Evening, all.
I want to get personal with everybody, but I'm having an awful time focusing!
Robyn: The Dew treat! And frozen dinners. Unforunately, since I live alone and frequently don't get until 7:00, I eat a lot of those. I've gotten better at picking the ones that are low-carb thanks to the Peapod service we have. They deliver the groceries to your house. Since I have trouble carrying things up the stairs, it is easier for me to pay the damn delivery fee ($5.95). We have two elevators in the building, and only one has stairs, but the other is on a down slope to my car and the parking garage floor is purposefully uneven to help prevent things from sticking or to keep any car fluids from puddling. Many days, its hard for me to walk on... I'm not real good on sloped ground anyway. Good news on that step class!!! Maybe you can do the class without the step-up and step-down?
Kerry: AWESOME news for your step-daughter!!! I'm glad she's taking control, and that it is as simple as exercise and healthier eating! Exercise really does improve your mood: I'm much more calm and focused when I swim than when I don't. And yes, I have been cleared to start swimming again as long as I'm careful. No weight lifting yet, because I can't wear my high shoes or my orthotics when I do it. I only have one set of orthotics, which can be switched, but... The high shoes are too heavy to wear at the gym for weight-lifting, and have the wrong kind of soles.
Pam: Cruise!!!! WOoooo! I've always wanted to go on a cruise. I pay my rent with my AmEx card now, and earn all kinds of points for their reward program that way. I hope I'll eventually have enough points to take a cruise or, my second choice, is to go to Disneyworld for a week! I haven't ever been there, and want to go. I just don't want to go by myself...
Tonita: Welcome to the mad house. WE don't usually send people to the principal's office here, so you should be okay. I think I spelled your name right, but its not in front of me, so sorry if I got it wrong.

And now... let's see...
My student with the touchy-feely issues is driving me up the wall with his community based instruction trips. His parents have withdrawn permission for him to go, but she didn't actually put it in writing. Her words to me were that he couldn't go to the movies or the mall with us because of his behavior and she didn't want him out of the building. We wanted to let her cool off over break, so it didn't become an issue until Thursday... when I found out he had gone with the other class (he goes every day, most of my class only goes every other day). I asked him if he was now allowed to go, and the look on his face told me what was going on. I said, "Well, I thought you could go with the other class and not us?" Same look. "Does your mom know you went?" "No." EEE GADS! We took a kid out of the building AGAINST his mother's wishes???? She didn't write us a note or anything to tell us! So I talked to her today, and he didn't even get in trouble for lying to us and to her about going. Instead, she said, "well, he may have heard us talking about letting him go with the other class." I asked her to let me know by Monday because we'll have to have an IEP meeting if he can't go on CBI since it is a service mandated by his IEP. While the parent was in my room, the kid that she blames for her son's behavior came in to write down his points on his point sheet, and she was just nasty to him. This is my ED kiddo, and he can get in trouble on his own without help: and he's had an AWESOME week despite losing two point sheets. He said hello to the parent and both students in the room.... And she and her son both turned and ignored him. The mother glared at him. I got that kid out of the room ASAP, because he doesn't deserve that. The librarian took him in for the last 15 minutes of the period.
Then, checking my phone messages on my way to PT I get the following: my endo has my bloodwork, and she has some "thoughts"... I'm supposed to call her Monday. Now, she has NEVER done that before. She never leaves messages like that on my answering machine. I don't know if the bloodwork is good news or bad news, and now I can't find out before Monday evening. It means I have to rush home right from school, too...so I can get home to call her before her office closes at 5.
And, that apparently, I'm no longer on the schedule for the gym in Baltimore for Saturdays. Also, it has been communicated to me through my other friend, that the aquatic director's son has said she doesn't want to see any of us. The only people she wants to see from the gym are the head lifeguard and this other dude who is drunk all the time!
I'm like, okay... fine. Screw her and the horse she road in on. Does she think I drove to Baltimore all those time for my damn health and the pittance she pays me? Children's lessons are worth it, I get $25/hour for that; I get less than half that as a guard... But I've gone up there and worked whole weekends because she couldn't find somebody at the weekend guard bagged on her at the last minute. I've also stayed there for hours because a guard didn't show up. The Friday after Thanksgiving I was there, BY MYSELF, from 11:00 to 9:00. By myself is the same thing as being in a classroom: no bathroom, no food (we're not allowed to eat on deck), and only water to drink... its over 90 in there, so we drink lots of water! But no bathroom???
I was there for 5 hours by myself, open to close, on New Years Day.
I'm REALLY upset and hurt right now. Between this, and my friend with her baby and her strange ideas, I feel like I don't have any friends at the moment.

