If I only knew then what I know now....

THEN...
I would have ignored everyone in my life and I would have gone to college to be a teacher.
But I was told many times by a very significant person in my life that I would never be a good educator. That I didn't have patience. For children or for "teaching".

NOW....
Those who have seen me with my 5 year old tell me how much patience I have. I don't view it as "patience" as much as always trying to understand where my child is coming from. That is what I think I have - a knack to understand someone else. In this case, understand my child.

Last summer, I used up my vacation time at work by accompanying my daughters pre-K class on field trips once a week. I so loved the experience. It felt so rewarding. My daughters teacher seemed please to have me there. I would discipline if I blatantly saw something but otherwise I would just help out in the classroom until the bus arrived and then had fun on the trips themselves. One day I brought in a story to read. The kids loved it. And so did I. It is so nice when I child is looking up at you - respecting you because you earned their respect, enjoy laughing at you when you try to be funny, enjoy the fact you "listen" to what they have to say.

The past couple of months, I've been helping coach. Again, I really did love it. I didn't love making batting orders, field positions. I loved the interaction with the girls. Earning their respect. Having them say at practice "Yes! I'm with Coach Diane". It felt great.

So I think I have proved myself with children.

AND ALSO NOW....
At work, we are hiring interns. They need to be trained. One subject in particular is something I thoroughly enjoy working with. This product is awesome in my opinion and I was asked to take over the training since the woman that did it last year is no longer there. Of course I said yes - I love to get up and spiel and explain things that I know (alright, I'll admit it -- I really love sniffing those whiteboard markers ). But it has been quite awhile in my current job position since I have had the opportunity to train. So I asked for a "test group" to practice with before having the interns.

The first session was yesterday. The previous person covered 4 topics in like 4 hours. Well I'm only about 60% done with one topic and that took me 2 hours. And I will probably use up 2 more hours tomorrow. I may get to cover part of the second topic -- but I'm not guaranteeing it.

I was actually nervous about this training yesterday. The first 1/2 hour I could feel my heart beating in my chest. But then I got over it. One person in the test group - well, I saw him at lunch time today. He said it was the best training he has had and thinks everyone should have it. I told him about feeling my heart beating as I started the training. He said it didn't show.

So now the handful of "guinea pigs" I had for training have been talking around the department and people are ASKING to have my training. I cannot explain the sense of pride this is giving me. If you could only see the smile on my face as I type this!!

And I think this proves I would have been a good teacher. Again, I think it is the same thing that makes me good at this as it is with children -- the ability to understand where my audience is coming from. To be able to speak to them, not at them. To explain in basic terms and then expand on it so the point is understood.

So I am here tonight, needing to get DD to bed. Feeling very good about training and work.

And also feeling good because a good friend sent me a nice "thank you" note for just being there to listen to her lately.

It is nice to feel good.

I will miss you George

I heard it on the radio this morning and did not want to believe it. George Carlin died.


DH and I saw him live years ago and it was one of the best performances we ever went to. Everything George had to say was so true but he had a way of making you think another way about it. In fact, I saw he was scheduled to come to the area at the end of July and was going to ask DH to go (but getting him to go to anything with a crowd is major nowadays). And now George is gone.


If you haven't seen it, check out George's book "Brain droppings". It's sort of a blog of sorts before blogs were big. Brain droppings, miscellaneous ramblings. But he always had a point to make.

I always thought that if you could choose someone famous to have coffee and talk to, George was definitely on my list.

Time is flying

I can't believe its been a week since I was here. Since then....

• My DD graduated from Pre-K
• We had two birthday parties - one Saturday, one Sunday. Both were outside in like 90-something weather with like a 100% humidity. The air was miserable. But luckily both hosts brought out the hose and the kids had fun.
• We had the last 2 softball games for the regular season. Playoffs now. (Our team is all new girls. It's double elimination. I don't think we'll make many rounds. Other teams have girls that have played for 3 years. Then can hit very well, field very well, throw very well.)

Tomorrow, I'm hoping to be home ALONE so I can really accomplish some things. Like my clothes and lack of closet space... actually it's not a lack, I just don't have ANY closet of my own. I was hoping to use this small, small room as a walk-in but I don't have time to do anything with "Mom, Mom" every other minute. And a giant pile is in the bedroom and if I start to tackle it, then DH naps in the afternoon (due to the sleep apnea and the strong pain meds he has) so then I have to stop while I'm on a roll................. But first before I can begin, I must take DD to a practice for Softball. Then they will leave, I will go grab lunch and I want to hit one fabric store I never get to.... then it'll be CLEAN OUT THE "WALK IN CLOSET"

I'll ramble more later....

Receipt required for return....

That seems to be the new philosophy of stores. No returns without a receipt.

I work next to a major Discount store. Their policy is posted.
Returns within 90 days with Receipt accepted.

