I Feel Much Better Now

I hate cowards, yes I said cowards, in particular people who belive hearsay. I work with a woman who although I would assume is of relative intelligence (and I use the term losely), completely has no common sense. Once again she takes what a student says as the gospel truth and builds this whole prosecution against me to complain about to the administration.

Supposedly to this wench I sit in my classroom all day and do nothing, and how does she come to this conclusion? She asks my Language imapired students that's how. Now in my students defense it may appear to them I am doing nothing, after all I am sitting at my desk and moving papers around, to them it looks like nothing because well that's exactly what they do all day.

But they don't notice the six inch deep pile of paperwork that I have just finished working on, paperwork that is required of my job, that I don't get paid to do at home, and they don't know that I spend an average of 2 hours a day of my own time at home on paperwork also because well there is never enough time in the day to finish it. But that't not their fault they are kids and well developmentally delayed kids at that.

So what is the bitch's excuse that runs to the administration with this little tid bid of information to complain about me's excuse....oh I guess what a student says is the gospel truth hugh?, well if we want to play the hearsay game then I have a few little nuggest of "truth" to tell you about what they claim you say about me and them. Hummm the hearsay game isn't so fun now is it?

But no I am not going to stoop to your level, I have the professionalism to come to you if I were to even take what any student says with a grain of salt. No, I form my opinions on the "truths" what I witness, and hear. I don't take the cowards way out and run to higher ups to complain about something that is totally unfounded....If I am doing "nothing" I hate to see a teacher that is doing "something". You are one to talk, making the kids correct their own tests, and papers so you don't have to drag paperwork home with you. Some of us are not as lucky, or should I say selfish, we actually want to use instuctional time to instruct, not get out of our own paperwork.
So here's some hearsay for you.....you're a cunt....must be true the kids said it.

Freedom is not Free

I went to Mass with my Mom on Mother’s Day not an unusual event in itself really. But what unfolded during that mass was eventful, at least to me it was. I have really been obsessed with watching the news lately. Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN tends to be on constantly. I find myself noticing the headlines of the world news online more than I have in the past, suicide bombers, car bombs, and the like. Now I am not a complete fool, and I don’t just listen to what the media has to say, I am interested in what the soldiers have to say too.

So when I woke up Sunday morning I read and heard about the 4 soldiers that were killed in an attack near Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, and the three soldiers that remain missing even at the time of this posting. I couldn’t help but think that there were probably quite a few Mothers sick with worry wondering if it was one of their sons that was captured, or worse being informed their son had been killed.

I have to admit that I have not been an informed citizen since the invasion of Iraq began, and I am quite sure it is for the same reason that most of America remains uninformed, we have become complacent. How many of us really give a fuck about what is going on over there? This country has the attention span of a nat when it comes to something that does not affect us personally, all we can do is bitch about gas prices and wonder when our wallet is going to get a break. We go about our lives getting up in the morning, driving to work, watching American Idol on our 60 inch plasma televisions and don’t think twice about our troops being slaughtered on a daily basis, and for what? Until this war becomes “personal” for mainstream America I don’t see that much will be done to keep our troops from being led to the slaughter.

Our complacency is killing our troops everyday, over 3,000 in have died in this war already, in a war that many of us can’t even intelligently verbalize why we are fighting. Did it ever occur to our government that not everyone in this world wants needs or even desires a free and democratic society? Or that it is even feasible? .But complacency is easy and well it is the status quo as our government continues to occupy a county and allow your young men and women to die. Consider a withdrawal? Of course not, that would admit defeat in a situation where victory in my opinion is not even possible, or desired by the individuals our troops are dying for.

So we wait, we wait for our sons and daughters to come home, hopefully of sound mind and body. I was able to witness that during mass on Sunday. A young man from our parish surprised his Mother by unexpectedly appearing by her side as Mass began. She had no idea he had been released from his deployment, that he was coming home; I can’t tell you the mixture of emotions she exhibited, joy, relief, pride, thankfulness all wrapped up in one when she saw him standing there in his dress blues. But my thoughts are of the other Mother’s who weren’t as fortunate that day, whose visit from a uniformed officer was not as joyous. So we end the service by lighting a candle, a candle for the missing soldiers, the families of the dead servicemen, and for the young men and women preparing to go to war to replace them. Freedom is never Free.

