Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Invitations
We finally got our acts together and managed to send out the invitations. It was very much a group effort with several kind people helping out. Some stuffed, some stamped, many addressed, and eventually we were done. Fingers crossed that we didn't mortally offend anyone by misspelling their name or leaving off their S.O. The actual invitation card is quite lovely if I do say so myself. M took them all to be posted. Now I have the fun of going to the mailbox each day to see who else has sent back a reply. It feels so good to get each thing checked off the list!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Dress Success
A few weeks ago, my mom, my two nieces, and I all took a trip to the bridal salon. My mom was in the market for a mother-of-the-bride gown, I wanted something to wear to the rehearsal, and Big Niece was in need of a junior bride’s maid gown. Yes, you read that correctly; Big Niece has agreed to wear a dress.
Now I was all set to have Big Niece wear pants and a nice blouse because I am well aware of her life-long hatred for dresses. However, a few subtle comments from her seemed to imply that she might want to wear a dress, but not want to admit to that desire. I posed the question to my brother over the phone one night. He promised to speak to her about things, and only a few minutes later he called back. "She wants to tell you herself" he said. Big Niece came on the line, and without any greeting she said "don't expect me to wear it EVER again and NO pink or sparkles or bows." I agreed that these seemed like quite doable requests.
When we got to the store, she tried quickly identified the dresses that were unacceptable. Some were too frilly or fluffy, others came in the unmentionable color, and a few she found too revealing (shocking cuts for kids I have to agree with her!). This left us with three choices. She tried on all three, chose two she liked, and finally selected one after receiving reassurance that Grandma could remove the one objectionable bow/sparkle from the strap. What she doesn't know is that I got her a Lord of the Rings leaf pin to replace the unfortunate bow. I think we've come to an excellent agreement. Now we just have to deal with shoes.
By the way, the rest of us were successful in our searches too, but that hardly seems worth mentioning after the triumph of getting Big Niece into her gown.
Now I was all set to have Big Niece wear pants and a nice blouse because I am well aware of her life-long hatred for dresses. However, a few subtle comments from her seemed to imply that she might want to wear a dress, but not want to admit to that desire. I posed the question to my brother over the phone one night. He promised to speak to her about things, and only a few minutes later he called back. "She wants to tell you herself" he said. Big Niece came on the line, and without any greeting she said "don't expect me to wear it EVER again and NO pink or sparkles or bows." I agreed that these seemed like quite doable requests.
When we got to the store, she tried quickly identified the dresses that were unacceptable. Some were too frilly or fluffy, others came in the unmentionable color, and a few she found too revealing (shocking cuts for kids I have to agree with her!). This left us with three choices. She tried on all three, chose two she liked, and finally selected one after receiving reassurance that Grandma could remove the one objectionable bow/sparkle from the strap. What she doesn't know is that I got her a Lord of the Rings leaf pin to replace the unfortunate bow. I think we've come to an excellent agreement. Now we just have to deal with shoes.
By the way, the rest of us were successful in our searches too, but that hardly seems worth mentioning after the triumph of getting Big Niece into her gown.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Longfellow
I'm still on my poetry kick. Here's one of my absolute favorites from Longfellow:
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! ?
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! ?
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Poem for the Day
I've been sifting through a lot of poems lately because we're working on a Poetry Slam in each of my classes. This is a competitive form of poetry reading, and the kids have really gotten interested. Originally I'd only planned to have the slam in my highly capable block. I made a competition bracket for them and posted it on the board so they would know when their turn was coming.
Then, my small, TLC block saw the bracket and begged to be allowed to do their own! I found myself saying "I don't know kids; you'll have to read a lot of poems..." This only made them beg harder, so I finally "relented" and they are having their own little competition. All the kids come prepared with poems, and then they compete in pairs. After the second reader is finished, the audience votes to decide who will go through to the next round.
I created a blog so they would have a "safe" source of poems from which to choose (lots of sites on the web include some really, ahem, mature material). The nice part is that I can see which poems they're looking at, and which ones they ultimately choose. Of course not everyone uses the site, and I've had to nix one poem about boobs and another about toilets. It's a weird thing to be the censor, but there you are.
The great part about all this is watching the kids discover poems for the first time. One boy ran up to me in a panic before class one day and said "Miss X I think I picked a dumb poem! Have you ever even heard of a poet called Emily Dickenson?!" I reassured him that "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is not a "dumb" poem by any means. I swear I'm not making this stuff up.
