Okay, ya'll. We can officially forgive my loan officer who waved the late fee and apologized for the inconvenience as soon as my husband went to see him.
Also, he informed my husband that I sounded a little...um...pissed in the message I left. That might be true. But in my defense? I was pissed. No surprises there.
But kudos to his secretary who told my husband she would also have been a little stabby. And now is where we sing "I en-joy be-ing a girl!"
But on to the highlight of my day.
I got to discuss necrophilia with two classes of high school juniors.
I know you're jealous of my awesome job. After all, who WOULDN'T want to discuss the crazy/hot scale and necrophilia in the classroom?
Honestly, folks? We only have William Faulkner to blame. He can't help his Southern Gothic goodness. Of course, if you don't follow, feel free to pick up "A Rose for Emily." Then, our discussion of the legalities of necrophilia will totally make sense.
And maybe you'll want to be a teacher, too.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Dr. Seuss, except not
I had every intention of talking about how it's Dr. Seuss' birthday today. I wanted to let you know how much I love him and how insightful I think some of his books are (Oh, The Places You Will Go! anyone?).
But I can't do that because right now I'm so aggravated I can hardly see straight.
What has me so out of sorts, you ask?
Our mortgage lender.
Now I know people have no reason to ever be frustrated with a bank (HA!), but mine is plain annoying. Here's why I'm mad:
Last month, we received a statement indicating the balance of our loan had to be paid. We were trying to close; unfortunately, that wasn't going to be a possiblity. Apparently, there were a few too many things unfinished, and even though the appraiser said that stuff wouldn't matter, the bank had other thoughts.
ANYWAY, we've been in contact with our loan officer to figure out what we needed do in order to rectify this issue. Please keep in mind that the ONLY statement I received from them was one for the entire balance of the loan.
When Favorite talked to our loan officer, the officer said we could pick up papers to extend the loan until we finish (which will hopefully be this week) and we needed to pay on the interest. He said we could pay a certain amount this time and then the same amount next time in order to get it paid down...you know, because they hadn't sent me an interest billing statement since January.
So imagine my surprise when I received a loan billing statement from them today charging the FULL amount of interest due AND a $500 late charge. Oh wait, did I mention that the amount of interest due is the amount from BEFORE my most recent payment? So either someone put that all to late charge or there is a serious math problem.
A LATE CHARGE? FOR WHAT? For doing exactly what my loan officer told me to do???????????
Ridiculous. Yes, I have called them. No, my loan officer wasn't in. Yes, I did leave him a message indicating I would not pay late charges for following his instructions.
And if this is not rectified, I will be sending a seriously honest letter to the Better Business Bureau and moving my mortgage elsewhere.
UGH!
But I can't do that because right now I'm so aggravated I can hardly see straight.
What has me so out of sorts, you ask?
Our mortgage lender.
Now I know people have no reason to ever be frustrated with a bank (HA!), but mine is plain annoying. Here's why I'm mad:
Last month, we received a statement indicating the balance of our loan had to be paid. We were trying to close; unfortunately, that wasn't going to be a possiblity. Apparently, there were a few too many things unfinished, and even though the appraiser said that stuff wouldn't matter, the bank had other thoughts.
ANYWAY, we've been in contact with our loan officer to figure out what we needed do in order to rectify this issue. Please keep in mind that the ONLY statement I received from them was one for the entire balance of the loan.
When Favorite talked to our loan officer, the officer said we could pick up papers to extend the loan until we finish (which will hopefully be this week) and we needed to pay on the interest. He said we could pay a certain amount this time and then the same amount next time in order to get it paid down...you know, because they hadn't sent me an interest billing statement since January.
So imagine my surprise when I received a loan billing statement from them today charging the FULL amount of interest due AND a $500 late charge. Oh wait, did I mention that the amount of interest due is the amount from BEFORE my most recent payment? So either someone put that all to late charge or there is a serious math problem.
A LATE CHARGE? FOR WHAT? For doing exactly what my loan officer told me to do???????????
Ridiculous. Yes, I have called them. No, my loan officer wasn't in. Yes, I did leave him a message indicating I would not pay late charges for following his instructions.
And if this is not rectified, I will be sending a seriously honest letter to the Better Business Bureau and moving my mortgage elsewhere.
