Nary A Cloud

Currently sitting here, it's about 60 degrees, there's a slight breeze, the lake is a bit choppy and there's not a cloud to be seen. It's lovely. I think, I hope, it stays like this. 

Plans for the day: Much like yesterday, we have no set plans except for lunch (possibly the Boardwalk as they're celebrating their 40th year in business and lobster bisque is on special), the pool, reading, listening to podcasts; depending on the lake, maybe a boat ride later. Who knows? Oh, and I need to get the kayak blown up and maybe I'll take it for a spin. That'll be fun! 

The mayflies started hatching last night. There aren't many at the cottage but there were quite a few on the Crew's Nest when I went to work out earlier. They don't tend to get to bad on the Point and compared to the cicadas at home, they're nothing. 

The girls went tubing yesterday afternoon and according to them, it was "horrific" but I guess that means awesome and they had a great time. I saw some of the videos that Eva took and holy shit, they were crazy! Muwee would definitely have fractured a hip had she been on the tube when it went airborne like I saw. Apparently it was a lot choppier at the State Park (where Charlie went to tube) but the girls didn't seem to mind. Charlie is a great sport and is certainly loving his boat and the girls enthusiasm for it. 

I started watching Your Friends and Neighbors on Apple and it's REALLY good. Jon Hamm, Olivia Munn, Amanda Peete, so good...check it out. 

And that's all I've got. I'm going to go sit in my spot and chill...maybe do a crossword. Gotta keep my mind sharp! Later! 

Forgot The Day

I forgot that it was Monday and that I needed to post. Whoopsie daisies. 

My current situation is what you see at left. I'm sitting in my favorite spot at the Bay, drinking a mimosa and listening to the rain, which should move out by noon, latest. After that I'm hoping for a lovely day. But even if it doesn't clear out, every day at PIB is a good day. 

I arrived yesterday at Miller Boat just after 10:00 and, hooray for me, drove right on the ferry. The passengers had already loaded and I was the only car so that was some lucky stuff. Maggie had caught the ferry before me and Charlie was coming from the marina with the boat. After unloading, unpacking and making our beds, we went to lunch at The Keys. From there, the girls went on a boat ride with Charlie while Maggie and I headed to the pool. The day was NOT supposed to be nice but as often happens at PIB, Mother Nature gave us a break and it as beautiful. 

We then came home and waited for Kaylee (Eva's friend) to arrive with her dad, Dan. Kaylee was originally supposed to come up with Maggie and the girls but she fell ill Saturday night. Thankfully she rallied and her dad, who happened to have meetings in Akron today, brought her up and spent the night. We decided not to cook and instead had a really nice dinner at The Crew's Nest. From there, we came home and took an evening cruise on Charlie's boat. It was lovely. We went around Rattlesnake and was very reminiscent of when Dad would do the same. 

And that's about all I've got. Again I don't know what's on the agenda for today but if it clears, I'd expect we'll head to the pool. The girls want to go tubing so that might be in the cards for Charlie but I'm not interested. We'll probably head out to lunch and we'll do chicken shawarma for dinner. 

K - time to...keep sipping my mimosa. Later!

I'm Back...For Now

I'm back from Columbus. It was an enjoyable, chill time with Maggie and Eva (Charlie was out of town). We hung out at the pool on Wednesday, ate a lovely dinner in and then yesterday, aside from a walk and lunch out, we did nothing. Oh, we did go over to Mom's for about an hour or so for a little hang out time. I'll get to see them again on Sunday when I head up to the bay for a few days.

Currently I'm sitting here waiting for the Watson's guy to show up to fix the hot tub. The window for his arrival is between 10-12 and he said last week it will take about 3 hours to fix. I really don't need to be here but I am and don't have any plans to go anywhere. Unless Jim finishes work early and wants to meet at Shooters. 

The cicadas are pretty awful right now. Before I left, they were really only flying around in the trees; not bothersome on the deck. Now, however, they're everywhere and I hate them. My car is a mess as well. Driving into Warren County, around Lebanon, their presence really picked up and then continually slammed into my windshield. I'll have to refill my windshield washing fluid because I probably used about 1/2 of it trying to get rid of the cicada guts. Hopefully this is the peak and when I get back from PIB next week, things will be a little less cicaday...fingers crossed. 

Weekend plans: Tonight we don't have any plans. I'll make dinner (not sure what yet) and beyond that we'll just hang. Tomorrow I need to get out and about to purchase whatever I need for PIB. I decided to go up Sunday to avoid traffic and will most likely come home Thursday. The weather looks to be pretty nice. Hopefully that will be the case for Jim and I the following week as well. 

The repairman just got here. Hopefully he doesn't run into any snafus and I can start filling the tub back up in a couple hours. 

And that's about all I've got. Time to make my lists, figure out what to make for dinner and eat lunch. I'm starving! Later!

Surprise Surprise!

I hadn't planned on posting this morning but I decided not to swim after my walk with Scout. The cicadas woke up extra early today (I think they really like the heat) and are flying willy nilly, like assholes. When I was walking, one landed on me and I nearly jumped out of my skin. And of course it happened as I was passing some woman on the sidewalk and I'm pretty sure I scared the shit out of her. Oh, and when I got home, Jim already started draining the tub which solidified my decision. Anyway, aren't you lucky that I'm blogging! 

I'll be happy to get away from the drone of the cicadas for a few days. They are SOOOOOO loud! I hadn't noticed how loud until I turned on the AC yesterday and then went outside and holy merde! I'll be happy when they're all dead! 

Plans for the next couple days is just to hang with Maggie and Eva. And hopefully Mom. We talked about possibly going out to lunch with her tomorrow but who knows. Today though is going to be a beautiful day so I'm thinking you'll find me at the pool. Charlie's out of town but coming back tomorrow I think. I'm leaving Friday to come back home. 

In other news I had a good time hanging with the lunch ladies yesterday. Of course we talked school but nothing new was revealed so nothing really to share. We're all wondering what the next year is going to be like and I think the consensus is that it's going to be a shit show once again. So, same old, same old. 

And that's about all I've got. I guess I'll go check to see how the hot tub is draining (make sure Jim didn't eff something up) and then shower, finish packing and head out. Later!

Feeling Puny

Not me but rather my poor sweet Boo. He woke up around 4:30 barking at the door. Jim got up with him and let him out. He came back to bed and a bit later Boo was pawing at us, I thought, because he was ready to eat. When I finally got up, just before 6:00, he went out and I got his breakfast ready but he wanted nothing to do with it. If you know Boo, this is NOT normal. He then proceeded to cuddle up to me with his sweet ears back and his belly making all kinds of noises. I keep telling him to stop eating the cicadas but he doesn't listen. I have a feeling one of those little buggers didn't agree with him. I'm sure he'll be feeling better in a bit but for now, he's so pitiful. 

Yesterday was just a great day. I was so proud at my total embrace of summer. First I did yoga and Pilates, then I walked the dogs. After that, I raced out to mow the backyard before the cicadas got too bad. When I finished that task, I put some laundry in and then sat down for a second cup of coffee. I then decided to do a little swimming before lunch. After lunch I laid out for a bit then took a bath, cuddled with the boys, read my book and awaited Jim's return from work. It was truly a great day. 

My plans today: After this I'll get a little yoga and Pilates in. After that, I'll walk the boys, mow the front yard and depending on the time, maybe take a bike ride. The cicadas seem to have peaked but we'll see. One of my lunch ladies is having all of us over for some pool time and I'll leave here around 1:00. I'll be home by 4:00 or 5:00 which means I'll need to make something simple for dinner. I'm thinking either burgers or kielbasa one pant meal. I'll look to see what's in the freezer. 

