Last Minute Detes

My damn dogs got me up way too early and I didn't sleep well to begin with. My cold moved into my chest and so I was hacking all night long. Truthfully I don't feel bad but it's annoying. I'll load up on medicine and dry this shit out. 

I have a few last minute things I need to do before people arrive today. Nothing major, just a quick stop at Aldi and Kohls. Everything for tonight is ready I just need clean upstairs and make sure Jim stays on track with all his jobs. Although he doesn't have many. Mainly he just needs to get the leaves blown off the deck and set up the ladder and fire table. 

Jim won't have luminaries to set up tonight because my neighborhood dictators didn't deliver to those who didn't pay their "dues" and I've never, in 22 years paid. Why? Because my neighborhood doesn't have an established HOA, never has. They claim they do and they send out letters for collection every year but they can't account for that money. I think the people that do the collecting are stealing money. Other than luminaries (which don't cost $45 a household) they won't show us the receipts. I call bullshit and refuse to play their game. I also refuse to be bullied into contributing. Suck it. 

Well, that's about all I've got. I'm going to go make a couple of breakfast sandwiches for Jim and me then start getting shit together. Happy Christmas Eve! Later!

Feeling Fine

My sore throat finally went away. My head is still a little schnootzy but I feel fine. This bodes well for the next several days since I have lots to do. I managed to get lots done yesterday which included: 

• Grocery shopping
• Final wrapping of presents
• Laundry
• Brunswick Stew is made
• Walked the dogs
• Exercised
• Organized my toiletries for travel
• Started pulling clothes for the Bahamas

Today my chores include: 

• Making the brownies
• Cleaning the house
• Going to the bank 
• Going to Walgreens 
• Walking the boys
• Exercising 

It should actually be an easy day. Jim's working so I don't have him to help but truthfully, other than walking Boo and helping me clean, he couldn't do much else. 

The teacher I talked about yesterday sent an email out to the parents of the kid sort of owning up to her idiot mistake and offering him a re-take of the exam. She changed his 2nd quarter grade to passing so that he can actually decide not to retake it and still pass. I'm tempted to change her to the gen ed teacher for his IEP meeting which is on 1/9 but I don't need to be such a blatant asshole. 

I finished The Widow by John Grisham yesterday. It was good. Now I need another book to read. I gave Jim two book ideas to get me for our travels but I don't know if he did or not and if he didn't, I'll need something for the beach/pool in the Bahamas. Maybe I should make a quick trip to Meijers just in case. Even if Jim did get me a book if I buy one for myself it won't go to waste. I'll add that to my to-do list. 

We ended up eating all our leftovers last night so tonight I'll make a cobb salad. We thought about going to Tony's but I don't think I want to do that. We'll save it for when we get back from vacation. 

And that's about all I've got. I'm going to sip a bit more coffee and then get the boys walked. Happy...Tuesday. Later!

Wouldn't You Know It?!

I never planned on going in today for our "work day" but wouldn't you know that I actually, legitimately got freaking sick?! It started overnight Friday into Saturday when my throat started getting sore. That's never good in the health of Muir. When I got up, I progressively felt worse. I managed to walk Scout Saturday morning but declined quickly while out and about. When I got home, I climbed back in bed where I proceeded to shiver, sleep and ache. I made dinner but couldn't eat much and went back to bed at 6:30. I slept 12 hours and upon waking Sunday morning felt much better but not 100%. This morning I'm feeling a lot better but my head his very clogged and my throat is still a bit sore. I've got shit to do today, however, so I can't let that hold me back. 

So my plans for today are to walk the boys, make the Brunswick soup, finish wrapping (Jim has a couple more gifts that came in the mail), clean a bit, do laundry and start thinking about packing for our trip. Jim's working so he won't be much help, however, I'll have him start getting his shit together too. A lot of what he'll take are Christmas gifts. Oh, and I need to get some Powerball tickets! I need some billions of dollars! That would be so awesome! 

I don't want to talk about work but Friday...Friday was so annoying. I was finishing things up, it was probably noon (two hours to go until dismissal) and I decided to check student grades to see what final semester marks my students had. Looking at one of my juniors, I saw - FUCK - he'd failed the semester in English. Not cool. He'd gotten a C first quarter, an F second quarter and got a 23% on the exam. That's fucked up. Now, here's the thing: Throughout the semester, I'd emailed his teacher either asking for clarification as to why he had certain scores (was it that he didn't understand the content or just didn't complete work), or to get feedback for his progress or to get information for his IEP. Never did she respond to me. Nothing. So I'm hot when I see his semester grade. Immediately I decided to go confront talk to her. Of course she's not in her room. I then email her.

Hi (dumb ass English teacher's name), I just came up to talk to you about student's name and his grade. His IEP is January 9th and I'm sure the parents are going to be asking questions about his grades and failure of the 1st semester in English. I've emailed you a couple times to find out where his issues were (incomplete work? inaccuracy in work?) but haven't heard back from you. I'd appreciate it if you could give me some insight into his performance in class so I can better inform the parents.

She responded with: 

Last quarter he seemed to do well and then his effort in class significantly dropped. He does tend to turn in assignments late, but they seem to be hastily completed. He has not used any of his accommodations and does not advocate for himself in my class. The most contact I have from him is through email when he turns something in, and he only speaks with me when he responds to the question of the day. He also does not engage much in class with peers or myself, even when prompted. I plan on detailing this in the survey, which I will fill out either today or Monday.

She then sent a follow up directly after (I'm sure she realized she was slightly fucked at this point): 

I'm also finalizing grades, so his grade may change.

Um, first of all, you give him the accommodations in his IEP, he doesn't advocate for them. If he is given them and refuses, okay but it's up to you to ensure they've been offered and shot down. Also, her saying she was "finalizing grades"? She had already entered final grades which is how I saw he' failed.  I responded with: 

Did he have a modified exam as his IEP called for?

I knew she hadn't. I knew she hadn't been following his IEP and this was confirmed with her next email: 

So, he did not have a modified exam. I went off of the accommodations portion and did not see the modifications portion. I can mark his exam as incomplete right now and remake his exam according to those modifications. He'll only have to do the multiple choice portion since he did well on the written portion. He can retake it after break during my bell as long as there is a place for him to do so, either with you or in another GI bell? I'll exclude him from the assignment that the class will be completing.

My response to that was (with my admin cc-ed):

I would appreciate it if you would contact the parents so they can let student know so he will be prepared for that after the break. 

What an asshole. Why can't people just do their job?!

I just got a text from Maggie saying: London doesn't do mimosas. What the fuck!? How can that be? I told her to order a glass of OJ and a glass of champs. Bam. I'm not sure what the problem is but I'm never going there! 

Okay, time to get my shit together. Happy Monday! Later!

I Made It!

Of course I need to get through today but since I don't have an exam to give and most kids should be gone by 9:30, it's pretty much a done deal. I don't have any kids signed up to take an exam in my room but even so, it's fine...my plans can't happen until after the exam anyway. 

Plans today include finishing up the IEPs I've got coming after the new year. I have 3 IEPs the first week back and 1 after. One of them is completely written, one is mid-way done and 2 haven't been started. I think I can crank these out today but who knows. Around 9:30, I'll head to Costco. I hate going there on the weekend so I'll take an hour or so to get my shopping for the holidays done. I don't need much, just some alcohol, household staples and I'm going to take a few pics for Jim to give him ideas of what he can get me for Christmas. I've cautioned him not to get me much because our real gift to each other is our trip but I know my husband, he'll go somewhat overboard. It's best if I tell him exactly what to get me. That way I don't end up with a bunch of stupid stuff. 

Plans for the weekend: I'm going to chill out and do things around here to prepare for my trip and Christmas Eve. I think I'll try to finally clean out my dresser drawers because they are overflowing with stuff that needs to either be donated or thrown away. 

