Category Archives: Random Thoughts

>Random thoughts while feeling under the weather

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>Drinks that feel good on my throat:
Cranberry – grapefruit juice. Mmm. So smooth on my raw throat!
Coffee: a dark chocolate-peppermint blend from Harry and David, half and half with regular Folgers.
Peppermint tea from Celestial Seasonings. I ordered a free sample last year and it worked; I’m hooked. This is delicious without being too sweet. It feels wonderful, and has no caffeine to keep me awake.
Water. Cold, refreshing water.
Food that feels good on my throat:
A fresh orange and a bowl of oatmeal. I’m way beyond the need for preventive vitamin C, but it tastes good.
A Nutrigrain bar. Smooth, nothing sharp, slides down my throat without making me cough any more.
Hard boiled (organic) eggs. Husband buys them from a coworker, and they’re delicious. They really do have a richer flavor than store-bought eggs.

Things to do while awake, not napping:
Reread a good book or two. Confessions of Super Mom and SuperMom Saves the World were on my list this week. They made me smile while I was feeling down.
Start a new book: All the Numbers is sitting by my side. Look Me in the Eye is upstairs on my bedside table, too.
Check in on old favorite blogs and new blogs. My trusty old laptop on top of my blankets, pillows propping me up to avoid the coughing fits that happen when I’m horizontal, make the couch a great place to settle.
Watch the Weather Channel. I don’t watch much TV, but I enjoy seeing classic episodes of Storm Stories and watching the updated weather in all parts of the country. It amazes me that our own little state can rate a story on this national and even international station. Madison, WI, has had record snow this year. People who live there seem to be almost matter-of-fact about it. “Well, if we have to shovel and snowblow, we might as well get the satisfaction of scoring one for the record books.” That’s the good Midwestern outlook on life!
Work on simple schoolwork. This is a necessity so I don’t go back feeling totally overwhelmed. I’m feeling fortunate for the way I structure my reading classes and my social studies, due to the major variety of needs in the class. It takes more thought and more work to get a unit up and running, but once it’s up and running, the students almost handle it themselves. It made sub plans easy, too. “Group 1 to station 3, group 3 to station 5” etc. And the kids will know what to do! That’s a relief for me and for the students. Fewer changes, less stress for all of us.
I’ll be well rested (I hope) by next week. I have a training day on Friday, and I’ll reserve judgment on whether I”m well enough for that. It looks valuable.
Watch Ellen. I don’t do this often enough. Ellen Degeneres always makes me smile. She is so creative and spontaneous; she should have been a teacher!

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>Headline: virus travels through family, family prepares to travel

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>The two really aren’t related.

“Make three days worth of sub plans,” Husband said, and he wasn’t kidding.
Amigo was sick first. Sore throat, then minor cold, then complaints of ear pain.
Husband was next. Sore throat, then major cough and congestion, followed by active bronchitis.
My sore throat started Saturday. I hit the preventive medicine immediately: oranges with lunch, lots of fluids, vaporizer, nap, and a glass of airborne for a bedtime snack. I slept much of the day Sunday, and spent my waking moments drinking fluids and sitting by the vaporizer.

And while I sat in my rocking chair next to the vaporizer, we searched through our file of Important Files to see if we have what we need to apply for passports. We’re pretty darn close. I have everything I need, Amigo does, and Husband might — if his birth certificate copy is sufficient. We’re not sure it is. His copy isn’t notarized, is a tiny photocopy that’s hard to read, and might not be official enough. I guess that’s the next step: find out if it’s sufficient, and if not, procure an official copy. La Petite has a current passport. If she decides to come along (which she might not, given her need to make hay while the sun shines, er, earn money while she’s not in classes), she’s ready.
Friends of ours had a close call last year. They followed all the advice and applied for their passports in plenty of time according to the Powers That Be, and had a near panic as the trip neared and they had no passports. Just in time for their trip, the administration put a temporary hold on the need for passports to Mexico and Canada. Ah, relief! With that in mind, we’re applying this month. If we travel at all (it’s not a sure thing), it’ll be in late June. If the overworked staff can’t get our passports to us on time, we may need to postpone this trip for another year. We’d like to have a chance at actually getting them in time.
That’s another stretch of logic. If too many folks think like us and apply well in advance, won’t that jam up the works just as badly as large numbers of people applying on time? If the new laws didn’t result in an adjustment in staffing to recognize the increased workload….let’s not discuss that possibility. It’s much too likely.

