other bonus of the day was hanging with my true school bff secretarysandy

 

We have excellent smiles because when I held up the iPod touch at first I looked at the screen and said "where are we?" It looked like this

 

Then I found the switch it button. You know it's the best bff when you can look at the people in the world, look at each other and know just what the other is thinking. It's one of those unspoken mmmmmhmmmmm's.

The rest of the evening was some mandala crocheting with yet another yarn. I think this is the one.

 

And finally there are two people that I know that I adore having babies this late fall so I will soon be on the baby present hunt.

 

Somewhere

If you keep doing the right things, there will be something to take a picture of. A double rainbow on the way home from Zumba.

 

A treat sent by greathusbandbob's number one son. Husband wants to hear everyone chatter about how they are as excited as he is about vacation. He doesn't really say it that way but it's what he does. We are a month out and had a mini crisis in that I didn't have the right phone number for the stop on the way hotel. All was resolved. Point being, he is so excited.

 

There was this to be proud of today. Just trying to push things forward. There have also been four days in a row of a 6:00 am/7:00 am walking. Humidity hampered the distance earlier in the week but I've kept on getting up so there's that.

 

 

Week two day three

Item one- investment tip. Go for the cooling businesses. That global isn't going to stop warming anytime soon.

Item two- walking has occurred three days this week but curtailed by half this morning. See above

Item three- "what are you doing this summer?" As per my list a few posts ago, I've changed my plans. I'm recovering and relaxing. Who says I have "to do" even after a week or three. Plans are "to be." And study Spanish.

Item four- new friend named Nicole at knit night last night. An youngish odd bird who rode her bike to knit night. She started conversation by asking "how do you drink your coffee" which led to chats about beverages of choice, coffee snobs (which we are not) and top shelf liquor snobs (which we are). She has been a nurse in NICU for some years and is taking a break to see if that's where she will stay. She loves math and wants to take a test to become an actuary. She was very interesting and I hope she comes back.

Item five- item number three leaves this post lacking and I haven't taken any pictures lately. There is a wedding to go to this weekend of first grade teacher friend. There is some knitting that is progressing nicely. There is Orange is the New Black for when a break from politics is required.

Time to be.

Vacay Day 2

Item the one- pay the damn bills. For so long there was so little money that I haven't gotten past dreading it yet. Also it's so much easier than in the past. Do you remember checks and envelopes and stamps!

Item the two- was a valiant attempt at extended napping that did not happen because I had not yet done items one or three.

Item the three-write and send an appeal to an insurance company over a $7000 bill. My hope is that the rehab center just failed to submit properly. There was so much wrong about that place.

Item the four- 54 day streak on DuoLingo and some work on Babbel. I remember a lot but I'm afraid if I go too fast, I'll forget.

Item the five- is a non item. It was raining this morning and I did not take the three mile walk I took the last three days. I wasn't mentally ready this morning anyway but am looking forward to tomorrow's so that's a good thing.

Item the last-I'm undertaking a grand yarn project that will span across several days. I am frogging all of my incomplete stashed projects. I feel like I should have gone with before and after pictures as an artistic statement on process. What I really can't believe is all of the lace projects I've never finished and the degree to which I did finish them. I frogged the beautiful today. Part of this activity will also be taking stock so here are the pics.

 

 

I love yarn.

 

Appreciating Music Appreciation

Next year I will be adding high school music appreciation to my schedule. It's what happens when you teach in a rural area.

One of the ideas suggested to me in a music teacher group had students pick five songs that have the most meaning to them, create a PowerPoint slide/collage for each one and give a presentation on them.

Yesterday, on the first day of summer vacation I started my version to have as a model. I thought about songs that I have "binged" on as well as those that seem so sacred to me that I save listening to them for some imaginary special time that doesn't really exist.

What I wasn't expecting to find were overarching big picture life connections. Once I started to think about how to represent each song these connections surfaced.

