Fighting the Dark Cloud of pudge!!

Well today’s forecast is SNOW!  Actually we do not get THAT much snow.  I have added some photos of the park across the street - after the December snowfall - in my “the park” heading for your viewing entertainment.  Guido is not my dog - he is a rare white (aka ghost) schnauzer and my dog’s best friend.  My dog is a black havanese.

I did weigh in and found I had gained only 1 pound back which is not great, but considerably better than I expected after my February blah.

Today I was thinking of visiting my friend, Michael, who is in hospital.  I think I mentioned him in a previous blog.  43 year old athletic, doctor, stroke victim.  Shocking.  He is not paralyzed on his right side and can barely talk.  I visited last Sunday and was going to go during the week but have had this off again on again feeling that I was coming down with a cold.  After the poor man spent over a month in Intensive Care, I am not about to give him a cold!  I do, however, have a plush dog to give him!  Personally, I always give people in hospital stuffed animals if they are there for a serious illness.  I think they need “someone” to talk to in the silent watches of the night and the stuffed animal gives them some comfort.  Also,  I think nurses are surprised to see the stuffed animal and it humanizes the patient for them.  Many years ago I started this tradition with an elderly Italian man we knew - very macho kind of guy.  He was very popular in the community and had tons of plants etc.  He had so many they were sent home but he always kept the bear.

I see it is now snowing profusely. My alternative plan is to go get my shoes for the wedding, and stop at the bank.  If it clears up, I will take Mom to Home Depot.  We are putting in new bathroom cabinetry because the 20 year old stuff we presently have has seen better days.  In fact, one of my doors fell off months ago.  I would like the bathroom cabinets done before relatives and friends come up for the wedding in July.

I know, people are starving around the world, walking miles, barefoot, over unpaved roads to get water, and I am fussing over my bathroom cabinets.  Life is unfair, and we all know it.

OK, after only one response, I will keep the template for the time being anyway.  I do like to change with the seasons.

Have a good day….

Here are some photos from the park across the street - just so you know the snow CAN be nice.

You know I chose this template because it reminded me of soft fluffy snowflakes.  It did not remind me of the slush left over after the snow plow has been; the BANKS of snow that remind me of a ski jump when I am standing on them; nor the salt that gets between the toes of my poor dog’s paws.  Do you think I need to change the template to remove the curse???

How are you all?  Thank you so much for your support and comments.  I know my February blues must have been bad when  one of my teachers came up to me and offered to be a sounding board.  Good grief!   I am pretty sure I mentioned that a student I do not even teach noticed it! Yikes!  DH said it was BAAADDD!  OK, it is lifting.

New honeymoon idea…travel/tour the Eastern provinces.  As DH’s immigration paperwork is plowing along (I got a letter with a file number AND we passed the first stage - I have been deemed worthy of sponsoring him). faster than I expected (I thought part 1 would take until mid-March) it might work in his interest to stay in his new country.  He has to be here 365 days in 5 years (or something like that) to remain in Canada once he has been approved.

AND I have only been to Halifax (which I loved) out east.  There is a Scottish Tattoo on in Halifax in July; the 100th Anniversary of Anne of Green Gables  in PEI; we can do the French thing in New Brunswick (and see that magnetic hill that can pull your car up!) and the Irish influence of Newfoundland.  So, it does have a bit of everything.  Not to mention it might be cheaper than Europe (hard to say at times) and a darn site closer!

Must admit the weight thing has taken a back seat to the blahs, but I am game to keep going.  I certainly hope I am not at 197.5 AGAIN!  I will have to check tomorrow morning.

So, need I change the template???

I really am sorry to have dumped so many of my woes onto you all.  Your loyalty, and compassion is most appreciated.  DH thinks I have SAD (that seasonal disorder).  He could be right as low seratonin is a symptom and that makes one crave chocolate or pasta.  Must admit the latter doesn’t yank my chain, but to each their own.  The sun is out today and I am feeling better so perhaps he is right.

Although that last bout caused me to gain 2 pounds back :(  (OK, IT didn’t..I CAUSED it.) I did get some good news today.  We have passed the first part of the immigration process!  I was accepted as a Sponsor.  So, now  DH’s immigration paperwork is off to Buffalo for process his end of the application form.  At least I know I did my part of the paperwork right.  I hope I did his right too.  Yes, I am the legally one of the two of us so he gathered information and completed forms but I made sure the package was put together and all the signatures were there.  I oversaw that we had EVERYTHING (what?!  They do not want the kitchen sink??!  They wanted everything else!) for the submission and sent it off.  This moves all “best case scenario” up by 6 weeks!

