Main » February 2006
February 28, 2006
First Luvey Picture
Posted by at 05:21 PM | Comments (2)
Some interesting moments in a dull week
FCAT testing is not what I would call a fun couple of days. The only thing more boring than the students taking this test is me having to watch them take this test. Therefore I don't have much exciting news on the teaching front.
The rosacea is doing ok with just a little moisturizer and the Topral oral medicine.
The colon still hurts some but at least the leaking finally stopped. I'm still padding the incision since it cuts right across the belt line.
The cat adoptions went very well Saturday. The head honcho Lisa left my wife and I in charge. Another volunteer was supposed to come in to help but she never showed up so we were on our on through a very busy day of showing cats to prospective adoptees at Petco. We had a great day with 5 adoptions. The surprising news is that a white cat with blue eyes named Luvey was back again. She is a beautiful cat with the sweetest personality. It is a shame that most people want little kittens for adoption. She is 2 years old and is not a small cat so no one wanted her again this day. I decided then and there that if no one adopted her by 5 P.M. that I would take her home myself. This is exactly what happened and Luvey is now cat #8 in our crowded little house. She is slowly getting acclimated to the others and is in a room by herself for the time being. She went in for a dental cleaning, shots, and an exam. They found tapeworms so she was medicated for that. She is back home now and was given a clean bill of heath except for some gingivitis. She is on a short course of a antibiotic for this. The photo is the first picture we took of Luvey. The flash washed out her beautiful blue eye color but it still shows how cute she is.
Posted by at 05:00 PM | Comments (1)
February 22, 2006
Stress, stress, stressssss!
We are finishing the 1st 9 week period and things are chaotic here at school. Where to begin? Well, I came in today early for a meeting on FCAT, the state test that will determine whether each student will graduate or not. It's also used to grade the quality of each school. We have been an "A" school from our inception 6 years ago. No pressure there, huh?! So next week and a couple of days in March we get to waste time taking this ridiculous test.
In the midst of FCAT testing and the stress of expectations from it, we also have midterm exams next week, followed by grades. So Friday I come in early to set up the lab test, spend hours grading the tests, review for the midterm, stop and give the standardized FCAT test, go back to reviewing for the midterm, give the midterm and grade them, and then submit grade averages for all classes, and wrap up next week with going into the circulatory system of the cat. There is enough to do now that a person could go insane with the stress levels here. The kids are about as stressed out as I am. Too much, too much!!
Posted by at 08:23 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2006
Cold weather hits the rosacea again
I've been working with the kids all day in their muscle dissection and boy am I tired!
Last night the local temperature went below freezing. This morning the flushing is worse and my skin is thirsty for moisture. That's always how it is in the winter when we hit a patch of cold. There's not much to do except put on more moisturizer and try not to go from one temperature extreme to another too often.
Well, back to the cats. Their test on muscles and external anatomy is Wednesday and I want my future doctors to do well. After all, they may be working on me some day!
Posted by at 11:01 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2006
The meaning of life
As I get closer to that time I will retire and jump off of the hamster wheel of work I think about the impact I have had on others and the meaning of my existance after leaving teaching. I know I have motivated many students to choose a career in the sciences. There are a number of doctors, nurses, and science teachers out there today because of my efforts. I am proud of this accomplishment but concerned about my future value. What self worth will I have after handing over the teaching mantle to those with more youthful energy and zeal? I need to sit down in the near future and plan ahead for a means of giving value to my life after retirement. Animal rescue has always been a priority with me. I can see myself expanding that role when I have more free time on my hands. I only wish I had the financial means to accomplish what I would like to with animal adoption. All I have to offer is my time.
Posted by at 08:38 PM | Comments (1)
February 01, 2006
Fingerprinting and background check
Here is something humorous. Today I had to have my fingerprints taken by a hired company and will be undergoing a background check to ensure I am moral enough to be teaching my little munchkins. This is after 25 years of teaching those same munchkins! I had fingerprints taken about 23 years ago and as far as I know they are still sitting somewhere in a musty file cabinet. I don't know how much all of this is costing the county but it is obviously a huge expense. The only people in our county who I know have had a failed background check were two teachers and a bus driver who were charged with various crimes against students. They were investigated after being charged. I think this 'protection' is a huge waste of time and money since it seems to have no effect on weeding out bad or immoral educators. It's a good thing that 99.9% of us are honest, hard working people. Otherwise education would be in trouble.
Having given my rant of the week, here is the health update. I am still sometimes in pain, but it is a little better each day. There are periods where the colon surgery pain is almost gone. It is worst at the end of the day after moving around a lot. Tonight was especially rough, with a deep pain in my lower right abdomen. The incision is still filling in nicely and leakage is about half what it was last week. In another couple of weeks the external incision should be about healed. The internal injury may take a little longer to resolve.
No real rosacea problem now except for a little pink color and some dryness. I am still using moisturizer and am on Topral. I can't complain about it since I've had the flushing under pretty good control this week.
We begin dissecting the cats Friday. As I said earlier, I have very mixed feelings about this. It breaks my heart to think of those poor animals being killed just because someone didn't want them in their home. I've been giving a lot of extra petting to my lucky cats at home. They have a good 'forever home' here and have everything a cat could ask for. It's my small way of returning some of the love they did not have earlier in their lives.
Posted by at 07:04 PM | Comments (4)
