Every once in awhile something happens to remind you that there are truly angels among us. And, they're not always the ones in need.
This last Friday, since JBP and I had the day off school, I decided to take him to the movies.
I had one credit card on me for the tickets and about $10 cash for snacks and the arcade.
What I forgot about until we were walking in the door was that the credit card I had on me isn't universally accepted, including at this theatre. The theatre also does not accept checks.
I made a desperation attempt to get a cash advance on my credit card at the ATM, but had never set up a PIN for it. So, I ended up borrowing $2 from JBP in order to buy the tickets in cash. That left us with no money for nibbles or arcade games.
JBP wasn't happy about that, but willing to lend me the money.
Afterward, the guy who'd been behind us in line came up to JBP and handed him a $10 bill, telling him to buy something for his mother. It was more than enough for a snack and money for the arcades.
JBP and I both said a little prayer of thanks. And I "gave" the money back this Sabbath at church.
The incident was as embarrassing as anything for me. But, a good reminder of how little such random acts of kindness take and what a big difference they can make in someone's life.
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Nimitz In Training
The Nimitz family has grown by one more member. My mother came to visit over Spring Break. She brought with her her two cats, one a formerly wild male kitten she'd caught and had fixed. She was trying to find him a permanent home. He chose ours.
When it came time to pack up and leave, he hid in the utility room (with access between the floors!) and didn't come out until my mom was home -- a 2.5 hour trip!
The new young one reminds me so much of Nimitz when he was a young-un'. Similar coloring, same catitude, everything. And he's not afraid to demand attention.
We "kept" him on a trial basis. If after a couple of weeks we decided the other cats weren't dealing well with him, in other words if they were expressing their displeasure with bodily discharges!, then I'd make an extra trip to return the little imp to my mom.
Some three weeks later he's still with us, and learning quickly. He's dealing well with the 81 lb dog and still trying to make friends with Nimitz and Chicken Cat. They're still not so sure about the whole thing, but haven't let loose with any maloderous comments.
Of course, due to his wild heritage, he's still having trouble adjusting to two-leg hours, i.e. awake during the day and sleeping at night. So, we have to lock him, and consequently all the cats, out of our room at night if we're going to get any sleep. Otherwise, we're awakened around midnight by a small black furry monster playing Chase-The-Tale on our legs.
My mother had dubbed him Squiggles, because he's constantly in motion. But he looks and acts so much like Nimitz I've taken to referring to them as Old Man and Young Man. Not sure if they approve, though!
Nimitz' Lady
When it came time to pack up and leave, he hid in the utility room (with access between the floors!) and didn't come out until my mom was home -- a 2.5 hour trip!
The new young one reminds me so much of Nimitz when he was a young-un'. Similar coloring, same catitude, everything. And he's not afraid to demand attention.
We "kept" him on a trial basis. If after a couple of weeks we decided the other cats weren't dealing well with him, in other words if they were expressing their displeasure with bodily discharges!, then I'd make an extra trip to return the little imp to my mom.
Some three weeks later he's still with us, and learning quickly. He's dealing well with the 81 lb dog and still trying to make friends with Nimitz and Chicken Cat. They're still not so sure about the whole thing, but haven't let loose with any maloderous comments.
Of course, due to his wild heritage, he's still having trouble adjusting to two-leg hours, i.e. awake during the day and sleeping at night. So, we have to lock him, and consequently all the cats, out of our room at night if we're going to get any sleep. Otherwise, we're awakened around midnight by a small black furry monster playing Chase-The-Tale on our legs.
My mother had dubbed him Squiggles, because he's constantly in motion. But he looks and acts so much like Nimitz I've taken to referring to them as Old Man and Young Man. Not sure if they approve, though!
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, March 04, 2007
My brain is Purple
| Your Brain is Purple |
 Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself. |
A Little Bit Of Everything
Here's a sampling of some of the posts I've mentally written over the last week or two. Sorry I can't remember more. Unfortunately, even when I have time, I can no longer access my blog from work. For some reason (notice the touch of sarcasm) the school I work at thinks blogs are too dangerous for our youth to read at school and has blocked out all blogging websites.
Anyway, here are the aforementioned posts.
2/24/07 LUCKY CHARM
Move over Cy! My JBP is the new mascot of the Iowa State Women's Basketball team. At least when they're playing K-State in Manhattan.
Last night we traveled to Manhattan to attend the game between ISU and K-State today. We had intended to make it a day trip, but threats of blizzard-type weather changed our minds for us. Said weather never developed in our part of the country.
The game was great. One of those nail-biters from nearly beginning to end. Anyone who's not an Iowa State fan may not have thought so. But then, they would've been quite surprised by the end! The Cyclones got out to a slow start, falling behind by as many as 14 at one point in the first half. But, they kept climbing back into the game. They finally tied it up with just 2:00 left, then took the lead for good at :27 left in the game.
During the warm-ups before the game, a couple of the assistant coaches let JBP join them on the bench. One even walked him out onto the court so he could get a picture of the ladies warming up. They also shared Skittles with him and gave him a pop.
Afterward we were talking with the same coaches about the exciting finish and it came to our ttention this was the first time we'd won at Manhattan since 2002! The coaches then went on to declare JBP to be their new good luck charm and demand that he must attend all ISU games at K-State, sit on the bench during warm ups, share skittles and drink a Sierra Mist!
Jocks and their superstitions! But JBP was eating it up.
3/1/07 PERSPECTIVE
Tonight, as I was leaving Wal-Mart after a quick grocery trip, a woman came up to me in the parking lot asking for money to fuel up her car.
As she was walking up to me I could tell she was going to ask me for something and all I wanted to do was, quick! get my stuff in the van and get out of there before she reached me.
But, when she started talking something said I should help. I had no cash, and in general don't like to give cash but things, so I said if they'd follow me to the gas station I'd fuel their car up the same time I fueled up the van.
