Another theft

My assistant Ramses had his wallet stolen out of his desk drawer this morning. It is rare we are both out of the library at the same time. This is our 4th theft.

I haven't seen the black cat that usually suns on my deck in a week or more. The last time he looked pretty beaten up and his whole side was abraded. Neither have I seen Brutus, the tough guy who once attacked my back. I turned the hose on him then. I've broken up cat fights between the two of them and I think Brutus is the Alpha cat of the neighborhood. They have all been spayed but we seem to have a few kittens and teenagers around. Last year I saw one of the teens smushed on the street. Someone must have shoveled him up. He lasted only less than 1 day but it was more than a little disturbing to see.

I told my principal that I need spine surgery and I may be out 3 weeks. I'd let him know when. Better sooner than in May and June. The thoracic film is accepted but I don't know if the lumbar film will be included.

I am not sure what kind of help I will need either. I'll stock up if no driving for 3 weeks. Safeway delivers too. If I have the surgery. I may need an aide. Two people have asked me if I have anyone to help me I said yes although I may not. I'm embarrased to say no.
I hate to ask my friends. I wish I had the long term care policy.

I need some communication back from the state and my comp plan facilitator.

I am getting another pair of glasses too. I allocated over $800 in deferred money this year. That should take me closer. I know I'm already over what I put in.
I wonder how that works. I know it ends when you leave.

I called the spine surgeons on the list today and the earliest appointments they have open are in June and July! If you cancel less than 11 days before, it's $350!

I stopped into Rite aid to drop off my prescription and get Lacey some liter.

Then, I planted some tomato seeds and sunflower and sweet pea seeds. It's a little late for sweet peas. Grandpa used to have them by his garage. I should have planted my sweet 100's in 6 packs first. I'll do that with the Roma and cherry tomatoes. I may not have the water.

A day of rest

I finished the book The Associate by Grisham. But first I went to the farmers market and the store for the items I missed yesterday. I even used 2 coupons. (I did have to go out to the car to get them,) it took me a month to get them from school to the car.)I have more today. I read The graveyard book. It was cute, I see why it won the Newbery award for best book.

I made butternut squash soup and the squash were on sale for .99 a lb. I laughed because a woman at the market was selling some just like what I wanted. She made hers with cilantro and vegetable stock though. I used chicken but she reminded me to put in a carrot and celery. I wish I still had my blender or one. In the food processor it wasn't creamy enough. I did add yogurt though. She didn't. She was charging 3.00 a small container and 7 for the large. I laughed. She was surprised I made it.

It's a very delicate soup. I may have put too much garlic in it. Now I can take back the two cans of it I bought that have so much sodium.

I need to start making vegie broth though. When dad was here and we did Pridikin together we made one or two soups a week and constantly had a pot of chicken stock going.

When you make everything from scratch it has a lot less salt and other stuff and it's cheaper. I want to make some bread for Easter. I did once before when I tried to make rolls for Ed's parents. He brought the Honey Baked Ham and was supposed to bring a strawberry Pie from Marie Callendar's. The ham got here. I think he was surprised how expensive they are. The pie didn't. Oh well.

I also made a good meatloaf.

My assistant is out sick today. Better now than the last days of school when it's a madhouse. Last year my assistant took one of those days off. I was furious.

I got this rolling cart as a bonus gift today and two more books for the kids. One other just came in from my December order. The cart will be a help for my back and can carry all those books and stuff. It has wheels and pulls.

I want to order some more books for the kids and spend the cash that I have in case someone wants to raid the account.

The wisteria are out and a beautiful purple, The sun is shining. I made some yummy beets. I also got strawberries and blueberries for my oatmeal and crasins. (sic) (cranberry raisins)

I applied for two more jobs one in English and the other as a librarian. There are a lot of pink slips out there.

I'm going to try beet greens again.

I want to plant some tomatoes and basil. I have a lot of sunflower seeds too. They never seem to come up though. I need some manure tea. Once, I put it straight on the beds; stinky, it needs to be integrated.

I finally watched the movie Madagascar (sic) too. It was o.k.

Today I discovered if I slice a beet in my butternut squash soup it is really good and even sweeter and it makes pretty colors orange with red swirls.

Today we had an earthquake. Then we had a duck and cover drill. I didn't feel it but it was a previous unknown fault in Morgan Hill s of San Jose. Great! :-(

The toliet in my new bathroom isn't filling. This happened once before and then it was fine. One day in the other bathroom it sounded like an explosion and gyser, I went in to look but didn't see anthing. Hate to call in the plumber.

