The 'RANT' Thread .....

[Poppylicious]

People not making eye contact with you when you're speaking to them.

Gosh, you'd hate me then!  I don't *do* eye contact; can't cope with it at all.

Following on from Todd's book rant, why on earth did they have to change the title of the first Harry Potter book for the American market?  Philosopher sounds so much better than Sorcerer.  And they're not even the same thing.  Pesky American folk!

 

And, following on from my poo post, I have to spend most of my ten minute walk from the bus to work every morning trying to avoid dog poo. It makes me want to scream.  And cry.

 

[galvo]

Hey, pops, if avoiding dog poo makes you scream and cry, what are your reactions when you step in it?

[amanda100wilson]

What is it with those people who park on the blue hashed area at the side of the disabled space?  I threatened to call the cops on a guy once who argued that it wasn't part of the disabled parking space.  Funny how he stopped arguing at that point and left.

[willowtreewren]

People not making eye contact with you when you're speaking to them.

 

I am working with a slightly autistic kid. Quite an interesting student, BUT, he has a very loud voice and he broadcasts any thought that comes into his head!

 

The "rule" I'm trying to teach him is that if he is NOT looking at least at someone's face (not even going for the eyes, yet), he needs to keep that conversation in his head.

 

End of rant.....

Aleta

[Poppylicious]

Hey, pops, if avoiding dog poo makes you scream and cry, what are your reactions when you step in it?

Trust me, galvo ... I would never step in it.

(and if I did, I would probably vomit which doesn't come easy for me because I suffer from emetophobia ...)

 

[Cordelia]

My son is Autistic. Eye contact is the most difficult for him. It's extremely hard.       

[cattlekid]

My new pet peeve is people who think it is perfectly acceptable to smoke in their cars with the windows down at stoplights.  Now my car smells like smoke.....grrrr....

[willowtreewren]

My son is Autistic. Eye contact is the most difficult for him. It's extremely hard.     

I realize that, Cordelia. this kid is really, really interesting, and I would never even suggest that he had to look into someone's eyes when speaking to them. We are just working on having him come to realize that when others are trying to concentrate, they don't necessarily need to know every thought that goes through his head, spoken in a loud enough voice that students in the next classroom can ALSO hear him.

 

Here are some examples: "Huh. I wonder when I dropped that paper?"

"I broke my pencil. Now I have to get up and sharpen it again."

"It looks like ____ has alot of work to do."

"I see that _____ hasn't put out the snack cards yet."

"When I finish this, I'm going to do some extra math."

"This is going to be an interesting day, because X teacher is absent."

All of these things are part of his way of processing his environment. I get that. I even support it.

Now bear in mind, that he has come a long, long way in the past year and a half. He now trusts others, has friends and enjoys school  - things that he had never experienced before. He's extremely bright, too. But he has this running monolog. We just want him to learn to keep his voice down so others can work, too. So we are trying to get him to recognize that if he isn't specifically talking to a person (or addressing the class), he is truly talking to himself and needs to lower his voice so he is the only one who hears what he is saying.

We HAVE been successful in helping him learn not to interrupt others when they are speaking.    It's a long process. Sometimes I just get tired.

Sorry for the rant.

Aleta

[galvo]

emetophobia! Bloody scrabble players!!

[willowtreewren]

emetophobia! Bloody scrabble players!!

 

It would not do to have this phobia as a teacher of young children!

 

So, one day a little girl was trying to tell me something, and as we do, I squatted down to be looking at her face to face (this was back in the days that my knees worked). She was obviously distressed, and unable to really tell me what what bothering her. Then she just looked at me.....and the thought went through my head that I KNEW that look. Realization dawned and I whipped her around to face the other way just in time!

Nope, I don't have emetophobia, but I'd rather not have to wear it!

 

[Cordelia]

My son is Autistic. Eye contact is the most difficult for him. It's extremely hard.     

I realize that, Cordelia. this kid is really, really interesting, and I would never even suggest that he had to look into someone's eyes when speaking to them. We are just working on having him come to realize that when others are trying to concentrate, they don't necessarily need to know every thought that goes through his head, spoken in a loud enough voice that students in the next classroom can ALSO hear him.

 

Here are some examples: "Huh. I wonder when I dropped that paper?"

"I broke my pencil. Now I have to get up and sharpen it again."

"It looks like ____ has alot of work to do."

"I see that _____ hasn't put out the snack cards yet."

"When I finish this, I'm going to do some extra math."

"This is going to be an interesting day, because X teacher is absent."

All of these things are part of his way of processing his environment. I get that. I even support it.

Now bear in mind, that he has come a long, long way in the past year and a half. He now trusts others, has friends and enjoys school  - things that he had never experienced before. He's extremely bright, too. But he has this running monolog. We just want him to learn to keep his voice down so others can work, too. So we are trying to get him to recognize that if he isn't specifically talking to a person (or addressing the class), he is truly talking to himself and needs to lower his voice so he is the only one who hears what he is saying.

