South Texas Picture Post 2

I feel sick and bleeeck today. Here's a picture!

South Texas Picture Post 1

Pretty pictures until I have the energy to write and be clever. A pelican taken from Jim's Pier, a bayside institution. Jim's Pier is a few blocks from our beach house and a fun place to see all sorts of sea fauna. This time we saw this fellow and a slow moving sea turtle. So very cool.

Fisherman Frank

Back at work today after a quick jaunt down south. I may post more about the trip later, but right now I don't have enough energy. But, here's a funny kid story... Student, who we shall call Fisherman Frank has given me grief all year. He is the sort of kid who pushes my you-will-not-be-a sexist-racist-homophobic-jerk buttons all the time.

The sort of kid whose response to my constant "We don't use the word gay to mean stupid in my class" remark with "Okay, then I'll call him a fag." The sort who is an ass to the bad ass assistant principal and is the only kid I've sent to in-school-suspension all year. But, we are making progress. At the change of the semester he remarked that what he was learning to watch his mouth during the first 18 weeks in my class. A few minutes later I was reminding him again the things we do and do not say in my class and he rolled his eyes in a purposefully exaggerated manner and said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm learning to watch my mouth, you are continuing to teach me."

Progress takes baby steps and more often than not, his remarks are intelligent instead of racist.

Today, Frank was filling out a worksheet, I was helping everyone work on it, but basically they had to read a variety of occupational areas and fill in people who would fit each category. He was making some good connections and working at a good pace.

"So uhhh, who invented that one thing?" He was sort of asking me a question and sort of talking to himself.

"What, the internet? That was Al Gore." I said, loud enough for him to hear, but not to the whole class.

A brief look of confusion crossed his face, "Huh? What, oh (groan)...(voice drops down to nearly inaudible) you're a retard." But, he was grinning as he continued to work.

I laughed, because, I had won. "Yes Frank, but you think I'm funny." He didn't argue. "And besides," I said, "You're not supposed to call me (or anyone for that matter, but that's more than I can tackle) a retard."

He grinned, and kept working, much too smart, this time, to take the bait.

checking in with the dean of students

One of my favorite administrators is the Dean of Students (DOS). He has a crappy job (he is basically in charge of ALL discipline for my high school of 2200+ students, but he also has a great attitude. I stuck my head into his office on the way out of the building today.

Me: Hey, I had something I needed to tell you.
DOS: Oh, good, I needed to talk to you about someone.
Me: No way dude, I already called not it on that new kid.
DOS: What, he's a 19 year old with zero credits, you can change his life.
Me: No really, I'll pass, let someone else carry that torch, he's shown up on my radar for brief moments of time for the past three years. (Each glorious moment, court appointed)
DOS: No, it wasn't him, it's a girl. She's even nice I think.
Me: I like nice.
DOS: She needs a math credit, why does she need a math credit?
Me: She didn't pass the 3rd grade math test.
DOS: Third grade, oooooh, (he makes a face) I can't help her. How can we get her a math credit.
Me (in my head): I'm not a math teacher, how the hell do I know.
Me (out loud): I don't know how to solve that problem.
DOS: Okay, well, think about that one.
Me: Did we graduate so and so (a kid who had been on my caseload for 4 years and was a jr. when I started).
DOS: Yes, and I got a call from the Navy.
Me: Uh, oh, did you tell them we won't take him back, after a 7 year stint with him we just give them a diploma? (Sort of a non-commital discharge)
DOS: Oh, it's okay, I told him he's all good and really now he's the problem of the US military...he's going to blow his hand off.

(this is just a portion of the conversation, we also discussed two drug dealing twins, a huge pain in our ass who recently transfered, and the ethics of just magic-ing some kids some credits)

Look out world, the class of 2010 is almost upon you because that is how things get done in public education.

picture post

I fly to Texas on Wednesday morning for my grandmother's memorial on Thursday. I'm not actually thinking about anything that might make me upset right now, I'm saving that until my family is around... So, here is a picture post. I've been taking photos of graffiti for years now, my favorite is happy or silly, or graffiti that professes love or affirms life. This one is one of my favorites, taken under the mirror at a bathroom of a local restaurant.

never enough time

My grandmother died today. Lung cancer and it came on quickly; I learned about it one week ago. My mom and her sister were there; my uncles were in the area. They have been together all week. I had planned on seeing her this summer, had steeled myself to the fact that that would be the last time I would get to see her. Things don't always work out. But, she lived her life where she wanted and in the way she wanted. Although the sickness took her more quickly than any of us anticipated, it also meant she never had to compromise on her quality of life. That is admirable.

I asked my mom if my grandmother had said what she wanted for her funeral. Only that she wanted to be cremated. Apparently my grandfather's ashes have been sitting in the closet for 10 years and she left instructions on how she wanted them scattered. My uncle suggested they mix the ashes and scatter them together. This is not what she would have wanted(It was a complicated marriage), and my mom and I laughed at how mad she'd be at all of us if we did that to her. No instead she told my mom that she wanted Bill (my grandfather) to be scattered in the ocean, and she wanted to be scattered on the beach... because she can't swim.

party trick

Salsa is my party trick and it's a good one, I've been getting requests, as in "You're invited to my birthday party, but you can't come unless you bring salsa." And she was serious. I was late and got an angry call because a co-worker's husband whom I had made salsa for as a thank you for the use of their truck, refused to eat anything until I showed up with the salsa. Someone else was reminiscing about eating salsa YEARS ago (I mean like 15) at my house growing up.

It's good to have skills. And I like it because it's easy. Especially since acquiring the food processor (oh, how I love thee).

But, like many things I make I don't actually have a recipe. I mean, I know how to make it, but there's no set proportions. If I were to guess it would look something like this:

1 bunch cilantro: washed, trimmed and chopped as finely as possible (food processor)
tomatoes 7-10 chopped (I chop a few in the food processor and then the rest by hand)
1 small/med onion chopped as finely as possible
1 jalapeno: seeded and again chopped as finely as possible

All of those are about the right amount of ingredients, the rest is to taste.
lime juice: fresh squeezed 2 or 3 limes
salt
pepper
garlic powder

and two secret ingredients
beer (it doesn't usually matter what type, and this can be omitted if there will be little ones eating)
pace picante sauce

mess with the proportions until it tastes right.
That's it and you too can impress your friends.

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