I Can't Believe that Hat

Today was a beautiful day in Bainbridge, although...kind of breezy and cooler than it had been.  When I headed out this morning I decided to wear my Dr Seuss hat which is a funny green color with a tassel on top.  It's what I wear when I don't care how I look and I want to stay warm.  Most people would say today wasn't chilly at all. 

Ok, so, I didn't feel like putting on my wig today...it was just one of those days.  Plus, my Horton-Hears-A-Who-Hat helps to cover those unruly grays at my temple, that have been getting out of hand lately.  Even my wigs can't hide 'em.

Anyway, so I'm walking and I hear what I think is:  "I can't believe that hat!"  And, I start to chuckle to myself thinking "I can't believe someone is worried about my hat."

I turn to my left and there's a man putting stuff in his trunk because he's obviously upset about something and he says to me "those fish jumped up outta the water, grabbed my line and my pole and everything." 

I started laughing out loud because what he said and what I thought he said were two different things.  Plus, I'm trying to picture the fish running off with his gear.

Actually what he said was "I can't believe that happened!"   I sympathized with him and I kept walking and again I thought I heard him say..."I still can't believe that hat." 

I had to laugh out loud again, because, sometimes I am such a dweeb...Ahahahaha...!  

I've had to laugh about that several times today; including while  sitting at the library writing about it.  What a nut case...and it's almost impossible for me to suppress a gut-busting laugh.

BIG Crumbs

I'm sure everyone has received at least one email from me about BIG Crumbs which is a new concept in shopping online.

It's FREE Easy and Fast..everybody loves FREE stuff...don't we?

BIG Crumbs has over a hundred retailers listed that we all know and love such as Target, Walmart, Toys r Us, Travelocity, Hotel.com, Frederick's of Hollywood,  that's just to name a few.

Oh, I cannot forget Zappo's - the fabulous online shoe store that has free-shipping.  The shoes are off the chain.

Anyway, after you've joined BIG Crumbs, whenever you feel the urge to shop, you log into your BIG Crumbs account and shop til you drop.  All the retailers offer discounts that's how you save money.  Money is earned when you get people to sign up and you make money whenever they shop...and so forth and so on.

So, I don't know what everybody's waiting for.  You have nothing to lose unless you just don't believe in saving money and are too scared to shop online.

I forgot to mention you can shop online at Walmart and pick up your order at the closest Walmart if you're not in a great hurry to receive an item.  They will send you an email when the item has arrived instore.  Sorry, it's not immediate.

No pressure, I only want to make sure my friends and people I love get to enjoy some of the benefits of the internet.  You should read the misson statement of BIG Crumbs for a better understanding of their business model.

Check it out and you decide.

Peace Love and Happy Shopping to all

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Making a Difference

Today was a combination of 2nd and 3rd graders because I subbed for a "Special-Ed" class.  Those kids seem to need more one-on-one in order to do the work.  They also need lots of encouragement and be made to feel that they can do the work. 

If they are told "that was very good" or great job, they feel like 'I know I can do this" and it goes a long way in helping them to understand the basics of learning.  Sometimes, frustration sets in and it doesn't take much for them to feel overwhelmed.  A little nudge is all it takes to get them moving and back on track.

I had to read them a story after which they had to go to the computer and answer questions about the story.  They didn't understand the word "lunge".  The best I could come up with was in demonstrating the move as it related to fencing.   They sure got a kick out of that.  It was very rewarding to work with them  and made me feel like I'd made a difference today - in the life of a child.

The Third Graders

They were awful to say the least.   I had to take a Pre-K break and go see my babies.   They made me laugh and smile. I even sang a song for one of them who wasn't there for the two days I was there last week.  The song went like this:

"We're glad to have you back

We're glad to have you back

We hope you never get sick again,

We're glad to have you back."

I told them I used to sing that when I was in kindergarten and I had it song to me only once, that I can recall.

Those third graders were a mess.  I just cannot figure out where they get so much attitude from so early in the morning.  There was back-talkin', the suckin' of teeth, the rollin' of eyes - all before 9a.  I just started writing and once the writing starts - it does not stop.  The teacher did leave a lesson plan which helped alot.  She has a nice little novelette waiting for her for tomorrow - all about how terrible most of them were for most of the day. 

The Loft in Columbus, GA

In Columbus, GA. on Saturday Feb 9th, I ate at a very interesting eatery called Burt's Butcher Shoppe & Eatery.  I had a fried pork-chop sandwich that was absolutely scrumptious.  The mashed potatoes and cole slaw was slammin' to.  It was a pleasant surprise to eat out in a city I didn't know anything about and leave feeling happy with my appetite satiated.

