Thoughts & Things

Today was a gray substitute teaching day.

2008-11-12T16:50:00.003-05:00

The cold, rainy weather added a bleariness to an already long Wednesday. I arrived at school earlier than usual, hoping to cast off the dreary feeling by being ready to go. Unfortunately, a bright and cheerful day was not to be.

As the sky continued to darken, so did the classroom atmosphere. It wasn't a horrible day or a terrible day; it was a blah day. I wonder if the students felt the same as I? Were they wishing the sun would shine?

The students accomplished their daily tasks, interrupted by the occasional issues that seem to multiply on dark days: lost pencils, broken pens, missing papers, and drama. The kind of drama that can overtake the classroom. "I'm sure someone took my pen!" "He's staring at me!" "I'm not talking, I'm just answering his question."

Even now as I reflect upon the day, I feel that dreary, gray weather depression that fights to wipe out every positive moment. Why is it that we remember the negative so well? Today wasn't a bad day, it was just blah. I know there were good, if not great moments. Perhaps tomorrow I'll have the energy to focus on the positive!

Snowday Musings

2008-02-05T18:56:00.000-05:00

Today was a snowday. I'm not sure why--there wasn't any new snow. I suppose the backroads were very icy.

I love snowdays! I loved them as a child and I love them as a teacher. It is a delightful surprise to discover that you can sleep in, when you were planning to get up early! Unfortunately, we've had so many snowdays this year, that we'll probably have to add extra school days to the end of the year.

Ever heard of Flylady?

2008-01-24T17:58:00.000-05:00

As the new year began, I was thinking about goals (resolutions, whatever). I wanted to get organized, get the house cleaned, and have extra time for crafts. During a search for how to get organized, I stumbled on Flylady.

I'm now a flybaby and loving every minute! At first my husband laughed about the whole keep your sink shiny and wear your shoes stuff. Now he comes home to a clean, cozy home, dinner, and a cheery wife. It is amazing to me, that I don't have to clean like my mother (hallelujah)!

If you're living in chaos, depressed, or overwhelmed by all you have to do------visit Flylady for some encouragement and direction. She is helping people everyday!

My Personal Page with Weebly

2007-09-05T08:20:00.000-04:00

The internet used to be a bit of a mystery to me. Things have changed so much--by learning just a bit of code, I can link to all sorts of things.

I recently made my own page! It's a personal/teaching page. It's fun for me and I hope someone will also find it useful.

I used a free website publisher called Weebly. Unlike other places to make free pages, Weebly doesn't automatically place ads all over your page. Weebly is very easy to use and you can register your own domain. How cool is that!

StumbleUpon

2007-07-04T22:34:00.001-04:00

Ever heard of Stumbleupon? This site helps you stumble upon sites that you're interested in. You choose your interests, meet new people, and begin stumbling.

It's a great place to visit! View my page at http://thialee.stumbleupon.com/.

PSP Download Center

2007-07-03T09:26:00.000-04:00

Music, movies, and games for PSP?

The PSP Download Center offers life memberships, help with downloading, and more music, games, and movies than you could possibly use.

The price is reasonable for a life membership ($39.99).

The disclaimer indicates that there isn't any copy-written material on their pages. They also welcome further questions.

The Potential Downside: Refunds must be requested in the first seven days and there is $9.95 nonrefundable processing fee. See it for yourself.

2007-07-02T11:51:00.000-04:00

Access to unlimited music, movie, and game downloads?

I began searching for a site that would be easy to use, inexpensive, and safe. I did not find many download sites that offer music, movies and games. I wanted one site, not three separate memberships or subscriptions.

I was really excited when I first saw InternetDownloads!

At a glance, I could see the features I'd been looking for:

Unlimited music downloads, videos, live concerts, tv shows, games, software and e-books

Key Features included:
over 9 billion files
no per download fees
no burning fees
no download limits
MP3 & iPod compatible

I also read the testimonials, frequently asked questions, and bonuses section.
InternetDownloads offers one month, one year, or unlimited/lifetime membership. All memberships are entitled to a 60 day full refund guarantee.

Yes, I'll try it!

Then the tiny blue disclaimer seemed to jump out at me! What?

The disclaimer explained that sharing is not illegal, but you need to share responsibly. InternetDownloads offered a link to copyright information and tips for sharing safely.

I'm not yet comfortable with P2P (peer-to-peer) file sharing, so I will continue my search.

Hope this information is helpful. Please let me know what you think about InternetDownloads and P2P.

Long Summer Days

2007-07-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

I am so accustomed to going to school, that these carefree summer days seem to stretch on forever. Yes, I do have plenty to do, but do I want to do it? How many hours a day should I clean house? If I vacuum everyday, will it ever be enough?

I've decided to take a break! I'm going to surf the web, and share my thoughts on what I find.