Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween Parade

This morning was our annual Halloween parade. Thank the Lord that it is a beautiful day this year. Last year it was unbearably cold. It was just the right temperature for a festive morning.

I paraded with Mr. W's class this year. I went to their room in the morning and the kids were running around excitedly checking out each other's costumes. A student named Gonzalo came up to me and he was wearing a black suit, black cape, and carried a black top hat and cane. He said, "Mrs. Music, You have something behind your ear." He reached a hand behind my ear and pulled out a mini snickers bar. "Here you go," he said handing me the candy. "That is awesome Gonzalo!" I said. "Of course it is... I am the great Gonzalo." he answered.

Of Course.... Why didn't I think of that.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Cold Season

I had a cold two weeks ago. I stayed home from work one day and I felt much better. I got over the whole thing in just a couple of days. SUCCESS.

I have a cold again this week. I feel a bit worse than last time. I keep telling myself that I am much better off than last year, but I still feel like my immune system has been defeated.

Two down. (Last year it was four colds, the flue, and strep.) We will see how many to go.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Out West

This weekend Husband and I went out west to see our friend in a midnight murder mystery. We left home at about 4:30 and got to our destination at around 8:00. We stopped at Starbucks and got some cafination before running around town a little bit. The show that Em was in was called And Then There Were None. It is based on the Agatha Christie novel Ten little Indians or also called And Then There Were None. I read it in high school just for fun, and I remembered the book being a lot different.

Em did an excellent job. She played the character Stella which lead to many reenactments of Street Car Named Desire during her rehearsals. The only beef that I had with the show was that the theatre was in the middle of being renovated so there was no heat. I didn't take off my coat and I shivered through the entire show. Not the best climate for theatre, but it was fun.

I have a reoccurring nightmare that I am back in college and it is opening night for one of Judy's shows. I am actor in an ensemble cast that is pretty equally important. The problem is that I have never seen the script before. I don't know any lines at all. So I fake it through the entire show.

It is terrible. I always wake up sweating and panicking. Here's the deal though... There was a character in the show who was living my nightmare. He played Douglas. He didn't know his lines and pretty much um-ed them through the whole show. I was impressed with the promptness and know how of the other players as they coaxed him through the performance. So here's to Doug, and I hope you take time to learn your lines for next weekend's performances! It will make your cast happier!

Here's to Em!!! What a wonderful performance.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Change the Channel

When Jill and I moved to this town, we found out that it is nearly impossible to get any channels on the television without getting cable. So... we lived for a while without TV and it was alright, and then Jill got Cable because she needed it for football season. The Cable left when Jill left, and Husband and I have been without it for a while.

We got a digital antenna because that was supposed to fix the entire thing. Our converter box and antenna were going to be the monthly fee free solution to the problem. We found out that not even digital channels are broad casted at a high enough power level to reach this little middle of everywhere place.

We had Fox, NBC, and Occasionally (about once a week, after 6 P.M., when the atmospheric conditions were just right) we had channel 12... barely.

So I got used to changing the channel. That's it... one channel to change... then back to the first one... option a, option b, a, b, a, b... so on and so fourth.

Then the reception on Fox and NBC got dodgy... Chris got frustrated and made an antenna hammock out of my crochet yarn to hang in our large window in our living room in hopes that it would help... It didn't.

Long story short, we got cable. It is the most basic of basic packages. We get the first 6 months free and then after that we only pay $12.95 a month. It was hard to convince the cable guy that we didn't want to upgrade for 14.95 a month... we just wanted basic cable.

Last night I changed the Channels! It was pretty awesome... lots of political stuff, some home shopping network, and The Office of course.

Now I will be privileged to watch every Jerry Bruckheimer episode that CBS has to offer.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

God cares about Wyan

This week is going faster than last week did. That is surprising because last week I only worked two real days. That just goes to show how 2 days of really hard classes can make up for 4 days of good classes.

I had one of a few successful kindergarten classes today. The am kindergarten is having a difficult time getting settled because of a new little guy in their class.

He is from a split home. He just moved in with dad. Mom wants him back. Dad is not a good parent, but he wants to be with dad. Little brother is much more of a nightmare than this little guy. He is getting along well with his teacher as long as she is doing what he wants to do. There is not much structure in his life. Today he was forced to come to my class, and he stood gripping the handle to the door for most of class. He had moved 3 feet into the room throughout the 20 minutes he was with me inches each minute. He is a good little kid... his life is hard.

God cares about wyan (little guy can't say his R's).

