Good news

Mom is home.

Brain surgery on Wednesday, home on Saturday. While she was in the hospital, she was approached by the staff about her home. They asked if she had a husband at home and if he could care for her. The answers were 'yes' and 'no'. They asked if she wanted a home nurse to take care of her. She was emphatic in her 'no'. Dad says their daughters will be staying with her during the day. I told him that Tammy and I could come cook if needed. He told us to check the schedule.

We (Tammy, me, Chella, & Kyle) went to breakfast this morning. Well, barely morning. We went to Bob Evans (breakfast anytime). It was a good time.

The day has been slow since, which is a good thing. Tonight is a get together at Chinoe Pub. We will relax until then.

More to follow ...

Finally

the work week finally draws to it's end.

I was up last night until about 2:30, and then up this morning at 6:30. My ass has been dragging today. It wasn't a bad day, just a draggy assed one. It is about 45 minutes till the work week ends and I am ready !

Today has been much less drama filled. That could be because I have been in Winchester all day. Son-n-law and daughter were driving around the block last night, up and down the street. They borrowed money from son-n-law's dad for gas to job hunt. So much for that plan. Tammy said they were driving around this morning as well. All I can say is ... "Morons."

Tonight was to be an auction night, but I am thinking it will be a 'stay at home, truck in the drive all night' night. I only had 4 students this afternoon. Clark County was out of school today. All I had very my Estill County kids. I am already ready to hit the sack for a nap. Chris will be gone all weekend. That just leaves Chella and Kyle to contend with. I wonder how much rope I have around the house?

I am just kidding. I wouldn't tie them up. I don't need too. I have two pair or handcuffs.

We will see what the night brings.

Oh the drama !!

Assessment day has arrived ...
The schools has been assessed, details forthcoming (oh joy .. For those interested .. You know who you are !)

There was an open house tonight as well. I managed to run (well, drive) home and change clothes. My coworkers and several of my students saw me in an actual button up button down shirt (peach) and a necktie. The black necktie, in typical electrician fashion, had a cord running down the length and ending up at an outlet on the bottom face of it. There were gasps of amazement and squeals of delight (at least, I think they were of delight.)

From there, it was another quick trip home, one more change of clothes, back into jeans and pullover and off to the hospital to visit Mom. She looked remarkably well considering she had brain surgery yesterday. They put in 4 metal plates (about the size of soda can tabs ... As I am told) and 16 screws costing about $10K each. I told her that I heard her head was now worth of $150K. It was a good visit. My oldest sister, Barbara, and my only brother, Richard were there. It was good to visit with them as well.

We left there about 9:30. Upon arriving home, the drama flood gates opened. There was a drunk on the porch that didn't want to leave even though he claimed he would. That was the first 911 call. (Yes, the first one.)

Then there was married kid drama which resulted in another call to 911 and officers being dispatched. Needless to say, daughter and son-in-law are not allowed back for a long while. Tammy and Chella are emotional wrecks. When things finally calmed down, after another faked 911 call, it was way late.

What a way to head into the weekend !

How was your Thursday ?

Chewing through the leather straps

What a day !!

The day was in trouble from the start. At 7:30 this morning, my mom was to have brain surgery. She has a tumor on her brain behind her eye that has been swelling. The DR removed it this morning. She is fine. The operation went great. She is in surgical ICU until tomorrow. This has added to the stress level that has already been piling up for the last few weeks.

Let me give you the short list of stress factors in my life. Some of these are just common run of the mill factors until compiled by some extenuating circumstances.

#1 ... My job is on the line. Not today. Not tomorrow. BUT, I am reminded occasionally that "we" have to get the numbers up in my enrollment of my entire program is in jeopardy. It isn't like I can go to the HS and twist a few arms and force students to take Electricity. It is a brand new program here, never offered before. The counselors don't even know how to promote or schedule it. Still yet, every now and then, I hear the 'numbers' tale (it isn't long enough to be a speech.)

One of my third block students said he heard I was leaving. I explained to them the process and that I was not quitting. They were going to have to put up with me for at least 3 years.

#2 ... Program Assessment. The state instituted a program of assessment and evaluation to answer the questions of where we might be failing to educate kids in our Area Technology Centers. All schools are going to be assessed in two years. Half will be assessed this year and half next year. We got picked for the first round because we have a new principal and we had done well in the past.

The Program Assessment is a great idea. I have no problem with that. I think, we, as teachers, must be accountable for our job. This is much different than my old field of construction electricity. In CE, there was a test every time you finished a project. It worked or it didn't. It was a pass/fail kind of test. This is a much more subjective field. Whether you are passing or failing can be interpreted either way from the exact same information. One assessor may think you are doing great, and another may look at the same data and think your program/teaching sucks.

The way the State assesses us is with a program assessment box. It consists of 21 sections consisting of 108 folders. There should be documentation of our teaching process to find a place in each of these folders.
My problem with that is ... Anyone can fake the paperwork. I know some here that do and consider the whole process a 'dog and pony show'. I do not. As a parent of school age children, I am interested in seeing that they get the best from every teacher.

That assessment is tomorrow.

#3 ... The case concerning Tammy. Her wrists hurt all the time. I don't want $30K and walk away. I want her not to be in pain. I want her to be able to sleep at night. I want her to be able to dry her hair and brush it. She will fuss because I am worrying, but that is just what she will have to do. I am going to worry, even when she tries so hard to hide how much and how often she hurts. I let her get away with her act, only because she tries so hard not to worry me. It doesn't work. I could go on and on about this, but you get the point. It hurts me when she hurts. She gets frustrated when I do things for myself that she can do for me. I can't help it.

#4 ... My 4th/5th block. I am not sure that this is a symptom or a cause. There was a blow up in class. I had the Estill Co kids working on a project this afternoon. One of the kids said she didn't feel good and didn't want to do it. I explained to her that if she didn't work on the project she would receive a zero for the day. She begrudgingly got her tools and began working slowly. Another of the students was at my desk talking to me about her situation at home. She is abused. I have talked about that before. I told her she needed to work on the project as well. She opted for the zero. That was her choice. The first student began to complain about it and her friend joined in as well.

I explained to them that what they did reflected on their grade and what she did reflected on her grade. They needed to worry about what they were doing and not what the other students were doing. This did not satisfy them. They wanted to whine about it more. I told them about real life. You can't go to work and tell your boss that you don't feel good and expect that you will get paid for doing nothing.

The first student went to the office and requested out of my class. That was fine. If she doesn't want to do the work, I would prefer that she be in a class where she isn't going to flunk. Throughout the next bit of class they still whined and complained about student 2 talking to me. Student 2 went to the office and requested out of the class so she wouldn't have to put up with the others. This brought the principal in, I explained what was happening, including my becoming somewhat defensive.

The principal called the Estill Co. School and they decided to keep the students here in my class. They can pass or flunk, but they will not be moving.

Still, I hate getting defensive. I hate the edge of losing control. I hate anger. I realize it is vital in the proper context, but anger rarely comes out in the right context. If you lose your temper, you do not have control of it any more. I didn't lose my temper, but I could have.

That situation is resolved, somewhat. Anyone not wishing to work in the shop will get a zero on their daily grade and then they will go help the maintenance guy clean up trash around the building.
One of the girls said I should 'make' the students do the work. I told them, I cannot make you work. I cannot twist your arm and make you put up electrical boxes. I can put the work out there and you can do it or not. I can put the test in front of you and you can take it or not. That grade is all the force I have. Unless ... They want me to start handing out detentions and such.

Add this to the daily stress of living, driving 20 miles each way in traffic of idiots, dealing with other morons in school, raising teenagers and a smart 9 year old (for 6 more days), concerns about finances, my kids personal problems (always shared), drama from Tommy upstairs, and the myriad of other little stress inducers, and it is a wonder I sleep at all.

Some days it just isn't worth chewing through the leather straps.

On the bright side, I am happy and head over heels in love !!

Mars and Venus

Who would have thought the difference between men and women could be as simple as looking down. It is all about shoes and the attitudes thereof.

In the last couple days, Tammy and I have had several conversations about shoes (yeah, we live such exciting lives ... sex and shoes). I have discovered several vital differences between the sexes.

First, Tammy tells me she needs shoes and Payless is having a killer sale. This launches the shoe discussion. She tells me she just gave away a 'buncha' shoes. I asked her how many pairs of shoes was a bunch? She gave away 4 pairs of shoes. I then asked her how many pairs of shoes she currently had. She had 9 pairs. To this I responded, "then you have 2 bunches of shoes." NO! Apparently, shoes count differently when counting owned shoes and shoes given away. This was way past logic to me.

I had one pair of shoes that I wear for all occasions. My shoes for work will work for church or a night on the town. This weekend, I tripled the amount of shoes that I can wear for various occasions. I bought a second pair of steel-toed low top work boots and a pair of slip on tan/brown leather shoes.