Dinner: I think I'll just heat up leftovers. I made the BEST dinner last night. One of my lunch ladies gave me a recipe that she had Wednesday night and it looked good so I made it. It was a creamy orzo meatball casserole. It was a one dish meal and had only 6 ingredients: Boursin, orzo, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen meatballs, spinach and broth. So yummy and easy. That will certainly be a new staple in the Hanke household. 

OH! Safe travels to the Egberts today who fly to London. They'll be gone until the 30th, I think. Have a great time! Be safe! 

Okay, I need to get myself together and head out! Happy Friday! Happy Winter Break to me! Later!

So Close

I'm so close I can taste it. Come noon, I won't have anything to do except ensure I've got things done for the end of the quarter and ready for the first of the year. Today I've got one last exam to administer and one IEP meeting and then I'm sort of free.

I'm happy to say that all of my students yesterday passed their exams. In fact, no one got below a C which makes me happy. This means everyone will pass the semester. That's not always the case and considering these crazy mofos this year, it's really saying something.

Yesterday was tough with Skip being laid to rest. I'm sure it's a sort of sigh of relief for Susan now that it's over but on the other hand, with the whirlwind done, she'll have more time to think and that's a hard reality to face. She's got a lot of people around her to hold her up though. Sucks losing a parent. 

So I'm listening to a memoir right now called Awake by Jen Hatmaker. It's about Jen getting her life back after her husband of 27 years up and left her and their 5 kids for his mistress. As I got in my car yesterday leaving the funeral I was on a chapter where she was talking about a high school English class where the teacher read to the class Dylan Thomas's "Do not go gentle into that good night". Jen's teacher read it to her father as he lay dying and she wanted her students to hear it. It was just so fitting as I drove away from Skip's funeral and of course it made me bawl. Here it is: 

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Isn't it crazy how things like that happen...me leaving Skip's funeral, getting in the car and hearing that story? Listening to THAT poem? And I don't believe in coincidences.

Okay, I just made myself cry again. I'd better stop. 

Dinner tonight: I think I'll make hamburgers or something like that. Who know? I'll figure it out at work. Happy Thursday! Later! 

Getting There

Slowly but surely I'm getting my work done at school but it's hard to stay motivated. I'm nearly done with my progress reports and really just have to wait for others to give me info or add their parts. I'm about halfway through writing Greg's IEP which is a doozie. Again, I have to rely on his teachers giving me information especially since his issues are behavioral. I talked to his mother and I'm pretty sure she'll agree to moving him into my language arts class. Not that I want him in my class, so to speak but I think his focus needs to be on maintaining appropriate behavior rather than academics. He's triggered so much by others and being in a gen ed class pushes all his buttons. Plus, too many of his teachers aren't firm enough with him. He needs a strict teacher who doesn't put up with his antics and calls him out every single time when he acts the fool. Meet Mrs. Hanke. Don't get me wrong, many of his teachers are great but not for him. Just like I'm not a lovey feely type person, and don't always mesh with students who need a person who treats them with kid gloves. 

Anyway, today will be a little busier for me as I'm administering my 3rd (ELA) and 4th (history) bell exams. While they're working, I'll be working and hopefully staying motivated rather than crushing some candy. Exams are over at around 11:15 so I'll leave once the parking lots clear and head down to Susan's father's visitation and service. I'm hoping to be there by 12:30 or 1:00. Jim's going to meet me down there after stopping home to change and let the boys out. I know today is going to be a tough day for Susan and Trip and JJ and I know it's been a whirlwind. I'm glad I can be there to support them in their grief. 

I'm not sure if I'll be cooking tonight. The funeral service is directly after the visitation and then after that there's a reception, which we'll probably go to for a bit. Trip said they'll have some finger food from Rafferty's there and since I don't eat much anymore, that might serve me for the night. We'll see. We'll have to get home to the boys but since Jim's stopping at home they should be okay for awhile. At least until it's suppertime...they get very demanding when they're hungry. 

The temps are finally getting above freezing and with the rain we're supposed to get on Friday, the snow should be outta here by the weekend. I was able to get Scout a little walk yesterday and he was so happy. 

And that's about all I've got. Time to get my shit together. Happy Wednesday. Later!

In 10 Days!!!

Forget about the countdown to winter break! It's time to countdown to the Bahamas! I don't want to jinx it but the 10 day forecast for both Cincinnati and Chicago (where we make a stop) show above freezing temps and okay weather. I know it's still 10 days away but I feel better that the next week+ have above average temperatures. Fingers crossed nothing changes there. 

Today starts exams at school but I'm not giving any because the first two exams are 1st and 2nd period and those are my Guided Interventions. I might have one or two students coming it to take an exam but that's no big deal. I'll be working at my desk all day to complete end of quarter paperwork. Oh, and I have an 11:30 call to make. I'm conferencing with Greg's mom to talk about switching him to my English class because, well, he's an asshole and can't cut it with the gen ed population. Last week was awful for him with lots of reports from teachers of him being a shitass. (Huh, "shitass" doesn't give me a red line underneath telling me it's misspelled! Dad would like that.) Anyway, I'm going to attempt to switch up his schedule which fucks me but will ultimately make my life a little easier. 

In other news, Jim's CT scan and appointment came back with good news. All is still looking well and the ground glass in his lungs has cleared up. He doesn't need to go back for labs for 3 months and then another CT in 6. Of course that makes me nervous but that's where we are. 

These last several days, holed up at home have been awesome. Yesterday I got so much done. Well, aside from my exercise I got my wrapping done and finished up laundry. Oh, and I made a final batch of French cakes. I didn't get my walk in because the roads were still really slushy but I'm thinking that with the thaw starting today, Scout will finally get back out there. Oh, and I finished up my shopping. Now I just need everything be delivered so I can wrap and BAM! Done! 

Dinner: I've got cod in the fridge that I need to make so I think I'll do that. It's a meal I'd planned for last week but was never feeling it. I need to feel it today though since it's thawed. 

And that's about all I've got. I don't need to rush to school but I've got plenty to do so I might as well get a move on. Happy - what the eff day is it? - Oh, Happy Tuesday. Later! 

Surprise!

I was laying in bed last night, Jim had just come to bed and I'd just gotten a text from one of my lunch ladies telling the group that Little Miami (a nearby district) was closed today. Ugh! I had responded that they should just throw us a bone and give us a 2-hour delay. Then, I laid my head down and said to Jim, "I don't want to go to school tomorrow!!!" About 3 minutes later, my phone dinged and HOT DOG!!! Closed! What an awesome surprise. 

What are my plans today? Well, I'll whip up another batch of French cakes. I completed a batch yesterday and just need to do one more, I think, to satisfy all those that crave them. I'll certainly exercise (elliptical) and do some yoga. I doubt I'll get out to walk because the high is only supposed to be 24 but we'll see. I tried to take Scout for a little jaunt yesterday after we shoveled but alas, he didn't even make it past my next door neighbor. The roads weren't clear enough and he got ice between his tootsies and I had to carry him home. I tried with Boo too but the same happened. Poor little babies. This weather really effs up their ability to get out there and do their business. 

Aside from all that, I'll chill out and enjoy a day off. I'm not sure what I'll make for dinner. Since I have time, I might make something delicious that may take more effort than a typical Monday meal. We'll see...I'll look at my Pinterest boards and see what floats my boat. 

Jim has a follow up appointment with his oncologist this morning. Hopefully all is well. I looked at the findings and didn't see anything alarming but of course most of it is gobbledygook to this layperson. 

The weekend was fine. Nothing major. We went to Roosters before the snow started but other than that, we hung out at home and tried to stay warm. 

Okay well, I'm going to go do a yoga. Happy Monday! Later!

