This and That

[checkers65477]

A few quick things.

I got a $1000 grant from IBM to buy a collection of books for our super-low readers, written on a K-3 grade level.  Yay.  I think they'll be excited to see we have books just for them.

An exciting day yesterday.  I swear I'm not making this up.  First, one of our 7th grade students went into labor.  The receptionist was timing her contractions until the squad came for her.  She didn't have the baby; labor stopped and the principal asked her to please go home and stay there.  13 years old.  :(((((((  Then, a student broke the one mercury thermometer in the school.  He got mercury on him so they had to call the authorities.  Haz Mat people came in their yellow suits to decontaminate.  The kid had mercury on him so they had him change into his gym clothes and took everything, including his underwear.  The teacher is pregnant, so they had to make sure she wasn't contaminated.  Quite the exciting day.  And people wonder why teachers can't seem to just teach.  At least the labor stuff is extremely unusual.  We've never had a student in labor before though there have been a few pregnancies.

I had to go sit in a doctor's office yesterday for a few hours (I told you it was a busy day) and had to face something about myself (only my dysfunctional personality--not a health issue, sorry Willow).  The waiting room was small and packed.  The chairs were uncomfortable.  All I wanted to do was sit and read The Virtu.  There were three conversations going on in the room and I thought I was going to lose my mind.  Seriously, I thought I'd have to go stand in the hall.  I cannot abide small talk between strangers.  Yes, the government sucks and health care sucks and you don't feel good but I just want to read my book.  I am the most antisocial person ever born.  It's a tremendous character flaw but I can't help it.  It was painful, as were the chairs.

I'm off to Ohio tomorrow to visit my family for the weekend and OMG the weather!!  TEN inches of snow are predicted!  Gah!  Must go hunt up boots.

Comments

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

Whoa.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Whoa, indeed.

[appellations.livejournal.com]

*seconds*

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

*seconds the second*

is that allowed?

[appellations.livejournal.com]

it's *thirds*!

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

Want me to send you a shovel? 10"! Wow! Drive Carefully!

Such a day. I hope you are well. I'll be thinking of you. If you get stuck (and bored with reading), call me and I'll empathize and sympathize while you wait for rescue.

(did I mention it is forecasted to be clear and in the 40s here by Sunday?).

SAFE TRAVELS!!!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Sounds like I'll need a shovel. Do you suppose rental cars come with scrapers? Certainly I don't want to take one on the plane. :)

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

no, you wouldn't want to pack one. It would take up space much better used for hair care products.

I forgot you fly everywhere. Good plan!

: )

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

I just had a day where I had to look at the books I felt like reading and think "Escapism!"

I try not to leave parties at my house to go get a few more pages along in a story every quarter of an hour...but I don't always succeed.
So are you a school librarian? That suddenly makes sense of stuff for me.
I know. I'm a snoop.

I can't imagine the embarrassment of being in labor, at 13, at school.
My family hosted teen mothers who were not supported at home when I was small, and one of our greatest guests was 13, which back them seemed so big, and when I hit about 15 I started every once in a while feeling that shock of realization. So. Young.
Hope everything goes more smoothly tomorrow!

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

I try not to leave parties at my house to go get a few more pages along in a story every quarter of an hour...but I don't always succeed.

*is TOTALLY NOT GUILTY of this. really*

[idiosyncreant.livejournal.com]

You are NOT supposed to make me feel less of a social abberation!
A support group is the last thing I need...

0_<

*hearts to my reprobates*

[bluestalking.livejournal.com]

Oh, in that case:

TOTAL SOCIAL ABBERATION, YOU ARE!

I don't do this escaping thing anymore, but I used to. Some of my best friends are still the type who would run away and read...if we let them.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

So I guess I'm not the only antisocial one. But it's READING. So that's ok.

Yep, school librarian. Best job in the universe.

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about your crazy day. especially the pregnant student. That's terrible :(

But travel safe, have an amazing time with your family, and feel free to send me the extra snow!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Sounds like there will be plenty of extra to send.

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

By "had to face something about myself" I hope you mean being antisocial, and not some health crisis??

There were three conversations going on in the room and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Seriously, I thought I'd have to go stand in the hall. I cannot abide small talk between strangers.

