Our dog Whoopi is dying.
At 14, the diagnosis of Lymphoma is pretty tough to take, but not completely surprising. She's rated at 14 years (dog size, breed, etc.) and she celebrates her 14th birthday today. She was born about 5 weeks before the day after Thanksgiving, 1996. She came home today, 1996, a tiny puppy that would lay on Rob's chest, shivering and licking his face and crying if he made a movement like he was getting up.
She's been everything a great dog can be- loyal, loving, cuddly, alert, happy, and all the rest. No way, here, to memorialize how great she has been. Rest assured, though she's the whole package.
But she's not dying right.
Luckily, these days, she's in good spirits. The cancer makes her a little weak, a little more likely to lay in the sun and snooze and a little slower to react to the world around her. It's heartbreaking, but we understand the process, and try to not break into tears each day.
What gets me, though, is her focus on the every day. She's hungry.
The vet put her on Prednisone, which increases her appetite and makes the symptoms manageable. It's working well.
What I'd like to see, though, is a dog as wise as she is (and she is wise- no question) start to concentrate on the eternal and unzip from the earthly. I'd like to see the faraway look in her eyes and know she is putting her life in order, making sense of the events that make up her life and her experience, and preparing herself for the great what's next.
Instead, she cries for more food. It's unsettling.
We feed her, of course, and feed her a little more because of the meds. We're very careful with the dogs- dog food only, no people food because it's unhealthy, etc. But we have relaxed the rules a bit with Whoopi- at this point the cheese won't do more harm than the Lymphoma.
But the crying is tearing my heart. Where's the guru-buddha-belly dog that I rely on? Is food really the final important thing?
And maybe she'll finish out her own way. Maybe at this point, the important thing is for her needs to be met, and not my existential angst. My questions might take a back seat to her need for treats.
She's earned that.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
The Year of the Comma
It's a little challenging, trying to find signs everywhere-
When I'm shaken, I wonder... what should I do?
Maybe the answer is 44- my age, right now. 44.
In ANSI code, the number 44 corresponds to the comma. A pause, for reflection.
An idea? Maybe it's a great year to pause and reflect.
In general, commas separate. A good year to separate the things in my life, decide what to keep, and what I'm done with?
We'll see.
When I'm shaken, I wonder... what should I do?
Maybe the answer is 44- my age, right now. 44.
In ANSI code, the number 44 corresponds to the comma. A pause, for reflection.
An idea? Maybe it's a great year to pause and reflect.
In general, commas separate. A good year to separate the things in my life, decide what to keep, and what I'm done with?
We'll see.
Friday, October 15, 2010
So, THIS is what 44 feels like (or 36000 mg Paxil)
happy post birthday to me! One day into 44 and I feel pretty good about it.
That's lucky, because that's about all I'm feeling good about.
Home yesterday and today, taking some sick time because, well, I'm pretty sick. I need some time off to get a little or a lot of perspective. Nice to have this to write out my feelings.
This week, Wednesday, I had a meltdown and was remarkably unprofessional. Maybe I was right, probably not, but it's made me wonder what's going on.
Last year, I sent a kid to the office for not having a pencil for class. Really.
And that's been bothering me for a while now- is that who I have become? Apparently.
Wednesday, I called a counselor and asked if I could talk to her about a student who was dropping my class (present tense, but in fact he had already dropped the class- my input not required- so past tense would have been more correct). I asked if we could talk about student x and her reply was succinct and to the point, "No. It doesn't matter."
My opinion doesn't matter.
Since I tend to take things and run with them (it's my signature move, unfortunately), I went ballistic. "Really? My opinion about a student doesn't matter?" Then I used, well, unfortunate words that basically boiled down to this: When my opinion doesn't count, I wonder why I'm here.
And I do wonder why I'm here.
Am I here to send kids to the office for silly reasons? Am I here to care about kids and their well being? I'm just not sure.
For years now, I've been true believer- kids matter, the work is important, we're all in this together. I'm on campus from 8 AM to pretty late at night, teaching, then shooting the games, then editing the images and posting them on the web for parents/kids to look at, download, etc.
I also maintain the school web site, built programs that manage the tardies/detentions, the school calendar, the testing systems etc. Happy to help; if a computer application can save time, then I'm happy to spend some time writing it. If I spend 40 hours making something and it saves someone 80 hours, then that's great.
But it does come with a cost, and the cost is just a little too high.
Caring about kids is, well, painful. They can have complicated, awful lives (or excellent, happy lives, or somewhere in between). Paying attention to kids, noticing them, wondering and worrying about them, takes time and energy. I'd like to think I do it because I choose too, but that's naive.
I'm built to care; I can't seem to turn it off.
Now, caring is too painful. My concern isn't important, relevant, required, asked for, valued, or even listened to. That's the way of things, or the new way of things. When I ask at my school site, "why don't counselors want teacher input?" I'm met with blank stares.
Of course, I'm told teachers ARE important, valued, etc. And then we're ignored. Actions do speak loudly.
My solution? 36000 milligrams of Paxil.
Not all at once! But, 20 milligrams of Paxil a day, 180 days is 3600 milligrams a year. Ten years until retirement? 3600 mg multiplied by ten years means 36000 mg, and then I'm done!
I need the job, the health care, the retirement package. I can't keep going the direction I've been going; I need to find a way protect myself. It's not a perfect solution, but the one I can see in front of me.
Thoughts?
That's lucky, because that's about all I'm feeling good about.
Home yesterday and today, taking some sick time because, well, I'm pretty sick. I need some time off to get a little or a lot of perspective. Nice to have this to write out my feelings.
This week, Wednesday, I had a meltdown and was remarkably unprofessional. Maybe I was right, probably not, but it's made me wonder what's going on.
Last year, I sent a kid to the office for not having a pencil for class. Really.
And that's been bothering me for a while now- is that who I have become? Apparently.
Wednesday, I called a counselor and asked if I could talk to her about a student who was dropping my class (present tense, but in fact he had already dropped the class- my input not required- so past tense would have been more correct). I asked if we could talk about student x and her reply was succinct and to the point, "No. It doesn't matter."
My opinion doesn't matter.
Since I tend to take things and run with them (it's my signature move, unfortunately), I went ballistic. "Really? My opinion about a student doesn't matter?" Then I used, well, unfortunate words that basically boiled down to this: When my opinion doesn't count, I wonder why I'm here.
And I do wonder why I'm here.
Am I here to send kids to the office for silly reasons? Am I here to care about kids and their well being? I'm just not sure.
For years now, I've been true believer- kids matter, the work is important, we're all in this together. I'm on campus from 8 AM to pretty late at night, teaching, then shooting the games, then editing the images and posting them on the web for parents/kids to look at, download, etc.
I also maintain the school web site, built programs that manage the tardies/detentions, the school calendar, the testing systems etc. Happy to help; if a computer application can save time, then I'm happy to spend some time writing it. If I spend 40 hours making something and it saves someone 80 hours, then that's great.
But it does come with a cost, and the cost is just a little too high.
Caring about kids is, well, painful. They can have complicated, awful lives (or excellent, happy lives, or somewhere in between). Paying attention to kids, noticing them, wondering and worrying about them, takes time and energy. I'd like to think I do it because I choose too, but that's naive.
I'm built to care; I can't seem to turn it off.
Now, caring is too painful. My concern isn't important, relevant, required, asked for, valued, or even listened to. That's the way of things, or the new way of things. When I ask at my school site, "why don't counselors want teacher input?" I'm met with blank stares.
Of course, I'm told teachers ARE important, valued, etc. And then we're ignored. Actions do speak loudly.
My solution? 36000 milligrams of Paxil.
Not all at once! But, 20 milligrams of Paxil a day, 180 days is 3600 milligrams a year. Ten years until retirement? 3600 mg multiplied by ten years means 36000 mg, and then I'm done!
I need the job, the health care, the retirement package. I can't keep going the direction I've been going; I need to find a way protect myself. It's not a perfect solution, but the one I can see in front of me.
Thoughts?
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Oregon!
Traveling in Oregon, visiting the property in Astoria.
LOVING it, but missing Robbie and the dogs.
++ Ft. George Brew Pub, Washington Lighthouses, Bowpicker Fish and Chips!
+ Alamo Rental Cars @alamocares twitter reviewer (Kevin) for picking up my tweet and asking if he could help (I tweet as HooversDad)
I'll post photos at www.dan-nelson.com soon- but now, goodnight!
LOVING it, but missing Robbie and the dogs.
++ Ft. George Brew Pub, Washington Lighthouses, Bowpicker Fish and Chips!
+ Alamo Rental Cars @alamocares twitter reviewer (Kevin) for picking up my tweet and asking if he could help (I tweet as HooversDad)
I'll post photos at www.dan-nelson.com soon- but now, goodnight!
Monday, July 26, 2010
Movie Monday: Movies I'd go see
No one listens to me, but of course I have really great ideas. Really, I do. In fact, here are three quick movie ideas.
1) Betty White & Matt Damon team up to fight crime, or run a beach side restaurant, or realize they were in love in some smashed up past.
2) Private think tank that tries to fight terrorists from far away countries. The threat? either a odorless, colorless gas that releases the adhesive from all post-it notes, or a computer virus that causes all television programs' scenes to be broadcast in random (rather than chronological) order.
3) Romantic comedy: Kai Ryssdaal and anyone.
Just a few; now will someone please make these? Thanks.
1) Betty White & Matt Damon team up to fight crime, or run a beach side restaurant, or realize they were in love in some smashed up past.
2) Private think tank that tries to fight terrorists from far away countries. The threat? either a odorless, colorless gas that releases the adhesive from all post-it notes, or a computer virus that causes all television programs' scenes to be broadcast in random (rather than chronological) order.
3) Romantic comedy: Kai Ryssdaal and anyone.
Just a few; now will someone please make these? Thanks.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
To: for Thursday? Letter to the (incoming) Editor
To: Jessie Hovermom-Entitled, Editor-in-Chief 2010-2011
From: Ms. Overit, Journalism Adviser
cc: Mr. Ossified, Principal, Hannibal Hamblin High School
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Jessie,
I was so happy to get you emails last night. Thanks for thinking of me over the summer! I know it's hard to track me down since I don't 'tweet' and I don't 'facebook' and I still consider 'myspace' to be the four walls of my house. Good old fashioned 'email' will have to do, I'm afraid. Thanks for understanding that I am stuck in the 'old days.' I do hope that your comment about my not moving past the industrial revolution was just a joke!
I didn't realize that 'friend' had become a verb. As your teacher, I think we should remain 'teacher/student'.
Also, as we start out the school year, I'd like to let you know that I do stop reading my email at about 10 PM, so sending 28 emails with frantic subject lines, and then having your mom send another 17, doesn't make a difference if the computer is turned off. If possible, could you also capitalize your letters when appropriate and spell out your acronyms? Thanks.
My goodness but you are full of ideas for the Battling Brine Shrimp Standard!
