Time flies regardless

Well, it's certainly been a while, hasn't it?

Let me see...

Last published post was on the ninth.  The eleventh was my birthday, which was none too fun.  I wrote a whole post, but decided not to publish it.  Printed word is too open to misinterpretation, and the nature of this post opened a can of worms I simply didn't want to get in to.  Anyway, I spent my birthday in pain, miserable, and frustrated.

I confess that I have fallen behind in school.  I'm on top of my Ling classes, but my Ed classes not so much.  My goal is to have my overdue lesson plan turned in on Monday, and get at least one of the major postings for the other class done this weekend.
Of course, we all know where leads the road paved with good intentions...

Things have been kind of roller-coaster-ish with my honor society.  I'm the secretary, but I really do a lot for the society, and of the officers, I do the most.  I'm rather frustrated because we recently did a Halloween costume drive and we received nothing.  (I'm not counting the 4 costumes my advisor managed to collect and donate after the fact.)  The president and other officers were so lackadaisical and passive that the word did not get spread and hardly anything was done.  The advisor called me a few days ago and said she was going to speak to the president and have me instated in that office in her stead, as I am the one carrying the presidency.  I feel like I'm constantly poking and prodding the officers, and picking up the slack behind them before things fall through the cracks (ah, English metaphor...).

When the advisor met with the president, Pres was very surprised that this would be asked of her.  Apparently she "didn't want to hold me back" or "get in my way" since I seemed "very enthusiastic."  This sounds like BS to me, since her job simply isn't getting done.  I'm not doing her job; I'm not standing in her way.  She either has no idea what she's doing and isn't putting forth the effort to learn, or isn't passionate about it and getting done what she needs to.  In fact, I've been dancing around this semester trying desperately not to overstep my bounds or step on her toes while watching her duties go unfilled.  Which has really been hard for me to do.  But the advisor thinks that there is sincerity behind her remarks.  Anyway, we're meeting tomorrow.  I want to get this solidly figured out before our new member recognition mid-November because right now I feel pulled and stretched and emotionally tossed around.

I'm also contemplating not continuing in my Ed program.  I'm so annoyed with all the bureaucracy and requirements and tests and dancing around that is required to become and be a teacher.  I'm sick of lesson plans and unit plans and accommodations and assessments.  And I honestly don't think I would survive student teaching without going insane.

And there have been some, um, "fun" things going on with my insurance and pharmacy.  Last week I received a package in the mail.  Well, Husband picked up the mail.  He came in shaking the envelope, which rattled like a bottle of meds.  He jokingly asked if I was getting drugs in the mail now.  Um... no...?  Well, I opened the envelope and, sure enough, it contained a bottle of prescription meds.  One of my prescriptions, 90 days worth, all the right info (name, insurance, prescribing doctor, all that), that I had NEVER ORDERED.  (Oh, and a bill for the meds.)

I logged on to my pharmacy's website, and that med is still listed as having three refills left. So I called the company that sent me the meds. (This company is a branch of my pharmacy & has connections with my insurance company.)

Well, apparently it is not some sort of kooky mistake. They received a fax from my insurance co. for this prescription for 3 months and that action supposedly obligates them to fill and send the prescription.

At my last rheumy appt (just over a month ago), he prescribed 3 new meds, and this was one of them. One is for serious pain that doesn't respond to other stuff. The other two I was supposed to try one, and then the other. The problem is that they were both listed on the same prescription. So when I went to fill the one I wanted to try first (not the one I got mailed!), it filled them both. And of course, there was some nonsense with filling the prescription I wanted to try 2nd because it's not in generic and not automatically covered my insurance, blah blah blah. Hence the fax from my insurance co. and the filling of the meds.

I'm frustrated because I haven't even gotten to the point of trying these meds yet with the 2wk sample from the rheumy & the 1st month that got filled "by default." Much less am I ready for this new 3 month supply. I don't know what the side effects will be... heck, I could be allergic to this med, but don't know because I haven't tried it yet. And now they want me to pay the copay for 2 months worth of meds. Boom. Right now. (After paying for tuition and an ER visit and... and... and... this month.)

