Things To Ponder for 2007

I ganked this from my friend Bob. But Thought all who read my ramblings might enjoy it!



#10 Life is sexually transmitted.
#9 Good health is merely the slowest rate at which one can die
#8 Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny. If you see him without an
erection, make him a sandwich.
#7 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to
use
the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
#6 Some people are like a slinky... not really good for anything, but
you
still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
#5 Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital
dying
of nothing
#4 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention
to
criticism.
#3 Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars, and a
substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents???
#2 In the 60's, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world
is
weird and people take Prozac to make it normal. AND THE NUMBER ONE
THOUGHT
FOR 2007... We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is
located
among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't a
clue as
to where thousands of Illegal immigrants and Terrorists are located.
Maybe
we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

Back Home Again in Area 52

It's great to have Professy home! Of course it would have been greater if Tilly was over bronchitis, and then the real pits is, I got the flu. For 24 hours I honestly thought I would die. And, I didn't care. In the middle of last night, I knew I was going to recover...I woke up craving a tangarine. The first inclination that the worst was over. Today, I have showered and ate that tangarine and now am exhausted. But there is promise in the air.
Prof and I have had some good visits, but the only thing wrong with them is that they all lead back to our jobs...teaching! Can we never get away from it? LOL!
While she is home, I still want to take that long walk, go for a dad and daughter coffee break, and play some "out for blood" games. We still have another week! Boy a lot to cram in to 7 days. But we will doit. Pray that we all stay well!
JF

A Great Day

Today has been a great day. It started off great with a wonderful Advent Church service, lots of music, lots of praise, and reception of several new members. One of the quartets I sing in closed the service with a rousing contemporary Christian Christmas number, and we rocked the rafters. People actually clapped along, and applauded when we finished. A real WOW! moment.
We came home and hung out for a while, and then we went Christmas shopping. This was not a very successful venture, but I came home one sweater richer! Even though we didn't buy much, and it is getting closed to Christmas, we still had a good time. Then we went to Dairy Queen and had a Moolate . Tilly had French Vanilla, and I had Peppermint Mocha! Then we went for a drive and just enjoyed the day. We watched people out decorating with lights and decided that we would have to go back at night and see what they look like. All in all it was a just a fun day.
There is one catch, though. I have to go back to work tomorrow! Ugh! I think I need to take a "mental health" day and call in sick. Ah! There's an idea. Maybe on Wednesday, 'cause I don't have to drive the transit bus that night. Wow! A whole day to do absolutely nothing. That's almost unheard of for me. Talk about burning the proverbial candle at both ends. Mine should be a stub by now! I have friends that are retired and are enjoying it. I could see how that would be great. I will look into it next when the big 62 rolls around. Don't know if it would be feasible financially, but it might be worth looking into. Who knows? Let's see, what is on the agenda next???
Everyone have a good week!
JE

28 Unalderated Truths About Me

I'm a thief! Ganked it from Professor

1. Explain what ended your last relationship. It’s been so long, but I think she threw me over for another older guy. The BITCH!
2. When was the last time you shaved?Last night!
3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.? Trying to teach a dumb 7th grade girl about the 8 parts of speech in a 1 on 1 session.
4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?Crying over something wonderful that just happened.
5. Are you any good at math? No! Terrible, horrible, and basically suck at it!
6. Your prom night? Boy! That’s been aeons ago. I think I stayed sober, and the girl I took was a dog! My college formal dance was better. I married that gal!
7. Do you have any famous ancestors? nope.
8. Have you had to take a loan out for school?yes, one!
9. Do you know the words to the song on your Myspace profile?What the hell is a “myspace profile?
10. Last thing received in the mail?bills, catalog (King Size) and Christmas Cards.
11. How many different beverages have you had today?Coffee, Coffee, Frozen Coke, and a Frostie from Wendy’s
12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine?I HATE answering machines. Leave messages only when necessary.
13. Whom did you lose your CONCERT virginity to? Billy Joel! That sounds weird, doesn’t it?
14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach? No…peeing in public is against the law!
15. What was the most painful dental procedure you have had? Oral surgery and having a stainless steel post imbedded in the jaw bone for a special crown.
16. What is out your back door? Back yard, dog shit, garage, trashcans.
17. Any plans for Friday night? It’s payday, so we’ll probably go to Dairy Queen.
18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair? I love the ocean. I don’t have hair, so who cares!!!
19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns? Yes, but the cheese stuff is pure SHIT!
20. Have you ever been to a planetarium? yes
21. Do you re-use towels after you shower?Not if we have any clean ones in either bathroom!
22. Some things you are excited about? Have the kids all here for Christmas!
23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO? I detest Jello! I only eat it when I am sick!
24. Describe your keychain(s).A long, black lanyard, lots of keys and school I D.
25. Where do you keep your change? I carry a little coin holder thingy.
26. What kind of winter coat do you own? I own a leather bomber jacket, a long black wool trench coat, a black wool parka, a red and black nylon down filled coat. (I love coats, can you tell?)
27. What was the weather like on your graduation day?Hot and sultry at high school, and colder than hell and snowing at college. I graduated mid year on the 14th of Dec.
28. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed? Open, ‘cause I am nearly deaf without my HA and need to know if the house falls in or something.

