Laws of Gravity

The New Shiny

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

I have a reluctant sweater to crochet. I really should be getting back to it. But there's a bit I'm not sure what to do with, and so I'm doing what I always do when confronted with a design challenge. I put it away and work on other things.

Knitty is an online magazine, published quarterly, that features knitting patterns. I look through each new issue, and sometimes I see something I like. Like this week...

The pattern: Subjunction. I mean, I don't really want the finished object. The thing that struck me about the pattern was that it called for a certain kind of yarn, the kind of yarn that my brother's been gifting me for birthdays and Christmases.

It only requires two skeins. I have two skeins of yarn.

The problem with this yarn? From the pattern, "I recommend a solid, nearly-solid or lightly-speckled yarn. The ribbing would cause a strongly variegated yarn to look muddled." Yeah, that's a strongly variegated yarn.

So, the Tardis blue? But I have four skeins of that. That's probably enough for a bigger project. Not that I have a bigger project in mind, but if I blow two skeins on this, then if that bigger project comes along...

I mean, I really should just get back to the reluctant sweater. But now I'm thinking about all these yarns that are just sitting in my stash. Sigh.

Offloading the Worry

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Friday. First period, learning center.

There is a classroom on campus where the special ed students can go to take their tests in a quieter environment. Each special ed teacher covers it for one period in their schedule. It's basically like an extra prep period as most days no one shows up.

The bell hadn't even rung yet when Nerine arrived. She explained that she had a test in her anatomy class, but she was first going to go to the health office. That's when the phone rang. It was her teacher, informing me of her arrival. Mr. M said that she was anxious about the test, and that I should make sure she wasn't on her phone. No problem.

A few days prior, I had seen a short video on social media from a professor.

tl;dw: He said that before a test, students should take out a sheet of paper, and they should write down everything that was worrying them. He said it would help them focus once it was time to take the test.

Sometimes I cover classes on test days. I filed this info away as something that might one day be useful. I might suggest a class do this.

When Nerine returned, I realized that she was the perfect beta test. I did not require her to do this, but I told her I had seen this idea on social media, and she was free to try it if she liked. We got her a piece of paper, and she started writing.

She was done in maybe a minute. (The professor suggested taking ten minutes before the exam.) Since she was done, I said to go ahead and start the test. (The test was online, so we had also been waiting for Mr. M to unlock it.)

Nerine and I talked a bit while she was taking her test. She said having a conversation helps her focus. The quiet didn't help her anxiety. It was then that she explained that she suffered debilitating anxiety, and this is when I gleaned that perhaps her trip to the health office was to take meds she had prescribed for her anxiety.

It did not take her too long to finish up. When she wanted to talk, I talked to her. We did not discuss her test at all. The topics were about Halloween (this was last Friday) and a party her family was giving, and her desire to become a doctor.

After she finished the test, I told her she could do whatever she wanted with the paper. I expected her to throw it out. But she folded it up and said she was going to show her parents. She said it actually helped. That was good to know.

As the test was online, it was graded immediately. Nerine got an A.

Plotting My Demise

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Thursday. Eighth grade English. Sixth period.

I was covering the special ed teacher of a co-taught class. I've worked with and for Ms. R many, many times (like the long-term when she was on maternity leave, and she mentioned how her son started kindergarten this year. Yikes). So, I sat back and listened as she explained the project to the kiddos.

They had just finished reading The Lord of the Flies. After turning in their notes packet for the book, the kiddos were assigned a final project. And as many of you are writers, I think you might find this project really fun.

The kiddos were to write a story, could be in journal form, but also could be narrative. They were to imagine that they, along with an adult chaperone and up to fifteen of their friends, were going on a field trip on a plane over the water. They crash. They end up on a deserted island.

The story was to be told in three parts: day or two after the crash, a few weeks into life on the island, and ending with a rescue (or not). Each part was to be 500 words. The adult chaperone does not make it, and must be dispatched in the first part, within a day of the crash. The other kiddos can survive or not.

Ms. R said that their story did not need to resemble the book they read and it could include fantasy elements. They got points for "entertainment value", so making the teacher laugh was encouraged.

And when it came to the doomed chaperone, Ms. R said she had been killed off myriad ways in previous years. She said that one student was angry at Mr. J, so they had him eaten by a snake.

After the detailed instructions, Ms. R had them get into groups (if they wanted to work with a partner) and get brainstorming.

As I walked the room answering questions (I had a pretty good grasp of what Ms. R was looking for), I heard my name. Which was odd.

At no point on this day had I been introduced to the kiddos. My name was not on the board. (Usually Ms. R says something, but she got distracted by something and missed it.) But, I have had these kiddos in various classes before, so many of them have met me.

I wasn't being called. But I heard my name. I approached the boy. He said that he was going to use me as the chaperone in his story. I nodded. I pointed out that I would then have to die somehow in the story (or be abducted or have something happen that removed me from the group). He pondered this.

