Well, I've about had it with these nit-picking, anal-retentive, obstinate, inflexible @ssholes!!! After pleading with the person whose job it is to substitute teach only to be ignored, the other teachers refused to switch Sundays with me except for the day in December when I will be hungover and exhausted from a late night out at the Boston Pops concert and party the night before. AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! They ignored my plea. It was all about evenly distributing the days. Nobody cared about evenly distributing the schedule last year when one of the teachers had a baby, and I covered her Sundays while she was on maternity leave. It was okay for me do teach extra Sundays last year, but it isn't okay for me to teach one less than someone this year. So, now I am stuck teaching on December 19th. Well guess what? I will just plan a fun, light-hearted, easy craft for them to do. I refuse to plan and implement an involved lesson on the "morning after" when my attempts to get someone else to cover me failed. I'm tired of people volunteering to substitute only to decline when they are called upon to do so. And, I'm tired of being one of those church members who ends up doing all of the volunteering while others drop their child off at Sunday School every week without ever lifting a hand to help out. Complaining like this doesn't sound very Christian of me does it? Sorry. I just need to get my frustration and anger off my chest. I'll get over my bad attitude sooner or later.

Miracle of miracles...my aide showed up today!

Kerry, you know that muscle weighs more than fat. You keep on with your hard work. It will pay off...it is paying off.

Ginny, tee hee hee...shook up the kids with a new seating chart today? I love it! Whatever you have to do to maintain control.

Robyn, miss you.

Mousie, how's it hangin'?

Well, Dh is in a better mood and I had to get back to get directions for the errands that I am running tomorrow. So here I am.
Summer- ok I know how unchristian it sounds to belly ache- we have had the same stuff happen to us........Dh and I missed some really big services because we team taught 3-5's during church. I would have loved to renew our wedding vows, or been to the Easter service (instead of handling all the candy hyper kids)......need I say more? I hear ya- do a simple craft something low maintenance and EASY to do (for how many kids???? What age??? Oriental Trading has some easy pre done craft kits for Christmas that could make life easy for you) Guess that the Lord must want the BEST in Sunday school that day.......and you even on a not so good day must be the best! Yes, I started the new seating chart yesterday....and already today one mom called the office complaining. So, I addressed her concern- and bless my boss and the office staff they took care of things accordingly. I explained to the support staff who took the irate mom call that her son was moved to row 8 because he is a good kid but is still not dependable enough to sit in the back row (where self control is essential). I need responsible students in row 11 (back)- those I can trust to set an example for the younger students with little or no self control due to thier immature age. That if I was annoyed with her son he would be sitting in row 1 (and this is my normal routine, all the kids know that). And that should her little angel improve, this seating chart was done with post-its......and a student can be moved to another seat as quickly as a post it can be moved to another space. Well, I thought I was in for it...and this afternoon, when I arrived at the elementary school the mom showed up at my bus and apologized for the phone call- and we had a pleasant conversation regarding student behavior on the bus ! She actually commented that my job must be difficult getting the students to sit well and drive safely (guess that beginning of the year letter to the parents paid off!). And this mom is from the toxic mother stop (the stop that bellyached last year). I added that once the noise/behavior situation seems more under control that in a week or so I would be happy to move her son to a seat with a friend, as long as they remain well behaved. Pfew!
BTW- have you recovered from your biopsy?????

Hope everyone is doing ok........hang in there Friday is the day after Thursday!
Ginny

Evening Gals,
Well I slept on my working extra tomorrow and made up my mind not to do it. I decided that my time was a little more valuable tomorrow night than and extra $31.50. I figured that I give enough of my time before school doing bus duty for 30 minutes/5 days a week. When the other teachers only have duty 2 to 3 days a week for 30 minutes. Plus I stay after school four nights a week and work with the afterschool program. So I told my supervisor today that I won't be able to do it. But maybe next time. So now I can go to Curves, come home do my laundry, pack and hopefully be in bed early.
I did have a nice time at my staff meeting tonight. It was only about 15 minutes long and than we had dinner. Plus we had so much food left over that I brought some hoem for my dh. He didn't eat it all so I am taking the chicken, carrots and rice in my lunch tomorrow. Then eating the broccoli and little pieces of prime rib for dinner tomorrow night. So I was lucky and will have 3 meals out of tonight's dinner. LOL. I wasn't home in time to go to Curves tonight. Which I knew was a good possibilty, so I used that time to put grades in my computer grade book. So I am sort of getting caught up on my school work that I have left go until the last minute. Our 1st 9 weeks is up on Tuesday the 26th. So I was playing catch up on the grades.
Summer I am sorry that people are not being very Christianly and taking their turns. I don't see a problem doing a craft that morning. You know that close to Christmas their minds are going to be on Christmas presents and their vacation from school. Glad to hear that your aide showed up today. I hope that you worked her to death.
Ginny, so for once you got on your kids nerves with your new seating chart. I have to admire you for the job you have. Some of the bus drivers that drive for my school, I have to shake my head and wonder how they are able to pass their tests for their CDL's. The one lady asked the school deputy what she should do able two boys who tried to hide on her bus yesterday morning. He told her to put them up front where she could see them and keep and eye on them. He was like I can't punish them because they didn't do anything bad. Use your common sense he told her. So I admire that you haul 60plus kids around on your bus daily.
Robyn and Mouse, hope your day went well. Hope you were able to stick to your plans for the day.
Well I better go and get some sleep. Talk to you all later.
Kerry

