Silver Liningness Sunday

Our summer ended with weeks of blistering heat followed by a hundred year flood.  This first week of fall has been much more stable and dreamier.  We also got our first snow on the Peak this week.

It actually snows up there year-round.  The summit of Pikes Peak really has its own separate climate from us lowlanders, but it's this first major covering that always gets people snapping pics.

Speaking of snapping pics, we finally got us a decent camera this week.  Magnum found a sweet online deal, and we snapped it up (get it?  "snapped" it up??).  It's a Canon EOS Rebel T3.  I personally haven't read many reviews or such because Magnum usually does that stuff before making a purchase.  It's like the way Burger King just builds wherever McDonald's does because McDonald's does all the market research.
Magnum is my McDonald's.

I need to learn how to use it yet.  Maybe I'll play around with it later today.  Toad photos anyone?

I finally got around to visiting another PEO chapter this week and plan to visit another soon.  Apparently, my name has made the list of People-To-Call-Because-They'll-Actually-Come-Visit-When-Invited.  My phone's been ringing crazily lately.

In movie news, we watched Side Effects, which I think I liked.  It was a bit creepy and disturbing involving evil people.  But there are several plot twists to hold the attention, and I'm happy to watch Jude Law do just about anything.

Wolfgang graced us with his presence for a while this weekend.  He needed a haircut, and I was happy to oblige.

And I finally got around to getting my eyes checked.  It's been about 5 years since my last prescription and I noticed having a bit of trouble seeing the board in class.  Turns out, my eyes haven't changed all that much.  Maybe the instructor just has messy writing?
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royal b*tch

Yesterday, I was leaving school after class.  I had a happy run in with Chaco, as he was on his way to a class near where the trusty Tessa was parked.  He actually stopped to chat a bit (it wasn't a heavily travelled area, no friends about to see him chatting with his mom).

It'd been a nice week, with the lighter tuting schedule and all.  It was a nice day out, too.  I was heading home to kick off the remainder of dumb Friday when this car came up behind me.  I could tell he was speeding, but figured he'd slow down because he had to.  

He ended up blowing past me and nearly sideswiping a car coming in the opposite direction.  He looked agitated, and in hindsight, I think he might have been lost and not realizing that he was on a university campus.  He was an oldish white-haired man.  After he sped past me, he had to abruptly stop to allow several student pedestrians to cross at a crosswalk, and this seemed to agitate him all the more.

Then he sped off, and I guess I'll never know his story.

And I was left feeling all, WTH?  He'd nearly ran me off the road, right in front of the upper classmen dorms - an area of shared roads for motorists and bicycles.

So I continued on home all razzum frazzum razzum frazzum...  

And when I got home, I was congratulated by my mapmyride app.

I've made Queen of the Mountain for one course that is part of my commute home.  The one that seemed out of reach.  At last.  I'd beaten my previous PR by 9 seconds, thus surpassing the previously long-reigning queen.  

I could say it was my superior conditioning and strategizing and hard work that pushed me up that hill, but I'm pretty sure it was the grumpy old driving man that fueled me.  

So, thank you Mr. Grumpy Road Hazard.  But, I still don't like him.

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at daycare

Sometimes it seems like a whole 'nother lifetime.  In a way, I suppose it was.

I perused the writing prompts over at Mama Kat's for this week, and nothing was really speaking to me, but then I went back to:

3.) It happened at daycare

I left my perfectly good job with my perfectly good bosses and perfectly good co-workers and perfectly good salary because I didn't like taking my kids to daycare.  Even though I also had a perfectly good daycare provider.  It just wasn't the same.

So I retired, and figured, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!  I opened up my little home daycare.

My perfectly good daycare provider was always in high demand, and she set me up right away with a few little clients and we were off.

A couple of times, one of the dads would give me a disposable camera when he dropped his son off and ask me to take a few pics during our day.  This was before digital cameras and cell phones - see it really was a lifetime ago!  He'd get the photos developed and get a set for me too.

So this prompt sent me looking for a few of those photos.

Hugs

Snacks

Laughter

Boogers

Funny pronunciations 

Diapers

Messes

Barney

Tears

More hugs

Putting on snowsuits

Taking off snowsuits

Juice cups, juice cups, more juice cups

Fun!

Naptime

Gratitude for naptime

Sweetness

Good times


It happened at daycare.  And now, they're all college boys.

When did that happen?
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Monday Morning Murder

The thing I found most unexpected was how quiet they were about it.  They made no sound, even as their victim kicked and screamed and protested.  They were perfectly silent.

I witnessed some domestic violence yesterday.  I know these things happen, but I'd never watched it unfold in real time like that.  It was different than on TV and in the movies.

The neighbors to our left are a large and friendly family.  So many live there that sometimes I lose track of them all.

Yesterday started like any other.  I was getting dressed when I heard some squabbling going on in the neighbor's back yard.  From my bedroom window, I can see partially into their yard, and as I glanced over, I saw that, indeed, one of the girls was arguing with a couple of the boys.

Now, this particular girl and her sister have never gotten along with those two boys.  But, they're all in the same family, and have just kept out of each other's way to keep the peace I suppose.  So I don't know what happened.  Someone overstepped the boundaries, clearly.

Next thing I knew, they were on her.  She never stood a chance.

