Update Mishmash
Jan. 22nd, 2008 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jenny_wildcatNow it's been over a week? In my defense, I have been away from internet access since last Thursday. Plus, I spent last Wednesday and Thursday substituting at the school again.
So, yeah, here's my life since then. Be warned: it's long. Just pick a cut link and here we go!
Oh stink, Fred Thompson's out of the presidential race. Well, maybe Romney will make him the VP candidate. In the meantime, I need to go thaw.
So, yeah, here's my life since then. Be warned: it's long. Just pick a cut link and here we go!
The honeymoon is over with the substituting job.
Okay, okay, it wasn't that bad. The kids were still good minus a few bumps and scrapes. I'm talking about the parents.
A few of the parents out here (note: all these parents are brothers and sisters and are led by their "Matriarch from Hell", have been at each other's throats for a while over the fact that the student population out here has shrunk, so there there have been major cutbacks at the schools. These cutbacks include a secretary job (MfH herself) and a preschool teacher job (MfH's daughter). It's too lengthy to get into any detail, but the church has been brought into it, which means my parents and family are on MfH's bad side. I say "bad side," but she's apparently done this so much that the various higher-ups -- school superintendant, stake president, etc. -- have taken to treating her like a two-year-old needing to be spanked. Everyone's really sick of the fighting and the ones still fueling this feud have really become rather ridiculous.
So, I'm asked to sub for the school while the regular elementary teacher needs to take care of some family matters. Not a problem, except MfH's daughter also is qualified to be a teacher. But, MfH's daughter has her mother's babyish attitude about the situation and the elem. school teacher just doesn't want to deal with her (this sounds confusing, but I'm trying to keep this as short as possible).
Skip ahead to last Wednesday. MfH's granddaughter (daughter of aforementioned daughter) accidentally smacked my ten-year-old cousin in the face with the door. It was an accident, everyone was sorry, things happen, cousin did have a bit of a bruise (and he tends to blows things out of proportion anyway), but it was really okay.
Except it kind of wasn't. Remember how my cousin tends to blow things out of proportion? Well, he told his mother what happened and I guess made it sound like MfH's granddaughter tried to kill him and only barely missed. So, his mother calls MfH's daughter and renews the blowup and my name gets dragged into the fray of "Why is she substituting, that blankety-blanking blank?!!" Top it off, MfH had been in touch with the stake president over something or another with church, but he's not buying into her newest tantrum.
First off, if someone asks me to do them a favor and I am able, why shouldn't I? Second, if MfH's daughter is sooo stinking qualified to teach, why doesn't she go move to town and find a teaching job? I'm sure there's more stability in town versus out here in "Little House on the Prarie." Cut the apron strings already and leave the rest of us alone! Third, MfH needs to take a pill, for crying out loud! Sheesh, I'm glad I'm going to be gone in a few weeks.
The most disgusting thing is that these kids are all friends and it's the parents and grandparents throwing their little two-year-old fits. If this keeps up, the school district may just close all the schools out here and the kids will have to go somewhere else to school (some of them probably will have to move away). All because some little old lady lost her job as the school's part-time secretary. Yup, real mature.
Okay, okay, it wasn't that bad. The kids were still good minus a few bumps and scrapes. I'm talking about the parents.
A few of the parents out here (note: all these parents are brothers and sisters and are led by their "Matriarch from Hell", have been at each other's throats for a while over the fact that the student population out here has shrunk, so there there have been major cutbacks at the schools. These cutbacks include a secretary job (MfH herself) and a preschool teacher job (MfH's daughter). It's too lengthy to get into any detail, but the church has been brought into it, which means my parents and family are on MfH's bad side. I say "bad side," but she's apparently done this so much that the various higher-ups -- school superintendant, stake president, etc. -- have taken to treating her like a two-year-old needing to be spanked. Everyone's really sick of the fighting and the ones still fueling this feud have really become rather ridiculous.
So, I'm asked to sub for the school while the regular elementary teacher needs to take care of some family matters. Not a problem, except MfH's daughter also is qualified to be a teacher. But, MfH's daughter has her mother's babyish attitude about the situation and the elem. school teacher just doesn't want to deal with her (this sounds confusing, but I'm trying to keep this as short as possible).
