Today was a day of reduction. I took a carload of recycling to the center this morning, then loaded it back up with a bunch of stuff to take to Goodwill next week. What a liberating feeling!!
I recently suggested to Danny that some weekend when the weather is nice, we go to Bricktown, walk around and eat. Turns out, this was that weekend! We went to Shepler's to exchange a Christmas gift, then to Bass Pro to do the same, then walked from there to Earl's BBQ for a bite to eat. That was the first time either of us had eaten there, and it was fabulous!! We really enjoyed the food and had talked about going next door to get ice cream, but that just wasn't possible. It was really a pleasant evening and we enjoyed the lingering Christmas lights along the canal and had just enough of a walk to settle our dinners.
All that, and we got home just in time to watch Thunder basketball and call it a night. It feels good to actually DO something we've talked about instead of just talking, so I'd call it a great day!!
Happy Trails!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Sixth Step, January 6
Well, I'm sad to say that the power cord would not fit my printer, but I'm still most grateful to the young man at Staples who took a moment to care. Meanwhile, I find it extremely stressful that I do not have the capability to print something in my classroom! The closest printer is not many yards from my room, but this is how things went down on Friday: I sent something to print (which I needed to give the students during that class period) and the toner was out. Another hour I sent something else (which I needed to give to the students that hour) and the paper tray was empty and the person printing the ba-zillion packets was nowhere to be found. At the end of the day, I was trying to get lesson plans ready for my sub on Monday (I have an oncologist appointment) and when I went to pick up my class rosters from the copier, I asked the secretary how long she would be there (5-10 minutes) and I hadn't even begun to type Monday's instructions!! And of course, my key won't unlock that office door, but the secretary graciously left the door ajar so I could go pick up my copy (nearly 30 minutes later). Something is definitely wrong with this picture!!
Happy Trails!
Happy Trails!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Fifth Step, from Zero to Hero
The fifth step of my journey focused heavily on trying to solve the mystery of my missing printer power cord. Over Christmas break, someone "borrowed" it, and no one seems to care. I called Staples to see if perhaps they carried them, which they do not, nor are they able to order them. The person I spoke with graciously gave me the 800 number for HP, which I promptly called so I could hopefully get up and running again in the near future. My first attempt led me in a "punch 1 for this and 2 for that" cycle where I somehow wound up back at the main menu. I slammed the phone down and attempted to find a cord on the HP website. There was only one that came up in my search, and its description didn't convince me it would work on my printer.
Back to square one, I attempted the 800 number again and hit pay dirt!! I actually made it to a human voice!! Trouble was, I could hardly understand what the man was saying, if you get my drift. I finally determined that the cost of the cord ($35) plus their standard shipping fee ($18) totalled over half what I paid for the printer to begin with (that explains why someone borrowed my cord) and when I complained to the customer service rep, he "generously" offered me a 15% discount ($5 reduction) which still made the cord cost half what I paid for the printer!! I never realized that the expense of a printer was in the cord and not the actual printer...interesting.
Apparently there are no provisions for all the losses many of us have experienced this year from someone permanently "borrowing" items from our rooms, and we are simply out of luck. Frustrating. However, the hero in this story is at Staples. I had some things to pick up after school, and explained my dilema to a very nice guy who went above and beyond in the helpful area. He asked me to wait a few moments while he went to the back to check on something. When he came back, he was carrying a cord that looks like it has the same configuration as my printer and the cost was much more reasonable. I don't know if it will fit, but whether it does or not, he cared and he took the extra step to help me, and I am very impressed with his integrity. He didn't have to help...he could have blown me off...but he not only helped but went above and beyond. Now that's state of the art!!
Happy Trails!
Back to square one, I attempted the 800 number again and hit pay dirt!! I actually made it to a human voice!! Trouble was, I could hardly understand what the man was saying, if you get my drift. I finally determined that the cost of the cord ($35) plus their standard shipping fee ($18) totalled over half what I paid for the printer to begin with (that explains why someone borrowed my cord) and when I complained to the customer service rep, he "generously" offered me a 15% discount ($5 reduction) which still made the cord cost half what I paid for the printer!! I never realized that the expense of a printer was in the cord and not the actual printer...interesting.