Another boy chose the poem "War is Kind" by Stephen Crane. He has always been an angry and difficult child who often refused to do the simplest tasks. For a while, none of his peers would sit next to him because he was so unpleasant. However, when he read this tragic piece about the horrors of war, all the kids were transfixed. His hands were shaking as he went up, but he did such a beautiful job that no one said a word when he was done. Who knows what that moment might have done for him, but it certainly made an impression on everyone else.
Here's the poem he read, and don't worry, we spent quite bit of time discussing the use of irony. We also talked about how the ultimate message of the poem was very much an anti-war sentiment.
War is Kind
by Stephen Crane
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die
The unexplained glory flies above them
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Swift, blazing flag of the regiment
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die
Point for them the virtue of slaughter
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind
Then, my small, TLC block saw the bracket and begged to be allowed to do their own! I found myself saying "I don't know kids; you'll have to read a lot of poems..." This only made them beg harder, so I finally "relented" and they are having their own little competition. All the kids come prepared with poems, and then they compete in pairs. After the second reader is finished, the audience votes to decide who will go through to the next round.
I created a blog so they would have a "safe" source of poems from which to choose (lots of sites on the web include some really, ahem, mature material). The nice part is that I can see which poems they're looking at, and which ones they ultimately choose. Of course not everyone uses the site, and I've had to nix one poem about boobs and another about toilets. It's a weird thing to be the censor, but there you are.
The great part about all this is watching the kids discover poems for the first time. One boy ran up to me in a panic before class one day and said "Miss X I think I picked a dumb poem! Have you ever even heard of a poet called Emily Dickenson?!" I reassured him that "Because I Could Not Stop for Death" is not a "dumb" poem by any means. I swear I'm not making this stuff up.
Another boy chose the poem "War is Kind" by Stephen Crane. He has always been an angry and difficult child who often refused to do the simplest tasks. For a while, none of his peers would sit next to him because he was so unpleasant. However, when he read this tragic piece about the horrors of war, all the kids were transfixed. His hands were shaking as he went up, but he did such a beautiful job that no one said a word when he was done. Who knows what that moment might have done for him, but it certainly made an impression on everyone else.
Here's the poem he read, and don't worry, we spent quite bit of time discussing the use of irony. We also talked about how the ultimate message of the poem was very much an anti-war sentiment.
War is Kind
by Stephen Crane
Do not weep, maiden, for war is kind.
Because your lover threw wild hands toward the sky
And the affrighted steed ran on alone,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Hoarse, booming drums of the regiment
Little souls who thirst for fight,
These men were born to drill and die
The unexplained glory flies above them
Great is the battle-god, great, and his kingdom--
A field where a thousand corpses lie.
Do not weep, babe, for war is kind.
Because your father tumbled in the yellow trenches,
Raged at his breast, gulped and died,
Do not weep.
War is kind.
Swift, blazing flag of the regiment
Eagle with crest of red and gold,
These men were born to drill and die
Point for them the virtue of slaughter
Make plain to them the excellence of killing
And a field where a thousand corpses lie.
Mother whose heart hung humble as a button
On the bright splendid shroud of your son,
Do not weep.
War is kind
Monday, May 12, 2008
Band Class
Recently, I did one period of emergency subbing in Band class. Now I've subbed in the orchestra room several times, but this was my first exposure to Band. There is no question that band and orchestra kids are not the same kinds of people. Don't get me wrong, both groups of kids are quite wonderful, but there is something very different in the feel of the class and the attitudes of the students.
Having both kinds of kids in class, I've been noticing over the years the differences in these two groups. Orchestra kids are confident, sophisticated, and very well-spoken for their age. They are the kind of people who are always on time, always willing to help, but perhaps with a slight tendency to be humorless.
Bad kids, on the other hand, are cool. They may not always remember their homework, they may be late sometimes, but they have a certain sense of creativity. They often seem wise beyond their years, and they definitely have more street smarts than some of their peers. All this seems doubly true of kids in jazz band.
Am I over-generalizing? Of course. Nevertheless it is kind of fun to notice the different cultures that exist within a given group of people. There is nothing so reassuring (especially to a young person) as feeling that your personal quirks and oddities are simply proof that you belong to your own special club. Young adult literature is full of stories about this effect because it is so enticing to kids of all ages.
