Officially the end of an era!

My youngest graduated from high school yesterday! We've now reached the point where all of our children are grown adults out of high school. The graduation ceremony was nice...and luckily we avoided the rain walking to and from the car. It rained earlier in the day, but stopped by the time we left for graduation. Then it rained while we were inside for graduation, but quit again by the time it was over. Since we had to walk quite a distance, we lucked out! Johnny, my mom, and I all rode up there together and then Ashlyn's dad drove her up there since his parents weren't going. And then sometime a little later in the summer, we're going to have a joint graduation celebration for Ashlyn, Aubry, and my sister (who graduated from college). Aubry and Chrystine graduated during 2020 while we were still going through the pandemic lockdowns...so we couldn't have a gathering at that time. We figured it would be a good idea to just have all three celebrations at the same time. And Aubry also graduated from WSU Tech in December 2022 (but decided not to walk at graduation) so we have lots to celebrate! :) I'm a very proud mama. 

And here is a photo I took of Ashlyn during the ceremony...looking very happy after crossing the stage and receiving her diploma. :) 

It was also a pretty special graduation ceremony...as it will be the last one presented by the high school principal. Ever since my oldest started high school here in 2016, every interaction I've ever had with the DHS principal has been wonderful. He oversees the third largest high school in the state of Kansas...as far as the number of students. There are over 2100 students enrolled in the high school...there were over 520 students just in Ashlyn's graduating class. But the principal has been very attentive to the needs of the student body and you can tell he genuinely cares about the kids. And you can also tell that he is beloved by the community. The roar of applause for the principal when he first spoke at graduation was very bittersweet...knowing it's his last year at the school and why.  

This might get a bit uncomfortable for some...but it needs to be said. I've tried to keep my mouth shut on Facebook...because I tend to get very argumentative when I feel strongly about a particular subject. And sometimes the responses people post...let's just say it causes my faith in humanity to take a nose dive. :P 

The "why" for the principal's early departure is largely the district's Board of Education. Several board members ran and were elected solely on hot-button conservative issues like masks. And since their election onto the board...they've taken extremist positions against masks, of course, (the BOE president actually sued the school over it...a judge dismissed the case), banning books/curriculums, and being terrified of anything having to do with diversity. Literally...the BOE president (and several other conservative members) vetoed an initial 5-year strategic plan largely because it had the words "diversity" and "inclusion" in it. He didn't approve of it including plans for "increasing positive culture and climate (equity, safety and belonging)." Because heaven-forbid our students feel a sense of equity, safety, and belonging!  One board member even stated, “schools are not in the business of mental health.” That's weird...because there is literally a psychologist on site at the high school. Why? Because mental health ABSOLUTELY affects education AND the school environment. As someone who has studied forensic psychology and behavior analysis...I can tell you with absolute certainty that mental health (and other social-economic factors) plays a huge role in the development of children and teenagers. It's interesting that schools focus a lot of attention on "active shooter drills" but when it comes to learning and dealing with the problems that can lead to such actions...oh we can't have that. It's not like it's a mystery. We have been studying the psychology behind such events for DECADES. But why do the work to prevent problems when we can just use reactive measures backed by lots of thoughts and prayers? Because that clearly works so well. Some BOE members are also very concerned about educational assessments and academic scores...but want to completely ignore all the issues that can affect those bench marks. Seriously...they have no idea what they're doing. They're just full of buzzwords, ignorance, and intolerance. 

One board member was outraged after learning that the beloved principal--in an effort to address issues that some students were actually facing in the high school--showed an educational video about being sensitive to racial concerns. A teacher complained to the BOE member that it was "offensive" and created a "hostile work environment." I'm sorry but if learning about problems faced by people who are different than you is so scary for you...maybe you should rethink your occupational decisions...or quite frankly, your life decisions in general. I mean...getting upset over a video that discusses white privilege and then displaying your white privilege by demanding an apology because you got hurt in the feel feels (as my oldest daughter would say)...that's pretty ironic. Way to prove the whole point, dumbass. The BOE member demanding an apology (indirectly) from a principal who was trying to do right by his students because the small-minded adults in the room can't handle being uncomfortable learning about the uncomfortable things that others face?! Are you seriously kidding me right now? Grow the fuck up. 

