The dog can read my mind.

It was not too hot today.  I took my usual Friday after school nap secretly intending to take the dog for a walk in her happy place when I awoke.  I did not tell her this and it wouldn’t have mattered if I had because she is, in fact a dog.  After an hour of sleep she jumps into the bed and gets me up, pushing at me with her nose.  Then she is circling every move I make.  She knows.  She just knows.  I think she is a mind reader.  We went to her happy place, walked in a couple of circles and enjoyed the time.  I just don’t get how she knew.

Tomorrow is the burg's sheep and fiber fest.  I’ll meet drknitnightjustine after I finish shopping with my cousin. I can’t imagine buying more yarn.  I really have done an ok job of refraining. Or at least of using what I buy right away.  I’m making no promises.  If I spot my favorite thing... pottery coffee mugs... I’ll likely add one to my collection.

I have of late become the kindergarten aide therapist.  The k-er's can log on and off in the computer lab mostly independently.  While I wasn’t thrilled to be teaching this rather than music, I am proud that they can all do it independently.  Such was not the case last year when instruction wasn’t formalized and everyone was winging it.

This leaves a good bit of free time for both myself and the aides that accompany the kids. I like all of the aides and am not complaining but it is most definitely the time for all family feuds (theirs) to be revealed.  Sometimes people need to talk.  I let them talk, ask some questions and rarely insert any personal anecdotes as they release their thoughts.  Then they apologize and/or thank me for being the listening person.  Three aides.  Three talk therapy sessions. (Where I don’t talk) sometimes making it awkward to have to get up and help a kid fix a problem.  It is exhausting but it feels like the right thing to do.

With the one full week left of music appreciation (and no chrome books to work with) I believe we will explore Weird Al and musical parodies in general.  This morning, after researching what I might find, I remembered the Dr. Demento show that used to air on the radio on Saturday nights. Those kids got to hear the songs "Dead Puppies" and "Rolypoly Fish heads" and I confirmed their beliefs that I am the weirdest teacher they know. I know for certain that I never had a high school teacher like me.  But building relationships and being yourself teaches them to do the same, which matters.

Tonight’s dinner was brought to you by eggs and leftovers (peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, quinoa, spinach, low-fat cheese) combining to make an omelet with low-fat sour cream and salsa on the side.  The omelet pan purchased on a whim some time ago let me down once again and it has been disposed of.  It didn’t look like an omelet but it tasted like one.

Here’s a secret I’m telling no one else.  The gym is having a get healthy lose the fat summer contest.  And I entered.  I’m not telling anyone and don’t really expect to win but it will likely keep me secretly motivated.

And finally.  Haircut procrastination.  I am done with the scraggy ends of my hair but some perverse psychological issue prevents me from calling and making an appointment. (I used to be that way with ordering pizza-I’m hoping I’ll get over this as well.). Secretarysandy to the rescue.  She’s the kind of friend who gets that about me and offered to make the appointment.  Also she wants me to do it before school is out so she can see.

In no small bit of hilarity, the girl who thinks she’s going to go to law school can’t make her own hair appointments.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Someone please laugh at this with me.

So we are at the  "14 day and everything you do is on my last nerve" point with the adults at school.

Small inconveniences are blown up into "CAN YOU BELIEVE......'s."

"I've had enough's" have been gestating for nine months.  They are busting out all over.

I found myself in the "fed up for stupid reasons" state of mind at lunch today.  I needed a distraction.

I went to an LSAT study site and worked on some logic flashcard problems.  As greathusbandbob always says, you can't thing of two things at once.

This leads me to what's cracking me up.  Common question type

The coach is dividing the following people into two teams, Ally, Bonnie, Cecil, David, Eleanor and Phillipe.  Answer the question based on the following rules.

Cecil can be on David's team if Bonnie is not on Ally's team.

Ally and David can never be on the same team.

Eleanor's team must have one boy and two girls on it.

I made that question up.  There are no answers. BUT... what's cracking me up is that once home I find myself thinking..Why can't Ally and David be on the same team?  What is their history?  What makes Cecil so special that he can only be with David when Bonnie is away from Ally?  Does Eleanor count as one of the two girls?  Is Phillipe a boy or a girl and has s/he come out as such yet.

Drama and tragedy to logic problems.  Holy Hilarious Batman.

Countdown

The countdown looks like this.

In the spirit of going backwards, I will do the same.

Dinner tonight.  This is some restaurant quality food right here.

Fried tofu (finally figured that out- more and hotter oil.) cucumber, red onion, mushrooms, green pepper, quinoa, Thai sweet chili/red wine vinegar dressing, roasted cashews.  It was a happy explosion at the taste buds.  Mushrooms and green peppers were my add in. No red onion next time.

Knit night this week.  A surprise visit from the amazing Tara brought giant flower making.

