A Hectic kind of Time

I am trying to hold my breath until Sunday afternoon. On Sunday afternoon my show will be over, the plant puppets will be returned and my life will be joyfully peaceful for an entire week.

I am being furloughed. I know, weird huh? I am a school teacher and therefore because there is no money to be had in California the students get an entire week off in the middle of February. It is a bit crappy not to get paid but I am also not going to do any work either so I guess it is a trade off.

Little Shop of Horrors needs to close before this joyous week of bliss. I have choreography rehearsal today, dress rehearsal tomorrow night til 9:30 pm. First show Friday at 7 pm, second show of the weekend is our only matinee at 2 pm and then we having closing night at 7 pm that same evening. Sunday morning I drive the puppets home to Tracy. Then I sleep and enjoy the quiet of my home



...I might pass out from holding my breath but I am certainly going to try.

Migraines are fun

I have had a headache for 5 days straight. It is not much fun, let me tell you. I can make the headache go away with strong pain killers but as soon as the meds wear off it is right back. I don't like it much. I don't enjoy having a headache. It makes me a bit cranky to be honest.

I want it to go away. I don't like it anymore.

Rolling with the Punches

It is a lot harder than it sounds when the punches thrown are this hard. I am losing out on things that I really want. It is hard. I don't like it.

Stress at work is horrific. I have a show opening in 9 days. We need about 2 weeks more than we have. "Luckily" I have a six hour rehearsal this Saturday that will hopefully help us get on par for our production. I would like to be under par though.

I have a constant headache that wont go away. Oh and my dr. called to tell me that I have a nodule in the right side of my thyroid which could or could not be a problem. fun.


on Feb 19th I start a week long furlough. Feb 20th after I return puppets is when mine actually begins. I can't wait til that time.

Mourning

As you walk onto my campus this morning it is a sea of black clad students. Everywhere you look there are hundreds of students donning their best black and crying, some of them hysterically. Tragedy has hit. One of our freshmen was hit by 2 different cars and died on Friday night. Pain is evident. Loss is everywhere.

We are hurt.

Cheating and Love Notes

So lately there has been a real problem with cheating at our school. The cheating is happening the most among the honors kids too. I was talking to a senior colleague of mine and he told me that it is normal for the honors kids to cheat more because they are smarter when it comes to cheating and thus they just do it better. Well in the past two weeks I have actually caught 5 students in my honors English class cheating. It has been rough. The most recent incident was just a couple days ago on Monday during a reading check quiz for To Kill a Mockingbird.

Well the students had a vocabulary test today (it is a short week so we did it today) and this is what I received from said Monday cheating student:
Best love note I have ever gotten. I pretty much just want to correct all the grammar, spelling and syntax mistakes and give it back. I am also glad that I was given permission to show this to the parents because you know, I wouldn't have otherwise...oh students, how little you know and understand.

Marie Claire

There is a ton of outrage and debate going on about the recent Marie Claire article that was published. If you have not read the article and do not know what I am talking about...here is the link: http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/dating-blog/overweight-couples-on-television

I read the article last night after a friend posted it online. I have since read many many of the comments. They are ridiculously emblazoned with hatred, just like the article. The difference is righteous indignation vs. discrimination. I fully support the idea that obesity is something that needs to change in our nation. I understand that there are a lot of problems with the "healthiness" of our current society climate. I DO NOT support the idea that just because people are overweight they should be forced to stay inside and not be allowed to be in public, either digitally or physically.

The article is supposed to fundamentally be about whether over weight people should be allowed to kiss on TV. However, what it turned into was a bashing of overweight people and discrimination and name calling thereof.

I am currently teaching To Kill a Mockingbird to my English 2 Honors class. The book is filled with racism, segregation and discrimination. I used this article as a modern day version of the same behavior in a different package. It led to an amazing discussion about ignorance, freedom of speech and discrimination in our everyday lives.

Marie Claire, you should be ashamed of yourself. This writer and approving editor should be fired. This is ridiculous.

Urban Cow

I did it. I was able to complete the half marathon. 13.1 miles. very very hard. This time, no puking at all.

I did not have an amazing time (2 hours 57 minutes 10 seconds). But I FINISHED!

wow.