The beloved HS principal sent an apology via email. The fact that he felt forced to do such a thing...it's absolutely disgusting. I honestly can't blame him for taking a $30k cut in pay to take on a different role in a different school district...instead of his plan to to retire from this district in 2025...a district that he has devoted the last 28 years of his life to (including his final role as principal for the last 13 years). The announcement of his resignation was heartbreaking...but unfortunately, not shocking. I wouldn't put up with that bullshit either. 

The BOE even decided in executive session--seemingly out of nowhere--not to renew the contracts for the superintendent (27 years with the district in multiple capacities and superintendent since 2017) and two assistants...and then quickly reversed their decision about a week later (well I say quickly...it was a 3-hour long executive session to come to that decision). And guess which two still opposed the vote to renew the contracts? The extremist BOE president and his little side-kick. Now...I personally have very little personal experience with the superintendent outside of the speeches she has made during ROTC and graduation ceremonies...but it's still pretty surprising. Also...the timing is very suspect. 

The principal showed the video in January, a board Member complained to the superintendent in February, and then a week later they decide not to renew the contracts of the superintendent. But then a week later BOE President said, "No member of this board was seeking retribution or retaliation. There were no threats made to anyone that would jeopardize anyone’s employment in the district. Any assumptions or statements otherwise are simply false.” Really? Because the timing of HIS vote not to renew the superintendent's contract shortly after the incident and after stating that her response to the situation was "a month too late" seems retaliatory to me. Seems to me that the BOE President is the one making statements that are "simply false."

And their claims that "most of the community" would have a problem with it...I'm sorry...when did you ACTUALLY ask "most of" the community? Oh that's right...you didn't. You just ASSume that "most of the community" holds the same extremist views that you do. They don't. Considering how many community members who showed up in support of the principal...clearly their ASSumption of how the community actually feels was "simply false." 

All I can say...is that my vote for BOE positions will absolutely be retributory. That principal was far more beloved in this community than the extremists that currently serve on the board. We lost an amazing and prominent administrative figure in this district who truly cared about the students as individuals and championed for their success. And my hope is that when it comes time to vote...the current board members will feel the consequences of their actions through their dismissal.

But ANYWAY...all I can say is that I am so glad that both of my children were able to graduate high school under the guidance of a wonderful principal...and that they are no longer students in the school district. Because the decisions being made by this current BOE and the long-lasting implications of those decisions...nope. My children...the oldest was in high school from 2016-2020 and the youngest from 2019-2023. And I can tell you that the atmosphere before and after the 2021 BOE election...it has been a palpable difference and NOT for the better. Thank goodness for the good teachers, staff, and administration...who were basically manning a sinking ship. There have been MANY teachers, staff, and administration who are jumping ship. And I, for one, don't blame them at all. I can only hope for better decisions in the future...but I'm grateful that I won't have to deal with the ramifications of BOE decisions directly anymore since I no longer have a child in the district. :P 

How is it already November?!

I've been so busy lately...mostly with work. I've been relying on the old system to find files lately. I just prefer the way the queue is laid out with more information about the files so I can get a better idea of what I'm going to be working on. I picked up a 63-minute file due on October 15th and it was very clear audio...which doesn't always happen. Then I happened to see two more files in the queue for the same case that were due on October 16th so I grabbed those 105 minutes. Then when I was done with those, I found another 44 minutes for the same case due on the 27th and then another 137 minutes due on the 29th. And last night I completed another 146 minutes for the same case that were due this morning. So that's almost 500 minutes of pretty good audio all for the same case...my favorite kind of work! :) I really love my job and the freedom it allows our family. I'm so happy that I found this opportunity. :) 

Since I'd been so busy with work, the girls helped out with dinner a couple times last week. Tuesday night, Aubry made chicken fajitas for the first time...and she did a great job! And Ashlyn helped by grating the cheese, shredding the lettuce, and making the guacamole. Then Wednesday night Ashlyn made cheesy chicken broccoli and rice for dinner...which is her favorite. Then Thursday I made chicken and noodles in the crockpot. Mmm! Perfect for the cold weather we've had lately. And since it just cooks in the crockpot all day...I still had plenty of time to work! :) 

