Catching Up

I haven't really written much since I've been back, mostly because I wasn't comfortable with some of the things going on here, but either they're better now or I am, so I can write a bit about it.

Disney World, as much as I love it, is a physically demanding adventure, and none of us who went along are spring chickens. We were all in pain to some degree the whole time. It did occur to us to get wheelchairs on the third day; we got two, and switched off from time to time. I don't think we could have made it otherwise. Next time I go, I will definitely get a scooter (a motorized wheelchair-like thingy), but that's for another time.

When we would get back to our rooms at night, we were beat. I would do what I had to do pretty quickly, which is my nature: put the dirty clothes in a laundry bag, take out clean clothes for the next day, get my shoulder-bag ready for the next day, and collapse. I had two great nights' sleep there, one awful, and two okay. But my sister would take hours to get herself together, both at night and in the morning, and slept badly every night, and that for only a few hours. She was in a lot of pain during the day, and medicated herself for it. She had migraines three days out of five, but kept on going.

When I talked to her Sunday evening, she had been sleeping off an on all day and didn't sound great. She was still in a lot of pain, an arthritis flare-up. On Monday, she told that this was all my fault, and that I should have taken better care of her while we were away. I cried off an on for the next few hours, and she hasn't spoken to me since, although I think we're on better terms after texting last night and during the day today. Obviously, this was not my fault, and she gave no indication while we were away that she needed more help than I gave her. I myself was limping and using a cane when I wasn't in the wheelchair or pushing her in it (I was still limping, but no cane when pushing the wheelchair, which was actually better than the cane.) None of us were in great shape. Even so, the particulars aren't important; I don't know where she got this crazy idea, and it really threw me off for a few days. Not that I thought for a minute that she was right, but it made me very sad, and also made me really question myself: if she thinks that I'm capable of that, of not taking care of her for some capricious reason, what else does that say? That I'm not the person I think I am? That she, of all people, can't read me the way I think others can, and if so, who am I?

So I've been dealing a lot with that issue, and even though I've decided that the issue is hers -- maybe her husband's, but I don't want to go there with her -- it's been hard. Here, it's my last week before school starts, I've had a lot to do, and this was hanging over me.

In the meantime, K still has no job. A good possibility was supposed to call her back today either way, but of course, they didn't. So she's still left hanging. But that district doesn't start until after Labor Day, so she should still hear from them either way early next week. It would be a wonderful job in many ways. Still keeping everything crossed.

My knee was much worse, so I went to the orthopedist yesterday and got a better brace for it. He also gave me an anti-inflammatory creme for my elbows and various aches; so far, it's done nothing, but he wanted me to try it before I go back for the cortisone shots in my elbows. He also gave me some exercises for the plantar fasciitis, which is much worse after all that walking last week. I can pretyy much only wear Crocs now, which is okay, I guess.

Believe it or not, I'm also partially packed for the next trip, back to Florida, on September 11. That's only a two night trip, and not much walking. I'm hoping that R will be willing to do the driving, at least at night. I'm so glad she's going with me. On this one, we're both taking small suitcases and not checking them through, so everything is nice and compact, the way I like it. I've already got my dressies packed to wear to the Bar Mitzvah, and even my underwear and socks. All that's left is two days of day clothes, make-up, and meds.

Speaking of dressies, we have another damn party to go to this Sunday night, for the Hubs' aunt's 75th birthday. This family just loves to have big parties at their country club; every party is there, and so, is identical to the last one. And 5:30 on a Sunday night? How do they think of these things? So we have to drive to the ILs first and pick up the MIL; the FIL is not attending, and then drive back there later to take her home. It adds time, but I have no problem with that. I also told her that I will happily either attend the party or stay with the FIL, if she wants me to; either choice is fine with me, she just needs to tell me how to dress ahead of time. R and the GF, who live closer to the ILs, are also going to offer to stay with the FIL, so I may have to after all, but I have no idea what I'm wearing, of course, since my dressies are, as I said, packed. On the other hand, how much do I care? I'll find something.

Speaking of people who don't return calls -- I was somewhere, yes? -- once again, my principal had totally blown me off. When he didn't see me on Tuesday, I emailed him with all my free time this week, and I got no reply. So let's see. School starts Tuesday, Wednesday for the kids. It appears that there will be two new members of my staff, but I don't know what their jobs are and they haven't been hired yet. It will be my job to determine what their jobs are, and train them. Clerks or aides or something, but I don't know, and I don't know what their hours will be. As it stands, I have no assigned lunch period, other than the one mandated by my contract, which means I have to have one, but as far as I know, no one is assigned to cover the library during either lunch period. I may have to close the doors when I go. I guess. I have no idea what to do, or if he will tell me what to do before Wednesday. Although I'm sure that if I lock the doors during a lunch period, it'll get back to him. I guess I'll have to find a union person on Tuesday to tell me what to do. *sigh* As I recall, this was supposed to be the year I was excited about starting over and doing everything new. Well, this is new. I just so hate to be unprepared.

I've been reading an interesting scifi YA series by Scott Westerfield called Uglies, which is also the name of the first book. It's not what I expected, but I like it a lot. I'm on the third book of the trilogy, but then he wrote a fourth as a follow-up, I guess because it was popular, so I have that next.

Well, there you go, the entire contents of my brain spilled out on the screen. Hoping to see R tomorrow, or possibly Sunday. It's a rainy day and rainy weekend ahead, actually colder outside than in, today. Looks like some frozen White Castle cheeseburgers for dinner for me.



watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2110
READING: Specials by Scott Westerfeld

Settled ... I Think

I got home about midnight on Saturday. Since then, I've been catching up, catching on, trying to get a handle on things. Which I may now have, or maybe not. This could be a long entry, and then again ...

