Timmy's 26

The winter weather is really, really REALLY getting to me and the little darlings I deal with on a daily basis...some really really crazy stuff has been going on this past month.  Way past the norm. 

From a girl who took all her mom's medication in an attempt to kill herself, she failed thank God, to another one who ran away from home, my other students knew this plan never said a word, then today a bus driver flipped out and started screaming at my boss...

This is besides a back talking 5th grader, and a kid telling me I am too easy on them...<how so my little friend?>  because he says I let them swear...Last I knew I really can't control what comes out of the mouth of a junior kid...short of a bar a soap.  Besides this little brat was just trying to distract me ... he was standing up ... a huge no no in my book....pick your battles is my motto.  I do not allow swearing I do my best to stop it.

My middle boy side swiped a guard rail, and had it not been snowing for the hundredth time this winter this could of been avoided.  He was on his way home from Wisconsin after a job interview for the job he's wanted at the corporate office of Menards.  He's only 23 and I am quite proud of him.  He told me tonight he was offered the job, he was at work when he told me, details to follow.  His car & he are ok, thank God.

Ok ... I say we all do a SPRING DANCE and ask Mother Nature to give us a break!

And...

my son Tim turned 26 today.  He's my oldest and one of my proudest accomplishments!

I just love love love his girlfriend Kristen, she is a teacher and has a heart of GOLD!

So my friends... isn't it time for some sunshine and some nice weather???

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would these gals be easier to transport??

               

 

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look who came to cheer me up!!

               

Thanks for all the support guys!  Days like these are exactly why I hang around J-land!

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insight...on the changing new world...

I guess the thing that freaks me out the most concerning the shooting was just how unsafe the world has become.  At least my world.  Where I live I still consider it a small town, one where you leave your door unlocked, you can be out at all hours of the night, even walking the neighborhood without fear of the boogie man.  Maybe I am naive', but I am rarely afraid of driving in the nearby larger town that has gang problems. 

DeKalb is such a place...the school is basically in the middle of a cornfield!  The high school there's mascot is the huskers....cornfield get it?  When I went for orientation with Eric in 2003 they bragged about how Cindy Crawford is from DeKalb.  Yippee!  Seriously DeKalb is wonderful school, to me I thought it would be the last place for such a rampage.  

This person must of been pretty pissed off at somebody at NIU to drive from Champaign (roughly 3 hour drive), sit in a hotel for 3 days and then go to the largest lecture hall and start shooting.  It's so surreal to me. 

As one of the adults in a kids world I do listen to what they are saying.  So many kids screaming out for somebody to care about them...somebody to guide them.  I hear this guy had mental problems, went off his meds, perhaps trying to be normal.  What is normal anyway.  Normal used be two parents, a couple of siblings, mom was home all day and you had a dog.   Now who knows who or what the kids go home to.  Who knows what has to happen to a kid to make him grow up and do such an awful deed.

In my own family one of the kids is having serious marital problems.  I am very saddened by this and the effect it will have on the family.  I can only offer support and my love.  And prayers...they do work.

Life goes on as it always does.   Hug your kids, listen to them...they have a lot to say.

 

Thanks for listening.

stop the madness...

Gunman Opens Fire on Illinois Campus

the day meant for love & hearts, one for me was one of upbeat phone calls from my son, telling me he is up for a job promotion, pretty sure he go the job...then the chilling phone call 2 hours later telling me that he was safe.  Safe?

Information on the Shooting on the NIU Campus in DeKalb

Latest Information 6:50 p.m. CST, 2/14/08 At approximately 3 p.m. Thursday, February 14, 2008, a gunman, carrying one shotgun and two handguns, opened fire in Cole Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. NIU Police officers were on the scene in less than two minutes and the gunman was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound a short time later. Police have not released the identity of the gunman. At this time, there is no known motive. Eighteen students were transported to Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb. Another press briefing will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Altgeld Hall Auditorium.

 

This is the very school he once attended, the college right nearby his apartment complex he shares with his buddies from high school, kids who attend that college.  It had been shot up by a crazy person.  An individual so sick and mad that he brought a gun to an assembly hall meant for learning and shot at least 18 students...news is that 5 are dead including him by his own hand.

Eric's friends are safe.  Liz is finding out via the Internet that her friends are ok too.

Eric's girlfriend from high school im'ed to let me know she was safe too. 

She had drove by the hall just as students were running for their lives.

But the rest, God help them.

Just a year ago Monday my town lost 5 high school kids to a drunk driver.  We mourned and feel their loss.  Now this.  NIU is 30 minutes from me, my son went to that school.  He lives in that town, he works in that town.  Now this.

God help us.

let the sun shine in.....