I also had a birthday almost a week ago. I'm in the last year of my 30s now! It seems pretty crazy that I'll be 40 next year. Overall, my 30s have been pretty good...so hopefully the 40s will be even better! :) Johnny, Ashlyn, and I went over to my grandparents' house here in town for dinner (Aubry had to work) and we had a lovely time. It was pretty funny...the TV happened to be playing in the background and 60 Minutes came on with the election interviews. We started watching it and talking about the candidates, politics, coronavirus...just all sorts of things. I've always been a Democrat and while I was growing up, my grandpa was always a Republican. But now...we were all pretty much on the same page about everything. It feels a lot like both sides have become pretty radical as of late...while the majority of us are in the middle thinking, "What the hell is going on?!" So while there has been so much division in the current political climate...it's very refreshing to see Democrats and Republicans actually coming together. :) Grandpa asked me if I ever thought I'd be spending my birthday watching 60 Minutes and talking politics...and I can definitely say I didn't see that coming. ;) But it was really a wonderful evening and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Johnny and I also saw my other grandma this weekend. She was needing some help moving a trailer and lawnmower to her house so we got that done for her. I say we...but I mostly just stood around with Bozley and grandma while Johnny drove the trailer and backed it in where it needed to go. ;) Grandma loves to see Boz and he was such a good boy. He still won't ride in the backseat while we're in the car. :/ He only wants to ride in our lap. He did wonderful in my grandma's truck with the bench seat though! 

Johnny has also been busy working in our yard on the weekends. We have had several elm trees and mulberry trees randomly growing next to the house and our fence. They just keep growing back! But Johnny has been working hard getting them cut out at the roots and treating them at the roots so hopefully they don't keep growing back. This year we also had several pokeweeds randomly show up in the front bushes and by the lilac bush in the backyard. Those things can get HUGE! I also read that they're poisonous to the animals so I'm glad Johnny was able to get them all out. 

I still can't believe it's November already. This year has gone by so fast! 

Online School: Day 1

Today the girls started the online learning they will be doing for the rest of the year. So far, so good!

Since both kids are in high school, the day lasts from about 8:30am-12pm and then they check in for homeroom from 1pm-1:15pm. They "met" with their teachers and classmates through Zoom video conferencing today, but most of the time they will just be completing work on their own. Some teachers will also be utilizing Google Hangout as well...which some teachers had done before. 

As far as grades go, the school has decided that no student's grade will drop below what it is now. The third quarter grades have already been archived and stored. For the last quarter, the school will run a utility that will compare the 3rd quarter grade and the 4th quarter grade...then the higher of the two grades will be the official grade on the transcript. So they will be able to raise their grade, but it won't drop below the grade they earned last semester.

Aubry is loving the online learning. She even said she wished they'd started it sooner! ;) She already has all As and Bs, so she is going to put most of her focus on trying to get those two B grades up to an A. Ashlyn has a few more classes that she really needs to focus on this semester to raise her grades. It didn't help that she started out the second semester by missing three weeks of school when she was sick in January. So hopefully she can get her grades up over the next month and a half.

I did venture out to Walmart today. Aubry needed some new earbuds with a microphone for their video conferencing so I left about 7:45am to pick some up. I went ahead and got our groceries for the next week or two while I was there. It actually worked out better than doing grocery pick-up. Since I was there early, almost everything I wanted was in stock.

Working from home is still going well for Johnny. It's nice that I can refill his coffee for him or grab whatever else he needs through the day. :) I also like his customer service voice! ;) Luckily the kids are older and their dogs stay downstairs with them...so it's relatively quiet. The girls had already gotten pretty used to keeping the house quiet because I've been working from home since October 2018...so that worked out well.

I still haven't been able to grab any files to transcribe. But I've just been using the time to get other things done. :) I think this coming weekend I'm going to steam clean the carpet in the living room and dining room again. So I need to get everything cleaned up and make room to rearrange the furniture while I steam clean.

Stay-at-Home Order

Yesterday, the Kansas county that we live in issued a Stay-at-Home order effective today which limits non-essential movement for 30 days. Of course, it's pretty broad as far as what is considered "essential" business (I don't personally consider liquor stores essential, but whatever) but at least it is a start.

