Happiness is...

...finding out that something you're REALLY upset about is not what you thought it was. I have just discovered, much to my surprise,that UNF and the school system DO have the same dates for Spring Break...March 20-24.

TENNESSEE, HERE I COME!!! Kate, hope these dates will work out ok for you, seeing as this was the plan I originally was looking at.

But YAY! Somebody pinch me if this is not for real, something is ACTUALLY working out for me. Maybe 2006 isn't gonna be such a bad year after all...

Dead For Five Days

Sometimes I feel like the character in this story. Particularly, I'm feeling that way tonight. I know the tale, even in all its variations, is pretty morbid. But really, don't you ever wonder if anyone would notice if you died at your desk? Or do you wonder if anyone would notice if you suddenly dropped off the face of the internet? Or the earth?

I'm beginning to wonder who would notice if I did. Granted, I know there are some people out there who would...

..but I doubt there are all that many. I guess it's about the quantity, not the quality...

...but that isn't very comforting at the moment. Just a thought, anyway.

Welcome to the Land of Ridiculous

Ok, so I've been trying my hardest to plan a week trip to see Kate. Despite the entire summer off, Kate doesn't have any PTO during the summer, so I've been attempting alternate arrangements. One of the most plausible alternate arrangements is for me to go during school spring break.

Well, unfortunately, the college doesn't coordinate spring break with the school system. Idiots. So I figure hey, I've had this one professor, I'm certain she will accomadate me. And the other class is only a once a weeker, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Wrong. This lame professor seems to think that, despite the fact I'm spending a wealth of money to pay her and the college to educate me, that she needs to further encourage me to attend class by implementing riduculous attendance policies. She's giving us one "free" day off. but she won't accept our homework if we're out. But it gets BETTER. If we miss more than one (i.e. TWO or more) classes, we begin losing a letter grade EVERY TIME we miss a class (so say I go to see Kate for a week, then get the Typhoid fever and miss another class, I can then get NO HIGHER than a B regardless of my classwork).

Does this strike anyone else as ridiculous, or is it just me? And I know the chances of me getting sick and missing a class other than the one I'd need for my sanity vacation, but this strigent of an attendance policy drives me mad. I NEVER MISS CLASS. I think I'm entitled to some leniency, sheesh. I paid the college twice what an undergraduate pays to get into this undergraduate class, SO I THINK SOMEONE OWES ME AN EXTRA DAY OFF JUST IN CASE I NEED IT.

Providing a Future and a Hope

Leaving my two-year olds at Isle of Faith CDC was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. That was yesterday; I don't think it will really hit them til today that I am not there, and even later that I am not coming back...

...at least not to teach them fulltime. I will probably substitute at the preschool some over the course of the summer.

But I met my kindergartners--or at least 8 of the 9, today. I've got rather high functioning children with autism for the most part, but there are some major challenges. First of all, there are tons of things I'd like to do to hopefully enhance the classroom environment and learning. And can anyone say BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION??? At least one of these kids SERIOUSLY needs it, and I'm going to become one of his least favored people starting Monday, cause he is GOING TO LEARN HOW TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. No, Ms. H does see his autism as an excuse. The kid is smart, he is WELL AWARE that "hey, if I act out, people are going to yell at me and chase me and pay attention to me."

So it is time for some perks and reinforcers and all that nice stuff. Stuff that he really WANTS to get, that he will only get if he does what he's supposed to be doing. I have hopes for these kids, and I'm going to push them. And love them while I'm doing it.

And NOBODY better ever suggest to me that children with autism can't be affectionate. Usually their minds are just speeding so fast they can't STOP to be affectionate...it's a small brush, a sudden hug, a smile. You have to be looking for it...

...but it's there.

Anyway, I'm beat. But I think I'm going to love every minute of it. And check out this link for info on Autism.

Computer Wars

The worst thing that has happened to us here at home since Dad has been working in New Orleans are continual computer problems. Mine is doing ok, excepting my video card is about to "bork", as Kate always says. Mom and Dad's PC has not been as stable, however. The old hard drive, after having to be babied to turn on for months, finally died. So Dad bought a new hard drive and tried to put the computer together on a visit home. He didn't finished, had problems with Windows x64 Professional, and so forth.

More computer issues. More glitches. And now the "new" hard drive on the rent's PC is also borking. I don't think it's ever been right. But the reason this REALLY sucks is that Mom ends up using MY computer. Now, I love to share stuff...

...BUT NOT MY PC. I mean, it seems like, though I'm certain it's unintentional, that she wants to use my computer at the most inoppportune times. Granted, maybe this is because I am frequently ON the computer, making no particular time very good. Then there is the continual promise that "I'm almost done."

Yeeeah, right. And I'm almost 6 feet. :P

And now that school will be starting again, and I'm getting a new job starting Wednesday, I'm REALLY going to need my computer. Let's hope I have more success sharing it as necessary when this all comes to pass. And let's hope the school board gives me a laptop like I think they are going to.

And soon. :)

Computer wars are not fun. And when I live under my parent's roof, I'm not destined to win them anyway!

My Dog the Escape Artist

Ok, so part of the daily morning routine is letting the dog out before I leave for work, then letting her back inside. She is nearly 14 years old and does not care for staying out alone anymore as she did as a puppy.

So what did I do this morning? I let her out. And that was it. Nothing futher was thought of til my grandmother called Mom at work, frantic about our dog being on the corner of a busy road near our house (her tags have both our number and my grandmother's. Apparently the lady called here and got no one, so tried the second number as well).

So my poor dog, who doesn't even CARE to be outside, who is getting really pretty old in dog years, spent a large majority of the day wandering the streets near our house. She crossed the road several times, and apparently got desperate enough that she ran into someone's garage for safety when it was opening. That is the person who called us and said she'd found the dog.

Thank God for honest people. And thank goodness the dog is okay. I've had her since the summer before my eighth grade year, and she was my house companion through two major foot surgeries. She sleeps on the floor of my room by my bed every evening, and loves tennis balls. She's getting up in years, and I dread losing her. And Lord knows I don't want to lose her cause I was stupid and let her outside...all day.

IN OTHER NEWS: I get to go complete my paperwork and get into the Duval County database on Monday afternoon. I'll find out how much I'm worth and pick out my insurance plans. My last day at the preschool is Tuesday (and they still don't know who will take over the lead postion in my room). I start work on Wednesday, work on Thursday, then have my first two holidays on Friday and Monday. Life is good.

And the dog is safe.