Grrrr

Today started off as crap. Rode to school, but the jerkwads who were 20 minutes early for the polls (we host voting) wouldn't move to let me enter the teacher's entrance. They had huddled between the two sets of doors, and sort of laughed when I asked to come through. So I rode to the front of the school where ALL the doors were locked, and early (very early) students were available to heckle me and my spandex. So back around to the door and I guess I had a look or something because people got out of my way. While at the front of the school if I had been able to locate my phone I would have called my principal and told her to take my job and shove it sideways.

The day didn't really improve after that. Boy scrawls " is a hoe" (yes, the garden tool, not 'ho), and I tell an assistant principal, and he tells me we don't have proof so don't do anything. Six boys scream loud and long in the bathroom - I round them up and take them to the same asst. principal (who is in charge of discipline for the 7th grade) who warns them, etc. Boy's bathroom smells like an ashtray, which is better than the stale urine smell from yesterday. Two kids transferred off our team, reducing our trouble load, but raises concerns about actually promoting discipline rather than just shifting a problem and hoping it gets better.

Ride past home to vote. Went quickly, in fact half the time of my wife who went during the day. Then back to the car dealership, where amazingly they were able to trim the cost to a monthly payment we would live with. Joking about the washed car (clean and shiny) being the $1000 difference. Got some credits for dinner, and a 3 day/2 night vacation package, plus maintenance, and a full tank of gas (to replace the recently filled tank in the trade-in car - doh!). So we have a shiny new '09 Versa with a six-speed standard transmission, power windows, locks, cruise control. Had 9 miles on it when we drove it away...didn't seem like a popular test drive choice.

Staying away from the news and such tonight. Neck has been bad lately from stress.

The story of my life and how it is messed up, in one incident
When I was young, I remember my parents going somewhere and bringing back helium balloons for me and my brother. This was an extravagence, something we had never dared even ask for, since my family was frugal to a fault. On the way home one of balloons popped, and the remaining one was given to my brother, illustrating his favored status. I, on the other hand, wept for the loss of the balloon and regretted the measly (but to me, princely sum of) 50 cents that had been spent, and lost, on my behalf, knowing that I didn't deserve a frivolous item.