Deal with it already!

Well...I waited to weigh in on one the most highly discussed, debated and facebook posted topics. What might that be....gun control, the deficit, the debt ceiling?no....none of those! No....the hot topic seems to be school delays & cancellations. The questions range from why are they delaying (it isn't that snowy/cold!) to why waste time with delays...just close already! to I never had snow days to what do they expect us to do....we have work/appts/plans.

All this made me think about delays & closings with my kids....for the past 34 years! Yes, you read that correctly....34 years! Michael started kindergarten in 1979 and I have been on the delay/closed merry go round ever since. And back then (yes....time to sound like a geezer) we had to WAIT BY THE RADIO for the once every 15 minutes or so (emphasis OR SO) announcements.....this necessitated awaking EXTRA early to get ready BEFORE the radio announcements commenced. No ALERT NOW, no school web site, no tv trailer running briskly in neat alphabetical order....nope, waiting and hoping that you didn't miss the once every so often list tucked in between such classics as Moon River or Rhinestone Cowboy.

So what did we do? We made back-up plans (who am I kidding....we made back-up plans for the back-up plans!) We knew that living in lovely southern Ohio meant some winters we would have weather from Antarctica and others we would wonder if we had been transported mysteriously to the tropics. We knew that work would go on and we had to be responsible for our families. And that even meant getting kids to two different buildings miles apart (the oh so scenic snowy drive from Co Rd 19 to Shade and then to Albany and then to work).

I know that I will have offended some....but I also know that many of you will agree...but winter only lasts a short time and we all have to deal with it.Be grateful for ALERT NOW & the internet....and understand that if you disagree with school decisions you could always run for the school board and help set the policy....if you are that brave!

Hey....Middle School called...they want their drama back!

Grown ups....adults....mature people. You know the ones who SHOULD behave responsibly, use good manners and "own" their behavior. Why then do so many act like (please excuse me all middle schoolers) pre-teen drama queens? In texts, emails, tweets and all social media.....attack, complain, gripe and yes even b!tch about anything and everything UNTIL someone calls them out.....then, Oh My....the protests begin!

You know exactly what I mean...."I was ONLY giving my opinion" or "I am ENTITLED to my point of view" or (my personal favorite) " yes but did you hear what the so and so said/did?" (this one from a few who hold forth on every political topic and when questioned immediately pick apart the behavior of the "other" side...funny but I was always told two wrongs don't make a right but.....).

Even better....those who tweet & post, stir the pot and get the crowd irritated and then delete the comments. This of course serves to make those who do OWN their comments look like the nasty crazies! Wait....I hear a phone ringing! Yep, middle school IS calling....

I guess it was just one of those days...

So it started like any other Monday.  First day back to school and the regular daily stuff. Things were on track....no, better than on track, they were going amazingly well (perhaps the eternal optimist in me should take a page from the glass half empty crowd and realize that trouble could be lurking nearby!

Morning chores done, laundry folded AND put away...heck, I had even cleaned out my purse and had my errands all planned. So with this great start I am off for a meeting. A meeting that on its face should go smoothly but.....

Yep, you guessed it, the day so filled with promise soon turned into snarky comments, interrupted conversations and one person walking out to "calm down". Tears were seen, blame accepted (by the innocent ones after the end of the meeting of course!) but the rest all calmed down enough to go out for lunch (??!!)

So here I sit several days later still trying to figure out exactly what the heck happened....why did seemingly normal people behave this way?  After careful consideration I still have no answer except I guess it was just one of those days.....

My time...my plan

New Year-time for change!
Call them resolutions, call them goals...we have all tried them at one time or another. 
For me, well, I go the simple route.....pick 3 or 4 small goals that can be achieved and make a small but meaningful impact. Sounds good so far right? So one of my goals is to better plan my time.....found a helpful book (Attack Your Day...not as hard core as the title might imply!) and have consistently taken the recommended time to plan  and prioritize my daily tasks. So far....so good. That is until the evil force appeared (cue ominous background music...da da da!) Overly dramatic you say? What evil force could possibly derail such good planning? One word.....email! Need I say more? No matter how well planned the day, no matter the resolve....the evil force is always lurking, stalking, plotting to take over the day! iPhone chiming, icons flashing...there is NO escape from the evil one! Demanding our attention, insistent for action....lurking, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to take over and wreak havoc with my day! No more! Enough! My time, my plan, NO MORE UNPLANNED INTERUPTIONS....what? A new pin? A new board........