When we got the station and I started swiping my credit card at the pumps, I noticed the woman was walking a little strange and repeatedly putting her hand to her stomach as if she were holding it. I suddenly realized she must be pregnant. She later told me she was six months along.
She kept thanking me, saying at least now they could keep the car running for heat overnight. They had nowhere else to go. At this point I felt the need to do more than just fuel up their car so I rummaged through my grocery bags and found some food they could keep in the car and eat without heating up. Not much, but some. I also told them about our church's Dorcas program and when and where it was operated.
As I left I still had the feeling I could've/should've done more to help. But what? I'm not the only "owner" of my house so it's not up to me to invite folks home without checking with my husband. I didn't think of the idea of at least getting them a night (or a week) at a motel until after I'd left. Nor did I think of going back to the grocery store and buying them some more food until it was too late.
All I know is by the time I got home and found myself scraping my son's half-eaten supper into the trash I felt the waste in a way I haven't in years.
We have so much, even when we think we don't. We've got a house and two cars we wouldn't lose even if both of us were fired this week. We've got enough food we could eat for a couple of weeks without ever going to the store, yet we go shopping at least once, sometimes two or three times a week. We can afford cross-country trips for basketball games.
All this couple had was their car, the clothing on their backs and a baby on the way.
I've spent a lot of time since praying that they find the help they need. And if there's anyway I can, or should, help them more that they find their way back to me.
3/3/07 REJECTION
One reason I haven't blogged a lot lately is a general depression I've been suffering. Although many good things have happened to me in the last year they've been generally outweighed by the bad and difficult to handle things.
Part of depression for me, I've found, is a regression to emotional responses I thought I'd left behind along with my teens. Among them a horrible self body image and a tendency to interpret any and all negative comments as a personal rejection of me. I know conciously that my reactions aren't logical. But, that doesn't mean I can stop having them.
This hasn't been helped by recent events in my life.
For example, getting in an argument with a lady from church over how I raise my son. She was upset that I wasn't helping him through the line at potluck. This, despite the fact I hadn't been helping him, because he hadn't needed help, for several months.
In the process things were said that I took quite personally, such as:
"That's because he's stubborn and does it anyway."
"As a responsible parent I always...."
"I was just trying to get you to help your son!"
(her emphases, not mine)
Then, Der Deutscher nearly lost it this morning when Nimitz got upset with us for not getting up to let him out at his regular time and urinated on some dirty clothes on my closet floor.
I don't think I've ever seen Der Deutscher that mad before.
My first reaction, and still lingering one, was to take it as a personal rejection. Nimitz is 13.5 years old. He's an old man. When he says he needs to go out, we need to let him out or suffer the consequences.
When Sedona aged, got sick and was eventually dying, Der Deutscher never got furious about any mess. He just calmly got the needed materials and cleaned it all up.
So it was hard not to take this morning's reaction as a personal indictment against me.
It wasn't until much later in the day I realized the date and it's significance. March 3rd was my mother-in-law's birthday (she died last September). An emotionally significant date for my husband who's extremely tied to such anniversarial celebrations (as well as gifts).
But even knowing that hasn't completely changed my gut reaction to the incident.
Then, during Sabbath School today, one of the participants basically called everything I'd said or brought up a "dangerous distraction" from biblical content.
We'd been discussing the flood and questions were raised such as:
"What about the dinosaurs?"
"What does it mean when it says 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men'?"
"How did they do that?", etc.
I brought up some theories that I have heard and studied, never implying that they were the definitive answer or that we would ever have the definitive answer.
But then one of the other members came out with a whole soliloquy on how it's essentially dangerous to speculate on what's not explicitly stated in the Bible as that can be a distraction from the essential truth we're supposed to learn from it. What was important was what Moses wrote in Genesis, not what he left out.
I'd basically had enough and packed up my stuff and left. I still haven't decided if I'll return to that class.
Add that to the fact that that was the first time I'd been to church since the second week of January and only One Person from the congregation had ever checked on me, and you can see why I'm dealing with some major rejection issues right now.
Nimitz' Lady
Anyway, here are the aforementioned posts.
2/24/07 LUCKY CHARM
Move over Cy! My JBP is the new mascot of the Iowa State Women's Basketball team. At least when they're playing K-State in Manhattan.
Last night we traveled to Manhattan to attend the game between ISU and K-State today. We had intended to make it a day trip, but threats of blizzard-type weather changed our minds for us. Said weather never developed in our part of the country.
The game was great. One of those nail-biters from nearly beginning to end. Anyone who's not an Iowa State fan may not have thought so. But then, they would've been quite surprised by the end! The Cyclones got out to a slow start, falling behind by as many as 14 at one point in the first half. But, they kept climbing back into the game. They finally tied it up with just 2:00 left, then took the lead for good at :27 left in the game.
During the warm-ups before the game, a couple of the assistant coaches let JBP join them on the bench. One even walked him out onto the court so he could get a picture of the ladies warming up. They also shared Skittles with him and gave him a pop.
Afterward we were talking with the same coaches about the exciting finish and it came to our ttention this was the first time we'd won at Manhattan since 2002! The coaches then went on to declare JBP to be their new good luck charm and demand that he must attend all ISU games at K-State, sit on the bench during warm ups, share skittles and drink a Sierra Mist!
Jocks and their superstitions! But JBP was eating it up.
3/1/07 PERSPECTIVE
Tonight, as I was leaving Wal-Mart after a quick grocery trip, a woman came up to me in the parking lot asking for money to fuel up her car.
As she was walking up to me I could tell she was going to ask me for something and all I wanted to do was, quick! get my stuff in the van and get out of there before she reached me.
But, when she started talking something said I should help. I had no cash, and in general don't like to give cash but things, so I said if they'd follow me to the gas station I'd fuel their car up the same time I fueled up the van.
