Hi!
Robyn- free at last......free at last........praise God I'm free at last!!!!!! Now does this mean that you are done with jury duty until they find you again or do you have to go back? Sounds as though you had a busy and productive day. Good for you! Oh, and BTW, my MIL is a major control freak too.
Mouse-how was that swim?! Bet it felt SO good!!!! I am so happy for you. Your present game plan sounds good........I do so hope things work out for you with this potential job move. I think it is wise to wait until next summer, too. And as far as the kids...well, isn't this what it is all about?????
Jill- well, my BIL& SIL live in Spring Hill,Fla- west coast a bit north of Tampa. Going for it- it is affordablee, you can take whatever your home in the Northeast or New England is worth and put up a mansion, plus have money in the bank to spare. However, I have personally gotten the impressinn from both some personal experience and input from BIL & SIL that both states are somewhat backward. And I hate so sound like a snob, but coming from the NY or New England.......ok things are expensive- but there is also a level of sophisitication that you might miss. On the other hand, Dh has travelled to Atlanta- loved it there- and it is a very modern, progressive area. But I am sure it has the real estate prices to match! Back to Spring Hill, Fla however. One good thing going for it is the residents are mostly transplanted NY/NJ'ers......and the area is growing better. Now that I have totally confused you...........
Kerry- I am so sorry that Dh was a crum again!!!! It is encouraging that you have him figured out and then do not fall for his traps/nonsense. Too bad about his Ex being so irresponsible too. Did you ever get that bike ride in???
Me, I am pooped....today was busy. I should get the results of the echo in a few days- I have to go to the Dr for my BP check in a week or so and can find out then if she does not call me sooner. I'll let you know when I find out. As far as route picking, while I was waiting for Ds's pitching lesson, I went over the route summaries to see which routes might work for me,if my normal route is taken. It looks as though there are 3 or 4 others that might work.....some a few less hours, some a wee bit more. I will go in tomorrow am to see the full route sheet (they have shortened my run from last year by 15 minutes....I am happy about that if it was all taken from the pm!) and see how it looks for Wednesday at 10.....that is my time to bid.
I am a tired puppy......just have to iron one shirt for Dh and then off to bed!
G'night!
Ginny
Well, taking what feedback I've gotten so far, there seem to be some definite pros and cons to moving south. Mousie, do you have any idea what the educational system is like for the average/bright child? DD is of normal intelligence and does really well in school. Last year in kindergarten, she learned how to read (had already known how to add numbers) and subtract. Now, granted, she has me. I have been reading to her since she was an infant. We even have photos of her "reading" board books lying on her tummy holding up her upper body with her arms before she could crawl. I taught her how to add when she was four. So, with a mom who would be giving her enrichment, do you still think the educational system would fail her or is it just their special educational system that is in question? I truly want the best for DD, and if she really would suffer, there must be other parts of the country where we could live more cheaply without sacrificing her education.
Pros: 1. No more frigid winter weather...endless summer! 2. Cheaper mortgage. 3. Closer proximity to Disneyworld. 4. Friends/family would most certainly want to visit. 5. Year round garden.
Well, I love my home and my teaching position, and I certainly don't want to move unless I must. The thing is, we are in debt up to our ears. And, I absolutely refuse to file bankruptcy. My pride won't allow it. Our current plan is for DH to work overtime, and if he doesn't get enough overtime to make a financial difference, I will force him to either get a second job or a better paying job. I will have to work the after school program every day and sacrifice grad school for this year. We have cut way back on our expenses. If we could hold on for a year or two and see how much equity we've built up and possibly refinance our mortgage or get a second mortgage, that might help. The one thing we have going for us is that the housing market in Fairfield County is insane. Since we bought our house 5 years ago, our house has doubled in value. Thanks to home improvement loans, DH used that equity to mortgage us up to the limit. But, if we can control our spending from here on in, maybe just by waiting, our house's value will continue to grow. Worse comes to worse, we will have to sell our house and buy in a cheaper part of the country. We have acquaintances who lived large in Fairfield, but the husband lost his job, and they had to move out of the area. It is a better option than filing bankruptcy.
Kerry, you surely have your hands full with your DH and his ex. Stay strong.