First, the trip. The trip was excellent, despite the unbearable heat -- how do people live in Florida in the summer? -- and the constant pain we were all in from all the walking. The four of us never had a moment of conflict during the whole trip, and we had lots and lots of laughs. My sister was essentially sick the whole time -- a migraine every day -- but she persevered, and let nothing slow her down. I won't give you a play by play of the whole trip, but we were relaxed, saw what we wanted to see, and ate copious and delicious meals.

We got the meal plan because that's what made this such a good deal: the offer was a free meal plan if you stay five nights. I had never gotten the meal plan before, but let me tell you, I won't go without it in the future. It was a real steal. For example, I would get a cafeteria style breakfast (eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, bacon, biscuit) plus a drink and a snack, they would ring up $17.00, and I would give them my card and it would zero out the balance. Dinner for the four of us at nice restaurants would run from $120 to $150, and we would give them the card and it would zero it out. Even if you had to pay for the meal plan, it would still be a bargain.

I didn't take many pictures, but I'll share a few:


One of the few pictures I took at a park, of a Mickey topiary in the Hollywood Studios.


This is the s'mores dessert I had at the 50's Primetime Cafe. It was so good I had to take a picture of it.


I got this great shot of the other three one evening on the bus. Left to right, the Sibs, Colorado Cousin, Crazy Cousin.


This is me on the plane. It speaks for itself.

We were having the professional photographers take our pictures everywhere, and I just ordered a download of the best one, which I'll post tomorrow, probably.

So, home. I finally got to go into the city and visit OldFriend today, which was wonderful. K had another interview this morning, and I think is now starting to get very depressed. Maybe she'll have good news by the end of the week, but she doesn't think so, and she's been pretty optimistic up to this point. My heart is breaking for her.

Tomorrow, I need to go into school and get some things done. Our first day is next Tuesday; the kids' first day is the day after that. I still have no idea how many people will be on the library staff this year, or who they are, or if I have a lunch period in my day. I'm going to try to speak to the principal in the morning, but I don't expect much to come out of it, even if he's willing to see me.

And so on. I have so much to do this week, I don't know how I'll fit it all in. But I suppose I will, somehow.



watching FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2109
READING: --- by ---

I Got Shpilkes

Shpilkes is best described as "having ants in the pants." Can't sit still.

I am so good at getting everything ready for a trip ahead of time that I had absolutely nothing to do today, but I didn't really have the patience to sit and read. I did nap for a little bit, I think, but otherwise, I have no idea what I've been doing all day. Unfortunately, my sister prepares for a trip by growing more and more anxious, and she's still packing now. (It's nearly 7:30 pm.) Ah well.

What else can I tell you? I know there was something else. I didn't sleep last night; I was up making new ringtones at 2:30 because I thought of a song I wanted as a ringtone and didn't have, and then I realized what the hell, I was awake anyway, so I got up and did it.

Let's just say I do not really travel easily. (Although that's not really connected to the sleep thing, that's just me.) I think the reason I go so overboard in preparing is that it's my way of dealing with the discomfort of being away from home and all that. I'm certainly happy about where I'm going, and I could certainly use some time away. But I am a very home-oriented person; I like being in my own space with all my stuff around me. Traveling is an anxious kind of activity for me. Also, I think that the Sibs and I are going to be less compatible roommates than we used to be years ago when we traveled more together, but that could just be the anxiety talking.

Anyway.

I am going to DISNEY WORLD tomorrow morning and we are going to have a WONDERFUL time and I will post pictures when I can and entries as well.




watching something :: ENTRY #2106
READING: The Coffee Trader by David Liss

Normal Is What's Normal For You

Or in this case, me. This is the way I am. I have other fine qualities.

My sister and her husband went to Massachusetts yesterday for an overnight visit with his married daughter, her hubs, and their baby. Here's our texted conversation from last night:

She: howdy ... the others are playing monopoly & i'm texting & knitting ... do you realize that i haven't packed 1 thing for our trip ... sat & sun i guess.

I: I am TOTALLY packed. I could leave in five minutes.

She: you suck

Heh heh.

I am getting a little antsy, I guess. I have left numbers on the fridge for the plumber, the car mechanic, the A/C people. Tomorrow I have laundry to do and dry cleaning to pick up. I called the hotel this morning and we have the rooms we asked for: two adjoining rooms, first floor, near the main building.

I also got my school-is-starting-soon mail from the high school. It has the opening week's schedule and a few other items. It also lists all the new staff members. Not that many this year, but out of seven, four are former students. There is no one listed for Social Studies; it says TBA for To be Announced. So they're clearly not opposed to hiring former students; shall we make it five? I don't really think so; she would have heard by now. It's unbelievable to me that she hasn't gotten a job, you know. Even speaking objectively, as much as I can, I can see that she's the kind of teacher a school would want. I had thought that she interviewed well, but maybe not, I don't know. I do know that some school some day is going to be thrilled that she was available for them. I just wish it was today.

And that's my day. Pedi tomorrow (I'll post pictures of that) and a visit from R.




watching PROJECT RUNWAY :: ENTRY #2103
READING: --- by ---

Looking ... Up?

Okay, so here's where today stands:

I went to the cardiologist this morning for an annual visit, and all seems fine to him, although he wants me to have another stress test. (Two years since the first one.) I made the appointment for September 28, which, for the faithful, is Yom Kippur, but since I'm not one of the faithful, it's a day off work, so I don't have to take a working day off to go. I expect no issues to surface. He asked me if I exercise, but said nothing about weight, which is part of what makes him such a nice doctor.

I have a firm date to go in and visit OldFriend, which is the Monday after I get back from Disney World. I'm taking the train this time, and K will maybe go with me and maybe not, depending.

