It is what it is

It is getting harder to keep track of how many days since this quarantine started.  It is easy to keep busy but it is not the same busy as going to work.  Days are filled with reading emails, contacting staff members who share our fears and concerns,  listening to the news, searching for worksheets that might help our classes, listening to webinars (that make me feel worse about how little I know about on-line anything) (and I didn't even know what a webinar was until 2 weeks ago). After "work" I have been filling the time with Insta cart for both us and Grandma, walking loud-mouthed Lucy on very long walks (more to get out than exercise her!), treadmill TV (Watching a Netflix Soap Opera called Las Chicos de Cables) I think I spelled it correctly.  It took me 3 days to realize it was in Spanish with English lip-syncing!)  I love the costuming and all the drama! Working on a very difficult 1000 piece puzzle I ordered, have not done that in probably 25 or so y...

Lucy is sleeping, it is a dark and rainy day and I have nowhere I can go.  It has been like a continual snow day for 2 weeks now, except this is not fun. My credit cards are withering in my wallet.  I have on-lined ordered groceries twice and everything else I have needed and think of for now. Long walks with a leash-pulling dog help but not today.  It is just pouring.  It thundered and stormed last night maybe hail, not sure,  but it was noisy. I am sick of listening to webinars of people who think that on-line teaching is a breeze.  They teach in areas (or are in businesses like Google) where resources are greater than ours.  We are expected to figure this out pretty much on our own and have it ready to go in a week or so....what?   Our kids don't have computers or devices (other than phones, could you imagine going to class all day on a phone?) and many don't have needed internet.  We don't have needed lessons!  We left in such ...

I don't know about anyone else but I am tired from being home and working on stuff that includes preparing scans to PDF's, webinars, google hangouts for meetings and things a week ago I had never even heard about.   People are still suppose to stay home but I see many planes still flying over (regular about), I am still order on amazon, and not seeing much that has changed. I will however, say that I have had a Shipt order in for two days, still can't get a delivery date or a pick up date and had to "borrow" dog food from my neighbor because we both thought we had another bag in the garage.   Was surprised that I did an Instacart on Saturday and it was delivered 4 hours later.  Shipt....not so much. I am glad to be able to connect daily with my family and friends thru the many apps that are available and proud that I started the FaceTime with my piano teacher a week ago and now she has half her students on board.   I have to stay active and busy because th...

Wearing down easily.  I have learned more internet stuff in the last week or so than my whole internet life.  I am googled to death!   Working 6 or more hours every day to google hangouts, google classroom set ups, google mail, wish I had never heard the term google before. Days are harder than when we are teaching.   I have learned how to send an email letter through a parent portal, listened to webinars and gone chats, hangouts and just when I think I have it covered more stuff pops up to learn. I can't tell you how much I am ready to retire and leave this to someone else.   I am glad that the weather has been decent and in the afternoon I have been able to walk Lucy and evenings, check on friends, FaceTime with family and order groceries on Shipt, Instacart and other "stuff" on Amazon Prime. As many hours as we are trying to keep up and get ahead with lessons and students we can only hope we will be compensated for our time. We have all cancelled appo...

Every time I figure something new out they add something more.  I am ready to retire.  Google this and google that.  I spent all day reading the governor's post, the superintendent's post, trying to do all the on-line emails to parents, find lessons, scan, I can't do this on my own.  I have nothing more to say today...it is what it is.....I am a boomer not a millennial.

Saturday was not normal!   Did all kinds of cleaning and laundry and staying home.  Did my first order on Insta Cart.  Took me quite awhile to navigate but I recommend it.   My groceries arrived (most of the order and some I didn't order, some I didn't get and some was a substitute) within 4 hours.  Interesting!!!  Think I may continue doing this FOREVER!!!!    I need to try SHIPT also. I have way too much lettuce and not enough eggs.   Learning along the way!!! I took Lucy on a very long walk, started a 1000 piece puzzle (Otto made me a board to make it portable), learned to order food through Door Dash and Grub hub, connected with several friends, family, ordered some stuff on-line, I am pleased to say that I have not been in contact with anyone for a week, other than Otto and a wave or a distant chat with neighbors,  not one store.  Trying to get him to distance also. Otto is on day 2 with staying.   Glad I stocked up...