Mouse, next year may be the best time for a change. Whatever works to make your life better and happier. How's the hand now that you are swimming? Thanks for your feedback.
Robyn, I'm glad you finally have your life back, sort of. When will the courts finally remove their claws? Good luck with your transition to your new school and of course with the old school finding you a replacement.
Ginny, Thanks for the feedback. I will research Spring Hill. My father lived on the west coast in Venice when he retired. It was essentially a town for the elderly. As far as the attitude of the residents, I think there are people like that all over the country. Every community has its' low-lifes. It is just that because I live so close to Manhattan, it is assumed that people are more sophisticated. That is true to a point, but believe me, we have our share of losers. I would actually like a slower pace and less pressure to compete. We are so damned uptight in the north. There is too much of "keeping up with the Joneses." My nephew, who is a chef, moved to Colorado a couple of years ago. He loved the relaxed attitude. Now, he's in Oregon working at a resort on the beach. He and his girlfriend live on the beach, and have a very reasonable rent. They are so content. He doesn't miss the fast-paced stress of the northeast at all. In fact, I don't believe he will ever return for more than a short visit. My sister in law moved to Arizona after her divorce about 12 years ago. She is another one who will never return to the northeast. She is a successful real estate agent and remarried a wonderful man transplanted from Chicago. They are the picture of contentment. They would love us to move out there. That will never happen. I just don't want to be landlocked. Wherever we end up, I will have to be near the ocean. That is my only requirement as far as geographical location. Any more info you have about Florida would be appreciated.
Phew! Sorry for the novel! Oh, the book I just finished was, Southern Comforts, by Joanne Ross. It took place in Savannah, Georgia, which got me thinking about Georgia. It sounded sooooo beautiful.
The hand looks odd: the scab fell off in the water, of course. And most of the dead skin has come off now too. The people at the gym all wanted to know where I'd been, because I've become such a regular fixture there! I will, of course, be going there in a little while today for a swim.
My cat got into the little bit of left-over milk from my cereal this morning, and has been throwing up all over the apartment. He's unhappy about it...meowing and wanting attention. I feel a little guilty, because I knew he'd get in the bowl. My mom usually lets him have ice cream out of the dish when she's finished, so of course he thinks its okay. The poor thing is laying on my leg now, and has icy paws.
Summer: The other thing about Florida: hurricanes, really bad storms, expensive home owners insurance if you live on either coast, flood insurance is usually required and also expensive, and LOTS OF BUGS! HUGE bugs.
I just received an email from a district in York County, PA. That's close enough, but dang it all: NONE of these places ever read the freaking applications. I'm REALLY REALLY clear as to what I want: Life Skills, Vocational/School-To-Work or Assistive Technology, grades 6-12. They want to interview me for a subject-area learning support position. Learning support is usually inclusion, usually learning disabled. And even if the kids need voc-ed, or job training they don't typically get it. Just like the other places I've talked about, the kids go through college prep...
I emailed them back and said, "Thank-you for the consideration, but my speciality is in working with students who need life-skills, functional academics or vocational/school-to-work support." You think that's okay or did I blow it again?
Summer- gee, hope I did not come off to negative on the Florida move.......both BIL and SIL were born and raised in NJ or NY.....and with some adjustments they have done just fine. The tempo of life issue is very real- and they do enjoy the slower pace. And you are so right with the keeping up with the Joneses thing....we live in a fairly rural area of NYS- but especially since 9/11- tons of people are moving here (want to get away from the city, which is a nasty 1 1/2 hour commute). They bring a certain well.....they love the country,but want all the convieniences of the city! Our taxes and property values have skyrocketed. Sounds just like where you are. I am sure you will decide wisely for your future.....
Mouse- bet you are smiling from ear to ear.....Got your swim in?????? Hope the cleanup after kitty was not horrendous. Our cat (the little piggy) is a huge food thief...
Ok, better go. Got lots to do yet!
See ya later.
ginny
Evening ladies,
I just got home alittle while ago from my workshop on classroom managment. It was a very awesome workshop. I got a lot of neat ideas that I can't wait to try out on my students this coming year.
This morning I got up early and did a 2 mile Walk Away The Pounds for the Abs tape. Since I knew that I was going to be sitting all day long. Plus this evening after my weigh in at TOPS, the dh and I are going to the concert. So all in all it has been a good day.
