Here it is, the eve of the eve of the end of a decade. It seems like just yesterday that Brian put as his Facebook status "16 days off," and it seems like not a day has gone by since where he has not spent hours in his room, presumably doing prep work for his midterms. He has a bit more biology to finish, and then he has math, and then his 20 slide presentation on WWII, and then he will be free to ... go back to school and get more homework! But I'm hoping all of this will help him to study for the midterms, and that they will NOT pile on more work next week. But we'll see. Work is what this school is all about. I hope it pays off in the end!
And obviously I made it to PA and back on Monday. Traffic was a little gnarly on the way home, but I jumped off the turnpike an exit early and found my way to 195. I always get so mad when I decide to take the NJTP instead of one of the free roads, and then come round the bend only to see bumper-to-bumper traffic. Are they going to charge me less in tolls for this inconvenience? Of course not! The more traffic the roads seem to attract, the higher the tolls go. Welcome to New Jersey. Now slow down and pay up!
Kevin and I spent today running around in that lemon I call my Explorer. Two problems now. One is not the car's fault, at least I doubt it. The side view mirror is loose and bounces around, especially at high speeds. That can be fixed, but the question is whether or not the entire assembly needs to be replaced, or just the glass of the mirror. The body shop said the whole thing, and the dealer said it "looks like" just the glass needs to be replaced. The glass alone is $40 but the entire assembly is $240, which is $80 more than it would be if we got it from the body shop.
The dealership experience was bizarre. You go in, and you talk to the man-who-can't-be-bothered, and he gets someone else to come out and look at it. Then he tells the man-who-can't-be-bothered and he tells you the labor charge, but then adds, plus parts. You have to go to parts and ask (yourself) "how much is this part going to be?" Then the nice man in parts will tell you that most people who just replace the glass end up replacing the whole assembly. So Kevin called someone we know from swim team, and he was able to get the part for $100, the whole assembly. And if Kevin can't change it himself, supposedly he has a friend who can.
But the other problem is more annoying. I have peeling paint on the hood. Come to find out through my internet search skills that this is a common problem on many Fords produced during this time period. Apparently they used aluminum to make the hoods so the vehicles would be lighter, and the paint didn't adhere as well. So for years it's been puckering but I never did anything about it. Typically, now that it is a year out of warranty for this type of defect (although I doubt they would admit it was a defect if it were still under warranty) the paint is beginning to chip off. The guy at the body shop said he has done a lot of repair on the Fords for the dealership. Unfortunately, it's a huge job, and can't just be patched. But guess what? I don't care. It's getting patched. The estimate was over $1000!!! Don't think so.
Anyway, in other news, Kevin is going to rise with the birds tomorrow and head out to PA to pick up the swim team luggage. Then he'll go back and rendezvous with everyone at the Y, and bring Megan home. I imagine she will want to shower and then sleep for a few hours and then we have a 5:00 dinner reservation. Of course, I see my favorite restaurant is dropping their own ball at 10, which we could have watched had we not planned this little teenager party - but I guess it's OK anyway, because this way we'll all be home all night. And Kevin's brother flies in on New Years Day for a few days' visit.
Oh, and as a surprise to Megan, I bought her a new mattress pad for her bed. I have all of the mattresses wrapped in hypoallergenic material, but hers was for some reason wrapped in horrible crinkly vinyl. So I took that off and bought a waterproof mattress pad for now. I'll look for one of the softer mattress covers later, but for now she has a nice soft bed that doesn't make all kinds of plastic-y noises every time she moves. I imagine it will feel much better too, but I can't wait to see if she even notices! She might be too tired by the time she gets here, probably not till close to 1!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
goodbye 2009
Here it is, the end of the year. Today is the day that the swim team leaves for their trip to PA. I am a designated driver of luggage, just a quick drive there and back, and Kevin will go up Thursday to bring it all home again. So I forgot to set my alarm, and Kevin woke me up with his usual accusatory brusqueness, "IT'S TEN TO SEVEN!"
We were due at the parking lot by 7:45. But we made it! Only the bus didn't. So that worked out ok, the coach took them inside to swim here instead of at the college pool for their morning swim, and I was able to come home to fetch Megan's roast beef hero, which I had forgotten in our rush. Luckily I had packed up everything else last night. So we stood around and froze our toes for half an hour, then I got gas and came home for a few games of fetch the tennis ball with Wilbur.
I'm going to leave in a little while and should get to the hotel in King of Prussia by noon at the latest. I'll make sure they're situated and don't need anything else from the store before I head back. Kevin bought a family four pack of tickets to the Devils game tonight and Brian is bringing a friend (we think). The friend's father is also invited but if he can't go, then I will. I'll have to be back by five in order for that to work out.
Meanwhile, Megan is still planning a little New Years gathering with just a small group, and I'll have to clean the house and prep for that over tomorrow and the next day. I saw some nice looking bubbly beverage at Whole Foods that I'll probably go back for, and maybe some pigs in blankets as well. We'll have our annual New Years dinner at my favorite restaurant (probably no crab cakes just yet, for me!) and then stay home to make sure all goes well. Brian is still plodding through his schoolwork, and I'm trying to help him get it organized. It really is a tremendous amount of information he is being asked to compile, but the more I look through it, the more I think he should probably have had most of it compiled as the year went on, as it's all review work for the midterms. So we'll focus on that over the next couple of days as well.
In other news, I seem to have fully recovered from my crab cake attack. I should go and get some exercise myself over this week at home, but tomorrow I have to take Brian to the eye doctor in the morning and possibly to a tennis tournament that the club is running. He didn't sign up yet, but he usually does that the day of the tournament anyway. I just don't know if they're full this time, usually they call to see if he wants to participate, and they have not done so. Other than that, we expect a quiet week of catching up on laundry and organizing. Kevin spent hours yesterday digging a deeper trench (right in front of the shed door) for the water from the sump hose. Apparently the existing pit was filled to above the level of the pipe, so the pipe was backing up. I thought water would always find a way, but I guess it senses less resistance heading back towards the house than away from it. But the basement did stay dry. Not too bad, considering nearly two feet of snow was melting in a day-long downpour.
We were due at the parking lot by 7:45. But we made it! Only the bus didn't. So that worked out ok, the coach took them inside to swim here instead of at the college pool for their morning swim, and I was able to come home to fetch Megan's roast beef hero, which I had forgotten in our rush. Luckily I had packed up everything else last night. So we stood around and froze our toes for half an hour, then I got gas and came home for a few games of fetch the tennis ball with Wilbur.
I'm going to leave in a little while and should get to the hotel in King of Prussia by noon at the latest. I'll make sure they're situated and don't need anything else from the store before I head back. Kevin bought a family four pack of tickets to the Devils game tonight and Brian is bringing a friend (we think). The friend's father is also invited but if he can't go, then I will. I'll have to be back by five in order for that to work out.
Meanwhile, Megan is still planning a little New Years gathering with just a small group, and I'll have to clean the house and prep for that over tomorrow and the next day. I saw some nice looking bubbly beverage at Whole Foods that I'll probably go back for, and maybe some pigs in blankets as well. We'll have our annual New Years dinner at my favorite restaurant (probably no crab cakes just yet, for me!) and then stay home to make sure all goes well. Brian is still plodding through his schoolwork, and I'm trying to help him get it organized. It really is a tremendous amount of information he is being asked to compile, but the more I look through it, the more I think he should probably have had most of it compiled as the year went on, as it's all review work for the midterms. So we'll focus on that over the next couple of days as well.
In other news, I seem to have fully recovered from my crab cake attack. I should go and get some exercise myself over this week at home, but tomorrow I have to take Brian to the eye doctor in the morning and possibly to a tennis tournament that the club is running. He didn't sign up yet, but he usually does that the day of the tournament anyway. I just don't know if they're full this time, usually they call to see if he wants to participate, and they have not done so. Other than that, we expect a quiet week of catching up on laundry and organizing. Kevin spent hours yesterday digging a deeper trench (right in front of the shed door) for the water from the sump hose. Apparently the existing pit was filled to above the level of the pipe, so the pipe was backing up. I thought water would always find a way, but I guess it senses less resistance heading back towards the house than away from it. But the basement did stay dry. Not too bad, considering nearly two feet of snow was melting in a day-long downpour.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
so that was christmas
And I will surely remember this one! It started out just fine, everyone was reasonably happy with their gifts although Megan didn't like the color of her new suit, the style (she chose this) or the print (I botched it) of her new wallet, and her sunglasses, although wonderful, were not the ones she asked for (the day after I ordered them). The drive to Philadelphia was uneventful and the brunch and ensuing visit were enjoyable and entertaining - food aside. Even the drive home was uneventful and we were back with the dogs by 7:30.
However, things took an ominous turn when the crab cakes that had smelled not right at all must have finally taken their toll, and I ended up in a terrible state for a few hours. Even today I am not quite right, although I can feel that I am winning the war. I don't know what was wrong, and I wish I had spoken up. As soon as they were set in front of me I smelled a funk, and Brian, across from me, smelled it too. I didn't take much comfort in that as he usually thinks anything that comes from the sea automatically emits a funk. But they tasted equally offensive, so I just mashed them up and pretended I was full. (I was) After the debacle with the french fries that were ordered as soon as we sat down, and then appeared several wisecracks and a good half hour later, freezing cold, I was worried about what would happen to me if I dared speak out against the offensive crustacean.