With knitnightdrjustine making use of the leftovers.

Hair plans- it’s time for the once a decade shorter haired version of me.  I’m thinking Helen Mirren has the look I want.

And finally in the category of former students making good, taking care of wildlife...

Soft cute fuzzy things

I ordered a kit.  The yarn is alpaca, cashmere and silk.

The first grade at my school has baby ducks.

In other news

For the first time ever my answer to a practice question was set up and answered exactly like the given answer.  It was the easiest possible problem.  I had seen part of the set up before.  But when you’ve been scoring at about 50% it was nice to have a win.

The graduation present to the one senior in my class was a win.  It was an outdoor safety/survival kit and one of those things people use to flash at the sky if they’re lost in the woods.  (She’s majoring in fish and wildlife and even if she changes she's a hunter). I told her she’d probably never need them but if she did she could look back and say Mrs. Terry saved her life.

Hey look, I’m doing it.

Sometimes it’s just a random collection

Spanish-today I turned down a $.99 tequila at the Mexican restaurant.  More surprising than that is is in spite of losing all memories of my Spanish learning last spring I was able to say I didn’t want any because I didn’t want to get fat.

Kids- Friday was our all-county choir performance.  I participated and conducted for the first time in several years. (It doesn’t help that rehearsals are always on knit night.) This year I had 5 students participating who showed up for every rehearsal and remembered their music.  It’s good to have enough years of experience to not take things to seriously and still get things done well.  I had quite a few adoring fans.  My favorite part was standing in the wings as kids exited the stage and clapping and cheering for them and seeing their happy.  

Two girls went past and said "give me 5" holding up a peace sign.  I was like... huh?  They said "Roman numerals."

Here’s the thing about LSAT logic games.  I love them but I still struggle.  I’m improving but I have to be more focused.  My brain sort of relaxes and goes loose.

And finally while conversing with cousin today she said, "every day at 4:00 I come home and watch Wagon Train and my cat jumps on the bed and watches with me."  I said "You have her trained. Or else she just likes Wagon Train."  She replied "I think she likes to watch the wagons go back and forth." She wasn’t kidding at all.

WV State Road Rant ahead

I left the high school today. 50 yards to my left, a flagman standing at the local store (meaning heavier cross traffic) waves me on to the road.  Come to find he didn't realize that I was turning right and once I did made no effort to let me know otherwise (I was looking)

As I proceed down the road, well out of sight of ANY flagmen I approach the road crew.

I am stopped and the guy says "you better watch it you may run into the pilot truck"  He acts like he can't hear me when I say there was no flag person anywhere indicating what to do and then says.  "we're going to be here for a few weeks."

I pull over and wait for the pilot truck to lead me in the right direction.  As I am waiting, a U-Haul rental truck (entering exactly where the guy was standing) pulls onto the road in my direction.  If he's going that way, so am I.  He'll hit the pilot truck first.  At the end of the approximately 1 mile one way road, the pilot truck driver is waiting with the flagman, shaking her head in disgust (seemingly at me).

Dear WVDOH. Walkie Talkies- they're real- flagmen at intersections- think about it.

Also saying "we're going to be here for a few weeks" does nothing to let me know which direction I should be going.

She’s pretending to be Batcat- Bruce Wayne's feline sidekick.

No words needed again

Sanity Prevails

A love story.

Destiny is a senior who is really over high school.  She’ll join the game but she’s laughing at it on the side.  All year long Michael, a freshman, has been teasing, flirting awkwardly, watching her intently as she puts on her false eyelashes.  It has, on occasion, been almost painful as well as hilarious.

I know that one day I said "keep trying Michael, you never know, maybe you’ll woo her."  Laughs were had by all, entertained by the shenanigans.

Today they were talking about rehearsal for "the grand march"- the presentation of couples before the prom.  I said "Michael, you’re a freshman, how in the world are you going to prom?"  With a large slightly smug grin on his face he said, "Destiny asked me."

Overheard at the WVDOT paving project

Let's pave that side.

No, wait a minute, let's pave this side.

I'm not sure, this side needs it here.

What's that black stuff coming out the back of my truck?

I don't know but I see some on the other side of the road.  Let's scoot up so that car has to drive through it.

We are going to drop this tar all the way to  China.

I heard they make Penndot wear these bright yellow rubber jackets for when water falls from the sky.

I heard they also only block off the part that they're working on and have extra flagmen where other roads connect to the one lane.

Idiots.

Philly Cheese steak minus the bread and cheese.

Zumbabetty offers this recipe up.  Bake peppers covered with a slice of cheese for 20 minutes. Cook garlic, mushrooms and onions in olive oil (maybe add steakums for greathusbandbob next time) bake for 25 minutes more.  Put some provolone cheese on top. Bake for 5 minutes more.  A-ma-zing.

