The Daily Prophet Special Edition: Extended Hogwarts Express Good News/Bad News

I just noticed that the previous thread was like 13 months old. Seemed time for a new one!

Yay, new thread!

Woo!

#1 - bib, to answer your post from the previous thread, Rex has seen the Muppet's version, and loved it!

B/Update N: As I shared back in the winter, my sister was hit by a car in mid-January. Through most of April, it had seemed like she'd really turned a corner on recovery, but last week she had setbacks. She was diagnosed with a separated shoulder, and has an appointment later this week to learn if she'll need surgery or just PT. She also had a panic attack at school (she teaches 5th grade) last Thursday, and because of that and other issues that show that she's not recovering well from her concussion, she's been referred for cognitive therapy. While hopefully that might help her, it conversely will potentially weaken her legal case should there be a trial. And since the insurance company of the woman who hit her is refusing to assign fault to the woman, and in turn may start refusing to pay insurance coverage for my sister, it is increasingly likely that there will be a trial. If there is a trial, it likely won't be for another 2-3 years, so my sister is stuck with the option of delaying treatment so as not to jeopardize her case, or seeking treatment so she can move on with her life knowing that doing so will weaken her case and she could be on the hook for medical bills down the road. She's decided to pursue treatment, but this is a sucky, unfair position for her to be in, and it makes me sad and angry.

gk-

persevere...

BN: my phone no longer believes in chargers.

I can't log-in to LT! For some reason my password will not work on either if my LT accounts. I don't get it. I had to look it up to make sure it was the right password, since I hardly ever log out unless I'm switching b/t accounts. My phone is still logged in, so I'm able to post.

#6 I was wondering how you were posting logged in ;)

GN: Jason managed to get my phone to charge
GN: one charge should last me a week, and I'm upgrade eligible on the 16th so I'll be able to get a new phone then.

GN: Jason's been having a hard time lately, I think We've figured out he has OCD that's been flaring up.
BN: 5 more weeks until his appointment with a psychologist.

GN: I got hired for a job for the summer.
BN: It doesn't pay very well.
GN: It's better than nothing and should be just enough to cover our expenses until we get Jason's grants and scholarship for fall quarter.
N: I have applications out to other jobs that would pay better and have less of a commute, so maybe I'll be able to get one of those.

GN: I got the supplies so we can plant out little container garden (we're just growing 3 plants)
BN: It's cold and windy out today, so we might not be able to plant this afternoon like I had planned.

GN: Sophie continues to improve after her surgery. The results of the biopsy came back, and it's pretty much what the vet expected, so I just have to keep an eye out for any similar lumps in the future. Here's hoping there are none.

BN: My washing machine just died in an inconvenient and messy fashion. I should have been expecting it -- the dryer kicked the bucket a couple months ago -- but I just paid for Sophie's surgery, which means another big unexpected expense is extremely unwelcome.

You might check out the clearance sections of the stores that are near you. I bought a dryer for my brother last summer for a really good deal at Sears. The units that are back there are either floor models, or they might have a little ding in them from delivery. I was able to get about $400 off because of a dent in the side.

Estate sales are good too, that's where I got mine.

BN:  My husband is gone on a business trip.
GN:  This encourages me to go volunteer time at my bookstore, since I can't snuggle up to him at the end of the day.

BN:  First blow-up with roommates has happened.
GN:  We're all still here, and we'll work things out.  Sometimes tensions build up, and matters need to be aired out.
GN:  In the spirit of avoiding everyone, and saying as much because I don't like hiding silly stuff like that, I went for a stroll and called all my family, wishing everyone a Happy Mother's/Mothra's Day.

Oh shoot! I missed Mothra's Day?

#7, rissa - Sounds like y'all have a lot going on, good and not so good. Hang in there!

#8, foggi - Good luck finding a replacement! Our dryer is making a hideous noise, and I'm just waiting for it to die...

#11, Rozax - Hope the roommate stuff smooths out.

G/BN: I just learned this morning that there's some big disruption/change coming to my library. On the whole, I believe this is good, but I know it's going to cause many people stress, and will make for a couple of years of transition for us. Good vibes you care to send our way would be much appreciated!

I generally feel change is good, so I hope that the transition goes well for your library.

