Renaissance Festival

Gas contribution to Holly, Michigan: $10.00

Admission to RenFest:  $18.50

1 Barbarian Burger + Pepsi: $8.00

Getting winked at by a guy in full leather armor and chainmail: Priceless

UT Med Center Sucks

Okay....for nearly a year now, I've been trying to get the med center to recommend me to a chiropractor for my poor little screwed up neck.  But no...they'd rather just give me large amounts of Ibuprofen and muscle relaxers (none of which I can take) or send me to get X-rays hoping to shut me up, which 1) no one looks at, 2) don't show anything anyway and 3) cost me $300.  Well, guess what.  My neck is still screwed up and I'm still getting massive headaches that can last up to 3 days at time.  Thanks.  Needless to say, at this point, I'm ready to rip someone's head off.  And then maybe they'll complain about their neck hurting, and I'll tell them to just take some ibuprofen and muscle relaxers and they'll make everything okay.  Bastards.   *huff*  

Back in High School again.....

Have you ever had one of those damn dreams where you're back in High School?  Yes?  Well, I'm currently living that dream, although, thankfully, as a teacher, and not a student.  

My job this year, and next for that matter, is to help teach a High School Biology class, in lieu of a college level ecology lab.  Judging from my own high school experiences, I didn't think it would be bad.  I way over estimated Toledo public school.  These kids are terrible!  The scary thing is that I'm at one of the top TPS schools -- the kids actually have to apply to get it, AND they can take college level class, earning up to 60 college credits before they even go to college.  Half of them are failing classes, they don't listen, they don't care.  I have students listening to iPods during class.  Now, when I was in high school, we talked and goofed off before class started, but when that teacher was ready to get started, we sat down, shut up and payed attention.  And if I remember - we cared and wanted to do well.  At least most of us.  

On top of all that - I'm teaching a biology class, right?  Which usually entails going outside and doing labs and stuff, right?  Well....these kids are afraid of dirt.  Yes...you read right...dirt.  Dry, sandy, maybe-at-the most-an-ant-in-it dirt.  And they whined and moaned and complained about how gross and ..... well, dirty, the dirt was.  One of the kids found a cicada.  You would have thought Godzilla was on the loose.  And, oh yeah, they think their drinking water comes from the sewers.  Close...but not quite.     

Needless to say, Its going to make my job of teaching them and giving them hands on experience in ecology a bit tricky. 

Some things can be amusing though.  Like listening and seeing all the drama that high schoolers have in their lives.  It makes you realize just how naive they are, and how naive you were.  I definitely do not miss high school.  We had some good times, but you could not pay me enough to relive that time.  I remember people always telling us - high school will be the best days of your life.  Well, they certainly weren't for me.  And if they were for you, then I am truly sorry, because your life must really suck.  

Anyway, its time to get back to work, so I can get my PhD and never EVER have to teach high school kids for a career.