[ECmom]

Kerry- how sad about the kids stepdad....I will remember him in prayer. And I am so happy for you staying on plan for the weekend.....want to come here and give me a swift kick in the can?????? I need it! Anyway, good for you getting the excercise in......hey walking in 46 degree weather is heaven for me, I love cold weather!

I was a good girl with respect to excercise, my eating yesterday was less than stellar.
Hopefully today willbe much better.......gotta go. I am walking to and from work this am just for the workout. See ya later!
Ginny

[Anonymouse]

Hi, all. I'm back from Philadelphia. When I last talked to you... :grin:
I left the cat with my mom on Friday morning. Her cat and my cat were getting along okay, sniffing and hissing at each other, but not too bad. By last night, though, my mom had to put mine downstairs because her cat wouldn't leave mine alone. So I wound up driving back to Baltimore as soon as I got off the train, so my baby could relax. He came right to me when I got to her house and even LET me put on his car-harness, which is a first. I let my mom hold him when I took stuff out to the car, and my mom says that he was pitiful with his meowing when I left for those few minutes. I told her she needs to call the vet and ask what to do, because we've tried separating them and letting them do their own thing the way the books said, but it didn't work. I won't be able to go up there for more than 1 night if I can't bring Imp with me. My mom is really mad at her kitten, too, she was ready to give him to the humane society or the vet's office to find him a new home because he's being so rotten. Mine is under the quilts on my bed right now.
Philadelphia was fun: I was already asked to be staff next year and do registration. I don't get to see a whole lot of the convention panels, but I do get to see all my friends and go to parties on Saturday night. That's okay. I wound up having to deal with a drunk Saturday night. Turns out the guy is diabetic and either an alcoholic or stupid as anything, because he was so out of it we didn't even know his name. Fortunately, when I asked him for his room key, it turned out that he had an ID in his pocket! But at no point on his ID or anywhere did he have anything saying he was diabetic. We had to find the person he came with, who knew, but if we hadn't found him, the guy might have died... he wasn't even speaking English to us.
I'm so sorry to hear about your kid's step-dad, Kerry. I also found out similar news about a friend of mine's husband. I didn't know, even though they live here. Some of my friends I hardly ever see, because I just don't get over to the clubhouse for meetings or parties... they are always Saturdays, and since I've been teaching swimming or dispatching, I just don't get there! So another friend said she was going to pick me up for the next one so I can't wriggle out of going. And I feel a little guilty, because I really do only live about 4 miles from the meeting place. Its the Baltimore Science Fiction Society... I doubt I'll ever actually JOIN, because they have as many problems with politicking as everything else I do. I just don't get it: some people have WAY too much time on their hands!
Ginny: I do have some people I'd like to put in the ring. I think I'll start with the administrators at my school, then my department chair... Could I also occasionally put my TA in there?
The latest is that I should "check with my supervisor before I do any disability awareness" because "its being done in other programs and so might be curricular overlap." Hello? Do they think I came up with this on my own? It sure as heck doesn't FIT with my curriculum, but I was told to do it, and did... now that isn't good enough. ARRRGH! All I want to do, really, is show the Brooke Ellison movie that was on Arts and Entertainment's Cable in the Classroom. Its about Ellison, who has a severe car accident during junior high (she's hit by a car when she walks where she shouldn't have been walking) and winds up on a ventilator and quadriplegic. She still manages to graduate from Harvard, get a master's degree and is now a PhD candidate at SUNY Stonybrook. I can't show this movie, apparently, but I *can* show them Shrek, or take them to the Incredibles or Harry Potter, or Agent Cody Banks, etc, etc, etc. And the code phrase, "check with your supervisor" means that my supervisor has, once again, failed to back me up after I'm asked to do something. And so has my department chair.
NO... I REFUSE to buy ANY of them gifts!

[ECmom]

Mouse....glad you are home....safe with Imp. So sorry that Imp and Dm's kitten are not the best of buddies~ how old is the kitten???? Unfortunately that happens with felines, and with these two they most probably do not get a long enough time with each other to acclimate. I have done it with 3 cats.....but then I might have been really lucky too! Knowing the personalities of the 3 if they had appeared on the scene in any other order (the last 2 were easy going, the first was a neurotic wacko) it might not have worked. Well, at least you are home with your baby.....and life returns to normal. I cannot believe that your supervisor is so small minded that you are not able to show the Brooke Ellison movie....heaven forbid someone do something that is on target.....relevant and maybe a bit inspirational! Who was is (Kerry, Robyn or Summer) that said it might be time to move onward???? I know it is tough and you are limited with your options at the moment.....but I think you should get an award for making it thru with this person/administration. Small minded, to say the least. What did you end up doing with the gift for the coworker who likes contemporary Christian music???

