Travelling with Andrew

Andrew and I went to the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge. It was a very educational day and I think he actually had a bit of fun. I wish it wasn't so far away from Hermiston, a nice field trip, but not when it is a four hour round trip, just driving.
I had Andrew with me for a little over a week and I so enjoyed his company. It was unfortunate that the apartment manager closed the pool because some residents are idiots. We did go to McNary Park, but the mosquitoes were absolutely crazy and we didn't stay very long. He can say he swam in the Columbia River, so that's cool.

We also went to Tamastsklit, not sure I spelled it correctly, it was really nice and we were able to take our time. I wanted to visit the Village, but my heat issues were not supportive of being outside in 90 degree weather.

Neglect

I have been doing a lot of writing. Hence, I have done little writing here. My three weeks with the Oregon Writer's Project is nearly up, only two days left. My writing over the last three weeks became more of soul search. I wrote about fathers, daughters, and Andrew. I presented a lesson on Japanese Internment and the novel Farewell to Manzanar. I have learned so much about writing and responding and sharing. I am also two assignments behind, this is a fairly typical state for me when taking a class, so I am not stressed. I have had a cold for five days, yes five, the directions on the package of DayQuil say to consult with a physcian if you are sick for five days. I wonder why that is? Since I don't need a doctor's note to miss work, I'm not gonna spend money on a doctor.
I think the dogs are pissed at me, we haven't gone a walk for over five days, yes not surprising, but they like the walks. I like the walks. But, unlike when I just feel lazy and then guilty because I don't take them for longer walks, I am fairly guilt free this time. My tinnitus is driving me crazy. When I get a cold, like this one, my ears get plugged and the ringing is so loud at times that I have to turn up the TV or radio or iPod. And though I have become used to the always present slight ringing, so I am never in silence, ever; the extra loud ringing is driving me crazy. Ok, not literally crazy, but it is very annoying.
I hope my family comes to visit me soon. The only one who has seen my new apartment is Andrew and that is because I came and got him. I miss them. I think it will get worse once I am through with the Writing Project because I really don't have any friends here. It's all me, but no interaction will be lonely.
I really miss my family.

In class :-)

Here I am in my second day of the OWP Institute! I am loving it, loving my new computer, and generally in a very good mood. I bought a new desk yesterday and almost broke it so bad I would have had to buy another. Good save on my part. Tonight I have the assingment of Madmening myself! I am excited.

New Computer

I hesitate to tell you all that I have purchased a new computer, because in about two months I will most surely be lamenting that I am bereft of funds. I should be just fine, but in case I'm not, just warning you ahead of time.
I start with Oregon Writing Project tomorrow. I am excited, I am scared, I am renewed. Yep already feeling the overwhelming need to start creating great lessons. Of course, I have to get Microsoft Office on this computer so I can actually edit and modify my old lessons and begin creating new ones.
It is a beautiful day and I think it is about time to take the dogs to the park for a walk. Stocked up with water in the car and ready to battle the blinking ticks.

How the voicing of annoyances help them go away

Ok, so they don't go totally away, but they move to the back and become less pervasive. It isn't that this hasn't to me in the past, it is just the realization of continued annoyances that have suddenly calmed. Yesterday I spent a portion of the afternoon venting with a colleague. It is sometimes a very, ok most times, bad idea to voice concerns, annoyances, etc to a colleague especially when it is about a mutual colleague. But since I have no friends here to vent to, she became the person I had to talk with. The worst part of being annoyed with a colleague is that what annoys you is sometimes previous baggage. But with the baggage unloaded the annoyance seems so much less irritating. When people do things because their heart is in the right place, it is difficult to be a critic, but sometimes the heart overrides the good sense. Sometimes it is the heart that is the issue, it is the mind. When we are just generally surly about everything that can effect everything we do while the attitude is with us. When that attitude bleeds over to others that have nothing to do with reasons for the surly attitude then that is a problem. I try very hard to not let my negative attitude spill over to my students. That is usually an advantage to the problem student of the day as I don't jump down anyone's throat. Which is not always a good thing, because students need to have throats readjusted from time to time.
I look forward to doing more direct instruction in the coming school year. I am excited to give the students some motivation to come to school. At least I hope the direct instruction gives them the motivation. I worry about having to align my class with what my teaching colleague is doing. I am so very anal about my lessons, about making sure the information, activities, etc. follow as I planned and him, not so much.
I am excited about attending the Oregon Writing Project Institute in Pendleton the next three weeks. Watch lessons that work and scary thought teaching one. I just have to find one I have used in the past that I felt was successful. It's been two years, but I hope that as go through those old lesson plans that I will find the ones that worked. I know some teachers are so invested in their lessons that they don't want criticism, good or bad, I relish it! I want to give my students the best that I can.
Today is gloomy day environmentally, I hope the school day is bright.

