Decluttering my electronic life

Day 19 of 31

I got an email from the network administrator at work today politely asking us to do some email housekeeping.  While they haven't enforced any mailbox limits, the server space is starting to dwindle.  At the end of the email, he noted that a suggest limit is 50mb.  I checked my limit, I had over 900mb - egads, he could have called me out by name.

So once I got started, it became pretty easy to delete old emails.  Older than 2012, definitely delete.  Items from the year 2012, definitely delete those, too.  2013, mostly keep, but delete some of those, too.  In about 20 minutes, I got my mailbox down to 20mb, which felt great. 

A few weeks ago, a friend posted on facebook about unsubscribing to stores and their coupon emails.  What a great idea, I did that too.  Things at Kohl's are always on sale, so I don't need 3 or 4 extra emails a day. 

I take a million pictures and used to keep everything (mostly at my husbands instance) but lately, I've started deleting duplicates, blurry ones, etc.  For the most part, if I don't want to post it on my flickr page, I delete.   I still have half a million, but it's a little less overwhelming. 

I feel better now than I did 30 minutes ago, who knew the day could change that easily?

R U Pregnant?

I was looking in the mirror this morning noticing that I really need to lose some baby weight.  It will happen, but not magically, I need to get a plan and start working on it.  But this post is not about that, looking in the mirror reminded me of a story from last school year.

I conceived my daughter in July 2011 and I think started showing in August, no joke.  Everyone told me that with your second child you "pop" faster, maybe they were just making me feel better about myself.

So, by the first day of school, I think it was pretty obvious that I was pregnant.  However, it's a weird conversation to have with high school students, especially students that you've never met.  So, I didn't say anything. 

And for the next month and a half, I didn't say anything either.  At this point, by mid-October, I was wearing maternity clothing and had a pretty substainal baby bump.  But now it was a game, who would have the nerve to ask?

When we came back from Columbus Day break, I would have have my winner, but it wasn't how I expected it to happen.  I had a boy in my Trig. class who was a real goofball, but I got a kick out of him.  Well that day, he started throwing paper airplanes in class.  Really?  Are you really in 12th grade?  Isn't it 2011?  What's going on?  Finally, he walked up to the front of the room and tacked the paper airplane to my bulletin board and basically shouted at me "Will you look at it already?"  Inside was a note: "R U Pregnant?".  It was sweet and endearing and unexpected.  And a story I will always remember.

We didn't need the snow day, but I needed the day

Day 6 of 31

It's strange weather here today.  There is a big snowstorm but I think that my area is right on the line of snow and rain.  It was snowing pretty heavily this morning but now it's raining.  I think that the area where I teach is in the snow area.  Nevertheless, the whole region is off for the day and I'm fine with that.

We are in the midst of a bitter contract negotiation.  It's been about 250 days already.  We reached the point where a fact finder was brought in to try to reach a settlement.  And what did the school board do...they rejected the fact finders report.  By an 8 - 0 vote.  When I heard the news on Monday night, I was sick to my stomach.  To say that I didn't want to go to work on Tuesday is understatement of the year.  

I can't discuss the details but let's just say that with 9 years and a masters degree, I am making significantly LESS than a first year teacher in neighboring school districts.  I'm not in this for the money, but I do need money to pay the bills.

I teach high school math.  It's tough because it requires a lot of higher order thinking.  I don't always make it super fun or technology enhanced, I do a lot with graph paper and old fashioned pencils and erasers because I want them to work hard.  I am fully aware that students will not have to verify trigonometric identities as part of their every day life.  But I am teaching analytical and problem solving skills, just as writing teachers are enhancing creativity   I would love for one of the school board members to see what I do every day, perhaps they would think twice. For that matter, maybe they can prepare them for the Keystone exam, too.

So, I'm happy to have the day off.  I've already made pancakes, matzo ball soup, cleaned a cabinet and entertained my kids. And short of writing this blog, I'm trying not to think about work for the day.

Having some fun at work

Work has not been that much fun lately.  We have been working under the conditions of the existing contract since July 1, 2012 which is exactly 244 days.  We're also dealing with the increased pressure of meeting AYP and we've had reductions in staff due to attrition.  Personally, I work along with having two small children which means I'm tired and stretched thin.  Despite that, I swear I am not a complainer and I do try to look on the bright side of things. And regardless of some of the things that I can't control (like the contract and AYP) my coworkers and I still manage to have fun. We care about each other and we know the ins and the outs of each others lives.  Well yesterday, we laughed and we laughed hard.   Apparently, a coworker had her soup stolen from the lunchroom.  But instead of pouting or sending a nasty email, she sent this:

"I came to work this morning with the warm thought of having beautiful bisque for lunch. I entered the downstairs faculty lounge and glanced over to the cabinet where there were one box each of butternut squash soup, lentil and bean soup, and chicken corn chowder or maybe, Italian wedding soup, when to my shock and horror, I found the space where they should be bereft of any such soup. “How now will I heal my soul?” I thought. My worry and concern over my soul and my stomach soon subsided to be replaced by hot emotions beginning to boil over. “I will avenge the loss of my soup and chunks of soul,” thought I. So, to the rat who has ravaged my ragoût, whoever has consumed my consommé, s/he who has feasted on my fricassé, and to s/he who has chow’d on my chowder, let it be known that you will be reduced to stock and smoked out of hiding, for I will not simmer in silence, nor will I stew in submission and starvation.

I know times are tough for teachers everywhere, but this does not mean that we have descended into chaos and anarchy. Further, the faculty lounge is not a soup kitchen for teachers. Just as there is no such fairy that follows you around when you walk your dog, there is no soup fairy.

In closing, you soup snatching snoop, I will find you and when I do I will purge you of the stolen soup.

Viva La Soup!

Madame Defarge"

Yes, I know that I am copying someone else's writing for my first slice of life challenge, but I had to give the story context.  

• I love that she took this situation and turned it into something funny.

• I love that she showed her creative side as a writer.  

• I love that she put it out there.  If the soup thief read the email, I hope that they will make different decisions. 

But most of all, I love that she gave the entire faculty a really good laugh.  Sometimes, having fun at work has to happen organically (even if it's not organic soup) and I am so grateful to her for that. 

And...I made soup for dinner.