So I have learned a lesson, and perhaps the positive in this is that I don't have to count some of the calories of my Christmas indiscretions. I've been eating cautiously today, after staying in bed till nearly ten, and Kevin is now off at the Y with Megan, who has the first of a week of grueling practices. She has two tomorrow, and then leaves on Monday morning for their annual practice trip to PA. She returns on New Years Eve. Brian doesn't really have practice, he might one night but I'm not sure. Mostly they are just canceled for the holidays. We have to make sure we get him to the gym to work out, but he is buried in a ridiculous amount of holiday homework. The school is living up to its name. If he still continues to fail classes after all the work he does, something is very wrong. Although I don't know if any of the work he has done so far pertains to biology, the class he is failing!
Anyway, in other news, not a whole lot else is going on. Outside it is terribly rainy and most of the snow is washing away. My little cowboy snowman has disappeared and the yards are almost green again. Piles of white remain, but perhaps after a few days of sun, this will no longer be the case. I am still buried in boxes and wrapping paper cast aside, but I lack the energy or the motivation to clean it up right now. My main focus is on getting out of the house to try to forage for a meal that won't upset my stomach! I have dreams of chicken and rice somehow baking themselves in some sort of casserole dish.
However, things took an ominous turn when the crab cakes that had smelled not right at all must have finally taken their toll, and I ended up in a terrible state for a few hours. Even today I am not quite right, although I can feel that I am winning the war. I don't know what was wrong, and I wish I had spoken up. As soon as they were set in front of me I smelled a funk, and Brian, across from me, smelled it too. I didn't take much comfort in that as he usually thinks anything that comes from the sea automatically emits a funk. But they tasted equally offensive, so I just mashed them up and pretended I was full. (I was) After the debacle with the french fries that were ordered as soon as we sat down, and then appeared several wisecracks and a good half hour later, freezing cold, I was worried about what would happen to me if I dared speak out against the offensive crustacean.
So I have learned a lesson, and perhaps the positive in this is that I don't have to count some of the calories of my Christmas indiscretions. I've been eating cautiously today, after staying in bed till nearly ten, and Kevin is now off at the Y with Megan, who has the first of a week of grueling practices. She has two tomorrow, and then leaves on Monday morning for their annual practice trip to PA. She returns on New Years Eve. Brian doesn't really have practice, he might one night but I'm not sure. Mostly they are just canceled for the holidays. We have to make sure we get him to the gym to work out, but he is buried in a ridiculous amount of holiday homework. The school is living up to its name. If he still continues to fail classes after all the work he does, something is very wrong. Although I don't know if any of the work he has done so far pertains to biology, the class he is failing!
Anyway, in other news, not a whole lot else is going on. Outside it is terribly rainy and most of the snow is washing away. My little cowboy snowman has disappeared and the yards are almost green again. Piles of white remain, but perhaps after a few days of sun, this will no longer be the case. I am still buried in boxes and wrapping paper cast aside, but I lack the energy or the motivation to clean it up right now. My main focus is on getting out of the house to try to forage for a meal that won't upset my stomach! I have dreams of chicken and rice somehow baking themselves in some sort of casserole dish.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
ho ho humbug
So it is Christmas Eve at last. It always seems to sneak up on me, this year I managed to get around to ordering cards, I ordered 40, and they were almost all sent out before I even had time to stock up for the people I left off the list this year who might still be sending to us. I am really very disorganized in my holiday card mailings, I once had a computer file with all the names and addresses in label format, but that was multiple computer crashes and wiped-out hard drives ago, and I never recreated it.
Now what I do is go through my old address book, which has more names crossed out due to relocation, death, or other disassociation than it has actual entries. After I have exhausted all possibilities, I move on to school directories. Then, if all else fails. I break out the swim team directory. But this is imperfect, and I miss a lot of listings. So far I have gotten two cards from people I left out and one from someone I knew I had forgotten but thought I might as well wait to see if I had any cards left. Now I am all out of cards. But it's too late for those "oops" cards anyway. Although I put one in the box at the post office just today. At least it will be postmarked before Christmas.
However, it would appear that I am better organized or spirited than most of our card-peers, as the congregation of cards on the piano seems to shrink every year. So either we fall out of favor more and more each year or this electronic age is just taking its toll on the exchange of tidings. We didn't even get one from the Doll this year!
Anyway, speaking of the Doll, I suppose we will see her tonight. I think we will have to go out for dinner, as my agoraphobia kicks into high gear around the holidays. This morning I spent two hours at Firestone waiting for an oil change, then went to the bank and the gas station. I had to practice deep breathing every time I entered the highway. On my way home, I tried to stop at Acme, but there wasn't a spot to be had, so I continued on. People were driving like idiots anyway, one guy was turned into a lane when he decided he'd do better in the next, and he suddenly veered his car back into the lane he had just turned out of, which was by then occupied by my Explorer. I had had enough when he did that, so I came home.
I don't know if the Doll will want to drive tonight anyway - but I'm sure she will get herself to church. (Last year we went to her church and some sick woman coughed on Brian and got him deathly ill for New Years, not going near there this year. I remember doping him up with advil and cough medicine to take him to the New Years Eve party and then having to leave him and Kevin home from the Mummers parade because of the sickness.) So as long as she is out, she'll probably be happier to go somewhere on a plowed and salted road. Our neighborhood was plowed, but the sheet of flattened snow hasn't completely gone away. I don't find it slippery at all, but it is hard and bumpy, and I haven't driven the Honda yet. It still has a mountain of snow on its roof.
My three days in the class I worked in passed fairly uneventfully although it is exhausting. I do hope that I can find something permanent by fall. Of course, now I have a trip booked in April, and I will want time off in the summer too. So maybe it is best if I just can stay busy with the subbing until fall and then find something right when school starts up again. But I'll see. Hopefully it will all work out. I got my final paycheck of the year yesterday and although it was close, it was less for 2009 than the final 2008 total. So I will see what the new year brings in terms of work. I'm going to have to take more jobs and be less selective, but I always say that. I also applied to be a sub secretary and didn't receive so much as a call for an interview (again.) I guess I should give up on this district and expand my search elsewhere. I feel a little paranoid, as if something is going on of which I should be aware.
And in other news, the bad holiday weather has been pushed back to tomorrow night, so hopefully we can make our trek to Philadelphia before it strikes. This was the reason I wanted to get the oil changed in the Explorer, I think I missed at least one 3,000 mile change and I drove it to Boston and all over NJ not too long ago. So it's all oiled up and gassed up, and ready to go. Then, after Christmas, Megan leaves for the training trip in PA. They will be gone for three nights, returning n New Years' Eve. I told her she could have friends here this year, and she says that she is. So we'll have our dinner out early and then come home and just try to stay awake!
Now what I do is go through my old address book, which has more names crossed out due to relocation, death, or other disassociation than it has actual entries. After I have exhausted all possibilities, I move on to school directories. Then, if all else fails. I break out the swim team directory. But this is imperfect, and I miss a lot of listings. So far I have gotten two cards from people I left out and one from someone I knew I had forgotten but thought I might as well wait to see if I had any cards left. Now I am all out of cards. But it's too late for those "oops" cards anyway. Although I put one in the box at the post office just today. At least it will be postmarked before Christmas.
However, it would appear that I am better organized or spirited than most of our card-peers, as the congregation of cards on the piano seems to shrink every year. So either we fall out of favor more and more each year or this electronic age is just taking its toll on the exchange of tidings. We didn't even get one from the Doll this year!
Anyway, speaking of the Doll, I suppose we will see her tonight. I think we will have to go out for dinner, as my agoraphobia kicks into high gear around the holidays. This morning I spent two hours at Firestone waiting for an oil change, then went to the bank and the gas station. I had to practice deep breathing every time I entered the highway. On my way home, I tried to stop at Acme, but there wasn't a spot to be had, so I continued on. People were driving like idiots anyway, one guy was turned into a lane when he decided he'd do better in the next, and he suddenly veered his car back into the lane he had just turned out of, which was by then occupied by my Explorer. I had had enough when he did that, so I came home.
I don't know if the Doll will want to drive tonight anyway - but I'm sure she will get herself to church. (Last year we went to her church and some sick woman coughed on Brian and got him deathly ill for New Years, not going near there this year. I remember doping him up with advil and cough medicine to take him to the New Years Eve party and then having to leave him and Kevin home from the Mummers parade because of the sickness.) So as long as she is out, she'll probably be happier to go somewhere on a plowed and salted road. Our neighborhood was plowed, but the sheet of flattened snow hasn't completely gone away. I don't find it slippery at all, but it is hard and bumpy, and I haven't driven the Honda yet. It still has a mountain of snow on its roof.
My three days in the class I worked in passed fairly uneventfully although it is exhausting. I do hope that I can find something permanent by fall. Of course, now I have a trip booked in April, and I will want time off in the summer too. So maybe it is best if I just can stay busy with the subbing until fall and then find something right when school starts up again. But I'll see. Hopefully it will all work out. I got my final paycheck of the year yesterday and although it was close, it was less for 2009 than the final 2008 total. So I will see what the new year brings in terms of work. I'm going to have to take more jobs and be less selective, but I always say that. I also applied to be a sub secretary and didn't receive so much as a call for an interview (again.) I guess I should give up on this district and expand my search elsewhere. I feel a little paranoid, as if something is going on of which I should be aware.
And in other news, the bad holiday weather has been pushed back to tomorrow night, so hopefully we can make our trek to Philadelphia before it strikes. This was the reason I wanted to get the oil changed in the Explorer, I think I missed at least one 3,000 mile change and I drove it to Boston and all over NJ not too long ago. So it's all oiled up and gassed up, and ready to go. Then, after Christmas, Megan leaves for the training trip in PA. They will be gone for three nights, returning n New Years' Eve. I told her she could have friends here this year, and she says that she is. So we'll have our dinner out early and then come home and just try to stay awake!
Monday, December 21, 2009
let the digging out begin!
