Missing In Action

As Texas Peach pointed out, I’ve been pretty quiet lately. This last week of school has taken a lot out of me (proctoring exams for students with 504 accommodations is draining) and I’ve been too exhausted to even think about composing an entry. This weekend is going to be extremely hectic, too, so I’ll quickly try to catch you up to speed.

I had the second series of Epidural Steroid Injections last Friday. The anesthesia made such a difference. I felt pretty good after the procedure, and the surprisingly mild discomfort lasted through Saturday, so I thought I had dodged the pain bullet. But it caught up with me on Sunday, and was so bad I had to stay home from work on Monday. The pain has lessened since then, but I’m still in pain every damn day. I have an appointment with the pain management specialist for follow-up in six weeks.

Today is the last day of school. I can’t wait to walk out of that building, knowing I don’t have to go back until September 2nd. After we get out, I’m going to Albany with My Friend. She has a pre-surgical appointment, and asked me to go along for the ride. Her appointment is at 4:00, so we won’t be home until this evening.

Tomorrow morning, I’m scheduled for a massage followed by cut and color. (How convenient that my beauty salon offers both services.) Saturday evening, My Friend is taking me out to dinner because of all my help with the English 11 Anthology projects. On Sunday, we’re going to a graduation party for my nephew. Next week, I have at least two doctor appointments (maybe three). I can’t wait for a break in activity. I need some down time.

Song of the Day: M.I.A. by Avenged Sevenfold

Happy Birthday, Leigh

My baby is 20.  Sniff.

I Can Knit A Sweater By The Fireside

We had a very pleasant Easter dinner, especially when the check arrived. Rebecca’s boyfriend is a manager at the restaurant, and he gave us enough freebies to slash the bill in half. Not a bad deal.

After I post this quickie, I’m going back to bed just because I can. I love days off. With that in mind, I’ll spend the next couple of weeks looking forward to spring break, even though at least a few of those days off will be spent at doctor/dentist offices.

Work has become a real drag. That’s partly because of the tension in the building. Morale is at an all-time low, and I can’t help but be affected by that.

But mostly, it has to do with the increase in physical pain after a day at work. It saps me of all my strength and energy. Weekends have been pretty much lost to recuperating.

I’ve done very little in the way of having fun. It just hurts too much to make the effort. This past weekend was an exception because we had two extra days off. It makes such a difference.

I wish I could retire at 55 (as many people in school systems do), but a recent examination of my retirement benefits made it clear that I can’t afford to do that. After twenty years working for the district, I’d only get $8000 a year. To get double that, I’ll have to stay until I’m 64.  Even then, how am I supposed to live on that?? Sigh.

Song of the Day: When I’m Sixty Four by The Beatles

Code a la Mode

Since Columbine, most (if not all) schools have emergency procedures in place for certain situations. At the school where I work, an administrator makes an announcement that Code blah blah blah is in effect. The announcement is supposed to include a level number to indicate which of three procedures we should follow.

Yesterday morning, Code blah blah blah was announced, but the administrator neglected to mention the level number, so we weren’t sure which procedure to follow. That could have been a costly omission. Fortunately, the situation wasn’t too dangerous.

Apparently, a couple of ninth grade girls went nuts in the hall when they were approached by a member of the security team and asked to present their hall passes. The girls ended up being arrested, and they fought and yelled their way out of the building and into police cars.

Speaking of police cars, quite a few of them showed up as a result of this disturbance. The kids in the computer lab were scared when they heard all the sirens and saw all those police cars pulling up in front of the building. It looked like something serious was going down.

To add to the tension in my room, I was not able to lock the door (which is a requirement of all levels of a lockdown.)

Let me explain. Over two months ago, the librarian gave my keys to her part-time assistant, thinking they were his. When he realized the keys didn’t belong to him, he gave them to the receptionist at the front desk in the main office.

I went to her to retrieve my keys, but she couldn’t remember what she had done with them. I have since spoken to the Principal’s secretary, the Principal herself, and the administrator in charge of Teaching Assistants multiple times. I have put my concerns in writing twice, pointing out the fact that this could be a security risk in the event of a lockdown.

Yesterday, I was proved right. This morning, I sent yet another memo to the Principal and two Assistant Principals, stressing the urgency of the situation, especially in light of yesterday’s lockdown. I made it clear that not being able to lock the door left everyone in the room in a vulnerable position.

