Hodgepodge Wednesday on a Real Wednesday, EDITED

Joyce, over at From this Side of the Pond always has great questions to get the mind in motion.

1. Did you know there is a national day of pretty much everything in the universe? Feb 23rd happens to be National Inconvenience Yourself Day...when was the last time you were inconvenienced?

The last really major inconvenience happened this past Saturday. I won't rehash it (you can scroll down to the post below called "Ours at Last..."). The inconvenience of me being a post-operative woman dealing with complications, hormones, a birthday boy with 7 friends talking about farts and poop, a new dog who is both an answer to prayer and a 74-pound ball of undisciplined affection, a 4-hour round trip car ride to adopt the goldmeister (the cute dude above, looking all innocent and everything), plus hunger, dehydration, elation for us, sadness for others...well, it was what I would call a Glorious Inconvenience.

2. When a room in your house needs painting, who does the job?

My husband. I wouldn't have it any other way. He is tall, perfectionistic, and tenacious. He will not stop until the job is done, and done beautifully. I am only the runner. I run for paint supplies, run for his iced tea, run for whatever he needs. But I love his mad paint skills. He procrastinates and hems and haws about getting started, but once he's got that roller in hand, it's full-steam ahead, baby. Speaking of steam, I find him uber attractive when he's in handyman mode. He doesn't understand why I find him so sexy when he paints. (But I've noticed he won't hire anyone else, either!)

3. Are you friends with your cousins?

Funny you should ask. I've just recently gotten back in touch with my cousins through Facebook. We never really knew each other as kids, living so far apart. But as adults sharing the same heritage (common enemies?) we really hit it off. My cousins, aunts, and uncles are hilarious and generous, talented and kind. I had the distinct pleasure of going to Texas this past New Year's week for a mini-reunion with my cousins Lisa, Cindi, Craig, and their branches of the family (nut) tree. The "highlight" of the reunion (aka Fireworks at Craig's on New Year's Eve)
came at about 5:30 pm just as the guests were arriving to eat. Craig's little girl fell out of the tree and broke her arm at the elbow. So off to the ER for them, and the rest of us hosted our own party and felt right at home.

4. Do you use an alarm clock-if yes, is it an actual alarm, music or something else?

Yes, but it's on my husband's side of the bed, set to music. I am almost always awake before it comes on because I have a bladder the size of a grape. And it's a grape that does disco.

5. What do you put ketchup on?

French fries, hash browns, and meatloaf.

6. What smells make you nostalgic?
A lot of them. 1) Perfume of my third grade librarian, Mrs. Fountain, and that of Mrs. Reeves, the mother of a close high school friend. The perfume Mrs. Reeves wore was called Norell. 2) Boxwood. It reminds me of Nan C's yard, tucked away from everything, where I found solace and the love of Jesus in Nan's company. She was my spiritual mother when I was a confused and hurting teenager. 3) Lilacs take me back to Kansas. 4) Honeysuckle to my lazy summer days in Dublin (Maryland).

7. Did you hear about the high school English teacher recently suspended for some things she wrote on her personal blog? You can read the story here but in a nutshell she vented a lot of frustration onto her blog. She didn't mention individual students by name but she did make some harsh comments about kids in general and their parents.

What are your thoughts-if you're a parent is your child's teacher online and are you a 'friend' or 'follower' there? If you're a teacher are you on facebook and do you accept or friend students there? How about their parents? If you're a student are you friends with your current or former teachers online? Do any of them have blogs you read? If you're a teacher or a parent do you ever use your blog as a place to vent your frustrations with our educational system? So much to discuss....

No, I didn't read it. It's not wise to air one's job grievances online. I learned the hard way as a teacher who didn't use names. Teachers: When a student misbehaves egregiously, and it's out of your league or needs further addressing, go to those who can do something about it: the parents and the principal. Parents: Do your teacher a huge favor and ASK frequently how your child is doing with listening, respecting, following directions, learning, getting along with others, neatness, etc. Don't assume everything's fine just because you haven't heard otherwise. And by all means, do NOT assume that your child is right just because you heard his side of the story first!

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Our new dog just ate a pencil eraser. Can I hope that it will erase some of his bad habits that come from within?