Too! Many! Books!

10 October 2006, 11:16 pm by Giggles
Categories: Books

There are several children’s book series that I thought I was caught up on, or that I at least knew there were books out there I needed to get and read. But while I’ve been busy doing homework, all those authors went and wrote more books. I discovered this tonight while updating my Amazon wish list. My to-read list was already probably three feet tall. Now I get to add:

  • The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer – book 5 in the Artemis Fowl series. I just barely read the 4th book.
  • Gathering Blue and Gossamer by Lois Lowry – these apparently are in the same vein as The Giver was.
  • Crispin: At the Edge of the World by Avi – this takes off where Crispin: Cross of Lead finished. And I loved that book, it deserved the Newbery it got.

To say nothing about how I still haven’t read Among the Free by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and that came out in May and finished her Shadow Children series. And I can’t find a copy of Charlie Bone and the Hidden King by Jenny Nimmo to finish that series yet either. And I’ve known those two were out for a while now.

Too many books, so little time. And I definitely don’t own enough book cases for all of them, yet.

4 Shared thoughts

These aren’t the droids you are looking for

9 October 2006, 2:04 pm by Giggles
Categories: Venting

It seems like every store these days wants to keep track of as much personal information about you as they possibly can. The whole reason behind the cards at Albertsons and Smiths is not so you can get a discount, but so they can keep track of what people in different zip codes buy. They have a data base that knows how often you come to the store and what you get when you go. When I go to Albertsons every other year or so, the clerk always looks at me strange when I tell them I don’t want one of their cards.

*waving my hand in front of me* “You don’t need to know where I live.”

I went to Michaels today to buy some 18 gauge craft wire. I forgot the wire till I was half way home. But I bought a few other things I needed, and a few things I decided I wanted. As I was finishing paying, the clerk asked me what my zip code was. I asked her if she couldn’t just skip that part. She started to explain why they needed it and I told her I didn’t want to tell her what it was. She entered in some zip code, it was probably her own. I don’t want them knowing what zip code bought foam (which, by the way, isn’t as thick as it was just a few years ago, cheap stuff) and hemp cord. It’s just like the cards, only not quite as specific.

*waving my hand in front of me* “You don’t need to know where I live.”

2 Shared thoughts

It’s a good thing I work at a fabric store

7 October 2006, 11:56 pm by Giggles
Categories: Happy Things, Quilting/Sewing/Knitting/Crafting

I spent $48 at the fabric store. And I’m so proud of myself. Almost everything I bought ended up being 50% off by the time all my discounts were added up. I had more bolts of fabric to be cut than would fit in the cart, but cut it all fit in a standard size bag.

I bought everything I need for Tanya’s daughter’s Halloween costume, which I’m super excited she’s letting me make. She’s super excited I want to make it too. Bria was born two months ago and Tanya wants her to be a pumpkin for Halloween. So I’m going to make an orange fleece bunting and put a jack-o-lantern face on it and make a green hat for Bria to wear.

I bought 10 yards of muslin a few months back because I knew I’d need it some day. A couple of weeks/months ago I saw a sewing show on tv where they used a whole bunch of strips of straw-ish fabric and some water soluable stabilizer to make a quilted straw wreath wall hanging. I can never follow directions though. So this afternoon I bought everything, except the muslin, that I will need to make a pumpkin wall hanging with bales of hay on it. I spent tonight figuring out the dimensions of it. It’s going to be so cute and will go perfect on the wall above my bookshelf where I keep my fabric stash. It’s a big bare spot of wall just waiting for a quilt.

I bought some cute lady bug flannel because I need another pair of longer flannel pj pants. No particular reason why I need them other than that the flannel was too cute and was calling my name.

I bought two shirt patterns, one I’m going to use for part of my Halloween costume. But that meant I needed a bit more silver satin, so I had to get some of that.

And last Christmas I participated in a block swap with 25 other women all across the country. So I have 25 random Christmas blocks made with all kinds of different fabrics and in many different patterns. I was trying to think how I could put them together and I’ve decided to use white sashing strips and then use more random Christmas fabric for corner squares where the sashing meets. So I bought 7 different Christmas fabrics today that I’ll be able to cut into squares for that. I’ll need to decide how much white I’ll need and get that another day.

Oh, and there was a real soft beautiful tan fleece that was just begging to be made into teddy bears. I’m planning to just make them flattish and very basic, and then dress them up and use them to decorate my apartment, kind of like my mom’s goose in her bathroom.

How many projects does that make that I’m in the middle of now, or at least have all the supplies for? I don’t think I want to know.

1 Shared thought

Remind me to never move to Georgia

4 October 2006, 11:07 pm by Giggles
Categories: Books, Education, Questions, Venting

This was a small story in the news today, but in its shortness, several things struck me as just wrong. Georgia mom seeks Harry Potter ban.