Speaking of cicadas, when I was laying out yesterday in the pool, I was laying on my raft when dumb mother fucker landed on me. I, of course, flipped out of my raft and screamed. It was the only cicada disturbance I had so that was a plus. 

And that's all I've got. I'll try to post tomorrow but I'll be on a bit of a timeline since I'm headed to Columbus in the morning, probably around 9:00. Happy Tuesday. Later!

Ended With A Bang

The weekend was quite relaxed and fun. Friday we hung out with the neighbors for some cards after dinner which hadn't happened in a while. Saturday Jim and I got up, walked the boys, then went to lunch at Roosters. After coming home, we just hung out in the beautiful weather. Before dinner, Doug and Lauren came over for a quick cocktail and we made plans for brunch Sunday to celebrate Doug's birthday. We opted to go somewhere new and it was a hit. Weiss Baking Company in Goshen was (chef's kiss) delicious. I had a western omelet that was huge. Everything there is all organic and they make all their own breads, etc. So good. 

The rest of Sunday was just about relaxation. Jim took a nap, I watched some of my shows and then around 4:00 a bunch of neighbors gathered for a drink or two on our front deck. Jim and I had dinner and then he went to bed at 8:00. As a couple of us sat on my deck chatting and the Nunn family played in the circle, we realized there was some sort of kerfuffle happening a couple streets behind our house. A large plume of smoke (dark smoke...not good) was rising into the sky. After a couple booms, we realized it was a fire. And then the sirens started It happened that Cari's husband (a lieutenant in our local fire department) was on duty and headed our way. I jumped on my bike to see what was what. I had to take a long route around in order to get to the fire and stay out of the FD way but eventually found a house on a side street behind us smoking wildly. At the point I got to it, the fire fighters had put the flames out. It was apparently a garage fire and all were able to get out safely. It was pretty wild...and scary. 

I had an annoying dream just before waking up today. I'd gone somewhere and didn't pay attention to where I parked and then couldn't find my car. I was in a huge building with many points of entrance and it was awful. No one would help me either. All I wanted to do was go home. Wonder what that means. 

Plans for today: After I finish up here I'll go up and do some Pilates. Then I'll walk the boys. After that I need to mow the lawn. The whole lawn needs it but especially the backyard which is where I'll start. If that goes well and I have the energy I'll do the front. If not, I'll save that for tomorrow. After my little bike ride last night, it got me jonesin for another real ride so if the cicadas aren't too active after finishing mowing, I'll go for a ride. 

Dinner tonight: I'm going to do a one pan lemon chicken gnocchi. I've made this before and it's delicious. 

Okay well, that's all I've got. Time to get my shit together. I need to warm up because it's really cold right now (49 degrees...brrr!). Later.

First World Problems

Of course nothing is ever an easy fix which bums me out. However, I have to keep things in perspective. Not everyone has the luxury of having a swim spa or the equivalent. Some people don't have their own home. Some people live paycheck to paycheck so upon reflection, these minor inconveniences should be a reminder to me that some people aren't as lucky as I've been in my life. 

With all that said, I'm now going to bitch. The technician for the hot tub came yesterday and upon first inspection, he said, "I have good news and bad news." The good news was he couldn't find any water where it shouldn't be. The bad news was he couldn't find any water where it shouldn't be. In other words, it took some digging to find the source of the leak. But find it he did and of course it's leaking from a spot that can't just be tightened. It needs to be replaced which means we need to drain the damn thing in order to repair it. It'll take two days to drain (that'll happen Wednesday), he'll come Friday to repair then it'll take another solid two days to fill and then ANOTHER two days to get it up to temperature. FUCK! Oh well, what're you going to do? At least I can keep using it until I have to drain it. And thankfully this is all covered under warrantee. 

I'm still missing the sun and today is a basic washout. However we did get some relief from the gloomy skies yesterday which brightened my mood. The rain today will allow me to get some things done around the house, like a good cleaning. We may get a break later so I'll be able to get the dogs walked too. Fingers crossed. 

I'm a little bummed about the possible state of things in people's lives who (whom?) I don't know. Typically, if I'm around, I like to watch the first 15 minutes or so of the Today show. One of my faves on there is Dylan Dreyer. A month or so ago, Maggie and I noticed that her husband Brian hadn't been on her Instagram posts and he hadn't posted in a LONGGGGG time. (Historically, they'd both been very active on their accounts which, of course, featured each other.)  However, we both made notice that she still had her wedding rings on and then, she posted a group photo on Mother's Day with all of them out to dinner. YAY! (we thought). Then, a couple days ago, I saw she didn't have her rings on. Same with this morning. And then Savannah posted on IG of she and Dylan hugging with the caption that said something like "Giving Dylan a little love." That doesn't bode well and not that I know anything and maybe her rings are getting fixed but it seems like a clue that divorce is in the works. Sad if true. Three small boys and together for that long (married 13 years)...sucks. 

Weekend plans: Nothing really. I'd like to go out to lunch tomorrow with Jimmy but other than that, I've got nothing. I have a feeling Jim's going to want to meet at Shooters today so I'll be prepared for that. We haven't been there in a bit. 

Dinner tonight: I think I'll make Cobb salads which means I'll need to go to the grocery for some lettuce. That's fine. 

Oh, and an email from my superintendent came that he'll update us at 11:00 via Zoom on the principal search. It's apparently still on...no one wants to lead the shit show that is our high school. Go figure. 

And that's all I've got. time to clean the house. Later!

I Miss The Sun

On the one hand, I miss the sunshine but I don't think we're going to see it until at least Saturday. On the other hand, with this dreary weather, the cicadas haven't been too terribly bad. The spread of the little giant critters is so random. They're everywhere on my street and the immediate surrounding ones but when I cross into another neighborhood nearby, they're barely there. I went up to Costco yesterday and there weren't any. My dentist said they're not in his neighborhood either (I think he lives in Indian Hill). Go figure...guess I'm one of the lucky ones. (So weird I just typed that while "The Lucky One" by Taylor Swift was on.)

So yeah, I went to Costco yesterday since I was in the neighborhood. I didn't really need anything specific but when I'm there I might as well. I stocked up on coffee (can't have too much coffee), deodorant, wine, Irish Cream (that's one thing that still has a nice, low price) and then as I was heading toward the checkout, I saw they had sheets that looked lovely. When I looked at the price, I thought I was seeing things or that it wasn't tagged correctly. Normally $24.00, their king sized sheets were on sale for $20 (queen on sale for $16) and I figured why the hell not. As I was driving out of the parking lot, I thought, I should have bought two sets. Dummy.

I got home, washed them and then put them on my bed. They are incredibly soft and I slept like a little baby. My biggest issue with sheets are if the fitted sheet doesn't stay securely on the bed. These did, which means I'll be heading BACK to Costco today to get another set. I might even get 2 more sets because I need to replace at least one set in my linen closet so what the hell! Pretty excited. Does that mean I'm a loser?

I've walked the boys and after this I'll got climb on the elliptical. I'll then head to Costco in order to get home so I can wait for the hot tub service guy who should be here between 12:30 and 2:30. Hopefully the fix of the hot tub will be easy. It should be covered under warrantee so no worries there. When I got in yesterday the water level had once again gone below the line so it's definitely not right. Nothing is ever easy. 

There is still no word on he principal's position. Apparently they offered it to the guidance counselor/head football coach but he ended up turning it down. In his email to the staff he said that they basically kept changing what his job was going to be. Based on that wishy washy shit, he said, "Fuck you. I'll stay in the shit show I'm already in rather than entering into a new, unknown shit show." My district is so fucked up right now it's unbelievable. 

