Why don't they just go ahead and adopt a year round schedule? Studies show that students retain more information from one grade to the next when they have a year round schedule. Here is an example of a year round schedule I found on the internet:
30 days for summer break
45 school days
15 days fall break
30 school days
03 days Thanksgiving break
15 days for winter break
45 school days
15 days spring break
45 school days
Of course this is assuming a 180 day school year which I think should be extended to 200 days and an example of a calendar I can see is:
30 days for summer break
50 school days
10 days fall break
30 school days
05 days Thanksgiving break
15 days for winter break
50 school days
10 days spring break
50 school days
And honestly? I'd like to shave some off that summer break and add it to the winter break. Winter break was never long enough when I was a kid going through public school.
So apart from that…
I've been out of sorts pretty much for the last two months or so, but I'm beginning to feel much better. It's not just because our bills are caught up (while that is a huge part of it) I've also been letting go of some personal and material things that were bringing me more stress than joy.
Everything doesn't have to bring us joy, but the things that only bring us stress? Why do we keep them around? Why do we continue to go at them?
Idunno either, but I'm working at getting rid of more and more of those type of things in my life. It's not easy, letting go, but it's healthy!
My unemployment benefits arrived and I was able to catch up on EVERY BILL that we'd gotten behind on in since that fateful day back in June.
While there are some that think unemployment benefits may keep the unemployed from truly finding gainful employment – pshaw!
Well, it could be true for some, but not for me. I earnestly look for work — while at the same time hoping that I do not have to take some job that I'm gonna be miserable in because I'm needing the work.
I don't understand that mentality because the money I was making the short time I had gone back to work was more substantial than my unemployment benefit. We weren't just able to pay bills and take care of our needs. We were able to pay extra on bills (that whole we wanna get outta debt forever thingy) and still take care of our needs.
The past few weeks I've put off getting some Rx refills, taking TJ to the vet for his second check up and shots, and many other expenses that one puts off when they're trying to keep the household together.
Next week I'll be able to take care of all those things — but there won't be any extra to put on bills or to save for an emergency. We will just be getting by until I find gainful employment.
I would love to stay home and work on other things I'd rather be doing than working for someone else again, but I know that out there is the job that will make me happy to be out in the working world again. There is something out there that is perfect for me.
That is the job I hope for while I also apply for positions I could do for the money because we all know that's just how it is in the real world.
On Monday the Darling Husband took a vacation day to drive me to a few places. I've not felt like going out on my own lately. Groceries were needed from Sav-a-lot and Krogers, toiletries from Target, and I needed to drop by the unemployment office.
When I was separated from employment for a second time last June there was no more money for my unemployment claim (OMG! WHUT ARE WE GONNA DO?!?) so they told me to keep looking for work (duh); watch the new for information about money becoming available; and come back in when there was money.
I will get the back pay because I did look earnestly for work. I hope those checks come soon or it really will be OMG! WHUT ARE WE GONNA DO?!?
I loaded up on canned fruit (juice packed) from Sav-a-lot, fresh stuff, meat, and other stuff from Krogers, and besides those toiletries, paper goods, and laundry supplies I also got these cheap little squeakits from Target:
Look whut purty colors! Aren't they cute? Don't 'cha just wanna tickle all those bellies?
They are all for the Minikins.
I could give one to Grace and Lily, but they wouldn't really play with them except to keep them from Mini (which is very entertaining, but kinda of mean to let it go on very long).
I can only give one to Mini at a time every few days and she will carry it around for a bit and then tear it to shreds of bright colored plastic bits all over the house.
Plastic bits everywhere. A rainbow of plastic bits all over my house.
Because Mini must stop the little bears from squeaking and then slaughter them to little more than nothing.
She would totally do them all in at once, which is why I have to pace her.
The little bears were cheap, but they weren't free.
Still I had to get something for her. Every time we come home from errands with bags of stuff to put away Mini is right in those sacks looking to see what we brought her in the way of new toys (Grace and Lily look for snacks). It's really pitiful to see her walk away from those bags with no treasure to carry away.
We've all got to find a bit of cheer where ever we can. I choose to see it in the dogs for now — because they are the easiest to please!
I like M. Night's movies because I know ahead of time I'm gonna figure out the ending long before it comes, but at least I know that ahead of time and I can still watch the movie for the story because M. Night still knows how to put a good story together.
I kept hoping I was wrong about how I thought these movies would end up…
But I wasn't.