The Loft in the downtown area of Columbus had Devon Allman performing with his band.  They were jammin' a Bob Marley classic, I forget which one, that could be heard at street level; because the Loft is an upstairs venue that has the feel of Eddie's Attic in Atlanta although, it's quite a bit larger.

I believe Devon Allman is the son of Greg and he looks to be thirty-something, I guess.  He was very nice and gracious - he posed for a picture with me (of course) and I didn't have to twist his arm.  His band is pretty funky too, Mark O on drums and Pedro was holdin' down the bottom on that bass.   I got pix with them too.   The actual name of their band is "HoneyTribe" or is that the name of their current CD?  You can check them out on Myspace - of course.

Devon Allman played blues, reggae and a classic tune of his Dad's called Midnight something - you know the one.   I had a great time and downtown Columus is the place to go when you're in Columbus, there's lots of entertainment, enough to keep everybody happy and I shall return.

...the Pre-K's II

Today we had too much fun.  It was hat day.  I am a hat person so I wore my Dr. Seuss-funky-green-cartoon-looking-hat.  One kid wore his dad's black leather cowboy hat, it was outrageous because as young as he is, the kid was wearing the hat of a full grown man.  I'm sure he'll eventually grow into his head.  Mostly they wore baseball caps, a John Deere cap, FSU cap, plain caps, etc. 

Another highlight of the day was "show-n-tell."  One kid bought in a pair of maracas from Mexico and he was very excited to talk about them.  They were very colorful, he shook them and smiled so much, he could barely contain himself.  A little girl was proud of her barbie-doll stickers,  the fake Doctors kit was a hit; as was the plastic dinosaur box.

After lunch they did some yoga.  I sat on the mat with my legs "criss-cross applesauce" and joined right in with the relaxation poses - it did my body good.  After that, I laid in the "dead man pose" and took a nap right along with the kids.  Why sit down - when you can lay down?

The last exciting thing we did was getting ice-cream as the afternoon snack and going outside to play.  I scream, you scream - we all scream for ice-cream.  I know I do and if I could have my way, ice-cream would be my number one food to eat all the time without consequences.  Yeah...in a perfect world.

The day ended with the Washington and Lincoln paper hats being passsed out along with letters to parents about events for the following week.  The teacher then encouraged them to be good, obey their parents, have fun and to have a fabulous weekend.

Ruthie and the Pre-K's

These are by far the sweetest people on the planet.  They are  sweet, innocent, inquisitive and totally honest about everything.

They still possess the part of their personalities that we as adults lose too early in this thing called life.  I, for one, think people would be happier if they did not let that inner child get lost in the sauce.

Me and the babies had a great day together.  I filled in for the "para-pro" who had to leave early because she had a sick teenager.  I arrived at 7:30a, can you believe that?  And, they stay at school all day.  For breakfast they had what looked like "bagel pizza" with milk or juice.  Most of them seemd to like it.

I'm sitting here in the library with some stickers on my face that the kids put there.  That lil Ruthie girl is never gonna grow up no matter what anybody says.  Y'all can grow old if you want to...I'm not.

During nap-time the teacher talked to me about the kids, their backgrounds and what they're like from day to day.  One kid she said is picked up everyday by someone other than his mother.  One day he said to the teacher, "Ms R, every day my mom picks me up, but it doesn't look like her."   She said he's a smart kid, he just doesn't have good common sense.  The mind of a four year old...

The funniest part of the day was when after nap-time the teacher put on a CD with dance tunes and they were supposed to be dancing to "Turn the Beat Around" from the 70's.  Of course, both the teacher and I got on the mat and danced like nobody was watching and the kids couldn't dance for staring at us.   It was too funny. 

The last thing we did before leaving for the day was have a snack and play outside.  Then we talked about what new things they'd learned for the day.  Most of these kids are 4 and 5 years old and behaved better than most of the 8th graders I had earlier this week.  At 2:30 some of them could remember what they'd learned at 9a in the morning. 

I will never turn down a chance to work with the babies because it makes me very happy to be around them.  I find I'm learning things about myelf while I try and make a difference in their young lives and that really does a body good.

Jefferson County Kennel Club or JCKC

The Jefferson County Kennel Club (JCKC) is located in a quaint little city called Monticello, FL.  The ride to Monticello along the canopy road was beautiful even at night, which I'm looking forward to seeing in daylight.   A canopy road is a road with trees overhanging on both sides which gives the illusion of driving through a tunnel of trees.