Okay best get a move on. Happy Thursday! Later!

Sore But All Is Well

Yesterday's appointment went well and I was in and out of there in about 30 minutes. First they scanned my head to make sure I'd healed properly. I then went back to the procedure room where I asked the nurse, "What are you going to do to me today?" She said, "We're going to put a post into your jaw in preparation for your implant." I said, "That's what I thought. Does it hurt?" She looked at me like I was crazy (HEY! I've never done this before!) and said, "Not at all." And she was right. The doc came in and injected about a hundred ampules of numbing stuff into the left side of my mouth. Really, I don't know how much he put in but it seemed like a lot because I was numb as hell...even up through my left nostrils. I couldn't even sniff properly. I certainly couldn't whistle and I sounded like I'd had a stroke when I tried to talk. 

Anyway, after I was good and numb, the doc started drilling and finally inserted the post. It only took about 10 minutes and it felt like I had a jackhammer in my mouth, but again, it didn't hurt. After tightening the post and applying a "dome" on top, I was done. My next appointments (I have 2 left) will be with my dentist, first in mid-September where he'll fit me for my implant. The final appointment will be to insert the actual implant. It all sounds like a lot and it sure takes a long time (I can't even imagine if I had more than one tooth at one time to deal with) but it really has been pretty easy. Though not on the pocket book. Yesterday alone was just over $1000...for a 1/2 hour work. I should become a dentist! Cha-ching!

Today, I'm pretty sore. I slept really well (though I had weird dreams...more on that in a minute) but woke up with an aching mouth. It feels like Jim threw a right hook at my face while I was sleeping. I can't guarantee that didn't happen but I'm pretty sure it's a result of the work done on my jaw yesterday. 

Yesterday ended up being a pretty dreary day so after my appointment, walking the dogs, getting the laundry going and doing the elliptical, I decided to lay in bed and watch shows. The boys sure were happy. I finished watching Couples Therapy (I hate that I watched it so fast but boy, people are pretty fucked up in their relationships...it makes me think Hmm...Jim and I are doing okay). Paramount then suggested I watch another docuseries called Time of Death. It was exactly like it sounds: A documentary that follows people in their last days/weeks/months of a terminal illness. There were a couple people with breast cancer, one with melanoma (more on that in a minute), an ALS patient, lung cancer, a connective tissue cancer, congestive heart failure and more. I know, I know...what the hell would drive me to watch something so macabre. Answer: I don't know but documentaries just suck me in. 

Anyway, after all that stuck in my brain, it's no wonder I ended up dreaming of the melanoma patient. She was a 19 year old who fought for 2 years. It was awful. Like Jim it started as a mole but unlike Jim, hers quickly moved into her brain which was truly is a death sentence. I mean, she had lesions on her scalp...poor thing. In my dream, my brain turned her into the girl I had a few years back on my caseload who passed after a lifelong battle with lung and heart issues and then the cancer that finally killed her. In my dream I was trying to get to her funeral but had to walk there and missed it. It was weird and sad. 

My plans today: It's going to be another yucky, dreary day. After this, I'll go up and do some Pilates then if it isn't raining, I'll try to get the dogs walked. Once again, Scout has licked his back paw raw and is struggling with a hot spot so I don't know if he'll be able to go far. I'll either swim or get on the elliptical again. I do need to get to Michaels for some batting (to fill the couch cushions as they're getting "deflated") and Jim wants another birdhouse or two. Other than that, I'll probably just hang at home and watch some more shows. 

Dinner tonight: I'm going to make a new recipe, Cod with a coconut lemon cream sauce. I'll probably make it with rice and cauliflower. Yummy. 

And that's all I've got. Time to get my Pilates on and I'm sure that chick is going to try and kill me. Later!

Would Ya Just Look At That

I actually have some time here to post before I leave for my appointment so here I am. Aren't you lucky!?

Jim did such a good job on the beds out front! He managed to get them all cleaned up and yesterday bought another couple hydrangeas and put those around our Japanese maple. He shrank that bed as well which was much needed. I don't know why it was so large with so little in it. I think it used to have a lot more there but eventually things died off or were replanted elsewhere. Anyway, the yard is just looking spectacular. 

My plans today: I really have nothing going on besides my tooth appointment this morning. I'm hoping I'll be out of there by 8:30. Truthfully I have no idea what they're doing today I just know it's step two in getting a tooth again. Hopefully it won't hurt. I think they'll be placing a screw into my jawbone (WHAT!? FUCK THAT'S GOING TO HURT!). I looked it up and now I'm getting anxiety. My dentist said in April at my cleaning that it's all downhill after my tooth removal but maybe they always say that so people don't freak. Ugh! 

Dinner tonight (assuming I can eat): Port tenderloin, rice and probably broccoli. 

Not much else is going on. Sorry this is so short but I do need to finish my toilette so I can head out the door. Happy Tuesday! Later!

Happy Memorial Day!

The fact that I'm on summer break hasn't sunk in yet because it's a holiday weekend...and Jim's still all up in my business. Just kidding. It's nice to have him home, mainly because he's been kicking ass on the yard work. I'm sure by tomorrow, however, I'll be ready for him to get back to the grind. Seriously though this has been the slowest weekend ever, which is a great way to start these next 2 1/2 months off. Fingers crossed it continues like this.

So yeah, the weekend has been incredibly productive. Jim's cleaned out the two front beds and finally finished off the dirt we had delivered a couple weeks ago and he planted the last of the flowers. He built up the bed off the front deck and it looks really good along with the hydrangea he bought. He cleaned out the bed where the Japanese maple is and today he'll till it and then plant seed for grass. The bed is way too big so he's going to shrink it to a more manageable size. I mowed the front and back yard and it all just looks so good. 

Other than working in the yard, Jim and I have just been hanging out here. Oh, except we did go out to dinner on Saturday with Jim's friend Dan and his gal Lisa. We went to 20 Brix in old Milford and it was delicious. What was more delicious was we were home by 8:00. Beyond that it's been about home and the neighbors and just enjoying this kickoff to summer. 

Plans today: It sounds like Jim's upstairs getting ready to head out. He needs to go to Home Depot, for what I don't know, but I'll send him to Kroger as well for some supplies for dinner tonight. I'm going to make chicken burgers, corn and a tomato mozzarella salad. I thought about going out to lunch but I think I'd rather just be at home enjoying the weather and yard. The stupid cicadas aren't too bad (yet) but I don't anticipate that being the case over the next couple weeks. Dumb useless bugs. 

What else? Oh, I have my 2nd appointment tomorrow morning at 7:30 for my tooth so I most likely won't post before then. I don't know what the 2nd step is but maybe using 3-D something to get my new tooth made and possibly putting in some sort of post? Who knows but I have been told that it's nothing and that pulling the tooth was the hard part. Hopefully I haven't been lied to and I won't have any "recovery" after tomorrow's appointment. 

And that's all. It's time to walk Scout before the stupid mother fucking cicadas start their unbelievably loud drone and start flying willy-nilly all over the freaking place. Later!

Looks Like We Made It!

What a beautiful day it is! Clear skies, cool temps and I only need to be at school for less than 2 hours! So happy! I'm happy to put this year behind me and not because it was a terribly challenging year but I'm just spent. I think for the next 8 years (FUCK!) it's only going to get harder and harder to muddle through to retirement. I need to choose a better attitude and I think that's what I'll work on this summer. Recharging and reassessing my attitude.