 

Barber's Adagio for Strings is the ultimate in sorrow. I can remember sitting on a floor for hours and weeping. It may also be the most comforting release for the clinically depressed. Andwhile I realize now that it was Samuel Adler and not Samuel Barber that I met in college, this encounter brought to light the fact that the composers are a separate entity from the music. Maybe it's not so much we want to meet them as we want to be them, or in some cases we feel we already are them having experienced their music.

 

In contrast, Carl Orff's Street Song is the ultimate in joy. I have never been happier than when I got to play the timpani part in my level 3 Orff training. Also, that training has made me who I am as a teacher and there is no doubt some connection in the joy and sense of accomplishment in that moment and throughout my career.

 

The Littlest Birds speaks to humor and friendship. Knitnightdrjustine brought this one to me and while,they are really singing "the littlest birds sing the prettiest songs", when I first heard it I thought they were saying "the little assed birds sing the prettiest songs" and even when I found out the real words, I stuck with my version and laugh and laugh every time I hear it. One time I listened to only that song over a three hour drive. I'm a big fan of the repeat option.

The last two will be Blackbird and the South African song Shosholoza. I've already come to some realizations about thos pieces but I will save them for when the sleeping res are done.

 

 

Cat Poet Babbles Sunshine

Or what I would name this post if it were fake news.

Item One- granddaughter of greathusbandbob has been named the Youth Poet Laureate of Seattle. I can't wait to find out what that means in real life.

Item Two- cousin's cat died. At home. In the middle of the night.

My first act of the morning was to dispose of a dead cat. Which is better than cousins first act of the morning which was finding him.

When she called this morning we told her to cover him with a towel until we could get there. Cousin being cousin... when I got there she had a kitchen towel on him like a blanket with his head and tail out rather than covered.

As I was adulting, I couldn't help but play Law and Order in my head, noting the body was in full rigor but had not started to decompose.

Item three- having restarted the latest double knitted Star Trek blanket square five times, I am pausing for some crochet. It's called Atlanticus from a website called Hooked on Sunshine. It's Noro- the colors are absolutely not correct but the variety is.

 

Item four- There are two more days with kids, one work day after that and summer vacation begins. Babbel is the winner for clarity of instruction. Duolingo is good for self esteem and a site called languagezen exists to make me realize how much I don't know. Tiny cards for vocabulary training.

 

Seven days with kids.

Item number One.

I believe a major victory in adulthood is when faced with passive aggressive personalities you can see it, let it roll and call it out only in your own mind. I'm getting closer.

Number Two

Kid at school. Here is the picture of a kid at school a million years ago. I now teach his child who is identical.

I'd post a picture of the son but I'm not allowed and I don't really have to because they are twins. Sometimes genetics blow my mind.

Item number three. One time greathusbandbob and I went to Costa Rica. This is my favorite picture in downtown San Jose. (That's greathusbandbob in the window being a Costa Rican Ernest Hemingway) The goal now is a trip to Cuba in similarly rustic accommodations. A girl can dream.

 

Item the four. Right now as the school year nears its completion, another thing I really need is a repeat of the knitnightdrjustine trip to the big apple for some Chinatown, little Italy and cocktail hour in the best decor.

 

 

Finally five. One thing that is for sure on the horizon is the annual July ocean trip which, if accommodations are the measure, this will be the best ever. Seven rooms, sleeps twenty, beachfront, private pool and most importantly king size bed so there is enough room for the dog and an elevator for the luggage. The best part is that there could very well be more than twenty all running in and out, up and down, eating and grocery shopping doing the thing. And zero passive aggression.

 

 

Pedro y el lobo

On the mend from strep, first grade became Peter and the Wolf day. But Julian is in class and I have just enough Spanish chops to say el gato, el pato, el lobo, abuelo and with some help from a blushing five year old, el pajaro.

He was suddenly a star and the look on his face when I had some sentences that made sense instead of pieces of words put together was priceless.