Oddly, I felt honored to be considered for his story.

Then one girl was very upset. Another student informed her that she was going to be one of the fellow students in her story. I pointed out that she could then include her in her story and kill her off as revenge. She was oddly comforted by this.

I will not ever know how these stories turned out. But really, I don't begrudge Ms. R all the grading she'll have to do once those stories are turned in.

A Bad Note?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Tuesday. Seventh grade world history (advanced). Fourth period.

It was day two of a two-day assignment, but the school is on block schedule, so this was the first time I met the class. So far, the classes had been hit or miss. First period the previous day and second period on this day were both pretty good. Third and fifth period hadn't been so good.

The kiddos had a basic sub assignment. They had textbook questions to answer. And the clear expectation was that the kiddos would work quietly and independently.

Fourth period came into class asking if they would get their break. Mr. R had not mentioned anything about a break in the lesson plan, but ninety minutes is a long time for twelve year olds, so I was willing. But, the previous day giving a break had been a mistake. The kiddos did not get back to work after it. So I was leery.

But it was an advanced class. What could go wrong?

Yeah, well, it was also a seventh grade class.

They had work to do. They had worked quietly before the break. After? Yeah, they wouldn't stop talking.

I think the note I wrote their teacher describes it best:

“We’re getting a bad note, aren’t we?”
Well, that depends on you, really, and how you take my description of how the class actually behaved. As I listened to them trying to shush themselves and failing and Jasper declaring that you’d be executing them on Thursday, I laughed. And they took that as a bad sign.
Once they settled in at the beginning of the period, they worked well. Quietly. Cooper initially asked if they would get their five minute break (he said they get it at 10:50, and then he said that the break’s been moving around a little), and I said we’d see. At 10:52, Cooper asked if they could have their break. I said okay.
Mistake.
After five minutes, I called time. Asked them to go back to their seats and get back to quiet. (They were silent before the break.) They did not get back to quiet. They tried. But they were easily distracted, and while many would stop talking, a couple would say something, and they were back to general conversations again.
Around and around it went. I found it entertaining. They were sure you would be angry. They considered bringing in bribes. (It’ll be interesting if they do bring in bribes for you.) Then the conversations turned to other things. Most of them had finished the visual questions at this point.
There was some inappropriate language. There was a little conflict. (...names redacted...) But mostly it was just 7th graders being 7th graders. Several discussed assignments (science, the civics assn, English). And such.
But I’ve had way worse days and way worse classes. They weren’t great, but they weren’t terrible. Is this a bad note?

So, is that a bad note? Hard to tell. I did not get a chance to see the teacher or any of the students after. I assume they're still alive. But I so wish I could find out if they did actually bring in stuff to bribe Mr. R with. That would have been funny.

I Can't Look

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Tue, 03 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

According to BallotTrax, my ballot for this election was accepted on October 19th. I did my part. Did you do yours?

Now we can sit back and watch the regime play its tricks. Will they succeed?

Remember, they're the party of corruption.

In case you were wondering, here is how the votes are counted.

I've got a long day planned. Work, then I'm getting my hair done after work. I probably won't be watching the returns. It's too nerve-wracking.

Will you be watching the returns tonight? Or what will you be doing to distract yourself from it all?

Potty Pal's First Week

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Mon, 02 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000

New:

After three-days' use:

Not bad. It's on a lanyard that they're supposed to wear around their necks. Most put it in their pocket.

The brown is the roll the paper sits on. That's where I put the hardware that connects it to the lanyard. As you can see, the end came out. This is the second try. I buried that end carefully after it came loose the first day, but still...

I need to attach the hardware differently. Otherwise, I like the way this worked. I did not lose it, and even better, I did not lose the teacher's restroom pass. So, it's a win, although a win with reservations.

Last week I explained this whole project. The pattern I used is here.

Where would you put the hook? Can you see a better way to attach it?

A Request

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Friday. Continuation high school. English.

There were no lesson plans in the classroom. I have subbed for this teacher a few times, and she usually has lesson plans. As I headed back to the main office to see if she had emailed the plans, coming my way was Ms. E. Ah, phew.

Ms. E was on campus doing some curriculum planning, and she hadn't had a chance to leave the plans for the day as she headed out the previous day. The class was to do their district writing assessment, which is something I am very familiar with.

I had had time to set up for the day before I went in search of lesson plans, so as Ms. E showed me where their packets were, she noticed my water bottles. My water bottles are covered in knitting.

(These pictures are old. I've been using these sleeves for years now. I even made a video how-to for the purple one.)

The conversation turned to my water bottle decorations. And how she wanted one. Or, rather three. One for her daughter. One for her daughter-in-law. And one for her son's girlfriend, who she called a daughter-in-law even though she's not technically one (as the son and she are not married, but they are in a long-term relationship).

