Last of the summer fun...

So nice to lay my head on my pillow every night and know, no matter how tired and frustrated I may be, that I'm doing right by my boys. Nothing in this world is worth the price of them...or my soul.

On the school front - Ethan continues to make progress with his writing. Still not smooth, but coming along. Noah has a penchant for tracing as he has begun tracing shapes and his name in preschool.

Tomorrow, I find out what the next step in our labor negotiations are. One possibility, if a contract was not reached tonight, is what they call 'work to rule'. Meaning the teachers show the board and community just how much of our time is "free" by only showing up at contracted time (7:05), leaving at contracted time (2:35) and doing absolutely NOTHING outside of the classroom. Prep time must be used to prep/create lesson plans. Grading will be done in class. No after school detentions, meetings, etc. Basically, we go to teaching straight out of the text using publishers materials because there won't be time to create cool labs and materials. Heck, almost 1/2 of what I do is outside my classroom time. I hope, if we do anything, we do this first. That way I'm still getting paid. Some good news - I found out they can't fire any of us for striking. That helps. Plus the bus drivers (Teamsters) put out a press release - they will honor our picket line if we go there. Meaning no bus service.

Moral has been a little low, but today I got a boost. As I was standing in line for dinner, a parent introduced herself and re-assured me of parental support for the teachers and let me know she had contacted the board to give them an earful. THAT's what we need - the customers rooting for us! :)

I really need to get a new profile picture with my kids.

That's it. No big news. No grand ideas. No deep thoughts today.

Just the realization that we haven't had portraits taken since summer '07. I didn't even get birthday photos this last year - just too much stuff on my plate.

Being a single parent sucks. Especially when you keep getting harassed by the "parent" who left you to take care of the kids alone. Even the boys are tired of the relentless, daily intrusion.

Ok...I guess there was a little rant in there, all bottled up.

Pictures. Yes. I really need to get an updated family portrait.

Oh - and I'm enjoying my job...but my voice is getting worse, not better. Please pray. I'm going to have to break down and go to an ENT to figure out why, even after a period of rest, I do not feel any improvement.

Dear Lord, please don't take my voice from me. I have things to say, praises to sing. Jehovah, Rophe...heal me, please.

luv???

All my democrat friends and family still loves me...right?

Oh how I long for a really good, strong, libertarian or independent candidate to show up...the machine is crooked - be it elephants or donkeys.

They've got my vote!

This is the state of my political involvement this year. Sad, so sad...yet freeing! :) Actually I saw a bumper sticker that summed up my feelings even more. It read....

Jesus, 2008

please come get us before November!

OK - now I'm going to let my completely immature humor come out and share with you the two best Republican "slogans" I've heard (they make me giggle)...

#1 - I'm republican....because not everyone can be on welfare.

#2 - McCain 2008... because old is still better than stupid.

Please understand - I'm much more of an intelligent thinker than that - but they are funny! :) And yes, I do believe in helping my fellow man who needs it...why I've benefitted the past year from our welfare program. But you and I both know it is abused, lacks accountability, and enables the dishonest. Plus it is extremely wasteful. And I'm suspicious of Obama. Sorry...just am. Where did he come from? Who is he really? How did he rise so quickly from obscurity? As the White Stripes sing..."I think I smell a rat".

So I will do my civic duty and exercize the right my suffragete sisters fought for me to have. But this year is a year I am very disgusted with the two party system. I mean, I have more choices in ketchup at the grocery store than I have in leader of my country. And that is just wrong.

Even though I'm not typically a "party line" voter, and I don't think there is any candidate that represents my views very thoroughly this year, I do have to set one thing straight. We did not have this financial crisis until we elected a democratically run congress. There. I said it. Yes, Bush may be president, but he really has no control over the economics - not like congress. So I'm voting for change, all right. GET THE DEMS OUT BEFORE THEY BANKRUPT US ALL!!!! Let THEM rescue Wall Street. My paycheck is stretched enough.

Huston Woods

The boys and I had a fun day trip with Cousins Tom, Melissa, Abby, and Elizabeth last weekend. We jaunted up to Oxford to feed the deer at Huston Woods. The boys were facinated! Of course, they also ate some of our deer food - the carrots. Funny. When I put them on their dinner plate, they aren't usually that excited about them. But hand them an entire carrot that they are supposed to feed to the deer, and suddenly it's like a candy bar or something! :)

"Hurricane Day"

Snow, yes. Cold, yes. Tornadoes, yes. Water main breaks, yes. But Hurricanes? In Ohio? No freakin' way.

Way.

Apparently the very eerie, weird, "sand storm on Tatooine" type storm that blew through here yesterday was technically a level 1 hurricane. What is left of Ike. The only thing that keeps if from officially being called a hurricane: the 80 plus mph winds were in gusts, not sustained.

Power is out. Businesses are closed. Roofs are damaged. There is a run on gasoline and ice. But overall, everyone is being nice, helpful and laughing about it. We got power restored today just in time - we didn't loose any food, but the fridge was cutting it close. Trees are down everywhere. And not just little dead limbs. Trees that I could not get my arms around are snapped in half like twigs and lying in roads, porches or even in people's homes. It's freakish!

We are all safe. Last I heard, the death count was 4 - and all were tree-related accidents. 2 involving motorcycles. The first responders were busy all night - sirens were ceaseless. Mostly electric wire fires from what we've heard. Those darn trees, again.

Now, we are on a boil alert. Meaning we can't drink or cook with our water until it's been boiled. Looks like I'll be doing a run for bottled water.

Here is some irony for you. I was prepared for ALL of this in MN and never once had to use it. I had bottled water, batteries, flashlights, candles, matches, radios, tools, canned heat, etc. all downstairs in my little carpeted under-the-stairs storm nook. Complete with pillows and blankets and a wooden door to use to shield our heads if need be. In Ohio - they got nuthin'. No one expects the Spanish Inquisition, er, I mean, hurricanes in Ohio.

One more thing I can add to my "now I've seen it all" list. Hmmmm....that list keeps growing. Maybe I HAVEN'T seen it all! :)

It's always kind of fun kicking in to "survival" mode for a few hours...just to see what you and your fellow man are made of. I'm rather proud of these Ohioans...good people. Good natured. Looking out for one another. Patient. One woman even offered to go grab me a bag of ice when a new pallet was rushed in as I was checking out. Kept me from having to get back in line. We had fun finding ways to entertain ourselves sans electricity last night. It was no picnic grading papers by candle light, I can tell you. But we found ourselves sitting on the porch listening to the radio as in days gone by. Only we were listening for school closings! :) And they did not disappoint.

"SNOW" day, everyone!

2 weeks down

With 2 weeks of school under my belt, I'm finally getting in my groove. Feeling pretty good. Found my first bit of graffiti on my tables. It said "Ms. Funderburk rocks!".

I love my job. :) Can you believe they pay me to have fun all day?