Miss Minda’s blog

Bun Tac Toe

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:11:05 -0500

That's right...BUN tac toe! Created out of Sculpey Dough by lil ole me.

Feb142009 045

It recently went in an auction for $75.00.

All proceeds to go toward the Rabbit Message Forum I belong to, which assists with Rabbit Rescues around the world.

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Perpetual Funk

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 06:50:22 -0500

With everything that's been going on this year, I've gotten into a moody state of mind. It hasn't let up, and it's starting to affect the people around me. For that, I am truly sorry. I've been very snappish and short tempered.

To top it all off, I started my cycle last night. Three weeks ago is when my last one started. It ended 2 Saturdays ago and blew up with the whole ovarian cyst deal. Can't say my period isn't making me a little jumpy right now, even IF I'm notoriously short in between.

In addition to that, I have an appointment on Wednesday to see a gastroenterologist. I have to turn in a data notebook on Wednesday that is NO WHERE near put together. I'm turning in a field trip form that I'm hoping against hope will get approved because I've rescheduled it 3 times now. The state test is next week and my students are NOT ready for it. I just this morning got an email asking about a project I started and never finished years ago and the person wants it now...even if it isn't finished, which makes me feel Oh so freaking guilty!

OK, have to get dressed and go to work now

blah

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A Recent Creation

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:11:31 -0500

For a friend

Dotty0001

from this pic

IMG_8232

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Ovarian Cyst Part II

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:09:02 -0500

What and where was Part I you ask? Well, that was back when I was pregnant with my son. A long tale for later. I've probably told it before.

Now, on to Part II

Last Saturday was the last day of my cycle. Hubby and I had a nice healthy romp in bed and at the end of it, I noted that I was cramping in my lower right abdomen. I just thought that he had stimulated additional cramps for the end of my cycle, and teased him about it before rolling over and going to sleep.

Sunday, it still hurt. I'm very tolerant of pain. I don't like taking pain medication and I tend to want to work through it and move on. On the worst days of my period, I take maybe 2 Midol for the discomfort. Well, on Sunday, I was taking 2 Midol every 4 hours for the pain. This frustrated me.

Then on Monday morning, I noticed that it STILL hurt. Again, throughout the day, I was taking Midol about every 4 hours when the pain hit again. Monday was a school holiday (Presidents' Day...yes, I'm shocked that we still take it off, too). Monday night, there was some blood...from the wrong place. Well, not that any place is a GOOD place to bleed, but at least in one place I would've written it off as an extended cycle.

I came out, looked some stuff up online (not a good idea, people, makes you even more nervous!) and thought, well, maybe it's my appendix or something? I told the hubby that I would be making an appointment for the doctor on the following afternoon.

Tuesday morning I woke up and the pain had extended across my entire lower abdomen. It was crippling pain. I told the DH and we decided that I would stay in bed (take meds, sleep), and he would take the kids in to school and make my appointment for me. The earliest he could get an appointment was 1 PM. I slept until around 12:30. I didn't eat anything, just in case surgery was in the cards and they fussed about fasting for 12 hours beforehand. They would be able to operate.

1 PM we went to the doctor's office. We waited over an hour before seeing the doc. After prodding my abdomen and talking for a few minutes, the decision was made to send me to the emergency room. He wanted me to have an ultrasound, a catscan, blood work, a urine analysis and ...um... I forget what else. To do that on an outpatient basis would take around 2-3 days. If I went to the emergency room, it would all get done that night. He actually had his receptionist call around to all the hospitals nearby (we live near 4 different hospitals), but the one downstairs from his office was "moderately busy" and he has rights in the hospital, so we went with it.

It was 2:45 PM when I checked in at the ER. Hubby went to pick up the kids from school and get them settled with a friend who agreed to come over and sit with them during the ordeal. During the time he was gone (until 5:00), they had me do my paperwork and took my blood pressure and temperature...sending me back to the waiting room in between. I was still in the waiting room when he got back.

