Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Y'ALL. ISNGTMITSB!

Hey Y'all,

No, I have not developed another weird syndrome where I start typing random letters. My shortened title actually means.. Y'all. I'm. So. Not.Going.To.Make.It.To.Spring.Break!

I swear, every single one of my munchkins must have eaten crack this morning for breakfast. Including Zoe and Zorro. Today was absolutely insane! For example this is a question I asked during Math today. "Boys and girls, who can give Ms. P an example of a cylinder?" Here's my answers... a rectangular prism, a notebook and finally, finally after grabbing my coke can in my koozie.. they finally caught on. I have felt like I am in the twilight zone all day. The trump of the day came when one of my ESOL children said, "Ms. P, can I have ask you a question." Thinking that he had seen the light of day, I became encouraging. I just knew he was going to make me feel vindicated for my chosen profession. Besides, he tried to form a sentence. "Why does Zoe and Zorro not have the babies?"

With that question, I made a mental note to stop by the ABC store on the way home to make sure I had some RUM. Enough RUM to make sure I could make it through the next month and a half until spring break.

DGHM.
(Dear God, Help Me.)
JKP

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Thou Hath Returned to the Land of the Living.....


Hey Y'all,
Sorry for the long vacay from posting.... but as I said in my last entry... I have been knocking on death's door. Ugg. But now, I am feeling a whole lot better! To prove it to you, my faithful readers... here is what greeted me this week at school! See, I am alive and doing well!
During my recovery from this hideous, hideous sickness, I mainly just rested and watched some really bad TV. Now, I know why I work. Daytime TV is scary! I also read a few books AND... get this.. I am one sleeve away from finishing my Bernat Baby Kimono! Yes, um, you know the one that I started during Tropical Storm Hannah. It's looking like that is going to be my first FO for 2009! I have been trying to get some knitting in everyday. That has been easier since I have gotten on the ball and have my lessons planned out for the next few weeks AND finished my TOY packet for the district office. I am also getting ready to take a class at the Knit N' Purl starting in February and I am so excited! It's a sock class! My one and only New Year's Resolution was to learn how to knit socks. So, last weekend I went and signed up for a 4 week class. Yippee! I can't wait to get started! While I was there, I also spied some neat patterns that I can't wait to get my hands on for gifts! Once I finish the kimono, I have one more baby sweater to finish up. I have retired Mom's Sunday Market Shawl... it wasn't looking so great (my stitch count went wonky) and I found something else that I think she is going to like better.
Zorro and Zoe are doing great. We have switched Zorro's meds around and now he feels like Superman. He barks at me when he wants to be fed and when he wants his medicine. He has also gone back to digging me out of bed this week since I was too sick to get up. Good Doggie!
That's about all that is going on here. Don't forget... The Closer comes on tomorrow night! I am so happy that in the midst of our crumbling economy we will have some Brenda Lee Johnson to cheer us up!
Toodles!
JKP

Monday, January 19, 2009

I'm Still Hacking and I'm Still Wondering If I Have Both of My Lungs...

Hey Y'all...

I am still here. I am just really sick. This sickness that I thought was getting better, came back with a vengeance around Thursday. Thank goodness Friday was a half day for kiddies. I finished up my work at school, came home and got in the bed. That is where I have been since! I have made little forays to the grocery store and out to Sephora with Mom (she was having a makeup crisis of sorts) and today I got checked by the Doc. More antibiotics and more cough syrup with the good stuff that actually lets me sleep! I am hoping that I will be on the mend by tomorrow... but who knows. Tomorrow is a staff development day for teachers. They are calling for some winter weather here in these parts tomorrow... but we are still going to school. I would love one more day to try and sleep this thing off.. but I think tomorrow I will be inservicing all day. You would think that they would want teachers to watch the inauguration tomorrow.. but we will be sitting in a workshop. I guess I can watch the highlights on You Tube.

I just wanted to check in and let y'all know I am still around.... just trying to get over this Horry County creeping crud! I hope y'all enjoy the snow tomorrow! I'll be out driving in it and going to work!
:) JKP

Monday, January 12, 2009

Pardon Me, I Must Hack Up a Lung....

Hey Y'all!

Sorry for the long absence... but I have been nursing a serious sickness since last Sunday. I started to really feel bad Sunday night, and then on Monday the dreaded cough set in. I am sure you know the one and have heard it all around you by now. The one where you fear the person has some communicable disease from a third world country. Where you just know, any second, the sick person is going to cough up a lung. The good part is, then you loose your voice so you no longer have to apologize for sounding like you have the plague. I started to scare my students by Thursday, so I took Friday off and slept the whole weekend. By yesterday, I started to feel human again. Today I went to school and made it through the day, although, I am about to fall into bed, I am soooo tired. I had 3 kids out with what I had today, so I hope they heal faster than I did!

I also spent the weekend working on my Teacher of the Year packet. I love to write folks, but 14 pages about myself is about to do me in!!! I have two more sections to go and then I am done. I wish the writing fairies would come and finish it for me! I guess I should really check my writing though.. I have been on some pretty powerful cough syrup. So, I may think I wrote like a genius.. but really didn't!

