Happy Monday

There is a class I am taking after school, for school, on crisis prevention.  I wonder if anything like that even existed while I was in 7th grade.  That would have been in the late 1970's.  I like to think that it didn't, at least in my town.  I realized today that the class size where I para is close to what I had for 7th & 8th grade.  Things have changed dramatically.  Did ADD even have that label then?  I don't think so.  Kids were just hyperactive.  So many different things that I never heard of in my small protected town back in the day.  Yep, I sound my age when I say stuff like that.  😄

Staying later at work was kind of tiring, but still no where near as long a day as what I used to work in my old job.   I still won't hit 40 hours this week.  Reminding myself of that is how I managed to haul myself out again and go to the gym tonight.    When I was walking regularly a while back... I tried to write a poem in my head.   At the gym I listen to music with Pandora.   I'm not sure if I will be able to get quite as inspired to poetry sweating on a tread mill, listening to music and watching like 10 bog screen TV's that I can't hear.  Or maybe it could be a country song.  I walked a little over 2.5 miles (I think) on the tread mill which managed to exceed my step goal and had me a little over 11,000 steps.  I decided to ride the stationary bike for a little bit.  After 4 miles I decided to see how my steps were doing and I had a little more over 11,000.  Turns out my pedometer moved on my body and was no longer counting.  I readjusted and it started counting my pedaling again.  I finished up on the bike reminding myself that the count of steps isn't important, the fact that I am exercising is is what counts.

Yesterday I had car problems.  Today my absolutely fantastic son-in-law, Z, got it fixed.  At first the mechanic couldn't get the problem to repeat.  They decided that there must be some air in the brake lines.  In the process of bleeding them they found a clogged something and a brake piston that was sort of stuck and that my transmission fluid was virtually empty.  All of these things are taken care of thanks to Z and the mechanics.  This is today's happy!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Sleepy time for me.

☮

Rainy Sunday.

Somehow it got later than I wanted it be again.  I've had a very productive day:  gym, dishes, reading, cleaning, laundry, lunch prep for tomorrow.  I even remembered to do a thing for work that I have been trying to do at work but never have the time.  As a para educator I have a list of students with certain accommodations.  I put the list chart form so I have one quick thing to look at when I can't remember which student gets more time (or whatever) and which doesn't.  

On my way to the gym the brakes on my car seemed to fail.  I was able to stop it, but not the way it should have.  They seemed to start to work as I went around the block and slowly headed back home.  I wasn't comfortable about driving though.  I was able to borrow Z's car and will again tomorrow so I can get to work.  Z is going to see if he can find someone who can look at it tomorrow, he has Monday's off.  So very thankful that this happened close to home and not on the highway.  The brakes going did remind me to see if there is a sidewalk all the way to the gym, and there is.  Theoretically I could walk the 1.5 miles to go work out.  Maybe when it isn't raining.

Minecraft only took up a little portion of my day today.  To paraphrase something E said during the game: It's amazing how much time and energy we invest in tiny pixels.  E said it better though.  They are building a church in the Minecraft town and it looks like it will be beautiful when done.  

Perhaps because my tiredness is consuming my thoughts right now-my comfy, warm bed is my happy for today.  Hoping for sweet dreams and a restful night.  😴

☮

Minecraft--Really Short

It seems like all I did today was play Minecraft.  Which I did.  I also did the dishes and some other random stuff.  Mostly Gideon and I played.  For a while C & E were online as well and I got to play with them too.  I couldn't sleep last night and that is all I want to do now.  My happy today is getting to talk with C & E and being a part of the game with them.

☮

Happy Friday!!

For whatever reason a test at the school I work at is called a summative and a quiz is a formative.  There are other terms that are different but today students had a summative.   My job as a para educator is to guide not answer.  Today I reworded questions and reminded where they did similar work (it was open notes) and watched a struggling student decide that the summative was easy.  It made my day and thus earns my happy for the day spot.

Other happenings for today include playing Polytopia with Gideon and dinner out with a cousin.  Gideon and I hadn't played Polytopia together for a while and he has upped his game play level.  I did win, but the scoring gap was much closer than last we played.  He also lost much better than before.  