Oh Mousie.... (((((HUGS)))))

"If the problem isn't hunger, then food isn't the solution."
Why is that quote amazing to me?! WHY can't I see that....and remember that?

Hey!
My arms are shaking as I type this.....I did my second work out on the total gym. Yikes.....It's fun, and it definitely works those things you are supposed to have called muscles. My only gripe is that if you are going along with the video, you have to stop, unhook, the pulley cables, and attach something else which takes a few minutes until you figure out what you are actually doing. However, I think will just do the same excercises, as on the video, but not with the video, that way, I can sort of group them all together, and not have to worry about pausing, etc....Oh gosh, and you can do squats. Ouch.....You can work every major muscle group. The only thing is you will tone, not bulk up. So, that works for me. Hubby even tried it out last night. Seemed to like it to. So, at this moment in time, I will say I love it......I think what I will do, is use that every other day, and walk in between....That way, my muscles will have time to rest....This isn't the Chuck Norris one, but a sears version. You can do the same stuff though.

Well, I lost one pound this week. SO, only two and a half more til I am back to my pre christmas weight. I have got to get it together and fast....

Robyn: COme along.....I wouldn't have to deal with "evileene" by myself then. It should be interesting as we will have the two divorced inlaws and spouse along. Hope nobody ends up missing.....

Mouse: I'll be your friend! I've never been anywhere. Just up and down the east coast......Driving....Made it to Montreal a few times when I lived in Vermont, but I haven't been on a cruise either. So, it is exciting.

Hey to everyone else. I need to get busy and get some house cleaning done. Laundry calling. Be back later....

Oh Robyn: I could figure out how to upload photos, but not how to start a group, and I don't want to just stick pictures anywhere....So, haven't done it yet....

Pam

Morning.
I live in a soap opera, let me tell you. The head guard from the gym called me at some point yesterday: I seem to have slept through his call. He didn't leave me a message, so I have no idea what he wanted or anything. I assume he was calling to tell me that I wasn't working, since he called me two hours after my other friend did. He didn't call my cell phone. He's not always the brightest bulb in the room, so he probably called me at home thinking that I didn't have to work or something.
The good news is that I can go to the gym down here now, and I have 2 months worth of credit because they billed me by mistake when I couldn't go. I wish I'd known that when I drove part of the way out there earlier today. I'll probably go back out that way later, but I think first I want to take a nap.
I'm still pissed (and the more I think about it, the more pissed I get) at the place in Baltimore. :sigh:
I have traveled a lot, actually... I went to Europe when I was 16, I've been to Canada, Washington State, California, Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Louisiana, lots of East Coast (but not really any farther south than Virginia; passing through on the train doesn't count in my book!) states. I love to travel, and have friends all over the country. I've been as far north as Rhode Island & Massachusetts, and as far south as Williamsburg & Norfolk in Virginia.
In Canada, I've been to Winnipeg... I'm sort of hoping I get to go to the Council for Exceptional Children conference in April, but I'll only get to go if the state board in Maryland decides to send me as their representative. I probably won't know about that until right before the trip! If so, I'll get to Salt Lake City. I've been to San Francisco, and also Seattle and Richland Washington. I used to hang the tons of postcards on the walls of my classroom, but I haven't done that this year. I'd like to go to China and Japan, and I want to go to Ireland, and Switzerland. I've been to Hungary and such... I'd like to go back to Budapest. It will probably never happen: I'm going to be in hock to Johns Hopkins and SallieMae for the rest of my life.

Oh God Sallie Mae..........Mouse....I have the chills now....Eww yuck bluck....
Hello, this Pam calling from Sallie Mae about your student loan.....AHHHHHHHH
Sorry, I'm better now.
I have been one super busy busy woman today. Mopped, dishes, cleaned bedroom, tub, washed and dried three loads of clothes......And, managed to get a bath. Still have a load drying, and one in the washer...
Also, the biggest headache of the day, was trying to clean all the viruses off my stupid computer which I am about to throw into the street. I had to uninstall my virus protection and install something else, cause a 'VIRUS' had messed up my virus protection program, which I hated anyway. I got rid of 761 pieces of spyware....Maybe it will run a little quicker now. Says there is one that it can't get rid of.....So, don't know what to do about that. It keeps telling me my computer is at risk, do I want to delete? I say **** yes it says we can not delete....Do you want to delete? Yes, we can't delete...So, now I have this annoying thing popping up every two seconds.

