Hello on Sunday Morning

Dear Friends,

Hope that you all had a pleasant Saturday.

I was better at caregiving on Saturday, but there is still room for improvement. Linda is still hurting when she gets up and moves around. She is trying to decrease the pain medication, but it hasn't been easy. One pill every 5 or six hours isn't to bad, but pain pills do mess up your internal plumbing. I did make breakfast and supper for Linda, but I did take a nap around lunch time. That was the only meal which she had to fen for herself.

It is a balmy 26 degrees right now. We did get a few inches of snow. Our plow guy already did our driveway. When the neighborhood wakes up, I will fire up snow blower.

I will be leaving the house around 11 AM and be heading to Bradley Airport to pick up the Culver's. Any precipitation should be over today. I hope that their flight from Atlanta to Hartford has no delays.

I did get an okay from the kitchen chief that me missing this fundraiser will be okay. He did ask if I would be in the kitchen for the March 5, 2011 Women's Imaging Center Polenta Dinner which UNICO prepares. I told him that I would be there for sure. Linda has already made plans to attend an Irish Concert at the Colonial that same night. She will partying with the Gormalley's.

I see where the youth in China want to start a protest, but their government is ruthless when it comes to protesters. China has already shut down their Internet in anticipation of any protests. Maybe the people of these countries who treat their people terribly realize that their political base and future is in jeopardy.

I received my Time magazine on Saturday. There is a great article of how Germany has turned around their economy. They have opened up their factories, and gotten people back to work. They are exporting almost as much of their homemade products as China is doing. The workers have made many concessions, and they are working for less money. Germany has increased spending on Research and Development. The German people are purchasing more products which have "Made in Germany" labels on them. Germany is doing the best of all the Euro nations. The United States and the other faltering Euro Nations are looking at the German Model of economic recovery. While in the car on Friday, I heard on the radio that the youth of Ireland are leaving Ireland for greener pastures. A few years ago their economy was so good, and jobs were plentiful that the young people could make a living in their country.

Sports -- I was asleep, and missed the Boston Bruins, and the Boston Celtics win their respective contests on Saturday night. They were playing west coast teams. When games start after 10 PM, there is no way that I will be up watching the sporting contest.

Observation --This is another one of those days that Linda and I would be counting every hour, minute, and second in anticipation of going back to the classroom after a week long school vacation. The students are actually kind of listless because they have been sleeping until noon for a week straight. First period at the high school level starts around 7:25 AM. I always had thoughts of providing each student with those airline size pillows until about 11 AM. Waking up the students, and trying to motivate them after a week long vacation is when teachers really earn their pay. It is amazing how much students forget in during a week of almost no brain activity. From Christmas until the summer recess is the most difficult time for teachers. When the snow goes away, and temperatures outside rise, trying to get the students to stay focused, a to be productive is even a greater challenge. Even though the teacher might not have an 8 hour day like the average worker, a lot of stuff gets done during the time which we work. We can't shut our classroom door, and tell a secretary to hold all of our calls because we are a little tired. Coffee breaks are almost non existent. At the high school level, we had four minutes in between classes. Trying to go to a restroom, and be back while your students are entering the classroom was a big challenge. If a student wanted to ask a question at the end of class, a bathroom stop had to be postponed until the end of the next class. The purpose of this observation was to point out that every person has a job that requires different skills. Linda and I were happy with what we did for over 30 years. There must be people that go to work each day not liking what they are doing. I think that some people are jealous that we retired with some pretty good and earned benefits.
When any young people read my words of wisdom, make sure that you choose your life's occupation wisely. When you are young, you want to earn a lot of money, but keep in mind that retirement is not as far away as you might think. You have to prepare for your retirement as soon as you enter the world of work. I remember walking into the Men's faculty room in 1968 listening to a bunch of older teachers and administrators taking about retirement. Retirement wasn't even in my vocabulary. Within in a what appeared to be a blink of an eye, here Linda and I are now among the retired.

Well I have to skim the Sunday newspapers.
Have a great Sunday.
Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad