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Where’s the Leak?

Posted on May 21, 2012 by auburnchick

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed that there was a leak in the Mr’s bathroom sink.

You know me and my DIY projects.

I LOVE them!

So, on Saturday, I ran to Home Depot and picked up these…

Then, I got down to work.

Let me first tell you that this project seems easy.

It’s not.

Unless you pay attention to what you’re doing.

Which I didn’t.

But I digress.

Let me go through the steps of how to fix a Delta, two-handled faucet.

First of all, I had to find a tool to unscrew the itsy bitsy screw inside of the handle.  No easy feat.  The allen wrenches we had in our toolbox were either too big or two small.

Finally, I found the perfect thing…

That’s my tool for adjusting my sprinkler heads.

It worked perfectly!

The screw is very small, so if you attempt this yourself, make sure you pull up on the plunger thing, seating the sink stopper so nothing goes down the drain accidentally.

I was able to pull the handle right off, but I still had to remove the inner hardware to get to the washers underneath.  The washers are what get worn out and allow for the dripping that occurs in faucets.

Taking out the pieces in the middle was harder than I expected.  First, I had to unscrew the ring that sits below the middle section.  To do this, without ruining the metallic finish, I wrapped a towel around the ring, grabbed some a pair of piers, and turned the piece to the left (righty tighty, lefty loosie)…

I thought things would be easy from here, but they weren’t.  I still could not make that center piece budge!

I discovered that I could use a screwdriver as leverage and, by sticking it under one little tab on the side, I was able to loosen the piece…

Voila!

If you’ve never seen the inside of a faucet before, please let me enlighten you…

That hole is where the spring and washer go, and it’s where the water comes up before going out the center part.

Fascinating, I know.

The easiest way to get those parts out is by sticking a screwdriver inside and pulling out the parts…

One would think that the last part…putting everything back together…would be the easiest.

It really should have been except that it wasn’t.

First of all, I couldn’t get the top of the faucet seated back on top of the middle section.

I tried and tried.

Finally, I took apart my sink’s faucet (I have a dual sink vanity).  After looking at the way the cold water faucet was set up, I promptly went over to fix the Mr’s hot water faucet.

The only problem was that I don’t have a math mind, so I forgot to reverse the setup.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

When I finally figured this out, then I had another problem.

See, the inside of that faucet has an extra white piece that comes out.

Look closely at the following picture…

See the piece that doesn’t have the hole in it?  The white piece?

Well, it turns out (after trial and error) that where you put that piece determines which direction the handle turns.

I’m serious!!

I know this because I put it in the wrong slot and had my faucet handle turning on the water in reverse.

I could have been mean and left it this way for the Mr to figure out.

I’m a perfectionist, though, and had to put it back in proper working order.

Oh, and take a look at how one half of the metal piece has a straight edge and the other half is curved.

That is significant, it turns out.  It has to be facing the side what the handle will be facing when it’s off.  Go figure (which I did…the second time I had to fix the faucet).

So, after much sweat, fussing, and wishing I’d never started the project, I was finished.

I tested things out by turning on the water (did I mention that you have to turn it off before dismantling the faucet?  Oops.).

Well, that darned hot water faucet had water pouring out of it, so I knew that I hadn’t seated the spring and washer properly.

I had to dismantle the entire thing again.  I think that all of my efforts to fix that white insert, I loosened up the washer.

Finally, and I do mean finally, I had things working perfectly!

No more leaks.

No paying an arm and a leg to call in a plumber.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Good Shoes Come to Those Who Wait…

Posted on May 20, 2012 by auburnchick

…for the prices to drop, that is.

Take, for instance, two shopping trips I went on this weekend.

Kohl’s had sent me a $10 coupon…that I could use off of anything.

Naturally, I headed to the shoe department first.  I found a pair of boots I liked.  They were on the clearance shelf, marked at 80% off.

The Mr. poo-pooed the idea saying, “We only have a week of winter in Florida.”

Whatever.

We walked around the store so I could look at clothes and jewelry, but nothing really struck my fancy, so I left with my coupon in my back pocket.

Well, let me tell you…I WANTED those boots, so I went back after church on Sunday to buy them.

I was shocked to discover a new clearance sticker on the box…

90% off!!!

Conveniently enough, there was another shoe box beside the one I’d been looking at…

HEELS!!!

On sale for 90% off as well!!!!!

Hello, Lord, I know you speak to your people and all, and, well, this was one time I really didn’t mind heeding your instructions.

heehee

I walked out of Kohl’s after spending $1.59.

What a deal!

I’m so glad the Mr. told me not to buy those boots.

I’m even happier that I did my usual thing, ignored him, and went back to get them anyhow.

😉

Filed under: Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

A Day in the Life of a Reading Teacher

Posted on May 19, 2012 by auburnchick

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a reading teacher?

Keep on reading to become enlightened.

On Friday, the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test results were released to schools.

Teachers…namely reading teachers…held our breaths.

Principals printed long documents that listed individual students’ test scores and handed packets out to teachers.

I anxiously took mine from my friend, Barb, who is my school’s literacy coach.

Then, I sat in her office and read, name by name, looking for each of my students.

Let me explain what went through my mind as I searched.

First, I was nervous…almost to the point of being sick.

I had worked my tail off all year, as had my fellow teachers and the students in our classes.

I did not want the work to have been for naught.

I stopped at each name I recognized and looked across at the numbers.

I was thrilled to discover that several of my students had PASSED!

Not only did they pass, but one, in particular, had done so with flying colors.

One of the most important numbers listed beside each student’s name was in the learning gains column.

Nearly all of my students made learning gains…some by as much as three years’ worth!

Along with the joy came the sadness and frustration when I discovered that several I’d just known were going to pass missed the magic number…by one or two points.

It’s going to be difficult to share this news with those students.

By the end of the day, I was emotionally exhausted.

I was also incredibly proud…of the students as well as the five other reading teachers and our wonderful literacy coach.

Sure, we’re not solely responsible for preparing our students for FCAT.  Every single teacher joins together to help students succeed.

However, reading teachers are responsible for focusing on specific strategies…teaching our students why and how to use them to help with the difficult task of comprehending text.

I am so honored to be a part of something so important.  I feel like what I and my coworkers are doing IS making a difference.

I doubted myself before beginning this school year.

I wasn’t completely sure I was ready or would be able to teach reading successfully.

The Lord has shown me that while I wasn’t perfect at it, and that there are things I need to change next year, I am well-suited for it and have loads of potential.

The Lord also reminded me that He WILL equip those who trust in Him if they dedicate their lives to serving Him.

I certainly placed my trust in Him when I applied for and accepted this teaching job.

I am so glad I did and cannot wait for next year, when I can put into practice some of the lessons I learned this year along with the lessons I’m learning in my Reading Endorsement classes.

THAT is what it’s like in a day in the life of a reading teacher.

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Creating a Caption – Figuratively Speaking

Posted on May 18, 2012 by auburnchick

Thursday night, I took this picture of Gambit…

As I was going into school on Friday morning, I had an idea.

I put this picture on my Smartboard and added the following information…

First of all, please forgive the handwriting.  Somewhere along the line, I missed the “Teacher Handwriting” class.

For 3rd and 4th periods, I modified my instructions to tell students to 1) Write one complete sentence that 2) Uses one figurative language device from the list and then 3) Identify the device used.

Had I completely had my act together, I would have skipped step 3, had my students exchange their papers with someone from another table, and then had the students try to identify which figurative device their partners had created.

But I didn’t.

Still, the kids had fun.

I told my students that because Gambit is Rooster’s dog, I would allow Rooster to select a winning caption from each class and then a GRAND PRIZE WINNER.  I told my students that I would give each winner a prize.

A little motivation never hurt, eh?

😉

Rooster had a lot of fun reading the captions, and he had a difficult time selecting “winners.”  All of my students were winners in both of our books.

But winners were selected, and I thought I would share them with you:

1st Period – Two students tied!
“J” – I think he is as crazy as a werewolf.  (Rooster liked this because Gambit IS a little crazy.
“C” – “Get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich.  I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” (Rooster liked this one because it hit on the stereotypical male mentality of telling a female to get him some food.)

3rd Period
“S” – Gambit was snoring as loud as screaming jets flying across the sky.  (Gambit is a VERY loud snorer!!)

4th Period
“S” – “Why is she bothering me.  I can never get any peace in this house!”

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER was…

“C” from 1st Period!!

Here’s the picture with the caption…

“Get in the kitchen and make me a sandwich. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

“C” will get a super-size candy bar in addition to the small one I bought him as a “class winner.”

Filed under: Pets, Teaching | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

A Big Milestone for a Non-Reader

Posted on May 17, 2012 by auburnchick

One of the requirements of the Reading Framework that Florida reading teachers are required to structure our classrooms around is that students spend a minimum of 20-25 minutes of silent, sustained reading of self-selected text.

Thus, my students begin each class period with this reading.  We’ve worked our way up to thirty minutes.  That’s two and a half hours of reading each week!!

