Thursday, August 19, 2010

Friday Fragments, Episode #108


Sorry--No time for a witty intro or cute little dividers this week; just gonna unload the miscellany!  If this is your first time (writing that made me giggle a little), please be kind enough to read the "rules" before linking up. They can be found by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

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I worked all day on Wednesday (at school) and barely skimmed the surface of what I need to learn to use a SmartBoard (kind of ironic, no?), but I'm excited about it and looking forward to showing off for the kids (who actually know more about SmartBoards than teachers do, most of the time, so who am I kidding?) I have TONS of work to do before school starts. My first teacher day is Thursday of next week, but I hope to be in there every day, starting Monday, to prepare.

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We're having a rummage/garage/yard sale Saturday. If you need me to elaborate, you've never had one, and I'm happy for you, haha.

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Remember when I said I talked an old friend into taking a nice, long walk, instead of going out to eat? Well, I've had enough of that and accepted an invitation from another old friend to come for dinner Friday night for braised spareribs. Hey, I may be healthy, but I'm not stupid!

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Can't say a lot about this, but we also have another engagement Saturday night that....well...never mind.

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Kendall comes home from two weeks away at camp (home on the weekend, though). We missed her a bunch. On Sunday, she is going to Chicago with a friend and her family (staying overnight) and she'll get to brag about staying in an apartment in Trump Tower!

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Kyle's last day of his summer job is today. This means The Big Day (i.e. college move-in) is drawing near. I'm really excited for him. I haven't felt emotional about this yet (he's going to be 25 minutes away, after all). However, I suspect that I will lose it one day during the first week of school, when I am stressing out and my defenses are down. We'll see.

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Not happy (again) with Kohls. I called and asked them if they'd be willing to drop the interest rate (21.9%) on our account, if only for a while. They will! They'll cut it in HALF for six months!  However, during that time, they would close our account (which is reflected on credit reports). I guess they preferred that I not shop there any more; I closed my account. (It's obviously their loss.)

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On the brighter bill-paying side, I called Waste Management and negotiated 3-months free garbage pickup ($65 value) in exchange for paying one whole year in advance. (Hence, the garage sale! haha!)

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I haven't taken the time to note my Favorite Friday Fragmenter in a while, but Doreen's fragment about holding her new baby granddaughter reminded me:

A precious moment: I was telling the baby how happy we all were to have her in our family and how lucky she was to have 2 of the best big sisters. 4yr. old Avery Paige said "Mom-Mom you do understand that she can't really know what you are saying and she really can't talk yet". The whole time she was explaining this to me she was softly rubbing the baby's head. That reminded me of a time when Dominic was about her age and in the supermarket there was a woman with a very tiny baby. Dominic asked her "Can I pet your baby?"

Doreen, here is your award! Thanks for making us smile :)




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If you're interested in my experience volunteering for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition build, visit Extreme Sleep Deprivation, But Worth It!

That's it for me! How about you? Link up your FRIDAY FRAGMENTS post here. (All other links will be deleted, sorry.]

28 comments:

  1. I'm not real into Kohl's, myself. Love all the SmartBoards in our schools, tho. They added them last year and they rock!

    Enjoy Kendall...and that Saturday night engagement. Hmmm...

    XO!

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  2. don't see the linky, but my friday fragments is up at http://www.actingbalanced.com/2010/08/friday-fragments-and-blog-hops.html

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  3. I envy you that Kyle will only be 30 minutes away. My baby will be 15 hours away. I'll hardly ever get to see him. :(

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  4. Aw, BlueViolet! I'll be here for you! :)

    WooHoo, Heather--You did it!

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  5. Love that part about talking a friend into walking instead of eating :) I'd totally go for the ribs, too.

    I hate to tell you this, but it actually hurts your credit score to cancel a card, too. It's better to just cut it up and not use it, then to actually be responsible and cancel the card. It's all just insane. No wonder the credit system is so screwy.

    Bravo to your negotiating skills with Waste Management! have "fun" at your sale. Those are so much work.

    Kristin - The Goat

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  6. hmm I seem to remember ribs being written about here before.

    This smartboard is showing up in schools all around. My teacher-daughter has mentioned it too.

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  7. I like Kohls, but I have never had to deal with their credit card stuff, since the bankruptcy we don't have credit cards anymore.

