Weekly Preview

Saturday - Chores around the house, library?, movie w/friend, Book Club, groceries
Sunday - Church, Youth Group (D,E)
Monday - Spanish, WORK (4 hrs daily)
Tuesday - Lessons, WORK
Wednesday - Lessons, WORK
Thursday - Lessons, WORK, teach make-up Spanish class
Friday - Co-op, WORK
Saturday - Sister Weekend!!!

Quickly now, Lisa, there's a lot to do....

-Foot feels better, haven't exercised on it yet.
-Yesterday's weather was gorgeous; today - snow.... Spring in Michigan....
-Took 3 of the kids to Cranbrook Institute of Science yesterday. Will post about that at Cornerstone.
-David stayed home by himself Monday because he was feeling ill and yesterday because I couldn't get him a spot on the field trip.
-We posted the popup on Craigslist and had a flurry of inquiries. One guy came to see it last night.
-A older class C motorhome would be our choice to replace the popup. We'll see what we can find.
-Working 20-25 hours a week pretty much eats up all my free time.
-Bob only has 3 days scheduled next week. Good thing I took the extra hours when I had the chance.
-Bob got his handicapped parking permit renewed.
-We still haven't replaced the water heater or gotten the sump pump. Argh.
-I have sister weekend questions to finish!
-I need to plan this week's and next week's Spanish classes this weekend since I will be gone next weekend.
-I taught my last essay class this week and I was really pleased with the students' progress. I heard good feedback from some of the parents.

OK, off to accomplish some tasks before I get to go have FUN!

March Half Gone, Playaway, Foot Pain

Somehow I hurt my left foot. It started hurting Saturday, but the last time I worked out was Thursday, so I don't know if or how that could be connected. I actually first noticed it after I stood up from sitting for a while. I had been wearing some shoes that I don't really like, so I tend to think it was that. HOWEVER, it still hurts now, 48 hours later. Wasn't so bad yesterday because I didn't go anywhere, but today I had to teach Spanish and I usually dress up for that.

I am hoping it isn't plantar fasciitis like my friend Dar is dealing with, and like Bob has dealt with in the past. Took some Aleve and will wrap it tomorrow to see if that helps. I am BUMMING since it is finally getting nice out!

Went to the Lapeer library today and they had Echo in the Bone on a playaway. That's a little MP3 player that just has one audiobook on it. They lend it to you like that and all you need is headphones (or something else to play it with, like car speakers). I have been waiting for this book for several months now, so I am geeked to have it. But when will I listen? LOL

Also got the new Fame DVD from the library. Hope to watch New Moon this week too since it comes out on DVD.

What else is new? Hmmm.... Bob's been working 4 days a week for several weeks now, so that's good. My job is going ok. I have to really watch the way I use my right hand on the mouse. There are a number of shortcuts I can do with my left hand, but I really have to force myself to do it since I am so much more efficient with the mouse. It's taking a toll on my wrist though.

I picked up 3 extra hours last week, and just signed up for 3 more extra hours this week too. Every little bit helps.

Bob's dad is in a nursing home now. Bob is going to go see him tomorrow for the first time there. He's nearly 90 and declining, I think.

David stayed home from Spanish today since he wasn't feeling very well. He seems better now. Several of us have fought a queasiness that thankfully didn't really develop into anything more serious. It's kind of nice to have a child old enough to stay home alone when ill. I did warn him that he was not to partake in any Ferris Bueller shenanigans. lol

I decided I am not going to teach any more essay classes this spring; I was considering scheduling two more. It's time-consuming enough just to keep up with the job. There's always time later. I do have two students that I think I will be tutoring in writing.

March is half-over! How did that happen?

Wednesday Wherefores

Wednesday already? How'd that happen?

Work is going well. After an initial sharp learning curve, I think I've settled into a good understanding of the tasks involved. I am clicking past user searches and evaluating the relevance of the results that came up. Sounds fairly simple, until you see the intricacies of it. A small percentage of my work is reviewed by another annotator and the overlap rate has to be pretty close. I picked up three extra hours this week, so that's serendipity.