(Other voice in my head argues back:) But it's only 2 months of copay instead of 3 (apparently I got month free through this mail service). So if I do decide that I do want to be on this medication, this is way better financially than filling it through my local pharmacy.
 

The part that makes me mad is that I had NO SAY in any of this!!!

But I'm starting this med tonight.  It has in it's list of side effects pretty much every possible side effect under the sun, then comments that it is not a complete list of side effects, so who knows how my body will react, but I have a four day weekend, so I figure this is a good time to figure out if I'm allergic to it, at least.   Grrr.

There's just so much going on right now.  Time is racing past and leaving me behind.

Swear words, Sarcasm, and Suffering

Well, that relief was certainly short lived.  I went to sleep at midnight.  At two, I rolled over again and *zap*! resume shooting pain.

Fricative and argelfraster!

I really expected those really painful injections into my neck to provide relief that would last longer than forty hours.  So now I'm up, after only two hour sleep, having Grape Nuts so that I can take three different types of pain relief (yes, they can all be taken together).  Then I'll attempt to go back to sleep and hope desperately that I'll be able to get everything done tomorrow that I need to.

But I'm SO FRUSTRATED!!!  Why is the pain BACK!?!?  And WHY the BLAZES am I awake after only two hours sleep!?!?

As much FUN as I'm having, I'm ready to lead a boring, normal life now.

A Handful of Randomness

Thought #1-- Tuesday (either this past Tuesday or the one before it), I was on a break during my late-afternoon class (morphology) and was walking toward the restroom.  My Jackie-friend had come out of the classroom a few moments after I did and was behind me some distance in the hallway.  Apparently she called out, "Hey, Cripple!", but didn't want to do it too loudly, because she knew that much of the world would find such an exclamation to be offensive.  It reminds me of a topic discussed in another linguistics class (I warned you, I have a linguistics reference for everything!) where we talked about social marketplaces and symbolic capital, communities of practice and indexing... basically how you show that you are part of a group and perform your identity.  The fact that my Jackie-friend can call me a cripple and that I can call myself one in her presence (like the recent blog about another classmate and "cripple parking") shows the relationship we have.  (Another fantastic example of this is given in Marlita Hill's speech.  Check out the videos! #1 and #2)

Thought #2-- I had a ling test today (more linguistics.  This is why I blog.  Because my friends just can't take it anymore).  It was for LING 100: English Grammar and Syntax.  I went to the testing services (I get disability services on tests) and was, shall we say, rather amused by the amount of difficulty that was a part of taking this simple little test.  In all, it probably took me twenty minutes max to take.  But it actually took two hours.  Why?  Well, first, because of budget issues, they are grossly understaffed.  Which means there are no students to answer phones, pass out exams, etc.  So even though I was scheduled to begin at 10, it was at least five past before they began setting me up for my exam.  Then they put me in the wrong room.  See, the computer program I use for drawing sentence trees (yes, sentences grow on trees) was only installed on two computers.  And the computer they put me on wasn't one of them.  After getting on the right computer, I found that the program wasn't installed properly, since it wouldn't open.  (Of course, the other computer it was supposed to be on wouldn't boot at all.)  So after having the student at the desk look at it... and the secretary... and the disability services coordinator... a call was put in to the tech department.  Meanwhile, I did the multiple choice and then drew the trees on my white board.  (I can write on a white board a good deal longer than on paper.  But it was interesting cramming all five trees on my little white board!)  Then the tech dweebs came and tried to figure out why the program wasn't working.  Interesting fellows.  Not exactly the brightest stars in their field.  Finally the program worked.  I think there's a glitch in the program, though, because when you try to export the trees as images, the files don't work right.  On my computer, I can just tell it to open with paint or some other image editing software and it does.  Not on the DSS computer, though.  (Thankfully I know how to use print screens, though, so I managed to solve that without issue.)  Click click typety click and I was all done.  It was rather interesting to see though: the student passing off the issue to the nearest person in authority.  The secretary looking at the computer in bafflement.  The DSS coordinator getting angry at the tech department for messing up.  The tech dweebs for being totally unprepared and uninformed.  (And for it taking two to log in, reinstall, and change a setting.  Really?)  And me, watching in amusement.

