Robyn-glad that Dh loved the room!!!!!!!!

Somehow some posts snuck in and I did not see them, forgive me if I did not respond to the most recent ones.......

Kerry- when I went for counselling I went to a Christian counsellor- not that I am trying to push faith/religion.....but I knew that Dh would never go for help and I knew that a Christian counsellor would be the last to tell me to leave the marriage (unless there was abuse). My Dh has a strong distrust of any counsellors....... Anyway- sometimes ministers are not as well trained as they could be.....but I am sure that you will go to someone who is both gifted in counselling and you are comfortable with.

Gotta go.....now there's thunder, so I'd better shut down.
See ya !
Ginny

I can't keep up either... In a few minutes I'm going to go work on those reports, then get into better clothes. I have to go get my hair cut. I can't braid with one hand, and I refuse to wear it down at work. Too many opportunities for kids to grab when they get upset. It'll grow back again... ;)
I did tell all the people who told me how nice I look with my hair pull back not to get used to it, because I was going to cut it eventually... but I'd planned on waiting till fall so I could go to the place I normally get it done (near my mom's house...two of the stylists there are really good with my hair... my hair is thin on top from the endocrine dysfunction, and they know just what to do so it looks more normal, plus they listen when I ask them to use more natural products so I don't itch!)... but I'm not driving all the way back up there today, and I couldn't do it yesterday since I had brat-cat in the car with me...though it was BRIEFLY tempting to leave him alone with the windows down.
Robyn: so glad your husband liked the room!!!
Kerry: Congrats on the yard sale!!! Great job! :) :) :) I think my school raised close to $500 with ours, which was fantastic. It paid for the camping trip the kids go on every year. I really want to go with them sometime, but I don't have a tent or anything, and I'm allergic to insects so they've been iffy on letting me go. This year I was in a cast, so I couldn't go anyway.
For those that are curious: Yes. I attract trouble. My friends in college have called me a magnet for trouble. My best friend gave me a mug at graduation that shows the cow that jumped over the moon laying upside down on his back with the moon over him and the caption reads, "Really, I'm fine." And of course you all know I'm a huge Eeyore fan. I also identify well with Charlie Brown. :)
Speaking of Eeyore: my mom found TEACHER EEYORE at the Disney Store. He looks like a nerdy teacher, though, with black glasses and a pencil in his fetlock. But he's adorable. :) He's wearing a white shirt and tie too.
I promise that if the cat bite doesn't look better by next Friday (when I'm out of antibiotics) I'll make an appointment with my doctor down here. My friend at the pool told me I could probably swim if I wrapped my hand in saran wrap and did waterproof bandages, but I'm not going to... I don't think... Its tempting, but I don't want it to get infected, and I'm sure the chlorine will BURN!!!

:mouse:

Mousie: You are not alone. I sometimes feel like I am a magnet for trouble, especially accidents. (Not automobile, I've been fortunate that I've only had one, and it was the tractor trailer driver's fault.) My right leg is about 3/4 " longer than my left leg, hence I have mild scoliosis. No biggie except if you want to run and not get hurt. As a kid, I wasn't athletic at all, and all my life I have intermittently sprained, dislocated, and broken body parts as a result of trying to do the same active things as the rest of the world. My body was made for a sedentary life! I'm smart enough not to lean far enough back in my chair to tip over. :lol: But once I stand up, it is all over for me...it is only a matter of time before I stub a toe or walk into a wall. My DH, friends, and other family members get a kick out of the fact that I am accident prone. It hurts to be the butt of jokes, but I have risen above it knowing that I have so many other wonderful qualities like intelligence, a great sense of humor, a loving spirit, and artistic talent. My body just has never been particularly cooperative with me, so I focus on my mind and spirit instead. That is all that will be going with me when I go to heaven, so who cares anyway? Just know that there is another Charlie Brown out there who sometimes morphs into Linus but never Lucy unless her last name is Ball. ;)

P.S. take care of that bite. We will be checking up on you to make sure that you don't let that infection get out of control.

Ginny, I appreciate your support. It is very hard to tell the truth, but when you care about someone, sometimes you have to risk it. HAVE A FANTABULOUS TIME AT THE JERSEY SHORE!!! Eat some saltwater taffy in my honor. I know you are staying OP, but one piece of taffy or fudge won't break you. Don't forget the sunscreen!

Robyn, I'm so glad your DH approves of your paint job. I have some painting projects to conquer before school starts, but I'm still so friggin tired from Disney that I can't get motivated. I did do all the laundry (yet to be folded) and I spent 7 hours putting the scrapbook together. I wanted to get it overwith since everyone will want to see our pictures, and I hate when people get fingerprints on them and put them out of order...anal retentive, I know. Take some echinacea, garlic, and 1000 mg of vitamin C. Feel better!

Kerry, take care of yourself. I shall be praying for you.

Well, it is a rainy day in CT so we will be going to the movies today. At least I can still have popcorn and diet soda (don't you know that nutrisweet turns into formaldehyde in your stomach?) Yeh yeh yeh whatever. Pretty soon the only thing I will be able to eat or drink is organic veggies and fruits and water. :p

Afternoon Ladies,
Just wanted to check in with everyone real quick before I go take a nap. Went to the fair last night with my dh. Had a good time. We got home at 1 a.m. and I never was able to fall asleep until after 2. I got up this morning at 9 and got ready for church. We had our church picnic today. I invited my dh to go with me and he said that he would go. So when I got up this morning and he was still in bed when I was ready to leave, I went without him. I had a nice time at the outdoor service and picnic. When I came home he asked why church went over for today. I laughed and said that church was actually on a shorter schedule today and then we ate lunch. He was like why didn't you come back after church to pick me up and go to the picnic with you. I said that when I asked you to go with me I told you that I was leaving at 9:45 to go out to the church member's house we were having church and the picnic at. So if you were not ready by 9:45, I was leaving with or without you. He said that he got up after I left and hurried to get ready to come to the picnic with me. I told him that he knew where they lived and could have come out by himself. So it is not my fault that you missed out on a great lunch today. Have fun finding something to eat. So he went to his mom's for lunch. He asked if I was going with him and I said that no I was going to take a nap. He tried to pick a fight with me and I looked at him and said that I was not fighting with him today. I didn't want to hear it and walked away. I am in a great mood today and he is not going to ruin it for me. I think after my nap I might go out to our local lake and walk around it to work off some of that great food I eat for lunch.
I am starting to fall asleep as I type. So I will check back with you all later.
Hope you all are having a wonderful afternoon.
Take care,
Kerry

I just love picnics, Kerry. Hope you've enjoyed your nap!