Having both kinds of kids in class, I've been noticing over the years the differences in these two groups. Orchestra kids are confident, sophisticated, and very well-spoken for their age. They are the kind of people who are always on time, always willing to help, but perhaps with a slight tendency to be humorless.
Bad kids, on the other hand, are cool. They may not always remember their homework, they may be late sometimes, but they have a certain sense of creativity. They often seem wise beyond their years, and they definitely have more street smarts than some of their peers. All this seems doubly true of kids in jazz band.
Am I over-generalizing? Of course. Nevertheless it is kind of fun to notice the different cultures that exist within a given group of people. There is nothing so reassuring (especially to a young person) as feeling that your personal quirks and oddities are simply proof that you belong to your own special club. Young adult literature is full of stories about this effect because it is so enticing to kids of all ages.
Friday, May 09, 2008
A Moderate Vegetarian
What a great article on Slate about being a vegetarian. If I had more time and better writing skills, I could have written this almost word for word since my opinions match with his almost perfectly. I need to print out a copy, keep it in my pocket, and use it to explain myself when I can't come up with the correct response. Just two days ago I had one of those "oh you're one of those" moments while waiting in the lunch line with a bunch of co-workers. The crowd really does go quiet as everyone listens for the story on why you're such a freak. Bravo Taylor Clark.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Election
Okay, I am officially sick and tired of it all. There needs to be choice made. This whole thing is taking away from the momentum of the Democratic party. The primary portion of things should be over by now, and we should be deeply immersed in the actual election. I think there need to be systematic changes to the way we hold primary elections. For example, it might be worth moving all primaries to the same day so that everyone's vote counts equally. I know this causes problems for the candidates (how should they divide their time and money etc.), but I think it might be worth doing to end this kind of endless campaigning. I do not want to see another debate between these two, or listen to another round of primary results. Enough already!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Iron Man
M and I saw this last weekend, and I would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone. I must confess that I've liked Robert Downey Jr. since his stint on Ally McBeal (embarrassing guilty pleasure I know), and I was very disappointed when his drug arrest led to the downfall of the show. Now that he's back in form, it's nice to see him doing something that's this much fun.
The comic book feel of Iron Man is preserved, but it's not too cheesy. I don't like it when they turn a fun comic into a dark and brooding story (Spiderman), so I was pleased to see that the fun was still intact. There is a fair amount of corny humor, but it never goes too far. What really makes the movie are some great flying/fighting scenes. Of course, there's always a little "hmm how exactly does that work" kind of doubting, but if you just let that go, it's quite a fun ride. The NYT even has a feature right now about the conceptualization of the robot that builds his suit. It turns out most people like some good stupid fun every once in a while. Go see this movie!
The comic book feel of Iron Man is preserved, but it's not too cheesy. I don't like it when they turn a fun comic into a dark and brooding story (Spiderman), so I was pleased to see that the fun was still intact. There is a fair amount of corny humor, but it never goes too far. What really makes the movie are some great flying/fighting scenes. Of course, there's always a little "hmm how exactly does that work" kind of doubting, but if you just let that go, it's quite a fun ride. The NYT even has a feature right now about the conceptualization of the robot that builds his suit. It turns out most people like some good stupid fun every once in a while. Go see this movie!
Monday, May 05, 2008
DJ Yes Planner Maybe Not
On Friday evening M and I headed downtown to meet up with a young couple who work as wedding DJ's. There was some confusion as we played the "which of these five Starbucks do you think she meant" game. However, without too much wasted time, we found the correct place. Bamboo Beats is a husband and wife team who DJ for weddings and other kinds of parties like proms and sweet sixteens. They seemed very nice, very knowledgeable, and good at helping us figure out what exactly we were looking for. We are reviewing the contract, but I think we will sign with them. Now the only part left to this is to figure out which songs should go where.
On Saturday, we met with a wedding planner. She seemed very young, and her portfolio of events was quite limited. The only reason we were even considering a planner was to help get all the decorations put up, and to ensure that everything and everyone is accounted for. As it turns out, she won't do a major portion of the decorations we wanted. Therefore, I think the odds of us hiring her are quite slim. It may be more of a trick to get in all together, but the things she was willing to do were just not worth the price. Hers was the least expensive of all the quotes we got from planners, and by my estimate, she was still earning about $125. Under no circumstances should 22 year old wedding planners with no education earn that kind of money. Go figure.
