more economic calamity...

sitting in the waiting room at Camping world while repairs are made to the roof of my RV and while it is being given a safety inspection.  This is going to cost me about  grand or maybe more. Gotta stop coming to this place.  Last time I was here, a thorough cleaning cost me nearly $800.

Glad that the junior science camp is over and I vow to not do it again.  5 an 6 year olds are just too needy and helpless.

Thought I had the charter school issue settled in my mind, but I am not so sure now.  The lure of being able to pay off most or all of my debts in the next year is hard to ignore.

After what I endured the past year, a year with the corporate run charter school does not seem all that terrifying.

I still marvel that I actually survived it.

Going to have to decide soon.



Trump is pushing us towards civil war.

My detractors on the news and record site would howl with derusion over that.

It's not funny.  Not at all.

And I do not think any of it is coincidence.  Trump and his cohort want to drive us to rage and disorder.  That can be followed by a declaration of martial law, suspension of Posse Comatatus and Habeas Corpus.  Trump has already made mention of being president for more than two terms and of wanting the same adulation given to the dictator of North Korea.  Could things be more obvious?

Better get back to writing And Reap the Whirlwind before it comes to sinister life.  Did some editing and writing of My Country Tis of thee as well.  That one's relevance grows with each passing day as well.

I continue to heal....

took the initial wrappings off last night and replaced them with new ones, a day early.  I was just ready to do that.

Never again. Junior science for 5-6 year olds was a blunder.  Will just leave it at that.

I am having strong reservations about the charter school.  They do not allow pets.  Their school slogan mentions being "data driven."  Talked to the principal again, two days ago and remain convinced that he does not have both oars in the water.

The longer I am in NC, the more I come to realize that this is home for me, the place where I belong. I've spent most of the last two weeks in Rockingham County and continually meet up with people that I know, for one reason or another, some of whom I had in class.

Why can nothing be simple and straight forward for me? Not ever.

Maybe it's just time to settle down and return myself to full time retirement, again.

As I said once, I just don't want my career to end on a calamitous note but perhaps what happened was a sign, an omen, if you will....

Like I say, nothing ever seems simple for me.  It isn't this time either.

Just met up with a former student, again, in the Bojangles in Reidsville.  Just another sign that I need to be here and note elsewhere.

Life can be so crazy.

A church group just came in and, yes, I recognize several of them.  the student I spoke to helped arrange tables for them to sit.  That sort of thing is what we do here.  It's just our way.

I think I've made my decision.

I'm healing up...slowly...

took the initial wrappings off last night and replaced them with new ones, a day early.  I was just ready to do that.

Never again. Junior science for 5-6 year olds was a blunder.  Will just leave it at that.

I am having strong reservations about the charter school.  They do not allow pets.  Their school slogan mentions being "data driven."  Talked to the principal again, two days ago and remain convinced that he does not have both oars in the water.

The longer I am in NC, the more I come to realize that this is home for me, the place where I belong. I've spent most of the last two weeks in Rockingham County and continually meet up with people that I know, for one reason or another, some of whom I had in class.

Why can nothing be simple and straight forward for me? Not ever.

Maybe it's just time to settle down and return myself to full time retirement, again.

As I said once, I just don't want my career to end on a calamitous note but perhaps what happened was a sign, an omen, if you will....

Like I say, nothing ever seems simple for me.  It isn't this time either.

Just met up with a former student, again, in the Bojangles in Reidsville.  Just another sign that I need to be here and note elsewhere.

Life can be so crazy.

A church group just came in and, yes, I recognize several of them.  the student I spoke to helped arrange tables for them to sit.  That sort of thing is what we do here.  It's just our way.

I think I've made my decision.

It's been a turbulent week

GELS went well and concluded well.

Then Sunday morning, the 24th, in trhe predawn darkness, I tripped over some of the clutter in my kitchen and fell atop a small aquarium, breaking th aquarium and gouging my lower left leg.   Derep gouge.  Serious blood loss. Drove myself to Moses Cone (many were amazed that I was able to do that) and wound up having to have surgery.  A Facebook friend drove me home and then another one took me the next day to retrieve my car.  No way could I drive home after surgery.  Didn't even want to try.  Anestesia and I are not friends.

The people at RCC thought I should cancel my class for the week but I said no.  Getting around hasn't been easy but I have managed.

The little ones were difficult yesterday.  5 and 6 year olds.  And it was my idea too...

I am somewhat dubious....

