Friday, March 30, 2007

End of another week

Monday was an inservice day, totally boring. I ran home at about 10:30 to get the dog door installed. In the meantime Dad and Ben went over to Mimi's house and picked up my fridge from the Misty Hollow house and bring it to 711D where the Mother of all Garage Sales is being planned for the 3rd weekend in April.

Sabrina may now run in and out of the house willy nilly.

I've had a massive headache all week. I took Wednesday off. I did call all of the people on my list to interview. Now I just have to field all the return calls. I had an interview late Wed. Stayed home today, and I got three more interviews done, but I had a headache all day so it was ok.

I got a phone call today reminding me I foolishly agreed to work the Science UIL contest tomorrow. I'm also working the Hi-lites dance tomorrow night.

I'm sick of this crappy weather. I think that is why I've had such a headache all week. I wish I could be charming and witty, but I got nothing in me. Maybe next time.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

The latest

So Thursday afternoon I started getting a massive headache. My 8th period kids were so sweet. They were quiet as church mice. By the time I got home I took more headache pills and some Benadryl.

I started feeling better but realized after I stood up that I was quite loopy. I went into the kitchen to check on Sabrina. I leaned down and her sorry butt jumped up and wacked into my head. She gave me a black eye. The kids said that I was making it sound worse than it was but my eye is swollen and I do have a bruise. Hard headed dog.

I am feeling the stress of trying to finish the yearbook, work on The Book and work on the house. I met the editors at school this morning to try to get more of the book done. I mowed the lawn, worked on the breakfast room floor some more and haven't quite gotten around to working on The Book.

Tomorrow shall be book day. Oh, and laundry day.
Look, isn't she the cutest thing ever. And so dang big! She is getting better about walking without attacking my shoelaces.

We went walking along Swiss Avenue and met up with Hank the Labrador. I think he actually hangs out waiting for playmates to come by. So he and Sabrina played like fools for a while before we continued on our walk.

I took a photo of the bathroom floor of the apartment in NYC Kendall and I went by. I want that floor for my master bath.

I got some photos of Lincoln Center as the snow fell after the opera. It was beautiful (The opera and the snow).

I took another photo as we were walking by NYU.

Last but not least, I have included a photo of my very cool swing. I need to prime and paint it. Hopefully, I'll do that this week some time. I just hate to limit swing time.





Monday, March 19, 2007

The end of my travels for now

Back from NYC. Lots of fun, but I was exhausted before I even left town. Weird weather. Flip flops the first day. Rained the second day. Snowed the third day. Late in the day it was ice slashing down onto our faces. Saturday it was piles of snow melting making large puddles that required leaps to cross. It was almost more than I could bear.

On the upside, we got to do a little shopping, hang with the cousins, see an opera at the Met, and I found a rug shop. The prices were really good, so I am hoping to be able to work on that after I pay my many bills.

This morning I let the hellion out back. Went out back to check on her and she finally showed after calling her a bunch of times. Then I went out the front door to head off to school. Caught a glass of a very cute black puppy racing from around the side of the house . . . darn dog had found a break between the fence and the house. I have now blocked it up with bricks. Hopefully they will do the trick.

School was crazy busy.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Caffeine late in the day . . .

is always a mistake. Why, oh why, do I do that to myself. If I had my stupid calling card, I could just call MB. I know she's up cause it's the middle of the day over there.

Well, let's catch everyone up on the exciting life and times of edp.

Got back from the happiest place on Earth Saturday evening. We arrived at the airport only to find that our flight had been cancelled. Luckily, we were there early enough to get on an earlier flight. Our luggage even managed to get on the plane.

We arrived and poor Barry had left the light on in his car so his battery had died. Got him jumped and then headed home.

Diane had left the hellion at my house earlier in the day, so she and Cat were there to greet me when I arrived.

Sunday Mom and Dad came over. They helped me get the teaster off the hallway floor and on top of the four posters, and we put together and hung the swing for my front porch!! It is awesome. I'll take pictures asap and get them online for everyone to see. Sunday afternoon my neighbor Emily and I went to Whole Foods got some snacks for the neighborhood and had a porch party to break in the new swing. Diane came over and we hung out for a couple of hours.

Monday began my crazy two days of trying to get everything done before going out of town again. I had scheduled a lunch to meet my new research assistant for the book. Christine. She was great, so I feel much better about the situation. I met with Shawn to work on the spread designs, and he graciously suggested we meet weekly to make sure we are on top of things. He is so awesome. The book is going to look amazing because he is an incredible designer.