On Monday, I was getting ready to leave for work with the new slip on shoes on my feet. I came out of the bedroom carrying my old faithful 'wear everyday' boots. I sat them down on the coffee table for a second to get my lunch box/bag. Tammy looked at them and asked what I wanted her to do with them. I told her that I was taking them to work with me so that if these new shoes began hurting my feet, I could switch back into something I knew I could trust to be comfortable. That is just common sense to me.

I was informed that women do not do that. They wear the new shoes. If they hurt their feet, they wear them again the second day. If they hurt their feet the second day, they never wear them again. While I can grasp the 'never wear them again' part if they don't stretch and conform to the wearer's feet, I cannot fathom wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes all day. Even teaching, I am on my feet a lot. I am not on my feet as much as when I was working in the field, but I am still on my feet a good amount of the day. I am not coming home after work, limping and complaining of blisters.

Here on Mars, we need fewer shoes and we wear them more sensibly. Today is the second day with the slip-on shoes and, while they are not as comfortable as my old shoes yet, they are not hurting my feet. This pair seems to be a working match. I guess this means that I almost have a 'buncha' shoes. Or I am at least ¾ of the way there.

Tammy says we need not talk about clothes though. I have bags of old clothes in the basement and a closet full of new ones (new being a relative term). I used to have 30 suits and I am now down to 2 suits. I still have 65 neckties after giving away 35. We won't go there on shirts.

I still retain my masculinity in the shoe department.

Back to school

My week off is over. That is laughable. I really didn't have a week off. My students had a week off. I worked all week, except half a day Friday.

After the way we spent money this weekend, it is a good thing that I did work all week. With rent, insurance, truck payment, child support, and trips to the auction, Wal-mart, Meijer, and Payless, we spent over $1250 this weekend. Who can afford days off with weekends like that.

I did get a shoe education this weekend, which I will share at a later date.

We are still getting ready for our program assessment this week, which is Thursday.

My Mom is having surgery on Wednesday to remove a tumor from her brain.

It is going to be a busy week.

Hope yours is good.

Auction results

The auction is a terrible thing. There are so many things that one might want and cheap enough to cause you to spend too much. We did pretty good, though.

We got two old (50's) wing back chairs that looked great and were sturdy and well maintained for $19 each. Tammy got a pot for cooking chili and some carnival glass pieces. We got some plates for Mom for Christmas. We still got out the door for well under $100. There wasn't enough room in the truck for everything we bought, so we will be making a trip back today.

It is a nice drive, if only gas weren't so high. It is $2.50 here. How about where you are?

Half of a Friday

It is finally Friday.

Tammy is coming to Winchester to drop off her resume'. I heard about a job at the Board of Education with the maintenance dept. It is secretary and administrative assistant to the director.

Tammy has scheduled an interview with a new lawyer on Monday. Hopefully, this one will have his balls with him. He was recommended by another lawyer that wouldn't take the case because of personal conflict, having once represented Tammy's employer and still fully believes (in spite of recent news) that they are providing a necessary service. I agree with the 'necessary service' part, but not in their way of handling it. It is their handling that has them in hot water. They acted very unprofessionally in their hiring practices, particularly in the upper decision making echelon. Some of that echelon forgot with the word 'echelon' means. It is a French word literally meaning 'a rung in a ladder'. They thought they were above reproach and removal ... and acted accordingly. Charges will be filed, I am sure.

I am taking half a day off today. I was supposed to be off all day yesterday to accompany Tammy to her IME MMI (refer to previous posts), but her ball-less lawyer pulled out because he was afraid that even with this independent evaluation, he would only get around $25K. I guess that must seem like chicken feed to him, but I have some chickens that need feeding.

Tonight we plan to go to the auction. We will see what irresistible treasures await.

Tammy says she doesn't care what we do this weekend, as long as it doesn't entail her getting out of bed before 9 AM. I am just wondering about the things we can do in bed before 9 AM and if she has any objections to those.

We went to Lonestar on Wednesday night for a monthly meeting of the kinksters club. A mutual friend there gave us a new riding crop as a gift. I am thinking that the top drawer of the night stand is getting much kinkier than we actually are ... or perhaps not. It is still filled with many unused bachelor party gifts.

Well, a staff meeting awaits ... Hi Yo Silver ... Away !!!

I can see !

I can see the top of my desk !

I have been cleaning this week, along with all the other things I am doing (teaching, internship meeting, preparing for state audit of Program Assessment, meeting with curriculum director). Today, I have made a great lunge forward. I actually moved things off my desk, filed some, and (gasp) threw some things away. Those that know the real pack rat me, know this is almost unheard of.

Dad was/is a pack rat. You never throw away anything that might be used eventually in this universe or any nearby universes. As a writer, scraps of paper with scribble on them are definite no-no's. Never ever throw away paper with scribble on it. That is rule number one!

Still, after much consideration and soul searching, I managed to throw away pieces of paper with writing on them. Even now, my soul is vexed. However, the happy dance my eyes are doing over the rarely seen sight of a clean desktop is drowning out any groaning over the vexation of actually throwing things away. (I do know, that next week, I will need at least 3 of the items which were tossed today.)

Anyway ... half a day left today ... half a day tomorrow (using some comp time) .. and the weekend is upon me. I am giddy with anticipation (ok .. I lied .. I am not really giddy, but I am anticipating.)

Oh yeah, though I am sure Tammy will touch on it in her blog (if she hasn't already), the video tape is in. It shows Tammy smoking, brushing her hair (while wired to a TENS unit) and opening doors (while wearing a brace). All of these things she could do sans braces and/or electronic pain control devices, prior to her injury. It is a laughable thirteen minutes.

More to follow ...

Some good in all

I live in KY where one of the big rivalries is between the University of Kentucky Wildcats and the University of Louisville (KY) Cardinals. I have found that many of the UK fans and many of the UL fans are not really fans as much as they are haters of the other team. They can zero in on the bad things the other teams does and celebrate joyously when the other teams meets with defeat, but are generally oblivious to the good and the bad of their own (so called) team.

I have found the same to be true in politics .. There are so many Republican haters out there claiming to be Democrats and so many Democrat haters out there claiming to be Republicans, when all they do is fill the airways and blogways with anti-rhetoric. They cannot espouse the good qualities of their own (again, so called) party, because they are too busy hate-mongering the other one.

This same spirit exists on the blog of the National Democratic Party and the websites of the Republican Party.

We CANNOT fix all that is wrong in America by tearing down the opposing views of fellow Americans. If we will be defeated in the World arena, it will not be by a terrorist strike, or on the blood soaked battlefield of an enemy. It will be because we have wounded the heart of America and ripped it asunder.

Keep finding the good that we all do until we find the way to all do good.

Anniversary

Do you know

Do you know
How many times
In the bed
At the desk
In the truck
You have touched me
And awakened the ache?

Do you know
How many times
Just the sound of your voice
On the phone
In the next room
Or just a whisper
Has awakened the ache?

Do you know
The places
The height
The depth
The softness of your kiss
Awakens?

Can you know
The fire inside
That never dies
That burns my soul
That feeds the yearning
Awakened?

Will you know
What you see
Is the spillage
What I cannot show
What fills my heart
What overflows
When awakened?

Do you know?

Ron Simpson, Jr.
October 10, 2005

On the occasion
Of our second year anniversary
October 11, 2005

Visit me in Eddyville

For those out of state readers, Eddyville is the location of one of the several prisons in this state.

Today was the day of the state audit of our school for equipment. The Auditor has gone through my classroom and shop, searching for all the numbered items on his list. This is due to the installation of a new principal. They want to see what all she has to work with.

In my class and shop, all was accounted for except one HP printer.

When I came here in January, there was a HP printer here in my classroom that wasn't hooked to anything. It was an old old printer that was on it's last leg. The IT teacher brought me a newer HP office jet printer and told me he would just get this old broken down hunk of junk out of my way.

Well, this was when I was a brand spanking new state employee and had no idea that you didn't let folks come into your room and remove broken items and 'get them out of your way'. There is a procedure for that. It has to be accounted for. It has to be removed from the inventory. Somewhere, for every piece of equipment valued over $250 (at the time of it's purchase) there has to be a paper trail. That paper trail starts at purchase and follows the equipment wherever it goes, until it's death.

This printers paper trail ended in my classroom.

So, here I sit, with a blank "I don't have a clue" look on my face. I am sure the auditor has called the state police by now. I wonder if the Ronald Reagan defense will work here. "I have no recollection of this HP printer in question."

Otherwise, come visit me in Eddyville.

Can't resist

A major research institution has announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet know to science - "governmentium." It has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons and 111 assistant deputy neutrons for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons that are further surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like sub particles called peons.

