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.

Sights that made me happy today

This coolant leaking dehumidifier outside rather than in and no longer causing dizziness and light-headedness.

This bench/headboard once at the foot of the bed and likely the cause of puppy's ongoing knee pain. (She used it to jump up to the bed.)

 

The best seltzer there is on sale 12 bottles /$7. The first time I've seen it at the local box store.

 

A stack of aunt's tax documents ready for a meeting with a new tax accountant who does understand email and returning phone calls.

 

Lo Mein for lunch with NurseShelly tomorrow. She's going to make crab Rangoon!

 

Flowers delivered to aunt put together by a former student starting a business at half the cost of online non-personal florists.

 

The puppy (husky/pit) that stopped by aunt's room this afternoon while I was visiting.

 

The women and men who were out in full force yesterday.

 

 

Thoughts but no title

I said it before and I'll say it again-  the best night ever is the Sunday night before a Monday day off. Especially when the laundry is done and the meals are planned.

Last night we had broccoli and shrimp and my goal was to produce a white sauce.  The sauce in a jar tastes, as Aunt puts it, medicinal.  I also think it is strong and stomach churning.

Enter this low fat, low sodium option from the food network.  The pasta water they suggest to add made it a little runny- without it, it was perfect texture and flavor.  Light, creamy, smooth subtle.  We may have found a winner

Finally, I fear that global warming may take its toll on the knitting community.  With temperatures like this, who needs wool sweaters?

And finally another day of decluttering.  I find myself decluttering the same area over and over again- the yarn room.  I need to spend some time being mindful of what is causing the clutter so this ritual can end.

And really finally. The upcoming inauguration worries me so.  It's chaos as can only be created by a narcissistic sociopath with chaos as the final goal.  I hope those senators and congresspeople elected to represent us will do the right thing when the time comes.

Crack me up

Maybe the blog is a coping mechanism. Maybe it's a catalyst for coping mechanisms. As in "I'm going to do this for myself now so I can blog about it later."

Either way-

Yesterday and today I woke up early and did some cardio. Not a ton. Not 10,000 steps. Just five minutes worth of belly dancing so I could feel my hips again and eight minutes of cardio to be sure my heart could still beat.

I went to the teacher friends who are intense worker outers and post about it on the book of face and said "hey thanks. Also I'll be reporting to you each Friday"

Then I went to the pre-k aide Zumba teacher and asked her to make me a sticker chart. She looked at me, tilted her head sideways and then said yes. Later she brought this and I was allowed to choose the kind of stickers I wanted (frogs, stars, smiley faces)-

 

She's the best. Lunchtime nurseShelly asked what my reward was going to be if I earned all my stickers. I paused, puzzled, then said the stickers ARE the reward.

In the category of care taking, greathusbandbob has pneumonia. Lizajane is gimpy again-same leg. Aunt is a getting in and out of bed and in and out of her room step away from leaving rehab and going back to her apartment and the cousins bedbugs have been declared exterminated by Terminex.

Here's a little secret that I don't want going too far. I haven't hated my job lately. It's been a year of adoration and appreciation from kids. Some make it a point to give me a hug in the morning as they enter the building. Others beg for fist bumps and high fives as they are standing in lines in the hallways, and still others wave goodbye in the evenings. They see me and I see them. Being seen is important.

 

Make new friends.

15-20 years ago I taught a couple of kids. Their mom put together the yearbook. She would oft forget my name and I'm fairly certain it was some time before I knew hers. She called me MusicLady. I called her YearbookLady.

She is an amazing seamstress and one year made me one of those fabric stuffed bears with MusicLady embroidered on it. It's the best teacher gift I'd ever gotten up to and since then.

Kids grow. People do stuff. Facebook happens. I attach myself to the generations of the family, adoring the grandbabies, scolding the grown daughter when she makes fun of her mother, loving each other's pets from a distance and exchanging laughs on bad drivers license pictures and menopause.

Last week she messaged and said "I have some of those giant knitting safety pins from my mother, would you like them?"

She has stitch holders. Not really a hot commodity when they are easily replaced by some extra yarn but still. It was a reaching to be friends gesture. Even more so when instead of dropping them off she invited me to her home to get them.

Today I did that and stayed to chat a while with her and her husband. When you aren't originally from the rural community where you teach, it's easy to feel like an outsider. It takes nearly a full generation of being there and knowing the families before you can really become an actual part of the community.

Zumba at the town hall helps. You also realize that when they say "where do you go to church?" They aren't condemning you when you say you're a heathen. It's just a question that's asked not unlike how many siblings do you have. After about 20 years they see that you're not using their lovely community as a stepping stone for a "better school in town" and you, along with them, believe that you are already at the best job in the county.

I'm not idealizing these little communities. I realize that in some instances these are the WV DJT voters. What I did appreciate today was, as someone who's never really felt like a "fitter inner", every now and then you get a little surprise to find out that there are people who would like to invite you over for dinner some time and you are a part of a whole you hadn't considered. And you find yourself smiling the whole drive home.

Happy Birthday to Her

Prime rib at Hot Rods. White almond raspberry birthday cake. And a google chrome book to watch funny cat videos. Best Birthday Ever, she says.

 

 

When you let go of stress...

Your brain finally loosens up enough to crack you up and you find time to-

Take goofy pictures of the dog and post cleverly on Facebook.

 

Make absolutely ridiculous memes using a former students facebook post.

 

And after "the kids" send pics from their NYE celebration,

 

Take pictures of the tv where you are currently binge watching The Tudors and are back in time about 500 years... and yet it seems unsettlingly familiar.

 

 

Bam no Pow, try again.

Th previously posted bird in hand mitts were frogged. Bam Pow in madtosh. It would be a victory if they weren't too small.

 

 

Made some easypeasy potato soup. Pepper is key. Second batch was better than the first.

When it's time to return to the world it's going to be difficult. We've been napping-sleeping-bingeing-repeat for a complete week; taking a break only to go to the grocery store.