I started calling Hall of Famers on Monday to schedule appts. One of them wanted to do it Tuesday. Yikes. So I had the first interview that the lady actually cancelled half way through cause she was on medicine that made her loopy and the second one that I realized about half way in wasn't videotaping, so I only have half of it recorded. Grrrr.

I got a couple more scheduled for two weeks out, and I need to get busy calling everyone else.

Before leaving this morning for New York I did manage to get the sheets on the bed changed, the house cleaned and the laundry done. I think the pipes to the alley will all be replaced with the lawn mostly back to the way it was by the time I return. It is very muddy. I should have gotten a photo of the kitchen after Sabrina came back inside last night. I had to bath her and then mop down the kitchen.

We arrived in NYC at about 4 or so this afternoon. I had a coke with dinner which is why I am now sitting in a very dark hotel room typing away. Everyone else is asleep (Diane, Merrill and Kendall).

We walked from about 6th street and 7th ave to East of 5th and 32nd. My feet are a little uncomfortable cause I was wearing flip flops but the weather is awesome today. I hear it may snow Friday. Of course. In the meantime, our hotel is on the boiler system which means no air conditioning because they are still set up for heat. I brought my flannel pj's (fool that I am), but I'm wearing a t-shirt and yoga pants tonight. We have the windows open (thank heavens they function), but there is constructioning going on right below us, so it is quite noisy.

There was a really cute store by the hotel that had hair bands. I got a couple because these don't hurt my head. In the world of headbands, I am a fat head. Really fat. Painfully. When I find some that don't hurt, it's a really good idea to get them!

Tomorrow we are going to head up to Columbia for the convention. We have plans to meet up with Blair, Pascal and Laura. I think one of Harry's boys might be there too, but I can't remember which one. Friday night we are going to the opera!! It will be the first one for the other three, La Traviata, so I'm really excited to be taking them. Mom if you read this, call and tell me the one sentence summary from your book. Those always crack me up.

Internet access has been spotty, but I'll try to get on and update tomorrow. If any one gets the chance between about noon and 2pm to get online - go to Highstone pet lodge in Dallas and see if you see Sabrina playing on the puppy cam.

I'm going to go play solitaire now . . .

Monday, March 12, 2007

A good book

I'm watching Good morning, Texas and my neighbor Gary is interviewing Martha Raddatz. She wrote a book The Long Road Home, a story of war and family. It sounds amazing. I think the primary subject is the very beginning of all out fighting. Not political, but what actually happened.

I'm trying to get my act together, but it started raining during the night and I woke with a massive headache. I hate that.

Friday, March 9, 2007

The Posting of The List

It's the Friday before spring break, so the list of next year's staff has been posted! Very exciting stuff. I think the outgoing seniors did a great job choosing staff, and, in the process, they made some very difficult decisions. As always, I'm impressed with the thought that they put into each decision. There are definitely some surprises, but I think they have done a great job. They actually pulled a girl aside and told her early she didn't get the position she thought she was getting. I think the problem with thinking a position is a foregone conclusion is that you don't work as hard to make sure you get the position.

I wish I could see some of the girls faces when they see what they got. I know they will be so very excited!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Freaking phones

I was in the middle of talking to my sister, Fran when the phone went dead. Now it just keeps making that weird noise when I try to dial. Tried to send a text wouldn't work. I am not feeling very happy in the happiest place on Earth when the world's cellular technology is working against me. This is totally frustrating. GRRRRRR. In fact, it won't let me call anyone.

Photos I've meant to post

It's hard to tell, but I was trying to get a photo showing how brown the sky looked that day. It was the Dallas dust storm. I left the back door open and there was a layer of dirt on the washer and dryer.

At the Austin Leadership Conference I got some pictures. Susan is on the left, and she is the counselor at the middle school. My friend, Kristen Toney, is in the middle. She lives in Bordeaux Village and teaches Computer classes at school. Marilyn is on the right. She is goofy as all get out, but very sweet.

Hopefully you recognize me, Skip, one of the asst principals at the middle school and leader of the Europe trip I'm going on this summer. On the right is Lisa, the freshman English teacher I work with.

The kids were so sweet for my bday. I managed to get pictures of the flowers they gave me andthe bday cookies.

Haven't blogged in a while

Sorry, been a little busy. Overwhelmed, stressed out. the usual.

Sabrina went to the vet about a week ago. She is healthy, happy and 27 lbs at 15 weeks. The doctor thinks she'll be about 60lbs. Totally adorable, but a hellion.

Went to book club. We had read The Tender Bar. It was ok, but not my favorite. It was at a parent's house that was built about 1920, prairie style (just 3 times bigger than mine). The best part was that I loved the paint colors. So, I'm getting more ideas for colors. I've been looking at sedate colors, I may be brightening things up a bit!

