Red

And based on a suggestion from a 12-year-old fan, I submit to you the final version:

Further Proof...

...that I have learned, Steakboy old chap.

Made this business card with Photoshop CS3 on my HP laptop.

Now, we wait and see what happens. And in the meantime, I live life to the fullest, only pausing to bitch occasionally at life's ironies, like PMS.

OK. That's a crock of shit. I made this and I'm going to make it better. My nephew suggested making the fingernails red, so Ima try that for the final version once Thresholds and Other Ruminations comes out.

I'm blogging late; I've been abusing caffeine all day long. Everybody is in bed, and I'm rearing to go. UH OH. Oh well, I can sleep in tomorrow for sure. If you count waking up at 4:30 and then 6 sleeping in.

Further proof...that I'm getting too damn old for this.

Pages! I need pages...

This is the cry of the journalism adviser on deadline night. Well, at least it's my cry. I often channel Jackie Gleason as I scream it in the computer lab around 7 PM: "PAGES! I need pages...."

It's the signal to the student editors to quit MESSING around and get done with their first drafts of the inDesign pages so we can edit them with our ready red pens. Their messing around is actually called "multi-tasking" these days. Kids can do it much better than adults, so we often yell at them when they have their music and social networking sites open WHILE they work on the newspaper/yearbook. But I try to focus them in spite of their diversions; i work WITH them on their addictions/fetishes and manage to get some decent journalism out of them.

For example, there is Laken. We met her last as an underclassmen with promise of being an editor. She met that expectation and more, but the way she operates is typical and frustrating. She was editor-in-chief last year, and she's more like an adviser this year because she is graduating mid-year. She writes like a professional feature writer; a bit lengthy and wordy at times for journalism, but it works.

AND SHE is perpetually on her iPhone, even though I have a no phones rule. She also is frequently seen playing a damn balloon-popping game on addictinggames.com. When does she work? I'm not sure, but her stories are always done on time and she puts together the front page of the paper and she massages all pages before we put the paper to bed. WHEW.

Multiply this times 15 computers and 20 kids and you have a glimpse into my world. They are all doing crap that they shouldn't be doing. Jedi was a master at this also back in my early days. He never looked on task, but always got shit done. Same with Pi. But not Steakboy -- he worked always and only paused when the other boys distracted him. His graphics are legendary now; as well as his "Brain" and his stylebook.

Why am I thinking of deadline night on this Saturday morning? It's coming up in a week, and OMG, I just realized as I typed this that I'm double booked....it's parent conferences AND deadline night on Oct. 27. SHIT. Oh well, they can stay in the lab and mess around while i am in the classroom schmoozing with the parental units.

And I'm thinking about this because I am more behind than I care to think about with paper work, again. I can't focus on it; haven't been able to for a month now.

Pages, I need pages.....

Not Gonna Do It

My school district is spending gagillions of dollars on a university-sponsored professional development sequence. And I like it. Yes, I said I like it. I'm not one of those old teachers who balks at professional development no matter what it is. I am a picky old broad who only balks at 90% of staff inservices.

So, this current "content enhancement" push falls into the 10% of times when I learn something I can immediately and enthusiastically apply to my classroom. We are finally getting away from theories and moving on to teaching strategies that I can sink my teeth into. I even worked on the weekend to make lesson plans based on the new tools, AND invited my principal in to evaluate me on its implementation on the Monday after the training. Now, I'm teaching my husband how to manipulate the technology necessary to do it properly. I am now an official Content Enhancement Whore.

That's why it pisses me off when I hear reports of other teachers who are, "not gonna do it." I heard a report through a student of Teacher I (for ignorant) actually telling the kids that he wasn't gonna do it because the way he teaches, kids learn, but the way they want him to teach is too confusing.

What a crock of shit. Teacher I just doesn't understand how these techniques could STRENGTHEN his curriculum; and he doesn't understand how the hell THEY WORK. I wanted to rat him out to the principal so badly, but I didn't because that would make ME look bad somehow.

Squeaky wheels don't get the grease in education; they get the axe. So, I shall continue to whore it up and teach the shit out of the kiddies. By the way, my evaluation went smashingly and it looks like I may even have a job in spite of the 10% spending cut our State is facing, and in spite of the fact that I'm about to publish a very controversial blook.

Stoopid or not? Time will tell.

It's a BIG 10-4

That's right, it's the anniversary of my birth, my hubby's birth and our wedding. We have one big celebration a year, and we never forget it.

Hubby is 3 years older than me, but we were born on the same day -- further proof that we are soul mates. Can't remember if I've ruminated on this before in Thresholds I or this, the sequel, but mah hubby and I have a huge connection in and out of the bedroom, and it's made for an interesting 11 years to say the least. My friends don't wanna hear how good I got it; it's THAT good.

Today will be full of family and food (alliteration unintended.) Probably won't see Son #1, but might tempt him with a japanese dinner after he gets off work. Son #2 isn't up, and whaddya know, it's 10:04 AM. I'm overdue to start cooking a few dishes to bring to our birthday potluck I orchestrated to avoid going to my hubby's family. Long story there. Might be a whole other blog.

Birthdays are overrated as you age, fer sure. I'm just one year closer to 50, which blows my mind. Fifty-year olds are OLD. I mean old.

Anyway, I'm off like a dirty shirt, to celebrate a Big 10-4.