Special Sort of Moodiness Today

I was explaining to an old friend via email what I dreamed my life would look like at this age. When I was 16/17, I dreamed that at this point in my life that I'd be living in Austria or Belgium or Spain or something as a Foreign Service Officer with my family of two kids and husband with a dog. We'd be world travellers, fluent in several languages, mingling with the people of Europe, breaking down the Ugly American facade, and helping Americans in need abroad. Expatriots that I'd read about while learning about Hemmingway and other authors of his time... Living in Spain, carefree and loving it.

As my mood got darker, I closed my email. Perhaps afraid to show the dark places where my mind was going or perhaps to simply avoid those dark places. Stopping the writing did not stop the thinking though and I ended up in those dark places anyhow.

It occurs to me that I don't like those dark places because it is where I begin to call myself fat and lazy and ambitionless and failure and all those ugly words that play over and over in my head some days.

I sit here and think of what my life would be if only... if only... if only... And then the reality of it is that If I really wanted that, I would have found a way to make it happen. If I were really as ambitious as I'd like to believe, then I'd have found my way to that life already. And then I turned back to a game of Bejeweled... Maybe it wasn't the effects of outside forces that threw me from my path to that life. Maybe it was just me.

Maybe I just made wrong choices. Maybe I was too lazy to deal with college. Maybe I was too idealistic. Maybe I was just delusional. Maybe life is just a string of disappointments with some occasional highlights here and there. Maybe I am too ugly to be that person living that sort of life. And then I turned back to a game of Bejeweled.

Who is this person that would rather hide in a stupid little game played in one-minute increments? Where did she come from?

If I were the person that I want to be, then I'd find a way to be able to print from here so I can delve into the budget that is wrong the first month of the fiscal year. I'd find a way to get a copy of the pandemic plan to download and open so I can add the updates as we learn new info. I'd have made the calls that I had intended to make and documented the savings from plans I've implemented or... or... or... The list goes on.

My brain turned to those dark places of self-loathing and self-blame. And tried to hide in a mindless game played in one-minute increments. But I went there anyhow. And my mood got darker.

Until I realized that every now and then, we all have to shine a light down in those dark places, clear out the cobwebs, pick up the different plans, goals, and dreams. We have to reassess ourselves, regroup, and get set straight once again.

Then we can get back to the business of achieving our goals, finding new dreams, and work on accomplishing them.




I don't suck. My life doesn't suck. In fact, most days, I think I'm pretty darn good and so is my life. No, it isn't what my idealistic teenage dreams might have come up with, but I've got the husband, I've got the kids, I help people, and I travel fairly regularly. I even have a passport with a stamp on it.

Serial Rapist in the Neighborhood?

EDIT: I read the posting from the police and thought it couldn't be the same woman twice. It must be two different women. Nope, it is the same poor woman, sexually assaulted twice.


Victim reports second sexual assault in neighborhood


April 7, 2009 (MINNEAPOLIS) Yesterday afternoon a 32 year old woman was sexually assaulted a second time in her home near the Standish and Corcoran neighborhood border. The woman, who was home alone at the time, opened her back door and the suspect forced his way into the home and then sexually assaulted the victim. After the assault the suspect fled from the home.

The suspect in this case is described as a white male 30-40 years old, 6’ tall and 180 to 200 lbs with grey hair. The suspect is described as wearing a grey sweatshirt and navy colored cargo pants. The victim did not sustain significant injuries but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.


In the previous case on April 23rd the victim was sexually assaulted in her garage. The suspect in that case is an unknown race male 20 to 40 years old, 5’09” to 6’ tall with a medium build wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and jeans.

The Minneapolis Police Sex Crimes Unit is investigating this case and the Third Precinct will be putting additional resources into the area. Residents in the area are asked to call 911 to report any suspicious behavior in the area.

Police are asking that anyone with information about this case contact the Sex Crimes Unit at 612-673-3049.

The PIO contact for this case is Sgt. William Palmer. The CCN for this case is 09-133350. The CCN for the April 23rd case is 09-118099.

# # #

For questions, contact:

Karen Notsch, Crime Prevention Specialist
Minneapolis Police Department, 3rd Precinct
(612) 673-2856
karen.notsch@ci.minneapolis.mn.us


To Protect With Courage
To Serve With Compassion

We Win! For now...

The School Options, AKA School Closings, are postponed indefinitely.

I really like the two different versions of the story that has come out.

The Superintendent is the one who came up with this brilliant plan of closing successful schools and putting them in old, inappropriate buildings. Here is his announcement on it.

Minneapolis Public Schools postpones Changing School Options timeline

May 6, 2009


Last night at a working session, the Minneapolis Board of Education raised additional questions and submitted alternative ideas to the administration’s recommendation for Changing School Options submitted Tuesday, April 28, 2009. The Board was scheduled to vote on the plan on May 26, 2009, for changes that would go into effect in the 2010-2011 school year. Board members indicated the recommendation in its current form would not gain the majority vote required to pass on May 26.

