Holy I am old but at least I look younger than these ho's...

I love my birthday. I just don't like the getting older part. I am not actually sure how I got this old... I mean I am so old that I have a son who came home from school with deoderant after the puberty talk. Ack!
But here is what I am thankful for... I am thankful that, although I am older, I am no longer my scary age. Lots of stuff happened that was very good but also sorta bad... I am just glad that that scary age is over.

I am thankful for the guy at the liquor store who ID'd me last week... and I think he was genuinely unsure if I was over 30. I mean, he did get sorta huffy when I asked him if he was serious.

And, as I become obsessed with how old I am compared to celebrities... and sometimes want to faint when I realize I am older... I am very thankful that I DEFINITELY look younger than these ho's who are actually born later than me...

Fergie, Chelsea Handler and Kate Gosselin are all allegedly born in 1975. Laaaaadies... looking rough!

Coco Austin allegedly born in 1979. I just about passed out at this one!

And, Lil Kim... four months AFTER me?!?! No way.

14 months to go... fingers crossed for less

Christy the vindictive clown celebrated one year as the dictator of our province today. No wonder my 80 year old man was giving me grief today. Today as I watch the media circus around this photo op obssessed nightmare on the nightly news, I am thankful that we have less than 14 months of her left.

Neck Rubs... Ain't Nothing Funny 'Bout Those

My quick gratitude for today: Oh how I am thankful for neck and shoulder rubs and the wonderful guy who gives them.

If Dictator Clark got one once in while maybe she would not be so hell bent on screwing the teachers.

Good night all!

Yay! For Technology, Guilt and Restraint

Tonight I am thankful for technology. It is such a blessing to be able to effortlessly communicate with people so far away. 

It was great to visit with the future in laws who live four provinces away via Skype to plan our family vacation this summer. And it is so wonderful to be able to send links to let them see our favourite attractions and places to eat. It just helps so much to make the trip come alive and the planning that much more fun!

Surprisingly (and totally "inpredictable"), yesterday's blog was just the kick in the pants that my life long buddy needed to get in touch - albeit shortly - just to let me know I am not forgotten and that he still loves me. A quick text message - so yay! for technology... and a little bit of guilt.

I am also thankful that I love the paramedic so much that I am able to practice some self restraint. As I began the arduous task of packing our stuff up for the move, from his perch on the couch, the paramedic today casually recalled that his union pays for a move once every three years. That's right! With planning and prior approval, our move would have been taken care of from start to finish by a capable moving company... and we'd have been more popular with our family and friends.

On another note: why are teacher's deemed spoiled by the general public? No one pays for our moves?!?!? And, I'm sure for all the teacher bashers out there, paramedics are just glorified tax drivers... ;-).

Support, Mommy Mix, Late Night Banter...

This week has been a total bummer and, I admit, I've been hard pressed to find something new to give thanks for on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong: I've been thankful for many things each day but my goal was to find something new to be thankful for everyday. This week I fell short but I am thankful that this week is over and that we have sprung forward bringing us just that much closer to a new season.

I am thankful that tonight's notes of gratitude is a no brainer. Having had a bummer week, I am so grateful for the friends in my life who step in to give a hand - no hesitation. The kidlet and I are so extremely lucky to have landed in a community where we are surrounded by love and support. I am so appreciative that when I stumble and drop the ball, there are many hands available to help me finish the play. Today was a day where I am especially grateful for these people.

I am also grateful for care packages that arrive from out of province carrying delicious starchy "Mommy Mix" treats and for the paramedic for just smiling and kissing my forehead when I apologize for the kidlet and I polishing off an entire bag while he is at work.

Over twenty years ago, one of my bestest friends in the whole world kept this night owl company on nights where sleep evaded me... until he met a girl. Our late night companionship resumed a few years later... until he met a girl. And it repeated itself again in our late twenties.... and again earlier this year. Although he now lives thousands of kilometres away, our late night chatter was enabled through messaging. As I resumed my night owl ways and realized that there was little to keep me occupied late into a school night, I was grateful for the banter... until he met a girl. So, tonight, I am thankful for consistency. It's nice to know the more things change, the more they stay the same. :)

... and I am thankful that I have a new late night chatter friend... but she has met a guy so...

Good Ol' Trashy Television... and Flyer Savings

Tonight I give thanks for good old trashy television. Yes, I am educated. Yes, I am fairly intelligent. Yes, I am a news junkie. And, yes, I love trash TV.

I give thanks for shows like GCB - debuting tonight - that allow me to dream of living in a world of such frivolity and luxury yet maintain my feeling of moral superiority.