Your enthusiasm is very nice to see. Some of the proposed changes are a little out of our reach, but we'll see what we can do! Here are a few thoughts I've had:
1. The hourly feature "what are the kids from Jersey Shore doing RIGHT NOW" is interesting. I'm not entirely sure how we might find that out, or post it, or if those hourly posts would get in the way of attending your other classes. So, we'll put that down for a 'maybe'. (Is there really someone named 'Situation'? Curious)
2. Your proposal for a piece that covers "Why Mindy is a Big Fat Slut" is a little troubling. While you make your argument at length, I think Mindy and her parents might have issues with your characterization. I do remember discussing Libel and Slander in class last year after the trouble with our coverage of the "Nerdy Knights" of the chess team. Might I suggest you ask Kyle why he decided to date Mindy instead of you, rather than splash your ideas in the hallowed pages of the Standard?
3. Renaming the Clubs section to "What the Losers Do At Lunch" might step on a few toes.
4. It's probably better if we don't announce that the Shrimp Varsity Football team lost all their games BEFORE the season even starts. Making up scores is frowned upon by almost every major news organization (except those owned by Rupert Murdoch, of course). We'll have to let the season play out.
5. Posting your mom's recipe for Chipotle Matzo Ball Soup might be a good idea. Can we edit out "serve with Bourbon"?
6. I'm glad your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandfather, neighbor, and nanny are all attorneys; what interesting conversations you must all have! However, I think threatening the school and district to let us publish 'whatever we feel like or else' might set the wrong tone.
7. Deadlines are important. Writing "loser" in Sharpie on the foreheads of the staff members who miss a deadline is an interesting idea. Let's discuss this further.
8. Sponsoring our own dance so that you can be crowned Queen sounds like it would prove a little distracting. And having said dance at your house probably crosses a 'risk management' line.
9. Coupons DO have to be submitted by the businesses. We can't just publish "90% off anything you want in the mall" coupons.
10. We might be able to find a gavel for you this year. A crown is a different story.
Thanks again for your email(s). I do look forward to working together this coming year to take the Standard better!
From: Ms. Overit, Journalism Adviser
cc: Mr. Ossified, Principal, Hannibal Hamblin High School
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Jessie,
I was so happy to get you emails last night. Thanks for thinking of me over the summer! I know it's hard to track me down since I don't 'tweet' and I don't 'facebook' and I still consider 'myspace' to be the four walls of my house. Good old fashioned 'email' will have to do, I'm afraid. Thanks for understanding that I am stuck in the 'old days.' I do hope that your comment about my not moving past the industrial revolution was just a joke!
I didn't realize that 'friend' had become a verb. As your teacher, I think we should remain 'teacher/student'.
Also, as we start out the school year, I'd like to let you know that I do stop reading my email at about 10 PM, so sending 28 emails with frantic subject lines, and then having your mom send another 17, doesn't make a difference if the computer is turned off. If possible, could you also capitalize your letters when appropriate and spell out your acronyms? Thanks.
My goodness but you are full of ideas for the Battling Brine Shrimp Standard!
Your enthusiasm is very nice to see. Some of the proposed changes are a little out of our reach, but we'll see what we can do! Here are a few thoughts I've had:
1. The hourly feature "what are the kids from Jersey Shore doing RIGHT NOW" is interesting. I'm not entirely sure how we might find that out, or post it, or if those hourly posts would get in the way of attending your other classes. So, we'll put that down for a 'maybe'. (Is there really someone named 'Situation'? Curious)
2. Your proposal for a piece that covers "Why Mindy is a Big Fat Slut" is a little troubling. While you make your argument at length, I think Mindy and her parents might have issues with your characterization. I do remember discussing Libel and Slander in class last year after the trouble with our coverage of the "Nerdy Knights" of the chess team. Might I suggest you ask Kyle why he decided to date Mindy instead of you, rather than splash your ideas in the hallowed pages of the Standard?
3. Renaming the Clubs section to "What the Losers Do At Lunch" might step on a few toes.
4. It's probably better if we don't announce that the Shrimp Varsity Football team lost all their games BEFORE the season even starts. Making up scores is frowned upon by almost every major news organization (except those owned by Rupert Murdoch, of course). We'll have to let the season play out.
5. Posting your mom's recipe for Chipotle Matzo Ball Soup might be a good idea. Can we edit out "serve with Bourbon"?
6. I'm glad your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandfather, neighbor, and nanny are all attorneys; what interesting conversations you must all have! However, I think threatening the school and district to let us publish 'whatever we feel like or else' might set the wrong tone.
7. Deadlines are important. Writing "loser" in Sharpie on the foreheads of the staff members who miss a deadline is an interesting idea. Let's discuss this further.
8. Sponsoring our own dance so that you can be crowned Queen sounds like it would prove a little distracting. And having said dance at your house probably crosses a 'risk management' line.
9. Coupons DO have to be submitted by the businesses. We can't just publish "90% off anything you want in the mall" coupons.
10. We might be able to find a gavel for you this year. A crown is a different story.
Thanks again for your email(s). I do look forward to working together this coming year to take the Standard better!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
NEW: Fiction Friday
at a lunch with a friend recently, she reminded me that I had hoped to spend more time on fiction than non-fiction with my writing, and ask the worst question in the world, "so, how's that going?"
She'll be punished.
With that, the next few weeks will be character sketches here on Fiction Fridays (posted on Saturday- what, you were never late?)
--
She isn't tall, she isn't thin, she isn't beautiful and without a calculator her math suffers (although she remembers life before calculators, so she isn't young, either). But she is and has always been smart about people. Brilliant, even. Especially about men.
At seventeen, her friends went on with "can you believe he said that? Did that?" and she realized that her first answer, "of course", wasn't the answer to keep her friends. And at twenty three she learned that her eye roll when another friend was tearing up about what an impossible man so-and-so was was never received well. Hours in the mirror helped her to learn to look compassionate, and concerned, and surprised, when her close friends went on (and on, and on) about this boy, or that boy, or the other boy, or occasionally this girl, or that girl. She was well versed in the occasional cluck, the drawn together lips, the furrowed brow. Playing the game was important.
She did care; she just wasn't surprised when men acted like men. Men treat women poorly, sometimes on purpose and sometimes for no reason. Being surprised about it was like being surprised when the sun came up or the fog rolled in. It's like toast popping up in the toaster- inevitable.
Finding a man was easy for her; it always had been. She has expectations, limits, rules and rewards. Her clarity and the ease with which she approached love and intimacy were always well received. So successful was she with men that it was always her who had to break up with him, whomever he happened t0 be. She had earned a reputation in town, and was all the more popular for it. Some women were jealous- what did she have that brought in the strong muscular (and always needy) types, or the wealthy and successful (and always seeking approval) types? Years ago she would have been branded a witch, a sorcerer, a gypsy with potions or some such.
When she had married, she had married to her advantage. Looking for men of means, with short attention spans and generous natures, had netted her two husbands who had helped her on the road to independence. The first husband, Gerald, paid off the college loans and left her with a bit of a nest egg when he left. His apologies were heart felt; she had let him down gently. Her second husband, John, was quite a bit more successful, quite a bit more generous, and quite a bit more guilt-wracked about his affair with his secretary.
She always knew it wasn't her; always knew that a man had to chase the next beautiful woman to come along; always knew that the only way to avoid death for him was to stay young forever. Youth favors a moving target. By the time she celebrated her thirty eighth birthday she knew that John wasn't long for her world, but had squirreled way enough to be comfortable, but not so much that he would have thought her callus and calculating when the discovery phase came around. She gave him her absolution and he gave her a substantial sum and a stipend and both walked away happy.
Finding her days empty, she wondered what she could do that might engage her. Another man seemed like a lot of work; a career felt like a marriage without a final settlement; and charity work appeared to be fraught with cheerful, bitter women with long tedious stories who wore silly shoes and unfortunate eye makeup. She wanted sanctuary, a safe place, a quiet room to think and not be disturbed too often by frivolous types.
She opened a bakery, downtown, across from a gym, next to a yogurt shop, and two doors down from a yoga studio. Who would be likely to wander through such a gauntlet for empty calories and chocolate sprinkles? Only her kind of people- women who had finally become themselves.
She'll be punished.
With that, the next few weeks will be character sketches here on Fiction Fridays (posted on Saturday- what, you were never late?)
--
She isn't tall, she isn't thin, she isn't beautiful and without a calculator her math suffers (although she remembers life before calculators, so she isn't young, either). But she is and has always been smart about people. Brilliant, even. Especially about men.
At seventeen, her friends went on with "can you believe he said that? Did that?" and she realized that her first answer, "of course", wasn't the answer to keep her friends. And at twenty three she learned that her eye roll when another friend was tearing up about what an impossible man so-and-so was was never received well. Hours in the mirror helped her to learn to look compassionate, and concerned, and surprised, when her close friends went on (and on, and on) about this boy, or that boy, or the other boy, or occasionally this girl, or that girl. She was well versed in the occasional cluck, the drawn together lips, the furrowed brow. Playing the game was important.
She did care; she just wasn't surprised when men acted like men. Men treat women poorly, sometimes on purpose and sometimes for no reason. Being surprised about it was like being surprised when the sun came up or the fog rolled in. It's like toast popping up in the toaster- inevitable.
Finding a man was easy for her; it always had been. She has expectations, limits, rules and rewards. Her clarity and the ease with which she approached love and intimacy were always well received. So successful was she with men that it was always her who had to break up with him, whomever he happened t0 be. She had earned a reputation in town, and was all the more popular for it. Some women were jealous- what did she have that brought in the strong muscular (and always needy) types, or the wealthy and successful (and always seeking approval) types? Years ago she would have been branded a witch, a sorcerer, a gypsy with potions or some such.
When she had married, she had married to her advantage. Looking for men of means, with short attention spans and generous natures, had netted her two husbands who had helped her on the road to independence. The first husband, Gerald, paid off the college loans and left her with a bit of a nest egg when he left. His apologies were heart felt; she had let him down gently. Her second husband, John, was quite a bit more successful, quite a bit more generous, and quite a bit more guilt-wracked about his affair with his secretary.
She always knew it wasn't her; always knew that a man had to chase the next beautiful woman to come along; always knew that the only way to avoid death for him was to stay young forever. Youth favors a moving target. By the time she celebrated her thirty eighth birthday she knew that John wasn't long for her world, but had squirreled way enough to be comfortable, but not so much that he would have thought her callus and calculating when the discovery phase came around. She gave him her absolution and he gave her a substantial sum and a stipend and both walked away happy.
Finding her days empty, she wondered what she could do that might engage her. Another man seemed like a lot of work; a career felt like a marriage without a final settlement; and charity work appeared to be fraught with cheerful, bitter women with long tedious stories who wore silly shoes and unfortunate eye makeup. She wanted sanctuary, a safe place, a quiet room to think and not be disturbed too often by frivolous types.
She opened a bakery, downtown, across from a gym, next to a yogurt shop, and two doors down from a yoga studio. Who would be likely to wander through such a gauntlet for empty calories and chocolate sprinkles? Only her kind of people- women who had finally become themselves.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
To: for Tuesday- to the Athletic Director
To: The Athletic Director
From: Your Friendly Yearbook Adviser
re: Sports Coverage, Yearbook 2010-2011
Thanks again for all your support for the Beige and Gray last year. This year we hope to do EVEN BETTER! But, of course, we need your help again!