On Saturday, we met with a wedding planner. She seemed very young, and her portfolio of events was quite limited. The only reason we were even considering a planner was to help get all the decorations put up, and to ensure that everything and everyone is accounted for. As it turns out, she won't do a major portion of the decorations we wanted. Therefore, I think the odds of us hiring her are quite slim. It may be more of a trick to get in all together, but the things she was willing to do were just not worth the price. Hers was the least expensive of all the quotes we got from planners, and by my estimate, she was still earning about $125. Under no circumstances should 22 year old wedding planners with no education earn that kind of money. Go figure.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Hallelujah!
Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster and pass me a cup of tea because this is a great day indeed!
You know how it often happens that most parts of your life are going fine, and then one of them just has to fall spectacularly apart? Lately a certain portion of my life has been quite unhappy. This has been especially hard because I'm just not used to being unhappy. Of course, everyone has their moments, but usually they are just that, moments. With most things I can just mentally put it aside when there's nothing I can do to change it. This one, however, was such a problem that it kind of followed me around. Lucky I had M, and my family and friends, to keep me balanced or it would have been really tough.
Good news on the subject arrived this morning. The problem is not 100% cleared up, but the central issue has been resolved. I expect that most lingering effects will sort themselves out as time passes. The thorn in my side has resigned, er, been removed, and now we should be able to get back to business in a more constructive mode. Hooray! hooray! hooray!
You know how it often happens that most parts of your life are going fine, and then one of them just has to fall spectacularly apart? Lately a certain portion of my life has been quite unhappy. This has been especially hard because I'm just not used to being unhappy. Of course, everyone has their moments, but usually they are just that, moments. With most things I can just mentally put it aside when there's nothing I can do to change it. This one, however, was such a problem that it kind of followed me around. Lucky I had M, and my family and friends, to keep me balanced or it would have been really tough.
Good news on the subject arrived this morning. The problem is not 100% cleared up, but the central issue has been resolved. I expect that most lingering effects will sort themselves out as time passes. The thorn in my side has resigned, er, been removed, and now we should be able to get back to business in a more constructive mode. Hooray! hooray! hooray!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Ring!
Yesterday I finally made it to the jewelers to pick up my wedding ring. It was there to be re-sized (jeweler oops) and I was anxious to see if the engraving would survive the process. When I actually got to see it again, I was delighted to discover that it looks nearly perfect. It's just so pretty! Trying it on was a surprisingly surreal experience.
As we go through the wedding planning process, I have this feeling that it's all for some distant event. Every once in a while, though, it all comes sharply into focus and I realize "we're actually getting married soon!" I can't hardly wait.
As we go through the wedding planning process, I have this feeling that it's all for some distant event. Every once in a while, though, it all comes sharply into focus and I realize "we're actually getting married soon!" I can't hardly wait.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Kids "Learn" About the Progressive Era
Hey it's a lighter post for once!
Last week, kids read the chapter of their WA state history book about the progressive era. They also took part in skits, debates, and other activities designed to help them get a sense of the issues. At the end of the week, you guessed it; they had to take a quiz about this information. Many did a fantastic job and made me very proud. Others struggled a bit, and some were clearly not paying attention at all. Here are some of the funnier answers:
Question #1: The _________________ movement was a push to make life better for many kinds of people. (Remember, this was the title of the chapter)
Funny answer: Prostitution (knowing this girl, she was NOT trying to be racy or funny)
Question #2: Prohibition was an attempt to outlaw the sale of ________________________
Funny answer: Flappers
Question #4: Part of the initiative system allowed voters to ________________ politicians who were unpopular.
Funny answer: hit
Question #5: The suffrage movement wanted to give women the right to _______________.
Funny answer: bare arms (sort of correct I guess)
Question #8: The _________________ World War was found in Europe.
Funny answer: really bad
Question #9: The government passed the ______________ Act which made it illegal to speak against the war.
Funny answer: Sedation
Question #14: Rivers helped to provide ____________ for the region by creating hydropower.
Funny answer: rivers
Question #15: The ______________ Dam in eastern WA was the largest hydropower project.
Funny answer: God (I think this kid WAS trying to be funny, but still they got no credit)
Don’t worry too much about the youth of America. Several kids even got perfect scores, so they can be the next generation of leaders. Or perhaps the kid who wrote “God” will one day be president.
