...blogger being bratty

I'm not sure what's up with Blogger lately. Sure, it lets me create new posts. It even allows me to comment on other blogs--sometimes. The weird thing is, when I try to post a reply to my own blog, it takes me to the sign-in page...again and again and again. After about the 3rd attempt I give up (after saying a few choice words). And since Blogger is free, I really can't rant to anyone about the lousy service. But I'm spoiled. I'm conditioned to be able to comment at will. So it is. Anyway...this post is to let anyone who has recently commented on my blog know that I did indeed read what you wrote, and I appreciate that you took the time to stop by. A lack of a response on my part is not for a lack of trying!

...this and that

• The to-do list is growing smaller.


• Bit by bit, my life is getting packed up and stacked in the garage.


• It's getting easy to toss things into the trash or put them into the give-away pile.


• I fooled myself into thinking I could leave dry-eyed. Not going to happen.


• The storage unit has been reserved--sort of. (What do you mean, my online reservation only guarantees the price, not that you'll actually have a unit for me??)


• BBQ and a game of "Apples to Apples" with neighbors was a welcome respite from the to-do list.


• Why did I decide that the garden bench should be repainted before being stored?


• I'm glad to have an online friend who knows about carpet cleaning--now I know the right questions to ask.


• We had a 5 day weekend due to furlough days, and I haven't ridden once because the @#$% wind continues to blow. Grrr...


• I've learned that yes, there are cyclists in Abu Dhabi, women as well, and yes, spandex in public is ok. I'm going to wait to see for myself before I decide to either have my bike shipped or buy one there.


• Katie graduates from PSU in two weeks and I have no clue what to do for a gift for her. (Hmmm...funny how putting that thought to print caused some ideas to flit through the brain.)


• I wonder if anyone on Freecycle will want my old TV? (Yes, it's a big screen...but no, it's not flat.) I hate to have to haul it to the dump.


• Out of all of my "stuff" that is going into storage, the only item I would truly miss if something catastrophic happened is my grandpa's old Victrola. (But I'd still have my memories of him winding it up and playing "Mean Mama Blues.")


• Due to budget cuts, I'm not being replaced. Next year my classroom will be a storage unit for ESL materials. I feel for my coworkers who will have to absorb my duties into their already full schedules and I worry about my newcomers who will be tossed into regular classes before they're ready.


• It looks like I'm going to have to get snarky with the bookkeeper at the chiropractor's office about the refund I've been owed since January. A phone call and a note have had no effect.


• The oven is clean.


• I'm scared, I'm nervous, and I'm still a little incredulous that I'm actually doing this--but the smile on my face tells me that it's a good decision.


• It's probably a good thing that I forgot that Arlene also had an extra long weekend--I wouldn't have gotten quite so much accomplished.


• Four more school days left in this year...

...a budding photographer

My friends Chris and Janie and their (almost) 4 year old son Liam came to my party on Saturday. To keep Liam entertained Katie gave him her camera to use. I love giving cameras to kids--especially now in the digital age. Deleting out of focus or repetive shots takes seconds. And, sometimes they get a great shot from an angle that adults would never have considered. (We call this The Kitchen Angel. ha!) Liam loved my mom and took a gazillion pictures of her. Most were deleted, but a couple were very cute. But it's the picture that he took of my dad that is our all-time favorite. Don't you love it?

...a celebration

My children threw a going away party for me on Saturday. On Friday, the when they got to town, the weather was gorgeous. We were sure that the next day would also be perfect for hanging out in the park. It was not to be. On Saturday we woke up to rain and wind, but we were still confident that it would clear up by 2:00. No such luck. At 1:30, instead of driving to the park to set up, the kids went to tack up a sign letting everyone know of the venue change--we'd gather in my apartment instead. Luckily, I've been steadily working at packing things up, so it didn't take long to stash odds and ends upstairs and push the couch to the side. We were nervous though. Would people see the sign? Katie updated Facebook, and I sent out text messages. We'd have an awful lot of food to eat if people didn't come! (Arlene prepared all the food--her ginger cookies are to die for!)I was worried, but not for long...they saw the sign and got the word--party at Sue's place! Over 30 people came through my door. A friend I hadn't seen in at least ten years had said she couldn't make it--but she did! Such a fun surprise. Current and former coworkers, a few former students, neighbors, family, and friends all crowded in. Midway through the afternoon the sun came out, so we opened the patio door and spilled out into the backyard. Good memories were shared and more were made.

...music

I married a man who could tell you the name of every song, artist, and group from our generation and most from the one before. He loved (loves?) music and spent (spends?) hours in front of his stereo system with earphones on, creating mixed tapes of his favorites. My son inherited his dad's musical memory (although I don't think he spends quite as much time absorbed in it). I, on the other hand, enjoy music but it's not my passion. It's a rare occasion when I can name anything associated with a particular song. Oh, I can sing along when I hear one I know, but don't ask me who the artist is. While the man I married had (has?) all the latest electronics for listening pleasure, I have always been content with the radio or a small CD player. Nothing high-tech at all. It was a great day when I discovered Pandora. I just had to know ONE artist that I liked and they would do the rest! And, with the advent of Blogger, my one-stop, lazy musicologist mind has discovered that I can open fellow bloggers blogs and listen to (and enjoy) all kinds of music--some familiar, and some that I would never have found on my own. Thanks, Rochelle and Jeff! Oh, and Leslie is usually good for a song or two. Thanks, Les!

...the good ol' days

I've been busy sorting, tossing, scanning and packing in preparation for my new life. One cupboard of my classroom was full of photo albums. Twenty two years of memories. I decided to scan some of the photos and toss the rest. It has been a delightful walk down memory lane. I usually scoff when someone refers to the past as "the good old days," but I have to admit to some nostalgia for "back then," when I first started teaching at the high school. Back then I had a high-ceilinged, drafty old room with tile floors. We could have a bubble-fest and not worry about the mess. I wonder if I'll have a tile floor in my new classroom?

...being a goose

Jesus dropped the F bomb just as he stepped inside my classroom door. I responded with "the look." He said, "Oops, my bad!" I said, "How about you apologize in a way that is meaningful to an old fogey like me?" He looked puzzled for a second, then his face lit up. "You're a GOOSE!" Whaaat? How is that an apology? After a bit of back and forth we communicated. He had meant to say that I was a "geezer." Goose/geezer--both start with G and have the s sound in the middle. What's one to do but laugh? (Oh, and I did get a real apology.)