Tired?

I am so tired of so many things! I got an e-mail from someone wanting to return a bracelet for no good reason. I really think that this is the 2nd person who bought a bracelet, wore it, and now is returning it to get her money back. I guess I'm going to have to put a stronger return policy.
I have to go to H.S. tomorrow, and I am dreading it because my brother-in-law whom I like quite a lot is going to have to go to L.R. and have open-heart surgery - a big deal, triple bypass or even more. I think he's going to have a valve replaced also. I'm just hoping my mother doesn't decide to show up during the surgery; I've had enough of her company for the next decade or more. I've never known a more hateful person, especially to her own family; of course, that's mental illness partially.
I haven't pulled out my winter clothes this year yet, and now it is really cold outside, so I'm going to have to do that before I leave tomorrow. I'm also a little worried about staying in that big house of my sister's all by myself. It will take me an hour just to check to make sure that all the doors and windows are locked. Of course, I do love the house.
I'm so tired of having people sick and/or dying close to me - although, I have been very lucky throughout my life to be this age and just now have it happening. My father, my husband's father, his mother over 15 years ago. Before that anyone who died seemed so very much older - grandparents, great-aunts, great-uncles. I am really worried about my brother-in-law.
I cannot wait to leave for Europe!

Busy and Busier

Good news and bad news: I'm terribly terribly busy, but the good news is that I'm terribly terribly busy. Jewelry sales are doing pretty well - I even sold from the good website! But everybody wants everything altered; nothing is ever the right size. And the more inexpensive the piece is, the more trouble it seems that I must take to please the customer. Ah, well, at least there are customers.

No Ripples in the Pool

Okay, I guess nothing has pissed me off badly lately so I haven't posted here yet. But don't worry, I'm sure something will happen soon!

Halloween Sucks!

I am really glad that Halloween is over because it is the stupidest, the worst holiday (if you can call it a holiday) of the year. One of my friends once said that it was the only night of the year when you'll open the door of your house to anyone. Now that is scarey! I live in a neighborhood with only one entrance in and one out. After it gets dark on Halloween, don't even think of going anywhere! You can't drive the one block required to get to the exit for the neighborhood. People come from miles around with their kids here because our neighborhood is supposed to be a "safe" place to trick or treat (read "safe" as affluent). There are so many cars with their headlights on and parents with flashlights that it is almost as well-lighted as a football stadium during homecoming! And don't get me started on the over 6 feet tall trick or treaters who have no costumes and brown grocery sacks; if these guys showed up on any other night - people would call the police.
Finally Halloween sucks because everything is supposed to be ugly - the decorations, the costumes, and there is already enough ugliness in the world; I see no reason to celebrate it for even one night of the year!

trick or treat

Life's Enigmas

What's Wrong with Education? Stupidity!!!

Far Side cartoon: some idiot with schoolbooks is pulling on a door that has "PUSH" written on it in large letters. Above the door is written: "School for the Gifted".
Think that's funny? I don't, not anymore. Not after teaching at a community college for 20 years. Guess what - at least the kid in the cartoon above is trying to get to class!
What's wrong with education in public community colleges? Where I live (I hate to make sweeping generalizations, but I believe that in communities with like socio-economic make-ups my experience will be true of them also) the students have no business being in college. None.
Should they be getting an education?
Sure.
JUST DON'T CALL IT COLLEGE. AND DEFINITELY DO NOT GIVE THEM COLLEGE LEVEL CREDITS TOWARD A DEGREE.
Why not?
Because when they get into the workforce - and some of them will, despite a total lack of social skills, knowledge of how to dress, present themselves, speak standard English, and complete lack of ability to restrain themselves from burping loudly , clipping their nails in public, and giggling at their own farts - they are going to be working for You.
Only they won't really be working.
They will be cutting corners.
Trying to get by.
Trying to look busy.
Trying to look as though they understand when someone tells them what medicine to give you, how much change to give you, how much to charge, how long to keep that in the oven, in the processor, in the sterilizer, in the mold, how the letter needs to be mailed on time, they need to be at work on time....
Get the picture? Ugly, isn't it?
Why is it so ugly?
Because the mass of these students are STUPID. Yes, stupid. Now I don't mean ignorant; education is meant to fix that. Education cannot fix stupid.
If you have an IQ of 85 on any standardized IQ test (and please don't write and tell me about Einstein) YOU DO NOT BELONG IN COLLEGE - EVEN IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. (No, 90 won't cut it, and neither, really will 100).
I'm sure that you can lead a productive life.
I'm sure that you can be happy.
But the college degree that you get, if you manage to get through will be worth NOTHING.
Sadly, you will never understand this because you are so stupid that you think the paper is the real goal.
And that's one of the reasons I don't teach anymore. Just one. Unfortunately, there are more.

commmunity college education school college student stupidity life/'s enigmas

Damn That Telephone

Okay, I hate, I mean I HATE, telephones. I guess they're okay for emergencies or for when I want to talk to my only child abroad, but otherwise, they are shit. How many phone calls do you get that you actually want? Sorry, but my time is too valuable to tolerate your boring crap while making faces at myself in the mirrour, so I don't do it anymore. I have caller id and screen those calls - talk about the best invention in communication since the phone! If you really need something, leave me a message. Which brings me to my real sore point.
UNLISTED PHONE NUMBERS. Okay, if you think that you are so fucking important that your phone number cannot be listed or known to others or seen by me before I pick up my very own phone - then I don't want to talk to you. Would I open the front door to a person who had on a paper bag with holes cut in it and baggy black unisex clothes? NO, I would call the police. So if you want to talk to me you'd just better call me on someone's listed phone, and you'd better hope that it's someone I want to talk to when I look at the caller id.

life/'s enigmas phones unlisted