The call came early and I arrived for my first day of subtitute teaching this school year on time. Location: Franklin. Subject: Language Arts. The regular teacher was on her way out as I walked into the room 20 minutes before first bell. As I gave her my Vachel (Lindsay web) Pages card, she mentioned encountering a Lindsay poem when she was in grade school in South Dakota. It had to do with a turtle, but she had forgotten the ending.. Without waiting for an invitation, I quickly recited it. (The poem is short: 12 lines. A fast talker can speak the words in less than 30 seconds.) The only student in the room, waiting to speak to her, suddenly remembered: He said I had recited the same poem to his class in this same room TWO years ago! WOW! A bright young man!
The day was a breeze. We read from some handouts and worked on some puzzles based on what we had just read and discussed. Subject: The Battle of Britain during the summer of 1940 in England! I could have lectured for three hours straight about that without notes, but we didn’t deviate from the lesson plan, and four of the five classes were absolutely gold.
A few minutes into the second period a young adult came in, said she was another sub and had been sent to help out in my class. Fine. She was with me for three periods, and was an excellent settling force with the students, most of whom seem less confrontational with female teachers. BRAVO for that! AYAND I appreciated the help with passing out and collecting work sheets, etc.
Between second and third hour, she explained she was a certificated teacher (subbing these days to spend more time with her young family) and that I had substituted for her at another Springfield school in 2006. She remembered my name because her assistant had told her about me the day she returned to classes. Apparently I gave the impression of an informed bloke who enjoyed interacting with students and that I did it well. WOW! I can’t believe she remembered just my name and the good report. We both agreed as the third hour class was coming in that we never know where we leave impressions and how long they last. DOUBLE WOW!
I am BACK to earning a semi-living. I STILL NEED A FULL TIME EMPLOYER!
First priority on arriving home was to replenish dogs’ water and feed them creamy Schnuck’s peanut butter on Butternut Autumn Wheat bread as intended Thursday night. After handing ONE slice to Thelonius and ONE slice to Slick, T-Dog just about took a finger off my right hand as I gave him his second slice. Then it was a fast run to the bank where I discovered I had enough in the old account for fuel and more dog chow. It had been a strange week, not getting ONE overdraft notice, and I was surprised/ne, delighted, by the happy news at the bank.
For the first time since last May, I filled the tank about half a peg more than half full. I pray I will use most of it driving to sub teaching assignments. It was a confident drive to the grocer for dog chow, and a smiling two brothers a few minutes later who watched me fill their food dishes to the top. Having to feed them bread and peanut butter was more shameful to me than heating water on the stove in 2006 to take a very shallow hot bath. They are wonderful dogs.
SHIFTING GEARS. . . . .
Did you know you can drink yourself to death? No shite, you can overhydrate your cells so that the membranes burst like balloons and on a bad day you will die from it. It seems this week the news from Washington DCeit is overloading my membranes in the same way, and I am about to burst.
Earlier this week I said I respect General David Patraeus’ integrity, and I still do. But I must tell you, the more I see and hear him, the more it seems that before he returned to the USA from Baghdad, he watched all the tapes of Alberto Gonzales testifying before Congress some weeks ago, and the good general decided to emulate the Tex Mex in every way but his clothing and hair style! I have not seen such a master of the high wire tight rope stroll since the Wallenda Brothers headlined with Barnum and Bailey! I was so disheartened by the wan testimony I could not BEAR to watch him on Charlie Rose tonight. I returned to my office to write this blog.
It bothers me that as even the good general and every other thiniking hummin’ bean on the east coast proclaims THERE ARE NO MILITARY SOLUTIONS IN IRAQ, we are genuflecting in devoted supplication to a MILITARY MAN. It seems to me we’re asking a apple to explain how to grow better oranges. WHY? Because if we insist that a DIPLOMAT tell us the truth about diplomacy in Iraq, #43 won’t have anyone to dance with at the next White House sock hop!
As a result, I am going on hiatus from Patraeus “testimonies” as I have taken to finding the off switch when I hear #43 and a” sutton annonsuh on a local NP AHH radiew stascion.” I simply don’t need the oggrivation,
FINALLY This business about #43’s intentionally delaying a conclusion to the Iraq gambit until the Democrats take over has me steamed. As any good woman will tell you, a gentleman finishes what he starts.
We know our president’s actions have led to the teasin’ us (some would suggest treasonous) deaths of almost 4,000 Americans. We know he is a killer.My question regarding this war is: Is #43 also a winner? And if he is not a winner . . . . what is he?
He may take the firrst plane out of Washington on a cold future Janyary 20, 2009, but he will never escape accountability for his heinous lies, deceit and wanton destruction of the integrity of the United States of America. He will never attone for the yet uncounted brave men and women sent to their deaths to massage his vengeful vanity!
Live long . . . . . and proper.