Rest In Peace Skip

Last night Trip sent a text out to the family to let us know that Susan's father, Skip passed away. He'd been in the hospital since Tuesday after he was found at home, unconscious. It seems he'd fallen or collapsed and after tests etc., they found he had an infection that they just weren't able to combat. They struggled all week with his blood pressure and failing kidneys but in the end, his body just couldn't fight anymore. I'm so very sad for Susan and JJ and Trip. It's so hard to lose a loved one but with so little time to absorb what's happening it's a doubly difficult and tragic. I know they know how much love and support is being sent their way and I hope they can take comfort in that. 

My school is on a 2-hour delay but I ended up calling in. We probably got an inch in my neighborhood (more south, toward the city) and the roads are fine but I tossed and turned all night thinking about Susan and then looking out the window. There's nothing I'm missing at school since classes will be so short and it was a movie day so what the hell. 

I'm not sure if Jim's going to work or not. His company actually had their "Christmas Party" scheduled which entailed a 9:00 am meeting and then the "celebration". This means that it was a paid day off. With the weather, however, I'm not sure if they cancelled it or not. If they did, I don't know if that means that Jim can go to work or what. I guess I'll find out when he gets up. 

I was just sitting here on the couch and I heard a weird noise. I looked up, didn't see anything and said, "Puppies? Is that you?" Nothing. A few minutes went by and I heard it again. I looked up and found Scout, with a box of tissues, just ripping the tissues out and scattering them all over the floor. WHAT THE HECK SCOUT!? He loves him a tissue. He always steals Jim's (who leaves them laying around) but he's never stollen a whole box to rip them to shreds. Guess I'll have to start putting those up so he can't get them. Bad puppy! 

Weekend plans: None. We're going to get another round of snow tomorrow (2-4 inches) so we won't be doing much except hunkering down, sitting in front of the fire, watching Stranger Things and Taylor Swift's End Of Eras Tour docuseries. (Jim doesn't know about that yet but he'll love it.) I'll head to Aldi at some point and maybe we'll go to lunch tomorrow before it starts snowing...who knows?

Dinner tonight: I think I'll make no-peak beef tips with some broccoli and mashers or egg noodles.

K - I'm going to go see what Jim's plans are and then probably start a fire. Happy Friday! One more week for Muir! Later!

Wishing & Hoping & Thinking & Praying

I'm wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that the weather gods will be right and tomorrow at this time there will be 3-5 inches on the ground, which means I'll be lolling in bed, trying to be quiet and not move so the boys will let me sleep just a little longer. But even if I'm up and sipping my coffee, if I have a snow day, I'll be in hog heaven. I think it might happen and I'm not scared to get my hopes up! 

We're also going to get hit with another little storm on Saturday so that by Sunday, we may have a half foot of snow on the ground. Guess I'll be hanging a lot at home this weekend and I'm not mad about it. I'm hoping that Mother Nature is getting it all out of her system early in December so that the end of December will be calmer. Fingers crossed. 

BTW - the pot pie I made yesterday from Aldi (well, made is stretching it...reheat) was good. I really liked it and will certainly buy it again. Dinner tonight will be cod with a lemon butter sauce, rice and green beans. 

I started Harry Potter yesterday in my ELA classes (the movie) and it's a good thing I did since I'm pretty sure we won't have school tomorrow. The kids were excited and so far they're enjoying it. 

Susan's dad: They've figured out the infection he has and with meds and dialysis, they've seen some improvement. Hopefully things will continue in that direction. 

Today at work, for X-mas spirit week, it's pajama day. Now, I could have worn my only pair of real pajamas which are flannels with Christmas polar bears all over it but that's not me. Instead, I'm wearing what you see at left. It's cozy and was a pajama top but I never wear it to bed because I'd sweat my ass off. 

Okay, well, that's all I've got. Time to finish getting ready, tuck in the babies and head to work. Happy Thursday, which will hopefully be my Friday! Later!

Everything I'd Hoped

Oh man! My dinner last night was everything I'd been missing. I missed that taco salad so much. If only I'd been able to eat the whole damn thing but it's so big. However, I brought the rest home to have for lunch. I know it won't be the same and it'll probably be a bit soggy but I don't care. I just don't know how I'm going switch off going there with Jim so he can get the Thursday special. Tuesdays are also 1/2 off a bottle of wine. I didn't get one but it's nice to know that's an option. One good thing about the old Rusty Bucket is they have a really good beer selection and almost always have a brown ale. They did last night and I treated myself to one. 

As we were driving home last night, Trip sent a group text out to say that Susan's dad had fallen at some point at home and was found unconscious. They don't know how long he'd been there. They'd gotten him to the hospital and did a CAT scan, which was clear, but they were having a hard time getting him stable and a blood oxygen reading. They know he has an infection but hadn't figured it out by the time I went to bed. They ended up intubating him and the doc says he's "life threateningly sick".  Poor Susan! 

This week is creeping by. I can't believe it's only Wednesday. I just keep saying to myself, 16 more days until the Bahamas! God I hope we can get there without a hassle. I'm just so worried about the first leg of our trip and flying into O'Hare. 

Dinner tonight: I pulled a chicken pot pie from Aldi. I've not had this before and I hope it's good. I love me a chicken pot pie. 

Jim has a scan this morning. Of course he's piddling around and driving me nuts. Has to be there at 6:45 and it's in Fort Thomas. 

Today will be my last day of "teaching" for the semester. I'll go over the study guides for all my classes and then we'll watch movies for the rest of the week and until they have their exams. In ELA we'll watch Harry Potter but I didn't know what to watch in history. We just finished studying WWI and it's hard to show an appropriate movie for that. Most are ancient and/or rated R. I've shown War Horse a million times - it's a good WW1 movie - so can't show it again. I asked the kids what they'd want to watch and surprisingly they chose a couple good ones: Home Alone and Peabody and Sherman. I'd never heard of that one so I looked it up. Here's the premise: Sherman, a young boy, misuses a time machine made by his scientist father Mr. Peabody and causes the world history to go haywire. It is now up to Mr. Peabody to rescue his son and the world. Perfect! I'll show that one first. 

Okay, time to get a move on...and get Jim out the door on time. Happy Wednesday...ugh, it's only Wednesday! Later!

The Day Has Come

I'm so excited! It's finally here! I've waited for this day longer than I thought I could make but here we are! Rusty Bucket has finally brought back it's daily specials and Tuesday's feature is their taco salad!!! Guess what's for dinner tonight!? In reality, it started last week but Jim was out of town so I couldn't partake. But tonight! Tonight I'm going to satisfy an itch that has been driving me crazy for weeks, nay years! I wish that it was permanently on the menu but alas, you can't have everything. They've also brought back their "Italian Torpedo Sandwich" which is Jim's fave. However that's on Thursdays. I told Jim we can switch off but of course, I go first! Can't wait. 

In other news, Jim's a lazy ass. Oh, wait! That isn't news. Goldang I'm funny! He's still in bed. He says it's because he can't get into the building where he's working until 8:00. Of course he didn't tell me that  last night so his coffee is cold. Dummy. 

Did I mention that I made French cakes and took my ladies some? I delivered them with a caveat: They probably weren't very good. I didn't have a full teaspoon of almond extract; instead I added a bit more vanilla. Mid-way through 1st bell Carrie sent me a text saying, "I dare say these waffles are the BEST yet!" Hmm...I'll have to do another batch with the correct amounts of extracts and see what they think. I mean, they're still delicious but I really like that hint of almond. 

My IEP meeting went well yesterday. I think I was done with my part in 10 minutes and then we had to wait around because the speech path was late. When she walked in I said, "I finished up so you just need to go through your part." She was all like, "Oh, jeez...sorry." I didn't mean to make her feel bad, it's just I don't like to waste time. And as per usual, the mother and daughter were super weird. They sat next to each other and literally kept pawing each other. The daughter would grab her mothers hand and then the mother would sort of pet the daughters arm. I mean, what the what!? So weird. 

Yesterday my students finished up their final reading comprehension and writing work in my ELA classes which means I'm busy, busy, busy, getting all the data formulated and sent off to the other sped teachers. I can now work on my progress reports for those kids with reading/writing goals. Bam! So ready for winter break.

Oh, Jim's surgery is set for February 16th, which is President's Day and I'm already off. At first I was annoyed by this but then realized A) I'll only need to take off Tuesday now and B) that Friday is an in-service. 

Okay best get a move on. It's colder than a day old dumpling so I need to bundle up before heading out. Happy Tuesday! Later

Two Weeks To Break!

Another weekend gone and only two weeks left until break. I can't wait. This week should be pretty easy, although I do have an IEP today at noon. It's with one of my sophomores and she and her mother are weirdos. I've never been able to connect with this girl, due mainly because she doesn't speak or participate or engage. Other than that, the kids will be working on reviews for their exams. Easy. 

The weekend was good. Friday I got to chill out. A little TV, a little spa-ing, lots of cuddles in front of the fire and in bed early. Saturday, we went out to lunch (Kirby's) and then came home to chill. Terri's tree-trimming party started at 7:00 so we went to dinner at Seasons 52 beforehand. We had a great time and it was really nice to see everyone. It was a much more intimate party than it used to be with probably no more than 30 people there, all of whom I knew and like. We stayed later than we'd planned but were still home before midnight. I might have had a little too much to drink but wasn't hung over which was a bonus. 

Yesterday consisted of Shooters and disappointing football. Jim got a little snot-lockered and annoyed me because he wouldn't shut up and is the reason I ended up with a headache. He ended up passing out (thank the baby Jesus) before we even had dinner so I enjoyed eating on the couch watching Survivor. I was in bed by 7:00 and asleep by 8:00. 

Oh, I was making French cakes yesterday and my cousin Warren called me. It freaked me out a bit because I thought for a second something may be going on with my Aunt Muir. However, he accidentally called me from his phone when he was trying to show Aunt Muir how to tell Siri to call me. Anyway, she was calling because my Mom had called her and she wanted to touch base since Mom was very confused. I'm sure Mom thought she was calling me. Anyway, I called Mom and she was indeed very confused. She said she'd tried to call "everyone" but no one answered. I told her, well, you didn't call me but you did call Aunt Muir. She didn't remember that. I reassured her that Maggie was on her way home and that she could call me anytime. She said, "Are you going to work tomorrow?" I told her yes and she said, "What if I called you while you were at work?" I said, "I'd answer and we'd chat. You can call me anytime and I'll answer." That made her feel better. Her confusion is a bit concerning because it seems to be happening more and more often. Hmm...

Jim's already out the door this morning because the guy he's working with starts at 6:00. When I got up this morning, knowing Jim had to get up (he told me last night he would get up with me) I turned off the fan and turned on the hall light. Jim was all, "Why'd you turn off the fan? What's with the light?!" Dummy didn't remember. Jim can't handle his alcohol. 

Oh, did I mention that Jim's having surgery? Again? His hernias are really bothering him and so he went to his surgeon (who did the diverticulitis) and she said they need to be taken care of. He's got two and both were caused by surgery (the surgery for his diverticulitis and heart). We're hoping for something in mid-late January. It should only be an overnight stay and will keep him out of work for about 2 weeks. If it's not one thing it's another. 

Dinner tonight: I think I'll make a chicken marsala. 

Time to mosey. Happy Monday. Later!

Jimmy Has Returned

So glad he's finally home and hopefully we can say this is the last time he'll travel for work. We'll see about that. If I know Jim, he'll cave. I don't know why he does his boss any favors. It doesn't seem like it's ever returned. However, his boss is very understanding about all Jim's medical issues and appointments. But then, he sort of has to be, right? The disabilities act and all that. Anyway, I'm glad he's finally home. 

Jim is actually working today but he also has a doctor's appointment. Apparently his hernia is giving him fits (if it's not one thing it's another) so he's having his doc (general surgeon who did his diverticulitis surgery) take a looksee. She's the one who diagnosed his hernia. At that time, several months ago, she told him it would eventually need to be fixed but at the time, it wasn't pressing. I guess it's starting to be pressing for Jim. We'll see what she says. If I have my druthers, he'll be able to schedule it for around my spring break. Who knows how long this will put him out. I'm starting to think Jim's addicted to surgery. (I'm kidding.) 

Weekend plans: I have no plans tonight and want to keep it that way. Tomorrow, however, Terri is having a Tree Trimming Reboot Party. She had this party for years and years before covid and then it sort of fell by the wayside. I'm pretty excited because I had to bow out of Terri's last party (Oktoberfest) and haven't seen that bunch in a long time. It starts at 7:00 but I think Jim and I will go out to dinner beforehand. I'm thinking Seasons 52 in Hyde Park. I like them because they have a wide-ranging menu and the portions are reasonable. 

Dinner tonight: I'm going to do an Aldi meal, probably burnt ends with mashers and broccoli. 

And that's all I've got. We have a staff photo this morning so I need to get to school so I can smile pretty. Kidding of course, I don't really care. I mean, sure, I'll show up and I'm wearing my school colors, and I'll smile but it's not like I'm racing to school for this reason. 

K - happy Friday! Later!

Sound Issues

I'm running a bit late because the sound bar on the family room TV is on the blink and I tried to figure it out, which of course is never easy. I didn't figure it out but thought I should put that off until I have time to fiddle so that I can appease all my readers. Hopefully it's just something minor and I don't have to buy a new one. It is pretty old though so we'll see. 

Jimmy should be home today. Yay! It's a stupid job because the GC keeps switching things up and causing issues. He tried to get Jim and the guy he's working with to stay through Friday but Jim (and I) put the kibosh on that. I saw that he didn't get back to his hotel until nearly 3:30 last night so I'd expect he'll sleep as long as he can. Of course check out is at 11:00 so I'm hoping he'll be home by noonish. 

We were supposed to get some snow this morning but so far, I haven't seen any flakes flying. It was only supposed to be a covering but because it's hitting during the morning commute, I was worried. So far, so good. 

Since Jimmy's going to be home tonight, I plan on cooking. I think I'll make a spicy rigatoni with peas. It's an easy meal and will make leftovers for Jim. Hopefully he'll work tomorrow but who knows. 

I'm starting the last chapter of Harry Potter today with the kids. They've really seemed to enjoy it, even those who poo pooed it at first, so I think I'll end the year with The Prisoner of Azkaban. I'll show the 2nd movie during 3rd quarter to make sure they know what's going on. I'm pretty excited about that. 

My neighbor across the way sent a group text out to all of us in the circle about a Dead cover band that's playing at Little Miami on Friday. He wanted to see if anyone wanted to join him. I mean, I'd really like that but on a Friday? Muwee doesn't do late nights on Friday. Ugh! I'm such a loser. 

And that's all I've got. Holy shit! I just went to type my "Happy Thursday" (like I do) but accidentally typed "Happy Monday". Ugh! K - I'm out...later!

Glorious Day

I mean, as snow days go, yesterday was the best ever. It started with being able to sleep in. I never got a notification that we were closed but saw we'd have to when I gazed out the window at 4:00 and couldn't see the street. At that point I turned off the alarm. I woke up at 5:00 and checked Facebook and saw we'd been called. I managed to sleep until 6:00 which was when I heard Boo get up, crawl out from under his covers, shake, and then yawn loudly. 

Although I wasn't able to get out and walk the boys, I did shovel the drive, sidewalk, both decks and removed the snow from atop the spa cover. I also swam, which was lovely. Once that was done I showered, ate lunch and then had my IEP meeting. (It was easy peasy and over in 20 minutes.) After that, I loaded up some wood, started a fire and then binged Beast In Me on Netflix (Claire Danes).

