Just thinking

Fall is here! I grew up mostly in Texas, where they have one, and maybe two seasons. I moved here to NoVa on October 6, 1986 via Northern Florida, where my dh and I had lived with his mother while awaiting final plans for the job/move. We drove our two little cars up here on I 95. When we left Florida, it was a very warm day, so I was wearing a shorts jumpsuit. I think my car had AC to begin with, but by Richmond, VA, it was gone. I was HOT. We got to Tysons Corner, VA and stopped for gasoline. I happened to notice that everyone else was wearing sweaters and at least, long sleeves. Yep, by nightfall, it was pretty chilly. We stayed in a motel that night and walked up and down that area (because the traffic had us almost terrified to drive!) and looked for SOMEPLACE where we could buy some sweaters or a coat for each of us. We expected summer to last until Thanksgiving and we expected our warmer clothes to be arriving about two weeks later. Ah, how innocent we were!

The fall here was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. It seemed like the trees planted in this area were chosen because of the colors they turned in the fall. This area has lots of hills, too, so even a trip to the store was gorgeous!

Fast forward twenty-one years (can it be that long??) and here we are again. There is a lot to love about living here. There are few down-sides: lots of traffic, occasional ice instead of snow in the winter, very busy people, and no family in this area.

I miss my family. I have dh (dear husband) and ddd (dearest darling daughter) but no one else nearby. Sometimes it is a good thing, like when I want to be alone. I've had a lot of aloneness, and I wish I could drive by to say hello to my Mom and Dad on the way home from work. They are the types who would, no doubt, offer to buy dinner for my family or invite us over. I'd have LOVED to have their advice and free babysitting when my daughter was a baby. I had lots of questions and the answers I was getting from professionals was just plain bad.

I also have the best sister anyone could ever have. Don't know why she puts up with me, but I guess she has no choice! She helped raise me, in fact, since my parents were pretty busy with my brother from the time he was born until he died in February 2001. My sister lives in Michigan, with a wonderful man who has been like an older brother to me since I was 10 years old. No stopping by her house after work, either. Her kids have moved away, so she is alone, too. Maybe eventually we can retire near each other, but I don't know. "Independence" ain't all it's cracked up to be. Some of us are tied to jobs, such my dh's and my BIL's. Their jobs are in Washington DC and Michigan, respectively, and that's where they will stay.

The really bad part of being so far apart is that when you get to be together, you are REALLY together. Like in the same house for several days in a row. If someone gets tired, they can't just wait a day to return your call or your invitation. I still think living near extended family would be great.

Wow! I am surprised!

Thank you, Hol & J, for the award.

I received an award from Hol and Ky has promised to show me how to put it here on my blog, but don't hold your breath. She is back in school and has her hands quite full with 5 AP classes. She went to a workshop today to help her prepare for Senior Regionals in orchestra. That is one set of quite hard music. Then, she has seating auditions for her school orchestra on Tuesday, 9/11. She was Assistant Concert master last year and the Concert Master graduated. She REALLY wants that job. She has worked very hard, but isn't assured of the position until she does well on the auditions. Please pray that she'll do her best and be calm during the audition. Oh, and all of this is in addition to AP calculus BC (those letters mean something that means the class is for those who intend to take more math in college, I think,) AP English Lit, AP German, AP Computer Science, regular Government and AP Physics online. I don't like to think of the pressure she is under with that load. I guess next year she'll be taking ALL AP since APs are supposed to be college-level classes, but really. Please pray that she can handle all of that this year. Oh, and college applications are due in November, I think.

Since school started, I have been working full-time for a week. The novelty has definitely worn off.

Oh, excuse me--I fell asleep because I haven't gotten to bed anywhere near the right time all week, either.

Guess that means it is time to go to bed.

Ugh

Yep, tomorrow's the day. The first day back at school for the students for the year.

I'll try to not appear down about it, but how can one not be depressed when one looks out over the course of a school year and sees 183 days looming in front of one? Okay. enough of the "one" business. Let's see, why do I hate it?

The noise level in the school building goes up 1 million percent. Every complaint you've ever heard from a teacher is true. Classes are too large. Kids are uninspired. Parents are too busy (not all parents, but enough to make a difference) to help out their own child. I have to see so much neglect that it is sickening. Kids rushing in at least once a week looking like they've been up all night holding cookies in their hands for breakfast.

I do attendance for the kids. Do you know friends who are ALWAYS late? They were probably taught that by their parents. It is crazy how the same kids are late once or twice a week. Those are the parents who can't understand why their kids are not doing well in school and can't pass the state-mandated tests.

I hate the first day of school because there is this "school is fun" mentality that is just a lie after about second grade. School is work and sometimes, just SOMETIMES, learning and knowing is fun.

Ah, yes, it will be a great year.