A Frustrating Frustration

*Names have been changed for posterity's sake*

Frustration is not only frustrating for the frustrated, but also for the free-standing friend, Long division, although it can provide a fair amount of frustration, is not a conspiracy formulated for the sole purpose of instigating frustration. I bet *Caty* would disagree...

Yet, I seem to have a hard time comprehending the frustrations of long-division, since I am no longer in the 3rd grade. I, too, remember questioning the random remainders, the supposedly logical methods for dividing by some random numbers, but that was 10+ years ago (okay, 20!!).

As the free-standing, faithful friend, I find that factors of division in themselves are invaluable to daily life. Only if I stop to focus on it, that is. They are engrained, invisible, understood, even part of the daily mechanics in basal functioning. But for some, especially those in the 3rd grade, I sympathize. I have a hard time seeing the simplicity of a misunderstanding in the mathematical world. Don't call me callous, nor ignorant, simply simple-minded in approaching the frustrating factors of mathematics.

In essence, if you are frustrated at my attempt to help, I will most likely become frustrated as well. The world does not have to come crashing down for me, just because it does so for you. We simply need to take one math step at a time. Together.

Snow Bunnies

Nicole was snow shoeing.

Dave was snow shoeing...

And I was, too.

Today we headed up to Thompson Park to do a little snow shoeing. Dave nd I got new 'shoes' a few weeks ago, but never had the chance to break 'em in properly. It was a little cold (and Nicole never ceased to remind us!) and we really did't go that far, but we sure got a work out.... And a lot of that workout was fixing Nicole's shoes, setting her upright again, and attempting to sprint through the slush and ice!

Can you guess where I am from my clues???

Location #1. Pictoral Clue

Location #2. Fact. I received 56 phone calls (pages) from Nicole within 45 minutes just to tell me that she loves me. Or about the book that she's reading. Or about something that Tink did. Or that her cough is not getting better... Or or or...

The answers:

#1. Target parking lot.
#2. At home, on the couch. Nicole was home sick.

morning musings

1. A drunken man. A few weeks ago we headed up to Canada. My awesome BIL came to NY so, why not head to another country? We shopped in the little stores (I was desperate to find an extra hat and scarf! Nicole needed some more goodies, too!) A lot of Canada isjust like the US. Well, for the most part. The differences are small and unique! The crosswalk is one of them! Not neessarily the crosswalk, but the crosswalk sign. See here. Bobb-o and I called him the drunken man. And he mimicked him quite well, too. The man does not look like he is walking, but rather, stepping in a grandiose-clownish manor, easier described as a bit tipsy. Which one???













2. Dave's best friend is here visiting, his name is Dave, too. Pretty cool, since one of my best friends (kindred spirits) is name Tiffany.... (What's more fun than two Tiffany's???) So it's like having TWO of my husbands around! Same personality, same sense of humor, and they BOTH get my jokes...

3. Tink's new favorite person is the mailman! Not only does he bring us large packages (and bills) and boxes, but he ALWAYS brings Tink a treat! He rings the doorbell to announce that the packages have arriced, and Tink wags her tail (so wildly that her whole body wags), barks at the top of her lungs, and leaps to the door!


4. Not only did I get a new desk at work (which is GREAT since the other one was wobbling and falling apart), but I got a new chair! I have officially upgraded from a 1970's dining room chair with no support or comfort to a brand spankin' new office comfort chair with wheels and arm rests! I feel pretty darn important in my classroom! Well, this is just a picture of the box, but this is my new joy!

5. We had a lot of snow lately. A lot of cold, too. But very icy snow, nothing that will pack into a snow man very well. We have made a pile with some rocks for eyes and a licorice for his mouth and a scarf and hat and named him Bill, but he will never stand. Nicole and I made these the other day instead.

6. This is a picture of Tink playing her new game. Keep away from me. She brings the toy to the closed door and removes it once it sounds like we are trying to remove it. Definitely goofy. Reverse keep away! She will always be entertaining!

7. Nicole has been taking swimming lessons for a little over a month. Se is at least brave enough to jump into the water (granted two peopl are ready to catch her), but we're not quite ready to have her put her face in the water yet! The water at the Y is like 90 degrees!!!! So f course it's foggy in that room! My camera fogs up as if I were under water!

8. AND that's about it! It's finally Saturday, I got to sleep in, watch movies, so I'm happy. I hate being rushed, but that's the life of a person with two jobs!!!

Sudoku Revelations

Most of the time, I look like I'm staring into space... ACtually, my mind is running numbers, placing them everywhere! From what I can gather, Sudoku is the most logical pattern. So when I finally sit down and play Sudoku on paper, I've got tons of other thoughts going through my head! Here are some revelations of recent:

1. I only have 7 pounds left to reach my goal!

2. my tea only gets colder when I put it in a larger mug (but I get to drink more!)

3. the doc is lookin' finer and finer every day!

