What An Awesome Afternoon!

This is an awesome afternoon.  I finally had a good substituting assignment, I made a great taco lunch, I got to talk to my brother, we were asked by our church to light the first Advent candle at the mass on Sunday, and we're going to see Everclear tonight.  Things can't get much better than this.  I hope everyone else had such a good day!




P.S.
I discovered two things I didn't know about my husband:  1) he honestly didn't know you can't turn left at a red light (What?!?), and 2) he's a pretty good painter.  I'm hoping to persuade him to post pictures of the two mini-paintings he did last night.  :)

When Should You Ask For Advice?

My family is full if drama queens (and kings!).  Sometimes, it's easy to get caught up in the drama.  One good way is when you have a problem, to ask EVERYONE you know for advice.  O.K.- maybe the thinking is the more advice you get, the more choices you have to make a decision.  Sorry, this just muddles the water.  It's more like the more people you ask, the  more probable it is you'll hear the advice you're really looking for.

Another reason this is a bad idea, is because if someone takes the time to give you advice, they genuinely believe you are interested in their insight, and expect that you might go the path they suggest.  So, the more people invested in your drama, the more people you're likely to tick off.

So, when is it o.k. to ask for advice?  When you have a CRITICAL problem, and you know someone that might have been in the same, or similar, situation.  For example, substitute teaching is NOT for me, but it's my current profession.  It's not in my chemistry to handle being called a bitch all day long, and to have to raise my voice in a futile effort to gain control of young people.  So, I asked my very long-time friend, who has been teaching long before I was in her middle school science class.  This is a qualified person to give me guidance.  I didn't call twenty friends or family members to ask what I should do, because 1) they don't know the rules of today's school system, 2) they are not teachers, and 3) they don't deal with 25 children in one setting.

Another time it's o.k. to look for advice is with your spouse, because often, when you make a decision, even if it doesn't involve marital things, it can affect your mood, your confidence or other aspects that ultimately effect your relationship.  For example, I am currently having issues with a family member.  I was initially livid.  I didn't discuss the problem with Roger, because I wanted to be able to have an objective conversation with him.  I know when I'm upset, it disturbs him because we have a balance.  So one day after my problem arose and I had time to think about it, I shared with Roger and we came up with some viable solutions.

So MY ADVICE is (haha), use discretion when you ask for advice! 

P.S. Tonight is Everclear!! :)

Here's the song of the day.  Happy Friday!

Deck the Halls!!!

Roger didn't want to decorate for Christmas.  Bah Humbug!  However, coming from parents and grandparents that generally set up 6-13 themed Christmas trees each year and who have rooms to store their decorations, not decorating at all is not an option for me....

So, I put up the mini tree we bought at the Fans and Stoves Antique Mall, and my growing Fontanini Nativity.  Roger was like a little kid.  "Wow", he said.
Humph.  I'm glad he like it.  (I also added our first ornament- a red ball from Harrods, in London!)

Trololo-ing along........

Roger showed me this video a few weeks ago.  I HATED the song at first.  But then, he walked around for a week singing this song baritone, and it kind of grew on me.  So, this is the song of the day.....

Today was a great day.  We took a drive to visit my grandparents.  We also checked on our grenadilla plants.  Here's what a grenadilla looks like:

I'm told it's like a passion fruit.  You suck out those jelly-surrounded seeds.  Super sweet and yummy.  I tried to smuggle some in from Peru, but customs nabbed me.  However, about two months ago, I got some seeds.  I asked Roger to ask my Papa to help him plant them, but he couldn't find him outside, so he just decided to dump ALL the seeds in a little pot, half filled with dirt.  Then, to make sure no one found them, he hid the pot under the shed. When I discovered this, I had to explain that the seeds probably wouldn't sprout in the dark.....LOL.  So, my granddad, who has the best green thumb ever, is now the guardian of the pot.  Today, we have about twelve two inch sprouts.  I figure if they survive the cold, we'll have fruit in about 5 years.

That's all for now.  Stay warm.

The Great Adventure..

I love my wife so much !!

We always have something to do, places to go and people to meet, but at the end is just Doanyelle and I, this is the reason our marriage is full of great adventures.

sometimes we invent our adventures at home, writing, creating, reading or just talking , dreaming, making plans,always making plans for the next adventure.

We share almost the same interests , like music, books, art,antiques, etc.

Thank for read my wife blog every day,i just discover that she have this gift for narrative and share with people through the blog.she is now a "blogstar" with over a 200 visits a day, very impressive.

At this point you probably are thinking what a chessy post "some guy writing about her wife" but really for me Doanyelle is a Great Adventure always something new. take the time to read previous post and you will understand.

Bye

A Peaceful Sunday

In the words of Ice Cube, "It was a good day."  Roger talked me into going to church.  I really didn't want to go, but I'm glad he's motivated and I don't want to set the wrong trend, so I went.  I'm so glad.  I once again feel like God has a purpose for me, and the Reverend welcomed us as new parishioners.

Then, we went to the Green Market in Riverside.  Weird thing is, I was going to buy some Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap online this morning, but got side track.  They had some for sale at the store, so I lucked out.  We also bought some awesome almonds baked with apples, dates, flax seed, balsamic vinegar and red pepper.  Yuuummmmy!

After that, we went to the library to pick up documentaries for the week.  (We're on a kick!)  This week, we have Guantanamo Bay, Ben Franklin, Marked (about prison tatts), Secrets of the Civil War, 42 Ways to Kill Hitler, the Underground Railroad, and Pakistan.  We also got One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  Last week we watched Secondhand Lions and On Golden Pond.  Two thumbs up for both.

Here's a picture of a woman standing outside the library.  For someone who loves Jesus so much, I couldn't figure out why she wasn't smiling... :(

For lunch, my wonderful husband made ceviche and seafood stew.  