I have sad news: I got a text from my neighbor yesterday evening to say that Cucumber, mama goose, had died. She apparently had just passed, seemingly unharmed, under a tree between her house and the neighbor on her other side. I don't know what happened but I'm sad for Pickle, her partner. He was wandering around yesterday morning honking and flew off just before I left for work and I haven't seen or heard from him since. I looked it up and though geese mate for life, if one of them dies, the other will usually find another partner within the same breeding season. However, I'm kind of thinking the breeding season is over. Anyway, nature just fucking sucks sometimes.

My plans for today are to go to school, suffer through my princpal's prattle and then hitting the road ASAP. I'm going to go to Aldi for some needed staples and then come home to hang with my pups. I might do Jim a solid and clean the house so he doesn't have to do it with me tomorrow. Dinner tonight will be Detroit pizza and a salad so I'll need to get that dough together as well. 

Saturday Jim and I need to finish up some yard work and then maybe we'll go out to lunch and finally, we're most likely going to go out to dinner with Jim's friend, Dan and his gal. I'm thinking we'll go down to Mint in Milford. That's kind of a midway point for us and them plus it's deeeelicious. 

Sunday, who knows? Monday? Got me. Tuesday? No plans. Wednesday? Maybe a bike ride. In other words, It'll be summer and I'm a lady of leisure who gets to fly by the seat of my pants a bit. 

I finished watching the latest season of Survivor last night. My God I just love that show. I would SOOOOOO love to be on it. I should apply. I know I'd never get on and even if I did, I'd probably be the first contestant to die but secretly, it's been a sort of dream of mine. Not even about the million dollars. Just the experience and to see if I could. I couldn't but maybe just to put me in my place. Ha! 

Okay well, that's all I've got. Time to get a move on and get this last day of school behind me. Later!

Baby

First of all, I slept like a baby...finally! I didn't anticipate that I would because Jim came to bed at the same time I did. I figured he'd snore like a warthog but I tried my best to keep that from happening. First, I ensured he put on a Breathe Right strip. Then, I made sure  he put the thicker pillow under his head while cuddling with the thinner one. Finally, I had him position his head so that it was tilted up rather than tucked into his chest. And it worked like a charm. When I initially turned off my iPad (which is awesome) he made a few noises which I knew would turn into many loud snorts so I said, "Jim! Tilt your head up." He did and after that, I wasn't aware of anything until my alarm sounded at 4:20. Woot! 

I have a kid coming onto my caseload next year who the ladies I dine with have named "Stupid Baby". The story behind his name is this: The ex-husband of one of my LLs is living with this kid and his mother. The kids of my LL friend have known "Stupid Baby" for a long time and based on the stupid shit he does, they call him..."Stupid Baby". It stuck. Here's an example of why he's a Stupid Baby. On Monday night, my LL friend sent a text to our group that said, "My son is having dinner with his dad tonight and just told me that Stupid Baby got charged with aggravated menacing. Something related to a gun. Waiting for details." I mean this is awful but it also got me a little excited thinking maybe he wouldn't be coming to the high school. Nope that didn't happen. The story goes that SB was hanging at home with a friend (alone) and was aware of the loaded gun that his mother keeps under her bed. (WHAT?!) He proceeded to get the gun, wave it around and scare the shit out of his friend. His friend (maybe it's time to ditch SB as a friend) then called his mother who then called the cops. In the end, no charges were filed. I think he was just given a warning. Not sure why mom isn't charged because that's some irresponsible shit considering the mental health issues your Stupid Baby kid has. Can't wait for next year. 

Dinner tonight: I'll make some pork chops in the air fryer and probably pair it with cauliflower and rice. 

Last exam today!!! A few kids asked to take it early so they didn't have to come to school today and I aim to please! I wish I could've let them all do this but that might get me into more trouble than I need. I couldn't offer that but if they kids asked, I was happy to oblige. This means of my 11 kids in history, only 8 will be there to take the test. 

Last night after dinner I got into the hot tub and it was so lovely. It was sprinkling and felt so good. Jim didn't get in with me because he's lazy but I wasn't mad. I love that thing so much. I think it's the best thing we ever did. {knock on wood}

Okay well I'd best get a move on. Happy Thursday! Happy last day of school to me! Oh, and I'll sleep in about a 1/2 hour tomorrow so don't freak if I don't post until closer to 7:00. Ta! 

14!? Not Possible!

How is it that it's been 14 years since I was sitting here awaiting the announcement of the much anticipated birth of Eva!? How has it been that long!? On the other hand, when I look back at pics of her, I can't believe how time has flown and that she's going to be in high school next year!? Holy Merde!!! 

I know I'm biased but she's such a beautiful person both inside and out. I'm so happy I get to be her Muwee. She's funny and smart and talented. She's tenacious and fierce. She's kind and loyal. She's smart and strong and one of her best qualities, I think, is the expectations she has on others. She expects people to be kind and loyal and honest, just like her. If that's not you, 'bye! 

I remember after she was born, watching the nurse give her a bath for the first time. Truthfully that bath was a legit scrubbing and I almost jumped through the glass to tell bitch to ease the fuck up! She was too little! She seemed too tiny! She was too brand new for that kind of scrubbing. But she wasn't. She handled it like a champ and she's only gotten stronger and better with time.

I love you Eva and hope you have the best day! I can't wait to hang with you this summer at the Bay. It's going to be the best summer! 

(BTW - I wanted to do a separate post for Eva but I also posted regular below.) 

I Finally Did It

For the past many years, I've had an iPad that I've used which belongs to the school. It's pretty ancient and recently has really slowed down. About a week or so ago, we got an email from our sped director person (FW for those in the know) saying that all classroom iPads were being collected this year in order to, I don't know, update them (some are pretty old and probably won't) as well as get them all synced to the same account. I knew it was time to branch out and buy my own. So, Monday, I went on Amazon and picked a device out (relatively cheap but new and much faster than what was using). It came overnight and so yesterday I took it to school in order to set it up. Last night I got to use it properly for the first time and it's lovely. First and foremost it's fast and I wonder, why didn't I do this sooner? (Because I'm cheap.) 

My exam yesterday went well and all kids got an A. That makes me feel good because you just never know what they're going to get out of what I choose to read and if they'll enjoy it. Apparently they did. After that I had a ton of free time so I went to get my hair cut. Annoyingly, they moved the Great Clips where I go and they haven't fixed it on Waze so I ended up at a closed shop. They only moved about .7 miles away so once I figured it out, all was well. She took a solid 2 inches off which took care of the dead ends. My hair is really pretty long (longer than it's been in a while) and I'm fine with that. 

The hot tub: (Did I mention in my post yesterday that I think there's a slow leak?) Jim scheduled a service appointment and they can't get here until May 29th! What!? Well, it is a slow leak, I think, so it's fine but still. Apparently this is a pretty common issue with new installs and should be an easy fix to just tighten a whatever. 

Jim's got to go to Dublin again but just for the day. They're running him ragged this week which always seem to happen after he's taken a day off or vacation. Hopefully he'll be home for dinner but regardless, I'll still make what I had planned (Air fryer sweet chili chicken and Brussel sprout stir fry) and make him a plate if he's later.

Jim's been snoring horribly lately. I don't know what's changed and why it's been so bad but I'm about to ban him from the bedroom. I feel bad though because I know he can't help it and he is trying to do whatever he can to stop it (Breathe Right strips and proper pillow placement) but nothing seems to be helping. Maybe I'll just try a solid punch to the kidneys if it happens again tonight. Or a foot in the bum. 

