I-Luv-Eeyore's blog

QotD: The Meanest Teacher

Who was the meanest teacher you had in school?

Mr. Caples.  He taught Algebra II.  I was a Junior in high school newly transferring to yet another new school.  The principal looked at my transcripts and told me I needed to take Algebra II, I told him I would rather take another math as I didn't understand Algebra I.  He looked at my Mom and suggested I take Algebra II and my Mom insisted I take it.  So, I took it.  I didn't even begin to understand it.  Ever.  My Dad and I would have nightly arguments about the class.  I would be trying to do my homework, I'd run into a wall trying to do it the teacher's way.  My Dad would show me a different way, I'd get the right answer and the teacher would mark me wrong because I didn't do it his way.  ~sigh~

It's the only class I ever got an F in and I was successful at getting an F every grading period.  One afternoon Mr. Caples told us that we would be having a 'Pop' quiz the next day, and he even told us what the quiz would be on.  Well, my stubborn streak reared her pretty head and I decided to pass this test come h*ll or high water.  Every spare second I had for that afternoon/night and the next day until class I had that book open, paper and pencil in hand.  I was going to get it.  We walked into class that afternoon and Mr. Caples was writing the problems on the board for us to solve.  I sat down and solved all of the problems w/o much problem.  I double checked my work and was satisfied with it.  I handed my paper in, I was the first one done and Mr. Caples wasn't even done solving his own problems yet.  He asked me if I was sure I wanted to hand my paper in and I said I was.  He took it and set it aside.  I went back to my desk and watched him.  He finished working his problems and then checked my paper.  He got a puzzled look on his face and got a new sheet of paper out and reworked his own problems.  In the mean time other kids where handing in their papers.  When he got finished doing his work the second time, he checked it against the smartest kid in the class's paper.  Then he reached for my paper again and double checked it..and got a little bit mad.  He checked my paper after checking each other paper in the class.  The more he looked at my paper the more mad he got.  By the time he was finished grading all the papers he was furious.  As he passed the papers out to the class he was yelling:  "This test was EASY!!!!  There is no exuse for any of you to get the lousy grades you got.  NONE!!  Because if SMITH* can get a 100 ANY ONE can get a 100!!!!"

Yeah, he was mad because I got a 100 on one of his quizzes.  He never said 'good job' or 'way to go' or any kind of praise at all.  All I got was the rest of the class yelled at because I'd studied my butt off and figured that particular bit of Algebra II out.  So, I got mad back, and I my stubborn streak took over my logic and I quit trying.  At all.  Never tried to figure Algebra II out again.  I did my homework....didn't argue with my Dad about it, got nothing but failing grades for the rest of the year. 

Back then teachers did grades by hand...so when I received my final report card from Mr. Caples at the end of the year I could see where he had put down one grade as my final---then marked it out and gave me 16 points to pass me for the year.  He was so scared I'd take his class over that he passed me so I wouldn't come back.  Little did that man know that I had absolutely no intentions of ever taking another class from him again.  Ever.

Yup, he ruined math for me.

*Last name has been changed to protect---well, me.  I did not change Mr. Caples name---and if you want to know what school he taught at I will tell you----just ask.

Well I never!

Copied from Kelly

 

(N) Gone on a blind date 
(Y) Skipped school  Only one class and I got caught within the first 15 minutes. 
(Y) Watched someone die 
(Y) Been to Canada
(Y) Been to Mexico
(Y) Been to Florida
(Y) Been on a plane
(Y) Been lost
(Y) Been on the opposite side of the country  Both coast and far North and pretty far South
(Y) Gone to Washington , DC
(Y) Swam in the ocean
(Y) Cried yourself to sleep
(Y) Played cops and robber
(N) Recently colored with crayons  No, but it is one of my favorite past times.
(N) Sang Karaoke
(Y) Paid for a meal with coins only? Uhm...yeah...hello? McDonald's drive thru
(Y) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? 
(Y) Made prank phone calls
(Y) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(Y) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(Y) Danced in the rain
(Y) Written a letter to Santa
(Y) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(Y) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(Y) Blown bubbles
(Y) Gone ice-skating
(N) Been skinny dipping outdoors   
(Y) Gone to the movies and didn't watch the movie

Not only 'NO!' but 'H3LL NO!!'