We arrived close to our scheduled time of 7:30 for our dinner reservations.   At one point we went into panic mode; afraid we might lose our table.  In the dead of winter - it was not that big a deal.

The third race was starting just as we arrived.  The house lights went down and the dogs were off.  It's always very exciting watching them chasing that fake rabbit, even if you haven't placed a bet.  The race itself takes less than a minute and everybody is staring out onto the track with bated breath, hoping their dog will win.

Everyone got into the habit of telling what number they'd bet on.  The second time I went to place my bet, I decided not to tell anybody, just keep it to my myself.  The first bet I won was on the number seven dog which was chosen because  the program read, "it did great in the home stretch" or something to that effect.  I thought to myself - why not?   And, it won.  Needless to say, I was thrilled out of my shoes. 

The next dog I bet on was because it had the fastest time out of all the dogs listed in the tenth race.  Again, I thought "why not?"  And, I had two wins for the night.  I don't believe in pushing my luck so I wasn't doing no "all or nothing bets" not that night. 

By the time we left, I'd won enough money to cover the cost of my diner which was all I needed to make me happy because that meant I wouldn't have to go home broke and  feeling defeated. 

Before we left the owner of the club comped us on a round of drinks and we all posed for a "photo-op" with him.  A nice elderly man who looked like he's owned the club forever.  We thanked him and promised to return because we are some wannabe gamblers who wanna win big.

Ruthie the Science Sub

Needless to say I did not go back to the elementary school the next day because the principal from Hutto Middle School called me again first thing on Tuesday morning.  I was reluctant to accept the assignment, but she assured me these kids would not be as bad; so, I relented and went.

One thing to be said about the teacher I coverd, she runs a tight ship.  The lessons plans were waiting and ready when I arrived.  All I had to do was pass pass them out.  Apparently, she has instilled some sense of fear in her students and that's a plus.  Her homeroom class which consisted of 18 fifteen-year olds were rather charming.  I was able to talk and laugh with them.  We talked mostly about movies, most of them were like me and also enjoy the horror genre.  They also seemed to love talking about  those mindless reality shows.  This was as good as it got for most of the day.

At 12n, in came the rowdy bunch.  I had to explain to them, "if attitude is what you all want, I've got some attitude for ya, ok."  and, I don't mean any ole regular attitude, I will give you some Bronx, NY attitude with some projects thrown in for good measure, ok"  So, bring it on.  I guess they ain't all completely crazy because they got the message soon enough and it didn't take much to convince them otherwise.

You have got to talk to these kids at the level on which they can comprehend.  I really don't like behaving that way because it's stressful.  It's much more fun to laugh and be happy for goodness sakes.  Some of them sat around giving me the evil eye, I guess they were trying to scare me,.  Obviously, they don't get it.  It seems they think school is where you go to run amuck and not a place for learning.

The worse class of the day was the last class.  A para-pro had warned me earlier about some of the students in this class so I was ready for 'em.  The teacher I covered even warned me that they were good for throwing things...ugh.  I stood at the door and insisted they tell me their names before entering the room and made them sit in their assigned seats.  It's amazing how when asked their names most of them only give you a first name and they seem unable to speak clearly.  It's awful.  I hate that.

Once I had them settled, I took attendance again so I'd  know everyones face.  They gave me a little hell but, but nothing I couldn't handle.  Afterall, I did not have to call in the principal.  And, yes, there was throwing of items across the room.  No worries though, I left the teacher a nice little summary of all the things that went  on in her absence.  I'm sure the trouble makers got a little hell when she got back. 

Ruthie the Music Teacher

Yep, I actually took an assignment today at Hutto Middle School.  I must be losing my mind...

Music was the draw because I figured it would be fairly easy and it was - for the most part.  I just hate the attitude I have to get from these kids.  You tell them something and they suck their teeth.   As I recall, when I was a kid I knew I could "get dead" if I did that to my mother and knew better than to try it with a teacher, not even a sub.  But these kids today, they have to prove to you that they aren't afraid of you and you can't do anything that will scare them.

I wanted to show one class "West Side Story", an American Classic. If for no other reason, it's one of my all time favorites.  I talked about it to give them some background on the film.  I told them the theme and how many Oscars it had won, more than any other film, so I'm told.   It has great choreography and songs along with a great cast including Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno.   But, nothing doing - they weren't having any of it.  I thought too bad, too sad.  I told them one day someone will ask you if you've ever seen "West Side Story."

