The Daily Prophet Special Edition: More Hogwarts Express Good News/Bad News

Good news: New thread!

More good news: I'm going to Estonia next week. Haven't you always wanted to be one of those people who says things like, "I think I'll go to Estonia next week?" . . . No? Just me? Well, then.

isn't that in New York?

#2: I think you're thinking of Astoria

#1: Very cool!

BN: The man who cleans our offices has a daughter with breast cancer. She was pregnant when they found out, so they delivered the baby early. The baby is largely healthy, but won't suck (eat) and has therefore been in the NICU for almost a month now. Meanwhile the mother will be starting chemo on Monday. It's an all-around horrible situation. I'm hoping those who pray will consider adding them to your prayers, they need them.

>3 biblioholic29:
I think she was 'punning' around

It is a tough situation, the best will happen.

#3 - Bib, how tragic. I'll be praying for them.

GN: Spring seems to have finally arrived! It snowed/sleeted last Thursday, but has been increasingly beautiful since.

Possible BN: It's 84 degrees today, so there's a chance we've actually catapulted over spring straight into early summer. I hope not, though, as I enjoy the high 60s/low 70s spring temps we normally have this time of year.

BN: My brother opened a small electronics store two weeks ago. Today there was a robbery and they took everything from the store even the rings, chains, cellphones on my brother and sister-in-law and even my niece's earrings.
GN: They are fine and there was no harm done to them.
BN: Due to this my brother and sister-in-law decided to emigrate to China.

Sidenote: I know it's for the best but I will miss them. I can't move from here until I get my degree in business administration, after I get it I'll see if there's an opportunity for me to live somewhere else (I do not like the option of living in China).

I am so sorry to hear about your brother and his family. That must have been frightening. Glad they are safe.

Oh Ron, your poor brother. :o(
I'm glad they are safe but sorry the robbery will cause such a huge change in your family.

Ron, I am so, so sorry to hear this. Big hugs to you and your family!!

GN: got to meet my author friend Tuesday night, he saw me and said I looked familiar not bad having not seen each other for 44 years. I was impressed, I recognized him because I have seen him on the jacket covers of his books. I met his wife, too and after his talk, we all went out to dinner (Mutombu was there, too). We had a nice evening.

Oh no, Ron! I am glad they're okay. I've been praying for your family and country. I know it's rough right now, and family moving away because of circumstances is always tough.

Kasongo: That sounds like a fun evening. I'm glad you got to see him and catch up.

Catching Up:
I've been taking some classes this year in the evening working on adding an ESL endorsement to my teaching certificate. Our district was awarded a grant with a neighboring district to pay for 30 teachers (10 from our district, 20 from the other) to go through this training. It can count towards a masters degree, but I already have one.
GN: Classes are over for the semester.
BN: I'm working on my final paper that is due tomorrow. I'm having a really hard time concentrating (hence being on here!), and am not finished yet. I'm at the editing and revision stage and trying to make it flow better all around. Right now I'm up to 17 pages.

GN: I've accidentally begun a district wide initiative! I read a book last summer that I was very interested in and implemented the concepts in my classroom. I asked my principal if I could go to a training and was able to take 3 others with me. We were so excited about it that we asked if we could start a pilot group in our building and invite others in the other elementary schools to join in if they wanted. We thought, maybe 20 teachers would be on board. So far our school is 100% on board, and so is the school we feed into. The school that feeds into us is about 50% on board, and the new intermediate school is going to learn more about it. We (the committee) have presented to business leaders, teachers in all 4 schools, 4 parent organizations, and all the principals. We have so many people in the community (even the local college) interested in the group. Everyone is excited about everything. We were told a couple of weeks ago that next year will be a pilot group for all the elementary schools, but the following year will be required for all elementary schools. Eventually the goal is to have it district wide.

GN: (bragging rights here) I was just named as Teacher of the Year for my building! This is the 3rd year I've been nominated enough to be in the voting. It's kind of exciting, but we have so many wonderful teachers in our building.

Okay...back to editing my paper. Hopefully if I can focus.

well Goodness kirby! what's the name of the book?

Sounds very exciting, kirby! I'm also interested in what the book was. And happy editing!

So I was talking with a teacher today about our paper, and I told her I was having trouble focusing on revising and editing. She said she was having trouble with it as well. She asked me how long it was, and I told her "Oh, only 17 pages". I thought I was going to have to call 911. That sent her into a panic, and I told her that it was very redundant and I needed to make it flow better (unlike this story). She said she had to do the same, but her paper was only 2 pages long. Which sent me into a panic. Well, I finally finished and submitted the paper at 7:58 tonight (my time). I was able to successfully get it down to 8 pages. Now we play the waiting game for the grade.

Shall we start calling you Hermione?

Well, we do have 4 letters in our names that are the same... :)

Congrats, kirby, on being named Teacher of the Year! Sounds like a lot of exciting things are happening for you these days. :)

GN: The semester is almost over, the students are stressed by exams, and my work life usually gets less hectic during the summer.
BN: I'm giving a workshop in Illinois next Thursday and feel horribly unprepared. I'm one of two presenters, out of a team of 7, that goes around giving these workshops, and we've completely overhauled our curriculum this year. I have hopes it will all come together, as the new materials look good, but the review teams are still making edits (mine included) and I just don't feel set.
GN: I still have a week+ to get set...

GN: I'm back!
BN: I'm gonna have to mark everything read cuz it's been kind of a looooooong time.

Hi, everyone!!!

Wow! Hi Laia, great to see you here!

Some of you may remember that I've been dealing with chronic pain for a while now (though I haven't mentioned it recently). Well, I finally went to the rheumatologist today and
GN: It is not Lupus, which was a concern of my PCP.
BN: I have Fibromyalgia.
GN: It is a relief to finally know why I hurt all the time!

Bib, I know that's hard, but knowing what it is and hopefully having a good team of docs to help you manage it will prove a blessing!

Congrats, Kirby!

Good to see you here again, Laia!

Sorry to hear it, Bib, but at least you have a diagnosis now.

Congrats to Kirby!

I sent a job application to a school I applied to last year; they have 2 more openings. In a time when most school districts are cutting librarians, they are adding them.