UGH!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Fat Tuesday
Today is my second real week of participating in Fat Tuesday.
I've really been praying that God would heal my body and allow it to work the way it's supposed to. PCOS makes it difficult to lose weight, but I've been pleasantly surprised. Last week I lost three pounds. This week I'm down a total of five.
It's a win and a loss. Five pounds is huge for me. Normally, I would go several weeks without losing anything and then, after weeks of dieting, I might lose a half a pound. So you can obviously see my excitement. The thing that bothers me is that I had lost seven. But one night of not being super careful (although, not completely overboard) and I gained two pounds.
But I'm going to focus on the successes and realize that, while I gained two pounds, I'm overall still showing a loss. And I like feeling like I can actually do this myself after so many years of feeling like it was impossible.
I've really been praying that God would heal my body and allow it to work the way it's supposed to. PCOS makes it difficult to lose weight, but I've been pleasantly surprised. Last week I lost three pounds. This week I'm down a total of five.
It's a win and a loss. Five pounds is huge for me. Normally, I would go several weeks without losing anything and then, after weeks of dieting, I might lose a half a pound. So you can obviously see my excitement. The thing that bothers me is that I had lost seven. But one night of not being super careful (although, not completely overboard) and I gained two pounds.
But I'm going to focus on the successes and realize that, while I gained two pounds, I'm overall still showing a loss. And I like feeling like I can actually do this myself after so many years of feeling like it was impossible.
Monday, February 28, 2011
This is not a how-to on friendship
In college, I never would've considered myself a solitary person. I had a core groups of friends, and we spent a lot of time together. Most of our interactions were unspoken, regular occurrences. Some of them were planned outings (though they were rarely planned by me--if ever).
That, of course, changed in my mid-to-late twenties (and into my 30s). I don't dislike people, really, but I rarely invite people to hang out and would spend much of my time alone if others did not extend invitations. In fact, Chris makes fun of me because I'm always resistant to the idea of vacation. I guess I'm just too used to certain routines.
I don't like talking on the phone, and in person, won't talk if I don't have something to say. I rarely make small talk, and the act in itself makes me uncomfortable. Of course, these actions are often interpreted as rude even when I'm not trying to be hateful.
It should go without saying that these things have cost me friendships. Mostly, I think that's sad, but it's not behavior I withhold for some and inflict on others.
Of course, some things aren't a matter of personality.
In the past, I was a little over-willing to share my personal feelings. I thought that honesty was the best policy so OF COURSE you shared what you were going through with your friends. I have realized, however, that it's not a policy that is iron-clad. Sometimes I don't share because I don't trust people. Sometimes it's because it's a need-to-know sort of thing and other times it's simply because my feelings have been treated flippantly in the past. Nothing hurts worse than to be dealing with a situation that may never go away and to have a "friend" tell you that you need to build a bridge, get over it and concern yourself with her problem which is obviously a much bigger deal. That's not to say that her problem wasn't a much bigger deal in her mind, but that particular sentiment really hurt me. Essentially, what had happened to me wasn't traumatic. It was just a fact of life that could be pushed aside.
So if you've read this far, you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to share any of this information. Well, I'm glad you asked. It's to let you know that I don't abandon people. Generally, my level of interaction doesn't change even if another person's does, but, as stated above, hospitality has never been my strongest suit. I make my best effort to listen to my friends, even when I don't have a response. And, if the conversation did not begin with my problems, it's rarely going to end on that note if we've been talking about something you're going through.
I believe in prayer. I always follow through with it when it's requested, and sometimes when it isn't. I even believe in encouragement when I have something genuine to say.
But I won't belittle you with worthless small talk just so we can feel like we met our friendship quota for the day. And if you feel like that makes me a bad friend, I guess that's where life leaves us.
PS. If you want to participate in Prayer Monday, click here.
That, of course, changed in my mid-to-late twenties (and into my 30s). I don't dislike people, really, but I rarely invite people to hang out and would spend much of my time alone if others did not extend invitations. In fact, Chris makes fun of me because I'm always resistant to the idea of vacation. I guess I'm just too used to certain routines.
I don't like talking on the phone, and in person, won't talk if I don't have something to say. I rarely make small talk, and the act in itself makes me uncomfortable. Of course, these actions are often interpreted as rude even when I'm not trying to be hateful.