At 6:00 PM we went back to a room. I didn't even meet the doctor on duty at the time. The phlebotomist came to take my blood.

"Are you here to take my blood," I asked him. He told me he was. They needed 7 vials for all the tests they wanted to run. I warned him that I'm a hard stick. I told him that every other phlemotomist who has taken my blood has TOLD me to warn every other person who wants to take my blood that my veins dive! You might THINK you have a vein and as you put the needle in, it just won't be there. And then...you'll have to poke around (which HURTS!) They look good, they feel good, they give good blood for 1/4 of a vial and then the CLOSE SHOP! They refuse to give more. I told him that everyone else laughs it off and tells me that they're really good at. They all say, "Well, let me just see what you have here." I told him that everyone else has had to do a butterfly in the back of my hand. Regardless of whether it bruises more or supposedly hurts more, that is where my blood is happy to come out.

So, you can guess what he did. After all that explanation, he still thought he was hot shit with a needle and went at my inner arm. ...sigh... Before he was done, I got an "OH SHIT!" out of him ...not something you want to hear from someone with a needle digging around in your arm. I also had him literally sweating. In the end, he agreed that I'm a hard stick. :::roll eyes::: Yes, this is what I was telling you!

We were in a room without a remote for the little television. I know that seems petty, but it would've helped take my mind off of the pain a bit. Instead, I played solitaire on my phone. I tried to sleep, but was too uncomfortable. Just laying there seemed to make me focus more on the pain. And...I still hadn't eaten anything. We had to go through a shift change around 7 PM. We kept the little curtain open in our room to remind people we existed, but no one stopped in.

Around 9:30 PM I was wheeled back to the cat scan room. I had to wait in line there, too...on my bed. That was my first cat scan ever. It was pretty freaky being rolled in and out of that big machine, holding my breath.

When I got back to the other room, they had found a remote for the hubby. He handed it to me and I flipped through all the channels, not finding anything to catch my attention. I was too distracted. I don't even remember what he settled on watching after handing it back.

At around 11:30, the doctor came in. She told me that what she believes happened is that an ovarian cyst burst inside of me. Because it has burst, they can't remove it. I just have to reabsorb it into my body. oh goody... She prescribed pain medication and sent me home on 2 days of bed rest. Hubby had me stay home on Friday, as well, to recover over the weekend.

And that...is that.

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Forgetful Me

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:15:49 -0500

I've completely forgotten about my blog in the past seven days. Sorry about that! Cleaning and birthday parties took over. I'll try to remember to write something of value this evening.

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Politically Correct Irritations

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:57:55 -0500

memo sent today to teachers:

Office of Equity and Inclusion

Respect for Self, Respect for Others, Responsibility for All You Do!

Fall/Winter 2008

DECEMBER HOLIDAYS

General Rule[1]:

When a school chooses to acknowledge the December holidays, it is essential that the school must never appear to endorse religion over non-religion or one particular religious faith over another.

Some guidance on this issue:

¯ Public schools must remain free from activities that could involve religious coercion. Because of their young age, students are particularly impressionable and susceptible to pressure to conform to the beliefs of the majority. Schools must take care to avoid endorsing the beliefs, practices or traditions of the majority religion.

¯ Schools must be careful not to cross the line between “teaching about” religious holidays (which is permitted) and “celebrating” religious holidays (which is not). Celebrating religious holidays in the form of religious worship or other practices is unconstitutional. Teaching about a holiday will be constitutional if it furthers a genuine secular program of education, is presented objectively, and does not have the effect of endorsing, advancing or inhibiting religion.

¯ Special school events, assemblies, concerts and programs must be designed to further a secular and objective program of education and must not focus on any one religion or religious observance. Religious music or drama may be included in school events, but the reason for including that music must be to advance a secular educational goal. Such events must not promote or denigrate any particular religion, serve as a religious celebration, or become a forum for religious devotion. Students have the constitutional right to an excused absence or participation from such programs and events.