Governmentium has no electrons and is therefore inert. It can be detected however since it impedes every reaction it comes into contact with. A tiny amount of governmentium can take a reaction that normally occurs in seconds and slow it to the point where it take days.

Governmentium has a normal half life of three years. It doesn't decay but "re- organizes", a process where assistant deputy neutrons and deputy neutrons change places. This process actually causes it to grow as in the confusion some morons become neutrons, thereby forming isodopes.

This phenomenon of "moron promotion" has led to some speculation that governmentium forms whenever sufficient morons meet in concentration forming critical morass. Researches believe that in Governmentium, the more you re- organize, the morass you cover.

Too much yard

FRIDAY !!

Ok, the school did something rather 'duh'. We are regulated by the schedule of GRC (the high school). Fall break begins on Monday (Saturday, according the calendar) and the 9 week grading period ended yesterday. This leaves today as a 'lame duck' day. Nothing we do today will count on the last nine weeks grade and nothing we do today will be remembered in 9 days when class resumes. So, today is a FREE day. We have made a few plans.

In my 1st and 2nd period classes (which do not change students), we had home-made pizza and a birthday cake. One of the students also brought in 2 dozen donuts. Another student brought in the movie, Longest Yard (the new one with Sandler).

3rd block ordered and had delivered, 7 pizzas. We had 4 two liters of coke ... And we watched the movie, The Longest Yard.

4th block finished off most of the pizzas and some of the cake ... and we watched, The Longest Yard.

The movie isn't a bad remake of the Burt Reynolds classic, but watching it 3 times in a row is just too much yardage.

The kids have had a blast and it was great to send them off to fall break with a smile. Good relations is an integral part of educating. I can be a hard ass (and have been at times), but that isn't the most effective use of my time. I have had the teacher/friend speech with them. I explained to them that I did want to be their friend, but I would be their teacher, and if I could only do one, I would be their teacher. That has worked. Most of the time I am their friend, but all of the time, I am their teacher.

even on days of too much yard.

Unapologetic

I was talking to a friend this morning when she began telling me about her relationship. She is head over with her husband, but he is not a devoted. She went into some detail about the relationship, and commented on Tammy's relationship and mine. She commented on how devoted we were to one another.

I remembered someone telling me years ago about how her spouse completed her. I never really understood that before. It is like the electricity and wiring that makes it possible for you to plug up a lamp or flip a switch and the light comes on. Most people will readily tell you they know there are wires inside the wall connecting the switch and the light, and electricity runs between them, but that is the extent of their knowledge.

When I look at a switch or outlet, I see the same thing you do, but my knowledge allows me to see more. I can see, in my mind, the working of the switch, the wiring, the flow, the completed path, and so forth. Most will tell you, based on some rudimentary learning, they know how a switch works, but the internal operation is a complete mystery to them.

I have loved before. I have loved deeply. I have loved passionately. I have given in love and received in love. This dedication/devotion is different. Don't misunderstand. I am not saying, in any shape or form, that previous love relationships were lacking in any way. They were not. They were as full and wonderful (for the most part) as they could be.

The difference wasn't in my partners, but in me. Perhaps, I wasn't able to receive as fully as I am now. Perhaps, I wasn't able to give as freely as I can now. I don't know. All I do know is that I feel complete when I am with her. I feel full. I feel I am receiving all the love I can possible take. I feel it flowing over me and through me. I can feel it as it flows outward toward my love. It is a difference other people can see. Onlookers often tell us, that it is obvious how much we are in love.

It is a great unapologetic feeling.

Today is ...

MY 48th BIRTHDAY !!!!

Yipee Ti Ya Yeaaaaaaaaaa

I am proud of every year .. It took me a while to get here, and while every day hasn't been the picnic, they were still days in a journey I do not regret.

what a drag ...

unable to access one of my regularly read blogs .. from work .. bummer

Siphoning

The dynamics behind siphoning (for those that have never done it) are simple. You put one end of a hose in the liquid you want to siphon and you apply suction to the other, generally with your mouth. Once the liquid is moving down the hose, whose end is lower than the liquid being siphoning, you remove the suction and allow the vacuum and weight of the liquid to keep the flow going. It is simple.

We have a similar dynamic here at the house. When we are watching movies or TV shows, Kyle, as a general rule, is not allowed to talk. His words are like a siphon. Once he starts, he cannot stop. They are connected. Every word is tied to the next one. As one escapes his mouth, the other is in the batters box ready to take it's swing, and he just can't stop the process. Most adults, know when to stop talking. Kyle, either does not possess this knowledge, or lacks the ability to stop talking, because once he starts, he cannot stop. For this reason, he is not allowed to start.

This is sometimes compounded by the sheer nonsense of what he asks or talks about. We were watching "The Incredibles". There was one scene where a wall of lava was held in check by a thin wall of glass. This created one of the rooms in the villains hideout. Kyle commented that was strange, that a thin wall of glass could hold back lava. It wasn't strange that Mr. Incredible was a superhero. It wasn't strange that his wife could stretch her body into a multiplicity of shapes and sizes. No, this was perfectly normal, but, a thin wall of glass holding back a stream of lava ... That just crosses the line.

Then there are the "repeaters". These are various lines in a movie where Kyle will arbitrarily take it upon himself to just repeat it once it has been spoken, as if we were incapable of hearing it the first time. In doing so, he obscures another line. So now, we have heard one line twice and missed another. Argh !

So, here is a tip to anyone that has the chance to watch a movie with Kyle: Invest in a ball gag.

Birthdays

Tammy was struggling with what to get me for my birthday. It is just four days away. She asked me a night or two ago what I really wanted for my birthday. I told her that I had everything I wanted or needed. I asked her how she could give me more, on one day, of what she has given me since we met.

It is really hard to put into words. When we are together or apart, I still feel her. When we are together and doing other things besides cuddling, she is always near, and never farther than the call of her name. The days seem lighter because I know, no matter what happens, she is waiting at or near the end of my day. No matter the worries, or stress, I know I can lie my day down and she will carry me.

She doesn't know how many times I have taken her up on her wedding vows. She promised that she would always have a place where I could lay my head or my heart. That was nearly two years ago, and I have lost count of how many times she has been my rock.

What I want for my birthday is more of the yesterdays. I want fifteen thousand plus tomorrows. I want more of her tender touches. I want more of her sweet kisses. I want more nights, waking up, and finding her next to me. I want more mornings, playing spider solitaire on the computer, and feeling her come up behind me and wrapping those soft arms around me.

My life is great. It isn't everything it could be, but it is moving in the right direction. Whatever changes come, I know Tammy will be with me. For what more could I ask?

Happy birthday to me, early.

For the love of Pete ...

The flight attendants union is asking their membership to boycott the movie, "Flightplan" because it depicts flight attendants as rude and disrespectful. Speaking of another attendant in the movie, working with a US marshal in an extortion plot, "We could get over the rudeness, but the evilness, to be the villain, that is not acceptable," Corey Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants tells the Los Angeles Times.

Oh My Gosh!!

get over it folks. It is just a movie. In the movies, villains come from all walks of life, and yet, we don't see postmen, coal miners, cops, firemen, teachers, and other professions, boycotting movies. So what ! So, it is your turn in the barrel. Big deal. Tomorrow the villain will be a garbage man, or a scientist, or a politician, or a teacher.

Grow up and grow a pair.

The issue is abuse.

The question is out of my hands. My response is clear-cut and was defined long before I became a teacher. There is a specific course of action when this is presented to any teacher. That course begins with a call to Social Services. They are to begin the process and the paper trail.

One of my students came to me this afternoon and told me that he/she didn't feel up to working in the shop. "A" would have been satisfied to take a "0" for the 10-point daily grade. This was unacceptable to me. While I cannot force a student to participate, I can find other ways for that student to participate. This was the case today. A expressed a non-desire to work on the class assignment. A further told me of an abusive action which occurred at home involving A and A's parents. A showed me bruising, which when asked if I wanted to see, if I didn't believe, I responded with a "no need. I believe you."

I fully realize these are 15 to 18 year old students, which will occasionally have disagreements with, and run crossways with parents. Even then, there is a line between punishment and abuse. Punishment will sometime bring the anger to the surface and cause screams of abuse, even when they are not warranted. These cannot afford to be ignored. If it is just the cry of an angry student, it is still needful to be brought to the attention of those best suited to resolve whatever issue brought it to the surface. Especially if it is abuse, of any kind, it needs to be addressed.

My personal feelings aside, it is still an issue that cannot be ignored. No child deserves to live in fear. I cannot cure the ills of society. I cannot alleviate the suffering of every child. However, if I can stop one parent from abusing one child, I have made a difference. Too often, we get the idea that we must act in broad strokes to make a difference. This is simply not true. The most of the work in done in the trenches, in small acts. This is my small act. I made the report. The calls were made. Action is being taken.