It should go without saying that these things have cost me friendships. Mostly, I think that's sad, but it's not behavior I withhold for some and inflict on others.
Of course, some things aren't a matter of personality.
In the past, I was a little over-willing to share my personal feelings. I thought that honesty was the best policy so OF COURSE you shared what you were going through with your friends. I have realized, however, that it's not a policy that is iron-clad. Sometimes I don't share because I don't trust people. Sometimes it's because it's a need-to-know sort of thing and other times it's simply because my feelings have been treated flippantly in the past. Nothing hurts worse than to be dealing with a situation that may never go away and to have a "friend" tell you that you need to build a bridge, get over it and concern yourself with her problem which is obviously a much bigger deal. That's not to say that her problem wasn't a much bigger deal in her mind, but that particular sentiment really hurt me. Essentially, what had happened to me wasn't traumatic. It was just a fact of life that could be pushed aside.
So if you've read this far, you're probably wondering why I'm bothering to share any of this information. Well, I'm glad you asked. It's to let you know that I don't abandon people. Generally, my level of interaction doesn't change even if another person's does, but, as stated above, hospitality has never been my strongest suit. I make my best effort to listen to my friends, even when I don't have a response. And, if the conversation did not begin with my problems, it's rarely going to end on that note if we've been talking about something you're going through.
I believe in prayer. I always follow through with it when it's requested, and sometimes when it isn't. I even believe in encouragement when I have something genuine to say.
But I won't belittle you with worthless small talk just so we can feel like we met our friendship quota for the day. And if you feel like that makes me a bad friend, I guess that's where life leaves us.
PS. If you want to participate in Prayer Monday, click here.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Prayer Monday--2/28/11
Not a lot to say today.
Prayer Requests
1. That God would heal my body so it would work the way it's meant to.
2. My Favorite
3. That God would prepare the hearts of the women who will be attending Women's Bible study. As our opening day approaches, I always get a little nervous.
4. I've been dealing with a bit of anomosity from a few fellow congregants. I don't want to get into details or disgrace anyone, but I do want to make sure I'm doing the things God has called me to do. After that, I want to be able to disregard the opinions of others. I have a real problem concerning myself with the opinions of others when I know what they think is none of my business. What matters is what God is thinking of me.
5. We're trying to close on our loan at the bank, but it's requiring a lot of extra time from Chris (to complete projects the bank has declared MUST be done). We'd like to be finished by the end of the week. Pray for us.
Prayer
Father, a few women have committed themselves to praying on a daily basis--both for themselves and the requests of others. I pray that Your will would be clear to them. Please reveal Yourself this week. Touch the hearts of those who are making these requests and meet our need for You.
Amen.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Teacher Blogs: Oversharing and the Internet
Several bloggies I follow participate in Joyce's Wednesday Hodgepodge. This isn't something I have done in the past, but there was a question on today's hodgepodge that garnered quite a bit of attention from me today:
7. Did you hear about the high school English teacher recently suspended for some things she wrote on her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.
What are your thoughts-if you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you a 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students there? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss....
First of all, allow me to say that I think it's easy for so many of us to take the moral high ground after an event like this has taken place. While many of us (I'm a high school teacher) may not have taken our comments to the extent Natalie Munroe did, few of us can wave the non-guilty flag when it comes to venting in any sort of venue--public or non-public.
Personally, I'm not sure what's so over the top about getting frustrated with students because they are, in her personal belief, "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners." Would I have chosen those words? Not today. But there are days when they would seem to be the most fitting. Many of my students are lazy. This isn't something I've never said to them, but it must be a taboo word. Fact is many of us in the educational sphere are struggling with students who carry around a sense of entitlement so large they can barely get through the door. And it's difficult to make demands when the parents of these children are dogging their every footstep and demanding teachers let up and relax. And sometimes it's hard to change things in your classroom because a child has very little expectation at home.
But parents? That's a whole 'nother issue.
Please understand that I am not defending her word choice. I am defending her right to a personal opinion and the feeling in general. I've been there. And also note that I think her random comments for student reviews are a little on the harsh side. Granted, I haven't lived her week and am unsure as to what she had to endure before those statements were made. I've had students who definitely made my classroom life miserable and their absences changed the entire tenor of conversation. On the days they were present, it was probably good that I had a 15 minute drive home.
