Bits of Bliss

Just before I was about to start adding layers to my attire yesterday, one of Maria's speech friends came in to hand me a box I've long awaited. It was the order with 4 graphic novels & "Brain Compatible Activities" by Eric Jensen. I made a hard, but easy decision. How do you like that oxymoron? I decided that I would forgo b-ball for a night of reading. It was wonderful.

I went home at 6:00; this is my recent goal time to leave school. I poured myself some tea left over from the day, still steaming, and settled into the recliner by the window to embark upon Marjane Strappi's "Embroideries." Right after that, I began "Blankets" by Craig Thompson.

When I stood up from my readerly world I noticed how beautiful it was outside. The river is now a path of ice with flat swirls & jagged upward ice skewers. The ground has a nice layer of clean white snow and the golden grass was blowing in the Westwardly wind. The sky was illuminated in the pink glow of the sunset beneath a layer of puffy gray clouds with the slightest bit of light atop those gray clouds. I could see the lights flicker at the neighboring villages 2.5-3 miles away and sent out an imaginary "hello" to my friends. :-)

Around 8:00 I decided that I should do some domestic duties & make dinner. After settling into my delightful place again, I just kept reading "Blankets" until the end. By midnight, I was nestled in for the deep sleep ahead.

Photo #1: This was from a pretty sunrise a while back (Aug. maybe), taken on my walk to school. Photo #2: Nelson Island tends to collect 'stone people' atop their lovely hills; These are in Tooksok Bay (Aug. too).

Day 1 as SA (site administrator aka principal)

As some of you know today was my first of four days as acting SA. All & all it went well. I knew I'd be all over the school. But I literally went into every single classroom, some more than once, except for the kindergarten class (which is in another building). I'm just going to make a running list of the tasks accomplished today, in no particular order. Some of these tasks were divided throughout the day.

* Backtrack to yesterday... We had a scheduling, warm body, mini-crisis. 7 staff members were out today & we were scrambling to find enough folks to fill the bill; 5 subs were found. The librarian being out just meant that teachers or aides would take over the role, easy.

* The last unfilled spot was for an aide. I managed to make it to 2 of the teachers/3 different times in her schedule, 1 additional teacher denied help. The other 2 teachers said they wouldn't need her.

* I cut apples & served for K-8 classes during their PE periods & some at the end of the day. Our cook said he was too "busy." This is one of those tasks spread out throughout the day. As part of a grant our school receives fresh fruit & vegetables pro bono. mmmmm...

* I stood in for a teacher while they went to get coffee.

* I was going to fill in for a 2nd aide that was out & we didn't have a sub show yet, but she came in just as we were dividing groups. Her boat motor had a hard time starting, hence the late arrival.

* Almost every hour, with the exception of an after lunch siesta break, I needed to tend to some sort of incident, mainly of disruption to the classroom environment. There were 7 incidents, involving students 3rd through 6th "grade".

* Those incidents were duly logged either after the occurrence or at the end of the day.

* Some aides looked bored & I just so happened to have some file folder games that need to be put together. They gleefully cut things out until it was time to go to another class.

* I e-mailed one of the polycom class teachers for a sub who needed plans. After he replied, I played delivery girl & brought the lesson plans to her.

* Lots of hall walking accrued.

* While Elaine & Matthew were gone to lunch, I answered the phone & distributed lunch tickets.

* I e-mailed & called our dean to try to get a list & an answer about wrestling eligibility. We're hosting a tournament this weekend. I set up our boat drivers for airport transport (this involves a river crossing & it's just not nice to make them swim).

* At one point, I had to tell some subs to suck it up & just deal. I was much nicer than this in person. But really, do I need to tell adults to first tell the kids running around to "stop" or that yes, they have to finish the day even if they're tired. I did let another sub go early, after clearing that with the person she was supposed to be with in the afternoon.

* Some of the wonderfully social 6th grade students needed some watchful eyes as they were having a hard time making it to the restroom without pawing someone of the opposite sex. I also realize that it's hard to resist running or wrestling the 10 feet that it takes to walk to the restroom, alas resist they must.

* For 30 min. I covered Sara's ELD class (2/3 of my class :-) while she took her wee babe to the clinic.

* One class in particular needed to be checked on several times. Let's just say that the subs forte is not discipline. I helped the same class with the VCR in the library. It's the small things we do that make a difference, really. Everyone was quite happy.

* I made & passed out eligibility forms to 2 students who are leaving on a trip Tomorrow. Why wasn't this done earlier? All the while, the teacher taking them had no clue who the forms are supposed to go to. Re. the same trip: signed master eligibility form, e-mailed asking where these forms go, stared at teacher sarcastically bewildered as to why she sent me a condescending e-mail yesterday saying that she knew what she was doing & she'd been talking to 3 ppl for 2 months, so why was I asking her questions, yet she didn't have her $#^t together the day before they leave ... & set up airport ride for tomorrow. This same teacher I saw out of the classroom no less than a 1/2 dozen times. Once, she was looking for flipping markers for a poster. Yes, for this trip she's been dutifully planning for 2 months. Rraarrr!

