Last year our neighbor Laura was cleaning out her garage and gave us an old, rusty tractor seat. Gene's friend Alonzo cleaned it up...painted it John Deere green and then welded it onto this spring that he found at the dump. Not sure where he got the "donut" spare tire...probably at the dump also...but we are highly amused that it says: "FOR TEMPORARY USE ONLY".
That's for sure, because the durn thing is quite dangerous to sit on...that's why it's placed next to a patio pole to hang onto ya see. That darlin' Alonzo is a teacher at WTSS and is handy doing everything construction like and can weld to boot. He'll have no trouble making a living if things turn out badly at The West Texas State School in Pyote.
Which brings me to my vent.
If you are a regular blog reader here or a family member etc. you've heard for months about the possible and probable take over of the WTSS Education Dept. by the Iraan Independent School District.
Well, the contracts have been signed so they will take over Aug. 1st...or Aug. 18th or sometime in Aug.
Now, everyone was at first reassured that all the teachers would keep their jobs but that Iraan was going to bring their own administrators.
Now we hear that the teaching staff will be reduced by half since the student population has gotten alot smaller...and will remain so.
All of Gene's co-workers have been telling him he doesn't need to worry because he's the "only kid on the block" in the P.E. Dept. since Ms. Knight must retire in less than 6 months.
But HELL'S BELLS....they could hire TWO new P.E. teachers for the same money that Gene is making. He's making more than some of the administrators...including the principle....or is it principal?
The new people could just say:"Oh sorry Coach Poole...you're too expensive...hit the road."
CRAP!!! We have lived here for more than TWO YEARS under some threat or other of possible laying off, closing or firing.
First it was that Gene wasn't qualified to teach Science...that went on a year.
Then there was the combination of the ongoing possibility of a complete closing of the school.
That went on forever.
Now this shit.
Maybe we should just sell bottlecap snakes at craft shows for hot dog money.
I try not to worry but that's easy to say...and hard to do.
I JUST WANT TO GO HOME NOW!!!
Just cut our losses and go back to central Texas.
We sold our house and moved 400 miles away from friends and family after living there for 33 years...and it's been REAL hard to adjust to Pecos and a totally different life.
I wish Gene could just retire.
That's enough of that.
We've had bits and tenths of inches of rain here and there for about 2 weeks and it's been great for the yard. I guess my flowers don't seem like much to ya'll...but they are great to me. At least the colors are pretty, no?
It made the flies increase...they hadn't been too bad...not like last summer...and the mosquitoes are here now too. Up till now we'd had none. It doesn't take much moisture here to get the mosquitoes...VAMPIRES...they're real big 'uns!
Willie is liking it...see him a-rollin' in th' grass?
I had Sheila (his groomer) shave him down big time....I've never seen Willie with no long hair on his ears. He looks a bit like a pug. He looked funny before but looks really funny now.
He has at least six kinds of dog in him I think.
Gene took his prison softball team all the way up to Vernon, Texas last Thursday and returned Friday night. They swept the tournament! It was just a teeny tournament...but they won all their games. Too bad the trip was ruined by the negative A-hole superintendent. He bitched at the kids the WHOLE time about every tiny thing until they didn't care about winning. I'm just glad it's over. It was an amazing amount of paperwork and other getting ready stuff for Gene...it took weeks!
We went to the Pecos Social Lodge (AKA PSL) last Saturday night. They're only open Saturdays every 2nd Sat. of the month. It was a pot luck thing. There were only about 10 folks there but it was a good time and something to do. It used to be The Pecos Elk's Lodge until about 2000 when the Elk's Lodge disbanded. We made a bottlecap snake for the bar. People we pretty impressed by it.
I found an interesting blurb in the Wikipedia regarding Pecos. It said:
In the 1960's and early 70's Pecos was notorious for arresting "hippie" hitch hikers and having their long hair cut before releasing them.
YIKES! Gene had a ponytail then.
Guess I've babbled more than usual.
That's all bloggers.
Love, Mary
1 comment:
Hey Mari, That's awful! All the stuff Gene has to go through just to keep his job. He/you should write a book of all the goings on and the crap he has had to go through.
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