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Monday, July 31, 2017

Two Down

And several more to go.  But so far I'm keeping to my goal of getting my master's done in a year.  But I passed the final for my second class saturday so I started the new class today.  Instructional strategies and planning for English, meaning it's not more(I hope)repeated reading.  So far it's not, but I'm only just starting.  Certainly more to this class than the last one. More 'modules' than the first one too, but they are briefer than the last two classes. Maybe that's why it's still a 2 credit class instead of four.
Being full time means getting put on drive through at work a lot and that's hurting my eyes.  Given the suns starts overhead(meaning I'm getting reflections off the cars)or it's slanting down and into the window until it sinks below the building next to us.  But it means I'm back to feeling tired because my hurting eyes take a lot of my energy. Figures.  Granted I managed to avoid being on drive most of Friday and it was slow during the daylight part saturday so today's not so bad.
Big thing coming up is that I need to get a background check(unless I find out that I can use the one the district did last year for my substitute teaching)a basic skills test(keeps bringing to mind Lean on Me as that's the test the students need to pass) a district approval thing, and other stuff I haven't had time to look into yet.  Didn't hear from my mentor friday like usual, so I wonder if they decided I don't need a weekly check in anymore given I'm on track for my goals.
Ah well, I have to get all the pre student teaching stuff done before the end of August along with this next class. Then I have classroom observation(sixty hours) that I'll have to do around work before November(I think) while saving to pay for the next semester.
And still fighting to reclaim the garden from the weeds, only one full row clear and working on two others. Sigh....

Friday, July 28, 2017

Pros and Cons...

Well, around six years ago my parents got a dog that was meant to be my dad's and ended up being my mom's.  She was about seven at the time, a kind a tree hound I think.  She'd had puppies and then been fixed.  We got her for free as her owners got a new dog and they didn't get along. Strange that the old dog got kicked out and not the new one.  So she was rather nervous when they got her home. But she was very sweet and well behaved.  At the time we only had my sister's dog so it wasn't a big deal.  As time went on we suspected there may have been some abuse given that raised voices made her cringe and she tended to flinch when someone nudged her bed to wake her up.  So we tried to be gentle with her.
But time passes and she wasn't a young dog so she started having problems.  We think she had cataracts in both eyes and was losing hearing. Plus several tumors and spinal degeneration.  We were told in a visit to the vet back in February or March that she was down to six months at best.  So when my parents got back from their vacation and she only seemed to get worse(she spent the week I was there barking a lot while wheezing and not really eating or drinking.  Thought it was loneliness as the smaller dogs went with my sister to join my parents, but she still  didn't do much when they got back)it was time to put her out of her misery.  My mom told me that she usually didn't get emotional over animals, but we've never had to put one to sleep before.  And Marley was her dog.
So my parents took her to the vet yesterday and the nurse who's helped us calm Marley down on the previous visits came out to hear her trying to breathe and take in the fact that her ribs stood out every time, she just mentioned that it really was time for her to go.
Reminded me of a photography classmate's project a year or so ago.  They went to the pound or animal shelter, I'm not sure which, to take pictures of the animals there waiting for a home.  The first day they were there a dog maybe a year old was brought in to be put down.  Why? because it was no longer a cute puppy and they wanted a new dog.  Same day a family came in with a much older(not as old as Marley, but several years at least)dog who sadly had been hit by a car and either died or had to be put down as a result.  Compare those two and which do you think was better?
My brother and I had a conversation about whether we had the right to put Marley to sleep when it's not right to do the same for people.  But in Marley's case there really wasn't anything else we could do for her.  We couldn't even give her pain relievers or something.  They didn't give her the sedative they usually give before the I.V. because they felt it wouldn't do any good.  But there is also the fact that it would be considered animal abuse not to put her to sleep.
Ah well, see you when it's my turn Marley.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Sweetheart?

Had a someone  call me that yesterday and while I'm betting they were trying to give me a compliment, for some reason it bugged me to have them keep saying it every time I spoke to them. Sigh.  Probably because they are most likely ten years younger than me and don't know it(I don't call this 'teenage looking college student' for nothing after all).  Pity that they might flirt with me but they aren't interested beyond that.
Got my class up to 60% yesterday and took the first pretest(didn't pass, but I wasn't expecting to)to see what I'm solid on and what I need to focus on. Hope I can get this one done early rather than late like the first one.  The annoying thing is that so far it's kind of a repeat(I may have mentioned this before)with the only difference being the videos they want me to watch.  But it makes it rather boring and I have to force myself to do the 'assignments' otherwise I'd just skim through it and most likely miss something that will help me pass the final test the first time as I did with the other class.
My work put me on full time now, which means I'll be keeping the 32+ hours a week.  While it cuts into my free time it still gives me plenty of time for school and other stuff.  Might make it tricky to get sub jobs, but as I'm approaching my observation and student teaching stuff I won't really have time for it anyway.
Got weeds in the garden but no further sign of deer.  I have discovered another invader that I'm not sure how to deal with: mushrooms.  I didn't think we watered the garden enough to support them but they're in there, especially around the tomatoes.  Corn's getting big and I need to thin it as I didn't get to it earlier.
So on to studying....

Monday, July 10, 2017

One Thing

Some things that bother me about common phrases:
1. Still "stupidly" in love.  Why is love stupid?  If you can maintain a healthy partnership with your spouse for over 30 years(my parents just hit 31) and still be attracted to each other, why is that stupid?  I personally think its awesome.
2. Pick one thing about whatever. How do you pick just one thing out of a criteria?  There is so much to see and do that settling for one thing seems silly and boring.  Unless you hate everything to do with that criteria.:)
3. Name your favorite-bank-. Similar to pick one thing, who has just one favorite thing?  Everyone I've known and met has multiple hobbies and interests, and asking them to pick their all time favorite just doesn't work.  They shouldn't have just one.
4. What is your perfect 'blank'? How are you going to know? You can dream about it but until it happens you'll never know what would be the prefect 'blank' for you.  It's what makes it so perfect. Its unpredictable and spontaneous.
I might find more of these but so far these are the ones that have been bothering me lately.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Tests and Trials...

Well, I guess I can't say my work scheduling me for full time hours(say 35-36 hours per week) is a trial or a test, but the timing isn't the best.  Mainly because of the roof thing.  Means I'm tired and sore and I still haven't gotten started on my next class.  I did manage to look at the introduction page but the progress is still at zero.
We're having fun figuring out what not do do on the roof(still) while I'm trying to keep an eye on the garden-sprinkler system is giving my dad an extra headache, sigh-as the weeds do not take breaks.  My mom used a good part of the lettuce-which so far the deer have stopped eating-for a large salad for everyone. Sadly my earwigs traps are not perfect, as there was still earwigs in the lettuce but not nearly as many as there could have been.  Can't say if the marigolds are keeping the grasshoppers down as they do't get watered as much as the garden so I need to check them too.
Had to renew my food handlers yesterday-thankfully got called in later so I had time-as it expires tomorrow.  Driver's licence next week, as I don't get paid until then.  At least that doesn't require a test, just a long wait.  Of course both cost money.
Had a wind storm yesterday that so far shows the shingles we've already laid out and nailed down are holding.  My dad says getting rain wouldn't be a bad thing as it would show us where the water flows so we know what to watch for.