Dinner out was nice.  This cousin and I haven't been able to get together outside of family functions in quite some time.  For a while my work brought me close to hers and we visited regularly.   It was really nice to catch up.  She is currently writing a book about investing in real estate and plans to take this information into the public speaking world.  I have no doubt that she will succeed with this.  Her suggestion to me is to do something similar using my interests. 

Then there is this article/blog I read. The phrase the article speaks of may become my favorite that I will be able to pull out at school.

Well wishes and prayers for another cousin, DD, she is having her gallbladder removed Monday.  💙

☮

Icicle

There was a delayed opening today due to yesterday's storm.  Delayed opening days are hard on the ADD side of my personality.  Or maybe it is the procrastination part.  That part that says 2 more hours to sleep in the morning.  That part that then gets up early only to think that there is plenty of time and so checks Facebook.  That part that then completely loses track of time and realizes 10 minutes before wanting to leave that a shower still needs to happen.  But hey, I still got to work on time. 

On my way out of the parking lot this afternoon there was this lost icicle:

It apparently stuck around after the car it was frozen to drove away.

This is a quick picture of some ice frozen to rock 

along the the side of the highway.

I spent over an hour at the gym today before dinner.  I might just get the hang of this. 😵 At home we finished watching the 2nd Hobbit movie.  After which I commented on the fact that there are 2 versions of the book, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.  This was news to both K & Z.  For some reason I thought K might have already known and was surprised she didn't.  During the movie Gideon got all excited during a dragon chase scene.  He was jumping around and basically pretending to be Smaug.  It was kind of creepy, but funny too and is my happy for today. 

☮

Half a Snow Day

The weather last night implied that the storm today would be strong and heavy snow around noon.   The school where I work had already informed us of an early release but after watching the weather I thought they might cancel.  So I stayed in bed until 5:30 AM when they are supposed to make the decision by.  School was not canceled.  The snow didn't even start at the school until around 11:15, just before school let out.  The storm traveled west to east and my trip home was east to west.  The closer to home I got the slower the travel and the more snow there was.  During the walk home from the parking garage, which takes less than 10 minutes, I accumulated about a half inch on my jacket and things. 

Then I played Minecraft.  Gideon played with me for a while and I got to play with some other family too.  I decided to reschedule my appointment tonight at the gym.  We started watching the second movie from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.  K has been reading the book to Gideon before bed.  He is enjoying it.  This morning I finished listening to Exploring J. R. R. Tolkiens the Hobbit by Corey Olsen.  It reminded me of how many things are skimmed over in a book but can mean so much to the plot.

My happy for today goes to the snow and that it started late (at least later than I thought).  This allowed me to have a much safer drive home. 

This mornings sunrise has a similar beam to yesterday's.

I wonder if there is something man-made causing that.

A snow-covered selfie from my walk hone. 

☮

Tuesday shouldn't feel like Friday...

Today at school my emotions ran the gambit.  Some classes went fine, some the students tried my patience more than I care to admit and some classes I watched as a student showed understanding of the subject matter and this thing makes me happy.  When a student has been struggling for whatever reason and then something is understood it so quickly reminds why this job is important.  If only the pay was better.  Whenever I pass a help wanted sign I consider applying if only fleetingly.  Having the summer off is important too.  And I am really enjoying the weekends off.  I'm still have a hard time getting used to not working all the time.  

After work today I walked the mall with a friend and then I went to a coffee shop with another to help her with the treasurer report that is due for our SCA group.  Dinner, dishes and a bit of relaxing and I am late getting to bed again!  Tomorrow school has already been called as an early release because of an incoming storm.  I won't know until around 5:30 AM if they change their mind and decide to cancel.  I should be up and showered by then.  Gideon's school is canceled.  My car is in the parking garage already, just in case.  The red sky this morning that I saw driving to work was gorgeous and apparently this time it will be a warning.

Sunrise

 

 Sunset

Sunrise Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof

Today my happy is how good I am starting to feel already from getting out there and exercising again.  I have an appointment tomorrow with a trainer at the gym tomorrow that may end up rescheduled if we get as much snow as they say.

☮☮