Summer, it makes me glad to hear that there are others like me out there. I haven't had any car accidents that were my fault...there were 3, though. One guy stole a car in Baltimore City and I was on my way to work and he ran a stop sign; another guy fell asleep at his wheel so when I slowed down for the guy in front of me to turn, Mr. Sleepyhead ran right into me. But I have a Saturn, so I was safe... the steel safety cages really do work... the door panels fall apart, but the car itself stays together. And that 3rd one was a deer trying to commit suicide. He ran into my car at 3:00 in the morning.
I have a new, much shorter haircut. It won't look as nice tomorrow though! ;)

:mouse:

Hi everyone,
I enjoyed my nap. Now I have to start thinking about a shopping list to go to Wal-mart. Boy do I love going grocery shopping there or what? The grocery stores in my little town are too expensive so we have to go to the next town over. It usually takes us two hours to shop. Boy what fun! Not.
Mouse how long had your hair been before your haircut? Your kids are not going to recognize tomorrow at school. How is your hand today? Are you able to keep some food down today? Have fun working on your reports. I will be doing that here in a few weeks when school starts on Aug.24th.
Ginny enjoy your trip. Hope you are able to get to use the gym some. Eat a piece of saltwater taffy or fudge for me,too. You will enjoy your few days away for some fun in the sun.
Summer how are you feeling today? What movie did you go see? Trust me I know how you feel about being tired from your trip. I didn't go on a trip, but for some reason I have been really tired lately. Thank you for your continued prayers. I want my marriage to work out. I knew it would be hard getting involved with someone who was married once before and had children from that marriage, but I didn't know it was going to be this hard. I think I am taking him by surprise at how outspoken I am at times. I have to own that to my weight loss and self-esteem I have gained from my dieting and working out.
Robyn how is your cold today? Are you ready for your jury duty appointment tomorrow? I hope you are able to get out of it. That would be really tough going to duty, starting a new job and starting the school year off on the right foot. Keep saying my prayers that you are able to either get out of it or postpone it another time. Glad to hear that your dh liked the bathroom. Working on it for two weeks is a long time. I am glad to hear what a success it was.
Well I guess I better go and make a grocery list. This time maybe I will be able to eat dinner with my dh today. We always have to go out to eat before we grocery shop if the cupboards are really bare. They are starting to look with Old Mother Hubbard's cupboards.
Oh one more thing, please say a prayer for my one great friend. She is pregrant with my nephew's child and he is giving her a hard time. He has completely withdrawn from her since finding out she is pg. He is an only child and a mom's boy, so I think that has a lot to do with their problems. I feel so bad for her. She told me last night that she is seriously thinking of raising the baby on her own. So I guess it is a male thing with my dh's family to be completely stupid when it comes to relationshops with females.
Take care,
Kerry

Well I got my workout in today. We went grocery shopping and I pushed the cart all through the store and out to the truck. Then we had to carry the groceries up the front walkway steps to get to our front porch. Then after we put the groceries away I lugged all the trash to the curb. My dh came out after I had all of it but one box of magazines to carry out and I told him to sit it down and I would take it out. He wasn't going to take any credit lugging out the trash. Then we went for a long walk around town. Just never made it out to the lake today. It was too hot this afternoon and early evening to go out there for a walk.
So what is everyone's plans for the coming week? I have to talk to my TA and see when she is available to come in and help me set up our new classroom. So I might be going into school for a little bit this coming week to work on our room. I know that I am going to Curves to workout three days. Nothing really exciting. I might load my bike in my van and go to the bike path in Athens to ride along the river and the campus of Ohio Unversity. It is a really nice bike path. I guess it will all depend on the weather.
Well I am going to go and read for a little bit before I go to bed. Talk to you all later.
Have a great Monday!
Kerry

My hair had been just about shoulder length, but it was long enough to wear pulled back... So we'll see if the kids notice anything. ;)
My hand is still attached, but it hurts... I'm questioning the wisdom of going to work with it to be honest... but... I know we have grades due sometime this week, and since the database admin is already not a friend of mine, I'd better be there.
I'm jealous that your TA will come in when you're not paid. I've never had a TA do that... my TA now sets up the room, because she is way better at it than I am, but she only does it because we're required to be in the 2 weeks before the kids come for in-service/room set-up.
I'm doing okay in the food department, I think, but I'm eating great quantities of yogurt due to the antibiotics. And of course, its the low-carb stuff because they don't use splenda in the other kinds of light yogurt.

Gotta run to work... I'm about half done with the reports, and since I can't swim, I'll be able to come right home tonight and work on them. Fun, fun!!!!

:mouse:

......just running in to let you all know that we had no power for most of yesterday....
these darn thunderstorms are something else....anyway...missed you guys! LOL

I laid in bed awake last night thinking of this jury duty... My husband laughed at me... asked if I thought that the others (the reason that THEY ARE DRAGGING me to jury duty) are laying awake worrying over court! HE has a point!

Got a couple of new books to have with me incase there is some time to read... I've been told we SIT a LOT! I'm not taking my water because I'd sit there, reading and drinking and then need to make a 100 visits to "the facilities"....

I'm off to put on my makeup and glue down my hair.... yahoo... I leave in 20 minutes or so and it isn't pouring at the moment! You'd think that I live in Seattle or something..

Summer, I can no longer log into Mike's site.... my user stuff has expired.... Send him an email and ask where to enter your info. I sent him a few emails along the way...to which he responded quickly and with humor and of course good info!

Gotta run..... puting the lipstick on the herpes is hard and painful....but...ya know...gotta have good lips for the judge!
hehehehe

take care!

Morning Ladies,
I actually got to sleep in this morning for once. It felt so nice. Got up and got ready to go to Curves. Called my friend to see if she was still going with me. She has to go later, but I knew if I waited to go this evening with her I would probably never make it there. So I was just getting off the phone with her, when the ex-wife calls to say that the kids were spending the day with her parents. I took the message and gave it to my dh. He was instantly mad and started to hollar. I just looked at him and said that I am not fighting with you anymore and I am leaving to go workout. He was still running his chops when I walked out the door. But when I got home he was sorry for the way he acted and said that he didn't want to fight anymore either. So maybe this is a good thing. I called my boss today and I can go to school tomorrow to work on my classroom.
Mouse as for my TA this is the first time she has offered to come in and help me w/o pay. I think she feels bad that we had to move rooms at the end of the year and is trying to make it an easier process for us to start the school year out. She is a wonderful person and I am going to take her up on her help. So did your kids notice your hair was different? sorry to hear that your hand is still hurting. I will keep saying prayers of healing for it.
Robyn, I hope you made it through your day. Did you get any sleep last night at all?
Well since the kids are not here today, we are going to clean house. So I best get my butt in gear. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

Robyn, I sure hope you got released early from jury duty. I have been many times. The first time, I spent the entire day in the waiting room and read an entire novel! I've brought school work and done that for hours on end. I've been interviewed and excused because it was a rape case and I had been a victim of an attempted rape at 17. I am soooo due to be called again. Crap! Any time now. Hopefully you were excused.

Mouse, I know how you feel. My aide won't spend one extra second in our classroom than she is required to. She can barely fulfill her basic attendance requirement when she is getting paid. I do all the extras alone with my DD playing in the room.

Kerry, I'm glad you have a source of support at school. You certainly deserve the help.

I will be going in to set up my room on August 16th. School starts the following week. DD's school doesn't start until August 30th, so I have to find some people to watch her. :( It is times like these that I wish my parents were alive. They would have loved her and would have jumped at the chance to spend time with her. My in-laws are worthless and are unwilling to help. It is all about them. What we can do for them. Everything is on their terms. :p They suck. My DH really got a raw deal, and so did I since I fell in love with him.

Okay, enough negativity!!! I had my second acupuncture today. No problem except my feet. The needles hurt in my arches. Otherwise, most of the needles are painless. The cop from last time was next to me again...screaming his head off worse than last time. The doctor kept having to leave his other patient to attend to the big baby. Finally, he just removed the needles altogether. I actually enjoy the sessions. How often can a mother lie down for 15 minutes without anyone bothering her? 30 needles in my body...big deal! :lol: I just wish men knew what real pain was like. Wimps!!! :lol:

Later I go to the famously heartless mean gastroenterologist. I'm gonna get the annual speech about my weight. It won't matter that I've lost 12 pounds. All he will care about is that I haven't lost 70.

