Musings and Things

It’s been a busy few days in the wolf lair.  Back to school happened Wednesday.  I have been working on setting up my room for the year.  At the end of the summer – just a few short weeks ago – I had to pack up everything in the bookcases in my room, all 9 computers, and anything lying around loose so that the custodians could give my room a thorough summer cleaning.  It was pretty easy to pack up – I had a room full of students to do the dirty work!

HOWEVER, when it comes time to UNpack, it is all on Ms. Wolf’s old bent shoulders.  UGH.  But, lest I sound ungrateful, we have the most wonderful custodial staff in the world.  They don’t speak a word of English, and I speak two words of Spanish (banyo, for bathroom, and comida, for food – all the basics are covered!).  But they are cleaning dervishes!  My room is sparkling!  They even cleaned out the cupboards, for pity’s sake.  They are SO SO WONDERFUL.  All that backbreaking work (they strip and re-wax every floor in the school over the summer) for minimum wage. 

While I was unpacking – with the appropriate amount of moaning and groaning of course – the teacher next door and I were talking and the subject of age came up.  He asked me just how old I was anyway and I told him.  I don’t care about my age – it is what it is.  I’m 48.  He got a look of shock on his face.  Ever the pessimist, I groaned inside – oh good grief – he thinks I’m OLDER!!!  But no.  Not so.  My neighbor – who has been my neighbor for 3 years – thought I was a good ten years younger than I am!  As soon as I get my first check with my new raise in it, I’m gonna buy that man a present!

Of course, there are the obligatory meetings, as we get ready for the new school year.  THIS year, every teacher in the county was supposed to go to a rah-rah rally downtown on Friday.  Nineteen thousand teachers descending on the downtown business district.  I betcha there were lots of guys in suits shaking in the Guccis! 

I detest rah rah rallies.  I am either excited about my job or not.  If I am not, nothing you’re gonna do at a rah rah rally is gonna make a difference.  (unless, of course, you are Oprah and about to give the entire audience a new car…)  At first, I thought this one might be different.  I was very touched by some of the opening rituals – they recognized the oldest teacher in the district – he started teaching in 1958 and is still going strong!  How amazing is that?  And they had one of our bus drivers sing the national anthem – and her voice could earn her a place on American Idol any day.  I got a little more optimistic. And then came the keynote speaker.

What a bozo!  His entire address was about all the new technology coming in – computers in eyeglasses and buttons – and how we need to stay with the times.  And this was supposed to make me more excited about teaching class after class of needy children somehow.  Right.  Bozo.  I passed the time during HIS address returning a phone call, going out to get water and cookies for everyone in my vicinity and looking for the bathroom on the FAR side of the arena.  heh.

Speaking of returning the phone call….I am refinancing my house to get rid of the variable interest rate.  The phone call was about the appraisal.  It was obscene.  Four years after moving in, my house is appraised $160,000.00 MORE than we bought it for.  That’s just freaking crazy.  The price we paid was ridiculously inflated – and this is just ridiculous.  I know the market is slowing down – but my area of town is an anomoly (sp?).  It is THE area of town.  The houses (as in my case I suspect) are worth almost nothing – but the LAND – now that’s where you can say "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"  Now – if I only OWNED that land instead of Daddy dearest being the proud owner…….

Speaking of Daddy dearest – his hobby is militaria.  Specifically, military weapons.  He goes to a lot of gun shows.  The land of the great unwashed.  Fortunately for me, he has not asked if I want to go with him to any of these toothless pits of gunpowder since I moved back here.  That is, until yesterday.  So today I went to the gun show with Daddy dearest.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

I saw:

• Bird dog puppies for sale and I wanted to bring them ALL home.
• A man selling knives to a child of about 10.
• A rifle stock that had been decorated with roses and the confederate flag.  (Just what every good red-neck woman needs)
• A rifle stock decorated with a Cuban flag.  (Wonder if the bullets had Castro’s name on them?)
• A 90 year old man selling belt buckles – including one with a very large marijuana leaf on it.  Do you think grandpa had any clue about that lovely plant?
• Families shopping together.  For guns?  I shudder.
• A very nice orignal Vietnam era military weapon – that was priced at $2800.00.  (According to Daddy dearest, that was a reasonable price)
• A gun with a huge magazine – reminiscent of the old Tommy Gun…..what is the purpose of this gun other than death, destruction and mayhem?

OK – there were some positives.  I spent some time with my dad pursing his hobby which he likes to share with me.  We went out to lunch afterwards and wandered through a few stores after that.  The dealers at the show were very friendly, knowledgeable about the history of their wares and willing to converse.  And finally – I probably won’t have to do that again for another four years if I can help it!

And one final note – I have come up with my "theme" for this school year:

 "TEAMWORK"!  I make the teams – you do the work!!

Yes – it’s going to be a very good year.