Mouse I am glad that you have been missed at your gym. That must have made you feel good inside. As for the email, I don't think that was wrong. Not since you put on the application what area you are interested in. If you would have taken the position, you would have probably been miserable right. Hope your cat is feeling better.
Summer some of my family in Fla. and Ga. I have heard mixed reviews about the educational systems down there. You just have to weigh the pros and cons and figure out what is best for your family at this point and time in your lives. Sounds like you and your dh have been discussing your financial situation more and are both on the same page. That is great! I will keep saying a prayer that you will get an answer soon on what to do.
Ginny I hope that you are able to get your old route today. But it is also good to see that you planned for a backup route or two. Yes I was able to get my bike ride in last night. So that was a good thing.
Robyn glad to hear that you didn't have to play your civic duty role yesterday. Plus that you were able to clean out your old classroom. I have never heard of a school not releasing you from your contract until they hire a replacement. That is just so wild!
The ex dropped the kids off at our house this morning at 8:15. So I am hoping this means she will be here to pick them up at 6 tonight. They came in and told me that I needed to feed them since they didn't eat breakfast yet. I told them to wake your dad up and let him feed you since I was on my way out the door.
Well I best go and get weighed for the week. Then it is off to my mil's for dinner. She offered to cook dinner for us tonight. Everyone else went over at 5. I don't eat before going to get weighed in. So I will swing by her house and eat and then come home to get ready to go to the concert. I will talk to you all later.
Have a wonderful evening.
Kerry
Kerry, sounds as though that seminar you attended today was great. I too am always anxious to try new strategies with my students (yup, they even teach us student management skills!) Good to hear you so excited about it. BTW- how is the WATP abs tape??? I have a few Leslie Sansone tapes and with winter not too far off I might be looking for something to break up the monotony. I am still thinking about joining Curves.....probably won't though. I sure hope your WI went well... And most importantly, I hope that you and Dh have a wonderful time at the concert tonight!! (how did you get him to go?). Outdoor concerts are great.....sort of what summer is all about- a nice evening, bit of a breeze and some good music. I wish that for you!!!!! Let us know how it went. Nice too that you did not have to cook tonight!
Sounds as though Kerry had a nice day, so I won't sour today's posts with my crummy attitude. Dh just hit all the wrong buttons tonight.......you would think after almost 20 years of marriage that he MIGHT possibly figure out that it would not hurt him to be
a little bit soft hearted/romantic once in a while???? At times he kills me with how insensitive he is. I know it comes from his upbringing.......if his father ever had a tender thought in his life it would be a miracle. And his mother is well, aw I don't want to go there.
Going to go upstairs and read to Dd, then snuggle with my wacko cat.....who usually tolerates me when I get like this (she will if she wants to be fed tomorrow am!!!!! )
Tomorrow is route selection...my appointment is at 10. I'll go in at 9:30 just to go over the final run sheets and see if the routes I have as possibilities seem ok- and see what is available. Can't imagine it if I have to go on another route, what will my monsters do without me????
Nuff of me babbling. Hope everyone has had a great day.
see ya tomorrow.
Ginny
Evening Ladies,
Dh and I were already to go to the concert. We had the kids all ready for their mom to come pick them up at 6. By 6:15 we were starting to get a little worried. My dh tried getting a hold of her on her cell phone. She finally called back a few minutes later to say she was at the grocery. She said that she didn't know anything about our plans. I left a voice mail message for her last night at home. But she never bother to check her phone. I told her that it was par for the course that I could bend over backwards for everyone else to make them happy. That I really haven't gotten to do or go anywhere this summer and that I really looking forward to this concert. But it was too late to go. So I lost out again. I shouldn't plan anything fun for myself and then I wouldn't get the big let down. She didn't say anything after that just quietly walked away from me. So my dh said that he was sorry about the concert. Did I want to go online and see if there was something going on tomorrow night at that fair or the other two fairs going on around us that I would like to go to. So I found out that Josh Turner is going to be at a fair in Athens, Ohio tomorrow night. So I called his ex wife and told her that we would try this again for tomorrow night. So I stayed home tonight and worked on some school stuff. Like a letter home to parents and my classroom discipline plan. I did go to the DQ and get a small ice cream cone as a treat. As for my weigh in, the scales there said that I gained a pounded. I think it is water retention, since they served really salty soup at lunch today and I sucked down the water this afternoon. So I am not worked up about.