Skip ahead to last Wednesday. MfH's granddaughter (daughter of aforementioned daughter) accidentally smacked my ten-year-old cousin in the face with the door. It was an accident, everyone was sorry, things happen, cousin did have a bit of a bruise (and he tends to blows things out of proportion anyway), but it was really okay.
Except it kind of wasn't. Remember how my cousin tends to blow things out of proportion? Well, he told his mother what happened and I guess made it sound like MfH's granddaughter tried to kill him and only barely missed. So, his mother calls MfH's daughter and renews the blowup and my name gets dragged into the fray of "Why is she substituting, that blankety-blanking blank?!!" Top it off, MfH had been in touch with the stake president over something or another with church, but he's not buying into her newest tantrum.
First off, if someone asks me to do them a favor and I am able, why shouldn't I? Second, if MfH's daughter is sooo stinking qualified to teach, why doesn't she go move to town and find a teaching job? I'm sure there's more stability in town versus out here in "Little House on the Prarie." Cut the apron strings already and leave the rest of us alone! Third, MfH needs to take a pill, for crying out loud! Sheesh, I'm glad I'm going to be gone in a few weeks.
The most disgusting thing is that these kids are all friends and it's the parents and grandparents throwing their little two-year-old fits. If this keeps up, the school district may just close all the schools out here and the kids will have to go somewhere else to school (some of them probably will have to move away). All because some little old lady lost her job as the school's part-time secretary. Yup, real mature.
Now, this is great. Last Friday, Delta played Juan Diego at Juan Diego. Juan Diego is in Salt Lake (Draper, Salt Lake, Sandy - it's all the same) and it's also been the set of some Disney Channel movies (keep this in mind). Juan Diego is also the proverbial monkey on Delta's back in sports. Juan Diego really isn't that good, but for whatever reason, Delta has never been able to beat them in anything. Football, basketball, chess, water polo, nothing. I don't know if it's because Juan Diego is a private school and they go out a recruit players or if it's the "Big Sit-tee!!" thing of coming from itty-bitty Delta or what the deal is. But Delta's also been kicking everyone's butt from Ogden to Cedar City. And Delta has this rivarly thing going with Juan Diego.
Anyway, we got there in the middle of the JV game and during the timeouts (i.e. when NO ONE is on the court playing basketball), the announcer came on and starting calling out "Mark Dixon for THREE!!" "Mark Dixon from downtown!" "Juan Diego steals the ball and it's Mark Dixon again!" "Mark Dixon just picked his nose!" (okay, I added that last one) There is no Mark Dixon on either team and no one is one the court, so we cannot figure out what the heck is going on. Is this Juan Diego's underhanded way of getting in our guys' heads or what?
So, during the Varsity game, in which it was DELTA making all our three-pointers and free throws, we figured it out. There was a camera crew running around the court and a guy with a boom microphone recording the crowd for a movie. The thing was, Delta was winning and we had more fans at the game, so they had to record Delta people cheering and being happy instead of Juan Diego. One cameraman even asked a friend of ours to lead some of the Delta students in the Wave so he could film it. My youngest sister was cheering in the middle schoolers' cheering section and she said they filmed her too. She went up afterwards and asked the guys what the movie was called and they said it called "Jerk Theory." My first thought: definitely a title for a dopey Disney Channel movie. My second thought: they filmed High School Musical 1 and 2 in Utah (and for some reason, everyone is proud of this. People along the Wasatch Front are easily amused, apparently) and it's not uncommon for popular movies to be filmed under fake names. I told my sister this and she was excited - this is the girl who loves everything High School Musical. Don't ask me why - she's twelve.
The cherry on the sundae? The best Juan Diego could come with was to spend the last 2 minutes of the second and third quarters literally just standing and holding the ball (like you would stand with a basketball on your hip while you talk to someone during timeout). The first time it got in our heads a little bit, but our clutch guy hit three foul shots in the seconds before the first half ended. The second time they stalled, the fans just started chanting and clapping for our boys. After the game when my brother was coming out of the locker room, he passed the movie crew interviewing Juan Diego's cheerleaders and they were gushing about how great their team played. My brother didn't know that they were filming a movie, so he cut in "Except you guys lost." I guess they could go in a change it so the Delta fans are wearing Juan Diego shirts, but the Juan Diego people were not happy. It was great.
Anyway, we got there in the middle of the JV game and during the timeouts (i.e. when NO ONE is on the court playing basketball), the announcer came on and starting calling out "Mark Dixon for THREE!!" "Mark Dixon from downtown!" "Juan Diego steals the ball and it's Mark Dixon again!" "Mark Dixon just picked his nose!" (okay, I added that last one) There is no Mark Dixon on either team and no one is one the court, so we cannot figure out what the heck is going on. Is this Juan Diego's underhanded way of getting in our guys' heads or what?
So, during the Varsity game, in which it was DELTA making all our three-pointers and free throws, we figured it out. There was a camera crew running around the court and a guy with a boom microphone recording the crowd for a movie. The thing was, Delta was winning and we had more fans at the game, so they had to record Delta people cheering and being happy instead of Juan Diego. One cameraman even asked a friend of ours to lead some of the Delta students in the Wave so he could film it. My youngest sister was cheering in the middle schoolers' cheering section and she said they filmed her too. She went up afterwards and asked the guys what the movie was called and they said it called "Jerk Theory." My first thought: definitely a title for a dopey Disney Channel movie. My second thought: they filmed High School Musical 1 and 2 in Utah (and for some reason, everyone is proud of this. People along the Wasatch Front are easily amused, apparently) and it's not uncommon for popular movies to be filmed under fake names. I told my sister this and she was excited - this is the girl who loves everything High School Musical. Don't ask me why - she's twelve.
The cherry on the sundae? The best Juan Diego could come with was to spend the last 2 minutes of the second and third quarters literally just standing and holding the ball (like you would stand with a basketball on your hip while you talk to someone during timeout). The first time it got in our heads a little bit, but our clutch guy hit three foul shots in the seconds before the first half ended. The second time they stalled, the fans just started chanting and clapping for our boys. After the game when my brother was coming out of the locker room, he passed the movie crew interviewing Juan Diego's cheerleaders and they were gushing about how great their team played. My brother didn't know that they were filming a movie, so he cut in "Except you guys lost." I guess they could go in a change it so the Delta fans are wearing Juan Diego shirts, but the Juan Diego people were not happy. It was great.
Yes, did watch the AFC and NFC Championship games last Sunday. Yes, I had thoughts about them, the results and the Super Bowl teams and here they are:
To the Indianapolis Colts: In regards to my sentiments of a week ago, please ignore any and all four-letter words and venomous spewing. As a fan, I was frustrated and upset with my team. I still love you guys and I hope you do good next year (won't be able to follow it much, if at all, but there will be many good thoughts coming from Jacksonville).
(I have to admit, that Frank Caliendo bit about Peyton Manning being home catching up on his TiVo'd Gilmore Girls was pretty funny. It cheered me up. I'm interested about what ol' Frank's going to come up with for the Super Bowl. Especially since he took the Packers over the Giants.)
To the New York Giants: Here's your big chance. Everyone in the media's been ragging on you and telling you you're no good. Everyone's been acting like these Patriots are the Second Coming. It's time to shut them up for good. Finish the greatness you started at Week 17.
To the Green Bay Packers: That. Was. An. AWESOME. Game. Sucks that you lost, but we still love you. (It's Sports Illustrated's fault - they had Brett Favre on the cover last week). Please don't go anywhere because you rock!
To the San Diego Chargers: Do you know how absolutely AMAZING it would have been to have the Super Manning Bros. Bowl? Me neither. And it's all your fault. Usually I love it when I'm right, but this time, I wish I were as wrong as Michael Jackson as a Cub Scout leader. Way to fanboy-up, dipwads.
Bottom Line: You suck and we hate you. Please leave.
