In Search of...Support maybe?

Hi everybody! I apologize. I've been very neglectful of all of you lately. First vacation, then the trial business, work piling up and not having done everything Christmas has been very depressing.

As you know, I received a phone call late Tuesday night telling me that things went quickly and the closing arguments were scheduled for 9:00 the next morning (yesterday). My Honey had the day off for vacation and so he went down with me to hear the closing arguments. He said he has stood by me all through the rest of it, he would be by my side for this too. Whata guy!!!

On the side: You guys have no idea how this whole thing has bothered me through the years. I had tried to stop the teacher's transfer to the elementary level back when I was on the school board in 1995. I knew this guy was going to come back to haunt me and sure enough, he did. I have had such guilt for not being able to stop him. There really wasn't anything more that I could do, mind you. I brought the situation up to the board, the HR department went to the Superintendent and the administrator even got reprimanded for trying to stop the Superintendent from transferring this guy. The Superintendent transferred him anyway. Nonetheless, BIG time guilts.

Anyway, we went to the courthouse. The attorney for the school district and two of the administrators was very dry in his presentation, very hard to listen to. I imagine after almost 3 weeks of trial, the jury was getting a bit tired too, but they were very attentive right up until the end. The attorney for the Superintendent was just a *****. She got up and pretty much said she didn't even know why her client was on trial. He didn't have anything to do with it...yada, yada. She referred to the testimony of the mothers and how they portrayed their girls as not being able to talk to them. How they were angry and had disciplinary problems. She said she expected them to be the "devil incarnite" and here they were delightful girls when she got them on the stand. I was so pi$$ed! She said their relationship with people had nothing to do with the abuse, that they were over it and that this was typical pre-teen behavior. She was very abrasive. The little girl's attorney was very animated and passionate in his remarks and I thought he did a really good job.

After the closing arguments and the judge's instructions to the jury, the jury was released for lunch and everyone in the courtroom was asked to wait for a few minutes so the jury could get out of the building. As we were standing around, the little girl's attorney (who I have been working with) came over and thanked me for coming. I asked if I could talk to his clients and he said "absolutely"! So I approached the parents. I told them that they would have to excuse me but I wouldn't be able to talk without crying (and of course by then I already was) but that I wanted to tell them how sorry I was that this had happened to their children. Each of the mothers hugged me (and of course I cried some more), and then one said they were sorry, but they didn't know who I was. I introduced myself and told them that I was a board member when the teacher's transfer occured in 1995 and that I tried to stop it. The one mother told me that I was the first person who had said that to them.

I find that very appalling. How much would it have taken for someone from the school district or the school board to have simply said, "I'm sorry this happened to your child"? It was very sad.

Anyway, long story short (too late , that is if any of you are actually still reading this saga): It was finally over at about 4:00 this afternoon. THE GIRLS WON!!! The damages were $600,000 per girl, compensatory. And There was an additional $103,000 in punitive per girl, divided amoung 3 administrators.

I can't tell you how glad I am that this is over. Maybe now I can rid myself of some guilt. If you're STILL reading this, bless your heart. This is probably more information than you ever wanted or were interested in but it has done me good to tell you that there is some justice in the world, not that any amount of money will compensate for taking the innocense away from these children.

I know there are lots of CONGRATULATIONS to pass out. You guys are doing sooooo well. As for me, I've gotten back into the chocolate the past couple of days, something I had given up for almost 2 months! I'm hoping that now that this stress is over, well, not quite. It would probably be a good idea to Christmas shop eventually, eh? But I have to overcome the eatting CRAP just to feel better syndrome!!!

Anyway, I've got one more eBay package to wrap for the Post Office tomorrow and then get my jobs and stops lined up for the day. Busy, busy. And I think I hear my bed calling me! Love ya bunches!

thinthinker---
you cant blame your self you did everything you could to keep the guy from being moved. That is what counts it is hard to be in that position but you cant let what someone else did bother you you have to just say "I did what I could and the people that did not listen is the ones to BLAME here not You"

By the way i read the whole thing I work Driving a school bus so this is something that has caught my attiton simply because i could see it happeining here .


We had a tasting meeting for my daughters ww group it went really well even thought i am not feeling the best today I think i had to much of the sweet stuff last night and it is getting back at me know !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it was all soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good i got a lot of recipes.

MY BAD WEEK is catching up with me Yesterday i ran in the store to grab a banana because i was hungry i shouldn't have the fruit is right next to the bakery and they had some cut up cake selling by the slice so needless to say it looked better then the banana so i bought and ate the slice ate the banana also but the cake was so much better.

well my plan is to stay op for the rest of the week and maybe the scale will be nice to me on tuesday ...

8 more shopping days left Poeple have a good day all

Hello all,

Just a quickie before I am off to work. I googled ISO and I got a couple of hits, something to do with insurance, and these;

International Organization for Standardization

Infrared Space Observatory

International Standard Date & Time Notation

And then I thought something like Internet Security Organization or something.