Last week, kids read the chapter of their WA state history book about the progressive era. They also took part in skits, debates, and other activities designed to help them get a sense of the issues. At the end of the week, you guessed it; they had to take a quiz about this information. Many did a fantastic job and made me very proud. Others struggled a bit, and some were clearly not paying attention at all. Here are some of the funnier answers:
Question #1: The _________________ movement was a push to make life better for many kinds of people. (Remember, this was the title of the chapter)
Funny answer: Prostitution (knowing this girl, she was NOT trying to be racy or funny)
Question #2: Prohibition was an attempt to outlaw the sale of ________________________
Funny answer: Flappers
Question #4: Part of the initiative system allowed voters to ________________ politicians who were unpopular.
Funny answer: hit
Question #5: The suffrage movement wanted to give women the right to _______________.
Funny answer: bare arms (sort of correct I guess)
Question #8: The _________________ World War was found in Europe.
Funny answer: really bad
Question #9: The government passed the ______________ Act which made it illegal to speak against the war.
Funny answer: Sedation
Question #14: Rivers helped to provide ____________ for the region by creating hydropower.
Funny answer: rivers
Question #15: The ______________ Dam in eastern WA was the largest hydropower project.
Funny answer: God (I think this kid WAS trying to be funny, but still they got no credit)
Don’t worry too much about the youth of America. Several kids even got perfect scores, so they can be the next generation of leaders. Or perhaps the kid who wrote “God” will one day be president.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Sort of Relief
Not everything is resolved, but at least I feel a bit better about things.
Yesterday, I went to see the VP. I didn't go because I thought she could do something that the principal wouldn't, but I just thought it might help to hear from another perspective (I did get his permission before talking to her). I laid out the situation for her (yay! I can talk to someone about it and have them understand the personalities involved) and asked for her interpretation and advice in moving forward. When I did this exact same thing for the principal, all I got was very neutral language and nothing that felt like support.
What the VP did was not anything all that special. She heard my concerns, repeated key points back to me, gave her impression of the situation, and suggested a few things I could do to improve my position in the future. She then reassured me that I was doing a good job, that she valued my contributions, and that I did not have any fundamental personality flaws (how sad is that? I SHOULD have enough self-worth to know that without being told!). She said "You have high standards for yourself and your team, and I expect nothing less from you." In my head I was doing a little dance.
She also assured me that the principal feels the same way about me, but just cannot express himself worth beans. Like I said, not exactly rocket science, but it made the proverbial world of difference to me. Why the difference in approach between her and the Principal? Is it a woman thing? Is it because she is closer to my age? More recently in the classroom? Who knows?
Okay, so at this point I was feeling MUCH better about life. Sure, not everything was resolved, but at least I felt like I could cope with the situation. Little did I know that there was more to come.
The next part was where the VP told me that the problems with Lazy Man and Evil Woman are both known issues. She feels that there is not so much you can do about Lazy Man, but that Evil Woman is the one doing the real harm to our team. She (the VP) has been trying to get Evil Woman removed as leader for some time. Given this fresh set of problems, she is doing everything she can to have Evil Woman relieved of all leadership positions. Of course, the principal has the final say, but given this latest situation, she feels confident that she will finally get her way. Halleluiah! I absolutely will not smirk when the news comes down.
Yesterday, I went to see the VP. I didn't go because I thought she could do something that the principal wouldn't, but I just thought it might help to hear from another perspective (I did get his permission before talking to her). I laid out the situation for her (yay! I can talk to someone about it and have them understand the personalities involved) and asked for her interpretation and advice in moving forward. When I did this exact same thing for the principal, all I got was very neutral language and nothing that felt like support.
What the VP did was not anything all that special. She heard my concerns, repeated key points back to me, gave her impression of the situation, and suggested a few things I could do to improve my position in the future. She then reassured me that I was doing a good job, that she valued my contributions, and that I did not have any fundamental personality flaws (how sad is that? I SHOULD have enough self-worth to know that without being told!). She said "You have high standards for yourself and your team, and I expect nothing less from you." In my head I was doing a little dance.
She also assured me that the principal feels the same way about me, but just cannot express himself worth beans. Like I said, not exactly rocket science, but it made the proverbial world of difference to me. Why the difference in approach between her and the Principal? Is it a woman thing? Is it because she is closer to my age? More recently in the classroom? Who knows?
Okay, so at this point I was feeling MUCH better about life. Sure, not everything was resolved, but at least I felt like I could cope with the situation. Little did I know that there was more to come.