Around 5:30, I made my dinner (Buffalo chicken fingers which were amazing) and then watched the latest Christmas movie on Netflix: Champagne Problems. It's my new favorite. If you haven't watched, I highly recommend. So good and not too sappy. I ended up finishing it in bed with my boys surrounding me.

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better day off. And now it's Wednesday and I'm halfway through my week. Amazing. 

Jim's still in Columbus. He's going to be there through tonight, home in the morning, I believe. He's definitely over this traveling-for-work bullshit as am I. Especially since I have yet to be reimbursed for the last hotel stay. And they better not try to include the reimbursement in Jim's paycheck. I want penny for penny rather than it being taxed. Dumb asses.

It's going to be cold as balls these next several days (lows in the teens) which means this snow isn't going anywhere. I'm hoping I can get the boys out there for a little jaunt after school but we'll see. We're supposed to get more snow overnight but only about an inch. However, with the cold, that's going to possibly mess with the roads. I wouldn't be mad about a delay or another day off. I won't count on it though. 

Maggie and Charlie are headed to Napa...right now. I think their flight left at 5:15. Yowza, that's early. Safe travels! Have fun.

Dinner will be leftovers tonight. Or maybe I'll make an omelet. We'll see.

K - I need to finish getting ready and make sure the dogs get out again. Happy Wednesday! later!

Snow Day #1

Sometimes it doesn't suck to be a teacher. Today is hopefully the first of many snow days this winter. Of course I have an IEP meeting scheduled today but I'm not complaining. The fact that I'll be able to Zoom in my cozies with a fire roaring and the boys somewhere nearby (hopefully not acting up) is all I need to make me happy. 

In anticipation of the snow day today, I emailed the "team" to see if they were cool to continue on with the meeting even though it would be a day off. Parents were good with it. My admin was thumbs up. My gen ed teacher? She wanted to reschedule. Asshole. In the end, I got the okay with the parents to excuse that bitch (and believe me, she is a fucking bitch and not just because of this). I ever-so-subtlety alluded to the gen ed teacher not being willing to meet and hopefully she feels like an asshole. Stupid shitass. 

 So what am I going to do on this unexpected awesome day off? Well, after I finish this, I'm going to brew another cup of coffee and sit in front of the fire that Jim left for me. (He's such a good boy to get that all ready for me considering I suck at fire building.) I'll probably do a nice stretchy yoga because my hip needs it (it's really been bothering me lately). I'd like to get into the spa and swim at some point because won't that be nice all surrounded by snow?! Jim's out of town so all shoveling will be left for me. Once it gets light out, I'll do the driveway, sidewalk and make sure there are paths on the decks. Hopefully I'll get all this done before noon which is when my meeting is. And after that, I'm going to laze around and watch TV and snuggle with my boys. I'm guessing I won't get to walk them but hopefully they'll be okay with that and not give me too much guff. 

Dinner: I've been craving buffalo chicken fingers so I think I'll make some in the air fryer tonight. It should also leave me with leftovers. 

And that's all I've got. Time to brew another cup of joe and get my boys tucked in. Happy Tuesday! Later! 

Snowmeggedon

I'm hoping, praying, dreaming, crossing my fingers, and wishing that this time tomorrow, I'll be snuggled up in my robe, drinking coffee, watching the news and thinking about starting a fire. It's supposed to snow overnight and if the gods are with me, we will get a day off. Of course I have an IEP scheduled but if everyone is in, I'll still hold the meeting via Zoom. 

Jim's back in Columbus today. He'll definitely be there through Wednesday but may have to extend it into Thursday. The thing that pisses me off about this is that his boss didn't tell him until 6:00 last night. The other thing that pisses me off is that I still haven't been reimbursed for his last stay. I told Jim that I've just about had it with his boss taking advantage of him. Jim's had it too and told him that this is the last time. We'll see. I've heard that song and dance before. 

Now, don't get me wrong. I don't mind having the house to myself for a day or two but it's still a pain in the ass because all dog walking is up to me. Of course if we get snow, we might not get to walk but we'll see. 

Oh, for those not in the know, my spa is fixed. Turns out it was the breaker. I had Jim get the electrician here that put the electric in for the spa (thank the baby Jesus he was able to come out on Saturday) and he riddled it out. Apparently since Covid, products like that are pretty shoddy. He switched it out and wasn't even going to charge us but I ended up giving him $100. I'm so happy that is off my plate. I still sent an email to Watsons, however. My biggest bitch was still relevant so even though the problem wasn't on them, to have to wait nearly 3 weeks for service is ridiculous. I probably won't get a reply but at least I have a record of my frustrations. 

The weekend was good. We finished getting things up for Christmas, played cards a couple times with the neighbors, watched some Stranger Things (Jim's still catching up so I haven't started the new season yet), went to Shooters for the first time in weeks and enjoyed ourselves. 

For those counting, I'm 21 school days away from Winter Break! These next two weeks will wrap up Harry Potter and WW1, and then we'll have exams. I can't wait. This past week was great but made me jones for more time off. 

Dinner: I'll probably have leftovers or something like that. Who knows? With Jim gone, I probably won't do any real cooking. 

Okay, time to get a move on. Just know that if I'm late in posting tomorrow it's because my dreams came true. Happy Monday! Later!

HBD To Me

Meh. I think I've decided that I don't like my birthday. It's not that I'm another year older. I mean, I'm not weird about my age. It's just so...anticlimactic. It's just another day and nothing really happens but there's that expectation or want for something exciting but then, truthfully, I'd really like nothing more than to do nothing. I did, however, wake up to A) a Bengals win (I only watched the first half because I was getting irritated so I went to bed), B) a new pretty awesome Bengals sweatshirt from Jimmy (and peppermint bark from William Sonoma...yum!) and C) a nice card from my boys (I love them so much). Anyway, whatever...I'm 55. Gotta get used to that number. 

Thanksgiving was good...delicious. Best of all was that I wanted to really enjoy my dinner and eat as much as I wanted to. I didn't know if I'd be able to but I did and it was so yummy. I didn't even feel overly stuffed. 

My plans for today: Well, I do think I'm going to take it relatively easy. After I finish here, I'll walk Scoutie but that will probably be the extent of my workout today. My hip is hurting me and unfortunately I can't get in my fucking spa to remedy it (more on that in a minute) so I'll just try to take it easy. I'll probably try to help Jimmy get the outdoor decorations up and maybe work on clearing out the beds in front. They're still full of leaves and it looks yucky. Other than that I think I'll sit in front of a fire and watch TV. Not sure that I'll cook today. I might just order pizza and make a salad. 

So yeah, my spa. Yesterday I went to swim and it was nice and hot but didn't feel like it was at the temp I'd last set (102). I shrugged, not thinking a lot about that and went to start the swim jets but I couldn't get the digital screen to come up. So I went to the manual buttons and got nothing. The lights wouldn't come on, the jets wouldn't start up...nothing. So I got out and went over to the power station thingy and saw the fuse had flipped. I flipped it back and it immediately tripped. Fuck! Fuck me! I mean, what the fuck!? Can nothing ever fucking work!? So who knows what the fuck is happening but now we have to call Watson's (Jim's going to call the service department because if I do, I might go off on someone) to set up an appointment which I'm sure will take forever. FUCK! I know, first world problems but FUCK! 

Okay, I'm getting all pissed off now and so I'll end this. Happy Friday! Later! 

Gabble Gabble!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! Happy Birthday Eve to me!!! 

Guess what?! I lost 3 pounds this week. I'm sure I'll gain it all back today though. I chalk it up to all the walking I did while at PIB with Scout. I think I averaged 7 miles a day. I wonder how much weight Scoutie lost. 

I put my new tree up yesterday and I love it! It's the perfect height and I love that I can switch up the lights from all white to colored and then I can "snow globe" them which just means that the morph from white to pastel to bright colored. (I didn't come up with that name, btw, it's what the remote directions call it.) They can also strobe but it's awful and likely to cause a seizure. I haven't put any ornaments on it yet because A) Jim took forever yesterday with his doctors appointment and I'm not going into the basement (aka the snake pit) to get them and B) I wanted to let the tree "fluff up". 