However, I also believe this should be done on a national level (even worldwide), not just by county. If the country was limited to only essential movement for the infectious period of the disease and incoming travelers (or at least those considered moderate or high risk of infecting others) were quarantined for the infectious period...then the sooner we could go back to business as usual aside from continuing to quarantine incoming travelers. If there is no one infectious in the public, then no one will be infected to then infect others.

I downloaded the game "Plague Inc" to play again not too long ago. The basic idea is to create a bacteria, virus, fungus, parasite, etc. that will eradicate the earth's population. It was entertaining for about a day. That's how long it took me to pass every level at normal difficulty. The basic idea is that you have to infect every single country and keep people alive long enough to infect everyone in each country...and make sure that it kills everyone before a cure is found. Throughout the game, you choose modes of transmission (birds, animals, blood, airborne, etc), symptoms (coughing, rash, vomiting, etc), and then characteristics of the plague (can survive in hot or cold climates, resistant to medication, gene re-sequencing and mutation which slow down a cure, etc). All those choices affect how and at what speed the plague progresses and eliminates humans. Yeah...it's kinda morbid when you think about it. :P

But I also find it pretty interesting. I passed each disease type before a cure was finished...usually taking less than 2 years from patient zero until no more humans remained. It really highlights how important it is to stop the spread of infection...especially when there is no cure or vaccine. And that is really what the world needs to focus on right now...isolation and quarantine. It should be common sense. And we can already see what happens when a healthcare system collapses under overwhelming rate of infection. I really think the focus should be on lives and healthcare...not the economy. The economy can recover from a recession. People cannot recover from death.

Anyway...it really isn't much different than what we've already been doing. We've been staying home except to get groceries and necessities (like when I had to grab a few things to get Johnny set up to work from home). Aubry has been going to work 2-3 times a week. Food service is considered essential (now only for carry-out, drive-thru, or delivery), so as long as the business stays open, she is still expected to be at work unless she becomes ill. The girls have been taking their dogs on short walks around the block for some fresh air, but they have to distance themselves from anyone else who happens to be out doing the same. We have used delivery and drive-thru a couple times in the past two weeks...helping out some local businesses while still trying to be responsible citizens.

I still haven't had much work available. There were two files available when I checked first thing this morning but as soon as I clicked to claim one, they were both gone. So far I haven't seen more since. But...I did finally get our census done! ;) And last night Aubry and I did her taxes (I made her learn how to do it on paper before I showed her how to do it on Turbo Tax). And since Johnny is working upstairs in our bedroom, I'm going to work on trying to get the basement cleaned out and organized. It's been a slow process. :P I've also been watching some RV/tiny home shows on Hulu and daydreaming about Johnny and I doing the same someday when we're empty nesters. ;)

Working from home: Day 1

So far, I'm really loving the fact that Johnny is working from home now. The most obvious reason is that now I don't have to worry so much about his possible exposure since he does have respiratory issues and a chronic health condition. But also...the convenience factor is awesome.

He didn't sleep very well last night because we have a certain neighbor who likes to sit out in their car all damn night to listen to music. But I think there was less pressure for Johnny since he didn't have to wake up earlier to get dressed and ready for work and then drive over there. I made his coffee and he was able to relax a little bit and then just start working.

And with Johnny's first day of working from home, apparently I got a new job as his personal IT person. ;) I got him a new keyboard and mouse so he would have a larger keyboard and wouldn't have to use the touchpad on the laptop. I also picked up a 25' HDMI cable so he can use the TV in the bedroom as a second monitor.

And while I was out early this morning, I was also able to pick up a gallon of milk, a loaf of bread, some ground beef, and 2 packages of stew meat...which were the things I wasn't able to get with my last Walmart Grocery pick-up order. So tonight I made some vegetable beef soup for dinner. Luckily cooking it in the pressure cooker doesn't take as long so we didn't have to be tortured by the yummy smell all day. ;) It is probably my absolute favorite thing to make in the pressure cooker.

And since I was able to grab milk, bread, and some hamburger while I was out, I shouldn't have to get back out again for at least another week or so. I'll probably make another Walmart Grocery pick-up order in the next week or two for our staple items. It'll probably be whenever we're about to run out of milk.

