Ready for beach time!

I'm hanging out here at the lake for one more night and hoping that tomorrow is a gorgeous day so I can get a touch ton of sun before heading to the beach on Wednesday.

This will be the 2nd Annual Girls' Trip.  Last year, Connie, Linda, and I went and had a blast.  We talked about trying to make it an annual trip, so this is year #2.  After I enjoy the dock for a while tomorrow, I'll head to Connie's for tomorrow night, and then around 8 on Wednesday morning, Connie, Tisha, Libby, and I will head south.  Maybe next year everybody can go.

Every day that we'll be there, the forecast is showing isolated thunderstorms with 30-40% chance of rain.  On Sunday, when we are leaving though, the forecast shows mostly sunny skies with 0% chance of rain.  Go figure.  Of course, this is summer at the beach.  You can just about expect some rain.  As long as I get sun, and LOTS of it!

I've posted pictures of Sam Bone's time at the lake on my other blog, so check them out.

I hope you have a GREAT day!

Another one in the books

Even though the school year for me isn't "officially" over in terms of our contracts, I'm counting this one as done. We have a work day tomorrow, and we've got a make up professional development day Tuesday. I made a request to our superintendent to take off Tuesday, and she approved it. Normally, I wouldn't have made the request, but I feel like I have a really good reason. Wanna hear it? No? Well, too bad 'cause I'm gonna tell ya. (Don't you just love having your own blog so you can do things like that? And if you don't want to read, that's fine with me. How will I ever know anyway?) I'll get to my reason in a bit.

Tomorrow is, like I said, a work day. I got all my grades in and verified today, but I have a TON of stuff to get done in my room. Before we leave, we have to have everything off the floors so that when the custodial staff comes in to do the floors, they don't have to move everything. That serves two purposes: 1) they can get in and out a whole lot faster, and 2) they don't have to worry about breaking/misplacing something of ours. I have a TON of shredding I need to do tomorrow, too. Mr. Reyes said we can leave at 2:00, but I have a feeling I'll be there a little later.

Once I finally do leave, I'll have to come home and get my stuff together to go to the lake AND to the beach, shower (because I will be covered in dust after I finish in my room), and then go to graduation. I volunteered to help in the area where the seniors line up before the ceremony. I like being in that area because I can see and talk to them. Once the ceremony is over, trying to find anyone on the field is next to impossible.

On Saturday, the pups and I will load up and head to the lake. John is going up tomorrow and is taking the boat. Jess and Lance are going up tomorrow night, too. On Saturday, Phillip, Katy, and Sam are coming up. I hope the rain stays away, but it will be fun no matter what. John will have to come home Monday, but I'm going to stay at the lake until Tuesday. And that gets into my reason for requesting off for Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Connie, Tisha, Libby, and I are GOING TO THE BEACH! WOO HOO!!!!!! Last year, Connie, Linda, and I went and had such a great time. We decided to try to make it an annual event for the "Vest Girls." Unless something has changed in the last few days, Linda isn't going this year because Danny hasn't been doing very well. Amy doesn't feel ready to leave Maggie for that long, Katy will be starting her classes at THE University of ALABAMA on June 1 (Roll Tide!), and Jessi wants to save her vacation days for her honeymoon. (I just can't for the life of me figure that one out. I mean...five days in Gulf Shores with the best stepmom ever, the best aunts ever, and the one of best cousins ever or a week in Cancun with her new husband. Geez. It isn't like she's not going to spend the rest of her life with him. hahahaha)

So, since I was already going to be in North Alabama, and since it was going to be out of the way for the Hartselle crew to come to Dadeville to get me, I thought I'd just stay at the lake Monday and go to Connie's sometime Tuesday (depending on the weather). And then we had to make up the professional development day.

I considered getting "sick" but I honestly and truly hate to lie about something like that. I have taken sick days when I haven't been sick, but every teacher I know has to take a "mental health" day occasionally. I've never, ever CALLED in just because I didn't want to go to work. If I've called in, I've been SICK. Like puking sick. And they don't want me there then. When I take my "mental health" days, I plan them around my lesson plans. And I usually end up spending a good portion of the day grading.

Anyway, I digress. I sent Lou Ann an email requesting Tuesday. She said that since I had not taken an personal days this year, I was certainly free to take one for Tuesday. I already have all of the hours I need for this year, too. If I didn't, I'd be there. She also told me to have a good time at the beach. Oh, sure, I told exactly what I just told you. I don't want to lie to the person who is in charge of my job. That's just stoopid. Tenured teachers CAN be let go with proper documentation.

