Thursday, November 4, 2021

It looks like it could be another decent day though more humid than it has been. There is a chance of showers this afternoon but hopefully that will hold off. My longest term friend (since we were about 9) is coming over for the day and we plan to go to the beach club, so hopefully the showers don't come until late.

After losing that pound, eating wasn't great yesterday though it wasn't terrible. We ended up going out for dinner but we shared our meal so I didn't have a lot of it. We went to this cute place called the Kilted Mermaid which has all kinds of craft beers and interesting foods like fondue. You rarely see fondue on a menu these days!

Tonight we are going to a benefit ****tail party this evening so dinner will likely be appetizers.

Have a safe and healthy Thursday!

Weight steady again this morning, despite my eating yesterday. I imagine that will change.

I had my annual dr. appt. which went fine. And then I stopped to get gas... $5.06/gal! My tank wasn't even on empty and it was almost $100. I can afford it, so it's mostly annoying, but I worry so much about people who don't make much and have to drive long distances for work here. And Bank of America analysts I saw yesterday are predicting at least another 43% increase this year in oil prices.

I have no plans today, so might just run a few errands.

Hope you all have good days...

Hmmm.... not much going on here. Have dog friends visiting from WA state for the hippie dog show Woofstock this weekend. They got up super early (4:30ish) to get ready for the show. The dogs voiced their objections to such early morning shenanigans by barking explosively at 4:45, 5:25, and 6:15. Ron was not happy. I'm a little tired, but not grouchy about it.

Liza came "home" last night. 3 weeks until the puppies come. Whoo hooo! She looks preggers already, so I'm sure it will be a nice big litter. Often with big dogs they don't really show until the last week or so unless the litter is really large. I think there will be at least 8, if not 10+. We shall see.

My eating is off this week. Availability of treats is high as is my desire for them. There is a very clear relationship between lack of sleep and higher carb-sugar eating. Note to self...... duh......

Feeling overwhelmed by work because it is assessment time and report card time. Normal feelings for sure.

My new student is probably the most profoundly disabled student I have ever had. He is Afghani and suffered severe lead poisoning while living in Kabul. He was also born with the genetic skin abnormality, Ichthyosis - sometimes called fish scale disease. Luckily, he is verbal, but is very shy. He is unable to write is name and is still working on identifying numbers and the letters of the alphabet. He is 9 years old. My heart breaks for him. We already had a first IEP yesterday and are having a follow up at lunchtime with the Director of Special Ed at lunch time today. I am hoping to fast track him into a special day class for moderate to severely disable students. It is criminal that his prior district did not give his parents this option for him. The parents were led to believe that he could be "fixed" with remediation. I'm more than a little pissed that our director wants to wait 30 days for him to acclimate to his new environment before exploring other options.

I am exploring fixed vs. growth mindsets in my life. It is fun to ponder. I have some fixed areas, certainly, but I also am aware that in other areas I am quite growth oriented.

Ceci, I put $80+ in my Subaru on Tuesday. I have never paid that much for a tank of gas since buying the car! It is outrageous! I'm afraid I don't quite understand what is happening to the trade supply line. It seems a bit convoluted, but clearly it's a real thing!!!!! Glad your weight is holding steady.

Liz, glad you are enjoying golf. I have never understood the allure. Of course, how many people like to pull hair out of dogs????? LOL! I'm also one of those crazzzzzy people who LIKES being sore after a workout. I miss it when I dont' get at least a little sore.

DD, I need to follow your example. I need to start by simply cleaning my office area. Having guests forced us to clean up and organize the guest room. Now only the office, hall closet and the Garage of Doom remain.

Hasta la bye bye!

PUPPIES!!!!!

I hope your student gets moved to the correct setting where he can progress. He can learn, even with a profound disability, but what and how he learns is going to be different than typically developing students. To deny him specialized education, saying, he'll be fine, was a great disservice.

I have a very short commute, so I too can absorb the rising cost, but as you pointed out, many can't. As my daughter keeps saying, I never wanted to live in unprecedented times!

What an accurate and truthful statement from your daughter! I had not thought of the COVID19 culture in quite that way, but it sure holds a great deal of logic and self truth for me! Thanks for sharing that glimmer of wisdom and tell her thank you from me!

As for my student... The meeting with the director went well. I used the words Bureaucratic Bull**** with a good nature and with that she loosened up and pulled some "outs" out of her pocket. We are going to be able to fast track my little guy by invoking IEP Team Recommendations, which as a director she is bound to honor. All we need to do is get the father on board and by January this little guy might be in the right setting. In the meantime, I'm trying to figure out what he can do in my class that doesn't require me to be by his side the entire time. This is not my skill set. I'm good at modifying grade level curricula for RS kids and mainstreamed kiddos, but I've never had a student with such profound disabilities before. I am going to need a lot of support to help this kiddo. ACK!

Thank goodness this boy has you fighting for him! Friends/family who have had children with disabilities seem to have to develop a whole new set of skills to advocate for their child. The stories of battles with education systems baffle me. I realize that some children are on a line where deciding the best environment is not clear-cut, but with some it is so obvious what won't work that there shouldn't have to be any wait and see.

My emotional mood has improved since last month, but I am still so.damn.fatigued. My doctor did tell me that the Tamoxifen could definitely be causing it. Great. Only 4 1/2 years to go!

Tomorrow I'm going to my parents and spend the weekend with my Mom so my Dad can go deer hunting. On the one hand, its nice to spend time together, on the other, without the buffer of other people, my Mom spends a lot of her time with me crying, telling me stories I don't want/need to hear, such as a very distressing story about my Grandpa, (I believe she is doing a life review). My brother does not have to bear this emotional burden. Its all for me. Example, within 2 hours of each other, my Mom sent me a text she wanted to cancel any get togethers, she was not well, she couldnt deal with anything etc. My brother: a text telling him she was looking forward to our get together. I try to just let what she says just roll off me, and not internalize it. But I'm sad that this is how our journey together might end. I am doing my best to abide with her, I know what she is experiencing is not easy.

In a little over a week, I will see my first Broadway touring musical since pre Covid. I am so excited, I might burst. It's an updated, darker staging of Oklahoma, or at least that's what I've been told. Nothing is completely"normal", will it ever be? But still, life's pleasures are within reach, fondue, golf, puppies, friends, musicals!

I'm sorry that it is tough with your Mom especially when you have been down anyway. My MIL used to do that with me before she really went into dementia probably because her children couldn't handle their super-strong Mom telling distressing stories about her life or the family.