And when he had the answers and kids started asking him about how to say things the look on my face was equally as priceless.

Guano loco and I can teach myself things other than knitting.

That's not an official Spanish phrase, just one I like to use to describe the last weeks of school- they always manage to find a way to become batshit crazy.

I know we are celebrating first responders one day next week. I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean you have to call them to get them to do stuff for you the week before. Details are unreportable and confidential. Everyone is safe and fine, but there was a need. Twice. In one day. When the principal was out of the building. Also a third time would not have been inappropriate but it seemed to get handled. And none of the events were related to each other.

Greathusbandbob and I watched the movie about the mathematician called The Man Who Knew Infinity. It was a good albeit sad movie and I learned a new word. Ramanujen was an autodidact. Wikipedia says-

Generally, an autodidact is an individual who chooses the subject they will study, their studying material and the studying rhythm and time. An autodidact may or may not have formal education, and their study may be either a complement or an alternative to it.

Guess what! I am an autodidact. Today I felt stupid making verb vocabulary cards in present and past tense in Spanish. But then I thought What Would Ramanujen Do? Taking notes for the sake of taking notes seems crazy but it is one of the better ways to learn something. So I did it. Also I don't have to learn Spanish as slowly as high school French happened. I will choose my studying rhythm and time. I'm not sure how I'll know if I'm knowing it but I can understand simple sentences that I couldn't before and that's the goal so I just need to break the habitual constraints of formal education and get on with it.

 

Next idea- because summer is coming, the brain is relaxing, the ideas start to come. Greathusbandbob organized a forum of smart people to speak about various aspects of treatment for drug addiction. You don't need the details. Just know there was a drug pathology professor, a probation officer and a physician who made up the heart of the panel. After hearing them, I think, just like students go to other countries for foreign exchange visits, there should be a program for adults who want to go visit other jobs. I skirted this idea when visiting the accountant but now it's taking on a clearer form. Or maybe it's just more autodidactism.

In other news which is actually a revisit of old news, you can not even imagine how awesome it is to watch the faces of kids as they make music together with giant pieces of paper. They are so surprised by the power and intensity of the sound. There is at least one in every class who makes the same face that's in my head every time I hear it. And with each escalation in sound, the wonder and surprise in their faces expands. For an "offhand, maybe this will work" activity it's been a treasure trove of happy teaching and learning moments.

And finally the weekend will include teaching greathusbandbob how to use his new iPhone. Today is his birthday. And one of us needs to be grown up enough to have a cell phone.

 

This is my job.

There is a standard "let's make a rainstorm" that kids at camp and kids with clever music teachers do. It involves doing the "wave" across the room but instead of hands in the air, its body percussion (snap, clap, pat and variations) building from silence to a big storm.

It was a part of my plan today with the words "giant paper?" penciled next to it. Not prepared to really go there, I walked into the teachers lounge and saw a giant pile of ugly orange poster board for giveaway. If creativity is putting two "knowns" together to make a new known then I win today.

 

We didn't have a thunderstorm, we had hurricane winds with practically on top of us thunder (when they started kicking and punching the paper). It was awesome.

 

Soon it will be the weekend every day

Because I skipped the Zumba last Thursday to cut the grass, I decided to make it a step filled day by going for one of the long walks of a few summers ago. Except I forgot to pay attention to the sun and found myself near heat exhaustion climbing up a 45* hill at noon on this sunny day. The neighbor's grown daughter spotted my distress and drove me the last 500 steps home. Note to self, check the sun.

Other than the rescue car, this was my favorite thing on the walk-

 

I can never remember the name (much like I always forget the word tortilla and Christopher Walken's name) and the guy getting in his car in front of the house eyed me suspiciously as I photographed it. I'm going to guess that the only thing I could look potentially guilty of was sneaking into the house and collapsing in exhaustion. Step total was 7,000+ , so there's that.

When you order your meal and cocktail in Spanish, somethimes they bring you an extra house tequila at the end of the meal. And it is delicious. And they realized your Spanish wasn't completely rehearsed when you say "duermo ahora."