The job I have now is ok, but I'm a bit frustrated with the way the school works (it's a charter school). The teachers are good, the kids are ok (no worse than any other school I've worked at), and the commute is only 15 minutes. There are too many negatives to list here. The main one being low pay and lack of follow-thru on the part of administration in regards to supporting the library. They've given lip service to wanting to improve the library, but no real money so I can do it. Let's just say I don't think this is a really good fit for me.

The school I've applied to is a 50 minute commute, so I'll be back where I started last year as far as that goes (one of the main reasons I took the charter school). But they pay a whole lot better, and I'm thinking libraries may be a priority for them. We'll see if I even get a call back. If I don't get it I'm no worse off, because I don't hate it here; just a little frustrated. Plus, I had book fair this week and had to help test 2nd & 1st grade, so I'm a bit stressed.

The steak, mojito and carrot cake for dinner helped though. :)

#7, 8, 9 and 11: Thanks Kasongo, JP, grk and kirby!

#11: That sounds really exciting, kirby! Congrats!

#19: Welcome back, laia! I've seen you through FB, that's why that doesn't seem so long since I last "saw" you ;)

#20: I'm glad you now know what's causing the pain, bib. Hopefully now you can make a full recovery from the fibromyalgia.

#23: I hope you find the perfect job for you, exlib!

GN: Since things have cooled down a bit, my brother and sister-in-law have postponed the move to China until further notice, my father convinced my brother to work with him in his new business so he can save money for the future and for the possibility of going to China (My brother lost most of his money investing in the store)
BN: My university is on a strike and don't know yet if it will continue indefinitely (It's a public university and the professors haven't received a pay raise since 2008).
GN: Work is going fine!

Thanks all!

#24: While Fibromyalgia isn't degenerative, it's also not curable. I'll be working with my doctor on pain management but there's no such thing as recovery from Fibro.

I'm glad to know your family will be sticking around for a while yet!

#23: Good luck exlib!

I wish my doc would be more concerned about my pain each day. All he wants me to do is take tylenol . It doesn't help

#26 time for a new doctor?

27> thinking about it

Severe storms, tornadoes all around.
Right now we're huddled under a mattress in the hallway with no power.

#29: I'm so sorry, kirby! Hope you guys stay safe!

We're safe as of right now. As many of you may have seen on the news, there's lots of destruction around us. About 9:00 LT time we had the all clear and ventured out. Lots of downed trees. The entire city was in a blackout. Portions of the city had come back on as of an hour ago, but are out again. The nursing home and hospital generators are online. Lowes must have a huge generator because they are the only other place with lights, and actually open. Poor emergency workers are out trying to direct traffic and respond to emergencies. Bentonviile (30 min. North of us) had a confirmed tornado, and 3 miles south of our home also had one. The lightning is crazy right now. There's another set of storms getting ready to come through. I'm powering down to save battery.

How frightening kirby. Thank you for taking time to let us know you are OK. I hope your weather quiets down soon.

Glad to hear from you Kirby! You are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Why, why, why do I get a nasty sore throat during choir season????

Good luck, Kirby. Both NPR and WCBS (NYC) are good at reporting the twisters, but NPR had an interview with one of the storm chasers (on the mile wide one), also.

GN: We had minimal damage. Large branches down, but nothing hit the house. Our deck swing flew across the deck and pushed a very heavy glass table across with it. We've got a dent in the siding. Not tons of damage around town. Several trees down on houses all around town. One roof completely gone. That family is very lucky to be alive. One trailer is destroyed because of a tree. We had two confirmed tornadoes (albeit small ones), and power was back on by 6 a.m. the next morning. We're gathering supplies at our high school to send out to Moore, Ok. One local company is donating a truck load of food and the use of another truck to ship the other supplies. We are so lucky compared to the families in Moore.

BN: Early Sunday morning we had one of our 2nd graders pass away. She has always had some health problems, but this is really hard for our school (we're a 1st/2nd grade building of 650 students). Her funeral is tomorrow afternoon. Please be thinking about our staff tomorrow. In the morning we have field day for the kids, and in the afternoon about 1/2 our staff is leaving for the funeral.

Nervous New: I'm finishing up on my portfolio and getting ready to submit it. My goal is tomorrow night. Then the 28th is my big test. I'm a very nervous test taker.

Keeping you and your school in my prayers.

GN: Mandy 2 and spouse are visiting us! Tomorrow we will visit The Field of Dreams and Thursday the future birthplace of capt James T Kirk.

After reading the first six chapters of Dan Brown's new book I realized that I was tiring of the same theme and similar plot lines, so , I deleted it from "all collections", and will most likely donate it to my local library.

Oh dear chg1 I was looking foreward to reading it! But if its as you say.......

>40 pollysmith:-

Polly-

Don't take my word for it, but I'll admit that had I read ALL the reviews for that book here on LT, having read the previous three, I wouldn't have spent the money.

Edyted edited for punctuation (and typo!)..

Well my brother is home now from having his brain surgery. He's doing quite well. They were able to get all of the tumor, and the sample came back benign. We'll know Wed. or Thurs. about the full biopsy. I'll get to go see him in another week.

School has been out for 2 weeks and I've been super busy. Dad and I have been working on building shelves with a built in fold-up craft desk. The shelves are all done, now we're trying to finish the desk part. I've also been going through everything and sorting, getting rid of stuff, and organizing. I've also had 4 full days of training, plus getting ready for a few presentations I'm doing next week. Yesterday I sorted my bookshelves. They now look like they are bookshelves! I've put back on the shelves all my TBR books and my TBRA books. Books I've read and want to keep went in a sealed bin, and books I've read and don't want to keep went in a bin to give away.

Next week I'm off to present a couple of sessions at the state technology conference. I'm very nervous about that one! Monday I'm also presenting to about 100 people and starting a book study. This includes people from all 5 elementary schools in our town, plus community members and parents.

I think I'm going to make a patriotic wreath tonight. We'll see how that goes. I've got several summer projects for myself, but I'm not sure when I'll find the time to do them all!

good news about your brother, Kirby. I feel something of a kinship as I had an astrocytoma in the 4Th ventricle mostly removed in 1954 (age 3).

I am glad things went well Kirby and will keep your family in my thoughts.

Due to declining enrollment and increasing cuts over the years we are closing our middle school. Sixth grade will move back to my elementary school, along with 2,400 books for the library. I am excited for the new books, but I have to rebarcode half of them and then find room on the shelves for everything. It all seemed a bit overwhelming, but I think I can do it now.