And this afternoon, we were lazy and relaxed.  

This will be a great week.  Here's the song of the day.

Ivan Doroschuk and I

Here's a pic of the lead singer of Men Without Hats and I. :)

Fun, Fun, Fun- A Picture Show

This hot mess is Jenkins Family BBQ's ribs.  I'm not sure why it's smothered in white bread....., but this was lunch. :)

And this was my great flea market find today.  A cheap controller with "76,000" games programmed inside, including Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Tetris, and Galaxian.  Wheeee!

 And these are the tattoos I want for my birthday. (Just the anchors.)

And this is who I am going to see in 1 1/2 hours!

Bye for now!

 

Only True Love Shares Heart Attacks!

This morining I woke up to "Good Morning Doanyelle-ita!  I love you so much.  You are so precious!  Let me give you a (morning breath) kiss!"  How lucky to have someone love me soooo much!  Of course then he proceded to vigorously rub my head in an effort to start a dread lock.... LOL

So yesterday we were sitting on the couch and I doubled over in pain.  Roger grabbed my arm, to help me I thought.  Then I heard heavy panting.  I did the exercist head turn, complete with glowing red eyes, and said "What are you doing?!?"  As pain was ripping through my chest, he was clenching my arm because he was having chest pains.  What?!?!  "You can't have a heart attack right now, because I am having a heart attack!"  So we both just sat there moaning.  At one point, Roger got up and found some aspirin, and we both crashed on the spot.  LOL  Only true love shares heart attacks!  (I don't think we really had heart attacks, but it's weird that we both had crippling chest pains at the same time.)

Last night, I tried my second sewing project.  It's a bag  that rolls up to fit in your purse.

 

Tonight is Men without Hats, so here's the song of the day!

 

 

Happy Saturday!

The Red Sweatshirt

Last year, when visiting my grandparents in Melrose, I picked up two fleece sweatshirts because it was cold.  (O.K.- I got them for $5 apiece on clearance at Bealls Outlet- the only place to buy clothes in Keystone Heights.)

So I wear them every now and then when it gets cool.  One night, Roger and I were headed out and he turns to me and says, "No!  You cannot wear that sweatshirt out in public again.  I don't like it!"  What?  Um, "Roger!", I say.  "You wear t-shirts with the sleeves cut out and camo shorts with odd color shoes in public.  You want to criticize my sweatshirt?"  Sigh.  So we agreed he'd ditch the homemade wife beaters and I can only wear my fleece shirts at home.  That was two weeks ago.

Well, it's really cold now, and my fleece sweatshirts are warm.  So, time for an intervention.  Tonight, I cut off all the beaded/sequenced snowflakes (I know, I forgot to mention those earlier....).  Then, I took two of the larger red beads and sewed them on a skull patch I but at the Crowbar in London, and then sewed on the patch.  I revealed the new results, and got Roger's approval to wear the shirt in public again.

Yippee!  I don't think he likes it much better, but how can he resist my enthusiasm?  :)

The song of the day:

This Thanksgiving.......

So after reflecting for the last few hours during my nap, here's what I'm most thankful for at this moment.  These aren't in any particular order- just the order in which I thought of them.
1.  I'm happy that my husband still wants to hug and kiss me and tell me he loves me every hour each day;
2.  I'm thankful that I live somewhere that has cool weather.  It stinks being hot every day!
3.  I'm thankful that I have several good friends that even though we don't talk every day or see each other much, I know they are always there for me.
4.  I'm thankful that my brother just came home safe from Afghanistan.
5.  I'm thankful for Depeche Mode, Magic Shell, and Heel Tastic.
6.  I'm thankful for new experiences every day!  Life is a Grand Adventure!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! SAFE TRAVELS!

Happy, Happy

I'm not going to write about my challenges substituting for 8th grade Reading.  Instead, here's today's song:


Too Much Booty in the Pants. I have too much booty in my pants, along with too much thighs in my pants, and too much  belly fat in my pants, etc. And, the older I get the more gravity has its effects on me. And now, when we go to bed, I find that I have to prop-up or support most of my body parts to keep from aching in the morning. So by the time everything is in it's place, Roger finds himself at least three pillows away. We can barely touch fingers. But he's such a good sport about it.

 He did our Thanksgiving shopping while I was at school today. We didn't end up with a turducken, but we have marshmallows, and that's all that matters.

And, the Rosetta Stone crashed tonight. Not sure what happened. I got a 98% re-doing lessons one and two, so I don't think I blew it up.

 Four days until Men Without Hats. :)

 Bye for now.

Hola Amigos!

Roger got me started on Rosetta Stone again.  His mother will be here in less than a month!  We'll see if I can make it past la manzana es verde (Lesson 3) this time.

Adios!

An Afterthought

I forgot to mention something else about today.  During my planning period, I was super bored, so I pulled out the children's writing folders and read what they wrote.  One assignment was to write about their homes. It appeared that most students lived in modest homes.  In fact, only one student appeared proud of where she lives. I also learned that most of them lived in "loud" neighborhoods, and the noises keep the students awake at night and they wake up tired.

Another assignment was to write about being granted wishes from a genie.  Almost unanimously, the students would have wished for a million dollars, a PS3, and a bike.  One sweet child wished for more time with his family.  One story, however, really made me think.  The student wrote that he wished for a dirt bike, and his wish was granted.  But in the story, he says that when he went to bed, someone stole his new bike, and he had to go to the bank the next day and get more money to buy another bike and a chain.  How sad that this child's instinct was to include crime as a part of life even in his fantasy world.......

So, Am I A Snitch?

Roger and I were discussing today's events tonight and he laughed and said, "You're a snitch." When he saw my instant pouty face, he immediately said, "I'm just kidding!", but I know there was some truth behind his statement.  So my question is, when is it o.k. to snitch?