All I Want For Christmas

This year, I dont need gifts. I just want the following things:

Snow: not a lot, just enough to get in the spirit of the season.

Wonderful music at church

Spending time with my family

Safe travel as the Professor comes home to Area 52 for Christmas

Plenty of sugar cookies

Singing around the piano

Talking to my Texas relatives

Lots of Christmas cards

Hanging out with friends

Getting recharged for a second semester of school

Singing "Silent Night" at church on Christmas Eve

Touching base with our good buddies in Ohio

Having a chance to sleep in

Taking that walk with Prof

Just being warm and well and content

The Ghosts of Christmas Past

As Christmas time approaches, I get rather nostalgic when I think about Christmases in the past. I love Christmas. Always have, always will. I think sometimes we lose sight of the real meaning of the holiday, but I still recall what it is all about and enjoy all aspects of the season to the fullest.
When I was a kid, we NEVER had an artificial tree. Dad always went shopping for our huge tree. He would bring it home, trim it to fit the stand, and then lug the monster into the living room. Sometimes, it was so crooked that he had to wire it to the curtain rod, but by the time he got it anchored, it was as straight as an arrow. Then he began to put on the lights. This was when my bro and I usually slinked away and hid until Mom gave us the "all clear" signal. Dad and lights were not patient with each other. Then we all decorated the tree. Mom would let Bro and I toss the icicles on from afar, then when we left the room, Mom would patiently straighten them out so they hung just right.
I remember when I was about 9 or 10, I got the neatest set of cap guns. I had admired them in our local "general" store for at least two months. There on Christmas morning, under the tree, were the gold plated, holsters and two "six" shooters. I was the toughest cowboy in the neighborhood. (By the way, I still have them.)
I remember going to Grandpa's on Christmas. Seems like I always got a flashlight every year. And pajamas! Thank God for grandparents who remember it is polite and proper to wear pajamas!
I remember how Tilly broke out in some sort of rash the first Christmas we were married. I didn't know she was alergic to pine sap, so from that time on, we have always had to have an artificial tree.
I remember the Christmas when Professor was about 2, she went to the midnight service with us. I was in the choir and looked out and there she stood, holding her candle, singing "Silent Night." I still choke trying to sing that carol.
I remember when Little Bro's teacher called us just to tell about him telling a little girl in the 2nd grade the whole story of the meaning of Christmas: "it's was Jesus' birthday." The little girl had never heard the Christmas Story before!
I remember when Prof was old enough to read the Christmas Story, from the King James version of the Bible, Luke: 2. I was both amazed and touched! I still am!
I remember the Christmas Day that the temperature plummeted to -25F and we had to drive the old Pinto to Grandma's because the "good" car wouldn't start. We piled in, 4 people, a turkey and all the trimmings, and gifts for everyone, and headed out. The driver's side door latch was broke, so we held the door closed with a "bungie" tarp strap.
I remember the first Christmas after my mom passed away. We laughed, we cried and we had a ball raising a toast to all Christmases past.
Everyone! Have a great Christmas. Yes, Christmas. Not "holiday." After all, "Jesus is the reason for the season."

My Mysterious 6 Things

I ganked this from Professor, but I thought it was an interesting direction to take a blog, and might surprise a few readers:

1. I want to play baseball. I know, you all think, "what?" but it my desire to play slow pitch softball on a community league. At my age, I don't think I could see a fast-pitched ball coming soon enough to swing at it. And I can't run too well anymore, so an old timer's league would be perfect.

2. I want to sing at Carnegie Hall once before I die. I think it would be a thrill to sing a solo in front of thousands of people. I am getting ready for a major solo in front of two or three hundred, and I am already excited and I have another 3 weeks to go.