How much difference it will make in A's life, I cant guess. Nonetheless, it will not be because I stood idly by and did nothing.

Quiet ...

It's quiet ... Almost too quiet ..

It is like in the movies ... The music fades ... The background noise diminishes and eventually fades ... Someone speaks .. "It's quiet, too quiet." ... Then all the dickens breaks loose ...

That is how it is here today ... The quiet before the storm ..

Just an interesting thought .. Wouldn't life be much more predictable if we had a running soundtrack ?

As the week slowly struggles to get to it's feet ...

This is one of those slow starting weeks for my students, it seems. They seem to be holding on to the effects of the weekend. It isn't so much the sleeping in or staying up late part that they are maintaining. It is that mindless, absence of structure, free to do what I want, part that they have dragged into the classroom.

It is hard to keep them on task. They are easily distracted by anything and everything that happens around them. It would be easy, on days like today, to become frustrated with this calling.

Fortunately, days like this are few and far between. I have discovered, it is best, that even on "free days", there should be some kind of structure. This holds true, even if that structure is just sitting and watching a movie. You cannot let them get used to doing whatever they want, anytime. With kids, if you let them do it anytime, it means they can do it every time. THAT would be totally destructive to the learning environment.

There will always be students that are unwilling to learn. There will always be students that we haven't reached and even some that we will never reach. We cannot allow those students to dictate the atmosphere of the classroom. We cannot allow them to inhibit the learning of those the do have desire to do so. We must 'corral' the unruly, and keep them from bothering those that are trying. This is a difficult task at times.

We (the Vocational schools) are generally given the students that the high schools can't do anything with. We have a collection of students that genuinely want to be here, mixed with a groups that are walking orphans. These are orphans because someone somewhere has given up on them. Only 26% of high school seniors will go on to college. Only 12% will actually graduate college. That leaves 74% to 88%, that will walk into the work force with only a high school education. Some of those have passed only because schools want graduates.

Somewhere along the line, a teacher reaches that point with a student. He/She can't do anything with them. They make that very painful decision (at least, I hope it would be a painful decision) to leave that student for the good of the herd. They must take the rest of the students into fertile grounds of learning. They must take them to the next level. An orphan is created. Their grades begin to dwindle (one of only 3 common words in the English language beginning with 'dw') and they begin to fall further behind.

A teacher is like a shepherd, given charge of the children of this nation. It is our job to find the way to feed them, find a way to teach them, find a way to reach them. It is our job to TEACH them. It is not our job to fail them. We are not called 'fail-ers'. We are not called 'separators'. We are not called 'cull-ers'. We are called teachers.

Doing my job doesn't always sit well with my students. They may think I am being mean at times. They may think I am being strict at times. They may think I am unreasonable when I refuse to let them 'not' learn. They may think lots of things, but they will know that I am a TEACHER.

Boxes of goodies

We went to the auction last night. We returned with the back of the Bravada filled with goodies. We even took the kids. They enjoyed it.

We got a full set of glass Visionware cookware for ten bucks. We also got a great queen sized quilt for ten dollars. We bought a coffeemaker, and cake pans, and glassware, and books, boxes of various odds and ends. We still spent less than $60 to fill up the boot of the Bravada. It was a good haul.

Tonight is the Munch. Dinner with 30 or so friends. It is going to be a busy weekend.

Tomorrow is a 2 hour class and a board meeting.

Getting my running shoes on ...

Auction Bound

We are foregoing the Karaoke tonight and heading to the auction. I will let ya know how we do.

Good luck to the GRC Cardinals in their homecoming game against border county rivals, Montgomery Co.

The dull thud of shit ... Hitting a fan

One more push and it was over.

This afternoon, as I walked down from my classroom to eat lunch, I noticed the empty file cabinets by the stairs were all opened. I closed them as I passed. Then I noticed all the lockers without locks were opened. The drawers of my downstairs desk were all opened. The lab-volt equipment was all opened. Someone in my 3rd block class thought it might be funny to open everything openable and leave it for me to close.

Now it is my turn to be funny. I have prepared a ten page (front and back) test for that class. Tomorrow was to be a 'finish project, work in the weld shop, and free left over time' day. Suddenly it is a 'most horrendous test ever' day. They will all flunk the test. It is a grade killer as well. I will explain to them that I will shelve the test, and it will remain shelved, unless we have another incident of disrespect like the one today.

Yep, there it is ... the dull sound of shit hitting a fan.

Field trip !!

We have just returned from a field trip.

90 students

3 teachers, 1 principal, and 2 chaperones

approximately 80 miles

We went to the first Kentucky Construction Career Days Fair. There were over 50 construction employers represented. There were several educational groups represented. It was spread out over the Shelby County Fair Grounds. It was hosted by the Kentucky Construction Career Choice Council, the Associated Builders & Contractors of Kentuckiana, the Associated General Contractors of Kentucky, the Home builders Association of Kentucky & Home Builders Institute, the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors, and the Kentucky Association of Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors.

The students had a blast. They were invited to do hands on work in most booths. They could explore several different construction occupations from more than just a book stand point.

I was on my feet for 3 hours, walking around this place. As glad as my back was to get back on the bus, by the time we got back to the School, my butt was happy to get out of that seat. My air conditioned room and comfortable desk chair has never felt so good. I remember all too well why I am not out there in the heat and on my feet all day.

The Executive Director of the Kentucky Electrical Contractors Association, Inc. spoke to me about teaching some classes for him, and affiliating my program. This (the affiliation) will give my students a leg up on the competition coming out of high school with the equivalent of one year post secondary credit in their apprenticeship program. I made several other contacts as well. We will see what rabbits we may pull from the hat before this is all over.

There's the bell. The school day (for students) is over. Twenty minutes and I am out of here. Gotta run. More work to do.

Give me a fracking break

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Texas woman has sued ABC's popular reality show "Extreme Makeover" for more than $1 million claiming among other things that an abrupt cancellation of her appearance on the program led to her sister's death.
Deleese Williams of Conroe, Texas, claims she came to Los Angeles to be a contestant on the show after undergoing a series of medical exams to determine if her crooked teeth and droopy eyes could be fixed and her small breasts enhanced, according the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The suit starts with the blunt description: "Deleese Williams is considered ugly" and says one doctor promised her "a Hollywood smile like Cindy Crawford."
To prepare for the show, the producers sent a crew to Texas in January 2004 to interview Williams and her family.
The suit claims the "Extreme Makeover" crew manipulated Williams' sister, Kellie, into making cruel statements about Williams' looks.
The night before Williams was to begin her makeover, the show's producers told her it would take too long for work on her jaw to heal. They canceled her appearance and sent Williams home where Kellie, distraught over what she had said about her sister, eventually killed herself, according to the suit.

Give me a break !

When we will stop blaming everyone else for all our ails and ills. Not everything that happens in life is someone else's fault. Crap happens. Get over it.

I hate to be insensitive, but this is just to ignorant for words.

Some folks just need to get over themselves. Even if the actions of the network did, in any way, give this poor unfortunate girl the extra push to commit suicide, are they still legally responsible? How about everyone in her life that caused her pain, or made her feel unloved, or made her feel less than they were, are they liable as well?

And, I am sure that at some part in the girls life, her sister added to her pain, as siblings do from time to time. Also, why is the sister suing? What was her financial loss? Where do we get the idea that if you hit me, you should pay me money?

I know, that large companies, in an effort to increase their bottom line, do things which might cause harm to individuals. They should be held accountable, and the only way they recognize their wrong is to debit their bottom line. However, you must verify the intent and the callous disregard for the safety of individuals. Who could have figured, in any conceivable manner, that the sister would be 'so distraught' that she would commit suicide?

Puh-lease !

Wordsman

Every now and then, a new word will come along and strike my fancy. One of my regular daily visits is to www.merriamwebster.com. There, one will find a daily word and several word games. I love the word games because they are a fun way to enhance my vocabulary.

Today's word of the day is:
coquetry\KOH-kuh-tree\ noun : a flirtatious act or attitude.

Sometimes, however, a new word is derived from a mispronunciation of another word. We were talking about a word on Saturday. Tammy and I have several words that we pronounce different ways. One of these, that comes to mind right off the top of my head is the name of the fault line that runs in the western part of Kentucky. It is the New Madrid Fault. I pronounce it the way I have heard it pronounced here on the news. That way is New Madrid (Mad-RID). Tammy pronounces it the way she heard it where she was and that is New Madrid (MA-drid).

The word in question on Saturday was "Leviathan". I pronounce it "li-'vI-&-th&n". Tammy pronounced it "li-vI-a-thon". I looked it up, but forgot to show her (how could I forget something so important ?!?).