So that is what my evening has been like. Hope everyone else's was better. I am not going to hold my breath about tomorrow night. I will just act like it is not going to happen and then maybe it will. It is just a little upsetting that I do so much for everyone else and then when I plan something it usually doesn't happen.
Have a great evening!
Kerry
I am exhausted... another day spent moving junk in my classroom. Making progress.
No court tomorrow. I have to check each night. This will go on until the 3rd of September. Anyone catch that show about the jury tonight on tv?! I didn't!!!!!
OK.....noooooowwwwwww..... promise that you'll be my friends before reading the rest of this post!!!!! CAUSE.... WELL.....Here goes my mouth!
You can find good and bad in any location... North, South, East, OR West. Likewise.... You can find good school systems and bad school systems WHEREVER you go! And well..... READ ON!
I truly don't want to offend..REALLY!..and I will admit that I have NOT finished reading all of the posts (I'm hoping that somewhere along the line SOMEONE says something nice beyond "Its cheaper to live there!")....
.......BUT I must interject a HUGE "Dear GAWD!" to the bashing of the South! (From the school systems to the "slower" life...) I realize that here I sit down in Bumpkinville Virginia trying not to get my mullet stuck in my banjo strings as I strum......BUT....... You northern folks are CRACKING ME UP! :roflol: If ya'll (said in my BEST southern voice...) love NY, NJ, and all of the superior STUFF so much... STAY THERE!!!!!
I especially loved (and literally LOL as I read ...) the comment that one of the positive things about some Florida town was that it was filling up with transplanted NY and NJers..so that the place was improving! HA! THANK GAWD ya'll are gonna save the little town AND state by filling it up with "CULTURE", THOSE accents AND people who drive like lunatics!! PULLLEEEZZZ.....
Funny.... we sorta have a local joke about the difference between Yankees and Da#@ Yankees regarding that same topic! Trust meeee.... the south is horrid! STAY home!
I'm done. Won't say another word! REALLY! I will just go back to strumming my banjo now. Ya'll still love me?!
Try greatschools.net for information about schools in ALL states! I'm sure that you can find somewhere on an ocean shore to relocate, Summer! I've got a very friend who lives and teaches in Stuart Florida and LOVES it! She is "close enough" to Orlando. Goes to the beach (a mile from her home) 2 or 3 times a week year round. Let me know if you want to ask her anything directly.... Her husband is retired LTC / USMC ... She has moved a zillion times... Originally from Pennsylvania.... Has lived all over both coasts (as well as overseas) and absolutely ADORES where they live now! (And when I visited her .... WELL...it *was* pretty darn WONDERFUL!) Bugs? They have a bug guy (everyone does cause the bugs are pretty horrid!) who comes and sprays every month. $19 a month (I asked last week when we were discussing that her bug guy was out sick and a substitute sprayed her neighbors yard in error! LOL)
Okey....well....enough from my mouth for now. Did I tell you that I signed the initial papers with my new district? I'm giddy and petrified all at the same time!
Hope everyone has a great Wednesday. I'll be back to read the NICE things that you're gonna post about the South while I'm off packing up my classroom!
take care!
Last edited by HatterasMermaid; 08-10-2004 at 10:56 PM.
Reason: cause I didn't want to have to change my nickname and take on a new persona...after defending the South! Hehehe!
Hey, Robyn: I don't consider where you are to be the South. Really. My relatives mostly lived in Richmond while I was growing up so I spent lots of summertime down there. They lived in Chesterfield, my grandmother lived in Henricho County. When they were there, Chesterfield was the middle of nowhere. It took forever (to my poor little child mind) to get anywhere, even the 7-11!
And I'm from Lancaster. I grew up with a black garden snake in the backyard, and playing in cornfields. We were friends with an Amish family, also Mennonite families, so I've been on farms. Lancaster isn't hurry up. I went to school on Long Island, and except for Broadway (which I'm addicted to), I can leave NYC without an issue.
