iPost!

And so this is the first post from the new iMac! I guess Kevin was feeling a little entitled due to his upcoming bonus, and a little disgusted with the old PC, and he just came home with it yesterday. I usually use the old laptop which now has to be anchored to a wall at all times because it shuts down as soon as the charging cable becomes disconnected. Although the iMac is obviously superior, it also takes some getting used to. It's like Windows, but not. Or should I say - Windows is like the Mac, but not. But we were used to Windows.

Anyway, I have survived Round 1 of my long term temping job. The next two days will be in a third grade class, and then I have a break. Then the one day with the boy, and then off to Florida. It's been such a long time coming that I can't believe it is time for that trip again. Funny to think that we had E with us last year!

The good news is that Brian's report card arrived and yes - he passed everything. Mostly 'passed' being the silver lining to the actual numerical grades. The highest was an 80, and that was Spanish, where he used to have 90's, until he spent two weeks failing every test he took in school. I have devised a plan to try to get his grades up by the end of the year. First, I am going hire a biology tutor, probably once a week, to get him on track. I'd ask her to come more, but I don't know if we can afford it. She is expensive. Second, since he seems to keep missing points for stupid mistakes when he takes math tests, I am going to enlist Megan's help as a tutor after Nationals. I'll tie her pay to his performance, and reward him somehow as well, so he won't be belligerent to her. It will be unorthodox and perhaps not always recommended, but it will be better than paying 'real' tutors x2, on top of the tuition. I can handle the history and English. He will be on his own with religion and Spanish.

And then I have to figure out a way to ensure that he passes the summer reading test in the fall. I'm considering reading the books myself and then testing him on them. I guess it depends on how much free time I will have, which, right now, is unlimited.

On that front, I have sent out a couple of additional resumes, and I'm waiting to see if I will hear anything. I also want to contact that temp agency, possibly tomorrow, because I'll have prep and lunch, at least. In the other job I don't get a break at all, all day. If needed, I would be allowed to run off and make a call, but I can't ask to do it for no reason at all. And as a sub, I don't want to get the reputation of not being dedicated.

Megan is also waiting to hear something on an application we filled in for summer work. Supposedly she has the job as assistant swim coach, but she also applied to lifeguard and we have not heard anything at all. The coach is a reference, but we didn't specifically flag the application in any way so it may be at the bottom of a pile. The town held a job fair last week so I'm sure they got a lot more at that time. I don't know what she'll do if she doesn't hear back on this. She hasn't put in for anything else. I guess she will have to get on that when she gets back from Florida too.

Also on the horizon is her junior prom, which I guess she would be just as happy to skip. She hates the whole idea of the dress and probably also hates the one I suggested and she agreed to. Now it has to be shortened and we don't know where to take it. I have to work on that some more tomorrow. She will also need shoes, which she also hates to wear. No flip-flops, no sneakers. That's her only footwear.

Right now she is at the mall shopping for more things for their trip next week. I can't imagine what else she needs, so I hope she won't spend much more. I'm going to leave in a little while and go down to pick them up, but I'll get there a little early and shop a bit myself first.

And in other news, the plans for the pets are set for when we go away. Hopefully, Molly will hold herself together for the Doll, who is going to try to get her once-a-day dog walker in to walk Molly so she will do her business. She gets a little stubborn and holds it in when she is in unfamiliar territory. She's always been that way, but now that she is old, the results are usually unpleasant. In the absence of poor Buddy, the cats will only need to be looked in on every other day. Nobody trashes the litterbox or stinks it up the way he used to do. And nobody is particularly fond of wet food anymore either, so that usually ends up going to waste. I stretch one can out over three days for three cats and still throw some out every day.

But the real news is that someone stole our street sign again. It's that time of year, when the college acceptances arrive, and everybody wants a street sign that says 'Lehigh.' The question is, can the town afford a new one this year?