She's in prison for her part in the brutal rape and murder of her 3 y/o daughter.  Now she has terminal cancer and wants to be let out of prison to die.  Uhm.  No.  She sentenced her baby girl to a terrible violent painful death by doing nothing to protect her, she stood by while this monster beat, raped and abused her.  Her sentence is 13-30 years---I vote for 30 and if she happens to die a slow painful death prison well then so be it.

I know, I know.  There are two sides to every story.  This story only tells the one side....There would still have to be a huge 'other side' of the story for me to change my mind.

QotD: When I Was a Kid

What did you do for fun when you were a kid? How is it different from what you see kids doing now?
Submitted by jaklumen.

It depended on my age and where we were living.

Before starting my school years I remember it being a big deal for Mom to let me take a walk around the block pulling my wagon.  I usually would have a stuffed critter or a baby doll in the wagon and would pretend I was the Mommy.  My favorite TV show was Captain Kangaroo.

When I was 5 we moved to New Hampshire.  I spent most of my time outside...it took me a full year to learn to ride my bicycle and once I learned I spent a lot of time riding up and down our street (four houses that were occupied year 'round and a small set of summer cottages that didn't ever really have anyone in them.)  When I was feeling really adventurous I would ride to the end of the street and play near the Great Bay....throwing rocks into the water and looking for horseshoe crabs.  Of course the little old lady that was half-off her rocker would make her appearance if I was down there for more than a few minutes and she'd run me off saying such things as "Don't you know you'll fill the ocean if you keep throwing my rocks into it?"  I learned to climb trees at that house, although I didn't ever have enough arm strength to climb ones that the first branch was over my head.  On rainy days Steve and I would play with his MatchBox and Hot Wheels cars.  I would play with my dolls, too.  At school during recess we would play tag...at least those of us that didn't win the race for the coveted swings would play tag.  Others would play on the jungle gym and slide down the slide ad-nauseum....but, I ran, a lot.

When I was 8 (1972) we moved to Maine where we had 180+ acres to run on.  I didn't do a lot of bike riding in Maine as the road we were on was a state highway and Mom was nervous about the cars.  I could ride as long as Steve or Jim were with me.  Again, a lot of time was spent outside, even in the winter.  A lot of time I was by myself and my imagination kept me company.  Starting in 4th grade I started taking baton lessons so that took up a big portion of my Saturday mornings.  But, my favorite Saturday morning cartoon was _Land of the Lost_.  Steve and I still played with his cars.  Jim taught me how to pay Monopoly.  I had a friend that lived across the street and one that lived down the road just a short distance.  The three of us were at times inseparable and at other times we couldn't stand the site of each other.  My favorite radio station was WHBQ and I remember they had two different contests.  One was to see if people could say: "Two all beef patties special sauce lettuce chese pickles onions on a sesame seed bun" in a certain amount of seconds.  You'd be surprised at the number that couldn't do it.  The other contest was when they took the call letter 'W' and hid it away somewhere.  People would call in at the appointed time and try to guess where the 'W' was.  They gave clues that would narrow the location down---the clues were based on contestants guesses; such as "No, it is West of San Francisco and East of Tallahassee."  They kept narrowing the search perimeters down until finally someone guessed: "Hell, Michigan" and that was correct.  This contest lasted for a long time.  Little Willy, Seasons in the Sun and Tie a Yellow Ribbon were some of my favorite songs.  I also read a lot.  Jim would take me to the nearby pond to teach me how to swim (hard to do when he wouldn't get in the water himself) and to teach me how to fish. 

In 1976 we moved from the wilds of Maine to the constraints of Southern California.  For the first time since Kindergarten I lived in a neighborhood.  I spent a lot of time riding my bike around the block, learning to roller skate and skate board.  And I read---a lot.  I was thrilled to be introduced to the book-mobile.  A library on wheels!  I was in Heaven and would check out 8 books a week during the summer.  Sometime in this time frame we got cable and HBO...I became a TV-junkie and could name commercials as they came on within the first two frames of the commercial.  It was sad----I see this habit in my son, too.  I seem to remember spending a lot of time in my room just 'being'.