Minneapolis Public Schools’ leadership is in the process of studying the potential impacts of the Board’s ideas. Because these decisions are complex and critical, the process of analyzing the impact of different ideas requires time and careful deliberation. Therefore, previously announced community engagement meetings for May will be postponed. We will notify our families and communities as soon as we are able to establish a new schedule, likely within the next week.

In the meantime, please know that doing what is best for our students, raising academic achievement and creating a sustainable school district for the future is at the heart of our decision-making. We would like to acknowledge the families’ investment of time and energy that has informed our planning every step of the way. We need, appreciate and want our families’ continued involvement.

Superintendent Bill Green

Now the paper reported on it too. Here are excerpts from their article:

Board chair Tom Madden described the plan as "DOA" or "dead on arrival" during a working session of the board Tuesday night.

"Last night was a big success in my mind," Madden said Wednesday. "We would have been voting on May 26, and it would have failed. I was hopeful going in and very pleased coming out."

...

Board members also questioned closing Pratt Community School and relocating Northrop Urban Environmental School to the larger Folwell Middle School site, after it closes.

Pratt is in southeast Minneapolis near the University of Minnesota and is the district's smallest school with fewer than 180 students. Northrop and Pratt are both K-5 elementary schools.

Board Member Chris Stewart questioned closing small schools, such as Pratt, that have been successful with low-income students as opposed to larger schools that aren't faring well.

The district has eight elementary schools-- many of them large -- that are restructuring or preparing to restructure under federal law due to low performance.

"I want to say I'm sick of worrying about Pratt every two years," Stewart said.

Said parent Becky Sun: "I'm relieved that they're reconsidering whether to close Pratt, but I won't breathe a sigh of relief until it's all over and Pratt is still open. I'm optimistic, but I'm not going to say it's all over until it's in print."

Costain urged the administration to draft a plan that is more specific about open attendance areas. She said the district should consider a proposal from families in the Kingfield/East Lake Harriet neighborhood to link Barton Open and Lyndale elementary schools as a K-8 campus and make it their community school. It could mean Barton Open's program moves to Ramsey Fine Arts School.

Said Madden: "They're trying to assess the changes [we suggested] and the ramifications of that and what that does to the timeline."

So... Let's see... The plan was to close schools that were successful with very diverse student populations with parents opposing the school closings very vocally. Then... leave alone the failing schools that have to be restructured anyhow due to No Child Left Behind Laws. And completely ignore closing the schools that PARENTS of students in those schools suggested closing... Hmm...

Why would you close successful schools operating at a lower cost than failing schools? I'm not certain about Pratt but Northrop has done a great job of leveraging their parent volunteers, creating a great grant writing team to get in more money for projects and specialty learning programs, and doing community outreach with local parks, businesses, and other higher ed schools. They run their school more cost effectively than most other schools in the district. And it isn't that they are a white, middle class school. More than 70% of the students are from families at or below poverty level. Northrop is succeeding against the odds and obstacles were most schools with similar demographics are failing.

I am very happy to see that the elected school board had a clue and stood up for what was right fiscally and educationally for our children. Superintendent Green seems to be really out of touch. He's been here for a while as part of the Board, as deputy superintendent and then acting Superintendent and now Superintendent. He's been involved with Minneapolis Schools since at least 1993. He should be in touch. He should know what is happening.


Phew! Let's see what they try next...

Yes, a sports post...

Kind of...


I live in Viking Territory. The neighboring cheeseheads are our arch rivals. Cheesehead boy Brett Favre has retired. Come out of retirement. Retired. Come out of retirement. Retired... And is now thinking of coming out of retirement.

Here's the thing. Fricken' retire already and stay retired!! Enough of this ridiculous game! I don't care how much you think you are going to get back at the Packers by playing for the Vikings. I don't even think you'll be all that good for the Vikings. Your last two seasons were not that good... I might even be willing to say they sucked ass. I'm tired of hearing the Favre name already.

Changing School Options ie Closing schools

We just received notice:

The Board of Education, Special School District No. 1, has scheduled the following meetings.
Meetings are open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

Tuesday, May 5th (tonight)
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Working Session

The meeting will be held in Conference Room 1 at the John B. Davis Educational Services Center, 807 Northeast Broadway. The topic for discussion is he Changing School Options. (i.e. closing and relocation of Northrop and other Area B schools.)

We know this is last minute, but if there is anyone who can attend that would be great!@

Let's continue to let the board and district know we oppose this change!!

Thanks,
Northrop PTA

********************************

Just an FYI. There was a meeting scheduled for tonight at Northrop. It was cancelled by the school board without any information as to why. Then this new meeting was suddenly announced at a different location.