Johnny's first day working from home went really well...all 11 hours of it! The girls were able to keep the puppies quiet throughout the day. Our little girl kitty, Angel, was kind of a pain though. She likes to be right up in everyone's business...especially while you're working on the computer. So instead of bugging me like she usually does, she was bugging Johnny. :P Eventually she settled down and fell asleep in my planner cart in the bedroom. I liked being able to spend Johnny's breaks and lunch with him. We also didn't have to wait for him to get home after work, so that was nice! The girls ate dinner and then when Johnny was done working at 9pm, we could relax and eat dinner, too.

I could definitely get used to Johnny working from home on a permanent basis. :)

Quarantine Update

Okay so we're not truly on quarantine, but we're trying to stay home as much as possible. Frankly, I love it...since I try to stay home as much as possible already. ;) However, my high school kids are getting pretty stir-crazy...especially Aubry. She keeps wanting to go to the store and hang out with friends and her boyfriend. So she's been kinda cranky. But she does get to leave the house a couple times a week to go to work. She works in a restaurant and they're still open so far.

In the last week, I think I've only left the house once to pick up our Walmart Grocery order. It was our regular biweekly order...but there were a lot of substitutions and out of stock items. Absolutely no meat, bread, or regular coffee creamer. Johnny bought some hamburger buns a few days ago though so we can use those for sandwiches if we have to. And I still have a couple pounds of hamburger and a bag of frozen chicken breasts so we can get by with that for a little while. The creamer though...Johnny is pretty upset about that one. :P And to disappoint him even further, Quik Trip has stopped selling their self-serve coffee! :P He did find out that he could order a medium through the kitchen though.

And we got some exciting new today! Johnny should be bringing home a laptop after work today to start working from home. I'm pretty happy about that! Too bad he can't always work from home!

The girls won't start online learning until around March 30th. I'm curious to see how that goes. I think it'll be a nice change of pace, though. Trying to look for the positives! :P

I hope everyone is doing well! Stay healthy! Stay home as much as possible!

I'm not a worrier.

Once upon a time, I used to be a person who worried a lot. About everything. All the time. I was so paralyzed by the fear of making my life worse than it already was that I just didn't want to make decisions at all. But...then I went through a messy divorce where I had very little control of the situation. There was nothing I could do to change what was happening. I learned to just do what I can and accept what I can't. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but eventually it just became a new way of life for me.

So I'm not a worrier anymore. I'm married to someone who is very much a worrier. He will stress about things that haven't happened yet -- and may never happen -- until he makes himself sick. It is one of the few ways that Johnny and I are different. I am a problem solver and I try to take care of any issues that arise and do what I can to lessen his worries. When there's nothing we can do, I try to remind him to stay calm and wait until something actually happens instead of stressing about IF it will happen. It's easier said that done, of course, but I support him as best as I can.

There is a lot of uncertainty going around these days. Grocery shopping has become an interesting situation. I'd gotten our normal grocery pick-up order shortly before everything started flying off the shelves so we've been fine...and we'll continue to be fine. We have a little bit of hamburger and I still have a whole bag of frozen chicken breasts. We have enough canned goods to last a little while because I try to stay stocked up. I try to make enough food for dinner so that we have leftovers for at least one more day or to have for lunch.  The only thing we may run out of is milk...which is likely the case for a lot of people. I have our biweekly grocery pickup scheduled for tomorrow...so we will see how much of our order is actually available. ;)

Earlier this week, it was announced that schools in the state of Kansas will be "closed" for the remainder of the school year. There is a statewide task force which is developing strategies that districts can use for continuing education at home, how to make sure students get free meals, how to handle students with IEPs, postponing graduations, etc. There are a lot of people flipping out right now and basically demanding immediate answers...but that's not our household.

I have a freshman and a senior. My freshman has been struggling a bit this year because she missed three weeks of school when she was sick at the beginning of the year. The only thing she is sad about is that she is grounded from her phone at the moment...so she just wants to be at school to socialize. :P My senior was a bit excited at first...then she started realizing that this is really it for her. She was supposed to direct a one-act play and that would no longer be happening. She was going to take her boyfriend to prom. Although she went last year, it was just with her friends. And then, of course, there is graduation (although I'm sure it is just being postponed right now). But, we talked quite a bit the day it was announced...so we're just waiting to see what the district decides and how things go with the Covid-19 situation. I'm trying to impress upon them that it's best to try not to worry about things that haven't happened yet...see what actually happens before reacting.