Jordan has not spent as much time outside in his whole life as I did in two years of my life.  He is addicted to TV, his PlayStation(s), and the computer.  He does spend a small amount of time each day using his imagination to replay the TV shows or video game he just played.  We call it his 'spitting and spewing' time.  If we had a swimming pool, he would be out in it as often as we would let him.  At the age of 12 he is just now beginning to enjoy reading and for the first time he devoured a new book in a days time just this weekend.  I don't know that had we stayed in the neighborhood in Texas that I would have let Jordan roam free like I did when I was a kid.  Mom would know about where I was---but if I said: "Going for a walk in the woods!" and I ran out the door----that was a lot of acreage to get lost in...especially since our land was surrounded by nothing more than more land and an old abandonded railroad track.

Things on Tuesday

Totally Terrible Tuesday things:

• Arguments with the spouse that last for days (he hasn't spoken to me in about 26 hours.  I haven't spoken to him since I went to bed last night.)
• White/off-white walls
• pre-teen talk of suicide
• Tornados
• The scale---it keeps going up instead of down

 

Totally Terrific Tuesday things:

• Birds singing and nest building
• Wild bunnies in the neighbors yard
• Squirrels playing in my yard
• Nine days until I leave for Houston!

It's just appalling

I am still having trouble understanding how these people could do this to a child and to the animals they were raising.  Not only is it appalling, it is inconcievable.  Link to yesterday's post: Child abuse and puppy mills.

The neighbors had no idea that there were so many children living in that double wide trailer.  They only ever saw two kids outside playing.  Two.  There were nine children in that house.  Nine.  There were only ever two seen outside.  Not only that but the woman is seven weeks pregnant with her third biological child and this would have made child number 10 in that double wide trailer.  Would this one ever be allowed to play outside or go to school? 

Here is a copy of the obit in today's paper:

Enna Barreto
NEW ALBANY - Enna Isabel Barreto, 2, died Monday, May 19, 2008, at LeBonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Tutor Memorial Funeral Home in Pontotoc with Bro. Lou Zemek officiating. Burial will follow in Martin Town Cemetery.

Survivors include her parents, Janet and Ramon Barreto; five sisters, Lucricia Barreto, Luisa Barreto, Marainna Torres, Celeste Barreto and Janet Barreto; three brothers, Byron Barreto, Juan Barreto and Edwin Barreto; her grandparents, Sarah and Coy Killough of New Albany, and Ramon and Libia Barreto of Mexico.

Pallbearers will be members of law enforcement in Union County.

Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. today.

Did you notice that the pall bearers will be members of the law enforcement community?  These people led such a sheltered life that there isn't anyone else to be a pall bearer---or maybe the law enforcement people will view this as an 'honor' to be one of the chosen ones to carry this poor baby girl to her final resting place.

Link to more on the girl and her siblings.
More on the dogs and puppies.

I am haunted by this.  Just haunted.  I am having trouble focusing on my job, my home life, anything other than this story.  How can people do this kind of stuff? They must not be 'people' but some sort of monsters.

High school memories

Kelly asked for her peeps to post pictures of us at our Proms.  So off I went on a search of pictures that I couldn't find.  I did, however find some that will suffice. 

The first one is of me and my date, Gene at the "Girls Date" dance in February 1979.  (In the South it would be called a Sadie Hawkins dance.)  I was in ninth grade and I believe Gene was in 10th.  I was living in California at the time and the dance was at a pretty nice hotel somewhere fairly close to DisneyLand.  It was on Valentine's Day after this dance that I found out Gene had VD and had gotten it from a girl that my brother had been dating.  Youth, it's confusing and convoluted.  Gene never even kissed me, I'm not even sure now if he ever even held my hand.

 

Pat and Gene 79

By fall we had moved to Mississippi and the backwards school that I attended there did not allow dances.  We had banquets.  This pic. is from the Band Banquet.  This is my Mom, my boyfriend Ernie (the guy that I would marry and then end up divorcing. He was cute back then.) and me.

 

Mom Ernie Pat 82

I never had a Prom but we did have Jr. Sr. Banquets.  The biggest problem was that only Jr.s and Sr.s from our school were allowed to attend.  So, even though I was engaged I couldn't take him to the banquet.  My best friend was in the same predicament, so we went together and our 'men' hung out waiting on the event to be over so we could go out on the town afterward.