Robin: Ok girl, what is your secret???????????CONGRATULATIONS!!! Jealousy seeping in over here. I am about to give up on weight watchers and find a different way. Like you, I hate to pay when I am so stuck....Ok, so last week wasn't the best, but you know wasn't that bad...DRink more water..........
Keep it up....

Mouse: You are a travelin fool......Norfolk part of my old stompin grounds...Although, I mostly stomped in Va Beach....

Back to my book....Get to reading Robyn: Very good...

Pam

......Well......
I am taking a break from moving the junk around in my living room. Cob webs and dust and plain ole dirt are flying everywhere... we moved a bookshelf from a 15 year position! (Yes, it had been cleaned in that time... but STILL!) I am not too sure that I like the new location...HOWEVER... IT is going to stay where we put it... maybe not for the next 15 years...but... it ain't moving again today! We've moved the computer table (and every wire in the house!) again! I'm attempting to move crap around so that I will be able to pull out and dust off ye ole tread mill! YES. It is in my living room (we have no alternate "family area" .... SO... the thing has been sitting in the corner like a wicked step mother staring me down...as I skip merrily by pretending not to notice it! So. Moving junk around... and attempting to make friends with the beast... the treadmill beast. I'll still never love the beast that is my carpet sweeper! hehehehe...

I forgot my trip to New Orleans... (there is a reason I can't remember it! I went my senior year in college! Wow! ) Visits to Ohio, yippy skippy. Time in Florida on both coasts...brief but fond memories! Maine. (I'd never seen such huge rocks on beaches! ..and it was cold in July!) Pennsylvania, WVa, and Maryland of course! ....AND you know about my hours on the beach in NC! I visited Niagra Falls and Tijuana....cause they are required US citizen stops! I have no desire to travel overseas as there is so much that I've not seen in the U.S. and of course all of Canada! I have friends from NovaScotia and I'd love to visit there. Grand Canyon. Hawaii. Sighhhhhh! LOL Let me know anytime you all decide to visit the historic triangle in Va. Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown..... sigh.... THE area where I grew up and continue to live near! Lots to do and see here...unless you've done it and seen it since birth! Norfolk, VaBch! Pam and I will meet you there!

My break is over.... and the crap isn't getting back on the bookshelf no matter how much I wiggle my nose, fold my arms and blink OR simply demand and give it THE teacher look! So.... if it is to be...it is up to me!

I'll check back in later!
take care,
meeee

So, I didn't get back over to the gym. I started to go, when my friend from Baltimore called. She's still ticked, but at least now I understand why she's not on the schedule... Our aquatics director never guarded. She used some of her budget to ensure she did not have to do so and so we had a head guard who was given a break, plus a morning guard who also received breaks. The morning guard would come in and open at 5:30, work till 10, break for 2 hours (1 hour was spent cleaning or doing pool maintenance), come back for an hour or two, and go home. The head guard came in around 12:00 or 1:00 (it varied, some days he came in earlier because he had to vaccuum the pool or clean the spas), and worked till 10:00 close, with a 2 hour break from 4-6 or 5-7. My friend would be the morning break person. Now, however, the head guard is doing the aquatics director's job, and he is going to be the break person. So they do not need a morning break person anymore. The person that I gave breaks to on the weekends is now has the head guard's hours, and will become the morning guard in February when the other guy leaves. That leaves them at least one guard short as near as I can figure. Plus, they do not have a Saturday morning guard. The idea the aqutics director had was that the guy I gave a break to would open in on Saturdays at 7:00, and work till 12:00. I'd come in at 12, and work till 3 or 4, and then he'd come back and work from 4-7, plus children's swim lessons. They won't do that. They either want me to work from 6:45 a.m. to 12, or not at all. I had to say not at all because I'm not going to spend ALL DAY Saturday in Baltimore. I'd have to leave here at 5:30 in the morning, drive there, open... stay till 12, then I'm stuck there till children's lessons at 7. What am I going to do for 7 hours? I can't swim that long! So, it looks like I'm refusing the shift they offered me, which is a reason for them to not offer me shifts later.
Their loss. They'd better not call and ask me to cover when people don't show up!
I just applied for a job as a guard down here at the new rec center near my apartment. I can't imagine I'd get it, because the aquatics supervisor looks buff & young, sounds young on the phone... and its the brand-new center. They'll never hire somebody that looks like me, no matter how qualified I am or how desperate they are. Gyms and rec center don't hire fat people to be lifeguards. And I can't be a children's swim instructor here because you need a Red Cross WSI certification to do it, and that is one skill level beyond lifeguard. :sigh: At least I can swim down here ...

