Thanksgiving

Well the market gave me a turkey and I cooked and stuffed it. I get tired of turkey fast. I make turkey enchilladas with the shreaded white meat and feed the cats the dark meat and the skin. I made rolls, gravy and pumpkin pies.

Since the kittens are sick I have to give them pumpkin and broth to help cure their tummy upset. Just like babies. They are cute. I like them at this size but although I'm a bit attached to two it took me a month to get there and one is enough for me.

Kittens

I'm fostering 3 kittens they are now about 10 weeks old two after a month are ok to handle the other just arrived and is of the same litter but I can't touch him yet.

The girls are sweet. They have the runs and being a kennel attendant isn't fun. I'm feeding them broth and pumpkin to cure the runs.
They had antibiotics too but to no avail.

They are starting to play put on a leash. The both got loose and it was not fun to catch them and clean up after them. Easier in their cages.

The Queen

Saw the movie the Queen. I cried at all the Dianna footage and marveled at the coldness of the royal family and their response to her death.

Teaching

I don't like it and I'm not going to do it anymore.

Those that can deserve a lot of money

PATIENCE is required I don't have much.

Adolesence is a pain.

We should just stop it.

There must be a better why to try our wings and learn all we need to learn than rebellion.

Students and parents and administrators oh my

SCHOOL DANCES AND 15 HR. WORK DAYS, iEP'S, PAPENT MEETINGS, EMAILS, TEAChING AND PREP. GRADING PAPERS AND ALL THE REST. tHAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. There must be a reason I returned to teaching for another year but I can't recall what it was right now.
I have more interested and concerned parents than ever before. I also have huge classes with 36 students and a lot of characters. I writw notes home, give stickers and praises, have groups, give prizes, have good lesson plans, have warm up expercises, yet I get meetings from my advisor, my mentor teacher and the principal.
It's bee a rough week or two...
I have CPR and a dentist apt. next.
Have a cavity and need a filling replaced.
I have a sore throat.

Boo Hoo.....

school - same ole same ole

Well I have two classes of 8th graders that are with me for two hours each. I spend time every day keeping them late for their behavior.

I tested them before and the ladd mean was 58. with many in the 20's. My students in the 80's got moved out.

We have a lot to learn.

This year I have kids in 6th grade 1st and second period with a few 7th and eighth thrown in . They are slow.

We've retested 2x on their vocabulary.

I'm stuck in the last portable with intermitant air conditioning. Yesterday, we had a lock down.

I shouldn't have changed my room. The one thing I like is it's near parking.

I don't hear announcements either.

I survived my open house too.

Trinidad

What a beautiful place Trinidad is. It sits on the ocean in a tiny cove with a beach and a head to walk around. I want my bench and ashes spread there when I go.

Got to visit with my friend Marilyn.
Unfortunately she is not well.

Saw the coop in Arcata, ran her errands and moved her form one house to the one in town.

I was glad to come home. It was not a vacation.

It was a Labor day!

Buy the return contract cancellation option

Returning a car is not easy.

I never intended to have to.

I did it within 48 hrs. Now, on Sunday I still l have no return paper

I have to meet with the managers manager on Monday

Stay tuned for the painful continuing saga..............

Prius

I decided I wanted to get a Toyota Prius.

I got one that was an 04 with 24k miles that had been a fleet vechicle. Great warranty etal.

I dropped off my rental car at Enterprise and sat in the parking lot for over an hour trying to figure it out. I rolled backward since I was on a slant but couldn't get the car to start and say ready.

Finally, I took the gas car over to the airport and called the dealer. (Near tears) it was getting dark and it was issolated. Reading the book did not help.

He came out and in one minute showed me that you have to step on the brake at the same time you push in the ignition switch. (embarrased)
Off I went

The next morning I hit the car pool lane and saved 15 min commute time.

Then on Sat., with counsel from my wise older brothers that yes, my suspicion that I had been taken was true. I was screwed and didn't even get to enjoy it.

I took the car back to the dealer.

TRAUMA!

I handed the key and the papers and went to rent a car.

I took the light rail to the airport shuttle and got a car.

Then I went to drive a sonata by Hondai. I was interested in them when they first came out in 87. Its 18 - 1k rebate and 10% licence and tax. A lot lower

Bob doesn't see an extra 6k for hybrid.

If I buy one in IN and drive it back there is no premium. Here in CA they charge an extra 3k and the tax credit may be that. Here you wait till Nov.

There a week or 3.

What to do?

Will the dealer take the car back now that Bob has given her the CA Buyers Bill of Rights?

The Hybrid

I like the Toyota Prius and the milage at 50k.

It's a different experience to drive no key, push button to start.

Remember the cars that had push button for the gears reverse, drive and park it's kind of the same thing.

The price however is msrp 23 and another 3 for premium. With gas at 3 a gal. it could pay for itself fast.

On the other side Honda has a hybrid too. It's not as advanced. It costs roughly the same.

