What a nice picture, miss LZ714.

I got paid yesterday. Being without health insurance and virtually without a job (my biggest paycheck to date before this one this year was $980 for the entire month, before that it was like $700), I've been so broke that I can't afford anything. Not even necessities. Well, today, I was able to go to the eye doctor and not only order new contacts with my new RX, I was also able to get new lenses in my glasses! My glasses' RX is about three years old, so it's a big deal. If my eyes hurt, I will be able to actually see with them on!!!!

1. Pay day. 2. My students are FINALLY done with their bloody research project. Let me tell you--that was totally PULLING TEETH. (sigh) 3. The fact that I've done laundry on Wednesday night instead of waiting until Friday night. 4. Buying a few "small things" at Costco today. (tee-hee...I said "small things" made me happy) 5. The fact that I'm totally relaxed and NOT uptight about what we're going to tomorrow in class. (I LOVE not being totally freaked out about what other people are going to say about my teaching, which is what I HATED about student teaching.) 6. One of my students told me today that I have treated him with more respect than all of his other teachers combined. That made me happy--I really DO give respect to my kids. You wanna talk crap about my kids? No way, buddy. I jumped all over someone today for making a snide comment about them when I was venting. I'm a mother hen.

I'm happy that I survived my 10-year high school reunion this weekend. I'm also happy that people said thank you to me for helping arrange it. I was stressing out about it, and there was a lot of pressure, so to have people give their thanks was nice. I was a bit bummed, however, that I was too tired to have too much fun at bars and other parties after the "official" arrangements were made.

Me too...kind of. A few after-work drinks made me happy today. If used in moderation, booze can fix a lot of things.

D'oh! ...just for the record, that usually makes me HAPPY.

The stupid NBC affilate's poor "new" digital TV signal. We've had the digital converter boxes for over a year and a half now, and we have TWO HDTV's: a 32" one and a 42" one. Until the NBC affiliate had the "changeover," I had NO issues with the digital TV stations. It's funny how that they're endorsing a roof-top antenna company and they're telling you to call them if you're not getting a signal, which I'm not. The only time I can watch the show is if I take my $150.00 HDTV antenna and stand IN THE MIDDLE OF MY LIVING ROOM WITH THE ANTENNA HELD UP OVER MY HEAD. I never had a problem with said digital channels before, not on ANY of the TVs. I'm not paying to have a rooftop antenna installed. I've paid over $2k for the HDTVs and I have three converter boxes that worked fine the KTVB (NBC affiliate) digital channels. ...and it's funny, NO OTHER STATION IN TOWN IS ENDORSING SAID ANTENNA INSTALLATION COMPANIES, and I get their signals just fine. Sigh.

I've been reading nothing other than short stories and poetry lately. Give me a few days, and we'll be reading Mockingbird. Yes, I said "we." I've been too busy to read anything on my own--summer school is a whirlwind!

I hit three or four yard sales this morning, and I was able to get about 30 books and a small stroller for my niece! I spent about $20 on all of it. Now I have tons of good books for her and a spare stroller so I can take her for walks when I've got the baby over!

Such a beautiful girl! ...and Ev, no, you got it all wrong. Actually, "she came in through the bathroom window/protected by a silver spoon"

Holy crap, Elizabeth! I'm glad that it seems he'll be better soon. (sorry, I think this is the first I read of this...I've been a bit busy, you could say)

Thanks guys. Hopefully, it's not just because I was being too easy on them. However, I WAS told by some of my summer school colleagues that I am kind of a summer school drill sergeant. LOL The kids really did like Dead Poet's Society though. I told them it was a reward for getting such good grades. Oh yes, and we also read and analyzed "O Captain, my Captain!" as a group today. Just to be sure they would understand before they heard about it in the movie.

I've just posted my summer school students' progress reports for the semester (aka quarter grades). Out of 35 kids total, I only had to send emails out notifying THREE parents of kids with D's or F's. As a reward (I've been a slave driver, I guess...), they're watching Dead Poet's Society as part of an introduction to the poetry unit I begun today.

Yeah.... freakin' classy, eh? Nevermind that the GF Ev's with is one of the most caring and compassionate people in the entire world. Back off, you sicko. As long as Ev's not harming anyone or doing anything illegal, what does it matter? YOU on the other hand... Ev, I'm also sorry that you've got that crap to deal with. Pure classic Joel.

We got it all day too. Rain, rain go away, pour in the desert part of Idaho some other day... My lawn needs to be mowed, badly--as in last week. I just won't stop raining!!

^BUT there are NO amenities. You'd probably get kind of bored. It's not like a cruise.

I'm sorry to hear that it happened. I can honestly say that I've felt your pain on this one. I hope your other cat and your daughter will help you through it. I also totally understand about putting your animal to sleep. We put our dog down in October after 17 years. It was hard, it was time, he was just miserable, but still, it was just sad.

I have this weekend, then I'm teaching summer school, starting Monday! I have been obsessing a bit over it, I've been writing lesson plans like crazy, and I'm sure I have too much stuff to do in 8 weeks, but hey, at least I've got too much instead of not enough, right? A little voice is telling me to relax this weekend before school starts...we'll see.

Tangerine, I'm sorry to hear about your cat getting old/sick. It's hard to lose animals. There was a GIANT thunderstorm this evening. How I love those.

Nope. I'm teaching summer school--9th grade English at an alternative high school in Boise. It starts on Monday (for me, the kids are there Tuesday). Romeo and Juliet is for the second semester, which starts in July. Thanks. Keep up my confidence. I need the boost for Monday afternoon.

I totally deleted my other R and J stuff around 11:45pm tonight. On purpose. Now it's 2:30am. I've been working my ass off since 12:30, and now I really have my Romeo and Juliet stuff all done and together. I'm READY for this to begin! Bring it on! Summer School starts Tuesday! R and J is going to freakin' rock! Oh yeah.

I get to babysit my niece tomorrow while my sister goes to a string of doctor's appointments! She's so much fun! She's seven months old now, and she is hilarious when I come to visit. She's excited to see me. The other day, when I started watching TV while lying on the floor next to her, she started craning her next and doing funny things to get my attention becuase I wasn't watching her! (edited because I had to fix a spelling error)

^very important! lzfan715--sounds very exciting. When shall I come over to hitch a ride Ally--I'm glad she's okay.

Oh yeah. Let's wish me luck. I'm sure I'll be fine, but I NEED this. This particular job is in a brand-new school in Boise, too. (It's an established school, they're just moving it because it needs a new building badly.)