I am flabbergasted by how much there is to do to new learning for us teachers.  All of the on-line sites, researching for worksheets and if we can teach on-line, the lessons and games.   It was a full day of work with many new challenges. The day started out at 60 degrees and is now in the 30's.   I was able to get a dog walk in, lots of emails and colleague connections, sharing of knowledge, questions, posts, logs and trying to figure how to connect with our students that are not on-line. Overwhelming to say the least.  After "school" today, I was able to get some laundry, cleaning, treadmill, connect with friends and family and a much needed "fish fry Friday" with take-outs.  I am so ready to hit the market and stores tomorrow but know I have to revert to insta-cart and cancelling upcoming flights.  The news is grim in this country for the corona virus but we are America strong!  It is what it is and I cancelled my much needed nail appointment to...

It was a day of new normal.   Started the day with a Google Hangout.   Andrew had to re-configure my computer (MacBook Air) to talk to whatever it is we have at school.  Took a long time and he is my super knowledge tech person.   Make me stop now with negative comments about tech support because they are swamped with people like me that have no knowledge of any of this! We covered many things that have happened this last week.   We are all working from home, researching, trying to reach out to parents and students, handing out packets of work (our district has students without internet or devices to access on-line resources), trying to reach out to parents, keeping up with this insane virus and just taking care of ourselves and our families. I am just getting over a sinus infection with drugs, and want to help take care of my extended family but am afraid to travel and suspect myself to this virus. I have cancelled a dog appointment for her vaccines that ...

Spent the day doing stuff around the house.   Tried unsuccessfully to log in all the Google stuff that our district is telling everyone to do.   I think our tech support is trying to do it all and is overwhelmed.   Finally I was able to get personal tech support to log in to everything needed that our district has not been able to provide.   No one ever expected this to happen and  they are not prepared to handle the overload.  I am so grateful for my personal support from my family and the knowledge that is keeping me afloat.   Rainy and cold afternoon.  Feeling like all the meds I have been on are helping but fearful of what this virus is going to bring.  It is what it is and how do I say RETIRE Carol?!!!

Not complaining, but today would have been our 2nd day of Spirit Week, yesterday was Pajama Day and today Crazy Socks and GREEN Day.  We try to have fun! I started the day trying to log into Google for our teleconference day tomorrow and to get the log sheets that would help us keep track of what we are doing for school on these days.   Not much because we dd not bring that much home.  And our students don't have devices to keep on the internet or even the internet.  So, having difficulty working on a Mac book talking to a device that is not Mac. While I keep in touch with emails and our connections, I am able to do things around the house that have not been done for months.  Cleaning, laundry, raked the front and side yards, (yup blister), and preparing my usual St. Patrick's feast of corned beef, cabbage, redskins, onions, coleslaw, Jello, pistachio pudding and cool whip and this year, I am making soda bread with Irish butter. Talked to my neighbor today...

It is nice sleeping in and staying up late but the hard part is thinking about what to do to fill the day.  Since all evening activities are cancelled, it is a long day.  Today I will attack some cleaning projects and do needed wash as I clean.  I have an appointment for Lucy for shots but my gut tells me to stay home as completely as I can.  The shots can wait I think.   Also weigh in for TOPS but I can do that from home and send a photo to the leader to keep accountable. Yesterday I made 2 loaves of banana bread (staff meetings).  Am getting ahead on baking for the rest of the year.  Also made some chicken soup for lunches and then some kind of chicken that had turmeric on it and it ruined my french white manicure.  Any ideas to clean that up?  Lemon juice, bleach were a no go.  They suggest paint thinner on the internet. Since the library closed before I made it there, Andrew & Brian taught me how to use e-books with my librar...

2nd day of voluntary quarantine. On Thursday 3-12-20 we were informed at school that the district would be shut down  on 3-13-20 to prepare for a possible school wide shutdown due to Corona Virus and staff would report but not students.  This was 5 minutes before the students left for the day. On Friday 3-13-20 after a staff meeting, we were informed to prepare 10-15 days of lesson plans for a total shut down for a couple weeks. Then came the mess of preparing, using the copy machine, cleaning our rooms, catching up on grades (kinda like last day of school for summer vaca ) and getting ready to leave. Saturday 3-14-20   Pi Day   3.14    Saying no to a shower I was looking forward to, realizing that I was really sick with a sinus infection and now that school was prepared for, I could take care of me.  I HAD to run to Target to get my scripts (antibiotics and steroids) and cancel dinner plans with friends.  The only thing left that I could ...