Tag: school

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Walrus gumboot

Tina’s mom’s surgery to reattach her right index finger was successful. The accident also cut off the tip of her right middle finger, but they were unable to save it, but they contacted a injury lawyer from https://www.fieldinglaw.com/dallas/personal-injury-attorney/ to help with this. Tina really wanted to drive down to NM for Thanksgiving, but fate conspired to keep that from happening.

After Graham served his suspension Wednesday morning, he returned to school that afternoon. However, that night Tina woke to the sound of him vomiting in the bathroom. He stayed home sick Thursday, vomited that night and then stayed home from school Friday, too. Because it was very cold and windy, he also had to miss football practice and his last possible game yesterday. His team has another game next week, but we’ll be out of town at Tina’s Grandma Ruth’s funeral. He’s feeling much better today, but they don’t have school all of this week.

Tina got sick Friday night and has been resting and puking since then. She’s starting to recover and eat today, but she’s still weak. There’s no way we could manage a trip to NM now.

Thomas and I have not gotten sick yet. We both braved the wind and cold yesterday for his last football Saturday until next season. It was trying, but we both made it through. I was chilled all day after we got home, though. Winter in Oregon sucks!

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Zero tolerance


Graham’s school has a Zero Tolerance policy for fighting, which will go a long way in explaining his suspension. His referral (at left) describes the incident as:

Student on top of Graham. Witnessed Graham slug student in face.

Evidently, Graham and his friend Garett were playing a game that they had made up. Garett became frustrated with the game and tackled Graham somewhat playfully. Graham asked him to get off but he didn’t so Graham punched him somewhat gently. This is when the teacher pulled them apart and sent them to the principal’s office with a referral.

When Tina received the call from the principal Graham was sobbing uncontrollably. He was afraid of getting in further trouble and ashamed of what had happened. Because of the zero tolerance policy, the principal had no choice but to suspend Graham and Garett from school. She showed a little bit of mercy by suspending them only for the next morning.

The whole incident reminded me of something that happened to me when I was in fifth or sixth grade. My sometime best friend, Gretchen Eastman, had undergone a growth spurt that made her bigger than most of her peers. Kids are cruel and we were no exception as we continually taunted her by calling her “Grape Ape”. Eventually, she grew tired of the name-calling but I was slow to pick up on that fact. One day on the playground she simply decided that she had had enough. When I continued calling her “Grape Ape,” she reared back and decked me right in the face. I don’t recall if I fought back, but I do recall both of us being sent to the principal’s office for the “fight”.

I remember sobbing uncontrollably myself both at the prospect of having been sent to the principal’s office and by the fact that I had my clock cleaned by a girl. It’s hard to say which was more humiliating, but I can tell you that my visits to the principal’s office were rare by that time. I remember that my hands and arms felt very wet from all the tears. I’m not sure what the end result of the fight was, but I’m quite sure that I was not suspended. Our principal (and neighbor), Mr. Harnack, had mercy on us and probably felt that I had undergone punishment enough.

This incident with Graham, much like many other things that happen in my boys’ lives, makes me long for the simplicity of 1970s small-town Iowa.

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 368 miles
Average speed: 9.5 mph
Weight lost: 44 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed this week: 40
Current reading: The Prince by Machiavelli, Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs
Recent listening: Coverville, DrugMusic, Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses by Slipnot, Iowa by Slipnot, Stadium Arcadium by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Authorized Greatest Hits by Cheap Trick
Recent viewing: Species II, Species III, South Park, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Mavericks at Suns, Sportscenter
Recent playing: Zuma, Halo
Recently accomplished: Put Tivo in working order, talked to Thomas’ principal re: lack of text books
Imperative To Do: Recycle cardboard, finish old blog entries, build new computer for Thomas, rake, clean garage, fix laundry room door, RMA old Tivo drive, Tivo wishlists
Cool Link: Marmaduke Explained

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 354 miles
Average speed: 10.6 mph
Weight lost: 42 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed this week: 10 (1 day)
Current reading: The Prince by Machiavelli, Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs
Recent listening: Authorized Greatest Hits by Cheap Trick, Greatest Hits by Bob Seger, Stardust by Willie Nelson, Europe ’72 by Grateful Dead, Coverville, KBOO Bike Show
Recent viewing: Wolfen, Without a Trace, Cold Case, Colts at Patriots, Heroes, CSI: Miami
Recent playing: Zuma, Halo
Recently accomplished: Paid bills, cleaned filing cabinet, bought Tina’s birthday present, voted
Imperative To Do: Follow-up with Thomas’ principal, recycle cardboard, finish old blog entries, get Thomas’ computer to boot, rake, clean garage, install new permanent Tivo hard drive, fix laundry room door
Cool Link: Faith Hill is a bad loser: Even if she was joking, it’s disrespectful to the winner.

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 343 miles
Average speed: 11.4 mph
Weight lost: 42 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed this week: 31
Current reading: The Prince by Machiavelli, Magical Thinking: True Stories by Augusten Burroughs
Recent listening: Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground by Bright Eyes, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn by Bright Eyes, Frances the Mute by The Mars Volta, Coverville
Recent viewing: Suns at Lakers, Bulls at Heat, The Punisher, Sportscenter, My Name Is Earl, Millennium (movie), The Office, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Recent playing: Zuma, Halo
Recently accomplished: Bought new front and rear bike lights, called Thomas’ principal again, installed new temporary Tivo hard drive
Imperative To Do: Follow-up with Thomas’ principal, vote, recycle cardboard, finish old blog entries, get Thomas’ computer to boot, rake, clean garage, install new permanent Tivo hard drive, fix laundry room door
Cool Link: Devil Cat

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Vital Statistics

Happy Halloween!

