Steel Magnolias -- #45

  • Good Evening, Flowers!
    I hope I got the thread # right as I didn't even check when I didn't see it on the first page.

    Today was one of those days where the piles kept piling up on my desk and I never seemed to get caught up. Everyone wanted help at the same time and with something different so I couldn't work with more than one at a time. I'm subbing tomorrow afternoon so will have to work on my piles before school starts and hope I keep caught up.

    We agreed to try a digital cable box, free, for 30 days. The guy was supposed to be here at 4:00 and when I got home at 3:45 there was a note on the door saying he'd been here at 1:30. DH had stopped home at 3:30 just in case the TV guy came early. I was a bit growly since we told the salesman that no one would be home during the day and he wrote 4:00 on the order sheet. I called the 800# and waited for 10 minutes listening to how important my call was etc., etc., etc. By the time I talked to a real person it was 4:10 and the service rep knew I was not a happy camper. She got ahold of the technician and he came back out to put the box in. Anyhow, for some reason the VCR won't record through the digital box. I cat napped through Survivor but did see who got voted off only because the phone rang. It's a good thing because the tape was nothing but snow!

    I hope you all have had a good Thursday! Enjoy your Friday and the coming weekend!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Good evening, Flowers!
    I think I am beginning to hear an echo in the flower patch!

    I've had my catnap in front of the TV so now it's time to check in with my cyber friends.

    I'm glad this week is over and done with! The principal is on the rampage because there are so many special ed. and ESL students on the deficiency list for midterm grades. We had to turn in a list of every student that we work with in study halls, what subject matter we focus on, and how successful we have been. The failure/incomplete list just came out for the quarter and we are having another meeting with him next week. I suppose we will hear how we are not doing our jobs properly all over again. If anyone knows how to motivate a student who shows no interest, does not take a book home, sits through class doing nothing, and refuses help during study halls, be sure to let me know!

    I have fur balls all over and I should vacuum them up. But on the other hand I will be able to see them better in the daylight so will wait until tomorrow!

    Have a super Saturday and do something nice for yourself this weekend! I hope see you all tomorrow.

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Happy Saturday, Flowers!
    It's a beautiful day in my neighborhood! The sun is shining, pretty blue sky, and it is 74 degrees outside! Tomorrow is supposed to have a high of 48 -- what a change that will be.

    I am just checking in on my way to start the laundry. Actually, I started last night so have one load ready for the dryer when I finally get down to the basement.

    Today is my usual Saturday routine of laundry, vacuuming cat fur, will put away my Halloween decorations (2!), and head for the grocery store and WM later. I think Beth and Maddy are coming tomorrow for a visit.

    Have a great weekend and do something special for yourselves!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Hi Jean,
    It's me Mare! (Mary) Just thought I would drop in and say hello to everyone, but I see you were the only one that posted today. May be I got the wrong thread # .
    Oh well - I hope all is well with you. I'm fine and doing ok!

    Love to you and the rest of the SM.
    Mare
  • Good Evening, Flowers!
    I'm just checking in before I head for bed. Beth and Maddy came yesterday afternoon and stayed overnight. Today was the annual Christmas open house for the downtown businesses so we went down for a short while. Maddy and I walked the sidewalk, while Beth did some quick shopping, because there is no room in the shops for a stroller. They left late this afternoon and I took a nap!

    Mary -- What a wonderful surprise to see your post tonight! I'm not sure where the others have been this weekend. Maggie can't always get into the site for some reason. Please come back and visit soon. We have missed you! How is the new job going? Good, I hope!

    Tomorrow begins another week and I am not ready! We have two 7:30 AM meetings this week. I need to do another load of laundry, figure out what I am wearing, and get my lunch stuff ready to go.

    I hope you all have a marvelous Monday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Good...<checking the time>...afternoon! Its Monday and I've been...<whispering>...working.

    Mary! How ya doin'?! Its been a looooong time! Come back and tell us what you've been up to.

    Jean, ohmygosh...work has been so busy. Then I didn't feel well last Thursday and stayed home. My parents came up for a visit on Friday and left on Sunday. We did soooo much shopping while they were up here. Mom and I and the girls (including the grandbabies) shopped till we literally dropped on Saturday. Mom and Dad left early yesterday morning but it took me all day to rest up!! Mom phoned me last night and told me her feet were sore from all the walking we did...and she's in great shape!

