Chalk, anyone?

This week hasn't been much fun and it's bummed me out a bit. After going to the doctor over a week ago for some stomach ailments, he wanted me to have a CT scan. Naturally they don't do these procedures at convenient times. I was required to fast four hours before the procedure. Okay, I can do that. But the harder part was drinking the nasty, chalky barium sulfate solution the night before and the morning of the scan. So do they really think we'll think it tastes better just by putting a picture of grapes on the bottle and calling it a "berry smoothie?" Please. Remember when you were a kid and you held your nose while drinking some nasty tasting medicine? Like that was supposed to take away the taste? Well, take my word for it. It doesn't work. After my morning cocktail of barium, I headed off to Imaging Specialists where I was greeted with 2 1/2 big cups of some bitter lemon-tasting drink. I had to drink all of it before the scan. I was so hoping it would taste like Starbucks. No luck. The prep for the scan took so much longer than the actual procedure. I can look back now and grin because the results came back normal. I have to say I was a bit tense until today. I still have some other tests to run, but hopefully none that require drinking more nasty tasting solutions.

With that said, I'm looking forward to March. Spring. Warmer temps, freshness in the air. Spring break. Yes, it's been a week. TAKS testing last Tuesday made for a long day. I was giving the test to one lone student (he is able to verbalize his thoughts, so he had to be all alone in a room, with me of course.) He didn't finish until 3:45. We started at 8:30. Broke for 1/2 hour lunch at 12:50. Yes, a long day. But I finally learned how to play Suduko. My AP gave out crossword puzzles and Suduko puzzles to all those teachers administering the tests. She knew we would eventually go nuts without some mental stimulation. It helped pass the time. Next TAKS test: April. I know this is NOT why I got into education. Having your time consumed by teaching for a test is not why I wanted to be an educator. I'll be glad when this NCLB expires.

Well, Bob and I just got back from our dance lesson and he's off packing. Not because of the dance lessons! No, he's off to Japan and Singapore. I'll miss him. The house gets too quiet. Molly's 13 now, and basically just goes from one bed to the other. So she's really not much company. I may borrow Harley from Steve and Mish.

Spring break can't get here soon enough! I'm ready.