need to know, now

Have I told you how I'm addicted to the news? I watch it every day, twice, plus I check the internet, and, once in a while, if there is a big event like an election or a wildfire, I even listen to AM RADIO.

*gasp*

It's a New Thing. I used to not care. I used to be totally disconnected and had no idea what was going on and it was just too much work to watch the news. It takes a while to get used to the whole cycle, to recognize the stories, to make connections between events today and the stuff that happened months ago.

This is how I roll:

• Six o'clock news (morning) on ABC with Phil Palmer and Kathy Vara. I heart her. She always acts like she's about to crack up. I also heart Garth Kemp Weather, who does weather, because he makes a lot of corny jokes. And they are soooo not funny. And then Kathy laughs out of pity. I do not like Jane Monreal Traffic, but whoever dresses her does a great job.
• Kevin and Bean on KROQ. I know this totally doesn't count as "news," but I listen to this every morning on my way to work and while prepping in my classroom. Doc on the Roq was my only news source last year.
• I check Google News obsessively. It is on my home page. I rarely click links; I like reading headlines.
• I read Jezebel like it's porn. There's politics, gossip, fashion, tech bites, random shit. It's geared to the ladies and it's FUCKING AWESOME.
• I have a date with the Eyewitness News team and Charlie Gibson every night from six to seven. If I'm at home. I'm usually at home. (And then Jeopardy is right after, you know I love that.)
  

argh

I'm so pissed off right now. Today I had a parent conference for a student who is reading only forty words per minute, about half the speed at which he is "supposed" to be reading in third grade. More important than his reading speed is the fact that he has trouble with relatively simple two-syllable words.

Anyhoo, after I tell dad all this and warn him to expect 2s on the upcoming report card, dad launches into his rant about the public school system. His first grade teacher sucked. She was an old, sick lady. She left after winter break. They had a series of substitutes for the rest of the year. He never learned to read. Blah blah blah school's fault blah blah blah. I've heard this story already, and it's true. He was totally shafted his first grade year and it's terrible. He made a lot of improvement last year, great.

HOWEVER, he is not doing as well this year, because do you know why? IT IS NOT SECOND GRADE.

Also, I recommended that we do an SST for this boy and make sure it is not a cognitive issue or anything, because he really hasn't progressed much this year. Dad got all mad at me and the school for inferring that the problem might lay in his son, when really, the problem was the principal / teacher's union / firstgradeteacher / government. He is adamant that the problem is 10o% the fault of this shitty first grade year. He is also adamant that his son will be behind for a while, but he will catch up eventually. He knows his son is not dumb, how dare I suggest that the problem is something other than his missing first grade education. And then he compared my student to his other son, who is doing just fine in school, and I hate when parents do that. They are different people, yo.

And THEN, he tells me that THE SCHOOL RECOMMENDED RETENTION FOR HIS SON, TO REPEAT THE FIRST GRADE, AND HE REFUSED IT BECAUSE IT WAS THE SCHOOL'S FAULT, NOT THE BOY'S, THAT HE WAS LOW.

Which means, the school recognized that the boy was not ready for second grade. They said let him do first grade again and succeed. Dad said, no, I would rather he suffer through elementary school, I would rather he be at the bottom of his class for several years in a row until he finally catches up. I would rather blame than fix. That is some bad self-righteousness, ignoring your own actions and blaming others for all your problems.

the perfect Tuesday

Rain holds off until after lunch recess. (check)

School ends with a faculty meeting focused on something OTHER than our Program Improvement status. (check)

Eat food samples and eat dinner at Farmer's Market with mom -- oranges, strawberries, kettle corn, sweet corn tamales, gouda with cumin, kale and cranberry salad. (check)

Watch Teen Jeopardy on couch, with the heat on. (check)

Check email and internets. (check)

Watch PBS NOVA. Omigod I love NOVA. (eagerly anticipating)

cavities

I had no idea that Valentine's Day was such a gift-giving holiday. I mean, I cleaned up, totally. It's time to trash all the leftover Christmas candy and make way for the VDay stuff. Here is how I fared:

• Dove chocolate rose and truffle hearts (46 grams sugar)
  
• generic chocolate rose (10 grams sugar)
• Elmer's Valentine Classics truffle collection (210 grams sugar)
• red, plush teddy bear holding a pink heart reading "I Love You," only the letters are inverted, like someone did the embroidery backwards
• Frankford Impressions Valentine truffle collection (63 grams sugar)
• ceramic teddy bears holding a clock (Cupid's Finest brand)
  
• ceramic swans holding a clock (Cupid's Finest brand)
• box of Necco Sweethearts (27 grams sugar)
• box of Wonka Sweetarts (in my belly)
• small, white teddy bear holding a fabric rose
• small, white teddy bear holding a velvet heart
• a light pink velvet pillow embroidered with the words, "Truly Yours")
• assorted suckers and hard candies, and a packet of Fun Dip!
• several cards, including one of a heart cut out of black construction paper

Good thing I got that dentist post-card in the mail yesterday.

just another wednesday

I spent the afternoon transferring caterpillars from one giant cup into thirty individual cups, each with their own foot-smelling, grayish mass of lumpy food. While in the midst of this exciting activity, a colleague informed me that she caught one of my students peeing on the lawn in the center of our school.

gotta go

Hai!!!