When we got the station and I started swiping my credit card at the pumps, I noticed the woman was walking a little strange and repeatedly putting her hand to her stomach as if she were holding it. I suddenly realized she must be pregnant. She later told me she was six months along.
She kept thanking me, saying at least now they could keep the car running for heat overnight. They had nowhere else to go. At this point I felt the need to do more than just fuel up their car so I rummaged through my grocery bags and found some food they could keep in the car and eat without heating up. Not much, but some. I also told them about our church's Dorcas program and when and where it was operated.
As I left I still had the feeling I could've/should've done more to help. But what? I'm not the only "owner" of my house so it's not up to me to invite folks home without checking with my husband. I didn't think of the idea of at least getting them a night (or a week) at a motel until after I'd left. Nor did I think of going back to the grocery store and buying them some more food until it was too late.
All I know is by the time I got home and found myself scraping my son's half-eaten supper into the trash I felt the waste in a way I haven't in years.
We have so much, even when we think we don't. We've got a house and two cars we wouldn't lose even if both of us were fired this week. We've got enough food we could eat for a couple of weeks without ever going to the store, yet we go shopping at least once, sometimes two or three times a week. We can afford cross-country trips for basketball games.
All this couple had was their car, the clothing on their backs and a baby on the way.
I've spent a lot of time since praying that they find the help they need. And if there's anyway I can, or should, help them more that they find their way back to me.
3/3/07 REJECTION
One reason I haven't blogged a lot lately is a general depression I've been suffering. Although many good things have happened to me in the last year they've been generally outweighed by the bad and difficult to handle things.
Part of depression for me, I've found, is a regression to emotional responses I thought I'd left behind along with my teens. Among them a horrible self body image and a tendency to interpret any and all negative comments as a personal rejection of me. I know conciously that my reactions aren't logical. But, that doesn't mean I can stop having them.
This hasn't been helped by recent events in my life.
For example, getting in an argument with a lady from church over how I raise my son. She was upset that I wasn't helping him through the line at potluck. This, despite the fact I hadn't been helping him, because he hadn't needed help, for several months.
In the process things were said that I took quite personally, such as:
"That's because he's stubborn and does it anyway."
"As a responsible parent I always...."
"I was just trying to get you to help your son!"
(her emphases, not mine)
Then, Der Deutscher nearly lost it this morning when Nimitz got upset with us for not getting up to let him out at his regular time and urinated on some dirty clothes on my closet floor.
I don't think I've ever seen Der Deutscher that mad before.
My first reaction, and still lingering one, was to take it as a personal rejection. Nimitz is 13.5 years old. He's an old man. When he says he needs to go out, we need to let him out or suffer the consequences.
When Sedona aged, got sick and was eventually dying, Der Deutscher never got furious about any mess. He just calmly got the needed materials and cleaned it all up.
So it was hard not to take this morning's reaction as a personal indictment against me.
It wasn't until much later in the day I realized the date and it's significance. March 3rd was my mother-in-law's birthday (she died last September). An emotionally significant date for my husband who's extremely tied to such anniversarial celebrations (as well as gifts).
But even knowing that hasn't completely changed my gut reaction to the incident.
Then, during Sabbath School today, one of the participants basically called everything I'd said or brought up a "dangerous distraction" from biblical content.
We'd been discussing the flood and questions were raised such as:
"What about the dinosaurs?"
"What does it mean when it says 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men'?"
"How did they do that?", etc.
I brought up some theories that I have heard and studied, never implying that they were the definitive answer or that we would ever have the definitive answer.
But then one of the other members came out with a whole soliloquy on how it's essentially dangerous to speculate on what's not explicitly stated in the Bible as that can be a distraction from the essential truth we're supposed to learn from it. What was important was what Moses wrote in Genesis, not what he left out.
I'd basically had enough and packed up my stuff and left. I still haven't decided if I'll return to that class.
Add that to the fact that that was the first time I'd been to church since the second week of January and only One Person from the congregation had ever checked on me, and you can see why I'm dealing with some major rejection issues right now.
Nimitz' Lady
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Here a Little ....
There a little.
I've written a dozen or so posts in my head the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately I never made it to the computer in time to get them down in bits and bytes.
We in the Nimitz' household have been sick, all of us, over the last couple of weeks. Nothing serious, just what we call the creeping crud. Plenty harsh enough to make you want to die, but nothing bad enough to even warrant a trip to the doctor's office. Needless to say, that means every spare moment I've had has been spent in bed, not playing on the computer.
My photography class is underway. I'm actually enjoying it (when I'm not bored to death during the "lecture" portion). And so far the "homework" hasn't been a burden. Here's hoping it stays that way.
The big news however is on the JBP front. My little boy is READING! Remember, he started the school year a little behind becfause he didn't go to kindergarten.
Well, in the last week he's read four books, FOUR, to me. All the way through. Without me prompting him or helping him sound out a single word. I'm sooooo proud of him. We keep telling him how smart he is. I think he may actually be starting to believe it.
Also on the JBP front: he's getting reading glasses. The teacher has reported that he consistently balks at doing writing work. Before school started I'd had his eyes checked and the doctor said he was a little far-sighted but might still grow out of it. If we saw any reluctance to do close-up work, however, we should bring him back in for another check-up. We did so. He's still mildly far-sighted. He should have his new reading glasses by this Friday.
Our other big news, all the furniture Der Deutscher had shipped out from his mother's place in Germany has arrived in our town. It will be delivered this Friday. Der Deutscher took the day off work for the delivery. Now, of course, that means we're feverishly trying to empty some rooms, moving furniture about, etc, trying to make room for the new stuff coming in. In the long run I think this will really make the house look good. In the short run it's going to be a real pain in the patoot. However, we knew it was coming. Just not when. Now we know.
So, that's the latest from the Nimitz' Household.
I'm sure there's other stuff I should mention, but like I said I've been a little out of it recently. Time to hit the hay (at 8:30pm!) and dream up some more great posts that'll never hit the 'net.