Last night, she got an email to set up an interview that would have been a real blow not to get. Will she get the job? Anything is possible, so she might. If she doesn't, well, I'm just really, really glad she got the interview. More on that in the future, depending on what comes of it. In the meantime, she sent in yet another application today to yet another school district.

We've had this little mini-drama going on, my sister and I, over this big box of pictures that I got from Wonderful Niece, but today, I talked to WN and everything is peaceful and serene. I get the feeling that my sister was reading more into something than was there, and as a result, was making me a little crazy, but WN assures me that all is well, and that my feeling -- that the pictures belong to all of us, she's just their keeper for now -- is exactly the way she feels. Good.

Reading. I cannot make myself finish that damn book, even though I really want to read it. I have at least a half dozen ready to go on the iPhone, but I'm trying not to dig into those at least until we're in the air next week. (I don't want to read them all and then have nothing with me when I'm away.)

Away. One week from this very moment, I will be dining at Cap'n Jack's at Disney's Marketplace, or whatever they call that little mall they have there. We're not going to the part where they have the nightclubs and such because we are, after all, four old bats, crazy perhaps, but hardly wild. We'd rather go shopping. Which we will, before and after dinner, I'd guess. Our flight and our cousins' flight from Denver arrive about a half hour apart next Monday afternoon (theoretically), so we should be at the hotel by three or three-thirty, I think.

Speaking of which, I believe I am fully packed now. Yeah, yeah, no one here believes it, either. But I think the suitcase is good. Stuffed, but good. I have a short list of what is yet to go in the carry-on, which is already stuffed as well, so I may have to carry some medication in one of those draw-string back-sacks, or whatever they're called. (It's school colors, and has the team name in huge letters across the front. These days, aren't all of us whose school name isn't Trojans thankful for that small favor? Our school name makes no particular sense, but it is funny, in a way that took me 35 years to get, which I'll happily explain to you all when I retire.)

The Hubs is now cooking an entire head of cauliflower using some method that is going to make me start sneezing uncontrollably in a matter of minutes. Time to post.




watching FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2101
READING: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

HEY!

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

You might say that it has just sunk in. I finally picked up all the paperwork from the travel agent, who didn't have it until last night, and then I came home and packed. Yessiree bob, I packed for a trip that I'm leaving on in ... let me check ... 18 days. (I have a countdown on the phone.) And my carryon in packed too, more or less. I have a short list of what's left to be packed, and then they just have to point me in the right direction.

I have not been as excited about this trip, I think, because, let's face it, I have no money. The trip is already paid for, but I could certainly have used that money for other things (not to mention the other trip to Florida I have to take in September, which is also paid for, and which money I could really have used for other things.) But I'm not letting anything get in the way of just going and having a good time. I'm not going to be bothered if I don't go on some rides that I want to go on, because, as I said last time, I'll certainly be going again. (And here I am.) I am bringing two, count'em two, bathing suits, not that I want to be seen in either one, but I'm okay with that, too.

Remember the tote bags I was going to make for the four of us as mementos of the trip? I wasn't sure how I liked that picture for a tote bag,


but I did realize a couple of hours ago with a resounding DUH that I didn't have to get the bags made at the mall kiosk (which is where I got the idea), all I have to do is get cheap bags at the craft store and print the transfers and do it myself! And when I checked in my desk cabinet for the transfer paper, I found ...

desk-jet printable Shrinky Dink material!

When did I get this? Anyway, I tried the picture and made a sample, and it looks FANTASTIC! I made a few adjustments and then I ran out of black ink, so I'll get ink tomorrow and then make the four shrinky dink keytags or whatever anyone wants to use them for, and all I need to get at the craft store is a can of Krylon to seal them with and something for keychains (although I actually have something at the library I can use that we don't use for anything anymore.)

In other news, I got my hearing aids adjusted -- again -- and they seem to be slightly better. I have not heard from the ob/gyn, which is disappointing, even though I know it's not serious; I should have had a call by now.

No news yet either on the possible excellent job possibility for K, but then this morning, yet another possible excellent job came up, and she sent in her application immediately. She says she has 100 cover letters on her computer, so she applied for at least 100 jobs. (Some of them she applied to directly online, no cover letter needed.) Can you believe it? But either of these would be just incredible, both very good districts with fairly big schools, and good Social Studies departments.

I'm finally reading that book I was trying to get my hands on for weeks, and it's a challenge, although an amusing one.




watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2093
READING: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

TMI

If I shared all of today's medical information with you -- not all of it mine -- it would be waaaaaay TMI. Nobody's got anything life-threatening or even painful, just a lot of relatively indelicate ailments. Enough said.

I had to go into school this morning for a few things, and ended up making the trek from the library to the central office twice because I either forgot or didn't know what I was looking for. But I think I got my purchase orders all straightened out, and said hello to the principal and took care of a little business with him.

Otherwise, I straightened up my desk so now I don't feel like throwing up when I look at it, which is all the time, and I may (or may not) have solved another problem.

Did I mention that I wanted to have something made for the four of us cousins to commemorate our Disney trip, and that my sister vetoed hats and t-shirts? I settled on a tote bag, but I still haven't been able to find pictures of the four of us as children to have printed on them. Wonderful Niece has all of my mother's pictures, including some I never scanned, and I've been trying to get in touch with her. In the meantime, I found a completely different picture and played with it a little, and here it is:


This is, of course, my Uncle Sol (father of my two cousins going on the trip), my mother Shirl, and their parents Ida and Sam, so, our common grandparents. Is the caption too weird? Is the whole thing too sad, or in K's words, bittersweet? Too depressing a tote bag, or more like a memory, bringing them with us? What do you think?



watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2086
READING: Blue Diary by Alice Hoffman

Ahem. Ahem. Ahem.