This afternoon, the Principal delivered my keys to me. I find it interesting that a real effort to find the keys took place only after I pointed out that students were being placed at risk. Never mind the inconvenience this has caused me since December…

In other news, I went for my first appointment with a chiropractor yesterday afternoon. Dr. Bill practices Network Spinal Analysis, a gentle adjustment of the spine. (None of that cracking business.) My spine was way out of alignment – so much so that my right leg was 1 and ¼ inches shorter than the left. Dr. Bill did an adjustment, and both legs are now the same length.

The doc also said that a lot of my pain originates in my neck. I wasn’t surprised to hear that because an MRI I had a few years ago showed a bulging disc and nerve impingement in the cervical spine.

Anyway, Dr. Bill thinks that he can help me. I’m supposed to see him two or three times a week for a month. Unfortunately, I’ll only be able to see him on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month because those are the only days Dial-A-Ride goes to that area. A cab would cost $11 each way, plus tip. That would be almost $50 if I went twice a week as recommended.

There’s no way I can afford to spend that kind of money on taxi fare. It’s bad enough that my insurance doesn’t cover the visits. But, if the chiropractic care helps relieve my pain, it will be worth the expense. It’s too soon to tell, though. I’m still in a great deal of pain. But at least I have my keys back.

Song of the Day: Crack the Code by 311

Manic Depression

Yesterday’s appointment with the orthopedic surgeon was a major disappointment. According to the bone doctor, the pain in my forearm/wrist/hand is not related to my shoulder problems. It could have something to do with my neck. However, he is leaning more towards Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as a diagnosis.

The really bad news is that I have to go for EMG and Nerve Conduction Studies. After my last excruciatingly painful experience with this test, I swore that I would never submit to such torture again. Now it appears that I have no choice. Actually, I do have a choice – go for the EMG or do nothing.

In reference to the shoulder problems, Dr. Bones’ recommendation was – drum roll, please – “Wait and see if it goes away. ” I’ve been doing that since last May! Nine months isn’t long enough to wait?? If I wasn’t on the verge of tears, I would have laughed.

I told the doctor that, since conservative treatment hadn’t helped, my rheumatologist referred me to his group because they have a reputation for being aggressive. I told him that just once I would like a medical professional to offer me a clear treatment plan with a good chance for a positive outcome. Just once, I would like to see light at the end of this dark tunnel of constant pain.

Dr. Bones didn’t know what to say to that, so he said nothing. I left his office with a very heavy heart and the slumped shoulders of defeat. Next, I just might need to be treated for depression because that’s where I’m headed…

Song of the Day: Manic Depression by Jimi Hendrix

Valentine’s Day 2008

I don’t like to go out to dinner on Valentine’s Day. It has been my experience that the restaurants are too crowded, the service is too slow, and the food is mediocre. That being said, I should also mention that I prefer to not have to cook on Valentine’s Day (or any other day, for that matter. Honestly, I no longer take any pleasure in cooking. I’ve slaved over hot stoves for 40 years, and I’m sick of it.).

We decided to do the next best thing and order takeout. Rebecca’s boyfriend had to work until midnight (he’s a manager at a restaurant), so I invited her to join us for dinner. I called to place the order at 5:00 pm, and was told that the food would be ready for pickup in 40 minutes.

When Rebecca arrived at the restaurant, it became apparent that there had been a mix-up. Our food was at that moment being delivered to a retirement community. The reason for that, if you can believe it, was because I had given Rebecca’s name (since she would picking the food up), and her last name is the same as the name of the retirement community. Unbelievable.

Rebecca tried to convince the guy at the restaurant that he should prepare new meals, but he wouldn’t budge. He said that he would contact the driver and have him deliver the food to our house. The fact that the driver wasn’t answering his phone didn’t seem to matter. The restaurant dude figured that the driver would contact the restaurant once the mistake was discovered. Despite Rebecca’s protestations, the restaurant employee assured her that our food would arrive hot. Yeah, right.

I was furious when I heard about what was going on, and called the restaurant to complain. The young man who answers the phone said the driver was on his way to my house. My angry remarks about this being unacceptable fell on deaf ears. I was too hungry to push the issue.

Twenty minutes later, I called back to say that we were still waiting for the delivery (it should have only taken five minutes to get to my house from the retirement community). I pointed out that our food had been in transit for over an hour, and there was now no question of it arriving hot. The restaurant employee apologized and said, “If this had happened to me, I’d be even more upset than you are.” Fat lot of good that did me.

He told me that when the driver arrived, I should just take the salads (to stave off the hunger pains, I guess), and the restaurant would send fresh meals. I did as instructed, and told the driver to inform the people back at the restaurant that I expected to at least get free desserts out of this fiasco.