I shop there often usually during lunchtime. I'll buy DVD's when I find them on sale. I do not open them until I am going to watch them. This maybe something we shouldn't do -- let them sit there unopened. Monday night, went to open "The Princess Bride Anniversary Edition". I bought this awhile ago - maybe 3 weeks, maybe 3 months. The disc inside was purple but just loaded it in the player. Did not think twice about it. It didn't work. Looking at the disc again, the disc did not have a picture or even a title on it. In fact, all it said was TDK DVD-R. Looked like a disc you can buy to use when burning your own discs. Oh great - I was not positive which store I bought it at. But there was a good chance I did buy it at the store near work. I use their store charge card and get a 10% rebate occasionally. So I do tend to buy my DVD's there when on sale.

I mentioned my dilemma at work and a couple of co-workers were like -- "Good Luck with that! They are a pain to return things to.". Why did they say that? Personal experience -- they did try to return something -- BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A RECEIPT. No. One person said he just wanted a different size but with no receipt, they did not accommodate.

Still, I figure I am going to try. However, my receipts are here, there, and everywhere. But I figured I'd go looking. Then it dawned on me. the sign in the store says if you don't have your receipt but have the charge card you used, they can find the "receipt" for you.

So at lunch today, I go to the store. I explain I buy DVD's on sale and that I'm 99% sure I bought it at that store but it might be months ago. I show the problem. She takes my store charge card, scans it. She scans the DVD and VOILA - there is the record that I did purchase that DVD at that store. Even exchange - no problem.

Why do people blame the system when they are not following the rules themselves? Look at how easy of a time I had because I went knowing the rules and followed them. Those that do not follow the rules then gripe when they can't get something accomplished. But the rules are there for a reason. It's not to just fill up a sign. They are the rules. How come so many people don't seem to understand that??

Presidential Politics (Sorry, long post.....)

...but it is important.
Since it seems this is all there is in the news lately, I figured I’d jump on the band wagon and express my opinion.

Your vote does not count. Sorry to break the news…. At least in presidential elections, that is.....

I think our fore-fathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew what was going on.
If they understood and knew about our technology today, they would abolish the Electoral College. It was an idea that made sense back in the 1700’s but not now. Not with the information highway and text messaging and websites on our phones.

The Electoral College, my understanding of it, was established in order to determine who was elected president. How could everyone get there vote to the capitol though? The United States was growing. There were no automobiles. No planes, no trains. So what do you do? Can’t have the whole community get in a wagon and ride to cast a vote. So you elect a delegate to go and place your vote for you. Decide how many delegates an area has by the population. The delegate is supposed to then go and place the vote for the candidate the people back home want. This way just the delegates could travel to the capital and there could be one meeting to count the votes and – ta-da – a new president is elected.

Fast forward – The year is 2000.
The national results of the presidential election according to Wikipedia.com –
George W. Bush received 50,456,002 votes by American Citizens.
Al Gore received 50,999,897 votes by the voting public.
So, based on the popular vote, Al Gore should have been sworn in as president.
But because of how the delegates are allocated across the country, George W. Bush was named president (Bush received 271 delegates while Gore received 266). So any body out there that voted for Al Gore, did your vote matter? No. Does that reflect your opinion, your choice? Nope.

Democracy? I don’t think so. My vote did not count in the scheme of things.

Now let’s look at present day.
The democrats are still trying to decide on a nominee. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are fighting it out. Should they be?
According to the individual votes – the popular votes – from the primaries so far, Obama is ahead (see www.realclearpolitics.com or www..usaelectionpolls.com ). What I found is this --

Popular Vote Total for Democratic Primary so far:
Obama == 17,535,458
Clinton == 17,493,836

Oh wait – maybe you heard Hillary say *she* has the lead in the popular vote. Well that is only if exclude the caucus states and just toss the opinion of the residents in these states away. Yes, ignore these states and then Hillary is ahead in the count. (Isn’t it amazing how you can look at numbers, exclude the ones you don’t like and then claim VICTORY!?).

But it goes by delegates. And according to the current delegate count for the states, Obama is ahead.

So how can Clinton believe she can win? Oh, there are now “super delegates” that can vote. They can decide to put Clinton in as the Democratic nominee to face McCain in November. The “super delegates” can claim they believe Clinton would be better for the Democratic Party then Obama.
Hmmmm, what about the popular votes?
The votes you and I cast at the primaries? The votes that are supposed to be used to put the candidate we want, we the American People, want in the election? Does our vote matter? Does it count if these “super delegates” can just basically veto our vote?

It is a shame that I sit here thinking my vote does not count. I do believe it matters in local politics. Yes, my vote is heard and reflected in who wins City Council or Governor in my state. Yes my vote is heard for my state’s senators and my state’s representative in the house.

But as for president, my vote does not matter. I live in RI where we get 4 measly electoral votes. The candidates don’t usually even stop here to campaign. Only 4 votes.

What would George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and the rest of the “delegates” at the Constitutional convention in 1787 think???