Two of the little ones wanted to go home right away.  With one little girl, I had to distract her while her mother slipped out the back door. Another boy kept asking when they were going to go home.

Almost hope he doesn't come today.

Another boy would not even interact with anyone for a few hours after he arrived. he finally warmed up.


I wonder what today brings.  I will know in a few hours.

Gotta admit I miss my girls.

Meantime, I have posed some questions to my contact at Renaissance Charter school. No classroom pets allowed.  Lesson plans due two weeks in advance. Hmmm.....

I am still inclined to give it a try.  Main driving force remains financial.  By June of next year, virtually all my standing debts should be gone.  Neither do I want my career to end with calamity as it did in Clermont.  My military career came to an end like that and it still does not set well with me.

This I pledge.  First sign of Lord of Flies or administrative ineptitude, and I am North Carolina bound as soon as I can do it, turbulent ending or not.

Okay, so where am I?

GELs had gone well until today, when one girl stole another girl's rocket.  Three of her classmates turned her in. The stolen rocket has been returned to its rightful owner.

The girl on the left is the accused thief. Durn! Thought I left this sort of thing in Florida. Apparently not.

We launch the rockets tomorrow....in the 100 degree heat. Pondering whether our thief should participate.

I did not see her steal the rocket.  Her classmates did. Tomorrow is our last day. Perhaps we should just go on with things as they are I had pondered not allowing the thief to take part. I defiantly do not want her in any more of my classes.

This Lauren, the one I told, today, who might be the first female president.  She's brilliant.

A cute lil stinkbug. She's our youngest.

Slime again today.

Cheeto man signed another one of his obnoxious executive orders, this one putting a stop to the snatching of children from their parents at the border. This after he nearly had the country in open revolt over the practice, including even his fellow repubs.  So there is some decency left in them.  Amazing.

I wonder what the morrow brings....

Still chilling out...

Just don't feel any need to rush things.

cute little girl.....

We begin GELS (girls experiencing and learning the sciences) in a few days. Nine signed up so far. One is an alumni from last year. Her name is the only one I recognize from last year's crew, but I never have been good with remembering names.

that's her, on the right.

One of the good sides to taking time for myself is that I gain some perspective on how my life is going.  The not so good side is that I find myself pondering some of the things that are NOT so good. Never handled adversity so well.

A lot of the CCR crowd clamored for me and Mike to patch things up,  to settle our differences. If only they knew and understood some things that I do. They don't. So many think Mike is god. I know that he is the devil.  How can I ever "settle" a difference like that?

For most of my life, I've allowed people to control and manipulate me....Mary, Ma Barker (my former across the street neighbor), my very own Mother. Mike has been yet another one. The difference is that I now see him for who and what he actually is; few others in the CCR family do. Mike has controlled and manipulated most of us for decades. Small wonder he supports Trump; he is JUST like  him, very authoritarian, demand of personal worship, a pathological need to be the focus of attention. One who "adjusts" the truth to suit his need for dominance.  I saw it way back in 1975 after he returned from a year's absence and needed to reassert himself as the alpha male at camp chimney rock. The list could go on.

I don't plan to share any of it with the public. Doesn't mean that in a moment of passion I won't.

I know how I am.

Thus I need to avoid meeting up with Mike in a public setting.  That includes reunions. It's the reason I abdicated my role as reunion planner this year. Mike is pushing the notion that I dropped the proverbial ball and has conveniently avoided mention that it was he who made an issue about my being in charge of the reunion because I would no do his bidding and get back in contact. I did not want our conflict to ruin th reunion.

Another glaring example of the control and domination game.

He's an expert.

He will not control me ever again. not ever.

still decompressing

hardly left the house the last  few days.  part of the reason stems from my close encounter with the battery acid a few days back. they're pretty sure the eyes have suffered no permanent harm but I'm taking no chances.  The vision is still blurred a bit, at times (that could be the diabetes too) and occasionally the eyes get itchy and sting a bit.  Taking oral meds and have some salve to apply directly to the eyes and regions around the eyes. applied a liberal dose then bandaged the eyes, as I often do, stumbling about the house and front yard, sightless for most of the last couple of days. even found my way out to my to my new mailbox early yesterday morning, to determine if there was anything in it yet. there wasn't.

okay, I know I heard someone out here, some place....

Got an interesting phone call from Mr. Taylor of Renaissance Charter.  He called me by a different name, thinking I was someone I was not. I alerted him to the fact, but he continued on,  talking about some issue with uniform sales....I intervened again, lettting him know who I actually was.