Anyway....survived today....I am tired and feel so run down. Part of me feels as though the pukey bug is trying to invade me, some of me just feels beat up. Pretty good day on the bus, had to say good bye to 2 young students who are moving to Ohio. Sweet kids.......got choked up saying good bye to them.....I will miss them. And I did get my walk in to and from work today, for a total of probably about 2.5-3 miles. (My pedometer needs to be reset, so I am not sure).
I have blabbered enough........see ya!
Ginny

[Anonymouse]

Wiccan, my mother's kitten, is probably almost 8 months old. I think the issue is really with the kitten, because Imp has gottena long just fine with my best friend's husband's cats, and also the psycho lunatic roommate's cats. Imp did try to hurt the kitten, Sterling, but that was only AFTER Sterling kept eating Imp's food and sleeping in Imp's litterbox so that Imp couldn't use it. And it only happened once. And Imp got along just fine with my grandmother's dog, too.
Not sure what the issue is, and I don't have any idea how we're going to handle it. This weekend was the longest time that they've been together.
And I guess people are right about moving on, but I haven't really had a lot of luck finding a place that is a whole lot better. Of course, the two schools I taught in prior to the one suburban public school were inner city schools, so that probably has a lot to do with it. I really have to wonder why people have these issues with me: but I didn't have ANY of these issues this past weekend, and we registered at least 1000 people for the whole weekend if not more. And if I go next year, it'll be 3 years running that I've been asked to do registration. Of course, going back to the public schools means no comp time for all the extra stuff I do, and no time off during the year... my personal days would have to be used for the Jewish holidays because most other schools aren't closed for them.

[KAR73]

Evening,
Just a quick note to update you on the kids' stepdad. He came home from the hospital this evening. He has to go back tomorrow to have a whole bunch of tests ran. But atleast the kids were able to go home tonight with their mommy. They really missed her.
Well I am tired this evening. So I think I am going to go to bed early. I will check back in with you all tomorrow evening. I have my TOPS meeting/Christmas party tomorrow night. So I am hoping to have a good weigh-in.
Take care and have a great day tomorrow. Only 7 more days to go until break!
Kerry

[ECmom]

Hi!
A short hello...what I thought my day was going to be like ended up very different. The catholic HS I pick up from (I drive for the public district, but the afternoon route includes a Catholic HS and a Christian elementary then my public elementary) called an emergency 10 am pick up. It seems as though the teachers had a walk out strike there, as the local diocese is not paying them enough. So, the minute I got my elementary kids in I drove up to the HS for the emergency dismissal. I guess only one or two teachers showed up. It is becomming curious how I am going to get my shopping done.......oh well.

Kerry- glad the kids stepdad situation is improving. Let us know how all the tests come out. Good luck tonite with your meeting!!!!!! I am sure this WI will be another winner.

Mouse- sounds as though Imp is pretty innocent in all this. I just read an article on pet behavior, Wicca is at a tough age....and you might just have to sit this one out until she is almost 2 or so. It took RC that long until we saw the beginnings of a good pet (as opposed to a hopeless wacko......which she still is at times). Wicca is still an adolescent in cat years...... I suspect that given more time together their relationship will improve. But that is just my opinion. too bad about the school you are with...sounds as though you are in a bit of a bind and the decisions are not always easy. Keep your eyes open.....you never know.

Gotta go back to work.....am I a burn out or what!!!!! Did get my ww tape in this am, it felt so good.
Summer and Robyn, how are you doing?
See ya tomorrow!
Ginny

[HatterasMermaid]

Tonight it is all about me......