His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

This Town Hates Us

So...
This weekend we were invited to the young marrieds group pumpkin patch outing at our church. The young marrieds group is pretty active, and husband and I have been wanting to attend. We have not made it to anything on Sunday mornings because of Choir and other church commitments.

Anyway,
We were supposed to all meat at church at 6:45 to carpool to the pumpkin patch. Husband and I pulled in at 6:46. No one was there... Well I shouldn't say no one. Pastor M. was there. He sheepishly explained to us that we were the only ones who had showed up. He also told us that he couldn't understand why they didn't have a bigger crowd. Last time they all got together there were 36 people who attended.

I assured him it was because We had decided to come. All of our efforts for socialization have now been flushed. We are externally inflicted hermits.

Not My Style!

Friday, October 17, 2008

From weekend to weekend

This week was bazaar. On Monday and Tuesday I had in-service. We learned more about Ruby Payne and her theories on Poverty. It is helpful information, but after a while it seems to repeat itself.

On Wednesday, I stayed home from work with aches and serious congestion. I felt like some one was pounding on my nasal passages with a large bass drum mallet. (the fuzzy kind that is hard as a rock inside)

Then I was back to work yesterday and had a pretty good day. For the most part the children were well behaved and enthusiastic. I still have some students who come to class testing me. One month I need to completely not allow anything at all to happen. After their warning I just need to clamp down and make them miserable for the rest of music. I think that is the only way to get through to a couple of these kids. They must have no structure at home. Either that or they are just that ornery.

I am looking into Friday thinking... I just want to pass out and not get back up. That is not a practical option because when I do that on the weekends I wind up board and grumpy. So... we may go to the rival high school game tonight. That's what happens when you live in a town with two high schools. They become serious rivals. Our school is dressed out for south spirit because someday our kids will feed into the southern most high school here. We are having the cheerleaders come for a pep assembly and everything. SUCH an exciting day. And I get to skip out on my Crazy last class of the day. (first graders at the end of the day... not my idea)

Well, the bell has called me into action. Off I go to conquer the world. Or at least the morning...

Friday, October 10, 2008

In celebration of the lower gas prices...

Thump thump thump thump
Thump thump thump thump
Dun da dun dun dun dunnnnn dunnnnn
Dun da dun dun dun dun da da dunnnnn
Chick chick chick chick
chick chick chick chick
chick chick chick chick
chick chick chick chick Waaaaahhhh
I'm goin to Wichita...
Far from this opera forever more!
I'm gonna work the straw
Let the sweat drip out of every pore...

but seriously I am going to Wichita. So if you read this some time today, Friday, the 10th, and you are in Wichita, I might just see you.

Got Coffee? Saturday night. Be there or be square.

it's where all the attractive people go.

P.S. did you watch The Office last night? Did you or did you not think to yourself....

"I steal from my job all the time, (like right now)"
or perhaps.... "How can Angela do that? She has such double standards." ...
and finally..."I never want a steak ever again."

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Family Reunion

Going to family reunions has never been a part of my life before. I think in my entire life I may have been to two on my mom's side and two on my dad's side. Once every ten years or so, and that's about it.

Sunday I got to go to my first In-law family reunion. It all started with Great Aunt Ruth's 90'th birthday party. It was held at the activity center at the old folks home in her home town. It was quite the display of fresh flowers, four different kinds of cake (white, lemon, chocolate and strawberry), mints, nuts and the other kind on nuts.

Since I happen to be from the small town that Aunt Ruth is from, I knew more of my husband's family than he did. However I did not acknowledge the fact that I did know them.

It was interesting at the party that all of the people looked like the cake, there were four distinct different kinds of people. People directly in Ruth's family, the outer circle of Ruth's family (which was the largest group), the I married into Ruth's family (there's me!!!), and the friends of Ruth and her family.

After the Birthday bash we ran around town and then made our way over to "the church" for the big reunion. (Which was pretty much the same people who were at the birthday party minus the friends of Ruth's family flavor)

Again, I knew more people than my husband. Husband, brother in law, and I were trying to think of clever things to write on our name tags instead of the traditional... "son of so and so." "Married to what's her face." statements that we were seeing.

Here are some of our best

Hello my name is Clinton "I am here for the food."
Hello my name Jen "I married in."
Hello my name is Husband "Antisocial"
Hello my name is Clinton "Mute"
Hello my name is Husband "No questions please."
Hello my name is Jen "I may say I remember you, but that is a lie."

Husband and I got to leave after about an hour and go hang out at my family's. Chris crashed, my sister and I talked. We ate wonderful food and that's about it.

My Sunday and my first in law family reunion.

Ahhh the memories.