The next part was where the VP told me that the problems with Lazy Man and Evil Woman are both known issues. She feels that there is not so much you can do about Lazy Man, but that Evil Woman is the one doing the real harm to our team. She (the VP) has been trying to get Evil Woman removed as leader for some time. Given this fresh set of problems, she is doing everything she can to have Evil Woman relieved of all leadership positions. Of course, the principal has the final say, but given this latest situation, she feels confident that she will finally get her way. Halleluiah! I absolutely will not smirk when the news comes down.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Suspended Animation
Sorry folks, my job is still a soap opera, nothing has been resolved, and so you are all forced to read yet another post about it all.
When things really blew up last week, I went to my boss in search of some help. He ordered everyone involved to stop talking to one another. This was a good thing because one "enemy" had been going around to the rest of the team bad-mouthing me and demanding validation for her terrible behavior.
I accepted his solution because he said that we would eventually all sit down and he would help us "hash out" the disagreements. I didn't like to leave things hanging, but I could see his logic, so I honored his request. Now he tells me that he doesn't plan to have the one-on-one meetings at all because "he doesn't know if it would help." Instead, he plans to attend our team meeting to help everything "run smoothly."
In my view this means that both of the people who treated me so badly will get off scott free (as the saying goes). Not only that, but the lack of consequences will certainly (I know these two) validate their behavior and encourage them to act this way again. My boss' cavalier attitude makes the situation all that much worse. Now I really don't know what to do.
When things really blew up last week, I went to my boss in search of some help. He ordered everyone involved to stop talking to one another. This was a good thing because one "enemy" had been going around to the rest of the team bad-mouthing me and demanding validation for her terrible behavior.
I accepted his solution because he said that we would eventually all sit down and he would help us "hash out" the disagreements. I didn't like to leave things hanging, but I could see his logic, so I honored his request. Now he tells me that he doesn't plan to have the one-on-one meetings at all because "he doesn't know if it would help." Instead, he plans to attend our team meeting to help everything "run smoothly."
In my view this means that both of the people who treated me so badly will get off scott free (as the saying goes). Not only that, but the lack of consequences will certainly (I know these two) validate their behavior and encourage them to act this way again. My boss' cavalier attitude makes the situation all that much worse. Now I really don't know what to do.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Art Immitates Life
I absolutely could not believe my eyes when I opened the Sunday comics yesterday. It seems that my dilemma is well-known in the business world too.
I don't know if this will make sense since I haven't been able to explain the whole situation, but here goes.
Today was refreshingly quiet with not one single haranguing session from one of my fun co-workers. However, that is only because my boss ordered them to stop talking to anyone (there was a small gossip problem, and it WASN'T me doing the talking) about the issue until he can be there to mediate. I am still not looking forward to the resolution at all.
However, on the whole, I am feeling better than I was last week. First of all, the excellent friends and family rallied round and reassured me that I was not, in fact, a worthless scumbag. Also, on Sunday I had a chance meeting with another co-worker at the gym.
This woman is not on my team, not part of this whole big mess, and supposedly in total ignorance of the situation. She walked up to me, put her arm around my shoulders, and said "It's her not you. She's crazy and everyone knows it." I was so surprised I didn't know what to say. Needless to say, it made quite a difference to my frame of mind.
Friday, April 18, 2008
The Fun Continues
Day three of the patented "trying not to care" program. Not caring seems to be going well as long as I don't talk to anyone. Unfortunately, I got cornered by an enemy agent, and given the third degree. The caring rushed back in full force. I've now violated rule #1 of being a woman in the workforce: Never cry in front of your boss. Pretty much have no professional self-worth left. On the bright side, this should aid in furthering the "not caring" protocol.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Fun at Work
Hello and welcome to my personal pity party. Work sucks, can't say why (no kids are involved), and I'm feeling more than a little sorry for myself.
I have discovered the secret to professional success! First, you have to reach down deep inside yourself and find the place that cares. Some of you may remember this, it's the part that wants to work hard, make progress, be a force for positive change, and achieve professional satisfaction. You must find this part (however small and helpless it may have become) --- and beat it to death. This way you can put your head down, do the bare minimum (or a little less), and watch the years role by with the anonymous comfort of complete apathy.