3. I want to spend at least one winter in a warm climate. I am hoping that Tilly and I can go either to Florida or Arizona (would prefer the latter) sometime and be one of those older couples that just hang out where it is warm.

4. I have this desire to own a red, two seater sports car. Maybe a Miata. Why not? Other than $$.

5. I am basically a person that hates to go to bed at night. I don't mind getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to greet the day, but going to bed is a drag. I guess I have always been this way, cause my Mom always said she thought it was because I was afraid I might miss something. I don't know what I would miss at this stage of my life, but I still have to cave in and force myself to go beddy bye.

6. I love the English language. I love being in 4 English classes this year. I am learning so much right along with my students. I love the way verbs, nouns, adjectives and adverbs and all the other parts of speech fit together to make a cohesive sentence. Am I wierd or what? It's fun!

This was silly but also true. It made me stop and think.

The Test From Hell

Today I gave my 7th graders the "test from hell." Oh, I didn't have a choice, it was the next step in a long month of a literature unit. We assigned the novella, "A Summer to Die" a month ago. Now, the lead teacher in this class is a classic Language Arts teacher. She not only assigns the novella, she actually "assigns" the novella. She passes out a copy to each student, only after affixing a label with their name on it inside the front cover. Students are expected to read this novel over a period of two weeks, they are given several days of silent, sustained reading time in class, (this is where I take my students who are learning disabled, to my room and read out loud to them. During this time, we also discuss parts of the novella, do exegisis exercises, plot lines, small group discussions, discuss the five elements of fiction, motifs, themes, character analysis, and a whole bunch of other crap which bores the kids out of their gourds. Then the test comes. It is a friggin' 8 pages long. My kids get the adapted or differentiated version, which is still 8 pages long, and harder than heck. It starts out with multiple choice, which gives them at least a 25% chance of getting the right answer. Next there are matching questions like what is a "protagonist?" "What is "irony" and the students are supposed to match up with the answers. Well, even the fact that discussed all of this yesterday and the day before that and the day before that, I was met with a lot of "DUH" looks and scratching of heads. Then came the direct quotes from the book and who said them, without a word list to go by. Wow! If I hadn't read this book every year for the last 6, I couldn't pass that part. The essay was skipped. I guess that was the differentiation the teacher made. But the hardest part was giving the kids 12 strips of paper with events from the book, and having them put them in order from the first event to the last. That about blew the kids away. I have to admit, I helped them some on that one. Not enough to call it cheating, but at least enough to get them started.
I had a few students who had actually read the book from cover to cover, had paid attention in class, had taken good notes and had actually studied for the test. Other students just plain didn't care enough to even try. What do I do with them. One group of 5 students have 5 different learning levels. This makes my job so difficult some days.
Anyway, the novel was boring, it was depressing about two teenage sisters, where the older sister is beautiful and popular, but contracts leukemia and ends up dying. It was written in 1979, and no doubt is good lit, but it's time for a change.
The next novel we will read is the same novel my son, now 31, read when he was in 7th grade. Not for the same teacher, however! Like I said, it's time for a change.

Big Bee Hunter Goes Wild

We have had a mouse. I have tried the conventional "slammer" mouse traps, baited with such delicacies as peanut butter, cheeses, and even a pre chewed juji-bead. with absolutely no results. The little "el raton" steals my bait and runs. Tilly bought a new type of trap that looks like a giant binder clip. You open it and it locks, you place bait on a little tab, and when the little bugger grabs for the bait, WHAM! Well, the other night about 1:30 the dog went wild, and Tilly woke me up and said that she was sure that I had finally caught the nasty little bait stealer. I got up and went to check. Sure enough, there the little f--ker was. Yeah Me! It was raining cats and dogs out, and I was in my tighty-whities, so I didn't relish dumping the mouse out in the trash bin. I didn't want it in the house all night worrying the pooch, so I decided to give it "burial at sea." So with a great flourish and much fan fare, I flipped the flush handle on the commode, and dropped the mouse into the bowl. WTF!!! the little gray blankety-blank started swimming. Those things can really "mouse paddle!" I let him swim and tried flushing again, same results. He wouldn't go down the drain. So, being the great white hunter that I am, I grabbed the toilet plunger from its nearby container, and plunged down on my little friend. I held it under until it drowned. Then, I decided that "what if he really isn't dead and I flush him and he crawls back up the sewer pipe and bites me on the ass!!! So I grabbed him by the tail, jammed him down in a garbage bag, emptied all the waste baskets in on top of him and set the bag out on the back porch. Next day, the city refuse company carried my little friend away and stashed him in our local land fill.
After relating this tragedy to my father-in-law, he said that usually where there is one mouse, there is supposedly 11 more. Oh holy shit!