It isn't the first time I have had such a conversation with Mr. Taylor.  A few weeks back, he called me, asking if I were interested in any of several vacancies the school had, forgetting, somehow, that he had already hired me to teach grade 8.

I've begun to wonder if the man has both oars in the water.....

another charter USA school in Kissimmee called today as well. so  did eustis middle school.

Lemme see now.,

Got me a repaired back door, a new mailbox (and can therefore close up my post office box) and have repaired with faucets in my bathroom. Yeah...been expensive, but one of the reasons I chose to work in Florida this  past year was so that I could afford to do all this.

Still a lot more to do, but that will depend on my level of income this summer.

Unless I am way off, Lake County schools still owes me another 5 checks.  I chose the 12 month pay option.

After that, things will depend on whether I do, indeed choose to return to 'florida and work in the charter schoiol.

Kathy and I spent well over an hour on the phone two days back, while the opluber was making his repairs.  We are both still decompressing from what was, for us both, the worst school year ever.

Do I want to chance another year like that?

Right now, that is a REAL question......

129/58

My blood pressure as measured at Greensboro Orthopedic today, down 35 points from a  month ago.

Geez....I wonder why.....

I felt funny, our there in public with my eyes all bandaged up. Looked funny too. Those shorts are WAY too short!!!

Will remedicate again tonight and probably bandage the eyes for one more day.  Different meds for a different condition, sulfuric acid in the eyes.  It scares me to think about how bad things could have been. Sulfuric acid is a 2 on the ph scale, a pretty strong acid.

And yeah, the short shorts have go to go.

It feels better each day to be back in the Carolinas.  The BP reading is yet another reason I may not go back to Florida. the voices of doubt grow louder.....

Got a new water heater.  That was the issue.  Had to running water at all last night and spent the night at the Relax Inn, after making sure what little H2O I had wave provided to the birds....
Not a particularly reassuring part of town but there were no issues. Had me wondering if I shouldn't look into a concealed carry permit.  Sybil has one now. Sad state of affairs.

My Canadian friend was right.  Years ago he said that America is in a battle for its soul. We are. And we must win. Compromise won't get it.  Our democracy is at stake.  Take the bastards down!

I just be chilling...

Fixed my back door, got a new mailbox....

Also got a me a face full of battery acid, day before yesterday, when myself and a technician were working on the RV, in process of pulling the battery out of its place. Still don't know why or what happened but there came what sounded liked a pop and the foul smelling fluid was all over my face. Seemed surreal. Fortunately, , the tech had a spray bottle, which he proceeded to spray into my face to dilute the acid.  several hours at Moses cone and I've spent two days with my eyes bandaged. the handy men came this morning and I saw (literally saw) no reason to keep them from putting in the mailbox.

I was lucky.  Just got the bandages off a few hours ago.  No scars that I see now.  Vision is a little blurry, but getting better.  When it rains....

Water stopped coming at the house.  The plumber comes timoirroiw morning.  So does an electrician. The house needs some serious work. I mean to get some of it done.

It's officially over now...

turned in the car hauler today and have the RV parked at the end of the driveway...

I did it.  I survived.

an omen, I hope....

For the past couple of days, I have been languishing at home, just enjoying the relative calm and tranquility.

Wow.  What a year.  It leaves me seriously wondering if I even want to go back to Florida at all...and if I had to decide, right this moment, the answer would be no.

Mike and I got into it on the CCR chat site.  I had suggested that those who could make it for a gathering should do it, on the originally set date, in Hickory Nut Gorge. I got accosted, asked if that was true of all "my friends" (he isn't anymore) and made another demand that he and I needed to "talk."

I want nothing to do with Mike. nothing.

The others were all clamoring for us to settle things. I have...for me.

More terse words≥ Mike told me that I needed to "grow up" and I proceeded to inform him that I was through being manipulate and controlled.

Said I would discuss things no more and withdrew from the group. Didn't know that would make it hard to return to the chartroom too see if anyone said anything else.  Thought I had been blocked or banned and asked, on FB, if that were so.  Was told I had not been.  Then this morning, mike sent me a link to get back into the chatroom. "no strings," he said.

The arrogant narcissist just doesn't get it.  The others don't get it either, don't understand how they have been played and manipulated for decades.

Not gonna press the issue. Not going back to the chartroom either.

Sent a reply to Mike's message with the link in it:"no thanks."

I've had me enough.