TYVM is Back!

I haven't participated in this meme in a while, but school's back in full swing, so I've got some things to say.

1.  To the woman who chose to go through the express lane with a buggy full of  groceries.  HELLO?  Are you stupid or just don't give a rat's butt that there are people coming home from work who would like to get home?  Nothing against SAHM, but this woman looked to be one, so she could've gone to the store at any time during the day.  But NOOOOO, she chose to go when people who work are getting off, running by the store for just a few items are there.  I really, really hope she saw me look up at the "Express Lane  15 Items or Less" sign.  I don't think she would've cared, though.  And, yes, when the cashier asked me how I was doing, I responded with "Well, I'm pretty frustrated right now."  Smart guy...he knew better than to say or ask me anything else.  Plus, I think he gave me a couple of extra scratch-off cards.

2.  To whoever chose to grab a candy bar that was in the lounge without putting in a dollar:  YS is selling them as a fundraiser...not a give away.  Seriously...you work in a school.  We are trying to teach kids integrity, and you choose to just help yourself?  Yes, it's only $1, but what if everybody did what you did?  And, if you didn't have a dollar on you, you could've just let me know that you would be paying me later.  ( I realize that when I leave school on Thursday I will probably have an extra dollar in there, because I have a sneaky suspicion that that is exactly what happened.)
(Okay, I have to do a PS here.  As I was getting in my car Wed. morning, I counted the candy bars and I had 10, not 9.  So, no one got a bar and didn't pay me.  I just don't know how to count to 10.  I thought about  deleting #2, but then I thought, "no, if people  are reading, they need to know what an idiot I am!  If I lose a few followers because of my idiocy, so be it!)

3.  To MS:  I absolutely love walking by your room and see it looking like it did before you moved into the dorm.   I was going to wash the sheets on your bed over the weekend, but decided against it when I saw this:

 This prompted a phone call to you to tell you need  to come home at some point and clean your room, which prompted you to tell me to tell YS to do it.  Uh, no...I think not.  I refuse to clean up something that should've been done before you moved into the dorm.  It will be waiting on you when you come home...and I know at some point you will come home.


And that completes my rants for the week.  Hopefully I've made you realize that you have a lot to be thankful for, or maybe I've even made you chuckle.
In the words of a friend:  It's "Little Friday"!

Making a Difference

 When I was pregnant with MS, I decided to change positions and go from working in a public school to working for a rehab company that contracted with Nursing Homes.  It was exciting at first: working with a completely different population and actually communicating with adults during the day.  I started out working a few hours after school so I could get in some hours and training at my new position.  I worked in a nursing home where the patients had some rehab potential:  mostly stroke patients.  I learned about dysphagia and modified barium swallow studies on the job.  I had the help of a radiologist who was patient with me and taught me how  to tell the radiologist what I wanted to look at and what I needed in order to get the information I needed to treat the patient.  Things were good...for a while.  Then, the company lost the contract to the 3 nursing homes in the small town in Ga.  So, I "went on the road".  I had to travel to the next 2 small towns and take over there.  I had the manager breathing down my neck, wanting to know why I didn't have very many hours.  Working for a company, it was all about money and numbers.  And, being as ethical and the rule-follower that I am, there was no way I was going to bill a patient for something he/she didn't need.  I learned about reading lab results to determine if the patient was getting enough nutrients, and if they weren't, if it was because of swallowing difficulties.  I had the heartbreaking job of talking to the head nurse about families who refused feeding tubes, opting to have their loved  one virtually starve to death.
Then, I was offered a position in the company as Assistant Manager.  I was so very honored and humbled to be offered that position.  At first, my area covered NW Ga.  PERFECT!  Except, after about a month in that position, my manager resigned (due to the high stress...her hair started falling out) and the assistant manager of NE Ga. was now the Manager. They didn't replace her, so I assumed the responsibility of assistant manager over N. Ga.  I didn't want it; I didn't want to have to drive from outside of Chattanooga to Atlanta.  I had 2 small children, the new manager wasn't married and didn't have any children.  She didn't "get it" when I told her I wasn't going to get stuck in Atlanta traffic and get home to my kids late.  I wasn't there for my boys when their babysitter's house caught on fire...with the kids there.  My marriage suffered; the boys suffered.  And on top of all of that, I didn't think I was making a difference.
So, when I was 8 months pregnant with YS, I went back to work in the public schools.  I had worked with the special ed. director when he was a diagnostician.  He told me the best he could do was a part-time position.  I wasn't sure how we were going to manage with me just working part-time, but I figured I could always pick up some work through home health to make up for the difference.  Then, a couple of weeks after that, he called me and told me that it had turned into a full-time position.  He thought enough of me to hire me when he knew I would be going on a month's maternity leave after working for not even a month.
I've been back "home" in the public schools for 16 years.  And, this is exactly where I belong.  This is where I can make a difference.
So,why am I telling y'all all this?  This video that a friend posted on Facebook got me to thinking about that time in my life where I didn't think I was making a difference.  I learned alot those 2 years.  I learned that 1) money isn't everything, 2) the public schools is exactly where I belong, and 3) document, document, document!