The student teacher with no classroom management skills has finished her placement. Every now and then it's good for those kids to experience a little less than the best. Then they are grateful when I return and we all like each other a little more.

 

Healthy choices - not so much

So we spent a lot of running around time making ourselves eligible for a $10 discount/mo at the local gym. When it came time to sign our portion we were asked to promise to go an hour a day three days a week, keep a food journal, talk on the phone with a nutritionist. All good things but not the autonomy we wanted to give up. Had I thought of drawing the food for the food journal then, it would have been hard to resist not doing it just to turn in pictures instead of words.

Greathusbandbob bought some Ben and jerry's and it called my name. On the other hand I didn't eat the Twix bar in my drawer because I didn't want to have to confess to it.

 

 

One thing I've come to realize about drawing is that you can't judge the quality accurately when you're close ( both in time and distance). So far many of the things did not end up looking as bad as they felt.

 

As promised.

Yesterday's food-

 

Today's inspiration- lots of dog portraits. though the instructor says use still lifes not already drawn images-

 

My view from the inside-

 

 

Not yet.

Spanish- added the podcast Spanish in one month to modes of instruction. A mnemonic bee named Joel teaches connecting words prior to verbs and teaches all tenses for one verb (and then more) rather than one tense for all verbs. Also got a collection of fairy tales retold in Spanish and have been listening to get an ear for the language trying to hear the words I recognize and how they're put together. So many words, all vaguely familiar but too fast to connect. Slow and steady.

I used to say that I believed that one day Spanish words would come out of my mouth and I would understand all magically. Magic=intensive study. Not yet discouraged.

Drawing- I'm going slow on the lessons. There needs to be lots of drawing in between lessons. I've taken to drawing what I've eaten for the day and then naming it en espagnol. Clever, eh? The idea came from this artist (and surprisingly enough-not really-she started as a knitter). She kept track of purchases. I have mostly come out from under the yoke of consumerism however I am happy to be compulsive about food. It's more fun than the official Food Journal.

 

There are 25 teaching days left. This week has been so easy I really can't speak of it. It's testing week. That usually means that I am either monitoring tests or covering a rearranged schedule that I have written. This year the principal said- hey we're not turning the school on it's head just for testing so if kids are testing when I have them, I don't have them. In addition it's the student teachers last week and she's doing the rest.

There will be drawings of food tomorrow. In a "hey I'm not a weirdo" moment the bus driver, preacher, dad of former students friend asked me to help him learn the piano. He knows a little bit. Just needs some guidance. I'm not the only one looking to know more stuff.

 

Play it out until it's done

Spanish- apparently the learning curve gets steep after you become 3% proficient. I'm still maintaining my daily practice. I'm just not as awesome as I was last week.

Knitting- bestnieceeverCharlotte (and my favorite member of greathusbandbob's family- we don't need words- just eye contact) is expecting a baby. I am double knitting squares for a toddler blanket. To go where no one has gone before.

 

I have completed two squares. I need thirty. Some will be blue/black others gold/black. Baby is due in October. I'll likely have just enough time.

Studying drawing and following instruction looked like this tonight-I'm pleased with the book and the jar- the coffee cup not so much.

 

Following no instruction and just drawing quickly and relentlessly with ink looked like this tonight.

 

 

Cough drop 1, cough drop 2, shekere, small woven basket, treasure box, knitted pig, broken shell, wooden rose. It's my hope that I won't have to regularly identify what has been drawn but today I felt compelled. And even though I don't love the way it looks, I did learn and think about the pig's shadow so it was not a complete waste of time. I also think cough drop 1 might pass the contour drawing test.

I'm reading some books that say here are some ideas. Just draw. Don't be afraid of art. Decide to make it Might Ugly. The last one was written by a knitter so it has to be useful.

Wouldn't it be nice if I kept up with all of this (and walking) for the whole summer.