I've got a cold.
I've got a headache.
I've got an attitude.
I've got kids at home and at school with attitudes that cause my headaches!
I've got to keep sweets out of my arms reach.
I've got to call back for the 3rd night in a row to check on this dumb jury duty thing.
I've got no sub plans written just in case.
I've got to make nearly 20 Christmas presents on Saturday.
I've got a sick husband or should I say baby?!
I've got to go to school until NEXT Wednesday.
I've got an 18 year old cat eating the Christmast tree for the 18th year in a row.
I've got to remove the pine needles when they get ...um... stuck. yipee.
I've got to do the laundry so that I have something to wear tomorrow.
I've got to get some decent sleep before I go nuts!
I've got to finish my Christmas shopping.
I've got to get the Christmas decorations out of storage and on the tree..that the cat is eating, don't forget!
I've got chapped lips that are now hurting.
I've got hands and feet that I can't get and keep warm.
I've got to get my butt moving and exercising again!
I've got a great friend at my new school who is going to be a true friend for life!
I've got friends at my old school who I'm feeling sorta forgotten by. Sigh.
I've got great friends at 3FC who I've never met in person but who *KNOW* me!
I've got to get off the computer and get some of this crap done!
I've got to say this before I go! ----- Mouse...NOOOO WAYYYYY would I take a personal day for a religious holiday.... SUE THEM and demand your religious freedom!

Thank you for listening!
Take care,
Robyn

[KAR73]

Evening Ladies,
Well I had a wonderful time tonight at my TOPS party. It could be the great weigh in I had. I lost another 1 3/4 pounds. So I am sitting pretty at 205 these days. So I only have 5 more pounds to lose and I will meet my goal of being 200 by Dec.31st. If I met the goal fine and if I don't that is fine too. I am just going to push myself harder to reach my goal weight by my birthday of this coming year. Well enough about me. My kids at school are driving me crazy. But what else is new this close to Christmas.
Ginny, what an interesting day you must have had. I hope it got better for you. When do you go to WW this week? Will you be able to go? Glad to hear that you have been able to get your walking in. I know what you mean about getting your shopping in. My dh and I have to go on Saturday and finish up. I think his one sister is mad at him. She asked him today if they could have a big family get together at our house on Saturday around two. She just asked him today. He told her no because we had to go shopping that day. She asked if we couldn't go some other time since their one sister is coming in town for a visit. Sorry but our schedule is tight for the next week or so. People kill me who just go to work and come home and sit all the time. That is what his sister does so she thinks everyone should have all the time in the world like she does. I am glad that he didn't give in and then strecth our shopping time even thinner. Hope you are able to get your shopping done soon.
Mouse Glad that you had a great time at the convention. Sorry to hear about your mom's kitten and IMP not getting along very well. I agree with Robyn about not taking personal days for your religious holidays. They should be a little more open and understanding. They can not punish you for your religious beliefs. You need to start looking for another position for next year. Your current school setting is making you very stressed out. No one deserves to have that much stress at school and not be backed up by the administation. You need to do what is best for you.
Robyn, sorry to hear that you have a cold. My dh had one or a sinsus infection over the weekend. You are so right about when men get sick they are huge babies. He whined and moaned all weekend long. But if you or I were sick, we would be told to suck it up and get our work done. Hope you were able to tackle some of your to do list these evening. Glad to hear bout your new friend for life. See you were all worried for nothing about making new friends.
Summer hope all is well with you. Do you have the countdown to Christmas break going on?
Time to hit the sheets. I am tired. I will check back in with you all tomorrow evening.
Take care,
Kerry

[Anonymouse]