As for my roommates . . . there's a lot at play here.  It can only improve, but that doesn't mean things might be mucky for a while.  I didn't sleep well for a couple nights, not out of worry or terror, but because I'm upset if those around me are upset.  I've discovered a nice gift for setting that aside if I need to, but I'm not going to put up fronts when we're living under the same roof.  That's detrimental in the long-term, and dishonest no matter how we slice it.  If they don't, already, I hope they'll come to understand it.

Hugs and good vibes to all who need them.

Work still extremely slow here, but got two more tenants so at least I'm surviving. One day at a time . . .

Damn, it sure is cold for mid-May. Made some awesome Ham-Swiss Chard-Chickpea soup, though. Recipe from the Neelys on the Food Network site.

GN: Sooooo..... I passed my ESL Praxis test with flying colors! I get so nervous taking test. There was a lot on there that we didn't have any course work for. I did really well and only missed 8 points. I made it well above the cut-off score.

GN: Our high school girls soccer team just one state! That was a nerve wracking game! 2 sudden death over times and then a shoot out. This was the first time our girls have ever gone to state! So proud of them!!!

GN: I took another belt test. My current rank is Blue 1. (I'm not sure why Blue 1 follows Blue.)
More GN: I got a promotion at work.
Best News: My health is continuing to improve. It feels incredible.
Only BN: I have to find and train two new assistants to replace my current ones, who are leaving soon.

Some of you know this already from FB, but I figured I would let you know here too.
Good News: I got a part time job as a library clerk. This is a relief as it means we will have some money again and it gives my husband more time to look for something that is a good fit for him rather than jumping on the first job he's offered.

Bad News: Husband is still looking for a job, our health insurance is now crap, and we are waiting to see if catbastet's university will give her more aid so she can continue going.

Good News: I think of my job as the first step in things turning around for us.

Good news:  Sorry for spammage, but the Reading Rainbow kickstarter is beyond fully-funded.  This makes me very happy.  I loved the show as a kid, and I want as many children as possible to enjoy what I had.

Roz- not spam, check guidelines on Spam Fighters group.
Besides, Levar Burton was Geodie LaForge on ST:TNG!

My kids love the Reading Rainbow app! They get so excited when we stream an episode. I introduced the app during a reading group and thought I would never get my iPads back!

ETA: Warning! This ended up a lot longer than I expected! Don't feel you have to read.

So lots of good news:
School is finally over! It was hard making up those last 6 snow days. We had 14 total, and 2 waved by the state. I've still got to finish packing my room. I'm hoping to be finished by tomorrow night. I'm really lucky to have a mom who helps.

I passed my PRAXIS test. I know I already posted that, but I'm still over the moon! I don't have to change rooms, but I'm finally back in the ESL pod. I've been wanting back in for a while because the strategies are the same as those we've learned for boys.

This one's kind of sad, but good too. I will be teaching mixed gender next year. It will be good to have a break for a year. This group coming in us just not ready for gender specific yet. This year I will finally get the opportunities to train other teachers in our own building strategies for teaching boys and girls. I haven't had girls in a while, but I'm a little excited. I also have the opportunity to help a school in Kansas begin their program.

So my DonorsChoose grant is almost funded (this is the round 2 since the other didn't get funded), thanks to the repurposed donations from the last project and the current matching funding. We're only $41 away! I scaled down to 10 stability discs instead if 25. I caught my principal in the hall the other day and she's going to buy he other 15! I simply asked if I could apply for things other than technology from the school's technology grant. :)

Now off to work on my workshop presentation for or state technology conference. It's going to be a busy, short summer.

I'm so glad you're almost funded! I thought it was a great idea.

Kirby: I'm curious if separating the kids by gender has any affect on boys vs. girls mentality in the kids? (either positive or negative) I've had issues this year both in dealing with groups of kids my kids are in and in my ballet classes with kids doing the "girls are better than boys" "no, boys are better than girls" thing.

24:  I've always felt that it's better they learn how to deal with these matters young, first hand, rather than leaving it a theoretical lesson "for later".

25: I'm not sure what you mean? We teach our kids that boys and girls are both wonderful, and neither one is better. and we teach them that if the other kids they're playing with are arguing about it they can say that they don't believe either boys or girls are better. I don't think it's healthy to let the boys vs. girls mentality be an accepted part of their lives because if they internalize it young they will accept it when they're older. And I don't believe that sexism in either direction is ok or healthy for our society.