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>What’s on the City Council Agenda for tonight?

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>No, don’t answer that.

When someone has a beef with the mayor and takes it out on the City Council with a gun, that’s not right.
Tragedy is like a pebble dropped in a pool of water. Its concentric rings represent the victims at many levels.
Those killed and those injured are the water immediately displaced as the pebble falls.
Those present are the first and closest ring.
Those responding are another layer of that first ring.
Family and friends of the victim.
Neighbors and local people, their confidence shaken.
Those within hearing distance of the sirens, knowing it’s bad enough to rate the national news.
People in similar arenas begin to feel vulnerable, changing the way other City Councils and municipal groups do their business.
And it all comes down to one overwrought person, with or without a history of violence, overreacting to a perceived injustice and taking “justice” his own way.
And the impact, the sadness, spreads. No current can ever fully wash it away.

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>Primarily a toss-up: heads or hearts?

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Nina put it very well at Voted off the Island. To steal her phrase, should I vote with my head or my heart? The field is narrower, but no easier, now that Edwards has dropped out. I’m still undecided between Obama and Clinton.
I’ve been excited by Barack Obama since I heard (well, read) his speech at the last Democratic convention. He really took Illinois by storm. He’s making contacts and learning the ropes in the Senate. He has the potential to be a coalition builder and work across the aisle with his Republican colleagues, a skill that will be handy in passing legislation that supports his agenda. He reminds me a little of Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, and I’ve admired and supported Russ for a long time.
Hillary Clinton caught my attention in 1992 when her husband first ran for president. I supported him and I thought highly of Hillary. I read her autobiography when it came out and was again favorably impressed. This is one intelligent woman. She could beat the heck out of me at Trivial Pursuit, and as I rarely lose, that’s saying something!
Barack Obama understands regular, common, ordinary people. He wasn’t born into riches, and he was born into a challenge: dealing with race. He has a lot of courage and strength and is handling his freshman term in the Senate well.
Hillary Clinton was a staunch conservative in her childhood and went on to lead her college chapter of the Republican Party, resigning from that office to become a registered Democrat when she felt the other party was no longer aligned with her ideals. She has dealt with many prejudices because of her gender. Make no mistake about it, she has faced a lot of adversity that comes with being a strong, intelligent, articulate woman.
I still don’t know exactly which way to vote come February 19. I’m sure the candidates’ ads will run here, but that’s not the best source of information. I respect both front-runners’ intelligence and integrity, their knowledge and their grit.
I think I’ll do a little more research. This is going to be a very difficult and important decision.

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>Notes to self as family brings in the germs

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>Amigo was mildly ill last week. Now Husband is down for the count with similar symptoms: cough, cold, achiness, exhaustion. At school, one student was out sick today and two others should have stayed home.
At times like this, all of my germ-phobic tendencies start shouting at me.
No, don’t touch that kid’s computer mouse!
What do you think you’re doing, testing the keyboard connections yourself?
Now you’re headed for touching your nose — uh-uh! No, no, no!
Wash your hands.
Don’t touch that kid’s pencil. Use your own to revise and make notes on his paper.
Wash your hands.
The doorknob? Germ factory!
Wash your hands.

After school I went to the quickie pharmacy-convenience store and stocked up on all the goodies that Husband had requested. Cold/flu meds in both non-drowsy and drowsy, cough drops, Nyquil (by brand name, not generic, must be cherry flavor) and more. I spent $50.
Oh, okay, I also bought enough Valentine pencils for my entire class, anti-snore strips for me, and two paperback books. Note to self: always have a good stock of reading material on hand in case of sick day for yourself or as caretaker.
I made a trip to the grocery store on Sunday to buy lemon tea and honey for Husband’s sore throat, so Husband already had good hot beverages available. Note to self: start keeping this in stock as part of the standard pantry supplies.
And…I bought two different kinds of hand sanitizer. One is a nice lavendar scented bottle that I can keep in my desk; the other is a small purse-sized spray to carry with me in my, well, in my purse. Note to self; good move. “Be prepared” is the Girl Scout motto.
On that note, it’s time to pack tomorrow’s lunch with my daily orange. The vitamin C can only help.