    That is awesome about the garbage company! I may have to try that sometime.

    Holy cow, those smartboards are crazy. I can't believe the things they have now even from when I was a kid.

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  8. I am so thrilled to be the Favorite Fragmenter this week! Thank you so much! I am so sad that the summer is coming to an end and school is starting. I feel like I spent my whole summer in a trauma unit (well I really did). For the next couple of weeks we are going to be weekend warriors to try to make up for lost time!
    Have a positive and productive weekend!
    Engagement...hmmmm

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  9. I love the favorite fragment! Totally adorable.

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  10. We have 4 smart boards in the kids' school and 3 more have been ordered. There's 16 classrooms plus the library so we've still got a ways to go to be fully equipped. Problem is the school doesn't have the money for them, the government isn't going to cough up, so it falls to the Parents and Citizens Association to fund them. And we don't have $70 000 to pay for 10 more smart boards (we paid for 3 of the ones that have already been installed). They'll just have to wait.

    I hope the Saturday night engagement is a Good Thing!

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  11. I am so over Kohls... seriously.

    Have fun with the sale - hope you make lots of loot!!!

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  12. Ooooh, have fun with the smart board! I would love to get my hands on one of those. Half the classrooms in the community college where I teach still have chalk and chalkboards. I hate chalk more than anything.

    Starting college was one of the most exciting times in my life. Your son is lucky to have such a supportive and caring mama!

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  13. Oh I am yet to see Smart boards - no where in South Africa. And how did I magically get linked up without me doing it???

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  14. There is one smart board in our elementary school and one teacher who knows how to use it. Oops. I forgot that he retired last year. *sigh*

    We had a garage sale once. Had so much stolen that I vowed to never have one again. It's one promise I've kept.

    I think Kyle was VERY smart to stay close to home. Very, very smart.

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  15. You and Melisa should commiserate over the first born going to college.

    Good luck at the yard sale. Someone's trash is someone else's treasure!

    Good luck with the start of school (for teachers anyway).

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  16. Good luck getting ready for the school year to start! Always a hectic time for teachers.

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  17. I have so missed Friday Fragments! I think I will be back next Friday, too!

    Glad Kyle will be so close to you, that is awesome, and I bet your right, you will loose it when you least expect it...but that is ok! :)

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  18. Busy lady ...I hate Kohls... Just hate it and I think getting some free stuff rocks ...also good luck with the college move in =)

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  19. Goodness you're busy! Enjoy your spare ribs and mystery date! :) I think the partially empty nest feeling will probably hit about the time you walk past Kyle's room and it looks abandoned. Unless you're like friends of mine who went in the next DAY and turned it into a home gym! LOL! Good luck with the garage sale!

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  20. I LoVe this whole Smartboard thing!

    Garage sales...ugh...I have 3-4 per year...I don't know why I continue to torture myself that way...Good luck with yours! Hope you make loads and loads of moo-lah!

    oooh...do we ever get to hear the details of the mysterious Sat night??

    You need to be my financial negotiator! Wow!

    Hang in there this weekend!!!

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  21. Good luck with the yard sale. I avoid doing them at all costs! lol

    Yay for dinner with friends!

    Woohoo for kids being home and not TOO far away from home at college!

    I like Kohl's but that's a bunch of BS!! Sorry they're messing with you! I would've closed my account, too {if I had one, of course}!

    Can't argue with saving money!!

    LOL @ the Favorite. Too cute.

    Off to read about your sleep deprivation! ;0)

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  22. Hoping that Saturday engagement has something to do with Publisher's Clearing House.

    I sure hope I'm remembering that correctly!

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  23. MMmmmm, ribs...not there's a thought! I have some out in the freezer that are just beggin' to be smoked.

    God bless ya and have a fantastic weekend girl!

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  24. Mmmm ribs, one of my favorites!Isn't a smart board kind of like a computer type board rather than a chalk board?

    LOL- I never did try to do my yard sale again! And we'll be camping from next weekend until October 15th!

    Have a great weekend!

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  25. Wait!?! What's a smartboard? I should know..I'm typically a gadget goober.

    Happy Friday!

    Thanks for hosting FF! Have a GREAT weekend!

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  26. I'm a little late but hey...at least I made it. A smartboard? My mother used to tell me I was as dumb as a board.

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