Event #1- actually happened late last week.  One evening, I was taking a nap in the guest bedroom, which shares a wall with the next apartment.  I wasn't actually sleeping, but that's mostly because of the thumping music that was coming from our neighbor.  When my blood pressure finally reached a certain level, and after pounding on the wall to no avail, I finally decided it was time to get up.  A few days later, Roger and I were eating on the couch and I heard the same bass thumping.  So, I asked him to say something to the front desk.

Event #2- so, last night was our Night at the Cathedral, hosting the two homeless families.  I woke up every hour because the homeless people in the park outside our room kept fighting and yelling at each other, but I thought everything was well inside the church.  Well around 5:30 a.m., I was awakened by one of the mothers yelling while talking to her daughter.  She was cursing and speaking about the other mother who apparently had accused the first mother's son of wandering the halls during the night.  I made my way to the kitchen where they were standing to try to diffuse the situation, and when she saw me, her demeanor immediately changed.  She greeted me, wished me well, and shuffled her children out into the morning darkness.  So, when I returned home from work this evening, I called the church's coordinator for the program to ask if everything was in good order when she arrived this morning, and to apprise her of the situation, as these families will be returning to the church this evening and for the rest of the week.

Event #3- today was my most challenging day substitute teaching so far.  I went to a new school where there was only one white child and one Latin child in all three classes.  Race is not the issue, but the rough and rowdy demeanor of the children certainly was an issue.  After scanning the roster for each class, I had only ever seen two of the names before, so I advised as I took roll, "I'm sure I'm going to mispronounce your names.  In fact, my first name is Doanyelle, so people mispronounce my name all the time and it's no fun.  So if I say your name wrong, please don't be offended."  As I continued to try to call roll, every time I butchered  a name, the students roared and shouted out the correct pronunciations.  Then, as I advised what the work would be for the lesson, everyone kept talking and walking around.  I could feel veins popping in my neck.  I did everything from training- I walked around, I took names, etc, etc, etc.  Anyway, what got  me through was knowing that today my classes changed every hour and twenty minutes.  Each class, though, progressively got worse as the day went on.  Finally, five minutes before I was due to leave for the day, I started lining up the students.  As I did, one special young lady yelled, "F*** you Nigg***!"  Holy wow!  What was that?  So, I went over to her and explained that we will not use that type of language and I would be making a note for her teacher.  "I don't care!", she said, and turned to face her classmates and said again, "N**gers!"  Sigh.
So, as I was delivering the students to the last teacher, I told her about the child's behavior.  She told me I had to write a referral and handed me the form.  So I completed it and turned it in.

So, I snitched in all three instances.  Is this bad?  Should I have handled any of the situations in a different way?  Any thoughts?  What would you have done?

Oh, and one last note:  This sign was hanging in the classroom today:
     You are somebody, a human being- no better, no worse than anybody else in this world.
     Gettin' someplace special is not an easy route.  But don't study on quittin', just keep walking
     striaght ahead- and you'll make it.

I don't like this message at all. To me it say's you're not special, life is hard, don't give up, just keep your head down and you'll make it in life.  Does anyone else see it that way?  Why not say instead, "You are so special and unique.  Life is hard, but you can accomplish anything with hard work and determination!"

That's all for today.  Here's a song.

A Night at the Cathedral

I wish you could see my face!  I'm smiling soooo big!  I LOVE volunteering.

Tonight, Roger and I are staying at the Cathedral.  Three or four times a year, our new church hosts homeless families in a program called Family Promise.  This time, they're hosting two families (single mothers with children) for one week. After this, I guess they stay at another church.

So, Roger and I are the hosts for tonight.  It's much nicer than I anticipated.  I was just told to bring our sleeping bags and be here at 7:00 (we were also invited for dinner).  Well, we don't own sleeping bags, so I took one of the memory foam covers from our bed and packed a quilt and some pillows in my bag-lady cart.  I also popped some popcorn  and we heated up some left over meatloaf, and off we went.

When we arrived, it turned out our quarters for the evening are a huge lounge that has couches, Wi-Fi, a fireplace, a library, etc., all just for us.  The families, each have their own floor with private quarters. We were given the tour and told to make ourselves at home in the giant kitchen and dining hall.  (Roger's excited because we're sleeping over at Baby Jesus's house... lol)

So, we've been here about half an hour and we met one of the mothers.  She was super sweet. I'm still glad I talked Roger into coming because the church had a big break-in just last month.  And, the park outside is always filled with people who have no where else to go.  But if I'm not protected here, where would I be protected?  I guess I still need to work on my faith.

Anyway, I'm tired already, so I'm going to take a nap.  Peace out.

A Message For Me, From God

Last night, Roger found me on the couch in tears (this always overwhelms him).  When he asked what was wrong, I explained that I had been sitting here looking at Facebook, and I see all the people I went to school with, who finished school, got higher degrees, married another classmate, have successful careers and 2.5 beautiful children.

I also expressed how sad I am that I can't pay for Alex to go to college, or to get a new car.  Plus the fact that I thought I was a valuable employee, but now doubt myself for the lack of meaningful employment. Heck, I feel like I'm a total failure.

He said some kind, encouraging words, then we watched Simon Birch, because that always makes me feel better.

Well, when we got to church today, it turns out that God had a special message for me during the sermon.  I learned how we cannot live a FULL life, if we spend all our time in the past, regretting what might have been (or what was not), or in the future (what might happen).  It was such a great message about living your life to the fullest, appreciating what you have now, becoming the best you can be now with what you have, so you can truly walk with God.  How startling that this message comes just hours after I sat dwelling about all the things I did wrong in my life.

God is Good.

Here's some pictures I took in downtown Jax on the way home.