Plans today: The boys were very good and let me sleep until 6:00. Scout sat on the bed looking out the window then at me every couple minutes which was cute. I finally threw him a bone and smiled at him, which caused his tail to thump and clued Boo in that I was ready. I was then smothered in tongue. I wasn't mad about it. Anyway, after doing my typical routine upon waking (feed dogs, make coffee, sit on the couch doing Wordle then the mini crossword followed by Connections and Strands) I did a nice little yoga stretch. After I finish this, I'll make Jim and me a breakfast sandwich then I'll walk Scout. After that I'll either do a quick swim or save that for after I get the ornaments on the tree. 

We plan on leaving here for Becky's around 1:00. Dinner is at 5:30ish and we'll probably be home around 8:00. The Bengals and Ravens play and Joe Burrow is supposed to be back. Fingers crossed. Our season is probably mostly over but I'm still going to root for them. 

And that's about all I've got. Time to get my sandwiches going so Scout will quit giving me the stink eye. My walk is going to be a cold one and I'm probably going have to break out my D-Robe...pretty excited to wear it for the first time! Happy Thanksgiving. Later!

Perfect Break

So far, my week off from work has been perfect. PIB was exactly what I needed with lots of puppy time and walks, games (we were pretty even in our wins), binging shows (All Her Fault - meh and Stranger Things), Topsy Turvy visits (it was the only place open as the owners of The Forge were out of town for their annual 2 weeks) and just a lot of relaxing. We had really good weather until, of course, yesterday. It started raining as I loaded the car yesterday and rained the whole ride home. It actually wasn't a bad rain until we reached Dayton. And then, it was near zero visibility. But I'm proud that I didn't freak out and maintained my calm. That's pretty big for me. I know you probably think, Why not just let Jim drive? Well, that would cause me greater anxiety and would probably drive Jim to file for divorce. I just get too wiggity as a passenger so it's better that I drive. We were home by noon. 

It's crazy how low the water is. I've never seen it this low. If you look at the pics I posted on FB and IG, you can see that Pinky's Pond is nearly empty. The water is about 2 or 3 feet from the top of our dock. What's crazier is that today they are supposed to get a massive surge of water that's going to empty out the western basin by another 6 feet (where PIB is) and cause flooding in the eastern portion. There isn't another 6 feet of water in the bay so...It also said that the winds (50-60 mph gusts) are going to cause waves to be peaking at 23 feet. It's rare to get waves over 20 which is nuts. Obviously the ferries are only running one trip each way today and then not at all tomorrow. I'm sure that was a hard decision to make but that's why I like the Miller...they don't fuck around with safety. 

Plans today: We have a LOT to do. After I finish this I'm going to do some yoga. We also need to walk the boys, go to the grocery, clean the house so that we can put up Christmas and then later we're headed to Rafferty's for dinner. I'm pretty excited about my new tree. It's got a remote control for the lights and It can do all kinds of cool things...supposedly...we'll see. I'm not going to go too crazy with Christmas but definitely want the outdoor wreath up along with the blow ups and the tree in lights Jim does next to the garage. His job today is to figure out how many lights we need. 

And that's about all I've got today. Happy Thanksgiving Eve. Later! 

Looking Forward

I'm so excited that today is the last day of school and then I get a week off! It's much needed, I can tell you that. I just have to get through today which should be easy. First, a TON of kids are sick at school and will hopefully stay home. Added to that there are always a lot of absences on the day before a break and it's a video day in my classes, it'll be smooth sailing...fingers crossed. 

Yesterday's PD was fine. Lots of information that we all should know regarding special ed law but it's always good to get a refresher. It's also good to know that I'm doing things correctly. I think there were probably one or two minor things that I need to tweak but nothing that would cause a problem for the district or my job. The lawyer we have is very knowledgeable though a bit annoying at times because she's always performing and might think she's funnier than she is. But it's somewhat entertaining. But then I'm a curmudgeon so there's that. 

Jim will be home today. Looks like he didn't get back to his hotel room until 3:07. The guy he was working with planned on driving home. Thankfully Jim wasn't even thinking of doing that. 

When he gets home, by noon, hopefully, he'll have a few jobs but nothing major. Truthfully, there isn't much to do other than packing and getting ready to pack. Once I get home, I'll try to get everything organized so that tomorrow morning it's simple. 

The plan is to get up at 5:00 and be on the road no later than 6:30. I'm okay if we don't catch the 9:30 as we're not in any huge rush. The weather will be pretty good though chilly while there but of course Tuesday, the day we leave, is now looking pretty rainy. The winds won't be too bad in the morning (10-20) but I'll still keep an eye out. Wednesday looks yucky though but we'll be gone by then. 

Our plans while there: Other than packing up the house (brining in the grill and other furniture that can be stored in the garage, cleaning out the fridge) I just plan on hanging out, maybe visiting Topsy Turvy here and there, catching up on shows, walking the boys, and playing games. Dinners: I'm going an Aldi meal tomorrow, a pot roast on Sunday and I think I'll just do cheese coneys on Monday. Easy!

Okay well, that's all I've got. I need to get the boys up out from under their covers so they can go out one last time. Happy Friday. I haven't decided if I'll take my computer or not so you might not hear from me again until Wednesday when I'm back. Sorry. Later!

Yahtzee!!!

I told Maggie yesterday but forgot to mention it on yesterday's post: I'll be a little later than usual in blogging today. Sorry about that. I have a 1/2 day PD thingy at central office and don't need to be there until 8:30. So, I slept in about an hour. Actually, I got up before my alarm went off because I was done sleeping which is annoying. Why can't I sleep past 5:30!? I even stayed up a little later than usual. Anyway, I have a little less than an hour until I plan on leaving so I can take my time here and get the dogs all settled for the day. A good thing since Jim's in Columbus. 

Speaking of which, I checked the tracer (Life360) and it looks like he didn't get back to his hotel until 2:32. Ugh! I'm sure he's exhausted. Hopefully he'll get a full 8 hours of sleep and be able to relax today before going back to the job. He should be home tomorrow around noon...fingers crossed. 

When I got home yesterday, I saw that Jim managed to get some needed things done in preparation for our trip Saturday. He did his laundry which is the biggest thing and cleaned his room. That means he won't have many jobs tomorrow when he gets home. 

Guess what? I lost another 1.2 pounds for a total of 3.4 so far. I'm happy with that. It's happening as it should, slow and steady. I'm not starving myself and I'm still working out like I do. I figure by the time the Bahamas comes around, averaging about a pound a week, I'll have lost nearly 10 pounds by then. Halfway to my goal. Woot! I was feeling a little like I hadn't lost this week so was pleasantly surprised when I stepped on the scale. 

In terms of side affects, I haven't had any nausea since that first time. I've only had heartburn about 1 time since I first reported it. I do get headaches but I get headaches everyday and chalk that up to school and stress. When I was off those couple days dealing with Jim's hospitalization, I didn't have one headache and that was a stressful time. The moral of that story is: Local wood makes good. Haha! Just kidding (the Arbaugh kids get that). The moral is that school sucks. Anyway, nothing else seems to have popped up as a result of the med so that's good. 

Oh, right so an explanation for the title of my post (sorry if it's more information than you care for): So for 20 years or so, really, since I've lived here, I've had a hand-held Yahtzee, battery operated game in my bathroom. You know to occupy me while I take care of business. Through the years, I've had to replace the game once because the original crapped (no pun intended) out. I got my replacement at Target, I believe. Well, recently my game started pooping (pun intended) out again. I could no longer clearly see the 3rd and 4th die faces when I rolled. So I went on Amazon to get a new one. Well, apparently they are now collectors items because the cheapest one I could find was $135!!! WTF!? What the heck am I supposed to do on the commode now!? 

