raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

You know how, when you're laid up sick in bed, and you're all, "Oh man, I'll not take being unsick for granted again", and then you're healthy again for a few days and finding other stuff to whine about? 

Well, NOT ME!  I'm happy to be back among the living, and it's all good.

Whatever I had, I'm not sure if it was the flu or what.  It knocked me off the earth for a couple of days, but then I got better relatively quickly, so who knows?  But I figure I should count my blessings.  Here are Five Most Recent Favorite Things (in no particular order):

My commute.  
Y'all remember a few years back I actually consulted a bit with a life coach?  Part of that process involved me finding my passions or something like that.  I remember going to a site and answering several questions which then ranked things that I'm passionate about.  Apparently. 

Turns out, one of my biggest passions is efficiency.  I don't like waste.  Of anything:  money, things, talent, time... In fact, that's probably why I consulted with a life coach in the first place "I'm spinning my wheels here, times-a-wasting!"

Anyhoo, this is why my work commute is an important deciding factor for me.  And if I can commute on my bicycle or walk, well then! Fun transportation is not a waste! Currently, I can do either.  My job is about a 30-minute walk or 20-minute bike ride from my house 😊😊


My parka.
On the commute note, it's quite cold this week.  Doesn't bother me none!
About 18 years ago, I got a nice parka from Cabela's.  I was preggars with Meego and liked to go for daily waddles.  When I got too big for my own jacket, I started wearing Magnum's.  He got me the Cabela's parka - complete with adjustable waist - saying I "deserved it", which really probably meant, "stop wearing my jacket".
I can't believe I still have it, but it's the warmest thing ever!


My coworkers.
They're a fun bunch.  We manage to avoid a lot of drama we hear about from other kitchens.  We do have one guy who works with us too.  Joe.  Nice guy.  He doesn't say a whole lot, but I've concluded that it's not because he's shy.  It's just a smart tactic he's figured out.


Watching the Olympics.
It's hard to not get caught up in the Olympic spirit.  And if you're riding the couch with the flu, it doesn't take much effort. Today, I was feeling a bit sad that they'll be over in a few days.  But then, if they were on all the time, they wouldn't be special.


My Kindle.
Chaco talked me into getting one a few months ago.  I still like to read physical books, but I can just download them to my Kindle easily and quickly from the library and carry them around without all that bulk.  Damn efficient. 

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Linking up with Mama Kat for the prompt:
4. List your five most recent favorite things

seventhreesixtyfive

Is it just me, or have the months been flying by lately?  Is this an old age thing?  Either way it's the last day of November already.  Last week (wasn't it??) when the month just started, Terri commented:

"I hope when you've finished the month, you'll write about the pros and cons of daily blogging."

Gosh, there's a thought that I never really thought of, but probably should have.

It was over a year ago that I decided to try blogging every day for one month.  This was mostly a result from my sessions with Life Coach - I agreed to do it for homework.  Once I accomplished that, I decided to try to keep it up for another month, and so on... and so on... and so...  We're still alive, a year later.

First, let's think.  The cons:

• low wages
• no medical plan
• no sick days

In my eyes, the pros greatly outweigh the cons.   The pros:

• challenges me, in a good way
• forces me to be more observant every day
• (usually) keeps me from getting bored
• HOPEFULLY keeps me from getting boring
• helps me to regularly keep up with blog friends, old and new
• more fun than housework

At first, what kept me going was that I didn't want to have to tell Life Coach that I didn't make it, and I couldn't lie to her either.  By the time I'd done it for a month, it had become a habit.  I wasn't sure I'd make it through a year, though.    If my foggy memory serves, I recall blogging through, the zombie flu, last year's holidays, a bad foot, Comic Con, vacation corn, the city burning, meeting ShadowRun300, test season, college visits, and several other distractions.

At this season of my life, while I'm still waiting to be what I will when I grow up after I work myself out of the mom/tutor/Xtreme crossing guard job, blogging has been a nice place to hang out.

I'm grateful for Magnum who brings home the lion's share of the wages, so I can work part-time.  I'm grateful to all of the visitors to the blog, for the comments and stories!  I wouldn't do it withoutcha!!  Thank you!

And so...



I jumped in for another month.  As always, it's not like I'll fall into a boiling pit of lava if I don't make it.

 "NaBloPoMo is what you make of it. At its core, all you need to do is post daily on your blog. The point of NaBloPoMo is not to be restricted by the theme, but instead to either take it or leave it. If you'll do better blogging every day based on what's happening in your world, throw aside the daily prompts"

Ramblingly yours,
Abby
XOXOXO

the pursuit

"If it wasn't for Art, I wouldn't go to school."