5 weeks until summer

Summer plans are

-learn Spanish

-take a drawing class

-draw a lot

-look at Japanese art

I got a head start during this short break,

Yo hablo un pequito. Gracias, Duolingo.

In fact I know enough that the next time I go to the Mexican restaurant I can say cuando yo soy aqui con mi Esposo yo no bebo cerveza o tequila. Nosotros no bebemos. Pero, cuando yo soy con mi prima, yo quiero dos tequilas en un vaso. Yo no quiero mi esposo sabre. Look it up.

From the Craftsy/University of Washington course-

 

 

 

From the don't be afraid and draw all the stuff book-

 

 

Here comes summer!

 

knock knock, who's there, oh... wait

It's that time of year again.

I have five favorite kindergarten elephant jokes.  Each year when we sing about elephants, I tell them. It usually takes about three hearings before any six year olds "get" the punch line.  It takes 2-3 more hearings before they can tell them.  They are-

How does the baby elephant call his mama?  On the Elephone.
What does the baby elephant do once he finishes his homework?  Watch Elevision.
What weighs 500 lbs and wears glass slippers?  Cinderelephant.
What did the cat say to the elephant?  meow.
What did the grape say to the elephant?  Nothing.  Grapes can't talk.

Once they master the art of telling the elephant jokes I've given them, they are allowed to make up and share their own elephant jokes.  If you haven't seen a kindergartener make up a joke, you should really just ask the next one you see to tell you one.    The thing is, when you are 5, you believe you can do everything an adult says you can do so you think of the question part of the joke before an answer occurs to you, confident in the knowledge that something funny will magically appear.

I have had three favorite moments this year so far in the retelling and making up of jokes.

The most common mistake in the retelling is in the cat joke.  They say "what did the elephant say to the cat?" instead of the other way around.  Usually they ignore their error and finish with "meow."  Last Wednesday, J.C. reversed the animals, paused to have her brain explode and then put her arm up to her nose and made elephant sounds.  Ah the element (elephant) of surprise!

The second one- Why did the elephant sit on the couch?  He was tired.

And the third- Why did the elephant get a cat?  Because he didn't want a dog.

I got a million of 'em folks....

Inconvenience, I laugh at you

1- no alarm set for work this am (glad the dog has one)
2-student teacher called in sick- have to plan on the fly
3-got charged two different prices for the same kind of orange
4-got stuck behind the western PA tow truck-  one truck attached
    by a chain to another with a car behind them blinking his flashers
     and going 15 mph.
5- favorite necklace broke during 5th grade.

Hey Monday- what else you got up your sleeve?

Is it June yet?

So this was the email I got to send to the principal after school today. In my defense there was no principal, secretary, counselor or nurse around to help man the stations. Also Sue's kids always miss the buses.

Sue's kids didn't make it to 292. I last called- waited- then sent bus- Sue's kids come walking down the hallway. I radioed Sue (couldn't get the bus radio in the locked office)- she said "I called on the walkie talkie" as you know- I acknowledge all calls- she never called. I sent them back to her to contact the parents.

2- In the middle of all of this, I get a call from Timmy Runner's mother wanting to know why she was called to tell her that Timmy was absent. I told her (because I saw The secretary's sign in sheet) it was likely because he came in late, that I was not the regular secretary and if she could call on Monday morning to confirm it that would be the best way to handle it.

Ten minutes later- as we are dealing with Sue's kids the phone rings again- Its the dad of Timmy Runner complaining that I was snippy to his wife on the phone. I let him continue- (meanwhile bus returns and I have to get those kids there) when he is finished speaking I try to tell him that it was me, explain the situation and apologize.