Today's exams are 5th (Guided Intervention) and 6th (ELA) bells. I have a student taking an exam early with my during the 5th bell exam because she's having surgery but I don't expect anyone else to show. 

It rained a lot yesterday and there's more expected today and tomorrow but truthfully I'm fine with that because when it rains the cicadas don't fly and make their usual racket. 

I'm worried about Cucumber (the female goose). I didn't see her in her next yesterday and I'm hoping all is well. Maybe the eggs hatched but I would've thought that if they had I'd know it and she wouldn't stray far from the nest. She wasn't in the circle but Pickle (her husband) was much of the day. I'm too invested in the welfare of these geese and it probably isn't healthy. Ugh. I hope she's okay though. 

Still no word on the principal's position at school. I thought for sure they'd have a decision and announcement in time for the board meeting last night but there's nothing posted and we've had no email. I'm pretty sure it will be our current VP but we'll see. At this point, I just don't care. 

Okay well, it's time to go. Should be an easy, boring, slow day. Later!

1 Down, 4 To Go

Although I don't really count Friday, I'm still counting it as a day I have to get up and go to work but truthfully, after the breakfast (which I won't eat) and the retiree presentation thingy Friday, I'll be out of there. 

Yesterday was pretty productive although I had more kids in my room than I expected. It was fine though because I managed to get as much of my progress reports done as I could. I have to wait on final grades for a lot of kids who have executive functioning goals. Then I got a lot of work done to prepare for next year; spreadsheets and whatnot. I emailed all my new parents to introduce myself and then put away most of the shit on my desk. I threw away a lot of shit too. I'll try to do more of that today.

My day today should be extra easy because I have my 3rd bell ELA exam and then my plan period so essentially I'm done at 9:30. I might just go run and get my hair cut . Don't tell anyone.

Today is the day we should find out who gets the principal's position. Everyone is suspecting it's our current VP because she was EXTRA chipper yesterday and apparently at graduation, a non-hugging administrator went up to her and hugged her. Truthfully, I don't care. Truthfully, I'm the least of her worries. Truthfully, if she leaves me alone and lets me do my job, we've got no problems. I just don't need anyone micromanaging me with 25 years under my belt. 

Jim's still on 2nd shift tonight which is fine. I have a couple jobs for him to do here while he's puttering around (plant the rest of the flowers). Additionally, I think the hot tub has a slow leak. He put a call in for service yesterday but it was around 4:30 and I think they were gone for the day. Hopefully someone can come out today and take a look. 

I'll make myself a taco bowl again for dinner which makes me happy. 

The kayak I ordered came on Sunday. I haven't taken it out of the box but I'm pretty excited to get up to the Bay and use it. I hope it doesn't suck. 

Here's something that sucked yesterday: I went to Kroger after the exams. As I was leaving the lot (it's a shared lot with a lot of businesses), I drove over a couple potholes that had just been filled in which got a shit ton of tar and gravel on my tires. My car is now driving like an asshole. At first I thought I had a flat but my tire pressure was fine. I pulled over and saw that the front two tires had globs of tar caked on it. As I've driven, it's gotten better and the heat from the road etc., has diminished it a lot but it's still there and annoying. Fucking assholes who didn't mare the spots. Who to complain to though?

Okay, time to get a move on. Happy Tuesday! Later!

A Lovely First Trip

Although it was really short, our first trip to the Bay was great. The boys loved it too. I feel like every time we take them up there, the love it a little bit more. And they really are great travelers. Scout sleeps the whole time and really only gets up when we near our destination. When we were driving toward the ferry on the last leg (route 163) Scout stood up and started whining. I think he realized where we were headed and was excited. Boo is a good traveler too but he never fully sleeps. He lays down and tries to relax but he never puts his head down. This is a big improvement for how he used to pant nearly the whole time. 

What we did: We arrived around 9:00 at the ferry but didn't make that one. It was really crowded, which I expected. Catching the 9:30 got us to the cottage about 10:00. We unloaded the car and then gave the boys a quick walk. For lunch we went to the Reel Bar where we saw the stool Maggie had done for Dad. After that we headed home and I took Scout on a big walk, around the monument and then home. Dinner was burgers, fries and green beans. We settled down after that and just watched the Reds game. (Can you say sweep!? Sorry to my Cleveland family.) 

Saturday was blustery and very overcast, which was fine with me. We'd heard that there was going to be a sale on the Boardwalk tables and some Keys furniture (two restaurants on the island owned by the Bookers). All of the stock was outside at the Dairy Isle so before breakfast at Frostys (it was delicious...for a change), we headed over to see if it was worth our time. It was. I ended up texting Eric Booker and getting a deal for a nice picnic table, and a couple Adirondacks and side table for the seawall which they delivered later that day. 

After all that, Jimmy was wiped so he napped (that was his goal for the weekend...sleep) and I took Scout on another long walk. (BTW - between walking Scout and coming home yesterday to mow the lawn, I walked 22 miles this weekend.) We had lunch at Topsy Turvy and then headed home to play some games (Jim kicked my ass). Dinner was some pork burnt ends (so good from Aldi), mashers and sauteed zucchini. 

Yesterday we got up early and crack-a-lacked out of there. It was a busy weekend on the Bay and I didn't want the boys to have to sit in the car waiting for a ferry so we caught the 7 AM. We were home by 11:00 and WTF!? The cicadas have descended upon my neighborhood. I'm so pissed. I managed to avoid the Cincinnati 17 year ones a few years back and thought I was in the clear. Apparently not. They're everywhere and it's only going to get worse! For now, they aren't swarming but I'm expecting that to change in the next week or so. Assholes! Way to ruin the beginning of my summer. (Just kidding! Nothing will ruin the fact that I'm almost done with another year.) 

Anyway, I mowed the lawn and then relaxed. BTW, the lawn is looking so good and lush! Oh, and the birdfeeder we have with a camera? It's not a birdfeeder. It's a squirrel feeder. We've yet to have on bird partake in the seed. Oh, well, the squirrels are fun to watch too. 

Jim's on 2nd shift tonight. It should only be for one day. This means that A) he can do some shit around the house and B) he can go to Costco for me. Woot! 

So yeah, today is day #1 of exams - 1st and 2nd bells which are my Guided Interventions (no exam for those) so I shouldn't have much to do. I'll just try and get some of my end-of-year stuff done and then around 11:00 I'll head to Kroger. 

Dinner tonight: I'll probably make something that will make leftovers - taco bowls - since there's really nothing in the fridge.

And that's all I've got. I'm not in a big hurry to get to school since I have nothing to do so I'll make some lists for Jim before I leave. Happy Monday! So happy...this time next week I'll hopefully still be in bed. Later!

Travel Reminder

Quick reminder that I won't be posting tomorrow because I'll be on the road headed north to PIB!!! Pretty excited and I think we're going to have really good weather. We are taking the boys and they are buzzing! I bought brand new pillows for them to travel and sleep on (and suck on as Boo likes to do) and they arrived yesterday. I was worried they wouldn't be fluffy enough (they were kind of cheap...$20) but they were perfect. I did what they told me and popped them in the dryer for about 20 minutes to bulk up and it worked like a charm. 

Our plans are to leave around 5:30 so we catch the 9:30 or 10:00. Other than lunch out and hanging out, we have no plans. We'll most likely eat in each night but who knows...maybe we'll feel differently when we get there. If Goat were open, I definitely plan on that but I'm pretty sure they aren't. 