Sunday evening, I remembered and showed her. We decided that the difference in the pronunciation was merely her country accent. Now, Tammy is really smart. She is a dangerous creature. She is a redneck with brains. She reads 4 or more novels a week. She absorbs knowledge. She has a marvelous memory. We were discussing the difference in the way we said the word, when Kyle overheard (one of his habits is almost overhearing ... He listens in, but usually mis-hears what is said ... He is a wealth of misinformation.) what we were talking about. He came up with the new word because of his mis-hearing.

He said the word he thought we were trying to pronounce. "Leviathong?" he asked.

And there it is ... Leviathong ... Monster drawers.
They are panties for the massive masses. They are the most in the least amount of coverage. Never has so little exposed so much. Get yours today.

The Leviathong !

Projects !!

The students are finally in the shop doing actual electric work !

I love the book smarts part of electrical. It is actually a lot more intellectual than many people realize. There is algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus. There are formulas (which define the relationship between objects) and a book full of materials to remember. The best Electricians are the ones that do it in such a fashion that it looks simple.

However, beyond all the book smarts that are required to do this work, there is still a fair amount of skill involved in the performance of the job. There is something about the challenge of installing (running) conduit, with 90's, offsets, kicks, and saddles, that just compliments the rewards of doing it right. There is something special about stripping wire, bending the hooks, putting it under the screw (in the direction of tightening the screw), and installing that outlet, switch, or device. There isn't much that can replace the feeling of doing it right and seeing it work.

My students have been in that this week. They have been installing boxes and romex (first year class) and conduit (second year class). All of them have been wiring up switches, depending on the year as to whether they were single pole or three way switches.

They complain that they cant do it. They require constant reassurance and helpful instruction. Still, nothing can replace that look on their faces when it is finished and they have done it right. They have actually completed an electrical project and it is wired right !

The real reward of teaching is in the multiplication, taking the knowledge that I possess and multiplying it by the number of students and dividing it among them.

Remember ... MATH is FUN !!

Straighten up and fly right

Germans were ordered to stay serious when having their photographs taken for new passports, wiping away any grins, smirks or smiles so that biometric scanners can pick up their facial features. Interior Minister Otto Schily ordered passport authorities to only accept pictures taken from the front showing the "most neutral facial expression possible," starting Nov. 1.

Facial recognition systems match key features on the holder's face and work best when the face has a neutral expression with the mouth closed. "A broad smile, however nice it may be, is therefore unacceptable," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

All happy folks must now stay in Germany. Jovial people and habitual smilers will not be permitted to leave the country until they lose their smile. I am thinking that being stuck in Germany might be a reason to lose your smile.

My mom is full blooded German. She was born in Freising Germany in 1934 and didn't leave until she and dad were married in the early 50's. Dad was in the USAF. She was there in the good old days, when you were allowed to smile even though you didn't have a reason. Her brother-in-law came for a visit to our house in 1975. As we drove to the house we passed the dozen or so horse farms that dotted the road upon which we lived. When he came into the house, and after the hellos, he told mom that he could see why she never came back to Germany. He fell in love with Kentucky.

In light of the new ruling, Germans will straighten up, or they wont fly, right ?

My right to privacy

Or .. On my terms.

I was musing about several issues today ands wondering which one would grab my attention and make the blog. There were:
The nursing home owners now charged in 34 deaths of residents in the wake of Katrina,
The school system in Nawlin's cannot pay it's teachers because it is broke,
Ophelia sitting off the coast of Hatteras and the residents refusing to evacuate,
The impending 60% price increase in utilities in Katrina's wake,
And a host of other local and national interests.

I began, however, to muse about my privacy. I am familiar with the 'Right To Privacy' act of 1974 which states that there are only 4 groups which may legally ask you for your Social Security number. They are: Your employer, Your banking institution, your local Government (drivers license), and the IRS. Most of these are for purposes of taxation and benefits. Old SS cards used to have "Not for Identification" printed on the bottom of the card. It isn't there anymore. Check your card, I'll wait.

Identity theft is rampant these days, because of Americans not realizing the power of knowing one's SS#. Protect yourself. Protect your number. K-mart does not need it to process your check. There was a provision in the 1974 act which states that any business, demanding your number, and being informed of your right not to give it, which still requires it is subject to a $10,000 fine.

NOW, realistically, the pimply-faced girl/boy at the register of your local Wal-mart doesn't know a thing about the law or care about the fine. They are just doing what they were instructed by their supervisor and have no ability to by-pass said instructions.

What I do, when faced with this question, is to ad-lib. "My SS# is 407-35-8724." It isn't. It is different every time anyone asks. Quicker. Easier.

Then, we come to this blog. (Curious as to why the spell checker on the blog doesn't recognize 'blog' as a legitimate word. ?!?) Here, I openly discuss matter that are private. Here, I sometimes bare my soul. This is where the words, "on my terms" come into play. Here, I decide what I will share. I decide what is too personal and what is blog fodder. This is my privacy on my terms. I will give a person the shirt off of my back, but never ever try to steal it from me. Same here. I will tell you just about anything to be told, but don't come prying.

I may blog about what goes on behind my bedroom door, but don't try to peek in the windows.

The more I look ...

The more I look, the more I worry.

I know we are a resilient people. In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans rallied as they haven't in years. We came together as a people. We had a common enemy. We had a common cry.

This time it is different. There is no enemy to rally against. There is no outrage of injustice.
There is just need.

We have tossed a box of bandaids at this problem. We are worried about whether Nawlin's will be rebuilt, when we should be concerned about the rebuilding of the American economy. This is a bank buster. We have not begun to address the tendrils of this disaster.

The first repercussion was an almost instantaneous jump in gas prices. 11% of the refineries supplying gas to the country were shut down by the storm. This has nothing to do with the price of a barrel of oil. We can buy all the barrels available and it is meaningless if we cannot refine that oil into gasoline. Tendrils.

The rise in prices raises the cost of transporting goods, which is passed along in the price of those goods. Tendrils.

58 percent of Gulf oil production remains shut down, as does 38 percent of the region's natural gas production. Look for an increase in the cost of natural gas as well. Tendrils

About 8,000 people with HIV and AIDS who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina now face the massive challenge of trying to manage their disease without their doctors, their clinics and their support systems. Tendrils.

If Nawlin's is rebuilt, the drain on the building supplies available will cause prices to jump upward. Tendrils.

We scurry about looking for who is to blame for the gap in emergency services, while workers armed with only bandaids try to fix an ever growing problem.

I applaud the efforts of the American people in trying to reach and meet the needs of the individuals displaced and affected by Katrina. It is time for the Federal Gov't to step up it's efforts in fixing the economy problems.

Before the tendrils become unstoppable ...

Imagination boggled

NEW ORLEANS - Forty-five bodies have been found at a hospital that was abandoned more than a week ago after it was surrounded by floodwaters unleashed by Hurricane Katrina, a state health official said Monday.

The bodies were located Sunday at Memorial Medical Center, said Bob Johannesen, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Hospitals. Johannesen said the bodies were those of patients, but he had no other information.

The Louisiana death toll rose to 279 on Monday, up from 197 on Sunday, Johannesen said.
On Sunday, reporters were kept at a distance from Memorial Medical by law enforcement officers as workers removed bodies from the hospital, situated in the city's Uptown section.

The 317-bed hospital, owned by TenetHealthcare Corp., remained closed Monday and was still partially surrounded by floodwaters.

HOW THE HECK DO YOU LEAVE 45 PATIENTS TO DIE WHILE YOU ABANDON A HOSPITAL ?

This just boggles my imagination !

The petulant child

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." ... Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America.

"Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long survive." ... Opening statement of the Gettysburg Address .. Abraham Lincoln.

I am not an expert on beginnings or stability of any given nation. I have only the hindsight of history to judge what might be the future outcome any beginnings today. This is not a predictive post. It is merely an observation from the armchair of history.

Today, the last of the Israeli settlers moved out of Gaza. The Palestinians took over as the ruling state. At long last, they have what they have cried and fought for, for many years. Let's look at their beginning.

The house of Moussa Arafat, former Palestinian security chief, cousin of late Palestinian leader, Yassir Arafat, was raided and Moussa Arafat was killed.

Israeli synagogues were burned and Palestinian flags were painted on the rubble.

For years, Palestinian authority figures were figures of rebellion. The children of Palestine have grown in this light. Defiant opposition is all they know. Fathers have taught their sons the art of war and rebellion, as they were taught by their fathers. Now, they are free. They are free in their own state. There is no-one to defiantly oppose. They have begun, already, to turn that rage internal. They will tear themselves apart, if left to their own imaginings.