Senior Days

Graduation is the 2nd of June and my Seniors are working their tails off, ok not all of them, but most of them. Right down to the wire and I still get the questions, "Do I have to do this?" The answer, "Yes you do." I am still amazed at how a student can come in after being gone for 8 or 9 days and ask me if they are going to graduate. If they had been working on their work during that time, it would be the easy answer of "maybe." But it usually the ones who don't work from home that are so amazed that they aren't going be done in time to walk at graduation. The students who are working really hard, but are so behind, that is always hard. But the ones who think that they can magically walk if they have half a year of credits to get done, not so much heartburn over them. It, of course, make me sad that they can't walk, but they made their bed by not coming to class but every 9 days or so, so they don't get dropped. But work from home, or come in every day and work, heaven's forbid.
On to other annoyances, yellow jackets. The darn things come in the apartment because I leave the sliding glass door open so the dogs can go sun themselves, and the damn things fly up to the skylight windows. I can't wack them with a newspaper when they are way up there. It is very annoying.
Let's see, another annoyance is people at the apartment complex who don't pick up after their dogs! The management has even put up poop stations to help out with the poop-picking-up and people still don't do it. I saw a cartoon a really long ago showing an alien landing at a dog park and watching the people walking following their dogs around and picking up the poop. The alien figuring it knows who the intelligent life is, addresses the dogs. Too funny.

So beautiful

Each day brings a new kind of beauty to my new home here in Hermiston. The weather has been a bit on the hot side, but the beauty is just sigh worthy. With the lengthening days I miss star gazing when I take the dogs out for their night walk. I assume, not being a student of the stars that one of the stars I still can see is the north star, mainly because it is the brightest star and it sits in the northern sky. It is these times that I wish I had an IPad with the astronomy app. It is also a really nice computer, that I can't afford. I do need a new computer, my trusty old lady is getting slow and I can't update anything.
My students are working hard to get their work done so they can graduate. Ok, a few of them. Of course, most are only realizing that their slacker attitudes the rest of the year has come to bite them in the ass now. I have one student working on his last half credit; a couple on their last two, and most on their last four or more. I so want them all to be done. They want me to "help" them out by skipping assignments or lower my standards. I just can't do that. I just can't. It is sort like how many of them wouldn't "snitch" on a friend. It is so a part of who I am.
It is important to me that my students get the knowledge that a grade in Communications 4 says they have. I don't get so off track with them that I don't get through the content. Just because they are in alt school doesn't mean that it is more important for them to get "soft" counseling instead of the course content they need for whatever class I am going to give them credit for. I mean really, every other student has to do the content.
But back to the beauty that surrounds me. As a rule I don't like poetry, but I see it everywhere around me. I remember this poem from a drive to Willamina during my last year there.
It peeks at me, as I drive
It follows me glancing around the trees
It hides behind the mountain
I drive having to follow the road
It jumps out from behind the mountain and smiles greyly at me
Behind me, the other glows orangely red
I can see it trying to make the other go away
It hides and the peeks slyly at me
Ah in full view it almost waves as it dips below the mountain range
It says goodbye, as the other waves hello

Lame huh? No rhyme scheme, no meter, just words. But that is poetry, not what you see, but what I see.