I'm thinking about buying the kayak at left. It's the same type of "craft" as the paddleboards so easily deflated and stored. I'd just get a one-person. What do you all think? It's only $300. I'm hoping it isn't junk. I'll keep researching and see if there's something comparable out there with more reviews. There is another one out there which is a two-man for about $379. I'll check things out on that one when I get to school.

Since I'll be getting things ready tonight for our trip, I'm not cooking. We'll go to Shooters for dinner. I also did my elliptical this morning (got great sleep last night) so all I have to do when I get home is walk Scoutie. 

Oh, and the Reds flag I got for the Bay came yesterday. Not sure if I mentioned, but Allen put up a flagpole on the deck with an American flag and a Cleveland Indians flag under it...for when the West clan is in residence. When the Arbaughs are there, we'll fly our flag. 

Work should be easy today. Just a lot of review. for the exams. Seniors are done and the building is so much quieter. 

K - best mosey. Later!

Snoring Fool

I've basically been awake since about 1:30 due to Jim's snoring. It's so frustrating! I keep telling him to A) put on a Breathe Right strip and B) elevate his head a bit more. He always uses the thinner pillow and then spoons with the thicker one. Arg. Eventually he went down to his recliner for about an hour, I guess hoping I'd fall asleep but I didn't. And then he had the audacity to tell me after coming to bed that when I shifted my position I hit him in the face. I don't think I did. I was awake and I didn't come in contact with him. Turkey. 

Excited that MLB finally removed Pete Rose from the ineligibility list. I'm not surprised that they waited for him to die before doing it but still disappointed they waited until then. As Trip stated, he should have been eligible for the Hall of Fame but not for any job in baseball. Now the question is, how long before he gets into the Hall of Fame. The earliest he could be elected is 2028 and of course then, it's still not guaranteed. 

Including today, I have two more days of "teaching". I'm so excited. Today the kids in ELA will do their final independent reading and writing work which means I can then start working seriously on my progress reports. I've already started them but I can actually start completing them now. 

Dinner tonight: Tuna salad with corn on the cob. Yummy

I'm hoping that this evening when I get home I can either swim (I did yesterday) or maybe take my first bike ride of the year. I didn't end up doing Pilates this morning because I had a hard time waking up and getting motivated. My lack of sleep has made me so groggy. Early to bed tonight. (BTW - I go to bed early every night.)

I finished a good book last night: Wrong Time Wrong Place by Gillian McAllister. I listened to a book of hers recently and really liked that...thought I'd try one to read. It was VERY enjoyable. She's a good writer. I need to find a new book to download now. I'll do that today. 

Apparently we're down to 3 candidates for the principal's job at my school. They are our female VP, one of our guidance counselor who also happens to be our head coach (and has NO administrative experience) and then a guy from Edgewood (?) who was a history teacher when I first started at Kings. I'm kind of hoping the guidance counselor gets it because he's the least worrisome. He's also laid back and according to someone in the know, he was the only candidate to really have a solid plan for the future. Of course he'll have to give up his job as head coach. The decision should come for the board meeting next week. 

Okay, time to get a move on. Happy Wednesday. Later!

Barf!

So I'm pretty sure I mentioned a kid, not on my caseload but in two of my classes. Let's call him Bart. Bart has major mental health issues (depression, anxiety, OCD) and in fact was in an outpatient treatment for about 6 weeks during the first semester. He's the kid who, if I've mentioned him, constantly picks at his face. He's plucked out all of his eyebrows and eyelashes and is constantly digging up his nose with a tissue to the point where it's a bloody mess...literally. He kind of disgusts me I'm sad to admit. Anyway, he's also a very sneaky little shit and has had many computer issues this year. Ordering thousands of dollars worth of shit from Amazon off his step-mother's credit card which caused him to have his computer privileges taken away. Then when they were returned with many blocks, he started using his brother's account to get on. Then when he wasn't allowed to have a permanent Chromebook and was forced to use a loaner every day, he'd try and steal it to take home. Finally after he tried for about the 4th time to sneak a Chromebook home, he is no longer allowed to use one or if he does, it's only on a specific device that stays in the teachers classroom. Me, I just print all his work out and he's not allowed to even be on a device. 

So this morning, I wake up to an email from a mother of another kid who says her kids password has been compromised. Bart apparently has it and she's nervous that he'll do something bad. I mean, of course. I'm not going to handle this...I'll pass it onto an admin because I'm done with Bart. I understand he's got issues and many of the things he does he probably can't help but he's such a little fucking conniver. The one thing I wonder about him is where the hell is he going to be in 10 years? Probably jail when he goes one step too far in his thievery. I know his parents have at least threatened to press charges against him. If they haven't yet, it's only a matter of time. 

Today is my last official day of actually teaching for the year! I have a final chapter to read in ELA and then the kids will be doing study guides for their exams! I'm very excited about this. 

Last night I changed up my dinner plans and instead of making stuffed peppers, I made a lovely quiche, yellow rice and corn. It was yummy. My friend at work made a quiche last week that looked so good and it gave me the idea. I need to make them more often because they also make awesome leftovers. All of that to say we'll be having stuffed peppers and a salad tonight. 

I installed the birdfeeder with camera on Sunday and have yet to see a bird on it. I'm sure it'll just take time for them to figure it out but come on you dumb birds! I want to see a closeup! 

And that's all I've got. Guess I should get a move on. Later!

So Productive!!!

We got so much done this weekend and my body aches to show for it. It's a good ache though. I got all my flowers planted out back as well as my herbs. Jim managed to get most of the flowers out front planted but he has a couple beds that still need to be cleaned and filled. We got our dirt delivery on Saturday and most of that has been used to fill the holes in the yard as well as leveling out the area where the construction trucks had driven. There's still a little more dirt but which will most likely be put in the different beds in the front. The pic shown doesn't give a great view of my flowers but you can see that my grass is really coming in well...finally! 

Other than that we didn't do much (because the above took up most of our days). We did go to Anne's for a lovely brunch for Mother's Day. We hung out a bit with the neighbors and I got to lay in the sun for a bit on Saturday. All in all it was a beautiful weekend. 

Two weeks from today, I'll be on summer break! I'm so excited. This week is the final week of teaching and I'm taking Friday off. Next week are final exams and next Friday is my work day. I'll start prepping today for final paperwork but really I don't have much to do. I'll make a list today with everything I need to accomplish. 

Dinner tonight: I pulled some stuffed peppers for dinner and I'll make a salad to go with. I need to write up my menu for the week and figure out what to take to the Bay. 

Jim's back home this week and has an appointment  (Wednesday I think) with his pulmonologist to figure out what's showing up in his lungs. I feel like we've done this before but it still makes me nervous. 

And that's about all I've got so I guess I'll mosey. Happy Monday! Later!

Mental Health

I'm so happy I took a mental health day. Ironically, I woke up with a headache and my whole body is sore. I think that's a remnant from mowing the lawn the other day but I don't see that getting any better after the day I have planned. That's what Tylenol is for though, right?

Last night around 2:30 or so, my Ring app alerted that there was movement at my front door. Now, that's concerning when I'm home alone, right?! I didn't realize at first that it was my home Ring so I checked PIB first. Nothing there. Then, I went to check my front door and lo and behold, there was a cat strolling across my front deck. Little shit. I have no idea whose cat it is but thankfully my boys were fast asleep because they would NOT have been quiet had they seen it. 

Jim is still in Columbus but will be home today. He said that the woman who he's working with plans on putting in about 4 hours today before heading home. I'm hoping that means Jim's home by 2:00 or so. We'll see. 