First, a few apologies:
1. Sorry for placing the lunch ladies in the spot for the Varsity Football team. But, to be fair, the lunch ladies win EVERY DAY, and the 'Battling Beige' Brine Shrimp didn't really set the scoreboard on fire.
2. I'll admit, "Coach Wilson: Still Sober" was a questionable headline. Earning a sobriety chip is a accomplishment, though, and one that should be celebrated! If he ever gets to the point that he earns that elusive 30 day chip, we'll be there to cover it!
3. While I still support our coverage of "Flying Stunts Dangerous To The Cheerleader Fetuses", it might have been a little too graphic.
4. I will always regret my not clarifying the word "shrinkage" when used as a caption under the boys water polo team's group photo. I really thought we were referring to the decrease in the number of players this year, and not the effects of the underheated pool. This year we hope to run with the headline "Boys Water Polo: Back and Bigger Than Ever!" Please advise.
And now for our plans for this year! Thanks for your suggestions.
I would LOVE to have a 'pop up' section for the golf team. Unfortunately, we don't HAVE a golf team. You'll remember we discovered last year that the Golf Team was just a ruse for certain students to earn PE credit. Instead of practice, they just went to Denny's for the Grand Slam and Moons Over My Hammy breakfast.
While I see your point, I don't think referring to the Tennis Team as "fruity" sets the right tone. As the GSA adviser, I think implying the entire tennis team is not straight might be asking for trouble. I'd like to point out, also, that a few non-gay men wear white shorts (but none come to mind at the moment).
Increasing the number of pages for the sports teams is a great idea. I think adding 64 pages to the yearbook for individual portraits of each varisty player may be a tad extreme.
No, we cannot "cut-and-paste" the basketball players into the Staples Center. Nor can we place the superbowl tropy into the hands of the football team. Also, "photoshopping" the students to look "mightier" is a little beyond out technical ability at this time.
It would be undoubtably popular, but a "Ladies of the Locker Room" feaure isn't something I would like to bet my teaching credential on.
Here are a few quick requests:
1. We really do need the first and last names of the students on the team. We need those names to be the official, school record names, and not nicknames. "Stinky", "Big Bird", "Felon", "The Flatulence Kid", "Mr. Bench Rider", etc. are not OK. If the coaches don't know their rosters, maybe a team manager could help?
2. Team Group Photos really are important. This year, we're launching a new program called "We'll only ask you five times!" Specifically, we would like to only have to set up the team group photo no more than five times before we actually get the photo. Our deadlines are very tight, and every deadline is "game day" for us. After the fifth try, we will either use last year's photo or an artist rendering of the team drawn by the kids in the Anime Club.
3. Using photos that a parent shot is very difficult. Generally parents only shoot images of their own player, and having a two-page spread about one player is tough to justify. So, we really DO need to be at the games and on the field.
4. We love to capture the images of the teams after the big win (which, for us, is really any win). However, tradiationally the "we are number one" hand gesture uses the first, or 'pointer' finger, and not the second finger.
5. The girls volleybal team's uniforms are tighter than ever, I think "bootiliscious ballers" might not be well received.
Thanks again for all of your work. I'm looking forward to working together this year to make the best of the Brine Shrimps athletics program!
From: Your Friendly Yearbook Adviser
re: Sports Coverage, Yearbook 2010-2011
Thanks again for all your support for the Beige and Gray last year. This year we hope to do EVEN BETTER! But, of course, we need your help again!
First, a few apologies:
1. Sorry for placing the lunch ladies in the spot for the Varsity Football team. But, to be fair, the lunch ladies win EVERY DAY, and the 'Battling Beige' Brine Shrimp didn't really set the scoreboard on fire.
2. I'll admit, "Coach Wilson: Still Sober" was a questionable headline. Earning a sobriety chip is a accomplishment, though, and one that should be celebrated! If he ever gets to the point that he earns that elusive 30 day chip, we'll be there to cover it!
3. While I still support our coverage of "Flying Stunts Dangerous To The Cheerleader Fetuses", it might have been a little too graphic.
4. I will always regret my not clarifying the word "shrinkage" when used as a caption under the boys water polo team's group photo. I really thought we were referring to the decrease in the number of players this year, and not the effects of the underheated pool. This year we hope to run with the headline "Boys Water Polo: Back and Bigger Than Ever!" Please advise.
And now for our plans for this year! Thanks for your suggestions.
I would LOVE to have a 'pop up' section for the golf team. Unfortunately, we don't HAVE a golf team. You'll remember we discovered last year that the Golf Team was just a ruse for certain students to earn PE credit. Instead of practice, they just went to Denny's for the Grand Slam and Moons Over My Hammy breakfast.
While I see your point, I don't think referring to the Tennis Team as "fruity" sets the right tone. As the GSA adviser, I think implying the entire tennis team is not straight might be asking for trouble. I'd like to point out, also, that a few non-gay men wear white shorts (but none come to mind at the moment).
Increasing the number of pages for the sports teams is a great idea. I think adding 64 pages to the yearbook for individual portraits of each varisty player may be a tad extreme.
No, we cannot "cut-and-paste" the basketball players into the Staples Center. Nor can we place the superbowl tropy into the hands of the football team. Also, "photoshopping" the students to look "mightier" is a little beyond out technical ability at this time.
It would be undoubtably popular, but a "Ladies of the Locker Room" feaure isn't something I would like to bet my teaching credential on.
Here are a few quick requests:
1. We really do need the first and last names of the students on the team. We need those names to be the official, school record names, and not nicknames. "Stinky", "Big Bird", "Felon", "The Flatulence Kid", "Mr. Bench Rider", etc. are not OK. If the coaches don't know their rosters, maybe a team manager could help?
2. Team Group Photos really are important. This year, we're launching a new program called "We'll only ask you five times!" Specifically, we would like to only have to set up the team group photo no more than five times before we actually get the photo. Our deadlines are very tight, and every deadline is "game day" for us. After the fifth try, we will either use last year's photo or an artist rendering of the team drawn by the kids in the Anime Club.
3. Using photos that a parent shot is very difficult. Generally parents only shoot images of their own player, and having a two-page spread about one player is tough to justify. So, we really DO need to be at the games and on the field.
4. We love to capture the images of the teams after the big win (which, for us, is really any win). However, tradiationally the "we are number one" hand gesture uses the first, or 'pointer' finger, and not the second finger.
5. The girls volleybal team's uniforms are tighter than ever, I think "bootiliscious ballers" might not be well received.
Thanks again for all of your work. I'm looking forward to working together this year to make the best of the Brine Shrimps athletics program!
Monday, July 5, 2010
To: for Tuesday- The Summer Letter
To: The High School Staff
From: Your Intrepid Principal
re: 2010-2011
Well Howdy Do!
Here's hoping you are having just a great six weeks of summer! (unless you are teaching summer school, then it's just a quick 4 days off- but with proper planning you can cram a lot of vacation into that space!).
While the summer is short, those furlough days will feel great when they pop up every week or so, providing another day of rest sprinkled throughout the year ahead. Why not take these days as a total 'staycation' and turn off all power and water to your house? It's a great way to save! Thoughtful!
There are a few housekeeping chores we need to attend to:
1) yes, class sizes are a little larger this year. We will try to level the classes, as always. However, 'leveling' the classes this year means trying to balance the average weight and size of the students. We can't lower class enrollments, but we can strive to make sure the physical size of the students is as balanced as possible.
2) To avoid that claustrophobic feeling in the over-full classroom, here are a few tips:
a) ask the students to all wear the same color each day- hopefully a light tone or a pastel. While they love wearing black with big puffy coats, maybe a coordinated 'beige' or 'powder blue' day will help. If they all look the same they will blend into a background.
b) Oxygen is vital! Open windows and doors to keep that fresh air circulating! The rooms were designed for 20-30 students; 42 is a burden on the ventilation system. Students, and you, might begin to feel sleepy and disoriented if the oxygen levels drop. Leafy green plants might help. The biology department reminds us that algae on the ocean surface provides most of the earth's oxygen- maybe the mold growing in our ventilation ducts performs the same service?
3) We have lost our psychologist this year due to cut-backs and 'right sizing.' The district has come up with the new program "Comfort through Comfort Food." Send angry or troubled students to the cafeteria for meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
4) Copiers! The rumors are completely unfounded- we will still have the copier in the workroom! However, we do not ave any paper, so please bring your own from home or re-use previous assignments. Our hardworking students seem to be able to read 'between the lines' when it comes to having an English assignment printed over a human-anatomy diagram. Care should be taken, however. Avoid last year's 'dangling participial' embarrassment.
Also, toner is an issue. Teachers who choose may volunteer to "milk the squid" at the aquarium for extra ink.
5) Please use fewer vowels. The district director of finance has heard something about a need to 'buy a vowel.' If you must use vowels, use the letters 'u' and 'y' as these are less expensive than the big name vowels.
6) Use smaller fonts for email.
7) The collective bargaining with the PTA/PTSA has yielded a few changes. The homework center will stay open until midnight, and overnight child care will be added. In turn, the PTA parents will try to use the word 'trusted teacher' instead of 'freeloading tenure monkey' in their daily press releases and letters to the editor in the local paper.
8) Good news! The Right Wing Citizens Brigade has loosened up a little, and we no longer have to stone girls who break the dress code. The new procedure is to line the halls and shout 'harlot' as they walk to class. Teacher attendance is mandatory for this; names will be recorded and shirkers will be reported.
9) Sadly, the Lefty Pinko Parents and Partners Co-op still maintains that "farting noises" are protected speech, so students (but hopefully not the PE staff again this year) making mock flatulence noises cannot be disciplined or asked to stop. However students who are especially adept at these noises should report to the music program, as the metal instruments were reclaimed for recycling money last year and this year we can no longer afford 'wind' for the wind instruments.
10) The foreign language department has been changed. "Foreign" sounds too, well, foreign. We have adopted the new title "So THAT'S what they are saying about me!" The new title resonates with many of us who feel that people who speak other languages only do so make fun of us or cheat us.
11) We have replaced the school's bookkeeper with the word "No"
12) Instead of in-service days, we will be filling in for nurses at the local hospitals and guards at the local youth security facility as they take their furlough days.
The central office has a few reminders:
Because teachers' reputations are under attack again, the district office has informed us that they will no longer be visiting the school sites. District administrators are concerned about being labelled 'teachers' or 'educators', with the accompanying loss of self-esteem and community status. To this end, they will be 're-branding' the central office as a large 'Home Depot.'
If you see a central office employee on our site, approach slowly and don't make any sudden movements. If you run into one off-site, they ask that you pretend to not know them.
Our own district coordinator of curriculum is now to be known as "He Who Brings The Freshest and Dopest New Programs From Places and Consortium We Have Never Heard Of". All programs that show signs of success will be referred to as "Whack" and will be replaced with something untried or something that as shown promise when tried in small rural villages of the third world, or Pittsburgh.
The district guiding principles have been slightly modified with the addition of an asterisk after the phrase "all children can learn." The asterisk denotes a small addition that reads "probably not your student if she or he needs additional resources" and "this in no way constitutes a guarantee that your child will learn."
The district office will now be referred to as the "think tank" to improve the these employees' chances for being hired at the federal level.