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>Random Thoughts on Super Bowl Monday

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>My excuse for Starbucks this morning went something like this: I’d sure like to get a New York Times to see their sports section, so I might as well buy one where I can get coffee.

Wouldn’t it have been fun to substitute signals in case the Pats were somehow still stealing? I suggest dropping in an occasional sign from American Sign Language saying something like, “Haha, you just wasted your time and your video. I just finger spelled my college fight song.”

How about Bill Belichek leaving the field before the Giants could take their final knee? Poor sportsmanship, cluelessness, or did he just decide “Oh, well, now I can wash that filthy sweatshirt I’ve been wearing superstitiously all season. Might as well get at it right away.”

Does anyone feel sympathy for the eldest Manning brother, Cooper, the one who no longer plays football? I kept wondering if he was in the skybox with Peyton, but the cameras were sticking with Big Brother Quarterback watching Little Brother Quarterback.

What’s it like to be Mom Manning in a household with that much testosterone? Or is she just kind of like Wisconsin women, who know football and cheer as loudly as the men?

Did anyone notice if Jessica Simpson showed up? Did she know Tony Romo wasn’t on the field? And in the same category, did anyone blame Giselle for distracting Tom Brady?

In our household, Bridgestone won the Most Creative Commercials award. Coke came a close second with its runaway (flyaway?) balloons. Gotta love it when Charlie Brown actually wins one!

La Petite had friends over to her humble apartment to watch the game. She and her roommate decorated in Green and Gold, complete with G-Force signs and Title Towels. Up until kick-off, they pretended their favorite NFC team was playing.

And last but not least, I predict the Packers and the Giants will meet again next year. They’re both too good to stay home post-season. No predictions on the outcome or the score, but you know which colors will adorn my fireplace mantle. My Christmas tree. My husband’s feet.

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>Random Thoughts on a Snowy Saturday

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>Amigo is again feeling under the weather. We went to the Saturday morning clinic and found out that his ears are not infected, but quite plugged up and filled with fluid. Prescription: Lots of fluids, OTC pain reliever, and a vaporizer. He’s curled up on the couch right now in the “humidified” den watching TV.
We ended up watching SpongeBob Squarepants by the process of elimination. The Weather Channel was interesting for a while (it’s been a fascinating winter if you’re interested in weather or climate trends), but after we’d watched three “locals on the eights” we lost interest. After all, how many times can we see a prediction for 50% chance of a half inch of snow when we’ve already been out on snow-slicked roads that have at least an inch or more accumulation? Now we’re watching the snow fall (it’s really pretty if you’re indoors) and surfing the channels.
CNN was our next stop. On a weekend that is often fluff and football, they had to cover a story of a police officer’s murder in New Orleans. How sad! New Orleans PD doesn’t need any more tragedy. My sympathies to the family and force.
He wanted to watch Dora or Diego. Look, kid, you’re 16! give me a break! No kiddy cartoons while I’m in the room, at least!So we eventually ended up on SpongeBob. At least this is a cartoon with humor I can appreciate.
I had a random dream last night. It was a convoluted series of events involving people in my life both current and past, eventually ending up with my laptop being stolen while the case was left behind. Husband’s response: “You really want a new laptop, don’t you? Your case is still perfectly good, but the computer inside it is obsolete.”
Well, he’s right, but it’s a want, not a need. I can rationalize all the good reasons for a new laptop except the price. We really don’t need a new laptop. It would be convenient, useful, and all kinds of handy, especially if we outfit it with Amigo’s adaptive software. But no, it’s not a need. Yet.
Maybe Husband is demonstrating his sensitivity in understanding my dream. His fortune cookie yesterday told him to get in touch with his “feminine side.” What could I say? “Honey, PMS stinks. Here, have some chocolate.”
And on the feminine side — I entered a handful of Bloggy Giveaways and actually won a prize! It’s a lovely handmade bag from C at MamaSaidSew! There were many, many prizes, but I only entered those that I felt were of value to me or my friends/family. In this case, it’s definitely something I wouldn’t make myself. I can’t sew worth a darn, no pun intended. Thanks, C! I feel lucky.
Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket. A win would fund my new laptop…