My plans today: When I finish this, I'm going to quickly walk the boys. Then I'll probably get a nice swim in and finally head out to do my errands. I'll first stop at Kroger to see if they have any hibiscus trees or bushes. I haven't seen any yet but fingers crossed. Then, I need to go to Aldi for a few things and then Lowes. Lowes is going to be a big bill but probably not as much as it typically is. I say that but then remember I need to get several new pots. I did purchase some brackets that I'm hoping will work on the deck railings for our flower boxes but we'll see. If they don't I'll send them back. I think most of my flowers this year will be in large pots that will be placed around the decks. I'm hoping to get my planting completed over the next two days so that my Sunday is open. 

Saturday we'll get our dirt delivery to fill in the pit in the front and then other areas around the yard. This should be the last landscape fix from the construction which makes me very happy. 

Other plans this weekend: I believe my Mom is coming down on Sunday for Mother's Day. I believe Anne is having a little get-together. Besides that and gardening, I've got nothing. 

Dinner tonight will most likely be Skyline. Tomorrow Jim wanted steak so I think I'll do the steak rigatoni which I haven't made in forever. 

Oh, and this time next week, Jim and I will be on our way to the Bay. Hopefully the weather or rather wind cooperates. I don't care if it rains but I need the ferry to run. 

K - I'm out. Time to get my walk on and my day started. Later!

Decisions

Originally, Jim was supposed to work in Columbus Monday - Thursday. Then, because it's an outdoor gig and it rained Monday, it got postponed and he went up Tuesday, late. Yesterday he called me and asked (isn't that sweet) if he could stay until Friday. I told him I was fine with that. It does put a bit of a kink in the plans, however. See, he was going to get the dirt delivered Friday and I was going to send him off to Lowes to get our flowers. I feel like we're so late in getting our flowers planted and it's stressing me out. Now with him not getting home until Friday evening, I feel like I need to deal with it myself. Sure, we could do it Saturday but I'd prefer to avoid the place on the first really nice weekend because it's going to be packed. 

So, I think I'll be taking a mental health day tomorrow. I mean, why the fuck not, right? That way I can get everything I need for planting, plant, which will be a nice surprise for Jim when he gets home and go to the grocery, walk the boys and shake off the remnants of annoyance I've been dealing with from the kids at school. Sounds like a plan. 

Speaking of annoying kids, they are driving me nuts. When I did my yoga/Pilates this morning, my "intention" was patience. Yesterday just listening to them talk to each other gave me a headache. I eventually had to tell them to shut the fuck up (I didn't say that) because they were making my head pound. Surprisingly, they did. 

My meeting yesterday went well. The mom is thrilled (so far) with the school and how we've really helped her son, Greg, adjust and transition. He was good yesterday though he's starting to get more comfortable and thus talking more and, yes, annoying me more. It's probably just me and the fact that it's May and I'm done with school but I wish he weren't getting comfortable. 

When I got home yesterday I quickly walked the boys and then tackled the yard. Mowing took forever and I thought I was going to die. (It actually only took an hour but it felt like hours.) In the end, after my walk with the boys then the yard, I walked 4 1/2 miles and though that's not usually something that would wipe me out, my energy after all that pushing was completely depleted. Not to mention I was/am sore as hell. I will say my grass is looking really good. There are still a few spots that need growing and maybe more seed but it's really coming along. Now we just need to fill the swampy pit in the front yard, grow grass there and everything will be looking spit spot. 

I'll be eating more leftovers tonight which will polish off all the leftovers. 

And that's all I've got. I need to get my lazy bum dogs out again and finish getting ready. I'll be posting a little later tomorrow since I'm taking a mental health day so don't freak (Maggie). Later!

Got My Swim On

My pool is back in shape which means yesterday after walking the boys, I spent a slightly enjoyable, slightly painful 1/2 hour in spa. It felt really good. What didn't feel good? This morning I did Pilates and I'm pretty sure that ex-Latin ballroom dancer, Nicole (Youtube channel Move with Nicole) tried to kill me. It was a Pilates class focused on legs and shoulders and holy shit are my shoulders burning! 

My grass is sooooooo long! I need to mow it but unfortunately it's also very wet. I'm hoping that by the time I get home today it will have dried enough to mow, at least the really long parts. If I don't get to it today it's going to be either Saturday or Sunday when I can do it. Tomorrow is more rain so today is my only shot. It's going to be a shit show too and I'm sure with how long and thick it is, I'll be stalling and starting every 5 seconds. 

Jim's in Columbus. He went to Maggie's for dinner last night and...ugh...took back his giant dictionary that he'd given to Eva. I'm a little pissed at Maggie for not just ditching it rather than telling Jim they didn't want it. I need junk to leave my house and NOT COME BACK!!!

I have a meeting this morning with Greg's mom. It's a meeting to accept the evaluation and IEP from his previous school but I'll also do some amendments to the IEP. Additionally we'll put together a schedule for next year. I'm also hoping that we can come to some plan for when Greg is a dick. Mom seems fine with me taking his phone when he arrives at school and then allowing him to take it back at the end of the day but I need to get her definite okay. 

Dinner tonight will once again be leftovers. I'll probably have the spaghetti and meatballs with a salad. It's kind of nice to have enough leftovers for the week that I don't need to cook. I love leftovers so am not bothered. 

I slept like a little baby last night. I love being able to sleep in the middle of the bed. It's funny, when Jim's home and I go up to watch TV or read, the boys ditch me for their pillows or the guest bedroom. When he's gone though, they stay in bed with me until I turn the fan on and lay my head on the pillow. It's weird. 

Okay well, I guess I'd best finish my routine, get the boys settled and head to stupid work. After today, I have 10 days of school left and 1 work day. I only have 6 days left of teaching and I don't count exam days. The end is near! So excited. Later!

No More Honeymoon; Maybe Divorce

My new kid - lets call him Greg - has definitely moved out of the honeymoon stage and I think I'm going to file papers for a divorce. Yesterday, after several emails back and forth with his mother, it was determined that for the rest of the year, he will be lifting with the football team Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Mondays are at a local gym and the kids are to be bused there after school. I arranged it with the football coach who also happens to be Greg's counselor, that a student would meet Greg in his 7th period and take him to the bus. Of course things did not go as planned and that little pissant purposely derailed everything. Little manipulative shit!

Apparently, on the way to the bus, Greg said he had to use the bathroom. He then proceeded to lock himself in the Junior High nurse's bathroom long enough that the bus finally left him. Obviously, this was his plan. Around 2:15, I had a number of people searching me out to figure out what to do. I called mom and told her what her fucking son was up to and she revealed that she was aware. That he'd been texting her (40-50 texts) bitching about going to lifting and finally telling her he was hunkered down in a bathroom. First of all, why didn't you contact me, knowing he was in this state of mind? You had to know he would try to pull something. I told her to text him and figure out a way for him to get home (because I was leaving). Here's the interesting thing, she said she'd call her older son to see if he could pick him up or she'd just have him google a route to walk home. HUH!? He needs an escort through the building between classes but you're going to have him walk home to a new house on a route he's never taken. Interesting. 

In the end, I, and our sheriff escorted him to the HS office and on the route I told him (not in these exact words) that this shit was going to stop. I told him he'd inconvenienced enough people and we weren't doing this again. 

Here's one idea: Take his phone mom! I will present to her that his phone be deposited on my desk at the beginning of the day. He can pick it up after 7th period. If she needs to get ahold of him, she can either email him, call the main office or email me. If you're so annoyed by the number of texts he's sending you, I can fix that right quick. We'll see how today goes. I don't have a lot hope and I'm just excited for the end of these next two weeks. I do have a meeting with mom tomorrow and that will be interesting. Up to this point, she's been very nice and smiley and overly cheery so I'll be interested to see if that changes. 