I think I would be pretty flattered if I ever wrote a book that people wanted to ban. I’d be in great company. But this woman needs to stop reading between the lines. Or maybe she needs to start reading the lines. Has she read Harry Potter? It’s been proven that most people who try to ban books have never read the book they want banned. Maybe that explains part of the problems with our nation – the Bible is on many banned book lists. Just think of how many people haven’t read it in order to put it there.

And while banning Harry Potter was the main part of the story, it was a casual mention at the end of the article of something else the county did recently to stunt literacy that really bothers me. People actually objected to buying books in Spanish? Because illegal immigrants might read them? Might be entertained? Might learn something? By all means let’s keep them ignorant so we can control them better. Didn’t Georgia try that with slaves? And of course legal immigrants and natural born/naturalized citizens would never want to read a book in another language other than English?

At least there were a few people who complained and got the board to reverse their decision. I would’ve done the same, although I probably would’ve used terms other than Anti-Hispanic. Ignorant, racist, blind, bigots, and cultural retards, all come to mind.

2 Shared thoughts

Favorite Question of the Day

4 October 2006, 10:15 am by Giggles
Categories: Education, Happy Things, Questions, Work

I’m sure I’m going to get other silly questions today, but I think the one I was just asked will be my favorite.

I showed a sixth grade class my infamous infomercial – “Home Row.” It’s a classic.

Afterwards, someone asked about the mustache and I said I keep it under my bathroom sink. That’s normal. The next part is my favorite.

Student: Why do you keep it under your bathroom sink?
Me: Because keeping it in the refrigerator would just be silly.

1 Shared thought

My backpack

29 September 2006, 3:41 pm by Giggles
Categories: Education, Family, Learn Something

The backpack I have isn’t that new. I believe I bought it the end of 1998. I remember having to buy a new backpack just about every school year growing up because the old one had worn out. I don’t remember all of them. I remember a purple elephant one I had one year though. The other kids liked to pull tlhe trunk and that made me mad. But the backpack I have right now is one I always wanted. It doesn’t have all the pockets for water bottles and cell phones and MP3 players and elastic cords going across it and 22 other pockets for various sundry items. It isn’t made out of five different coordinating colors of fabric. It is black. It has three pockets, one large one, one small one, and one flat one on the front of the small one. But the best feature is the bottom. It has a leather bottom. And that means I’m smart. I’ve arrived in the educational world.

I am sure that most people won’t make the connection between a leather bottomed backpack and being smart, so I’ll explain.

I remember my dad working on his Masters degree when I was very little. He’d sit at the table doing homework and I’d sit at the table with him doing my “homework” (scribbling on scraps of paper). Every so often I remember hearing a sound that to me sounded like a pot falling off the counter but really it was a mouse trap and Dad would get up and throw the mouse out the back door. I remember going to the university library and book store with him and feeling smart just walking around a college campus. And I remember his backpack. It was a lighter blue with a leather bottom. A backpack with a leather bottom meant in my mind that it was strong enough to hold all of the books a smart person in college would need. And I always wanted to be smart enough to have a backpack with a leather bottom.

Now I am in graduate school getting my own Masters degree. And I’m so proud that I have a backpack with a leather bottom. No other backpack, or any other kind of bag, would do for me, it just wouldn’t fit my picture of what kind of bag you are supposed to have when you are smart and in graduate school.

1 Shared thought

A misconception of teachers

29 September 2006, 2:59 pm by Giggles
Categories: Education, Venting, Work

It would be real nice if other people understood just how much of a pain-in-the-butt hassle it is for teachers to take time off of work. I took Wednesday off because I was sick, and everyone was surprised that I was able to find a substitute so fast. I was surprised I was able to find a substitute so fast. And fast meaning less than an hour of making calls, and calling only 80% of the people on our sub list rather than all of them.

When I called the doctor today to tell them I have to reschedule my appoint for Tuesday because I can’t find a sub that fast, the receptionist got all huffy with me because that’s going to leave a hole in the schedule and she wants to make sure I can come in on the 10th before she schedules me for that day. However, if the appointment is on the 10th rather than the 3rd, I have a week to find a sub rather than two days. I can do that. That is possible. And since the 12th ans 13th are UEA weekend, I think I might take Tuesday and Wednesday off and just spend that week getting all better. I spent all day today taking a lortab nap anyway.

The receptionist person can just get all huffy. She has no idea what it is like for me to take time off work since all she has to do is call and tell them she’s not coming. I have to tell them I’m not coming, spend an hour or two finding someone to come instead, and then another two hours or so writing plans for that person so they know what to do.

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