We did not qualify for the 'Race To The Top' funds. I realize how devastating this is. We worked very hard on the application, and thought we had an excellent chance. Unfortunately, when the transportation department realized we would have to throw the teachers under the bus to qualify, they raised the issue of damaging the alignment on the buses. Sadly, we did not earn the $342.00 dollars the funds would have brought to the entire school.
Now, a few "do's and dont's" for this year:
Don't: Use expensive DVDs or PowerPoint presentations.
Do: Use sock puppets to get the point across
Don't: Use school facilities for personal needs
Do: Use the bathroom at home only!
Don't: Complain about custodial work
Do: Realize that sweeping and mopping is a cardio activity!
Don't: Overuse the defibrillator
Do: Shout "Boo!" really loudly to try to get the sinus rhythm going again
Don't: Overuse supplies from the supply closet
Do: Avail yourself of the generally unguarded pencils at the golf course!
Finally, I want to take ts opportunity to unveil this year's slogan. Following on the heels of 2008's "Doing More With Less" and last year's "Doing Even More with Even Less", this year we will be "Doing It All With Nothing."
Thanks, and let's all have a great year!
From: Your Intrepid Principal
re: 2010-2011
Well Howdy Do!
Here's hoping you are having just a great six weeks of summer! (unless you are teaching summer school, then it's just a quick 4 days off- but with proper planning you can cram a lot of vacation into that space!).
While the summer is short, those furlough days will feel great when they pop up every week or so, providing another day of rest sprinkled throughout the year ahead. Why not take these days as a total 'staycation' and turn off all power and water to your house? It's a great way to save! Thoughtful!
There are a few housekeeping chores we need to attend to:
1) yes, class sizes are a little larger this year. We will try to level the classes, as always. However, 'leveling' the classes this year means trying to balance the average weight and size of the students. We can't lower class enrollments, but we can strive to make sure the physical size of the students is as balanced as possible.
2) To avoid that claustrophobic feeling in the over-full classroom, here are a few tips:
a) ask the students to all wear the same color each day- hopefully a light tone or a pastel. While they love wearing black with big puffy coats, maybe a coordinated 'beige' or 'powder blue' day will help. If they all look the same they will blend into a background.
b) Oxygen is vital! Open windows and doors to keep that fresh air circulating! The rooms were designed for 20-30 students; 42 is a burden on the ventilation system. Students, and you, might begin to feel sleepy and disoriented if the oxygen levels drop. Leafy green plants might help. The biology department reminds us that algae on the ocean surface provides most of the earth's oxygen- maybe the mold growing in our ventilation ducts performs the same service?
3) We have lost our psychologist this year due to cut-backs and 'right sizing.' The district has come up with the new program "Comfort through Comfort Food." Send angry or troubled students to the cafeteria for meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
4) Copiers! The rumors are completely unfounded- we will still have the copier in the workroom! However, we do not ave any paper, so please bring your own from home or re-use previous assignments. Our hardworking students seem to be able to read 'between the lines' when it comes to having an English assignment printed over a human-anatomy diagram. Care should be taken, however. Avoid last year's 'dangling participial' embarrassment.
Also, toner is an issue. Teachers who choose may volunteer to "milk the squid" at the aquarium for extra ink.
5) Please use fewer vowels. The district director of finance has heard something about a need to 'buy a vowel.' If you must use vowels, use the letters 'u' and 'y' as these are less expensive than the big name vowels.
6) Use smaller fonts for email.
7) The collective bargaining with the PTA/PTSA has yielded a few changes. The homework center will stay open until midnight, and overnight child care will be added. In turn, the PTA parents will try to use the word 'trusted teacher' instead of 'freeloading tenure monkey' in their daily press releases and letters to the editor in the local paper.
8) Good news! The Right Wing Citizens Brigade has loosened up a little, and we no longer have to stone girls who break the dress code. The new procedure is to line the halls and shout 'harlot' as they walk to class. Teacher attendance is mandatory for this; names will be recorded and shirkers will be reported.
9) Sadly, the Lefty Pinko Parents and Partners Co-op still maintains that "farting noises" are protected speech, so students (but hopefully not the PE staff again this year) making mock flatulence noises cannot be disciplined or asked to stop. However students who are especially adept at these noises should report to the music program, as the metal instruments were reclaimed for recycling money last year and this year we can no longer afford 'wind' for the wind instruments.
10) The foreign language department has been changed. "Foreign" sounds too, well, foreign. We have adopted the new title "So THAT'S what they are saying about me!" The new title resonates with many of us who feel that people who speak other languages only do so make fun of us or cheat us.
11) We have replaced the school's bookkeeper with the word "No"
12) Instead of in-service days, we will be filling in for nurses at the local hospitals and guards at the local youth security facility as they take their furlough days.
The central office has a few reminders:
Because teachers' reputations are under attack again, the district office has informed us that they will no longer be visiting the school sites. District administrators are concerned about being labelled 'teachers' or 'educators', with the accompanying loss of self-esteem and community status. To this end, they will be 're-branding' the central office as a large 'Home Depot.'
If you see a central office employee on our site, approach slowly and don't make any sudden movements. If you run into one off-site, they ask that you pretend to not know them.
Our own district coordinator of curriculum is now to be known as "He Who Brings The Freshest and Dopest New Programs From Places and Consortium We Have Never Heard Of". All programs that show signs of success will be referred to as "Whack" and will be replaced with something untried or something that as shown promise when tried in small rural villages of the third world, or Pittsburgh.
The district guiding principles have been slightly modified with the addition of an asterisk after the phrase "all children can learn." The asterisk denotes a small addition that reads "probably not your student if she or he needs additional resources" and "this in no way constitutes a guarantee that your child will learn."
The district office will now be referred to as the "think tank" to improve the these employees' chances for being hired at the federal level.
We did not qualify for the 'Race To The Top' funds. I realize how devastating this is. We worked very hard on the application, and thought we had an excellent chance. Unfortunately, when the transportation department realized we would have to throw the teachers under the bus to qualify, they raised the issue of damaging the alignment on the buses. Sadly, we did not earn the $342.00 dollars the funds would have brought to the entire school.
Now, a few "do's and dont's" for this year:
Don't: Use expensive DVDs or PowerPoint presentations.
Do: Use sock puppets to get the point across
Don't: Use school facilities for personal needs
Do: Use the bathroom at home only!
Don't: Complain about custodial work
Do: Realize that sweeping and mopping is a cardio activity!
Don't: Overuse the defibrillator
Do: Shout "Boo!" really loudly to try to get the sinus rhythm going again
Don't: Overuse supplies from the supply closet
Do: Avail yourself of the generally unguarded pencils at the golf course!
Finally, I want to take ts opportunity to unveil this year's slogan. Following on the heels of 2008's "Doing More With Less" and last year's "Doing Even More with Even Less", this year we will be "Doing It All With Nothing."
Thanks, and let's all have a great year!
Monday- July 5: Made It
Whew.
Drugged dogs, glasses of wine, fewer fireworks.
Not the best of nights, still tense, but much better than just a year ago.
Dogs recovered, Hoovie running around like his frisky, bouncy self.
Whew.
Drugged dogs, glasses of wine, fewer fireworks.
Not the best of nights, still tense, but much better than just a year ago.
Dogs recovered, Hoovie running around like his frisky, bouncy self.
Whew.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sunday- The Challenge of the Independent
New Laptop, new kyboard. Please be patient.
Seems the 'e' goes missing a little. Odd.
We'll just have to see if they can add this laptop to the school network. Seems anything past Windows 95 is suspicious, anything with all these 'bits'-- 64? too many!
But for now, the larger screen is nice, the better sound likewise. The new keyboard, though. A struggle. The O and the E are not playing along. Actually, all the vowels seem shy. Hmm.
But back to the point: My Liberal Dilemma. So, maybe it's Dilemma Sundays?
Today is July Fourth. OK, I really don't like most holidays (don't get me started on Christmas), but I used to like the 4th. In recent years, Rob and I took my mom to the fireworks in town, saw the whole town out there, enjoying the gentle weather (yay California!) and then watching the super patriotic display of the fireworks. Remember, as a Veteran, I pretty much love patriotic displays, as long as it's an 'all of us inclusive' kind of thing. That's the liberal in me coming through, though.
There is a carve out to my patriotism: the song "Proud to be an American." This could be the worst song ever. "Ain't no doubt"? Really. But I digress.
Back to the point. Last year, after the big show, we returned and began calming all three dogs. A challenge. Whoopi, 14 and pretty deaf, sails through. She generally doesn't wake up; sleeps through it all. The well earned rest of the aged.
Hoover, the young dog (four, acts like he's four months), goes predictably crazy. Shakes. Moans. Wails. Hides. Tears around the house like his tail is on fire. Then repeats all of this in three minute cycles. Sigh. CJ (about a year older than Hoovie) follows his lead.
This makes today about the worst day to be a dog. Especially in this neighborhood.
Now, I love this neighborhood- the cheap side of town, high density, low prices, great ocean breezes and even better burritos. Except tonight. It becomes fireworks central. Illegal; fire-danger providing; dog-terrifying; favorite of drunken dads, uncles and grandfathers fireworks. I guess if you drive a few miles inland there is a pipeline that brings artillery from Mexico that has been repurposed into fireworks. I'm not kidding, but I wish I was. Which takes us back to last year.
July 4, 2009. We get home, and begin calming the dogs. It's 9, then 10, then 11 PM. And the fireworks just keep going. Down the street, one street over, a beer-fueled father was setting off missiles. I don't know what else they could be called. In the center of the street is a 6 inch diameter pipe welded to a base plate. Then you set the RPG into the pipe, light the fuse, stagger away to get behind a car that is probably filled with gas, and wait. The rocket ignites, putting to shame every Cape Canaveral launch before Apollo 9. The weapon reaches 30 feet and explodes. The lights are impressive, the sound is deafening, and even more fun is the shrapnel that then falls onto the street, the cars, the houses and the dry dry hillside. It sounds like hard, hot metal rain.
How do I know? Because last year I waited until 11 PM, then walked down the street to 186 Leighton Street to ask Mr. Drunken Patriotism to pack it in. No, really, I'm that stupid.
(I'm providing the address this year because if the same thing happens this year, and I go missing, then it is up to YOU, loyal readers, to avenge me. Don't scoff!)
Last year our next door neighbor was in the last few days of her life. She was home, the hospice folks were there, and her family was sitting vigil. They were waiting for her to pass gently. And in the middle of this, we have a thousand dollars of pure pyrotechnic glory up the street. Did the neighbors complain? Nope. But I did.
In I went, cell phone in hand. I did ask nicely, I really did. The inebriated igniter laughed in my face. "This is entertainment" he bellowed. I was ignorant; it is his God given right to explode things on this special day. Well, this day as well as New Years Eve, and, oddly, Easter. An older gentleman was there too, grinning and sipping his Budweiser, and then he became very upset when I asked them to stop. I used words like "illegal", "dangerous", and, I'm pretty sure, "rude."
The older gentleman asked me, "how long have you live in this neighborhood?" I had to admit, only twelve years. "Ha! I lived here for 50!"
Oh. But, what does that mean, exactly? You have the right to blow the place up? Catch it on fire? For every decade, the right to break the law a little more? At 75 years, do you have the right to set up a meth lab? At 100, the ability to kill someone with no consequences? Sure, this is a stretch, but maybe not.