I mean, I can make them. I should really be working on the reluctant sweater. I am doing a side quest with the potty pals. But sure, why not add on some water bottle sleeves?

Someone really needs to get working on the thing she should be working on.

Ms. E asked me how much I'd charge. I don't know. Anyone know what they'd be willing to pay for these? It's hard to know what's fair, really.

Anyway, the kiddos didn't seem to get much done on their essays (or rather, their essay writing prep, as it was read-the-sources day), but they did it quietly. At least, those that were in class were quiet. Many of them wanted to help build the haunted house they build on campus each year (and invite community members to).

Drawing Inferences

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Thu, 29 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Wednesday. Seventh grade English.

This was a new-to-me teacher. (She's also new to the school, but she's not new to the district. Last year she was at the continuation high school. I saw some gigs pop up from her, but I always missed them.) The classroom she's in used to belong to an eighth grade history teacher (who retired at the end of the last school year).

(For fun I went into the archives. I subbed for Mr. C in this room on this day and on this day.)

Ms. V had left very detailed lesson plans. She had written their detailed agenda on the board. What could go wrong?

Seventh graders.

They were to read a excerpt from the novel Feed in their textbook, and they had questions to go along with it. This is a very basic, very standard type of assignment for a sub day. It should have been easy.

But nope. I offered to have us read the story as a class. No, they could read it on their own. But, they were not reading. I pointed out that reading requires them to not be talking, because one can't talk and read at the same time. I mean, I'm way old (compared to them), and I can't do it, so I know they can't do it.

They did not see my point. They claimed they could read and talk. (If they were reading together, that would have been fine, but that sounds a whole lot different than random conversations that have nothing to do with the assignment.)

But somehow, they got to the point where they were answering the questions. And I got the same question from several of them. Do we have to draw?

Draw? I went to investigate.

The question asked them to "draw an inference" from the text. Two of the characters were having a conversation, but the text explicitly stated that the two characters were not speaking. So, how were they having the conversation?

The excerpt was from a sci-fi novel where everyone is implanted with a computer feed. I'm hazy on details as I haven't read the book, but I quickly inferred that they were using this computer feed to telepathically (or something) communicate, maybe like texting.

The problem? They had no idea what "infer" meant. (Although, from the context of the question, it should have been clear they were writing an answer, not drawing a picture.)

After explaining this three times, it was time to explain it to the whole class, as there comes a point when it's clear that most of the class will have the same question, and repeating the answer for each and every student gets tedious quickly.

Were they able to infer? Well, kind of. When I explained that they had to figure it out even though it wasn't stated in the text, they got that. But, they were also seventh graders with a sub. They weren't working as diligently as they might with their teacher.

Although, when I left my note about how many of them weren't making very good use of their time, Ms. V emailed back that she had similar problems with them not doing their work.

I was very much not surprised at that. I could infer from their behavior that they were not in the habit of taking their schoolwork seriously. Seventh graders. Some of them will learn the hard way that they should really take their schoolwork seriously.

Expecting the Call

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Tuesday. Third period, prep period.

I was covering a teacher who had one period of business math and two periods of credit recovery. It was a fairly quiet day where my biggest concern was the cell phone usage. (They're supposed to put their phones away during class time. They didn't.)

After first period (they're on a block schedule) is snack. And when I have that next class free, I usually don't run out to the restroom as I'll have time during class. But I felt a little push. Something told me to go during snack.

The bell rang to start third period. I settled in. And then the classroom phone rang. And I just knew.

Yup. Could I cover another class? Art. A teacher I had subbed for before (and who I've talked to many times).

I mean, I get paid for the extra period. And it's not like it was a difficult class.

And it wasn't a difficult class. It was a scramble initially. The period had begun, and security had let the kiddos into the room. I was kinda late. (Not my fault if they call me after the class started.)

There were no lesson plans on the desk. Clearly, this teacher had called out late. (This happens. It's likely why they didn't get her a whole day sub.) But, I know this teacher. I had the kiddos grab computers assuming that the lesson plans were online. Yup, the lesson plans were online.

I knew where she kept her sub book. The seating charts were out. Once the kiddos got working, I looked at my computer to take roll as Allie had emailed me the attendance code, and she had also emailed the lesson plans. Which stated that the students needed to look online as their lesson plans were in Google Classroom.

Experience is helpful. The class was settled and on task pretty quickly.

(They were drawing sea shells. And doing some other tasks that they were behind on.)

It's been a couple years since working on prep periods happened most days. This seems to be coming back, though. While I rather like having the time without students, I also really like the extra pay. So I may grumble a bit, but I'm not terribly upset.

I'm especially not terribly upset when the class is fairly mellow.

And then after that I went back to the other fairly mellow class. Some days are not so interesting for the blog.

Lacking Empathy

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Here are some interesting things I came across this week.