Saga of the "Bus Bitch"

As you all know by now, I drive a transit bus for our county here in area 52. Our system is a "call and make an appointment" system, rather than having regular routes and bus stops.
I have one client who has a standing pickup time of 5:45 pm, Monday thru Thursday. We have a 5 minute wait time after the time the client schedules. The "Bus Bitch" (whom I will refer to as BB) is always late. Most nights I wait anywhere from 9 to 20 minutes on her. Which is against the rules of the transit company. Besides it always makes me late for my next scheduled pickup. But being a nice guy, and knowing that BB doesn't have any other way to get the 7 miles home, I have been breaking the rules and waiting. Well, last week, after a 20 minute wait, I decided to put a stop to her perpetual lateness. (Other drivers have complained that every morning it is the same thing: wait, wait, wait.) I told her when she came out of her place of business and was boarding my vehicle that I would not wait that long on her any more. I tried to explain that we had our rules to follow and that she was making me late for my other clients. Wow! This woman flew into a rage! She grabbed her stuff and "trounced" off the bus, all the while screaming at me about unfair I was, how screwed up our system was, how I didn't understand how hard it was to manage alone, and on and on. She threw things, and in a word, threw a real "tizzy fit." Any moment I expected her to lay down on the ground and kick her feet! This woman is 50 years old!
I, then, in my infinite wisdom, ask her if she was done cussing and raving. She looked at me with such hatred that I was wondering if she had an uzi stashed in that king-size sachel she always carries. I said that I might as well take her home, she had wasted so much time that I was already very late for my next and final client. She got into the bus, clear in the back seat, where she would have a clear shot at the back of my head if she had the uzi, and the proceeded to bawl all the way home. One the way home, I picked up my last rider of the day who wondered if I had forgotten him. I apologized to him about being late. He rode along while I took BB the rest of the way home. Upon arriving at her house, she wouldn't let me help her with her stuff, and when I asked her for her bus fare she told me it was "back on the friggin' seat," and stormed off the bus. The gentleman rider with me said after she was out of earshot, "I don't think she was too happy with you for some reason!"
Now, childlike behavior is expected from a child, but from a woman of 50? Who needs this shit! I filed a formal complaint with the company, called my manager, and then went home. As of today, our 5 minute wait time policy was reinforced at a general drivers meeting. As of today, I will wait 5 minutes, and if BB isn't on my bus at 5:50pm, I am to pull away, and not worry about how she gets home. I could gloat, and say "I won," but did I win anything. Secretly, I am pleased that now she has to follow all the rules if she wants to ride, but I also wonder just how she will get home if I don't take her. After all, I do have a heart!

The "Four" List

Another one of those lists of things you might or might not know about Jimmie Earl:


A) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Salesperson in a Wholesale Sporting Goods Store
2. Office Manager in a lumber yard
3. Diswasher and short order grill cook
4. Assoc Chemist in a research and development Lab

B) Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Twister
2. Dances With Wolves
3. Murphy's Romance
4. American President

C) Four places I have lived:
1. Where I currently reside, next door to the "nightmare on Elm St."
2. Huge Victorian near a city park in Area 52
3. Small starter ranch on a tree lined Lane
4. Huge, super huge, house on a mid sized lake in Area 52

D) Four television shows I watch:
1. Criminal Minds
2. Lost
3. Jeopardy
4. Numb3rs

E) Four places I have been on vacation:
1. Intercourse, Penn (just had to list that one)
2. San Francisco (my favorite big city )
3. Ludington, Michigan (absolutely the best vacation site ever)
4. Disney Land

F) Websites I visit daily:
1. my email
2. Yahoo Weather
3. Babble from Babbler
4. Yahoo Crosswords

G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. Mi Pueblo Nachos Grande Beef
2. Steak
3. My wife's cooking, specifically her fried chicken, chocolate sheet cake
4. Breyer's vanilla bean Ice Cream

H) Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Somewhere warm, maybe Tahiti
2. In bed
3. On the couch
4. In the country

There was one more that I refuse to answer due the fact that I might incriminate myself:
1. Jennifer O'Neill
2. Jacilyn Smith
3. Jennifer Aniston
4. Sophia Loren (even if she's scads older than I)