Last Wednesday, things started getting really busy because I had to get Eva and all of her stuff together, so that she could visit her grandparents. Mom and Dad are much more willing (OK, Mom, Dad still cracks inappropriate jokes about letting her out the gate) to watch Eva now that she is the slowest moving dog in Dallas.

Mom and I met at NorthPark where we had mother/daughter eye brow waxing appts. Sweet, I know, but our eyes did look lovely when we left.

I dropped the hellion off at HighStone Pet Lodge. I chose that place because they had the doggie cam ( 8-4 you could watch the dogs play on the Internet). Of course, it didn't work at all while the hellion was there.

I drove down to a Leadership Conference in Austin. A van went down, but there wouldn't have been enough room for Lisa (the other English teacher I work with that was going), so I drove. We ended up going to her house to drop her car off, then to pick up her daughter to drop her off in Belton on the way to spend the weekend with her grandmother. Lots of surprises.

The conference was good. A little stressful at times, some people were a little annoying and none of it was helped by the onset of PMS. We got back on Sunday, and I immediately started working on laundry.

Sabrina was very excited to see me, although I'm not sure they fed her enough. I don't think they realized just how much she eats.

I went to dinner with a friend and that was a disaster. Should have just kept my dumb cranky butt home. Oh well, live and learn.

Monday morning began the insanity of yearbook drama.

Second period a girl submitted her "withdrawal of application" for next year. Very surprising, but ok. Then sixth period, her little friend submitted the same thing. Couldn't get anything out of either one. Just that they were "past yearbook". One said that she is a perfectionist and just "didn't want to be a part of something that was going to have so many mistakes" The other said that "she didn't want to get a top position and then have to work with someone she didn't think was as good as she is". OK, they need to be doing other things.

Tuesday, neither one was in class. I thought they just were embarrassed and skipping for a day. One of the kids looked up their schedules and discovered neither is even in yearbook any more. WHAT???

So, I go down to the counseling office and find the first counselor and asking her what is going on. Fairly politely I thought. Certainly my distress was evident, but I didn't call her the incompetent twit that I wanted to. I didn't ask her if she was so stupid she really thought it was ok to drop a kid from the middle of the 5th six weeks without talking to the teacher. I was . . . abrupt perhaps.

At any rate, two different counselors moved two different girls out of a production class in the middle of the semester WITHOUT the permission of the Asst principal, just cause. Seriously, what were they thinking?????

Towards the end of 6th period, I grabbed the two girls out of the classes they were in, took them to an office, (wisely, got an assistant to sit in on the convo) and told them how shocked and disappointed I was that they did that.

Tuesday night I get a call from one of my sweet editor-in-chiefs warning me that one of the girls appears to be calling around trying to find out if I've said mean stuff about her etc.

Wednesday morning, I drop Sabrina off at my friend Diane's. She foolishly agreed to watch the hellion. At least it's less embarrassing when I call her four times a day to check on the dog. The lodge place sounded like they were getting tired of talking to me.

Once at school, I find the principal and tell him, although the good news is that I haven't done anything wrong, the bad news is that I was going out of town in less than 8 hours and it looked like the dirty poopy might be hitting the fanny wanny. He was really upset that they were allowed to drop, and he said that they would be returning to class.

Sure enough, girls mother starts calling the principal, me, etc etc saying that she doesn't want things to get out of hand, but sending emails to other teachers "vilifying me" according to one of the teachers. Hmmm

Once again, if I didn't have a really strong reputation of telling the truth, this woman would be doing a pretty good job of tarnishing my character.

The asst principal spoke with me right before 8th and said that we would probably have a meeting with the girls, their parents, the principal and her and me when we get back. Sounds like fun. Can't wait.

Right after 8th, I was gathering up my things to head to the airport with the video tech group for their convention at the DisneyLand Hotel.

Oh, did I mention in the meantime that there were 8 million pages to proof before I left, I was trying to get stuff done on the book, and as always I had stuff to grade. Did not have time for all of this stupid drama.

THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE

I'm going to have to backtrack later and tell you about the last four days, however I received a phone call this morning from citibank credit card asking about suspicious charges. 1200 victoria secrets, 700 victoria secrets etc. Some sorry bugger stole my number. So, I am now sitting in the DisneyLand Hotel (the happiest place on Earth, thank you very much) without any money because this week was so awful, I never had a chance to go to the bank and get cash for this trip. Unfreaking believable. I'm not feeling very happy.