Apparently there are no provisions for all the losses many of us have experienced this year from someone permanently "borrowing" items from our rooms, and we are simply out of luck. Frustrating. However, the hero in this story is at Staples. I had some things to pick up after school, and explained my dilema to a very nice guy who went above and beyond in the helpful area. He asked me to wait a few moments while he went to the back to check on something. When he came back, he was carrying a cord that looks like it has the same configuration as my printer and the cost was much more reasonable. I don't know if it will fit, but whether it does or not, he cared and he took the extra step to help me, and I am very impressed with his integrity. He didn't have to help...he could have blown me off...but he not only helped but went above and beyond. Now that's state of the art!!
Happy Trails!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Fourth Day, Fourth Step
Today's step was tentative and tired. Yesterday I had bloodwork done and found out that my platelets are fairly low, which explains the constant nose bleed I had all day (yesterday) and well into the midnight hour. When I finally fell asleep, it seemed I had barely blinked an eye before the alarm went off and I met the day. It seems many of us had a cross to bear...so many people complained of being really tired today. I guess it will take a few days to get back in the swing of things.
At the risk of jinxing the situation, I seem to have a really good group of students this semester. My evlauating principal spoke to all my classes yesterday about my health issues and how to handle things if they feel sick in my class. "The talk" worked really well last semester and I got sick only once, with some type of sinus/head junk. I'm so appreciative of the support system I have at work; everyone has been and continues to be so kind, caring and concerned.
I'm excited to have a new class in my line-up...Housing and Home Furnishings. I've never taught it before, but given my love for decorating and HGTV, I'm anxious for the opportunity. My freshman class will be studying foods this 9 weeks, so I demonstrated how to make chocolate biscuits today. I saw the recipe in the paper recently and it sounded really good, so I gave it a shot. It turns out that the aide who went to Walmart to get supplies yesterday failed to put the groceries away, including the milk needed in the recipe, so after having sat on the counter all night I had to use water as the liquid. The flavor and texture were greatly impacted, plus I wasn't able to make the chocolate sauce to serve with the biscuits. Can't wait to discuss the results tomorrow!! Just goes to show that none of us is successful in the kitchen all the time.
I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight...meatball sandwiches. While good enough, I have some tweaking to do to improve the flavor, and am anxiousto do so. Jessica's opinion was that the meatballs were too big and I knew Danny wouldn't like them, so I made him a burger. We'll see what I can come up with.
Until tomorrow, Happy Trails!
At the risk of jinxing the situation, I seem to have a really good group of students this semester. My evlauating principal spoke to all my classes yesterday about my health issues and how to handle things if they feel sick in my class. "The talk" worked really well last semester and I got sick only once, with some type of sinus/head junk. I'm so appreciative of the support system I have at work; everyone has been and continues to be so kind, caring and concerned.
I'm excited to have a new class in my line-up...Housing and Home Furnishings. I've never taught it before, but given my love for decorating and HGTV, I'm anxious for the opportunity. My freshman class will be studying foods this 9 weeks, so I demonstrated how to make chocolate biscuits today. I saw the recipe in the paper recently and it sounded really good, so I gave it a shot. It turns out that the aide who went to Walmart to get supplies yesterday failed to put the groceries away, including the milk needed in the recipe, so after having sat on the counter all night I had to use water as the liquid. The flavor and texture were greatly impacted, plus I wasn't able to make the chocolate sauce to serve with the biscuits. Can't wait to discuss the results tomorrow!! Just goes to show that none of us is successful in the kitchen all the time.
I tried a new recipe for dinner tonight...meatball sandwiches. While good enough, I have some tweaking to do to improve the flavor, and am anxiousto do so. Jessica's opinion was that the meatballs were too big and I knew Danny wouldn't like them, so I made him a burger. We'll see what I can come up with.