GN: We're just back from a trip to Texas for a family wedding, which was fabulous! Rex was a champion first time flyer, and all-around great little traveler. It was wonderful visiting with far-flung family, and the wedding was fun and relaxed.
Semi-BN: I'm hitting the road again on Friday, this time to Chicago for a conference. I'm excited about the conference, but this will be the fourth weekend in a row I've traveled, and I'm weary of packing.
GN: I'll get to meet foggi and Maren while in Chicago. Can't wait!!!

#45: My favorite author is going to be at that conference. I'm jealous!

#46 -- Scalzi?

Yep!

My news is I'm finally done moving! yay! it only took four days

Congrats, polly!

I may be crazy, but I bought a ticket to the Doctor Who 50th celebration in London!

#51: Jealous! I'm sure you'll have fun!

Awesome! I love crazy people!

Have fun Compski :)

not sure if it's good or bad news, my wedding is only 12 days away. I'm excited, but also there is so much left to do

Thanks all! I am not sure if I will really go, but I figured I could at least afford a ticket just in case. What is a good price for a plane ticket to London? Anyone have ideas on where to stay? If I go I will sightsee, too. Any ideas?

#51 & 55: How fun, compski! You might want to send a message to LadyN to see if she has recommendations, being a Londoner and all! I've only been once, so this is just a quick overview of highlights from my own sightseeing: Tower of London, St. Paul's, Westminster Abbey, National Gallery, British Library, London Eye, Tate Modern. Wish I'd gotten to the Globe, Imperial War Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Platform 9 3/4. If you can swing a day trip to Oxford or Cambridge, do so!

#54: Try to breathe through it all, rissa! Enjoy and have fun!!

BN: I'm trying to hammer out an annual report for my one-woman "team" at work, and it was a rather quiet, keep on keepin' on year, so it's difficult. I keep getting distracted, hence being on LT...

GN: It isn't due until Friday, so I'm still ahead of the deadline.

catbastet recommends the British Museum's Egyptian section. She spent three hours there her last visit. :o)
Just to date myself, when I visited London, I had no children and the stone of Scone was still under the coronation throne (ha! I love saying that!) in Westminster Abbey.

#49 -- Congrats!

#51 -- Wow! I want to go! I've been to London once, but only for a few days, so I don't really have any recommendations for sightseeing. I'd love to go back some day. You'll have to tell us all about your trip!

#54 -- Best wishes! I'm sure it will be lovely. Try to relax and enjoy it.

Our summer school group is going to meet Jon Klassen tomorrow! Can't wait!

#59 -- Aw, how neat! I got to hear his Caldecott acceptance speech, which was adorable. Have fun!

BN:  After how-many trips to the vet and two opinions, I have no idea what's causing my cats to cough.  I'm talking full-body racking cough.  They were on strong antibiotics and steroidal anti-inflammatory meds for two months, and they still want to say, "Well, it could be asthma."  Answer me this (since they haven't): HOW could it be asthma when two rounds of SAIDs didn't do a damn thing???  I'd go with that theory if they could give me a satisfactory answer.

A coworker gave me the contact info for the vet his family sees, so moving onto opinion #3...

Oh my gosh they put your cats on steroids for two months? That stuff weakens the immune system and can make the cats have arthritic pain. Please see the next vet as soon as you can. My cat was on steroids for a month and a half and looked like she was twice her age before I got her to the second opinion. If I had stayed with the first vet, I might have lost her.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/07/18/sherlock-comic-con-benedict-cumberbatch/

Very funny "Sherlock" video from Comic-Con.

I just found out that we used to drive a 1959 Ford Anglia when I was small. I thought it was cool cause it was very close to the one in HP and the CS

GN:  I don't remember if I ranted to you guys a few months ago about my little-brother-in-law (adult) vomiting on several of my books and not replacing them.  He was legitimately sick, and he's the baby of his family, so I wonder if this tells him that, since he didn't do anything wrong, he doesn't need to pay for it.  Two of these books were Harry Potter, and he'd never degrade himself by purchasing such rubbish for any reason.  I'm being very careful about finding copies that are the exact print and condition (like-new) that mine were in, and I've finally found a copy of The Deathly Hallows that meets my criteria.  I'd go on Amazon and order replacements, but I don't trust the vendors.  I once bought a piece of garbage that was listed as "good".
Bottom line:  My Harry Potter collection is nearly restored!

yeah I hate it when somebody ruins a book and then doesn't understand why you are upset! "Its just a book! Buy another one!" they say

**Insensitive Cads!!!!!**

Hola!

It's been a while. Too long! I couldn't not drop by and say hello on J.K. Rowling's and Harry's birthday. I hope everyone's doing as well as can be and enjoying their summer (or winter).

Congratulations to some, especially Rissa. Ron, I'm very sorry about your brother's store, and Bib, that you have fibromyalgia.

GN: I finally have health insurance. While my health is still bad, I think things are finally moving in the right direction. My last blood test finally saw my iron level rising instead of falling.

Now that my energy's up, I'll try to visit the HE more often. Thinking of you all!

XX

Hi K! Sure have missed you

Good to see you, K, and I'm glad things seem to be looking up.

#68: Glad to see you back, K!

BN: I'm feeling very overwhelmed at home right now. Due to various commitments for my husband, I've been bearing the brunt of parenting duties for three weeks now; basically, my husband is around to help for about an hour in the mornings, and on weekend afternoons/evenings, but that's it. And while I am very fortunate to have a generally happy, healthy little boy who doesn't require special care, he's still a little kid who needs lots of attention. As someone who is used to sharing parental - and cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc. - duties at a roughly 50/50 split, I'm physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. And work transitions have just compounded my home temporary transition. I hesitate even sharing this here, as I feel guilty and whiny, but it's been HARD, and last night I reach my breaking point and just sat in my living room and cried for awhile.

GN: I'm getting a "break" next Monday-Tuesday when I travel to Atlanta for work. And after next week, my husband's schedule returns to normal (and next week should be better, as he'll be working in town, so he'll be home for dinner).

And lest I offend, for anyone who is or was a single parent, I truly don't know how you do it and say "bless you, bless you, bless you!"

#68: Hello K! Good to hear from you again!