I did indeed stay home today. My voice sounds something like Bea Arthur's, but lower. I'm not coughing as much, thanks to the magic of CVS-tussin, but I'm clearing my throat every other minute, and am generally not fun to be around. Staying home was the right choice, although I'm going in tomorrow. However, I will not go to the monthly retirees' dinner on Thursday unless I am absolutely better because I don't want to make anyone there sick. One of the men who comes every month was my tenth grade geometry teacher; he's somewhere in his nineties now, and the least thing he needs is my plague coughed in the same room with him.

My only venture out today was for another blood test (for Resnick) and a CAT scan of me knee. Which feels much, much better since I'm using the cane. Of course, I forgot to take the cane with me when I went out, so I'm twinging.

I also managed to make my restaurant reservations for Disney World today, which wasn't easy. I was on hold for over an hour and then got cut off. (It's not like I was doing anything else.) I called back again after I took a nap, and got everything I wanted, more or less; The Fifties Prime Time Cafe was booked for dinner on the day I wanted, but I took a late lunch reservation instead. It's my favorite restaurant there, so I didn't want to miss it. Oy. I could pack tonight.

Tomorrow, back to the land of the living, and it's supposed to be hot. K just signed up to substitute until the school year is over, so maybe she'll be dropping in on me from time to time in the library.



watching GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2048
READING: American Lion: Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham

Here I Am Again

Oh, I'm still here, I'm not going anywhere. I've just become very tired and very lazy lately, and, being who I am, I also feel guilty about not writing more, as if anyone cares. I'm just rolling along.

School has been somewhat stupid this past week, with one thing or another, ultimately leading up to the administrator/bully I can't stand calling me on the phone Friday morning to scold me for something that essentially someone else did. Whenever I have to talk to this guy, my blood pressure goes up and my self esteem goes down, because I always let him get to me. (I'm saving the big F- You for him when I retire, if he's still there.)

The weekend zipped by, somehow, and all I really did yesterday was laundry and grocery shopping. Today, K and I took the ride down the Parkway and visited with R and the GF for a while, which was very nice. But it's an awful day, very rainy, and rain predicted for the whole week. Not something to look forward to.

So I said to my sister the other day that I was thinking of getting t-shirts or hats made for the four of us going to Disney World, you know, something printed on them to commemorate the trip, and she tells me that she only wears v-neck shirts (as do I) and always wears the same hat because it shades her whole face. Oh. Well, then. So I think I'll get something printed on tote bags (but not tell her, because I don't want to hear why she only uses some particular tote bag she already has), but I can't decide what to print on them. I could go with a picture of our grandparents, or of my mother/their father (sister and brother), but I need some kind of words to go with it. I thought about my grandfather's last name, since that unites us as a family, sort of, but it actually is both of the cousins' last name. (And my older daughter's first name, which just makes it all more confusing.) What could I have printed on a tote bag? A picture? Words? Mickey Mouse? (There are actually no photographs of the four of us together as children, only movies, which don't make clear prints.)

In other news, it may be time to see an orthopedist about my knee, since walking around on it in DW won't be easy, not to mention that it hurts a lot now. I hate getting involved with the orthopedist; it's always a long, drawn out thing, weeks and weeks and months, and physical therapy that never helps me.

Well, I came, I saw, I wrote.


watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2035
READING: American Lion: Andrew Jackson by Jon Meacham

Back in Muggle World

I've been reading a lot of Harry Potter lately, which tends to suck up my brain, but I finished the last book about an hour ago, so I thought I'd return to the land of real people (so to speak.)

Things are rolling along. I didn't wear a support on my knee today, but I took some Tylenol every four hours and it was much, much better. I have no idea what's up with that. No swelling, no bruise, just pain, and not where the break was two years ago. Huh.

As if you didn't already know this, I am going to Disney World with a pack of crazies. I was thinking of getting us some kind of matching t-shirts, just for a laugh, but now I just keep imagining what I might put on them, something about the crazy part of the family we're all descended from. I don't know. If one more person tells me that all the planning of the trip is in my hands and then tells me exactly how to plan it, I think I may scream.

I swear, I think of you guys all day long and plan out entries in my head, and then sit down at the keyboard and draw a blank. I haven't been commenting much lately either, in part because I read a lot of entries in school. Speaking of which ...

I don't know how many of you work with people who are completely clueless, but if you work in a public school, you do. There are always people who do not get the purpose of the whole institution, like secretaries who won't help kids and the like, but here's what we have going on. We have a technology department -- I generally refer to them as Computer Central -- staffed by Larry, Moe, and Curly. Each one is dopier than the next. (Their fourth member, new this year, is just a repairman, and he's the only one with a brain.) They have no sense whatsoever that there are people out there -- students, especially -- who actually need to use this thing they're working on, this network.

Last Friday was an in-service day, which meant staff in only, so naturally, the three stooges decided that this would be a good day to change the server. Oh yes, because there were no workshops that involved the use of the network or anything. I don't know how many people couldn't do what they were supposed to be doing because websites wouldn't come up.

Come Monday morning, guess what? Almost any website anyone went to turned up instead as a message that said that the site was blocked by our filtering software. Really dangerous sites, too, like CNN and AOL. Before 8:00, a half dozen kids had come to me in a panic because they had emailed homework to their AOL accounts but couldn't open them to print out.

So now it's Wednesday, and I can get CNN, but I cannot get most of your diaries at school. It's very frustrating. I have been very busy, but if I have ten minutes to spare between classes, I see nothing wrong with following up some stuff on Google Reader. But if I click something and it's blocked, then it's marked as Read in Reader, so I'm afraid I'll forget to come back to it. I have lost a few that way.