Summer sounds like today was the day for doctor appointments for you. Don't let the mean doctor get you down. Look at him and say that I lost 12 pounds and I am going to continue losing weight. If you had the summer like I did then you wouldn't be too worried about my weight either. I hope all goes well for you today. We start back to school on the 23rd. But I want to take my time and get my room ready and not be doing too much on the 23rd and be rested up for my students on the 24th. Plus this will get me out of the house and away from the kids for a while. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death. But they get on my nerves at times because we have to do whatever they want to do and not really anything I want to do. Sometimes they will do it, but it usually involves some whining. But I have decided that I am done being a doormat for people.
Robyn I hope you got excused from jury duty. How is your cold today anyway?
Mouse how was school today? Is Friday your last day with your kids for the summer? How long do you have off school before you start the fall session?
Well ladies I am done with the house cleaning. I really didn't put my heart and soul into since it is going to be dirty by tomorrow when the kids get here. All I really did is picked up stuff and put it away and swept the floors. It looks presentable if we have company. Next time I will dust. Can you tell I hate to dust? :) :)
I have books due at the library today and I am almost done with one, so I am going to go finish it before I make my journey over to the library. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

Wow! You guys were busy! I'll see if we get as many messages when the school year starts! :)
My hand is attached, and I am using it more, and it doesn't hurt... but I've got the itches from the antibiotics. You know, when you screw around with body chemistry? My skin is all flaky, my head itches... and so do various other unmentionable parts including my toes! I'm hoping that when I change the bandage after my shower tonight that I'll see its healing well and maybe I can be at the pool by Thursday????
Thursday is the last day of summer session, and Wednesday is the last day of classes. I'm not entirely certain what we're doing on Thursday. Its usually a trip to a local City pool, which I won't be able to go to, even if I'm going to go swimming at my gym... the city pools aren't always the cleanest places. This pool isn't too bad, but I'm not taking ANY chances! And its a bummer, because there are very few staff that are willing to get in the water with the kids, just myself and one or two other staff. I missed the trip to the state park too, because I was seriously not eating at that time, and it was above 90, so my endocrinologist put her foot down and said I couldn't go back in June. She was afraid that I would get sick or pass out, and she's right... we had some kids get real sick from the heat.
The kids were whiny today... And some of them were just off the hook. I had trouble getting and keeping attention for some of them. 4th period was just bad... that's my group of kids with allegedly the most significant emotional problems, and most of them are certificate level students. Or should be. The diploma track guy is pretty bright but refuses to do any work.
And, staff has 11 days off (not counting weekends), then we go back. The kids have a full month off, as they don't come back till the Tuesday after Labor Day. I wish I had a little money so I could go away... I'd love to go to a lake or maybe a beach for a little bit... Just 2 or 3 days...

:mouse:

Kerry, I hate dusting too! I only do it for company, which isn't too smart since I am allergic to dust mites. It is just a pain. I'm better at cleaning the bathrooms, kitchen, and vacuuming. But, I'm having my siblings and their spouses over for a BBQ on Saturday night, so it appears that the dust rag will be making an appearance soon! We start school at the same time. I have three days of meetings and workshops, and then the kids start.

Mousie, I wish you were able to get away for a break too. After all the money we spent last week, we won't be taking a real vacation for a loooong time. We have a wedding in NH in September, so we will have a weekend away, but we will try to keep our expenses down. I'm glad your hand is healing, but it is too bad the side affects are troublesome. You are right, I won't be posting much once school starts, especially with me attending grad school. I've been out of school since 1992, so I'm out of practice with homework and writing papers. :( I don't even know how to do a research paper anymore. The last paper I wrote, I used the "old fashioned footnotes." Are footnotes still done the same way? And my info came from microfilm then later on from microfiche. I guess now it comes from the internet? I don't even know. I feel so queer and out of date!

Robyn, I hope your day was easy, but since we haven't heard from you yet, I'm getting a little concerned.

The meanie doctor ended up being okay tonite. He actually mentioned that weight loss doesn't always help my particular problem. That was the only mention he made about weight. I will have to have a liver biopsy. He says I can wait till February, which is good because the beginning of a school year is the busiest time of year for me. It really doesn't slow down till February vacation. It mustn't be urgent if he is letting me put it off. The only bad part of the appointment was that he had his nurse draw blood. I have deep and rolling veins, and I've learned that only lab people are experienced enough to do a decent job. You never let a doctor draw blood, and you also try to avoid the nurse. Well, she was bound and determined and wouldn't let me leave without getting some blood out of me. Her first attempt at my arm failed and was very painful in the process...BRUISE. I suggested I just go to the lab. But when I started to leave, she told me to sit. She was gonna try again. When I realized that I was dealing with a stubborn mule, I suggested a butterfly in my hand. Well, the heartless slug used a regular needle on the bony part of my hand. OUCH!!!!!!! :eek: The vampiress got her blood, and I got one h*ll of a BRUISE. The point of a butterfly is to make it hurt less. If I knew she didn't have a butterfly, I wouldn't have allowed her to touch my hand. I should have insisted on going to the friggin lab. Then again, I would have had to deck her on the way out. :mad:

I am exhausted. I guess I'd better go to bed early. DD is having a play date at our house tomorrow. The girl coming over always wants me to play with them. The only reason I'm inviting a friend over is to entertain DD so that she can play with another child. That means I should be left to do other things. I will have to clean in the morning because I'm too dead on my feet to do anything tonight. DH will have to vacuum since I don't want to aggravate my pinched nerve. He'll love that!

Ooooo, Summer! I'm so with you on the blood draws. I have *ONE* good vein on the outside of my left arm. LabCorp NEVER EVER listens to me, and I started refusing to go there even though it meant I had to pay for bits of the lab work myself; my wonderful endocrinologist's office picked up some of the tab. The last time I went to LabCorp, I left there with enough needletracks and bruising to have my principal ask me just WHAT I'd done over the weekend!! :o
That nurse should be drawn and quartered, Summer! Seriously! :mad:

As for school: depends on your program and University. You might be surprised about how many actual research papers you need to do. I do my share of them at Hopkins, but they ARE a research university and make no bones about it. They don't (and this is exactly how it was said in one class when I started my master's degree) cut slack in the education program, because... direct quote... "we are Johns Hopkins, and we DO have a reputation to maintain!" That was my legal systems in special education class. 20 page front and back small print syllabus, 14 legal briefs, 7-10 pages each... during SUMMER SESSION! :eek:
If they start talking about APA, go over to Amazon.Com, and find the book, "The World's Easiest Guide to Using the APA". I think the author is Carole Smith. Or Carol something. Anyway, get THAT and ignore the stupid APA manual. Its horrible. The other book gives clear examples and step by step directions.
As for footnotes, I did them in undergrad, at Hood College (where I started and quickly left... if you want to know that story, just ask. I was nominated the Anti-Christ of the English Department. :devil:.), but after that everything was paranthetical citation. That's just a fancy way of saying that you need to do your citations within the body of the paper. But MS Word makes footnoting REALLY easy, and so does WordPerfect.
Glad that the nasty doctor wasn't too nasty... but what's the reason for the liver biopsy? Elevated liver enzymes? I have that, but mine is likely from the glucophage because I never had it before I took that stuff... and I don't take it anymore, and they've become more normal, but it varies. The gastronenterologist I see now thinks it might be fatty liver instead... which makes me upset, because I don't eat high fat foods most of the time! And certainly didn't growing up!
Its annoying to be overweight like this, and eat healthy food... I mean, how much healthy can you get than turkey breast with 2 slices of bacon on whole wheat bread with no fat mayonnaise, salad with romaine, reduced fat feta, tomatoes, and low fat dressing, fat-free, sugar-free yogurt (antibiotics!) and grapes????
That was dinner! Okay, we could go fat-free on the dressing, on the feta, and no bacon... but that might be going to extremes just a bit!
I might have a fat-free sugar-free ice cream sandwich later...
Lunch was a protein shake, no sugar, no fat. Breakfast was one low-carb waffle with peanut butter and the fat-free, sugar-free yogurt. (They are the small 4 oz cups)
And ANNOYING... the people across the hall from my classroom are eating cheesesteaks and McD's and fries, and onions, and wearing tight clothes... and here I am, all healthy... ARRRGH!!!!! Oh, and I exercise too! Life just isn't FAIR!
You can't convince me that some corn fritters (once or twice a month?) or a 1 ounce bag of cheetos are the reason that I weigh this... you just can't!
Okay... sorry... mea culpa... sorry!
As for the hand, now I'm not so sure... it was a little oozy tonight when I changed the bandage. I poured witch hazel on it, to clean it out, put on more antibiotic cream... if it looks nasty tomorrow night, I'll call the doctor on Wednesday. It doesn't hurt as much, though, and I can use my pinky to type again. :shrug:

:mouse:

Morning Ladies,
I just wanted to drop in and say hi for the day. Sounds like your doctor visit yesterday was not a good one Summer. Sorry to hear that you had a vampire for a nurse. She was very determined to suck some blood from you before you left there wasn't she? I hope your arm and hand stopped hurting. Enjoy your playdate today.
Mouse I agree with you on the eating healthy and watching other people eat all that junk food and not gain a pound. It makes me mad that is how my dh's family is like. They look at me and ask why I am not either eating or why I don't fill my plate up like them. They don't understand what a struggle it is to have to lose weight. I hope that when they get older they get fatter. Then they will know what it is like. :) :)
Robyn how did it go yesterday? I hope everything is fine with you.
Well I am off to go work in my new classroom. I was moved to a portable with no bathroom or running water. We have to take my MH students into the other two buildings to use the restroom and to get drinks of water. So it is going to be a fun and interesting year.
Check in with you all later. Have a wonderful day!
Kerry

hey! didn't get excused from jury duty.... but i didn't get put on the jury either... it was a murder trial. MURDER! YIKES! it took hours to get to the point where i could come home. MURDER?! in my little podunk town??? soooooooo........i get to go back to the courthouse on thursday for yet another go 'round with the jury duty gang that i met yesterday... and i can play the sit and wait game AGAIN! i have tried more than once to get a deferrment due to needing to be moving school SYSTEMS, rooms, etc... they said NOPE. soooooooo i'm doomed to play the game for the month of august it seems..... i guess i will wait and see!

i have offically resigned from the teaching position that i've held since i was a very green kid fresh out of college! 17 years is a LONG time. i have yet to sign the new schools contract.... we're waiting for offical paperwork to arrive, etc... so for the moment i'm truly UNEMPLOYED! i'm just about sick. i nearly fainted from the anticipataion of turning in my resignation letter! what a fool, huh?!

soooo, i guess we should be very glad that ginny didn't head to the outer banks for her time at the shore. sounds like that area, including my beloved hatteras, is going to get hammered pretty badly by the hurricane. (they are saying it will be close to an Isobel storm.... Isobel .... well, i won't comment further....) we are already having the storms from the first wave of the storm....we are to get more.....it has been raining for weeks now...literally! if the winds come our way, many are fearful of what it will do to these trees in the saturated soil.... Isobel was sooooo painful and still so fresh in our minds...heck...there are still folks who aren't living in their homes due to storm damange (many in our county are living in FEMA campers.... 10 months later!) anyway.... things will be fine! BUT, if i disappear for awhile.... you keep us in your prayers! (Sound rather dramatic....like Scarlett O'Hara, don't I? I don't have NEARLY that wonderful southern belle sound!)

I have a friend who has ordered 30 beaded bracelets from me..... by October 1.... HOW on earth do I begin to tackle THAT?! Arghhh....

I cringed when I read about the Vampire attack at the dr's office, Summer! I am one who has TEEENY TINY veins.... I am also a butterfly fan. In fact that is generally THE only way that they can get me to bleed....a butterfly in my left hand. I've also had a true FANG stuck in my hand and THAT will not EVER happen to me again! When I had surgery years back, the IV was a huge issue..... the head of the Vampires came and was successful on HER first try....meanwhile I'd been poked a zillion times! HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!

Keep that hand clean and dry! Be careful of the itch from antibiotics.... YUCK! Acidopholis.... (is THAT how you spell it?!) has worked wonders for my sister who has "body balance" issues! I'm sure you know all about it tho! Good luck with BOTH the hand and the yuck!

Kerry, I'm glad to hear that you are "changing" things around your house! Ie, moving out of the doorstep role, etc! (((hugs))) You deserve more! :) My cold is much better. I've not sneezed at all today! :) Thanks for asking!

I've gotta go.... I am childless today and well, I hear my book OR my beads or BOTH calling to me! :) Earlier today it was the Reese's PeanutButter Icecream... so well these other options are BETTER! :) Ya'll take care!

Afternoon Ladies,
I went into to school for a little bit today. I was sort of looking forward to my new classroom. Now I hate it. I have floor vents to deal with and electrical boxes and plugs too. So it looks like I have a nice little challenge ahead of me on how in the world to rearrange my new room. But I have to say that my dh did come out to help me move a few things today. That is the first time he has ever come to school to help me. Needless to say that by the time he got there, I had moved the things that I wanted moved today by myself. But I was tired of waiting on him and learned from my mom, if you want something done right do it yourself. So I did. My lower back is telling me all about it right now.
I will keep you in my prayers Robyn that you don't get hit by the hurricane. I have cousins who live in the Carolina's and have heard the stories they have lived through with the hurricanes. So did you finish a book yesterday while you were playing the waiting game?
I think I am going to go and get a shower and then relax for a little bit. I have TOPS this evening. SO I will let you all know how I do with that.
Talk to you all later.
Kerry

I'm eating yogurt like no tomorrow... 8 ounces already today, and will probably have another with dinner. But I itch EVERYWHERE.... And remember how mad I was at the first surgeon for saying I had those horrible rashes and I've never had one? I think the whole antibiotic thing has given me one... ARRRGH! :cry: I ITCH!!!!

Kerry: how can they put you, with your kids (who sound like mine!) outside with no water or bathrooms??? I'm not sure what grade you teach, but can any of your kids transition independently? Are you supposed to teach self-help skills?
My one inner city school partioned off a science lab to give me a classroom. I shared the lights in my room with the other teacher who always showed videos... so we spent the year in perpetual twilight. And then there was all the science equipment... !!!!
I had dual-diagnosis MR/ED kids that year, 8 boys, 7 of whom were abused, 6 of the abused had been sexually abused. It was a teeny room, and I had no assistant.

As for hurricanes...oh, yes, fun... fun... NOT! I'd like a quiet start to my school year this year. It seems like every other year, we get something at the beginning of the school year that pulls me for Red Cross duty. In 1999 it was Hurricane Floyd. In 2001, it was the Pentagon (I was in Fairfax County, and the REd Cross sent me out to work on-site), and last year, 2003, it was Isabel.
I was thinking about something else... And I've lost it. :sigh: So sorry!

