'Neck Nik 2007

NASCAR. Talledega. Campground. Lowcountry shrimp boil. Sweltering in the heat by day, freezing by night. Playing guitar in the campsite. Drunk people. Jeff Gordon won, damn him. Post-race traffic. Stuck in Alabama. Hours in gridlock. Home at 11:30 pm. Up again at 6am thinking, "I'm getting too old for this." :)

Faculty Follies

Despite my family trying to bail on me, the faculty talent show tonight was so much fun. Ms. Mayhue and I dressed up in hippie costume, and performed California Dreamin' with Mike backing us up on drums. Coach Smith, Mr. Willis, and Ms. Walker joined us as backup with tamborines, hippie wigs, bandanas, etc. It was hilarious. We also did Freebird, which Mike sang while Michael played the drums. Ms. Mayhue and I did back up, and she played the lead guitar. Chelsea absolutely would not play with us, but she did seem to have a good time laughing at us and taking pictures.

There were a lot of other fun acts, including poetry readings, piano, vocalists, and the 8th grade teachers dancing hip-hop (I need to get my hands on that video!) The evening took a bit of an emotional tone when I sang the last song a cappella; it's a gospel song called Go Light Your World. It seemed appropriate to me, since so many people are leaving to go pursue other endeavors. After that song, there were several "thank-you-I'll-miss-you" type speeches. Seems like we're going to have a long goodbye for the next month. :X

I'm freakin' tired. Time to go to bed!

Grrr...

I was pretty livid earlier, but now I'm just annoyed. I committed my family to joining me on stage for a charity event at my school, never dreaming I'd encounter such resistance. We talked about it a little a day or so ago, but no one said very much. Now at the 11th hour (wow it's literally around 11pm), my son and daughter don't want to play. Michael is being somewhat reluctant, while Chelsea is stubbornly refusing. The song we were supposed to play would require their participation, so guess I will have to change THAT plan. I always have a contingency plan, but am pissed about the lack of support. Mike hasn't backed out on me yet, so that's something.

Ehh, I don't want to get mad again so I think I'm just going to breathe in, breathe out, and go to bed. Hope you're all ok.

Rats are jumping ship...

While I knew one of the assistant principals was leaving to go back to teaching, I was surprised to learn yesterday that our head principal is leaving also. Although I like and respect both of these administrators as compassionate people (they definitely aren't rats!), I feel they lack the toughness that our kids seem to be need. Compassion is a wonderful thing, but it can be taken too far; our kids get way too many chances to keep screwing up. As a school, we seem to constantly make excuses for their behavior and drawing new lines for them to cross. Some of our kids have to go chronic for months before actually making it to tribunal (ie. being recommended for alternative school.)

I've felt like a rat for jumping ship also and have taken some teasing about being a deserter; however, I've learned that in this world, if you don't put your own needs first, no one else will either. In some ways, these resignations make mine that much easier. I no longer feel any twinges of guilt about walking away from this situation; I feel that it was the right thing to do for myself, as surely as these administrators and all the other teachers who are leaving are doing the right thing for themselves. So, bravo to them!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

I haven't had a lot of energy in a while, but felt extra good yesterday. I went to the tanning bed and then the grocery store for andouille sausage. Next, my kids and I went over to my friend Patreece's house, where I made gumbo and cuddled her 4-month old. Some of our friends came over with their kids too. We ate, talked, took pictures, and played with the babies.

I am going to try to post one cute shot of the baby in a pot, ala Karen. Hehe! It was a funny spontaneous moment, because when I asked Patreece what size was her biggest pot, she said, "I have a pot big enough to put a child in." Leave it to me to be a smart ass and stick her baby in the pot. LOL She took several pictures, all the while threatening to send the photos to child services. Anyway, the gumbo was delicious and hearty because everybody brought shrimp to add to the pot. (I cleaned 4 pounds of those little critters yesterday!)

We left her house around 8:30 and met up with Chelsea's friend to watch a movie. The two of them saw Disturbia, while Michael and I watched Blades of Glory. I protested, he insisted, but you know what, as silly as it was, I laughed my butt off. Physical comedy at its best. I'm paying for it a little today because I'm dragging. I still have to put progress report grades in the online gradebook, and let's not even talk about how my house looks right now. Mike will be home later -- he had a bowling tournament this weekend -- and I will be cooking up something special later. Even though I'm tired, it was a great day. :)

Amusing Toast

If vodka was water and I were a duck,
I’d swim to the bottom and never come up.
But vodka’s not water, and I’m not a duck,
So pass me that bottle and shut the fuck up.

New Job :)

I've talked a lot about how frustrating my job is, and that I needed to make a switch. Well I got my butt in gear interviewing, and I landed a new position! In the fall, I will be teaching 10th grade American Lit. at Hickville High (pseudonym of course). If I like it there and stick around, I will be at the same school with my kid for the next 6 years -- 2 years with Chelsea and 4 with Michael. It's only 9 miles from my house, so I will be saving on gas. Hopefully, it's also working with more mature students instead of bratty, crazy middle schoolers; does it get any better? Naturally, I am sad about leaving the wonderful team here, but life's about changes, right?

Yay me!

Post-surgical report

Quick update: I have received the pathology report from my surgery and there is no evidence of cancer. During the surgery, my doctor removed a number of polyps from my uterus, but they were all benign. She did say that my uterus is a bit enlarged, which may mean that I have to have the Novasure procedure again in the future. I am no longer bleeding, and I'm feeling a little better every day.

Recuperating

When you hear the words "spring break," most of you think of the beach, fruity drinks, bathing suits, Girls Gone Wild, tattoos, etc. Not me; I'm a rebel. I think of outpatient surgery. Yes, that's right, I used the time off to have surgery, and not just any surgery. Yesterday, while it was warm and sunny outside, I was at the hospital having an endometrial ablation. Basically, the doctor burned out the lining of my uterus to slow down the bleeding I have. Ideally, it may stop my periods completely, but we won't know how well it worked for a couple of months. Today, I'm feeling somewhat better than yesterday, though really sore. My neck muscles and throat are particularly sore from the ventilation -- bleh! I hope the rest of you are having more fun on vacation than I am. Flash your boobs in my honor. :)