I explained that I had called the police (an empty threat, of course. 911 is pretty busy on this night, and living on this cheap side of town means a two hour delay for most calls, with many emergency calls never being answered).
In the end, no one punched me (although there were plenty of threatening gestures and lots of posturing). The fireworks continued, in complete defiance to my ill-considered request. The frequency may have increased (which works in my favor, I think, because they ran out a little sooner than they might otherwise have).
I didn't sleep a wink that night. Between soothing the dogs, waiting for the fireworks to be aimed at my house, and the inevitable (in my mind) vandalism to my house, I was jumpier than Hoover. THAT was July 4, 2009.
Bev, our neighbor, passed away on Monday, July 6th. Tuesday, I left for a road trip to Oregon, where I bought the property we now own in Astoria.
This year? I called the vet on Friday and picked up Doggy Downers for Hoover and CJ, and Rob has sworn to share his Xanax with me. I'll feel successful if I don't wind up down the street confronting the unaccountable, asking for courtesy from the disorderly.
Wish me luck. Next post: Monday July 5th. If this gets to Tuesday and no word from me, call the local Ventura PD!
And happy 4th of July. Ain't no doubt I love this land.
Seems the 'e' goes missing a little. Odd.
We'll just have to see if they can add this laptop to the school network. Seems anything past Windows 95 is suspicious, anything with all these 'bits'-- 64? too many!
But for now, the larger screen is nice, the better sound likewise. The new keyboard, though. A struggle. The O and the E are not playing along. Actually, all the vowels seem shy. Hmm.
But back to the point: My Liberal Dilemma. So, maybe it's Dilemma Sundays?
Today is July Fourth. OK, I really don't like most holidays (don't get me started on Christmas), but I used to like the 4th. In recent years, Rob and I took my mom to the fireworks in town, saw the whole town out there, enjoying the gentle weather (yay California!) and then watching the super patriotic display of the fireworks. Remember, as a Veteran, I pretty much love patriotic displays, as long as it's an 'all of us inclusive' kind of thing. That's the liberal in me coming through, though.
There is a carve out to my patriotism: the song "Proud to be an American." This could be the worst song ever. "Ain't no doubt"? Really. But I digress.
Back to the point. Last year, after the big show, we returned and began calming all three dogs. A challenge. Whoopi, 14 and pretty deaf, sails through. She generally doesn't wake up; sleeps through it all. The well earned rest of the aged.
Hoover, the young dog (four, acts like he's four months), goes predictably crazy. Shakes. Moans. Wails. Hides. Tears around the house like his tail is on fire. Then repeats all of this in three minute cycles. Sigh. CJ (about a year older than Hoovie) follows his lead.
This makes today about the worst day to be a dog. Especially in this neighborhood.
Now, I love this neighborhood- the cheap side of town, high density, low prices, great ocean breezes and even better burritos. Except tonight. It becomes fireworks central. Illegal; fire-danger providing; dog-terrifying; favorite of drunken dads, uncles and grandfathers fireworks. I guess if you drive a few miles inland there is a pipeline that brings artillery from Mexico that has been repurposed into fireworks. I'm not kidding, but I wish I was. Which takes us back to last year.
July 4, 2009. We get home, and begin calming the dogs. It's 9, then 10, then 11 PM. And the fireworks just keep going. Down the street, one street over, a beer-fueled father was setting off missiles. I don't know what else they could be called. In the center of the street is a 6 inch diameter pipe welded to a base plate. Then you set the RPG into the pipe, light the fuse, stagger away to get behind a car that is probably filled with gas, and wait. The rocket ignites, putting to shame every Cape Canaveral launch before Apollo 9. The weapon reaches 30 feet and explodes. The lights are impressive, the sound is deafening, and even more fun is the shrapnel that then falls onto the street, the cars, the houses and the dry dry hillside. It sounds like hard, hot metal rain.
How do I know? Because last year I waited until 11 PM, then walked down the street to 186 Leighton Street to ask Mr. Drunken Patriotism to pack it in. No, really, I'm that stupid.
(I'm providing the address this year because if the same thing happens this year, and I go missing, then it is up to YOU, loyal readers, to avenge me. Don't scoff!)
Last year our next door neighbor was in the last few days of her life. She was home, the hospice folks were there, and her family was sitting vigil. They were waiting for her to pass gently. And in the middle of this, we have a thousand dollars of pure pyrotechnic glory up the street. Did the neighbors complain? Nope. But I did.
In I went, cell phone in hand. I did ask nicely, I really did. The inebriated igniter laughed in my face. "This is entertainment" he bellowed. I was ignorant; it is his God given right to explode things on this special day. Well, this day as well as New Years Eve, and, oddly, Easter. An older gentleman was there too, grinning and sipping his Budweiser, and then he became very upset when I asked them to stop. I used words like "illegal", "dangerous", and, I'm pretty sure, "rude."
The older gentleman asked me, "how long have you live in this neighborhood?" I had to admit, only twelve years. "Ha! I lived here for 50!"
Oh. But, what does that mean, exactly? You have the right to blow the place up? Catch it on fire? For every decade, the right to break the law a little more? At 75 years, do you have the right to set up a meth lab? At 100, the ability to kill someone with no consequences? Sure, this is a stretch, but maybe not.
I explained that I had called the police (an empty threat, of course. 911 is pretty busy on this night, and living on this cheap side of town means a two hour delay for most calls, with many emergency calls never being answered).
In the end, no one punched me (although there were plenty of threatening gestures and lots of posturing). The fireworks continued, in complete defiance to my ill-considered request. The frequency may have increased (which works in my favor, I think, because they ran out a little sooner than they might otherwise have).
I didn't sleep a wink that night. Between soothing the dogs, waiting for the fireworks to be aimed at my house, and the inevitable (in my mind) vandalism to my house, I was jumpier than Hoover. THAT was July 4, 2009.
Bev, our neighbor, passed away on Monday, July 6th. Tuesday, I left for a road trip to Oregon, where I bought the property we now own in Astoria.
This year? I called the vet on Friday and picked up Doggy Downers for Hoover and CJ, and Rob has sworn to share his Xanax with me. I'll feel successful if I don't wind up down the street confronting the unaccountable, asking for courtesy from the disorderly.
Wish me luck. Next post: Monday July 5th. If this gets to Tuesday and no word from me, call the local Ventura PD!
And happy 4th of July. Ain't no doubt I love this land.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
To: for Tuesday, a day late
Sorry for the delay- just back from the New Mexico wedding. It was fun, but odd that our friends the devout Baptists didn't check to see that the Santa Fe Gay Pride celebration was the same weekend as their big day. Rob and I enjoyed bouncing back and forth between the two groups, but I don't think our experience was typical of the other wedding guests...
And here are the To:'s for Tuesday, from the trip.
To: proVision
From: Factory Upgraded Traveler
THANKS, proVision, for the spiffy new technology at the airport. This is the first time in three years that I didn't have to suffer the pat-down search because of my titanium knee. This is a VERY welcome change.
Of course, having to empty my pockets of EVERYTHING, and then hold my hands over my head , crossed, like I'm about to be trampled by Godzilla (or, possibly, supplication to a great power) is a little akward. And knowing the that the micro-technology that scans me and then stores my file and probably sends it up somwhere on the internet (oh, PLEASE not YouTube) showing off what a life of dissipation looks like; knowing that is a little spooky. But, like many, a few minutes saved is worth lots of embarrassment and a total forfeit of a few rights to privacy.
Now, my fear? If you do store these scans, will the system compare each scan with the new scan? Becuase frankly, if the system croaks out "getting a little wider around the belt line" or "lay off the nachos" each time I enter the scanner (designed to look a lot like a salad spinner) it might lose its charm. Especially if it scans at the start, and end, of the vacation. Spooky.
What about purchasing the scans? If I'm traqveling with my Journalism students to a conference, can I get a print out of who is carrying what? THAT might be useful. On second thought, that might provide WAY to much information.
So, thanks again for the technology and the speedy way it gets me through security.
To: Eske's Brew Pub (Taos), and Kelly's (Albuquerque) and Second Street Brew Pub (Santa Fe)
From: Better Living Through Beer
Thanks, for everything. No, two pints IS the new one pint. I swear.
To: The Two Ladies with their Four Foster Children
From: The Guys at the Other Table
LOVED getting to know you two. Thanks for proving that families come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Fostering four young boys is a challenge I can't imagine.
You have no idea how much I wanted to shoot the straw paper from MY straw, too. Maybe someday I'll grow up enough to be a kid again. When that day comes around, I'm going to enjoy myself as much as your sons. Until then, I'll be remembering them laughing and smiling and having a great time with thier moms, watching the folks from the Pride parade drifting by the big wide windows.
Thanks for giving of yourselves and doing something that I could never do. Lunch was our pleasure!
To: Michael Reynolds, of Earthship and the Greater World Community
From: Intrigued Architecture Buff
Thanks for the great experience, wandering through the Earthship just outside Taos. The building speaks for itself- WOW! Sustainable is great, but selling it through the idea of "no power bills, water bills, etc." THAT's pretty bright.
I might slap a big sticker on the whole thing that says "OK'd for the Middle Class!" or possible "you don't have to be a hippie to live here," but I digress.
Beautiful buildings, nicely presented. I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a community that might not appreciate my leather tennis shoes, or my deep rooted need for a washing machine. But, maybe someday?
In the mean time, let's get to work on a solar clothes washer, solar dishwasher, and why not a solar AGA stove/oven? Just thinking here.
And here are the To:'s for Tuesday, from the trip.
To: proVision
From: Factory Upgraded Traveler
THANKS, proVision, for the spiffy new technology at the airport. This is the first time in three years that I didn't have to suffer the pat-down search because of my titanium knee. This is a VERY welcome change.
Of course, having to empty my pockets of EVERYTHING, and then hold my hands over my head , crossed, like I'm about to be trampled by Godzilla (or, possibly, supplication to a great power) is a little akward. And knowing the that the micro-technology that scans me and then stores my file and probably sends it up somwhere on the internet (oh, PLEASE not YouTube) showing off what a life of dissipation looks like; knowing that is a little spooky. But, like many, a few minutes saved is worth lots of embarrassment and a total forfeit of a few rights to privacy.
Now, my fear? If you do store these scans, will the system compare each scan with the new scan? Becuase frankly, if the system croaks out "getting a little wider around the belt line" or "lay off the nachos" each time I enter the scanner (designed to look a lot like a salad spinner) it might lose its charm. Especially if it scans at the start, and end, of the vacation. Spooky.
What about purchasing the scans? If I'm traqveling with my Journalism students to a conference, can I get a print out of who is carrying what? THAT might be useful. On second thought, that might provide WAY to much information.
So, thanks again for the technology and the speedy way it gets me through security.
To: Eske's Brew Pub (Taos), and Kelly's (Albuquerque) and Second Street Brew Pub (Santa Fe)
From: Better Living Through Beer
Thanks, for everything. No, two pints IS the new one pint. I swear.
To: The Two Ladies with their Four Foster Children
From: The Guys at the Other Table
LOVED getting to know you two. Thanks for proving that families come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Fostering four young boys is a challenge I can't imagine.