#71: {{{hugs}}} for you grk. I've been there. How old is he now? There was a point during each of my children's toddler years when I would regularly call my husband or mom to cry. Being the primary caretaker is hard. There have been studies where an Olympic athlete followed around a toddler and couldn't keep up. I remember craving any adult contact, and was lucky to find many friends in my neighborhood and homeschooling community, but it did require getting out of the house, which wasn't always easy. If it is any consolation, it does get better. I never missed those days like everyone said I would--I know my own limitations--but I do feel a sadness for the end of that period of my life. I have no more little ones.

#69-72:
Thanks, guys. I've missed you, too!

#71 grkmwk:
I'm not a parent, but I've somewhat been there and have seen and felt how difficult it can be. Whomever carries the blunt of this is a Super Man or Super Woman. Never forget your son may always think so, too. Hang in there. May Monday arrive quickly.

#72 & 73: Thanks, JP and K; I really appreciate your support. Rex is now 4, so while he's able to feed himself, get water when he needs it, go to the bathroom unsupervised, get things for himself, and generally tell me what he needs, I'm finding this age to be more difficult than ages 2 and 3. Perhaps that's because I had greater patience with him when I knew he couldn't tell me exactly what he needed. But now I can sort-of reason with him, and he can sort-of use logic, and he can definitely argue, so I find it more trying. I fortunately got out for a cupcake date with a friend Friday afternoon, and we had a family park outing yesterday afternoon that was wonderful, so I'm feeling a tad less frazzled. And I leave for Atlanta in a little while, so I'll get a bit of a break - if a work conference can truly be a break!

#74: I'm only giggling because I'm still waiting for the 11 year old to tell me exactly what she needs! Sometimes it's actually worse when they can communicate because they know what they want but they don't always have the vocabulary to express it. Then they become teenagers and they have the vocabulary but can't always identify the needs. I think I spent a good portion of their formative years praying for patience, which is hard to come by when you are stressed and drained. I'm glad you got a break. Enjoy your conference!

grkmwk - The saying goes that it takes a village to raise a child, and I believe it!

JP, Irma Bombeck believed in burying children at age 11 and dig them up again at 22. There were many times being at home with three girls I thought it seemed like a good idea. I thought of changing my name and not telling them what it was.

#77: LOL! I have to admit, I had it easy with my first. Catbastet only gave me a couple of moments of grief. The other two have really made me work through every hormonal surge. I love Erma Bombeck, I understand her humor much better now that I'm a mom!

I always maintained that everytime a hormone kicked in, a brain cell kicked out. They usually become normal again at 20ish or so. :)

79:  How dare you!
I have NEVER been normal! ;)

being normal is sooooo boring!

GN> I am going back to school. I intend to get an associates degree in Early childhood developement . This will give me a boost at work and make me more valuable as an employee. I always enjoyed school so I guess I'll enjoy this as well, I wish I'd done it years ago

Congratulations Polly and good luck!

Okay, question for those of you who have lived in a dorm. What did you forget to bring? What made you think, "I wish I had brought...."

Suggestions I have already received are a mattress pad and some kind of rubber socks to wear in the shower. Not sure where you find that...

Flip flops work too, but a quick Google search of the term "shower shoes" will give you plenty of results! Right now I can't think of anything I forgot to bring. If Cat has a roommate, have they talked so they don't both bring items a room only needs one of? (For instance, a refrigerator?) When I was a freshman I brought the TV and VCR (yes, VCR, it's been a while) and she brought the fridge.

My mom put together a basic toolbox for me, which I didn't think would be useful, but it was, of course.

Good ideas, thanks. Bib, I've never heard of shower shoes. Of course, I've never lived in a dorm and I'm not really into water sports. :o)
I never thought of a toolkit, foggi. That's something to consider. She's sharing a dorm apartment with an actual kitchen, so they might rent a fridge together. It has other appliances, which is a big plus.

something to transport shampoo etc to and from the shower, headphones, a three-hole punch, a stapler, a calendar, a framed family picture, that's all I can think of right now

I remember going out to get extension cords when we were moving our first born into the dorm. I also remember nothing we did or say made Bib happy with us that day. She was ticked when we were helping her move in so we left to pick stuff up. She was angry about that, too. It was nerves and all the unknown ahead that caused the short temper. I found out that happens a lot with kids going off to the unknown. Wish I had known that that day. By the time we got home the next day, she had already called and we knew by her voice that the Bib we knew was back.

oh yeah, extension cords and a power-strip :)

Seconds to the suggestions of a shower caddy to tote back and forth to the bathroom, extension cords, power strips, three-hole punch, stapler, and a mattress pad. I also would just look at getting cheap flip flops for the shower, rather than some type of shoes: you'll want to have access to wash your toes, after all! And yes, checking in with the roommate to divvy up responsibility for bigger items - fridge, tv, microwave (our was used every day), small coffee pot, tea kettle.

Items we brought that made our room more home-like: a rug (we just went to a remnant place), a loveseat or chairs, a small bookshelf, a couple of lamps and white christmas lights to eliminate need for the overhead light (likely fluorescent). As rissa suggested, photos of family and friends are important. A whiteboard for the door might be good, so folks can leave messages. A bathrobe might be good if there is a hall to traverse from dorm room to bathroom. Some of my friends had coat racks, to free up closet space. A small wooden folding rack for drying clothes or towels might be handy. I found a laundry basket to be handier than a laundry bag, as it kept the clean clothes less wrinkled on the trip back to the room.

And the one item no one should ever move without: duck tape!!!

I've got the shower caddy and matress pad, didn't think of a power strip. Thanks for the ideas! I was wondering about which would be better, a laundry bag or basket. I thought bag since she could throw it in the wash with her clothes, I didn't consider it would be easier to carry clean clothes back. Hmmm...

Here's a funny bit. The school sent us a letter trying to convince us we should get a laundry service for her because students have better things to do with their time than laundry. I thought that was why you send them away to school!

it's not like laundry for one person is ever more than 2 loads a week...

#92: Exactly!