Same show, different color.

While pondering next week's hip hop lessons I stared wondering about a complementary t.v. show.  Hello In Living Color.  Those kids are too young to even know about it or the fact that it was a Jim Carey starting point. While looking at skits there was even a fake used car sales commercial on both.  Negative female and male/female relationship stereotypes, poverty, over exaggerated culture stereotypes.

While researching today I got a glimpse into the world of NYC graffiti, watched quite a bit of break dancing and dancing in the pop and lock style. Wow.  If you’re looking for some great “how in the world" videos, YouTube suicide break dancing moves. I also watched the d.j. championships hosted by Redbull. Scratching, phase pumping, etc.  

I’ve also made a small inroad into my case for next year.  I found the assistant principal and asked about the plan.  I mentioned that teaching guitar and piano in the same class would be (as my good friend described) like teaching French and Spanish in the same class.  I also let her know that while I am willing to figure out how to teach such things, I am not willing to pretend to be doing it if there aren’t enough instruments. She listened to and understood my concerns and will be doing some investigating.  She also observed some of the music making that takes place in the class as is and thought that would be a good option.

In other news, there was a kindergarten meltdown and a fourth grade bloody fistfight between two friends after 3:00 and it was my turn to deal with it.  I know it happened because I knocked on wood at 2:45.

Stupid Fitbit ionic

You save and pay for the cool toy and then it doesn’t work.  Thank you impermanence.  I’m hoping it’s just the charger but I have the feeling this tracker is the Windows Vista of the Fitbit world.  Useless.  When a new one (versa) is released within six months its a bad sign.

I’ve come to depend on it for steps, for rehearsals, for lesson timing, for inspiration.  Garmin to the rescue.  It doesn’t hold any tunes like the ionic.  It also doesn’t have a timer with which to cook my food and I can’t put a picture of my hey lets be healthy friend on the screen but it’s getting the job done. 

Most annoying request from the Fitbit helpline.  "We need to have a 15 second video of you trying to reset it with the case number on a piece of paper next to it."  Um... o.k. But as I have already pointed out it s completely out of charge and will not respond in any way.  "We need it anyway."  Sign number two of faulty products? Ridiculous hoops to jump through to get it replaced.

Not a huge deal in the scope of the world but annoying.

Music appreciation update- we had to listen to country singers today.  Jim Reeves, George Jones.  Ugh.  I said it was torture for me just like Gregorian chant was torture for them.  I did have some Patsy Cline for my own sanity.  

Kasey said "we should watch an episode of Hee Haw." And he is correct.  Today they each did a slide on famous stars that we didn’t get to. Tomorrow we will present them and finish talking about country music of the 80's to the present.  We also might try to learn a walking bass line oft found in Boogie Woogie.  Because as far as I can tell the only thing that makes something boogie woogie is in fact that walking bass line and the use of the word boogie woogie in the lyrics.

I let Quin (who seems to enjoy the country music unit as much- or as little- as I do) pick the next genre. She picked Rap.  She doesn’t really strike me as a rap music fan.  I think she did it just to see what I’d come up with.  Come to find that a Yale fellow named Henry A. Rhodes at the Yale institute of teaching or something or other in New Haven did extensive and interesting historical research and connected it to specific events in the Bronx and Jamaica as well as to the graffiti artists of the time. (Google "the evolution of rap" if you’re interested in his article-with lesson plan activities What the Actual what? Included.)

Finally I allowed myself to see exercise friend's posts again only to have Sarah Huckabee Sanders' picture appear with the words "I love her...she'll be the first woman president." Sigh.  I’m hoping if I don’t follow her and we never acknowledge the existence of politics we can at least be exercise friends.  She’s the first person who's really forced me to question the sanity of our world with her dichotomous beliefs

Supah Zumbah supah food

Yesterday there was a Zumbathon (which is actually 90 instead of 60 minutes.). It was a relay for life zumbathon.  Money raised on entry ($10) and Chinese auction went to the cause.

I went with newfriendmaureen who is a puzzle to me.  She’s educated, has an adopted Korean son, doesn’t listen to country music or fox radio on the drive and yet she’s had a few reprehensible Facebook posts. 

 I want to be friends with her.  I don’t want to be friends with someone who belittles those Florida high school kids.  I unfollowed her for a while but am following again with hopes that I was mistaken in my first Facebook impression.

Another invented recipe that wasn’t a disaster today. Yellow squash, zucchini, okra, red lentils, tomatoes juice and canned tomatoes and cannelini beans.  4 hours on low, an hour on high in the crockpot. Served over a brown/wild rice mix with chopped up fried egg added.  I guess it’s sort of a vegetable chili.  Only pepper added.  It was time to take a break on poorly mixed spices.

