Well, well, I’ve made it from the bed to the couch. There’s no stopping me now.

“It was just a 24-hour flu thing. I was pretty sick on Sunday Friday.” ~ Mark Kotsay

This morning I weaned myself away from Vernors Diet Ginger Ale and am back on coffee—beginning with a ½ mug (gotta start somewhere don’t you agree?)

Greetings from the corner of Chaos & Mayhem. Marcia just got up and said” “Dirk, over here.” The photo I then took from our little balcony shows an overnight event. It also confirms just how comfortable we are living here: we didn’t hear a thing!

And there is good news. The owner of that car is, like us, right on the bus stop. Hear that Nick M?

Slammed by Common Core Math – I pity you poor parents who must sit evening after evening trying to guide your little ones through the nightmare of Common Core math.

Don’t know about Common Core math? It’s the most idiotic, nonsensical, NEW way of handling math I’ve ever seen.  This system is nothing more than a guarantee that every student exposed to this ‘method’ will emerge hating math. How long does it take you to, say, add 417+102=519? A mere second? Not so with common core. Columns of little bits drawn with boxes around them, and seven or eight steps later out pops an answer.

Tuesday was a type of Teachers day and so Opa to the rescue: Mom Adrianne was just beginning day two of her new job and couldn’t take off. Vai and I took the bus to town. Had fun, did a bunch of stuff, had lunch at the counter of an old style diner, and rode home. But wait; there was more, Vai needed to complete her homework. That is where I got exposed to the Common Core (and probably where I caught the flu).

As some wag wrote to explain the concept of a Common Core Math word problem:

”If you have 7 pencils and 4 apples, how many pancakes will fit on the roof? Purple because aliens don’t wear hats.”

Think I’m joking? I dare you to take one minute to view the inner working of this stuff. Good luck, and PLEASE, don’t get a headache. Exactly what are we doing to our kids? And this is a better way?

Halloween as it should be – The little community where Adrianne & Tevita live is definitely ground Zero for trick or treating. Actually, it’s ground ‘zero’ for every holiday ever invented. The day after one is finished the decorations for the next event emerge. At times houses had 30 plus little decorated urchins waiting to get to the porch of some homes.

Hence, since I am still a wee bit under the weather, let me just post a bunch of Halloween photos. You’ll enjoy them. The very first are of our gang, the rest sights of Halloween St. Bernard style. (Apologies to all of you who’ve seen these, you have a quick read this morning)

Fini – Guess what? Yup. I’ll still be easing my way into normalcy. Marcia made a Pizza using Chorizo for the meat and it’s beginning to sound good.

Therefore, make it a great week, stay safe.

Cheers.

Dirk