Fall Blogger's Block

It's fall. Here in Area 52, the leaves are rapidly turning their beautiful fall colors, the days are getting shorter, and the weather is changing. Today, we had our first sighting of snow, and it's only October 12. I wonder what Columbus felt when he landed in America if the weather was like this!!
I have also noticed that my fellow bloggers that I try to read daily or at least semi-regularly, are way behind on their blogs, as am I. Maybe no one has anything worth writing right now, or are too busy. I just think it's strange that several of us are having a hard time or less energy to write. Oh well, tomorrow is another day and maybe I will have just the inspiration to write. But for now, a good book, a quilt and a soft pillow sounds like a plan.
JE

What a "Crap" Week

This week has been total "crap." I haven't blogged recently due to the fact that I haven't had much of interest going on.
Two weeks ago I had dental surgery. Big woo! I had two teeth extracted by surgery. It hurt like hell for a couple of days, but the la la drugs the surgeon gave me helped with that. As a matter of fact, they helped me so well, I missed an extra day of school. Now I am waiting for the holes to heal, then I have to have a partial plate made with some false teeth. This will go well with the hearing aid and glasses I already wear. Growing old isn't for the weak, let me tell you.
At school, we are taking the tests required by the state here in Area 52. I helped administer these tests to my merry band of sixth graders who already struggle with learning. That's why I am there. Anyway, some of them really tried, but some didn't give a shit, refused to listen to our instructions, or even try to work through to get the correct answers. Thus making the lead teacher's job as well as mine doubly hard. It is now when I would like to call the head honcho of our state's board of education into the classroom and let her figure out how the hell we are to get our test scores up when we have students who simply aren't capable of doing the work required. No wonder Area 52's test scores are in the commode! I am still wondering how these 6th graders got to 6th grade and can't read other than simple words, and do not know their multiplication tables. Come on!
While I am bitching, my arthritis in my right hip is really hurting. The weather here is cold and damp and that aggravates it even worse. I am developing it in my feet now. Toes and ankles hurt all the time. I drive a county transit bus in the afternoons daily after school, and I had to ask my manager for a bus with automatic doors so I don't have to climb in and out all the time. That's another bummer.
My church has been under renovations for several months. The building has been such a mess that we have been meeting in the auditorium of the school where I spend 5 days a week already. I haven't been going! That's so not like me. But my heart just isn't in it. Our new building is about ready, and the building committee keeps dangling the carrot, but delaying opening up our new facility. They want everyone to be WOWed on the first Sunday in our new building, so they think everything has to be perfect. My church choir, which is where most of my "church energy and love" is, has yet to begin their fall practicing due to lack of space to practice. So I don't have that to look forward to. The quartets I sing in have been practicing sporadically, and I miss that, too.
On top of that, my garage is a mess, and I can't get my car in. I need to spend a day finding a place for the stuff Professor didn't take with her to MT, put away my junk that I have just set any old place all summer long, and get it cleaned out and tidied. But after working until about 7 every evening, I am not in the mood to clean the damn garage.
Speaking of Professor, next Tuesday the 26th is her BD. It will be the first one we have not celebrated with her in person. I UPSed her gifts to her today. Lots of stuff I would like to share with her but can't, and dammit, I am just homesick. She has been such a dynamic part of our lives for so long, and I miss her terribly.
So, now that I have griped, bitched and complained for several paragraphs, I will bid you all adieu. Tomorrow is another day and is bound to be better.

I was tagged! It's about me- of course!
Professor tagged me with this meme. So, here it is!

1. Do you still have tonsils? – No: taken out on my 5th birthday.

2. Would you bungee jump? – Are you nuts? My luck would be that the cord would be too long for my slightly pudgy body and I would be just a grease spot on the ground!!

3. If You Could Do Anything In The World For A Living What Would It Be? – Be a matress tester LOL, or be a real teacher instead of a overworked, underpaid teaching assistant.

4. How many tattoos do you have? – 0. Good grief! Being numbed for a two-tooth extraction was bad enough. Why would I let some guy that looks like a geek stab me with electric needles about 10, 000 times and imbed my skin with some man made ink that contains who-knows what toxins!! Get real!

Your favorite fictional animal? – Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka and Lassie.

6. One person that never fails to make you laugh? –My friend Lauri! She's a singing buddy, mother of 2 and has the quickest wit and keenest sense of humor of anyone else I know.

