waiting...

In a little over a week, my youngest ships out for boot camp.

She found out that her liberal arts degree is not very good in our current depressed economy, so after thought and talking to the recruiter, she is joining the US Army.

She got a max score on the ASVAB, scored very well on the language test and is going to OCS.

She hopes she get some language training. Officers do not get to pick their specialty, considering her scores and her drive, she should do well. She is out exercising, doing everything she can to get through boot camp and OCS as a high prospect.

When I tell people what she is doing, I get the "aren't you scare for her?"

*Well heck, I'm scared making a left turn on our main thouroughfare.*

The world is a dangerous place, the army moreso, but it is a matter of proportion.

my response, however, is always. "no, she's my daughter."

What I'm thinking
I raised her, I know her well and her ticks.
She was raised to be independent and a free thinker and with a strong work ethic.
She's not going to do anything stupid.
She's not going to pick up duds, asking "what's this?"
And if she does do something stupid, like charge the enemy, she has a plan.
She has expressed no desire for any medal beyond "3 years of excellent service".
If she does go to a combat zone, she is getting armor, which she will "wear to the bathroom."
If she goes into combat she's getting a heavy caliber pistol and knife.
Now all we worry about is the odds luck of IED or HumVee accidents.

busy beaver

I got good news this week, my astronomy class was approved.

So now my schedule looks like I am teaching Physics. Chemistry, Algebraic connections (read math for those that can't do algebra) and Astronomy. I have the lessons for the first two. I am reworking all the lesson plans so they make more sense. Tossing out the assignments that do not work, clearing up typos and badly framed questions in tests. Although I did the math classes before, my lesson plans are not that good. I have some projects they can do, and surprise surprise surprise. I actually learned something I can use in class, a neat online poster generator (much like a blog).

Astronomy is pretty much laid out. I had to have much of the work planned for submission to the state.

Speaking of that now that my printer is working I need to make my class rules print up and there is a posterizer program.

In fact next week I'm planning on spending every day getting ready for next year. Organizing supplies, hoping my new ones come in, organizing desks, getting my roster together. Heck right now I don't even know the schedule.

I have taken classes and am now a mentor teacher. Which means some more pay and less free time.

Now my brother is insisting I get national certification.

buy a Kukri knife

After reading about a Gurkha who removed the head of a war lord in Afghanistan.
Now I absolutely agree with the comment that if it happened in a movie this is where the audience would cheer.
Now I'm not a British citizen, no letter I write would help. Also I am not one to second guess military tribunals, I hope they come to the right decision.

But what I can do is buy a knife. This supports the Gurkhas and may show solidarity to their cause.

The hard part was deciding which knife. I went for the classic but there is a double edged one, American Eagle, a Some Gave All series. I was seriously tempted to the the wooden one for training, but I may do that when my martial arts lessons are advanced enough for weapons.

Boy is hubby going to flip when he sees the package arrive.

gardening

My brother is staying with us for at time and is helping garden.

A raised bed has been cleared then planted with bok Choy and snow peas. He leveled out some rocks that are holding back some erosion. I weeded my labyrinth along with laying out some more seeds in the trays. He's now tilling an area where I want to plant some radishes. I'm going to lay down some more peat moss in the strawberries. Mental note if we go to the hardware store either get there or the garden store we love a new sprayer and a rain gauge.

Hubby is sanding the bathroom door for repainting. He's spent two days doing this, I'm to the point of "just get another F** door."

home improvement

Like many homeowners we make improvements every year to the house.

This year we installed a jacuzzi. We thought it would take a week.

It's taken a month, and still not done. Remove old sheet rock, which was covered by previous remodeling by wood paneling. Wait for plumber to start, he's on another job
Get toilet and sink out of way, removed old bathtub to see what kind of pipes are in and what is needed and find part of floor and floor joist needs replacing...etc etc

Finally the walls are painted, jacuzzi works, toilet back in place..still need to put in medicine cabinet, get faucet in sink.

To youngest daughter who is staying with us... "here's 20 bucks, go watch a movie, your father and I have a bottle of wine, strawberries and we need to make sure the jacuzzi works. Unless you want serious psychological damage and be around for the floor show."

why I carry

http://www.ashleycountyledger.com/articles/2010/07/01/news/doc4c2cd95fe2af8292115482.txt

Its nearby. We've made sure at night that the cars and were locked. We are involved in our usual summer home improvement project, this year a jacuzzi. When the electrician came we asked for more motion detector lights.

why do I do this?

Again this summer I teach an ACT prep class. The goal is to raise students' ACT scores. Last year was a blast, one student after the class raised her score 3 points. They tried. This year we have to hunt them down after a break. As I told the counselor, "we have no way to control them, the only thing we can do is kick them out."

One student said "what do you care, you still get paid." Yea, but if your scores don't go up, the program doesn't get renewed. Our worst offenders are some graduated seniors who are trying to get their grades up enough to get out of remedial college classes. I wish I could wake them up to the economics of it. You have to pay for a class that you get _no_ credit for when taking a remedial class.

One student has potential for a football scholarship. His ACT score sucks. He will not be eligible for college. As I said, "he works nights he has a child which he has assumed responsibiltiy for, he drifts off in class, but he's not gonna make it."

I threatened to quit, and i would if it were not for the fact the class is almost over.