Hey!
Yes, I apparently have no life. I am up at 6:30 typing on the computer.
I am feeling my total gym work out today. OUch.....I am some kind of sore this morning.....Good feeling though. I am going to lose some weight this week! I am going to avoid any pitfalls.........I am going to drink water....I am going to excercise every day.....My hubby has started walking again every night. I however, am not to thrilled with the prospect of walking in the cold right now. SO, I guess I will dust off my WATP tape and start doing that again.

Robyn: Don't feel bad about your treadmill being in the livingroom. We only have a livingroom too. So, my total gym is completely taking over the livingroom. I was gonna put it in my son's room, but then I figured out of sight out of mind plus, he doesn't have a vcr in his room.....I am going to atleast try and slide it out of the way some. So, we have some room to walk in there.

Mouse: Don't be so down on yourself. Who knows, maybe they will hire you anyway! Atleast you will get to swim. Close to home.

A ton of papers to grade today, homework to do for one of my last two practicum classes, and grades are due week after next. Since we are going to Virginia Beach, next weekend, I need to go ahead and get them finished this week. Plus, need to do my plans for my advanced classes as well as clean out my car and go to the grocery store. What a fun filled day. Atleast, all the laundry is done. There is just one load of towels in the dryer. Although, haven't been upstairs to dig around and see what is up there. Alas, I am out of laundry detergent.

Maybe I'll make it back later.... Finished reading predator last night.......HMMMM....

Pam

Hello everyone! It is wonderful to see a 'teacher' thread.

A little about me. I'm 43 and have been teaching 22 years. Love Grades 4 and 5 and just finished a school year with grade 4, but looks like I'm going to have a grade 2 this coming year. I had 2s for SO long and really knew when it was time to move out. So my summer break is being spent keeping my fingers crossed that someone will move out of a 4 or a 5.

Actually, my summer break is going REALLY well so far, although it is racing by. We have already had 4 weeks and only have 3 weeks to go. And THIS is a long summer break. We usually only get 6 weeks. But then we get three sets of two-week breaks during the year between our terms.

Hubby and I have been spending a LOT of time cleaning and decluttering for the past couple of weeks. It is amazing what we have decided to throw out. We've been RUTHLESS! We have a really large bin being delivered Tuesday so we can throw it all away for ever! It will be nice to reclaim a couple of 'junk' rooms.

Other than that I am hoping to get some relaxing in and lots of reading. The weather was quite chilly to start with - we had our coldest December on record. And December is officially the start of our summer. Yesterday and the day before it was over 100F though, so things could be warming up.

I look forward to checking out people's posts more carefully to get to know you all better, but at the moment I am off to do some more cleaning.

Take care all,

Zelma

(PS - posting a couple of pics... just in case anyone is interested. There is a 'before' - two and a half years ago - and a 'current' - Christmas just gone. Will post an 'after' hopefully in a few months when I get rid of these last 25lbs that just love me so much they don't want to budge)

Just a quick hello..........
Welcome Zelma and Tonita!

Been a strange weekend here....I think I am going to apply red stitches to my head and dress in white all the time.....perhaps if I look like a baseball I will get some attention from Dh. Ok, I am sure you are getting tired of this mantra, so I will shut up.
Congrats on the awesome loss Robyn.......feels great doesn't it??
Sorry to be so brief and miss everyone.....got lots to do today!
Ginny

Ok, I skimmed the posts......Pam, what did you think of Predator??????? (ok, I think the ending stunk......a bit.......) PM me if you do not want to leave the details for those who might still be reading it.

Mouse- hugs......you have friends here....and although I know it is not the same as someone to chat with on the phone or go to lunch with we are here for you.

Summer, how is Dd feeling.
SOrry to those I missed.......
Ginny