The Path to Redemption

[Redemption]

hmmm.....so there are some truths to what my gfs have been telling me.  Thanks for pointing it out.  I'm going to work on how to capture a man's atttention more deligently from now on....

As to pheromones.... I must be immune to it because all I could think of while at the gym was...."why are you stinking so bad!" the gym is pretty empty but why come workout next to me.... I had ZERO interest in tearing off his clothes let alone make babies with him.  I kid...maybe just the tearing clothes part...cause he sure was stanky!

Subconscious my dear, subconscious! That means the part of the mind that you aren't aware of.

[Redemption]

So if you could pick one super power, what would it be? Would you be good or evil? For me, I'd be good, and I'd like the superpower of being able to fly at the speed of light. I'm thinking with the price of fuel these days, flying would save me some money... oh, and I'm thinking I would be able to save a lot of people also. Anyway, I just watched a Korean movie that had a hero who could regenerate his body, and a villain who could control everyone's mind, as long as they're in his sight/view. That's not a bad super power also... the things you could make people do. like... make me a sandwich, or, do my laundry. A wise man once said "With great power, comes great responsibility ." Let's face it though, even though I wouldn't be evil, I'd definitely use my super power to gain advantages. Like... being the last in line on black Friday but flying at the speed of light to grab the only 60" 1080p 3D HDTV on sale for $699.

[Redemption]

I wish for x-ray vision!   

Some how, I'm not surprised... 

[Redemption]

They say "Strays don't sleep."

It's as though my soul is out there, wandering from city to city, town to town, village to village. You would think I'm crazy, if I said that I love the feeling of being homesick. It's funny, some of the moments where I've felt the most alive, were the moments where I was in a strange town, where no one knew my name. Whether it was traveling for business, or for pleasure, or for sport... it always made me feel alive. Don't get me wrong, I'm content with life here at home. It's just... sometimes, I just need/want to feel homesick.

I love to travel. I used to travel a lot when I was younger, but not so much anymore. Hopefully one day, when I no longer have obligations, I can give it all up and become a drifter, and hopefully I'll be able to satisfy my wanderlust. But until then, my soul is out there some where. Tirelessly wandering.

They were right.

[zena]

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

It's a privilege to wander...somet imes we are so tied down that we can only dream of such things.  And, I don't mean tied down as in marriage and children (but can include it)...just the every day grind.

[Redemption]

It's weird but when I'm sleeping, I prefer some white noise as opposed to complete silence. I usually turn on the fan, or have the air purifier on. I think it's the same feeling as being under a shelter and hearing raindrops outside. I don't know if we can remember that far, but I think it gives us a sense of salvation, similar to when we were in our mother's womb.

[zena]

I still don't understand what you meant...? Help me understand.

Sorry, I missed this.  Not sure what you still want to understand.

[Redemption]

So recently, we found out from teacher-parent conferences, that my niece wasn't turning in her homework. Her parents basically scolded her, but me, I wanted to find out the reason why. Because she is a good kid, and I just figured that maybe she just didn't understand how to do them, and felt ashamed to ask for help. And/or also, maybe everyone just seemed to busy for her to ask. Well, what ever her reasons were, I decided to make an effort to help her, because I know her parents (my sister and brother-in-law) won't be able to explain things to her, without yelling at her. When I asked, she confirmed my suspicions. She didn't understand them and was too scared to ask for help.

So today she didn't start doing her homework until 9pm, and so I was fine with it until... she asked me for help, and I realized she had like 4 pages to do. I was pretty upset at her because her bedtime is 10pm, so I told her I'd ground her next time if she waited till the last second to do it again knowing how much she had to do.

As I was helping her, I realized how behind she was in math. And me, being 25+ years removed from that kind of math, it was hard for me to explain it in a way that she would understand. We were working on fractions and decimals, and although it was easy for me to do, it wasn't easy for me to explain. And she just doesn't seem to understand the concept of fractions. She's a smart kid, and she reads at a higher level than her grade, but math, that's a different matter. She just can't visualize numbers in her head, it seems. Like earlier, we were confronted with an 11+4... and she had the hardest time trying to visualize it and solve it... I feel so bad for her.