Nimitz' Lady
I've written a dozen or so posts in my head the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately I never made it to the computer in time to get them down in bits and bytes.
We in the Nimitz' household have been sick, all of us, over the last couple of weeks. Nothing serious, just what we call the creeping crud. Plenty harsh enough to make you want to die, but nothing bad enough to even warrant a trip to the doctor's office. Needless to say, that means every spare moment I've had has been spent in bed, not playing on the computer.
My photography class is underway. I'm actually enjoying it (when I'm not bored to death during the "lecture" portion). And so far the "homework" hasn't been a burden. Here's hoping it stays that way.
The big news however is on the JBP front. My little boy is READING! Remember, he started the school year a little behind becfause he didn't go to kindergarten.
Well, in the last week he's read four books, FOUR, to me. All the way through. Without me prompting him or helping him sound out a single word. I'm sooooo proud of him. We keep telling him how smart he is. I think he may actually be starting to believe it.
Also on the JBP front: he's getting reading glasses. The teacher has reported that he consistently balks at doing writing work. Before school started I'd had his eyes checked and the doctor said he was a little far-sighted but might still grow out of it. If we saw any reluctance to do close-up work, however, we should bring him back in for another check-up. We did so. He's still mildly far-sighted. He should have his new reading glasses by this Friday.
Our other big news, all the furniture Der Deutscher had shipped out from his mother's place in Germany has arrived in our town. It will be delivered this Friday. Der Deutscher took the day off work for the delivery. Now, of course, that means we're feverishly trying to empty some rooms, moving furniture about, etc, trying to make room for the new stuff coming in. In the long run I think this will really make the house look good. In the short run it's going to be a real pain in the patoot. However, we knew it was coming. Just not when. Now we know.
So, that's the latest from the Nimitz' Household.
I'm sure there's other stuff I should mention, but like I said I've been a little out of it recently. Time to hit the hay (at 8:30pm!) and dream up some more great posts that'll never hit the 'net.
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, January 21, 2007
New Year's Resolutions
Since I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions - they never end up going where you really want them to go - I started my new healthy living quest after Thanksgiving.
I'm really trying to eat better (sweets only as treats, a salad a day, etc.) and work out more often, and smarter.
Overall I feel like I'm doing pretty well. But, it didn't seem like my body was budging. So, when the New Year hit and all the gyms, as always, offered giant discounts on things like personal training, I took my gym up on it.
So, for the last two weeks I've been working out with a personal trainer once a week and following the workout plan she sets up for me the rest of the week. While I have managed to do the number of workouts she's set, I haven't always managed to do the style. See, there are these pesky winter storms that keep interrupting my ability to get to the gym. So, I workout at home to one of my TaeBo DVDs, of which I now have almost two dozen - and that's a whole 'nother post!, or, as I did today, I just shovel the driveway.
As good a workout as TaeBo is, and I'll hype it to just about anyone!, it just can't hold a candle to shoveling out a 20 foot long driveway! Especially when you follow that up with taking your 6 year old sledding with his Christmas sled. He had a great time, by the way. But I'm so sore I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Time to take a hot bath, followed by a mediocrely warm shower, a half dozen or so aspirin (tylenol, advil, poison of your choice!) and try to get some sleep.
On top of the workout aches and pains, I think I may be coming down with the creeping crud. Der Deutscher's had it since last weekend when HE shoveled the driveway. It's just enough to make you miserable without being bad enough to let you stay home for a day, or two, or three.
Here's hoping a good night's sleep, lots of orange juice and the will of Atlas will keep the crud away.
Nimitz' Lady
I'm really trying to eat better (sweets only as treats, a salad a day, etc.) and work out more often, and smarter.
Overall I feel like I'm doing pretty well. But, it didn't seem like my body was budging. So, when the New Year hit and all the gyms, as always, offered giant discounts on things like personal training, I took my gym up on it.
So, for the last two weeks I've been working out with a personal trainer once a week and following the workout plan she sets up for me the rest of the week. While I have managed to do the number of workouts she's set, I haven't always managed to do the style. See, there are these pesky winter storms that keep interrupting my ability to get to the gym. So, I workout at home to one of my TaeBo DVDs, of which I now have almost two dozen - and that's a whole 'nother post!, or, as I did today, I just shovel the driveway.
As good a workout as TaeBo is, and I'll hype it to just about anyone!, it just can't hold a candle to shoveling out a 20 foot long driveway! Especially when you follow that up with taking your 6 year old sledding with his Christmas sled. He had a great time, by the way. But I'm so sore I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight.
Time to take a hot bath, followed by a mediocrely warm shower, a half dozen or so aspirin (tylenol, advil, poison of your choice!) and try to get some sleep.
On top of the workout aches and pains, I think I may be coming down with the creeping crud. Der Deutscher's had it since last weekend when HE shoveled the driveway. It's just enough to make you miserable without being bad enough to let you stay home for a day, or two, or three.
Here's hoping a good night's sleep, lots of orange juice and the will of Atlas will keep the crud away.
Nimitz' Lady
The "Right" Thing
I can just hope I've done the right thing by one of my students.
He was one of two students of whom I was particularly proud. They were failing my class but really worked hard and turned their grades around. They attended study groups, got help from me, etc. Did what they had to do. In the end they both got C's. But they worked harder for those C's then did the kids who got A's in my classes last semester.
So, when the opportunity came around this month I nominated them for Student Of The Month. They deserved some recognition for their hard work. Evidently the principal agreed with me because he picked the young man as Student Of The Month.
So far, so good, right?
Last Friday the announcement was made over the P.A. during homeroom. My homeroom class (of which the young man is NOT a part!) hooted with laughter and derision.
Now I'm worried instead of providing him with some well-earned praise for all his hardwork all I've done is opened him up to a month full of teasing and other sorts of high school chicanery.
I just pray, with him being just a sophomore, that this turns out to be a school career highlight, as it was meant to be, and not a low-light.