Jim didn't go to Columbus yesterday because apparently the job he's going to be on is an outdoor job and with the rain, they weren't going to be able to paint. It's still raining but he's going up today anyway. I think he has a few things he can do at the Alta Fiber job from a couple weeks ago so that's something. This means, I'll be eating more leftovers tonight for dinner. 

I my last IEP meeting today which I'm excited about. I was hoping that after tomorrow, I would be done with meetings but I woke up to an email from the rep at school who deals with the career center kids and there's a junior who's coming back next year and is being put on my caseload. I guess we need to amend her stupid IEP. I'll tell you this much, I'm not doing the amendments. Fuck that. 

The hot tub should be good to go this afternoon. I shocked it again yesterday and as per advice from a local pool/spa place, I let it breathe without the cover on for a couple hours. Fingers crossed because I really want to get in this afternoon and swim. 

And that's all I've got. I'm already annoyed and I haven't even gotten to work yet. Ugh! Later!

So Much Rain

It rained so much this past weekend which made me very lazy. The boys were only able to get a tiny little walk on Saturday and we still had to walk in the rain. Sunday, however, he got a full blown 4-miler which made him happy. Hopefully after today we'll be drying out a bit. 

Other than the rain, the weekend was okay. Friday we hung out with the neighbors for a couple cocktails before dinner and before the rain hit. Then Jim and I just chilled. Saturday we had to tackle my drippy cold water faucet in my bathroom. Of course nothing is ever easy and we ended up having to buy a whole new faucet and then of course getting it home, we thought (Jim thought) we didn't have all the needed parts so we had to put it off until Sunday. It ended up we did have all the needed parts and so after Shooters yesterday, with Jim reading directions and handing me tools, I got it installed. It was pretty easy too. This is the second faucet I've had to replace in this bathroom which is really annoying. Hopefully this one will last longer. 

I went to get in the hot tub on Friday and it was all cloudy. Ugh! I took a water sample into our local pool place and they gave me some tips. I shocked it but it was still cloudy. I changed the filter and I've been doing my best to get the chemicals balanced but it's a huge pain in my ass. I'll check it today when I get home and hopefully it will be fine. This stresses me out. 

Jim's headed to Columbus today for a Monday-Thursday job. He's not looking forward to it, nor am I. I don't mind being by myself but I don't like it when he's so far away. At least he'll be home Thursday night though. 

The honeymoon phase for my new kid lasted less than three days. He had a bit of a meltdown at the end of the day Friday because he didn't want to go to lifting for football. He lifted the day before and was sore and just wanted to go home. The para and I (mainly the para) managed to get him to the weight room but it wasn't easy and he threw a fit. On his way out the door he said to me, "A lot of help you are!" And then he cussed and proceeded to bitch and moan. Here's the biggest issue I have with the whole thing: Mom did not inform me of the change in plans so when the para came to walk him to the bus, I find out that he's supposed to go lifting. This is a kid who was given a solid month to transition into the new school. He walked his schedule 3 times before starting so his anxiety was reduced. He has a visual schedule so he knows what's coming and there are no surprises. And then three days in, mom sets me and him up for failure because she can't sent a simple email telling me of the plan. So frustrating. I'll have to deal with that when I get to school because she sent an email late Friday in response to my email about the confusion and resulting behaviors. This was all her fault and I need to make sure it doesn't happen again. I wasn't going to email over the weekend because you know, I don't want to set that precedence. She should know better. 

Dinner tonight: It will be a week of leftovers. I think tonight I'll use the leftover meatballs and cook up some spaghetti and a salad. 

And that's all I've got. Time to get a move on. Two weeks until exam week and three weeks total! Woot! Later. 

Psychic Proof

It happened again. Proof that I'm slightly psychic. I was getting ready to get in the shower; I had just turned on the TV to tune into Cheers and while the commercials ran, I thought, Which episode with Woody is one of my faves? After thinking for a sec, I thought, I want to see the one where he sings the birthday song for his girlfriend: Kelly Kelly Kelly Kelly, K-E-L-L-Y! When the show came back from commercials? Though I missed the particular scene above, it was that episode and Kelly was sitting at the piano mumbling the song. I mean WTF!? When I told Jim all of this, he said, "It's too bad you can't tap into that more consistently." True story...I'd riddle out some lottery numbers and BAM! I feel like I can't tell the future though. It's more I can sense things happening at a particular moment without seeing it or being present. Which doesn't do me any good when it comes to picking the correct winning digits. Oh well. I'll keep trying or start trying. 

I'm so happy today is Friday! And bonus, we're on a Pep Assembly schedule which means shortened periods which means MOVIE DAY!!! Hot dog! And by the way, why the hell are we having a random pep assembly? Who knows. I hate them but I'm not mad about the abbreviated class schedule. There are about 20 teachers out today as well so it will be a shit show at the Castle. 

This weekend is going to BLOW in terms of weather. Basically it's going to rain all weekend long and into Monday. This sucks especially since we're getting a dirt delivery today. We'll have to find breaks between the rain to try and spread this shit out but it's going to be awful and a mess. Way to go Jim. 

Only recent photo. 
(Had to steal from Anne)

You know what isn't sucky about the weekend?! Tomorrow is J.J.'s 17th birthday!!! Holy Merde! How is he that old!? Crazy! I hope he/you have the best birthday weekend and do all the things you love to do. Unfortunately, one of those things won't happen (spending time with your favorite Muwee) but at least we got to see each other last weekend! Love you more than you know! 

Dinner tonight: Cobb salad. I made the pasta that was on the list yesterday and decided to make something especially easy tonight and I loves me a cobb salad. 

Okay well, time to get a move on. Happy Friday! Happy weekend. Later!

Another W

Eva's team won again last night but more importantly, she had an in the park homerun. Woot! 

Last night I decided not to cook so Jim and I went out for Mexican. Part of the reason was I was a little late getting home due to another meeting. It was probably 17th meeting with the architects giving us an update about the new building. Yesterday's meeting was a glimpse of the interior. It is pretty cool and innovative. Problem is, we're going to build this thing and then have no money to put anything in it to use. I'd assume that the money allotted for the building would also include furniture but who knows. All I do know is that the district is going to have to put on a levy soon in order for us to continue operating at the same place we are now. With the cuts that are being made in education both federally and statewide, we're pretty much fucked. 

Speaking of fucked, there's a new SB (29) that's gone through which is sending everyone into a tizzy. The bill mandates stricter student data privacy rules for schools, prohibiting the general monitoring of student activities on school-issued devices and requiring transparency in data collection. Basically, you have to go through all kinds of rigmarole to register apps that the students use. Everything from reading apps to apps like Quizlet etc. Guess which app hasn't been approved and very likely won't be? Google. Guess what we as teachers use almost exclusively to post and teach in our district? Google. Here's my question: Who is up the governors ass that is about to make a killing with their app that will be replacing Google? It's so fucking stupid. These assholes who are trying to dictate what happens in school! Such a racket. I need to get out of this business. And make no mistake, it is a business. 

Dinner tonight: I'll either grill some chicken or make a chicken tortellini. I'll probably grill since I have some veggies I need to use. 

The new student who started yesterday did well. He certainly has no filter but he's funny and crazy talented. The sketch shown is from his sketchbook that he showed me. There were a ton more drawings from puppies to people. I'm glad he hasn't something to be passionate about. His mother emailed last night saying how happy he was and how much he likes his new school. Finger crossed things continue on this road. 

Okay well, I've run out of time. Best mosey. Later!