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>Trash vs. Treasure, or the Great White Elephant Chase

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>In my workplace, a public school, we work hard. We throw ourselves wholeheartedly into teaching and planning, assessing and managing, disciplining and rewarding. We work hard, and we play hard, too.
Happy Hour after report card writing day.
Ordering in a simple lunch on Fridays.
And — the annual holiday party, complete with White Elephant gift exchange.
The party was last night. Husband and I attended, carrying our BYOB (New Glarus Spotted Cow, Wild Berry wine cooler, Diet Coke for the driver) and our two gag gifts: the ugliest ceramic piggy bank ever and a pair of media passes to a defunct Milwaukee Brewers playoff game.
Giftees were allowed to either choose a new gift or “steal” a coveted item from some who had opened it earlier. As the night went on, two or three gifts got passed around so much that at times no one knew who had them! A bird made of a broken golf club, with a golf ball head and a golf tee beak, traveled through at least six people, some of them several times. A poorly made ceramic Buddha was also in demand. They were, in fact, moving too quickly for me to take pictures! When all was said and done, no beer was spilled, no tears were spilled, and Husband and I managed to come home with something useful!
We are now the proud (okay, laughing) owners of a small squishy lumbar pillow in bright orange and a sachet/ herbal heating pad created from an old pillowcase. I actually heated it in the microwave this morning and tried it out, and it works!
I can’t wait until next year.

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>The Minimalist or a Talk in the Teacher’s Lounge

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>”We’ll just red-flag him in case he needs interventions later.”

Pause.
“When ‘just’ and ‘red flag’ are both in the same sentence, I know I must be at (insert name of school here). Nowhere else would a red flag be a relief.”
“Teachers in my former school didn’t have a clue as to what needy and poor students are like.”
“Not at all?”
“No, they kept saying that their school should have all the programs for the poor and the lower class sizes that go with it. And in the next breath they’d mention that they had no free or reduced lunch families in their classes, and there was a stay-at-home mom volunteering all the time while her husband was ‘taking depositions’.”
Snort in response. “No clue.”
“None.”
“And do you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a great school with great kids and really neat families.”

Unwrapping of lunches, tea bags dropped into mugs of water and placed in microwaves

“Which students go to the Talented and Gifted class with you today?”
“Susan, Ron, Jorge, and Jerome.”
“I thought there were five. Um…Hans! Isn’t Hans in the program?”
“He chose not to participate.”
“Oh, that’s too bad. He’s so bright. He learns so quickly, and seems to pick up new concepts out of thin air.”
“I remember his brothers. They were the same way — minimalists. Nothing but the bare minimum effort to get by.”
“Oh, that’s so sad. So much ability, and so little motivation.”

Beeping of microwave, setting up of plastic forks and spoons, as teachers inhale a little lunch

“None of us are minimalists.”
“Hmm?”
“None of us put a bare minimum of effort into our teaching. If we only wanted that, we wouldn’t teach here.”
General laughter and nods.
“Hey, all. Isn’t this an awesome school?”
General chorus of “Yeah, all right, you bet!”
And off we went into the wild blue yonder of trying to tame and teach our young unpredictable charges in a diverse, largely low-income school, while the weather outside was frightful and there was a full moon on the way.

And no, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

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>Are you smarter than a fourth grader?

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Actual answers on a recent Social Studies activity:

What part of Michigan borders Wisconsin and separates Lake Superior and Lake Michigan?
Pennsylvania

What state has more Great Lakes coastline than any other?
Pennsylvania

Fortunately, most of the class got these questions right. But this kid? I’m more than a little bit worried about him. I think it’s time to make sure he learns how to read a map and can tell the word Peninsula (as in Da U.P der hey) from Pennsylvania.

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