I think we put the differences onto the kids. I let mine explore whatever they wanted, even if that meant my son, as a toddler, had a favorite princess dress and baby doll (he was very influence by his big sister) and that my youngest daughter had an aversion to the color pink just because it was considered a "girl" color. The homeschoolers they played with when my older two were kids were very relaxed and accepting. It was when we came across kids with more traditional upbringing that we had problems, like when my son decided to quit ballet because another boy made fun of his pretend karate moves ("you look like a ballerina!") FYI, he changed to Taekwondo, and his ballet training really helped his sparring.

27: I had a little guy in my kindergarten-aged ballet class this year who has been getting teased at school :(

Good conversation! We work a lot with both classes interacting. The point if the classes are to be able to focus on learning strategies of boys and girls, to create a learning environment based around needs, and to provide learning materials based on interest. Not every class is the same, and the research is based on generalities, not stereotypes. You have to be very careful with the two, because they are very close. In the girls class more emphasis is placed on math and sciences, and in the boys class more emphasis is placed on literacy. Our gender specific classes are 2 classes, and the other 12 are mixed gender classes (the upper grades have 2 more gender specific classes). These classes are purely choice on the part of the student, parent, and teacher. We always have a waiting list for those that want in.

I'm very excited for our school district with these classes. Test scores have gone up in math for the girls, and literacy scores have gone up for the boys. These are areas that the research shows each gender struggle with. It's amazing to watch my boys grow over the year. They have some of the lowest reading scores in the grade. This year only 1 student was on grade level in reading at the beginning of the year. Now all but one are on or above grade level. It's a very significant growth. Usually a student is expected to grow 4 levels in a school year. Mine have averaged 10 reading levels.

Oh! Our project was funded last night. Thank you everyone!

That last post was a little rushed. I've also had a great opportunity to see both sides of the gender specific class. It's opened up a lot of opportunities in both areas.. For instance, when I had all girls I couldn't keep the nonfiction books in the shelves. That's pretty significant for them. As some of you know, I have over 5,000 books in my classroom library (kirbyjack). That leaves a wide selection of any types of books. The girls felt more comfortable getting books that were on ce considered "boy" books. They opened up and began to explore ideas that society had dubbed "male" activities/professions. With the boys I have found that it opens them up to using more conversations, and choosing activities that are considered for "girls".

:) that sounds awesome Kirby! I can definitely see how if done well gender-specific classes can be beneficial. I guess I just see a potential danger of the kids staying separated outside of class time if there isn't an emphasis put on interacting and working together between the two groups.

Oh, there's some friendly competition now and then (Hey boys, the girls class has read 25 more books than us. What are we going to do?). But we also interact a lot. We even did our Evening with the Stars fundraiser act together. Brought down the house. It was the best act of the night.

I'm so glad to hear you were fully funded Kirby! Congrats!

So I just got back from an overnight stay in Little Rock. We drove down Friday morning to attend the Govenor's reception for new National Board Certified Teachers. It's a once in a lifetime event. I was very excited. The Govenor and the president of NBCPT were supposed to be there to speak at the hour long event. Neither one showed up, and it ended up being 30 minutes long. Luckily we decided to visit family and stay with them for the night. It would have made me a little upset for driving 4 hours for just a 30 minute thing. Honestly I wouldn't have gone if I knew that was going to be it. :(

>34 kirbyowns: How disappointing and frustrating, kirby. At least y'all had a chance to visit family. :/

>34 kirbyowns:  A thousand times UGH!  I went to a scatter-brained conference this weekend, and I did not understand the guest of honor that everyone was fawning over.  Apparently they've done a lot with their life and a lot for this industry, but the speech presented did absolutely nothing for me.  Someone help me understand why you would tell your assembly to close their eyes and imagine [whatever] when you keep flipping through diagrams?  And that's only half of it.  I don't wanna get into the other half.  On the bright side, I missed an argument while I was away, so nobody could accuse me of being on anyone's side.

Okay guys. You were so great at spreading the word last time my class had a DonorsChoose project up. I'm not asking for anybody to donate anything, just spread the word.