So, I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I love my job, but it's time for a break. And I'm ready for the lake and the beach.

And I'm ready for bed.

As always, have a GREAT day!

What a week!

Talk about a crazy week. I got up Monday expecting a really great last week of the school year. All was going really well until I got to work. Karen was in my room for coffee. I had just opened my email when she said, "That was so bad about Mr. Davidson's daughter" (or something very similar to that.) I had just opened the email with the news that Mr. Davidson, his wife, and their two sons had lost their daughter and sister in a car wreck on Sunday. That was enough to put a huge damper on my mood. I did not know Whitney, but that doesn't matter. I did know Mr. Davidson and their older son, Jacob. I had met his wife Suzette and had seen their younger son, Luke, hanging out in his dad's office after school. Whitney was a 24 year old woman who was just getting her life started. She had taught for a year. (I think she was working with Teach for America.)

Later in the day, we got an email about the band director at the middle school. She had been in a car wreck, too, and was air lifted to Columbus, GA. The latest news we had from her sounded positive, but we didn't get an update today. I'm going to hope that no news is good news. I'm sure that if she weren't doing about the same or better we would have gotten some news.

Monday was also the day that pink slips went out. We lost three certified personnel. One of them was Melissa, the choir teacher/director. Her program is being cut out completely due to proration. The students were very upset and were passing around petitions. Some of our students live for choir, and now, they don't have that. Sure, there can be a "glee club" as an extracurricular activity, but it isn't as easy as it seems to get a club started. First of all, there has to be a certified faculty member (preferably one with a musical background) who is willing to give up his or her time after school on a regular basis for practices. No big deal, you say. Coaches do it all the time. Yeah, well, coaches get a supplement. Club sponsors don't. I hope, for the kids, that a club can be a reality.

We are also losing several non-certified positions. Two para-pros are gone, and the current library aide will be the only para-pro. The lady who supervised In School Suspension was let go and a certified person will be in that position (or so I understand.) The person who over the ACCESS is gone. The certified teacher who was in the Success Center (remediation for those students who have not passed the Alabama High School Graduation Exam) will be in the ACCESS lab. And then Monday afternoon, Debbie, our secretary, found out she was being transferred to one of the elementary schools. And her position isn't being replaced. We've had two secretaries in the main office, but Debbie did the front office "stuff" and Janice has done the guidance office "stuff." From what I gather, Janice will be doing the front office stuff again. (She did it years ago.) I'm not sure if she will continue to do the guidance office stuff, too. If so, she is going to be one extremely busy woman.

Then, yesterday I heard that a student from a neighboring school was killed in a car wreck. Susan, my best friend, told me she had just found out that the head of the German department at Alabama had been killed in a car wreck, too. Can it get any worse?

We gave exams to our first and second block classes today. Those were my seniors. One of my guys has yet to turn in a research paper. Papers were due April 30th. Without a paper, he will fail. Even though I shouldn't have, I told him that IF he would bring me a paper by 3:00 this afternoon, I would grade it. He SAID it was at home on his computer. He got out of school at 11:02. I left about 11:30 to run grab a bite to eat. I got it to go, so I was back to the school before noon. I didn't leave until 3:10. Did I have a paper from him? Nope. He will fail with a 57.8. And it's a shame because he is MORE than capable. It just makes me want to throttle him. I had several other students who BUST THEIR BUTTS for every single point they earn. They were standing over me, holding their breath as I figured their finals grades, praying for at least a 60. Every single one of them earned at least that. The look of relief on their faces was obvious. And this kid doesn't even care. It makes me ANGRY.

Tomorrow I have my juniors. None of them are in danger of failing. (Or at least I don't think they are.)

Guess that's about all of the depressing news I have for now. Oh, I do have FUN news. All of the "kids" will be with us at the lake this weekend. I. CAN'T. WAIT! I love having everybody around. It will be interesting to have six adults and one 2-year-old trying to sleep in a 12 x 48 two bedroom, one bath trailer, though. Pray for us. LOL

I hope you have a GREAT Thursday! (I didn't proofread. Forgive any typos. I'm too tired to re-read this. hahaha)

Things I bet you didn't know

Every year when I am grading research papers, I learn so many new facts. I'm quite sure that you never knew them either. This year has been no exception. I decided that I didn't want to keep all of the valuable nuggets of information to myself, so I'm here to share with you some of the things I've learned over the past couple of weeks.

