Right As Usual

I thought that I had left blisteringly high temperatures behine me when I left Tempe, AZ, earlier this moonth. Yesterday, in Cleveland, OH, one of the most moderate climates in the continental US, the thermometer registered 99 degrees! As Winston Churchill one said, about a different matter, this "is something up with which I will not put."

I have to make a decision soon. I've been offered a temporary job in a good local school system, filling in for a teacher on maternity leave. If the teacher returns as planned, I'll be back on the streets by December 14th. The current hiring situation in my neck of the woods is grim. There are VERY few elementary jobs, and only a spattering of middle and high school jobs. I'm licensed in science, computer technology, and history, so, normally, I have little trouble finding work. Not now. I have to decide whether to take a short-term job, and risk losing out on a full-time job if one opens up, or, to risk not working at all. I'm leaning toward taking the job. After all, a bird in the hand... But, it's keeping me up nights.

I was directed to Sec. of Education Paige's remarks by The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiller . This may be an indication of a growing trend for African-Americans to speak their minds about issues in a way that doesn't follow the lock-step mentality of the Democratic/NAACP crowd. First Bill Cosby, now the Secretary, who next?

I had an interesting experience this week. Someone who I'm close to led me to go to a meeting for people who live with, or are close to, drinkers. It wasn't what I expected. After leaving the meeting, I spent some time thinking. If you had asked me last week, I've have said that I wasn't affected by the drinking. Others were more directly affected, because of their proximity to the person. After the meeting, I wasn't as sure. In my case, I'd avoided dealing with that person for some time. While I wasn't physically present, the situation had affected me by causing me to withdraw. Withdrawal has come to be a typical response to difficult situations. I'm going to go back. I think I have a lot to gain by it.

I really missed being home, but it is so crowded right now. I can't wait until the 3rd floor is finished. The walls are up, and the electrician will be coming tomorrow. That just leaves the painting, floor, and any fixtures. Oh, and the heating. The end is near.