Our food finally arrived at 7:05. There were no free desserts, and nothing was taken off the bill to compensate for the inconvenience their error caused us. I’ll be sending them a letter voicing my displeasure. Unfortunately, they make the best penne ala vodka in town, so I doubt that I’ll be able to boycott this restaurant in the future. Sigh.

That negative experience notwithstanding, it was a very nice Valentine’s Day. Daniel gave me a box of truffles, and this pretty bouquet of flowers.

I’m off today (we have an extra long President’s Day weekend), but I still have to hurry up and get ready to go out. My Friend and I are going to breakfast, and then heading for Sam’s Club. See you later!

Song of the Day: My Funny Valentine as sung by my pal, Bradford Anderson

Book ‘em, Dan-O

Got this one from Bev.

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?

I don’t know why, exactly, but Eat, Love, Pray is the book I am currently most resistant to reading.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

I’d like to visit cemeteries in New Orleans with Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, the Vampire Lestat from the Anne Rice series and Snape from Harry Potter.

You are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?

While I already did  read it, I’d still have to say War and Peace. I adore Russian literature, but Tolstoy just doesn’t do it for me. What a snooze-fest.

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?

I have never pretended or even hinted that I’ve read a book that I did not in fact read, and am rather surprised by this question. Seriously.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realize when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?

Nothing comes to mind.

You’ve been appointed Book Advisor to a VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why?

The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, because it’s one of my all-time favorites.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

Russian, so I could read Dostoevsky’s work in the language in which it was written.

A mischievous fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

Despite my love for Dostoevsky, his stuff is a little heavy to reread once a year. I’d probably go for something by Stephen King, The Talisman, perhaps.

I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art-anything)?

I discovered that there are a lot of people out there who get their kicks by posting Harry Potter spoilers, thereby ruining the reading experience for others.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favorite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead-let your imagination run free.

My dream library would be in a turret with floor to ceiling shelves all around (except for the window wall). I’d want one of those old-fashioned globes in a wooden stand, over-sized luxuriously comfortable armchairs and couches, a map coffee table, and a Persian carpet. The books could be a mixture of hard cover and paperback – I’m not a book snob.

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At present, I am reading three books: Duma Key by Stephen King, Emma by Jane Austen, and Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I just finished Bel Canto (which I loved up until the ending) by Ann Patchett. By the way, because of that book (and this YouTube clip - it makes me cry every time I watch it), I have become interested in opera. Before that, I read Body & Soul, by Frank Conroy (not to be confused with Pat Conroy), which was another book I was seriously loving until I got to the second half. At the end, it went from the absurd to the preposterous. I hate when that happens.

Song of the Day: Every Day I Write the Book  by Elvis Costello

Jingle Bell Rock

I’m a Christmas card junkie. I love to send them, and I love to receive them. My “fix” is holiday spirit.

The cards are still rolling in over here – the bulk of the holiday cards I receive usually arrives over the week before Christmas. Still, I’m pretty sure I can safely say that I’ve already received my favorite for this year (unless another should arrive with a very large check).

This one (note the arrow) came as a complete surprise, and really made me smile.

Here’s a closer look.

As I opened the envelope and got a glimpse of the contents, I blurted out to Rebecca, “He freaking rocks. I hope he has the best life ever.”

That goes for all of you, too.

Song of the Day: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Scary Stuff

Yesterday, during homeroom, students were asked to fill out a survey to test their knowledge of world topics. The results from my class (ages 17 and 18) were disturbing, to say the least.

After looking over the survey, three students declined to participate because, “I don’t know that stuff.”

This is how the other twelve responded.

True or false: Hawaii was the 51st state. Six out of twelve said that statement is true.

True or false: Latin Americans speak Latin. Ten out of twelve said that statement is true.

What is the national religion of Israel? Four students left it blank. One said Israel is the national religion of Israel. Four said Muslim. One said Islam. Two said Christianity. Not one student got it right.

What language is spoken in the United Kingdom? One student left it blank. Another answered “Enishlish.”

Name two countries that border the United States. Two students left it blank. One answered “North and South.”

What is Darfur? Where is it located? Three students answered “I don’t know.” Three left it blank. One answered, “a country in the Middle East.” Another answered, “U.S.” Another said Darfur is “a midget.” I swear he was not trying to be funny. He read the word Darfur as “dwarf.” Yet another read the word as “draft,” and answered, “When the army pick you name to go to the army.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m scared.

Song of the Day: Scary Monsters by David Bowie