How do you tell a child, to whom you have preached hatred and violence for years, to put down his weapons and pick up his plowshare? How do you suddenly stop preaching the doctrine of hatred and return to the doctrine of peace?

For all practicality, what has held the nation of Palestine together has been their common hatred of Israel and the rest of the free world. Their mistrust of everyone else in the world has been their rallying cry. Now, that enemy has departed. They stand alone on their own soil for the first time in the life of many of them. They have no clue what to do with this freedom. They have no clue what to do without a neighbor to hate.

Time will tell. Will the realization of their lifetime goal be the end of them? Will they fade without the fuel for their anger? Will the raging flame within them consume them for lack of another suitable target?

Once again, I am no expert. I am an armchair politician. That is just how I see it.

Bush declares war on Hurricanes

In a strongly worded speech last night, President Bush declared war on Hurricanes, which have "through a systematic effort taken American life over many years." They have "shown a strong disdain for justice, freedom, and the American way." This type of active aggression "cannot be tolerated any longer."

Bush has deployed already weary National Guard troops to the Bahamas to mount a "wall of opposition" in an effort to repel the now developing threats to our way of living.

"Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these heinous acts." The President has commissioned a committee to study the attack tactics of recent hurricanes to best develop a plan for combating this often faceless enemy. "We will no longer live in fear of the Katrina's and Andrew's of the world."

The President ardently denied that he was profiling storms. "We do not believe that every storm or every gust of wind is a killer. There are good winds. There are beneficial storms. We will not act hostilely to just any breeze. But, we will no longer tolerate killer storms just dancing across our borders."

"The American people can sleep soundly tonight knowing that all the resources of the Federal Government and all the attention of the Executive Branch is focused on eliminating this threat to our very freedom."

Rest easy, America.

The short week closes

It is the end of the week. It is a week that started late and still lasted a long time.

I forgot my DR appt on Tuesday. It was rescheduled for yesterday afternoon. I had to leave work a bit early, stop and pick up Tammy (the good part), go to the DR, and then rush back to work for an open house event where parents could visit the classroom. The DR visit was a trip. It was just for blood work. It was my 3 to 6 month blood work to check my thyroid. This time, the lady that was going to take my blood had difficulties. She poked my left arm and poked and prodded around looking for the vein that escaped her. She dug around for a little while and gave up. She then poked the other arm and dug around in it for a bit before she got exasperated and gave up. When she withdrew the needle, my arm didn't even bleed. It really wasn't her fault. I told her that I must not be in the mood to bleed today.

She said, two pokes and she was done. She called for Mike, the guy that usually does my blood work. He went to the left arm, one poke, and filled the vial. Then it was back to work.

I had two students stop by, one with her sister and one with his mom. There were already three people in my classroom, as the plumbing class meets there on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

We finally made it home a little after seven. I was supposed to finish writing a test last night, but I procrastinated until this morning. Several of my students are diligently working on that test right now. It is worth 40 points. Most of my morning students ended up with 34 or above. That's 85% or better for 90% of the class. If most of the students do badly, I figure I didn't teach it well enough, and I grade on the curve. Then we redo the high points of the lessons and retake the test. The highest grade of the two stands.

We will see what the rest of the day and evening brings.

The apple cart

As I was driving to work this morning, I took a different way. I had seen a road that was connected to Colby (one of my three regular pathways home from work). I recognized the name from a sign on US60 (one of my other regular pathways). I assumed this was both ends of the same road. Today I had to take Chris to work, which caused me to go past my usual turn on Combs Ferry Rd. Instead, I went just a couple tenths of a mile up on Winchester Rd (US60), and turned on Venable Rd. This was a way I had never traveled before. It did just as I had assumed. It took me to Colby and then on to work. It was a small change. It was just a detour from my regular path. It didn't upset the apple cart.

Many people go through life with the worry of upsetting the apple cart.

My life is not bad. It is actually quite good. I have a challenging and rewarding job. I have a plethora of friends. I have a great family. I have a wonderful wife. There is drama from time to time, as there is in anyone's life, but overall, it is still a good life. However, there are still things that I need to change in my life. Some of these changes are minor. Some of these changes will be major. The scale of the change is directly related to the aspects of my life that will be affected.

Changing my drink from Mt. Dew to Diet Mt. Dew is a minor change in that it will not affect the places I go or the people with whom I associate. It can become a large change in as much as it might help me shed some of this weight that is killing me.

As I was driving on Venable, I started to think. It was one of those 'off my regular route' kind of thinking spurs. I did a quick look over my life. There were definite changes that I need to make. While these changes will affect every major aspect of my life, they will not change the base of those aspects. They will not change who I am. They will not change who I love. They will not change the people I love in my life. All of those people (most of whom would not be worried) can rest easy. They are in a safe place.

I thought about my relationship with God. It definitely needs to be changed. I need to be closer and more in line with his goals in my life. There is a line in a country music song that says, "if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." I realize that I have no long range goals. I have no real thought about what I want to be next year or even next month, for that matter. I just assume that I will be driving the same stretch of road back and forth between the same job and the same house.

I have plans for completing some education that could be considered goals, but these are plans the State made for me by requiring them for my continuing employment. These are not goals that I sat down and made based on a decision of where I want to be in 10 years, 5 years, or even 1 year.

I am getting that 'floaty' feeling again. I have reached a niche and have settled in. This is not a bad niche. As niches go, it is quite comfy. Still, there needs to be a change. There needs to be a threat to the apple cart. Just as I look back on the things which brought me to this day, I must look forward to the things which will take me farther.

Today, we might (can you be a little more wishy washy) begin to upset the apple cart.

Oh Skipper !

Bob Denver is dead.

He was Gilligan on Gilligan's Island. The show ran from 1964 to 1967. I remember watching the show as a kid and later in syndication. It provided many laughs and spurred many questions. One such question was:
"If the Professor can make a radio work using parts of a coconut, why can't he build a raft?"

That was just one of the many reasons I learned that logic is often the enemy of laughter. Laughter comes sliding off the surface of us. It is little wonder that tickle spots are on or close to the surface of the skin. Laughter was never meant to be a deep philosophical work. It was meant to be spontaneous and instant. Deep thought is often the curser of laughter.

"Laughter doth the heart good like a medicine." (Biblical)

TV critics hooted at "Gilligan's Island" as gag-ridden corn. Audiences adored its far-out comedy. Writer-creator Sherwood Schwartz insisted that the show had social meaning along with the laughs: "I knew that by assembling seven different people and forcing them to live together, the show would have great philosophical implications." (Quoted from Yahoo news article)

Seven different people ... Forcing them to live together ... Philosophical implications ??

Sounds like the reality shows that dot every channel and every evening !

Good-bye Bob ... It was great to share a few laughs with you.

Labor Day

It has been a good day at the end of a good weekend.

We went next door to Frankie & Mary's for a cookout. Frankie is a friend of Tammy's from Jr. Hi. School. He moved in next door recently. The other part of the trinity is Pete, and he is moving in the apt upstairs from us. Frankie and Mary prepared and grilled out ribs. We brought some burgers and buns. It was great.

It seems that Mary and Frankie met on the internet. She moved here to Lexington from Kansas. They seem to get along great. As much as anyone can tell from an afternoon cookout. They had the friendly poking of each other with no underlying anger. It was good to be with them. I think they might be one of the few people that might be able to understand our relationship.

I have to prepare a test for my first year classes. It shouldn't be difficult for them. I am usually thorough in my lessons and examples. I allow for liberal questioning. There is no reason to fail the test. Every opportunity to pass is given. However, make no mistake about it, it is a test in every sense of the word. During any lesson or exercise, my students can ask anything. They can request help at any time. When the test hits the desk, asking is over.

Anyway, the weather has been great. The company has been great. It has been great to have an extra day with Tammy.

A light in the middle of turmoil

Kyle is 9 years old and a 4th grader in Lexington, KY. He is not your typical kid. He is quite intelligent for his age. He still is 9 yrs old though.

He will lie to you to stay out of trouble.
Case in point: He was taking a shower. I was outside the door in the living room, working online. I smelled something distinct.
I asked him, "Kyle, what are you using?"
"Loreal," he replied.
"What are you using to wash your body, Kyle?"
"I haven't started washing my body yet," he answered.
"Kyle, I smell Axe (Chris's bottled body wash soap).
"Well, it is open."
"It doesn't make that smell just being open."
"Well, I did use a little of it."

He will sneak to get away with something he shouldn't.

He will conveniently forget his bedtime.

HOWEVER ....

Last night we were talking about the victims of Katrina.

Now, Kyle gets a check from his dad's social security disability. It is $51 a month. Within certain bounds, he is allowed to use that money for whatever he wishes. He uses it for little toys and Yu-Gi-Oh cards. He shops on eBay.