Thank You Universe.

So I took a sick day yesterday.  Not because I was particularly sick.  More because I was angry at my job.  On Tuesday the h.s. music teacher approached me in the drama voice and said "you're teaching two classes here this year and they are guitar and piano if you want to start preparing."

Item number one- She's not the one qualified to inform me and I told her as much.
Item number two- She was somewhat but not entirely misinformed.
Item number three- If it is indeed the case then all of the time and energy spent on creating a music appreciation curriculum was essentially one and done.

I have been hanging on to the drama/anger of inappropriate sharing of information for two days.  Principals are principals because they know how and when to relate such information in such a way that it does not cause stress (At least mine are thankfully that way- and yes, I did tattle on her.)

I was less than my usual bubbly self upon returning today.  641 teaching days until I retire kind of mindset. Suffering from serious "who gives a rat's ass syndrome."  We started taking notes on early country music- listened to examples- looked at the google slides I made for notes-read along the separate lyrics documents for the ones that were hard to hear.

At one point Emily asked "Mrs. Terry, do you make all these slides?" I answered yes.  She said "wow, that's a lot of work."  I said "the hard part isn't so much what to put in them as what to leave out of them."  Then Quin piped up and said, "oh, yeah, we've really been talking up this class to Ms highschool teacher.  We told her how much you seem really excited about the material and all the work you put into it."

Rendered speechless.  When I woke up this morning I was certain that I would be carrying that load of disappointed all day. And then someone stepped up and helped without even knowing it.  Thanks Universe.

Rings on her fingers... you know the rest.

I’ve become refocused in the weight loss world.  I skipped some workouts and ate some food last week.  Just prior to that I had been seeing more progress than usual.  Perezagruzka as opposed to peregruzka.

I’ve found the trick to not being hungry and craving is to make sure the protein is good.  I found some protein cookies at walhell (16g/400cal) and have been filling in the "oh my, I’m starving" times with some protein shakes (12/200).  I also added some powdered protein to those delicious cake mix/pumpkin muffins which are always too moist anyway.  I know it’s effective because I made them Saturday and there are still some left.

That’s not to say there hasn’t been a milestone.  Most of my rings are too big all of a sudden.  Ones from way back are being used to make sure I don’t lose the engagement ring.  

Did I say last time that my new goofy friend needs a stocking for her granddaughter?  I happily volunteered.  Ordered yarn today.  She is not interested in Norwegian  patterns and instead wants some cutesy penguins but there’s no accounting for taste and I’m happy to oblige.  Also the gd's name is Nellie.

I got my eyes checked last week and new glasses are in the lab.  I always get the lightweight lenses and the anti-glare coating.  By agreeing to the light sensitive treatment I was able to get a second set of lenses for FREE and only had to pay for the frames.  I went for some sunglasses- which maybe I won’t really need with the light sensitive lenses but it seemed rational at the time. I spent $120 more on the 2nd frame but got a second pair AND saved $500!

Greathusbandbob begins a second week of respiratory troubles.  A touch of flu and all of this rain has made breathing so difficult.  It breaks my heart and all I can do is make sure he has food for dinner (which I will plan a little better if this goes on much longer.) he did get a chest X-ray today and there was no pneumonia so we'll just have to ride it out.

Finally on Thursday I will attend crisis team training.  I will be so happy to participate knowing that a little moderate exertion won’t wipe me out and send me to the showers.  We have to practice on each other and the tall former counselor (cute boy shhhh) had always been my sparring partner and will be there training as well. Yippee. I won’t be stinky sweaty old lady smell.

We've been talking about ballads in Music appreciation and started with Barbara Allen.  Today we listened to 8 different versions of John Henry.  We also examined the verses of the Great Titanic-ballads focusing on fatal disasters that happened here are called Native Ballads.  The irony of a happy melody (especially the chorus) combined with a horrible disaster was not lost on them.  

Tomorrow it’s the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (which made me so sad, sensitive child that I was) Then we'll talk about how to go about writing some lyrics (using a melody they already know which is what they used to do anyway.). But the reason I share this information here is because of the sub plans I’ve written for my absence on Thursday.  They have each been assigned. "Murder ballad" (which is a thing) to research.  Should be great fun. And will take care of me having to research them next year!

(Oh and maybe we'll have a flood day tomorrow and I’ll get to stay home.)

Phinally Phipps.

People find their tribe members.  I think I found another of mine.  It’s the kindergarten aide that everyone else thinks is goofy.  In the category of things, people, and ideas conversation centered around ideas.  Perhaps another friend to snag when wanting to see a show or a play.

Today we went to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.  

It looked as I imagined but the smells had not occurred to me.  There were mossy ferny smells that reminded me of being in the woods-somewhere I haven’t been in a long time.  And so the summer plan list begins.