Mother's
Just met Trushna for a lurvely veggie meal at Mother's down in Hyde Park. I love the area with all of the coffee shops and cute little houses. I was actually thinking how much I would love to live down there, but then I started driving and remembered why I don't. Driving down there is such a mess and forget about ever getting a parking place. Still, to live near Quacks! I guess what I really want is a neighborhood with a personality. This area is just one model house after the other. The HOA even regulates paint color and all of that nonsense. I need to paint the door purple or something just to be different and get on their nerves.
I was a pain in the butt teacher today and let the kids have it about late assignmetns. I called the Principal in who yelled at them as well. I actually didn't mean for him to come in, but it was really effective. I also had a confrontation with a student who I have been trying to help. I told him he needed to stay behind because his locker and binder were a disaster, and he started refusing and getting belligerant. The Principal came over, and the kid was nasty to him as well. He was so angry, I thought he would punch the Principal or something. Very uncomfortable and scary. We kinda worked it out, but I think this was a result of his mom not giving him his medication or something. Sigh, drug dependency.
Anyway, despite all of the crap, it was still a positive day. This is the first time in awhile that I have not come away completely exhausted and ready to pass out. That's a good thing, right?

Toe Licker
Stupid Toby is obsessively licking my toes, and it makes me uncomfortable. If I try to kick him, he licks the other foot. Incidentally, I've attached Stupid to his name for good.
Went to my CHRP meeting tonight totally dragging, and suddenly I have a burst of energy that I have not felt in a while, at least since the last one.
I've been sick for about a week now, and I've been feeling generally pretty crappy. It's all of this mucousy/nasty crappiness that is threatening to take over my body. I swear that I"ve blown out my body weight in snot this week. That's probably too much information, but if I have to feel it, someone has to read about it.
I've been feeling extrememly bleh, but hopefully I've been kickstarted enough so I can get going again.
Eric is not going to Alaska this week, yay! It took havig him gone for a week to make me realize how much I need him. (Okay, sickeningly sweet portion of blog done)
John Stewart is about to make my day a lot better.

New Lovely
Hannah was born this morning at a little before 4am. What loveliness! What a brave new world with such people in it!
Anyway, I am fully of sleepiness today and not much good for anything. Another 11 hour day. Clem was supposed to get fixed, but I couldn't take her in because the clinic did not open until 7:30. If we go through another heat cycle, I might not survive!
Anyhoo, I must make green bean casserole and all will be good.

Revenge is Sweet
I have been in this ridiculous war at school regarding the Student Council which has been the dumbest thing ever. Basically these two scary women who have been there for a long time were upset that we dared to change the way things had been for the past million years. They are the most intimidating women I've ever met, and I'm not ashamed to say I am afraid of them. They absolutely terrify the kids. Anyway, after the meeting on Monday where they belittled the students and badgered them to run for different offices and refused to let them talk, all of the kids threatened to leave the council. I held a number of meetings to take control back and let it be a "student" council. Anyway, today, the other women resigned from the council which they were never really on in the first place, and we had a meeting without fear.
I was trying to think if I ever had a teacher who scared me as much as these women scare my students. I really dont' think I did. The difference in the body language between the kids on Monday when they were there and the kids today is unbelievable. Anyway, I'm both happy it will be better for the kids and also secretly, immaturely pleased that things didn't work out for the other women. So sue me.
It's funny, teachers are cattier than the kids we teach.
The most joyous thing happened to me today. I confiscated a bouncy ball today, and it has made me so happy. It's clear with different color glitter, and the ball fits perfectly in my hand! After all of the students left, I was playing with it in the halls, and I got it to bounce off the ceiling. I'm convinced the single best part of teaching is getting to do all of the things that were forbidden as a child. Anyway, I want more bouncy balls. Happiness is an ounce of colored rubber.
This weekend is the Austin City Limits Music Festival which I have been looking forward to since last year. I am playing hookey at school in the afternoon. I said I had some appointments to take care of. And I kinda have an appointment with the bands. Anyway, Jen and Jay are coming down, and we're going with Pete as well. I will rock you.

Attack of the Bobble Heads
As I write this, Clementine is sending on top of my head from on high. It is raining football players and sea monkeys. Such a naughty cat!
She is in heat again, which I did not think was possible. I was under the impression that it happened once a month, but it's only been a few weeks since the last terror spree.
Tomorrow is 9/11, and I've been thinking a lot about the difference in the meaning the events had on me and the meaning that the press is trying to shove down my throat. It seems they get it wrong alot. Anyway, I think insead of looking at the footage for the millionth time, perhaps we should honestly think about ways the world has changed and how our hearts are changed. I know mine is different. Anyway, I am always interested in seeing how the anniversaries are handled. WOrking at a school, it is interesting to note that there are people there who were not really cognizant when the first attacks happened. To them it feels like Pearl Harbor, or Kennedy's assassination to people like me. Historically important but not emotionally real.

This weekend I spend at the CHRP retreat. I hope it will quiet my mind. I have not been sleeping lately because my brain will not shut up. . . work, stress, relationships ect. Maybe I"ll be able to take a break from all of the nonsense this weekend. If nothing else it will be a break from the constant barking and mewling that characterize this house.

$50 Cake
We are off to Waco in a few with our $50 cake for my mom. You might say this is ridiculous, and I would tned to agree. She has been dropping hints about this particular cake for a long time, and we thought we would finally just bite the bullet (or frosting) and get it for her. As to why Waco, I really can't figure that out. I actually actively disklike the town. Too many Baptists.
My computer is frought with viruses, and I am running multiple cleansing things. I have virus protection, and I haven't had one in a long time, but I clicked on something dumb on okcupid.com yesterday, and since then my computer has been hit with 7 viruses. I liked the site, but I can never go back. Avoid the calendar section.
I've realized I have nothing new or interesting to say, so I'll shut up. Tell me something interesting.

Funny, I don't care who you are.Nestor's Palace & Casino

Amazon WishlistAmazon.com: Your Wish List

Shameful Begging
The school I am at has no money. There is no budget for anything. The school has not bought new books in years. I keep running against walls in my reading classes because I don't have much for them to read. I am asking two things: one that people donate any books they have that might be appropriate for this age group. Secondly, for Christmas, I really want 15 copies of certain books. Check out my Amazon wishlist for details. I am pretty desperate to get books, and I appreciate any help you guys can give me. Thank you.

The shameful begging portion being over, I can get onto the dirt. The teacher I have butted heads with over Student Council are now showing infinite maturity and are not speaking to me! Just think all of this is done in Jesus' name! Amazing. One of them wouldn't sit with me a church today. Then after school I was outside the principal's office, and I saw both of them in there talking to him. It could be entirely unrealted, but I really dont' know. Luckily, I already talked to the principal, and he is backing me up. I guess I"ll find out tomorrow if it concerned me at all. Politics, lovely. I bet they're Republicans too. It would figure.
I was outraged last night because Law and Order was preempted for the stupid convention. Seeing Cheney makes my skin crawl and my pulse race. Everytime I see him, Darth Vader's theme pops into my head. Is that wrong?
Tomorrow is a half day at school followed by meetings. I'd rahter pull my own toenails than attend a 4 hour meeting with a group of people who talk for a living, but there you have it. People rarely ask for my opinion.

Battle of the Old Stars
Frustration. Every time I have an idea at school it gets shot down because it's never been done that way before. Tradition can bite my butt.
Toby has been barking all night, and I threatened to make him into a pie. I think he would go nicely with raspberries in a nice grahm cracker crust. Or perhaps with a merangue?
I must sleep.