 

Pat Jr. Sr. Banquet

Just because I was engaged didn't mean that I couldn't flirt a bit.  I sat on several different laps during the evening.  This guy, Ricky, has haunted my dreams for years.  I often wonder what happened to him.

 

Pat and Ricky

And there you have it.  Pictures of the closest thing to a Prom that I had.  One nearly 30 years ago and the others over 25 years ago.  sheesh!  Times have changed.

Child abuse and puppy mills

In a town not far from my in-laws there was a large family.  All ten children had been adopted by this couple.  How in the World they managed to pass home inspections demanded by local, state, and international adoption agencies is beyond me.  Unfortunately for the youngest girl she suffered the ultimate fate at the hands of these people and died as a result of her injuries.  While investigating the child abuse charges the local authorities discovered a puppy mill operation going on at the same residence.  Fairly soon the local Humane Society will be inundated with these dogs and puppies.  They will be treated for abuse and neglect, the healthier ones will be spayed or nuetered and then they will be put up for adoption. 

I am appalled at the abuse of the children.  I am appalled by the abuse of the dogs and other animals.  I am also appalled that the reporters have more to say and report about the animal cruelty charges than they have to say about the child abuse and neglect charges.  Hopefully it is a case of they are reporting known facts and there are more known facts about the animals than there are known facts about the children.  Maybe it is a case of the less said about the child abuse the more can be used in a court of law to convict this couple on the more henious charge of child abuse.  The animal neglect and cruelty is bad enough----but to abuse your adopted child so bad that she ends up dying?  That just makes you a horrible terrible person.

Story about the child here.
Story about the animals here.

**Edited to add**

I called the Humane Society to ask about possibly adopting a schnauzer or maybe one of the rat terriers.  They are still in the process of identifying and checking out all of the animals.  They still don't know what they have, what is healthy and other assorted things that happen during a time like this.  They have our name and number and will call us when they are more organized; in a week or two.

Things on Tuesday

Totally Terrible Tuesday Things:

• Migraine so bad I'm puking
• Allergies so bad the prescription medicine doesn't seem to be working
• One of my birthday fish died
• Darcy shedding so bad that even the FURminator doesn't seem to be working
• Hormone fluctuations that indicate I am entering peri-menopause
• Gaining back 10 of the pounds I'd managed to lose.

Totally Terrific Tuesday Things:

• Imitrex and phenergan
• The ability to take a two hour nap in the middle of my work day
• Wind
• Jordan getting four awards at Awards Day yesterday--including being one of only four boys and nine total students to be on the A-Honor roll the entire year!
• My rose bushes are beautiful in bloom
• Jordan loves karate
• Jordan's jock itch is finally looking better.
• My in-laws
• Did I mention the wind?
• Always my Husband

 

I had a dream

I had a dream Friday night.  Here it is Sunday night and I can't shake Friday night's dream.

I dreamt Chris was taking me for a surprise day at a theme park.  We had trouble on the drive to the park, getting gas, crossing bridges, trying to get something to eat...Chris kept getting more and more frustrated and I kept trying to tell him to calm down; we weren't in a hurry, the day was about us being together; etc..  Finally we arrive at the park and pay to get inside.  He immediately wants to go to a seating area to just sit for a minute.  As we are sitting there he starts telling me what a great wife I am, what a great Mom I am, and how life has not been fair in giving us more children than just Jordan.  About this time people start showing up with different assorted baby paraphernelia (a high chair, a swing, a bouncy seat, bottles, pink clothes, etc...) then I notice that the people bringing this stuff in is friends from work and some family.  I'm trying to figure out who they are bringing this stuff to when another co-worker walks in with a baby all wrapped up in a pink blanket.  She starts telling me that the whole office thinks I'm so special and how everyone has been hurting for me to have another baby, so they all got together and 'had' a baby for me.  This gal, Cynthia, carried the baby and gave birth to the baby, but she was my baby.  Cynthia placed that baby in my arms and she (the baby) looked me in the eyes and there was an instant connection.  Like she'd been looking for me for a long time....like she had finally made it home.  And, when she looked in my eyes, my life suddenly felt whole and complete.  I was so full of love for the baby, Cynthia, and the whole group....that they would plan this and keep it a secret from me, just in case something would go wrong.  I find it hard to put into words the thoughts and the feelings I had in that dream.  But, I do know I felt full and complete.

Now I feel empty, again.