Collection of Chatter

I may have mentioned this before, I am not sure.  But south of here, in North Port, Ponce de Leon’s fountain of youth is located.  OK, you can’t take a sip and lose 20 years, but it is wonderful all the same.  It is a warm mineral spring.  If you want to read about the science, history, or purported health benefits – or just see a picture go here  We enjoy going there, it makes us feel great and it is like stepping through a portal into another world. 

You know us Americans.  We don’t put much store in "natural" medicine.  Give me a pill and fix it now.  Well, other cultures do not feel the same.  Consequently, the spa is usually populated by folks speaking all manner of languages, and none of them English.  It’s fun to paddle around listening to the barrage of languages.  I have NO clue what many of them are….but they seem to be mostly slavic.

But that’s not the best part.  The place’s decor resembles some 1950s era family vacation spot.  Remember the movie "Dirty Dancing"?  Not just Patrick Swayze’s sexy moves.  I mean the setting, the premise for the whole movie.  The family vacation at Kellermans… complete with Bunny Hop, mambo lessons and the trying on of wigs.  This place is just like that.  AND I think its all original…lol.

To top it off, when we were there they had water aerobics.  This 50 – 60 year old leader played BAD music and bounced up and down in the water clapping and radiating over-bubbly personality all OVER the place, like a frustrated cheerleader.  It was SO like a scene from q movie!  I just about peed myself laughing.

Since I finally joined this century and got a DVR and free movies on demand…. I have been watching TV.  The other day I watched an awesome HBO documentary.  It was titled "Hard Times at Douglass High.  It was a about a high school and its struggles to keep up with NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND.  As I watched it I kept thinking, this is like watching my school with older students.  They talked the same, dressed the same, acted the same.  The problems were the same.  And you know what?  The ridiculous requirements of NCLB were unachievable there as well.  They had a fairly new administrative team and were making huge strides and improvements.  Largest graduating class in 10 years, improvemenets from 10 to 26% in standardized test scores, etc.  The principal would go to students homes to talk to the parents when they wouldn’t come to the school.  Students, knowing they didn’t have to pass certain tests would simply put their heads down and go to sleep.  Ahhhh…. but these test scores were used as measurements for adequate improvement by NCLB.  So the students refused to cooperate, the teachers were accused of not being good and the administrators….. NCLB said it wasn’t enough and the federal government tried to step in and take over the school.  That was prevented, but the entire administrative team was replaced.  Without going into a MAJOR rant about NCLB… It does not address the problems in our educational system.  Watch the documentary if you get a chance – it is a very ACCURATE picture of what is happening in some of our schools.  The very schools that NCLB was designed to ‘bring up to par’.

Oh…and the DVR?  I also watched Mr. Bean’s Holiday….so really, don’t think I’ve gone all high-brow on you!

 I have my little doo-dad boxes almost painted.  Once I get them up on the wall…..I’ll try for a picture that captures the true depth of the color.  lol

Today’s project – maybe – learn to caulk.  There is a small backsplash along my kitchen counters.  The caulking has dried up and rotted away, leaving that area apparently looking like an open invitation to party to various and sundry bugs.  The little darlings use it like their own private doggie door.  That has GOT to stop.  So….we’ll see if I can make gobs of goo look neat and professional…. no bets there.

The war wages on in my home.  Yesterday I got so fed up that I told Duck he needed to "man up" and get his shit together or leave.  Then I told Chickie, who was wailing and screaming poor me, I’m gonna quit school that she could just get the hell out of my house if she quit school.  At which point she called her father and asked for plane tickets there to live with him.  For once, he did a good thing and told her she needed to stay in school and deal with her problems.  After I calmed down, I was sorry I was so harsh, but I haven’t apologized.  I still believe I was right – for both of them.  Sigh.

I took Aniah to a friend’s house to go swimming.  We all needed a break.  Little Miss Thang loves dogs.  Our two are always around her.  These folks had a dog….