He wouldn't have it he went on and on about calling his buddy at at the Big Business in Town and calling the school board and his wife doesn't deserve to be treated that way. (While I was in fact short with her, I was not rude) etc etc. I couldn't get a word in edgewise. I asked him if I could speak (when he finished) he said "no" and continued ranting. I talked over him and said "so rather than resolve this, you would just like to complain" (I admit that probably wasn't the best choice of words but I was full up of impatience by then) He continued to rant and I hung up. ( no bad words but on and on about calling the school board and not letting me get a word in.) Also probably not the best plan but I had three kindergarteners who were about to miss their bus a second time.

I am willing to apologize for both perceived rudeness and actual rudeness (there at the end) but I'm pretty sure he wants me fired : ) and that you're going to hear about it.

So hanging up was an error I'm ready to be held responsible for but seriously, how much patience is a girl expected to have?

Go figure.

I looked back to the last blog post and realize little has changed.

Aunt is still requiring supervision, it's still not a very cold February, and I'm experimenting with another lunch this week. (Shredded steakums cooked with green peppers and mushrooms to be reheated, cheese added and placed in a hoagie roll.). Given last week's disaster of "apples," it has to be better. I did recover with a giant eagle pot pie on Tuesday.

In the adulting saga I can report that all material ties of aunt to her former city have been severed. We sold the house in September. Last week we closed on the lot next to it with the neighbor on the other side. Last night I met with the house emptying auctioneer for the final transaction. She wound up ahead but not by much and the most valuable piece in her house was a card table that had barrel chairs. Go figure.

It's uncertain what's to come ahead. We are going to contact an ElderLaw attorney for help and to make sure we make appropriate financial decisions. Who knew there were attorneys specifically for that? Go figure.

This week is "teach knitting to kids after school" week. They took what was a four week deal and squeezed it into four days, one week. Two of the kids are former participants-the ones who insisted on calling me knitting sensai so there should be some laughs. Go figure.

The psychiatrist says I need to get a sledgehammer and smash some shit. I haven't done it yet because mostly thinking about it makes me feel a little better. Go figure.

Just now in an effort to make this a more interesting blog post I switched nouns and verbs around.

I sold apples, brought barrel chairs for lunch, took a sledgehammer to some knitting kids and knitted an attorney. Go figure.

Tricking trickers.

Today the weather was over me. Or I was under it. Flashy hot chills and sweats. Minor voice loss. Teacher crud. I taught my six half hour classes in a row and came home and went to bed-missing the school Valentine's Day activities. I did score some skittles, chocolates and a notebook paper valentine before coming home. If it's any indication as to how weary I felt, I left the treats at school.

Tricky tricker number one. The last minute valentine lesson plans that do everything you plan on doing with much more complicated regular lessons. Oh hey, let's find some note to add to the roses are red poem. Oh hey, let's add another pattern to it. Oh hey kids, you walked into class with just a poem and now it's a thing. A big cool sounding thing.

Tricky tricker number two. While waiting for my ovaries to spontaneously combust I was in and out of napping. Greathusbandbob did a grocery store run, came home with a sweet note in a card (even though he actually said the opposite of what he meant suggesting that he wasn't happy - he forgot a word or two but I didn't tell him because I knew what he meant and that's how good valentines are- so I guess that is actually tricky trick number two.) Tricky trick number three was when he brought a big bouquet of roses after I thought the valentines card was the surprise. I've photographed and photoshopped it to hide the cluttered state of the kitchen table.

 

Tricky trick number four. Aunt isn't working as hard at her apartment as she did at rehab. Maybe she can't. I don't know. Based on the number of hours they had to spend with her she now has a 24 hr. private aide. She is also asking about denture replacement which will require sedation and the removal of 8 teeth. Neither the nurse nor I think her body is ready for that so tricky trick four is that when she is strong enough to be aide free, we will make the dental appointment for her. Also we will get her doctor to explain why it can't happen right away so she doesn't think the facilities nurse and I are in cahoots.

Tricky trick number five- winter and February is a cold month and dirty dog lying wooly worms. I don't really care if I get snow days. I'm ok with school this year. I just want cold fresh air waking up my face and body. Stupid global warming.

