Lost in You Tube!

Has this ever happened to you? You start looking at one thing and you end up totally wrapped up looking for something else?

 I was watching the ball game, Red Sox loosing badly (what a surprise), so I started listening to some stuff on You Tube. I started with some Alan Jackson, then moved on to some oldies from the 60's. The Beach Boys were never a big thing with me, but I clicked on a Carl Wilson song, what a voice. Ok so now I'm searching for songs he sang, love Darlin. So I start to wonder who sings it now that Carl is no longer with us....well it's the drummer....and who is that drummer, none other than John Cowsill, yep from those Cowsills.

Now I start to remember all those songs the Cowsills sang. I start looking for their songs. Which leads me to a Canadian Country group from the early 90's, The Blue Shadows. Billy Cowsill is the lead singer. What a group...Love the song Deliver Me...having "discovered" this wonderful group I find Billy passed away a few years ago, hard living and addiction were major factors in his death. All this because the Red Sox are playing horrible baseball.

FIELD TRIP

Lynda and I went to Royalston to hear Brett's band play. They were very good. It was open mic night and I now know where all the old hippies went! They are alive and well in the woods of Royalston. I couldn't believe all the people there. This is a little New England town in the middle of nowhere, the venue is upstairs in the town hall. Like most small towns everyone knew each other and they all wondered who we were until Brett from on stage introduces us as his groupies, woot woot Brett. It was fun, one of Lynda's many ideas to get me out of the house...she feels I spend to much time at home alone with my thoughts.

There was a man there, mid sixties I would say, so reminded me of Gee. Moved so smoothly over the floor, like he felt the music instead of just hearing it. Gee loved to dance and would dance with everyone. As I watched him a wave of such sadness over came me. Lynda must have been watching me because she says...He reminds me of Gee......its always right there, just under the surface.......

Knugg

Ok, I had no idea what it was either. It is a music piece Steve, Rachel's boyfriend, played last night at his fraternity recital. All I really can say is WOW! I had no idea that kind of music could come out of a tuba! I had only heard the om pa om pa sounds. Rachel said something about lower resister, blah blah, I really don't understand, but it sounded like singing, mixed with the sounds of an Aborigine instrument, just amazing!
There was guitars, piano, singing and even bagpipes. They have a tenor who's voice was so beautiful, almost took your breath away. All the guys were great!

Rachel will be home in less than 3 weeks, last final for her is May 9th. The final push to get everything done on time. Her stress level is through the roof. She never leaves anything to the last minute but she still stresses on getting everything done. She is still looking for a job, had an offer of an internship, unpaid internship but turned down. It wasn't in her field of social work and she would like to get paid this summer...

Clayton has a new job! He is now working at Mass General Hospital. What he is doing I have no idea, something with computers, and the chance for advancement is there. Which wasn't at Winchester Hospital, where he worked before. He's very excited. Can't believe he will be 29 on the 28th of April! Where did that curly haired boy who lived for Tae Kwon Do and flying over a high jump bar go. I used to worry about my carefree son, always ready for a good time, an adventure, never taking anything very serious. I have always felt Rachel would be the one looking out for him, not the other way around. Well he has become so much like his Dad, Gee was/would be so very proud of him, I no longer have that worry. A true family man in the footsteps of his father.

FIRE ALARM

At 7:15 AM the fire alarm went off today at the middle school.  One of the classrooms was full of smoke, the smoke alarms didn't work so Chris the principal pulled the alarm.( I believe he's always wanted to pull one). Most of the students weren't even off the bus yet, so we all gathered on the soccer field. Doesn't it start snowing! Not knowing what was going on we head across the field to the high school, all 610 students. Eighth grade to the cafeteria, seventh grade to the gym, and 6th grade to the auditorium. The kids were great for the most part, there is always one or two. After about an hour we find out it was a shredded heater belt, and over heated motor. No Fire....

Then the phone calls, kids were texting their parents that the school was on fire and they were at the high school....come get me! Well some did, many called the high school office or the middle school, sorry no fire today most stayed at school. All in all everyone, students, staff, and fire department did their jobs. Good to know the evacuation plan works.

I'm glad it all worked out....my stuff was in my desk on the 3rd floor. Car keys, jacket, house keys, I'm thinking, well I can walk I have an extra house key hidden, no wait Clayton left it on the hall table and didn't put it back, did I put it back??? S#$% no...ok Laureen's got a key, I'll just call her...S$#%, she works on Wednesday, David's off today I'll call him...SON OF A B&*^H, Laureen said yesterday he was working overtime today....

Once back in classrooms I find out Jamie has a meeting, and then she is going home, she told me last week...damn, like I remember.Three days before vacation, they are off the wall.  A was as always great, F and V fight like an old married couple, about everything and anything, tossed F to the office he had a fit because the nurse wouldn't let him go home he knew he had the plague or something.., V thinks she's going to yell at me because she's upset that her schedule has changed for the day. Remember who you are talking to, I do not yell at you, you will not yell at me. Next she pulls out her cell phone to call her Mother...give me the phone. She actually said "You can't take my phone", yeah I can, and did, she can get it back when her Mother comes to get it from the office. At dismissal she tells me she's leaving, taking the bus home...no you walk everyday, not leaving... 

So as I was leaving for the day and stopped  into the main office to drop off the phone..."by the way, just so you know, I feel the plague coming on and may not make it in tomorrow"....

 

Sleep, School and other stuff

The darkness of sleep has comforted me since Gee has passed. So often I have lost myself in that warm blackness. I seldom remember my dreams, most of the time they are a safe place to hide from the world. Lately however sleep eludes me. If I fall to sleep easily I wake up very early, have great difficulty getting back to that elusive reward. I guess the strain is starting to show. The Dean asked me if things were alright with me, I looked very tired. So as always I told her what she wanted to hear...I'm fine.

I will soon be starting a class on curriculum modification. It's a graduate level class the Principal, Chris, is offering. My friend Lynda is taking it too, we have been modifying class work for our students for years, inclusion needs a helping hand every once in a while. It will be great having some direction for what we are doing. That and she thinks I spend to much time home alone.

Next week she is dragging me to watch Brett, another teacher, and his band perform. We had planned on going once before however the night we were supposed to go we got one of the three snowstorms we had this winter! Another attempt to get me out of the house.  I always have a good time when we all get together its just getting motivated to go.

There are changes coming at the school next year...Jamie, my new teacher, is hoping to go back to the little kids, the RISE teacher is looking to go back to pre-school also. I would be very happy to get out of the behavior room. I would like the RISE room, this is the place I've always wanted to be. I did my internship in this room, though it's name then was Life Skills. I have enjoyed working with the kids I work with. It does take it's toll on you though. I'm tired of the endless roller coaster I walk into everyday. I guess this year more than any other year I feel  unsuccessful. The kids don't seem to have made any strides into getting back into the main stream classrooms. If anything a couple of them have gotten more needy. Other than A, I feel we have made no progress this year at all. Very discouraging.

Rachel has less than a month left of classes. She will be home the 9th of May. She is still looking for a job but hasn't had much luck, neither have I for that matter. I was hoping not to do summer school this year. I ended up at the pre-school last time and I'm just not suited for it. We will just have to wait and see what comes along. As Gee always said things will always work out in the end...