A Low Budget Day

Roger and I have been on a mission to find things to entertain us that do not cost (much) money.  So today, we set out to go to the annual Scenic A1A Garage Sale, that spans 72 miles.  We covered about 20 miles of it.  We can't really give it a thumbs up because 1) it was misty, windy and cold; and 2) by 12:00 any bargains that might have been found were already gone.  So, we stopped off in St. Augustine for a slice of pizza.

On the way home, we ran errands, and grabbed a quick bite to eat in Riverside.  When we got there, an entire street was blocked off and people were everywhere.  Turned out to be a wine fest.  You buy a glass, and you get to sample more than 300 types of wines.  Well, it was really cold and I hate (drunken) crowds, so we decided to skip this.  However, I noticed my favorite antique mall was open so we popped in.  They had the cutest 3 or 3 1/2" Christmas tree for sale. I used my newly acquired hustling skills and got the three with a $4 discount.  Every day I'm hustling......

After that, we went to see School #4 (Anne Lytle Elementary School).  This is said to be Jacksonville's most haunted school.  We were too chicken to go in, and I'm really scared to get arrested for trespassing, so we took pictures from the outside.  Here's a very interesting video about the PS4.




So tomorrow, we'll go to church and veg out at home.  Then tomorrow night, I volunteered to  sleep at the church because they're letting two homeless families sleep inside.  I don't think Roger is coming, because he'll miss his technology too much.  I hope I can sleep, because I have to get up at six for work on Monday.  I also hope it's not freezing cold, that I can move after sleeping on the floor all night, and that it will be safe.  One way to find out!! :)

Here'e the song for the day.  Happy Sunday!

Pictures from our trip

 Castle at Pointe Verde Beach, along A1A.

View of the front of PS4.  Here, you can see how close they built I95 (or I10?), which forced the school to close.

 View of the back of the school.

Side view.

Now I Remember.....

Roger and I were both wide awake before 5:00 this morning.  Well, I was wide awake, and as he frequently reminds me, I wake him up when I'm awake first and I get bored.  (I don't feel bad though, because 1) I want him to know how excited I am to see him and talk to him in the morning, and 2) he can fall easily fall asleep anywhere.  He fell asleep standing up at a concert once.  Of, course alcohol was involved.)

So we were awake.  It was so cold last night that something froze in my sinus cavity, so there was a whistling sound every time I inhaled.  I also discovered I had (have) achy ribs.  It felt like I was sucker-kicked in my sleep.  Roger said it was gas, but that's just gross and unacceptable, especially considering I already had one gross condition this morning with the nose whistle.


Number of School Days
Per Year by Country

Anyway, I digress.  At that time, I remembered my blog idea from yesterday morning.  On the classroom wall yesterday, I read an article about may areas of the country that are moving to have 4-day school weeks to save money.  The shorter week apparently saves an average of $200,000 per year, mostly in school bus gas and utilities.  (Don't know how much money the additional child care costs parents.....)  Anyway, how sad that $200,000 is so significant that we short our children's educations when the government only speaks about spending when there's the word "billion" involved.

The article then went on to show a list of the number of school days by country.  And while I cannot find the Scholastic article online, I did find a similar list.

So, why do we frequently ponder why our country ranks so low against other countries in education?

Happy Midnight

It's officially Saturday!!!! Have a super great weekend!

Here's the Saturday Song:

Trolling along...... Tra La La.........

What is a troll?  I always thought it was the mean, ugly monster who lived under the bridge that the three Billy Goats Gruff wanted to cross.

Well, recently, I learned there is a new, modern definition.  According the the Urban Dictionary, a troll is, "One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument."  (Moment of silence to think.....)

So in the Dictionary According to Doanyelle, this means a troll is a grown-up who wants to make fun of someone or upset someone anonymously.  Why, this must be what happens to children like "Rotten Kid #1" and "Burnt Buttermilk Biscuit Screamer" when they grow up!

And, I just found out I'm related to one!  Well, at a certain elementary school today, I learned that bullys are
NOT POPULAR!  Gasp!

I'm just sayin'..........

For tomorrow....

OK, found something fun to do tomorrow!!!

http://scenica1a.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126

Day 2 of Being a Substitute Teacher

I had a great thought for my blog this morning, but I've already forgotten what it was, so you may see a middle-of-the-night post.

So, today was 3rd grade substituting.  The classroom was hugely different from the class yesterday.  It was neat and organized.  The teacher left very detailed notes.  How exciting.  The plan was morning work, spelling test, independent reading, reading test, read a book, write about what they were thankful for, go to art, switch teachers.  Go to recess, go to lunch, then repeat the routine with the second class.

Had some problems with a couple of trouble students.  The worst one from the morning class came up and hugged me at recess  (HAPPY HANDS!!!!).  He was a young male whose grandfather just had just passed.  That was nice (not the grandfather passing- the hug).

The afternoon was a different story all together.  I had a student who refused to sit down, he
 walked around hitting everyone during the spelling test, and called everyone Burnt Buttermilk Biscuits (which apparently is hugely offensive to young black students, because several fist fights erupted as a result).   Sigh...... Now I'm certain I'll get a "Do Not Send"notice.

So this weekend, Roger and I will have to come up with something good to do.   We also have to figure how to find a de-boned turkey, duck and chicken so we can make a turducken as we stay home for our first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  Also next week we're going to the Men Without Hats concert. Yippeee!

Final note for now- I found out yesterday that my husband loves instant potatoes.  What?  O.K.- he's easy to please. Sure beats peeling, boiling and mashing the real thing if instant makes him happy......

Song of the day:

Crime in the City

I was just reading crime stats about Jacksonville (disclosure:  I don't know the original source, so I'm not sure if this is accurate....)