A lot of the students don’t like it, but they participate and record their summaries and connections on a form.

A couple of days ago, as I was walking around double-checking their work and talking to students about their reading, one of my students said, “Mrs. AuburnChick, do you know that this is the first book I’ve ever read all the way through?”

I was amazed!

He continued to explain me that because I require the reading in my class, he has grown to enjoy the activity!

What a milestone!

Struggling readers often don’t see the purpose for reading.  Because they cannot fully comprehend what they are reading, they just don’t do it.

So, hearing my student’s words was an incredible blessing to me and validation that the strategy is working…at least in one young person’s life.

 

Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

What’s Wrong With this Picture?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by auburnchick

As I was watching America’s Got Talent last night, I began ruminating….

About what a cushy job it must be to get paid to judge people’s talents…

A job that is incredibly subjective.

Consider, for a moment, how much the current judges, Howard Stern, Sharon Osbourne, and Howie Mandel, are getting paid.

Millions.

Added to the millions they already have.

Now, contrast this to my job…

That of teaching children to read…

So that they can one day become productive members of society.

And I don’t make millions.

I’ll never see a million in my lifetime.

Rooster and I talked about this a while.

He mentioned how the people who earn between $30,000 and $80,000 are usually the people doing the kinds of jobs that have the potential to have lifelong effects on those who receive our services.

There’s something vastly wrong with this picture, if you ask me.

It kind of says where our priorities are, as evidenced by the picture below…

Now, don’t you go thinking that I don’t like my job because you know that I do, with all of my heart, that’s for sure!  .

But I’ll admit that another zero on the end of my salary wouldn’t hurt.

😉

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

She’s My Baby

Posted on May 15, 2012 by auburnchick

Personification.

It’s the figurative language device I’m teaching my students right now.

Yesterday, I told them that we personify everything.  Personification is sprinkled throughout our conversations, literature, advertising, and even music!

Last night, personification took on a very personal meaning when my baby got sick.

No, it wasn’t Chicky.  She’s back at school.

It wasn’t Rooster either.  He’s away with a few church members…preparing a camp location for the students who will bombard it in a few short weeks.

It wasn’t even one of my furry babies.  Gambit seems to be doing a lot better thanks to the extra TLC he’s receiving.

Nope.

My baby…well…it’s this…

I’ve had the 17-inch version of the MacBook Pro since 2006 when I went back to college to finish up my Bachelor’s degree.

On Sunday, she completely shut down on me…when I was in the middle of composing a document.

As her mother, I know her nuances, and starting her back up was challenging.

I sensed something sinister amiss; however, she recovered, and we proceeded as before.

Then last night, I was working on a Reading Endorsement assignment (I have two left for this class), when she shut down AGAIN!!

This time things were not okay.

She started up, but she wouldn’t go past the Apple logo.

Oh my gosh.

Nothing makes me crazier than when one of my babies is sick.

As if she were a human or fur baby, I immediately went to the internet for assistance.

What I read wasn’t good.

I tried a few “fixes,” but my baby was a little too sick for the remedies to work.

Finally, after popping in my software CD, I found the disk utility program and did the unthinkable.

I reset her.

I’d been backing up my files; however, my last backup was in early April.

Oy!

Still, something was better than nothing.

Within a couple of hours, I had my baby up and running as before.

Yet, I, being a worry wort and a bit of a hoverer, am holding my breath every time I turn on the computer.

I know her hard drive is on its last legs.

I don’t relish the thought of replacing it.

I mean, she’s six years old!!

I’ve already had the keyboard, logic board, battery, and other things replaced.

Sigh.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the Lord performed a miracle last night, and that she, like a cancer patient who outlives a dire prognosis, will continue to keep on ticking for a few more years.

She’s got to, or else I’ll be devastated.

She is, after all, another one of my babies.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

A Hug is Not Just a Hug

Posted on May 14, 2012 by auburnchick

I think I’ve said, a time or two, how fantastic my church’s newest pastor is.

Well, yesterday, Tom was in rare form as he began his sermon.

He utilized a member of the congregation to demonstrate various types of hugs and even broke down, step by step, the symbolism of what each part of a hug means.

Sound silly?

It was, a little, and we had fun laughing along with Tom and his “volunteer.”

BUT, the application to real life…trust…boundaries…fear…

Oh.  My.

Deep.

I sat there thinking about the boundaries I’ve set up around me and, perhaps, how I don’t respect others’ boundaries or how I react when others don’t respect (or fail to notice) my own boundaries.

We, as humans, need to establish boundaries to deal with life.  As we grow older, we build up walls in reaction to the “stuff” that happens in our lives.

