Grumps can suck it, it's Friday!

[ldamelio]

Zero Covid patients in either of my hospitals, including the inner city one that serves as a regional Covid center and covers a vulnerable urban population. Zero. Very happy about that.

Long weekend with minimal plans. Some riding and laying around, a little grilling, seafood and bourbon and hanging out with good friends.

[JoB]

That was an easy thumbs up. Great to hear!

Zero Covid patients in either of my hospitals, including the inner city one that serves as a regional Covid center and covers a vulnerable urban population. Zero. Very happy about that.

Long weekend with minimal plans. Some riding and laying around, a little grilling, seafood and bourbon and hanging out with good friends.

[Tom]

I'm taking a week off. I'm going to ride my bike, putter in the yard, attend meetings and finish preparing for the overnight work I'm doing the weekend at the end of the week off.

But more importantly do the charts to see if six months before my 61st birthday I can walk into work and say guess what in 6 months KMAG YOYO. I think it'll happen. Today was just another in a long list of days where I know I won't have any regrets.

[bigbill]

This isn't a grump, a few days ago I was contacted by a 6-12 school about getting my teaching certificate and joining their faculty. The school is located on an Indian Reservation and has been closed for about 6 years while kids were bused an hour each way to another town for school. The Nation wants to reopen the school and bring the kids back. Some of the issues include a 5% math and language literacy rate and decades of generational poverty. I think I could make a difference but I'm not sure about taking it on at age 56 with no high school classroom teaching experience. The reservation is twenty minutes from my house. I've got to think all of this through. I don't need a certificate to be a full time substitute.

[72gmc]

You're a good person, bigbill. They know it.

[AngryScientist]

That's cool @bigbill

It's a little hot in AZ, but my aspirational plans are to retire into wearing a sport coat with suede elbows and teach HS physics. my HS physics teacher altered the trajectory of my life and I am forever grateful. he was a former Pakistan airforce pilot; his english was atrocious but his love of physics was contagious.

I dont think 56 is old to take on a new and fun challenge. best of luck with your decision.

[bigbill]

It's been a weird week. As mentioned elsewhere, Monday was a sleepless night with belly pain. Around 6am on Tuesday I told my wife I need to go to the hospital. She let me off at the ER door while she parked the truck. As the hours passed, the pain built to the point that I wanted to pass out. A little morphine took the edge off enough for testing which revealed an appendicitis. Because I had been sick all night, I was actually ready for surgery with an empty stomach. It all went well and I went home an hour after recovery. Today is a good day because the swelling is going down, I was able to walk for 30 minutes last night, and the pain is fading.

Even better today were the texts I got from my son. He is doing a summer flying program before his senior year at Annapolis. His words, "I really love flying, it's a lot of hard work, but it's fun hard work." It's nice when your kids figure things out on their own.

[j44ke]

This isn't a grump, a few days ago I was contacted by a 6-12 school about getting my teaching certificate and joining their faculty. The school is located on an Indian Reservation and has been closed for about 6 years while kids were bused an hour each way to another town for school. The Nation wants to reopen the school and bring the kids back. Some of the issues include a 5% math and language literacy rate and decades of generational poverty. I think I could make a difference but I'm not sure about taking it on at age 56 with no high school classroom teaching experience. The reservation is twenty minutes from my house. I've got to think all of this through. I don't need a certificate to be a full time substitute.

It wouldn't be easy but it might be great. Average teaching life of the large majority of teachers is 5 years, so see what you can do.

And good news on the appendix. :-)

[johnmdesigner]

This isn't a grump, a few days ago I was contacted by a 6-12 school about getting my teaching certificate and joining their faculty. The school is located on an Indian Reservation and has been closed for about 6 years while kids were bused an hour each way to another town for school. The Nation wants to reopen the school and bring the kids back. Some of the issues include a 5% math and language literacy rate and decades of generational poverty. I think I could make a difference but I'm not sure about taking it on at age 56 with no high school classroom teaching experience. The reservation is twenty minutes from my house. I've got to think all of this through. I don't need a certificate to be a full time substitute.

This will either be an exhilarating experience or a demoralizing one.
I know you will choose the former.
When you start the cycling club let us know...

[Tom]

I knew somebody that worked at a youth detention facility and he said how the decision making capability of some of the kids was beyond his comprehension. I asked him if he ever thought he helped any of them. He said he thought he did. It could be both for you. Heartbreaking and exhilarating. Hell, if I had that opportunity and thought I could change one kids trajectory I'd jump on it.

[bking]

This isn't a grump, a few days ago I was contacted by a 6-12 school about getting my teaching certificate and joining their faculty. The school is located on an Indian Reservation and has been closed for about 6 years while kids were bused an hour each way to another town for school. The Nation wants to reopen the school and bring the kids back. Some of the issues include a 5% math and language literacy rate and decades of generational poverty. I think I could make a difference but I'm not sure about taking it on at age 56 with no high school classroom teaching experience. The reservation is twenty minutes from my house. I've got to think all of this through. I don't need a certificate to be a full time substitute.

If you can do it, what a tremendous way to at least try to make a difference. Hope it works out for you.

[Tom]

I have two days upcoming without these kinds of exchanges:

Them: "We're having connection problems in production. You aren't doing anything with IOAGATE are you?"
Me: "No" and go off and look at what they are talking about. I see a slew of error messages, report back to them what they are and start investigating.

After a while

Them: "Oh, it is related to an aggregator change we made this morning. We backed it out and are good now."

I see. You made a change, stuff stopped working and your first thought is that my team must be up to something.

[bigbill]

Things I'm thankful for:
1. There were donuts in the break room this morning.
2. I had the A/C off and the windows open last night.
3. My son is safely back at school for his senior year.
4. The time I got to spend with our dog that passed last Friday.
5. That I'm able to have lunch with my wife on Fridays.

[defspace]

Doc gave the all clear to ride my bike outside again. "Just be careful."

[bigbill]

I am trying the 8/16 fasting plan. I eat between 11am and 7pm. It hasn't been that hard since I'm usually busy all morning and don't miss having a breakfast. Today at 11am, my wife and I had lunch at a local cafe. I had a reuben with fries, I got all emotional about it. Fasting for 16 hours and having a reuben, what a great time to be alive.

[bigbill]

It's cooling off in NW Arizona. We'll see lows in the 50s starting this weekend, it's truly the best time of year to be here, windows open, coyotes howling, owls hooting, very peaceful.

[bigbill]

My collegiate cycling son texted me for bike advice. He wants a new race bike that better fits him. He's racing on a 56, he needs a 54. The 56 is my fault. He said he's okay with aluminum and rim brakes so I directed him toward Rock Lobster. He gets it, plus it's his money. I have a box of parts including a DA 9100 drive train for his new bike.

[ides1056]

A day late, but:

I woke up around two in my tent. A Fisher was ranting in the woods nearby. Went on for a long time.

[72gmc]

^^^ I think I would like that.

I was yelled at by crows as I walked my dog. Not really the same, but a good walk nonetheless.

[Tom]

I realized on Friday that I plan less than one more year of my working career.

Then I'm just a desperado waiting for a train.