What are the Odds?

I asked someone what their favorite song was recently and their response was a little suprizing for me, considering the gender of this person. Then I was reading some random blogs and I just happen to run accross this blog post and it was about the same song. What are the odds of that? Who know's but it is kind of funny so I decided to post it. Disclaimer***I am in No way making a judgement here, listen to what ever you want, I just think this is a funny post...ok well... it is a chick song and that is all I have to say about that, not that there is anything wrong with listening to chick music....when you are a guy...ok here's the post.

GUILTY FEET HAVE GOT NO RYTHM.

I was coming to work on Saturday and like all days I needed to get a cup of coffee. Also like most days, I went to Seattle's Best Coffee (It's Seattle's best! it's in the name). So I go and order my Large Coffee with lots of room. (Oh regular coffee has lots more caffeine and is a lot cheaper then a latte). I take off my iPod to order the coffee because it's rude to talk to people with headphones in.

The person serving me is new and there for she doesn't know me. I say hello and let her know where I work (I get a discount). After a couple minutes of unimportant chatter, she asks what I have in my hand. I tell her it's an iPod, amazed at her lack of knowledge of the super popular digital music player.

She asks to see it and immediately I oblige her to spread the greatness that is the Apple iPod. After giving it the once over, the young lady notices the screen on the "Now Playing" screen. A quick glance back it followed by, "George Michael, huh?" while handing the iPod back. I do indeed notice that Careless Whispers by Wham is playing (I have it labeled as by George Michael).

I first try to play dumb, "oh that is what's playing?" Then I try to play it off. "oh it's on shuffle." Then I just start to mumble, "uhh, yeah hmm" After that there is nothing else to do. I say, "I listen to lame music," drop my head in shame and leave the coffee shop. I grabbed my coffee but I left my pride. Be careful, when you hand your iPod to strangers. I have worse than that on there.

So fess up what secret music do you have on your iPod

As Anderson Said: Dude You're Stoned!

Ok I don't know what's worse, having a friend email me a link of a video of a gangsta in Detroit beating down a 91 year old that he is trying to carjack, or hearing the following story on none other than Anderson Cooper 360 last night. Yes it has not been a good PR week for the Ghetto...however the story below is quite entertaining...and well yes I live amongst some stupid individuals. And I think they should play this 911 audio tape in every school classroom as a public service announcement on how drugs make you STUPID!



Police officer Edward Sanchez of Dearborn, Michigan made some pot brownies with his wife and got so paranoid that he called 911 for fear they were dying. The recording of the 911 call is absolutely insane. From a transcript:
Sanchez:I think I'm having an overdose. and so is my wife.
911: Overdose of what?
Sanchez: Marijuana...
Sanchez: We made brownies. and I think we're dead. I really do...
Sanchez: Time is going by really, really, really slow...
Sanchez: What's the score in the Red Wings game?
911: I've got no clue, i don't watch the Red Wings.
Sanchez: I just wanted to make sure this isn't some kind of hallucination I'm having.
Edward, You should have listened to Nancy and just said No.

Retirement

I have this one pair of jeans that I absolutely love, and well this weekend as I was pulling them out of the dryer to slide on I noticed that they’ve become precariously worn. Yep can see that their days are numbered, it’s kind of sad to think they will soon be so worn out that I won’t be able to wear them.
Although I don't quite understand why, I love my jeans and feel defined by them in a way I don't feel about any of my other clothes. Just putting them on - which I do everyday when I get home from work - makes me feel a little bit excited about life. And as pathetic as it sounds, Friday mornings just don’t feel as depressing when I know I can slide those puppies on with a pair of heels and head off to end the work week. It’s like a little incentive to make it through the day, and when it’s a payday then the pot is even sweeter.
Perhaps it's something to do with holding onto youth, because your first pair of proper jeans is a major rite of teenage passage. The designer jeans were the big thing when I was a teenager and well I have to admit I fell under the peer pressure to wear them, you know the ones that were guaranteed to make you look thinner, sexier, more intelligent. But my jeans of choice are now Levi’s, low riders, boot cut….I love these jeans! And they look fantastic on me if I do say so myself.



