Beeping Eggs

Taking a Break

The day is almost over and I am taking a break. I ran all this morning. I went to the preschool school this morning, then to a high school, I picked up some stuff and then was back at my home school for lunch. Then I started working on some school stuff (I have found some good stuff I will write about and post photos later)and straightening out this little office room from where I messed it up during testing with the things I brought and the items I rearranged for the student I was testing. I took some things home yesterday but I didn't complete the cleaning/organizing process and I want to be done before spring break.

It has been hard to get anything done on the computer because my work computer is sick. It was giving me the interface for the high school where I was assigned last school term. I saw Intellitools on there and clicked on it thinking that some wise tech had installed it on our school network. Not so. It was a decoy for something that took off my Intellitools and the lessons I'd created. Then my computer became upset with me and said, "Just for doing that--whatever you did--I will no longer allow you to log in. Baby, I never knew ye."

So, here at my school desk/table I have an old GX1 from which I type. I can kinda-sorta look at work email and kinda-sorta type in my blog here. Kinda-sorta.

I received an email during testing about a new student. Of course I couldn't open it until after testing because no on is to have a computer on during testing, even if there is no testing going on in the same room as the computer. My supervisor had forwarded an email from a principal of one of the schools I visit. The email said that this child is visually impaired and no one has been there to see her. Well, I promptly wrote back saying that she was not on the roll Id been given or I'd have been to see her because I'd definitely been to the school to see all the children who were listed on my case load. The way it was stated rather ticked me off, as it implied the child had been there for a time and that I had not.

I'd let the librarian know and she filled out a tech support form for me on March 25--so that will be about three or four weeks with this handicap. I have some visual impairments technology stuff I need to get to the other teachers and I cannot do it here. I do what I can at home but I can't always be awake at home.

I guess the techs are really busy. Doesn't look like a tech will see me until after the holidays. It's a little difficult to log in to the IEP program and do other things I need to do. Ho hum.

It's like being on a roll to get something done and having to stop to go to the bathroom--which is rather my story.(Yeah, I know: TMI). I kinda-sorta get that from my office/roommate. I will be doing something and she wants to talk. I know she doesn't mean anything malicious by it. She probably doesn't have many people who talk to her so I give her a few minutes.As our prison ministry motto says "Listen. listen, love love."

So, I'm using a few minutes break at the end of the school day to write here. It is the last day before we get off for the break--which I call a Resurrection Sunday break rather than a Spring Break or Easter Break because that is what I choose to celebrate.

I have a little more picking up to do in here before I get on the road. So my break is over. Back to work and I'M OUTTA HERE!

More About the Space/Time Continuum

I'm becoming, as my daughter can now attest, an expert in this field--at least on the subject of how it works--The space time continuum. I am of the educated opinion that those with ADD can better grasp the concept. The rest of you need to listen to us or just trust that we know what we're talking about.

Example One: The aforementioned memory card of 1,000 photos is now in my possession---or at least wherever my camera happens to be. The other memory card, the newer one, was given to my daughter for safe keeping until we should arrive home from Wally World where we ordered pictures from the Fuji kiosk rather than our usual Kodak kiosk. This choice is what would ultimately also cause a rift in the space/time continuum. However, to get into detail on that path would be it's own separate example of the S/TC but, as usual, I digress.

Back to the 1,000 photos memory card versus the newer one: The newer one has now evaporated into thin air from the inner sanctum of my daughter's jeans pocket. She has searched her pockets, purse, lair and hair. It is not to be found in this dimension. It is in the same world as my ATM card which I had replaced today during my lunch half-hour.

Robbin, the credit union lady was so nice and helpful. She said there had been a breach of security and that they had just sent out a letter asking me to come in and have it replaced for free anyway. The other good news was that no one had spent any of my hundreds of pennies using the card. Notice I didn't say "dollars." To quote Socrates: "I teach; therefore I do not keep dollars." The last transaction was over a week ago when I ordered Chinese takeout for my mother's house. Yet, I digress once again.

I have explained this phenomenon to my daughter, like this: As she sits at home and waits for the DirecTV tech to tack the dish back up on the roof after last Thursday's storm toppled it over, the two memory cards cannot exist in the same plane of existence simultaneously. Yes, the satellite dish is involved and that is why is it mentioned. Bear with me. This--the existence of the two memory cards in the same dimension-- will cause a rift in the space/time continuum. I know this because, my reason for purchasing the second memory card was not simply due to the older one having 1,000 photos on it, but because, at the time, the 1,000 photo memory card was in another dimension. The fact that when it showed itself, the new card appeared to evaporate proves theory and that I comprehend--not what makes it work--but that I do understand the rules for how it works. It's rather like understanding what certain HTML codes do but not why. You just know they do what they do, you live with it and all is right with the world.

