I've been watching out my classroom window as the dark storm clouds havesnuck across the sky, steadily getting darker as they came south. I'mfeeling a bit poetic at the moment, and I really wonder how with all thestress in my life, I have abnormally low blood pressure. I've also got low cholesterol... with my good cholesterol being strangly too low. I could try and follow Mel's advice, but I already eat a boatload of Cheerios. Actually my cereal of choice these days has been Kix. Kid tested, mother approved.

Yesterday was one of the most frustrating evenings of my life on record. I probably talked to ten different customer service people who assured me they could help me with my problem. They verified my account status each time, then decided to transfer me to someone who could better assist me. NOOOOO!!!! I don't want to be transferred!!! I want you to answer my #$%$%&# question!

I must say, that I much prefer Dish Network's Phone Customer service toEarthlink's. The connection was bad, and the people (obviously inIndia) did not speak clearly enough, or slowly enough to compensate forthe fact that I could only hear every other word due to the static and the noise in the call center room. Now I'm an ELD teacher. I'm pretty good at deciphering accents, but it sounded mostly like jibberish to me. Dishnetwork, on the other hand, must have been located somewhere in the US. Even though they didn't give me the information I wanted to hear, I could at least understand the reasoning behind it.

I just want my free DVR reciever upgrade for my new satellite TV. If I understood Mr. Gobbledygook, it's in the mail. Why they would have Dish Network install a non DVR setup and send me ANOTHER ONE in the mail just doesn't make any sense to me. But if that puppy doesn't get here by Monday, you bet your buttons that I'm going to be on the phone again.

DSL still hasn't arrived, but I also ordered a new cell phone. I shouldn't jinx it, but it's a $450 phone for free, considering Sprint was going to charge me $99 for it, but then gave me a $100 service credit for renewing my contract.

La!

I just hope that I can find the UPS guy first, since they haven't repainted the numbers on our apartments yet.

Sigh.
And with the rain that looks like it's rolling in, they probably won't be back any time soon.WHO DECIDES TO PAINT A BUILDING IN CA IN January???! Especially in such ugly colors.

blood, painters, and heroes

First of all, I think it should be a crime for tree trimmers to cut down trees right outside a teacher's window at 7:00 am on a school holiday. Argh!

At least I was up early enough to be number 34 in line for blood drawing this morning. Oh, goody. Note to self, when going to give blood, remember they will also require you to pee in a cup, so don't go to the bathroom right before you leave the house.


Yes, for all you family members out there, OMOUSE WENT TO THE DOCTOR!!! AND SHE WASN'T EVEN SICK!!!

Moving on. They've been in the middle of painting the building for three weeks now. Anyone who hires painters in January in Southern California needs his head examined. It's the rainiest month of the year.

They keep telling us they're going to paint the doors. One day last week, we even locked the cats in the bathroom, but no. We got a note later last week that said they'd be painting the doors Friday, Saturday or Monday.

Mr. Painter Guy told me no doors today. "Maybe Wednesday."

I'm thinking they may be painting the floors some time today, or perhaps the eves, by the racket that's going on outside my window. Of course, I haven't been able to see out my window for three weeks because it's been covered in plasting. Which means there's also been no circulation in the apartment.

One of these days they are actually going to have to paint me in... or out. I suppose they'll pick the least convenient time for me... like today, when I need to do my laundry.

I hope it rains on their parade. Which is like shooting myself in the foot.

But I'm at the point where I don't care.

On the last note...

Went to Wally World on Saturday, and bought you know what, Liarbyrd. I need to know what server you're on. I can run it, barely, on my 56k. I suppose that it really is time to break down and get DSL... now that I don't have to horde all my money for grad school.

Didn't get into PhD program at USC. Sigh. Well, I knew 7% chance was slim, but there you are.

Painter guy just scared the @%#$%%& out of me. He's right outside my window. Maybe I should scare him... but then he might fall off the ladder.

That would be bad, wouldn't it?

Dismalworld Planning

So we're at Natalie's making a banner for Jule. Apparently she sticks it up on the wall at work and brags for a while. Personally, I think bragging after running a marathon and a half is acceptable, but then I don't work with her. hehehe. Anyway, Nat has a very cute new black lab puppy who is very well behaved named Starbuck... after the fighter pilot, not the coffee. Not to mention her very cute Packet and Ping, and Cowcat, who I've yet to see. Anyway, got to get off to makin' stuff and researchin' museums for tomorrow. La!

It's Almost NaNoTime!

