The school removed the laminator from my classroom. It sat on a large table next to my pantry cabinet where I keep fod and dishes.
The laminator was supposed to be available to all teachers, which means anyone can come into my room and use the laminator and possibly see the toaster oven under my desk, the electric skillet behind my printer, or other curious telltale signs in my room.
Without the laminator, I lost the convenience of having the laminator right there, but I'd rather have the privacy as well as the large table space where it used to sit(which makes it easier to prepare food or swap out eating dishes quickly).
This year I started using a folder system with my students. Instead of teaching small group lessons, children receive individualized education plans in their own folders with work tailored for them. They can move at their own pace and receive minilessons from me when they need them. The first week it worked great except that I can't find my assessment books. They are somewhere in storage. If I can't assess kids, I can't find out what they know and what they need to learn.
My favorite activity today (on a Sunday) will be sitting down planning my lessons for this week.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Weather Below freezing now
I went home with Aunt Theo after church. We had relatives visiting after church. It felt so good to have a warm place to eat, relax, and use the bathroom for hours (not use the bathroom for hours - you know what I mean).
The weather has gotten down to 32 degrees at night. That's cold. For the first time in six weeks, I'm really feeling the cold. I started to rethink this homeless project. However, I realized that God has been preparing me for this moment. I know what I need to buy at the store to keep warm (balaclava, wool socks, etc).
Yesterday I got another comforter and some long johns out of storage. I wore the long johns under my day clothes. I slept sandwiched between one comforter and I put the other comforter doubled on top of me (3 layers of comforters on top of me). Then I felt warm again.
This week, I got concerned about the probability of me getting blood clots due to sleeping in the fetal position so much of the time. Sometimes, I straighten my legs and stick them between the two front seats so they're not bent the whole night. However, this week I dared to straighten my legs and prop them up in the backseat vertically. I think you really can't see them if you were a security guard passing by because I'm so short. It feels good to stretch my legs.
I also read that raising my legs above my heart can help prevent blood clots.
I don't sleep at Wild Overland apartments much anymore. I don't see the point in staying on the street without security when the two hospitals have such convenient parking and apparently security doesn't see me there. I also see the mist on my windows as a curtain. I haven't thought about getting windows tinted lately because the mist keeps me from being seen in the morning. I just need to keep my front seat clear of belongings at night so they don't tempt people who might pass by with a temptation to steal something.
The weather has gotten down to 32 degrees at night. That's cold. For the first time in six weeks, I'm really feeling the cold. I started to rethink this homeless project. However, I realized that God has been preparing me for this moment. I know what I need to buy at the store to keep warm (balaclava, wool socks, etc).
Yesterday I got another comforter and some long johns out of storage. I wore the long johns under my day clothes. I slept sandwiched between one comforter and I put the other comforter doubled on top of me (3 layers of comforters on top of me). Then I felt warm again.
This week, I got concerned about the probability of me getting blood clots due to sleeping in the fetal position so much of the time. Sometimes, I straighten my legs and stick them between the two front seats so they're not bent the whole night. However, this week I dared to straighten my legs and prop them up in the backseat vertically. I think you really can't see them if you were a security guard passing by because I'm so short. It feels good to stretch my legs.
I also read that raising my legs above my heart can help prevent blood clots.
I don't sleep at Wild Overland apartments much anymore. I don't see the point in staying on the street without security when the two hospitals have such convenient parking and apparently security doesn't see me there. I also see the mist on my windows as a curtain. I haven't thought about getting windows tinted lately because the mist keeps me from being seen in the morning. I just need to keep my front seat clear of belongings at night so they don't tempt people who might pass by with a temptation to steal something.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Pix of me sleeping in my car
These are pictures of me sleeping in my car. Can you find my head? I'm lower than the windows so I can see why it's hard to notice me. 
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Saturday, October 19, 2013
New phone, new abs, new students
So much has happened in the past week or two since I've written (it feels like 2 weeks, but apparently it's only been 8 days).
I found out that Uncle Theo’s father was diagnosed with leukemia this summer. His dad’s condition worsened two weeks ago, and I gave Aunt and Uncle Theo $60 for gas to make an unplanned trip to visit him (the father lives 4 hours away). His father died five days later.
Asana hasn’t paid the rent on time. I’ll have to drop in and pick it up. She claims she has it.
Last week, it rained almost 36 hours straight and my trunk was soaked. Apparently water is getting in through the dent on the side of my car. My trunk started to mildew. I need to cover the driver side of the trunk with plastic on the inside and maybe the outside. So, last night I slept inside the garage instead of on top. There are security cameras inside the garage, so I just try to get next to a car that’s between me and the camera.
I have flatter abs due to the gym membership. I work out every other day.
One night I taught an extra class for my evening job. That’s $75. I think of all money now in terms of what it can buy. $75 is one week of food, two weeks of gas, or pet rent for Joey for one month.