Noting that my part was completed before their website indicates they have even started it, DH may even be allowed up here by the end of March instead of June!!  OK, I am getting ahead of myself.

Another good thing that happened…well the boring meeting I had this afternoon (along with a co-worker) had an altered agenda as the speaker cancelled.  Soooo, when we got there we discovered it was a repeat of the previous meeting from two days ago (different audience - except us!).  This left me free to go buy a novel for my class.  The downside, after the store gave me double bags and bent over to help me, I located enough copies of the book second hand down the road at 1/3 off.  I really didn’t think I could face returning the books after all they did for me (and my class set is only 5 books) so I opted to just have the extra few dollars come off my budget at work (did I mention the first store had discounted the books for me from $21.00 to $14.00??!!).

So, I am still tired, still sick of the job and still clued out about what to do, but the sun is shining and the trees in the park still have a lovely coating of snow.  In short, not out of the woods of moodiness, but at least I have found a nice clearing for a while.  I really should say that although our situation at work is dismal, it is not as bad as many of the inner city schools you see in movies like Freedom Writers.

Cheers!

Thanks, So Close, for your comments.  Sadly, the reason there are so many kids in the hall is that we do not have the staff to keep moving them.  Basically, the kids see a teacher or administrator (most teachers they ignore but I have a reputation for expelling students, so I get some respect) or the hall monitor and move - but they just congregate somewhere else.  There arejust  too many groups to keep the halls under total control.  During the semester we do a pretty good job but when the Administration team are dealing with new registrations that is a huge presence missing in the hall!

Our kids aren’t too bad behaviourally for an inner city school, but there is no sense of hope in these kids.  Rarely do they make college and if they do, they won’t stay.  The mentality is “I can make more money selling drugs”.   Not all the kids, but I have many from the projects.  We give them everything we can - bus tickets to get to and from school, emotional, academic and psychological support, but they just don’t take any help (they do take the bus tickets).  They see no need for school largely because their parents don’t see any need for school.  I once had a parent tell me that he/she dropped out at 16 and so would their kid.  What can you do with that?

On a brighter note, the one kid who drives me nuts (poor thing is at a grade 4 intelligence level but forced by her parents to try to take college bound courses) and whose parents drive me nuts (talk about bullies - I wanted to call Children’s Aid on the mother the first time I met her and I saw how verbally and emotionally abusive she is to her daughter - but if they are 16 or over you cannot call Children’s aid) has been convinced to drop my class and take another one - on the understanding that if the other class is too hard she can come back to mine.  We are running out of courses for this kid.  she has either had a mercy 50% passing grade, or failed it, or won’t take it, or simply does not have the prerequisites for it.  But she is almost 18 and after that we can let her go.

So, the brighter note is…I don’t have to deal with her Mother.  The woman screams at us if we do something, screams at us if we don’t do something.  And she just had another kid!! OY!

I see a winter wonderland awaits me and the dogs so I gotta scoot.

Have a magical day!

Semester 2 started yesterday. I work in a school, if you haven’t already guessed, of underachievers who don’t even bother to create a false impression of who they are by acting “good” for the first week or so.  My English class of 2 (Special Ed has a 16 ceiling on classes but as the new VP couldn’t figure out timetabling I had 12 last semester and 2 this one - but that is another story) was watching a movie.  The student who BEGGED to get into the class as her English is “terrible” slept through the movie.  My other class (I only teach 2 as I am the Dept Head) has 12 students in it.  5 showed up.  Perhaps it was a blessing.  Amazingly enough one of the students actually stopped by to visit me in the morning, and THEN skipped my class.  So, we had kids roaming the halls (why go home or somewhere else when you skip???  Instead they actually have been known to walk past the classes they are skipping!).