Thoughts of,  "Yikes, should I call?  Ring the doorbell?  Alert the parents or someone?", but even as I thought those things, I knew it was too late for her.  Those boys, like I said, were so quiet.  Methodical as they worked as a team and did the deed .  My only hope was that it would be over quickly, for her sake.

And for my sake too, as I listened to her screams.

Later, I investigated to see if Meego knew about what happened.   He rides the school bus with one of the girls.

"So... I think the dogs killed one of the chickens next door...?", I prompted.

"Yeah, one of them got out of the coop or the dogs got in somehow", he confirmed.

It's actually not the first time there's been a murder over there.

But now I must deal inwardly with what I witnessed.

Chicken screams, I keep hearing them!
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Silver Liningness Sunday

I think today is the first day of fall.  Weather's been very nice this week.  I like fall, we should have a party.

I've been busier than I prefer with the back-to-school tuting season and my own back-to-school times.  After this past week, my schedule now includes more breathing room which is nice.    I've finished up with the latest crop of test prep students and am now down to just two:  Son of Cookie Lady and The Princess.

The Princess was originally supposed to be finished this week too, but reality ruled.  I had to be honest with her and her mom.  She wasn't ready, and there was just no point in her taking her college entrance test this weekend.

Then, I had this dilemma since I hadn't anticipated working with her beyond this week.  But it turns out she's "really connected with me" and didn't want to switch tutors.  We've managed to work a few sessions out.

It's all been good for her, though, and I've noticed her being more serious and less princess-like since the revelation.  Her questions to me are much more mature now and no longer of the, "What should I do if a really cute guy sits next to me at the test? *giggle*"  variety.  {my eyes rolling}.

In other news, Bella was in need of some new brake pads and general TLC after her week of fighting the rain and mud wars.  I remembered seeing this tip somewhere, and totally used it:

I don't need no stinkin' bike stand!  I've got an ironing board!  Worked like a charm.

Happy Autumnal Equinox - Season's Greetings!

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shoes to skin

I've decided to play along again for this week's Mama Kat Thursday, and I've chosen the prompt:

2.) Take a picture every hour and show us what a day in your life is like.

Even to this day, I've always liked books with pictures, so why not a blog post with pictures?

My day typically starts with some sort of exercise to get things moving and work out the kinks that take up residence overnight - either running or attempting to beef up my noodle arms.  This morning I went for a run.  And yes, this is a totally recycled photo from a post wondering why my running shoes  have reflectors on the tops of them.  

After a shower, breakfast, and send-off to Magnum to work and, now, the lone Meego to school, I go through the e-mail, check a few blogs, then I'm off to class.

Clear blue skies and dry, mud-free bike lanes to get me there.  Wheeeee!!

It's nice on campus in the morning hours with a few sleepy students shuffling around.  Especially on mornings when it's not pouring down rain.

I'm taking three classes, and the schedule is such that I'm (supposed to be) there each weekday.  My favorite class is my math class, which I guess is a good thing since I'm doing this to be a math teacher.  My teacher classes are pretty ho-hum.  It feels like I should've been able to "test out" of them since I've already had a decent pile of teaching experience, but I expect things to improve and am trying to be patient.

After class, I return home and have enough time to grab some lunch, get a bit of housewifery done, and get cleaned up for my next stop.  I usually indulge in a bit of recreational reading for reward after my morning in academia.  Here's my current book:

I just grabbed it from the "New Fiction" shelf at the library.  I'm still deciding if I like it or not.

After being nourished, cleaned up, and fictionally indulged, most afternoons, I head out to the funner part of my teaching classes.  Go play teacher, for about an hour, at either the elementary or middle school.

Elementary school

Middle school

Fifth grade math in Mr. H's class and 8th grade algebra in Mrs. D's class.

These days, except for dumb Fridays, I go tutor in the late afternoons or evenings.  I meet with my students in local study rooms. Here is the view as I waited for my tutee at the community college library.

That guy out there looks like he's working hard, but I think he was watching video of Miley Cyrus.

Finally, after class and tutin', it's home with the fam, which nowadays has more pets than people.  

Last night, we discovered that King Reese had grown out of his skin again.  As I rummaged around for the sheddings, Napolion figured it was all toys for him.  I think he's more monkey than cat.

There!  Eight pictures for eight hours.  

Okay, it was more than eight hours, so I didn't play by the exact rules, so dock my pay.  I was thinking that nobody wanted to see the dirty clothes I laundered and folded or the cat box I cleaned, among other things.

You're welcome.

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feels good!

The sun is out!  Could this be the beginning of the dry out?  Either way, I hung my shoes on the clothesline for some good sun exposure.  Those are my shoes from last Friday's ride to class.  They're still damp!  Camp Dry was no match.

It rained more all weekend and again yesterday, but not as hard.  This morning, I went out for a run and was so pleased to see stars.

As for our mini rainforest, the Fire Belly Toads have been quite busy.  They really do bark.  Sound like dogs.  I still have trouble telling them apart from one viewing to the next, but we know that at least one is male and one is female.  In addition to being Fire Belly Toads, they also seem to be... uhm... Horny Toads.

Meego wants babies, but I don't know where we'd put them.  He says we can put the tadpoles in the fish aquarium, but I know my zombie apocalypse fish would eat them.

So we shot a little video action.  Please note that we didn't intend to shoot a porno!  We actually just wanted to film them barking, but they had other things in mind.  Nature's way and all that.







It seems that everyone in the household is happy it's stopped raining.

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