:mouse:

Kerry, I'm so sorry that you got stuck in a portable. I hope things aren't too difficult for you. Make sure you keep some Purell in your room so you can clean your hands in a pinch. When my sister taught special ed, emotionally disturbed 12 & 13 year old boys, she got put in a portable too. She now teaches 2nd grade, regular ed, and is grateful for a classroom even though it is a tiny triangular corner room. I have a normal room without a sink or toilet which is hard with 4 year olds. We are used to it now, but I look forward to our new school building that should be ready for 2007. Then, my pre-k will be "state of the art."

Mousie, I have a "so-called" fatty liver. I also have low cholesterol levels. This all started when I had my gallbladder out 5 years ago. Bile backed up and my liver was affected. DD was 18 months old, and my nurse in the hospital told me that it was very common for new mothers to have their gallbladders out a year or so after giving birth. On top of that all those hormones pumped into my body to concieve via IVF contributed to the gallstones. I admit that I was heavy during my pregnancy. I had morning sickness for 5 months, so I ate around the clock to settle my stomach. One of the main things that made me feel better was vanilla ice cream and cheese. I'm sure my diet of all that fatty dairy didn't help. Since my gallbladder was removed, I have had no choice but to eat low-fat because otherwise I get diarrhea. So, I find it hard to believe that I have a fatty liver. Whatever. I take milk thistle extract which is proven to help. The biopsy is to rule out any damage to my liver.

Robyn, I hope this jury duty crap ends quickly for you. I also hope the bad weather goes away. Rain rain go away, come again another day, if you don't I don't care, I'll pull down your...okay I'll stop right there!

I hate play dates. DD's friend is so friggin needy. The first 90 minutes was fine. They played. But once I gave them lunch, it was all downhill from there. I kept on having to referee. DD doesn't like that she has to treat her guests in a special way. Then, when it was time to go in the pool and mommy to sit and read her trashy novel, DD found a dead bird in the pool...while she and her friend were IN THE POOL! EEK!!! We have this West Nile Virus in our mosquitoes that is killing birds so I freaked. I screamed for the girls to get out of the pool. I rushed them into the shower. I scrubbed DD's friend with her bathing suit on. DD waited angrily because she wasn't first. Then while her friend dried off and got dressed, I scrubbed DD naked and washed her hair. "You didn't make her take off her bathing suit...You didn't wash her hair..." Let her mother do a more thorough job later. I wasn't gonna give anybody else's kid a shower naked. At least I tried to clean her up in case there was any bacteria in the pool. I called the town's health department to report the bird. Then I spoke with the sanitarian who said the girls would be fine since they weren't bitten by the diseased mosquito. DH collected it from the pool with rubber gloves and disposed of it in two plastic bags in our outdoor garbage per directions by the health department.

So, I decided not to cook. I'm having take-out meatballs and a salad. No more pasta, pizza, :( .

I just found out that our financial situation is much worse that I thought. I know what shape my finances are in, but apparently DH has let things slide. He called a credit counselor and was recommended to a bankcruptcy lawyer. All I can say is that I am mortified, embarrassed, and ashamed. :( I don't know what else to say.

Hi Ladies,
Summer I feel so bad for you honey! I am sorry that your financial situation is bad. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. Millions of people have been in your same spot. I was there a few years ago. I tried to be a tough person and fix it on my own. But I was only digging my hole deeper and deeper. So I know what it feels like. If you need to talk about it more, please feel free to pm me. Sounds like you had the playdate from ****. What a scary feeling to have about the bird in your pool. YUCK Double Yuck. I hope your day goes better tomorrow.
Mouse I feel really bad that you are so itchy. I wish I could wave a magic wand to take your itchies away. So were your kids a little better today? How are the reports coming?
Robyn glad to hear that your cold is getting better. So what did you end up doing the beads or read a book? I hope you were able to do both.
As for my classroom, I have MH students in grades 6-9th. I have a 6th grader who is classified DH and put in my room for more one on one instruction. I have a 7th grade boy who has Down Syndrome. I have two new 7th graders coming in and don't know what their disablities are. A set of 8th grade twin brothers who are austic. Then a 9th grade girl who is in a wheelchair, due to a car accident when she was very young. So I have a wide range of abilities in my classroom this year. Purell is going to be my new best friend this year. Along with a bottle of hand lotion after my hands try out from the Purell. I bet you all thought it was going to be a bottle of liquor. No I think I will keep that at home for those really bad days at work. :) :)
I went to TOPS tonight. I lost 3 pounds. So I was happy that I got rid of the two I gained last week.
Well I am going to go and get ready to go for a walk with my dh around town. Now that the sun went down maybe it will be cooler out there.
Take care,
Kerry

Morning All,
It is a hot day out already. I went to the gym to workout this morning and it was very hot when I came out to my friend's car. I did get weighed and measured though today. According to their scales I lost 2 pounds last month. They always weigh me 3 pounds heavier than my scales and the scales at TOPS. I lost 5.50 inches from my bust,waist, abdomen and hips. Plus my body fat went down 1.60%. So I am finally seeing some inches melt off. I am pleased with my results.
I thought about going out to school and unpacking a couple boxes and then decided it to was hot outside for manual labor like that. I think I will just try to stay inside for the day.
Well I better go and get ready to get my shower. I feel kind of gross since sweating during my workout and then getting into a hot car.
Talk to you all later.
Kerry

Just a quick hello......we got back last night. A pretty good trip as far as I was concerned.......hurricane Alex was not really a factor- as a matter of fact, kept the sun from being too oppressive!!!!

Gotta go get to the bank.......I'll be back in a few hours!!!! Missed you all!
Ginny

Welcome back Ginny! Glad to hear that your trip was a good one. We missed you too!

Ok, me being a bear of little brain, it is going to be almost impossible to get all these posts under control, let alone respond to them!!!!!!!

I did notice the absence of Robyn......You ok???????? I guess Alex did not really make landfall as bad as they thought it had the potential to- but still it did not look too pretty there in NC. At least from what I saw on the weather......Robyn, we all hope you are ok!!!! I'll keep you in my prayers till we know that you and your loved ones are safe. Hopefully you are just up to your eyeballs in painting a bathroom or something like that!!! Or, worse yet....in jury duty!

Kerry-despite the miserable heat (it is here in NY too!)- congrats on getting your workout in and for your good weighin/measurement losses. The scale is not such a big deal if you are seeing those "non scale" victories.

Summer-sorry about the playdate from ****!!!! (don't you hate those playdates that are more work than they are worth?? Nothing like a playdate with a buddy when they are almost self sufficient!) As far as your finances go- you might try going to Crown Ministries (www.crownministries.org, I think). I must mention- this is a Christian organization.....no they are not going to sit you down and give you a 20 hour sermon on the pitiful state of moral decline in our society.......but they used to give a lot of free advice (very good advice too!) to couples who were in financial difficulty. I used to be able to listen to their radio program on my way to and from work.....am unable to now, as I now work much closer to home and cannot pick up their broadcast. I'll pray for you and that this all straightens out somehow. Vent here (or pm) anytime you want to, ok??

