Free stuff

1. TheSam and I went out for dinner a few weeks ago. We were eating local, so not a chain place. It's a cool brewhouse with a HUGE food menu as well as brews. The manager was doing a walk around and checking on tables. We had great food and great service. The manager was just chatting, what were doing the rest of the evening, did we like the city, had we eaten there before, just general chatting. We talked about all the great eateries and how often we went out for food, that we were "new foodies" but we loved his place and would be back. He wanted to know if we were ordering dessert and we said no and we talked about how they are famous (and they are, locally) for their peanutbutter pie. We talked about how good it sounds and all of a sudden, he just offers us a free piece to share. Seriously. He leaves and comes back 5 minutes later with a "piece" of pie- a slice that was probably a quarter of the whole pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TheSam and I shared it and it was the best peanut butter pie I've ever had in my entire life. And it was free, just because. I thought that was the coolest thing ever! And so nice. We thanked the guy profusely. How generous!

2. About two weeks ago TheSam and I were eating out- again- this time at a BBQ place. This is a chain place- there are 22 joints. These are are here in the Midwest and I could drive to all of them, if I wanted, all about a 2 hour radius from here. Not entirely local but started out small and local and at least stayed centralized. We go here at least one time a month and we love it. We see some of the same people each time we go so we're becoming "regulars."

We talked to the manager, when he stopped at our table, again having had great food and service, and was just doing the chatting thing. He asked if we were going to have fresh peach cobbler and I said no because I was on a diet and we all laughed. TheSam said he wasn't on a diet but he wasn't because he was full and we all laughed. About 5 minutes later the manager comes back and hands TheSam a go sack with a piece of still warm cobbler in it (with homemade whipped cream, on the side). He said it was on the house and for later and he winked at me and said if I decided to cheat on my diet, I should make him share. They had some guy bonding moment and left. That was so nice, again we were so surprised and pleased, and thankful. And impressed.

3. A couple nights ago TheSam and I popped into McAlister's Deli for a cookie and iced tea. We sat in a booth just chilling out. We knew they closed in about 20 minutes and there were still other customers so we sat. The manager stopped at the table to see if we wanted tea refills and we said sure. I told him I had unsweetened tea since I was sweet enough and we all laughed. He brought our cups back- full_ and then returned about 2 minutes later with a GALLON of the unsweetened tea for ME!!!! Just for no reason. He said he was closing soon and would toss it, they had just made is not even an hour ago so it was fresh. I thanked him so much and again, just overwhelmed with these kindnesses. And guess what? Not 3 minutes later he comes back with another gallon of sweet tea for TheSam since "he needed sweetening up" and we laughed. Yes, he gave us not one but 2 gallons of free tea!!!!! Isn't that amazing? And awesome? And kind!?!

I like it when something good happens out of the blue. It's so rare these days, but so appreciated!

Mags

Wiley rocks!

Wiley rocks. I mean, Wiley totally rocks. She's my loyal blog reader from "down under" as we Americans say about anyone who lives in Austrailia. And she sent me a present.

She sent me Tim-Tams. These are, unarguably, the best cookies on the face of the Earth. I know, I know. I feel completely disloyal to my former favorites, the Mallomars. But TimTams by far surpasses all other cookies... even the infamous Oreo. I know, I think I'm going to cookie hell for this.

But she sent me some a awhile back to prove how delicious they really are! Then I open my mail yesterday and guess what super treat I find in an envelop? A WHOLE HUGE package of Tim Tams. For me! A chocolate wafer cookie with chocolate filling, dipped in chocolate. The word YUMMERS comes to mind!!! They should be called "Almost as good as sex" cookies.

Thank you Wiley from the bottom of my heart, for the treat. Sent all those miles. To me. Wow. All because I was having a bad week. Thank you.

I think I have the best blog readers on the face of the Earth.

Community Service

My middle school wants our 8th graders to be "well rounded citizens". Well, duh- it's a nice idea in theory but the approach is a pain in butt.

Here's the deal: the kids get "points" for their grades, attendance, behavior, standardized test scores, and extra curricular activities. For a kid who makes good grades, plays a sport or joins a club, doesn't miss much school and passes the standardized tests, this is no big deal. For about 95% of the 8th grade population, this is no big deal. BUT!!!! (yes, there is always a BUT!!!!)

Well, I guess before the "but" I should also say the 8th grade teachers claim that they have the nerve/ the right/ the guts/ the whatever to tell kids who have passing grades, good attendance, who are NOT behavior problems and who pass their standardized tests that they will not allow these kids to PASS to the 9th grade because they don't have any community service hours or because they aren't participating in an extra curricular. You read that right- no passing because of that lack. I think that's one of the stupidest things in the world. And I am pissed.

Now remember what I do? I work with mild special ed kids, and LD and ED kids. These kids, for the most part, HATE school with a passion, usually are discipline problems, fail their standardized tests, and never have any extra curriculars because they hate school and want to be as far away from the place as they can be, once that bell rings. (Or their parents don't have money to pay for them to join anything, they don't have transportation home from something after school!) So MY kids are the ones who are in danger of passing because they have a low amount of points to begin with. So last week, the 8th grade teachers had individual conferences with these kids, and told them they needed 20 community service hours by May 14 or they would not be able to go to 9th grade. Outrageous!

Where are MY kids going to get community service hours? Really? Most people would take one look at them and say they weren't interested in their help. Most don't have parents who can help guide them; obviously, or they wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. Most of my kids don't have a way to GET to a place to work. Who thought of this whole stupid idea?!?