Until tomorrow, Happy Trails!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Step Three
Back to school for a little while today, and it took nearly 3 hours to get all my grades entered and submitted. At least that's behind me for 9 weeks, and for that I'm extremely grateful. My dad had cataract surgery this afternoon in his right eye, and fortunately all went well. The nurse told him as she prepped him for surgery that he was going to be able to see so much better afterward. I'm sure his sight had gradually gotten worse and worse, to the point that he probably wasn't even aware of just how bad it was, so when the patch comes off and he's finished with his eye drops, he'll see a whole new world!
As I took the third step of my journey today, I couldn't keep from thinking about selfishness. So many of us focus on "me" and not "we", and that stifles our growth so much. Whether we're impatient with others, only in it for the benefit to ourselves, or only caring about our own feelings and not those of others, we cannot possibly complete our life's journey with a selfish attitude. We all have our crosses to bear, and how we embrace, understand and carry those crosses impacts us and those around us.
I recently read an article about a woman, probably about my age, who felt she had made nothing of her life since graduation (she's a nurse). Recently divorced, she was trying to get her finances to balance and trying to adjust to being single. Her thoughts wandered back to her junior high days and the "bright spot" in her life...her home ec class. She remembered the teacher making her feel noticed and she always found something positive to say about her students' projects. Thirty years later, she still used what she learned in home ec. No matter how tough things got, she could motivate herself by sewing, cooking or decorating. She even had a second career as a decorating consultant.
The woman decided to tell her former home ec teacher how much she had impacted her life, so she found her address and mailed her a letter to let her know just what her encouragement had meant to her all those years ago. Three days after having mailed the letter, the teacher called her at work to thank her for the letter and insisted that the woman visit her. The next night, she did so. Over a cup of tea, the teacher brought out her copy of the junior high yearbook and found the woman's picture. In it, she was wearing a skirt she had made out of her mother's old drapes, which were about to be thrown away. Mortified, the woman listened as the teacher praised her for her creativitity and imagination, then went on to tell the teacher that she was convinced she was a failure. The teacher pointed out that everyone feels that way from time to time, and brought to the woman's attention the fact that she works with people who really need her. Come to find out, the woman was a published author, and had saved a log cabin from being bulldozed down, fixed it up with antiques, and was living there.
What an inspirational story!! I left it for my students to read today in my absence with a note to let them know I want to be that teacher to them. I want to be unselfish in respect, compliments, encouragement, and most of all in successfully teaching them the tools they need to survive in a sometimes difficult and selfish world.
Happy Trails!
As I took the third step of my journey today, I couldn't keep from thinking about selfishness. So many of us focus on "me" and not "we", and that stifles our growth so much. Whether we're impatient with others, only in it for the benefit to ourselves, or only caring about our own feelings and not those of others, we cannot possibly complete our life's journey with a selfish attitude. We all have our crosses to bear, and how we embrace, understand and carry those crosses impacts us and those around us.
I recently read an article about a woman, probably about my age, who felt she had made nothing of her life since graduation (she's a nurse). Recently divorced, she was trying to get her finances to balance and trying to adjust to being single. Her thoughts wandered back to her junior high days and the "bright spot" in her life...her home ec class. She remembered the teacher making her feel noticed and she always found something positive to say about her students' projects. Thirty years later, she still used what she learned in home ec. No matter how tough things got, she could motivate herself by sewing, cooking or decorating. She even had a second career as a decorating consultant.
The woman decided to tell her former home ec teacher how much she had impacted her life, so she found her address and mailed her a letter to let her know just what her encouragement had meant to her all those years ago. Three days after having mailed the letter, the teacher called her at work to thank her for the letter and insisted that the woman visit her. The next night, she did so. Over a cup of tea, the teacher brought out her copy of the junior high yearbook and found the woman's picture. In it, she was wearing a skirt she had made out of her mother's old drapes, which were about to be thrown away. Mortified, the woman listened as the teacher praised her for her creativitity and imagination, then went on to tell the teacher that she was convinced she was a failure. The teacher pointed out that everyone feels that way from time to time, and brought to the woman's attention the fact that she works with people who really need her. Come to find out, the woman was a published author, and had saved a log cabin from being bulldozed down, fixed it up with antiques, and was living there.