By noon I was burned out.  Sad, but true.  I was stressed and had to have chocolate.  (the miracle drug).  I actually walked three blocks to get some!  It was very good - and on sale, but I am left feeling a bit deflated.  Hence why I am looking for another school for next year - even if it means a demotion.  I think it is time for me to get out of Special Education and teach some of my other subjects - like drama, or history, or politics.  Meanwhile, I am getting my qualifications to be a Guidance Counsellor.   Really, I do a lot of that work already in my present job.  There are three levels of courses.  You can,of course, be a Guidance counsellor with only one (just as you can teach Spec Ed with only one) but most want a “Specialist” which requires three courses.  I am on course 2.  It seems I never stop going to school.

On a brighter note (and I am not so sure it is), I have been hired back for another semester of night school.  Seems there are 79 students enrolled in Grade 12 Academic English so they may need three classes.  This after they left me alone teaching 52 last semester.  Really, I do not know what the “gods” of night school are thinking.  Did I mention that NO ONE got the night school VP job?  Even day school VPs who applied did not get it.  She claimed “they are picky” but I think their vague questions made it hard for anyone to get through the process.  Of course, she blames the “weak” candidates rather than the poor questions.  C’est la vie.  I wonder if I would want to work for someone like that.

Really, the more I think about it, the less I want to be in Administration.  There are tons of legal issues you can unknowingly get nailed on (like workmen not setting up properly) and not much more pay.  In fact, first year VPs make LESS than high end teachers.

Keeping my eye on the sabbatical.  That is my prize.  Two more years…can I make it??

Weightwise, I gained .5 of a pound.  Could be anything from gluttony to hormones so I am not worried about it.  As you can see, I have bigger fish to fry in the worry dept!

Well, I had better get going just in case my 2 English students show up for period 1!

Have a better day than me!!

OK, perhaps a bit dramatic for the title.  Mom did eventually get ready so we got out shortly after 3pm.  Keeping in mind there is roughly 30 minutes each way to and from the store we wanted to go to.  Also, I had to be back roughly at 5pm to walk the dogs.

We got home at 6:18.  Mom is going to wear an ivory pantsuit.  Generally I would not want her to wear ivory, but the suit  was stunning and the other choice for it was black!  Ivory seemed better.  She may upstage me.  But she’ll look terrific  and I wanted her to wear it.  In addition to that, she bought another jacket, long dress and lovely long coat and will have a top and pants made to match the second jacket.  She spent a ton of money (over $2K!) on all of it, but she is 80 years old and was house bound for 5 years while Dad was sick.  I figure if she can afford it, enjoy it.

Today I meet with the cake designer.  No, I will not turn down samples if I am offered! You only live once and I have been reasonably good. Granted, come Monday, I have to kick things up a notch dietwise if I want to make the 192 by Feb 15 goal.

I am considering getting a wedding planner, just for the day of the wedding. There are so many details to keep track of that I don’t want the headache.  Of course, that depends on the cost of the aspirin!

I thank you all for your comments  on my dress, and the South Beach meal delivery option.  Not only do I get to vent here, but I get sound advice.  Much appreciated.

It’s Sunday.  I start a new semester tomorrow.  (new kids to hate as I like to say!) And I am craving chocolate!!   Good thing I only have dark hersheys kisses in the house.  They do not have the same satisfaction level as milk chocolate for me- hence why I have had the same bag for several months!

Enjoy!

OK, I was trying to play on the book title, Snow Falling on Cedars, but it doesn’t quite fit.  We have SNOW…lots of it.  If only I could sell it.  Maybe like bottled water (which I thought was plain ridiculous 20 years ago).

I am WAITING for my Mom to get ready so we can look at outfits for her for the wedding.  She just keeps putting off getting dressed for anything.  I have to nudge her -  30 minutes until estimated time to leave…then she makes coffee and has to take her pills etc..and is no closer to the bedroom when I say “10 minutes until estimated time to leave”…that was 30 minutes ago.  OY!!!  Between her and the students, is it any wonder I am turning grey?!!

Fitting went well - I am a “perfect hour glass” figure…of course a LARGER version.  She didn’t add that, I did.

Thanks so much for your comments on that delivery place.  It is based on South Beach, and it is a fair chunk of change.  Normally I wouldn’t have considered it but my elderly neighbour asked me to look it up for her on the internet.  she isn’t going to do it either.

Weight is maintaining at the 195 range..sometimes 195.5.  Next goal is 192 by Feb 15 and 190 by the end of the month.  It is always good to have goals!

OK, I have to go see how far along Mom is.

Have a good one!