My life is kinda boring. I found a new apt to live in with 2 bathrooms. It is pretty nice. We didn't go for renovated because it cost more. Cost then location were our biggest priorities. We will be a lot closer to Sarah. It is off or 51 near Elm for those of you who know Charlotte. I will send out our new address when I know what it is.

Apartment Hunting

My and Daniel's lease is up mid-November, I have decided not to renew. It's time I get my own bathroom and I want a place with a fitness center. I have looked at a lot of places and it will be a tough decision. Any adivse family?? What should I definately look for? I am pretty sure I want the top floor, because it will be the most quiet, I also don't know whether I want to spend the extra $50 or so a month for renovated. It would mean newer appliances. The ones we have now are alright, but the dishwasher does leak 50% of the time even after they "fixed it" by "replacing" the gaskets literally 7 times. Also, newer appliances would be more energy efficient supposedly and then we would have a lower electric bill.

Mabye I am worrying a little too much.

PS: Daniel is basically healed up. His knew has a little scab left and he wears a brace on his left hand now. He reinjured/slowed its recovery at work with all the lifting.

PPS: Daniel is in better spirits than when he last posted, he was pretty blue before, but he is getting out more with friends and he paid the ticket and is looking for a new job, but please keep us in your prayers.

No News is Bad News

Rebecca wonders why we don't post more. We don't want to bring anyone down with our constant cascade of disaster. Yes, I was in a scooter accident and was in the ER but that's just part of it. I haven't gotten any pay increases in the last 18 months and in fact a relative pay decrease. I'm looking for work when there is 10-16% unemployment/underemployment. The state is garnishing my already below poverty level wages as if $20 a week would actually reduce an estimated payout amount of $112,834.94 and that's just state and not counting federal. I have to pay for a speeding ticket otherwise my license will be revoked on Sept 15. Looks like I don't get cash for clunkers or the $8000 for buying a home. The government gravy train has left me at the station. Time to apply for food stamps, welfare and medicaid while trying to solve my legal issues. I have to make some decision about what I'm going to do for housing because Rachel doesn't like our apartment very much. If I can get nationwide to actually insure my car for $80/mth I can keep driving otherwise I have to turn in the plates even if I do pay off my traffic ticket. My wrist still hurts so back to see the doctor about getting some kind of brace so it can heal better.

No delightful stories of funny things my children did here. Pictures of my gruesome wounds, dented helmet and court documents will be available for your morbid fascination soon.

Incidents unreported

Two rare incidents occurred this week, both of which I failed to report and wish I had.

1) Tuesday: A queen size mattress, fell off a truck and hit the front end of my car when I was on the highway. It was hella scary, but I didn't stop and when I did I didn't see any damage. Since then no apparent damage to the car.

2) Some jerk threw an uncapped needle and syringe away in the bathroom at Sbux, and it stuck me in my thigh. when I changed the trash. I wish I had filed an incident report. I will tomorrow. I went back to get the needle out of the dumpster, just to be safe. I'm sure nothing is wrong, but it was unsettling.

Now I know next time stop and report!

My feet hurt

I worked a 10hr day at Sbux (Starbucks) from her on out I will use this abbreviation. I have become pretty vegetative since school got out. I am absorbed by my new free trial from Netflix. It is a guilty escape from the mounds of house work and other things that I want to do. However, without the pressure of lesson planning each night, I am enjoying more social events with Annie and Geoff, and the Young adults group. I went to Rusan's and played pinochle with Annie and Geoff. It was a lot of fun. My goal is to visit with them once a week and with the Woods too. Daniel has begun a habit of visiting them nephews weekly too. Things at Sbux are the same old same old.

Daniel has a small zoo at our house. It was built in the last month or so. It has travelling exhibits to the Wood home. Joseph loves it and talks about it every time we go over there. Daniel has 3 hermit crabs, started with five and already had casualties. There is also a fire bellied toad, a little green annul lizard, which Daniel introduced to Joseph as a baby dinosaur, appealing to his love of all things dino. I still cant believe he no longer calls them beegos. Dan also has a tiger salamander, which escaped from his dish while Daniel was cleaning its tank. We were upset after an extensive search he was located in the very last spot we could think of, under the couch. Daniel couldn't fathom that the thing could escape. I was anger at his naivete and his negligence. Oh well, there are many benefits to living here too. He is good company and I am getting to know him better and help him out. We help reminding each other of various things. Back to pets Dan also a dwarf albino hamster that she-who-must-not-be-named gave him 2yrs ago for his birthday.

No News is Good News

TOO baD i GOT news, bad news...

My school didn't offer me a contract for next year.

Know of any jobs?

28 days and counting

ONLY 28 class days left, then 3 days of exams and I am free. June 4th. I plan to work at Starbucks this summer.

I have upgraded from a mattress on the floor to a bed! I got a free frame, box spring and mattress. from another teacher who just bought his first house.

A tragedy hit my Starbucks store. Our manager quit. He was the best. He was so understanding and made miraculous schedules. He tried to make it work out for everyone. He will be greatly missed. I dont know how they will replace him. We still dont have a new manager and his last day was thursday. I am happy that he got a better job.

bye bye anger, hello peace and calm

I was out of school, wed, Thursday, and Friday. It was a good break from the kiddos. I did a lot of reflecting, worrying if I can handle teachings, and sleeping. All in all it was mentally and emotionally productive; however, I did not grade any papers when I was sick. Grades for 3rd quarter were due yesterday. I graded all day and most of the night from 12:30pm-2:30 am!!!!!!!!! I only took bathroom breaks and of course a Bojangles run for dinner. I didn't check my email and I read no blogs, which are my usual procrastinating tricks. I graded 70 essays, 105 test (55 were scantron so that was easy), 47 homeworks, and about 20 projects. I never want to put off grading again. I will also never have grades from the last week count for the same quarter. I need to close out grades before the last week. I had to give 4 incomplete, because students didn't make up their tests yet. I have one girl who I think has been absent for all of my tests.