So ... last night they called for a delayed opening for today. Then they changed their minds...no school! And just like that, we had a three day weekend. Well, more than that if you happen to be Brian, who is off already until after New Years, but for the rest of us public school folk - it was a bonus. Although I hadn't minded the delayed opening, I was going to have a shorter work day for the same pay! Now I have to work tomorrow although the system doesn't have me logged in to work. The teacher told me if there was a snow day on Monday I should work Tuesday instead. So I am going to just show up and if they want me, they can add me; if not, they can send me on my way. I have enough to do to keep busy! Kevin is taking Brian into NYC with him for the day.
Anyway, the snow is the big news. It got a bit of a late start so Megan had practice on Saturday although Brian's tennis was canceled. Kevin and I got up and out early to go to the mall, expecting and finding the worst at 8am, only to emerge at 11 to find barely flurries, and roads that seemed not much worse than during a light rainstorm. Of course, by evening this was no longer the case. We holed up in the house and watched some movies, Brian and I fell asleep during Animal House (he probably because he was up the entire night before, celebrating his winter break and I because I drank a huge glass of wine while Kevin was out picking up a pizza) and then we all watched Elf together.
Yesterday was uneventful as we had no need to go anywhere - except for Kevin, who tried to take Brian's little Acer notebook to the Geek Squad, whose ad says they repair anything, even if you didn't buy it from them but who, in fact, do not. So that was a wasted trip. The computer screen is flickering when he moves it, and internet research says it must be a loose cable. Because we waited longer than the 90 days (although this happened well within that time, but he needed it and kept using it heavily until it was too late) we were no longer able to take it back to costco, where we got it, and we had to ship it back to Acer. So we'll see. Hopefully it will come back better than new. Getting a new one might have been worse, because then it might have had the same issue. I hope when they fix it, it stays fixed for good, because aside from this, and aside from the fact that the speakers don't work anymore, it's a great little notebook.
Today I had to run a few errands and then dig out the mailbox. The truck in our neighborhood just drives up and drops the mail right in, so he needs clearance to drive, and somehow we always have the highest drifts in the neighborhood right in front of our mailbox. Anyway, I did manage to make a pretty efficient drop-route for him, and I watched him use it while Wilbur and I put the finishing touches on a little snowman we made while the kids slept the day away. The problem is, Wilbur is now favoring what had been his good leg. I can't pop the knee back in, though, so I don't know if it's a subluxing patella issue or something else. Right now he is wiped out from all the air.
And I am worried about Molly. She is acting her age. Her legs are seeming weaker and she slips a lot more. She didn't bound in the snow like she usually does, and she didn't want to play in it at all. But she is 14, and she's doing great considering. Every day that she wakes up and is happy I consider to be a good day.
In other news, Christmas is coming! I hope that the weather will hold out. And apparently, Kevin has invited (with my blessing from a dreamlike state the other night during Animal House) the Doll for Christmas Eve dinner. I had thought we would just go out, as we are going to church at 10, and it makes it easier to stay awake if we're out, but it seems I said she could eat here with us! So we'll see if that happens. I have to get through the next two days of work and then a day of Christmas wrapping before I can think of Christmas Eve dinner!
And then Megan leaves for their swim team training trip. She will be gone for four days, returning on New Years Eve, and I told her she could have friends over. So we will probably stay at home and try to stay awake. I told her they can all sleep over, boys as well, just so nobody has to worry about being out on the road that night.
Anyway, the snow is the big news. It got a bit of a late start so Megan had practice on Saturday although Brian's tennis was canceled. Kevin and I got up and out early to go to the mall, expecting and finding the worst at 8am, only to emerge at 11 to find barely flurries, and roads that seemed not much worse than during a light rainstorm. Of course, by evening this was no longer the case. We holed up in the house and watched some movies, Brian and I fell asleep during Animal House (he probably because he was up the entire night before, celebrating his winter break and I because I drank a huge glass of wine while Kevin was out picking up a pizza) and then we all watched Elf together.
Yesterday was uneventful as we had no need to go anywhere - except for Kevin, who tried to take Brian's little Acer notebook to the Geek Squad, whose ad says they repair anything, even if you didn't buy it from them but who, in fact, do not. So that was a wasted trip. The computer screen is flickering when he moves it, and internet research says it must be a loose cable. Because we waited longer than the 90 days (although this happened well within that time, but he needed it and kept using it heavily until it was too late) we were no longer able to take it back to costco, where we got it, and we had to ship it back to Acer. So we'll see. Hopefully it will come back better than new. Getting a new one might have been worse, because then it might have had the same issue. I hope when they fix it, it stays fixed for good, because aside from this, and aside from the fact that the speakers don't work anymore, it's a great little notebook.
Today I had to run a few errands and then dig out the mailbox. The truck in our neighborhood just drives up and drops the mail right in, so he needs clearance to drive, and somehow we always have the highest drifts in the neighborhood right in front of our mailbox. Anyway, I did manage to make a pretty efficient drop-route for him, and I watched him use it while Wilbur and I put the finishing touches on a little snowman we made while the kids slept the day away. The problem is, Wilbur is now favoring what had been his good leg. I can't pop the knee back in, though, so I don't know if it's a subluxing patella issue or something else. Right now he is wiped out from all the air.
And I am worried about Molly. She is acting her age. Her legs are seeming weaker and she slips a lot more. She didn't bound in the snow like she usually does, and she didn't want to play in it at all. But she is 14, and she's doing great considering. Every day that she wakes up and is happy I consider to be a good day.
In other news, Christmas is coming! I hope that the weather will hold out. And apparently, Kevin has invited (with my blessing from a dreamlike state the other night during Animal House) the Doll for Christmas Eve dinner. I had thought we would just go out, as we are going to church at 10, and it makes it easier to stay awake if we're out, but it seems I said she could eat here with us! So we'll see if that happens. I have to get through the next two days of work and then a day of Christmas wrapping before I can think of Christmas Eve dinner!
And then Megan leaves for their swim team training trip. She will be gone for four days, returning on New Years Eve, and I told her she could have friends over. So we will probably stay at home and try to stay awake. I told her they can all sleep over, boys as well, just so nobody has to worry about being out on the road that night.
Friday, December 18, 2009
the week in review
I haven't written since Tuesday! I can't believe it's been that long since I splattered the unknown on the exit ramp of the GSP. Time sure does fly. I have worked most days since, just taking Wednesday off on purpose to get the house and food ready for the onslaught of high school swimmers. That went fairly well although I did just about run out of sauce. A few stragglers showed up and when I peeked into the crock pot, all that remained were four sorry looking sausages! So we went through a whole pot of sauce, about five pounds of pasta as well as another pound baked into a tray of ziti. Most of the guests brought bread as their contribution, so we're fairly well set now for this big storm that's allegedly headed our way.
Anyway, I did my half day job for the one school yesterday, and was home getting ready to go to Megan's meet when I started getting into some confusion about my job scheduled for today. One of my regular teachers was going to be out for a few days and wanted to request me, but since I was already booked for today, it wasn't showing me the job and she couldn't cancel it. But then I finally got hold of them, and they managed to switch it, but I felt badly, because the job I was switched out of was the one I had been looking forward to for two weeks! But it's OK, because this class is unique, and this is a three day assignment. So again, continuity and Christmas bills.
I'm really trying to maintain constancy of thought here, but Wilbur is repeatedly dropping a dead stuffed baby at my feet. He ripped all the guts out and it has become his favorite fetching item. He drops it at my feet and then paws at the couch until I throw it for him again. Molly, of course, completely ignores everything he does.
So this is it, the last shopping weekend of the season. I decided I'd better run up to the stores for a couple of things but then Megan came with me, and that as a bit of a hindrance. I have no stocking stuffers and since she came with me, I still don't. And she caught me buying her the SAT prep book, so that's just a thing I bought now. But I did manage to get a shampoo and a conditioner, at least.
Oh, and one thing I learned is that if you give people the option to bring something else or bread to a pasta party, they will bring bread. We now have enough bread to last us through the new year and beyond. That will come in handy if we're snowed in tomorrow, we'll all be passing around dried out bread. Even the cats, because I'm pretty sure I'm about all out of cat food now.
And so in other news, Brian got two progress reports. He is doing very poorly in biology, worse than before. I emailed the teacher again, and again, the teacher didn't email me back. I know there is s protocol of contact, but this teacher apparently said to his class that he hates getting emails from parents. Brian was initially begging me not to email him after the first report. But now I have decided that this is just too bad. We don't pay this amount of money for school, and then not be allowed to talk to the teacher of the class that our kid is failing! He is now off from school for the holiday break, but with serious midterms shortly after the return. He has packets to complete while he's off, as well as homework. Not much time to get into trouble, I hope!
Anyway, I did my half day job for the one school yesterday, and was home getting ready to go to Megan's meet when I started getting into some confusion about my job scheduled for today. One of my regular teachers was going to be out for a few days and wanted to request me, but since I was already booked for today, it wasn't showing me the job and she couldn't cancel it. But then I finally got hold of them, and they managed to switch it, but I felt badly, because the job I was switched out of was the one I had been looking forward to for two weeks! But it's OK, because this class is unique, and this is a three day assignment. So again, continuity and Christmas bills.
I'm really trying to maintain constancy of thought here, but Wilbur is repeatedly dropping a dead stuffed baby at my feet. He ripped all the guts out and it has become his favorite fetching item. He drops it at my feet and then paws at the couch until I throw it for him again. Molly, of course, completely ignores everything he does.
So this is it, the last shopping weekend of the season. I decided I'd better run up to the stores for a couple of things but then Megan came with me, and that as a bit of a hindrance. I have no stocking stuffers and since she came with me, I still don't. And she caught me buying her the SAT prep book, so that's just a thing I bought now. But I did manage to get a shampoo and a conditioner, at least.
