4,000 Questions - #5: Principal's Office

Here's the background info on the 4,000 Questions posts...

Question #5: Did you ever go to the principal's office?

My Answer:

I was one of those "good" little kids - usually the teacher's pet, top grades, never in any trouble, etc. But, once, in 2nd grade in Buckeye, Arizona, I didn't hear the bell ring after recess. My friend and I were still on the swings, and we both ran into class late, once we noticed that the playground was deserted.

It doesn't seem like a terrible offense, but our teacher sent us to the Principal's office. This was horrifying treatment for a goody-two-shoes to suffer. What made it even worse was that they still practiced corporal punishment. We actually had to bend over the desk and got a few whacks with what I remember was a ping pong paddle. Nothing that hurt terribly, but it certainly did sting our pride.

Your Answer:

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e-Addictions

Is it just us, or are there others out there who are also addicted to electronic media?

Anything electronic is just so much FUN! And time spent at the computer really feels like minutes; it’s always shocking to discover just how much time has passed while we’ve been mesmerized by our monitors. Here are my personal addictions (and I know there are many others I haven’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing)…

• Blogging – Posting, bloghopping, checking followed-blog posts, viewing the fabulous new Blog of Note, finding a comment, leaving a comment, commenting on a comment, thinking up new post ideas, re-arranging page elements, finding and adding a new gadget.


• Stats Tools – It’s a fair guess to say that about 50% of the blogs I visit have some type of statistics tool, and about 50% don’t. If you DO use a stats tracker of any kind, you know what I mean about it being fascinating to see what part of the world your visitors come from, and what posts are most appealing to the public. (Without a doubt, our first-hand accounts of the Inauguration have been the most popular so far.) And I probably don't even have to tell you how crazy good Google Analytics is.


• Twitter – I first signed up for Twitter in order to upload quick updates from my cell phone, which would enable us to keep our Inaugural posts fresh while we were away from the computer. But now, I find I can’t stop Tweeting! It’s fun to send my own updates, to read others’ Tweets, and to click on "Everyone" to see what the whole world is saying. Somebody stop me!


• Internet – is there anything that can’t be accomplished by going to the Internet first? It’s where we look up phone numbers, addresses, get directions, find hotels and restaurants, and ask “how to…” do just about anything, and usually find a useful answer. And, of course, most shopping can be done there, too. I just wish PeaPod had local service!
  

I would imagine that at some point, there will be therapists who specialize in dealing with Electronics addictions. I know that there are currently many business articles written for people who feel possessed to check their email inboxes every few minutes, and respond immediately to anything they find there. In fact, NOT checking their email eats away at them, and they finally break down and open the inbox. I’m guessing we’ll soon be seeing articles like this about easing off on Blogger, Twitter and other e-addictions.

I don’t dare get a Blackberry or an iPhone – I think I’d never get ANYTHING practical done (like feeding my child!).

PS - I found this very interesting article by Steve Tuttle about his Facebook addiction, which I think he's now overcome..."You Can't Friend Me, I Quit!"...REALY FUNNY.

Alphabet of Daily Life - C

C is for...the Cats, Calvin & Chloe.

Calvin is our handsome tiger dude. He came to us a couple of years ago from the local animal shelter. When we went to the shelter to see the cats, this cute tiger kitten was playing in his cubicle, and he came over to the window to see us when we walked by. The name on his window was "Pokey" and his brother was named "Gumby." We had a chance to play with him in the visiting room, and decided that we wanted to take him home.

He was an absolute joy from the start - charming, affectionate, well-behaved. We renamed him Calvin Pelle (Calvin after the clever little boy in the comic strip and Pelle after the brave boy in the movie "Pelle the Conqueror"). We all enjoyed each other's company tremendously.

After a while, we thought Calvin might like a playmate so he wasn't lonely while we were gone during the day or when we went off on vacation. We contemplated going to the shelter again, but then we heard about a family that had one cat too many.

This family had just moved to the Berkshires from Louisiana. When they opened their moving van here, they discovered a hungry little kitten. They kept her and tried to integrate her with their other pets, but they had many pets already, and this kitten was just a bit ferocious. They had finally decided they couldn't keep her and were planning to take her to the shelter, when we heard about her and said we'd give her a home. My daughter promptly changed her name from L.T. (Lil' Trucker / Lil' Terror) to Chloe.

That's the point when Calvin's life changed dramatically! He is now chased about the house all the time, we have to put him in an area away from Chloe at mealtime so he can eat, and he's extremely skittish from being pounced on unexpectedly and repeatedly. Chloe is adorable and loving with us, but fierce with anyone she doesn't know. She is sometimes pleasant and playful with Calvin, and sometimes beastly. And, yes, she does like to lounge in the bathroom sink.

Are all cats from Louisiana like this?

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