I'm here. I'm not very cheeful... I'm very much Eeyore today... I saw the last of 4 plastic surgeons. This one wasn't as rude, but she wasn't anymore helpful than any of the others. She refused to consider performing the procedure and recommended that I eat 1,000 calories a day or less and exercise 6 days a week or more.
SHE did it and lost weight that way, because after all, losing weight is "just calories in and calories out", so I must eat more calories than I put out. Yea, whatever.
I'll show anybody my FitDay Log.
I'm going to go eat my dinner. Just got home... I was really upset after I left her office and wanted to just come home but the freaking beltway was backed up badly, so I went to the gym. Didn't enjoy any of it.
I ruined my day for tomorrow too: I was uspposed to go meet my mom and grandmother at the farmer's market, but my mom got upset when she asked me to get her and grandmother corned beef... they want the kosher NY Deli stuff, which despite my living in a large city with a large Jewish population isn't easy to get. I'd've done it if she had asked yesterday, because I could have gotten it today... but I can't go get it tomorrow. And the deli's close at 4. Tomorrow is Shabbat, too, so they'll close at like 2:30. So now she doesn't want to meet me.
Oh, and if that weren't enough, its supposed to be icky cold and damp tomorrow, its rained all week, nad guess what this month's fun day activity is????? PLANTING TREES! JEEEEEEEEZ! At least I'm still going to leave early and get to miss the student-staff basketball game.

join me please in a collective SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMM

WHAT a week! Nothing serious but DAGGGGGGG I need a
week off from EVERYTHING!

Tomorrow we're heading out on a field trip....1.5 hours going and another 1.5 hours
return......I have NOOOO idea what or how they will be on
the bus! Heck...I have NOOOO idea what or how *I* will be
on the bus!

((((Hugs)))) to all of you!
I'll see you on the other side of Friday...I hope!

take care,
meeeeeee

Ginny, thanks for understanding my frustration at church. I guess it doesn't matter where you live, where you worship, or who you worship, it all comes down to the fact that people are all the same...there are always those who do nothing and expect everything, those who get stuck doing it all, those who are keeping track of every single good deed, and those who are just plain lazy. I'm somewhere in the middle of it all, willing to do my share. and sometimes just plain burned-out. I just want my child to have a strong foundation, and if my involvement helps make that happen, so be it. By the way, it sounds like you are handling this new seating plan well. You can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try. Yes, I've recovered from my biopsy. Once in a while it hurts, but it is no biggie. I've been blessed. I just found out that my pastor's wife has bone cancer. She is a wonderful person. This is all very frightening.

Kerry, I will totally do a simple Christmas craft that morning. Ginny suggested Oriental Trading, which is a great idea. Oh, and I really worked my aide hard the last couple of days. She is doing way more than her job description.

Mousie, you need a vacation. You need to escape somewhere beautiful and peaceful. Things have been so sh#tty for you lately. I can't believe there isn't a doctor who will perform the surgery you need. Sorry.

Robyn, SCREAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! Right back atcha!

Our custodian was fired today. He must have done something very bad because nobody gets fired in my district...nobody...ever. The rumor mill was going wild today. I have lots of suspicians. He was very lazy, and many people caught him literally "sleeping on the job." He was so on the verge of sexually harassing almost everyone in the building, nothing overt, but he made people feel icky all the same. I was concerned that he might be a pedofile (no proof, just a feeling), and I always checked the bathrooms before I would let my students go in. And there was a story that he stole one of the teacher's purses. So, who knows if I will ever know the true reason. In the meantime, my mind is going nuts.

My weekend will be quite busy. Have a good one!