    Well magnolias, I think I've signed up for all the knitting classes available in November, December, and January! Plus, I just ordered a knitting dvd and since I could buy extras at half price I bought two more to give as Christmas presents. I am almost through with Christmas shopping and am determined to finish by Thanksgiving. This will be a first!
  • Afternoon ladies! Sorry I have been absent, but was in Nashville Thur and Fri and then trying to get everything back to normal over the weekend. You know husband's tend to bach it big time when you are not around to keep at them! DH made the bed on Friday when my dd called to say I had left her off at her house and was on my way home! I had laundry up the wazoo between his stuff and mine and was pooped as I did all the driving. We had a great time though. I got almost all my shopping done, just have most of T's stuff to do and a couple for sil. Jack and I don't exchange gifts, we just get what we want every year! I also have 3 birthday's between now and Christmas I had to get gifts for and our anniversary is the 18th.

    I will peek back in tomorrow and do much better I promise. I am trying to finish cleaning the upstairs before Jack gets home and I need to start dinner.

    Faye
  • Good Afternoon/Evening, Flowers!
    I'm glad Monday is over with! I got a reprimand (?) for something that happened in a study hall where I should normally be but I had no control over because I subbed for another teacher on Friday. It boiled down to the fact the study hall teacher forgot I wasn't going to be there and didn't get to do her running around while I babysat the kids. GRRRRR! I felt like letting her have it right back but didn't say a word . . . I was proud of myself!

    I have a 7:30 staff meeting tomorrow so will have to leave by 7 in order to check in, take my stuff to my classroom, check mail, and head back down to the meeting room. Much too early! There will be another one on Wednesday morning!

    Gail -- We had our local kick off for the Christmas shopping season yesterday. Beth was home and wanted to check out a couple stores. She went in the stores while Maddy and I walked up and down the sidewalk. There is no way I'd attempt to take a stroller into the crowded shops. Maddy is a good shopper and we saw lots of people that I knew and/or knew Beth so it was fun. Do you have any interest in a knitting machine? DH's secretary has one and she whips out projects so fast. She has done big Christmas stockings with names on them for Ian and Maddy plus stocking caps for our kids when they were little. She has 19 nieces and nephews who keep her plenty busy.

    "Gma" -- I wish I had more of my shopping done. Ian's birthday is the 21st and I think we are partying on the 20th so I'm hoping to hit some stores at the mall before and after. *sigh* I am determined to be finished EARLY this year!

    I hope you've all had a good day and have a terrific Tuesday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Morning ladies!

    Jean: I have never really shopped like this. I usually start picking up stuff early fall and I usually do a lot of stuff online, but this year went the mall route and got great sales. I still have to get my sil the "dance pad" for his video game and something else and then 2 video games, a Nintendo game cube, a lava lamp, a dvd for Thomas then Jack's dvd recorder. I'll do all that in December because we are going to Indiana in a couple weeks for Thanksgiving and out the window all that money goes! As for your co-worker, I am afraid I would have confronted her. If she does as you say, then she needs to be told off. I know it is tough when you are constantly having to work together, but where does she get off getting on you when you did nothing wrong? I used to take a lot of crap at work and I finally got fed up with it and when I stood up for myself, I always felt better.

    Maggie: Hope you can get in here soon!

    Mary: It is nice to meet you!

    Gail: Are you taking or teaching knitting classes?

    Well, I have to get out and get a good walk in today and clean the downstairs.

    Faye
  • Good afternoon! It is sooo cold outside! I walked across campus to have a multi-screening of cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes done. My blood pressure was normal, no worries about diabetes--no where near that, and my cholesterol can be brought down through diet exercise.

    Tonight is my first project class at the new yarn shop in town. I am so excited to get started!

    Faye, I wish I were that good--to give lessons...but no...I'm taking lessons.

    Jean and Faye, I can't believe that I'm doing this well with Christmas shopping--I bought two more presents yesterday. I really believe I'm going to be done before Thanksgiving.

    .....oops gotta go...brb
  • Good Evening, Flowers!
    It was a zoo at school today! There was nothing at the staff meeting that we couldn't have read on an email and saved time and a tree in doing that! I suppose tomorrow's meeting will be another butt chewing because of all the Fs and Incompletes for the quarter. Some of the teachers are loaded for tomorrow so I plan to sit back and watch the action. Hah!

    Gail -- A while back you mentioned a tea that you liked . . . apple cinnamon, I think maybe? What brand of tea do you buy? I'd be curious to know if tea has as much caffeine as coffee does. I'm hoping to do some shopping this weekend but it will depend on whether or not DH is done farming. I do have my Christmas card list where I can put my hands on it!

    "Gma" -- Because there is only 5 teachers and 3 aides in special ed., everyone tippy toes around Mrs. Know-It-All. I've stood up to her before; one year I spent the whole day with her and had to listen about her own perfect children. She's pretty much "it's my way or the highway" type of person and you never know what the mood is going to be at any given time. At least now I'm only with her for one class period and that is a study hall where I can keep busy with the kids and out of her way. She did tell me that she is going to ask for me to be in there more hours next semester because the "other" aide doesn't automatically do things without having to be told. I tend to look for things to correct or will straighten books shelves, etc., if there aren't any students who need help.