7. Do you consider yourself well organized? – Look at my wood shop and then ask that question. Shit no!

8. Any Addictions? – yes- singing, chocolate, and books.

9. From what news source do you receive the bulk of your news? – CNN and local TV, but, hell, I work two jobs daily and have to sleep sometime, so when do I have time to catch the news. Jeopardy is more important!

10. Would you rather go to a carnival or circus? – Neither! Carnivals are too loud and circuses stink.

11. When you were twelve years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? – At 12 probably a cowboy. Do you all realize how many years ago that was?

12. Best Movie You've Seen This Year? – Ransom

13. Favorite alcoholic drink – Margarita on the rocks, with salted rim. Or Coors Silver Bullet.

14. What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? – hit snooze. Once, then go pee.

15. Siblings? – One bro . A fine human being. Older and wiser than me.

17. Have you ever gone to therapy? – No. I teach 12,13 and 14 year-olds. Why would I need therapy. They are very good at pointing out all my bad points.

18. If you could have one super power what would it be? – Visiting with the dead.

19. Do you own any furniture from Ikea? – No, I don't think so! What the hell is Ikea, anyhow?

20. Have you ever gone camping? – Yes. Used to camp a lot when single. Went on a three week camping trip with 5 in a fold out camper. Enough!

21. Gas prices! First thought? – Fu--ing Commies in D.C!

22. Your favorite cartoon character? – Wiley Coyote

23. What was your first car? – 1954 Plymouth Savoy. Green: wouldn't start if the temp was below 32 degrees F.

24. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? – no. It has worked for me for over 37 years. It just takes a lot of work daily on the part of both people. Lots are not willing to work at it. Divorce is too easy to get. That's the outdated ritual!

25. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons? – Yuck! Neither one! Cosby is a favorite as a stand-up, but his show sucked!

26. Do you go to church? Every Sunday (almost)

27. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? – Anwar Sadat(if he was still with us), Jennifer O'Neill, Billy Joel

28. What errand/chore do you despise? – grocery shopping, cutting grass.

29. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? – Is it Saturday yet?

30. Last time you puked from drinking? – I was 21, passed out in someone's yard, my Bro found me took me home and put me to bed. I awoke next afternoon.

31. What is your heritage? – Irish, and German

32. Favorite flower? – Zennias

33. Disney or Warner Bros? – Disney

34. What is your best childhood memory? – I have many, but the willingness of my parents to let my bro and I have our firends to the house for swimming parties in summer, ice skating and sledding parties in winter is one of the best. My mom actually would make gallons of hot chocolate and we would roast hot dogs and marshmallows in the fire place. Also Christmases at Grandpa's house with all the cousins.

35. Your favorite potato chip? – Lay's Matsterpiece BBQ

36. What is your favorite candy? – chcoclate

37. Do you burn or tan? – BURN

38. Astrological sign? – Taurus

39. Do you own a gun? – Did, but gave it to my son.

40. What do you think of hot dogs? Roasted over an open fire! GREAT!

I don't wish to tag anyone right now. Let me think on it a while. Most of the bloggers I read have already been tagged.

My Heroes

In today’s world, heroes aren’t what they used to be. Today, famous people who make millions and live in the height of luxury are the people our young citizens are looking up to as heroes. I have no doubt that actors, rock stars and pro athletes are fine people. But heroes: not a chance.
These are not the people that I want my grandson to consider as heroes. I want him to realize who the real American heroes are.
The real heroes are the doctors and nurses who study for years to become experts in their fields, and then give of themselves so unselfishly to save the lives of many.
The real heroes are the countless men and women who serve their country in the military, sacrificing themselves so we might live free.
The real heroes are the farmers who toil hours on end in all kinds of weather in order to provide food for our nation and for others in the world who are starving.
The real heroes are the firemen, EMT's and police, who put themselves in harm’s way to protect us from both natural and man-made dangers.
The real heroes are the teachers who spend countless hours in the classrooms of America’s schools educating our young people. They often do this for below-standard pay in below-standard conditions, yet they persevere, knowing the reward of seeing our nation’s young people fulfill their thirst for knowledge.
The real heroes are the religious leaders of this country who faithfully bring the word of God to people, giving even the downtrodden a glimmer of hope.
The real heroes are the staff members in nursing homes and retirement centers that strive daily to make the final years of our older Americans as pleasant and comfortable as possible.
Yes, these are the real heroes of the American people. They do not live in mansions or in extreme luxury; they are regular people who just make a difference.