Thought #3-- Oh, yes, my doctor's appointment!  I almost forgot.  Short little appointment.  My doc says I have a pinched nerve in my neck.  So we're adding Aleve for a few days and hoping that the inflammation goes away and doesn't come back.  If it does, I'm to call and get sent to a spinal specialist for another injection (this time more accurate than what they can do in the ER).  But I can move my head today!  Yay!  Almost full range of motion and very little pain.  (The skin is hypersensitive, but that may be due to the injections.)  The doc says he thinks this is a one-time thing and that once it goes away I shouldn't have persistent trouble with it.

Thought #4-- After the doc appt, I went back to campus to talk with my professor and apologize for having to leave in the middle of her class.  We had a great chat: linguistics, books, families, fieldwork... it was fabulous.  I got some great book recommendations and always enjoy picking her brain.  Good times.

Well, I have other thoughts floating around, but they are more complicated to put into the two-dimensional bloggosphere, so they shall wait and be mused upon some more.

Busy day tomorrow: Meeting with the advisor of my honor society, another appointment, and then with my second graders.

Another Day, Another Diagnosis

This morning started early for me--like four a.m. early.  (And let me mention that I am not a morning person.  I am a night owl.  So four a.m. is not user friendly to me.)  At four I rolled over in bed and had pain shoot through my neck and down my shoulder.  And it hurt like madness.  And it wouldn't go away.  (And neck pain is one of those "don't mess with this" pains.)  So it was off to the ER with me.

Well, after paperwork and poking and prodding, the doctor determined that I have myofascial pain (basically a massive muscle spasm that creates a tender point and can act as a trigger point sending shooting pain).  His suggestion was to inject lidocaine into the muscle.  And let me tell you, the injections hurt even more.  But my neck was numb for several hours, and I'm able to move much more easily.  But now, many hours later, the lidocaine is wearing off and even the skin over the muscle is sensitive.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow (which will require me to miss half of one of my linguistics classes, which doesn't make me happy) and we'll see what happens from that.

World Teacher's Day

"5 October is a day to celebrate teachers and the central role they play in guiding children, youths & adults through the life-long learning process."  Teachers have played a huge role in my life, for the past twenty years.

Marilee Ragland, my 2nd grade teacher-- I remember doing more art in her class than math or reading, but I loved it.  We worked with clay... (I made a turtle)... we drew upside-down... made hats for Easter that had rabbit ears...

Ms. Welte, my 3rd grade teacher-- I started wanting to become a teacher because of Mrs. Welte.  I remember measuring out the size of whales on the basketball court.

Kasey Jonesrebandt, my junior high choir teacher-- I loved Mrs. J!  She gave me a lot of responsibility and helped me reach my potential as a leader in the classroom.

Margaret Higashida, my junior high computer science teacher-- She really let me be creative, which is something I really needed in junior high.

David Thuleen, my high school physics teacher-- His classes were so fun!  We got to drop things and throw things and build things, and everything involved stick figures.

Mr. Raymond, my senior English teacher-- I really learned how to write well in this class.   I owe him a lot.

Kelley Bell, my high school choir teacher-- I loved Mrs. Bell, too!  Again, I was really given responsibility and so many opportunities!

And many of my professors in college: 

Matthew Estes, history-- I learned to appreciate history, even if I still don't like it.

Jocelyn Ahlers, linguistics-- The professor who introduced me to my passion: linguistics!  This professor continues to inspire me and has really been there for me.

Jule Gomez de Garcia, linguistics-- Another ling professor, this one has gotten me into a fieldwork project and let me adopt it as my own.

So thank you to all of these teachers and all they have done for me!

Banned Books Week

Well, one of my favourite weeks of the year comes to an end today: Banned Books Week.  The week that spreads awareness about banned and challenged books, censorship, and the first amendment.

I, personally, am highly opposed to censorship.  To quote Voltaire, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."  While I personally may not like the message of some books, first of all, it's all data:  Not only is there a message in the text, but there's also information to be gained about myself and why I didn't like the book.  And secondly, who am I to say what another should be able to read or think?

