Said No Teacher Ever

It's almost time for school to be out here.  One of the things you'll hear from our teachers as they try to finish the zillion tasks due by the last day of school is...
"4 1/2 more days!  But who's counting?!"

Here are some things teachers never say, courtesy of Some Ecards.

And a bonus!

Play and link up with Thursday Thirteen!

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a little random and coffee chat

Linking up with Stacy.

Life is a series of ups and downs, peaks and valleys, and I think I'm in a valley right now.  Makes me think of that song by Aretha Franklin and George Michael, Knew You Were Waiting for Me... except who's waiting for me?  They sing about the mountain being high and the valley being low...



 But seriously... sometimes when you're in one of the valleys of life, it seems like you will never get out.  You know you will, but that ride back up seems like it will never happen.  Trying to stay positive gets more difficult each day.

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I guess I am much more cynical now than I was as a young woman.  Back then, I daydreamed about romance and chivalry.  Now, I'm more practical. 

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~~Giggle~~

One of the many reasons I feel as if I am in a valley, besides relationships and work, is that I was injured at work last week by a reckless student.  It wasn't intentional, but it hurt.  I've got the neck, shoulder, and back pain to prove it and the bruises on my upper leg.  Colorful bruises.  So I have to go back to the workman's comp doctor today.  My school will cover me for an hour to go to my appointment.  I think they should have given me a day or two off.  But, no.

And speaking of valleys... Some good news is that I've found a delicious new snack! Nature Valley Biscuits with Peanut Butter.  I don't know why they call them biscuits because they more like cookies, Nutter Butter type cookies, just a little less sweet.  They're so good!  They're by the granola bars at the grocery store.

And now, Coffee Chat!

Our lovely hostess asks...

What song reflects your mood right now?

Hmmm.  I have a song above that speaks of mountains and valleys, but it's a little too upbeat for my current mood.

It took me a while to decide which song best suits my mood right now.  I considered Simon and Garfunkel's Sound of Silence.  And I thought about the Youngblood's Get Together.  Two Pink Floyd songs came to mind:  Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb.  I finally settled on this one.

That's all for now!

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Random Nonsense and Coffee Chat

I'm joining Stacy for some randomness.

Now here's a job I wouldn't want!  Snakehunter!  I hate snakes! They give me the heebie jeebies.

Snakehunter gets big paycheck after catching longest snake of the season. 

This happened in South Florida. The snake was 16 feet 10 inches long.  The snakehunter makes $8.10 an hour plus "bonuses."  He received $375.00 for the catch.  Really?  That's not much in my opinion.  Luckily, it's not his day job.  He's an orchid grower.  Talk about contradictory jobs!  There is no amount of payment large enough to entice me to catch a snake, much less to do so for a living!  How about you?

I can't put the picture here because I can't stand snakes, and I can't look at it more than is required to read the story, but if you're curious, click on the above link, and you will see it.  I can't even put a cartoon snake.  That's how much it bothers me!

So... I went to see The Circle.  I love Tom Hanks and Emma Watson.  The movie, however, was a little disappointing, particularly the ending.  It was one of those, "You decide what happens" endings.  I like my ending tied up with a pretty bow.  Haha!  The movie is about technology and the loss of privacy.  Have you seen it?  Are you planning to see it?

How was your Mother's Day?  Mine was pretty good.  I got some pretty cala lillies.  I got to spend time with my son and husband who took me to eat Tex-Mex.  They rarely agree to do that.  I skyped with my daughter for an hour and a half, and it was so much fun.  I even got a bubble bath!  Best of all, I didn't have to go to the grocery store!

And now... Coffee Chat with Rory Bore.

Our lovely hostess asks...
What gets you turning green?

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I'm typically not a very jealous person.  When I was younger, I was very jealous when it came to my romantic partner, but I think a lot of that comes from a lack of self-esteem and a fear of rejection.