I have discovered the secret to professional success! First, you have to reach down deep inside yourself and find the place that cares. Some of you may remember this, it's the part that wants to work hard, make progress, be a force for positive change, and achieve professional satisfaction. You must find this part (however small and helpless it may have become) --- and beat it to death. This way you can put your head down, do the bare minimum (or a little less), and watch the years role by with the anonymous comfort of complete apathy.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Spring For the Moment
What an absolutely glorious day! Sunshine, shorts temperatures, and lots of blooming flowers are enough to convince me. Sure, I know it might snow/rain/sleet tomorrow, but that doesn't matter right now. M and I did yard work, and then we were actually inspired to do some spring cleaning too. This afternoon I read my book in an actual patch of sunlight. Needless to say, the cats are also beside themselves with joy.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
The Next Caucus
Last weekend T volunteered to attend the next level of caucusing with me. Therefore, early on a Saturday morning, we headed down to a local high school (an hour early to be sure and get parking) to attend my district caucus. We were not the only people to arrive early, and by about quarter to the hour, there was a huge crowd outside the glass doors. We happened to be standing near the front, so when a caucus official stuck her head out to grab a volunteer, she happened to pick us.
We spent the next several hours signing people in who wanted to run for the delegation to the state caucus. This in turn gave us the chance to chat with a Clinton staffer who's spent the last several months driving around the country working for the campaign. I was very impressed with her intelligence and dedication (she gets almost nothing for the work but room, board, and gas money), but more on her later.
After our volunteering job ended, we joined the crowds of waiting people listening to speeches. The speeches were really there to make you not mind the waiting so much. It seems it takes a loooong time to figure out how many delegates are there, how many alternates are there, and how many alternates need to be credentialed to become delegates. This process took literally about five hours.
The one thing that really disturbed me about the experience was the behavior of the Obama supporters. I did not hear one Clinton person say a nasty thing about "the other side" but the Obama people would actually walk up to you and be rude. They booed speakers, carried on, and generally behaved like rabble. As T said "the main thing to remember that we have nothing in common with McCain." Obama may say he wants to bring people together, but his supporters REALLY haven't gotten the message.
Finally, we were called into our respective voting areas, and the voting for state level delegates began. More than 50 people put their names in the proverbial hat, but only 12 could move on to state. We all gave ultra-short speeches about why we should go, and then we marked our 12 choices on a ballot. By this time it was 4pm, we'd had no lunch break, and T and I both had somewhere we needed to be that evening. We left without hearing the final result (I didn't make it :( no surprise there).
All in all, I'm glad to have had the experience. I still have the county caucus coming up, and then my participation in the nomination process will be over. The saddest part of the whole thing was being unable to accept the invitation from that Clinton staffer to attend an after party for volunteers. The main guest at the party? Sean Astin otherwise known as Samwise Gamgee. How cool is that? I wonder if Frodo is for Hillary too?
We spent the next several hours signing people in who wanted to run for the delegation to the state caucus. This in turn gave us the chance to chat with a Clinton staffer who's spent the last several months driving around the country working for the campaign. I was very impressed with her intelligence and dedication (she gets almost nothing for the work but room, board, and gas money), but more on her later.
After our volunteering job ended, we joined the crowds of waiting people listening to speeches. The speeches were really there to make you not mind the waiting so much. It seems it takes a loooong time to figure out how many delegates are there, how many alternates are there, and how many alternates need to be credentialed to become delegates. This process took literally about five hours.
The one thing that really disturbed me about the experience was the behavior of the Obama supporters. I did not hear one Clinton person say a nasty thing about "the other side" but the Obama people would actually walk up to you and be rude. They booed speakers, carried on, and generally behaved like rabble. As T said "the main thing to remember that we have nothing in common with McCain." Obama may say he wants to bring people together, but his supporters REALLY haven't gotten the message.
Finally, we were called into our respective voting areas, and the voting for state level delegates began. More than 50 people put their names in the proverbial hat, but only 12 could move on to state. We all gave ultra-short speeches about why we should go, and then we marked our 12 choices on a ballot. By this time it was 4pm, we'd had no lunch break, and T and I both had somewhere we needed to be that evening. We left without hearing the final result (I didn't make it :( no surprise there).
All in all, I'm glad to have had the experience. I still have the county caucus coming up, and then my participation in the nomination process will be over. The saddest part of the whole thing was being unable to accept the invitation from that Clinton staffer to attend an after party for volunteers. The main guest at the party? Sean Astin otherwise known as Samwise Gamgee. How cool is that? I wonder if Frodo is for Hillary too?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Future President
Recently, I asked my class to pretend that they'd just been elected president. Their assignment was to write a letter to the nation explaining one or more important changes they would make. Surprisingly, they took it much more seriously than usual. Many were concerned about the war in Iraq and another large portion were worried about the environment. On the whole, I was very impressed. However, there are always the goffballs and those just not paying attention. The following are some of the most memorable (usually because they're bad, but not always) lines from their work.
