Saturday, February 8, 2014

Somebody's Law...The Edge is a Dangerous Place


There is a law, a scientific one, which explains motion. I will look it up shortly, just to give credit where credit is due. And to show that I did learn a thing or two at college (like how to research on the internet or crack open a text book).

Fell off my chair today. The nifty office chair with armrests, a plush seat, and excellently moving wheels. Thanks for the great Christmas gift, my love.

Being vertically challenged, frustrating at times, downright dangerous at others (hence, this moment), I have my office chair at the highest possible setting. In order to see my computer screen correctly and have my arms at the right angle for protection from shoulder/arm/wrist strain, I must have the seat up to the maximum of its height.

That being said, the highest level possible means these short little legs don't quite reach the floor. And to reach the keyboard at all, I have to sit on the edge of the chair.

There. I said it. Short. Can't reach the floor. I will be one of those short grannies you can't see behind the wheel of a car, driving slowly to avoid collisions, barely able to peek over the dashboard. It's because we are too short. Booster seats, anyone?

This could actually be a mathematical problem. Too short of legs + slick chair bottom + smooth wooden floor + well-oiled wheels = a disaster in the making.

I leaped into my chair, unfortunately hitting the edge. Producing the "every action creates an equal and opposite reaction" law of motion.

Bottom slid off the chair, short legs could not get grip on smooth floor - resulting in chair going the opposite direction. Me one way, chair the other.

Considering this law from the floor, checking myself for strained or bruised parts, I was glad that a recording device was ne'er to be found.

After crawling out from under the side table, upon which I put my writing resources, and collecting my chair from across the room, I promised myself to be more cautious when approaching this wild and wooly thing called 'the office chair.'

Whoa, Nellie!

NOTE: Isaac Newton's third law of motion: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I had it memorized almost to the word! Let's give a shout out to Western Washington University, where I took many loved science and physics courses. Whoop!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Time Out


Bwah-ha-ha! Some days bring loud guffaws. You just never know what a kid is going to say.

Child A: Blankity, blank, blank, blank. (Using God's name in vain, which we don't do at our school. We try to teach why and show respect for God.)

Me: Oh, A., we don't get to use God's name that way. We want to show respect for Him.

Child B: Teacher, I said that at home. My daddy got mad.

Me: Did you get in trouble?

Child B: No. I had to stand in the corner.

Me: That is getting in trouble.

Child C (with great expression and conviction): That is called TIME OUT. (Child C has obviously had trouble AND time out.)

Continue discussion by other students about TIME OUT and getting in trouble. If I could just sit and write down everything they say...of course, some things I could not repeat.