Now that I'm older, it just isn't worth it to be jealous to the extent I once was.  I admit there are little twinges every now and then when I think a waitress is flirting with my husband right in front of me.  But it's just a twinge.  It goes away as easily as blowing a match out.

I do get envious about some things that people have.  I work with many people who live in nicer neighborhoods than I do, have pools, decks with hot tubs, more square footage, prettier decor, beautiful clothing, and so on.  I do feel some envy, but I don't feel that envy toward the people, just the fact that they have things I would like to have.  Then I remind myself that I have everything I need and most of what I want.  I thank God for that. Jealousy is really a self-defeating emotion.  I think this quote sums it up:

That's all for now!  Have a good week!

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Recycled Plastics

In my neighborhood, the waste management company collects recycled paper and plastic on a bi-weekly basis.  I know a lot of uses for recycled paper, but I wasn't really sure what happened to recycled plastic, so I did some research.

1.  Plastic containers are often used to make "new" plastic containers.
2. Plastic bags such as those from grocery stores can be made into new bags, but they can also be made into plastic lumber to make picnic tables and benches.

3. Milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and laundry detergent bottles can be recycled into playground equipment.
4.  Plastic bottles can be made into T-shirts.  It takes about ten soda bottles to make one T-shirt.

5. Plastic caps can be recycled into batteries for your car.
6.  Plastic bottles can be made into sleeping bags.

7.  Plastic bubble wrap could become a playground fence.
8.  Water bottles are sometimes used in carpeting.

9. Plastic bottle caps can be made into gardening rakes.
10. Plastic foam packing might be made into a picture frame.

11. The bottles of household cleaners may be used to make recycling bins.
12. A recycled soda bottle could become insulation in your new jacket (fiberfill).  It takes about 14 bottles to create enough fiberfill for one jacket.
13. Plastic bottle caps can become yarn.

I had no idea!  Thanks to The American Chemistry Council for the information.
Join the fun at Thursday Thirteen!

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A Little Random and Coffee Chat

I'm linking up with Stacy.

I'm gonna rant for a minute.  13 Reasons Why.  Have you seen it?  It's a Netflix series based on a book by Jay Asher.  Hannah Baker commits suicide, but before she does, she records messages for the people who have hurt her detailing the 13 reasons why she ends her life.

I don't know about you, but this series makes me mad.  First of all, I've got middle school students who've seen it, and it would definitely be rated R for language, drug use, and sexual situations. How do parents allow (or not know that) their children are seeing this?  The last "rape" scene (not the only one) and the suicide were particularly graphic.

Another thing some students are saying to people who make them mad or don't give them their way is, "You're my first reason."  They don't realize that suicide is not a joke!

Third, no one should use Hannah Baker as a barometer of how much humiliation is too much.  By her standards, I was probably made fun of or embarrassed so much that I should have committed suicide.  Frankly. I didn't see one sensible reason for her to commit suicide.  I realize that it's to point out that we should be kinder to each other, but I think they went about it the wrong way.

Her problems were not that horrible, not enough to want to kill herself.  She magnified the issues, which led to more negative thinking, and she dug herself in a hole.  I just don't feel like her reasons were really reasons.  Does anyone agree with me?

And one more thing... since when do high schools have students with multiple tattoos and body piercings?  Not in my school district in South Texas!  And students saying the F word in front of teachers.  Not so much.  Seemed really unrealistic to me.

I get that it is supposed to bring suicide awareness to the table as a topic worth talking about, and it is, but some girls could think they have it way worse than Hannah and kills themselves as a result.

Rant over.

Time for Coffee Chat

Our hostess says...
It's my birthday and Mother's Day soon... 
what should I do?

My suggestion is going to a

for some alone time.  Get a facial, a massage, a mani-pedi.
Take a book to read.  No phone.  Just a silk robe, chilled wine, chocolate dipped strawberries, and relaxation.  How does that sound?


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