Back to School

School has been in session for two weeks and it has been wonderful. Next week I introduce our second projects in my art classes and the first ones have gone well. Afternoon classes are large, morning classes are tiny. Our class sizes are determined by the music the students choose so we can have a ridiculous bursting at the seams class after lunch, not even enough seat, and an embarrassingly tiny class in the morning. Only music people can rearrange anything. We lost a subject out of our rotation so our related arts grading period has finally aligned with with academic schedule, 9 weeks. that lets me bring some art projects back on line that I had to shelve when we switched to 7 weeks. This is a good thing for me. We have a new tech teacher who has dropped out of administration after 24 years and he is terrific, plus one can ask him a question based on his years as principal and assistant principal and get good thoughtful answers.

A wonderful thing for me and for my students is that I got to order clay this year. Happy days in 8th grade! I am looking at an artist named Romero Britto for some really fun ideas, I ended up buying a 2011 calendar at a normal price, his 2010 calendars are 200 and 300 dollars. Who knew? Also got a childrens book he did with wonderful happy illustrations. Now, to develop the project. I do not think I will be cutting this calendar into pieces!

Long Dry Spell

My summer flew by and I did not write a post since the meniscus. I am holding steady at a weight loss of 146 pounds. I haven't lost in the past two family doc visits so she is happy and I realize if the excess skin were removed I would be well under college weight, so I would have to agree with Dr. W. Enough is enough. I am 1 1/2 yr out from RNY surgery and can sample most normal foods. I believe I have become intolerant of mushrooms, they make me queasy. I have had a very few sweets, very few, and have had no problem with all but one. I had a cupcake (small) from a cupcake bakery at my grandson's 1 year b-day-- It seemed to have double the sugar--so so sweet--and I was really ill from that, some vomiting, foaming and my nose swelled shut. My symptom for having one bite too many, and stop now is a slightly running nose-- that means NOT ONE MORE BITE-- do not go there. This time the nose started to run and swell shut at the same time. It probably took an hour to recover. So not worth it. I will not be going there again. I have had OK experiences with sugar free ice-cream, but just so you WLS ers who might read this know, this also involves the famous WLS gas and also has joined the list of not worth it. I don't know why, but I can eat popcorn and I enjoy it with no problem.

I really hardly swam this summer, some things got in my way and one was a health issue. I had not taken the importance of iron as seriously as all the other vitamins. I floated down to anemia and had two solid weeks of vertigo. Basically, I could not leave the house much, I was staggering and bumping into walls. I never fainted or fell down. I am taking a wonderful iron supplement from bariatric advantage that is chewable and tasty, I am very compliant now. My body is still trying to amass a store of iron, climbing very very slowly, but I am out of the dizziness. Do not underestimate the importance iron following WLS surgery, it is a change in absorption issue, not a "I never had a problem with iron in my life" issue. I must have been distracted when they mentioned iron absorption, it may have been the terrible ice storm the day of the dietary class and the 14 hours it took to get home 90 miles.