At the start of the test, under the space for their name, the word 'Instructions:'
with a note to read the entire test before beginning. On the back page, at the bottom, more 'instructions'. This note read "Do not take this test. Without saying a word to anyone, give this test to an instructor and proceed to the lab for hands on work. If you follow these instructions you will get an 'A' on this test". As I said, an old one. Two students got it..... out of thirty five or so.
Tomorrow... I begin Emissions certification training with these youngens.
It's an inspection license they need to compete in todays market.
Evening classes of experienced adult technicians have an average failure rate of about 40%.
So far I have managed three years of high school students with passing rates
no worse. This year might be different...... we shall see.
A meeting after school.... building meeting of the 'Association' (union). Seems a new wrinkle has just come down from the IRS and the union got wind of it. As teachers, we get a choice of annual pay schedules. Biweekly over the actual school year (9.5 months), or biweekly spread out over the entire year. Starting in 2009 the IRS will now call that pay spread out over summer months 'deferred pay' and skim a fat 20% right off the top for themselves. The school business office has requested we choose next years pay schedule now, ahead of time, but they were neglecting to mention the new rules that would give us a 20% pay cut. You see, the school gets their cash in big lump sums, then dole it out... earning significant interest along the way. If all the teachers elect a nine month pay schedule (and who wouldn't?) then the school has to pay the money out quicker, losing interest. In other words..... the business manager was going to screw us out of one fifth of our income just to make his accounting easier and his interest income look better.
Interesting..... bet he doesn't get as many Christmas cards this year.
In fact, I'll be surprised if he doesn't find a rabid bobcat in his sock drawer very soon.
I brought home some more books of mine. Amongst them, Mrs. Rorer's cook book, circa 1914.
The covers have fallen off, but it's all there, complete with cut out recipes and hand written notes from bygone years and long dead cooks. What is it about old books that have survived generations.... that makes them so special? I wonder if anyone will look at all my books one day after I am gone, and deem them worthy of saving?
Arriving home in the pouring rain, I had a chance to self-appreciate some work I did this weekend. The front walk from the driveway is old stonework. It has plant life on all sides, much of which had grown down over the walls. There was room for a person to walk up, pushing through like a jungle explorer. The stone work itself was greenish brown with algae and other assorted scummy growing things. It looked like the lead in to a very nasty Steven King story.....
I trimmed the greenery and spent an hour or two with a pressure washer and broom.
Results.... what you see in the photo. Today in the rain: no slick steps and no life threatening shrubbery trying to snag unwary passers by. Nice.
Then, to round off my day.... an act of bone headed stupidity which I won't detail.
Let it rest with this.... YES, I am an idiot at times, and YES, I lose sleep over it.
And now, for my next trick, I'm going to sit quietly in this chair reading....
and try not to screw that up too badly.
Post script: Oh bloody hell! I can't even sit quietly without making a balls up of it!
The blasted recliner just spit out a handful of wood fragments and fasteners, as if to
say "I fart in your general direction, you silly English man!".
1 comment:
As far as the "stupidity" issue. . For a guy like you, I agree with Yogi. .
"Forgeddaboutit."
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