So here is a list of banned or challenged books and authors that I have read.  Many books on this list are ones that I love greatly, and have really impacted who I am.  Others I did not like, but I did read them, and they still have become a part of who I am:

Lord of the Flies, William Golding

1984, George Orwell -- Anyone else see the irony of having this book on the list?  Oh, yes.  Let's ban books that talk about censorship and the destruction of the freedom of thought.

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien

Scary Stories (Series), Alvin Schwartz.

Bridge to Terabithia, Katherine Paterson -- One of my favourite books ever.  Beautiful touching story.

The Giver & other works, Lois Lowry -- Another favourite book.  Fantastically written.  A thought experiment about what happens if we give up our liberties.

Alice (Series), Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson

The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, & others,  Roald Dahl -- His works were some of my favourites when I was in elementary school, and I still love them.

A Wrinkle in Time & other works, Madeline L'Engle -- Fantastic book  By a fantastic author who is greatly missed.

Blubber & Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, as well as others, Judy Blume

The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison

Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes

Harry Potter (Series), J. K. Rowling -- Every time I read these I am impressed by the complexity of the plot and the genius of the work.

A Light in the Attic & other works, Shel Silverstein -- Fantastic & creative.  Yes, Shel Silverstein didn't like kids, but his books were clever and witty.

The Face on the Milk Carton, Caroline B. Cooney

The Dead Zone, Stephen King

The Adventures of Tome Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, & others, Mark Twain

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, Margaret Peterson Haddix

The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown

Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury -- Again, anyone see the irony here?  Ban a book that shows what could happen in a society where books are banned.

Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky, Peeky Spying, Barbara Park

The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West & others, I'm sure, Gregory Maguire

Twilight Series, Stephenie Meyer

Canterbury Tales, Chaucer

The Arabian Nights, Sir Richard Burton

The Bible

Many works by William Shakespeare

Grimm's Fairy Tales, The Grimm Brothers

The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank

Lysistrata, Aristophanes

How to Eat Fried Worms, Thomas Rockwell

The works of Lewis Carrol

Limited Time Only: Pay More, Get LESS!!!

Today is Friday, but it's not just any Friday... it's Admin Furlough Friday (henceforth called AFF)!  This means that all (or almost all) of the administration at Cal Furlough State San Marcos was not at work.  Nor are they allowed to answer their phones or emails.  The campus was dead.

Oh, except for a few dozen credential program students who showed up for a professional development seminar.  It is mandatory that we attend three such seminars this semester, and as the majority of them are scheduled right on top of classes we must also attend, this was one of the few my cohort could go to.

Guess how many of us showed up?  Two.  Yup.  Me and one other.

But it gets WAY better.

I arrived at 16:15 (for a seminar that was scheduled to start at 16:30).  There were maybe ten people total in the room at 16:30, but no presenters.   And the room is really warm because they don't run the air conditioner on AFF's.  So we wait... and wait... and wait... until one girl mentions that she got an email telling her the room had been changed.  Huh... funny... none of us got such an email.  So said student goes across campus to check in the other building.  Yup.  Sure enough, the meeting had been moved.  Now that we were all a half hour late, we trekked across campus (well, most of them trekked.  I drove.  Perk of "cripple parking" is parking close.  Oh, and calling it "cripple parking" totally tickled my classmate).

So we get to the other building and: It's locked.  Apparently they don't unlock doors on AFF.  We did eventually get into the building to find out that they also don't run the lights in some buildings on AFF.  So the seminar was held in the hallway.  Yippie.  (And it was dull as dirt, thanks for asking.  I love repeating things I've already learnt or consider common sense for the fifty-thousandth time.  However, I did get a few more rows knitted on both the Hufflepuff scarf  I'm knitting for my smallish sister and a few on my hedgerow mitts.  And my classmate was entertained by my sarcastic running commentary.)

I was rather miffed.

Well, anyway, I ought to get some homework done--I have one hour before meeting husband, smallish sister, and ballroom dancing friends for dinner.  Off to do linguistics!  Yay, linguistics!  Something happy after such a dumb seminar.

Oh, and happy National Sarcastic Awareness Month.  This is a good time to make you aware that I am sarcastic.  And most of the post above is sarcastic.  And I'm sorry if I'm rambling... blame my painkillers.