(Sidenote: In looking for a pic of the game, I saw that they sell them on eBay and say they have them at Walmart but are "out of stock".) I'll keep investigating. Maybe that's what I'll do while I'm in my meeting today!

Okay well, I need to finish getting ready and wrangle the boys out one last time. Happy Thursday (I started typing Monday! WTF is wrong with me!?). Later!

Sans Jim

Jim's headed north to Columbus today. He swore last week that he was done traveling for work but alas, his boss is in a pickle. Apparently the dude they put on the job can't hack it so they had to pull him. It's a 2nd shift job so he'll go up today, late morning, do a little job somewhere else and then work tonight and tomorrow and come home Friday morning. At least he's not working alone and the dude who's already up there is someone Jim likes.

I'm fine with all of the above but I did tell Jim that when he gets home on Friday, he's my bitch. It kind of works out perfectly because now I can have him do the things I need done before going to the Bay on Saturday. I made sure to lay into Jim that he's not coming home to sleep and chill out. The things I'll have on his list need to be completed BEFORE I GET HOME FROM WORK!!! Do I think he's going to follow through? Past experiences tell me no. But we'll see. 

Man oh man did it rain yesterday. I was worried about the sump pump but all was well. When I got home I never heard it which freaked me out but apparently they aren't supposed to be as loud as our old one. 

All that rain meant that I didn't get a chance to walk Scout and he and Boo were a little stir crazy last night but they managed. I mean, in a year, they probably DON'T get walked less than a dozen times but I still feel bad. 

Oh, and of course the fire alarm went off yesterday just as kids were heading to lunch. Obviously it wasn't a planned drill and thankfully it wasn't pouring but I still felt bad for the kids...as I stood under my giant umbrella in my nice and cozy fleece jacket. I can't help that those dummies choose to wear shorts on a rainy 40 degree day. 

Dinner tonight will obviously be leftovers since Jim won't be around. I've got plenty to choose from so it kind of makes me happy. 

This time next week, I'll hopefully be sleeping, back in my own bed after a few days at PIB. So excited for a week off from work. And then after that, we've got only 3 weeks (one of which is exam week) until winter break. I can do this! 

K - I need to go get Jim up and at 'em so I can tell him some things he needs to do. Happy Wednesday. Later!

Even Better

My week got a little better yesterday. Why? Because kids are stupid. They just don't think. Or care.  Apparently one of my little dysfunctional freshmen made some threats to another kid Friday with the plan to fight her on Monday. I guess she thought that this was A) acceptable behavior and B) not going to get her in trouble since it happened off school campus. Either way she got three days out. It doesn't mean anything to her, in fact, I heard her say afterwards that she was happy about it because she'll get to sleep in and laze about. And I'm sure this is true. There won't be consequences for her at home. I know this family and they're all a bunch of thugs. 

It's raining kitty cats and puppy dogs and will do so all day long. I'm not sure I'm even going to get my walk in after school. Scout's going to be so mad. Hopefully it'll slow down enough to get him a little jaunt up the street. I'm probably not going to get my swim in either. It just depends. If it's just rain, I'll swim but there has been talk of storms. I'll just have to keep an eye out. 

I did a Pilates class today that nearly killed me. It worked the hell out of my glutes and showed me how out of shape my butt is. You think you're in pretty good shape and then do something like that and realize how weak you really are. Ugh. 

Dinner tonight: I'm just going to do some bratts and metts tonight. If I have time I plan on making the penicillin soup that I've talked about so that I can freeze most of it and take some to PIB for a dinner up there. 

And that's about all I've got. It's pretty tame here. Guess I'd better get a move on. Not sure if I'll take the highway or not with this rain. Happy Tuesday. Later!

I Got This

Thinking that this time next week I'll be in PIB and hopefully still asleep makes getting through this week easy. Not to mention Stupid Baby is suspended for two days. I can do anything when I've got a week off in my future. 

So yeah, on Friday Stupid Baby was caught with a vape. It wasn't his but word is he's always pestering other kids to give him their vapes so he can "take a hit". Do I believe he actually vapes? No. Is he an attention seeking little pipsqueak? Absolutely. Does his name fit him? Apparently. I thought about changing it but he keeps proving it to be apt. So for now...Stupid Baby he stays. 

The weekend was pretty good. Friday we hung out for a bit with the neighbors but I was exhausted and just didn't have it in me to stay up late. I got in the spa and was probably in bed around 9:00. Saturday Jim and I went out to try and find a recliner. We headed to Big Sandy's where they had a pretty good selection but we wanted to see all our options so didn't make a purchase. (We'll probably go back though because their prices can't be beat.) Afterwards we headed to Cheesecake Factory for lunch. 

Saturday night we went out to dinner with Doug and Lauren. We ate at a new place nearby called Pig Candy. It's a bbq place and was quite good. Very casual (you order at the counter, find a table and they bring it out) but all homemade and yummy. From there we came home and played cards. It was another early night which was fine with me. 

Sunday I made breakfast, walked, then Jim and I went to Furniture Fair to check out their recliners. They didn't have the selection Big Sandy has and their prices were probably 50% higher. After that we came home to watch the Bengals but I couldn't watch much into the 2nd half and so instead we started a new series on Peacock (All Her Fault). Dinner was Salisbury steak. I got in the hot tub after dinner and went to bed where I slept like a baby. 

At Big Sandy's they have a selection of full body massage recliners that were A. MAZING!!! Jim got in one that was $6500 and proceeded to moan and groan like...well, you know. I can't blame him. I tried the $7500 one and holy shit! If they weren't so ugly, I'd actually consider it. I just don't want that behemoth in my family room. 

Dinner tonight will be a cobb salad. I need to make something quick because I'm going to see if I can get to the yard mowed one more time before it rains all day long Tuesday. I'm only going to do the backyard though. The front isn't too bad and I don't want to do to myself what I did last week. 

And that's about all I've got. Happy Monday. Later! 

Snake Wrangler

Actually, that title is a misnomer. Jim tried to be a snake wrangler yesterday but it didn't go as planned. 

Let me rewind. Yesterday as I chit chatted with Lisa prior to school starting, my phone rang. It was Jim. Apparently our sump pump is on its way out. So after work Jim bought a new one to install. I think you can imagine where this is going. As I sat on the couch relaxing (much needed, more on that later), trying to watch Doc, Jim was in the basement intent on replacing the pump but making a hell of a racket. After several minutes of banging around and unintelligible yelling, he came stumbling up to the family room in a sort of panic. Snake #3 had made it's way into our basement. Yep, #3. 

Backtracking, Jim has thankfully been the one who found them all. The first he beheaded, the second, Jim managed to save but this third one, well, Jim tried to save him but Nagini wasn't cooperating. The problem was that Sir Hiss was in the "pit" and as Jim put it, he was a "slippery little fucker". Additionally, he kept doing his strike thing at Jim which of course freaked him out. (BTW - while all this happened, Jim yelling and generally making a ruckus, I was giggling my ass off upstairs.) After about 10 minutes of Jim trying to grab him (he has a grabber thingy, like someone in a wheelchair would have to reach things high up) he finally yelled up, "GET ME THE SHOVEL!!! THE ONE WITH THE FLAT EDGE. GOOD FOR LOPPING OFF A HEAD" Poor Nagini/Sir Hiss. I guess it was just his time. 

After all was said and done and Jim's heartrate came back down I said, "You know all this is your fault. You should have blocked the sump pump cover when the first snake made it's way into our home." Oh, and of course he didn't have all the needed items to replace the pump so that will have to happen tonight. Thankfully it isn't raining and things are fine. Hopefully another snake won't make it's way inside. 

