Victory...tastes so sweet

Okay I know that pride goeth before a fall, and I have a nasty habit of tripping over my own feet, but I've been feeling so down about my new position, that surely, SURELY, I can gloat just a teensy-weensy bit without fearing retribution or karma taking a huge hunk out of my rear! (Although, truth be told...there is enough to spare back there.)

I just managed to fix 3 separate computer issues by just using my wits (and my notes, but I had to know what to look up, so that totally counts in this case). I almost danced down the hallway, I felt so good. One was a printer issue, I so don't know what in the world I did but it didn't work when I walked in and it did when I walked out, so it counts. The teacher said her printer wasn't working so I jiggled all the connections, sat down at her desk and tried to print something...AND IT WORKED. So...onward. I had to change computers that the teacher's ActivBoard was connect to. This isn't hard, just irritating because of all the different cables you have to play with. Plus, the cables from the 4 computers in the same area were one big snake pit. The USB cord wasn't long enough so I ended up having to physically move two computers, then replug them up. Just before I left, I remembered that this teacher had a Document Camera (think really cool overhead projector that puts the picture through the computer and onto the ActivBoard so you can interact with it...only thing is is that it looks like something from outerspace), so I went about installing the software that went with that and in checking to see if I did that right, realized that the new computer I'd hooked up to the ActivBoard didn't have the software on it to run it! I added that (with just a little help from my notes) and before I left had the ActivBoard AND Document Camera running. Then I popped into my friendly library to check on the media specialist's laptop and try to figure out if I could get her connected to the wireless network. Thanks to my amazing notetaking skills, I was able to come up with a solution and teach her something new...which we all enjoy.

Then I did the Big White Girl Rump Bump all the way down the hall to my office.

YES! Well, the glory of that moment is now over and done. Back to life as I know it. But at least I have this documented for all posterity (or until something happens to Blogger) and can come back and read it to enjoy the thrill of victory another time when I'm down in the dumps because all I could do is say, "I don't know how to fix that. I'll have to check with Lisa."

you can take the momma out of the home...

But you can't take the momma out of the woman! So I'm at work and as happens in humans I eventually need to use the facilities. All of the adult restrooms here at school are one-stallers and all are on the classroom halls except for the one off the teacher workroom (which is ALWAYS busy) and the one in the principal's office (which is kinda off-limits). So I'm taking care of business and hear this noise...and it's not coming from me! Now I'm not one of those who likes to use public facilities in the first place. I like to have my own space with my own things and I really like to feel that I can control my surroundings a bit. After all, in my own bathroom I no problem announcing to whoever it is outside the door that, "I'm in the bathroom. Unless someone is about to bleed to death or the house is on fire...LEAVE ME ALONE!" But I've found that that kind of attitude is just not as acceptable in the workplace.

So I'm hearing this noise that somewhat like feet scuffing...not an uncommon sound on kindergarten hall. But I purposely planned this bathroom break for a time when the little crumb-catchers are supposed to safely be in their rooms at naptime! I try to crane my ear to catch more sounds to help discern what it is that I'm hearing while at the same time concentrating on the task at hand so I can leave the room as quickly as possible. And then it hits me...the sink is dripping. That's the sound I heard that caused all this internal ruckus in my head.

Sometimes I just have to shake my head over my own insanity!

High and dry

So the last few days have been cuh-razy! Rainfall that hasn't been seen for over 100 years and rivers flooding all over the place! Our county closed schools yesterday because there were so many roads that were flooded or bridges that had water OVER them and engineers couldn't get close enough to check for any structural damage. The news shows were absolutely horrifying. So far there are 10 deaths directly caused by the flooding. One shot they showed over and over was a school in Austell had water up to their eaves. In fact, the school had to be evacuated because the water was coming into the school while students were still there!

We have families in our school that have been evacuated and have no idea what's going on with their homes. I think it's a wakeup call that our lovely "emergency" plans aren't quite what they should be. Now, noone thought the rivers would ever rise to 20+ feet, but they did. And they may do it again. But if they do...will we be ready? Or will we bury our heads in the sand, forget about the lessons we should be learning from this, and say that everything is fine?

My heart goes out to those who are now at the mercy of others. Everyone WANTS to help, but who actually does put action to words? I also wonder just how much finger pointing and blame will be shoved around while those whose lives have been put on indefinite hold end up being poster children for whoever screams the loudest!

To flu shot or not to flu shot

So it's that time of year again, the county nurses come and set up shop for about 45 minutes and give flu shots. Usually there's a cash-only $25 fee, but with our new insurance we just have to provide a copy of the front and back. Bing, bang, boom and Bob's your uncle! So this morning as I turn on my computer and open my Outlook I see a reminder that today is flu shot day. I've gotten a flu shot every year that I've worked here (5 years now) and never had a problem other than a vaguely achey arm. My boss however shares her story of how she and her husband came down with vicious flu-like symptoms within 30 minutes of their flu shot and she's never having one again. Ah well, to each his or her own. But that's now in the back of my head...have I ever mentioned that I have real problems with being open to suggestions? Anyhow, I fill out my paperwork, make my copy of my insurance card (front and back) and dutifully go the conference room to get my shot.

It's now four hours later...my head is killing me and feels like I've got a 10-lb brick inside it, my body aches and I just don't feel like being nice AT ALL! Luckily my boss is in a meeting and I've just got to get through 1o more minutes and I can blow this joint. I do have to rally enough to make dinner and put in an appearance at the ladies meeting at church. But I plan on going home and taking a small nap to get me over the hump...I hope.

Good thing I didn't get cocky and get the pneumonia vaccine and my tetanus booster!

Thoughts from the kindergarten hall...

So my "new digs" with this job is a room that is not quite a closet on the kindergarten hall. We're starting our 7th week of school (cuz here in Jaw-ga, we start school in the freakin' summer...but don't get me started on my opinion on having the same school year start date nationwide, which would be after Labor Day, like normal people) so I feel that I've got the "vibe" down here now.

For the first thing, it's very loud down here. Little people like to make noise. The teachers are over-emphasize, over-enunciate, over-everything to make sure these crumb-catchers listen and understand. While we're still in the "getting used to school" days, the kids like to sing loudly in the bathroom. Instead of having one room for boys, one room for girls with multiple receptacles, they have individual rooms that have a small toilet and lowered sink: 4 for the boys and 4 for the girls. When the kids go into the rooms, there's a lovely echo because it's all tile. We get serenaded many times during the week...reminds me of Boo from Monsters, Inc.

Speaking of bathrooms brings me to the second thing I have to get used to here on Kindergarten Hall...the smell. The grout in the bathrooms apparently holds onto things. Depending on how good their aim is, sometimes the overwhelming Habit-Trail smell gets to me. I've put Renuzits in my office, but that doesn't always help. Funny anecdote: Kenny came and visited me a couple weeks ago, so I showed him my new office. Kenny came just inside the door, talked to Lisa and then I walked him back to the car. He asked, "Does Lisa have a problem with B.O.?" She doesn't, I promise...it's the kindergarten bathrooms!

The last thing to get used to is the popularity problem, it's virtually impossible to sit in here with the door shut without feeling claustrophobic (did I mention it's close to being a closet and there are two of us in here?), so that means as the 100+ kindergartens go up and down the hallway, they pop their heads in and say "hi" and some of the more adventurous ones actually come into the room with a "whatcha doin?"

But now I'm listening to the theme song of "The Letter People" which brings back memories of my kindergarten time...waiting for Mr. T with the Taaaaaaaaaaall Teeth to be introduced. "Words are made of Letter People. A, B, C, D...follow me!"