A high school student submitted that as his essay on his standardized college entrance test.  The writing prompt asked him to argue either for sports or arts funding for schools.  That's his essay in its entirety.  All one sentence of it.

I like it. 

He actually received a score of 2 out of 6.  He addressed the topic (more or less), took a position (more or less), and it was legible. 

Some tutor cohorts and I were discussing essays on standardized tests and how to discern between those who just don't have the smarts and those who are "bright non-conformists".

I say I like the essay because, as  a test prep teacher and tutor I've read many essays that have droned on and on in shameful attempts to kiss essay grader butt.  This one-sentence wonder actually showed more passion than many of those. 

I say I like it, but if he were a student of mine, I would have to try to coach him to write what the test makers want him to write.  That's just the way it is if the aim is to get a good score on the test.

I probably wouldn't have him as a student though, because I suspect that he may in fact be a "bright non-conformist".  I've had bright students and I've had non-conformist students, but never bright non-conformist students.  I think that's because bright non-conformists know that they don't need tutors.


Admittedly, much of my waking life is spent conforming or trying to get others to conform.   I didn't really even realize this until I did the life coach thing.   Much of my tutoring is to help people do well on standardized tests. In addition, I'm a freaking crossing guard! 

One of the things my coach and I discussed was "Where is all this artwork coming from?!"  I honestly did not know during my pre-coach ennui.  I guess it was just an outlet for the non-conformist side of my brain - my way of, literally, coloring outside the lines.  I still need the other side though.  I wouldn't be satisfied in submitting a one-sentence essay. 

Sometimes I wonder about Mr. One-Sentence.  Where is he today?

Starving or the next Steve Jobs?
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what I needed

Yesterday, I was doing my weekly school staff e-mail purge.  As I was mass deleting, I came across something that stopped me up short.

One of the teachers had e-mailed an apology for a previous e-mail, which I then had to dig for.  The original e-mail was a note having to do with a change in scheduling.  It was laced with phrases like "even though no one will read this.." and "not that anybody cares...", etc.

In her follow up e-mail, she apologized for being unprofessional, but didn't apologize for her reasons.  She brought up the apathy, the lack of teamwork, the cliqueishness, the back stabbing, the gossip...

I used to be a teacher's aid at the school and I know exactly what she was talking about.

*background time* 
About 4 years ago, I began teaching for a test preparation company.   I had great mentors and coworkers, and the morale was high.  In addition, I found that I really enjoyed being a teacher.

The downside (why is there always a downside?) was that the nature of our classes was such that I was working a lot of evenings and weekends.  I knew I needed to change things when my TEENAGED kids were complaining that I wasn't around enough to do stuff with.  Plus, I didn't like missing their extracurriculars. 
 
Early last year, I put my feelers out for something more accomodating and that's how I became an X-treme crossing guard.  Shortly after that, the vice principal told me of a part-time opening for a teacher's aid, would I like that job too?  Yes, sure, great!  Problem solved.

Last year at this time, I was doing that job.  And hating it. 

I couldn't quite figure it out.  I liked all of the people at the school.  I enjoyed the kids I worked with.  The hours were perfect.  The commute was practically nonexistent.  But...

I never really felt that it made any difference whether I showed up or not.

That job shattered my visions of becoming a licensed teacher.  At the time, I was seriously looking into a  program at a local university to get my teaching license, but I stopped the whole process.

When the principal told me they wanted me to return for this school year, I was surprised.  I honestly thought the position would go away amid budget cuts.  I contemplated for a few weeks and then resigned over the summer.  That was the first job I'd ever left simply because I just didn't like it, and it was difficult for me to "quit".  But I just felt that the position was redundant while being funded by taxpayer dollars.  I couldn't continue.

Now I'm an independent tutor for a tutor matching service.  I'm still an X-treme crossing guard, and I've had a couple months of insightful coaching.  Aaah,  life is better.

I don't think I've revealed this on the blog before now, but it was THAT whole experience that pushed me off the edge and lead me to a life coach.  What I thought was a logical and good plan was totally foiled by that 4-months-and-3-days (but who was counting) part-time job!

Reading that e-mail yesterday helped me out a lot.  It validated my frustrations and let me know that I wasn't the only one who was dissatisfied.    I am still confused about how the sum of so many good individuals could add up to such a lesser whole, but it did. 

