Should I get a nifty new bike or a nifty 30 GB iPod?

Both would be useful in a variety of ways, including transportation sans paying for gas, getting exercise OR the ability to record my voice lessons digitally, having a fun little gadget to play music with, etc...

(Obviously each of those advantages apply to the bike or iPod separately.)

What do you think???

(e:Mike) and I saw X-Men 3 last night. I really love those movies. I mean I have not seen any of them more than once, in the theaters when they came out, but I always really like them. I think they are just so exciting and you never know what those crazy mutants are going to do. And I thought this for sure was the last one but they totally hinted at making a fourth, which I would be very okay with.

(e:Mike) is not crazy about these movies, I guess he would rather watch people get eaten alive. GROSS!!! Why have I never heard of this Grizzly Man movie?!?! It reminds me of Open Water but it's ACTUALLY real?! Ahhhhhhh...!!!!

Less than a week of school left.

Still no Ipod, and the kid who saw the crime happen is refusing to sign a statement, which means I don't know if the kid will get any more punishment than an out-of-school suspension. That really sucks.

But what doesn't suck is that today I get a yummy catered lunch for the teachers! And I only have to teach 2 classes and we are probably watching movies! And what also doesn't suck is summer is almost here and I can't wait!

So yesterday as I was about to leave school, I realized in alarm that my Ipod was no longer hooked up to my computer as it definitely had been that morning. I panicked and started looking everywhere I could think of and sure enough it was nowhere to be found in my classroom. So I went to the office and reported it to the secretaries and principal. I knew that if it had indeed been taken, it must have been a middle school student but that's all I knew because I had had kids in and out of my room all day.

So the principal (who is really scary to talk to) came in this morning and told me that they had called down students one by one and through interrogation, they figured out that my Ipod had indeed been stolen by a 7th grade student. I had to go down to the office just now and sign a statement about it. The kid is probably going to get arrested and I'm assuming I may get some money for it? I know the kid will get fined but I have no idea if I get anything. They think the kid may have erased everything off of my Ipod as well. Best case scenario, all of my music was deleted, because I can get that back. Worst case, everything is gone, including all of my school work. They don't even know where it is right now.

I don't even know who it is but I have my suspicions. I feel like I should partially blame myself for letting the little jerks work in groups around the classroom and not paying attention to everything. I know I shouldn't think like that but I always blame myself if things like this happen. Well anyway, I hope I don't see that student in my classroom again and while I don't wish anyone harm, I hope he gets taught a lesson, and I hope I get my stuff back.

Ugh :(

So around 2:50 this morning, a car alarm from a car parked on my street began going off. It was the kind of car alarm that had a variety of annoying alarm sounds in a little pattern that goes on a continuous loop until it is turned off. This particular car alarm did not stop going off for approximately five and half hours. No one on my street got any sleep and the police, who were called a few hundred times, apparently could do nothing to stop it. Around 8:35 am, the owner of the car was dropped off down the street and walked just close enough to turn it off, then ran into a friend's house right down the street. Good thing because at least 10 of my neighbors and I were out on our porches or lawns, contemplating the possibilities of smashing a window, ripping the hood off, having it towed, and having the owner killed. So at least he made a run for it. But he didn't get away with it totally...just before he left about half an hour later, we noticed (with joy) that someone had carefully placed some doggie poop front and center on his windshield. :)

Today was the last day of school for the high school kiddos. Even though I have only known them for like 2 months, I actually got a little teary watching their senior video. Maybe it was becuase it reminded me of our high school graduation and how far we've come since then! I will miss the kids a lot. I think I won many of them over in the end. I even made a couple appearances in the video!
So from now on all I have is middle schoolers. Blahhhhh. But only a week and 2 days. This job has really flown by. I wonder if I will be around next year? I had reservations about it because I didn't know if I would get any benefits by not being full time, but the high principal just told me that they would love for me to stay and that the job would include full benefits. So that is very enticing!!!