First of all, in a paper about the Harlem Renaissance, I learned that:

• W. E. B. DuBois was a musician who became full-blown junkie in his later life and that nothing anyone did could help him kick his habit. Having never heard this before, I did a quick google search and pulled up the NAACP website about Mr. DuBois. Nowhere on their site did I find mention of this horrible habit. So either they are unaware that one of the pioneers of the Civil Rights movements became entangled in drugs or they choose to ignore that fact and focus on all of the positive things he did for the African American people or the student was trying to blow smoke up my ass. I'm voting for #3.
• The same student said that C. J. Walker was also a dope head who wrote poetry. Oh yeah. C. J. was a man. Hmmm...I wonder where the Madam comes from. I guess the C. J. Walker I'm thinking of who made millions because of her hair products was a different one.
• ***The really sad thing about this is that this particular student is an African American male. His grandmother is employed by our school system in the central office, and she knowledgeable about her culture. Apparently, she didn't pass that along to her grandson.
• ***These comments aren't direct quotes because I graded that paper at school yesterday. The actual sentences make very little sense.

About brain cancer:

• "A sexual headache can be very strange but it is right before orgamism and is believed to be a vascular headache." (Not really sure what an orgamism is. Surprisingly, if you google it, you will actually get some hits. It didn't help in determining what one is, though. LOL)
• A rash can conclude a rare condition, such as ringworm or contact dermatitis.

About panic attacks:

• Some doctor will give you something that is called SSRIs. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors is a drug that helps patients feels more alive and controls their movements from panic attacks. (Hmm...control their movements from panic attacks??)
• ***Granted this student has an IEP, so her paper is really not good. However, she worked her BUTT off the entire time we were doing research. She was in the library or in my room every available minute working, asking questions, or getting clarification. Even though her paper is not very good, she followed EVERY step correctly, and got a passing grade on it. I tell them OVER and OVER that if they will DO AS I ASK THEM, they can and will pass the paper!

I have so many other great nuggets, but the other papers are at school, and I don't remember all of them. I don't think I'll ever forget about W. E. B. DuBois and MADAM C. J. Walker, though.

Allergies have driven me insane today, so I'm about to call it a day. Oy, it's not even 7:00. Still, day's done for this chick.

As always, have a GREAT day!

Two down. One to go.

John has his second carpal tunnel surgery this morning. I'm sitting here now just waiting for them to call to tell me I can go back. It shouldn't be too much longer. Dr. Rigsby called about 10 and said he was on his way to recovery. It didn't take him long to come out from under the anesthesia last time. Dr. Rigsby said this one went well, too. Yea! Maybe John will have some relief! Since he had his left wrist done three weeks ago (today, as a matter of fact) he hasn't had the first problem with it. Not once has it gone to see or had that tingly feeling. The funny thing, though, is that whenever he needs a jar opened, he hands it to me. He hasn't gotten his strength back yet, and it may take another couple of months before he does. (Heaven forbid that he never gets it all back. He is perfectly capable of doing things, but it would be frustrating to go through the rest of his life having to ask people to open jars for him.)

He'll see Dr. Rigsby again a week from tomorrow to get the stitches out, and I guess they'll schedule the neck surgery at that time. Now, THAT surgery makes me nervous! I know so many people who have had this surgery, and all have done well, but still...it's scary to me!

I've used this morning to be productive. I got several research papers graded. The rest HAVE to be finished by Tuesday. I'll use Friday (Senior Honors Day) to try to finish up so I don't have to do them over the weekend. I want to play this weekend. :)

Gotta run. Hopefully, the next phone call will be the one telling me I can go back, get John dressed, and be on our way.

As always, have a GREAT day!

♥,

The end is here

The end of the school year is upon us. Everybody in the field of education...students, teachers, administrators, counselors, secretaries, custodians...begins to count down the days somewhere around the five-weeks-to-go mark. Weeks 5, 4, and 3 seem to ddddrrrraaaagggg on forever, but then you wake up one Sunday morning and realize that there are only nine school days left, and of those nine, two are exam days. That leaves only seven instructional days. Don't forget Senior Honors Day when the class of 2010 will have the honors program and then be dismissed for the rest of the day. Man, that leaves only six days! Then we begin to wonder how we're going to finish everything in only six or seven days. I still have to do this and this and that, and oh yeah, there is that, too. YIKES!

