Happy Thanksgiving.  It is hard to believe that it is already Thanksgiving.  I have had a good year.

Wish all the best.

I went up to the ski area and it is almost ready for cross country skiing.  There is about 6 inches of snow so about 3 inches more and it will be ready.  My left shoulder is still hurting so I am hoping that I can coax it back into shape by cross country skiing or it will injure it more.

No Students this week

We have Parent Teacher Conferences so no students.  Today I do report cards and start meeting with parents Tues and Wed.  I will have Thanksgiving with other teachers at their parent's home.  The food is pretty amazing.  I thought about going south but it costs so much money that I passed.

Lazy Day

I am being lazy today!!  It is snowing out and I am watching the snow slowly drift down.  I should go to the store and get some food so I can cook something.

Pictures:  Mendenhall Glacier yesterday

It was about 20 degrees last night and the wind was howling.  The OR Ducks lost last night as well.  Such is life.  They usually wait until the bowl games to lose.

These are pictures from around Juneau.  We get stuff from various islands in Alaska and then load up barges and they get shipped to the lower 48 to be recycled.  Here is a barge of steel.  I have been watching he steel pile grow the past month and they finally brought in a barge and loaded it up.

More Mendenhall Glacier Pictures taken today:  These were taken with my camera.  The last set were taken with my iphone.

We have SUNSHINE and 25 degrees this morning!!!  it is looking and feeling like winter and I am enjoying it.  I took some pictures of Mendenhall Glacier.  Mendenhall Lake is freezing up and there is a light covering of white developing.

The week is finally over!!!  What a long week!!  My students were ancy and then Thursday and Friday, I was sub Principal because our Principal was out of town at a workshop.  I said I was going to do the Principal thing because my students are often the ones who liven up things and I deal with them anyway.  Needless to say, after school Thursday, I get a call about kids who had misbehaved at the end of the day.  I ended up dealing with the students and trying to find a sub for my class because a para that works for me had to fly out of town for a family emergency.

My students, who had been ancy, did fine today and it helped me a lot because I always got called away to deal with other kids.  I am just glad that today is over.

This has been a long week.  The kids are doing OK but a bit ancy and bothered by minor things, which usually are no big deal.

Weather: Today has been super rainy ALL DAY!  Honestly, it looked like night time all day long.  The clouds are super thick.  I woke up at 4 AM to the sound of a plow truck going by.  Since it was snowing all day yesterday, I thought it snowed during the night and I had to dig my car out of the snow.  I went to dig out only to find slush - ugly and heavy stuff really.  It was dark out when I shoveled slush and it has been dark ever since.

Students this week and Parent/ Teacher Conferences Next Week!!  Today went ok.  My kids were kind of mellow, which I appreciate.  Last week was not easy for 3 of the 5 days.  Even a 4th day had moments of 'really' that happened?  Which made me move rather quckly.

We are not getting a lot of snow here yet.  It is white but scattered white.  It moves from snow to rain so it is kind of a slush.

Today,  4 Grandkids are playing and making the little 1 1/2 month old laugh and giggle.  That is so very wonderful. They called and we did a video conference but they had to leave to be silly with their baby cousin.  My daughter's, the families and Marcia are there and sounds like they are enjoying every minute.  That is what a child's life should be.  By my being here in Alaska, I am helping to make that reality possible.

SNOW TODAY!!  I think I will head up to the ski area with snowshoes and then to Mendenhall Glacier to see the snow there today.   We have an inch and a half or so.  It is already starting to melt.  I see it coming off my roof.

I got an email from an old computer friend asking me if I had heard from another computer friend from 2009.  I had not.  So, there is kind of a search party going on to find out how this gal is doing.  She had a stroke in years  past and she has disappeared off the internet.  I sent them the information I had.

This link is to Chris Hedges and he is a brilliant man who talks of the Corporatazation of the US and how Corporations now have more power than people.  He blasts Republicans and Democrats and is very thoughtful in his analysis of the Political and World Situation.  I want to get one of his books now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zotYU21qcU&feature=player_embedded

Pictures:  We do not have as much snow as on these pictures but it is the same tree that I am seeing and the tree ic covered in white.

Funny:  I am hiding out in Alaska and I get a call on my computer from Oregon and my daughters and their families are on my computer.  Then they call my phone and I see and talk to them on my phone and they can see me too.  Funny how technology is allowing such things to take place so easily.

My mother's spirit met up with a daughter a week ago.  I talked to a daughter and she said she felt my mom speaking to her.  She asked me about the place where it happened etc.  It made me smile.  My mother had a strong aura about her and she was a strong influence on those who knew her.  I was fortunate enough live alone with her during my high school years.  I feel very grateful for that time I had with her.

I happened to talk to a substitute about taking a job for me and he said he sold his house and he is going to Europe until March to check it out.  Dang - I need to do that, I thought.  He is coming back in the spring to see about getting a teaching job in Alaska.  I teased him about giving up subbing, actually, he was up for a teaching job which opens up in a week but it ends at the end of the year.

I am actively looking for a person to take my job for half a year next year.  I am starting the move to working half a year in the future.  This week was a bit difficult.  I have the tough cases and I had two difficult incidents which made me earn my money.  I got my room trashed once which made me change up my program the next day.  Then I almost got bit by a mad student(s).  It all ended up well and the kids ended the week great and nobody got hurt except for me getting a little cut on the wrist by a fingernail.

The good thing about my job is we deal with excessive anger, get the child over it and get them back to being successful in the regular class. At the time, it takes its toll though.  Those with whom I work keep asking me to stay and I am now putting names out for us to consider for taking my position for half a year.

So, I am now thinking of going to a foreign country for at least 3 months after I quit mid year next year.  I might consider coming back for another half year but I kind of hope the right person takes my job mid year and my school realizes that I am not really needed.  I would then be able to fade off into the sunset,

Just thinking

PRESIDENT OBAMA WINS RE-ELECTION TONIGHT!!!  I am very happy.

VOTE TOMORROW FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA or today if you have early voting.

It has been rainy all night.  I am curious to see what the snow level looks like when it gets light.  It would be nice to see some sunshine again.