Bike odometer: 312 miles
Average speed: 10.5 mph
Weight lost: 40 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8.5
Riding temperature: 49º
Hours billed this week: 14.5 (at the end of today)
Current reading: I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, The Prince by Machiavelli
Recent listening: Daylight Again by Crosby, Stills and Nash, Glimmer by Kim Richey, It’s The Jump Off, Wingspan by Paul McCartney
Recent viewing: Without A Trace, Cold Case, Sportscenter, Heroes, Countdown, South Park
Recent playing: n/a
Recently accomplished: n/a
Imperative To Do: Follow-up with Thomas’ principal, recycle cardboard, finish old blog entries, get Thomas’ computer to boot, rake, clean garage, swap Tivo hard drive, fix laundry room door
Cool Link: The Daily Puppy: Today featuring Halloween costumes

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Vital Statistics

Bike odometer: 301 miles
Average speed: 12.3 mph
Weight lost: 40 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 9
Hours billed this week: 49.5
Current reading: I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe, The Prince by Machiavelli
Recent listening: Greendale by Neil Young, Half Nelson by Willie Nelson, Box Set by Buffalo Springfield
Recent viewing: The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live, House of 1000 Corpses, Sportscenter, Storytellers: Dixie Chicks
Recent playing: Zuma, Klax
Recently accomplished: Re-installed iLife ’06, returned cans and bottles, cleaned gutters and downspouts, cleaned off deck and sidewalks, chopped out some more blackberry vines
Imperative To Do: Follow-up with Thomas’ principal, recycle cardboard, finish old blog entries, get Thomas’ computer to boot, rake, clean garage
Cool Link: Noah takes a photo of himself every day for 6 years

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Thomas’ Teacher

Thomas is in 5th grade this year. His teacher is really frustrating Tina and me. Last week, he assigned science homework to be done the next day, but there weren’t enough books for everyone in the class. In fact, there were only 7 books for 20 students. Thomas’ teacher made it the responsibility of the students to get together with other students after school to finish the homework. Luckily, Thomas coordinated with two students who live close to us. Unfortunately, Monday night is Cub Scout night and there was really no way we could get him to the friend’s house and then to Cub Scouts. So Tina retrieved the book on the way to Cub Scouts and copied the pertinent section on the school’s copy machine. Thomas was up 2 hours past his bedtime finishing his homework.

This is not the first time we’ve had problems with this teacher. Earlier in the year he assigned math homework to Thomas but failed to copy the necessary sections of the book. Thomas was the only one in the class who didn’t have the book. We offered to purchase the book for Thomas to use, but he declined and promised he would make sure Thomas had the material he needed in the future.

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Vital Statistics

There was no school Friday, so Graham went with Tina to her school and Thomas rode his bike with me to work. This was his first big ride and the first time he took his bike on the Max. He did great and enjoyed playing games with they guys at work.

Bike odometer: 6211 miles
Current reading: Barrel Fever by David Sedaris, Smoke and Guns by Kirsten Baldock and Fabio Moon
Recent viewing: Pistons at Cavaliers, Spurs at Mavericks, Girl With a Pearl Earring, Punk’d, Cavaliers at Pistons
Recent playing: GooBall
Imperative To Do: Call Sears, Graham’s birthday present, bike repairs, get watch fixed, truck shopping, bank
Cool link: Evolution of Dance: Awesome video with all your favorite dance steps

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Vital Statistics

Got the verdict from my mechanic last night: 400 dollars if he only has to replace one valve. Add another hundred if I want to get my heater fixed. Tina and I already decided that we wouldn’t put more than 400 into it, so it’s sayonara to my old truck. I tried to give it to my mechanic, but he said he’s already got too many “projects” sitting around at his house. I’ll probably try Craigslist or I may donate it. I’ve considered taking the sucker apart and trying to fix it myself, but I’d probably have to pay to have it towed then.

Yesterday I spotted a replacement candidate on my ride to work. It’s a four-wheel drive, late 70’s/early 80’s old Ford. The sign in the window says $1800, I think. I wrote down the phone number this morning and will have more info about it soon. A sign in the passenger window claimed it had a recently rebuilt engine and a new clutch and something else I don’t remember. I think older cars are simpler to maintain but I could be wrong. Let me know what you think.

For the second day in a row, there was a FedEx truck blocking the bike lane outside my office. This time the guy was inside, so I stopped and politely asked him to please park closer to the curb so as not to block the bike lane. He said he would try but it’s hard when it’s a tight squeeze. I thanked him and left.

Bike odometer: 5983 miles
Current reading: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing, 9-11 by Noam Chomsky
McCartney Trivia: “I like writing sad songs, it’s a good bag to get into because you can actually acknowledge some deeper feelings of your own and put them in it. It’s a good vehicle, it saves having to go to a psychiatrist.” – Paul
Recent listening: Lifted or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground, De-Loused in the Comatorium, Throw Down Your Arms, Has Been, Science Friday, KBOO Bike Show
Recent viewing: Countdown, Sportscenter, CSI: Miami
Recent playing: Poker Room
Recently Accomplished: Got most of the tax materials together, dropped van off for repair
Imperative To Do: Taxes, lube bike, fix bike fender, fix bike pedal, buy a truck
Cool link: Rate My Professors: Every school in America is listed. Find your favorite prof and rate them.