The Truth of "Old Sayings"

Remember the old saying that doctors make the worst patients? Or how about a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client? A car repairman who fixes his own car gets it right the first time? A psychiatrist who analyzes himself is always schizophrenic? I don't know how much truth there is in these old sayings, but I can say unequivocally after having spent the whole day in a classroom with a bunch of teachers in a training session that TEACHERS MAKE LOUSY STUDENTS! or maybe THOSE WHO CAN DO, DO and THOSE WHO CAN'T DO, TEACH!

Stress Reliever??

Click on the words "Stress Reliever" above and see if it works for you. Be sure to have the sound turned way up.

Autumn Cactus

I repotted this cactus earlier this fall and it's bloomed for the first time in years. I'm not even sure if they are supposed to bloom every year so I don't know if it's a coincidence or because I repotted it, but it is pretty.

Movies

39% Movie Freak? Must be a movie geek. I thought I was more of a movie freak than this. I guess I'm either watching the wrong movies or just not paying attention.


39% Movie Freak

Lucy in the Sky. . . . with diamonds

I've just had the most surreal day. I had an appointment to see an optometrist in Billings at 1:00. I had the day off work and I could have slept in, but knowing that I wouldn't be able to, I left the house at the usual time of 7:00 am. I had Morning Edition on the radio, my usual morning routine, and they were talking about a transportation strike in France and then about fact that there are members of the black race who aren't black anymore? It seems that members of the poor black race are disowning the rich members of the black race? Anyway, at 9:00 the news ended and classic music came on. Now I like classic music well enough, but not when I'm driving so I started pushing buttons on the radio to see what programs were on. I had one hand on the wheel and both eyes on the road, just pushing buttons. A talk radio show came on. It was Sean Hannity. Talk about surreal. He has no facts at all on his show, just his loud mouthed opinions. And when people call in to talk, he cuts them off and rants. One guy who was disagreeing with him started "breaking up.", but "thanks for calling." He ranted about how all media is controlled by the liberals. He doesn't seem to realize that he's media as well. He said over and over how slanted and bias the media is. If he's not media, is he smallia? Around noon I met my dad and brother for a delightful lunch and the only non surreal part of the day.

Anyway I got into see the eye doc and he wrote me a prescription for a new pair of "computer" glasses so I can sit at the computer and not have to either tilt my head up to see through the bottom of my bifocals or take my glasses of all together and squint like I am now. The very last thing he did was dilate my pupils for a look at the back of my eyeball. After the exam, I picked out a new pair of "outrageous" frames and finished my shopping. I figured that I would walk around the store and let my pupils get back to normal. But when I finally left the store and stepped out into the bright, sunny afternoon, I could hardly see my way to the car and my lovely, wraparound sunglasses. The sunglasses did the trick though and I felt confident that I could drive safely. I stopped in Hardin to fill up for gas, it is $.34 cheaper in Hardin than in Ashland. By that time it was dusky and people were turning on their headlights and surreality took on another dimension. All the headlights, reflectors and traffic signs looked as if they had been special effected by a Disney cartoonist on LSD. Huge, spiky halos surrounded every light. The halos were so broad that they covered both lanes of traffic and so bright that I couldn't figure out how many cars were lined up in the other lane. I eventually figured out that if I squinted really hard, I could focus much better. I made it home OK, but I will never do that again.
Moral:
Always take someone with you when you go to the eye doc. Or don't let him dilate your eyes.

Famous Last Words

Add to the famous last words, "The check is in the mail, " Everything is set up for the rest of the year. " I started taking over the duties of the Powerschool coordinator last week, just when report cards had to be printed. It felt like jumping into the pot of boiling water to get away from the flames. But it really wasn't that bad, it just felt like it because I realized that I know next to nothing compared to the people who've been working with the program for so many years. I had to set up some classes for grades and attendance for a new teacher and the report card template was misplaced for a few minutes, and then there was the honor roll panic, but actually, after some reflection, I didn't do that much. I emailed and called the lady who resigned and talked to the various other people in the district who work with the program and things ultimatly got done.

Maybe this week will feel a little more relaxing, at least after my formal job evaluation is done on Monday! Monday!!! What a perfect day for a job eval! What could go wrong on a Monday???

Check in Tuesday to find out.

Remember the 5th of November!

Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin van-guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.

Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."