Friday night fun

Posted on by

In the Strathconn household, we don’t always go wild on the weekends.  Tonight we ate at the Chelsea and now we are doing our “parallel play” thing both on our laptops watching CSI/Without a Trace.

I don’t have anything interesting to tell.  This afternoon was parent/teacher conferences, but I only had 2.  Neither of them terribly productive.  One parent is too overbearing and pushy with her kids.  The other couple is too stupid to help their child.  I have 3 more on Monday.

Last night when I was getting in bed T looked rather sheepish laying there.  I asked him what was up.  He told me his legs had felt a little chapped so he rubbed some moisturizer on them.  Then he put on his pajamas and climbed into bed.  When he got into the bed his thighs “squished together making a cool mint sandwich with his dangly bits as the filling”.  And that’s when I walked in.  I fell over on the bed laughing and said, “I am so blogging that.”  I’ll bet he could do an ad for them.

Random fact: I once rubbed my husband’s (afore mentioned) Gold Bond Medicated Lotion on my bum and was convinced that people could see the cool tingling sensation I was feeling.

Kindergarten honesty

Posted on by

I crouched next to cutie-pie kindergartener to help her with her computer.  She was very thoughtful and quiet just staring at me trying to help her.  I looked back at her and said, “Darlin’ what are looking at so intently?”

“You,” she said.

“Why?”

“You are just so pretty.”

I wanted to take her home with me.

Random fact: Each teacher I had in first through fourth grades left my school after I had them.  1st transfered in district to the school I teach at now.  2nd retired.  3rd had a baby.  4th got fired. 3rd and 5th are still in the district (20 years later) and 6th left after 10 years.

Important lesson

Posted on by

Baked pancake turner anyone?Plastic on the stove topI learned a very important lesson tonight.

Don’t leave a plastic spatula on the stove when you turn it on. (edited to add pictures)

Random fact: When I was 8 we got our first microwave. I read in the book that to cook a hot dog you set it to 20 seconds. Of course, I didn’t realize that the turn dial on the microwave was minutes. Needless to say, I learned how to make charcoal.

Tuesday staff meeting recap/rant

Posted on by

I love my job. Really I do. And most of the time, I even like my coworkers. Actually, I don’t think there is even one staff member I would say I “don’t like” (anymore, there used to be one, but we have reached an agreement). But just like everywhere, I don’t love them all.

Our staff meetings are the second Tuesday of the month (moved this week for conferences). The other Tuesdays are either free or some other kind of meeting. I try to knit during the meeting, so I won’t talk too much because it gets me in trouble. I have one coworker/friend who talks through the ENTIRE meeting. It is very distracting to sit near her. Fortunately she sat in another part of the room today.

Today we had an intruder alert drill. I have two classrooms connected by a fire door. One is my Literacy room and one is my Tech Lab. We all have a key that locks and unlocks our classroom doors. I keep the key in my purse in the lab. I asked the custodian for a second key to hide in my Literacy room, but he said I would have to take it up with my principal.

Today I timed myself. I started in my Literacy room when the alarm went off. I walked to the lab, got my key, locked that door, went back to the Literacy room and locked that door. It took me over a minute. Say I have kids in my Literacy room. I have to leave them alone in there with an unlocked door while I go next door to get my key and lock the door and then go back to lock the door in there. (Did I mention I am right next to the office and across from the front door?)

So today at our staff meeting when we debriefed about the alert I mentioned my desire for another key to hide in my 2nd room. I am concerned about carrying around my key because I don’t always have pockets, necklaces annoy me, and I tend to lose things. (I only mentioned the last one.) Principal said “I’ll look into that.” and moved over to his notepad to write it down. Then previously mentioned coworker/friend said, “Well, why should just one person have a second key? Then everyone should have two keys.” A teahcher sitting near me said, “Do you have two classrooms?” And self-centered coworker said, “What if [connected room teacher] isn’t in? I have to go in there to lock her door.” To which my principal said, “Well, I can’t go around handing out extra keys. I guess I will have to think about this.”

Think about what? I would like ONE extra key to hide. And what business is it of hers if I have two keys? How often is her next door neighbor not there? Cause I am the only one constantly in my two rooms, so if I am in one, no one is in the other.

It was so stupid. She just likes to argue. She is so contrary and self-centered.

I feel better just having written this.

Random fact: I have been on a school year calendar every year since I was 3.

Why I don’t blog much

Posted on by

I don’t write much here because I don’t have anything in my life that is interesting enough to write about.  I have things that are going on in my life, but I am undecided about whether I should share them.  I never know who is going to read this and I am concerned about what people know about me.

I am sure if I shared my readers (however few there may be) would be very receptive and supportive.  But what if one my students finds this?  Do they need to know about certain private things?