Only one kid in the class really wanted to see it, everybody else wanted to act like jerks.  So, I passed out worksheets and had to scratch the movie.   I felt bad for the one kid though.  I was glad when that class left. 

The next class was a little better because they settled down enough to watch "The Sound of Music" for about 20 minutes.

When the bell sounded and they shot out of there like bullets;  I thought, "whew, I survived the day."  I think I'll go back to elementary school tomorrow. 

Bradfordville Blues Club aka the BBC

We went to see Motor City Josh and the BIG 3 last Friday at the Bradfordville Blues Club in Tallahassee, FL.  As usual, Motor City had the juke-joint jumpin' with his combination of funky blues, soul, pop, bluegrass and jazz music - Motor City Josh style.

Everybody ordered their usual drinks - beers all around.  I was pleasantly surprised that they had Root Beer which should be renamed to "Ruthie Beer" because that is the only beer I will drink.  It was the kind in the brown bottle, loaded I'm sure with High Fructose Corn Syrup.

We were the first ones there and boy were we glad cuz we needed a table for all the partying and hopping around we needed to do.  There was a birthday celebration in progress the entire night.  The show started at 10p and we wasted no time getting on the floor to cut the rug. 

In between dancing, I managed to get some fairly decent footage of Josh and the band.  It's very hard for me to spend an entire eveing capturing video when I could be out there shaking a tail-feather.  At one point someone grabbed me from behind and spun me around, captured on video - I'll eventually post - maybe to youtube.

We met a interesting person and local celebrity, Mr Peter Ray - a meteorologist and FSU professor from Tallahassee and who, much to my surprise is a "tornadoe chaser."  Yep, he actually has a vehicle that he uses to run down tornadoes.  Isn't that a hoot? 

The BBC is an colorful place with an interesting history.  Inside the club are painted portraits of famous blues legends. I did recognize such greats as Pine-Top Perkins, Charles Musselwhite and Muddy Waters to name a few, along with several others. 

Apparently, this club sits where in the past was a juke-joint on a slave plantation. At night; there is a bon fire made, that really could singe the clothes to your body if you're not careful and it was downright frosty on Friday night which made it the perfect place to be for warmth. If that didn't do it the music certainly did cuz, at one point - I was sweatin' as cold as it was.

Ms. Ernestine fries catfish and mullet in a huge deep fryer along with french fries as a side; which makes it the place to go when your grease is low.  After the long break, the music started up again.  This part of the night is strictly for the die-hards - the people who refuse to leave until the last note is played.

Usually, at this point of the night any band is good and warmed up and hitting on all fours.  Motor-City was "off da' chain" to say the least we danced and jumped around while the band was bumpin' and thumpin'.  When Motor City finally said "thank-you and good night" he knew he was coming back for an encore.   We just stood around hootin' and hollin' for him to start up the music again cuz, there was no where to go off stage.

In the end, a great time was had by all.  We said our good-byes, with hugs and kisses, dreading the cold we had to face for our ride back to Bainbridge.  I was it as the designated driver.  We got back at 3a, I did not get to bed til 4a and I was out for the count.  

Tune in soon to hear about our (me and the Blues Babes') trip on Saturday night to the Jefferson County Kennel Club.  That's right - we went to the dog races...

Team Lean - Week III January 31, 2008

I had to roll out of bed extra early in order to make my weigh-in at the hospital, get back to the house to dress, eat breakfast and make it to Potter Street Elementary on time.

Since things in Bainbraidge are in such close proximity to each other; amazingly - I was able to pull it off.  I pulled off at 6:29a, headed to the hospital, by 6:45 I was back at the house.  That's how quick a "weigh-in" is in Bainbridge. 

I'm sorry to say I had gained a pound - much to my chagrin...ugh.  I had to pay an extra dollar for the weight gain.  All I have to say is - for every ounce, calorie and gram of carb that I gained - it was worth it.  The Mozart Bakery on Buford Highway in Chamblee, which sits right next door to the best Chinese restaurant in Atlanta is the "total bomb!"  Those two places makes me do flips.  I think the weight was gained becasue even though I walked while in Atlanta, I didn't walk as much as I usually do.  I had actually gained two pounds but, the extra walking after getting back eliminated one of them. 

Jodi suggested we go to the "weigh-in" naked to keep our recorded weight to a minimum...LOL! In the final analysis, taking stuff off does make a difference.  We take off our jewelry, hats, wigs and anything that might add to our weight.  I just learned one rule of the challenge is - whatever you want to take off, it must be removed before you enter the room.  Hell...somebody should have told me that sooner, cuz next week, the only thing I'll be wearing is a  slip. 

