Rushing
Listening to: Michael Crawford’s Christmas CD.
Reading: Jewels of the Sun Nora Roberts
Weather: 40, rainy
Trivia:Did Samuel Morse really rip off the concept of telegraphy?
It certainly looks that way. In 1829, Joseph Henry, a prolific and energetic American scientist, constructed the first electric motor and working electromagnet. Two years later, using these crucial devices, Henry built an electric telegraph. However, believing that such crucial scientific discoveries were the property of all mankind, he did not patent this invention. Enter Samuel Morse, inventor of the Morse code. In 1844 he took out a patent on telegraphy, never acknowledging the contributions of Henry and, essentially, taking all the credit for its invention. Naturally, the financial reward followed as well. Ironically, neither individual was actually the first to conceptualize and build a working telegraph system, primitive versions going back as early as 1727.
Cool word:soporific (sop-uh-RIF-ik) - Causing or likely to cause sleep or drowsiness; anything likely to induce sleep.
The day started with a HORRIBLE parent meeting. This child does not have a learning disability but does have some serious emotional issues. The parents deny this and feel as if she should get services from us. The kid doesn’t qualify based on the testing.
It was ugly.
The school psychologist came to my office and cried after the meeting concluded.
We are all under tremendous pressure, have no time to do all the work they want us to do, and are feeling so overwhelmed that we can’t deal with it all.
And no one seems to care.
I spent most of the day trying to test a kid, and the teacher was pissed that I wanted him for so much time. Tough luck. This was no surprise to her, and she knew that this had to get done whenever I could arrange it. So she spent the day giving me a hard time.
And I didn’t finish the kid and will need him for at least an hour more.
She’ll be ever so pleasant about that I’m sure. She was the same one who was miserable at the faculty meeting yesterday.
From work I went right to the mall. So I could work on Christmas shopping before we performed. The mall is a zoo. Especially because it was a big day of coupon sales at Macy’s and Filenes. Everyone was out and frantically looking for stuff.
I made a bit of headway before the performance, but had to stop so I could be at vocal warm-ups at 6:15.
We sang for the public from 7 to 8. I was one of the emcees. It was my swan song. I’ve decided to resign from the emcee committee. I can’t go on this way, it gives me too much pain.
Some of my kids were at the performance. That was fun.
I guess the chorus sounded well.
After the performance we went to Friendly’s to get something to eat, and spent some time chatting.
Then it was time for me to power shop.
I did pretty well. I shopped until almost 11 (some stores were open until midnight- I think that’s sick).
I got a bunch of stuff for my father to give to my mother, and that was my main goal. Of course she really doesn’t need anything that I bought her, but I had to get SOMETHING! I like what I got, but I’m not sure she will.
I was again wiped out by the time I got home, but at least I had the feeling that I’d accomplished something.
Now I have on specialty store that I need to stop at on my way home from school, and I should be just about finished.
Except for my brother who has yet given me a single item he might want. He does this every year. It bugs me.
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