¯ Religious symbols are not appropriate seasonal decorations in public schools. The classroom and school premises are the place where children spend the majority of their day. It is important that all students feel comfortable and accepted in their school. Symbols of religious holidays may make some students uncomfortable and unwelcome because their holidays and traditions are not represented or because they do not celebrate religious holidays at all.

¯ It is not advisable to rely on information provided by a representative child of a minority religion. Students should not be put on the spot to explain their religious (or cultural) traditions. The student may feel uncomfortable and may not have enough information to be accurate. By asking a student to be a spokesperson for her/his religion, the teacher is sending a signal that the religion is too “exotic” for the teacher to understand.

¯ Remember: diversity includes religious diversity. In designing holiday programming it is essential to keep in mind that the children entrusted to your care likely have widely divergent religious points of view. The way you approach the December holidays will determine whether those children whose religious views fall outside of the majority’s are made to feel welcome and comfortable in their school building or whether they will feel as if they do not belong.

Tips for planning religious holidays in our schools

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is this activity designed in any way to either promote or inhibit religion?

2. How does this activity serve the academic goals of the course, or the educational mission of your school?

3. Will any student or parent be made to feel like an outsider, not a full member of the community, by this activity?

4. Do we plan activities to teach about religious holidays at various times of the year or only in December?

5. Are we prepared to teach about the religious meaning of this holiday in a way that enriches students’ understanding of history and cultures?

Please also be mindful of the email transmissions that are sent to fellow employees and friends through the District’s outlook network. Taglines after one’s contact information should not be used as an opportunity to promote a particular faith. District employees as well as students must understand that the use of DCPS computers, network and Internet service is a privilege. All employees are responsible for adhering to the District’s commitment to creating an inclusive and respectful environment.

CHANGING OURSELVES, CHANGES THE WORLD

[1] From the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

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Ah Choo

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:52:25 -0500

There is so much dust in the air right now in my house that I want to claw my face off! My eyes are red, dry and puffy. My body aches. I am miserable.

But we're making a dent.

sigh

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Cleaning Update

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:14:19 -0500

I am filling up bags! We have a dresser on the porch to go out. We have moved a dresser into the boy's room and his dresser into our room and cleaned out both of them to fit the clothes.

It's not even CLOSE to done, but it's a dent. Up early again tomorrow to try to dent some more.

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Cleaning...and other things

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:01:04 -0500

How much have I accomplished? Welll...not enough.

I got up pretty early today. I worked on picking up a bit in the living room, but we were lacking in some essentials, so I made a list of things we needed to purchase. Hubby did not appreciate his early wake up call today, either.

We went out for breakfast and then hit the stores. I got all of my cleaning supplies. We purchased Christmas presents for my dad and my nephews. We bought food for our dinner. Then we went to lunch and came home.

My first order of business was to get all of the clothes folded that we had taken to the laundromat to get clean and dried. Hubby wants to do the bookshelves in the dining room first, and the laundry baskets were on the floor in the way. That done, Lusie's son came over to take our Christmas decorations down out of the attic and take down any boxes or things that can be discarded. He helped take some things to the dumpster and was on his way. I cleaned out all of my stuff off of one of the bookshelves and made three piles. One pile into the trash, one pile to take to school and another pile of ...oh geez, I want to keep this. I need to work on making that last pile smaller.

Included in the last pile are things like, my son's medical records from when he was younger, my daughter's pictures she drew while I was in Europe that my mom helped her with. My passport and the birth certificates. A poem with my son's handprints as a baby. My sketchbooks.

OK, some of it is important, and other things I just need to scan into the computer and then discard.

We ate dinner....Alaskan King Crab legs and marinated rib-eye steaks (oh, yeah...there are some perks to being kid-free). Now I'm going to work on some lesson plans and then get up super early tomorrow to begin again. There really aren't enough hours in the day and I'm playing hooky for a little while tomorrow to get my nails done with Lus.

Have a great evening!!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

nobody@vox.com(Miss Minda) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 10:33:55 -0500

I'm off to my mom's house. I may stream later. :)

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