Nimitz' Lady
He was one of two students of whom I was particularly proud. They were failing my class but really worked hard and turned their grades around. They attended study groups, got help from me, etc. Did what they had to do. In the end they both got C's. But they worked harder for those C's then did the kids who got A's in my classes last semester.
So, when the opportunity came around this month I nominated them for Student Of The Month. They deserved some recognition for their hard work. Evidently the principal agreed with me because he picked the young man as Student Of The Month.
So far, so good, right?
Last Friday the announcement was made over the P.A. during homeroom. My homeroom class (of which the young man is NOT a part!) hooted with laughter and derision.
Now I'm worried instead of providing him with some well-earned praise for all his hardwork all I've done is opened him up to a month full of teasing and other sorts of high school chicanery.
I just pray, with him being just a sophomore, that this turns out to be a school career highlight, as it was meant to be, and not a low-light.
Nimitz' Lady
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Busy, Busy, Busy
Wow! My last post engendered more responses, cumulatively, than any other post I've made. Maybe I should write about controversial topics more often. Of course, at the time, I didn't consider it controversial.
Oh well. No time to blog right now. I've got to go put together my church's bulletin for this Sabbath.
Nimitz' Lady
Oh well. No time to blog right now. I've got to go put together my church's bulletin for this Sabbath.
Nimitz' Lady
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
I've been MADE
To steal a phrase from MTV.
In the world of journalism they say you're not a pro until you've made someone mad at you.
It appears not much is different about blogging. I've finally managed to upset a reader by, gasp!, voicing my opinion about freedom of speech and separation of church and state.
This is the comment she left. I assume it's a she, since she failed to leave a link of any sort, just an apparent first name.
kit said...
It is scarey that you are a teacher in the wonderful state I grew up in. You are way to liberal and I personally would pulll my child out of your class or be up your a** weekly!
This was my response:
There are several things I could say, but am too adult to post on my own blog.
I'll settle for a simple, if you don't like what you're reading here you are welcome to find something else to read.
That's the beauty of this country, free speech and free choice.
I briefly considered unloading but decided to take the high road. Then I considered simply ignoring "kit", but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.
Nimitz' Lady
Oh, and one other thought. "kit", are you psychic or something? I've never stated exactly which state I live/teach in. I only mention places I travel to, not where I'm coming from. So how do you know I live/teach in your native state? Just wondering.
In the world of journalism they say you're not a pro until you've made someone mad at you.
It appears not much is different about blogging. I've finally managed to upset a reader by, gasp!, voicing my opinion about freedom of speech and separation of church and state.
This is the comment she left. I assume it's a she, since she failed to leave a link of any sort, just an apparent first name.
kit said...
It is scarey that you are a teacher in the wonderful state I grew up in. You are way to liberal and I personally would pulll my child out of your class or be up your a** weekly!
This was my response:
There are several things I could say, but am too adult to post on my own blog.
I'll settle for a simple, if you don't like what you're reading here you are welcome to find something else to read.
That's the beauty of this country, free speech and free choice.
I briefly considered unloading but decided to take the high road. Then I considered simply ignoring "kit", but couldn't quite bring myself to do it.
Nimitz' Lady
Oh, and one other thought. "kit", are you psychic or something? I've never stated exactly which state I live/teach in. I only mention places I travel to, not where I'm coming from. So how do you know I live/teach in your native state? Just wondering.
Don't ask, don't tell!
But JBP is wearing, shhhhhhh!, girl shoes!
He'd outgrown his old shoes so I took him shoe shopping yesterday. Just like the rest of him, his feet are long and slender. Turns out that of all the shoes he tried on the only three that fit him were girls shoes. The good news, tennis shoes are tennis shoes. Like it makes a whole heck of a lot of difference.
The ones JBP picked out are all black, with a touch of red in the treading, and attach with a velcro fastener.
As we were trying to purchase them I thought the clerk was on the verge of tossing me out of the store! She looked at me and whispered, scandalized, "But these are girl shoes!"
I looked right back and... paid for them!
JBP wore them out of the store.
Nimitz' Lady
He'd outgrown his old shoes so I took him shoe shopping yesterday. Just like the rest of him, his feet are long and slender. Turns out that of all the shoes he tried on the only three that fit him were girls shoes. The good news, tennis shoes are tennis shoes. Like it makes a whole heck of a lot of difference.
The ones JBP picked out are all black, with a touch of red in the treading, and attach with a velcro fastener.
As we were trying to purchase them I thought the clerk was on the verge of tossing me out of the store! She looked at me and whispered, scandalized, "But these are girl shoes!"
I looked right back and... paid for them!
JBP wore them out of the store.
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Not so much posting
Ok, so my plans to post more often during break didn't exactly materialize. So sorry. See I have this problem. When presented with great stretches of empty time I feel compelled to find ways to fill it. So, if I have vacation time I end up being busier than I am during a normal week.
All that is to say, I've been busy, busy, busy.
I'm writing today from Ames, IA. Der Deutscher, JBP and I have made our annual trek to the Home of the Cyclones for some awesome basketball. The ladies won the annual Cyclone Classic tournament in handy style.
But what was supposed to be three games in three days turned out not to be for us. JBP got sick on day two and threw up an hour before game time. Of course, he really only had a mildly upset stomach and never would've thrown up if he hadn't pulled his fake coughing routine (which he pulls anytime he's not getting his way!). The coughing triggered the reflux reaction in the body.
We rushed JBP back to the hotel and popped him into bed, from which he managed to spend the next two hours complaining he couldn't sleep and would I pleeeeeaaaaassseee turn on the teeeee-veeeee. I refused. He eventually fell asleep about a half hour AFTER his normal bedtime. He was NOT that sick. Der Deutscher was furious.
On Sabbath we did get to see lots of old friends at the Ames SDA Church. They all oohed and aahed over how big JBP had grown. Many hadn't seen him since we moved away in 2001! And there were kids for him to play with and a potluck after church during which he could play. JBP was happy.