Mouse- my gosh, when it rains, it pours!!!!! How are you feeling? How bad that you reacted to the antibiotic that way- someone else suggested acidophilus, it does work- have you tried that? (when you get sick of the yogurt thing!). Also- is the bandage itching too? My dh is sensitive (very!) to surgical tape- they do sell hypoallergenic surgical bandages/tape. Could that be a problem too?

Well, I survived the trip ok. It rained like crazy when we got there......the streets were flooded (probably a foot of water on the streets in some areas), so we pulled over for a late breakfast until it settled down. Later in the day we did get some beach time in- it was cloudy but really not all that bad. That night, we went out to eat at a really good seafood restaurant, which had all of us on pins and needles. Ds had some shrimp for dinner when we took Dd out for her HS graduation~ an hour later, I was in the ER with him- his face was all blown up (he was unrecognizable) and he was having difficulty breathing- what we thought was a reaction to the shrimp. Since then I got him to the allergist, and he tested negative to any food allergies, including shrimp (he was happy about that!). But, epipen in hand (actually my purse, along with benadryl) we tried it out.......and, lucky for him, he was fine. We are headed back to the allergist Thursday for additional testing to discuss this and other stuff anyway........ Monday it was HOT- I hated it- they loved it. I felt like a greased fried pig- between the sunscreen and the heat. Yesterday, somewhat cloudy....but we had some periods of sun and a nice breeze. Got walks in both days on the beach, and the hotel had a great treadmill, which I got on twice. I am glad to be home.....2 1/2 days of the beach is enough for me. And I am glad that we did not go to NC- we missed Isabel by 3 weeks last year........and 2 other times we were there when there was a hurricane in the Atlantic just offshore, which prevented swimming in the ocean for several days.

Now for my cat (with all this serious stuff going on, I thought I might provide some comic relief....and vent a wee bit). My neighbor, a dear senior citizen and her Dh were to feed this spoiled kitty who lives with us. I left out 3, 6 ounce cans of food.....bear in mind it is "diet" cat food, some dry food, and some treats and one pouch of moist cat food (leftover from her non diet days). Not long ago (during early June) I read a book on cat behavior/cat care and it really stressed the importance of keeping your cat at a healthy weight. So, Miss Piggy has been on a 90-100 calorie/day fare for about 3 weeks. My vet (who, hahaha, also has a fat cat is the one who gave that to me as a place to start). I left out that much food because, I do not ever want to have happen to someone else what has happened to me twice, where I was asked to pet sit- and was left with an almost empty bag of pet food to last for a week!! (how rude, in my book). And always in the back of my mind, is we could hit car trouble....whatever.....and I do not want to stick someone else with having to put out additional cash for my pet. Oh, and I did leave a good note explaining how much and how often to feed the cat....mind you in a former life I was a technical writer and although my posts ramble and are wordy, this was concise and efficient in getting its point across. What I did not factor in is that Dear Maggie, my sweet neighbor (and I do adore her) loves to spoil other peoples pets.......so..........RC was fed 3 1/2 cans of diet cat food, the pouch of food, one can of her own cats food (fancy feast or something like that!!!) dry food (just in case she got hungry in between meals!!!!!) and the rest of the treats!!!! All that in less than 3 days......no wonder the cats go nuts when Maggie stops over!!!!!! My dh asked if I was upset (I have been trying so hard to get this cats weight down)........what are you going to do????? At least she was cared for, and I did not have to worry about her not getting attention!!!! BTW, I am caring for her cat in September............revenge is sweet!!!!!! Although I think that her cat is already far beyond the spoiled stage.
Ok, enough from me for a while! Guess I'd better do something productive.

It's great to be back.....hope everyone is ok.
Ginny

Well, I'm not feeling much better today. Right now, I am so pissed off at DH for letting things get out of control. We do not combine our finances, and I trusted him to meet his responsibilities like I do, so this is all a shock to me. I personally have a lot of credit card debt, but I always pay my bills on time, and I'm good at paying a little extra than the minimum payment. I also transfer balances to get lower interest rates when available. I've always had a perfect credit rating. It was something I've always taken pride in. I assumed (stupid me) that he was also handling things on his end. I guess his time out of work because of the surgery finally made things go out of control for him. I was brought up to be responsible. His family has a different value system than my family. The word, "bankruptcy," just terrifies me. I'm sorry, but I refuse to accept that as our only option. He seems ready to do it as if our debts will just disappear. I worked too hard for everything we have to just throw in the towel now. I can't get over this feeling of embarrassment and shame. I forbade him to tell anyone we know...not a soul. I only feel safe telling you because we are somewhat anonymous...and yet I know you all care about me like I care about all of you.

I called Christian Credit Counselors today. I need more info from DH to complete the call. So, I will call them again later or tomorrow. But, one thing that got my attention was that they asked more in depth questions than the so-called credit counselors DH talked to. I wonder if the number he called was just a cover for bankruptcy lawyers looking for more business. I find it hard to believe that this is our only option when we have been paying our bills on time all along, and this is our first time that we are having trouble.

Thanks to all of you for your support and suggestions...mostly for your prayers. It appears that I will be tightening my belt in more ways than one!

Ginny, sorry about DS's adventure with shrimp. Thank God he is okay. We have a neighbor like Maggie who spoils our dog. He is normal weight with no health problems at the moment. I think it is cute how she spoils him, and DH thinks it is awful. (He can be such a drag.) Welcome home!

Kerry, congratulations on your progress. You go girl!

Robyn, I hope you are okay.

Mousie, I hope your day is going well.

I'd better unload the dishwasher and get dinner going.

Evening Ladies,
Sounds like everyone has been very busy. Ginny sounds like you had a nice few days away. Did you get to read any while you where gone? Glad to hear that your ds was able to eat the shrimp. I wonder what caused his reactiont the last time?
Summer I will continue to say my prayers for you sweetie! Keep your chin up and don't get too depressed about it. Go do something fun for yourself to take your mind off your troubles for a little while. Go read a trashy novel, take a soak in the tub or watch a movie. Hugs going out to you honey!
We went to my mil's today for lunch. I had to laugh when the twin's were asked to eat some spinach. The one eat his first and the other one went to the last minute to eat his spinach. Old last minute boy was trying his hardest to get out of eating it. He tried to con his way out of it. But we only put about a teaspoon on his plate. He was making the funniest faces. They were the ones that told us that they needed to start trying new foods. Image a 6 year old saying this, in the land of chicken nuggets, fish sticks, pb and jelly sandwiches, cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese.
Please say a prayer for my sister. She has to have an ultrasound done next Wednesday afternoon. The doctor found a bump on her breast and thinks it might be a cyst. So doctor wants to do this before doing a biopsy.
Well I better go and fold the laundry. Talk to you all later.
Take care,
Kerry

Okay... I'm going to do two responses here,because there is this whole page of stuff, then another.

Summer: Sorry about the finances... My mom is kinda in a similar situation 'cuz a few years ago she was transferred from night shift (more pay) to day shift (less pay, less overtime)... to avoid downsizing. And now she's being paid to leave, so she is. But I'm worried about it. My father is horrible with finances and lost our house, so I'm somewhat anal about it. I hope things are better with you!!!
Kerry: Congrats on the loss of everything... Your kids sound lots like mine. I always got everybody that people din't know what to do with. Some of my kids could've done fine in regular ed classes with support if it weren't for the damn testing and such... but it was either in or out, and if we wanted job skills they had to do a functional curriculum. Except in my inner city schools... I treid to keep my kids with me as much as posisble 'cuz I saw what the other teachers didn't do!
Ginny: Welcome back!!!

