Meet my Pet Peeve, Self-Congratulation

Warning: Self-righteous rant ahead. Proceed with caution and be not taketh-ing me seriously. Remember that this is all obnoxious blowharding from the least perfect person on Earth. On with the rant, then...

I'm sure I'm guilty of it myself.

But you wanna know what I hate?

Braggers. People who just can't stop talking about how great they are, how many totally killer things they did, how people are just so lucky to have them around.

I'm not talking about the honesty of being able to express satisfaction of a job well done. I'm not talking about pride in one's accomplishments. I'm not talking about having a strong sense of self-efficacy. All these things are good... nay, not good... wonderful.

I'm talking about relentless, attention-seeking, boastful bragging.

I had an interaction recently with a person I haven't talked to in a good long while. A coon's age, if you will. I thought we could just chat (online, of course, long distance charges being what they are and me being the cheap bastard I am), catch up a bit, and call it a day. One of those "hey long time no see how ya been whatcha been up to ok been good talking to you see you around" conversations. I only had five minutes, so it should have been.

Instead, I was subjected to what can only be described as an unremitting barrage of self-aggrandizing own-horn-tooting. Long story long... it annoyed me.

And generally annoys me.

Thank you for reading my whiney rant. You may now continue with your regularly scheduled non-cranky life.

Lady, You Are Officially Creepy

Harris: Non-Christian electees will "legislate sin"

Church-State separation a lie, huh? FanTAStic. Where do I line up for my government-issued burqa? Religiously-based government has worked SO WELL in other parts of the modern world, eh?

My favorite part is where she tries to take it back. Sorry, you say it, you own it.

Oh Sweet Hay-zoos

Amazon.com beckons. Three weeks back in the bush, and I'm already clicking my way from TV show to movie to book.

I like new books. They are shiny and full of information and their pages aren't all dog-eared.

I like new movies and TV shows on DVD. They hold the promise of much mindless entertainment.

And yet... I like my checking account fat as a christmas goose.

Decisions, decisions.

Answer: Not Even Two Full Weeks

Question: How long does it take me to catch my first student-borne sickness?

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Monday, I'm going to start my Nazi-esque hand sanitizer requirement. Sure, it takes up 30 seconds of instructional time, and since I only have a half hour with each group, that's 1/60th of my total time with them, but dammit, I'm NOT spending another year constantly in some stage (coming-down-with-an-illness, ill, or recovering-from-an-illness... and they can overlap!) of disease.

Please spare me the hand-sanitizers-are-bad-because-they-increase-germ-resistance argument. I know that. I am well aware of it. I agree with it, even. But when you teach 75 separate germ factories per day, have no sink in your classroom, and don't have the time or patience to send them to the bathroom to wash their hands, hand sanitizer is the only option.

It's a good thing kids are cute and endearing, otherwise I wouldn't get within ten feet of them. I would look a bit foolish, not to mention be ridiculously ineffective, teaching from inside a bubble-boy bubble.

Why my Classroom is Uncool

1. No windows
2. No windows

Why my Classroom is Cool

1. My own printer
2. My own photocopier

Ow

Loki punched me in the eye today.

Well, he didn't punch me, he chucked a bone at me.

You see, our darling pooch will play fetch with himself. He'll throw something up in the air, then go after it. It's kind of convenient because he'll just entertain himself.

This morning I was laying on the couch after our walk, 50% napping, 50% planning out my day, 100% enjoying my Sunday. Loki was next to me on the floor, chewing calmly on his bone. All the sudden, BAM, pain in eye. He had merrily tossed his bone into the air above him, not realizing in his doggy retardedness that "the air above him" was also "where Sara is currently reclining."

I did what any self-respecting, grown-up, 20-something woman would do... I immediately burst into tears. It hurt, dammit.

But no harm done. I don't appear to have a big prize-fighter shiner. I can still see. Thankfully, I was half-sleeping, and therefore had my eyes closed.

Wait a Minute

Who are these pint sized people, and why are they in my building?

Could it be the first day of school already?

I like my new school and job (well, the job's a lot like my job last year), but miss my old school and old job.

And school begins... NOW.

At some point I'll get around to a real post, I promise.

Okay, Okay

I've not been very good at updating lately.

I've been busy, and the internet at home isn't the most reliable.

Suffice it to say we're settling in at home and I'm gearing up at school. The summer flew by so quickly... I feel really unprepared for the school year... but it'll be fine, fine, just fine.

We're Here

We're in Nunapitchuk. We've had very little sleep.

More later.