Anyway, It is Friday and I am glad that I don't have to go to work tomorrow.

Thin, I am glad the girls won.

BarbPa, Good luck with the swimmers.

Mary, banana's are sooo good, I hope you share some of the recipes you got.

Gmalil, Glad you can get back to curves.

Gail, Hi! Nice to see ya.

Well off to work, , but glad it's Friday

Skitt

Just checkin' in before I leave for exercise. THIN glad the girls won, but also glad that maybe now you can get some "closeure"
Mary Please share the recipies with us! skit thanks for googling, but somehow non of those soulnd like what these people mean. I guess I'll have to crash their thread and ask. Little stuff like this bug me!!

BarbPa you and Jeff are in my thoughts and prayers today.

Mary: Sounds like your WW meeting was fun. I used to love the taste-testing meetings. I even did up a recipe book from a couple that our group did so the girls only had to bring in one copy of their recipe and then I typed them up and handed them out the next week. It went over real well.

Barbg: "Closure" is exactly what I need on this issue. I'm very happy it's over.

Skittles: I loved your Thankful list the yesterday.

BarbPA: Thinking of you and your honey today. Hope all goes well and babies are in your future! [[[hugs]]]

Terri: Congrats on the nice WI (not Wisconsin) you had the other day. Good for you!

I'd love to write more, but I really do have to get out to work. See you all later.

Good Morning!
Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers. We are back home after a restless night and an early morning. DH was scared to death this morning. I can't blame him - he was awake during the procedure. It turned out to be not quite as bad as he expected. He did great! And the wonderful news is that the urologist and embryologist are pleased with what they got. We have 5 new samples of swimmers and they kept a small sample out to test. The embyrologist said she saw some strong swimmers in there! YAY!!!! DH is now resting peacefully and has some good drugs for when he wakes up. He will be uncomfortable for a few days. Luckily he is off work now until the Monday after Christmas.


I am exhausted so I am going to hit the downstairs couch for a little rest before I start baking cookies for the rest of the day.

Sorry, no weight loss talk for me today....

Thanks again!!!

Barb

Hi guys... BarbPA... I am sooo happy for the good results.
My prayers are with you.

Thin.... I am happy this is over for you. {{{ HUGS }}} You did all you could.

I am not staying. I have been SICK all night.
Went to bed at 8pm last night. Up all night living in the bathroom.
Better this afternoon but still queezy.

Barbg... glad you FINALLY got your prize. LOL Sorry about that. I thought he was pretty cute myself.
I definitely would just pop in and ask them what ISO meant. I know SO stands for Significant Other... maybe it means InSignificant Other.

Barb glad things went well for you this morning! Keeping fingers crossed!!

Gail...we are suppose to get a dusting of snow sunday night...probably NOTHING like we would in PA...but snow is snow....here they say they get alot of ICE and nothing moves on those days. No work, no school no nothing!! Works for me!!

OK I gotta run...I promised Andrew we would make christmas cookies this afternoon!

Catch you all later!!

TTFN Michelle

Seriously, I must be on everyone's ignore list.

ISO - In Search Of

I will gladly share the recipes if i am every home long enough to but them on the computer i never made it home today i went to work this morning at 6:30 and just came in at 4:00 just had to catch up with everyone , my dd had a dgf here with her and they are doing the tree. oh i just noticed the new icons
they are so CUTE ............... sorry i got off subject, i hope to get some time on the puter tomorrow not sure yet still have a few things to buy and the girls want to go to the movies tonight not sure what one they are going to see i think it is going to be the new jim carrey movie Lemony something or other >>>>anyway have a good night all <<<<<

Thanks, Terri, I would have figured that out!!!

Terri... I was not ignoring you. LOL ...
I was "unsuccessfully" trying to be funny.

Just ate a couple pieces of toast. So far... so good.
Thought I would peek in here for a minute and keep me out of bed.
That is all I have done today. Sleep. I hope I will be able to sleep tonight.

I was already way behind on all of my xmas obligations... now with an entire day wasted being sick... I am REALLY behind. I am not in much of a chatty mood so I think I will go again.

WAIT !! Skittles.... I got my Christmas card !!! Loved the pics.!!!!
I have a picture of my daughter with that same HAPPY SMILE on her wedding day.
How long have you been married ??

Okay... now I am going.

Just realized no one finished our song... "Let It Snow".
So I am going to finish this one and someone else will have to start a new one if they want to keep the carols going. It is time for a new thread too. Hint hint. LOL

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
But the fire is so delightful,
And since we've no place to go,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of stopping,
And I've bought some corn for popping,
The lights are turned way down low,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight,
All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,
And, my dear, we're still good-bying,
But as long as you love me so,
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!