Last night, Kyle told me, as we were talking about helping in the relief efforts, that he would donated half of his monthly check. He is giving $25 to help people he doesn't know.

I know that $25 isn't a great deal of money. However, to a 9 year old, it is a fortune. This $25 is half of his months spending cash. This is half of his eBay money, half of his toy money, half of his card money, and half of his occasionally allowed treat money.

There is a light in the midst of this darkness.

If no one else recognizes his sacrifice, I do.

Way to go, Kyle !!

What ever happened to ...

I was watching TV yesterday and saw a show advertised that was asking the question, "what ever happened to ..?"

The funny thing was, they were talking about some people that were on their reality show the previous year. Is there a rule about how long someone has to be out of the spotlight before we begin to seriously wonder what happened to them? I know it is only 15 minutes of fame, but shouldn't it be more than 15 minutes later before we air shows about where they went ? They may have just walked down to the corner market !

I have the similar question going through my head about a much more popular star of years gone by. It used to be that you couldn't go anywhere without seeing him. He was everywhere. He was in every home. He was on every street corner. You couldn't go anywhere without encountering him. Now, he seems to have vanished.

I am talking about the ever popular "Courtesy". I rarely see him anymore. Used to be, he opened doors for ladies and older folks. Used to be, he gave his seat to ladies. Used to be, he didn't drive like an idiot. Yes, now we have reached the meat of the post.

I was driving home when along my route, where I was traveling about 65 mph, two cars pulled out of a side street some short distance in front of me. That isn't so much of a problem. However, one of the two, the back one, decided that she didn't need to travel that rate of speed. I didn't have to lock my brakes up, but I was slowed down to 50 mph. I looked behind me. There was nothing there. There were no cars. There was no line of traffic behind me. All this driver had to do was wait 5 seconds and she could have pulled out behind me and drove as slow as she liked without affecting anyone. Courtesy would have done that.

Later, farther down the road, a truck pulled out in front of her. He caused her to slow down even more. Behind us? Nothing !

It seems Courtesy has left the building .. And the highways.

It is still all about being safe, isn't it?

A couple days ago, I ventured down the hall to the welding shop. As I got close to the door, a shower of sparks cascaded from the door of the carpentry shop. It seems that one of the students was doing some modification on the metal door frame with a grinder and cutting wheel. He was under the direction of the carpentry instructor. This Instructor (and I use that term loosely) is a certified trainer for OSHA. He is, according to him, all about safety.

I went into the welding shop and completed what I wanted to do. When I came out, the student was still cutting. The instructor "RB" told me that they were doing modifications on the door. The student doing the cutting, the instructor, and another student watching were only wearing safety glasses. Safety regulations state that any cutting and/or grinding operation, requires a full face shield must be worn. I asked "RB" why his student was using only safety glasses and not a face shield. By his proximity and the proximity of the second student, both should have been wearing them as well. His reply. "we are almost done now."

It is OK to be unsafe if you are almost done ?

Accidents can't happen if you are almost done ?

What kind of lesson does this teach the kids ?

It teaches them that safety is a word. It is not a belief. It is not something with which to be overly concerned. It is something that can be skirted if you think you can get away with it.

OSHA was founded in 1971. It is regulated by the Dept. Of Labor. Since it began, it has reduced construction fatalities by 45%. Those are great facts, but they are useless unless we really teach that it IS all about the safety.

His students are currently working on a wall in my shop for my students to use in residential wiring training and projects. They routinely work on the top of the ladder. They do not wear safety harnesses. They climb the wood braces instead of the ladder. I stopped counting the safety violations.

I think, as a project for my class, I may let them observe this class in action and write down all the safety violations they see. I wonder how "RB" would like that. He is a pompous know it all never make a mistake kind of guy. You know, the kind you just love.

But, IT IS ALL ABOUT THE SAFETY.

NOOOOOOO !

This was the word of the weekend. 3 of the 4 grandkids stayed the weekend with us. I think Tammy and I said 'no' more this weekend than we have said in the last few months. The oldest, Chris, has no concept of exactly what 'no' means.

This is partially due to his manipulation tactics that work on my daughter, and partially due to his dad's family. "A" is not married to Chris's dad. So, "C" sees his dad a couple times a month. While seeing his dad, "C" is treated to anything, and his grandparents on that side, never tell him 'no'. So, even when he hears the word, it doesn't register.

He is just a cut above a 6 year old. He is a bit hyper, a bit spoiled, a bit obsessive compulsive, and a bit young. All of these make for a clash with me, much older, much calmer, slightly spoiled(Thanks to Tammy), and mostly in control of my OC. So, the 15th time he asked the same question (usually in under a minute), it got a little nervy. OMiGosh, and he is the master of the pitiful look. He can snap one of those out in a heartbeat. It is difficult to come to the conclusion that a kid is not a good kid, and I am not saying that about "C". He has the potential to be a great kid, as do most kids. He needs to be guided into that path.

"K1" was not as bad. He did feed off his older brother at times, but if he was alone, he was very docile. He is a good kid. He can be a bit rowdy at times. He can be mischievous when he wants to be. When "C" did his 'can we' over and over routine, "K1" played into it. I can't say that he wouldn't instigate it on his own, but he never has to. "C" is always there for that.

"K2" was the angel, mostly. She is my only granddaughter. She told her mom that she didn't want to come to papaw's house because of the big dog. Regular readers know that big dog is Malcolm, an 85 pound Boxer. By Saturday night, she was curled up on the floor in the bedroom, laying with and on Malcolm. She loved him by the time she left. She did get scared once or twice, but overcame that. Malcolm likes to play and can play very rough if he thinks you are up to it. He plays with my 18 month old grandson, and has since he was born. He plays gentle as necessary. The issue was when the kids would grab him and then run. This is a signal to Malcolm to play. He gives chase. They panic when they see him coming. They still need to learn to stop, and tell him "No". Oh yeah, they do understand the word when they use it.

It was K2's birthday on the Thursday before coming to the house. We got her a Birthday Cookie and a shirt, to which I affixed iron on transfers of Strawberry Shortcake. She loved both. We waited until A was picking them up, so she could join in the festivities.

It wasn't a bad weekend. It was just different in a harried sense. I am willing to do it all again ... in a few years ... lol.

The work week comes to an end

Friday has arrived.

I gave a safety test to all my classes. We have concentrated on being safe in the shop and in real life. The students are required to pass the test with at least an 80% to be able to work in the shop. Everyone passed eventually. If they didn't make at least an 80%, they have to retake the test until they can pass. There were a few that had to retake it.
On Thursday I got 4 new students in my afternoon classes. They are all from Estill Co. They are all young ladies. They took and retook the test, based soley on the handout I gave all my students, the day before. They did well, and better the second time.

Tonight will be karaoke.

Got yer seatbelt on ?

I was driving to work this morning when a news update report came on the radio. One of the local TV stations is owned by the same company as several of the local radio stations, so they give little snippets of the news to entice you to tune in. This morning there was a particular part of that report that grabbed my attention.

The story went like this:
"Two people were killed when their Honda Odyessy was hit by a semi on the interstate. The back half of the mini van was attached to the front of the semi. The front half was in the median. Both victims were wearing their seatbelts."

What ?!?!?!?

I am extremely sorry that two people were killed. It is never a joke when someone dies. That being said, however, I fail to see the significance of reporting that they were both wearing their seatbelts. Would it have been more tragic if they weren't wearing seatbelts? Is it going to give a measure of comfort to the grieving family to know they were wearing their seatbelts while being killed in a car accident? I am thinking that in a minivan/semi tussle, seatbelts are a moot point.

I wonder if they report it that way in Beruit ?

"A local suicide bomber destroyed a convenience store today when the bombs in his 92 Toyota Corolla exploded. Two pedestrians were killed. The bomber WAS wearing his seatbelt."

Sorry if you are offended or related to the victims. It just struck me as an odd commentary to a tragic tale.

Got yer seatbelt on ?

A cereal to help you get 'up' in the mornings

A few weeks ago, I saw an ad on TV that went like this:

A guy with a mic and a box of cereal approached a couple outside their home. The man has slumped shoulders and is apparently getting ready to leave for work. The Mic guy asks him if he would like to try this cereal the will give him more ( and he does an upward circular motion with his hand and arm) 'umph' in the morning.

"More 'umph' in the morning," the man queries.

"Yes," says the mic guy.

This week, I see another ad for the same cereal. Same actors. This time they are inside the house. The mic guy is asking if the cereal has made a difference. The previously slumping man is all smiles and has his chest out. "Yes," he says. He claims he has more (arms and hand in the circular motion upward) 'umph' in the morning. They are both sitting there with their fists in the air. The wife is beside the hubby, grinning and shaking her emphatically yes.