Bass Boats Galore - Thursday January 31, 2008

Well...January's gone - one down, eleven to go.

I decided to walk at the boat basin today.  Not that I hadn't been.  I had also gone there on Wednesday and Monday of this week.  On Monday there were boats everywhere and I thought they were there from last weekend for some big fishing event.  But no...the huge event will happen this coming weekend and it looks  to me like it's going to be the biggest "bass boat fishing event" ever.  I have never seen so many Suburbans, SUV's and Pick-Ups with boat hitches in my life.

If I have time this weekend, I may stop and check out the event to see exactly what all the excitement is about. 

Come to find out it's a "bassangler" event...whatever that is.  I surely intend to find out. 

By the time I arrived there was not a bass boat in sight.  I guess I missed all the excitement and hoopla.

Special Education - Tuesday January 29, 2008

Today I walked for two minutes to get to my assignment for the day which was at Potter Street Elementary in Bainbridge.  It was very cold this morning, although the remainder of the day turned out to be rather warm, high, in the low 70's.

The class in my charge today consisted of eleven children and also a "special-ed" class.  I was told "special-ed" means they can have a learning disablility or a behavior disorder.   At first, I was reluctant to take a "special-ed" class, but this class came with two para-pros to assist me with the daily routine.

I wondered why a kid named Kenzie is in this class because he was well behaved, well-mannered, did his work, had very nice penmanship and did everything he was supposed to without a bit of trouble.  I did not have to plead and beg him to do his work.  He seemed perfectly content sitting there writing all the numbers from 1 to 100.

Malik, on the other hand, had a real hard time sitting still, could not stop making a strange noises and I could not get him write his sentences.  He would take an entire line to write one word no matter how many times I tried to show him how to keep all the letters the same size.  He meant no harm, although he seemed to forget why he goes to school.

It ended up being a nice day.  Having eleven special-ed children in one  room wasn't so bad.  They did not seem to be anymore fidgety and restless than other kids their age.  I think for the most part it has to do with their ability to do school work at their grade and age level.

Overall, they were the same as many other kids, trying give the "Sub" a hard time and trying to push the envelope to see how much they could get away with, without being sent to the principals office.

Politics

So, the Kennedy's are endorsing Obama and with exactly a week left before the Georgia primary, I haven't given much thought as to whom I will be voting for.  I guess I'd better get to thinking.  It is a daunting task to elect someone who by the stroke of a pen can determine your destiny in a matter of speaking.  Even scarier, is someone having that power and you did not give it to them.

One thing I know for sure is - we need a change in how the government of the United States is run.  I wish race wasn't such an issue in this - the race for the presidency, but it is whether most people want to admit it or not. 

I believe it was WEB DubBois, who 50 or more years ago said "in the 21st century, race will still be an issue in America" and I'll be damned if it isn't true. 

President Barack Hussein Obama which rhymes with Osama and whose middle name is Hussein.  I suppose it can happen, but only in America.  So we'll see...and, if Obama wins, well...there's gonna be some "Hell-up-in-Harlem."

Tuesday January 22 2007

I was called at 6:45a this morning for my first Substitute teaching assignment for third-graders.  It was ok for a first assignment.  It would not have been the way it was if I had gotten a good nights sleep.  At 2a I had a bad case of insomnia and it was nearly 4a before I was able to fall back asleep.  The children were very fidgety and talkative.  I spent most of the morning trying to stay awake and alert.  Lucky for me, there was also a student teacher in the class and she handled most of the days work.

I'm looking forward to going back, but I'd definitely prefer the K's and Pre-K's, they are sweet and all they wanna have is fun-all day long.  They don't need anything serious like math, science or reading to crowd their little brains. 

Team Lean Week II

Tomorrow is the weigh-in...I'm a little worried.  I did eat too much of one thing - a bad thing.  I ate a whole container of mini-butter coissants in like less than 24 hours...urgh!

We'll see what happens.  I'll be ther first thing in the morning before breakfast.

I am now 165 pounds.  Yahoo!  I haven't weighed that since I was a baby.  I was afraid I'd gained a pound or 2 from last week, but I guess I've been doing more than enough walking to keep the pounds from piling on.

It was very rainy and cold here yesterday, so, for the first time in about a month I did not go for an extended walk.   It's cold here today, but I'm on my way to the Boat Basin.

Sorry, I had to send this to everyone, cuz I am thrilled outta my shoes.