And did I mention that all the library resources that we use, and pay for via subscription, recognize our accounts by I.P. address? And that the new server, of course, has its own new I.P.? Why, I wonder, did they not wait until summer to do all of this, or do it when we were on vacation a couple of weeks ago? Because they have no sense that the network exists outside of their little world in which it is something to be repaired and tinkered with, never actually used by actual students and teachers.

So, swine flu. Are we all freaked out? Someone asked me that yesterday, and I said "Uh .. what?" Still, more people succumb to the regular flu. I understand why this is considered a pandemic, but I don't necessarily agree with what defines a pandemic. All things considered, very few people have been affected by this. I'm not saying it's nothing, but I don't feel personally threatened. (I hope that doesn't turn out to fall into the "Famous Last Words" category. That would be a bummer.)

I had to go to B&N after school to pick up a few books for the library. Suddenly today, we noticed that both our copies of Mien Kamph -- I don't want to get Googled for that -- were missing. No idea what that means. One of them just went out and came back a few weeks ago. With that title, I always fear censorship more than wannabees, so I'm a little concerned, but I picked up a replacement, as well as a few others. We'll see how long these all last.

Well, I finally got a full entry out, anyway. Looks like a good Lost tonight.



watching FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2034
READING: --- by ---

Hot. Hot.

It's about 92 degrees at the moment, which is most unusual for April, I have to say. What's not particularly surprising is that the central A/C in the house worked for about an hour yesterday and then died. It's producing cold, but it's not blowing through the vents. We have fans running everywhere and let me tell you, it's damn hot. So I know who my first call is to tomorrow morning.

This past week, on Tuesday, all the school districts in New Jersey voted on the school budgets. I understand that this is unique to New Jersey; every spring, our Boards of Education present their4 budgets to the public and the public votes yea or nay. Shockingly, about 75% of the the districts in my county passed; everybody expected budgets to go down this year, as they do from time to time even in good economies. The upshot in my house is that many districts posted openings for social studies teacherws in today's paper, so K has spent the day writing cover letters, assembling packets, emailing or applying online every place she can. Sadly for me, this makes her cranky, and the heat doesn't help.

Disney plans are underway. The Sibs and I have decided on the restaurants we need to make reservations for, and I'll call those tomorrow.

As of today, I'm officially giving up bringing my lunch to school. If I happen to have leftovers one day, or the mood strikes, I will, but I'm not counting on it. I'm not even taking my clothes out tonight; I'll decide what to wear in the morning. It;s like I've got senioritis.

Well then, my tasks for the day are done, except to get the laundry out of the dryer. But I think I'll shut down the computer for a bit and let it cool off.


watching ODD COUPLE Marathon on DVD :: ENTRY #2033
READING: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Two

Here's the beginning of the entry I wrote yesterday but never got to post:

The week is rushing by, for some reason, but today is just dragging. In a sense, it's the last day of the school week, since tomorrow is an In-Service day, but not one I'm dreading. For one, I won't be hear at the high school; I'll be at the middle school which is at the end of the street I live on. For another, I'll just be with the district's librarians, no keynote speaker or anything. I get to sleep an hour and a half later (since we go by the elementary school schedules for a district-wide in-service), and most unusual of all, I'll be learning about something I really want to know about. (Using Wikis in teaching.) And I don't even have to bring my lunch.

Truth be told, I suck lately at bringing my lunch. I've been buying at the cafeteria all week, and I may continue to do so until the end of the year. (That would be 44 more days.) I've slept very well the past two nights, but when the alarm goes off, I am just pissed. It's all I can do to shower and get dressed and get out of the house. I don't have breakfast, I don't want to carry a lunch bag. I stop for coffee and drink it at school. That seems to be my limit these days.

Seriously, I think of wonderful things to write to you all about all day long, and then I come home and I'm like "Wha ...?" and all my brain cells have stopped functioning. And tonight I have to stay out late since I'm going to the retirees' dinner, which I know I will love going to. The Sibs is home from her California trip, so we will be going to book DisneyWorld tomorrow or Saturday. My Cousin -- the smart one -- called both of us yesterday to make sure we were on track with this all. Why, yes, yes we are. Settle down.

And here's today's big finish:

The retirees' dinner was wonderful, as anticipated; apparently there are different people there each month (other than the core group), so I got to see some really long-missing faces. Lovely.

The in-service was okay today. I did learn some things I wanted to know about, and learned that unfortunately the damn state education standards are being revised yet again, which means next year's curriculum has to reflect that, so there's some new lessons and plans I've got to work on. Which is fine because I do really love doing that kind of thing, but I'm afraid stuff that is not really in my area is going to get dumped on me. We shall see.

And we did indeed go and book the trip after school today, so that is all taken care of. August 17 through the 22. The Sibs and I are flying from Newark and the cousins will be flying in from Denver; we'll meet in the airport or at the hotel. In Chai-time, that means it's time to start packing!

Looks like a quiet weekend coming up. K and I were going to go visit R on Sunday, but she has plans, but she may drop by briefly tomorrow. The Sibs brought back her eldest's newest CD, a collection of children's songs, which is a little scary coming from him, but I'll try to listen tomorrow while I'm out and about doing errands in the morning. We're expecting temps close to 90 tomorrow and Sunday -- !!!!!!!!! Astonishing for April.


I'm going to Disney World!

It's Friday.

watching FAMILY GUY :: ENTRY #2032
READING: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Excuuuuuse Me

I really thought I had posted on Saturday, and was surprised just now to see that I didn't. The memory is going, going.