The Rite of Passing

We hear a lot and read a lot about "rites of passage" such as puberty, teen dating etc. but I am talking about "the rite of passing." Or our bizarre way of dealing with the death of a loved one.
From what I have read recently, the Eskimos used to set their loved ones on an ice floe at their death and release them to the elements. This goes along with the "back to nature, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" concept. Vikings set their dead afloat in their boats after igniting the boat into flames. Some tribes of Native Americans built platforms high off the ground, placed their dead, and some of the items them might need in the next life, upon the platform and offered their loved ones up to the Great Spirit. Aside from the stench that must occur for a while, this doesn't seem like a bad plan either. But environmentalists would bust a gut!
Our society, at least here in Area 52, has a rather bizarre and what I consider somewhat barbaric rite of passing. State and federal laws mandate just what can be done with a dead body now days. I have a good buddy in the funeral home business, and I sincerely mean him no disrespect, but I just don't buy into all the fladerah that goes with buring our dead. Do you know that the average cost of a funeral here in Area 52 is upwards of $6000 now?
Upon death, we remove the blood from our loved ones while filling them with some sort of preserving fluid. Then we make them look as natural as possible with cosmetics, dress them in their Sunday best, place them in a $2000 coffin (low end cost, probably) flank them with flowers, and then parade all the family and friends past their coffin forcing them to look at someone who can't look back. How strange is this!!! I don't sleep in a suit, nor do I ever even lay down in a suit. Nor do I know anyone who does. This is just plain weird!
Funeral services are becoming status symbols all over America. What's wrong with a small graveside service with a few scriptures, a song or two and then it's over. I have attended this kind of service, and I have attended the kind of service where it seemed like a staged, musical production. Both got the dead buried, but the first one seemed more personal and caring. Both provided closure for the families left behind, but the first one left more time for conversation with the family and friends. Again it's a personal choice.
Burying a body in a sealed coffin, inside a sealed vault six feet underground seems offensive to me, but sticking the coffin in a hole in a wall is worse. There is something about mausoleums that freaks me out. Maybe I am afraid that the ghost of the dead will be able to get free easier and come back to haunt. And in Area 52 it is illegal to spread the ashes of a loved one at their favorite locale, so we either have to bury them or place them on the mantel. UGH! My buddy says that if one is "hell bent" on spreading ashes, just do it and keep your mouth shut!
There is another way to dispose of ashes that is coming to the forefront. Since the ashes of a human are mostly carbon, there is a new process whereby the deceased ashes can be compressed under extreme pressure and made into a diamond. I kid you not!!! During a recent conversation, a friend suggested to her husband that he gain a little weight, because she wanted earrings and a pendant. Tilly is opting for a ring.
I hope I haven't offended anyone with this rambling treatise, but I felt like venting about a subject that just offends me. I have no concrete answers, and I also know that once I am gone, only my body is left. My spirit will be elsewhere. What my family choses to do with me is their choice, not mine, though I have expressed a few ideas along the way. I hope Tilly chooses a platinum setting. I never cared much for gold or silver. And I'm worth it!

It's Okay to Feel Sad

Today I feel sad. I feel sad for my son and his wife. They found out that their baby is gone. They went in hoping to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time, only to have those hopes dashed.
What do I say to them? I can say that Tilly and I have been there, and can sympathize, but do they really want to hear that? No, I don't think so. I can say that it isn't anything they did, but they know that already. I can encourage them to try again when the time is right. They will, I know! But right now all I really want to do is hold them both close and cry with them for a while. I want them to both know that they are loved. That even though it may not seem like it now, God is holding them in the palm of His hand. That tomorrow will seem brighter just because it holds the promise of the future. God bless them both!