This morning I woke up at my normal time (4:20) and realized no way did I have it in me to get on the elliptical. My feet are killing me. Why? Well, even though I kicked ass yesterday after work, I overdid it in regard to my tootsies. I got home and walked Scout and then rushed out to mow the lawn. My plan was to just do the front yard but after completing that, I had some gas left (literally and figuratively) and the sun was still slightly up so I decided to go out back and do as much as I could. In the end, I was able to get the whole thing done, which ended up being 5.21 miles (that includes walking Scout). My feet were burning and numb. So, this morning I decided "Fuck it, I'm taking it easy." 

I was watching a thing on Instagram this morning and there was a video of JD Vance walking through (I think) Central Station. As he did he was heckled relentlessly. People were yelling things like, "YOU'RE A PUSSY VANCE!!!" and "GO FUCK A COUCH"; "YOU SUCK", "FUCK YOU COUCH FUCKER!" It was awesome! I hate him almost as much as I hate trump. I know that's awful but they're awful. Best case scenario...

Safe travels to Maggie and Eva today as they're headed to NYC. Although she just sent me a text saying the plane is already delayed (50 minutes). Hopefully that will be the extent of it. Safe travels to Trip as well who's headed to Columbus to spend the weekend with Birdie...and Mom. Have fun everyone. 

School should be easy today. It's movie day in ELA and then the students in history are completing their introductory crossword puzzles on WW1. I know these sometimes confound them but they seem to like them and are always on task and helping each other when I assign them. 

Weekend plans: Nothing much except we need to actually follow through with finding a new recliner. I keep saying we're going to do it but then don't feel like it when the time comes. Other than that, and lunch out, nothing. I'll definitely be getting in my spa. 

Dinner tonight: I was going to make Italian Penicillin soup (I'd never heard of this until Lauren told me about it) and grilled cheese but I'm not going to feel like making it after work so I pulled some chicken rice from the freezer. 

Okay best get a move on. I need to snuggle with the boys first though. Happy Friday. Later!

Did I Mention?

Pretty sure I didn't mention but last week I started taking a GLP-1 drug. The reason is, I've slowly, over the last couple years gained weight that no matter how much I work out (and I work out most days) I can't lose. I decided to try this out so that I could hopefully get down to my goal weight by changing my eating habits (portions etc.) and restart my metabolism. Thursday is my weigh day and this being the first week I've lost 1.6 pounds. I'll take it. I know this is going to happen slowly and I'm fine with that. I don't know how long I'll be on it but for now, I'm saying at least the next few months. 

I've taken two shots now and here's what I've noticed: 

• I never get truly hungry. I don't think my stomach has growled in over a week. 
• I'm drinking less. 
• I know some people have nausea but I've only had it overnight the day of my shot. It's mild and doesn't really bother me. 
• The first few days I had some heartburn but it went away with a Tums and I haven't had it since about Sunday. 
• The first night after taking the shot, I don't sleep great. I sleep but seem to wake up every hour. 
• I definitely get full really quickly so the portions I'm eating are reduced significantly. 
• I don't think about food all the time. And I'm starting not to think about my weight all the time. 

I know that some people might not think this is the way to go but my self-image sucks and if I can do something to settle my brain from obsessing so much, I'll take it. 

I'm happy to say that most of the leaves on the trees have fallen. This means that when I get home today I'm going to have to race to walk Scout and get at least the front yard mowed/mulched. I'm not sure the backyard is dry enough yet. Hopefully it won't rain before I can get to it. We'll see.

Jim worked a full day yesterday and did well. He's feeling good and starting to have more stamina. 

Dinner tonight: Sausage patties with fries and probably green beans. 

And I've run out of time. Best get a move on and head out. Happy Thursday! Later!

Back To Work

Jim's headed back to work today. He'll have a fairly easy week as he's working in the shop at headquarters stripping doors and whatnot. Although, he hasn't gotten out of bed yet but he is awake. I'll be happy to have him back at it but I told him not to overdo it. If he feels wiped, rest or call it a day. We don't need another hospitalization. 

Jim pissed me off something fierce yesterday. He'd sent me a text telling me he was headed to Kroger so I called him to let him know I'd text him a small list. I also asked him if he'd done what I'd asked him in the note I left him: Make ice (yes he did) and turn the spa temp down. He said, "Did you ask me to do that?" I said, "Do you see the arrow on the note? That means 'turn over'." Dumb ass! (That's not what pissed me off something fierce.) He's done this for me before but for some reason, he said, "How do I do that? Do I have to open the cover all the way?" DUDE! I said, "You're a 57 year old man. I shouldn't have to tell you how to do something you've done before. Figure it out big boy." I then told him to turn it down to about 98. 

Guess what? He "forgot". I sort of fucking lost it. Not at first. At first I walked around pissed, talking to myself and wondering why if I want something done I always have to do it myself. But then I thought, I need to lay into his ass. So I said, "I'm going to say one thing and then let it go. If I ask you to do something, do it right away because obviously you can't keep a fucking thought in your fucking head longer than it fucking takes for you to take a fucking breath." Dummy. 

I did end up swimming but with the temp at 104, I only did 20 minutes. Still closed my rings though so it's fine. 

Dinner tonight: We have a ton of leftovers so I think we'll have "whatever". (That's what Mom would always say when she wasn't cooking. I was always excited because I'd make myself Skyline.  Mmm...Skyline!) 

Nothings happening at school. I had an IEP meeting yesterday which went as expected and I was in and out within 30 minutes. Actually we were probably done in 20. Bam! I set up my next meeting for December 2nd and need to set up two more which need to be completed before Winter Break. I'll be happy when 2nd semester hits because at that point I'll only have 5 left for the year. 

Here's a question: Do I wear my Birkenstocks today since it's getting up to 55 or no? I think I'll forego them...I don't want my tootsies to freeze. 

K - I'm out. (Jim's still not up. I'll go up and shout at him.) Happy Wednesday. Later!

Good News, Good News!

Jim got the call from his pulmonologist yesterday to let him know that the biopsy results show no melanoma. The spot that showed was a result of the radiation he had several years back. Based on what he said, this issue is going to continue to arise which means Jim's going to have to be vigilant about his lung health so he doesn't end up in the hospital again. I don't know what can be done about preventing fluid and inflammation from building up though. Regardless, it's good news and a load of both our minds. 

The other good news was my meeting yesterday resulted in dismissing the kid from services. Woot! I'll keep him in my GI (sped study hall) through the end of the semester (he's no trouble). 

Back to Jim: He's still not back to work. I'm thinking tomorrow but he may not be ready. It's obviously his call. He slept most of the day yesterday he said which is what he needed to do. He's feeling good and his wheezing and coughing is gone. (After they sucked all that shit out of the spot during the biopsy.) Although, he did sleep in his recliner last night. I woke up at 3:15 and he wasn't in bed, which freaked me out a little. He said he just wanted to sleep in a reclined position so that he didn't have any issues. If he's going to keep doing that, we really need to go shopping for a new recliner. That one is on it's last leg. 

I think I'm going to make a new recipe tonight: Creamy Monterey Chicken Spaghetti. It looks yummy and easy. 

I do have another IEP today at 9:00, which means I'll miss my 3rd bell ELA class. I'm not mad about that because those little fuckers are on my nerves. Actually, just three of them who acted the fool while I was out. Needless to say I laid into them and hope that I shamed them. Probably not the little narcissists. Anyway, it should be an easy meeting with no surprises. The parents are coming in which is fine although we all know I prefer to Zoom. I know she looked over the IEP draft I sent because she sent me an email with a correction. Well, she thought it was a correction but she was wrong. Hopefully we'll be in and out of there in less than 30. 

It's cold as shit. Currently it's 22 degrees. It snowed pretty much all day and we got about 2 inches here at my house. Not on the roads but I had to shovel off my decks so the boys didn't freeze their poor little paws off. 

And that's all I've got. Time to get a move on. Happy Tuesday. Later!