But as I wonder about the last six days, I think back to the previous 174. I think of all of the students I've had the pleasure to teach and to learn from. I wonder what their futures hold for them. I pray for them daily...prayers for their happiness and success. I worry about them. Will they make the right decisions as they go through life? Will they do all they can to grow into the adults I know they are capable of becoming? I hope for them. I love them. All of them. Even the ones who have tried my patience. Daily.

This is the end of my fourth year in a general ed. classroom. The first year I taught English in the gen ed classroom, I had one English 9 class, in addition to the English 12 classes; the second year, I had one English 10 class first semester and one English 11 class second semester along with the English 12; last year I had English 11 and English 12. So over the last four years, I've had several of this year's seniors in one of those other classes. That has helped me get to know so many of the senior class, even if I didn't teach them this year. And there are a few I've known since they were lowly 8th graders. It has been so much fun to watch those I've known for the last four or five years grow into the young adults they are. Some of them continue to make me shake my head. LOL

As the last few days speed by (because they will at this point), I watch them become anxious for the next stage of their lives to begin. I tell them to SLOW DOWN and enjoy this time, but they don't listen. (For the record, neither did I at 18.) I try to impart a few words of last-minute wisdom, and I hope that something I have said or done over the last year will remain with them.

If I were to offer advice to them, this is what I would say: To the seniors of 2010, I wish you a long life filled with love, joy, happiness, success. Make sure you work hard, but don't forget to take time to play. If you love and laugh, life will take care of itself. And remember I love you.

As always, have a GREAT day!

Gonna be a LONG day

1. It's Friday, and I just don't want to be here. We're going to the lake for the weekend, and I would really prefer to be there right now.

2. A lot of the seniors have taken a skip day. Next Friday is the "official" skip day, but they wanted to take off on their last real Friday. I have enough that I could have gone on with Macbeth, but they begged. And I gave in. I don't know who has senioritis more-them or me.

3. The end of the year is just ahead. I don't know what happens to time between the middle of April & the end of May but it slows to a CRAWL. Then between June & July, it goes into warp speed to make up.

Yeah, I've made this post during school-from my phone. I need to wrap up though so I can get ready for my next class.

Have a GREAT day.

Macbeth!!

We started Macbeth in my senior English classes today, and that makes me VERY happy! I absolutely LOVE teaching this play. Okay, so yeah, maybe that makes me somewhat of a nerd, but that's fine by me. I taught English 9 one semester, and we did Romeo and Juliet. I enjoy the play, but I didn't enjoy teaching it. I'm not really sure why.

When I taught Macbeth last semester, I was so sick. The first day of actually studying the play, I had NO voice. Whatever I had made me feel like total and complete crud. I did a horrible job getting started, and it showed. The kids hated it. A couple of my girls made signs and hung them around my desk. They said things like "NO MORE MACBETH!" "Macbeth is AWFUL!" So, I hope that maybe this semester will be better. So far, I've had students who haven't said two words all semester making comments. I take that as a good sign.

One of the things on my bucket list is to spend a summer (or at least a month) in England. When I was in the 4th grade and until I was probably in junior high, I had a pen pal from England. His name was Graham, and he made me fall in love with his country. I began dreaming of going, but it is a dream that hasn't come true. Yet. And it may never come true. But as long as I'm not dead, I'll continue to hope that the opportunity will come along. If I ever make it, I would LOVE to be able to see Macbeth performed on stage at The Globe. (That's a second item on my bucket list.)

So for the next week or so, I will LOVE every single minute of my English 12 classes, even if they kids drive me crazy because they only have 11 more days. (Seniors that is. Everyone else has 13.)

That's it for now. Gotta watch House. I am in luv with Dr. Gregory House!

Have a GREAT day!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am the luckiest woman alive. I have the most wonderful, compassionate, loving mom a person could ever want, and I'm not just saying this because she is my mom. If you know my mom, you know this is true. Any time someone talks to me about her, they say the same things. I feel so blessed that God chose me as her daughter. I just hope that I can grow up to be just like her.

My mom wears so many hats. When Eddy and I were growing up, she was the teacher, the nurse, the cook, the taxi driver...I could go on and on. Now that she doesn't have to do those things for her children, she continues to do such similar things for others. She volunteers in the gift shop at Walker Baptist Medical Center in Jasper and is very active in the volunteer organization. She is a member of the Ladies' Bible Class at Woodland Trace Church of Christ in Jasper. These wonderful ladies do so much--prepare meals for the local Hospice, provide support to Childhaven Children's Home in Cullman, AL. My mom is the CARD SENDER. =) She sends cards for birthdays to everyone. I could go on and on.

