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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

It's so hot it's burning

I wasn't expecting to get called in today and was set for a day in the garden and a hike along the river. But at 6:40am I was asked to fill in for a SpecEd teacher, the same one I had two weeks ago, and was glad to help out. I really liked those students last time.

"Hi Miss Connie!" some of them yelled out when I walked in at 7:20am, and again I was able to give a few one-on-one instruction. Many of the intellectually disabled have a hard time understanding basic math principles, but how do you teach these kids that? I'm interested in taking graduate-level courses in methodology.

The department hosted a Teachers Appreciation luncheon and I mingled with some of the instructors. I must have impressed them as they remembered my name! I also got to meet another self-proclaimed "semi-retired" woman who's quite happy working as a sub.

Unfortunately, something I ate gave me a stomach ache. Fortunately, the cramps didn't last long.

It was a hot day today and the dogs looked worn-out when I got home at 3pm. I was tired, too and took an hour nap, but then walked them at 6pm to a cool late afternoon, and a long brown smoke stream drifted from the western boundaries of Fort Huachuaca where a 300-acre wildfire was blazing. Several buildings had already been destroyed but no homes.

Swine flu outbreaks in Arizona and Illinois have nearly tripled and doubled respectfully since yesterday, another alarming trend. The students today were also panicking whenever someone sneezed or coughed. The flu hasn't shown itself YET in Cochise County but when it does, I expect mass hysteria to break out when it does. I honestly hope to be on the road when that happens. Next week is my last week of work for four months.

I picked a handful of strawberries tonight. I will have some with a bowl of cereal tomorrow.

The Yukon Gold potatoes I planted a few days ago are already breaking into green buds. Kevin's taking his gardening very seriously this year, to the point where I feel usurped of my garden responsibilities. I have stepped back to be the certified "Master Gardener." At least to my credit he's learned quite a few techniques from me and I'm confident he will grow a nice, lush, healthy garden in my absence.

Now, if only he would walk the dogs! The dogs have gotten better on their walks, pulling less and barking even less often. A women tonight praised me for such well-behaved dogs. "I see you walk past my house every night!" said one woman who thanked me for tending to the dogs so well.
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/05/06/news/doc4a0131142d31f862273260.txt
http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/05/05/news/breaking_news/doc4a00c6544c5fd827880104.txt

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