August 1 (Sunday) 9:10 am
We are in the middle of a heat advisory, with temperatures near 100 degrees (F) every day. The dogs and
cats are staying cool, and so am I, but it is time for some cooler weather. Cooler weather means cold
weather, actually, but time to do my favorite thing: fireplace. There will be no fireplace this winter,
however: more about that at another time.
Over the past few days I have been re-reading a book, which I read several years ago, and about which one
of the all-time great movies was made, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. It has always been interesting
to me that the character in the book called Dill, is modeled after a real-world childhood friend of Harper Lee,
Truman Capote.
I recently did an interview with a nearby school district. It was a "preliminary" interview, designed to
screen out viable applicants for the various principals. One of the questions asked was "Please tell us
about any incident in which you had to deal with a hostile student." A curious question, to which I
responded, "You are not telling me that you have hostile students in the district, are you?" The "powers
that be" would never admit to having such problems -- should a teacher have to deal with an unruly
student, it is my experience that the teacher is pretty much on his own; the school district adopts the policy
that unruly students don't exist -- unprepared teachers do. Yes, there are unprepared teachers, but the
tacit non-denial, denial, implicit in the question just goes to show how corrupt and inept our school boards
are.
August 7 (Saturday) 4:00 pm
The heat advisory continues: temperatures are expected to hover around 100 (F) into next week. The TVA
crew refuses to work, so my summer vacation continues.
In the meantime I have been entertaining myself with the Praxis mathematics subject area test, which is
required for teacher licensing in 39 states. Guess what is required for taking the test? You got it: a
graphing calculator. I have seen some sample problems, and no, the graphing calculator is not all that
necessary. How has something so irrelevant and so unnecessary come to conquer the world of high
school mathematics?
Nevertheless, I might return to the classroom to teach -- even with the danged graphing calculator. I am
giving it serious consideration.
The Willow Oak crew continue to be happy and healthy. Thumper has been missing for three weeks, and I
am afraid that I shall never see him again. The same may well apply to Darkly whom I have not seen for a
longer period of time than that. Cougar is slapping my hand with his tail as I type. I wouldn't have it any
other way.
August 13 (Friday) 8:30 pm
I just finished four consecutive, grueling, hot days of work with TVA. The sun and the heat were brutal. I am
proud of myself: I am 56 years old; I have survived a heart attack; I have spent the past 25 years with my
feet propped on my desk; yet I can hang in there in the heat and the grime of labor-intensive work with
much younger men who have done this kind of work all their lives. Yes, I am not quite as efficient on the
job as they, but I was there every day from beginning to end.
Little Miss Priss (Patrice) continues to flirt with a coronary each day after I arrive home: she requires
several minutes to calm down after crawling all over my face, chewing on my nose to assure herself that I
am really who she thinks I am. The other dogs wait impatiently for Patrice to calm down so that they can get
theirs in, not the least of whom is Horace Lucky, who sticks his face directly into mine, heating me up even
more than that, which I experienced during the day, with his incessant huffing and puffing.
I am gaining my second wind. I have decided to pursue my teacher certification for the state of Alabama. I
shall mail in the necessary required paperwork for teacher certification to the department of education. I
presume that there will be no problem, but one never knows. I shall have to take a standardized subject
area test (math), perhaps in September. In the meantime I have been studying for that. We shall see.
August 14 (Saturday) 8:20 pm
GOOD NEWS !!!
After a one month absence, Thumper has returned. I do not know where the poor guy went, but he doesn't
look bad. He is a bit skinnier than he was, but otherwise he looks really good. I didn't see him until it was
nearly dark outside, and I wasn't sure at first, but as I approached what was obviously not one of my usual
cats, I could discern some familiar features. He was skinny enough that I could not be for sure (it being so
dark), so I started to call his name. He circled me several times, inching ever so close, but keeping his
distance. I could tell that he was struggling to recall, but eventually he allowed me to pick him up and take
him inside. I do not know what happened to him, but everything is all right now.
August 15 (Sunday) 7:00 am
Well, I have had some time to look Thumper over really good, and it is so good to see him again. I thought
that I had lost him forever. But he is skinny. The skeleton on his little body shows through very plainly. But
a couple of weeks of some good grub will fix that up. He is still a bit confused this morning, but he is
moving around and re-introducing himself to everyone. For now I have him confined to the house so that
there is no chance of his getting lost again.
August 21 (Saturday) 7:15 am
Another hot and humid week with TVA. I must have set some sort of record with them, having worked eight
of the past 10 days, and I managed to make it through.
Thumper is back. No, I know that he returned a few days ago, but the "spunky" Thumper I knew appears to
have returned. This morning I saw that he had turned over his water bowl. There is nothing more
aggravating than having a mess to clean up when one wakes up in the morning; but it was a good thing to
see.
August 22 (Sunday) 7:55 am
I "slept in" this morning. When I awoke, the little hand of the clock was on, and that is all I recall.
Yesterday evening I spent some time with the cats in the "cat cave." I've finally built a pen for the cats, that
is attached to the house so that the cats can come and go unmolested and unfettered; they are no longer
free to roam the yard (too dangerous); they have access to the outside, while having the ability to escape to
the indoors. I've had this arrangement for about a month now, and the cats, once having become adjusted,
show no signs of being perturbed over their change of venue.
August 24 (Tuesday) 7:20 pm
Another long day at work with TVA, but the weather has broke, and the temperatures have subsided. Today
was a gorgeous, sunny and comfortable day. I have now worked 10 of the last 11 workdays, with work
scheduled again for tomorrow and the rest of the week. I need the work, and I definitely need the money.
My arms have broken out in some kind of rash -- presumably poison ivy or oak or something. The itch and
the rash are horrendous, but I shall persevere. I have basically doctored myself with calamine lotion,
relieving the itch occasionally with rubbing alcohol.
Thumper is returning to normal, and I am finding myself spending time with the cats in their "cave." They
have plenty of sunshine and outdoor room to maneuver about, and so far thay all seem to be getting along
fine. At least I have the peace of mine that they are all safe and sound.
August 27 (Friday) 7:30 pm
Finally -- a full five-day week with TVA. Well, not exactly 40 hours, but TVA has finally cut loose and put me to
work. Of course, that could end at any time, but I have finally been able to put some money in the bank, and
that is always a good thing. But the maintenance costs! I will have probably spent nearly half of what I've
made just in expenses! I just put brand new blades on the chipper three weeks ago, and those are already
shot!
It is good to be home and with the Willow Oak crew. The only one missing is Darkly, and it kills me
constantly not knowing his disposition.