Wishing for spring causes memories of a past one

A piece of writing about a spring I experienced while living in the Wild West...

I am now ensconced in springtime. I can hear the honking of the Canadian geese and when I look up, I see their perfect military like formation, their wings flapping in harmony with each other, propelling them across the sky. I hear the bray of cattle, which are grazing in a green field, paying no attention to me. I watch their tails flick bugs and the movement of their jaws as they roll cud around in their enormous mouths. Their black and white colors contrast the green drastically. Green is the dominant color, even the air appears green. The hint of grass as it starts to peer out of the dirt seems to look like a green spray painted ground. The dirt road is dark brown, muddy, from the rains, and cuts a swathed path through the greenness that hangs in the air.

Wet, damp earth infiltrates my nose and I inhale deeply, enjoying the scent. Wildflowers are just starting to bloom along the dirt path that could be a road and the floral tinge to the air makes me smile.

I pull my jacket from my shoulders and I enjoy the breeze across my skin, as welcome as a familiar lover. The sun hangs low on the horizon and the spring sunset has dark blues and purples chasing the reds and pinks across the almost night sky. The sunset paintbox is spilled and as the gloaming comes quickly, the green of the day disappears, and darkness quickly settles, leaving me to wait for the rebirth of yet another season.

Maggie

34. Try to learn a craft I've never done before

I couldn't cast on. I spent about 40 minutes of the class trying to cast on. Thus began my knitting class.

Yes, I took only one class and I'm not saying I won't try it again, but my list says "try" something. I did try it, at least once.

I'm not sure I even like it.

There's an awesome young woman who works at my local coffeeshop who hosts a free knitting class at said coffeeshop every Wednesday night. A couple weeks ago, Princess and I went.

We had some needles (big ones since everyone I know says those are easiest to learn on) and some practice yarn.

I also want to say this woman is a great teacher. She was patient and gave good explanations. She used analogies which I need. She showed me several times from different angles how to cast on. (For those of you who don't knit, this means gets some stitches on the needles to actually begin the project.) I want to make it clear this was not a "teacher" issue. It was really the student.

While Princess practically had half a blanket done I had about 6 stitches on my needles. I couldn't get my fingers and the yarn and the needles all coordinated together. I would loop in the wrong spot or drop something and end up with a knot-- somehow. None of us were sure how. I started over about 86 times. For some reason I just couldn't get it. We even tried different sized needles. It just wasn't working for me.

I couldn't even cast on let alone pearl or knit anything. (you know, "knit one, pearl two")

This is the most I managed to get done. Then the next three stitches I did were all wrong and we had to take it all off.

I tried to learn a craft I've never done before. I like the teacher so I'll probably go back at least once, maybe twice. I have hope. I have no knitting project but I have hope.

Thought I may never get a scarf or a blanket out of this craft, there were three positives: I did like drinking coffee, spending time with Princess, and getting to know K, the teacher.

Maggie

Random Random Random

I want to learn how to play the violin and the guitar and the piano. Sounds like I want to be my own band...

The Glee Soundtracks are my current favorite musical conglomeration ever.

I love my new cell phone/ hand held computer- the HTC, but the battery life sucks, sucks, sucks.

I'm going to make jello-o cake this weekend. My biggest challenge will be deciding on cherry or orange.

ITSam has his son this weekend and I don't have to work so I'm going to hang out and do nothing. Oh yeah, I couldn't do anything if I wanted since I don't HAVE A CAR.

ITSam had to explain condoms to his 11 year old son. I'm glad I wasn't around when they had discussion. I'm the parent who gave Mac all his sex talks. Once in my life for that was enough. Though, at lunch the other day, Princess actually asked me how lesbians had sex. Ugh!

Speaking of Princess, her bio-mom is coming to visit her this weekend. Gee, that's nice.

I took one knitting class. Is that enough to cross something off the 40 for 40?

Because of the asshat mechanics, I had to miss zumba this week. So much for being on an exercise roll.

I hate March.

Maggie the grump

I. hate. mechanics.

Last Friday my car wouldn't start. All my amateur mechanic friends worked on it to no avail so it went to the shop on Monday. I got a ride from Daddy-O on Friday and Saturday to my second job. A friend at work dropped me at home. Sunday I used his car to grocery shop. Mac used it for church. I hitched a ride to and from work with a relative of ITSam. Same Tuesday morning and afternoon.

Tuesday night around 5:30pm it was ready for pick up.

Wednesday morning it wouldn't start. Daddy-O let me take his car to work. ITSam got it started and thought he figured the problem. Wednesday night Princess and I were running around and it wouldn't start. I jiggled and wiggled stuff until it started.