Oh, and one thing I learned is that if you give people the option to bring something else or bread to a pasta party, they will bring bread. We now have enough bread to last us through the new year and beyond. That will come in handy if we're snowed in tomorrow, we'll all be passing around dried out bread. Even the cats, because I'm pretty sure I'm about all out of cat food now.
And so in other news, Brian got two progress reports. He is doing very poorly in biology, worse than before. I emailed the teacher again, and again, the teacher didn't email me back. I know there is s protocol of contact, but this teacher apparently said to his class that he hates getting emails from parents. Brian was initially begging me not to email him after the first report. But now I have decided that this is just too bad. We don't pay this amount of money for school, and then not be allowed to talk to the teacher of the class that our kid is failing! He is now off from school for the holiday break, but with serious midterms shortly after the return. He has packets to complete while he's off, as well as homework. Not much time to get into trouble, I hope!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
road kill and other fun stuff
So last night I decided to take Megan to the 'new' outlets that opened a few miles south of us last year. Not a big success, but we did pick up a few gifts. I offered to take Megan to Chili's for dinner since that's our usual tradition after a swim meet, but it was just too late and too long of a weekend, with school the next morning, after this last one. This is where my fate sealed with that of a poor small animal.
Just as we slowed to get off at the parkway exit, I saw a flash of a small animal bolt out from the ravine on the side of the highway. I tried to brake, but it was already under my wheels, and I ran it over. This is the second time this has happened to me since I have lived in NJ, and it's horrible. I always remember being in a friend's car when I was a kid and we ran over a goose with the father driving and he was so upset.
Anyway, the worst part was looking back and seeing whatever it was (I hope not a cat but it could have been although no houses are within at least a half mile of that spot) was flopping all over the road, even springing up in the air, and the row of cars behind me had all stopped to avoid playing their part in the demise of this poor creature. There was nothing I could have done, but I felt terrible about, and still do.
That was quite depressing, but we had our dinner at Chili's and came home. No jobs were showing up and I was getting a bit discouraged about that, but this morning one did, and it was a fairly good assignment, so I took it. It was Spanish, of all things, but I know they leave you things that you can do even without speaking the language, which is my unfortunate state of comprehension. So I had a day of showing videos and making holiday cards with fifth and second graders. It wasn't bad.
Now I face the daunting task of hosting a pasta party for the school swim team, and I have absolutely NO IDEA how many kids to expect, or what to expect, or anything. I blocked tomorrow out as a no-work day so I won't be shown any jobs, and of course two teachers asked if I could come in tomorrow if they were out, both were feeling ill today in school. But I can't, I have to get the house ready, make five pounds of pasta, a pot of sauce and three pounds of meatballs, and a tray of baked ziti. Stay tuned.
And in other news, I found out Continental changed my flight home from Fort Lauderdale in April! I never even saw the email they claim they sent! But the flight I was on was at 11:15 and they cancelled that flight. Other options were 10am and 1:15, so they put us on the 10am. This means we'll have to leave the hotel by 8! And the swimmers stay at a different hotel but come back to ours for a visit on the last day, and we won't get to see them. Kevin might, he will probably get a later flight back, who knows - but that stinks! Megan will fly home with the team again.
I suppose I could have asked them to switch me to the 1:15 since I didn't make the change, but I don't want to start risking getting home too late either. The next day will be back to school for everyone, and I'll have Brian with me. So annoying. I only found out because someone asked which flights I was on, and what I had in my email didn't make sense so I checked online and the two didn't sync. Ugh.
Just as we slowed to get off at the parkway exit, I saw a flash of a small animal bolt out from the ravine on the side of the highway. I tried to brake, but it was already under my wheels, and I ran it over. This is the second time this has happened to me since I have lived in NJ, and it's horrible. I always remember being in a friend's car when I was a kid and we ran over a goose with the father driving and he was so upset.
Anyway, the worst part was looking back and seeing whatever it was (I hope not a cat but it could have been although no houses are within at least a half mile of that spot) was flopping all over the road, even springing up in the air, and the row of cars behind me had all stopped to avoid playing their part in the demise of this poor creature. There was nothing I could have done, but I felt terrible about, and still do.
That was quite depressing, but we had our dinner at Chili's and came home. No jobs were showing up and I was getting a bit discouraged about that, but this morning one did, and it was a fairly good assignment, so I took it. It was Spanish, of all things, but I know they leave you things that you can do even without speaking the language, which is my unfortunate state of comprehension. So I had a day of showing videos and making holiday cards with fifth and second graders. It wasn't bad.
Now I face the daunting task of hosting a pasta party for the school swim team, and I have absolutely NO IDEA how many kids to expect, or what to expect, or anything. I blocked tomorrow out as a no-work day so I won't be shown any jobs, and of course two teachers asked if I could come in tomorrow if they were out, both were feeling ill today in school. But I can't, I have to get the house ready, make five pounds of pasta, a pot of sauce and three pounds of meatballs, and a tray of baked ziti. Stay tuned.
And in other news, I found out Continental changed my flight home from Fort Lauderdale in April! I never even saw the email they claim they sent! But the flight I was on was at 11:15 and they cancelled that flight. Other options were 10am and 1:15, so they put us on the 10am. This means we'll have to leave the hotel by 8! And the swimmers stay at a different hotel but come back to ours for a visit on the last day, and we won't get to see them. Kevin might, he will probably get a later flight back, who knows - but that stinks! Megan will fly home with the team again.
I suppose I could have asked them to switch me to the 1:15 since I didn't make the change, but I don't want to start risking getting home too late either. The next day will be back to school for everyone, and I'll have Brian with me. So annoying. I only found out because someone asked which flights I was on, and what I had in my email didn't make sense so I checked online and the two didn't sync. Ugh.
Monday, December 14, 2009
monday morning
What a weekend that was! First on Friday Megan had the best time in the 200 free although not by much and then Saturday she didn't do so great in the 500 but she came back yesterday morning and swam great in the 200 back and the 100 free, even making it back for finals in the free, which allowed her to scratch the mile after all. And then at night, again, she didn't get a better time than in the morning. But it was OK because she felt good about being there and she has a great time now from the morning, although it's no longer the fastest on the team, which will bump her out of one of the relays. And one of these days she is going to have to swim those distance events again!
So Brian was the second-class citizen again, even though he was supposed to be working on schoolwork, and he has now fallen prey to Megan's virus/cold/whatever it was. He's just a little sniffly right now, and he went off to school, lucky for him (but not for me) there was not a single job showing up for today, so I was able to drive him in.
I'm surprised not to see a job, it has been really busy lately, but I do have some lined up for the end of the week at least. Tomorrow is the last day of the pay period and on Wednesday I have to have the house ready by 6 for a swim team pasta party, so I'd rather not work then anyway. And even though I sort of counted on working today and tomorrow, I have a lot planned for today, hopefully I'll actually accomplish it all: laundry, decorating the tree, making appointments, shopping for the pasta party, and vacuuming up the pine needles already all over the house.
And in other news, Kevin has departed for Toronto this morning, to return in time for dinner, allegedly. Wilbur is dancing around my feet trying to get me to notice the raggedy stuffed 'baby' that he wants me to throw repeatedly for him to fetch, and he seems to have no recollection of his indiscretion this morning: pooping on the floor because I allowed him freedom after breakfast. How long does it take to fully housebreak these little dopes?
So Brian was the second-class citizen again, even though he was supposed to be working on schoolwork, and he has now fallen prey to Megan's virus/cold/whatever it was. He's just a little sniffly right now, and he went off to school, lucky for him (but not for me) there was not a single job showing up for today, so I was able to drive him in.
I'm surprised not to see a job, it has been really busy lately, but I do have some lined up for the end of the week at least. Tomorrow is the last day of the pay period and on Wednesday I have to have the house ready by 6 for a swim team pasta party, so I'd rather not work then anyway. And even though I sort of counted on working today and tomorrow, I have a lot planned for today, hopefully I'll actually accomplish it all: laundry, decorating the tree, making appointments, shopping for the pasta party, and vacuuming up the pine needles already all over the house.
And in other news, Kevin has departed for Toronto this morning, to return in time for dinner, allegedly. Wilbur is dancing around my feet trying to get me to notice the raggedy stuffed 'baby' that he wants me to throw repeatedly for him to fetch, and he seems to have no recollection of his indiscretion this morning: pooping on the floor because I allowed him freedom after breakfast. How long does it take to fully housebreak these little dopes?
Friday, December 11, 2009
day one so far
Well, I guess the cold had not been too much of a killjoy after all. We are back from the morning session of the swim meet, after scratching the 1000 (thank goodness) due to good performance in the 200. We'll be back to watch finals tonight, and seeded #6. That means that the worst position she can secure will be 8th place in the meet. And the time was a best time, by nearly half a second, taken off of the LZR-wearing-fully tapered-not sick time from Nationals in April. So that was a good thing.
Anyway, now we're home and the dogs are happy - Megan will have some sleep for a while and we have to be back there at 5:30. I thought of getting a hotel room but really it takes about 15 minutes to drive to the hotel anyway and then we'd have to check in and then find some dinner, and by the time we get unpacked and situated, we might just as well have driven home to save the 15 or so minutes tomorrow morning. Tomorrow she has the 500 bright and early and after that (I think) the 100 back. Then her best events will be behind her, although she does fairly well in the 100 free, which is Sunday. But she said she is seeded 40th (she was 18th in the 200 though, and is now 6th, so you never know.) On Sunday she also has the 200 back and (I think) the 1650, also known as "the mile." Ack.