It is the same principle as when your paper evaporates---the one for a school assignment or some special ed paperwork that is diligently started weeks in advance. This may occur a few days before it is to be submitted to a professor or supervisor. Inevitably, when this happens, one has to begin again and upon submission of a new paper, the old one returns in some outlandish place, such as the cat box or the refrigerator.

I will allow the above to be Example Two because that is how organized I am in my thinking about the entire process. Envy me.

I have also noticed another phenomenom concerning this S/TC process: It happens less frequently during and after a holiday and more so right before a holiday when one has been experiencing STATE TESTING, IEPs, special education paperwork deadlines and the like.

I am so looking forward to my spring break! But I digress.

Mardi Gras Break

I took off a little early from work at the end of last week so I could do my Slave Driving Agape Lady thing this past weekend up at St. Francisville for Kairos Prison Ministry. The ladies who cook were able to work out of the culinary school at the Main Prison complex at LSP. The men go inside the prison each day starting Thursday evening during a Kairos Weekend--which is actually 3 1/2 days. They hold a Christian workshop while we ladies stay outside and do the cooking and the agape.

My job is less glorified and less "glam" but I love it just the same. Besides, it's all to the same end --the glory of God in His service. I work from out of the hotel when we go up there. I get the agape bags together and get the place mats and other agape gifts together including the prayer chains. Then I make sure the tables are ready for when the guys return from the prison each night. When I am done I sometimes have time to go inside and see if Juanita, the head cook, needs any help. It's rare that she does. She's good and a couple of the ladies she trusts to help do the actual cooking are good. The rest just like the idea of being in the kitchen.

There was a new lady on the team named Carolyn. She was very excited as most first timers are, about her first time. She couldn't wait to get inside. Juanita actually had enough cooks and she and the leader wanted to make sure I had help. Both Juanita and I have been ill lately. I just had my last chemo treatment for lymphoma in December and she is struggling with fibromyalgia. Still, everyone wants to get into the kitchen and I rarely have help. I don't do staying up late as well as I used to.

Carolyn and another sister, Sandra, who's been around for a while, were a lot of help Thursday evening. I knew Carolyn wanted to get inside so I told her I could do by myself Friday. That meant there was more for me to do on Friday but that's alright. I'm used to it! I just wanted to have enough free time on Saturday to get some earrings from Grandmother's Buttons, a nice local boutique. Carolyn had a good idea about placing bags with the guys names on them so they could but little notes in each one for each other evenings when they returned from the prison. I dubbed them "Affirmation Bags" an had them out that evening. Of course it took more of my time so I didn't make it inside the prison to glory-kitchen. But that's OK. I wasn't too excited about making that trip.

Closing was spectacumous! The residents were truly touched and truly touching! This was the first time my Hunnee was not on a team but he came up for the closing. So I was able to sit by him the whole time.

One thing I missed was Hunnee singing in church. He had to leave service early to get up to St. Francisville. Pastor called him to his office as he does the associate pastors. The Cheryl, the music minister drafted him to sing with the men's chorus. During his last sermon he'd requested Cheryl play "Surely The Presence" a song we use in Kairos. Cheryl liked it and said she'd play it more in church from now on. So this Sunday was the beginning of "now on" and she points at Hunnee and says, "Brother M, You're drafted!" My mother missed it, too because I had her pinch hitting for me in the four- and five-year-olds' class for Children's Church. So I couldn't get her usual report on how he did.

Hunnee went to evening service. I made sure he left in enough time to grab a bite to eat because he will sometimes not leave himself enough time. I went straight home and fell out on the bed. I didn't even unpack. Mr. Bob Buttons joined me by standing on his blanket at the end of the bed, first watching me and then joining me in a good snooze.

This was Mardi Gras weekend also. We don't do Mardi Gras but it's nice to have the time off. Usually after a Kairos Weekend I have to go straight back to work on Monday morning. But once in a while the Winter/Spring Kairos weekend falls over the Mardi Gras break. This is great because I don't have to try so hard to pace my self when I know the next day I can sleep in! Hunnee is getting used to a quieter Mardi Gras. He's used to being closer to New Orleans where things get a bit wilder and he can't stand all the noise. I told him that there are only two parades here, a few across the river and only one is not strictly family. The ones here don't try to compete with new Orleans so they are usually held before Fat Tuesday.

My daughter and I went to a movie and the rest of the weekend Hunnee and I just hung out at home. We ate lunch out and breakfast at the IHOP.

The picture above is blackmail fodder for his mom. Hunnee smokes but not in the house, so he will stand in the door if his favorite TV show is playing. Here he is getting ready to light up. Busted! This will give Mom something to fuss about. We're both praying that he can stop smoking someday.

It was a nice break for Mardi Gras!