As is the hearing, since I had to take my hearing aids in for repair. A little piece chipped off the left one, and since that was going in, and my warranty expires next month, I asked them to take apart the right one and get rid of the battery that got stuck in there some months back and that rattles around a little when I bend my head down. They'll also let me know about extending the warranty, because anything that costs that much ought to last more than two years, and I know they'll die the day after the warranty expires, and new hearing aids aren't in my budget at the moment.

So my world is a little quieter for the next week or so. Too bad there's a retirees' dinner on Thursday; I guess I'll just listen to whomever is sitting next to me.

We had some nasty cold rain yesterday, but today is surprisingly pleasant. (It was supposed to rain all week.) You just don't want to leave the house in that kind of weather.

The Sibs is coming home from California late tonight, yay! We should be able to go book the Disney trip Friday afternoon, or Saturday. The dates are all worked out, since it turns out that the Sibs' commitment and the Cousin's are both at the same time, so that leaves a a good week to work with. Even so, I won't believe it until I see it. I won't even start to pack until I know that we're really going, and that's taking will power.

I did remember to jot down three smiley things today, which follow, along with a picture. That little signature area down there is getting to be longer than my actual entries.



Seeing Mary and Sue (two teachers), who are buddies, greet each other in the morning, which made me think of E and the Chum, and I smiled, remembering, instead of being bummed because my besties aren't here anymore.
I came into the library from the hallway and saw the line-up of kid-friendly books on top of the first bookstack.

Leaning over to put something away at the side of my desk, my face came right up close to the picture of my parents I have framed there.

watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #2031
READING: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Last Chaapter

Another delicious vacation day. I did some closet organizing, more desk tidying, and got my nails done.

Okay, so the story continues. A little bit of warning here: part of tonight's story is serious, and sad. Life is like that sometimes.

Okay, so my cousin moved to Oregon to prove her independence. She did reasonably well there, having a good friend who had already moved there, and that woman's circle of friends. As they were all new-agey types, cousin began to get involved in that as well.

She also met her friend's brother, either for the first time, or it was the first time they noticed each other. He was also into all the new-agey stuff, and loved animals, as cousin was now coming to realize she did as well. He worked from time to time as a substitute teacher, because he really couldn't understand how a person could have a full-time job and still get things like laundry and food shopping done. No shit.

They did indeed fall in love, and decided to live together. At some point, somehow, they bought a house, and began to acquire a quantity of cats and dogs. This was all happening somewhere in the early 90's, I would guess, although I don't remember a specific timeline.

My aunt and uncle would visit them, and cousin and her guy would visit her parents in L.A. My aunt and uncle liked him very much, and were certainly ecstatic that she had found someone. She had waited for love, and was very happy.

They lived together for three years, I think, before they got married. Three weeks after they were married, he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He died a few weeks after that.

No jokes then, because this was serious and tragic. She continued to live in the house, work occasionally, acquire more pets, and become more and more new-agey, and more weird.

My uncle died in 1994. My mother and sister and I flew out to L.A. for his funeral, bringing a ten year old K along with us because R was off on a Girl Scout trip and I didn't want a ten year old home alone all day until the Hubs came home from work. Anyway, this was the most time I spent with this cousin since the airport visit. (Although I had certainly spoken to her after her husband passed away.) She was still sweet, and compassionate and cute, and weird. At one point, I recall, she was standing behind her mother, who was sitting in a chair, and she was cleansing her mother's aura, which I cannot describe to you because, of course, she wasn't actually doing anything.

Not long after that, as my aunt became more and more ill, she moved up north to live near her daughter, the nurse. So that's at least ten years now, and of course my aunt passed away a few weeks ago, which is what prompted this whole trip we're taking. During this time, let's see, my cousin became one of the Y2K people, who stockpiled supplies and spent that New Year's Eve in hiding because the world was somehow going to come to an end. She has one cat that doesn't get along with any of the other animals, so that cat has the master bedroom in the house. Cousin sleeps on a couch in the living room. And as you know, a vacation to her is a hotel where you can sit in your room and look out at the ocean.

I think Disney World will be wonderful for her, because she grew up in L.A., and must have gone to Disneyland hundreds of times, so I'm hoping it will be a nice recalling of childhood good times. Yes, she moves slowly, so I'll probably have been to two parks and six rides before she's ready to get up and go for the day. Even so, the whole thing falls under the category of doing a mitzvah, a good deed for someone who needs one.

And there you have it. She is not a sad person; she's actually kind of bubbly. She's just quirkier than most, even in a family of very quirky people.

I'll post a picture of us all from the Magic Kingdom when we go.





waiting for FRIENDS :: ENTRY #2028
READING: Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Big Finish at the Superbowl

Chai, you've spent weeks on the phone with your cousin and sister, trying to work out the details of this trip. What are you going to do now?

I'm going to Disney World.

Not that I'm not looking forward to going, but seriously, the craziness could all have been avoided. Ever since this first came up a couple of years ago, my sister has said that when the trip came to pass, we'd go to Disney World, which was, of course, all right with me. Then when my aunt actually died, and the trip became more than hypothetical, she said that the others didn't want to go there, which again, was okay with me. All along the way here, I'd assumed that she and normal cousin had agreed on this long ago. Which maybe they did. It doesn't matter anymore, because, you know,

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

We're going in late August, and having been there at that time of year, I can tell you that it is plenty damn hot, but you're in and out of air conditioning and sitting by pools and such, so it's okay. More details to follow, I'm sure, as it approaches.

In the meantime, crazy cousin vetoed Toronto because "it creeped her out." Hmm. I cannot imagine why this would creep her out, although her passport issue really made that impossible. What about the "sitting and looking at water" issue? I have no idea. Once Disney World was on the table, the two cousins were ecstatic, or so normal cousin told me.

I have mentioned the insanity in my family before, right?