But sometimes I do wonder if my frustration with NCLB, my aggravation with enabling parents, my suggestions to preservice teachers, my inbred need to defend myself or my random rant to rude teenagers will outweigh my love for my job and my desire to do it well (too many posts to connect to two small statements). I do try to use discretion when I write about my job, because I do believe in privacy; however, apparently (or at least that was my impression of this article) anonymity is no longer good enough. Although I wonder: if general statements are found distasteful, does that automatically mean the statement-maker should lose his/her job? Like the article stated, it's murky water. Plus, it has implications that go way beyond the educational world.
As I was mulling over this topic, I noticed that a few people commented that issues like this are the very reason they homeschool their children. I've heard it before. I've even heard people go as far as to say that they homeschool simply because of the problems in the educational system.
Pardon the frankness of my opinion, but I think that's asinine. Educational institutions may be peppered with their fair share of issues (as is evidenced by this issue in general), but I wonder how that's different from so many other fields and institutions that also have problems. I've never heard of a United States citizen changing his/her citizenship because our country has problems. Most people find a way to stick it out in the workplace despite the issues that exist and every church I've ever known of has been riddled with its own set of difficulties.
The difference? I've never heard of someone "home-churching" their children because the church has problems.
Before you start commenting and complaining that I'm anti-homeschool, keep reading. I'm not against you homeschooling your children. I've known families who did it because it was a better fit for the family or the child. I've known people who homeschooled because they wanted to have more curriculum options or more control over the types of things their children were learning. I've even heard of parents homeschooling because the school district in which they lived was not up to par and they could do a better job. If someone believes in any of these reasons, go for it. But don't use a catch-all to support your homeschooling reasons--particularly if that catch-all applies to a hundred other institutions and establishments.
And please, dear heavens, don't use one teacher as an example for the rest of us. Frustrated or not, so many of us are still trying to make a difference. Hopefully, our blogs/facebook pages reflect those feelings as well as the frustrated ones.
But sometimes I think the positive statements don't have quite the same impact.
7. Did you hear about the high school English teacher recently suspended for some things she wrote on her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.
What are your thoughts-if you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you a 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students there? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss....
First of all, allow me to say that I think it's easy for so many of us to take the moral high ground after an event like this has taken place. While many of us (I'm a high school teacher) may not have taken our comments to the extent Natalie Munroe did, few of us can wave the non-guilty flag when it comes to venting in any sort of venue--public or non-public.
Personally, I'm not sure what's so over the top about getting frustrated with students because they are, in her personal belief, "rude, disengaged, lazy whiners." Would I have chosen those words? Not today. But there are days when they would seem to be the most fitting. Many of my students are lazy. This isn't something I've never said to them, but it must be a taboo word. Fact is many of us in the educational sphere are struggling with students who carry around a sense of entitlement so large they can barely get through the door. And it's difficult to make demands when the parents of these children are dogging their every footstep and demanding teachers let up and relax. And sometimes it's hard to change things in your classroom because a child has very little expectation at home.
But parents? That's a whole 'nother issue.
Please understand that I am not defending her word choice. I am defending her right to a personal opinion and the feeling in general. I've been there. And also note that I think her random comments for student reviews are a little on the harsh side. Granted, I haven't lived her week and am unsure as to what she had to endure before those statements were made. I've had students who definitely made my classroom life miserable and their absences changed the entire tenor of conversation. On the days they were present, it was probably good that I had a 15 minute drive home.
But sometimes I do wonder if my frustration with NCLB, my aggravation with enabling parents, my suggestions to preservice teachers, my inbred need to defend myself or my random rant to rude teenagers will outweigh my love for my job and my desire to do it well (too many posts to connect to two small statements). I do try to use discretion when I write about my job, because I do believe in privacy; however, apparently (or at least that was my impression of this article) anonymity is no longer good enough. Although I wonder: if general statements are found distasteful, does that automatically mean the statement-maker should lose his/her job? Like the article stated, it's murky water. Plus, it has implications that go way beyond the educational world.
As I was mulling over this topic, I noticed that a few people commented that issues like this are the very reason they homeschool their children. I've heard it before. I've even heard people go as far as to say that they homeschool simply because of the problems in the educational system.