Neither is available. Both require a deposit.

Car

Yesterday started o.k. I took the car in to get it checked out before my trip to Trinidad. I had to get a new rotor, axel and drum. After allignment I started off. I got as far as 1st street, about 7 miles and I smelled burning as I had before. I was trying to decide if it was me... I noticed all the lights go on and pulled off the 101 fwy. to the shoulder. (The last time that happened I was in Nova Scotia!)

The car was billowing smoke. When I finally opened the hood, I thought the oil cap had blown. I called AAA after flagging down someone with a cell phone.

After an Hour I called again after flagging down another motorist. Finally they showed up and towed me home and to the garage.

In the interim, the CA Hy. service had shown up 2x and we tried to fill the radiator with water and think it had a hole.

Now I've had enough. I'm looking for a Honda hybrid. Gilroy is out and I'm calling the others now.

Yikes...at 167k after 500.$ of repairs it's time!

To Teach

Well I'm gonna teach another year we'll see if I made the right decision.
School starts next week/ Mon - Wed.

I have teacher meetings. Then the kids come back on Thurs. I'll set up and hope the year goes well. Our new principal seems nice. I hope as is suggested he is good.

World Trade Center

We went to the movies last night an saw World Trade Center and An Inconvenient Truth.
WOW! It's difficult to watch but, World Trade Center is a powerful movie.

We cried.

I can't believe that only 21 people were pulled out. I never really got the scope of the ruins on the news. It is a grave site.

Downtown San Jose on a Saturday night was crowded.
All the post teens and young adults out cruising.

The theaters were empty but all the parking lots were full along with the bars.

The police were out in full force.

Wedding shower

Went to a wedding shower last night. Its nice to see an older couple try again. They are probably in their 50's. He teaches English at the CC and she 2nd grade.

We made a Chinese chicken salad, pasta salad with shrimp and feta, frest fruit salad and had aram rollups. No traditional cake but a waltz Bolivian style for two haoles. (white people)
Good conversation and we held the party in my friend Gloria's son Jon Davids' home.

He's building another one too. In this one he remodeled the kitchen, recessed lighting new appliances and cabinets and counters and put in floors all over and painted over and over again. It looks good.

Emily's mom Connie is sick with occluded arteries as a result of her thyroid cancer radiation treatments over 30 years ago. She's having surgery. Emily is going with the kids to be with her. Hope she will be o.k. She is a nice woman.

Gardening

Time to beat the heat with early morning gardening, sweet fruit salad and vine fresh tomatos and basil.

It takes about 30 min to water the plants in my back yard and deck while the sprinkler on the front lawn do their thing.

There is something about digging in the dirt. Planting and transplanting and even watering that is calming.

I want to go to Australia and dive on the Great Barrier Reef. The last time I got a visa it was free in 78. Now it costs more than $50.

It will be an expensive trip and I'm not getting younger...got to go soon.

I have no desire to go to see Ayers Rock or over to the over side Sydney and maybe Lady Elliott island will be enough. A long 20 hr. flight for a week.

New Zealand? I'm not sure? Tanzania? maybe....

Love those sweet fresh fruits of summer

Nothing is better than a sweet nectarine, rasberries, blueberries, strawberry shortcake and peaches or cobbler yummm!

Love it and stuff myself from asparagus season here in CA in Feb. to artichokes in May and everything fresh in June.

Wonderful corn and basil salad and fresh grown tomatos! The best!Fortunately it goes to Oct. here.

I make my favorite rasberry jam :-)!

A little more painting

Decided the entire dining room wall needs to be painted.

Too bad I gave the remaining paint to Gloria for a friend of hers.

An Inconvenient Truth

Just finished Al Gore's book An Inconvenient Truth. It was great. I will continue to look for ways to conserve. My next car will be a hybrid. I have reduced my driving a lot. It helps that my commute is so short.

Today it was in the 80's again. I was up overlooking the Silicon Vally and saw the grey. Smog breathing it, We better get a handle on our world. The US and DC better get on the environmental train.

We've got such a beautiful planet I hate that me are destroying it. What's wrong with us?
Alternative forms of energy can certainly help.

Plant!

Sleep

Slept for 11 hours today got up and went to work. I can always tell when a cycle is coming. I keep drifting off. I read a bid and prefer oblivion. Marilyn called at 9 to tell me not to come to Trinidad since her friend was extending his stay. Given this feeling I'm not sure I'd be in a place to make the 6 hr. drive up there anyway. It would be nice to beat the heat and it is beautiful. She is really in pain and needs a lot of help. I need to be up to do that.

To teach or not to teach that is the question.....

I am toying with this question for the fall. I don't like teaching jr. high. I am investigating returning to adult ed. One minute I say I will then I have a dream where my subconscience tells me not to. I should listen and stay with the library and fill in with occassional teaching.

Bob is now 63.
Happy birthday bro.