SALT was the better story of the two. Actually, I didn't quite get the ending exactly, but I was too close to say I didn't. I thought SALT was gonna turn out to be an American-Russian-American spy. You know, a double agent.
Heh. I was close enough.
However!
I was most looking forward to watching INCEPTION. In fact I really didn't plan on seeing SALT at all. The preview didn't appeal to me. The INCEPTION previews were awesome and Ellen Page was in INCEPTION.
I have a total girl crush on Ellen Page.
Ellen Page was awesome in INCEPTION, but the INCEPTION story was still a let down. The INCEPTION effects were awesome. They totally lived up to the previews.
Both flicks were way too LOUD. I am so tired of too loud movies.
Does anyone else wear earplugs when they go to the movies?
Seriously. I have to because the movie operators will not turn the volume down. Oh! They say they will. But they never do.
So the upgrade is still not right, but it is more tolerable.
I've still not found another job. Wonder if it's gonna take me six months from the last job before I find another one? Mmmm…
The baby cat (TJ) is growing and growing. He's a very busy and verbal cat. And by verbal I mean he meows even more the Sophie does!
We've not had a kitten in the house in twenty years and I'd forgotten how busy they can be checking everything out, climbing and tunneling into places you don't expect.
The most surprising thing about this cat? His demands to share your people food. We've had plenty of kittens and cats before and I can tell you that none of them were ever as interested in everything we are eating like TJ is. Sophie (and Daisy in her time) will show some interest if we're eating any kind of poultry, but that is it. No other cat we've had could have cared any less about what the people in the house might be eating.
They all had an interest in what the dogs of the house were chowing down.
So we have to put TJ in Darling Son's room while we're eating — or any other time we need some space from TJ. And TJ can whine and howl so. OMG! You'd think he was dying behind that door!
TJ is very big on being in your arms when he wants to relax or sleep. He's wants to cuddle and pet your face as he drifts off to sleep.
Every animal is different, pholks. I know. I've had enough to testify such.
When I'm taking photos or videos with my cell phone I don't have any sort of movie idea in my head. It's just when I get enough to look over and pick from I come up with something to tie it all together.
I did an upgrade of WordPress and because of the new version I also had to create a new database (5sql) and everything went to hell.
And then I had to manually move my posts from my old database to the new one. Which…took…f..o..r..e..v..e..r.
And I missing so many pictures!
Things are still not the way I want them.
I'm having an awful time getting WP to accept my theme software. I don't know what the deal is with 3.0, but it hates other themes besides WP themes. Or maybe it just hates my favorite theme software.
And I want my two sidebars back! Boo, hoo, hoo.
I think all my posts and comments are visible now. It also looks like commenting is enabled again.
Did I tell you I was pulling my hair out over here?
…but the fruit of the tree. Presenting — our first plum:
It was not completely ripe, but it did fall from the tree on its own, so Darling Hubby cut it in half and we ate it! Parts of it were completely delicious and a bit of it was quite tart, but it was all yummy. Really.
We were surprised to see tiny green plums on the tree a few weeks ago. When we got the tree and put it in the ground we were told it would be at least three years before we saw any plums.
This morning Lily discovered another plum on the ground, but she didn't eat it.
Oh, no, she didn't!
She carried it around the yard, pitching it up in the air and catching it with her mouth, or grabbing it off the ground before Gracie could get the juicy little ball from her.
I've posted it with this nickel for size (and on my screen the plum and nickel are actual size, too).
My sister-n-law had the chaplain set us up for this photo and she kept flashing me the "ok" hand sign, which would make me laugh. I didn't realize she was wanting me to flash it over my new and darling husband's shoulder with our wedding license on his back.
I also learned that everyone does not really "kiss the bride" that day…
Tokenbloggeris a middle aged fat lady who lives in a small Victorian cottage (in historic Lexington, Kentucky USA) with her husband of 28 years, 2 dogs, a cat, and a tortoise. She is the mother to one adult child who recently returned home (with his dog) to "attend" college --- and now he has a new kitten, too!
Tokenblogger is recently unemployed. While looking for a new position Tokenblogger also does stuff like:
write
keep house
hang out with the pets
walk the neighborhood
blog (write)
draw
read (books!)
cruise the internet
some website design
write
nap
visit friends and family
listen to the radio
and her iTunes collection
watch television
write
work on her wellness
in mind & body
get through each day
write
and some other … stuff.
Tokenblogger has a favorite color, too. Take a wild guess, will ya!
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