Pardon the frankness of my opinion, but I think that's asinine. Educational institutions may be peppered with their fair share of issues (as is evidenced by this issue in general), but I wonder how that's different from so many other fields and institutions that also have problems. I've never heard of a United States citizen changing his/her citizenship because our country has problems. Most people find a way to stick it out in the workplace despite the issues that exist and every church I've ever known of has been riddled with its own set of difficulties.
The difference? I've never heard of someone "home-churching" their children because the church has problems.
Before you start commenting and complaining that I'm anti-homeschool, keep reading. I'm not against you homeschooling your children. I've known families who did it because it was a better fit for the family or the child. I've known people who homeschooled because they wanted to have more curriculum options or more control over the types of things their children were learning. I've even heard of parents homeschooling because the school district in which they lived was not up to par and they could do a better job. If someone believes in any of these reasons, go for it. But don't use a catch-all to support your homeschooling reasons--particularly if that catch-all applies to a hundred other institutions and establishments.
And please, dear heavens, don't use one teacher as an example for the rest of us. Frustrated or not, so many of us are still trying to make a difference. Hopefully, our blogs/facebook pages reflect those feelings as well as the frustrated ones.
But sometimes I think the positive statements don't have quite the same impact.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Fat Tuesday
Typically, Taylor over at The Lumberjack's Wife would post regarding Fat Tuesday and all participants would weigh in (literally and figuratively). Unfortunately, Taylor's computer is still not working.
BUT I WILL NOT BE DETERRED.
Actually, that's a lie. Had I gained weight or stayed the same, I probably would be deterred. Hm. I might have been deterred if I had something more interesting to say today, too.
But, no. My life is boring people. I do things like polyuerethane doors and let the dog outside. Occasionally I get really exciting and use the microfiber mop to clean my floors or I *shock* shave my legs. But things have to get pretty spicy around here for something like that to happen (I should probably post a picture of my legs to prove my point. I've never been a regular shaver. I just hate it. Thankfully, all the water issues gave me an excuse).
What was my point?
Right. Weight. Not sure how shaving relates to weight loss. Except if I shaved my legs maybe I would lose another pound or two? It's something I'll take under advisement.
And while I'm considering it, I'd be glad to share my weight loss for the week: -3 lbs.
It probably doesn't sound like much to some of you, but with PCOS, I'm elated. Normally, I'd be lucky to show a 0.5 lb loss. Three lbs means I hit the weight loss jackpot.
I haven't been doing anything special. I weigh every morning, because it's unlikely I'm going to develop anorexia at this stage in my life (Seriously. If I haven't given up food to this point, why would I start now? And forget bulimia entirely. The idea of throwing up...or um...pooping my life away doesn't even sound kinda fun). My weight in the morning helps me gage what I eat throughout the day and it helps me make more conscientious choices.
Bad news, though. It's still Tuesday and I'm still fat. So we have to take the wins as they come.
BUT I WILL NOT BE DETERRED.
Actually, that's a lie. Had I gained weight or stayed the same, I probably would be deterred. Hm. I might have been deterred if I had something more interesting to say today, too.
But, no. My life is boring people. I do things like polyuerethane doors and let the dog outside. Occasionally I get really exciting and use the microfiber mop to clean my floors or I *shock* shave my legs. But things have to get pretty spicy around here for something like that to happen (I should probably post a picture of my legs to prove my point. I've never been a regular shaver. I just hate it. Thankfully, all the water issues gave me an excuse).
What was my point?
Right. Weight. Not sure how shaving relates to weight loss. Except if I shaved my legs maybe I would lose another pound or two? It's something I'll take under advisement.
And while I'm considering it, I'd be glad to share my weight loss for the week: -3 lbs.
It probably doesn't sound like much to some of you, but with PCOS, I'm elated. Normally, I'd be lucky to show a 0.5 lb loss. Three lbs means I hit the weight loss jackpot.
I haven't been doing anything special. I weigh every morning, because it's unlikely I'm going to develop anorexia at this stage in my life (Seriously. If I haven't given up food to this point, why would I start now? And forget bulimia entirely. The idea of throwing up...or um...pooping my life away doesn't even sound kinda fun). My weight in the morning helps me gage what I eat throughout the day and it helps me make more conscientious choices.
Bad news, though. It's still Tuesday and I'm still fat. So we have to take the wins as they come.
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