Back to School

This week it was "back to school" for me. After a summer of transit driving, dispatching, and the wearing of many hats, I was looking forward to getting back into the classroom. I was a bit apprehensive because not only were we getting a new principal and assistant principal, we were getting a new "special education" staff. I was uneasy about how our routines would be changed. But I needed not have worried. The new administration is caring and proactive, which is a big change for all of us. They are believers in "gentle, but firm" dicipline, and are very much available and visible to us all. The new "special ed" leaders are great! They are full of new, innovative ideas and eager to hear our input and willing to listen.
But the real icing on the cake is the students. They are amazing! I am working primarily with 7th graders, but have two classes of 6th graders, too. The sixth grade students are so eager. They seem enthralled with each new thing the lead teacher and I try in the classroom. Hands are shooting up with eagerness and the smiles I am seeing on their faces just makes the whole classroom experience worth all the effort we as teachers put into our jobs.
Much the same thing is happening with my 7th graders. They come to our classes prepared to learn and seem to be challenging us to teach them. Of course, we always have a few who like to create havoc within the classroom, but both the lead teacher and I have already warned them that we do not intend to put up with their "crap" and expect them to act their age and grade level. So far it is working. This afternoon I walked the 8th grade hallway, curiously observing the students I worked with last year. I saw amazing things happening in the classroom as I slowly (on purpose) strolled by each door. It seems like a magic cloud has decended on our school. At first I could not put a finger on just what is happening, but today it finally hit me. Our staff is more caring and relaxed than they have been in several years. The last two years were pure hell for all of us. Our principal had a monster ego, which in turn, made him into a monster! He was the final and only "word" and we all felt like we were under a microscope. He was more of a dictator than an administrator, and created an animosity that prevailed within the school, reflecting not only on the faculty and staff, but had to be affecting the students as well.
Isn't it strange how one person can either make or break a system, whether it is education, or business. We are all so lucky to have new people at the helm who care and want the best for our kids. It makes it fun to go to work. I no longer dread hearing the alarm go off in the mornings, for I know I will encounter smiles from my students and encouraging words from my peers. GO US!!!

Tiaras, Tatonka and More Damn Driving!

Prof just called and she is in Dickinson, ND. She had an eventful day of tooling down interstate 94. She wore her tiara and jammed to Mellencamp as she drove. Slowing for every herd of cattle because someone told her that there might be buffalo ('Tatonka) on the range there. But, alas, no Tatonka. At a pee stop she asked the clerk where she might see buffalo, and found out that they are all on reserves, because they are coming back from being endangered. Interesting! As she traveled down I 94, she was on a section called the "Laura Ingalls Wilder" expressway. This was in Minnesota, and after crossing into ND, it became the "Enchanted Highway" which she found profoundly ironic since by then she was wearing her tiara. (An aside here, her mother and I actually bought the tiara for her for Christmas last year, and I made a jewel studded, velvet lined box for it.)
Reaching Bismarck, she stopped for a much needed rest stop, and got turned around when getting back on I 94, and headed back east; twice. Finally she found out that to get back on going west, you had to cross a Burger King parking lot, through a storage complex driveway, up a big "fu--ing hill, and turn right to the on ramp. She wondered why everyone in the parking lot at the gas station looked at her funny as she walked across the lot, and discovered looking in the glass windows of the store that she still had on her tiara. She immediately hurried back to the car and took it off.
Between Fargo and Bismarck, there was a iron sculpture of geese, just sitting in a big field in the middle of nowhere. She stopped to take a picture of it. Seven cars passed by while she was stopped, all eyes on her with her camera, and, you guessed it, the tiara.
Tilly and I suggested that she not wear the tiara into the town where she will be teaching. They might think one of two things. One, she is weird, or two, she is the new rodeo queen! She opted for "rodeo queen." Being a member of royalty has always been a desire of hers.!!!
Vistiting a Wal-Mart in Bismarck was about the highlight of her day. Buying a liter of shampoo and then finding a place to put it in the car, was a challenge. But, tomorrow night, she will be at her destination. Be sure to read "redneck nerdboy's" entry on her blog about the "pimped out" guy on the interstate. And the Starbucks attack in Fargo. Both a hoot!
Oh, she had to stop due to rain and hail in West Fargo, and twenty minutes later heard on the radio that a tornado touched down where she had just been stopped. She decided she was definitely "not in Kansas anymore, Toto!"
Check in with lilith. I think she's the next guest blogger.
Keep reading, this is THE adventure of Prof's life!

JE

Day One of Prof's Travels

Well people, she is finally out of here! We got everything packed last night, but she was still adding to the already filled automobile still this morning. After many hugs, kisses, and tears, she began her journey. About 3 hours later than I anticipated she would, but any of you that know Prof, know that she walks to the tune of her own drummer.
This morning at 1:00 AM, she discovered that we hadn't packed her "Beatles" picture. Her words were, "I am not going without John, George, Ringo, and Paul." Now bear in mind that this is a framed, glassed, picture that measures approximately 30"x36". I could not see how this was going to fit, but I told her to bring it on. We slid, repacked part of her 40 pairs of shoes, and 20 purses, and wedged it in the backseat covered with a sheet. So she was again at peace with the world.
She will call when ever she changes states, and probably in between, and I know some of you are going to post her progress. I will continue to share, but from a parent's point of view, and keep you updated. So tune in. She has now been gone about 1 hour!
JE