Here's what I read:
In Jacksonville, FL:
Every three days someone is murdered
Every two days someone is raped
There are 15 assaults or robberies every day
12 cars are stolen every day

Read more: http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Florida/Jacksonville-763031/Warnings_or_Dangers-Jacksonville-TG-C-1.html#ixzz2CLKRHZyb

It also mentions Jax has it's own website to see where registered sex offenders reside.  So I entered my address and found that there are 40 (!) registered sex offenders within a 1/2 mile radius of home.  Yikes!  Time to buy some mace or a Taser gun...

My First Day Subbing!

Holy schnikes Batman!  What a crazy day.  So, I started substitute teaching today. I thought it would be third grade today, but I was wrong- that's tomorrow.  Today was Kindergarten!!!!

I wanted to make sure I arrived early enough to know where I was going and what I was doing, so I left an hour early.  I realized my car was on empty, so I stopped for gas in the ghetto.  I only got 5 gallons, because I was worried I'd have to beat somebody up for trying to steal my car and I didn't want to show up my first day with blood on my clothes.  So, I ended up getting to the school 20 minutes early.

I checked in to the front desk and asked the questions I was instructed: 1) how do you call the office if there's a problem and 2) what's the bell schedule?.  The woman behind the counter looked at me with glazed eyes.  "I don't know," she says.  "It will be o.k."  "Alright," I say, "is there a lesson plan?"  "Probably."  Geesh! "O.k., is the door unlocked?"  This prompted her to hand me a key tied to a cow bell and a large plastic serving spoon.  Sigh.

So I walk down the hall, unlock the door and bring back the key.  They class room was in total chaos.  Stuff everywhere, trash on the floor.  Yikes!  I look for the lesson plan and find nothing.  So I spent twenty minutes walking around trying to observe what the students must have been working on to try to come up with a plan (everything I printed last night in case of such emergency was for 3rd grade).  Then, a woman walks in and hands me some paper and leaves.  The paper basically said this:

     Thanks for coming.

1. The students sit in the hall until 8:20- they must take their assignment books out before they can come in the class;
2. 8:35 the Pledge of Allegence and Announcements
3. 9:00 write the "message of the day" found on the overhead
4. 9:15-11:15- talk about the letter N
5. 11:20 - 11: 55 lunch
6. 12:15 - 12:55 media center
7. do math worsheet
8. when you go out to play, use the back door
9. pack up at 2:20- Ms. So-and-so will help you.

O.k.  So, 8:20- no one had their notebooks out.  Everyone wanted to hug me on the way in.  However, all the subs for the 163 Duval County Schools work for Kelly Services, and the policy is no touching a student, their clothes or their belongings.  When an elementary student touches you, you're supposed to do "Happy Hands", which is where you shake your hands in the air on either side of your shoulders, smile, and tell the child to go get you a book.  So I "Happy Handed" my way through introductions.  We said the pledge, and everyone talked through the announcements, so I missed something about the playground being closed today.  Then, a parent came in and told me that today was Thanksgiving lunch, so all the parents would be coming in to visit with their kids.  Sigh.

When we went to write the "message of the day", all the kids starting yelling that it was the wrong message.  "Too bad," I said.  "This is what we're writing."  That's when rotten kid number 1 started to show i

his behind.  He refused to participate, refused to sit down, started laughing hysterically, and humming as loud as he could.   Remember the no-touching policy?  It includes no strangling. Steam started coming out of my ears.  I tried my best to ignore him, after he was un-phased by me moving his color clip from green to yellow to red.  The threat of a note to the teacher or a trip to the principal also got me nowhere.  Being that I didn't know how to call the office, I wasn't allowed to leave the classroom unattended and didn't want to look like a wimp my first hour, I chose to talk over him.  This behavior lasted all the way through discussing the letter N for 2 hours.  

At this point, another unknown person came in and sat down and said she was there to help me.  Did they have cameras?  She said she was impressed because the students were behaving much better for me than for their regular teacher.  What?!?

So we made it through lunch.  Then we had to make a book.  Only half the class knew how to use scissors.  

Then, we made it through math and everything else, while rotten students 2, 3, 4 and 5 emerged.  In the meantime, many parents showed up to watch the chaos.  

I've never seen such a three ring circus.  They fall out of their chairs, throw things on the floor so they can get out of their seats, spit on each other, cry, pick their noses, hug each other constantly, and tattle every other sentence.

Finally, the end of the day came.  I read stories, and magically, everyone was quite.  I thought I was in the clear for the day.  The only thing remaining was recess.  That's when one student try to run away, and two boys got in a shoving match and hurt a little girl and one of them burst the other one's lip.  Sigh.....

Finally, they all went home. I wrote my notes for the teacher, praying I wouldn't get a notice that I'm not allowed to go back to that school.  Don't laugh- for real they have what's called "Do Not Send" notices.  Get three and you get fired.

So I went to the office to check out.  The mysterious woman who came to help me told me I did a really good job.  The principal was there.  She said she heard that, too.  So, maybe I did o.k. after all.

Tomorrow is third grade.  We'll see how that goes.  For now, I'm going to consume my glass of Merlot and enjoy the silence.

Happy Hands!!!!

Keep on the Sunny Side!

Today's song of the day is "Keep on the Sunny Side".  Some of you may recognize it from the 2000 movie, "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", but it's a super old-timey tune.


So tomorrow is another grand adventure.  My first day of substitute teaching.  I am SOOOOO nervous.  My class will be third graders.  I'm worried they will chew me up and spit me out, or that I'll loose control of the class, or that I won't be able to follow the lesson plan (or there won't be a lesson plan) and I'll look stupid.  Oh well.  I will try to face my fears and twenty-five 8 or 9 year-olds.