OK. Now we have an aphrodisiatic breakfast cereal ?

It is obvious the intent with all the fist in the air phallic symbolism what the intended message has to be. Add to that the wife, grinning for ear to ear a freshly screwed grin, and the conclusion is obvious.

I am not one of those people that sees sex everywhere. I didn't see dirty words in the clouds of which ever one of the Disney cartoons that supposedly had it there. I think it was the Loin King.

I am not sexually repressed and therefore seeing sexual messages in everything. This is blatant.

It is not one of the fruity, chocolatey, sugary cereals that are advertised for kids. It is an adult, come back the breakfast bowl, cereal.

Just what we need .. A new boner cereal.

Just thanks

Thanks to Mrs. Sweet for putting a love of reading deeper inside me.
Thanks to Mr. Martin Knox for letting me know that math can be fun.

Thanks to Mr. John Renfro for letting me play with my love of acting.

Thanks to all the other teachers that encouraged me along the way. You provided a base from which I could launch into my life.

I only pray that some day, some student looks back over his/her life and says a silent thanks for my efforts.

Backing from the precipice .. Another life changing moment

I was watching "Good Will Hunting" last night about 2 AM. There was the one scene when Damon and Driver were in the bed and she tells him she wants him to go to California with her, and he panics, freaks, and tells her that he does not love her (idiot). It reminded me of me.

During the first separation my Ex and I had, I began talking to a girl from Hawaii. Her name was Donna. She was still married, but she and hubby had discussed the divorce and were waiting until they had things in order to make the final separation and move. He knew we were talking and even talked with me a time or two.

One of the things that Donna and I discussed early on, was our respective marriages and the place we were in them. She encouraged me to try to make it work with my Ex. She wanted me to be sure I had exhausted all my efforts and would, therefore, have no "maybe I should haves" to interfere with subsequent relationships. Both of us were in vulnerable places. Both of us wanted desperately to have someone to love but didn't want to be in a position to be hurt again. I know the two are diametrically opposed. Part of being in love is putting your head and heart on the chopping block and handing that someone the executioners ax for safe keeping.

Another thing we discussed very early on, was a getaway. If, at anytime in the relationship (it was not a love relationship at the time), either of us wanted to stop it, we had the right, without a long arduous battle. Good-bye meant good-bye. It was our safety clause, so to speak.

Anyway .. back to the precipice .. or at least near it. Donna and I spoke often. There was a 6 hour time difference, so my late afternoon was her late morning. We talked for hours at a time thanks to calling cards where I could talk for 1 to 2 cents a minute. We grew closer. Her hubby even found me a job there in Hawaii. I could move there anytime I wished.

Donna made plans to fly to KY to meet me.

The Ex heard about this thru one of the daughters. She decided, upon hearing this news, that she wanted to discuss reconciliation. We talked and decided to give it another try. She insisted I call Donna while she was there to tell her good-bye. I did this. I broke her heart. True to our agreement, there was no prolonged conversation. It was short and not sweet at all.

Time passed and it was difficult. There was no intimacy between the Ex and I. She let me know, for the time being, she could not be intimate with me. ("time being" turned out to be 3 yrs and then we divorced) In part of that, I did hear from Donna. She was going thru with her plans to visit KY and would use that opportunity to tell me good-bye in person to allow us the closure we needed.

I met this beautiful fragile flower and spent the day showing her parts of my state. In the end, we did as she planned. We said good bye.

I had walked to the precipice and backed away. The tumultuous situation I knew was less fearful than the leap across into new territory. I panicked. After Donna and I said our tearful good-byes, and she was on her way back home, I realized the opportunity I had lost. I don't know if she and I would have been a forever love. I know, at the time, she touched my heart in places it yearned to be touched. I wouldn't go back now and make it different except to take away the pain of that one phone call. I could not live 4445 miles from my children, so, it is a moot point as to whether I would have ever moved there. I had a job offer there once before while I was still married years earlier.

It did change me. I have learned to be more trusting of my first instincts. I have learned that the consequences of not trying far exceed the consequences of trying and failing.

There were fears in my relationship with Tammy. I was afraid (and sometimes still am) that she will tire of me. I worry that the burden of taking care of me will become to burdensome some day. She assures me that will never happen. It would assuage my fears for the while, but they come back to nip at my heels from time to time.

Still, from this cliff, I did not back away. I ran. I jumped. I flew. I am still flying.

I want it

http://cgi.ebay.com/House-For-Sale-Home-Property-Lake-View-Land-Real-Estate_W0QQitemZ4389075193QQcategoryZ12605QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Can I borrow $1,375,000.00 from you ?

Just because it ain't broke ..

Tammy was reading a book about women that love too much. It spoke volumes to her concerning her past relationships. It explained to her many of her actions and/or decisions. It was not a cookie cutter book about her life, but it did shine a light in a few dark places.

She told me, after reading the book, that one of the things that scared her greatly about dating, or having a relationship with me, was that I didn't need to be fixed. Most of her other relationships (not that there were that many) were with men that needed fixing. She has a wounded bird syndrome. She needs to be fixing things. She can't help it. She is forever bringing home strays (and those aren't always animals.) She, and her children, are always adopting broken people. This is not always a good thing. It isn't always a bad thing. It is just a thing.

I scared her because I wasn't broken. I didn't seem to need any fixing. I was fully developed and mostly comfortable in my life.

(One of the strengthening factors of earlier age relationships is the process of growing together. We grow together, since neither party were fully developed individually. That is conversely the problem in secondary or late life relationships. The individuals are defined. Their differences are schisms rather than opportunities. They have had most of a lifetime to develop who they are. Differences are places of division instead of places of growth opportunity.)

I had my problems, believe that, but I didn't come looking for her to fix me. We have faced problems and situations that have tried us and they made us stronger together. That is what a relationship is about. Love grows stronger when it reaches across a difference. I do not propose that one looks for trouble to strengthen any relationship. Troubles will come on their own without any assistance from anyone. In those times, you will either bond or they will drive a wedge between you and your partner.

We have used our troubles to strengthen our resolve. We are more committed than ever to being together. However, being together for us, is not a chore, but a pleasure.

I still scare her. I still ain't looking for a fix. It is a good scare, though.

Life changes

One of the more recent of my life changes is Tammy.

After my divorce (after 20 yrs of marriage), I had decided that I really wasn't looking to be married anytime soon. My Ex swore that I would remarry quickly, because I didn't like to be alone. Part of that was me not liking to spend time with me. I wasn't comfortable with who I was anymore. Let me assure you, if you do not like yourself, you are going to be a miserable person. I really couldn't see sharing that misery with anyone else. (My ex was married within 4 months of the divorce.)

In spite of this, I did date. One of those dates developed into a relationship with a psycho. This gal was extremely jealous. She was jealous if I picked my kids up from the ex without her. She insisted on being present whenever I picked them up or dropped them off. On more than one occasion, she questioned my closeness (in standing proximity) to my Ex while talking about the kids. The Ex married an abusive man and I was there for her several times. This always got the best of her. Eventually, we parted ways, but not before I had to threaten to have her arrested if she didn't leave my place (long story). This was one year out.

After her, I met Alex. Alex is a great woman, who remains a great friend to this day. Alex lives in Florida. She would fly to see me. I would fly to see her. Eventually, distance and differences ended the romantic part of our relationship, but not before I came out of my box. I learned to begin liking myself.

Three more years and a couple relationships souring later, I met Tammy. She scared me. She was so easy to like. It was much easier to lose myself in her eyes. From the first time we really sat down and talked unto now, she has been easy to talk with.

I was at a place in my life where I needed to make changes. I was a floater. A floater is a person that is just drifting through life. That is where I was. Everything was okay in my life, but I wasn't making any impact or difference. I was a planet with no moon. I could drop off the planet and people would miss me, but there would be no significant impact. I had no roots. I was loved by my family and my children. They would grieve me, but for the most part, my passing would go unnoticed.

I was head over heels in love with Tammy, but I needed more. I needed promises. I needed commitment. I needed to be working on and towards something. I needed roots and stars. I needed something to tie me down to reality, to make the stars seem brighter. Without reality, dreams lose their definition. Without roots, goals are never obtainable. It wasn't Tammy that was going to be my roots. It was our unique and diversely special relationship. It was my willingness (finally) to become committed completely.

In the middle of my single years, I dated and lived with one particular woman. Even then, I kept my unused apartment in Lexington while living with her in another city. I couldn't let go of it. I couldn't commit fully. In mine and Tammy's relationship, I found the place where I could give my all to one person. I found my love. I found my heart and soul.

In the past forty months, my life has changed profoundly. I have a new wife and a new best friend. I have a new career which challenges and rewards me. I have 4 new children. I have a partner.

Profoundly changed.