4. I now have 2 jobs. If the hours are counted together, I would just have a split shift. And now I have less time to do the things I didn't have enough time for before!!! But I get to be with Nicolee more! And I am going to be the head creative instructor of the SACC program (self-named title, of course)

5. I have a horrible headache. Mostly because I went to bed so early last night and slept in so late this morning. "My headache is this big." By the standards of the old Excedrin commercials (of the late 80's!) I am the poster patient for this miracle drug. But I don't even want to move my head to go find it!

6. I'm starting to remember a bunch of old home remedies for things that Nicole is experiencing. We're trying the hot water with lemon and honey instead of cough syrup.... And she LOVES it! It's probably a lot better for her, anyway. And she thinks she's ALMOST as cool as me, drinking tea...

7. T is for Tiffany and Tea is for Tiffany. I want to open a Tea Shoppe one day. A little corner shoppe, like a coffee shoppe with overstuffed chairs and couches and beatnick musicians and poets on stage. I would like to be a performer, too!

8. Nicole has been playing Sudoku recently... She has a little different strategy than mine... She puts what number she would LIKE to go in that square. So about a quarter of all of my sudoku pages have been randomly filled in with numbers... Between 0 and 963! I'm likin' it!

9. Since I am dying/dieting, I, of course, only want the foods that I am not allowed to have. I would KILL for some mint 'n chip ice cream or nachos that are dripping with processed cheese or life cereal. Oh, I just want life cereal for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! But writing is so therapeutic for me (which is funny since sometimes writing is hardest for me to do!), so I have created a document, listing all of the things that I want. But once I got 'em down on paper (or pixels), the desire has gone away (all except for the Life cereal... Mikey lkes it, I do, too!).

10. I HATE that anything regarding your weight is so personal and judgemental, whether intentional or not! Nicole and I were watching an episode of the Pink Panther (long live old school cartoons!) and he stepped on one of those scales that 'predicted' things and outlined your peronality, but since the machine did not know or see HIM, it called him '42 pounds' What a horrible identity! "I got news for ya, 42 pounds," it said. I am very glad that when people begine a conversation with me, they have enough respect NOT to say, "Hey *165* pounds" or "I got news for ya, *165* pounds!" There's more to me than just a number. And whether I'm embarassed by it or not, whether it is consuming my lifestyle or not, I am thankful we, as humans, function on a first name basis (Except for my friend Douglas and Gatrell.... We all go by last names. I am still called my by maiden name, only by them! It'll never change!).

11. And as my typing bores the intellectual type, I a becoming more and more entertained by the click-clacking of the keys. I've begn forming short stories while playing sudoku and elaborating later. It's definitely interesting, as most of my creativity is quickly forgotten as I wait to find the pen and paper or even open the Word document_ I need a mental tape recorder. Something to remember those creative sparks. So for now, I've got nothin'. Just a few VERY short stories to remind myself of the creativity I thought I had, but forgot about.

Tink

Nicole is now self-entertaining.

The doc, too.

And I can hold my own.

That just leaves Tink. What does she do all day while we're gone? Sleep? Bark at the mailman? Play her usual games?

She plays this game with me while I am in another room ith the door closed. She sticks her paws under the door til I let my fingers crawl toward her and she moves her hand. So I stick a pen under the door and she tries to 'grab' it (p.s. she uses her paws like hands!).

But she has a NEW game! Now when I close the door, she takes one of her toys in her mouth, carries it to the door and drops it. She takes it between her paws/hands and pushes it under the door just a little bit. When I move my hands to grab the toy, she removesi t! Kinda like reverse keepaway!

Tee hee!!!

Iced Tea

We currently have about 4 inches of snow on the ground and we expect a LOT more tonight! The weather team expects 6-10 inches of snow overnight! I could place a wager on no school tomorrow, but everyone would bet with me!

I did brave the roads, though, as I craved the newest cuisine in town! Less than a mile away they opened an authentic Mexican taco shop! I went in to order the much-longed-for carne asada and I came out with those awesome marinated carrots, authentic hot sauce, both red and green, and a chicken tostada that was to die for! Don't worry, Nicolee got a chicken quesadilla! Mmmm, but I have been craving some horchata and pollo asada! I am so glad they're in the neighborhood!

Anyway, as I was sitting at a table, the manager told me to help myself to a complimentary cup of coffee... Or tea... Or hot chocolate! This guy had it all! I filled my dixie cup with hot water and added a tea bag.... I love the smell of steeping tea! I sipped on it until my order was ready. I thanked the man and headed out the door. It was snowing pretty heavily (as I said before we should expect 10 MORE inches by morning!).... And my cup was dusted with snow! Not too much, though. I took a sip as I was driving off and it was COLD! Ah.... The other day I WAS wishing for hot weather and iced tea! I guess a snowstorm and iced tea will just have to do!

So the doc and I get to watch the Bourne Ultimatum (he's seen it already, but I haven't so please don't give up the story for me!)... The Bourne series has got to be one of my favorites! So cool! So action packed! Matt Damon lacks a little in the acting department sometimes, but I think the story line makes up for it!!!

Anyway, next week I will post my Christmas card letter for you.... You'll like it, it's funny. I mean, come on! You know me!!!