I tried out my new whoopie pan tonight.  I made pumpkin whoopie pies.  They stuck to the pan and were wayyyyy too sweet.  (And for me to think something is too sweet means it's REALLY sweet- like my sweet Roger- mushy mushy....)

Anyway, have a great night!  I'll let you know how the subbing goes.  Friday I have Kindergartners!!  And thank you to the 125 people who read my post yesterday.  :)

Life Lessons: The Credit Scoring System and How We Get Screwed

I am writing this because 1) I'm angry; 2) I hope this might help someone; and 3) I don't care what anyone thinks about me.  I have credit issues and I'm human......

I raised a great kid all by myself.  I had no assistance from others and no child support.  The early days were very hard.  I made thirteen thousand dollars a year.  I had four jars- one for food money, one for car money, one for rent, and one for day care.  Turns out, financially, those were the good old days.

As time went on, I was hired by a community bank that invested a lot of money and faith in their employees. Every year, for eight years, I got a $5,000 raise.  Another period of time that wasn't so bad.

But in 2006, this bank was bought out by a bigger fish from a bigger community.  The last raise I saw was in January of that year, prior to the merger.

By the time 2009 rolled around, I was having a hard time keeping up with my bills.  Then, an awful thing happened- I forgot to pay my Target bill.  My first late payment.  This doesn't sound like the end of the world, right?  Well, this was at the time that everyone was defaulting on their credit cards and the credit card companies took advantage of a policy that if you pay late on any of your credit cards, any of your other creditors could jack up your interest rates.  So, now I was looking at 19.00-21.99% interest on multiple cards.  This started a snowball effect.  So, I thought I was doing a good thing by signing up for credit card counselling.  HUGE mistake.  I thought that surely this was better than bankruptcy, especially with only one late payment on a little Target card on my record.

Well, my credit score went from a seven hundred something to a five hundred something, even though no payments were missed during the transition into the program.

So, I spent the last three years diligently working my way through this. Then, this past summer, my dad had a heart attack.  I was very distracted by this and forgot to pay my $19 Home Depot payment.  I called to explain, but they were uninterested.  However, my credit score was still slowing increasing month by month.

It took me THREE YEARS for me to bring my score up 100 points.  I was super proud, because in September, I paid off six credit cards.  I thought this would really help push my score back over the 700 mark.

Well, the first week of November, I applied for a student loan.  Alex finally got accepted into UCF and is scheduled to start in January.  We have most of his expenses covered, so I just needed a small loan.  However, I was denied for my credit.  I couldn't understand why.

Well, when I got my monthly credit report monitoring statment, I saw that my score had plummeted almost 60 points.  The reason was Home Depot reported me derogatory in October.  I thought this HAD to be a mistake, because that was one of the cards I paid off in September (on time, I might add).

So, I called them.  They said they didn't report me for October.  I read the verbiage from the credit statement, and the woman said, "Oh, well we did report you because you were delinquent at SOME point in time."  What?  They didn't report me when I was late, yet when I paid them off, then they decide to report me a month later?

So I emailed the company several times.  They told me they follow the Fair Credit Reporting laws and their reporting has integrity.  Bullshit.  If the reporting had integrity, they would have reported me accurately when I was actually late.

Because here's the next thing creditors look at- when was your last late payment.  So instead of being in July, 2012, mine in now October, 2012.

There's no winning.  Three years to come up 100 points, and one $19 dollar late payment set me back 60 points.

So some "kind" lady from Home Depot finally emailed me last Friday advising she would try to help me, and she would contact me no later than yesterday, but I never heard from her.

So lesson learned- I don't know.  Should I have set the account up on auto payments- maybe, but that means you have to know you will have the money on time every month.  And if you don't, the late charges are double the payment.  Should I have not taken the card out in the first place?  Maybe, but I had to rent out my house because I couldn't sell it and I had to work in another town.  The tenants destroyed it, doing more than $10,000 in damages.  I had to fix the home on credit.

Lesson learned- once you make one mistake with your credit, don't count on ever being able to use credit again without opening a vein for creditors to bleed you dry. And, never sign up for credit counselling.

To end, this is one of the ONLY negative posts you will ever see from me, but I feel very betrayed by the system, especially in today's economy.  And HOME DEPOT SUCKS.

Social Distortion

Over the weekend, Roger and I drove to Myrtle Beach, SC, for a Social Distortion concert at the House of Blues.  It was much warmer there than in Jax.  The concert was very enjoyable.  At first, I had a hard time seeing the stage, but my charming husband told a man from security that we were tired and he gave us a table in the front/center?!?!?!  These are normally the most expensive seats and are "reserved."  I don't know if they didn't sell our table or if the ticket holders didn't show up, but I was happy to have a place to sit.  Ask, and ye shall receive... lol.

We also had a beautiful hotel suite on the beach. There were 8 pools and hot tubs, even thought it was beachfront.  It was weird to see people running around playing and swimming in 50/60 degree weather.....

On the way home, we thought we'd meander through the antique shoppes, but as it turned out, they were priced for tourists.  We're thrifty now, so we came home with no purchases.

Today was super productive.  We went to our new church to establish our membership.  We attended a mass with only members of the clergy and a 92 year old woman.  Very personal and intimate.  Then we went to pick up my Substitute Teacher badge.  I look like a total geek in my picture.  I also finally found a great cupcake frosting recipe that has the right flavor, consistency and holds up well.  Yeahhhhhh!  And, we went shopping and used our William Sonoma gift card.  We got a food grinder for the Kitchen Aide, a popover pan, a whoopee pie pan and some mulling spices.

Now, I digress..... I've never heard of a popover until last week, on a cooking show.  They seem to be all the latest rage, like fake old fashioned phone receivers that plug into your iPod.  So, I bought this pan and found a 5-star recipe on the Food Network website and tried it out.  They were beautiful, but tasteed like egg bread.  I need a different recipe, unless that's how they're supposed to taste......

