Bison Bits & Nano Novel Thoughts

Is it Thanksgiving holidays yet? Sigh!! Yes, it is ... and not a moment too soon. I was ready to collapse from the stress -- either that, or go postal on 3rd period, which would not have been pretty.

The last two days were rather sad ones around SHS -- one of the teachers died of heart failure on Wednesday night, and today a senior died of leukemia. Unfortunately, I cannot put a face to either name ... and I've taught there 4 years. However, unlike RHS, the campus is so much larger -- and with a larger faculty that I don't know the majority of faculty or a class the way I did at Velt. (Sorry -- RHS. For some reason, the powers-that-be didn't like the old nickname.) Why the thoughts about my old school? I got a surprise today while I was fighting wind & papers on the way to the recycling bin ... a middle-aged lady was talking to her male co-workers after they had finished spraypainting over the graffiti on the retaining walls that lead from the back teachers' parking lot to the fine arts wings ... and she turned around and said those words guaranteed to recall the past: "Hi, Ms. Nickell."




Yep, I had taught her back in the days ... In fact, she asked why I hadn't retired. (Darling, I'm not THAT old!!) To tell the truth, it's the tax laws and the economy. I might be able to beat one, but not both ... Then one of last year's kids stopped to help me -- yeah, he's a junior. My first time sophomores are seniors now -- and very lazy, alas. Still, I was not ready to discover that (a) most of my early students ARE middle-aged parents and (b) that many work for DISD. There are days I feel a part of the problem of the future of American education -- rather egotistical of me since I'm not their only English teacher. Still, how do they find me?

We're in the midst of cleaning house ... a monumental task, believe me! Plus, I'm still working on the NanoWriMo novel. Since I'm writing by hand, it takes a while to compose 1500 words. (I've never done it in one day.) At the moment -- I should be at 25000 words; but, no, I have about 14000. Still, I haven't strung that many words together in one month in a loooong time. So, there is something to be said for the "no plot, no problem" approach to writing.