One of the colleges I looked at actually had laundry service for students as a built-in service for students living on campus, no additional charge. Of course, this implied that students were too busy studying to take time to do laundry, which did seem to be the case, based on anecdotal stories I heard from students and alums. I opted to go to a school that did not offer a laundry service, free or otherwise, where I wasn't so blitzed out studying that I did have time to do mine! :)

//hell no- it's party time or watch TV time. study is only secondary, ;-) . and besides, they can't study while doing laundry??? The machines do the laundry. washboards went the way of the buggywhip (unless, of course, you're Amish!)//

#95 - I had a friend who went to that college, but transferred his junior year. His mom told me that when she'd drive down to take him out to dinner, he'd bring his books with him to study before and between ordering, and only really visit with her during the drive to/from and while eating. The people I know who are alums loved it, but they're all people that have at least once made me wonder, "how do they do so much?!" So no, not the right school for me! ;)

#95: Study while the washing machine is running. That's what I thought. :o) I often read while the laundry is going because the noise of the washer blocks out more distracting sounds like the TV or conversations.

yeah, it has a soothing trance inducing regularity. The curious part though is that that sound and feeling can be recalled at a later date in situations where those qualities are needed/wanted.

Not to mention argueing kids

About 6 months ago I told you all about my office's custodian's daughter, who has breast cancer and her baby who was in the NICU after being induced early so his mom could start chemo. Well, the baby came home about a month ago, though he still needs to be fed through a tube as he won't take more than an ounce through the bottle. I just found out the mother is now in the hospital with pneumonia and a collapsed lung on top of the breast cancer. Any good vibes, prayers, etc. you could send their way would be much appreciated!

Sending prayers and healing thoughts their way. What a sad situation. I hope it improves.

#100 - Thanks for updating us, bib. Prayers are with them!

#100: Sending good vibes their way, bib.

The Book Thief's first movie trailer is out and it looks great. Check it out here

It looks so good. I love the casting of Geoffrey Rush as the father!

GN: Today was one of my favorite days of the year: our annual, local book festival, BookMarks (www.bookmarksnc.org)! Official festival events actually started yesterday, with many of the authors visiting area schools, including universities. I was *thrilled* that Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night came to my university yesterday, and spoke in my library's Special Collections Reading Room!! She gave a wonderful talk; hands down, one of the best I've attended. And earlier in the week, another author, Charlie Lovett, came to speak about The Bookman's Tale. Last night, my husband and I had the privilege of attending the authors' gala at a local museum, which was great fun.

I started my festival day with an Eat & Greet event with Adrian Miller, author of Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, at a fabulous local restaurant, Sweet Potatoes. I then attended a first novel authors' panel with Charlie Lovett, Kim Boykin, Elaine Neil Orr, and Megan Shepherd. Later in the morning I attended another panel on the current state of food with Fred Bahnson, Sherri Brooks Vinton, and a local farmer. Jason Mott, author of The Returned, gave an engaging midday talk, as did Robin Hobb, author of Dragon Keeper (among many others). I heard Deborah Harkness again on a panel with Jill McCorkle and Ann B. Ross, then rounded out my day with Leigh Bardugo, author of Shadow and Bone.

All day long, there were great crowds and happy, book-loving people all about. It was wonderful!

BN(?): If there was any bad news from today, it's that I now have to wait a full year before the next festival. However, the organization has grown so much they now hold events all year 'round, so it won't be long before the next on gets here: Lemony Snicket in October!

I am pretending I am on FB and liking grkmwk's post. Sounds great!

#106: Thanks, Kasongo! It was really fun. :)

GN/BN: It's October! That means one of my favorite months of the year has arrived, although this year it's also one of the most hectic. Between now and Halloween, I have three multi-night trips (two fun, one work), a conference presentation, a workshop, and three local presentations/discussions. I also have meetings with three job candidates, an article deadline, and an exhibit for an University event to coordinate. Plus, you know, regular stuff! It's all good, and I'm actually looking forward to all of it, but eek, it's actually here!! Oh, and because of all the travel and the conference (local, for a change), I'm not working a full week again until the week of the 28th.

BN: I'm starting off this month of fullness sick. I missed a full workday today, and am concerned I'll miss another tomorrow. Hope not...

A follow up to my last post (#100 on this thread) about our custodian's daughter. Earlier this week she passed out at home and was brought to a different hospital than she was at before. Yesterday the doctors there discovered that the cancer had metastasized and she has a 6 inch tumor in her lung near her heart. (It's likely that she didn't have pneumonia before.) She is having surgery this afternoon. In addition to the baby, she has 2 small children. Prayers/good thoughts are again much appreciated - her name is Briana.

Oh bib, how sad. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

Praying for them, bib. So sad.

Update: They're saying Briana will probably pass in the next 48 hours. Prayers for the family please.

She passed away yesterday at 6:40.

Sorry to hear it, bib.

I'm so sorry bib.

so sad, prayers for the family

Sorry to hear this sad news, bib. Thanks for keeping us informed. Praying for her family!

GN: There's a Gift Exchange Thread. I'm going to cross-post this in a couple places to make sure people see it.

117:  I participated last year!  It was fun!  Everyone's so nice!

I am going to get to meet the fifth Doctor and have my picture taken at the console of the TARDIS!

#119: Oh fun! Have a great time!

I passed my National Boards!!!!!!

>121 kirbyowns:-

CONGRADULATIONS!!!!! PARTY TIME!!!!!!!

Congrats Kirby!

#121:                   

That's great Kirby!

It's very exciting! :D
A great big relief that I don't have to do another year.

Yay, Kirby!!!

Congrats Kirby!

Ice day today; Snow day tomorrow. I've got lots of cleaning done today, and am almost finished making ornaments for my school tree.

I've got my tree decorated and it's making me very happy.

An 18-year-old girl that one of my boys used to date (okay, was "engaged" to for about two weeks) was killed in a car accident a few days ago. I'm having a hard time even believing it. She was a lovely girl and I can't imagine how her family must be feeling.

Very sad news,ejj, for everybody. It is strange eerie though how these things seem to work out, often as if they were planned.

EDIT-different word

That i s very sad.

I knew a family, they had two boys. The older one was very quick smart and personable, the younger was a bit backward, clumsy and slow-minded. The parents showed a preference for their older boy especially the dad. One day just like this in December, The father and the older boy were in a car wreck. The boy was killed. The father was never the same. I have sometimes wondered if because he often slighted the younger boy that God stepped in to make the parents appreciate the son they had. Eventually they divorced and the mother kept the remaining child. Very sad how these things happen

Apparently she was driving by herself at 1 a.m. and going 75 in a 45 mph zone, wrapped her car around a tree. One of my girls (I have five tenants, ages 18-24) guessed she must have been upset to be driving that fast. It's a likely explanation but I don't suppose we'll ever know. She'd only had her license for a week so she might just have been testing the limits, foolishly.

I don't see reason in these events. Maybe it exists, maybe it doesn't. It's just so damn sad and such a waste.

I'm sorry ejj.
It's always sad when someone passes suddenly, young or old. When I was a teenager, my cousin died like that. I think he was 16 or 17 and he wrapped his car around a tree. It really made me realize how important it is to live life and do the things we dream about doing, because we don't know how much time we will have.

I'm so sorry, ejj. I've lost several friends to car accidents, and it is difficult, sometimes impossible, to make sense of such tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you who are grieving.

GN: it's christmastime!
BN: I'm very behind on Christmas preparations, we don't even have a place for our tree yet.

Done with Christmas shopping! Yay!

#121 kirby:
Congrats!

#130 ejj:
I'm so sorry to hear it. :(

G/B News: I don't think I've mentioned this, but one of my sisters recently moved almost halfway across the country. California hospitals aren't hiring new grad nurses. I'm really happy for her with her job and all her new experiences. I'm even happier that she doesn't have to face them alone - her boyfriend moved with her. Our families and I do however of course miss them both very much!

Kerian, where did your sister move to?

She's in NW Arkansas. I almost texted her yesterday to tell her it's raining - she loves the rain - but remembered she gets snow now. Rain isn't something that probably matters anymore. ;)

Rain in the midwest and on the east coast this time of year could mean freezing rain, not something that makes one happy, unless, of course, you are safely home, with a fire going and watching a favorite movie. This is what we are doing tonight, because activities have been canceled of the evening.

I believe it. The weather's been very different both from what's used to and what she expected.
That sounds wonderful!

I'm in NW Arkansas! We do experience a huge range of weather including snow, rain, and ice. Right now we're getting tons of rain. Flash flooding and freezing rain warnings have been issued for this area.

we got our first real snowfall yesterday. today I drove in snow for the first time. I've been working really hard learning to drive since august, I just need to learn how to parallel park and I'll be ready to take the diven test and after passing that I'll finally have my driver's license.

Since I didn't make the cutoff for mailing gifts, my recipients can enjoy New Years gifts.  I'm typically slow on the draw, but at least the post office will be less crazy.  I literally freeze up when I see the crowded lines.  I tried arming myself with a book and some coffee, but it didn't work.  I'll try to remember to ship before Thanksgiving, next year. *heavy sigh*

#144 kirby:

I sent a package out to my sister the same day as I sent yours. I was so amused that the packages likely traveled together for most of their journey to their destinations!

Thanks for word of the weather. It comforted my mother. She heard about some tornadoes in AR and was a little freaked out.

#145 rissa:
Good luck! :)

GN: I'm working my last shift of 2013 today. The studio will be closed for ten whole days! I normally work six days a week so I'm pretty excited.

K: tornadoes happen throughout the year, but the spring season is the heaviest. Hopefully your sister has a plan in place for when they pop up. Tell her to get the 40/29 app on her phone. She can sign up for phone/email alerts from several different stations. 40/29 and KNWA are the 2 main stations here.

I hate the snow and freezing temps and gray skies, but at least tornadoes are a rare event in these parts. Always something to be grateful for, I guess . . .

BN: We're all sick, nasty cold
GN: we didn't have any plans for new-years eve anyway.

Hey! I'm in today's paper!

That's good by the way. Not the bad kind of news. They did a 1/2 page about me getting my National Board certification and other professional accomplishments.

Congratulations!!

congrats, kirby!

congrats Kirby!

good for you Kirby!

sorry about the family cold rissa

Way to go, Kirby!

Congratulations Kirby!

BN: I have a cold.
GN: I'm still on holiday vacation until Monday, so I'm able to take time to rest and hopefully rebound quickly.

yeah I have no clue where that it oops

GN: Had heating oil delivered. Just in the nick of time, too. Phew.

We're stuck at home again today. We had one day of school so far this week. 1/2 of Spring Break is gone (as well as MLK day, President's day, Good Friday, and some other days in May). If we miss any more they'll be made up at the end of the year. We missed a professional development day that I have no idea how they'll make up. They're required to have it in before June. I (of course) already have over 3x of the amount of hours I need, but there are always those that struggle to get their hours in by the end of the school year.

Hey! I forgot to tell you guys that I picked up 2 books of the HP forever stamps. They're different stills from several movies. I'd rather have some of the illustrations from the books, but it's a neat little collectors item. When I asked the postmaster about them she got really excited that someone was asking for them. I think I found a new friend!

I bought a book of those to use for my Christmas cards this year, but I'm thinking I may see if I can get another book just to keep.

It was warm today! The temperature got all the way up to 31 degrees! (Farenheit)
Whoo! Heat wave!

I got a new (to me) car last Saturday!!!! I had pushed my old car about as far as it would go, forcing it to last much longer than it was intended to, but I had thought I'd need to keep pushing it until August, when my husband's car will be paid off. Then, last Thursday, my husband found out he was getting an unexpected market rate adjustment to his salary starting this month, so we were able to pick up a second car payment without too much stretching needed. Given that I my old car stalled out at an intersection last month, while I had Rex in the car with me, this is a huge blessing for us. Plus, with the extreme cold we had this week, I would've been very nervous about my old car holding out. And everything really aligned for me to get my new car, as I found my dream car - a Subaru Outback - recently used, with low mileage, and at a great price, which is virtually unheard of, as Subarus hold their value and last a long time. I've been a very happy, relieved driver this week. :)

Congratulations on the new to you car and welcome to the world of Subaru! You will love it, especially for winter driving.

Thanks, compski!

I take it you have a Subaru...what model?

An Outback Sport, which is a smaller wagon. It gets me everywhere, and this winter that is saying a lot! According to the local paper, we have had over 90 inches of snow!

I don't think I told you guys, but we're getting a new puppy on the 25th. We started looking about a month after Kirby died (last march), but the only dogs they ever have at the shelters within 100 miles are always very large dogs. Apparently the smaller dogs go really fast in our area.
Anyway, our newest family member is a schnoodle. I think we've settled on the name Lily. I'll try to post a picture, but I don't know if it will work from my phone.

Drat! It didn't work!

Aww, what a sweetie!

Oh she's beautiful! Congrats!

#169: 90 inches already?! Wow!!

#170: Yay, kirby! She's a cutie!