And considering the nature of my issue, what kind of people will it attract?  I guess I could use symbols to replace certain letters, but will that really keep the creeps away?  I am not going to be posting pictures, so I guess it shouldn’t be that much of a concern.

Random fact:  I am not a very good liar.  I try to lie, but I never get away with it.

New Look

Posted on by

I finally launched my new look. I am a wicked perfectionist, so I didn’t want to put it up until I thought it was really done. I took all the pictures in the masthead. Most of them are from around my town.

This is not my post for the day. I will be back this afternoon.

Sunday Night Blues

Posted on by

Blue #1: I forgot to post on Saturday. I couldn’t even make it 3 days without forgetting to post!

Blue #2: I have to go to work tomorrow.

Blue #3: It is getting cold.

Blue #4: We forgot to set our clock back so I got up earlier than I needed to.

Blue #4.5: I was still late for Sunday School.

Blue #5: I can’t get my Joomla site to work on my school’s new hosting.

This weekend went by too fast. Friday we went shopping and out to dinner.

Saturday night we performed in a Murder Mystery. It was the Italian themed story and I played the 21 year old daughter (only 9 years too old) and our friend Jay Man played my 25 year old brother (only 7 years too young). Lord S played our father’s twin brother and Best Lady played his girlfriend. It was at a nice restaurant hosted by a local church. The audience was really great and very enthusiastic. We all knew a few people in the audience, which is a little different for us. The audience members I interacted with asked great questions and made really good guesses. It was not as great as the night we performed at the country club where they bought us drinks and had a water gun fight.

Today, not only did we have time trouble, but I had Sunday School, church and then I was in charge of coffee hour with two other great CE members (they don’t read this, but I love them both!). For the first time in weeks all my Sunday schoolers and my helper showed up. We had a decent lesson about Zaccheus and talked about they would do if someone famous showed up in our town and invited themselves over. Then we did a crossword review of the parables we’ve read. I knit my way through church, although this week’s sermon was really great. Coffee hour did not go smoothly, but everyone seemed satisfied. I washed dishes and had really nice conversation.

The afternoon is a blur. I tried to figure out what to do with all the pictures we’ve scanned for MFP’s 100th year scrapbook (more details later) because my MIL and I planned to work on it this evening. I also promised to run lines with a friend who is in A Doll House. I nearly fell alseep several times. The evening was spent with MIL looking at the photos we have scanned and cropping them while T watched the Patriots come from behind to stay undefeated!

Now I am watching the start of this season’s Amazing Race.

Random fact: My parents owned a small country store when I was a kid.  18 years later people still say they wish my parents owned it.

Friday night fun

Posted on by

So a big night for the Lord and Lady is going to big town across the river.  We had dinner at Olive Garden and then I spent a bunch of money at Michaels.  Now we are nearly falling asleep listening to Pottercast and using our laptops.  I was just about to head for bed when I realized I hadn’t posted today.

Nothing really interesting to write about today.  Literacy went well.  My students (all 5 of them) are really great and I enjoy my 90 minutes with them.  They are one of the best groups (although not the brightest) I have ever had.  4 boys and a girl, sweet, earnest, and interested in learning.  We don’t do a lot of different activities, but we work really hard at what we are learning.

Random fact: I chew my cuticles.

Random find

Posted on by

I went to the NaBloPoMo site to grab the image for the last post (yeah, 2 in an hour) and Eden pointed readers to ImageChef for alternate images for a blog.  And as much as I love the LOL cats, I love to check out new stuff.

picture-1.pngLook what I found!  Isn’t that crazy?  I can’t believe that right on the front page the license plate generator is for a Vermont plate.  Do you think it can read my IP and customize it to me?  ‘Cause they do have other states, that was just the one on the front.  Strange.  Tomorrow when I have time, I will make myself some crazy plates.  I have always wanted a personalized plate, but I don’t want to waste the money.

National Blog Posting Month

Posted on by

nablo07120×240.jpgI want to get back into my blog writing, so what better time to kick it off with National Blog Posting Month. I am never very good at following through with things I start, but I am going to try. This year my New Year’s resolution was to try harder, so I am going to try harder to post every day.

I am also updating my blog look, but I am not ready to reveal the new look. I wanted something a little more personal than this theme, as pretty as it is. I have been working on customizing a theme that is pretty plain and should be easier to read than the last one.

I would like to say I have been busy lately, but mostly I have just been boring. T and I spent a lovely week at Star Island in August. I started back to school at the end of August and then we spent a weekend with his family. In September we did a weekend of Murder Mystery dinners for our theater company and T auditioned for two shows for next spring (and got roles in each). In October we went to Boston for a night to see WICKED! and spend some time checking out the city.

Random fact about me: I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was 20.