During the first game, JBP came up with a real doozy of a question. I wish the folks who come up with uniforms could've heard it. "Mama, why do we have to see the cheerleaders' belly buttons?" (his emphasis, not mine).
I could only respond, "I don't know." I mean, how do you condense thousands of years of treating women as chattel and sex objects into a quick, pithy answer that's understandable to a 6 year old who sees no difference between male, female, black, white, cardinal or purple?
Last night, before the game, Der Deutscher was flipping channels and came across a showing of Dances With Wolves. He left the TV there since we weren't going to be around more than another 20 or 30 minutes. It started just before the great buffalo hunts. JBP was fascinated and asked all sorts of questions. So, he had a real nice anthropology/history lesson this weekend.
Well, I need some breakfast and then we've got to pack and head home. Checkout's at 11! So I'll sign off wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
Here's hoping it's at least better than last year.
Nimitz' Lady
All that is to say, I've been busy, busy, busy.
I'm writing today from Ames, IA. Der Deutscher, JBP and I have made our annual trek to the Home of the Cyclones for some awesome basketball. The ladies won the annual Cyclone Classic tournament in handy style.
But what was supposed to be three games in three days turned out not to be for us. JBP got sick on day two and threw up an hour before game time. Of course, he really only had a mildly upset stomach and never would've thrown up if he hadn't pulled his fake coughing routine (which he pulls anytime he's not getting his way!). The coughing triggered the reflux reaction in the body.
We rushed JBP back to the hotel and popped him into bed, from which he managed to spend the next two hours complaining he couldn't sleep and would I pleeeeeaaaaassseee turn on the teeeee-veeeee. I refused. He eventually fell asleep about a half hour AFTER his normal bedtime. He was NOT that sick. Der Deutscher was furious.
On Sabbath we did get to see lots of old friends at the Ames SDA Church. They all oohed and aahed over how big JBP had grown. Many hadn't seen him since we moved away in 2001! And there were kids for him to play with and a potluck after church during which he could play. JBP was happy.
During the first game, JBP came up with a real doozy of a question. I wish the folks who come up with uniforms could've heard it. "Mama, why do we have to see the cheerleaders' belly buttons?" (his emphasis, not mine).
I could only respond, "I don't know." I mean, how do you condense thousands of years of treating women as chattel and sex objects into a quick, pithy answer that's understandable to a 6 year old who sees no difference between male, female, black, white, cardinal or purple?
Last night, before the game, Der Deutscher was flipping channels and came across a showing of Dances With Wolves. He left the TV there since we weren't going to be around more than another 20 or 30 minutes. It started just before the great buffalo hunts. JBP was fascinated and asked all sorts of questions. So, he had a real nice anthropology/history lesson this weekend.
Well, I need some breakfast and then we've got to pack and head home. Checkout's at 11! So I'll sign off wishing everyone a Happy New Year.
Here's hoping it's at least better than last year.
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Christmas Wishes
So, once again folks have been asking me that question I hate the most, What do you want for Christmas?
As I've said before, I always feel a bit selfish putting together a wish list, but then I feel selfish not giving folks an answer for an honest question.
So, here's an idea of what I'm oh, so longing for:
*charity donations
*soft, warm, fuzzy pyjamas
*house shoes/slippers
*flannel sheets, queen
*a bread machine
*PERSONAL TRAINING (to help me get back on the fitness track. I'm not doing so great on my own.)
*an elliptical machine or treadmill at home
*the latest cd from Toby Keith, Martina McBride or Carrie Underwood
*house cleaning
*sweaters/sweatshirts
I'm sure there's more stuff, but that's kind of the cream of the crop, so to type.
Hope that helps those who were wondering.
Merry Christmas all. Expect a few more, and more regular, posts once finals are completed this week.
Nimitz' Lady
As I've said before, I always feel a bit selfish putting together a wish list, but then I feel selfish not giving folks an answer for an honest question.
So, here's an idea of what I'm oh, so longing for:
*charity donations
*soft, warm, fuzzy pyjamas
*house shoes/slippers
*flannel sheets, queen
*a bread machine
*PERSONAL TRAINING (to help me get back on the fitness track. I'm not doing so great on my own.)
*an elliptical machine or treadmill at home
*the latest cd from Toby Keith, Martina McBride or Carrie Underwood
*house cleaning
*sweaters/sweatshirts
I'm sure there's more stuff, but that's kind of the cream of the crop, so to type.
Hope that helps those who were wondering.
Merry Christmas all. Expect a few more, and more regular, posts once finals are completed this week.
Nimitz' Lady
Another View
Last night Der Deutscher and I attended the staff Christmas party for my school. I'd heard a few stories, so I was not intellectually surprised by what I saw.
However, emotionally was a whole 'nother story.
Growing up you always think of your teachers as sober, responsible, did I say sober?, adults!
Last night what I saw was a gathering of humans who'd apparently never matured past adolscence. From the fuss made over one secretary's ability to free jello shots from their containers to the constant swiping of alcoholic white elephant gifts during the gift exchange, I couldn't really see any difference between this batch of teachers and the kids they're supposed to guide to adulthood.
Oh, and did I mention one teacher brought as his white elephant gift a contraption his grandfather had that's used to light farts on fire?
Children teaching children!
Don't get me wrong, adolescent hijinks weren't the only things going on at the party. They're just what stuck in my head. We didn't get home until after midnight and had a lot of fun. What can I say, there's still a bit of adolescent left in Der Deutscher and I as well.
Nimitz' Lady
However, emotionally was a whole 'nother story.
Growing up you always think of your teachers as sober, responsible, did I say sober?, adults!
Last night what I saw was a gathering of humans who'd apparently never matured past adolscence. From the fuss made over one secretary's ability to free jello shots from their containers to the constant swiping of alcoholic white elephant gifts during the gift exchange, I couldn't really see any difference between this batch of teachers and the kids they're supposed to guide to adulthood.