Tricky trick number six and the thing that made me think of the tricky trick theme in the first place. Tricky tricker phone call solicitation. Last night the phone rang. Greathusbandbob answered and said hello. No response. He's always curious so he *69's it and retrieves the number. (At this point if it were me and I didn't recognize the number I would cease to follow any path of inquiry). He calls the number and is told via standard recorded message that this number is no longer in service but if he would like to hear an important message, press 5. Again, curiosity and a higher tolerance for annoying than me, he presses 5 and is asked "do you have car insurance?" That's a pretty high end tricky tricker. Curious cats beware.

Not on the tricky tricker front but instead the sometimes I really like kids front; It's betweeen classes, my door is open, I am quietly playing an EZ but lovely arrangement of Moon River on the piano-like keyboard. A fifth grade boy peeks his head in, gives me the thumbs up and says "Get it, Mrs. Terry." Bwah ha ha ha! Although that could possibly be tricky tricker number seven if I actually made him think I had madd piano skillz.

 

Worth 1,000 words.

I finally made a lunchtime contribution that I didn't end up hating.

 

The 4th and 5th graders in my school are working with our online music textbooks on their chromebooks. It has never been so silent in my room.

 

I was cranky on Monday and secretarysandy brought ice cream for lunch on Tuesday. I might have looked like this.

 

I knitted 18 hats for pre-school plastic bottle snowmen,

 

Knitnightdoctorjustine's dog, Eddie, can play the ukulele.

 

O.k. Not really but this picture is the best.

It's snowing at night and it looks like this outside my bedroom window. And I can't sleep because I want to keep looking at it.

 

Aunt has returned to her apartment but requires new glasses, an aide to assist her 12hrs/day, a special fitting for shoes that will fit her swollen feet and 8 teeth extracted if she wants her dentures replaced. We are not rushing into the dental portion of those needs.

Liza continues to pathetically limp. Most often when she's been sitting on her leg for a time. She's under a doctors care to resolve it.

Everything else is status quo with the hope of a snow day tomorrow.

 

Some K funny

We left songs about trains in kindergarten today, moving on to boats. After we sang Row your boat I asked them to pretend that I got fired from my job for having too much fun with kindergarten. Then I moved close to the ocean. Then I had to get a job. What jobs could I get? Top answers- lighthouse keeper, cruise ship captain, go into a shark cage and take pictures.

My goal was to get them to fisherman so we could sing Charlie over the ocean. I asked "what's a food that there is a lot of near the ocean?" The obvious answer, "ice cream." Hmm. Maybe something you might have for dinner. A tiny voice bleeps "shrimp?" Yes oh yes! How do restaurants get shrimp? "From the ocean." What, do the fish walk up out of the ocean and tell the chef "hey I'd like to be dinner?" Finally we got to where I was trying to go. Whew. Hilarious.

In other news- a finished bunny with clothes for a soon to be big sister. I'm making two. One for her and one to share with the baby sister when she's old enough to play. And as many clothes as possible before March 1st.

 

In other other news- the sticker chart.

 

I started on the 12th so I've scored about 70%. Which is better than last month which was 0%. I didn't start February well but the sticker chart seems to help get past the days I feel defeated. No weight change but my hip joints are no longer as stiff as they were in December. I allowed stickers for 15 minutes last month. Trying to go to 25. It may be what's holding me back. If so I'll go back to 15.

Aunt has left rehab and is back in her apartment. She'll have an aide until she gets a little stronger. She's tired but happy.

The vet prescribed some anti-inflammatories for the puppy's knee. Of course she wouldn't limp while at the vet.

Other than cute k-ers, children have been a little more dreadful than usual. I'm reminded of my lack of patience at the end of last year. But maybe also my plate is full and the kids are in a temporary growing plateau.

Mushroom Philly cheesesteaks and corn dip on Tuesday and Wednesday. Egg salad tomorrow and Friday. Every time I fear we've run our fun lunch gamut, we manage something else.