This week the kids are dismissed at 12 on Friday (I see a margarita in my future.. My Teacher of the Year packet will be turned in by then!) We have a long weekend with no school Monday for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Then on Tuesday, no school for the kiddies and an in service day for us. So next week will be a short one as well.

Hopefully I will still have both lungs by then and have not contracted any other illness!!
:) JKP

Sunday, January 4, 2009

O Customer Service, Customer Service Wherefore Art Thou?

Hey Y'all!

Hmmm... well as you can see from the title this little entry is going to be me standing on a soapbox for a minute or two! You know, I have noticed a downturn of politeness and manners in this country for some time. Some may argue that since our society is more technologically advanced these days... our young and not so young are no longer practicing the fine art of manners and politeness. Y'all, it is not hard! I teach my students to say "please" and "thank you." I have also taught them the art of writing thank you notes. But, I can only do so much! What ever happened to being kind to one another? We are so downright pushy and rude these days. Thank God I am a Southerner, or else I might have had to write this entry sooner!

Today I ventured out for just a little bit. My Philosophy makeup is running low and I have considered switching to another brand. Not because I am unhappy, I am just curious and wanted to see if another brand had more coverage for these dark circles that I can never seem to get rid of, baring Spackle every day! I first stopped at Ulta. No, I am not going to link to them. I am going on a tirade! When I first entered the store about 4 sales folk were just standing around. None of them greeted me, NADA. I browsed around the makeup section for about 15 minutes... and no one, no one offered to help me. Folks, it was 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon. The store was empty. Tumbleweed empty! I finally asked a little sales girl for some help and she told me she would find someone after rolling her eyes. Ok, at this point, I was like, I am so going to Sephora. But, the little girl could have been having a bad day, so I hung in there. After TEN more minutes of waiting, the supposed helper comes over. I start asking her questions and she really doesn't want to answer them. She doesn't even offer to let me try on the product I am asking about. Ok, ULTA lost a big sale from me today!

So, I leave this rude store and go to Sephora. I have a long and deep love for Sephora. It goes back to my early Philosophy days and my traveling days. I love visiting Sephora, but it is always very busy and sometimes it's hard to get personalized help. So, I stroll into Sephora. I am greeted right off the bat. I start looking around and low and behold, the sales lady asks me would I like to try anything.... OF COURSE! Y'all, she sets me up with everything. First she compared how my Philosophy looked on me and then we tried the products that I was considering. Y'all. She did everything! She even introduced me to a fantastic concealer that can hide even my dark circles! The cool thing is... she told me not to buy anything today (OK, here's a tip, I wasn't going to, this was a research trip) AND she gave me samples of EVERYTHING!! She told me to compare the different brands for a few days and then make a decision. How freakin' awesome is that! I still haven't made a decision and it by the looks of it, I won't have to for a few more weeks. But I can tell you this, for any beauty product or advice you need, run to Sephora!!!
And yes, I did send an email to Ulta's headquarters letting them know what a stellar job the Myrtle Beach store did at running off this customer. I am envisioning a Julia Robert's moment one of these days when I walk in and say "You, You work on commission don't you? Big Mistake. Huge. " And of course, I will be looking totally awesome in my makeup from SEPHORA! Hee!

:) JKP

Friday, January 2, 2009

Happy 2009!

Hey Y'all!

Well, 2009 is finally here! Zorro and I rung in the new year snuggled under the covers. We watched the festivities on CNN and then watched some movies. For some strange reason, I couldn't sleep! Finally about 4 am New Year's Day I fell asleep. I guess I kept thinking I had to get up and go to school!

Today, I did have to get up and go to school. It was a work day for teachers and a very productive day for me! I got my lesson plans finished for the next couple of weeks and all of my copies made too. So, I guess you could say I am ready for the kiddies on Monday. This weekend I have to tackle my Teacher of the Year packet that goes to the district. It's basically a 15 page nightmare where I have to explain my reason for being a teacher, what interests me in the area of teaching (technology for sure!) etc, etc. I love to write... but it is so hard when it is something like this. Oh well... I am sure that Zorro will give me lots of support. Yeah. Right!

Anyhoo... lot's of folks out there are making resolutions for the new year. I am a list making kind of girl, but for some reason, I don't really have any resolutions per say this year. I think the one thing I really want to work on is being more "present" everyday. Since my friend Joy died, almost five years ago... I haven't been my normal self with being "present" at all times. Sometimes it is just easier to shut myself off. I think since all of that happened I have also been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I have to stop doing that. I have realized that all of this may not be a good and it is something I am going to work on this year. Zorro says it is fine with him as long as he gets more walks out of the deal. Hee.

Alrighty, I am going to chill. I am tired after my day of hard work! Zorro is already on the sofa under the warming blanket and I am going to join him.

Toodles!
:) JKP
p.s. My good friend Marie just started a blog today! Check her out at www.keepingupwithmarie.blogspot.com