An ‘empathy gap' divides Americans ahead of the midterms, says PRRI report
(RNS) — A survey released Tuesday (Oct. 20) found that Republicans and evangelicals increasingly see empathy as a danger that can lead society away from God. The survey found that more than half of Americans see President Trump as a threat to democracy.

I found this idea troubling. Evangelicals believe that empathy can lead people away from their God? If empathy is a problem, where is their moral compass? It explains why the atrocities this regime is committing don't bother them.

One big thing that puts my stomach in knots is the whole ICE thing. Them taking people off the streets. Killing people. Sending people to countries where they are in danger. All of it. (I feel empathy for these people. I didn't understand why others didn't. Well, now I know.)

Anyway, there's a resource for knowing your rights when the skibidi brownshirts are around. My state assembly member sent out some info as they've been kidnapping in my neighborhood. (If you're in California, you can report misconduct by ICE here.)

Also, I was sent a survey since they knew I had returned my ballot. At the end of the survey was a link to the results. I found it interesting. You can find those results here. It asked about a couple ballot measures, but it also asked about possible 2028 presidential candidates. In case you're interested.

And finally, a little video I found interesting:

What are you afraid of?

A Potty Pass

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I should be working on the reluctant sweater. I haven't touched it in ages. The weather has finally cooled off to a more reasonable fall setting. And it was supposed to be a Christmas 2025 present.

But I got another idea...

It's a toilet paper roll amigurumi. (The pattern is here.)

Why? Well...

Restroom passes at school are insane. On any given day, I'm keeping a list of eight-ish students per period who have to go. We have a one-at-a-time rule in an attempt to keep the kiddos in class (and to try to keep the campus fairly clear when the kiddos are supposed to be in class).

The schools have lanyards with the room numbers on them for the students to carry when they're out of class. This way security knows where they're supposed to get back to. (Over the years, teachers have come up with other items that the kiddos use for passes while out of class, and some have gone back to those.)

The problem for subs: these passes have a tendency to disappear on our watch.

I try to keep track of the thing. I note who has it (with my list). I try to remember to see that it's there when no one is out of class. But, with all the other things that I have to keep track of, sometimes that stupid pass gets neglected.

So, I got this idea. If I had my own pass, then it would not matter if a student lost it. It was mine.

And, if I had my own pass, I might as well make an amigurumi critter. Because that's what I do. And they're cute.

With this thought in mind, I went on an internet search of amigurumi patterns to see what would tickle me. And I was thinking of an animal of some sort. But, then I came across some toilet patterns, and this toilet paper roll just screamed "restroom pass".

I had to make one.

And there it is.

I have not used it as a pass yet as I just made it last week. I'm going to give it a trial run this week. We'll see how it goes.

And I'm making a second one just in case this first one goes missing. (Although, I will keep better tabs on it as it is mine.)

Mocking Him on the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Friday. Integrated math 1 (read: algebra). Seventh period.

Note: Ms. G's co-teacher in this period, Mr. R, is going on leave in December and has requested me to cover for him. So, there may be more stories about this group come December.

Because of all the middle school classes I've covered over the last couple years, this year's freshman class are well-known to me. When Ryker walked in late, I totally recognized him.

He sat in the back far corner. Not surprising. He did not remain in that seat, however, but that was the least of my worries.

Then there was Joaquin. Next to him was a girl who was applying her makeup. (Insert eye roll here, but she wasn't bothering anybody.) Joaquin was saying things to her and about her. At some point, he realized he was pestering her, and he actually stopped, and he actually apologized.

The girl? She informed Joaquin that she would beat him up after school. And she said it in a tone that said she could totally do it. The girl wasn't even 5 ft tall, and she was a slight thing besides. But she had the attitude of someone who was a black belt and knew she could take anyone down.

Joaquin turned to me then. "She threatened me."

I pointed out that he'd been mocking her. She said it had been for the whole period.

If I thought she was going to follow through, I'd've called someone about it. But the threat? Totally warranted.

Joaquin turned his attention towards Ryker, and Ryker turned his attention towards Joaquin.

The verbal sparring came to a head when Ryker called Joaquin a dork, loudly, and for the whole class to hear. I was in the process of chiding Ryker when Joaquin leaned in and very quietly called Ryker something worse. (I think it was b**ch, but if not, it was something along those lines. I heard it, but the memory has faded.)

Ryker went to sit on the other side of the room. He wasn't calling attention to himself, although Joaquin was calling attention to the move. (Ryker had been loud before, but he was quiet then. I'd take the seat change with him not disturbing the class.)

Eventually they settled down. But as the end of the period approached, both Ryker and Joaquin asked the usual question. Was their name in my note?

The answer to that question is always yes. If they have to ask, then they did something meriting inclusion.

But, just because, I mentioned to Ryker that not only was his name in the note, I would also be writing a blog post about him. And I would mock him on the internet.

Ryker's response? He wanted the name of my blog and he wanted to see the picture I'd use. (Yikes. As if I'd even use his real name. I may mock him on the internet, but he's a minor, and I'm not about to use any actually identifiable information about him.)