My roses are in bloom and I cut two.

Up and at em

I got up and out of bed early. I thought I'd go swim and then to water aerobics and walk for an hour. 3 hrs proved too ambitious.

Afterwards I started the yard work, got the grass cut and the weeds pulled and have a pile 4 feet tall at the curb 8 hrs. Got a bag or so of oranges picked too. I need a new aluminum 8 ft. ladder. My wooden one is split and Armando didn't want me climbing it. It's also too heavy. My back is killing me.

The state sent me a letter telling me to go see a spine surgeon. They gave me 3. I called them. I don't know if it's another one or Dr. M, from J. Hopkin's was enough. They may only qualify the thoracic not lumbar area,

Went to the store for water and groceries. I felt a little smug watching people buy lemons and oranges. I got a new sun hat too. I need that sunscreen it's 75.

Once home, I made a meatloaf sauteed some mushrooms, roasted 2 butternut squash for soup and put the groceries away.

I also got rid of Armando's clothes and hat,goro, from the garage as well; when I got the lawn mower out.

Made my oatmeal for the week and now I need to start the soup. Do you have any idea how much sodium store bought soup has? I need to make my own stock again too.

I stopped at the library and got myself a bag of books. At their book sale I got one graphics novel for school and one for me.

Comedy of errors

I went for my interview at West Vally. I had to teach a 10 min. on line class and one to the panel. I did it but was nervous and shaking. I allowed an hour to find the library and it almost took that long.

I went in today when I discovered the first school district that would not accept faxed documents or paper and burned a disk of my word documents scanned into pdf format. They uploaded fine now. Then after I spent 18.00 I got back to school, read my email and realized,1. the job fair tomorrow was canceled due to shrinking enrollment and less people leaving and 2. I could not attach my attachments to an already sent email application. I also reprinted a letter from email because I was sure I had it but couldn't find it. Once I got back to the car I saw it had slid out of my briefcase and was on the front seat. Yesterday I tried to burn a c/d at the copy shop by my house but the lady didn't know how to do it. Today I went to Kinko's. If I waited, I would have read my email and not burned the c/d. Oh well.

My face is really bothering me.The rosea is really erupting and sun sensitive and hurting. I use the medicine too but to no avail.

While my brother Bob is in Costa Rica where I always wanted to go, I think of this. I'd be sweating and the sun would just irritate it more.

The chlorine too.

surgery

The temps are in the 70's and it's sunny.

I went over to the high school and presented Pride and Predjioce for their Teen Read Week. I reread it, all 700 pages. I hasn't read it since college. I had seen the movie 2x. Try getting them into Victorian language. Ir's good though.

I went to see the spine surgeon yesterday. He says 1/2 of the spine is blocked by a herniated disc. There is also a floating shard fragment that is floating. He wants to operate.

I would be in the hospital overnight and unable to drive for 3 weeks.

Scary

West Valley called

That 20 page application paid off and I have an interview at the college on March 20th.

My asshole of a principal said he was not going to buy a chair for the circulation desk. I'd like to sue his ass. Too much negative energy.

I may just have to go out the last 2 days of the year when all the books come in since I can't stand all day.

I have a consult to another spine Dr. The Worker's Comp Board is also reviewing the cast since there was a typo in the Dr's report that said 8 percent not 80 percent impairment.

Spring flowers

The tulip trees are in bloom. All the fruit trees are in blossom. We have a dark pink, a light, pale pink plum and a medium pink. Then I have white blossoms on my lemon and orange trees and white at Christmas on the Jade. In other parts of the country. Jade is a container plant. In my yard it is near 5 feet and that big around. I have to go and break off sections yearly so there is an aisle between the house and the fence.

The rain is making all the flowers blow away and then the tree just has red leaves. It seems like one day they are in their prime condition and the next they are dead, or gone and turning into leaves.

I prefer than to 6 inches of snow. I can go visit the snow anytime but I don't kike to commute in it or clear it off the cars. I watch neighbors throw water on their windshields in the morning and think that in the east it could shatter the glass. Not to mention the locks.

I'm working on my book purchase list for this year. I got 900. for the bookfair and I have 1000. in other funds and I'm having a hard time spending that. I guess I need to go to Barnes and Noble and make a list. Its hard to tell from Amazon