God has blessed again. I’ve been putting off getting a new phone because I want to save money. After two days of not being able to use my phone because the screen became unreadable, I went into a Tmobile store. Wouldn’t you know it? The screen became readable while I was there.
However, I knew that was not a sign to get a new phone. That was a sign that I was supposed to go ahead and get some information off it, like text messages and voice recordings before it died completely. Then the salesguy lowered my phone bill by $20 a month. The phone was $170 with the tax. That means in less than 9 months, I’ve paid for the phone just by saving on the monthly bill.
The weather has been mild until today. Tonight, it's supposed to drop into the 40's. I'll let you know how that goes.
The reason I haven't written much lately is because I now have a caseload of students to teach on my day job. I may have to just blog on weekends. Now, I really need to be super organized. Now that I have students to teach, I can’t let survival interfere with my source of income, despite the fact that survival takes up so much time and energy. I must say, cooking in the classroom - I have a really good setup with the classroom kitchen. It's easy for me to get the items I need and it's not an inconvenience. I'm working on weekend meals and cooking in the park.
Last weekend, I went to the Laundromat just to iron clothes. I entered through the door farthest from the cashier so she wouldn’t see me coming in without a load of laundry.
I used to go to storage each morning, get clothes for the day, and take the clothes to the gym. That way I could put on work clothes after I shower. Now, I go to the gym first, shower, put back on the clothes I slept in, then I go to storage. I change clothes in my storage unit so I'm not carrying around an extra set of clothes into the gym.
I found out that Uncle Theo’s father was diagnosed with leukemia this summer. His dad’s condition worsened two weeks ago, and I gave Aunt and Uncle Theo $60 for gas to make an unplanned trip to visit him (the father lives 4 hours away). His father died five days later.
Asana hasn’t paid the rent on time. I’ll have to drop in and pick it up. She claims she has it.
Last week, it rained almost 36 hours straight and my trunk was soaked. Apparently water is getting in through the dent on the side of my car. My trunk started to mildew. I need to cover the driver side of the trunk with plastic on the inside and maybe the outside. So, last night I slept inside the garage instead of on top. There are security cameras inside the garage, so I just try to get next to a car that’s between me and the camera.
I have flatter abs due to the gym membership. I work out every other day.
One night I taught an extra class for my evening job. That’s $75. I think of all money now in terms of what it can buy. $75 is one week of food, two weeks of gas, or pet rent for Joey for one month.
God has blessed again. I’ve been putting off getting a new phone because I want to save money. After two days of not being able to use my phone because the screen became unreadable, I went into a Tmobile store. Wouldn’t you know it? The screen became readable while I was there.
However, I knew that was not a sign to get a new phone. That was a sign that I was supposed to go ahead and get some information off it, like text messages and voice recordings before it died completely. Then the salesguy lowered my phone bill by $20 a month. The phone was $170 with the tax. That means in less than 9 months, I’ve paid for the phone just by saving on the monthly bill.
The weather has been mild until today. Tonight, it's supposed to drop into the 40's. I'll let you know how that goes.
The reason I haven't written much lately is because I now have a caseload of students to teach on my day job. I may have to just blog on weekends. Now, I really need to be super organized. Now that I have students to teach, I can’t let survival interfere with my source of income, despite the fact that survival takes up so much time and energy. I must say, cooking in the classroom - I have a really good setup with the classroom kitchen. It's easy for me to get the items I need and it's not an inconvenience. I'm working on weekend meals and cooking in the park.
Last weekend, I went to the Laundromat just to iron clothes. I entered through the door farthest from the cashier so she wouldn’t see me coming in without a load of laundry.
I used to go to storage each morning, get clothes for the day, and take the clothes to the gym. That way I could put on work clothes after I shower. Now, I go to the gym first, shower, put back on the clothes I slept in, then I go to storage. I change clothes in my storage unit so I'm not carrying around an extra set of clothes into the gym.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Rethinking Tithing (or rather, NOT tithing)
I thought about how I used to return tithes. I stopped when I got so sick with worrying about finances that I got stomach cramps – I think they were ulcers. One day I will have to stick with God until death, but I couldn’t even hang in there with stomach pains. I’m re-thinking the whole “not tithing” thing.
2.5 Hour Breakfast
October 4,
2013
It took me 2.5 hours to make breakfast in the classroom this morning. I’ll have to get better – like down to 30 minutes. I made scrambled eggs with onion, tomato, and spinach as well as sweet rice and kool-aid.
It took the rice 90 minutes to cook (same as last time, so now that I know that, I need to keep cooked rice on hand). I don’t need to cook rice with the intention of eating it that day.
Time would have been saved if I had chopped the onions and tomatoes ahead of time. That’s doable.
If I had made those preparations I would be eating breakfast at 8:30 instead of 10:30. You live, you learn.