Thursday morning it wouldn't start. It went back to the shop.

The owner of the shop called me today at work and told me the "new" problem. He also said, and I quote, "We'll have it done tonight if I have to stay here until 10 o'clock tonight and work on it myself."

At 5:45pm ITSam talked to them and they were still working on it. The guy on the phone said he would park it outside with the keys in it when they were done.

At 7pm it was not parked outside with the keys in it and there was not one single soul at that garage.

Because I was hoping they were on dinner break or went to get a part, I went back there about 10 minutes ago. It is STILL not parked outside.

It's been 8 days. Eight damn days, people!!!!!!! God created Earth in 7 and these asshats can't fix a flippin' ignition switch on a 10 year old Chevy in 8??????

Lying bastards.

I'm done being nice.

Tomorrow is Carmageddon.
Maggie

Deja vu

I started my school year filling in for an English teacher who was on maternity leave.

I was asked yesterday to sub for her today. And tomorrow. And Monday. (I'll explain in a later post about why she's not here at the moment. I have to think about how to word that post so no one around can accidentally stumble on it and find me. That would be bad.)

She had a different sub for the last five days. In that last five days that sub has written more than 40 demerits, has kicked kids out of the classroom, had 2 separate altercations with two different kids, and has cut their daily behavior points excessively. I'm actually being sent in to get things back under control.

Oh. My. God. I'm not a terminator; quite the opposite, actually. They want me because I am NOT a terminator. I'm... rainbows and bunnies--- with a twist of perky.

My administration decided it would be in the best interest of the students and the school to close the library for an indefinite period of time so I could come to the rescue in this class.

I'm flattered. I think.

Seriously, there's the possibility that I could just finish the rest of the year, back in that classroom.

Bust as for today... Today I subbed. The classroom teacher sent NO lesson plans so I winged it (or is it "wang it"?). I won't bore you with the details but suffice it to say I had a good day.

Number of demerits I wrote today= 0
Number of students I kicked out of class=0
Number of points I cut=o
Number of student altercations= 0
The looks on the faces of the fellow teachers who thought I, too, would fail= priceless

Let's hope I can have a repeat performance tomorrow.

Maggie

Song of the moment for me:

If he would just keep his big mouth shut

Mac got detention for more than just saying "shit." He told the teacher he was bored in her class. Now I'm saying sh**.

Mac loves his government class and he really likes the teacher. He's been in her other classes before and usually she teaches in lecture style discussion. She changed this class up completely and Mac had hated every minute of it. he's talked with her about is and she said because the state is changing to merit pay for teachers she's trying new teaching methods. And in Mac's opinion, it's not working.

So yesterday during class she gave them all a worksheet: 14 questions and 2 that she wanted answered in paragraphs.

Mac did all 14 and then answered the other 2 in a few sentences. He then read the directions. He told her he only answered in a few sentences and why should he write a paragraph if it doesn't take that much to give the correct answer. She told him to just do it.

It was toward the end of class and she was gathering the assignment and she told him to turn it in tomorrow. He started to give he the other 14 questions and she told him no. He said he would rather have some points counted off for the incorrect answers for 2 questions and than lose all his points for the other 14. She told him to not worry about it because.... she wasn't going to grade it away.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yeah.

Mac said then why did she assign them busy work, it was a stupid waste of time when they could've been having a productive discussion and this was stupid and he was bored and why wouldn't she teach?

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm. Yeah.

I guess she proceeded to tell him that she tried to make lesson plans for everyone and she was sick of him criticizing her and she cried. And he said "this is bullshit" and walked out of the class. He said he went directly to the guidance office and told on himself. Then the guidance counselor took him to the assistant principal. He got 4 after school detentions, where he will spend 30 minutes helping clean the school.

He went and found the teacher and apologized to her, on his own, without prompting from anyone. According to him, she forgave him and SHE apologized because she has student like Mac who are at the top who want to learn, kids who are special ed. who can't do the simplest things eh has, the kids who don't care no matter what she does, and then the middle group. She said no administrators can answer who they are supposed to get high scores and good results with such a mixed class and she said she was sorry she was failing kids like him.

I'm going to start counting down the days until he leaves for college.

Maggie

In Like A Lion

Today was not a good day.

1. Mac got 4 days of after school detention for shooting off his mouth and using the word shit
2. I did NOT get the job
3. My car broke down last week and I got the $390 bill today
4. I will not be appoint Princess's guardian in June. Long story. It's nothing she nor I did; It's politics and "the system."

Maggie