School of Rocks..

Way to go Amie! I am so proud of you! Hitting your weight loss goals at such an amazing pace! It sucks that everything else is going so crappy. At least it’s one thing to look forward to!
In reference to the hard economic times, I hate to say it, but I feel that it’s only going to get worse in the coming days. At my daughter’s school, the teachers are being made to work so many unpaid days this year and they have also implemented 30 minute early release Wednesdays. This coming from a school that is set up for advanced students, and made it known that there would be longer school days, etc. I find it a little irritating, to say the least. To be honest, I think that instead of starting a 30 minute early release schedule, they should just add less days to the school year. In a nut shell, that’s what they are doing. If you figure it out throughout the year, I’m sure it would cover at least a few of the days that the teachers are being made to work unpaid and probably keep everyone happy in the end.
Today is the first day of school for our city. With budget cuts and other changes, school closures, and everything else hitting us financially (that the government says is getting better), I don’t see a positive change yet for our kids’ education. While I believe we do have a lot of options educationally speaking, I also believe it has been proven that most of our children in America are behind the bar so to speak when it comes to education.
What are the differences? Where does America’s education lack? Many other countries teach their students many different languages, etc. Which I think is a definite positive, but not a necessity. But when it comes to the everyday knowledge that is needed in life, are American kids lacking? Personally, I don’t have that answer. I think every kid is different and learns at different levels and speeds. Being that I don’t have much knowledge of the education systems in these other countries, I can’t really say. I wonder if these other countries have programs in place to take care of the students who need extra help, such as our ‘no child left behind’? Are the children that can’t meet the expectations ostracized? Who knows? I’m just glad that my daughter is getting the best education available to her and taking advantage of the programs she is eligible for (educationally speaking).
Let’s just hope the funding doesn’t run out and in order to send our kids to school we have to pay for it. Because I don’t know that I would be able to afford the type of education that she deserves or gets now.

Tired but Triumphant

There are days that I absolutely don’t want to do anything. Today is one of them. I want to leave work, go back home, and crawl back into bed. I feel so tired and worn down. I wish I could take some B12 or something that would give me some energy, but I can’t right now because of the diet I’m on. 


Moving onto a happy note. I got a Nook this weekend! Yeah!! Just in case you don’t know what a Nook is, it’s an e-book reader. I really like it. It is very easy on the eyes (not like looking at a computer for a long time). I am overall impressed with it. I got it on Friday and played with it all weekend. If you enjoy reading, I would recommend it. I mean, this thing holds like 1500 books! And, each Friday you can get a free book. It’s a book of Barnes and Nobles choosing, but hey, free is free!

On another happy note, I just got back from my doctor and I have gotten rid of 100 pounds!!! Notice I say, gotten rid of instead of lost. I was told about 4 months ago that lost implies that it can be found again. I sure as hell do NOT want to find this weight again, therefore, it has been gotten rid of! Yay me! So, I now have between 60 and 70 to get rid of and then I will be done. I can’t wait! I’m hoping to be done by Christmas, but if that doesn’t happen then it will be shortly after that. Hey, I can see the finish line and it isn’t a mirage!

So, here’s my political thing for today. I copied this right out of the article from the Associated Press on Yahoo. I will put the link below. “ Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that tough economic times require that he shutter a major command that employs some 5,000 people around Norfolk, Va., and begin to eliminate other jobs throughout the military.” Isn’t it the government that keeps telling us the recession is getting better? That they are creating more jobs? That we just need to be patient? That everything is going to be OK? Well, it doesn’t look like it’s getting better, not if the defense secretary is getting ready to cut approximately 5200 (after reading the article and counting the numbers) jobs. Hey, look at the bright side, at least the government extended the unemployment insurance benefits! (Please note: that last line was my attempt at a “dripping with sarcasm” sentence.)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pentagon_budget_cuts