Tonight, I got to sign up for my first volunteer opportunity- to sleep over at the church when they host two homeless  families.  I guess you bring sleeping bags and sleep with the guests in case they need anything in the middle of the night.

Finally, we hit up Goodwill.  Roger and I are having a contest for who can make the most money re-selling things we find in thrift stores.  Wish me luck.

One last thought.... Mike Ness from Social Distortion wrote a song called Company C.  When introducing the song at the concert, he spoke about how much he admires and respects all those who serve(d) in the military, even though he doesn't support war.  He made a comment that he has a special compassion for those who served in Vietnam, because there was no red carpet for them when they returned home.  That didn't really mean anything to me until last night when I watched a 5 hour marathon documentary on Vietnam on H2, aired in honor of Veterans Day.  It broke my heart to hear the veterans describe how they were almost hated when they came home, and how people treated them so shamefully.  Two men spoke about how they were so proud for serving our country (in such horrific circumstances), and were so excited to come home, and how they felt so deflated when they stepped off the plane and people just pointed and stared at them, or wouldn't sit next to them on the bus.  How sad.  So while I, too, have super mad respect for anyone who serves our country,  I will say extra prayers for those who served for what they perceive was nothing.  It is even worse when you see these veterans selling their war memorabilia or metals for money to eat on Ebay. Sigh....


Bye for now.  Here's some pics.

 Blimp flying around outside our bedroom window.

 Social Distortion

 Sunrise view from our hotel.

 Weird book I found called "Crafting for Poor People."  There's a page on how to handle your crafts if you're high on pot.  What??!!!  Weird.

Beautiful popovers!!

Super Awesome Wedding Presents!

Yesterday, Roger and I went to visit my grandparents, my mom, and my aunt, uncle and cousin.  I love my family so much.  And, we received the nicest wedding presents imaginable- an complete collection of antique Blue Onion Porcelain dishes with unique serving pieces, and a beautiful antique radio (1954 Gruning).  We are so touched by the generosity and love that surrounds us.

Today, we are going on another Grand Adventure.  We're headed out to Myrtle Beach, SC, to see Social Distortion in concert at the House of Blues.  Roger loves this band.  We're getting dressed up forties style and I dyed my hair red for the occasion.  I'm so happy to have a life where I can be silly and have fun, and where I always feel youthful.  Part of why I love Roger so much is that he makes life fun no matter where we are.  We dance in the living room, we race each other to the car, we sing silly songs together.

And even though I'm sometimes super sad and feel somewhat invaluable because I cant find a job I'll love, I know that he'll take care of me until I get back on my feet.  How lucky is that?  So, next time the dishes are put back in the wrong cabinet, or I have to listen to CNN for the 10th hour in a row, or there's a million magazines and newspapers spread around the couch and the surrounding floor, I'm going to remember that all these things are immaterial- there's no point in stressing over things like that.  And, I'll remember that there's always another Grand Adventure waiting just around the corner.

Have a great weekend.

Trust Your Gut #2

Remember my post about trusting your gut? I have the BEST gut ever. 1) I looked for the fire exit yesterday and we had a fire alarm; 2) I thought before I went to bed about the fact that it hasn't rained since we moved here and it rained this morning; and 3) as Roger and I were headed out today I grabbed a second pair of shoes- for no specific reason.  When I was at the staffing agency just now, my shoe broke and I had to walk out as dignified as possible with one shoe.  Thank goodness for the 2nd pair.Maybe I am in tune with things like the lady in Casadega said......

Fire Alarm!

Nothing like being awakened at 2:15 in the morning by flashing lights and a voice instructing that a fire has been reported in the building and to please vacate by the nearest stairs.

The SUPER creepy part is that around 9:39 tonight (last night), I scoped out the fire exits/stairs on my way back from checking the mail. Oh well. that's one way to meet my new neighbors.  Oh, and it's cold.....

Hustler

I'm super excited about this weekend.  My aunt, uncle and cousin are coming down from Fayetteville on Thursday night to visit my grandparents; and Roger's sister, brother-in-law, and nieces are coming to stay with us Friday through Monday.

It's a good thing.  I think I might go crazy if I have to sit here one more day and listen to CNN on the TV or Roger's Civil War Music CD's he checked out from the library.  I had to send him to get check the mail twice today just so I could listen to something else.

Any, another great feat for me today- I haggled.  I hate negotiating and bargaining for prices. Hate it, hate it, hate it.  However, I had inquired about an antique dining room table at The Picker's Market yesterday, and the owner called me back with the price.  It was exactly $2 less than I anticipated.  I was stoked.  I hung up the phone with her and turned to tell Roger the good news and the first thing he said was, "Did you ask for a lower price?" WTFHUHERH!!!!!! (Don't know what that's an acronym for, but I'm sure it's appropriate.)  I immediately started pouting....... "What?", I said/shouted.  "You know I hate haggling.  YOU call her back. Now I have to feel bad!"  "No, Doanyelle," he says, ever patient.  "It's o.k.  We'll go get the table tomorrow.  It just doesn't hurt to ask...."  WTFHURERHE!!!!!  So, I called her back and haggled.  I got the price down from by $30.  Go me!  (I still didn't like doing it though.....)

Beating the Brother!

I conquered the Brother XL-5130 bobbin case.  Yeah boy-z!!  So, what if I can't sew a perfect circle yet?  This was my first project- an 8 pocket jewelry pouch.  Yeeeeeeee!

Still waiting to see Roger's project.  I think I might have a chance of winning this contest.  Vote for me!!!!

Thrift Shopping and VegFest

Roger and I had a super great weekend.   We early voted on Friday. Then we went to the movies to see Argo.  Very good movie!