As some of you have seen via Facebook, my sister was hit by a car Wednesday afternoon while she was standing outside her school, working dismissal. The driver was in the pick-up lane and blacked out, resulting in the car accelerating up onto the sidewalk and hitting my sister, and possibly also another teacher (she's unsure if both the car and my sister hit her, or just my sister, who fell off the car onto her). Miraculously, my sister only has a concussion - she cracked the windshield with her head - and likely a torn MCL, as the car hit her first in the knee, and of course lots of soreness and bruising. No children were injured, and while the situation was obviously chaotic, my sister's fellow teachers and school staff apparently did an exemplary job executing practiced emergency plans.

It's been a stressful two days, and will continue to be so, as my sister recovers. There's also the possibility of a lawsuit, depending on how insurance coverage plays out. We are all astounded by my sister's good fortune to not be more seriously injured. Any prayers and thoughts for healing you can send her way, and to the other teacher and driver (who is still hospitalized), would be greatly appreciated!

Oh grk, I'm so sorry. I'm glad your sister is OK. Sounds like she has an angel on her shoulder! Sending healing thoughts and prayers your way.

ditto. Wishing a speedy recovery to esch person.

Wow! I'm glad it wasn't more severe, and hope everyone recovers quickly.

She needs her eyes cleaned, but here's our pup today. 1 more week!

SQUEEEEE.....PUPPY!
She's home! She needs a bath, but she's home.

This is after we played for a while and she got a hold of my hair. Let's just say my hair wasn't in a neat ponytail any more.


And here's Finn checking her out some more. This ended up being the safest way for him to check her out. He weighs 19 pounds and she's at 3.8 pounds.

so much puppy cuteness!

Yay, new puppy!

Finn is doing much better with her that we expected. Ever since Kirby died last February he has been very protective of us around other dogs. They've spent some time bonding and he keeps checking on her at night.

Today Finn and I played outside catching the frisbee. Once he was good and tired she came out and got to play around him. He pretty much ignored her. He is also sleeping in bed every night. Usually he sleeps in bed about 1/2 of the time and on the couch 1/2 of the time. I think it's because of her whining that he doesn't want to be in there. Right now they're both napping on the couch with mom.

Bad news: Drought.

Good news: This ducky is adorable!

It isn't my ducky. I'm just adding to the cute of the thread.

Congrats on the new puppy!

aww ducklings are so cute

GN: have a carseat-sized box of baby and maternity clothes ready to go get donated. and I have 2 sizes grow into kid clothes organized.
BN: I still have about 5 more sizes left to do (seriously, why do we have so many kid clothes?)

GN: So one of mom's snowed in projects was to go through books on her TBR bookshelf. Yea! I love organizing! She also wants to add them to her LT catalog that she created a few years back, and wants to keep up with it often. This is great, and a perfect place for her to continue learning computer skills (she's only been using a computer for a couple of years). She helps enter and take off books on my classroom LT account all the time.
BN: She doesn't remember her password, and I can't figure it out either. She also didn't put her email address with it, so we can't do a reset. :(

>187 kirbyowns:- e-mail someone on the LT staff about the problem.

GN:  Just got my copy of the third book in the Lunar Chronicles!

188: I'll have to do that for her.

189: Oooh...I didn't know it was out yet! I'll have to look for it.

GN: 1/2 of my homework for this week has been pushed back for Tuesday at midnight instead of Sunday.
BN: It's because we were out of school for 4 days this week and weren't able to observe our students for our case studies.
GN: I'm finished with what's due!
BN: The homework in this class is eating my lunch! I'm glad this is the last class in the project. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed taking the classes. I'm very lucky to get accepted into the grant that is paying for these classes, the books, and the TESOL certification test. Only 10 from my school district were accepted. Compared to the other classes for this project there is an unbelievable amount of homework. I don't even think any of my classes towards my masters had this amount of homework, and I was taking 3 of those a semester.
N: I'm trying to decide if I should continue towards another masters degree. It won't make any difference in my pay scale as a teacher since I already have a masters. Now that I'm a NBCT, I don't know if this is the next step or I should continue on towards a doctorate.

I've got my newest DonorsChoose project up and running. I'm not asking anyone to donate from LT, but though you might be able to help me get the word out. Here's my project: http://www.donorschoose.org/project/help-get-our-brains-moving/1172915?challenge...
I'm asking for a class set of stability discs, since my current stability seating is quickly breaking or has disappeared. I loaned a few out last year for teachers to try, and they never returned. We've had 2 balls, 2 discs, and 1 stool break so far this year. The others may not last much longer!

Please feel free to put on any of your social media sites. Today is the last day for matching donations with the code INSPIRE. I'm not sure if any more matching programs will come up in the near future. This project us up until sometime in May.
Thanks to all who share in advance!

190:  I just finished it last night.  I'm one to gripe about how liberally the word "girl" is used, and for the love of whatever, don't throw in a female soldier if you're constantly referring to them as "men" on the whole.  Other than that, I enjoyed this one as much as I did the others.

192: I picked it up Thursday night. I'm going to try and finish Divergent before I begin reading it. However, it is just sitting on my night stand in my TBRN bag...peaking out at me.

193:  I think I'm going to give my niece the first two books of the series for her birthday.  In a couple of years, I'll introduce her to Graceling, if she hasn't read it by then.  Come to think of it, if she hasn't, already, she MUST read Dealing with Dragons.  I've got some shopping to do.

I need some advice (I'm sure the Daily Prophet has advice columns):  I've received a bunch of gift cards, but I know I won't be able to use one of them.  The original giver of said gift card won't know if I regift it, right?  And it isn't low of me to regift a gift card that I can't use, because I know someone else will appreciate it, and regifting essentially saves me a bunch of time, which is a gift in and of itself, right?? ^^;

Kirbyowns--I put your project on my FB page; my friends were awesome donors for my several projects. I hope it helps.

Here's my plug: I signed my school up for a contest from Jan Brett to do a free school visit next school year. Go to her Facebook page, and "like" my school. Rapoport Academy in Waco, TX 76705. I'm also asking everyone I know (my FB friends, the entire school district and parents) to like us as well. The school with the most likes wins. So even if you don't FB, ask your friends who do!