This DRIVES ME CRAZY. It's really hard for me to concentrate if there is irregular noise, esp. conversation, around me. You can imagine how well that works out living in a freshman dorm.

I am the most antisocial person ever born.

Antisocial people of the world unite! :D

Have a good time in Ohio! Have a nice relaxing uncrazy weekend! Send some of the snow east! :D

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

Also, I heard today that two student lab workers here were taken to the hospital and an entire building was evacuated because a few drops of acid were spilled on the floor. The theory was that it was some organic acid that would react with the floor to produce fumes.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

No, no, sorry! No health crisis at all. Just antisocial me. I'll be packing lots of snow up to send your way.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

Ooh, we used to have annual school evacuations--the biology teacher would inevitably break a vial of hydrochloric acid and we'd all have to stand outside while HAZMAT or whatever came and cleaned it up. It always took at least an hour. ...which was ironic, because the fire station was right across the street from us.

YAY BOOKS! Yay helping kids catch up on reading!

...holy crap with the pregnant kid. Just...whoa. ...whoa.

I'm right with you on the books--I would rather read than make small talk. I've gotten better as I get older (and have less books on hand), but I've been having the worst time trying to read with all the distractions (esp. the TV) that exist here at home.

Have a good weekend! *sends safe travel vibes*

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I HATE it when you are in a waiting room (car repair places are the worst for this) and there's some dumb tv show on when you're trying to read. Grr.

Now that you say that, I'm surprised we didn't have to evacuate the building. Today we had our tornado drill, which is always fun. (not)

Thanks for the good travel vibes.

[jade-sabre-301.livejournal.com]

Mm. You haven't done a tornado drill until you've been told that yes, you HAVE to "assume the position," despite the fact that a) there is no tornado, b) you're wearing a not-quite-knee-length pleated skirt, and c) you are surrounded by teenage boys. Oh yeah. Catholic school uniforms FTW! :-b

[avian-xj.livejournal.com]

HA! Gotta love the skirts - 'specially in the winter XP

[philia-fan.livejournal.com]

Do you know that I actually finished my last novel while sitting in a car repair place, with some bland cable news station blaring, people going in and out and talking about cars, and everyone on their cell phones?

So yeah, I kind of hate that, too, but sometimes the background noise is so annoying that I seem to ride away on it to a different world.

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

*also cannot concentrate when TV's are on in the background*

I generally leave when the TV goes on. My mom had banished the TV to the basement when I was a small child, and it always seemed very sensible to me to keep it out of the living room.

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

One of the things I like most about going home is the quiet. But my father is quite fond of the TV and watches programs that I secretly think are asinine, not because he likes them but because he's channel-surfing, and the TV is in the pit which is open to the rest of the house so I barricade myself in my room in lieu of going crazy. :-( I liked it much better when we only had a small TV and it was in the room next to mine-- which was quieter. TVs should not be the focus point of a home!

/rant
also /hijacking Checkers's journal

[emmaco.livejournal.com]

Seriously, Checkers!!! First the gang training, now 13 year old pregnant students! Poor girl.

And were hazmat suits really necessary? Or do you reckon they don't get to use them much? How freaked out was the kid with people in hazmat suits around him?!

I have had a useful talent of being able to read anywhere despite noise since I was a kid. I think it's because of having two noisy siblings. I have the clearest memory of reading a book when I was about 8 in this noisy German beer tent (we had an international expo in town that year) and looking up and finding all of these adults looking at me and laughing at my concentration!

Hope you're OK! And not dead from cold!

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

Oh Checkers *hugs* I know how you feel about wanting to read though.

what a day. o.O

yay for family visits! have a good time. *offers to come along and shovel snow out of the way*

[peggy-2.livejournal.com]

*Puts out a standing offer to any and all Reprobates to be Royally Hosted at my house and given free access to my books and hot chocolate with marshmallows if they will come and shovel snow for me*

*stops hijacking checkers' post*

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

I remember my sister and I would have to go to stake dances when I was younger because my mom was one of the Young Women leaders and she helped organize them. I would always try to sneak and bring a book. Sometimes my sister found it in time and confiscated it. Sometimes she didn't.

Mom is no longer a dance organizer person, but I have since learned to dance and started going to them, not because it was required, but because I enjoyed dancing. Go figure.