I also give thanks that Sarah Palin never made it anywhere near the White House because we would never be "blessed" with such good humoured, tongue in cheek fictional entertainment. We'd just have to watch it unfold at the American capital.

In other news: It has been a few days - as I have been reminded not too subtly many times - since I gave thanks for the paramedic. Today, I just feel thankful to have such an indescribably wonderful person in my life. As I try to steer away from the gushiness that I seem to have fallen victim to, I will just say: "yippee skippee" I get to be his wife in 125 days.

I am also thankful for my resourceful friend who emailed me flyers for grocery stores from across the border... maybe we might be able to make a $400 per month food budget just yet... we will up our gasoline budget but heh... no system is perfect.

Please University Drop Out Premier... Go AWAY! (and grocery shopping)

I feel a bit of pressure tonight to write a funny blog since my "bestie" today commented on how she worries sometimes about the political rantings and the sappiness that are creeping into these posts.

Political Rant: Today I am glad that I am not Christy Clark. While I agree that she will single handedly succeed in crushing public education and public school teachers (I mean, let's face it: George Abbott is just the puppet), I'm just glad that I will not have to bear that burden. Yes, I will have to carry that burden - as both a teacher and a parent - but at least I will not have to look myself in the mirror day after day wondering if I would have made more intelligent and better informed decisions if I did not drop out of university. At least I won't have to explain to my child how I single handedly - and for no good reason - ruined the learning opportunities of an entire generation. I would gladly pay her her over inflated pension to go away now. Actually, I would take a 15% pay cut to get rid of her.

Household Stuff: As I dragged a rather resistant paramedic and kidlet to the grocery store today, I tried to shop for the three us for a week as quick as possible. For two reasons: 1) they both whine about grocery shopping and 2) it usually costs me 15 to 20% more to have them with me. We got out of there for under $150. The paramedic says: "Sweet. We've spent less than $200 in two weeks so our grocery bill this month will only be about $400." Uuummm.... first of all, I forgot a bunch of stuff... second of all, it's only the first week of the month... third, I have spent over $200 THIS week. I am so thankful that he is so naive that he is genuinely in shock when I tell him that I, alone, spent over $1000 on groceries in February; never mind what he spent picking up stuff here and there. He is so cute.

Finally, I am thankful that we are moving to a much bigger place in two weeks. Our bedroom is beginning to look like an episode of Hoarders. I actually have papers "filed" in Roots shopping bags.

P.S. I am also thankful that, eventhough this blog is not very funny, my "bestie" will "like" it. ;)

Tales from the Laundry Basket

As I fold laundry at 4 o’clock in the morning and the house is silent, it gives me an opportunity to reflect on the clothes I fold and what they say about our life.

1. Since when are the kidlet’s jeans longer than mine? And how does he fit his legs in such skinny openings? Maybe I should be concerned about circulation.

2. I realize that we are two public sector employees working under an oppressive government who feels we are not entitled to a fair wage but I wish the paramedic understood that he does not need to keep a drawer full of holey T-shirts. We can afford to buy some new ones. There must be some non-holey T-shirts at Value Village. Where do the MLAs discard all their clothing?

3. For Christmas, I hope that Santa will bring the paramedic underwear that does not have gaming system logos, cartoon characters or sports teams on them. What does it really say about a man who wears Bart Simpson on his butt?

4. Although I probably look ridiculous, why is it fun to wear a guy’s T-shirt?

5. For five days of laundry, the kidlet has discarded three pairs of underwear. Yay! for progress. I at least hope he turned two of those pairs inside out but I have to remind myself that even a small victory is still a victory…

6. The paramedic is like a four year old girl who wears multiple outfits throughout the day and only wears things once. He should take a lesson from the kidlet and recycle some things once in a while. We are, after all, public sector employees who have to pay for our water consumption.

7. I know everyone has this problem and why can’t anyone figure it out? Where do all those socks go??? If I was smart, we would all wear exactly the same socks so that we would, at some point, end up with equal pairs again.

8. Is it too OCD if I hang up all my T-shirts at the new house?

9. I have begun to suspect that the laundry basket has such a fear of feeling empty that it replicates dirty clothes just as Gremlins do with water. Why is it never actually empty?

10. And, finally, I give way too much thought to such a mundane chore.

Thank you, Mme Ling

Dear Mme Ling,

I know you don’t remember me but when I was eleven and twelve, you were the “scariest” woman I knew. You were my grade six and seven teacher in the Late French Immersion program at Parkland Elementary in Coquitlam from 1985 to 1987.