Okay... more later...
:mouse:

Sounds like lots of people need praying and good thoughts sent their way. I will definitely be doing all of that.
My hand is healing. I talked to the nurse at school today because it was turning purple. She said that is probably a bruise and why its still swollen. It hasn't scabbed, but she said that is because the bandage I wear at work (a huge regular bandaid) keeps in moisture, and won't let it scab... so she said I should do a light gauze pad at night or leave it unbandaged at all if possible. I can keep it bandaged at work because of the kids ... both germs and freaking out from seeing the bruise/bite.
So, no swimming yet... The itches were a little better today, but I'm still taking benedryl at home plus yogurt. I love yogurt, so its not a pain to eat it.
I am, believe it or not, keeping way more food down this week than any other week recently. Its really weird! My body just doesn't do ANYTHING right, does it??
:mouse:

Hey ya'll.....

(((hugs))) to everyone! I'll get back to post a REAL post....BUT, I have to leave for jury duty in 20 minutes....and my hair is FARRR from ready for the day. I was gone all day yesterday and then dh and I went to visit with friends after dinner last night. Sorry to have NOT checked in. Off to face the judge and jury! HA.... that sounds like I'm the defendant! :) Why am I nervous to be going...AGAIN?!

take care...will be back!
Robyn

Alright God. I got the point. I hear you. My sugar eating days are over. No, I don't want diabetes and all that comes with it. My credit card days are over. No, I don't want to lose everything we have.

Isn't it interesting that both of my vices, my sweet-tooth and my love for shopping, would come to a head almost simultaneously?!

WHEN GOD SPEAKS, I LISTEN.

Granted, DH is the one with the serious overspending problem. But, I did my share too. It is just that I'm the one that was able to pay for it. Being out of work for two months and not getting paid his normal wages and certainly not getting paid on any kind of normal schedule brought his problem to the surface. And since I had to lend him over $3000, I'm now in deep with him!
It breaks my heart knowing that I will probably never see that money again. Had I known this was around the corner, I certainly would have curbed my spending. But, his spending habits were a secret he kept from me. We have some real TRUST issues to work out now. It seems that I married my father (only my daddy was a much nicer man). Dear old dad was an alcoholic with a gambling problem. He went into rehab and straightened out when I was 15, but money was always a struggle for my parents...they never completely recovered. I had planned to do better than that. I have always been responsible about bill-paying. My credit rating is/was perfect. Now, thanks to DH's irresponsibility and my love for shopping, I'm right where my parents were.

It is time to end this.

I called Christian Credit Counseling and spoke with a very nice, non-judgemental man. He came up with a proposal for us which lowers our interest rates, but not our payments. The key is that instead of paying off our debt over the next 50 years (we'll be dead by then) we can pay it off in 5 years. DH will have to work overtime or get a second job. I will have to work 3 nights instead of 2 at the after school program. And, since I will be starting grad school, I will be out Mon., Wed., and Thur., until 6:30pm and Tues., until 8:30pm. This is going to be rough, but what other choice do I have...bankruptcy?! No way!!! I will do whatever I have to do to avoid it.

No more feelings of humiliation. No more anger and mistrust of DH. I can't change the past. I can only change the future.

It is time to begin anew.

FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, I ENVISION MYSELF 70 POUNDS LIGHTER AND DEBT-FREE!!!

Well, enough about me.

Gosh Robyn, what a lousy way to end the summer. I sure hope the judge grants you clemency soon! It is time you were released on your own recognizance!

Mousie, I appreciate your empathy. It is easy to feel all alone at a time like this. I will continue to pray for your healing.

Kerry, I'm sorry to hear about your sister. My best friend is going through the same thing right now. She is having her cyst removed on Monday. Can you believe she wanted to have a play date that very afternoon?! I told her I'd see her on Wednesday unless she needed me sooner. It is funny to hear about the twins...DD is also 6 and has the same list of foods for her diet. She would also do whatever necessary to avoid eating even one little teaspoon of spinach.

Hi Ginny!

I hope that you all have a great day!

This is certainly selfish of me, but today was a rotten day. I have more of a scab than I did before, so the hand is healing, but its still oozy, so no swimming.
But it really all started this morning. The people that run our garage are incompetent boobs. Seriously. Lots of times I can't get in the garage, or more rarely, I can't get out. This morning, I couldn't get out. I left at 6:30 (I figured that I was allowed to go in a little late today!), and sat in the garage for nearly 40 minutes! It must've been, because I wasn't outside for more than 5-8 minutes waiting for the 7:15 shuttle! Fortunately for me, the apartment complex runs a shuttle to all the major hospitals, and the driver is always willing to drop me at the hospital that runs my school since we're right next to Hopkins. But the shuttle from the hospital to the high school only runs once an hour until 10 a.m.... 7:30, 8:30, 9:30. I missed the 7:30, so I didn't get to work till 9:00. I was an hour and a half late for work. And one of the residents screamed at ME because he tried to play Hercules and hold the bar for the gate up with brute force... and wasn't doing it, and I just wasn't going to risk my car. And he's screaming about how he has to go to work and the woman was TRYING (badly, but trying!) to get the bar up. But she had to deal with him, and then he starts screaming at me to go... but I was afraid because the bar wasn't stable. So I screamed back at him, and asked him he would fix my car if something happened, and he said that wasn't his problem. Getting to work was. So I told him I had 30 students sitting in a classroom with no teacher, and he wasn't the only one that had to go to work. Okay, I don't have 30 kids in one period, and my TA is fantastic... she picked up the ball and ran with it for fantastic lesson...
But I finally get to work, and then find out that instead of having some of the school day where I have no students, I'm going to have students who don't want to watch movies ALL DAY (until noon) playing board games. And I dragged my laptop to school so I could work on those reports! WRONG! Okay. And because I had the laptop, I didn't want to go home the way I usually do, which is take the shuttle back to the main hospital and walk up to Hopkins. From there, I can either take the Metro subway, or I can wait till 4:30 for our shuttle. But its not a good neighborhood, and we were allowed to leave at 1:30... And I was afraid that I'd get the laptop stolen! So I asked another vocational teacher on my team for a ride. She lives south of us, and I'm right near I-95! SHE LEFT THE BUILDING WITHOUT ME! Fortunately, I found another teacher who was willing to give me a ride, but I had to stay an hour past the time everybody else left. My TA would've given me ride,but I told her I had one.
Anyway. What a day! But my TA ran with it, and I have 22 of the reports completely finished. Only 13 left, and I might have a good enough scab by Saturday morning to swim.

:mouse:

Mousie, WHAT A HORRIBLE DAY!!!

Well, I had to drop my graduate course today so that I would be available to work the after school program 5 days a week. What can I say? We need the money. :(

Just a quick hello!!!!
Mousie- what a miserable day.........thankfully, we get a clean shot at life each morning~ hopefully tomorrow is gonna be better for you! And I am so glad that you are getting those dreaded reports done. Good for you.

Summer- keep up the good outlook, Hon!!!!! Guess the same goes for you about each day being a new, clean start. Kind of sad how we can marry the same kind of personality as our mother's did.......in many ways my Dh resembles my dad.

Kerry- I will pray for you too, as well as your sister. I have been there too with a crummy mammogram (a few years ago), the statistics on cysts are pretty good- most are benign. Keep us posted, ok?