Saturday, we got up and went to the VegFest 2012 in Riverside.  Very interesting.  I’ve been considering becoming a vegetarian, because I just don’t care for meat unless I prepare it (and not even then sometimes).  But the fake meat we sampled just didn’t do anything for me.  I’d rather just go without, rather than eat something that looks like meat, but has the consistency of tofu.  The funny thing was, we were introduced to Seitan (pronounced Satan) by the Vegan Black Metal Chef.  He was very entertaining and his food was delicious.  We bought his DVD. ( You can watch him on YouTube.)   Afterwards, we went home and walked to the Skyrail and rode all of its routes (for free).  Then, we discovered the Jacksonville Library.  Wow!  That’s all I can say……  Later that night, we watched Sweeney Todd.  When we were in London, we saw Sweeney Todd’s barbershop, so I thought it would be neat to watch.  Bloody and disgusting.  That’s the extent of it.  Oh, and it’s partly a musical.  Gag.  So, Roger and I decided to try to communicate like that (by singing to each other).  This is another good way to get a good belly laugh- sing like you’re in a musical to your partner.  Please try this one day.

Today, we got up and headed to the Rust: Vintage sale in San Marco.  It was a small venue.  Part of the booths were so reasonable in prices and the others were ridiculous.  One extreme to another.  I found a nice bag to go with my vintage suitcase collection and a cone shaped measuring glass to go with that collection.  (So far, I’m collecting blue, green and clear glass, rulers, measuring cups, religious icons, suitcases, records, tea cups, vintage drinking glasses, Fontanini nativity pieces and kitchen gadgets.  Too much, I know…..)

After the vintage sale, we found Jacksonville’s largest flea market.  That was fun.  I found a really good bakery- Motions Sweets.  I got a very yummy toasted coconut cupcake with excellent flavor, presentation and packaging for $2.  I’ll never make it in the cupcake business, but that’s o.k.

Then, we ventured on to Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach.  We checked out some over -priced antique shops.  Then, we decided to walk around on the back roads.  That’s when we found The Pickers Market.  I highly recommend this antique mall.  I found an old rolling stool for a great price.  They had a very friendly employee, too.

When we came home, I was inspired to be crafty so I pulled out the sewing machine my friend gave me.  Let me just say, 1) I don’t know how to sew; and 2) I assumed I could read the directions and figure it out.  I am a directions geek.  I love reading manuals and instructions; illustrations thrill me as well.  However, even with the manual, I cannot thread this bobber correctly, because I cannot make the needle pull the bobbin thread through, no matter how meticulous I try to be.  Aughhhh.  I wish I had someone to help me.  L  Roger and I have a “who’s more crafty” contest going.  How am I supposed to win?!!?

Last, I applied for a job I really want yesterday.  Please pray that the Bank loves my resume and insists on hiring me for a super high salary and they want me to start tomorrow.

Bye for now!

 Vintage glass collection.  New cone-shape piece in center of picture.

 Jacksonville Skyrail.

 New vintage suitcase on top of the stack (on right side of photo).

 Porcelain collection.

 Roger in Fernandina Beach.

 New stool, from The Pickers Market.

 Vegan Black Metal Chef- Vegfest 2012.

New nightlight I made. :)

Fly Like an Eagle.....

So Roger has a new ridiculous method to make me "relax".  Could someone please try this with a partner and see if you can do it without laughing or without feeling like a complete idiot??!?

Stand facing each other.  The stressed person (me) starts with her hands down by her side.  The motivating partner (Roger) tells the other person to relax.  Then takes his hands and starts pushing the partner's arms out in little flutters, gradually moving the arms away from the body.  The end effect is the partner makes you flap your arms like a bird.  I swear, it's the silliest thing ever.  Only Roger can do this with a straight face.  Life is so fun with him.  I think I just peed myself from laughing so hard......

Alex Come to Visit

This week- looking backwards…..

This has been a great week. Going backwards, here’s what happened…..

Today- I found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever. I watched Alex’s video on Facebook for his new song, Face to Face in an Empty Place.  I have such a talented kid.  Not sure where that came from!  LOL  Roger and I went for a late night city walk.  We had the whole town to ourselves, as no one was on the streets!  We watched Sleepy Hollow.  I went to a training to become a substitute teacher (I’m scared!).  I made a yummy pork curry lunch, but I learned not to rub my eyes after cutting habanero peppers, no matter how many times I wash my hands.  I did some yoga and jump roping.  Woke up super happy.

Wednesday- Happy Halloween.  I took Alex to run errands and to school before heading home to my hubby.  I think he really missed me.  Sad to say goodbye to Alex again… L

Tuesday- Took Alex back to Tampa.  Long, but pretty drive. Great company.  Had dinner with Alanna and Seyward at Dats “Tampa”.  Great (pricey) food, fun atmosphere, neat menu, and cool stuff for sale. 

Monday- Alex and I rode the Monorail to MOSH (Jax science museum).  We had a lot of fun.  It was small, but interesting. 

Sunday- Alex, Roger and I went to church at St. Joseph’s.  Then I made homemade Chicken Parmesan.  I think Alex was happy to have a home cooked meal.  Also went to the movies to see Seven Psychopaths.  Two big thumbs up!!

Saturday- Alex arrived.  I missed him so much!  I hadn’t seen him since August.  We went to the flea market and around town with Roger.  Great day.  Nice going to bed with both of my loves in the house.

 Alex on the free Jacksonville Skyrail.

 Alex and Neil Armstrong at MOSH.

 Old voting machine on display at MOSH.

Alex in a phone booth on display at MOSH.  You know you're old when a phone booth is in the museum....

That’s it in a nutshell.  If you post a comment on my blog, I’ll share my chocolate chip cookie recipe with you…. :)