As a teacher during these turbulent times in public education, where I read and hear all the horrible things that people say about our profession, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you my heart felt thanks.

It wasn’t until much later in life that I really began to appreciate the impact that you would have on my life nor would I fully understand the truly remarkable teacher that you were. I think about you frequently, with fondness, and how much you have contributed to what I have accomplished in my life.

In two years, I went from not understanding any French to being nearly fully bilingual. I have only you – and myself – to credit for this outstanding accomplishment. You guided me through my language acquisition while, at the same time, teaching me all of the required curriculum for those grade levels. Until I had to do it myself as a teacher, I did not really understand the amount of work and resourcefulness it requires to teach children – with a very limited language base – about Canadian government, world cultures, math and science (to name just a few) in a program with scant resources. And this was at a time without all the technology we have available to us today. Truly an amazing feat.

When I say that you were the scariest woman that I knew, what I mean is that, for an eleven and twelve year old girl, you were the strongest and toughest woman I had ever met. We were a challenging class and gave you a run for your money but you took it all in stride. You held me and every other student in the class accountable for our behaviour towards each other, you and even ourselves. Even when I was disrespectful and not very polite, you did not speak down to me. When I cheated on a book report and watched the movie instead, you called me on it. When I was “sick” a little too long, you called me on it. When a particularly problematic boy (who was a full head taller than you) ate raw onions and breathed in your face or taped his desk shut and flung it across the room, you acted firmly and swiftly but with dignity. And you always, always treated us with respect.

As an adult, I don’t remember you as scary but as a dedicated professional who spoke up for her convictions, taught young people to do the same and to think critically. You also taught me not to mince words: to say what you mean – even if it is not always popular. You did, indeed, help me to become the strong woman that I am today.

I will never forget the time when you showed up at my house on a weekend evening. I was terrified that you were there to speak to my parents. Imagine my relief (and shock!) when I realized you were delivering a pizza. Not until I was an adult did it occur to me that you were working two jobs to support your family or pay off student loan debt.

As a single parent, when I decided to go back to school and become a teacher, I was so grateful for the strong foundation that I had been given in your class: the work ethic and my French language. I was able to get my education degree in French language education. Without that specialization, I would not have been able to go straight into a full time teaching position bypassing years of inconsistent work as a TOC. After five years of teaching, I have had (although not total) more job security than most of my colleagues. With a child to support and student loan debt, I am so thankful. I truly believe that you played a large role in it.

I was blessed to have many wonderful teachers in my thirteen years in public education in BC. You, along with many others, helped me grow and develop and discover who I am. It wasn’t all the “stuff” that you taught me that has stayed with me but, rather, the skills to communicate, listen, learn, think, grow and develop. They say that it takes a community to raise a child. For two years, you saw me more than any other adult in my life and the part that you played has had a lasting impact on me. Because of you, I chose this profession that is sometimes difficult and discouraging but, also because of you, I have a job that I love. I am thankful that I have the same privilege to play such an important role in the lives of so many children and hope that I am even half the teacher that you are.

So, if you – like me – get discouraged by all the nasty things people say about teachers, please remember that there is at least one student out there who gives thanks for you every day. I am proud to be your colleague.

Teacher Games... let them fight to the death for resources

Let's face it: Bill 22 is going to pass in the legislature. It was a done deal before the teachers voted to strike but we have just given this oppressive government an excuse for implementing new Orwellian law. But how do we prevent such an uprising from occurring again?

I believe we should turn to the young adult series The Hunger Games for our inspiration on how to quell revolution and to really make those teachers work for their resource dollars.

Our province is already divided up into districts so choosing participants will be simple. We will hold two separate games: one for elementary and one for secondary. The different demographics with elementary and secondary teaching staff will ensure diverse competitors with two very different (and exciting!) games.

At the beginning of each school year, the name of each public school teacher is submitted into a box. The teacher will have the option of submitting their name one additional time at the end of each term. In exchange for their voluntary submissions, the teacher is given a nominal amount of money for classroom resources. Of course, how they spend the money will be at their discretion so that they do not lose their professional autonomy. At the end of the school year, each school district will choose two representatives to send to the Teacher Games: one elementary and one secondary.

To save taxpayers money, the arenas will be the 190+ closed schools around the province. As the closed schools are located throughout the province, this will ensure that there are economic benefits felt in various cities and towns. Each city and town will be able to promote tourism giving a boost to their local economy. It will unite the province with its festivities and parades.