1.5 hours on the bus going
45 minute play
1.5 hours coming back
=
an exhausted teacher!


I'm up right now doing my homework for next week.
If I get it done tonight...then ...in theory...Sunday won't be spent doing it!

I really really really need some sleep!
tomorrow is the last baseball game...just in time...we will all be icecicles!
It turned cold here fast. Monday it was 80 ...today it was 64 with windchill!

SCREAMMMINGGGGG STILLLLLLL

heard from the student carefully selected to sit next to me during the play,
10 minutes into the "show".... "is it time to eat lunch yet?" "Do you have any
food with you?" "ummm..no", "then it isn't time to eat yet." "Oh. Are you sure?!"

WHOOO packs 6 year olds lunchables with squeezie pizza sauce and shredded cheese OR a cup of fruit chunks OR apple sauce with no spoon OR pistachios in their shells
OR just about anything else you can imagine for children who are going to EAT ON THE BUS DUE TO TIME ISSUES (It wasn't my idea!)....... I played the part of the bus riding lunch lady....WHAT A MESS! arghhh........

take care....

Well, this sure sounded like a week of torture for all of us.......too bad I did not drink (feel too crummy afterward and too many calories), cause I would have a drink for each of us!

Robyn- sorry about your miserable trip. And I hear ya (I help out at Dd's school for lunch on Tuesday), some of these lunchables/snacks were not meant for Hoodini or a bank robber to break into, let alone a child. Bless you for what you did, lunch lady on the bus is no picnic. Hope the last baseball game went well.

Mouse- big bummer about the kosher corned beef. I am always amazed at some things that are just not available outside the NY area.....and some that you would never expect that are! (makes no sense to me). Hope you are not taking Mom's attitude seriously- sometimes my Dm does that to me and I take it to heart (that she only wanted me for what I could do for her.....etc....) You did your best and she had to realize that better planning was in order. Big time bummer about the last crummy doctor with an attitude. Somehow this is all going to work out for you....keep your chin up!

Summer- glad that the biopsy site is pretty much ok. You have such a great attitude about it. How is your pastor's wife doing? What is her prognosis? Somehow, the Lord has a plan for her in this horrible illness, but oh how tough to go thru it. Is she raising a family? On a much, much lighter note....in my school district a few years ago a custodian was let go......well they caught him using the copier taking a picture of his genitals! Can you imagine......what a wacko and a sicko....makes you laugh though, right? At least they let him go. Did something right!n I too am like you- not the do everything type at church, but surely wanting to do my share. Seems as though every church has the ones that show up and do nothing.....the true takers who just want to feel good. No, I do not have a crummy attitude, just that if you want to be able to relax during a church service, child care duty once every 2 months should not be such a big issue.....there are very few who are so burdened that they could not handle that.

Atta girl Kerry!!!!!!! I am happy for you that you turned down that extra work. I felt that you would have resented taking it on as you are busy enough. How nice about the yummy food from the staff meeting! Hope you enjoyed not having to prepare as much food. As far as the CDL goes, here in NY (and I think this part of it is nationwide) the CDL is just like getting a normal lisence. First you must pass the written test(air breaks, some bus mechanics, basic large vehicle safety rules and a passenger section that is so vague it is a joke). Then the "permit" period.....followed by a road test. Mind you, you still have not learned anything about use of the orange and red lights.....student management or the like. So, you can pass the road test and still be totally clueless how to operate any of the student/passenger related items.
For me, I rode with my trainer on her route for about 5 days, and was expected to pick all that stuff up during those 5 days....then it was cold turkey solo. Our head of transportation is BIG on student management and staying as current as possible in all areas of transportation. Unfortunately, I know that is not the prevailing attitude in the industry. And we have lots of drivers with crummy attitudes.......but also lots who really are trying their best to be a professional.

I need a week off.......weekends are just too insane.....my house looks awful....and there is just so much to do. One more addition to my bus stories (hope noone minds!)
I took off Thursday pm to take Ds to the Dr for the broken hand. And I left a note to the Sub driver (not knowing at all who would be given the job) to let me know if the kids were good or not and to be sure to use the seating chart. Well, the next day (payday) with each check, we get a builliten from the dept head about student management, and one suggestion is the use of a seating chart. WHo drove my kids home?????The assistant dept head! He left me a brief note that my monsters were "very good".....and I guess I looked pretty good to him for using a seating chart without knowing that that would be mentioned in the builliten (sp). Sorry for bragging.....I did know that you ladies would understand that the rewards in dealing with kids sometimes come in strange ways.
Guess I'll go upstairs and watch the world series with Dh. Hope everyone's weekend is going well.......see ya.
Ginny

Opps.... I forgot. Anyone want a free week at Weight Watchers coupon??? I got one in the mail and can't use it as I am a member already. I know, you are all so busy... but am happy to give it to anyone who would like it.
Ginny

YES! I'll take the coupon, Ginny!