You have no idea how much I wanted to shoot the straw paper from MY straw, too. Maybe someday I'll grow up enough to be a kid again. When that day comes around, I'm going to enjoy myself as much as your sons. Until then, I'll be remembering them laughing and smiling and having a great time with thier moms, watching the folks from the Pride parade drifting by the big wide windows.
Thanks for giving of yourselves and doing something that I could never do. Lunch was our pleasure!
To: Michael Reynolds, of Earthship and the Greater World Community
From: Intrigued Architecture Buff
Thanks for the great experience, wandering through the Earthship just outside Taos. The building speaks for itself- WOW! Sustainable is great, but selling it through the idea of "no power bills, water bills, etc." THAT's pretty bright.
I might slap a big sticker on the whole thing that says "OK'd for the Middle Class!" or possible "you don't have to be a hippie to live here," but I digress.
Beautiful buildings, nicely presented. I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a community that might not appreciate my leather tennis shoes, or my deep rooted need for a washing machine. But, maybe someday?
In the mean time, let's get to work on a solar clothes washer, solar dishwasher, and why not a solar AGA stove/oven? Just thinking here.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
'To' for Tuesday
Welcome to 'To' for Tuesday-
Today (and all the other Tuesdays I can manage) will be a celebration of the letters we'd like to write if only people would read them, and take the well meaning, measured advice, to heart.
I mean, really, this is well thought out stuff!
-
To: The High School Staff
From: Your Yearbook Adviser
Welcome back to school!
It's going to be a GREAT YEAR! Forget all about last year, we have 180 days (well, a few less due to furlough days) to make things great! Let's commit TODAY to working together to make this years Yearbook, the 2011 Beige and Gray, the Best Book Ever!
Here are a few gentle reminders and guidelines for you to commit to memory and comply with. Our book is only as good as our content, and you and your students are part of our content, so we all share this responsibility!
Your classes:
Today (and all the other Tuesdays I can manage) will be a celebration of the letters we'd like to write if only people would read them, and take the well meaning, measured advice, to heart.
I mean, really, this is well thought out stuff!
-
To: The High School Staff
From: Your Yearbook Adviser
Welcome back to school!
It's going to be a GREAT YEAR! Forget all about last year, we have 180 days (well, a few less due to furlough days) to make things great! Let's commit TODAY to working together to make this years Yearbook, the 2011 Beige and Gray, the Best Book Ever!
Here are a few gentle reminders and guidelines for you to commit to memory and comply with. Our book is only as good as our content, and you and your students are part of our content, so we all share this responsibility!
Your classes:
- If possible, please have interesting and engaging things happening during 4th period, the yearbook period. We frequently come into classes and the students are working away on some educational activity- BORING. We need excitement! We need color!
- FIRE is always a big hit. Foods and Chemistry classes have an advantage here, but there is no reason to not include flames/fire into a math lesson, English essay, etc. Be creative, people. Flaming jump-ropes in PE? Flambe' in French II? That's the spirit!
- Attractive students make for better images. Of course we all love all the students equally, but really, there are beauty winners and beauty losers. If possible, cluster the pretty students toward the front (a wide aperture will blur the less fortunate to a homey, homely, less shocking background)
- Candids are gold! But, let's not get crazy here. Candids can look a little, well, disgusting. Unkempt hair, authentic facial expressions, unblended eye-shadow: these may be great on National Geographic television, but not for OUR book. Remember, we have no idea which classes we will pop in to, which would make it almost impossible to prepare. So, this year, we will send out a yearbook staffer (a drone; or in the vernacular, a 'freshman') 10 minutes before we 'pop' in unannounced. Take the time to spruce up yourself and your students (not YOU, Mr. Suave, you're always a dream). Check hair, teeth, blemishes, birth-defects, unattractive health-care equipment. This is a team effort, after all.
Clubs
- Please have all of your students present every meeting. It's SO frustrating to swing by to that one meeting, on that one day, and have the club president absent for some emergency surgery. Encourage your students to stop thinking just of themselves, and think more about the yearbook. After all, which will look better in 20 years? You see my point.
- For 2011, we are 'switching it up' a little. Festive, attractive clubs have earned a double page spread each. Time management is difficult; taking the extra time to get highlights and extensions, making the extra effort for killer abs and perky pecs, suffering perpetual teeth whitening for that dazzling smile needs to be rewarded. Therefore, all clubs that just sit around raising money for the poor, the unfortunate, the ill and the unpopular will be moved to the index.
- Uniforms, Club T-shirts and spirit wear must be approved through our Director of Visuals and Apparel. Let's not repeat last year's "plaid-tastrophe"- you know who I'm talking about, Junior Statesmen.
Sports
- Maybe we'll go to playoffs, maybe not. But we can still LOOK like champs! Twenty years from now, no one will remember if we won, or lost, or were disqualified for breaking antiquated pharmacology rules. Encourage your students to attend, and cheer, for every level, every sport and every game. Striking photos include tears, shrieks, conniptions and fits. A few high-caffeine and sugar 'energy' drinks might help.
- Injuries are tragic, but visually stunning! Remember the compound fracture on the football field in 2008? Moments like that don't happen by accident. Coaches are encouraged to remove spikes from cleats, oil the gym floor for basketball and volleyball, raise those hurdles just a few millimeters higher than standard, etc. These kids are surprisingly resilient. What means more, a moment of bone-crushing, career-ending agony or being immortalized in the yearbook? Thought so.
- The cheerleaders are a surprising problem. They are just too attractive (well, almost all of them). In a nod to our multi-culturalism, I have asked the cheer coach to clad the girls in burkas. It adds a hint of mystery, and sets the bar so much lower for the dance team, the hip-hop team, and the female members of the faculty.
- The scoreboard operator has agreed to reset the boards at the end of each game to a winning score. Please have all the athletes who are still ambulatory cluster under the board, thumbs up, for the last shot of the game.
Faculty Portraits
- Contrary to the rumors, we WILL be taking the faculty portraits. However, we won't be using them. Each teacher's portrait will be substituted with the image of a soap-opera actor or actress from an obscure country (Guatemala, Ukraine, Canada, Asia, Montana). PE teachers can substitute players from the WNBA or National Soccer Leagues.
Deadlines
- This year, we hope to sweep the awards categories (see below). To accomplish this, we need to submit the book a little earlier to ensure high quality printing in the 3-D sections, adequate time to embed the Alma Mater song-microchip into the cover, and retouch all the unfortunate photos. So, we must submit the final of the book by the second week of school to Herf-walwOr-joST-TayLor (AKA HOSTL). Thus:
- Week 1: Homecoming, Senior Ball, Fall and Winter Sports, Food Faire
- Week 2: Spring Sports, Talent Show, Blood Drives I, II and III, Candids, Prom, Graduation
Distribution
- Never to early to start planning! Students who have purchased a book will be corralled in the gym. When I shoot the starter's pistol, all students will then run to the cafeteria to claim their book. To save money, we will only print half of the number of books ordered.
- Students who still have fines or fees, or unserved detentions, or parking violations, or unreturned textbooks, or costs at the cafeteria, or a dirty locker, or once parked over the line in the parking lot, or did not return a borrowed pencil, will have their yearbooks remotely detonated. This obliterates both the book and the problem.
Awards
Everyone likes to win; we strive to dominate. The yearbook is only as good as a far-away, obscure panel of judges decides it is.
Our favored categories for this year's ImplantedDefibrilator contest? Glad you asked!
- Most Text on a Page
- Still More Text on a Page
- My Goodness Thats a Lot of Text on Only One Page
- One Really Big Picture with Overprinted Text
- Photoshop Filter Faux-Pas
- Non-Sequitor Captioning
- Putting the Ew in Lewd
- Murky Lurkers in The Background
- Popular With The Judges But Sold At A Loss
- Typo Hawl of Faem
- Giddy Grids & OCD Layouts: The Straight and Narrow
- I Didn't Know Photos Came in Those Shapes
- Every Font, Every Page, Every Time
- Don't Rain on My Clip Art Parade
- Obscure Club/Sports Coverage
- Photoshopped to Phabulous
- I Can See Your Wingding
- Unflattering Angle/Lighting
- Senior Superlatives Slander-Palooza
- Whoops- Were You Eating?
- Wrestling Pictures That Don't Make Us Feel Awkward
- It's a Trend If We say It Is
- Wait! Deadline was Today? (Procrastination-Nation)
- Nightmare On Tenure Street: What Prior Review Didn't Catch
- When Stock Covers are Good Enough for Us
- Whatever: Freshmen Coverage
- Lighten Up: The Kids Who Wear Black All Day Every Day
Thanks for reading to the end!
Remember, without you, the yearbook would just be a well-run, very organized collection of signature pages with a sprinkling of internet photos and an inaccurate index.
Monday, June 21, 2010
More Monday
My wonderful sister asked a few weeks ago how the blog was going. Oh, my silence was a little painful.
So, we're back.
Summer is here, the living is easy and cosy and nice and a little caffeinated. A great mix.
The year ended well- the yearbook was a success, made $5k in a down economy (yay!) and the paper was well received, even after the sex survey debacle (waiting to hear more on that, I suppose). the kids were very happy with their product, I am very proud of them, and it all came together. Even when it seemed like it may not, it did. Amazing.
And tomorrow I start with the first of my architecture classes at the community college. Exciting.
So, that's what has happened, but here's the crux of this whole thing. My sister recommended themes for the days. She's pretty bright, that one. Writing prompts. Like, I dunno, maybe as an English teacher I could have come up with these? Maybe. Sigh.
More Mondays- what would YOU like more of? what would I like more of?
I'd like a few more days like the last day of school, and graduation. It's a GREAT day for most. Smiles all around. The students stomp their way through the ceremony, I get to photograph the whole thing and make the photos available at the school website (VenturaHS.com). So, more of that, please.
I'd like more less neck. Odd? Well, I had neck surgery in December to reduce the swelling from the exploded lymph node years back, and it seems the neck swelling it back. Not as bad, but dang. It happens, I guess, but losing weight and having a size 19 neck, well. Not so fun. So more less neck please.
I'd love more sunny and overcast days. LOVE these summer days of doing very little, fog burning off in the mornings just as the caffeine kicks in. THAT's nice.
More jobs for new teachers, if possible. It's funny, this year for the first time in a while I realize I'm just as concerned for the new teachers in our district as I am for the graduating seniors. Talking to Robbie last night, it became ever more clear that I am in a great mid-point of my teaching career. I love what has brought me here, and am looking forward to the next 15 years until I retire. Thinking of all the things I can accomplish, all the things my students will be teaching me in the coming years- it's exciting.
However (but can be such an ugly word), I realized that because I spent the first 18 years of my life being ignored, I have spent the last 18 years of my life paying attention. I had little voice, so I have made it my priority to provide a voice to the students. For years, I had to listen to them, and give them the forum to speak out. I'm thinking maybe I couldn't help it.
Times change, and we change with them. At this point for me, I have spent so much time listening and forcing others to listen to students that it has become fundamental to my life. So, while I may not support student press for the same reasons, I think I'm entering a point in my life where I support it more vehemently for better reasons. Instead of having to because of my personal history, now I want to because of the value it provides. weird.
