Special Thx
Missed it again…
Dang it! I’ve been hanging out with Lil Bit while the teen is at camp and I didn’t bother doing my two summer memes…
Guess that is a sign of decreasing frustration. That’s how I plan to view it.
A J-O-B! TYG!!!
Thank you God, I am moving back into the land of the employed!
High School 1957 vs 2010
This was sent to me by my aunt, a retired teacher. It’s worth a chuckle…or a sad nod.
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck’s gun rack.
1957 – Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack’s shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2010 – School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 – Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2010 – Police called and SWAT team arrives — they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 – Jeffrey sent to the Principal’s office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2010 – Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor’s car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 – Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2010 – Billy’s dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy’s sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy’s mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school..
1957 – Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock
2010 – The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 – Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2010 – Pedro’s cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro’s English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 – Ants die.
2010 – ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents — and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny’s dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2010 – Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
Brain dump: Carolina Beach
My blogoversary was a few days ago…I missed it.
Last week I went to the beach with a friend. She was going and taking her 14yo daughter and wanted to invite me and my 13yo daughter. Another 14yo went as well. I didn’t know how the trip would go since this friend is A LOT more talkative than I am. For perspective, let’s just say that most conversations with this individual are one sided with me nodding occasionally. Nice enough people and it was an opportunity to get to know them better and have some time with my teen.
It is important to understand that I do not like riding with other people. However, since we were invited and we were taking a van, it was important for us to all ride together. Maybe this is why God opened the door for us to go on this trip.
Not even an hour down the road the friend was not staying steady in our lane. Before we left I had offered to drive. An hour in, I insisted. Friend had apparently taken her night meds that morning. Oh my. She pulled over and we switch.
It is also important to understand that I do not embark on a journey without viewing maps and studying my route…even when I have a GPS. I didn’t do that this trip.
About thirty minutes into the driver switch friend is out. I’m not talking dozing here, I checked to make sure there was still respiration. To make things even better, the road that we “stay on until we get there” offered a mandatory detour. Great. Joy. Craptastic. I detour and try to follow back to the road. May I point out that without my GPS I am directionally challenged, and I’m not that great even with it. I pull over and start digging through my geocache back for the GPS, car mount, and charger. Friend doesn’t notice. She mumbles something and then is back out. One teen is asleep, friend’s daughter is wondering if we were stopping for ice cream (really?) and my teen is looking at me wide eyed. Fortunately I had asked the address of the house so I could leave it with Djembe. Somehow I was able to recall this piece of info. (Thank you God.)
Addy in, GPS ready, back on the road…twenty minutes later…OMG this road does not exist on my GPS.
Crap.
Blackberry. Google Maps. I’m on the right track and I parallel the route that the GPS wants me to take…granted the GPS shows me driving “off road” but that’s OK. The routes sync up after about an hour and everything was OK, but that was a little stressful. On a quick RR stop I call Jem and confirm my turns then we are on our way. Friend wakes up for the last leg of the journey and slurs a few directions at me. I went with the GPS. FYI, telling someone to take “that” road when the road Y’s with an extra leg is not helpful. Specifics, please.
We made it in one piece. Take the girls to the beach for a little while that late afternoon, then scavenge for dinner. Since friend sort of napped when we returned to the house I do mean scavenge. I made cheese quesadillas.
Day 2.
I don’t sleep well away from home so it was no problem getting up for sunrise. I take my dachshund with me for a short walk. Tiki is not fond of the waves and their noise. You weren’t supposed to walk dogs on the beach there, but it was early and technically I was not walking her…I was carrying her. I was going to deposit my Tiki then go geocaching but the girls wanted to go to the amazing Donut shop, Britt’s. It didn’t open for another hour so I told them to get ready, and went back to the beach for a quick hunt nearby.
Friend is still asleep.
Took girls to Britt’s and had amazing fresh donuts, and found a nearby geocache. After returning to the house we got ready and went down to the beach for a few hours. Friend’s daughter wants to go out as far as possible. In yellow flag (should have been red) conditions I lost cool points and wouldn’t allow it.
Friend is still asleep.
Girls are tired so we return to the house, get comfortable and watch a movie. Somewhere in the middle of the movie friend wakes up and decides Subway would be good for a late lunch. I offer to go pick everything up, but she wants to buy and didn’t have cash. We need to go to the store anyway so I suggested letting the girls hang out while we ran to the store. Good idea, she was game…but was now interested in the movie. After it was over we made our journey and instead of Subway for 5 I suggested just buying a variety of sandwich material and everyone make their own. Cheaper, and it left extra for later. I lost cool points with her daughter, but oh well.
Back at the house we had our 4 PM lunch and then it was time for more beach action, this time with wave boards. Friend stays at the house, and I take the girls…again. We had fun. Yellow flag makes for great waves, but a challenge to keep three girls…ok, one of the three girls…in check about how far out to go. More cool points lost.
I took a lot of great pictures of the girls and really had a good time with my teen and her friends. When we returned to the house friend was in her room asleep. Really? Guess so. It was every man for himself for dinner. After a movie I decide to call it and go to my room to read. It had been a long day, with an early start. About 11 I am turning in when friend knocks on the door. WTH? NOW you decide to wake up and want to chat? I don’t like “chatting” when I’m not wiped out tired! We chat. Sort of.
Sunday reads about the same. I took in the sunrise and a five mile walk on the beach, but was joined by my teen. It was great time spent together. We get back to the house and go back to bed. When I get up friend is up. About 10 AM I decide I’ve had enough TV and take my book down to the beach. I had kid duty yesterday, and I can’t sit inside on a pretty day.
