A social observation on the election

I’ve tried for the most part to keep my political views to myself, as it has the potential to cause large fights.  However, I have to say now that I’m disappointed at those around me, including the media, that ignore the fact that our new president is as much white as he is black.  I know that it shouldn’t be an issue at all, and each time I read about the historical significance of electing our first “black” president, I cringe inside that there are still people that can’t see past a person’s skin tone.  It should be insignificant in today’s America. 

Yes, I’m not naive and do understand that there was a point in our country’s history where regardless of his intelligence and political standpoint, he wouldn’t have even made it to the ballot to begin with.  And I do find it fascinating to contemplate what effect the internet has played in this election, in this time of blogging, emails, and online social networks, hearing the message louder than seeing the face.  In all this, though, I am still saddened by the fact that some Americans still vote based off of racial prejudices, made all the more evident by the fact that the Longview News-Journal front page online does not show Obama at all, instead choosing to run a picture of a light-skinned Republican sherriff. 

And there it is.  *Shrug*

Hooray for the Un-Hot!

See, it’s all about balance.  If I got to whine on and on about the heat yesterday, I have to in turn be thankful that it did in fact cool down just a dab yesterday.  It seems we got some of the Eduard winds, though it never really got wet.  The wind chimes played a gorgeous symphony outside on the balcony, though that was also balanced by the new neighbors.  I think I need to somehow let them know that the acoustics are really good out there, and that anything they might say (or smoke, though that’s only a suspicion so far) out there comes right in my back door.

It was so nice in the house that I actually baked our dinner in the oven.

FFS It’s HOT!

If you think you may have read this somewhere before, well that’s because everyone in Texas and other lower states are saying the same stupid thing – It’s hot!  Stupid hot, as I like to say.  The kind of hot where you can’t think because your brain is boiling. 

We have four different a/c units in our building at work, and the building isn’t that big imo.  They’re situated strangely that the same two units cover our largest classroom and the main lobby, the third one large classroom to itself, and the fourth a small classroom and a back office.  We called the repair service out last week to replace a part on one of the first two, so we know they’re working.  It’s just that this building probably dates back to the Civil War (and yes, I’m exaggerating), so it’s poorly put together, poorly insulated (and poorly wired too for the record.)

For the second half of the day, I had a string of whiney grown men asking if they could turn down the air.  No – first, don’t touch that thermostat!  And second, it was down to 60!  When it’s 100 degrees outside there’s only so much relief you’re going to get in this building.  I suggested they hang outside for a bit then come back in to appreciate what we do have.  And of course, the coke machine picked yesterday to be a stubborn bitch, probably because of the heat too.  Poor whiney men had to drink water! 

It was cooler at the house, but not enough for me.  The air was set at 68, and it was a boiling 77 in the house.  See, I know I’m being a brat.  I get it.  But I was miserable!  First, off came the bra, pretty much unhooking it as I unlocked the front door.  Next the jeans.  I made the kids a microwaved dinner in a tshirt and my undies, and chewed on koolaid flavored ice.  That seemed to help, but I knew it was about to get miserable again since turkey’s bath time is after dinner.  I have these gorgeous vanity lights in my tiny bathroom…you can see where I’m going with this. 

After I got the turkey cleaned and cooled and tucked in, I told the girl I couldn’t handle it any longer, and got back in the shower myself.  Then I sat on my bed in my towel and my drippy hair watching Sunday night’s Iron Chef America, which made me drool!  Battle Curry!  OMGs it was incredible. 

By the halfway point of Iron Chef I realized I was soaking my bed with my damp towel, and I’m not a fan of attempting to sleep in a damp bed. I get seriously ooged out if anything is wrong with my sheets, and yes, I can tell if the 13yo has watched my dvr during the day because inevitably she gets some sort of crumb on my bed.  So I ditched the towel and the comforter and tried to lay as still as possible under my sheet, trying to will my fan tower thingy to blow cooler.  By judgement time, the drooling had passed my body temperature, so I paused to find a snack.

Amy was still up in the living room, watching Family Guy, I think, and furiously texting or emailing on her phone.  I’m not sure when she figured out she had internet access on her phone, but you cannot pry that thing out of her hand now.  Anyway, I flopped my bedsheet about me and headed for the fridge for a snack of shaved turkey rolled in a thin slice of muenster.  Mmmm.  My daughter looked up from the tiny screen for a moment and started giggling.  She gave me the most wonderful compliment I’ve had in a long time: she told me I looked like a Roman Goddess feasting.  Ok, so it was a sideways compliment, but I’ll take what I can get.  And with the phone in her hand…

 

Busted.