ROFL, Robyn! I so love your posts. I know you probably didn't meant it to be funny, but it just looks like something I'd think ... and only post on-line... and smile stupidly at the idiot administrator while imaging that they are... having Christmas tree needles in their, yea, stuck.
I sort of wind up taking the personal days for the religious holidays because the school doesn't get the concept, they always say, "But you're off on Christmas & Easter!". And I REALLY REALLY want to reply, "Fine. Give me the keys, and I'll come in on Christmas and Easter." But somehow, that probably would backfire.
I do volunteer for the REd Cross (I serve as dispatcher here on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day... and this year I said I'd do the whole week..through Thursday evening) on all the Christian holidays so my fellow volunteers can go to church and be with their families; and they do the same for me: they don't call me on the Jewish Holidays, and if our paid staff person schedules me, my fellow dispatches jump in to help because our paid staff doesn't understand the Jewish holiday concept.
Speaking of which, I think I've done all my shopping. I asked my TA what she wanted: I know she loves to shop, but I didn't know WHERE, and I got the feeling that the Nordstrom's gift certificate wasn't appreciated all that much this fall for her birthday. I guess she was annoyed that I asked, but what the heck.
I bought the WOW Blue (It hink?!) CD for my Hanukkah Harry from Amazon. Its a 2 CD set. I'll give him that, and if I find it on-sale, a 12-pack of diet coke. Though the CD was well over our $10 limit.
I went to the gym today and got to tell my friend there about the drunk: she was walking when I got there, so we walked together in the water instead of swimming laps... walked 3/4 of a mile, which is about what I can swim in an hour, so I know I moved! I really need to get back up on the weights, too, now that the KeyWest swim is over (I was doing more than a mile each day, mostly, so I didn't have time to do weights too).
As for other things, I REALLY need somebody to beat me over the head and ABSOLUTELY NOT ENCOURAGE THIS.. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASe, I'm BEGGING you!!!!
I received an email from the National Red Cross that they'd be offering $500 scholarships to students so they can attend the annual National Convention. And I am actually considering seeing if I can give the application to some students and if our Development office would assist with costs... or find a way for us to get either plane tickets or hotel costs. The convention is in San Francisco. I've been there before, I went out to do some work with a friend of mine's son. He's multiply disabled, so I went out to help set up some communication activities and learning games for him.
But... geez... I'm truly insane. The convention in 2006 is in DC. Much, much better location for us, to be honest. No planes, we can avoid the hotel if necessary, easier to get another staff to go if necessary.
But if I do that, I am STUCK at the current job for another year. My initial thought was to have the kids (there are just 2 girls... I can't take any boys, because I can't share a room with a male teen... that I'd let apply) apply this year, and then not get it (because I imagine they won't), as a practice run for next year. Both girls would still be in the school as juniors. Both are diploma track students, and one is pretty heavily involved in the Young Marines already, so she would be a perfect choice.
But I can't do that if I won't be there. I won't do that to the kids, its not fair.
:?
Okay... gotta go. Its 11:30, and although I'm not going to work tomorrow (I have yet another endocrinologists appointment, this time with the new doctor here in Baltimore; we'll see what happens!), I DO have to be at her office at 9 a.m.

[ECmom]

Gotta be short......I had a nice post going and then the darned internet acted up and it was lost!!!!!!! (I will catch up more later)

Mouse, I totally agree with you about our dear comrade, Robyn. there is just something about her post....their honesty and wit. Oh, gosh, I feel for you more decisions.....I will obstain from commenting for now, I am such a burnout that I might say something without fully thinking it thru. I admire your dedication. Just want what is best for you!

Summer- you big loser !!!!!!!!!!!!! This is awesome, I think it has been a while since you had 2 weeks in a row like this! What an inspiration to us. Sorry your kids are wackos.....so are mine!

Robyn- sorry you are not feeling we.., and probably even worse is a sick husband! (what is it with the male gender and getting sick??????) Hope your attitude is more manageable for you, and that you are feeling better.

Summer.......Summer........hope you are doing fine! We miss you.

I have been busy up to my eyeballs, little time to think, just act. I hope things will slow down this weekend.....doubt it though!
WW meeting for me tomorrow. I think my WI should be good.
Gotta go........sorry for being so terse. Have a great nite!
GInny

[KAR73]

Evening Ladies,
Only 5 more days of school until break. I think they are going to be 5 very long days though. My kids are starting to slowly slip further and further out of the work routine. So it is a good thing we have two fieldtrips to go on next week. I am atleast planning a head for the first week in Jan. I started my lesson plans today. I am going to take my time over the next week and work on them.
Mouse, let me think about the convention and get back with you later. Hope your doctor's appointment went well today. I hope you find some needed answers and help soon. I hope this appointment wasn't other brickwall that you ran into.
Robyn, I hope you are feeling better. It sucks to be sick around the holidays. I should know I had chicken poxes for Christmas last year. We had to postpone our wedding a week because I was sick. So I am staying away from all the little sick kids at school. Hope you ere able to cross some items off your to do list. What homemade gift are you making for your co-workers? Hope you get them done in time.
Summer, hope all is going well with you. Are you ready to pull your hair out? When does your break start? I stopped at the library tonight to get a movie for my students to watch Friday afternoon and stocked up on some books for my break.
Ginny, hope your evening is going well. Your weigh in should be great with all the walking to and from work. Hope your life slows down this weekend. My dh and I have a ball game on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and then it is going to be off to Christmas shopping the day away. So I image on Sunday, we will be wrapping the gifts. Plus going to a basketball game in the afternoon.
Well I better go and get ready for bed. Our school Christmas party is tomorrow night. We are going to Damon's for dinner. But before our party can start we have to have a 45 minute staff meeting. The restaurant is about 45 minutes away from my house. So it is going to be a long day tomorrow. Need to get all the rest I can so I can party tomorrow evening. LOL.
Talk to you all tomorrow evening.
Kerry