So, I got many tasks done this morning after sleeping late, a good start to the vacation. We're leaving mid-morning tomorrow to head down to the ILS fo Easter brunch; I have no idea when we'll be home, but I wouldn't be surprised if they kept us there all day long.

So there ya go.





waiting for TWO AND A HALF MEN :: ENTRY #2024
READING: --- by ---

End of the Week For Me

I've been sleeping really well since I got home -- since my 3rd night away, actually -- but I feel no less tired during the day than I usually do. I was totally dragging this morning, but made it to work and did what I needed to do, but I left after lunch and came home and slept a bit. My stomach was bothering me too. I met my sister for pedicures, and I've been trying to catch up on last week's TV since I got home, although I can barely keep my eyes open.

I was going to write a totally different entry for today, but alas, my brains are mush. Tomorrow, perhaps.

I've already taken tomorrow as a sick day since the podiatrist only has hours Friday mornings, so I can sleep a little later and maybe get some other stuff done during the rest of the day. And maybe some clear brains in with the deal.

***************

saturday

it's been another looong day. but i slept amazingly well last night (as did all three of us, for some reason), so that was delightful. our mornings have been very easy, and easy going.

there was a tag on our door this morning, telling us that we'll be on the 10.35 bus to the airport tomorrow, which means our 9.00 brunch at another hotel is not do-able. just as well. we'll have an easy morning, quick breakfast, check our bags and get our boarding passes (which the airlines do at the hotels here) and check out. should be home at the mouse house by five p.m.

back from dinner at the beach club "clambake" - excellent, lots of food, and the other two paid for my dinner to thank me for planning the trip... aww.

so now the o.c. and i are packed. the chum says she can pack in the a.m.

• animal kingdom to see the tree
• to epcot, where:
• it was very crazy crowded and we couldn't do a lot of what we wanted, which was okay.
• had lunch in canada
• walked the world showcase
• went on the nemo ride
• went to dinner

sunday morning

slept very well again last night, and woke up before six, as did the o.c. so we're ready bright and early, bags checked, boarding passes in hand, before 9.00. our bus leaves around 10.30. so we've got time to kill.

i hear it's really cold at home, and maybe even dark by the time we get to the car. ick.

so, another bathroom break for me.

WATCHING L & O SVU :: ENTRY #1625

Going to the Show

So I'm going back to school tonight for the drama club's fall production, which is Twelfth Night, a play that I've never seen or read. So I'm very much looking forward to it. Also, I'm going with my dear Colleague, the former library secretary who's been spirited away to another office since last year, and whom I miss every day; we never seem to get much opportunity to catch up. But we're both going to get there early and have time for a chat.

I still feel like I'm dragging through my days. I did get everything else unpacked and put away last night, and I went to a couple of places after school until I found arch support braces -- like elastic bandages -- so I don't have to keep wrapping my feet in the long bandages every morning. I shoulda thought of this weeks ago. As it is, I'm going back to the foot doctor on Friday and we'll see what he says.

I'm going to crash on the couch for a bit before I have to go; I have about two hours. Here's the next day of my trip:

*******************

Friday

6.00 pm

Well, I am just exhausted. Didn't sleep much again last night. I just realized shortly ago that when I sorted out all my meds to take, I left out what helps me sleep. And how maniacal was I over this whole thing? But I brought back-up, which was not confiscated at airport security, and I did that one right, so I should be okay tonight.

I do have the headache of death, but I just took something for that. We'll be going down to the cafeteria for a simple dinner tonight (pizza and a beer) and then the O.C. and I will finish our shopping in the hotel gift shop.

So, today, M.G.M. studios. Oh, I love it there.

• Great Movie Ride
• Star Tours - loved it
• Indiana Jones Stunt Show
• good shopping day
• 50s Prime Time for lunch
• Muppet 3D Movie
• Backlot Tour
• couldn't find the bus back to our hotel
  

We three are getting along pretty welI. The O.C. and I are very much in sync, but the Chum -- best friend, of sorts -- and I are not. We're okay, but not seamless, which is what a Disney trip should be.

WATCHING THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #1624

Returning to Life ... Slowly

So it's Tuesday -- I guess -- and I haven't dropped dead yet, so I guess I'm okay. I'm still very, very tired, although I'm sleeping at night. We were supposed to have some kind of emergency drill at school today which would have involved lots and lots of walking (yes, I know I did lots and lots of walking last week, but it's not the same thing), but it was canceled due to iffy weather. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

I did manage to get all the clean clothes put away this afternoon, and I emptied out what was left in my carry-on, so all that remains is the bag full of miscellaneous stuff: the travel-size shampoo, bandaids and first aid kit, other random crap. I'll leave that for another day.

I also just had to call the hotel in DW to get the UPS tracking numbers for the two packages we sent home, one to my house and one to the Chum's. They were supposed to email them to me, but they didn't. So they're coming on Thursday, and then I'll have the rest of all the little goodies I got there. Perhaps I will post a photo; a couple of things are amusing, at least to me.

Speaking of photos, we had our picture taken in the parks a couple of times, and I just ordered one of those online, too. I really have become incredibly un-photogenic in recent years. But once I get the picture, I'll scan it in and post that too, so you can see the three maniacs that we were down there.

Here was the Chum's best line of the trip. She realized that she had packed more than she needed, and said that her only frame of reference was the Senior Class Trip, so she brought the wrong things. Then she paused a beat and said that she should have packed for the Senior Citizens Class Trip instead. Heh heh.

******************

Thursday. Nov. 8

Long day.

Short recap:

• went to the Magic Kingdom from our hotel by little boat
  
• went on excellent rides, including the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean
  
• went on MY FAVORITE Big Thunder Mountain and the Chum got a good case of motion sickness and turned grouchy and went back to the hotel after lunch. But I LOVED IT.
• greasy lunch at the Pinocchio Haus
  
• Chum back to the hotel by boat.
  
