Brain Death

This is what Brain Death looks like.

Today was TAKS testing in Texas. I sat in a room with 28 sophomores and a really nice Chinese man.

We have to maintain test security, so we are not allowed to get on the computer or read. The result is like watching paint dry or grass grow.

Having ADD and ADHD, this is almost a fate worse than death. I observed children for the better part of nine hours. I mean stared at them, and watched them take a standardized test.

I walked around for a good part of it, but the rest of the time I was trying to see how much ink I could use out of my uniball pen. The really bizarre thing is that just about every letter in my name is represented in some way. That wasn't the intent. Well, the Q is really obvious. The McDonald's arches are a direct response to the really great coffee my local Mickey D's makes. I think much of this was my subconscious trying to fill time by trying to fill space on a half a piece of copy paper.

I'm wondering if there is a tattoo in there somewhere.. . .

The scary part is that I want to work on this some more. . .

I've been bad

I've let down my reading effort. I've been playing golf on my phone instead of reading when I go outside to smoke.

I did enjoy the book by Ms. Clinton. It touched me in so many ways. I had no idea that she was second generation American. I always thought she was from big money back east. I'm so impressed by her commitment to the education of our children in America. I'm impressed that she wrote this book in 1995. This book has given me inspiration to not only vote, but get more involved with the political process.

I went to the "Texas Two Step" caucus at my local polling location last night. I had never heard of the precinct convention before last week. I feel less than for not knowing.

We early voted last week and stood in line quite a while. I'm well pleased with the tremendous voter turnout for this primary. It's good that more people care.

We debated about when to leave for the caucus. We live a whole 90 seconds car drive away from the polling place (Owenwood Methodist Church). We knew that the caucus wouldn't start until the poll was closed for fifteen minutes so we are thinking 7:15. We left the house at 6:59. I knew that there might be an issue when I saw a lot of traffic on John West and there were seven cars ahead of us to turn into the church parking lot. There were a group of ladies holding up "Hillary" signs. I rolled down the window and gave a "thumbs up" sign and they hollered and cheered. That was cool. We had issues finding a parking spot and got in line behind the back door where voters go in.

There were a lot of nice people in line and we had friendly chats. It was cold. There were folks with tiny children, there were people with children our age. I saw several people that I knew which surprised me because I didn't realize they lived near enough to vote in the same precinct.

The line grew. And grew. And Grew! I couldn't believe it. I've never had to wait more than five minutes to vote there and there were hundreds of voters from my precinct lining up to caucus.

I think there were more than five hundred people that came. They were all excited. I've been voting for more than 30 years now and I've never seen such a crowd.

We filled the sanctuary of the church. I'd be real surprised if they get that kind of crowd on Sunday. There were folks wearing "Hillary" and "Obama" buttons and they were so happy and positive and motivated. Most of the time, it doesn't matter what we do in Texas, it's usually decided before Texas has anything to do with the election.

I don't claim a party affiliation. I am an American. I have voted for just about every party there is at some point. I lean toward independent candidates. I am green at heart (to my mother's dismay).

It was exciting to see so many people in MY neighborhood who care. My next door neighbor was there, she was happy to see us there too (big surprise).

I've picked up a new book. I guess that is #9 for 2008. I don't think I will stall out over this one. It's getting my attention quickly and might pull me away from scoring a birdie on my phone.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is getting my attention. I'm not very long into it and the language is gorgeous. I'm doubly excited because it is our Academic Decathlon novel for next year. Some of my kiddos have already read it and are excited because they liked it.

Life is good.

Sometimes My Heart Breaks

C*** came to class today. She's a beautiful girl.. I had her last year in jewelry. She's a returning kid but has been less than motivated this year. I still love her, she's very sweet.

She mentioned a month ago that she was getting married. I was astonished. I straight up asked her if she was pregnant and she blushed and said "Oh no!" I asked her when she was getting married and she said she didn't know but sometime soon. The groom had already bought the kitchen table.

Over the last month, I've questioned her about this and I've learned that her intended has a good job. He manages two Jack in the Boxes. She says he's very nice and her parents like him a lot and he bought some other furniture.

Every day that she comes to class her classmates ask if she's married yet. She says that he's really nice and that her parents like him.

Today (Monday) she comes in and everyone asks if she's married yet and she very shyly says yes. I ask her where she got married and she said that she got hitched at the government center up the street by whatever judge was on duty.

She doesn't seem very happy. She seems terribly distracted. She leaves her cell phone on the desk and I confiscate it and she never knows. She's talking to me later and the damn thing goes off in my pocket and I pull it out and she says "wow that's just like my phone." I tell her it IS her phone and that she shouldn't have it out at school and explain all the reasons why cell phones are verboten. (Like the cell phone video of our teacher getting beaten which will allow her to sue the school and every kid who was in the room that didn't render aid)

I don't take the cell phone up, because that requires that a parent come pick it up on Monday which would be two weeks from now (after spring break) and as she's married, I'm betting her parent wouldn't serve the purpose.

What she had to show off today. . . she had the receipt from Walmart where she and her new husband went grocery shopping. They spent $170 on food for two people to get stocked in their new apartment. I bet she never gets to spend that much again.

At the end of the period she asks me if she can call her boyfriend. I was flip and asked her if she had a boyfriend and a husband too. Shyte. I don't mean to be mean. I think she was trying to arrange transportation home. Sometimes I'm slow on the uptake. This child stayed in her family home on Thursday night. Friday night she stayed with her husband.

As I fled the school this afternoon in the increasingly cold winds I saw her walking into the wind with no coat on. I'm wondering if she no longer has a ride home from school since she is a married woman. She told me where she is living and it's not a horrendous walk in good weather but it would have been miserable today.

I've come home and "processed" Oh holy crap, I wish I would have stuffed that girl in my car and given her a ride home.

I won't see her Wednesday as it is a "testing" day. You can be sure that on Friday if that child needs a ride to the home of her husband that I will with all humbleness beg her to let me help.

Easily Distracted by Shiny Objects

It's snowing at my house.

You can tell that I'm southern because such a thing is even worthy of a mention. Snow is such a novelty for southern folk that we go outside and stare at it to capture every random flake in its fleeting beauty.

My tiny magnolia tree is gathering a fluffy covering.

I stood on my porch, just behind the glare of the streetlight and I could see illuminated streams of snow that showed like tracers from filigree fireworks.

We are so easily amused, those of us who are distracted by shiny objects. Southerners in the presence of a few snowflakes.