Sometimes it's hard to pin her down (or to track her down), but I would much rather she stay active and busy. It keeps her young.

So, to my wonderful mom...I love you, and I thank you for EVERYTHING you've done for me! I wouldn't be the person I am if it weren't for you.

I'm very lucky that I have a wonderful mother-in-law as well. She welcomed me into her family with open arms, and I know that she would do anything she could for me. It breaks my heart that she isn't the woman now that she was when I met her in February of 1992. Alzheimer's has stolen quite a bit of that person.

Danny and Linda brought her out here to the lake yesterday. Honestly, I was surprised she came, but Linda said she was wanting to come. It has gotten very hard to get her to go anywhere. About 3:00 though, she started getting antsy and was ready to go. She began worrying about her house not being locked because she didn't have her keys. (Linda had locked it for her because she has lost her keys. Again.) It was very windy, so she began worrying about a storm blowing up. She told John and me half a dozen times that if it did get stormy to go to her house. (We're a good hour away, so driving there wouldn't be the best thing.) She did enjoy herself though.

As I was dialing my mom's number this morning, John said he would call his mom, but she wouldn't remember it. THAT hurt my heart for him. It's is so unfair that he and his brothers and sister are losing their mom this way. I know...nobody ever said that life was fair.

To all of the moms out there, I hope your day is filled with joy, love, happiness, and most of all, relaxation. :)

I love my job!

And this is why...

After the crummy day I had yesterday, I had these notes left by a couple of girls in my first block class. Now, I know I am not the "BEST English teacher in the whole wide world" or "in the entire world," but I will admit that this was a huge ego boost for me.

Teaching is not an easy career. I remember seeing a coffee cup years ago that said, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." I hated that because it implies that the only people who teach are those who can't do anything else. For my college graduation, the guy I was dating at the time bought me a coffee cup that said, "Those who can't, don't. Those who can, TEACH." I loved it and I used it for years, until a student broke it.

Even though my job...my career...is fulfilling, there is a ton of stress that goes along with it as well. I have students who don't really care one way or the other about an education, and sadly, many of these kids have parents who don't really care either. We are constantly having meetings about this new program or that new state requirement. There is a committee for everything and nothing. And then there is the grading. (Right now, I should be grading the research papers that were turned in Friday.) Some days, I walk out of the building at the end of the day, and I wonder what, if any, impact I made at all.

And then I get notes like the ones above. And I know that I have touched a life.

This wasn't the only ego boost that I got today, either. In my senior English classes, we were finishing up Shakespearean sonnets. Of all that I teach, this is my least favorite unit because it can be so hard to get the students engaged. They think poetry is gross (even though the songs they listen to is poetry. Maybe not good poetry, but poetry nonetheless.) Anyway, we discussed Sonnet 116..."Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments." We discussed how TRUE love isn't going to change because the situation changes and how TRUE love is always going to be like the lighthouse on the shore or the star in the sky in that it never moves. It is always there to guide us. A lot of times when we are doing sonnets, I feel like the Charlie Brown teacher. "Wah wah wah wahwahwah." Imagine my surprise when I saw one of my students had updated her facebook status with a summary of Sonnet 116! I was SO thrilled! Someone had commented on it and said she was going to use it. Lauren then said that it was from Shakespeare and we'd studied it in class today.

So after a totally and completely crummy day yesterday, I've had a really great day today. Let's see what tomorrow holds.

I hope you have a GREAT day!

Monday...ALL. DAY. LONG.

I knew from the minute I opened my eyes that this was going to be a yucky day. I rarely ever have crummy days, and I have even fewer days that are crummy from the very beginning, but this was certainly one of them. First of all, between 3 something and about 4, the weather radio went off twice--once for a flash flood warning and once for a thunderstorm warning. I wasn't sleeping the best before then as it was, so having that jar me awake was unpleasant. Then it came a quick storm. That wasn't so bad. Sleeping to the sound of thunder is soothing to me. And I knew the storm couldn't be too bad; otherwise, the weather radio would've gone off more than it did. And then the alarm went off. Only 19 more days of that. :)

After John finished in the bathroom, I got up and showered. The house was horribly humid, so it was no fun putting on makeup on and drying my hair. (Oh, the joys of a 70+ year old house that doesn't have central air...) My hair looked like a Medusa's snakes were crawling out of it, so I pulled it up into a ponytail.