I feel the same way about Northern VA... I once said if I *had* to live in a city, it'd be Lancaster City (ha, ha, ha!) or Baltimore. I wound up in Baltimore. I'm not fond of the city itself, and hardly do anything here. If I walked better, I'd go to the harbor all the time, because I love the water... just watching... and they have free wireless access... but I don't walk that well, and I'm not supposed to be in the sun, so that kills the Harbor! I do live across the street from the new Hippodrome theatre, and I finally got to see Les Miserables, but the theatre isn't accessible, and I don't do stairs at all. I had expensive seats, and nearly killed myself getting to it because of the steps, my long dress and the cast. If the theatre had been accessible, I would have signed up to volunteer as an usher so I could see shows for free. Oh well.
On the other paw, I interviewed for a teaching position in rural Illinois (6 hours from Chicago; 4 hours from St. Louis). The nearest big town was this tiny little thing in Indiana... Begins with a V. The school district told me if WalMart didn't sell it, they didn't need it. NOT a place for me!
I love the water, which is strange given that I'm from Landlocked PA... but with my background in disaster services I shudder at the thought of buying a place near the Harbor or on the ocean. I can just see myself being the shelter manager at a shelter for MYSELF! :grin:
Robyn you are a hoot and crack me up. Thank you for cheering me up tonight. I have been a busy bee this evening. I typed up two letters to send home to my parents for this coming school year. Plus have mapped out a few activities that I would love to try this year with my students and parents. So it was an enjoyable and productive evening. Though I would have rather been sitting outside enjoying a nice concert put on by a truly handsome hunk. But I guess it wasn't meant to be and live goes on.
Well I need to go get some shut eye. I am planning on going into Curves in the morning when they open up at 8 with a friend to workout. Come home and then go out to school for a while and work on my classroom with my TA. Then come home and maybe go to the fair tomorrow night. Not holding my breath on the last item of the day, that way I won't die when it doesn't happen. Then I can just haunt the people better while I am alive and get more enjoyment out of seeming them stutter and squirm their way out of it. LOL.
Well you all have a wonderful Wednesday!
Later,
Kerry
Hey! I couldn't sleep.... laying there in my bed.... thinking of all I have to do and my dear friends who I am leaving after 17 school years.......sighhh....anyway...glad I checked in tho!
Mousie, Nope! I'm NOT in the south! BUT....I'm the SouthernEST one here! Your post made me giggle! WHEW! LOL When I tell people how to get to our house... I tell them to go to THE 7-11 and turn left. It is one of 2 in the whole county! BUT.... truly, I am surviving out here in the Mid East without having a 7-11 on EVERY corner of my world! LOL We vacationed one summer in Penn. Took a "family tour" from one side of the state to the other.... enjoyed Amish (nope, them Amish sure ain't hurry up folks! hehehee) food, Sesame Place, Hershey Park, the Liberty Bell, yadda, yadda, yadda! The milk shakes at Hershey Park were THE best part of the whole trip! They were yummy! We enjoy the harbor in Baltimore! The aquarium is great ESPECIALLY when all of the tourists have returned NORTH! (Ha! I crackkkk myself up!) I live within minutes of Williamsburg, Yorktown, etc... and within an hour of Richmond OR Norfolk (depending on which way I drive!).......so I *DO* know about tourists! Did you know that we can't even BEGIN school until the day after Labor Day (it is a state law!) because of tourism! I'd visit you at *your* shelter! LOL REALLY I would! Once you got to your seat did you enjoy Les Miserables? Broadway...that is THE only part of NYC (except for wanting to visit a friend who lives in Brooklyn!) I've EVER wanted to visit!
Kerry.... Tomorrow... YOU be ready to leave in enough time to get to the fair come he!! or highwater! Whether ExWifey shows up or not...YOU GO! If you have to go alone, GO! Leave DH at home with HIS kids if ExWifey doesn't show up on time! WHATEVER you do....Do NOT miss seeing this concert! (But, my fingers are crossed that your little "discussion" tonight with ExW did a bit of good!) Glad you got some schoolwork done!
Ok...I'm gonna TRY to get to sleep....try again!
take care
I taught for Fairfax County, Robyn, so I'm *REALLY* familiar with the Kings Dominion Law. Except, that because of the SOL tests, some schools are getting around it by getting the parents to approve a modified calendar. The high school that my middle school feeds into is on one, and starts two weeks before Labor Day; they get out the end of May. Some of the elementary schools do that also and then there are a handful of year-round schools in Fairfax as well.