So, I decided since this is stupidest thing I've heard this year, and I teach special ed so I hear a lot of stupid shit, I'm going to make sure the kids get their hours. I called Curley, who works at our local senior citizen rec. centre here in town and tell her about the BS at school and can she help me get 5-12 kids some hours. With her help and with the help of her boss, I have time slots for my kids to go in to volunteer every day, beginning today, until next Friday.

I arranged transportation from the school to the centre, and I'll be taking them home. And I'm staying to oversee this huge bunch of kids for the two hours they're spending working. The kids will be doing anything from yard work to "house cleaning" to stocking the food pantry to moving furniture. The won't really be interacting with senior citizens because we get there so late in the day that most of the 'senior' activities are over.

Tonight, after school, I took the first load of kids over; I had five. These are kids who hate school, really don't have typically good adult interactions, most have criminal records, and in general, aren't kids most adults like nor approve of. WELL!!! My kids totally ROCKED!

They were polite and worked so very hard. They did everything they were asked with very little screwing around, and NO bad attitudes. They stocked the food pantry today and they did as they were told: lugged and hauled food, stocked shelves, cleaned, organized, cut up card board to recycle... I am so proud of them. They used manners (and I didn't even have to give them the manners pep talk) and were very respectful. I am so proud of them. I couldn't be more pleased.

We have five more days to go of this and if each day goes this well, it will be more than worth it. They were phenomenal. I think they deserve monstrous kudos.

And they deserve to be freshmen next year. Hands down. Today reminded me why I like teenagers, and why I don't like school policies.

Not sweating the small stuff

You know several years ago there was a book that came out called Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and It's All Small Stuff? Well, first I want to say that it is ALL NOT small stuff- there is big stuff; this is life so there's just BIG stuff. That's the way it is.

BUT, I'm not going to focus on the BIG stuff; my purpose is the not sweating part. What got me thinking about this was an incident at McDonald's this morning. I went through the drive-thru and ordered a large coffee, 1 cherry pie, and a sausage biscuit; all three items are on the $1 menu. I paid, got my food, and drove away. I opened my sack and had 2 cherry pies and a sausage. cheese and egg McMuffin. In a past life this would've pissed me off to the point of either calling McDonald's and yelling, or going back and demanding the right food. Hell, I HAVE done that in the past. For whatever reason, today, I shrugged my shoulders and ate it.

Tonight, I was knitting something (don't ask- I'll explain later, in another post, about ME knitting!) and I was trying to find the end of a new skein of yarn. I pulled and pulled the wrong end until I had a huge wad of yarn on the floor and I couldn't "put it back together" again. rather than it freak me out or had me angry, I just figured I'd untwist a bunch and knit with it, then stop and untwist a bunch more and continue until I was done. Should I stop and wind it into a ball? Oh, probably. But It doesn't bother me the other way, and I'm just going to unravel it to knit with it so.... I just don't mind.

I realize these are just two examples, and both happened today, BUT this is just how I've been lately. I can think of several times this has happened. Being stuck in traffic and I just wait patiently, having 27 people hang up on me while doing telemarketing and I keep calling, waiting patiently in ling behind the crazy lady at the bank and I just read a book I had in my purse, or the old lady at the post office who... well, it doesn't matter HOW long she took; I just watched people come and go... the list goes on and on. Most stuff that would normally send my blood boiling just seems to roll of me. Nope, I'm not in love, nope I haven't come into a large sum of money (darn it!!), nope I'm not taking anti- depressants... I really think I'm starting to mellow. I could also be so depressed that I'm past the point of caring, but that argument doesn't seem to hold much water... I really thinking I'm learning to mellow. Wow. I'm as shocked as you are.

Am I completely mellow and lost in my own sense of euphoria, and becoming one with all things calm? Hella, no! But I'm headed that way. So I have a secret or a trick that's making it happen? Not that I can think of at all... I am taking some advice from a wonderful friend, Jas. he is so positive, and has such a happy energy, and his mindset and way of thinking is amazingly good, that it's hard to NOT be happy. And to take his example and try to be cherry... well, something is working and I think he's set a good example for sure.

I am still a control freak and have some issues with that; there are certainly things, especially job/career related, that get me "fired" up. Hell, I work in education so I obviously have some control issues. But I don't think you can look at me and see "Control Freak" tattooed across my forehead any more. I don't think if you run into me in the hallway, I sound like a stretched rubber band any longer. I have a bit more.... elastic in me, I guess, to continue with the analogy.

It was one of those big "a-ha" moments for me. Seriously! The "a-ha" started while I was eating an Egg McMuffin I didn't order. Hmmm, guess ya never know when brilliance is gonna happen!

I'm lovin' it,
Maggie

Johnny Depp Friday

Why? Because I wanted to, because I can, just... because I felt like it!

They Like me, they really like me!

OMG- my first blogger award!!!!!!!! Now, how cool is that? I could go on and on and thank all those who made this possible and... well... as I told The Prodigal Tourist and his wife who presented me with this lovely award, I would be one of those Academy Award winners the orchestra would cut off and they would be forced to go to commercial because I would never stop gushing...

TPT thinks I have a good attitude- so thank you!

I want to pass the award on to:

• Farrago for always being an honest blogger that makes me laugh, sometimes in spite of myself!
• Tense Teacher who tells it like it is and stays human at the same time
• Ty-Anna for always finding the good side of everything, and helping me see good things
  

Again, thank you TPT for this award!