Each tribute will be available for sponsorship. This will ensure that each competitor during the school year will work to ingratiate themselves with students, parents, organized parent groups like PAC and DPAC as well as the community at large. Their very survival and any resource dollars they hope to receive will depend on the sponsorship they receive during the games. Winning teachers, schools and districts, with their resources and additional funding, will attract new students which will, in turn, bring in additional funding from the provincial government. Schools and districts will truly work in a market economy.

It will be an honour for teachers to fight to the death for these resources, to demsontrate to the taxpayers who call them "lazy, underworked and incompetent" that they are willing to do anything for their vocation and to really work - through their participation in the games - during the summer. The added benefit of these games is that it will weed out all those half-committed teachers who are, according to many people, only in it for the six hour a day, nine month a year jobs. What lazy ass is going to choose a profession where you actually need to demonstrate your commitment to your job by fighting to the death for your students?

Imagine the quality of teachers we will attract to this profession and the level of dedication that we will see. Another uprising of people standing up for their rights to fair and respected treatment? Never!

Should other organized workers ever decide to stand up for their own rights and speak out against bullying politicians, we will have the opportunity to branch out these games: Paramedic Games, Police Officer Games. The opportunities for expansion are endless.

University Classes... Elementary Classes... it's all the same...

Today, I am thankful that I am on sick leave because I can't imagine how worked up I would be if I was teaching 30 kids and having to listen to all the nonsense & shit and abuse out there. I think my 80 year old man stomach would probably just implode altogether... although some commentators on the CBC website would be happy because my death would rid them of another lazy, underpaid and overworked whiner who just babysits all day long.

One particularly insightful comment today likened class sizes in K to 12 with university classes saying that there didn't seem to be a problem. Ummm... okay. My response:

Really? "We go to university with 200+ kids in many first years courses and do just fine." Actually, prior to becoming a teacher, I worked at a public post secondary institution in BC. You would be surprised at the academic nose dive first year students take without the personal attention they are used to from their secondary school teachers.

You are really comparing a university class with a public elementary class? This MUST be a joke. A first year course is broken down into a "lecture" and a "tutorial" session for a reason. A "lecture" has 200 plus students; a "tutorial" has a class size limit of 30 or less. In a lecture, students sit and listen while taking notes. They are not active. In the tutorial, they review, ask questions and become actively involved in the learning process.

So, a university class has a class size limit of 30. This is also after they have had a screening process for admission where high needs students are, let's face it, weeded out. You would never see a university class comprised of students with Down Syndrome, FAS, Autism, Severe, Moderate or Mild Learning Disabilities or any of the other multitude of challenges many children face.
If your university class population looked anything like the student population in the K-12 system, you'd be demanding your tuition fees back.

Give your head a shake.

Oh, George, Thanks for the Laughs... Even though I don't think you intended it...

Today, I am thankful for the comedic hour of George Abbott "tweeting". Seriously. It was hilarious. And my favourite part was his "tweeting" pictures of himself. Here are my comments on the CBC website:

Post One
I think Christy Clark giggled all lunch hour about what a tool George Abbott looked like participating in this publicity stunt.

He did not even acknowledge or answer 25% of the questions asked.

I think it was smart scheduling it during lunch hour on a school day. Now he can stand up and say: See! See! Teachers get a lunch hour! Five of them tweeted me during their break...

Poor George: seems like no one taught him the meaning of "fall guy."

If you are a parent concerned about childcare during a possible teacher walkout, please feel free to drop your children off at your MLAs office. Your tax dollars paid for their 34% wage increase just prior to the implementation of net zero mandate. And, obviously, if George Abbott can sit around for an hour and "tweet", he has time to watch your children. How do you think he'd do with 30 kids with diverse needs in his office all day?

Post Two
With Bill 22, teachers will be prohibited from bargaining class size, average class size, staffing levels, ratios or caseloads for two years,with this prohibition lifted at the end of the school year in 2013, a month after the next provincial election.

Doesn't it seem rather shifty that it extends until after the next provincial election?

Abbott is a four term MLA. I will wager that after this fiasco, Abbott will "retire" from provincial politics after this current term, taking his lucrative full pension (how many of you teacher hating tax payers get a full pension after less than 15 years on the job?) and avoiding the next fall-out from Liberal mismanagement of public education.

Want to talk about government waste? Let's all get together and admire the new roof on BC Place or reminisce about the Olympics or visit with Basi and Virk. I'm not sure about you but all these things have had a bigger impact on my life than public education.

I am also thankful that more than 100 people agreed with my comments and only three gave me a thumbs down because I am seriously tired of reading about how lazy and selfish I am.