I hate public schools.

Let’s just get that out of the way. Sure, there’s a deal of guilt involved with that statement, guilt over not being home to educate my children myself. I understand the need for social interaction, but I felt my daughter learned the most when she was homeschooled.

Now on to the matter at hand, which at the moment is my disdain for my daughter’s Junior High. When we moved, I struggled to keep her in this particular school district, as word of mouth had it the neighboring district was not nearly as good (see earlier entry). The half-year she had been in had for the most part pleased me, with the exception of one particular teacher and two incidents dealing with her. So why had she already opened her brand new box of Kleenex in the first hour of school, because to wipe away her tears?

Over a month ago, I registered my daughter for 7th grade via the district’s website. They did not update our home address. A few weeks ago, the website stated that online registration was closed, and but you “may” register your child on the dates they listed.

Monday morning, I got my first call of the school year from the office, barely after eight. My daughter was crying – they didn’t have her registered. I was livid. I had to leave work and drive fifteen miles to the school. I did not scream at anyone, though I did let a couple f-bombs drop almost under my breath. After ten minutes, they found the online printout, which was incomplete. It was then, after school had started, that I was informed that even though I registered online, I had to register at the school also, so they could have the mandatory family composition paperwork that claimed I wasn’t a migrant field worker. And that it was necessary for them to have the form signed stating I was not interested in being a VIP parent (?) or free lunches before she could get her schedule and books.

I got a little creative filling out the forms, answering, “why is this important,” “none of your business,” and “not legal,” on the line where I was told they can charge $15 for me to retrieve my daughter’s cell phone if they steal it from her. On the corporal punishment form, my answer was, “touch my child and I’ll hit you back.” Once I turned in the redundant papers, we were given her schedule, which, of course, was wrong. The child that is taking two instruments this school year in band wasn’t even in a single band class. It seemed the elective paperwork they had on file was not even signed by me, blaming my daughter for not turning in the form I did approve. And one little shit, apparently a student helper, insisted more than once that my daughter never turned it in at the end of last year, repeatedly, despite the fact that he wasn’t even at the same school. One of the aides in the office actually shushed him and pretty much pushed him out of the way, as I was about to lose it on him.

Why can’t I let it go? Because of my religious sensitivity. Recently, Texas passed the Schoolchildren’s Religious Liberties Act. At first, this seemed like a good idea to me, protecting my daughter’s religious expressions in school. But there was no mention of it in her school handbook. And this act does not protect the teacher’s religious expression, which my daughter has already witnessed by more than one of her new teachers. Her science teacher has a statement about the Ten Commandments over his door on the inside of the classroom. Another teacher showed her class the slideshow of her summer, including parts of her mission trip. And still another has a bible quote, though smaller, near her desk.

My daughter doesn’t want to say anything. I don’t blame her – I remember being twelve. Anything you do to stand out could brand you. She told me how much she was looking forward to science, and how she didn’t want to say anything since she didn’t want him to retaliate. She said the Ten Commandment poster was distracting. This is where Mommy has to step in.

I have to convince this small East Texas town that they have a responsibility to abide by the law, and move that stuff out of the classroom, out of the school. I believe they have every right to worship however they choose, but with such a strong influence over the children, it’s completely inappropriate. And I’m not looking forward to this fight, in the land of Beer, BBQ, and Baptist Churches.

Loading a uhaul in the snow

Need I say more. Ok, I will. To those of you that didn’t blink at my subject line, please consider the fact that I’m in Texas. Meh.

My kids left earlier for Ft Worth, and then on to Houston until Sunday night. I leave here in the morning, all my belongings sheltered in a cute orange truck. Well, a lot of my belongings. I’m leaving my larger tv, my table & chairs, and the bunkbeds for my sister’s family. What a good sister I am.

From what I’ve gathered, I won’t be able to get broadband or dsl in the new place. My mom said that her tech was working with a company to provide wireless, but I have no clue yet.

Ok, I’m off to finish packing, and to tear my best friend, my computer, down to the bare bits for moving. And yes, she’ll be in the front seat with me!