In other news, Brian has a school dance tonight so we have to figure out how we're going to work that if we both go up to watch finals. I think the dance is from 7 till 10 so I did have someone offer to drive him both ways. I had asked if she could bring him home but the more I think about it, the more I think he will need a ride there and not home. We should easily be home by 10. Tomorrow Kevin will take Megan to her meet and I'll stay home with Brian, and probably get some decorations up as well. we had our tree cut down last Sunday and it's just been sitting in water in the garage. Oh, and I just had myself a nice drink of water. It tasted funny the whole time, and then I realized why: the dishes in the dishwasher were dirty! So I took out, and used, one of Megan's juice glasses!!! :-( I think I feel a tickle in my throat ...
Oh yeah, and in other good news: I don't think I mentioned that I finally gave up on searching for the missing phone and bought a new one. Well, I discovered yesterday that with my new phone, I can actually search for sub jobs from anywhere that I am! That is big excitement.
Anyway, now we're home and the dogs are happy - Megan will have some sleep for a while and we have to be back there at 5:30. I thought of getting a hotel room but really it takes about 15 minutes to drive to the hotel anyway and then we'd have to check in and then find some dinner, and by the time we get unpacked and situated, we might just as well have driven home to save the 15 or so minutes tomorrow morning. Tomorrow she has the 500 bright and early and after that (I think) the 100 back. Then her best events will be behind her, although she does fairly well in the 100 free, which is Sunday. But she said she is seeded 40th (she was 18th in the 200 though, and is now 6th, so you never know.) On Sunday she also has the 200 back and (I think) the 1650, also known as "the mile." Ack.
In other news, Brian has a school dance tonight so we have to figure out how we're going to work that if we both go up to watch finals. I think the dance is from 7 till 10 so I did have someone offer to drive him both ways. I had asked if she could bring him home but the more I think about it, the more I think he will need a ride there and not home. We should easily be home by 10. Tomorrow Kevin will take Megan to her meet and I'll stay home with Brian, and probably get some decorations up as well. we had our tree cut down last Sunday and it's just been sitting in water in the garage. Oh, and I just had myself a nice drink of water. It tasted funny the whole time, and then I realized why: the dishes in the dishwasher were dirty! So I took out, and used, one of Megan's juice glasses!!! :-( I think I feel a tickle in my throat ...
Oh yeah, and in other good news: I don't think I mentioned that I finally gave up on searching for the missing phone and bought a new one. Well, I discovered yesterday that with my new phone, I can actually search for sub jobs from anywhere that I am! That is big excitement.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
a moment's peace
This is what I have decided to take. I'm feeling anxious in general lately with Megan being sick, Christmas coming, and the uncertainty of my work week, although it did turn out perfectly fine. The class and I had a lovely last day together, they were pretty well behaved (with two absent - haha) for almost the whole day. When the worst thing that happens is you catch one of the "good" girls holding up a whiteboard for all to see that says "too late chubby fat boy" to a kid without an ounce of fat on his body, that's a pretty good day. The runner-up event was at the end of the day when I noticed one of the boys in the front row had taken the caps off of five of his crayola markers and put one on each of the fingers on his hand, and was just waving them around while I talked. Of course, the insides of marker caps are full of marker ink, so that had a pleasant aftermath.
I haven't heard from the teacher yet but I imagine she is busy being free and I am busy trying to get everything ready for tomorrow, and right now I'm cooking dinner and have just eight minutes while my pasta boils. Megan is getting a ride home, they got out a little early and Kevin didn't get there in time. I had her ask one of the boys if he could drive her but he was driving another kid and I didn't want to encourage law-scoffing, so I tried to get Kevin there in time but it didn't work. Another girl and her father are dropping Megan off. Kevin is going to the store to buy bone-in pork chops to boil with ginger and wild scallions for some ancient Chinese cold cure. I doubt she will take even one sip, but whatever he feels he needs to do, I guess, is fine.
And then for some reason tonight I was requested by another teacher I don't think I have ever heard of for tomorrow. The job came up and wouldn't go away, I didn't designate tomorrow as a non-work day just in case I had to do the same class again, but when I saw that one was stuck on my screen I thought I'd better give it up, so I posted the day as unavailable, and the job went away. I hate to do that, but I have to be at the pool with Megan by around 7 tomorrow. It's going to be a long weekend.
So she says she is feeling better and I hope that she is. She did stay home yesterday and rest, and she's been taking lots of advil, sudafed, and vitamins. Her voice is a little hoarse but she never did end up with a fever so I hope it was just a bad cold. Maybe the ancient Chinese brew will actually knock the rest of it out, we'll see. I hope he remembers the wild scallions. I just texted him about them.
Anyway, that's about all my time. In other news, the cleaning people came today and they don't do a very good job sometimes. The floors look ok but they use way too much polish on my good wood furniture, they break all my picture frames, and for what we pay them you'd think they would vacuum under the couch cushions, but they don't. The boss woman tried to bully me into letting them come the Saturday before Christmas because Christmas Eve is our next due date, but I think I might call and tell her no, don't bother. I told Megan she can have a swim team pasta party here on the 16th, and if she does, I'll have to clean up for that anyway. But wait and see. They'll be here on that Saturday before Christmas, ruining my furniture, not vacuuming under my cushions, and taking our money. Maybe Kevin will criticize them since he'll be home!
I haven't heard from the teacher yet but I imagine she is busy being free and I am busy trying to get everything ready for tomorrow, and right now I'm cooking dinner and have just eight minutes while my pasta boils. Megan is getting a ride home, they got out a little early and Kevin didn't get there in time. I had her ask one of the boys if he could drive her but he was driving another kid and I didn't want to encourage law-scoffing, so I tried to get Kevin there in time but it didn't work. Another girl and her father are dropping Megan off. Kevin is going to the store to buy bone-in pork chops to boil with ginger and wild scallions for some ancient Chinese cold cure. I doubt she will take even one sip, but whatever he feels he needs to do, I guess, is fine.
And then for some reason tonight I was requested by another teacher I don't think I have ever heard of for tomorrow. The job came up and wouldn't go away, I didn't designate tomorrow as a non-work day just in case I had to do the same class again, but when I saw that one was stuck on my screen I thought I'd better give it up, so I posted the day as unavailable, and the job went away. I hate to do that, but I have to be at the pool with Megan by around 7 tomorrow. It's going to be a long weekend.
So she says she is feeling better and I hope that she is. She did stay home yesterday and rest, and she's been taking lots of advil, sudafed, and vitamins. Her voice is a little hoarse but she never did end up with a fever so I hope it was just a bad cold. Maybe the ancient Chinese brew will actually knock the rest of it out, we'll see. I hope he remembers the wild scallions. I just texted him about them.
Anyway, that's about all my time. In other news, the cleaning people came today and they don't do a very good job sometimes. The floors look ok but they use way too much polish on my good wood furniture, they break all my picture frames, and for what we pay them you'd think they would vacuum under the couch cushions, but they don't. The boss woman tried to bully me into letting them come the Saturday before Christmas because Christmas Eve is our next due date, but I think I might call and tell her no, don't bother. I told Megan she can have a swim team pasta party here on the 16th, and if she does, I'll have to clean up for that anyway. But wait and see. They'll be here on that Saturday before Christmas, ruining my furniture, not vacuuming under my cushions, and taking our money. Maybe Kevin will criticize them since he'll be home!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
one more day!
So I found out today that I should have one more day left on this assignment. It turned out that I was able to stay in the same class I've been in for the entire week instead of being switched into the other. Although I feel badly not being able to cover for both, if I start for one I would rather stay in that class. Why should those kids have to adapt to a new sub, while the other class is going to have the same one for two days anyway? And that's how it turned out, and I heard the other class was good and well-behaved for her today, so that was good.
My class has not been bad. They're second-graders and they do what they do, but they're a bunch of good kids who look at you with wide eyes when you catch them doing bad things, instead of talking back and not caring. However, the wide eyes don't last long and as soon as you turn your back they're back to their old ways. I learned to bring a water bottle to class. My throat was dry and sore by the end of that first day!!
But the teacher said she thinks tomorrow is the last day she has to be out, their trial is over and they should be wrapping things up tomorrow. So she'll be back Friday and I can take a hopefully-much-improved Megan to her meet. She did stay home from school today, last night when she got home from practice she felt badly, and I took her temperature and it was 99.0. I know this is not a fever, and she had just had a 1.5 hour workout, a hot shower, and a hot dinner, but I also think it meant she was fighting something. So I left her home alone, but woke her up and gave her advil at 7:30, which somehow caused her to remain awake until 4:30, when she finally went to sleep. I woke her up at 6:30 for dinner.
She seems to feel better but for a terribly stuffy nose and the beginning of a wet cough, but she's swum with worse in the past and done well, as have others. It's going to come down to a mental thing which is why she needed this day. Also the horrific weather made it a good day to stay home. She was scheduled to go on a trip to the middle school anyway, and her group was going to the special ed class. So I think for the sake of all involved, it was best that she stayed home, disappointing as it was. And of course she is missing school on Friday for the meet, making this an extra unexcsued absence, because who takes their kid to the doctor for the common cold anyway? I'm hoping they will excuse her swimming absences, as other schools do. They bring in the meet sheets and prove their kids were there, and the schools excuse them. I have to look into that.
I also picked up the certification on Wilbur's unfitness, from my vet. I dropped it off at the pet store and she was fairly nice, of course she tried to say his leg went bad because he jumps off my couches and my bed (no way!) Also since I am not asking her for money immediately she is going to try to discourage me from doing so, ever. But we'll see. I hope it doesn't come to that myself.