Tuesday Tidbits

I haven't been very good about posting lately; things have just been crazy around here.  Just to catch y'all up, here are a few things that have been going on:

1.  Looks like we've hit another milestone with the kids growing up:  One of OS' friends got married a week or 2 ago in Vegas and they had the reception on Saturday.  It was so weird seeing him in his tux, with his bride.  In my eyes he's still a teenager.  The reception was unusual, or rather, the wedding & groom cakes were.  Since they got married in Vegas, of course they had a Vegas theme.  The wedding cake was a 3-tiered cake with dice and cards out of fondant/clay on it.  The groom's cake was a big round cake decorated as a snuff can.    When the "honorary wedding party" was announced, the disc jockey (is that what they still call them?) was playing that Carrie Underwood song "Last Name".  If you've never heard it, you can watch it here.  When the bride & groom came out, the song by Garth Brooks "Two of a Kind, Working on a Full House" was played.  (No, she's not expecting.)  Very unusual, indeed.  YS & I only stayed until they came out, then we left.  We didn't know anybody, and it was a little uncomfortable.

2.  A couple of people commented about the SkunkApe that I referred to in a post last week.  There is a teacher at one of my schools who has a "SkunkApe" business.  Here is a picture of the t-shirt that I have:

Apparently there have been "Skunkape" sightings not too far from here.  He said that the Travel Channel contacted him; they're doing some episodes on Skunkapes.  (Of course, he may have been kidding...I'm soooo gullible!)  What?  You don't know what a Skunkape is?  Well, you'll have to go to the website to find out! 
Now can you see why I questioned Shaq being seen in our county?


3.  On Sunday during Mass, we had no homily.  I thought there was always suppose to be a homily.  I look forward to seeing how the priest interprets the Gospel, and how he can relate it to our everyday life.  The priest who celebrated Mass is the one whom I believe to have autistic-like characteristics, so he doesn't relate the Gospel to everyday life anyway.  There was a letter from our Bishop that he read, speaking of vocations.  All this priest did was read the letter, then continued on with Mass.  Strange.  I felt like something was missing.


4.  Also on Sunday during Mass, we had the pleasure of having 5 nuns attend.  I thought maybe one of them would speak, tying into the whole vocations' thing.  But, no, I have no idea who they were or where they were from.  After Mass they stayed kneeling in the pew, praying.  They all looked young, so I really thought it was going to tie into vocations.  I admire them a lot.  It takes a lot of courage to hear God's calling and follow it.  I may have mentioned this before, but when the kids were little, there were times when becoming a nun looked awfully good!  The peace and quiet I would've had, but then again, I wouldn't have my 3 beautiful, wonderful boys.

5.  Saturday was UT's first ballgame under the 3rd head coach in 3 years.  I love to hear Derek Dooley talk, because he is a true southern boy who uses true southern sayings.  Here are a couple of favorite quotes from after the ballgame:
“Before you can learn how to win a game, you’ve got to not screw it up,’’

“We start playing big-boy football next week.’’  

I feel like I can be a true Vol fan now, since a lot of our money is now going to UT.  There are a lot of season pass holders and big fans who have never even attended UT.  I've always held back just a little since I didn't go to school there, but now I guess I can cut loose!

GO BIG ORANGE!