Here's my post from. Facebook/Pinterest:

My class is trying to get an iPad funded through DonorsChoose. Today is the last day to get 1/2 funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If we can fund the first 1/2 of our project by tonight (Sun), then they will fund the other 1/2! And right now if you use the code INSPIRE with our project, any donation you make will be matched by an anonymous donor! So if you donate $20, they will donate another $20. We're $242 away from being funded if we can do it today. If you can't donate, please help spread the word (by Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, word of mouth, email, etc.).
Here's our project:
http://www.donorschoose.org/project/energizing-21st-century-learners/1262790/?fb...

I would appreciate any word being spread! If we don't get funded today, our project will go up on Sonic's Limeades for Learning next month. Your votes helped us get Literacy materials and games to help teach reading last year.

GN: Today was the NPO I work for's annual Walk Run and we smashed all our previous fundraising records. For the first time EVER we met (and exceeded) our goal!
GN: The sports bar I used to live near shut down a couple months ago and this week reopened as the "Trolley Tap House"; 26 craft beers on tap and even more bottles plus amazing food. I just finished treating myself to lunch there and it was amazing!
BN: I'm feeling good and wanting to socialize and I have no one to socialize with. I actually ended up chatting with multiple strangers at lunch - very not like me!

Edited because grammar.

>38 biblioholic29: Wish I lived closer -- I'd socialize!

>38 biblioholic29:, >39 foggidawn: - Ditto, I'd socialize, too! Bib, Trolley Tap House sounds fabulous. :)

GN: I bought three pairs of fall shoes last Friday!
BN: I only set out to buy one...oops. ;)

You need two extra sets. Just in case one or two sets mysteriously disappear. ;o)

edited because I forgot to turn off the italics. I don't want to waste...whatever italics are considered.

Thanks foggi and grk, it's nice to know there are people out there willing to hang out with me, even if they're not able! Too bad that Philly conference you were both at isn't happening again soon! (And, yes grk, from what I've seen on FB, you would definitely enjoy the Trolley Tap House!)

>42 biblioholic29: Yeah, there isn't an ALA conference in Philly again until 2020!

So in 6 years we'll all totally hang!

2020 meet-up date is ON!

foggi, I hadn't looked to see we won't be back in Philly for another 6 years. I enjoy Philly for conferences; that makes me sad...

GN: I bought a new car!
BN: Now we have an extra car sitting around.
GN: I can donate my car and take a tax write-off that's probably worth more than selling the car.
BN: I need a copy of the title because it went missing in my last big move.
GN: I sent in a request for a duplicate copy.
BN: This is the DMV we're talking about, and on top of the company being sluggish and convoluted, I don't know if I was supposed to pay anything because there was no line on the form indicating anything of the sort, which means nothing, because DMV.

The saga continues...

Anyone order from Redbubble before? There's a cute phone case I would like to buy.

Is that like an OtterBox? My family loves those.

ETA: Wait, is Redbubble the name of the case or the name of a site?

It's the name of the site. Artists upload their artwork and it's used on different items. The artist then gets a % of the proceeds.

Sweet, I'll have to look at it.

>47 kirbyowns: Never heard of Redbubble before, but will check it out now!

GN: My husband has accepted a new job! He's moving from public radio fundraising to land conservation development (i.e., events, donations, etc.). We are both excited by this prospect, and believe it is the right move for him and our family.
GN: His new job is in the area, so we don't have to move, and I don't have to leave my job, which I enjoy.
B(?)N: Because he is making a quality of life move, he's sacrificing salary to do so. While I know we will be OK, we will have to tighten up, and heading into the holidays and winter makes this a bit more nerve-wracking. But I keep reminding myself that the improved quality of life - no more 4am pledge drive mornings! no more checking email on vacation! no more 50+ hour work weeks! - is more valuable than the lost salary.

...the saga concludes:

GN:  My car has been donated.
BN:  I liked that car; I'll miss it.

>51 grkmwk:  I look forward to the day when my husband can find a healthy work-life balance.  Startup life is quite the rollercoaster.  He's enjoying it, but every once in a while, I start feeling a little selfish.  Quality of life is still good, especially compared to what it might have been if we didn't make this move.

>52 justjukka: I hope that day will come for y'all soon!

