I wrote last week about the proposed senate bill in Ohio that will basically ruin our Ohio school districts (and our police forces, and our fire fighters, and, you know, our communities.). Yesterday, our elected officials took the first (shady and underhanded) step to make the bill a law.
Trip Gabriel wrote an article in the New York Times called “Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?” that I think gets to the very crux of this situation. Since when did teaching go from being a noble profession to one devoid of respect and an object of animosity?
Obviously, I am biased in this situation – my husband and many of my relatives are teachers. But I am appalled, and I am saddened by the lack of respect, the lack of appreciation for people who devote their lives to making a difference to children.
We’re seeing so many negative teacher stories in the news right now, and I would love to see some positive ones. So please, would you share a story about a teacher who made a difference to you or your kids in the comments? Thank you.
Ok so Windows 7 wasn’t my idea, but I sure wish I had thought of it! Designed to simplify everyday tasks (and who couldn’t use that?), the new version of Windows has a ton of new features, including live task bar previews so you can preview open files (I currently have 19 Word docs open, so I am a prime candidate for this feature!), jump lists that take you right to your most used files/websites, and much much more.
I haven’t tried out Windows 7 for myself yet, but I am about to because last night I had the opportunity to buy a new laptop at Staples. Making big purchases like this can be stressful, and while I did a little research on their website before going in the store, mostly I was counting on the salesperson to point me in the right direction – which I realize is always a gamble. Fortunately, the Staples guy couldn’t have been more helpful (shout out to Jarrod at store 1677!) and I felt confident going with his recommendation. He made sure I got a computer that would fit my needs, but also made sure I got a great deal, which I really appreciated. And, he made sure my computer was going to come fully loaded with Windows 7, thanks to their free PC set up!
Here’s the best part (I mean, other than the sweet new computer) – I took my old, piece of junk desktop into Staples with me last night. They are not only going to transfer all my files, pictures and music to my new computer, but they’re going to run a tune-up on my old one, free of charge (so now I might keep it instead of putting it in the recycle bin). Honestly the only reason I’ve kept that computer around is because I hadn’t yet transferred the files to my laptop… the one I bought three years ago. But now, the lovely people at Staples are going to do it for me. I’m marking that off my to-do list.
Additionally, Staples offers a free Windows and Office online training to go along with the purchase of a new PC. I’m sure this comes as a great surprise (not), but I loooooove Excel spreadsheets. Love them. I can’t wait to check out the training on the new features and see what kind of other fun stuff I can now do with my spreadsheets. (Yes, I know I’m a nerd.)
So, if you’re in the market for a new PC, now’s a great time to buy one at Staples. They’ve even got a price-match guarantee, so you can rest assured you’re getting the best price – and just like the commercials say, Staples really does make it easy.
Stay tuned for my next post, after I’ve given Window 7 a go. I’ll tell you what I think about the new system, and I’ll have a fun giveaway for all of you!
I have a very serious problem. It’s called not-able-to-get-out-of-bed-itis.
I cannot get up in the mornings, and I don’t know what to do about it. I have good intentions – I set the alarm for when I need to get up. And then I proceed to hit snooze two or three times until I finally manage to stumble to the shower.
I know that mornings go so much more smoothly when I get up nice and early (I’ve done it once or twice)… the kids do better with out me running around snapping at them to get ready to go (imagine that). I am less stressed and grumpy (imagine that) (yeah I can’t imagine it either).
Yet I cannot seem to get out of bed.
That, combined with lengthy Sam drop-offs, is not a recipe for success.
So if you’re one of those people who gets up at the crack of dawn, runs three miles and makes homemade waffles before work – please, give me your secrets. I need help!