What an inspirational story!! I left it for my students to read today in my absence with a note to let them know I want to be that teacher to them. I want to be unselfish in respect, compliments, encouragement, and most of all in successfully teaching them the tools they need to survive in a sometimes difficult and selfish world.
Happy Trails!
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Second Step
The second step of my journey created mass chaos. I made the mistake of going to Walmart and Kohl's, and while I was able to finally do some after-Christmas shopping for next year's supplies, my dining room table has once again become the catch-all for most of it. However, my to-do list this week includes taking down the tree and packing it all away, so that will help create some order.
I spent a good portion of the afternoon grading so I can input grades by tomorrow's deadline of 4:00. Unfortunately, the remote capability of entering grades at home won't work on our internet, so I have my work cut out for me at school tomorrow. The good news is that I have a sub all day because my dad has an appointment, so I'll have a couple of hours before the appointment to get things done.
Another chunk of my step today went toward completing a "Me Collage" to share with my students. I made it on a boot box and will encourage them to recycle something on which to make theirs this week, rather than using the usual poster board. It turned out well, but there's just no end...I keep finding things to add (and I'm about out of room) and keep thinking of things I left off (and I'm about out of room). It's fun to see how much mine has changed since the one I made 5-ish years ago. What a journey I've had, and I'm grateful for every step!
As my winter break comes to a screeching halt, I'm glad for all the things I set out to do and actually accomplished, but have no remorse for the things I didn't get done. The biggest task at hand (next to un-decorating) is to make a baby quilt for a teacher who is due in the very near future. Her baby shower was on December 10, but since I was unable to attend, I decided to focus on the project over break. However, between having to majorly de-stress and finish Christmas tasks and the bland embolization procedure (and recovery), I simply ran out of time. Perhaps the third step...
Happy Trails!
I spent a good portion of the afternoon grading so I can input grades by tomorrow's deadline of 4:00. Unfortunately, the remote capability of entering grades at home won't work on our internet, so I have my work cut out for me at school tomorrow. The good news is that I have a sub all day because my dad has an appointment, so I'll have a couple of hours before the appointment to get things done.
Another chunk of my step today went toward completing a "Me Collage" to share with my students. I made it on a boot box and will encourage them to recycle something on which to make theirs this week, rather than using the usual poster board. It turned out well, but there's just no end...I keep finding things to add (and I'm about out of room) and keep thinking of things I left off (and I'm about out of room). It's fun to see how much mine has changed since the one I made 5-ish years ago. What a journey I've had, and I'm grateful for every step!
As my winter break comes to a screeching halt, I'm glad for all the things I set out to do and actually accomplished, but have no remorse for the things I didn't get done. The biggest task at hand (next to un-decorating) is to make a baby quilt for a teacher who is due in the very near future. Her baby shower was on December 10, but since I was unable to attend, I decided to focus on the project over break. However, between having to majorly de-stress and finish Christmas tasks and the bland embolization procedure (and recovery), I simply ran out of time. Perhaps the third step...
Happy Trails!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year! As 2012 gets off to a rolling start, I am setting off on my inspirational "journey". For nearly 56 years I have woven my way through life, not appreciating as much or as deeply as I should have the people, places and things which I have had the good fortune to encounter. I don't know if it has something to do with being "middle-aged" or if I had an epiphany, but I have come to the realization that time is limited and most people don't get an advanced warning of when their time will come. I look back at all the time I've wasted, the clutter I've collected, the opportunities I passed up, and am now on a journey to utelize every minute, reduce, seize the moment.
I know it won't happen overnight, and when I take stock, I become extremely overwhelmed, but my motto today is, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." (Lao Tzu) How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you make a journey? One step at a time. Happy Trails!!
I know it won't happen overnight, and when I take stock, I become extremely overwhelmed, but my motto today is, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." (Lao Tzu) How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. How do you make a journey? One step at a time. Happy Trails!!
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