I guess Ryker doesn't mind being mocked on the internet. Actually, that's not surprising, now that I consider it.

Acting Like Middle Schoolers

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Wednesday. Twelfth grade English. First period.

Seniors. What could go wrong?

They were starting Hamlet, and we were doing some preliminary work with a Shakespearean sonnet. I had been running late that morning, and so I hadn't had much time to peruse the lesson plans, so I gave the directions very, very badly.

This isn't the first time I've given directions badly, though. The problem was, the class wasn't exactly trying. Getting them to pay attention to the instructions and then getting them to work wasn't going well. And, I had a co-teacher (who I've worked with before) who is in the class all the time. They weren't listening to her, either.

For the last fifteen or so minutes of class, they were to start listening to the play. Ms. S had left a CD and a boombox with which to play it. The boombox was plugged into the in-ceiling speakers. Technology I could manage.

But, not so much. I put in the CD. Pressed play. And I got no sound.

I turned up the volume. I switched the inputs. I stopped and restarted the CD. Nothing.

The class? Went wild.

So, while I was dealing with the technology, the class was getting louder and louder, and someone threw a pen at us. (It missed. It hit the teacher's desk, but it did not strike either of us.)

Ms. K was livid. They were acting like middle schoolers. Seriously, I expect that behavior from a middle school group, but from seniors? Yeah, no.

I finally got the CD working. (I had to turn the boombox off and turn it back on. Then it all worked.) The class? Not listening to Act 1, scene 1 of the play.

Ms. K wanted to know who threw the pen. (From experience I know I won't find out who it was. Many times the teacher can figure it out later.) The class mocked her for not being a real teacher. (Which was ridiculous. She's the special ed teacher in the co-taught class. She knows her stuff and has been teaching for many years. They seem to think she's an aide or something, which is also not fair to aides.)

Ms. K? Held them in at snack.

They were not happy. Also not happy? Ms. S. When I saw her the next day, let's just say first period is now in a world of hurt. And she was closing in on the pen thrower.

Covering senior classes is supposed to be a cake day. Not so much with them. But, I had sophomores for the rest of the day, and they were lovely.

Enjoying the Cooler Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Tuesday. Tenth grade chemistry. Second period.

After 100℉ (38℃) temps the previous week, our weather fell off a cliff, and on Tuesday we were forecast to have a high of 72℉ (22℃). Ah, bliss.

When I walked into the classroom, the thermostat (which was off) read 64℉ (18℃). And it was perfect. Just a bit chilly, but once the kiddos arrived, the room would warm up.

The kiddos were not as cooperative as I would have liked. There was a table of girls who were having way too much fun. They had an assignment, but they "finished" it way too quickly.

One of those girls, early in the period, mentioned the temperature of the room. "It's cold in here."

Me: "Yes. Isn't it glorious?"

Because it was. I was comfortable for the first time in months. I didn't have sweat dripping down my back first thing in the morning.

The girl didn't see my point. She urged me to turn on the heat.

Heat? Hell, no.

I'm not insane. When we get to the colder months and I walk into a classroom and the thermostat reads 54℉ (12℃), the first thing I do is turn on the heat. But 64℉?

By the time the girl complained, the thermostat was well above that. It was 70℉ (21℃) by the end of the period. (I did turn on the a/c after that, but mostly to blow air to keep the temperature there. It'd climb quickly and get very stuffy if I didn't.)

It wasn't like the girl was dressed wrong. She was in long sleeves and jeans. And it wasn't that cold. But I suppose we had been so warm for so long that it felt positively frigid by comparison.

The next day I had a similar argument with a senior girl. When she complained of the cold, I pointed out that it was forecast to get into the 90s (30s in Celsius) in a couple days. She said that was way too hot.

Yup. Agreed. So, let's enjoy the cool while we have it. A blissful two days.

Election Season

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I ran across this article last week that's a filling out of a long BlueSky thread chain. I thought it was interesting, so I'm sharing:

What Happens When Fascists Realize They Might Lose?: The attack on Ilhan Omar’s home, the desperation of an unpopular fascist administration, and the long fight ahead.

But my big project for the week was to look at my ballot and get my voting done. I'm in California, and they mailed our ballots to us at the beginning of the month. There are many propositions to go through, plus there are a bunch of judicial races that I always have to look up. Oh, and we're voting for a new governor.

Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I got that done, got my ballot filled out, and I got it sent back in. (As of this writing it hasn't made it to where it gets counted, but I got notification that it's in the system and on the way.)

If you're in the LA area, I found an interesting voter's guide that explained all those persnickety judicial races that I never know who to vote for in. It also explained in plain English what those ballot propositions were actually about. So I could make up my own mind. (They had the way they were urging us to vote, but they explained their reasoning, which helped.)