Doing the right thing for a personal reason leads to doing the right things for the right reason. A friend's comment floats through all of this- "fake it 'til you make it.'
One of the other advisers in the district commented on how much I trust the students to make the right decision. I realized the error in that. I don't trust the students too much, but I may trust the educators too little. More thinking on that, please.
Launching an investigation into Architecture gives me a little more distance. That'll be nice. Let's see where that goes.
Well, that's a lot for a Monday!
So, we're back.
Summer is here, the living is easy and cosy and nice and a little caffeinated. A great mix.
The year ended well- the yearbook was a success, made $5k in a down economy (yay!) and the paper was well received, even after the sex survey debacle (waiting to hear more on that, I suppose). the kids were very happy with their product, I am very proud of them, and it all came together. Even when it seemed like it may not, it did. Amazing.
And tomorrow I start with the first of my architecture classes at the community college. Exciting.
So, that's what has happened, but here's the crux of this whole thing. My sister recommended themes for the days. She's pretty bright, that one. Writing prompts. Like, I dunno, maybe as an English teacher I could have come up with these? Maybe. Sigh.
More Mondays- what would YOU like more of? what would I like more of?
I'd like a few more days like the last day of school, and graduation. It's a GREAT day for most. Smiles all around. The students stomp their way through the ceremony, I get to photograph the whole thing and make the photos available at the school website (VenturaHS.com). So, more of that, please.
I'd like more less neck. Odd? Well, I had neck surgery in December to reduce the swelling from the exploded lymph node years back, and it seems the neck swelling it back. Not as bad, but dang. It happens, I guess, but losing weight and having a size 19 neck, well. Not so fun. So more less neck please.
I'd love more sunny and overcast days. LOVE these summer days of doing very little, fog burning off in the mornings just as the caffeine kicks in. THAT's nice.
More jobs for new teachers, if possible. It's funny, this year for the first time in a while I realize I'm just as concerned for the new teachers in our district as I am for the graduating seniors. Talking to Robbie last night, it became ever more clear that I am in a great mid-point of my teaching career. I love what has brought me here, and am looking forward to the next 15 years until I retire. Thinking of all the things I can accomplish, all the things my students will be teaching me in the coming years- it's exciting.
However (but can be such an ugly word), I realized that because I spent the first 18 years of my life being ignored, I have spent the last 18 years of my life paying attention. I had little voice, so I have made it my priority to provide a voice to the students. For years, I had to listen to them, and give them the forum to speak out. I'm thinking maybe I couldn't help it.
Times change, and we change with them. At this point for me, I have spent so much time listening and forcing others to listen to students that it has become fundamental to my life. So, while I may not support student press for the same reasons, I think I'm entering a point in my life where I support it more vehemently for better reasons. Instead of having to because of my personal history, now I want to because of the value it provides. weird.
Doing the right thing for a personal reason leads to doing the right things for the right reason. A friend's comment floats through all of this- "fake it 'til you make it.'
One of the other advisers in the district commented on how much I trust the students to make the right decision. I realized the error in that. I don't trust the students too much, but I may trust the educators too little. More thinking on that, please.
Launching an investigation into Architecture gives me a little more distance. That'll be nice. Let's see where that goes.
Well, that's a lot for a Monday!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Oops
Kind of thought I was only a week late- not two weeks.
I can blame school, but...
May is beautiful here- sunny, a little foggy, and very nice when the East winds don't blow. Sinuses acting up when that happens, but otherwise dong great.
Well, I guess I'll let you be the judge of that.
Last week I sent a student to the office because he didn't have a pencil or any paper, and couldn't be bothered to ask for any. Really. Now, years ago I swore that when that day came, I would know it was over.
And then the day came.
But, well, I don't think it's all that crazy. The kid in question has issues (mildly stated) and if a 17 year old can't muster the energy to come minimally prepared? Seems to me, these days, that the kid needs help.
Otherwise;
My niece loved the quilt I made, the pens for my students are going well, and my sister made it home safe and sound. It's GREAT.
I can blame school, but...
May is beautiful here- sunny, a little foggy, and very nice when the East winds don't blow. Sinuses acting up when that happens, but otherwise dong great.
Well, I guess I'll let you be the judge of that.
Last week I sent a student to the office because he didn't have a pencil or any paper, and couldn't be bothered to ask for any. Really. Now, years ago I swore that when that day came, I would know it was over.
And then the day came.
But, well, I don't think it's all that crazy. The kid in question has issues (mildly stated) and if a 17 year old can't muster the energy to come minimally prepared? Seems to me, these days, that the kid needs help.
Otherwise;
My niece loved the quilt I made, the pens for my students are going well, and my sister made it home safe and sound. It's GREAT.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A Week Later, or not dropping the L bomb
Since the last episode:
The district may or may not have recovered the data.
Two colleagues and I presented to the school board about the problem (THEY we eloquent, me... not so much).
Classes chug along and now the district wants to talk about the advertising policy.
Yay?
Hmm.
Headache, a little tired, but still doing ok- hoping to smooth sail right out of the week and into a restful weekend. More stitching, less bitching. Possible?
We'll see.
More soon.
The district may or may not have recovered the data.
Two colleagues and I presented to the school board about the problem (THEY we eloquent, me... not so much).
Classes chug along and now the district wants to talk about the advertising policy.
Yay?
Hmm.
Headache, a little tired, but still doing ok- hoping to smooth sail right out of the week and into a restful weekend. More stitching, less bitching. Possible?
We'll see.
More soon.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
So I said to myself, Mabel I says,
Beware.
Just realizing that when I decided to take the plunge and start up a blog, I thought- what do I have to write about?
And about the same time, the server at school crashed. Hard.
And all the data is gone. Years of work. Student work. Disappeared.
The district explained that we don't back up the data. Ever. Other data, but not teacher or student or site data. Ok.
As a person who is somewhat technical (more in the past, less these days, soon a luddite with a kerosene lamp and a butter churn, but that's in the future), people have come to me and asked about the technical problems. In the middle of class, break, lunch, afterschool, texting me, etc. And for each, I get to explain, in comforting yet horrifying words, yes- all your data from the last five years is gone. And when the district personnel TOLD you it was BEING BACKED UP, and IT WAS SAFE, they were saying- well.
So I said to myself, Mabel I says, this is bad. Bad for teachers, students, admin, assistants. Awful.
But also this week my sister is off to Africa- UGANDA, to work with orphans and try to make the world a great place. She's like that, my sister. And I didn't tell her, but I am TERRIFIED for her. I looked up Uganda to get a read on the current situation, etc. and became a little short of breath.
This week, and next, I'm just humming a happy tune and trusting she'll be OK. She's in a more dire place than I am.
Also, a teacher on a listserve wrote to share about the death of a former student; gone at 23 from cancer. They're in a more dire place than I am.
Soldiering on- not my best skill, but one I'm going to try for the rest of this week (one day, OK...).
I do wonder- if I hadn't wondered what to write about, would I have so much to write about? I am living in interesting times...
Good news? Loving GoogleDocs for the Journo workload. THAT's cool. Wrote a page to upload the digital photography images, so the students can upload their photos from home. THAT's cool, too.
Ruthless Enthusiasm. Worth it.
Just realizing that when I decided to take the plunge and start up a blog, I thought- what do I have to write about?
And about the same time, the server at school crashed. Hard.
And all the data is gone. Years of work. Student work. Disappeared.
The district explained that we don't back up the data. Ever. Other data, but not teacher or student or site data. Ok.
As a person who is somewhat technical (more in the past, less these days, soon a luddite with a kerosene lamp and a butter churn, but that's in the future), people have come to me and asked about the technical problems. In the middle of class, break, lunch, afterschool, texting me, etc. And for each, I get to explain, in comforting yet horrifying words, yes- all your data from the last five years is gone. And when the district personnel TOLD you it was BEING BACKED UP, and IT WAS SAFE, they were saying- well.
So I said to myself, Mabel I says, this is bad. Bad for teachers, students, admin, assistants. Awful.
But also this week my sister is off to Africa- UGANDA, to work with orphans and try to make the world a great place. She's like that, my sister. And I didn't tell her, but I am TERRIFIED for her. I looked up Uganda to get a read on the current situation, etc. and became a little short of breath.
This week, and next, I'm just humming a happy tune and trusting she'll be OK. She's in a more dire place than I am.
Also, a teacher on a listserve wrote to share about the death of a former student; gone at 23 from cancer. They're in a more dire place than I am.
Soldiering on- not my best skill, but one I'm going to try for the rest of this week (one day, OK...).
I do wonder- if I hadn't wondered what to write about, would I have so much to write about? I am living in interesting times...
Good news? Loving GoogleDocs for the Journo workload. THAT's cool. Wrote a page to upload the digital photography images, so the students can upload their photos from home. THAT's cool, too.
Ruthless Enthusiasm. Worth it.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Catastrophe; Day of Silence; NewSchool
Best of times, worst of times?
Good news:
The Day of Silence was a hit! 100 T-shirts (hand stencilled by tolerance loving students!) went quickly, the 500 red wrist bands were a hit, the balloon arch was wonderful and it went over great. Luckily, because this GSA advisor was down in San Diego doing a walk through of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design on the big day.
NewSchool is a wonderful little (600 student) architecture school in the heart of San Diego (the trolley splits the campus). The main building is the old "Hang Ten" warehouse building (if you remember Hang Ten- I do, loved my terrycloth shirt. Missing it right now!).
NewSchool wins awards and is known for their intense students and focus- now they are adding a Digital Media Arts program (just right for my Digital Photography kids, I think). I've always wanted to be an architect, so finding out about the masters program was cool, too.
Rob and I stayed at the Britt Scripps Inn- a B&B that was very affordable, wonderfully done, right in the big middle of everything, and a great choice if you're visiting San Diego. The breakfasts are excellent- Rob recommends the colossal delightful bathtub.
The Catastrophe?
Our common drive went down over Spring Break at the school. So, all the teacher (and student, and administrator, and office personnel) data is gone. It wasn't backed up.
It just wasn't. Our technology department has told the staff that the server was 'safe', but it turns out that they knew the drive wasn't backed up. There was 'too much data' on the server to back up. So, the more we used it, the more we came to rely on it, the less safe it was.
Our school uses 'thin clients'; basically terminals that have the processing done on the thin client server. The only way to save anything is on the common drive. And, you guessed it, that was the drive that disappeared.
Teacher's whole worlds were stored, and lost. Lessons, tests, finals, PowerPoint's, video and audio for classes, prep for state testing, letters of recommendations- and so much more. Gone. We did what was asked of us, trusted the technology department, and we are now lost.
Student work also disappeared- college essays, portfolios of work for the year or all four years, etc. Gone.
Admin is also lost. I could go on, but I get a little panicky when I think about it. And more than a little angry. I'm really trying to keep this from being a rant about what goes wrong. Sometimes that's more of a challenge- today we'll see how I do.
There seems to be very little value placed on teacher product. Or, to be fair, our Technology Department appears to be out of touch with the importance of teacher work. Those files, gathered through the years, are our tools. We can't do our best work without these files- these tools. Taking away the hammer from the carpenter (or the scalpel from the surgeon) and expecting them to be as effective would be ridiculous.
