Tuesday, April 9, 2024

Liz, I don't think you're crazy for keeping the dress you really like, even if it is a bit tight. You have until September to make it less tight. Quite doable.

The meeting about striking didn't really resolve anything in terms of planning. The negotiations team wants to proceed carefully. If we call for a strike vote, and it doesn't get the 67% needed, we will lose a lot of bargaining power. So they've asked us to sign commitment cards, and a petition. Based on the numbers they get back from what is essentially a straw vote, decisions will be made. The timeline currently would still allow for a strike in May, or we could wait and strike in September. Meanwhile, yet another colleague took a position in a different district for next year. Many more are looking.

We had a laid back birthday celebration for DH. We went out to dinner, and when we got home there was a package with a Happy Birthday balloon on the porch. Our kids sent him a box of chocolate covered strawberries, which is very thoughtful for someone who likes treats, but is also trying to lose weight.

The two of us have been together for a long time. DH came to my 22nd birthday party, when he was more of a friend of a friend. (But I was already very interested in knowing him better!) That was in July 83. By the time his birthday rolled around in April, we had been dating 5 months. He turned 24. Today he turned 64. We have celebrated 40 birthdays together. Lots and lots of things, good, joyous, sad, heartbreaking, surprising, happen over 40 years. I feel so fortunate, that whatever the years brought, we've had each other.

Lucky you to have enjoyed all those birthdays with DH!

It stinks that your last years of working involve dealing with a dysfunctional school system and seeing your colleagues leaving. When my children were in elementary school our town went through similar times and after a while the younger and more enthusiastic teachers left and they couldn't hire any decent replacements. It took a long time to turn the school system around after the town finally did something about getting decent funding.