One does not realize how the lack of sunshine makes a person very very blue...the month of Feburary had 15 minutes of sun...

UNTIL today!! We had SUNSHINE! 

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a very long week...

whew, I can truly say TGIF today.  This has been a week of messy weather, bratty kids and one cranky hubby. 

The weather has just been a mess.  Our district had school Wednesday but an hour into the day decided to send the kids home 2 hours early.  In a district this size it's a huge undertaking.  Parents must be called, drivers called back in early to drive the tikes home, etc.  Half our district is bused by a bus company ... so even more confusion.   After it was all said and done the decision was stupid, the weather actually was better two hours later when school actually normally ends.  I had a huge hill to try not slide sidewise down so I sat for a while trying to decided what to do.  I made it down fine, but my route got home very late...and none of my parents called looking for them, either they didn't miss them or they trusted me!

The junior high kids were nuts, and I had to threaten a 5th grader (very spoiled girl who's divorced parents fight over how much they can spend on her) with an exit off my bus to the principals office.

Tuesday was election day in Illinois.  I will keep my pick to myself, but it was Liz's first election.  The guy at the poll did not believe  that she is old enough to vote, and  he was openly surprised at the party she picked.  All I could think of was a how narrow minded.  But I live in the Midwest, we can be confused here at times!

 

Because the weather sucked this week Mark was behind on his trips for work each night.  The other drivers took too long or when they got in the trailers had equipment problems or no lights.  He is a perfectionist and tends to project that on co workers.  Not mention the safety factor.

The weather is clear for the weekend which will make for a happier hubby.

me too...

I hear a huge cup of tea calling...

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Fate or chance

On Saturday and Sunday evenings I help an older lady.  As I said before Mrs. H has been around a long time.  She is what I'd call "old school".  Her and I see eye to eye on a lot of subjects.  Some days I feel overpaid, as I enjoy her company.

She lives in an apartment building that is for seniors and has a locked door for security.

This evening I stayed later than usual, no one had got her mail so I walked down the hall to get it.  Most of the residents have their TV's blaring so when I heard a faint "Help me" I thought it was just a TV...then I realized it was a human.   A lady had been taking her little very over weight small & grunting dog out to go potty and she had some how fallen down.  Poor thing was on her knees, her cane that had four legs was holding the dog leash about 5 feet away from her inside the building.  She was hanging on to the door jam outside for dear life.  She was cold and scared.  I kept my wits about me, got her cane, put my foot on it to steady it and let her pull herself up. 

She was fine, and grateful.  I was glad I stayed late as most of the residents are elderly and I doubt would have been able to help her up. 

She thanked the Lord for me, and I said no need...I owe God....He and I are no where near even..

                

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snow day!!

A winter storm came through yesterday ... which means blowing snow, piling snow, too much snow equals SNOW DAY!

This week has had it all...50 degree temps followed by below zero temps, with 50 mile per hour winds, then clear and cold then yesterday snow. 

Mark's job, because he drives a semi has always revolved around weather.  In the dump truck/construction biz, whether he works/gets paid depends on good weather.  Now he works regularly (regular pay!).  He hauls mail from here to Indianapolis trades trailers with a driver from Atlanta and heads back home.  Total trip should take 9 hours.  Last night  he left late as the guy he meets here was late because of the weather.  He did fine but came home 5 hours later than usual.  Mark is used to driving in bad weather, he's been doing this for most of his life.  It's the other morons on the road who (and my own job included) scare the crap out of me.  He told me cars/vans/trucks would pass coming faster than safe and he'd pass them later...in the ditch.  At least he made it home safely!

After school was craziness trying to get kids home.  I was fine, as driving in snow in a bus is easier than a car.  But today's snow day was a welcome one.   Winter is rough in the midwest --- kids get cabin fever...me too!

This morning I was off, but I still had to get Liz to work.  Mark had my car so I had to take the pickup.  Driving a pick up in snow is an exciting adventure.  My driveway feeds into an alley.  The village plowed the alley, but blocked my driveway with a wall of snow.  I got the pick up out of the drive way fine, drove the kid to work fine, (only one lady tailgated, I had to move to the left lane to get rid of her), but getting back into my driveway required me to shovel my way back in.

 

my shoveling job...snow wasn't too heavy

Jim has been gone since yesterday plowing at O'Hare Airport.  Liz is working at Target her own hours, and subbing for someone else.  Her hours are cut to only one day a week anyway.  Working 7 am until close is good for her!

Mark's asleep, he works tonight and tomorrow night. 

I've been home alone all day!!! 

Until...my son Tim called.  He and his girlfriend are bring Chinese take out....and great ending to a wonderful day!

 

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