We never started before Labor Day either when I went to school in PA, but when I taught there, we did. Some years. They kept changing the calendar in my poor inner city school. It was almost amusing, except the parents couldn't keep up. The year I left there, we'd started the 2nd week in August, got out the end of May, and I was off till after Labor Day because I moved to Fairfax.
I'm not sure it really matters to be honest with you: most states still go the same amount of time. We follow a County schedule instead of the City schedule for school start, and most days that we're off are County days as well except for snow we follow the City because we're located in the city. And we're not a true year-round school: we don't ever go off-track, so the staff winds up with a little less than 4 weeks off a year. I think I'd do a lot better if we did go off-track... so I could do something different occasionally... work with different kids... You know!
I enjoyed the 2nd act of Les Miserables... the first act, I was really sick for some reason. It was about then that I started the whole throwing up, really tired and dizzy thing, and I don't think that I improved it by hanging over the stage! I remember telling my endocrinologist that I almost threw-up on Cosette! I am, however, not the only one who has had that issue though, because my doctor told me that she also got sick once in the middle of the theatre, and was grateful nobody knew her!
I like Williamsburg. One of my closest friends went to William and Mary. She lives in Fairfax now.
Okay, and I'm watching the Today show before I leave for yet another doctor's appt: what do you all think of Cosby's comments? I teach in the area that he's talking about and the kids he's talking about...
Hello Ladies,
Well I have had a wonderful day. I got up, went to Curves and came home. When I got home, it was just my dh. I asked where the kids were, since I saw the ex driving to work. He said that the kids wanted to spend the day at their old babysitter's. Isn't it amazing how all of a sudden, she is able to watch them for the day. :O
I meet my ta at school and we put a huge dent in unpacking our classroom. We got rid of some old metal storage cabinets and my boss gave me permission to go to Wal-mart with the school's credit card to pick up some much needed supplies. I am in such a great mood. I am already to go to the concert tonight. I have never seen my dh feel so bad about something as he did last night. Which is good! It is about time!
So now I only have a few more boxes to unpack and put away. Hang up some posters. Then I will be ready to start planning my lessons for the first week or two of school. I think I will just do that next week.
Hope everyone had a wonderful day! I have to go tie up some loose ends before we go out the door to the concert. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry
Aw crum........I just hit the wrong key and lost my post!!!!!!!!!
I'll stop back later for the humor. Robyn, hope you forgive me for being a Da** Yankee!!!!! I'll get to that later.....surely did not mean any offense by my post about NY/NJ'ers moving to make Florida better. The meaning I intended to impart was that there are a lot of transplanted folks from up here....so that might make the transition easier for her. Remember I did spent a minute or two bashing the city wackos who are moving up to my county (and in my opinion wrecking it).
Kerry- hope you get to that concert!
Mouse- how did the Dr appt go?
Summer- hope we did not scare you away from the South.
Good news and bad news.....my echo came back irregular. I have a thickened mitral valve and my heart is operating at the low end of the normal range (normal is in the range of 53-73%, my heart is at 53% efficiency). So I am off to the cardiologist next Wednesday. The good news I got my run!!!! It has been shortened in the afternoon (they took out one out of the way loop with only 3 students and added it to another route) so I am home 15 minutes earlier. Good for me and Dd!!!!!! Now, someone PLEASE remind me when I am about ready to duct tape all 56 mouths closed....that I wanted these kids and really do love them. Kind of sad to see the "missing names"- those who moved up to the middle school. I will miss them......
Gotta go before I mess up this post too.
Enjoy your evening!
Ginny
)
Anyone catch that show about the jury tonight on tv?! I didn't!!!!!
to the bashing of the South! (From the school systems to the "slower" life...) I realize that here I sit down in Bumpkinville Virginia trying not to get my mullet stuck in my banjo strings as I strum......BUT....... You northern folks are CRACKING ME UP! :roflol: If ya'll (said in my BEST southern voice...) love NY, NJ, and all of the superior STUFF so much... STAY THERE!!!!! 
PULLLEEEZZZ.....