I sent that teacher a short reply, thanking her for putting herself out there like that.  She e-mailed me back and said that others had thanked her too.

What are you dealing with, and thinking you're the only one?  I'd bet a 4-months-and-3-days part-time salary that you're not.
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fair of face

I like Mondays.  There I said it. 

One of the things my coach and I discussed was the generally popular "TGIF" mentality and its counterpart, the "Monday blahs" mentality.  I know that if I'm feeling that way, I should be doing something else. 

There's nothing wrong with looking forward to the weekends, but when it's fueled mainly by a loathing of the weekdays, then something is wrong. 

I'm happy that it's Monday.  Even when I ran out of hot water in the shower.
Wolfgang is very hygenic.

Even when the winchill computes to 9 degrees during crossing guard morning.
My parka is a valuable possession.

Even when I saw that the snowplow took a dump right in the middle of the kids' walking path

niiiiiiiice...

as seen from the approach

At least we have a path... that someone  *COUGH*  plows.

Plus,  I am now able to share photos from my phone, unlike the vacation trip where no one had a camera.






Even when my Monday tutor student was really REALLY loud.
He's happy to see me. 

Even when China barfed in her crate.
It wonderfully fed my strange cleaning binge I've been on the last few days.  Seriously, if I didn't know better, I'd think I was going to give birth this week (but I know better).  And now China's crate is absolutely pristine. 

Even when Chaco hit me up at the last minute for cash.
It's for a bowling team party.

Yes.  I.  Like.  Mondays.  

How was your Monday?
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beginning of the end

Magnum and I were out for our Old Folk's walk last night.  I asked him if he had any New Year's resolutions.

"I've got [that financial thing]", he replied, ponderingly, "and that [other financial thing].  You?"

"Nah, *sigh* not really.  Got any suggestions?", with great expectation.

"Nope, you're perfect", he replied a little too quickly.

"Ah, c'mon, I can take it!"

Then he went on to make a couple of good suggestions from the professional realm that are along the same lines as what I was discussing with my coach.  Things I was planning to do anyway, but I just needed to get specific.  So now they're specific and I'll write them down and do them.

I also signed up for another  month of NaBloPoMo.  Go ahead and click the image and you too can be part of the fray!

The theme is "Beginnings" so what's not to like about that?  Just commit to blogging EVERY day of the month, and read some of the others' stuff.  I figure if I made it through December - despite the holidays and the flu - I can do a January!

I'm also thinking of resurrecting the old running blog.  When I had it before, I met a few other zealots and we would keep each other motivated and blog about exciting things like new shoes and mud. 

I miss that sometimes...

What do you have in the works??

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Silver Liningness

Happy Sunday and time for a little silver liningness of the week just past.  First of all, though, yesterday was ridiculously windy around here.  If I believed there was an actual place as hell (which I don't),  I'd say that along with the fires, there's obnoxious wind there too.  BUT, in true silver liningness form... our yard doesn't have as many leaves needing raking anymore :).

And despite the hellacious winds, we went to an Air Force football game yesterday.  It was sunny out and not particularly cold.  Disappointingly, because of the high winds, the fly-overs were cancelled.  And the live falcon demonstration which usually looks like the image on the left was replaced by a substitute live falcon demonstration, featuring the "live falcon" on the right.  It was silly stupid fun, and I for one have a deep appreciation for silly stupid fun.  (Note:  I don't particularly care for watching football or sports in general, I go to these things for the sideshows.).

I got out my yoga mat this week for the first time in a long time.  Oh... I attempted some yoga with it too.  It's been a while.  And I'm reading a book recommended by the get-a-life coach.  Our library had it and it's a pretty good book to ponder, so I'm thankful for both the coach and the library. 

Ms. Coach also turned me onto this channel. It was vaguely familiar, but I'd never watched any of the presentations before, and I've learned that there are several worth watching.  I was watching one last night, thinking myself all in-the-know, when Wolfgang the 11th grader noted that one of his classes watches presentations from this channel quite frequently.   Okay, so I'm as in-the-know as an 11th grader.  I'll take it.

We watched a nice movie too.  Little Big Soldier wasn't really what I expected it to be.  First of all, it's Jackie Chan.  Also, it's in Mandarin Chinese, so there's reading required, which doesn't bother me.  I expected just goofiness and some older-Jackie-Chan martial arts stuff, and there was that, but it's also a very touching story.  And the scenery of ancient China is beautiful.  Go see!
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