School Daze

Squadrons of dragon flies have been swarming the skies while the sun beats down 100'F of feels-like-115'F" heat. Hazmat workers are being reduced to skeleton crews.

School officials have elected August 5 as the first day of school for students. We the teachers report for duty Monday. It's the hottest it's been all summer. I just don't get it, but at this point I may as well whine about the shrimp in my shrimp po'boy being fried, because that's jes' the way i's gonna'be. Shark Week, the zenith of summer programming, hasn't even started, and I'm getting ready for school. Brian is headed back to AK this Tuesday for a week for 75% work, 25% play. He's going to mail me a postcard.

I actually went in yesterday at the administration's request to straighten up the rooms in "B-Hall" for a parent's night. I moved to B-Hall at the end of last year which is where the rest of the math teachers are located. The teacher whose room I inherited had left the school and left the room a disaster, but my Moss Point High School math teacher friend and I gutted, cleaned, and stored all my stuff in so it would be ready for 2010-2011. Well, I discovered I was assigned to a different room and thus, inherited another mess left by a retired teacher comprised of economics and government textbooks and a year's worth of tests, study guides, and kid crud piled high in the closet, filing cabinet, and book case. They must know I'm part Polish and just love cleaning. What was I going to do? Argue with the secretary who gave me the key and has nothing to do with the room assignment? We have a new principal. I'm excited about the new year. But as Rosa Parks as my witness, I shall not be moved again.

I didn't meet any parents because I was so filthy and exhausted by the time I left. Thankfully, my good teacher friend from Ocean Springs High School came with me to help me hang stuff and check the school out. We didn't get to decorating because of the four hours it took moving and scrubbing stuff.

I have to keep a journal for my last series of Master's classes, so this is where it's going to be. It's an adventure of sorts. From this point on, consider this blog the...

MISEDUMACATION OF MRS. B.

My name is "Mrs. Bergeron." I teach math at Moss Point High School where the students call me "Mrs. B" which just sounds like "Muz B." I started this past January, and this will be my second semester teaching Geometry in the newly appointed room B-48. There's a lot I've observed that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, so rather than bitch to Brian about it, I'm just going to blog. Enjoy!

Logic Free Situation #1: Why are we starting school so *&&^*&^%$$#$#@! early.

Logic Free Situation #2: Hosting a parent night before all the teachers have set up their rooms, before the bathrooms have been cleaned, and on a Friday night. When most of the parents are in their mid- to late-20s, who's going to spend Friday night at their kids' high school. But hey, at least there's soap in the bathroom... for now.

Geometry Al Fresco with last year's class in March. Where's the rest of the class you ask? I often asked myself the same question.

Waning Days of July

My grandma used to say, "After the Fourth of July, summer just flies by."

!Es mui verdad!

Late Friday night, Brian and I returned from what would be my last trip of the summer. Brian and I drove 1850 miles round-trip up to Chicago where Brian and I split. Brian met up with friends and drove north to Canadian Boundary Waters for ultimate, only-people-there, boys only fishing trip and I drove up with my family to Aunt and Uncle Connolly's place in Door County, Wisconsin. I hardly spent any time in Illinois that wasn't already pre-programmed with a family BBQ or get-togethers or Grandpa at the Devonshire Assisted Living Facility visit or Auntie at the Hospital visit. It was a lovely time, but not nearly enough time to see everyone.

This quote aptly greeted me on my page-a-day calendar when we returned back home: "...In times of great stress, such as a four-day vacation, the thin veneer of family wears off almost at once, and we are revealed in our true personalities." -Shirley Jackson

Teachers report back to public school a week from today. Talk about a bowl of hot sweaty suck-ass. Since it's still 105'F, it makes perfect sense NOT to go back to school a month before the rest of the nation. I forgot how fun heat stroke at football practice can be--- even members of the marching band are at risk.

Rachel leaves for Mississippi State College two weeks from Wednesday. Very exciting stuff! She's coming into her own snarkiness just in time.

Dog Days of Summer

Written 7/14/10: Long days. Pretty sunsets. Red skies at night. These are/were the Dog Days of Summer. Yes, I just spent the last 15 minutes reviewing why it's called "the dog days," but the bright star, Sirius, of Canis Major is no longer in the same spot when the Romans first gave this period of hot, sweaty days its moniker. You can see what the night sky looks like today and waste all sorts of time at http://www.sky-map.org/.


This is my favorite time of year, when the right brain is gently lulled into a lyrical, lazy reflection on a slow rocker with a glass of lemonade, just before it wipes the sweat off its refreshed brow and says with a sigh, “ Ok… back to work.”

Dog days, literally. Grethen and I unintentionally rallied a couple neighborhood dawgs on our Sunday morning walk this past week. I was out at 530 am, earlier than usual, but I woke up without an alarm, turned to Gretchen and said “it’s not getting any coolor. Lets go.” I’ll be damned, the flea-bag un-neutured troops were already out, sniffing butts, marking mailboxes and potted plants. The little terrier and black lab, both collarless, didn’t harass us too much. They ran towards us, exchanged butt sniffs and trotted next to us for an eighth mile stretch. Then galloped off, sensing bigger turds to roll in up ahead.

Summer hasn’t been all that lazy:

I took two two eight-week twice-a-week classes for my Masters (only two more terms to go!).
Good friends, Nick and Karen, arrived for their new two-year tour of duty after driving and ferrying from Eagle River, Alaska.

Girls went to Peurto Rico with their mom.
Took a day trip to Bay Saint Louis for their Crab Festival 2010 (no shortage of shellfish here, oil spill be damned! Mmm-mmm, Old Bay's and BP sweet crude seasonings... still tastes like chicken.)

Has it already been 20 minutes? Time for another break.

Haz(ardous) Mat(erials) workers hard at work too.

I don't know this family on the left in the crab hats, but they sure seem fun! I think they brought their hats from home because I didn't find them for sale. I looked.