[KAR73]

Ginny,
Here is wishing you a awesome WI tonight at WW!! I am rooting for you to have lost some weight with all the walking you have done lately.
Hi to everyone else! Are you all on the countdown to break?
Have a wonderful day!
Kerry

[ECmom]

Good morning!!!!!
Well, I could not sleep so I got up in the brisk 17 degree weather and walked to the post office to mail my Christmas cards. (Mind you I am a wee bit on the nuts side and I love walking in the winter.....so refreshing!) So my cards are mailed.......and for me that is a bit of ahead of schedule. Last nite I ran out of cards too......and found some extra ones, not my usual taste the thought was there. (this is the first year I ran out of cards....what a dodo head I am!).

Mouse- good luck with the doctors appointment. Sooner or later there have to be some answers for you. Oh, and Kerry was much better at expressing what I meant last nite....I need time to think over this convention decision before I weigh in on it.
There is much that you have to consider with regards to this. (as if you need me to tell you that, duh) Hope your day goes well.

Kerry- so your kids are nuts too??? (yesterday I was ready to hand out the duct tape). I hope that today is at least managable. You have to love their exuberance (sp?), even if they are hard to control. I am off to WW this am, after I get my hair done. Hang in there with your 5 day countdown!!!!!!

We have 6 days left (including today) that is if Monday is not a snow day.....starting to look like that!!!!) Gotta go get ready for work. See ya later and have a great day!
GInny

[Anonymouse]

The appointment with the endocrinologist went pretty well. She wants all kinds of blood work, but she's also doing two new tests for Cushing's Syndrome because although I'd been tested for it, she wants to do two tests that are specific to that. One is a mouth swab: I'm supposed to do it after 11:00 pm, two nights running. I can't stay up that late! I'm going to go to sleep and set my alarm.
She was pretty nice... I don't know what my reproductive endo/GYN thinks, though, because she never called me back. I'm not sure she is going to, actually. I called her office to find out if she wanted copies of the new blood tests/other tests. I guess any that I schedule myself I can have sent to her also, but it would've been nice to know.
We have 6 days until our break, and my students are also off the hook. I can't even begin to describe some of the stuff... Like, during 7th period, one of the kids insisted that Christmas Eve was a legal holiday, and most of them said they weren't going to come to school next Wednesday & Thursday because they should be off. They have this mistaken belief that their public schools would be closed, so because they attend the "****** school" (their words!), they don't get off. Not true...but you can't convince them of anything. They actually ARGUED with me trying to covince me that Christmas Eve was a legal religious holiday! It was SOOOO funny!
And communication skills haven't improved at all. People still don't come to ME and say anything... they bypass myself and my TA and go right to admin. They never bother to check if the story the kid told is true.
The convention plans are being presented to the educational administrative team next week by my supervisor. I was amazed that he even agreed to present it: I gave him what he asked for, which was a brief information sheet about the convention, and such, plus a copy of the scholarship application. We'll see.
I am absolutely FREEZING right now despite wearing a fleece robe, sweatshirt, pants and socks. GEEZ, this is insane.

[HatterasMermaid]

Hey ya'll! Tomorrow is Friday! Yahoooo! Tomorrow is also our 16th wedding anniversary. We are going out to dinner to a nicER restraunt without the boys! Yippeeee! Saturday will be THE day that I make all my Christmas goodies. I'm making cookies and peanut brittle for some. I make beaded jewelry. I've got 2 bracelets to finish to fulfill orders. (I sell them too!) AND I've got 3 that I need to make that I'm going to use as gifts. I also want to make a new pair of beaded earrings that will match one of my necklaces.... Oh geesh.... sorry....blah blah blah....

Yeah, my last entry was meant to be funny.... but it was truthful! I've done SOME of the junk on my list.... Glad I could make you giggle! LOL Glad to hear that everyone is moving and doing well! Ya'll keep up with the positive "stuff"! I am *SSSOOOO* ready for next WED. to arrive and get over with!

Gotta run....the story of my youth is on....Breakfast Club... I know it by heart! I'm gonna go get those bracelets done and recite the lines with the tv!!

take care.....
As Arnold said before he was in charge of California.... I'll be back!
(((hugs)))
meeee