I guess this week's post is about voting. Make sure to vote in this midterm election (if you are in the US). If we can flip the House and flip the Senate, we can urge those officials to put a stop to the shenanigans that the regime is getting up to. These are the checks we need for all the awful things they're doing.

Just for fun, a little ad for CA-34 that's kinda fun. (I have no skin in this race as I'm in CA-41.)

And this one from Mississippi:

Make sure to vote.

No Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Mon, 19 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I did no knitting or crocheting last week. But this post needs a pic, so here are the slippers...

Last week I mentioned how I had finished filming all the clips I needed for the video I made as a how-to-knit these slippers. It was just a matter of waiting for my brother to put them together.

My brother returned the edit the next day.

Now I need to sit and watch the 40-minute video to make sure there are no other changes to make.

But with work and this little cold I caught, I did not have the time or energy to do that. (I expected it to be a while before my brother had time to edit together the video. Nope. He managed to squeeze it in.)

I'll get to it. Eventually. I'm writing this on Saturday at about 7 PM. My day? I got up, had breakfast, and then I slept for four hours. I feel so much better after that little nap, but I'm not quite all the way well yet.

(I blame the flu shot. I was a little tired, but fine, and then I got my flu shot on Wednesday. Thursday? Full-blown cold.)

Anyway, the video is in progress. It'll be done. Soon. Just not quite this soon.

Playing It Safe

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

I do not know if you heard about the heat wave in southern California, so let me just mention how horribly hot it was last week. 100℉ (that's about 38℃) highs. But, by Thursday things had cooled off to a balmy high of 90℉ (32℃).

When I ran into Ms. G on Wednesday (when I ended up covering her co-teacher on my prep period), I asked her about the room switch, and she informed me that her air conditioning wasn't working. Uh oh. I was booked to cover her class the next day. This was horrible news.

But we were not in her classroom. The room we were in was used only for first and second periods, and then it was vacant the rest of the day. Knowing this, I made sure Sherry (the sub secretary) checked me out a key to that room.

Thursday. Eighth grade math.

I arrived at Ms. G's actual classroom. She had written in the lesson plan that the a/c worked a bit, but it had been giving up later in the day. I turned on the a/c and hoped for the best. At the end of second period (they're on a block schedule, and this was an even day) the a/c was still blowing cool air. So, good.

But, do I hope the a/c will hold out, or do I go to the room where it's a sure thing? If the a/c went out mid-period, we could move (as I had the other room's key, too), but moving eighth graders in the middle of a period?

After they all arrived in the usual room, I walked the class over to the other room. And things went rather well. (Ms. G's co-teacher was also out--same meeting--so it was a two-sub day.)

Sixth period was the prep period, and I had been asked to cover a different class. For eighth period, Ms. C and I agreed to meet in Ms. G's usual room and walk the kiddos over like we had fourth period.

(There was a note on the door for anyone looking for us during class time, but leaving a note on the door and hoping the kiddos would arrive in the correct classroom on time? Or at all? I don't trust eighth graders to do this.)

Ms. C and I arrived during passing period, and the classroom was cool. The a/c was working?

I mean, it hadn't had to work so hard keeping a classroom full of kiddos cool. The day wasn't as hot as earlier in the week. Maybe it would hold out?

Ms. C and I conferred. Do we risk it? I had left my stuff in the other classroom, but one of us could have gone and gotten that if we were staying.

We decided to leave it up to the class. We took a vote. They were pretty evenly divided, but going won by two votes.

At the end of the day I had to return papers and such to Ms. G's actual classroom. The a/c? Still blowing cool air.

Would it have held out? Was it now working? I can't be sure. I can be sure that I won't want to cover Ms. G's class again until the weather cools off. Whenever that is.

(It's supposed to rain this week. When you read this it might be cooler. It might be wet. And we might get hot days after this. The joys of SoCal in October.)

Home Base

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Wednesday. Special ed math. (I was covering Ms. L, who at this point I know rather well.)

First period was co-taught with Mr. J, who was also out. He had left a test. I took the special ed kiddos next door to the math learning center so they could do their test.

{My big drama for the period was when one kiddo made a dramatic entrance about halfway through the test. He was supposed to be with me, but he remained behind, not sure why. I called names of who was going. One reason the kiddos take tests separately is because the special ed kiddos are allowed to use their notes on the tests--it's one of their accommodations. So, when the other sub caught him using his notes, he understandably called the student on it.

Apparently Mr. J lets him remain as Mr. J knows who is allowed the notes and who is not. But subs. So, the student got sent to me, and he was not happy about it.

I know how Mr. J will react to this. Something similar happened last year. Mr. J has told the kiddos that they can follow the sub's instructions for the day. They're old enough to go with the flow for one day. But sophomores. They get touchy about things.}

Then third period was Mr. L's conference period. (The school is on a block schedule. This was the odd day.) I remained in the learning center as that's where Ms. L's desk was located. I was just settling in for a little break (opening Feedly and getting ready to read through the day's blogs) when I got a call from the sub secretary, Sherry. Could I cover a third period? Deep sigh.