To the New England Patriots: Just die.
[Negative-Attitude-Rain-on-Parade-Final-Thought: With my luck, the Patroits will win this Super Bowl, but something will happen and they will suck next year. Which happens to be the year that I will not be able to follow football because I'll be on my mission. Well, maybe if I'm a good missionary, my teams will be good. Ha ha, that's rich. God doesn't care about sports (not like that, anyway). For every little girl that asks for her Colts/Giants/Packers/Rams/whatever to win, there are fifty drunk old men in Vegas betting the farm that Bill Belichick is going to have the opposing team's playbook compliments of the maid of the hotel that said opposing team is staying at.]
To the Indianapolis Colts: In regards to my sentiments of a week ago, please ignore any and all four-letter words and venomous spewing. As a fan, I was frustrated and upset with my team. I still love you guys and I hope you do good next year (won't be able to follow it much, if at all, but there will be many good thoughts coming from Jacksonville).
(I have to admit, that Frank Caliendo bit about Peyton Manning being home catching up on his TiVo'd Gilmore Girls was pretty funny. It cheered me up. I'm interested about what ol' Frank's going to come up with for the Super Bowl. Especially since he took the Packers over the Giants.)
To the New York Giants: Here's your big chance. Everyone in the media's been ragging on you and telling you you're no good. Everyone's been acting like these Patriots are the Second Coming. It's time to shut them up for good. Finish the greatness you started at Week 17.
To the Green Bay Packers: That. Was. An. AWESOME. Game. Sucks that you lost, but we still love you. (It's Sports Illustrated's fault - they had Brett Favre on the cover last week). Please don't go anywhere because you rock!
To the San Diego Chargers: Do you know how absolutely AMAZING it would have been to have the Super Manning Bros. Bowl? Me neither. And it's all your fault. Usually I love it when I'm right, but this time, I wish I were as wrong as Michael Jackson as a Cub Scout leader. Way to fanboy-up, dipwads.
Bottom Line: You suck and we hate you. Please leave.
To the New England Patriots: Just die.
[Negative-Attitude-Rain-on-Parade-Final-Thought: With my luck, the Patroits will win this Super Bowl, but something will happen and they will suck next year. Which happens to be the year that I will not be able to follow football because I'll be on my mission. Well, maybe if I'm a good missionary, my teams will be good. Ha ha, that's rich. God doesn't care about sports (not like that, anyway). For every little girl that asks for her Colts/Giants/Packers/Rams/whatever to win, there are fifty drunk old men in Vegas betting the farm that Bill Belichick is going to have the opposing team's playbook compliments of the maid of the hotel that said opposing team is staying at.]
Yesterday, I was supposed to go mission shopping. A lady in our branch told us about the missionary mall in Orem and that they had pretty much everything you need, so we were going to go check it out. Except that it dumped a half-foot of snow where we were (a full foot in other places). Traffic was a beast, apparently and my brother had to come back for basketball practice and my sisters had school today, so we just came home... to no power. I've mentioned before that salt blows onto the power lines out here from the salt flats. If it doesn't rain and wash the salt off, the power shorts out when it snows, which is exactly what happened yesterday. And because there was no power to the furnace all day, the furnace had to be restarted this morning, so it was cold all night.
You never know how much you love electricity and indoor heat until it's gone and no amount of cozy sweaters and blankets make you feel better. I believe that we are born in the times we are for a reason and I'm sooooo glad I was born in modern times with all these great conveniences. I could never be a pioneer and have to stoke a fire to keep warm. I respect and love my pioneer ancestors, but I'll take central heating any day.
You never know how much you love electricity and indoor heat until it's gone and no amount of cozy sweaters and blankets make you feel better. I believe that we are born in the times we are for a reason and I'm sooooo glad I was born in modern times with all these great conveniences. I could never be a pioneer and have to stoke a fire to keep warm. I respect and love my pioneer ancestors, but I'll take central heating any day.
Oh stink, Fred Thompson's out of the presidential race. Well, maybe Romney will make him the VP candidate. In the meantime, I need to go thaw.