Oh, and did I mention one teacher brought as his white elephant gift a contraption his grandfather had that's used to light farts on fire?
Children teaching children!
Don't get me wrong, adolescent hijinks weren't the only things going on at the party. They're just what stuck in my head. We didn't get home until after midnight and had a lot of fun. What can I say, there's still a bit of adolescent left in Der Deutscher and I as well.
Nimitz' Lady
Sunday, December 10, 2006
I want...
JBP just told his dad he wants and XBox 360. He doesn't even know what it is!
Der Deutscher asked me if it would be wrong to compare our son to Jessica Simpson. "I totally don't know what that is, but I want it!"
Nimitz' Lady
Der Deutscher asked me if it would be wrong to compare our son to Jessica Simpson. "I totally don't know what that is, but I want it!"
Nimitz' Lady
One Nation, Under God
Every Friday, my school district says the Pledge of Allegiance. I choose to say the Pledge as it was originally written, without the words "Under God".
I hold very strong Separation of Church and State beliefs. And saying the Pledge the way the Knights of Columbus changed it in the 50s violates many of them. So, rather than not say it at all, I say it the way it was originally intended.
This last Friday, JBP came home with a sheet that had the Pledge written out on it. He's also obviously been learning it in his class as he can now recite the entire Pledge, ad nauseum, without referring to the sheet.
At that point I felt I needed to sit down with him and try to explain WHY I choose not to say two little words in the Pledge. I explained it was a personally choice and there's nothing wrong with saying the words, Under God. In fact there are some good reasons a person might choose to do so. But, my personal beliefs preclude my doing so. Now, he'll have to make his own choice.
I'm not sure what he'll decide. Or if what he decides will be his permanent choice. (Yes, you grammarians out there, I know I just wrote in a fragment. It's called being conversational.) But, I am now sure he'll at least be aware of making the choice, rather than just blindly repeating what others teach him.
Nimitz' Lady
P.S. JBP has been "reading" over my shoulder as I write this (that means he's been making me read it to him as I write) and says he'll be saying it my way. We'll see if that decision holds up to peer pressure.
I hold very strong Separation of Church and State beliefs. And saying the Pledge the way the Knights of Columbus changed it in the 50s violates many of them. So, rather than not say it at all, I say it the way it was originally intended.
This last Friday, JBP came home with a sheet that had the Pledge written out on it. He's also obviously been learning it in his class as he can now recite the entire Pledge, ad nauseum, without referring to the sheet.
At that point I felt I needed to sit down with him and try to explain WHY I choose not to say two little words in the Pledge. I explained it was a personally choice and there's nothing wrong with saying the words, Under God. In fact there are some good reasons a person might choose to do so. But, my personal beliefs preclude my doing so. Now, he'll have to make his own choice.
I'm not sure what he'll decide. Or if what he decides will be his permanent choice. (Yes, you grammarians out there, I know I just wrote in a fragment. It's called being conversational.) But, I am now sure he'll at least be aware of making the choice, rather than just blindly repeating what others teach him.
Nimitz' Lady
P.S. JBP has been "reading" over my shoulder as I write this (that means he's been making me read it to him as I write) and says he'll be saying it my way. We'll see if that decision holds up to peer pressure.
And the cute thing is, Dennis doesn't even know he's being funny
One of my favorite cartoons, and my mother's too for that matter, is a Dennis the Menace cartoon. Dennis parents are talking about one of the situations he's just gotten himself into and one says to the other, "And the cute thing is, Dennis doesn't even know he's being funny!" Of course, the other part of the cartoon is Dennis hiding just around the corner covering his mouth with his hand, apparently giggling.
This is soooooo JBP. Today, while we were cleaning house, even as JBP was saying he couldn't wait for summer so there wouldn't be any school, he was typing up, again and again, words from his recent spelling lists.
At this point, I think the whole I-don't-like-school-thing has just gotten to be a habit with him. Because everytime I turn around he's doing something school-work related, mostly even when it's NOT required. Personally, I think he doth protest too much.
Nimitz' Lady
This is soooooo JBP. Today, while we were cleaning house, even as JBP was saying he couldn't wait for summer so there wouldn't be any school, he was typing up, again and again, words from his recent spelling lists.
At this point, I think the whole I-don't-like-school-thing has just gotten to be a habit with him. Because everytime I turn around he's doing something school-work related, mostly even when it's NOT required. Personally, I think he doth protest too much.
Nimitz' Lady
If it's not the cats, it's the kid
Long title for a simple scenario. We've been dealing with what seemed like a peeing war between our two cats. Turns out it was just a case of Nimitz getting old and not being able to hold his bladder through the night. And Samantha felt that she had to keep up with the "territory marking" Nimitz was doing.
The addition of a second litter box in the upstairs bathroom, just steps from our bed, has apparently solved that problem.
So, imagine my surprise when I got up in the middle of the night one night this week and found my pyjamas soaked with urine.
JBP had crawled into bed with us about a half hour earlier. His little hands and feet were like blocks of ice, so I'm assuming that's what woke him up. Our policy is he can stay with us for up to 45 minutes, then it's back to his own bed. Otherwise he'd spend all night, every night in our bed and we'd be black and blue from all his thrashing around.
So, I got up to put him back in his own bed. But, when I slipped an arm under his knees to pick him up I discovered he was soaking wet. In the short time he'd been huddled up next to me he'd managed to wet the bed.
So, we stripped him and put him back to bed in his clean, dry bed. Then cleaned up our bed, as best as possible. Der Deutscher spent the rest of the night on the couch and I spent the rest of the night clinging to the opposite side of our bed trying to avoid the wet spot, not covered with a bath towel.
If it's not the cats, it's the kid!
Nimitz' Lady
The addition of a second litter box in the upstairs bathroom, just steps from our bed, has apparently solved that problem.