We HAVE been successful in helping him learn not to interrupt others when they are speaking.    It's a long process. Sometimes I just get tired.

Sorry for the rant.

Aleta

I understand completely     

[willowtreewren]

I understand completely     

 

[MooseMom]

Aleta,

Have you ever had him actually practice whispering or talking at a lower volume? 

[willowtreewren]

 

MM, That's a thought. I'll have to ponder on it. He has some interesting "limits" of what he can tolerate. But this might work. 

[jbeany]

Dear Mr. Neighbor,

I realize you have so much stuff crammed into your garage that you can't park in it, but some of us actually wanted a garage to keep the snow off our vehicles when we rented an apartment here, so we actually use it for parking.  Since you've never pulled a vehicle into your slot in the row of 24 garages, it may surprise you to know that when you back out of a big rectangular box with no windows on either side, you can only see directly behind you.  It is impossible to see the rest of the driveway until the driver's seat of the car is past the garage walls.  So really, honking like crazy and then flipping us off when we start pulling out while you are barreling down the driveway at 3 times the posted speed limit will not help us see you any better.  And no, backing in will not really make a difference, since we still will have the hoods of our cars halfway into the narrow driveway before we can see to the sides.   

Idiot.

Sincerely yours,
All your neighbors who aren't hoarders.

[galvo]

Beautifully expressed!

[Poppylicious]

A woman annoyed me on the bus today because of the way she treated some school girls who were just being school girls (really, she should come and work where I work if she thinks they were badly behaved.)

It reminded me of one time on a bus when an elderly man ranted and raved at a thirteen year old because she was daring to sit in a seat for disabled people (a pull-down one at the front of the bus where anyone can sit but you're supposed to give it up for a disabled person or someone in a wheelchair if they need it) on a half full bus.  I really wanted to stick up for her but I was shy back then; I would probably do it now.  Then I really wanted her to stand up and limp as she got off the bus because that's what I would have done.  But she didn't.  I was just so angry that he presumed she wasn't disabled in some way, just because she was a young girl in a school uniform.  I could understand if she was sitting in a seat which somebody had obviously needed and was refusing to get up but she wasn't.  He was just SO mean!

I can't stand people who think they own public transport, nor those who believe they should be respected when they're not giving respect back.

Oh, and speaking of public transport, I once stupidly got a train home after an exhausting day out shopping.  I say stupidly because it was full of football fans going home after a match.  They were mostly male, of all ages, and not a single one of them offered me a seat even though I was the only person standing.  For a whole hour.  Stupid bluddy football fans.

[galvo]

On my first visit to London, many moons ago, the train from Thiefrow was boarded by a snarling, gibbering hoard of football supporters from some remote region (perhaps the midlands). They tried to converse with me, but neither side could comprehend the other. They alighted at a station where they were met by a multitude of coppers and all hell broke loose. I remained on the train, thinking 'I'm going to enjoy this place' And I did.

[cariad]

On my first visit to London, many moons ago, the train from Thiefrow was boarded by a snarling, gibbering hoard of football supporters from some remote region (perhaps the midlands). They tried to converse with me, but neither side could comprehend the other. They alighted at a station where they were met by a multitude of coppers and all hell broke loose. I remained on the train, thinking 'I'm going to enjoy this place' And I did.

galvo, I could read your writing all day.

My rant is not clever, it's terribly mundane. I am sick. Are there any other midwesterners who have this thing, and have you perchance gone to the doctor and received a diagnosis and will you please tell me what this thing is? I am told it is 'going around' and those with whom I speak describe the exact same symptoms.

Aidan has been sick since early January. Relentless cough, apoplectic sneezing bouts, fatigue, occasional congestion. Liot and I were fine through the trip to California. Now Liot has it, has had to stay home from school twice, and I have caught it as well. I dropped a class because of this illness, I am just so tired. Gwyn has it even though he is 2000 miles away. People have said it almost feels like allergies, and I gave Aidan allergy meds for a few days and it seemed to help, but then when Liot caught it I knew it wasn't allergies. I had something like this when I was 12, it knocked me out so horribly that for three months I would come home from school and go straight to bed. If this is the same thing all over again we are not even halfway there. Elliot says his eyes hurt (ouch) and he is totally zoned out. I am getting sharp ear pain, as is Liot. I don't think my house is ever going to be clean again, I just do not have the time nor energy.

[cariad]

I'm back with more grumbling.

Elliot's teacher called with some long story about a little tantrum he threw. This teacher and I have clashed in the past and she is doing nothing to endear herself to me. I cannot quite pinpoint why I dread talking to her. It's likely a combination between the fact that she always seems really nervous like she's going to go run and hide, and the fact that she tells these stories as if they are self-explanatory, and what I really want to say to her is "So? What do you want from me?" I really thought he had done some unspeakable act today because she seemed to be building to something monumental, but all he did was to shout 'no' when she told him to finish an art project. She told me that he claimed he didn't have enough time and then argued to me that she gave him plenty of time because they worked on it yesterday and the day before. HE WAS OUT SICK YESTERDAY, YOU NIT!!!! HE IS FIVE AND HE FEELS AWFUL AND HE MISSES HIS DAD AND YOU'RE PESTERING HIM ABOUT A BLEEDING ART PROJECT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN!!!!

I am about to give up on public schooling. My kids both test at the highest level possible and I worry especially that Elliot is bored out of his mind and that their potential is being wasted.

[MooseMom]

Cariad, go sneeze on her and cough in her face.  That'll teach her.

I'm sorry you have the creepy crud.  Ewww...

[cariad]

Aw, thanks, MM. And don't tempt me.... 

[willowtreewren]

Oh, Cariad....

   I agree, go in and SEE that teacher so you can expose her...

My rant today.....

Sigh. It has been a very busy day, but after I returned from a trip to take care of another school, my autistic student came to me and asked me to talk with his dad. Seems his dad told him that he was not "up to going" on a very special camping trip that my older students take to an environment camp in the Smoky Mountains. I went to all sorts of lengths to make it possible for this student to attend. I sent out all the information a month ago. Now less than a week from the date of the trip (when it is too late to get my money back), the dad decides his kid isn't going. This kid is devastated. I am too. I wrote a long letter to the dad and asked him to call me at home tonight. Well, it is 8:00 PM and no call yet.

One of the really important things about this trip is that the kids all bond so much during it and that is something this kid really needs. I realize that it will be a challenge for him, but it is one that he can accomplish.

I feel so sad (in addition to a bit peeved that I can no longer get back the $ I have sent to cover this child's camping). I can only hope that I can convince the dad to change his mind.

End of rant.

Aleta

[jbeany]

I am about to give up on public schooling. My kids both test at the highest level possible and I worry especially that Elliot is bored out of his mind and that their potential is being wasted.

At some point about 3th grade, a very wise person sat down with me and explained that she knew I was bored out of my mind and that was why I wasn't doing my homework.  (Sooooo many check boxes under "Not working up to potential," let me tell you!) She suggested that if I breezed through the homework and got it done ASAP, I could spend the rest of the study time with my mind wandering where ever it pleased, and I wouldn't get in trouble at all.  I was valedictorian when I graduated high school.  Sounds like Elliot may need that same speech!

Or maybe some version of the one I gave my friend's daughter, when she was whining about Michigan History classes, somewhere about 5th grade.  "Why do I need to know this dumb stuff?"
I told her she didn't need to know any of it.  Ever.  Her jaw dropped.  The look on her face when I asked her if she thought kids in Texas were learning Michigan history was hilarious.  You could practically hear the gears turning in her head.  "So why am I memorizing it?"  I explained that they were teaching her how to learn things, for later, when there was stuff she actually needed to learn to do her job, whatever it turned out to be. 
I also told her I couldn no longer name the 50 state capitals if I had a gun to my head.  "So what do you do if you need to know one?"
"Google it."

Like me, being told there was a point (and an end) to the boredom and idiocy was all she needed to buckle down and get the job done.

[willowtreewren]

I'm glad to report that after talking with my student's dad, he did change his mind and let him go on the camping trip!

  All the kids had an awesome time and this one student really made strides. 

I'm not one to complain, but I really do have a family rant today. 

With the long weekend, we had planned on going on our maiden camping trip in our new camper. I transferred my dad from the hospital to transitional care on Tuesday. Yesterday he called to tell me what he wanted me to bring him from his assisted living apartment (next to the transitional care facility). Oh, a bit of the back story...he was in the hospital because he had a touch of bronchitis. He might have been able to leave the hospital on last Friday, but they decided to keep him over the weekend. Instead of getting up and walking like he was supposed to, he just stayed in bed all weekend and lost enough muscle tone that he couldn't walk far enough on Monday to qualify for going back to assisted living. He told me that he just didn't feel like getting up and no one told him to....

SO, when I go out yesterday, I made a point of asking him if there was ANYTHING else he needed me to do because I needed to get home so we could get back into town do the grocery shopping last night. then I told him that we planned on being gone camping all weekend since it was a long weekend. So if he needed anything I would not be around.

Well, as it turned out, we were both so tired that we decided to wait until this morning to make the grocery run and then take off for the mountains. On the way to the grocery store my phone rings. It is my dad. These are his exact words: "Aleta, I need you to get my laundry and wash it today because I am out of underwear." No please, no asking if it is a problem, nothing but just come take care of me.... No acknowledgement that we were supposed to be on our way to the mountains.

He had no way of knowing that we had actually looked at the weather forecast for where we were heading and reconsidered going. he just plain forgot. If you haven't figured out, the man is extremely self-centered. We swung by there and picked up his laundry on the way to the grocery store. When I got home I washed and dried it. Then took it back to him. "It's still warm." he says to me when I get it back to him. DUH! I have just taken it out of the drier!

Oh, he did thank me. What a nice way to spend the only day of good weather we are going to have this weekend. Sigh.

I usually don't mind doing things for my dad, but it would have been nice for him to ask, or to even consider that I might have a life...

Well, end of rant. Sorry.

Aleta