Anyway, in other news, Brian still lives here. He has been busy trying to look busy with schoolwork so he won't have to go to swimming! He has not been to swimming in two weeks because he always has schoolwork due the next day. I think it's really important for him to swim, but something always seems to get in the way, like last Thursday we had the college funding seminar and this week he had a ping pong tournament at school and didn't get home until 4:30 and then needed time to get ready for those blasted cleaning people who seem to be coming the next day all the time! On that note - better go recharge my battery for my last day in second grade (for now!)
My class has not been bad. They're second-graders and they do what they do, but they're a bunch of good kids who look at you with wide eyes when you catch them doing bad things, instead of talking back and not caring. However, the wide eyes don't last long and as soon as you turn your back they're back to their old ways. I learned to bring a water bottle to class. My throat was dry and sore by the end of that first day!!
But the teacher said she thinks tomorrow is the last day she has to be out, their trial is over and they should be wrapping things up tomorrow. So she'll be back Friday and I can take a hopefully-much-improved Megan to her meet. She did stay home from school today, last night when she got home from practice she felt badly, and I took her temperature and it was 99.0. I know this is not a fever, and she had just had a 1.5 hour workout, a hot shower, and a hot dinner, but I also think it meant she was fighting something. So I left her home alone, but woke her up and gave her advil at 7:30, which somehow caused her to remain awake until 4:30, when she finally went to sleep. I woke her up at 6:30 for dinner.
She seems to feel better but for a terribly stuffy nose and the beginning of a wet cough, but she's swum with worse in the past and done well, as have others. It's going to come down to a mental thing which is why she needed this day. Also the horrific weather made it a good day to stay home. She was scheduled to go on a trip to the middle school anyway, and her group was going to the special ed class. So I think for the sake of all involved, it was best that she stayed home, disappointing as it was. And of course she is missing school on Friday for the meet, making this an extra unexcsued absence, because who takes their kid to the doctor for the common cold anyway? I'm hoping they will excuse her swimming absences, as other schools do. They bring in the meet sheets and prove their kids were there, and the schools excuse them. I have to look into that.
I also picked up the certification on Wilbur's unfitness, from my vet. I dropped it off at the pet store and she was fairly nice, of course she tried to say his leg went bad because he jumps off my couches and my bed (no way!) Also since I am not asking her for money immediately she is going to try to discourage me from doing so, ever. But we'll see. I hope it doesn't come to that myself.
Anyway, in other news, Brian still lives here. He has been busy trying to look busy with schoolwork so he won't have to go to swimming! He has not been to swimming in two weeks because he always has schoolwork due the next day. I think it's really important for him to swim, but something always seems to get in the way, like last Thursday we had the college funding seminar and this week he had a ping pong tournament at school and didn't get home until 4:30 and then needed time to get ready for those blasted cleaning people who seem to be coming the next day all the time! On that note - better go recharge my battery for my last day in second grade (for now!)
Monday, December 7, 2009
into the fray
And I have two more days of work lined up now. The teacher I was in for today put in for the next two as I was cooking dinner/stalking the system and I got them both. So I don't know what will happen after that but apparently there IS to be court on Friday as well, when I am supposed to take Megan to her meet. She can always get a ride with someone although Kevin is making noises about missing his annual holiday luncheon to drive her there and watch her. I have driven enough others to meets for one reason or another that I don't feel badly about missing a morning session for work, but he seems to feel that we are letting her down in some way if one of us doesn't go.
But unfortunately she is also sniffling and snuffling a lot now. The meet runs from Friday through Sunday and she has a LOT of swimming to do in that time. So we have her on vitamins, allergy pills, and airborne and we will see what happens. I suggested she go to her high school meet today just to watch or time and she did, but in retrospect I hope this was the right thing, she has homework to finish, was on her feet the whole time, and could have used that time to rest at home.
Oh, and so I did a bunch of shopping on amazon on Saturday and a bunch of stuff came today, including my 2010 Golden Retriever calendar. This is really creepy though, because we sort of feel like we keep Molly alive by getting this calendar every year, like if we don't get it one year, she will die. So this year, the mall didn't have the calendar kiosk!!! I was in a bit of a near-panic when I found the calendar on amazon. But when I opened it, I read the 'deep thought' for January and I am scared! It goes like this:
Near this Spot are deposited the Remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferosity, and all the virtues of Man without his Vices. This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human Ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of BOATSWAIN, a DOG, who was born in Newfoundland May 1803 and died at Newstead Nov. 18, 1808. When some proud Son of Man returns to Earth, Unknown by Glory, but upheld by Birth, The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe, And storied urns record who rests below. When all is done, upon the Tomb is seen, Not what he was, but what he should have been. But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend, The first to welcome, foremost to defend, Whose honest heart is still his Master’s own, Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone, Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth, Denied in heaven the Soul he held on earth – While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven, And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven. Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour, Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power – Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust, Degraded mass of animated dust! Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat, Thy tongue hypocrisy, thy words deceit! By nature vile, ennoble but by name, Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame. Ye, who perchance behold this simple urn, Pass on – it honors none you wish to mourn. To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise; I never knew but one – and here he lies. ~ Lord Byron
Uh oh.
But unfortunately she is also sniffling and snuffling a lot now. The meet runs from Friday through Sunday and she has a LOT of swimming to do in that time. So we have her on vitamins, allergy pills, and airborne and we will see what happens. I suggested she go to her high school meet today just to watch or time and she did, but in retrospect I hope this was the right thing, she has homework to finish, was on her feet the whole time, and could have used that time to rest at home.
Oh, and so I did a bunch of shopping on amazon on Saturday and a bunch of stuff came today, including my 2010 Golden Retriever calendar. This is really creepy though, because we sort of feel like we keep Molly alive by getting this calendar every year, like if we don't get it one year, she will die. So this year, the mall didn't have the calendar kiosk!!! I was in a bit of a near-panic when I found the calendar on amazon. But when I opened it, I read the 'deep thought' for January and I am scared! It goes like this:
Near this Spot are deposited the Remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferosity, and all the virtues of Man without his Vices. This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human Ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of BOATSWAIN, a DOG, who was born in Newfoundland May 1803 and died at Newstead Nov. 18, 1808. When some proud Son of Man returns to Earth, Unknown by Glory, but upheld by Birth, The sculptor’s art exhausts the pomp of woe, And storied urns record who rests below. When all is done, upon the Tomb is seen, Not what he was, but what he should have been. But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend, The first to welcome, foremost to defend, Whose honest heart is still his Master’s own, Who labours, fights, lives, breathes for him alone, Unhonoured falls, unnoticed all his worth, Denied in heaven the Soul he held on earth – While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven, And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven. Oh man! thou feeble tenant of an hour, Debased by slavery, or corrupt by power – Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust, Degraded mass of animated dust! Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat, Thy tongue hypocrisy, thy words deceit! By nature vile, ennoble but by name, Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame. Ye, who perchance behold this simple urn, Pass on – it honors none you wish to mourn. To mark a friend’s remains these stones arise; I never knew but one – and here he lies. ~ Lord Byron
Uh oh.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
and so it goes
I should have known when I was sitting here wallowing in boredom and self-pity that my party would soon be over, and I should have done some more laundry, or grocery shopping, or even picked up a vacuum. But no. I didn't. And so the tides turned, just like that. Yesterday, although I had designated the day as a 'stay at home and catch up because next week might be crazy' day, I worked. There were three jobs that were not going away. One was gym, and the other was at an unfamiliar school. The third was only a half day at one of my better schools, so I decided that I'd take a quick shower and if the job remained, I'd do my duty and take it.
It remained. The day wasn't too bad, it was an active fifth grade with a bunch of cute kids who knew they were cute, but unfortunately haven't realized that they are not nearly as cute as they used to be. Their cuteness to me wore off about fifteen minutes after the teacher left the room. But we didn't have a terrible time, for the most part they did what they were supposed to be doing. Then I came home and I called and took all of the kids' money out of their mutual funds so we can put it in bank accounts for their college funds. We'll probably put Megan's in our own name now since it's our money anyway. Of course, we will have to take a tax hit but that's only if the stinkin' funds made money, and I have a feeling they may have not. I was shocked at the small value of the initial shares, just under $2000, and that's nine years after I opened them with probably about that same amount of money. The rest was from contributions we have made over the past few years. I wonder how much we lost on that part, if any.
Anyway after that I paid my own bills and then fed the kids and Kevin and I had dinner at the local Mexican restaurant, always very good to do. Megan has been getting out a little earlier as she is preparing for the meet next week, so that was also a pleasant switch. And Brian stayed in and claimed to be tired, but stayed up late on xbox anyway.
Today Megan had to see the dermatologist, our bi-annual donation of $90 to his practice, as all he does is look at her face and write the prescription for the vitamins she's been taking, and the topical medication that she uses only occasionally. I bet the pediatrician could do this at a fraction of the cost. Then we hit the mall, fairly disappointing, and the weather was terrible, so I came home and got a lot of shopping done on amazon. One click shopping is the best! I even got the golden retriever calendar that I didn't see at the mall. I was worried when I didn't see it that it was a bad sign! We always have a golden retriever calendar: it's what has kept Molly alive for 14 years!
The week is going to be crazy. Tomorrow we have church obligations in the morning, an open house on our block (a party, not a realtor's) in the afternoon, then the church's annual spaghetti dinner at night. I have a job for Monday and will also possibly have the same job Tuesday (long and confusing story) and the rest of the days are in question. The teacher I have is on a jury, so I released two half day jobs so that I could be available, worried that it would make me look bad but thinking it was best for everyone, and then found out that I may be called in for my OTHER regular class instead, for Wednesday and Thursday (rumor has it.) Why do all my people always go out at the same time? But it looks like I may work every day this week, although I hope not Friday. Megan has that big meet and I have to take her there at 7am Friday. There, I told the long and confusing story in spark notes form.