Robyn- jury duty is the pits!!!!!! Last year I brought my cross stitch, and after 2 days of the stupid xrays and purse searches, the guards FINALLY let me in with my compact scissors (which are so dull it is pathetic) so that at least while we were sitting around waiting (tell me this is an inefficient system!) I was busy and not ready to strangle someone. (I love to cross stitch). Hope you are finding a way to cope with the time spent there too.... Hey,if your hair looks messy, maybe they will let you go home!

I am taking it easy today, just trying to get some stuff done around here......not my most productive day to say the least!
Guess I'd better sign off and go get Dd from the neighbors house. See ya later!
Ginny

Oh okay let me try this one more time. For some reason, my computer will let me on for a few minutes than says that it can't find the server. This is only the third time I have tried to post this evening. So I guess I better type fast. :O
I had a great day for once. I was able to sleep in this morning until the kids came over. Then I got up and went into school for a little while. I was able to unpack my teaching books and some of my books for my bookshelves. Then I had a surprise visit from my dh and his kids. They helped me move my other boxes around the room to the right area where they are going to be stored during the school year once they are unpacked. My dh has never been out to help me get my room ready the last two years I have been in this school. I guess I should keep my mouth shut and work him to death. LOL Then this afternoon I worked with the twins out of their workbooks. I was able to get the lazy one to work with me for about 40 minutes doing his Jumpstart workout. We did a few reading and math pages. Then we worked on the computer doing a Reader Rabbit CD for another 40 minutes. So things are looking up for this one. Then I worked with the other one for about 20 minutes, since I had to go to water aerobics and their mommy was picking them up soon anyway. Why is it that at the end of the summer I start getting treated better. Well I better not complain about or they might start mistreating me again. My dh even brought me home a York Peppermint Pattie this afternoon. Never brings me a treat home when he gets the kids treats. My goodness, I wonder if he fell and hit his head. Lets see how long this lasts. :)
Mouse, I am so sorry to hear that you had such a lousy day. It is great that your TA was able to fill in for you though. How did your evening go once you got a ride home? I hope it was better for you. Glad to hear that your hand is healing and you are almost done with the dread reports. Heres to a wonderful day tomorrow.
Summer, I am glad to see that you are keeping a positive outlook on life. That is an important thing to do. Sounds like you have mapped out a pretty good plan of attack to dig yourselves out of debt. Keep your chin up honey! Things will get easier. Take care of yourself and don't get depressed on us.
Robyn how was jury duty today? I hope you get out of it soon. What do you do to pass the time away? I would be bored out of my mind sitting around all day playing the waiting game. I don't care if brought a book to read, after so long I would want to get up and go do something else. Have you got your contract from your new school yet? Hang in there, sweetie!
Ginny so what did you to enjoy your easy day? These kinds of days are nice aren't they? But once school starts here in a few weeks, they are going to be few and far between. When does your dd start college?
Well I need to go and check to see when the one concert is at a local county fair next week. My dh said he would take me to see Mark Wills if I wanted to go and it wasn't on Thursday the 12th. So I better find out the info and tell him before he changes his mind.
Have a great evening.
Kerry

Hello again!!
Kerry-ok, so to throw the question back in your lap, how did we both manage to have a halfway decent day????? Good for you that yours happened to be good.....help unpacking and a pleasant Dh to boot!!! :D And sleeping late too???? Take a mental picture of it.....and hide it way in the deepest part of your memory bank......cause we all know that school's a coming! Then I can only hope for a snow day, or something like that. How sweet of Dh to be considerate, whatever it is I hope it lasts for you! Will you be able to get tickets to the concert next week????

As far as life here goes, Dd heads off for college on 8/27. It is not all that far away- and with her fall ball schedule, we should be able to see her almost every weekend. And the way that she and Ds can feud......well, I will miss her but the lack of arguing will be nice. And Ds is looking foward to the peace and quiet too, Dd can get on his case an awful lot. So, Dd heading off for school is a mixed blessing...good and bad in it.

BTW- my fat cat has been harrassing me all day, now that she is back on her diet rations! I did get a walk in this pm, and here the heat and humidity have broken. It is supposed to get down to 56 degrees tonight........oh, I dread the return of school but so look foward to some cool fall weather!!! Fall is my favorite season. Also, I bumped into some coworkers today- most seem to think that my route will be there for me come route bidding time next week. Several routes were changed a lot.....don't think mine was one of them, at least not from the information I was given. I just have to keep trusting that a run will be there for me that can work out with my wacky schedule.

Guess I'd better get to the credit unions web site to balance my check book, which is why I came online anyway.......so I came here instead :lol: .
Ok, off to the checkbook. Have a great night.
Ginny

Hey ya'll ........... I spent the entire day in court sitting on a jury listening to lawyers argue, witnesses cry, doctors (via VHS *for an hour and 1/2* and via the lawyers and court reporter READING a previous whatever it is called *for an HOUR*) discussing medical conditions and medical records and medical KRAPPPPPP........

We haven't begun to sort out the evidence and make decisions....... THAT will be
done tomorrow. I may NEVER EVER watch any court related television show again! I nearly got into trouble today when the bailiff (how doooo you spell that?) used the little microphone thingy to announce that the witnesses were needed in the courtroom. He used a hysterical voice that was SOOOOO different than his REAL voice! hehehehe I actually got a look but then a smile from the judge.

AND I am SOOOO in the running for Citizen of the Year by just sitting thru this stuff! ....as are the other 6 on this jury! ;) Enough.... I can't tell ANYMORE!

I'm soooo sorry to hear about your rotten day, Mousie! I hope that you've gotten to relax, take a nice long hot bath (hand hanging out, of course!) and that you've put it all behind you! :) Tomorrow is another day! (Said in my best Scarlett voice...ONCE again!) (I'm using that voice WAYYY too much these days!)

Ginny...I'm so glad that you weren't down in NC for the storm! Glad that your days away were delicious AND that your kiddo didn't have to have that epipen yanked out of your purse in an emergency! How scary! I'm not too sure that I'd ever taste a shrimp again.... what a brave kid!

Kerry...it is great to *hear* you smiling! :) I'm so glad that you had a good day! Enjoy the fair! Ours was cancelled due to the horrid rain that we've had... they couldn't set up. One of the trucks sunk.... don't know when they will get it out. First time it has been cancelled in 40something years. Kids are disappointed, but well.... they'll live!

Summer..... ((((((HUGS)))))) to you, my dear! You will survive! You will! Failure is not an option! Chin up! Go on...you know where you've gotta go! :) Your VISION is your TRUTH! Do it!

I'm going to bed.... at 10:15! I am never in bed at 10:15.... How can I be exhausted from just sitting and listening and sitting and listening and sitting some more?! Tomorrow isn't going to be fun.

til tomorrow, ya'll take care!

Well Robyn, your time at jury duty sounds somewhat like mine last summer......hours and hours of insanely boring testimony about an individuals injury in an ER waiting room.......the furniture she tripped over.....color of the floor tiles.....yawn........it was the most dreadful 4 days of my life. Plus that- the attorney for the alleged victim thought he would get in cute with me and winked at me constantly......make me wanna puke!!! (He picked the wrong woman to wink at.......I am not a die hard womans libber, but winking at me (when you don't even know me!) makes me sick.

Anyway, hope this case is over quickly.....did they give you any idea how long it would take????? (mine they gave us an estimate that was reasonably close). Stay awake and tell us all about it when it is all over!!!!!!!! Oh, and when this case is over, are you still on jury duty or is your job as Jane Q Citizen over???
See ya!!!!!!!!!
Ginny