These walls determine the kinds of hugs we give and are willing to receive.

It’s no secret that I have issues.

I’m not alone though.  Don’t pretend that you don’t.

My issues stem from being the child who, as the oldest of a sometimes single mother, had to fend for herself…most of the time.

I have trust issues.

I have issues with love, though my issues haven’t affected my ability to love my own children with a fierce intensity.  This love extends to the students I teach.

Still, I tend to distance myself from others in my life who do love me, or I shy away from opportunities to let new people in.

I think it stems from the fear of being rejected…not being in control.

It’s also a fear of letting people down.  As a result, I am, at times, a people-pleaser.

I think I fall somewhere in the middle of the fear/boundary continuum that Tom mentioned in his sermon (I won’t go into more details because I’m afraid I wouldn’t do his words justice).

Holidays are the times when my fears attack me the worst, so I honestly don’t look forward to what should be special times.

Too many expectations…too many opportunities to be rejected (this is a lie Satan tells me) or to lose control.

Mother’s Day is no exception.

In fact, it’s one of the worst of the holidays for me.

Especially where it comes to acknowledging my own mother.

Sad, and I know it would hurt her to read this, but true, and I think she’d understand.

Soooo much water under the bridge…so many hurts have passed between us over the years…so little trust…so many walls built up.

She’s trying to reconnect.

I don’t want to be hurt any more.

BUT…

I called her yesterday…trying for once to be a good daughter.

And do you know what?

We had the most normal conversation we’ve ever had.

It didn’t have any expectations tied to it.

It was simply a woman-to-woman chat…about cell phone service…about the kids…about work.

And it gave me hope…

That one day when I hug my mom, it will be like the last hug that Tom demonstrated…

The one that signifies true joy at seeing someone who has been deeply missed and is deeply appreciated.

One like what Chicky gave me before she went back to school…

The one I keep reliving over and over because of its depth and sincerity.

I’m not an easy person to love, and I certainly don’t love very easily either.  But my hope is that I will be able to work through my fears, loosen up the tight boundaries I’ve set up in my life, and love freely…both in giving it and accepting it back…

Through whatever kind of hug a person chooses to give me (hopefully not the last, stalker-ish one that Tom demonstrated a little too familiarly 😉 ).

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

That’s How We Roll

Posted on May 13, 2012 by auburnchick

Mother’s Day in the AuburnChick household is…um…unique.

Chicky left for summer session, but before she left, she gave me my Mother’s Day gift…

She sheepishly admitted that she had gotten the candle for free.  I didn’t care.  The fact that she thought enough about me to even give it to me made me smile.

The best gift she gave me, though, was a long, hard hug…right before she got in her car and drove away.

This girl child of mine NEVER hugs me like that…ever.

The gift was priceless.

This morning, Rooster woke up and said, “Close your eyes and open your hands.”

When I opened my eyes, I saw this…

The package has a wall charger AND a car charger.  I’ve been wanting a second wall charger to keep at school.

What can I say?  The boy knows the way to his mama’s heart!

I think that as mothers, we don’t look for much in the way of expensive gifts.  Simply being acknowledged, in ways that are specific to our interests, is enough to make us smile and, in the end, love our children even more.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 2 Comments »

A Chance Encounter

Posted on May 12, 2012 by auburnchick

Sometimes all it takes is a chance encounter to lift you out of the doldrums of self-pity.

Yeah, I’ll admit that I went down that path with yesterday’s post.

That’s what happens when you combine PMS with a college child who should be staying home for the summer but instead is going back to school to attend summer session.  Added to that mix is a holiday that I loathe…Mother’s Day…and all of the expectations that accompany it (sorry if that sounds harsh, but as I’ve mentioned a time or two, I have issues…a few of them).

So, yesterday morning found me in a less-than-happy mood.

Talking to a friend at work didn’t help that much…especially when her own mother texted her during our conversation.

It was one more reminder of what I don’t have with my own mother and my own child.

Sigh.

I taught first period and then left to run a couple of errands.  While I was out and about, I ran into my friend, Angie.  Yes, she’s THE Angie who surprised me with a funny card and a generous gift.

She has quite the gift for gab, and we stood outside, both on our way to our cars, and chatted…for a while.

Her youngest daughter will be heading to college in a few months, and she has an older one who’s been in school for a few years now.

She and I laughed as we commiserated with each other regarding our childrearing woes.

By the time we parted ways, I felt as if my burdens had lifted.

Some people might consider this a chance encounter.

I know it had been the Lord, arranging our day to intersect with each other.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

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