Oh, me?! I've been great. Happily experiencing my first bladder infection. It's been tons of fun.

Friday afternoon while driving home from work, I got THE URGE. I had just gone to the bathroom before I left, and I'm not one of those pee-every-hour girls, so I thought it was kind of weird, but whatever. When I got home and actually tried to go, and only a paltry few drops came out, I suspected UTI and called my mom. She advised I wait a little longer before going to the doctor. Then I tried to go to the bathroom several more times. Totally not normal for me -- I'm used to going three or four times a DAY. Which is probably what got me into this mess in the first place.

One hour later, I was peeing blood. Very scary. I jumped in the car to visit Kaiser. Nothing hurt yet, just kind of uncomfortable.

I took a pee test immediately but the nurses said it would be forty-five minutes before I could get the results, so I went to the bathroom a few more times. You know, for something to do. Actually, it was starting to hurt and I figured I may as well just hang out on the toilet, instead of getting up and going back in every five seconds. While in the handicapped stall is when I texted all my girlfriends for sympathy / advice.

Tova the med student came through for me, what a champ. She recommended that pill with pyridium, the one that makes your pee red. I checked out the Kaiser pharmacy, like, immediately, but THEY WERE OUT!!!!

Fucking A.

The next twenty minutes were torturous, as the infection got worse and worse (like exponentially by the second), and in the end I was in so much pain and discomfort (couldn't even stand or sit still) that I left Kaiser and drove to Longs Drugs a few blocks away to purchase pyridium tablets. I opened the box and downed a pair of pills in the aisle of the store, I was so desperate. By the time I had paid, returned to Kaiser, and re-checked in with Urgent Care, the meds had started working. When I finally saw the doctor I didn't need to pee anymore, and when my prescription was filled (an HOUR later, grrr) and I went home to eat dinner it didn't hurt at all, and the next morning it even felt ok to pee!

Pyridium = magic. Always have some on hand, seriously. And take one BEFORE seeing the doc for antibiotics. And never have sex again, ever.

Obama has blue lips, right? It's not just me?

super tuesday

Holy shit, the primaries are exciting. WATCHING NEWS WHILE IT HAPPENS. Still not understanding the need for such a complicated delegate system. Also: Huckabee?! Seriously??!!? And wow, does his wife have broad shoulders! It makes her head look really tiny.

Today in computer lab, I pulled up CNN's delegate count map and we calculated who was winning the race. I asked for extra "I Voted!" stickers at my polling place and they gave me an entire sheet. While driving home, I decided I would love to teach current events to kids -- like where they can get news, how they can research information, which websites are reliable, etc. It's too bad there is no standard for Being in the Know.

Did you know it's also Mardi Gras today? I totally don't care, except for some reason my school is celebrating it. Even though its a Catholic holiday.

Because it's Boozeday Tuesday, I walked on down to Main Street and sampled kettle corn (big weakness). And bought hummus and flatbread. I think I would like to marry a subsistence farmer and live off the land. Like Little House on the Prairie. I'm seriously jealous of Caroline Ingalls.

common strokes used in swimming

I visit Married to the Sea daily, and I swear, I laugh out loud to EVERY SINGLE COMIC. Half of them I forward to my entire address book. This one is my newest favorite because don't you hate the Soldier Boy song? My students used to do the dance while they were waiting in line for lunch.

new friends

Although my weekend started out SUCKING, it ended really lovely. This morning I actually got schoolwork done, and it was quick and painless. I watched the Superbowl with old friend Margaret and her boyfriend and her boyfriend's roommate and friends. They live in Manhattan Beach a block from the ocean, and their living room window takes up the whole wall and faces west. We ate cookies and tomato soup and fava bean paste on toast and brownies. We talked a little bit about the game, but not a lot. We talked a little bit about the commercials, but not a lot. The commercials kinda sucked this year. We watched the sunset from the couch and then it got super windy. I came home in time to finish watching a movie I started this morning.

I've been thinking that maybe it's time for a change. I'm going to go off birth control and perm my hair.