“A recent studied showed that when kids in France were asked to draw a picture of an American, many of them drew Ronald Mcdonald. This is not what I want people to think of our wonderful country.”
“As president of the USA I propos to band all types of non-purpos car racing.”
“Our biggest Concern is Zombie attack”
“Thank you for supporting me through a long fought battle of the Poles.”
“We need to pull troops out of Iraq and use the money to fund electric cars and also ban smoking.”
“Wasn’t the war supposed to end when Sudan Hoosane was killed?”
“Making peace is a good choice because we would get new items and have everlasting friendship”
“This could influence the choices when eating out in a negative way”
“Piece is so much better than war.”
“So no taxes at all in the U.S.A.”
“Taxes are a hand foll to deal with”
“..but peace is effortless…”
“Being prez doesn’t mean just laying around in the Whitehouse all day.”
“Did you know many Homeless kids cannot Apford happiness”
“Something must be done and I will make it happen.”
“My fellow Americans thank you from the bottom of my intestines for choosing me and ordinary man w/ extraordinary vision as your President of the United States.”
“…along with vice president Schwnizerger…”
“War is another issue. We fight so many wars that the Simpon’s talk about it.”
“We are America home of the brave, so don’t be afraid of change.”
“Again, I want to thank you all for electing me your president. Sorry for the convenience.”
“To increase learning, all school days will be shorter.”
“We need to go over and take what we need but, if they so “no” Then we just let it go for awhile and then to back and ask again.”
“Our government has come up with the latest technology called the fake wall… If some of the immigrants don’t fall for it and run right through it we have border patrol waiting for them.”
“Even after Sadam Husseins death a year ago, Sheight militans are still threating.”
“I am proposing to shut down all cigarette factories in the U.S… If you some how keep getting cigarettes, we could care less.”
“What kind of country sells their military jobs to other countries?”
“Our country is filled with the fattest of the fats”
“We can’t have a strong economy if every American job is being shipped to China! What if we, God forbid were to go to war with them? All of their supplies would be paid for with the money that came from the jobs we gave them.”
“Also, since I am president I am going to make chocolate milk the state drink.”
“A recent studied showed that when kids in France were asked to draw a picture of an American, many of them drew Ronald Mcdonald. This is not what I want people to think of our wonderful country.”
“As president of the USA I propos to band all types of non-purpos car racing.”
“Our biggest Concern is Zombie attack”
“Thank you for supporting me through a long fought battle of the Poles.”
“We need to pull troops out of Iraq and use the money to fund electric cars and also ban smoking.”
“Wasn’t the war supposed to end when Sudan Hoosane was killed?”
“Making peace is a good choice because we would get new items and have everlasting friendship”
“This could influence the choices when eating out in a negative way”
“Piece is so much better than war.”
“So no taxes at all in the U.S.A.”
“Taxes are a hand foll to deal with”
“..but peace is effortless…”
“Being prez doesn’t mean just laying around in the Whitehouse all day.”
“Did you know many Homeless kids cannot Apford happiness”
“Something must be done and I will make it happen.”
“My fellow Americans thank you from the bottom of my intestines for choosing me and ordinary man w/ extraordinary vision as your President of the United States.”
“…along with vice president Schwnizerger…”
“War is another issue. We fight so many wars that the Simpon’s talk about it.”
“We are America home of the brave, so don’t be afraid of change.”
“Again, I want to thank you all for electing me your president. Sorry for the convenience.”
“To increase learning, all school days will be shorter.”
“We need to go over and take what we need but, if they so “no” Then we just let it go for awhile and then to back and ask again.”
“Our government has come up with the latest technology called the fake wall… If some of the immigrants don’t fall for it and run right through it we have border patrol waiting for them.”
“Even after Sadam Husseins death a year ago, Sheight militans are still threating.”
“I am proposing to shut down all cigarette factories in the U.S… If you some how keep getting cigarettes, we could care less.”
“What kind of country sells their military jobs to other countries?”
“Our country is filled with the fattest of the fats”
“We can’t have a strong economy if every American job is being shipped to China! What if we, God forbid were to go to war with them? All of their supplies would be paid for with the money that came from the jobs we gave them.”
“Also, since I am president I am going to make chocolate milk the state drink.”
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