Could it get worse?

Let's not find out!!

This school year has just not started off right for me. First, they shift my students around, which really is sort of a good thing in the end, but it was quite chaotic for several days. And made me feel like the end of week TWO is when I really got to start getting to know my kids' names. I usually have them down by DAY two!! I still feel like I don't know who they are - their names, mostly, but not anything about them. I hate that. But anyway....

Then I got sick. I am still not 100% and I'm on week 3 of feeling crummy!!! I know a lot of it is that I am just tired. But even sleeping doesn't seem to help!! I took a day off last week and slept all day. Still groggy and in a fog...

And THEN... my Gradebook (the computer one) where we do grades, attendance and such, was attacked by gremlins. Okay, not really. Someone somewhere messed up and to make a long story short, I can't log in. Therefore, I can't take attendance every period, and I can't input grades. I'm on day 3 of this. Yesterday I was ready to throw something because those in charge of reconciling attendance kept "forgetting" and thus making me out as someone not doing my job. If you know me, you know I do my job!!

And then we get to today... students were taking notes today. They copy stuff from the "smart board" which today was a PDF projected from my computer. They write and then I talk about it, etc. The lights have to be off for this to happen. And many students move closer to the board, and sit on the floor even so they can see better. Yeah, so I tripped over a student and fell. I think if I'd just fallen, and not tried to stop myself, I would've been better off. I was also trying not to land on the student... I pretty much landed on my knee (the "good" one) and then rolled hard on to my side. I know this because of what hurts. I am proud of myself that I stood up, after checking on the student of course, and continued teaching. I really just wanted to cry. I'm icing my knee right now. I did at lunch too. I think it's just a bad welt/bruise. Nothing feels torn or otherwise permanently damaged.

Oh yeah, before or after the fall, I can't remember, we had a great deal of trouble getting the classroom door open. I finally forced hard enough that it worked. And then I put in a request to fix it, as its been getting worse by the day. The nice men who came to fix it seemed to have been blaming me for pushing on it too far (don't ask). Whatever.

I've spent much of the day wondering what's next. I would like to just start the year over. Or something. But it's all adding up to me being ready to lose my mind, or quit my job, or at least take the rest of the week off. But I've already taken off two days for the sickness. This is only week 6 of 37!!!!!!

Also, I am so excited that it's almost not hot so Slugger and I can walk more. And now it hurts to walk again. Are you feeling my levels of frustration?!?!

I'm really writing this all down cuz I have found that writing can be kinda therapeutic. And now I'm just going to cry it out. And then take some Ibuprofen PM and see where the bruises are in the morning. Maybe I'll post pictures!!!

UPDATE 10/1: September is over and so far October is MUCH better :)

40 4 40 #5 Tweeted

To celebrate turning 40, I've decided to do 40 new things before I get there. My birthday is in March which means I need to do about 5 things per month... good thing I've already started! You can check out all of the posts related to this endeavor through the label 40 4 40.

I feel quite silly that I am very excited about today's accomplishment. Well, really, yesterday's. But no, really, today's. 

I thought it'd be interesting to see if I could try to get a reply from a "celeb" on Twitter. I was retweeted a few years ago by Phil Keoghan of Amazing Race so "just" a retweet wouldn't count. I had to get someone to reply to something I tweeted... first, I had to start tweeting more, and I had to make it public for these "celebs" to see it.

Everyone has a different definition of celebrity. For me, I decided someone with a blue checkmark meaning that they were important enough for Twitter to check for the identity to be real. Or a celebrity in my book meaning someone I admire or enjoy their reading tweets - I was thinking lesser known athletes. 

I embarked on this by trying to ask meaningful or simple questions of a couple actors who tend to reply to tweets more than others. Some people are much better about interacting with their fans, and that's way cool. This is an example of my attempt...

Then last night someone I follow, Zachary Levi (Chuck) retweeted his buddy Joel David Moore (Bones, and apparently the new show Forever) who was offering to reply to people, in a specific way. I don't even follow this guy, but sure, why not?!!? And, HE REPLIED!!! Here is the "conversation" (mavsman is a co-worker/friend who knew what was up).

Okay, I admit, he wasn't exactly the "star" I was hoping for. But I did it!! And now I can go back to private and stop harassing my followers with these silly tweets. Oh but wait, there's more...

This afternoon while checking my Twitter in the middle of class (ssshhhh...), I came across what I thought was a very funny tweet from Justin Kanew. Justin is not blue check mark verified. But to me he's a "celebrity" - I'll never meet him, he knows important people, and he's way cool. Pretty sure Leslie will agree ;) Justin and his best friend Zev were contestants on The Amazing Race. Twice cuz they were all-stars. I get most of my news through Justin's tweets. His mind and mine are often of the same thinking on current affairs. Justin works in Hollywood and even has producer credits in a movie, Welcome to the Jungle, with Jean-Claude VanDamme. 

Anyway, I thought his tweet was funny and immediately had a reply so I sent it. This is what happened (Cynthia is a friend from church - a celeb to many of us!!):

His original, my response and love from Cynthia :)

Love from Justin :)

This makes me quite giddy!!! He also favorited Cynthia's tweet :) 

35 to go...

40 4 40 #4 Moonshine

To celebrate turning 40, I've decided to do 40 new things before I get there. My birthday is in March which means I need to do about 5 things per month... good thing I've already started! You can check out all of the posts related to this endeavor through the label 40 4 40.

Sometimes, you just have to say "Why not?!"!! Tonight was one of those. Several co-workers and I went out to dinner to celebrate the 50th birthday of co-worker Deneen. We went to Logan's Roadhouse, a steakhouse type place. It was her choice, not mine! Several folks ordered the "Flight Deck" which was a sample of four flavors of moonshine. I had water. 

As we were discussing their drinks and the various flavors, I realized that I'VE NEVER HAD MOONSHINE. I said this quite enthusiastically so they all offered up their glasses to let me have my first ever moonshine!! I had to ask what makes it moonshine. In my mind, moonshine is the stuff they make behind closed doors in stills in West Virginia (don't mean to stereotype but that's what I think of!). Apparently it's a grain alcohol that is 100% alcohol. Or something like that.

I tried the raspberry one, the tie die one, and the apple one. One tiny sip of each, spread out over 15-20 minutes. That was PLENTY!!! The apple one actually only tasted like apple - think watered down sour apple jolly rancher. The other two were flavorful but I could taste the alcohol. And man, that one sip? Enough to tell me not to drink more, or one of my new things would be getting drunk!!

Now I can say I've tried moonshine. And don't need to try it again!!!