And in other news, I looked into the puppy lemon law a little and found out that Gimpy is still in his 'warranty' period of 180 days. I called the vet and they will write up a letter stating that he is unfit for sale. The consumer apparently has the right to keep the animal and try to cure it (I didn't realize but I could have exercised this right in the beginning with the ear mites, coccidia, and giardia as well, but I was just so ashamed that I had bought a puppy mill puppy for the second time that I just sucked it up and ate the cost.)
But this time, if he ends up needing expensive corrective knee surgery, then I will at least have the law on my side, for all the good it will do. And this is where their overcharging gluttonous ways come back to haunt them: their liability is "limited" to twice the purchase price of the dog. So their 'bargain' price of $1199 will limit their liability to almost the entire cost of the surgery, if he ends up needing both knees done. If he only needs one, it should more than pay for the whole thing, this imaginary payout.
But I'm sure it won't be that easy. This is my first and hopefully only experience with this type of situation, and they do it all the time, and probably know very well how to twist the knife and elude the law. They can require me to see their vet but I think there is no disputing that the dog's knee pops out of place several times an hour. And the last thing I want to see is him go through surgery; although that is not quite true. The LAST thing I want to see is him go so lame with bad knees and arthritis that he can't be helped at all anymore, before his time. So stay tuned for the saga, I hope it doesn't turn ugly but I'm afraid it has the potential to do just that.
It remained. The day wasn't too bad, it was an active fifth grade with a bunch of cute kids who knew they were cute, but unfortunately haven't realized that they are not nearly as cute as they used to be. Their cuteness to me wore off about fifteen minutes after the teacher left the room. But we didn't have a terrible time, for the most part they did what they were supposed to be doing. Then I came home and I called and took all of the kids' money out of their mutual funds so we can put it in bank accounts for their college funds. We'll probably put Megan's in our own name now since it's our money anyway. Of course, we will have to take a tax hit but that's only if the stinkin' funds made money, and I have a feeling they may have not. I was shocked at the small value of the initial shares, just under $2000, and that's nine years after I opened them with probably about that same amount of money. The rest was from contributions we have made over the past few years. I wonder how much we lost on that part, if any.
Anyway after that I paid my own bills and then fed the kids and Kevin and I had dinner at the local Mexican restaurant, always very good to do. Megan has been getting out a little earlier as she is preparing for the meet next week, so that was also a pleasant switch. And Brian stayed in and claimed to be tired, but stayed up late on xbox anyway.
Today Megan had to see the dermatologist, our bi-annual donation of $90 to his practice, as all he does is look at her face and write the prescription for the vitamins she's been taking, and the topical medication that she uses only occasionally. I bet the pediatrician could do this at a fraction of the cost. Then we hit the mall, fairly disappointing, and the weather was terrible, so I came home and got a lot of shopping done on amazon. One click shopping is the best! I even got the golden retriever calendar that I didn't see at the mall. I was worried when I didn't see it that it was a bad sign! We always have a golden retriever calendar: it's what has kept Molly alive for 14 years!
The week is going to be crazy. Tomorrow we have church obligations in the morning, an open house on our block (a party, not a realtor's) in the afternoon, then the church's annual spaghetti dinner at night. I have a job for Monday and will also possibly have the same job Tuesday (long and confusing story) and the rest of the days are in question. The teacher I have is on a jury, so I released two half day jobs so that I could be available, worried that it would make me look bad but thinking it was best for everyone, and then found out that I may be called in for my OTHER regular class instead, for Wednesday and Thursday (rumor has it.) Why do all my people always go out at the same time? But it looks like I may work every day this week, although I hope not Friday. Megan has that big meet and I have to take her there at 7am Friday. There, I told the long and confusing story in spark notes form.
And in other news, I looked into the puppy lemon law a little and found out that Gimpy is still in his 'warranty' period of 180 days. I called the vet and they will write up a letter stating that he is unfit for sale. The consumer apparently has the right to keep the animal and try to cure it (I didn't realize but I could have exercised this right in the beginning with the ear mites, coccidia, and giardia as well, but I was just so ashamed that I had bought a puppy mill puppy for the second time that I just sucked it up and ate the cost.)
But this time, if he ends up needing expensive corrective knee surgery, then I will at least have the law on my side, for all the good it will do. And this is where their overcharging gluttonous ways come back to haunt them: their liability is "limited" to twice the purchase price of the dog. So their 'bargain' price of $1199 will limit their liability to almost the entire cost of the surgery, if he ends up needing both knees done. If he only needs one, it should more than pay for the whole thing, this imaginary payout.
But I'm sure it won't be that easy. This is my first and hopefully only experience with this type of situation, and they do it all the time, and probably know very well how to twist the knife and elude the law. They can require me to see their vet but I think there is no disputing that the dog's knee pops out of place several times an hour. And the last thing I want to see is him go through surgery; although that is not quite true. The LAST thing I want to see is him go so lame with bad knees and arthritis that he can't be helped at all anymore, before his time. So stay tuned for the saga, I hope it doesn't turn ugly but I'm afraid it has the potential to do just that.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
another be careful what you wish for day
Well, after I had about hit rock bottom on this whole subbing thing, as they do, things picked up a little. Of course, I have bought Brian a new box of contacts, registered Megan for another SAT and taken Wilbur to the vet; and several other major things I can't remember which now have cost me a fair amount of money that I don't really have.
But anyway, yesterday after the meet (which they won, by a large margin, and the new pool is beautiful) I came home to find that the sub phone had called. As I was starting to get food ready for dinner, it called again so I came in to check on the computer (I'd rather see it in writing) and found a morning job, actually for the teacher to go to the funeral of the boy in Brian's grade who died on Sunday. So I took that, and then checked my email, and found notification from another teacher, although I hadn't seen that job posted.
Well, I later learned that the other teacher was out yesterday as well (she had jury duty,) and I was initially baffled as to why I never saw her job go up, when I remembered that I had blocked myself out from 3pm on for the swim meet! Had she called me, I could have removed that, but I didn't, so I didn't get the job. And the same person who got it yesterday got it again today! But my day was OK, because I had the morning for the other teacher, their classrooms are right next to one another, and they teach as a team so I always have the same lesson plans no matter which one I'm in for. We had an assembly for most of the morning, and as I was on my way out, the secretary hunted me down and asked me to work at a different school in the afternoon.
I usually say no to these requests, but today I felt like I really should take it. So I said ok, but I have to go home first and make sure that I locked my front door (long story that involves kids who have keys and never use them). They said that I could get to the other school at 12:30, that was fine. It was noon when I left the first school. I rushed home, slightly panicked, and was horrified to find that my fears were not unfounded, that the door was, in fact, not just unlocked, but unSHUT as well. I entered with great trepidation and noted that the house, in its natural state, already looked ransacked, so it was hard to tell if any damage had been done by intruders.
Molly was, as usual, playing dead and unresponsive. Wilbur was, as usual, standing up in his pen. The one I worried about the most, Wren, was on the counter, having some chow. So I let the dogs out, inhaled some lunch, and ran back out for a fairly pleasant afternoon at the school where I had the horrible para experience two years ago, when I was almost hired and then unceremoniously dismissed when they had to give the job to someone else, who was already in the para union.
After I left this second school, I ran up to get the contacts I had ordered for Brian, and stopped into the grocery store. On my way home, I received a breathless call from Brian, aghast at being accused of being responsible for the demise of the beloved Rusty, who was nowhere to be found. Trying to stay calm, I pulled into the driveway and parked in front of his favorite hedge. (Rusty rarely goes out but when he escapes he usually climbs into a hedge and screams his head off until I finally manage to drag him out.)
So cautiously I tried his name: "Rusty? Rusty?" I thought I heard a rustling so I tried again. Then it started - the panicked yowls coming from the hedge. Whew. (right on cue, Rusty has just appeared behind my shoulder.) He was not so happy about his situation but he seems pretty glad to be out of it now! So it ended better than it could have, this house opened up to the world for four hours. Good thing I came home.
Anyway, after this, I saw that the sub phone had again called, so I checked in and saw a job posted for the teacher on jury duty, so I quickly snatched it up. I sent her an email just to make sure she hadn't intended to get the same sub back, and she wrote back, so I ended up talking to her on the phone. She is on a case now so it will be day to day but the problem is that I have two half days booked for next week, and I would like to drop them but don't want to cause trouble. So tomorrow I'll call the secretary and see what she says, and if nothing else, I can call personnel and see what they think I should do. Good thing I took that afternoon job today! I think court is closed on Fridays in our county, so the job will start Monday and could run the whole four days of next week. So I won't have to worry about this stalking of the system for a little while, at least!
And in other news, tonight Kevin and I attended a little seminar on how to pay for college. It was interesting, we did learn a few things we didn't know about the process and about where to keep your money (ie not in accounts with the kids' names on them.) They also told us about a few colleges that are not very free with their financial aid, one of which unfortunately is one of Megan's picks. But it will be OK. There are plenty of others and I am sure it will work out. I also signed her up for the January SATs so we will have a better idea what her starting point is before she takes them in May. If she does well enough, she might not have to take them again anyway - then she can just take another subject test and the ACTs and be done with it all! (until the GREs) One of the points that the speaker highlighted was how schools have to utilize their money as it best suits them, and his case example: Hofstra football. I know there are many sad men in America today!