So, imagine my surprise when I got up in the middle of the night one night this week and found my pyjamas soaked with urine.
JBP had crawled into bed with us about a half hour earlier. His little hands and feet were like blocks of ice, so I'm assuming that's what woke him up. Our policy is he can stay with us for up to 45 minutes, then it's back to his own bed. Otherwise he'd spend all night, every night in our bed and we'd be black and blue from all his thrashing around.
So, I got up to put him back in his own bed. But, when I slipped an arm under his knees to pick him up I discovered he was soaking wet. In the short time he'd been huddled up next to me he'd managed to wet the bed.
So, we stripped him and put him back to bed in his clean, dry bed. Then cleaned up our bed, as best as possible. Der Deutscher spent the rest of the night on the couch and I spent the rest of the night clinging to the opposite side of our bed trying to avoid the wet spot, not covered with a bath towel.
If it's not the cats, it's the kid!
Nimitz' Lady
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Snow Day!
I got my first snow day today as a teacher. JBP got his first snow day ever. It's been a long time since a storm of any sort has meant anything to me other than overtime. It felt good to just crawl under a warm blanket and watch TV with my son, drink cocoa and bake cookies.
All told we only got about 3 inches or so of snow. Der Deutscher and I spent quite a bit of time joking with others transplanted to this area from real Snow States -- how this is nothing. In Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, etc, it wouldn't even get a second thought. Here it shuts down half the state. Oh well, I got a "free" day.
And what a note to end it on. Der Deutscher has been wanting to get me into a newer car ever since I started teaching. My new commute is about an hour a day, half an hour each way. He doesn't feel comfortable with the reliability, or lack thereof, of my 1998 Nissan Altima.
We'd test driven a couple of vehicles and pretty much decided which one I liked. But we wanted to drive it again in bad weather. Like, oh say, today?
See, when we bought the Altima we got it in the Spring. Didn't find out until six months later that it sucked on snowy and icy roads. We did NOT want a repeat of that experience.
After the second, successful, test drive tonight we learned there were several attractive incentives and deals available on the Mazda 5 mini-van... this month. Which ends at midnight tonight. So, we ended up driving it home, tonight.
I'm still in shock. (And a little bit afraid to breathe in my own vehicle now! =)Are all snow days this good?
Nimitz' Lady
P.S. The only reason we got a brand new vehicle was because I insist on driving a stick shift and the chances of finding the Mazda 5, or any other decent vehicle, used in a stick are next to nil.
All told we only got about 3 inches or so of snow. Der Deutscher and I spent quite a bit of time joking with others transplanted to this area from real Snow States -- how this is nothing. In Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, etc, it wouldn't even get a second thought. Here it shuts down half the state. Oh well, I got a "free" day.
And what a note to end it on. Der Deutscher has been wanting to get me into a newer car ever since I started teaching. My new commute is about an hour a day, half an hour each way. He doesn't feel comfortable with the reliability, or lack thereof, of my 1998 Nissan Altima.
We'd test driven a couple of vehicles and pretty much decided which one I liked. But we wanted to drive it again in bad weather. Like, oh say, today?
See, when we bought the Altima we got it in the Spring. Didn't find out until six months later that it sucked on snowy and icy roads. We did NOT want a repeat of that experience.
After the second, successful, test drive tonight we learned there were several attractive incentives and deals available on the Mazda 5 mini-van... this month. Which ends at midnight tonight. So, we ended up driving it home, tonight.
I'm still in shock. (And a little bit afraid to breathe in my own vehicle now! =)Are all snow days this good?
Nimitz' Lady
P.S. The only reason we got a brand new vehicle was because I insist on driving a stick shift and the chances of finding the Mazda 5, or any other decent vehicle, used in a stick are next to nil.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Beaten Down
I got my grown-up patootie beaten at basketball -- by my SIX YEAR OLD SON!!!
And you shoulda heard him crow! I took him to the Y to shoot some hoops and next thing I knew I was out there with him playing defense. He ended up beating me 16 to 4 in a 45 minute game.
And that, despite the fact I got about triple the looks at the basket he got!
It's rather humbling to get your rear kicked by a six year old. But, in my defense, we were playing with a hard to handle youth ball. Of course, there's also the fact I've never been that athletically talented and have no real training in basketball -- up against his ability to hit an adult height basket, accurately, without looking!
I don't know where he gets it but it sure gives me something to look forward to bragging about when I see the Iowa State Ladies next month.
The family's headed to Ames, IA, between Christmas and New Year's for a little b-ball OD -- three games in three nights. Whoopee!!
Gotta remember to bake some cookies before we leave or the ladies on the team will never forgive me. That's ok though, I'll just hide behind my son who considers a 5'11" forward to be "little"!
Plus, we've been to so many away games the last few years they pretty much consider JBP to be their good luck mascot. They'd never harm him!
Nimitz' Lady
And you shoulda heard him crow! I took him to the Y to shoot some hoops and next thing I knew I was out there with him playing defense. He ended up beating me 16 to 4 in a 45 minute game.
And that, despite the fact I got about triple the looks at the basket he got!
It's rather humbling to get your rear kicked by a six year old. But, in my defense, we were playing with a hard to handle youth ball. Of course, there's also the fact I've never been that athletically talented and have no real training in basketball -- up against his ability to hit an adult height basket, accurately, without looking!
I don't know where he gets it but it sure gives me something to look forward to bragging about when I see the Iowa State Ladies next month.
The family's headed to Ames, IA, between Christmas and New Year's for a little b-ball OD -- three games in three nights. Whoopee!!
Gotta remember to bake some cookies before we leave or the ladies on the team will never forgive me. That's ok though, I'll just hide behind my son who considers a 5'11" forward to be "little"!
Plus, we've been to so many away games the last few years they pretty much consider JBP to be their good luck mascot. They'd never harm him!
Nimitz' Lady
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