I packed up my stuff and headed out. When I got to Ms. G's temporary classroom [her a/c wasn't working, and last week our temps hovered around 100℉ (that's about 38℃)], I learned that the lesson was for them to take a test. And the co-teacher I was covering was to take the special ed students to another classroom so they could test in a quieter setting. Guess where.

So, we hiked back to the learning center.

I plopped my stuff back on Ms. L's desk, and I watched the kiddos take their test. (Things went smoothly.)

If I had known I was going to spend two periods in the same room back-to-back, I would have set up a more comfortable spot to observe from. But some days kind of take you by surprise. (The rest of the day I was in different classrooms.)

The Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Monday. Tenth grade English. Co-taught.

The kiddos had some questions to answer from their reading of "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe, and then they were to begin reading the articles for their district writing essay (that they do once a quarter). And other than the kiddo in period eight who thought that that was the perfect time to blow up balloons and make balloon animals for everyone, the students spent their time making progress on their assignments.

It's early October (at least, this day was), and while I had been scrambling for assignments, August and September were mostly filled with working days. While I was booked for most of last week, that was the extent of my bookings. The rest of October and November (and December and after) were completely blank.

But this is when the jobs start popping up.

I was seated, watching the kiddos work, when I got an alert on my watch. New job. I grabbed for it. Missed. Damn.

Then another job popped up. This one I caught.

I looked over at my co-teacher for the day. Mr. H. The usual co-teacher was also out at the meeting (or whatever) that had taken Mr. E, so it was us two subs. Mr. H has been a sub about as long I have been, and we get along. We've both been trying to keep busy working. So, when I realized that someone (likely Allie) was putting in gigs, I let him know jobs were being input.

Then another gig popped up. I grabbed for it. Missed.

I turned to Mr. H. "Did you get it?" Nope.

He got an alert that I did not get. (I heard his phone alert.) He grabbed for it. I think he missed it, but I'm not sure.

Why didn't I get that alert? It could be that it was on a day I already had a job, or it could be that it was taken before it got to me. No matter.

We both kept looking. Not much was input for a while. Or, at least I didn't get alerted.

The class was working quietly. My computer alerted. I grabbed, and I got it! "Yes!" I probably shouldn't have said that out loud, but it just slipped out.

Mr. H? He was still trying.

At the end of the day I had picked up three assignments. During the rest of the week several jobs came up for grabs, and while I would have liked to have gotten more of them, I got a fair number.

As of this writing, I have at least one gig booked for each week of the next six weeks (two weeks with one, three weeks with two, and one week with three), and a teacher reached out to let me know he'd be out for December and could I cover his classes?

So, I'm working. Mr. H? He's working, too. Hopefully more days will pop up. I mean, it's likely. People get sick. Things happen. It'll be fine.

At least I've got some things coming up that are already booked.

How Goodhart's Law Explains Why Social Media Is So Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

It was a hot week. I caught some sort of stomach bug (more of a minor irritation than anything that knocked me down for the count). And I've just been trying to hold on. I wasn't really paying attention to, you know, everything.

Although, if a certain someone gets outside forces to take out Los Angeles, that's me. I'm not in Los Angeles proper, but a good nuclear blast would be close enough to take out my city. So, that attack was personal.

Anyway, I'm being lazy this week with a video I stumbled across. It talks about Goodhart's Law, which states, "When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure". In this video, at about 3:54, they say something very interesting about how they started measuring social media engagement, and discovered that outrage keeps people online longer. This explains a lot about our current online issues. Food for thought.

But I can't leave this post without some "resisting" content, so from Rachel Maddow, the word most picked by people to describe you-know-who is corrupt. Unsurprising, really.

I hear there are No Kings protests coming this weekend. Just a heads-up in case you hadn't heard (like I hadn't until just before writing this post).

A Beginning and an Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

As I mentioned last week, I still had some filming to do to complete the video tutorial for the ugly slippers. Not anymore. I managed to complete the filming. Probably.

With the slippers completed, I just had the opening to do:

And the closing:

And a few spots in between, mostly the gauge swatch and how to measure everything.

Now I need to go through what I filmed, choose the best versions, upload those so that my brother has access, and wait for him to have time to put it all together. (He has a full-time job. He'll get it done when he can.)

I also need to come up with a video title and create the video thumbnail. That will include getting decent photos of the slippers.

So, the actual video won't be done for a bit yet. But progress. I'm content with it.

Cure for Sub Boredom

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Culinary arts. Friday. Sixth period.

Yes, that's cooking. Yes, home ec is still around, although they don't do sewing anymore. I think it's considered a CTE class, that is career and technical education.

The assignment was a cooking video and then they had questions to answer.