John was going to drive my car because he didn't feel like trying to drive AND change gears on a yucky, rainy day with only one "good" hand. He went out, but for some reason the battery on my car is dead, so he had to get the truck keys. And now I have to buy a new battery.

Once I was finally ready, I put Ali and Bama in "doggy jail" (the kitchen), got my school bag, my laptop bag, my purse, my phone, my keys (so I could lock the house), and the keys to the Miata. Using my microscopic umbrella (because it was raining cats and dogs), I got half way to the garage when I remembered I needed a key for that door. I turned around and was almost back to the house when I realized that the only TWO keys we have for the garage are on John's set of keys for Miata and the set of keys for the truck. The problem? John, like I said, drove the truck, but he ALSO took his keys for the Miata because that key ring has his work keys on it. Just to make sure, I looked through the basket of keys (because we have only eleventy bajillion sets of keys for four wheelers, lawn mowers, and who knows what else.) Nope, none of them worked. Just on a chance, I tried my car. Nope. Not cranking.

I came back in the house and tried to call John. His dead cell phone was on top of the TV. (Why do I even pay for him to have a cell phone? He doesn't have it with him half the time.) I called my principal and left him a message to let him know what was going on, just in case I couldn't find a solution, and then I began trying to figure out how I was going to get to school. At this point, I was honestly thinking I needed to just call in sick and go back to bed.

Finally, I thought about Sam, so I called her. She hadn't come through Dadeville yet, so she said she would swing by and pick me up.

By the time I got to work, I was in the yuckiest mood. Knowing that sonnets were on the agenda didn't help, either. I enjoy reading them, but I HATE teaching them. This is the only part of my curriculum that I would cut out and not miss ONE BIT. We trudged through them, though, and they are done until next year. And who knows, I might just decide to cut them out next year anyway. Nothing says I HAVE to teach this particular unit.

As the day went on, my mood never got worse, but it never really improved either. Even though the sun ended up coming out and it turned into a gorgeous afternoon, I just haven't been able to shake the yuckiness.

Oh, and I have a crick in my neck too.

Love, Friendship and Family

It's cloudy, the fish aren't biting, and I don't want to grade papers. So while I wait on Mom and Dad to get here, I thought I'd do a quick meme. Feel free to copy and paste.

Love

1. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Eyes. I always notice eyes.
2. What excites you about the opposite sex? hmmm...a good personality? I don't really think much about the opposite sex since I've got the man of my dreams.
3. What turns you off? Easy one here. Arrogance. I can't stand a man who thinks he is God's gift to the world.
4. Who sleeps next to you at night? John
5. Have you ever had a long-distance relationship? I guess I could say yes. John moved 3 hours away when we were first engaged.
6. Did it work? Why or why not? Sure did. We were in love.
7. Have you broken someone's heart? Yes, but he got over it.
8. Has your heart ever been broken? Sure has, but I got over it.
9. Have you ever been given an engagement ring? No. John couldn't afford to buy me one, but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the gold band he put on my finger.
10. Have you ever broken an engagement? No.
11. What is your longest relationship? 18 years
12. Have you ever been married? Yes
13. When was your last kiss? This morning

Friendship

1. Who is your best friend? Mom and Susan
2. When was the last time you saw your best friend? Mom--too long; Susan--almost 2 months ago
3. Which friend would you call if you were in trouble? Both
4. Which friend would you call if you were sad? Both
5. Do you have a friend who knows something about you no one else does? Yes
6. If you were falling, who would you trust to catch you? I'd hope whoever was closest would.
7. Do you miss any friends you haven't seen in a while? Who? Yes! Lots of them!

Family

1. Are both your parents still living? Yes
2. Are you closer to your mother or your father? Mom
3. Did you ever lie to your parents and come clean about it? Yes
4. If they separated, who would you want to live with? Well, since they've been married over 40 years, I don't see that happening. And since I'm an adult, I don't think I'd have to make that choice.
5. Do you have any siblings? Yes
6. Did you ever lock a sibling in the closet? No, but I should have.
7. Did you ever make a sibling bleed? I don't think so.
8. Who would you call if you needed help? I'd call Mom and Dad, and whoever answered would be the person I'd talk to.

Cloudy day

So it's a cloudy day here in Winston County, but that's quite all right. I would much rather be here on a cloudy day than to be "home" on a cloudy day. Honestly, this is just as much home as Dadeville is. I'd prefer to live here, but that will happen in good time.

Danny and Linda left some crickets, so I think I'm gonna go see if any fish are biting. Then I'll probably grade a research paper or two.

Have a GREAT Saturday!