Challenging Days

Just a lot of challenges today, and yesterday. Its been stressful, but I didn't cry, yell, scream, argue, threaten, or murder anyone. So I guess I did alright.

I went to pay the utility bill. I had a bill in hand for $61 dollars. They ran the account and $700 showed up. Apparently two things happened. One being I blanked and never paid in January and Two being that when I moved it took them a while to get the old and new addresses on the same bill. Its a small town so they don't follow the cold weather rule.

I was calm, I waited for the director of the department to get out of a meeting and then explained to her that I get paid on the fifteenth and could pay the balance then. She accepted a $200 payment until then. (note that was still a heck of a lot more than I went in intending to pay).

The landlords have decided I need to pay a pet deposite on the world's ugliest rental house, so I need to pay them an extra $250 on the fifteenth as well.

Gideon's birthday was this week, he's six, but we aren't celebrating until after payday, because I'm broke, although it looks like I'll be broke then too.

My kia, the one that's only 13 years old, mechanically mostly sound, starts when ever you ask it to, and runs quietly enough that you can have a conversation, hear a phone ring or listen to the radio, is still stuck in the snow. No amount of rocking will get it to get a grip and move. And the Jeep, the old, loud, scary jeep, seems to be having transmission issues. It popped itself out of 4L this morning and when I tried to out it back, it made an awful sound and then stalled. Luckily it restarted in 2L. Still, kinda need the 4x4 at the moment.

We got about ten inches of snow today, its still snowing out. this is one of the coldest, snowiest winters I can remember. Usually out average winter high temp is in teh mid thirties to mid forties, as in it doesn't stay below freezing for longer than a few days or hours at a time, with warmer, 50-60 days sprinkled in. Snow on the ground more than a week is rare. Three snow storms in the space of a week, unheard of. I don't like it.

They cancelled school again tomorrow. Which I also hate. We are on a block schedule, so the days alternate. We've missed four blue days now to two gold days. Not good.

I have a student who is 18, in custody for chronic truancy, and who's only disability is that she's gotten away with refusing to work. She shuts down, goes to sleep, and people leave her alone and let her fail. I refuse to.

There for instead of working I get "I can't work with you sitting there." "I don't need your help." "You can go away now" or variations thereof. Except that I found her sitting at a computer with her head on her arms and the screen black from a screen saver. The teacher in the room says "S______ wake up" from his seat twice and then lets her sleep.

I never raise my voice, I never call her names. I simply refuse to accept doing nothing and present her with options. Work or go talk with the Vice principal. She knows that will lead to a report going to her PO or what ever and result in her being in custody longer, so she doesn't want to do that. After about half an hour or arguing, resisting and making excuses, she gets to work. She seems to hate the whole exercise, I know I do.

Then later in the day she sees me and hugs me. I don't think any adult has ever demonstrated real caring (as in it is not ok to choose to fail) or follow through with her. I don't know how I should feel about that. Disappointed in the system that has failed this girl since she was 7, and in the people who've given up on her, pissed at her for wasting talent, or just exhausted from the whole ordeal. She makes me hate Gold days.

I've decided I want a Jeep Grand Cherokee. They seem to be popular and reliable SUVs, they aren't super humongus, but they are roomier than the sportage, they come in 4x4, and they are common enough that I can keep my eyes open for used ones to show up fairly regularly.

Still, I'd be happy if this damn snow would just quit it.