After lunch they want to go to a local discount store. By two they are ready to start the day and we head off to cheap store. It wasn’t my kind of place, but they got to shop a little and do their thing. We all go to the beach that afternoon and enjoy before the stormy weather moves in. We had mediocre mexican food that night and prepared for our early departure the next day. Ready for it. I don’t sleep well away from home and this had been a weird adventure.
I let friend start the drive home. She seemed up to it. After about thirty minutes I told her to pull over, it was time for me to drive. I was perfectly willing to take my teen and all of our stuff out of the vehicle if she refused. Fortunately, she didn’t. I drove us home without issue. The whole way I am thinking about the fact that she wants to make this trip again in a few weeks with her kids, and her husband to follow a few days later. I’m not so sure this is a good idea. In fact, I’m pretty certain that it is not. I know she has a need for her level of pain meds, but whoa.
Appreciate the trip. Glad to have had time with my teen, but it was interesting. Very interesting. I do want to go back because there are several historical areas and tourist things I would like to see. The circumstances will be different next time…I’m just not sure what to do about this adventure.
Week? Week? Have you seen my week?
Somewhere I lost a day and the week just flew by. I skipped the Manic Monday meme b/c I was on the road home from Carolina Beach. I’m really not sure what happened to Tuesday and Wednesday was spent running errands and begging for a job. (Which paid off b/c I have another interview Tuesday.) So I missed Sepia Scenes meme for Wednesday. Now it is Thursday and I am wondering how my days were filled to the point of quick passing this week. I have made several geocache finds and found my favorite cache site to date. I’ve been near the site numerous times, but had no idea what was actually there. I’m not talking about just the cache, but the site itself. Near the speedway and dragstrip there is a campground for the really expensive RVs. On the campground property there is a statue of an angel and an in memory marker beside eight graves. The graves were from late 1700s to mid 1800s. One was a mother with her child. It was very touching to read the inscriptions on the grave markers. The devoted and beloved mother and her two month old child…the lieutenant from the Revolution…I want to know more about these people.
Geocaching is keeping me sane these days. It is a sense of adventure, and accomplishment. The job hunt is frustrating. I had a contact at one school and the interview went really well, but they chose another candidate. I went on another interview Monday. I wouldn’t mind the school, but it is a middle school and I would rather be in high school. Wednesday I dropped my resume and managed to obtain another interview for next week. Still no offers of a contract. Geocaching, I can experience success and get out to do something. It is good for me. I’m also learning about the area we live in. After two years of being here, it’s time.
Beach tones- sepia
It’s Wednesday again! Time for the sepia scenes meme. I have been planning to use these beach scenes for a few weeks now, and now seems like a good time. Soon I will be making my first trip to the beaches of NC. I’m looking forward to it, but I review pictures of our last beach trip and pray for Gulf recovery. It will be a long time before the gulf beaches will be uncontaminated and habitats again viable. Such a sad situation that could have been prevented by greater responsibility. *sigh*
On a more beautiful note, I offer pier pics from Panama City Beach. Taken in color and manipulated using Picasa.
Simple pleasures
Manic Monday #213
Name 5 of the simple pleasures in your life:
1. A normal work schedule for Djembe.
- When he worked 3-11 our schedules never matched up and it was difficult to find time for each other.
2. Lazy days with the girls.
- As difficult as I find summers to be, I really do like being able to just relax and spend time with the girls.
3. Facebook
- Because of FB I have been able to reconnect with friends and keep in touch. Without it, we would probably not keep in touch at all. It is also encouraging to post a concern and receive support and feedback.
4. Rainy days
- I’m a little odd. I like thunderstorms. The rain is soothing, the lightening and thunder are exciting.
5. My dogs
- They love unconditionally and they just want to please you.
What do you like to do on a rainy day?
Watch it rain, read a book, relax and listen
I deserve a _______.
job 
~~~interview THURSDAY!~~~
Cache fun!
After almost a year I went geocaching with the lil kid today. Way fun. I was testing the Garmin. She has shown herself worthy on long trips and around town, but I didn’t know if she would work for caching. Yeppers! Lizzy was a gem. Well, we had to call her Matt b/c I changed her voice to an Australian guy. Eh, I think I like Lizzy better b/c The Aussie guy has a little bit of an attitude. Out and about, we made five attempts and had two successes. I’m ready for another shot. I have 26 caches downloaded and just waiting to be found. What can I say? It gives me a purpose.
There may be new developments on the job front this week. Hoping. The positions I applied for last week closed today, so interviews should begins soon. I have my <3 set on one school, even though I think another would be better for me. I’m not that picky though, I just need a j-o-b!
New Developments
It is a waiting game, and one that I do not much enjoy. Life as an unemployed teacher is frustrating. I have ZERO control, but that is OK. I have almost come to a point of acceptance and I do little things here and there that make me feel like I am moving forward. I have applied to ten or so positions. I have two that I am focusing on, and one that I feel I have a valid shot at obtaining. It would make me very happy to teach AP US and US again. I will not know anything until next week. I did a drop by visit today and I think it was appreciated. The first said it was nice to put a face to a resume and the second was much more receptive.
I’m hoping. Praying. Sittin’. Watchin’. Waitin’.
Monumental
In honor of the Fourth I offer the following for my second sepia scenes contribution.
The Washington Monument,taken in April 2010 and manipulated to sepia using Picasa.
Soldier’s Sacrifice, also taken in April 2010 and manipulated to sepia using Picasa. This is one of my favorite memorials in DC.
This photo was taken on a December 2007 trip to DC. It was on this trip that I was able to stand in line for hours and have the honor of viewing the lying in state of President Ford. (Blog post about it here.) The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is always a moving experience, but I was truly touched by the single rose placed in memory of a loved one.
This rose was also placed, but I did not like it when manipulated to sepia.
Flair
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