* Last, & not least, I managed to eventually clean out Garry's desk. He's given me full reign to clear out & organize his office. These are some of the things that were confined in his desk, for who knows how long: a magnifying glass, darts, nails/screws/alan wrenches, a measuring spoon, Nag Champa incense, knives, year old prescription bottles, projector slides, a tiny metal hand, batteries, a car adapter for a walkie talkie (very useful in a boardwalk village), shower rings, plus the usual office stuffs though in no order whatsoever & more than he will ever use. Now the drawers are mostly barren & all sparkle-ly inside.

* I lied. That wasn't last. I let the ladies in for open gym & collected the cash at the end. This was the easiest task, given I was going to be here anyway to kick tail on the court.

* That was another tiny fib. I managed to smile all day, except for when I was talking to those who had issues in class. ~_~

"Dream a Little Dream of Me"

I spent the night in Akula (a neighboring village, 3 miles away) last Friday at a friend’s house. It was a watch the foreign policy presidential debate(I actually took 4 pgs. of notes & then left them :-(), eat yummy food, play Settlers, talk about animal guides slumber type party. The next day Julie, Deanna, & I went for a tundra mossy, dip & bump kind of hike. We sloshed through some muddy spots, jogged a little, picked/ate berries, saw ravens, felt the crisp air, smiled in the sun, watched Lola have a blast, then went back & ate breakfast before heading over to a gathering at Akiuk for Oktoberfest. I recalled a dream I had the previous night while we were picking berries, which I totally thought was confirmation that I’ve been thinking about relationships & eventually love will find me again. Silly romanticism. The dream was rather short, but intense. You know the kind; those early morning dreams that make you want to stay in bed so that it can keep going. These are a few photos from the tundra trek. Lola is Deanna's dog.

Dream: A friend introduced me to a very attractive man. He was blond with intense blue eyes, an awesome face (I *am* a sucker for a cute face), and smooth creamy skin. He was proportioned & lean, wearing a white shirt & blue trousers. We met in one living room & then moved into another one where we were alone, sitting on the floor & talking. Our legs were intertwined as we sat perpendicular to each other, I kept adjusting & he was stable. There was a table beside me; a couch was behind us. We fell instantly into talking & had comfortable moments of silence. Now that I think of it, his eyes kept looking about, not like he was avoiding me, but as if he was conscious of our surroundings while listening. At the end, we were just laying with our heads on the floor, staring at each other & talking.

According to Alice, overall the dream seemed not to be about a relationship, but about this internal structure & a desire to learn about the world at large that I’ve been grappling. Some of these associations I already identify with & the others I’m semi-pondering. I could over-analyze things until I’m blue in the face. Though, most of the time with this sort of thing, I think “that’s cool” & go about things as I usually would. In short, I think I’m on the right path. Notice how there is sort of a 'self' theme, even though some images seem unrelated. I appreciate Alice’s insight. :-) Alice Anne Parker wrote all of the following associations & questions, found in her book “Understanding Your Dreams”.

Image – Associations – Ask Yourself
Friend – Aspect of self-ready integration. – What part of me is being integrated?

Male – Yang aspect of self. Assertion. – What action am I ready to take?
Adult – Maturity. Wisdom. Full size. – What part of me has grown up?

Blond – Glamour. Artifice. Frivolity. – What part of me wants to enjoy life more?
Hair – Protection. Attraction. Sensuality. – What am I covering? What do I display?

Eyes – Vision. Consciousness. Clarity. – What am I aware of? How do I see the world?
Blue – Harmony. Spirituality. Inner Peace. Devotion. – What is the source of my inner peace?

Face – Identity. Ego. Self-image. – How do I appear?
Skin – Surface of the self. Sensitivity. Connection between inner and outer. – What is on the surface?
Buttocks – Humility. Stupidity. Power. – Am I being an ass? What do I need to forgive in myself?

White – Purity. Clarity. Coldness. – What do I seek to purify?
Shirt – Upper, as opposed to lower, self. Emotions. – What feelings do I consider appropriate?
Trousers (blue) – Lower self. Passions. – What signals am I sending?

Living room – Central space of the house of self. – What is central to my being?
Floor – Foundation. Basic elements. – Where in my life do I want to create stability?
Table – Place of activity. – What am I ready to examine or to do?
Wood – Growth. – What is my natural form?
Furniture – Identity. Attitudes. Beliefs. – How do I furnish the house of my self?

Legs – Support. Movement. – What supports me? Am I getting somewhere?
Knees – Flexibility. Humility. – Where in my life do I need to bend?
Mouth – Nourishment. New attitudes. – What am I ready to take in? What am I ready to express?
Lips – Invitation. Communication. – What am I offering or what is offered to me?
Talking – Communication. – What am I ready to express? To whom or what do I want to communicate?

Followers

I just discovered a nice feature on Blogger. Go to Dashboard & then under Reading List is Blogs I'm Following. Once you add the blogs, you can see the most recent entries & everyone is just there in a nice little collective. It's kinda nice. :-)

Everyone should follow; maybe you will be followed by a follower you follow.