The video:

They had the video in their Google Classroom as well as the questions. I played the video on the big TV, but I wasn't too concerned when they ignored it as I could hear it playing from some of their computers.

I walked the room to talk to a student about something, I forget what. Then another student said something, and I offered my help. I said what I always say.

"I have nothing else to do, so please, if you need some help, let me know."

The student?

"You can stream a TV show from your computer," and as she said it, she motioned towards the teacher's desk as if to say I should go there and not bother them.

Yikes. That was dismissive.

But, teenagers.

And seriously, they didn't need my help. I was being way too much. Which is part of the fun of subbing with teenagers. It is so much fun to be way too much when they are doing their sullen teenage thing.

I got my revenge. I took a picture of their cell phone storage which wasn't holding many of their cell phones. And I sent it to their teacher. Bwa-ha-ha!

Phoning It In

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Thu, 08 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Signs I've been subbing too long:

When I got the keys for the day, the secretary told me that Mr. J was in room 908. But I knew that was wrong. I knew that Mr. J was in room 911. Room 908 doesn't really exist. So, I asked for the key to room 911.

I got to where Mr. J's room was, between rooms 910 and 912, and sure enough, the door now says room 908. I tried the key for 908, but it didn't work. I tried the key for 911 which did.

So... why? One day (a day I was on the campus for, it happened last year when I was in that vacant art class) people on campus tried calling Mr. J in his classroom. The number to dial is the room number. But on this day, that 911 ended up going straight to the outside emergency line, and it broke the entire school's phone system.

They reprogrammed his phone to extension 908 (as nothing else worked and that extension number was free), and I guess they had to make the room number match the extension number.

Once in the room I found no lesson plans. But as the kiddos were arriving, the phone rang. Mr. J. I knew he wasn't going to leave me hanging, but he was running late, and he let me know to stall until he got there. (He was going to be out of class for a meeting, but he'd be on campus.)

And after getting the kiddos going (he got there shortly after I took roll), he promised to put another assignment into Google Classroom for the students who were ahead. Alas, he did not do this as once he got to his meeting he got involved in his meeting.

(I texted him to remind him, but he didn't check his phone until way later. Not in time for that class, but he put the assignment in for the next group.)

The class? Eighth grade science.

The last class of the day was 8th grade success. It's basically a study skills class. Mr. J had thrown together a plan, and I was in the process of getting them started when another adult arrived. She explained that she was there to do a drug prevention presentation to the group.

Considering how the day had gone thus far, I was not terribly surprised that Mr. J had forgotten.

Did the kiddos pay attention? Once the presenter bribed them with candy, they were more receptive to the information.

Some days...

Stylin' the Eighties

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Chemistry. Tuesday, eighth period.

The lesson plan for the day was for them to complete some surveys the district was requiring of all the high school students. Mr. U said that it should take the whole period, but teenagers rush through things, so many were finished with much time to spare.

Mostly they were sophomores, and mostly sophomores know how to not make a nuisance of themselves when they've finished their work. Most have learned how to sneak onto video games.

But not Jessie. No. Jessie first distinguished himself by taking 20 minutes in the restroom. In a building where the restroom was steps away from the classroom. Deep sigh.

I'm not going to list all of Jessie's misdeeds, mostly because as I write this it's been four days since I covered the class and I've forgotten exactly what it was that made him stand out. Self preservation, I think. I can't keep all of the silly things they do at the forefront of my memory.

Why Jessie made the blog has to do with the last thing he talked about, just before the final bell rang.

He asked me if I wanted to cut it off. Cut what off?

He reached around his neck and pulled out a long, narrow braid...

A rat's tail?!?

Suddenly, I was a seventh grader again. I think that's the last time I saw one of those. They're back? Really?

So, I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"1983 called. They want their hairstyle back."

But the bell rang at the same time, so Jessie did not hear me.

I'm not upset. It was a rather weak joke. It's been made hundreds of times. Just not about rat's tails.

Rat's tail.

Wow.

I did not expect to see that style return.

One Burning Question

noreply@blogger.com (Liz A.) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Last week there was one topic all over social media. The first time I saw anything about it, it was a post that sounded like this was an issue that had been known everywhere for weeks. But I got up to speed pretty quickly.

I'm talking about the Cornell 7.

And if you're unfamiliar, that link goes to Wikipedia. That's a pretty good summary if you're unfamiliar. I'm not going to delve into it here.

But I do have one "hot take". Most of social media has hit most of the good talking points already, so there's no need for me to rehash. However, there is one thing I have not heard that I've been thinking.

I've been thinking about the whole "but we can't ruin these young men's lives" people. I have one question for them:

What terrible assault did you commit as a young man that you got away with?

Because, seriously, if they're identifying with the perpetrators in this scenario, that does not bode well for their humanity.

This is not really "resisting" content, though, so here's a "resisting" video. Warning: adult language.

This video is from August, but he's been posting hot takes like this daily.