It took me 2.5 hours to make breakfast in the classroom this morning. I’ll have to get better – like down to 30 minutes. I made scrambled eggs with onion, tomato, and spinach as well as sweet rice and kool-aid.
It took the rice 90 minutes to cook (same as last time, so now that I know that, I need to keep cooked rice on hand). I don’t need to cook rice with the intention of eating it that day.
Time would have been saved if I had chopped the onions and tomatoes ahead of time. That’s doable.
If I had made those preparations I would be eating breakfast at 8:30 instead of 10:30. You live, you learn.
Security - Too Close For Comfort
October 8
Last night was my first cold night. I wore a sweater over my t-shirt and I wore gloves. I slept with the comforter pulled up to my nose and avoided tossing and turning and exposing my body to cold air. It was only in the upper 40’s. This is nothing compared to what’s coming.
During this past week, I finally saw a security truck at Peace Hospital. It was in the morning, not at night. I had a horrible time sleeping on Sunday night. I slept at Willow Acres Hospital. As soon as I arrived, I looked around briefly then went to the back seat and laid down. As I was still adjusting my body and the blanket over m e, I heard a vehicle pull into the spot next to me. When it got quiet, I waited to hear the door open and shut. I waited to feel the ground of the parking lot vibrate as the driver walked away. Instead, I heard and felt nothing. Was the driver just sitting in the car waiting on something? I slowly raised my head to see and was mortified. A security truck had parked next to me and the driver was sitting in it looking around.
I was not in a comfortable position but I didn’t dare move. How long would he stay there? The answer is – all night long. Periodically, I raised my head during the night and he was still there. Sometimes I heard him talking on his CB. I moved very little all night long and spent large parts of the night in uncomfortable positions. I can’t believe he never noticed me. Either I am just that good, or he noticed and decided not to say anything. Maybe he thought I was trying to be close to someone in the hospital.
So after those two experiences at the hospitals, I slept at Wild Overland Apartments last night. I woke up late so there were lots of kids walking to the bus stops. When I raised my head, my windows were covered with my trusty misty curtain, which I had forgotten about since the past week has been so warm at night. Foggy windows make me feel more secure getting up in the morning.
Two weeks ago, I went to a college alumni event with Aunt Theo and a friend, Carol. Since we arrived early, we wandered around the hotel where the event was being held. It was fun going down hallways that we didn’t know where they would lead, and opening doors and going oops! At some point I asked, “Where are the securitiy cameras? I don’t see any.” The Carol said, “Yeah, but I’m sure we’re high on somebody’s radar right now!”
Last night was my first cold night. I wore a sweater over my t-shirt and I wore gloves. I slept with the comforter pulled up to my nose and avoided tossing and turning and exposing my body to cold air. It was only in the upper 40’s. This is nothing compared to what’s coming.
During this past week, I finally saw a security truck at Peace Hospital. It was in the morning, not at night. I had a horrible time sleeping on Sunday night. I slept at Willow Acres Hospital. As soon as I arrived, I looked around briefly then went to the back seat and laid down. As I was still adjusting my body and the blanket over m e, I heard a vehicle pull into the spot next to me. When it got quiet, I waited to hear the door open and shut. I waited to feel the ground of the parking lot vibrate as the driver walked away. Instead, I heard and felt nothing. Was the driver just sitting in the car waiting on something? I slowly raised my head to see and was mortified. A security truck had parked next to me and the driver was sitting in it looking around.
I was not in a comfortable position but I didn’t dare move. How long would he stay there? The answer is – all night long. Periodically, I raised my head during the night and he was still there. Sometimes I heard him talking on his CB. I moved very little all night long and spent large parts of the night in uncomfortable positions. I can’t believe he never noticed me. Either I am just that good, or he noticed and decided not to say anything. Maybe he thought I was trying to be close to someone in the hospital.
So after those two experiences at the hospitals, I slept at Wild Overland Apartments last night. I woke up late so there were lots of kids walking to the bus stops. When I raised my head, my windows were covered with my trusty misty curtain, which I had forgotten about since the past week has been so warm at night. Foggy windows make me feel more secure getting up in the morning.
Two weeks ago, I went to a college alumni event with Aunt Theo and a friend, Carol. Since we arrived early, we wandered around the hotel where the event was being held. It was fun going down hallways that we didn’t know where they would lead, and opening doors and going oops! At some point I asked, “Where are the securitiy cameras? I don’t see any.” The Carol said, “Yeah, but I’m sure we’re high on somebody’s radar right now!”
I thought about how Carol phrased that. Everywhere I go, I assume I’m high on someboday’s radar. Even when I can’t see a security camera I act as if there is one. Even at Peace Hosptial, I feel like somebody probabably notices me and is just letting it slide night by night. I read on one website, that if someone questions you just tell them “My goal is to be cleam, quiet, and unnocited, and they may leave you alone because that’s what they need you to do as well. They don’t want loud music or unclean habits and if you stay invisible they may turn a blind eye.
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