Anyways, I feel a lot better today and classes went more smoothly. I stayed clam and said it would be a new quarter and a clean slate and i modified the classroom rules. Miss Hoffman will not tolerate sassing back!!!

STRESSED, ANGRY, IMPATIENT!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

Annoying students - won't take no for an answer, everything has to be argued, debated, questioned, whatever.

Quarter is ending, grading is never ending.

Things i think and wish I could say, but know are wrong and horrible and would never say them:

Stop wasting class time with your immature, ignorant, intolerant, purposefully button-pushing, ridiculous questions and for 5 minutes stay on task.

JUST DEAL!!! I dont care if you think it is unfair.

Do something the 1st time I ask it, dont make me repeat it.

READ THE DIRECTIONS, they answer 99% percent of your questions, because if I hear any of the following one more time I think I will kill someone:

when is it due?
does it have to be typed?
how many points if this worth?
what do we need to do?
does it need to be in complete sentences?
are any of the words in the word bank used more than once?
are you going to take off for spelling and grammar?
Do i have to write my honor pledge on this? Can i just write IPMH? (instead of "I pledge my honor that I have neither given nor received aid on this test/paper.")

"None of my other teachers care, we did it in my last class."
- I DONT CARE and IT DOESN"T MATTER! SHUT UP

Do your parents ever tell you "no", do always get whatever you want?

I dont care why you dont have your book or homework, you have known about it for 6 weeks, I tell you almost everyday to bring your book, you have been in high school for 6 months, dont you get it yet!!

If i dont get use to this or find a better system, I QUIT!!!! I will give it 3 years and there better be improvement, or its not worth it.

Maybe I will try grade school one day. But teaching high school is almost as bad as being in high school, and those were the worst years of my life!!

Someone, please make it stop, I am going nuts!!

Please pray for me!! I need it desperately.

Great another 30 minutes wasted, I should have been grading papers, I hope you enjoyed it. It is supposed to be funny, but sadly it is the reality of my life, and I am on the edge of despair and total break down.

At least I have a lot to talk about in therapy.

"Want to see a movie"

Tuesday, Al, a regular at Starbucks, passed me a note asking me if I wanted to see a movie. I was very unsettled and repulsed. Al is twice my age, greasy, loud, obnoxious, fat, New York italian and he has been divorced more than once (rumor says it is 5, but I doubt it is that high.) What was he thinking??? and a note, are we 10, should I check yes or no? Anyways, he came in twice yesterday and needless to say it was quite awkward.

I highly recommend watching this past week's Office, you can see it on Hulu. It was SOOO hilarious. I did some cleaning this weekend too. It felt good. Now I need to grade some tests, an unfortunate part of my job. I need to figure out how to do it faster (easier tests??) I also need to call all the Sbuxes and see if I can find a replacement for Saturday, so that I can go to Monica's bridal shower.

Funny/odd things the kids (my students) said this month include:

"Miss Hoffman this was the best class ever, I love it when teachers get hurt!"
( I didn't really get hurt, I was leaning on the podium. You can adjust the height on it. The lever was loose and it shrunk down to half my height and I nearly fell over it.)

"12 kids!!!, that must have been painful back then, especially without any drugs." (boy said this after we learned that Jacob had 12 sons)

"My mom stood over me and hit me in the back of the head until I finished my homework."
(this kid often mention his mom hitting him, he thinks it is funny, I dont)

One of my students like to say, "Miss Hoffman, that is not very nice!!" to me when I state various arbitrary opinions. For example, I said I didn't like long hair on boys or nose rings. I told her in reply, "Katie, I am allowed to have a preference in hair styles, it doesn't mean I hate people with long hair. " She also said it when I said I thought the Oscars were silly. Katie is kind of dits, and
this is starting to become her catch phrase.

Daniel and Rachel Battle

I have been yelling at Daniel more than usual. He says that I am angry all the time, which has some truth. I have been more frustrated with the state of our home more lately. Little beard clippings on the sink that get everywhere, the pile of sox under his desk, the clothes that he leaves in the middle of the bathroom or the clothes on the bathroom floor, the "waiting to put away food until I am done eating it" and then getting tired and taking a nap and forgetting when he wakes up and then when I insist that he at least put things away, he has excuse after excuse. "Cleaning makes me tired." I reply that a messy house make me angry, so really it is all his fault that I am angry at home. I am not angry all the time.

I have been threatening Daniel that I want to move out, but we agreed that I ought to stay until the lease is up in October. I am trying from moving from anger to learning patience. I think Cathy is probably facing similar problems. She has said to me several times that God had her marry Dad to teach her patience. I am also breaking my rule about not saying critical things on our blog about the other person.

School is tiring - procrastinate and then stay up late and I have some annoying students. Oh the joys of teaching! This better get better in a couple years or I quit. I do like thinking about the great things that I am teaching them and the possibility of bringing them closer to Christ. I also have some truly wonderful students and good days. It does seem like more bad days than good however.

Thanks those of you who do post, I do read them and they are good!