Colette & D'arcy, August 2010 When we were going to school, I'm sure we didn't question how all the desks and equipment got into the room. I don't know whether we thought there were fairies or gremlins or custodians who did the physical labor, but we just plopped down on the chairs or stools, determined to get through the year ... But that was many decades ago, before PEDs (personal electronic devices) and the ingrained belief that school is mainly a social activity. Now I know the truth -- for 8 out of 10 teachers, we must decorate our rooms and make them a "print rich" environment -- even though we know that, unless we press the point, the kids really don't look at the stuff that the powers-that-be insist should be posted.
This week, we had 2 days in our room and spent 3 in meetings ... oh, the joy of meetings. The English Dpt. is 15 people strong, so we fill a room -- and several members get quite vocal when they're bored. At lunch, I grabbed time to eat and decorate on the room ... but my room is still a work-in-progress. There are boxes to check, empty (if possible), books to label -- windows to cover and decorate -- and we have only 8 hours (officially) to finish the job.
Just to make life more interesting, the powers-that-be removed the computers in our rooms. Back in the day, that wouldn't count as a major inconvenience, but now teachers post student attendance and grades on the computer ... hence, no computer means unsubmitted attendance reports (a bad thing that gets your name called out by the principal on the PA) and late grades (also a bad thing by the end of the 6 weeks). On Monday morning, I walked into drama -- one teacher's husband was ready to call the cops because they'd removed personal equipment. Shoot, two weeks ago, we had been at SHS working on curriculum, so these guys moved fast ... and stored the computers in the downstairs men's restroom. CPUs, monitors, wires, cables, mice (mouses?), all jumbled together higher than the stall doors ... It was not a pretty sight.
Mr. T finally lost his temper & called downtown about the insanity ...he told the district that his teachers needed computers, so when would we get replacements? All of us know that once the equipment is gone, you don't get new stuff if you're not a magnet school ... DISD couldn't give a timeline, so he gave the word to go get our computers. I lucked out: the yearback teacher recruited some cheerleaders, so I followed the flatbeds to the restroom. One young man -- who had been in my summer school English class -- climbed all over the bathroom, over the commodes and stall doors, to help us locate our stuff. Oh, and that was my lunch time on Wednesday ... I had meetings after I set up the computer. I did get a new (well, new to me) flat-screen monitor. And non-teachers wonder why we get stressed ...
Obviously this week I haven't had much time for dolls ... but I did get an order for 3 pairs of beaded earrings from the theater teacher. Like me, she is a child of the 70s -- long, dangly earrings are part of her personal style. Plus, she likes the chokers. When she placed the order, I was working on "SMART Goals" for our team. (Don't ask -- it's an education thing.) Without thinking, I asked if she liked chokers. Yes, she did ... now my dpt. chair & evaluator (and team) are all around, but I couldn't resist. I pulled up this blog -- and got an order for a copper & purple crystal choker. I've got work to do this weekend ...
Last weekend we celebrated Joy's birthday. Colette, my Obitsu 60 cm SD) tried on the "Movietime" clothing set from BJDC Austin 2008. (I may be wrong about the year.) With the red wig, she looks like Amy Ponds, the current companion on the British SF show Doctor Who. Mar re-did her faceup in pastels (The original was done in human makeup.) on Saturday night while I re-dressed D'arcy. When Joy bought the Dollzone doll for me, he had an Egyptian set of clothes -- a white kilt, headband, armbands ... I played with names -- one was Yul or Ramses, after Brynner's star turn in The 10 Commandments. My mom tells me that I loved the "Moses movie," but I don't remember liking Charlton Heston all that much ... Still, the name didn't quite fit; his expression made me recall Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in Pride & Prejudice, so the kitty boy became D'arcy Fitzwilliams. To his chagrin, like many of Mar's boys, D'arcy occasionally wears dresses. This little number came from Enchanted Dolls in Fort Worth ... The frills lessen the "pissed pussycat" expression that D'arcy has when he wears his Egyptian set or Scottish kilt (a plaid Barbie skirt).
Dance quote: "You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life ...
See that girl, dig that scene, you are the dancing queen."
-- ABBA
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