• more excellent rides, this time It's a Small World and Peter's Pan's Flight. I am a Peter Pan junkie since young childhood.
  
• The O.C. and I staked out seats and sat for nearly two hours and then watched the afternoon parade, which was great.
  
• There was a big snafu in which we got on a boat to go back to the hotel and then the Chum called and said she was on her way back to the park by boat which ultimately involved the O.C. and I jumping off a boat that was about to pull away from the dock, thereby amusing everyone who saw us.
  
• We had dinner at the hotel. Loved the hotel, by the way.
  
• Went back to the Magic Kingdom for the lit-up night parade, which was excellent. While waiting for it to begin, I heard two happy voices call out "Mrs. Chai! Mrs. Chai!" and it was two kids from school, a brother and sister, also there. I always see someone I know from home when I'm at DisneyWorld.
• Back to the hotel. We watch the fireworks at the MK from our balcony.
  

We are freaking old.

Talked to R on the phone. Could not reach the Sibs.

Slept two hours plus odd minutes last night. Must sleep tonight. No beer for me at dinner.

10.00, going to try sleep.

WATCHING THE GOLDEN GIRLS :: ENTRY #1623

Back in the Real World

So it was back to school today, a long, busy day. I had five classes in, plus all the stuff I had to catch up on by being out Wednesday, plus the SCM was out. I told them I only needed a sub when I went to lunch, but they sent me someone for the rest of the afternoon, too, and he just loomed around here and there in the stacks, never really speaking, and I was too busy elsewhere to think of something for him to do. Easy money for him. I even forgot he was there.

I did manage to get two loads of wash done (well, not quite done yet) this afternoon, and K and I went to the A&P. I am on beyond tired. My house is just a mess. I think if I went away for a month, it would collapse under the weight of garbage not taken out and expired food in the fridge. The only thing I can tell you for sure is that they would replace the toilet paper roll, as needed. I guess they have their priorities.

I am still so not organized here. I got the laundry done, but not the clean clothes that I brought back with me put away, or the toiletries and other stuff. Still bags of my own stuff in the living room.

I'm thinking that this weekend is going to be unbelievably busy, what with getting the house in order and doing all the Thanksgiving shopping. My god, is Thanksgiving next week? That certainly snuck up on me. But I am taking Friday off, for a podiatrist appointment in the morning and a haircut in the afternoon (as long as I had the doctor's appointment; I'm not taking a day off work just to get my haircut), so I guess I can do a lot of the cleaning in between those things.

So here's the first part of the journal I kept while I was away, which would be for last Wednesday.

*********************

Wed 11/5

We're at the airport. We left the house at 5.15 and got here just about 6; it was maybe 10 minutes later til we parked and got into the terminal.

This really is a child's view of what an airport is. In other words, it works. Two minute line to check luggage. We went through security in ten minutes; they were efficient, professional, pleasant, and good humored. Found seats right by the gate with a ladies room and coffee shop nearby, but of course, everything here is nearby everything else.


9.15 am On the plane

I have to say that this was maybe my most pleasant airport experience ever. Every airport should be like this: uncomplicated, efficient, good humored. The plane itself is nothing to write home about -- although I am -- but it's fine, and the staff is very friendly and nice.

Very glad we got the first class coming home, because I am squished here in the window seat -- the O.C. prefers the aisle, which is fine, I don't care -- but she has a bit of bulk to her, so room is tight. Flying home seats looked very nice, though, as we passed them on the way in.

I slept great at her house last night, although I think it's often awkward to spend a night in a home not your own. She has been renovating for about a year and a half and stuff is everywhere. Boxes and boxes and paint cans and furniture covered with dropcloths, and you name it. I don't think I could live that way for that long. I tell you, my Mouse House is going to look a lot better to me when I get home. Her whole house is like my infamous basement, the cleaning out of which is apparently my life's work.

Due to land in about an hour and a half.

I am surprised that typing in text on the Palm using the stylus and the on-screen keyboard is neither slow nor annoying. I originally wrote the pre-boarding part of this by hand on a pad of paper, and that was uncomfortable.

Speaking of which, I was talking to nephew Good Guy last night, and telling him about my trip. He knows both of my traveling companions, the Chum and the O.C., pretty well, so he was amused. I told him it was the Old Bat Tour. Now I wish i'd gotten t-shirts made, like rock band tour shirts.

Waaaaay later. Same day.

WE ARE IN DISNEYWORLD.

Sparing every last detail, we met up with the Chum, who drove here from her mother's in south Florida, we're laughing a lot, we had a good meal - Mexican - , we are exhausted. I had a beer. My feet hurt.

Today's hit parade:

• airport/plane/airport/bus
• Wilderness Lodge (our hotel) is cool
• took the bus to Epcot
• Journey into Imagination - where Figment lives!
• ride in Mexico
• ride in Norway (Maelstrom) is excellent but too short
• dinner in Mexico - I had a beer
• looong trip back to the hotel. Two monorails and a boat
• we saw the Magic Kingdom fireworks from our sixth floor room, which was very cool.

So I'm ensconced here up on the top bunk, which is fine. The getting up and down is not so great, but up here is fine.

Laughing a lot. Very tired. Feet hurt.

WATCHING SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS :: ENTRY #1622

Hi!

Just a quick "I'm home!", and more tomorrow. I pretty much kept a journal on the palm while I was away (but I had no Internet access whatsoever), so I'll be posting that in parts over the next few days. For tonight, I've caught up with my email and had a couple of poptarts, and I'm tackling my long list of your stuff to read now, until I collapse from exhaustion.

WATCHING THE SIMPSONS :: ENTRY #1622