Spanish class has been a little frustrating lately. It seems the expectation is that the students can learn the language in the one 80 minute class we have each week, spending the least possible amount of time on homework. Obviously many traditionally-schooled students have 5 hours of foreign language weekly and still don't manage to come out with any fluency, so I don't think too many of my students can manage it on one class per week and no effort. I guess I need to reiterate the concept of spending time OUTSIDE of class on Spanish in order to achieve mastery.

Monday night I could have gone to the movies with friends, but I didn't. Worked instead.

Last night read some of Wuthering Heights - nearly done. Probably could finish it tonight, although I don't know if I will make the effort. Did finish the Trigiani book last night. Pretty good.

Last Monday was the long long day where I had to drop Bob at work and pick him up. So I took advantage of dropping some materials from other libraries in my local library's drop box. The library courier takes them back to the proper libraries. I've been told it usually takes a day or two. Well, on FRIDAY, several DVD's still had not made it back to the home libraries, and therefore they were QUITE overdue by that point. I don't make a habit of keeping library materials past their due dates, so I was pretty annoyed. Saturday they were still not showing up as returned, but it was past library hours when I checked the computer. So on Monday, I was determined to call and track them down, wondering by this point if they'd been stolen from the drop box or something. However, they checked in as returned on Monday morning - A WEEK LATE. Argh. So now I have huge fines at one library where I had 3 DVDs out. I need to go beg mercy from them. I could have returned them myself on Tuesday or Wednesday and owed less money. Plus one of my children has a terrible habit of keeping books under the bed or in piles around the room and has had a number of items out late recently, racking up some fines. So I am taking a moratorium from library materials for a little bit. We still have lots to read around the house, and the kids will just have to deal with no movies out for a while. I don't really have TIME to watch anything right now anyway.

Wanted to run yesterday, but I had a meeting that went for about 4 hours instead of the two I'd imagined. So since something had to give, it was running. The weather was gorgeous and I was actually REALLY looking forward to running at a path in Lapeer. Ah well, I will go running in a little while today. It's overcast but it's 50 degrees!

Muttering on Monday

Today I taught all 3 Spanish classes in a row, but a friend watched the 3 youngest kids during the first one so I didn't have to take them to that class. Then another friend kept an eye on them during the second class (different town), so I wasn't worrying what they were doing. That was a load off my mind.

This is what the schedule looks like:
11:45 Leave home (earlier if I need to stop on the way)
12:15 arrive in Oxford
12:30-1:55 Teach Oxford class (5 high schoolers)
1:55 pack up and head out
Drive to Lapeer (25 minutes or so) - maybe do some quick errands on the way
2:45 set up for first class
3:00-4:20 Teach 1st Lapeer class (16 high schoolers)
4:20-4:30 set up for second class
4:30-5:00 Teach 2nd Lapeer class (19 elementary students)

Teaching all three classes in a row is tiring, and today they were all loud! I just wanted to be in a quiet place, but instead I came home with 4 loud children. I had intended to go to Walmart, but my helpful eldest child reminded me that I hate taking all the kids along to get groceries, so I didn't do it. I will stop tomorrow after my interview.

Interview is scheduled for 10:25 Tuesday AM and I am not at all nervous. That's probably because I really don't care too much if I get it or not. It would be fine to get it, but I am OK without getting it too. Well, at least mentally ok. Financially it would be good! lol Trying now to decide what to wear.

The dryer belt broke on Saturday. Bob took it apart and realized he didn't have a replacement. I called around and found one in stock at a place in Flint for $25 +tax (and gas). That's not so awful, but Bob found a dryer at his workplace for sale. With his discount, it was only $3 more than buying the belt (not counting tax and gas, especially since he was already AT the store). He's hooking it up now. Hopefully it works. Can't test a gas dryer in the thrift store. He found 75 cents in the back. LOL

I am really behind on reading and commenting on blogs, so if yours is one of them, please don't despair. I will get there eventually.

David and I have an interesting idea for a new blog. More soon.

Off to accomplish something before bed....