The network, and the data ARE the curriculum these days. Teaching our students in this contemporary world requires these tools- stable and available. Yet, our technology department appears to feel that, while their data (which IS backed up) is important, our (and the students) is not important, and therefore can be lost.
There are industry standards for data security and recovery; our district didn't follow them. Now, the work is lost; hours are lost. No one, as yet, has stepped up to take responsibility for the loss. Or to propose compensation.
This has brought to light a fundamental misunderstanding about what teachers do, why it might be important, and why it might be valuable.
I really do hope the data is recovered- the drive has been at a data recovery specialist for going on a week now. A new drive is on its way to school- to be installed at some point.
Lost forever, I'm afraid, is the trust for the technology department. Lost also is a little more respect for the district- if this is how much they respect the teachers, if this is how they safeguard our hard work, if this is the plan for ensuring a functioning work environment... Disappointing.
Thanks for reading- I'll keep you updated. Sigh.
Good news:
The Day of Silence was a hit! 100 T-shirts (hand stencilled by tolerance loving students!) went quickly, the 500 red wrist bands were a hit, the balloon arch was wonderful and it went over great. Luckily, because this GSA advisor was down in San Diego doing a walk through of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design on the big day.
NewSchool is a wonderful little (600 student) architecture school in the heart of San Diego (the trolley splits the campus). The main building is the old "Hang Ten" warehouse building (if you remember Hang Ten- I do, loved my terrycloth shirt. Missing it right now!).
NewSchool wins awards and is known for their intense students and focus- now they are adding a Digital Media Arts program (just right for my Digital Photography kids, I think). I've always wanted to be an architect, so finding out about the masters program was cool, too.
Rob and I stayed at the Britt Scripps Inn- a B&B that was very affordable, wonderfully done, right in the big middle of everything, and a great choice if you're visiting San Diego. The breakfasts are excellent- Rob recommends the colossal delightful bathtub.
The Catastrophe?
Our common drive went down over Spring Break at the school. So, all the teacher (and student, and administrator, and office personnel) data is gone. It wasn't backed up.
It just wasn't. Our technology department has told the staff that the server was 'safe', but it turns out that they knew the drive wasn't backed up. There was 'too much data' on the server to back up. So, the more we used it, the more we came to rely on it, the less safe it was.
Our school uses 'thin clients'; basically terminals that have the processing done on the thin client server. The only way to save anything is on the common drive. And, you guessed it, that was the drive that disappeared.
Teacher's whole worlds were stored, and lost. Lessons, tests, finals, PowerPoint's, video and audio for classes, prep for state testing, letters of recommendations- and so much more. Gone. We did what was asked of us, trusted the technology department, and we are now lost.
Student work also disappeared- college essays, portfolios of work for the year or all four years, etc. Gone.
Admin is also lost. I could go on, but I get a little panicky when I think about it. And more than a little angry. I'm really trying to keep this from being a rant about what goes wrong. Sometimes that's more of a challenge- today we'll see how I do.
There seems to be very little value placed on teacher product. Or, to be fair, our Technology Department appears to be out of touch with the importance of teacher work. Those files, gathered through the years, are our tools. We can't do our best work without these files- these tools. Taking away the hammer from the carpenter (or the scalpel from the surgeon) and expecting them to be as effective would be ridiculous.
The network, and the data ARE the curriculum these days. Teaching our students in this contemporary world requires these tools- stable and available. Yet, our technology department appears to feel that, while their data (which IS backed up) is important, our (and the students) is not important, and therefore can be lost.
There are industry standards for data security and recovery; our district didn't follow them. Now, the work is lost; hours are lost. No one, as yet, has stepped up to take responsibility for the loss. Or to propose compensation.
This has brought to light a fundamental misunderstanding about what teachers do, why it might be important, and why it might be valuable.
I really do hope the data is recovered- the drive has been at a data recovery specialist for going on a week now. A new drive is on its way to school- to be installed at some point.
Lost forever, I'm afraid, is the trust for the technology department. Lost also is a little more respect for the district- if this is how much they respect the teachers, if this is how they safeguard our hard work, if this is the plan for ensuring a functioning work environment... Disappointing.
Thanks for reading- I'll keep you updated. Sigh.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday
Nice to keep up here. I've been trying for a while to get back in the habit of writing.
Perfect Saturday here- warm, sunny, breeze, excellent. Really nice, it's going to be difficult to learn to love Astoria and it's rain. But, by then, maybe I'll be ready. And, unless I get a whole new dermis, the idea of a little less sun on my easy-to-burn skin isn't a bad idea. We'll just have to see, won't we?
Franken-dog (Whoopi) doing better- still moving slowly and keeping herself quiet. Nice to have her better, when any of the dogs are down it just breaks my heart. A great reason to have dogs instead of kids, though. Actual kids of my own? My heart would never stop breaking.
Playing a little with fabric embellishments. Today is dye-na-flow and neopaque testing on muslin. Fun! Excellent to have the time to play around before the school machine turns back on and my every extra thought is school related. Will I ever get a clue and work less? Maybe. Or, maybe I'll lust try to retire early! And we're back to Astoria, Oregon.
Off to play with paint!
Perfect Saturday here- warm, sunny, breeze, excellent. Really nice, it's going to be difficult to learn to love Astoria and it's rain. But, by then, maybe I'll be ready. And, unless I get a whole new dermis, the idea of a little less sun on my easy-to-burn skin isn't a bad idea. We'll just have to see, won't we?
Franken-dog (Whoopi) doing better- still moving slowly and keeping herself quiet. Nice to have her better, when any of the dogs are down it just breaks my heart. A great reason to have dogs instead of kids, though. Actual kids of my own? My heart would never stop breaking.
Playing a little with fabric embellishments. Today is dye-na-flow and neopaque testing on muslin. Fun! Excellent to have the time to play around before the school machine turns back on and my every extra thought is school related. Will I ever get a clue and work less? Maybe. Or, maybe I'll lust try to retire early! And we're back to Astoria, Oregon.
Off to play with paint!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Friday!
Spring Break coming to a close, a little sorry but happy to get back to work, too.
Nice to love my job.
New sewing machine came- awesome. Commerical Singer that sews super fast- yay! It's a little thing, but great for me as I find the stitches can't come fast enough when I'm peicing. But of course I'm talking to the choir on this one- you feel the same, right?
Whoopi (older dog; sweetness) had surgery today. De-lumped. As a lab, she grows lumps like crazy. A little spooky, though, having our 13 year old dog go under the knife. The good news? Only fat lumps, nothing more serious. Whew.
Got lots of supplies for the coming weeks- things to work on, things to read about, so with the last few crazy weeks of school I can keep busy. Yay? I think so.
OK, so that's enough interesting stuff for today, I guess. Whee! Two more days of break! Oh, and dinner with Mom tomorrow.
Nice to love my job.
New sewing machine came- awesome. Commerical Singer that sews super fast- yay! It's a little thing, but great for me as I find the stitches can't come fast enough when I'm peicing. But of course I'm talking to the choir on this one- you feel the same, right?
Whoopi (older dog; sweetness) had surgery today. De-lumped. As a lab, she grows lumps like crazy. A little spooky, though, having our 13 year old dog go under the knife. The good news? Only fat lumps, nothing more serious. Whew.
Got lots of supplies for the coming weeks- things to work on, things to read about, so with the last few crazy weeks of school I can keep busy. Yay? I think so.
OK, so that's enough interesting stuff for today, I guess. Whee! Two more days of break! Oh, and dinner with Mom tomorrow.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Day One
Howdy.
I've been meaning to set up a blog for a while- a year or so, in fact. Today's a good day- Spring Break, a cancelled doctors appointment for my mom gives me a little free time before I zoom down to LA for some shopping, and it just seems like a good day.
"Nother Day"
When I was growing up, years ago, in Oregon, my brother and I shared a stuffed dog. We already had one or two stuffed dogs- and when we got another one, we named it "nother dog." Of course, the first stuffed dog was no big deal, nor all the others. But Nother Dog, he (or she- we were very young and not that gender-concerned or aware, I guess) became THE stuffed animal of choice. And of course, the more one brother wanted it, the more valuable it became to the other brother. For years (honestly, still) we battled over Nother Dog.
I have Nother Dog's ear. Maybe I can clone him? I think my brother has the rest of Nother Dog.
'Nother Day' is a way to remember how valuable something can be, even when you have more than one.
A little biographical info: I'm 43; a Journalism, Yearbook and Photography teacher in Ventura, CA. I work at Ventura High School (go Cougars!).
For the last few years I've been married to my husband Rob- we've been together for 22 years now; we met in the US Navy- we worked on the same submarine (the USS Francis Scott Key- long since chopped into razor blades). Our long courtship is because it was only legal for us to marry a few years ago. And now it's illegal again. Makes me feel a little scandalous.
It's Spring Break here- a beautiful Thursday with temps in the 70s, light breeze and so much sun that the roses in the back yard are exploding. It's the kind of day that says 'optimism' and that's a great day for starting a blog, I think.
My goal? Posting weekly, maybe more often as I can, less often when school gets busy. We'll see how I do. If you're reading this? Keep me honest, I guess.
I don't hope my blog becomes a book, magazine, film, miniseries, recipe, clothing line, reason for tea partiers to attack with pitchforks and torches. I do hope it helps me to organize my thoughts and improve my writing. I really do enjoy writing.
Off to LA now- thanks for reading.
I've been meaning to set up a blog for a while- a year or so, in fact. Today's a good day- Spring Break, a cancelled doctors appointment for my mom gives me a little free time before I zoom down to LA for some shopping, and it just seems like a good day.
"Nother Day"
When I was growing up, years ago, in Oregon, my brother and I shared a stuffed dog. We already had one or two stuffed dogs- and when we got another one, we named it "nother dog." Of course, the first stuffed dog was no big deal, nor all the others. But Nother Dog, he (or she- we were very young and not that gender-concerned or aware, I guess) became THE stuffed animal of choice. And of course, the more one brother wanted it, the more valuable it became to the other brother. For years (honestly, still) we battled over Nother Dog.
I have Nother Dog's ear. Maybe I can clone him? I think my brother has the rest of Nother Dog.
'Nother Day' is a way to remember how valuable something can be, even when you have more than one.
A little biographical info: I'm 43; a Journalism, Yearbook and Photography teacher in Ventura, CA. I work at Ventura High School (go Cougars!).
For the last few years I've been married to my husband Rob- we've been together for 22 years now; we met in the US Navy- we worked on the same submarine (the USS Francis Scott Key- long since chopped into razor blades). Our long courtship is because it was only legal for us to marry a few years ago. And now it's illegal again. Makes me feel a little scandalous.
It's Spring Break here- a beautiful Thursday with temps in the 70s, light breeze and so much sun that the roses in the back yard are exploding. It's the kind of day that says 'optimism' and that's a great day for starting a blog, I think.
My goal? Posting weekly, maybe more often as I can, less often when school gets busy. We'll see how I do. If you're reading this? Keep me honest, I guess.
I don't hope my blog becomes a book, magazine, film, miniseries, recipe, clothing line, reason for tea partiers to attack with pitchforks and torches. I do hope it helps me to organize my thoughts and improve my writing. I really do enjoy writing.
Off to LA now- thanks for reading.
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