"Maxed Out"... Off the Wall... Down the Drain... Make the Call

I'm not just referring to a recent flick I watched, "Maxed Out" (put out in 2006), which tells a lot of stuff we already know but also serves as a reflection of things we might have forgotten about. I must say that I wasn't aware about the magnitude of some folks debts & emotional strain, some to the point of suicide. I know poverty is brutal, but geez. In short, from Regan to G.W.Bush (1983-2005) Social Security has been pillaged of $1450 billion to cover debts. Credit card debt among the American population is horrendous. The flick mentions the Bankruptcy legislative debate & when bill was reformed, MBNA (GW's #1 campaign supporter) helped to rewrite that reform. Accrued debt has robbed public service facilities such as schools, parks, & volunteer departments (rec. meds) of federal & state funds. It mentions that at the consumer credit hearing (2005) the credit card companies only introduced themselves & gave a 4 min. intro. They never had to answer any questions regarding their exploitation on the impoverished population. What to do? They suggest writing to legislation (state & federal) & lenders. Oppose predatory & discriminatory (targeting the poor, college students, etc.) creditors. www.affil.org is the website they recommend. I'm thinking of opting out of Social Security. I thought of doing this in college, but never went through the process of finding out how. Honestly, I'm feeling like I won't see any of it anyway & if I continue to pay it, that means that I'm inadvertently supporting that the administration can use my $ at will for sh*t. I'll post the where-with-all once I find out, for those of you interested also.

Good News is that our President is a genius. He shares such insights with us such as, "It turns out *clasped fingers* that these financial things are inner-related." *insert smarmy looks as if he invented penicillin & we should bow down.* I began this blog post to talk about this current upheaval with Wall Street's & the "leadership" of this country as of late. This is f%#%$#g serious when our Treasury Sec. (Henry Paulson) announces that they want $700 billion to rectify the mortgage crisis. (Why am I not buying a house right now, at the expense of the American taxpayers? When I did almost buy a house this summer, the lender approval still has loopholes & doesn't seem to be changing much from the practices that got us into this in the first place.) The catch to this $700 billion? Don't ask, won't tell. They specifically ask for NO inquiry, no interference, sheer trust that this experimental money pit will work. Because if we can't trust the government, we can't trust anyone (Brainwashing flyer #1). Blarg! Why do we need to come up with this $700 billion anyway; aren't we already into the virtual $ system? Why not just write in the $ & "pay" the bills? {I realize I'm going all over the place here. But, this is my blog, my rant page, & you've chosen to view it. Thanks for hanging with the rip curls.} [For a glance at his speech: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/24/business/24txtpaulson.html?_r=1&sq=paulson&st=cse&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=2&adxnnlx=1222239767-eNLAot3eFNXHSvHYQFemGA]

These are the questions I pose. What can we do as individuals to counter something like this happening? Yes, don't get 12 credit cards & buy groceries & a house with them. I don't even know what to do when I do check the stocks that I have, everything is probably so low to sell right now. I'm trying to use the stock market to my advantage, yet I'm grappling that it's more often using me. How can we seriously uprise against this constant flow of us being informed that day in & day out if the administration decides that we need to burn some $ we should ask no questions? Isn't this communistic? Is this the way we really want to go? No!? Then, what do we do besides vote in the efforts to predict where this country might go? Realistically, the outcome has the potential to determine where the world might go. What else can be done? I'm not posing these questions to put anyone on the spot or to debate about it. Well, I kind of like to debate. Nay, I want to be proactive.


This is the dilemma I'm often finding myself in recently. There is this gargantuan amount of topics that I want to learn about, part of which is politics in both the US & our world at large. I want to know about current affairs, which undoubtedly reflect the underlying history, another thing that my background knowledge is limited with. I'm trying to start where I am & just try to retain the information as it comes along to me or as I'm interested. This is a daunting, exciting & frustrating task, but I'm up for the challenge & I'm hoping to only bite as much as I can chew to be able to retain the info. I'm interested in a lot as of late! Any of you who have knowledge or experiences to share, I wholeheartedly welcome it. Let me give you my existing list (political only, never mind the classic & contemporary literature, health science, pedagogy methods, natural medicine, music, meaning of existence inquisitions :-)... US government & it's inner workings, track records of our presidential candidates, Middle Eastern history (specifically, Iraq, Iran & Palestine/Israel), British influence upon the world... I'll stop there. I'm also facing this mound of questions about how to be proactive, what can we do as individuals & the public at large, right now? I've had the good fortune of being blessed with brilliant friends & family, some that know quite a lot about these things. I've been talking to them a bit & getting resources. Wish for me good counsel & a sound memory to absorb this ever important knowledge. :-) Thanks ahead of time to anyone who wishes to endeavor to help me on this quest of mine.

Ok, I'm stepping down from my soapbox.
(Ahhh... how the exercise of good basketball games can get the mind moving. I must depart for my slumber awaits me.)