742AFC101907
Goodness, we’re at the end of the week already! Did yours go as fast as mine? Seems like now that I’m on the other side of that hill I got over, I’m picking up speed with each passing day. We’d love to be able to retire, but retirement seems so far off even though we should be very close. I figure I’ll be lucky to be able to do that in about 6 more years, but I may just have to keep working until, like Professor Binns in the Harry Potter stories, I just wake up one morning without my body and . . . go back to work!!
Family news: I guess I’ll start with Tim who had a close call Wednesday. He and his coworker were on their way to another TV-dish installation when the steering linkage on their van fell apart. The van was only traveling about 15 mph, but the front wheels jerked suddenly to the right and the van sideswiped a telephone pole. That set off the airbags. The passenger-side airbag forced the clipboard and phone T was holding right into his face. The clipboard shattered and left him with a bunch of “clipboard-shrapnel” imbedded in his face and his upper lip swelled up X3 bigger than normal. The EMT’s who got to the scene moments later told him the damage wasn’t serious enough to go to the hospital, but he’s going to be banged up for a few weeks. The tough part is, that’s the van they use to get to their jobs, and without it, there’s no work. Turns out the brakes had been overhauled recently, and they think maybe something went amiss there.
Maria is really enjoying her work at Banner Health Care. She’s working in the kitchen, and has been learning lots of new things. She called the other day to say she’d mastered omelet-making. She and Tommy and the kids are still living in south central Phoenix. Tommy’s taking a shot at being the house-spouse again for a while. He has at least committed to going to out-patient rehab twice a week, and has a renewed commitment to staying away from his tweaker friends. William continues to follow the straight-and-narrow Gamma instilled in him during his visit here. He likes the idea of being on a regular schedule, love going to school, and insists that no one starts eating until everyone has said grace. Chaz is doing great, and becoming avidly interested in William’s school, so Willie is “tutoring” him. Miranda is growing fast and her coordination is improving daily. She’ll still probably have some problems early on in her school career, but the physical therapy she’s getting now really has made a difference.
Crucita is toughing it out with her math classes. We continue to be astounded and how little the kids know about basic stuff in math and English. They can’t read, they can’t write, they can barely do four-function math, so prealgebra is an unfathomable mystery to them. A would not be so bad if they would just be willing to learn. Several of them don’t bother to come to class. Of those that show up maybe 2 or 3 of them will actually work on the assignments. The rest of them spend their time staring at the ceiling, trying to play with their phones, and cursing Crucita. Yet their parents expect her to make sure their little darlings get a diploma. Many of the kids have missed so many classes and assignments that’s there’s no way they can make them up, and because they’ve been consistently UNand Guamanians! ought to think about that, too!
Meanwhile, ya’ll be good to one another. Don’t forget to pray for the WHOLE MBN, and remember … I’m remembering you.
Be held in the arms of Peace. And Age quod agis. And …
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service.
Chick
742AFC101907
Goodness, we’re at the end of the week already! Did yours go as fast as mine? Seems like now that I’m on the other side of that hill I got over, I’m picking up speed with each passing day. We’d love to be able to retire, but retirement seems so far off even though we should be very close. I figure I’ll be lucky to be able to do that in about 6 more years, but I may just have to keep working until, like Professor Binns in the Harry Potter stories, I just wake up one morning without my body and . . . go back to work!!
Family news: I guess I’ll start with Tim who had a close call Wednesday. He and his coworker were on their way to another TV-dish installation when the steering linkage on their van fell apart. The van was only traveling about 15 mph, but the front wheels jerked suddenly to the right and the van sideswiped a telephone pole. That set off the airbags. The passenger-side airbag forced the clipboard and phone T was holding right into his face. The clipboard shattered and left him with a bunch of “clipboard-shrapnel” imbedded in his face and his upper lip swelled up X3 bigger than normal. The EMT’s who got to the scene moments later told him the damage wasn’t serious enough to go to the hospital, but he’s going to be banged up for a few weeks. The tough part is, that’s the van they use to get to their jobs, and without it, there’s no work. Turns out the brakes had been overhauled recently, and they think maybe something went amiss there.
Maria is really enjoying her work at Banner Health Care. She’s working in the kitchen, and has been learning lots of new things. She called the other day to say she’d mastered omelet-making. She and Tommy and the kids are still living in south central Phoenix. Tommy’s taking a shot at being the house-spouse again for a while. He has at least committed to going to out-patient rehab twice a week, and has a renewed commitment to staying away from his tweaker friends. William continues to follow the straight-and-narrow Gamma instilled in him during his visit here. He likes the idea of being on a regular schedule, love going to school, and insists that no one starts eating until everyone has said grace. Chaz is doing great, and becoming avidly interested in William’s school, so Willie is “tutoring” him. Miranda is growing fast and her coordination is improving daily. She’ll still probably have some problems early on in her school career, but the physical therapy she’s getting now really has made a difference.
Crucita is toughing it out with her math classes. We continue to be astounded and how little the kids know about basic stuff in math and English. They can’t read, they can’t write, they can barely do four-function math, so prealgebra is an unfathomable mystery to them. A would not be so bad if they would just be willing to learn. Several of them don’t bother to come to class. Of those that show up maybe 2 or 3 of them will actually work on the assignments. The rest of them spend their time staring at the ceiling, trying to play with their phones, and cursing Crucita. Yet their parents expect her to make sure their little darlings get a diploma. Many of the kids have missed so many classes and assignments that’s there’s no way they can make them up, and because they’ve been consistently UNand Guamanians! ought to think about that, too!
Meanwhile, ya’ll be good to one another. Don’t forget to pray for the WHOLE MBN, and remember … I’m remembering you.
Be held in the arms of Peace. And Age quod agis. And …
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever — at your service.
Chick
About Chick Todd
American Roman Catholic reared as a "Baptiterian" in Denver Colorado. Now living on Kauaʻi. USAF Vet. Married for over 50 years. Scripture study has been my passion ever since my first "Bible talk" at age 6 in VBS.
