One is the Loneliest Number

It has been a roller coaster week for me. The weekend at the beach was great. It was so nice to get away and relax. But reality is only a plane ride back. For some reason I have been very emotional about the divorce this week. We had a fight the other day. It gets me that he seems to care more about what people say than my feelings. I think the loneliness is getting to me. I didn't think it would bother me as much as it does. I feel weird taking people up on the whole, "call me if you need anything." I just want someone in the house with me. As much as I hate my job, I'd almost rather be there than alone here.

Thoughts for Thursday: Teacher, Teacher Can You Teach Me

For some some reason there currently is a backlash on teachers. I don't get it. These are the people who we entrust with our children to provide them an education. Why are we demeaning them? Do they really make that much money? In my opinion, no. Those bastards get the summer off. Really, do they? I know a number of teachers who take classes through the summer to keep their licenses current and improve on what they do. I know a number of teachers who put in many more than 8 hours a day in those "measly" nine months they work. I know, yes there can be a bad apple in the bunch, but to paint all teachers as "those who can't, teach," is crazy. I have seen teachers who love to see kids learn and take it all in, teachers that push in the slightest way, and teachers that just care what is going on in their students lives. So my Thought for Thursday is going to be a shot out to some of my former teachers, who I though made a difference in my life. 

Mr. Kelly, I loved your history class. I enjoyed how you threw in off the wall facts into lessons. You may not have been one of my actual basketball coaches, but I learned more about setting up and breaking a press from you, than anyone. I will never forget the day we argued in class on a topic and you held me after to discuss it further, even though you made me miss the bus and I had to walk a over a mile home in the dead of winter, I was glad you wanted to hear my point of view.

Mrs. Pertile, I always try to find way to use the word cantankerous.

Mrs. Gulan, even when I was struggling in your Physics class and begged for some extra credit, you said, no, I don't do extra credit, put in extra work. Those may not be your exact words, but that is what I got out of it. I still remember the tricks for learning the elements, A-U is that gold, A-Gee it is just silver. I got a lot out of your Chem classes, so much that I was actually bored in my first semester of college chemistry. 

Mrs. Sargent, though I may not have always liked your gym class, I still think you made up that dang game that was like half soccer/ half some other wacky game that I hated. You begrudgingly let me go play basketball with the boys after my turn on the balance beam was done. I was a bit nervous when you took over coaching volleyball, but you actually made me respect you in the way I always should have.

Ms Nagro, I know you will never get your true "props" but you were a great teacher. 

Mr. Rodegheiro, you always commented on my welding, enough to make me want to take another one of your classes. I regret that I could never fit one in. I always wonder if I missed my calling being a welder.

There are more out there. These are a few that I felt stood out, that I still think about, and something they taught me still pops into my thoughts now and then. 

Do you have a teacher that stands out for you? Go ahead give them a pat on the back.

A Full Night of Sleep

With everything going on, I have not had a good night of sleep in ages. I think I spent to much time reading and trying to get so much information, by the time I lay my head down, my mind goes into hyper drive. Even this a.m. between snoozes came snippets of Walker. Ugh, I can't even get away from him in my sleep. I probably watched this ad too many times in awe of the sheer irony of it. 

I'm hoping to unplug one of these days, which will hopefully clear my mind for a night. If not I'll have to keep up with the grassroots movement to recall the governor of this fair state and I invite you to join the cause.

Saturday

I packed up my daughter and headed to Madtown on Saturday for the huge rally. I must say, I have never in my life seen so many people on the square. We were going to get something to eat first, but my daughter got caught up in the chanting of a group of TAA and AFSCME members and wanted to follow them, so we did. We made our way slowly around the square looking for my husband.

After we caught up with my husband we did go down State to eat. When we tried to return back up State people had started speaking and we couldn't even get close enough to really hear anything, so I knew finding the hubs again was futile. We started to head for home. On our way back we passed where the shuttle buses were loading and unloading and people were still coming in droves. It was quite the site to see.

Was it about the Budget or something Bigger??

When Governor Walker's budget repair bill came out, he put in a little provision that ended collective bargaining and the collection of Union dues by the state through payroll. He stated he needed to end collective bargaining to  give local governments the "tools" to balance their budgets. Hmm, if that is really really what it was for, why were local governments saying they liked collective bargaining. Why, would one need to take away collective bargaining if unions were willing to give monetary concessions to help balance the budget? What does seniority, job postings, work schedules, and the like have to do with balancing the budget. The people of Wisconsin were told over and over the same sentence, it will be a "modest concession" necessary to give  "tools" to local governments, tools, tools, tools. I was wondering if anyone had started a drinking game with the words tools and modest.  The polls started turning, the people of Wisconsin weren't in favor of stripping workers rights. If unions were going to give concessions, why not negotiate? Why not indeed? 

This is why not: 

The Senate Leader must not have thought that anyone was going to see him actually say the truth, that it isn't about the budget, it is about the 2012 election. WTF. Fitzy must have gotten scolded for letting the cat out of the bag, because shortly afterwards this happened.

and then the Senate passed the bill in like 3 min. Seriously they were reading roll and such so fast you could barely understand them. I would've posted a clip, but I couldn't find one that was just the vote. 50 years of collective bargaining that was created in Wisconsin....gone.

I admit it, I cried. I have no idea what is going to happen at my workplace. I do know, I will vote to keep my union, I will still pay dues, and for the first time in my life I will actually donate money to a political party and Fitz boys, it isn't the one you belong to. In fact I have half a notion to see what it would take to run against one of you the next election either of you are up.

I don't know what they were thinking, well, I guess I do since Walker came out and basically said on Thursday morning, in a couple months we'll just get over this, like it never happened. Sorry buddy, but we aren't going to forget and we aren't going to just get over it.

Why I'm Here

I have been a "Mom" blogger for quite awhile, but I felt held back in what I could and could not say because it was a mom blog. It had been set up to be a conduit to share family events with others, it wasn't a platform for my opinions, frustrations, or a real outlet for what was going on in life. I had thought about starting another blog for a couple months now; I was itching to speak about a number of things, but needed a push to jump into it. What has happened in this wonderful state of Wisconsin in the past weeks has given me that push. I have always been interested in politics and discussing issues with people who are open to actual discussion. Political Science is where I was heading with my BA degree before I dropped out, which was one of the worst career paths I have taken. It is really hard to go back and finish, I know people find ways and I am still trying so there is hope, and leave it at that before I go totally off topic. This past week the State Senate and then the Assembly under direction of the Governor busted my Union under the guise that it was to balance the budget. This is where my story begins, I am a public employee, I am a mother of school age children, I am a taxpayer, and I am outraged what is going on in Wisconsin. This is now my outlet about moving Forward as said in our state motto.