194:
Hmmm I don't think it'll do any harm to anybody if you regift it, if you don't it will just sit around gathering dust right? Anyway, we got monday and tuesday off! Extra time to finish homework and stuff :D very important, i also get to see one of my best friends that i haven't seen in forever and a half!!!

#194: I don't see a problem with that.

194: I don't see any problem regifting, unless you have a relative like mine who writes your name on the gift card. I usually trade my unwanted cards online. I used Cardpool last time. :o)

194: Regifting gift cards is OK by me! Depending on where they're to, you might also look into donating them to a school or non-profit that could use them to buy supplies, etc.

I don't know how much longer we'll have power today. We've had ice, snow, and sleet all day long. It's expected to continue for 12 more hours or so. It's been pretty interesting listening to this weather. Strong winds, ice pellets (which hurt!), and thunder. I've only seen a few flashes of lightning. It seems that more people are being smart and staying off the roads today. There has been one fatal car crash over near Rogers.
Most schools are canceling for tomorrow. I know we're out.

Bleh:  I'd been doing so well, and yesterday, I came down with a bug.  Today confirms that it's a nasty one.  I'm going to use up all of California's water reserves to quash this complaint.  The theory goes, if you soak in the bathtub for about 20 minutes, you can slightly raise your body temperature and help kill whatever your body is fighting.  HELP being the operative word, and don't do anything silly if you're feeling really unwell!

Hi, guys. I think this is the best thread for me to write this post.

I recently came out as a gay man to all my friends and family. Everyone has been very supportive and accepting and I couldn't have asked for a better reaction from anyone. The fear of rejection and the journey to accept me for who I am has been difficult. I am in such an amazing place personally that I still can't believe it's real. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. And I know I won't have bad reactions from any of my HE friends but I thought it important to share these news with you guys.

Love, Ronald.

Ronald!!! **biggest hugs** I am so, so, SO proud of you - coming out is the hardest thing many of us in the community ever do, and I am thrilled to hear that you've been received so well. Congratulations on your giant step toward being your most authentic (and awesome) self.

Congratulations Ron! I'm so glad you're "news" has been well received!

That's wonderful, Ron! Congratulations and best wishes!

Love and hugs and cheers to you, Ron!!!

>202 Renald128: Thanks for your updates here and on your other thread, Ron. I'm glad you are feeling safe, happy, and supported by family and friends both in "real life" and here. :-)

:) Congrats Ron! I know that can be such a scary step to take. I'm happy that it went well.

I'm honored that you feel safe to come out with your news to us Ron! Sending more hugs and love to our dear friend!

Thanks for all your words, gals! You are awesome :D

Have been very lax lately in reading threads, so just catching up some. My life is kind of a mess now, mostly because I have no work to speak of (very unusual in my decade or so of freelancing, but scary), and thus no funds. Yikes.

Ron, delighted to join in those congratulating you! Now, let us know when you find a boyfriend worthy of you!!

ejj, I can imagine that's pretty anxiety-producing. Hang in there; sending lots of good vibes, and let us know if we can send you any leads along with!

Ooo...look who has a fancy new staff tag!

Sending good thoughts ejj!

I need to figure out how to cancel the staff tag *before* posting - I Xed it out after posting, but I guess it takes a minute to stick?? Clearly I am not on the programming side of things ;)

Wait, what? I missed the fancy new staff tag.
Hope you find some work soon, ejj. Enough to keep you busy, but not too busy!

>215 jugglingpaynes: It'll show up for a split-second before I red-X it after each post here; I won't have much occasion to be "official" on Talk since I work for LTFL, so I just have to remember to toggle it off after each comment!

(Did ya catch it?) ;)

#211: Thanks, ejj! I will absolutely tell you guys if I find someone worthy of me ;)...Hoping work goes your way soon!

#217: Darn it! I missed it, although I did catch the "T" in another thread earlier :P

GN: finally got my driver's license today!

rissa- congratulations!

#211 - Hang in there, ejj!

#219 - Yay, rissa!

New mattresses:
For me=wonderful night of sleep
For Finn=ecstatic that Lily can't teach the top of the bed any more

It's like climbing Pike's Peak to get on this new bed. Why haven't I had the Euro style before?

222: kirby! I've been thinking of you. I hope you and your family are safe after all that crazy weather.

So...Many of you who are friends with me on FB already know this, and I want to thank all of you who have already sent you love, thoughts, prayers etc. For the rest of you:

Bad news, my husband lost his job on Monday. He was part of a group that was laid off after the company lost a major client that was more than half of their business.

Good news: We will get through this, and we choose to keep positive about it. I will expect all you HEers to keep me smiling through it all, so please continue to pass any good/funny jokes and stories on for my benefit. :o)

Funny news: Every morning for over a week now, Rex has requested that we listen to "We Built This City" as we drive to school. He first heard it last summer, as we were driving to the beach: it's on a college-era mixed CD I randomly popped in, and he LOVED it! What's hilarious now, though, is that he's heard it enough that he knows most of the words, with funny mistakes for those he doesn't, and absolutely nails the inflection. It has made our morning commute (and several afternoons, too) much more entertaining. :)

>223 jugglingpaynes: Sorry to hear it. Hang in there!

>224 grkmwk: Adorable!

BN: Sophie had surgery yesterday to remove a small lump in her side.

GN: Because the lump wasn't attached to anything vital, and because Sophie is still fairly young, the vet is optimistic. Meanwhile, Sophie is recovering. She's in good spirits and can't understand why I won't let her do all of the stuff she normally does, like jump onto the furniture or chase the laser pointer. Also, I bought her clothes to keep her from licking her sutures out, and her reaction has been similar to that of Winky the house elf.

#223: Mutombo and Kasongo went through the same thing a few years ago. I have no doubt your family will get through this!

#224: You need to introduce him to the Muppets version.

#225: Love to Sophie!

grk: Video please!
Thanks foggi and bib.

We're safe. We have a new storm shelter (our Christmas present to each other), but we didn't use it. The storm split around our town and went north and south of us. That actually happens a lot. We're right on the state line, and for some reason sometimes severe storms split around our town when it hits the state line. We still get our share, but we're lucky most of the time.

A friend of mine, William Kent Krueger just won an Edgar Award for his book "Ordinary Grace". It's a great book!

GN: completed my first half-marathon (walking)
BN: I'm fairly out of shape, so not I'm pretty sore.

Good work, rissa! I hope you had a hot shower and some time to put your feet up and relax.