So I'm probably one of the very few who get excited about October 1. Not my birthday, or anniversary, or any such nonsense.

I love it because it marks one month before National Novel Writing Month. It's the day they open the forums, and update the website. And suddenly I will have a huge bunch of people to procrastinate with on my lunch hour.

And a month to come up with an idea. So far it's The Memoirs of a Slightly Psychic English Teacher - a novel.

I don't know much about it, except an English teacher walks into the office of the new vice principal and sees it clearly written across his forhead that he's The One. But then she realizes he's wearing a wedding ring... dun dun dah! He's also wearing a kilt, but that's neither here nor there.

On a Non Nano Note: Our internet connection has been screwy the past week. Driving me crazy!

Good News, Bad News, Duh News

Got my CSET test results back, and found that my $77x3 was not wasted. I passed all three history subtests. Suprisingly, I did the worst on the US Geography section, and the best on Civics, Econ, and CA History. As for the last of the three, I must say that being a CA Flag Bearer for a year (Rainbow stuff) probably helped.

The bad news is you almost need a PhD to figure out how to read the state web site in order to officially add history on to my credential. I spent an hour trying to figure it out on Monday. I finally realized that you use the same application as the original credential. You just have to ignore all the dire warnings about fingerprints and transcripts.

Duh News: There are some strange district codes that I need for the application. A colleague mentioned yesterday that I should call the credential specialist at the district. Duh. Totally forgot that a district of 6000 teachers would have someone whose job it was just to sort out the mess of the CTC.

Five minutes later: "You haven't filled out that application yet? We prefer you use ours and send it directly to us. We'll take care of the rest for you."

Spiffy.

Now that I've gone through all the trouble, I bet I'm gonna get shafted somewhere along the line. It usually happens in October, when they're short a class. "We'll just combine these two COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CLASSES in one and give you an extra!"
What the hay! I'm only teaching six preps right now. Bring on seven!

Pessimistic, aren't I?

Note to Self

When getting ambitious and making your own frosting from scratch, do not use baking chocolate that has sat in a box next to the cumin for a year. While cumin goes wonderfully with some things (potatoes for example) Chocolate Cream Cheese Cumin Frosting is not particularly tasty.

The Phantom Goes to the Opera, and School Dreams

So last night, Liz and I went to Arcadia, which feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, but Liz assured me was actually next door to Pasadena. That's where the LA arboretum is located, and although the only thing we saw of the place was the concert lawn, it looks like a place we might want to go back to.

After we hiked in to the park, Liz was in her "annoyed" mode, as she couldn't locate any signs. There was one guy we asked for directions, and he was trying to be helpful. He wanted to get us a volunteer to carry some of our stuff. I think this made Liz feel like an old lady, as she bristled and walked away. Undaunted, this guy started yelling for a volunteer, and sent this young girl scrambling after us up the hill. I politely turned her down, but all of it was quite awkward.

On the fringes of the lawn, there were lots of fowl wildlife, (note fowl, not foul). The cutest thing were the two baby peacocks, following after their mom, scratching in the weeds. They were drawing quite a crowd, but Annoyed Lizzie was too busy avoiding the volunteer for me to stop and join the crowd and watch for a bit.

Once we settled down on our blanket, opened the wine, and ate dinner, things worked out well. We were the envy of the blanket next to us when we pulled out the pumpkin pie. Yum.

The program was pieces of opera run through with Andrew Lloyd Webber. There were selections from Evita, Cats, Sunset Blvd, and Phantom as well as The Barber of Seville, and the Bartered Bride. The conductor was a little loopy in his explanations of the theme. He tried to explain how the US was older than Italy or Germany, and he didn't do it very well. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.

We got home and the two glasses of wine put me right to bed. Snooooooze. That's when I had my Back to School Dreams. They happen every year around this time without fail. I'm usually wandering around an unfamiliar school trying to find my classroom and students, but failing miserably. This particular one was the first day of school dream. I had no class lists, and only five minutes between periods to find my mailbox. And then I couldn't find my classroom again. But look, it's a door with my name printed on it. Ominous, but okay, hey let's go in. Oh look, it's my classroom, but it's cavernous and there are other teachers here. Wait a minute these are supposed to be ELD kids, not student council kids. Argh!

I wake up and my arm is sore because Ed has stuck his fat self in the crook of it. He cries when I readjust and looks very put out. Man, what time is it? Probably 6:00 like the time I woke up yesterday. Nope 8. That's acceptable... I suppose.

Righteo.