So I decided that I'm going to make an effort to help her or find help for her, because, although her parents aren't bad parents, they just don't know how to help her. I love her so much, and feel so bad for her, because it's not her fault. It's the system's fault. It's the parent's fault. It's the Uncle's fault. The teachers send kids home with homework... some parents are bad at math/reading/etc so sometimes they don't even understand the homework... or sometimes they are so "busy," that they don't have the time to help. They assume it's the school's job to teach their kids... and it is... but it's also the parent's job also. Anyways, I'm looking for software or websites or resources from her school, to see if there is anything more we can do to help her. I'm thinking she needs to start at the basics of addition and subtraction, because I don't think she has a good understanding of those concepts yet...

Anyways, I just wanted to release some stress... She's a good kid, and we can do more to help her. I will do more.

[WindComeWindBlow]

You're such a cool uncle.  Anyway, I had a similar conversation with a co-worker the other day.  Kids young adults these days can't do their math because they can't get their basics down. 

[Redemption]

Hey! Total bummer about your niece but you're on the right track with her.  Aren't you in STP? They have great resources for parents..paren t portal will help you see all the homework required/due, the type of work they are doing in class, behaviors, grades, test grades, lots more. Sign up for it if your sister and bil doesn't already have an account. SPPSD's standards are that test scores account for 90% of the grade, not saying homework isn't important, but students can retake the tests that are given as many times as they want for the grade that they want. My motto, A is the leader of fun learning! 

Don't even get me started on the alien ways the students are taught how to do math nowadays! LOL...I hate math (sshh) and I still struggle with junior high math. My student does an awesome job teaching it to me most days, he doesn't have to know that.  They have online teaching for parents with the math textbooks they use. We love khanacademy.org, very kid/parent friendly. Last but not least, if you get stuck on a problem, it's okay to send it back to the teacher with a note explaining your troubles and the teacher will work on it with her.

Remember to make it fun for her. Teach her to LOVE it! I hate it but my student thinks I'm a math magician...LOL, that's the secret, never let them know how you feel about it, esp if you hate it. Reward with praise is the best thing you can do for a child's morale. Make sure you listen to her....it can get very frustrating for them, esp when we start to grill them about why they don't know how to do it?, were they not paying attention?, etc....don't do that! Your niece sounds like a bright kid, I'm sure she will do fine. Good luck! You know where to find me if you need anything!

Thanks for the advice SMH! I'll have to find out about the parent's portal. Last night, a friend also recommended khanacadamy.or g to me, and it looked like a great site. I will definitely have to set up sessions for my niece and I to go through it together.

You're such a cool uncle.  Anyway, I had a similar conversation with a co-worker the other day.  Kids young adults these days can't do their math because they can't get their basics down.

Thanks Moon! Yes, some where in the process, they never got a good foundation of math, and they just slip through to the next levels and soon thereafter, they're lost.

[aboo]

I'm a big fan of Khanacademy.or g 

[Redemption]

There is a giant two-pronged tree in my back yard that spews white cotton-like poop all over during the summer. I just hate it with a passion, and have been wanting to cut it down for years, but it's not on my list of most important things to do. I should really reconsider putting it towards the top of my list though, because it looks flimsy and may one day be a hazard to us and/or the house. Plus it keeps staring at me. Must. Chop. It. Down. Soon.

-

I'd rather it be cold than hot. If it's cold, I can layer on clothing. If it's hot... there's only so many layers of clothing I can take off before I get thrown in jail for indecent exposure. Luckily I can PH all day in the nude in the confines of my room. Thank you for door locks.

-

I swear it feels like winter is winding down... Like we've already had couple of months of winter, when in fact, it has yet to begin. How depressing is that? Glad there are things like Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas, and New Years, that help occupy us during the winter season.

Might as well try to enjoy the winter, since it's going to be a while. I think we're supposed to get some snow, next week. So who wants to help me make snow men, and snow angels, and yellow snow?

[Redemption]

Ice ice baby...

I'm weird... I can't drink anything without ice in it. If I was out in the desert, dying of thirst, and found a gallon of water, I wouldn't drink it unless it had ice in it. Also, I can't eat a meal without having a drink in hand. So if you wanted to kill me, all you would have to do is keep ice away from me, and the rest will take care of itself.

[Redemption]

Welcome to club weird! 

-weirdo member since 198*

 

[Redemption]

A lot of people have crossed my path in my lifetime, and it's always good to hear of them even though it's been years since we last had contact. I guess that only means they have a part of my heart, however big or little that may be. May you be happy in all you do!