You might be thinking…just go buy another pair, well it’s not that simple, first it is a rarity to find that perfect pair of jeans, you know the one’s that fit you perfectly like a glove, flawless. And well finding another pair is basically a quest for the Holy Grail. Well not that dramatic but it is a task for sure. So I guess I know what is on the agenda for this weekend, let’s hope the jean God smiles on me.

I smell something burning...humm what could it be...oh it's my boys burning up the American Leauge Central Division...Yup that's right, time for me to brag a little on my Tigers. I have to say they are giving it their all and not without their share of adversity this season. It's good to know they are actively proving their race for the World Series last season was not some cosmic joke, or fluke.

With Rogers being on the disable list till at least the all star game many felt that the team might not hold it together till he returned. Not so, the players stepped it up in his absence and have played good hard baseball all season long.

This past week another pitching fatality---Joel Zumaya, our 100 mph plus relief pitcher ruptured a tendon in his pitching hand requiring surgury. Another one bites the dust. And on a less serious note Jeremy Bonderman cut a finger on his pitching hand this week pulling him off the starting line up for tonight.

Regardless, the boys are currently in first place a game and a half ahead of the Indians. I don't care who you are, this division is tight. If you look at the other divisions in the American Leauge and watch the standings, neither one of the other divisions are duking it out back and forth daily for that coveted fist place position. It's what makes the game fun. Keep kicking ass!
Ce-Ce emailed me this pic of Pudge with the caption "Umm, could you remove your hand from my junk, I think you are enjoying this a little too much"

The Gift

He handed me a box, a small black fuzzy box, almost light as air. Along with the box came a card. It's not an unexpected gift, more like a tradition. I know the contents already. Having already recieved 6 of these familiar gifts, one annually at this time of the year.

I recieved that first fuzzy box on Mother's Day 2001, barely pregnant with Aiden. It was supposed to be the start of a romantic tradition, a pearl to represent the beginning of a life. One to be added to the collection for each year of his life, to be given traditionally every Mother's Day.

Fate didn't provide for that opportunity to be a joyous one, and each year as I open the box and the accompanying card, it all just seems so bittersweet. So I slide the pearl onto the chain, a physical reminder that it's been six long years since my attempt and ultimate failure at parenthood. I open and read the card, and temporarliy put aside my jadded opinions of the giver of this gift, relishng in the compasion being afforded me this day. I despertely want to believe time can heal all wounds.

Moma Mia

Well it is officially Mother's Day. And this year this tradition of celebrating Motherhood seems a lot less cliquce than usual for me. This is the first time I think I really appreciate this typical selfabsorbed Hallmark Card Holiday.

I have been thinking a lot about my relationship with my Mom over the years. I think Mother daughter relationships go through distinct phases. As you move though your childhood on your way to becoming an adult the relationship is molded, as a child I thought my mother could do no wrong, god I idolized her. As a teenager I squabbled with her at every turn, it was almost a challenge for me, every word she said struck a nerve.I really was an ass.

But Now, as an adult, perhaps I've realized that my Mom can be an ally - and maybe even a friend. It amazes me how she can read me. How she can know, with just one spoken word my mood, whether I am anxious, sad, or worried. Too bad I can't find the strength to share the details of events that percipitate those feelings with her, instead of just acknowledging that I am feeling them.

The mother-daughter relationship has been called the strongest bond in human history, I definately think mine is moving in that direction.At least I hope so. In hindsight I wish I hadn't wasted so much time being indifferent to our relationship, time wasted that can't be retrieved. Time I am sure to one day reget letting slip away.

I love you Mom, Happy Mother's Day
Kat

Virtual DNA

I found this neat site where you can create your virtual DNA, it was kinda fun, I had it on here before but for some reason it wasn't showing my comments on the pictures I picked....so I redid it and put it on here, it's all the way on the bottom of the page above the 2000 bloggers widget...you can click on it to create your own if you want. Just thought it was cool and that I'd share...ok at least act like you are remotely interested would ya.