Z

Some blog entries have been whiny diaries of my woes and weaknesses during this challenge.  My fave entries are when I really explored a concept that tied in to the letter of the day.  But then I liked the 2 fiction entries as well.  Tonight I wanted to make an entry kind of like Savvy's S, where I learned about Sikhism.  So I read up on the history of the zipper.  Here are some key facts:
Elias Howe, the sewing machine guy, created an early zipper.  He called it the automatic continuous clothing closure.  That was in 1851.
In 1917 a Swedish American guy named Sundback patented the separable fastener.  He worked for a fastener company in Hoboken.  Later, someone at B.F. Goodrich came up with the zippy name of Zipper.  They put zippers on galoshes.  Zippers became popular on kid clothing and were said to promote independence for kids.  When they became used in men's pantaloons, they were praised for excluding "The Possibility of Unintentional and Embarrassing Disarray." Before 1937, most guys had button up pants.  


So, this is my report on zippers.  

Y

Yakimoto Mosely lived with his wife in a duplex down on 2nd street.  They lived separately, each in their own half of the duplex.  No one knew this about Yakimoto and his wife.  When they had visitors, everyone assumed that they owned half and rented the other half.  But that was not true.  The place everyone saw was Yakimoto's half.  Neat, tasteful.  The other half of the duplex was his wife's abode.  His wife, a hoarder, lived in squalor.  Indescribable squalor.  Yakimoto accepted this about his wife.  He loved her and deep down in his bones he knew he could not live without her.  At the same time, he also knew that he could not live with her.

Thus, the duplex.  And the yellow, yucky secret they kept all to themselves.

Up to now.

X

XTRA lots of fun today.  Sat on the Bline Trail XPERIENCING #1 son and his pals playing some fun jazz.  Later, Hman and I walked along a trail at Lake Griffy.  Saw a blue heron and a frolicking deer.  And some turtles.  Next, the not super XCITING, but definitely entertaining Paul Rudd movie.  Finally, we headed out to Scenic View to hear more XHILARATING jazz from #1 and his pals as we looked out at the truly scenic view.

The day came full circle in a most XCELLENT fashion.

W

  

Today I kept my eyes peeled for the WOW factor.  The wow was there.  Just hanging out.

V

Vim and Vigor.  Today I did pretty well in the vim and vigor department.  I worked in a bunch of classrooms, helped out in the lunchroom, interviewed some peeps, and worked long hours entering names into a computerized testing program.
The cyst didn't seem too distracting to others, but unfortunately, the littles looked directly at it whenever they looked up at me, as it's on the neck so to speak, so I had to give a ton of explanations about it.  I made it as gory as possible, just to look at their horrified visages.

It's fun to get back to teaching.  I've read Crow Boy to 7 classes. The sixers were really sweet listeners and responders today.  Love the sixers. 8 classes to go.  I can do this!  Because reading to kiddos gives me vim and vigor.

U

Ugh.  I've been feeling a bit on the ugh side.  In the coaching gig, I want to be UPstairs in the classrooms with the peeps, but every day I'm UNDER pressure to get things done on the computer in my office.  Tomorrow I have to get 150 kids entered into a testing program.  It should have been done 3 days ago. That's going to take some time.  I take umbrage at that part of my job.  I actually think I've just been UNDER the weather for longer than I've realized.  The huge gross infection under my neck may have been my body's way of giving me the what for.  Anyway, I know this is rambling, but a breakfast at the UPTOWN and a day on the couch with a Top Chef Just Desserts marathon has me rested UP, if not yet UPBEAT.  I've just gotta stay UNITED with the peeps at school, and not worry so much at the clerical, numerical UGLINESS.  

T

TODAY TWENTYSOMETHING daughter and I sat out on the deck before I headed to work.  We drank coffee in the cool morning and cried awhile.  I miss THAT TWENTYSOMETHING something TERRIBLE!
THREE THINGS kept getting me down today.  TWENTYSOMETHING headed back to school.  I had a sebaceous cyst that hurt like heck.  And I had to work a TON o TIME on my computer making stupid TIER groups.
By 2:30, I TEXTED my boss and said, "I'm heading to a medical facility to get THIS THING cut off my neck."  I was scheduled to join her to speak at the school board meeting TONIGHT about our artful learning school.  After getting my neck needled, lanced and squeezed horrifically, I backed out of the school board meeting and TEXTED that I'd be a no-show.  After awhile THOUGH I felt guilty, so I TEXTED again saying I could make it.  THE blood had stopped oozing THROUGH the bandage somewhat.
So if you see me on TELEVISION on the school board channel, and you're wondering why I'm wearing a scarf wrapped around my neck in August, just know that it's because of my sebaceous cyst surgical procedure.
And know that I'm made of TOUGH stuff.

S

I'm doing S again because I had a sebaceous cyst cut out of my neck today.  The doctor didn't think she "got it all."  NO picture because if you google sebaceous cyst images, you'll get fairly grossed out.

S

Guest blogger:  #1 SON (I'm taking dictation).

Just got my SPIROCORES.  They're the quintessential jazz STRINGS for bass.  They give a warmer SOUND.  Good for jazz, but people don't like them in orchestra because they make you STAND out too much.
In the past I've used helicore and obligato STRINGS.  But now, I like SPIROCORES best.
Will that SUFFICE?

R

Kinder kid was in trouble for threatening to punch peeps.  He argued that he wasn't threatening anyone.  He was simply asking the kids if they'd like a red apple.  When asked what it meant to give someone a red apple, he replied, "It means to put a red mark on someone's face."

So now I have a great new threat to use when someone's riling me up.  I'll simply ask them if they'd like a RED apple.

I learn a lot of useful stuff at schoolapalooza.

Q

#1 Son is now quite a grown up person.  He's quite fun to have around.  Quite pleasant in his demeanor.   Quite interesting with his opinions.  Quite funny with his witty retorts. Quite talented with his music.  He's quite a keeper.  The kid's high quality.