Johnny is a little more preoccupied with work. He is in an industry which is considered a required service. There is really no distancing going on in the call center. A friend of his there just got back from a cruise...but management is saying that it "doesn't count" per the CDC guidelines because they interpret it to mean that only cruises to certain countries count. And considering this is a company that punishes employees for using sick leave if it is not scheduled in advance, there isn't a lot of confidence with how they will handle the situation. But...it is what it is. And, right now we are trying to be thankful that Johnny still has a job right now when so many have been furloughed, laid off, etc.

I work from home, so I don't have to worry about leaving the house or social distancing. However, work has been pretty sporadic. Most times when I check the queue, there are no orders available. I'm not sure if it is because there are fewer orders or if there are just more people available to pick up the work...but I just keep checking throughout the day and use the rest of the time to get things done at home. Luckily my income right now is just supplemental.

I really just hope that we all stay healthy. The best thing we can all do is remain patient and be responsible. This situation affects everyone...so we're all just going to have to get through it as well as we can.

Pandemic Panic

You know what's ironic? So many of the people complaining about the media causing a panic are also the ones posting over and over again about the issue including the endless amount of memes about toilet paper. Repeatedly mentioning it, posting pictures of empty shelves, all the memes, etc. has completely taken over Facebook. That is pretty much the ONLY thing happening in my feed right now...a constant barrage of availability at the store, belittling others over the pandemic, and people complaining about panic.

Well...that constant barrage of posts and memes about what has run out at the store is causing people to rush out and buy more of the things they might need...because they don't know if or when they'll be able to get it again because of everyone else who is also doing the same thing. First it was toilet paper, Lysol, and hand sanitizer. Then it was milk. Now it's pretty much everything...including produce which doesn't last that long.

So yeah...complain about the media "spreading panic" by reporting facts but ignore the fact that filling everyone's Facebook feed with posts about what is running out at the grocery store is causing its own panic. You are literally doing the very same thing. You are part of the problem.

And STOP belittling people who are rightfully worried about the health of their loved ones for whom this situation could be deadly.

I will likely be just fine if I get Covid-19, but I have many friends and family members who may NOT be fine if they contracted this brand new respiratory virus. Anyone with a respiratory problem like asthma or COPD, diabetes, heart disease, a compromised immune system, the elderly, etc. are all at a higher risk of complications from Covid-19. MILLIONS of Americans fall into one or more of those categories...and I'm willing to bet you know a few of them. So while lots of us may be just fine if we get it, we can easily spread it to those whose life is at risk. Their lives matter.

This isn't "just the flu." You know why this is different than the flu? We already know what the flu is capable of. We already have vaccines to try to protect against it. Many of us have antibodies against it (certain strains at least). We have treatments for it (there are at least three antiviral treatments for influenza including Tamiflu). But unlike the flu, Covid-19 is a brand new type of Coronavirus for which we have no vaccine, no preexisting immunity, no treatment, and we're learning what it is capable of as we go. They are currently *experimenting* with treatments for other diseases to see if they work on this Coronavirus...like drugs developed to treat HIV and Ebola (some of which haven't even been licensed and approved yet).

And as people keep reminding us, tens of thousands of people die each year of the flu. Well guess what? Now in ADDITION to all of those people, we now have a brand new virus that is ALSO making its way around the world and leading to hospitalization and death. Which brings me to my last point...

We should all be a healthy bit concerned about the crisis which could occur within our healthcare system. Our hospitals do not have an infinite number of resources, space, or personnel. And with a flood of pandemic patients in addition to all those patients who already need medical care for childbirth, surgery, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, car accidents, and all the flu patients people keep bringing up, etc...it isn't just going to affect Covid-19 patients. It will affect ALL patients. Italy's healthcare is ranked number 2 in the world...the US is number 37. So don't act like we couldn't be facing the same crisis they are facing in Italy. That's why things are being canceled.

People shouldn't panic. But stop complaining about the panic if you're just going to keep contributing to the problem. How about thinking of other things to start talking about on Facebook? Then maybe that panic you keep pissing and moaning about will die down...