Random Comments

I know I haven't written for a long time, and this is by no means going to be a great entry, but I did just want to make a couple of comments in between grading and lesson planning.

Squirrels in the country are cute. Squirrels in the city are really only rats with bushy tails, and you start to think that they would willingly attack you as they stare you down with their beady little eyes.

I understand why sometimes people aren't friendly in the city. I was taking a walk down the street on a lovely day and warmly smiled at the people I met and inquired how they were doing. After a few encounters, I decided that I no longer wanted to be friendly, there are only so many times you can hear,"Fine, how you feeling, baby," until you feel intimidated and a little bit cheap.

Crap happens everywhere. Sure someone got carjacked at gunpoint in my parking lot in broad daylight, but punk kids could have done that anywhere. Besides, the news will always try to make things more scandalous. Mom assures me that it would hurt to get shot with a pellet gun, but the news never mentioned the pellet part. I am left without changing my habits all that much.

For those who are more in the know about my present situation, I am happy to report that I now have both a desk (OH, blessed day) and computers for my technology class. I have come a long way from the first day when my only technology - an overhead - couldn't work because I didn't have an adaptor to go from 3 prong to 2 prong plug in. But, on a funny note, the day I finally got all the laptops in my room, I blew a fuse plugging in all of the laptops, so everything was out - laptops, overhead.

The stories keep rolling in. Sometimes I just have to shake my head. For example, the other day we finally got the bell system up and running (prior to this we just kind of watched the clock and tried to end at the proper time). I was in the office when they were setting the bell system. While I was in there, I decided to suggest that they put a five minute warning bell before the start of classes in the morning. They said sure. I thought things were well under control until I heard the my co-worker say that we only needed bells for the end of class, not the beginning of class. I calmly walked out, composed myself and then walked back in. I inquired if it was too difficult for us to also have bells at the beginning of the hour. The guy installing the system said it was no problem. In what world do you not put bells at the start of a class? I still am totally bewildered by that whole situation. I was telling one of my co-workers, and she just laughed and thanked me for getting the start bells installed. I am just trying to bring a little reason to my new family.