Well... Friday afternoon turned out better than I thought. My mom called me back after I posted the message (pretty late for her, I was almost asleep), and asked me if I'd meet them in York afterall. So we did, and had a good time.
She wants to go see my endocrinologist with me. I want her to go, but I'm not sure what good its going to do, honestly. She thinks that if we all sit down and brainstorm, maybe something else will turn up, since it doesn't seem as if the surgery will happen. The only person willing to do it wants $12,000.
Today was interesting too... did my usual workout at the gym, came home and cleaned out the new litterbox. My mom somehow wound up with 2 of the automatic litterboxes so gave me the older one. Her kitten is a PIG, so I spent an hour cleaning it down with Simple Green (organic cleaner; non-hazardous to children and pets...doesn't smell like bleach!). Then discovered she forgot to put the AC adaptor in the box!!!!
Then, I went back to the gym for the last night of swim lessons (until Nov. 6)... and one of the members refused to get out of the pool. She screamed and yelled, called the lifeguard a "ghetto urban tattoo boy" and told him not to "yell at his elders". She wasn't any older than me. She came out screaming and one of the high school instructors (he's a volunteer at lessons) looked at me and asked what her issue was, because she didn't look that old and so I replied loud enough for her to hear that, "She's not any older than I am. The difference is that my Mommy taught me how to act in public!" That earned me a nasty look, so I smiled sweetly.
When I went into the locker room to change a few minutes later, there was another lady wandering around COMPLETELY NAKED. GEEZ!!! Hello? Does she think that other women want to see her??? And of course, the gym was closed so we let the kids go back there to change, so we had non-members and little kids back there and she's completely naked!
What a night! Its almosta full moon... so...
I finished the night by going out for sushi with 2 other instructors and the pool manager. We had fun; closed the place down... turns out the owner is a member of the gym, so he didn't rush us out!

Gee, Mouse...sounds like you had some day. (don't ya love those types who parade around naked????? I did not do that even when I weighed 130# and was, for me in good shape. Glad you got to see Dm and that went well.

Busy Sunday here......gotta go. See ya tomorrow!
Ginny

I just cannot even imagine parading around naked. The regular towels the gym gives to members aren't long enough to cover anything up on me, so I always dress in the shower area after swimming. On Saturday's though, my own bath towel does cover me up... and I could change in the locker area, but I won't...
Its a shame the weekend is over already. I wish they were just a bit longer. An 8 days week with 5 days of work and 3 days off would be perfect, don't you think?

I think 4 days of work / 4 days off of work would give me the time I need!
I've got soooooooo much to do this week!

I've made progress in the attic. I have thrown away nearly a whole pickup truck load of junk!

take care,
meee

As for me, I would even keep the 7 day week- just make it 4, ten hour days, and 3 days off. (gee, you had to get up and get dressed for work....isn't that half the battle?). Ok, I know that most students would not be able to handle this, but I had to try, right???

Robyn- congrats on making so much progress cleaning up. Keep it up!! Isn't it therapeutic? When you are done at your house......mine is only about 7 or 8 hours away........well, at least we would have a lot of laughs even if we did not get a darned thing done!

Mouse- major bummer that the weekend is over, I agree. When I belonged to a gym, I did exactly what you do- get changed in the swimming changing area. This summer at the beach, (a public one at that) some self absorbed freak paraded around the ladies shower/changing room for a good 15 minutes without a stitch on. Had lots of fun explaining that to my youngest! (the 18 year old was full of comments once we were in a more private domain).

Ok day at the zoo today. Kids were ok. Last week (for being good little monsters when I took Ds to the Dr) I gave out pretzels on the way home. One girl is allergic to almost everything......so I at the last minute ran out and bought her a pretty pencil (whopping .39). I feel so bad for her that at her age (1rst grade) she always must decline any treats. She gave me the cutest "thank you" picture today, even her mother (at the toxic mother stop) wrote a short thank you note, for giving her a non food treat. So, at least today, I could end it all with a smile. Finished painting the ceiling......tomorrow I buy the wall paint. Simply amazing what I can get done with the holidays out there in the distance! Hope everyone is doing well, Kerry and Summer how goes life????
See ya tomorrow.
Ginny