Hi, guys! I know I haven't posted anything in a while but I have read everyone's news, lurking in the shadows XD

GN: After almost three months in the process to get an internship (which included one math and logic skills test, an English proficiency test, four interviews) I can finally say that I am in! I signed the contract on Wednesday. The internship is in Procter & Gamble and I can honestly say that it was my first choice and I am beyond thrilled to work there :D. I am starting on Monday.

GN: I have two weeks left to finish all the subjects from my last semester!!

BN: These are going to be two very hectic weeks.

GN: I don't actually care about how tired I will be these two weeks XD

Good luck on your last two weeks of school, Ron! And congratulations on your internship!

>54 Renald128: Congratulations, Ron!

Great news!! Congratulations!!

#55, 56, 57: Thanks, guys!

Hello, guys! No one has had good or bad news since November? Huh...I guess no news means good news!

BN: I have been a bad Lter and HEer and haven't read much or posted much around here :(
GN: I am trying to get back the habit of reading, I have neglected it long enough.
GN: I am doing great in my internship and I don't feel as lost around here anymore!
GN: I have next week free from work and I can finally read and start writing my internship report (I have been procrastinating writing it :P)
GN: I met someone wonderful and I am really really happy, we've been together for month and half :D...

So how is everyone doing? I miss the HE gang, JP? MrA? Polly? MEM? LadyN? Kerian? foggi? suge? compski? lefty? grk? cat? lg? bib? Mandy? kirby? Espy? Maren?

Eh...I've had some ongoing bad news since August.  A friend has been undergoing a nasty separation, and being a good friend, my husband and I have a front-row seat.  Front-row seat includes access to all the BRILLIANT ways said friend chooses to deal and come to terms with separation.  To clear the obvious from the board, substance abuse is not involved.

Wow, excellent thread resurrection, Ron! I've been around LT, but not HE so much. (BN) It's a little sad how quiet our friendly group has become, but (GN) I enjoy keeping up with many of you on Facebook. (GN) All is well with me -- work continues as usual, and I'm in the chorus of a community theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. That's pretty much it for me. And (BN) Espy's unlikely to be around much, as (GN) he's busy with school -- he and Mrs. Espy are in their first year of seminary.

Maybe this thread resurrection will breathe some life back into the group -- anybody have ideas for new thread topics to get us all talking again?

ETA: And if anybody wants to drop by the thread where I've been tracking my reading this year, please do!

Ron, no wonder you've been neglecting us! New relationships do that. You are excused.

I post when I can, but things have not been very exciting....
Bad News: Except today when I had to pretend I was a traffic cone so cars wouldn't hit my husband while he tried to tie up my tailpipe. My tailpipe decided to collapse in the center under the car. The Good News is there were worse places it could have happened and I started breathing easier as soon as my husband gave up on the tailpipe and called a tow truck. Deep sigh of relief and boo to the drivers who honked at me. I need to get one of those emergency kits with the orange triangles.

BN: I've been having a rough winter with my fibromyalgia.
GN: Winter is going to end soon (I hope!) and that should help me feel a bit better.
BN: It does not help that the heat in our offices is once again not working (currently 58*F in my office)
GN: We move to our new offices in 4 weeks - with a brand new heater and insulation (not that we should need it by then, but it will be nice to know it's there!)

>59 Renald128: Hi, Ron! Good to see you again. Very happy to hear you've met someone special. :)

>61 foggidawn: Hmm, new topic ideas... Perhaps a discussion on collecting books? E.g., how many different versions of our favorite books/series do we own? Do you mix hardback and paperback? Do you have foreign editions? I'm thinking that I'll need to buy the illustrated edition of SS/PS coming out this fall...which would make for three copies! :)

GN: I've been keeping mum, since it won't be official until Thursday, but we're buying a new house!!! The University where I work has a historic neighborhood on campus that is primarily populated by faculty and staff. We weren't looking to move quite yet, but a jewel of a house hit the market and everything has fallen into place so quickly and clearly that there's no doubt this is meant to be. Best thing about our new house? BUILT-IN BOOKSHELVES. The house was custom built in 1968 for two English faculty members, and there are built-in bookshelves in the living room, hallway, and two bedrooms, as well as THE LIBRARY. Squee!!!!

