Vacation, all I ever wanted...

Ah, vacation. It was way too short. Anne and Greg, again, rented FancyPants (which is not called FancyPants anymore) and all 15 of us hightailed it to the beach. I don't know what was different about this year. The week seemed to go by really, REALLY quickly. Maybe because we all "knew" the house and weren't quite as impressed by it all? I can't put my finger on it.

I impressed the kids and the hubster by actually getting in the ocean, not once, but twice! And I got in the pool every day but one.

The storms were pretty impressive. Once really and truly did look like the mothership in the clouds. But, luckily, the lights stayed on. Or maybe unluckily. Last year when the lights went out is when everyone kind of bonded.

I'm kind of ready for the Las Vegas trip...kinda. I'm a little worried about taking another week off. I hope what I'm doing with the church makes up for the vacations. But it IS the summer. I'm pretty much homebound for the school year because of my job. Ah well, I can only do what I can do. They either love me or they don't.

OH, and I'm .2 lb lighter than I was before I left for the beach. I really think it's the birth control pills. But I ache so badly when I don't take them. What to do, what to do.

Lights out!

Major storms came through last night. The Kennys game at 8 got canceled. We hunkered down to watch a movie and enjoy the light show out the windows. What we didn't count on was the electricity going out. Plus we were right in the middle of the place where the storm WASN'T. We got some thunder and some lightening, but not much. So it was hot, humid and boring. Kenny put Star Trek on his phone and we watched that until the battery died. Everyone went their separate ways by 10. I got woken up around midnight by the lights coming back on and the TIVO powering up. Boy that's a noisy program! I got the house settled and then headed back to bed. Wish I could figure out why I feel like a Mack truck mowed me down today!

Get the facts, people!

Okay, pet peeve time! Again. Why, why, why do people let themselves get all het up about something when they don't have all the facts? And why, why, why when they find out the facts do they not apologize and move on? When did being wrong about something become the worst thing in the world? Being wrong doesn't make you a bad person. Clinging to wrong beliefs doesn't either...but it kinda makes you an idiot.

Case in point. Today on the news they are showing the story of a public school bus driver who got information from a student that they didn't eat lunch. The reason was because the school wouldn't let him eat as he didn't have any money in his lunch account. So the bus driver decides, for whatever reason, to blast his employer. On Facebook. Now me, myself, and I? I don't take anything a child tells me as fact. I'm sorry. Children are immature and tend to make things bigger than they really are. And middle school students (the child in question was in middle school) are really bad about this. But, this gentleman decided to take as fact what this child said. The school system, of course, saw and investigated. Videos show that the child didn't even go through the lunch line! So how in the world could he have been denied lunch?! Hellooooooo! But the story goes that the school system spoke to the employee about what the video showed and asked him to take down the Facebook post. And he refused. So he was fired.

So now this man's story is all over Facebook and the news media and, of course, people are listening to the part about this poor child who didn't get lunch. But what about the fact that the child lied? What about the fact that the parents didn't put money in the child's lunch account? What about the fact that after the employee knew the real truth, he didn't act in an appropriate manner? He's on the news saying he'd do the same thing again. Really? You'll lose your job over a lie a child told you...AGAIN?

Seriously, I don't understand people. And I am the world's WORST at backing myself in a corner. But if even I can see the stupidity in this? That's saying something!

Paint

We spent a good part of last week painting the JAM room. It turned out cute but I, of course, see all the things that still need to be done that I need to rely on somebody else to finish. I hope to get those finishing detail done and not have it be like everything else in my life...waiting for someone to find the time.

But pushing through to get the painting done gave a nice present...the Sunday school teacher decided to work on her room instead of waiting for my schedule. I'd planned on Monday stripping wallpaper/border and getting the room prepped, Tuesday painting the first coat and Wednesday the second coat. She came in Friday and Saturday and banged it out! So now I'm free to work on other things.

Wish I could get myself out of bed. :) Granted I have made several calls and emails plus done some research in my prone position so I'm not being a total lazy bum. Just a bit of one.'

Geek Squad

Seriously, talk to me and the last thing you'll think is "Geek Squad." I know just enough about computers to be dangerous AND irritating.

Our county school system is strapped for cash because property values in our county took a nosedive. They are making major changes including, but not limited to, removing all media clerks from all schools, making our Technology/Data Specialists share schools (and removing 10 of the 20 positions) and pulling the Intels (that's Instructional Technology Liaison to those of you not in the know) out of the schools to the county-level (but not a county-level paycheck...hmmmm!), removing 10 of the 20 positions and sending them to schools to work on an as needed thing. I actually got picked and was kind of thinking how nice that was. Then I found out that it was based on seniority with RCPS and had nothing to do with knowledge or personality. Now I know that I wouldn't have gotten chosen based on knowledge, but even though I can be quite a pain in the rump on a personal level, on a work level I'm the one to know. I get things done. I go above and beyond and I'm willing to do the stupid things (okay, so I may gripe about the really stupid things...like 2 hr lunch duty, but I still do it).

But no. I have eight years with the county and that's more than at least 7 other people (3 people retired or switched positions at the end of the school year). What is sad is that some of those seven are really nice guys and know computers really well and would be a great addition to the Geek Squad.

The System Support Specialist that is over my school came by while I was working summer clerical hours and gave me the 411. She said that some people were accepted to the Geek Squad that they wouldn't have chosen. But then when I said that my principal was trying to figure out how to keep me, she said he couldn't have me. So maybe, MAYBE, she didn't mean me.

I'm kind of hoping that they can't find the hours to keep me here now. It would be nice to have the decision be taken out of my hands.

Crap. I make a sucky adult!