    I didn't sleep very well last night so I'm heading to bed early tonight. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday tomorrow!

    Jean -- in Iowa!
  • Happy Wednesday!

    Jean, the tea is Lipton's Cinnamon Apple. Its caffeine-free. Makes me think of Christmas! I hope you slept better last night. Ohmygosh...I forgot Christmas cards!
  • Good Evening, Flowers!
    For some reason my ISP wasn't cooperating tonight and I was just finally able to connect to the internet.

    This morning, the principal read off each student's name that isn't in special ed. or ESL and that is on the failure/incomplete list, trying to find out if anyone is "taking that student under their wing." The stupid part was that the rest of the teachers who had the incompletes were not present and so we have no way of knowing if they have been taken care of, which many of them were due to absences for whatever reason. As far as I was concerned it was a waste of my time but I sat there and kept my mouth shut.

    It's a cold, rainy, and windy night in my corner of the world. I can remember snow in October so I really can't complain . . . I'm just not ready for the ice that seems to go along with the snow.

    Gail -- I was thinking the tea was apple cinnamon or vice versa. I'll have to look for it. One of the teachers just put a spiced apple air freshner in her room and it smells so good.

    I am heading off to bed! I hope you all have a terrific Thursday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!
  • Afternoon ladies!

    Jean: Sheesh, no wonder no one wants to teach school anymore! I truly deeply wanted to be a school teacher, but got married instead and would have gone to school earlier than I did. The reason I was a psych major instead of school teaching is I would have had to do my student teaching here in Memphis and there was no way I was doing that! Hope things start to even out for you. It is cool here today, but not cold. It has rained all day though. We are supposed to start dipping into the 50's for daytime highs so I guess we can see winter coming.

    Gail: I did alll the wrapping today so I am caught up on everything until I get out and get the babies stuff. I guess I shouldn't call him a baby, but my kids are my babies even though they are 27 and 31 so I guess I can call my grandson, who is 4 my baby too. I just don't do it in front of him. I usually ask him how is my favorite boy when I see him.

    I am hoping I am back on the road to recovery so to speak. I feel better than I have in several days. My hormone level is bottomed out pretty much and I am so exhausted, depressed and basically could care less what I eat so of course have gained quite a bit. I am back on track today and hopefully can stay there even through the holidays. Unfortunately, I have my pain in the behind brother, his wife and their 3 brat kids coming here a week from Sunday. He is the Archie Bunker type, his wife is this religious nut who belongs to some group that is a combination of Evangelical Christianity and Judaism (this started 2 years ago and out of the blue told the kids no more Chistmas and that includes gifts, tree, decoration, Santa visits etc) and the kids have turned into monsters. They are 9 year old twins and an 11 year old and I haven't seen them in 2 years so I hope they are a little more disciplined. They bring their dog with them everywhere and I told them in no uncertain terms the dog cannot come to the house. We don't have sleeping quarters for them so they have to stay at a hotel, thank goodness, but I don't want them bringing that dog here with my own dog and the cat.

    I guess I have griped enough. I need to get going. I am waiting for the UPS guy to show up and deliver my pink shoes! I ordered a pair and they came and didn't fit correctly, so I ordered a different type from a different place and hopefully they will be ok. They are for my Thanksgiving outfit, which is a white bolero jacket, navy sleeveless sweater and navy dress slacks, pink and silver jewelry and a pink handbag that I got at Nine West in Nashville for $20 clearance!!!! I think it was $75 originally. guess most people don't want pink, huh?????

    Faye
  • Good Evening, Flowers!
    Tomorrow is Friday -- yippee! For some reason this has been a long week.

    Not much new or exciting from my corner of the world. Our "bad" weather turned out to be a few sprinkles of rain, some more wind, and colder temperatures during the night. The sun was out today and it was a nice day although definitely on the cooler side. The guy came to measure our main floor area for a new floor . . . guess we have decided on the wood look. I was getting used to the painted plywood!

    "Gma" -- I'm not so sure we will do much decorating for Christmas since the floor isn't scheduled to be installed until Dec. 9th and 10th. DH wants to paint first . . . am I nuts or am I nuts? We aren't having Thanksgiving here so that is good. How long will your brother and family hang around? I've gotten more gutsy and figure if the kids are doing something in my home, that I don't like, I tell them to stop if their parents don't. Your new outfit sounds pretty snazzy! I like pink but it is considered a "gang" related color this year. I don't know which gang but we got the word when school started. There are a few boys who will wear a pink t-shirt underneath another shirt so that all you can see is the pink edge around the neckline.

    I'm thinking that I am #14 to post here. I need to figure out what I am wearing tomorrow and pick up the clutter before I head to bed. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday!

    Jean -- from Iowa!