Search This Blog

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Thankfuls Nov. 6-10

So, on the day of the big election, I was stricken with a gnarly virus, which kicked my butt. So, I rather dropped the intention of daily blogging. And daily thankfuls.

I can't make up the missed days of blogging (well, maybe I can if I really try, and if I do manage to catch up with the other aspects of my life I've had to ignore for the past week, I might try), but I did make an effort tonight to catch up with the thankfuls:

6th+7th+8th+9th+10th=40 Thankfuls
1.  I’m thankful for the obvious: that the better candidate won the presidential election.
2.  I’m thankful that now, maybe, as a lame duck, he’ll be able to instigate some serious change.
3.  I’m thankful for all the voters who were brave enough to stand up against the dominant, white paradigm and vote for Obama.
4.  I’m thankful that the face of the American voter is changing.
5.  I’m thankful that all of the hard working campaign volunteers, my sons included, brought Ohio for Obama.  
6.  I’m thankful for young people who made the hoodie vote work, who cared more for the future than for the now, who showed care and compassion through their vote.
7.  I’m thankful for all the women, latinos, African Americans and others--many of whom belong to the busiest of the busy and the most socially oppressed groups in society--the ones especially who were forced to stand in long lines, take time off work (frequently without pay), and who are charged with the care of young children (theirs and those of others), got out and voted.
8.  I’m thankful for a job. Even though it isn’t ideal at times, I do enjoy much of what I do. I wish working conditions where I am employed were better. I wish I were in a respected position. I wish I didn’t feel like my bargaining unit were about to throw me under the bus. But for now, I enjoy what I do.
9.  I’m thankful for google aps.  Google docs makes my job a lot easier. Students can’t lose work if they work in Google docs. I like that the aps are free and available for all. I appreciate the ability to network and share so easily. I like that I no longer have to encourage people to give money to Micro$oft. I appreciate that I no longer have to give money to Micro$oft.
10.  I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with Service Learning Program at BGSU. Although my course design had to change rather drastically from what I had originally planned--due to circumstances beyond my control--it has still worked out. My students are a bit fuzzy on the theme, still, yet that has more to do with their ability to pay attention (it’s not like it hasn’t been mentioned in the syllabus, assignment sheets, in class--LOL), but they do seem to be achieving most of my Service Learning Outcomes.
11.  I’m thankful for social networking. I’m not an idiot. I understand there are dangers in social networking, yet there are many more advantages. I’ve “met” people online--as far back as the early to mid 1990s--who have become some of my closest friends. I’ve been fortunate that networks, such as facebook, have helped me come to know many local people better. All in all, social networking has been a boon.
12.  I’m thankful that The Eldest has had the opportunity to study abroad this year. Although he’s not claiming it to be the “life altering experience” everyone promised it could be, he also had the opportunity to go on Geojourney prior to going abroad for a year, which he does claim to be a life altering experience.
13.  I’m thankful that The Eldest is brave enough to plan to spend his winter break in Egypt this year. In my experience researching the safety of sending a young American man to Egypt at this time, I’ve discovered most people of USAmerican descent are pretty timid regarding travel and risk. Most people his age won’t do something that is not organized and controlled. He’s heading to Egypt to visit a friend of mine--a friendship solidified mostly via facebook (see #11) even though she is a local and teaches at the same institution I do--without any firm plans except that he has a place to stay and she will help arrange some unique experiences for him. Social networking for the win. Now, if he can just get that ticket booked--his transaction is not going through for some reason. If he can't get to Egypt, we'll have to fire up the social networking connection and figure out something else.
14. I’m thankful that at least one of my children got to take advantage of Geojourney before it was killed. I’m hopeful that it will be revived so that the other children have the same opportunity. There are not many programs in the nation as strong as Geojourney, regardless of institution. It aligns very well with how my older two were educated when they were young. And, regardless of how important and advantageous study abroad is, I believe it is even more important for people to understand the country of their nationality, which is what Geojourney allows for.
15.  I’m thankful that The Middle has been able to shape his high school education to his best advantage because of the wonderful flexibility of BGHS and its principal who gets that traditional schooling is not appropriate for all students.  
16.  I’m thankful for a principal who has tried to protect my son’s dignity when things have gotten hairy at school with power trips and personality conflicts.
