January 3
What vacation?




Listening to: Ally McBeal- Volume 2

Reading: Soft Focus Jayne Ann Krentz

Weather: 65(!) overcast

Trivia:What is the longest work of literature in verse?

The world's longest poem is the Mahabharata, an epic containing 100,000 couplets in some 18 books. Composed thousands of years ago in India, the Mahabharata was recently made into a TV series that became a smash hit in modern India. The epic poem describes events that took place around 5,000 BC in a place called bhaarata. It describes the appearance and adventures of Lord Krishna, a Hindu deity also known as the eighth incarnation of Vishnu, preserver of the universe. The climax of the story is a gigantic battle lasting 18 days. The Mahabharata is a powerful and important religious, spiritual, and historical document that contains many of the most fundamental concepts of modern Hinduism. It continues to have a profound effect on Hindu philosophy and culture.

Cool word:cataract [n. Kat-uh-rakt]

A cataract can be a large or high waterfall or a great, gushing deluge of water. It can also be a white or translucent obstruction in the eye that impairs vision or causes blindness. How did these two very different meanings evolve? This word's history begins with the Greek kataraktes (that which rushes or swoops down), from kata- (down) and rassein (to strike or smash). Other words from kata- include catalogue, catalepsy, and catapult. The first uses of cataract in English referred to waterfalls, swooping birds, and the portcullis or gate of a castle, which was lowered along vertical tracks. No one knows exactly how the cloudy visual obstructions came to be called cataracts, but one theory relates them to castle gates, which may appear to come down within the eye, blocking out the light.



The words on the lips of all and sundry today? "What vacation?" or "It was too short!" No one seemed to feel as if a week off was enough. Many had had this same cold that has a firm grip on me, and there was a lot of sniffling and hacking to be heard.

none of those sounds being exactly melodious.

And it was pitch black out when I got up this morning, the sun didn’t really even start to rise until I got to the parking lot at school. I was moaning and groaning all the way in and dreading opening the door to our office.

Jesus wept.



The day was awful. No one wanted to be there, and one of our assistants gave her notice. This sent everyone into a tailspin. She is a one-on-one aide for our neediest child and replacing her will be horrendous. Her resignation also sent a plan that the principal and I planned to set into action tomorrow right out the window. I don’t have any desire to tell the parents this.

I think I’ll just wait until word gets out. And I have no doubt that it will.



I literally had to drag myself through the day. I was coughing and coughing and it made my head hurt. I couldn’t wait to get home and collapse. I’m heading for bed mighty early tonight.

I’m looking forward to a swig of cough medicine, some aspirin, and my soft pillows. Ally McBeal is a rerun so I don’t care if I miss it.

I usually hate reruns, but I’m glad of it tonight.



I didn’t get any response at all form the director regarding the announcement that I was taking a leave of absence from the chorus. I did hear that she had called a mutual friend, very upset and unable to believe that I had done that.

Well duh.

I would suggest that she CALL ME if she wants to know what I’m thinking or why I’m doing this. Instead she calls other people and hides from the fact that I am upset about the way I’ve been treated. I would be honest and try to be calm (although I doubt I could be unemotional) and try to see if there was some way that all this could be resolved. Not that it would change my mind about January, unless of course the next session of adult education doesn’t run.

I forgot to ask about that today….I’d better check on that this week.

Anyway, I do think that the director is an idiot if she just keeps hiding form the things that people are feeling.

But that’s her choice and I can’t change her. I personally feel as if a weight has been lifted.

Her lack of curiosity amazes me. All I wrote was "I have decided to take a leave of absence for the month of January." No further explanation. That would KILL me and I’d have to call any person who sent me a note like that right away.

Our membership chairperson e-mailed me immediately to be sure I was alright. That’s really all the response anyone can ask for. I think it falls under the heading "Common Courtesy".



I should figure out how to score a test I’ve recently administered and try to finish up that second report that I only managed to get half done last night. I don’t think this is going to happen.

I’m wiped out.


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Today’s horoscope: ARIES

It requires you to make changes within yourself and your attitude to life before you can start to see changes in your outward circumstances. It is far easier and less of a strain than you would have imagined to start living out your new found beliefs and goals. Although the year is very young, already you start to sense that it can be a good one for you where you succeed in turning over a new leaf.