BN: Packing. And moving. The not-so-fun parts of getting a new house. But I am mindful of just how blessed we are to have this opportunity, and the means to move with assistance this time, so my BN isn't really all that bad.

That is fantastic news, grk! I'm so happy for you. It could not have happened to a nicer person. And don't worry about the suddenness of it all. Sometimes when the right opportunity comes at the right time, things do move fast. We knew our home was the right place for us and it took us about two months from when we placed an offer to our closing. Congratulations and warm up your hand for all of the papers you're going to be signing!

>64 grkmwk: Squeee! I dream of built-in bookshelves.

BN:  My rent is increasing by a noticeable margin.  Housemate is worried about having to move, next year.  I'm still recovering from an injury, so my job options are limited, but there's an employment agency nearby that I'm going to check out to see if I can secure a decent paycheck.  Husband is making enough that we don't need to panic, but the entire situation is still ridiculous.  Rent control is non-existent, around here.

>65 jugglingpaynes: Thank you for your kind words of encouragement, JP! From start to finish, it'll be about 10 weeks from listing to moving for us. :)

>66 foggidawn: I did too, foggi! And now I'll have more than I can fill...not that they won't be full, eventually!!

>67 justjukka: I'm sorry things are rocky right now, Rozax. I hope you continue to recover, and that the right job comes your way soon.

GN: After thinking about it for 15 years, I got my nose pierced today!

Bib: Hope you're feeling better. This winter has not been easy for any body aches and I'm happy it finally looks like spring.

Rozax: Hope you get past this rough patch quickly. Don't panic, and may that decent paycheck be yours soon.

grk: You are braver than I am! I always wondered, do you feel like sneezing when you get it done? :o)

Thanks for the support, guys.  I know most of us have been in some semblance of this situation or worse, and it helps to have this awesome community.

>69 jugglingpaynes: Nope, no desire to sneeze, although the first sneeze after the fact was a little strange. More often, I have the sensation that the post is sticking out of my nose, when it isn't. I can tickle at times, too. :)

GN:  Daredevil is on Netflix and it is awesome!

GN: When my son found out my husband would be away this weekend and it would be a Mama-Rex weekend, his immediate response was, "We can read books all weekend!" Obviously we're doing something right.

BN: We can't, in fact, read books all weekend, as we are moving to our new house 3 weeks from today, and I have a lot of packing and purging to do. But I'm sure I'll take reading breaks... ;)

>73 grkmwk:  Congratulations on the new house, though!

>74 justjukka: Thanks!!

BN: I have been a very bad HEer, not even reading threads for a couple of months. I'm hardly ever on my computer anymore.
GN: I get to start my summer job in a week. last year I was a ride operator at our local theme park, and I'm going to be doing the same thing this year.
GN: The kids are all growing and thriving.
BN: Lily is sick right now.
BN: Because we're so crazy busy, I haven't had a chance to watch DareDevil yet.
GN: We've been so busy because DH is starting to do his practicum. (He's going to be a math teacher, and he's starting to do his hours in a highschool classroom)

GN:  rissa is back!

GN: We are all moved in and mostly settled in our new house!
GN: I found a hardback of GoF at a used bookstore today. I have the entire HP series in the British children's editions, but have been lacking PoA and GoF in the American editions, so this brings me one book closer. I also found the HP schoolbook boxed set that includes Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, neither of which I own (or have read). Yay!

Hello? *Waves madly* It's been a while since I've been here and a while since anyone has posted, but I was happy to catch up with you all. Some, of course, I've kept up a bit with on Facebook also (so have seen some pix of the fabulous new house, grkmwk!).

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer (well, for the northern hemisphere folks). Wonderful winter for y'all down south.

GN/BN:  I had a job interview, today, and it went as I expected it to.  This means I won't be getting the job, but I can't say that I really wanted it.  However, if it were offered, it's a good paycheck, and it's still good work.  I mainly just take issue with how bureaucracy is hurting the industry.  I think I'm ready for a new career, now.  Again.

>79 ejj1955: Hi, ejj!! Great to see you on LT again. :)

BN: My grandmother is in the hospital, as she started having seizures Friday afternoon. While she's now been just over 24 hours without a seizure, she is still only partially lucid and is very feeble. Please send prayers/good thoughts her way.

GN: There's a new news thread! http://www.librarything.com/topic/219473#