But anyway, yesterday after the meet (which they won, by a large margin, and the new pool is beautiful) I came home to find that the sub phone had called. As I was starting to get food ready for dinner, it called again so I came in to check on the computer (I'd rather see it in writing) and found a morning job, actually for the teacher to go to the funeral of the boy in Brian's grade who died on Sunday. So I took that, and then checked my email, and found notification from another teacher, although I hadn't seen that job posted.
Well, I later learned that the other teacher was out yesterday as well (she had jury duty,) and I was initially baffled as to why I never saw her job go up, when I remembered that I had blocked myself out from 3pm on for the swim meet! Had she called me, I could have removed that, but I didn't, so I didn't get the job. And the same person who got it yesterday got it again today! But my day was OK, because I had the morning for the other teacher, their classrooms are right next to one another, and they teach as a team so I always have the same lesson plans no matter which one I'm in for. We had an assembly for most of the morning, and as I was on my way out, the secretary hunted me down and asked me to work at a different school in the afternoon.
I usually say no to these requests, but today I felt like I really should take it. So I said ok, but I have to go home first and make sure that I locked my front door (long story that involves kids who have keys and never use them). They said that I could get to the other school at 12:30, that was fine. It was noon when I left the first school. I rushed home, slightly panicked, and was horrified to find that my fears were not unfounded, that the door was, in fact, not just unlocked, but unSHUT as well. I entered with great trepidation and noted that the house, in its natural state, already looked ransacked, so it was hard to tell if any damage had been done by intruders.
Molly was, as usual, playing dead and unresponsive. Wilbur was, as usual, standing up in his pen. The one I worried about the most, Wren, was on the counter, having some chow. So I let the dogs out, inhaled some lunch, and ran back out for a fairly pleasant afternoon at the school where I had the horrible para experience two years ago, when I was almost hired and then unceremoniously dismissed when they had to give the job to someone else, who was already in the para union.
After I left this second school, I ran up to get the contacts I had ordered for Brian, and stopped into the grocery store. On my way home, I received a breathless call from Brian, aghast at being accused of being responsible for the demise of the beloved Rusty, who was nowhere to be found. Trying to stay calm, I pulled into the driveway and parked in front of his favorite hedge. (Rusty rarely goes out but when he escapes he usually climbs into a hedge and screams his head off until I finally manage to drag him out.)
So cautiously I tried his name: "Rusty? Rusty?" I thought I heard a rustling so I tried again. Then it started - the panicked yowls coming from the hedge. Whew. (right on cue, Rusty has just appeared behind my shoulder.) He was not so happy about his situation but he seems pretty glad to be out of it now! So it ended better than it could have, this house opened up to the world for four hours. Good thing I came home.
Anyway, after this, I saw that the sub phone had again called, so I checked in and saw a job posted for the teacher on jury duty, so I quickly snatched it up. I sent her an email just to make sure she hadn't intended to get the same sub back, and she wrote back, so I ended up talking to her on the phone. She is on a case now so it will be day to day but the problem is that I have two half days booked for next week, and I would like to drop them but don't want to cause trouble. So tomorrow I'll call the secretary and see what she says, and if nothing else, I can call personnel and see what they think I should do. Good thing I took that afternoon job today! I think court is closed on Fridays in our county, so the job will start Monday and could run the whole four days of next week. So I won't have to worry about this stalking of the system for a little while, at least!
And in other news, tonight Kevin and I attended a little seminar on how to pay for college. It was interesting, we did learn a few things we didn't know about the process and about where to keep your money (ie not in accounts with the kids' names on them.) They also told us about a few colleges that are not very free with their financial aid, one of which unfortunately is one of Megan's picks. But it will be OK. There are plenty of others and I am sure it will work out. I also signed her up for the January SATs so we will have a better idea what her starting point is before she takes them in May. If she does well enough, she might not have to take them again anyway - then she can just take another subject test and the ACTs and be done with it all! (until the GREs) One of the points that the speaker highlighted was how schools have to utilize their money as it best suits them, and his case example: Hofstra football. I know there are many sad men in America today!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
do you remember ...
I remember five years ago today. It was not a clear and brisk but beautiful December day as it is today. It was an ominous, rainy, windy and spooky day. I didn't know why, but I awoke with a feeling of foreboding that centered around the appointment I had with Brian, his first at the neurologist to investigate his shaky hands. Little did I know that morning what kind of journey we were about to embark upon: the neurosurgeons and hospitals, the MRIs and the anticipation of their results, and the many, many follow-up visits that we still enjoy twice a year.
In fact, I have not even confirmed that all was well with the most recent MRIs in September, but we did call about that swine flu vaccine and nobody mentioned any problems. Brian has had no complaints about any of the related issues, so we'll coast through the next two months and hear it from the horse's mouth at our February appointment. I can't believe that it's been five years. Just yesterday, we heard about the death of one of Brian's former classmates, a 14 year old who had the misfortune to be born with a muscle-wasting disorder. I never really knew what it was, but he started elementary school just a little clumsy, but left in a wheelchair for middle school. All of this reminds us how lucky we are to only have a "little chiari," although I follow many who suffer a lot at the hands of this mysterious affliction. We are very grateful that the last five years have turned out so well for Brian, and we are cautiously optimistic for a continuation of this outcome.
On a slightly lower medical note, Wilbur continues to sublux his patella several times a day. I figured out that when he holds it up, it I pull it all the way bent, it pops back into place! He doesn't seem to mind, in fact, as soon as he feels the pop, he knows he's ready to run and off he goes. It's quite a bizarre malady my dog has developed. We met an older couple when we were out the other night and their pom-a-poo has it in both knees. They called it a 'trick knee.' Theirs is just bowlegged, though, her knees don't actually pop out all the time and make her go lame. Although Wilbur is getting pretty good at getting around on three legs. The problem with that is that his other leg is similarly affected, and if he stresses it too much, it might start subluxing its patella as well.
So I haven't worked in a while. I saw a few jobs yesterday but my head was exploding from the sweet drinks on Saturday night and the headache that took two days to get rid of. This morning I saw two, but they were not jobs that I would have been comfortable in. Also this is getting very old, this never seeing anything all day and then having to drag myself, bleary-eyed, to stalk the computer for anyone who might have woken up ill or with a sick child. I also cross-referenced to last year and I was not so busy at this part of the month, but it picked up as the actual holidays drew closer, when teachers start to take time off to shop and decorate. So we'll see. I really just have to be able to pay down my credit card bills by the end of June.
Anyway, in other news, the first high school swim meet is tomorrow at our new pool! There's a pasta party for the team tonight, which Megan will go to after her Y practice. I hope she doesn't have a lot of homework, she still needs to bring the grades in those few hard classes up a little. Oh, and she got her PSAT scores yesterday. She did pretty well in the math and writing, but her critical reading, as usual, was the weakness. Still, the score wasn't terrible, equivalent to about a 570 on the SATs - but there is room for improvement in that. We're counting on her to win some of her own tuition, either academically or through the pool - so the higher she scores, the more likely that is to be fruitful. Thursday night there's going to be a workshop for us first-time parents on how to afford college when you really can't. (Actually that isn't what they call it, but I hope it will be what they discuss!)
In fact, I have not even confirmed that all was well with the most recent MRIs in September, but we did call about that swine flu vaccine and nobody mentioned any problems. Brian has had no complaints about any of the related issues, so we'll coast through the next two months and hear it from the horse's mouth at our February appointment. I can't believe that it's been five years. Just yesterday, we heard about the death of one of Brian's former classmates, a 14 year old who had the misfortune to be born with a muscle-wasting disorder. I never really knew what it was, but he started elementary school just a little clumsy, but left in a wheelchair for middle school. All of this reminds us how lucky we are to only have a "little chiari," although I follow many who suffer a lot at the hands of this mysterious affliction. We are very grateful that the last five years have turned out so well for Brian, and we are cautiously optimistic for a continuation of this outcome.
On a slightly lower medical note, Wilbur continues to sublux his patella several times a day. I figured out that when he holds it up, it I pull it all the way bent, it pops back into place! He doesn't seem to mind, in fact, as soon as he feels the pop, he knows he's ready to run and off he goes. It's quite a bizarre malady my dog has developed. We met an older couple when we were out the other night and their pom-a-poo has it in both knees. They called it a 'trick knee.' Theirs is just bowlegged, though, her knees don't actually pop out all the time and make her go lame. Although Wilbur is getting pretty good at getting around on three legs. The problem with that is that his other leg is similarly affected, and if he stresses it too much, it might start subluxing its patella as well.
So I haven't worked in a while. I saw a few jobs yesterday but my head was exploding from the sweet drinks on Saturday night and the headache that took two days to get rid of. This morning I saw two, but they were not jobs that I would have been comfortable in. Also this is getting very old, this never seeing anything all day and then having to drag myself, bleary-eyed, to stalk the computer for anyone who might have woken up ill or with a sick child. I also cross-referenced to last year and I was not so busy at this part of the month, but it picked up as the actual holidays drew closer, when teachers start to take time off to shop and decorate. So we'll see. I really just have to be able to pay down my credit card bills by the end of June.
Anyway, in other news, the first high school swim meet is tomorrow at our new pool! There's a pasta party for the team tonight, which Megan will go to after her Y practice. I hope she doesn't have a lot of homework, she still needs to bring the grades in those few hard classes up a little. Oh, and she got her PSAT scores yesterday. She did pretty well in the math and writing, but her critical reading, as usual, was the weakness. Still, the score wasn't terrible, equivalent to about a 570 on the SATs - but there is room for improvement in that. We're counting on her to win some of her own tuition, either academically or through the pool - so the higher she scores, the more likely that is to be fruitful. Thursday night there's going to be a workshop for us first-time parents on how to afford college when you really can't. (Actually that isn't what they call it, but I hope it will be what they discuss!)
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