I have got to stop reading Common Core stuff in the morning. It just makes me mad.

And speaking of mad…I need to go start aggregating data for this useless dog-and-pony test-’em-to-death “if you can’t count it, it doesn’t count” clown parade. I’ll be at my dining room table if you need me.

Thank the gods for a break in the rage at 1:00, when we get to go celebrate Jake’s birthday. After that, however, it’s back here, all day, all long, all attitude.

But hey — GO TRIBE!

Finkday at last.

This has been one long five-day marathon! Anyone else?

I’m digging in, though. This will be the Weekend What Gets Stuff Done. After meeting the Js and their mama at the county fair this afternoon, and meeting the Thriller in Mansfield for dinner and shopping, it’s nose-to-the-grindstone all weekend, with the brief respite of going to Jake’s 6th birthday party.

Six years old…my word. I remember posting about Jake when he was wee little. Now he’s a big kindergartener who plays on the flag football team and works on cars in the shop with his dad. Is it just me, or does time slip away much, much faster as we get older?

After a full month of school, it is decided: I am not a fan of having high school choir last period of the day. They’re tired and crabby, and so am I. When the battles (that I must win, by the way) for their attention and concentration outnumber the peaceful days, something’s fishy. And it’s not all “them,” believe me. My fuse is shorter at 1:40 — especially after dealing with 40 energetic and “hands-on” 6th graders minutes before the 18-year-olds walk in. Maybe I need to bring them cookies. Or maybe they need to bring me a margarita. Jury’s out.

jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk

…no bad news.

(And if you know what show that song is from, you’ve seen some really bad musicals. Respect to Ashford & Simpson, but yikes.)

I should have rephrased the title to say “…no more bad news.” There’s been a lot over the last day or so:

• The terrible damage and deaths from the storm in Mexico
• The Browns, once again trading away their top draft choice so he can win a Super Bowl with some other team
• A huge project required for my upcoming teacher evaluation is due on the 30th, and I haven’t even begun putting data together (this ought to be fun)
• I thought tomorrow was payday; it isn’t
• Yesterday, someone told me, “This too shall pass.” I hate that flippant, arrogant, pretentious phrase. I experienced violent thoughts. It was bad news.
• Thanks to the “huge project required for my upcoming teacher evaluation,” I know what my weekend looks like, and it is vile
• The Thriller’s new job is going to be good, but he’s mired in training and paperwork — mountains of paperwork — right now. That, and he doesn’t get his first paycheck until October. Huh??

Would you believe me if I said there are about five more items I could add to the list? I think you would. But I won’t do it today. <Insert sentence about how grateful I am to have a great job, family and friends, and that I don’t usually write whiny, negative posts.>

All right, fiends. Let’s get up and at ’em. Here’s to a day free of sad tidings.

What a great visit we had yesterday with our sister and sister-in-law from England. Six solid hours of yapping and laughing, from the minute they arrived until they had to hit the road for their next destination — it was awesome.

And now I’m late. Goodbye.