17.  I’m thankful that The Middle has some pretty awesome friends.  They are always welcome in our home. And the ONE over the years that I have had to ban has been banned from other homes as well, so I’m feeling pretty good that I didn’t make a bad call there.
18.  I’m thankful that my 17 yr old was willing to give up (without a word, mind you) his Friday evening to attend and assist with the service learning acCrim school that my students worked on.
19.  I’m thankful that my 12 yr old attended and participated in the service opportunity at Crim school as well. He really had no choice, but the fact that he was there against his will was not apparent to anyone.
20.  I’m thankful that one of the kids who spent many hours and nights here while in high school was more than happy to come out and help at the Crim Fall Festival as well. He’s grown up to become a pretty cool young man.
21.  I’m thankful for couches comfortable enough to spend days on when one is ill, which is what I have been doing for 24 hours now.  A big (ugly) comfy couch is the best place to ensconce oneself when one has been instructed to take to one’s bed for a weekend.  Yes, a bed might appear more comfortable, but not in our house.  The bedroom is small. On the couch, I have room for tissues, chewable vitamin C, bottles of water, mugs of tea,  snacks, magazines, plus extra pillows. There are ample outlets to charge laptop(s) and phones. The plural of laptop is important since HULU and other sources of media can be viewed on one whilst the other is used for other activities, when necessary.  Plus, I can more easily keep track of the comings and goings of the spawn and their affiliates.
22. I’m thankful that I didn’t cancel cable prior to being stricken with this virus. Because of that, while I’m ill on the couch, I at least have access to On Demand Channels (sadly, no more dvr), and the HD tv.
23. I’m thankful for our new router. I’m certain that at one point we will figure out how to make it talk to the Wii and the Xbox so that we can access Netflix again through it.  
24.  I’m thankful for increased wifi security options, even though we are obviously a family not quite astute enough to manage them astutely (see #23).
25.  I know I’ve previously said I was thankful for fleece, and I’m not supposed to repeat, but this is a more focused thankful: I’m thankful for fleece cuddl duds while feverish. I was unable to get warm last night until I located the fleece cuddl duds. They rock.
26.  I’m thankful for New York Marathons, of the Law and Order variety.
27. I’m thankful for tv shows such as NCIS, Criminal Minds, Rizzoli and Isles, and Major Crimes.
28. I’m thankful that many American voters were able to see around the spiritual affiliations of some of the newest members of Senate and House of Representatives.
29. I’m thankful that four states passed marriage equality initiatives (Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington) and I can’t wait until marriage equality is no longer an issue, anywhere.
30. I’m glad we have elected more openly gay men and women to Senate and House or Representatives than ever before. I hope some day, this is no longer something worth mentioning. I hope that in doing so, some of my friends, such as one who is a school teacher, will no longer have to live in fear of losing her job should people find out she is gay.
31. I’m thankful that Valentis Athletica Soccer Club was so readily willing to loan me equipment for the Crim Fall Festival last night. I asked to borrow some “portable” goals and they were willing to drop off full size portable goals. I meant the little Pugg goals that fold up and zip into a bag:)
32.  I’m thankful for chewable vitamin C.
33.  I’m very, very thankful that sports and medical personnel are taking traumatic brain injury in athletes (and all children) more seriously than before. Now we need to educate parents. When Tynan was out with his concussion, his coach was strict about following the CDC recommendations (and was the first to notice any problem, even before The Feral Third left the field), as was our family doctor. However, many other parents were less supportive, even to the point of ridiculing our keeping him sidelined for nearly a month and bragging about how soon they sent their own kids back to play after concussions, against doctors’ wishes sometimes, and encouraging their own children to lie about headaches and other symptoms.  
34.  I’m thankful for the new Urgent Care on the south side of town that is open during the daytime. Until I find a more accessible family doctor, I think I’m going to make that place my go-to.
35.  I’m thankful for Mucinex.
36.  I’m thankful for asthma inhalers.
37.  I’m thankful for Pisanello’s pineapple, green olive, and red onion pizza when nothing sounds good and I can’t taste anything anyway. I can at least eek out a little bit of taste from green olives and pineapple.
38.  I’m thankful for a husband who was more than willing to go out and get me movies to watch when he couldn’t figure out how to get Netflix to talk to the new super secure router.
39. I’m thankful for a teenage son who will spend his Saturday night watching movies with his sick mom.
40. Mostly, tonight, I’m thankful for the apparent health of my own children. Today, a young woman here in town died from a viral infection in to her brain (I believe). I can not imagine the anguish her family is experiencing. I am thankful that my own little illness is benign and that my children are healthy.

No comments: